June 2013

Digital Edition

www.FishGame.com Venomous Snakes of Texas Part 2

JUNE 2013 | VOL. XXX • NO. 2 | $3.95

Bow

Rush The Adrenaline Thrills of Modern Bow Fishing FISHING BEYOND

The Third Bar

TARGETING

Texas-Size Trout THE

Crappie

WHISPERERS DUSTIN ELLERMANN:

Build an AR15 for Predators

TEXAS CATFISH

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

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

Roy Neves PUBLISHER

Don Zaidle EDITOR-in-chief

Chester moore Executive EDITOR

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

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

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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

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TEXAS FISH & GAME (ISSN 0887-4174) is published monthly by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC., 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. ©Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. All rights reserved. Content is not to be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission. The publication assumes no responsibility for unsolicited photographs and manuscripts. Subscription rates: 1 year $19.00: 2 years $34.75; 3 years $48.50. Address all subscription inquiries to Texas Fish & Game, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for response. Give old and new address and enclose latest mailing address label when writing about your subscription. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Address all subscription inquiries to TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Email change of address to: dhruzek@fishgame. com Email new orders to: dhruzek@fishgame.com Email subscription questions to: dhruzek@fishgame.com.

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CONTENTS FEATURES

june 2013 • Volume XXX • NO. 2

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Targeting trophy trout While a novice angler can occasionally land a speckled trout of a lifetime while fishing casually, to catch a true trophy, you have to target them. And that takes a whole different skill level and a lot of patience.

by John N. Felsher

Catfish summer School’s out, summer is here and old “whiskers” is the best deal going to fill a void in the freezer and turn a kid onto to fishing.

cover story: Bow Rush Take the thrill of fishing and the challenge of bow hunting, add in high-tech gear, rigged-out superboats and monster prey, and you have one of the state’s fastest growing pursuits: bowfishing.

STORY:

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Story by Chester Moore

by Matt Williams

Cover Photo by George Knighten

ALSO IN june:

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build an ar-15 varminter Part Two in our series on custom AR-15 configurations looks at building the perfect rifle for varmint and predator hunting.

by Dustin Ellermann

The Outer Limits For surf anglers no longer content with catching specks, reds, flounder, and other inshore species, perhaps it is time to venture a bit farther out for a greater variety of gamefish: Beyond the Third Bar. Story by Calixto Gonzales

STORY:

the crappie whisperers When the crappie going gets tough, turn to the pros: five veteran Texas crappie anglers share their tactics for a multitude of locations and conditions.

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CONTENTS COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS

june 2013 • Volume XXX • NO. 2

COLUMNS

DEPARTMENTS

Editor’s Notes 10 Re-Thinking

Commentary 21

Incredibly Bad

by DON ZAIDLE TF&G Editor-in-Chief

by Kendal Hemphill TF&G Politcal Commentator

8 letters 12 TF&G Report 12 big bags &

Hunt Texas 33 Hog’s

34 texas dept. of

High Fences

t

Choices

Honor

defense

by bob hood TF&G Hunting Editor

44 True green

Chester’s Notes 14

Concealed Carry and

Texas Bow Hunting 37

Mentor New

by CHESTER MOORE TF&G Executive Editor

by Lou Marullo TF&G Bow Hunting Editor

Doggett at Large 16

Worth the

Texas Saltwater 42

A Whiff of

by JOE DOGGETT TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

by Calixto Gonzales TF&G Saltwater Editor

Pike on the Edge 18

Knees + Jerks = Gun

Texas Freshwater 51

Inside Noodling with the

by Doug Pike TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

by matt Williams TF&G Freshwater Editor

TexasWild 20

Texas Bow Hunting

Open Season 56 Language

by Ted nugent TF&G Editor At Large

by reavis wortham TF&G Humor Editor

Man’s ‘Best Friend’

Punishment

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Control Politics

Uprage Update

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catches

Bow Hunters

Digital:

Treason

Catfish Cowboys

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iPad u iPhone u Android u COMING SOON: u Kindle Fire u

FREE to Subscribers. See your Device App Store, or visit:

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Letters to the Editor Getting the Blade I enjoyed reading “Getting the Blade” by Paul Bradshaw in the May 2013 issue of TFG. It brought back many memories of my childhood.

One of my earliest memories as a child growing up in the 1950’s was when I started carrying a pocketknife. I was about five or six years old. My dad had a junk drawer in the bathroom and pushed to the back and forgotten were about 15 pocket knifes.

Every day, after he went to work, I would go pick one out and slip it in my pocket for

the day. In the evening, I would put it back.

I did that throughout childhood until I was old enough to get my own pocketknife.

Now, I have my own drawer full of knifes.

Wayne Pedigo Cleburne, TX I enjoyed the article “Getting the Blade” and always carry at least one pocketknife except where prohibited.

I am sure by now that every engineer and metallurgist has sent an email correcting the article concerning the explanation of carbon content in steel. In 1040 steel, the last two digits mean 0.40 percent carbon.

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In 1095 steel, the 95 means 0.95 percent carbon.

Byron Chitwood, Retired Engineer Greenville, TX

AMA is DOA Great work as always on May issue “Editor’s Notes,” but I must take exception to one statement: “The AMA -- the real representative of the medical profession...”

As a general surgeon, let me emphatically state that the AMA in fact does not represent the majority of physicians. In fact, only 15-20 percent of current practicing physicians are members, and most of them seem to be University-based Northeasterners and Left Coasters.

The AMA recently (and quite vocally) supported “Obamacare” despite opposition to the legislation from 87 percent of our nation’s physicians, according to one study.

As this organization continues to drift to the left, its views are more consistently out of line with actual practicing physicians.

So, like PCRM, the AMA may sound “representative” (and may have been in the past), but is now nothing more than a front group for those with a political agenda far removed from most physicians in real-life practice.

Ryan Pevey Longview, TX I stand corrected and thank you for the valuable information. I guess creeping idiF i s h

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ocy respects no boundary or profession. One assumes physicians are the brightest, best, and most logical and reasoned among us.

I still believe that is true of the majority.

Those who fail in these respects (and maybe as physicians) apparently have taken over the AMA. —Don Zaidle, editor-in-chief

Don’t Fool with Mother Nature Kudos to Capt. Mike Holmes for his Texas Fish & Game April 2013 article, “It Isn’t Nice (Or Smart) to Fool with Mother Nature.”

I live on the beautiful San Bernard River (SBR) and appreciate Capt.

Holmes including the SBR closed-mouth issue in his article. I forwarded information about Capt. Holmes’ article to Friends of the River San Bernard (FOR), the nonprofit volunteer organization concerned with all aspects of the SBR, including its closed-mouth.

In addition to the FOR organization, there are other good folks and River activists also working hard to bring attention to the SBR closed mouth. I feel sure this article will be linked to its web version on the Friends of the River San Bernard website (www.sanbernardriver.com) where it will reach thousands more people.

Marie Breakiron 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

Re-thinking High Fences

F

or the past few months, I have been thinking about the high fence issue, and at this point, am on the verge of an epiphany. Here is a sampling of my self-interrogatory: If a landowner with 500 or 1000 acres decides to put it under high fence, acquire the necessary TPWD permits, buy breeding stock, and start selling hunts for “trophy” white-tailed bucks, how does this impact the average hunter or hunting itself?

Do high fences deprive the average hunter of hunting land previously available to him?

Not really. The landowner was previously hunting the land himself, leasing the hunting rights at a premium price, or not allowing hunting at all. The average hunter suffers no loss.

Do the deer herds on adjoining land suffer? No, unless a given parcel is surrounded on all four sides by high fence, which would be very rare. Even at that, the landowner now enjoys a free high fence (which is frightfully expensive to build) courtesy of his neighbors.

The landlocked landowner can then start his own high-fenced hunting operation at minimal cost.

Do high-fenced hunting operations “steal” deer from the people of Texas? No, not any more than a farmer with the appropriate permit pumping water from a river or stream for irrigation. In both cases, a public resource is put to private use for a fee and subsequent permit. Besides, the objective of a high-fenced hunting operation is to produce and offer hunts for bucks bred to enhance genetics that produce large antlers. Rather than leave to chance that some of the deer “captured” inside the fence possess those qualities, most operators purchase breeding stock from other established operations.

Further, probably less than 100 deer would be captured in even the most ambitious fencing operation. Even if multiplied by

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1000, that is still a small fraction of the state’s estimated 4 million whitetails.

Then, too, some operations offer hunts for exotics such as axis and fallow deer, nilgai, and sundry sheep and goat species, so the fence is both necessary and justifiable to contain these “livestock.”

As more land comes under high fence, will hunting become too expensive for the average hunter? Assuming running a highfenced hunting operation remains profitable for the foreseeable future, and some people are willing to hunt those venues, then, yes, for a time. However, as high-fenced hunting operations propagate, competition increases, which drives down prices. Eventually, a highfenced hunt will become as affordable as a quality season lease.

Does high-fence hunting tarnish hunting’s image? Yes, but only within the hunting community. Propaganda from Walt Disney, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the Public Broadcasting System (PBS), and the lamestream media already have a segment of the non-hunting public convinced that hunting is a barbaric, cruel, antiquated bloodsport practiced only by the soulless and hydro-encephalic, and should be banned. Few non-hunters read hunting magazines and therefore do not know the truth about conservation, animal population dynamics, and hunting. I daresay not one in 10,000 non-hunters (if that many) even know that high-fenced hunting exists, and if they do know, do not understand the rationale behind it.

While true that anti-hunting groups cite high-fenced hunting (incorrectly labeling it “canned hunting”) as one of the evils they seek to abolish, said groups are preaching to the choir and further indoctrinating their own members. Nonetheless, in the overall scheme of the anti-hunting movement, high fences are a very minor issue.

The perception among many hunters is that high-fenced hunting is unethical and not really “hunting”--a view I have personally held for some time. However, no one has yet put a bag over my head, driven me to a F i s h

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high-fenced ranch, put one gun in my hand and another to my head, then told me, “Hunt or die!”

I choose to not hunt behind fence, but why should my preference (or is it prejudice?) infringe someone else’s preference. If a landowner wants to fence his land and run a hunting operation, it is his land and his business what he does with it. If someone wants to hunt the land behind that fence, that is his business.

I am a traditionalist in many areas, but a renaissance man in others. As innovation and technology progress, the simple pleasures I enjoyed in my youth fall into disuse or even become outlawed. A kid digging a can full of worms from the garden and spending the day fishing at the creek is no longer possible without possessing a tedious list of licenses and permits. Let a passerby see a 10-year-old stalking rabbits in the pasture with a singleshot .22, and the SWAT team shows up.

Oddly, sometimes “traditionalists” get their way--to the detriment of everyone else.

Witness the federal magazine-fed shotgun three-shot plug rule: It is simply a compromise developed in the early Twentieth Century to placate traditionalists who maintained that “real hunters” used only double-barrel scatterguns, and the magazine guns afforded “unfair advantage.” Rather than ban magazine shotguns, the feds offered traditionalists the three-shot plug rule, which today makes no sense to anyone with two brain cells to rub together.

Although I mourn the loss of traditional pursuits, I simultaneously embrace technologies and paradigms that open new avenues to hunting, fishing, and trapping for future generations. Perhaps, like the caterpillar grown accustomed to the security of its cocoon, I am in metamorphosis and not yet accustomed to post-emergence wings. Perhaps I have matured enough to recognize that change is not necessarily bad.

Bad or good, change is inevitable--and adapting to change is the difference between survival and extinction.

Contact Don Zaidle at DZaidle@fishgame.com

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The TF&G Report Accused in Lady Kingfish Tourney Cheating Case Plead Not Guilty Seven people accused of cheating in the Lady’s Kingfish Tournament at South Padre Island in August 2012 say they are not guilty, according to court records.

The seven waived their arraignments in Cameron County Court-at-Law No. 2 within the last few days through their attorneys after the Cameron County District Attorney’s office filed misdemeanor complaints against them, alleging fraud in a fishing tournament, reported the Valley Morning Star (valleymorningstar.com).

The defendants are each accused with intentionally accepting or agreeing to accept a fish from

another person on Aug. 11, 2012, to represent that the fish was caught by the participant in the course of the tournament in order to affect the outcome of a tournament.

The seven were initially arrested last year, and released on bonds.

The cases against the seven apparently had been dormant until the complaints were filed last month, according to court records.

The cases as noted last year were to be pursued as felonies, but the new administration in the DA’s office found that the prize that was won at the tournament had been a trophy, and thus the offense was a misdemeanor instead of a felony.

Relating to the $5,000 that was won through participation in the “Calcutta” competition, Assistant DA Jeremy SoRelle said Tuesday that participation in this competition allegedly would basically be gambling.

—Staff Report

LDWF and TPWD Join Forces to Sue Feds over Red Snapper The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and its Commission, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) have joined together to file a lawsuit in United States District Court in Brownsville, Texas, challenging an emergency regulation enacted by the federal National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) that, if left in place, would allow the NMFS regional administrator to significantly reduce the recreational red snapper season in federal waters off the coasts of Louisiana and Texas.

“The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission, on behalf of recreational fish-

Big Bags&Catches

Whitetail

Redfish

Flounder

Brazoria Co.

Lake Calaveras

Sabine Lake

Ten-year-old Kade Henny of Alvin shot his first deer, a 13-pointer, with one shot from a custom .243 built by his great-Grandpa in 1955. It was on the first day of youth season, in Brazoria County.

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Kenny Lansing, age 9, of Bulverde caught this 33-inch, 14-pound redfish at Calaveras Lake while fishing with his Dad and uncle.

It was his first red. He complained about sore hads after reeling for about 15 minutes fighting it. Tough problem to have!

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Jay Bennett of Pleasure Island caught this large flounder during the November run on Sabine Lake. He caught the 5-pound flatfish on live bait.

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said the lawsuit was an added measure of enforceability should NMFS not act on the latest council motion prior to the start of red snapper season June 1. The federal court has been asked to expedite its consideration of the case so that a decision is reached before June 1.

t

—Staff Report

Over strong objections from Louisiana, Texas and Florida, the Gulf of Mexico Management Council voted to implement snapper seasons as short as 12 and 9 days off the Texas and Louisiana coasts, respectively.

ermen and those whose livelihood depends on reasonable access to red snapper stocks, has taken this action to send the message to NMFS that a nine-day season for Louisiana landings is totally unreasonable and unacceptable,” said Ronald “Ronny” Graham, LWFC chairman.

“While we would prefer a cooperative regional management approach and are still hopeful that we can reach such a resolution, TPWD has a responsibility to take legal action to protect our state’s authority to manage the red snapper fishery within Texas waters,” said T. Dan Friedkin of Houston, Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission chairman. “We have heard loudly and clearly from our anglers and other stakeholders that they expect nothing less from us.”

On Feb. 8, over the strong objections of state agency representatives from Louisiana, Texas, and Florida, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Council) voted to implement an emergency rule that could shorten the recreational red snapper fishing season in federal waters off the Texas coast to as few as 12 days and to 9 days off the Louisiana coast, down from a projected 22-day season. In 2012, the snapper season in federal waters throughout the Gulf was 46 days. In contrast, because snapper stocks are doing well and growing in the Gulf, snapper fishing is allowed 365 days a year in Texas state waters and 88 days in Louisiana state waters.

Just weeks later, on April 18, the Gulf council voted 8 to 7 to overturn the emergency rule, in effect reversing the Feb. 8 vote. Louisiana and Texas representatives Photo: Wikimedia commons

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Chester’s Wild Life

by Chester Moore | TF&G Executive Editor

Concealed Carry and Man’s ‘Best Friend’

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t was a sight I will never forget.

A snarling, enraged pit bull busted forth from the brush and headed right at me. A guttural growl and intense, focused eyes told me this dog was out for blood, in particular mine.

I was at my deer lease before the season to repair a stand with no rifle in tow. For a second panic set in, until I realized I had the .45 my concealed handgun permit allowed me to carry.

I quickly drew it, clicked off the safety, aimed at the dog and fired. It stopped, spun around and walked back into the brush.

I pondered following it to put an end to the threat once and for all but decided to enter the lease from another location and avoid trouble until I was better armed.

Looking back, I would have ended up another statistic had I not possessed the handgun the state of Texas grants licensed, responsible citizens the right to carry.

There is much discussion on concealed handguns as protection from human predators, but what about threats of the animal kind? A couple of years ago I blogged on this topic and considering last month’s article about the threat of man, it seemed fitting to delve into the dangers of man’s “best friend”.

Protecting one’s life and family is equally important whether the threat comes from a parolee or a pit bull.

And as I said on my radio program “Moore Outdoors” on Newstalk AM 560 KLVI after my incident on the deer lease.

“Admit it. If you had to run into an angry dog in the woods would you choose a pit or a Yorkie? I’ll go with the Yorkie.”

On my lease alone, I know of two other hunters who had encounters with pit bulls, including a bowhunter who had to scramble 14 |

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up a tree and stay there several hours until the dog left.

Pits and other potentially aggressive breeds are often used for fighting and for use as catch dogs in hog hunting (they are awesome at catching hogs). Fighting dogs not deemed worthy are either killed or dumped onto the public and some hog dogs get loose and become feral.

Additionally, with the economy in shambles many people who can no longer afford caring for their dogs are making the poor choice of dumping them in rural areas instead of bringing them to a shelter. And it does not matter the breed, ANY large breed can pose a danger when gone into a feral state.

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I would argue a person has a better chance fending of a thug with a switchblade than a strong, aggressive dog, hell-bent on destruction. But how are we to defend ourselves?

If you do a Google search you find all kinds of methods offered to fend off attacking dogs, bears and other dangerous animals.

One article entitled, “Defending Yourself Against Animal Attacks” recommends using pepper spray and says, “Even if you are carrying a gun with you, do not try to shoot at the animal.”

If I had taken this advice I might not be writing this article and at the very least would have scars with me the rest of my life.

The concealed carry debate has been virtually solely focused on prevention of criminal attacks but there are other equally dangerous threats lurking out there. Dog, bear, mountain lion and even coyote attacks are on the increase throughout the country.

And for those of us who frequent the woods and wild lands of this great state, the chances of a dangerous animal encounter are even greater as I know from my experience.

Although you might carry your concealed handgun religiously at the gas station, mall and other public venues, think seriously about toting it in the woods as well even when you are simply going hiking or to fill the deer feeder in the off-season.

You might not get carjacked but a pack of vicious feral dogs might size you up and I hope you are ready to respond with proper firepower, not flesh and bone.

Catch Chester on the radio Fridays, 6 pm on 560 KLVI Beaumont (www.klvi.com) and Thursdays online on TF&G Radio (www.fishgame.com) Contact him at CMoore@fishgame.com

Photo: Bigstock

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Doggett at Large

by Joe Doggett | TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

Worth the Punishment

T

he Ouachita River in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas is a beautiful little stream. The stretch near Mount Ida is rimmed by wooded hills and steep bluffs, and the long pools and short riffles flow with rich brown-clear water.

It is a quality fishing experience. At least, it was 50 years ago, when I fished it almost daily during the six-week summer session at Ozark Boys Camp (now the co-ed Camp Ozark).

The camp sits on a high ridge and overlooks a prime stretch of the river, an inspiring sight early and late in the day when the green and gray shadows filled the valley. I was an urban kid with no serious fishing experience, and the beckon of the unspoiled river is difficult to describe.

The water even in July is cool but you can wade wet. And, using light tackle, you can fish for wild largemouth bass, spotted bass, and smallmouth bass. All are native to the Ozark drainage. A big bass from the little stream might weigh two pounds, but “big” is relative.

And so is success. Catching two or three fish during a short free-time session (before or after organized activities) was a big deal for fledgling efforts.

Of course, the camp had strict rules regarding unsupervised ramblings on the river. You had to pass a legitimate water test in the swimming lake. You had to inform a counselor of your intentions of fishing, and you had to double-up with another qualified camper.

And, you had to remain within sight of the camp.

Naturally, once the “home water” became routine, the unseen river up around the far bend taunted with every promise that fishing ever made.

One afternoon, when fellow Ouachita A-Teamers David and Josh were occupied,

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I decided to implement a solo stealth mission around the bend. I had about 1 1/2 hours before the dinner bell—enough time for an exploratory strike.

Armed with my 8-1/2-foot Shakespeare fly rod and a pair of high-topped Keds, I slipped undetected down a back trail to the river. I crossed a shallow riffle and, using the tree-lined rim of a pasture on the north bank, hiked upstream.

Around the bend, out of sight of all that went before, I stood at the tail-out of a deep run. The feeling of wildness, of adventure, was overwhelming.

A fish rose with a deliberate splash in the slick water where the dark current began to quicken. A smallmouth! Surely a smallmouth!

The hard-pulling, fast-running, highjumping “brownie” is the king of the Ozarks.

The golden hues and chocolate markings and red eyes define a special elegance.

And smallmouths favor currents. They often hold behind rocks and logs in the main flow, Largemouths and “perch” tend to lurk in the backwaters and undercuts.

I waded through the shallows, easing for position across from the dissipating swirl. The afternoon light was on my back and I could see a dark tree trunk on the clean-swept gravel bottom. The massive log was maybe 20 feet in length, angling with broken limbs into the deeper water.

I was looking at a smallmouth hotel. And, best of all, it probably hadn’t been touched all summer.

I eased into thigh-deep water, toeing with the tennis shoes over the gravel and rocks.

The white fiberglass rod was rigged with a six-pound-test monofilament leader and a small yellow popping bug on a No. 8 hook.

You know the kind—dished face, rubber legs, pained eyes, and a bushy tail hackle.

I pulled the level “D” line from the Medalist clicker reel and aimed a cast a bit upstream of the log. The dot of yellow looped out and landed on the still surface and started to drift. I twitched the rod tip and the rubber legs fluttered and the scooped face gurgled.

The black silhouette of a good bass mateF i s h

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rialized from the mysteries of the log. The fish rose slowly, confidently, behind the struggling popper. I watched as in slow motion the mouth opened and closed amid a solid swirl.

The rod lifted into the startled weight and the bass ran for open water. The tan fly line curved upstream and the smallmouth came out in a twisting leap. I felt as if one of my cherished outdoor magazine covers had come to life.

It could have been A.J. McClane at Field & Stream, or Joe Brooks at Outdoor Life, or Jason Lucas at Sports Afield. But it was me!

The two-pound smallmouth struggled for several minutes—more stamina than a largemouth, for sure—then came to hand. It was a gorgeous fish, thick and gleaming in a burnished glow against the setting sun. I released it, partly because I wanted to, but mainly so no flapping evidence would mark the trail of my transgression.

During the next 30 minutes, while working near the log, I caught and released six more smallmouths on the popping bug. None was huge but all were over an honest one pound. I don’t recall losing a fish or missing a strike. It was, it various ways, a perfect session.

Well, almost.

The sun was behind the trees, evening cool was in the air, and swallows were darting over the river. The dinner bell would ring soon, so I pinned the popper to the rod and began backtracking through the brush and trees. I reached the shallow riffle just above camp and looked slyly to the high bluff. No one was in sight.

I waded across—and naturally got spotted. I was benched for two days but took the penalty in stride. I hate to say it, being a rule violator and all, but the experience was worth the punishment.

For the first time I made something special happen on the water, and I knew that any of my heros would have been glad to take my place.

Contact Joe Doggettl at JDoggett@fishgame.com

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Pike on the Edge

by Doug Pike | TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

Knees + Jerks = Gun Control Politics

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“Do we really need high-capacity magazines?” they challenge.

Well, I can’t answer that question unless they can tell me how many armed thugs are going to kick down my door and how many rounds they’ll have locked and loaded when the hinges bust loose from the jamb.

“Does any civilian really need an assault rifle?” That’s another meaningless question, because it can’t be answered, again, until someone identifies all the threats that might face someone who realizes law enforcement is nearly always late to gunfights.

And while we’re banning rifles and magazines and ultimately riding sidesaddle into the United Nations’ stable of small-arms control, why is there no cry to ban assault pressure cookers, or assault knives, or assault explosives or assault cars.

Our elected officials, nearly enough of them now to threaten centuries of tradition, have become highly reactive and rarely proactive. As fire burns the house, they want to outlaw the match. (Cliché, I know, but true nonetheless.)

Prevention for them is afterthought, and their mantra: Let’s do something quick, before “this” happens again.

The other tambourine being banged

too loudly is that for universal background checks. Who, those in favor ask, could be against keeping crazy people and felons from buying guns? Not me. I’m all for that, and

“

Personal protection is personal.

“

S

tep 1: Divide. Step 2: Conquer.

Those two simple actions, on stages as small as playgrounds and as large as continents, have changed the outcomes of countless conflicts throughout history. Here’s the latest.

Those of us who own guns proudly and others who choose not to own guns but don’t have issue with our decisions number in the tens of millions. Folks who are scared of guns or scared of us or both are fewer in number by wide margin. The rest of the country, if sworn, wouldn’t have an opinion either way.

Since the late 18th century and until recently, Americans didn’t think twice about gun ownership or shooting or hunting.

Historically, far more men had guns and calluses than had fanny packs and manicured nails. And since the invention of guns, men have shot other men, sometimes with just cause and sometimes for bad or no reasons.

More often, however, a few statistical points shy of exclusivity, guns have served their owners honorably.

Contrary to what politicians and unscientific polls say, guns thwart many more crimes than are committed with them. We can count how many times bad people use guns to rape or rob or threaten; police officers called after the fact to take victims’ statements run those tallies every day. What we cannot count, however, is how many times a violent criminal act didn’t occur because the bad guy thought the intended victim might – just might – be armed. That’s like counting how many times nobody saw a unicorn; it’s a large number.

Instead of addressing mental illness and societal failures in this country, gun-control proponents opt instead to demonize inanimate objects and would make (some of) them illegal to own or even possess.

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I’m glad that laws against such purchase and possession already exist.

And I favor federal prosecutors going after more than their current miniscule percentage of people who knowingly provide false information on background checks.

In April, yet another knee-jerk state bill proposed criminal charges against gun owners who failed to report lost or stolen guns within 72 hours of realizing the loss. I have a problem with turning the victim of crime into a criminal on an administrative technicality.

And exactly when does that 72-hour hourglass get flipped? If I can’t find my dove gun but think my brother might have borrowed it, do I report it missing and risk having my brother arrested for being in possession of a stolen firearm, or do I wait until he gets back from his three-day hunt and fall outside my window to report it stolen?

Those who would force their anti-gun will upon us know that time works against them, that the nation will turn its focus elsewhere soon and that their best chance in recent history to disarm civilians will pass.

And while they campaign so feverishly against weapons owned by millions more law-abiding citizens than criminals, evil people will continue cooking up new ways to maim and kill us.

As so many level heads noted that frightening night in April, when a heavily armed man accused of being a bomber and murderer was loose in their town, more than a few residents of Watertown, Mass., wished they had a gun and lots of bullets.

Personal protection is just that: personal.

It’s up to me, not some politician, to determine what weapon will best defend my family and how many rounds might be needed for the job.

Do I think some gun owners seem a little out there, a smidge over the top? Sure.

Would I question their personal decisions, within the law, on what or how much firepower to own? Never.

Contact Doug Pike at DPike@fishgame.com

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Ted’s TexasWild

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

Texas Bow Hunting Uprage Update

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he giant beast remained in the shadows of the impenetrable cedar thickets for a long, long time. The prettiest, and dare I say, deadliest bowhunter in America was poised to kill nearby, and displayed the patience and stealth that identifies experienced, dedicated bowhunters everywhere.

Eventually the huge bull Scimitar Horn Oryx made its last move into bow range, the dainty pink bow was lifted cautiously into position, and with near motionless grace, Shemane effortlessly pulled back her arrow and sent it square into the pump station of the 600+ pound African antelope, burying her pink arrow to the fletching.

Dead.

Her simple compound bow had a mushy draw weight of 35 pounds. I had accomplished the same feat as well recently with my girly-man 45 pound bow, also penetrating all the hard meat, muscle, sinew and ribcage bone of this formidable creature like it was butter.

My hunting buddy Joe had finally had enough with his 70-pound bow, failing to draw it back more than once after long, muscle-defeating vigils on stand, the same self-inflicted malady that I have heard of over, and over, and over again, and again, even witnessing it on hunting TV shows by experienced bowhunters.

Hello! Anybody paying attention here?

Well I am very, very happy to report that Joe, and many hundreds of bowhunters across America, and thank God finally here at home in Texas, are waking up to the selfinflicted silliness of the over-bowing dilemma that has gone on for far too long, and had actually been getting worse over the years.

The tried and true bowhunters’ mantra of “shoot the heaviest bow you can shoot accurately and comfortably” is finally hitting

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home; comfortably being the key operative here.

My home of Texas, America’s #1 hunting state, is still rated dead last when it comes to bowhunting participation per hunting license sold. But momentum is increasing as more and more Texans and Texas’ archery shops begin to realize two critical realities: #1-you just can’t borrow someone else’s bow to try bowhunting properly and, #2-you must get a bow maxed out at a draw weight you can pull back with no obtrusive effort whatsoever, which means drawing back without lifting the bow above the horizontal line of sight. Period, case closed, it’s over rover.

When I brought the 45 pound minimum draw weight law to Governor Perry’s attention and informed him that it was still on the books from the 1960’s, he asked what I thought the minimum draw weight should be. With the most polite and respectful tone to my voice I could muster, I said, “With all due respect governor, it is none of your business. It should be the same minimum for the hunting age in Texas; none. It is a personal, family choice, not to be meddled with by bureaucrats who have no knowledge of the issue.”

As America’s best governor and a diehard bowhunter himself, the great man immediately understood my explanation of kinetic energy delivery with current technology, my extensive personal hands-on experiences with lightweight bows, and the inescapable facts regarding other states with no minimum draw weight regulations.

Viola! Texas leaped into the future those many years ago.

It is beyond me why some guys continue to roll their eyes and snort-wheeze when I tell them how Shemane kills everything with 35-pound draw weight, and many others and I bring home the backstraps consistently with F i s h

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40-50 pounds. It is all mystery to me, unless one still believes in the macho nonsense that I guess still exists out there.

If you can gracefully draw 100 pounds, have at it. Whatever that graceful draw weight is for you, that is the draw weight you should shoot and enjoy. God bless you all.

But we must all be honest here. As I travel across America for rock-n-roll adventure or hunting fun, my daily meetings with gung-ho bowhunters in every state reveal way too many tales of woe and heartbreak of hunters who destroyed their shoulders and rotator cuffs--or worse, continue to spook game unnecessarily as they struggle, hump, and grunt their heavy bows back.

Conversely, I also get emotional tales of joyfulness to the contrary, like my email flooded daily with happy stories from young, old, male, and female bowhunters alike who rejoice their newfound deadliness with a lightweight graceful bow. They are elated with the dramatically improved accuracy and increased archery fun, and the deadliest hunting seasons of their lives, all directly attributable to their new easy to draw bows.

So spread the good word Texas and America! More bowhunters are better than fewer bowhunters. More family hours of outdoor recreation are better than zombie indoor goofball electronic game time. More hunters is better than fewer hunters! More backstraps is better than less backstraps!

More conservationists is better than less conservationists! More gun owners is better than less gun owners! More bows and arrows sold is better than fewer. More We the People votes from the good American outdoor family lifestyle is better than the anti-American votes from the other side. More shooting sports fun is a better attraction to more and younger enthusiasts than the alternative. More easyto-shoot bows will attract more people to this incredibly exciting mystical flight of the arrow adventure to cleanse more souls that need cleansing.

Try it, you will love it.

Contact Ted Nugent at TNugent@fishgame.com

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5/9/13 11:04 AM

Commentary

by Kendal Hemphill | TF&G Political Commentator

Incredibly Bad Choices

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uch of the time, this column is probably an exercise in preaching to the choir, new developments and outdoor news aside. Most TF&G readers already know where I stand on major issues, and most probably agree. Granted, the choir needs preaching to once in a while, but there’s a limit.

This month’s column, however, if recent polls are to be believed, may be just the opposite. According to some estimates, more than 80% of American gun owners favor Universal Background Checks on gun sales.

If a federal law requiring UBCs is passed, it will serve two purposes – it will fulfill the original goal of the gun control advocates, who never expected to pass an ‘assault weapons’ ban to begin with, and it will effectively repeal the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, et al, would have liked to gather up every AR in America and melt them on a huge bonfire, while she and her cronies held hands and sang ‘Imagine’ together, but she never really expected that to happen. OK, maybe she did, but being unrealistic pretty much goes with the territory she’s from. The AWB, in reality, was a feint designed to distract us long enough to allow the left to pass the Holy Grail of gun legislation – a law that would set us up for total gun confiscation, without our realizing that would be the end result. In other words, UBCs. The polls supposedly claim that over 90% of Americans favor UBCs, including over 80% of gun owners. While the left is adept at manipulating such propaganda by asking loaded questions, such as ‘do you support background checks to keep criminals

from buying guns?’ the numbers still sound unreal. If those figures are even close, the Second Amendment is in more trouble than it’s ever been.

To begin with, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) is inherently flawed. A computer program is only as good as the information it is fed, for one thing, and computers are not infallible, for another. One of the main problems with the system, according to the NRA, is that it does not contain any information about our individual mental history, which would keep many who are likely to commit crimes from buying guns.

Others claim the biggest drawback of NICS is that it is already overloaded, as evidenced by its inability to keep up with demand during recent spates of gun purchasing. Americans have been taxing NICS to its limits during the past several months, thanks in large part to Sen. Feinstein and friends, and the system has been unable to carry the load. If all private sales are added, the program is likely to crash, even without the added, and necessary, mental health information included. Although President Obama’s claim that 40% of gun sales are currently conducted with no background check is patently false, and the number is actually between 14% and 20%, additional traffic would likely be the bales that would break the NICS camel’s back.

But NICS problems aside, UBCs are, at present, the single largest threat to American gun ownership we’ve ever faced. Part of the problem is that we don’t collectively see the idea as a threat, since honest citizens with rights have nothing to hide, and many of our guns are probably already listed in government records somewhere. The other part of the problem, though, is that UBCs will not work, at all, without total gun registration, and that will be the next step once UBC laws are passed.

Alone, a UBC requirement would be useless for anything except tracking guns purchased after such legislation went into effect. The millions of guns in America at that point would have to be included, or else T e x a S

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UBCs would mean nothing. If those existing guns were not registered and included in a total registration system, nothing would keep us from ignoring the laws and continuing to buy and sell ‘pre-UBC’ guns, with the government none the wiser. Even if we were asked what we did with a certain firearm, which we were recorded as buying some time ago, we could claim we sold it before the ban, even if we’d sold it afterward. How could they tell, without total registration?

Private buyers and sellers, under a UBC law, would be required to visit a Federal Firearms Licensed dealer in order to perform a private transaction. In that case, the seller would be required to prove ownership of the gun to be sold. Most gun owners probably have guns given to them by relatives, or handed down from parents, for which they never had a bill of sale. Many of us would be hard pressed to come up with proof of purchase for guns we’ve bought recently.

Possession of such guns would be a violation of law, and make instant criminals of thousands, if not millions, of honest Americans.

An ‘assault weapons’ ban, while heinous, would have been little more than another instance of the camel’s nose under the tent, a nose we’ve had to deal with before. UBCs, although seemingly innocuous to some, would be the equivalent of having everything but the camel’s tail inside.

And the worst part is that, regardless of the laws honest citizens are saddled with, criminals will continue to ignore them.

UBCs will never affect illegal firearms commerce, or curb crime in any other way.

Universal background checks will make criminals of honest citizens, but they will never make honest citizens of criminals.

Contact Kendal Hemphill at Khemphill@fishgame.com

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Photo: John N. Felsher

5/3/13 9:08 AM

Everyone hears stories of novice

anglers throwing something ridiculous and landing a trophy speckled trout. Sure, that happens occasionally, but so does winning $100 million in a lottery. Just don’t count on it!

“Anyone can get lucky every now and

determination and a plan, about 90 percent

then,” said Capt. Eddie Hernandez of

of which occurs before the boat leaves

Golden Hook Guide Service (409-673-

the dock. After deciding to tempt lunkers

3100, www.goldenhookguide.com) of Port

instead of chasing more numerous small fish,

Neches. “People can catch some good

stick to the plan.

trout in schools, but to really catch big trout

To catch trophy trout, anglers must first

consistently, anglers need to specifically

find them. Ranking near the top of the food

target big trout. We usually get fewer bites,

chain in most estuaries, huge solitary trout

but bigger bites when intentionally trying to

roam their hunting grounds without fear.

catch trophy trout.”

Get away from the crowds. Go to isolated

People who consistently land large

reefs with access to deep, salty water and

specks know how to fish specifically for

abundant forage. In addition, fish odd hours

them. Fishing for big trout requires patience,

and go during the week on non-holidays

by John N. Felsher

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when fewer people head out onto the water.

Many anglers report the best action for big trout comes around mid-day, usually between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

“I usually find bigger trout in the shallower water up along the shoreline, almost like a redfish,” explained Chad Verburgt of Rockport Red Runner Fishing Guide Service (361-463-6545, www.rockportredrunner.com) in Rockport. “Big trout don’t really hang with redfish, but they often stay in the same territory and eat the same baits.

Nine times out of 10, big trout are loners.

Most will have their own little area where they like to hang out. They might be next to another big trout in its own little area, but they don’t really hang out together. Big trout like shallow flats with many potholes and grass pockets along the shoreline.”

When chasing trophy specks, avoid following the flotilla casting at small school specks feeding upon shrimp. School trout tend to run smaller. Anglers occasionally catch monster trout from a school feeding upon shrimp because bigger trout hang below and off to the side of the schoolies, eating small trout instead of shrimp.

While all trout eat shrimp, trout exceeding three pounds generally prefer to eat fish, usually mullets, menhaden, pinfish, croakers and even small trout. In addition, a big trout doesn’t need to feed nearly as often as a smaller trout. Instead, it conserves energy by occasionally grabbing one big, easy meal rather than chasing a bunch of tiny morsels. A 5-pound trout can easily swallow a 12-inch mullet. Imagine what a 10-pound trout might gulp?

Since larger trout mainly feed upon finfish, large topwater baits often produce the best bites. Most topwater baits resemble crippled baitfish, especially “walk-the-dog” type baits. With short wrist pops, they slash irresistibly from side to side like mullets or menhaden swimming near the surface.

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trout,” Hernandez advised. “When targeting big trout, I look for big bait. Smaller fish go to the shrimp, but big trout eat a lot more finfish than shrimp. For big trout, I like to use big topwater baits like Super Spooks. Early in the morning, I like to throw topwater baits in protected areas with access to deep water. I also like to use slow-sinking baits fished really slowly.”

Large live baits also work very effectively for tempting Texas-sized trout. Avoid shrimp and popping corks.

Instead, pick a good hole known to produce monster trout and wait.

Sometimes, fishing for giant trout

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resembles watching ice melt as anglers wait for those one or two really big bites while nearby boats load ice chests with smaller trout. Anglers may need to wait in the same place several hours until that magical 15 minutes when big trout feed that day arrives.

Pick a spot with easy access to both deep water and shallow feeding flats like a point or channel edge and wait. Place several rods with various live temptations at different depths. Rig a live menhaden, mullet or croaker about six inches long on a Carolina rig. The slip sinker keeps the bait near the bottom, but since line pulls through it easily, a wily big trout won’t feel any resistance when gulping bait. Below the slip sinker, tie a swivel. To the swivel, tie a 24- to 48-inch fluorocarbon leader tipped with a circle hook. Even

Photo: Capt. Eddie Hernandez

5/3/13 9:08 AM

Photo: John N. Felsher

Capt. Pete Martinez of Getaway AdventuresLodge in Port Mansfield waits for a bite while wade fishing in Laguna Madre.

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in the right spot, anglers may only experience one or two bites in a day, but any bite could produce the trout of a lifetime.

While waiting for that one bite, keep quiet. Keep talking to a minimum and don’t play the radio, drop things against the bottom, bang locker lids or make any other unnecessary, unnatural noises. Sound vibrations telegraphed through the boat hull into the water can spook fish.

For even stealthier operations, many Texans prefer wading to eliminate boat noises entirely. Waders also create much lower

surface profiles. Grab a few favorite topwater or slow-sinking lures and move slowly across prime feeding flats casting toward any potholes, structure or grass pockets.

“Wading is a very effective method for catching really big trout,” Verburgt recommended. “Look for something a little different in the shallow water. Usually big trout lay in potholes near bait activity. Many people lose trout while wade fishing. When wading, hooked big trout try to run between the legs of the angler and shake the hook. To keep trout from shaking off, I turn my body

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so they aren’t running directly at me. I lead it around in circles to wear the fish out.”

Although one female speckled trout may produce millions of offspring, very few live long enough to approach trophy size. Don’t keep any extremely large trout and handle each fish as little as possible with great care.

Photograph them and release them to breed and fight again.

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School’s out, summer is here and the catfish are ready to chomp. Whether you are an angler hoping to fill a void in the freezer or a parent with plans to turn a youngster on to fishing for the first time, there may not be a better deal going these days than ol’ whiskers.

Here’s why: A school fish by nature, catfish are predominantly bottom feeders that are relatively easy to catch using a wide variety baits and elementary fishing methods. In fact, most tactics are so simple to master that even a five-year old can dunk a hook and reel in a few fish.

Figure in the liberal creel limits the state allows for catfish, along with their five-star rating as table fare, and it is not a wonder that polls rank catfish second only to the largemouth bass in terms of angler popularity across the entire state.

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Story and Photos

by Matt Williams

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Still another reason catfish are so popular with anglers is availability. Next to bluegill, there may not be a more abundant fish statewide. Just about every lake and river in Texas harbors a decent catfish population. But some garner reputations that are head and above better than the rest.

Not surprisingly, many of these waters are located in eastern Texas.

My top choice for fat cats may come as a surprise to some.

Lake Fork GuideGary Paris

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Lake Fork came along in the 1980s and literally stole the Texas bass fishing show.

Now, it seems as though the 27,000-acre impoundment may be on the verge of laying claim to Texas’ premier catfishing title, as well.

Located just 90 miles east of Dallas, Fork may be one of the best “all around” catfish lakes in the state. It also may be one the most under utilized.

I call it an “all around” catfish lake because it cranks out considerable numbers of all three sub species (channels, blues and flatheads), often in trophy size proportions.

The lake record rod and reel channel cat at Fork stands at 17.73 pounds. The biggest blue caught on a hand line weighed 71.50 pounds and the top flathead weighed a healthy 75 pounds pounds.

“We’re seeing more cat fishermen now than we ever have, but it is still a very underutilized fishery,” said Martin Edwards, former owner of Minnow Bucket Marina. “This lake gained its reputation as a trophy bass lake and that’s still what most people come here to do. In the meantime, the cat fishery has pretty much been ignored. That’s pretty obvious by average size catfish you’ll catch

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out of here.”

Lake Fork is full of channel cat in the 5-10 pound range. I’ve fished it numerous times over the years with guide Gary Paris of Quitman (903-763-2801) and not once have we failed to load the boat with plump channel cat and an occasional blue.

Paris fishes the lake year-around. During winter he spends a high percentage of his time targeting cormorant roosts over deep water.

But come summer he usually has the best results fishing around baited “baited holes” with cut shad, minnows, blood and stink bait.

Paris suggests using soured milo, chicken scratch or range cubes to lure cats onto main lake points, underwater creek banks and humps. Water depths of 20-28 feet of water are usually ideal.

“Baiting a hole will help congregate the fish and it keeps them biting,” Paris said.

“This lake has so many catfish that you can go just about anywhere and catch fish. The key is finding the right depth.”

Not far down the road from Lake Fork is another honey hole with a long history of producing plenty of keeper cats when it is hot outside -- Lake Tawakoni.

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Paris grew up fishing the 37,000-acre reservoir and has learned from experience that it fishes somewhat different than Fork.

“The fish at Fork tend to relate a lot to structure, whereas at Tawakoni you can catch them out in open water,” he said. “I like a hard bottom right out in the middle of the lake. As long as the depth is right, you’ll be able to bring in the fish with the soured grain.”

Ed Snelson (936-876-4324) has never landed a 60-pound catfish on a rod and reel. But he has caught his share of fat cats on trotlines. At one time Snelson held the lake record for flathead cats at Sam Rayburn with an 82 pounder he hauled in out of the Angelina River, north of the Highway 147 bridge.

Snelson guides rod and reel catfish trips on ‘Rayburn during the summer months.

During July, he likes to fish over baited holes in water ranging 18-25 feet deep. He spends most of his time fishing in relation to underwater sloughs and the Angelina River channel.

The guide also offers group trotlining trips to Toledo Bend. For the inexperienced trotliner, this is a priceless opportunity. Snelson is a master linesman if ever there was one.

But be advised. Bring along a big cooler if you make the trip. When “Ed” shows up at Bill’s Landing, the fish cleaners run for cover.

“It’s really a neat deal for people who like to eat fish or have never run trotlines before,” Snelson said. “I’ll give them some instruction on how to make sets and how to run the lines.

Once they see how it is done, I run the engine and let them run the lines. They always have a ball.”

Rod and reelers shouldn’t expect to load the boat with 40 pounders at T-Bend any time of the year. But limits of frying size channel cat and blues weighing upwards of 10 pounds show up in angler creels quite frequently, according Charlie Shively, owner of Bill’s Landing in Strong.

Shively said there are a couple of avenues hand liners can take.

For small channel cat, he suggests fishing vertical over baited holes along the edges of the Sabine River with stink bait or cut shad.

In the meantime, anglers should keep an eye peeled for netters on the Louisiana side.

Shively says commerical fishermen rely on chum to lure fish into their nets. By keying in these areas you can reap the finny benefits while someone else does the dirty work.

Most of the larger blue cats at T-Bend are

caught by drifting cut shad or perch over shell ridges in 8-15 feet of water. Shively likes to fish his baits Carolina style in combination with 20-pound line and a stout hook.

He will sometimes add a small piece of styrofoam to the line just above his bait. This provides the bait some lift and helps keep it suspended off the bottom, away from snags.

East Texas is home to a number of other great catfish lakes where just about any of the aforementioned tactics will work. Among those impoundments are Cedar Creek,

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Palestine, Livingston, Richland Chambers, Monticello, Lake O’ The Pines and Wright Patman.

Additionally, there are a number of good rivers worth checking out. The Sabine, Trinity, Angelina and Neches yield outstanding catches during the summer months. The best bite usually occurs when water levels are low. This pushes the fish into deeper holes usually found in sharp, outside bends.

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PART TWO IN A SERIES

BY DUSTIN ELLERMANN 30 |

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5/6/13 3:35 PM

The AR-15 rifle is easily the most popu-

lar firearm in the USA today. The simple and popular design allows the user to outfit the rifle to their exact needs. to a Geissele High Speed National Match trigger group. Geissele makes excellent triggers, with their two-stage being one of the most dependable and preferred. The first stage has a little travel with almost no weight, and the second stage breaks barely over 2 pounds of pressure with no creep. Shooters accustomed to gritty, creepy mil-spec triggers instantly fall in love with Geissele.

The optic and mount will also contribute to the accuracy and reliability of your rifle. The rule of thumb is to spend whatever your rifle cost or more on the optic.

On this project, we mounted a Leupold Mark IV LR/T 6.5-20x50mm with a mil-dot illuminated reticle in a 30mm tube. When

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Since the standard AR-15 fires .223 Remington or 5.56mm x 45 NATO cartridges, small game hunting is another preferred use for the AR series. With a few tweaks, one can turn a standard mil-spec AR-15 into a long-range, tack-driving, prairie-dog-slaying machine.

The first and most obvious upgrade is the barrel system. Slender 16-inch barrels are great for plinking and defense, but lack accuracy in the long run. A longer, thicker barrel is better for higher velocity, and a heavy bull barrel keeps the shots from drifting under sustained fire in those longer shooting sessions.

Along with the barrel, the fore end will need to be free-floated so that pressure from

The long range equipped Varmint AR-15 with LaRue mounted Leupold Mark IV 6.5x20x illuminated mil-dot scope.

the bipod or rests won’t torque and affect the harmonics of the barrel, resulting in groups shifting downrange.

The AR-15 used for this article had a 1-inch stainless steel bull barrel and a simple, smooth, free-floated tube with only a QD sling mount on the 6 o’clock forward position.

The barrel will also dictate which gas tube you require. Barrels 18 inches and longer usually need a full-length rifle gas tube. The rifle gas systems tend to be less harsh on recoil than mid-length and carbine, so the shooter should notice a smoother cycle action.

If you are planning to use a scope on your AR-15, it is recommended you have a lower gas block instead of a mil-spec front sight block that might interfere with your scope’s view.

When this AR was purchased, the author was told it had a trigger job. If that was true, it was a very crummy job for it was soon changed T e x a S

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shooting long range, the marksman can choose if he will be dialing in every shot or using a ballistic drop reticle. With this Leupold, we have both options.

The scope was mounted on a LaRue QD SPR 1.5 base for the optimum height on the AR-15. The Leupold scope was very easy to

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The Varmint AR-15 also had an extended charging handle and battery assist lever installed.

Custom threaded barrel, endcap and Elzetta light for night hunts. &

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t This AR-15 Varmiter tore a 5 holed group with Black Hills 68 grain match ammunition.

zero, and within two rounds and one adjustment it was hitting center.

The reticle has reference marks and every mil-hash is about 3.6 inches at 100 yards.

With the correct formula and load data, the shooter can calculate both target distance and holdover by using the scope’s reticle.

The illuminated reticle is very useful in low light hunting, and leaves a small open center so small targets at long ranges won’t be blocked out.

After mounting the scope, the standard charging latch was difficult to grasp. We

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installed an extended latch for ease of loading, plus a “Battery Assist Lever” so the bolt release can be operated with the trigger finger without having to use both hands.

The Harris bipod was easy to mount onto the forward sling stud (20-round magazines are preferred because they interfere less with bench rest and prone positions than the longer 30-round magazines).

The last work performed on the rifle was threading the barrel by a machine shop.

Normally varmint hunting doesn’t require muzzle accessories and heavy AR uppers

Photo : dustin ellermann

come without threads. But once I acquired a suppressor, I thought it would be nice to be able to hunt without damaging my hearing. The machine cut 1 inch off my 20-inch barrel, then re-crowned the muzzle threaded the 1-inch cut-off piece as an end cap. Now it can be screwed back on and look like the original bull barrel with a small hairline seam.

The only other recommended accessory on a dedicated varmint rifle would be a high intensity light for night hunts. It was easy to mount the extremely durable Elzetta ZFLM60 light with the ZROC offset mount to the railed gas block. It provides enough light to hunt anything within 100 yards. For longer distances, the Streamlight TLR1-HP has an extremely bright focused beam useful beyond 200 yards, and is available in green just for varmints.

Once again, the possibilities are endless with your AR-15. You are free to mix and match all the parts and accessories to optimize it for your mission. Just have the end game in mind and have fun with it.

5/6/13 3:35 PM

Hunt Texas

by Bob Hood | TF&G Hunting Editor

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odern technology seems to have no bounds, at least not in the mind of a hunter like me who grew up following tracks, looking for animal hair on barbed wire fences, locating bedding areas and using other time-earned outdoor skills.

I once thought feral hogs were pretty much easy to figure out. After all, they are creatures of habit in many senses, travel and feed the majority of the time at night in most areas, and leave all sorts of easy-to-read sign such as tracks, scat, plowing and mud rubs.

In reality, that hasn’t changed. However, what has changed is the advancement in modern technology that is increasing the number of new ways hunters and landowners are hunting, shooting and trapping feral hogs.

I’ll be the first to tell you that I am not a fan of “hunting” feral hogs from a helicopter or any other type of aircraft. To me, that is not in any way the true sense of hunting as I regard it as a sportsman. Yes, there is a big difference in shooting hogs and hunting hogs.

As I understand it, shooting hogs from a helicopter or shooting them using night-vision and thermal-imaging scopes is intended as a means of helping reduce the number of feral hogs in an area. These methods have been proclaimed as a means of hog eradication, which is a wrong word to use because hogs never will be eradicated by shooting them from a helicopter; they only will have some of their numbers reduced for a period of time by that method, which is exactly what many landowners want. Unfortunately, not all but a lot of good meat is left going to waste because many hogs shot from helicopters or with night-vision scopes are simply left to rot on the ground.

While a feral hog may appear to be a dirty, often muddy animal with strong odors from wallowing in the shallows of stock tanks,

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There is a difference in shooting hogs and hunting hogs.

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Hog’s Honor

draws and bogs, I regard their meat as some of the best wild game ever put in a smoker, on a grill, sautéed in a skillet or deep-fried.

I’ll tell you up-front what a person does with a feral hog after he or she shoots it is that person’s business. Yes, they are a nuisance and often destructive and their numbers should be controlled as best we can, but I was raised that if you kill an edible animal, either eat it or give it to someone who will eat it. A feral hog is not classified as a “game animal” and may be hunted year-round with very few restrictions, but that doesn’t mean its meat should be wasted. There are a too many hungry people to waste all that free-ranging pork.

Recently, I have talked with many people who share the same feelings, including Don Gresham of Forestburg, Tex., who not only has developed a system of selectively trapping hogs to help keep their numbers in check but which also provides a means of putting their meat to good use.

Gresham and his son, Matt, have built hog traps on ranches and farms from West Texas to Mississippi. Their traps are 30-foot circular, hog-paneled traps with drop-type trap doors. Each trap is monitored by a camera, which instead of simply recording images of the event on a camera card, sends the images immediately to the trap owner’s Smart Phone.

When the trap owner gets an image on his Smart Phone that hogs are in his trap, he can activate the camera via an application on his phone repeated times to determine exactly T e x a S

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when he wants to trigger the gate door to fall.

Thus, he can wait for that big boar he wants to trap, or wait and trap several hogs at the same time simply by dialing in a code on his Smart Phone to make the gate fall from wherever he has cell phone service.

This not only allows the trap owner to avoid trapping non-targeted animals, such as deer, but also to select when he wants to trap hogs inside his trap. The trapped hogs usually are sold to hog buyers and the meat can be processed and sold to restaurants world-wide.

Yes, hog trapping is not hog hunting, but it is a way of helping keep hog numbers in check which is something that also benefits many other wildlife species. Gresham’s method of trapping hogs is a method I like because it not only helps keep hog numbers in check but also promotes putting the hog meat to good use. Also, it can work as a cash crop for the ranch or farm owner who owns the trap by helping him re-coop the initial expense of the trap system by selling the wild hogs he catches.

As one might imagine, Gresham has compiled a lot of information about hog movement from monitoring cameras at various hog traps in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and elsewhere. One thing he is adamant about is the peak time for hog movement.

Gresham said there always will be some hog movement throughout all of the moon phases, but the peak time is during the moon’s first and last quarters. Gresham’s cameras also have recorded many other interesting things about hogs, including how high they can jump and/or climb. His web site at www.goinfencing.com has a very interesting yet short video of a 250-pound hog he nicknamed Houdini which twice escaped from a six-foot high trap by jumping before finally being caught a third time for good after a skirt was placed around the top of the 30-foot diameter trap. I think any hog hunter would enjoy watching that video.

Contact Bob Hood at BHood@fishgame.com G a m e ®

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Tactics

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ntil now, in these articles we have told you about guns and ballistics and shooting. We have purposely said very little about tactics; mostly, I suppose, because there are so many different schools of thought, and, also, because most tactics go to hell with the first shot fired. However, as it is expected and, maybe, needed, we suppose now is the time to change our focus a bit and add in what you may need to do in an actual armed encounter.

First, as I have said, is mindset. It is a fact that most humans have a built-in reticence to purposely do fatal harm to another human being. That said, you must somehow get past that inhibition. You must understand that any human who is causing you to make that decision is not a member of society and has no right to remain in it.

Just as there are nations that have no remorse in using force to cause other nations

Springfield XDX A few years back Springfield rocked the polymer pistol market by reintroducing the Croatia HS2000 as the new XD for “eXtreme Duty”. Riding on the handgun’s success they have continued to tweak it for a variety of calibers and models ranging from subcompact, compact, full size, tactical, match and now slim designs.

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to bow to their demands, such as when Saddam Insane invaded Kuwait, there are humans who feel no remorse at using deadly force in attaining their goals of avarice, or who kill for the mere thrill of killing. These people do not deserve your remorse.

First make up your mind that if there is a situation in which you or your loved ones are threatened with death or grievous bodily harm, that it will be the one doing the threatening who is harmed, and harden yourself to the fact that it is you who must come out on top of the conflict, at all costs. In several of the latest incidents in which a homicidal maniac committed multiple murders, the incidents occurred in places where handguns were forbidden. Those people very carefully chose those places for that reason. They felt safe in committing murder in places where they could not be threatened by an armed citizen. This is a travesty and highlights the fact that “Gun Free Zones,” are anything but safe. They are, in fact, far less safe than places where all the individuals are armed. Have you ever chamber indicator, 1911 grip angle, polymer frame, fiber optic front sight and accessory rail for it does boast of all the XD features. But of course the main improvement is the single stacked slimness of the firearm that has a slender 1” thickness partnered with its 3.3” barrel for the optimum carry comfort and conceals ability.

If you have concealed a handgun for any length of time you realize that while it is comforting, it isn’t comfortable, especially wider pistols that hold double-stacked magazines. The wider the gun is the more it tends to dig into your hip even with a comfortable holster.

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| Self Defense | | Concealed Carry | | Tactical |

by Steve LaMascus & Dustin Ellermann heard of any such thing happening at a gun show? If you are wise you will avoid such “safe” places like the plague.

Now, tactics: Cover: Cover is anything that will provide, first, protection; and, second, concealment.

You can hide behind a cardboard box, but it will not provide protection, only concealment.

If a cardboard box is all the cover you have, use it, but get flat on the ground, offering the smallest target possible.

When taking cover, remember that round or angular objects can provide more protection than air, but can allow the bullet from your adversary to deflect into your shooting hand or your head when you stick it around the object to return fire. Better is something flat that will actually stop the bullet.

When using a vehicle for cover, get behind the wheels or the motor. A high-powered round, especially a full metal-jacketed round, can penetrate completely through a car, from side to side, and still kill or disable. That same bullet would be stopped by the motor,

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The XDS in .45 (right) compared to a compact XD in 9mm (left)

pact .380, which then leaves us feeling underpowered. Springfield’s XD-S allows you to have full power .45 ACP caliber 230 grain protection in a small 21.5 oz.

Continued on page 36 u Photo: Dustin Photo Ellermann credit

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Texas Department of Defense and probably by the metal of the wheel.

Also, remember that you can shoot under the vehicle just as well as over the top of it. Shoot the goon in the ankle and he will fall, where you can then shoot him in the more vital parts of his body.

If possible, move after every shot. Do not stay in one place that will allow the bad guy to move around you or place shot after shot in the same place. Shoot and move. As one well known instructor puts it, “If you are not shooting, you should be reloading, if you are not reloading, you should be moving, if you are not moving, someone is going to cut your head off and put it on a stick.”

Never think of fair play. Being fair is for games, not for life threatening situations.

Take every advantage you can think of. If the only target you have is the guy’s ass, shoot him in the ass. If he turns his back to you to reload, shoot him in the back.

Once you have started, do not stop until the other guy is incapacitated and you have made certain that he is no longer a danger.

However, once he is down and unarmed, you have no right, legal or moral, to make sure he’s dead. That is an old dog that just won’t hunt. If you have heard that from some socalled police officer, he is just someone trying to make himself seem tough, and you certainly

do not need to be listening to him. At that point you have gone from being the victim to being a cold-blooded murderer.

Here is the hardest part: Don’t pull that trigger unless you have to.

I was once patrolling the River north of Laredo. I had tied my horse out of sight in an arroyo and was hidden in a river crossing, waiting for whatever was coming, when a young boy came up the trail. He saw me, looked, and turned back into the crossing.

As I was wearing my old brush jacket and a pretty beat up, faded felt hat, and had no badge on the jacket’s breast, he did not recognize me as an officer. As he returned to the crossing I heard him tell someone, “There is a man up there.” At this I left my hiding place and walked into the crossing, expecting to find an illegal alien with a bag of clothes and food. What I found was a tough looking cholo kneeling on the river bank tying his tennis shoes, with a rifle lying by his left foot.

I don’t remember drawing, but when the cholo looked up he was staring down the barrel of a .357 Magnum. He looked at me, then glanced at his rifle. I could see him making up his mind and was starting to pull the trigger when he clasped his hands to his chest and dived backward in the river. I picked up his rifle (which had either 12 or 13 notches

cut into the stock, and I doubt they stood for the number of jackrabbits he had shot), left the crossing, tied the gun behind my saddle, and went looking for other things to do. I was shaking for an hour.

I could have shot that man and been completely exonerated, but, as I have heard other officers say after similar encounters, when asked why they didn’t shoot, “I didn’t have to.” If not firing your gun ends the encounter, it has still performed its duty. Just don’t count on it, and every time you draw that gun, expect to have to shoot it. If you don’t have to shoot it, you can always put it back in the holster.

The only way to be prepared for a gunfight is to practice. The only type of practice that is worth a tinker’s damn is the kind that is realistic. Shooting from cover; shooting from unusual and uncomfortable positions; shooting and moving; reloading while you are moving; the list is practically endless.

I pray that you never have to shoot a person. However, practice like it will happen tomorrow morning and you may survive if it does happen tomorrow morning.

XDS Jump Story t

found the XD-S recoil to be comparable to a lightweight 1911.

I tried for a few magazines worth of precious ammo to shoot as fast and as accurate as I could with the XD-S in .45 ACP as I can with my competition XDM 5.25” 9mm. I never succeeded in this but that’s just the nature of physics. I have to shoot just a bit slower to keep all five 230 grain slugs on steel at 15 yards and if I don’t keep a tight grip the pistol will start to creep to the right of my hand. But compact guns aren’t designed for competition use. And when I say shooting fast I’m talking an average 0.30 second split that expends magazine in approximately a second and a half. This pistol is perfectly adequate and controllable for a defensive situation. And as for accuracy once I found my hold I was able to successfully engage a LaRue FAST tar-

get repeatedly at 75 and 100 yards while slowly pressing through the 6.5 pound trigger.

If you are looking for a slim, concealable, comfortable, dependable carry pistol I would unwaveringly recommend a polymer framed, single stacked, striker fired handgun and this XD-S fits the bill with the power of the .45ACP. If you want it in a smaller caliber Springfield introduced the 9mm version at SHOT Show 2013, and surprisingly enough it’s the exact same size as the previous version just with spacers in the magazine well and the 9mm bore. That version should be hitting the shelves soon enough. The XD-S retails around $669 and you can find out more at www.xdspistol.com.

—Dustin Ellermann

Continued from page 34

t Continued from page xx package. The only compromise you have in this case is the 5+1 round magazine capacity but 7 round extended magazines with a grip sleeve are available. If this concerns you just compare it to a revolver, but you still have the advantage of .45 caliber holes, a slimmer frame, and speed reloads with extra magazines.

But how does it shoot? It’s no secret that larger guns are more comfortable and easier to shoot than compact ones.

And while that is true I would choose a day of practice with the .45 caliber XD-S rather than a compact 380. Those smaller caliber pistols can be quite snappy and tend to sting your hand while the 45 ACP’s recoil is more of a fast push. I 36 |

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Texas Bow Hunting

by Lou Marullo | TF&G Bowhunting Editor

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ecently, I had a friend from Germany ask me if I would teach him how to shoot a bow. Of course, I was thrilled and excited to be able to introduce someone to my favorite sport. My friend was amazed at how accurate he became after only shooting arrows for 20 minutes.

Needless to say, he looks forward to our next outing with bows in hand.

The beautiful thing about mentoring a new hunter is the fact that you can be his or her inspiration. How you act in the field as well as how you represent yourself to the general public as a bow hunter is important if you want our sport to survive. Future bow hunters need to follow your good example.

In short, responsible ethics is one of the most important lessons a bow hunter can teach a fellow hunter.

Teach your new student respect for the animal he or she is pursuing. They will learn, through your example, how important good shot placement is. Your student will soon see how you choose your words carefully when talking about a recent hunt while in a public building. To say in conversation that you harvested a nice whitetail deer is better than telling someone that you “stuck” a good one or that you just “killed” a doe. Your new hunter will understand how important it is to have a good land owner relationship.

Remember, statistics show that, on average, only 10% to 13% of the population are actual hunters. The amount of people that are opposed to hunting is also about 10% to 13%. That number also includes the anti-hunters. That leaves about 80% of the voting public that could go either way. They do not particularly hunt or understand what

While on the subject of right and wrong in the hunting world, you should teach your new hunter that any deer taken with a bow should be considered his “trophy”. Should a child who harvested a spike horn for his first deer get it mounted? My answer is absolutely. It is his first deer, and one he or she will never forget. That deer is just as much a trophy to a child as a 12 pointer is to a veteran hunter.

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Teach your student respect for the animal he or she is pursuing.

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Mentor New Bow Hunters

makes us get up at dark thirty in the morning but they do not see anything wrong with it either. These are the people we have to be careful not to offend. These are the people that need to look upon bow hunters as good, responsible citizens. The 80% of the voting public!

Although I admit that I love all of those hunting shows on television, the actual deer that they choose to harvest is unrealistic at best in the real hunting world. It is not very common to see many of the “monsters” you see on TV. In fact, you are more likely to see a 2 year old or younger whitetail in the woods where you hunt.

I hate it when the host of the show takes the time to film the younger deer as it moves closer and closer into bow range and then announces to the TV audience that this one is too young to take. He then proceeds to let it walk. Why bother to film the “small” deer in the first place? I can answer that one.

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ing season to arrive, enjoy watching that deer or any whitetail come closer to the ambush sight. It is exciting for the show just as it is in real life. It would be boring for the viewers if they only filmed the big bucks in the field.

They are few and far between.

The problem here is that after a while, the viewer gets it drilled in his or her head that if you take a young deer, you should be disappointed with your harvest. Nothing can be further from the truth!

Taking a deer, any deer, with a bow and arrow is difficult. Success demands patience, practice, stealth and knowledge of your prey.

Instead of using your rifle and taking that 300- yard shot, bow hunters take pride in getting close to their target. Most shots with a bow are within 20 yards. That is why you should consider any whitetail you take as a trophy…your trophy.

In most states, hunter numbers are dwindling. With the amount of single parents raising their children, few kids ever get a chance to travel to the woods on a hunting adventure. Add to that the fact that kids are spending more and more time in their technological world alone with their computer games and it is no wonder at all why there are fewer hunters every year.

It is a sad state of affairs when many children of today have more friends online, than they do in their own neighborhood. Sadder still is the fact that most of those friends online have never even seen each other in person. With so many of their peers playing these video games for hours, it is hard to get a child interested in the outside world. But that is exactly what needs to be done.

Teach a child about the outdoors while they are young and make it exciting for them.

Remember to show them by setting a good example. They will follow your lead. More importantly, they will develop a love for the outdoors that they, in turn, will pass down to their own children.

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

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When the Crappie Going Gets Tough, Turn to the Pros by bob hood

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Stanley

Kilpatrick

Vandergriff

Kirk

Cox

The crappie spawn is over, so where did the crappie go

after leaving their shallow nests? A handful of crappie fishing gurus know, and they aren’t bashful about sharing their knowledge about crappie tactics that work in a multitude of different reservoirs before, during and after the spawning season.

Veteran crappie anglers including Billy Kilpatrick of Lake Lavon, Ricky Vandergriff of Lake Palestine, Weldon Kirk of Gibbons Creek Reservoir and lakes Fayette County and Somerville, Dave Cox of Lake Livingston and lure manufacturer and professional angler Lonnie Stanley of Huntington know how to load their boats with big crappie year-round.

Here are some of the tactics they say work best for them:

Lonnie Stanley, Stanley Lures: “We fish a lot of brush piles at Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend after the spawn and when the crappie are moving back into deep water, one of my best methods to catch them is to use a 1/32-ounce jig head with a 1/8-ounce pinch-on sinker about 12 to 14 inches on the line above it.

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bottom. Since the sinker is heavier than the jig head, it will fall a lot faster and hit the bottom first. It sort of looks like the minnow is chasing after the sinker. It’s I call a baby Carolina rig. I let the minnow sit still at first but then jig it up and down.

“Once I have caught a couple or more crappie on the live minnow this way, I will switch to one of my Wedgetail Crappie Minnows in place of a live minnow. It will slaughter the crappie. It is one of the best crappie rigs I have ever used.”

Stanley said patterning crappie is relaG a m e ®

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tively easy. “They are in the middle of the creeks in January and February and then very shallow around brush to spawn in March and April. After that, they move back out and will hang out and feed around brush piles, which may be those out off points, on edges of the channels or under bridges next to their pilings.”

During transitions, such as in-between moving from the channels to the shallows to spawn and suspending along ledges in 10 to 12 feet or so water, Stanley loads the boat with big crappie on his Mini Wedge Runner, a close-pin type spinnerbait with a soft plastic Wedgetail Crappie Minnow. It is what Stanley calls “the world’s smallest spinnerbait” and comes with both willow leaf and Colorado type blades.

Billy Kilpatrick, Lake Lavon: Crappie action is good year-round on Lavon but summertime is one of Kilpatrick’s favorite times to go after the paper-mouths.

“Small minnows and black and blue jigs is all you need,” Kilpatrick said. “The crappie suspends one to two feet off the bottom

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on any structure because that’s where the coolest and most productive water will be,” he said.

“I like to use seven-foot medium light rods with 12-pound test line, 1/8-ounce jig heads and No.1 crappie hooks,” Kilpatrick said. “Lots of fish will hang you up on structure and this will allow you to hold the fish until you can work the fish loose.”

Kilpatrick said the time of the day makes no difference in the fishing action at Lavon during hot summer temperatures. “Once the (outside) temperatures reach 100 degrees, the fish bite all day and all summer, “Kilpatrick said. “It is not unusual to catch 100 to 200 crappie per day, if you can stand the heat.”

Also in Lavon’s favor is a lack of fishing pressure. “Lavon has been a great crappie lake for years but it has been overlooked by a lot of fishermen,” he said. “It’s a secret a lot of people don’t know about.”

Ricky Vandergriff, Lake Palestine: During the summer, Vandergriff switches from the ultra-shallow waters of spring

spawning to deeper brush piles, mainly on Lake Palestine where he has guided for years. However, he doesn’t necessarily switch lures.

“One of my favorite lures for crappie is the Mr. Twister Mr. Mino,” Vandergriff said. “It definitely catches the big ones.

I start in the early part of March using a slip bobber rig. The slip bobber is either a wooden or foam bobber about three inches long with a hole all the way through it so it will slip up and down your line. I position it with a Bobber Stop (a string on a plastic tube). Slide the Bobber Stopper on your line first, and then add a plastic bead and then the slip bobber followed by your jig on the end of the line. Slide the line off the tube and pull both ends tight so that the string makes a knot on your line. Set the knot at the depth you want to fish.”

Vandergriff targets spawning grounds such as stickups and brush along shallow shorelines, especially those in creeks.

“Later in about late April or May, the crappie move out into deeper water and I use the Mr. Mino on the same slip bobber only I will slide the Bobber Stopper further up my

5/3/13 9:24 AM

line to fish the deeper depths, which may be 20 to 30 feet,” Vandergriff said.

“The other way I like to fish the Mr. Minnow is on a tight line. We catch a lot of summertime crappie from brush piles, both under the bridges and in the creeks, during the summer. When fishing the brush piles, I will drop my Mr. Mino straight down to the tops of the brush pile and jig it with very slight twitches to make the jig look alive but crippled.”

During mid-fall to winter when the crappie are not moving as much, Vandergriff will stay with the deepest brush piles or, as spring re-approaches will target suspended fish in the channels awaiting the water to warm once again.

Weldon Kirk, Gibbons Creek, Somerville & Fayette County: “As the water temperatures reach between 70 and 75 degrees, most crappie are done (spawning),” Kirk said. “Most post-spawn fish will hang around bedding areas for several days until the water temps rise a little more. Post-spawn crappie will

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be on isolated pieces of cover adjacent to spawning sites. I target these fish in 6-12 feet of water around structure. Curly-tail jig baits or minnows should entice them but if not try grubs.

“As the water gets to 80 degrees, I look for them in deeper water, 18-30 feet, on ledges, deep brush piles or around docks,” Kirk said. “At this time, I rig a ½ to oneounce bell sinker on the bottom of my line with two leaders coming off the main line, the first about 18 inches above the hook and the other above that. I bait one hook with a minnow and the other with a tube-tail jig.

I bounce this rig off the bottom in deeper water or troll it about two-thirds down in the water where the bait fish show on my sonar unit.

“When the water temperature stays around 80 degrees in late summer, I look for crappie holding there until the water temperatures begin to drop in the fall,” Kirk said. “For suspended crappie, slow-trolled crank bait can produce, but if they are holding tight in deep structure the double-hook rig will work best for getting the baits down deep.”

Dave Cox, Lake Livingston: Most crappie anglers know to go ultrashallow for spring crappie but have problems catching them during the heat of the summer because they aren’t used to changing tactics, Cox said.

The creeks on the north end of Livingston —White Rock, Harmon, Nelson, Village, Chaulk and Bedias—all can produce outstanding catches during the summer,” Cox said. “Most have low levels and are very clear but you can overcome that by fishing the deep holes in the cut banks around laydowns, wood and brush.

“The river channel also has some log jams suspended over deep water. I like a black and chartreuse tube jig on a slip cork about 3 ½ to 4 ½ deep. You may only catch two to three fish and then have to move around. We used to call that “Jump Stumping.”

Cox suggests getting on the water at first light while it is cool and then getting off before 11 a.m.

5/3/13 9:24 AM

Texas Saltwater

by Calixto Gonzales | TF&G Saltwater Editor

A Whiff of Treason

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am reminded of what Benjaman Franklin said to John Hancock when the latter invited all the members of the 1776 Continental Congress to sign the Declaration of Independence. Franklin, always the wag, quipped, “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.

Well, it only took them a few years, but it seems that the Gulf coast states have realized that they should hang with Texas when it comes to the red snapper fishery, otherwise the Federal Government will do the hanging for them. In March, states bordering the Gulf of Mexico announced their refusal to abide by Federal Red Snapper Management rules. Florida has announced its deviation from Federal guidelines, and as of 23 March, 2013, Louisiana has opened its red snapper fishery year around). The governor of Mississippi signed into law an extension of state waters out to match Louisiana’s boundaries, with could reach 10 miles into the Gulf of Mexico. Moreover, US Representative Jo Bonner (R-Alabama) introduced a bill in March that would both extend state water boundaries out to 9 miles or 20 fathoms (whichever is furthest) and allow charter boats with federal reef permits to retain red snapper caught in state waters.

These moves were in response to the NOAA announced a record-short 27 day long red snapper season, which begins 1 June, and doesn’t even close out the month.

To our fellow Gulf States, I say bully. It was about time.

Texas has allowed year-around harvest of red snapper in state waters (out to 9 miles) for years and allowed a relatively generous bag limit of 4 per person per day, much to the chagrin of NOAA and especially Roy Crabtree, NOAA Fisheries regional administrator for the Southeast. In past years, in fact, when

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NOAA shortened Federal Red Snapper seasons in the Gulf, Crabtree would go on the record blaming Texas’ roguish behavior for the increased restrictions. We Texans would return the accusations with a big Bronx cheer and merrily go about catching and boxing red snapper in our state waters.

Years ago in a feature about Federal mismanagement of fisheries, I predicted that it was a matter of time where the decreased local revenue to charter captains, small businesses, and entire seaside communities up and down the Gulf States not called Texas caused by NOAA’s draconian regulations would lead to an insurrection. It’s finally happened, and what NOAA will likely discover is that the rift is going to be further-reaching than red snapper. The disconnect may also affect co-management of other ground fish species, and game fish such as red drum, that migrate between state and federal waters.

NOAA and Crabtree have no one to blame for the rift but themselves. Over the years they have behaved with arrogance and treated recreational anglers more as the enemy than as assists.

They have willfully ignored peer-reviewed data that indicated that red snapper numbers rebounded dramatically after the implementation of by-catch reductions codes for deep water shrimp boats. The data they have received they have repeatedly misinterpreted to meet their own political agendas.

They have been arrogant and dismissive of recreational anglers and charter captains at local scoping meetings who have repeatedly told them that there has never been so many red snapper of varying sizes and that these fish have actually become nuisances while fishing for other species. In the face of overwhelming anecdotal evidence, the members of NOAA have taken the stance of, “who are you going to believe? Me or you’re lying eyes?”

They have abandoned the spirit of compromise with recreational anglers and have adopted a more adversarial stance by using threats and coercion to impose their will.

Currently, NOAA’s position is that if the states go off reservation, the Federal season could be as short as nine days for Louisiana.

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No, “hey, let’s talk about this,” or “Maybe we can work something out.” Instead, it’s “Just try it, and see what happens!”

They have placed politics in front of people by making it clear that abiding by the Magnuson-Stevens Act is more important that re-visiting it and modifying its more out-dated regulations. Obeying a bad law is worse than having no law at all.

Ultimately, leadership in the Gulf States have concluded that, as Dr. Bob Shipp—a noted fisheries expert, author, and member of NOAA’s Gulf Council—testified the week before the Bonner Bill was introduced to the House floor, that they can do a better job of managing their own fisheries. After all, it was local, movements on the state level that saved the redfish from going the way of the bison.

State fisheries biologists are more in tune with the goings-on in their own waters and can act with greater alacrity than any pointy head from Washington can. State officials know that by and large, recreational anglers are a more conscientious and self-regulation group than NOAA gives them credit for being.

Ultimately, these states have chosen to control their own fates in this small issue. In other words, local anglers and communities are assets to utilize, not liabilities to marginalize.

Recreational anglers are more apt to police themselves and each other. I remember a conversation with one TPWD warden who told me that he gets more tips about violators from other anglers than anyone else. Who can forget that it was recreational anglers who pushed the state to adopt a slot limit allowing only one speckled trout over 25 inches per person per day (and many won’t even keep the one allowed to them)?

It’s a pity that the Feds are either too myopic or unwilling to see that fact.

Welcome aboard, guys. Don’t mind that rope around your neck. It only itches a bit and we Texans discovered it isn’t strong enough to hang us. Just string all your red snapper on it, and you’ll be fine.

Oh, and Ben Franklin sends his regards.

Contact Calixto Gonzales at CGonzalez@fishgame.com

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TRUE GREEN Trout Tracked with Acoustic Tagging

Fish Bladder Smugglers?

Yep, They’re Out There in downtown San Diego.

They are highly sought after for use in a Chinese soup, and are prized for their supposed benefits for boosting fertility, skin vitality and circulation.

The seven charged since February are accused of trying to cross from Mexico into the United States with 529 of the valuable bladders.

—Staff Report «TG

photo: Immigration & customs enforcement

Federal prosecutors in San Diego have charged seven people over the past two months with engaging in an unusual but highly lucrative smuggling trade involving the bladders of an endangered fish that lives in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez.

The bladders of the totoaba (toeTWAH-bah) fish can each fetch as much as $10,000 or more on the black market abroad, U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy said at a news conference at the federal building

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Totoaba bladders siezed in smuggling bust.

In the fall of 2012, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries launched an acoustic telemetry tagging project on Lake Pontchartrain to collect continuous data on individual spotted seatrout movements over time. The data collected will give insight to seasonal migration patterns, habitat use, and how movements may vary between sexes.

In conjunction with the Department’s tagging efforts, the Louisiana Saltwater Series, sponsored by Shimano and PowerPro, will host a catch and release speckled trout tournament on Saturday, May 25, 2013, at the Mandeville Public Boat Launch and Harbor. The tournament follows a week-long spring tagging event, where LDWF and LSU staff will implant acoustic tags in speckled trout provided by volunteer anglers before releasing them back into Lake Pontchartrain. Some of the fish brought in to the scales at the tournament will be used as part of this program.

“Spotted seatrout are extremely common in Louisiana estuaries and coastal waters and are of considerable recreational and economic importance,” explained LDWF Assistant Secretary Randy Pausina. “The spatial ecology of this species is significantly understudied, so we have developed this project to address this gap in knowledge. Incorporating our Louisiana Saltwater Series TournaContinued on page 46 u

5/6/13 3:26 PM

TRUE GREEN Scientist Rediscovers Long-Lost Amazon Fish

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Stewart rediscovered a second species that he describes in the March issue of the jour-

—Staff Report «TG Photo: suny

A professor at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) has rediscovered of a species of giant Amazonian fish whose existence was first established in a rare 1829 monograph, only to be lost to science some 40 years later.

Dr. Donald Stewart, a fisheries professor at ESF, found evidence in the monograph of a second species belonging to the genus Arapaima, air-breathing giants that live in shallow lakes, flooded forests and connecting channels in the Amazon River basin.

For 145 years, biologists have thought that Arapaima consisted of a single species whose scientific name is A. gigas. But

photo: Credit

nal “Copeia,” published by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists.

Arapaima can grow to three meters in length (about 10 feet) and weigh as much as 200 kilograms (440 pounds).

Dr. Donald Stewart examines a skeleton of the giant air-breathing fish.

5/6/13 3:26 PM

TRUE GREEN CONTINUED...

Attitude, Not Brute Force, Wins Fish Fights Scientists at the University of Exeter and Texas A&M University found that when fish fight over food, it is personality, rather than size, that determines whether who will win.

The findings suggest that when resources are in short supply personality traits such as aggression could be more important than strength when it comes to survival.

The study, published in the journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, found that small fish were able to do well in contests for food against larger fish provided they were aggressive.

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aggressive behaviour – or personalities – that repeatedly won food and as a result put on weight.

—Staff Report «TG

Regardless of their initial size, it was the fish that tended to have consistently

Trout Tags t Continued from page 44 ment into the program is another great way to garner support and awareness.”

Acoustic tags are much more effective for tracking fish movement than traditional tagging techniques. Conventional tagging involves marking

and releasing a fish that will hopefully be recaptured at a future date. This method yields very few data points: the location of the fish at initial capture and its location during potential recaptures. All movement of the fish between recapture points – potentially months or years apart – is lost.

—Staff Report «TG

5/6/13 3:26 PM

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The weather was gorgeous on

that June morning in 2005, and the surf was calm. I stood on the South Brazos Santiago Jetty at the juncture where water meets the beach and was having a good day fooling hefty speckled trout with a PopR. A fellow angler walked up as I was stringing my fourth trout of the morning.

He was a fellow angler, but different. He carried a 12 foot long Ugly Stick/Penn 9500 SS combo, a gaff, and a mesh grocery bag. On the end of what appeared to be 20 pound test, he had tied a long black leader and a palm-sized blue/chrome Rat-L-Trap.

“You’re loaded for bear,” I commented as I looked over his outfit.

“I’m going down to the end o the rocks to see if I can scare up a kingfish or two,” he said. “They come in when the weather is calm like this.

After mutual wishes of luck and success, the man went on down the jetties, and I returned to my casting.

Thirty minutes later, that same fisherman was walking back to the beach, his reel empty.

“On my first cast, I hooked into something I couldn’t turn,” she said sheepishly. It took the thing 45 seconds to completely spool me. 350 yards of line, gone.

That’s what can happen beyond the breakers: you could get your head handed to you in the first round.

Reaching Out Most Texas surf anglers are content with fishing the first and second guts of a beach. Why not? You’ll find good numbers of game fish such as speckled trout, redfish, flounder, Spanish mackerel, and snook lurking in the sudsy water roiled by waves breaking over the sandbars. Still, a few anglers look past the waves towards the calm seas reaching towards the horizon and wonder what swims out there. The popular website Texas Kayak Fishers (texaskayakfishers.com) has dedicated an entire message board, titled “Beyond the Breakers,” to the practice of fishing where few lines have gone before.

“Threes a lot to fish for out there,” said Texas Parks and Wildlife Coastal Fisheries Leader Mark Lingo. “You have an incredible variety of species. You have the typical game fish such as redfish and snook, but you also have king and Spanish mackerel, large jack crevalle, a variety of sharks, and tarpon. I’ve even spotted sailfish within 150 yards of the beach when we’ve had a stretch of calm days and the blue water comes in close.”

The bottom is relatively featureless past the third bar, added Lingo, but the depth drops off into deeper water rather quickly from 10 to about 30 feet and schools of baitfish run this edge up and down the shoreline, and thus so do larger predators.

“It can be pretty awesome,” said Marin Alvarado, Jr., who along with his girlfriend Sarah Cuellar has fished the far reaches of the beach of South Padre Island since he could walk. “You never know what you’re going to Photo: © sablin-Fotolia

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get, which is half the fun.”

The trick is trying to get to the water beyond the surf line.

Going Long One option is to try and reach out to the Great Unknown with a long cast. Anglers who’ve fished Padre Island National Seashore have been using long surf rods and high-capacity spinning and conventional reels to hurl baits outwards up to 100, 150, even 200 yards from the beach. Penn’s venerable 209 and Spinfisher series of reels or Newell conventional reels were mainstays among long distance casters. Surf rods often stretched 12 feet or more to generate the parabolic action to launch baits out and away. The problem was that the big reels (which were necessary for their line capacity and torque)had low gear ratios, which made reeling in baits a real chore, and the tackle could be too unwieldy to do anything but sit in a rod holder until the bite. Lures were out of the question.

Modern technology and materials have mitigated these issues. Reels are more

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efficient and more compact, but still retain the line capacity of their predecessors, and rods are also made of lighter materials which make them easier to handle.

My outfit of choice is a Shimano Tranx HG fitted onto a 9’ Tiralejo surf rod. The Tranx sports a line capacity of 475 yards of 40 pound braid, a speedy 6.6:1 gear ratio and 25 pounds of drag. Fitted on the nimble Tiralejo, I can throw a 1 ounce Kastmaster or swim bait 80 to 100 yards and still have enough line on the spool to deal with just about anything that swims.

Spinning reels such as the Penn Conquer or Spinfisher share similar qualities: high line capacity, fatter gear ratios, and make casting and retrieving much easier and more comfortable than past versions. With some practice, any angler can become a long distance caster.

A Good Paddling Anglers who prefer something larger than your typical bull red or brute thug jackfish such as the variety of sharks that roam the drop-off use baits and gear that are often

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impractical to cast. In that case, a different approach is adopted.

When Alvarado and Cuellar are shark fishing, it is far easier to transport the bait through paddle power. Cuellar sculls through the waves in her 12’ Ocean Frenzy kayak and paddles out 300 yards and drops the bait (usually a horse mullet, or a fresh stingray if they can get one). Then she paddles back to shore and both watch Netflix until the clicker starts to buzz.

The type of kayak Sarah uses should be noted. The Ocean Frenzy is designed specifically for use in the surf and open sea. It is more stable and handles the waves better than a kayak designed for bay and river use.

Even then, Cuellar will not venture out into surf that is too rough, and she never goes out without the proper floatation device. Safety should always take precedent for any angler opting to paddle or—as I’ve seen on more than one occasion—swim their bait out past the third bar.

After all, you do want to return from your foray to the Outer Limits.

G a m e ®

5/8/13 4:29 PM

Texas Freshwater

by Matt Williams | TF&G Freshwater Editor

Inside Noodling with the Catfish Cowboys

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t’s June in Texas.

That probably won’t mean much to a desk jockey with mousse in his hair, but it is sweet music for catfish cowboys like Ronald and Greg Murdock. For these guys, it’s a honkey-tonk time built around the idea of doing a dirty dance with the fattest whiskered fish they can find.

The Murdocks are blood brothers from the rural town of Martinsville on the eastern edge of Nacogdoches County. They grew up hunting and fishing in the Attoyac and Sabine River bottoms, and they speak with a definitive country drawl for which natives of this region are largely known.

Together, Ronald, 40, and Greg, 42, work as loggers -- buying, felling and hauling timber to East Texas area wood mills.

They spend much of their spare time during fall and winter hunting hogs with dogs and chasing deer, ducks and squirrels. Come late spring, their attention turns to a Huck Finn style of fishing reserved for those with a taste for the wild side -- hand fishing for big catfish. The sport is popular in many adjacent states but it wasn’t made legal in Texas until 2011.

“We got started doing it about 10 years ago,” said Greg Murdock. “We were on an elk hunting trip in Colorado and we met some guys from Mississippi. They invited us to go hand fishing with them the following June we took them up on it. We fished in Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi, all in the same weekend.

We’ve been hooked ever since.”

For those who may not be familiar with hand fishing for catfish, it defines primitive.

Also known as noodling or grappling, hand Photo: Canstock

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fishing is performed exactly as it sounds -using your hands. It is most effective during May and June, when prize size catfish seek out privacy for spawning.

Noodling usually takes the noodler several feet beneath the surface. There, they feel their way around blindly for a hole or crevice in a river bank, under a boat ramp,

in a hollow log or a carefully placed catfish box sitting on a muddy bottom.

Adult catfish, especially flatheads, are extremely territorial and protective of their spawning nests.

Noodlers provoke the fish into a defensive posture by serving up their hand and arm as bait. If a catfish is home, it will often swim forward and latch onto the noodler’s hand.

Battling a 30-60 pound catfish on its own turf with bare hands can at times turn bloody. Most noodlers wind up with cuts, scabs and scratches to show for their efforts.

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after chance encounters with snapping turtles, alligators and other aquatic critters that frequently occupy the same type of quarters.

The Murdocks haven’t lost any fingers, but they have acquired their share of battle scars. Not all of which came from the jaws of super-size catfish.

“I got my arm hung up on a piece of rebar under a boat ramp one time,” Ronald said. “I was just about out of breath. I finally just had to tear it free. Blood was everywhere.”

On a different occasion, Murdock had a big flathead remove most of the hide from his tricep. “I was reaching one way and the fish was off to the side,” he said. “It bit me and had the whole back of my arm in its mouth.”

While Murdocks aren’t the only noodlers in Texas, they are sure to rank among the most salty. They proved it in June 2012 when they topped a cross-state field in the inaugural Hillbilly Hand Fishin’ World Series event held on Lake Tawakoni near Dallas.

Hosted by the popular Animal Planet television channel, the multiweekend event

drew teams from eight states including Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, Louisiana, Kentucky, Alabama and Mississippi. The event aired as a three-part miniseries in March 2013.

“We spanked ‘em pretty good,” Greg Murdock said. “At the end of the tournament we asked all of the other teams if they read the signs when they crossed the state line.”

The typical response: “What signs?”

“The ones that say “Don’t Mess with Texas,” Murdock said.

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High-Tech Gear, Rigged-Out Super Boats, and Monster Prey Add Up to One Adrenaline-Fueled Hunting/Fishing Pursuit by chester moore 52 |

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Photo: George Knighten

5/8/13 12:45 PM

Take the thrill of fishing and the challenge of bowhunting and you have one of the state’s fastest growing pursuits: bowfishing.

The sport has been around forever but there is a bowfishing renaissance taking place here in the Lone Star State.

“Bowfishing is incredible fun and it has

(and women) who are not only seeing its

exciting than spending a night (or day) on

an extremely loyal fanbase,” said Sallie

rise in popularity but participate in it as

the water with a bow in hand.”

Haynes general manager of American

often as possible.

Airboats in Orange (www.americanair-

Texas archers can legally shoot any

“We not only make top of top notch

“rough fish” with a bow and arrow. Rough

custom airboats for bowfishermen and

fish include gar (only one alligator garfish

Producer of the popular Air Ranger,

other outdoors lovers but we also fish

per day can be taken), carp, buffalo, grin-

the company is operated by sportsmen

ourselves and know there is nothing more

nel (bowfin), mullet, and stingrays.

boats.com).

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t Sallie Haynes, of American Airboat, bowfishes from the rigged-out bow of one of her company’s Air Ranger airboats.

Some archers prefer to pursue the fish at night with spotlights, but I prefer bowfishing during the day. Small gar are plentiful at night, but I see far more during daylight hours and personally one 3-5 foot shoot gar for food. These days I pass on the super-

t

During spring and early summer, gar spawn in very shallow water and offer some tremendous shooting opportunities.

Drainage canals are great places to find spawning gar, as are flats in the backwaters of reservoirs.

Alligator gar are among the “rough fish” that can be legally be taken by bow, although there is a bag limit of one gar per day.

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sized specimens for conservation reasons but that wasn’t always the case.

In 2000, I shot a gar on a hot September day that measured 6 feet, 7 inches in length and weighed 200 pounds.

“I shall never forget the gator hunt Chester and I attended near Anahuac,” said TF&G Editor-In-Chief Don Zaidle.

“He and Jessie, a guide from Central Flyway Outfitters, went trolling for gators in a “mud boat” (so named because it can literally navigate mud) in a shallow backwater of a bayou. The rest of the county and I knew something was up when Chester started whooping like a wild Indian.”

“Out on the water, Chester stood on the tiny bow of the mud boat, reared back against the resistance at the other end of his bowfishing line. Resistance? Make that Peterbilt road tractor-class power.”

“Whatever Chester had arrowed was towing the heavy boat fast enough to leave a respectable wake. They disappeared behind a tangle of trees and marsh grass. Things got spookily quiet for a bit, then shouts, loud splashing, and the report of a .357 magnum shattered the silence. A few minutes later, the mud boat started up, and here came Chester and company with his prize: the largest alligator gar I have ever seen,” Zaidle said.

Photos: Above, George Knighten; Lower left, Chester Moore

5/9/13 11:38 AM

“Chester was so jazzed he couldn’t think straight. I asked what is wife, Lisa would think about him dragging such a monster home. He looked at me bewildered for several seconds then blurted, “Oh, Lisa!”

That’s the kind of excitement bowfishing can generate but the fish do not have to be toothy monsters to be fun.

I’ll never forget watching my cousin Frank Moore prowl like a cat through the waters of a large canal north of Deweyville.

With surprising grace for someone wearing neoprene waders in ankle-deep mud, he scanned the murky waters for potential prey.

While scanning the shoreline behind me, I noticed Moore drawing his bow as a huge, yellow tail surfaced in a shallow grass flat, swinging lowly to the side like a ponderous oar. Before I could make out exactly what he was shooting at, a large carp shot out of the water with an arrow in its side, then rocketed away stripping all the line from his retriever rig.

“It’s a big one!” he shouted. “A really big one!”

The arrowed carp put up a strong fight, cutting a roostertail wake in the shallows

despite the arrow through its body. After a considerable struggle, the fish had enough and Frank retrieved it.

“I told you it was big,” he said as he strained to pick up the heavy fish. “It’s going to make great trotline bait.”

Moore and I had been bowfishing in this canal for the several years and always did well on carp. The one he shot that day probably weighed 20 pounds, but we have shot legitimate 30-pounders there.

Some mistakenly look at bowfishing as a sport mainly for the marshy, coastal areas but it thrives throughout the state and according to bowfishing expert Jeff Stewart the dense creek and river bottoms of East Texas are a prime place to shoot a variety of fish.

“I’m all about hunting the gar in the Sabine River drainage and there are plenty of carp, buffalo and other species throughout East Texas to hunt as well,” Stewart said.

“Bowfishing opportunities abound statewide and if someone really wants to have a good time I suggest giving the sport a try.

It’s good, clean fun and gives bowhunters something different to do in the off-season.”

If you plan on getting into bowfishing, I

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highly recommend getting a “retriever rig,” which consists of a jug-like canister that attaches to the bow, or one of the reel-style bowfishing reels. Some retailers sell a cheap rig that is basically a round piece of plastic on which the string is wound.

When I first started bowfishing, I used one of these and the string got tangled on the plastic piece. I watched an arrow shoot out about 10 feet then slingshot back only inches from my face. I could have been blinded or worse. The retrievers and reel-style rigs are more expensive, but well worth the cost in terms of safety.

There are rough fish to pursue in every water body in the state and getting set up for bowfishing is pretty cheap in comparison to other aspects of archery. You can use an old compound or recurve with a good fishing rig and be ready to start immediately.

Be careful though. The sport is reportedly addictive.

There’s something about sticking an arrow in something and having it pull you around that is hard to shake.

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Open Season

by Reavis Wortham | TF&G Humor Editor

Language

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he Hunting Club was assembled outside of a bait shop near Caddo Lake.

We hadn’t been there long, having just arrived by what had been a surprisingly event-free trip.

While Doc went inside, Wrong Willie, Jerry Wayne and Woodrow waited with me in the parking lot. “What is he after?”

Jerry Wayne asked. “We have so much stuff loaded in the truck that he couldn’t need anything.”

“He needed a dip,” I said.

“I wish I hadn’t backslid,” Wrong Willie sighed and adjusted the pinch in his lower lip. “This stuff is expensive.”

“I have some Copenhagen.” Jerry Wayne slapped the can into his palm to pack it.

I shuddered at the scent. There was that time in college when heat, Copenhagen and beer all conspired to make me hurl with The Liquid Laugh. “He wanted Skoal.”

“Long or short cut?” Woodrow pushed it down with his tongue.

“Long.”

“Willie has short.” Doc rejoined the conversation. “But I got some Redman instead.”

“It’s all bad for you.” I stepped upwind.

“Short, long, chopped…it’s just marketing and language that makes it appealing.”

“Nope,” Wrong Willie argued. “It’s not.”

“Of course it is,” I said. “Look, try this.

We’re here to fish for crappie and it doesn’t matter if they’re black or white, they’re the same, by any name, like papermouths.” I was on a roll. “A rose by any other name…”

“I haven’t heard that term in a long time,” Doc stuffed a chew into his cheek.

My quote derailed. “Rose?”

“Papermouth.”

Willie wanted to continue arguing, but a car pulled up in the parking lot and the passenger window rolled silently down. “Excuse me.” The lady had a distinctive British accent. “Could you share the name of this town?”

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“Sure,” Willie absently went back to arguing with me. “There’s a difference between a black and white crappie.”

The lady looked puzzled.

“Uh, Willie.” I cleared my throat. “I think she really wanted an answer to her question.”

“About crappie?”

Woodrow shook his head. “You’re getting so old you can’t even track anymore. She just asked you the name of this town.”

“Oh. Uncertain.”

The driver leaned over so he could see through the open window. His accent was just as thick. “You’re rather short with words, aren’t you. We are uncertain where we are, also. We’re lost, and it’s interesting to find you talking about crappie, because we’d like to hire a small cockleshell and catch some fish.” He pronounced crappy.

Doc shook his head and chewed. “You’re in Uncertain.”

“I beg your pardon?”

It was my turn to try. “This town is called Uncertain, Texas. What’s a cockleshell?”

“A small boat.” The woman frowned, then consulted her map. “Let’s bash on, shall we? I thought we were in Louisiana.”

“I think we’re sharing an unintelligible language here.” I tried to steer the discussion.

“We’re just standing here talking about crappie and snuff, and by coincidence, you want to know about crappie.”

“What kind of stuff?” she asked.

The conversation was spinning wildly out of control.

“No, not stuff, snuff. Dip, but not like the Garrett’s snuff my aunts used to use. That’s nasty.”

She frowned harder.

Jerry Wayne cleared his throat. “See, Rev said something about papermouths, and that took us to black crappie, but that was after Doc went in for a dip, but he bought a chew instead.”

Woodrow nodded at the frozen smile on the woman’s face. “It’s a good thing we didn’t get deep into a discussion of Sac-a-lait before all this started.”

“Sac-a-lait? Coffee?” the English woman F i s h

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asked, hopefully. “I’d love a latte.”

“Nope.” Woodrow tried to clarify.

“Cajun for crappie. There are other words we can use that might be more familiar to you.”

The couple in the car exchanged glances.

“You aren’t talking about coffee or snuff anymore, are you? This entire conversation is getting a bit wonky.”

“Right,” I said. “Down here we call them crappie most of the time.” I pronounced them “croppy.”

“We call them crappie,” the man again rhymed it with “flappy.”

“We know.” Doc pinched a thick wad of tobacco from the package and tucked in his cheek. “That’s how we can tell you’re not from around here.”

The woman frowned. I couldn’t resist taking it one step further.

“Down here we also call them crappé if we want to sound French, but we usually don’t, because we typically don’t like the French even though Canadian French call them crapet, which refers to many fishes of the family Centrarchidae.”

She stared with her mouth open.

“But folks from the north should understand that crappies tends not to be used here, especially by analogy with fishes, except… well never mind. If you’re from Michigan, you can say speckled perch or calico bass, or some folks say strawberry bass, speckled bass or specks if you want, but people down on the coast might confuse that with speckled trout. You see?”

They stared out the open window.

“Sac-au-lait means bag of milk, in Louisiana.” Before I finished, they left with a screech of tires. “I kinda wanted to talk about nouns some more and I didn’t even get to tell them about Oswego bass.”

“Probably a good thing,” Doc said, and spat to the side. “Let’s go catch some slabs.”

Contact Reavis Wortham at RWortham@fishgame.com

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Digital Edition

Venomous

Snakes of Texas second of a two-part series • by chester moore

Photo: Chester Moore

“Red on yellow, kill a fellow. Red on black, venom lack (or friendly Jack.)” That is the poem used to help people distinguish the highly venomous coral snake from non-venomous mimics like the Louisiana milk snake and scarlet king snake.

And while the poem is accurate in describing the key difference in patterns, if you have to rely on a rhyme to know your snakes, problems can arise.

I will never forget driving down the road near my home in Orange in the mid-1990s, and seeing some young boys carrying a snake wrapped around a stick.

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long coral snake!

“Drop it!” I yelled after pulling over to check out their catch.

“Why, it’s just a king snake. Red and yellow, friendly fellow,” he said.

“No, it’s red and yellow kill a fellow!” I replied.

Luckily, I was able to get the snake away from them without incident. You see coral snakes are not just venomous, they are

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Coastal Almanac Table of Contents GEARING UP SECTION

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texas tested • Ranger, MinnKota, Fisherman Eyewear, Industrial Revolution | by TF&G staff

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COVER STORY • Venomous Snakes of Texas | by chester moore

HOW-TO SECTION

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texas boating • The Shame of it All | by lenny rudow texas kayaking • Green Trout | by greg berlocher paul’s tips • Weighty Matters | by paul bradshaw

texas guns & gear • Shotguns for Quail | by steve lamascus

highly venomous.

According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD), it is the state’s only member of the Elapidae family, which includes the cobras of Asia and Africa.

“The coral snake is slender with a small indistinctive head and round pupils, and is usually is 2-1/2 feet or shorter. Its distinctive pattern is a broad black ring, a narrow yellow ring and a broad red ring, with the red rings always bordered by the yellow rings. Several harmless snakes are similarly marked, but never with the red and yellow touching.”

Coral snakes carry chiefly neurotoxic venoms (like the cobras) that attacks the nervous system. Some researchers estimate an adult coral snake carries enough venom to kill 4-5 adults.

While their venom is deadly many wrongly believe it is nearly impossible to receive a bite from one.

This is from reptilechannel.com: “Two erroneous beliefs must be dispelled. Firstly, the dangerously venomous coral snake is not a rear-fanged snake. It is a front-fanged species. The fangs are short and do not rotate on a movable maxillary bone like a vipers fangs do.”

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industry insider • Costa, Srike King, Pure Fishing, Eagle Claw, Rick Clunn, Columbia, Gulf Coast Fishing Rod Holders | by TF&G staff fish and game gear• Hot New Outdoor Gear | by TF&G staff

FISHING FORECAST SECTION

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hotspots focus: upper coast • Early Summer Action | by capt. eddie hernandez

hotspots focus: lower coast • Something Different | by

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

calixto gonzales

knighten

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

OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE SECTION tasted • Beef or Chick99 entexas Fajitas | CLASSIFIED 100 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

hotspots focus: galveston • Three for the Road? | by capt. mike holmes

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hotspots focus: matagorda • In the Name of Progress |

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hotspots focus: rockport • Croaking Up Fish | by capt. mac

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gable

“And secondly a coral snake can and will bite anywhere they can reach. It is NOT true that they can bite only on finger or toe.

A coral snake does not administer venom as effectively as a viper, but it is a very dangerous snake that should be treated with caution and respect.”

Coral snakes are shy, reclusive snakes that live in and around rotten, fallen trees and are infrequently encountered by humans in comparison to copperheads, cottonmouths and rattlesnakes. The chance of being bitten is extremely low and in fact only about one percent of venomous snakebites in the United States come from coral snakes.

It is best to leave these snake and all others alone, although it would be hard to argue with removing one from your yard, especially if there are children around.

Rattlesnakes are encountered much more frequently and come in a variety of forms in the Lone Star State.

The western diamondback is the state’s largest venomous serpent, packing a dangerous tissue destroying hemotoxic venom and inhabiting about 2/3 of the state. They are highly abundant in some areas and sparse in others and may be expanding their range.

A capture reported to TF&G by veteran Beaumont meteorologist and media personalF i s h

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www.FishGame.com ity Greg Bostwick two years ago gave us the first glimpse into the potential expansion of their range.

“The snake was captured alive about one mile south of my house in Chambers County and was about 4.5 feet long,” Bostwick said.

Mike Hoke of Shangri-La Botanical Gardens in Orange said there was a diamondback found an expedition awhile back at McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge in Jefferson County. Current diamondback range maps in most field guides show the snakes showing up west of Houston but now they are verified near the Louisiana border.

The timber or canebrake rattlesnake is the one most commonly encountered rattlesnake in East Texas.

According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, they have a heavy, light yellow, gray or greenish-white body with a rustcolored strip along the length of their back and a black tail is tipped with rattles.

“Timber rattlesnakes have yellow eyes with elliptical or cat-like pupils. Twenty to 29 dark, V-shaped crossbars with jagged edges form a distinctive pattern across their back.”

As rattlers go, they are very docile and there are few instances of people being bitten CONTINUED ON PAGE 60

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Texas Boating

by Lenny Rudow | TF&G Boating Editor

The Shame of it All

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ecently I went to Norfolk Marine, in Norfolk, VA, to film a bunch of outboard motor maintenance how-to videos for Boats.com.

While we were there we saw a two-stroke’s 100-hour service, how to change a thermostat on a modern four-stroke Yamaha, how to change a water pump impeller assembly, and a whole lot more interesting stuff. But none of it held my interest like the Counter of Shame.

What, you ask, is the Counter of Shame?

This is an area in the service shop where the techs keep a collection of motor parts which have been so busted, neglected, or abused, they defy the imagination. Today, these parts serve as a reminder of what not to do when it comes to outboard engine maintenance. You want to make sure you never produce any candidates for the counter?

Good—here’s what I learned when I asked the service techs about its contents.

1. The Holy Fuel Filter – Sitting front and center on the counter is a fuel filter with a hole in the bottom that’s larger than a quarter. How did it get there? Neglect, pure and simple. “The guy who owned the boat never, ever changed it,” said Chris Breeden, service manager and a Yamaha Master Tech. “And this was on a saltwater boat. I’m not sure he ever washed the boat

down, either, because we don’t usually see these corroded all the way through. He only brought the boat in to us because he thought he had an engine problem. It kept stalling out. Well, that was because all the fuel was spilling out of the filter and into the bilge.”

Lesson Learned: Make sure you change your fuel filter at the regular manufacturer recommended intervals, and always rinse the boat down with freshwater after using it in the salty stuff. This isn’t a matter of vanity and looks; it’s a matter of preservation.

2. Water Pump Impellers Galore – There were a half-dozen or so water pump impellers scattered across the counter, and all of which were shadows of their former selves. On some the vanes were missing—as in, all of them—hubs were cracked, and those vanes that remained were as crooked as a candy-cane.

Cover story: VENOMOUS SNAKES t CONTINUED FROM PAGE 58 by these beautifully marked pit vipers.

The pigmy rattlesnake is also present in the Pineywoods region and is very rarely seen.

I have only seen one and that was in 2000 on my old deer lease in Newton County.

These snakes only attain lengths of around 18 inches and are super reclusive. They are most often seen crossing roads in the evening and are a true enigma in the region. Most outdoors lovers are not even aware of their presence.

Texas is home to a variety of other rattlesnake species, many of which are rarely encountered. Here’s TPWD’s profile of these reclusive species.

Western massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus tergeminus), light gray, with brown oval blotches along the middle of the back and smaller blotches along each side. They are two feet in length and found through the 60 |

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middle of the state in grasslands, marshy and swampy areas.

Desert massasauga (S.C. Edwards, II), lighter in color than the western massasauga, smaller and more slender. Found in the Trans-Pecos, western Panhandle and the lower Rio Grande Valley.

Mottled Rock rattlesnake (Crotalus lepidus) is light bream or pink background with widely spaced, dark crossbands and mottled areas between the crossbands.

Small and slender with an average length of about two feet. Found in the mountainous areas of West Texas.

Banded Rock rattlesnake (C.l. klauberi) Similar to the mottled rock rattlesnake, but darker greenish-gray in color.

Found only in the extreme western tip of Texas.

Blacktail rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus) is gray to olive green with dark blotches along the back and a black tail.

Averaging a length of 3-1/2 feet, it is found from Central Texas throughout most of West F i s h

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Texas in bushes and on rocky ledges.

Prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis viridis) is a slender rattler that is greenish or grayish, with rounded blotches down the middle of its back. Average length is about three feet and is found in the grassy plains of the western third of the state.

Mojave rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) is similar to the western diamondback in markings, but smaller and more slender and found only in extreme West Texas.

The Mojave is potentially the most dangerous snake in the United States with a deadly mix of hemotoxic and neurotoxic venom. Due to its very limited range it is rarely encountered in Texas and like all other venomous snakes is best left alone.

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Texas Boating “These mostly come from people who never changed them,” Chris explained, “and from people who didn’t flush their engines with freshwater after each saltwater use. The really bad ones are from people who didn’t do either.”

If you allow saltwater to sit in your lower unit for days at a time, as it dries out the salt crystals and grit are left behind. The next time you turn the key, the impeller is going to take a beating. That’s why their lifespan is limited, and most manufacturers recommend changing the impeller at some point between one and three years.

Lesson Learned: If you flush the motor religiously, you can probably count on the impeller until the later end of the time spectrum. If you don’t, a yearly impeller swap is a must. And in either case, make sure to get it changed on a regular basis. Run it beyond its life span, and you’ll end up stranded out on the water.

3. Jammed Piece of Junk – Sitting on the counter we saw a thermostat that was jammed open so thoroughly that none of us could push it closed. Corrosion was, of course, the cause. A glimpse at the piece’s metal was all it took to see why it had long

ago ceased functioning. And, there’s only one way to make sure your thermostat stays in good shape: thoroughly flushing the engine with freshwater, to keep that corrosion at bay.

Lesson Learned: If you don’t flush your outboard with freshwater after it’s taken a salty bath, your thermostat will be among the parts that suffer.

4. The Icky Exhaust Tuner – Sitting near the back of the counter was one of the larger items in stock: the exhaust tuner from a 250-hp outboard. The metal was rippled, with it a jagged tear near the top.

The culprit? Again, too much salt and too little freshwater.

“Here’s a prime example of the damage that can occur when you don’t flush out the engine after running it in salty water,” Jason Murphy, the President of Norfolk Marine, told me.

Lesson Learned: Hmmm… have you noticed the common theme here, yet?

Washing away corrosion-causing saltwater is the key factor in many aspects of outboard motor maintenance. If you run an outboard in saltwater, you need to give it a freshwater flush after each and every use—this is a big-

ger deal than most boaters think.

Running neck-and-neck with the importance of that freshwater flush is regular oil changes. “Changing the oil at the regularly scheduled maintenance intervals is probably the best way to extend the lifespan of your power head,” Breeden told me.

So, why weren’t there any parts on the Counter of Shame to illustrate just how imperative those regular oil changes are?

Blown power heads take up too much space—but the guys in the service department assured me they’d seen plenty of them through the years.

5. The Propeller of Nubs – My favorite item on the counter was a four-blade prop. At least, it used to be a prop. More than half of the surface area of each blade had been worn off, as though someone had run it through nothing but wet sand for a few years. The real reason for its condition, however, was quite different. Jason explained.

“The prop was on a skiff used by searchand-rescue personnel. We had a storm here which flooded Norfolk, and the streets were under about two feet of water. They were using the boat to get to people who were stranded, and they literally ran it down Granby Street (a major artery in down-town Norfolk).”

Naturally, as the boat went up and down, the prop brushed bottom now and again. Unfortunately, in this case, the bottom was asphalt. “If you like the prop, you should have seen the outdrive,” Jason said with a grin.

Lesson Learned: Avoid driving your boat down the street, whenever possible— or you, too, could become a contributor to some marine mechanic’s Counter of Shame.

Contact Lenny Rudow at LRudow@fishgame.com Get more boating tips in LENNY RUDOW’s Texas Boating Blog at www.Fishgame.com/blogs 62 |

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Texas Kayaking

by Greg Berlocher | TF&G Kayaking Editor

Green Trout

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s I waded upstream, sparking water cascaded over a limestone boulder in the middle of the river in front of me. The stone was washed smooth by eons of current. In the eddy immediately aft of the rock, a fish was clearly visible; it was stationary and economized its movement.

The cool water rushing against my shins was a refreshing contrast to the relentless

summer heat as I stepped closer to my prey.

Crouching and inching forward ever so slowly, I reminded myself that I would likely only get one shot at the fish loitering in the lee of the boulder.

Four-pound test line creased the fingerprint of my index finger. I flipped the bail of my spinning reel and prepared to cast. A second later, a four-inch clear plastic lizard was jettisoned through the air and landed ten-feet upstream of the rock. Carried by the wash of current, the lizard slowly tumbled along the rock strewn bottom. Moments later the Guadalupe bass dashed from its holding place, flared its gills and engulfed the faux amphibian – or so I thought.

Setting the hook as hard as I dared, the

curly tailed lizard took flight, rapidly closing on the bridge of my nose. Quick action on my part allowed me to avoid an embarrassing trip to the emergency room; however my actions did nothing to avoid the red-faced embarrassment of missing a good fish in front of my fishing partner.

“I told you this water is clear,” he chuckled as he stepped away from our beached kayaks and back into the current. “You need to feel the fish on your line before you set the hook. Your eyes will definitely play tricks on you in this clear water.”

Clear water was an understatement.

Shallow gravel runs rivaled the clearest bonefish flats and a mixture of bass, sunfish, and catfish seemed to be suspended in the air as the water had no perceivable tint.

Designated as the official State Fish of Texas, Guadalupe bass are a handsome fish, found only in certain watersheds tumbling off the Edwards Plateau. The Colorado, Guadalupe, San Marcos Rivers, and their associated drainages, hold the largest populations. Guadalupes are smaller than their largemouth brethren. A fish weighing an honest pound is a nice catch.

Like shoal, Red Eye, and Suwannee bass found in other states, Guadalupes prefer moving water. Since they were genetically predisposed to live in small streams, they are modest in size, able to live on the limited protein supply afforded by the river’s limited size.

What Guadalupe bass lack in size, they make up for in attitude. Guadalupes prefer to live in moving water, instead of lounging in the eddies, as largemouth bass do. Energetic and fit from negotiating the non-stop current keeps these stately fish as fit and trim as pro athletes. When hooked, a Guadalupe bass won’t hesitate to use the current to their advantage. Their propensity for moving water and their fighting techniques have earned the Guadalupe several popular monikers, among them green trout and Texas trout.

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Fishing the rivers of the Edwards plateau from a kayak is extremely satisfying. Put-ins and take-outs are as easy as finding a bridge crossing. Phil Shook’s Flyfishers Guide to Texas covers all of the watersheds were Guadalupes roam and includes numerous launch areas. Even if you don’t fly fish, the book is a great investment for kayak anglers.

If you find large reservoirs too crowded for you liking and would prefer a day of fishing solitude,

“

Guadalupe bass are found only in watersheds tumbling off the Edwards Platueau.

“

Small crankbaits, spinners and downsized plastic worms are all good choices for Guadalupe bass. Four-pound test mono is ideal in the crystalline waters that flow in the hills. When looking for fish, work riffles and rapids thoroughly before moving on.

Guadalupes seek solace from the current so they can conserve their energy; always probe the backside of large rocks or logs standing in the current.

In addition to lures, Guadalupes readily strike a variety of flies. Pencil poppers, hopper patterns and bunny leeches are good choices for Guadalupes. My good friend, Ray Chapa, favors a black-overwhite Clouser Minnow with bead chain eyes. The black and white color scheme mimics a small minnow. Chapa refers to this fly as La Buena, or the good one.

If you are going to cast flies, a selection of beadhead nymphs in your fly box will entice any sunfish you encounter. I found a fiveweight fly rod pleasant for extended blind casting but if you have more than one rod in the quiver, pack a little bigger stick just in case the wind is gusting.

consider a spending a day in the Texas Hill Country casting to green trout. Just remember to feel the fish on your line before setting the hook.

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

5/24/13 10:09 AM

Paul’s Tips

Weighty Matters

just in case you luck into a good day.

The weight used by the vast majority of surf fisherman is the old standby pyramid weight. The reason it’s so popular is because it’s easy to use and can hold small baits relatively well during normal surf conditions. Meaning, use these when seas are less than two feet with minimal current and the bait will stay where you cast it.

Some anglers prefer a three sided pyramid while others swear that a four sided holds better. I have no preference either way but will

cover most of your fishing conditions. When using really big baits you’ll need to get even bigger weights, but if you need really heavy weights you might have to start looking into making your own.

The best part about y tackle bag is heavy. It all of these weights is all weighs so much that when we go of them can be used on the on a fishing trip my kids argue same fishing rig. This means about who is going to carry that as the conditions change it since neither one wants to try to as the day goes on you don’t pick it up. No, I’m not a hoarder, have to retie all your rigs, just well not much of one. The reason change weights as needed. my bag is so heavy is that I carry The easiest way to use these a lot of different weights for any weights is with a kind of fishing I might encounter. standard fish finder Most anglers think of weights as rig. Start this rig by Pyramid the simplest part of any fishing running your mainSinker rig but realistically the weight line through the eye you use can mean the differof a snap swivel before ence between the best fishing tying it to one side of a trip ever and getting skunked. barrel swivel. Use a Since it’s summer, we are on heavy snap swivel since the topic of weights and a lot it will have a lot of stress of you will be heading to the on it, you’ll see why in a beach. Lets go over some of minute. On the other side of the weights you’ll need to use the barrel swivel tie on on the beach to pull in a few fish a leader (two while your kids build sandcastles. to five If you’ve been to the coast more feet long) Spider Weight than once then you know that the Bank Sinker made from weather and surf conditions change heavy monofilament. On the end of all the time. Most of the time, the condithe leader tie on a circle hook, and you are tions will change multiple times throughout advise to get some two, three, and four basically done with the exception of adding a single day. You get everything from flat ounce weights to handle different conditions the weight. surf and no current to head high waves and and different size baits.

Remember the heavy snap swivel; this is In rough surf conditions, otherwise where your weight is connected. The snap storm warnings. All of it is fishable with the known as every day I decide to go fishing, swivel lets you change weights quickly and right kind of sinker.

When conditions are ideal (yeah, I’ve you’ll need something more substantial to easily without having to retie. If one weight never seen them either but it’s fun to dream keep your baits where you want them. A doesn’t work due to size or design simply about) you really don’t need a lot of weight spider weight is ideal for these conditions. take it off and try a different one. to keep bait in place. On days where the This weight looks just like its name implies. surf is pancake flat and the current is moder- It’s a hunk of lead with legs sticking out the ate you can get away with a standard bank side, top, or bottom. The legs dig into the sinker. Honestly, I rarely use these since sand helping it hold better when the waves Contact Paul Bradshaw at I rarely see good surf conditions but you are high or current is ripping. Again, get PBradshaw@fishgame.com should always keep a few in your tackle bag some two, three, and four ounce weights to

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Texas Guns

by Steve LaMascus | TF&G Shooting Editor

Shotguns for Quail

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hotguns come in all shapes and sizes. They are made in sideby-side double barrels, over-andunder double barrels, semi-auto, pump-action, single shot, and bolt action.

Did I miss any? Oh, yeah, they have also been made in rifle/shotgun combinations of various types.

America is the only place I know where pump and semi-auto shotguns are popular.

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I think they are popular here because of two reasons. One, they are usually cheaper (or they can be) than the better grade of double barrels; and two, they hold more ammunition than the two rounds that all double barrels allow. In the time of the market hunter that (more ammo in the gun) was a big advantage, but with today’s modest bag limits it is mostly an imaginary advantage; and when hunting migratory game birds, the federal government has arbitrarily limited the number of rounds in the magazine to two, so it isn’t that important.

As for shootability, the vast majority of pumps and semi-autos are heavy and poorly balanced. According to popular theory, the weight of the shotgun should center halfway

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between the hands. This supposedly gives the gun that quick, lively feeling that is so sought after. If the weight is farther forward it makes the gun slower to swing, if farther back it makes the gun butt-heavy and the swing jerky. Well, maybe. I guess it depends on how you say it.

For most game I prefer a shotgun that is fairly heavy and that has barrels at least 28 inches long. I think such guns swing better -smoother – and cause me to swing through more naturally, whereas shorter, lighter guns will sometimes allow me to stop or slow my swing. Stopping or slowing your swing and follow through, will almost always cause the shot to be behind. If you have a barrel heavy gun it is harder to slow down due to inertia. Inertia is the law that says “an object in motion tends to say in motion, and an object at rest tends to say at rest.” For our needs that means, the heavier the gun is out in front of your front hand, the harder it is to stop once it starts moving.

This seems to counter the argument that the semi-auto and pump, with their weight farther forward than most doubles, are poorly balanced. The truth is that the weight out front makes them swing smoother, although it does make them slower to mount and swing. For doves, ducks, and geese, this is not a consideration and can be an advantage. For quail, pheasants, and grouse, it might be something we do need to consider.

So let’s study this for a moment, shall we?

For ducks, geese, and usually for doves, the hunter is almost always stationary, waiting for the game to come to him. He may have to walk to his blind, but that is generally a minor consideration. Once there he will sit on a stool or bench and wait for the game to appear so he can shoot it. In this type of hunting the weight of the gun is not important. It can be as heavy as the hunter wants, up to the limit of his strength and ability to lift and swing the gun. In this situation a longer, heavier gun that makes for a smoother swing may be an advantage; certainly is if the shooter is one who tends to A l m anac

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stop his swing before the shot.

While the ability to have one more shot in the gun is rather academic in most circumstances, it may be an advantage if the birds hunted are large, tough, and hard to knock down. This can be especially true on migratory waterfowl and is exacerbated by the use of steel shot, which has less range, penetrating ability, and “knock-down power” than the old lead shot. Thus it would seem that the use of such “poorly balanced” guns is not only justified but called for in such scenarios.

Quail on the other hand, which are the center of this piece, are far different from geese.

They often live far from water.

They do not fly around where you can see them. They hide in grass, weeds, and brush. They sometimes run along in front of the hunter, making him jog along behind, trying to get close enough to make them take wing, so he can

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get a couple of shots.

In this kind of hunting a lightweight gun is sometimes a godsend and is never a wrong choice. Of course you can lug around your goose gun if you want to. In this day of interchangeable choke tubes, you can simply swap the full choke for an improved cylinder and be in business in seconds.

I have used my longer, heavier Beretta over/under for hunting quail and they did very well. They should. After all, I have shot several thousand rounds through those and similar guns through the years while shooting skeet and trap. However, carrying around a shotgun that weighs 8 or 9 pounds for a hard day of walking is not my idea of fun.

Therefore I have a couple of guns that are my pet quail guns. One of these is an old but well-kept Ithaca (SKB) 12-gauge side-by-side. It has 25-inch barrels

and is choked modified and skeet, no screw in choke tubes. It is so quick to handle that it is a little jerky when I am fresh, but it calms down nicely after I have followed a good bird dog for a few miles. The other is a little 20-gauge Browning Citori with 26-inch barrels. This one has screw-in choke tubes, but those of modified and improved cylinder are seldom removed. It is my all-day quail gun, and is a fine choice for fast dodging doves around a hot stock tank.

The truth is that any gun can be used for quail. My grandfather LaMascus used a Long Tom 12-gauge and I have seen others who were very happy with their Browning A5s. My Dad loved his Remington Wingmaster 12-gauge with its 26-inch barrel choked improved cylinder and was the best quail shot I have ever seen. But, not having the perfect gun for the job is a great reason to buy another. Don’t you think?

Contact Steve LaMascus at SLamascus@fishgame.com

5/24/13 10:09 AM

Texas Tested

Ranger Z520C Carbon If you want the best of the best of the best and a new bass boat is in your future, one that’s sure to raise your eyebrows in the Ranger Z520C Carbon. This is the 45th anniversary edition Z520, and Ranger marks the occasion by adding a slew of special features to their flagship bass fishing model.

The first thing you’ll notice about the Z520C Carbon is its red-hot looks. Viper silver-metallic paint tops the gel coat, the interior of the boat is set off by red LED lighting, and anodized parts including the jackplate and steering wheel are also red.

Interior trim and compartments are finished in black, while compartment hatches have the carbon-fiber look. “Sharp” is the best word to describe it, from stem to stern.

Another go-with for the Z520 C Carbon is the Ranger Touring package, which includes a boat cover and American Racing aluminum trailer wheels, so your boat looks as hot going down the highway as it does when it’s screaming across the lake.

A keel protector and integrated oxygenator are also included in the package.

When I ran the Z520 it had 250 Yamaha ponies on the transom, and with this much juice, the boat performs every bit as good as it looks. Top-end was around 70-mph, jumping onto plane is neck-snapping (to say the least!) and the hull chewed up a nasty wind-driven chop better than a lot of offshore-minded boats would.

Another thing that sets the new apart from its predecessors is deck design. It includes a pair of monster rod boxes in the foredeck, with pads and tip-tubes for complete protection of rods up to 8’6” long. The aft livewell holds 31 gallons, an insulated cooler is integrated into the step up to the bow deck, and there’s a glove box with integrated drink holders between the seats. And, about those seats: they’re 70 |

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Ranger’s SRS seats. These have a spring suspensions systems, which helps to smooth out the bumps and keep you comfortable as you barrel from one hotspot to the next.

When push comes to shove, it’s going to be tough to find a better-equipped, higher-performing, nicer-looking bass boat.

Is it the best on the water? That’s a subjective call and you’re going to have to make it for yourself, but one thing is for sure: Ranger’s Z520 C Carbon is going to be in the running. For more information, visit www.rangerboats.com.

—Lenny Rudow

i-Pilot Link Integration is a buzzword in modern marine electronics. You no longer have a fish finder, or a chart plotter, or even an electric trolling motor—you have an integrated system. And one new way to get your pieces-parts integrated is Minn Kota’s i-Pilot link.

The i-Pilot Link allows your Minn Kota trolling motor to “talk” with your Ethernet-equipped Humminbird fish finder (700, 800, 900, and 1100 series units).

It’s essentially a GPS-equipped handheld remote which wirelessly communicates with the other units. It also has an LCD screen, it floats, and it’s available in both freshwater (compatible with Terrova and PowerDrive V2 motors) and saltwater (compatible with Riptide ST and Riptide SP motors) models.

The functions this integration allows will, without any question, help you catch more fish. For starters, consider Spot Lock. Hit the button, and the i-Pilot will keep your boat within five feet of the same spot, using the electric motor automatically. Trollers will like the Contour features (Lakemaster digital charts required) which will follow underwater contours and keep you moving along in the same depth range.

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An offset mode allows you to stay a set distance from a contour. You can also back-track over a productive trolling pattern, set a new one for the boat to follow, or use the remote as a regular autopilot.

Just keep it away from ferrous metals—the i-Pilot has an internal digital compass, and like all compasses, it can be thrown off by near-by metals. When cruising from point A to point B, you can also simply use it as a handheld wireless remote for running the boat with the electric motor. And the Cruise Control feature lets you dial in the speed exactly, to 0.1 mile per hour increments.

It does take a bit of installation to get the system up and running; depending on the specific model you’ll need to add an Ethernet cable to the fishfinder, pull the cover on your motor, and plug in the controller, but this is a fairly straightforward procedure you can complete with a screwdriver and some wiring adjustments.

Along with the handheld unit, you can also get a charging USB cord (the unit has an internal, rechargeable battery) and a cradle. You can get extra remotes, too, and in fact, can use up to four of them with the same system. The i-Pilot Link comes with a two-year warranty; for more information, visit www.minnkotamotors.com.

—Lenny Rudow

A Baker’s Triumvirate I recently (well, not that recently) received from manufacturers (or their PR agencies) a number of items for testing and evaluation. Admittedly, priorities prevailed and, although I put said items to real-world use, I neglected to review them.

Until now.

I herewith present three items duly tested and evaluated, plus a darkhorse bonus item in all its efficacious low-tech glory.

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Fisherman Eyewear “Islander” Sunglasses—Let’s establish something right off the bat: at $19.99 MSRP, these are cheap sunglasses.

Maybe I should change that to “inexpensive” because these shades proved effective and surprisingly durable in my less-than-delicate hands.

I sat on them a couple of times, dropped them onto surfaces that should have scratched the lenses beyond serviceability, and exposed them to the soot, dust, and general nastiness of firefighting scenes, but the Islanders came through without a scratch--literally.

The gray lenses were a bit dark for my tastes--a personal preference that takes nothing from the glasses’ utility.

For the price, I can recommend Fisherman Eyewear Islanders without compunction.

Contact: fishermaneyewear.com Industrial Revolution Long-Burn Matches—These matches were a disappointment on several fronts.

With “long-burn” in the name, I was expecting something like lifeboat matches-windproof, waterproof, and match head chemicals covering the top half of the stem.

No soap.

Although they technically live up to the name, the “long burn” quality owes to nothing more than an extra-long stem with a coating (paraffin wax?) extending an inch or so down the stem from the head, and an extra-long stem (3.75 inches).

They are “safety matches” requiring a box-mounted striker to light, adding to the disfavor.

Industrial Revolution Long-Burn Matches are little more than extra-long kitchen matches or short fireplace matches.

The same company offers a superior product--Stormproof Matches, which are, in effect, lifeboat matches far better suited to “must light” uses. Even though they, too, are “safety matches” requiring an auxiliary striker, these are vastly preferred to the tested product.

Contact: industrialrev.com/long-burn-matches industrialrev.com/stormproof-matches

dubious about this nifty little lantern, but a few months of Zaidle-class use and abuse disabused that notion.

The Clarus is a combination flashlight and area lantern that transitions from one to the other like a collapsible telescope.

At a surprising 150 lumens, the flashlight is highly effective over more-than-typical range for lights in its size class. As an area light, it provides sufficient illumination to read by whether sitting on a tabletop or suspended by the included bail.

I gave this light a workout in the field, on fire scenes, and around the house. It proved its worth 10 times over during a nighttime general power outage.

It is well worth the $19.99 MSRP, but available for less at several on-line retailers.

Contact: industrialrev.com/clarus

a staple of backpackers, “minimalist” campers, and other mavens of pursuits where space and weight are critical concerns.

The Micro Lantern I tested uses “tea candles” (very cheap at “dollar stores” *et al*) to provide up to an hour of usable light and heat; this lantern is designed to take advantage of both.

Another telescopic design, telescoping out exposes a glass globe that shields the candle flame from winds while providing utilitarian light. Telescoping in places a heat shield in nigh-contact with the candle flame. The shield heats up quickly, growing hot enough to heat a metal cup of coffee. (I did precisely this during the aforementioned power blackout. Damned microwave and electric ovens....)

The only drawback: the globe is glass and therefore breakable. Not much choice there, as other materials would fail under heat. On the other hand, I have replaced more than one broken lantern globe in my time, so one more doesn’t matter much.

Contact: industrialrev.com/micro-lantern

BONUS: Industrial Revolution Micro Candle Lantern—On my oath, I did not know until I started writing this that three of the products herein reviewed came from the same company. Nonetheless, I herewith present my favorite of the three--an old-style, old-school, low-tech candle lantern from Industrial Revolution.

Candle lanterns have been around almost as long as candles. Paper-shaded candle lanterns date back to ancient Buddhist temples.

The modern incarnation has long been

—Don Zaidle

Industrial Revolution Clarus LED Lantern: Since it comes from the same company as the burnout matches, I was C O A S T A L

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In the Field

to see into the water which is so important in pursuing fish. On top of that they come in some great eye-popping colors including the sweet looking silver pair I wear that is dressed out with amber lenses.

W

e at TF&G wear many hats.

If I listed all of the jobs that publisher Roy Neves, sales director Ardia Neves, and Editor-In-Chief Don Zaidle do, it would boggle the wind.

Count me among the many-hat crowd with a variety of tasks at hand on a daily basis including field testing gear. Dustin Ellermann, Steve Lamascus and Lou Marullo do the bulk of the hunting/shooting gear tests and I get the fishing equipment.

That’s because I absolutely love to fish but you probably already knew that.

I have been spending serious time testing out a variety of gear hence a two-part series on fishing products I have fished since the 2012 ICAST Show in Orlando.

These were all products that passed the test so to speak with my notes on specific attributes that can aid you in the field.

Costa Saltbreak

Costa Saltbreak: I refuse to fish without wearing polarized shades and over the years I have found Costa’s to not only be effective but comfortable and durable. The Saltbreak is all of the above in spades. I have put mine through sunglass hell and I do not have a single scratch or dent and the level of polarization is phenomenal, allowing me 72 |

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Stick’Em Rods (Redfish Special): I love pursuing redfish with crankbaits and topwaters. I have a very specific rod that I use for crankbaits but have not found one that works perfectly for the large chugging style plugs I prefer for sight casting to big reds. That is until now. The 7 foot Stick’ Em Rods Abu Garcia Revo Redfish SpeToro cial is just that. Weighing only four ounces it allows the angler to fish without getting worn out and the action is perfect for my style of chugging. It is also great for throwing spoons and soft plastics. Most importantly it is strong enough to withstand battles with big reds and the price will not break the bank.

Strike King Squarebill Crankbait (KVD 2.5): This is the lure Kevin VanDam used to win the 2011 Bassmaster Classic so no further endorsement is really needed. I will say however this lure is killer for shallow water bass fishing and does

KVD 2.5 Squarebill Crankbait

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mimics a shad realistic fashion and moves effortlessly around timber and docks.

Abu Garcia Revo Toro: If you want to pull a redfish over a sunken weir during flooding conditions this is your reel. I say that because I did just that throwing a huge fourounce

crankbait. It has 22 pounds of drag, allows you to make casts as smooth as butter and had 40 percent more line capacity than most standard low profile reels. This one will be a permanent part of my repertoire as in a short time it has already proven itself in tough conditions.

Lazer Trokar (HD Worm): Trokar’s new spin on the old-fashioned work hook is unbelievably sharp and extremely durable in the field. Many super shark hooks get dull quickly when worked around rock, shell or other kinds of hard cover.

Not this one. If you want to set the hook and know you will get penetration this is your hook. It comes in 1/0-5/0 in a smooth looking black chrome color.

Rick Clunn S-Glass Rods: Wright & McGill hit a home run teaming with bass fishing legend Rick Clunn to put out these glass rods. Super sensitive graphite rods often cause anglers to miss bass A l m anac

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Photos: Costa Del Mar; Strike King; Pure Fishing; Columbia Sportswear

and other fish because they set the hook before the fish is actually on. The pressure of water coming from a fish chasing a crankbait can actually feel like a bit. These glass rods will eliminate that problem. I have caught everything from big redfish to big bass on them and found they greatly increase my odds of catching the fish that hit my crankbaits.

Columbia Powerdrain Cool PFG Shoes: I got a pair of Columbia fishing shoes a few years ago and found them to do exactly what they advertised but they took things to a new level with these shoes. The Omni Freeze technology keeps ones feet cool in hot conditions and they have incredible traction on wet surfaces. I have used them on numerous trips on the water and never once lost my footing which is actually pretty amazing for me.

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Sabine River and I was able to throw with confidence without backlash and fight big redfish on a casting reel. It is a quiet line that doesn’t make that terrible grinding sound when reeling it in and resists digging into the spool.

They are also extremely comfortable which makes them a favorite of mine not only on the water but everywhere else I go.

Spiderwire Stealth Braid: I rigged up this in 65 pound moss green for the redfish test described above and was extremely impressed with the casting distance. My partners and I were fishing in 40 mile per hour plus wind in the

The Rodsman: This easy to use rod transport system has been on my radar for awhile but since last year it hasn’t left my truck or my Dad’s truck. We have transported rods well over 100 times with no incident from the highways to bump roads in remote areas. This allows you to put your cooler and tackle box in the back of the truck without worrying about breaking your rods. As far as I am concerned for serious fishermen it is a must have.

—Chester Moore Columbia Powerdrain shoes

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Fish and Game Gear

LEER, the market leader in fiberglass truck caps and tonneaus, model 100XR combines many of the most sought-after features of truck cap buyers in one stylish, economical unit. It features a one-piece curved tinted glass rear door with a centermounted LEER Flip Handle lock and reliable 50/50 framed side sliding windows with screens for maximum interior ventilation.

The 100XR comes with a variety of options including: side lift doors for easy access; several styles of Thule roof rack systems; pet screens for the side slider windows; and removable front windows for easy cleaning; ceiling-mounted Gear Net; integrated locking storage box that allows valuable items to be locked out of sight; 3-outlet 12V Power block for accessories, tough nylon headliner, and a wide range

Photo: Truck Accessories Group:

A Pick-Up Cover That is Hard to Top

LEER 100XR

of other convenience and storage options.

The 100XR is backed by the famous LEER limited lifetime warranty.

The 100XR is available at over 700 Authorized LEER Dealerships throughout the US and Canada, and is just one of several models of fiberglass truck caps offered

by LEER, a member company of Truck Accessories Group, LLC. For the address of a LEER Dealer near you call 800-7111832 and more for information about the 100XR and the rest of the LEER product line, visit www.leer.com/lonestar.

Sportsman 207 Masters Bay As with their extremely successful Masters 227, the 207 offers extreme high quality with a great ride, solid performance, lots of storage and is laid out perfectly for fishing the Texas coast. Standard features include: 2 aerated livewells plus an aerated release / 3rd livewell, large anchor locker, 2 locking rod lockers that will hold 10 rods along with lots of other gear, comfortable leaning post and 5 pull up cleats. The console features digital gauges, room to mount up to a 12” screen GPS / depthfinder, hydraulic steering, stainless steel wheel with turning knob, large lockable glove compartment and easy access to a vast storage area inside.

Then there is the exclusive, patented “Total Access System”. Under the center lid of the rear casting deck is a safe and

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Photo: Sportsman Boats

and MSRP is $10.95 The unique cooking processes used in Hog-Get Drop Block Attractant, blends natural ingredients into a long-lasting, controlled release block. Hog-Get is weatherresistant and will not disintegrate under normal weather conditions. To increase attraction, pour Hog Trap Syrup over the top of the block. Hog-Get is packaged in a ½ gallon bucket and MSRP is $15.64.

In Sights Nutrition is a USA based company dedicated to the science and development of wildlife attractants and supplements for hog, deer, turkey and predators. They are all natural, nutritional, and highly palatable. All In Sights Nutrition products are high in fat, high in energy and have the flavor and aroma that wild game find irresistible.

For more information about In Sights

Sportsman 207 Masters Bay

Photo: Evolved Harvest

Deer Crush Evolved Harvest, the leader in food plots and attractants for wild game introduces EZ Plot for 2013. With EZ Plot Crush, hunters can plant a food plot in those hard-to-reach areas.

EZ Plot Crush is endorsed by Lee and Tiffany, and is designed to create a personal food plot that allows you to hunt in any place you desire. EZ Plot Crush is fast growing and nutritious. This No-Till food plot mix is easy to plant and easy to grow with no strenuous work of using heavy equipment. The C O A S T A L

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blend consists of clover, rape and tetraploid rye, which delivers high levels of protein with a sweet and tasty flavor. This highly adaptable food plot can be planted in the most remote and hard to reach areas where tilling the soil is not an option. A 10 pound bag will plant up to 11,000 square feet.

MSRP is $32.99.

For more information on the EZ Plot Crush by Evolved, visit www.evolved.com.

Three New Hog Products

Photo: In sights Nutrition

comfortable ¾ bench seat, large enough for two adults. Your passengers seated at center are protected from the spray, rain and wind that are common issues with typical side jump seats. Under the hinged seat bottom is a lockable storage compartment large enough for an average size man to sit in below deck level. There you will realize how massive the storage area is and behind a removable bulkhead, you will find easy access to the boats livewell, bilge and fuel systems as well as other electrical and mechanical components.

Length: 20’4”, Beam: 8’, Dry weight: 2000 lbs, Fuel: 63 gallons, Deadrise: 15 degrees, Draft: 12.”

Learn more about Sportsman Boats at www.sportsmanboatsmfg.com

In Sights Nutrition, manufacturers of nutritional wildlife attractants and supplements, introduces three new hog products to their popular product line; Hog Trap, Hog-Get and Hog Nut. Hog Trap is a syrup attractant and contains no salt water. The all natural sugar by-products provide an enticing aroma that lures hogs in and keeps them in. For best results, pour Hog Trap in hog wallows, on decaying wood, openly on the ground, or mix with grain.

Hog Trap is packaged in a 1-gallon jug and MSRP is $10.95.

As a grain supplement/attractant, Hog Nut provides essential nutrients which help promote hog health as well as high fat for increased hog weight.

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Nutrition complete line of attractants and supplements, visit their website at www.insightsnutrition.com.

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

www.FishandGameGear.com &

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Hotspots Focus: Upper Coast

by Capt. Eddie Hernandez

Early Summer Action

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hings are beginning to heat up rapidly along the Texas Coast as we flip yet another page on the calendar. June has rolled into town and brought smiles to a lot of people’s faces.

School kids everywhere know they won’t have to do any homework for a few months, and teachers, well, let’s just say they’re smiling too.

As far as the coastal anglers are concerned, they’re probably walking around with the biggest smiles of them all. They know what is about to happen. When it comes to pursuing the BIG 3, as well as

a vast assortment of other species along the Texas Coast and within its fertile bay systems, it is as if a giant window of opportunity begins to open this month right before their eyes. As air and water temperatures continue creeping higher up the thermometer the fish continue to get more active and aggressive. Hordes of bait fish and shrimp are calling these rich ecosystems home for the summer and warm, green, tidal induced waters have the hungry predators on the prowl.

From early mornings to late evenings, rods will be doubled over and reels will be singing as anglers up and down the vast Texas Coast line will take advantage of milder, warmer conditions. Bait preferences ranging from cut mullet to topwaters will all produce. The conditions are ripe and the bait is present so it’s time to go get em. Here on Sabine we are blessed with many choices on any given day.

Schooling trout and redfish will push shrimp to the surface from one end of the

lake to the other, while flounder, trout and reds will be making life miserable for baitfish on the Texas and Louisiana shorelines.

Ribbonfish, needlefish and shrimp will also be getting their attention on the giant oyster reef that is located on the extreme south end near the Causeway.

The bayous on the Louisiana side of the lake as well as both the Sabine and Neches rivers will be holding their own as well.

While all of this is going on, the fishing in the surf, at the jetties and the near shore gulf waters will be paradise for summertime saltwater specialists seeking anything from trout and reds to sharks and stingrays.

The allure of the rocks is very hard for me to resist in June so nine times out of ten the heading I will take at the crack of dawn is south towards the jetties. Walking topwaters like Skitter Walks and She Dogs tight against the rocks at first light can really drive the trout nuts. Soft plastics like Flounder Pounder’s CT Shad and H&H Cocahoe Minnow, as well as rattle traps and MirrOLure 51MR will also produce serious strikes.

Whatever heading you decide to take, that window of opportunity is beginning to open wide this month on Sabine.

the bank bite Location: North Revetment Road (Pleasure Island) Species: Speckled Trout, Redfish, Flounder Baits/Lures: Topwaters, soft plastics, live shrimp Best Times: Early and late

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Hotspots Focus: Galveston

by Capt. Mike Holmes

Three for the Road?

(Or The Bay, The Surf, The River?)

A

long the Texas coast, three fish dominate inshore saltwater fishing – Speckled Trout, Redfish, and Flounder. This is an accepted fact, although there are certainly anglers who prefer to seek outsized gafftops, trophy tarpon and even big alligator gar in brackish water.

The reason these three are so popular is that they are both common and numerous, reasonably easy to catch, and good to eat. Also, they can be caught on reasonably light tackle which more anglers can afford and which is more “fun” to fish with. In times past it was common to catch all three using basically the same bait and tackle, and often in the same places. Today’s fisherman tends to prefer to specialize, and while he likely will welcome any of the three in his cooler on any given day, he might actually be targeting a single species. Because a small change in location can make one of these species a more likely catch than the others, it is possible target specks in the morning, flounder in the afternoon, or reds in late evening – or the timing of the targets might be flip-flopped, according to localized conditions. Although all three fish are found along the length of the Texas coast, the Galveston area has as much as any other area or bay system – maybe more.

Another solid fact is that June is one of the very best months to seek all three of these fish. The weather – for Texas – is generally temperate and rarely violent, giving us saline bays, green surf, and calm seas. Bait is plentiful, and things can be said to really click into gear on the fishing front. The bigC O A S T A L

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gest variable is still the weather, which can result in freshwater intrusion in the bays and off-color water everywhere – or hyper saline water in the bays (drought conditions).

Speckled Trout – which are actually members of the croaker family, and not trout at all, prefer clear water and good tidal movement. High tides help them feed on shallow flats and reefs, and falling tides allow them to set up in ambush points as their prey is pulled back to deeper water.

Using shrimp, either live or “fresh dead” is a no brainer, as this is probably the “speck’s” favorite food. Bigger trout will feed more on baitfish, such as mullet and croaker, so lures used will be best when imitating these species. Plugs from top-waters to slow sinkers are favored, as are silver spoons and imitation shrimp jigs.

Redfish – more properly red drum, are another croaker cousin. Found in the same general areas as “trout”, reds differ in habits

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by their higher tolerance for off color and brackish water. They also are more of a bottom feeder, and although they will gladly suck down a fat shrimp, they will also feed on crabs and small baitfish. During high tides, reds will fan out in marshes and hunt grassy shorelines in bays and streams – often in water too shallow for trout to be found. I remember fishing Chocolate Bayou at night under dock lights when a cast almost to the shoreline in the lights would usually hook a red, while the same lure tossed in deeper water out of the range of the lights would more likely yield a speck. Although a red’s mouth is low slung and best suited to bottom feeding, they will at times savagely attack a top water lure. Reds will also hit a spinner bait with large golden blades more often than many realize.

Flounder - are quite different than the two related fish described above. Because CONTINUED ON PAGE 79

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Hotspots Focus: Matagorda

by Mike Price

In the Name of Progress

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n the last few years, Matagorda has added infrastructure that benefits fishermen. Notably, a new jetty was completed in 2011. Prior to its completion, offshore boats had a hard time navigating the shifting sandbars that formed between the jetties, but now the depth of the

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channel is about 14 feet. Matagorda Harbor has added 10 slips that boats can use after launching to wait for passengers, and a large, well designed cleaning station next to these new slips. Getting to the jetty, beach, and the two piers on the river is also easier.

In 2009 the swing bridge was removed and a very impressive bridge now spans the Intracoastal Waterway.

Bragg’s Cut, between the Old Colorado River and the Diversion Channel into West Matagorda Bay, was opened in 2012. This allows fishermen going to West Matagorda Bay to avoid passing through the locks.

However, a word of caution about using the Diversion Channel to enter West Matagorda Bay: if you have not done this before, ask

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another boat if you can follow them through, because if your boat gets out of the narrow, shallow channel, you can easily run aground.

Fishing offshore wrecks and rigs out of Matagorda in June can be very productive.

Red snapper season in federal waters (more than 9 miles offshore) the last couple of seasons has started on June 1 and lasted 40 days. In June, the season is also open for other types of snapper, king mackerel, and ling. When fishing at the start of snapper season, it usually only takes a few seconds for a larger-than-legal sized red snapper to take your bait. Rig 538, 25 miles from the Matagorda jetties, is a good starting point, it is in 100 feet of water and there are wrecks and additional rigs nearby. Inshore fishing in June is very good as well.

In early June, I was kayak fishing in a bayou on the south shore of West Matagorda Bay, casting Bass Assassins tipped with a little bit of Gulp when I saw thousands of bait fish being attacked by trout and redfish.

The little fish would explode out of the water, dive back in, and then more bait fish would burst out of the water over a narrow 25 yard distance. By working the spot where I saw repeated ripping attacks, I hooked a couple of big redfish and a large speckled trout.

Redfish tend to move in schools. If you cannot find them on the south side of West Matagorda Bay, try Oyster Lake. One morning we left the dock at the same time as Matagorda guide, Al Garrison. My friend and I went to the south shore, but we only caught a couple of reds and a few small trout.

When we returned to the dock we saw Al and he said, “We limited on redfish in 10 minutes in Oyster Lake.”

In East Matagorda Bay, Boiler Bayou is a good spot in the late afternoon on an outgoing tide. Trout hang in the current where the bayou points meet the bay. East of Boiler Bayou is Hog Island Bayou. When you have an outgoing current and a lot of bait fish, position yourself at the mouth of the bayou, where flounder use the flowing water to bring the bait fish to them.

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Galveston focus the bank bite natural bait in the surf: In June, strong winds often turn the surf brown, and create choppy waves; so many times it is not comfortable or productive to wade out. But there may be lots of fish in the close-in guts, and they will go for live or dead bait. My wife and I were walking on the beach when we noticed a major bend in a fisherman’s fishing rod. The water was brown and the waves were big enough to knock you over, but that didn’t bother Wilbert Dale. He deftly set the hook and worked a 26-inch fighting trout onto the beach. Then he put the trout into his cooler which already had a 21 and a 23-inch redfish in it. Dale likes to sit on a board perched on top of a white bucket, and hold his eleven foot rod. He said, “I used to use several rods in rod holders, but now that I am 68 years old, I am happy fishing with one rod. Besides I can feel the bite if the rod is in my hands. I throw a four ounce weight and two hooks out, and the long shore current pulls the shrimp into the trough – that’s when the bite comes, when the shrimp goes into the trough.”

Contact Mike Price at MPrice@fishgame.com

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t CONTINUED FROM PAGE 77 of their body conformation, they are well suited to shallow water and are almost exclusively ambush feeders.

A flounder prefers to lie half-covered in a soft mud or sand bottom and wait for his dinner to come to him. Even when fishing live bait, a savvy flounder angler keeps it moving, covering large bottom areas in hopes of dragging the bait near a flounder.

Dragging is a good description because leaving a trail of mud “puffs” and scent is one way to get a flounder to move for bait.

The first time I ever caught a flounder in the surf I had already caught a small stingray. With the two lying side by side, I was not sure which was the most to be feared – the barb of the ray, or the wolf-like fangs of the flounder! The ambush hunter is well equipped to grab and hold its prey.

I decided I would try not to step on either one! While mud minnows are famous as flounder bait, small finger mullet are often as good, and shrimp will work. Soft plastic

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jigs work well – again, when dragged or “hopped” over the bottom. I have caught my best flounder on larger mullet, but have also taken good ones on live shrimp under a popping cork when the wind was moving the floating bait over shallow bottom.

the bank bite Location: Grassy shorelines for reds, mud flats and banks for flounder, beachfront piers for trout.

Species: Reds, flounder, and speckled trout Best Baits: “Natural” baits, from shrimp to mullet, and lures that imitate them.

Best Times: Peak tides and the first portion of the change.

Contact Mike Holmes at MHolmes@fishgame.com.

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Hotspots Focus: Rockport

by Capt. Mac Gable

Croaking Up Fish

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une is Hot from a lot of perspectives. By now the bait has migrated into the deepest recesses of our bay systems, where clear water that looked almost drinkable and void of life three months ago now is teaming with life activity from phytoplankton to the largest of predators. The heat this month brings sunburn, sunscreen, heat strokes and the now infamous croaker bite. The debate rages on should using croaker be legal and is it an ethical and sporting way of catching fish. That ground has been plowed so many times I won’t venture to plant any more seeds of adversity. Currently it is legal bait and an expensive one.

Croaker is probably one of the most abundant food fish found in Texas bays today and with a body shape similar to that of redfish, it is important that anglers know the differences if catching and consuming is the game. Adult croaker is often caught in large numbers in the passes and surf in the fall during their migration from the bays to spawn in the Gulf of Mexico. During this annual run they can be caught very easily and in great numbers. Atlantic croaker “croak” by vibrating their swim bladders with special muscles as part of their spawning ritual. This behavior attracts females and in the right conditions drives trout and redfish crazy and can be deadly where these two predators are concerned. Anchor up in a gaff top hole and you’re likely to get your arm broken as they will hammer these golden morsels as well. Along the Gulf Coast, they reach sexual maturity at about one year old. This varies in other areas. Spawning season is in the fall, with a peak between August and October. During spawning season, females will release between 100,000

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and 2 million eggs, each about 0.35 mm in diameter. After hatching, the larvae (immature stage) drift toward land. They are abundant on soft bottoms, such as mud, where there are large amounts of detritus (decomposing matter) for them to feed on.

They also eat shrimp and crab. Even though they can live up to eight years, because of predation (striped bass, shark, spotted sea trout, other croakers, and humans) more than 95% of the Atlantic croaker population dies each year.

The croaker is closely related to spotted sea trout and red drum. Adults are silver with a pinkish cast, while young are silvery and iridescent. Older fish are brassy in color with vertical brown streaks formed by spots on their scales. Atlantic croaker should not be eaten raw because they may pass trematodes (parasites) to humans. The young or silvery colored croakers are the preferred bait for most fishermen. That’s enough of the biology lesson for now.

The truth is croaker is effective bait but not the guarantee of filled coolers and or slam dunk limits they have been touted for.

You have to know how to fish them and in what conditions, and how to care for them, which is the primarily intent of this article.

To be effective, croaker must be in good shape. At $6 to $15 a dozen, a live well full of these (King Billies or Grumblers as they are sometimes called) can knock a hole in a hundred dollars pretty quickly.

It never ceases to amaze me at my favorite bait stands to see anglers with boats in tow that have sat for 8 to 10 months put these golden gems in a live well that is so dirty / contaminated that it conjures up images of a 30 year old septic tank. One hour on the water and all one sees upon opening the live well is belly up Micropogonias undulatus... ummm that’s a croaker, dead as it may be.

If you are one of these guys shame on you, you would be better off taking them home and fileting them and frying them up. At least that way you get some tasty but small filets. The other way is a live well full of F i s h

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dead stinking bait at the end of the day. I am sounding preachy here so let me offer some suggestions for the care of this highly sought after and much used bait.

After talking to many bait shop owners and boat captains I will do my best to convey their sentiments and advice where the care of this fin fish is concerned. Much thanks to Gerald Eaves at Sea Gun Bait in Rockport/ Lamar (1-361-727-2220) for taking time, and providing his expertise for the benefit of us anglers. He’s been at this for as long as I can remember and cares about the quality of his bait and his customers. Let’s start at the beginning: a knowledgeable commercial boat captain is one of the most important parts of healthy bait.

Commercial rigs used to catch croaker are similar to shrimp rigs with the exception of net configuration.

The speed and direction the boat drags its net is key with a slow circular pattern considered the best. The time a net is pulled is also key: too little time and not enough bait to justify the cost to pursue, too much time and the bait in the net gets beat up before it even leaves the bay/water. The dump tank used to hold the initial catch and by—catch has to be of sufficient size and aerated properly. An inadequate dump tank coupled with cull process time can weaken or kill the newly caught bait. Transport to the bait shop is also critical — rough weather/water can beat the bait up so a smooth running boat and a captain who knows how to run a commercial boat in rough water is critical.

Clean and tidy bait stands are nice but are not a reliable indication that good bait resides there. Do you want the clean floors and smell good fragrances or a bait stand that’s priority is quality bait? I’ll deal with a little dirt and some home grown coastal smells for some good bait. A bait stand that’s not open almost every day is likely to have less than optimum bait, especially croaker, for they require daily monitoring.

Bait that is allowed a day or so to acclimate to the bait tank is best as the transition from bait tank to your live well will be generally A l m anac

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less of a shock. Filtration systems at the bait stand can be very good for the bait if they are the right kind but are expensive and a pain in the butt to maintain. I focus more on good aeration and a good supply of fresh saltwater going into and coming out of the bait stand. If bay water ain’t flowing both ways I ain’t buying. As I have written in other articles a clean live well is a must and I don’t mean soap clean or Clorox clean. I mean clean with good fresh saltwater. If that’s not available then fresh water is better than nothing and a really good aeration system is a must with a very good bubbler.

If the bubbler produces big bubbles get rid of it. You want bubbles that look like white/ grey smoke as it permeates the live well.

I personally don’t use an oxygen system but many guides do and swear by them.

There is a science behind this and is really another article in itself. Suffice to say I think a well maintained aeration system with a good micro—type bubbler is all recreational anglers need.

The size of your live well is important for shrimp as well as croaker.... don’t stuff your live well as the amount of CO2 out gassed by the bait is absorbed into the surrounding water and can get highly concentrated and is lethal to the bait. Rule of thumb: if you can’t see the bottom of your live well then you have too much bait for the space. Carry a live bait bucket with a bubbler as a way to relieve crowding in your life well and change out the water often. Treat Micropogonias undulatus right and she/ he is bound to croak up some rod bending action for you.

cuts on the pilings and allows one to muscle the fish into open water. Scotch Tom Reef is holding some keeper reds and trout using free lined croaker. There is a lot of sharp shell in this area so keep your rod tip high when hooked up.

St. Charles Bay — Drifts across Egg Point are good for reds using new penny colored Jerk Shad. Cast into the pockets between the grass beds. Still some black drum in Cavasso Creek with peeled shrimp on a light Carolina rig the preferred bait. Bird Point is good for some nice trout; fish the deeper water transition using free lined croaker.

Carlos Bay — Wades on Cedar Reef are good for trout and reds using live shrimp under a rattle cork, high tide is best especially in the evening. The area adjacent to Cedar Point and Bludworth Island is good at high tide for reds using finger mullet on a light Carolina rig.

Mesquite Bay — Drifts across Brays Cove is good for some trout and flounder using free lined live shrimp. Fish slow and allow your bait to bounce off the bottom. The new spoil area off Roddy Island is good for trout using croaker. Fish the spoil area edges allowing the croaker to swim into the rock/concrete edges. The

mouth of the cut that empties into the ICW is good for black drum using a medium to heavy Carolina rig and live shrimp.

Ayers Bay — Late evening Ayers Dugout is good for trout using a rattle cork and shrimp. Allow the cork to drift with the current that frequents this area. The northeast reefs in this system are good for reds early morning using finger mullet, either free lined or on a light Carolina rig. Cut perch is good here as well.

the bank bite The Goose Island shoreline is a good wade for reds. Gold and red spoons work well here or free lined shrimp. Fish out about fifty yards from the shoreline casting 360 degrees moving very slowly.

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

• • • Copano Bay — Lap Reef is holding trout with free lined shrimp the best bait.

Wading the north shoreline close to Turtle Pen is good for slot reds using soft plastics in new penny and electric chicken colors.

On high tide fish the grass lines and on low tide fish the deeper water transitions. Smith Channel is good for some nice black drum using a Carolina rig with small 2/0 hooks and peeled shrimp.

Aransas Bay — The pilings of the old fishing pier next to the LBJ causeway is good for sheep head using cut squid on a small treble hook or small kale hook. The key here is to use braided line that resists C O A S T A L

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Hotspots Focus: Lower Coast

by Calixto Gonzales

Something Different

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s strange as it may sound, June can become pretty mundane. Trout and redfish have settled into their summer patterns and anglers can pretty much find them moving around among same areas all through summer. You have the usual suspects: the Drum Boat, the Color Change, Holly Beach, and south Bay. This column has discussed these same patterns for years. Some anglers have e-mailed me complaining about the parking lots that so many of the popular spots turn into in summer. To these readers—and there are more than a few of them—angling success is important, but so is the opportunity to try something novel and a little exciting. This month is dedicated to these adventurous fishermen.

If your desire is as much a bent rod and a screaming drag, and a cooler full of fillets is a secondary desire, then you might want to run your boat through Brazos Santiago Pass on a calm day, swing south and try your hand at trolling the surf line of Boca Chica Beach.

According to Mark Lingo, Texas Parks and Wildlife South Coastal Fisheries Leader, there is not telling what you’ll run into. On some days, you might find some streaking kingfish prowling the clean water that a series of calm days pushes close to the beach.

Other days there may be pods of arm-length Spanish Mackerel blitzing schools of baitfish in the swells. There are always jackfish roaming the shorelines in search of trouble, and anyone seeking a good brawl can appreciate these maulers. Sometimes there are king-sized snook or tarpon out there.

Trolling the surf line doesn’t take very specialized equipment. Rod holders are always a benefit, but not a requirement, but other than that the typical angler can get 82 |

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along quite nicely with typical bay tackle.

The typical 7’ bay rod with a 2500-sized spinning reel or casting reel is fine (make sure that your reels are fully loaded with quality line; you’d be amazed at how quickly a king or a big jack can spool off 120 yards of line). If you think that you may run into kings, smacks, or even bluefish (those gnarly little speedsters can get thick in the June surf), then you may want to pack some wire leaders. The coated, black braided wire leaders available almost everywhere are fine, but I prefer to make a short trace (3-4 inches) of coffee-colored wire twisted straight onto my lure or hook. It’s the same rig I use casting from jetties, and I’ve found that it doesn’t seem adversely affect how trout or other leader-shy species hit.

If you are fishing for smaller species, you’d be amazed how effective the same lead head jig/plastic tail combination works trolling. On a very slow troll (no-wake speed), a lead head tracks straight and will sink in the water column. Shad tails, paddle tails, and especially curly tail grubs have a lot of action on the troll. The much-maligned Alabama rig is ideal for this type of fishing, especially since its origins are in the larger Umbrella rigs that are popular in offshore trolling.

Chartreuse patterns work well, but patterns with silver or gold metal flake or foil in them are especially effective.

Fishermen who want to focus on larger species such as kingfish, jacks, and even snook and tarpon, should turn their attentions to swimming plugs or even large spoons.

Medium and large broken-back plugs such as the Cotton Cordell Jointed Redfish, Jointed Bomber Long A, or Sebile Magic Swimmer are ideal for these applications. I have long preferred the Strike King King Shad when trolling or casting around the Brazos Santiago jetties. There is no reason they shouldn’t work slow-trolled along the beach.

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behind a boat. You may need to use a 1 ounce trolling or bell sinker in front of a spoon, though. They tend to track high up in the water, even on the slowest of trolls.

Another lure with intriguing possibilities is the Shimano Waxwing, which was designed for fast retrieves. Its erratic darting action could prove to be strong medicine in a trolling application.

The key to trolling the Boca Chica surf line is going slow. Keep your boat around low no-wake speed as much as you can. Let your offering out 30 to 50 yards behind the boat and barely pop her into gear. Unless you are fishing more than two anglers on board—including the helmsman—it may be most practical to have only one or two lines out at any given time to avoid tangles from running fish.

Safety should always be a priority. If the seas are too rough, or there is a promise of high winds in the forecast, then it may be smarter to stay inside the pass and look for fish in all the regular spots. Also, be mindful about how far south you troll; the Mexican authorities are nowhere near as diplomatic as Americans, and if you should unintentionally cross into their territorial waters, you may lose your boat. Make sure that you fish far enough off the beach that your boat doesn’t get pushed into the surf, and never, NEVER shut your motor off (if your motor has been balky, don’t even consider coming through the pass).

Being different shouldn’t be dangerous.

the bank bite Location: North Brazos Jetty Tip Species: Kingfish Best Baits: Fresh ribbonfish, 1 ounce Rat-LTraps in blue/chrome, black/gold.

Technique: Cast off corners of jetty tip towards off-shore. Let bait drift out in current, burn ‘Traps back off long casts.

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UPPER GULF COAST

Spoiler Alert for Galveston Trout

by GEORGE KNIGHTEN gtkphoto@yahoo.com LOCATION: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Spoil Banks GPS: N29 30.72906

W94 52.56762

(29.512151, -94.876127) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Croaker on Carolina rig CONTACT: Capt. George Knighten 832-310-9146 gtkphoto@yahoo.com galvestonbayguideservice.net TIPS: Work the shell humps and reefs, either anchor up or drift them behind the boat.

LOCATION: East Galveston HOTSPOT: Hanna’s Reef GPS: N29 28.6425

W94 43.68414

(29.477375, -94.728069) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp, Bass Assassins, CONTACT: Capt. George Knighten 832-310-9146 gtkphoto@yahoo.com galvestonbayguideservice.net TIPS: Live shrimp under a popping cork or drift using Bass Assassins or other soft plastic lures with a leadhead.

LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Kain Cove GPS: N28 39.77256

W95 51.19338

(28.662876, -95.853223) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: topwaters; Soft plastics, Corkys CONTACT: Capt. George Knighten 832-310-9146 gtkphoto@yahoo.com galvestonbayguideservice.net

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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.

TIPS: Good wading spot for trout. Look for active bait and slicks.

LOCATION: Galveston Jetties HOTSPOT: North Jetty Channel Side GPS: N29 21.3501

W94 43.24776

(29.355835, -94.720796) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp CONTACT: Captain Greg Francis 409-939-1684 captgreg@saltwaterassault.net TIPS: Use live shrimp, either under a cork or if the current will allow, freeline them. Fish up close to the rocks.

LOCATION: Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Jacks Pocket GPS: N29 46.9845

W94 44.39466

(29.783075, -94.739911) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Top dogs, Bass Assassins, mirrolures, corkys CONTACT: Capt. George Knighten 832-310-9146 gtkphoto@yahoo.com galvestonbayguideservice.net TIPS: Good wading in the flats. Topwaters can be effective, also slow sinking mullet imitations like the Corky can be good. Drifting with live shrimp is also good.

LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: San Luis Pass GPS: N29 5.71062

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(29.095177, -95.125636) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: topwater, Bass Assassins, MirroLures, Corkys CONTACT: Captain Greg Francis 409-939-1684 captgreg@saltwaterassault.net TIPS: Great wading on the flats. Good topwater action and good results with Corkys, Caution, many sand bars and deep guts.

LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: North Deer Island GPS: N29 17.00874

W94 55.70382

(29.283479, -94.928397) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: topwater, Bass Assassins, MirroLures, Corkys CONTACT: Captain Greg Francis 409-939-1684 captgreg@saltwaterassault.net TIPS: Work the shell pads and humps. The ridges can be waded. Good area to drift using soft plastics.

LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Greens Lake GPS: N29 16.22712

W94 59.81334

(29.270452, -94.996889) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: topwater, Bass Assassins, MirroLures, Corkys CONTACT: Capt. Thomas Barlow 281-827-6815 Texxan2000@yahoo.com TIPS: Drift the grass along the shorelines, look for mud boils and active bait to key you in to the right areas.

LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Chocolate Bay GPS: N29 11.25204

W95 7.34754

(29.187534, -95.122459) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: Soft plastic lures, Bass Assassins A l m anac

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CONTACT: Capt. Thomas Barlow 281-827-6815 Texxan2000@yahoo.com Phone: 281-827-6815 TIPS: Work the edges of the shell humps, also the mouths of the bayous can produce. Up inside New Bayou can be good.

LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Jones Bay GPS: N29 18.1494

W94 55.89684

(29.302490, -94.931614) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: Bass Assassins or live shrimp under a cork CONTACT: Capt. Thomas Barlow 281-827-6815 Texxan2000@yahoo.com TIPS: Drift or wade the shell islands. Also the wade the grass on the shorelines. Work areas with active bait. Look for slicks.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: East Pass GPS: N29 58.920

W93 47.135

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(29.982, -93.785583) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft plastics in chartreuse, glow/ chartreuse, pearl/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Eddie Hernandez 409-721-5467, 409-673-3100 ehernandez@fishgame.com TIPS: Use your depth finder to locate deeper water holes where trout hold when weather starts to heat up. Choose soft plastics with throbbing tails that create a maximum amount of vibration.

Swim lures in the current, or cast it around and under nervous bait. Use larger (1/4 ounce) jighead for better control in the current. As always, be sure to get a Louisiana license if you are going to cross into Cajun territory.

409-721-5467, 409-673-3100 ehernandez@fishgame.com TIPS: Just like in East Pass, you will find some nice trout lurking in the deeper holes, especially around the boat cut. Watch for current breaks and eddies. Fish with oft plastics on larger (1/4-3/8 ounce) jigheads.

MIDDLE GULF COAST

Emmord’s Hole for Laguna Specks

by GEORGE KNIGHTEN gtkphoto@yahoo.com

LOCATION: Sabine Pass HOTSPOT: Boat Cut GPS: N29 40.398

W93 49.516

(29.6733, -93.825267) SPECIES: Speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: Soft plastics in glow/chartreuse, pearl/chartreuse, green tomato, strawberry/white CONTACT: Captain Eddie Hernandez

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LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Emmord’s Hole GPS: N27 29.754

W97 19.970

(27.4959, -97.332833) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft plastics in strawberry/black

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Texas Hotspots back plum/chartreuse, rootbeer/red flake, morning glory, pumpkinseed/chartreuse and live croaker CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart 361-985-6089, 361-449-7441 brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: This area has a combination of grasslines and edges along deeper water, which is ideal fish habitat. Fish the 3-4’ breakline with live croaker or 4- to 5-inch soft plastics. Trout will normally be holding in the deeper holes when the weather heats up.

CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart 361-985-6089, 361-449-7441 brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Fishing behind Traylor can be very, very productive in June. Free line a live croaker along the grassline edges to coax them into biting. If croaker is though to come by, try a topwater early in the morning, or a Bass Assassin on a small (1/8-ounce) jighead along the edges. Keep a soft touch on your line. These fish can strike very subtly. Then again, they might give you a real jolt.

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Crash Channels GPS: N 27 37.572, W 97 17.376

(27.626205, -97.2896) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Soft plastics in strawberry/black back plum/chartreuse, rootbeer/red flake, morning glory, pumpkinseed/chartreuse and Live croaker.

CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart 361-985-6089, 361-449-7441 brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: A trolling motor is a big advantage for fishing the crash channels. You can putter along the shoreline and cast along edges and cuts.

Sometimes you may actually spot nervous bait where redfish are working. Fish with large, noisy topwaters early. If you locate a concentration of fish working a limited area, anchor up and use live bait.

LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOT SPOT: Super Flats GPS: N 27 57.058 W 97 05.331

(27.950967 -97.08885) Species: Redfish Best Baits: Live croaker, topwaters; soft plastics in Avocado/chartreuse, Motor Oil/chartreuse, Pumpkinseed/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart 361-985-6089, 361-449-7441 brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Set up a slow drift through the area (a drift anchor is a real asset here). Sharp shoot potholes with free-lined croaker or pinfish hooked onto a 3/0 kahle hook. If the trout are actively feeding and chasing bait, then you might want to try using a topwater such as a Top Dog. A technique that is starting to become popular on Lower Laguna Madre and might work up here is a weightless Eel-style soft plastic trailing a topwater. Trout will usually zap the plastic.

LOCATION: Redfish Bay HOTSPOT: Estes Flats GPS: N 27 56.871, W 97 05.336

(27.947858, -97.088928) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Live bait, gold weedless spoons.

CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart 361-985-6089, 361-449-7441 brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Fish the flats midday for redfish that are patrolling the breadth of the flats. The ¼- ounce weedless spoon is the standard for this area, but live bait is an excellent choice. This is especially true if the wind picks up a bit.

LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Traylor Island GPS: N 27 56.016 W 97 04.944

(27.933602 -97.082405) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live croaker, topwaters; soft plastics in avocado/chartreuse, motor oil/chartreuse, pumpkinseed/chartreuse

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LOWER GULF COAST

Clean Up on South Bay Specks

by CALIXTO GONZALES cgonzales@fishgame.com LOCATION: South Bay HOTSPOT: The Washing Machine GPS: N26 2.97222

W97 10.3482

(26.049537, -97.172470) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp, cut ballyhoo; Soft plastics in glow, Pearl CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez F i s h

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956-551-9581 TIPS: Night fish on a full moon and an outgoing tide. Cast live shrimp or lightly-weighted plastics into the current and allow them to be swept into the guts. Keep contact with the bait as much as possible.

LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Spoil Banks of Penascal Point GPS: N 27 15.555

W 97 25.154

(27.25925, -97.419233) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: live bait CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart 361-985-6089, 361-449-7441 brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Dawn thru Midday; freeline live bait, work east drop-off, work bait slowly.

LOCATION: Brazos-Santiago Pass HOTSPOT: Boca Chica Surfline GPS: N26 2.88894

W97 8.86506

(26.048149, -97.147751) SPECIES: kingfish BEST BAITS: Ribbonfish, trolling plugs, Waxwings CONTACT: Quik Stop 956-943-1159 TIPS: slow-troll just beyond the surf line during clear, calm days when the surf is flat. Ribbionfish are an old standard, but large Rapalas and Long A’s are great trolling lures. Mackerel is a good color pattern.

LOCATION: Brazos-Santiago Pass HOTSPOT: South Jetty Tip GPS: N26 3.86064

W97 8.66724

(26.064344, -97.144454) SPECIES: snook BEST BAITS: live Bait, DOA Baitbusters in Smoke, gold/white belly, soft plastics in gold, red/ white, Pearl CONTACT: Quik Stop, 956-943-1159 TIPS: Snook hold in the water breaking on the point. Fish live bait or soft plastics along the surf line around the rock. Use heavier tackle and a tight drag to bully fish out of the rocks.

LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: Bennie’s Shack GPS: N26 27.65202

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(26.460867, -97.412200) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters in Bone, chrome/blue, 1/4-1/2-ounce gold spoons, soft plastics in red/ white, fire tiger CONTACT: Captain Danny Neu 979-942-0165 TIPS: Fish deep water and around vegetation to locate springtime trout. Fish soft plastics deep on 1/8-ounce jigheads. Work them near the bottom for best results.

LOCATION: South Padre Island HOTSPOT: Brownsville Ship Channel Turning Basin GPS: N25 57.08784

W97 24.15408

(25.951464, -97.402568) SPECIES: snook BEST BAITS: live shrimp, Topwaters in Bone, chrome/blue Gulp! shrimp in Nuclear Chicken, Lime Tiger, soft plastics in Chartreuse patterns CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Free line Live shrimp or finger mullet near pilings and sea walls. Topwaters are effective early in the morning. Fish a bit deeper with jigs on warmer days. Running tides are best.

LOCATION: South Padre Island HOTSPOT: Causeway Flats GPS: N26 5.21274

W97 10.23492

(26.086879, -97.170582) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp, Gulp! shrimp in Nuclear Chicken, Lime Tiger, soft plastics in Chartreuse patterns CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Fish between the shoreline and the boat channel. Drift with live bait or with cut bait for best results. wade-fishermen can gain access from the shoreline. Parking is limited. Come early.

PINEY WOODS

Circle Buzzard for Toledo White Bass

by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com LOCATION: Toledo Bend HOTSPOT: Buzzard Bend GPS: N31 45.6732 C O A S T A L

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Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 ricky@rickysguideservice.com rickysguideservice.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 BANK ACCESS: Fishing Pier at Minnow Bucket Bait Stand, crappie, largemouth bass

W93 49.5294

(31.761220, -93.825490) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Slab spoons, tail-spinners, RatL-Traps CONTACT: Greg Crafts 936-368-7151 gregcrafts@yahoo.com toledobendguide.com TIPS: The white bass are back in the main lake holding on the north end river channel sand bars.

Work the inside bends of the channel. Use your electronics to find the baitfish and the whites will be close by. Keep a Rat-L-Trap handy for schooling fish.

LOCATION: Caddo HOTSPOT: Alligator Bayou GPS: N32 43.07148

W94 5.45508

(32.717858, -94.090918) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Plastic worms, frogs, wacky worms CONTACT: Paul Keith 318-455-3437 caddoguide1@att.net caddolakefishing.com TIPS: Rig the plastic worms Texas-style and fish the edges of the grass beds in the creeks.

Also target the cypress trees that are mixed with vegetation.

LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Dam Hump GPS: N32 48.733

W95 32.025

(32.812217, -95.53375) SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Deep-diving crankbaits, jigs CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 ricky@rickysguideservice.com rickysguideservice.com TIPS: The bass have finished their spawn and have headed out to deeper water. I take a good map of the lake and look for humps along the bottom, checking out every detail with my depth finder. Then using marker buoys, I mark the bends and drops along any ridges I find. Next I tie on a big crankbait on one rod and a jig on a second rod and fish this ridge or hump from one end to the other and back. When you find the big bass note the time of day. Around this time each day you will find the bass feeding in the same spot. These spots hold some of Lake Fork’s biggest bass and you can catch good numbers using this pattern.

When you catch these big bass treat them with care because they are the fish that make our lakes what they are today, BANK ACCESS: Fishing Pier at Minnow Bucket Bait Stand, crappie, largemouth bass

LOCATION: Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N30 22.89996

W95 34.92996

(30.381666, -95.582166) SPECIES: hybrid striper BEST BAITS: live shad, Storm Swim Shad CONTACT: Richard Tatsch 936-291-1277 admin@fishdudetx.com fishdudetx.com TIPS: Live shad will work best. Hybrids are in full swing and this is a good time to catch trophies.

Look for them all around the lake on submerged points and humps at 16-28 feet. As the water heats up, early-morning will be best. Look for schools of shad.

LOCATION: Livingston HOTSPOT: 190 Road Bed GPS: N30 45.15198

W95 10.32096

(30.752533, -95.172016) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Jigging slabs, spoons, Pet Spoons, Tsunami Zombie Eyes CONTACT: David S. Cox 936-291-9602 dave@palmettoguideservice.coM palmettoguideservice.com TIPS: Key in on the bridge rails and road bed at 11 to 15 feet deep. Jig slabs and one-ounce pink/ silver glow Tsunami Zombie Eyes off the bottom, or troll the Pet Spoons on downriggers.

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: A l m a n ac

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Texas Hotspots HOTSPOT: The Dam GPS: N32 44.99574

W94 30.52092

(32.749929, -94.508682) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Pop Rs, Zara Spooks, Rat-LTraps CONTACT: Sonny Kopech 903-592-8221 Marion.Kopech@HDSupply.com TIPS: Begin on the south end of the dam and cast topwater lures all the way along it to the other end. Turn the boat around and cast swimming lures back down the dam. The bass move up and down the dam feeding on shad that travel the same routes.

PRAIRIES & LAKES

Plenty of Catfish and Striper Action

by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com LOCATION: Fayette County HOTSPOT: Hog Pond Dam GPS: N29 55.25994

W96 43.41996

(29.920999, -96.723666) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Shad, punch bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103

weldon_edna@hotmail.com FishTalesGuideService.com TIPS: This area offers an old submerged pond dam in 16-20 feet of water. The pond is where the creek channel ran before the lake was built.

Anchor, chum and fish straight down on tight line one-foot off the bottom. I prefer sour grain for chum.

LOCATION: Gibbons Creek.

HOTSPOT: C.W. Ridge GPS: N30 38.62998

W96 2.96898

(30.643833, -96.049483) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Shad, punch bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com FishTalesGuideService.com TIPS: Water here runs 1-5 feet deep. The old road bed comes off the point and runs east to the other bank of Cedar Creek. Fish from the shallow point to mid-way across. Use a slip cork for punch bait or Kahle hook for shad. Blue cats frequent this area.

LOCATION: Aquilla HOTSPOT: Deep Humps GPS: N31 54.25848

W97 11.9526

(31.904308, -97.199210) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: One-ounce chartreuse Slabs CONTACT: Randy Routh 817-822-5539 teamredneck01@hotmail.com teamredneck.net

TIPS: Use a graph to locate fish on humps.

Position the boat above schools and drop slabs down. Lift and drop the slabs off the bottom. The bite should occur on the fall. When the bite slows, tap side and floor of boat to draw fish back under the boat.

LOCATION: Cooper HOTSPOT: Main-Lake Humps GPS: N33 19.82058

W95 40.58742

(33.330343, -95.676457) SPECIES: hybrid striper BEST BAITS: Sassy Shads, Slabs CONTACT: Tony Parker 903-348-1619 tawakonifishing@yahoo.com tonyparkerfishing.com TIPS: Drift the spoons across the points and humps or vertically fish the spoons or Sassy Shads in the same places. Watch for bird activity as they feed on shad injured by schools of fish. I prefer chartreuse 4-inch Sassy Shads and 1 1/2-ounce Slabs.

LOCATION: Lavon HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points GPS: N33 9.0216

W96 26.07462

(33.150360, -96.434577) SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: Small minnows CONTACT: Billy Kilpatrick 214-232-7847 straightlineguide@yahoo.com straightlineguide.com TIPS: Crappie are in their summer haunts.

All main lake points in 12-20 feet of water and brushpiles beneath the bridges are good places to find them. The thicker cover the better. Use small minnows six-inches below a 1/8-ounce weight on 10-pound test line.

LOCATION: Lewisville HOTSPOT: Dam Riprap GPS: N33 4.40742

W96 57.22242

(33.073457, -96.953707) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Secret 7 dip bait CONTACT: Bobby Kubin 817-455-2894 bobby@bobby-catfishing.com bobby-catfishing.com TIPS: Anchor and cast up against the shallow

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rocks 1-5 feet deep. Use Secret 7 dip bait or your favorite punch bait on a slip-cork rig, No. 6 treble.

Set the hook as soon as the cork goes under.

Keep a Rat-L-Trap handy because white bass often surface here.

LOCATION: Palestine HOTSPOT: 155 Bridge Brush Piles GPS: N32 8.87964

W95 28.18854

(32.147994, -95.469809) SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows, jigs CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 ricky@rickysguideservice.com rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Crappie love to suspend in brushpiles here and at the bridge across Flat Creek. Use small minnows or jigs. Fish vertically, letting the bait touch the top of the brush piles, then hold steady for several seconds. The bite usually comes very light.

LOCATION: Palestine HOTSPOT: Blackburn Bay Points GPS: N32 4.11162

W95 26.47608

(32.068527, -95.441268) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Slabs, spoons, Rat-L-Traps, topwaters CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 ricky@rickysguideservice.com rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Start at daybreak with topwater lures and keep an eye out on surfacing schools of whites.

Some birds may be working in this area so watch for them to lead you to the whites. Jigs and Rat-LTraps will work best when the fish are not surfacing.

LOCATION: Palestine HOTSPOT: Saline Bay GPS: N32 10.31832

W95 26.71566

(32.171972, -95.445261) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Blue Herring Shimmy Shakers, Senkos, Texas-rigged soft plastics CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 ricky@rickysguideservice.com rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Fish the grass beds in this area with weightless soft plastics early in the mornings. Fish any stickups and boat docks with Texas-rigged plastic worms. Keep a close eye out for any feedC O A S T A L

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ing activity in and around the grass beds throughout the day.

SPECIES: striper BEST BAITS: Pencil Poppers, Chug Bugs, Sassy Shad jigs, Slabs CONTACT: Bill Carey 877-786-4477 bigfish@striperexpress.com striperexpress.com TIPS: The stripers are roaming the lake in search of schools of shad. Start early with topwater lures, casting to the shallow points and in the backs of coves. Later in the day, use chartreuse Slabs and

LOCATION: Palestine HOTSPOT: Big Eddy Bay GPS: N32 13.75662

W95 29.69244

(32.229277, -95.494874) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Red worms, punch bait, minnows CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 ricky@rickysguideservice.com rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Use soured maize to bait out areas in the flats near the drop-offs. Bait several areas and then begin fishing from one to another as the action dictates. Punch bait usually is the best bait but drifting worms or minnows will work, too.

LOCATION: Somerville HOTSPOT: Welch Park Area GPS: N30 19.89996

W96 32.14998

(30.331666, -96.535833) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Shad, stinkbait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com FishTales-Guide Service.com TIPS: When the wind is blowing into the point, anchor close and cast into one feet of water. The shad will be on this bank as long as the wind is from the south. Look for indentions that may indicate a small depth change.

LOCATION: Tawakoni HOTSPOT: Humps GPS: N32 51.67212

W95 56.36886

(32.861202, -95.939481) SPECIES: hybrid striper BEST BAITS: 4-inch Sassy Shads, topwaters CONTACT: Tony Parker 903-348-1619 tawakonifishing@yahoo.com tonyparkerfishing.com TIPS: Watch for gulls, herons and egrets to lead you to where the hybrids and white bass are feeding on schools of shad. Fish vertically with Slabs just off the bottom or cast swimming lures and topwaters and work on or just below the surface.

LOCATION: Texoma HOTSPOT: River Channel GPS: N33 50.44626

W96 37.05972

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Texas Hotspots jig them off the bottom along the river channel.

LOCATION: Whitney HOTSPOT: Mouth of Big Rocky Creek GPS: N31 53.02356

W97 23.41692

(31.883726, -97.390282) SPECIES: striper BEST BAITS: live gizzard shad CONTACT: Randy Routh 817-822-5539 teamredneck@hotmail.com teamredneck.net TIPS: Post spawn patterns are here and the big fish bite is on. Anchor up and use live gizzard shad on a Carolina rig, dropping the baits to 24 feet. Quick limits can come early and late in this area.

LOCATION: Richland Chambers HOTSPOT: Windsock Point GPS: N31 56.42784

W96 7.1991

(31.940464, -96.119985) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Clear Tiny Torpedos CONTACT: Royce and Adam Simmons 903-389-4117 royce@gonefishin.biz www.gonefishing.biz TIPS: This is the month when topwater action gets hot. Look for early-morning schooling action on the main lake from the dam to Windsock Point all the way back to the Highway 287 bridge.

Fisherman’s Point to Ferguson Point is a great area to start.

PANHANDLE

Stripers a Big Hit on Broadway

by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com LOCATION: Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Broadway GPS: N32 52.5717

W98 31.53324

(32.876195, -98.525554) SPECIES: striper BEST BAITS: live shad, jigs, slabs CONTACT:

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Dean Heffner 940-329-0036 fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: There are several humps and breaklines between Caddo and Cedar creeks. Fish vertically with lures but keep an eye out for surfacing action.

I prefer white, silver-blue back and chartreuse colors. You may catch several species of fish with live bait.

BIG BEND

Amistad Bass Hit the Highway

by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com LOCATION: Amistad HOTSPOT: Highway 90 Area GPS: N29 28.72116, W101 3.2424

(29.478686, -101.054040) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Carolina-rigged worms, Texasrigged worms, Senkos, crankbaits CONTACT: Stan Gerzsenyl 830-768-3648 stan@amistadbass.com amistadbass.com TIPS: Fish the backs of the multiple coves in this area with Texas-rigged plastic worms, Senkos and crawdad-colored crankbaits. If the action is slow, move off the points and fish the edges of the grass beds with Carolina-rigged soft plastics.

LOCATION: Lake Amistad HOTSPOT: Deep Water Points GPS: N29 29.67126

W101 8.2884

(29.494521, -101.138140) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Crank baits, soft plastic worms, topwater lures CONTACT: Stan Gerzsenyl 830-768-3648 stan@amistadbass.com amistadbass.com TIPS: Fish the major points that drop-off into 20 feet of water on both the Texas and Mexico sides of the lake. The bass will be feeding on crawfish so crawfish-colored lures will produce the best catches. Try topwaters early in the backs of the coves.

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HILL COUNTRY

Stripes are the Stars on this Flag

by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Flag Island GPS: N30 48.571

W98 26.440

(30.809517, -98.440667) SPECIES: Striped bass BEST BAITS: Live bait, or striper jigs, Pirk Minnows CONTACT: Kandie Candelaria 210-823-2153 kandie@gvtc.com TIPS: Water temperature around 80-84 degrees.

Work the stripers by trolling a striper jig and vertically jigging a ½ ounce Pirk Minnow from Flag Island to the dam in 28-40 feet of water.

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Sail Boat Marina Area GPS: N29 53.9862

W98 14.148

(29.899770, -98.235800) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Berkley Ring Worm, Missile Bait D-Bombs, Bass Kandi Stik, Picasso Spinnerbait CONTACT: Kandie Candelaria 210-823-2153 kandie@gvtc.com TIPS: Be sure to fish just past the right point after the flag pole. Use a Watermelon Berkley Ring Worm with 1/4-oz. Picasso Tungsten weight or Missile D-Bomb in Bruiser Flash Texas rigged with 1/8-oz. Picasso weight on a stiff 7-foot rod Castaway rod.

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Jacobs Creek GPS: N29 53.4912

W98 13.57044

(29.891520, -98.226174) SPECIES: striper BEST BAITS: Striper jigs CONTACT: Steve Nixon 210-573-1230 A l m anac

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steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com sanantoniofishingguides.com TIPS: Work the mouth of the creek all the way to the back with striper jigs or Slabs. Fish at various depths until you locate the depth they are in.

Watch for bird activity and also keep a close eye on your sonar for schools of shad and stripers.

LOCATION: Granger HOTSPOT: Main Lake Brushpiles GPS: N30 42.49554

W97 22.3479

(30.708259, -97.372465) SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: Crappie jigs CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell 512-365-7761 crappie1@hotmail.com www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: Use a 1/32-ounce jig. Color is not as important as presentation. Drop the jig straight down until it contacts the brush, hold it still for several seconds. If you don’t get a bite, move to another main lake brush pile and try again.

LOCATION: Lake Lyndon B. Johnson HOTSPOT: Lighthouse Point GPS: N30 33.788

W98 21.717

(30.563133, -98.36195) SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Black Secret Weapon buzzbaits, Zara Spooks, Berkley Craws, Rat-L-Traps, Li’l Fishies Shad CONTACT: Kandie Candelaria 210-823-2153 kandie@gvtc.com TIPS: Fish the black Secret Weapon buzz bait early in the morning, along with topwaters like the Zara Spook. Work Berkley Craws rigged Texas style with 1/8th ounce Tungsten weight along the edge of riprap at night and around docks and points near the Kingsland area.

SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live shad, shrimp CONTACT: Steve Nixon 210-573-1230 steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com sanantoniofishingguides.com TIPS: Locate the creek channel and anchor just off the edge of it. Freeline live shad or shrimp off the bottom.

LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points GPS: N26 55.78452

W99 21.01284

(26.929742, -99.350214) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, jigs, plastic worms CONTACT: Robert Amaya 956-765-1442 robertsfishntackle@gmail.com robertsfishntackle.com TIPS: Fish any brush and stickups on the main lake points on the lower end with Texas-rigged soft plastics, spinnerbaits or topwater lures. Start early with the surface lures and then switch to plastic worms or spinnerbaits once the sun begins to get high.

LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Long Point Brushpiles GPS: N26 40.46598

W99 10.16694

(26.674433, -99.169449) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Fire-tiger crankbaits, Sexy Shad, DD-22, Mans-20 CONTACT: Robert Amaya 956-765-1442 robertsfishntackle@gmail.com robertsfishntackle.com TIPS: Fish the submerged brush piles off Long Point, pausing the bait or ripping it when you come in contact with brush. Summer bass fishing is at its best so get ready for some big fish.

SOUTH TEXAS PLAINS

See Red on Lake Calaveras

by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com

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

LOCATION: Lake Calaveras HOTSPOT: Rocky Cove GPS: N29 18.69288

W98 18.27282

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Sportsman’s Daybook Tides and Prime Times

JUNE 2013

USING THE PRIME TIMES CALENDAR

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

T12

T4

T11

T10

TIDE PREDICTIONS are located in the upper white boxes on the Calendar Pages. Use the Correction Table below, which is keyed to 23 other tide stations, to adjust low and high tide times.

T9 T8 T7

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY is shown in the lower color boxes of the Calendar pages. Use the Solunar Adjustment Scale below to adjust times for points East and West of Galveston Channel.

T15 T16

T6 T17

T3 T2 T1

TIDE PREDICTIONS are shown in graph form, with High and Low tide predictions in text immediately below.

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY data is provided to indicate major and minor feeding periods for each day, as the daily phases of the moon have varying degrees of influence on many wildlife species.

T13 T5

T14

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

T18

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

T19

T20

PEAK DAYS: The closer the moon is to your location, the stronger the influence. FULL or NEW MOONS provide the strongest influnce of the month.

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

T21

Tide Correction Table

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

KEY PLACE T1 Sabine Bank Lighthouse T2 Sabine Pass Jetty T3 Sabine Pass T4 Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass T5 Galveston Bay, S. Jetty T6 Port Bolivar

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

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

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

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

KEY PLACE

Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay T12

Gilchrist, East Bay T13 Jamaica Beach, W. Bay T14

Alligator Point, W. Bay T15

Christmas Pt T16

Galveston Pleasure Pier T17

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

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

KEY PLACE

San Luis Pass T18

Freeport Harbor T19

Pass Cavallo T20

Aransas Pass T21

Padre Island (So. End) T22

Port Isabel T23

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

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

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION T22 T23

KEYS TO USING THE TIDE AND SOLUNAR GRAPHS TIDE GRAPH:

Yellow: Daylight

12a

Tab: Peak Fishing Period

6a

12p

6p

12a

Light Blue: Nighttime

BEST:

5:30 — 7:30 AM

Green: Falling Tide

Gold Fish: Best Time

Blue: Rising Tide Red Graph: Fishing Score

Blue Fish: Good Time

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

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY:

12a

AM/PM Timeline

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AM/PM Timeline

AM Minor: 1:20a

PM Minor: 1:45p

AM Major: 7:32a

PM Major: 7:57p

Moon Overhead: 8:50a 6a

6p

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12p

2 0 1 3

12a

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

T e x a S

F i s h

&

G a m e ®

C O A S T A L

A l m anac

5/24/13 10:10 AM

SYMBOL KEY = New Moon l º = First Quarter l = Full Moon » = Last Quarter « = Good Day n = Best Day SUNDAY

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 2nd Score Graph Score Best

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

May 27 « 28 Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:11p Moonrise: 10:58p Set: 8:58a

29

FRIDAY

30

SATURDAY

31

Jun 1 »

Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:11p Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:12p Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:12p Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:13p Moonrise: 11:47p Set: 10:04a Moonrise: None Set: 11:10a Moonrise: 12:31a Set: 12:13p Moonrise: 1:11a Set: 1:13p

2

Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:13p Moonrise: 1:48a Set: 2:11p

Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:14p Moonrise: 2:24a Set: 3:07p

AM Minor: 8:07a

PM Minor: 8:37p

AM Minor: 9:13a

PM Minor: 9:42p

AM Minor: 10:16a

PM Minor: 10:44p

AM Minor: 11:14a

PM Minor: 11:40p

AM Minor: -----

PM Minor: 12:07p

AM Minor: 12:30a

PM Minor: 12:54p

AM Minor: 1:14a

PM Minor: 1:37p

AM Major: 1:51a

PM Major: 2:22p

AM Major: 2:59a

PM Major: 3:28p

AM Major: 4:03a

PM Major: 4:30p

AM Major: 5:02a

PM Major: 5:27p

AM Major: 5:54a

PM Major: 6:19p

AM Major: 6:42a

PM Major: 7:05p

AM Major: 7:26a

PM Major: 7:49p

Moon Overhead: 3:29a

12a

THURSDAY

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 5:26a

Moon Overhead: 4:30a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 6:20a 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 7:57a

Moon Overhead: 7:09a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for June 2013

Moon Overhead: 8:43a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

feet

feet

Moon Underfoot: 4:00p

+2.0

-1.0

TIDE LEVELS

0

BEST:

8:00 — 10:00 PM

High Tide: 8:19 AM Low Tide: 1:31 PM High Tide: 4:25 PM

Moon Underfoot: 5:53p BEST:

3:30 — 5:30 AM

1.71ft.

1.35ft.

1.40ft.

Low Tide: 12:52 AM High Tide: 9:09 AM Low Tide: 2:46 PM High Tide: 5:37 PM

-0.40ft.

1.64ft.

1.25ft.

1.30ft.

Low Tide: 1:47 AM High Tide: 9:55 AM Low Tide: 4:05 PM High Tide: 7:16 PM

-0.22ft.

1.54ft.

1.09ft.

1.16ft.

Moon Underfoot: 7:33p

BEST:

4:30 — 6:30 AM

C O A S T A L

ALMANAC Digital.indd 93

Moon Underfoot: 6:45p

BEST:

5:30 — 7:30 AM

Low Tide: 2:45 AM High Tide: 10:36 AM Low Tide: 5:11 PM High Tide: 9:14 PM

A l m a n ac

0.02ft.

1.45ft.

0.88ft.

1.04ft.

T e x a S

Moon Underfoot: 8:20p BEST:

12:00 — 2:00 AM

Low Tide: 3:47 AM High Tide: 11:12 AM Low Tide: 6:04 PM High Tide: 11:11 PM

F i s h

&

0.29ft.

1.36ft.

0.65ft.

1.02ft.

Moon Underfoot: 9:06p

Low Tide: 4:58 AM 0.55ft.

High Tide: 11:42 AM 1.29ft.

Low Tide: 6:50 PM 0.42ft.

G a m e ®

J U N E

+2.0

BEST:

1:00 — 3:00 AM

8:00 — 10:00 AM

High Tide: 1:00 AM Low Tide: 6:21 AM High Tide: 12:09 PM Low Tide: 7:31 PM

2 0 1 3

|

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 4:58p

1.08ft.

0.79ft.

1.24ft.

0.22ft.

+1.0 0 -1.0

93

5/24/13 10:10 AM

Sportsman’s Daybook

SYMBOL KEY = New Moon l º = First Quarter l = Full Moon » = Last Quarter « = Good Day n = Best Day SUNDAY

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 2nd Score Graph Score Best

TUESDAY

3

4

Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:14p Moonrise: 3:00a Set: 4:02p

THURSDAY

5

Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:15p Moonrise: 3:36a Set: 4:57p

FRIDAY

6

Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:15p Moonrise: 4:15a Set: 5:51p

SATURDAY

7

Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:16p Moonrise: 4:55a Set: 6:44p

8

Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:16p Moonrise: 5:39a Set: 7:36p

9

Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:16p Moonrise: 6:25a Set: 8:25p

Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:17p Moonrise: 7:13a Set: 9:11p

AM Minor: 1:56a

PM Minor: 2:18p

AM Minor: 2:36a

PM Minor: 2:59p

AM Minor: 3:17a

PM Minor: 3:40p

AM Minor: 3:59a

PM Minor: 4:23p

AM Minor: 4:44a

PM Minor: 5:08p

AM Minor: 5:31a

PM Minor: 5:55p

AM Minor: 6:20a

PM Minor: 6:44p

AM Major: 8:07a

PM Major: 8:30p

AM Major: 8:47a

PM Major: 9:10p

AM Major: 9:28a

PM Major: 9:52p

AM Major: 10:11a

PM Major: 10:35p

AM Major: 10:56a

PM Major: 11:20p

AM Major: 11:43a

PM Major: 12:07p

AM Major: 12:08a

PM Major: 12:32p

Moon Overhead: 9:29a

12a

WEDNESDAY

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 11:01a

Moon Overhead: 10:14a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 11:49a 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 1:25p

Moon Overhead: 12:37p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for JUNE 2013

Moon Overhead: 2:13p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

feet

feet

Moon Underfoot: 9:51p

+2.0

-1.0

TIDE LEVELS

0

High Tide: 2:34 AM Low Tide: 7:51 AM High Tide: 12:33 PM Low Tide: 8:09 PM

ALMANAC Digital.indd 94

1.20ft.

0.97ft.

1.22ft.

0.05ft.

BEST:

3:30 — 5:30 PM

High Tide: 3:49 AM Low Tide: 9:13 AM High Tide: 12:54 PM Low Tide: 8:44 PM

1.32ft.

1.09ft.

1.22ft.

-0.07ft.

Moon Underfoot: 11:25p BEST:

4:30 — 6:30 PM

High Tide: 4:46 AM Low Tide: 10:23 AM High Tide: 1:14 PM Low Tide: 9:18 PM

1.40ft.

1.17ft.

1.23ft.

-0.15ft.

Moon Underfoot: None BEST:

5:30 — 7:30 PM

High Tide: 5:31 AM Low Tide: 11:21 AM High Tide: 1:33 PM Low Tide: 9:51 PM

1.45ft.

1.22ft.

1.25ft.

-0.19ft.

Moon Underfoot: 12:13a BEST:

6:30 — 8:30 PM

High Tide: 6:09 AM Low Tide: 12:05 PM High Tide: 1:52 PM Low Tide: 10:23 PM

1.48ft.

1.25ft.

1.27ft.

-0.20ft.

Moon Underfoot: 1:01a BEST:

7:00 — 9:00 PM

High Tide: 6:45 AM Low Tide: 12:35 PM High Tide: 2:13 PM Low Tide: 10:56 PM

1.48ft.

1.27ft.

1.27ft.

-0.18ft.

Moon Underfoot: 1:49a

+2.0

BEST:

7:30 — 9:30 PM

High Tide: 7:18 AM Low Tide: 12:53 PM High Tide: 2:35 PM Low Tide: 11:29 PM

1.46ft.

1.26ft.

1.27ft.

-0.14ft.

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST:

3:00 — 5:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 10:38p

+1.0 0 -1.0

5/24/13 10:10 AM

ALMANAC Digital.indd 95

5/24/13 10:10 AM

Sportsman’s Daybook

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best 2nd Score Graph Score Best

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

10 « 11 « 12 Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:17p Moonrise: 8:04a Set: 9:54p

13

SATURDAY

14

Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:18p Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:18p Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:18p Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:19p Moonrise: 8:55a Set: 10:34p Moonrise: 9:48a Set: 11:11p Moonrise: 10:40a Set: 11:46p Moonrise: 11:33a Set: None

SUNDAY

15 º

16

Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:19p Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:19p Moonrise: 12:27p Set: 12:21a Moonrise: 1:23p Set: 12:55a

AM Minor: 7:10a

PM Minor: 7:34p

AM Minor: 8:01a

PM Minor: 8:24p

AM Minor: 8:52a

PM Minor: 9:14p

AM Minor: 9:41a

PM Minor: 10:04p

AM Minor: 10:30a

PM Minor: 10:52p

AM Minor: 11:18a

PM Minor: 11:40p

AM Minor: -----

PM Minor: 12:04p

AM Major: 12:58a

PM Major: 1:22p

AM Major: 1:49a

PM Major: 2:12p

AM Major: 2:40a

PM Major: 3:03p

AM Major: 3:30a

PM Major: 3:52p

AM Major: 4:19a

PM Major: 4:41p

AM Major: 5:07a

PM Major: 5:29p

AM Major: 5:53a

PM Major: 6:16p

Moon Overhead: 3:00p

12a

FRIDAY

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 4:32p

Moon Overhead: 3:46p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

Moon Overhead: 5:16p

6p

12a

6a

12p

Moon Overhead: 6:44p

Moon Overhead: 6:00p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 7:29p 12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for JUNE 2013

12a

feet

feet

Moon Underfoot: 2:37a

+2.0

-1.0

TIDE LEVELS

0

BEST:

BEST:

8:00 — 10:00 PM

High Tide: 7:52 AM Low Tide: 1:15 PM High Tide: 2:52 PM

96 |

1.45ft.

1.24ft.

1.24ft.

J U N E

ALMANAC Digital.indd 96

8:00 — 10:00 PM

Low Tide: 12:02 AM High Tide: 8:26 AM Low Tide: 2:00 PM High Tide: 2:59 PM

2 0 1 3

Moon Underfoot: 4:09a BEST:

9:00 — 11:00 PM

-0.08ft. Low Tide: 12:36 AM 0.00ft.

1.42ft. High Tide: 8:59 AM 1.40ft.

1.19ft.

1.20ft.

T e x a S

F i s h

&

Moon Underfoot: 4:54a

Moon Underfoot: 5:38a

BEST:

BEST:

BEST:

9:30 — 11:30 PM 11:00A — 1:00P

Low Tide: 1:09 AM High Tide: 9:30 AM

G a m e ®

0.11ft.

1.36ft.

Low Tide: 1:44 AM High Tide: 9:58 AM Low Tide: 4:54 PM High Tide: 7:11 PM

C O A S T A L

Moon Underfoot: 6:22a

Low Tide: 2:22 AM High Tide: 10:21 AM Low Tide: 5:03 PM High Tide: 10:00 PM

+2.0

BEST:

11:30A — 1:30P

0.24ft.

1.32ft.

0.91ft.

0.91ft.

Moon Underfoot: 7:06a 12:30 — 2:30 PM

0.39ft.

1.28ft.

0.75ft.

0.87ft.

Low Tide: 3:06 AM 0.57ft.

High Tide: 10:40 AM 1.24ft.

Low Tide: 5:32 PM 0.54ft.

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 3:24a

+1.0 0 -1.0

A l m anac

5/24/13 10:10 AM

SYMBOL KEY = New Moon l º = First Quarter l = Full Moon » = Last Quarter « = Good Day n = Best Day SUNDAY

Tides and Prime Times for JUNE 2013 TUESDAY

17

18

Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:20p Moonrise: 2:21p Set: 1:31a

THURSDAY

19

Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:20p Moonrise: 3:22p Set: 2:09a

FRIDAY

20

Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:20p Moonrise: 4:26p Set: 2:51a

SATURDAY

21 « 22 « 23 ¡

Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:20p Moonrise: 5:32p Set: 3:39a

Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:21p Moonrise: 6:39p Set: 4:32a

Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:21p Moonrise: 7:43p Set: 5:31a

Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:21p Moonrise: 8:42p Set: 6:36a

AM Minor: 12:26a

PM Minor: 12:50p

AM Minor: 1:12a

PM Minor: 1:37p

AM Minor: 1:58a

PM Minor: 2:25p

AM Minor: 2:47a

PM Minor: 3:16p

AM Minor: 3:40a

PM Minor: 4:11p

AM Minor: 4:37a

PM Minor: 5:09p

AM Minor: 5:39a

PM Minor: 6:10p

AM Major: 6:38a

PM Major: 7:02p

AM Major: 7:24a

PM Major: 7:50p

AM Major: 8:12a

PM Major: 8:39p

AM Major: 9:02a

PM Major: 9:31p

AM Major: 9:55a

PM Major: 10:26p

AM Major: 10:53a

PM Major: 11:25p

AM Major: 11:54a

PM Major: -----

Moon Overhead: 8:17p

12a

WEDNESDAY

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 10:04p

Moon Overhead: 9:09p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 11:03p 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 12:05a

Moon Overhead: None 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

Moon Overhead: 1:09a

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

feet

feet

Moon Underfoot: 7:53a

+2.0

-1.0

TIDE LEVELS

0

High Tide: 12:01 AM Low Tide: 3:59 AM High Tide: 10:54 AM Low Tide: 6:09 PM

0.93ft.

0.77ft.

1.22ft.

0.30ft.

Moon Underfoot: 9:36a

BEST:

BEST:

2:00 — 4:00 PM

High Tide: 1:39 AM Low Tide: 5:07 AM High Tide: 11:07 AM Low Tide: 6:51 PM

1.07ft.

0.96ft.

1.24ft.

0.05ft.

High Tide: 2:56 AM Low Tide: 6:34 AM High Tide: 11:24 AM Low Tide: 7:37 PM

1.25ft.

1.13ft.

1.27ft.

-0.21ft.

Moon Underfoot: 11:34a

BEST:

3:00 — 5:00 PM

C O A S T A L

ALMANAC Digital.indd 97

Moon Underfoot: 10:33a

BEST:

4:00 — 6:00 PM

High Tide: 3:59 AM Low Tide: 8:05 AM High Tide: 11:50 AM Low Tide: 8:25 PM

A l m a n ac

1.41ft.

1.25ft.

1.33ft.

-0.43ft.

T e x a S

Moon Underfoot: 12:37p BEST:

5:00 — 7:00 PM

High Tide: 4:52 AM Low Tide: 9:23 AM High Tide: 12:33 PM Low Tide: 9:15 PM

F i s h

&

1.54ft.

1.32ft.

1.38ft.

-0.60ft.

Moon Underfoot: 1:40p

High Tide: 5:41 AM Low Tide: 10:23 AM High Tide: 1:29 PM Low Tide: 10:06 PM

G a m e ®

1.61ft.

1.35ft.

1.41ft.

-0.69ft.

J U N E

+2.0

BEST:

6:00 — 8:00 PM

7:00 — 9:00 PM

High Tide: 6:27 AM Low Tide: 11:14 AM High Tide: 2:34 PM Low Tide: 10:57 PM

2 0 1 3

|

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST:

1:00 — 3:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 8:43a

1.63ft.

1.32ft.

1.40ft.

-0.69ft.

+1.0 0 -1.0

97

5/24/13 10:10 AM

Sportsman’s Daybook

SYMBOL KEY = New Moon l º = First Quarter l = Full Moon » = Last Quarter « = Good Day n = Best Day SUNDAY

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

Tides and Prime Times for JUNE 2013

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:21p Moonrise: 9:36p Set: 7:43a

Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:21p Moonrise: 10:24p Set: 8:51a

Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:21p Moonrise: 11:07p Set: 9:57a

THURSDAY

24 « 25 « 26

27

SATURDAY

28

29

Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:21p Sunrise: 6:22a Set: 8:22p Sunrise: 6:22a Set: 8:22p Moonrise: 11:46p Set: 11:01a Moonrise: None Set: 12:02p Moonrise: 12:24a Set: 1:00p

30

Sunrise: 6:22a Set: 8:22p Moonrise: 1:01a Set: 1:57p

AM Minor: 6:42a

PM Minor: 7:13p

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: 10:45a

PM Minor: 11:10p

AM Minor: 11:36a

PM Minor: -----

AM Minor: 12:00a

PM Minor: 12:24p

AM Major: 12:27a

PM Major: 12:58p

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: 4:33a

PM Major: 4:57p

AM Major: 5:25a

PM Major: 5:48p

AM Major: 6:12a

PM Major: 6:36p

Moon Overhead: 2:11a

12a

FRIDAY

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 4:08a

Moon Overhead: 3:12a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

Moon Overhead: 5:01a

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 6:40a

Moon Overhead: 5:52a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 7:26a 12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

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

12a

feet

feet

Moon Underfoot: 2:42p

+2.0

-1.0

BEST:

8:00 — 10:00 PM 2:30 — 4:30 AM

TIDE LEVELS

0

BEST:

High Tide: 7:10 AM Low Tide: 12:05 PM High Tide: 3:43 PM Low Tide: 11:48 PM

98 |

ALMANAC Digital.indd 98

2 0 1 3

1.53ft.

1.10ft.

1.26ft.

Low Tide: 12:39 AM High Tide: 8:28 AM Low Tide: 2:02 PM High Tide: 6:19 PM

T e x a S

F i s h

Moon Underfoot: 5:27p

Moon Underfoot: 6:16p

BEST:

3:00 — 5:00 AM

1.59ft. High Tide: 7:51 AM 1.24ft. Low Tide: 1:00 PM 1.35ft. High Tide: 4:57 PM -0.59ft.

J U N E

Moon Underfoot: 4:35p

BEST:

4:00 — 6:00 AM

-0.41ft.

1.44ft.

0.93ft.

1.13ft.

Low Tide: 1:29 AM High Tide: 9:03 AM Low Tide: 3:07 PM High Tide: 7:52 PM

&

G a m e ®

BEST:

5:00 — 7:00 AM

-0.16ft.

1.35ft.

0.73ft.

1.01ft.

Low Tide: 2:19 AM High Tide: 9:35 AM Low Tide: 4:12 PM High Tide: 9:36 PM

C O A S T A L

Moon Underfoot: 7:03p

Low Tide: 3:11 AM High Tide: 10:05 AM Low Tide: 5:13 PM High Tide: 11:30 PM

+2.0

BEST:

12:00 — 2:00 AM

0.13ft.

1.27ft.

0.51ft.

0.92ft

Moon Underfoot: 7:50p 7:00 — 9:00 AM

0.43ft.

1.21ft.

0.30ft.

0.93ft.

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 3:40p

Low Tide: 4:10 AM 0.71ft.

High Tide: 10:32 AM 1.17ft.

Low Tide: 6:08 PM 0.11ft.

+1.0 0 -1.0

A l m anac

5/24/13 10:11 AM

Texas Tasted

by Bryan Slaven | The Texas Gourmet

T

his is an awesome recipe that I developed back in the mid 1980′s.

I have won many a cook-off with this recipe in and around Houston, Texas. It took many cold Tecate’s and Lime, and sometimes a Cuervo Gold Margarita to assist in refining the recipe, but I feel it is where it should be! You can increase the recipe in equal increments as necessary (If you want to cook chicken breast and use this recipe, you can, just be sure and keep the chicken separate from the beef when marinating and grilling, until its placed on the plate at serving time) Take it and make it yours, just remember that you got it from me, Bryan Slaven, The Texas Gourmet.

(Serves 4 to 6)

Ingredients:

3 to 4 pounds – skirt steak, remove skin sheath, trim away large areas of fat but don’t worry about removing all fat. Cut the meat into about 6 to 8 inch pieces. The meat will cook at a very high temperature and will use the fat to keep the meat moist and will largely melt away.

1-sweet onion- sliced into 1/2″ thick rings 1-red bell pepper- sliced into ¼” thick rings 2 poblano peppers, rinsed and cut into ¼” thick rings (remove the seeds) 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil 3 to 4 cloves fresh garlic, crushed 2 limes – juiced 1/2 cup of brown sugar 1 Tablespoon – med. or finely ground C O A S T A L

ALMANAC Digital.indd 99

Photo: Bryan Slaven

Preparation:

After you have cleaned the fajitas, rub them down with the fresh crushed garlic, then sprinkle with the black pepper .Set aside, then in a large bowl combine the olive oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice and beer. Stir well to combine, then add the fajita meat and then add the peppers and onions. Using your hands, work the liquid mixture into the meat and then place in increments that will fit into gallon zip locks about 3/4 full. After all meat is divided into bags, then equally distribute the liquid marinade among the bags. Seal up removing all air from the bags and place them all in a cooler with ice or in a spare refrigerator. I like to marinate them for a minimum of 4 to 6 hours but, overnight is even better!

Grilling:

Make a good hot fire, if using charcoal, when the coals are grey and hot, put the meat on directly over the fire, about 6 to 7 inches away is good. Sear the meat for a couple minutes on each side, then move them to the opposite side of the grill, cover and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, I like to place

t

Beef or Chicken Fajitas

black pepper 1/2 cup light soy sauce 1/2 beer 5 to 7 pounds of charcoal, preferably mesquite, or add a few chunks or bits of mesquite while cooking , killer flavor!(Remember this, increase your charcoal and mesquite as you increase the recipe, as you want a good hot fire when grilling the meat!

Beef Fajitas

the onion and pepper rings on the meat as it cooks, this adds flavor to the meat, and keeps the vegetables from burning. After cooking each piece, transfer to a cutting board.

Slice the meat across the grain into slices approx. 1/2 ” thick. Transfer the meat to large double lined foil pouches, approx. 2 lbs. to a pouch, add a tablespoon of butter to each pouch, cover and then place on a cookie sheet in a preheated oven at about 225 degrees until ready to serve.

Serving:

Serve with good, warm flour tortillas, Chile con queso, guacamole salad, and of course, with some spicy Pineapple and Mango Pico de Gallo and some Texas Gourmet’s Fire Roasted Serrano Salsa.

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

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.

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Bream Private Lake Fourteen-year-old Kyle Naegeli caught this 2-pound “Perchzilla” at a lake near his home.

Black Drum

Redfish

Arroyo City

Port O’Connor

Alexis Arce, age 9, from Edinburg caught her first black drum all on her own. The 23-inch drum was caught on live shrimp under a popping cork in the Lower Laguna Madre out of Arroyo City.

Vicki Kaiser from Houston caught her first Redfish—24 inches—while fishing in this blue dress off the jetty in Port O’Connor.

Whitetail Weesatch Douglas Bryant, 8, of San Antonio shot his first buck in Weesatch, while hunting with his dad. It was an 8-pointer killed with a .223.

Redfish

Bream

Trinity Bay

Lake LBJ

Klayton Adams, 4, of League City caught his first redfish in Trinity Bay. When Dad released it, Klayton said, “that’s the biggest fish I ever caught in my whole life!”

Shelby Pittman caught her first bream while fishing at Lake LBJ.

Feral Hog Savoy Jason Harrison killed this 350-pound Boar north of Savoy, Texas while hunting with AffordableHogHunts. com He hunted with dogs and used a knife to take the trophy boar.

Flounder Sabine Lake Donnie Martin of Beaumont caught this nice stringer of flounder while fishing Sabine Lake out of Port Arthur.

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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.

gafftop Port O’Connor Brent Krueger, 10, caught his first two gafftops—at the same time—while fishing at Port O’Connor.

Striped Bass Lake Livingston Byron Bracewell (PawPaw) with his twin grand-daughters, Jaycie and Jaylynn Christian, showing off a nice striper they caught during a fishing trip below the Livingston dam.

Speckled Trout

Redfish Trinity Bay Madeline McGinnis, age 10, of League City, Texas with her first keeper redfish—measuring 21 inches—caught in Trinity Bay.

Whitetail

Port Aransas

Junction

Lane Casey, 4, of Dallas caught her first speckled trout while fishing from a private pier at Port Aransas. She was fishing with her proud father Lee Casey, Uncle Stan, and cousin Peyton.

Garrett Coan, 11, of Bulverde used his dad’s 270 to take his first deer at the Double G Ranch in Junction.

Whitetail San Saba Mackenzie Robeson, age 13, shot this 8-point whitetail buck while hunting with her grandfather, Carrol Evans, at his lease on the Stewardson Ranch just south of San Saba. She shot the buck at 115 yards with a .243 the morning of the first day of early special youth season.

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Whitetail

Redfish

Zavala County

Lower Laguna Madre

Zed Delgado, 8, of Seguin shot his first doe using a 22-250 at 18 yards in Zavala County while with his dad.

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Frankie Herrera and his son Aidan Herrera with a 28-inch redfish caught in the Lower Laguna Madre.

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