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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 and Stephanie Ward and Roy and Ardia Neves.

ROY NEVES PUBLISHER

DON ZAIDLE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

CHESTER

MOORE

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

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

MATT WILLIAMS • BOB HOOD • TED NUGENT • LOU MARULLO • REAVIS WORTHAM • JOE DOGGETT • KENDAL HEMPHILL • DOUG PIKE • CAPT. MIKE HOLMES • LENNY RUDOW • GREG BERLOCHER • STEVE LAMASCUS • PATRICK LEMIRE • PAUL BRADSHAW • HERMAN BRUNE • WAYNE C. WATSON • JIMMY D. MOORE • CALIXTO GONZALES • TOM BEHRENS •

FRESHWATER EDITOR HUNTING EDITOR EDITOR AT LARGE BOWHUNTING EDITOR HUMOR EDITOR SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR SENIOR OFFSHORE EDITOR ASSOC. OFFSHORE EDITOR BOATING EDITOR KAYAKING EDITOR FIREARMS EDITOR SALTWATER RIGS EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR LEGAL AFFAIRS EDITOR NORTH HOTSPOTS EDITOR SALTWATER EDITOR TROPHY QUEST COORDINATOR

P R O D U C T I O N

JIMMY BORNE ART DIRECTOR

LINDSAY WHITMAN YEATES GRAPHIC DESIGNER

A D V E R T I S I N G

ARDIA NEVES VICE PRESIDENT/ADVERTISING DIRECTOR NICOLE MCKIBBIN • NATIONAL MARKETING REP. DENISE (RONQUILLE) BELL • NATIONAL MARKETING REP. 1745 GREENS ROAD, HOUSTON, TX 77032 PHONE 281/227-3001 • FAX 281/227-3002

SUBSCRIPTION/PRODUCT MKTG. 1745 GREENS ROAD, HOUSTON, TX 77032 PHONE 800/725-1134

DUANE HRUZEK MARKETING/CIRCULATION DIRECTOR

HEIDI GERKE LARRY FRIEDMAN JOE LUCA

• SUBSCRIBER SERVICES MANAGER • FIELD REPRESENTATIVE • NEWSTAND REPRESENTATIVE

A D M I N I S T R A T I O N

DENNISE CHAVEZ NATIONAL ADVERTISING COORDINATOR/RECEIVABLES MANAGER

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

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

MEMBER AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS

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FEATURES MAY 2009 • Volume XXV • NO.1

24

GAMEFISH HEAR A ‘HOO’ Ballyhoo, an offshore staple, is rarely listed as a selected bait for inshore trout and redfish. But not only do they work inshore, often they are the only bait that works.

by Calixto Gonzales

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FOR THE LOVE OF CRAPPIE Many anglers with varied fishing tastes — including our own executive editor and resident saltwater guru — prefer crappie over any other fishing. And for those crappie lovers, two waterways stand out as favorite pick-up spots.

by Chester Moore

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GATOR: THE OTHER WHITE MEAT

ON THE COVERS: INLAND/NORTH: Could this be the face of a wildlife encounter in the Texas outdoors? With verified recent sightings of black bear in Texas on the rise (see story, page 36), you just might run into one on your favorite hunting land.

Photo by: Arindom Chowdhury

Alligators are no longer on the endangered species list. In fact, they are so OFF the list that pets, retrievers and people might find themselves on it, in certain areas. So now you can hunt them. Here is where and how.

by Paul Bradshaw

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BLACK BEARS RETURN TO TEXAS TPWD has documented several reliable bear sightings in eastern Texas and in the Trans Pecos area around the Big Bend. Bears are making a slow natural comeback in Texas.

What does this mean for hunters and other outdoors lovers?

by Chester Moore

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WHITETAIL MYTHS Do whitetail deer see color? ... is a spike deer always a spike deer? ... can you tell a buck from a doe by its tracks? ... and other deer myths and misconceptions.

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COASTAL: Big speckled trout are picky eaters prefering finfish to shrimp by a long shot. Our Saltwater Editor, Calixto Gonzales, examines a strange-looking, overlooked bait that some believe even outfishes live croaker (story, page 24; description upper right).

Photo by: Chester Moore

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COLUMNS and DEPARTMENTS MAY 2009 • Volume XXV • NO.1

COLUMNS 10 Publisher’s Notes 56 Texas Saltwater The First Twenty-Five Years

Nothing On the Tube

by ROY NEVES TF&G Publisher

by CALIXTO GONZALES TF&G Saltwater Editor

16 Chester’s Notes

58 Texas Freshwater

No Daughter Left Behind

Guadalupe Bass

by CHESTER MOORE TF&G Executive Editor

by MATT WILLIAMS TF&G Freshwater Editor

18 Commentary

DEPARTMENTS 8

YOUR LETTERS

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TF&G REPORT

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BIG BAGS & CATCHES

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TRUE GREEN

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TROPHY QUEST

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TF&G ON CAMPUS

60 Texas Offshore

Wanted: Predator Hunters

Progress Made At San Bernard River

by KENDAL HEMPHILL TF&G Commentator

by CAPT. MIKE HOLMES TF&G Associate Offshore Editor

20 Doggett at Large The Art Of Setting the Hook

by JOE DOGGETT TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

22 TexasWild Muley!

by TED NUGENT TF&G Editor-at-Large

54 Hunt Texas

62 Open Season

Old Friends

Tents Moments

by BOB HOOD TF&G Hunting Editor

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by REAVIS WORTHAM TF&G Humor Editor

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Letters

FLOUNDER REVOLUTION STRIKES A CHORD

FRUSTRATION OVER PASS CLOSURES

Your Flounder Revolution article struck a real chord with me. I have been a flounder gigger my whole life and still enjoy the practice and at first I was offended when I read you were for a gigging ban in the fall run.

After reading your analogy comparing it to shooting spawning bass at night I got to thinking maybe there should be some sort of closure during the fall. In the areas I gig around Seadrift and also a little farther south around Aransas Pass, there are places it is like shooting fish in a barrel in the fall. I have no problem with a month long gigging closure. I also think a five fish limit, as you suggested, is right on so everyone including rod and reel fishermen take some of the loss.

I agree wholeheartedly with your take on the commercial operations and have also wondered how there is a market for something that is in such decline. In a perfect world we would have no closure and no bag limits but the world as you well know is far from perfect. Right now we have to do what we can do protect the resource.

Once in a while you just have to stop and ask “Why?” Does anybody know why the Corps of Engineers and Texas Parks & Wildlife Department have failed to see the long-term effects the closure of Cedar Bayou just outside of Rockport. The bayou has been sanded off for two years and no end in site seems to be in the future for the bayou.

The Corps will not return your call and seems to be put on the back burner once again. This is one of the biggest ecosystems which will not see any tidal flow until it is dredged. Vincent’s Slough runs through the island and was a huge ecosystem that fed water into San Carlos Bay which has had zero flow to this system since the last dredging. This cut off all boating traffic through the slough.

Dennis Williams Via Email Where do I begin on the possible closure of Rollover Pass? I grew up with my dad taking me fishing and camping at Rollover Pass with my brother. I cut my teeth bank fishing and wadefishing for the first time. I caught my first everything there from hard heads to croaker to flounder to sand trout to specks to reds to shark, yes, shark! My son who will be 20 this year also cut his teeth at Rollover Pass. Up until the last hurricane we still fished there. Needless to say I want Rollover to stay. The Pass generates tourism, promotes small business, creates employment and tax revenue which results in a healthy cash flow for both the county and community. Although I am too young to remember, I was told prior to the cut being dug that where the cut came into Galveston Bay the bay was stagnant because water flow from the Gulf stalled after so far into the bay.

The flow from the cut breathed new life into the bay and its ecosystem. In my opinion closing the cut will cause harm to the ecosystem we know and will also devastate a com-

K. McDaniel Via email Count me in on the Flounder Revolution! Your article in the February issue was great and your analogy about gigging in the fall run and bass spawning was brilliant. Your magazine has been the leader with flounder for a long time and I appreciate your vision and tenacity.

Buddy Callaway Via email Thank you so much for your flounder coverage over the years. Your publication through Chester Moore has done more for the species than anyone else. His latest Flounder Revolution project is another sterling example. Please keep up the good work.

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munity financially who is already recovering from a disaster and suffering from economic hard times. I am no genius but the quickest way to create a ghost town is to remove its source of income. Maybe those that want the pass closed have hidden agendas (personal greed) that include real estate and its development. Needless to say they must not be anglers.

Marcus Heflin Via Email

KUDOS FROM DU I have not had the pleasure of meeting all of you, so please let me introduce myself. My name is Rogers Hoyt, Jr. and I currently serve as Ducks Unlimited’s (DU) Senior Vice-President for Event and Volunteer Management. I wanted to write and say thank you for all that Texas Fish and Game does for DU. I would really like to say a special thanks to Chester Moore for helping deliver the DU message.

We in DU often say that we are the best kept secret in the conservation world, because we never get around to telling our story. Well, Chester has solved that problem in Texas over the past couple of years. His support of DU through the pages of your magazine have made a tremendous difference. He has been without peer in spreading the messages of what DU does and the pressing needs of the waterfowl of North America.

There is no doubt that there are more birds in the air today because of Chester. A huge thank you to Texas Fish and Game for providing the venue and a special pat on the back for Chester for being such a dedicated messenger.

We could never accomplish our goals without dedicated partners such as you.

Thanks again.

Rogers Hoyt, Jr.

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Publisher’s Notes

by Roy Neves | TF&G Publisher of every phase of TF&G’s evolution—from the early germination to its present status as the largest independently-owned regional outdoor publication in America.

But a lot of other people were also responsible for this magazine’s creation, rapid growth, and eventual success.

The First TwentyFive Years

The Highlander

“Time is gonna pass, fellas. Time is gonna pass.”

— W.T. Stapler, head football coach, Conroe High School, 1971 OACH STAPLER USED HIS “TIME WILL PASS” line a lot, many Septembers ago, as he shooed us out of the air-conditioned field house for 4-hour practices in the humid East Texas heat. And he was right.

The muscle-knotting drills, and the bonebruising full-contact scrimmaging, and the lung-collapsing wind sprints did end, eventually.

Texas Fish & Game turns 25 years old this month, and I am reminded of Coach Stapler’s words as I think about the past quarter century. Man, was he right. Time has passed. With a vengeance.

So much has happened in those 25 years, I don’t know how to describe it adequately in these few inches of space. But I will try...

Texas Fish & Game’s history actually dates back a few years earlier than 1984, and my wife Ardia and I have been a part

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Texas Fish & Game began as a quarterly insert in a weekly newspaper, The Highlander, which served Marble Falls and the Highland Lakes area west of Austin.

The paper was owned by a guy named Bill Bray, probably the single most unique personality I have ever worked with.

Bill Bray could be profane, and then he could be philosophical. He could be a real S.O.B. to employees and anyone who had the misfortune of serving him at a restaurant or bar, and then he could display a huge heart and bottomless generosity when it counted.

Working for the guy could be infuriating, but more often than not it was intellectually challenging.

The best way I can describe Bray is this: if someone ever makes a movie about the early years of Texas Fish & Game, they should cast Alec Baldwin as Bray, and have him study Rodney Dangerfield’s performance in Caddyshack. And, of course, learn a dry West Texas twang.

A lawyer by schooling, in 1968 Bray interrupted his preparations for the state bar exam to help save the struggling Highlander, owned by his mom and dad, Bob and Bea. Bray’s parents had been itinerant pub-

lishers running small newspapers across Texas since the 30s, before landing in Marble Falls, and were fighting a losing battle to keep The Highlander on its feet.

Bray never took the bar exam.

His efforts to rescue The Highlander succeeded, thanks to an uncanny talent for engulfing his bankers in a flood of data: Reams of hand-written spreadsheets and single-spaced pages typed on a tiny manual typewriter. He used this “financial waterboarding” to break their resolve and coax favorable lending terms out them. With fresh capital, he built a thriving weekly newspaper from the near-corpse he had taken off his parents’ hands. By the mid 1970s it was the largest weekly in Texas.

I came to The Highlander in 1978 as an ad salesman (not exactly where I expected to find myself two years after graduating with an advertising degree from UT and visions of assaulting Madison Avenue – but that’s another story).

As I plied my marketing and creative skills in what at first seemed a remote outpost, I quickly saw that I had landed somewhere special.

On the one hand, the small-town environment enabled me to get a crash course in publishing. On the other, Bray had put together a surprisingly sophisticated journalistic and marketing operation. The Highlander, which covered a two-county area of about 1,800 square miles, had a larger editorial staff than many mid-sized daily papers.

And this staff included talented, experienced journalists and writers who were

TF&G Timeline First issue as Texas Fish & Game: May 1984

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1986 T E X A S

Begin Publishing on Slick Paper: Jan 1988

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Classroom Subscription Program starts, Aug 1989

1989

TF&G takes over Texas Fisherman, April 1991.

Paid Distribution breaks 90,000

TF&G Moves to San Antonio, June 1990

1990

1991

1992

TF&G moves to Houston, Oct 1992

1993

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Bill Bray, not long after selling Texas Fish & Game. When he sold the magazine, he spent the next several years hunting all over the world. constantly stirring things up in local government. This controversial nature, amid a local economy beginning to awaken to its potential as a tourism and real estate boom town, kept us all on our toes.

When I got there, a guy named Dan Alvey occupied the publisher’s position.

Like me, Dan had drifted into town a few years earlier, with a fresh advertising degree and few career options. So he took a job selling ads for Bray. With a creative mind and a flair for amiable confrontation, he helped The Highlander increase both its ad revenues and its reputation for controversial news coverage, and climbed quickly in rank.

Highland Lakes Sportsman Since the area it served included not only the Highland Lakes, but also The Deer Capital of Texas, Llano, The Highlander had always featured extensive fishing and hunting coverage.

Not long after I came on board, we hired a full-time outdoors editor, a rare position for a weekly newspaper. Marvin Spivey came to The Highlander after serving as the founding editor of Texas Fisherman, then the dominant outdoor magazine in Texas.

During this same period, Ardia began working at The Highlander as Circulation Manager. In one of the most intelligent personnel moves of my career, I recognized a native sales talent in her and offered her a job as a sales rep. She took to it immediately and still, to this day, amazes me with her abilities to create genuine interest in what she is selling. (This hiring decision paid off personally a few years later, as we discovered that we not only could work together, but also live together as husband and wife).

With Marvin and his experience running a statewide fishing magazine, and Ardia and her

TF&G website FishGame.com is launched The National Fish Rapper is launched

1994

1995

Going Statewide The first couple of issues, March and April 1984, were actually under the masthead Texas All-Outdoors. Another magazine with a similar name cried foul, and we were forced to come up with a new name.

After retooling, we charged back out the gate with Texas Fish & Game in May 1984.

For the first 6 months, we distributed copies in store racks at bait shops and sporting goods stores. It wasn’t the most productve way to grow a large readership.

In 1985 we took a pretty bold step. We joined the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC), the world’s major bean-counter of distribution totals for newspapers and magazines. It’s like Nielsen Ratings for the print industry. But unlike TV’s Nielsen’s, ABC measures a publication’s paid subscribers, which are considerably more valuable to an advertiser than

Roy & Ardia Neves, with family members Ron & Stephanie Ward, take over TF&G

1996

PHOTO COURTESY OF WILLIAM DOUGLAS BRAY

exponentially growing sales drive and ability, Alvey and I saw an opportunity.

We had created a number of successful Special Issues that sold well and were popular with readers. All of us were avid hunters and fishermen, which was one of the reasons we were so content in the Highland Lakes. So we thought that a quarterly Outdoors special section would be a natural. It turned out we were right.

The Highland Lakes Sportsman was popular enough, and so much fun to do, that we became progressively more ambitious. In early 1984, we decided to break it out as a separate magazine and take it statewide.

Bray, never shy about treading into new territory, gave us his blessing and off we went.

1997

Larry Bozka replaces Marvin Spivey as TF&G Editor

1998

TF&G launches a Book Division

a reader or subscriber who gets his publication for free.

That year we also launched a devastatingly expensive multi-year marketing campaign to build the paid distribution, from virtually nothing to a high-enough level to draw national attention.

Spending over a half-million dollars the first year alone, we set out to build a large enough audience to get noticed by national advertisers.

But expensive marketing was just half of the commitment required to build — and keep — these readers. We also had to develop a quality product. Marvin recruited a Who’s Who of Texas outdoor writing talent in that first year. Headed up by Russell Tinsley, our crew of editors and contributors included Joe Doggett, Byron Dalrymple, Hal Swiggett, Buddy Gough, A.C. Becker, Ray Sasser, Bob Hood and others of that caliber.

When ABC conducted our initial audit, we had grown our paid distribution from zero to 20,000 in less than a year. The highcost marketing efforts and our high-caliber editorial team continued to attract more and more subscribers each year so that by the end of the 1980s we had a paid distribution of just under 70,000.

When, in 1986, Alvey left the company, I had been publisher of The Highlander for a couple of years, and with his departure, I assumed that role on TF&G as well.

In 1988 we converted from newsprint to slick paper, becoming a “real” magazine.

Back to School In 1989 an Ag Science teacher at Marble Falls High School called and asked for our help. He had just been assigned to a new class, Wildlife and Recreation management. Since the state’s glacial textbook review process took an average of 5 years to approve official materi-

Don Zaidle replaces Larry Bozka as TF&G Eidtor

TF&G launches the Almanac, Jan 1999

1999 T E X A S

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TF&G’s Best Selling Cover, Nov 2001, first issue after 9/11

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Publisher’s Notes Ardia and I have enjoyed some fantastic outdoor experiences while publishing TF&G, such as the time Ardia caught and released this 43-pound, 43-inch black drum on Copano Bay.

Since Fisherman was more established than we were, and our office lease in San Antonio was expiring, we decided to make another move, to Houston where Texas Fisherman was located.

Over the next 5 years, we worked to build Texas Fish & Game’s national profile while maintaining our paid distribution in the mid-90,000 range. Maintaining such a large list was almost as costly as building it.

Bray began to tire of the havoc this wreaked on the bottom line and in early 1996 he began talking about finding a buyer.

Overtaking a Larger Rival

Management Takeover

As our million-dollar marketing efforts brought Fish & Game’s distribution level neck and neck with the market leader, Texas Fisherman, that magazine’s publishers approached and wanted to talk merger.

Texas Fisherman had been around since the early 1970s and had 75,000 ABCaudited distribution. They were more successful, but our circulation gains had created a profit-draining horse race that they wanted to stop. Once merger talks began in late 1990, it became clear Bray and Fisherman’s owner could never function as partners. Merger talks became a short-lived tug of war for one side buying out the other. We wanted it more, and bought Fisherman out, absorbing their subscribers into our own distribution base.

After the merging of the two subscriber lists, and a purging of the high number of duplicates, Texas Fish & Game’s paid distribution ballooned to over 90,000.

Ardia and I both knew that this was what we wanted to do for the rest of our careers. Fearing that Bray might sell to a big publishing conglomerate, and that we would not feel comfortable — perhaps not even welcome — in such an alien culture, we decided to mount a management takeover.

Ardia’s sister, Stephanie, and her husband, Ron Ward, had lis-

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als, he didn’t have anything to teach with.

He wanted us to offer him a “special subscription rate” so he could give Texas Fish & Game to all of his students and use it as a teaching aid for the course.

As a result of that call, we developed a statewide program that quickly had over 4,000 classroom subscriptions. This program blossomed and, with the help of outdoor industry sponsors, we have increased the total reach of these subscriptions to 15,000 students per semester (30,000 a year) at no cost to local districts.

In 1990, Bray sold The Highlander. He asked Ardia and me to stay with Fish & Game. We did so, and moved the whole operation to San Antonio.

We continued our relentless quest for circulation growth, in the process earning recognition by national trade papers as one of the 10 fastest-growing magazines in any category in the nation. This recognition landed us on the cover of Folio magazine.

TF&G Timeline Texas Lakes & Bays becomes the best selling pub on Texas newsstands

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tened for years with interest as we recounted the fortunes of working in the outdoor industry. Ron grew up on a fishing resort in northern Wisconsin, and has been an avid sportsman his entire life. After retiring early from a successful career in oral surgery, he had been investing in small businesses for a number of years. One of those businesses was a big game outfitter and guide service in Montana.

Ron’s outdoor background and his interest in small business attracted him to Texas Fish & Game, and so he and Stephanie joined our venture.

On New Year’s Eve, 1996, we closed the deal and took over TF&G from Bray.

We brought Larry Bozka in to replace the departing Marvin Spivey as editor. It was the second time Bozka had followed Marvin, having replaced him when Marvin left Texas Fisherman to take the job with The Highlander that started all of this.

In 2001, Duane Hruzek joined TF&G as marketing director. Fish & Game had created Texas Lakes & Bays, in 1996, and a book division in 1998. Both had done marginally well, but

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TF&G Coastal Edition launched, Jan 2007

2006

Chester Moore named Executive Editor

2007

2008

FishGame.com, the future of Texas Fish & Game

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Ron Ward, on a duck hunt in Winnie, shortly after our takeover of Texas Fish & Game.

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many new ways, with video and audio, and dynamic, interactive tools.

Fortunately, we have a great team to make this happen. In addition to Don and Chester, Duane and our great editorial contributors, we have Jimmy Borne and Lindsay Yeates in our production department; Nicole McKibbin and Denise (Ronquille) Bell in sales; Heidi Gerke in subnot until Duane came aboard did those entities take off. Thanks to Duane’s efforts, we now have over a dozen successful book titles, and Lakes & Bays has become the best-selling outdoor title on Texas newsstands.

In early 2001, Bozka departed, and Don Zaidle, who had served as assistant editor for a year, took over as Editor. Don has overseen more dramatic content improvements in his tenure than the magazine has undergone since its inception.

One of those changes occurred in 2007 with the launching of our Coastal, Inland and North Texas regional editions. Not long after implementing this change, we also elevated Chester Moore, a longtime TF&G contributor, to the role of Executive Editor.

Together, Don and Chester have made Texas Fish & Game more interesting, more relevant, and more successful than ever.

The Future is Now Before we took over the magazine from Bray in 1996, in the early days of the internet, we created www.FishGame.com as our web incarnation.

Initially just a promotional site, FishGame.com, has evolved slowly over the years. But over the next few months, it will morph into a true extension of Texas Fish & Game. It will present not only the written work that has built a huge following for our team of expert writers, but it will enable us to do so much more.

Our business is changing. The current economic disaster is only one issue challenging publishers today. Newspapers and magazines are fighting to survive a rapid move from print to web-based information sourcing, and advertising. Texas Fish & Game is no longer just a printed product. We are a multi-media information source, staffed by highly talented and knowledgeable professionals. Technology is allowing those pros to deliver interesting, topical information in so

scription services; and Dennise Chavez, our administrator.

The future of Texas Fish & Game is going to be exciting. The first 25 years have passed in a blur of deadlines and non-stop action. Ardia and I both love what we do and, the Good Lord willing, plan to keep doing this for at least the next 25.

E-mail Roy Neves at rneves@fishgame.com

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TF&G Report

East and West Galveston Bay Trout…

Contaminated or Not? O THE SCIENTISTS AT THE TEXAS Department of State Health Services (DSHS) really know whether the speckled trout and gafftopsail catfish in all of the Galveston Bay system contain high levels of toxins?

DSHS is the agency responsible for the sampling, but fishing guide Capt. Paul Marcaccio questions their conclusions.

In 2006-2007, the largest sampling study ever done by DSHS was conducted with the aim of collecting samples from upper Trinity Bay and upper and lower Galveston Bay. Samples for East Bay were collected no further east than Hannah’s

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by Tom Behrens Reef, located at the mouth of the Bay, and Offat’s Bayou, which is at the beginning of West Bay. The resulting advisory included speckled trout and catfish for the entire East and West Bay systems.

Marcaccio wants more in-depth site sampling in East and West Bay to actually verify whether their trout and catfish do indeed have high levels of PCPs and dioxins.

“We need further studies on this issue, which affects many people in the HoustonGalveston area,” Marcaccio said.

Michael Tennant of the Seafood and Aquatic Life Group of DSHS asserts the advisories for East and West Bays are correct, even though no samplings were taken. The decision was based on migration data Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) scientists have conducted on speckled trout in the Galveston Bay system.

“These fish (speckled trout and catfish) move throughout the Galveston Bay system,” Tennant said.

“West Bay fish just don’t stay in West Bay. They move up into Trinity Bay. Fish from the Houston Ship Channel move down into lower Galveston Bay…they move all over.”

BIG BAGS & CATCHES

BLACK DRUM—Indianola Fishing Marina

DORADO—Playa del Carmen Travis Williams, age 15, caught this 45-pound Dorado dolphin in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

They were fishing from a Mexican Armada boat in 6-foot swells. It took Travis 25 minutes to reel in the dolphin.

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BUCK—Corrigan Zach Hobbs, age 13, shot his first buck, an 8point, near Corrigan, Texas. &

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Matt Hillman of Gonzales, Texas, caught and released this 42-pound black drum on light tackle at Indianola Fishing Marina.

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According to TPWD’s studies, tagged trout have been found to migrate as much as 30-40 miles from upper Galveston Bay to East Bay and 60 miles to West Bay. “I can’t live with that,” said Marcaccio, referring to the DSHS’s assumption based on the TPWD migration study.

“Someone can’t tell me the fish at San Luis Pass, Christmas Bay and Chocolate Bayou have a high PCP content without actual site sampling. That’s false and misleading. The data taken several years ago on upper Galveston Bay and Trinity Bay was taken several years ago. It might have nothing to do with samples taken today.”

Tennant cites known scientific information on PCPs and dioxins.

“PCP’s half-life is 45 years, a long time.

If we sampled the fish (in East and West Bays) the results would still be the same.

These types of contaminants don’t just disappear over night. We feel very confident in the data that we received and made the appropriate decision.”

The fish consumption advisory for the Galveston Bay system is not a new issue.

The public health situation arose back in 1990 when samplings of catfish and blue crabs were found to have high levels of PCPs and dioxins. The public was advised to limit consumption of not more than eight ounces a month. In 2001 additional advisories were issued for waters upstream of the Lynchburg Ferry and all continuous waters including the San Jacinto River.

Court rules in favor of Neches Refuge The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the July 2008 decision by Judge Jorge A. Solis in favor of the Neches River National Wildlife Refuge (NWR).

The City of Dallas and the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) had filed suit hoping to overturn creation of the Neches River NWR and make way for a reservoir Dallas predicts might be needed in fifty years. Instead, Judge Solis upheld the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) 2006 creation of the refuge.

“This is wonderful news!” said Janice Bezanson, executive director of Texas Conservation Alliance (TCA).

“The Neches River Refuge is exceptional wildlife habitat, one of the most important wildlife areas left in Texas. Thousands of Texans wrote letters or signed petitions in support of its creation.”

Dallas and TWDB contended the Service failed to meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act by failing in several ways to do an adequate environmental assessment and by failing to cooperate with state and local officials.

After careful review, Judge Solis disagreed with the allegations and denied motions by Dallas and TWDB to require a more detailed environmental study. Dallas and TWDB appealed Judge Solis’ decision. Thursday a three-judge panel affirmed the lower court ruling.

Biologists say the land within the boundaries of the Neches River NWR is some of the least disturbed and highest-quality bottomland hardwood forest left in Texas, rated Priority 1 for acquisition by the Service. By contrast, the reservoir proposed for the site is one of many water supply options available to Dallas Water Utilities.

Bezanson described the hardwood forests to be protected in the Refuge as “fabulous”. Towering oaks and hickories shelter wildlife and provide the nuts and acorns that deer, squirrel, turkey, and other animals depend on in winter.

Bushes, smaller plants, and understory trees such as dogwoods provide a diverse array of food for resident animals. The Refuge is located in the heart of the North American Central Flyway, the major “highway” for and migrating ducks and songbirds. The waters of the Neches River sustain the exceptional habitat of the Big Thicket National Preserve, the Davy Crockett and Angelina National Forests, various state parks and wildlife management areas, and the Sabine Lake estuary.

“The Fish and Wildlife Service has been barred from acquiring land for the refuge, pending outcome of the appeal,” Bezanson said.

“Conservationists are poised to donate several thousand acres to the refuge as soon as the ruling is final. We look forward to celebrating a wonderful new refuge on the Neches!”

Texas Conservation Alliance, Friends of the Neches River, and a number of other organizations are proposing that the Neches River be studied for potential inclusion in the Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Designating the Neches as a Wild and Scenic River would protect the river and enhance its value for tourism.

—Staff Report

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Chester’s Notes

by Chester Moore | TF&G Executive Editor

No Daughter Left Behind Y WIFE LISA AND I HAD BEEN THROUGH A long and often stressful adoption process, having quite literally traveled across the world to get this little girl who we very properly named Faith.

Emotions ran high as a dream came true and this beautiful child became part of our family. Coming from a special needs orphanage she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and was not supposed to be able to walk or talk. One medical report labeled her as “slightly retarded” and had we not taken her in, Faith’s prospects would have been grim.

I am happy to report the Lord gave us a different diagnosis and our little angel is walking and talking and is already the smartest member of our family according to my grandmother.

I write this not to document our adoption but to celebrate the opportunities all children, male and female, have in the United States of America. And as a lifelong lover of hunting and fishing, I think it is extremely important to not leave our daughters behind as we venture in the wild of Texas and beyond.

My father, Chester Moore, Sr., is the one who introduced me to the outdoors but my mother Gloria tagged along on many trips and fully supported my passion for all things fish and hunt. My aunt, Brenda Moore, hunted with us on many occasions and was there most of the time my uncle Jackie went fishing. To me, a woman participating in the outdoors was just a matter of fact.

During our adoption process several acquaintances told me they were surprised I would want to adopt a girl.

“Don’t you want a boy to carry on your outdoors tradition?” one of them asked.

“I figured you would want a son to fish and hunt with you,” another said.

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I’ll never forget the first time I held my daughter.

It would be easy to get offended at such statements but I chose to take the high road and realize some people meant no harm while others are just clueless.

There is still a small portion of the outdoors community who think this is some sort of men’s club but the vast majority welcome women with open arms and enjoy spending time in the field with their wives and girlfriends.

As parents it is important for us to spend quality time with our children, forging common interests and there is no better place to do this than in a boat or in the woods. Your daughter might be too young to shoot a gun but she can probably tag along looking for shed antlers, riding the four-wheeler or catching bluegills on the family pond.

Beyond all things, children want our attention and by venturing outside and escaping the television and computer, you have a golden opportunity to be parent and child with no interruptions.

That is a precious commodity these days.

Imagine your child catching their first croaker or seeing their first red-tailed hawk or whitetail buck. Those are memories that will last a lifetime and as the years pass will serve to draw you closer.

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being a future duck calling champion, fly fishing expert, dedicated deer hunter or maybe even a flounder crusader like her father. Then again, her interests could run more toward dance, music or cheerleading and that is fine by me. Lisa and I will be there to support her no matter if she’s wearing camo or a tutu.

The point is, she will have the same opportunities as a boy to thrive in the great outdoors and while she might not end up a hardcore hunter or angler, I have a feeling she will at least love the great outdoors in some fashion. Most children do if they are given the opportunity and there is no way I will leave Faith behind because she is a girl.

She might choose to sleep in on cold mornings like her mother often does but the opportunity will always be there whether I am slugging it out with specks in the surf, hunkered down in a duck blind or simply taking a walk in the woods.

(To contact Chester Moore, e-mail him at cmoore@fishgame.com. You can hear him on the radio Fridays from 6-7 p.m. on Newstalk AM 560 KLVI or online at www.klvi.com.)

PHOTO BY CHESTER MOORE, JR.

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Commentary

by Kendal Hemphill | TF&G Commentator

N THE WAY HOME FROM A FAMILY TRIP TO Guadalupe Mountains National Park a couple of years ago I met a rancher in Balmorhea who runs five sections between there and Ft. Stockton. In the course of our conversation he told me his most recent calf crop had been cut nearly in half by predators.

This rancher was not the only one hit hard by coyotes, bobcats, cougars, and other meat-eaters. You can hardly sling a cat in west Texas without hitting a cat, or some other large, carnivorous critter. Ranching in the Trans-Pecos region of the Lone Star State has always been a chancy proposition, and predator depredation is probably the single largest cause of livestock mortality, and pocketbook mortality, facing stockmen today.

The previous January, I hunted quail at Black Gap Wildlife Management Area (WMA), which butts up against the east side of Big Bend National Park. I looked into the possibility of doing some varmint calling during that hunt and found it was not allowed. This seemed strange, since there is no better country for predator hunting. It is, without question, a target-rich environment.

In January 2008, my three sons and I again hunted blue quail at Black Gap, and learned that park employees were busy trapping cougars, trying to thin out the big cats.

Desert bighorn sheep had been reintroduced into the area and TPWD officials were hoping to give them a fighting chance. Even so, hunters were not then and are not now,

allowed to shoot predators at Black Gap, unless they run across them while hunting other game.

Cougar populations, incidentally, are on the upswing in far Southwest Texas. Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine ran a cover story in the April 2008 issue entitled ‘Cougar Country, Are mountain lions running out of room?’ Big Bend, especially, has become a haven for the big cats. Fears they will wipe out the desert bighorn sheep are well founded.

Since predator hunting is probably the fastest growing sport in the outdoor world today, it occurred to me that TPWD has an excellent situation here. One of their main goals is to provide hunter opportunity. They need the big cats, coyotes and other predators thinned out. So, instead of wasting time and money having park employees do it, they could open up Black Gap WMA to predator hunting, or at least allow a limited number of hunters to come in, during late winter and early spring, and hunt lions.

More checking gleaned the fact that some WMAs allow predator hunting, but only those in the eastern part of the state. Granger WMA, just north of Austin, is the furthest west where this is currently allowed.

So I asked TPWD Executive Director Carter Smith what criteria were used in determining what species are hunted where.

He said the managers of the various WMAs pretty much decide that and I should check with them. If a manager determines he has too many coyotes, he can recommend that the TPWD directors open his area up for coyote hunting.

There are other concerns, of course. The department often has extra personnel on hand during hunts at the various WMAs, to deal with unfortunate eventualities, such as lost or injured hunters. And no doubt there is a certain amount of ubiquitous paperwork whenever changes are made, but these problems are not insurmountable.

I’ve come to the conclusion that predator hunting is not allowed on WMAs in West Texas because not enough predator hunters

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have asked for it. Some probably have, but those requests, because they have likely been made to several different WMA managers, have not raised enough dust to fog the air in Austin.

So I’ve decided to try to see if there is enough interest in predator hunting to incite TPWD to consider allowing it on some WMAs in West Texas, at least on a trial basis. A hundred requests, made haphazardly to ten different managers, will do no good. Efforts should be concentrated and focused on one person.

That person is Linda Campbell, who oversees public hunting for TPWD. If you want to help, send Linda a letter, a nice letter, requesting that she consider opening up a particular area for predator hunting. But before you write the letter, do your homework.

TPWD will not allow predator hunting unless the numbers support the perceived need for animal control. Find out if there is an abundance of varmints in and around the area in question, and provide proof. Make specific recommendations, with specific reasoning, for specific locations. A vague “I’d like to shoot bobcats somewhere in West Texas” will do no good.

The more letters Linda receives, the more likely she is to accommodate the predator hunters of Texas. This is logical, since TPWD does not want to expend time and effort to provide hunter opportunity that is not needed or wanted.

TPWD is here to help us. It cannot do that unless we help ourselves.

Write to Linda Campbell c/o Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept., 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744

E-mail Kendal Hemphill at commentary@fishgame.com

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Doggett at Large

by Joe Doggett | TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

T FIRST GLANCE I ASSUMED THE FISH cruising along the saltgrass shoreline was a red. We were in redfish water, a quiet cove along the Matagorda Island shoreline near Aransas Pass.

But the color of the long, slim fish was wrong. It was too dark, almost black on the back. It was a grand “upper 20’s” speckled trout. I could see the bold spots now, and the flash of silver as the trout slid left-to-right through the knee-deep water.

The big sow was unaware of guide Billy Trimble’s skiff and, best of all, I was armed with a fly rod and poised on the bow. Sightcasting opportunities do not get any better along the Texas coast. The 8-weight Orvis Helios put a smooth backhand loop in the air and drove the white Seaducer streamer across the water.

I came through in the clutch, an occurrence over big trout not always to be taken for granted. The 15-pound-test leader turned over and the fly dropped with a soft splat about six feet in front of and slightly beyond the coasting fish. The presentation was perfect. Fly masters Lefty Kreh and Stu Apte could not have collaborated for a better effort.

The trout saw the offering and visibly stiffened. It went from passive to predator and seemed to sparkle in the sunlit shallows.

It shot forward and the mouth opened and the gill plates flared. I felt the turning fish and all that remained was to lift the rod smartly to drive the hook into the corner of the jaw.

Instead, with clinched teeth, I pointed the tip at the fish and yanked the fly line straight back as hard as possible. The leader

snapped and the startled trout shook its head and darted into deeper water.

Trimble let out a great sigh and shook his head. “You were a little hot there on that strip strike, weren’t you? It was a trout, not a tarpon!”

That was the problem. I was programmed for tarpon. The week before, I had been fishing for “baby” tarpon with outfitter Kenny Murph at Casa Blanca Lodge in the Yucatan. The 10- to 20-pound juvenile tarpon in the mangrove creeks and lagoons are great sport on flies.

And the proven way to hook them is with an aggressive “strip strike.” The straight-line yank with the rod pointed at the turning fish helps set the hook in the tarpon’s hard mouth; indeed, the uplifted rod flick used to hook soft-mouthed species such as speckled trout (and freshwater trout) is certain to bring a howl of protest from any salty tarpon guide. It is the absolute wrong thing to do, transferring virtually no energy to the metalplated maw.

That recent misdirection of 8-weight line was a good example of the variables of striking fish. There is no such thing as a typical hook-set. This is a truth to consider as another warm-water fishing season heats up.

Hook-setting technique can vary not only from fish to fish but from lure to lure. In bass fishing, for example, the Texas-rigged, bottom-bumping plastic worm demands a vigorous wide-arc snatch from a powerful rod to cut through the plastic and overcome line stretch and water resistance to reach the hoary jaw. In contrast, a thin-minnow floating/diving plug with thin-wire trebles requires only a quick flick from a limber tip; the bass striking on or near the surface practically hooks itself.

The increasing popularity of circle hooks for offshore fishing provides another fine example. A violent sweep of the rod up or to the side which is the correct reaction for setting a traditional “J” hook almost certainly will yank the circle hook from the mouth of the fish.

The high-percentage technique with a circle hook is to do nothing. Leave the rod in a holder and set the reel drag to slip with a

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moderate pull. The fish swallowing the bait will swim off, causing the hook to rotate up from the throat against the moderate tension and set in the jaw.

The sport fisherman wanting more hands-on application can hold the rod and free-spool line to the running fish before throwing the reel in gear and cranking hard with the rod pointed straight down the line.

This modified technique is most effective for bait-and-switch action when trolling with teasers and ready-rigged baits; the free-spool “drop back” allows ample time for the teased fish (usually a sailfish) to swallow the circlehooked ballyhoo or mullet that is lobbed into the wake.

Either way, do not yank.

On the subject of yanking, when using lures or flies with conventional hooks make certain the fish has the offering in its mouth before pulling the trigger. It can be horrifyingly easy to over-react when sight-casting in clear water. You see the mouth open and you snatch the counterfeit from the jaws of success. Few moments in all of angling are more galling than “burning the lip” of a trophy fish doing its suicidal best to get caught.

The rule is, don’t hit until you feel the fish. Don’t trust your eyes. Remember, when blind casting you don’t react until the weight of a striking fish transmits up the line. Same deal.

The same rule applies to topwater fishing. Many fish strike short so, no matter how much commotion is occurring, keep moving and teasing the lure until something comes tight. And, when striking a topwater fish, try to sweep the rod to the side. This angle keeps the lure on or near the surface in case you fail to connect. The same fish or a following schoolmate might grab it. Also a consideration, the side-arm angle keeps the missed lure from flying back in you face.

Various situations exist during the charged moments of striking a fish and techniques can vary considerably. But all have one thing in common: Wait for weight before attempting to bend the rod.

E-mail Joe Doggett at doggett@fishgame.com

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Ted Nugent’s TexasWild

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

EPT. 10, 1975, AND YOUNG TED WAS STALKING a steep and slippery slope of the seemingly endless Umcompadre National Forest on the Western range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. And John Denver was right; I was indeed Colorado Rocky Mountain “high”. Like 10,000 feet high and huffing for oxygen. Gripping my trusty Bear take-down recurve, I did my best to thoroughly scan the wilderness terrain around me as I cautiously tiptoed my way from quakie stand to oak brush clump. It was heaven on earth.

I do not know how a bowhunter, specifically hunting for mule deer in the heart of mule deer habitat, can possibly be caught off guard when mule deer show up, but with a bouncing “boing-boing-boing” catapulted three enormous mule deer bucks, jolting me into momentary shock.

Three very wide velvety racks came bounding from above and to my left just 20 yards before me. An immediate, pure primal scream ignited the rawest of predator instincts deep in my guts as my bow swung up, arrow drawn back, and I burned a hole into the crease behind the leg of the last and largest buck all in about one second. The vision is branded onto my psyche to this very day, (if only I could shoot like this every time) as my turkey fletched aluminum arrow vanished into the very hair I was looking at, and the buck ran 40 yards and piled up.

This tall, wide, handsome 28 inch 5x5 beast literally took my breath away. It was not only my first antlered bow killed mule deer, it was my first antlered bow killed any deer, and I about came unglued.

That moment in time, many, many years ago, at the tender age of 27, was beyond my Michiganiac whitetail bowhunting dreams.

The bigness of Colorado, the exoticness of the mountains and our remote deer camp, the lessons from Ron Chamberlain and Jerry Byrum and the guys, the thrill of pursuing what Fred Bear had inspired in me, manifested in the dynamo that is big, fat heavy horned mule deer in the great American wilderness.

Yowza!

Surely, there is no replacement for the mighty whitetail deer in my life. In fact, like all my hunting buddies, I admit that my life would be nothing without this amazing wild beast. But like the whitetail, the uniquely American mule deer embodies all things wild and free, and he turns me on like a house afire.

Here we are in 2009, and I am still at it, but well into the extreme. I am fanatical. Radical. Over the top. Obsessed. Possessed.

Loony. Backstrap addicted. And damn proud of it.

Having just bagged two dandy mulies in the gorgeous sand dunes of West Texas with Gary Sitton, Fred Wight and John Bermea, I now headed to the wilds of the Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico’s Sacramento Mountains. Hunting with Harry Woods Guides and Outfitting on the mountaintop lands of Vietnam vet hero Bloodbrother Jerry Dollins, I hunkered down in a Double Bull blind on a burned out slope in the freezing cold of January, bow still in hand.

A gaggle of mule deer does had cautiously made their way towards the old livestock water tank, and were skirting some old fencing when their heads went erect and they all gazed into the thick oakbrush scrub uphill. Another large doe effortlessly leapt over the barbwire fence with a mature 3x3 buck right on her tail.

Then another smaller 3x3 joined in and the show was on.

Though smack dab in the wilderness across the mountain from the famed Mescalero Indian reservation, Jerry has a private homestead where livestock and wild horses graze and water. Joining the domestic and feral critters at the remote water tank are flocks of wild Merriam’s turkey, Rocky Mountain elk, mule deer, Mearn’s, Montezuma and blue quail, coyotes and bobcats, a whirlwind of songbirds and birds of prey, plus the occasional mountain lion and wild pig. A true animal lover’s spectacle if ever there was one, and my Double Bull blind provided a ringside seat.

Attempting the near impossible, I had frustrated myself no end, time after time trying to operate the HD vidcam on my Bogg Gear tripod so as to capture the moment of

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truth for our Spirit of the Wild TV show on Outdoor Channel. Whenever a shooter buck would approach a broadside moment, I missed out in the brief moment it took me to settle the vidcam and try to prepare for the shot. I was going nuts. But good nuts, moved by the beauty of mule deer all around me.

After much torture and fun grief, my #2 favorite buck approached from the tank nosing a big mature doe. I pushed the record button and swung the vidcam lens in his general direction without zooming, snapped my Scott release on the string loop and made my predator ballet move. It was working!

THUMP! At about 20 yards, the pretty zebra arrow center shot the bruiser as he high kicked and scrambled out of there pronto. I liked it, but as always, we ask ourselves, “too far back?”

I made my adrenalin charged emotional statement on film, and then snuck back to the bunkhouse to inform Harry Wood and Jerry what had happened. Harry had seen the shot from the window and watched the buck lay down above camp. Four does were standing and looking at the bedded buck, so we decided to vamoose and head down to Cloudcroft for some Texas Pit BBQ chow to kill some time before recovering my prize.

Lunch was great, and after a brief search, bloodhound bird dog Jerry Dollins found the buck stone cold dead just a few yards from where he had bedded, obviously dead shortly after being hit with the razor-sharp Magnus BuzzCut broadhead.

Just like nearly forty years before, Bloodbrothers erupted into joyous celebration on a wilderness mountain slope, admiring, praising and fondling a handsome mule deer beast that fortified our souls. The dandy, old, tall 3x3 was a real trophy for this old bowhunter.

For details about the amazing mule deer and elk hunting opportunities in New Mexico, contact HarryWoodoutfitting.com or Sunrize Safaris at TedNugent.com.

The adventure will cleanse the soul.

E-mail Ted Nugent at bowhunting@fishgame.com

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by Calixto Gonz alez

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he first time I ever fished with ballyhoo was on a rainy, snotty day in April.

Capt. Jimmy Martinez had been trying to get me on the water for months, and I finally had a break in my schedule. An upper level low decided to park itself over Laguna Madre at the same time, and dumped a bunch of fresh water into the bay. Fishermen would head out, fish for a bit, and come back with empty coolers and wet clothes.

Martinez was undaunted.

“This is a good day to fish!” he chirped merrily as we pulled up along the edge of a long sandbar. “They’re here, and we’re ready!”

He reached into his cooler and pulled out a bag of fresh ballyhoo. He cut a large one on into three chunks and tossed me the head section. “Put that on your hook and toss it out. Skip it back along the drop-off.

Needless to say, I was skeptical. I feathered a cast out to the grassline and started walking the bait back. A 26-inch redfish stopped it midway to the boat.

Over the next three hours, Martinez and I caught nine fat trout and five redfish, all on ballyhoo. Most of the other fishermen brave enough to venture out did not catch many fish.

“Another day saved by the ‘hoo,” crowed Martinez as he and I hauled the heavy cooler to the cleaning station.

PHOTO BY CALIXTO GONZALEZ

Cut ballyhoo is a popular bait in South Texas but it can be effective anywhere.

Redfish and Trout Candy Ballyhoo will rarely make an angler’s list of selected baits for inshore predators such as speckled trout and redfish. Those slender, silver baitfish are offshore staples the world over, but inshore fishermen rely on shrimp, mullet, pinfish, or a handful of other proven baits to put fish in the boat.

The crazy thing is that ballyhoo is not just a good bait all the time. Sometimes, it is the only bait that will work, like I learned on that rainy April day.

“I had never heard of using (ballyhoo) inshore until I moved here from Florida,” said Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Lower Laguna Madre Ecosystem Leader Mark Lingo, “I do know that ballyhoo is a very,

very popular bait for predatory species like speckled trout and redfish down here.”

Lingo explains that it would make sense for ballyhoo to be an effective trout and redfish bait. Hemiramphus brasiliensis and other halfbeaks are plentiful in shallow, grassy bays and estuaries such as Upper and Lower Laguna Madre, especially from spring to early fall. Their oily flesh is high in calories and protein, and their slender profile makes even larger ballyhoo easier to swallow than other forage species of similar size.

Ballyhoo are most plentiful beginning in early spring, with young-of-the-year ‘hoos recruiting into the biomass. These fry grow

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quickly and are fully recruited when they are 4 to 6 inches long. These medium-sized halfbeaks move out onto grass flats, where they remain until the reach 12 to 14 inches, when they move out passes and inlets and into the open Gulf.

The medium-sized ballyhoo are commonly referred to as “greenbacks” or “trout candy,” and rival live shrimp as the most popular natural bait along the South Texas Coast. During peak season (April to September), bait shops such as White Sands Marina get between 60 and 80 bags of five live ballyhoo each every week. The shipment rarely last more than five days.

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Night Duty The young-of -the-year ballyhoo school around the lights of piers and docks, where predators attack them with abandon. Trout get so involved in tearing into these juvenile halfbeaks that they will eschew every other bait. I have fished pier lights on more than one early spring night and seen solid two to four pound trout rolling and chasing ‘hoo’s under the light, only to have them completely ignore traditional baits such as live shrimp and finger mullet. Even the ever popular “speck rig,” tandem jigs with night-glo plastic tails which have accounted for literally millions of speckled trout over the years, did not warrant a second glance. It can be the sort of situation that will leave anglers talking to themselves.

Some fishermen take the fine-meshed nets and try and scoop a few for bait.

Fishermen who are able to scoop up a few of these pint-sized ballyhoo use them on traditional free-line rigs: a small hook (usually a #6 or #4 treble hook, although a #2 flounder or octopus-style hook won’t damage deep-hooked fish as much), no leader, 10-to12 pound mainline, and a #2 split-shot. If there are skip jack or redfish around the lights, then a short length of 20-pound flourocarbon may be in order. The small split shot provides enough weight to get the bait down below the surface, but is still light enough to allow a natural presentation.

When the line slowly comes tight, then the angler lifts the rod tip and hooks up to an angry fish.

“It is a lot of work, but those little 2- and 3-inch ‘hoos are awesome bait,” Martinez said. “I have seen some really big trout, real pigs, caught under the lights that way.”

fishermen make long casts towards sand pockets as the wind pushes the boat across the flat. As the boat moves closer to the bait, the angler reels in the slack line.

When redfish and trout are aggressively feeding in fall, Martinez takes a greenback, breaks off the bill, and cuts off the rear third of the bait. He pins the ’hoo onto the same 3/0 khale hook that works drift fishing. He then works the bait as he would a topwater.

The bait darts and skips like a fleeing ballyhoo, while the exposed meat leaves a scent

trail that trout and redfish pick up and zero in on.

“I have seen a big redfish come from a long way off to eat a skipped ’hoo,” Martinez said. “When they take the bait, it sounds like a cherry bomb going off in the it.”

It can make the unsuspecting fisherman ask, eyes wide, “What was THAT?” Not what, but ‘Hoo?

Feeling Flat Larger ballyhoo, even the big horse ballyhoo, which are often colloquially referred to as “blackbacks”, are staples among flats fishermen. Larger trout and redfish keep their figures by preferentially feeding on finfish such as pinfish, croaker, small grunts—and ballyhoo.

Fishing with ballyhoo doesn’t involve much sophistication. A single-hook bottom rig with a 1-ounce bell sinker and a 3/0 Kahle-style or circle hook is perfect. Drift T E X A S

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by Chester Moore, Jr.

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love crappie.

No, I mean I really love crappie.

In fact, I would probably rather catch a crappie than any other fish. That might come as a shock to those of you who know me for my saltwater writing but I have a serious passion for crappie and it has grown over the years.

There are lots of great waterways for crappie fishing in Texas but over the last few years two have really caught my eye for consistency in action and impressive sized fish: Sam Rayburn and Lake Conroe.

Without a doubt, Sam Rayburn is the most overlooked crappie fishery in East Texas. That is because it is mainly known for its awesome largemouth bass production and for hosting national tournaments.

My father Chester Moore, Sr. and I fished with our friend, guide Roger Bacon, there and always bring home a two-man limit of 50 crappie after fishing only a few hours.

Our best trip was four men, 100 crappie, three hours. He utilizes a pontoon boat for a fun day of fishing with plenty of room and

usually as many crappie as his clients can contend with, plus some.

“The fishing for brush pile crappie is amazing from late spring through fall. This is a place you can fish after some of the other lakes supposedly ‘turn off ’ after the spawn.

At this point, the fishing pressure on Rayburn really starts to wind down but if anglers want to catch crappie, the fishing is solid right now,” Bacon said.

The key factor is the wind. It is hard to fish main lake brush when the wind is blowing fiercely across the big reservoir.

“If the winds are slow and the lake is calm, the fishing is good. The fish hit on brush out on the main lake and the crappie are usually about 12 to 15 feet down. We will usually start fishing them deep and then move up because in most cases they are more likely to be deep than shallow but you never know. Sometimes these fish will throw you a curveball,” Bacon said.

Live shiners have been the best choice for anglers wanting to bring home a limit of these tasty pan fish, but jigs also produce.

Bacon recommends anglers rigging up with six pound test like Ande Back Country and be prepared to be tangled and perhaps bro-

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Rick Summers caught this big crappie while fishing with guide Roger Bacon on Sam Rayburn. ken off by big fish.

“You’re going to get hung up on the brush piles and will catch other species besides crappie,” he said.

On our trip, my father and I caught several largemouths, a yellow bass and a couple of channel cats alongside the crappie.

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Anglers can expect to catch lots of fish in the 11 to 12-inch class and occasionally a few big fish.

“Rayburn has some really big crappie on it. Most of the fish you catch will be good eating-sized but it’s certainly possible to get a wall hanger here,” Bacon said.

“We catch some really big fish. Most of them are black crappie but on most trips we catch a nice white or two and then a couple of times a year we pull out a white that’s a true head-turner. My customers like catching those big whites,” he added.

Conroe is another outstanding crappie fishery. A few years ago I spoke with veteran Conroe Guide Tex Bonin who has so much faith in the crappie fishing on his home lake that he will not take out anglers unless he is catching lots of fish. He probably has 50 brush piles ranging from shallow to deep.

Most of the year though the crappie hang out in the deeper brush in 18-22 feet of water.

He advises anglers wanting to intercept Conroe’s brush-loving crappie to employ good electronics because most of its brush piles are submerged around main lake structure like creeks, humps, roadbeds and points.

“It’s very difficult to pinpoint good locations or to sink brush without a depth-finding device here,” Bonin said.

“There are so many brush piles in fact that you’ll never find the right ones for the big crappie unless you’re able to look at the bottom with great detail. Finding the structure on top of structure is important,” he added.

Anglers not familiar with brush pile locations should cruise the lake with a good pair of polarized sunglasses and look for submerged marker buoys. The buoys that are submerged and covered with green slime are the ones you want to look for. These are the ones some of the hard-core crappie anglers put out and they usually hold plenty of fish.

Pay special attention to your electronics.

When you run around some of these markers you may come across a smallish brush pile right off, but there are usually bigger ones around it and they’re the ones that hold most of the fish. Also, there are many peripheral fish or ones that hang on the outside of the big school. You can catch some of these peripheral fish, but will have much better luck working over the major concentration of fish.

Crappie fishing is exciting for a number of reasons. When you are on the fish, you

are usually “on” the fish so there is rarely a dull moment. Crappie are arguably North America’s most beautiful freshwater species and make an impressive grip and grin photograph. This is especially true when the stringer is so heavy you can barely lift it.

Most importantly to most anglers however is the taste. Crappie are culinary heaven with no peers in freshwater and equaling the saltwater elites like flounder and red snapper. It is quite simply amazing.

If you have never been crappie fishing, now is a great time to give it a try. Call one of these guides or one on your home body of water or try it on your own. You will not be disappointed and will quite possibly become addicted to this fine, freshwater fish.

I know I am.

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by Paul Bradshaw

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very now and then you have to do something illogical, irrational or potentially dangerous.

You reluctantly tell relatives about it because you do not want to be known as “that cousin” at the family reunion. If you speak with my wife, she will tell you I have enough “illogical” moments for about six people, like my recent alligator hunting adventure.

Alligator hunting has always been a one of those things on my outdoor todo list and last year I got to mark it off.

Alligators are no longer on the endangered species list and in spite of common perception, they are everywhere.

That log you sometimes bump into while wading to put out decoys is not always a log, and that is what brought up this hunting opportunity. A coworker, Charles Loving, was having a small alligator problem at his duck lease. Well, it was actually a rather large one. In fact, it was large enough to turn a retriever into dinner, so the gator had to go.

Alligators are in season during the spring (April through June) in the non-core counties, which have a fall season and are located in the southeastern part of the state. (Check the regulations to see if you live in a core county).

Methods include a hook and line (most popular), archery, alligator gig, hand-held snare, and firearm. Gators can only be hunted from private property, but you may use a hook and line on private property and place the line in public water, then use a firearm to dispatch the alligator after it is caught.

You cannot, however, shoot across public waters to take a free-swimming gator. You need to a have a valid Texas hunting license but in Spring an alligator tag is not necessary. After you take one, send in the information to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department along with $20 and then you will receive a tag.

Now, back to my alligator trip. If you happened to see a silver Dodge driving through the Pineywoods last spring with three men in the cab and 34

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Taking an alligator by bow is a real challenge and requires special legally-required gear. The arrow must be barbed like those used for bowfishing and the line must be of at least 300 pound test and securely attached to to the bow.

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20 foot cane poles strapped to the top, that was me. I wear my redneck heritage proudly.

I recruited my dad and another long-time hunting companion (Chris), who has actually hunted alligators before, for this trip.

Following Charles down a half mud, half fire and brimstone road to the pond that held the alligator, I started thinking this might not have been one of my better ideas. Parking near the pond, Charles exited his truck followed by his daughter Cassidy. Surveying the pond, we decided to set two hook and line sets, one in an opening where the trucks were parked, the other along a slide where the alligator moved across the dam from the pond to a surrounding swamp. A line set consists of a stout rope (minimum 300 lb breaking strength according to State law) connected to a steel leader with a big hook on the end. The rope is tied to a tree on the bank, while the baited hook and leader is suspended over the water using one of the cane poles formerly strapped to my truck.

Our choice of bait was a turkey because, well, that is what I had in the freezer but most alligator hunters bait their line with a rancid chicken carcass. Setting the first line was a piece of cake. Since we were right by

the truck, however, the second was a bit harder because we had to slog through a marsh and knee-deep brush. For some reason only Chris and I elected to set the second line while the others stayed back and the truck to “watch the first set.”

Standing on the dam on the opposite bank from the truck, I knew what a wildebeest in a National Geographic special must feel like as it starts drinking at the river. It did not help when I heard Cassidy call out, “There he is!” How she knew it was a “he” I will never know but I was not about to argue because 50 yards away was the largest lizard I had ever seen. When she followed it up with “He’s coming your way,” I knew it was time to go.

The second set was put out remarkably faster than the first. There is just something about hunting an animal that can eat you if you screw up that makes the hunt much more interesting. The typical procedure for hunting with a hook and line is to leave the set out overnight when the alligators are most active. With such a bold alligator, our hopes were high. So when we returned the next day, Charles not only had Cassidy with him but had brought along his step-son, Trevor,

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and wife, Tammy, who just happened to bring a video camera. I have seen those home video shows on television. Nothing good ever happens when the video camera is turned on. It was a great feeling when we pulled up and saw the turkey missing and the rope disappearing into the water. It was even a better feeling when we pulled on the rope and it pulled back. As Charles was pulling on the rope to bring the gator in, Cassidy eased down toward the water to get the first look. Charles tried to explain to her, “I can hold onto the rope to keep it from running away but it won’t do much to stop it if it decides to run on shore.” Cassidy quickly retreated to the truck. I would like to say that the alligator gave a huge struggle but it would be a lie. The animal had been on the rope a while and was fought out enough that we were able to drag it on shore and quickly dispatch it with a single shot to the head.

Well, almost a single shot.

We did find out that unless you hit them in the brain they have a tendency to come back to life later.

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black shape slipped through the waist high saplings quietly but yet in a determined fashion.

Its shaped obscured by the brush greatly contrasted with the thick mist in the air, creating a haunting image on this cool morning last November.

Ray Feldman raised his rifle to get a better look at what he assumed was a large feral hog coming his way.

“By the time I got my crosshairs on it, the animal had turned broadside and was about 75 yards out. It would have been an easy shot but something just wasn’t right so I looked closer and realized what I was looking at was not a hog at all but a black bear and a pretty big one at that,” Feldman said.

Appearing to be about 200 pounds, the husky animal eventually walked briefly into the open and then disappeared into a ravine.

What makes it so unusual is this did not happen in Arkansas or Tennessee where black bears are common but in the Angelina National Forest near Sam Rayburn Reservoir.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) biologists have documented several reliable bear sightings in recent years in eastern Texas. According to them, some of the most recent evidence has been verified by photos of bears taken by motion-sensitive cameras installed at deer feeders.

Additionally, TPWD has documented bears making a slow and natural return in the Trans Pecos since 1984, when a black bear was observed in Big Bend National Park for the first time in nearly 50 years Black bears are coming back to Texas, so what does that mean for hunters and other outdoor lovers?

Nothing for most that will never encounter a bear, however, these are large, potentially dangerous predators that deserve the respect of us treating them like a wild animal.

According to Paul Davidson of the Black Bear Conservation Committee, bears in neighboring Louisiana do not bother people.

“There have been no attacks on humans and we have fairly high bear densities in some areas. The only problems that occur are when people start feeding bears,” he said.

The general rule is that a fed bear is a

dead bear because wildlife officials often have to kill bears that get used to human handouts. That is changing in Louisiana.

“We’ve developed a nuisance bear control program utilizing black mouth currs, which are a fearless dog that is popular with hog hunters in Texas,” Davidson said.

“We have trained the currs to chase the bears and have found them to be very useful.

Since we have been using the dogs to chase the nuisance bears we haven’t had to kill any,” he added, noting such a problem could easily be instituted in Texas.

Davidson said that black bears, if not fed, keep to themselves and are quite shy animals.

“The people who live around bears in Louisiana are for the most part happy they’re around. It’s exciting for people to see them or just know they are there,” he said.

TPWD biologist in Tyler Nathan Garner said there are two sub-species of black bear are found in Texas.

The American black bear, occurs mainly in the western and central parts of the state.

The Louisiana black bear is the sub-species

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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists using radio telemtry to track bears in neighboring Louisiana.

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found historically in East Texas. The distinction is significant because the Louisiana black bear is on the federal threatened species list, while the American black bear in Texas is not. Garner noted a casual observer would not be able to tell the two apart.

“The black bear is a part of Texas’ natural heritage and forest ecology, the Louisiana black bear is on the federal threatened species list and is thus the focus of an ongoing restoration effort in Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma, and black bears appear to be poised for a slow return in East Texas,” said Nathan Garner, TPWD wildlife division regional director in Tyler.

A possible stumbling block in the bear’s return to the region is poaching, which still looms large in some areas. Shooting a Louisiana black bear is a State and a Federal crime and since they come under auspices of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), fines could be as high as $25,000 and come with six months jail time.

“Someone doesn’t even want to think about shooting one of these bears,” said Col. Peter Florez, TPWD’s chief game warden.

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Black Bear Poster Posters proclaiming “Don’t Shoot!” black bears have been grabbing the attention of hunters in throughout the Pineywoods of East Texas. Seeing one of these posters in the Oct. 2008 edition of TF&G is why Ray Feldman held off on shooting the bear he saw last year.

“I saw the poster and red the article and thought, “I better err on the side of safety and I was glad I did.”

These posters are part of a TF&G conservation initiative to raise awareness to black bears moving into our region and illustrate the difference between black bears and feral hogs, which can appear similar at a distance.

Legacy Outfitters have helped distribute the posters and several individuals have offered help.

If you would like a copy of one of these posters, email me at cmoore@fishgame.com and I will shoot you over a .pdf file as soon as I get your message. Feel free to make copies and distribute.

Additionally, we have been working with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) to distribute brochures detailing the black bear’s return in our region, the legalities of dealing with bears and bear safety. Last fall we distributed 600 in key bear counties in the Pineywoods.

TPWD has been working hard to get the message on black bear’s out there and have done a good job of educating the public.

Working with them, we hope to keep spreading the message that black bear’s are not legal game in Texas and to turn in bear poachers.

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“Those fines go beyond what a poacher would normally get for spotlighting deer or a similar act. All poaching is serious but poaching a bear in Texas is really serious.”

Some landowners have expressed a concern about the return of the Louisiana black bear, since they come with protection of the ESA. When federal officials listed them as threatened in 1992, they worked in a provision that would not halt logging or other activities nor have an effect on hunter rights or access.

If bears continue their return and humans do their part to allow this natural migration, the wilds of Texas will be in a more complete, balanced state. Deer, turkey and other game populations are at record high levels.

Forty years ago, that was not the case, but because of sportsmen and landowners there is a rich outdoors legacy to pass on to the next generations.

Add the black bear to that mix and children of tomorrow might just get a chance to see East and West Texas as it once was, a little wilder and more exciting.

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With the help of CCA and the hard work of the Sea Center Texas crew many thousands of tiny flounder like this one could be headed to a bay near you soon.

CCA Makes Crucial Donation For Flounder

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Bluegill Stockings Boost Ike Affected Bayous HURRICANE IKE HIT SOUTHEAST TEXAS WATERWAYS Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) officials recently gave some HARD. OXYGEN DEPRAVATION CASUSED BY SALTWATER key waterways in the region an infusion of baby bluegills to help replenish what INTRUSION AND WATERWAYS “TURNING OVER” KILLED was lost last year.

MILLIONS OF FISH AND OTHER AQUATIC ORGANISMS IN “Cow and Adams Bayous in Orange County got around 25,000 each and THE REGION, RANGING FROM BLUE CRABS TO BLUE GILLS. the Neches River system received approximately 50,000 little bluegill,” said TPWD biologist in Jasper Todd Driscoll.

Driscoll said the stockings are TPWD’s way of helping kick start the fishery in Hurricane-affected areas.

“Stocking is a tool we use to help give a boost to an area that has had a fish kill like Southeast Texas experienced last fall. We also use stocking for other reasons like overall stock enhancement but in the case of a natural disaster, areas often get priority for stockings,” he said.

I tagged along with TPWD technicians Michael Mayou, Michael Ratcliff and Ray Lenderman during the Cow and Adams Bayou stockings to show them good areas to put the fish and document the release for these pages. After reading dissolved oxygen levels and salinities, the fish were put in areas with thick vegetation to give the fish a chance to hide from predators.

“We like to put them in areas where they stand the best chance of survival,” Ratcliff said.

Bluegill are a key species in these systems serving as forage for predators like largemouth bass and an important species for anglers, particularly youth who like to get their ultralight rods bent. —by Chester Moore, Jr. TG 40

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THE COASTAL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION (CCA) awarded $30,000 donation to Sea Center Texas (SCT) in Lake Jackson to enhance their fledgling flounder stocking program.

The grant will aid them with new equipment to help them produce far more flounder.

“This enhancement coupled with our Aquaculture Lab’s work at University of Texas Marine Science Institute has us headed in the right direction for flounder,” said Luke Giles, CCA’s Communications Director.

In a letter written to CCA, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) officials noted SCT is a state of the art marine hatchery that was originally built and designed for stock enhancement of red drum and spotted sea trout.

“With southern flounder, we have been able to condition the broodstock but have been restricted in our ability to address the other components. The primary reason for this is due to the design of SCT’s spawning tanks and incubation room, which are suitable for red drum and spotted seatrout but inappropriate for flatfish culture.”

There are lots of equipment details in the letter but the real bottom line is just how much it will aid stocking efforts.

“These changes could be performed on one of our existing 10,000 gallon, 20’ diameter tank. With these changes we could quadruple our broodstock capacity for a selected bay system.”

—by Chester Moore, Jr. TG

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Bats Dropping Like Flies HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF HIBERNATING BATS have died since New York Department of Environmental Conservation biologists documented white-nose syndrome west of Albany, N.Y., in early 2007. Biologists with state and federal agencies and organizations across the country are trying to find the answer to this deadly mystery.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials have found sick, dying and dead bats in unprecedented numbers in and around caves and mines. In some hibernaculum, 90 to 100 percent of the bats are dying.

While they are in the hibernaculum, affected bats often have white fungus on their muzzles and other parts of their bodies.

They may have low body fat.

These bats often move to cold parts of the hibernacula, fly during the day and during cold winter weather when the insects they feed upon are not available, and exhibit other uncharacteristic behavior.

Despite the continuing search to find the source of this condition by numerous laboratories and state and federal biologists, the cause of the bat deaths remains unknown.

Recent identification of a cold-loving fungus could be a step toward an answer.

—Staff Report TG

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Lake Fork guide James Caldemeyer (center) and clients Shannon Spear (left) and Brian Ketterer (right) saved this 14.68-pound largemouth while fishing on Lake Fork March 7. The fish was 27 inches long and 21.5 inches in girth. It became ShareLunker No. 465.

PHOTO BY DAVID CAMPBELL, TPWD

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Anglers Save Struggling Sharelunker SHARELUNKER PROGRAM MANAGER DAVID Campbell often says anglers who donate big bass to the program are the best conservationists in Texas, and that statement is backed up by what hap-

Ducks Unlimited Is 72 Years Old DUCKS UNLIMITED (DU) HATCHED FROM THE The organization’s goals have remained the same over the years, and its vision of MINDS OF WATERFOWL HUTERS 72 YEARS AGO wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with AND CONTINUES TO CONSERVE HABITAT FOR waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever echoes across the continent from the WATFOWL AND OTHER WILDLIFE. prairie pothole region to the Gulf Coast.

DU is justifiably proud of its history as the leader in wetlands conservation and our waterfowl-hunting heritage. The on-the-ground effort Continued on page 42 from volunteers and staff during the last 72 years has T E X A S

pened at Lake Fork back in March.

Guide James Caldemeyer was fishing with clients Brian Ketterer and Shannon Spear of Conroe, and they were looking forward to catching some big fish.

“With my polarized sunglasses I could see a fish swimming slowly near the surface, and it looked like she was struggling,” Caldemeyer said.

“I caught her with my net. I could see she was a gigantic fish and that she was in trouble. My concern was for the welfare of the fish, so I netted her and put her into the livewell and told my clients that we needed to take her in so her air bladder could be punctured and I didn’t have a needle with me.”

Asking paying clients to give up Continued on page 42

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GREEN Sharelunker Continued from page 41

hours of fishing time on Lake Fork during the peak lunker season in March might seem like a risky thing to do, but Ketterer and Spear shared Caldemeyer’s concern for the fish.

“They couldn’t have been happier if they had caught her,” Caldemeyer said.

“They were just thrilled to be part of the experience of helping this big fish.”

Caldemeyer immediately called Cameron Burnett at Lake Fork Marina, an official ShareLunker holding station, and told him they were on their way in with a huge fish. Burnett is experienced at “fizzing” bass, or puncturing the air bladder to release air so the fish is able to submerge and swim upright.

“He let a lot of air out of her,” Caldemeyer said.

The certified scale at the marina weighed the fish in at 14.68 pounds.

Campbell, of course, assumed the fish had been caught by hook and line and asked, “Who’s the lucky angler?”

“We all are,” Caldemeyer replied.

“There was a big crowd around, so I took David aside and told him what had happened. I could have said I had caught it, but my ethics would not let me say that.

My concern was for the fish and its welfare, not for being able to say I’d caught it.

I was just trying to do the right thing.”

After contacting Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game wardens, who had no objections, Campbell accepted the fish into the ShareLunker program.

“James Caldemeyer saved the life of this fish,” Campbell said.

Illegal Wildlife Trade Still In Operation

FOUR MEN HAVE BEEN ARRESTED BY SPECIAL agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as the result of an undercover investigation into the illegal killing and trade of bald and golden eagles and other protected bird.

The men are charged with alleged violations of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protec“If genetic testing shows the fish to be tion Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, a pure Florida largemouth bass, it will be and the Lacey Act. used in our selective breeding program,” The charging documents allege the indisaid Allen Forshage, director of the Texas viduals were involved in killing eagles and Freshwater Fisheries Center. selling feathers and other bird parts in violation of federal law.

According to an affidavit filed along with “We’ve all heard stories about the big the complaints, special agents working one that got away. This is the big one that undercover were able to document the sales didn’t.” of protected migratory bird parts.

One complaint alleges that a single —Staff Report TG covert purchase yielded a bald eagle tail, two golden eagle tails, one set of golden eagle wings, four red-shafted northern flicker tails, four rough-legged hawk tails, and two northern harrier tails for a greatly influenced the way the entire continent total of $3,000.

DU/Continued from 41 views conservation. That is one of the According to the documents, the group’s greatest accomplishments and accused hunters killed three bald eagles the morning of the sale, by sitthey aim to continue to put all our ting near some wild horses killed to efforts into conservation, including how bait and attract eagles. A third comconservation decisions are made in the plaint alleges one of them sold one state and federal legislative arenas. golden eagle tail in violation of the DU began during the Dust Bowl era, law. when habitat conditions were very “As with so many instances regarding bleak. Before Federal Duck Stamps the conservation and use of our natural resources, the illegal actions of a few selfish individuals have the potential to Tim Soderquist of DU and Kevin Kriegel of the hurt the interests of the majority of Texas Parks & Wildlife Department share a people who respect the resource,” said moment in the field. Soderquist and TF&G Paul Chang, Special Agent in Charge Executive Editor Chester Moore have partof Law Enforcement for the Service’s nered on the Texas Duck Tour for the last two Pacific Region. years to raise awareness to conservation “It is alarming that eagles, sacred to problems facing waterfowl and to DU’s conmany, could be at risk because of the servation mission. illegal greed-driven actions of relatively few individuals.”

The illegal wildlife trade continues in Continued on page 48 PHOTO BY CHESTER MOORE, JR. America with federal agents working hard to curtail the problem.

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Texas Help Raise $1.5 million For Elk THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION (RMEF) has generated $1.5 million from its firstever convention in Texas.

Proceeds from the organization’s 25th Annual Elk Camp & Hunting, Fishing and Outdoor Expo, which ended March 8 in Fort Worth, will help support initiatives to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat.

RMEF recently topped 5.7 million acres conserved or enhanced.

“Elk Camp is a showcase for our mission, accomplishments and the amazing spirit of our volunteers and it’s also our largest annual fundraiser. This year our auctions grossed $1.1 million while new memberships, raffles, merchandise sales and public admission fees added another $400,000. We’re pleased considering the new site and economy,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. Highlights also included: • Numerous awards and recognitions for Elk Foundation volunteers.

•Entertainment by country stars Randy Travis, Sawyer Brown and Travis Tritt.

•Appearances by NASCAR’s Richard Childress, Realtree’s Bill Jordan and Dallas Cowboys legend Walt Garrison, who helped honor wounded veterans of the Iraq War. •New winners in the RMEF/Leupold 2009 World Elk Calling Championships including Al Morris of Payson, Utah, as the top new world champ in the Professional Division.

•Many celebrations of 25 years of conservation successes.

•The 26th Annual Elk Camp and Expo will be in Reno, Nev., March 4-7, 2010.—Staff Report TG 44

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A big part of the Master Naturalist Program is teaching citizens how to create better habitat for birds like this gorgeous green jay and other wildlife in their own backyards.

Master Naturalist Program Reaches 1 Million Service Hours THE TEXAS MASTER NATURALIST PROGRAM HAS REACHED 1 advanced training offered through the program within MILLION VOLUNTEER SERVICE HOURS. THIS MAJOR MILESTONE their first year.

The 1 million hours of service MARKS THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PROGRAM, WHICH were achieved by more than BEGAN IN TEXAS BUT HAS SINCE GIVEN RISE TO A GROWING 5,306 volunteers in 39 recognized local chapters throughout NATIONAL MOVEMENT Texas. In the past 10 years durThe Texas Master Naturalist program ing which these service hours were achieved, began in 1998 as a joint effort between Texas Master Naturalists were on hand to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and help with natural catastrophes such as hurriTexas AgriLife (formerly Texas Coopera- canes and droughts. Volunteers were also tive Extension Service) to provide educa- ready to serve when the economy took a turn tion, outreach, and service dedicated to the for the worse, making the value of their beneficial management of natural resources donated time even more precious. and areas within communities throughout The monetary worth of the 1 million the state. hours of service is valued at approximately The program provides an opportunity $19.58 million. In addition, the impact of for concerned adult citizens of all ages to the Texas Master Naturalist volunteers has learn about the natural environment and been seen in more than 90,000 acres of land seek ways to better their communities. across Texas.

To gain the title of “Texas Master Naturalist,” participants must complete a mini—Staff Report TG mum of 40 hours of natural resource training, 40 hours of service and eight hours of &

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PHOTO COURTESY OF TPWD

PHOTO COURTESY OF USFWS

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THE NORTH AMERICAN GROUSE PARTNERSHIP HAS joined with Pheasants Forever, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, and the Mule Deer Foundation to launch the Prairie Grouse Partners, a new conservation partnership with an aggressive goal of restoring 20 percent of North America’s native grasslands.

This effort would result in 60 million acres of improved habitat for a wide range of wildlife, including three species of prairie grouse. The announcement was made at the 74th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference, a gathering of the nation’s top state, federal, and nonprofit wildlife and natural resource professionals.

Only 10 percent of North America’s 585 million acres of native grasslands remain today, and its associated wildlife species are in a state of rapid decline. The conservation work of the Prairie Grouse Partners will be guided by the Grassland Conservation Plan for Prairie Grouse, a landscape-scale, ecologically based plan developed in cooperation with state natural resource agencies and adopted by the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies.

The plan is centered on three major grouse species (sharp-tailed grouse, greater prairie chicken and lesser prairie chicken), considered primary indicators of healthy grassland ecosystems.

The Prairie Grouse Partners target three focus areas: grant funding for grassland habitat projects, legislative engagement in grassland conservation programs, and media advocacy for grasslands, prairie grouse, and associated wildlife.

—Staff Report TG

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The carnivorous pitcher plant can be found in the Big Thicket National Preserve, one of the nation's most diverse ecological regions. This new acquisition helps to preserve in perpetuity a vital part of this rare habitat.

Big Thicket Preserve Gains Acreage ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE LANDSCAPES IN AMERICA HAS GAINED FURTHER PROTECTION WITH THE CONSERVATION FUND’S PURCHASE OF 3,600 ACRES IN HARDIN, TYLER AND POLK COUNTIES FROM THE HANCOCK TIMBER RESOURCE GROUP. THE LAND ENVENTUALLY WILL BECOME PART OF BIG THICKET NATIONAL PRESERVE. Packed with an impressive amount of wildlife and plant species, the dense wilderness of the Big Thicket region in southeast Texas consists of important river corridors, productive wetlands, tall forests, open plains, pine savannahs and dry sand hills.

Big Thicket National Preserve, the nation’s first national preserve, protects the heart of the region and provides visitors with opportunities for backpacking, hiking, camping, canoeing, kayaking and wildlife viewing.

The Conservation Fund has been working to expand Big Thicket National Preserve, permanently protecting the region’s rich natural legacy. The purchase from Hancock Timber establishes a continuous conservation corridor along Village Creek that provides habitat for migratory waterfowl and song birds and serves as a floodplain that would benefit the communities along Village Creek and the Neches River.

“Working with partners like Hancock Timber allows us to rebuild the Big Thicket legacy so that future generations can enjoy this unique and historic part of east Texas,” &

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said Andy Jones, director of The Conservation Fund’s Texas office.

“We appreciate Hancock Timber’s ongoing collaboration and willingness to help us achieve that goal.”

“The Hancock Timber Resource Group and The Conservation Fund have a long history of working together to protect environmentally sensitive land,” said Mike Wolf, director of North American Forest Operations, Hancock Timber Resource Group.

“We are very pleased to be able to work with The Conservation Fund once again to protect land in the Village Creek watershed.”

“The Conservation Fund has played a major role in protecting Village Creek as a key environmental and recreational resource within the Big Thicket,” said Bruce Drury, president of Big Thicket Association.

“We are proud to support their efforts and look forward to a continued partnership.”

Through its Sensitive Lands Program, the Hancock Timber Resource Group has helped preserve and protect nearly 400,000 acres of environmentally sensitive lands across the United States.

The Conservation Fund has helped preserve nearly 137,000 acres in Texas, including 32,000 acres at Big Thicket National Preserve.

—Staff Report TG

PHOTO COURTESY OF USFWS

Groups Join To Fight For Prairie Wildlife

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NAWCA funds benefit waterfowl by providing nesting and wintering habitat throughout the continent.

DU Lauds Wetlands Budget Proposal DUCKS UNLIMITED (DU) COMMENDS THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION’S PROPOSED INCREASE OF $10 MILLION TO THE NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION ACT (NAWCA, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL CONSERVATION PROGRAMS IN HISTORY. The fiscal year 2010 budget request is a nearly 25 percent increase over the 2009 request.

“We are very pleased to see the administration recognize the success that NAWCA has had through its 20 year history,” said Scott Sutherland, Director of the Governmental Affairs Office for DU. “The program has conserved more than 23 million acres across North America since 1989, and this increase is acknowledgment of that success.”

Sutherland and other DU staff worked with members of the presidential transition team to identify effective and proven conser-

vation measures, including the NAWCA program.

The budget summary also notes that it is the administration’s intent to have NAWCA reach its full funding of $75 million per year by fiscal year 2012.

“This is great news for wetlands and waterfowl habitat, and we look forward to working with Members of the House and Senate towards this goal,” Sutherland said.

In addition to wetlands conservation, economic studies have demonstrated NAWCA to spur the creation of more than 3,700 jobs annually in the United States. In addition to the increase to NAWCA, the budget proposal includes funding for monitoring and adapting wildlife habitat in the face of climate change and funding for wetlands restoration in Louisiana and along the rest of the Gulf Coast.

—Staff Report TG

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GREEN TF&G TRUE GREEN CONSERVATION PARTNERS

Jaguar Collared In Arizona JAGUAR CONSERVATION EXPERIENCED AN EXCITING AND EVENTUALLY DISAPPOINTING DEVELOPMENT WITH THE CAPTURE AND ARIZONA BY THE ARIZONA GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT (AGFD) IN FEBRUARY.

The male cat, named Macho B, was incidentally captured in an area southwest of Tucson during a research study aimed at monitoring habitat connectivity for mountain lions and black bears. Macho B with his satellite collar attached is released While individual jaguars have been into the wild. photographed sporadically in the borderland area of the state over the past over the weekend that warranted further years, the area where this animal was cap- investigation. Officials discovered the jaguar tured was outside of the area where the last was in the latter stages of kidney failure and known jaguar photograph was taken in Jan- after being brought to the Phoenix Zoo the uary. decision was made to euthanize the cat for The cat was fitted with a satellite track- its own welfare. ing collar and then released. Scientists “This is an unfortunate and disappointhoped the collar would provide biologists ing situation,” said Gary Hovatter, deputy with location points every three hours. director of the Arizona Gama and Fish “While we didn’t set out to collar a Department. jaguar as part of the mountain lion and bear “We were looking forward to using the research project, we took advantage of an data acquired from Macho B to learn more important opportunity,” said Terry Johnson, about the species use of the borderland endangered species coordinator for the habitats in order to further conserve the AGFD. species as a whole.”

While early data indicated the animal Macho B was believed to be the oldest was doing well in the days following the cap- known jaguar in the wild. His age was estiture and collaring, careful monitoring of mated at two to three years old in phodata revealed a decreased level of activity tographs taken in 1996, making him 15-16 years old now. Previously the oldest known jaguar in the wild was 13 years old.

Kidney failure is a common ailment in and other fund-raising sources, DU members, DU/Continued from 42 older cats. among many others, raised money to give back to “It is a sad, but appropriate course of waterfowl habitat and conserve a resource they understood needed protection. action to euthanize this animal given the The organization has since blossomed into the model of hunter-based conserhopelessly terminal nature of his condition,” vation organizations, hosting more than 4,500 fund-raising events annually with said Steve Spangle, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 3,500 volunteer chapters in the United States and approximately 1,000 more in Service’s Arizona field supervisor.

Canada.

Jaguars are native to the Southwestern DU has conserved more than 12 million acres in North America since 1937 United States and were formerly present in Texas, but there has not been a confirmed and has completed projects in all 50 states, as well as Mexico and all of the Canasighting for many years. If you have infordian provinces and territories. —Staff Report TG mation on jaguar sightings in Texas, e-mail cmoore@fishgame.com.

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COLLARING OF THE FIRST WILD JAGUAR IN

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Gafftops, Flounder and Sheepshead: STARs of the Texas Coast F YOU HAVE A CHILD BETWEEN THE AGES OF SIX and seventeen you should think of gafftop, flounder, and sheepshead as the “other big three” this summer. CCA Texas kicks off their annual State of Texas Angler’s Rodeo (STAR) Memorial Day weekend and the tournament provides scholarships to young anglers that catch the heaviest flounder, gafftop, and sheepshead.

There are two youth angler categories: Star Kids includes children between six and ten years of age; Star Teens includes fishermen between the ages of eleven and seventeen. Star Kids winners receive $50,000 scholarships and Star Teen winners receive $20,000 scholarships. To be eligible, young anglers must join CCA as New Tide members and must also register for the tournament. The cost for children is $10.

Here are a few tips to help your young charge land a college education.

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the late summer. Before a well is built, the construction company lays down a foundation of oyster shell on the bottom. The shell pad is several feet thick and attracts a variety of marine life.

by Greg Berlocher Gafftop give off slicks just like speckled trout. A keen eye and a sharp nose are valuable allies. If you are fishing the edge of a channel and slicks start popping up a short distance away, don’t hesitate to relocate.

The secret to catching gafftop is to keep your bait anchored on the bottom where rummaging fish will find it. A simple bottom

Gafftop Gafftop prefer deep water and the best ambush spots are channels and deeper parts of bay systems. Avoid the shallows and focus on deep water conduits to the gulf, such as jetty systems and ship channels.

Drop-offs, where the water dramatically changes depth, are a great place to start.

Anchor on the shallow side so you can cast a little past the depth change.

Gas wells, like the ones in Trinity, Aransas, and Corpus Christi Bays, are good places to prospect for gafftop during PHOTO COURTESY OF NOAA

Gafftopsail catfish may be slimy and ugly but young anglers should learn to identify them.

Catching one could possibly earn them an impressive scholarship courtesy of CCA. rig made up of a three-way swivel, a #4 – 6 treble hook, ½ to one-ounce lead sinker, and 20-pound test leader will handle any gafftop that swims your way.

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ular baits for gafftop, but the fish will eat almost anything, including croaker. Live shrimp isn’t necessary but “fresh dead” is more productive than shrimp that has “aged.”

Cast out your line, put the rod in its holder and then spend some quality time with your child while you wait for the rod tip to lurch towards the water. Loosening the drag minimizes the chance that a stoked up child will horse in and lose a big fish.

Sheepshead Sheepshead prefer hard structure and can be found lurking near piers, jetties, and bridge pilings. Their broad profile will put a big bend in any rod and a broad smile on a young angler’s face.

Besides their well documented incisor teeth, sheepshead have a set of “grinding teeth” inside their throats which helps them crush hard shelled crabs. These plates tend to act like armor, fending off the points of sharp hooks. Don’t get discouraged if you miss a lot of strikes.

Standard bottom rigs can be used for sheepshead but it is best to size down the hook one or two sizes. Another rigging option is to thread an egg sinker onto the line just before your hook to the main line.

No leader is necessary, only an egg sinker and hook. The egg sinker will squat right on top of your hook. The weight keeps the line extremely tight helping you detect subtle strikes.

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In This Issue

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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: CORPUS TO BAFFIN • Shorelines Red Hot in May |

BY CHESTER MOORE

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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: LOWER COAST • Springtime in Laguna Madre |

BY CALIXTO GONZALES

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SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK • Tides, Solunar Table, Best Hunting/Fishing Times |

BY TF&G STAFF

GEARING UP SECTION SECTION • Father’s Day Gift Guide C29 SPECIAL | C M PRODUCTS • What’s New from Top C38 NEW Outdoor Manufacturers | TF&G S INSIDER • Busha Boat Works | C40 INDUSTRY T B TESTED • Kick’s; Minda Lures; and C41 TEXAS Wiley X | TF&G S THIS • Kimber 84M Classic .257 C42 SHOOT Roberts | S L M TROPHY FEVER • Extreme Hog Baiting C43 Methods | C M C46 FISHG THISB• Puma Pro Fillet Knife |

BY HESTER

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BY

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COVER STORY • Gafftops, Flounder and Sheepshead: STARs of the Texas Coast |

BY GREG BERLOCHER

HOW-TO SECTION

HOTSPOTS & TIDES SECTION

TEXAS GUNS & GEAR • .270 Winchester vs. .280 Remington |

BY STEVE LAMASCUS

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TEXAS HOTSPOTS • Texas’ Hottest Fishing Spots | BY CALIXTO GONZALES & JD MOORE

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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: UPPER COAST • Options Plentiful at Sabine |

BY CAPT. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

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TEXAS BOATING • Innovative Boating | BY LENNY RUDOW

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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: GALVESTON COMPLEX • Passing Into May |

BY CAPT. MIKE HOLMES

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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: MATAGORDA • Salinity Levels Affect How You Fish |

BY BINK GRIMES

FRESHWATER BAITS & RIGS • Worm 101: Back to the Basics |

BY PAUL BRADSHAW TEXAS KAYAKING • Mudders | BY GREG BERLOCHER

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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: ROCKPORT • Get a Big Trout on the Line |

BY CAPT. MAC GABLE

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Imagine you are fishing for crappie and drop your bait straight down next to a bridge piling. Start at the bottom and crank your bait up occasionally until you get a bite.

Sheepshead have a well earned reputation as bait stealers and keeping the tip of your index finger on the taught line will help you feel more strikes.

If your fishing buddy keeps getting hung up, abandon the bottom rig and switch to a light cork. Fish your suspended baits in the same way, right up next to a piling.

The bridge over San Louis Pass, and the Queen Isabella and JFK Causeways are

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BOWHUNTING TECH • Our Youth… Our Future | BY LOU MARULLO

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SALTWATER BAITS & RIGS • Stiff Hook Surprised Kingfish |

BY PATRICK LEMIRE

WILDERNESS TRAILS • The Potters | BY HERMAN W. BRUNE

sheepshead magnets. A trolling motor and fully charged battery make it easier to slip from piling to piling.

Pieces of live shrimp, especially the head which resembles a small crab, are easy for the fish to get into their mouths.

Flounder You don’t have to be smarter than a fifth grader for your child to win a college scholarship, just a southern flounder.

Flounder and realtors are both fans of location. Flounder prefer the margins of shallows flats, the edges of bayous, guts, and

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OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE

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NEWS FROM THE COAST • New Red Snapper Study Offers Signs of Hope |

BY TF&G STAFF

THE OUTDOORS • C60 DISCOVER Classifieds | TF&G S TASTED • Texas Style Cajun C62 TEXAS Jambalaya | B S ALBUM • Your Action Photos | C63 PHOTO TF&G S BY

BY

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RYAN LAVEN

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drains, as well as the back side of sand bars where they can ambush baitfish. Moving water is important as it sweeps the groceries by the sedentary fish.

Just about everything in the bay eats live shrimp and a “kicking brownie” will certainly catch flounder, but pin perch can steal you blind while waiting on Mr Flattie.

Nose-hooked finger mullet and mud minnows are much more durable and long-lived on the hook.

A standard flounder rig utilizes a small egg or worm weight threaded onto your main line, followed by a small swivel. Tag the swivel with an 18-inch length of leader and knot on your favorite hook. Cast the baited rig out and slow drag it back a foot or two at a time across the bottom, pausing 30 seconds or so between pulls. If a flounder strikes, count to ten before setting the hook.

Another option is to suspend your bait below a cork and allow it to drift along the edges of a gut on a falling tide. Adjust the depth of your cork as needed to keep the bait slightly off the bottom.

Flounder have a propensity for getting off the hook at the last minute. A loose drag minimizes the chance of a “scholarship fish” throwing the hook before you net it.

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Texas Hotspots PANHANDLE

by Calixto Gonzales, South Zone Fishing Editor and JD Moore, North Zone Fishing Editor

Calixto JD

PRAIRIES & LAKES

HILL COUNTRY

PINEY WOODS

UPPER GULF COAST BIG BEND MID GULF COAST

Channelling Snook & Mangroves LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Brownsville Ship Channel GPS: N26 2.124, W97 13.108

LOWER GULF COAST SPECIES: Snook, mangrove snapper BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, topwaters CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Cast towards dock pilings and riprap to find both snook and some good-sized mangrove snapper. Anchor or drift about 30-50 feet off the shoreline to give yourself some casting room. If fish are not rising to your topwater, fish along the drop-off with C4

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large live shrimp on a split shot rig. With all the snags in the area, a fluorocarbon leader is a very good idea.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Old Queen Isabella Causeway GPS: N26 04.380, W97 17.398 SPECIES: Snook, speckled trout, sheepshead, panfish BEST BAITS: Large live shrimp or mullet, soft plastics in pearl, smoke CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: Snook start returning to their old haunts when water temperatures start creeping up to over 70 degrees. Fish around the pilings with live bait or un-weighted, Texasrigged stickbaits. Watch for fish chasing bait early in the morning. There are also some nice speckled trout that hang around in the eddies that form on the down-tide pilings.

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LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Railbed (bank access via Boca Chica Beach) GPS: N26 3.830, W97 9.920 SPECIES: Speckled trout, flounder BEST BAITS: Live shrimp/popping cork, topwaters, soft plastics in chartreuse patterns CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: The best time to fish this area is during an early morning high tide. Fish both live shrimp and soft plastics under a popping cork. If you want to try and tempt any flatties in the area, then fish Gulp! Shrimp on a ¼-ounce ounce jighead and bounce it along the bottom. If you feel like you have hit a snag, lower the rod tip, reel in your slack, and set the hook sharply. You might have a big flounder.

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ALL GPS COORDINATES VERIFIED BY

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Unnecessary Island GPS: N26 12.722, W97 16.342 SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Large topwaters early, soft plastics in pearl/chartreuse, glow/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Trout fishing picks up speed as the weather stabilizes in May. It may be windy some days, but the cold fronts that rough up the Laguna in winter, and even sneak down in April, stay to the north. A large topwater such as a Super Spook or Top Dog should be used early. Later in the day, back off into deeper water and use 3-4 inch shad tails on 1/8-ounce jigheads for best results. Fish the leeward side of the island.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Marker 29 GPS: N26 6.080 W97 11.090 SPECIES: Speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: Live bait, cut ballyhoo. op waters in bone, natural mullet, soft plastics in new penny, root beer, smoke CONTACT: Jimmy Martinez, 956-551-9581 TIPS: This is the first of three closelylocated areas that are very productive in mid and late summer. Hit this area on an incoming tide, and find that trout and redfish come up out of the boat channel to cruise the flats immediately west of it. If the tide is flooding in early in the morning, try topwaters. If the tide is later in the day, live bait, skipped ballyhoo (cut in half and worked like a topwater), or soft plastics under a Mauler or Alameda float is very effective.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Peyton’s Bay GPS: N26 24.528, W97 21.703 SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Live shrimp/popping cork; topwaters; gold spoons, red spinnerbaits; soft plastics in clear/red, red/white, pearl/red CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: If you want to go pick a fight with a slot redfish, then take a bearing on Peyton’s. Pods of redfish can be located in the shallow waters of the area all summer. Fish C6

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the northernmost edge on line with the yellow house that is visible during part of the drift, and work gold spinnerbaits or spoons.

Live bait under a popping cork works well, too. Watch for the terns, though. Those little breeders will dive-bomb a live shrimp and steal him off your hook first chance they have.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Convention Center Shoreline (bank access) GPS: N26 8.290, W97 21.703 SPECIES: Speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp, finger mullet; soft plastics in clear/red, red/white, pearl/red CONTACT: Jimmy Martinez, 956-5519581 TIPS: The meandering grass flats that stretch north of the Convention Center is a great spot for shorebound waders and kayakers to fish. Trout will hide around the edges of the many potholes you will find around this area, and redfish always make an early-morning appearance. Boaters can travel a little farther east and fish the first color change for trout that will lurk along grasslines. Live bait is always successful, but plastics in the classic red/white and Peal are also good. The best bait has always seemed to be the Norton Bull Minnow on a 1/8ounce jighead. Gold weedless spoons are another long-time favorite.

LOCATION: Padre Island Shoreline HOTSPOT: North of Access 5 GPS: N26 14.000, W97 16.830 SPECIES: Tarpon BEST BAITS: Topwaters in bone, bone/chrome, Mirrolure 51MR in green/silver/white CONTACT: Quick Stop, 956-943-1159 TIPS: Tarpon hunters can cruise up and down the beach and watch the clear surf breakers. Pods of 20-40 pound fish start showing up in late April, and hang around until late October. When you spot some tarpon working, pull over, hop out, and start fan casting. Trout and redfish rods add an exciting dimension to this type of fishing, but tie on a 40-pound fluorocarbon leader to prevent tarpons from chafing off your favorite plugs. &

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LOCATION: Laguna Madre at Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: East of Marker 151 GPS: N26 31.890, W97 23.260 SPECIES: Redfish, speckled trout BEST BAITS: Gulp! Jerk Shads in limetreuse, pearl, soft plastics in red/white, fire tiger CONTACT: Captain Terry Neal, 956-9442556, www.terrynealcharters.com TIPS: Wade or drift the deep potholes in the area with soft plastics, or your favorite redfish lures to find pods of reds cruising the flats in this area. If you can locate the depth break, wade parallel to it and cast along the break. Watch for trout chasing bait along the grasslines.

Topwaters & Croakers at Baffin LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Tide Gauge GPS: N27 18.248, W97 27.593

MID GULF COAST SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Croaker, topwaters early, soft plastics in strawberry/black back plum/chartreuse, rootbeer/red flake, morning glory, pumpkinseed/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: The greater availability of croaker as summer progresses makes them the focus of hungry trout in Baffin. Free line them on a 3/0 kahle hook along the drop-offs, giving them a twitch occasionally to prevent them from hiding in structure or weeds. If you prefer lures, the same topwaters and plastics that have worked throughout April will work in May. LOCATION: Baffin Bay LOCATION: Center Reef GPS: N27 16.206, W97 34.362 SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live croaker, soft plastics in

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50 2STROKE .........................................$4,449 90 2STROKE .........................................$6,245 115 2STROKE .......................................$7,528 200 HPDI VMAX...................................$13,125 225 HPDI VMAX...................................$14,210 300 HPDI VMAX...................................$16,210 115 4STROKE .......................................$8,345 150 4STROKE .......................................$10,945 225 4STROKE .......................................$15,610 350 4STROKE .......................................$20,945

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50 2STROKE .........................................$4,537 90 2STROKE .........................................$6,360 115 EFI.................................................$8,555 75 OPTIMAX.........................................$6,845 90 OPTIMAX.........................................$7,345 115 OPTIMAX.......................................$7,645 150 OPTIMAX.......................................$9,800 175 PRO XS ..........................................$11,950 200 OPTIMAX.......................................$12,550 225 OPTIMAX.......................................$13,445 250 PRO XS ..........................................$16,145

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DF60 ....................................................$6,245 DF70 ....................................................$6,845 DF90 ....................................................$7,545 DF115 ..................................................$8,445 07 DF140 .............................................$8,645 07 DF150 .............................................$9,745 DF175 ..................................................$11,345 DF200 ..................................................$13,345 DF225 ..................................................$14,545 DF250 ..................................................$16,245 DF300 ..................................................$15,610 250SS 20” SHAFT .................................$15,945

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plum/chartreuse, rootbeer/red flake, morning glory, pumpkinseed/chartreuse.

CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Move to fishing the outside edges of the reef with free lined croaker. Trout will be cruising around the rocks, looking for an easy meal. For best hookups, use a widegapped hook such as a kahle or wide-bite circle or octopus hook. Rods with soft tips and sturdy actions are best for live bait applications. Eel and shad tails are also very effective when fished on a 1/8-ounce head.

LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Black Bluff GPS: N27 13.972, W97 31.112 SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live bait, topwaters, soft plastics in plum/chartreuse, rootbeer/red flake, morning glory, pumpkinseed/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Topwaters along the shoreline early will get some hungry trout’s attention. Back off and fish the weed line edges as the sun gets higher during the morning. Swim soft plastics across the edges and boundaries to give fish a target to ambush. Give the shoreline a second try late in the day just before dusk.

LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Black Bluff GPS: N27 13.972, W97 31.112 SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Live bait, topwaters, soft plastics in plum/chartreuse, rootbeer/red flake, morning glory, pumpkinseed/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Though it is well-known as a trout mecca, there are some pretty nice redfish in Baffin. You can spot them tailing in the shallows on calm days. Topwaters and brokenback plugs are lethal when early. When the day grows later, live bait and soft plastics fished along depth breaks will locate red prowling in deeper water.

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HOTSPOT: Upper Laguna Madre LOCATION: Emmord’s Hole GPS: N27 31.125, W97 19.682 SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live bait, soft plastics in pumpkinseed/chartreuse, glow/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Emmord’s really starts to take off in spring. Trout are present in very good numbers, but now you begin focusing on the deeper grass lines (4-4 ½ foot deep). Live croaker should be free-lined, while live shrimp should hang under an Old Bayside float. Plastics on a 1/8-ounce head will also fit the bill. Swim the jigs, or fish them under a cork, much like live bait.

LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Carlos Bay GPS: N28 6.532, W96 53.110 SPECIES: Speckled trout, redfish BAITS: Corkies, soft plastics in plum, morning glory, dark colors CONTACT: Captain Paul Braly, 361-9496795 TIPS: This is a conversion period for speckled trout. They’ve dropped their eggs and are starting to make the transition to their summer patterns and habits. Work the opening to the bay on an incoming tide to intercept these fish. They will be more aggressive, so you can fish a lure a bit faster than normal. Redfish will also be present along the flats and grasslines.

LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Spalding Bight GPS: N28 06.110, W97 59.236 SPECIES: Speckled trout BAITS: Topwaters, Corkies, soft plastics in darker color patterns.

CONTACT: Captain Paul Braly, 361-9496795 TIPS: Fish will be present over soft mud bottoms, where the water will warm to optimum temperatures much faster than other areas in spring. On calm days, a nosy topwater should be a good choice. If the wind picks up, or the fish are so aggressive they’re missing your bait, go submarine with plastic plugs or soft plastics. Again, the fish are &

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going to be aggressive, so take advantage of reaction strikes with a faster retrieve.

Look for the Green at Sabine LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Sabine Jetties GPS: N29 40.398, W93 49.516 SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, soft plastics

UPPER GULF COAST CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409786-2018 TIPS: When green surf starts filtering in during May, you will find some big trout lurking in the deeper holes. Watch for current breaks and eddies. Fish them with live bait, or soft plastics on larger (1/4-3/8ounce) jigheads. A fish finder is always helpful in this type of fishing. Braided line does not hurt, either, because of the added sensitivity.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Stewt’s Island GPS: N29 57.899, W93 50.900 SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters early, soft plastics in glow/chartreuse, pearl/chartreuse, limetreuse CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409786-2018 TIPS: Fish start entering into their summer patterns in May. Drift the flats to locate pods of trout roaming the area in search of young-of-the-year menhaden and mullet.

Look for birds working over bait as the day progresses. The bigger fish will be around the perimeter, picking off what the schoolies leave behind. Fishing soft plastics down deep are the trick.

LOCATION: East Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Fat Rat GPS: N29 28.758, W94 38.809 SPECIES: Trout, redfish BEST BAITS: Topwaters, soft plastics in

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limetreuse, plum, Gulp! shrimp or shad tails CONTACT: Captain Steve Hillman, 281910-4398 TIPS: Fat Rat is an excellent wading spot in the spring and the shoreline is a good spot to stalk speckled trout and redfish. A blue/chartreuse or bone Super Spook or Top Dog is a good choice for morning wades. If the water is choppy, switch to a higher-pitched topwater such as a She Dog or Skitterwalk (the chartreuse Skitterwalk is one of the top lures this time of year). You can fish the depth breaks with soft plastics on a 1/8-ounce jig head. If you need a great confidence bait, try a Gulp Shrimp in nuclear chicken.

Grande Bass LOCATION: Rio Grande River HOTSPOT: Salineno GPS: N26 30.590, W99 7.040 SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Plastic worms in red, red watermelon, grape, in-line spinners

SOUTH TEXAS PLAINS

CONTACT: Falcon Lake Tackle, 956-7654866 TIPS: When Falcon Dam’s turbines are not running, water levels around Zapata, Roma, and Rio Grande City drop off dramatically. Big boats can’t get past the stretches of shin and ankle deep water.

Kayakers, however, can have a run of the River. Bass end up holding in some deeper pools. Fish around deadfalls and along the shoreline with plastic worms and spinners such as the Mepps Aglia or the Shyster.

LOCATION: East Galveston Bay LOCATION: Little Hannah Reef GPS: N29 28.783, W94 43.784 SPECIES: Trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters early, soft plastics in limetreuse, plum, Gulp! baits CONTACT: Captain Steve Hillman, 281910-4398 TIPS: Trout finish the transition from winter to summer patterns, and they become aggressive and hungry. Drift between the shoal and the shoreline here and fish your baits aggressively. Plastics or Gulp! baits can be fished under a Mansfield Maulertype setup, or a rattling float to call the fish to dinner. Do not be surprised if your cork doesn’t stop when it hits the surface and simply disappears. The fish can be that aggressive.

LOCATION: West Galveston Bay LOCATION: Alligator Point GPS: N29 10.394, W95 07.152 SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters early, soft plastics in limetreuse, plum CONTACT: Captain Steve Hillman, 281910-4398 TIPS: Alligator is a versatile region to fish. You can either wade along the shoreline and stalk and cast or you can drift in a shallow draft boat. Either will work well because the flats in this area are loaded with both trout in May. A topwater early or late in the day, or when you are in shallower water will draw some startling explosions. When the fish are down in deeper water, high visibility plastics should draw their attention.

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Yellow and white are the best choices. Stick close to the US shoreline.

LOCATION: Rio Grande River HOTSPOT: Fronton Island Point GPS: N26 39.930, W99 5.940 SPECIES: Catfish

BEST BAITS: Cut shad, prepared baits CONTACT: Texas Parks and Wildlife, www.tpwd.state.tx.us TIPS: The downriver point of Fronton Island creates a hole that blue and channel catfish hold tight to when the power is off at the Dam. Again, this is a yakker-friendly spot. Fish cut or prepared baits on a short (6 inches) Carolina rig. The shorter leader will more effectively keep you out of the snags that are littered around the bottom.

Some locals call this area Los Sopilotes (The Buzzards) after the dozens of the bald uglies that roost in the trees. Do not let them unnerve you. They are not making plans.

LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Rio Salado GPS: N26 49.831, W99 18.947.

SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: ¾—1 ounce jigs/trailers, Sweet Beavers in black, purple patterns CONTACT: Mike Hawkes, 210-275-1309 TIPS: Bass have broken out of their postspawn mode, and are moving into creek and riverbeds and are feeding. Fish rock ledges and breaklines along the main River channel with heavy jigs and tight compact trailers such as Reaction Lures’ Sweet Beaver. Use stouter tackle and braided line to fish among

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the submerged hardwood.

LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Little Tigers GPS: N26 41.285, W99 8.912 SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: 10-inch flipping worms in grape CONTACT: Mike Hawkes, 210-275-1309 TIPS: Falcon is a completely different lake this spring. Rains during the summer of 2008 have completely filled the lake, and there is some freshly-flooded territory.

Hardwood such as huisache, retama, or mesquite are bass magnets in late spring.

Use heavy line and flipping rods to work up against the trees. Fifty to 65-pound braid should be standard in this situation to horse the fish out of the woods.

Spook an Ivie Bass LOCATION: O.H. Ivie Reservoir HOTSPOT: Brush and Hydrilla GPS: N31 32.091, W99 40.827 SPECIES: Largemouth bass

PANHANDLE BEST BAITS: Zara Spook, 10-inch Power Worm with small weight, Carolina-rigged

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large plastic worm, Green Pumpkin or Watermelon Red CONTACT: Wendell Ramsey, bram4@suddenlink.net, 325-227-4931 TIPS: Get there early for topwater bite and walk the dog with your Spook, all around scattered brush. As the sun comes up drop back in the grass beds around 8-18 feet deep and pull a 10-inch Power Worm with small weight slowly across the grass and let it fall slowly into the holes in the grass. Carolina rig the edges with a big plastic worm or lizard. This should produce strikes.

BANK ACCESS: Concho Park Recreation Area, lots of grass for bass and bream, night fishing for catfish LOCATION: Possum Kingdom Lake HOTSPOT: Costello Island GPS: N32 54.142, W98 28.068 SPECIES: Striped bass BEST BAITS: Slabs, live shad, shallow running crankbaits CONTACT: Dean Heffner, 940-779-2597, fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: Fish the jigs in and around any brush, wood, etc. along the edges of the island. Fish shallow crankbaits when you find stripers chasing shad along the surface.

Watch for the birds.

BANK ACCESS: Willow Beach RV Park, privately owned, ask for permission to fish, largemouth, crappie, striped and white bass

Frogging for Bass LOCATION: Sam Rayburn Reservoir HOTSPOT: Hydrilla and Lilly Pads GPS: N31 14.650, W94 17.820 SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Plastic Ribbit Frogs in black/Chartreuse and Watermelon Red/pearl belly, buzzbaits

LOCATION: Toledo Bend Reservoir HOTSPOT: Buck Creek GPS: N31 10.078, W93 36.736 SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, RatL-Traps, drop shot with large plastic worm CONTACT: Jim Morris, 409-579-3485, cypresscreekmarina@valornet.com TIPS: Most of the bass will have spawned and will be hungry. They will be suckers for topwaters, buzzbaits and Carolina rigged plastic worms. Fish in and around timber, grass, shoreline.

BANK ACCESS: Ragtown Recreation Area, catfish, largemouth bass, crappie, white and striped bass

Fayette Cats LOCATION: Fayette County Reservoir HOTSPOT: Buzzard Point GPS: N29 55.941, W96 43, 678 SPECIES: Catfish

PRAIRIES & LAKES BEST BAITS: Worms or Punch Bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, 979-229-3103 www.FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: With the spawn almost over, the fish are hungry as they come off the nests.

Buzzard Point offers 2-10 feet water close to the roadbed. It is even better when the wind is blowing into the point. Anchor where you can cast to 1 foot water, set out rods shallow and outward to 10 feet water to determine the depth the fish are holding on. Wind and sunshine will determine the fish depth.

Using chum will bring the fish closer to the boat. Punch bait or worms in this area with a #4 treble hook with a ¾-ounce weight is best.

BANK ACCESS: Junkyard Cove, largemouth bass

PINEY WOODS CONTACT: Don Mattern, Sr., 903-4782633, www.matternguideservice.fghp.com TIPS: Fish the plastic frog over hydrilla and around pads and hold on. Buzzbaits and poppers work as well in the same areas, when worked in the openings in vegetation.

BANK ACCESS: Powell Park Marina, largemouth bass, catfish, white and striped bass

Contact South Regional Fishing Editor Calixto Gonzales by email at cgonzales@fishgame.com Contact North Regional Fishing Editor JD Moore by email at hotspotsnorth@fishgame.com

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Hotspots Focus: Upper Coast

by Capt. Eddie Hernandez

Options Plentiful at Sabine T IS MAY AND THE ENTIRE SABINE ECOSYSTEM should begin to open itself up to anglers looking for plenty of rod-bending options. From the marsh and bayous to Sabin Lake itself and the Gulf, the bite is on.

The only problem seems to be deciding on which direction to go. Do we want to hit the bayou’s and target flounder and reds or would we rather chase trout and reds around the lake? Trolling the shoreline between Green’s and Madame Johnson

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Bayous with bright colored soft plastics and topwaters should produce nice boxes of fish.

The ship channel bite can be serious and the jetties should definitely hold nice fish.

Knowing this makes the decision pretty tough sometimes but it is surely not a bad predicament to be in. I have no problem with win-win situations. Still, though, you have to decide where to start and for us lately the allure of the rocks has been too strong to resist. It is been a long enough time since we have had a consistent trout bite at the jetties and the wait has been well worth it.

This month anglers ice nice limits of trout and reds on both the Texas and Louisiana sides of the jetties. If the wind is predominantly east, we fish the more protected west (Texas) jetty. If it has got a lot of west in it, we fish the east (Louisiana) side.

Both the channel and the Gulf sides are productive but the outside is more consistent.

Make sure and have a Louisiana license if you fish anywhere on the east jetties, whether in the channel or on the Gulf side or you could get a nasty ticket.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Old Coast Guard station (Sabine Pass) SPECIES: Flounder, Trout, Reds, and Croaker BAIT/LURES: Mud minnows, finger mullet, fresh dead shrimp BEST TIMES: Strong, moving tide Work from the end to the boat cut, trolling down the jetty until you locate the fish. Most of the reds will be hanging around the rock piles. The trout are scattered all along the wall but our best bite has been at the washouts. Tidal movement is very important and both incoming and outgoing tides are equally productive. The channel may be best on outgoing tides and the Gulf on incoming most of the time but that has not necessarily been the case lately.

Both sides can be good on either tide.

Work both sides until you find the fish using glow and chartreuse colored soft plastics. At Sabine we like to rig them on ¼ oz. jighead and work it off the bottom. If the current is strong use a 3/8 oz lead head.

The best baits have been Old Bayside Shadlyn, and H & H Cocahoe minnows.

A D.O.A. shrimp under a popping cork has also been fooling some nice trout. Most of the fish have been holding pretty tight to the wall and deep but by tomorrow they may be suspended or near the surface. Try a faster retrieve or other baits like Rat-LTraps and MirrOlure 51MR and 52MR. The fish are definitely there. It is just a matter of figuring them out.

Decide which direction you are going to go and get out there while the getting is good. Enjoy your time on the waters of Sabine Lake and be safe!

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Hotspots Focus: Galveston Complex

by Capt. Mike Holmes

Passing Into May ITH THE ARRIVAL OF MAY, SPRING HAS reached the Texas coast in full force, with summer knocking on the door. May provides many calm days, pleasant weather, and great fishing. For a place to go in the spring in the Galveston Bay complex I would pick the area behind San Luis Pass, and the pass itself under favorable conditions.

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THE BANK BITE LOCATION: The north shoreline of Galveston Island, behind San Luis Pass. This area can be safely and productively wade fished.

ALTERNATE SPOT: Galveston Island surf just east of San Luis Pass. This will always be my top spot for May, because for several years I caught my first “bull” red of the season there, including a long, big headed 41 pounder than remains my personal best.

All of the Galveston Bays were hurt by Ike, in that bait camps, piers, and homes even roads may still be out of commission, but the extreme western end took a generally lighter hit, and should be well on the way to recovery. Hwy 257 from Surfside to the Pass has about four miles of pavement gone, but traffic has been routed to the beach for this stretch and at least temporary repairs have already been budgeted for by Brazoria County. Access from the Galveston side should be no problem. The public ramp on the Follett’s Island side, in the County Park, should be useable.

The Pass is always a viable spot, due to the current running in and out daily, moving sport fish and their prey species in and out from the open Gulf. There will be clear water in the Pass when the rest of the bay is off-color on an incoming tide and the “hole” where the channel passes under the bridge might be as deep as 25 feet. Beware the bar just northeast of this channel, unless you are running a shallow draft boat, as it doesn’t hold much depth.

The “channel” to the Gulf runs east, and can easily be navigated if there is a little surf to show the hole through the bars. Too much surf, though, and it is best to stay inside.

The Pass itself can be very good for spring trout (big ones) as well as bull reds and jack crevalle. May is not too early to hope for a tarpon strike, and even a small “silver king”

jumping high and repeatedly will be enough to make most angler’s day.

Inside the pass is a maze of sandbars best traveled in a shallow draft vessel, but with channels holding fish that beg to be explored. On days when the water is very clear, these channels are easy to see, and “bar hopping” by beaching your boat and wading can produce good trout action, as well as a big flounder from time to time. If the boat barely makes it through the channels, like my old 24 foot outboard did, watch the tides carefully, and get off the bar before it goes out too much.

Outside the sand bars and in the main bay, with an east wind it is possible to drift and cast from far up the Galveston Island shoreline to clear water often holding good fish. This can be a very pleasant and rewarding way to pass a spring day, whether or not the fish are biting. With some live shrimp and/or good plastics and spoons, more likely than not they will be.

Capt. Mike Holmes runs tarpon, shark, and bluewater trips on a classic 31 Bertram. To book a trip, call 979-415-0535. Email him at mholmes@fishgame.com.

SPECIES: In the bay, trout, flounder, and the occasional red, as well as panfish. In the surf, bull reds, jacks, the occasional big stingray or nice shark.

BEST BAITS: Live shrimp or artificials for the bay, live mullet for the surf – unless you can cast net some skipjack and cut them in half. Failing live mullet, fresh cut mullet also works nicely.

BEST TIMES: In May, the old saying that the best time to go fishing is “when you can” holds especially true. Watch the tides around the Pass, and have fun!

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Hotspots Focus: Matagorda

by Bink Grimes

Salinity Levels Affect How You Fish WO SUMMERS AGO THE MIDDLE COAST WAS inundated with more rains that swelled every river that dumped in to bay. The result was a wall of freshwater that extended as far as 25 miles downstream in some estuaries, the worst in over a half-century. Though freshwater inflow is crucial to the hydrology of marine estuaries, the result was a transformation of normal fishing grounds – catfish were caught were

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speckled trout had roamed for years.

From one extreme to the other, we are now in a severe drought; and, the trend has been reversed. Where catfish were the normal species caught upstream, now trout and redfish have made an appearance due to saltwater intrusion.

Higher salinity levels send saltwater to the upper reaches of normally fresh rivers and tributaries.

Case in point: Lots of trout have been caught as far north as the Port of Bay City basin just outside of the city limits, the upper reaches of the Lavaca River and tidal streams and creeks near Freeport. The same holds true on the upper coast on the rivers that feed Galveston Bay. The Trinity River north of IH-10 is salty as is the San Jacinto River north of IH-10.

“We have seen dolphins upstream in the Colorado River,” said Selkirk resident Karen Crain. “We never see dolphins this far up the river.”

Higher salinity levels affects the shrimp production during spring, which in turn

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Matagorda Beach SPECIES: Speckled trout, redfish, whiting BAITS: Live shrimp and Gulp!

BEST TIMES: Varies affects white shrimp entering the bays during the fall.

Salinity is measured in parts per thousand (ppt), and beach water normally runs 30-35 ppt.

Most bay systems operate at 25-30 ppt, depending how much freshwater runoff has entered the bay due to rains. However, during periods of drought, bay salinity can climb even higher than the ocean. In fact, the Laguna Madre, a hypersaline lagoon, consistently yields 35 ppt or higher due to lack of freshwater inflow.

The problem rises in the marsh, where salinity levels normally range from 5-15 ppt, but climb higher during a drought. Marshes are nurseries for shrimp and other baitfish, and certain species of shrimp like white shrimp need 15 ppt or less to live and grow to optimal levels. Higher levels stunt growth and reproduction, leaving fewer shrimp to flood the bays during autumn. The result is fewer birds work due to fewer shrimp in the bay.

Brown shrimp, on the other hand, like high salt concentrations, and actually thrive in levels reaching 35 ppt. Brown shrimp exit the marsh from May through July. If you see birds working during the summer, there is a good “brownie” crop.

Be aware that higher salinity levels affect the rate at which suspending plugs sink.

Most of us have never traveled to the Dead Sea, but reports indicate humans float, rather than sink in its deep saline waters (1,240 feet). The great waterway between Israel and the West Bank, referred to frequently in the Bible as a refuge for King David, has a salt content almost six times

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Hotspots Focus: Rockport

by Capt. Mac Gable

HE KIND OF LINE YOU USE CAN HAVE A significant impact on the fish you catch. Different types of line are best for certain applications.

Monofilament is the most popular and has been around for many years and a brand like Trilene Big Game is the most abrasion resistant that I have used. It does have a little more memory than I care for though. It stretches. Again, this can be a good thing or bad thing depending on the fishing situation.

It is easier on hands, shoulders and arm joints and makes a good leader when used with braided lines. In comparison to braided lines, it doesn’t last as long and I have had to respool many times after two or three fishing trips. UV rays deteriorate it quite quickly so keep your rods out of the sun when you can. And never drive down the highway with your rods sticking up out of the rod holders. It puts incredible wear and tear on your line, rod and reel. I use fluorocarbon line when finesse fishing is in order. It almost disappears under water due to lack of light refraction.

For light bite days I keep a spool for leaders on my boat. It tends to be quite stiff and it does not hold up well to abrasions so the slightest nick or tear in the line requires replacing the leader, so after catching several fish, run your fingers down the line and check it. Nanotube technology has got to hold some promise for the fishing line industry and I cannot wait to try some.

I use braided lines 60 percent of the time and for the croaker season I use monofila-

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Many people tend to overreact with braided line.

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Get a Big Trout on the Line

ment especially with clients that are not experienced at the croaker bite, the monofilament is more forgiving and I get more hookups for that reason. For experienced fisher people braided is fine, the technique is feeding the pole to the fish, meaning once you feel a tap, push the rod towards the fish then gently bring the pole back to you until you feel the pressure, then set the hook.

The trophy trout I am holding at the top of this page was caught by TF&G Executive Editor Chester Moore on my boat using this very technique. Many people tend to overreact with braided line due to the lack of stretch and pull bait right out of the fish’s mouth. So if you are missing fish, not getting bites, or just plain can’t figure out what

the problem is check how you are “lined up.” More than likely you will find the answer there.

Now that I have given you a few tips on line selection, here is what the fish are doing this month.

ST. CHARLES BAY: The mouth of Little Devils Bayou using Bass Assassins in morning glory and electric chicken colors will produce slot reds. The deep water transition at Cavasso Creek will hold trout, a silent drift across or down this transition is the right approach. A rattle trap or Mansfield mauler will pull the trout up from deeper water.

COPANO BAY: Fish the west shoreline using free-lined croakers or sand eels with a yellow headed 1/8 ounce jig head for trout. Tides &

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THE BANK BITE LOCATION: The north end of the LBJ causeway.

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAIT: Topwater broken backs and free lined mud minnows.

BEST TIMES: Rising tides are key here with a dropping tide being the best. Little Lap Reef is a good spot late in the evening for reds using mud minnows and cut menhaden.

ARANSAS BAY: Grass Island reef is good for reds early morning using bone-colored Super Spooks or Berkley Gulp Shrimp under a popping cork. Thompson’s Tow heads using live shrimp under a popping cork or free lined will produce trout and black drum early morning.

CARLOS BAY: Fish the southwest side of Cedar Reef using a popping cork and live shrimp for black drum and reds. A drift across Cedar Lake using sand eels in root beer and morning glory will produce good numbers of trout.

MESQUITE BAY: Little Brundrett Lake on high tide will have keeper reds early morning and late evening using cut menhaden on a fish finder rig. The south east shoreline next to the mouth of Cedar Bayou is great for wading up trout using Berkley Gulp shrimp on a 1/16-ounce jig head.

AYERS BAY: The south west edge of Ayres will hold reds and trout using mud minnows and live shrimp under a cork. The northeast shoreline reefs using fresh dead peeled shrimp will produce black drum and gafftop.

Contact: Capt. Mac Gable, Mac Attack Guide Service, 512-809-2681, 361-790-9601

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Hotspots Focus: Corpus to Baffin

by Chester Moore

Shorelines Red Hot in May HE SHORELINES ALONG THE LAGUNA AND IN Baffin Bay can be red hot this month, especially for anglers targeting quality trout.

Target emerging slicks along the shoreline and the breakline into slightly deeper water, as they often indicate specks on the hunt. Emerging slicks are small and usually round. If you see one about the size of a garbage can lid, it probably just formed and your chances of connecting with fish are excellent. That is the ideal condition, but any slick is worth trying if it is well-formed and no more than 10 feet across, at least in my opinion. By focusing on the smallest, well-formed slicks, you can increase the odds of catching fish. Some anglers claim they can tell if a slick is fresh by smelling it.

Slicks definitely have a smell, and it is probably best compared to mowed grass or watermelon rinds when they come from a speck, according to most slick-savvy anglers.

Walking topwater plugs is the most exciting option to fish with, particularly if the fish are biting aggressively. Bright colors work best, especially as the sun gets up high and

T

reflective properties of the lures kick in. If that doesn’t work, try throwing a swimming plug like a 51M MirrOlure or Jointed Thunderstick into these areas to draw the attention of big trout.

Anglers favoring live bait should target the rocks at Kleberg Point with croaker or finger mullet. Croaker is easier to get around bait camps, but throwing a cast net (not around the rocks) can get you plenty of mullet, which are an underrated bait for big trout in these parts. Fish them either on a fish-finder (Carolina) rig, or a free-line with a circle hook pitched against the rocks.

Back toward Corpus Christi, the Humble Channel starts heating up for redfish and is still consistent for flounder. Both take live mud minnows and mullet fished over struc-

ture along the edges of the channel, and over small humps dropping off into deep water.

Drift these spots, and if you pick up several bites in one zone, go back and drop anchor.

Probably the biggest mistake bait anglers make this month is assuming the fish in the channels are running only in deep water.

That might be true to a certain extent later in the summer, but right now they will be hitting the shallows a lot and moving back and forth with the rising and falling of the tides. With that understood, look for the first hour of a falling tide to provide the absolute best fishing in the shallows of the channel, as predators wait along the edges.

Email Chester Moore at cmoore@fishgame.com.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Kaufer-Hubert Memorial Park, FM 629, Loyola Beach.

SPECIES: Black drum, speckled trout.

BAITS: For drum, dead shrimp and crab. For trout, soft plastic shrimp imitation and topwaters.

BEST TIME: Mornings and evenings.

A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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Hotspots Focus: Lower Coast

by Calixto Gonzales

EXEQUITA FLATS (N26 3.624, W97 11.532) is nestled in between the Old Queen Isabella Causeway and the Brownsville Ship Channel portion of the Intra Coastal Waterway. Beginning with the spring tides of late April, warm Gulf waters flood over these grass and sand flats and quickly boost water temperatures over the magic 70 degree mark. If you are looking for an area where trout and redfish and bait are going to gather, this is it.

Like many of the other productive regions in Lower Laguna Madre, Mexequita is a broad grass flat pockmarked by sand pockets, or potholes. Trout will lurk around these potholes, especially early in the morning. Live shrimp or soft plastics such as a DOA Shrimp or Gulp! Shrimp are very productive when fished under a popping cork or Alameda float. If redfish are your preference, big, noisy topwaters such as a Top Dog, Jr. or Saltwater Chug Bug are good choices early in the morning. These topwaters are smaller, which serve two purposes: first, they match the size of young-of-

M

“

Even the lowly whiting can put up a spirited fight on lighter tackle.

“

Springtime in Laguna Madre

the year baitfish; second, the smaller baits seem easier for uber aggresive red to zero in on. Do not be afraid to go Old School and toss a Devil’s Horse. These little buggers resemble small ballyhoo perfectly, and both redfish and trout will strike it with abandon.

As the day grows longer, then switch to a ¼ ounce gold or bronze spoon and swim it slowly. A chartreuse or red plastic trailer seems to enhance the attractiveness of the spoon.

Because Mexequita is literally within sight of the Brazos-Santiago Pass, it is affected by tides more than most of the other popular fishing areas. The most effective

time to fish is during an incoming tide, when the flats are flooded by fresh water directly from the Gulf. Trout and redfish become very active and start prowling the flats.

Once the flood tide is reached, then they will settle around the potholes and ambush any hapless prey that swims by.

Conversely, be careful not to be caught

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Live Oak Point at the south end of the LBJ causeway SPECIES: trout and redfish BEST BAITS: silver slabs, gold spoons, free-lined shrimp BEST TIMES: High tides. on Mexequita during an outgoing tide. The place becomes a vast desert when the water drains, and it is not uncommon to see some tunnel-vees and even scooters trapped in the flats until flood tide.

The afore-mentioned Old Queen Isabella Causeway (N26 4.197, 97 11.305) is another short run, and it also does not get as much attention as other more popular areas.

Part of that may be the general belief that the area is strictly a bait fisherman’s paradise full of mangrove snapper, sheepshead, and other panfish. That in fact is very true, and it is thus a great spot to bring big and small kids who are more concerned with just getting their line stretched than catching the state record trout. On a good day, you may find some jumbo whiting and cosmopolitan pompano also crash the party.

Both the mangrove snapper and sheepshead that hang around the pilings are tough fish, and a 13-inch mangrove or 15inch sheepshead can be quite a handful on light tackle. Even the lowly whiting can put up a spirited fight on lighter tackle. A stan-

HOTSPOTS FOCUS: MATAGORDA & MID COAST Continued from Page C16 that of the ocean which cannot sustain life.

Though conditions are not that severe, during the last significant drought, about a decade ago, I learned firsthand how a saltier environment affects the rate of sink. As I waded the Oyster Farm in East MatagorC20

• M A Y

2 0 0 9 /

T E X A S

F i s h

da Bay, I noticed my Corky hanging just below the surface and not slow-sinking like it was made to do. Perplexed, I examined the bait, consider the salinity level and proved a hypothesis during the real-life lab experiment. I then took a small nail and pushed it through the nose of the bait to make it sink through the water column. &

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

The salty white ring on my hat and skin at the end of the day were enough to salt the fries at Whataburger. Pray for rain.

Contact: Bink Grimes, www.binkgrimesoutdoors.com.

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dard free-shrimp rig is an 18-24 inch leader, #1 short-shank hook and #3 split shot with a lively shrimp pinned on to entice these structure-lurking battlers. You will find plenty of fish around the crumbling pilings, but do not hesitate to cast in between the pilings.

Pieces of the causeway have fallen into the water, and some of the larger fish tend to hold around these isolated concrete chunks.

If you fish parallel to the defunct bridge, you might luck into a pompano, or even find one of the snook that gravitate to the structure.

Do not be surprised if you latch onto a good sized trout or flounder around the Old Causeway. The pilings create current eddies that both fish hold around and wait for the tide to push bait by them. Fish parallel to the current eddies and cast your bait into it

Page C21

and let it drift with the current. Keep a finger on your line. If you feel a tap, drop your rod tip and let the line come tight, then set the hook.

If you prefer fishing with hardware, the DOA Shrimp, YUM Sweet Shrimp, or an un-weighted Gulp! Shrimp are perfect for fishing eddies around the Old Causeway.

The do-nothing action of these lures makes them look like an actual shrimp being taken where the current will. Let the bait drift on a semi-slack line and give it a twitch every five seconds or so. No predator will let that sucker drift by their noses.

Another very good part of the Old Causeway is the curve where the bridge joins the mainland (or Long Island, as the case may be). Speckled trout, redfish and

A L M A N A C / T E X A S

F i s h

flounder congregate around the drop-off that is formed by the roadbed. You can use either live bait, including finger mullet, on a ¼ounce fish-finder rig, or you can bounce a soft plastic such as a shrimp or shad tail on a ¼ ounce jighead off the drop-off and into the deeper water. Either technique is very effective to put fish in the box.

Lent is over, but fresh fried fish never gets old!

Contact: Calixto Gonzales by email at cgonzales@fishgame.com.

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Sportsman’s Daybook Tides and Prime Times

MAY 2009 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.

T13 T7

T6 T5 T17

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY is shown in the lower color boxes of the Calendar pages. Use the SOLUNAR ADJUSTMENT SCALE below to adjust times for points East and West of Galveston Channel.

T15 T16

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

T14 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

SOLAR & LUNAR ACTIVITY: Sunrise: 6:34a Sunset: 7:51p

PEAK DAYS: The closer the moon is to your location, the stronger the influence. FULL or NEW MOONS provide the strongest influnce of the month.

T20

AM Minor: 9:11a AM Major: 2:57a PM Minor: 9:40p PM Major: 3:25p

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.

Moonrise:9:27a Moon Set: None Moon Overhead:

T21

4:55p

TIDE CORRECTION TABLE Add or subtract the time shown at the right of the Tide Stations on this table (and map) to determine the adjustment from the time shown for GALVESTON CHANNEL in the calendars.

KEY T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6

PLACE Sabine Bank Lighthouse Sabine Pass Jetty Sabine Pass Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass Galveston Bay, S. Jetty Port Bolivar

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

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

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

T22 T23

KEYS TO USING THE TIDE AND SOLUNAR GRAPHS TIDE LE VEL GRAPH: 12a

Tab: Peak Fishing Period

6a

12p

6p

AM/PM Timeline

12a

Light Blue: Nighttime

BEST:

7:05-9:40 PM

Green: Falling Tide

Gold Fish: Best Time

Blue: Rising Tide Red Graph: Fishing Score

Blue Fish: Good Time

SOLUNAR AC TIVIT Y: MINOR Feeding Periods (+/- 1.5 Hrs.) Time Moon is at its Highest Point in the Sky 12a

AM/PM Timeline

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• M A Y

AM Minor: 1:20a

PM Minor: 1:45p

AM Major: 7:32a

PM Major: 7:57p

MAJOR Feeding Periods (+/- 2 Hrs.)

Moon Overhead: 8:50a 6a

12p

6p

12a

Time Moon is Directly Underfoot (at its peak on opposite side of the earth)

Moon Underfoot: 9:15p 2 0 0 9 /

T E X A S

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

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

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

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

KEY T18 T19 T20 T21 T22 T23

PLACE San Luis Pass Freeport Harbor Pass Cavallo Aransas Pass Padre Island (So. End) Port Isabel

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

Yellow: Daylight

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 a wide variety of wildlife species.

T9 T8

T3 T2 T1

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

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

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Sportsman’s Daybook NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

MONDAY

WEDNESDAY

28

THURSDAY

29

FRIDAY

M May 1

30

Set: 7:52p Sunrise: 6:39a Set: 11:09p Moonrise: 9:25a

Set: 7:52p Set: None

AM Minor: 7:52a

PM Minor: 1:36p

AM Minor: 9:01a

PM Minor: 2:45p

AM Minor: 10:10a

PM Minor: 3:54p

AM Minor: 11:15a

PM Minor: 5:00p

AM Minor: ——-

AM Major: 1:36a

PM Major: 2:07p

AM Major: 2:45a

PM Major: 3:16p

AM Major: 3:54a

PM Major: 4:25p

AM Major: 5:00a

PM Major: 5:30p

AM Major: 6:01a

Moon Overhead: 3:46p 6a

12p

6p

Sunrise: 6:38a Set: 7:53p Sunrise: 6:38a Set: 7:53p Moonrise: 10:32a Set: 12:11a Moonrise: 11:41a Set: 1:04a

Moon Overhead: 5:51p

Moon Overhead: 4:49p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Sunrise: 6:37a Set: 7:54p Moonrise: 12:50p Set: 1:51a

Moon Overhead: 6:50p 12a

6a

12p

6p

SATURDAY

2

6a

12p

3

Sunrise: 6:36a Moonrise: 1:55p

Set: 7:55p Set: 2:31a

Sunrise: 6:35a Moonrise: 2:58p

Set: 7:55p Set: 3:06a

PM Minor: 6:01p

AM Minor: 12:41a

PM Minor: 6:54p

AM Minor: 1:29a

PM Minor: 7:41p

PM Major: 6:28p

AM Major: 6:54a

PM Major: 7:19p

AM Major: 7:41a

PM Major: 8:04p

Moon Overhead: 8:35p

Moon Overhead: 7:44p 12a

SUNDAY

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Tides and Prime Times for MAY 2009

TUESDAY

27

Sunrise: 6:40a Moonrise: 8:24a

12a

= New Moon = First Quarter = Full Moon = Last Quarter = Best Day

Moon Overhead: 9:22p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 3:15a

0

-1.0

BEST:

4”35-9:15 pm

BEST:

5:40-10:30 pm

Moon Underfoot: 6:21a BEST:

5:00-6:40 am

Moon Underfoot: 7:17a

Moon Underfoot: 8:10a

BEST:

BEST:

12:00-2:00 am

Moon Underfoot: 8:58a +2.0

BEST:

12:00-1:05 am

1:20-2:50 am TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST:

2:05-9:00 pm

Moon Underfoot: 5:20a

TIDE LEVELS

+2.0

Moon Underfoot: 4:17a

High Tide: 8:28 AM Low Tide: 1:29 PM High Tide: 2:37 PM

1.78 ft 1.53 ft 1.53 ft

Low Tide: 12:38 AM -0.41 ft Low Tide: 1:37 AM -0.36 ft Low Tide: 2:41 AM -0.25 ft Low Tide: 3:51 AM -0.08 ft Low Tide: High Tide: 9:41 AM 1.76 ft High Tide: 10:54 AM 1.71 ft High Tide: 11:55 AM 1.64 ft High Tide: 12:36 PM 1.55 ft High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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5:05 AM 1:04 PM 7:28 PM 11:25 PM

0.13 ft 1.45 ft 1.01 ft 1.16 ft

G a m e ® / M A Y

Low Tide: 6:21 AM High Tide: 1:24 PM Low Tide: 7:46 PM

2 0 0 9

0.36 ft 1.35 ft 0.73 ft

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+1.0

0

-1.0

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Sportsman’s Daybook NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

= Peak Fishing Period

7:45-9:40 AM

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

4

5

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

7

6

SATURDAY

8

Sunrise: 6:34a Moonrise: 3:58p

Set: 7:56p Set: 3:38a

Sunrise: 6:33a Moonrise: 4:57p

Set: 7:57p Set: 4:09a

Sunrise: 6:33a Moonrise: 5:56p

Set: 7:57p Set: 4:40a

Sunrise: 6:32a Moonrise: 6:56p

Set: 7:58p Set: 5:13a

Sunrise: 6:31a Moonrise: 7:56p

Set: 7:59p Set: 5:49a

Sunrise: 6:31a Moonrise: 8:56p

AM Minor: 2:11a

PM Minor: 8:22p

AM Minor: 2:51a

PM Minor: 9:02p

AM Minor: 3:30a

PM Minor: 9:41p

AM Minor: 4:11a

PM Minor: 10:23p

AM Minor: 4:56a

PM Minor: 11:08p

AM Major: 8:22a

PM Major: 8:45p

AM Major: 9:02a

PM Major: 9:24p

AM Major: 9:41a

PM Major: 10:04p

AM Major: 10:23a

PM Major: 10:46p

AM Major: 11:08a

PM Major: 11:33p

Moon Overhead: 10:07p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 11:38p

Moon Overhead: 10:52p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: None 12a

6a

12p

6p

6a

12p

6p

10

Set: 7:59p Set: 6:29a

Sunrise: 6:30a Moonrise: 9:52p

Set: 8:00p Set: 7:13a

AM Minor: 5:45a

PM Minor: 11:57p

AM Minor: 6:37a

PM Minor: 12:24p

AM Major: 11:57a

PM Major: ——-

AM Major: 12:24a

PM Major: 12:50p

Moon Overhead: 1:14a

Moon Overhead: 12:25a 12a

9

SUNDAY

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 2:05a 12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Tides and Prime Times for MAY 2009

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 9:45a +2.0

Moon Underfoot: 10:29a

BEST:

0

-1.0

BEST:

3:20-6:50 am

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 12:50p BEST:

10:15am-12:20pm

Moon Underfoot: 1:40p BEST:

10:50am-1:20pm

6:00-7:20 pm

Moon Underfoot: 2:31p +2.0

BEST:

12:40-8:30 pm TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST:

2:45-6:20 am

Moon Underfoot: 12:01p

TIDE LEVELS

8:30-11:20 pm

Moon Underfoot: 11:15a

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

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1:17 AM 7:34 AM 1:40 PM 8:15 PM

• M A Y

1.23 ft 0.60 ft 1.29 ft 0.45 ft

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

2 0 0 9 /

2:47 AM 8:44 AM 1:54 PM 8:47 PM

1.35 ft 0.82 ft 1.26 ft 0.20 ft

T E X A S

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

F i s h

4:01 AM 9:50 AM 2:06 PM 9:20 PM

&

1.48 ft 1.02 ft 1.26 ft -0.00 ft

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

5:04 AM 10:54 AM 2:15 PM 9:54 PM

1.58 ft 1.18 ft 1.28 ft -0.14 ft

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

6:00 AM 12:00 PM 2:16 PM 10:29 PM

1.64 ft High Tide: 6:52 AM 1.66 ft High Tide: 7:43 AM 1.64 ft 1.29 ft Low Tide: 11:06 PM -0.21 ft Low Tide: 11:45 PM -0.17 ft 1.32 ft -0.20 ft

+1.0

0

-1.0

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Sportsman’s Daybook NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

TUESDAY

Sunrise: 6:29a Set: 8:00p Moonrise: 10:44p Set: 8:01a

Sunrise: 6:28a Set: 8:01p Moonrise: 11:31p Set: 8:53a

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

11

12

THURSDAY

13 Sunrise: 6:28a Moonrise: None

Set: 8:02p Set: 9:48a

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

14

15

Set: 8:03p Sunrise: 6:26a Sunrise: 6:27a Set: 8:02p Sunrise: 6:27a Moonrise: 12:14a Set: 10:44a Moonrise: 12:51a Set: 11:40a Moonrise: 1:25a

SUNDAY

16

17

Set: 8:04p Sunrise: 6:25a Set: 12:35p Moonrise: 1:56a

Set: 8:04p Set: 1:30p

AM Minor: 7:32a

PM Minor: 1:20p

AM Minor: 8:28a

PM Minor: 2:16p

AM Minor: 9:24a

PM Minor: 3:12p

AM Minor: 10:17a

PM Minor: 4:05p

AM Minor: 11:08a

PM Minor: 4:56p

AM Minor: 11:54a

PM Minor: 5:43p

AM Minor: 12:14a

PM Minor: 6:27p

AM Major: 1:20a

PM Major: 1:45p

AM Major: 2:16a

PM Major: 2:41p

AM Major: 3:12a

PM Major: 3:36p

AM Major: 4:05a

PM Major: 4:29p

AM Major: 4:56a

PM Major: 5:19p

AM Major: 5:43a

PM Major: 6:05p

AM Major: 6:27a

PM Major: 6:48p

Moon Overhead: 2:57a

12a

WEDNESDAY

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 4:38a

Moon Overhead: 3:48a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 5:27a 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 6:57a

Moon Overhead: 6:13a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 7:40a 12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for MAY 2009

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 3:23p

0

-1.0

BEST:

4:10-9:30 pm

BEST:

9:00-10:45 pm

Moon Underfoot: 5:50p BEST:

9:45-11:00 pm

Moon Underfoot: 6:35p BEST:

10:40-11;30 pm

Moon Underfoot: 7:19p BEST:

5:30-7:10 am

Moon Underfoot: 8:01p +2.0

BEST:

12:00-1:15 am TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST:

6:30-9:05 pm

Moon Underfoot: 5:03p

TIDE LEVELS

+2.0

Moon Underfoot: 4:14p

High Tide: 8:35 AM

1.60 ft

Low Tide: 12:26 AM -0.10 ft Low Tide: 1:09 AM -0.01 ft Low Tide: 1:54 AM 0.10 ft High Tide: 9:29 AM 1.54 ft High Tide: 10:24 AM 1.49 ft High Tide: 11:11 AM 1.45 ft

Low Tide: 2:40 AM 0.22 ft High Tide: 11:45 AM 1.41 ft

Low Tide: 3:28 AM 0.36 ft High Tide: 12:07 PM 1.36 ft

Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

4:18 AM 12:23 PM 7:23 PM 11:28 PM

0.51 ft 1.32 ft 0.94 ft 1.04 ft

+1.0

0

-1.0

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Page C27

Sportsman’s Daybook = New Moon = First Quarter = Full Moon = Last Quarter = Best Day

Tides and Prime Times for MAY 2009 MONDAY

TUESDAY

19

20

FRIDAY

21

Sunrise: 6:25a Moonrise: 2:25a

Set: 8:05p Set: 2:25p

Sunrise: 6:24a Moonrise: 2:54a

Set: 8:05p Set: 3:22p

Sunrise: 6:24a Moonrise: 3:25a

Set: 8:06p Set: 4:21p

Sunrise: 6:23a Moonrise: 3:57a

Set: 8:07p Set: 5:24p

Sunrise: 6:23a Moonrise: 4:35a

AM Minor: 12:57a

PM Minor: 7:08p

AM Minor: 1:36a

PM Minor: 7:47p

AM Minor: 2:14a

PM Minor: 8:26p

AM Minor: 2:54a

PM Minor: 9:07p

AM Major: 7:08a

PM Major: 7:29p

AM Major: 7:47a

PM Major: 8:08p

AM Major: 8:26a

PM Major: 8:48p

AM Major: 9:07a

PM Major: 9:31p

Moon Overhead: 8:22a

12a

THURSDAY

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 9:49a

Moon Overhead: 9:05a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 10:37a 12a

6a

12p

6p

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SATURDAY

Set: 8:07p Set: 6:32p

Sunrise: 6:23a Moonrise: 5:18a

AM Minor: 3:39a

PM Minor: 9:52p

AM Major: 9:52a

PM Major: 10:19p

6a

12p

6p

12a

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Set: 8:08p Set: 7:42p

Sunrise: 6:22a Moonrise: 6:10a

AM Minor: 4:30a

PM Minor: 10:44p

AM Minor: 5:28a

PM Minor: 11:43p

AM Major: 10:44a

PM Major: 11:14p

AM Major: 11:43a

PM Major: 12:15p

Moon Overhead: 12:27p

Moon Overhead: 11:29a 12a

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SUNDAY

6a

12p

6p

Set: 8:08p Set: 8:51p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

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WEDNESDAY

Moon Overhead: 1:29p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 8:43p

0

-1.0

BEST:

7:30-9:20 am

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 11:02p BEST:

8:10-10:15 am

Moon Underfoot: None

Moon Underfoot: None

BEST:

8:50-11:05 am

9:40-11:55 am

Moon Underfoot: 12:57a

BEST:

BEST:

3:00-6:20 pm

4:00-7:05 pm

+2.0

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST:

2:00-3:10 am

Moon Underfoot: 10:12p

TIDE LEVELS

+2.0

Moon Underfoot: 9:26p

Low Tide: 5:13 AM 0.67 ft High Tide: 12:34 PM 1.28 ft Low Tide: 7:08 PM 0.74 ft

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

1:12 AM 6:16 AM 12:42 PM 7:24 PM

1.13 ft 0.84 ft 1.25 ft 0.50 ft

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

2:32 AM 7:25 AM 12:47 PM 7:52 PM

1.28 ft 1.01 ft 1.25 ft 0.23 ft

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

3:39 AM 8:38 AM 12:47 PM 8:28 PM

1.45 ft 1.17 ft 1.28 ft -0.03 ft

+1.0

0

-1.0 High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

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4:39 AM 9:50 AM 12:45 PM 9:09 PM

1.61 ft 1.31 ft 1.35 ft -0.27 ft

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High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

5:37 AM 11:02 AM 12:42 PM 9:55 PM

1.74 ft High Tide: 6:34 AM 1.82 ft 1.43 ft Low Tide: 10:45 PM -0.59 ft 1.44 ft -0.46 ft

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Sportsman’s Daybook NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

MONDAY SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

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TUESDAY

Set: 8:09p Set: 9:57p

Sunrise: 6:21a Moonrise: 8:16a

AM Minor: 6:32a

PM Minor: 12:16p

AM Major: 12:16a

PM Major: 12:48p

Moon Overhead: 2:33p

12a

6a

12p

WEDNESDAY

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27

12a

FRIDAY

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SATURDAY

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SUNDAY

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Set: 8:10p Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:11p Set: 11:47p Moonrise: 10:38a Set: None

AM Minor: 7:41a

PM Minor: 1:25p

AM Minor: 8:51a

PM Minor: 2:35p

AM Minor: 9:57a

PM Minor: 3:43p

AM Minor: 10:58a

PM Minor: 4:45p

AM Minor: 11:53a

PM Minor: 5:40p

AM Minor: 12:18a

PM Minor: 6:29p

AM Major: 1:25a

PM Major: 1:57p

AM Major: 2:35a

PM Major: 3:06p

AM Major: 3:43a

PM Major: 4:12p

AM Major: 4:45a

PM Major: 5:12p

AM Major: 5:40a

PM Major: 6:05p

AM Major: 6:29a

PM Major: 6:52p

Moon Overhead: 4:40p

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:11p Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:12p Moonrise: 11:47a Set: 12:30a Moonrise: 12:51p Set: 1:07a

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Set: 8:10p Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 10:56p Moonrise: 9:27a

Moon Overhead: 3:38p

6p

THURSDAY

Moon Overhead: 5:38p 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 7:20p

Moon Overhead: 6:31p 12a

6a

12p

6p

Sunrise: 6:20a Moonrise: 1:53p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Set: 8:12p Set: 1:41a

Moon Overhead: 8:06p 12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Sunrise: 6:22a Moonrise: 7:10a

Tides and Prime Times for MAY 2009

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 2:01a +2.0

BEST:

BEST:

BEST:

6:00-8:15 pm

6:45-9:05 pm

7:05-9:30 pm

Moon Underfoot: 5:10a BEST:

9:00-10:50 am

Moon Underfoot: 6:05a BEST:

10:50am-1:10pm

Moon Underfoot: 6:56a

Moon Underfoot: 7:43a

BEST:

BEST:

5:50-7:45 pm

6:45-8:20 pm

TIDE LEVELS

0

Moon Underfoot: 4:10a

+2.0

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 3:06a

-1.0 High Tide: 7:32 AM 1.84 ft High Tide: 8:30 AM Low Tide: 11:37 PM -0.63 ft

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T E X A S

Low Tide: 12:31 AM -0.57 ft Low Tide: 1:28 AM -0.43 ft Low Tide: High Tide: 9:24 AM 1.74 ft High Tide: 10:10 AM 1.64 ft High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

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2:26 AM 10:47 AM 5:22 PM 7:39 PM

-0.20 ft 1.52 ft 1.13 ft 1.15 ft

Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

3:26 AM 11:16 AM 5:52 PM 10:10 PM

0.08 ft 1.41 ft 0.85 ft 1.04 ft

+1.0

0

-1.0 Low Tide: 4:32 AM 0.40 ft High Tide: 11:39 AM 1.31 ft Low Tide: 6:30 PM 0.55 ft

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AccuSharp Knife Sharpeners

Lansky Sharpeners

American Rodsmiths

Minda Lures

The Buddy Bag

Nomor-Clog

Cook’s Original “Go-To” Tackle Storage System

Randolph Engineering

Custom Angle Rods

Stanley

Fishing Lights, Etc.

Striper Express Guide Service

Fishing Tackle Unlimited

Swift Hitch

Husky Liners

Wilderness Systems

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Father’s Day Gift Guide N TODAY’S FAST-PACED SOCIETY, HOLIDAYS come and go often with minimal fanfare.

Except for Christmas, most special days are absorbed by our cell phones, mp3 players, computers and otherwise technical life in a flash.

This is the case with the days set aside for our mothers and fathers and we often use the ex-

I

cuse we have gone “too commercial” or “those are not real holidays.”

The reality is taking time to honor the people who mentored and helped shape you to deal with this world is important. In addition, while you may not see it that way now, when they are gone, you will never have a chance to

say “thank you” again. That might sound a bit grim but it is true and an excellent motivator to simply pick up the phone and say “Happy Father’s Day” or “Happy Mother’s Day” or go the next step and buy them something special.

Would you even be reading this magazine if your father had not taken you fishing for

by Chester Moore, Jr. bluegills on the family pond or soaking shrimp for croaker on a pier? Maybe your first outdoors adventure involved scouting for deer or sitting in a duck blind. Whatever your experience is, chances are the ones who brought you into this world made it happen.

Take time to honor them and realize without their influence your outdoors life might be way different or nonexistent.

ACCUSHARP: There has been an AccuSharp knife sharpener in my gear box for a number of years and I have always found them to be effective and dependable. They are wildly popular in Texas because they get the job done every time. Their knife and tool sharpener features a large ergonomic handle that fits either hand safely and securely with a full length finger guard for optimum finger protection. Sharpening blades are made of diamond honed tungsten carbide for years of reliable use. AccuSharp sharpeners will not rust and can be cleaned with soap and water or in the dishwasher.

AMERICAN RODSMITHS: This company makes high quality rods for anglers interested in precision equipment that can withstand the rigors of fishing pressure and hardcore anglers. Being a family-owned and operated company based in Texas gives them unique incite into what anglers want and has allowed them to develop a very loyal following among everyone from tournament anglers to weekend warriors. Their new Mag Strike Predator features the Adjustable Locking Handle System that allows anglers to set handle lengths to their own personal preference. Whether it is long casts to schooling fish or pitching around boat docks, it can be done with this new rod with the latest in technology.

THE BUDDY BAG: Want a bagging system that can double for an ice chest or perhaps saddle bags? Looking for a product that can match your diverse outdoors lifestyle? This is it.

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Father’s Day Gift Guide The Buddy Bag keeps your drinks cold, stows away your valuable gear and is virtually indestructible. There are dozens and dozens of uses for everyone from the duck hunter to the wade fisherman to the seasoned traveler who simply wants to keep his or her gear out of harms way and looking stylish at the same time.

COOK’S ORIGINAL: If space-hogging tackle boxes have your boat looking like a mini storage, then Cook’s Original “Go-To” Tackle Storage system offers a solution. Your lures will always be easy to get and far more organized than you dreamed.

CUSTOM ANGLE RODS: If you are looking for a finely crafted rod for a very specific application, Custom Angle Rods has something for you.

Maybe you need a good stick for Carolina-rig fishing or a rod set aside only for whacky worm fishing. Add to that the unique Reverse Wrap that places the guides in such a manner to bring the line from the top of the rod to the bottom, much the same as with spinning rods to increase

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Father’s Day Gift Guide sensitivity and you have one seriously precise instrument. These rods are for the discriminating angler who wants a rod that can take wear and tear and will not falter when the fish of their dreams is on the line.

FISHING LIGHTS, ETC: In the heat of summer, many anglers choose to fish at night. And whether seeking speckled trout on the bay or crappie on your favorite lake these convenient, effective lights will help you bag more fish. These lights come in white, blue or green and are guaranteed to never leak. Easy to use with replaceable halogen bulbs they will bring the fish to you.

FISHING TACKLE UNLIMITED: The World’s Largest Tackle Store, Fishing Tackle Unlimited, is proud to carry Costa Del Mar, a name synonymous with quality sporting eye protection. Whether it is the Fathom frame with Silver Mirror 580 lenses or the C-Mates Polarized Bifocals you will find what you need at this huge but shopper friendly fishing mega store.

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Father’s Day Gift Guide Need some fishing lures too? They have those in thousands of varieties along with anything else an angler could want.

HUSKY LINERS: Protecting your automotive investment has always been important but in these trying economic times, it is paramount to many people. Outdoors lovers put serious strains

on their vehicles and the variety of liners produced by Husky offer serious protection for serious outdoors use. Maybe you need carpet protection custom fitted for your vehicle. Then try the Weather Beater. Or maybe it is large capacity storage with removable dividers the Husky Gear Box can provide.

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LANSKY SHARPENERS: Looking for a truly fine edge for your knife? Then you definitely want to check out the Lansky Controlled Angle Knife Sharpening System. A top choice of outdoors lovers for decades, Lansky’s angle follows the idea that not all blades are created equal and to get the optimum edge, a variety of options must be available.

MINDA LURES: Texas-based Minda Lures is all about innovation, and their new Spear Worm takes soft plastics to a new level. Producing a graceful, eel-like swimming motion, it is designed to displace more water than most worms and flash to trigger more strikes. Coming in 12 colors in four-, seven- and 10-inch versions, the Spear Worm is geared for bass anglers looking to fish with finesse or gusto.

NOMOR-CLOG: This falls under the category of “I should have thought of that.” Everyone who has ever put fish or pretty much anything else in a cooler has had the drain clog up. This simple but super effective new invention ensures no more clogs and no more frustration. This product is made of durable food safe plastic that will last and make your outdoors trips just a little smoother.

RANDOLPH ENGINEERING: Eye protection is always important for shooters at the range and in the field. The RE Ranger lenses are designed to protect your eyes while highlighting your target and at the same time increasing contrast. Key elements include optical grade polycarbonate lenses in over 16 custom tints and prescription frame quality with a lifetime warranty on all solder joints, and comfort fit temples.

STANLEY: Stanley stood the bass fishing world on its ear with the Ribbit which is now considered mandatory cargo for anglers who like to surface fish for bass in the grass. The new Buzzit is a Ribbit fused with a buzz bait that is great for targeting lunkers in the pads, grass or open water.

STRIPER EXPRESS GUIDE SERVICE: Lake Texoma’s striper fishery is arguably the most action packed of its kind in the South. With high bag limits and an even better shot at getting an ice chest full of fish, it is the place to go for family fishing. Striper Express Guide Service offers 25 years of expertise seeking these supersized game fish and creating memories that last a lifetime.

SWIFT HITCH: Backing up to a trailer can be a tricky affair and unless you have a friend that

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Father’s Day Gift Guide can aid you with an extra set of eyes, it can be a frustrating experience. That is where the Swift Hitch comes in. This portable, easy to mount device doubles as a camera/monitor system to make sure you do not dent your vehicle. Each unit comes with a full color 2.5-inch LED screen and is designed for single hand operation. Now you no longer have to rely on your fishing buddy to give you instructions and will greatly reduce your chance at a collision.

WILDERNESS SYSTEMS: Paddle craft are becoming increasingly common on Texas waterways. Whether in a clear Hill Country stream or the Gulf of Mexico, kayaks are a growing part of the scenery and giving anglers access to quality fishing. Wilderness Systems, maker of the well-known Tarpon Series, is passionate about the outdoors and the sport of kayak fishing.

They’re committed to getting fishing enthusiasts of all levels to experience the enjoyment and performance that only a kayak can offer.

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Father’s Day Gift Guide Father’s Day: The Flipside THERE IS A FLIPSIDE TO FATHER’S DAY. There are many youngsters out there who have no father in their life to steer them in the

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right direction and help set them on the right path. As much as parts of society would like to eliminate the father from this equation, all one has to do is look at the news and see a lack of loving two-parent homes is causing a massive decline in America’s moral core.

To create the next generation of fathers with

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an interest in their children, we should consider mentoring those who need guidance by sparking an interest in the outdoors. And I do not mean just taking them on a token fishing or hunting trip.

Taking a kid on a fishing or hunting trip to introduce them to the outdoors is a wonderful gesture but the reality is, it is not enough.

It is not enough to keep them motivated to stay involved in outdoors pursuits long-term and may not even result in a passing phase of outdoors fascination in their lives. I saw a standup comedian say that if you want to punish a modern child, tell them they have to play outside.

While I nearly laughed myself off the seat, I felt a twinge of sadness inside because it is the truth.

Peer pressure has always been and will always be the major determining factor in the lives of most young people. And somewhere along the line, it became cool to have no goals, no motivation and no life. To combat this kind of voluntary apathy and turn it into a desire to seek excitement in the great outdoors, we are going to need a new game plan. You would not hunt a grizzly with a paintball gun nor should we target the youth of America with a quick trip to the outdoors and expect them to trade in their X-Box for a tackle box.

A mentoring situation could be as simple as e-mail communications about outdoors trips and outfitting them with tackle. Then again, it could go as far as regular trips to the field and taking a genuine role in their lives to steer them toward the right course. Another thing is we need to better reward those young people with a passion for the outdoors. If you have a child that likes to hunt or fish, send the photos of their bit catch or first deer to TF&G to be recognized or to local newspapers. Enthusiastically embrace their love for this lifestyle.

Despite all of the kids out there who want to do nothing, there are some exceptions to the rule that have ambition, drive and determination. They deserve our respect and kudos and more importantly, we should do everything in our power to keep them focused on these positive things. Kids who are leaders who hunt and fish are often ostracized from the “in” crowd.

For a kid with a strong backbone that can actually be beneficial because the “in” crowd is usually the “in trouble” crowd but for those who might be a little weaker, it is important to give them all the support we can.

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Father’s Day Gift Guide The forces aligned against children nowadays are staggering. Whether they hail from the barrio or white picket fence suburbs, they all deserve a chance to enjoy the bounty of the great outdoors and we should fight for this opportunity for them. I certainly do not have all of the answers to this dilemma but I do know that mentorship can make a big difference.

Men, if you need help on how to become a better mentor, there is a great group active in Texas called Legacy Outfitters. You can check them out at http://www.legacyoutfitters.org. They really are helping to make a difference in the lives of men who love the outdoors and literally outfitting them with the tools necessary to be a good mentor and role model.

If we do not take action, I can guarantee you other forces will. We will never reach every kid out there but for each one we turn onto topwater trout fishing instead of doing drugs we will have saved a life from ruin and benefited society as a whole.

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New Products New Sportsman’s Condo Southern Outdoor Technologies introduces it newest Sportsman’s Condo model blind, the “Ridgeline.” The Ridgeline features “Solid Blind Technology” which is what the Sportsman’s Condo is famous for.

The floor, walls, and roof are all molded together which translate to a stronger, quieter blind. The Ridgeline arrives fully assembled. Measuring 48”x48”x62”, there is plenty of room for an adult and small child. A full size, lockable door compli-

Sportsman’s Condos ments is standard and the over sized windows allows for maximum gun movement and visibility. An extra wide shelf gives plenty of storage space for all your hunting accessories.

The Ridgeline includes a metal base to elevate it using 4x4 treated posts and allows the hunter to decide what height works best for his hunting situation. The units weighs 204-pounds. Contact Southern outdoor Technologies for more information at http://www.sportsmanscondo.com/ or call 662-295-5702.

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St. Croix’s new inshore spinning and baitcasting rods.

St. Croix’s New Inshore Rods St. Croix is introducing an exciting new series of 22 inshore spinning and casting rods built with their proprietary Integrated Poly Curve (IPC) tooling technology on premium, high-modulus SCIII graphite blanks with a handsome “Copper Pearl” blank finish. Designed specifically for inshore saltwater fishing, every Avid Series Inshore rod is outfitted with Alps™ zirconium guides with 316 stainless-steel frames for outstanding protection from saltwater corrosion, and Fuji DPS reel seat/frosted silver hoods on spinning models / Fuji ECS or TCS reel seat/frosted silver hood on casting models. They’re finished with super-grade cork handles, two coats of Flex Coat slowcure finish, and machined-aluminum wind checks. Each is handcrafted in the U.S.A. Every St. Croix Avid Series Inshore rod is protected by a lifetime limited warranty backed by St. Croix Superstar Service.

Retail prices range from $180-$240.

Contact Jeff Schluter at 800-826-7042 or jeffs@stcroixrods.com. 856 4th Avenue North, Park Falls, WI 54552 U.S.A. www.stcroixrods.com

It’s a little “Baby Crab!”

That perfect little morsel that all inshore game fish just love to crunch, and at certain times of the year they will literally gorge themselves on these tiny crustaceans. The only problem is in most areas these little &

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pieces of fish candy are illegal to even possess.

TC Lures, Inc. is proud to introduce the “New” Baby CW Crab. Just like the Original CW Crab, the lure’s shell and swim fins are molded from a real crab, but this new little bait can almost hide under a quarter.

Extremely durable and constructed with a heavy-duty stainless steel through wire harness. This tiny thin lipped crab imposter remains in an upright position at all times and can be fished in skinny water or rigged to fish at any depth of the water column.

Baby CW Crab The full length keel complete with embossed legs, ensures the lure scoots sideways with little or no wobble, just like a real crab! Baby CW Crabs are available in several different color patterns and come in floating, suspending and sinking models.

Try adding a little of your favorite crab scent for the ultimate deception! Remember just “Be the Crab!”

For more information visit www.cwcrab.com or call (877)-762-9100.

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Lock on this!

The Lock Lizard is the hottest Fishing Lure to recently hit the market. It is a specially designed top water action Lure with the Look and Style that will easily make it the Favorite one in your tackle box. Avid fishermen have praised the simple but genius idea the Lure maker had. The Lure’s jointed back allows it to move in a side to side slithering action, thus mimicking a real Lizard, and when Lizards hit the surface of the water, their bellies tend to turn white which is another enticing attraction of this Lure, its coloring. This combination helps to trigger the natural curious instinct and strike of a fish. Another added feature is that by simply removing its tail and hook,

Lock Lizard one can replace them by screwing on any size plastic grub and single hook. In turn, it will increase one’s odds in catching Fish in those Remote areas where Fish tend to bed and spawn.

The Lock Lizard is the creation of native Texan, David Mendez, who resides in Lockhart, Texas.

The lure weighs .2oz and comes in four colors: pumpkin seed, chartreuse, dark green and light green.

Contact Lock Lizard Lures @ (512)738-0614.

Website: www.locklizard.net

Realtree Road Trip Just like in seasons past, Realtree Road Trips Best of Season 6 keeps on rockin’ with three hours and nine episodes of jawdropping, side-splitting footage as only Michael Waddell can deliver.

Hitch a ride with Waddell as he travels from the peanut fields of South Georgia to the mountain tops of Eastern Wyoming in search of his next target.

Find out for yourself why Realtree Road Trips won the Outdoor Channel’s award for Best Big Game Footage in 2008. Perhaps it

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has something to do with Waddell’s personal best New Mexico elk and Colorado mule deer.

Buglin’ monarchs, lovesick Realtree Road Trips Best of l o n g b e a r d s and a combiSeason 6 DVD. nation of rutcrazed whitetails and muleys are all part of this year’s Road Trips Best of Season 6.

“The Road Keeps on Callin’,” so tag along and enjoy the ride. It’s reality TV, Realtree style.

Exclusive Bonus Footage: Who said Waddell doesn’t miss?

Varmints in the snow A glance of Season 7 Rhett Akins unplugs Nicky the Wheel Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert Available at local sporting goods dealer, or visit www.realtree.com/store.

Metolius Knife from Gerber The new Metolious is the knife you want on your next hunt. The Metolius knife is available in a fixed blade or a folder knife and both are available in either drop point or gut hook, to meet everyone’s personal preferences.

The handle features SoftGrip® over mold and deep finger grooves for a superior non-slip grip. The fixed blade employs a full tang construction for strength and durability. A lanyard Gerber Metolius hole in the handle allows the knife to be attached to the sheath or elsewhere.

The durable blade features 154CM steel. A sheath is included.

The Metolius knives are available at www.gerbergear.com, GerberGear, 14200 SW 72nd Avenue, Portland, OR 97224.

Or through retailers across the country.

MSRP $35.00

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Hear What You’ve Been Missing Walker’s Game Ear announces the Hybrid, the first 6 channel, behind-the-ear, open fit hearing enhancement/protection device.

The Hybrid incorporates cutting edge Wide Dynamic Range Optimizing algorithms on a High Definition platform to deliver the most natural and pure sound enhancement available.

“The Hybrid is by far our most finely designed and advanced Behind-the-Ear unit,” said Bob Walker, Walker’s Game Ear founder.

“What makes this technology so advanced is Walker Hybrid that the sound enhancement is across a full 6 channels with integrated 16 band graphic equalizer,” Walker said.

Along with the digital Sound Activated Compression, a newly designed ergonomic foam tip, with built-in wax guard, offers a 22 dB Noise Reduction Rating. “Protecting your hearing is so critical,” saod Walker, “and the Hybrid was designed from the ground up with that as its foremost purpose.

But what is so exciting about the new Hybrid is that in quiet environments, when hearing protection isn’t required, the foam tip can be replaced with a soft, silicon tip. This tip is allows air to flow freely and for natural ambient sounds to mix with the Hybrid’s precise enhancement performance.” This silicon tip allows the sportsman to hear the sounds of nature with all day comfort.

While incorporating Environmental Noise Suppression, the Hybrid has four dynamic listening modes. Each mode is optimized for different listening environments.

Sound levels are more precisely controlled as well with the new digital volume control.

Additionally, the Hybrid weighs in at less than ¼ of an ounce and has a pre-shaped, nearly invisible tube the tucks securely into the opening of the ear canal. Utilizing a #13 battery for extended battery life, the Hybrid is designed to fit in either ear.

For more information on Walker’s products, visit www.walkersgameear.com.

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Industry Insider

Busha Boat Works

PHOTO COURTESY OF BUSHA BOAT WORKS

Don Busha, owner of Busha Boat Works

ACK IN 1997, DON BUSHA WAS REPAIRING outboard engines in his backyard in Bay City and doing quite well. He loved fishing and had even considered guiding as a career, but not for long.

“I knew if I really got involved in guiding it would become a full time job and fishing wouldn’t be any fun anymore,” Busha said.

In 1999, he had a Suzuki engine in for repairs and he was looking around for the parts he needed. At that time there weren’t many Suzuki dealers around and parts could be hard to locate.

“I called the main Suzuki number and got in touch with a fellow with Suzuki Marine,” Busha said.

“While I was talking to him, I mentioned the fact that Suzuki wasn’t getting their fair share of the market in my part of the world. If they were interested in a small time dealer, and I really emphasized small time dealer, to have somebody contact me.”

To his surprise someone did contact him.

Suzuki didn’t have any small dealerships but it wasn’t really hard to be a dealer.

“I got to talking Suzuki with my customers and they started asking questions, showing quite a bit of interest.”

Busha called Suzuki again and reiterated that he was in a really small town, had only a shop in a pole barn. He even said that maybe he was too old for them; he was 59 years old at the time. A Suzuki rep came down, spent some time with Busha and when he was ready to leave said, “I’ll approve you.”

“I thought about it and thought about it,” Busha said.

He just said, “I’m working 80 hours a week, can’t work any harder, I think I’ll do it.”

That was September 1999.

He then had to find boats he could sell.

“That was difficult,” referring to finding the right boat line.

“Any boat line you wanted to add, somebody in your neighborhood was already selling it.”

The first line of boats he sold of any magnitude was Shallow Sport. Since then he has added Marshall, Explorer, Ultra Cat, Gulf Coast, JH Performance, and Dargel Boats.

Last fall he added Yamaha and Evinrude outboards. He makes a point in letting people know that all of the boats he sells are made in Texas.

Busha Boat Works is no longer a backyard operation.

“Boat dealerships just don’t go well in a residential area,” Busha said.

About five years ago he moved to his present location at 3113 Nichols in Bay City.

The location, located on four acres, has 3,000 square feet of showroom space and 5,000 square feet of shop space. Busha, now 69 years old, said he has come a long way.

Busha Boat Works carries the full line of Suzuki engines, all the way from 2.5 to 300 hp. His most popular engine is 175 hp for the many bay fishing boats that he now sells.

His company is considered an American success story. From sales of 37 motors in his first year, his company soared to number six

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in sales in the United States in his third year of operation. Last year Suzuki ranked Busha Boat Works number 10 in the nation for parts and accessories, which is not bad for a dealership in a town with a population of 18,000.

“Suzuki led the field in switching to fourstroke engines. I have Suzuki engines running that have 8,000-10,000 hours… thousands of hours that have had nothing but routine maintenance. There is a local crabber who bought three Suzuki engines in 2001, no telling how many hours of operation they have on them. From 2001 to the present I have not had to do anything to the power head on any one of the three. When they went to four-stroke they just got it right the first time.”

Busha credits his success to integrity.

“I would rather have my customers’ trust and good will than their money. I am an old guy, a country guy… old fashioned in a lot of ways. We never bait and switch, never any deceptive advertising. We are straightforward and pretty plainspoken. This is the way we operate our business.”

For more information on Busha Boat Works, go to http://www.bushaboatworks.com or call 979245-3369.

—Tom Behrens

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Texas Tested Kick’s High Flyer Choke HOKE TUBES ARE SOMETHING MANY hunters take for granted. Many of us simply use what came with our guns and never really think about it. If you are such a hunter and notice your friends with the exact same gun consistently skunk you in the shooting department, there might be a reason.

By using quality choke tubes, a hunter can adjust for certain situations and greatly improve their odds.

When my wife decided to join me duck hunting, I got her a .20 gauge and had the opportunity to arm it with the Kick’s High Flyer Choke Tubes. Our first hunt was going to involve decoying ducks and some fly bys that would give us a good look before heading into the ozone so I chose the modified. I am happy to report she took out several birds that day and her pattern held up well out to 30 yards which was our most distant shots. Their improved cylinder has worked well for a couple of hunts I did for wood ducks and teal in the timber.

Their chokes are directionally ported and this process increase pattern performance by up to 20 percent density. Additionally this reduces recoil and gives the hunter an edge when making tough shots. Best of all their chokes are roll marked for quick identification and do not require a wrench to install.

Need to switch from improved to full? It is simple and when you are out in the cold, wet world of waterfowl that is a huge plus.

Visit their website at www.kicks-ind.com.

— Chester Moore, Jr.

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Last year at the ICAST show in Las Vegas, I found such a lure. It’s called the Injured Minda, by Minda Lures. It’s a twopiece hard plastic minnow imitation that has the unique ability to create a stationary action.

Anglers can make the lure move up and down and flip like an injured baitfish but never leave a key strike zone.

Imagine finding a bedding bass in deep water but because of the position it’s in you have a tough time getting the lure to stay in the strike zone long. This lure will allow you to keep it there. In my personal experience I was amazed to watch the lure look amazingly like an injured baitfish and do exactly what the manufacturers say it does. Put in the hands of my cousin Frank Moore who tested it on Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn, it caught several nice bass.

I will not say Minda reinvented the wheel with this lure but they might have made it spin a different way and given anglers a deadly new weapon in their arsenal.

Visit the website, www.mindalures.com.

—CM

Wiley X Brick AN ANGLER WHO DOES NOT WEAR POLARIZED sunglasses while fishing could be missing hundreds of opportunities at fish every year. I know because I have admittedly been lazy about wearing shades while fishing but that stopped a few years ago when my fishing partner pointed to a big school of sheepshead at an oil rig I could not see.

When I put on his polarized shades I could. At that point I forget about my cheapos and went for more quality product. And that is exactly what the Wiley X Brick is.

They are called the Brick because they are virtually indestructible and that is what I need.

I bought cheap shades for so many years because I’d sit on, lose or step on them.These come with new Violet 4 Anti-Reflective and Slick Filter coasting to maximize visual performance and new removable Seal Tek technology that literally seals the eyes while outdoors. When I put the seal on it was amazing

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The Injured Minda I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WOULD BE beneficial to have a lure that never leaves the strike zone, that can remain stationary in a key spot and entice fish one might otherwise miss.

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Shoot This Kimber 84M Classic .257 Roberts EVERAL YEARS AGO I STARTED LOOKING FOR A rifle chambered for the .257 Roberts. I looked high and low for a used one I liked and was disappointed that there seemed to be so few available. I finally bought a used Winchester Model 70 that was okay, but someone had pruned the barrel back to 20 inches and I prefer a longer barrel. The previous owner was, also, apparently quite indecisive, as he had drilled about a half-dozen holes in the forend, probably for mounting a bipod.

The holes were poorly filled with what looked like Bondo. While it shot reasonably well I never liked it and finally traded it off.

Then I began looking at what was available in new guns, expecting to find there were currently no new guns chambered for .257, and found instead that Kimber chambers their little 84M for the Roberts. I almost broke a finger grabbing for the phone to order one.

The .257 Roberts, for those of you who have been living under a stone for the last three-quarters of a century, is one of the true classic cartridges. It was originally a wildcat based on the 7mm Mauser. Ned Roberts was the first to publicize it, back in the 1920s.

Remington then introduced it as a factory offering, in a slightly improved form, in 1934.

The .257 Roberts was an overnight success with those discriminating shooters and hunters who wanted a pleasant, efficient, lightrecoiling round that was sufficient for deer and

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antelope. It was one of Eleanor O’Connor’s favorites, especially for the little Southwestern Coues white-tailed deer, and it was the gun on which Jack and Eleanor’s sons cut their hunting teeth. The little .257 maintained its popularity until the introduction of the .243 Winchester and the .244/6mm Remington in 1955.

My considered opinion is the .257 Roberts is superior to both those fine cartridges and the .243 WSSM, for that matter as a dual-purpose varmint/deer round. However, if you must hand load to get the best from

by Steve LaMascus the little quarter-bore, as factory ammunition is generally not loaded to the full potential of the .257. If you are looking for a kid’s first deer rifle; or for a rifle that doesn’t make the wife, daughter, or girlfriend flinch; or for a nice, lightweight, gentle rifle for yourself for coyotes and deer, the .257 Roberts is one of the best possible choices. I personally do not like getting kicked, so I love it.

At this time it is offered in the Ruger Model 77 Hawkeye, the Kimber 84M, the Remington Custom Shop makes rifles for the Roberts, and Thompson Center offers it in the Encore. If none of those trips your trigger, any decent gunsmith can rebarrel a standard bolt-action rifle for the caliber, although is it too long for some short actions.

My Kimber 84M is, as I have come to expect from Kimber, a drop-dead gorgeous rifle. The stock is a beautiful piece of well figured though straight-grained walnut with smoky black streaks through wood the color of dark honey. Stocks of this color and figure would have been called English walnut in the good old days. The stock design is of the

American classic school, being straight combed with no cheek piece, and is exactly what I like best. Fit, finish, and bedding are perfect and the gun shoots as good as it looks.

The trigger is as clean and crisp as an icicle, breaking according to my Lyman digital trigger pull gauge, consistently at a hair over 2 pounds (which would seem to indicate that I am not the first gun writer to have handled this gun). In short, this is the rifle I was dreaming about for all those years. I cannot recommend it too highly.

With scope, sling, and full magazine, it weighs just at 8 pounds. Bare rifle scales a svelte 5 lbs. 10 oz. Kimber’s 84M Classic will usually sell for about $950.

As for the .257 Roberts cartridge, it will push a 100-grain bullet at just over 3000 feet per second, an 87-grain bullet at 3200, and a 120-grain heavyweight at about 2800. With a good 100- or 110-grain bullet it is perfectly suited for deer, antelope, wild sheep, and maybe caribou. If you found yourself in a pinch it would, with the heavier, sharp-pointed bullets of 115 to 120 grains, do for elk.

Where it comes into its own, however, is with the lighter bullets of 75 to 87 grains, in the hands of the predator caller. I can’t think of a better walking varminter when the game sought are coyotes, and that is to be my primary use for this Kimber.

The .257 Roberts has staged something of a comeback in the last decade, thanks to Kimber, Thompson Center, and a few other clearthinking folks. Although it has always had a cult following of knowledgeable riflemen, it is more popular now than it has been in many years. I suggest that if you want one, and if you are a lover of fine guns, now is the time to buy. Pass the word.

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There are lots of quality shades on the market and Wiley X stands among the best.

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surpassed my expectations and that will allow me to see more fish and hopefully bring more home.

Visit them online at www.wileyx.com.

—CM

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Trophy Fever

Extreme Hog Baiting Methods

Gelatin Mix—-Simply taking a strawberry or other gelatin mix with a strong smell and flavor, mixing it into a mud hole or digging a hole with a posthole digger and putting a few packages of this can pay big dividends with hogs. Some hunters mix their own wild concoctions but for the most part simply using gelatin mix will get the job done.

by Chester Moore, Jr.

Entrails—-Exotic hunting guru Thompson Temple used to haul the guts of the rams hunters took on his Rocky Top Ranch in Real County to a distant cactus flat on the back of the property and use it as bait for javelina. I know because I once rode in his truck bed up a seriously steep grade to deliver the funk and stench to his hot spot.

The ranch had a fair population of javelina but they were really shy there so he used the entrails to lure them in and some of his hunters had great success. A number of hunters use guts of hogs they take to put in their traps and swear by the technique. Hogs will definitely eat their own or the entrails of any other animals for that matter.

If you operate a hunting camp it would be a good idea to dump your entrails in a hog heavy place all the time so that hogs are condiTrophy hogs, whether taken in Texas or on Ted Nugent's tioned during a hunting season to ranch in Michigan, where the author's dad Chester Moore, Sr. come to it. bagged this big one, are the result of serious thought, care- Burlap sack and engine oil—Some hunters employ a burlap ful planning and quite often lots of baiting. sack wrapped around a tree and While I almost always hunt hogs over covered with engine oil. Hogs will rub corn it is hard to say if this technique actu- against this to use the oil to protect themally brought them in but I can say it didn’t selves from parasites and often rub telescare them. I also think in a couple of phone poles with a creosote base. This is a instances it helped me lure in some noctur- popular method in some areas of East Texas nal hogs before sun fall. It also makes a nice where lice are a major problem with hogs. cover scent and might serve to make the Again, be careful of any environmental conhogs forget about any human odors they cerns when using this one.

It is important to remember there is no smell.

ERB YORK FORMER OWNER OF YORK’S Archery in Beaumont and Buna gave me an excellent tip for luring in deer and hogs: wind baiting.

He would take flour in a Ziploc bag, dispense it in the air as he sat in this tree stand and let the scent particles lure the animals to his position. I adapted the technique and use corn meal for hogs.

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PHOTO BY CHESTER MOORE, JR.

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magic bullet for baiting and/or feeding hogs.

These animals are extremely intelligent and in my opinion rank second only behind the wily coyote for animals we pursue in Texas.

And yes, that means they are smarter than whitetails. Sure, trophy bucks are very hard to hunt but trying to take a specific trophy hog is far more difficult if you use the same criteria you use for hunting deer which means you cannot hunt them at night, with dogs and had to stick to a three month hunting season.

Using the hog’s natural appetite can be a great benefit but there is no one method that is a cure all. There are lots of commercial products out there that can help you get hogs but do not solely rely on them.

I believe the number one way to consistently take hogs with a gun or bow is to feed corn and supplement with other strategies like soured corn or the old burlap and oil trick if you choose. Using corn by itself works most of the time but using the other methods alone rarely does. My cousin Frank Moore is so obsessed with hogs he actually said in a heated moment that he would not care if hogs wiped out the whitetails as long as we have hogs. I tell you this so you understand the level he goes to bring in the big ones.

On our old hunting club north of Deweyville, he set up two automatic feeders within 75 yards of one another to target different groups of hogs using different trails.

He also set the timers 30 minutes apart so if the hogs did not hear one they might hear the other. He used soured corn poured into a hole and used the burlap/engine oil combination and then even used commercial hog lures.

The result was he shot some really nice hogs but he had to go to great lengths because of the pressure exerted on the animals in the area. Sometimes one of these methods will work and other times it seems as if it takes a bit of everything.

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Trophy Fever Photos

BUCK—DUVAL COUNTY, TEXAS

AXIS—MOUNTAIN HOME, TEXAS

Dwayne Jenkins shot this 8-point, 200-pound buck while hunting on the Flojo Ranch in Duval County. The buck scored 130 B&C. The brow tines were unique, measuring 8-1/2 inches and 10-1/2 inches respectively.

Megan Roberts, age 16, of Spring, Texas, shot her Brent Holman of Sugar Land, Texas, took this 8first axis buck while hunting on her papa’s ranch in point buck in Sonora while hunting with his dad.

Mountain Home, Texas. The buck, 30 inches tall It scored 138 and weighed in at 185 pounds. and 200 pounds, was shot with a .300 Weatherby Mag.

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BUCK—SONORA, TEXAS

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Bowhunting Tech

by Lou Marullo | TF&G Bowhunting Editor

Our Youth…

Our Future EACH A CHILD TO HUNT AND HE OR SHE WILL possess a gift that will last a lifetime.

Many years ago, my father took me with him as a “tag-along” in the woods. Although I do not remember every detail of that morning, I do remember the hunt. It is a moment in time that is forever etched in my fondest memories of times spent with my dad.

Taking a child with you on a hunt is one of the best things you can do for both you and your child. It will prove to be one of those rewarding experiences that will be kept locked up in the vaults of your own memory and brought out whenever life reminds you a smile is needed.

Texas has the right idea when it comes to hunting. It is one of the few states in the union that allow children of any age to experience the unique joy that only comes from being in the outdoors.

You do not have to be hunting to be in the woods with a child. In fact, it is probably a better idea to introduce a little one to the outdoors by just taking his or her hand and go for a hike. Taking a hike in the woods is always an adventure for a child.

This is an excellent opportunity to initiate a conversation about how animals survive in the wilderness. Deer sign is still abundant and showing how the deer always use the easiest trail is a good lesson that the young hunter will carry with him or her for years.

Finding a deer rub is a great time to explain what that teaches us. Why do the deer rub their antlers? How deer leave scent behind are just a few valuable lessons to be learned from just taking a short walk in the woods.

May is a great time of year to spend some quality time with a child and teach him/her

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the correct way to handle a bow. There are many different youth bows on the market and all of them are perfect for what you are trying to do. The idea here is to have a child be able to pull the bow back with ease and shoot at the same target that the adults use.

Only the parent or guardian will know when it is the right time to introduce this weapon to the new hunter, and make no mistake about it. It is a weapon.

It is a weapon that demands the careful understanding of what it can do and how it should be used. This is the very reason some states require an age limit when hunting.

However, I have met youngsters that act and understand in a more mature manner than some of their older counterparts do.

Matthews offers the awesome Ignition youth bow that is both forgiving to shoot and easy to master with the proper instruction.

For the young adult who outgrows the youth bow, the Matthews Genesis is the perfect solution. It will fit anybody and has a draw weight that is universal so it will not discourage a newbie to the sport of bow hunting. I use this bow whenever I teach a bow

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class. It seems perfect for any age from teenager to grandfather. Of course, if this sport is something the young one wants to pursue further, then he or she needs to go to a professional bow shop and be fitted for a bow suitable for hunting big game.

Learning the correct way to shoot a bow at such a young age will prove to be beneficial when the first deer comes into range.

How to hold your left hand while shooting a right handed bow, a perfect release, a proper follow through, even choosing which broad head to shoot are all important factors that a novice will have to learn and learn well if he or she is to be successful in bow hunting. Most of all, as hard as it is, a youngster needs to understand that more often than not you will spend many hours in your stand before you get a shot. I, for one, did not possess patience as a child. I have always said patients are for doctors.

The world has changed a little since the days of my youth. No longer can you see a good old fashion game of kick the can.

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Fish This The Pro Fillet’s blade is crafted from 4040C stainless, the standard that all of Germany’s premium knife makers has settled on.

The shape of the blade is best described as a tapered filet blade. It features a little belly out front, allowing you to make delicate cuts in

Puma Pro Fillet Knife HEN PUMA KNIFE COMPANY USA invited me to take their new Pro Fillet Knife out for a test drive I jumped at the chance. I am a knife junkie and own countless styles and sizes.

When I reached for a pen to jot down some notes for this article I discovered three pocket knives in my desk drawer. I discovered two more in the console of my Suburban, plus another twenty knives of different design in the kitchen.

I did not even count those in the garage. I use knives at work, in the field, and in the kitchen. Like a good tool, a quality knife is a delight to use and I was eager to test out Puma’s new fillet knife.

The Pro Fillet is eleven inches long and comes with a clear plastic sheath (more on that in a minute). The plastic grip is nicely contoured to fit your hand, with a large indentation for your index finger just aft of the blade. The overall grip is comfortable and instills confidence that you can control the knife when powering through something tough, like the ribcage of big redfish.

The handle is clear blue plastic, allowing you to see the stamped tang embedded inside which resembles a fish’s skeleton. It is devilishly stylish!

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by Greg Berlocher confined areas. A long flat edge is great for removing skin. The blade’s length is long enough to handle big fish without being cumbersome.

Whenever I pick up a new fillet knife, I mash it down on a flat surface to test the

springiness of the blade. A good fillet knife should flex easily to follow the contours of a fish’s body and then spring back into shape as soon as pressure is released. The Pro Fillet passed both tests.

All fresh-from-the-factory knives feature keen edges; however I like to ask two questions: How long will it last? And how easy is it to re-sharpen?

Judging how long a knife will hold a keen edge is difficult to ascertain during a limited testing period so I generally abuse the cutlery I am testing as much as possible. This includes cutting against hard surfaces, cutting through wire and other tough things, and giving the knife a long saltwater bath and allowing it to air dry without the benefit of a freshwater rinse.

How easy or difficult it is to re-sharpen your knife directly relates to the steel alloy used in the blade. Many assume, incorrectly, that stainless steel blades are more difficult to sharpen than blades made of carbon steel. It all has to do with the alloy of the steel involved. I found the blade of the Pro Fillet easy to sharpen to its original sharpness.

The Pro Fillet’s sheath is an added bonus.

The sheath has a spring clip on the side, making it easy to attach to a belt. As you slide the knife into the sheath, the knife’s tapered handle wedges into the sheath’s opening. This wedge effect holds the knife securely in place.

I turned the sheath upside down and shook it violent to see if I could dislodge the knife but it never budged.

The clear plastic sheath also features six wide slots (three on each side) which allow water to drain out and air to circulate. This makes washing the knife easy and is a much nicer design than the “industrial white” sheaths I currently use.

I give the Puma Pro Fillet Knife high marks overall. The clear plastic handle provides a firm grip but hard plastic can get slippery when your hands are covered with fish slime. If I could change one thing, I would add some textured areas to the handle to make the handle a bit more “non slip.”

The Pro Fillet is a good value at $29 and I would recommend it to any angler with a pile of fish to clean. Look for it at Cabelas and independent outdoor retailers.

Email Greg Berlocher at fishthis@fishgame.com

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er seem to be limited to organizations like the Little League. What happened to kids just enjoying being outside?

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Bow hunting is simply a good thing for our youth.

E-mail Lou Marullo at lmarullo@fishgame.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PUMA KNIFE COMPANY USA

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Texas Guns & Gear

by Steve LaMascus | TF&G Shooting Editor

.270 Winchester vs. .280 Remington HAVE GOTTEN SEVERAL EMAILS ON THIS subject lately, so I thought I should just go ahead and jump. Here is my take on the subject of which is better, the .270 Winchester or the .280 Remington.

These two siblings have had an ongoing rivalry since Remington introduced the .280 in 1957. They are true siblings…brothers…as both are based on the parent .30-06, with very little alteration other than neck/bullet diameter, although the .280 is minutely longer from base to shoulder so it cannot be fired in a .270 chamber.

The .270 is older, introduced by Winchester in the Model 54, in 1925.

From the outset, the .270 was loaded with a 130-grain bullet at 3140 fps. It was soon discovered the little .270 was death from above on deer-sized animals, and that hitting those animals at long range was easier with the .270 because of its extremely flat trajectory. It was not, however, an immediate success. The guys looked at the .270 with its 130-grain bullet, compared it to the .30-06 with its 150-grain bullet, and decided the .30-06 was superior. End of argument, for a time.

The price of the Model 54, and later the Model 70, was pretty steep when compared with the price of military surplus 1903 Springfields, and the famous NRA Springfield Sporter, which, if memory serves, sold for $40. Thus the .270 languished for several years. Eventually, however, the nuttier gun nuts, among them, of course, a young, spectacle-wearing journalism professor from Arizona named Jack O’Connor, found the .270 killed every bit as well as the .30-06, kicked a bit less, shot a bit flatter, and the

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.270 began to sell.

O’Connor eventually became a famous gun writer and champion of the .270. He used it to take almost every game animal in North America and on several safaris and shikaris in Africa and Asia. He found that if a hunter put that little .270 bullet through an animal’s lungs, it didn’t make much difference how big the creature was. He used the .270 to take many moose, elk, caribou, kudu, and other animals of that class, and never found it wanting. However, on big dangerous game he used more powerful cartridges, such as the .375 H&H and .416 Rigby.

In 1957, Remington introduced the .280 as a competitor to the .270. However, Remington seems to have a built-in need to tout their pump and semi-auto guns, so they introduced the .280 in the Model 740.

Because of this, the pressures had to be kept low so the cartridge would function properly. Because of the reduced pressures of the Remington factory loads, the .280 was only slightly superior to the ancient 7mm Mauser and considerably slower than the .270 Winchester, with which it was supposed to compete.

The .280 sold poorly for many years.

The gun nuts, however, discovered that in a good, strong bolt action, they could handload the .280 for much improved performance. For some reason, it took Remington many years to discover this. In 1979, in an effort to jumpstart the old cartridge, they renamed the .280 the 7mm Express Remington, boosted the velocity slightly, and introduced it with much fanfare in the Model 700. The moniker 7mm Express, however, confused the heck out of everyone, A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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and those with little firearms knowledge began to shoot 7mm Express Remington cartridges in 7mm Remington Magnum Rifles with the expected catastrophic results.

After a brief time Remington changed the 7mm Express back to .280 Remington, much to the relief of everyone involved.

Even after Remington upped the velocity of the .280, it still was not loaded to the true capabilities of the cartridge. The fact is that those who wanted .270 ballistics bought .270s, and those who wanted a high velocity 7mm bought the 7mm Remington Magnum. Thus the .280 was still sucking hind…well, you get my drift.

Here is the truth.

The .270 is a great cartridge. It shoots a .277” diameter bullet at above 3000 feet per second. The velocity has been lowered a bit over the years, to about 3060 fps with the 130-grain bullet, likely because of the aging firearms the .270 is chambered for; but the .270 Winchester still shines brightly, even in a world populated by short, supershort, ultra-, and other magnums with cases the size of Apollo rockets.

If you are after deer-sized game, there is none better than the old .270 Winchester.

Handloaders can usually push the 130grain bullets to above 3100 feet per second, and in some guns with longer barrels 3200 is possible. My pet Hill Country Rifles .270 built on a Remington 700 action with a 24-inch Lilja barrel gets 3217 fps average. That is the highest velocity I have ever gotten from any .270.

The .280 (.284” diameter) is almost as good as you have probably heard that it is.

It is not, however, a magnum. It does not and cannot match the larger capacity 7mm Remington Magnum. It is a great cartridge; will push a 140-grain bullet to just over 3000 fps, a 150- to 2900, and a 175 to 2700. In some guns, with careful handloading, it might do slightly better than that, but much more is taking it beyond safety limits.

With bullets of equal sectional density,

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Texas Boating

by Lenny Rudow | TF&G Boating Editor

Innovative Boating OR SEVERAL YEARS NOW I HAVE JUDGES THE National Marine Manufacturer’s Innovation Awards at the Miami Boat Show. It is a cool gig, because I get to see what is new and what is on the horizon for boaters, long before the general public or even most of the press. This year, despite the squelched economy and low numbers of new products hitting the market, was no different. There is still a ton of good old American ingenuity out there, and just enough cash flow that the really innovative ideas are still making it to market. Here’s a sampling of what I saw, and what you will be hearing about down the road.

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Inboard and Outboard Powerboats: The winner in this category, Aspen’s L80 Launch, is a unique boat design which we will see copied time and time again, especially when fuel prices go back through the roof. It is a 26-foot powercat, with a single 110-hp diesel living in the starboard hull. Yup, just one side of the boat has power. The port hull is about 35-percent thinner than the starboard hull, and the hulls are asymmetric. This reduces overall drag by about 50-percent, while countering the torque created by having an off-center powerplant.

Net Result: the boat tracks straight, and runs a heck of a lot more efficiently than either a monohull or a modern powercat. In fact, with that meager 110-hp Yanmar in the engine room, this boat still cruises at 22 to 24 mph. That may not be zippy, but get this: it gets over five miles to the gallon, while doing so. Yes, you read that right— five MPG. Compare that to an average 26foot monohull being driven by a pair of 150hp four strokes, which gets about two or two point five MPG. Or a 26-foot powercat with a pair of 150s, which usually gets around three MPG. Any way you cut it, the single-engine cat blows them away, doubling or nearly doubling their efficiency.

The Down-Side?

The Aspen’s top-end is just 28-mph. By today’s standards that is downright slow.

But in the current economy and with fuel prices as volatile as they have been, it might just be time for us to make a bit of a sacrifice in this regard. After all, just 10 or 15 years ago, a 22-mph cruise was considered normal. If we can get back to that mindset we can save one heck of a lot of fuel and the cash to go with it.

Honorable Mention: The Aspen took the prize, but Boston Whaler’s new 280 CC was so cool we gave it an honorable mention. The boat itself has all the things you would expect from a Whaler, but the Ttop is a new design that is sure to be copied

throughout the industry. It is integrated into the console, blind-fastened from the inside.

That means it look slick, as though it were a part of the boat itself, but it also increases rigidity. Then, by using large glass panels for the windshield and sides, instead of the common Plexi or acrylic, and integrating them into the supports as well, rigidity and structural support gets an even bigger boost.

The net result? Whaler was able to eliminate that necessary but annoying crossmember that runs at a vertical angle between the main supports above the console, which always seems to be right at eye level and detracts from visibility at the helm.

Runabouts and Fishing Boats Under 24: In this category we had a winner that you are sure to see zipping across the bay some time soon, Mako’s new 18 Light Tackle Skiff. This nifty little rig incorporates a pocket at the transom with a plate running just above the engine’s anti-ventilation plate, to direct water to the prop (so it gets a solid bite) while aerating the transom.

This allows the boat to break out of the hole without digging in at the stern, and bow rise is nearly eliminated.

That means you do not need nearly as much depth to jump onto plane, and when you do so, the boat remains level. Static draft is under a foot, and you will need less than two feet to go from a dead stop to cruising speeds, without using tabs or cutting the wheel over. Added design bonus: the pocket is designed in as a part of the transom’s structure, and forms a sort of an I-beam between the transom and the motor well.

TEXAS GUNS & GEAR Continued from Page C47 the .280 will not beat the .270 in velocity.

It will come close, but it will not match or exceed the velocity of the .270. The .280 will handle heavier bullets than the .270.

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game the size of elk and moose. For deer flip a coin. They won’t know the difference.

When we do away with personal preference, myth, pure moonshine, and old wives tales, the .270 and .280 are pretty much fraternal twins. What one will do, &

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the other will do. You can argue till the cows come home, but those are the facts.

Now let the hate mail begin.

E-mail Steve LaMascus at guns@fishgame.com.

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You get more strength, less draft, less weight, and easier planning which is smart.

The design was enough to impress the judges and get the award, but folks on the water will want to know one more thing about this Mako: pricing is a shocker. The bottom-line boat can be acquired for under $17,000, including a powerplant and trailer. This is with a two-stroke, 50-hp Merc, which is certainly less juice then most of us will settle for. But spend about $2,000 more to upgrade to a 90-hp powerplant, and you are still getting the complete package for under $20,000.

Consumer Electronics: Navico’s new Broadband radar, which you read about in last month’s Texas Tested section, was a slam-dunk winner for this prize. Just in case you missed it: this is a radar that works without a magnetron, emits a tiny fraction of the energy of a regular radar, and has no bang suppression, eliminating the dead-zone around regular radars. That means you can see boats, docks, bridges, or whatever on the radar screen, even if they are just a few feet away from the boat.

Another cool product that you should know about, even if it did not take the cake, was Raymarine’s new C-series. These displays offer screens with a wide attitude for panoramic viewing. That means you can split the screen between fish finder and chart plotter or radar without cramping the view.

Plus, these screens are a grade above the norm; instead of plastic, they are real glass.

The LCD screen is fused to the inside of the glass, so moisture cannot ever form inside and cause condensation on the inside of the screen.

Consumer-installed Non-electric Hardware: The winner in this category, Vetus, has come up with a completely unique product unlike any we have seen before. It is called the Easy Tank, and it will allow you to retrofit your old boat with a new tank, or install one where there was dead space before, without the hassle of cutting through the deck, removing the console, or any of the other fun antics that usually go along with fitting a large object under the deck. How? When the Easy Tank is purchased, it is flexible and deflated, just like a bladder tank. You can insert it into small openings, slide it between decks and bulkheads, or wiggle it into compartments that

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are unused. Then, a fitting on the top of the tank allows you to inflate the Easy Tank. It expands to fit into whatever shape or size the compartment may be, or to fit inside of an old tank in need of replacement. Next, you remove the valve and in its place install a special light bulb. The bulb causes a lighttriggered fiberglass resin in the inflated tank to harden, and 24 hours later, the flexible bladder-like tank has transformed into a solid fiberglass tank.

So there you have it, the coolest of the

cool, the newest of the new, and the most innovative of the boats and marine products to hit the market for the 2009 season. Just imagine what’s in store for 2010.

E-mail Lenny Rudow at boating@fishgame.com.

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Saltwater Baits and Rigs

by Patrick Lemire | TF&G Saltwater Lures Editor

Stiff Hook Surprised Kingfish IRST BITE HOOKUPS, MANY TIMES, ARE NOT the case, especially when kingfish are the target. The “stiff hook surprise” is one way that radically reduces those misses when only the back portion of your baitfish is eaten. The difference in this one is that it’s stinger hook is stiff rigged, giving an instant hookset because it is solidly aligned with the direction of pull as the line comes tight.

This is not a light wire, multiple small treble hooks, light drag pressure rig. The camo effect lets heavier/stronger wire and stronger hooks be used along with higher drag settings. All of this allows you to put more pressure on your smoker kingfish, upping your chance of getting it in the boat.

Hooks I use for this rigging are Mustad 10829BLN in sizes 8/0-10/0. I start each with a 130# Spro Power Swivel size 4, 36 inches of Malin 80# size 7 wire.

Assuming your baitfish is roughly seven inches long, you will end up with about 16 inches of wire ahead of it when completed.

Start the leader building process by bending the wire about three inches from the other end, and haywire twist the swivel to that end. Now on the other end, bend the wire 180 degrees, about seven inches from one end to where the “U” bend is about 1/8inch across. Place this bend over the hook

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shank from the “bend side” of the hook, and make three spiral twists together of the two strands, as in making a haywire twist. Now pass the short end of the wire through the hook’s eye, being careful of the hook point and wire end at all times. Then pull on the long wire to seat the first wraps against the hook eye.

Next do a standard haywire twist, except that when the barrel wraps are completed, you now make two to three long wraps around the wire and finish with 3 barrel wraps. Finally, cut the barrel wrapped wire to about one-inch bend to about 45 degrees from the main wire and also to where it is

parallel to the bend portion of the hook.

The completed leader is now ready for camo painting, a near must-have item to fool a wary, adult kings. How many times has your bait presentation been given a turndown by a true smoker because it saw something unnatural such as a sunlight flash off your bare leader? Who knows?

The paints I use, which have been mentioned in the past, are all by Rust-O-Leum.

They are 7727 Royal Blue; 7435 John Deere Green and Matte Clear 7902830.

Hang as you can, lightly spray the color coat; after drying, spray the clear matte.

These colors virtually disappear in blue or green water to about ten feet when viewed &

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from the side or back, a kingfish’s likely view when approaching your bait. The color hides the leader and hook, the clear matte dulls the reflection off the color coat’s slick surface.

You can rig your baitfish to be upright or on its side, giving a distressed look from rod tip twitches, signaling an easy meal. The illustration shows that “on its side” look; to get there, place the hook and leader through the baitfish’s mouth and out the gill plate, insert the hook in the rear portion of the body and then push the 45-degree bent wire end through the body so that the baitfish lays straight.

Flip it out or let it drift back in the current, and hang on for the strike. If necessary for additional depth, you can Carolina-rig this presentation by placing the needed egg weight on the main line above the swivel. Speaking of the main line, spectra will give immediate, solid hooksets that mono cannot match.

Pursuing kingfish most of the time, is done with the practice of “let ‘em run,” and then set the hook. While this works with practice, you hook about as many by fishing them with the reel in gear. Kingfish are slash-biters, nothing timid about them and this stiff hook rig that is really a stinger hook hangs most of them at first bite.

This stiff hook rig will definitely increase your hookups when dealing with short-strikers. Those rod tip twitches every eight to 10 seconds or so and the camo blue or green all combine to generate the strike. The stiff hook surprise works on kingfish as well as wahoo. When either of these predators are around, this rig will positively give them a “Stiff Hook Surprise.”

E-mail Patrick Lemire at saltrigs@fishgame.com.

ILLUSTRATION BY PATRICK LEMIRE

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Freshwater Baits and Rigs

by Paul Bradshaw | TF&G Freshwater Lures Editor

Worm 101: Back to the Basics F YOU READ THIS COLUMN OFTEN YOU’LL notice that I sometimes write about some oddball fishing techniques that many anglers have not heard of. While all of them catch fish, most of them are specialized methods that are used in specific applications when times are tough and fish are finicky. I do this because most of you reading this magazine are experienced anglers that have been fishing for years, but I tend to forget that there are those that are just now starting to chase bass and those guys and gals need to know the basics of rigging a bait.

So this month, it’s back to the basics of worm fishing. If you learn how to tie on these rigs you’ll be able to successfully fish any lake in the state.

Texas rigging is the most often used rigging method for soft plastic baits because it is not only simple to tie on but it is also fairly easy to learn how to use. It is also virtually snag proof so it can be used in brush, stumps, grass, around docks and any other place a bass likes to hang out in.

Texas rigging starts by sliding a bullet weight onto your main line. Use the smallest weight you can get away with.

If I am fishing shallow water I will rarely use a weight heavier than a quarter ounce. The majority of the time I will use a 1/16 ounce weight so

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ILLUSTRATION BY PAUL BRADSHAW

that the bait will fall somewhat naturally. If fishing deep water, I will occasionally up to a half ounce weight.

After the weight is on the line simply tie on a worm hook, I prefer a 3/0 for most soft plastics. To complete the rig, run the point of the hook into the nose of a worm, exiting the bottom about a quarter to half inch from the nose. Run the hook through until the eye is touching the tip of the worm, then turn the hook 90 degrees pushing the tip back into the body of the bait making it weedless.

Where the Texas rig shines is in shallow water with a lot of cover but it sometimes falls short when probing deeper water humps, points, and grass.

This is where the Carolina rig takes over as the basic technique for presenting a soft plastic bait to bass. The Carolina rig again starts with a bullet weight slid onto the main line but this time we’re using a much larger one. Start at a half ounce and go up from there.

After putting the bullet weight on the line tie on a barrel swivel. On the other end of the barrel swivel tie on a monofilament leader. Some anglers prefer a long leader up to six feet long while others prefer a shorter one around one or two feet. I typically fall in the middle of the road and use one about three feet long.

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Keep in mind that a longer leader is more difficult to cast than a shorter one.

At the end of the leader tie on a 3/0 worm hook. Rig the plastic bait (I prefer creature baits but anything will work) on the hook just like the Texas rig. The last method I will cover is a finesse fishing technique that has become highly popular over the past few years as more and more anglers are targeting deep fish on ledges. Drop-shotting is typically a vertical presentation used to take tight-lipped fish suspending along creek channels. The drop shot starts a little differently than the other two in that you tie the hook on first, but not at the end of the line.

About three feet from the end of the main line tie on a 1/0 hook using a palomar knot.

This knot will leave a long tag end hanging off that is normally trimmed but in this case we’ll leave it hanging.

Tie a bell sinker or one of the specifically designed dropshot weights on the end of this tag line to make it hang below the hook. Run the tip of the hook through the bottom of the nose of a worm and out the top leaving it exposed.

This rig is typically used in open water so there is little chance of getting hung up. It is fun to try new stuff when out on the water and I am often accused of experimenting too much by my angling buddies. Realistically, if an angler masters these three techniques they can fish any body of water in the state without worrying about getting skunked.

E-mail Paul Bradshaw at freshrigs@fishgame.com.

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Texas Kayaking

by Greg Berlocher | TF&G Kayaking Editor

Mudders HOROUGHBRED RACING IS KNOWN AS THE sport of kings. Nobility from every corner of the globe thinks their horse is the fastest, and high profile horse races, such as the Kentucky Derby, bring out all manner of wealth from kings to industry titans.

But these high brow horses have a major fault: very few like to race when the track is muddy. The reason: the lead horse kicks up mud in the face of the others following closely behind. Seasoned handicappers know they should bet on a different kind of horse when weather conditions turn foul: a mudder.

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Mudders are horses that love to run in the mud. A little slop hitting them in the face doesn’t bother them one bit. When the other “tea and crumpet” horses shy away from getting a little dirty, mudders give it their all.

Messy race tracks and productive coastal flats have something in common: mud. Old salts will confirm that some of the best spots lie on top of a foot, or more, of hostile, goopie mud the consistency of chocolate pudding. Wading through deep mud gives you a good perspective of what the dinosaurs trapped in the tar pits must have felt like.

The gelatinous mess is a bane to all wade fishermen, regardless of tackle preference.

Truth be known, I was a mudder in my early days. Shin-deep, even knee-deep mud could not deter me when I could see tailing

redfish 50 yards away. Sure, my muscles would complain the next day of the heavy duty workout but in the grand scheme of things it was worth it; however times have changed. Thigh and calf muscles still whine the next day, but knee and hip joints groan as well. My kayak has eliminated the associated soreness of fishing in the mud.

Fishing muddy areas varies a bit with the seasons. Water temperature is critical to angling success in the spring. Bass and bay fishermen know they will find fish lurking in the warmest water. A two-degree difference is huge to cold blooded creatures. In coastal environments, bays with black mud bottoms are the ticket. As we learned in 9th grade science class, dark colors absorb more of the sunlight’s energy, therefore dark bay bottoms hold more heat. Successful spring fishermen target mud bottoms; the darker the better.

With the arrival of summer, trout and redfish take up stations in every part of the bay,

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Fishing muddy areas varies with the seasons.

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no longer pinned to the mud heating pad that comforted them through the winter. But many of their favorite haunts still involve mud. I have sloshed through countless grass beds that appeared to offer favorable footing at first, only to turn into a quagmire a few feet later. Likewise, spoil islands, sloughs, marsh creeks, and certain oyster beds are inhospitable to wading anglers.

Fish are oblivious to the poor footing underneath them, focusing instead on finding food and safety. Kayaks are the quintessential mudder craft as they can push far back into shallow areas with a modest amount of physical exertion. They float in mere inches C52

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of water and are stealthy, a definite plus when fishing in a foot of water.

It is common to see redfish rooting around in the shallows throughout summer into fall, especially during the first few hours of daylight. But redfish are not the only ones who tolerate bathtub water temperatures. A redfish outing during the late summer would not be complete without seeing stingrays loitering in the shallows. On one trip last fall, I encountered over 20 rays in two hours of

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wading. Most were finning along in search of their next meal and would be out of sight in a minute, but toward the end of my wade the rays started hovering near my feet. With every step I would kick up mud, and possibly a small grass shrimp the rays could eat.

A well placed jab of my rod tip would cause a worrisome ray to scurry off but I wasted a lot of time focusing on the area around my feet instead of fishing. The next morning I fished the same area from my yak, free from

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worrying about Mr. Stingray.

Like the handicapper who bets on a different type of horse when it rains, saltwater anglers should consider a different type of boat when you need to traverse mud-bottomed flats. Like the humble race horse that wins when the track is sloppy, kayaks are the mudders of the boat world.

Email Greg Berlocher at kayak@fishgame.com.

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News from the Coast

New Red Snapper Study Offers Signs of Hope NEW STUDY BY DR. BOB SHIPP, HEAD OF marine sciences at the University of South Alabama, and Dr. Steve Bortone, the new executive director of the Gulf Council, suggests that red snapper stocks in the Gulf of Mexico are far from decimated.

In fact, their research indicates that snapper are thriving due to the creation of the largest artificial reef system in the world and they claim that evidence to the contrary may be the result

of outdated scientific models.

Much of the Gulf of Mexico was once a featureless plain, but more than 5,000 oil rigs off Texas and Louisiana and 20,000 artificial reefs off Alabama have been added over the past 50 years. For a species such as red snapper, which tends to concentrate around hard formations, the new structures opened up thousands of square miles of new habitat and dispersed the population into areas outside its historical center.

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The research by Shipp and Bortone indicates that the models being used by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) that show red snapper are severely overfished are not adequately accounting for the new structure.

“We’ve heard anecdotal evidence of a thriving Gulf red snapper population from our members in the fishing community for quite some time now,” said Patrick D. Murray, vice president of Coastal Conservation Association (CCA).

“This new report offers an interesting explanation for it. The research by Dr. Shipp and Dr. Bortone is an indication that the anecdotal evidence should be examined more seriously.”

The new study, published in Reviews in Fisheries Science, comes at a time when

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recreational anglers are limited to two fish per day during the shortest red snapper season ever in 2009, and offers hope that red snapper may be in far better shape than anyone thought.

“This research should be thoroughly examined by NMFS and other scientists,” said Dr. Russell Nelson, CCA Gulf Fisheries consultant.

“Recreational anglers have proven that they are willing to follow the best science for the resource, but it is incumbent on federal managers to ensure that we do indeed have the best science available.” —Ted Venker

Research Vessel Studies Flower Gardens A STATE-OF-THE-ART RESEARCH VESSEL HAS been christened and will enhance the study and protection of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico.

The 83-foot R/V Manta will operate out of Galveston where the sanctuary is headquartered.

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“This technologically advanced research vessel is a vital addition to our fleet,” said Daniel J. Basta, director of NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.

“The Manta will open new windows onto the marine life and habitats of the Flower Garden Banks sanctuary while helping us protect this special place for future generations.”

Built in Bellingham, Wash., by All American Marine, the twin-hulled Manta features a laboratory equipped with the latest scientific instruments, air compressors to allow divers

to refill scuba tanks at sea, and a recompression chamber to enhance diver safety. The vessel can hold up to 25 people, deploy robot subs and other ocean exploration tools, and cruise at speeds up to 35 knots.

In addition to being a platform for exploring the sanctuary and surrounding waters, the Manta will also serve as a patrol vessel to enforce sanctuary regulations and a floating classroom. Teachers will be regular visitors aboard the Manta to watch and learn as scientists conduct research.

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News from the Coast “With the Manta, we will be able to study the sanctuary more intensively, protect it more effectively, and share its wonders with more people than ever before,” said G.P. Schmahl, the sanctuary’s superintendent.

“The vessel’s capabilities are as diverse as the sanctuary itself.”

Located 115 miles off the Texas/Louisiana coast, Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is one of 14 marine protected areas managed by NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. The sanctuary includes the two northernmost coral reefs in the continental United States, sponge communities, and other habitats. —Staff Reports

“JUST STOP FEEDING ME!” SAYS AN ANIMATED dolphin in a new public service announcement released recently that highlights the dangers of

dolphins getting hooked on human handouts.

The public service announcement (PSA) was produced by a coalition of government agencies and private organizations.

The PSA reminds viewers that feeding wild dolphins is not only illegal, it is harmful to dolphins, even causing some to rely on begging for food from humans, upsetting their natural role as hunters and altering their diets. Feeding wild dolphins is a threat to humans, too. Dolphins sometimes become aggressive when seeking food and are known to bite when teased.

“Feeding wild dolphins triggers a domino effect of harmful behaviors as dolphins learn to associate people with food and free handouts,” said Stacey Horstman, bottlenose dolphin conservation coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Fisheries Service.

“We are at a point where we honestly need to change our behavior so we don’t change theirs, and we hope this PSA provides a compelling plea for the public’s help.”

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The health and welfare of wild dolphins is severely compromised when humans feed them. Human-fed dolphins change their normal wild behavior and run a greater risk of being injured by boats, becoming entangled in fishing gear, or ingesting dangerous items such as fishing hooks and contaminated food. Some dolphins have become so accustomed to receiving routine handouts; they are now taking fishing bait and catches from recreational and commercial fishermen.

In one recent instance off the Florida panhandle, a bottlenose dolphin distracted by taking fish from a recreational fisherman was attacked by a large shark.

Many scientists have observed illegal dolphin feeding throughout the southeast, especially since NOAA’s Fisheries Service prohibited feeding of wild marine mammals in 1993 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).

Wild dolphin experts were also alerted to this problem through routine complaints from

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concerned citizens viewing the illegal behavior, and most recently through new videos posted to YouTube showing people feeding wild dolphins off Florida and South Carolina.

“Scientists have known for years that dolphin feeding was a problem in certain hotspot areas in the southeast,” said Laura Engleby, NOAA’s Fisheries Service southeast marine mammal branch chief.

“But the citizen complaints and self-implicating Internet media has shocked our experts and further validates that feeding is an in-

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creasing and more wide-spread problem than we thought.”

Feeding and harassing wild marine mammals is illegal under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and can result in severe penalties with fines up to $20,000 and one year in jail for the most serious violations.

—Staff Reports

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Wilderness Trails

by Herman Brune | TF&G Contributing Editor

The Potters HORSE FLY BUZZED AGAINST THE INSIDE OF the windshield. It blurred in circles and then bounced across the glass to three other horse flies near the passenger wall. The bugs scattered in individual whirling flurries, and then suddenly stopped.

My arms were slick and my small body was sticky with sweat. The heat inside the pickup was not offset by the occasional wisp of breeze coming in the window. Towels hung from the visors to block the sun and the shaded portion of the seat was the only section habitable.

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My coloring books lie abandoned. It was distasteful for me to drip sweat on their pages.

Mama’s straw purse momentarily held my concentration. The intricate hand-made flowers on the lid offered busy little fingers items to trace and admire. The drink within the purse had long become hot and my cookies turned mushy.

The ‘53 GMC was backed against the cow pens and Mama and Daddy were busy separating the cows and calves. Once the calves were alone in a smaller pen, Daddy roped and snubbed them to a post. Then he’d get a loop on the hind legs and stretch them out. Mama handed Daddy his knife and he’d mark the ears and castrate the bull calves.

Then she’d hand him a metal syringe and he vaccinated for black leg, or for whatever mala-

dy cattlemen feared at the time. After the calfwork was done, Daddy began the process of starting the motor for the spray pump. This meant fitting the knot-end of a rope in a crank wheel, wrapping the rope around the wheel and yanking. That was followed by a burst of cussing, readjustment of the choke, and rewrapping and yanking again on the wheel.

Most days the motor would start but certainly not before its damnation was confirmed in triplicate. Then Daddy sprayed the cows for ticks. He’d shoot the cow dip on their backs and shoulders, under their tails, and along their underline. The cows got a general soaking while the calves were washed with a lighter dose.

“They’ll get doctored when they rub against the cows to nurse,” Dad said.

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It was during the spraying that Mama fetched me and let me watch from the bed of the pickup. The motor blared through a burned out muffler while leaking and spewing milky cow dip. The white-faced Herefords bellowed and milled trying to avoid the direct attention of the sprayer.

The scene fascinated me. This was my school. This was my church. The center of my being focused on every aspect of the happenings. I watched, laughing and imitating the bawling ruckus. Whenever the spray turned my direction I ducked below the tailgate and waited. Then just as quick I poked up my head to take account of the proceedings.

Mama’s terrier, Trixie, was under the truck.

Missie, Daddy’s golden collie, scratched out a spot to lie and pant under a shade tree. And Daddy’s horse, Pony Boy, was tied to the fence by its reins. Mama attended to me but stayed available to the chore at hand.

When the spraying was done, Dad killed the motor by grounding out the spark plug.

Then he hefted a sack of range cubes onto his shoulder and nodded at Mama to crack the gate so the cows could dribble out of the pen while he walked ahead of them scattering cubes and calling softly.

Then he returned, untied Pony Boy, and stepped up into the saddle. We had another truck with the stock trailer parked at the water well. The situation mandated that he must meet us there. For an inexplicable reason, he rode skirting around the pens and along the edge of the dense yaupon thicket. Mama was reaching for me, but I studied Dad. He was searching the ground. Then suddenly, Pony Boy shied and reared and Daddy dove headlong to the sand. He didn’t fall, it was a purposeful move, and in one motion he arose clutching something in his arms.

“Marjorie, bring the boy here! I’ve got something to show him!”

It was a speckled fawn, and at Mama’s caress it bleated. We inspected the young deer but my inner voice would allow no more than a light touch. Then I jerked my hand back and stared.

“I’m going to put it back in the brush so the doe can claim it. Marjorie, call the dogs and meet me at the other truck.”

From my parents’ perspective, and in their defense, they didn’t know what to expect when they adopted me. Their desire was to have a family.

Daddy was no hunting aficionado but he loved fresh air and scenery. He was a rural

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German Texan raised during the Great Depression; a pragmatic akin to the tobacco chewing Tuff-Nut lifestyle but more comfortable as an accountant. It was his decisions that afforded our visits to the National Parks in the western U.S., as well as, season tickets to the Houston Music Theater. He drove me to reach potentials that I would not have otherwise sought, and he showed me his love even when I was wrong.

But, Mama is my true savior. She sees when I’m drowning in culture. Early on, she

A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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took me fishing and made sure someone taught me how to skin a coon. With ears like a deer and a sixth sense for knowing when something is out of place, I’ve never been able to pull the wool over her eyes nor have I so desired. She pities me when I’m uncertain and she is prideful of my accomplishments.

She continues to sneak up on me and into my heart everyday. She provides…

The floor creaks beside me and I jerk back

Continued on Page C62

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Outdoor Classified Directory TEXAS SALTWATER

ROCKPORT

GALVESTON

Rick Herr in 8-lb Hyb g rid With Chri Striper s Striper Ex Carey of press Guide Serv ice

UPPER COAST (SABINE LAKE) ADVERTISERS, MAIL IN YOUR PHOTOS TODAY!

Brett Bass try The Koun Hideaway ins Guest Cab

TEXAS FRESHWATER CORPUS CHRISTI

For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.

LOWER LAGUNA MADRE

Mark Kim b Matagord raugh a Hillman G Trout uide Serv ice

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FAYETTE COUNTY

LAKE AMISTAD

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The Steppe Family Redfish Redfish Charters

Charles & Matt Mo rgan Limits of Redheads & Buffleheads Coastal Bend Outdoors

Ken & Cathy Ladd Shannon Sawyer, Redfish Redfish Charters

TEXAS FRESHWATER

TEXAS HUNTING

OUTDOOR SHOPPER

LAKE TEXOMA

VACATION RENTAL BAFFIN BAY

For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.

TEXAS HUNTING

SPOTLIGHT: WADE AID

ADVERTISERS, MAIL IN YOUR PHOTOS TODAY!

In 1995, my brother-in-law, Matthew Gregory, and I, George Calhoun, started developing the Wade Aid belt. The Wade Aid belt went on the market in 1996.

Wade Aid Enterprises prides itself in making the finest wade belt available. Whether you’re fishing for redfish or trout in the bays and surfs of the gulf coast, fighting striper in the Atlantic surfs or fishing for trout and salmon in cool mountain rivers, the Wade Aid belt is for you.

The Wade Aid is the most functional and comfortable wade belt available today. It is constructed of closed cell foam encased in neoprene with nylon webbing and hardware. The closed cell foam provides a unique lumbar support system. The rods and accessory holders are conveniently located for quick and easy access. The Wade Aid is clearly in a class by itself.

Please visit our website www.wadeaid.com or call us at 1-888-WADE AID (1-888-923-3243).

– Wade Aid A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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Texas Tasted

by Bryan Slaven | The Texas Gourmet

Texas Style Cajun Jambalaya HEN YOU ARE AT THE FISHING CAMP, OR just at home and wanting to make something good without breaking the bank, this is a great dish to cook up. Jambalaya is another of the wonderful Cajun dishes that can be prepared for whatever is on hand. Just follow the basic procedures and raid your refrigerator or freezer for ingredients to prepare a filling and economical supper. Serve with a tossed salad, French bread, and wine. Or serve with a cold beer as is traditional in Cajun country. ¼ cup of olive oil 1 pound of raw peeled shrimp 1 tablespoon of Texas Gourmet side winder searing spice 3 tablespoon of butter 1/3 cup bacon drippings 2 mediums onions, chopped 2 medium red or green bell peppers, chopped 3 celery stalks, chopped 4 large garlic cloves, minced ½ pound of crisp cooked bacon, cut into bite size pieces 1 pound of andouille or kielbasa sausage, cut into bite size rounds

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2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice 2 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped 3 cups Brown Veal and Pork Stock or canned beef broth ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon red (cayenne) pepper, or to taste Salt and pepper to taste 6 green onions, chopped, including green tops ½ cup minced flat leaf parsley Heavy cast iron pot, or heavy iron pot (Dutch oven is perfect) Heat olive oil on a heavy 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, dip the shrimp and season liberally with the seasoning blend. Stir fry just until shrimp are firm and have turned coral-pink, about five minutes. Drain well and set aside. In a heavy eight quart Dutch oven, combine butter and bacon drippings over medium heat.

When fat is hot, add onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic; cook until vegetables are

wilted and transparent, about eight minutes.

Add bacon and sausage; cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage is lightly browned, about five to seven minutes. Add the rice. Cook, stirring often, until rice is lightly browned, about ten minutes. Do not allow rice to stick to bottom of pan. Add tomatoes and stir until blended, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of the pan. Stir in stock or broth and reserved shrimp. Add seasonings; reduce heat. Cover pan and simmer until rice is tender and no liquid remains, about 45 to 55 minutes. Stir in green onions and parsley. Cover and cook for an additional five minutes. Serve hot makes 6-8 servings.

Contact Bryan Slaven, "The Texas Gourmet," at 888-234-7883, www.thetexasgourmet.com; or by email at texas-tasted@fishgame.com.

WILDERNESS TRAILS Continued from Page C59 into the present. Mama is 82 years old and she’s standing five feet away cradling her break-open .410.

“Dadgummit, why don’t you knock?

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You’re going to catch me sitting here naked one of these days!”

“Hey, boy, I need you to oil my shotgun for me. I have to push the end of the barrel against the floor to get it open.”

“Yes, ma’am.” &

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

Remember your mama on Mother’s Day!

E-mail Herman W. Brune at wilderness@fishgame.com.

PHOTO BY BRYAN SLAVEN

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Photo Album

BASS—CANYON LAKE, TEXAS

REDFISH—LAKE CALCASIEU, LOUISIANA

TEAL—BEAUMONT, TEXAS

Amanda Cuevas out-fished her boyfriend by landing this 6.25-pound largemouth bass at Canyon Lake, Texas. The bass was released so that Amanda’s boyfriend would have a chance at it next time.

Austin Welborn, age 7, of Houston, Texas, caught his first keeper redfish while fishing with his dad and grandpa at Lake Calcasieu. The 28-inch redfish was the biggest catch of the day.

The last day of duck season was nothing unusual for TC Landry of Beaumont, Texas, but was made special because his daughter Kalista was in the marsh with him, helping to scout out the teal shown here.

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Photo Album

KINGFISH—GULF OF MEXICO

QUAIL—KINGSVILLE, TEXAS

Karen O’Neill of Porter, Texas, caught this 35-pound kingfish 32 miles offshore at the Heald Bank.

Cooper Dube, age 4, of Georgetown, Texas, “bird dogged” for his dad and uncles on his first overnight quail-hunting trip to Kingsville, Texas. He was a little too young to shoot, but happy to collect birds and spent shells and help clean 72 quail after a long day of walking.

PERCH—ROCKPORT, TEXAS

RATTLERS—SAN ISIDRO, TEXAS

BASS—KENNEDALE, TEXAS

Jayden Ford, 1-1/2 years old, from Beeville, Texas, caught her first fish, a perch, from the Rockport Yacht Club Fishing Pier in Rockport, Texas. She was fishing with her Scooby Doo Zebco fishing pole. Mom, Sandy (pictured), is pregnant with her new baby brother, Payton.

Roger Alvarado of San Isidro, Texas, shot these two 6-foot rattlesnakes while out hunting. Roger is the son-in-law of Edna Luna, who submitted the photo.

Hayden Guerin, age 4, proudly shows off a 4pound bass that he caught and reeled in himself while fishing at a neighborhood pond in Kennedale, Texas.

TF&G PHOTO ALBUM

SEND YOUR PHOTOS TO: C64

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1745 Greens Road Houston, Texas 77032 OR BY EMAIL: photos@fishgame.com

PLEASE INCLUDE NAME, HOMETOWN, WHEN & WHERE CAUGHT, SIZE AND WEIGHT

Note: All non-digital photos submitted become the property of Texas Fish & Game and will not be returned. TF&G makes no guarantee when or if any submitted photo will be published. &

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Blowin’ Down a River HE WHINE OF A SMALL OUTBOARD MOTOR ON the stern of a johnboat on a warm summer morning seemed to bring the gentle waters of the Red River below Lake Texoma’s Denison Dam to life. But the sudden roar of an engine pushing an airboat downstream quickly changed the atmosphere.

The airboat glided at the surface like a marble rolling across a sheet of glass, moving swiftly and directly down the middle of the channel toward a sand bar and then, almost effortlessly sliding across dry sand and back into the water again.

“You don’t normally see an air boat on this part of the river,” Buddy Pickens told a friend as he turned his johnboat into a small cut off the river as the airboat roared by.

“I’ll bet you one thing: those guys know what they are doing,” added Pickens, a local ranch hand who was spending an off day to fish for catfish in the river about 50 miles downstream of Lake Texoma.

Actually, seeing air boats on the Red River is not close to Lake Texoma’s Denison Dam is common, but rarely do many airboat captains venture many miles downstream.

One exception is Norman O’Neal, 44, a self-proclaimed “river rat” who grew up fishing the gigantic river that stretches all the way from the Texas Panhandle to the Louisiana Atchafalaya basin near New Orleans.

T

PHOTO BY BOB HOOD

Norman O'Neal, pilot, and Dubb Wallace head down the Red River below Lake Texoma in an airboat.

While most anglers who hit the river in airboats are capable of traveling long distances downstream and blowing across shallow sand bars that obstruct normal boat traffic, only a few do. O’Neal said the extra efforts to travel great distances in an airboat or to trailer a rig of that kind many miles are well worth it.

by Bob Hood Most airboats that blow their way up and down the Red River are similar to the one owned by O’Neal. His airboat is 20 feet long and eight feet wide. It is powered by a 450 h. p. engine that turns a huge prop that provides a top speed of about 60 m.p.h.

Fishing tactics are simple: fish for striped bass close to the dam during the warmweather months when late spring rains and water releases congregate shad and other baitfish there, and fish for blue catfish in the deeper holes in the river during the coldweather months.

This is not to say you can’t catch some nice-sized blue cats close to the dam during A L M A N A C / T E X A S

the warm-weather months because you can, especially if you target the over-hanging trees, rocks and other shaded areas during the midday hours when the fish are in a holding mood. During early-morning and lateevening hours, the catfish are more likely to be moving about in the open to feed.

O’Neal said he believes he is the only fulltime, all-seasons airboat guide on the Red River downstream of the Texoma dam. A few other airboat fishing guides operate there but most of them occasionally fish elsewhere during the winter months, such as on the lake or on the Texas coast. During the winter months, O’Neal sometimes will trailer his rig to fish as far as 140 miles downstream of the Texoma dam to catch huge blue catfish weighing up to 90 pounds.

“We caught lots of them from 10 to 35 pounds about 140 miles from the dam,” O’Neal said about the action he found last January and February. “We caught about 70 blue cats total and the largest weighed 90 pounds. There was no pressure on them and they were stacked in there like cord wood.”

The striped bass fishing close to Lake Texoma’s dam during May, June and July is absolutely unbelievable, O’Neal said. “It’s as fast as you can catch them and they run from 12 to 20 pounds. The flood that we had two years ago put thousands of fish in the river.”

O’Neal said the summer striper action

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In This Issue

I37 I38 I42

TEXAS TESTED • Kick’s; Minda Lures; and Wiley X | BY TF&G STAFF

OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE SECTION

SHOOT THIS • Kimber 84M Classic .257 Roberts | BY STEVE LAMASCUS

I25 I39 I50

TROPHY FEVER • Extreme Hog Baiting Methods | BY CHESTER MOORE

I54

NEWS FROM THE COAST • New Red Snapper Study Offers Signs of Hope |

BY TF&G STAFF

I60 I62

DISCOVER THE OUTDOORS • Classifieds | BY TF&G STAFF TEXAS TASTED • Texas Style Cajun Jambalaya | BY BRYAN SLAVEN

I63

PHOTO ALBUM • Your Action Photos |

BY TF&G STAFF

FISH THIS • Puma Pro Fillet Knife |

BY GREG BERLOCHER

HOW-TO SECTION

I1

COVER STORY • Blowin’ Down a River |

BY BOB HOOD

HOTSPOTS & TIDES SECTION

I4

TEXAS HOTSPOTS • Texas’ Hottest Fishing Spots | BY CALIXTO GONZALES & JD MOORE

I18

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK • Tides, Solunar Table, Best Hunting/Fishing Times |

BY TF&G STAFF

GEARING UP SECTION

I34 I36

NEW PRODUCTS • What’s New from Top Outdoor Manufacturers | BY TF&G STAFF INDUSTRY INSIDER • Busha Boat Works |

BY TOM BEHRENS

behind the dam traditionally is great even without a major flood.

“By May, we usually have had some good rains and I generally like to anchor up for them but when other fishermen are there I will drift fish instead just out of respect for them. I like to fish with balloons and drift giz-

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BOWHUNTING TECH • Our Youth… Our Future |

BY LOU MARULLO

I43

TEXAS GUNS & GEAR • .270 Winchester vs. .280 Remington |

BY STEVE LAMASCUS

I44 I46

TEXAS BOATING • Innovative Boating | BY LENNY RUDOW

I47

FRESHWATER BAITS & RIGS • Worm 101: Back to the Basics |

BY PAUL BRADSHAW

I48 I58

TEXAS KAYAKING • Mudders | BY GREG BERLOCHER

SALTWATER TALES • Gafftops, Flounder and Sheepshead: STARs of the Texas Coast |

BY GREG BERLOCHER

SALTWATER BAITS & RIGS • Stiff Hook Surprised Kingfish |

BY PATRICK LEMIRE

WILDERNESS TRAILS • The Potters | BY HERMAN W. BRUNE

zard shad. We turn all of the big fish back but if someone wants fish to eat we will keep the five to 10-pounders.”

The advantages of an airboat are enormous. Although their engines are loud, requiring occupants to wear ear muffs or other ear protection, they enable anglers to

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SPECIAL SECTION • Father’s Day Gift Guide | BY CHESTER MOORE

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

scoot across skinny waters and even dry land for great distances to reach the deeper holes that otherwise are not accessible to anglers with outboard motors.

“From Lake Texoma’s dam to about 30 miles downstream, most of the deeper holes range from about 15 to 18 feet and from 12 to 14 feet,” O’Neal said, although he has found some much deeper holes further downstream.

By August, Lake Texoma’s waters are turning over and that presents different striper tactics for anglers like O’Neal.

“When the water begins to stink (from turning over on the lake), the striped bass aren’t as active, but that’s when we catch the biggest fish,” O’Neal said. “The oxygen level is low and the stripers aren’t as aggressive on live bait. They will just slap at live bait and kill it, but they will take a gizzard shad head and pick it up and run with it.”

The key to catching fish anywhere is being able to get to where the they are, and that’s where airboats rise to the occasion.

As Pickens said, “You can’t get a bird’s eye view of the best and often hidden fishing hot spots unless you have the feathers, or a propeller to blow you there on a river like this one.”

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Texas Hotspots PANHANDLE

by Calixto Gonzales, South Zone Fishing Editor and JD Moore, North Zone Fishing Editor

Calixto JD

PRAIRIES & LAKES

HILL COUNTRY

PINEY WOODS

UPPER GULF COAST BIG BEND MID GULF COAST

SOUTH TEXAS PLAINS

large live shrimp on a split shot rig. With all the snags in the area, a fluorocarbon leader is a very good idea.

Channelling Snook & Mangroves

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Old Queen Isabella Causeway GPS: N26 04.380, W97 17.398 SPECIES: Snook, speckled trout, sheepshead, panfish BEST BAITS: Large live shrimp or mullet, soft plastics in pearl, smoke CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: Snook start returning to their old haunts when water temperatures start creeping up to over 70 degrees. Fish around the pilings with live bait or un-weighted, Texasrigged stickbaits. Watch for fish chasing bait early in the morning. There are also some nice speckled trout that hang around in the eddies that form on the down-tide pilings.

Panfish are there for the children, too.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Brownsville Ship Channel GPS: N26 2.124, W97 13.108

LOWER GULF COAST SPECIES: Snook, mangrove snapper BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, topwaters CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Cast towards dock pilings and riprap to find both snook and some good-sized mangrove snapper. Anchor or drift about 30-50 feet off the shoreline to give yourself some casting room. If fish are not rising to your topwater, fish along the drop-off with I4

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LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Railbed (bank access via Boca Chica Beach) GPS: N26 3.830, W97 9.920 SPECIES: Speckled trout, flounder BEST BAITS: Live shrimp/popping cork, topwaters, soft plastics in chartreuse patterns CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: The best time to fish this area is during an early morning high tide. Fish both live shrimp and soft plastics under a popping cork. If you want to try and tempt any flatties in the area, then fish Gulp! Shrimp on a ¼-ounce ounce jighead and bounce it along the bottom. If you feel like you have hit a snag, lower the rod tip, reel in your slack, and set the hook sharply. You might have a big flounder.

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Texas Hotspots

ALL GPS COORDINATES VERIFIED BY

shallow waters of the area all summer. Fish the northernmost edge on line with the yellow house that is visible during part of the drift, and work gold spinnerbaits or spoons.

Live bait under a popping cork works well, too. Watch for the terns, though. Those little breeders will dive-bomb a live shrimp and steal him off your hook first chance they have.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Unnecessary Island GPS: N26 12.722, W97 16.342 SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Large topwaters early, soft plastics in pearl/chartreuse, glow/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Trout fishing picks up speed as the weather stabilizes in May. It may be windy some days, but the cold fronts that rough up the Laguna in winter, and even sneak down in April, stay to the north. A large topwater such as a Super Spook or Top Dog should be used early. Later in the day, back off into deeper water and use 3-4 inch shad tails on 1/8-ounce jigheads for best results. Fish the leeward side of the island.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Convention Center Shoreline (bank access) GPS: N26 8.290, W97 21.703 SPECIES: Speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp, finger mullet, soft plastics in clear/red, red/white, pearl/red CONTACT: Jimmy Martinez, 956-5519581 TIPS: The meandering grass flats that stretch north of the Convention Center is a great spot for shorebound waders and kayakers to fish. Trout will hide around the edges of the many potholes you will find around this area, and redfish always make an early-morning appearance. Boaters can travel a little farther east and fish the first color change for trout that will lurk along grasslines. Live bait is always successful, but plastics in the classic red/white and Peal are also good. The best bait has always seemed to be the Norton Bull Minnow on a 1/8ounce jighead. Gold weedless spoons are another long-time favorite.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Marker 29 GPS: N26 6.080 W97 11.090 SPECIES: Speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: Live bait, cut ballyhoo, op waters in bone, natural mullet, soft plastics in new penny, root beer, smoke.

CONTACT: Jimmy Martinez, 956-5519581 TIPS: This is the first of three closelylocated areas that are very productive in mid and late summer. Hit this area on an incoming tide, and find that trout and redfish come up out of the boat channel to cruise the flats immediately west of it. If the tide is flooding in early in the morning, try topwaters. If the tide is later in the day, live bait, skipped ballyhoo (cut in half and worked like a topwater), or soft plastics under a Mauler or Alameda float is very effective.

LOCATION: Padre Island Shoreline HOTSPOT: North of Access 5 GPS: N26 14.000, W97 16.830 SPECIES: Tarpon BEST BAITS: Topwaters in bone, bone/chrome, Mirrolure 51MR in green/silver/white CONTACT: Quick Stop, 956-943-1159 TIPS: Tarpon hunters can cruise up and down the beach and watch the clear surf breakers. Pods of 20-40 pound fish start showing up in late April, and hang around until late October. When you spot some tarpon working, pull over, hop out, and start fan casting. Trout and redfish rods add an exciting dimension to this type of fishing, but tie on a 40-pound fluorocarbon leader to prevent tarpons from chafing off your favorite plugs.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Peyton’s Bay GPS: N26 24.528, W97 21.703 SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Live shrimp/popping cork, topwaters, gold spoons, red spinnerbaits; soft plastics in clear/red, red/white, pearl/red CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: If you want to go pick a fight with a slot redfish, then take a bearing on Peyton’s. Pods of redfish can be located in the I6

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LOCATION: Laguna Madre at Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: East of Marker 151 GPS: N26 31.890, W97 23.260 SPECIES: Redfish, speckled trout BEST BAITS: Gulp! Jerk Shads in limetreuse, pearl, soft plastics in red/white, fire tiger CONTACT: Captain Terry Neal, 956-9442556, www.terrynealcharters.com TIPS: Wade or drift the deep potholes in the area with soft plastics, or your favorite redfish lures to find pods of reds cruising the flats in this area. If you can locate the depth break, wade parallel to it and cast along the break. Watch for trout chasing bait along the grasslines.

Topwaters & Croakers at Baffin LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Tide Gauge GPS: N27 18.248, W97 27.593 SPECIES: Speckled trout

MID GULF COAST BEST BAITS: Croaker, topwaters early, soft plastics in strawberry/black back plum/chartreuse, rootbeer/red flake, morning glory, pumpkinseed/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: The greater availability of croaker as summer progresses makes them the focus of hungry trout in Baffin. Free line them on a 3/0 kahle hook along the drop-offs, giving them a twitch occasionally to prevent them from hiding in structure or weeds. If you prefer lures, the same topwaters and plastics that have worked throughout April will work in May. LOCATION: Baffin Bay LOCATION: Center Reef GPS: N27 16.206, W97 34.362 SPECIES: Speckled trout

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Texas Hotspots

ALL GPS COORDINATES VERIFIED BY

fished along depth breaks will locate red prowling in deeper water.

BEST BAITS: Live croaker, soft plastics in plum/chartreuse, rootbeer/red flake, morning glory, pumpkinseed/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Move to fishing the outside edges of the reef with free lined croaker. Trout will be cruising around the rocks, looking for an easy meal. For best hookups, use a widegapped hook such as a kahle or wide-bite circle or octopus hook. Rods with soft tips and sturdy actions are best for live bait applications. Eel and shad tails are also very effective when fished on a 1/8-ounce head.

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Emmord’s Hole GPS: N27 31.125, W97 19.682 SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live bait, soft plastics in pumpkinseed/chartreuse, glow/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Emmord’s really starts to take off in spring. Trout are present in very good numbers, but now you begin focusing on the deeper grass lines (4-4 ½ foot deep). Live croaker should be free-lined, while live shrimp should hang under an Old Bayside float. Plastics on a 1/8-ounce head will also fit the bill. Swim the jigs, or fish them under a cork, much like live bait.

LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Black Bluff GPS: N27 13.972, W97 31.112 SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live bait, topwaters, soft plastics in plum/chartreuse, rootbeer/red flake, morning glory, pumpkinseed/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Topwaters along the shoreline early will get some hungry trout’s attention. Back off and fish the weed line edges as the sun gets higher during the morning. Swim soft plastics across the edges and boundaries to give fish a target to ambush. Give the shoreline a second try late in the day just before dusk.

LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Carlos Bay GPS: N28 6.532, W96 53.110 SPECIES: Speckled trout, redfish BAITS: Corkies, soft plastics in plum, morning glory, dark colors CONTACT: Captain Paul Braly, 361-9496795 TIPS: This is a conversion period for speckled trout. They’ve dropped their eggs and are starting to make the transition to their summer patterns and habits. Work the opening to the bay on an incoming tide to intercept these fish. They will be more aggressive, so you can fish a lure a bit faster than normal. Redfish will also be present along the flats and grasslines.

LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Black Bluff GPS: N27 13.972, W97 31.112 SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Live bait, topwaters, soft plastics in plum/chartreuse, rootbeer/red flake, morning glory, pumpkinseed/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Though it is well-known as a trout mecca, there are some pretty nice redfish in Baffin. You can spot them tailing in the shallows on calm days. Topwaters and brokenback plugs are lethal when early. When the day grows later, live bait and soft plastics I8

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LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Spalding Bight GPS: N28 06.110, W97 59.236 SPECIES: Speckled trout BAITS: Topwaters, Corkies, soft plastics in darker color patterns CONTACT: Captain Paul Braly, 361-9496795 TIPS: Fish will be present over soft mud bottoms, where the water will warm to optimum temperatures much faster than other areas in spring. On calm days, a nosy topwater should be a good choice. If the wind &

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picks up, or the fish are so aggressive they’re missing your bait, go submarine with plastic plugs or soft plastics. Again, the fish are going to be aggressive, so take advantage of reaction strikes with a faster retrieve.

Look for the Green at Sabine LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Sabine Jetties

UPPER GULF COAST GPS: N29 40.398, W93 49.516 SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, soft plastics CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409786-2018 TIPS: When green surf starts filtering in during May, you will find some big trout lurking in the deeper holes. Watch for current breaks and eddies. Fish them with live bait, or soft plastics on larger (1/4-3/8ounce) jigheads. A fish finder is always helpful in this type of fishing. Braided line does not hurt, either, because of the added sensitivity.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Stewt’s Island GPS: N29 57.899, W93 50.900 SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters early, soft plastics in glow/chartreuse, pearl/chartreuse, limetreuse CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409786-2018 TIPS: Fish start entering into their summer patterns in May. Drift the flats to locate pods of trout roaming the area in search of young-of-the-year menhaden and mullet.

Look for birds working over bait as the day progresses. The bigger fish will be around the perimeter, picking off what the schoolies leave behind. Fishing soft plastics down deep are the trick.

LOCATION: East Galveston Bay

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HOTSPOT: Fat Rat GPS: N29 28.758, W94 38.809 SPECIES: Trout, redfish BEST BAITS: Topwaters, soft plastics in limetreuse, plum, Gulp! shrimp or shad tails CONTACT: Captain Steve Hillman, 281910-4398 TIPS: Fat Rat is an excellent wading spot in the spring and the shoreline is a good spot to stalk speckled trout and redfish. A blue/chartreuse or bone Super Spook or Top Dog is a good choice for morning wades. If the water is choppy, switch to a higher-pitched topwater such as a She Dog or Skitterwalk (the chartreuse Skitterwalk is one of the top lures this time of year). You can fish the depth breaks with soft plastics on a 1/8-ounce jig head. If you need a great confidence bait, try a Gulp Shrimp in nuclear chicken.

fish are down in deeper water, high visibility plastics should draw their attention.

Grande Bass LOCATION: Rio Grande River HOTSPOT: Salineno GPS: N26 30.590, W99 7.040 SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Plastic worms in red, red

watermelon, grape, in-line spinners CONTACT: Falcon Lake Tackle, 956-7654866 TIPS: When Falcon Dam’s turbines are not running, water levels around Zapata, Roma, and Rio Grande City drop off dra-

SOUTH TEXAS PLAINS matically. Big boats can’t get past the stretches of shin and ankle deep water.

Kayakers, however, can have a run of the

LOCATION: East Galveston Bay LOCATION: Little Hannah Reef GPS: N29 28.783, W94 43.784 SPECIES: Trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters early, soft plastics in limetreuse, plum, Gulp! baits CONTACT: Captain Steve Hillman, 281910-4398 TIPS: Trout finish the transition from winter to summer patterns, and they become aggressive and hungry. Drift between the shoal and the shoreline here and fish your baits aggressively. Plastics or Gulp! baits can be fished under a Mansfield Maulertype setup, or a rattling float to call the fish to dinner. Do not be surprised if your cork doesn’t stop when it hits the surface and simply disappears. The fish can be that aggressive.

LOCATION: West Galveston Bay LOCATION: Alligator Point GPS: N29 10.394, W95 07.152 SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters early, soft plastics in limetreuse, plum CONTACT: Captain Steve Hillman, 281910-4398 TIPS: Alligator is a versatile region to fish. You can either wade along the shoreline and stalk and cast or you can drift in a shallow draft boat. Either will work well because the flats in this area are loaded with both trout in May. A topwater early or late in the day, or when you are in shallower water will draw some startling explosions. When the A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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River. Bass end up holding in some deeper pools. Fish around deadfalls and along the shoreline with plastic worms and spinners such as the Mepps Aglia or the Shyster.

Yellow and white are the best choices. Stick close to the US shoreline.

LOCATION: Rio Grande River HOTSPOT: Fronton Island Point GPS: N26 39.930, W99 5.940 SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Cut shad, prepared baits CONTACT: Texas Parks and Wildlife, www.tpwd.state.tx.us TIPS: The downriver point of Fronton Island creates a hole that blue and channel catfish hold tight to when the power is off at the Dam. Again, this is a yakker-friendly spot. Fish cut or prepared baits on a short (6 inches) Carolina rig. The shorter leader will more effectively keep you out of the snags that are littered around the bottom.

Some locals call this area Los Sopilotes (The Buzzards) after the dozens of the bald uglies that roost in the trees. Do not let them unnerve you. They are not making plans.

LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Rio Salado GPS: N26 49.831, W99 18.947

SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: ¾—1 ounce jigs/trailers, Sweet Beavers in black, purple patterns CONTACT: Mike Hawkes, 210-275-1309 TIPS: Bass have broken out of their postspawn mode, and are moving into creek and riverbeds and are feeding. Fish rock ledges and breaklines along the main River channel with heavy jigs and tight compact trailers such as Reaction Lures’ Sweet Beaver. Use stouter tackle and braided line to fish among the submerged hardwood.

LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Little Tigers GPS: N26 41.285, W99 8.912 SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: 10-inch flipping worms in grape CONTACT: Mike Hawkes, 210-275-1309 TIPS: Falcon is a completely different lake this spring. Rains during the summer of 2008 have completely filled the lake, and there is some freshly-flooded territory.

Hardwood such as huisache, retama, or mesquite are bass magnets in late spring.

Use heavy line and flipping rods to work up against the trees. Fifty to 65-pound braid should be standard in this situation to horse the fish out of the woods.

Spook An Ivie Largemouth LOCATION: O.H. Ivie Reservoir HOTSPOT: Brush and Hydrilla GPS: N31 32.091, W99 40.827 SPECIES: Largemouth bass

PANHANDLE BEST BAITS: Zara Spook, 10-inch Power Worm with small weight, Carolina-rigged large plastic worm, Green Pumpkin or Watermelon Red CONTACT: Wendell Ramsey, bram4@suddenlink.net, 325-227-4931 TIPS: Get there early for topwater bite and walk the dog with your Spook, all around scattered brush. As the sun comes up drop back in the grass beds around 8-18 feet deep and pull a 10-inch Power Worm with small weight slowly across the grass and let it fall slowly into the holes in the grass. Carolina rig the edges with a big plastic worm or lizard. This should produce strikes.

BANK ACCESS: Concho Park Recreation Area, lots of grass for bass and bream, night fishing for catfish LOCATION: Possum Kingdom Lake HOTSPOT: Costello Island GPS: N32 54.142, W98 28.068 SPECIES: Striped bass BEST BAITS: Slabs, live shad, shallow running crankbaits CONTACT: Dean Heffner, 940-779-2597, fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: Fish the jigs in and around any brush, wood, etc. along the edges of the island. Fish shallow crankbaits when you find stripers chasing shad along the surface.

Watch for the birds.

BANK ACCESS: Willow Beach RV Park, privately owned, ask for permission to fish, largemouth, crappie, striped and white bass

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Frogging for Bass LOCATION: Sam Rayburn Reservoir HOTSPOT: Hydrilla and Lilly Pads GPS: N31 14.650, W94 17.820

PINEY WOODS SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Plastic Ribbit Frogs in black/Chartreuse and Watermelon Red/pearl belly, buzzbaits CONTACT: Don Mattern, Sr., 903-4782633, www.matternguideservice.fghp.com TIPS: Fish the plastic frog over hydrilla and around pads and hold on. Buzzbaits and poppers work as well in the same areas, when worked in the openings in vegetation.

BANK ACCESS: Powell Park Marina, largemouth bass, catfish, white and striped bass LOCATION: Toledo Bend Reservoir HOTSPOT: Buck Creek GPS: N31 10.078, W93 36.736 SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, RatL-Traps, drop shot with large plastic worm CONTACT: Jim Morris, 409-579-3485, cypresscreekmarina@valornet.com TIPS: Most of the bass will have spawned and will be hungry. They will be suckers for topwaters, buzzbaits and Carolina rigged plastic worms. Fish in and around timber, grass, shoreline.

BANK ACCESS: Ragtown Recreation Area, catfish, largemouth bass, crappie, white and striped bass

Pump the Hump for Aquilla Whites LOCATION: Lake Aquilla HOTSPOT: Whitney Hump GPS: N31 54.075, W97 11.945

PRAIRIES & LAKES SPECIES: White bass BEST BAITS: Slabs, Rat-L-Traps, small Sassy Shad CONTACT: Randy Routh, 817-822-5539, www.teamredneck.com TIPS: Whitney Hump is producing a lot

of white bass. Throwing slabs, Rat-L-Traps and small Sassy Shad and bouncing them off the bottom on the way back to the boat will be most productive. Watch your graph around the humps. The fish will look like Christmas trees. These are stacked feeding white bass. Drop slab and bounce off bottom.

BANK ACCESS: Tailrace Fishing Pier, white bass LOCATION: Lake Belton HOTSPOT: Moffat Middle Cove GPS: N31 10.966, W97 28.270 SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Lively medium crappie minnows CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-3687411,Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideServic e.com TIPS: Night fishing for hungry postspawn fish will be the norm now. Minnows fished under slip bobbers or on spreader rigs under green or white lights is the best approach. Keep boat noise to a minimum.

Use multiple rods and vary depth until successful. If bite dies off, stagger the depths again.

BANK ACCESS: Temple Lake Park, largemouth, catfish, white bass LOCATION: Fayette County Reservoir HOTSPOT: Buzzard Point GPS: N29 55.941, W96 43, 678 SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Worms or Punch Bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, 979-229-3103, www.FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: With the spawn almost over, the fish are hungry as they come off the nests.

Buzzard Point offers 2-10 feet water close to the roadbed. It is even better when the wind is blowing into the point. Anchor where you can cast to 1 foot water, set out rods shallow and outward to 10 feet water to determine the depth the fish are holding on. Wind and sunshine will determine the fish depth.

Using chum will bring the fish closer to the boat. Punch bait or worms in this area with a #4 treble hook with a ¾-ounce weight is best.

BANK ACCESS: Junkyard Cove, largemouth bass LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Long Branch GPS: N32 53.282, W95 32.284 A L M A N A C / T E X A S

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Crappie jigs, live minnows CONTACT: Mike Rogge, 903-383-3406, www.lake-fork-guides.com TIPS: Crappie are moving shallow to spawn and will be around boathouses with brush and brush piles in shallow water.

Places to check will be the boat houses in Morgan’s Branch in Big Caney, Long Branch and Opossum. The boat houses on Wolf Creek will also be good.

BANK ACCESS: Fishing Pier at Minnow Bucket Bait Stand, crappie, largemouth bass LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Purdy Point GPS: N32 51.642, W95 35.860 SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Shad colored Rapala CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, 903-5302201, www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Lake Fork will be clear and surface temps will range from 65 to 78 degrees with great numbers of bass out on the points and along the channels later in the day and back in the pockets early and late. Fork is one of the better lakes when it comes to taking big bass on top waters in May and June. Good areas to catch bass on topwaters will be in the back of Indian Creek and down the main lake pockets near Lends End Golf Course.

There is timber, weeds and grass in these areas and the fishing does not get any better.

When the day is at its hottest, try a big shad colored Rapala along the main lake points where you find standing timber.

BANK ACCESS: Fishing Pier at Minnow Bucket Bait Stand, crappie, largemouth bass LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: Eagle Point, South Side GPS: N30 37.920, W96 02.883 SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Shad or Punch Bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, 979-229-3103, www.FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: South winds are blowing now and the spawn is partly over. Look for the cats on this wind blown bank. Fish water 5-10 feet deep. Anchor out from the bank and fish close to the boat or park boat bottomed on the shore and fish out toward the lake.

Use tight line, 3/4th ounce slip sinker, #4 treble hook for Punch Bait, #1 kahle for shad. Fishing here will be good right after

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50 2STROKE .........................................$4,449 90 2STROKE .........................................$6,245 115 2STROKE .......................................$7,528 200 HPDI VMAX...................................$13,125 225 HPDI VMAX...................................$14,210 300 HPDI VMAX...................................$16,210 115 4STROKE .......................................$8,345 150 4STROKE .......................................$10,945 225 4STROKE .......................................$15,610 350 4STROKE .......................................$20,945

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50 2STROKE .........................................$4,537 90 2STROKE .........................................$6,360 115 EFI.................................................$8,555 75 OPTIMAX.........................................$6,845 90 OPTIMAX.........................................$7,345 115 OPTIMAX.......................................$7,645 150 OPTIMAX.......................................$9,800 175 PRO XS ..........................................$11,950 200 OPTIMAX.......................................$12,550 225 OPTIMAX.......................................$13,445 250 PRO XS ..........................................$16,145

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DF60 ....................................................$6,245 DF70 ....................................................$6,845 DF90 ....................................................$7,545 DF115 ..................................................$8,445 07 DF140 .............................................$8,645 07 DF150 .............................................$9,745 DF175 ..................................................$11,345 DF200 ..................................................$13,345 DF225 ..................................................$14,545 DF250 ..................................................$16,245 DF300 ..................................................$15,610 250SS 20” SHAFT .................................$15,945

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daylight when shad are closer to the bank.

Later in the day as the shad leave shallow water cast farther off shore.

BANK ACCESS: Hwy 175 Bridge east; cast lures for bass, minnows for crappie

LOCATION: Lake Granger HOTSPOT: Main Lake Flats GPS: N30 42.248, W97 20.274 SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: 1/16-ounce Jigum jigs CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell, 512-3657761, www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: Fish the main lake brushpiles in 612 feet of water. Hold jigs right over the top of the brush using very little action. Tip the jig with Berkley Crappie Nibble to give the jig scent and make the crappie bite better.

Jig color doesn’t seem to matter.

BANK ACCESS: Wilson Fox Fishing Dock, crappie on live minnows straight down off dock LOCATION: Lake Joe Pool HOTSPOT: Community Point GPS: N32 37.647, W97 00.953 SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Spinnnerbaits, Zara Puppy, flukes, Chompers Super Wacky Worms, drop shot and Carolina rigs CONTACT: Randy Maxwell, 817-3132878, www.getagripguide.com TIPS: Look for any vegetation you can find and throw your favorite spinnerbait while the sun comes up. A small frame black/blue double Colorado blade, switching to a Chartreuse/white double Willow leaf blade as it gets lighter. Topwaters like the Yellow Magic and Zara Puppy can be the ticket. Throw small crankbaits in Chartreuse/white along main lake banks and between the dam and bridges. As always, throwing weightless flukes and Chomper Super Wacky Worms will work in the grass all day. Later in the day, back off and fish deep points like Community Point and multiple brush piles with drop shot and Carolina rigs.

BANK ACCESS: Lynn Creek Fishing Dock.

Largemouth, crappie, catfish LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Tickey Creek GPS: N33 07.803, W96 29.993 SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Scum Frog, Chartreuse/ white buzzbaits and same color spinnerbaits CONTACT: Jeff Kirkwood, 800-965-0350, www.fishinwithjeff.com

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TIPS: May though the summer can be some of the finishing this lake has to offer.

About 90 percent of the time, the topwater bite is dependable and you can catch most of the fish on white/Chartreuse buzzbaits.

Once the topwater bite stops switch to a spinnerbit in same colors. If that does not work try a Bandit 100-200 series and lastly an Alpha Hawg in Green Pumpkin or Watermelon Seed rigged Texas style tossed in front of their nose will get a bite. Fishing the rip rap and bottom edge of the rip rap will be a great place to find them.

BANK ACCESS: Clear Lake Pier, largemouth bass LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Point by Spillway GPS: N32 03.468, W95 26.277 SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Crankbaits and Carolina rigged worms CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, 903-5302201, www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Good topwater fishing can be had early and late. Bass will be good on main lake points with cranks and Carolina rigs. I like to work the points way down south near the dam along rocky bottom points and where there’s standing timber.

BANK ACCESS: Dam Park, largemouth bass, crappie LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Kickapoo Creek GPS: N32 17.300, W95 30.00 SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Ribbit frogs in black/Chartreuse and Watermelon Red /pearl belly buzzbaits, spinnerbaits CONTACT: Don Mattern, Sr., 903-4782633, www.matternguideservice.fghp.com TIPS: Work the above baits up and down Kickapoo Creek. Just take the metal pipeline until it ends and go under the FM 315 Bridge and have fun.

BANK ACCESS: Dam Park, largemouth, crappie, fish pockets and rock wall LOCATION: Lake Proctor HOTSPOT: Rock Ledges GPS: N31 58.987, W98 28.948 SPECIES: Largemouth bass

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BEST BAITS: DD22, Rage Tail Space Monkey CONTACT: Wendell Ramsey, bram4@suddenlink.net, 325-227-4931 TIPS: Start working the rock ledges with a big deep diving crankbait, working it down to about 15 feet. Make sure to sty in contact with the rocks as it bounces off every little bit of cover. Flip a Space Monkey out in 10 foot water in the rocks and drag it through the rocks until you hit the gravel bottom.

This is where the fish will most times bite.

BANK ACCESS: Promontory Point Courtesy Dock, hybrid striped bass, largemouth bass, crappie LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard HOTSPOT: Highway 66 Rip Rap GPS: N32 55.033, W96 30.112 SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Scum Frog, Bandit Splatterback, spinnerbaits CONTACT: Jeff Kirkwood, 800-965-0350, www.fishinwithjeff.com TIPS: Ray Hubbard has seen most every bait/lure known to man because of its tournament popularity. However, the Highway 66 Rip Rap and the river will still produce in quantity and quality. This is the time of year that a Scum Frog will be the bait of

choice and you can stay with it all day long.

Just remember not to take your eyes off it.

Froggy can disappear without the slightest ripple and when it does it is always a good fish. If that is not your style, a Bandit Splatterback is a good bait to fish along the edges of hydrilla and parallel to the rip rap. Spinnerbaits are good, but be sure to match your color schemes to the color of the water. Fire Tiger is a good choice. Be cautious. Ray Hubbard can be extremely rough due to wind conditions.

BANK ACCESS: Bayview Marina, largemouth bass, crappie, catfish LOCATION: Richland Chambers Reservoir HOTSPOT: Hwy 309 Flats GPS: N31 58.718, W96 06.878 SPECIES: White bass BEST BAITS: Rat-L-Traps, 1-ounce Silver Slabs CONTACT: Royce Simmons, 903-3894117, www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: White bass are going great guns on the Main Lake area all month long. Rat-LTraps and slabs fished in 20-30 feet of water of the Hwy 309 Flats will result in lots of white bass action and an occasional hybrid striper. Look for gulls to help locate the bait fish that whites are feeding on.

BANK ACCESS: Midway Landing, fish bank on either side of boat ramp. Also fish shoreline of cove to left of ramp when facing lake, largemouth, crappie, catfish LOCATION: Richland Chambers Reservoir HOTSPOT: Hwy 287 Flats/road bed GPS: N32 00.407, W96 11.223 SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Drop shot and Carolina rigs CONTACT: Steve Schmidt, 682-518-8252, www.schmidtsbigbass.com TIPS: Work the drop shot rig as close to the old roadbed as possible, keeping your boat in 12-14 feet of water. The key is to work the bait close to drop off and edges.

When you cast the bait, just let is sit there to the count of 15 and them move it. These fish will hit like crappie. The larger fish will just swim off with the bait. These fish are moving back and forth from shallow to around 4 feet deep water. Use a start/stop retrieve as this will help put a few more fish in the boat, but the drop shot has been the most productive for me.

BANK ACCESS: Midway Landing, fish bank on either side of boat ramp. Also fish shoreline of cove to left of ramp when facing lake, largemouth, crappie, catfish LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: Nails Creek, East Shore GPS: N30 17.605, W96 39.455 SPECIES: Catfish CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, 979-229-3103, www.FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: Lilly pads are starting to show up along shore. Anchor where you can fish toward the shore, or if lilly pads are thick, fish the outer edge of the pads. Fishing a slip cork here is good, as it allows bait to hang about a foot off bottom. If the lake is really low, look for rocks along the shore that might jut out into the lake. In this area drift your cork across the rocks. The fish will be waiting for a shad or something dead to drift into the rocks.

BANK ACCESS: Big Creek Marina, catfish, largemouth bass, crappie LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir HOTSPOT: Big Island, East side GPS: N31 01.258, W97 34.797

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SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Blue and silver Rat-L-Trap CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-3687411,Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideServic e.com TIPS: Thirty minutes prior to sunrise through two hours after will be the best shot at shallow fish in this clear, shallow water.

Watch for fleeing shad and fish those areas.

BANK ACCESS: Stillhouse Park, largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, smallmouth bass

SPECIES: Striped bass BEST BAITS: Topwaters, Pop-R and Zara Spooks CONTACT: Randy Routh, 817-822-5539, www.teamredneck.com TIPS: With threadfin shad spawning I am (matching the hatch) targeting shallow areas near deeper water and throwing Pop-R topwaters and Zara Spooks. Look around the island and throw up toward the stick ups and work your bait back. As the sun edges up, I switch to live bait and back off the shal-

lows to the edges and ledges.

BANK ACCESS: Loafer’s Bend Shoreline, stripers, whites, largemouth bass

Contact South Regional Fishing Editor Calixto Gonzales by email at cgonzales@fishgame.com Contact North Regional Fishing Editor JD Moore by email at hotspotsnorth@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: The North End GPS: N33 52.072, W96 41.672 SPECIES: Striped bass BEST BAITS: Topwaters, jigs and live bait CONTACT: Bill Carey, 877-786-4477, bigfish@striperexpress.com TIPS: Early mornings cast topwaters on the shallow banks. After sun is up good, change to 1-ounce Sassy Shad jigs in Whiteglo or Chartreuse. Fish main lake points, river edges and mouths of creeks.

Live shad works well, anchor or drift the North Island ledge.

BANK ACCESS: Highpoint Marina LOCATION: Lake Waco HOTSPOT: North Bosque River GPS: N31 30.366, W97 17.414 SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Shrimp, blood bait, stinkbait and Punch Bait CONTACT: Jimmy D. Moore, 254-7442104, rayado@earthlink.net TIPS: Catfishing is best from April through early summer with the North and South Bosque Rivers favored by trotliners.

Hog Creek and the Middle Bosque are also good. Drift fishing over main lake points like the point at Twin Bridges and its submerged structure and the flats near Speegleville and other bays next to the creek channels that run through them are good. This is where most rod and reel anglers go for the cats.

Shrimp, blood bait work well for channel cats, while blues and flatheads prefer live shad, sunfish, or fresh cut bait or Punch Bait. It does not hurt to chum a little.

BANK ACCESS: Reynolds Creek Park has a public access fishing area on the shoreline south of the new boat ramp.

LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: Snake Island GPS: N31 55.215, W97 12.891 A L M A N A C / T E X A S

F i s h

&

G a m e ® / M A Y

2 0 0 9

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Sportsman’s Daybook Tides and Prime Times

MAY 2009 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.

T13 T7

T6 T5 T17

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY is shown in the lower color boxes of the Calendar pages. Use the SOLUNAR ADJUSTMENT SCALE below to adjust times for points East and West of Galveston Channel.

T15 T16

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

T14 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

SOLAR & LUNAR ACTIVITY: Sunrise: 6:34a Sunset: 7:51p

PEAK DAYS: The closer the moon is to your location, the stronger the influence. FULL or NEW MOONS provide the strongest influnce of the month.

T20

AM Minor: 9:11a AM Major: 2:57a PM Minor: 9:40p PM Major: 3:25p

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.

Moonrise:9:27a Moon Set: None Moon Overhead:

T21

4:55p

TIDE CORRECTION TABLE Add or subtract the time shown at the right of the Tide Stations on this table (and map) to determine the adjustment from the time shown for GALVESTON CHANNEL in the calendars.

KEY T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6

PLACE Sabine Bank Lighthouse Sabine Pass Jetty Sabine Pass Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass Galveston Bay, S. Jetty Port Bolivar

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

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

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

T22 T23

KEYS TO USING THE TIDE AND SOLUNAR GRAPHS TIDE LE VEL GRAPH: 12a

Tab: Peak Fishing Period

6a

12p

6p

AM/PM Timeline

12a

Light Blue: Nighttime

BEST:

7:05-9:40 PM

Green: Falling Tide

Gold Fish: Best Time

Blue: Rising Tide Red Graph: Fishing Score

Blue Fish: Good Time

SOLUNAR AC TIVIT Y: MINOR Feeding Periods (+/- 1.5 Hrs.) Time Moon is at its Highest Point in the Sky 12a

AM/PM Timeline

I18

• M A Y

AM Minor: 1:20a

PM Minor: 1:45p

AM Major: 7:32a

PM Major: 7:57p

MAJOR Feeding Periods (+/- 2 Hrs.)

Moon Overhead: 8:50a 6a

12p

6p

12a

Time Moon is Directly Underfoot (at its peak on opposite side of the earth)

Moon Underfoot: 9:15p 2 0 0 9 /

T E X A S

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

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

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

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

KEY T18 T19 T20 T21 T22 T23

PLACE San Luis Pass Freeport Harbor Pass Cavallo Aransas Pass Padre Island (So. End) Port Isabel

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

Yellow: Daylight

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 a wide variety of wildlife species.

T9 T8

T3 T2 T1

F i s h

&

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

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

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

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Sportsman’s Daybook NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

MONDAY

WEDNESDAY

28

THURSDAY

29

FRIDAY

M May 1

30

Set: 7:52p Sunrise: 6:39a Set: 11:09p Moonrise: 9:25a

Set: 7:52p Set: None

AM Minor: 7:52a

PM Minor: 1:36p

AM Minor: 9:01a

PM Minor: 2:45p

AM Minor: 10:10a

PM Minor: 3:54p

AM Minor: 11:15a

PM Minor: 5:00p

AM Minor: ——-

AM Major: 1:36a

PM Major: 2:07p

AM Major: 2:45a

PM Major: 3:16p

AM Major: 3:54a

PM Major: 4:25p

AM Major: 5:00a

PM Major: 5:30p

AM Major: 6:01a

Moon Overhead: 3:46p 6a

12p

6p

Sunrise: 6:38a Set: 7:53p Sunrise: 6:38a Set: 7:53p Moonrise: 10:32a Set: 12:11a Moonrise: 11:41a Set: 1:04a

Moon Overhead: 5:51p

Moon Overhead: 4:49p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Sunrise: 6:37a Set: 7:54p Moonrise: 12:50p Set: 1:51a

Moon Overhead: 6:50p 12a

6a

12p

6p

SATURDAY

2

6a

12p

3

Sunrise: 6:36a Moonrise: 1:55p

Set: 7:55p Set: 2:31a

Sunrise: 6:35a Moonrise: 2:58p

Set: 7:55p Set: 3:06a

PM Minor: 6:01p

AM Minor: 12:41a

PM Minor: 6:54p

AM Minor: 1:29a

PM Minor: 7:41p

PM Major: 6:28p

AM Major: 6:54a

PM Major: 7:19p

AM Major: 7:41a

PM Major: 8:04p

Moon Overhead: 8:35p

Moon Overhead: 7:44p 12a

SUNDAY

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Tides and Prime Times for MAY 2009

TUESDAY

27

Sunrise: 6:40a Moonrise: 8:24a

12a

= New Moon = First Quarter = Full Moon = Last Quarter = Best Day

Moon Overhead: 9:22p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 3:15a

0

-1.0

BEST:

4”35-9:15 pm

BEST:

5:40-10:30 pm

Moon Underfoot: 6:21a BEST:

5:00-6:40 am

Moon Underfoot: 7:17a

Moon Underfoot: 8:10a

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 8:58a

BEST:

12:00-2:00 am

+2.0

BEST:

12:00-1:05 am

1:20-2:50 am TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST:

2:05-9:00 pm

Moon Underfoot: 5:20a

TIDE LEVELS

+2.0

Moon Underfoot: 4:17a

High Tide: 8:28 AM Low Tide: 1:29 PM High Tide: 2:37 PM

1.78 ft 1.53 ft 1.53 ft

Low Tide: 12:38 AM -0.41 ft Low Tide: 1:37 AM -0.36 ft Low Tide: 2:41 AM -0.25 ft Low Tide: 3:51 AM -0.08 ft Low Tide: High Tide: 9:41 AM 1.76 ft High Tide: 10:54 AM 1.71 ft High Tide: 11:55 AM 1.64 ft High Tide: 12:36 PM 1.55 ft High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

A L M A N A C / T E X A S

F i s h

&

5:05 AM 1:04 PM 7:28 PM 11:25 PM

0.13 ft 1.45 ft 1.01 ft 1.16 ft

Low Tide: 6:21 AM High Tide: 1:24 PM Low Tide: 7:46 PM

G a m e ® / M A Y

2 0 0 9

0.36 ft 1.35 ft 0.73 ft

•

I19

+1.0

0

-1.0

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Sportsman’s Daybook NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

= Peak Fishing Period

7:45-9:40 AM

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

5

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

7

6

SATURDAY

8

Sunrise: 6:34a Moonrise: 3:58p

Set: 7:56p Set: 3:38a

Sunrise: 6:33a Moonrise: 4:57p

Set: 7:57p Set: 4:09a

Sunrise: 6:33a Moonrise: 5:56p

Set: 7:57p Set: 4:40a

Sunrise: 6:32a Moonrise: 6:56p

Set: 7:58p Set: 5:13a

Sunrise: 6:31a Moonrise: 7:56p

Set: 7:59p Set: 5:49a

Sunrise: 6:31a Moonrise: 8:56p

AM Minor: 2:11a

PM Minor: 8:22p

AM Minor: 2:51a

PM Minor: 9:02p

AM Minor: 3:30a

PM Minor: 9:41p

AM Minor: 4:11a

PM Minor: 10:23p

AM Minor: 4:56a

PM Minor: 11:08p

AM Major: 8:22a

PM Major: 8:45p

AM Major: 9:02a

PM Major: 9:24p

AM Major: 9:41a

PM Major: 10:04p

AM Major: 10:23a

PM Major: 10:46p

AM Major: 11:08a

PM Major: 11:33p

Moon Overhead: 10:07p 6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 11:38p

Moon Overhead: 10:52p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: None 12a

6a

12p

6p

6a

12p

6p

10

Set: 7:59p Set: 6:29a

Sunrise: 6:30a Moonrise: 9:52p

Set: 8:00p Set: 7:13a

AM Minor: 5:45a

PM Minor: 11:57p

AM Minor: 6:37a

PM Minor: 12:24p

AM Major: 11:57a

PM Major: ——-

AM Major: 12:24a

PM Major: 12:50p

Moon Overhead: 1:14a

Moon Overhead: 12:25a 12a

9

SUNDAY

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 2:05a 12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

4

12a

Tides and Prime Times for MAY 2009

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 9:45a +2.0

BEST:

0

-1.0

BEST:

BEST:

2:45-6:20 am

3:20-6:50 am

Moon Underfoot: 12:01p BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 12:50p BEST:

10:15am-12:20pm

Moon Underfoot: 1:40p BEST:

10:50am-1:20pm

6:00-7:20 pm

Moon Underfoot: 2:31p +2.0

BEST:

12:40-8:30 pm TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 11:15a

TIDE LEVELS

8:30-11:20 pm

Moon Underfoot: 10:29a

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

1:17 AM 7:34 AM 1:40 PM 8:15 PM

1.23 ft 0.60 ft 1.29 ft 0.45 ft

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

2:47 AM 8:44 AM 1:54 PM 8:47 PM

1.35 ft 0.82 ft 1.26 ft 0.20 ft

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

4:01 AM 9:50 AM 2:06 PM 9:20 PM

1.48 ft 1.02 ft 1.26 ft -0.00 ft

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

5:04 AM 10:54 AM 2:15 PM 9:54 PM

1.58 ft 1.18 ft 1.28 ft -0.14 ft

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

6:00 AM 12:00 PM 2:16 PM 10:29 PM

1.64 ft High Tide: 6:52 AM 1.66 ft High Tide: 7:43 AM 1.64 ft 1.29 ft Low Tide: 11:06 PM -0.21 ft Low Tide: 11:45 PM -0.17 ft 1.32 ft -0.20 ft

+1.0

0

-1.0

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ALMANAC I.qxd:ALMANAC I

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11:56 AM

Page I22

Sportsman’s Daybook NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

TUESDAY

Sunrise: 6:29a Set: 8:00p Moonrise: 10:44p Set: 8:01a

Sunrise: 6:28a Set: 8:01p Moonrise: 11:31p Set: 8:53a

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

11

WEDNESDAY

12

THURSDAY

13 Sunrise: 6:28a Moonrise: None

Set: 8:02p Set: 9:48a

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

14

15

Set: 8:03p Sunrise: 6:26a Sunrise: 6:27a Set: 8:02p Sunrise: 6:27a Moonrise: 12:14a Set: 10:44a Moonrise: 12:51a Set: 11:40a Moonrise: 1:25a

SUNDAY

16

17

Set: 8:04p Sunrise: 6:25a Set: 12:35p Moonrise: 1:56a

Set: 8:04p Set: 1:30p

AM Minor: 7:32a

PM Minor: 1:20p

AM Minor: 8:28a

PM Minor: 2:16p

AM Minor: 9:24a

PM Minor: 3:12p

AM Minor: 10:17a

PM Minor: 4:05p

AM Minor: 11:08a

PM Minor: 4:56p

AM Minor: 11:54a

PM Minor: 5:43p

AM Minor: 12:14a

PM Minor: 6:27p

AM Major: 1:20a

PM Major: 1:45p

AM Major: 2:16a

PM Major: 2:41p

AM Major: 3:12a

PM Major: 3:36p

AM Major: 4:05a

PM Major: 4:29p

AM Major: 4:56a

PM Major: 5:19p

AM Major: 5:43a

PM Major: 6:05p

AM Major: 6:27a

PM Major: 6:48p

Moon Overhead: 2:57a

12a

6a

12p

Moon Overhead: 4:38a

Moon Overhead: 3:48a

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 5:27a 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 6:57a

Moon Overhead: 6:13a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 7:40a 12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for MAY 2009

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 3:23p +2.0

-1.0

BEST:

4:10-9:30 pm

BEST:

9:00-10:45 pm

Moon Underfoot: 5:50p BEST:

9:45-11:00 pm

Moon Underfoot: 6:35p BEST:

10:40-11;30 pm

Moon Underfoot: 7:19p BEST:

5:30-7:10 am

Moon Underfoot: 8:01p +2.0

BEST:

12:00-1:15 am

TIDE LEVELS

0

BEST:

6:30-9:05 pm

Moon Underfoot: 5:03p

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 4:14p

High Tide: 8:35 AM

I22

• M A Y

1.60 ft

Low Tide: 12:26 AM -0.10 ft Low Tide: 1:09 AM -0.01 ft Low Tide: 1:54 AM 0.10 ft High Tide: 9:29 AM 1.54 ft High Tide: 10:24 AM 1.49 ft High Tide: 11:11 AM 1.45 ft

2 0 0 9 /

T E X A S

F i s h

&

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

Low Tide: 2:40 AM 0.22 ft High Tide: 11:45 AM 1.41 ft

Low Tide: 3:28 AM 0.36 ft High Tide: 12:07 PM 1.36 ft

Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

4:18 AM 12:23 PM 7:23 PM 11:28 PM

0.51 ft 1.32 ft 0.94 ft 1.04 ft

+1.0

0

-1.0

ALMANAC I.qxd:ALMANAC I

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4:24 PM

Page I23

Sportsman’s Daybook = New Moon = First Quarter = Full Moon = Last Quarter = Best Day

Tides and Prime Times for MAY 2009 MONDAY

TUESDAY

19

20

FRIDAY

21

Sunrise: 6:25a Moonrise: 2:25a

Set: 8:05p Set: 2:25p

Sunrise: 6:24a Moonrise: 2:54a

Set: 8:05p Set: 3:22p

Sunrise: 6:24a Moonrise: 3:25a

Set: 8:06p Set: 4:21p

Sunrise: 6:23a Moonrise: 3:57a

Set: 8:07p Set: 5:24p

Sunrise: 6:23a Moonrise: 4:35a

AM Minor: 12:57a

PM Minor: 7:08p

AM Minor: 1:36a

PM Minor: 7:47p

AM Minor: 2:14a

PM Minor: 8:26p

AM Minor: 2:54a

PM Minor: 9:07p

AM Major: 7:08a

PM Major: 7:29p

AM Major: 7:47a

PM Major: 8:08p

AM Major: 8:26a

PM Major: 8:48p

AM Major: 9:07a

PM Major: 9:31p

Moon Overhead: 8:22a

12a

THURSDAY

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 9:49a

Moon Overhead: 9:05a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 10:37a 12a

6a

12p

6p

22

SATURDAY

Set: 8:07p Set: 6:32p

Sunrise: 6:23a Moonrise: 5:18a

AM Minor: 3:39a

PM Minor: 9:52p

AM Major: 9:52a

PM Major: 10:19p

6a

12p

6p

12a

24

Set: 8:08p Set: 7:42p

Sunrise: 6:22a Moonrise: 6:10a

AM Minor: 4:30a

PM Minor: 10:44p

AM Minor: 5:28a

PM Minor: 11:43p

AM Major: 10:44a

PM Major: 11:14p

AM Major: 11:43a

PM Major: 12:15p

Moon Overhead: 12:27p

Moon Overhead: 11:29a 12a

23

SUNDAY

6a

12p

6p

Set: 8:08p Set: 8:51p

Moon Overhead: 1:29p 12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

18

WEDNESDAY

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 8:43p

0

-1.0

BEST:

7:30-9:20 am

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 11:02p BEST:

8:10-10:15 am

Moon Underfoot: None BEST:

8:50-11:05 am

9:40-11:55 am

Moon Underfoot: None

Moon Underfoot: 12:57a

BEST:

BEST:

3:00-6:20 pm

4:00-7:05 pm

+2.0

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST:

2:00-3:10 am

Moon Underfoot: 10:12p

TIDE LEVELS

+2.0

Moon Underfoot: 9:26p

Low Tide: 5:13 AM 0.67 ft High Tide: 12:34 PM 1.28 ft Low Tide: 7:08 PM 0.74 ft

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

1:12 AM 6:16 AM 12:42 PM 7:24 PM

1.13 ft 0.84 ft 1.25 ft 0.50 ft

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

2:32 AM 7:25 AM 12:47 PM 7:52 PM

1.28 ft 1.01 ft 1.25 ft 0.23 ft

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

3:39 AM 8:38 AM 12:47 PM 8:28 PM

1.45 ft 1.17 ft 1.28 ft -0.03 ft

+1.0

0

-1.0 High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

4:39 AM 9:50 AM 12:45 PM 9:09 PM

1.61 ft 1.31 ft 1.35 ft -0.27 ft

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

5:37 AM 11:02 AM 12:42 PM 9:55 PM

1.74 ft High Tide: 6:34 AM 1.82 ft 1.43 ft Low Tide: 10:45 PM -0.59 ft 1.44 ft -0.46 ft

ALMANAC I.qxd:ALMANAC I

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11:57 AM

Page I24

Sportsman’s Daybook NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

MONDAY SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

25

TUESDAY

Set: 8:09p Set: 9:57p

Sunrise: 6:21a Moonrise: 8:16a

AM Minor: 6:32a

PM Minor: 12:16p

AM Major: 12:16a

PM Major: 12:48p

Moon Overhead: 2:33p

12a

6a

12p

6p

WEDNESDAY

26

27

FRIDAY

28

SATURDAY

29

SUNDAY

30

Set: 8:10p Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:11p Set: 11:47p Moonrise: 10:38a Set: None

AM Minor: 7:41a

PM Minor: 1:25p

AM Minor: 8:51a

PM Minor: 2:35p

AM Minor: 9:57a

PM Minor: 3:43p

AM Minor: 10:58a

PM Minor: 4:45p

AM Minor: 11:53a

PM Minor: 5:40p

AM Minor: 12:18a

PM Minor: 6:29p

AM Major: 1:25a

PM Major: 1:57p

AM Major: 2:35a

PM Major: 3:06p

AM Major: 3:43a

PM Major: 4:12p

AM Major: 4:45a

PM Major: 5:12p

AM Major: 5:40a

PM Major: 6:05p

AM Major: 6:29a

PM Major: 6:52p

Moon Overhead: 4:40p

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:11p Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:12p Moonrise: 11:47a Set: 12:30a Moonrise: 12:51p Set: 1:07a

31

Set: 8:10p Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 10:56p Moonrise: 9:27a

Moon Overhead: 3:38p 12a

THURSDAY

Moon Overhead: 5:38p 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 7:20p

Moon Overhead: 6:31p 12a

6a

12p

6p

Sunrise: 6:20a Moonrise: 1:53p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Set: 8:12p Set: 1:41a

Moon Overhead: 8:06p 12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Sunrise: 6:22a Moonrise: 7:10a

Tides and Prime Times for MAY 2009

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 2:01a

0

BEST:

BEST:

BEST:

6:00-8:15 pm

6:45-9:05 pm

7:05-9:30 pm

Moon Underfoot: 5:10a BEST:

9:00-10:50 am

Moon Underfoot: 6:05a BEST:

10:50am-1:10pm

Moon Underfoot: 6:56a

Moon Underfoot: 7:43a

BEST:

BEST:

5:50-7:45 pm

6:45-8:20 pm

+2.0

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 4:10a

TIDE LEVELS

+2.0

Moon Underfoot: 3:06a

-1.0 High Tide: 7:32 AM 1.84 ft High Tide: 8:30 AM Low Tide: 11:37 PM -0.63 ft

1.81 ft

Low Tide: 12:31 AM -0.57 ft Low Tide: 1:28 AM -0.43 ft Low Tide: High Tide: 9:24 AM 1.74 ft High Tide: 10:10 AM 1.64 ft High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

2:26 AM 10:47 AM 5:22 PM 7:39 PM

-0.20 ft 1.52 ft 1.13 ft 1.15 ft

Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

3:26 AM 11:16 AM 5:52 PM 10:10 PM

0.08 ft 1.41 ft 0.85 ft 1.04 ft

+1.0

0

-1.0 Low Tide: 4:32 AM 0.40 ft High Tide: 11:39 AM 1.31 ft Low Tide: 6:30 PM 0.55 ft

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AccuSharp Knife Sharpeners

Lansky Sharpeners

American Rodsmiths

Minda Lures

The Buddy Bag

Nomor-Clog

Cook’s Original “Go-To” Tackle Storage System

Randolph Engineering

Custom Angle Rods

Stanley

Fishing Lights, Etc.

Striper Express Guide Service

Fishing Tackle Unlimited

Swift Hitch

Husky Liners

Wilderness Systems

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Father’s Day Gift Guide N TODAY’S FAST-PACED SOCIETY, HOLIDAYS come and go often with minimal fanfare.

Except for Christmas, most special days are absorbed by our cell phones, mp3 players, computers and otherwise technical life in a flash.

This is the case with the days set aside for our mothers and fathers and we often use the ex-

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cuse we have gone “too commercial” or “those are not real holidays.”

The reality is taking time to honor the people who mentored and helped shape you to deal with this world is important. In addition, while you may not see it that way now, when they are gone, you will never have a chance to

say “thank you” again. That might sound a bit grim but it is true and an excellent motivator to simply pick up the phone and say “Happy Father’s Day” or “Happy Mother’s Day” or go the next step and buy them something special.

Would you even be reading this magazine if your father had not taken you fishing for

by Chester Moore, Jr. bluegills on the family pond or soaking shrimp for croaker on a pier? Maybe your first outdoors adventure involved scouting for deer or sitting in a duck blind. Whatever your experience is, chances are the ones who brought you into this world made it happen.

Take time to honor them and realize without their influence your outdoors life might be way different or nonexistent.

ACCUSHARP: There has been an AccuSharp knife sharpener in my gear box for a number of years and I have always found them to be effective and dependable. They are wildly popular in Texas because they get the job done every time. Their knife and tool sharpener features a large ergonomic handle that fits either hand safely and securely with a full length finger guard for optimum finger protection. Sharpening blades are made of diamond honed tungsten carbide for years of reliable use. AccuSharp sharpeners will not rust and can be cleaned with soap and water or in the dishwasher.

AMERICAN RODSMITHS: This company makes high quality rods for anglers interested in precision equipment that can withstand the rigors of fishing pressure and hardcore anglers. Being a family-owned and operated company based in Texas gives them unique incite into what anglers want and has allowed them to develop a very loyal following among everyone from tournament anglers to weekend warriors. Their new Mag Strike Predator features the Adjustable Locking Handle System that allows anglers to set handle lengths to their own personal preference. Whether it is long casts to schooling fish or pitching around boat docks, it can be done with this new rod with the latest in technology.

THE BUDDY BAG: Want a bagging system that can double for an ice chest or perhaps saddle bags? Looking for a product that can match your diverse outdoors lifestyle? This is it.

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Father’s Day Gift Guide The Buddy Bag keeps your drinks cold, stows away your valuable gear and is virtually indestructible. There are dozens and dozens of uses for everyone from the duck hunter to the wade fisherman to the seasoned traveler who simply wants to keep his or her gear out of harms way and looking stylish at the same time.

COOK’S ORIGINAL: If space-hogging tackle boxes have your boat looking like a mini storage, then Cook’s Original “Go-To” Tackle Storage system offers a solution. Your lures will always be easy to get and far more organized than you dreamed.

CUSTOM ANGLE RODS: If you are looking for a finely crafted rod for a very specific application, Custom Angle Rods has something for you.

Maybe you need a good stick for Carolina-rig fishing or a rod set aside only for whacky worm fishing. Add to that the unique Reverse Wrap that places the guides in such a manner to bring the line from the top of the rod to the bottom, much the same as with spinning rods to increase

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Father’s Day Gift Guide sensitivity and you have one seriously precise instrument. These rods are for the discriminating angler who wants a rod that can take wear and tear and will not falter when the fish of their dreams is on the line.

FISHING LIGHTS, ETC: In the heat of summer, many anglers choose to fish at night. And whether seeking speckled trout on the bay or crappie on your favorite lake these convenient, effective lights will help you bag more fish. These lights come in white, blue or green and are guaranteed to never leak. Easy to use with replaceable halogen bulbs they will bring the fish to you.

FISHING TACKLE UNLIMITED: The World’s Largest Tackle Store, Fishing Tackle Unlimited, is proud to carry Costa Del Mar, a name synonymous with quality sporting eye protection. Whether it is the Fathom frame with Silver Mirror 580 lenses or the C-Mates Polarized Bifocals you will find what you need at this huge but shopper friendly fishing mega store.

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Father’s Day Gift Guide Need some fishing lures too? They have those in thousands of varieties along with anything else an angler could want.

HUSKY LINERS: Protecting your automotive investment has always been important but in these trying economic times, it is paramount to many people. Outdoors lovers put serious strains

on their vehicles and the variety of liners produced by Husky offer serious protection for serious outdoors use. Maybe you need carpet protection custom fitted for your vehicle. Then try the Weather Beater. Or maybe it is large capacity storage with removable dividers the Husky Gear Box can provide.

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LANSKY SHARPENERS: Looking for a truly fine edge for your knife? Then you definitely want to check out the Lansky Controlled Angle Knife Sharpening System. A top choice of outdoors lovers for decades, Lansky’s angle follows the idea that not all blades are created equal and to get the optimum edge, a variety of options must be available.

MINDA LURES: Texas-based Minda Lures is all about innovation, and their new Spear Worm takes soft plastics to a new level. Producing a graceful, eel-like swimming motion, it is designed to displace more water than most worms and flash to trigger more strikes. Coming in 12 colors in four-, seven- and 10-inch versions, the Spear Worm is geared for bass anglers looking to fish with finesse or gusto.

NOMOR-CLOG: This falls under the category of “I should have thought of that.” Everyone who has ever put fish or pretty much anything else in a cooler has had the drain clog up. This simple but super effective new invention ensures no more clogs and no more frustration. This product is made of durable food safe plastic that will last and make your outdoors trips just a little smoother.

RANDOLPH ENGINEERING: Eye protection is always important for shooters at the range and in the field. The RE Ranger lenses are designed to protect your eyes while highlighting your target and at the same time increasing contrast. Key elements include optical grade polycarbonate lenses in over 16 custom tints and prescription frame quality with a lifetime warranty on all solder joints, and comfort fit temples.

STANLEY: Stanley stood the bass fishing world on its ear with the Ribbit which is now considered mandatory cargo for anglers who like to surface fish for bass in the grass. The new Buzzit is a Ribbit fused with a buzz bait that is great for targeting lunkers in the pads, grass or open water.

STRIPER EXPRESS GUIDE SERVICE: Lake Texoma’s striper fishery is arguably the most action packed of its kind in the South. With high bag limits and an even better shot at getting an ice chest full of fish, it is the place to go for family fishing. Striper Express Guide Service offers 25 years of expertise seeking these supersized game fish and creating memories that last a lifetime.

SWIFT HITCH: Backing up to a trailer can be a tricky affair and unless you have a friend that

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Father’s Day Gift Guide can aid you with an extra set of eyes, it can be a frustrating experience. That is where the Swift Hitch comes in. This portable, easy to mount device doubles as a camera/monitor system to make sure you do not dent your vehicle. Each unit comes with a full color 2.5-inch LED screen and is designed for single hand operation. Now you no longer have to rely on your fishing buddy to give you instructions and will greatly reduce your chance at a collision.

WILDERNESS SYSTEMS: Paddle craft are becoming increasingly common on Texas waterways. Whether in a clear Hill Country stream or the Gulf of Mexico, kayaks are a growing part of the scenery and giving anglers access to quality fishing. Wilderness Systems, maker of the well-known Tarpon Series, is passionate about the outdoors and the sport of kayak fishing.

They’re committed to getting fishing enthusiasts of all levels to experience the enjoyment and performance that only a kayak can offer.

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Father’s Day Gift Guide Father’s Day: The Flipside THERE IS A FLIPSIDE TO FATHER’S DAY. There are many youngsters out there who have no father in their life to steer them in the

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right direction and help set them on the right path. As much as parts of society would like to eliminate the father from this equation, all one has to do is look at the news and see a lack of loving two-parent homes is causing a massive decline in America’s moral core.

To create the next generation of fathers with

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an interest in their children, we should consider mentoring those who need guidance by sparking an interest in the outdoors. And I do not mean just taking them on a token fishing or hunting trip.

Taking a kid on a fishing or hunting trip to introduce them to the outdoors is a wonderful gesture but the reality is, it is not enough.

It is not enough to keep them motivated to stay involved in outdoors pursuits long-term and may not even result in a passing phase of outdoors fascination in their lives. I saw a standup comedian say that if you want to punish a modern child, tell them they have to play outside.

While I nearly laughed myself off the seat, I felt a twinge of sadness inside because it is the truth.

Peer pressure has always been and will always be the major determining factor in the lives of most young people. And somewhere along the line, it became cool to have no goals, no motivation and no life. To combat this kind of voluntary apathy and turn it into a desire to seek excitement in the great outdoors, we are going to need a new game plan. You would not hunt a grizzly with a paintball gun nor should we target the youth of America with a quick trip to the outdoors and expect them to trade in their X-Box for a tackle box.

A mentoring situation could be as simple as e-mail communications about outdoors trips and outfitting them with tackle. Then again, it could go as far as regular trips to the field and taking a genuine role in their lives to steer them toward the right course. Another thing is we need to better reward those young people with a passion for the outdoors. If you have a child that likes to hunt or fish, send the photos of their bit catch or first deer to TF&G to be recognized or to local newspapers. Enthusiastically embrace their love for this lifestyle.

Despite all of the kids out there who want to do nothing, there are some exceptions to the rule that have ambition, drive and determination. They deserve our respect and kudos and more importantly, we should do everything in our power to keep them focused on these positive things. Kids who are leaders who hunt and fish are often ostracized from the “in” crowd.

For a kid with a strong backbone that can actually be beneficial because the “in” crowd is usually the “in trouble” crowd but for those who might be a little weaker, it is important to give them all the support we can.

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Father’s Day Gift Guide The forces aligned against children nowadays are staggering. Whether they hail from the barrio or white picket fence suburbs, they all deserve a chance to enjoy the bounty of the great outdoors and we should fight for this opportunity for them. I certainly do not have all of the answers to this dilemma but I do know that mentorship can make a big difference.

Men, if you need help on how to become a better mentor, there is a great group active in Texas called Legacy Outfitters. You can check them out at http://www.legacyoutfitters.org. They really are helping to make a difference in the lives of men who love the outdoors and literally outfitting them with the tools necessary to be a good mentor and role model.

If we do not take action, I can guarantee you other forces will. We will never reach every kid out there but for each one we turn onto topwater trout fishing instead of doing drugs we will have saved a life from ruin and benefited society as a whole.

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New Products New Sportsman’s Condo Southern Outdoor Technologies introduces it newest Sportsman’s Condo model blind, the “Ridgeline.” The Ridgeline features “Solid Blind Technology” which is what the Sportsman’s Condo is famous for.

The floor, walls, and roof are all molded together which translate to a stronger, quieter blind. The Ridgeline arrives fully assembled. Measuring 48”x48”x62”, there is plenty of room for an adult and small child. A full size, lockable door compli-

Sportsman’s Condos ments is standard and the over sized windows allows for maximum gun movement and visibility. An extra wide shelf gives plenty of storage space for all your hunting accessories.

The Ridgeline includes a metal base to elevate it using 4x4 treated posts and allows the hunter to decide what height works best for his hunting situation. The units weighs 204-pounds. Contact Southern outdoor Technologies for more information at http://www.sportsmanscondo.com/ or call 662-295-5702.

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St. Croix’s new inshore spinning and baitcasting rods.

St. Croix’s New Inshore Rods St. Croix is introducing an exciting new series of 22 inshore spinning and casting rods built with their proprietary Integrated Poly Curve (IPC) tooling technology on premium, high-modulus SCIII graphite blanks with a handsome “Copper Pearl” blank finish. Designed specifically for inshore saltwater fishing, every Avid Series Inshore rod is outfitted with Alps™ zirconium guides with 316 stainless-steel frames for outstanding protection from saltwater corrosion, and Fuji DPS reel seat/frosted silver hoods on spinning models / Fuji ECS or TCS reel seat/frosted silver hood on casting models. They’re finished with super-grade cork handles, two coats of Flex Coat slowcure finish, and machined-aluminum wind checks. Each is handcrafted in the U.S.A. Every St. Croix Avid Series Inshore rod is protected by a lifetime limited warranty backed by St. Croix Superstar Service.

Retail prices range from $180-$240.

Contact Jeff Schluter at 800-826-7042 or jeffs@stcroixrods.com. 856 4th Avenue North, Park Falls, WI 54552 U.S.A. www.stcroixrods.com

It’s a little “Baby Crab!”

That perfect little morsel that all inshore game fish just love to crunch, and at certain times of the year they will literally gorge themselves on these tiny crustaceans. The only problem is in most areas these little &

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pieces of fish candy are illegal to even possess.

TC Lures, Inc. is proud to introduce the “New” Baby CW Crab. Just like the Original CW Crab, the lure’s shell and swim fins are molded from a real crab, but this new little bait can almost hide under a quarter.

Extremely durable and constructed with a heavy-duty stainless steel through wire harness. This tiny thin lipped crab imposter remains in an upright position at all times and can be fished in skinny water or rigged to fish at any depth of the water column.

Baby CW Crab The full length keel complete with embossed legs, ensures the lure scoots sideways with little or no wobble, just like a real crab! Baby CW Crabs are available in several different color patterns and come in floating, suspending and sinking models.

Try adding a little of your favorite crab scent for the ultimate deception! Remember just “Be the Crab!”

For more information visit www.cwcrab.com or call (877)-762-9100.

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Lock on this!

The Lock Lizard is the hottest Fishing Lure to recently hit the market. It is a specially designed top water action Lure with the Look and Style that will easily make it the Favorite one in your tackle box. Avid fishermen have praised the simple but genius idea the Lure maker had. The Lure’s jointed back allows it to move in a side to side slithering action, thus mimicking a real Lizard, and when Lizards hit the surface of the water, their bellies tend to turn white which is another enticing attraction of this Lure, its coloring. This combination helps to trigger the natural curious instinct and strike of a fish. Another added feature is that by simply removing its tail and hook,

Lock Lizard one can replace them by screwing on any size plastic grub and single hook. In turn, it will increase one’s odds in catching Fish in those Remote areas where Fish tend to bed and spawn.

The Lock Lizard is the creation of native Texan, David Mendez, who resides in Lockhart, Texas.

The lure weighs .2oz and comes in four colors: pumpkin seed, chartreuse, dark green and light green.

Contact Lock Lizard Lures @ (512)738-0614.

Website: www.locklizard.net

Realtree Road Trip Just like in seasons past, Realtree Road Trips Best of Season 6 keeps on rockin’ with three hours and nine episodes of jawdropping, side-splitting footage as only Michael Waddell can deliver.

Hitch a ride with Waddell as he travels from the peanut fields of South Georgia to the mountain tops of Eastern Wyoming in search of his next target.

Find out for yourself why Realtree Road Trips won the Outdoor Channel’s award for Best Big Game Footage in 2008. Perhaps it

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has something to do with Waddell’s personal best New Mexico elk and Colorado mule deer.

Buglin’ monarchs, lovesick Realtree Road Trips Best of l o n g b e a r d s and a combiSeason 6 DVD. nation of rutcrazed whitetails and muleys are all part of this year’s Road Trips Best of Season 6.

“The Road Keeps on Callin’,” so tag along and enjoy the ride. It’s reality TV, Realtree style.

Exclusive Bonus Footage: Who said Waddell doesn’t miss?

Varmints in the snow A glance of Season 7 Rhett Akins unplugs Nicky the Wheel Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert Available at local sporting goods dealer, or visit www.realtree.com/store.

Metolius Knife from Gerber The new Metolious is the knife you want on your next hunt. The Metolius knife is available in a fixed blade or a folder knife and both are available in either drop point or gut hook, to meet everyone’s personal preferences.

The handle features SoftGrip® over mold and deep finger grooves for a superior non-slip grip. The fixed blade employs a full tang construction for strength and durability. A lanyard Gerber Metolius hole in the handle allows the knife to be attached to the sheath or elsewhere.

The durable blade features 154CM steel. A sheath is included.

The Metolius knives are available at www.gerbergear.com, GerberGear, 14200 SW 72nd Avenue, Portland, OR 97224.

Or through retailers across the country.

MSRP $35.00

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Hear What You’ve Been Missing Walker’s Game Ear announces the Hybrid, the first 6 channel, behind-the-ear, open fit hearing enhancement/protection device.

The Hybrid incorporates cutting edge Wide Dynamic Range Optimizing algorithms on a High Definition platform to deliver the most natural and pure sound enhancement available.

“The Hybrid is by far our most finely designed and advanced Behind-the-Ear unit,” said Bob Walker, Walker’s Game Ear founder.

“What makes this technology so advanced is Walker Hybrid that the sound enhancement is across a full 6 channels with integrated 16 band graphic equalizer,” Walker said.

Along with the digital Sound Activated Compression, a newly designed ergonomic foam tip, with built-in wax guard, offers a 22 dB Noise Reduction Rating. “Protecting your hearing is so critical,” saod Walker, “and the Hybrid was designed from the ground up with that as its foremost purpose.

But what is so exciting about the new Hybrid is that in quiet environments, when hearing protection isn’t required, the foam tip can be replaced with a soft, silicon tip. This tip is allows air to flow freely and for natural ambient sounds to mix with the Hybrid’s precise enhancement performance.” This silicon tip allows the sportsman to hear the sounds of nature with all day comfort.

While incorporating Environmental Noise Suppression, the Hybrid has four dynamic listening modes. Each mode is optimized for different listening environments.

Sound levels are more precisely controlled as well with the new digital volume control.

Additionally, the Hybrid weighs in at less than ¼ of an ounce and has a pre-shaped, nearly invisible tube the tucks securely into the opening of the ear canal. Utilizing a #13 battery for extended battery life, the Hybrid is designed to fit in either ear.

For more information on Walker’s products, visit www.walkersgameear.com.

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Industry Insider

Busha Boat Works

Don Busha, owner of Busha Boat Works

ACK IN 1997, DON BUSHA WAS REPAIRING outboard engines in his backyard in Bay City and doing quite well. He loved fishing and had even considered guiding as a career, but not for long.

“I knew if I really got involved in guiding it would become a full time job and fishing wouldn’t be any fun anymore,” Busha said.

In 1999, he had a Suzuki engine in for repairs and he was looking around for the parts he needed. At that time there weren’t many Suzuki dealers around and parts could be hard to locate.

“I called the main Suzuki number and got in touch with a fellow with Suzuki Marine,” Busha said.

“While I was talking to him, I mentioned the fact that Suzuki wasn’t getting their fair share of the market in my part of the world. If they were interested in a small time dealer, and I really emphasized small time dealer, to have somebody contact me.”

To his surprise someone did contact him.

Suzuki didn’t have any small dealerships but it wasn’t really hard to be a dealer.

“I got to talking Suzuki with my customers and they started asking questions, showing quite a bit of interest.”

Busha called Suzuki again and reiterated that he was in a really small town, had only a shop in a pole barn. He even said that maybe he was too old for them; he was 59 years old at the time. A Suzuki rep came down, spent some time with Busha and when he was ready to leave said, “I’ll approve you.”

“I thought about it and thought about it,” Busha said.

He just said, “I’m working 80 hours a week, can’t work any harder, I think I’ll do it.”

That was September 1999.

He then had to find boats he could sell.

“That was difficult,” referring to finding the right boat line.

“Any boat line you wanted to add, somebody in your neighborhood was already selling it.”

The first line of boats he sold of any magnitude was Shallow Sport. Since then he has added Marshall, Explorer, Ultra Cat, Gulf Coast, JH Performance, and Dargel Boats.

Last fall he added Yamaha and Evinrude outboards. He makes a point in letting people know that all of the boats he sells are made in Texas.

Busha Boat Works is no longer a backyard operation.

“Boat dealerships just don’t go well in a residential area,” Busha said.

About five years ago he moved to his present location at 3113 Nichols in Bay City.

The location, located on four acres, has 3,000 square feet of showroom space and 5,000 square feet of shop space. Busha, now 69 years old, said he has come a long way.

Busha Boat Works carries the full line of Suzuki engines, all the way from 2.5 to 300 hp. His most popular engine is 175 hp for the many bay fishing boats that he now sells.

His company is considered an American success story. From sales of 37 motors in his

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first year, his company soared to number six in sales in the United States in his third year of operation. Last year Suzuki ranked Busha Boat Works number 10 in the nation for parts and accessories, which is not bad for a dealership in a town with a population of 18,000.

“Suzuki led the field in switching to fourstroke engines. I have Suzuki engines running that have 8,000-10,000 hours… thousands of hours that have had nothing but routine maintenance. There is a local crabber who bought three Suzuki engines in 2001, no telling how many hours of operation they have on them. From 2001 to the present I have not had to do anything to the power head on any one of the three. When they went to four-stroke they just got it right the first time.”

Busha credits his success to integrity.

“I would rather have my customers’ trust and good will than their money. I am an old guy, a country guy… old fashioned in a lot of ways. We never bait and switch, never any deceptive advertising. We are straightforward and pretty plainspoken. This is the way we operate our business.”

For more information on Busha Boat Works, go to www.bushaboatworks.com or call 979-245-3369.

—Tom Behrens

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Texas Tested Kick’s High Flyer Choke HOKE TUBES ARE SOMETHING MANY hunters take for granted. Many of us simply use what came with our guns and never really think about it. If you are such a hunter and notice your friends with the exact same gun consistently skunk you in the shooting department, there might be a reason. By using quality choke tubes, a hunter can adjust for certain situations and greatly improve their odds.

When my wife decided to join me duck hunting, I got her a .20 gauge and had the opportunity to arm it with the Kick’s High Flyer Choke Tubes. Our first hunt was going to involve decoying ducks and some fly bys that would give us a good look before heading into the ozone so I chose the modified. I am happy to report she took out several birds that day and her pattern held up well out to 30 yards which was our most distant shots.

Their improved cylinder has worked well for a couple of hunts I did for wood ducks and teal in the timber.

Their chokes are directionally ported and this process increase pattern performance by up to 20 percent density. Additionally this reduces recoil and gives the hunter an edge when making tough shots.

Best of all their chokes are roll marked for quick identification and do not require a wrench to install.

Need to switch from improved to full? It

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is simple and when you are out in the cold, wet world of waterfowl that is a huge plus.

Visit their website at www.kicks-ind.com.

— Chester Moore, Jr.

spin a different way and given anglers a deadly new weapon in their arsenal.

Visit the website, www.mindalures.com.

—CM

The Injured Minda

Wiley X Brick

I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WOULD BE beneficial to have a lure that never leaves the strike zone, that can remain stationary in a key spot and entice fish one might otherwise miss.

Last year at the ICAST show in Las Vegas, I found such a lure. It’s called the Injured Minda, by Minda Lures. It’s a twopiece hard plastic minnow imitation that has the unique ability to create a stationary action. Anglers can make the lure move up and down and flip like an injured baitfish but never leave a key strike zone.

Imagine finding a bedding bass in deep water but because of the position it’s in you have a tough time getting the lure to stay in the strike zone long.

This lure will allow you to keep it there.

In my personal experience I was amazed to watch the lure look amazingly like an injured baitfish and do exactly what the manufacturers say it does. Put in the hands of my cousin Frank Moore who tested it on Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn, it caught several nice bass.

I will not say Minda reinvented the wheel with this lure but they might have made it

I am happy to report she took out several birds that day and her pattern held up.

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AN ANGLER WHO DOES NOT WEAR POLARIZED sunglasses while fishing could be missing hundreds of opportunities at fish every year.

I know because I have admittedly been lazy about wearing shades while fishing but that stopped a few years ago when my fishing partner pointed to a big school of sheepshead at an oil rig I could not see.

When I put on his polarized shades I could. At that point I forget about my cheapos and went for more quality product. And that is exactly what the Wiley X Brick is.

They are called the Brick because they are virtually indestructible and that is what I need. I bought cheap shades for so many years because I’d sit on, lose or step on them.These come with new Violet 4 AntiReflective and Slick Filter coasting to maximize visual performance and new removable Seal Tek technology that literally seals the eyes while outdoors. When I put the seal on it was amazing how much light was getting in peripherally. The point is to remove harmful UV light, isn’t it? And they are removable when you need to be a bit more fashionable.

There are lots of quality shades on the market and Wiley X stands among the best.

They have been responsive to what their users ask for and have a product here that surpassed my expectations and that will allow me to see more fish and hopefully bring more home.

Visit them online at www.wileyx.com.

F i s h

—CM

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Shoot This

Kimber 84M Classic .257 Roberts

hunters who wanted a pleasant, efficient, light-recoiling round that was sufficient for deer and antelope. It was one of Eleanor O’Connor’s favorites, especially for the little Southwestern Coues white-tailed deer, and it was the gun on which Jack and Eleanor’s sons cut their hunting teeth. The little .257 maintained its popularity until the introduction of the .243 Winchester and the .244/6mm Remington in 1955.

My considered opinion is the .257 Roberts is superior to both those fine cartridges and the .243 WSSM, for that mat-

by Steve LaMascus

EVERAL YEARS AGO I STARTED LOOKING FOR A rifle chambered for the .257 Roberts.

I looked high and low for a used one I liked and was disappointed that there seemed to be so few available. I finally bought a used Winchester Model 70 that was okay, but someone had pruned the barrel back to 20 inches and I prefer a longer barrel. The previous owner was, also, apparently quite indecisive, as he had drilled about a half-dozen holes in the forend, probably for mounting a bipod. The holes were poorly filled with what looked like Bondo. While it shot reasonably well I never liked it and finally traded it off.

Then I began looking at what was available in new guns, expecting to find there were currently no new guns chambered for .257, and found instead that Kimber chambers their little Model 84M for the Roberts.

I almost broke a finger grabbing for the phone to order one.

The .257 Roberts, for those of you who have been living under a stone for the last three-quarters of a century, is one of the true classic cartridges. It was originally a wildcat based on the 7mm Mauser. Ned Roberts was the first to publicize it, back in the 1920s. Remington then introduced it as a factory offering, in a slightly improved form, in 1934.

The .257 Roberts was an overnight success with those discriminating shooters and

ter as a dual-purpose varmint/deer round.

However, if you must hand load to get the best from the little quarter-bore, as factory ammunition is generally not loaded to the full potential of the .257. If you are looking for a kid’s first deer rifle; or for a rifle that doesn’t make the wife, daughter, or girlfriend flinch; or for a nice, lightweight, gentle rifle for yourself for coyotes and deer, the .257 Roberts is one of the best possible choices. I personally do not like getting kicked, so I love it.

At this time it is offered in the Ruger Model 77 Hawkeye, the Kimber 84M, the Remington Custom Shop makes rifles for the Roberts, and Thompson Center offers it in the Encore. If none of those trips your trigger, any decent gunsmith can rebarrel a standard bolt-action rifle for the caliber, although is it too long for some short actions.

My Kimber 84M is, as I have come to expect from Kimber, a drop-dead gorgeous rifle. The stock is a beautiful piece of well figured though straight-grained walnut with smoky black streaks through wood the color of dark honey. Stocks of this color and figure would have been called English walnut in the good old days. The stock design is of the American classic school, being straight combed with no cheek piece, and is exactly what I like best. Fit, finish, and bedding are

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perfect and the gun shoots as good as it looks.

The trigger is as clean and crisp as an icicle, breaking according to my Lyman digital trigger pull gauge, consistently at a hair over 2 pounds (which would seem to indicate that I am not the first gun writer to have handled this gun). In short, this is the rifle I was dreaming about for all those years. I cannot recommend it too highly.

With scope, sling, and full magazine, it weighs just at 8 pounds. Bare rifle scales a svelte 5 lbs. 10 oz. Kimber’s 84M Classic will usually sell for about $950.

As for the .257 Roberts cartridge, it will push a 100-grain bullet at just over 3000 feet per second, an 87-grain bullet at 3200, and a 120-grain heavyweight at about 2800. With a good 100- or 110-grain bullet it is perfectly suited for deer, antelope, wild sheep, and maybe caribou. If you found yourself in a pinch it would, with the heavier, sharp-pointed bullets of 115 to 120 grains, do for elk. Where it comes into its own, however, is with the lighter bullets of 75 to 87 grains, in the hands of the predator caller. I can’t think of a better walking varminter when the game sought are coyotes, and that is to be my primary use for this Kimber.

The .257 Roberts has staged something of a comeback in the last decade, thanks to Kimber, Thompson Center, and a few other clear-thinking folks. Although it has always had a cult following of knowledgeable riflemen, it is more popular now than it has been in many years. I suggest that if you want one, and if you are a lover of fine guns, now is the time to buy.

Pass the word.

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Trophy Fever

Extreme Hog Baiting Methods

Gelatin Mix—-Simply taking a strawberry or other gelatin mix with a strong smell and flavor, mixing it into a mud hole or digging a hole with a posthole digger and putting a few packages of this can pay big dividends with hogs. Some hunters mix their own wild concoctions but for the most part simply using gelatin mix will get the job done.

by Chester Moore, Jr.

Entrails—-Exotic hunting guru Thompson Temple used to haul the guts of the rams hunters took on his Rocky Top Ranch in Real County to a distant cactus flat on the back of the property and use it as bait for javelina. I know because I once rode in his truck bed up a seriously steep grade to deliver the funk and stench to his hot spot.

The ranch had a fair population of javelina but they were really shy there so he used the entrails to lure them in and some of his hunters had great success. A number of hunters use guts of hogs they take to put in their traps and swear by the technique. Hogs will definitely eat their own or the entrails of any other animals for that matter.

If you operate a hunting camp it would be a good idea to dump your entrails in a hog heavy place all the time so that hogs are condiTrophy hogs, whether taken in Texas or on Ted Nugent's tioned during a hunting season to ranch in Michigan, where the author's dad Chester Moore, Sr. come to it. bagged this big one, are the result of serious thought, care- Burlap sack and engine oil—Some hunters employ a burlap ful planning and quite often lots of baiting. sack wrapped around a tree and While I almost always hunt hogs over covered with engine oil. Hogs will rub corn it is hard to say if this technique actu- against this to use the oil to protect themally brought them in but I can say it didn’t selves from parasites and often rub telescare them. I also think in a couple of phone poles with a creosote base. This is a instances it helped me lure in some noctur- popular method in some areas of East Texas nal hogs before sun fall. It also makes a nice where lice are a major problem with hogs. cover scent and might serve to make the Again, be careful of any environmental conhogs forget about any human odors they cerns when using this one.

It is important to remember there is no smell.

ERB YORK FORMER OWNER OF YORK’S Archery in Beaumont and Buna gave me an excellent tip for luring in deer and hogs: wind baiting.

He would take flour in a Ziploc bag, dispense it in the air as he sat in this tree stand and let the scent particles lure the animals to his position. I adapted the technique and use corn meal for hogs.

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PHOTO BY CHESTER MOORE, JR.

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magic bullet for baiting and/or feeding hogs.

These animals are extremely intelligent and in my opinion rank second only behind the wily coyote for animals we pursue in Texas.

And yes, that means they are smarter than whitetails. Sure, trophy bucks are very hard to hunt but trying to take a specific trophy hog is far more difficult if you use the same criteria you use for hunting deer which means you cannot hunt them at night, with dogs and had to stick to a three month hunting season.

Using the hog’s natural appetite can be a great benefit but there is no one method that is a cure all. There are lots of commercial products out there that can help you get hogs but do not solely rely on them.

I believe the number one way to consistently take hogs with a gun or bow is to feed corn and supplement with other strategies like soured corn or the old burlap and oil trick if you choose. Using corn by itself works most of the time but using the other methods alone rarely does. My cousin Frank Moore is so obsessed with hogs he actually said in a heated moment that he would not care if hogs wiped out the whitetails as long as we have hogs. I tell you this so you understand the level he goes to bring in the big ones.

On our old hunting club north of Deweyville, he set up two automatic feeders within 75 yards of one another to target different groups of hogs using different trails.

He also set the timers 30 minutes apart so if the hogs did not hear one they might hear the other. He used soured corn poured into a hole and used the burlap/engine oil combination and then even used commercial hog lures.

The result was he shot some really nice hogs but he had to go to great lengths because of the pressure exerted on the animals in the area. Sometimes one of these methods will work and other times it seems as if it takes a bit of everything.

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Trophy Fever Photos

BUCK—DUVAL COUNTY, TEXAS

AXIS—MOUNTAIN HOME, TEXAS

Dwayne Jenkins shot this 8-point, 200-pound buck while hunting on the Flojo Ranch in Duval County. The buck scored 130 B&C. The brow tines were unique, measuring 8-1/2 inches and 10-1/2 inches respectively.

Megan Roberts, age 16, of Spring, Texas, shot her Brent Holman of Sugar Land, Texas, took this 8first axis buck while hunting on her papa’s ranch in point buck in Sonora while hunting with his dad.

Mountain Home, Texas. The buck, 30 inches tall It scored 138 and weighed in at 185 pounds. and 200 pounds, was shot with a .300 Weatherby Mag.

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BUCK—SONORA, TEXAS

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Bowhunting Tech

by Lou Marullo | TF&G Bowhunting Editor

Our Youth…

Our Future EACH A CHILD TO HUNT AND HE OR SHE WILL possess a gift that will last a lifetime.

Many years ago, my father took me with him as a “tag-along” in the woods. Although I do not remember every detail of that morning, I do remember the hunt. It is a moment in time that is forever etched in my fondest memories of times spent with my dad.

Taking a child with you on a hunt is one of the best things you can do for both you and your child. It will prove to be one of those rewarding experiences that will be kept locked up in the vaults of your own memory and brought out whenever life reminds you a smile is needed.

Texas has the right idea when it comes to hunting. It is one of the few states in the union that allow children of any age to experience the unique joy that only comes from being in the outdoors.

You do not have to be hunting to be in the woods with a child. In fact, it is probably a better idea to introduce a little one to the outdoors by just taking his or her hand and go for a hike. Taking a hike in the woods is always an adventure for a child.

This is an excellent opportunity to initiate a conversation about how animals survive in the wilderness. Deer sign is still abundant and showing how the deer always use the easiest trail is a good lesson that the young hunter will carry with him or her for years.

Finding a deer rub is a great time to explain what that teaches us. Why do the deer rub their antlers? How deer leave scent behind are just a few valuable lessons to be learned from just taking a short walk in the woods.

May is a great time of year to spend some quality time with a child and teach him/her

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the correct way to handle a bow. There are many different youth bows on the market and all of them are perfect for what you are trying to do. The idea here is to have a child be able to pull the bow back with ease and shoot at the same target that the adults use.

Only the parent or guardian will know when it is the right time to introduce this weapon to the new hunter, and make no mistake about it. It is a weapon.

It is a weapon that demands the careful understanding of what it can do and how it should be used. This is the very reason some states require an age limit when hunting.

However, I have met youngsters that act and understand in a more mature manner than some of their older counterparts do.

Matthews offers the awesome Ignition youth bow that is both forgiving to shoot and easy to master with the proper instruction.

For the young adult who outgrows the youth bow, the Matthews Genesis is the perfect solution. It will fit anybody and has a draw weight that is universal so it will not discourage a newbie to the sport of bow hunting. I use this bow whenever I teach a bow

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class. It seems perfect for any age from teenager to grandfather. Of course, if this sport is something the young one wants to pursue further, then he or she needs to go to a professional bow shop and be fitted for a bow suitable for hunting big game.

Learning the correct way to shoot a bow at such a young age will prove to be beneficial when the first deer comes into range.

How to hold your left hand while shooting a right handed bow, a perfect release, a proper follow through, even choosing which broad head to shoot are all important factors that a novice will have to learn and learn well if he or she is to be successful in bow hunting. Most of all, as hard as it is, a youngster needs to understand that more often than not you will spend many hours in your stand before you get a shot. I, for one, did not possess patience as a child. I have always said patients are for doctors.

The world has changed a little since the days of my youth. No longer can you see a good old fashion game of kick the can.

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Fish This

Puma Pro Fillet Knife HEN PUMA KNIFE COMPANY USA invited me to take their new Pro Fillet Knife out for a test drive I jumped at the chance. I am a knife junkie and own countless styles and sizes.

When I reached for a pen to jot down some notes for this article I discovered three pocket knives in my desk drawer. I discovered two more in the console of my Suburban, plus another twenty knives of different design in the kitchen. I did not even count those in the garage. I use knives at work, in the field, and in the kitchen. Like a good tool, a quality knife is a delight to use and I was eager to test out Puma’s new fillet knife.

The Pro Fillet is eleven inches long and comes with a clear plastic sheath (more on that in a minute). The plastic grip is nicely contoured to fit your hand, with a large indentation for your index finger just aft of the blade. The overall grip is comfortable and instills confidence that you can control the knife when powering through something tough, like the ribcage of big redfish.

The handle is clear blue plastic, allowing you to see the stamped tang embedded inside which resembles a fish’s skeleton. It is devilishly stylish!

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The Pro Fillet’s blade is crafted from 4040C stainless, the standard that all of Germany’s premium knife makers has settled on.

The shape of the blade is best described as a tapered filet blade. It features a little belly out front, allowing you to make delicate cuts in

by Greg Berlocher confined areas. A long flat edge is great for removing skin. The blade’s length is long enough to handle big fish without being cumbersome.

Whenever I pick up a new fillet knife, I mash it down on a flat surface to test the

springiness of the blade. A good fillet knife should flex easily to follow the contours of a fish’s body and then spring back into shape as soon as pressure is released. The Pro Fillet passed both tests.

All fresh-from-the-factory knives feature keen edges; however I like to ask two questions: How long will it last? And how easy is it to re-sharpen?

Judging how long a knife will hold a keen edge is difficult to ascertain during a limited testing period so I generally abuse the cutlery I am testing as much as possible. This includes cutting against hard surfaces, cutting through wire and other tough things, and giving the knife a long saltwater bath and allowing it to air dry without the benefit of a freshwater rinse.

How easy or difficult it is to re-sharpen your knife directly relates to the steel alloy used in the blade. Many assume, incorrectly, that stainless steel blades are more difficult to sharpen than blades made of carbon steel. It all has to do with the alloy of the steel involved. I found the blade of the Pro Fillet easy to sharpen to its original sharpness.

The Pro Fillet’s sheath is an added bonus.

The sheath has a spring clip on the side, making it easy to attach to a belt. As you slide the knife into the sheath, the knife’s tapered handle wedges into the sheath’s opening. This wedge effect holds the knife securely in place.

I turned the sheath upside down and shook it violent to see if I could dislodge the knife but it never budged.

The clear plastic sheath also features six wide slots (three on each side) which allow water to drain out and air to circulate. This makes washing the knife easy and is a much nicer design than the “industrial white” sheaths I currently use.

I give the Puma Pro Fillet Knife high marks overall. The clear plastic handle provides a firm grip but hard plastic can get slippery when your hands are covered with fish slime. If I could change one thing, I would add some textured areas to the handle to make the handle a bit more “non slip.”

The Pro Fillet is a good value at $29 and I would recommend it to any angler with a pile of fish to clean. Look for it at Cabelas and independent outdoor retailers.

Email Greg Berlocher at fishthis@fishgame.com

BOWHUNTING TECH Continued from Page I-41 Neighborhoods are eerily void of the sound of running children playing hide and seek.

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er seem to be limited to organizations like the Little League. What happened to kids just enjoying being outside?

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Bow hunting is simply a good thing for our youth.

E-mail Lou Marullo at lmarullo@fishgame.com.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF PUMA KNIFE COMPANY USA

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Texas Guns & Gear

by Steve LaMascus | TF&G Shooting Editor

.270 Winchester vs. .280 Remington HAVE GOTTEN SEVERAL EMAILS ON THIS subject lately, so I thought I should just go ahead and jump. Here is my take on the subject of which is better, the .270 Winchester or the .280 Remington.

These two siblings have had an ongoing rivalry since Remington introduced the .280 in 1957. They are true siblings…brothers…as both are based on the parent .30-06, with very little alteration other than neck/bullet diameter, although the .280 is minutely longer from base to shoulder so it cannot be fired in a .270 chamber.

The .270 is older, introduced by Winchester in the Model 54, in 1925.

From the outset, the .270 was loaded with a 130-grain bullet at 3140 fps. It was soon discovered the little .270 was death from above on deer-sized animals, and that hitting those animals at long range was easier with the .270 because of its extremely flat trajectory. It was not, however, an immediate success. The guys looked at the .270 with its 130-grain bullet, compared it to the .30-06 with its 150-grain bullet, and decided the .30-06 was superior. End of argument, for a time.

The price of the Model 54, and later the Model 70, was pretty steep when compared with the price of military surplus 1903 Springfields, and the famous NRA Springfield Sporter, which, if memory serves, sold for $40. Thus the .270 languished for several years. Eventually, however, the nuttier gun nuts, among them, of course, a young, spectacle-wearing journalism professor from Arizona named Jack O’Connor, found the .270 killed every bit as well as the .30-06, kicked a bit less, shot a bit flatter, and the

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.270 began to sell.

O’Connor eventually became a famous gun writer and champion of the .270. He used it to take almost every game animal in North America and on several safaris and shikaris in Africa and Asia. He found that if a hunter put that little .270 bullet through an animal’s lungs, it didn’t make much difference how big the creature was. He used the .270 to take many moose, elk, caribou, kudu, and other animals of that class, and never found it wanting. However, on big dangerous game he used more powerful cartridges, such as the .375 H&H and .416 Rigby.

In 1957, Remington introduced the .280 as a competitor to the .270. However, Remington seems to have a built-in need to tout their pump and semi-auto guns, so they introduced the .280 in the Model 740.

Because of this, the pressures had to be kept low so the cartridge would function properly. Because of the reduced pressures of the Remington factory loads, the .280 was only slightly superior to the ancient 7mm Mauser and considerably slower than the .270 Winchester, with which it was supposed to compete.

The .280 sold poorly for many years.

The gun nuts, however, discovered that in a good, strong bolt action, they could handload the .280 for much improved performance. For some reason, it took Remington many years to discover this. In 1979, in an effort to jumpstart the old cartridge, they renamed the .280 the 7mm Express Remington, boosted the velocity slightly, and introduced it with much fanfare in the Model 700. The moniker 7mm Express, however, confused the heck out of everyone, A L M A N A C / T E X A S

and those with little firearms knowledge began to shoot 7mm Express Remington cartridges in 7mm Remington Magnum Rifles with the expected catastrophic results.

After a brief time Remington changed the 7mm Express back to .280 Remington, much to the relief of everyone involved.

Even after Remington upped the velocity of the .280, it still was not loaded to the true capabilities of the cartridge. The fact is that those who wanted .270 ballistics bought .270s, and those who wanted a high velocity 7mm bought the 7mm Remington Magnum. Thus the .280 was still sucking hind…well, you get my drift.

Here is the truth.

The .270 is a great cartridge. It shoots a .277” diameter bullet at above 3000 feet per second. The velocity has been lowered a bit over the years, to about 3060 fps with the 130-grain bullet, likely because of the aging firearms the .270 is chambered for; but the .270 Winchester still shines brightly, even in a world populated by short, supershort, ultra-, and other magnums with cases the size of Apollo rockets.

If you are after deer-sized game, there is none better than the old .270 Winchester.

Handloaders can usually push the 130grain bullets to above 3100 feet per second, and in some guns with longer barrels 3200 is possible. My pet Hill Country Rifles .270 built on a Remington 700 action with a 24-inch Lilja barrel gets 3217 fps average. That is the highest velocity I have ever gotten from any .270.

The .280 (.284” diameter) is almost as good as you have probably heard that it is.

It is not, however, a magnum. It does not and cannot match the larger capacity 7mm Remington Magnum. It is a great cartridge; will push a 140-grain bullet to just over 3000 fps, a 150- to 2900, and a 175 to 2700. In some guns, with careful handloading, it might do slightly better than that, but much more is taking it beyond safety limits.

With bullets of equal sectional density,

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Texas Boating

by Lenny Rudow | TF&G Boating Editor

Innovative Boating OR SEVERAL YEARS NOW I HAVE JUDGES THE National Marine Manufacturer’s Innovation Awards at the Miami Boat Show. It is a cool gig, because I get to see what is new and what is on the horizon for boaters, long before the general public or even most of the press. This year, despite the squelched economy and low numbers of new products hitting the market, was no different. There is still a ton of good old American ingenuity out there, and just enough cash flow that the really innovative ideas are still making it to market. Here’s a sampling of what I saw, and what you will be hearing about down the road.

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Inboard and Outboard Powerboats: The winner in this category, Aspen’s L80 Launch, is a unique boat design which we will see copied time and time again, especially when fuel prices go back through the roof. It is a 26-foot powercat, with a single 110-hp diesel living in the starboard hull. Yup, just one side of the boat has power. The port hull is about 35-percent thinner than the starboard hull, and the hulls are asymmetric. This reduces overall drag by about 50-percent, while countering the torque created by having an off-center powerplant.

Net Result: the boat tracks straight, and runs a heck of a lot more efficiently than either a monohull or a modern powercat. In fact, with that meager 110-hp Yanmar in the engine room, this boat still cruises at 22 to 24 mph. That may not be zippy, but get this: it gets over five miles to the gallon, while doing so. Yes, you read that right— five MPG. Compare that to an average 26foot monohull being driven by a pair of 150hp four strokes, which gets about two or two point five MPG. Or a 26-foot powercat with a pair of 150s, which usually gets around three MPG. Any way you cut it, the single-engine cat blows them away, doubling or nearly doubling their efficiency.

The Down-Side?

The Aspen’s top-end is just 28-mph. By today’s standards that is downright slow.

But in the current economy and with fuel prices as volatile as they have been, it might just be time for us to make a bit of a sacrifice in this regard. After all, just 10 or 15 years ago, a 22-mph cruise was considered normal. If we can get back to that mindset we can save one heck of a lot of fuel and the cash to go with it.

Honorable Mention: The Aspen took the prize, but Boston Whaler’s new 280 CC was so cool we gave it an honorable mention. The boat itself has all the things you would expect from a Whaler, but the Ttop is a new design that is sure to be copied

throughout the industry. It is integrated into the console, blind-fastened from the inside.

That means it look slick, as though it were a part of the boat itself, but it also increases rigidity. Then, by using large glass panels for the windshield and sides, instead of the common Plexi or acrylic, and integrating them into the supports as well, rigidity and structural support gets an even bigger boost.

The net result? Whaler was able to eliminate that necessary but annoying crossmember that runs at a vertical angle between the main supports above the console, which always seems to be right at eye level and detracts from visibility at the helm.

Runabouts and Fishing Boats Under 24: In this category we had a winner that you are sure to see zipping across the bay some time soon, Mako’s new 18 Light Tackle Skiff. This nifty little rig incorporates a pocket at the transom with a plate running just above the engine’s anti-ventilation plate, to direct water to the prop (so it gets a solid bite) while aerating the transom.

This allows the boat to break out of the hole without digging in at the stern, and bow rise is nearly eliminated.

That means you do not need nearly as much depth to jump onto plane, and when you do so, the boat remains level. Static draft is under a foot, and you will need less than two feet to go from a dead stop to cruising speeds, without using tabs or cutting the wheel over. Added design bonus: the pocket is designed in as a part of the transom’s structure, and forms a sort of an I-beam between the transom and the motor well.

TEXAS GUNS & GEAR Continued from Page I-43 the .280 will not beat the .270 in velocity.

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game the size of elk and moose. For deer flip a coin. They won’t know the difference.

When we do away with personal preference, myth, pure moonshine, and old wives tales, the .270 and .280 are pretty much fraternal twins. What one will do, &

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the other will do. You can argue till the cows come home, but those are the facts.

Now let the hate mail begin.

E-mail Steve LaMascus at guns@fishgame.com.

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You get more strength, less draft, less weight, and easier planning which is smart.

The design was enough to impress the judges and get the award, but folks on the water will want to know one more thing about this Mako: pricing is a shocker. The bottom-line boat can be acquired for under $17,000, including a powerplant and trailer. This is with a two-stroke, 50-hp Merc, which is certainly less juice then most of us will settle for. But spend about $2,000 more to upgrade to a 90-hp powerplant, and you are still getting the complete package for under $20,000.

Consumer Electronics: Navico’s new Broadband radar, which you read about in last month’s Texas Tested section, was a slam-dunk winner for this prize. Just in case you missed it: this is a radar that works without a magnetron, emits a tiny fraction of the energy of a regular radar, and has no bang suppression, eliminating the dead-zone around regular radars. That means you can see boats, docks, bridges, or whatever on the radar screen, even if they are just a few feet away from the boat.

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Another cool product that you should know about, even if it did not take the cake, was Raymarine’s new C-series. These displays offer screens with a wide attitude for panoramic viewing. That means you can split the screen between fish finder and chart plotter or radar without cramping the view.

Plus, these screens are a grade above the norm; instead of plastic, they are real glass.

The LCD screen is fused to the inside of the glass, so moisture cannot ever form inside and cause condensation on the inside of the screen.

Consumer-installed Non-electric Hardware: The winner in this category, Vetus, has come up with a completely unique product unlike any we have seen before. It is called the Easy Tank, and it will allow you to retrofit your old boat with a new tank, or install one where there was dead space before, without the hassle of cutting through the deck, removing the console, or any of the other fun antics that usually go along with fitting a large object under the deck. How? When the Easy Tank is purchased, it is flexible and deflated, just like a

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bladder tank. You can insert it into small openings, slide it between decks and bulkheads, or wiggle it into compartments that are unused. Then, a fitting on the top of the tank allows you to inflate the Easy Tank. It expands to fit into whatever shape or size the compartment may be, or to fit inside of an old tank in need of replacement. Next, you remove the valve and in its place install a special light bulb. The bulb causes a lighttriggered fiberglass resin in the inflated tank to harden, and 24 hours later, the flexible bladder-like tank has transformed into a solid fiberglass tank.

So there you have it, the coolest of the cool, the newest of the new, and the most innovative of the boats and marine products to hit the market for the 2009 season. Just imagine what’s in store for 2010.

E-mail Lenny Rudow at boating@fishgame.com.

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Saltwater Baits and Rigs

by Patrick Lemire | TF&G Saltwater Lures Editor

Stiff Hook Surprised Kingfish IRST BITE HOOKUPS, MANY TIMES, ARE NOT the case, especially when kingfish are the target. The “stiff hook surprise” is one way that radically reduces those misses when only the back portion of your baitfish is eaten. The difference in this one is that it’s stinger hook is stiff rigged, giving an instant hookset because it is solidly aligned with the direction of pull as the line comes tight.

This is not a light wire, multiple small treble hooks, light drag pressure rig. The camo effect lets heavier/stronger wire and stronger hooks be used along with higher drag settings. All of this allows you to put more pressure on your smoker kingfish, upping your chance of getting it in the boat.

Hooks I use for this rigging are Mustad 10829BLN in sizes 8/0-10/0. I start each with a 130# Spro Power Swivel size 4, 36 inches of Malin 80# size 7 wire.

Assuming your baitfish is roughly seven inches long, you will end up with about 16 inches of wire ahead of it when completed.

Start the leader building process by bending the wire about three inches from the other end, and haywire twist the swivel to that end. Now on the other end, bend the wire 180 degrees, about seven inches from one end to where the “U” bend is about 1/8inch across. Place this bend over the hook

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shank from the “bend side” of the hook, and make three spiral twists together of the two strands, as in making a haywire twist. Now pass the short end of the wire through the hook’s eye, being careful of the hook point and wire end at all times. Then pull on the long wire to seat the first wraps against the hook eye.

Next do a standard haywire twist, except that when the barrel wraps are completed, you now make two to three long wraps around the wire and finish with 3 barrel wraps. Finally, cut the barrel wrapped wire to about one-inch bend to about 45 degrees from the main wire and also to where it is

parallel to the bend portion of the hook.

The completed leader is now ready for camo painting, a near must-have item to fool a wary, adult kings. How many times has your bait presentation been given a turndown by a true smoker because it saw something unnatural such as a sunlight flash off your bare leader? Who knows?

The paints I use, which have been mentioned in the past, are all by Rust-O-Leum.

They are 7727 Royal Blue; 7435 John Deere Green and Matte Clear 7902830.

Hang as you can, lightly spray the color coat; after drying, spray the clear matte.

These colors virtually disappear in blue or green water to about ten feet when viewed &

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from the side or back, a kingfish’s likely view when approaching your bait. The color hides the leader and hook, the clear matte dulls the reflection off the color coat’s slick surface.

You can rig your baitfish to be upright or on its side, giving a distressed look from rod tip twitches, signaling an easy meal. The illustration shows that “on its side” look; to get there, place the hook and leader through the baitfish’s mouth and out the gill plate, insert the hook in the rear portion of the body and then push the 45-degree bent wire end through the body so that the baitfish lays straight.

Flip it out or let it drift back in the current, and hang on for the strike. If necessary for additional depth, you can Carolina-rig this presentation by placing the needed egg weight on the main line above the swivel. Speaking of the main line, spectra will give immediate, solid hooksets that mono cannot match.

Pursuing kingfish most of the time, is done with the practice of “let ‘em run,” and then set the hook. While this works with practice, you hook about as many by fishing them with the reel in gear. Kingfish are slash-biters, nothing timid about them and this stiff hook rig that is really a stinger hook hangs most of them at first bite.

This stiff hook rig will definitely increase your hookups when dealing with short-strikers. Those rod tip twitches every eight to 10 seconds or so and the camo blue or green all combine to generate the strike. The stiff hook surprise works on kingfish as well as wahoo. When either of these predators are around, this rig will positively give them a “Stiff Hook Surprise.”

E-mail Patrick Lemire at saltrigs@fishgame.com.

ILLUSTRATION BY PATRICK LEMIRE

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Freshwater Baits and Rigs

by Paul Bradshaw | TF&G Freshwater Lures Editor

Worm 101: Back to the Basics F YOU READ THIS COLUMN OFTEN YOU’LL notice that I sometimes write about some oddball fishing techniques that many anglers have not heard of. While all of them catch fish, most of them are specialized methods that are used in specific applications when times are tough and fish are finicky. I do this because most of you reading this magazine are experienced anglers that have been fishing for years, but I tend to forget that there are those that are just now starting to chase bass and those guys and gals need to know the basics of rigging a bait.

So this month, it’s back to the basics of worm fishing. If you learn how to tie on these rigs you’ll be able to successfully fish any lake in the state.

Texas rigging is the most often used rigging method for soft plastic baits because it is not only simple to tie on but it is also fairly easy to learn how to use. It is also virtually snag proof so it can be used in brush, stumps, grass, around docks and any other place a bass likes to hang out in.

Texas rigging starts by sliding a bullet weight onto your main line. Use the smallest weight you can get away with.

If I am fishing shallow water I will rarely use a weight heavier than a quarter ounce. The majority of the time I will use a 1/16 ounce weight so

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ILLUSTRATION BY PAUL BRADSHAW

that the bait will fall somewhat naturally. If fishing deep water, I will occasionally up to a half ounce weight.

After the weight is on the line simply tie on a worm hook, I prefer a 3/0 for most soft plastics. To complete the rig, run the point of the hook into the nose of a worm, exiting the bottom about a quarter to half inch from the nose. Run the hook through until the eye is touching the tip of the worm, then turn the hook 90 degrees pushing the tip back into the body of the bait making it weedless.

Where the Texas rig shines is in shallow water with a lot of cover but it sometimes falls short when probing deeper water humps, points, and grass.

This is where the Carolina rig takes over as the basic technique for presenting a soft plastic bait to bass. The Carolina rig again starts with a bullet weight slid onto the main line but this time we’re using a much larger one. Start at a half ounce and go up from there.

After putting the bullet weight on the line tie on a barrel swivel. On the other end of the barrel swivel tie on a monofilament leader. Some anglers prefer a long leader up to six feet long while others prefer a shorter one around one or two feet. I typically fall in the middle of the road and use one about three feet long.

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Keep in mind that a longer leader is more difficult to cast than a shorter one.

At the end of the leader tie on a 3/0 worm hook. Rig the plastic bait (I prefer creature baits but anything will work) on the hook just like the Texas rig. The last method I will cover is a finesse fishing technique that has become highly popular over the past few years as more and more anglers are targeting deep fish on ledges. Drop-shotting is typically a vertical presentation used to take tight-lipped fish suspending along creek channels. The drop shot starts a little differently than the other two in that you tie the hook on first, but not at the end of the line.

About three feet from the end of the main line tie on a 1/0 hook using a palomar knot.

This knot will leave a long tag end hanging off that is normally trimmed but in this case we’ll leave it hanging.

Tie a bell sinker or one of the specifically designed dropshot weights on the end of this tag line to make it hang below the hook. Run the tip of the hook through the bottom of the nose of a worm and out the top leaving it exposed.

This rig is typically used in open water so there is little chance of getting hung up. It is fun to try new stuff when out on the water and I am often accused of experimenting too much by my angling buddies. Realistically, if an angler masters these three techniques they can fish any body of water in the state without worrying about getting skunked.

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E-mail Paul Bradshaw at freshrigs@fishgame.com.

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Texas Kayaking

by Greg Berlocher | TF&G Kayaking Editor

Mudders HOROUGHBRED RACING IS KNOWN AS THE sport of kings. Nobility from every corner of the globe thinks their horse is the fastest, and high profile horse races, such as the Kentucky Derby, bring out all manner of wealth from kings to industry titans.

But these high brow horses have a major fault: very few like to race when the track is muddy. The reason: the lead horse kicks up mud in the face of the others following closely behind. Seasoned handicappers know they should bet on a different kind of horse when weather conditions turn foul: a mudder.

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Mudders are horses that love to run in the mud. A little slop hitting them in the face doesn’t bother them one bit. When the other “tea and crumpet” horses shy away from getting a little dirty, mudders give it their all.

Messy race tracks and productive coastal flats have something in common: mud. Old salts will confirm that some of the best spots lie on top of a foot, or more, of hostile, goopie mud the consistency of chocolate pudding. Wading through deep mud gives you a good perspective of what the dinosaurs trapped in the tar pits must have felt like.

The gelatinous mess is a bane to all wade fishermen, regardless of tackle preference.

Truth be known, I was a mudder in my early days. Shin-deep, even knee-deep mud could not deter me when I could see tailing

redfish 50 yards away. Sure, my muscles would complain the next day of the heavy duty workout but in the grand scheme of things it was worth it; however times have changed. Thigh and calf muscles still whine the next day, but knee and hip joints groan as well. My kayak has eliminated the associated soreness of fishing in the mud.

Fishing muddy areas varies a bit with the seasons. Water temperature is critical to angling success in the spring. Bass and bay fishermen know they will find fish lurking in the warmest water. A two-degree difference is huge to cold blooded creatures. In coastal environments, bays with black mud bottoms are the ticket. As we learned in 9th grade science class, dark colors absorb more of the sunlight’s energy, therefore dark bay bottoms hold more heat. Successful spring fishermen target mud bottoms; the darker the better.

With the arrival of summer, trout and redfish take up stations in every part of the bay,

“

Fishing muddy areas varies with the seasons.

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no longer pinned to the mud heating pad that comforted them through the winter. But many of their favorite haunts still involve mud. I have sloshed through countless grass beds that appeared to offer favorable footing at first, only to turn into a quagmire a few feet later. Likewise, spoil islands, sloughs, marsh creeks, and certain oyster beds are inhospitable to wading anglers.

Fish are oblivious to the poor footing underneath them, focusing instead on finding food and safety. Kayaks are the quintessential mudder craft as they can push far back into shallow areas with a modest amount of physical exertion. They float in mere inches I48

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of water and are stealthy, a definite plus when fishing in a foot of water.

It is common to see redfish rooting around in the shallows throughout summer into fall, especially during the first few hours of daylight. But redfish are not the only ones who tolerate bathtub water temperatures. A redfish outing during the late summer would not be complete without seeing stingrays loitering in the shallows. On one trip last fall, I encountered over 20 rays in two hours of

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wading. Most were finning along in search of their next meal and would be out of sight in a minute, but toward the end of my wade the rays started hovering near my feet. With every step I would kick up mud, and possibly a small grass shrimp the rays could eat.

A well placed jab of my rod tip would cause a worrisome ray to scurry off but I wasted a lot of time focusing on the area around my feet instead of fishing. The next morning I fished the same area from my yak, free from

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worrying about Mr. Stingray.

Like the handicapper who bets on a different type of horse when it rains, saltwater anglers should consider a different type of boat when you need to traverse mud-bottomed flats. Like the humble race horse that wins when the track is sloppy, kayaks are the mudders of the boat world.

Email Greg Berlocher at kayak@fishgame.com.

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Saltwater Tales

Gafftops, Flounder and Sheepshead: STARs of the Texas Coast F YOU HAVE A CHILD BETWEEN THE AGES OF SIX and seventeen you should think of gafftop, flounder, and sheepshead as the “other big three” this summer. CCA Texas kicks off their annual State of Texas Angler’s Rodeo (STAR) Memorial Day weekend and the tournament provides scholarships to young anglers that catch the heaviest flounder, gafftop, and sheepshead.

There are two youth angler categories: Star Kids includes children between six and ten years of age; Star Teens includes fishermen between the ages of eleven and seventeen. Star Kids winners receive $50,000

by Greg Berlocher ment. The cost for children is $10.

Here are a few tips to help your young charge land a college education.

Gafftop Gafftop prefer deep water and the best ambush spots are channels and deeper parts

PHOTO COURTESY OF NOAA

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scholarships and Star Teen winners receive $20,000 scholarships. To be eligible, young anglers must join CCA as New Tide members and must also register for the tourna-

Gafftopsail catfish may be slimy and ugly but young anglers should learn to identify them. Catching one could possibly earn them an impressive scholarship courtesy of CCA. I50

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of bay systems. Avoid the shallows and focus on deep water conduits to the gulf, such as jetty systems and ship channels. Drop-offs, where the water dramatically changes depth, are a great place to start. Anchor on the shallow side so you can cast a little past the depth change.

Gas wells, like the ones in Trinity, Aransas, and Corpus Christi Bays, are good places to prospect for gafftop during the late summer. Before a well is built, the construction company lays down a foundation of oyster shell on the bottom. The shell pad is several feet thick and attracts a variety of marine life.

Gafftop give off slicks just like speckled trout. A keen eye and a sharp nose are valuable allies. If you are fishing the edge of a channel and slicks start popping up a short distance away, don’t hesitate to relocate.

The secret to catching gafftop is to keep your bait anchored on the bottom where rummaging fish will find it. A simple bottom rig made up of a three-way swivel, a #4 – 6 treble hook, ½ to oneounce lead sinker, and 20-pound test leader will handle any gafftop that swims your way.

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Saltwater Tales Shrimp and squid are the two most popular baits for gafftop, but the fish will eat almost anything, including croaker. Live shrimp isn’t necessary but “fresh dead” is more productive than shrimp that has “aged”.

Cast out your line, put the rod in its holder and then spend some quality time with your child while you wait for the rod tip to lurch towards the water. Loosening the drag minimizes the chance that a stoked up child will horse in and lose a big fish.

Sheepshead Sheepshead prefer hard structure and can be found lurking near piers, jetties, and bridge pilings. Their broad profile will put a big bend in any rod and a broad smile on a young angler’s face.

Besides their well documented incisor teeth, sheepshead have a set of “grinding teeth” inside their throats which helps them

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crush hard shelled crabs. These plates tend to act like armor, fending off the points of sharp hooks. Don’t get discouraged if you miss a lot of strikes.

Standard bottom rigs can be used for sheepshead but it is best to size down the hook one or two sizes. Another rigging option is to thread an egg sinker onto the line just before your hook to the main line.

No leader is necessary, only an egg sinker and hook. The egg sinker will squat right on top of your hook. The weight keeps the line extremely tight helping you detect subtle strikes.

Imagine you are fishing for crappie and drop your bait straight down next to a bridge piling. Start at the bottom and crank your bait up occasionally until you get a bite.

Sheepshead have a well earned reputation as bait stealers and keeping the tip of your index finger on the taught line will help you feel more strikes.

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If your fishing buddy keeps getting hung up, abandon the bottom rig and switch to a light cork. Fish your suspended baits in the same way, right up next to a piling.

The bridge over San Louis Pass, and the Queen Isabella and JFK Causeways are sheepshead magnets. A trolling motor and fully charged battery make it easier to slip from piling to piling.

Pieces of live shrimp, especially the head which resembles a small crab, are easy for the fish to get into their mouths.

Flounder You don’t have to be smarter than a fifth grader for your child to win a college scholarship, just a southern flounder.

Flounder and realtors are both fans of

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location. Flounder prefer the margins of shallows flats, the edges of bayous, guts, and drains, as well as the back side of sand bars where they can ambush baitfish. Moving water is important as it sweeps the groceries by the sedentary fish.

Just about everything in the bay eats live shrimp and a “kicking brownie” will certainly catch flounder, but pin perch can steal you blind while waiting on Mr Flattie.

Nose-hooked finger mullet and mud minnows are much more durable and long-lived on the hook.

A standard flounder rig utilizes a small egg or worm weight threaded onto your main line, followed by a small swivel. Tag the swivel with an 18-inch length of leader and knot on your favorite hook. Cast the

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baited rig out and slow drag it back a foot or two at a time across the bottom, pausing 30 seconds or so between pulls. If a flounder strikes, count to ten before setting the hook.

Another option is to suspend your bait below a cork and allow it to drift along the edges of a gut on a falling tide. Adjust the depth of your cork as needed to keep the bait slightly off the bottom.

Flounder have a propensity for getting off the hook at the last minute. A loose drag minimizes the chance of a “scholarship fish” throwing the hook before you net it.

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News from the Coast

New Red Snapper Study Offers Signs of Hope NEW STUDY BY DR. BOB SHIPP, HEAD OF marine sciences at the University of South Alabama, and Dr. Steve Bortone, the new executive director of the Gulf Council, suggests that red snapper stocks in the Gulf of Mexico are far from decimated.

In fact, their research indicates that snapper are thriving due to the creation of the largest artificial reef system in the world and they claim that evidence to the contrary may be the result of outdated scientific models.

Much of the Gulf of Mexico was once a featureless plain, but more than 5,000 oil rigs off Texas and Louisiana and 20,000 artificial reefs off Alabama have been added over the past 50 years. For a species such as

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red snapper, which tends to concentrate around hard formations, the new structures opened up thousands of square miles of new habitat and dispersed the population into areas outside its historical center.

The research by Shipp and Bortone indicates that the models being used by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) that show red snapper are severely overfished are not adequately accounting for the new structure.

“We’ve heard anecdotal evidence of a thriving Gulf red snapper population from our members in the fishing community for quite some time now,” said Patrick D. Murray, vice president of Coastal Conservation Association (CCA).

“This new report offers an interesting explanation for it. The research by Dr. Shipp and Dr. Bortone is an indication that the anecdotal evidence should be examined more seriously.”

The new study, published in Reviews in Fisheries Science, comes at a time when recreational anglers are limited to two fish per day during the shortest red snapper season ever in 2009, and offers hope that red snapper may be in far better shape than anyone thought.

“This research should be thoroughly examined by NMFS and other scientists,” said Dr. Russell Nelson, CCA Gulf Fisheries consultant.

“Recreational anglers have proven that they are willing to follow the best science for the resource, but it is incumbent on federal managers to ensure that we do indeed have the best science available.”

—Ted Venker

Research Vessel Studies Flower Gardens A STATE-OF-THE-ART RESEARCH VESSEL HAS been christened and will enhance the study and protection of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico. The 83-foot R/V Manta will operate out of Galveston where the sanctuary is headquartered.

“This technologically advanced research vessel is a vital addition to our fleet,” said Daniel J. Basta, director of NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.

“The Manta will open new windows

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onto the marine life and habitats of the Flower Garden Banks sanctuary while helping us protect this special place for future generations.”

Built in Bellingham, Wash., by All American Marine, the twin-hulled Manta features a laboratory equipped with the latest scientific instruments, air compressors to allow divers to refill scuba tanks at sea, and a recompression chamber to enhance diver safety. The vessel can hold up to 25 people, deploy robot subs and other ocean exploration tools, and cruise at speeds up to 35 knots.

In addition to being a platform for exploring the sanctuary and surrounding waters, the Manta will also serve as a patrol vessel to enforce sanctuary regulations and a floating classroom. Teachers will be regular visitors aboard the Manta to watch and learn as scientists conduct research.

“With the Manta, we will be able to study the sanctuary more intensively, protect it more effectively, and share its wonders with more people than ever before,” said G.P. Schmahl, the sanctuary’s superintendent.

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“The vessel’s capabilities are as diverse as the sanctuary itself.”

Located 115 miles off the Texas/Louisiana coast, Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is one of 14 marine protected areas managed by NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. The sanctuary includes the two northernmost coral reefs in the continental United States, sponge communities, and other habitats.

—Staff Reports

Don’t Feed Wild Dolphins “JUST STOP FEEDING ME!” SAYS AN ANIMATED dolphin in a new public service announcement released recently that highlights the dangers of dolphins getting hooked on human handouts. The public service

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News from the Coast their natural role as hunters and altering their diets. Feeding wild dolphins is a threat to humans, too. Dolphins sometimes become aggressive when seeking food and are known to bite when teased.

“Feeding wild dolphins triggers a domino effect of harmful behaviors as dolphins learn

to associate people with food and free handouts,” said Stacey Horstman, bottlenose dolphin conservation coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Fisheries Service.

“We are at a point where we honestly need to change our behavior so we don’t change theirs, and we hope this PSA provides a compelling plea for the public’s help.”

The health and welfare of wild dolphins is severely compromised when humans feed them. Human-fed dolphins change their normal wild behavior and run a greater risk of being injured by boats, becoming entangled in fishing gear, or ingesting dangerous items such as fishing hooks and contaminated food. Some dolphins have become so accustomed to receiving routine handouts; they are now taking fishing bait and catches from recreational and commercial fishermen.

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The health

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announcement (PSA) was produced by a coalition of government agencies and private organizations.

The PSA reminds viewers that feeding wild dolphins is not only illegal, it is harmful to dolphins, even causing some to rely on begging for food from humans, upsetting

when humans feed them.

In one recent instance off the Florida panhandle, a bottlenose dolphin distracted by taking fish from a recreational fisherman was attacked by a large shark.

Many scientists have observed illegal dolphin feeding throughout the southeast, especially since NOAA’s Fisheries Service prohibited feeding of wild marine mammals in 1993 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).

Wild dolphin experts were also alerted to

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this problem through routine complaints from concerned citizens viewing the illegal behavior, and most recently through new videos posted to YouTube showing people feeding wild dolphins off Florida and South Carolina.

“Scientists have known for years that dolphin feeding was a problem in certain hotspot areas in the southeast,” said Laura Engleby, NOAA’s Fisheries Service southeast marine mammal branch chief.

“But the citizen complaints and self-

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implicating Internet media has shocked our experts and further validates that feeding is an increasing and more wide-spread problem than we thought.”

Feeding and harassing wild marine mammals is illegal under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and can result in severe penalties with fines up to $20,000 and one year in jail for the most serious violations.

—Staff Reports

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Wilderness Trails

by Herman Brune | TF&G Contributing Editor

HORSE FLY BUZZED AGAINST THE INSIDE OF the windshield. It blurred in circles and then bounced across the glass to three other horse flies near the passenger wall. The bugs scattered in individual whirling flurries, and then suddenly stopped.

My arms were slick and my small body

was sticky with sweat. The heat inside the pickup was not offset by the occasional wisp of breeze coming in the window.

Towels hung from the visors to block the sun and the shaded portion of the seat was the only section habitable.

My coloring books lie abandoned. It was distasteful for me to drip sweat on their pages. Mama’s straw purse momentarily held my concentration. The intricate hand-made flowers on the lid offered busy little fingers items to trace and admire.

The drink within the purse had long become hot and my cookies turned mushy.

The ‘53 GMC was backed against the cow pens and Mama and Daddy were busy separating the cows and calves. Once

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the calves were alone in a smaller pen, Daddy roped and snubbed them to a post.

Then he’d get a loop on the hind legs and stretch them out. Mama handed Daddy his knife and he’d mark the ears and castrate the bull calves. Then she’d hand him a metal syringe and he vaccinated for black leg, or for whatever malady cattlemen feared at the time. After the calf-work was done, Daddy began the process of starting the motor for the spray pump. This meant fitting the knot-end of a rope in a crank wheel, wrapping the rope around the wheel and yanking. That was followed by a burst of cussing, readjustment of the choke, and re-wrapping and yanking again on the wheel. Most days the motor would start but certainly not before its damnation was confirmed in triplicate. Then Daddy sprayed the cows for ticks. He’d shoot the cow dip on their backs and shoulders, under their tails, and along their underline. The cows got a general soaking while the calves were washed with a lighter dose.

“They’ll get doctored when they rub against the cows to nurse,” Dad said.

It was during the spraying that Mama fetched me and let me watch from the bed of the pickup. The motor blared through a burned out muffler while leaking and spewing milky cow dip. The white-faced Herefords bellowed and milled trying to avoid the direct attention of the sprayer.

The scene fascinated me. This was my school. This was my church. The center of my being focused on every aspect of the happenings. I watched, laughing and imitating the bawling ruckus. Whenever the spray turned my direction I ducked below the tailgate and waited. Then just as quick I poked up my head to take account of the proceedings. Mama’s terrier, Trixie, was under the truck. Missie, Daddy’s golden collie, scratched out a spot to lie and pant under a shade tree. And Daddy’s horse, Pony Boy, was tied to the fence by its reins. Mama attended to me but stayed available to the chore at hand.

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When the spraying was done, Dad killed the motor by grounding out the spark plug. Then he hefted a sack of range cubes onto his shoulder and nodded at Mama to crack the gate so the cows could dribble out of the pen while he walked ahead of them scattering cubes and calling softly.

Then he returned, untied Pony Boy, and stepped up into the saddle. We had another truck with the stock trailer parked at the water well. The situation mandated that he must meet us there. For an inexplicable reason, he rode skirting around the pens and along the edge of the dense yaupon thicket. Mama was reaching for me, but I studied Dad. He was searching the ground. Then suddenly, Pony Boy shied and reared and Daddy dove headlong to the sand. He didn’t fall, it was a purposeful move, and in one motion he arose clutching something in his arms.

“Marjorie, bring the boy here! I’ve got something to show him!”

It was a speckled fawn, and at Mama’s caress it bleated. We inspected the young deer but my inner voice would allow no

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more than a light touch. Then I jerked my hand back and stared.

“I’m going to put it back in the brush so the doe can claim it. Marjorie, call the dogs and meet me at the other truck.”

From my parents’ perspective, and in their defense, they didn’t know what to expect when they adopted me. Their desire was to have a family.

Daddy was no hunting aficionado but he loved fresh air and scenery. He was a rural German Texan raised during the Great Depression; a pragmatic akin to the tobacco chewing Tuff-Nut lifestyle but more comfortable as an accountant. It was his decisions that afforded our visits to the National Parks in the western U.S., as well as, season tickets to the Houston Music Theater. He drove me to reach potentials that I would not have otherwise sought, and he showed me his love even when I was wrong.

But, Mama is my true savior. She sees when I’m drowning in culture. Early on, she took me fishing and made sure someone taught me how to skin a coon. With ears like a deer and a sixth sense for know-

A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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ing when something is out of place, I’ve never been able to pull the wool over her eyes nor have I so desired. She pities me when I’m uncertain and she is prideful of my accomplishments. She continues to sneak up on me and into my heart everyday. She provides…

The floor creaks beside me and I jerk back into the present. Mama is 82 years old and she’s standing five feet away cradling her break-open .410.

“Dadgummit, why don’t you knock?

You’re going to catch me sitting here naked one of these days!”

“Hey, boy, I need you to oil my shotgun for me. I have to push the end of the barrel against the floor to get it open.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Remember your mama on Mother’s Day!

E-mail Herman W. Brune at wilderness@fishgame.com.

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Outdoor Classified Directory TEXAS SALTWATER

ROCKPORT

GALVESTON

Rick Herr in 8-lb Hyb g rid With Chri Striper s Striper Ex Carey of press Guide Serv ice

UPPER COAST (SABINE LAKE) ADVERTISERS, MAIL IN YOUR PHOTOS TODAY!

Brett Bass try The Koun Hideaway ins Guest Cab

TEXAS FRESHWATER CORPUS CHRISTI

For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.

LOWER LAGUNA MADRE

Mark Kim b Matagord raugh a Hillman G Trout uide Serv ice

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FAYETTE COUNTY

LAKE AMISTAD

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The Steppe Family Redfish Redfish Charters

Charles & Matt Mo rgan Limits of Redheads & Buffleheads Coastal Bend Outdoors

Ken & Cathy Ladd Shannon Sawyer, Redfish Redfish Charters

TEXAS FRESHWATER

TEXAS HUNTING

OUTDOOR SHOPPER

LAKE TEXOMA

VACATION RENTAL BAFFIN BAY

For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.

TEXAS HUNTING

SPOTLIGHT: WADE AID

ADVERTISERS, MAIL IN YOUR PHOTOS TODAY!

In 1995, my brother-in-law, Matthew Gregory, and I, George Calhoun, started developing the Wade Aid belt. The Wade Aid belt went on the market in 1996.

Wade Aid Enterprises prides itself in making the finest wade belt available. Whether you’re fishing for redfish or trout in the bays and surfs of the gulf coast, fighting striper in the Atlantic surfs or fishing for trout and salmon in cool mountain rivers, the Wade Aid belt is for you.

The Wade Aid is the most functional and comfortable wade belt available today. It is constructed of closed cell foam encased in neoprene with nylon webbing and hardware. The closed cell foam provides a unique lumbar support system. The rods and accessory holders are conveniently located for quick and easy access. The Wade Aid is clearly in a class by itself.

Please visit our website www.wadeaid.com or call us at 1-888-WADE AID (1-888-923-3243).

– Wade Aid A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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Texas Tasted

by Bryan Slaven | The Texas Gourmet

Texas Style Cajun Jambalaya HEN YOU ARE AT THE FISHING CAMP, OR just at home and wanting to make something good without breaking the bank, this is a great dish to cook up. Jambalaya is another of the wonderful Cajun dishes that can be prepared for whatever is on hand. Just follow the basic procedures and raid your refrigerator or freezer for ingredients to prepare a filling and economical supper. Serve with a tossed salad, French bread, and wine. Or serve with a cold beer as is traditional in Cajun country. ¼ cup of olive oil

W

1 pound of raw peeled shrimp 1 tablespoon of Texas Gourmet side winder searing spice 3 tablespoon of butter 1/3 cup bacon drippings 2 mediums onions, chopped 2 medium red or green bell peppers, chopped 3 celery stalks, chopped 4 large garlic cloves, minced ½ pound of crisp cooked bacon, cut into bite size pieces 1 pound of andouille or kielbasa sausage, cut into bite size rounds

2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice 2 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped 3 cups Brown Veal and Pork Stock or canned beef broth ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon red (cayenne) pepper, or to taste Salt and pepper to taste 6 green onions, chopped, including green tops ½ cup minced flat leaf parsley Heavy cast iron pot, or heavy iron pot (Dutch oven is perfect) Heat olive oil on a heavy 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, dip the shrimp and season liberally with the seasoning blend. Stir fry just until shrimp are firm and have turned coral-pink, about five minutes. Drain well and set aside. In a heavy eight quart Dutch oven, combine butter and bacon drippings over medium heat.

When fat is hot, add onions, bell pepper, celery, and garlic; cook until vegetables are wilted and transparent, about eight minutes.

Add bacon and sausage; cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage is lightly browned, about five to seven minutes. Add the rice. Cook, stirring often, until rice is lightly browned, about ten minutes. Do not allow rice to stick to bottom of pan. Add tomatoes and stir until blended, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of the pan. Stir in stock or broth and reserved shrimp. Add seasonings; reduce heat. Cover pan and simmer until rice is tender and no liquid remains, about 45 to 55 minutes. Stir in green onions and parsley. Cover and cook for an additional five minutes. Serve hot makes 6-8 servings.

Contact Bryan Slaven, "The Texas Gourmet," at 888-234-7883, www.thetexasgourmet.com; or by email at texas-tasted@fishgame.com.

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Photo Album

PERCH—ROCKPORT, TEXAS

RATTLERS—SAN ISIDRO, TEXAS

BASS—CALAVERAS LAKE, TEXAS

Jayden Ford, 1-1/2 years old, from Beeville, Texas, Roger Alvarado of San Isidro, Texas, shot these caught her first fish, a perch, from the Rockport two 6-foot rattlesnakes while out hunting. Roger Yacht Club Fishing Pier in Rockport, Texas. is the son-in-law of Edna Luna, who submitted the photo.

Tommy Varley of San Antonio, Texas, caught and released his largest bass to date in Calaveras Lake.

The 7-pound bass was caught on a fat free sad crankbait.

KINGFISH—GULF OF MEXICO

QUAIL—KINGSVILLE, TEXAS

Karen O’Neill of Porter, Texas, caught this 35-pound kingfish 32 miles offshore at the Heald Bank.

Cooper Dube, age 4, of Georgetown, Texas, “bird dogged” for his dad and uncles on his first overnight quail-hunting trip to Kingsville, Texas. He was a little too young to shoot, but happy to collect birds and spent shells and help clean 72 quail after a long day of walking.

TEAL—BEAUMONT, TEXAS

REDFISH—LAKE CALCASIEU, LOUISIANA

BASS—CANYON LAKE, TEXAS

The last day of duck season was nothing unusual for TC Landry of Beaumont, Texas, but was made special because his daughter Kalista was in the marsh with him, helping to scout out the teal shown here.

Austin Welborn, age 7, of Houston, Texas, caught his first keeper redfish while fishing with his dad and grandpa at Lake Calcasieu. The 28-inch redfish was the biggest catch of the day.

Amanda Cuevas out-fished her boyfriend by landing this 6.25-pound largemouth bass at Canyon Lake, Texas. The bass was released so that Amanda’s boyfriend would have a chance at it next time.

A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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Photo Album

DORADO AND KING MACKEREL—GULF OF MEXICO

DORADO—GULF OF MEXICO

Russell Freytag and sons, Max and Alan, of Austin, Texas, caught these dorado and king mackerel while fishing with Russell’s brother, Randy Freytag, in the gulf near a rig.

Randy Freytag of Austin, Texas, shows off a dorado that he caught while fishing offshore in the gulf with his brother and nephews.

BASS—KENNEDALE, TEXAS

RAINBOW TROUT—GUADALUPE RIVER, TEXAS

Hayden Guerin, age 4, proudly shows off a 4- Nathan Overby of San Antonio, Texas, caught this pound bass that he caught and reeled in himself stringer of rainbow trout while fishing the while fishing at a neighborhood pond in Guadalupe River with his proud father.

Kennedale, Texas.

TF&G PHOTO ALBUM

SEND YOUR PHOTOS TO: I64

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1745 Greens Road Houston, Texas 77032 OR BY EMAIL: photos@fishgame.com

CATFISH—SAN BERNARD RIVER, TEXAS Billy Hendrickson, age 5, of Brazoria, Texas, caught 6 channel catfish, between 15 and 16 inches, while fishing with his dad on the San Bernard River near Brazoria. All cats were released.

PLEASE INCLUDE NAME, HOMETOWN, WHEN & WHERE CAUGHT, SIZE AND WEIGHT

Note: All non-digital photos submitted become the property of Texas Fish & Game and will not be returned. TF&G makes no guarantee when or if any submitted photo will be published. &

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Blowin’ Down a River HE WHINE OF A SMALL OUTBOARD MOTOR ON the stern of a johnboat on a warm summer morning seemed to bring the gentle waters of the Red River below Lake Texoma’s Denison Dam to life. But the sudden roar of an engine pushing an airboat downstream quickly changed the atmosphere.

The airboat glided at the surface like a marble rolling across a sheet of glass, moving swiftly and directly down the middle of the channel toward a sand bar and then, almost effortlessly sliding across dry sand and back into the water again.

“You don’t normally see an air boat on this part of the river,” Buddy Pickens told a friend as he turned his johnboat into a small cut off the river as the airboat roared by.

“I’ll bet you one thing: those guys know what they are doing,” added Pickens, a local ranch hand who was spending an off day to fish for catfish in the river about 50 miles downstream of Lake Texoma.

Actually, seeing air boats on the Red River is not close to Lake Texoma’s Denison Dam is common, but rarely do many airboat captains venture many miles downstream. One exception is Norman O’Neal,

T

PHOTO BY BOB HOOD

44, a self-proclaimed “river rat” who grew up fishing the gigantic river that stretches all the way from the Texas Panhandle to the Louisiana Atchafalaya basin near New Orleans.

While most anglers who hit the river in airboats are capable of traveling long distances downstream and blowing across shallow sand bars that obstruct normal boat traffic, only a few do. O’Neal said the extra

by Bob Hood efforts to travel great distances in an airboat or to trailer a rig of that kind many miles are well worth it.

Most airboats that blow their way up and down the Red River are similar to the one owned by O’Neal. His airboat is 20 feet long and eight feet wide. It is powered by a 450 h. p. engine that turns a huge prop that provides a top speed of about 60 m.p.h.

Fishing tactics are simple: fish for striped bass close to the dam during the warmweather months when late spring rains and water releases congregate shad and other baitfish there, and fish for blue catfish in the deeper holes in the river during the coldA L M A N A C / T E X A S

Norman O'Neal, pilot, and Dubb Wallace head down the Red River below Lake Texoma in an airboat. weather months.

This is not to say you can’t catch some nice-sized blue cats close to the dam during the warm-weather months because you can, especially if you target the over-hanging trees, rocks and other shaded areas during the mid-day hours when the fish are in a holding mood. During early-morning and late-evening hours, the catfish are more likely to be moving about in the open to feed.

O’Neal said he believes he is the only full-time, all-seasons airboat guide on the Red River downstream of the Texoma dam.

A few other airboat fishing guides operate there but most of them occasionally fish elsewhere during the winter months, such as on the lake or on the Texas coast. During the winter months, O’Neal sometimes will trailer his rig to fish as far as 140 miles downstream of the Texoma dam to catch huge blue catfish weighing up to 90 pounds.

“We caught lots of them from 10 to 35 pounds about 140 miles from the dam,” O’Neal said about the action he found last January and February. “We caught about

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In This Issue HOTSPOTS & TIDES SECTION

N4

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK • Tides, Solunar Table, Best Hunting/Fishing Times |

BY TF&G STAFF

N6

TEXAS HOTSPOTS • Texas’ Hottest Fishing Spots |

BY CALIXTO GONZALES & JD MOORE

HOW-TO SECTION

N1

COVER STORY • Blowin’ Down a River |

BY BOB HOOD

70 blue cats total and the largest weighed 90 pounds. There was no pressure on them and they were stacked in there like cord wood.”

The striped bass fishing close to Lake Texoma’s dam during May, June and July is absolutely unbelievable, O’Neal said. “It’s as fast as you can catch them and they run from 12 to 20 pounds. The flood that we had two years ago put thousands of fish in the river.”

O’Neal said the summer striper action behind the dam traditionally is great even without a major flood.

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N26

BOWHUNTING TECH • Our Youth… Our Future |

BY LOU MARULLO

N27

TEXAS GUNS & GEAR • .270 Winchester vs. .280 Remington |

BY STEVE LAMASCUS

N30

TEXAS BOATING • Innovative Boating |

BY LENNY RUDOW

N32

FRESHWATER BAITS & RIGS • Worm 101: Back to the Basics |

BY PAUL BRADSHAW

N34

WILDERNESS TRAILS • The Potters |

BY HERMAN W. BRUNE

“By May, we usually have had some good rains and I generally like to anchor up for them but when other fishermen are there I will drift fish instead just out of respect for them. I like to fish with balloons and drift gizzard shad. We turn all of the big fish back but if someone wants fish to eat we will keep the five to 10-pounders.”

The advantages of an airboat are enormous. Although their engines are loud, requiring occupants to wear ear muffs or other ear protection, they enable anglers to scoot across skinny waters and even dry land for great distances to reach the deeper holes

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GEARING UP SECTION

N14

TEXAS TESTED • Kick’s; Minda Lures; and Wiley X |

BY TF&G STAFF

N15

SPECIAL SECTION • Father’s Day Gift Guide |

BY CHESTER MOORE

N24

INDUSTRY INSIDER • Busha Boat Works |

BY TOM BEHRENS

N25

SHOOT THIS • Kimber 84M Classic .257 Roberts |

BY STEVE LAMASCUS

N28

FISH THIS • Puma Pro Fillet Knife |

BY GREG BERLOCHER

OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE SECTION

N36

DISCOVER THE OUTDOORS • Classifieds |

BY TF&G STAFF

N38

PHOTO ALBUM • Your Action Photos |

BY TF&G STAFF

that otherwise are not accessible to anglers with outboard motors.

“From Lake Texoma’s dam to about 30 miles downstream, most of the deeper holes range from about 15 to 18 feet and from 12 to 14 feet,” O’Neal said, although he has found some much deeper holes further downstream.

By August, Lake Texoma’s waters are turning over and that presents different striper tactics for anglers like O’Neal.

“When the water begins to stink (from turning over on the lake), the striped bass aren’t as active, but that’s when we catch the biggest fish,” O’Neal said. “The oxygen level is low and the stripers aren’t as aggressive on live bait. They will just slap at live bait and kill it, but they will take a gizzard shad head and pick it up and run with it.”

The key to catching fish anywhere is being able to get to where the they are, and that’s where airboats rise to the occasion.

As Pickens said, “You can’t get a bird’s eye view of the best and often hidden fishing hot spots unless you have the feathers, or a propeller to blow you there on a river like this one.”

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Sportsman’s Daybook Tides and Prime Times

MAY 2009

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

SYMBOL KEY

First Quarter

New Moon

4

PRIME TIME

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

1:17 AM 7:34 AM 1:40 PM 8:15 PM

Sunrise: 6:50a Moonrise: 4:17p AM Minor: 2:29a PM Minor: 2:52p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

11

High Tide: 8:35 AM

Sunrise: 6:44a Moonrise: 11:08p AM Minor: 7:51a PM Minor: 8:17p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

1.23 ft 0.60 ft 1.29 ft 0.45 ft

Set: 8:17p Set: 3:57a AM Major: 8:41a PM Major: 9:03p 10:26p 10:03a

PRIME TIME 1.60 ft

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 5:13 AM 0.67 ft High Tide: 12:34 PM 1.28 ft Low Tide: 7:08 PM 0.74 ft

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2:00 — 3:10 AM

Set: 8:27p Set: 2:44p AM Major: 7:26a PM Major: 7:47p 8:41a 9:02p

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 7:32 AM 1.84 ft Low Tide: 11:37 PM -0.63 ft

Sunrise: 6:36a Moonrise: 7:23a AM Minor: 6:51a PM Minor: 7:23p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

6:30 — 9:05 PM

Set: 8:22p Set: 8:15a AM Major: 1:38a PM Major: 2:04p 3:16a 3:42p

18

Sunrise: 6:40a Moonrise: 2:45a AM Minor: 1:16a PM Minor: 1:37p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

8:30 — 11:20 PMM

6:00 — 8:15 PM

Set: 8:31p Set: 10:22p AM Major: 12:34a PM Major: 1:07p 2:53p 2:20a

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Last Quarter

Full Moon

5

Good Day

PRIME TIME

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

2:47 AM 8:44 AM 1:54 PM 8:47 PM

Sunrise: 6:49a Moonrise: 5:17p AM Minor: 3:09a PM Minor: 3:31p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

1.35 ft 0.82 ft 1.26 ft 0.20 ft

Set: 8:18p Set: 4:27a AM Major: 9:20a PM Major: 9:43p 11:11p 10:48a

12

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 12:26 AM -0.10 ft High Tide: 9:29 AM 1.54 ft

Sunrise: 6:44a Moonrise: 11:55p AM Minor: 8:47a PM Minor: 9:12p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

4:10 — 9:30 PM

Set: 8:23p Set: 9:07a AM Major: 2:34a PM Major: 3:00p 4:07a 4:33p

19 High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

2:45 — 6:20 AM

PRIME TIME 1:12 AM 6:16 AM 12:42 PM 7:24 PM

Sunrise: 6:39a Moonrise: 3:13a AM Minor: 1:54a PM Minor: 2:16p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

26

7:30 — 9:20 AM

Set: 8:27p Set: 3:41p AM Major: 8:05a PM Major: 8:27p 9:24a 9:45p

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 8:30 AM

Sunrise: 6:36a Moonrise: 8:31a AM Minor: 8:00a PM Minor: 8:32p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

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1.13 ft 0.84 ft 1.25 ft 0.50 ft

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1.81 ft

6:45 — 9:05 PM

Set: 8:32p Set: 11:20p AM Major: 1:43a PM Major: 2:16p 3:57p 3:25a

PRIME TIME

BEST DAYS

6 High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

PRIME TIME 4:01 AM 9:50 AM 2:06 PM 9:20 PM

Sunrise: 6:48a Moonrise: 6:18p AM Minor: 3:48a PM Minor: 4:11p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

1.48 ft 1.02 ft 1.26 ft -0.00 ft

Set: 8:19p Set: 4:58a AM Major: 10:00a PM Major: 10:22p 11:57p 11:34a

13

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 1:09 AM -0.01 ft High Tide: 10:24 AM 1.49 ft

Sunrise: 6:43a Moonrise: None AM Minor: 9:42a PM Minor: 10:07p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

PRIME TIME 2:32 AM 7:25 AM 12:47 PM 7:52 PM

Sunrise: 6:39a Moonrise: 3:42a AM Minor: 2:33a PM Minor: 2:55p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

1.28 ft 1.01 ft 1.25 ft 0.23 ft

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 12:31 AM -0.57 ft High Tide: 9:24 AM 1.74 ft

Sunrise: 6:36a Moonrise: 9:42a AM Minor: 9:09a PM Minor: 9:40p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

8:10 — 10:15 AM

Set: 8:28p Set: 4:42p AM Major: 8:44a PM Major: 9:07p 10:08a 10:31p

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9:00 — 10:45 PM

Set: 8:23p Set: 10:02a AM Major: 3:30a PM Major: 3:55p 4:58a 5:22p

20 High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

3:20 — 6:50 AM

7:05 — 9:30 PM

Set: 8:32p Set: None AM Major: 2:54a PM Major: 3:25p 4:59p 4:29a

7 High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

5:04 AM 10:54 AM 2:15 PM 9:54 PM

Sunrise: 6:47a Moonrise: 7:19p AM Minor: 4:29a PM Minor: 4:53p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

PRIME TIME 1.58 ft 1.18 ft 1.28 ft -0.14 ft

Set: 8:19p Set: 5:29a AM Major: 10:41a PM Major: 11:05p None 12:20p

14

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 1:54 AM 0.10 ft High Tide: 11:11 AM 1.45 ft

Sunrise: 6:42a Moonrise: 12:37a AM Minor: 10:36a PM Minor: 10:59p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

9:45 — 11:00 PM

Set: 8:24p Set: 10:58a AM Major: 4:24a PM Major: 4:47p 5:46a 6:09p

21 High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

10:15 AM — 12:20 PM

PRIME TIME 3:39 AM 8:38 AM 12:47 PM 8:28 PM

Sunrise: 6:38a Moonrise: 4:14a AM Minor: 3:13a PM Minor: 3:38p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

1.45 ft 1.17 ft 1.28 ft -0.03 ft

Set: 8:29p Set: 5:46p AM Major: 9:25a PM Major: 9:50p 10:56a 11:21p

28

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 1:28 AM -0.43 ft High Tide: 10:10 AM 1.64 ft

Sunrise: 6:35a Moonrise: 10:54a AM Minor: 10:16a PM Minor: 10:45p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

8:50 — 11:05 AM

9:00 — 10:50 AM

Set: 8:33p Set: 12:10a AM Major: 4:01a PM Major: 4:30p 5:57p 5:29a

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Sportsman’s Daybook Tides and Prime Times

MAY 2009

FRIDAY

MAY 1

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 3:51 AM -0.08 ft High Tide: 12:36 PM 1.55 ft

Sunrise: 6:52a Moonrise: 1:06p AM Minor: 12:09a PM Minor: 12:33p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

8 High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

6:00 AM 12:00 PM 2:16 PM 10:29 PM

PRIME TIME 10:50 AM — 1:20 PM

Set: 8:20p Set: 6:04a AM Major: 11:27a PM Major: 11:51p 12:44a 1:09p

15

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 2:40 AM 0.22 ft High Tide: 11:45 AM 1.41 ft

Sunrise: 6:42a Moonrise: 1:14a AM Minor: 11:26a PM Minor: 11:48p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

22

4:39 AM 9:50 AM 12:45 PM 9:09 PM

10:40 — 11:30 PM

Set: 8:25p Set: 11:55a AM Major: 5:15a PM Major: 5:37p 6:32a 6:54p

PRIME TIME 1.61 ft 1.31 ft 1.35 ft -0.27 ft

Sunrise: 6:38a Moonrise: 4:50a AM Minor: 3:57a PM Minor: 4:24p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

9:40 — 11:55 AM

Set: 8:29p Set: 6:55p AM Major: 10:11a PM Major: 10:38p 11:48a None

29 Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

12:00 — 2:00 AM

Set: 8:15p Set: 2:13a AM Major: 6:19a PM Major: 6:46p 8:03p 7:37a

1.64 ft 1.29 ft 1.32 ft -0.20 ft

Sunrise: 6:47a Moonrise: 8:20p AM Minor: 5:14a PM Minor: 5:39p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

SATURDAY

PRIME TIME 2:26 AM 10:47 AM 5:22 PM 7:39 PM

-0.20 ft 1.52 ft 1.13 ft 1.15 ft

Sunrise: 6:35a Moonrise: 12:04p AM Minor: 11:17a PM Minor: 11:43p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

10:50 AM — 1:10 PM

Set: 8:34p Set: 12:52a AM Major: 5:04a PM Major: 5:30p 6:50p 6:24a

2 Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

PRIME TIME 5:05 AM 1:04 PM 7:28 PM 11:25 PM

Sunrise: 6:52a Moonrise: 2:12p AM Minor: 1:00a PM Minor: 1:25p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

0.13 ft 1.45 ft 1.01 ft 1.16 ft

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 6:52 AM 1.66 ft Low Tide: 11:06 PM -0.21 ft

Sunrise: 6:46a Moonrise: 9:20p AM Minor: 6:03a PM Minor: 6:28p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 3:28 AM 0.36 ft High Tide: 12:07 PM 1.36 ft

Sunrise: 6:41a Moonrise: 1:47a AM Minor: ——PM Minor: 12:13p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

23

5:37 AM 11:02 AM 12:42 PM 9:55 PM

Sunrise: 6:37a Moonrise: 5:33a AM Minor: 4:48a PM Minor: 5:17p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

5:30 — 7:10 AM

Set: 8:25p Set: 12:52p AM Major: 6:02a PM Major: 6:24p 7:16a 7:38p

PRIME TIME 1.74 ft 1.43 ft 1.44 ft -0.46 ft

3:00 — 6:20 PM

Set: 8:30p Set: 8:06p AM Major: 11:03a PM Major: 11:32p 12:46p 12:17a

30 Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

6:00 — 7:20 PM

Set: 8:21p Set: 6:43a AM Major: ——PM Major: 12:16p 1:34a 1:59p

16

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

12:00 — 1:05 AM

Set: 8:16p Set: 2:52a AM Major: 7:12a PM Major: 7:38p 8:54p 8:29a

9

PRIME TIME 3:26 AM 11:16 AM 5:52 PM 10:10 PM

Sunrise: 6:35a Moonrise: 1:09p AM Minor: ——PM Minor: 12:11p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

0.08 ft 1.41 ft 0.85 ft 1.04 ft

TIDE STATION CORRECTION TABLE (Adjust High & Low Tide times listed in the Calendar by the amounts below for each keyed location)

SUNDAY

5:50 — 7:45 PM

Set: 8:34p Set: 1:28a AM Major: 5:59a PM Major: 6:23p 7:39p 7:15a

3

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 6:21 AM High Tide: 1:24 PM Low Tide: 7:46 PM

0.36 ft 1.35 ft 0.73 ft

Sunrise: 6:51a Moonrise: 3:16p AM Minor: 1:47a PM Minor: 2:11p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

NOT FOR NAVIGATION

Set: 8:16p Set: 3:26a AM Major: 7:59a PM Major: 8:23p 9:41p 9:17a

10

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 7:43 AM 1.64 ft Low Tide: 11:45 PM -0.17 ft

Sunrise: 6:45a Moonrise: 10:16p AM Minor: 6:56a PM Minor: 7:21p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

12:40 — 8:30 PM

Set: 8:21p Set: 7:27a AM Major: 12:43a PM Major: 1:09p 2:24a 2:50p

17 Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

1:00 — 2:50 AM

PRIME TIME 4:18 AM 12:23 PM 7:23 PM 11:28 PM

0.51 ft 1.32 ft 0.94 ft 1.04 ft

Sunrise: 6:40a Moonrise: 2:17a AM Minor: 12:32a PM Minor: 12:56p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

Set: 8:26p Set: 1:48p AM Major: 6:46a PM Major: 7:07p 7:59a 8:20p

24

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 6:34 AM 1.82 ft Low Tide: 10:45 PM -0.59 ft

Sunrise: 6:37a Moonrise: 6:24a AM Minor: 5:46a PM Minor: 6:17p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 4:32 AM 0.40 ft High Tide: 11:39 AM 1.31 ft Low Tide: 6:30 PM 0.55 ft

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4:00 — 7:05 PM

Set: 8:31p Set: 9:16p AM Major: ——PM Major: 12:33p 1:48p 1:17a

31 Sunrise: 6:34a Moonrise: 2:12p AM Minor: 12:36a PM Minor: 12:59p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

12:00 — 1:15 AM

6:45 — 8:20 PM

Set: 8:35p Set: 2:00a AM Major: 6:48a PM Major: 7:11p 8:25p 8:02a

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PLACE SABINE BANK LIGHTHOUSE (29.47° N, 93.72° W) SABINE PASS JETTY (29.65° N, 93.83° W) SABINE PASS (29.73° N, 93.87°W) MESQUITE PT, SABINE PASS (29.77° N, 93.9° W) GALV. BAY, SO. JETTY (29.34° N, 94.7° W) PORT BOLIVAR (29.36° N, 94.77° W) TX CITY TURNING BASIN (29.38° N, 94.88° W) EAGLE POINT (29.5° N, 94.91° W) CLEAR LAKE (29.56° N, 95.06° W) MORGANS POINT (29.68° N, 94.98° W) ROUND PT, TRINITY BAY (29.71° N, 94.69° W) PT. BARROW, TRIN. BAY (29.74° N, 94.83° W) GILCHRIST, E. BAY (29.52° N, 94.48° W) JAMAICA BCH., W. BAY (29.2° N, 94.98° W) ALLIGATOR PT., W. BAY (29.17° N, 94.13° W) CHRISTMAS PT, CHR. BAY (29.08° N, 94.17° W) GALV. PLEASURE PIER (29.29° N, 94.79° W) SAN LUIS PASS (29.08° N, 95.12° W) FREEPORT HARBOR (28.95° N, 95.31° W) PASS CAVALLO (28.37° N, 96.4° W) ARANSAS PASS (27.84° N, 97.05° W) PADRE ISL.(SO. END) (26.07° N, 97.16° W) PORT ISABEL (26.06° N, 97.22° W)

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HIGH

LOW

-1:46

-1:31

-1:26

-1:31

-1:00

-1:15

-0:04

-0:25

-0:39

-1:05

+0:14

-0:06

+0:33

+0:41

+3:54

+4:15

+6:05

+6:40

+10:21

+5:19

+10:39

+5:15

+5:48

+4:43

+3:16

+4:18

+2:38

+3:31

+2:39

+2:33

+2:32

+2:31

-1:06

-1:06

-0.09

-0.09

-0:44

-1:02

0:00

-1:20

-0:03

-1:31

-0:24

-1:45

+1:02

-0:42

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Calixto

JD

Texas Hotspots

by Calixto Gonzales and JD Moore

Spook an Ivie Largemouth

Frogging for Largemouth

LOCATION: O.H. Ivie Reservoir HOTSPOT: Brush and Hydrilla GPS: N31 32.091, W99 40.827

LOCATION: Sam Rayburn Reservoir HOTSPOT: Hydrilla and Lilly Pads GPS: N31 14.650, W94 17.820

PANHANDLE

PINEY WOODS

SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Zara Spook, 10-inch Power Worm with small weight, Carolina-rigged large plastic worm, Green Pumpkin or Watermelon Red CONTACT: Wendell Ramsey, bram4@suddenlink.net, 325-227-4931 TIPS: Get there early for topwater bite and walk the dog with your Spook, all around scattered brush. As the sun comes up drop back in the grass beds around 8-18 feet deep and pull a 10-inch Power Worm with small weight slowly across the grass and let it fall slowly into the holes in the grass. Carolina rig the edges with a big plastic worm or lizard. This should produce strikes.

BANK ACCESS: Concho Park Recreation Area, lots of grass for bass and bream, night fishing for catfish LOCATION: Possum Kingdom Lake HOTSPOT: Costello Island GPS: N32 54.142, W98 28.068 SPECIES: Striped bass BEST BAITS: Slabs, live shad, shallow running crankbaits CONTACT: Dean Heffner, 940-779-2597, fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: Fish the jigs in and around any brush, wood, etc. along the edges of the island. Fish shallow crankbaits when you find stripers chasing shad along the surface.

Watch for the birds.

BANK ACCESS: Willow Beach RV Park, privately owned, ask for permission to fish, largemouth, crappie, striped and white bass N6

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SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Plastic Ribbit Frogs in black/Chartreuse and Watermelon Red/pearl belly, buzzbaits CONTACT: Don Mattern, Sr., 903-4782633, www.matternguideservice.fghp.com TIPS: Fish the plastic frog over hydrilla and around pads and hold on. Buzzbaits and poppers work as well in the same areas, when worked in the openings in vegetation.

BANK ACCESS: Powell Park Marina, largemouth bass, catfish, white and striped bass LOCATION: Toledo Bend Reservoir HOTSPOT: Buck Creek GPS: N31 10.078, W93 36.736 SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, RatL-Traps, drop shot with large plastic worm CONTACT: Jim Morris, 409-579-3485, cypresscreekmarina@valornet.com TIPS: Most of the bass will have spawned and will be hungry. They will be suckers for topwaters, buzzbaits and Carolina rigged plastic worms. Fish in and around timber, grass, shoreline.

BANK ACCESS: Ragtown Recreation Area, catfish, largemouth bass, crappie, white and striped bass

Pump the Hump for Aquilla Whites LOCATION: Lake Aquilla &

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HOTSPOT: Whitney Hump GPS: N31 54.075, W97 11.945 SPECIES: White bass BEST BAITS: Slabs, Rat-L-Traps, small Sassy Shad CONTACT: Randy Routh, 817-822-5539, www.teamredneck.com TIPS: Whitney Hump is producing a lot of white bass. Throwing slabs, Rat-L-Traps and small Sassy Shad and bouncing them off the bottom on the way back to the boat will be most productive. Watch your graph around the humps. The fish will look like Christmas trees. These are stacked feeding white bass. Drop slab and bounce off bottom.

BANK ACCESS: Tailrace Fishing Pier, white bass

PRAIRIES & LAKES LOCATION: Lake Belton HOTSPOT: Moffat Middle Cove GPS: N31 10.966, W97 28.270 SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Lively medium crappie minnows CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-3687411,Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideServic e.com TIPS: Night fishing for hungry postspawn fish will be the norm now. Minnows fished under slip bobbers or on spreader rigs under green or white lights is the best approach. Keep boat noise to a minimum.

Use multiple rods and vary depth until successful. If bite dies off, stagger the depths again.

BANK ACCESS: Temple Lake Park, largemouth, catfish, white bass LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Long Branch GPS: N32 53.282, W95 32.284 SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Crappie jigs, live minnows CONTACT: Mike Rogge, 903-383-3406,

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Texas Hotspots www.lake-fork-guides.com TIPS: Crappie are moving shallow to spawn and will be around boathouses with brush and brush piles in shallow water.

Places to check will be the boat houses in Morgan/s Branch in Big Caney, Long Branch and Opossum. The boat houses on Wolf Creek will also be good.

BANK ACCESS: Fishing Pier at Minnow Bucket Bait Stand, crappie, largemouth bass LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Purdy Point GPS: N32 51.642, W95 35.860 SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Shad colored Rapala CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, 903-5302201, www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Lake Fork will be clear and surface temps will range from 65 to 78 degrees with great numbers of bass out on the points and along the channels later in the day and back in the pockets early and late. Fork is one of the better lakes when it comes to taking big bass on top waters in May and June. Good areas to catch bass on topwaters will be in the back of Indian Creek and down the main lake pockets near Lends End Golf Course.

There is timber, weeds and grass in these areas and the fishing does not get any better.

When the day is at its hottest, try a big shad colored Rapala along the main lake points where you find standing timber.

BANK ACCESS: Fishing Pier at Minnow Bucket Bait Stand, crappie, largemouth bass LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: Eagle Point, South Side GPS: N30 37.920, W96 02.883 SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Shad or Punch Bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, 979-229-3103, www.FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: South winds are blowing now and the spawn is partly over. Look for the cats on this wind blown bank. Fish water 5-10 feet deep. Anchor out from the bank and fish close to the boat or park boat bottomed on the shore and fish out toward the lake.

Use tight line, 3/4th ounce slip sinker, #4 treble hook for Punch Bait, #1 kahle for N8

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shad. Fishing here will be good right after daylight when shad are closer to the bank.

Later in the day as the shad leave shallow water cast farther off shore.

BANK ACCESS: Hwy 175 Bridge east; cast lures for bass, minnows for crappie LOCATION: Lake Granger HOTSPOT: Main Lake Flats GPS: N30 42.248, W97 20.274 SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: 1/16-ounce Jigum jigs CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell, 512-3657761, www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: Fish the main lake brushpiles in 612 feet of water. Hold jigs right over the top of the brush using very little action. Tip the jig with Berkley Crappie Nibble to give the jig scent and make the crappie bite better.

Jig color doesn’t seem to matter.

BANK ACCESS: Wilson Fox Fishing Dock, crappie on live minnows straight down off dock LOCATION: Lake Joe Pool HOTSPOT: Community Point GPS: N32 37.647, W97 00.953 SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, Zara Puppy, flukes, Chompers Super Wacky Worms, drop shot and Carolina rigs CONTACT: Randy Maxwell, 817-3132878, www.getagripguide.com TIPS: Look for any vegetation you can find and throw your favorite spinnerbait while the sun comes up. A small frame black/blue double Colorado blade, switching to a Chartreuse/white double Willow leaf blade as it gets lighter. Topwaters like the Yellow Magic and Zara Puppy can be the ticket. Throw small crankbaits in Chartreuse/white along main lake banks and between the dam and bridges. As always, throwing weightless flukes and Chomper Super Wacky Worms will work in the grass all day. Later in the day, back off and fish deep points like Community Point and multiple brush piles with drop shot and Carolina rigs.

BANK ACCESS: Lynn Creek Fishing Dock.

Largemouth, crappie, catfish LOCATION: Lake Lavon

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HOTSPOT: Tickey Creek GPS: N33 07.803, W96 29.993 SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Scum Frog, Chartreuse/ white buzzbaits and same color spinnerbaits CONTACT: Jeff Kirkwood, 800-965-0350, www.fishinwithjeff.com TIPS: May though the summer can be some of the finishing this lake has to offer.

About 90 percent of the time, the topwater bite is dependable and you can catch most of the fish on white/Chartreuse buzzbaits.

Once the topwater bite stops switch to a spinnerbit in same colors. If that does not work try a Bandit 100-200 series and lastly an Alpha Hawg in Green Pumpkin or Watermelon Seed rigged Texas style tossed in front of their nose will get a bite. Fishing the rip rap and bottom edge of the rip rap will be a great place to find them.

BANK ACCESS: Clear Lake Pier, largemouth bass LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Point by Spillway GPS: N32 03.468, W95 26.277 SPECIES: Largemouth bass

BEST BAITS: Crankbaits and Carolina rigged worms CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, 903-5302201, www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Good topwater fishing can be had early and late. Bass will be good on main lake points with cranks and Carolina rigs. I like to work the points way down south near the dam along rocky bottom points and where there’s standing timber.

BANK ACCESS: Dam Park, largemouth bass, crappie LOCATION: Lake Proctor HOTSPOT: Rock Ledges GPS: N31 58.987, W98 28.948 SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: DD22, Rage Tail Space Monkey CONTACT: Wendell Ramsey, bram4@suddenlink.net, 325-227-4931 TIPS: Start working the rock ledges with a big deep diving crankbait, working it down to about 15 feet. Make sure to sty in contact with the rocks as it bounces off every little bit of cover. Flip a Space Monkey out in 10 foot water in the rocks and drag it through

A L M A N A C / T E X A S

the rocks until you hit the gravel bottom.

This is where the fish will most times bite.

BANK ACCESS: Promontory Point Courtesy Dock, hybrid striped bass, largemouth bass, crappie LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard HOTSPOT: Highway 66 Rip Rap GPS: N32 55.033, W96 30.112 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Scum Frog, Bandit Splatterback, spinnerbaits CONTACT: Jeff Kirkwood, 800-965-0350, www.fishinwithjeff.com TIPS: Ray Hubbard has seen most every bait/lure known to man because of its tournament popularity. However, the Highway 66 Rip Rap and the river will still produce in quantity and quality. This is the time of year that a Scum Frog will be the bait of choice and you can stay with it all day long.

Just remember not to take your eyes off it.

Froggy can disappear without the slightest ripple and when it does it is always a good fish. If that is not your style, a Bandit Splatterback is a good bait to fish along the edges of hydrilla and parallel to the rip rap. Spin-

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Texas Hotspots

nerbaits are good, but be sure to match your color schemes to the color of the water. Fire Tiger is a good choice. Be cautious. Ray Hubbard can be extremely rough due to wind conditions.

BANK ACCESS: Bayview Marina, largemouth bass, crappie, catfish LOCATION: Richland Chambers Reservoir HOTSPOT: Hwy 309 Flats GPS: N31 58.718, W96 06.878 SPECIES: White bass BEST BAITS: Rat-L-Traps, 1-ounce Silver Slabs CONTACT: Royce Simmons, 903-3894117, www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: White bass are going great guns on the Main Lake area all month long. Rat-LTraps and slabs fished in 20-30 feet of water of the Hwy 309 Flats will result in lots of white bass action and an occasional hybrid striper. Look for gulls to help locate the bait fish that whites are feeding on.

BANK ACCESS: Midway Landing, fish bank on either side of boat ramp. Also fish shoreline of cove to left of ramp when facing lake, largemouth, crappie, catfish LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir HOTSPOT: Big Island, East side GPS: N31 01.258, W97 34.797 SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Blue and silver Rat-L-Trap CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-3687411,Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideServic e.com TIPS: Thirty minutes prior to sunrise through two hours after will be the best shot

For MORE HOTSPOT listings, go to our website and click

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at shallow fish in this clear, shallow water.

Watch for fleeing shad and fish those areas.

BANK ACCESS: Stillhouse Park, largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, smallmouth bass LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: The North End GPS: N33 52.072, W96 41.672 SPECIES: Striped bass BEST BAITS: Topwaters, jigs and live bait CONTACT: Bill Carey, 877-786-4477, bigfish@striperexpress.com TIPS: Early mornings cast topwaters on the shallow banks. After sun is up good, change to 1-ounce Sassy Shad jigs in Whiteglo or Chartreuse. Fish main lake points, river edges and mouths of creeks.

Live shad works well, anchor or drift the North Island ledge.

BANK ACCESS: Highpoint Marina LOCATION: Lake Waco HOTSPOT: North Bosque River GPS: N31 30.366, W97 17.414 SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Shrimp, blood bait, stinkbait and Punch Bait CONTACT: Jimmy D. Moore, 254-7442104, rayado@earthlink.net TIPS: Catfishing is best from April through early summer with the North and South Bosque Rivers favored by trotliners.

Hog Creek and the Middle Bosque are also good. Drift fishing over main lake points like the point at Twin Bridges and its submerged structure and the flats near Speegleville and other bays next to the creek channels that run through them are good. This is where most rod and reel anglers go for the cats.

Shrimp, blood bait work well for channel cats, while blues and flatheads prefer live shad, sunfish, or fresh cut bait or Punch Bait. It does not hurt to chum a little.

BANK ACCESS: Reynolds Creek Park has a public access fishing area on the shoreline south of the new boat ramp LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: Snake Island GPS: N31 55.215, W97 12.891 SPECIES: Striped bass BEST BAITS: Topwaters, Pop-R and Zara Spooks

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CONTACT: Randy Routh, 817-822-5539, www.teamredneck.com TIPS: With threadfin shad spawning I am (matching the hatch) targeting shallow areas near deeper water and throwing Pop-R topwaters and Zara Spooks. Look around the island and throw up toward the stick ups and work your bait back. As the sun edges up, I switch to live bait and back off the shallows to the edges and ledges.

BANK ACCESS: Loafer’s Bend Shoreline, stripers, whites, largemouth bass

Channelling Snook & Mangroves LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre

LOWER GULF COAST HOTSPOT: Brownsville Ship Channel GPS: N26 2.124, W97 13.108 SPECIES: Snook, mangrove snapper BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, topwaters CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Cast towards dock pilings and riprap to find both snook and some good-sized mangrove snapper. Anchor or drift about 30-50 feet off the shoreline to give yourself some casting room. If fish are not rising to your topwater, fish along the drop-off with large live shrimp on a split shot rig. With all the snags in the area, a fluorocarbon leader is a very good idea.

Topwaters & Croakers at Baffin LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Tide Gauge

MID GULF COAST GPS: N27 18.248, W97 27.593 SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Croaker, topwaters early, soft

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plastics in strawberry/black back plum/chartreuse, rootbeer/red flake, morning glory, pumpkinseed/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: The greater availability of croaker as summer progresses makes them the focus of hungry trout in Baffin. Free line them on a 3/0 kahle hook along the drop-offs, giving them a twitch occasionally to prevent them from hiding in structure or weeds. If you prefer lures, the same topwaters and plastics that have worked throughout April will work in May.

CONTACT: Falcon Lake Tackle, 956-7654866 TIPS: When Falcon Dam’s turbines are not running, water levels around Zapata, Roma, and Rio Grande City drop off dramatically. Big boats can’t get past the stretches of shin and ankle deep water.

Kayakers, however, can have a run of the River. Bass end up holding in some deeper pools. Fish around deadfalls and along the shoreline with plastic worms and spinners such as the Mepps Aglia or the Shyster.

Yellow and white are the best choices. Stick close to the US shoreline.

Contact South Regional Fishing Editor Calixto Gonzales by email at cgonzales@fishgame.com Contact North Regional Fishing Editor JD Moore by email at hotspotsnorth@fishgame.com

Look for the Green at Sabine LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Sabine Jetties GPS: N29 40.398, W93 49.516

UPPER GULF COAST SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, soft plastics CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409786-2018 TIPS: When green surf starts filtering in during May, you will find some big trout lurking in the deeper holes. Watch for current breaks and eddies. Fish them with live bait, or soft plastics on larger (1/4-3/8ounce) jigheads. A fish finder is always helpful in this type of fishing. Braided line does not hurt, either, because of the added sensitivity.

Rio Grande Largemouth LOCATION: Rio Grande River HOTSPOT: Salineno GPS: N26 30.590, W99 7.040 SPECIES: Largemouth bass

SOUTH TEXAS PLAINS BEST BAITS: Plastic worms in red, red watermelon, grape, in-line spinners A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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50 2STROKE .........................................$4,449 90 2STROKE .........................................$6,245 115 2STROKE .......................................$7,528 200 HPDI VMAX...................................$13,125 225 HPDI VMAX...................................$14,210 300 HPDI VMAX...................................$16,210 115 4STROKE .......................................$8,345 150 4STROKE .......................................$10,945 225 4STROKE .......................................$15,610 350 4STROKE .......................................$20,945

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50 2STROKE .........................................$4,537 90 2STROKE .........................................$6,360 115 EFI.................................................$8,555 75 OPTIMAX.........................................$6,845 90 OPTIMAX.........................................$7,345 115 OPTIMAX.......................................$7,645 150 OPTIMAX.......................................$9,800 175 PRO XS ..........................................$11,950 200 OPTIMAX.......................................$12,550 225 OPTIMAX.......................................$13,445 250 PRO XS ..........................................$16,145

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DF60 ....................................................$6,245 DF70 ....................................................$6,845 DF90 ....................................................$7,545 DF115 ..................................................$8,445 07 DF140 .............................................$8,645 07 DF150 .............................................$9,745 DF175 ..................................................$11,345 DF200 ..................................................$13,345 DF225 ..................................................$14,545 DF250 ..................................................$16,245 DF300 ..................................................$15,610 250SS 20” SHAFT .................................$15,945

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Texas Tested Kick’s High Flyer Choke HOKE TUBES ARE SOMETHING MANY hunters take for granted. Many of us simply use what came with our guns and never really think about it. If you are such a hunter and notice your friends with the exact same gun consistently skunk you in the shooting department, there might be a reason. By using quality choke tubes, a hunter can adjust for certain situations and greatly improve their odds.

When my wife decided to join me duck hunting, I got her a .20 gauge and had the opportunity to arm it with the Kick’s High Flyer Choke Tubes. Our first hunt was going to involve decoying ducks and some fly bys that would give us a good look before heading into the ozone so I chose the modified. I am happy to report she took out several birds that day and her pattern held up well out to 30 yards which was our most distant shots.

Their improved cylinder has worked well for a couple of hunts I did for wood ducks and teal in the timber.

Their chokes are directionally ported and this process increase pattern performance by up to 20 percent density. Additionally this reduces recoil and gives the hunter an edge when making tough shots.

Best of all their chokes are roll marked for quick identification and do not require a wrench to install.

Need to switch from improved to full? It

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is simple and when you are out in the cold, wet world of waterfowl that is a huge plus.

Visit their website at www.kicks-ind.com.

— Chester Moore, Jr.

spin a different way and given anglers a deadly new weapon in their arsenal.

Visit the website, www.mindalures.com.

—CM

The Injured Minda

Wiley X Brick

I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WOULD BE beneficial to have a lure that never leaves the strike zone, that can remain stationary in a key spot and entice fish one might otherwise miss.

Last year at the ICAST show in Las Vegas, I found such a lure. It’s called the Injured Minda, by Minda Lures. It’s a twopiece hard plastic minnow imitation that has the unique ability to create a stationary action. Anglers can make the lure move up and down and flip like an injured baitfish but never leave a key strike zone.

Imagine finding a bedding bass in deep water but because of the position it’s in you have a tough time getting the lure to stay in the strike zone long.

This lure will allow you to keep it there.

In my personal experience I was amazed to watch the lure look amazingly like an injured baitfish and do exactly what the manufacturers say it does. Put in the hands of my cousin Frank Moore who tested it on Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn, it caught several nice bass.

I will not say Minda reinvented the wheel with this lure but they might have made it

I am happy to report she took out several birds that day and her pattern held up.

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AN ANGLER WHO DOES NOT WEAR POLARIZED sunglasses while fishing could be missing hundreds of opportunities at fish every year.

I know because I have admittedly been lazy about wearing shades while fishing but that stopped a few years ago when my fishing partner pointed to a big school of sheepshead at an oil rig I could not see.

When I put on his polarized shades I could. At that point I forget about my cheapos and went for more quality product. And that is exactly what the Wiley X Brick is.

They are called the Brick because they are virtually indestructible and that is what I need. I bought cheap shades for so many years because I’d sit on, lose or step on them.These come with new Violet 4 AntiReflective and Slick Filter coasting to maximize visual performance and new removable Seal Tek technology that literally seals the eyes while outdoors. When I put the seal on it was amazing how much light was getting in peripherally. The point is to remove harmful UV light, isn’t it? And they are removable when you need to be a bit more fashionable.

There are lots of quality shades on the market and Wiley X stands among the best.

They have been responsive to what their users ask for and have a product here that surpassed my expectations and that will allow me to see more fish and hopefully bring more home.

Visit them online at www.wileyx.com.

—CM

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AccuSharp Knife Sharpeners

Lansky Sharpeners

American Rodsmiths

Minda Lures

The Buddy Bag

Nomor-Clog

Cook’s Original “Go-To” Tackle Storage System

Randolph Engineering

Custom Angle Rods

Stanley

Fishing Lights, Etc.

Striper Express Guide Service

Fishing Tackle Unlimited

Swift Hitch

Husky Liners

Wilderness Systems

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Father’s Day Gift Guide N TODAY’S FAST-PACED SOCIETY, HOLIDAYS come and go often with minimal fanfare.

Except for Christmas, most special days are absorbed by our cell phones, mp3 players, computers and otherwise technical life in a flash.

This is the case with the days set aside for our mothers and fathers and we often use the ex-

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cuse we have gone “too commercial” or “those are not real holidays.”

The reality is taking time to honor the people who mentored and helped shape you to deal with this world is important. In addition, while you may not see it that way now, when they are gone, you will never have a chance to

say “thank you” again. That might sound a bit grim but it is true and an excellent motivator to simply pick up the phone and say “Happy Father’s Day” or “Happy Mother’s Day” or go the next step and buy them something special.

Would you even be reading this magazine if your father had not taken you fishing for bluegills on the family pond or soaking shrimp

by Chester Moore, Jr. for croaker on a pier? Maybe your first outdoors adventure involved scouting for deer or sitting in a duck blind. Whatever your experience is, chances are the ones who brought you into this world made it happen.

Take time to honor them and realize without their influence your outdoors life might be way different or nonexistent.

ACCUSHARP: There has been an AccuSharp knife sharpener in my gear box for a number of years and I have always found them to be effective and dependable. They are wildly popular in Texas because they get the job done every time. Their knife and tool sharpener features a large ergonomic handle that fits either hand safely and securely with a full length finger guard for optimum finger protection. Sharpening blades are made of diamond honed tungsten carbide for years of reliable use. AccuSharp sharpeners will not rust and can be cleaned with soap and water or in the dishwasher.

AMERICAN RODSMITHS: This company makes high quality rods for anglers interested in precision equipment that can withstand the rigors of fishing pressure and hardcore anglers. Being a family-owned and operated company based in Texas gives them unique incite into what anglers want and has allowed them to develop a very loyal following among everyone from tournament anglers to weekend warriors. Their new Mag Strike Predator features the Adjustable Locking Handle System that allows anglers to set handle lengths to their own personal preference. Whether it is long casts to schooling fish or pitching around boat docks, it can be done with this new rod with the latest in technology.

THE BUDDY BAG: Want a bagging system that can double for an ice chest or perhaps saddle bags? Looking for a product that can match your diverse outdoors lifestyle? This is it.

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Father’s Day Gift Guide The Buddy Bag keeps your drinks cold, stows away your valuable gear and is virtually indestructible. There are dozens and dozens of uses for everyone from the duck hunter to the wade fisherman to the seasoned traveler who simply wants to keep his or her gear out of harms way and looking stylish at the same time.

COOK’S ORIGINAL: If space-hogging tackle boxes have your boat looking like a mini storage, then Cook’s Original “Go-To” Tackle Storage system offers a solution. Your lures will always be easy to get and far more organized than you dreamed.

CUSTOM ANGLE RODS: If you are looking for a finely crafted rod for a very specific application, Custom Angle Rods has something for you.

Maybe you need a good stick for Carolina-rig fishing or a rod set aside only for whacky worm fishing. Add to that the unique Reverse Wrap that places the guides in such a manner to bring the line from the top of the rod to the bottom, much the same as with spinning rods to increase

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Father’s Day Gift Guide sensitivity and you have one seriously precise instrument. These rods are for the discriminating angler who wants a rod that can take wear and tear and will not falter when the fish of their dreams is on the line.

FISHING LIGHTS, ETC: In the heat of summer, many anglers choose to fish at night. And whether seeking speckled trout on the bay or crappie on your favorite lake these convenient, effective lights will help you bag more fish. These lights come in white, blue or green and are guaranteed to never leak. Easy to use with replaceable halogen bulbs they will bring the fish to you.

FISHING TACKLE UNLIMITED: The World’s Largest Tackle Store, Fishing Tackle Unlimited, is proud to carry Costa Del Mar, a name synonymous with quality sporting eye protection. Whether it is the Fathom frame with Silver Mirror 580 lenses or the C-Mates Polarized Bifocals you will find what you need at this huge but shopper friendly fishing mega store.

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Father’s Day Gift Guide Need some fishing lures too? They have those in thousands of varieties along with anything else an angler could want.

HUSKY LINERS: Protecting your automotive investment has always been important but in these trying economic times, it is paramount to many people. Outdoors lovers put serious strains

on their vehicles and the variety of liners produced by Husky offer serious protection for serious outdoors use. Maybe you need carpet protection custom fitted for your vehicle. Then try the Weather Beater. Or maybe it is large capacity storage with removable dividers the Husky Gear Box can provide.

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LANSKY SHARPENERS: Looking for a truly fine edge for your knife? Then you definitely want to check out the Lansky Controlled Angle Knife Sharpening System. A top choice of outdoors lovers for decades, Lansky’s angle follows the idea that not all blades are created equal and to get the optimum edge, a variety of options must be available.

MINDA LURES: Texas-based Minda Lures is all about innovation, and their new Spear Worm takes soft plastics to a new level. Producing a graceful, eel-like swimming motion, it is designed to displace more water than most worms and flash to trigger more strikes. Coming in 12 colors in four-, seven- and 10-inch versions, the Spear Worm is geared for bass anglers looking to fish with finesse or gusto.

NOMOR-CLOG: This falls under the category of “I should have thought of that.” Everyone who has ever put fish or pretty much anything else in a cooler has had the drain clog up. This simple but super effective new invention ensures no more clogs and no more frustration. This product is made of durable food safe plastic that will last and make your outdoors trips just a little smoother.

RANDOLPH ENGINEERING: Eye protection is always important for shooters at the range and in the field. The RE Ranger lenses are designed to protect your eyes while highlighting your target and at the same time increasing contrast. Key elements include optical grade polycarbonate lenses in over 16 custom tints and prescription frame quality with a lifetime warranty on all solder joints, and comfort fit temples.

STANLEY: Stanley stood the bass fishing world on its ear with the Ribbit which is now considered mandatory cargo for anglers who like to surface fish for bass in the grass. The new Buzzit is a Ribbit fused with a buzz bait that is great for targeting lunkers in the pads, grass or open water.

STRIPER EXPRESS GUIDE SERVICE: Lake Texoma’s striper fishery is arguably the most action packed of its kind in the South. With high bag limits and an even better shot at getting an ice chest full of fish, it is the place to go for family fishing. Striper Express Guide Service offers 25 years of expertise seeking these supersized game fish and creating memories that last a lifetime.

SWIFT HITCH: Backing up to a trailer can be a tricky affair and unless you have a friend that

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Father’s Day Gift Guide can aid you with an extra set of eyes, it can be a frustrating experience. That is where the Swift Hitch comes in. This portable, easy to mount device doubles as a camera/monitor system to make sure you do not dent your vehicle. Each unit comes with a full color 2.5-inch LED screen and is designed for single hand operation. Now you no longer have to rely on your fishing buddy to give you instructions and will greatly reduce your chance at a collision.

WILDERNESS SYSTEMS: Paddle craft are becoming increasingly common on Texas waterways. Whether in a clear Hill Country stream or the Gulf of Mexico, kayaks are a growing part of the scenery and giving anglers access to quality fishing. Wilderness Systems, maker of the well-known Tarpon Series, is passionate about the outdoors and the sport of kayak fishing.

They’re committed to getting fishing enthusiasts of all levels to experience the enjoyment and performance that only a kayak can offer.

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Father’s Day Gift Guide Father’s Day: The Flipside THERE IS A FLIPSIDE TO FATHER’S DAY. There are many youngsters out there who have no father in their life to steer them in the

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right direction and help set them on the right path. As much as parts of society would like to eliminate the father from this equation, all one has to do is look at the news and see a lack of loving two-parent homes is causing a massive decline in America’s moral core.

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an interest in their children, we should consider mentoring those who need guidance by sparking an interest in the outdoors. And I do not mean just taking them on a token fishing or hunting trip.

Taking a kid on a fishing or hunting trip to introduce them to the outdoors is a wonderful gesture but the reality is, it is not enough.

It is not enough to keep them motivated to stay involved in outdoors pursuits long-term and may not even result in a passing phase of outdoors fascination in their lives. I saw a standup comedian say that if you want to punish a modern child, tell them they have to play outside.

While I nearly laughed myself off the seat, I felt a twinge of sadness inside because it is the truth.

Peer pressure has always been and will always be the major determining factor in the lives of most young people. And somewhere along the line, it became cool to have no goals, no motivation and no life. To combat this kind of voluntary apathy and turn it into a desire to seek excitement in the great outdoors, we are going to need a new game plan. You would not hunt a grizzly with a paintball gun nor should we target the youth of America with a quick trip to the outdoors and expect them to trade in their X-Box for a tackle box.

A mentoring situation could be as simple as e-mail communications about outdoors trips and outfitting them with tackle. Then again, it could go as far as regular trips to the field and taking a genuine role in their lives to steer them toward the right course. Another thing is we need to better reward those young people with a passion for the outdoors. If you have a child that likes to hunt or fish, send the photos of their bit catch or first deer to TF&G to be recognized or to local newspapers. Enthusiastically embrace their love for this lifestyle.

Despite all of the kids out there who want to do nothing, there are some exceptions to the rule that have ambition, drive and determination. They deserve our respect and kudos and more importantly, we should do everything in our power to keep them focused on these positive things. Kids who are leaders who hunt and fish are often ostracized from the “in” crowd.

For a kid with a strong backbone that can actually be beneficial because the “in” crowd is usually the “in trouble” crowd but for those who might be a little weaker, it is important to give them all the support we can.

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Father’s Day Gift Guide The forces aligned against children nowadays are staggering. Whether they hail from the barrio or white picket fence suburbs, they all deserve a chance to enjoy the bounty of the great outdoors and we should fight for this opportunity for them. I certainly do not have all of the answers to this dilemma but I do know that mentorship can make a big difference.

Men, if you need help on how to become a better mentor, there is a great group active in Texas called Legacy Outfitters. You can check them out at http://www.legacyoutfitters.org. They really are helping to make a difference in the lives of men who love the outdoors and literally outfitting them with the tools necessary to be a good mentor and role model.

If we do not take action, I can guarantee you other forces will. We will never reach every kid out there but for each one we turn onto topwater trout fishing instead of doing drugs we will have saved a life from ruin and benefited society as a whole.

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Industry Insider

Busha Boat Works

Don Busha, owner of Busha Boat Works

ACK IN 1997, DON BUSHA WAS REPAIRING outboard engines in his backyard in Bay City and doing quite well. He loved fishing and had even considered guiding as a career, but not for long.

“I knew if I really got involved in guiding it would become a full time job and fishing wouldn’t be any fun anymore,” Busha said.

In 1999, he had a Suzuki engine in for repairs and he was looking around for the parts he needed. At that time there weren’t many Suzuki dealers around and parts could be hard to locate.

“I called the main Suzuki number and got in touch with a fellow with Suzuki Marine,” Busha said.

“While I was talking to him, I mentioned the fact that Suzuki wasn’t getting their fair share of the market in my part of the world. If they were interested in a small time dealer, and I really emphasized small time dealer, to have somebody contact me.”

To his surprise someone did contact him.

Suzuki didn’t have any small dealerships but it wasn’t really hard to be a dealer.

“I got to talking Suzuki with my customers and they started asking questions, showing quite a bit of interest.”

Busha called Suzuki again and reiterated that he was in a really small town, had only a shop in a pole barn. He even said that maybe he was too old for them; he was 59 years old at the time. A Suzuki rep came down, spent some time with Busha and when he was ready to leave said, “I’ll approve you.”

“I thought about it and thought about it,” Busha said.

He just said, “I’m working 80 hours a week, can’t work any harder, I think I’ll do it.”

That was September 1999.

He then had to find boats he could sell.

“That was difficult,” referring to finding the right boat line.

“Any boat line you wanted to add, somebody in your neighborhood was already selling it.”

The first line of boats he sold of any magnitude was Shallow Sport. Since then he has added Marshall, Explorer, Ultra Cat, Gulf Coast, JH Performance, and Dargel Boats.

Last fall he added Yamaha and Evinrude outboards. He makes a point in letting people know that all of the boats he sells are made in Texas.

Busha Boat Works is no longer a backyard operation.

“Boat dealerships just don’t go well in a residential area,” Busha said.

About five years ago he moved to his present location at 3113 Nichols in Bay City.

The location, located on four acres, has 3,000 square feet of showroom space and 5,000 square feet of shop space. Busha, now 69 years old, said he has come a long way.

Busha Boat Works carries the full line of Suzuki engines, all the way from 2.5 to 300 hp. His most popular engine is 175 hp for the many bay fishing boats that he now sells.

His company is considered an American success story. From sales of 37 motors in his

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first year, his company soared to number six in sales in the United States in his third year of operation. Last year Suzuki ranked Busha Boat Works number 10 in the nation for parts and accessories, which is not bad for a dealership in a town with a population of 18,000.

“Suzuki led the field in switching to fourstroke engines. I have Suzuki engines running that have 8,000-10,000 hours… thousands of hours that have had nothing but routine maintenance. There is a local crabber who bought three Suzuki engines in 2001, no telling how many hours of operation they have on them. From 2001 to the present I have not had to do anything to the power head on any one of the three. When they went to four-stroke they just got it right the first time.”

Busha credits his success to integrity.

“I would rather have my customers’ trust and good will than their money. I am an old guy, a country guy… old fashioned in a lot of ways. We never bait and switch, never any deceptive advertising. We are straightforward and pretty plainspoken. This is the way we operate our business.”

For more information on Busha Boat Works, go to www.bushaboatworks.com or call 979-245-3369.

—Tom Behrens

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Shoot This

Kimber 84M Classic .257 Roberts EVERAL YEARS AGO I STARTED LOOKING FOR A rifle chambered for the .257 Roberts.

I looked high and low for a used one I liked and was disappointed that there seemed to be so few available. I finally bought a used Winchester Model 70 that was okay, but someone had pruned the barrel back to 20 inches and I prefer a longer barrel. The previous owner was, also, apparently quite indecisive, as he had drilled about a half-dozen holes in the forend, probably for mounting a bipod. The holes were poorly filled with what looked like Bondo. While it shot reasonably well I never liked it and finally traded it off.

Then I began looking at what was available in new guns, expecting to find there were currently no new guns chambered for .257, and found instead that Kimber chambers their little Model 84M for the Roberts.

I almost broke a finger grabbing for the phone to order one.

The .257 Roberts, for those of you who have been living under a stone for the last three-quarters of a century, is one of the true classic cartridges. It was originally a wildcat based on the 7mm Mauser. Ned Roberts was the first to publicize it, back in the 1920s. Remington then introduced it as a factory offering, in a slightly improved form, in 1934.

The .257 Roberts was an overnight success with those discriminating shooters and

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hunters who wanted a pleasant, efficient, light-recoiling round that was sufficient for deer and antelope. It was one of Eleanor O’Connor’s favorites, especially for the little Southwestern Coues white-tailed deer, and it was the gun on which Jack and Eleanor’s sons cut their hunting teeth. The little .257 maintained its popularity until the introduction of the .243 Winchester and the .244/6mm Remington in 1955.

My considered opinion is the .257 Roberts is superior to both those fine cartridges and the .243 WSSM, for that mat-

by Steve LaMascus ter as a dual-purpose varmint/deer round.

However, if you must hand load to get the best from the little quarter-bore, as factory ammunition is generally not loaded to the full potential of the .257. If you are looking for a kid’s first deer rifle; or for a rifle that doesn’t make the wife, daughter, or girlfriend flinch; or for a nice, lightweight, gentle rifle for yourself for coyotes and deer, the .257 Roberts is one of the best possible choices. I personally do not like getting kicked, so I love it.

At this time it is offered in the Ruger Model 77 Hawkeye, the Kimber 84M, the Remington Custom Shop makes rifles for the Roberts, and Thompson Center offers it in the Encore. If none of those trips your trigger, any decent gunsmith can rebarrel a standard bolt-action rifle for the caliber, although is it too long for some short actions.

My Kimber 84M is, as I have come to expect from Kimber, a drop-dead gorgeous rifle. The stock is a beautiful piece of well figured though straight-grained walnut with smoky black streaks through wood the color of dark honey. Stocks of this color and figure would have been called English walnut in the good old days. The stock design is of the American classic school, being straight combed with no cheek piece, and is exactly what I like best. Fit, finish, and bedding are A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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perfect and the gun shoots as good as it looks.

The trigger is as clean and crisp as an icicle, breaking according to my Lyman digital trigger pull gauge, consistently at a hair over 2 pounds (which would seem to indicate that I am not the first gun writer to have handled this gun). In short, this is the rifle I was dreaming about for all those years. I cannot recommend it too highly.

With scope, sling, and full magazine, it weighs just at 8 pounds. Bare rifle scales a svelte 5 lbs. 10 oz. Kimber’s 84M Classic will usually sell for about $950.

As for the .257 Roberts cartridge, it will push a 100-grain bullet at just over 3000 feet per second, an 87-grain bullet at 3200, and a 120-grain heavyweight at about 2800. With a good 100- or 110-grain bullet it is perfectly suited for deer, antelope, wild sheep, and maybe caribou. If you found yourself in a pinch it would, with the heavier, sharp-pointed bullets of 115 to 120 grains, do for elk. Where it comes into its own, however, is with the lighter bullets of 75 to 87 grains, in the hands of the predator caller. I can’t think of a better walking varminter when the game sought are coyotes, and that is to be my primary use for this Kimber.

The .257 Roberts has staged something of a comeback in the last decade, thanks to Kimber, Thompson Center, and a few other clear-thinking folks. Although it has always had a cult following of knowledgeable riflemen, it is more popular now than it has been in many years. I suggest that if you want one, and if you are a lover of fine guns, now is the time to buy.

Pass the word.

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Bowhunting Tech

by Lou Marullo | TF&G Bowhunting Editor

Our Youth…

Our Future EACH A CHILD TO HUNT AND HE OR SHE WILL possess a gift that will last a lifetime.

Many years ago, my father took me with him as a “tag-along” in the woods. Although I do not remember every detail of that morning, I do remember the hunt. It is a moment in time that is forever etched in my fondest memories of times spent with my dad.

Taking a child with you on a hunt is one of the best things you can do for both you and your child. It will prove to be one of those rewarding experiences that will be kept locked up in the vaults of your own memory and brought out whenever life reminds you a smile is needed.

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hunting. It is one of the few states in the union that allow children of any age to experience the unique joy that only comes from being in the outdoors.

You do not have to be hunting to be in the woods with a child. In fact, it is probably a better idea to introduce a little one to the outdoors by just taking his or her hand and go for a hike. Taking a hike in the woods is always an adventure for a child.

This is an excellent opportunity to initiate a conversation about how animals survive in the wilderness. Deer sign is still abundant and showing how the deer always use the easiest trail is a good lesson that the young hunter will carry with him or her for years.

Finding a deer rub is a great time to explain what that teaches us. Why do the deer rub their antlers? How deer leave scent behind are just a few valuable lessons to be learned from just taking a short walk in the woods.

May is a great time of year to spend some quality time with a child and teach him/her the correct way to handle a bow. There are many different youth bows on the market

and all of them are perfect for what you are trying to do. The idea here is to have a child be able to pull the bow back with ease and shoot at the same target that the adults use.

Only the parent or guardian will know when it is the right time to introduce this weapon to the new hunter, and make no mistake about it. It is a weapon.

It is a weapon that demands the careful understanding of what it can do and how it should be used. This is the very reason some states require an age limit when hunting.

However, I have met youngsters that act and understand in a more mature manner than some of their older counterparts do.

Matthews offers the awesome Ignition youth bow that is both forgiving to shoot and easy to master with the proper instruction.

For the young adult who outgrows the youth bow, the Matthews Genesis is the perfect solution. It will fit anybody and has a draw weight that is universal so it will not discourage a newbie to the sport of bow hunting. I use this bow whenever I teach a bow class. It seems perfect for any age from teenager to grandfather. Of course, if this sport is something the young one wants to pursue further, then he or she needs to go to a professional bow shop and be fitted for a bow suitable for hunting big game.

Learning the correct way to shoot a bow at such a young age will prove to be beneficial when the first deer comes into range.

How to hold your left hand while shooting a right handed bow, a perfect release, a proper follow through, even choosing which broad head to shoot are all important factors that a novice will have to learn and learn well if he or she is to be successful in bow hunting. Most of all, as hard as it is, a youngster needs to understand that more often than not you will spend many hours in your stand before you get a shot. I, for one, did not possess patience as a child. I have always said patients are for doctors.

The world has changed a little since the days of my youth. No longer can you see a

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Texas Guns & Gear

by Steve LaMascus | TF&G Shooting Editor

.270 Winchester vs. .280 Remington HAVE GOTTEN SEVERAL EMAILS ON THIS subject lately, so I thought I should just go ahead and jump. Here is my take on the subject of which is better, the .270 Winchester or the .280 Remington.

These two siblings have had an ongoing rivalry since Remington introduced the .280 in 1957. They are true siblings…brothers…as both are based on the parent .30-06, with very little alteration other than neck/bullet diameter, although the .280 is minutely longer from base to shoulder so it cannot be fired in a .270 chamber.

The .270 is older, introduced by Winchester in the Model 54, in 1925.

From the outset, the .270 was loaded with a 130-grain bullet at 3140 fps. It was soon discovered the little .270 was death from above on deer-sized animals, and that hitting those animals at long range was easier with the .270 because of its extremely flat trajectory. It was not, however, an immediate success. The guys looked at the .270 with its 130-grain bullet, compared it to the .30-06 with its 150-grain bullet, and decided the .30-06 was superior. End of argument, for a time.

The price of the Model 54, and later the Model 70, was pretty steep when compared with the price of military surplus 1903 Springfields, and the famous NRA Springfield Sporter, which, if memory serves, sold for $40. Thus the .270 languished for several years. Eventually, however, the nuttier gun nuts, among them, of course, a young, spectacle-wearing journalism professor from Arizona named Jack O’Connor, found the .270 killed every bit as well as the .30-06, kicked a bit less, shot a bit flatter, and the

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.270 began to sell.

O’Connor eventually became a famous gun writer and champion of the .270. He used it to take almost every game animal in North America and on several safaris and shikaris in Africa and Asia. He found that if a hunter put that little .270 bullet through an animal’s lungs, it didn’t make much difference how big the creature was. He used the .270 to take many moose, elk, caribou, kudu, and other animals of that class, and never found it wanting. However, on big dangerous game he used more powerful cartridges, such as the .375 H&H and .416 Rigby.

In 1957, Remington introduced the .280 as a competitor to the .270. However, Remington seems to have a built-in need to tout their pump and semi-auto guns, so they introduced the .280 in the Model 740.

Because of this, the pressures had to be kept low so the cartridge would function properly. Because of the reduced pressures of the Remington factory loads, the .280 was only slightly superior to the ancient 7mm Mauser and considerably slower than the .270 Winchester, with which it was supposed to compete.

The .280 sold poorly for many years.

The gun nuts, however, discovered that in a good, strong bolt action, they could handload the .280 for much improved performance. For some reason, it took Remington many years to discover this. In 1979, in an effort to jumpstart the old cartridge, they renamed the .280 the 7mm Express Remington, boosted the velocity slightly, and introduced it with much fanfare in the Model 700. The moniker 7mm Express, however, confused the heck out of everyone, A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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and those with little firearms knowledge began to shoot 7mm Express Remington cartridges in 7mm Remington Magnum Rifles with the expected catastrophic results.

After a brief time Remington changed the 7mm Express back to .280 Remington, much to the relief of everyone involved.

Even after Remington upped the velocity of the .280, it still was not loaded to the true capabilities of the cartridge. The fact is that those who wanted .270 ballistics bought .270s, and those who wanted a high velocity 7mm bought the 7mm Remington Magnum. Thus the .280 was still sucking hind…well, you get my drift.

Here is the truth.

The .270 is a great cartridge. It shoots a .277” diameter bullet at above 3000 feet per second. The velocity has been lowered a bit over the years, to about 3060 fps with the 130-grain bullet, likely because of the aging firearms the .270 is chambered for; but the .270 Winchester still shines brightly, even in a world populated by short, supershort, ultra-, and other magnums with cases the size of Apollo rockets.

If you are after deer-sized game, there is none better than the old .270 Winchester.

Handloaders can usually push the 130grain bullets to above 3100 feet per second, and in some guns with longer barrels 3200 is possible. My pet Hill Country Rifles .270 built on a Remington 700 action with a 24-inch Lilja barrel gets 3217 fps average. That is the highest velocity I have ever gotten from any .270.

The .280 (.284” diameter) is almost as good as you have probably heard that it is.

It is not, however, a magnum. It does not and cannot match the larger capacity 7mm Remington Magnum. It is a great cartridge; will push a 140-grain bullet to just over 3000 fps, a 150- to 2900, and a 175 to 2700. In some guns, with careful handloading, it might do slightly better than that, but much more is taking it beyond safety limits.

With bullets of equal sectional density,

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Fish This The Pro Fillet’s blade is crafted from 4040C stainless, the standard that all of Germany’s premium knife makers has settled on.

The shape of the blade is best described as a tapered filet blade. It features a little belly out front, allowing you to make delicate cuts in

Puma Pro Fillet Knife HEN PUMA KNIFE COMPANY USA invited me to take their new Pro Fillet Knife out for a test drive I jumped at the chance. I am a knife junkie and own countless styles and sizes.

When I reached for a pen to jot down some notes for this article I discovered three pocket knives in my desk drawer. I discovered two more in the console of my Suburban, plus another twenty knives of different design in the kitchen. I did not even count those in the garage. I use knives at work, in the field, and in the kitchen. Like a good tool, a quality knife is a delight to use and I was eager to test out Puma’s new fillet knife.

The Pro Fillet is eleven inches long and comes with a clear plastic sheath (more on that in a minute). The plastic grip is nicely contoured to fit your hand, with a large indentation for your index finger just aft of the blade. The overall grip is comfortable and instills confidence that you can control the knife when powering through something tough, like the ribcage of big redfish.

The handle is clear blue plastic, allowing you to see the stamped tang embedded inside which resembles a fish’s skeleton. It is devilishly stylish!

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by Greg Berlocher confined areas. A long flat edge is great for removing skin. The blade’s length is long enough to handle big fish without being cumbersome.

Whenever I pick up a new fillet knife, I mash it down on a flat surface to test the springiness of the blade. A

good fillet knife should flex easily to follow the contours of a fish’s body and then spring back into shape as soon as pressure is released. The Pro Fillet passed both tests.

All fresh-from-the-factory knives feature keen edges; however I like to ask two questions: How long will it last? And how easy is it to re-sharpen?

Judging how long a knife will hold a keen edge is difficult to ascertain during a limited testing period so I generally abuse the cutlery I am testing as much as possible. This includes cutting against hard surfaces, cutting through wire and other tough things, and giving the knife a long saltwater bath and allowing it to air dry without the benefit of a freshwater rinse.

How easy or difficult it is to re-sharpen your knife directly relates to the steel alloy used in the blade. Many assume, incorrectly, that stainless steel blades are more difficult to sharpen than blades made of carbon steel. It all has to do with the alloy of the steel involved. I found the blade of the Pro Fillet easy to sharpen to its original sharpness.

The Pro Fillet’s sheath is an added bonus.

The sheath has a spring clip on the side, making it easy to attach to a belt. As you slide the knife into the sheath, the knife’s tapered handle wedges into the sheath’s opening. This wedge effect holds the knife securely in place.

I turned the sheath upside down and shook it violent to see if I could dislodge the knife but it never budged.

The clear plastic sheath also features six wide slots (three on each side) which allow water to drain out and air to circulate. This makes washing the knife easy and is a much nicer design than the “industrial white” sheaths I currently use.

I give the Puma Pro Fillet Knife high marks overall. The clear plastic handle provides a firm grip but hard plastic can get slippery when your hands are covered with fish slime. If I could change one thing, I would add some textured areas to the handle to make the handle a bit more “non slip.”

The Pro Fillet is a good value at $29 and I would recommend it to any angler with a pile of fish to clean. Look for it at Cabelas and independent outdoor retailers.

Email Greg Berlocher at fishthis@fishgame.com

BOWHUNTING TECH Continued from Page N26 good old fashion game of kick the can.

Neighborhoods are eerily void of the sound of running children playing hide and seek.

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Friends getting a baseball game together seem to be limited to organizations like the Little League. What happened to kids just enjoying being outside?

Bowhunting helps bring a child away from the computer and video games and &

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helps reintroduce them to the outdoors.

Bow hunting is simply a good thing for our youth.

E-mail Lou Marullo at lmarullo@fishgame.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PUMA KNIFE COMPANY USA

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Texas Boating

by Lenny Rudow | TF&G Boating Editor

Innovative Boating OR SEVERAL YEARS NOW I HAVE JUDGES THE National Marine Manufacturer’s Innovation Awards at the Miami Boat Show. It is a cool gig, because I get to see what is new and what is on the horizon for boaters, long before the general public or even most of the press. This year, despite the squelched economy and low numbers of new products hitting the market, was no different. There is still a ton of good old American ingenuity out there, and just enough cash flow that the really innovative ideas are still making it to market. Here’s a sampling of what I saw, and what you will be hearing about down the road.

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Inboard and Outboard Powerboats: The winner in this category, Aspen’s L80 Launch, is a unique boat design which we will see copied time and time again, especially when fuel prices go back through the roof. It is a 26-foot powercat, with a single 110-hp diesel living in the starboard hull. Yup, just one side of the boat has power. The port hull is about 35-percent thinner than the starboard hull, and the hulls are asymmetric. This reduces overall drag by about 50-percent, while countering the torque created by having an off-center powerplant.

Net Result: the boat tracks straight, and runs a heck of a lot more efficiently than either a monohull or a modern powercat. In fact, with that meager 110-hp Yanmar in the engine room, this boat still cruises at 22 to 24 mph. That may not be zippy, but get this: it gets over five miles to the gallon, while doing so. Yes, you read that right— five MPG. Compare that to an average 26foot monohull being driven by a pair of 150hp four strokes, which gets about two or two point five MPG. Or a 26-foot powercat with a pair of 150s, which usually gets around three MPG. Any way you cut it, the single-engine cat blows them away, doubling or nearly doubling their efficiency.

The Down-Side?

The Aspen’s top-end is just 28-mph. By today’s standards that is downright slow.

But in the current economy and with fuel prices as volatile as they have been, it might just be time for us to make a bit of a sacrifice in this regard. After all, just 10 or 15 years ago, a 22-mph cruise was considered normal. If we can get back to that mindset we can save one heck of a lot of fuel and the cash to go with it.

Honorable Mention: The Aspen took the prize, but Boston Whaler’s new 280 CC was so cool we gave it an honorable mention. The boat itself has all the things you would expect from a Whaler, but the Ttop is a new design that is sure to be copied

throughout the industry. It is integrated into the console, blind-fastened from the inside.

That means it look slick, as though it were a part of the boat itself, but it also increases rigidity. Then, by using large glass panels for the windshield and sides, instead of the common Plexi or acrylic, and integrating them into the supports as well, rigidity and structural support gets an even bigger boost.

The net result? Whaler was able to eliminate that necessary but annoying crossmember that runs at a vertical angle between the main supports above the console, which always seems to be right at eye level and detracts from visibility at the helm.

Runabouts and Fishing Boats Under 24: In this category we had a winner that you are sure to see zipping across the bay some time soon, Mako’s new 18 Light Tackle Skiff. This nifty little rig incorporates a pocket at the transom with a plate running just above the engine’s anti-ventilation plate, to direct water to the prop (so it gets a solid bite) while aerating the transom.

This allows the boat to break out of the hole without digging in at the stern, and bow rise is nearly eliminated.

That means you do not need nearly as much depth to jump onto plane, and when you do so, the boat remains level. Static draft is under a foot, and you will need less than two feet to go from a dead stop to cruising speeds, without using tabs or cutting the wheel over. Added design bonus: the pocket is designed in as a part of the transom’s structure, and forms a sort of an I-beam between the transom and the motor well.

TEXAS GUNS & GEAR Continued from Page N27 the .280 will not beat the .270 in velocity.

It will come close, but it will not match or exceed the velocity of the .270. The .280 will handle heavier bullets than the .270.

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game the size of elk and moose. For deer flip a coin. They won’t know the difference.

When we do away with personal preference, myth, pure moonshine, and old wives tales, the .270 and .280 are pretty much fraternal twins. What one will do, &

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the other will do. You can argue till the cows come home, but those are the facts.

Now let the hate mail begin.

E-mail Steve LaMascus at guns@fishgame.com.

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You get more strength, less draft, less weight, and easier planning which is smart.

The design was enough to impress the judges and get the award, but folks on the water will want to know one more thing about this Mako: pricing is a shocker. The bottom-line boat can be acquired for under $17,000, including a powerplant and trailer. This is with a two-stroke, 50-hp Merc, which is certainly less juice then most of us will settle for. But spend about $2,000 more to upgrade to a 90-hp powerplant, and you are still getting the complete package for under $20,000.

Consumer Electronics: Navico’s new Broadband radar, which you read about in last month’s Texas Tested section, was a slam-dunk winner for this prize. Just in case you missed it: this is a radar that works without a magnetron, emits a tiny fraction of the energy of a regular radar, and has no bang suppression, eliminating the dead-zone around regular radars. That means you can see boats, docks, bridges, or whatever on the radar screen, even if they are just a few feet away from the boat.

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Another cool product that you should know about, even if it did not take the cake, was Raymarine’s new C-series. These displays offer screens with a wide attitude for panoramic viewing. That means you can split the screen between fish finder and chart plotter or radar without cramping the view.

Plus, these screens are a grade above the norm; instead of plastic, they are real glass.

The LCD screen is fused to the inside of the glass, so moisture cannot ever form inside and cause condensation on the inside of the screen.

Consumer-installed Non-electric Hardware: The winner in this category, Vetus, has come up with a completely unique product unlike any we have seen before. It is called the Easy Tank, and it will allow you to retrofit your old boat with a new tank, or install one where there was dead space before, without the hassle of cutting through the deck, removing the console, or any of the other fun antics that usually go along with fitting a large object under the deck. How? When the Easy Tank is purchased, it is flexible and deflated, just like a

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bladder tank. You can insert it into small openings, slide it between decks and bulkheads, or wiggle it into compartments that are unused. Then, a fitting on the top of the tank allows you to inflate the Easy Tank. It expands to fit into whatever shape or size the compartment may be, or to fit inside of an old tank in need of replacement. Next, you remove the valve and in its place install a special light bulb. The bulb causes a lighttriggered fiberglass resin in the inflated tank to harden, and 24 hours later, the flexible bladder-like tank has transformed into a solid fiberglass tank.

So there you have it, the coolest of the cool, the newest of the new, and the most innovative of the boats and marine products to hit the market for the 2009 season. Just imagine what’s in store for 2010.

E-mail Lenny Rudow at boating@fishgame.com.

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Freshwater Baits and Rigs

by Paul Bradshaw | TF&G Freshwater Lures Editor

Worm 101: Back to the Basics F YOU READ THIS COLUMN OFTEN YOU’LL notice that I sometimes write about some oddball fishing techniques that many anglers have not heard of. While all of them catch fish, most of them are specialized methods that are used in specific applications when times are tough and fish are finicky. I do this because most of you reading this magazine are experienced anglers that have been fishing for years, but I tend to forget that there are those that are just now starting to chase bass and those guys and gals need to know the basics of rigging a bait.

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So this month, it’s back to the basics of worm fishing. If you learn how to tie on

water, I will occasionally up to a half ounce weight.

these rigs you’ll be able to successfully fish any lake in the state.

Texas rigging is the most often used rigging method for soft plastic baits because it is not only simple to tie on but it is also fairly easy to learn how to use. It is also virtually snag proof so it can be used in brush, stumps, grass, around docks and any other place a bass likes to hang out in. Texas rigging starts by sliding a bullet weight onto your main line. Use the smallest weight you can get away with. If I am fishing shallow water I will rarely use a weight heavier than a quarter ounce. The majority of the time I will use a 1/16 ounce weight so that the bait will fall somewhat naturally. If fishing deep

After the weight is on the line simply tie on a worm hook, I prefer a 3/0 for most soft plastics. To complete the rig, run the point of the hook into the nose of a worm, exiting the bottom about a quarter to half inch from the nose. Run the hook through until the eye is touching the tip of the worm, then turn the hook 90 degrees pushing the tip back into the body of the bait making it weedless.

Where the Texas rig shines is in shallow water with a lot of cover but it sometimes falls short when probing deeper water humps, points, and grass.

This is where the Carolina rig takes over as the basic technique for presenting a soft plastic bait to bass. The Carolina rig again starts with a bullet weight slid onto the main line but this time we’re using a much larger one. Start at a half ounce and go up from there. After putting the bullet weight on the line tie on a barrel swivel. On the other end of the barrel swivel tie on a monofilament leader. Some anglers prefer a long leader up to six feet long while others prefer a shorter one around one or two feet. I typically fall in the middle of the road and use one about three feet long. Keep in mind that a longer leader is more difficult to cast than a shorter one.

At the end of the leader tie on a 3/0 worm hook. Rig the plastic bait (I prefer creature baits but anything will work) on the hook just like the Texas rig. The last method I will cover is a finesse fishing technique that has become highly popular over the past few years as more and more anglers are targeting deep fish on ledges. Drop-shotting is typically a vertical presentation used to take tight-lipped fish suspending along creek

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ILLUSTRATION BY PAUL BRADSHAW

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channels. The drop shot starts a little differently than the other two in that you tie the hook on first, but not at the end of the line.

About three feet from the end of the main line tie on a 1/0 hook using a palomar knot.

This knot will leave a long tag end hanging off that is normally trimmed but in this case we’ll leave it hanging. Tie a bell sinker or one of the specifically designed drop-shot

ILLUSTRATION BY PAUL BRADSHAW

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weights on the end of this tag line to make it hang below the hook. Run the tip of the hook through the bottom of the nose of a worm and out the top leaving it exposed.

This rig is typically used in open water so

there is little chance of getting hung up. It is fun to try new stuff when out on the water and I am often accused of experimenting too much by my angling buddies. Realistically, if an angler masters these three techniques they can fish any body of water in the state without worrying about getting skunked.

E-mail Paul Bradshaw at freshrigs@fishgame.com.

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Wilderness Trails

by Herman Brune | TF&G Contributing Editor

HORSE FLY BUZZED AGAINST THE INSIDE OF the windshield. It blurred in circles and then bounced across the glass to three other horse flies near the passenger wall. The bugs scattered in individual whirling flurries, and then suddenly stopped.

My arms were slick and my small body was sticky with sweat. The heat inside the pickup was not offset by the occasional wisp of breeze coming in the window. Towels hung from the visors to block the sun and the shaded portion of the seat was the only section habitable.

My coloring books lie abandoned. It was distasteful for me to drip sweat on their pages. Mama’s straw purse momentarily held my concentration. The intricate handmade flowers on the lid offered busy little fingers items to trace and admire. The drink within the purse had long become hot and my cookies turned mushy.

The ‘53 GMC was backed against the cow pens and Mama and Daddy were busy separating the cows and calves. Once the calves were alone in a smaller pen, Daddy roped and snubbed them to a post. Then he’d get a loop on the hind legs and stretch them out. Mama handed Daddy his knife and he’d mark the ears and castrate the bull calves. Then she’d hand him a metal syringe and he vaccinated for black leg, or for whatever malady cattlemen feared at the time.

After the calf-work was done, Daddy began the process of starting the motor for the spray pump. This meant fitting the knot-end of a rope in a crank wheel, wrapping the rope around the wheel and yanking. That was followed by a burst of cussing, readjust-

ment of the choke, and re-wrapping and yanking again on the wheel. Most days the motor would start but certainly not before its damnation was confirmed in triplicate.

Then Daddy sprayed the cows for ticks.

He’d shoot the cow dip on their backs and shoulders, under their tails, and along their underline. The cows got a general soaking while the calves were washed with a lighter dose.

“They’ll get doctored when they rub against the cows to nurse,” Dad said.

It was during the spraying that Mama fetched me and let me watch from the bed of the pickup. The motor blared through a burned out muffler while leaking and spewing milky cow dip. The white-faced Herefords bellowed and milled trying to avoid the direct attention of the sprayer.

The scene fascinated me. This was my school. This was my church. The center of my being focused on every aspect of the happenings. I watched, laughing and imitating the bawling ruckus. Whenever the spray turned my direction I ducked below the tailgate and waited. Then just as quick I poked up my head to take account of the proceedings. Mama’s terrier, Trixie, was under the truck. Missie, Daddy’s golden collie, scratched out a spot to lie and pant under a shade tree. And Daddy’s horse, Pony Boy, was tied to the fence by its reins. Mama attended to me but stayed available to the chore at hand.

When the spraying was done, Dad killed the motor by grounding out the spark plug.

Then he hefted a sack of range cubes onto his shoulder and nodded at Mama to crack the gate so the cows could dribble out of the pen while he walked ahead of them scattering cubes and calling softly.

Then he returned, untied Pony Boy, and stepped up into the saddle. We had another truck with the stock trailer parked at the water well. The situation mandated that he must meet us there. For an inexplicable reason, he rode skirting around the pens and along the edge of the dense yaupon thicket.

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Mama was reaching for me, but I studied Dad. He was searching the ground. Then suddenly, Pony Boy shied and reared and Daddy dove headlong to the sand. He didn’t fall, it was a purposeful move, and in one motion he arose clutching something in his arms.

“Marjorie, bring the boy here! I’ve got something to show him!”

It was a speckled fawn, and at Mama’s caress it bleated. We inspected the young deer but my inner voice would allow no more than a light touch. Then I jerked my hand back and stared.

“I’m going to put it back in the brush so the doe can claim it. Marjorie, call the dogs and meet me at the other truck.”

From my parents’ perspective, and in their defense, they didn’t know what to expect when they adopted me. Their desire was to have a family.

Daddy was no hunting aficionado but he loved fresh air and scenery. He was a rural German Texan raised during the Great Depression; a pragmatic akin to the tobacco chewing Tuff-Nut lifestyle but more comfortable as an accountant. It was his decisions that afforded our visits to the National Parks in the western U.S., as well as, season tickets to the Houston Music Theater.

He drove me to reach potentials that I would not have otherwise sought, and he showed me his love even when I was wrong.

But, Mama is my true savior. She sees when I’m drowning in culture. Early on, she took me fishing and made sure someone taught me how to skin a coon. With ears like a deer and a sixth sense for knowing when something is out of place, I’ve never been able to pull the wool over her eyes nor have I so desired. She pities me when I’m uncertain and she is prideful of my accomplishments. She continues to sneak up on me and into my heart everyday. She provides…

The floor creaks beside me and I jerk back into the present. Mama is 82 years old and she’s standing five feet away cradling her break-open .410.

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“Dadgummit, why don’t you knock?

You’re going to catch me sitting here naked one of these days!”

“Hey, boy, I need you to oil my shotgun for me. I have to push the end of the barrel against the floor to get it open.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Remember your mama on Mother’s Day! E-mail Herman W. Brune at wilderness@fishgame.com.

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Outdoor Classified Directory TEXAS SALTWATER

ROCKPORT

GALVESTON

Rick Herr in 8-lb Hyb g rid With Chri Striper s Striper Ex Carey of press Guide Serv ice

UPPER COAST (SABINE LAKE) ADVERTISERS, MAIL IN YOUR PHOTOS TODAY!

Brett Bass try The Koun Hideaway ins Guest Cab

TEXAS FRESHWATER CORPUS CHRISTI

For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.

LOWER LAGUNA MADRE

Mark Kim b Matagord raugh a Hillman G Trout uide Serv ice

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FAYETTE COUNTY

LAKE AMISTAD

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The Steppe Family Redfish Redfish Charters

Charles & Matt Mo rgan Limits of Redheads & Buffleheads Coastal Bend Outdoors

Ken & Cathy Ladd Shannon Sawyer, Redfish Redfish Charters

TEXAS FRESHWATER

TEXAS HUNTING

OUTDOOR SHOPPER

LAKE TEXOMA

VACATION RENTAL BAFFIN BAY

For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.

TEXAS HUNTING

SPOTLIGHT: WADE AID

ADVERTISERS, MAIL IN YOUR PHOTOS TODAY!

In 1995, my brother-in-law, Matthew Gregory, and I, George Calhoun, started developing the Wade Aid belt. The Wade Aid belt went on the market in 1996.

Wade Aid Enterprises prides itself in making the finest wade belt available. Whether you’re fishing for redfish or trout in the bays and surfs of the gulf coast, fighting striper in the Atlantic surfs or fishing for trout and salmon in cool mountain rivers, the Wade Aid belt is for you.

The Wade Aid is the most functional and comfortable wade belt available today. It is constructed of closed cell foam encased in neoprene with nylon webbing and hardware. The closed cell foam provides a unique lumbar support system. The rods and accessory holders are conveniently located for quick and easy access. The Wade Aid is clearly in a class by itself.

Please visit our website www.wadeaid.com or call us at 1-888-WADE AID (1-888-923-3243).

– Wade Aid A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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Photo Album

PERCH—ROCKPORT, TEXAS

RATTLERS—SAN ISIDRO, TEXAS

Jayden Ford, 1-1/2 years old, from Beeville, Texas, Roger Alvarado of San Isidro, Texas, shot these caught her first fish, a perch, from the Rockport two 6-foot rattlesnakes while out hunting. Roger Yacht Club Fishing Pier in Rockport, Texas. is the son-in-law of Edna Luna, who submitted the photo.

BASS—CALAVERAS LAKE, TEXAS Tommy Varley of San Antonio, Texas, caught and released his largest bass to date in Calaveras Lake.

The 7-pound bass was caught on a fat free sad crankbait.

KINGFISH—GULF OF MEXICO

QUAIL—KINGSVILLE, TEXAS

Karen O’Neill of Porter, Texas, caught this 35-pound kingfish 32 miles offshore at the Heald Bank.

Cooper Dube, age 4, of Georgetown, Texas, “bird dogged” for his dad and uncles on his first overnight quail-hunting trip to Kingsville, Texas. He was a little too young to shoot, but happy to collect birds and spent shells and help clean 72 quail after a long day of walking.

BASS—CANYON LAKE, TEXAS

BASS—KENNEDALE, TEXAS

TEAL—BEAUMONT, TEXAS

Amanda Cuevas out-fished her boyfriend by landing this 6.25-pound largemouth bass at Canyon Lake, Texas. The bass was released so that Amanda’s boyfriend would have a chance at it next time.

Hayden Guerin, age 4, proudly shows off a 4pound bass that he caught and reeled in himself while fishing at a neighborhood pond in Kennedale, Texas.

The last day of duck season was nothing unusual for TC Landry of Beaumont, Texas, but was made special because his daughter Kalista was in the marsh with him, helping to scout out the teal shown here.

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Trophy Quest

His Biggest Fish Ever HAT SIZE FISH DO YOU CONSIDER A trophy? For Jackie Bruton, a 45pound blue cat is a monster, forget trophy.

Bruton and his son, Bob, were the selected for the Trophy Quest Trip in March, fishing for big blue catfish at Lake Tawakoni.

They were fishing with guide, David Hanson.

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by Tom Behrens For Jackie Bruton, who normally fishes Lake Texoma because it is closer to home, this was his first trip on Tawakoni. He and his son finished the day about 1:30 p.m. with a 45, 40, 25 and several other cats up to 15 pounds. All of the big fish were released to stretch the back muscles of some other angler. A few of the smaller fish were filleted for a catfish dinner.

“I have done it so long, seen both good and bad days, but 250-300 pounds is a good day,” Hanson said.

“We got pretty close to that. I (he and his clients) have caught as many as 850 pounds of catfish in day. I had a trip on the Saturday before Christmas, two anglers from 8:30 –11:30 a.m., caught 650 pounds of fish.

One man released five fish over 50 pounds.

He had two fish hooked that he could do nothing with.”

HOW YOU CAN WIN! TEXAS FISH & GAME HAS GIVEN AWAY OVER 200 TROPHY QUEST TRIPS. TROPHY QUEST is free guided hunting or fishing trips within the state of PHOTO COURTESY JACKIE BURTON

This 45-pound blue catfish is the biggest fish that Jackie Bruton has ever caught using rod and reel.

Jackie said they caught a bunch of fish, “Somewhere around 30 catfish, smallest one was five to six pounds, caught multiple fish in the 18-25 pound range. We started catching fish not too long after we got out on the lake.”

Hanson picked up the two Brutons at the Anchor Inn Marina about 7 a.m. A free night’s lodging for the winner and a guest is part of the Trophy Quest trip package. They fished three different locations and caught fish at each place. The big fish, 45 pounds, was lifted out of the water about 10:30 a.m.

“That’s the largest fish I have ever caught on rod and reel,” Jackie said.

The big fish was caught around 10:30 a.m.

“Surprisingly it didn’t take long to boat the fish.”

“It took about five minutes. He fought but he started coming toward the boat. My son hooked one that broke off. He went the other direction. He was a bigger one than I

Texas. The package includes a guided trip for two people, one night's lodging and all food and beverage (non-alcohol). Winners are responsible for all travel expenses getting to and from the destination point.

HERE'S HOW YOU WIN! If you are a TF&G subscriber, your name is automatically entered on our monthly Trophy Quest Trip drawing.

If you are a subscriber and would like

caught, or we think he was anyhow.”

Hanson described the fishing technique as tight line fishing.

“Throw out the baited hook and let it settle to the bottom. I use cut bait like shad, carp, buffalo, anything not considered a game fish. Just chunk it out there and wait for the fish to bite.”

The fish that Jackie and Bob caught came out of about four to six feet of water “The fish this year have stayed shallow more than deep because of the warm spell we have had,” Hanson said.

“This time of the year those fish start moving into shallow water off points.”

Will they try their luck again at Lake Tawakoni? You bet they will, but they might have to invest in some heavy duty catfish fishing equipment before the trip.

“We had a great time,” Jackie said.

The Bruton Trophy Quest package also included a free dinner at Monroy’s Mexican Restaurant in Quinlan. You can bet they spent a lot of time during lunch talking about the big fish that didn’t get away.

“I have been telling everyone about the trip and showing pictures of my 45 pound blue catfish.”

WHAT: Blue Catfish WHERE: Lake Tawakoni GUIDE: David Hanson, 903-662-5668, www.littledsguideservice.com ACCOMODATIONS: Anchor Inn Marina, 800 Tomahawk Dr., West Tawakoni, 903-4472256, www.anchorinnmarina.com RESTAURANT: Monroy’s Mexican Restaurant, 125 Indian Trail, Quinlan, 903-4474708

your name entered 15 more times in our next monthly drawing, simply send us an email with your name, address and phone number* to trophyquest@fishgame.com.

You can still win even if you are NOT a subscriber. Simply email us with your name, address, and phone number* to trophyquest@fishgame.com and you're entered in our next drawing.

One winner is chosen at random each T E X A S

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month. The winner must be available to go on one of two previously scheduled dates. If the winner is unable to attend on either dates scheduled for the TROPHY QUEST TRIP, the winner's name will be returned to the pool for future drawings and another winner will be drawn. *Phone numbers will ONLY be used to contact the winners and will not be used for any other purpose.

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by Paul Bradshaw hite-tailed deer are without question the most popular game animal in North America, much less the state of Texas. Everyone from Orange to Pampa to El Paso chase whitetails, with more than 2 million licensed hunters taking advantage of our extensive hunting season. With that many people chasing deer, you would think we have them figured out. Well, we don’t, and whitetails remain one of the most misunderstood big game animals in the woods, and the subject of many myths and misconceptions. TF&G spoke with local and state biologists to bust and debunk some of that. Once a spike, always a spike. Many hunters and a lot of game managers believe that if a deer starts life as a spike, it will always be a spike. A lot of time and money has been spent researching this one, and the answer is always the same: Bucks that are spikes at 1-1/2 years are not destined to permanently be spikes. They will, however, typically grow smaller antlers than bucks of the same age class that had forked antlers.

According to Texas Parks & Wildlife Department white-tailed deer program leader Mitch Lockwood: “Spikeantlered yearlings almost always produce more antler points as they mature. [Only 7 percent of spikes every year are older than 1.5 years old, and very few are older than 2.5 years.] However, all research projects that were designed to investigate the predictability of future antlers based on yearling antler quality clearly indicate that smaller yearlings grow into smaller mature bucks [relative to their cohorts].”

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TF&G FIRST There you go, once a spike does not mean always a spike, but that deer does have a harder time growing “trophy” antlers.

Deer can’t see colors. For years, hunters have been told and subsequently believed that deer see in black and white.

How else do we explain hunters walking around and killing deer while wearing neon orange vests normally worn by crossing road guards?

It turns out this one is untrue, be we learned that only recently because it is really hard to get deer to look at color charts.

According to Lockwood: “Dr. Karl Miller of the University of Georgia is the expert in this field. He found that deer basically see in colors much as humans do, but with redgreen color blindness. While they do not see reds well at all, they might see blues better than we do. I’ve heard him conclude that orange camo might be fine, while blue clothing could be more easily detected by deer.”

To illustrate how the world looks to deer, look closely at the lead photograph for this article. We removed most of the red and green colors from the left side, and left the blues intact. It is not quite “black and white,” but to our eyes, sort of looks that way.

So, don’t wear blue jeans in the woods, but feel free to don your red flannel jacket— just be sure to sit very still.

wildlife species with the exception of birds.

Deer do sense increased activity in the woods and will tend to be more nocturnal during the season. Hunting pressure alone will dictate this. The rut will create more daytime movement, but these same deer are just as, if not more, active during the low light times as well.”

So, bucks do tend to move more at night during deer season, but they move more at night during the rest of the year as well.

You can tell a buck from a doe by its tracks. We’re all guilty of this. You’re walking to your stand and see a huge splayed track with the dewclaw marks behind it, and automatically think, huge buck. I do it every year, but realistically, the track could be from just about any mature deer that passed by. It is impossible to tell the difference between a buck and a doe by tracks.

According to Lockwood: “I don’t put much stock into this because of all the variability associated with body weights, hoof size, substrate, et cetera. Some small does have very large hooves, and some 200pound bucks have very small hooves.”

A mature heavy doe and a mature heavy buck can leave impressions that look very similar, so unless you see the deer actually make the track, you’re only guessing as to its gender.

Bucks go nocturnal after opening day. I don’t know how things are in your neck of the woods, but around my place, the first Saturday in November gets awfully noisy. Hunters are suddenly everywhere, riding ATVs, shooting rifles, and filling feeders. It would stand to reason that this increased human activity would have an affect on deer movement, and it does—just not to the degree we think it does.

Ricky Gay, a biologist from the Lufkin area, has been studying deer patterns the last few years via motion-sensing game cameras, and the information he has gathered might surprise you.

According to him: “Not only bucks, but all whitetail are basically nocturnal by nature. I use game cameras pretty much all year long. I have not put any numbers on it, but the bulk of my pictures are from low light periods. This is not only from deer, but most

Leaving the tarsal glands on a deer makes the meat taste “gamey.”

Venison tastes like venison, not beef. There is a distinct difference and some people don’t like it; the rest of us sane people love it. While a few things can be done at the time the animal is killed and dressed to improve the flavor, removing the tarsal gland isn’t one of them.

I’m not sure where this misconception started, but Gay said removal of the gland has little to do with the flavor of the venison: “I’m thinking this may be one of those old wives tales that, to my knowledge, has no basis. How a deer will taste has more to do with what they have been eating than anything else. The tarsal gland of deer emits an oily substance that, along with rub-urination, has a pheromone scent distinctive to each individual deer. The tarsal gland along with the metatarsal, interdigital, and preorbital glands are not located within any muscle, which is what we process for the table.”

Cutting the glands can actually lead to

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worse tasting meat. If you remove them and don’t clean your knife properly, the oil from the gland on the blade can contaminate the rest of the meat. Leave the glands on the animal.

Bucks with the biggest antlers do all the breeding. Only deer hunters are obsessed with antler size and Boone & Crockett scores; the deer couldn’t care less.

A doe isn’t any more receptive to breeding by a buck sporting 150 inches of antler than she is a fork-horn with his first set. Also, contrary to popular belief, just because a buck is physically dominant over the rest of the bucks in an area doesn’t mean he’ll breed more does.

According to Lockwood: “There have been a few research projects designed to investigate buck breeding success. Every project shows that antler quality has absolutely no bearing on breeding success.

The earlier studies indicated that age may make a difference. In other words, they indicated that older bucks might have more breeding success than yearling bucks.

However, a more recent, longer-term study

by Sumners and DeYoung et al [Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute] indicates that age does not influence breeding success, either. Therefore, poor-quality yearlings appear to have as much breeding success as older B&C bucks.”

That yearling you let go because he’s either too young (or too small if in the antler restricted counties) will breed just as many does as the wall-hanger brute.

Cleanly killing big deer requires a magnum rifle. I’m not sure what actually started the magnum craze, but if all you are hunting is whitetail deer, anything bigger than a .270 or .30-06 is just overkill.

Whitetail deer don’t grow to the size of elephants with bones made of steel, muscles like rock, and the temperament of a Cape buffalo. A huge Texas buck might tip the scales at 200 pounds, with the vast majority well below that. Further, most shots at deer are within 100 yards, so a rifle that flings a large projectile at mind-numbing speeds is excessive. Standard calibers with factory rounds have been killing deer for the more than a century, and will continue to do so well into the future. You don’t need a canon to kill deer.

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Hunt Texas

by Bob Hood | TF&G Hunting Editor

Old Friends LD GUNS ARE A LOT LIKE OLD FRIENDS. Even though you may not have seen them in quite some time, the feeling of closeness still is there. That is something I felt recently when I opened my gun cabinet to retrieve my favorite bolt-action Remington .22 for a squirrel hunt in Lampasas County.

There, in the corner of the gun cabinet behind my old 12-gauge Ithaca turkey shooter was another gun that was even older–a Savage 24 S-C. I pulled the Savage from the cabinet, opened it and carried it outside along with the Remington.

For those of you not familiar with the Savage 24 S-C, it is one of several over-andunder series of rifle-shotgun combinations made by Savage between 1950 and 1965. I have long been a fan of Savage Arms and, as with many of this country’s oldest gun-makers, I find studying their history interesting.

For those not familiar with the company’s history, Arthur Savage was a native of Jamaica who was educated in the U.S. and England. He had a passion for Australia and went there in his 30s to explore its interior. He was held captive by Aborigines for a year and later became the owner of the largest cattle ranch in Australia. He later moved to Utica, N.Y., where he invented the Savage Model 99 rifle and in 1894 organized the Savage Arms Company, now headquartered at Westfield, Mass.

The 24-inch long top barrel of the Model 24 S-C is chambered for .22 Long Rifle and the bottom barrel will accept either a 2 ¾ or 3-inch 20-gauge shotgun shell. The “safety” is in a rebounding hammer. A firing pin selector is located atop the hammer. Sliding the selector upward or backwards selects the

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Squirrel season opens in many East Texas counties this month giving hunters low pressure, super fun small game action.

.22 firing pin and pushing it downward chooses the shotgun firing pin.

A lever on the right side of the gun is pushed downward to open the gun for loading, unloading and removing spent ammunition. It has adjustable iron sights but also can accommodate a scope. One thing I remember that helped sell me on the 24 S-C is it can be broken down by removing the spring-held wooden forearm and simply unhinging the two barrels to remove them.

Although the Savage 24 series .22-20gauge is not what I consider to be one of the finest firearms ever manufactured, it does do what you would expect from any gun shot accurately. It is a bit on the heavy side but is very rugged, something that is a prerequisite for just about any gun that I own.

The gun’s light-brown stock was nice and clean when I purchased it in the 1960s but it now bears the scars of many squirrel and rabbit hunts. I like guns with scars. They give a firearm character and asserts that the gun has earned its place in the gun cabinet. The iron sights that once zeroed in on small game now are topped by a four-power scope, something &

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my aging eyes certainly appreciate.

As I peered through the scope at a target in my yard, I recalled the many years long ago when instead of a bullseye, the crosshairs were being placed on the head of a fox squirrel or cottontail rabbit. I walked back inside the house and placed the bolt-action Remington back in the gun cabinet to rest for another hunt some day. This Lampasas County hunt would be one for the old Savage, and I felt as if I owned it an apology of some sorts.

May always has been my favorite time to hunt squirrels even though in Lampasas County and most other counties where I hunt them, the season is open year-round. East Texas squirrel hunters historically have given squirrels more respect than other hunters around the state and maybe that is why the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department provides them with Oct. 1-Feb. 1 and May 1-31 hunting seasons while leaving the squirrel seasons open year-round elsewhere.

Nevertheless, May is a prime time to hunt squirrels in my books because it comes at a time when the year’s newly-born and tendertasting young squirrels are old enough to be taken.

The stretch of the Lampasas River where I took my old Savage over-and-under is lined with big pecan trees, as is a feeder creek. Both are loaded with squirrels, and it did not take me long after the sun came up to bag eight of them with the .22 barrel on that old Savage.

The 20-gauge barrel served as a good backup in my younger days but I have since preferred to go for the head with the .22.

That is just a personal choice and I certainly see nothing wrong with anyone hunting squirrels or rabbits with a shotgun. In fact, if you are not sure which you prefer for game, a small caliber rifle or shotgun, one of the old Savage combinations or something similar might find a place in your gun cabinet some day. And if so, just do not leave it as idle for as long as I did. Sporting arms are meant to be used, not stored away for years.

E-mail Bob Hood at hunting@fishgame.com.

PHOTO COURTESY U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

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Texas Saltwater

by Calixto Gonzales | TF&G Saltwater Editor

T IS SPRING BREAK, THE WEATHER IS absolutely gorgeous, and I am stuck in the house with a nasty cellulitis on my right foot. To add insult to injury, I have over 200 channels on my 60-inch HD TV, and there is not a bloody thing on (unless you are into a “What Not to Wear” marathon). Wifey is at school, and my son is off somewhere on a gallivant with his cousin.

I am stuck. Really stuck.

This is the sort of stuff I think about in this sort of situation: I am pretty lucky to have the doctors I have. A huge shout out and props to Drs. Michael Jelinek, Rolando Yarritu and Ben Garza for keeping me in one piece after my various misadventures. I get into trouble on the level of Tim “The Toolman” Taylor, and these are the healers that always seem to put back together. Dr. Ben has a little jar full of the things he’s extracted from my body at various times in my life, including a bb (forehead), a 3/0 hook (left foot), a 4/0 hook (right foot), a catfish spine (left hand), and a pebble (ear). Yarritu cured me of my shigella (Wiki it, if you must), which I am sure was no walk in the park, and Jelinek is an infectious disease wizard who has had to handle my nasty foot on more than one occasion. When these doctors look you in the eye and say they are going to take care of you, you believe them. We should all have doctors like that. I have three.

Speaking of healing, an ugly reality is that sometimes you have to amputate a finger in order to save the entire hand. The same is true about the state’s flounder question. The flounder fishery in Texas is in trouble, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) have been working tirelessly to

of Cussing. I have never seen one, never bought one, or even wrote one. I do not think mentioning it is going to send young people everywhere looking for one.

Seriously, spearfishing for tarpon?

Why? A lot of readers ask me how I come up with the material I write about. Writers have the ability to observe everything around them. The same external stimuli that other people tend to filter out, we pick up. It gives us a wide pallet to work from. Strangely enough, some people say the same thing about the Photos of tarpon taken by spear fishermen in Louisiana insane… have caused quite an uproar in the Internet. Conservation The Gulf Council of the National minded anglers wonder why someone would want to kill Marine Fisheries Service is learning a fish with no food value that science knows very little of. that we are Texas. You can bully us, bad-mouth us to the other states, find a plan that can turn around the flatfish’s threaten to take away the Federal Snapper decline in state waters. One thing a TPWD season, and you will still not buffalo us to official told me was there was no way anyone your will. Texans can administer to their own was going to be happy with any type of reg- resource, and we do a way better job than ulation change. He was right. A lot of fish- you do with yours. Remember, we were ermen are burning up the online message invited to join the United States. We may no boards complaining about the regulations longer have the right to secede, but we have and that they are unfair. I can understand not forgotten that you came to us, not vice being unhappy about the rules changes, but versa. the alternative is worse. A reduced bag limit I have been fortunate to have taught some (five fish instead of 10) and closed season pretty special students in my years as an (no flounder can be retained during Novem- English teacher. Some have left an indelible ber) is a reasonable sacrifice if it means that impression on my memory and my soul. numbers will increase (and anglers should Among those young men and women is a see an 85 percent increase within three gentleman named Brandon Mendoza. He years). Half of something is better than all of spent a couple of years in Iraq in some of the nothing, don’t you think? hairiest places over there. He mustered out Do they actually spearfish for tarpon in with an Honorable Discharge recently, and Louisiana? he is back getting caught up on his fishing On a lark, I got my son a Quantum V and spending time with his family. I want to 2.0 Youth bait casting combo for his birth- pass along a “Well done,” to him and to his day. I am proud to say that he has been prac- comrades-in-arms who have come safely ticing his casting every evening before din- home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Thank ner. I am trying to convince my wife, Sandie, you for your service, and leave some fish out that it is purely coincidental that he has been there for the rest of us, ok? practicing his cussing at the same time.

My favorite fishing show is coming on, so On a totally unrelated subject, to reader I am signing off.

Jaime M., who sent me an e-mail about a E-mail Calixto Gonzales recent column I wrote: There is no Big Book cgonzales@fishgame.com

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Texas Freshwater

by Matt Williams| TF&G Freshwater Editor

Guadalupe Bass Places to catch up on our state fish, and a little Texas history EXAS’ STATE FISH MAY NOT WIN MANY POPularity contests with hardcore bass junkies. But for a fun-loving angler who likes the idea of getting bit multiple times while drifting or wading a jade-colored stream in a scenic Texas Hill Country setting, there may not be a better venue than Guadalupe bass.

Named as the official state fish of Texas in 1989 by the 71st Legislature, the Guadalupe rarely grows larger than two pounds. But do not be fooled by its size.

What the colorful bantamweights lack in pounds and inches they make up for with a cranky disposition.

Hook a brawny Guadalupe bass on the fly or with ultralight spinning gear and you might think you have latched onto a cross between a mountain rainbow and a track star high jumper. The fish are built lean and mean, and they know how to use a stream’s hydrology to make themselves seem larger than life. The Guadalupe’s natural inclination to jump when hooked enhances the experience even more.

Another attribute worth noting is the ‘Lupe’s willingness to cooperate. Even a beginning angler can expect to get multiple hook-ups in a day’s fishing, provided they can launch a topwater, small crankbait or spinner using lightweight spinning gear. The fish also will rise to a popping bug, making it a favorite among veteran fly fishers who have discovered the challenging resource.

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extremely under utilized, probably due to the limited access and looming potential for conflicts with private landowners.

Anglers who are not familiar with access and take out points should think seriously about using a reputable outfitter.

Perhaps the most accessible stretch of river for Guadalupes also happens to harbor one of the most abundant populations in the state. The river is the Colorado.

The section of water in question winds a twisted path for about 25 miles between Austin and Bastrop. One of the most popular floats is between Little Webberville and Big Webberville parks in Travis County.

The fish relate to log jams, under cut banks and still water eddies. Try casting to them with The scenic streams and rivers of the Texas Hill Country harbor a 1/4 ounce jig/craw combo, the beautiful and fiesty Guadalupe bass that in many cases are small crankbaits or spinnerbait relatively unpressured by anglers. rigged on 8-12 pound line. Fly fishermen normally get best Native only to the rivers and streams of results dancing some sort of popping bug Central Texas, the Guadalupe thrives in across the surface. swift running water riddled with rocks, boulIn addition to plenty of Guadalupes, the ders and still water pools. They also can be stretch of river also harbors good numbers of found in catchable numbers in deep, clear largemouth bass and channel cat that see reservoirs across the Edwards Plateau. limited fishing pressure. Canoes and kayaks Just do not expect a limit of them to carry are advised.

If you run an outboard it should you very high in the standings in a bass tourbe equipped with a jet drive. nament. A friend and I once weighed fiveAnglers who want to sample the fish limit during a bass tournament on Inks Guadalupe fishing in a scenic Hill Country Lake near Burnet. Three of our keepers setting should contact fishing guide Dub were Guadalupe bass. Together the three Dietrich at www.kayaktexasrivers.com.

Dietfish may have weighed close to three pounds, rich runs guided trips on the Llano, Blanco and that is pushing it. Not surprisingly, we and San Marcos rivers. Anglers fish from finished well out of the check cut.

Fly fishers and bait casters alike have supplied kayaks amid some of the prettiest helped popularize lengthy stretches of the scenery Texas has to offer. Rates are $275 upper Llano, Perdenales, Nueces, Blanco per day for one angler, $400 for two. and San Marcos rivers for Guadalupes, as well as other native species such as largemouth bass, Rio Grande perch and a variety of sunfish. But overall these fisheries are &

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Texas Offshore

by Capt. Mike Holmes | TF&G Associate Offshore Editor

Y THE TIME THIS COLUMN REACHES THE reader, the mouth of the San Bernard River should have been dredged from a point upriver of the ICW through the surf. This will mark the first time in years that there has been natural water flow from the river to the Gulf, which has caused problems ranging from possible stagnation of the river and an increased danger of flooding to disruptions in commercial barge traffic down the ICW. Because the flow from the river had to go somewhere, the amount that could not get to the Gulf through cuts from the Cedar Lakes tended to push eastward to the nearest major outlet – the mouth of the “New” Brazos.

This is the diversion channel dug to re-route the river way back when the natural mouth was jettied and turned into the entrance to the Brazos harbor system, the remainder of the “Old” river below the diversion.

There are no current plans to jetty the mouth, and no one knows how long it will stay open, but most consider it a victory for “the good guys” for once.

NOAA Fisheries has several irons in the fire right now, including a requirement that there be maximum annual catch limits on all species considered to be “Overfished”. This is actually nothing new, as all such species are already under a Total Allowable Catch (TAC), but the new ruling does contain some provisions for faster reaction by authorities when they suspect a fishery has wandered into troubled waters.

National Association of Charterboat Operators (NACO) has helpfully published a list defining the various acronyms being

used extensively in the Annual Catch Limits and Accountability Measures that are worth passing along to the offshore fishing public.

Acceptable Biological Catch (ABC) is a level of a stock or stock complex’s annual catch that account for the scientific uncertainty in the estimate of OFL (see below).

The ABC is determined by the Scientific and Statistical Committee and specified based on the ABC control rule (again, see below).

Annual Catch Limit (ACL) is the level of annual catch of a stock or stock complex that serves as the basis for invoking accountability measures. The ACL is defined in terms of pounds or numbers of fish and cannot exceed the ABC, but may be divided into sector ACL’s. ACL’s are determined by the Council.

Annual Catch Target (ACT) is an amount of annual catch of a stock or stock complex that is the management target of the fishery. A stock or stock complex’s ACT should usually be less than its ACL. The long term objective is to achieve OY (later) through annual achievement of the ACT. ACT’s are determined by the Council.

Accountability measures (AM’s) are management controls that prevent ACLs from being exceeded (using in-season AMs), where possible, and correct or mitigate overages if they occur.

Maximum Fishing Mortality Threshold (MFMT) means the level of fishing mortality (F), on an annual basis, above which overfishing is occurring.

Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) is the largest, long-term average catch or yield that can be taken from a stock or stock complex under prevailing ecological and environmental conditions and fishery technological characteristics. Any estimate of MSY depends on the population dynamics of the stock and the characteristics of the fisheries (e.g., gear selectivity).

Optimum Yield (OY) is the amount of fish that will provide the greatest overall benefit to the Nation, while preventing overfish-

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ing, particularly with respect to food production and recreational opportunities, and taking into account the protection of marine ecosystems. OY is determined on the basis of the MSY from the fishery, as reduced by relevant economic, social, or ecological factors.

Overfishing occurs whenever a stock or stock complex is subjected to a rate or level of fishing mortality, called the Maximum Fishing Mortality Threshold (MFMT), above which the stock or stock complex’s capacity to produce MSY on a continuing basis is jeopardized or annual catch exceeds a stock’s or stock complex’s OFL. Overfished – a stock or stock complex is considered overfished when its biomass has declined below a level that jeopardizes the capacity of the stock or stock complex to produce MSY on a continuing basis.

Overfishing Level (OFL) is an annual amount of catch that corresponds to the estimate of MFMT applied to a stock’s abundance expressed in terms of numbers or weight of fish; MSY is the long term average of such catches. The use of OFL provides another method for measuring overfishing by allowing the comparison of a stock’s annual catch to its OFL; if the catch exceeds OFL for one year or more, overfishing is occurring. It is recommended that ABC would be set below OFL to take into account scientific uncertainty in the estimate of OFL. Honest, folks, I do not make this stuff up.

If you find this all boring, be advised that it controls your fishing future. If you feel it is just a complicated way of saying the Gulf Council can shut the season on snapper down early, before data from Texas catches has even been gathered and the “science” they repeatedly refer to is that of mathematics, not fisheries biology, join the club.

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

To book a trip, call 979-415-0535. Email him at mholmes@fishgame.com.

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Fish & Game On Campus

Texas A&M Kingsville Takes Lonestar Spring Breakout OME 68 COLLEGIATE ANGLERS FROM 12 UNIversities throughout Texas converged on Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir near Killeen on the weekend of March 14 to determine which Texas school has the best collegiate bass fishing program in the Lone Star State.

Motivated by school pride and a strong desire to fish competitively, these anglers fished for bragging rights and prizes provided by several tournament sponsors.

These determined anglers braved extremely cold, rainy conditions during both practice days in preparation for this event, which was sanctioned by the Association of Collegiate Anglers (ACA). The clouds dried up by the start of the tournament but it remained cold with temperatures lingering in the 30’s until almost noon and slowly warming into the upper 40’s by weigh in time.

Division one schools such as Baylor, University of Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech, as well as several smaller Texas colleges such as Tarleton State, Stephen F. Austin, Midwestern State, Sam Huston State and The University of Texas at Arlington were represented by their fishing clubs.

At the conclusion of the incredibly dramatic weigh in, it was Jerod Hawkes & Daniel Brock representing Texas A&M Kingsville edging out Clint Nowell and Kevin Burke of Sam Houston State by a mere two hundredths of a pound.

Jerod and Daniel came close to winning the 2008 Boat/U.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship when they finished fourth out of a field of 97 teams representing the nation’s best collegiate bass anglers.

“We keyed on chunk rock banks that had scattered brush or laydowns on them

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PHOTO COURTESY BOAT/U.S. COLLEGE BASS FISHING CHAMPIONSHIP

The big bass qualified Nowell for an all expense paid trip to Lago Vista Lodge located at Lake Guerrero, Mexico. Because Nowell was using an All Star rod, the team won the Berkley Big Bass awards of All Star rods. They also collected Frogg Toggs raingear, Costa Del Mar sunglasses and an assortment of Sebile lures for their second place finish.

“I was making really long casts with 10pound Berkley Big Game line using a Double ZZ Custom baits five inch finesse worm on a shaky head in Nuclear Melon color.

We were fishing in about six feet of water when she bit and after she jumped the first time my partner and I almost died as we started raisJerod Hawkes & Daniel Brock from Texas A&M University-Kingsville took ing the trolling motor first place at the Stillhouse Hollow Spring Breakout Tournament. and engine as she ran straight at and under the between seven and ten feet deep using a boat,” Nowell said.

Norman Middle N in the Brown Trout and “After peeling line and getting her back Gobbie colors. All told during the day we around toward us she jumped two more caught about 30 fish with our best bites com- times but on the second jump my partner ing after 10:30,“ Hawkes said. was able to scoop up the biggest bass of my “It’s a great feat to win this event and life” he added. we’re proud to bring the win home for Texas Nowell and Burke demonstrated their A&M Kingsville,” Brock said. versatility by using a variety of techniques The Texas A&M Kingsville team won a throughout the day to catch their fish. One variety of prizes including the Cabela’s Col- bass came on a crankbait from a brushpile legiate Cup, Pure Fishing Big Bag Award positioned on a flat. Two fell for Texasand Motor Guide trolling motor plus free rigged Senkos fished in 13 to 20 foot deep lodging at the Boat/U.S. Collegiate Bass standing timber and the big bass was temptFishing Championship scheduled for May ed by a shaky head worm rigged on light 25-29 at Lake Lewisville. spinning tackle fished along a rocky point.

Second place went to Clint Nowell and The 2009 Lonestar Spring Breakout Kevin Burke of Sam Houston State who event will be featured on the Boat/U.S. Colweighed in 17.80 pounds. The team legiate Bass Fishing Championship televiweighed in only four fish. However, one of sion series airing on the Versus network this them was a 10.61 pound behemoth which is fall. —Staff Report the biggest bass caught in the history of ACA competition.

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Open Season

by Reavis Wortham| TF&G Humor Editor

Tents Moments Y SPOUSAL UNIT, THE WAR DEPARTMENT, peered through the open tent door.

“Are you going to stay in there all day?”

I opened one eye and looked at her silhouette. The light coming through the thin nylon behind her head was golden. I shifted my position, adjusted the pillow behind my head, and scratched. “Yes.” She sighed, exasperated. “You’ve been in there for nearly two hours. I’m getting bored and the kids are restless. Get off the cot and let’s do something.”

I moved my stocking feet inside the nylon sleeping bag. “This is a great tent, Sugarlump, our home away from home.

Look at all the room in here. If I want to get up and move around, I can do that without stooping over.

“This is much better than the old tent I u s e d back

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in my college days. There was only enough room for a couple of horizontal bodies and nothing else.”

She pitched my hiking shoes at my head.

“I don’t want to hear about your sordid college activities. Put those on and let’s go.”

I settled deeper into the foam pad beneath me. “Did I ever tell you about the canvas tent the Old Man and I used when I was a pup?”

Her face instantly reflected her interest, which means it went blank.

The Redhead and Taz knew what was afoot. With a stereo sigh, our daughters crawled into the other side of the tent for a quick nap.

“We used an old umbrella tent,” I reminisced.

Actually, the Old Man and I hated that tent. It was so old I’m convinced General Sherman used it during his little excursion through the South. The monstrosity weighted more than a Jenny Craig dropout, and was about as difficult to manage.

Lugging the tent was a chore, but erect-

“Did I ever tell you about the canvas tent the Old Man and I used when I was a pup?”

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ing it was punishment fit only for mass murders and government officials.

The only way to erect it was to lay it flat on the ground so the yards of odiferous canvas created a square o f

ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL J. NEVES

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Open Season folds and lumps. It was also necessary to orient the door toward whatever breeze was available. I think we only camped in July and August, when the outside air temperature would turn every unshaded living thing into a large, red blister.

After the pre-game activities, the Old Man initiated an attack by crawling on his hands and knees through the limp door into the stifling tent. He looked like a four-yearold digging under the bedcovers.

To enrich the entertainment value, he also had to drag the Spreading Assembly inside with him. The Assembly was made of what appeared to be angle iron and looked like the bare ribs of an umbrella. My job was to stand in the sun and watch as he grunted, stood up, and expanded the tent’s ceiling ribs to support the top.

Once he was upright, I handed him one pre-assembled corner pole at a time while he balanced the foot-long center pole receiver on top of his head and attempted to insert the legs into the umbrella ribs.

For years I always thought Dad suffered from some kind of exotic ringworm disease of the scalp, but I was grown before I realized the center pole cutting little donuts into his scalp caused the angry red circles. By the time he was finished, the Old Man was soaked with sweat. Then it was usually so hot at night that we all slept on cots outside.

The War Department and the kids were asleep by the time I finished my story. I sighed and tugged on my hiking boots, intending to leave for a while and look around while they slept. Before I could effect my escape, a pair of khaki legs ending

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in sockless loafers appeared at the entrance of the tent.

“Sir?” asked an exasperated voice.

“What?”

“You have to leave...now,” the disembodied voice said. A salesman knelt down and frowned into the tent. “Y’all have been in there way too long and the store is getting ready to close. Besides, our policy prohibits customers from sleeping in our displays.”

I woke the family and we left in a slight huff, or maybe it was a minute and a huff.

How can they expect anyone to select and buy a tent without trying it out? Whatever happened to “customer service,” anyway?

E-mail Reavis Wortham at humor@fishgame.com

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