May 2013

Digital Edition Venomous Snakes of Texas

TriggerUnhappy

MAY 2013 | VOL. XXX • NO. 1 | $3.95

How Triggerfish Went from Unwanted to Endangered

Brush Bass

CURE FOR THOSE

BRUSHPILES AREN’T JUST FOR CRAPPIE

Post-Spawn Blues

DUSTIN ELLERMANN:

STAY SHARP:

Building an AR 15

‘hoo Do You Love?

JUMP ON THE BALLYHOO BANDWAGON

Always Carry a Knife coastal cover

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Digital Edition Venomous Snakes of Texas

MAY 2013 | VOL. XXX • NO. 1 | $3.95

Brush Bass Brushpiles Aren’t Just for Crappie Any More Trigger-Unhappy

HOW TRIGGERFISH WENT FROM UNWANTED TO ENDANGERED DUSTIN ELLERMANN:

Building an AR 15 STAY SHARP:

Always Carry a Knife

CURE FOR THOSE

PostSpawn Blues ‘hoo Do You Love?

JUMP ON THE BALLYHOO BANDWAGON inland cover

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

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

Roy Neves PUBLISHER

Don Zaidle EDITOR-in-chief

Chester moore Executive EDITOR

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

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

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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A D VE R T I S IN G

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CONTENTS FEATURES

May 2013 • Volume XXX • NO. 1

28

‘hoo Do You Love They are the go-to bait for offshore big-game anglers, but inshore fish like trout and reds have a big appetite for them, too. So you should just relax and embrace all the “ballhoo” over Ballyhoo.

by Calixto Gonzales build your own ar15 The AR 15 can be built from the ground up in a variety of calibers and accessorized for many distinct shooting purposes. In a multi-part series, we look at the various AR15 builds for different types of hunting and self defense applications.

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COASTAL cover: Trigger-Unhappy How triggerfish went from being unwanted — a real nuisance to red snapper anglers — to a current status of “overfished” bordering on endangered.

Story by Mike Holmes Cover photo © Can Stock

STORY:

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by Dustin Ellermann

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Fishing The Post Spawn Is the post-spawn period really bass fishing’s toughest time? Keith Combs, Stephen Johnston and Jim Tutt give a pro’s perspective on the so-called Post-Spawn Blues.

by Matt Williams

getting the blade One of the best ways to stay sharp, whether you are in the woods, on a boat, at work, or puttering around the house, is to always have a knife on you.

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A group of seasoned professional bass anglers who fish Texas lakes talk about fishing over brush piles, and all of them agree: They aren’t just for crappie any more.

Story and cover photo

by John N. Felsher

STORY:

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by Paul Bradshaw 4 |

INLAND coverS: Brush Bass

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CONTENTS COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS

May 2013 • Volume XXX • NO. 1

COLUMNS

DEPARTMENTS

Editor’s Notes 10

Lies and

Commentary 21

Zero Tolerance

by DON ZAIDLE TF&G Editor-in-Chief

by Kendal Hemphill TF&G Politcal Commentator

8 letters 12 TF&G Report 12 big bags &

Chester’s Notes 14

Scariest Beasts

Texas Saltwater 32 Broken

38 texas dept. of

by CHESTER MOORE TF&G Executive Editor

by Calixto Gonzales TF&G Saltwater Editor

Liars

Zeitgeist

in the Wild

Dreams

Texas Bow Hunting 34

Have I Got a Deal

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by JOE DOGGETT TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

by bob hood TF&G Hunting Editor

Pike on the Edge 18

The One Thing Missing

Texas Freshwater 50

The Art of Flipping,

by Doug Pike TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

by matt Williams TF&G Freshwater Editor

TexasWild 20

Family Terrorized by

Open Season 64 Kid

by Ted nugent TF&G Editor At Large

by reavis wortham TF&G Humor Editor

Barracuda

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46 True green

for You

Hunt Texas 36

Memories of a

defense

Digital:

by Lou Marullo TF&G Bow Hunting Editor

Doggett at Large 16

Brawling with a

catches

in Texas Bass Fishing

Cops & Caseworkers

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Rabbit Stalker

Punching and Pitching

Fish

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

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

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Letters to the Editor Crossbow Controversy Having been a bowhunter for almost 30 years, I don’t see any controversy regarding crossbows. A crossbow is a crossbow and a bow is a bow. I have no problem with people hunting with crossbows during archery season or any other time.

What Mr. Marullo (“The Crossbow Controversy,” March 2013) misses in his column, however, is that the most difficult part of taking a deer or any other wary game with a bow is the draw. Crossbows allow you to draw in advance, not in the animal’s presence, which is a huge advantage. Far more of an advantage than the compound’s advantages over longbows and recurves.

Bows and crossbows are different, and the distinction needs to be recognized.

Hunting with a crossbow is crossbow hunting. Hunting with a bow is bowhunting, and the two are not equivalent.

It takes considerably more skill to shoot a deer with a bow, and this seems to be glossed over far too much at the behest of crossbow manufacturers and their sponsored representatives. As I said, I have no problem with crossbow hunting; I do have a problem with people who call it bowhunting.

Kevin Calongne Katy, TX Yeah, and those telescopic rifle sights give way too much advantage, too. And so does camouflage clothing. A REAL hunter hunts naked. With a rock. And garlic on his breath.

And don’t get me started on those mechanical bowstring releases...

—Don Zaidle, editor-in-chief

Gun Owners Could Back Part of Schumer’s Plan According to published reports (AP, 8 |

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3/14/13), Sen. Charles Schumer, speaking about his proposed background-check bill, said, “The bill explicitly says there is no registration, explicitly says no confiscation.” It’s good that Mr. Schumer put this on the table; it’s a step in the right direction.

The firearms community might accept this, in principle, with slightly different wording. It’s a question of laws with teeth.

What if, instead of saying “no gun registration,” Schumer’s bill said, “Anyone who creates or attempts to create any sort of gun registration shall go to prison.”

Think of it as constitutional comitatus law — law with teeth that holds officials accountable, instead of laws that merely make statements (like Mr. Schumer’s draft).

The rewrite is modeled after our posse comitatus law that has worked so well for a century and a half.

Similarly, instead of “explicitly” saying no confiscation, let it say, “Anyone who confiscates or attempts to confiscate firearms (or ammo or accessories) that the public bears shall go to prison, too. And pay serious fines.” Mr. Schumer’s noble assurance would be met.

I’ll bet the pro-rights community might support Mr. Schumer along those lines, and we’d have at least partial agreement at last.

Let’s work together for reasonable bipartisan compromise. No registration and no confiscation, under penalty of law. It’s just common sense. Honest legislators should have no reason to object.

Alan Korwin Via email

Advice for Idiots I keep reading Don Zaidle’s January issue Editor’s Notes, “Advice for Idiots.”

Each time I have read this article, I have had trouble getting past the very first “Don’t.”

Isn’t your own magazine made partly of recycled paper? Would your magazine cost less if it didn’t have this type of paper in it?

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Or would it just put more money in your pocket?

How much more land and waters do we want to fill up with trash—wildlife land and waters. At what time do we take a look at ourselves. It will cost our grandchildren and great grandchildren to refurbish the lands and waters that we have taken advantage of.

As we are now refurbishing our wetlands and the numerous of wildlife that has and is taking place now. I realize that I myself maybe an idiot if you could help me understand exactly your point because it didn’t come out very well in your article.

Paul Carline Orange, TX The point was and is that most “green initiatives” such as recycling of certain types of materials are nothing more than feel-good exercises for people who think they simply must “do something.” If you want to recycle plastic bags, re-use them for other purposes.

Taking them to a “recycling center” causes more pollution and energy consumption than making an original bag does. The same is true of recycled paper—which IS more expensive than virgin paper.

Around my house, we “recycle” paper in the fireplace, underneath the dog, and on the truck floorboard on muddy days.

—DZ

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

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Editor’s Notes

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

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otwithstanding the amalgam of inhumanity that characterizes politics and the minions thereof, the nature of my profession (and business in general) constantly exposes me to crooks, cheats, and liars.

Almost daily, I encounter examples of hucksters (and sometime jokesters) using junk science to dupe bright people into believing total bull cookies.

Among the worst offenders: the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). Ordinarily, I would never question let alone bother to investigate the bona fides of an organization with such a respectablesounding name, but PCRM first drew my scrutiny with a full-page ad in the Washington Post dissuading people from eating fish. Any fish. From anywhere. Ever. Period.

The ad depicted a fish and text that read: “Mercury is such a potent neurotoxin that even small doses can cause irreversible brain and heart damage. Our single biggest source of mercury exposure is fish consumption.

So why is the federal Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee—the panel of experts charged with determining what we should eat—getting set to recommend Americans eat 8 to 9 ounces of fish a week, an amount that will put our health at risk? ... Mercury is everywhere. In the canned tuna from your local grocery store. In the salmon, shrimp, and shellfish you order at the restaurant.”

The text goes on to make the outrageous claims: “One in six women of childbearing age in the United States has blood mercury levels exceeding the ‘safe’ levels recommended by the EPA. More than 600,000 babies are born every year at risk of mercury-related birth defects....”

While I am far from a fan of the EPA, the very things that give me pause about the agency (overkill regulations and Chicken Little 10 |

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for Consumer Freedom, said in a press release: “Legitimate medical authorities like the American Heart Association and the American Dietetic Association recommend eating fish for better health. But PETA’s extremists care more about fish than people, so their pseudo-medical front group is muddying the waters with animal-rights arguments masquerading as medical science. Animal rights nuts are not credible medical authorities. Americans who catch PCRM’s anti-fish propaganda should toss it back. It’s not worth swallowing.”

The point I am trying to drive home is: We must take all medical advice dispensed en-masse with a huge grain of the proverbial.

“

PCRM discourages donations to health charities.

“

Lies and Liars

reactions to minor environmental hiccups) convince me that double the mercury level it considers safe is probably still well outside the red zone. A bit more digging disclosed the “600,000 babies” bit a monumental crock of misapplied, out-of-context junk science.

PCRM is closely aligned with and actually a front group for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the animal fetish group.

According to the Center for Consumer Freedom (www.consumerfreedom.com), a watchdog group that keeps an eye on and exposes congregations of idiots such as PETA and PCRM: “While PCRM presents itself as a doctor-supported, unbiased source of health guidance, the group’s own literature admits that 95 percent of its members have no medical degrees.”

The American Medical Association (AMA)—the real representative of the medical profession—labeled PCRM a “fringe organization” that uses “unethical tactics” and is “interested in perverting medical science.” The AMA even imposed a formal censure of the group—a rare thing, indeed.

PCRM discourages donations to health charities, including the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, American Foundation for AIDS Research, Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, American Red Cross, March of Dimes, and even Boys Town because those groups support medical research that uses lab animals.

PCRM president Neal Barnard is not a physician in the strictest sense, but a psychiatrist. Nonetheless, he produces a steady torrent of anti-meat, anti-dairy nutrition research, all of which invariably conclude a vegetarian diet solves all kinds of health problems from hangnails to hangovers.

Barnard is PETA’s medical advisor, president of the Foundation to Support Animal Protection (a.k.a. “The PETA Foundation”), and advisory board member of EarthSave International. Would you buy a diet book from this man?

As for PCRM’s “fish advisory,” Richard Berman, Executive Director of the Center

Organized hucksters like PCRM, PETA, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), et al use lies, misinformation, and junk science to indoctrinate the incautious with their brand of religion, and persuade government to enforce their immorality on the rest of us. Anyone using scare tactics to convince you not to eat meat (including poultry and fish), eggs, or dairy products is misrepresenting the facts at best, and probably lying, too.

Personally, I think I will go and catch a mess of crappie or speckled trout, fry them up with hushpuppies made from an egg-based batter, wash it down with a tall glass of cold milk, and chase it with a nice cut of beef.

Then, come November, near this certain deer blind I know of...

Contact Don Zaidle at DZaidle@fishgame.com

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Big Buck Update: Taylor Buck Takes Over Race for Non-Typical State Record There has been a big league shake-up in the race for the new Pope and Young nontypical state record whitetail. I call it big because there is nothing little about either of the whitetail bucks involved in what has turned out to be a seesaw battle of inches for one of Texas’ most prestigious deer hunting titles.

Here’s a little history on the two bruiser bucks in question: A.J. Downs Buck: The buck was taken on Sept. 29 on a 12,000-acre open range lease in San Jacinto County by bow hunter A.J. Downs of Conroe. The enormous 28-point rack grosses 263 1/8 and nets 253 3/8 Boone and Crockett inches, according to the official score sheet turned over to P&Y last November by certified scorers Randy Reeves and Bob Sweisthal, both of Spring.

The Downs buck score crushed that of the former P&Y state record non-typical shot in Dec. 2010 in Dimmit County

by South Texas hunter Thomas Friedkin.

The Friedkin buck, a 19 pointer, nets 229 6/8, according to P&Y records.

Following the A.J. Downs’ San Jacinto County 28 pointer went before a panel of P&Y judges in late February. The outcome was a different score from the original net of 253 3/8.

submission of his official score, Downs was told by P&Y that his deer ranked as the No. 9 P&Y non-typical of all-time in North America, and is the highest scoring nontypical entered nationally during P&Y’s last two year recording period.

He also was issued acceptance certificates from P&Y and B&C, and invited make his deer

Photo: A.J. Downs

The TF&G Report

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B ig B ags&C atches

Mike Harger, his wife Yvette, and Nick Casatelli caught this 80-pound sailfish just 10 miles from San Luis Pass. Fortunately, Mike knew how to handle the huge surprise catch. They quickly took this photo, then released it back into the Gulf.

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John Hall took this 10-point buck while hunting in Carrizo Springs. It scored an impressive Boone & Crockett 191.

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Allen Peterson caught this 20-pound red snapper while fishing in the Gulf.

Robert Taylor’s buck netted out at 254 4/8 Boone & Crockett. It won’t be eligible for Pope & Young’s panel scoring until 2015.

score sheet has been delivered. As of April 2, it had not showed up in his mailbox.

Robert Taylor Buck: The Taylor buck was arrowed on Dec. 29 in Grayson County

by Robert Taylor of Aubrey. Like the Downs buck, the deer was taken on a low fence spread, only significantly smaller in size. That’s small as in 4.7 acres.

The gross “green” score on the 42-point rack was 256 3/8, 249 2/8 “green” net, according to measurements turned in to the Texas Big Game Awards Program in January by official B&C scorers Eric Stanosheck of Haslet and Jennifer Barrow of Decatur. Green scores are tallied ahead of a mandatory 60-day drying period required before antlers can be officially scored for Pope and Young or Boone and Crockett records.

Taylor’s buck was officially re-taped

by Stanosheck and Barrow last week (March 26) following the 60-day drying period, and that’s when the shake-up in the race for the state record occurred.

According to Stanosheck, the rack actually netted out 5 2/8 inches higher (254 4/8) after drying than it did when it was green. That’s largely because the scorers took a different route when it came to interpreting one of the main beams and a G3 tine.

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put a tape on it this time,” Stanosheck said. “We eventually decided that what we called the main beam in green scoring truly wasn’t the main beam. When we made a different call on the main beam, it changed the G3. That made a big difference in the net score.”

Additionally, Stanosheck said the Taylor buck gained two scoreable points after drying, which made it a 44 pointer instead of 42 pointer.

According to Stanosheck, a point must be at least one inch long, and no wider that it is long, to factor into a score.

“Two of the (webbed or palmated) points didn’t qualify as scoreable points when the rack was wet, because their length was not in excess of their width,” he said.

After drying, however, Stanosheck said the webbing shrunk enough that they were able to squeeze two more scoreable points out of the rack. One of the points was 1 1/8 inches, the other 1 3/8 inches, he said.

Bottomline: Unless the P&Y panel score on the Downs buck is higher than the original (and it seems likely that it is not), it appears that the Taylor buck has taken over the No. 1 spot in the race for the P&Y state record non-typical.

It is also worth noting that it will be 2015 before the Grayson County whitetail will be eligible to undergo the same panel scoring scrutiny that the Downs buck did.

P&Y scoring periods run in increments of two years, and Taylor’s official score was not available before the passage of P&Y’s Dec. 31, 2012 deadline for the most recent two-year scoring period.

When asked how it feels to be atop the big buck heap for Texas non-typicals - pending panel scoring - Taylor said he is excited to say the least.

“I think it is pretty awesome,” he said.

“I’ve always thought pretty highly of my deer, and to tell you the truth I was happy being No. 2. I hate it for A.J., because his is a great buck, too. I would have loved to have had mine panel scored right along beside his so there wouldn’t be any doubts.

Unfortunately, it just didn’t work out that way. It will be real interesting to see how it all shakes out when I take it for panel scoring in two years.”

—Matt Williams

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available for “panel judging” prior to the P&Y Club’s 28th Biennium Awards Banquet and Convention set for April 10-13 in Dallas.

Additionally, Downs has been invited to bring his deer to Reno, Nev. for panel judging at the B&C Club’s 28th Big Game Awards Program in July.

Panel judging involves several certified scorers evaluating the rack for accuracy of the original measurements on top end bucks. An official score can go up or down if judges deem it fit.

Keep in mind, the level of difficulty involved in scoring a freak rack such as this is considerably greater than taping a slick 10-pointer. One miscalculation, one bad judgement call or one wrong measurement can result in a bunch of ground gained or lost in a hurry on a deer of such caliber.

In late February, the buck was evaluated by a panel of P&Y judges at Cabelas in Ft. Worth. Downs says he has since been told

by Mike Kitsler, P&Y Records Committee Chairman that the panel came up with a score that is different from the original turned in by Reeves and Sweisthal.

How significant the difference is in the two scores is not yet known. Downs says he won’t release the new score until the official

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Chester’s Wild Life

by Chester Moore | TF&G Executive Editor

Scariest Beasts in the Wild

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here is no question the most dangerous thing to encounter in the woods or on the water are people.

And this comes from someone who has had personal encounters with everything from leopards to great white sharks.

Most people of course will be harmless but when it comes to raw, destructive force humans are undeniably at the top of the list. Hunters along the border are rightly concerned about the civil war taking place in Mexico spilling over into their hunting camp.

In addition, there is the potential to encounter just plain bad people anywhere out there. And while a statistical study would probably show people encountered in rural areas are less likely to wish you harm than those in urban areas, bad people encountered in the wild have isolation on their side.

Encountering people with bad intentions in isolated locations is the reason I always remain cautious when beyond the pavement.

Of course seeing “Deliverance” when I was 14 years old probably has something to do with this as well. That whole “squeal like a pig thing” terrifies me to no end.

I will never forget walking down to Boggy Creek near Fouke, Ark. With my friend Smokey Crabtree who was one of the stars of famous 1970s Bigfoot pseudo-documentary “The Legend of Boggy Creek”.

As he strapped on his .357, Smokey said with his trademark whit, “This gun’s not for the monster. It’s for the people.”

He was referring to dangerous elements that sometimes use such remote locations to prey on others and on that day I had no doubt, my famous friend would have defended us whether the “monster” was of the human or not-so human variety.

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Maybe I am hyper aware of this than most because I have traveled the world and been exposed to all kinds of situations, often in the middle of nowhere. From gun-toting criminals in Venezuela to white supremacists in Europe to hardline poachers in East Texas, I have seen them all.

By far the most frightening encounter however occurred on top of a mountain in Humboldt County, Ca nearly 14 years ago.

My Dad and I were field-testing some killer audio recording equipment and generation 3 night vision goggles. While looking through them, I saw a beam of light shine up toward us. I took the goggles off and could not see it. Then I put them back on and the light was there. I immediately knew someone had an infrared light and was trying to remain concealed and I had a feeling they weren’t testing new equipment.

We were parked at the end of a logging road near the top of the mountain and had gear spread everywhere. We hurriedly threw it all in the rental truck and headed back toward civilization.

When we hit the main road on the mountain, we were met with headlights on the other side of the road we were on. The car stayed on our tail as I literally drove 70 down the mountain and they refused to pass when I offered them space in the passing areas.

Dad and I both knew we had encountered smugglers and prayed heavily for safety.

When we got to the main highway, the vehicle turned around and went back up. We went back to our hotel and never returned to that area or told anyone of this incident until now.

When we got home I called the U.S. Forest Service and without mentioning what happened and asked about carrying a gun on their lands while hiking and doing photography. The ranger who answered the phone said, “By all means do.”

She then said that whole county was dangerous to traverse and that we were lucky. If a ranger working for the federal government in California tells you to pack heat, you know it’s bad!

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to do harm but conduct themselves in such a way as to become a menace.

Let us take drunk boaters for instance.

It is just as dangerous to drive a boat drunk as it is to drive a car and over the last few years there have been several high profile drunk boater related fatal collisions on Texas waterways.

Something else that we may not like to talk about but is a reality is unsafe hunters.

Statistically hunting is safer than most sports but every year we hear a couple of incidents of people shooting at the bushes and killing their son who was walking behind them or shooting another hunter walking through the woods.

It is important to always stay alert when you are in the great outdoors and to surround yourself with good people.

Taking good friends with you on fishing and hunting expeditions ups the safety factor by a long shot and not only gives you an edge in case there is an encounter with bad guys but also in case you get hurt.

People die every year simply because they could not get to a hospital on time after everything from heart attacks to snake bites.

The outdoors is not a good place to be alone.

I am the most positive person you will ever meet but I am a realist. Dangers do lurk in the outdoors and the most insidious kind are human created.

Think safety first and always keep an eye out on the other guy so that no one gets hurt out there. And always carry a gun where you have the ability to do so.

It is somewhat politically correct to say, “the last thing I would want to have to do is use a gun in self defense.”

While I certainly would not want to be in that position, the last thing I would want to do is need to use a gun in self defense and not have one handy.

Think about it.

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

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Doggett at Large

by Joe Doggett | TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

Brawling with a Barracuda

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laya Blanca flats guide Carlos Vasquez planted the push pole and pointed across the white sand. “Good barracuda at 2 o’clock.”

I held the limp bonefish rod and stared, shocked at the awesome image. It had materialized from nowhere.

The four-foot fish was motionless, poised like a thick gray-green javelin. I looked Playa Blanca flats guide Carlos Vasquez with Doggett’s 20-pound (+/-) ‘cuda.

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dumbly at the 7-weight rod and the puny No. 6 Gotcha fly and recalled the old axiom about bringing a knife to a gunfight.

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fish rod and take the plug rod.”

I reached back and grabbed the sevenfoot casting rod. It was rigged for barracuda.

The reel was spooled with 50-pound braid and a short wire leader was knotted to a chartreuse tube lure.

The barracuda turned slightly, giving us the cold stink eye. It knew we were there; it just didn’t care.

I cocked the rod and made a decent cast across the breeze. The elongated lure fell about 15 feet in front of the fish. As soon as the tube hit, I started cranking the 6-to-1 ratio reel as fast as possible.

The bright tube splashed and twisted, coming hard on a straight retrieve. The barracuda flashed into life, accelerating with frightening speed, and snatched the lure about 20 feet off the rod tip.

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All three of us shouted and yelled as the water flew.

The big fish tore about 75 yards from the reel then came out in a low, arching leap. The spool was getting thin but the run F i s h

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slowed. Vasquez heaved on the push pole and I was able to start regaining line.

The barracuda made another jump, followed by several spurts around the boat.

But, like all furious sprinters, it was shortwinded. Vasquez hopped from the poling platform, reached gingerly with a cupped hand behind the wolf teeth, and lifted under the big gill plate.

The barracuda was a gorgeous predator, maybe 20 pounds, gleaming silver and green with “fearful symmetry.” The cold eyes and wolf teeth defined an apex killer.

Vasquez held tight as I reached with needle-nosed pliers and popped the large treble from the corner of the snaggled jaw.

I took a quick photo and he eased the fish back into the water. It stirred back and forth then shot away.

That incident occurred several months ago during a fishing trip to Playa Blanca Lodge on the southern end of the Yucatan Peninsula.

I mention it in detail because it was typical of barracuda encounters on clear tropical flats.

Mexico, Belize, Bahamas, Cuba, Florida Keys — wherever the great barracuda roams the shallows, the potential for light-tackle sight-casting awaits. And it is some of the most dramatic fishing you can imagine. I remain amazed that barracudas do not command more attention among high-profile angling experts.

Barracudas often move shallow on the tides to feed on schools of mullet and bonefish. The fact that they can routinely outrun frantic bonefish should tell you something fast-lane capabilities.

Regardless of venue, the bonefish/permit angler stands an excellent chance of seeing Photo: Joe Doggett

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at least one sizeable barracuda during a day on the flats. Most likely, several opportunities will be faced. At least, this has been my experience.

“Sizeable” is open to interpretation.

The shallow-water scale starts at about 10 pounds. Most mature barracudas on the flats weigh in the mid-teens. Anything topping an honest 20 is a standout. My largest, estimated at 30, struck a propeller-type bass plug.

Regardless of size, these are aggressive fish. They roam the shallows to feed but hooking one is not always a “gimme.” The key when bonefishing is to be ready with a backup outfit. You want to have a rod of suitable caliber specifically set up with a short wire leader and a proper lure.

Fumbling around, trying to re-rig after a barracuda is sighted, can be a disaster. The hovering fish might seem arrogant and indifferent but the longer you stare at each other across a clear flat, the more cautious the fish is likely to become.

A quick draw vastly improves the odds of a blazing strike.

The most effective barracuda outfit is a

large open-faced spinning reel fitted to a 7- or 7 1/2-foot medium-heavy rod. The spinning reel offers two advantages over a free-spool casting reel: First, you can chunk with impunity into gusting wind; second, the big spool provides a superior retrieve ratio.

And when tempting barracudas, speed kills.

A medium-heavy plug casting outfit will suffice and I (as many Texans) prefer the clean style of plugging over spinning. But don’t blame me if you and your “educated thumb” wham into an upwind backlash of major proportions, or you cannot get the lure moving fast enough to excite a strike.

Spinning or casting, the reel should be spooled with 15- to 20-pound mono, or braid of similar diameter.

Big barracudas can be hooked on 9- to 10-weight fly tackle but consistent success is difficult. For a legitimate shot, you must get inside 70 or 80 feet without spooking the fish. And any upwind presentation is extremely difficult — especially with an elongated or bushy streamer.

Also, the ready-rigged fly rod is harder to get into play; you’ve got to frantically strip

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a workable length of line from the reel, and then make the necessary false casts to load the rod. By now, the clock is against you.

Finally, it’s hard to retrieve the line fast enough to ignite a strike from a following barracuda. You strip-strip-strip until half the 9-foot leader is through the tip guide. Now you’ve run out of string. The lean, mean killer gives you a scary stare, almost close enough to poke, then vanishes.

I’ve caught several nice barracudas on flies but if you want to maximize potential, switch to conventional tackle. Many grand opportunities are forfeited with the fly rod simply because the fish is too far, or the wind is wrong, or getting the fly in the water takes too long. But if you are willing to accept the limitations, go for it.

Regardless of approach, the caster firing a shot at a sighted barracuda is primed for one of the most dramatic experiences that inshore angling can offer.

Contact Joe Doggettl at JDoggett@fishgame.com

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4/10/13 10:25 AM

Pike on the Edge

by Doug Pike | TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

The One Thing Missing in Texas’ Bass Fishing

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nyone who knows me knows of my singular pet peeve with Texas’ largemouth bass fishery. I’ll point out plenty of positives first, then drop that nagging hammer.

First, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has done a stellar job for decades of raising and releasing fast-growing, hard-fighting bass. By the millions, our hatchery system – which has its flaws, but that’s for another space – churns out fry and fingerlings and delivers them annually

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wherever they are most needed.

If it mattered to the points I’ll make here, I’d have dredged up all sorts of facts and figures about Texas bass. But it does not. So I will not. Instead, just know that there aren’t many reservoirs in our state from which you couldn’t catch a “mess of fish” most any day that conditions were conducive to doing so.

I am confident also that no other state has as many lakes that hold such quantities as ours of quality fish. To my knowledge, and there’s a dozen donuts waiting for

anyone who can prove me wrong, Texas is the only state that can officially document the catching, spawning and healthy release of hundreds of largemouth bass weighing at least 13 pounds each.

That’s TPWD’s Sharelunker program, in case you’re not familiar, and it rewards participants – as if catching a 13-pound bass weren’t reward enough – a replica mount, recognition at an annual banquet, and other goodies.

Let’s recognize here also that a bass need not weigh 13 pounds to qualify as big. Anywhere else on the planet than Lake Fork, a bass that weighs 10 pounds or heavier is a major-league largemouth. Lake Fork, for the record, spits out three, four, maybe five hundred of those big-league bass every year.

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The same impoundment also is responsible for more than half those hundreds of Sharelunker entries. The other half, in varying quantities, came from several dozen more lakes in Texas that proved themselves capable of producing monster bass.

Now would be a good time for Texas bass fishermen to pat each other’s backs. We catch these enormous fish, snap a couple of pictures, then either release them immediately back into the lake or, for Sharelunkers, get them to a holding tank until transportation arrives for the trip to our Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens.

At Lake Fork and many other Texas reservoirs – but especially at Lake Fork – deliberately killing a big bass sparks roughly the same reaction as calling a man’s wife ugly in public and in her presence.

In contrast, with apologies to my Louisiana friends, a story broke in late March about a new lake-record bass caught in New Orleans’ City Park. I fished that water as a kid, with my father during visits to his mother’s home. It’s a “fishy” lake that should be more productive.

Unfortunately for anyone who fishes there this summer or next, the man who caught the new record bass from City Park Lake (and replaced a record that stood 40-something years) hauled it away. The accompanying picture showed the man holding the lake’s best-ever bass, long after it drew its last oxygen from water, while standing in what appears to be his own driveway.

I don’t begrudge any person a meal of fresh fish, but some fish deserve to be set free. Lake records get such a pass. He could have gotten $20 from my wallet to ease her back into the water, and that would have bought plenty of market fillets for his family.

Farther north than Texas and Louisiana, the growing season typically isn’t long enough to super-size largemouth bass. State records “way up there” run pretty light compared to ours.

Even Oklahoma, where the same lake produced new state records in 2012 and again this year, each of those fish were 14 pounds and change. Texas’ Top 50 all weigh more than 15 pounds.

Hammer in three, two….But we don’t

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have a 20-pounder. Not to take anything away from Barry St. Clair, whose Texas state-record bass of 18.18 pounds was caught many more years ago than should have passed without a new queen being crowned, but we’re overdue.

I can’t find fault with TPWD’s aggressive stocking program, I can’t fault Californians for feeding their bass rainbow trout, I can’t begrudge Florida its 20-pounders since it’s their strain of fish that grow so large, and I can’t for the life of me figure how Georgia put one on the board before we did.

About the only thing I can do, and so can you, is keep casting and casting and casting and casting and casting and casting…until one of us catches one of those 20-pound largemouth bass that we all know are swimming in a dozen Texas lakes.

If you catch it first, congratulations. At this stage, it doesn’t matter who hits the ball so long as it goes over the fence.

Contact Doug Pike at DPike@fishgame.com

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4/4/13 9:23 AM

Ted’s TexasWild

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

Family Terrorized by Cops & Caseworkers

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How do you explain to the Moore boy that what happened to him was wrong, that the authorities were blatantly abusing power, that there is nothing wrong with the picture and what his father did when his experience tells him otherwise?

What happened to the Moore family is not the America I know and love – the land of the free and home of the brave. What

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What happened to the Moore family is not the America I know and love – land of the free and home of the brave.

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o know the culture war is raging and that gun rights are the tip of the spear, you need to look nom further than what happened to the Moore family that lives in Carneys Point, New Jersey.

Shawn Moore, the father of a good son doing good things, posted an on-line picture of his smiling and proud boy holding his new rifle. The rifle was the son’s birthday present, the kind of present given to millions of good kids by millions of good parents across America for time immemorial.

The innocent picture of the smiling young boy brought out New Jersey Department of Children and Family caseworkers and the local cops who reportedly were dressed in black raid gear and wearing body armor.

Reportedly, the dangerously disconnected unprofessionals from the New Jersey Department of Children and Family Caseworkers threatened to take the Moore children from the home for no good reason whatsoever.

Reports are the local cops wanted to search the family home but that Shawn Moore put his attorney on the phone who told the cops that if they wanted to search the home they would have to first go and get a search warrant. As if the cops didn’t know this already.

The family attorney was spot-on in telling the cops to get a search warrant and for saying that this could have all been avoided with a simple phone call.

It breaks my law enforcement heart to know that this young boy may now have a frightening and negative image of cops and other authorities for this over-reaction and unnecessary unprofessional conduct. I can’t blame the lad if he does. What he and his family experienced was scary, ugly, wrong, and heavy-handed.

happened reminds me of the actions of some secret police goon squad in a commie-infested, third-world cesspool of a country where people are trampled upon by the authorities with reckless abandon.

Someone should be fired for doing this to this young boy and his family, but I bet no one will. That’s not how the out-of-control bureaucracy engine is tuned in these corrupt, troubling times. There is zero accountability among bureaucrat punks who are drunk on power.

If the individual in charge of the New F i s h

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Jersey Department of Children and Family Caseworkers has an ounce of integrity, he or she will offer their resignation. Same goes for the Chief of Police.

The city cops and the New Jersey Department of Children and Family Caseworkers should publicly apologize to the family, beg them for forgiveness, and inform the public of the changes they have made to their procedures so that other families won’t experience the terror that the Moore family felt.

There is no justification for what happened –— not the massacre at Sandy Hook or the slaughter in Aurora. The only excuse for raiding a family home because of a picture of a smiling young boy holding his new rifle is because some bureaucrats are stoned on abuse of power and the insanity of nonsensical hyper fear of guns. Case closed.

It is my hope that someday the entire Moore family could come to the Nugent ranch for a day of firearm’s fun under the freedom-drenched Texas sun. The young Moore boy and his family could celebrate the time honored quality shooting sports that ultimately teaches the aim small miss small marksmanship discipline that tens of millions of American families enjoy week in and week out in every state in the nation.

We will spend the day together blazing away with a variety of weapons, hunting varmints, checking traps, eating venison barbecue, and going on four-wheel drive excursions where no man has gone before.

Note to soulless bureaucrats: We are going to take plenty of pictures and post them all over the Internet because this is how good, law-abiding American families spend our time. And the Texas authorities will smile with approval, because they do the same good, proper, legal things.

Contact Ted Nugent at TNugent@fishgame.com

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4/4/13 9:23 AM

Commentary

by Kendal Hemphill | TF&G Political Commentator

Zero Tolerance Zeitgeist

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arch, 2002 – A ten-year-old boy, along with seven friends, was suspended from Dry Creek Elementary School in Centennial, Colorado, for pointing their fingers like guns during a game of ‘Army and Aliens’ on the school playground. – Washington Times

February, 2010 – A twelve-year-old girl in Forest Hills, New York wrote ‘I love my friends Abby and Faith. Lex was here 2/1/10.’ Police were called, and the girl was arrested, handcuffed in front of her classmates, and taken to jail. – CNN Justice February, 2013 – A seven-year-old boy at Blair Elementary School in Loveland, Colorado was suspended for throwing an imaginary grenade at imaginary bad guys at recess while playing a game he’d invented called ‘Rescue the World.’ – Fox News March, 2013 – A seven-year-old boy, while eating breakfast at Park Elementary School in Baltimore, Maryland, received a two-day suspension for chewing a Pop Tart into the shape of a gun. – Fox News March, 2013 – An eight-year-old girl at Love Joy Elementary School in Alton, Illinois threw a tantrum, and was subsequently handcuffed and held by police for two hours. – KMOV.com local news station.

These are just a few examples of rampant abuse caused by Zero Tolerance rules adopted by school districts in the U.S. Personally, I thought we had hit rock bottom when a high school senior in Dallas was

suspended because a butter knife was found in the back of his pickup, after he’d helped his grandmother move. Not so much.

A reader sent me a note after a recent column, castigating me for claiming that political correctness was the greatest threat to America today. His opinion was that our country faces many greater threats, such as drug abuse, racism, and terrorism. And those are certainly legitimate problems.

Most of the issues we must overcome as a nation, however, could be addressed much easier if political correctness were not a factor. We are so afraid we might fracture someone’s delicate feelings, we err far to the side of caution. And in the above examples of zero tolerance in schools, such an effort was made to protect the rights of students that the rights of other students were disregarded in toto.

In two of the cases mentioned, girls were placed in handcuffs, as if a twelve- or eightyear-old girl posed such a threat to her classmates, even while in contact with a police officer, that physical restraint was necessary.

Are our cops so feeble they have to handcuff little girls to maintain control? If so, we have other issues to address.

Granted, the other students in those classes have rights, too, such as the right to study at desks unmarred by graffiti, and the right to learn in a calm environment. But I submit those rights could have been restored without the debasement and humiliation of the offenders.

As unbelievable as the treatment of those girls may be, the other cases mentioned, while expected in today’s atmosphere of gun fear, are even more ridiculous. The girls, at least, physically damaged property and disrupted class. The boys harmed no one, and in fact did nothing but act like boys.

Far more disturbing than the boys being punished for doing nothing wrong, however, is what happened in one of the cases after the fact.

After the boy in Maryland was suspended for chewing a pastry into the shape of a pistol, the school sent a letter home to parents offering counciling for any children T e x a S

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who were ‘troubled’ by the incident. I imagine more students were troubled by the behavior of school administrators than by a Pop Tart shaped like a gun, but the implication is that the mere shape of a firearm might be emotionally traumatic for a child. Pfffft.

All of that is entirely too politically correct (in other words, wrong), but far more bizarre the case (Fox News) of the 16-yearold Florida student who was suspended for having a gun on a school bus. But it wasn’t his gun. Another boy had brandished the loaded weapon, and pointed it at a third student. The hero then wrestled the gun away from its owner, and was subsequently suspended for it. The school evidently has a rule that all parties involved in any incident involving a weapon must be suspended.

So a boy could have stayed out of trouble by allowing a fellow student to be shot.

Since he acted, and possibly saved a life, he is being punished. Doing the right thing has become the wrong thing.

Without question, there are risks that must be taken into account for doing the right thing. My best friend was once stabbed when he came to the defense of a girl being threatened by a boy with a knife. The Florida student, or someone else, could have been shot as he wrested the gun from the other kid. Life is what happens while you’re making other plans.

But if we stop to consider all the bad things that can happen before we act, we will never make a difference. Personally, I’d rather live in a world where people try to help others and fail, than a world where everyone sits idly by and watches evil run rampant with no opposition.

As a society we can be politically correct, or we can be right. We can’t be both.

Contact Kendal Hemphill at Khemphill@fishgame.com

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4/4/13 9:24 AM

In just about every lake in Texas, par-

ticularly in the eastern half of the state, crappie anglers create thousands of brush piles each year. While most exist to concentrate those delicious and prolific panfish, these woody clumps recently began to attract more attention from dedicated bass anglers.

“I’ve fished brush piles at lots of Texas

Bend and Lake Fork have hundreds of

lakes,” said Kevin VanDam, a four-time

brush piles, but even some border lakes

Bassmaster Classic champion. “Crappie

like Amistad and Falcon have numerous

fishing has become extremely popular

brush piles.”

Anglers build brush piles to attract minnows and threadfin shad, the favorite food of crappie, but heaps of woody debris sitting on the lake bottom create ideal habitat to support an entire food chain. Within 24

around most Texas lakes, but people put out as many piles for bass as they do for crappie. Almost all Texas lakes have brush piles. Lakes like Sam Rayburn, Toledo

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Photo: John N. Felsher

4/8/13 11:48 AM

Brush Piles Are Not Just for Crappie Any More by john n. felsher

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Kevin VanDam used a jointed crankbait to pull this bass out of the brush.

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hours, a good brush pile could become thriving oasis for many species. Minnows and other baitfish use the cover to escape from predators. Crappie and bluegills feed upon

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Denny Brauer looks for brush piles on lakes without much natural cover.

tiny baitfish and other organisms hiding amid the branches. Bass also eat minnows and shad, but more likely, they show up to gobble bluegill and smaller crappie.

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“Brush piles can be dynamite places to fish for bass, especially on lakes that don’t have much natural cover,� explained Denny Brauer, a former Bassmaster Classic

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small organisms. Small baitfish and other organisms attract larger fish like bluegill and crappie. Bass eat those species and other things. The more different species the pile attracts, the more activity around the pile and the better the fishing as bigger species work up their way up food chain.�

Not so long ago, people who built brush piles concealed their locations with almost the same vigor that pirates used to guard maps to buried treasure. With modern electronics, however, lakes no longer hold

secrets. A skilled angler using a high-definition side or structure scanning sonar unit can easily find any pile on the lake and instantly determine how to pick apart that piece of cover. With a GPS, anglers can pinpoint hot brush piles and effortlessly return to that precise spot.

Brush piles come in all shapes and sizes.

Around Lake Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend, many anglers create piles about 20 feet square. At each corner of the square, they drop fresh green willows, oak branches

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Photos: John N. Felsher

champion. “A brush pile is such a good place to fish because it makes an entire ecosystem. Algae builds up on the branches.

That attracts minnows, shad and other

Texan James Niggemeyer rigs up one of his favorite jigs for fishing around brush piles.

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A crankbait can be a challenge on a brush pile, but sometimes that is what the bass want.

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Mike Iaconelli lands a bass he caught on a jig in heavy South Texas brush.

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Kevin VanDam checks his side-scan sonar unit for brush piles.

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or similar woody cover. Others use bundles of bamboo weighted at one end with concrete to make them stand vertically like underwater forests.

No matter how a pile looks, most anglers position their boats a good casting distance away to avoid running directly over it and first throw to the edges. By circling a pile and hitting the edges almost like working a shoreline, anglers might entice five or six bass before they work in toward the middle.

“The only time I start with the middle of a brush pile is when I figure out that’s the only place I can get a bite,” Brauer recommended. “Then, I’ll sit over the top of the pile and vertically jig. The problem with starting in the middle of the pile is taking the risk of spooking the fish by hanging up a bait. If nothing bites on the outside edges, move in deeper. Sometimes, we have to really pound brush piles to find the right spot where bass congregate and switch baits to see what fish want to eat that day.

Sometimes, getting one fish to bite will fire up the entire school.”

Since bass lurking around brush piles primarily eat other fish, crankbaits or suspending jerkbaits can produce excellent results. Many anglers try to provoke reaction strikes by careening deep-running crankbaits off the outside limbs or wobbling them over the tops of the piles. Unfortunately, treble hooks on such baits can easily snag limbs, startling fish.

“I’ll use a wide variety of baits to fish brush piles,” VanDam advised. “Sometimes, a crankbait snags. That can spook the fish, but sometimes, bass want that crankbait.

Day in and day out, though, the best lures to fish around brush piles are jigs and big 10-inch plastic worms. I first make a finesse type of presentation with a jig or a Texasrigged worm. If nothing happens for 10 or 15 minutes, I’ll try to rattle the brush with a crankbait.”

Many fishermen hit the piles from all angles with various lures. At times, dragging a Carolina rig around the edges or vertically fishing a drop shot through the middle of cover might work best. Slow rolling a spinnerbait over the branches can also work.

When bass key on shad or other fish, a slow-sinking swimbait flicked over the top of a pile makes a natural presentation that can entice vicious strikes. Highly versatile baits and relatively snagless, a shaky head tipped with a succulent worm can dance in and out of entangling branches.

Photos: John N. Felsher

4/2/13 2:05 PM

“Brush pile fishing has really caught on as more bass guys are winning tournaments on them,” remarked James Niggemeyer, a

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Kevin VanDam fights a bass he caught on a jointed crankbait at Lake Amistad.

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professional angler and guide (903-3120780, JamesNiggemeyer.com) from Van, Texas. “On Lake Fork, I like to fish brush piles with a big shaky head worm or a jig.

With a shaky head, I drag and shake it with intermittent pauses. I don’t hop it; I shake the slack in the line to make the worm dance and jiggle on the bottom. I want to give the bait some action, but not move it away from the fish.”

With good electronics and a few casts, anglers can often determine where fish want

to stay around any brush pile on a given day, but keep experimenting with different baits, depths, angles and presentations. After establishing a pattern, look for more nearby brush piles that offer similar combinations of configuration, depth and other conditions.

4/2/13 2:05 PM

or, Why you should just relax and embrace all the ‘balyhoo’ over Ballyhoo 28 |

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Photo: Canstock

4/2/13 2:15 PM

by calixto gonzales

Conditions were not what you would call fisherman-

friendly. The wind was blowing straight south at a steady 25 knots with gusts pushing 35. Foam lines streaked the water of Lower Laguna Madre, which looked like a cup of coffee with a generous dollop of cream in it.

The fish were biting however, and my two stalwart partners—Anibal Gorena and Dave Rutledge—were going to make a serious try for them.

“I guess topwaters are out,” Dave

15 inches above the lead. I reached into the

sections. I tossed a chunk each to Anibal

quipped. “You could probably throw a

red soft-sided cooler I had stowed under my

and Dave and kept the head for my own

Super Spook 150 yards with that tailwind.”

Bay Quests center console and pulled out a

use. We pinned the silver pieces of fish on

packet of 15-18 inch ballyhoo.

our hooks and cast them out in the direction

We all rigged our trout rods the same way: bottom rigs with 1 ounce bell sinkers

“Time for a little magic,” I declared, and

and a 3/0 Kahle hook hanging off a staging

cut one of the “blackbacks” into four large T e x a S

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of our very fast drift.

It took maybe 10 minutes before Anibal &

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hooked the first fish of the trip, a chunky 25 inch redfish. I followed with another similarsized red a couple of minutes later. Dave, ever the rebel, broke the

streak by hooking and landing a fat 19-inch speckled trout. Three baits, three fish. 20 minutes.

When we got back to the dock later that morning, we had 7 redfish and 9 trout for the morning. It wasn’t too bad for gale-type conditions. We probably would’ve caught more had we not decided that no sensible person would stay out in that wind. Even so, we were the only anglers who brought fish to the cleaning table that day.

Maligned but Effective Whatever you call them, ‘hoo, blackbacks, halfbeaks or pajaritos, ballyhoo are versatile baitfish. Over the years they have developed the exotic reputation of being the offshore-anglers staple trolling bait for marlin, sailfish, tuna, and other pelagic game fish, but the slender with the over-exaggerated overbite is a piscatorial Everyman.

Inshore species such as trout, redfish, flounder, and snook feed on ballyhoo whenever possible. Many a night fisherman has used the fine-meshed pier nets to scoop up a 3-inch ‘hoo that is darting around in the glow of a pier’s lights to hook it on a small hook and send it back. Usually, the biggest trout roaming around the pilings will fall victim to the offering, even though it ignored every live shrimp and speck rig that has passed by its nose. Snook strafe the schools of juvenile ballyhoo that cling to the tree lines in South Bay, and the bigger linesiders that lurk in deeper passes, the Brownsville Ship Channel, and the surf will inhale a larger ballyhoo with abandon. Redfish are so hooked on the gray, oily flesh of ballyhoo so much that most longtime ‘hoo chunkers call it “redfish crack.”

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Ballyhoo have a reputation as the go-to trolling bait for big game offshore fish like marlin and sailfish, but specks, reds and other inshore gamefish have a strong apetite for them too.

anglers turn their noses up at the idea of using ballyhoo as bait for inshore species. For crying out loud, it’s cut bait! Where is the challenge in that?

Why not fool the fish instead of feeding it?

“The name of the game is ‘fishing,’” said longtime ballyhoo adherent Captain Jimmy Martinez. “My clients are more interested in catching fish and having fun. If a piece of ballyhoo is going to get redfish to bite, they’re happy.”

Martinez added that fresh ballyhoo has produced for him on days when nothing else worked, even live shrimp. When conditions make fishing tough, whether it is a gusty March day when murky water precludes the effective of lures, or the steamy, windless dog days of August when the stillness prevents a good drift, ballyhoo can salvage a trip.

Not So Limited Options It may appear that there isn’t much to using ballyhoo. Keeping ballyhoo alive for any length of time is problematic because of their space requirements. Ballyhoo must be kept in small numbers in cylindrical tanks with excellent fresh water flow. The limited number more so than the storage require-

ments make it impractical for bait shops to sell live hoos.

Rather, most bait shops sell

fresh-frozen ballyhoo in vacuum-sealed plastic bags, or they offer the commercially-sold bags of the bait. The fact that ballyhoo are mostly available as dead bait doesn’t mean that the only way to use it is as cut bait on a bottom rig.

Admittedly, cutting ballyhoo into chunks and fishing them as cut bait on dropper rigs can be effective, as seen in the feature’s opening vignette. It is also a very easy way for novices to find success on their maiden trips in saltwater. It isn’t, however, the only way to fish with ballyhoo.

Skip to My ‘Hoo Fred Rodriguez, host of The Texas Sportsman television show loves using a 6=inch ballyhoo as a sort of topwater. He breaks the beak off the baitfish, cuts the tail and cuts off the tail and part of the tail section. What’s left is streamline and casts well. He pins the bait on a 3/0 Croaker hook by coming up through the chin and out the nose. Casting the ‘hoo out, Rodriguez works it back with a Walk=the=Dog style retrieve. The bait skips along just under the surface and leaves a scent trail behind it.

One challenge to using ballyhoo is the effort it takes to keep them alive.

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Photos: Canstock; Snapper Slapper Lures

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I have found that “crunching” the backbone from behind the head down to the tail and

squeezing out the air and fluid from the intestines (and any roe they may have during spring) makes ballyhoo pliable and enhances the skipping action with a little extra wiggle.

Rodriguez, and other practitioners call it ‘skipping a hoo’. It is a very effective technique when redfish and trout are very active, or when snook are busting bait around the mangroves.

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spoons. The strips of skin and meat leave a scent trail behind any retrieved lure which serve as a bright line for fish to follow up to the lure, and the flutter, color, and texture of the strips help fool fish into striking and hanging on. Strips are especially effective when used with hair and feather jigs such as Bugz or pro bucktails.

Flounder are especially susceptible to a ballyhoo trailer.

Gain, the scent, taste, and texture move flounder to hang onto the jig longer, which buys time for an angler to set the hook as hard as he can. The biggest flounder I’ve caught in several years, a broad 5 pounder out of the East Cut, clobbered a black Bugz jig with a long strip of ballyhoo belly on it.

Some purists might sniff at the idea of matching a lure with meat, but flounder aren’t so discriminating.

You just have to decide hoo do you love.

Strip Tease Strips from the sides and belly of large ballyhoo make excellent trailers on jigs and

4/4/13 10:27 AM

Texas Saltwater

by Calixto Gonzales | TF&G Saltwater Editor

Broken Dreams

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et’s talk old school. Let’s talk returning to the roots of saltwater artificial fishing. Let’s talk broken backs.

The first artificial I ever used was the Beetle Spin spinnerbait in Catalpa. The second one was a Cotton Cordell Jointed Red fin. An old fisherman who saw me with the Beetle Spin tied to my spinning rod, heard the snide comments of the guides at the marina about “the dumb 13 year old kid not knowing a bass lure when he saw one,” and handed me the slightly-used but functioning lure.

“Why don’t you put that in your tackle box and save it for another trip,” the old gentleman said. “I hope you shut those guys up someday.”

I would like to tell you that I went out the next morning, tied that Red Fin on my line and absolutely whacked the trout with it, but if anyone remembers an earlier column, “Spin Cycle,” you’d know that would be untrue. The fact is that I didn’t touch another lure for five years. I was 18 years old and treated myself to a trip over to Port Mansfield.

My mom had given me $20 for the trip (big money back in 1988), and in my excitement, I had left it on my dresser that morning. So, I had no money for bait. In despair, I opened my tackle box and looked for anything that might give me a fighting chance. There, in the center tray of my old Plano was that Red fin. I grabbed it, my rod, and went fishing.

I caught one trout that day, along with a bunch of skipjack, and I was hooked.

Jointed plugs have had a place in my tackle arsenal ever since.

Call them what you will: jointed plugs, broken back minnows, segmented lures, Herman The wonder Plug, but there is no disputing the effectiveness of jointed

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rues such as the Jointed Red Fin, the Bomber Jointed Long A, or the Sebile Magic Swimmer, segmented lures have been real fish catchers for decades. Through the 1980’s, the ultimate big-trout killer up and down the coast, especially in Baffin Bay was the Red Fin in Pink back, silver sides, yellow belly; the classic Texas Chicken. The red-headed jointed Long A ran a close second, and the long-extinct Mirrolure Snake Dancer claimed its share of Galveston Bay yellow mouths. Brokenbacks were the king of wall hanger lures.

Over time, first Spook-style top waters, and then the Corky, took over the spot that belonged to the jointed plug, and rightfully so. Both catch plenty of big fish, and not just trout. What wasn’t replaced was the former king’s effectiveness.

I have become a die-hard swim bait aficionado over the years (I’m also in the middle of a Kelly Wigglers renaissance, but that’s a column for another time), but I still throw the broken back more than a couple of times each season. When snook are chasing mullet along the mangroves in South Bay, I break out the Long A and let fly. The combination of heft (most are ¾ ounce) and thin profile allow me to make long casts, and linesiders can’t abide the erratic wiggle of a well-retrieved plug. They absolutely crush it. A Red Fin is my go-to bait near docks and channel points in the Ship Channel, and I’ve often let one trail behind my boat during long drifts. They rarely fail to produce and on the occasions that they do fail, so has everything else I’ve used.

The different applications speak to jointed lures’ versatility. The industrial-sized Long A is still a popular trolling bait for kingfish and dolphins along weed lines and oil rigs. There is some surf anglers fling them off the point of jetties and breakwaters form Bolivar to Brazos Santiago. When redfish are schooling in bays in late summer and early fall to feed just before migrating, sling a Texas Chcken in their midst and hang on.

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on top. The easiest explanation is that the growth in popularity of saltwater lure fishing over the past 20 years. There are more effective artificial baits on the market than a single angler could ever use in a lifetime of fishing. There are new designs and colors, each being the next ultimate fish catcher.

Ironically, the jointed plug is still among the easiest lures to use. Much like the spoon—another lure that has fallen in popularity over the years (even though I know of at least two Captains, the Neu brothers in Port Mansfield, who swear by them as redfish killers)—you can literally fish one out of the box without having to learn a new retrieve. You can literally cast and wind all day, and the inherent action of the lure’s design gives you a good chance of success From there, you can begin experimenting with retrieve styles, whether it’s a pull-pause, or a slow-and-steady, or a frenetic fleeingbaitfish retrieve. The only thing that limits you is your imagination.

A perk of the growth in the saltwater lure industry is that jointed lures have also benefitted from the explosion. Alongside Cotton Cordell, Bomber, and Sebile, companies such as Reaction Strike, Strike King, Rapala, Smithwick and may others have their versions of segmented lures. Some are designed with multiple sections, which have a slithering action that fish love (try the pullpause retrieve with a Magic Swimmer and see what happens).

I still have that old Red Fin. It’s scratched up, the hooks are misshapen from years of being straightened and re-bent, and I doubt the split rings could handle a pinfish, much less a big trout. It stays in my tackle box, however.

Call it a joint-resolution from the past.

Contact Calixto Gonzales at CGonzalez@fishgame.com

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4/9/13 10:04 AM

Texas Bowhunting

by Lou Marullo | TF&G Bowhunting Editor

Have I Got a Deal for You

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thought I might start this month’s column with a question: Is the sport of hunting with a bow expensive? It really never even occurred to me until one day a friend of mine wanted to get into bowhunting but thought he could not afford the equipment.

It is true that, as in any sport you pursue, it can get expensive, very expensive, but it does not have to be like that. I harvested my first deer many moons ago. My “expensive” choice of weapon was a borrowed recurve bow and a few cedar arrows. To tell you the truth, I am not even sure if those arrows were cedar or made from a less costly wood.

It really did not matter to me because I felt that, with practice (and lots of it), I fancied myself a regular Robin Hood of sorts. Although my hunting friends might disagree. As the years progressed, so did my taste of bow equipment, but you can rest assured that the doe I harvested with my first “cheap” recurve, gave me as much joy and excitement as the last deer I took. Looking back, It probably means even more to me because it was my “first” and there is not a hunter out there that cannot recall every detail of his or her “first” harvest.

With some bows on the market today, you can spend over $500 just for the bow.

Carbon arrows will cost you about $100 or more per dozen. Broadheads average about $10 each depending on which one you pick.

Add to that some camo clothing, boots, tree stand or stands and all the accessories that go on your bow (sights, silencers, peeps, quiver just to name a few) and you can run into a few major coupons.

I am here to tell you it does not have to be like that.

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Let’s look at a few of the items I mentioned.

OK, you NEED a bow. As I mentioned earlier, it does not have to cost you your first male born child and a bag of chips.

A $100 recurve will be just as deadly as that $700 bow your friend might have. Better yet, if you have a family uncle who has a bow he is not using, you might be able to borrow that. Of course you would have to have it checked at a bow shop to make sure it is safe to hunt with and can be made to fit you. See that? I just saved you $700.

Arrows. Yes sir, you NEED arrows.

The first thing you should do is choose what bow you will use and then have a pro shop give you some choices of arrows that would fit with the bow you are shooting.

Like anything else, these will vary in price. I have seen Redhead arrows that sell for $69 a dozen. However, most go for about $100 plus. You just have to do some shopping.

Looky here… I saved you $30 more.

Broadheads. Unless you plan on shooting at tree stumps, you NEED broadheads for big game. Any way you look at it, they run about $10 each everywhere. Sorry, no savings here.

Camo clothing. Ahhhh here is something that is nice to have, but not something you NEED to harvest a whitetail deer. A checkered flannel shirt will break up your pattern nicely. As long as you use a cover scent like Scent Away, then the deer will never know you are there. Remember, a deer is colorblind and sees only in shades. Just try to beak up your pattern and you will be fine.

I just saved you another $200.

Boots will cost you another $100 on average. Are they necessary? I do not like snakes…so for me they are a necessity.

However, I hunted with a guy once who just wore his “hunting sneakers”. He believed that because they had rubber bottoms they would not leave a scent. He was comfortable F i s h

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until they got wet and the wind picked up.

He had to call his bow hunting trip short telling me he had the “agony of da-feet”. I guess he was cold.

Tree stands. These can vary in price.

Both ladder and portable tree stands can go anywhere from $80 to $300 or more.

Many whitetails have been harvested from a ground blind or by someone simply hiding behind some tree. Just this past season, I gave my brother my favorite tree stand and I chose to hunt on the ground in a hedgerow.

I shot my deer at 8 yards. My point is that although tree stands have a distinct advantage, they are not needed to have success in the deer woods. There…I just saved you another $150.

A quiver is another item that you NEED with you for bowhunting. You have to have a safe method for storing your arrows. Quivers come in all shapes and sizes, but the most common are the ones that attach right to your bow and have a hard cover that protects you from the razor sharp blades on your broadheads.

The other items I mentioned are accessories that, although very nice to have, are not a necessity for bowhunting success, but while I’m thinking about it, you NEED your tags and if you are married, then you NEED an understanding wife too.

In conclusion, you can see that the price of bowhunting is as deep as you want to reach in your pockets. You can either spend a lot of money or get by with less and still enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Funny, but after proofreading this column, I realized I just saved you about $1000.00. You would be crazy to pass up a deal like that. If you are not bowhunting yet, then give it a try. It will be well worth the effort.

Have fun and hunt safe out there.

Contact Lou Marullo at LMarullo@fishgame.com Photo credit

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4/5/13 2:50 PM

Hunt Texas

by Bob Hood | TF&G Hunting Editor

Memories of a Rabbit Stalker

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here are some things you never forget, especially if you grew up hunting rabbits as I did in Comanche County with a .22 rifle in one hand and a hankering to just mosey around my grandparents’ dairy pasture in my heart.

Those days were long ago, but their memories of stalking cottontails along the briar-infested fence rows and near the hay barn as well as pursuing jackrabbits in the wide-open spaces between the dairy barn and stock tanks never seem to fade.

In fact, I passed by the old dairy place outside Comanche a few weeks ago on the way to a hunting lease in Lampasas County and stopped my pickup on the county road bordering it to just stare across the pasture where I used to get my first taste of hunting and my first taste of eating wild game.

The cottontail rabbits were just as predictable as the jackrabbits. I learned early that they liked the thick cover of the fence rows and low brush close to the hay barn and behind the chicken house. The jackrabbits, on the other hand, preferred the wide-open plain-like areas of low grass and hard turf.

When one of them saw me approaching, they would execute different styles of retreat.

The cottontails would play a hide-and-seek game, bouncing only a few yards at a time along the trails through the low brush, stopping as if they thought they had become invisible, then darting a few yards further when pressed by the young hunter with his Stephens Target .22 rifle.

The jackrabbits, on the other hand, generally were spotted sitting erect, their long ears up like radar towers at long distances or squatting with their ears laid back across their shoulders in a hiding position if I was

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fortunate enough to get close to them before they saw me.

Although I didn’t realize it at first, the cottontails and jackrabbits helped me learn two important things about shooting animals: how to adjust for close-range shots and longrange shots with a rifle equipped with iron sights sighted in at about 25 yards. After all, it was my grandfather’s .22 Target rifle I had the privilege of using and I wasn’t about to change the sights for any reason.

I’ll admit that as a 10-year-old, a cottontail and a jackrabbit, despite their different preferences for habitat, were just two different types of rabbits. I soon learned just how wrong I was. And the more I hunted them on my grandparents’ dairy, the more I wanted to know more about them.

I long have loved to read, especially to learn about birds and animals, and that desire soon led me to our elementary school library where I discovered that a cottontail is, indeed, a rabbit but a jackrabbit is not a rabbit at all but rather one of several types of hares.

I also learned that Mark Twain, in his western novel “Roughing It,” was credited with giving the jackrabbit its name when he described the long-eared critter as a “jackass rabbit.”

Despite their differences, they do have some similarities.

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When I first began hunting cottontails, I thought they both built their nests under the ground but I soon learned that neither cottontails or jackrabbits lived in burrows underground. Instead, they scratch out shallow depressions on top of the ground and line it with fur from their bellies and grass.

A little more reading led me to other facts about these two“rabbits.” For one, I learned that cottontails are born naked (with no fur) and blind while jackrabbits are born fullyfurred and with their eyes open, something that frees them from the need for paternal care and enables them to flee from predators very soon after birth.

At first, I just wandered around the pasture with no real plan but as I grew older, I planned my day of hunting rabbits carefully.

Since the cottontails were more plentiful close to the hay barn, chicken pen and a nearby fence row, I started there first, walking cautiously in hopes of getting a shot at them when they stopped on a trail or in an opening.

Once I finished hunting the fence row, I headed across a large, open flat where I switched ammunition from the .22 Shorts I used for the cottontails to .22 Long Rifle ammunition for the longer shots presented by the jackrabbits. I had learned the Long Rifle cartridge, with a heavier bullet than the Short, was better suited for the larger jackrabbits.

I remember the “jackrabbit chili” my grandparents made with the ones I shot on their dairy but I quit hunting jackrabbits several years ago when I learned their populations had dwindled in many areas. I still find them occasionally on some ranches I where I have hunting privileges and enjoy watching them lope across the open fields.

I still hunt cottontails occasionally for sport and for food, and it brings joy to me today when I see a youngster toting a .22 rifle into the woods. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen as often as it used to. Like the jackrabbits, the number of young hunters seems to have dwindled also, and it is sad.

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

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Texas Department of Defense Weapons for WTSHTF

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here is much talk these days about weapons that are best for situations where the normal societal conventions have broken down and chaos and lawlessness prevail. In other words, when the stuff hits the fan.

While I hope this never happens, I can foresee situations where exactly that might transpire. For instance, what would take place if there were suddenly no electricity for an extended period of time? The cities

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| Concealed Carry | | Tactical |

by Steve LaMascus & Dustin Ellermann

would suddenly have no power to run the devices that allow people to live in large concentrations. The people living in the cities would have to find some way to survive and those who have not would immediately begin to prey on those who do have, and the hoodlums would use the circumstances to rape, pillage, and plunder. In such instances it would be necessary to protect yourself

with whatever was at hand and a good gun is always better than a 36-ounce Louisville Slugger.

This type of chaos is precisely what is portrayed in the many zombie shows now on TV and in the movies. Just replace the zombies with conscienceless gangs of thugs bent on destruction and thievery and you have it well in mind.

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Springfield Competition XDM 5.25” Springfield Armory introduced their latest XDM 5.25” model this past year designed with the competition shooter in mind. After talking with Rob Leatham about this model at SHOT show I decided to order my own for 3 Gun use. Available in 9mm, .40 and .45ACP I opted for the 9mm version that would hold an impressive 19 rounds in the magazine. This makes the 1911 angled grip just a tad longer than other pistols would be, but it also gives the shooter more surface area to grasp.

The pistol has the same legendary XD grip and trigger safeties as well as the creative ambidextrous magazine release.

The magazine release is not one that

| Self Defense |

Dustin’s Springfield XDM 5.25” 9mm customized for 3 Gun by Springer Precision.

the user has to switch out, but instead is functional from both sides of the grip which can be handy even for a right handed shooter if wishing to drop the magazine out of a holstered gun.

The XDM 5.25 has a fully adjustable rear sight machined into the slide, making it as close to the bore as possible with a low enough profile to be out of the way. The front sight is a bright fiber optic for fast acquisition.

The slide is where the most extra features are obvious with the XDM 5.25 beginning with the extra long match grade 5.25” barrel and lightened slide.

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The slide cuts help speed up the cyclic rate as it cuts down the weight of the slide. I could get shots off in .19 of a second so it cycles plenty fast for me, a seasoned competition shooter could probably do even better.

I’m used to a pretty crisp trigger on my firearms and the XDM was a bit heavy and mushy for my taste. In fact it was a little heavier than my stock subcompact XD that comes in at 6 pounds.

I heard from a forgettable source that since most competition shooters tweak Continued on page 40 u Photo: Dustin Photo Ellermann credit

4/4/13 3:05 PM

Photo: Can Stock

If I were to arm myself and my family for such an event, I would certainly not depend on a single gun. I would have at least three, and four or five would be better.

“

Just replace the zombies with conscienceless gangs of thugs and you have it well in mind.

“

Let’s start with long guns. Obviously a shotgun would be my first choice to defend against home invasion. I would have two shotguns, one for myself and one for my wife. Choice would depend on personal

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Texas Department of Defense preference, but any of the many pump action shotguns in the riot gun configuration would suffice. I would probably opt for a Mossberg Model 590 Special Purpose for the simple reasons that it is a very durable and dependable weapon and because it holds a lot of shells. The 590 with a 20-inch barrel will

hold 8 rounds in its magazine, 9 with one up the spout. That is a lot of firepower.

Stuff it full of number 1 or 00 buckshot and you have a manstopper that cannot be beat by anything short of an M60 machine gun.

For the Little Lady I would choose a Model 500 Super Bantam All Purpose in 20 gauge. This slick little gun comes with a stock adjustable for length of pull and will hold 6 buckshot loads. Stoked with Number

Springfield XDM their own triggers Springfield decided the trigger stock to make it more affordable. I suppose I could have sucked it up, trained with it and made it work, but I opted to have it tuned. Enter Springer Precision in Oregon. They have extensive experience working with Glocks, 1911s and XDs so I contacted them about getting a drop in trigger kit to fix my pistol. They recommended I send it to them to allow them to give it the best trigger possible so I took them up on that and opted to have a few more “upgrades” done to my pistol.

In about three weeks I had a sweet upgraded XDM. The trigger pull was lightened to a nice 2.5 pound break, with a shorter take up and reset travel. The inside rail was cleaned and polished to a mirror shine and the guide rod replaced with a polished stainless one. They replaced the wider factory fiber optic t Continued page xx Dawson front sight withfrom a more precise sight. Then they saved me several hours of work with a soldering iron by stippling the grips. Springer Precision is also an experienced machine shop and they gave the slide an extra .25” lightening cut on each side in addition to the existing factory cut on the top. An extended magazine release button was installed and my magazines were numbered and branded with my logo by laser engraving.

And finally, the slide was refinished to an olive drab color with CeraKote.

The factory barrel is plenty adequate, but is lacking threads for suppressor use.

I recently acquired a multi caliber Oasis suppressor for Silencer Co. that needs a threaded barrel to mount. Barsto bar-

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Dustin Firing the Springfield XDM 5.25”.

rels are Springer Precision’s choice for match upgrades and with the proper ½” x 28 threaded adapter the Oasis sits

shooting paper targets boring and prefer to shoot steel with speed, my accuracy test boils down to being able to hit a

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Springer Precision Customized Springfield XDM 5.25” in tactical mode complete with Silencer Co. Osprey .45 Suppressor.

quietly on the end. With either light powered 124 grains or full powered 147 grain 9mm subsonic rounds shooting was taken from a blast to a “puff…ding” on steel.

I’ve used this pistol in several competitions now and have found it to be very accurate and fast to shoot. While I find F i s h

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LaRue FAST silhouette target at 100 yards repeatedly. Needless to say this pistol passes the test. See some video of me running it in 3 Gun competitions at www.fishgame.com.

—Dustin Ellermann Photos: Cody Conway

4/4/13 3:05 PM

In addition to the long guns above, I think a good handgun for every adult member of the family would be mandatory. Not as a primary defensive weapon, but because it is carried on the belt and is instantly avail-

“

I think a good handgun for every adult member of the family would be mandatory.

—Steve LaMascus

able should the primary weapon fail at an inopportune moment, or you are surprised when you don’t have one of the long guns in your hands. All the handguns should be

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of the same caliber. And I believe that every member of the family that is old enough to be trusted with a handgun should be taught gun safety and how to shoot.

Any of the various semi-autos of appropriate caliber would suffice, but if we are arming for a worst case scenario, I would go with one of the high capacity weapons in either .40 S&W or 9mm. This is not because I think these calibers are better than the .45 ACP, I don’t, but because handguns in these calibers generally hold more ammunition than guns of the same size in the larger .45. A gun such as the Glock 17 or Glock 22 would be great. A Glock 17, fully loaded, with 2 spare magazines, gives you 52 rounds of ammo on your person, should your long gun jam or break.

There you are. Now just pray that those government zombies don’t figure out a way to take away all the guns. Lock and load!

“

4 buckshot or BBs, it won’t bruise the wife, is a great backup, and is almost as lethal as the 12 gauge Model 590. These are my choices, but any of the pump action shotguns from the major manufacturers, such as Remington or Ithaca, would be good.

I am not a big believer of rifles as defense against home invasion, because I think a shotgun is far better, but in some instances it may be needed. If so, I would choose one of the various AR15s that are on the market. I prefer the M4 version because it has a collapsible stock and can be carried in a ready position, slung across the chest, and because it is short enough to be used in confined spaces. My current M4 is the Smith & Wesson version; a flat-top with clamp-on sights, so I can mount a scope on it if I find the need. I would load my M4 with 55-grain soft point ammunition and would have a minimum of a half dozen spare 30-round magazines, all loaded and ready to go, carried in military style pouches attached to a belt. That is 6 spare magazines, plus the one in the gun, for 7 total. That gives you 210 rounds of ammo, instantly available.

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Photo credit

4/2/13 9:09 AM

While a few people might

plus all the other small parts. You can purchase a mil-spec stock

believe the misnomer propagated by the media that the “AR” in AR15 stands for “Assault Rifle” it actually refers to one of the original manufacturers, “ArmaLite.”

But I like to tell folks that AR15 stands for “Awesome Rifle — everyone needs at least 15.”

around $60 and a complete lower parts kit containing all the

The AR15 is like a grown man’s tinkertoy. You can build it

small pieces, grip and trigger group for another $60. Assembling the fire control group, upper receiver pins, springs and magazine release may look intimidating since it contains around 30 small pieces, but if you have enough mechanical capability to change out brakes on a vehicle you should be able to complete the task with a hammer, punch, and a little guidance from YouTube or Brownell’s online videos.

The Stock Assembling the buffer tube on the back of the lower receiver

from the ground up in a variety of calibers, or switch out any part

is relatively simple. When ordering your stock you need to know

or accessory to customize it to your exact specifications.

if you either have the mil-spec or commercial version of the buffer tube, for they vary in diameter slightly and are not cross compat-

The Lower

ible. Thread on the tube after installing the buffer retainer and springs, tighten the castle nut with a multi-function barrel wrench,

While it is easiest to purchase a complete AR15 and reconfig-

and then slide in the buffer spring and buffer weight. Most tele-

ure it to your liking many shooters enjoy building their own from

scoping stocks will just slide on at this point by pulling the latch

the ground up or by swapping out complete uppers and lowers.

out.

The AR15 lower is the aluminum piece that is considered to be

Installing the trigger guard is just as easy as drifting in one pin

the firearm that bears the rifle’s serial number and is transferred

and screwing in another. Followed by screwing on the pistol grip.

from your local dealer by a Federal Firearms License. The lower

I have grown fond of MAGPUL for both these pieces for their

is usually the least expensive large part and contains the trigger

ergonomics, value and ease of installation. This will complete your

group, stock, and grip. A standard lower will cost around $100

lower that can then be mated to any standard AR upper assembly.

PART ONE IN A SERIES

BY DUSTIN ELLERMANN

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An AR15 stripped lower receiver and all the lower parts, less buffer tube system and stock.

Assembled lower receiver for a pistol AR 15, along with a disassembled upper and Trijicon RMR.

The Upper: Receiver, Barrel and Gas System

Assembling your AR upper will be easier and faster than the lower as long as you have a barrel wrench and AR vise block.

A blank upper receiver usually runs around $100, but your barrel will be your largest single expense starting at $150. Your final major component will be the bolt carrier group around $150. Add on your choice of handguard, gas assembly, and other small parts listed below and it’s time to build.

First you complete installation of the forward assist assembly by drifting in a small keeper pin followed by the dust cover that is done with just a spring keeper. With the upper in a vise block you insert your barrel by just sliding it into the receiver on the grooves then use your barrel nut wrench and torque to at least 35 foot pounds. At this time you need to check for proper alignment for your gas tube.

The gas system is important and probably the most complex-looking to a new AR builder, but in fact it is simple as long as your gas block is aligned with the port 44 |

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Complete AR Pistol in 300 Blackout with Trijicon RMR, Magpul grip and mag, pistol buffer tube and Nordic Components Handguard

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For the purpose of my build I wanted to have a short-barreled AR15 in order to attach a suppressor to, yet I didn’t want to wait 9 months to register it with the BATF as a short-barreled rifle. So when I transferred my lower receiver, Evans Brother Guns listed it as a pistol on my form 4473.

So instead of attaching a shoulder stock to the lower I purchased a pistol buffer tube along with a single point 5.11 Tactical bungee sling. It might look peculiar and not be as easy to shoot, but it’s in a nice compact package that I found perfect for a 10” Wilson Combat .300 Blackout barrel.

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in the barrel and the tube isn’t in a bind when inserted into your upper. When you purchase your gas system you need to be aware of the type of barrel you are mounting it on. There are gas blocks made for pins that require a barrel with slots for the pins to pass through and keep aligned, then there are barrels that have a detent for setscrews to sink into to stay alignment. Tactical operators prefer the pin version so there is less chance of failure, but for my build I wanted simplicity and the setscrews looked like the best option.

Gas tubes come in different lengths: pistol, carbine, mid-length or rifle. For most 16-inch barrels the carbine is the standard.

Some upgraded ones might be mid-length, and then oddball ones like my build use a shorter pistol length. Just be sure to buy the correct tube for your rifle’s barrel and this length will also need to be known for choosing the correct handguard.

First step of gas system installation is to align your barrel nut with the hole in the upper receiver. This is done from the receiver end with either a special gas tube alignment rod by going the cheap route and using a #15 drill bit, or .180 gauge. Adjust F i s h

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the nut so the bit can be inserted freely, then install the gas tube into the block, slide the block down the barrel, insert the tube and install the block onto the barrel.

After this you can install the handguard.

If you chose mil-spec style you will need to put the delta ring, spring and handguard cap in place when you assemble the barrel nut and gas block, but installation will simply be snapping the guards into place. For my free-floated thread-on, it was as simple as screwing it on and timing it so my rail slots were aligned. Finally, if you have a threaded barrel you can cap it off with a cool muzzle brake or flash suppressor; just don’t forget to use a crush washer for correct timing and torque. Complete the upper assembly by sliding in the charging handle and bolt carrier group, then pin the upper to the lower receiver and function check.

The possibilities are endless with AR15s, and building your own from scratch is a great way to get exactly what you want. For this is your rifle—there are many like it, but this one is yours.

Photos: Cody conway

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4/2/13 9:10 AM

TRUE GREEN DSC Tops $2 Million in Grants

CCA Teams with DU for Fish and Fowl Habitat The Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) recently contributed $200,000 to support a Ducks Unlimited project that will ultimately construct 3 miles of rock breakwater at Sargent Marsh in Matagorda County, Texas. Funding from CCA will complement existing funding from the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), the Meadows Foundation, Phillips 66 and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide for a Phase 1 construction effort of nearly 3,200 linear feet. The project has been permitted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and construction should be initiated by April 2013. Approximately 1,200 acres of coastal habitat will receive direct benefit from the breakwater construction. Future funding efforts will be needed to complete the remaining breakwater (approximately 2 more miles).

As part of another grant to DU, CCA also supported the construction of more than 2 miles of breakwater at J.D. Mur46 |

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phree WMA. Combined with funds from the Coastal Impact Assistance Program and NAWCA, the CCA grant will provide a total of $1.6 million. The J.D. Murphree breakwater will protect approximately 900 acres of managed freshwater marsh, and prevent saltwater intrusion into 200 acres of adjacent brackish marsh. Portions of this breakwater have been constructed, with remaining construction expected to be initiated in early 2013.

Rock breakwaters are used along navigation channels to halt shoreline erosion and reverse adjacent marsh degradation due to saltwater intrusion and soil loss.

Breakwaters have the immediate benefits of halting erosion, marsh loss and saltwater intrusion while providing longer-term benefits of promoting vegetation recovery and serving as a substrate for oysters and other crustaceans. These wetlands serve as spawning and nursery grounds for fish, Continued on page 48 u F i s h

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For the second straight year, Dallas Safari Club (DSC) in 2013 will grant more than a million dollars for conservation, education and hunter advocacy efforts worldwide.

DSC’s total funding commitment for 2013 is $1,010,000—a record for the organization.

The allocation follows major growth in the DSC annual convention and expo. Held early each January at the Dallas Convention Center, the event has been steadily growing in size, attendance and total fundraising.

Ben Carter, DSC executive director, said, “As gratifying as it’s been to see our annual convention grow, it’s even more rewarding to see the money from our supporters go for conserving wildlife, protecting wild places, educating youth and the general public, and defending hunters’ rights around the world.”

Carter thanked convention exhibitors, attendees and volunteers, along with DSC members, for their passion and continuing support of the DSC mission.

Projects to receive DSC funding this year include anti-poaching efforts in Africa, forest restoration in New Mexico, genetic and lion research in Africa, pronghorn and desert bighorn sheep restoration initiatives in Texas, mule deer and elk research in Nevada, habitat improvements in Africa, several Continued on page 48 u

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TRUE GREEN In March, wildlife experts started the second annual aerial survey to assess lesser prairie-chicken populations across five states, part of a multi-state collaboration to conserve the bird, as federal authorities consider whether to list it as a threatened species. New this year: oil and gas companies have committed $150,000 to help fund aerial survey work.

“The oil and gas industry enthusiastically supports the work of the five state wildlife agencies to gather accurate population estimates of the lesser prairie-chicken,” said Ben Shepperd, president of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association, representing several companies helping to fund the survey.

“We want to make sure any listing deter-

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mination, which could have widespread economic impact, is based on the best available science,” said Obie O’Brien, governmental affairs vice president with Apache Corporation, an independent oil and gas exploration and production company that is providing survey funding.

With wind turbine development and oil and gas production booming across West Texas, many industry and landowner groups are watching the prairie-chicken listing decision closely. The Lesser Prairie-Chicken Interstate Working Group, composed of biologists from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and similar agencies in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado, has just completed the first round of public

photo: Gerard Bertrand

Oil & Gas to Fund Study of Prairie Chickens

comments on a range-wide conservation plan that could help preclude the need to list the bird.

The multi-state plan includes management goals and voluntary conservation proContinued on page 49 u

4/4/13 3:37 PM

Record Cat at Texas Fisheries Center Jordan Rethmeier of Garland and his father often fish in Lake Zebco, the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center’s stocked casting pond. They’ve caught some big catfish, but Saturday, March 16, produced the biggest yet, a new water body record blue catfish.

Jordan reeled in a 54.3-pound fish that was 47 inches long and 31 inches around.

Lake Zebco covers about 1.5 acres.

A stream enters one end of the pond, and fishing piers line both sides. At the opposite end the pond widens and deepens, and that’s where Jordan was fishing.

“The bait was a whole four-inch gizzard shad set two to three feet below the bobber and left to drift as the wind blew it across the pond,” he said. “I was using a heavy spinning reel with 50-lb. braided line on our standard big-fish pole that we never thought would get seriously tested by anything. We set the pole down and flipped the bail so if it got a bite the fish wouldn’t haul off with it; it’s a good idea if you want

CCA & DU t Continued from page 46 offering calm, shallow waters, abundant food and protection from predators for eggs and young fish.

The marsh habitat protected through these breakwater projects is the most

DSC Grants t Continued from page 46 youth and veteran hunts, numerous conservation education events and other worthy initiatives.

DSC also is continuing its annual purchase of life insurance policies for 48 |

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to keep your rod and reel!”

Jordan sat down to rig a trout pole, and suddenly his dad yelled, “Jordan your bobber is gone and it’s not coming back up!”

Jordan continued his story. “The fish took the bait as all the other big ones do in that pond. They grab it and start swimming off. There is no playing around with those catfish. Once they decide to eat it, they rarely if ever let go.

“This fish was big and fighting like it; you could feel the power in every tail stroke! When he would start to get close to shore he would peel off line and head back for the middle of the pond. The difference with this fish was the endurance he had. He just would not tire out and kept peeling line whenever he would get close to the bank. There was one point when he went into a roll, and I thought I was going to lose him.

“Then we caught a glimpse of him and my dad just said, ‘OH MY! We may need a golf cart to haul him to the scales!’

The fight must have lasted eight minutes or more—just a tug of war with him taking line whenever he came in close and me pulling him back in afterwards. Thankfully he got tired out just before I did! I pulled one last time and got him close in, where my dad managed to grab him and

Photo: Janice Arnsdorf

TRUE GREEN CONTINUED...

we pulled him up on shore. We both were speechless, and just knew we had a BIG one but didn’t know how big! Fortunately a TFFC staff member arrived with the golf cart to put him in, and it was off to the big scale. I was exhausted! We weighed him and measured him and couldn’t believe the numbers! 54.3 pounds, 47 inches long, and 31 inches around! All I could do was smile. We took him back to the pond and made sure he was doing OK and let him go. Truly a magnificent fish!”

—Texas Parks & Wildlife «TG

valuable habitat type to the millions of wintering waterfowl that visit the Texas Coast. Without the protection of shoreline breakwaters, these habitats would likely convert to saline marsh due to saltwater intrusion from eroded natural banks and tidal channels. Saline marsh has considerably lower foraging value to waterfowl, further exacerbating a shortage

of quality foraging habitat that currently exists in the mid- and upper Texas coast when waterfowl populations are at their peak. By protecting valuable wetlands along the Gulf Coast, breakwater projects contribute significantly to Gulf Coast Joint Venture waterfowl foraging habitat goals.

—Staff Report «TG

all game wardens in Texas.

Finally, funding also will support DSC’s own mission delivery programs, such as the Dallas Ecological Foundation’s popular Outdoor Adventures program, which is expanding conservation curriculum in Texas schools.

An independent organization

since 1982, DSC has become an international leader in conserving wildlife and wilderness lands, educating youth and the general public, and promoting and protecting the rights and interests of hunters worldwide. Get involved at www.biggame.org.

—Staff Report «TG

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TRUE GREEN Prairie Chicken t Continued from page 47 grams and practices to be applied throughout the lesser prairie-chicken’s range: (www.kars.ku.edu/geodata/maps/sgpchat).

The historic first effort to conduct a large-scale, helicopter-based survey to locate lesser prairie-chicken breeding areas or leks across the High Plains region in all five states occurred March-May 2012 and covered more than 300,000 square miles.

“Last year’s aerial survey reported the first statistically-valid, range-wide population estimate for the lesser prairie-chicken at an estimated 37,170 birds, but the continuing drought has been pretty horrendous, and could affect this year’s results,” said Sean Kyle, TPWD wildlife biologist in Lubbock.

Aerial surveys will continue through midMay, extending from the southern plains of the Texas Panhandle and southeast New

Mexico up to northern Kansas and Colorado. Surveys will be flown at 35-40 mph about 80 feet above ground.

Alongside the aerial work, TPWD biologists are continuing ground counts of prairie-chickens using known leks on longterm study areas on private land, work that goes back to the 1940s in areas, such as the northeast corner of the Texas Panhandle.

New this year, TPWD, Texas Tech University, and volunteers from several local organizations willc onduct audible “call counts” along public roadways in Bailey, Cochran and possibly other nearby counties to determine lesser prairie-chicken use of Conservation Reserve Program acreage.

Lesser prairie-chicken numbers have been largely increasing in Kansas for the last 15 years, while populations have declined in parts of the southern portion of the range.

Some biologists believe this northward expansion may be caused by climatic conditions associated with changing precipitation patterns.

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To help conserve and restore habitat for the bird, private landowners in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico have been enrolling their lands under voluntary Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA). In exchange for implementing various management practices such as prescribed grazing, brush management, and prescribed burning landowners receive assurances that they will not be required to meet any new regulations should the bird be listed under the Endangered Species Act. To date more than 322,000 acres have been enrolled in LPC CCAA’s inTexas.

Landowners can get details regarding the lesser prairie-chicken CCAA by contacting TPWD Biologist Jeff Bonner at 806-665-3494 or Manuel DeLeon at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Zone office in Lubbock at (806) 791-0581.

—Texas Parks & Wildlife «TG

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Texas Freshwater

by Matt Williams | TF&G Freshwater Editor

The Art of Flipping, Punching and Pitching

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Peg That Sinker:

ass are cover nuts. Give them grass, brush, lily pads and other junk Pegging the slip sinker snug against the and they will gravitate to it like flies head of the soft plastic is a good idea for sevto honey.

At times, especially during the warmer eral reasons. It prevents the bait and weight months, bass will bury up in the muck so far from separating. This allows the bait/weight that is impossible get to them with conven- to penetrate the vegetation as one unit and tional casting techniques. This is when you maximizes efficienneed to break out the heavy artillery and give flipping, pitching and punching a try.

All three are short range tactics used for vertical lure presentaPeg It from topbrasstackle.com tions around bushes, stumps and matted hydrillla beds using soft plastics and jigs. If you are new to bass cy by getting the bait to the strike zone on fishing, or just looking to expand your hori- every flip or pitch. It also prevents the line zons a little, here is a beginners guide with from looping around the grass and fouling the presentation. some key tips to help to get you started: When pegging the line it is important use something that won’t create weak spots in the line by chaffing or crimping. Several companies make rubber pegs specifically for When performing either tactic with plas- this purpose. Check out the Bobber Stop tics, it is a good idea to use a heavy gauge, at halofishing.com, the Punch Stop at paystraight shank hook like a Strike King Hack checkbaits.com or the Peg It at topbrasstackAttack Heavy Cover, Lazer Trokar or a le.com.

Flippin’ Hooks and Snell Knots:

Halo Cobra. These hooks are stout enough to handle big fish. Plus, they are built to withstand violent hook sets performed with braided super lines and heavy duty flippin’ sticks without bending.

More importantly, these hooks are designed to be used in combination with a snell knot, which fastens to the hook shank rather than the eye. Many pros are sold on the snell knot because it causes the hook to kick outwards on the hookset and improves hook-up ratios significantly. The true test is try it yourself and compare results. For illustrated instructions on tying the snell knot and other knots, see netknots.com.

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Tungsten vs. Lead:

Tungsten weights are heavily preferred over lead for flipping in heavy cover.

Tungsten is heavier than lead, which means the weight will be smaller in profile and pass through cover easier than a lead weight of equal size. Also, tungsten is harder than lead. This means it makes more noise when it comes in contact with a hard bottom and other objects, thus increasing the odds of drawing “reaction strikes.”

test) for flipping in heavy vegetation. Braid is super strong. Plus, braid will actually saw or cut through the grass when you are battling a big fish. Fluorocarbon or monofilament lines will cause vegetation to gather or ball up against the line, thus increasing the odds of the fish getting away.

Many pros also prefer braid for flipping around brush. Others don’t, because it has a tendency to cut into the wood and become wedged.

Going High Speed:

It is always a good idea to use a baitcasting reel with a gear ratio of 7.0:1 or faster for flipping in heavy cover. The high speed reel gathers line quickly and allows for faster hook sets once a bite is detected.

Heavy on Action:

Always use a rod with a stiff or “heavy” action for thick cover flipping. The stiff action in combination with a stout braided line will allow you to turn a big fish and horse it out of thick cover quickly.

Bait Choices

Many pros prefer a jig or small profile plastic with compact appendages for flipping, mainly because these baits pass though cover with very little resistance. Baits with long, curly tails or arms are generally are not preferred in thick cover because the oversize appendages tend to wrap or snag on the cover and hamper penetration.

Contact Matt Williams at MWilliams@fishgame.com

The Cutting Edge:

Always use braided line (60-80 pound

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Keith Combs (pictured below), Stephen Johnston, and Jim Tutt give a pro’s perspective on the so-called Post Spawn Blues.

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For as long as I can

remember post spawn bass fishing has gotten a bad rap. The theory among many anglers is that Micropterus Salmoides goes into some kind of a weird funk during late April and May resulting in a case of lockjaw so severe that you can’t hardly buy a bite.

Texas bass pros Jim Tutt of Longview, Stephen Johnston of Hemphill and Keith Combs of Huntington don’t put much stock in all the negative chalk talk. In fact, all three anglers agreed that it is more of a fallacy than anything else.

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Photo: Matt Williams

“I used to think the same thing when I was growing up, but now the post spawn is one of my favorite times to fish,” says Combs. “Once you get the fish figured out, get them patterned and you can catch them every day in the same places. In my book, the post spawn bite is one of the most consistent bites of the year.”

Tutt offered up a similar theory when queried about the “post spawn blues.”

“I think it is more of an excuse the fishermen use to explain why they didn’t catch anything more than anything else,” Tutt said. “Think about it. In East Texas lakes and in Texas in general, there are fish spawning from February through April.

Those fish that spawned in February and March will be back on a big time feeding binge by the time May rolls around. The reason some guys can’t catch them is because they don’t make necessary adjustments.”

Like Combs and Tutt, Johnston’s living depends on his ability to catch bass 12 months a year. The Toledo Bend guide says fishing during the post spawn is no different than the pre-spawn, summer or fall in that the main keys are being in the right

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areas and employing the proper tactics to catch fish.

“A lot of it can vary with the lake,” Johnston said. “Lakes like Toledo Bend, Sam Rayburn, Amistad and Falcon are so big that there could be fish just finishing up with the spawn on the south end, and fish up north and around midlake that have been done for quite a while. The fish at midlake and up north are going to be a whole lot more cooperative than the ones that are just finishing up with the spawn.”

Post Spawn: The BLAH State Johnston said there is a period right after the spawn winds down when bass may become sort of difficult to catch, mainly because of stress factors that slow their metabolism and makes them reluctant to chase.

“After the females are done spawning and the males are done guarding fry they may be in a blah-kind-of mood for a little while,” Johnston said. “They’re tired and not real interested in feeding right away.

They’ll still be hanging around the spawning areas and they’ll still bite, but you will need to change things up to catch them.”

Johnston offered two key words of advice to anglers who find themselves in situation

4/10/13 9:59 AM

when the fish don’t seem to be cooperating -- slow down.

“A lot of guys still want to power fish in the shallows during the Jim Tutt says post spawn,” that some Johnston said. anglers just “They want to use the “post throw big spinspawn blues” nerbaits, big as an excuse for not Rat-L-Traps catching and big lizards, anything. but that’s not the deal. This is when fishing real slowly with the wacky worm, Senko and Strike King Caffeine Shad comes into play. It’s what I call the ‘soaking time.’”

Target the Active Guys As earlier mentioned, bass that occupy the north end of a large impoundment lake will likely be much farther along in the recovery process than those that live down south. Johnston says these fish will naturally be more energized and willing to cooperate than those that are just coming off beds.

“The area of the lake you are fishing can make a big difference in how active the fish are,” he said. “On Toledo Bend, the bass may be hammering a spinnerbait up north around the old 1215 area in May, but they won’t touch it down south around Hausen or Six Mile. The fish down south may not be as active because the spawn is just winding down. They’ll still bite, but you may need to soak a bait to catch them.”

Target Transitional Areas Once the bass’ spawning duties are complete, Tutt says many of the fish will begin finning their way out of spawning pockets towards main lake hangouts located in closer proximity to deeper water.

The Ranger pro staffer pointed out that the move doesn’t occur overnight. Instead, it occurs in stages with the bass taking the same paths to deeper water that they followed when moving shallow.

“It’s basically a reversal situation,” Tutt said. “A lot of the places where you caught fish during the pre-spawn will be holding fish in May. They won’t be bunched up quite as well, though. That’s why I think it is real

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important to stay on the move and cover lots of water.”

Tutt says certain types of areas will be more prone to hold fish than others. While creeks, ditches and drains that connect deep water to shallow are always worth a look, he is much more fond of main lake and secondary points. He named a Rebel Pop-R, Stanley Ribbit Frog and Senko as his go-to baits on most Texas lakes.

“The first points located just outside the spawning flats are always a good bet during the post spawn,” Tutt said. “That’s the first structure the fish will come to. Plus, points are good holding spots for bait fish and they are good places for bream to spawn.

Vegetation like pepper grass or hydrilla makes it even better.”

Combs is a big fan of points, as well.

On Lake Falcon, underwater ledges, ridges other stuff that can’t be seen with the naked eye can be productive, as well. Carolina rig, deep crank baits, football jigs and Texas rigs get top billing.

“The bass will move out there and set up on schools of bait, sometimes in big numbers,” Combs said. “These types of places will replenish from one day to the next on Falcon, because there will be fish steadily moving out of the spawning flats. Once you establish a pattern, it may be consistent for a month or so.”

Banking on Bream May marks the beginning of the spawning season for bream on many lakes across Texas. This means there there will be tons of the feisty pan fish occupying skinny water in large colonies that may contain 50 or more spawning beds in a 10X10 area.

“Bass see bream beds as easy meal ticket,” Tutt said. “They’ll be up cruising around the beds and they will bust a topwater or a frog if you get one around them. It’s a real simple pattern to run, too. Find the bream beds and the bass probably won’t be far away.”

Catching bass during the post spawn isn’t rocket science, but it does require anglers to make some adjustments in lure selection and fishing locations. Take some time to figure out the puzzle and bass fishing’s toughest time may eventually become your favorite time.

4/2/13 2:09 PM

How the Triggerfish Went from Unwanted to Endangered by mike holmes My first experience at off-

shore fishing came at the end of my freshman year in high school.

Growing up in East Texas, a class trip with my Vocational Agriculture group on Capt. Tee Boy McCall’s old Sunrise II party boat out of Cameron.

Louisiana was about as exciting to me then as a trip to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef would be today.

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Probably the most interesting part of that trip was the amazing variety of fish we caught. I got to see close up and for the first time large grouper, a hefty shark, LOTS of red snapper – and triggerfish. In those days of seemingly unlimited snapper populations, it would have been unheard of to put a triggerfish in the

fish box. They were ugly, for one thing. Gray and odd-shaped, with teeth like a farm animal. Didn’t smell real good, either. It was obvious that these were not a highly prized sport or food fish, but they were certainly not shy about taking a hooked offering, and fought very aggressively for their size.

Fast forward to the years when I captained various charter boats in the Gulf, and I learned that triggerfish were actually good eating.

The thick skin that makes it so difficult to cut them into bait sized chucks also discourages many from filleting them, but there is a sort of natural entry point near that trigger-like dorsal that a fillet knife can be slid into to begin the cut – or an electric fillet knife with a sharp blade can be used to make the job even easier. Some old time fishermen admitted to me they actually preferred eating triggers to snapper.

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Historically, anglers have spent more time trying NOT to catch triggerfish, which can be a nuisance if you are trying to get bait down to red snapper. Now, the gray triggerfish (here in a huge catch with Spanish mackerel) are considered “overfished.”

Even with being good eating and a hard fighter for it’s size class, Triggers were still ugly, and fish that are “too easy” to locate and catch aren’t considered very challenging for sport anglers. Triggerfish were so common, in fact, as to be a nuisance for snapper fishermen, and even sometimes shredded baits drifted just below the surface for king mackerel. Fishermen have spent far more time trying to NOT catch triggerfish than trying to catch them. When around a rig or over a reef in large numbers, which was very common, it could be impossible to get a bait down to snapper, and the small mouth and crushing teeth of a triggerfish made them hard to hook, if a person did decide to fish for them.

Several years ago, gray triggerfish were placed under regulation as part of the “reef

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fish aggregate” limit, with several other species, in federal waters. This meant there was actually a bag limit on a fish few people had any interest in catching. I discussed this with Hal Osborn, when he was Director of Coastal Fisheries for TPWD, and he felt it was because on the east coast, fishing opportunities were getting so bad that triggerfish were actually sought after, and maybe over pressured. We agreed this was another instance supporting regional management of Gulf fisheries. I suspect very few Texas fishermen knew much about the “reef fish aggregate” limit, and even fewer would need to be careful not to go over their 4 fish daily limit of triggerfish.

Then came the summer of 2012, and the complete closure of recreational fishing for triggerfish in the Gulf of Mexico, beginning on June 11, 2012, and running until January 1, 2013, in the waters more than 9 nautical miles off the Texas coast regulated

by NOAA/NMFS, and in state waters for charter boats holding a Federal Reef Fish Permit. The reasoning for the closure was that NMFS estimated the recreational quota of 217,000 pounds, whole weight, of trig-

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gerfish would have been landed by that date.

“This closure is necessary to protect the gray triggerfish resource. This stock is considered overfished and undergoing overfishing.” The commercial quota for this species was only 60,900 pounds, again whole weight, and though it had not been deemed to have been reached, commercial harvest of triggerfish would be halted when that event did occur.

Very curious, I checked with some of the few active charter captains in my area to get their views on the subject. I was told that there really were very few triggerfish around, and the thinking was they had been over pressured when anglers turned to them when red snapper fishing was closed.

Then we got Dr. Bob Shipp’s take on the matter. Dr. Shipp is a long time member of the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council, a respected expert on Gulf of Mexico fisheries, and a university level educator in this field in Alabama – in my opinion as knowledgeable as anyone on such subjects. Dr. Shipp feels the drop in triggerfish populations is directly linked to booming red snapper stocks. Like many of us, he feels that artificially protecting red

snapper has caused them to over populate reefs and rigs, not only competing with other species for the food source, but also eating their competition! In the case of triggerfish, he suggests the snapper are feeding on triggerfish egg masses, and all but depleting the species in some areas.

By restricting the catch of red snapper, they seem to have actually exceeded the historical carrying capacity for that species. This is causing a “disturbance in the force”, as Star Wars fans might say, and the abnormally large population of snapper are affecting other fish species sharing the same range and food sources. Basically, the “success” of the snapper re-building program is a “failure” for the overall health of Gulf fisheries. If the theory about red snapper being responsible for the dramatic decline in triggerfish numbers is true, shutting down recreational fishing for triggers will probably not do much to solve the problem – and some might be worried what species will follow the triggerfish in it’s decline next?

4/10/13 10:27 AM

Why Carrying a Knife Will Help Keep You Sharp

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There are certain lessons in life that

my father taught me that I’ll never forget. How to drive a standard transmission (I’m sure he hasn’t forgotten that lesson either). That your belt buckle, pants zipper, and the buttons on your shirt should all line up (still trying to teach this one to my son who refuses to wear a belt).

And never ever leave the house without a knife.

Ever.

Of course, this was back before the days of zero tolerance in schools, so today this would get kids in trouble. But for the rest of you, there is no excuse for not having a knife.

To this day I do a pocket check every time I walk out the front door to make sure I have a blade on me somewhere. It looks like some strange obsessive compulsive dance, or a really bad version of the Macarena. Call

me nuts, but I also have a couple of knives in the truck and one on my bicycle just in case (yes I’m over 30 years old and still ride a bike on occasion, don’t look at me that way) plus my wife keeps one in her purse as well because you never know when you might need a knife. I used mine less than five minutes ago.

A good knife really is one of the most versatile simple tools you can own, but

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A good knife is one of the most versatile tools you can own.

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way) plus my wife keeps one in her purse as well because you never know when you might need a knife. I used mine less than five minutes ago.

A good knife really is one of the most versatile simple tools you can own, but which one do you choose? Is it possible to get one knife that fits all situations? The quick answer is no, one knife won’t cover every scenario from a night on the town to gutting a Tyranasaurus Rex but if you own just a couple you can get by.

When choosing a knife there are a few things you need to look at before making a selection. First is the chemical make-up of the blade itself and there are a lot of different metals that could be used, all with different positive and negative aspects. Two of the more commonly used steels in knife making are 1040 and 1095. The 10 means it is a carbon steel, the last two digits are the percentage of carbon (40 = 40%, 95 = 95%).

1095 blades take an edge very well and stay sharp but also rust easily and aren’t as strong as a 1040 or 1050 blade. So if you choose a knife with this type of blade you have to make sure to keep it dry and oiled.

A knife with 1040 doesn’t hold an edge as well but is less rust prone so if you live along the coast or plan to spend a lot of time near

water you might want to check into knives with these kinds of blades. 1040 material is also stronger than 1095 which means the knife can take a beating. When choosing a knife blade material you have to weigh your options carefully to make sure what you get fits your needs and environment.

If you are partial to knives with a stainless blade then look for something with a blade made of 440 material (it will have an A, B, or C designation on the end). 440 material takes an edge well and is corrosion resistant, but don’t be lulled into thinking that it doesn’t have to be maintained. Stainless material can rust if left unattended, it just takes longer.

The second consideration when choosing a knife is whether or not you need a smooth or partially serrated blade. Both have their place and really it is user preference as to which one you choose. If all you are doing is open boxes and cut small items a smooth blade is preferable. If you need to cut through more substantial items then consider a serrated blade for sawing.

For my everyday job (yes, I do work other than writing) I have to spend my

4/5/13 1:42 PM

Illustration: Roy Hulsbergen, bickstock

days wearing nice clothes sitting behind a desk being all responsible and junk. In this case a Bowie knife strapped to my waist or a jack knife in my boot just wouldn’t be appropriate. So my every day carry

“

check out the line of knives by William Henry Studios. These knives are closer to works of art than tools, some with Damascus blades and gold inlays, but expect to pay for it. Starting prices are around $250 and run upwards of $2500. For an extra $1000 you can even get a matching pen.

In this case, a Bowie knife strapped to my waist wouldn’t be appropriate.

“

knife, when I have to be proper, is an Old Timer Minuteman two blade. It’s a classic looking little knife, like your grandfather used to carry, and while it looks small it still has plenty of blade to do just about anything I need in an average day. The non-serrated blades are made from 1040 steel so it does take some maintenance to keep sharp, but I don’t have to worry about the blades bending or breaking under a load which might have been a concern since they are thin.

You can get a solidly built Old Timer for under $30 just about anywhere.

When I do not have to be socially acceptable I change my every day carry knife to something a little more substantial, and it’s not just to make me feel manlier. My carry knife in these times is a Gerber EVO with a partially serrated blade with a lightweight skeletonized aluminum handle. The blade is almost 3.5 inches long and made from 440 stainless steel, so it is easy to sharpen, stays that way for a while, and I don’t have to worry a lot about keeping it spotless clean.

The blade also has an easy open lever making it easy to open with one hand just in case I don’t have two free hands. The other feature that is popular on many knives today is the belt or pocket clip. This makes it easy to get to the knife so you don’t have to dig it out of your pocket. My Gerber, and most other comparable knives, will run under $40 so they don’t break the bank.

Now, if you just have money to burn then

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4/5/13 1:42 PM

Open Season

by Reavis Wortham | TF&G Humor Editor

“D

a, can you get this hook out of my shirt?”

I am Da. My youngest daughter, Taz, started calling me that when she first began to speak twenty years ago. We thought it was cute, and she couldn’t say Dad, so I started answering to Da. Now my eight-year-old Trey, grandson by marriage, and all children use it.

One day a few years ago, I typed Da into the Google search engine and it came up as an old German name for Dad. Go figure.

The individual affixed to the hook was Trey. I helped remove the Tru-Turn hook from his shirt. “Can you cast it now?”

“Sure,” he said, and heaved the line thirty yards into the large stock tank behind the ranch house. The bobber plopped into the water and he watched intently for a strike.

“Can you cast this for me?” asked fiveyear-old Faith, Bubba’s youngest daughter.

Bubba wasn’t there. He was working cows up at the barn. I knew better than try and teach Faith how to cast in the strong southern winds. We were hunkered behind the dam, using it as a windbreak.

I pitched her line several yards from Trey’s bobber. “Now, don’t reel and watch the bobber.”

“Can I reel?”

“No, I just said you can’t. You have to leave it out there for the fish to find it.”

“Can you cast this for me?”

I turned to Bubba’s seven-year-old son, Dylan. “Sure, give me the line. Now remember, you have to leave it in the water so…” I heaved the line as far as possible and handed him the rod. “…don’t reel it in. Just let it sit out there and wait for a bite.”

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I grabbed the butt of his rod and gave a strong jerk.

Fish on!.

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Kid Fish

“I like to reel.”

“I know. Trey! You’re getting a bite. Set the hook!”

“What does that mean?”

I grabbed the butt of his rod and gave a strong jerk. Fish on! “Reel buddy!”

The rod bent. “Da, can I get a fish?”

“Well, Faith, you have to wait for a bite.

Dylan, why is your minnow in your hand?

You aren’t supposed to reel until you get a bite.” I cast his line back into the water.

Trey’s rod was bent double as he fought a substantial fish. “Hang onto him, Trey!”

“Da, can you get this fish hook out of these weeds?”

I hurried over to Faith, untangled her line, and cast again.

“Dylan, why are you reeling?”

“I wanted to see the minnow.”

“Stop it. You can’t catch fish in the air…

Hang onto him Trey! You’re doing fine!

But Dylan, you have to leave the bobber out there.” Cast. “Now, don’t reel until your bobber goes under.”

Trey finally landed his fish. The five pound bass was too much for him to pick up, so I hauled it in for him and shot his photo.

Release. Rebait. Cast.

“Why is my bobber beside that stick?”

“Well, Faith, because the wind blew it there.” I broke the tangled line. “Keep F i s h

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watching… Trey…you have another fish!

Dylan, why is your minnow in your hand?”

Retie the line for Faith. Cast.

Try and teach Dylan how to hook a new minnow through the tail, since its predecessor was dead and almost fish jerky. Another lecture on not reeling. Cast.

Help Trey land another fish.

Faith catches a big one. “I can’t get him.

Will you help me?”

She was right. The largemouth was too much for her, so I held her rod while her little arms struggled to crank the reel.

I grabbed Dylan’s rod, cast again because he’d reeled the minnow almost into the guides. “Trey, move over here so I can get that fish. Faith, keep cranking!”

We landed two more fish. Cast Dylan out again.

Rebait.

Run to Faith so another large fish wouldn’t pull her in. “Would you stand here with me, Da?” “Love to, but I have to help Trey with his fish. Dylan, quit reeling.”

Unhook. Rebait. Cast.

“Dylan quit reeling. Let it just sit there.”

Cast.

Retie broken line. Rebait.

“Dylan quit reeling.”

“I’m hot.”

“I’m thirsty.”

“I have to go to the bathroom!”

“Dylan quit reeling.”

Cast.

Unhook.

“Dylan quit reeling!!!” Cast.

I was exhausted by the time the War Department arrived. “You look tired.”

“Dylan, quit reeling! That’s because fishing seems to be a lot more work than it used to be.”

“You’re just getting old.”

“Yep, and I know what’s aging me….

Dylan, quit reeling!”

Contact Reavis Wortham at RWortham@fishgame.com

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4/4/13 10:57 AM

Coastal Edition

Venomous

Snakes of Texas

part one of a two-part series

•

by chester moore

Photo: Chester Moore

“Snake!” No word uttered in the great outdoors commands attention more than the proclamation of a serpentine sighting. To most, snakes are terrifying and to some they are fascinating but one thing is for sure. Snakes cannot be ignored in the Texas outdoors.

In this two-part series we will closely examine the varieties of venomous snakes found in the Lone Star State beginning with two of the most commonly encountered.

No creature has better natural camouflage than the copperhead.

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hidden amongst pine straw, sticks and leaves renders them invisible. Copperheads are pit vipers (as are cottonmouths and rattlesnakes) that have heat seeking pits that allow them to sense their prey in dense cover and low light conditions.

These snakes have very small fangs and reportedly have less toxicity than rattlesnakes and cottonmouths. There are almost T e x a S

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

tested • Shimano, Drag77 texas onfly | TF&G daybook • and game gear• Hot New 110 sportsman’s Tides & Prime Times | TF&G 78 fish Outdoor Gear | TF&G industry insider • Xpress 80 Boats, Hooked for Life | TF&G OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE by

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special section • A Father’s Day Tribute | by TF&G staff

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hotspots focus: upper coast • Time for May | by capt.

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hotspots focus: galveston • Will the Meek Inherit the Gulf? | by capt. mike holmes

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hotspots focus: matagorda • Water-Jacked | by mike

by greg berlocher

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hotspots focus: rockport • The Night Shift Part 2 | by capt.

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hotspots focus: lower coast • A Little Color | by calix-

by chester moore

HOW-TO SECTION

68 texas boating • Bail! | texas kayaking • Live Bait 72 Season | paul’s tips • Strange Baits | 74 guns & gear • Bullets 76 texas for Varmint Hunting | lenny rudow

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eddie hernandez

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months. Copperheads sometimes nest with other snake species during hibernation.”

There are several snakes that have at least some resemblance to copperheads.

In some cases, cottonmouths (especially those found on dry land) can look surprisingly close to copperheads and in fact, the babies can be virtually indistinguishable as both sport yellow on the tip of their tails.

The hognose snake has a blotched pattern and can vary in color and over the years I know of several killed for being copperheads.

The broad-banded water snake also has a similar pattern.

While filming a television program for Animal Planet, I stepped on two copperheads in the same day and never got as much as a strike. Both of these snakes were about two feet long and did not seem to mind my rude treatment.

There is some debate over the temperament of this beautiful snake with some claiming them to be extremely aggressive and others saying they are passive. In experience, they have been non-aggressive but that can vary by individual and even by area.

The copperhead’s close cousin, the cottonmouth, has a slightly different disposition.

For local outdoors lovers one of the most frightening visions is looking down and seeing

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no fatalities related to copperhead bite and, in fact, I know someone who has been bitten twice and never went to the hospital. He is our editor-in-chief Don Zaidle.

That is definitely not recommended.

Always seek medical attention after snakebite but it does go to show copperheads are not typically killers. Their venom is hemotoxic meaning that it destroys tissue and causes severe pain.

There are five varieties of copperheads in the United States and Texas is home to three of them.

The southern copperhead lives throughout East Texas west toward Austin where the broad-banded copperhead takes over.

Additionally the Trans-Pecos copperhead is a resident of the arid country of West Texas.

According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, southern copperheads are diurnal (active during daylight hours) during early spring and late fall, at which time they will generally depend on the ability of their bodies to blend in with their environment to obtain prey and avoid enemies.

“They are nocturnal during the summer heat, actively hunting for prey during the cooler evening hours. Southern copperheads often eat one single meal every three weeks even during their most active

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FISHING FORECAST SECTION

COVER STORY • Venomous Snakes of Texas |

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www.FishGame.com a black serpentine body curled up revealing a white mouth and protruding fangs.

That is the sign of an agitated cottonmouth (aka water moccasin).

Cottonmouths are far more dangerous than the typical docile copperhead, being able to deliver a large amount of tissue and while they are not out to get people, they are more aggressive than their more attractive cousins.

Most cottonmouths are from 18 to 24 inches. The western cottonmouth which is the variety that lives in Texas can reach lengths of five feet. I caught one last year that was nearly four feet long and was nearly as big around as my wrist.

Over the years I have seen very few cottonmouths in the marshes. They are certainly there and the largest I ever saw was curled up alongside the side of 87 slithering away from a marsh pond near Sabine Pass. It was five feet long and too big to fit in the grip of my snake grabber.

The vast majority of my sightings have been in the woods.

Cottonmouths love the habitat of hardwood bottomlands and the upland areas surrounding them.

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Texas Boating

by Lenny Rudow | TF&G Boating Editor

Bail!

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halk it up to unintended consequences, Murphy’s Law, or just plain bad luck, the main reason our boat was sinking was a 10-pound fish. A mahi-mahi, to be specific, and although that feisty little critter had shaken off the hook and was now swimming freely through the ocean, my life and that of three other anglers was now on the line.

With 60-some miles between us and the inlet, knee-deep water sloshed back and forth in the cockpit and the outboard’s powerheads were dipping into the water with each roll of the boat. Yet we couldn’t so much as turn the bow into the waves, much less generate forward motion to force the water aft and evacuate it through the nowsubmerged scuppers, because our boat was securely tethered to the bottom of the ocean hundreds of feet below.

Again, I blame the fish. While trolling

for tunas and billfish, we’d come upon a fish trap marked by a polyball float, and knowing that mahi-mahi are attracted to flotsam, the captain had decided to head for it. When we got close he saw the mahi hovering in the polyball’s shadow, enjoying a momentary break from the day’s unremitting sunshine. So the captain drove closer, and closer.

Sure enough, when the polyball was within a few yards, the fish darted out from its sanctuary and grabbed one of our lures.

Unfortunately, a moment later the starboard prop grabbed the half-inch-thick polypropylene rope securing the float to the fish trap.

The boat stopped moving, the engine cut out, and the three-foot following seas began knocking at our transom door.

Stop. Think. The first priority was to cut the line off the prop, so the boat would no longer be anchored in place with its stern to the seas. I darted to the cutting board, grabbed a bait knife, and climbed out onto the transom. The motor well was completely submerged already and as waves washed over it and then over the transom, they were hitting me at waist height. Although

it only took 15 or 20 seconds to tilt up the outdrive and cut the line. It’s amazing how quickly you can saw through polypro with a rusty old bait knife when your adrenaline is pumping so hard your eyes are bulging.

Three of those waves entered the boat.

Free of the fish trap, I scrambled back into the cockpit and made eye contact with my buddy’s 18 year old son long enough to yell “bail!”

Stop. Think. The next priority was to get some forward momentum going, so water could drain out of the cockpit. The captain shifted the port motor into gear and gave it some juice, while turning the bow into the seas. Between bailing and forward motion, after about 15 minutes the main cockpit had more or less drained. But the boat still acted mysteriously sluggish.

As we motored along waiting for the bilge pumps to finish de-watering the boat, the adrenaline abated. I took my time cutting the rest of the snarl free from the starboard outdrive, tilted it back down, and re-started the second powerplant. We thought we were in the clear. Yet it still seemed to take longer than usual for the

COVER STORY: SNAKES t CONTINUED FROM PAGE 66 The most likely place to encounter them is in puddles and drying ponds where they prey on dead and dying fish.

Cottonmouths will actually eat carrion and are known to gorge on dead fish like pot-bellied minnows when seasonal wetlands recede.

The iconic showing of the white mouth is a warning from a snake that rarely retreats when cornered. While there are occasions when cottonmouths will actually approach people (usually on the water), they definitely are not big on backing down.

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away.

While cottonmouths are common in many areas, most of the snakes killed for being cottonmouths are non-venomous water snakes.

The banded, broad-banded and green water snake appears similar to cottonmouths as does the larger diamondback water snake.

The snake killed most often, however is the yellowbelly water snake. Looking like their venomous counterpart from the top side, they are super aggressive and will lash out with great force.

Although these water snakes are not cottonmouths, they try very hard to be.

When alarmed, they open their mouth full and strike just like the real thing. These snakes and several other local water snakes will also change the shape of their heads to

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look like a cottonmouth as well.

This gets most of the ones spotted by outdoorsmen a death sentence.

There are two main ways to tell the difference between the cottonmouth and other water snakes. One is to look them in the eyes.

If the pupil is round, the snake is non-venomous. If it is split, it is a cottonmouth. The other way is to look for fangs. Water snakes have rows of bunches of fine teeth while the cottonmouth has fangs.

Despite giving these identification tips, I do not think many people will get close enough to look. At least I hope not.

Cottonmouths are not vicious killers, but approaching one with a looking glass might get you in trouble.

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Texas Boating so smart.

Stop. Think. How could we still be taking on water? We hadn’t struck anything solid. The cockpit was dry, and a check of the outlets confirmed that the bilge pumps were steadily pumping. It would have taken an amazing coincidence for some un-related mishap, say a broken hose or a faulty through-hull, to have suddenly begun flooding the bilge at this particular point in time.

So, why were we still taking on water?

While running the possibilities through my mind I walked to the back of the boat, and glanced over the transom. Though I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, what I saw in the motor well told me everything I needed to know: the two pie-plates that seal the bilge access ports were gone.

The gaping holes they left behind looked like a pair of eight inch wide liquid black eyes, the eyes of a monster about to swallow us down. With the plates were gone, those holes provided a steady diet of ocean water for the bilge to drink up every time the back of the boat dipped down into a trough.

What had happened, since we’d snagged the float line in our prop? The scenario cascaded through my mind as rapidly as the flow of adrenaline returned to my body.

Several hundred gallons of water had initially spilled from the cockpit into the cabin, as I was cutting the prop free. Then the boat suddenly started moving forward, which forced the water to flood aft, and into the bilge. As it did so, it pressurized the bilge.

The pie-plates, which were the pry-out type, were blown out of the access ports by air pressure.

Stop. Think. Seal those damn holes.

Sometimes, the simplest solution is also the most effective one. We balled up a couple of rain jackets, crammed them into the

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Stop.

Think.

Seal those damn holes.

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bow to rise with the waves. We still seemed to be wallowing through the seas instead of riding over them. Although we were surely in better shape than we’d been in a few minutes earlier, the boat’s sluggish nature didn’t seem to be getting better. In fact, it was growing worse.

Stop. Think. We needed to make a Pan-Pan call (indicating a dangerous situation that could become life-threatening) and alert the Coast Guard to our situation and location, then figure out why we were still taking on water. When I keyed the VHF radio mic, nothing happened. The radio was dead—as we would later learn, the result of a fuse that blew when rising bilge waters over-topped the house battery. This far from shore and with no other boats in sight, the back-up handheld VHF I always tote along was entirely useless. I fished a SPOT emergency satellite messenger out of my gear bag, and hit the power button.

Fortunately, I knew the batteries were fresh because I had replaced them the day before.

Smart. Unfortunately, I knew it could take several minutes for the unit to get a GPS fix, because after a battery change it needs to redownload the GPS almanac, and I hadn’t fired up the unit since swapping them. Not

ports, and shifted as much weight as possible towards the bow to reduce the amount of time the motor well spent dipping below the surface. Now, the pumps were getting the job done. Slowly, the boat became more and more responsive. We began floating higher and higher in the water. And less than an hour later, we had lightened the load enough for the boat to get on plane.

We set a course for the inlet, and didn’t stop running until the ramp was 100 yards away.

All this is because of a 10 pound fish? In reality, it should be clear to any experienced boater that the mahi-mahi wasn’t at fault.

The responsibility lies squarely upon the captain’s shoulders, for coming too close to that float and entangling the propeller. But I still like to blame the fish. Because the captain was me.

Contact Lenny Rudow at LRudow@fishgame.com

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Texas Kayaking

by Greg Berlocher | TF&G Kayaking Editor

A

s much as I love slinging artificial lures, hardware doesn’t come close to the productivity of live bait.

Regardless whether you fish fresh or saltwater, feeding the fish is easier than fooling them. The Month of May ushers in what I refer to as live bait season but fishing with live bait from a kayak can be a challenge.

Give or take a week, the thermostat in

“

Live bait anglers have a plethora of options from which to choose.

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Live Bait Season

Texas gets pushed over to “max heat” the first week of May. It isn’t coincidental that many different types of live bait attain the optimum size for attracting apex predators about this period and remain readily available throughout the summer.

Live bait anglers have a plethora of options from which to choose. Angle worms, grubs, lizards, catalpa worms, frogs, and grasshoppers can be ensconced in a tin can and their services are easily acquired while afloat, but sunfish, piggy perch, croaker, shrimp, and other crustaceans, require oxygenated water to keep them alive. This requires extra equipment and extra effort.

The most common solution is a trollingstyle bait bucket. The ubiquitous Frabill

FlowTroll is a common sight on lakes and bays. Its black and yellow color scheme is as familiar as its conical top, which allows you to keep your bait in the water while trolling or moving slowly from one point to another.

This concept is a good one if your vessel if powered by an outboard but if you are paddling, the bait bucket adds a lot of drag.

Drag impedes your progress, making it harder to paddle your hull forward. Towing a bait bucket isn’t the end of the world but if you are paddling several miles you will notice the extra effort required.

In addition to the extra effort, drag has negative affect on the track of your hull.

Assuming you tie off your bait bucket on the side of your kayak, your hull will want to pull to that side with each stoke. This requires constant attention and course corrections must be made along the way. Of course, towing your bait bucket directly behind your kayak will solve the tracking issue it doesn’t solve the overall drag problem; plus, it is harder to retrieve a bait bucket when it is behind your hull.

I tend to lift the bait bucket into my cockpit before paddling. This eliminates drag but it adds clutter to the deck, a minimal and temporary nuisance. If the weather is hot, stop periodically and dunk the bucket to exchange the old water with new. This will make sure there is plenty of oxygen in the water and your bait stays alive while you

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are paddling.

Another simple technique is to keep live bait housed in a five-gallon bucket outfitted with a battery powered bubbler. A long handled dip net makes it easier to snag frisky baits. Baitfish, such as mullet, and shrimp will both jump while in captivity. If you plan on using a five-gallon bucket, add a snap on lid and cut a small entry door to minimize the number of escapees. You can also drape a fine mesh net over the top.

Nothing is as frustrating as getting to your favorite fishing hole and discovering Elvis has left the bait box.

Kayak manufactures have noticed the quandary of live bait anglers and several have introduced accessories that allow

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fishermen to ferry bait from spot to spot.

Hobie’s Live Well is a well thought out live bait system. The tank holds several gallons of water and a battery powered pump replenishes fresh water through a plastic tube which is fed down through a scupper hole.

If you plan on keeping live bait on board, be wary of the amount of water you keep in your bucket or tank. Water weighs 8-pounds per gallon; 5 gallons equates to 40-pounds.

That adds a significant amount of weigh to your hull and will affect how low the hull sits it the water, how quickly it can turn, and its general responsiveness. A lot of weight up high changes the center of gravity and will make a hull quite tipsy.

My favorite bait bucket for a kayak is a soft-sided cooler. They are water tight, easy on the legs when stored in the cockpit, will keep the water cool when the sun’s heat is blistering, and the handles make it easy to move the cooler around while on the water.

Soft-sided coolers are very affordable and serve double duty, keeping your catch cool on the way home from your favorite fishing spot.

Most of the options discussed here have limited holding capacity. Don’t overload your bait bucket’s capacity to keep baits alive. A few lively baits are better than a whole bunch of dead ones.

As summer progresses, the catch rate of lure fishermen drops much lower than their counterparts offering “the real thing”. If you want to have your string stretched nothing beats fishing with live bait.

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

4/23/13 5:17 PM

Paul’s Tips

Strange Baits

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he Boy, my almost 12 year old son, looked into the plastic container, then back at me and asked, “What is it?”

“Chicken livers,” I answered incredulous that he would even ask.

“Will it catch catfish,” he questioned while threading some onto his hook.

Casting my own line out I replied, “Yep, I caught some on it just a few weeks ago.”

Wiping his hands off on his shirt he remarked, “Well, you also tried to catch an alligator on an old turkey a few years back so I don’t know if I can trust you.”

He did have a point. (However, in my defense the turkey worked. I think it was the Cajun seasonings that did the trick.)

I have been known to try some stupid stuff to catch fish (and apparently alligators). Some of it worked, a lot of it didn’t. You can say I’m an expert on what won’t catch fish. Without trying these oddities I never would be able the definitively say whether they worked or not, but this month we’re not going to go over the really stupid stuff.

We’re just going to look at simple items you have in your house right now that will catch fish, specifically

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catfish, but won’t make your friends avoid you at the next office party.

I have heard multiple times of people using Ivory soap on trotlines to catch catfish.

Of course, the person telling the story has never used it themselves but they swear that their cousin’s wife’s brother’s father-in-law caught a 40 pound blue cat using it one time. I’ve never used it either, so feel free to try it out and let me know how it works but I’m going to want pictures to back up your story.

What I have used, or more specifically what my kids use all the time, is hotdogs.

Quit laughing. No, it’s not some hot, new age, state of the art scientifically engineered stink bait, but it works and keeps kids fishing which is the overall goal isn’t it? It’s just difficult for anyone over the age of 14 to admit they’ve used them to catch fish before. My daughter out-fished her brother and me just a few days ago using chunks of hotdog suspended under a bobber. They are easy to hook, stay on fairly well, and your kids won’t make funny faces while threading them on a hook like they do with worms.

Hotdogs are also readily available year round and cheap which isn’t always the case for other catfish baits. Plus, have you ever read the ingredients in a hotdog?

It’s probably safer to feed them to the fish instead of eating them yourself anyway.

The other item you probably have in your refrigerator right now that will catch catfish is bacon. That’s right bacon. I’m not talking about the precooked, microwavable stuff that doesn’t require refrigeration (that’s not natural). Nope. You need the extra fat, artery clogging, half a pig kind of bacon that your wife doesn’t approve of you eating but you do anyway because it tastes so good.

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It really shouldn’t come as a surprise that bacon works on catfish. Pork has been used to catch bass for the past 90 years. Where do you think the jig-n-pig rig got its name?

I’ll give you a hint, the trailer was originally made from real pork even though today the majority of us use plastic.

Why does bacon work on catfish? Simply put, catfish use their sense of taste to find food more than just about any other kind of fish swimming and bacon puts off a lot of tastes into the water. Once bacon hits the water it starts exuding oils and salts and who doesn’t like oil and salt.

A catfish is literally covered in taste buds with even the smallest fish having over a quarter of a million taste buds on its body, not just in its mouth. You, on the other hand only have around 10,000 taste buds all in your mouth. With all of these taste buds, a catfish can literally taste bacon (remember the oil and salt in the water) before it touches it.

If you simply cannot bring yourself to fishing with bacon for fear of looking stupid (trust me, you get over it after a while) then at the very least save the grease after it is cooked. Put it in a small plastic container and refrigerate it. Then when you go fishing take whatever bait you use and smear some of the grease on it. This will give any bait more scent and attract more fish.

illistration by paul bradshaw

by Paul Bradshaw | TF&G Contributing Editor

Contact Paul Bradshaw at PBradshaw@fishgame.com

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Texas Guns

by Steve LaMascus | TF&G Shooting Editor

Bullets for Varmint Hunting

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ne of the fastest growing sports in Texas is predator calling.

Due in large part to the explosion of electronic predator callers which allow a person who does not have the experience required to use a mouth call to get into the field and have success in luring the hunters of the animal world.

I started calling predators in the mid1960s. In those days there were no electronic callers and the prospective hunter had to learn to make the proper sounds on a mouth call or stay home. I practiced on my home-made calls until I finally learned to sound like a rabbit, but in between there were a lot of dry stands.

As for armament, I started out shooting military surplus rifles in .30-06 and 7mm Mauser calibers, but soon graduated to rifles of more modern calibers and designs. In the 50-odd years since I began calling, I have learned a little about what kind of bullets it takes to get the job done.

First, let me say that most .22 caliber bullets of years past were intended for varmint hunting. That is not as true today as it was then. Today there are bullets on the market for the various .22 centerfires that will work for anything from packrats to deer to longrange targets. If you are a handloader the selection is even greater. However, for this piece we will focus on the bullets I believe are best for hunting predators, specifically, gray foxes, bobcats, and coyotes. We will begin with the .22s, which are the epitome of the varmint caliber.

I see a lot of relatively inexpensive bulkpackaged rounds on the shelves these days.

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Often these are loaded with lightweight bullets at high velocities. The higher velocity draws shooters like syrup draws flies. The naïve, novice predator caller buys these, takes his electronic caller out, and calls in and shoots varmints. Often these bullets work quite well, but not all the time or even most of the time. For instance I have seen the 45 grain bullets fail to perform properly in the .222, .223, and .22-250. This happens most often with a frontal shot where the bullet strikes the animal’s brisket. The light bullet at high velocity strikes the bone of the chest and enthusiastically blows up, causing a large but non-fatal wound. This happened recently when my son-in-law shot a coyote in just that way. The bullet struck, the coyote hit the ground, then bounced up and hit the brush. They killed it just before it was out of sight with a second well-placed round.

When they skinned the coyote they discovered just what I have described above. The round used was a factory 45-grain bullet in a .22-250 at nearly 4000 feet per second.

Since in predator calling the animal is almost always coming toward the caller, it stands to reason that many of the shots taken are at the breast of the animal. Therefore I suggest that you use a bullet with enough weight, and a tough enough jacket, to get through the brisket and into the chest, where all animals live.

For the .22s, almost any 55-grain bullet will provide the penetration needed. I have never had a bullet of this weight fail to penetrate deeply enough to kill. I have seen bullets of 45 grains do so repeatedly.

Also, some of the modern bullets are made for shooting bad guys, and some of them are very soft, to prevent overpenetration in crowded situations, so choose your bullets carefully. In my experience, any of the 55-grain soft-point bullets made

by Speer, Hornady, and Sierra, will serve admirably. They are also very accurate.

It is not necessary to use bonded core or partition bullets on predators, and bullets heavier than 55 grains can fail to open

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quickly enough and fail to kill quickly. This is especially true of the overly heavy 69 and 70 grain hollow point bullets popular these days in the AR-15 platforms. Stick with bullets made for the purpose and you can’t go wrong.

In the .243 calibers, I prefer bullets of from 70 to 85 grains. The lighter bullets of 55 and 60 grains are fine for prairie dogs and such, and will work well for gray foxes if you don’t mind them blown into bite-sized pieces, but I do not like them for animals the size of coyotes. My favorite is the standard 80- to 87-grain soft-point.

In the .25 calibers, which are the largest that can be considered “varmint” calibers, I like the 85- and 87-grain bullets. I have shot a fair truckload of coyotes with a .25-06 using 87-grain Sierra soft-points, and recently I have shot a good number using 85-grain Nosler Ballistic Tips. The Ballistic Tips are extremely accurate and incredibly explosive. Hit a coyote in the chest with either of these bullets, or similar bullets by Hornady or Speer, and it will hit the ground so hard it will bounce.

Please, do not try to use the .17 rimfires for predators. They are in no possible way sufficient for the job. Even the .17 centerfires are none too good for anything larger than foxes and will fail you at some important time if you try to use them on coyotes.

The new .204 Ruger is the smallest I can with good conscience recommend, and then use the heavier bullets, and don’t worry about velocity.

There it is. This data is based on the experience of many years and untold days in the brush. I hope you will find it useful. If you want more specific information on loads and calibers, email me at the address below.

Contact Steve LaMascus at SLamascus@fishgame.com

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Shimano Evair

known as spread-spectrum or ClearPulse technology. Essentially, a unit with this type of function sends out multi-frequency pulses, instead of a single or double frequency ping. In this case, dual channels produce pairs of multi-frequency pulses, one which has a 60-degree fan-like beam and probes through the higher frequency ranges to create a high-res “DownVision” scan, and the other with a traditionallyshaped 25-degree conical beam that provides a more traditional fishfinder view, but with enhanced detail.

When I tried the Dragonfly, I felt the pictures it provided were pretty dang spectacular. We could see each individual fish holding just above a shelf, and the 640 x 480 pixel 5.7-inch color LCD was exceptionally crisp and bright (although, as is true with many LCD screens, it does go dim when you’re wearing polarized sunglasses and you move off to the sides).

What’s really shocking, however, is the price of this unit. In the past you couldn’t touch CHIRP technology for less than a few thousand dollars, but the Dragonfly lists at $649.

Surprised you can get this little magic box for such a low cost? You should be – but there’s more to this story. In fact, the Dragonfly is also a chartplotter with a 50-channel GPS receiver and if you opt for it, Navionics chartography. And despite all of this functionality, the Dragonfly is easy to use and very intuitive. In fact, all it took was about 15 minutes of flipping through the menu with the joystick-like “unicontroller” and I was ready to navigate to the fish, and then find them on the meter. If you’re looking for a new inshore or freshwater fishfinder/chartplotter that mixes high-tech with low price, this is one you’ll want to check out. Visit www.raymarine.com.

The Shimano Evairs are available in Khaki

I’ve been wearing a pair of Shimano’s Evair Fishing Boots for several months now, and although I feel mighty strange getting excited over footwear, I’ve got to

Evair Fishing Boots from Shimano, in Khaki and gray.

and gray, and list for an MSRP of $70.

Check out fish.shimano.com, for more info.

—Lanny Rudow

say that these boots are the biggest comfort-enhancer since Under Armor. They’re made from onepiece EVA and are 100-percent waterproof. They weigh just eight ounces per boot. And they have a “water canal” nonskid outer sole that keep s a grip on the deck, no matter how wet it gets.

The biggest surprise I had when wearing the Evairs is how comfortable they are to stand in, for hours on end. Standing on a hard fiberglass deck can lead to sore feet and back pain, but the molded-in arch seems to meld themselves to your foot’s shape, and gives your tootsies the support they need to remain pain-free. In fact, I found them so comfortable that–I am not making this up—sometimes I even wear them around the house.

These boots are insulated but not too heavily, so they’re comfortable in cold or warm weather but not in sub-freezing conditions. Molded in air channels help your feet breathe, and sweating (read: smelly feet) hasn’t been a problem since I’ve been wearing them. One of my favorite perks is being able to slip the boots on and off easily. Although they come up above your ankles the flexible cuffs make it easy to get in and out of them, unlike many waterproof fishing boots that come up over the top of your feet.

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Dragonfly It’s been many years since Raymarine designed a fishfinder purely for inshore and freshwater use, but they’ve come roaring back into this marketplace with a hot new unit called the Dragonfly. Just how hot is it? At the Miami Boat Show, the Dragonfly won the 2013 NMMA Innovations award for new electronics.

The Dragonfly features a relatively low-powered form of The new RaymaCHIRP, also rine Dragonfly fishfinder.

Photos: Shimano; Raymarine

Texas Tested

—LR

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Fish and Game Gear

Shield in Climate, Keep Bugs Out

The Bayonet by E.F.G.

ple, “Fish to survive, survive to fish!”

Check out E.F.G.’s full line of versatile bayonet fishing rods at www.Emmrod.com or give them a call at 509-435-6048.

The new Climate Bug Sheild is designed for round electrical connections on RVs and travel trailers. It seals the hole, so that if you lose your door you do not lose the protective shield against bugs and vermin.

Climate Bug Shield Bayonet is a simple grommet that Fishing securely fastens into the System. electric cord box outlet. It solves the problem with no unsightly mess.

And, where bugs can enter, you can also feel cool air coming from the connection box. Yes, duct tape works in this case but who wants to see the tape residue and have to clean it off often having to use harsh solvents or dangerous chemicals?

The Climate Bug Shield stops cool air from escaping in the summer and warm air from escaping in the fall and winter. This saves on wear and tear on your AC unit

The bayonet was introduced in the 17th century as a “close combat” weapon that could quickly be attached or detached from a soldier’s musket. It meant that the infantry was getting serious and was known

A Must-Have Hunting Tool

and propane use in the winter.

Climate Bug Shield is currently available for 30 amp square box hook-ups and for 30 amp round box applications.

They also now supply blanks for RVs and travel trailers that have lost the little door covering.

Proudly made in the U.S., it only costs $10.00 plus $2.95 shipping and handling.

For more information, contact C&R Enterprises, 2003 N. Winfree, Dayton, Texas 77535, www.climatebugshield.com.

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to strike fear in the enemy. It is said that E.F.G.’s bayonet fishing system has the same effect on finned creatures world-wide.

When it is time to get serious, fix bayonets!

Emmrod Fishing Gear (E.F.G.) manufactures extremely durable, very compact yet totally functional fishing poles Hunter Pro for harsh environments Kit and situations.

E.F.G.’s patented bayonet system is constructed from stainless steel and is guaranteed for life.

The bayonet system is unique in the fishing industry as it utilizes a detachable rod end (bayonet) making for a compact unit measuring only 13 inches when broken down and weighing a mere 8 oz. This makes for an excellent survival or backpacking tool with no equal in the marketplace.

E.F.G.’s company motto is pretty sim-

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Brite-Strike Technologies is the established innovator of tactical lighting solutions and tools for police, military and civilian operators. Based on Brite-Strike’s extensive military background and their passion for hunting and the outdoors, BriteStrike introduces the Hunter Pro Kit. The Hunter Pro Kit comes complete with a 5” flashlight, red, green and blue color interchangeable lenses and a hook and loop flap ballistic nylon holster. The green lens adds contrast for easier topographical map reading in virtually any lighting condition, it is also recommended for hunting as animals cannot detect the green light. The blue lens is perfect for tracking a blood trail in low light conditions. The red lens is ideal for finding your way in the dark without compromising

your natural night vision capabilities.

The flashlight comes with High, Low, and Strobe modes where the highest setting can produce up to 310 lumens of brilliant light. Powered by two 123A lithium batteries the flashlight has a run time of up to 4.5 hours on the low setting, 2.5 on high and 3 hours on the strobe setting.

The manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $200.00 For more information call (508) 7468701 or visit www.brite-strike.com.

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Photos: Climate bug Shield; EmMrod Fishing Gear; Brite Strike

4/23/13 5:17 PM

The Ultimate 3-Gun Rifle Rock River Arms, Inc., an industry leader well-known for producing a full line of high-quality AR15-style rifles, components, parts, and accessories introduces the R3 Competition Rifle, representing further growth in RRA’s expanding line of high performance hunting, tactical and competitive firearms.

The R3 Competition Rifle, chambered

Rock River ‘s R3 Competition Rifle.

in .223 Wylde (for 5.56mm and .223 caliber), was strategically designed to be lightweight for running and gunning. The 18” fluted stainless steel barrel has been cryogenically treated to increase the shooters accuracy and aids in cleaning the firearm. The R3 boasts Rock River Arms’ new TRO XL (Top Rail Octagonal - 15 inch) freefloat full-length handguard that encompasses a variety of competitive shooting styles. The ventilated design of the handguard adds not only flare but also functionality as it helps dissipate heat.

The forged A4 upper receiver allows attachments for scopes, red dot sights or other optics. The rifle is equipped with a RRA two-stage trigger and the RRA winter trigger guard, which accommodates winter or competition gloves. The R3 Competition Rifle is equipped with a low-profile gas block and RRA’s custom muzzle brake with directional porting, which significantly reduces muzzle climb and recoil.

The R3 Competition Rifle is available with either the RRA Operator A2 Stock or RRA 6-position Operator CAR Stock.

The rifle comes with one magazine, RRA hard case, owner’s manual and limited lifetime warranty. MSRP: $1310 For more information call (309) 7925780; online: www.rockriverarms.com

the incredible demand with the new bigger size, Quart Combo.

Scent Killer Gold Spray - with Hunt Dry Technology, is the Ultra-Premium Scent Elimination spray that is formulated for maximum effectiveness after it dries, so you don’t have to hunt in wet clothing.

You can spray your hunting outerwear hours, days, or even weeks before you hunt.

Scent Killer Gold Spray is scientifically formulated to last longer. Scent Killer Gold Spray works so good, it was found to be over 99% effective at stopping replicated human odor in testing at Rutgers University - 10 days after drying!

It’s a specialized blend of advanced odor fighting ingredients that work both wet and dry, attacking a wide range of odors and at the same time, helps to pre-

vent new odors from forming.

The new Scent Killer Gold Quart Combo comes complete with a 32 FL OZ. Refill Bottle and a 12 FL OZ. Field Bottle of the hottest scent elimination spray you can get, for a combined total of 44 FL OZ. Scent Killer Gold Spray with Hunt Dry Technology - A Whole New Level! Apply it, Dry it, and Go Hunt!

MSRP on Scent Killer Gold Quart Combo 44 FL OZ is $24.99 and will be available at the better Sporting Goods Stores this fall.

Visit www.wildlife.com.

Soft Plastics Game Changer TWA Sports introduces its new Weed Guards which will change the way you fish your soft plastic worm. These new Weed CONTINUED ON PAGE 81

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Scent Killer Scent Killer Gold is the hottest new scent elimination spray on the market and Wildlife Research Center, inc. is meeting Photos: Rock River Arms; Wildlife Research Center; TWA Sports

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Industry Insider

Xpress Boats Teams with Dobyns Rods Xpress Boats, the original all-welded aluminum boat manufacturer and industry leader has announced its endorsement of Dobyn’s Rods as a valued partner in the company’s Team boat, Collegiate and ProStaff program.

In making the announcement, Xpress Boats expressed most excited about this relationship as both companies are truly best of class.

Gary Dobyns, owner of Dobyns Rods, is not only a fan of Xpress Boats, but also an Xpress owner.

“When I decided to buy a big tough aluminum boat to fish local rivers and duck hunt out of, I knew there was only one choice. That choice was an 18’ Xpress. I ordered my boat out of Louisiana and had

it shipped to me in California. The boat is everything I thought it would be! It was a great decision and now the boat is 10 years old with a few beauty marks but still in excellent condition; lots of ducks, dogs and fish and no signs of slowing down!”

Nearly 50 years ago in an old schoolhouse in Friendship, Arkansas, Kermit Bryant’s dream was to develop and build

the original “all-welded” aluminum boat.

Today, Xpress operates in a state-of-theart manufacturing facility in Hot Springs, Arkansas, producing top-of-the-line aluminum boats for nearly any application. As in 1966, Xpress Boats remains owned and operated by the Herndon family. Never deviating from its roots, Xpress Boats

Photos: Xpress Boats, Dobyns Rods

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Xpress pioneered the all-weld aluminum boat.

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Dobyns Rods are the product of decades of tournament experience.

continues to do what it does best, design and manufacture America’s premier high performance all-welded aluminum boats.

Learn more at www.xpressboats.com.

Hooked for Life On May 18, 2013 Hooked for Life, Kids Gone Fish’n will host a FREE fishing tournament for kids 16 years old and 80 |

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fish and game gear Guards perform three basic functions.

First- the shape and the flexibility of the guards allow the point of the guard to follow the line pull and the inclined plane of the nose lifts the worm up and around obstructions. Second – the Weed Guards allow you to place the hook further back in the worm body, accounting for a higher hookup ratio. Third and not least- the Weed Guards greatly prolong the useful life of your plastic worm, proof of this is apparent at the end of the day by looking in the bottom of your boat and counting how many torn worms are there.

Weed Guards come in four colors and two sizes and with or without a weight chamber. Weed guard assortments come packaged eight per package and include a

Stick’Em Rods Stick’Em Rods was founded by two experienced anglers in 2005. They provide top-notch fishing rods, great customer support, and the best price for the quality in the industry.

The company develops rods for the true sportsman including all different actions enabling the fisherman to throw an array of different baits.

When you purchase a Stick’Em Rod you will understand why we take pride in the craftsmanship of our product. Awesome load, great action, unparalleled sensitivity

makes Stick’Em Rods the best in the business. Catch more fish. Period.

Contact Glen C Linebarger, Stick’em Rods LLC, by phone at (281)-898-0421 or email glen@stickemrods.com.

ing events. Although last year was not a record, likely due to its holiday scheduling (Memorial Day), the previous year’s tournament did get into the record book.

Record-breaking or not, this year’s event

will introduce hundreds of kids to the joys of fishing.

For further information visit the website www.hookedforlife.us.

Young contestants were lined for a mile on both banks of last year’s Hooked for Life fishing tournament site in Brownsville.

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Photo: Texas Fish & Game:

under. The tournament will be held in Brownsville, Texas.

The goal is to introduce children to the sport and joy of fishing and bring families together in an old fashion tradition. This year free rod-and-reel combos, t-shirts, goodie bags and snacks will be provided to

nylon line threader, and instructions on how to install.

For more information, visit their web site www.twasports.com.

Photo: Stick’Em Rods

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participants while they last.

The waters will be stocked with 5,000 pounds of fresh water catfish giving children plenty of opportunities for a catch.

Last year’s tournament drew more than 1,600 young anglers, enough participation to bring it to the attention of the Guiness Book of World Records, which had a representative on hand to judge whether the tournament set a new record for fishT F & G

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Hotspots Focus: Upper Coast

by Capt. Eddie Hernandez

Time for May

he wait is over. The month of May has finally strutted into town in full plumage and riding on it’s coat tail are water temperatures above 70 degrees, somewhat stable weather, green tides, tons of hyper bait fish and big, mean, hungry predators. What more could you ask for?

It was a long wait, and seemed even longer than it actually was but it is over now and it’s time to get this party started.

It’s time to put on some shorts and hook up the boat. Summer is just around the corner and it’s time to get in that mindset.

It’s time to start focusing on the patterns that will consistently put fish in the boat for the next several months. It’s time to start

Time to put on shorts and hook up the boat.

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thinking about the surf, the jetties, the lake, bayous and rivers. Here on Sabine it’s time for us to start thinking about basically the entire ecosystem.

With air and water temperatures beginning the ascent into the summer months we are becoming limitless as to where we can go and what we can do to catch fish. Plentiful bait fish and strong tides are beginning to loosen the reins on trout, reds and flounder

that will follow shrimp, shad and mullet from the Gulf of Mexico, up the Neches and Sabine rivers and everywhere in between.

Nice stringers of hefty trout and reds will be taken early on topwaters. The ship channel and jetties have the potential to produce some real monsters.

The same holds true for both the north and south revetment walls on Pleasure Island and various points in the Sabine and Neches rivers.

On the Louisiana side of the lake, key on protected areas with pretty water and a nice mud/clam bottom.

Moving water is always your friend and the presence of bait fish will definitely up the odds in your favor. Skitterwalks, Super Spooks, Top Dog Jr., and She Dogs are all good for multiple blow ups. Good color choices are bone, pearl, black/chartreuse and pink/silver.

When the sun begins to penetrate the water and the topwater bite starts to taper a bit switch to soft plastics bounces off the bottom on 1/8 oz. lead heads or under a popping cork. Flounder Pounder’s CT SHad in flow or glow/chartreuse and Gulp Shrimp and Swimming Minnow will definitely get their attention. Flounder will also find theses hard to resist.

It is time to take advantage of the warming conditions and start focusing on what is going to put meat on the table for a while.

the bank bite Location: Pleasure Island Species: Flounder, Redfish Baits/Lures: Mud minnows, fresh shrimp Best Times: Moving Tides

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Hotspots Focus: Galveston

by Capt. Mike Holmes

Will the Meek Inherit the Gulf?

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We passed over a lot of good fishing on the way out.

Even nearer to the beach – well within range of the bigger bay boats in calm weather, good action can be had for both king and Spanish macks, jack crevalle, bonito (little tunny) and ling by trolling or drifting, and these are the best of all waters for big sharks and tarpon.

I used to tell charter customers that every old wooden shrimp boat we saw out working was another snapper “spot” waiting to happen, and enough of these vessels have sunk close to the beach to create a whole lot of fish-holding structure usually ignored by charter and head boats as well as commercial fishermen. Some are already charted, some you might get locations of

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n the days when I fished almost exclusively from the beach, I of course spent many hours gazing out over the water towards the distant horizon.

Although I loved surf fishing, and still do, it would be less than truthful to say I didn’t spend a lot of that time yearning for a boat to get me out “where the big ones” lived.

That wish was eventually granted, but in stages. First my buddies and I used various floats, even life jackets – to “swim” baits out further than we could cast. Mostly this was for shark fishing, but we also caught bull reds and big stingrays with this technique.

Later we advanced to inflatable dinghies that were rowed far enough to catch Spanish mackerel and other small game fish that did not regularly come in the surf. When we went on to outboard powered inflatable’s and a 16 foot fiberglass dory, we thought we were in the big time. With greatly increased “range” we began to get bigger sharks, more reds, and occasionally a ling.

When I moved to an 18 foot outboard, I got to enjoy the close rigs. On the first trip we caught enough king mackerel to really feel good about the day. Like most who get badly bitten by the offshore bug, I kept stairstepping to bigger boats and more distant fishing grounds, but always remembered that we passed over a lot of good fishing on the way out. In today’s Brave New World of saltwater fishing, those spots we deemed unworthy of our time in the past are probably the new reality for most fishermen.

There are a lot of rigs within 10 miles of the beach that hold fish, from kings and ling in summer to snapper and Gulf trout in winter – and within nine miles of shore the state of Texas has no closed season on snapper.

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from friends, others you might find on your own (the best way!). Natural bottom formations also occur close to shore off Galveston and Freeport, although not as much so as off South Padre Island. Where these areas are found, even grouper are sometimes present, and it is not unheard of for a sailfish – basically a reef dweller – to be hooked nearby, CONTINUED ON PAGE 85

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Hotspots Focus: Matagorda

by Mike Price

WaterJacked

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he water color in West Matagorda Bay, near Phillip’s Bayou, was trout green with about 20 inches of visibility as Jeff Wiley made his first cast. Wiley delights in catching flounder, trout, and redfish while wade fishing, but on this beautiful morning in May he got a double dose of fishy trouble along with a few of the desired fish. He had the drag set to handle a big trout or redfish, and was swimming his

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Berkley Jerk-Shad Lime Tiger Glow Gulp soft plastic through the water, when something hit the lure and took off like there was no drag. Now, Wiley enjoys a good tussle with a lively fish, but after 30 minutes of holding his rod high and putting a little line on his reel only to have the fish once again take it off, he decided that he had had all of this kind of fun that he could handle; besides he had seen the fish and did not want to keep it. It was a crevalle jack, so Wiley cut the line. When the water temperature approaches 80F°, crevalle jack venture into the bays because they know the waters are loaded with small fish to prey on. Another fish that goes from the Gulf of Mexico into West Matagorda Bay when the water warms is the shark.

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Wiley had caught several 16- to 19-inch trout. He put the trout on his stringer and continued to fish in chest deep water. Then his enjoyable fishing moment was shattered by a very big splash that took place right behind him. He looked around and saw a six foot shark making off with some of his trout. That shook him up, but he was even more shook up when the shark came back a few seconds later and sunk it’s formidable teeth into a couple more trout. At that point, he decided to fish in shallower water. Matagorda guide Floyd Ciruti floats a large plastic container on a line as a shark-proof fish box. He said that sharks in West Matagorda Bay will follow a stringer or bucket with holes in it, like following a chum line, but they leave the sealed box alone.

May is a good time to fish the very shallow flats, and if you go fishing on a day with a fairly light wind from the southeast you may want to target the many redfish that move onto these flats to feed, with a fly rod. I have been amazed at the number of redfish at Pipeline Bayou in West Matagorda Bay working the flats in May. On the same day that Wiley was getting his thrills from shark and crevalle jack, I was fishing a gut that was about four feet deep.

I was working a pink Rapala Skitter Walk topwater when it was hit by a trout. It turned out to be 22-1/2 inches and 3-3/4 pounds.

The month of May just may be the best month for trout action. Mullet and other bait fish congregate in the back lakes and bayous, attracting trout. I was fishing Pipeline bayou and saw thousands of bait fish jumping out of the water in a small cove. Trout were attacking, making the bait fish leap out of the water in quick succession as the trout moved through, creating the sound of a giant zipper being ripped open. I dropped a pumpkinseed chartreuse Bass Assassin in the midst of this and hooked and landed the biggest trout of my life, measuring 28-1/2 inches.

Kayak fishing the bayous in May for redfish is really fun. I was going along the shoreline in my kayak when I saw a distinctive redfish splash, and heard something like a

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Galveston focus WAMP. As I watched the shoreline to see where it would show up next, I noticed that I wasn’t the only one watching where that redfish was going. A snowy egret danced along with the redfish and every time the fish went after little minnows, the egret got a snack. I dropped my red and white Norton Sand Eel Jr. soft plastic in front of the fish and it was instantly pounced on.

May is a good time for fishing in the bays, but just as the fish become very active in May, so do many fishermen. So be courteous, give others some space to fish.

the bank bite Location: The Matagorda jetties Species: Everything from shark to flounder Best Baits: Live shrimp with baits both on the bottom and under popping corks Best Time: On a moving tide, either in or out

Contact Mike Price at MPrice@fishgame.com

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water movement, regardless of the time of day or night.

t CONTINUED FROM PAGE 83 well within sight of the beach. Jacks and bonito are not generally eaten, but are wonderful light tackle sport fish and convert to the best snapper or shark bait in the world.

Of course, these close trips are not as “macho” maybe as venturing beyond the horizon, but they are more affordable, and great fun. On a memorable early May weekend years ago, my fishing buddy and I had a night’s tally of a 35 and a 41 pound bull red, a 46 pound blacktip shark, several “runs” from larger sharks, and a 140 pound stingray – all from the beach.

Nothing “meek” about that kind of action!

Species: Flounder are moving back in from offshore, and specks can be ambushed from the jetties or piers. Reds will hit the surf, along with panfish. Most sharks are waiting for the 70 degree mark to be reached on inshore water temperatures, but some will “rush the season.”

Best Baits: Fresh cut bait like mullet or shad works on just about anything, but live bait is king when available. Jigs and other artificials still need to be worked slowly, even when fish are obviously actively feeding.

Best Times: Weekends are much less crowded this time of year, and especially early and late the beaches and piers should be very quiet.

the bank bite Location: All the warm weather spots are getting ready to produce. Jetties and piers are good for those who don’t want to get wet, the surf and bay shorelines beckon waders. Watch the tide schedules and fish when there is most

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Hotspots Focus: Rockport

by Capt. Mac Gable

The Night Shift Part 2

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he Coleman lantern crackled as the waves slapped the side of the old 16 foot aluminum Lonestar we were in. The night was cold and while there were better times to fish at night, I jumped at the chance to wet a line when asked. I was young, not much older than 10, and had dreams of a book I had just read , “McElligot’s Pool” by Dr. Seuss and the giant whoppers of the finny kind that awaited only those with the patience of Job. The only reliable light we had on the boat was a slit cut in the tin foil absconded from my mom’s pantry that made a half wrap around the white gas light of the warming lantern.

The lantern was tied to a makeshift rod holder and pointed such that the foil side

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faced the boat and the open side faced the water. When the waves rocked the boat, the light might be parallel to the water or facing the North Star, depending on the pitch and yaw of the Lonestar we were huddled in, but it seemed to work, as bait soon appeared in the moving lantern’s light. Us old timers often believed that the light attracted the bait but a truism is that it is plankton that draws the life circle into play under our fishing lights.

Admittedly there are many hotly debated discussions as to whether the light attracts the multitude of plankton (especially zoo plankton) but after examining water samples before and after a light is turned on I tend to believe the light does its share in attracting.

Look up “bioluminescence” and its relationship and you will see what I am talking about.

Not a biology lesson here, but suffice it to say this chemical reaction has several purposes some we know of, some we don’t. Those we know of include: reproductive purposes; counter shading, or camouflage, for protection; and communication. Not the scientific

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type? Then go ask any old-timer who fishes at night if he just sits in the dark and fishes or if he uses a light, and get ready for an old style verbal education. Or, he might just walk away shaking his head. Either way you have your answer: lights work and you will catch more fish at night with them than without them.

The days of the old Coleman are about gone, but I still have one and it brings back good memories for me. It helped me catch a lot of fish and was a pretty good flounder light if you didn’t mind using your mouth as a third hand for things. Today there are many more options, from floating lights to submerged lights to lighted lures... and even lights that you attach to real bait.

Night fishing spans a broad spectrum so for the sake of space I have limited this article to boat fishing for the recreational angler.

A couple of lights I like to use are the floating green light (pick your brand) or, when the conditions warrant, a submerged green light that you can anchor away from your boat within easy casting distance, or if deep enough, drop straight over the edge of your boat. The submerged light has two advantages: it reflects light to deeper depths and it does not attract as many bugs as a floating light, although some old salts claim the bugs are a good thing; fish feed on them, so just swat’em and catch fish.

The color of the light does matter and many studies have ranked green light No. 1 and white light No. 2. A case has been made for a blue light but that color seems to work best in higher salinity environments.

Most experts agree it’s the plankton that is attracted to the lights that set up the feeding life circle, not the bugs. New LED lights are just as effective and claim to draw less off of the battery. You will find a price range from $19.99 up to around $450.00 so pick your poison carefully. I will say most I have tried work and fish don’t care about price!

Bait choices also cover the spectrum, with the standard baits being the easiest to use.

Shrimp can be deadly, as can cut squid. If

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you use cut fish like mullet or menhaden or piggy’s you might not like what shows up, like big bull sharks or gators. In our area alligator gar love to wreak havoc on night fishermen so unless you target these guys, start with shrimp or squid... then work your way up the food chain.

Lures at night can be a blast, but this is a specialized sport in itself. Day prank bait chunkers find it hard to catch fish at night for two main reasons: 1) the food chain is a lot different at night and that includes colors and the way they refract light at different depths; 2) retrieval speeds have to change as well with slow-to-dead-stops normal in the winter, to high-speed in the summer.

Here are a few tips for night fishing that has served me well and took years to learn: With bait, start out fishing as close to the light as you can, being careful not to get your hooked fish tangled in the light or its cord. With lures (and the old standard grubs with the lightest jig head you can get by with is hard to beat when the action heats up) cast into the dark, past your light and bring the lure across the light spectrum. On most nights the trout and reds seem to attack the lure at about the same distance from the light almost every time. A few more tips: The best lights, the most expensive bait or lures, or the fanciest wrapped boat won’t help you one bit if you’re not fishing in a spot that holds fish, and these can be—and usually are—different spots than day time fishing. In the winter months I like deeper water and in the summer, shallow shell with escape routes to deep channels.

Time seems to stand still at night and if a day on the water adds a day to one’s life then a night on the water adds double, let it be so written! It can be a lot of fun and quite an adventure. Just go slow, be careful and a word of caution: you might just look up one night and see an orange glow on the horizon which means you are most certainly in trouble when you get home. But aren’t sunsets and sunrises truly one of the best gifts of fishing?

When a red hits keep your rod tip high as the there are many small trenches in this area and it is easy for fish to cut you off.

rig. Be patient here for the bite, the more bait you have out the better to get the bite started.

Aransas Bay – Mack Reef is good for trout using mud minnows on a light Carolina rig. Berkley Jerk Shad in morning glory and electric chicken are effective here as well. The shallow water edges of Blackjack Point are good for a few flounder using a slow retrieve jig tipped with cut squid or menhaden. Drifts close to Deadman’s Island on the ICW side is good for trout using a Mansfield mauler and Berkley gulp shrimp.

Mesquite Bay – The east shoreline is good for sheep head using cut squid and/ or small chunks of shrimp. Free line is best but a silent cork works well here too. Black drum frequent the mouth of Little Brundrett Lake with peeled shrimp on a light Carolina rig the preferred bait.

Ayers Bay – The south east shoreline is good for reds using a popping cork and shrimp. Keep your rod tips high as this heavy shell can cause frequent break offs.

The north end of Second Chain Island is good for flounder and black drum using live shrimp under a popping cork.

St Charles Bay – Black drum in the 17 to 20 inch range are at the mouth of Cavasso Creek with peeled shrimp on a light Carolina rig being the bait of choice. Delay hook sets until a steady pull is felt. Bird Point is good for reds on high tide. The key to this spot: a slight wind from the north or northwest which allows for a silent approach. The bait of choice is cut mullet or menhaden on a light Carolina rig.

the bank bite The airport shoreline on the southeast shoreline of Copano is a good wade for trout and reds with new penny colored jerk shads the preferred bait. Most fish are caught in waist deep water so wading gear is the best approach. Fish 360 degrees covering water you have just waded through with your casts.

Carlos Bay – The shell on Cedar Reef is good for reds and trout and a few keeper flounder using free lined shrimp.

Drifts down this reef with a south east wind are highly effective. Have your anchor ready and when the action starts set a silent anchor.

Wading Cedar Point is good for reds using top water bone/red colored lures.

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

• • • Copano Bay – Live shrimp on Shell Bank Reef are good for some keeper trout.

Switch between a silent cork and a rattle cork for best action. The top of this reef holds reds late evening with free lined finger mullet the best choice. Redfish Point in good for black drum using peeled shrimp on a light Carolina T F & G

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Hotspots Focus: Lower Coast

by Calixto Gonzales

A Little Color

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y the time May rolls around, Lower Laguna Madre fishermen have a wide range of choices to fish. Warm spring weather (or some wags would call pre-summer) warms waters to the point that trout, redfish, and flounder have stretched out their fins and begin haunting all the popular spots up and down the Lower Texas Coast. Still there are a few areas that should be the ambitious angler’s first choice on a bright May morning.

The color change that forms where the grass flats along the South Padre Island shoreline just north of the SPI Convention Center meets up with the sand and spoils of the ICW is worthy of more than a couple of casts. Both speckled trout and redfish utilize the change in water clarity--which switches from gin-clear to “Laguna green” so abruptly that a sharply defined boundary is formed—as cover to ambush prey. The color change also provides fish with a safety zone they can easily retreat to when they are cruising the grass flats.

The Color Change is a short hop from all of the popular boat ramps and marinas in Port Isabel and South Padre Island. It isn’t difficult to find, for anglers who lack the GPS units others utilize,, and if the bite is on, it is a spot capable of providing a memorable trip. The ease of returning to port also makes the Color Change a great area to bring children fishing. If they get tired, a short run back, and they’re back in their air conditioned hotel room or condo to rest and change for a run to the beach or Schlitterbahn on SPI. A long slow drift is the most effective strategy to adopt for the color change because it allows you to efficiently cover the

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zone between the clear and sandy water.

Begin your drift just inside of the boundary, and allow the wind to dictate your direction.

A straight southerly wind will push you on a parallel with the boundary line, and a southeasterly will create a more perpendicular drift. If the wind is a little stiffer than usual, a drift sock will slow you down to a more efficient speed. If your boat is equipped with a trolling motor, don’t hesitate to use it to direct your drift the way you would like it to go.

Schools of smaller mullet and pinfish tend to aggregate in the color change, which draws trout and redfish, so it’s important that the bait and lures you use reflect that trend. Live shrimp under a noisy float such as a popping cork or Cajun Thunder is going to always work. The Cajun Thunder, along with the Paradise Popper, Original Mansfield Mauler, and other paradigms of the design, are made not only provide the “bloop” of a good popping cork, but the rattle beads threaded on the floats’ wire add to the racket and continue to provide sound while the rig is at rest. Fish key in on the rattle corks more effectively.

A 16 to 20-inch, 20 pound fluorocarbon leader, #3 split shot and a 2/0 Kahle hook rounds out the popping cork rig. The Kahle hook is much better than the typical treble hook because it is less prone to tearing a fish up. Mostly, the hook lodges in the top of a fish’s mouth or in the corner of the jaw, making release much easier.

If you don’t want to drop a double saw-buck on a quart of live shrimp, shrimp imitators are just as effective. The main go-to artificial that most coastal fishermen are turning to is the Gulp! 3” Shrimp.

Popular colors are Nuclear Chicken and Glow, with Pearl also a good choice. You can use a 1/8 ounce jig head, or on the same live shrimp rig.

If you prefer plastics over Gulp!, then a good choice are the shrimp tales by Kelly Wiggler. These are classic baits that have produced literally millions of game fish over

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the years, and they continue to do so. I’ve had great success with the classic red/white patter, clear/glitter (in the clear water) and glow. I’m fascinated with the new colors that Kelly Wigglers has recently produced, especially “Lagunaflage,” and all are worth a try. Kelly shrimp tails are also effective bounce along the bottom. Fish them slowly with about a two second pause between twitches.

Shad tails are also very effective around the color change. The throbbing “boot tail” of a Norton Bull minnow, H&H Queen Cocahoe, or Berkley Power Mullet is an effective fish attractor. Again, colors such as glow/chartreuse, pearl chartreuse, or the ageless strawberry and whit are the standards you’ll want to load your tackle box with.

When the sun gets higher in the sky later in the morning, keep an eye out for dark patches of weeds scattered throughout the sandy bottom inside the Color Change.

These clumps of grass offer still another ambush point that speckled trout utilize when feeding. Cast over or parallel to these patches and work your bait through or by them. Again, the key word is slow, so make sure your drift doesn’t take you by them too quickly. Don’t discount a clump as being too small. I once caught a 27” trout that ambushed my bait from a weed clump the size of a garbage can lid.

A short run, easy location, and good fishing…What more could you want from a fishing spot?

the bank bite Location: Pirates Landing Fishing Pier Species: Speckled Trout Tip: Night fish with live shrimp on a freeline rig.

Contact Calixto Gonzales at CGonzales@fishgame.com

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TIPS: Work the cuts in the reef looking for slicks and bait concentrations.

UPPER GULF COAST

Take a Cotton to West Mat Reds

by GEORGE KNIGHTEN gtkphoto@yahoo.com LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Cottons GPS: N28 30.60198,

W96 12.603

(28.510033, -96.210050) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: Wade-fish the grass beds; look for working bait.

LOCATION: East Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Pig Pen GPS: N29 25.176,

W94 44.11602

(29.419600, -94.735267) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Pearl/chartreuse back or Pink Skitter Walks CONTACT: Capt. Steve Hillman 409-256-7937 captsteve@hillmanguideservice.com www.hillmanguideservice.com TIPS: Wade-fishing; don’t forget to take some Red Shad colored Bass Assassins.

LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Raymond’s Shoal GPS: N28 39.79002,

W95 54.48198

(28.663167, -95.908033) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Chicken on a Chain, Tequila and plum colored Norton soft plastics with 1/8-ounce; leadheads

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GPS COORDINATES are provided in two formats: “Decimal Degrees” (degrees.degrees) and “Degrees and Minutes” sometimes called “GPS Format” (degrees minutes. minutes). Examples (for Downtown Austin): Decimal Degrees: N30.2777, W97.7379; Degrees and Minutes: N30 16.6662, W97 44.2739. Consult your manual for information specific to your GPS device.

CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: Drifting if you can find lots of bait, you are going to find the fish.

LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Oyster Lake GPS: N28 36.54,

W96 10.99998

(28.609000, -96.183333) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: Black Magic Norton soft plastics with 1/8-ounce; leadheads CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: Early in the morning, start in close. Later in the day work out into the bay as the morning progresses; key on drop-offs behind sand bars. If drifting, work the deep shell.

LOCATION: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Todd’s Dump GPS: N29 29.71668,

W94 54.55002

(29.495278, -94.909167) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Limetreuse or Red Shad colored Bass Assassins with 1/8-ounce; jighead CONTACT: Capt. Steve Hillman 409-256-7937 captsteve@hillmanguideservice.com www.hillmanguideservice.com F ish

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LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: South Causeway Reef GPS: N29 47.22102,

W93 55.91898

(29.787017, -93.931983) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Pearl colored Skitter Walks early and late CONTACT: Capt. Eddie Hernandez 409-721-5467, 409-673-3100 ehernandez@fishgame.com TIPS: Once the sun comes up switch to soft plastics under a popping cork.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Blue Buck Point GPS: N29 47.77998,

W93 54.43902

(29.796333, -93.907317) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Lighter colored soft plastics with a 1/4-ounce jighead CONTACT: Capt. Eddie Hernandez 409-721-5467, 409-673-3100 ehernandez@fishgame.com TIPS: Look for bird activity or schooling fish.

LOCATION: Sabine Pass HOTSPOT: East Jetties GPS: N29 40.287,

W93 49.27002

(29.671450, -93.821167) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Lighter colored soft plastics with a 1/8-ounce jighead CONTACT: Capt. Eddie Hernandez 409-721-5467, 409-673-3100 ehernandez@fishgame.com TIPS: Make sure you have a Louisiana license.

LOCATION: Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Hanna’s Reef GPS: N29 28.70298,

W94 45.70302

(29.478383, -94.761717) SPECIES: speckled trout

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BEST BAITS: Red Shad colored Bass Assassins CONTACT: Capt. Steve Hillman 409-256-7937 captsteve@hillmanguideservice.com www.hillmanguideservice.com TIPS: Hanna’s reef produces a lot of big fish in May. LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: San Luis Pass Flats GPS: N29 5.673,

W95 6.88002

(29.094550, -95.114667) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Super Spooks and Skitter Walks in chrome/blue, Bass Assassins in plum, and chartreuse CONTACT: Capt. Steve Hillman 409-256-7937 captsteve@hillmanguideservice.com www.hillmanguideservice.com TIPS: Wade-fishing; if there is a lot of current or wind, switch to 1/8-ounce jighead/

GPS: N28 21.82302,

W96 33.645

(28.363717, -96.560750) SPECIES: flounder BEST BAITS: Pearl/chartreuse Texas Tackle Factory soft plastics with 1/8-ounce; jigheads CONTACT: Capt. Chris Martin 361-785-2686 bayflatslodge@gmail.com bayflatslodge.com TIPS: Look for the fish on the bottom coming out of the guts.

MIDDLE GULF COAST

Shamrock Lucky for Corpus Flatties

by GEORGE KNIGHTEN gtkphoto@yahoo.com LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Shamrock Cove GPS: N27 44.955,

W97 10.00002

(27.749250, -97.166667) SPECIES: flounder BEST BAITS: Mud minnows with small egg sinkers CONTACT: Capt. Jon Fails 361-949-0133 jonfails9@gmail.com landcut.com TIPS: Look for flounder in the channels.

LOCATION: Espiritu Santo Bay HOTSPOT: Conti Lake GPS: N28 19.023,

W96 37.58598

(28.317050, -96.626433) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: Cut mullet Carolina rigged CONTACT: Capt. Chris Martin 361-785-2686 bayflatslodge@gmail.com bayflatslodge.com TIPS: Redfish, good on either wade-fishing or drifting.

LOCATION: Espiritu Santo Bay HOTSPOT: Long Island Shoreline

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Texas Hotspots CONTACT: Capt. Chris Martin 361-785-2686 bayflatslodge@gmail.com bayflatslodge.com TIPS: Chrome/blue is the best color combination for topwater baits in May.

LOCATION: Mesquite Bay HOTSPOT: Cedar Point Flats GPS: N28 14.184,

W96 39.91002

(28.236400, -96.665167) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: Topwater lures

LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Upper Estes Flats GPS: N27 57.05802,

W97 5.331

(27.950967, -97.088850) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp or croaker CONTACT: Capt. John Barbree 361-222-0477 jebarbree@yahoo.com www.barbree-guide-service.com TIPS: Drifting or wading, fishing live bait under a popping cork.

LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Traylor Island GPS: N27 55.995,

W97 4.494

(27.933250, -97.074900) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live croaker CONTACT: Capt. John Barbree 361-222-0477 jebarbree@yahoo.com www.barbree-guide-service.com TIPS: Fish the shoreline in water no deeper than 2-4 feet deep.

LOCATION: Port O’Connor HOTSPOT: Ransom Point GPS: N27 50.862,

W97 8.397

(27.847700, -97.139950) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live croaker CONTACT: Capt. John Barbree 361-222-0477 jebarbree@yahoo.com www.barbree-guide-service.com TIPS: Look for spawning trout on the grass beds.

LOCATION: San Antonio Bay HOTSPOT: Chicken Foot Reef GPS: N28 15.82002,

W96 47.08002

(28.263667, -96.784667) SPECIES: speckled trout

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BEST BAITS: live shrimp CONTACT: : Capt. Chris Martin 361-785-2686 bayflatslodge@gmail.com bayflatslodge.com TIPS: Excellent location in May to drift with live shrimp under a popping cork.

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Yarborough Pass Flats GPS: N27 12.53202,

W97 24.414

(27.208867, -97.406900) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Four-inch H&H chartreuse colored grubs with a twister tail CONTACT: Capt. Jon Fails 361-949-0133 jonfails9@gmail.com landcut.com TIPS: Make long drifts in 2-4 feet of water.

LOWER GULF COAST

Shoreline Fit for a King Speck

by CALIXTO GONZALES cgonzales@fishgame.com LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: King Ranch Shoreline GPS: N26 46.30602,

W97 28.35198

(26.771767, -97.472533) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters, Catch 5ís in Smoke, pinfish patterns; Soft plastics in red/white, Bonechartreuse, gold or chrome spoons CONTACT: Captain Danny Neu 979-942-0165 TIPS: Work either your soft plastic or topwater as slowly as you can. A stealthy approach is best, so wading is recommended. Watch for nervous mullet to tip you off to where the fish are.

LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: Marker 173 GPS: N26 27.64002,

W97 22.24998

(26.460667, -97.370833)

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SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters, Catch 5ís in Smoke, pinfish patterns; Soft plastics in red/white, Bonechartreuse, gold or chrome spoons CONTACT: Captain Danny Neu 979-942-0165 TIPS: Fish the drop-offs between the spoils Island and the ICW for speckled trout. Drift parallel to the islands. Use dark-colored plastics.

LOCATION: South Padre Island HOTSPOT: Coast Guard Station GPS: N26 4.36002,

W97 10.03098

(26.072667, -97.167183) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Cut mullet, cut ballyhoo, Gulp! shrimp in Rootbeer/Gold and New Penny CONTACT: Captain Richard Cadengo 956-434-2511 TIPS: Anchor up along the drop-off of the channel or wade out from the campground and fish the edges with live bait, cut bait or soft plastics. Fish parallel to the channel and let your offering drop into it.

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LOCATION: South Padre Island HOTSPOT: Unnecessary Island Flats GPS: N26 13.81098,

W97 16.34202

(26.230183, -97.272367) SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp, Gulp! shrimp in Nuclear Chicken, Lime Tiger, soft plastics in Chartreuse patterns CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Fish the flats just east of the Island with live or cut bait. An old stand-by is a gold spoon fished just under the surface. Watch for schools of slot reds cruising just under the surface.

TIPS: Big trout are holding up in the shallows more as murky water persists during dredging.

Long casts with live bait and scented artificials are good. Topwaters work early.

LOCATION: South Padre Island HOTSPOT: Stover Shoreline GPS: N26 13.93002,

W97 19.39002

(26.232167, -97.323167) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp, topwaters, Gulp! shrimp in Nuclear Chicken, Lime Tiger, soft plastics in Chartreuse patterns CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Fish near shoreline guts early with topwaters early in the morning. Fish further off in potholes later in the morning with live bait or soft plastics. Watch for jumping bait.

LOCATION: South Padre Island HOTSPOT: East Shoreline Sand GPS: N26 10.713,

W97 11.10702

(26.178550, -97.185117) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live bait, cut ballyhoo, topwaters, Gulp! shrimp in Rootbeer/Gold and New Penny CONTACT: Captain Richard Cadengo 956-434-2511

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W97 19.70802

(26.347883, -97.328467) SPECIES: redfish

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Texas Hotspots BEST BAITS: live shrimp, Gulp! shrimp in Nuclear Chicken, Lime Tiger, soft plastics in Chartreuse patterns CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: This is VERY shallow work. The redfish, however, are there and feeding. Watch for boils and nervous water Fish closer to shore on a high tide, closer to the entrance on an outgoing tide.

LOCATION: South Padre Island HOTSPOT: Three Islands GPS: N26 16.27998,

W97 16.42002

(26.271333, -97.273667) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp, Topwaters in rainbow, Pinfish, blue/chrome, black chrome; soft plastics; Gulp! shrimp in Nuclear Chicken, Lime Tiger CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: If the water warms up, then topwaters are a good choice, especially She Dogs and Skitterwalks. If the water is still cool, fish soft plastics near the bottom with 1/8th-ounce jigheads.

Work slowly and keep a soft touch to detect light takes.

PINEY WOODS

Fork Bass Looking Mighty Purdy

by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Purdy Point GPS: N32 51.642 W95 35.860 (32.8607, -95.597667) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: shad colored Rapala CONTACT Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 ricky@rickysguideservice.com rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Lake Fork will be clear and surface temps

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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.

LOCATION: Caddo HOTSPOT: Jeems Basin GPS: N32 44.25708,

W94 1.49484

(32.737618, -94.024914) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: buzzbaits, popping frogs, Senkos CONTACT: Paul Keith 318-455-3437 caddoguide1@att.net caddolakefishing.com TIPS: Fish the areas that have a mixture of cypress trees and visible grass. Most of the bass you catch should be in two to four feet of water here this month.

LOCATION: Caddo HOTSPOT: Old Folks Playground GPS: N32 43.76472,

W94 6.74772

(32.729412, -94.112462) SPECIES: bream BEST BAITS: Crickets CONTACT: Paul Keith 318-455-3437 caddoguide1@att.net caddolakefishing.com TIPS: Fish crickets around the bases of the moss surrounding the cypress trees. The perch are spawning and will be close to the roots of the trees, especially those with green vegetation.

Long-shanked cricket hooks will help you unhook your catch easier.

LOCATION: Conroe HOTSPOT: Lewis Creek GPS: N30 25.25706,

W95 34.18518

(30.420951, -95.569753) SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows, jigs CONTACT: F i s h

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Richard Tatsch 936-291-1277 admin@fishdudetx.com fishdudetx.com TIPS: Focus on brush piles in 12-14 feet of water where the post-spawn crappie have moved to during the early-morning hours. Move out to brush in 16-20 feet later in the day. I use a slip bobber so I can adjust my minnow so it swims just above the brush.

LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Long Branch GPS: N32 53.282 W95 32.284 (32.888033, -95.538067) SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: crappie jigs, live minnows CONTACT Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 ricky@rickysguideservice.com rickysguideservice.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.

LOCATION: Livingston HOTSPOT: The Lump GPS: N30 41.17194,

W95 5.66196

(30.686199, -95.094366) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Jigging White Slabs, Pet Spoons, Tsunami Zombie Eye Jigs CONTACT: David S. Cox 936-291-9602 dave@palmettoguideservice.com palmettoguideservice.com TIPS: Fish the slope of the drop-off, jigging the Slabs and Tsunami Zombie Eyes right off the bottom. Feel for the strikes as the lures fall. Bank access is available at Beacon Bay Marina.

LOCATION: Lake O the Pines HOTSPOT: Highway 155 Lily Pads GPS: N32 52.37244,

W94 42.3501

(32.872874, -94.705835) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Floating soft plastic frogs, buzzbaits CONTACT: Sonny Kopech

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903-592-8221 Marion.Kopech@HDSupply.com TIPS: Target the pockets in the lily pads and fish their outside edges with floating frogs. Crank buzzbaits along the edges of the pads and around the numerous stumps here. Use 20-pound test line and keep the pressure on the bass after setting the hook.

LOCATION: Toledo Bend HOTSPOT: Snake Pit GPS: N31 45.79596,

W93 50.817

(31.763266, -93.846950) SPECIES: bream BEST BAITS: Crickets, earth worms, meal worms CONTACT: Greg Crafts gregcrafts@yahoo.com toledobendguide.com TIPS: Bream will be on the beds in shallow water. Cruise the shoreline and look for honeycomb circles along sandy banks. Once you find a bed, pick off the fish from the outside to inside so you don’t spook the fish. It’s a great time to take a kid fishing.

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LOCATION: Cedar Creek HOTSPOT: Main Lake Docks GPS: N32 12.8772,

W96 6.22854

(32.214620, -96.103809) SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: Small crappie jigs, Road Runners CONTACT: Jason Barber 903-603-2047 kingscreekadventures@yahoo.com www.kingcreekadventures.com TIPS: Use a light to medium action spinning rod and reel with 4-8-pound test line rigged with a 1/32 or 1/8-ounce jig or Road Runner. Pitch or shoot the lures under the docks and let the lures fall.

Some of the deeper docks have brush beneath them.

PRAIRIES & LAKES

Tawakoni Hybrids Within Reach

by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com LOCATION: Tawakoni HOTSPOT: Tall Man’s Reach GPS: N32 51.3174,

W95 54.09264

(32.855290, -95.901544) SPECIES: hybrid striper BEST BAITS: 4-inch Sassy Shads CONTACT: Tony Parker 903-348-1619 tawakonifishing@yahoo.com tonyparkerfishing.com TIPS: Look for birds to point you to the fish. The fish will school in shallow water so don’t overlook birds diving into just-inches of water. Sun Point and Wolf Cove also should have schooling action.

Approach the fish slowly with your trolling motor.

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LOCATION: Fayette County HOTSPOT: Buzzard Point GPS: N29 55.941,

W96 43.67796

(29.932350, -96.727966) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: worms, punch bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk &

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of them feeding on shad. Drift over the humps so you won’t spook the fish with your outboard motor.

Work the lure just off the bottom with a steady retrieve.

979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com FishTalesGuideService.com TIPS: This point offers 2-10 feet of water close to a road bed. Anchor and cast to two feet of water, then set out other rods outward to 10 feet of water to find the depth the fish are in. Chum soured grain to bring the fish close to the boat.

LOCATION: Gibbons Creek.

HOTSPOT: Eagle Point South Side GPS: N30 37.92,

W96 2.883

(30.632000, -96.048050) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Shad, punch bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com FishTalesGuideService.com TIPS: This lake is open only Friday-Sunday.

Fish water 5-10 feet deep. Anchor away from the shore and fish close to the boat or park the boat bottomed on shore and cast out to the lake. Action is best right after daybreak when shad are close to the bank.

LOCATION: Aquilla HOTSPOT: Snake Island GPS: N31 55.215,

W97 12.891

(31.920250, -97.214850) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Little Georges, Rat-L-Traps CONTACT: Randy Routh 817-822-5539 teamredneck01@hotmail.com teamredneck.net TIPS: White bass are running along the edge of the island chasing shad early and late. Make long casts. Carry a pair of binoculars along to scout for feeding birds over schools of white bass. Chrome and blue are my favorite lure colors.

LOCATION: Cooper HOTSPOT: Harper’s Crossing GPS: N33 18.63714,

W95 39.04248

(33.310619, -95.650708) SPECIES: hybrid striper BEST BAITS: Sassy Shads CONTACT: Tony Parker, tawakonifishing@yahoo.com,903348-1619, tawakonifishing.com TIPS: Target the shallow humps such as this one and Pelican Point. The hybrids will be on top

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LOCATION: Lavon HOTSPOT: 380 Bridge Area GPS: N33 9.73734,

W96 25.24554

(33.162289, -96.420759) SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: Crappie jigs, minnows CONTACT: Billy Kilpatrick 214-232-7847 straightlineguide@yahoo.com straightlineguide.com TIPS: Crappie are in 1-3 feet of water for the spawn. Lots of males are near the beds and 5-10 fish at each spot is common. Minnows under glow bobbers at night work well. My favorites for daytime are a black-blue and black-chartreuse jigs.

LOCATION: Lewisville HOTSPOT: Cottonwood Park GPS: N33 8.4624,

W96 56.8002

(33.141040, -96.946670) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Secret 7 dip bait CONTACT: Bobby Kubin 817-455-2894 bobby@bobby-catfishing.com bobby-catfishing.com TIPS: Look for schools of feeding catfish in five feet deep or less water along the banks. Use Secret 7 dip bait with Dead Red Dip Tubes or Furry Thang bait holders on a Carolina rig with 18-inch leader and No. 4 or 6 treble hooks.

LOCATION: Palestine HOTSPOT: Flat Creek GPS: N32 16.9533,

W95 29.87256

(32.282555, -95.497876) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Blue Herring Shimmy Shakers, jigs, crankbaits CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 ricky@rickysguideservice.com rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Largemouth bass action is good in the shallows throughout the day. Cobb Creek is another area that produces some great action during May. Fish the areas slowly.

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LOCATION: Palestine HOTSPOT: 155 Bridge Brush Piles GPS: N32 8.6355,

W95 28.49754

(32.143925, -95.474959) SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows, jigs CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 ricky@rickysguideservice.com rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Look for brush piles on your sonar units and mark their locations. Start at the first one located, fishing minnows or jigs on top of the brush. Move from one brush pile to another to improve your success.

LOCATION: Palestine HOTSPOT: Big Eddy Bay GPS: N32 13.65648,

W95 29.4453

(32.227608, -95.490755) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Red worms, punch bait, minnows CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 ricky@rickysguideservice.com rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Catfish are feeding along the sandy flats near deep water. Both drifting minnows and earthworms or anchoring and fishing punch bait over areas pre-baited with soured maize can put lots of eating-sized fish in your boat, LOCATION: Palestine HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points GPS: N32 4.84476,

W95 25.42038

(32.080746, -95.423673) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Slabs, spoons, Rat-L-Traps, topwaters CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 ricky@rickysguideservice.com rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Watch for gulls, herons and egrets feeding on shad injured by the schools of white bass.

Approach the bird activity cautiously to prevent from spooking the fish. Make long casts rather than pulling right into the middle of the action.

LOCATION: Somerville HOTSPOT: Nails Creek East Side

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GPS: N30 17.60496,

W96 39.45498

(30.293416, -96.657583) SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: Shad, stinkbait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com FishTales-Guide Service.com TIPS: Lily pads are beginning to emerge. Anchor where you can fish close to shore or, if the pads are thick, fish their outer edges. If the lake is low look for rocks near the bank and drift your slip cork across them.

LOCATION: Texoma HOTSPOT: Islands GPS: N33 50.93388,

W96 42.40014

(33.848898, -96.706669) SPECIES: striper BEST BAITS: Zara Spooks, Pencil Poppers, Sassy Shads CONTACT: Bill Carey 877-786-4477 bigfish@striperexpress.com striperexpress.com TIPS: Start early fishing topwaters close to the bank and off the points of the islands. Move out to deeper water as the day progresses. Watch for feeding gull activity throughout the day.

LOCATION: Whitney HOTSPOT: Whitney Point GPS: N31 54.65874,

W97 20.89866

(31.910979, -97.348311) SPECIES: striper BEST BAITS: live gizzard shad CONTACT: Randy Routh 817-822-5539 teamredneck@hotmail.com teamredneck.net TIPS: This is the time to catch big sow striped bass. Anchor just off the hump and use a Carolina rig with a two-ounce weight and No. 2 circle hook.

I also drop a couple of lines straight down in 26-feet deep water and reel up 3-4 turns off the bottom.

(32.861705, -98.542206) SPECIES: striper BEST BAITS: live shad CONTACT: Dean Heffner 940-329-0036 fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: Striped bass action has improved considerably over the past two years. Last May, we caught a 10.2 hybrid and 17-pound striper here. Downrigging one-ounce bucktail jigs also will catch some fish. The best depth is 24 feet down in 50 feet of water.

903-389-4117 royce@gonefishing.biz www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: Crappie are in the shallows on the southeast end of the lake where bank fishermen will be able to catch them in the coves around Fisherman’s Point Marina. Small minnows or jigs under slip corks will work well.

LOCATION: Richland Chambers HOTSPOT: 309 Flats GPS: N31 58.87884,

W96 7.99722

(31.981314, -96.133287) SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Silver Glitter RSR Shad Slabs, Rat-L-Traps CONTACT: Royce and Adam Simmons 903-389-4117 royce@gonefishing.biz www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: White bass will be roaming all over the flats. Use one-ounce Slabs or Rat-L-Traps in 20 to 30 feet of water and be prepared to catch some very large hybrid stripers along with white bass.

Watch for feeding gulls to locate the whites and hybrids.

BIG BEND

Storm the Castle for Amistad Bass

by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com LOCATION: Amistad HOTSPOT: Castle Canyon GPS: N29 31.60608,

W100 58.8906

(29.526768, -100.981510) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Jigs, plastic worms plastic jerkbaits, topwaters, swimbaits, spinnerbaits CONTACT: Stan Gerzsenyl 830-768-3648 stan@amistadbass.com amistadbass.com TIPS: This is the time of the year when just about any lure will catch bass. I prefer topwaters because of the explosive bites. Texas-rigged worms are a guarantee. All major creek channels will hold fish.

PANHANDLE

Possum Stripers Come on Strong

by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com LOCATION: Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Caddo Bay GPS: N32 51.7023,

W98 32.53236

LOCATION: Richland Chambers HOTSPOT: Fisherman’s Point Marina GPS: N31 56.45394,

W96 7.41012

(31.940899, -96.123502) SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: jigs, minnows CONTACT: Royce and Adam Simmons T F & G

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Texas Hotspots HILL COUNTRY

Canyon Bass Feel Pier Pressure

by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Potter Creek Fishing Pier GPS: N29 54.07998,

W98 15.58998

(29.901333, -98.259833) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Bass Kandie Baby Bass Buster, Piscasso spinnerbait, Berkley Power Worm CONTACT: Kandie Candelaria 210-823-2153 kandie@gvtc.com

TIPS: Fish main lake points, timber on the right side and timber in the back of the cove and across from the ramp. Use a 3/8-ounce. spinnerbait early then a Bass Kandie Stick or Berkley worm Texasrigged with Piscasso tungsten weight when the sun comes up.

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Turkey Cove GPS: N29 51.53988,

W98 13.14306

(29.858998, -98.219051) SPECIES: striper BEST BAITS: Striper jigs CONTACT: Steve Nixon 210-573-1230 steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com sanantoniofishingguides.com TIPS: Look for the stripers to be in deep water, 30-50 feet. They will be suspending over the creek channel and close to the river channel. Trolling striper jigs on downriggers around this area produces fish.

LOCATION: Granger HOTSPOT: Main Lake Brushpiles GPS: N30 41.98194,

W97 22.08012

(30.699699, -97.368002) SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: Crappie jigs CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell 512-365-7761 crappie1@hotmail.com www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: Numerous brush piles are in the lake.

Locate them at 4-15 feet deep with your sonar unit. Fish jigs vertically, using 1/16-ounce in murky water, 1/32-ounce in clear water. When the jig touches the brush, hold the jig still for several seconds.

SOUTH TEXAS PLAINS

Falcon Lunkers Like a Siesta

by BOB HOOD bhood@fishgame.com LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Siesta Shores GPS: N26 50.80794,

W99 15.45618

(26.846799, -99.257603) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Topwaters, spinnerbaits, plastic worms, jigs CONTACT: Robert Amaya 956-765-1442 robertsfishntackle@gmail.com robertsfishntackle.com TIPS: Fish the pockets around the stickups with topwaters and spinnerbaits early, then fish the bushes and laydowns tight with Texas-rigged plastic worms and jigs once the sun gets up. Keep a lookout for bass occasionally chasing shad in the shallows.

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A.G. Russell Knives Black Hills Ammunition

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Faultline Outdoors

Page 103

Fishing Tackle Unlimited

Page 99

Brite-Strike Technologies Page 103

Hallmark Cutlery

Page 107

Climate Bug Shield

Page 107

Lansky Sharpeners

Page 106

CORBON/Glaser

Page 102

Lews

Page 105

DeSantis Holsters

Page 100

Stick’em Rods, LLC

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EMMROD FISHING GEAR

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and Texas Fish & Game

4/23/13 5:18 PM

A Tribute to Outdoor Dads

The Power of the

Father

It was one of those moments I would never forget.

At the time, it somehow seemed important but later on, it would prove pivotal.

I sat in the lap of my father, Chester Moore, Sr. and put together a scrapbook

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of fish and game photos.

It was common for us to cut up his

old copies of Sports Afield, Field & Stream and Outdoor Life and eventually expanded into going to the local thrift

by chester moore

shop and wiping out their supply of outdoors magazines.

They sold for a nickel apiece so dump-

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A Tribute to Outdoor Dads ing out my piggy bank would yield several

On this particular night, I remember

Several friends my age had fathers who

locking eyes with my Dad and seeing pure

were either entirely absent or extremely

They were gold to me.

love emanating from him. It was nothing

absentee in their lives and their path

I would look at the photos and imagine

new to me really but at that point I had a

was different. Drugs, alcohol, loneliness,

myself pursuing the amazing creatures

friend with an estranged Dad and while

depression were all part of the equation.

splashed across the pages.

I could not deny him caring for his son at

And while I believe after a certain age of

some level, I never saw this look. In fact, I

accountability we should answer for our

almost never saw him with his son.

own actions, there is no question the lack

dozen at a time.

They were wild, exotic animals and fish from Africa, South America and Asia but some of my favorites were animals I knew lurked our local woodlands.

G

of a father played a huge role in influencing

rowing up, I never doubted

Back in the early 80s, North American Hunter (the NRA’s magazine) would have a centerfold of some game animal or bird

to walk down a dark, dismal road.

the love of my father and

Statistics sadly prove this to be true.

while there were times of

A 2002 Department of Justice survey

arguing, the existence of

of 7,000 inmates revealed that 39 percent

love is never an issue. He was there for me

of jail inmates lived in mother-only house-

a wood duck drake that haunted my imagi-

every step of the way even when he might

holds. Approximately forty-six percent of

nation every time we would go out to my

have thought I was crazy for some of my

jail inmates in 2002 had a previously incar-

Aunt Ann’s property in southern Newton

actions. (Handling rattlesnakes and playing

cerated family member. One-fifth experi-

County.

with jaguars for example.)

enced a father in prison or jail.

in each issue. I cut out a stunning photo of

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In a study of 6,500 children from the ADDHEALTH database, father closeness was negatively correlated with the number of a child’s friends who smoke, drink, and smoke marijuana. Closeness was also correlated with a child’s use of alcohol, cigarettes, and hard drugs and was connected to family structure. Intact families ranked higher on father closeness than The author, sharing an outdoors moment with his daughter Faith

single-parent families.

And according to the U.S. Census

t

Bureau, children in father-absent homes are almost four times more likely to be poor. In 2011, 12 percent of children in married-couple families were living in poverty, compared to 44 percent of children in mother-only families.

There is no denying the world shaping power of fathers.

For you fathers with young children, the good news is you have incredible

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A Tribute to Outdoor Dads opportunities to mold the lives of your chil-

a group of fun-loving skaters who cruise

before. They were not playing football or

dren in an extremely positive way and use

through the area from time to time, we

baseball in the field down the street and

the great outdoors to do so.

rarely saw any kids.

they certainly were not catching the catfish

A couple of years ago my wife Lisa

Then the school district started making

and bass in the bayou down the road.

and I talked about the lack of school age

pick ups across the street and I noticed

They were no doubt in their homes

children in our neighborhood. Other than

numerous youngsters we had never seen

glued to video games, the Internet or television.

There is of course nothing necessarily wrong with any of those things but for a child to only get their stimulation solely from electronics is to deny them what is natural. That is why it is essential get kids outdoors. I am of course an advocate of bringing them fishing and hunting but at this point I would be perfectly happy even seeing them play croquet.

Some believe the current generation of kids is simply not wired for outdoors activi-

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ties but that is an extreme falsehood. The

into the great outdoors. Whether they go

shells on the beach, there are life-enhancing

Lord fashioned us all to enjoy nature.

crabbing, perch jerking or searching for

experiences to be had. Do not take them

Every couch potato kid I have taken outdoors had been blown away by the experience. Simply seeing a bird or squirrel up close or catching a hand-sized bream is often the most exciting thing that has ever happened to them. A couple of years ago, our church held an outdoors campout type event for boys ages 7-12. We were shocked at how many had never roasted weenies or marshmallows or even see a campfire for that matter.

Their excitement touched our hearts and reminded all involved how blessed we were to have been brought up in an outdoors lifestyle. It is sad to see kids with such little life experience outside of what they get in school or what they can control with a joystick or mouse.

Make time to take the kids in your life

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A Tribute to Outdoor Dads Carolina rig fishing for bass or chunking

and let her experience nature in a close,

some clips for my WebTV series “God’s

topwaters for trout on their first trip. Perch,

personal way.

Outdoors with Chester Moore”.

crabs and croaker are the ticket because

A great way to top off an opportunity to

As the nine-year-old twins fed “Bucky”,

encounter wild things is giving them photos

a massive young buck I told the girls the

of their trip. These will help build powerful

difference between antlers and horns and

tunities for encounters for really young

memories they will one-day share with their

how the buck’s horns are still growing and

children come in places like zoos and

own children. You can get prints made

in velvet now.

aquariums. They do not always have the

from digital photos for just a few cents

patience for long hikes but a place like a

apiece and buy photo albums for a couple

was friendly now would not be approach-

zoo for example has many different things

of dollars.

able in a couple of months when the rut

they provide simple, quick action.

Sometimes in reality, the best oppor-

to see so they can keep moving.

M

They marveled at the fact the buck that

Some fathers lack confidence in taking girls outdoors but they should embrace the

y wife Lisa and I take our daughter to every

kicked in and the antlers would be used to defend territory.

Watching the girls marvel at the antlers

opportunity.

Last fall my wife Lisa and I along

zoo, aquarium and other

with our friend Tracy Ellis, and her daugh-

animal related venue we

ter Ashlyn took our pastor’s daughters

really got me to thinking about the value of this educational opportunity.

Abby and Rachel were captivated by

can. If there is a wildlife drive thru park or

Abby and Rachel Rose out to our friend

the growth of the antlers and how they

nature center wherever we travel, we stop

Ken Swenson’s whitetail ranch to film

were soft now but would soon be hard.

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ALMANAC Digital.indd 107

Chester Moore, Sr. (right) and his brother Jackie Moore were powerful early influences on the author and Jackie’s son Frank.

4/23/13 5:18 PM

A Tribute to Outdoor Dads Growing up I was intrigued that once

father of one and a children’s minister who

Finally, for those of us with fathers still

antlers were shed they became food for

works with dozens on a weekly basis I have

living, we can pay them back and honor

squirrels, mice and other rodents who gnaw

yet to find one that does not have an inter-

their sacrifice for us by spending time in

on them for their calcium content. Girls

est in animals. Even antlers can captivate a

the great outdoors with them. If you have

may or may not get into fishing but as a

young lady.

the budget take them on a hunting or fishing trip, they have always dreamed of. I had the chance to do this with my Dad 10 years ago when we went white sturgeon

We owe it to our older dads to spend time with them in the outdoors, just as they did with us when we were kids.

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fishing in the Oregon’s Columbia River,

A L M A N A C

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Chester Moore, Sr. with his granddaughter Faith.

titudes of men have neglected their fatherly

of your children and sons and daughters do

duties.

the same for your fathers.

Make this father’s day count and do it

t

Millions however have not and we

in the outdoors.

should honor with them with our love, respect and time.

You see time is the greatest gift of all because once it is gone; there is no way to get it back. Fathers, seize the day on behalf

All photos courtesy chester moore, unless otherwise noted.

it was the best fishing trip of my life, and more importantly it was the best of his.

If you do not have a budget, scout out a special stand location on your deer lease to offer Dad a shot at a nice buck or set a goal to catch the biggest bass of your life with him this year. Dedicating time to Dad can enhance both of your lives.

One day you will not have that opportunity and it is always best to sacrifice your time and resources now because it will not be possible at some point. The day we all dread will come.

Father’s day gets little attention because our society has looked at fathers in many ways as disposable and in many ways mulT F & G

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Sportsman’s Daybook Tides and Prime Times

MAy 2013

TIDE forecast for GALVESTON CHANNEL (29.3166° N, 94.88° W) SOLUNAR forecast for TEXAS CENTER (31.14° N, 99.39° W) MONDAY

TUESDAY

Apr 29 PRIME TIME 30 Low Tide: 1:04 AM High Tide: 9:33 AM Low Tide: 2:48 PM High Tide: 4:58 PM

-0.29ft.

1.67ft.

1.39ft.

1.40ft.

9:30 — 11:30 PM

High Tide: 3:14 AM Low Tide: 9:09 AM High Tide: 2:08 PM Low Tide: 9:05 PM

1.36ft.

0.87ft.

1.26ft.

0.20ft.

PRIME TIME 4:00 — 6:00 PM

Low Tide: 12:26 AM 0.05ft.

High Tide: 8:58 AM 1.49ft.

PRIME TIME 8:30 — 10:30 PM

High Tide: 1:25 AM Low Tide: 6:18 AM High Tide: 12:42 PM Low Tide: 7:28 PM

1.15ft.

0.86ft.

1.30ft.

0.42ft.

PRIME TIME 2:00 — 4:00 PM

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 8:19 AM Low Tide: 1:31 PM High Tide: 4:25 PM

1.71ft.

1.35ft.

1.40ft.

8:00 — 10:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:36a Set: 8:32p Moonrise: 11:20p Set: 9:13a AM Minor: 8:25a AM Major: 2:09a PM Minor: 8:55p PM Major: 2:40p Moon Overhead: 3:48a Moon Underfoot: 4:19p

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High Tide: 4:16 AM Low Tide: 10:06 AM High Tide: 2:28 PM Low Tide: 9:37 PM

PRIME TIME

1.45ft.

1.00ft.

1.26ft.

0.08ft.

5:00 — 7:00 PM

14 Low Tide: 1:05 AM High Tide: 9:44 AM

PRIME TIME

0.13ft.

1.46ft.

9:00 — 11:00 PM

21 High Tide: 2:38 AM Low Tide: 7:28 AM High Tide: 12:59 PM Low Tide: 8:03 PM

PRIME TIME

1.30ft.

0.99ft.

1.30ft.

0.17ft.

3:00 — 5:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:38a Set: 8:29p Moonrise: 4:57p Set: 3:52a AM Minor: 2:43a AM Major: 8:55a PM Minor: 3:08p PM Major: 9:21p Moon Overhead: 10:48p Moon Underfoot: 10:22a

Sunrise: 6:39a Set: 8:28p Moonrise: 3:55p Set: 3:15a AM Minor: 2:00a AM Major: 8:12a PM Minor: 2:24p PM Major: 8:36p Moon Overhead: 9:56p Moon Underfoot: 9:32a

27 «

7

Sunrise: 6:42a Set: 8:24p Moonrise: 10:23a Set: None AM Minor: 9:44a AM Major: 3:32a PM Minor: 10:07p PM Major: 3:56p Moon Overhead: 5:22p Moon Underfoot: 4:59a

Sunrise: 6:43a Set: 8:23p Moonrise: 9:32a Set: 11:36p AM Minor: 8:52a AM Major: 2:40a PM Minor: 9:15p PM Major: 3:04p Moon Overhead: 4:35p Moon Underfoot: 4:12a

20

10:30P — 12:30A

Sunrise: 6:47a Set: 8:19p Moonrise: 5:14a Set: 6:28p AM Minor: 4:01a AM Major: 10:13a PM Minor: 4:24p PM Major: 10:36p Moon Overhead: 11:48a Moon Underfoot: None

Sunrise: 6:48a Set: 8:19p Moonrise: 4:39a Set: 5:31p AM Minor: 3:21a AM Major: 9:32a PM Minor: 3:44p PM Major: 9:55p Moon Overhead: 11:02a Moon Underfoot: 11:25p

13

PRIME TIME

Set: 8:14p Sunrise: 6:53a Moonrise: 12:38a Set: 11:29a AM Minor: 10:53a AM Major: 4:38a PM Minor: 11:22p PM Major: 5:07p Moon Overhead: 6:02a Moon Underfoot: 6:31p

Sunrise: 6:54a Set: 8:14p Moonrise: None Set: 10:24a AM Minor: 9:47a AM Major: 3:32a PM Minor: 10:17p PM Major: 4:02p Moon Overhead: 5:02a Moon Underfoot: 5:32p

6

Low Tide: 2:03 AM -0.20ft.

High Tide: 10:36 AM 1.61ft.

WEDNESDAY

28 Low Tide: 12:52 AM High Tide: 9:09 AM Low Tide: 2:46 PM High Tide: 5:37 PM

PRIME TIME

-0.40ft.

1.64ft.

1.25ft.

1.30ft.

3:30 — 5:30 AM

Sunrise: 6:35a Set: 8:33p Moonrise: None Set: 10:20a AM Minor: 9:31a AM Major: 3:17a PM Minor: 10:00p PM Major: 3:46p Moon Overhead: 4:48a Moon Underfoot: 5:17p

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May 1 PRIME TIME » 2

Low Tide: 3:08 AM High Tide: 11:32 AM Low Tide: 6:25 PM High Tide: 8:21 PM

-0.05ft.

1.54ft.

1.18ft.

1.19ft.

5:30 — 7:30AM

Set: 8:15p Sunrise: 6:52a Moonrise: 1:28a Set: 12:33p AM Minor: 11:54a AM Major: 5:40a PM Minor: ----- PM Major: 6:07p Moon Overhead: 6:59a Moon Underfoot: 7:26p

8 «

High Tide: 5:10 AM Low Tide: 10:56 AM High Tide: 2:47 PM Low Tide: 10:09 PM

PRIME TIME 1.51ft.

1.11ft.

1.27ft.

-0.00ft.

6:00 — 8:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:47a Set: 8:20p Moonrise: 5:51a Set: 7:23p AM Minor: 4:43a AM Major: 10:55a PM Minor: 5:07p PM Major: 11:19p Moon Overhead: 12:35p Moon Underfoot: 12:12a

15

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 1:45 AM 0.22ft.

High Tide: 10:29 AM 1.43ft.

10:00P — 12:00A

Sunrise: 6:42a Set: 8:25p Moonrise: 11:16a Set: 12:17a AM Minor: 10:35a AM Major: 4:24a PM Minor: 10:58p PM Major: 4:47p Moon Overhead: 6:08p Moon Underfoot: 5:45a

22

High Tide: 3:42 AM Low Tide: 8:37 AM High Tide: 1:18 PM Low Tide: 8:44 PM

PRIME TIME

1.46ft.

1.12ft.

1.33ft.

-0.08ft.

4:00 — 6:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:38a Set: 8:29p Moonrise: 6:03p Set: 4:33a AM Minor: 3:28a AM Major: 9:41a PM Minor: 3:55p PM Major: 10:08p Moon Overhead: 11:42p Moon Underfoot: 11:15a

29

Low Tide: 1:47 AM High Tide: 9:55 AM Low Tide: 4:05 PM High Tide: 7:16 PM

PRIME TIME

-0.22ft.

1.54ft.

1.09ft.

1.16ft.

4:30 — 6:30 AM

Sunrise: 6:35a Set: 8:34p Moonrise: 12:09a Set: 11:26a AM Minor: 10:34a AM Major: 4:21a PM Minor: 11:02p PM Major: 4:48p Moon Overhead: 5:45a Moon Underfoot: 6:12p

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Low Tide: 4:19 AM High Tide: 12:17 PM Low Tide: 6:53 PM High Tide: 10:40 PM

PRIME TIME 0.14ft.

1.46ft.

1.00ft.

1.13ft.

12:30 — 2:30 AM

Set: 8:16p Sunrise: 6:52a Moonrise: 2:13a Set: 1:36p AM Minor: 12:25a AM Major: 6:36a PM Minor: 12:49p PM Major: 7:02p Moon Overhead: 7:52a Moon Underfoot: 8:18p

9 «

High Tide: 5:57 AM Low Tide: 11:40 AM High Tide: 3:05 PM Low Tide: 10:41 PM

PRIME TIME 1.55ft.

1.20ft.

1.29ft.

-0.04ft.

7:00 — 9:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:46a Set: 8:21p Moonrise: 6:30a Set: 8:18p AM Minor: 5:28a AM Major: 11:40a PM Minor: 5:52p PM Major: 12:04p Moon Overhead: 1:22p Moon Underfoot: 12:59a

16

Low Tide: 2:28 AM 0.32ft.

High Tide: 11:07 AM 1.40ft.

PRIME TIME 11:00P — 1:00A

Sunrise: 6:41a Set: 8:25p Moonrise: 12:09p Set: 12:56a AM Minor: 11:25a AM Major: 5:13a PM Minor: 11:47p PM Major: 5:36p Moon Overhead: 6:53p Moon Underfoot: 6:31a

23 «

High Tide: 4:40 AM Low Tide: 9:39 AM High Tide: 1:41 PM Low Tide: 9:29 PM

PRIME TIME 1.60ft.

1.23ft.

1.38ft.

-0.29ft.

5:30 — 7:30 PM

Sunrise: 6:37a Set: 8:30p Moonrise: 7:10p Set: 5:18a AM Minor: 4:17a AM Major: 10:31a PM Minor: 4:46p PM Major: 11:00p Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 12:11p

30

Low Tide: 2:45 AM High Tide: 10:36 AM Low Tide: 5:11 PM High Tide: 9:14 PM

0.02ft.

1.45ft.

0.88ft.

1.04ft.

PRIME TIME 5:30 — 7:30 AM

Sunrise: 6:35a Set: 8:34p Moonrise: 12:52a Set: 12:30p AM Minor: 11:32a AM Major: 5:20a PM Minor: 11:58p PM Major: 5:45p Moon Overhead: 6:38a Moon Underfoot: 7:03p

A L M A N A C

4/23/13 5:18 PM

SYMBOL KEY

l

Add or subtract the time shown at the rightof the Tide Stations on this table (and map) to determine the adjustment from the time shown for Galveston Channel in the calendars.

KEY PLACE

Sabine Bank Lighthouse

Sabine Pass Jetty

Sabine Pass

Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass Galveston Bay, S. Jetty

Port Bolivar

FRIDAY

3

Low Tide: 5:36 AM 0.34ft.

High Tide: 12:52 PM 1.38ft.

Low Tide: 7:26 PM 0.78ft.

1:00 — 3:00 AM

Sunrise: 6:51a Set: 8:16p Moonrise: 2:53a Set: 2:38p AM Minor: 1:13a AM Major: 7:26a PM Minor: 1:38p PM Major: 7:50p Moon Overhead: 8:42a Moon Underfoot: 9:07p

10 l

High Tide: 6:43 AM Low Tide: 12:17 PM High Tide: 3:19 PM Low Tide: 11:15 PM

PRIME TIME 1.56ft.

1.26ft.

1.30ft.

-0.04ft.

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 Texas City Turning Basin +0:33 Eagle Point +3:54 Clear Lake +6:05 Morgans Point +10:21 Round Pt, Trinity Bay +10:39

1:00 — 3:00 PM

4 High Tide: 12:30 AM Low Tide: 6:53 AM High Tide: 1:22 PM Low Tide: 8:00 PM

1.16ft.

0.53ft.

1.32ft.

0.57ft.

PRIME TIME 2:00 — 4:00 AM

Set: 8:17p Sunrise: 6:50a Moonrise: 3:29a Set: 3:37p AM Minor: 1:59a AM Major: 8:10a PM Minor: 2:22p PM Major: 8:34p Moon Overhead: 9:30a Moon Underfoot: 9:54p

11 «

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 7:27 AM Low Tide: 12:50 PM High Tide: 3:27 PM Low Tide: 11:50 PM

1.55ft.

1.29ft.

1.32ft.

-0.01ft.

7:30 — 9:30 PM

Sunrise: 6:44a Set: 8:22p Moonrise: 7:56a Set: 10:03p AM Minor: 7:07a AM Major: 12:54a PM Minor: 7:31p PM Major: 1:19p Moon Overhead: 2:59p Moon Underfoot: 2:35a

PRIME TIME

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 3:15 AM High Tide: 11:38 AM Low Tide: 7:37 PM High Tide: 9:44 PM

0.44ft.

1.37ft.

1.00ft.

1.01ft.

12:00 — 2:00 AM

Sunrise: 6:40a Set: 8:26p Moonrise: 1:04p Set: 1:32a AM Minor: ----- AM Major: 6:01a PM Minor: 12:12p PM Major: 6:23p Moon Overhead: 7:37p Moon Underfoot: 7:15a

24 «

High Tide: 5:36 AM Low Tide: 10:37 AM High Tide: 2:10 PM Low Tide: 10:16 PM

PRIME TIME 1.71ft.

1.32ft.

1.43ft.

-0.45ft.

6:30 — 8:30 PM

18 Low Tide: 4:08 AM High Tide: 12:04 PM Low Tide: 6:49 PM High Tide: 11:54 PM

0.57ft.

1.34ft.

0.86ft.

1.05ft.

12:30 — 2:30 AM

Sunrise: 6:40a Set: 8:27p Moonrise: 1:59p Set: 2:06a AM Minor: 12:33a AM Major: 6:46a PM Minor: 12:57p PM Major: 7:08p Moon Overhead: 8:22p Moon Underfoot: 8:00a

25 ¡

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 6:31 AM Low Tide: 11:32 AM High Tide: 2:47 PM Low Tide: 11:06 PM

1.76ft.

1.38ft.

1.46ft.

-0.52ft.

7:30 — 9:30 PM

Sunrise: 6:37a Set: 8:31p Moonrise: 8:18p Set: 6:09a AM Minor: 5:11a AM Major: 11:27a PM Minor: 5:42p PM Major: 11:57p Moon Overhead: 12:41a Moon Underfoot: 1:12p

Sunrise: 6:36a Set: 8:31p Moonrise: 9:24p Set: 7:06a AM Minor: 6:12a AM Major: 12:04a PM Minor: 6:43p PM Major: 12:28p Moon Overhead: 1:43a Moon Underfoot: 2:14p

PRIME TIME

PRIME TIME

31 Low Tide: 3:47 AM High Tide: 11:12 AM Low Tide: 6:04 PM High Tide: 11:11 PM

0.29ft.

1.36ft.

0.65ft.

1.02ft.

12:00 — 2:00 AM

Sunrise: 6:34a Set: 8:35p Moonrise: 1:31a Set: 1:31p AM Minor: 12:01a AM Major: 6:12a PM Minor: 12:25p PM Major: 6:37p Moon Overhead: 7:28a Moon Underfoot: 7:52p

Jun 1 »

Low Tide: 4:58 AM 0.55ft.

High Tide: 11:42 AM 1.29ft.

Low Tide: 6:50 PM 0.42ft.

1:00 — 3:00 AM

Sunrise: 6:34a Set: 8:35p Moonrise: 2:07a Set: 2:30p AM Minor: 12:48a AM Major: 7:00a PM Minor: 1:12p PM Major: 7:23p Moon Overhead: 8:15a Moon Underfoot: 8:39p

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KEY PLACE

Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay Gilchrist, East Bay Jamaica Beach, W. Bay

Alligator Point, W. Bay

Christmas Pt Galveston Pleasure Pier

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

SUNDAY

Sunrise: 6:45a Set: 8:21p Moonrise: 7:12a Set: 9:12p AM Minor: 6:16a AM Major: ----PM Minor: 6:40p PM Major: 12:52p Moon Overhead: 2:11p Moon Underfoot: 1:46a

17 º

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

SATURDAY PRIME TIME

»

«

PRIME TIME

best days

New First Full Last Good Moon Qtr Moon Qtr Day

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

Tide Correction Table

¡

º

A L M A N A C

5

High Tide: 2:00 AM Low Tide: 8:05 AM High Tide: 1:46 PM Low Tide: 8:33 PM

PRIME TIME 3:00 — 5:00 AM

1.25ft.

0.71ft.

1.28ft.

0.37ft.

Set: 8:18p Sunrise: 6:49a Moonrise: 4:05a Set: 4:34p AM Minor: 2:40a AM Major: 8:52a PM Minor: 3:03p PM Major: 9:15p Moon Overhead: 10:17a Moon Underfoot: 10:39p

12 «

High Tide: 8:12 AM Low Tide: 1:23 PM High Tide: 3:17 PM

PRIME TIME 1.52ft.

1.31ft.

1.32ft.

8:00 — 10:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:44a Set: 8:23p Moonrise: 8:43a Set: 10:51p AM Minor: 7:59a AM Major: 1:47a PM Minor: 8:23p PM Major: 2:11p Moon Overhead: 3:48p Moon Underfoot: 3:23a

19

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 5:09 AM 0.71ft.

High Tide: 12:24 PM 1.31ft.

Low Tide: 7:00 PM 0.66ft.

2:00 — 4:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:39a Set: 8:27p Moonrise: 2:56p Set: 2:40a AM Minor: 1:18a AM Major: 7:29a PM Minor: 1:41p PM Major: 7:52p Moon Overhead: 9:08p Moon Underfoot: 8:45a

26 «

High Tide: 7:26 AM Low Tide: 12:28 PM High Tide: 3:31 PM Low Tide: 11:58 PM

PRIME TIME 1.76ft.

1.39ft.

1.46ft.

-0.51ft.

7:00 — 9:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:36a Set: 8:32p Moonrise: 10:25p Set: 8:08a AM Minor: 7:17a AM Major: 1:02a PM Minor: 7:49p PM Major: 1:33p Moon Overhead: 2:46a Moon Underfoot: 3:17p

2

High Tide: 1:00 AM Low Tide: 6:21 AM High Tide: 12:09 PM Low Tide: 7:31 PM

PRIME TIME

1.08ft.

0.79ft.

1.24ft.

0.22ft.

8:00 — 10:00 AM

Sunrise: 6:34a Set: 8:36p Moonrise: 2:42a Set: 3:27p AM Minor: 1:32a AM Major: 7:44a PM Minor: 1:55p PM Major: 8:07p Moon Overhead: 9:02a Moon Underfoot: 9:24p

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

KEY PLACE

San Luis Pass

Freeport Harbor

Pass Cavallo

Aransas Pass

Padre Island (So. End)

Port Isabel

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

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

NOT FOR NAVIGATION

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

G a m e ®

M A Y

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

PRIME TIME -0:44

-1:02

0:00

-1:20

-0:03

-1:31

-0:24

-1:45

+1:02

-0:42

2 0 1 3

|

111

4/23/13 5:18 PM

Sportsman’s Daybook Tides and Prime Times

MAY 2013

USING THE PRIME TIMES CALENDAR

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

T12

T4

T11

T10

TIDE PREDICTIONS are located in the upper white boxes on the Calendar Pages. Use the Correction Table below, which is keyed to 23 other tide stations, to adjust low and high tide times.

T9 T8 T7

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

T15 T16

T6 T17

T3 T2 T1

TIDE PREDICTIONS are shown in graph form, with High and Low tide predictions in text immediately below.

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY data is provided to indicate major and minor feeding periods for each day, as the daily phases of the moon have varying degrees of influence on many wildlife species.

T13 T5

T14

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

T18

AM & PM MAJOR phases occur when the moon reaches its highest point overhead as well as when it is “underfoot” or at its highest point on the exact opposite side of the earth from your positoin (or literally under your feet). Most days have two Major Feeding Phases, each lasting about 2 hours.

T19

T20

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

PEAK TIMES: When a Solunar Period falls within 30 minutes to an hour of sunrise or sunset, anticipate increased action. A moon rise or moon set during one of these periods will cause even greater action. If a FULL or NEW MOON occurs during a Solunar Period, expect the best action of the season.

T21

Tide Correction Table

Add or subtract the time shown at the rightof the Tide Stations on this table (and map) to determine the adjustment from the time shown for Galveston Channel in the calendars.

KEY PLACE T1 Sabine Bank Lighthouse T2 Sabine Pass Jetty T3 Sabine Pass T4 Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass T5 Galveston Bay, S. Jetty T6 Port Bolivar

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

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

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

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

KEY PLACE

Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay T12

Gilchrist, East Bay T13 Jamaica Beach, W. Bay T14

Alligator Point, W. Bay T15

Christmas Pt T16

Galveston Pleasure Pier T17

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

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

KEY PLACE

San Luis Pass T18

Freeport Harbor T19

Pass Cavallo T20

Aransas Pass T21

Padre Island (So. End) T22

Port Isabel T23

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

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

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION T22 T23

KEYS TO USING THE TIDE AND SOLUNAR GRAPHS TIDE GRAPH:

Yellow: Daylight

12a

Tab: Peak Fishing Period

6a

12p

6p

12a

Light Blue: Nighttime

BEST:

5:30 — 7:30 AM

Green: Falling Tide

Gold Fish: Best Time

Blue: Rising Tide Red Graph: Fishing Score

Blue Fish: Good Time

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

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY: AM Minor: 1:20a

PM Minor: 1:45p

AM Major: 7:32a

PM Major: 7:57p

Moon Overhead: 8:50a

12a

6a

AM/PM Timeline

112 |

AM/PM Timeline

12p

6p

Moon Underfoot: 9:15p M A Y

ALMANAC Digital.indd 112

2 0 1 3

12a

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

T e x a S

F i s h

&

G a m e ®

T F & G

A L M A N A C

4/23/13 5:18 PM

SYMBOL KEY = New Moon l º = First Quarter l = Full Moon » = Last Quarter « = Good Day n = Best Day SUNDAY

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best 2nd Score Graph Score Best

29

TUESDAY

30

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

May 1

2»

Sunrise: 6:39a Set: 7:53p Sunrise: 6:38a Set: 7:54p Sunrise: 6:37a Set: 7:54p Sunrise: 6:36a Set: 7:55p Moonrise: None Set: 10:09a Moonrise: 12:15a Set: 11:13a Moonrise: 1:06a Set: 12:17p Moonrise: 1:52a Set: 1:20p

3

Sunrise: 6:35a Set: 7:56p Moonrise: 2:33a Set: 2:20p

SATURDAY

4

Sunrise: 6:35a Set: 7:56p Moonrise: 3:10a Set: 3:18p

5

Sunrise: 6:34a Set: 7:57p Moonrise: 3:46a Set: 4:15p

AM Minor: 9:29a

PM Minor: 9:59p

AM Minor: 10:35a

PM Minor: 11:04p

AM Minor: 11:36a

PM Minor: -----

AM Minor: 12:07a

PM Minor: 12:31p

AM Minor: 12:55a

PM Minor: 1:20p

AM Minor: 1:41a

PM Minor: 2:04p

AM Minor: 2:22a

PM Minor: 2:45p

AM Major: 3:14a

PM Major: 3:44p

AM Major: 4:20a

PM Major: 4:49p

AM Major: 5:22a

PM Major: 5:49p

AM Major: 6:18a

PM Major: 6:44p

AM Major: 7:08a

PM Major: 7:32p

AM Major: 7:52a

PM Major: 8:16p

AM Major: 8:34a

PM Major: 8:57p

Moon Overhead: 4:43a

12a

FRIDAY

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 6:40a

Moon Overhead: 5:43a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 7:33a 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 9:12a

Moon Overhead: 8:24a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for May 2013

Moon Overhead: 9:58a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

feet

feet

Moon Underfoot: 5:14p

+2.0

-1.0

TIDE LEVELS

0

Low Tide: 1:04 am High Tide: 9:33 am Low Tide: 2:48 pm High Tide: 4:58 pm

Moon Underfoot: 7:07p

BEST:

BEST:

Low Tide: 3:08 am High Tide: 11:32 am Low Tide: 6:25 pm High Tide: 8:21 pm

T F & G

ALMANAC Digital.indd 113

BEST:

10:30P — 12:30A 5:30 — 7:30AM

-0.29 ft. Low Tide: 2:03 am -0.20 ft.

1.67 ft. High Tide: 10:36 am 1.61 ft.

1.39 ft.

1.40 ft.

Moon Underfoot: 7:59p

BEST:

12:30 — 2:30 AM

-0.05 ft.

1.54 ft.

1.18 ft.

1.19 ft.

Low Tide: 4:19 am High Tide: 12:17 pm Low Tide: 6:53 pm High Tide: 10:40 pm

A L M A N A C

Moon Underfoot: 8:48p

Moon Underfoot: 9:35p BEST:

1:00 — 3:00 AM

F i s h

&

G a m e ®

+2.0

BEST:

2:00 — 4:00 AM

3:00 — 5:00 AM

0.14 ft. Low Tide: 5:36 am 0.34 ft. High Tide: 12:30 am 1.46 ft. High Tide: 12:52 pm 1.38 ft. Low Tide: 6:53 am 1.00 ft. Low Tide: 7:26 pm 0.78 ft. High Tide: 1:22 pm Low Tide: 8:00 pm 1.13 ft.

T e x a S

Moon Underfoot: 10:21p

1.16 ft.

0.53 ft.

1.32 ft.

0.57 ft.

M A Y

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST:

9:30 — 11:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 6:12p

High Tide: 2:00 am Low Tide: 8:05 am High Tide: 1:46 pm Low Tide: 8:33 pm

2 0 1 3

|

1.25 ft.

0.71 ft.

1.28 ft.

0.37 ft

+1.0 0 -1.0

113

4/23/13 5:19 PM

Sportsman’s Daybook

SYMBOL KEY = New Moon l º = First Quarter l = Full Moon » = Last Quarter « = Good Day n = Best Day SUNDAY

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best 2nd Score Graph Score Best

TUESDAY

6

7

Sunrise: 6:33a Set: 7:58p Moonrise: 4:22a Set: 5:11p

THURSDAY

8 «

Sunrise: 6:32a Set: 7:58p Moonrise: 4:58a Set: 6:07p

FRIDAY

9 «

Sunrise: 6:32a Set: 7:59p Moonrise: 5:35a Set: 7:02p

SATURDAY

10 l 11 « 12 «

Sunrise: 6:31a Set: 8:00p Moonrise: 6:15a Set: 7:57p

Sunrise: 6:30a Set: 8:00p Moonrise: 6:57a Set: 8:50p

Sunrise: 6:29a Set: 8:01p Moonrise: 7:41a Set: 9:41p

Sunrise: 6:29a Set: 8:01p Moonrise: 8:28a Set: 10:29p

AM Minor: 3:03a

PM Minor: 3:26p

AM Minor: 3:43a

PM Minor: 4:06p

AM Minor: 4:25a

PM Minor: 4:49p

AM Minor: 5:10a

PM Minor: 5:34p

AM Minor: 5:58a

PM Minor: 6:22p

AM Minor: 6:49a

PM Minor: 7:13p

AM Minor: 7:41a

PM Minor: 8:05p

AM Major: 9:14a

PM Major: 9:37p

AM Major: 9:55a

PM Major: 10:18p

AM Major: 10:37a

PM Major: 11:01p

AM Major: 11:22a

PM Major: 11:46p

AM Major: -----

PM Major: 12:34p

AM Major: 12:36a

PM Major: 1:01p

AM Major: 1:29a

PM Major: 1:53p

Moon Overhead: 10:44a

12a

WEDNESDAY

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 12:16p

Moon Overhead: 11:30a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 1:04p 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 2:40p

Moon Overhead: 1:52p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 3:29p 12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for MAY 2013

12a

feet

feet

Moon Underfoot: 11:07p

+2.0

-1.0

BEST:

4:00 — 6:00 PM

TIDE LEVELS

0

BEST:

High Tide: 3:14 AM Low Tide: 9:09 AM High Tide: 2:08 PM Low Tide: 9:05 PM

114 |

1.36ft.

0.87ft.

1.26ft.

0.20ft.

M A Y

ALMANAC Digital.indd 114

Moon Underfoot: None BEST:

5:00 — 7:00 PM

High Tide: 4:16 AM Low Tide: 10:06 AM High Tide: 2:28 PM Low Tide: 9:37 PM

2 0 1 3

1.45ft.

1.00ft.

1.26ft.

0.08ft.

6:00 — 8:00 PM

High Tide: 5:10 AM Low Tide: 10:56 AM High Tide: 2:47 PM Low Tide: 10:09 PM

T e x a S

F i s h

Moon Underfoot: 12:40a

Moon Underfoot: 1:28a

BEST:

BEST:

7:00 — 9:00 PM

1.51ft.

1.11ft.

1.27ft.

-0.00ft.

High Tide: 5:57 AM Low Tide: 11:40 AM High Tide: 3:05 PM Low Tide: 10:41 PM

&

G a m e ®

1.55ft.

1.20ft.

1.29ft.

-0.04ft.

Moon Underfoot: 2:16a BEST:

1:00 — 3:00 PM

High Tide: 6:43 AM Low Tide: 12:17 PM High Tide: 3:19 PM Low Tide: 11:15 PM

T F & G

1.56ft.

1.26ft.

1.30ft.

-0.04ft.

7:30 — 9:30 PM

High Tide: 7:27 AM Low Tide: 12:50 PM High Tide: 3:27 PM Low Tide: 11:50 PM

Moon Underfoot: 3:05a

+2.0

BEST:

8:00 — 10:00 PM

1.55ft. High Tide: 8:12 AM 1.29ft. Low Tide: 1:23 PM 1.32ft. High Tide: 3:17 PM -0.01ft.

1.52ft.

1.31ft.

1.32ft.

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 11:53p

+1.0 0 -1.0

A L M A N A C

4/23/13 5:19 PM

ALMANAC Digital.indd 115

4/23/13 5:19 PM

Sportsman’s Daybook

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best 2nd Score Graph Score Best

TUESDAY

13

WEDNESDAY

14

THURSDAY

15

16

Sunrise: 6:28a Set: 8:02p Sunrise: 6:28a Set: 8:03p Sunrise: 6:27a Set: 8:03p Moonrise: 9:17a Set: 11:14p Moonrise: 10:08a Set: 11:56p Moonrise: 11:00a Set: None

SATURDAY

17 º

Sunrise: 6:26a Set: 8:04p Sunrise: 6:26a Set: 8:05p Moonrise: 11:53a Set: 12:35a Moonrise: 12:46p Set: 1:11a

18

Sunrise: 6:25a Set: 8:05p Moonrise: 1:41p Set: 1:46a

SUNDAY

19

Sunrise: 6:25a Set: 8:06p Moonrise: 2:37p Set: 2:21a

AM Minor: 8:34a

PM Minor: 8:57p

AM Minor: 9:26a

PM Minor: 9:49p

AM Minor: 10:17a

PM Minor: 10:40p

AM Minor: 11:07a

PM Minor: 11:29p

AM Minor: 11:54a

PM Minor: -----

AM Minor: 12:15a

PM Minor: 12:39p

AM Minor: 1:00a

PM Minor: 1:23p

AM Major: 2:22a

PM Major: 2:45p

AM Major: 3:14a

PM Major: 3:38p

AM Major: 4:06a

PM Major: 4:29p

AM Major: 4:55a

PM Major: 5:18p

AM Major: 5:43a

PM Major: 6:05p

AM Major: 6:28a

PM Major: 6:50p

AM Major: 7:11a

PM Major: 7:34p

Moon Overhead: 4:17p

12a

FRIDAY

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 5:49p

Moon Overhead: 5:03p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 6:34p 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 8:04p

Moon Overhead: 7:19p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for MAY 2013

Moon Overhead: 8:50p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

feet

feet

Moon Underfoot: 3:53a

+2.0

-1.0

TIDE LEVELS

0

Low Tide: 12:26 AM 0.05ft.

High Tide: 8:58 AM 1.49ft.

ALMANAC Digital.indd 116

BEST:

9:00 — 11:00 PM

Low Tide: 1:05 AM High Tide: 9:44 AM

0.13ft.

1.46ft.

Moon Underfoot: 5:27a BEST:

10:00P — 12:00A

Low Tide: 1:45 AM 0.22ft.

High Tide: 10:29 AM 1.43ft.

Moon Underfoot: 6:12a BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 6:57a BEST:

BEST:

11:00P — 1:00A 12:00 — 2:00 AM

Low Tide: 2:28 AM 0.32ft.

High Tide: 11:07 AM 1.40ft.

Low Tide: 3:15 AM High Tide: 11:38 AM Low Tide: 7:37 PM High Tide: 9:44 PM

Moon Underfoot: 7:41a

Low Tide: 4:08 AM High Tide: 12:04 PM Low Tide: 6:49 PM High Tide: 11:54 PM

+2.0

BEST:

12:30 — 2:30 AM

0.44ft.

1.37ft.

1.00ft.

1.01ft.

Moon Underfoot: 8:27a 2:00 — 4:00 PM

0.57ft.

1.34ft.

0.86ft.

1.05ft.

Low Tide: 5:09 AM 0.71ft.

High Tide: 12:24 PM 1.31ft.

Low Tide: 7:00 PM 0.66ft.

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST:

8:30 — 10:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 4:40a

+1.0 0 -1.0

4/23/13 5:19 PM

SYMBOL KEY = New Moon l º = First Quarter l = Full Moon » = Last Quarter « = Good Day n = Best Day SUNDAY

Tides and Prime Times for MAY 2013 TUESDAY

20

21

Sunrise: 6:24a Set: 8:06p Moonrise: 3:36p Set: 2:57a

THURSDAY

22

Sunrise: 6:24a Set: 8:07p Moonrise: 4:37p Set: 3:35a

FRIDAY

23 «

Sunrise: 6:23a Set: 8:08p Moonrise: 5:41p Set: 4:16a

SATURDAY

24 «

Sunrise: 6:23a Set: 8:08p Moonrise: 6:48p Set: 5:02a

25 ¡

Sunrise: 6:23a Set: 8:09p Moonrise: 7:56p Set: 5:53a

26 «

Sunrise: 6:22a Set: 8:09p Moonrise: 9:01p Set: 6:51a

Sunrise: 6:22a Set: 8:10p Moonrise: 10:03p Set: 7:53a

AM Minor: 1:42a

PM Minor: 2:06p

AM Minor: 2:24a

PM Minor: 2:50p

AM Minor: 3:09a

PM Minor: 3:37p

AM Minor: 3:59a

PM Minor: 4:28p

AM Minor: 4:53a

PM Minor: 5:24p

AM Minor: 5:54a

PM Minor: 6:25p

AM Minor: 6:59a

PM Minor: 7:31p

AM Major: 7:54a

PM Major: 8:18p

AM Major: 8:37a

PM Major: 9:02p

AM Major: 9:23a

PM Major: 9:50p

AM Major: 10:13a

PM Major: 10:42p

AM Major: 11:09a

PM Major: 11:39p

AM Major: -----

PM Major: 12:10p

AM Major: 12:43a

PM Major: 1:15p

Moon Overhead: 9:38p

12a

WEDNESDAY

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 11:24p

Moon Overhead: 10:29p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: None 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 1:24a

Moon Overhead: 12:22a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

Moon Overhead: 2:27a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

feet

feet

Moon Underfoot: 9:13a

+2.0

-1.0

TIDE LEVELS

0

High Tide: 1:25 AM Low Tide: 6:18 AM High Tide: 12:42 PM Low Tide: 7:28 PM

1.15ft.

0.86ft.

1.30ft.

0.42ft.

Moon Underfoot: 10:56a

BEST:

BEST:

3:00 — 5:00 PM

High Tide: 2:38 AM Low Tide: 7:28 AM High Tide: 12:59 PM Low Tide: 8:03 PM

1.30ft.

0.99ft.

1.30ft.

0.17ft.

High Tide: 3:42 AM Low Tide: 8:37 AM High Tide: 1:18 PM Low Tide: 8:44 PM

1.46ft.

1.12ft.

1.33ft.

-0.08ft.

Moon Underfoot: 12:53p

BEST:

4:00 — 6:00 PM

T F & G

ALMANAC Digital.indd 117

Moon Underfoot: 11:53a

BEST:

5:30 — 7:30 PM

High Tide: 4:40 AM Low Tide: 9:39 AM High Tide: 1:41 PM Low Tide: 9:29 PM

A L M A N A C

1.60ft.

1.23ft.

1.38ft.

-0.29ft.

T e x a S

Moon Underfoot: 1:55p BEST:

6:30 — 8:30 PM

High Tide: 5:36 AM Low Tide: 10:37 AM High Tide: 2:10 PM Low Tide: 10:16 PM

F i s h

&

1.71ft.

1.32ft.

1.43ft.

-0.45ft.

Moon Underfoot: 2:58p

High Tide: 6:31 AM Low Tide: 11:32 AM High Tide: 2:47 PM Low Tide: 11:06 PM

G a m e ®

1.76ft.

1.38ft.

1.46ft.

-0.52ft.

M A Y

+2.0

BEST:

7:30 — 9:30 PM

7:00 — 9:00 PM

High Tide: 7:26 AM Low Tide: 12:28 PM High Tide: 3:31 PM Low Tide: 11:58 PM

2 0 1 3

|

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST:

2:00 — 4:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 10:03a

1.76ft.

1.39ft.

1.46ft.

-0.51ft.

+1.0 0 -1.0

117

4/23/13 5:19 PM

Sportsman’s Daybook

SYMBOL KEY = New Moon l º = First Quarter l = Full Moon » = Last Quarter « = Good Day n = Best Day SUNDAY

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best 2nd Score Graph Score Best

27 «

Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:11p Moonrise: 10:58p Set: 8:58a

TUESDAY

28

THURSDAY

29

FRIDAY

30

SATURDAY

31

Jun 1 »

Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:11p Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:12p Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:12p Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:13p Moonrise: 11:47p Set: 10:04a Moonrise: None Set: 11:10a Moonrise: 12:31a Set: 12:13p Moonrise: 1:11a Set: 1:13p

2

Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:13p Moonrise: 1:48a Set: 2:11p

Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:14p Moonrise: 2:24a Set: 3:07p

AM Minor: 8:07a

PM Minor: 8:37p

AM Minor: 9:13a

PM Minor: 9:42p

AM Minor: 10:16a

PM Minor: 10:44p

AM Minor: 11:14a

PM Minor: 11:40p

AM Minor: -----

PM Minor: 12:07p

AM Minor: 12:30a

PM Minor: 12:54p

AM Minor: 1:14a

PM Minor: 1:37p

AM Major: 1:51a

PM Major: 2:22p

AM Major: 2:59a

PM Major: 3:28p

AM Major: 4:03a

PM Major: 4:30p

AM Major: 5:02a

PM Major: 5:27p

AM Major: 5:54a

PM Major: 6:19p

AM Major: 6:42a

PM Major: 7:05p

AM Major: 7:26a

PM Major: 7:49p

Moon Overhead: 3:29a

12a

WEDNESDAY

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 5:26a

Moon Overhead: 4:30a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

Moon Overhead: 6:20a

6p

12a

6a

12p

Moon Overhead: 7:57a

Moon Overhead: 7:09a

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for MAY 2013

Moon Overhead: 8:43a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

feet

feet

Moon Underfoot: 4:00p

+2.0

-1.0

TIDE LEVELS

0

BEST:

BEST:

8:00 — 10:00 PM

1.71ft.

1.35ft.

1.40ft.

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Low Tide: 12:52 AM High Tide: 9:09 AM Low Tide: 2:46 PM High Tide: 5:37 PM

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-0.40ft.

1.64ft.

1.25ft.

1.30ft.

Moon Underfoot: 6:45p

BEST:

3:30 — 5:30 AM

High Tide: 8:19 AM Low Tide: 1:31 PM High Tide: 4:25 PM

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Moon Underfoot: 5:53p 4:30 — 6:30 AM

Low Tide: 1:47 AM High Tide: 9:55 AM Low Tide: 4:05 PM High Tide: 7:16 PM

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Moon Underfoot: 7:33p

BEST:

BEST:

5:30 — 7:30 AM

-0.22ft.

1.54ft.

1.09ft.

1.16ft.

Low Tide: 2:45 AM High Tide: 10:36 AM Low Tide: 5:11 PM High Tide: 9:14 PM

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0.02ft.

1.45ft.

0.88ft.

1.04ft.

Moon Underfoot: 8:20p BEST:

12:00 — 2:00 AM

Low Tide: 3:47 AM High Tide: 11:12 AM Low Tide: 6:04 PM High Tide: 11:11 PM

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0.29ft.

1.36ft.

0.65ft.

1.02ft.

1:00 — 3:00 AM

Low Tide: 4:58 AM 0.55ft.

High Tide: 11:42 AM 1.29ft.

Low Tide: 6:50 PM 0.42ft.

Moon Underfoot: 9:06p

+2.0

BEST:

8:00 — 10:00 AM

High Tide: 1:00 AM Low Tide: 6:21 AM High Tide: 12:09 PM Low Tide: 7:31 PM

1.08ft.

0.79ft.

1.24ft.

0.22ft.

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 4:58p

+1.0 0 -1.0

A L M A N A C

4/23/13 5:19 PM

Texas Tasted

by Bryan Slaven | The Texas Gourmet

Wagon Wheels

Preparation:

W

e are always looking for new ways to serve chicken, and we love asparagus, so I created this dish a few years ago. It was an instant hit and can be prepped up ahead of time and frozen for grilling at a later date.

Serves 4

Ingredients 4 Boneless/skinless Chicken Breasts 2 Slices of Provolone Cheese – round – cut in half 12 Stalks Asparagus – thin stalks, skinned & steamed 12 Slices Thin sliced Bacon – laid out on a cookie sheet, lightly sprinkled with dried Basil Leaf and black pepper 2 cored, seeded, & chopped jalapenos 1 Onion finely chopped 2 Jalapenos- seeded and finely chopped 1 cored Red Bell Pepper, finely chopped 2 Roma Tomatoes, cored, seeded & chopped well 1/2 Stick of Butter 1 Box round toothpicks Baste 2 T honey 3 T Soy Sauce 1 T Dijon Mustard 2 t Sesame Seeds 1 t Dried Basil Leaf ½ jar TXG Jalapeno Kiwi Jelly 3 Minced Cloves of Garlic 2 T Olive Oil 3 T Lemon Juice 1/2 t Black Pepper 1 Cup dry white wine Place all basting ingredients in a sauce pot; bring to a light boil, stirring well, until ingredients and flavors are well mixed (approx. 4 – 5 minutes). Remove from heat.

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Place chicken breast on a cutting board covered with saran wrap. then cover with another piece of saran wrap.

Pound lightly with lightly stipple faced mallet until breast spreads and flattens out.

Don’t break holes through the breasts.

After flattening each breast, place into bowl of icy cold water.

Place chopped onion, bell peppers, jalapeno, & roma tomatoes into skillet with a half stick of butter, saute until softened but not brown, remove from heat and save for recipe.

Place a breast flat on the cleaned cutting board. Put a half piece of provolone onto breast. Spread small amount of onion, tomato, & pepper mixture over cheese. (Approx. half tablespoon) Place three asparagus on cheese, closest end towards you with heads not exposed past the ends.

Carefully roll mixture away from you into a roll. Carefully starting from one side, wrap the roll with a slice of bacon, you will need two pieces to finish. Use toothpicks to

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seal and hold roll together. Roll tightly. Cut any excess from edges of roll (asparagus or cheese) then stretch a final piece of bacon long ways around the wrap to cover and seal both ends and pick shut.

Cooking Instructions: On a well heated grill at medium high to high setting either charcoal or gas, place rolls indirectly over the flames. Baste well and then cover. Turn every five minutes and baste again. After about 20-25 minutes the bacon should be browning. Move closer to flame for the final few minutes but watch carefully and keep turning to keep from over browning.

Remove from fire and cover with a piece of foil for four to five minutes. Be sure to remove all of the toothpicks used in cooking.

Slice into three quarter inch circles and then arrange on plate. Heat any leftover baste to a boil, to spoon over the wagon wheels.

Email Bryan Slaven at BSlaven@fishgame.com

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TEXAS FRESHWATER

TEXAS REALESTATE

TEXAS SALTWATER

LAKE AMISTAD

PORT O’CONNOR

MIDDLE Coast

happy father’s Day!

TEXAS SALTWATER

DFW METROPLEX

ROCKPORT / BAFFIN BAY

LAKE TEXOMA ROCKPORT

GALVESTON

Upper Coast (Sabine Lake)

BE SURE AND Check out our UNIQUE AND NEW products on FISHandGAMEgear.COM 120 |

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4/23/13 5:19 PM

Catfish Bass

Black Drum

Toledo Bend

Guadalupe River

Trinity Bay

Truman Cloud from Stonewall La. was fishing with great-nephew Keith Cloud of Willis on Toledo Bend and caught This 30-pound blue cat, at Huxley on the Texas side.

Kevin Harris of Kerrville caught this 6-pound largemouth bass with a spinnerbait in the Guadalupe river.

Grace Soto, age 9, from Cove, Texas caught her first black drum while fishing in Trinity Bay. The drum was 40 inches. Pictured with Jason Soto.

Speckled Trout Galveston Julianna Rodriguez, 9, of Humble caught this 21-inch speck on live shrimp under a popping cork while fishing with her dad.

Turkey Mason County

Flounder Port O’Connor Abigail Clark, age 9, of Hallettsville, caught her first flounder while fishing in Port O’Connor. The fish measured 15-1/2 inches.

Clark Mannas, 14, shot two large turkey hens in the head with one shot from his 20 gauge, while hunting on the Bella Rio Ranch in Mason County.

Also pictured are friends Kolby Glennt,left, and Steven Severence, right.

Striped Bass Lake Texoma Brycen Alexander of Hurst didn’t let his broken arm keep him from landing his first striper, caught on Lake Texoma.

Red Snapper

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Speckled Trout

Port Aransas

Aransas Pass

John Jimenez of San Antonio caught this nice red snapper using dead shrimp on the north side of the Port Aransas jetties.

Nine-year-old Sarah Hernandez caught this trout on live shrimp in Aransas Pass.

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4/23/13 5:19 PM

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

EMAIL: photos@FishGame.com

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

Bass

Crappie

Redfish

Goliad County Rick O’Bannon landed this hawg largemouth while fishing on the Southern Oasis Ranch in Goliad County.

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

Private Lake

Freeport

Kace Arceneaux landed this monster crappie while on a fishing trip with his uncle.

David Camacho, 11, caught this 30-inch redfish at the Freeport Park pier.

Black Drum Port Lavaca Awww… the joy of catching a big one… and the pride of a fisherman to let it go!

Lee Armola caught and released this black drum in Port Lavaca.

Redfish Sargent Jim Snyder caught this 41-inch bull red while fishing in Sargent using a Carolina rig and dead shrimp. The red weighed 38 pounds.

Whitetail Wise County Catherine Carter, age 10, shot an 11-point buck at 15 yards with a 50 cal. black powder in Wise County.

King Mackerel Matagorda Hunter Mckay, 11, caught this 35-pound king mackerel fishing with his dad 15 miles off Matagorda. He used his trout rod and 10 pound test line to land the king.

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Turkey Goliad County Jeff Richards and his son Trenton with Trenton’s first turkey. The bird had 4 beards, which is extremely rare. He killed it on the Brothers ranch in Goliad County with guide Dave Richards (not related).

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A L M A N A C

4/23/13 5:20 PM

C4_ALL.indd 4

4/5/13 3:47 PM