October 2008 by Texas Fish & Game

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LOG ON TO THE ALL NEW TF&G WEBSITE • WWW.FISHGAME.COM

www.fishgame.com Published by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. TEXAS FISH & GAME is the largest independent, familyowned outdoor publication in America. Owned by Ron and Stephanie Ward and Roy and Ardia Neves.

ROY NEVES PUBLISHER

DON ZAIDLE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

CHESTER

MOORE

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

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

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

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

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• GRAPHIC ARTIST

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MICHELLE WARD ADMINISTRATOR TEXAS FISH & GAME (ISSN 0887-4174) is published monthly by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC., 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. ©Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission. The publication assumes no responsibility for unsolicited photographs and manuscripts. Subscription rates: 1 year $19.00: 2 years $34.75; 3 years $48.50. Address all subscription inquiries to Texas Fish & Game, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for response. Give old and new address and enclose latest mailing address label when writing about your subscription. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Address all subscription inquiries to TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Email change of address to: dhruzek@fishgame.com Email new orders to: dhruzek@fishgame.com Email subscription questions to: dhruzek@fishgame.com. Periodical postage paid at Houston, TX 77267-9946 and at additional mailing offices.

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OCTOBER 2008 • Volume XXIV • NO.6

TOP 10 BOWHUNTING MISTAKES Avoid these ten “rookie” mistakes bowhunters make every year, and the odds for success will tip in your favor.

by Lou Marullo

BASS OF THE EQUINOX In the fall, many bass anglers put away their rods in favor of deer rifles. But the autumn equinox, responsible for heightened activity in deer, impacts fishes in the same way. This produces some of the year’s best bass action for anglers resistant to Buck Fever.

by Matt Williams

MATAGORDA EAST VS. WEST Matagorda is blessed to sit right in the middle of two prime estuaries. Each of these bays has its own distinct fishing identity. Depending on your own fishing personality and preferences, one of them may be more compatible with you than the other.

by Bink Grimes

SEEKING GENTLEMAN BOB The 2008-2009 quail season has shaped up as one with positive outlooks in some regions — and full of question marks in other areas.

ON THE COVERS: COASTAL: Anna-leea Rider of Palestine removes a penny-colored Gulp! shrimp from the mouth of this huge flounder. Chester Moore’s story on page 42 ( see description, bottom left ) explores using a special Gulp! shrimp rig and other tactics for flatfish.

Photo by Chester Moore INLAND/NORTH: Dove, ducks and deer dominate the minds of most Texas hunters as this year’s hunting seasons roll out. But every now and then, Gentleman Bob White ( see story on page 38, described lower left ) shows up every now and then as an abundant, and favored quarry. And this may be one of those years.

Photo by Russell Graves

BOWHUNTING MYTHS & MISCONCEPTIONS

by Bob Hood

ADVANCED FLOUNDER STRATEGIES Are you ready to take your flounder fishing to a level you never thought possible — catching fish when no one else does? Read on for a journey beyond flounder fundamentals.

by Chester Moore 4

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MR. CRAPPIE: HOW I GOT STARTED AND MUCH MORE...

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OCTOBER 2008 • Volume XXIV • NO.6

COLUMNS 10 Editor’s Notes

54 Texas Freshwater

Crossbows: A Boon For Hunting

The Skinny On Fishing Lines

by DON ZAIDLE TF&G Editor-in-Chief

by MATT WILLIAMS TF&G Freshwater Editor

16 Chester’s Notes

56 Texas Deer Hunting

TF&G Conservation Initiatives

“Off” Hand Shooting

by CHESTER MOORE TF&G Executive Editor

DEPARTMENTS 8

YOUR LETTERS

BIG BAGS &

by PAUL BRADSHAW TF&G Contributing Editor

18 Commentary

58 Texas Offshore

Sheep To the Slaughter

Requiem For a Fishery

by KENDAL HEMPHILL TF&G Commentator

CATCHES

TF&G REPORT

TROPHY QUEST

TFG ON

by DOUG PIKE TF&G Offshore Editor

20 Doggett at Large

59 Texas Saltwater

Sad Breaks

Contaminated Perspective

by JOE DOGGETT TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

by CALIXTO GONZALES TF&G Saltwater Editor

50 TF&G Test Pilot

CAMPUS

Skeeter 21i; Dargel 220 Skout Pro by JOE DOGGETT TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

52 Texas Bowhunter 62 Open Season

My Beauty and the Beast

Playing Hooky

by TED NUGENT TF&G Bowhunting Editor

by REAVIS WORTHAM TF&G Humor Editor

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WINGS OVER TEXAS

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LE MANQUANT DONKEY LAMENT I have enjoyed Texas Fish & Game for the many years I have received your fine Publication. Herman Brune’s Wilderness Trails has always been at the top of my list of columns to read. However, I must protest his July 2008 story, “Le Manquant Donkey,” suggesting the donkey, Howard, was reduced to sausage stuffing. How one puts forth the effort to look for a lost critter and then have the end result as suggested is a mystery to a non-tree hugger such as myself. Keep on going, Herman! Mike Kalil Houston, TX

MORE HERMAN STUFF

Ray McGaughey Via email

First off, let me say that I have never wrote a letter or sent an email to a famous magazine writer, so I am hoping this don’t sound too mushy. I just finished reading Herman Brune’s “Steer Hunting” story in the August issue and it really brought back some memories of my brush-poppin’ days here in Brazoria, Ft Bend, and Matagorda counties. I always enjoy reading Herman’s stories in TF&G. I expect that he and I are a lot alike, except that at some point the trail forked and I took the trail to build chemical plants and Herman stayed on the one that let him keep being a cowboy and guide, and get to keep on doing all of the fun, cool things. If you sense a little jealousy here, you’re right. Sometimes I wonder if the city boys from Houston can relate, but rest assured, an ol’ boy from Brazoria can. Keep it up. Like many of us old country rednecks, Herman is a born storyteller. His gift is in his ability to get those stories onto paper like they would sound coming out of his mouth. I hated to read the other story he wrote about the hog-doggers out in West Texas (August TF&G Report). That story hit a little too close to home for me. Although I have quit hogdogging, I still have a strong interest, concern, 8

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and admiration for those who still do. I had dogs from the time I was 20 until I was about 37. I used to tell people that I hunted them once or twice a week whether they needed it or not. Knowing the sport of hog hunting and hog hunters like Herman does, he probably knows that nothing was sacred for me. I know that, many times, I could have very easily been in the same situation that those two boys are. It’s a damn shame when a workingman has to hire a lawyer to defend himself for having a little fun. I have a little deer lease out in Camp Wood, which is not too far from where the “animal abuse” allegedly took place. All of the people I have met out there are decent, levelheaded working people. Hopefully, if those guys have to go to trial, some of that type people will make up the jury and turn them loose. I ain’t never met anybody out there who was in love with wild hogs anyway. Keep us posted.

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BRAVO FOR CADDO NEWS The Wings over Texas department article in the August 2008 issue, “Invasive Plants Besiege Caddo Lake,” was a welcomed sight. Many Texans are anticipating positive results in the fight for Caddo Lake. Having fished Caddo Lake with a Paralyzed Veterans of America group, I am aware of the concerns many people have regarding the giant salvinia invasive non-native aquatic plant. Thank the good Lord someone is making a monumental effort to do something to save Caddo. More power to Kevin Herriman, Keith McKnight, and the efforts of the many workers and volunteers, along with Syngenta for donating control herbicides. Jimmy Lee, Jr. Texas BASS Federation North-Central Division Conservation Director Arlington, TX F i s h

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WATCHING THE EMBERS BURN Bob Hood’s Texas Hunting column, “Watching the Embers Burn,” in the June Issue was excellent. It brought back many memories of when my dad and I would hunt ducks and upland game in rural Kansas. Later on, we hunted deer in Tennessee. My dad taught me to cut my hunting teeth on cottontail and squirrel. When I lived in Arkansas, when my son was too small to hunt, I spent many a fishing/hunting night watching the embers. They have had a fascination for man even back to the cave days. I live in the D/FW area now in supposedly the best hunting state in the USA. I cannot teach my son to hunt, or even enjoy hunting because Texas has virtually no public lands. It costs a fortune and a long drive to get a lease anywhere. The few public areas I have visited are completely devoid of life. As a result, my son has grown up without knowing the joys of hunting. This makes me feel like I failed my dad by not passing it on. Texas is concerned about the dwindling number of licenses sold every year. They need to purchase far more land and open it to the public. I have cancelled nearly all my Texas sporting magazines because they always show young kids bagging big bucks on a private lease that their dad could afford. Texas needs to learn from New York, which has millions of acres of mountain forests open to public hunting. Arkansas has hundreds of thousands of acres leased by the state to huge logging industries, on the condition the land is open to public hunting. Kansas has hundreds of thousands of acres open to the public for upland game hunting. I could not even find a place here in Texas for my son to hunt squirrels. Mike O’Bryan Via email

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Crossbows: A Boon For Hunting CTOBER IN TEXAS BRINGS MANY DELIGHTFUL changes: the air becomes fresh and crisp, bearing delicious scents that conjure memories of wood smoke and secret places; animals become more active, shaking off summer lethargy to explore a landscape airbrushed in kaleidoscopic autumn colors. October also marks the first big game hunting season of the year, at least for a minority of hunters—bowhunters. According to data from a recent hunting season, of 529,465 licensed Texas hunters, 70,905 were bowhunters. Of a combined harvest of 433,387 white-tailed deer, 13,008 were bow kills. There are many reasons why bowhunter numbers are few. For some hunters, a bow is simply “not their bag.” Others are put off by the degree of skills required to master the equipment and to get within bow range of wary game. Some simply lack the physical ability to draw, aim, and accurately shoot a bow. The hunting industry has long lamented the slow but steady drop in hunter numbers. The reasons for the decline are myriad and complex, not something easily addressed in a short column such as this. However, it seems clear that recruiting more hunters and encouraging participation is certainly desirable, and one relatively simple way to do both is by legalizing crossbows during the October archery season. At least, one presumes it would be simple— and it would be, save for the opposition of a very small but vocal contingent of bowhunters— a minority within a minority. The naysayers present a number of arguments against crossbows in archery season. Let’s examine a few of them for validity: Crossbows wound too much game. Were this true, Texas would not have legalized

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crossbows during the general season. Further, the state recently eliminated the minimum draw weight requirement for longbow, recurve, and compound bows, a situation far more likely to result in crippling shots. A crossbow is no more or less lethal than any other bow.

pound bow at full draw is legal in Texas. Crossbow hunters are less dedicated and will practice less. There is no evidence to support this argument. On what basis does a person’s choice of hunting arm reveal anything about their character or dedication?

Crossbows are not “primitive.” Clear historical evidence dates crossbows to around 300 B.C. Crossbows are not true archery equipment. A crossbow uses energy stored in a flexible bow to propel an arrow—just like any other type of bow. The bow is mounted to a stock and has a trigger, but on that basis, a modern compound bow is not “true” archery equipment with its intricate cable and pulley systems that dramatically reduce the holding weight once drawn; glow-in-the-dusk sights; mechanical release (with a trigger, no less); stabilizer; string peep sight; any one of a variety of technologically advanced rests; and arrows made of space-age materials tipped with lasercut or complex mechanical broadheads. Further, TPWD deems crossbows archery equipment since they are legal in archery-only Grayson County—except during archery season. Crossbows are too easy to learn to use. Having hunted with a longbow, a compound, and a crossbow, I find this argument dubious at best. Even if true, I cannot fathom why it should bar crossbows from archery season. Crossbows will flood the bow season with hunters. Almost all hunting in Texas is on private land. Will landowners suddenly swing open their pasture gates to anyone wielding a crossbow? A few more hunters might show up on public lands—but don’t we want more hunter participation? Crossbows have greater range and lethality. A crossbow is no more or less effective or lethal than a modern compound bow, and maximum range is identical (40 yards). Even if crossbows were more lethal, isn’t that a good thing? And isn’t this at odds with the “more cripple losses” argument? You do not have to draw and hold a crossbow in the presence of game. Again, I cannot fathom the reasoning behind this argument. In any event, the point is moot since a Draw-Loc device that holds a com-

Too many deer will be killed. There is no evidence to support this claim, but plenty to support the opposite. Effective range is the same for all forms of archery equipment, and that factor alone translates to fewer kills with bows than with firearms. Pope & Young does not accept crossbow kills as records. Why should that prevent someone who just wants to hunt and doesn’t care about “making the book” from hunting with a crossbow during archery season? If we allow crossbows in archery season, next it will be muzzleloaders. This is utter nonsense. In no stretch of convoluted logic is a black powder firearm comparable to a bow of any kind. A muzzleloader is, after all, a firearm.

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In summary, there is no valid reason to not use crossbows during archery season, and apparently the Texas Game Warden Association agrees—a representative of which testified before the Texas House Culture, Recreation, & Tourism Committee in favor of HB 1334, a bill introduced in the 80th Legislature of 2007 to legalize crossbows in archery season. In addition to the TGWA representative, the committee heard favorable testimony from six other witnesses. The only witness testifying against the bill was a representative from a bowhunting group. The bill passed the committee and a House vote. According to legislative sources, the only reason it did not pass the Senate committee and a full Senate vote was because it came up late and senators were pressed to address weightier matters before the session expired. Introduction of a similar bill is expected in the 81st Legislature, which convenes 13 January 2009. Perhaps reason will prevail and Texas will get this much-needed hunter recruitment and retention tool.

E-mail Don Zaidle at editor@fishgame.com

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‘Hunter’s Choice’ Waterfowl Limits, Seasons Unchanged EXAS WATERFOWL HUNTERS WILL ONCE again have the Hunter’s Choice bag limit during the 2008-09 seasons. The Central Flyway will complete the three-year experimental Hunter’s Choice bag limit this season, despite a decline in canvasback breeding population numbers that mandate a conservative harvest federal framework. “The other flyways came out in strong support of the Hunter’s Choice experiment in the Central Flyway,” said Dave Morrison, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department waterfowl program leader. “We gave up some things the last couple of years in order to get the Hunter’s Choice, and I think they recognized the sacrifices our Flyway has made.”

Hunter’s Choice allows five ducks daily, but only one of certain species in the aggregate—a pintail, canvasback, dusky duck (mottled, black duck, or Mexican-like duck), or mallard hen. All other flyways will see a closed season on canvasback and a more restricted season for scaup. The general duck season length will be the same as last year in the North and South Zones at 74 days and 89 days in the High Plains Mallard Management Unit. “In the High Plains, the season will be seven days shorter than last year because we’re taking advantage of a 16-day teal season,” said Morrison.

This year’s North American waterfowl spring breeding population survey showed numbers of the 10 most popular duck species was down 9 percent from last year, but remains 11 percent above the long-term average with an estimated 37.3 million birds. “The breeding population is similar to last year, but I expect production to be down, and there probably will be fewer young birds heading our way,” Morrison said. “I would not expect the season to be as good as last year for that reason, but I could be wrong. It depends on what happens up and down the country and how weather condition and food resources play out.” The 2008-2009 waterfowl season dates and regulations are: Shooting Hours: 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset Duck Daily Bag Limit: The daily bag limit shall be 5 ducks with the following species and sex restrictions: 2 scaup, 2 redhead, 2 wood duck; from the aggregate bag:

BIG BAGS & CATCHES

RED—Baffin Bay

BUCK—Childress County

RED—North Padre Island

Ray Woodrum of Corpus Christi, Texas, caught this 42-inch redfish on 10-pound-test in Baffin Bay. Ray was drifting the King Ranch shoreline with live shrimp.

Ryan Argo of Fort Worth, Texas, shot this 13point buck at 160 yards while hunting with his friend, Joey Clifton, in Childress County. The deer scored 168-1/4 and it was the best deer of Ryan’s life to date.

Melissa Alvarado of Corpus Christi, Texas, caught her first redfish at North Padre Island using live mullet. The red measured 27-3/4 inches and weighed 7.5 pounds.

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1 hen mallard, 1 pintail, 1 canvasback, or 1 dusky duck (mottled duck, Mexican like duck, black duck and their hybrids); all other ducks not listed 5. Merganser Daily Bag Limit: 5 in the aggregate, to include no more than 2 hooded mergansers. Possession Limit: Twice the daily bag limit. High Plains Mallard Management Unit Season Dates Youth: Oct. 18-19, 2008 Regular Gun: Oct. 25–26, 2008; Oct. 31, 2008–Jan. 25, 2009 North Zone Youth: Oct. 25-26, 2008 Regular Gun: Nov. 1-30, 2008; Dec. 13, 2008-Jan. 25, 2009 Falconry: Jan. 26-Feb. 9, 2009 South Zone Youth: Oct. 25-26, 2008 Regular Gun: Nov. 1-30, 2008; Dec. 13, 2008-Jan. 25, 2009 Falconry: Jan. 26-Feb. 9, 2009 Geese with Conservation Order Possession Limit: Twice the daily bag limit for dark geese, no possession limit for light geese. West Zone Light Geese Daily Bag Limit: 20 in the aggregate Dark Geese Daily Bag Limit: 4 Canada and 1 white-fronted goose. Light and Dark Geese: Nov. 8, 2008Feb. 8, 2009 Light Geese (Conservation Order): Feb. 9, 2009-March 29, 2009 East Zone Light Geese Daily Bag Limit: 20 in the aggregate; 3 Canada geese, and 2 whitefronted geese. Light Geese, White-fronted Geese, Canada Geese: Nov. 1, 2008-Jan. 25, 2009; Nov. 1, 2008-Jan. 11, 2009; Nov. 1, 2008-Jan. 25, 2009 Light Geese (Conservation Order): Jan. 26-Mar. 29, 2009 Sandhill Crane Zone A: Nov. 8, 2008-Feb. 8, 2009; Bag Limits: 3 daily, 6 in possession Zone B: Nov. 28, 2008-Feb. 8, 2009; Bag Limits: 3 daily, 6 in possession Zone C: Dec. 20, 2008-Jan. 25, 2009; Bag Limits: 2 daily, 4 in possession

Mixed Agenda at TPW Zoo Meeting At a public meeting held in late August at the Houston Zoo, the Texas Wildlife Commission found widespread substandard visitation and income reporting by state park officials; stood pat on waterfowl season dates, terms, and bag limits; and discussed implementing a three-year pilot program designed for Texans wanting their ashes scattered on state park land. Those were the major topics confronted by the nine-member governor-appointed commission at the annual two-day public hearing that convened for the first time in more than a decade outside the confines of Austin. Rounds two through four of the 2008 Audit Plan revealed only 3 of the 33 state parks reviewed to be fully compliant with the Fiscal Control and Visitation Reporting Plan, standards designed to combat fraud and bring uniformity to the way state park officials account for revenue and visitors. “There’s a definite lack of consistency across parks,” said Carlos Contreras, TPWD internal auditor. “These processes were recently implemented. State park officials need more time to become 100 percent compliant.” Due to a healthy overall duck population and the final year of the Central Flyway’s Hunter’s Choice program, the commission announced the 2008-09 waterfowl hunting season will reflect the same dates, duration, and bag limits implemented last year. Dwindling canvasback and scaup numbers threaten to hamper future waterfowl schedules and bag limits should the Hunter’s Choice program prove to have a negative affect on these species, Vernon Bevill, TPWD program director for small game, told the commission. The commission gave the green light for the Green Burial Council, a non-profit organization dedicated to environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional death care practices, to enter into a draft agreement with TPWD to market the scattering of ashes on state park land. TPWD will realize half the proceeds, to be used exclusively for land acquisition.

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TF&G Conservation Initiatives ONSERVATION IS MORE THAN AN IDEA OR A slogan. True conservation requires action, and while we at Texas Fish & Game are happy to continually publish the most in-depth conservation information of any sporting publication, an upgrade is coming. We are creating conservation programs directed at raising awareness of issues involving fish, game, and related habitats in Texas. We have been involved in field conservation for a while now, working with the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) and Texas Parks & Wildlife Department to help

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catch flounder and speckled trout broodstock for Sea Center Texas. Now, we are launching two new TF&G conservation initiatives that mark the beginning of a renewed vision of being good stewards of Texas resources. The first of these programs is TF&G’s Black Bear Education initiative. This involves the distribution of educational posters throughout East Texas, TF&G bear-related public service announcements on radio, and other means of spreading the word that bears are making a comeback. In addition, we are working with the students, faculty, and administration of the Deweyville Independent School District (located in Newton County, where there have been recent verified bear sightings) to make this happen where it counts. The posters, which feature a bear in the crosshairs and the words “Don’t Shoot!” let people know killing a black bear is highly illegal in Texas, and can result in major legal trouble. It also notes that black bears and feral hogs can look quite a bit alike at a distance, so hunters should be very careful to not pull the trigger on the wrong animal. We want anyone who even thinks of shooting a bear to know the long arm of the law would get them, even if the killing were accidental. We would love to see bears make a full comeback in the Pineywoods. We are also partnering with Ducks Unlimited to help raise awareness of mottled duck conservation by distributing “Wanted: Mottled Duck Band Returns” posters in key coastal sporting goods stores, through outfitters, and in this magazine. While speaking with TPWD officials from the J.D. Murphree F i s h

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Wildlife Management Area earlier this year, I learned they would like to get more response from hunters who shoot banded mottled ducks. Mottled ducks are a unique species that live only along the Gulf Coast and have faced declining numbers due to a variety of factors. Simply calling the toll-free number on any banded mottled duck you shoot and reporting the pertinent information increases the pool of knowledge about this special species, and aids in its conservation. We at TF&G are just a few people, but the hundreds of thousands of you out there armed with the knowledge we provide can make a difference in these two projects, and more initiatives will be debuting soon. Wildlife truly has immense value. Let’s work together for these valuable resources, for not only ourselves, but future generations.

E-mail Chester Moore at cmoore@fishgame.com

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Sheep To the Slaughter FTER WORLD WAR II, WHEN AMERICAN society was inundated with returning servicemen, and once the euphoria of winning the war had faded, an attitude of “soldiers and dogs, keep off the grass” cropped up in America. This seems to prove the validity of an analogy sent to me recently by a reader attempting to explain America’s current attitude toward gun control. “The reason those who advocate gun control in America have not already been silenced is that 99.9 percent of American gun owners are law-abiding citizens.” — Kendal Hemphill The idea is that everyone can be divided up into three basic groups: sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. Which group you belong to is strictly a matter of choice and education. The sheep are afraid of the wolves, but are powerless to defend themselves. They want protection when the wolves are around, so they are happy to have the sheepdogs on their side. They do not want to be sheepdogs, but they want the peace of mind the sheepdogs provide. But when there are no wolves around, the sheep resent the sheepdogs, and begin to fear them. After all, they are not sheep, they have big, sharp teeth, and they eat meat. It is unsettling to the sheep to have sheepdogs around when there is no threat from wolves. Most Americans are sheep. They do not own firearms, and could not use them to protect themselves if they did. They want the protection of the sheepdogs during those times when they realize they are threatened

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by the wolves. The rest of the time they would rather not have the sheepdogs around. The wolves, obviously, are the criminals intent on eating the sheep. They avoid the sheepdogs when possible, but have no problem attacking the sheep when given an opportunity. The sheepdogs are not only the police and military, but American gun owners willing to defend themselves and others. They choose to be sheepdogs. They do not want to be sheep, dependent on others for survival, nor do they wish to be wolves, because they know the difference between right and wrong, and respect it.

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“Democracy should be more than two coyotes and a rabbit voting on what to have for dinner.”—Ronald Reagan

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United States Representative Mark Kirk (R, IL) is a sheep. He has lived an insular life, and has grown accustomed to having nothing to fear from the wolves. Consequently, he has decided the sheepdogs are unnecessary, and has taken steps to remove them from society. On 12 June 2008, Rep. Kirk, along with Rep. Michael Castle (R, DE), Rep. Michael Ferguson (R, NJ), and Rep. Christopher Shays (R, CT), introduced H.R. 6257, defined as a bill “to reinstate the Public Safety and Recreational Firearms Use Protection Act.” The bill in question is better known as the Brady Bill, which expired a few years ago. H.R. 6257 itself says, “This Act may be cited as the ‘Assault Weapons Ban Reauthorization Act of 2008’.” When I mentioned this bill in a newspaF i s h

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per column recently, I received an email from a reader who wrote: “Kendal—I generally agree with you, but I fail to see the reason we need assault rifles in the hands of the general public. The military needs them, why do I?” This is, without doubt, a sheep question. Those of us who understand the need for the Second Amendment are tempted to denigrate those who ask such questions, or ignore them altogether. The truth, however, is that unless we educate the sheep, the sheepdogs will soon be voted out of the pasture, and the wolves will take over. To those who ask, “Why do we need assault weapons?” let me ask this: Why do you need two cars, or a car capable of speeds beyond the highest posted limit in the U.S.? Why do you need a boat? Why do you need more than one pair of shoes? Why do you need air conditioning in your home? The correct answer is that you do not need any of them—but you have them nonetheless. Suppose our government decided you did not need those things. Suppose a law was passed that said you could own only one pair of shoes at a time. Would you protest? How about if you were allowed only one vehicle for your entire family? The truth is that we need the right to any personal firearms available to our military, because those firearms are the only thing keeping our government from taking away your air conditioner, extra car, boat, and shoes. Once 2A goes, the rest of our rights will fall like dominoes. The true core of this issue is freedom. Considering the finding of the Supreme Court in the case of D.C. vs. Heller recently; it is entirely possible that H.R. 6257 will pass. If it does, the wolves will be one step closer to total control of the sheep. The scary thing is that I might be wrong about Rep. Mark Kirk. He might not be a sheep. He, and a lot of other elected officials, might actually be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

E-mail Kendal Hemphill at commentary@fishgame.com

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Sad Breaks ASTE MAKES WASTE—NOT TO MENTION A shambles of any camera bags left in the way of an outbound SUV. This was the latest hard-luck lesson in the trails and trials of the Absentminded Outdoorsman, otherwise known as Yr. Loy’l and Ob’t Sv’t, Scribe Doggett. I was running late to catch a plane, a rookie mistake from the outset. I had three pieces of baggage—a large duffle, a rod tube, and a carry-on camera bag—for the weeklong fishing trip to Casa Blanca Lodge in Mexico’s Yucatan. Like most seasoned adventurers, I put everything legally possible in the camera bag to eliminate check-in loss or damage. The garage door was open and I carried the luggage to the rear of the SUV. I placed the bulging camera bag on the driveway behind the vehicle and opened the rear hatch to load the duffle bag and rod tube. Uh-oh, the house door—did I forget to lock the back door? I scurried to the door and returned to the vehicle. A glance to the rear confirmed that the tailgate was up. I hopped behind the wheel, glanced at the tardy clock, and threw the vehicle in reverse. Approximately three feet into the great adventure, a curious thunk and clunk resounded from under the truck. I stepped on the brake as the mashed bag rolled into view beyond the hood. By blind luck, the tires missed the bag but damage to the contents surely was incurred. The costly Canon EOS 30D and 2485mm lens were intact. So was the costlier Canon 100-400mm image stabilizer lens. As were three high-dollar fly reels—a Tibor Everglades, a Tibor Riptide, and a classic near-mint Fin-Nor No. 3 “Wedding Cake.” Not so fortunate was the Canon Power Shot A620 point-and-shoot pocket camera; the retractable lens was smashed. Also unlucky was the Penn International 965

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casting reel, my go-to choice for 20-pound class plugging. It suffered a bent spool shaft. Another casualty was an Orvis Presentation EXR 5, in my opinion the finest 8weight pawl-and-clicker saltwater fly reel ever made. The fact that the Presentation no longer is available added to the tragedy. Collectors of fine old reels on eBay and similar sites often hear the term “slight boat rash” to define the scuffing of side plates and rims caused by contact with boat decks. Well, “slight boat rash” in no way compares to “major Tahoe rash.” The exposed rim on the Presentation’s spool was crushed, jamming the spool and rendering the reel unusable without a dreadful facelift. The two reels and the point-and-shoot camera were dumb-ass casualties but, despite the galling loss, I owe a considerable debt to Lady Luck. By random chance, the most important items were spared. The careless mangling of the wonderful old Fin-Nor especially would have been an unforgivable disaster. Sadly, the recent blunder was not unprecedented. I performed the same stunt approximately 20 years ago by backing over a new All Star casting rod and an out-of-thebox Shimano Calcutta reel. And so it goes; misplaced gear is an ongoing occurrence. This is a flaw I have carried—or failed to carry, as the case may be—during adventures near and far. I get distracted or preoccupied. Sometimes the oversight is aided and abetted by poor light, as we tend to launch and recover early and late on many forays. Tiredness can be a factor. But there is no excuse for failing to properly stow or secure valuable gear. The carpenter’s adage, “measure twice, cut once,” should apply for double-checking equipment. You would think I would learn through bitter experience. The first major loss during my outdoor career should have served as a lifelong reminder. I was dove-hunting solo in a grain field south of Austin during the 1971 season. I F i s h

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was in graduate school at UT, recently discharged from the Navy, and my great pride was the field grade 12-gauge Charles Daly over/under purchased at the Naval Exchange in Sasebo, Japan. The Daly was my first quality shotgun. The dark walnut stock, the clean checkering, the tasteful engraving, the fine vent rib, the selective trigger, the automatic ejectors—all these refinements were a joy to behold. Plus, it “shot great.” At the end of the sunset hunt, I opened the action and placed the gun on the roof of the car before tending to the bag of birds. The field was dark by the time the dove were plucked and bagged. I started the car, turned up the radio, and accelerated onto the twolane blacktop. The speedometer was hitting 70, keeping pace with Rod Stewart and Maggie Mae, when an abrupt thump and blur of motion swept past the top corner of the windshield. Whoa, must’ve hit an owl. I turned the car and drove back, hoping the poor owl had taken a glancing blow. Ahead, in the middle of the bright beams, was an angular piece of slim metal, odd and out of place on the empty road. Some chump must’ve lost a car jack. How come I didn’t notice—Oh, no! I was devastated. My lovely Daly, pampered all the way from the Gulf of Tonkin, looked as if it had been whacked by a power lawn mower. It still functions, but mainly rests in the corner of the gun case. I can’t bear to look at it. These are several examples of forgetful blunders. Suffice to say, there have been others. Maybe I am the only individual who suffers lapses while commuting to and from the outdoors. Maybe no one else ever has left a bag, forgotten a gun, or failed to strap down a payload. Maybe I am the only chump in the ranks. But I doubt it. E-mail Joe Doggett at doggett@fishgame.com

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pening day has finally arrived. The anticipation of this day has almost been too much to take. Minutes turn to hours as you sit in your favorite hotspot, waiting for the opportunity to harvest a deer with your bow. Statistics tell us that bowhunter numbers are growing annually in every state; not all of them are as prepared as you are. You have tried to think of everything needed to be successful this bow season—but will you be one of the hunters that blow it due to a rookie mistake? Here are the Top 10 mistakes bowhunters make. Avoid them, and the odds for success tip favorably.

Pre-Season Scouting The first mistake is failing to do pre-season scouting. Too many times, bowhunters go into the woods without a clue as to where and when deer are moving, feeding, and bedding. They walk around the forest floor looking for deer sign during the season when they should be in their pre-selected tree stands. By not taking the time to scout for deer before the season, you run the risk of leaving your scent everywhere in the woods for the deer to notice. Texas summers and even early fall can be hot and uncomfortable, but this is the time to get out there and find the deer. Start by walking and checking for activity in the corners of open fields. For some reason, deer love to use corners of fields to enter and leave food plots. It is true that deer are creatures of habit. You might feel that because you saw plenty of deer in one spot last year, then this year should be no different. What if high winds knocked down a tree across the deer path you usually watch? Opening day is not the time to find out the deer are using a different route. In July and August, you might want to spend more time in your truck driving around fields or food plots that deer are frequenting. If the buck of your dreams is feeding in a field next to the woods, there is a good chance that it lives in those woods, and that would be a good place to start looking.

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Practice in All Conditions We all know how important practice is, but how many of us actually wear our hunting clothes while we practice? Will the string of my bow clear the arm of my jacket? What about my hat? Is the brim too long? You might want to find out your bowstring knocks off your hat when you draw—which happened to this child. Not good. Practice in every position you can think of: on your knees, twisting around, straight down from your stand, bent over, sitting down, standing on one leg.... My point is that you never know what the “moment of truth” shot is going to be like. You must be prepared for just about anything. You can clear shots, check wind direction, and make a good educated guess as to which way the deer will come from, but 9 out of 10 times, that deer will surprise you and come from a different direction. Think about the rain. If you use plastic fletching, then weather should not affect arrow flight. If you use feather fletching, be aware that wet feathers will compress and stay that way, causing arrow flight to suffer. Treat feather fletching with a waterproofing chemical if possible. Personally, I choose to not hunt in the rain. How would you follow a blood trail? Practice, practice, and practice some more. It is that important. You need to feel comfortable with your accuracy when the moment arrives. You need to remember to practice with your broadheads as the season nears. Shoot 3-D target ranges that are set up in the woods. Practice guessing distance both in the woods and in the open. Make it something you and your hunting friends do together and make it fun. You will not regret it.

Wear Proper Boots Much has been said and written about boots. As trivial as this might seem, simply wearing the right footwear makes a huge difference to your success. Leather, rubber, or fabric—how do you choose? There is only one answer in the bowhunting world: rubber boots are the only way to go. Leather is very comfortable, as are fabric boots, but unlike rubber boots, leather and fabric retain scents. Rubber boots help hide your scent and are a must in the deer woods. You should wear a boot with a height of 16 F i s h

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inches or better. Remember, when we walk to our deer stand, the tall grass brushes up against us and collects scent. With a tall boot, you help eliminate as much human scent as possible. You must also remember that new rubber boots smell like, well, rubber. Choose your boots months before the season and let them air out a bit to lose that “new” smell.

Heed the Wind A wise man once told me, “If you don’t respect the nose of a deer, you will soon find out why they are called ‘whitetails’.” Paying attention to wind direction is firmly embedded in my top 10 list of bowhunting screw-ups. When we put up our stands, wind direction should dictate where the stand goes. Many of us forget all about prevailing wind when we head to our stands. Humans are basically lazy and always think the quickest route to our stand is the best. Not true. The best route is the one that keeps us undetected. Sometimes that means going quite a distance out of our way to get to the stand, or abandoning that particular stand altogether until the wind direction changes. Try to always remember that thermal currents in the heat of the day will change the directional dispersal of your scent; in the cooler morning hours, scent descends, and in the heat of the afternoon, scent rises. Not only should you be aware of the wind as you walk to your stand, but do not forget to check it again before you leave. Too many times hunters just climb out of their stand after the evening hunt and head right to their vehicle, thus spooking every deer in the county.

Pay Attention Have you ever been so comfortable in your stand that you actually fell asleep? I have— such a deep sleep that I had no idea where I was for a second after waking. Very bad. For all I know, a huge buck could have been staring at me snoring in a tree. Blame it on the warm Texas sun; bowhunters have an early season, and that means warmer weather. You have to stay alert from the moment you strap your safety harness on until you finish your hunt. We all know that early mornings and late evenings are the best times to find some action, but many of the big boys are taken after 10 o’clock. Bring something to keep your mind busy. A paperback is

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good, or one of the many handheld games. Just make sure you remember to shut the sound off! When you do hear that familiar noise of a deer approaching, remember to not jerk your head in the direction of the sound. Move slowly, quietly and you will be successful. I always check with just my eyes before moving my head. Really look at all of the surroundings. Pay attention to all those limbs that could be an antler. Look for movement. It could be a wag of a tail, a flick of an ear, or an antler mixing in with the trees. The important thing is you want to make sure you see the deer before it sees you, and that means you need to pay attention at all times.

Sharp Broadheads Too many times, I have heard students in my bowhunter safety class tell me that as long as you did not take a broadhead out of your quiver the year before, it is sharp enough to use in the field this year, too. That is simply not true. Ethical bowhunting demands we use razor-sharp broadheads every year. If a broadhead sits in your quiver during the offseason, the edge erodes due to oxidation and other factors. It might still draw blood, but the object is through-and-through penetration and thus a quick kill Modern replaceable blades are inexpensive and should be replaced every season. The fixed type blade is harder to keep sharp and must be touched up at the beginning of each season. If you get a shot and miss, put that arrow back in the quiver and do not plan on using it until you can run a blade sharpener over the head. Remember, with a broadhead, massive hemorrhaging causes death. The more arteries the blade severs, the quicker the animal will expire.

Noisy Equipment Modern bows are very intricate killing machines with more moving parts than my first car. You need to familiarize yourself with your bow and all those parts. They might become loose and start to rattle a bit. It does not take much to send a deer off to a different zip code, especially if it hears an unfamiliar sound. I tell my students to check their equipment before every hunt. Make sure every screw is tight, and do not forget to check your quiver and sights. If you practice as hard as I do, frequent preventive or correc-

tive maintenance is a given. One thing that hunters will miss is the sound that your bow makes when you come to full draw and reach the stops on the limbs. Nine out of ten times, the hunter will draw back so fast and hard that he hits those stops and a definite click can be heard. I was shooting with a friend of mine and he had this problem. When I told him about it, he had to stop and really listen. Sure enough, there it was. We concentrate so much on getting the

shot in the breadbasket that we forget to listen for odd noises. Shoot with a friend and have him do the listening for you. You might be surprised at what you learn.

Shot Placement We all know the best shot to take with a bow is in the lungs. Nothing will bring down an animal quicker than a double lung passthrough shot. Actually, one other spot will do

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the job faster—the femoral artery. The femoral artery runs along the backside of the deer and down its legs. If you practiced enough, you should be able to hit that artery at 20 yards without a problem— if you could see it. A pencil is about as thick as this artery. Have a friend hide the pencil somewhere behind the pages of an open book. Can you hit it now? That is why we shoot for the lungs. The problem we face is that, with all the excitement of getting a good shot off at a nice buck, we forget all about angles. If the deer is facing us, we need to wait for a better shot. If the deer is quartering away, we need to not aim at the lungs, but rather behind the ribcage so the arrow angles through the lungs. A good rule is to aim at the opposite shoulder away from you, as if the deer were transparent and you can see the off shoulder. It usually will be a good shot.

Blood Trailing I think the biggest mistake bowhunters make with blood trailing is having their friends come to help. The more the merrier

does not apply here. You do not need a carload of friends to tromp through the woods disturbing what blood trail there might be. One extra set of eyes is plenty, particularly if he is experienced in looking for blood. You must remember that, at times, we are looking for tiny drops. Slow and steady is the key here. Always keep last blood in view. You can use some toilet paper on a bush as a marker at the last sign of blood. Once you place a few markers, it becomes easy to discern the route the deer followed and thus easier to find the next drop or smear of blood. When blood cannot be found, too many hunters give up too quickly. Take the time to circle the area and then make a wider circle until you find blood again. Big bucks will sometimes backtrack on the same trail for a few yards. If you take your time, and the hit was in a vital spot, you will find your buck.

Field Dressing I have always said that the best way to field dress a deer is to have someone else do it. Too many times, the hunter is not sure of how to correctly field dress a deer and suffers

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for it at the table. The biggest mistake bowhunters make is not looking for the broadhead when fielddressing the animal. Account for all of the blades. A razor sharp blade could be lodged somewhere. An incautious wipe of the inside of the ribcage could lay open another artery—yours. I always try to account for the entire arrow, including each individual broadhead blade. Even if you know that the broadhead passed through the deer, what happened to the arrow shaft? Did it break halfway through? Even if you can account for your arrow shaft and broadhead, you are not the only hunter out there. I have heard stories about hunters finding broadheads from a previous year in a deer. You just never know, and it would be wise to take extreme caution when field dressing any animal. As a bonus eleventh “how to not screw up your hunt,” if you are out scouting and you see the buck of your dreams, don’t tell anybody.

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y good friend Billy Rogers of Nacogdoches has never been one to get excited about much. But mention deer season and his eyes light up like a kid in a candy store. That’s interesting, because Rogers hasn’t crawled into a deer blind in years. He stays way too busy playing with thick-shouldered bass this time of year to bother with chasing unpredictable bucks. “I love it when deer season rolls around,” chuckled Rogers. “A lot of the guys who bass fish always turn their attention to deer hunting during the fall, and some of them won’t even wet a hook again until next spring. That’s just fine with me, too. The less boat traffic there is on the lake, the more bass there are for me to catch. I’ve seen quite a few days during fall when my truck was the only one in the parking lot.” Rogers’ affinity for the bass of the equinox is based on much more than a lack of company on the water. The 75-year-old angler knows from experience that the fishing prospects are among the best of the year. The autumn equinox is one of two times per year (the other is in spring—the vernal equinox) when the center of the sun is positioned directly over Earth’s equator. Equinox derives from Latin for “equal night.” In theory if not practice, the hours of daylight and darkness are equal at the autumnal equinox, which marks the beginning of fall. Every day thereafter is shorter than the one before it, and every night proportionally longer, continuing thusly until the winter solstice. This year, the autumnal equinox fell on September 22, provoking seasonal changes in flora and fauna that emerge as breeding or behavior changes in animals and fishes. The equinox harbingers cold fronts that typically increase in frequency and intensity with each frontal passage. This factor, coupled with shorter days and longer nights, causes a gradual decrease in water temperatures on lakes across Texas. The changes bring out the mean streak in Micropterus salmoides. Wake a spinnerbait past a grass bed near a creek channel, and you should get picture. If that doesn’t do the trick, test the water with a shallow-running crankbait or maybe even a topwater plug. Regardless of lure choice, you had better keep a tight grip on your fishing pole. Fall bass rarely hold anything back when they 32

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wage war on an artificial lure. It When the days and nights are equal, bass is just not their style. turn on with a vengeance. Predators by nature, largemouths turn super aggressive during fall. The sudden rush of adrenaline comes partly as the result of chilling water temperatures. Further, the bass’ biological ticker is telling them that winter is just around the corner, thus sending the signal to gorge and stack on some weight to carry them through the colder months ahead. Considering all this, it is easy to understand why Rogers is so fond of fall bass fishing—and he isn’t alone. Hemphill bass pro Tommy Martin discovered the red-hot fishing of the big cooldown years ago when he worked full time as a fishing guide on Toledo Bend Reservoir. According to him, the rowdy nature of bass is not the only thing that works in the anglers’ favor during the autumn months. Low water can be boon, as well. “Anytime I think of fall bass fishing, I immediately think of low water levels,” said Martin. “Reservoirs across the South usually reach their lowest points of the year during fall because of a lack of rain, day-to-day evaporation, and creeks and ditches,” he said. “They still gravthe demands for water to generate electricity. itate to cover such as stumps, brush, or grass. In Texas, it is nothing out of the ordinary for Finding them is just a matter of staying posisome of our reservoirs to be at 4-8 feet below tioned along the creek and covering water normal level by the time the first cold fronts until you come across that ‘magic stretch.’ You will invariably find some large schools of push through.” Martin said there are serious benefits to fish in creeks during fall if you will just be low water in fall. Not only does it reduce the patient.” Low water isn’t the only reason bass hang size of the playing field, it takes completely out of the picture jungles of shoreline cover tight to creeks during fall. The smorgasbord created by willow bushes and buck brush. of forage finning around in relation to chanA big lake like Sam Rayburn, Toledo nel breaks is a major drawing card. Bluegills and other small sunfishes always Bend, or Falcon might be several thousand rank high on the bass hit list, but threadfin acres smaller during fall than during spring. The area the fish have to roam is significantly shad are the entrée on the dinner menu. The smaller, which naturally makes the fish easier succulent baitfish leave deep water during fall to find. Plus, low water usually means clear in search of food, crowding the shallows by way of creeks and ditches. As kids are lured water. “To me, low water in the fall spells fish,” to ice cream trucks, the bass go where the Martin explained. “The main problem you shad go. face is finding them, which is usually much easier to accomplish when the water level is low as opposed to normal or high.” The key to cracking the code is knowing A major or secondary creek channel can where to look. Martin offered one word to wind for miles on a large reservoir. Finding help solve the puzzle: creeks. “Low water the sweet spots can be daunting unless you pushes the bass off the flats and into the know what to look for.

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Lake Fork fishing guide Brooks Rogers said anglers can save a ton of time by gearing their search toward the upper reaches of major creeks. According to Rogers, big numbers of autumn bass at Lake Fork relate to the edges of creeks in water 4-8 feet deep, possibly shallower depending on what is available in the way of cover. “I always start the day by running almost to the back of the creek channel, and then start fishing my way out,” Rogers said. “The fish are apt to be anywhere along the channel edge, but the high percentage places are those where the channel makes a well-defined bend and there is matted grass or scattered clumps of vegetation that run right up to the edge. Little indentions, points, or guts in the grass can be good, too.” The bass like to hang right along edges of the grass and ambush shad and other forage that happens to come by. They will be grouped up, too. It is not uncommon to catch 8-10 fish out of an area no larger than a pickup bed this time of year. Rogers also pointed out that it is important to maintain a watchful eye for signs of life ahead of the boat. Boils, swirls, wakes, and scampering shad are reliable indicators of predator fish on the feed.

Blue herons are another good sign. If you come across one of the leggy birds perched on a stump or log at the channel’s edge, odds are something is going on just beneath the surface. “Blue herons fish for a living, and I never pass one up without checking it out,” Martin said.

Food For Thought Fall bass are eating machines prone to pounce on just about anything you throw at them. Through experience, however, B. Rogers has learned that certain styles of lures produce better results than others. One of his favorites is the spinnerbait. “The spinnerbait is a great choice during fall,” he said. “It is relatively weedless and it allows you to cover a lot of water efficiently. Plus, it does a good job of simulating shad.” Rogers prefers a small spinnerbait (1/4to 3/8-ounce) with tandem willow leaf blades during early fall. His favorite skirt colors are Firecracker and white. “The main reason I like a small spinnerbait in early fall is because you are typically dealing with a lot of small fish,” he said. “Later in fall, after the water temperatures

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drop down into the 50s, is when the bigger fish will start to get active. That is when I go to a larger spinnerbait.” Crankbaits are another good choice. One of Martin’s go-to hard bodies during fall is the Bagley B2 in some sort of a shad pattern. The square bill bait is made from balsa wood and dives to about 3 feet on 17-pound-test line. “The B2 is a great choice anytime the fish are holding shallow and relating to stumps, laydowns, lily pads, or any aquatic vegetation,” Martin said. “The balsa wood construction makes it extremely buoyant, which allows you do a lot of different things with it on the retrieve around wood or grass.” The list of good offerings for fall bass doesn’t end there. No tackle box is complete without Texas-rigged worms, Rat-L-Traps, Senkos, buzz frogs, and buzzbaits. Assorted topwaters can be deadly, as well, especially if you come across a rowdy bunch of school bass. So many options, so little time to put them to work before the winter solstice. Let’s fish.

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eltics vs. Lakers; Yankees vs. Dodgers; Soviets vs. United States—classic East vs. West face-offs. Now shift to fishing and the classic clash that rages every sunrise in the minds of Matagorda anglers: Which way should we go—east or west? Matagorda is blessed to sit right smack dab in the middle of two prime estuaries, each with its own identity. Likewise, we all have our own fishing identity, and that individuality determines which direction to point your compass. Here are a few suggestions:

East Matagorda Bay, with it deepest depressions at 6 feet at high tide, is arguably the most prolific fish-catching venue in Texas in autumn. The surrounding marsh is a nursery for boatloads of brown and white shrimp that venture through the bay en route to the Gulf. Seagulls hover and pick off shrimp pressed to the surface by hungry speckled trout and redfish. “Working the birds” is a rite of fall, and there is no better place in Texas than East Bay. “The October and November fishing is really good,” said guide Mark Talasek. “If the wind and weather cooperates, we can almost always catch a mess of fish out of the boat during the fall.” Redfish often mingle with trout under the birds, and are the prettiest shade of copper you will ever see. Most anglers toss soft plastics, but pluggers score equally well with topwaters like Super Spooks, She Pups, and SkitterWalks. More flounder are caught this time of year than any other, mostly as by-catch from slowly dragging jigs across muddy bottoms around Old Gulf Cut, Boggy Cut, and the Chinquapin Reefs. While most choose to drift the birds by boat, waders conspire on mid-bay reefs like Long Reef, Three Beacon Reef, Drull’s Lump, and Halfmoon Reef. West Matagorda Bay, with its deepest depths over 30 feet near the jetty in Port O’Connor, is devoid of boats during the fall. Obviously, human nature prompts an angler to play percentages and fish east under the birds. However—and I write this hesitantly for fear of giving away a secret—birds also work in West Bay. The northeast pocket around Shell Island 36

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Autumn Redfish, trout, or flounder, Matagorda has something for every taste.

and Twin Island produces fish under birds, though often the fish are notably smaller than their East Bay cousins. Nevertheless, West Bay is a great place to escape the weekend crowds. “You basically have the entire south shoreline to yourself if you choose to wade,” said guide Bobby Gardner. “And, with tides so high, redfish are easy pickings around the grass.” Redfish are also found in the back lakes just off the Intracoastal. Oyster Lake and Crab Lake load up with reds when equinox tides swell water levels. Anglers drift with small topwaters or live shrimp under a popping cork and catch redfish until their drags cry foul. Speaking of “fowl,” these locales are great spots to watch migrating waterfowl arrive on the wings of the north wind.

work scattered shell around Raymond Shoals, the Log, the Pipeline, and Cleveland Reef. Wintertime is also a great opportunity to find reefs you did not know existed, as tides two to three feet below normal expose shell bumps that hold fish on higher tides. About the only boats in West Bay during winter are vessels shuttling duck hunters along the shoal grass shorelines on the far west end. The other boats ferry fishermen who like catching redfish on nearly every cast. “The winter tides drop so low that the sand flats we wade in the summer are exposed,” said Gardner. “The only water around is in the guts, and the redfish stack in there by the hundreds.” Gardner said soft plastics or gold spoons are the only baits you need to take a three-fish limit.

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Like anywhere in Texas, winter fishing is weather-driven, but East Bay coughs up some massive trout when the wind allows. Its muddy bottom is a heat magnet during the low-tide doldrums, and trout gregariously congregate in the warmest environments. “We stay in the mud, mostly on the east end of the bay during the winter,” said guide Jesse Arsola. “Corkies fished slowly gets the big bite, and there are few boats on the water so the shorelines do not get disturbed.” Afternoon sunshine is best for drifters who

If winds ever blow again like the spring of 2008, no bay is safe. Still, wind is the determining factor for spring success in East Bay. There are not many places to hide except on the south shoreline, but most spring winds have an easterly flow, and east winds rip up East Matagorda. If winds are 10-15 mph or less, swollen spring tides push large trout to the muddy shorelines. A Corky, Catch 2000, or Catch 5 fools fish around Catch-All Basin, Brown Cedar Flats, Boiler Bayou, Hog Island, and

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Kain Cove. Trout are also found while drifting mid-bay scattered shell. Again, depending on the temperature, a cold day and tardy alarm clock allow sunshine to warm the shallows. March and April in West Matagorda Bay rivals any Lone Star State estuary short of Baffin Bay for shear numbers of trout and redfish. Glass minnows, also known as anchovies, flood the grassy shoreline around Cotton’s Bayou, Middle Grounds, and Green’s Bayou. Afternoon incoming tides are best, and some captains rearrange their charter schedule to a noon-to-dark affair to give anglers the best opportunity to bend a rod. “There is no use in getting out there in the morning,” said Gardner. “In the spring, the best tides are in the afternoon, and sometimes the minnows don’t show on the flats until a few hours before dark. It is not going to happen until the minnows show.” Brown pelicans point the way to the minnows, usually in groups of 50 or more. Some anglers toss topwaters, but Salt & Pepper, Glow, or Pearl/chartreuse Norton Sand Eels, Bull Minnows, Bass Assassins, Trout Killers, Hogies, and Stanley Wedgetails work best. Some days, the brunt of the catch is trout;

other days, it is redfish. When it is really good, you catch both.

Summer Summer is a real dilemma. The choice hinges on quality versus quantity. When light winds persist, there is no doubt East Bay is the choice for big trout. The reefs have the potential to harbor a 30-incher for waders, and lots of 3- to 5-pound trout. Summertime drifters catch plenty of large trout as well. The Log always harbors large trout when pods of mullet are present; Raymond Shoals, too. Drifting in front of Boiler Bayou in 5 feet of water is also a good choice. “We catch quality trout while drifting with live shrimp,” said guide Kenny Hauff. “You can catch them on plastics, but you will get more bites on live shrimp.” “Kenny [Hauff] catches more fish drifting in East Bay than anyone around here,” said Gardner. “He knows every piece of shell that holds fish. Even on tough days, he manages to have admirable catches.” Summertime in West Bay is all about the grass beds. Humps and patches of sand and

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grass hold shrimp, shad, and mullet, and the trout arrive on the incoming tide. “If you want to catch a lot of trout, go west,” said guide Tommy Countz. “Work the grass beds with soft plastics and topwaters.” Countz likes to make an early wade at sunrise, then head to deeper water around mid-morning to work the buoys and poles along the Intracoastal for tripletail. “We can go out and catch a few trout, then cast at tripletail when the sun gets up; we can see them around the poles,” he said. “It is a bonus, and there is no better tasting fish.” Guide Charlie Paradoski is not afraid to take a long boat ride, even if it means the water towers in Port O’Connor are within sight. West Matagorda Bay’s far west boundary is Pass Cavallo, a short cast from the town of Port O’Connor. The Cedars, J-Hook, City Slickers, and the Hump are all proven wading grounds. East or West, when the water is troutgreen and flags are limp, neither is a bad choice. You might want to carry a heads-ortails coin in your pocket.

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Texas bobwhite quail outlook

QUAIL CALLING INSET BY RUSSELL GRAVES

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he 2008-2009 quail season has shaped up as one with positive outlooks in some regions— and full of question marks in other areas. The season opens October 25 and runs through February 22 statewide, with a 15bird-per-day bag limit and a 45-bird possession limit. Legal shooting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset. This year’s initial quail hatch appeared to be good in many areas of West and South Texas thanks to generous spring rains. However, second and possibly third hatches might not have been as good as they were in 2007 due to lack of rains in late May, June, and early July. Just how well did the quail pull off this year’s hatches in the areas you plan to hunt? Only time (the 2008-2009 season) will tell. Overall, quail populations in West Texas improved significantly from 2002 to 2005 but dropped off in 2006 due to drought conditions over much of the state. A drastic rebound occurred in 2007 when record rainfall soaked the then-parched pastures and refilled stock tanks. Good rains hit the same areas again last spring, but by early July, many ranchers were saying their lands were in need of more rain to improve habitat conditions for quail. The southern and western counties in the Rolling Plains region have experienced the biggest rebound in quail numbers in recent years, followed by South Texas. These two regions will provide the best quail hunting in Texas. The equation for good quail populations is simple: Wet, cool spring plus early summer = fall quail. That is because the window of opportunity for reproduction is extended under these conditions. Last year served as a great example of how quail numbers can rebound from a previous year if the right conditions are present when the breeding season is at hand. Typically, quail hens will make as many nesting attempts as conditions allow until they are successful or simply run out of time. The cooler summer temperatures in 2007 combined with unseasonably wet spring and summer months increased quail numbers significantly in many counties, and provided good canopy cover, plentiful weed seeds, and insects for chicks. However, some West Texas hunters 40

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Quail are in better shape in some areas than in others—you just have to know where to look. found that too much good habitat can spell trouble for hunters and their dogs. Roger Rowe of Rowe Outfitters hunts more than 30,000 acres of Rolling Plains country in Haskell, Stephens, and Throckmorton counties. He described the 2007-2008 season as “odd” and is hoping habitat conditions this year favor hunters as well as quail. “Last year was odd, and I think we had more birds than we were finding,” Rowe said. “The broomweeds were chest high and the birds did not have to get out into the open. They did not move around much. Hopefully, the broomweeds will be knocked down some this year.” Rowe said he saw some young birds in June, and by early July, he had begun to see quail pairing up for a second and possibly third hatch. There also appears to have been a good carry-over of birds from last year. Just how good the summer hatches were in West Texas probably will not be revealed until the season gets underway. F i s h

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Sunflowers, croton, ragweed, insects, and other food sources for quail are plentiful. If multiple hatches occurred, expect another good year in the Rolling Plains. In portions of South Texas this year, quail surveys were hampered for the second year in a row by lush habitat conditions produced by spring and early summer rains. The rains were not as plentiful as in 2007, but they were adequate under South Texas standards. Typically, the best quail reproduction efforts in South Texas occur in the northern and eastern portions of the region, where annual rainfall is the highest. Usually by mid-summer, dry and hot temperatures are the norm over other portions of the region, resulting in limited extended nesting. Overall, South Texas should have another good season with the Three Rivers and George West areas among the hotspots, along with areas around Carrizo Springs, Cotulla, Pearsall, and Tilden. Portions of the Gulf Prairies south of Victoria did not

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get the spring rainfall that fell on the eastern areas of that region, but overall quail numbers should be about the same as they were a year ago, which was good. Habitat conditions throughout the South Texas Brush Country remain in good shape, which should serve as a warning to quail hunters. Walking through thick grass and prickly pear flats calls for keeping a close eye for rattlesnakes; this is true for all hunters regardless of where they hunt. Portions of the Edwards Plateau also should have a repeat season from a year ago. Although most people think of whitetail deer when they talk about the Hill Country, some areas do produce excellent quail hunting. The biggest threat to quail populations in the Hill Country is the continuing trend toward fragmented ranch lands. As more large ranches are divided and sold to multiple owners, large-scale wildlife management practices go out the window. Houses, new roads, driveways, and the like soon dominate where brush, weeds, and grasses once stood. Small parcels of land never hold large numbers of quail. This is not to say that there are not any good quail hunting areas in

the Hill Country, because there are. One typical hotspot is near Mason, where hunters often encounter larger numbers of birds per covey than can be found elsewhere in the region. Nevertheless, the fact remains that overall Edwards Plateau quail numbers continue to decline except for the western edge of the area, where both bobwhite and blue quail continue to not only hold their own but often rebound when habitat and weather conditions exist. Look for good hunting in traditional hotspots such as between Mason and Fredericksburg, and fair to poor elsewhere. The same holds true for Southeast Texas, where fragmented lands and land use changes have resulted in not only a low population of bobwhites, but also small coveys. Generally, fewer birds per covey makes it virtually impossible for the birds to rebound significantly, especially where habitat losses have occurred. Eventually, many coveys simply disappear. In North Texas, good rains through the spring and early summer months provided the soil moisture needed by quail for improved hatching success rates. Counties in

the northern Blackland Prairies ecological region along the Red River were especially blessed with rainfall. Matt Brown of Nocona operates the SM Brown Game Bird Ranch that borders the Red River near Spanish Fort. Although Brownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s operation primarily is a released bird operation, he also has several large coveys of wild quail that thrive on the abundance of native forbs and grasses on his ranch. Brown said good spring and early summer hatches are expected to boost quail populations throughout the area. Good quail reproduction also appears to have occurred this year west of Nocona to Wilbarger County, and as far south as Jack County. The Panhandle counties along the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eastern and southern borders are expected to provide good quail hunting once again. Habitat conditions in the spring should have put the birds in good breeding conditions. Some of the best hunting should be found around Canadian in the northeastern reaches of the Rolling Plains, especially on well-managed lands.

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by Chester Moore

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re you ready to take your flounder fishing to a level you never thought was possible? I mean catching fish when no one else does, and trying techniques that will likely get you some funny stares from your fishing partners. If so, then read on because I am about to take you on a journey beyond flounder fundamentals into the realm of that 5 percent of the angling population that catches 95 percent of the fish. Since I began my writing career in 1992, I have written hundreds of articles on flounder for newspapers and magazines, and authored two books on the subject (Flounder Fundamentals and Flounder Fever). One of the rewards of this has been constant correspondence with ace flounder hands while another is motivation to find new and effective ways to catch flatfish. You are not going to read about mud minnows, fishing passes, or any of the common fixtures of flounder fishing. Instead, this is an introduction to five techniques that might just change your flounder fishing forever. Some I have proven effective, while the jury is still out on others, but all of them are guaranteed to make you think about flounder differently, and as I have written on many occasions, flounder fishing is 90 percent mental. 1. Deep Shorelines: Looking back over the last few years of flounder fishing, my biggest fish have come from stands of roseau cane and the deep shorelines in the interior of marshy cuts. When moving into a marsh, use a sideviewing depth-finder to scope out deep shorelines with major drop-offs. These are often in the “S-turns” of the cuts where heavy currents rushing against the sudden change in topography creates a washout. I have found these spots hold a lot of fish, and usually more big ones than surrounding areas. These areas receive very little angling pressure and therefore the fish do not get caught and thrown into an ice chest. Also, these spots often coincide with eddies or small ditches feeding into the main cut, giving flounder serious bang for their buck in exchange for lying there. Having been involved in early tagging studies of flounder, I do believe they are territorial and primarily stay around the same drainage once they enter in the spring. You will probably be the only angler targeting 44

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Taking your flounder fishing to the next level requires more than just fishing harder; you have to fish smarter.

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these kinds of cuts in your area, and therefore will have real hotspots to yourself. 2. Seagrass Savvy: The seagrass beds of the middle and lower coasts hold good numbers of flounder, although they behave a bit differently than flatfish inhabiting more traditional environments. They often hide in the seagrass, preying on the organisms that inhabit it, and hammer the piggy perch, menhaden, and other prey species that skirt the edges. Try fishing a 1/8-ounce weedless silver spoon like the Johnson Silver Minnow and run it right through the grass. Flounder are like any other kind of predator and like an edge effect. Work your spoon through the grass, but make sure to fish it right along the edges of the grass and sand pockets. These types of transition zones are where many of the flounder hang in the seagrass communities, and although they are rarely seen in some areas, they are there. 3. Riprap Attack: Flounder love riprap and sometimes feed in very shallow water along the edges of riprap near boathouses and sections of the Intracoastal Canal. Fishing these rocky areas can be challenging, as F i s h

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loss of terminal tackle is axiomatic, and distinguishing strikes from rocks can be difficult. My cousin Frank Moore and I developed a strategy for catching these flounder, and it involves one of the occasions where I use live bait. Rig a live menhaden (shad) on a Kahlestyle hook beneath a loud popping cork, like the Old Bayside Paradise Popper, so it floats a few inches above the bottom. Parallel your boat to the shoreline and cast straight down the rocks, liberally popping the cork as you go along. The first time we did this was in the DuPont Outfall Canal on the Sabine River, and we caught a near two-man limit of flounder during the spring run within a couple of hours. That was years ago when the fishing there was much better than it is now, but the technique proved effective time after time. One of the things we realized early on was not to be shy about using big shad, because that helps weed out some of the smaller flounder. When you see flounder feeding along the surface, it is often the smaller ones schooled up and chasing baitfishes near shore. When this happens, you bet there are bigger ones lying on the bottom below. Be forewarned that when a flounder takes your cork,

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if it plays around with it for a while and then makes a run, that is usually a big one. I have had more big flounder mess around with the bait than small ones. It seems like it would be the opposite, but in my experience, it is not. 4. Give em’ Gulp!: Ever since Berkley Gulp! bait hit the market, I have been fielding questions about its effectiveness, particularly the shrimp. Well, it works, and offers up some exciting options. When fishing on big mud flats, I have had problems getting flounder to bite on my standard offering of a curltailed grub on a jighead as aggressively as they do in other areas. For years, I have been recommending fishing a shrimp imitation on a fish-finder (Carolina) rig. This is a great technique for catching big flats-dwelling flatties. A Gulp! shrimp on this rig can be killer for flats-dwelling fish as well. They strike it the same way they do the faux shrimp rig, but with a little more consistency. The magic of Gulp! is that it leaves a scent trail, and I think that is why it works so well in this application. As scent disperses along the flats, you attract fish that might not normally check out your offering, and that is very advantageous.

Flounder fishing is a truly exciting venture that pays in rewards of the finest eating fish in inland waters of the Gulf coast. As noted in some of the groundbreaking articles that have appeared in this magazine, flounder numbers are down in Texas. Changes will likely be coming to the Texas flounder fishery soon, and in my opinion, it cannot be soon enough. This magnificent fish deserves our respect, and all of the conservation attention we can send its way. I do not want you to think we should feel

guilty for eating the flounder we catch, as the rod and reel recreational fishery has minimal impact on the resource. However, it might be time to reflect on the changes we have seen in flounder numbers over the years and prepare for necessary regulation changes. Hopefully, whatever is done will allow flounder to recover and for us all to be able to enjoy this magnificent resource to its fullest potential.

5. The Pool Cue: Rod selection is the glue that binds most of the techniques I use for flounder. The No. 1 complaint I hear from casual (and some hardcore) flounder fishermen is: “I had a huge flounder right up to the boat and it spit the hook.” Most rods simply do not have enough backbone to properly set the hook. I use a medium-heavy spinning rod, usually in the 7foot range, and cut it down to 6 feet. I do not need long casting ability or sensitivity in the rod, as I get that through using braided and fusion lines such as Berkley FireLine and Spider Wire. By having a rod with a stiff backbone and line with no stretch, you greatly—and I do mean greatly—increase your odds of hooking and boating flounder. Flounder have extremely bony mouths, and flimsy rods and stretchy monofilament get the job done only some of the time—and that is not good enough. I have recommended this setup to literally thousands of anglers and received feedback from many who said it changed their flounder fishing success to such a degree they will use no other setup. Setting the hook on a flounder is as challenging as getting them to bite in the first place, and I guarantee this setup will make all the difference in the world. T E X A S

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Seagrass Savvy HERE IS A REASON WHY EXPERIENCED Coastal Bend anglers look for grass beds and grasslines. There is a reason why the better guides from Corpus Christi to Rivera drift their clients over grass flats or line them along a breakline traced by a long pasture of shoal grass. It is a simple reason, and a very good reason: grass means trout, redfish, and flounder—big ones. Anyone who has witnessed speckled trout strafing schools of baitfish stacked up against a grass bed, or pods of big redfish tailing around in potholes surrounded by acres of shoal- and turtle grasses, or has felt the tell-tale thump when a big flounder lands on top of a jig scooted along the bottom will agree. Laguna Madre’s vast meadows of green, submerged under air-clear water, are fish magnets of the first order.

Soft Structure According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, shoal grass comprises 60 percent of the 67,700 acres of marine grass in Upper Laguna Madre, with turtle grass and manatee PHOTO BY CALIXTO GONZALES

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grass comprising a substantial portion of the remaining 40 percent. The long stretches of grass beds provide a vital nursery and habitat for the fauna that call ULM home. This is especially true for the populations of trout, redfish, and flounder that lurk in the grass and sand they call home. “Grass is pretty important on Laguna Madre,” said Captain Mike Hart of Brush Country Charters (361-449-7441). “When I’m fishing Laguna Madre in October, I’m fishing grasslines along drop-offs.” Whether it is the King Ranch shoreline, Emmord’s Hole, Beacroft’s Hole, or the spoils that dot the ICW, the primary focus should be shoal grass beds and breaks that are

by Calixto Gonzales clearly visible. Upper Laguna Madre is relatively featureless, with the ICW offering the most significant depth break. When Hart refers to a drop-off, he usually means a change of less than 3 feet, and sometimes less than a foot. If you are thinking about hitting structure, think more about the soft variety—i.e., grasslines. Predatory fishes gravitate to the breaks where seagrass meets sand or mud, because the difference provides cover to hide from any unfriendly that might be stalking about, and because it forms a splendid ambush point to nail hapless prey. A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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“I’m always fishing those potholes and breaklines,” said Hart. “Trout and redfish just sit around the edges of the holes and inside the grass boundary and ambush bait. They don’t even have to move from where they are. They wait for the bait to come to them.” Hart said when trout and redfish do move, they use grasslines as migration routes to cruise from one area to another. Anything that happens to get in the way gets eaten.

Piggish Behavior When Hart focuses on the big game hiding in the tall grass, he uses a live bait rig that consists of a 3/0 Kahle hook on a leader that features a Texas Rattlin’ Rig Mini Chatterweight. His preferred bait is a lively 3- to-4 inch pinfish or piggy perch. Hart prefers perch to other natural baits because of availability. By autumn, croaker (the bait of choice in summer) decreases in availability. Mullet and perch become primary forage targets of large predators. Perch are more plentiful in the marine grass beds and are thus the primary forage for predators in the area. Another feature that recommends perch over other baitfishes is sound. “The combination of the Mini Chatterweight’s internal rattle and the piggy’s grunting serves as a call to predators,” said Hart. “If the fish are around, that piggy isn’t going to last very long.” G a m e ® / O C T O B E R

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In This Issue C1

COVER STORY • Seagrass Savvy | BY CALIXTO GONZALES

HOTSPOTS & TIDES SECTION

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

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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: UPPER COAST • Fantastic Fall Fishing on Sabine | BY CAPT. SKIP JAMES

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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: GALVESTON COMPLEX • Changes | BY CAPT. MIKE HOLMES

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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: MATAGORDA & MID COAST • Everyday is a Good Day in October | BY BINK GRIMES

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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: ROCKPORT TO PORT ARANSAS • Pulling the Trigger | BY CAPT. MAC GABLE

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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: CORPUS TO BAFFIN BAYS • Cool Fishing in October | BY CAPT. JIM ONDERDONK

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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: LOWER COAST • A Date with Snookums | BY CALIXTO GONZALES SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK • Tides, Solunar Table, Best Hunting/Fishing Times | BY TF&G STAFF

GEARING UP SECTION

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TEXAS TESTED • Luresafety Wrap; Garmin; and more | BY TF&G STAFF

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NEW PRODUCTS • What’s New From Top Outdoor Manufacturers | BY TF&G STAFF

Hart hooks the perch through the flesh where the anal fin meets the body. The bone structure of the fin secures the hook, and the hook’s placement prevents the perch from diving into the grass to hide. Rather, the fish is prone to swim upward and above the top of the grass, croaking and grunting displeasure. Perch are much hardier that either croaker or mullet, the latter pair seeming to look for any reason to turn belly-up in the baitwell. A well-aerated livewell is more than enough to keep two- or three-dozen piggies alive on a mild October day. There is another popular technique on Lower Laguna Madre (which has its share of sea grass, as popular spots with names such as The Pasture would indicate) that Upper Laguna fishermen should adopt: A live pinfish or the front half of a 6- to 8-inch ballyhoo pinned through the nose of a Kahle hook and fished under a rattle float or Cajun Thunder. The float holds the bait over the grass and adds noise to the equation. The rig is effective while drifting over long flats and helps you cover more water efficiently.

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INDUSTRY INSIDER • Woodee Rods; Navionics | BY TF&G STAFF

SPECIAL ADVERTISING

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SHOOT THIS • Kimber Model 8400 Sonora | BY STEVE LAMASCUS

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HOW-TO SECTION TEXAS BOATING • Boating Adventures | BY LENNY RUDOW

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SALTWATER BAITS & RIGS • Circle Hook Jigs | BY PATRICK LEMIRE FRESHWATER BAITS & RIGS • Gar on Purpose | BY PAUL BRADSHAW TOURNAMENT INSIDER • BASS Nixes Elite Series Co-Anglers | BY MATT WILLIAMS TEXAS KAYAKING • Cast, Blast, & Paddle | BY GREG BERLOCHER HUNT TEXAS • Duck Lessons | BY BOB HOOD TEXAS GUNS & GEAR • The Sound of Silence | BY STEVE LAMASCUS WOO’S CORNER • Locating New Spots | BY WOO DAVES AFIELD WITH BARRY • It’s Not Just the Fishing | BY BARRY ST. CLAIR WILDERNESS TRAILS • That’s My Story and I’m Sticking to It… | BY HERMAN W. BRUNE

Few (if any) bait shops on the Coastal Bend sell perch, and some fishermen do not want to go to the trouble of throwing a cast net

(or just aren’t adept at it) or running traps to collect bait. In such cases, plenty artificial baits will get the job done—provided they have gold or chartreuse coloration. The most popular and perhaps most successful lure to use in these grassy environments is the standard gold spoon. It covers a lot of water in the shortest amount of time. It is an excellent search bait that you can fan cast around grass beds, potholes, and weedlines to locate concentrations of redfish and trout. Contrary to popular belief, a speckled trout or even a flounder will zap a wobbling, fluttering 1/4-ounce weedless spoon, especially if it has a feather or plastic trailer. Moreover, spoons are easy to use. Simply cast and crank; a spoon provides its own action and flash. Another benefit is that a gold spoon effectively mimics the flash of a pinfish. “I use topwaters early in the morning,” Hart said. “My favorite lures, though, include the Brown Devil Eye (http://brownlures.com) in Rootbeer/red flake. It stands out really, really well against both the dark green background of the grass and along a sandy bottom.” Hart said other effective grass patterns include soft plastics in Plum, Plumtreuse, Pumpkinseed/chartreuse, Tequila Gold, and amber/chartreuse.

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TEXAS HUNTING • Special Advertising Section | BY DON ZAIDLE

OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE

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“Another pretty popular lure is the Limetreuse Bass Assassin,” he said. “It can be fished weedless and even drifted up on the grass for some of the bigger redfish.”

Easy Does It The grass meadows of Upper Laguna Madre and the Coastal Bend in general are vital and diverse ecosystems. As vast as they are, they are also fragile. It doesn’t take much to wipe out patches of the marine greenery and thus the fauna that relies on it, but it takes years—perhaps decades—for it to regenerate. As responsible sportsmen, it is imperative that we safeguard these environs. Redfish Bay is currently the only outboard-restricted area on the Coastal Bend. But other areas of Laguna Madre and the adjoining bay systems bear prop scars from shallow-running boats; a few minutes detour prevents damage and could forestall further regulation of where fishermen can run their boats. Just because a boat can run in 10 inches of water doesn’t mean it should. Besides, it is more fun to quietly pole, drift, or wade up to a grassline and see redfish tailing or trout terrorizing baitfish on the surface. That sort of experience can get you hooked on grass in very short order.

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

Snooker a Snook LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: South Bay GPS: N26 1.122, W97 11.049

SPECIES: snook BEST BAITS: live shrimp, finger mullet; topwaters, soft plastic in purple/chartreuse, glow/chartreuse; swimbaits CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956-5519581 TIPS: Ol’ Linesides becomes more active as moderate temperatures serve as a biological cue to get ready for the winter. They become so aggressive, in fact, that they will literally knock a topwater skyward. If they do that, switch over to a subsurface bait such as a jig or swimbait (the YUM Money Minnow is a perfect choice). Live bait also works well. Use Octopus-style or Kahle hooks to hook these snook in the corner of the jaw. That makes for an easier release. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Rail bed (bank access) GPS: N26 3.830, W97 9.920 SPECIES: snook, redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp, live finger mullet; shad tails in red/white, pumpkinseed/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956-5519581 TIPS: Snook and redfish use the drop-off that traces the shoreline as a migration mount through Brazos Santiago and into the Gulf and back. Intercept these traveling predators with live bait on a free-line rig or with soft plastics on a 1/4-ounce jighead. Cast upcurrent and let your rig drift back through without slack. Keep a light touch. A mouse-like tap once turned into a 38-inch snook for me. C4

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LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Convention Center (bank access) GPS: N26 06.150, W97 10.350 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp/popping cork, topwaters, gold spoons, soft plastics in chartreuse patterns CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956-5519581 TIPS: Redfish really turn on in October, and even the bank angler who just wants to kill some time wetting a line could catch his fair share of slot reds pretty quickly. Wade out to the grassline (shuffle your feet; stingrays, you know), and start casting in a fan pattern to locate fish. For fishermen who don’t want to lug a bait bucket, the venerable weedless gold spoon is the best option to cover the most water quickly. Topwaters are more fun, though. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Longbar GPS: N26 12.164, W97 15.957 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live bait, ballyhoo chunks; topwaters; soft plastics in red/white, New Penny; gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956-5519581 TIPS: Anchor or drift around the gut and potholes that mark Longbar; on a calm day, they look like emerald-green holes and channels in the grass beds. You can throw your favorite topwater or soft plastic if you want. A more relaxing and easier technique is to toss a chunk of ballyhoo on a bottom rig into one of the potholes, sit back under your T-top, and relax. Some snobs might sniff at you and say that isn’t sporting, but when a 31-inch bull grabs your bait and takes off for Parts Unknown, it seems plenty sporting. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Holly Beach GPS: N26 6.888, W97 17.17.839 F i s h

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SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp; topwaters; Gulp! shrimp in Nuclear Chicken, Lime Tiger; soft plastics in chartreuse patterns; gold spinnerbaits CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: People tend to forget about speckled trout in October because of all the redfish, but there are some real pigs hiding out there. Drift Holly beach and fling your favorite topwater or soft plastic and you should do well. Gold safety-pin style spinnerbaits with a chartreuse or Texas Shad patterned tail is also very effective, especially if there are any redfish around (which there will be). LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Arroyo Colorado (bank access) GPS: N26 20.061, W97 26.375 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp; Gulp! shrimp in Nuclear Chicken, Glow; speck rigs CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: Night-fishing for speckled trout from the lighted piers in Arroyo City really takes off in October, especially during the harvest moon. Free-lining live shrimp is old hat, but the 2-inch Gulp Shrimp in glow or Nuclear Chicken has carved a niche among frugal night fishermen. Don’t discount the classic yellow/white speck rig. It’s caught millions of trout over the years, and it still does. Boaters can drift around the edges of the lights to look for the bigger trout that lurk in the shadows. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: South Cullen Bay GPS: N26 13.421, W97 16.773 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp; soft plastics in clear/red, red/white, Pearl/red; topwaters CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286

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TIPS: Redfish are much more active in October and are cruising all over the bay in pods great and small. They aren’t shy about attacking anything that resembles prey, and will smash a topwater. It’s a neat sight to behold when you see a redfish literally roll upside down to engulf a topwater. Fish whatever you’re confident with: live bait, soft plastics, topwaters. Fall redfish aren’t very finicky. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Peyton’s Bay GPS: N26 24.528, W97 21.703 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp; soft plastics in clear/red, red/white, Pearl/red; gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: Enter this shallow bay just west of Marker 191 and set down in the deeper water (we’re talking a difference of literally inches). Cast topwaters towards the spoil islands early in the morning, especially if the tide is up. Watch for tailing redfish and cast your bait in front of them if you can. LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: South of East Cut GPS: N26 32.814, W97 23.089 SPECIES: Speckled trout, redfish

BEST BAITS: Gulp! Jerk Shads in New Penny, Pearl; topwaters CONTACT: Captain Terry Neal, 956-6427357 TIPS: The deep grass is still very good for redfish and trout in October. Fish shallow early with topwaters. Watch the grasslines for jumping bait as a cue to predators moving around and feeding. Use a 1/4-ounce head to fish jerkbaits. Look to the grasslines near the ICW.

Badlands Trout LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Badlands GPS: N27 18.744, W97 27 24.903

such as a Top Dog or a Super Spook to draw reaction strikes from aggressive trout or hungry redfish. Soft plastics fished in deeper water later in the day are also very productive. The Norton Bull Minnow is a great choice because of the amount of vibration the boot tail puts off. Use a 1/4-ounce jighead. LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Center Reef GPS: N27 16.206, W97 34.362 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: purple/chartreuse Bull Minnow or Gulp! under Old Bayside Paradise Popper CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441 TIPS: Watch for birds working over trout or redfish. If you spot them, drift into range and throw a Gulp! or Bull Minnow pinned on a 1/4-ounce jighead. If the fish aren’t working under birds, then break out a Paradise Popper and fish the same setup underneath it. Vary your popping cadence until the fish respond the correct way. LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Black’s Bluff GPS: N27 14.000, W97 31.723 SPECIES: redfish, speckled trout BEST BAITS: live pinfish/Texas Rattlin’ Rig Mini Chatterweight; swimbaits CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441 TIPS: Between the grunting of a pinfish and the rattling of the Mini Chatterweight, it is little wonder that redfish and trout just cream this little buggers. A swimbait such as the DOA Toughguy will work well too, if you don’t want to go through the trouble of making bait. LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: King Ranch Shoreline GPS: N27 25.402, W97 2.075 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: live pinfish topwaters, gold spoons, Gulp!/Old Bayside float CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441 TIPS: Focus on the shallower grass beds near the drop-offs. redfish will be up on the grass prowling for some sort of protein. Topwaters and gold spoons will be the most effective lures

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in your bag. Back off and fish the grass edges with live pinfish rigged on a Texas Rattlin’ Rig Mini Chatterweight or a Gulp! tail under a Paradise Popper. LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Emmord’s Hole GPS: N27 30.057, W97 19.546 SPECIES: redfish, speckled trout BEST BAITS: live pinfish, gold spoons, Gulp!/Old Bayside Paradise Popper float, soft plastics in Tequila Gold CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Grass beds are the keys to Upper Laguna Madre in October. The grass beds that fringe Emmord’s are always a good area to prospect. If you would rather use lure over bait, gold spoons are the most versatile, especially when you are prospecting over a broad area. An Old Bayside Paradise Popper float will hold soft plastics over the grass tips and compel you to fish slower, which means that trout and redfish will be able to locate your offering more effectively. LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Beacroft’s Hole GPS: N27 33.029, W97 19.293 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: gold spoons, Gulp!/Old Bayside Paradise Popper float, soft plastics in Tequila Gold. CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441 TIPS: The grasslines mark where the depth breaks are at, and that is where you want to fish. Work your baits or lures just above the grass tips, and let them fall into potholes that you spot. Most fish will be hanging around the fringes of the potholes, and will be waiting to ambush anything that cruises by. redfish will be prowling over the grass between the potholes. LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Jetties GPS: N27 50.615, W97 3.443 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live or cut mullet, crab chunks CONTACT: Captain George Rose, 361-7279227, 361-463-7700 TIPS: Both trophy reds and upper-slot fish are prowling up and down the jetties in October. Bait a fish-finder rig with mullet or crab and throw it into the holes and eddies near the rocks. It won’t take long before one of these

bruisers finds your bait. Anchor carefully, and don’t pull in your anchor until your motor is running. LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Estes Flats GPS: N27 57.058, W97 5.331 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: shrimp, live or cut mullet, crab chunks, gold spoons; soft plastics in purple/white, chartreuse, New Penny CONTACT: Captain George Rose, 361-7279227, 361-463-7700 TIPS: You can drift the flats or anchor and fish around the sand holes that dot the flats. Gold spoons are standard, but you can use soft plastics in your favorite color. If you anchor up, throw bottom rigs with shrimp, mullet, or crab into the sand holes. Use a bell or No-snag sinker to avoid getting fouled up with grass on your rig.

Sabine Specks LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Keith Lake Cut GPS: N29 46.503, W93 56.427

SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: topwaters in white/silver; plastics in pearl/chartreuse, glow/chartreuse, smoke/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, 409-673-2018 TIPS: The key is to fish the incoming and outgoing tides. Bait will get pushed out through the cut, and both trout and redfish will be waiting to take a shot at them. Early in the morning is the best time to fish the area. Work topwaters in the shallower water, and soft plastics and where the cut fans out. Use a 1/4-ounce jighead with the soft plastics. LOCATION: Sabine Pass HOTSPOT: Black’s Bayou GPS: N29 59.610, W93 45.783 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: soft plastics in Opening Night, Closing Night CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409-786-2018, 409-673-2018 TIPS: Fishing Sabine Lake in October deA L M A N A C / T E X A S

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pends on the amount of fresh water the lake gets from late season weather systems. If the salinity level is up, then focus on areas such as Blacks. Fish the cuts and drains during an outgoing tide, when redfish and trout will be pouncing on bait that is pushed out of the bayou. Soft plastics in lighter colors mimic white shrimp, the preferred meal of Bayou predators. Don’t be afraid to throw darker colors, which mimic baitfish. LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Boiler Bayou GPS: N29 38.547, W94 53.001 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: 1/4- to 3/8-ounce soft plastics in white or Glow/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Don Wood, 975-2442777, 979-240-4137 TIPS: Fish the area in front of Boiler (known locally as Towhead). Watch for birds working over bait. A heavier jighead will get your bait deeper down, where the better fish are prowling and picking up wounded bait. If there are no birds working, then look for scattered shell to fish over. Again, work near the bottom. LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Drull’s Lump GPS: N28 42.231, W95 49.652 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: 1/4- to 3/8-ounce soft plastics in white or Glow/chartreuse; topwaters in light colors CONTACT: Captain Don Wood, 975-2442777, 979-240-4137 TIPS: The key to East Matagorda Bay in October is scattered shell and mud. Drull’s Lump has both. Start early with light colored topwaters, and switch over to soft plastics later in the day. Ambitious fishermen can wade the area and work more thoroughly. LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Boggy Cut GPS: N28 44.043, W95 49.658 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: 1/4- to 3/8-ounce soft plastics in white or Glow/chartreuse; topwaters in light colors CONTACT: Captain Don Wood, 975-2442777, 979-240-4137 TIPS: A falling tide is the best time to fish the cut. Fish are running the cuts to begin their seasonal migration, and fishermen can intercept them. Fish the edges with soft plastics. Watch for birds working around the cut as well, G a m e ® / O C T O B E R

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and cast heavier (1/4- to 3/8-ounce) jigs to fish deeper beneath the school.

Coleto Cats LOCATION: Coleto Creek HOTSPOT: Coletoville Road Bridge (bank access) GPS: N28 45.813, W98 9.882.

SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: shrimp, chicken liver, cut bait CONTACT: Coleto Creek Park, 361-5756366 TIPS: Fish chicken livers or cut baits on Carolina rigs near the pilings or brush to locate catfish that are foraging around the edges of both. Coleto has an excellent population of cooperative fish, and this is an excellent opportunity to indoctrinate youngsters into the joy of fishing. Fishing equipment can consist of the venerable Zebco 33, some hooks, and a few sinkers. Pretty easy stuff. LOCATION: Calaveras HOTSPOT: Granny’s Cove GPS: N29 17.084, W98 18.293 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live shad, gold spoons; swimbaits in blue, purple, chartreuse CONTACT: Jeff Snyder 210-649-2435 TIPS: Water temperatures drop off from sum-

mer highs well into the 90’s. Fish the east side of the cove. Live shad or small sunfish on a bottom rig are the best bet, but gold spoons or 1/2ounce swimbaits such as Storm’s Wildeye Shad also work quite well. Use stout tackle, because these fish can run large and have plenty of stuff to run your line over. LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Big Tiger GPS: N26 44.326, W99 8.750 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: plastic worms, spinnerbaits CONTACT: Mike Hawks, 210-275-1309 TIPS: Fish around the points with spinnerbaits and Texas-rigged plastic worms fished over sunken timber. As the day progresses, fish farther into the timber at the back end of the creek with the same plastic worms. Braid and heavy line is a good idea; there are some big bass in this area. LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Rio Grande River Channel GPS: N26 56.350, W99 22.670 SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: prepared baits, cut bait, night crawlers CONTACT: Falcon Lake Tackle, 956-7654866 TIPS: Fish the channel drop-off to locate large numbers of catfish. The best baits are cut shad and sunfish, which are the catfish natural forage. Night crawlers and punchbaits will produce scads of smaller catfish. A standard bottom rig with a 1/0-3/0 long-shank hook will work. Use heavier line (15- to 20-pound) to

handle any larger fish you might encounter.

Brave Brady Bass LOCATION: Lake Brady HOTSPOT: Upper Brady Creek GPS: N31 12.428, W99 30.889

SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: shallow crankbaits, double willow leaf spinnerbaits, creature baits CONTACT: Wendell Ramsey, 325-227-4931, bram4@suddenlink.net TIPS: There is a group of bass that stay in Brady Creek this time of year while feeding heavily as they prepare for winter. Moving baits will produce on the rocky, timbered banks. Use white/chartreuse color combos in stained water. BANK ACCESS: City Park

Spooks & Vixens Fool Bass LOCATION: Lake Amistad HOTSPOT: Mile Markers 21-25, (American side) GPS: N29 33.340, W101 14.779

SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Zara Spooks, Vixens, frogs, all in green CONTACT: Wendell Ramsey, bram4@suddenlink.net TIPS: October through November is topwater madness month on Amistad. Work parallel to the many points up in this part of the Rio Grande while keeping the trolling motor on medium speed. Work Baby Bass colored Spooks or Vixens using the “walk the dog” technique. Continue all day or until you have C8

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had your fill. Try the Ragtail Toad over mats of grass or salt cedar and you might get your arms worn out. BANK ACCESS: Airforce Marina, largemouth, catfish

Wacky Twitchy Bass LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Northwood Docks, above 2946 Bridge GPS: N32 54.380, W95 39.547

Whites in the Riprap LOCATION: Lake Aquilla HOTSPOT: Dam Riprap at Spillway GPS: N31 53.860, W97 12.408

SPECIES: white bass & crappie BEST BAITS: Kastmaster spoons, Lil’ Georges, small shallow crankbaits CONTACT: Randy Routh, 817-822-5539, www.teamredneck.net TIPS: Work the riprap along the dam, moving up and down the dam early and late. Don’t be surprised at catching a mixed bag of white bass and crappie, as both species are along the riprap this time of year. BANK ACCESS: Tail Race Fishing Pier, jigs, slabs, spoons

BEST BAITS: jigs and slabs CONTACT: Dean Heffner, 940-779-2597, fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: PK is beginning to cool off. The fish are either spawning or going through a faux spawn and are beginning to feed heavily to stock up for winter. They are starting their fall migration toward the North end of the lake, so begin looking for them from Bee Creek to Costello Island and beyond to the North end of the lake. Jigs and slabs are the name of the game, but don’t for get to look for the birds. They are your extra sets of eyes, so take advantage of them. You might want to bring your cast net too, for the lake is full of perfect little “baits.” BANK ACCESS: Willow Beach RV Park, privately owned, ask for permission; largemouth, crappie, stripers, white bass.

Contact South Regional Fishing Editor Calixto Gonzales by email at cgonzales@fishgame.com

Possum Stripers

Contact North Regional Fishing Editor JD Moore by email at hotspotsnorth@fishgame.com

LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Bee Creek to Costello Island GPS: N32 51.274, W98 32.205 SPECIES: striped bass

For MORE HOTSPOT listings, go to our website and click CURRENT ISSUE ARTICLES

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Fantastic Fall Fishing on Sabine LL YOU NEED TO CATCH FISH CONSISTENTLY on Sabine Lake in fall is the desire. By now, we have already had enough fronts come through to purge most of the surrounding marshes. The lake is plumb full of shrimp, the birds are working, and the fish are suicidal. Here is how to do it: Simply cruise the calm side of the bay looking for surfacing fish or flocks of working gulls. Ease up to the schools quietly. (Remember, the fish are silhouette feeding, hitting targets against the gray sky.) On your first pass, try to stay off

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the trolling motor; let the wind drift you into the specks and reds. Speed is the key. Your baits are moving fast in the upper column of the water. Popping corks will work, but you are better off throwing a cork rig on your second pass through the fish. Many times over the years, we yanked five or six good fish on the first pass through the school. All this commotion of netting fish and such generally makes some of the schools sound. On the second pass, you can “call ‘em up” by using a popping cork such as an Old BaySide X-treme Popping Cork. Always have your buoy ready. It is not uncommon for everyone in the boat to be hooked up at the same time. That’s the heart of the school. Mark it with your buoy so you can make your second pass productive. Keep your binoculars on the console and stay on the prowl. Once you have worked over a school and boxed 8-10 keepers, start looking for more birds or surface activity. Remember, sometimes all it takes is one gull to turn you onto a good size school.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Keith Lake HOTSPOT: Keith Lake Cut SPECIES: flounder LURE/BAITS: jig tipped with shrimp BEST TIMES: High tides in morning Every now and then, you will hit redfish and everybody will break line. But, by and large, most of the schooling fish are goodsized October specks. Again, the key is to stay mobile and watch the water. Sometimes we have had our limit of 30 trout in as many minutes. It happens fast—be prepared. If you backlash, simply grab another rod and go to work. You can clear that over-wind later. Our personal favorite area to work the birds is between Garrison’s Ridge and the Port Arthur Yacht Club. Looking back over the last several years, it just seems the schools in that area of the bay have more and larger trout. Sabine flounder are in full swing right now. Most of the anglers get so caught up in the bird-fishing, they do not even want to try for flatfish. For the angler that has the discipline to drive through the birds and work the banks for flounder, the rewards can be tremendous. It is hard to drive by biting fish, but believe me, it is worth it. Our flounder are beginning to body-up now, preparing for the annual migration. They are easy to catch. Fish the main points and bayous on the east side of the bay. Try a 1/4-ounce jighead with an Old BaySide 4-inch Speck Grub. We like chartreuse tail with Glow body. Make sure you tip your jig with a fresh piece of shrimp.

Contact: Skip James 409-886-5341, jjames@gt.rr.com.

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Changes OASTAL RESIDENTS, AND EVEN FREQUENT visitors, never needed Al Gore to tell them weather changes can alter their lives and their fishing (some consider those one and the same). A “normal” weather year for the Texas coast does not exist, and the yearly variations offer challenges, particularly to fishermen. A quick drive over the San Luis Pass Bridge between Galveston and Follett’s Islands gives a really fine and apparent example of how the power of nature can affect geographical change—both suddenly, and in a more subtle manner. Before Hurricane Alicia, the channel

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leading offshore through “The Pass” hugged the western bank, just missing the end of the commercial fishing pier on that shore. Any decent cast off the end of the pier would land a bait in fairly deep water, where bull reds, jacks, and occasionally tarpon, king, or ling might be hooked. Alicia changed that very suddenly as she drove directly through the pass, filling the old channel and cutting a new one closer to the Galveston shoreline. Perhaps this was nature’s way of spreading the wealth by giving anglers on that shore a turn at easy casts to deeper water. At any rate, skippers wanting to head out through the pass now need to steer due east after clearing the bridge then perhaps take a little jog to the south as the breakers over the bar indicate, and the

water a long cast’s reach from the end of the San Luis Pass pier is still very fishable, but much shallower. Before that storm, there was a broad stretch of beach between the bridge and the pier, and vehicles could normally be driven under the pier and around the point. That beach has all but disappeared, basically moved over time to the bay side of the bridge, where black drum anglers once fished of the rocks and rip-rap protecting the old KOA Camp, now a Brazoria County Park. Other changes wrought by nature are less obvious, and more easily predicted. Spring and early summer were very dry on much of the Texas coast, more so even than in the

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THE BANK BITE HOTSPOT: Rollover Pass, Gulf Side ALTERNATE HOTSPOT: Rollover Pass, bay side SPECIES: Golden croaker runs attract fall fishermen to the banks of the cut itself, but the Gulf surf and inside the pass are legendary speckled trout haunts. BEST BAITS: Croaker and other panfishes respond to dead shrimp and cut squid. Live shrimp are hard to beat for trout, but the Gulf surf at Rollover has always been a plugger’s arena on flat calm mornings. In spite of all the advances in lure technology, the tried and true 52M MirrOlure (red head, white body in a sinking plug) has always been a Rollover favorite. BEST TIMES: Early and late, as always, and in the cut at night. The surf does well on a falling tide, while the bay side responds to the flooding tide. Rollover is another area where waders must exercise caution, and stay away from the main flow of the water in strong current conditions. A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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Every Day Is a Good Day in October NE THING I HAVE LEARNED IN THE GUIDING business: everyone has a different definition of a “good day.”

Don’t get me wrong—I love the days you take a few steps from the boat and begin catching fish until you decide to go home, but what about the slow days, when a stiff west winds holds up an incoming tide from pushing new water and fish on the flats; days when east winds blow 20 knots right down the center of the bay; and days your bath water runs swifter than the tides. What exactly is a “good” day fishing? Maybe it is a day you buy a quart of shrimp and spend the day drifting over shell with your wife. You catch a few small redfish, black drum, and a few hardheads, but even better is the soothing slap of water on the hull of your boat, classic rock oozing from boat speakers, and the alone time with your wife.

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Maybe it is a day you take your kids fishing. Mom packs a cooler full of sandwiches, chips, and Capri Sun. You take them to the river to stay out of the wind and close to the ramp in case weather threatens. You Carolina-rig a shrimp or shad on the bottom and pray a redfish or blue cat can’t resist it. Maybe it is a day you toss a cast-net and fill a livewell full of large menhaden. You dash to the jetty and cast toward the granite. The green tide pushes kingfish inshore, and you are surprised when a 15-pounder bounds from the surface with your hook in its mouth. Your 25-pound leader is not enough as the mackerel’s teeth end the battle quickly. Maybe it is a day you decide to fish artificial for the first time. The action is not fast and furious, but you do dupe a speckled trout on a piece of rubber. You want more. You play around with different colors and find yourself spending hours in sporting goods store aisles, gazing, analyzing. Maybe it is a day you try braided line for the first time. For years, you have used monofilament, but everything you have read recently has touted the new braids. You drift across a piece of mud and shell and are amazed—you can feel every piece of oyster the jig head touches. Finally, a fish decides to eat and every shake of its head resonates through your arms. Maybe it is a day when you slam them. You walk down a reef and your topwater

THE BANK BITE HOTSPOT: The beach at the mouth of the Colorado River. SPECIES: bull redfish BAITS: finger mullet, shad, large table shrimp BEST TIME: swift outgoing tide gets busted five casts in a row. You arrive on a shoreline to watch mullet (the exact size of your plug) darting in all directions. You begin drifting and five slicks pop up around the boat. Your shrimp barely gets wet before the cork is dunked. You wade the sand and grass, and every time you hook a trout, a bottlenose dolphin follows your catch. The big mammal swims within arm length of you and circles, surfacing to catch a breath and exhale through its blowhole. Your next cast is intercepted by a ladyfish that tail-dances. The dolphin shows up again; this time you toss it a snack. You have a friend for life, and a shark-deterrent for the extent of your wade. Maybe it is a day when all you see is diving and circling sea gulls in every direction as you comb the bay. Your first cast is met with a thump...then the next, and the next. Man, I am glad it is October.

Contact: Bink Grimes, www.binkgrimesoutdoors.com.

HOTSPOTS FOCUS: GALVESTON COMPLEX Continued from Page C11 Houston area. The almost complete lack of rainfall from late April on creates a salinity change affecting fish and fishermen alike. Although the Trinity River watershed did get some good rains in this period, it was probably not enough to push trout out of the back bay and towards the jetties at Galveston. Instead, in most areas, salinity in back bay areas and tidal streams C12

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has been greatly magnified. This not only keeps trout, reds, and flounder in the marshes and bayous, but also pulls large amounts of baitfish - and the predators that feed on them - from offshore into bay systems. These are the conditions perfect for hunting a big jack crevalle inside San Luis Pass or off the Texas City Dike Pier, or encountering schools of Spanish mackerel and perhaps a pompano inside of Bolivar Roads. F i s h

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The thing about coastal Texas is, when it is dry, it is very, very dry; but when the rain begins to fall, it often seems to overcompensate. Capt. Mike Holmes runs tarpon, shark, and bluewater trips on a classic 31 Bertram. To book a trip, call 979-415-0535. Email him at mholmes@fishgame.com.

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Pulling the Trigger OW EFFECTIVE ARE YOU AT USING THE trigger? Strange question, you say, coming from a fishing guide, and even stranger considering this fishing guide is much more a bowhunter than a gun hunter. A young man that was on my boat kept asking me the question I hear more than any other: “Capt. Mac, what are you doing to hook those fish and just what am I doing wrong?” The answer is the difference between just fishing and enjoying home cooked filets on your dinner table. The difference is the “trigger” phenomenon. Surf-fishing is where I learned the valuable knowledge that certain changes or actions in ones fishing techniques can trigger a predatory response in game fishes. Anchored out between the third and fourth bar fishing into the surf many years ago, the water was crystal clear and I could see large schools of trout and redfish working menhaden. One would think my approach was easy: a cast net and some fresh sea shad (menhaden), and I would be headed back to the boat ramp with a cooler full of fish. I made cast after cast with live bait on a free-lined wide gap hook, but nada. After an hour of this, not one hit, not even a bump. I might be slow, but I did not fall off of a turnip truck, so I put the rod up and quietly observed the feeding action in the light greenish water. What was the trigger/difference that set the baitfish off in the surf from the one I had on my hook? I noticed that the bait was getting hammered only as they were sliding off the backside of a wave; the gut/cut between the sandbars might as well have been in the parking lot at Wal-Mart. I quickly tied an in-line sinker above my

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leader (not a slip sinker or barrel weight) so the force of the waves and wind would carry the weight and my bait to the surface, allowing me to drag the bait past the crest of the wave so it would slide off the smooth backside of the wave. Ten casts and ten fish later, the trigger worked. With the unproductive free-line, the bait was swimming down between the bars and did not exact the action the trout or reds needed for an attack. On another day, two guide buddies and I were set up on some shell pile in about 6 feet of water in San Antonio Bay. We were all throwing identical MirrOlures (19MR-S), same line weight, same Stiffy rods, and same Shimano reels. After 20 minutes, Joe had boated 10 fish and Bill and I nothing but a few chasers, so Bill made a calculated bad cast across Joe’s line and reeled in tangled lines with Joe’s lure attached. Naturally, I had to help them get untangled and paid close attention to his lure: The rear treble hook had only one barb while the other two were missing. This made for a different action as the lure was retrieved, and was the trigger the fish needed to initiate an attack. Most game fish attack with a vengeance and leave no doubt that you have been hit. If you see chasers after your bait or lure with no contact, then it is best to put your rod up, grab a drink, and figure out the trigger and how to use it. COPANO BAY: This is the month of the first significant cold fronts, and as the barometric pressure changes, I like to be on the water. This timeframe can be feast or famine, with big gator trout the reward. Just be careful, as some of these fronts can be down right dangerous. Trout will be holding around the Turtle Pens and rat-l-traps in chrome/blue black are a good choice if the water is off color, as is the case with the onslaught of a front. On a falling tide, free-line piggies for trout on the deep edges of shell, and cut menhaden on a Carolina rig on the top and shallower parts of the reef. ARANSAS BAY: If the temperature varies more than 20 degrees, it is transition time for F i s h

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fish. Focus on deeper pockets with shell bottoms (not mud), especially those that are adjacent to the ICW. Kelly shrimp tails in florescent tipped in black are the colors of choice. Slowly bounce the tails off the bottom and vary your retrieve. Large fresh-dead shrimp fished on the bottom in these same areas will produce keeper reds. CARLOS BAY: Wade-fish the southeast shoreline for trout. The lull before a front hits is an excellent time to be in the water. Use soft plastics (sand eels are a good bet) in Morning Glory and Rootbeer colors. For reds, Bubble corks with Berkley Crab are the ticket. Early morning with smooth conditions is perfect for Super Spooks in Bone color for reds. MESQUITE BAY: During the week, the mouth to Carlos Bay fished from the Mesquite side with a north wind will produce keeper reds. This is cut bait territory with menhaden and mullet the baits of choice. The sand pockets of the northwest shoreline using a free-line rig and live shrimp produce good trout action. AYERS BAY: The place to be as the north wind begins to blow. Drift into Ayers Reef and have your anchor ready to set once fish are located. Use a popping cork and shrimp to locate fish, then switch to free-lined piggies for bigger trout. SUNDOWN BAY: Great area for a break from the wind. Fish the edges and transitions of the ICW. I do not recommend wading this bay unless you are up close to the salt grass edges of the northwest shoreline, as the currents here are very strong. With the stronger currents comes good fishing, using a heavily weighted Carolina rig and finger mullet. Peeled shrimp produce nice black drum here as well. This time of year is a great time to get involved in bay cleanup efforts, like crab trap and trash removal. You will feel good about yourself and our environment. Contact: Capt. Mac Gable, Mac Attack Guide Service, 512-809-2681, 361-790-9601

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Cool Fishing in October UR COMBO DAYS (CAST AND BLAST) DOVE hunting have been great. October is here, and this means we will start to have cool fronts moving through. This will help cool off the waters of Mother Lagoon. The cooler water temperatures will

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get the trout bite fired up again. If it is still to hot for you to go in the day, the nighttime topwater fishing bite will be very good. Tackle to tackle cooperative autumn fishes includes: Saltwater Assassin sea shad; B & L Sea Devil; Fish Bites shrimp tail in colors red/white tail, Rootbeer, and Plum; H&H Twist-Free Weedless Gold Spoon. The water clarity has remained good up north from the JFK down to The Meadows. If live bait is your cup of tea, piggy perch, pin perch, and live shrimp will be the top producers during October. Very large school of redfish will be moving through headed back to the Gulf. They will be in the flats and the ICW trying to get to Packery Channel. For trout up north, fish the deeper grass

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Padre Island HOTSPOT: Packery Channel Jetty BAITS: live mullet, crab, fresh cut skipjack BEST TIME: moving tide lines of Emmordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Holes and the King Ranch Shoreline. If you like throwing topwater lures, hot pink and Pearl have been my go-to colors. Try a Spook Jr., too. There could be some floating grass, so you might have to change your treble hooks to a single hook design. This should help the action of your topwater lures by keeping the grass off.

Continued on Page C16

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A Date with Snookums OWER LAGUNA MADRE IN OCTOBER IS NOT the same parking lot of boats that it usually is every weekend between the end of May and the beginning of September. Most sportsmen have turned their attentions to dove hunting and gearing up for deer season. That doesn’t mean the fishing tapers off. In fact, some of the best fishing of the year starts in October. Redfish are still in thick herds, feeding and gearing up for winter. Speckled trout are lurking in potholes and attacking topwaters with abandon. Flounder season is in full swing. To many, however, the best part of October is the sudden jump in activity in the snook population that lives in South Bay. The striped fish with the big mouth and pronounced underbite is at its most active during the mild days of October. On the perfect day, every mangrove that marks the shoreline of the western side of South Bay (N26 1.122, W97 11.851) seems to be sheltering a feisty snook. Arm-long shadows

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seem to hover over the patches of oyster shells that are scattered throughout the bottom. Mullet flick and jump for their lives as something big and hungry cruises underneath them. South Bay is an ideal hangout for any fisherman looking for a date with snookums. The mangrove trees and boat channels in South Bay are good places to start. A MirrOlure Top Dog or Rapala SkitterWalk are popular choices among South Bay snook hunters. Bone is a popular pattern, with chartreuse/silver/white a close second. A Smoke or Natural Mullet pattern is also very effective in spring and late summer, when mullet are in big pods in the shallows. A seldom-used but effective lure is a broken-back minnow such as a Cotton Cordell Broken-Backed Redfin or jointed Rapala. Cast along the edges of the boat channels and toward sand holes visible in the sea grass, and retrieve back in long sweeps. The snook won’t have a very hard time deciding if they want to try a kill shot at the wobbling bait. Don’t ignore soft plastics. Shad tails in the 4- to 6-inch range have accounted for plenty of snook over the years. A red/white tail Cocahoe Minnow or Norton Bull Minnow fished on a 1/8-ounce jighead is strong medicine for South Bay’s linesiders. Snook will also hit a 6-inch twitchbait such as a Berkley Power Jerk Shad or Bass Assassin fished Texas-style. An offset worm hook such as the Mustad 38105 or 37145 Ultra

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Convention Center Shoreline GPS: N26 06.150, W97 10.350 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish TIPS: Wade-fish with live bait, gold spoons, or soft plastics. Point are good hooks for this application. A lure that is worth a try is Berkley’s New Gulp! Alive Crazy Legs Jerk Shad. The longer appendages on the split tail enhance the tail’s action when fished either Texas Style or on the same 1/8-ounce jighead that you fish your shad tails on (1/8ounce is an ideal size because of the relative shallow nature of South Bay; a 1/4-ounce or heavier jighead will sink too fast). Swimbaits such as the YUM Money Minnow or Storm Wildeye Pro Series Curlytail or Paddletail Shad are also good choices. Fish them just as the name suggests: reel them back straight and allow the bait’s swimming action do the job for you. Twitchbaits are especially effective because you can work them more slowly while fishing them around mangroves or over potholes of sand, which gives even the finickiest of snook time to decide to kill it. The MirrOlure Catch 2000 and Catch 5 immediately come to mind.

HOTSPOTS FOCUS: CORPUS TO BAFFIN BAYS Continued from Page C15 In Baffin Bay, target the south shoreline from White Bluff to Penescal Point for trout. Fish up shallow early morning and move out to deeper structure after midmorning. If live bait is not your game, throw Assassins and Blurp Shad in Good Penny and Drunk Monkey on a 1/16ounce screw lock jighead. C16

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Getting to the backside of Baffin, the water is a little off color, but we had a lot of fresh water runoff in Alazan Bay, Cayo, and Laguna Salada earlier in the year. This has helped keep the salinity levels down. This will help the fall fishing. Nine Mile Hole will still hold a few redfish. Drift-fishing will be the best way to cover more area. Try fishing with H&H Twist-Free Weedless Gold Spoons. Soft F i s h

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plastics under a Mauler will work well. Fish Bites’ new shrimp tail would be a goto bait; redfish can’t resist them. Check to ensure the Hole has enough water for you to navigate prior to shutting down.

Contact: Capt. Jim “Donk” Onderdonk, 361-774-7710, www.pocolocolodge.com.

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Don’t hesitate to fish with live bait if slinging hardware isn’t your thing. The classic shrimp/popping cork rig is very effective. Use the largest shrimp you can find in the baitwell. A sure way to save some money is to use a 1/2-ounce DOA Shrimp or Berkley Power Bait Rattle Shrimp on the same rig; most fish don’t seem to know the difference. If large shrimp are hard to find, a lively 3- to 4-inch piggy perch or finger mullet on the same rig will work as well. Cast the bait as close to the mangroves as you can, and work the bait slower than you normally would. Kayakers will find South Bay an ideal area to paddle. The shallow bay lends itself to the stealthy approach of a well handled ‘yak. It might be a bit of a scull to get there from Long Island, which is across from the Bay via Mexequita flats, but a kayaker can mitigate some of the effort and take along an umbrella to catch the southeastern breeze and sail back home. Be careful, though, and keep an eye out for shrimp boats, fishing boats, and barges when using wind power. Southeast of the mouth of South Bay is an area called the Railbed (N26 3.830, W97 9.920). The parallel line of stones that formed the old railbed can be seen leading from shore into Laguna Madre. There is a ledge a bit out from the shoreline, and snook (as well as trout and redfish) follow this ledge along the edges of Brazos-Santiago Pass as they travel from the pass to Laguna and back. The astute angler can intercept these fish with the same live bait rigs he used in South Bay. You can also choose the same soft plastics and twitchbaits. There is no denying that snook are great eating, and state regulations allow each angler to keep one fish between 24 and 28 inches per person per day. However, these fish are more valuable alive, so it doesn’t hurt to practice a little moderation if there are three or more fishermen on your boat. After all, you do want another date with snookums.

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

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

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Tides and Prime Times for OCTOBER 2008 USING THE PRIME TIMES CALENDAR

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

T12

T11

T10

TIDE PREDICTIONS are located in the upper white boxes on the Calendar Pages. Use the Correction Table below, which is keyed to 23 other tide stations, to adjust low and high tide times.

T13 T7

T6 T5 T17

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

T15 T16

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

T14 T18

AM & PM MAJOR phases occur when the moon reaches its highest point overhead as well as when it is “underfoot” or at its highest point on the exact opposite side of the earth from your positoin (or literally under your feet). Most days have two Major Feeding Phases, each lasting about 2 hours.

T19

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

T20

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 right of the Tide Stations on this table (and map) to determine the adjustment from the time shown for GALVESTON CHANNEL in the calendars.

KEY T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6

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

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

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

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

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

T22 T23

View TIDE PREDICTIONS for all Texas Coastal Tide Stations and DATES at...

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

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

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

KEY T18 T19 T20 T21 T22 T23

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

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

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TIDE PREDICTIONS are shown in graph form, with High and Low tide predictions in text immediately below. SOLUNAR ACTIVITY data is provided to indicate major and minor feeding periods for each day, as the daily phases of the moon have varying degrees of influence on a wide variety of wildlife species.

T9 T8

T3 T2 T1

T E X A S

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

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

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NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

= Peak Fishing Period

7:45-9:40 AM

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for OCTOBER 2008

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Sunrise: 7:08a Set: 7:00p Moonrise: 10:18a Set: 8:47p

Sunrise: 7:09a Set: 6:59p Moonrise: 11:16a Set: 9:29p

Oct 1

= New Moon = Fi r s t Q u a r te r = Fu l l M o o n = Last Quarter = Best Day

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Sunrise: 7:07a Moonrise: 7:23a

Set: 7:04p Set: 7:04p

Sunrise: 7:07a Moonrise: 8:21a

Set: 7:03p Set: 7:36p

Sunrise: 7:08a Moonrise: 9:19a

Set: 7:01p Set: 8:10p

AM Minor: 5:25a

PM Minor: 5:47p

AM Minor: 6:11a

PM Minor: 6:33p

AM Minor: 6:59a

PM Minor: 7:22p

AM Minor: 7:51a

PM Minor: 8:15p

AM Minor: 8:45a

PM Minor: 9:09p

AM Minor: 9:39a

PM Minor: 10:05p

AM Minor: 10:34a

PM Minor: 10:59p

AM Major: 11:36a

PM Major: 11:58p

AM Major: ——-

PM Major: 12:22p

AM Major: 12:48a

PM Major: 1:11p

AM Major: 1:39a

PM Major: 2:03p

AM Major: 2:32a

PM Major: 2:57p

AM Major: 3:27a

PM Major: 3:52p

AM Major: 4:21a

PM Major: 4:47p

Moon Overhead: 1:17p 6a

12p

Moon Overhead: 2:47p

Moon Overhead: 2:01p

12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 3:35p 12a

12p

Sunrise: 7:09a Set: 6:58p Sunrise: 7:10a Moonrise: 12:11p Set: 10:16p Moonrise: 1:03p

Moon Overhead: 5:14p

Moon Overhead: 4:24p

12a

12p

12a

12p

Set: 6:57p Set: 11:07p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

12a

Moon Overhead: 6:05p 12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 12:55a +2.0

Moon Underfoot: 1:39a

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 3:59a

Moon Underfoot: 4:49a

Moon Underfoot: 5:39a

BEST:

1:05-2:50 PM

2:00-3:50 PM

2:50-4:35 PM

3:50-5:30 PM

4:45-7:20 PM

+2.0

TIDE LEVELS

12:15-2:10 PM

Moon Underfoot: 3:11a

TIDE LEVELS

11:30AM-1:25PM

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 2:24a

-1.0

+1.0

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

4:24 am 10:40 am 5:36 pm 11:22 pm

1.50 ft 0.57 ft 1.71 ft 1.10 ft

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

4:33 am 11:13 am 6:38 pm 11:57 pm

1.50 ft 0.41 ft 1.72 ft 1.30 ft

High Tide: 4:36 am 1.52 ft Low Tide: 11:47 am 0.32 ft High Tide: 7:43 pm 1.72 ft

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

12:27 am 4:28 am 12:25 pm 8:53 pm

1.46 ft 1.56 ft 0.29 ft 1.71 ft

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

12:47 am 3:48 am 1:07 pm 10:24 pm

1.59 ft 1.62 ft 0.30 ft 1.70 ft

Low Tide: 12:43 am 1.67 ft High Tide: 3:14 am 1.69 ft Low Tide: 1:56 pm 0.35 ft

High Tide: 3:20 am Low Tide: 2:54 pm

1.75 ft 0.40 ft

KEYS TO USING THE TIDE AND SOLUNAR GRAPHS TIDE LE VEL GRAPH: Yellow: Daylight Tab: Peak Fishing Period Green: Falling Tide Blue: Rising Tide Red Graph: Fishing Score

12a

BEST:

7:05-9:40 PM

12p

SOLUNAR AC TIVIT Y: 12a

AM/PM Timeline Light Blue: Nighttime

MINOR Feeding Periods (+/- 1.5 Hrs.)

AM Minor: 1:20a

PM Minor: 1:45p

AM Major: 7:32a

PM Major: 7:57p

Time Moon is at its Highest Point in the 12a Sky

Moon Overhead: 8:50a

Gold Fish: Best Time Blue Fish: Good Time

AM/PM Timeline

Moon Underfoot: 9:15p

12p

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

MOON PHASE SYMBOLS MAJOR Feeding Periods (+/- 2 Hrs.)

12a

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

F i s h

= New Moon = First Quarter = Full Moon = L a s t Q u a r te r = B es t Da y

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NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

MONDAY SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

AM Minor: 11:27a

PM Minor: 11:52p

AM Major: 5:14a

PM Major: 5:39p

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Set: 6:54p Sunrise: 7:11a Set: 12:01a Moonrise: 3:13p

Set: 6:53p Sunrise: 7:12a Set: 12:58a Moonrise: 3:48p

Set: 6:52p Set: 1:57a

Sunrise: 7:13a Moonrise: 4:21p

Set: 6:51p Set: 2:56a

Sunrise: 7:13a Moonrise: 4:52p

Set: 6:50p Set: 3:55a

Sunrise: 7:14a Moonrise: 5:23p

Set: 6:49p Set: 4:55a

AM Minor: ——-

PM Minor: 12:17p

AM Minor: 12:41a

PM Minor: 1:05p

AM Minor: 1:26a

PM Minor: 1:49p

AM Minor: 2:08a

PM Minor: 2:31p

AM Minor: 2:48a

PM Minor: 3:10p

AM Minor: 3:27a

PM Minor: 3:50p

AM Major: 6:05a

PM Major: 6:30p

AM Major: 6:53a

PM Major: 7:17p

AM Major: 7:37a

PM Major: 8:01p

AM Major: 8:19a

PM Major: 8:42p

AM Major: 8:59a

PM Major: 9:22p

AM Major: 9:39a

PM Major: 10:02p

Moon Overhead: 6:55p 6p

THURSDAY

= New Moon = Fi r s t Q u a r te r = Fu l l M o o n = Last Quarter = Best Day

Moon Overhead: 8:32p

Moon Overhead: 7:44p 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 9:19p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 10:50p

Moon Overhead: 10:05p 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 11:35p 12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Sunrise: 7:11a Moonrise: 2:34p

12p

WEDNESDAY

6 Set: 6:55p Set: None

Tides and Prime Times for OCTOBER 2008

TUESDAY

Sunrise: 7:10a Moonrise: 1:51p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 6:30a +2.0

-1.0

Moon Underfoot: 8:56a

BEST:

5:30-8:55 PM

6:15-7:55 PM

7:10-8:40 PM

7:50-9:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 9:42a BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 10:27a BEST:

8:30-10:15 PM

Moon Underfoot: 11:12a +2.0

BEST:

9:15-10:55 PM

6:00-9:45 AM

TIDE LEVELS

Moon Underfoot: 8:09a

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 7:20a

High Tide: 3:34 am Low Tide: 4:01 pm

C20

1.77 ft 0.45 ft

High Tide: 3:34 am Low Tide: 5:10 pm

• O C T O B E R

1.77 ft 0.48 ft

2 0 0 8 /

High Tide: 3:06 am Low Tide: 6:10 pm

T E X A S

1.75 ft 0.51 ft

F i s h

High Tide: 2:56 am Low Tide: 7:00 pm

1.72 ft 0.55 ft

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

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

2:57 am 9:01 am 12:40 pm 7:45 pm

1.69 ft 1.38 ft 1.48 ft 0.62 ft

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

3:04 am 8:44 am 2:02 pm 8:28 pm

1.65 ft 1.20 ft 1.55 ft 0.74 ft

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

3:11 am 8:58 am 3:12 pm 9:11 pm

1.62 ft 0.96 ft 1.65 ft 0.89 ft

+1.0

-1.0

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NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

= Peak Fishing Period

7:45-9:40 AM

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Sunrise: 7:14a Moonrise: 5:55p

Set: 6:48p Set: 5:56a

Sunrise: 7:15a Moonrise: 6:30p

Set: 6:47p Set: 7:00a

Sunrise: 7:16a Moonrise: 7:10p

Set: 6:45p Set: 8:08a

Sunrise: 7:16a Moonrise: 7:56p

Set: 6:44p Set: 9:19a

Sunrise: 7:17a Moonrise: 8:50p

AM Minor: 4:09a

PM Minor: 4:32p

AM Minor: 4:54a

PM Minor: 5:19p

AM Minor: 5:46a

PM Minor: 6:13p

AM Minor: 6:44a

PM Minor: 7:14p

AM Major: 10:20a

PM Major: 10:44p

AM Major: 11:07a

PM Major: 11:32p

AM Major: 11:59a

PM Major: ——-

AM Major: 12:30a

PM Major: 12:59p

Moon Overhead: None

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 1:15a

Moon Overhead: 12:23a 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 2:10a

12a

12p

SATURDAY

Set: 6:43p Sunrise: 7:18a Set: 10:30a Moonrise: 9:51p

Set: 6:42p Sunrise: 7:18a Set: 6:41p Set: 11:39a Moonrise: 10:57p Set: 12:41p

AM Minor: 7:49a

PM Minor: 8:20p

AM Minor: 8:59a

PM Minor: 9:31p

AM Minor: 10:08a

PM Minor: 10:40p

AM Major: 1:34a

PM Major: 2:05p

AM Major: 2:43a

PM Major: 3:15p

AM Major: 3:52a

PM Major: 4:24p

Moon Overhead: 4:13a

Moon Overhead: 3:10a 12a

SUNDAY

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 5:17a 12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Tides and Prime Times for OCTOBER 2008

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 11:59a +2.0

BEST:

-1.0

Moon Underfoot: 2:40p

BEST:

12:00-1:00AM

BEST:

112:00-1:30 AM

12:25-2:20 AM

Moon Underfoot: 3:41p

Moon Underfoot: 4:45p

BEST:

1:25-3:15 AM

2:35-4:25 AM

Moon Underfoot: 5:48p +2.0

BEST:

5:20-10:00 AM TIDE LEVELS

Moon Underfoot: 1:42p

TIDE LEVELS

10:15AM-12 Noon

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 12:48p

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

C22

3:19 am 9:25 am 4:18 pm 9:55 pm

1.59 ft 0.69 ft 1.76 ft 1.08 ft

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

• O C T O B E R

3:26 am 10:00 am 5:24 pm 10:41 pm

1.59 ft 0.41 ft 1.86 ft 1.29 ft

2 0 0 8 /

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

T E X A S

3:31 am 10:40 am 6:32 pm 11:28 pm

1.62 ft 0.16 ft 1.93 ft 1.51 ft

F i s h

High Tide: 3:33 am 1.69 ft Low Tide: 12:14 am Low Tide: 11:25 am -0.04 ft High Tide: 3:29 am High Tide: 7:46 pm 1.98 ft Low Tide: 12:16 pm High Tide: 9:09 pm

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

1.70 ft 1.78 ft -0.15 ft 1.99 ft

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

1:03 am 3:17 am 1:13 pm 10:45 pm

1.85 ft Low Tide: 2:17 pm 1.87 ft -0.19 ft 1.98 ft

-0.14 ft

+1.0

-1.0

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Tides and Prime Times for OCTOBER 2008 MONDAY

TUESDAY

Sunrise: 7:19a Moonrise: None

Set: 6:40p Set: 1:36p

AM Minor: 11:15a

PM Minor: 11:45p

AM Minor: ——-

AM Major: 4:59a

PM Major: 5:30p

AM Major: 6:01a

12p

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

End Daylight Savings

Set: 6:38p Set: 3:01p

Sunrise: 7:21a Moonrise: 2:19a

Set: 6:37p Set: 3:36p

Sunrise: 7:22a Moonrise: 3:20a

Set: 6:36p Set: 4:07p

Sunrise: 7:22a Moonrise: 4:18a

Set: 6:35p Set: 4:36p

Sunrise: 6:23a Moonrise: 4:15a

Set: 5:35p Set: 4:06p

PM Minor: 12:15p

AM Minor: 12:42a

PM Minor: 1:08p

AM Minor: 1:30a

PM Minor: 1:54p

AM Minor: 2:12a

PM Minor: 2:34p

AM Minor: 2:51a

PM Minor: 3:12p

AM Minor: 3:05a

PM Minor: 3:26p

PM Major: 6:29p

AM Major: 6:55a

PM Major: 7:21p

AM Major: 7:42a

PM Major: 8:06p

AM Major: 8:23a

PM Major: 8:46p

AM Major: 9:02a

PM Major: 9:23p

AM Major: 9:15a

PM Major: 9:37p

Moon Overhead: 8:12a

Moon Overhead: 7:18a 12a

FRIDAY

Sunrise: 7:20a Moonrise: 1:14a

Sunrise: 7:20a Set: 6:39p Moonrise: 12:06a Set: 2:22p

Moon Overhead: 6:19a

THURSDAY

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 9:01a 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 10:31a

Moon Overhead: 9:47a 12a

12p

12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

12a

WEDNESDAY

= New Moon = Fi r s t Q u a r te r = Fu l l M o o n = Last Quarter = Best Day

Moon Overhead: 10:13a 12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 6:49p

-1.0

BEST:

4:45-6:30 AM

6:00-7:35 AM

6:45-9:05 AM

Moon Underfoot: 9:24p BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 10:09p BEST:

7:35-10:05 AM

Moon Underfoot: 10:52p BEST:

8:15-11:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 10:35p +2.0

BEST:

9:00AM-12:10PM

9:10-11:10AM TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 8:37p

TIDE LEVELS

+2.0

Moon Underfoot: 7:45p

High Tide: 12:24 am 1.97 ft High Tide: 1:21 am Low Tide: 3:28 pm -0.04 ft Low Tide: 4:45 pm

1.92 ft 0.10 ft

High Tide: 1:49 am Low Tide: 6:00 pm

1.83 ft 0.27 ft

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

2:06 am 8:21 am 11:46 am 7:09 pm

1.72 ft 1.33 ft 1.44 ft 0.46 ft

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

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

F i s h

2:20 am 8:29 am 1:31 pm 8:10 pm

1.62 ft 1.07 ft 1.48 ft 0.68 ft

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

2:32 am 8:51 am 2:54 pm 9:05 pm

1.54 ft 0.81 ft 1.56 ft 0.90 ft

G a m e ® / O C T O B E R

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

2:42 am 9:16 am 4:04 pm 9:56 pm

2 0 0 8

1.50 ft 0.56 ft 1.64 ft 1.11 ft

•

C23

+1.0

-1.0

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NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

= Peak Fishing Period

7:45-9:40 AM

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

MONDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

= New Moon = Fi r s t Q u a r te r = Fu l l M o o n = Last Quarter = Best Day

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

N ov 1

Sunrise: 6:24a Moonrise: 5:12a

Set: 5:34p Set: 4:36p

Sunrise: 6:25a Moonrise: 6:09a

Set: 5:33p Set: 5:09p

Sunrise: 6:25a Moonrise: 7:08a

Set: 5:32p Set: 5:45p

Sunrise: 6:26a Moonrise: 8:06a

Set: 5:31p Set: 6:25p

Sunrise: 6:27a Moonrise: 9:02a

Set: 5:30p Set: 7:10p

Sunrise: 6:28a Moonrise: 9:56a

Set: 5:29p Set: 8:00p

AM Minor: 3:08a

PM Minor: 3:29p

AM Minor: 3:50a

PM Minor: 4:12p

AM Minor: 4:35a

PM Minor: 4:59p

AM Minor: 5:25a

PM Minor: 5:50p

AM Minor: 6:18a

PM Minor: 6:44p

AM Minor: 7:14a

PM Minor: 7:39p

AM Minor: 8:09a

PM Minor: 8:34p

AM Major: 9:19a

PM Major: 9:40p

AM Major: 10:01a

PM Major: 10:24p

AM Major: 10:47a

PM Major: 11:11p

AM Major: 11:37a

PM Major: ——-

AM Major: 12:06a

PM Major: 12:31p

AM Major: 1:01a

PM Major: 1:26p

AM Major: 1:57a

PM Major: 2:22p

Moon Overhead: 10:57a 6a

12p

Moon Overhead: 12:28p

Moon Overhead: 11:42a 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 1:17p 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 2:58p

Moon Overhead: 2:07p 12a

12p

Sunrise: 6:28a Set: 5:29p Moonrise: 10:45a Set: 8:53p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 3:48p 12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Tides and Prime Times for OCTOBER 2008

TUESDAY

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 11:19p +2.0

BEST:

9:50AM-1:15PM

10:40AM-1:30PM

Moon Underfoot: 12:53a BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 1:42a BEST:

11:30AM-2:05PM

12:20-3:15 PM

Moon Underfoot: 2:32a

Moon Underfoot: 3:23a +2.0

BEST:

1:20-4:05 PM

2:15-4:50 PM TIDE LEVELS

Moon Underfoot: 12:05a

TIDE LEVELS

9:10AM-12:30PM

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: None

-1.0

+1.0

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

2:50 am 9:44 am 5:06 pm 10:43 pm

1.48 ft 0.36 ft 1.71 ft 1.29 ft

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

2:57 am 10:13 am 6:03 pm 11:27 pm

1.49 ft 0.22 ft 1.76 ft 1.44 ft

High Tide: 2:58 am 1.53 ft Low Tide: 10:45 am 0.13 ft High Tide: 6:57 pm 1.77 ft

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

12:06 am 2:46 am 11:19 am 7:53 pm

1.54 ft 1.57 ft 0.10 ft 1.76 ft

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

12:33 am 2:06 am 11:56 am 8:55 pm

1.61 ft 1.62 ft 0.11 ft 1.73 ft

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

12:35 am 1:54 am 12:37 pm 10:09 pm

1.66 ft 1.66 ft 0.15 ft 1.70 ft

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

12:31 am 1:12 am 12:22 pm 10:54 pm

1.68 ft 1.69 ft 0.21 ft 1.69 ft

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Coming to the Call Byron South is a predator-calling addict. I first met Byron on a deer hunt along the Devils River in West Texas. He is just a slow-talking country boy who grew up with

Page C26

predators from Canada to South Texas, and has over two-dozen kills recorded. It even has a section on calling bobcats, something most callers shy away from because the cats are so slow to come to the call. Take my word for it: Byron is a homegrown Texas boy who knows how to call predators. He is one of the best, and this video is well worth the $19.95 price. Contact: Coming to the Call, www.byronsouth.com —Steve LaMascus

Luresafety Wrap

Byron South’s new predator calling video. a rifle in his hands and a varmint call around his neck. Actually, he and I were raised just a few miles apart in North Texas, he in Quanah and I in Benjamin. Byron has several predator calling videos on the market. All of them are very good, but the latest, “Calling Predators,” is the best of the lot. In this video, rather than the endless succession of kill shots that have become common in other videos, Byron gives explanations of why and how he does things, including the guns he uses, the calls, stand location, and even decoys. The run-time on “Calling Predators” is 2 hours and 45 minutes, so you certainly get your money’s worth. It is exciting, with plenty of action, and is filled with tips for the serious predator caller. Also, this video has footage of calling C26

• O C T O B E R

2 0 0 8 /

T E X A S

If you have ever stowed your fishing rods in a vertical position in your boat while trailering it, I have one question for you: Have you ever considered the damage a split shot, egg sinker, or lure does to your rod as it waves back and forth, hammering the blank repeatedly while you cruise along at highway speeds? Wind-propelled fishing tackle causes major damage to the scrims of graphite rods, and the resulting damage reduces hoop strength, thereby leading to ugly rod failures. Luresafety Wrap girdles your rod and tackle, snugging it tight, thereby preventing tackle from slapping against the rod blank. It can also be used to secure lures equipped

Luresafety Wraps. F i s h

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

with multiple sets of dangling trebles hooks so they do not snag shirts or skin. Luresafety Wraps come in a variety of colors, allowing you to color code tackle. Luresafety Wrap is devilish simple. Imagine a foam mouse pad that has embedded metal stiffening springs. Unroll the pad and it stays open; push the middle of the pad and it snaps shut like a cardboard tube inside a roll of paper towels, safely encasing your rod and lure. Contact: Luresafety Wrap, 713-2032829, www.luresafetywrap.com —Greg Berlocher

Oregon 400i— Touch Me If you want a touch screen GPS you can use to navigate on both land and water; that weighs a mere 6.8-ounces; runs on two AA batteries; and can wirelessly share routes and destinations with other units of the same kind; check out Garmin’s new Oregon 400i, which has a 3-inch full color touch screen display to complement the WAASenabled GPS. This brand-spanking new unit (you can’t even find them on the store shelves yet, though they’re advertised online and marked “sold out” or “not yet available”) absolutely blew my mind when I got a prerelease version to test for Texas Fish & Game. The first major surprise: I couldn’t figure out how to turn it on, because it has no buttons. In fact, after several head-scratching minutes, I actually gave up and (ugh!) referred to the owner’s manual. Turns out there is a nearly invisible soft key on one side, which you use to turn the unit on. Otherwise, it is all touch-screen control—and it is easy to figure out. Once I had the unit powered up, I tossed the instruction manual and continued learning the old fashioned way, by just doing it. During the next hour

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Oregon 400i or so, I did not hit one single obstacle or problem that I could not figure out and solve with a few twitches of the fingers. The second mind-blower : This unit comes preloaded with some serious lake and river maps. First, I zoomed in on Lewisville Lake, just north of Dallas. I brought the range down to 500 feet and discovered a road called Carrie Court. I have never been to Carrie Court, but with the Oregon 400i in my hands, I immediately discovered there is a nice 22foot drop-off just a few hundred feet from the end of the road. Next, I zoomed out, headed south, and zoomed back in on Lake Livingston. In moments, I had found a 40-foot deep channel running next to a 5-foot underwater island, right next to the Hwy. 190 bridge. Although the Oregon 400i has limited marine data, you can install a MicroSD card (about $100) to upgrade the information. Hunters will love the contour and elevation lines, sunset/sunrise clock, and built-in digital odometer. Geocachers and climbers will be thrilled with the vertical-speed readings, and everyone will like the tide tables, city locator, road mapping, and point of interest features. For an outdoorsman who needs a multifunction unit to drop in his pocket on land or at sea, no handheld unit I have tested yet can hold a candle to the Oregon 400i. Contact: Garmin International, 913397-8200, www.garmin.com —Lenny Rudow

Page C27

ner, and Penn took a slightly different tact with their LiveLiner. Just one problem: the LiveLiner 560L was a relatively small reel, with a 240-yard line capacity of 15-pound test. Now, however, you can go after bigger game with the new 760L LiveLiner. This new reel is heavy artillery of the spinning reel world, with a 300-yard capacity of 20pound-test. Load up with braid, and you get 500 yards of 20-pound test onto the spool. You want to live bait for big fish, but you demand the ability to cast a spinning rig, as well? This one is just the ticket. When you are ready to live bait, there is a rocker switch on the back of the reel you click down. That engages the free spool function, which can be tightened or loosened via a rear drag knob. The LiveLiner is unlike other spinning reels with a free spool function in that it does not automatically engage the reel when you pick it up and turn the crank. This allows you to take up slack line without disengaging the free spool function, which is a great asset-just don’t forget to click the button before you try to cross Bubba’s eyes with a hookset. The 760L is a chunky rig, with an all-

metal body, aluminum spool, and five stainless-steel ball bearings. That is because it is based on the Slammer series reels, which are built to take serious saltwater abuse. The downside is weight; the 760L weighs in at a whopping 28-ounces. Hey—you want to shoot artillery rounds, you need a big gun. Big does not have to mean slow, though. The 760L has a 4.7:1 gear ratio, so you can whoop big fish fast. And the full-length stainless-steel shaft should hold up for years. In fact, the longevity of the 760L will probably be measured by

Penn 760L LiveLiner decades, not years— unusual in a marketplace where the tendency is to build disposable “units.” Other features include infinite anti-reverse, a balanced rotor for wobble-free retrieves, a stainless-steel bail and bail roller with ball bearing, and Penn’s HT-100 drag material. Contact: Penn Fishing Tackle Manufacturing Company, 215-229-9415, www.pennreels.com —LR

Penn 760L LiveLiner The biggest problem with spinning reels: the inability to free spool. Shimano answered that problem with their Bait RunA L M A N A C / T E X A S

F i s h

G a m e ® / O C T O B E R

2 0 0 8

•

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Heavyweight Power in a Lightweight Reel Imagine the power of a huge 80 pound class reel shrunk into the body of a small 30 class reel. The new Everol Canyon Special is a 2 speed 4/0 with a super amped-up drag. At full spool it has just under 40 pounds of drag, 80lbs at half spool and 120lbs at empty spool. Perfect for braid or monofilament, the Canyon Special is a small, light-weight package that can haul in almost anything fish on the planet. It comes with Everol’s world famous Drag Scale which tells you ‘real time’ precisely how much drag is being applied during the fight. The Canyon Special’s gear ratios are: 3.8:1 and 1.8:1 and it has a capacity of 1700 yards of 50 lb braid, 1100 yards of 80 lb braid, or 700 yards of 30 lb monofilament. A special commercial grade black anodizing on its spool combats the huge load pressures exerted by braided line.

Canyon Special packs 80-pounds of drag into a 30-pound class package.

C28

• O C T O B E R

2 0 0 8 /

T E X A S

Page C28

There are 3 depth grooves on the spool that correspond to the drag scale, allowing users to set exact drag and virtually eliminate break-offs. The Canyon Special retails for only $810 and is handcrafted in Italy for the upscale fisherman who wants the best money can buy. www.Everol.com 888-EVEROL-1.

New Power Jig Hammers Fish Profishco introduced the newest member of the Power Jig family—the Power Jig Hammered—chrome hammered finished

with Glo Bellies and Glo Eyes. It features a natural fish shape body cast from solid metal and chromed for light reflecting qualities you just can’t match with painted surfaces. The facets created by the hammered finish shoot light in all directions attracting the attention of game fish from great distances. The large, lifelike 3D Glo Eyes enhance the natural target area predators home in on during the last seconds of an attack and the Glo Bellies help attract them in the darkest depths The Profishco Power Jig Hammered available in four color enhanced models, blue/chrome Glo; green/chrome Glo; black back/chrome Glo and Chrome Glo. Available in sizes from 3-1/2 to 8-3/4 ounce sizes, includes a solid Ring for tying the leader.. This feature makes the Hammered the most balanced, strongest and foul-proof jig on the market today! The Profishco Power Jig Hammered is deadly for striped bass, bluefish, grouper, F i s h

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

snapper, amberjack and all inshore species and for tuna, dolphin, Mackerel and Wahoo on the offshore grounds. For more information on the complete line of Profishco products go to www.Profishco.com, or email info@profishco.com.

Bioline Introduces Biodegradable Fishing Line Portland, OR: With 24 years experience in bio-absorbable materials, Pat Ferguson has introduced Bioline. Bioline biofilament™ retains 100% of its tensile strength for 10 to 12 months on a reel and biodegrades to minimal carbon dioxide and water in a period of approximately five years with exposure to naturally occurring elements. Traditional nylon monofilaments remain in the environment for about 600 years and some lines last forever. Bioline’s patent pending technology has reached a point where we can offer a high performance product with the advantage of biodegradability, at a price competitive with premium fishing lines. Unlike nylon monofilament, Bioline does not absorb water. Bioline provides

Bioline has introduced the first fully biodegradeable fishing line.

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excellent knot strength and is highly UV and abrasion resistant. With low-memory and a silky smooth exterior, Bioline is an exceptional casting line on both spinning and casting reels alike. Clear in color, Bioline provides stealth in fresh and saltwater applications. With a 99% reduction in the life span of the line in the environment, Bioline offers an alternative for those anglers who value stewardship as integral to their participation in fishing. Bioline is available in 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-pound tests in 210yrd spools with other sizes coming soon. MSRP: $16.00 www.biolinefishing.com

Kicks Vortex Choke Tube Kicks has teamed with Federal Ammunition & the Duck Commander to offer the new Kicks “Vortex” choke tube, specifically designed to be used with Federal “Black Cloud” ammo. Kicks “Vortex” chokes are a culmination of months of engineering & pattern testing resulting in a choke that delivers dense, uniform patterns shooting Federal

Page C29

“Black Cloud” ammo. Manufactured from the highest quality 17-4PH stainless steel, “Vortex” chokes are available in Improved Cylinder, Modified, Full & XFull constrictions and are safe to use with any non-toxic shot. When three powerhouses in the waterfowl industry work together to bring you a product and Phil Robertson, the “Duck Commander” puts his signature on that product, you know it is the Real Deal! Federal “Black Cloud” ammo “Drops ducks like rain”, Kicks “Vortex” choke tubes “Create the Perfect Storm”! Order your Kicks “Vortex” chokes today! Kick’s “Vortex” chokes are available by calling 1-800587-2779 or on our website at www.kicksind.com.

Southern Outdoor Technologies, Bow Condo the Sportsman’s Condo the industry leader. Standard features include large vertical windows, two built in shelves, and a bow holder. For more information visit www.sportsmanscondo.com or call 662295-5702

Bow Hunting Goes Condo Southern Outdoor Technologies makers of the Sportsman’s Condo Hunting Blinds introduces their new “Bow Condo” for 2008. Born by customer demand and designed to meet the needs of the archery hunter, the newest member of the Sportsman’s Condo family stands a whopping 7feet tall and 6-feet in diameter allowing “full draw” capability for even the tallest archer. The new Bow Condo features the same “Solid Blind Technology” that makes

High Seas Braid Hits a Grand Slam Since the introduction of HI-SEAS Grand Slam Braid, fishermen have been raving about its surprising value and uncompromising performance. It has proven to be everything you could want in a super braid

Kicks Industries, Federal Ammo and the Duck Commander have teamed up to produce the new Kicks “Vortex” choke tube. A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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High Seas Braid without the super high price. In fact anglers around the country have reported that it quickly became their favorite braid because it fishes better than the competition. Originally introduced in two colors, hivis yellow and camo green, HI-SEAS is adding a third color because anglers demanded it. So get to experience all the fishing performance of Grand Slam Braid in an all new RED color and add another dimension to your fishing. Grand Slam Braid is made with the highest quality, 100% Spectra® fibers and manufactured using our proprietary Tight Weave process. Braiding pure Spectra under extreme pressure is time-consuming and costly, but the benefits of the Tight

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Weave process will be evident from the first time you use it. Grand Slam Braid is more compact, thinner, maintains its shape longer and packs more uniformly on spinning and conventional reels. Your knots will be stronger, less prone to slip and abrasion resistance is greatly enhanced. Grand Slam Braid performance is unprecedented! It casts further and lets you feel your lures working like never before. Even the most subtle bites are transmitted back to your hands for immediate response. When it’s time to set the hook, a flick of the wrist is all it takes! Grand Slam Braid is the absolute pinnacle of fishing performance and now you can get it in RED to increase visibility above the water and reduce it below. Fish Grand Slam Braid and experience the best braid on the market today. Available in 6 to 200-pound test in 150, 300, and 2500 yard-spools. Brought to you by the most trusted name in fishing line—HISEAS! For more information on the full range of HI-SEAS lines, rigging products, tools and fishing gloves go to www.hiseas.net or call 1800-824-9473 for a free catalog.

Bait Shuttle Cleared for Takeoff Safety, delivering bait, and fun. That is what the Bait Shuttle System is all about. Simply attach to your line (instructions enclosed) and insert weight and baited hook inside The Shuttle. No sharp hook dangling

The Bait Shuttle bait delivery systems.

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before you cast. Especially safe for kids, but all anglers who have experienced being hooked or hooking someone or some thing. Cast and The Shuttle flies through the air as a projectile, splashes down, rights itself, and safely dispenses weight, and bait into the water INTACT without ever being thrown off during casts. Then it becomes a bobber in bright colors. Fishing at night? No problem, insert a Glow-Stix on top for night time fishing up to 6 hours before replacing. Want to fish on the bottom instead of using a bobber? Use the Sinker model. Does exactly the same thing as the bobber, except upon splashdown and dispensing of bait safely it slowly sinks along with bait to the bottom. Great for things like catfishing. The Bait Shuttle System, because of it’s design, also allows for much further and accurate casts. Coming to a store near you soon. If they don’t have it contact the store manager. Remember, The Bait Shuttle System makes fishing safe for kids and bigger kids, and it delivers your bait intact. For further information see us at www.thebaitshuttle.com.

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Tournament Secret Revealed Fish Vision UV Lure Paint. That’s all you need for a successful fishing experience, whether you’re fishing for fun or in a competitive environment. Just look at the pictures to see exactly how Fish Vision works. The lure in the middle is painted with Fish Vision UV Lure Paint. The left lure is a regular jig and the lure on the right is a glow jig. The lures are viewed in UV underwater (that’s how fish see), and you can see how Fish Vision works as they are submerged deeper and deeper. Under 10 feet of water, you can barely see the left and right lures, and under 20 feet of water, they basically disappear. But the patent pending Fish Vision painted lure is still bright and bold for the fish to see and bite at! Fish Vision UV Lure Paint is easy to use and NEVER needs recharging and never fades! It is 200 times brighter than glow paint. Just paint your jigs, lures, spinners and more, let dry, and fish away and increase your catch size and amount! Fish Vision, a product of ReelWings, comes in 4 UV colors and is available by calling 1-701-365-8222 or visiting www.uvfishvision.com.

The Ultimate Range Box Scout Boats’ 191 Bay Scout leaning post baitwell with rod holders standard (backrest optional), a very quiet hull, removable tackle center for access to battery charger inside the console, large aft lighted storage box (optional release well), rod storage under gunwale on both sides and standard Bay Star steering. And as always the 191, just like all other Scout models, is fuel efficient and has beautiful styling. Contact: Scout Boats, Inc., 2531 Hwy 78 West, Summerville SC 29483 Phone: 843-821-0068 Web: www.scoutboats.com.

In the left photo, Fish Vision UV is compared to a regular jig (l) and a glow jig (r). The Center Photo shows the jigs at 10 feet of depth. The Right Photo shows the jigs at 20 feet in UV. offers plenty of deep storage for supplies and ammo. A pair of adjustable gun forks featuring soft, over-molded rubber padding offers easy positioning of firearms with a firm, non-marring hold. The overall length of the Shooting Range Box provides excellent stability for nearly any size firearm, as well as room for hard to fit items like collapsible cleaning rods or tripod extensions. Suggested retail $49.95. For more information and availability, check with your local sporting goods dealer or contact MTM Molded Products at (937) 890-7461. See the full line of MTM products at www.mtmcase-gard.com .

MTM brings a great new way to transport and store rifle cleaning kits with the new Case-GardTM Shooting Range Box (#RBMC). Sporting a toolbox top and cleaning-station base, the RBMC utilizes a two-piece design for compact transport and convenient use, once you get there. The tool section offers loads of divided space for jags, brushes, solvents…etc, keeping items sorted and organized. The base or ‘cleaning station’ A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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Woodee Rods ARY ROBERTSON, WHO OWNS ESPANDRE Marine & Hunting Products, a custom fabricator of powder coated and anodized aluminum accessories for boats, marine applications, or off-road vehicles, never was satisfied with the fishing rods he used. Robertson’s passion is saltwater angling. “I kept ordering rods, ordering rods, never got the right rod,” said Robertson. “I liked certain parts of certain rods and didn’t like certain parts of other rods. We finally took a lot of rods and said, ‘I like this part of it, that part of it,’ and we put our own blanks together.” The result was Woodee Rods. Woodee was a man who loved inshore fishing. “He was a real super guy, a longtime fisherman who passed away several years ago. Woodee is a name that just stuck with us. “It took so long to get our blanks perfected. We have a lot of pros and a lot of guys that are now using them. I wanted to wait until they were really proven by other people before I went on the market.” Woodee Rods has been on the market for only eight months, but feedback from fishing guides and the public is very encouraging. “They love the rods,” said Robertson.

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There are 16 rods in the Titanium Series and eight in the Pro Series, plus two in the Light Offshore Series. Woodee Rods use IM10 in the Titanium Series and IM7 graphite blanks in the Pro Series. The Light Offshore Series uses an IM8 blank. Robertson explained that 85 percent of his rods have a medium-fast taper. Solid titanium with Nanolite inserts is used on the Titanium Series. Pro Series rods have stainless steel eyes with silicon carbon inserts. You won’t find Woodee Rods tagged with names such as “Speckled Trout Model” or “Redfish Model.” “I don’t think I should label our rods as being a trout rod, a redfish rod, or this or that,” said Robertson. “I go by feel and everybody else does, too. What feels good to one person might not be right for the other person, but it’s a redfish rod. I let people pick their own rod. I can make suggestions, and that’s how I leave it.” Capt. Lynn Waddell, a Galveston Bay fishing guide, has been using Woodee Rods since January: “It’s affordable for the average angler (suggested retail $99.95 for the Pro Series; $199.95 for the Titanium Series) and a great product. Dollar for dollar, I don’t think there is a better rod on the market, and Robertson stands behind his product. They have a lifetime guarantee. “Many anglers use braided line. Combine braided line with the rod, especially the Titanium Series, and the sensitivity is unbelievable. In the winter, when the fish can be lethargic, anglers need a rod that can pick up the gentle nudge.” Waddell uses a 6-foot, 3-inch, medium-fast Titanium rod when fishing topwater baits. He likes the 6-foot, 6-inch in a bait-casting or spinning rod for redfish in the marsh: “Sometimes, I am flipping for redfish, standing on the front deck of my boat. The 6foot, 3-inch short rod works F i s h

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just great. It’s very light weight [4 ounces]. It performs extremely well. I have caught 33-inch redfish on this little 6-foot, 3-inch rod.” On hooksets, Woodee Rods won’t roll left or right. “For example, in a piece of lumber, you have a crown or a spine in it,” said Waddell. “A graphite fishing rod will have spine, too. You want your guides lined up right down the middle of the spine. If the guides are not lined up, you get rod roll.” I personally used a couple of 7-foot rods on a fishing trip, mainly because I had never used a 7-foot rod before and I liked the sensitivity. The 7-foot, 6-inch extra fast spinning rod did a great job casting a lightweight jig a long distance. The rod had enough sensitivity to pick up light bumps while using monofilament, and adequate backbone to fight fish. One of the things I especially liked about the rod was its ability to flex while setting the hook without tearing the hook loose in paper-thin fish lips, such as speckled trout have. The 7-foot medium-fast bait-casting rod worked equally well. Woodee Rods were named after a super person. The rods want to earn the reputation of “super fishing rods” among saltwater angler. —Tom Behrens

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boaters exceptional, situational awareness and kicked off the marine electronics revolution. As the level of chart detail increased, anglers were able to use charts to efficiently identify potential fishing locations. In the last couple of years, freshwater charts have become available from Navionics that give freshwater anglers the same benefits available for saltwater. Not only did Navionics start the cartography revolution, but they continue to lead through innovation and understanding anglers’ needs. Like their tag line states-Navionics manufactures, “Serious Charts for Serious Anglers.” Navionics’ three tier Good, Better, Best marine charts line-up gives anglers the ability to choose cartography features that best suit their needs without compromising the chart quality. Gold+, Navionics’ “Good” offering, is well suited for in, near and offshore anglers who

demand chart accuracy and detail, but may have an older chart plotter or do not need the additional features of Navionics other marine cartography. These vector charts implement Navionics’ Intelligent Clarity feature that adjusts information displayed at various zoom levels to remove clutter and make it easier for anglers to identify fishing hot spots. Navionics’ Xplain function allows boaters to quickly learn more about buoys, bridges, and other elements simply by selecting the display icons. The enhanced port services present boaters with helpful information on points of interest and the major coastal roads network helps in locating specific amenities. An extensive wreck and diving database is also included with Gold+ to help anglers identify structure. One of the best fishing features is Navionics’ shaded depth contours, which quickly eliminates unproductive water by setting a minimum or maximum depth level. Targeting grouper below 75-feet? No problem. Just set your Gold+ chart to highlight all water that is deeper the 75-feet. It is ideal of identifying holes, humps, and transitions easily. Every owner of Gold+ charts for US waters can receive a free Fish’N Chip high-definition fishing chart with unparalleled bottom contour detail for pinpointing fish holding structures and transitions. Navionics’ “Better” offering, Platinum, the first multidimensional charting and navigational product for chart plotters, includes all Gold+

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features and adds additional information to help anglers understand their surroundings. Satellite and high-aerial photography overlays combine chart data with photos allowing anglers to quickly identify sand bars, reefs and other underwater structure. Buildings and other on-land Navaids help anglers better understand their location and how it translates to their chart. 3D bathymetric charts provide enhanced bottom contour images and help anglers identify transitions that attract fish. Platinum’s panoramic port photography gives boaters views of unfamiliar destinations long before they reach them. Platinum+, Navionics’ “Best,” takes Platinum features to the next level. Brilliant, ultra-high definition satellite and aerial photography is displayed at resolutions that are four times higher for crisp, clear images. Panoramic pictures are also super sharp at an incredible XGA (1024 x 768) resolution. Anglers will love the enhanced contours and bottom profiles of the 3D bathymetric displays available in Platinum+. However, only the latest products produced by chart plotter manufacturers have the horsepower to display the 8GB of information found on every Platinum+ chart card. For freshwater, Navionics is the only option with two products that are similar to Gold+ and Platinum. HotMaps Premium 08 offers over 12,000 US and Canadian lakes across five large regions. Most lakes offer 3- to 5-foot contours and all provide positioning information, underwater structure, and navigational aids. Navionics has even tapped professional anglers’ local knowledge of select lakes to help pinpoint hot fishing locations. Navionics has painstakingly surveyed over 460 lakes using their private fleet of hydro-cartography boats. These high-definition lake charts offer an incredible 1-foot contour resolution and are the most detailed lake maps available. For Texas fishing, HotMaps Premium includes 151 lakes charts and a whopping 65 lakes in high-definition. HotMaps Platinum turns up the heat and provides the ultimate details to help anglers catch fish. For all high-definition lake charts, anglers can study 3D displays of bottom contours and view top-down high aerial and satellite photography overlays, and panoramic port photography. Together, these two products provide freshwater anglers with the tools they need to pinpoint fish holding spots. A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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Designed by anglers, for anglers, Navionics freshwater and saltwater charts are the result of the most extensive and accurate cartography library available. Combined with their pre-planning products NavPlanner and HotMaps Explorer, Navionics gives anglers the information to make the most of every fishing excursion. Contact: Navionics USA, 800-848-5896, www.navionics.com —Staff Report

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Kimber Model 8400 Sonora

would want it in a prairie dog town where I intended to shoot several hundred rounds, but it would certainly get the job done with panache if one could tolerate the recoil. While most triggers today come from the factory adjusted by a lawyer with a persecution complex, the trigger on the Sonora is as good as any custom trigger in my gun safe. My Lyman digital trigger pull gauge says it breaks crisply at 1 pound, 13 ounces. How long has it been since you got a factory rifle with a trigger like that? The website says the

IMBER HAS A NEW RIFLE ON THE MARKET and it is a real tack driver. The Sonora sports a 24-inch medium-heavy fluted barrel, a laminated stock with wide, flat forearm with two sling-swivel studs that allow the use of a bipod and a sling at the same time. It is a long action, chambered in several long-range calibers. Mine is in .25-06, with .30-06 and .300 Winchester Magnum available, but in the future it might be chambered in such hotrods as .280 Ackley Improved, .270 Winchester, and 7mm Remington Magnum. This is the perfect gun for shooting down those South Texas senderos that run into next week. It is also perfectly suited for longrange predator hunting. I don’t think I

triggers are supposed to leave the factory adjusted at 3 to 3.5 pounds, but they are fully adjustable if that doesn’t satisfy you. The bedding is doubled, consisting of both pillar and glass bedding. Those features, combined with the weather-impervious laminated stock, mean you can be certain that this gun is not going to change zero on a whim. I had just received a new Bushnell Elite 4200 Firefly 2.5-10X, so I mounted the scope on the Sonora, as low as possible so I could get solid face contact with the stock. Unfortunately, the wind started to blow about then, and for the next couple of weeks it was unceasing at 20 mph and above. It was more than a week before the wind and my schedule coincided to allowed me to get

by Steve LaMascus

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to the benchrest with the Sonora. I have never been so anxious to shoot a test rifle. I finally got to the bench on a blazing hot, cloudless morning in June. The temperature at 9 a.m. was already pushing 90 degrees, and there was too much mirage for real precision, but I had no other options. The Sonora shot very well. I got the standard fliers I expected from the weather conditions, but even with those conceded, I got groups averaging around 3/4-inch, with a couple of three-shot groups with my handloaded Nosler AccuBonds going around 1/2-inch. I was quite pleased with the results. Also, because of the weight of the stock and barrel and the wonderful frontend heavy balance of the gun, it was very pleasant to shoot. I found myself relaxing at the bench, more like I was shooting a .222 Remington than the much harder kicking .25-06. Still, after 20 rounds I was beginning to get that tingling in my shoulder that says I need to hold the gun a bit tighter. This Sonora is superbly accurate, and all the various loads shot into the same general group at 100 yards, which is a rare thing. That means that you can sight the gun in with 85-grain Nosler Ballistic Tips for coyotes and then use the 110-grain AccuBonds for deer without changing zero. It also means that Kimber got the bedding exactly right. The new Kimber Sonora is a welldesigned, well-built rifle. I loved it from first blush, and shooting it only intensified that feeling. It has no weaknesses that I could find. This is not a walking varminter, unless you are much younger and tougher than I am. It is, however, the perfect gun for a deer blind or for setting up a calling location where you don’t have to walk more than a few hundred yards. If you are looking for a new rifle, look at this one. Kimber has done it again.

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Death in the Moonlight

region for that time of year, and the deer and hogs simply were not moving. The ranch manager worried that I might write a nasty article about the ranch, so when he took me out to the stand one evening, he mentioned he had something up his sleeve. I told him he had been very nice and the poor hunting was simply a result of weird weather, and

T HAPPENED ON THE 4X RANCH IN DECEMBER 1995, located an hour South of San Antonio. My father along with my wife, Lisa, and I were down there bowhunting whitetails and hogs, and were having a tough go of it. The temperature peaked out at 86 degrees, which was a record for the

assured him I am not the kind of writer who slams people for the fun of it. “I know,” he said before taking off back toward the ranch house. When Lisa and I got back from the stand that evening—empty-handed again—I was tired and wanted to hit the shower, but

by Chester Moore

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Hughes had other plans. “We’re going moonlight hog stickin’!” he exclaimed. The day before, he and I had a lengthy discussion about using red filtered lights to hunt hogs at night, so I was excited at the prospect. I grabbed my bow case and asked if he had the proper light setup. “You don’t need that bow—you need this,” he said, thrusting a long but suspiciously thin-bladed knife into my hands. “What’s this for?” I asked. “You’re gonna kill a hog with it tonight,” he said. “Uh…no.” At that, Hughes and some friends he had invited over erupted into laughter and then came in for the hard sell.

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Special Hunting Section “Come on, Chester, we’re gonna have a barbecue tomorrow and we need a good meat hog. We have a spot where we always see a bunch of small hogs, so you’ll be killing one in the 50- to 75-pound range,” Hughes said. I thought to myself that a hog of that size could not kill me, and Hughes explained there would be dogs there to corral the beast. So, I decided to go. Lisa stayed at camp while Dad and I took off with Hughes, his friends, and a pack of black-mouthed curs. It was a quiet night with no wind, so it would be easy to follow the sound of the dogs when they found a hog. As the group headed down the road, Hughes asked if Dad and I could drive back to camp and bring his two dogs back. “If they keep barking like they are, we won’t know where the right dogs are,” he said. When we came back, we could hear the sound of dogs in the distance as Hughes walked out of the brush looking as if he had just seen a ghost. “We’ve got a problem—a big problem, in fact,” he said.

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Trophy Fever Apparently, the 50-pound hog we had planned on getting never showed up, so we were faced with a 200-pound boar that was putting some hurt on the dogs. “It’s a big Russian and we have to get in there and kill it before it kills the dogs,” Hughes said. At that point, Hughes, with a catch dog in tow, and my dad and me following behind, charged through the dark South Texas brush and cactus, listening to what sounded like a very violent war. The hog was fairly bellowing with a vengeance at this point, making sounds that would chill any rational man to the bone and send him back to the truck. Nonetheless, I stayed, which says I either have a lot of guts or am lacking in the brain department. As we got closer, Hughes let the catch dog go and then all hell really broke loose. The hog started squealing and thrashing violently as a couple of dogs backed up toward us. I knew it was time to make the kill, but before we went any closer, Hughes knocked the flashlight out of my hand. At first, I thought he had gone crazy and was about call him on it, but then he said some profound words: “If the hog sees that light, he’s gonna go for it.” Point taken—no light for Chester. I followed him in under the guidance of his light and saw what at this point in my life was the most intimidating, intense, and downright evil looking thing my eyes had

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ever viewed. The hog, with a huge cur holding onto one ear, had 2 inches of tusk protruding from a mouth that dripped and spewed foam, mantled in thick coat of wiry fur. As the beast turned its head, I ran in, stabbed under the front leg upward into the heart, and the hog fell down. After that, all I remember was Hughes approaching me and saying, “You can quit stabbing him now. He’s dead, Chester!” I wanted to make sure, but then I saw the monster lying lifeless. I later realized that was one of the quickest kills I had ever made. The creature did not last 10 seconds, but I was so high on adrenaline, I barely knew where I was. However, I distinctly remember inspecting the hog’s ear because I wanted to get the head mounted. I figured the dog had ripped the ear to shreds, but there was just one tiny hole. “You need to teach your dogs to hold on better!” I shouted. Excerpted from a new, soon-to-be-released book by Chester Moore on hog hunting. Watch for a future announcement of its release.

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BUCK—ODEM, TEXAS

BUCK—SONORA, TEXAS

Payne Billings, age 7, of Conroe, Texas, killed his first deer on Bremer Ranch in Odem, Texas. He took the 9-point, 131-pounder with a Browning 30-06. His hunting partner, Hunter Free, was waiting to congratulate him.

Skyler Trammell, age 8, of Deer Park, Texas, shot Jeff Harris of Nacogdoches County, Texas, shot her first deer while hunting with her dad in Sono- this 9-point, 160-pound deer with a .270 Winra, Texas. She shot the 7-pointer at 80 yards with chester short mag. her Remington .243.

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BUCK—NACOGDOCHES COUNTY, TEXAS

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Improving the Odds, Part 1 ARVESTING A DEER BY ANY MEANS CAN BE difficult under certain circumstances. Taking one with your bow is even more challenging, but there are things that that can definitely improve your odds of a successful hunt. Learn to shoot at greater distances. Practice and practice often. How many times have you heard that? It is true that the more you do something the easier it becomes. I touched on this very subject a few months ago. Twenty yards is the norm for practice with a bow. Most 3-D courses are based around that distance. I suggest you practice shooting at 40 yards. Becoming proficient at 40 yards will make that 20-yard shot feel like you are right on top of your prey. It would get to be so easy to harvest a deer at 20 yards that it almost would seem unfair. Almost. Keep yourself in shooting shape all year long by joining a winter league. It is always best to shoot with others. Not only is it more fun, but it also presents a challenge to concentrate and be a better shot. If you are having problems grouping your arrows, talk to a pro about it. He will make sure your equipment is in top-notch shape. Practice judging distance. Ask any bowhunter and you will hear the same response: “Knowing the distance of your target is imperative for success.” Hunting in the woods and hunting along a field edge are completely different when it comes to judging distance. It is much harder to accurately judge how far an object is when you

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have no reference points to rely on. In the woods, you can see trees that are 10 yards away, which gives you a good indication what 20, is and so on. Invest in a rangefinder—you will not regret it. Use it all year wherever you go. How far is that sign, that fencepost, that tree along the roadside? You will soon realize that your best guess is pretty accurate. Know your area. Having a topographical map of your area is always a good thing, but nothing beats the old “foot leather express” when it comes to learning the area you hunt. What food sources are there? Do the deer rely on a farmers’ cropland, or are there hidden treasures within the safety of the woodlot? Look for oak trees. Where there are oaks, there will be acorns. I try to locate the white oaks. The acorn from a white oak tree is like candy to a whitetail and is one of their favorite foods. It is easy to distinguish the red oaks from the white oaks. Look on the ground and check out the leaves. The red oak leaf will have sharp pointed edges whereas the white oak leaf will be more rounded on the points. Look for an area that funnels the deer to a location. It could be a natural barrier that deer choose not to cross, such as a river that might narrow the cover of the woodlot, or simply two farmers’ fields with a strip of woods that adjoin a larger woodlot between them. Learn where the main source of water is for those hot afternoon hunts. You might also find a place along a river where it is not too deep and tracks will tell you that deer use it to cross. Find out where the bedding areas and safe havens are. Remember this location and stay clear of it in the future. Nothing will clear a big buck from the area faster than constant human scent in its living room. (I will cover more on this in a future column.) Once you find the bedding areas, you can locate the routes used from the bedding area to the food source and set your F i s h

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stand accordingly. For a morning hunt, you will need to avoid the food source and get as close to the bedding area as possible. Simply reverse that for the evening hunt. You might decide to hunt in the woods 75 yards or so from the food source to catch a big boy that is taking its time answering the dinner bell. Be comfortable. When you talk about comfort in your stand, you really should try to spend a little more to be able to stay a little longer. Buy whatever your pockets can afford, but know that usually the more you spend on quality clothes, the more comfortable they are. Of course, you can spend a little less and it will work, but I have found that the older I get, the more comfort I need. Dress in layers to stay warm on those cold mornings. If you end up with a chill, you will think of nothing else but that nice warm bed you crawled out of a few hours earlier. Remember to first put on a moisture absorbing fabric to keep the sweat away from your body, and then cover it with a scent locking camo outfit. Always dress for the weather, but bringing along some rain gear is not a bad idea. Once you are wet, the fun is over—and having fun is one of the reasons we are out there in the first place. A quality stand with a comfortable seat cushion is a must to be able to stay there for any length of time. Feeling safe when you are up 15 feet or more is important for success, and having a good cushion under you will help keep you still for hours. The important thing to remember here is to be safe and have fun. By improving your odds, you will be successful with your bow—and that, in turn, will bring you years of happy memories of how that buck came to be on your wall.

E-mail Lou Marullo at lmarullo@fishgame.com.

PHOTO BY ANNE GRIFFIN

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Essential Gear F ALL THE VARIETIES OF HUNTING IN TEXAS, bamboozling whitetails is the undisputed favorite—and an entire multifaceted industry has grown around it. Gear of such quality and value to purpose that was unimagined a few decades ago is now essential gear for the time-constrained hunter. Masking or attractant scents, ATVs and related accessories, after-hunt gear (up to and including walk-in coolers), even computer software and internet resources to help hunters find a lease or property to buy vie for the hunter’s attention. All of them are valuable and useful for helping a hunter spend more time hunting and less time preparing. Of all the gear hunters need and use, some items are more crucial than others. Aside from actual hunting weapons, quality optics rate high marks in the “must have” category. Today’s optics are simply astonishing compared to what our dads and granddads used.

Rangefinders, binoculars of unparalleled clarity and ruggedness, and even electronic digital riflescopes that were once Buck Rogers stuff are now common as hen’s teeth. The options are myriad, and choosing what is right for you consequently problematic. As an aid to selection, the following guidelines excerpted from the Texas Fish & Game sportsman’s library offering, The Texas Deer Book, are highly instructive. —Don Zaidle

Binoculars A good binocular allows you to pick apart lots of country without wearing out your boot leather. Smart hunting means spending a lot of time looking through your binocular, so good glass is a must if you wish to get the most from time spent glassing and not have a headache at the end of the day. Forget those tiny pocket binoculars. They A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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are cute, but few have glass good enough to make them more effective than a child’s toy. While the idea is sound, you are better off considering a full-size binocular for general hunting use. By far the most versatile size binoculars are those in the 7x42 to 10x42 range. They offer the best compromise of magnification and light transmission, and are usually compact enough that they are not a burden to carry. Binoculars are in the sevenor eight-power range are my favorites, as they are not so powerful that you cannot hold them steady offhand. Ten power binoculars are great if you are hunting from a stand or have some other means of steadying them, but they are difficult to hold steady if you have a heaving chest or are trying to discern details like tine length or antler mass at long range. Many hunters lean toward 50mm or even 56mm objective lenses these days because they have fallen for the “light gathering” myth. Unfortunately, binocular lenses, no matter how good, are passive. They do not “gather” anything. Instead, better lenses allow more good light to pass through them, and their high-end coatings filter out any harmful or “bad” light. While bigger objectives may offer some advantage for European hunters, who are able to hunt at night, a 40mm or 42 mm objective size is ideal for deer hunting in North America. Deciding on a binocular can be difficult, but an understanding of features and performance can make this decision easier. Ergonomics, power, and objective lens size are all important features, but so are top-notch lens coatings and the prism structure of a binocular. While porro prism binoculars can offer excellent performance at a price well below an equivalent roof prism binocular, porro prism binoculars are bulkier and not as rugged or waterproof as roof prism models. So, if your budget can stretch far enough to buy a good roof prism binocular, buy it. A quality porro prism binocular will get you by, but it is not an heirloom piece. To get the most out of your binocular, you must understand how to really use them. First, you must look where the game is likely to be, not where you can see the farthest. I cannot tell you how many times I have found a deer by picking apart a cedar thicket with my binocular. If you do it enough, eventually some of those funny looking sticks and branches will turn into ears or antlers, and some of them will be attached to dandy bucks. I have proven this point to many clients over the G a m e ® / O C T O B E R

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years by pointing out parts of bucks standing in the brush watching the feeder. My clients are usually content to look at the does and small bucks that wander into the feeder in

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hopes of seeing a big buck materialize in their midst, but often the big boys just hang back. While seeing them does not guarantee you will get a shot, it is a great first step.

Get steady and use your binocular to pick apart the areas in front of you before you walk through them. A walking stick, monopod, or commercial shooting sticks will help steady your binocular, cut down on tremors, reduce eyestrain, and increase resolution. Eventually, you will find far more bucks than you will spook, which is reason enough for me to justify the purchase of a good set of glass.

Riflescopes Riflescopes are as misunderstood and undervalued as binoculars by most hunters. Contrary to popular opinion, you should never use your riflescope to look at anything you do not intend to shoot, and that $50 scope that came on the rifle you bought from Wal-Mart is not “just as good as one of them Zeivoskis.” Quality riflescopes are waterproof, fogproof, offer longer eye relief, can stand up to recoil, and allow you to make shots in those magic moments just before legal shooting light ends and right after it begins. Cheap riflescopes are a ruined hunt waiting to happen. Good glass and coatings are just as impor-

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tant in a riflescope as they are in a binocular, but size, especially in the objective lens, is even more critical. That is because the bigger the objective lens, the higher you must mount the

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scope. The higher you mount the scope, the more prone it is to get knocked off and the harder it is to get a consistent cheek weld, which is essential to achieve consistent accura-

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cy. And just as with binoculars, a big objective is not essential in America because we do not hunt at night. My ideal riflescope is something in the 2-8 or 3-9X range with a 36-42mm objective. A quality scope of this size allows plenty of light to pass through its lenses and can mount low enough to achieve a good cheek weld. A scope in this range also helps keep the size and weight of the rifle down, yet offers a sufficiently wide field of view on the low end to find game quickly, and enough power on the top end for long range precision. More power may seem like a good idea, but I would prefer to have a wider field of view than maximum power for real world hunting conditions. Most cheap scopes will not hold a zero, their adjustments do not track as precisely as they should (one turn of a 1/4-inch at 100 yard turret might move your shot 2 inches one time and not a bit the next), and they do not hold up to recoil. They also fog up more readily than their more expensive counterparts. Sure, your $50 discount store scope might hold up the first few times at the range, but it will fail, and most assuredly that failure will occur at the worst possible time.

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Using a riflescope involves a bit more than slapping it on top of Ole Betsy and goin’ huntin’. You have to zero the riflescope properly, make sure the lenses stay clean and, in the field, that you keep the power turned all the way down. It is too hard to find your quarry when it is moving or close if your scope is cranked to max power, but you usually have time to turn the power up if the animal is far enough away to warrant it. At the moment of truth, you will be looking at the buck of a lifetime through your riflescope. A clear, bright view will help ensure your bullet flies true so you can come back to camp as a hero, not a goat. Surely, that piece of mind is worth something.

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eral makers offer affordable models that are more than adequate for the shooting range. If you buy one, invest in a decent tripod, as you cannot reap the benefits of the increased

power your spotting scope offers if you can’t keep it steady.

Other Optics Rangefinders are a great high-tech tool offered by several optics makers, but the tiny monocular offered in most units does not qualify most of these units as “hunting optics.” While they are great for the range and for western hunts, I have yet to find a good use for a spotting scope on my deer lease. Good spotting scopes do not come cheap, although sev-

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Boating Adventures HESPIRITOFADVENTUREFLOWSTHROUGHTHE VEINS of every boater. We love new challenges and experiences, and every time you cast off the dock lines, you don’t know what’s in store for you and your family. But sometimes, even boating can become a rut. Do you leave from the same slip, and do the same-old, same-old all season long? Has the excitement gone out of the experience? Then it’s time for a new adventure in your boating life. Fortunately, there are plenty of options out there. Here are some that are sure to get the blood pumping and put the wow-factor back into your boating life. Go Geo: Geo-caching is a great boating activity that’s good for big fun. Simply put, people set up “caches” all over the world and share

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their location via GPS coordinates on the internet. Geo-cachers can then use the GPS coordinates to find the caches. Many are landlocked, but you’ll also find plenty accessible by boat. When you find a cache, the idea is to take something out of it, and leave something new in it. Most geo-cachers also set up a logbook for every cache they create, seal it in a plastic bag, and leave it in a bucket or box in the cache. Every visitor is expected to sign it and leave some sort of personal message—a note, joke, or some bit of wisdom. Years later, you can revisit your cache and see who’s been there. Of course, most of the fun in this game is the adventure of getting there; it’s not like you’ll discover chests of buried loot or plunder a pirate’s treasure, but the voyage is sure to be full of excitement. And geo-caching can take you to new and wonderful places: an island, a beach—who knows where you’ll end up. You can find all about how the geo-caching game works at www.geocaching.com. Shark Watch: Few creatures of the sea create an adrenaline rush like sharks, and even

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if you’re not an angler, you can create a sharkwatching experience that everyone in the family will remember for a lifetime. You’ll need chum and bait, which you can buy at any local tackle shop. Or, if you really want to bring up the big ones, visit the fish cleaning station at a marina and abscond with the bodies of tuna, bluefish, and bonito that are in the fish bucket. You’ll need to grind the bodies into chum, but this endeavor is worthwhile; sharks come to chum made from these game fishes with abandon. You’ll also need bait, naturally, and the head of a tuna or a chunk of partially cleaned fish is perfect for the job. If you can’t visit the fish cleaning station, you can buy whole bunker or mullet at the tackle shop, or buy a bluefish or two from the seafood store. Then, tie a float (an old milk jug works just fine) to a 30-foot length of nylon cord. Leave about a foot of line beyond the float, and use it to attach your bait. You’ll find sharks all along the coast just outside most inlets, and in the mouths of bays where they meet the ocean. Hotspots include areas with underwater features like humps or shelves, or where bluefish are congregated (a favorite food for several shark species). You can also find large numbers of hammerhead in areas where there are lots of tarpon. Drop your anchor or drift over these hotspots, and release your chum by poking holes in a chum bucket and hanging it over the side of the boat. (Frozen chum works best, since it releases from the bucket slowly and steadily as it melts.) Then, put out your bait and keep your eyes peeled. When you spot a fin in the water, quickly bring your bait back to the boat to excite the shark into chasing it. When that large toothy critter comes swimming right up to the transom, everyone on board is sure to let out a yell. Seafood Blitz: If you love fresh seafood, but gathering it yourself just isn’t your idea of fun, then why not buy it right from a commercial fisherman. Pulling up next to a crabber, oysterman, or netter and getting your seafood on the spot is a neat experience, especially for kids, and it costs a lot less than seafood purchased in a store.

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All you have to do is stop when you see a workboat gathering seafood, hail them on the radio (call on channel 16 then switch and talk on an open channel, like 68), and ask permission to come alongside. Obviously, this won’t work for large commercial vessels towing nets or dredges. Stick with workboats small enough to be maneuvered easily, and don’t try to approach those that are pulling gear through the water. Once next to the fisherman, make him an offer he can’t refuse. Generally speaking, half the price of what you see in the store is a good starting point. If crabs are going for $100 a bushel on land, for example, offer a crabber $50. He might want a bit more, but there usually won’t be much haggling before he nods his head and fills your boat with fresh seafood. People Watching 101: Plenty of folks go “people watching” on land, but they’re missing out on half the fun. This experience is far more entertaining on the water—if, that is, you anchor near a busy boat ramp on a Saturday morning. Kicking back in the deck chair, busting open a cool, frosty drink, and watching the antics on shore, you’ll see everyone from amateurs

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to experts, and there are sure to be bloopers galore. Get there zero-dark-early (sunrise to 7 a.m.) to watch the serious fishing crowd; early morning (7-9 a.m.) to get a glance at the less intense anglers; mid-morning (9-11) to lay eyes on the bikini babes, water skiers, and tubing crowd; and mid-day to see the family boaters who can’t get their kids up and at ‘em before noon. Anglers might think of this as mildly entertaining, but essentially a waste of good fishing time. There is, however, an upside for fishermen: In many areas, where there’s low current flow, moving water of any type will stir up the bottom, releasing food into the water column and attracting fish. In and around boat ramps, you can often catch fish just after a boat powers onto the trailer and shoots a plume of moving water out from the ramp. Try casting into the moving water just after the trailer pulls out of the water. You’ll be surprised at how often this activates the fish. Man Overboard: When’s the last time you held a man-overboard drill with the family? Not only is this exciting, it’s also beneficial, and it’s simply good seamanship. Keep this adventure a mystery, and tell everyone

you’re just going for a cruise, or heading to a special fishing hole. Then, when no one expects it, toss a life jacket or cushion over the side and step away from the wheel. Next, announce, “I have just fallen overboard. Who knows what to do?” If you’ve ever discussed this situation with your crew (and I hope you have), they should know that the oldest child or adult who is close to the wheel should step in and take the helm, while another crewmember points to the “man” overboard and keeps his or her eye on the “person” at all times. Anyone else with a free hand, or the lookout, if there’s no one else aboard, should immediately toss your throwable PFD (you know, the cushion you’re required to have handy at all times, according to USCG regs) as close as possible to the MOB. The crewmember at the wheel should chop the throttle and then initiate a Williamson turn: Turn in the same direction as the person, and when you’re about 60 degrees beyond the original course, swing the wheel full over in the opposite direction. Continue the turn until

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Circle Hook Jigs HE PIECE I DID FOR THE JANUARY ISSUE covered my version of circle hook jigs. The reason for the revisit started with an email from a reader, Tom Buscher. He questioned why no one made circle hook leadhead jigs, and where to find or how to make up some. I referred him to that January issue article and illustration. His next email and subsequent phone call had the question: “Why not make some, using egg weights for the head?” Sounded like a great idea to me, so I drew up a sketch, then built four of them rather quickly. Three days later, he emailed me a note and a photo of three he had built. While Tom’s 5-ounce heads are workable, I suggested making up some in 1/2-, 1-, and 2ounce sizes. The heavier 5-ounce is great for going deep, and the smaller sizes will give a slower sink rate to the 30- to 50-foot depths. Those I made up used 1- and 2-ounce egg weight heads. Note in the illustration the double crimps between the egg weight and hook loop. I did this to give a longer length to do the cover wraps that secure the skirting. Also, the cable loop to the stinger is through the bottom of the hook loop and bent slightly, allowing the stinger’s cable to lay cleanly below the shank of the main hook. Using back-to-back crimps also places the hook bend and point a bit far-

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ther from the egg weight, making it more exposed for easier and surer hookups. Those I make up incorporate a 200-pound welded ring; 90pound, 49-strand cable; double barrel crimps; Daiichi D84Z circle hooks in size 5/0; and Flash-ABou skirting. The build procedure is as follows: Start with a piece of cable about a foot long, and using the proper crimp and tool, form an eye in the cable through the welded ring. Run the cable through the egg weight. The loop through the lead circle hook’s eye is double crimped in place after pulling the cable’s tag end until the crimps are snug against both ends of the egg weight and held in place. Cut off the excess cable close. Using the cut off cable for the stinger leg, form an eye through the lead hook’s loop as in the illustration; crimp and bend. On mine, the distance between the head and stinger hook eye is about 2-1/2 inches. Crimp the stinger hook in about that position. Now is the time to spray paint your head weights. Use the stinger hook as a convenient hanger while the paint dries. I spray some of mine and leave some bare. The bare ones can be carefully and lightly scraped with the backside of a knife blade for a short-term brilliance that is close to chrome. At this point, you are

ready to tie on the skirting, covering the area over the back-to-back crimps and working the thread wraps to the backside of the egg weight. Besides the Flash-A-Bou, bucktail, nylon, and Mylar come to mind. When completed as illustrated, you will have sure-fire leadhead jigs of the “backyard” sort that will comply with the National Marine Fishery Service’s rules for using natural bait and circle hooks when fishing for reef fish in Federal waters of the Gulf. At this writing, there are no circle hook jigs on the market with or without a stinger. The only one I know for sure that will be out is by Strike Pro America. If you can’t find them, check their website at www.strikeproamerica.com. The hookset procedure is the same as with any circle hooks: Feel the bite, point your rod tip at your line’s entry into the water, wind in any slack, raise your rod tip with a medium speed motion, and the hookset should be completed. E-mail Patrick Lemire at saltrigs@fishgame.com.

TEXAS BOATING Continued from Page C45 you’re 180-degrees from the original course, and you’ll be headed directly at the MOB. Bring the boat upwind of the “victim,” shift into neural, and recover the MOB. Now, look at your watch and see how long the rescue took. If you have children aboard, C46

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a great way to get them interested in drills like this is to offer them a reward if they can improve their performance. Offer to take them out for ice cream if they can knock 25 percent of the recovery time off, for example. Whether you have a close encounter with a shark, search for hidden caches, or go home loaded with seafood, these boating adF i s h

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ventures are sure to put a little pizzazz back into your marine life. So, get out on the water and try something new—it’s an adventure!

E-mail Lenny Rudow at boating@fishgame.com. ILLUSTRATION BY PATRICK LEMIRE

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Gar on Purpose HAVE NEVER PURPOSELY PURSUED GAR with a rod and reel. I have caught a few here and there bass fishing, had to take some off trotlines, and have taken my fair share with a bow, but to go out and target them specifically with a rod has never been high on my to-do list—until the other day. I was bass fishing on a local lake, chunking soft plastic frogs into shallow grass and catching the odd 2- or 3-pound bass along the way, when it happened. I pulled the frog along the grass and as soon as it touched clear water, the first gar hit. The only thing I brought back to the boat was a legless frog. A few casts later, the same thing happened again. This scenario replayed multiple times throughout the morning as I went through a bag of soft plastics without ever hooking up. I wasn’t really mad at the gar after that morning, just intrigued. Catching something with teeth is much more exciting than another 14-inch bass, so I started looking up ways to tie into one, and came across a few different methods, most of which would be more at home for anglers chasing saltwater fish. Gar are predators—they weren’t given those teeth just for looks. They hang out in likely ambush spots, eating shad, bream, bass or anything else that happens to swim by looking edible. Any rig you normally use to soak cut or live baitfish for flathead or channel cats can also be used to catch the occasional gar, but if you intend to target gar specifically, you need to make some modifications. The same teeth that gar use to quickly catch and kill a meal will wreak havoc on conventional catfish rigs. A few bites on monofilament and you end up reeling in an

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times. Then bend the tag end so it is perpendicular with the main leader, and twist the tag end around the main leader six more times. Cut off the remaining tag end. On the other end of the leader, use another haywire twist to tie on a treble hook. On the eye of this treble hook, connect another short leader with a haywire twist (start with about a foot of wire and you end up with a 6-inch leader). On the other end of this leader, use another haywire to tie on a second treble hook, and you are done. Tie your main line to the barrel swivel. If using live bait, run the first treble hook through the nose of a shad. Attach the second close to the tail so that no matter which end is hit the gar should get a hook. Most serious gar anglers use braid for main line, often using line rated in the triple digits, for two reasons: First, gar get big and fight hard, so you need the extra strength. Second, when a gar hits the live bait, anglers free-spool the reel, letting the fish run. Only when it stops do they set the hook—hard. With that much distance between them and the fish, a line that doesn’t stretch is mandatory to ensure a solid hookset, and anything less than a maniacal eye-crossing hookset means going home empty handed.

E-mail Paul Bradshaw at freshrigs@fishgame.com.

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BASS Nixes Elite Series Co-Anglers

LORIDA-BASED BASS MADE A COUPLE OF surprise announcements when it released its 2009 and 2010 Bassmaster Elite Series schedules last sum-

mer. Perhaps the biggest shocker is that coanglers have lost their seats in the back of the boat. Beginning in 2009, Elite Series pros will be paired with a non-fishing observer each day as opposed to a fishing amateur. Though the announcement did not sit well with some co-anglers, fishing fans, and

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members of the fishing industry, many Elite Series pros applaud the move because they feel it will level the playing field and greatly raise the level professionalism of the sport. “I think it was a good move on BASS’ part, although it really didn’t matter to me

by Matt Williams one way or the other,” said Skeeter pro Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas. “I have made a lot of good friends who are coanglers, and I hate to see them go. On the other hand, I think this is a huge step for BASS as far as setting itself apart from the other circuits. As pros, we will be competing on the truest level of competition.” It also came as somewhat of a surprise to learn that only one Texas lake is on the Elite Series schedule during the next two seasons—and it is not Lake Falcon. Located along the Texas/Mexico border in Zapata County, Lake Falcon produced record-shattering weights for Elite Series pros when the popular circuit visited the

fishery for the first time in April 2008. Most competitors lauded the reservoir as the best they had ever seen, quite possibly the top big bass lake in the world. The numbers tell the story. Pros and coanglers weighed in more than 5-1/2 tons of bass over the course of the event. Mississippi bass pro Paul Elias won it with 20 bass that weighed 132.8 pounds, the heaviest four-day total ever recorded in BASS history. Elias’ catch crushed the previous record of 122.14 pounds set in 2007 on California’s Clear Lake by Alabama pro Steve Kennedy. Amazingly, Elias was not the only one to top Kennedy’s year-old mark. Five other pros accumulated weights exceeding 125 pounds. All of the Top 12 finishers cracked 100 pounds. Lake Amistad in Del Rio is the lone Texas destination on the Elite Series schedule during 2009-10. BASS’ main competition, the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, will not host any tournaments in Texas in 2009. However, FLW Stren Series Texas Division will visit some heavy hitters next season. The tentative 2009 schedule for the Stren Series Texas Division is as follows: Lake Falcon, Jan. 15-17; Sam Rayburn, March 19-21; Lake Amistad, May 21-23; Toledo Bend, Oct. 15-17. The first two Stren events are scheduled at the height of the spawn on the respective impoundments, so anglers can expect to see some giant bags hauled to the scales. Jeremy Guidry of Opelousas, Louisiana, won the January 2008 Stren event at Falcon with 20 bass that weighed 110 pounds, 2 ounces— an FLW Outdoors all-time weight record. Bill Rogers of Jasper also set a new FLW Outdoors co-angler weight record with a four-day total of 96 pounds, 8 ounces.

E-mail Matt Williams at freshwater@fishgame.com.

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Cast, Blast, & Paddle O OTHER SEASON IS AS GLORIOUS AS A Texas autumn. Spring is certainly exciting, filled with wild turkey strutting, gobbling, and purring against scenic backdrops awash in shades of crimson, ochre, and cerulian. Summer is great, too, as lakes and bays are alive with cooperative fish. Winter, well, winter is different, filled with mail-order catalogs, hunting and fishing shows held in big arenas, and cabin fever. Fall presents more outdoor opportunities than any other season; so many, in fact, that outdoorsmen often have a hard time deciding whether to carry a rod, rifle, or shotgun on outdoor jaunts. The term “cast and blast” was coined to describe outdoor buffets where hunting and angling can be enjoyed in the same day or weekend. The only possible improvement—a cast, blast, and paddle. Kayaks are so portable there isn’t any reason not to tote one along. They are supremely versatile and provide both hunters and fishermen added flexibility. The possibilities are endless. Consider dove season. One of the classic setups is to station yourself around a farm tank and wait for birds to come in to drink or gravel along the water’s edge. If the dove cooperate, flying and falling birds will occupy a hunter’s full attention. Occasionally, a downed dove will suffer a watery demise. Rather than stripping down and wading out to retreive your fallen bird—much to the amusement, hoots, and catcalls of friends (don’t ask how I know this)—it is a simple matter to paddle out and retrieve your bird. At either end of the feast or famine spectrum, a hunter can have lots of extra time on his hands. A kayak allows gloating and pouting hunters an extra option besides

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plodding the shoreline, rod and reel in hand. Kayaks are of no value if the stock pond where you are hunting is so small you can lob a cast from one side to the other. However, if the tank is measured in acres, a kayak allows you to cast into productive areas you might not be able to reach from the bank. Kayaks also allow you to get beyond the impenetrable belt of nagging vegetation clinging to most shorelines. Once afloat, you can slip silently along, casting parallel to the weedline rather than perpendicular to it. Ducks and redfish both have a fondness for the shallow grass flats of the Texas coast. Countless stories have been told of hunters crouching in their blinds, their attention singularly focused on ashen and overcast skies, only to become aware of an unnoticed school of redfish milling close by as the morning wears on. Frustration quickly turns to exasperation without a rod and reel at hand. I must confess that as the duck hunting scales tipped more toward hard work than it did enjoyment, I began to loose interest. Wading 100 yards through knee-deep, sucking mud, putting out and collecting hundreds of decoys, and huffing and puffing like I had played two downs too much football— all before gray light—was fun when I was 20-something, but as life’s odometer turned, it became less enjoyable. I then started hunting ducks from a kayak, which reenergized my fondness for waterfowl. A duck and redfish trip is as natural as red beans and rice. You can stow one small bag of decoys on your bow and another on your stern. A shotgun will slip neatly inside most hulls, and you can stow rods and reels in the holders. Many great hunting spots can be found close to the asphalt, allowing easy drive-in access and later alarm clock settings. Paddling several hundred yards will often put you into a pristine setting, but you need to do a little homework beforehand and make some scouting trips during summer months. You can beach your kayak, create a simple spread with your decoys, and set up a shore blind within minutes. Paddling up to A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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the shoreline drastically reduces the amount of mud you have to wade through, thereby reducing the wear and tear on muscles and joints. Before the birds start flying, lay your rods and reels down on top of your hull and drape everything with cammo netting. The beauty of hunting ducks from a kayak is that a surprisingly small spread of decoys will fool plenty of birds. A waterfowling friend never puts more than six decoys in his spread; rarely does he fail to come back with a full strap of birds. Since kayaks float in mere inches of water, duck hunters who operate conventional boats find ‘yaks very handy for transporting gear and decoys to and from the blind.

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Duck Lessons F YOU LIKE HUNTING DUCKS AS MUCH AS I DO, YOU probably have had your share of taking ducks off stock tanks and small private lakes. This is not to say I have not enjoyed some of the most exciting hunting on southern commercial operations in Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. What this is to say is that if you have access to a good stock tank or private lake, you can have a great duck hunt whether hunting alone or with a friend or two.

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I first began duck hunting when I was 16 years old. My grandfather owned a dairy in Comanche County about 100 miles from my home in Fort Worth, and that’s where I got my early knowledge about hunting ducks, jackrabbits, cottontails, bullfrogs, and whatever else I was there. There were three stock tanks on the dairy, and one of them always seemed to attract more ducks than the other two tanks. I didn’t understand why at first, but facts about good habitat soon began to make a dent in my young brain. I soon realized the importance of and difference between good habit and poor habitat. The “duck tank” as I began to call it was lined on one side with head-high cattails. I had been delivering the Fort Worth Star-Telegram since I was 11 years old, and had occasionally read outdoor articles that sometimes mentioned duck

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hunters using decoys and calling ducks to them. I had seen photographs and read similar stories in a couple of magazines. A 16-year-old boy can have a lot on his mind at that age, but one thing I remember was walking my paper route and thinking about how to build a duck blind on the “duck tank.” I had learned from my jump-shooting experiences that ducks, if given the choice, leave the water flying into the wind. I also had observed them approaching a stock tank doing the same thing, and that led me to deciding where I would erect my first duck blind. When the project was finished, I must admit I was proud. There were plenty of green willows at the dam to work with, and a pair of big mesquite trees that stood only a few feet apart on one side of the 2-acre stock tank served well as a site for the blind. Once finished, the willow-brush blind looked like one big wad of willows. Surely, no duck would think otherwise. I sat on a folding stool inside the blind on opening morning that season. As daybreak began to slip through the dark clouds of a building cold front, I realized I had over-done the construction of the blind. I could not see a dad-gum thing outside the folding stool! Two things were certain: any ducks coming into the tank could not see me, and I could not see any ducks approaching. Lesson No. 1: Always carry along a pair of limb clippers when hunting a newly-constructed duck blind. I broke off a few willow limbs with my hands to clear a shooting path and managed to bag two ducks that morning. It was an a la carte duck hunt because I did not own a duck call. Two weeks later, I bought my first duck call at a Fort Worth hardware store and began practicing with it. It amazed me how similar the sounds I produced from it were to my favorite Weems predator call. A few years later, a good friend, Don Stout, invited me to go hunting with him at a big lake where one of his commercial hunting buddies had erected a box blind in a flooded pecan flat. We got to the lake before daybreak, and as the sun began to rise, we watched a few flights

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TEXAS KAYAKING Continued from Page C49 Most kayaks will fit inside a center console boat, although you might need to jiggle and wiggle a bit to find the best position. When the strap is full or when the ducks stop flying, you can whip a gold of gadwall and mallard pass over, only to flare when I started blowing on my duck call. Later in the morning, without a duck bagged, a lone mallard approached the spread from the south. The drake was coming straight down the opening between the rows of flooded pecan trees. As I pushed the duck call to my lips, Stout put one hand on my shoulder and whispered a quiet “Shhhh!” I pulled the call from my lips and we watched the mallard float down through air and land on the water amid the decoys. It was an humbling experience and contributed nothing toward building confidence in my duck-calling abilities. Nevertheless, one should learn from his inabilities and practice, practice, practice to improve. In the years that have followed, I have learned that many “expert” duck callers are just that—people who call the feathers off the most decoy-shy ducks while deafening the ears of those hunting with them. Calling ducks is no different from calling predators or turkey. You do not need to call until you are hoarse to get results. Too much calling usually serves only as entertainment to

spoon around or work a topwater across the film in search of spotted gold. As the northers become stronger, they start pushing water out of the bays and reduce the depth of coastal flats, thereby making it easier to spot cruising and tailing reds. Dove and bass, turkey and crappie, the caller. I would rather have results than en-

Email Greg Berlocher at kayak@fishgame.com.

Back to building a duck blind. I built a second blind on the Comanche County “duck tank” to take advantage of the shift of winds from south to north. One day while hunting from the “south wind blind,” I realized the “north wind blind” just might be helping keep my original single blind from standing out like a sore thumb. To shorten the story, I built two other fake blinds on other sides of the stock tank to distract the attention of any blind-shy ducks. The fake blinds did just what I wanted them to do—make the setting at the pond look more natural rather than a pond with one or two protruding blinds at the water’s edge. Soon, I realized ducks approaching the pond seemed less wary when they saw several wads of willows instead of what they might have already seen—and become wary of—elsewhere. It was just another learning experience—and one where the results ended up in my freezer.

E-mail Bob Hood at hunting@fishgame.com.

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ducks and redfish—the possibilities are almost limitless for cast, blast, and paddle outings.

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The Sound of Silence EMEMBER THE OLD MOVIES WHERE THE bad guy shoots somebody with a “silencer” screwed on the end of his .38 Special revolver and it just goes spooft? I also saw a TV show, Magnum P.I., I believe, where a sniper shoots somebody with a high-power rifle using a silencer and nobody can hear the sound of the shot. Well, let me tell you a couple of things about silencers…

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First, they are not “silencers,” they are suppressors. The only weapons that can be truly silenced are, I understand, ones chambered for such rounds such as .22 rimfire ammo loaded for subsonic velocity. You cannot silence a revolver at all because of the gap between the cylinder and barrel. You cannot silence a centerfire rifle because the bullet is traveling faster than the speed of sound and the bullet itself makes a sharp cracking sound when it exits the barrel. If you old enough to remember sonic booms from jets, you understand the principle. So, what you see in movies and on TV is nonsense. No matter what you might have heard, it is not illegal or immoral to own and use a suppressor. You must do the appropriate paperwork, be investigated by Uncle Sam

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(to make sure you aren’t a terrorist or gangster), and pay a one-time $200 tax on the suppressor, but it is completely legal. In fact, they are becoming quite popular in certain circles. I know people who use them to hunt hogs at night over bait, and for nighttime predator calling. Anyway, in the interest of fairness and experimentation, and since I think they are neat, and since I do a lot of predator calling at night, I ordered a Surefire FA556K suppressor (www.surefire.com) for my Stag Arms AR-15. I did the paperwork through JW Pawn and Sporting Goods in Uvalde, Texas. My old buddy, Lynn Walker (830-278-3615), has the appropriate license and agreed to receive the suppressor for me and do the paperwork. After an interminable length of time (it usually takes 30 to 60 days), the BATF decided I wasn’t a serial murderer or a threat to national security, authorized the deal, and I took possession of my new Surefire suppressor. Mounting it on my Stag Arms AR-15 was simple. To attach the suppressor to the barrel, you simply unscrew the flash-hider and screw on the muzzle break/adaptor that the suppressor fits onto, using a thread fixative that is included with the suppressor. It took a few minutes to figure out which of the assorted spacers/washers to use, but I soon had the adaptor in place. The suppressor is a quick release model

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with a locking ring at the bottom. I slid the suppressor over the adaptor, made certain it was seated properly, turned the lock ring, and was ready to try the rig. Since I live in the country, I stepped out onto my front deck, selected a nice white rock across the driveway, found it in the crosshairs of the Leupold scope, and squeezed off the first round. It sounded exactly like I had fired a shot from the .22 rifle I keep behind the front door for shooting marauding skunks. A healthy pop! accompanied the normal boingslam! of the AR action cycling. The rock disappeared. I emptied the rest of the 30round magazine, marveling at the before and after difference. Later, I spent some time on my firing range fine-tuning the scope and getting the feel of the gun with the suppressor on the end of the barrel. Here are a couple of things I think important: First, the suppressor added a few ounces of weight to the end of the barrel, making the AR-15 feel more muzzle heavy. Holding it on target off-hand was, apparently, much easier. Also, the accuracy of the gun seemed to have been improved. Where before this gun would only group into about 2 inches, it was now shooting into just over an inch at 100 yards. Interesting! In addition, recoil is now almost nonexistent. When I ordered this suppressor, the guys at Surefire told me that I might see improved velocity and accuracy. They also said that it made the gun “dirtier.” I’m not sure why, but they were absolutely right on all counts. When I removed the suppressor (after it had cooled down—these things get bloody hot!) I found a layer of black soot all over everything, including the top couple of rounds left in the magazine. It didn’t seem to impede function at all, however. After several hundred rounds, I am still shooting the gun and have yet to clean it. I am trying to determine how long it will operate without cleaning before it malfunctions, but I might give up and clean it anyway—I can’t stand it much longer. That speaks highly of the functionality of both the Surefire suppressor and the Stag Arms AR-15. I have enjoyed shooting my AR with the suppressor. I sometimes shoot it without ear protection, but that probably isn’t very smart, even at the low noise level...I’m deaf enough already, and do not want to end up like editor Zaidle, who has the hearing of a fire plug.

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I haven’t yet had an opportunity to take the rig out for a nighttime predator calling expedition, but that is in the near future, as soon as the weather cools off a bit. Suppressors are not cheap. Retail price runs in the area of $1000. If you need one, that isn’t much, but it is expensive for a pure toy. Morally and legally, there is nothing to keep you from having a suppressor. Contrary to modern TV and movie propaganda, they are not tools of the devil. If you want one, get

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one. If you are a hog hunter or predator caller, they are probably a true advantage. I intend to use mine a good deal in the coming months. I might even have one of my bolt actions threaded to accept the adaptor. I foresee a lot of usage for this little gadget. As a friend of mine says, “A gun with a suppressor is more civilized.” E-mail Steve LaMascus at guns@fishgame.com.

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Deadly Salad: Threats to Freshwater Fisheries ALAD IS SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD FOR YOU—but not so for freshwater lakes. An exotic mix of invasive plants threatens the fishability if not the very health of Texas freshwater venues.

Hydrilla The salad ingredient that receives the most press in Texas is hydrilla. By Texas Parks & Wildlife Department estimates, hydrilla can be found in over 100 lakes in the state, some more than others. Lakes Cypress Springs, Conroe, Austin, several of the Guadalupe River chain lakes, and the Rio Grande have some of the most serious problems. Possible damage to the fishery depends on how intense the infestation becomes. “If it’s covering 40-60 percent or more of the lake, you can have detrimental effects on the fishery, the bass fishery,” said Earl Chilton, aquatic vegetation specialist with TPWD. “If the coverage is 20 percent or less, we don’t try to manage the weeds. An example is Lake Fork. We haven’t managed the hydrilla in Lake Fork. The fishery is pretty close to perfect. We want to let that system alone.” Because of the denseness of the topwater mats, hydrilla takes out much of the oxygen in the water. In addition, if it gets too dense it is actually difficult for predator fish such as bass to find the food they need. It doesn’t just provide cover for young bass; it also provides cover for the fish they eat. Growth rates go down. Research performed by biologists from Auburn University shows there is a couple of years lag time between when the fishery starts C54

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to go down and the time anglers notice it. Management options are different for every lake because each lake’s situation is different. On some lakes, spot herbicide treatments have been enough to keep hydrilla under control. In other lakes, it is difficult to keep it under control without grass carp. On famed Lake Tohopekaliga in Florida, fisheries biologists have used helicopters to spray herbicides on hydrilla-infested waters. Lake Conroe in southeast Texas is an example of where hydrilla has been hard to control. In the early 1980s, the lake was stocked with grass carp to control the hydrilla. The hungry carp stripped the lake clean of

by Tom Behrens any vegetation. In the 1990s, hydrilla started to reappear in the lake. Starting in 1996, TPWD in conjunction with the San Jacinto River Authority tried to control the growth with herbicides. “It worked for nine years with herbicides,” said Chilton. “But the truth is the herbicide treatments were probably aided by grass carp that were still surviving from the stockings in the early 80s. When most of those carp died off in the early 2000s, the hydrilla really started to take off, despite the fact we were spraying just about everything we could find. Funds were just not available for really large scale herbicide treatments.” Carp were stocked again based on the number of affected acres of water. As the vegetation mat decreased, the stocking rate decreased. Outward signs of hydrilla are gone. “We didn’t want to put a large number of carp in all at one time,” explained Jeff Hansen, the TPWD biologist that handles Lake Conroe. “We didn’t want to repeat what happened in the 80s; we really didn’t even get close to doing that.”

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plant. Giant salvinia is a floating, rootless aquatic fern, consisting of horizontal stems that float just below the water surface and reproduce at each node a pair of floating or emergent leaves. Common salvinia is a little smaller and the hairs on the leaves are just a little different. It has caused some serious problems in Louisiana, and there is a large growth of it in B.A. Steinhagen Reservoir. Chilton said the giant variety causes most of the salvinia problems we have in the state: “There are pretty serious infestations on Caddo Lake, Toledo Bend Lake, Lake Conroe, and Sheldon Reservoir. It’s in a number of our reservoirs. We probably have anywhere from 600 to 1200 acres of giant salvinia on Caddo Lake. On Toledo Bend, just on the Texas side of the lake, we probably have about 3000 acres of giant salvinia. Altogether, we probably have about 5000 acres of giant salvinia on Toledo Bend.” According to Dan Bennett, a TPWD biologist in Jasper, hydrilla doesn’t come close to causing the serious problems that giant salvinia can: “It grows rapidly, covering the surface of the water, blocking sunlight, and basically shuts down the food chain. Primary production from plankton and other microscopic organisms die off.” Generally, control is a combination of herbicides and biological controls. Grass carp are not effective on salvinia because its root growth is horizontal on or near the top of the water, not vertical. Carp normally feed on vegetation under the water. If it’s a small infestation, you try to keep it under control with herbicides or biological controls. “The giant salvinia weevil has been effective in pretty much every place else in the world. It works better in the summer in Texas. It might not do so well during the winter,” said Bennett.

Golden Alga TPWD describes golden alga as a naturally occurring microscopic flagellated alga that typically occurs in brackish waters. “I think it’s pretty much all over the place

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in Texas,” said Luci Cook-Hildreth, golden alga Coordinator for TPWD. “However, we don’t see as many problems with it in East Texas. It doesn’t seem to do very well in waters that are a little bit more neutral to acidic. It is way more prevalent out in West Texas where we have waters that are more alkaline. That’s usually where it causes the most problems. “What happens, it’s doing its thing, photosynthesizing, happy, living with all the other planktons in the water, but for some reason, it gets to a point where it reaches a critical mass, too much of it in the water. A lot of times you will see a bloom, not always, but more traditionally in the winter months.” A bloom is described as the water having a golden tint to it, with a lot of foam in the water. The alga starts secreting a toxin. Depending on the chemistry of the water, the substances will be toxic or non-toxic. If it secretes toxins, then we start seeing fish kills. Cook-Hildreth said fish suffocate and hemorrhage to death: “It breaks down the cellular membrane in the gills of the fish. The fish become lethargic. Sometimes it attaches only to forage fish such as shad, things bass and stripers eat. If it does that, we are not quite as upset about it because a lot of these forage fish are fast reproducers.” It doesn’t affect the predator fishes that eat the infected forage fishes: “It’s not necessarily going to affect other fish and wildlife. Birds and animals eat them and it doesn’t bother them. Although it’s not recommended, people can touch and eat affected fish. It’s not going to affect you like it’s affecting the fish.” Golden alga has been a big problem in the past. In 2001, it started infecting TPWD state hatcheries, primarily the Dundee and Possum Kingdom hatcheries. Millions of dollars in fish were lost to the alga. Areas other than state fish hatcheries where golden alga has caused problems include the Red, Rio Grande, Brazos, Canadian, and Colorado River basins. “We have spent lots and lots of research dollars to try to find predictors of a golden alga bloom,” said Cook-Hildreth. “There is some really general stuff and it certainly doesn’t apply to all cases. A cold front in the winter might cause a bloom. Traditionally, when you get into the cooler months of the year is when you start to see more blooms, but the stuff has bloomed in the summer, and it’s also

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bloomed in water we didn’t necessarily expect it to bloom. “It’s kind of got to run its course. There is a lot of research that has gone into red tide, and they are trying to apply that knowledge to dealing with golden alga. It’s interesting that everywhere else golden alga appears in the world, it is a coastal problem, found more in saltwater. We have it as an inland problem here in freshwater.” Besides our salad of hydrilla, salvinia, and golden alga, there are lesser ingredients in the

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mix. Substitute blue-green alga for golden alga. There are recorded cases of blue-green algae harming humans in other parts of the world in poorly treated waters. Zebra mussels are in Louisiana and Oklahoma waters waiting for ride into Texas waters. It seems like there is always a new challenge to keep Texas freshwater fisheries in good shape.

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Flounder-Ups Planned for Port O, Sabine NGLERS INTERESTED IN MAKING A DIRECT contribution to the conservation of southern flounder populations will get a chance to do so this month. The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) “Coastal Fisheries Bay Team” event makes two stops this month: October 18 at Froggie’s Bait Doc in Port O’Connor and October 25 out of the Sabine Neches Conservation Clubhouse (SALT Club) on Pleasure Island. The event, which seeks donations of live flounder for TPWD hatcheries, is limited to 60 people on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no entry fee, and all entrants must be age 21 or older. Registration is the day of the event. “At each tournament, anglers who bring in fish will be entered in a drawing for a chance to win a Texas Tackle Factory rod and Shimano 200 B reel combo, Boga grip, Cruxix reel, and a Garmin Etrex GPS unit,” said Robert Adami of TPWD.

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The donated flounder will aid what could be a stocking program for Sabine Lake in the near future. “We are looking for help to kick-start our flounder program, and any offspring spawned from these fish will go back into the Sabine Lake area,” Adami said. “It’s a great opportunity for people to come out and have a good time and to contribute to the hatchery system.” For more information, contact Robert Adami at 361-939-8745; email: Robert.adami@tpwd.state.tx.us . —Chester Moore

New Regs for Headboats The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) branch of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is working to improve the quality of information used in managing the fisheries resources of the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. The agency is reminding operators in the for-hire fishery of the southeastern U.S. region that, if selected to report by the Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) Director, operators are required to supply reports of fishing trips to an authorized statistical reporting agent, or send

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reports in the mail postmarked not later than seven days after the end of each month. All operators selected to report to the headboat survey are required to report landings and effort data from all trips made. For each trip, there must be an accurate record of the name and official number of the vessel; the operator’s U.S. Coast Guard license number; the number of fish of each species taken; the estimated total weight of each species; the number of anglers aboard; the date(s), location, and duration of trips; number of anglers actually fishing; pay-type of trip (charter vs. per-person); distance from shore; and condition of released fishes (released dead or released alive). Reporting is required for trips in state waters as well as in the federal waters of the Exclusive Economic Zone. Accurate and timely reporting of logbooks in the headboat fishery is a requirement for obtaining and renewing charter vessel/headboat permits. For more information, see http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/permits/permits.h tm —CM

EPA Standards Feed Dead Zone A report on the health of the Mississippi River, released by the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies, reveals that pollution in the Mississippi River, and subsequently the Gulf of Mexico, will continue to get worse unless the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforces standards limiting Dead Zonecausing nitrogen and phosphorous pollution. More than 50 cities and 18 million Americans depend on the Mississippi and its tributaries for drinking water. According to a news release issued by the Gulf Restoration Network (GRN): “The River is a vital economic, recreational, and natural resource to communities up and

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down its 2300-mile course. The EPA called on states in 1998 to adopt specific limits on nitrogen and phosphorous pollution, threatening to enact its own limits if states had not complied by 2001. Every state along the Mississippi has thumbed its nose at that and other deadlines set by EPA, but so far the federal government has not stepped in to supply the urgently needed protections.” The NRC Report, Mississippi River Quality and the Clean Water Act, makes clear that “the EPA has failed to use its mandatory and discretionary authorities under the Clean Water Act to ensure adequate interstate coordination and federal oversight of state water quality activities along the Mississippi River.” The report declares, “as a result of limited interstate coordination, the Mississippi River is an ‘orphan’ from a water quality perspective.” “There has been a dead zone at the EPA almost as big as the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Matt Rota, Water Resources Director of GRN. “The NRC report should jump-start EPA to act. EPA Deputy Administrator Marcus Peacock has the authority to take action, and we ask him to do so today.” —CM

Lawmakers Favor Sanctuaries A bipartisan group of lawmakers and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officials support legislation to strengthen preservation measures in national marine sanctuaries and lift the current hold on new sanctuary designations. The push for new marine sanctuaries

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comes amid increasing calls for offshore petroleum exploration. NOAA needs the authority to expand sanctuaries to protect sensitive maritime ecosystems outside the system’s existing boundaries, lawmakers said. “The sanctuaries are serving as a useful demonstration model of ecosystem management,” said House Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans Subcommittee Chairwoman Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam). “We need to amend existing law to make sure NOAA can protect our marine heritage resources.” Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) said her southern Florida district is seeing firsthand the value of natural marine sanctuaries, as the Florida Keys draws to the region annually 2 million tourists and their tourism dollars. “The National Marine Sanctuary Act is unique among the suite of federal laws aimed at protecting or managing marine resources in that its primary objective is to set aside marine areas of special national significance for their permanent protection and to manage them as ecosystems to maintain the natural biodiversity,” said John Dunnigan, NOAA assistant administrator, expressing his agency’s support for H.R. 6537, which would reauthorize and strengthen the act. But Representatives Henry Brown (RSC) and Jim Saxton (R-NJ) said the federal government was overstepping its authority and that the use of ocean resources should be decided locally. “Any proposition from the federal government that tells South Carolina where it can or can’t develop its offshore petroleum reserves will be rejected,” Brown said. “Any proposition that tells South Carolina where it can or can’t fish will be rejected. In fact,

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any proposition that tells South Carolina what it can or can’t do in its own waters will be rejected.” Saxton was concerned that some of the bill’s provisions, including the possibility of trawling and fishing bans within the sanctuaries, would transfer fisheries regulation from the National Marine Fisheries Service to the National Ocean Service.

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CCA Sets Sail at ICAST OASTAL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION (CCA) WAS among several prominent marine conservation, boating, and tackle industry associations gathered to announce the creation of the Center for Coastal Conservation (the Center) at the 2008 ICAST show in Las Vegas. The Center has been built to participate directly in elective politics and promote the conservation ideals of recreational angling to the lawmakers who make many of the key decisions in fisheries management.

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“The groups and individuals involved in the Center have achieved significant conservation victories on their own for decades,” said CCA President David Cummins. “The Center will merge their strengths into a single, formidable force that is unlike anything we have seen in this arena before.” The Center officially launched in October of 2006 and has been steadily growing in size and scope under the guidance of a board of directors made up of representatives from leading industry groups and renowned advocates for marine resource conservation, including several key founders of CCA. “The Center brings together a very high level of expertise and experience, all focused on being the political arm of marine conservation,” said Jefferson Angers, president of the

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Center. “This is a coalition of people driven to succeed and who know how to get things done. The Center itself may be new, but it is already well-equipped to navigate the political process to promote good stewardship of America’s marine resources.” “The Center for Coastal Conservation represents a new frontier in the conservation of our nation’s marine resources,” said Cummins. “Its creation opens a new channel for conservationists to fully participate in elective politics and promote the ideals of their sport to the political leaders who make many of the key decisions in fisheries management.” —CCA Staff

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Locating New Spots

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Centipede in the late fall, especially if there are rocks present in the area. I use a 3-foot leader, 1/0 Mustad J-bend hook, and 3/4-ounce

Lindy’s No-Snagg weight, and just ease it

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OOLER WEATHER IS UPON US AND PEOPLE ARE thinking about hunting now, but this is still a favorite time to be on the water, especially on days that are in a warming trend. I like it because you almost have the water all to yourself and there are still plenty of fish to be caught. I like to get out in my Nitro at least once a week, exploring around for new places and just enjoying nature. A lot of times in fall, lakes are down due to lack of rain and drawdowns to winter pool. This is a great time to ease around with a camera and your Raymarine DS600X looking for fishing spots. You can find stumps, rocks, brush piles, and all other kinds of structures that will be good when the water comes back up to full pool. This is also a good time to take your Woo Daves’ Extreme pitching rod, 17-pound Bass Pro Shops Excel line, and a 3/8-ounce jig with a Zoom trailer and pitch to any shallow target. This is great, especially later on in the day when the sun warms up. I will also work these same targets with a shallow running Extreme crankbait or spinnerbait. One trick this time of year is to make repeated casts to these targets with one lure then change to another. If you don’t get a bite on the first lure, a lot of times the second one seems to trigger a strike. One other thing I do is fish the lures slowly by the targets, and I douse them good with Jack’s Juice in crawfish. I’m a firm believer in scent, as I have seen it work too many times in tournaments. I know that Jack’s Juice is a key ingredient when fishing tournaments, as I am getting 10 to 1 strikes on my partners. Crawfish is my favorite and I don’t leave home without it. I also like to fish a Carolina-rigged Zoom

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Halloween in North Texas HESTER RECENTLY HAD THE CHANCE TO SPEND some time in the Dallas-Forth Worth area doing promotions for the magazine and checking out some of the sights. Here’s a sampling of what went on. In the spirit of the Halloween month, A Chester poses for a photo with master makeup artist Gregory Nicotero at Texas Frightmare Weekend, where Chester delivered a seminar on cryptozoology. Nicotero has done makeup for all kinds of huge Hollywood films, including the “Chronicles of Narnia,” but he is best known for his horror work on movies like “Day of the Dead,” the remake of the “Hills Have Eyes,” and many others.

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Between seminars and other appearances, Chester took time to visit Fossil Rim Wildlife Center near Glen Rose and feed the giraffes. If Chester ever hits the lotto, he plans to buy some giraffes. “They are just amazing animals and I would love to have a huge ranch with my own giraffe herd,” he said. B

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Chester spoke to a capacity crowd of nearly 200 at Texas Frightmare Weekend on the subject of cryptozoology. This huge horror movie convention is organized by Loyd Cryer and is very well organized and visitor friendly. C

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It’s Not Just the Fishing HE TIRES HUMMED PLEASANTLY ON THE pavement and the countryside flashed past in a green and brown blur as I drove mile after mile down Highway 77 through central Texas. I was headed for Seadrift on the central Texas coast and high on the promise of another outdoor adventure. Outdoorsmen are crazy, I mused to myself. It is the only conclusion possible that would explain why I was willing to drive 600 miles round trip to go fishing and hunting for a day on the Gulf coast. But there is much more to it than that simple premise, as anyone who chooses the outdoor life knows. The true lure of fishing and hunting is in the process and the details, not the result. We do what we do not so much to catch a fish but to spend quality time outdoors with friends and family. It’s not just about the fishing. It started with a phone call out of the blue. I picked it up on the second ring and recognized the voice of my friend, Jim Darnell, from San Marcos, Texas. “Hey, Barry, do you want to meet me at Seadrift next Sunday?” he said. “I have a teal hunt and redfish trip lined up and you are welcome to come if you can.” I didn’t have to think about it before I said, “Yes.” Outdoor outfitters are always mindful of what it takes to attract customers, and one of the newer concepts combines hunting and

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fishing adventures into one package. Outfitters whose locations are conducive to offering these types of experiences to hunters and fishermen are jumping at the opportunity to do so. And so, my journey to Seadrift was to examine one of these combination outdoor trips at Bay Flats Lodge on the banks of San Antonio Bay. Chris and Debbie Martin are a husband and wife team that realized the potential of offering customers the opportunity to hunt and fish in one trip, and be pampered with great food and accommodations. Nine years ago, they established Bay Flats Lodge (888-6774868, www.bayflatslodge.com) at Seadrift. They specialize in fishing the rich waters of the coastal bays and hunting the multitudes of dove, duck, and geese that move into the area in the fall. One of their most popular packages is what they call “cast and blast.” Depending on the season, they offer package deals that combine hunting in the morning and then fishing in the afternoon. I met Jim and another friend, Bill Mills, at Bay Flats Lodge on a Sunday evening. Chris and Debbie welcomed us like long lost friends and showed us to our rooms for the night. We were excited by the prospects of hunting and fishing the next day, and spent the hour before dinner relaxing in the comfortable lounge area of our room. Jim, Bill, and I have become fast friends from numerous outdoor adventures, and it was a good feeling to be in their company again with the prospect of another adventure looming on the morrow. Debbie hollered out the kitchen door, “Dinner’s ready!” and we nearly raced to see what she had to offer. After a fine steak dinner, Chris filled us in on what to expect the fol-

lowing day, and mentioned the teal hunting had been very good and the fishing was fair. The high-pressure system holding much of Texas hostage was keeping the fish in deeper water, but more than likely, we would find enough to keep us happy. Satisfied with the potential, we turned in early. Roll call was 4 a.m. in order to make it to the duck blind before shooting light. Standing in knee-deep water in a duck blind with a full moon setting in the west and the sun rising in the east is a spiritual experience. Four of us waited patiently for the first flights of teal to zoom into the decoys spread in front of the blind—and we were not disappointed. They came in twos and threes, and everyone got a few chances at the speedsters before the sun popped over the horizon and they stopped flying. Lack of hunting pressure and no wind combined to keep the morning flight brief, but all of us enjoyed the opportunity and the hunt ended with enough birds so we could have grilled teal breasts for dinner. We spent the afternoon on the vast expanse of San Antonio Bay wade-fishing for spotted trout and redfish. The persistent high-pressure weather system made finding hungry fish challenging, but our group managed to catch a respectable number of trout and reds thanks to our guide, T. J. Christensen. The camaraderie of the whole affair was what I took home with me. Time spent outdoors with friends has no price tag. It is not just the fishing or the hunting we take home with us.

E-mail Barry St. Clair at bstclair@fishgame.com.

WOO’S CORNER Continued from Page C59 along slowly. Lindy’s No-Snagg weight is a must, as it will come right through the rocks without hanging up. This is a secret that the pros have been using for years, which now is becoming public knowledge.

When you are on the water, keep your eyes peeled for baitfish flicking on the water. If you find bait, you usually find bass. I also like to ride out on the ends of long points that go to a channel and watch for pods of baitfish on the bottom using my sonar. When I A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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find them, I jig a Bass Pro Shop 3/4- to 1ounce Tungsten spoon. These are small spoons that will get down fast, and you are going to read about tournaments being won on them soon.

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Bluewing Worries WEETIE, DO YOU KNOW WHEN TEAL season is?” I asked David— again. “Nope, it has not come out yet. We should know in a few weeks.” Tic-tock, tic-tock… “David, it has been a week, have you heard any word on the dates for teal season?” “Not yet. Be patient. We will find out soon enough.” Yeah, well, I want to know. I have to put it into my calendar so that it doesn’t conflict with my work schedule. I need to put in for vacation. Get reservations at our favorite place. “Well, can’t we check with TPWD? Isn’t it published on-line? How is a person supposed to make arrangements when they don’t give you the proper notice?” “Baby, you are rabid. I can’t make it come out any earlier than it does.” “Okay, well, maybe we should call Bill and make a reservation at Falcon Point so that we have a spot. You know, just to be on the list.” “And what date you would suggest that I give him since we do not know yet what the dates are?” “Whatever dates they eventually come out with, silly. When they know, we will know, then when we know, he will know. And we will have a reservation.” Lord, have mercy! What is so hard to understand? Men make things so complicated. “Huh? So, you want me to make a reservation for dates unknown for those potential dates in the future that will be known, sometime in the future?”

“S

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“Now you are getting it! Exactly! Why not? For heaven sakes, just follow the logic. That way we are sure to have a spot.” “How am I supposed to do that? That makes no sense at all. I can’t make a reservation for lodging for a time which has not yet been determined.” “Why not? It makes perfect sense to me. Once they determine the dates, then we will have a reservation. Really, sweetie, you are making me repeat myself.” “Well, excuse me for being so dense…have you been drinking? I think you have lost your cotton-pickin’ mind. Bill will think that I am insane.” “I don’t care if he thinks we are Looney Toons with a capital Mickey Mouse. I do not want to miss my spot for teal hunting. Don’t you know that there is only one time a year that you can do this?” “I know, I have been hunting for over 30 years. I am fully aware of the fact that there is only a small window of time to go teal hunting.” “Precisely! There you have it. So, what is it that you don’t understand? Keep in mind that you have had 30 years of being able to do this. I am only on my third year and I think it is really selfish of you not to be more sensitive to that fact.” “Sensitive! Well, that really takes the cake. What is wrong with you? You are not being reasonable about this. I can’t do anything until we know what the dates are. Don’t worry so much.” Yeah, sure! I know what will happen. The lodge will fill up and there won’t be any rooms, the guides will all be taken, and sure as tooting, I will be SOL. Well, it is no skin off your nose you, you, veteran you. Easy for you to say since you have a million teal F i s h

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seasons under your belt. “Don’t worry? Well, I am plenty bloody worried. So, I ask you—what is so wrong with planning ahead? Covering your bases?” If gurlz were in charge of determining when teal season was going to be, it wouldn’t take so long for the dates to come out. We are planners, organizers, coordinators, cognizant of every detail. We would be ahead of the game. We would have plenty of time to get reservations at our favorite lodge, line up the guide, buy ourselves some new camo, and have the dog and the children taken care of at the home front. I bet TPWD is run by a bunch of—you know—males. Those flyby-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of breed that says, “Don’t worry, Baby.” Well, buckaroo, this is one bluewing shooter that is worried. “Baby, I have never seen you like this. Do you feel okay? Why are you getting so worked up?” “I’ll tell you why I am getting so worked up! I got one bluewing last year; you all limited out! I want to get my limit this year and I can’t do that if I don’t have a spot on the marsh, a guide to take us out, and a chance to take a shot, which will all require a gosh-

Continued on Page C65 ILLUSTRATION BY RACHEL WATSON

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That’s My Story and I’m Sticking to It… IME DISTORTS REALITY. IT PROVIDES buffers for humanity from the hard knocks that could cripple our ability to be productive and forgiving. It allows society a grace period to format historical events and people into portraits that are forever praised or scorned. Our memories showcase the frailty of the human mind. Time makes us all liars. Then enter the realm of the outdoor writer. He is a fisherman, hunter, trapper, woodsman, wordsmith, and a paid manipulator of…something resembling the truth. You would think that this breed should be cussed as vehemently as politicians and lawyers, but they aren’t. They sit at their keyboards pecking out stories and planning their next escape to some watery or woodsy Shangri-La. And they shouldn’t be cussed because these gay caballeros of the pen and camo fraternity provide dreams of big fish and huge bucks to the beleaguered souls chained to an urbanized Texas. Let them lie. Kendal called and laid out the plan. “We’re going to drive to Monterrey, Mexico,” he said. “A bunch of us firefighters go every year and float the Matacanes River. I’d like to invite some of my writing buddies to come along. It’s no trip for women. We’ll be repelling off cliffs and riding the wild river through underground caverns. It’s a heck of a lot of fun.” The thought thrilled me. This would be

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a real He-man adventure and for once, I wouldn’t be the person guiding. I’d be with a crew of All-American firefighters that could tend to their own needs, and the writers who are the sharpest wits and finest minds in the state. And unlike a hunt, there was no pressure to whack a trophy. This would be a relaxed journey into Old Mexico with good common folks and cold beer. But prior obligations and bad timing fouled my wants. Kendal had to make the trip without me and I was rendered to looking at pictures when he returned. The next year was skipped and almost two years passed until the invitation came again. This time I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity. “Yeah, a group of us are going again,” Kendal said. “Would you like to come along?” “Yes!” “Would you mind if we take your truck?” That query sounded odd. Most folks have nicer vehicles than I do because my truck gets used for building fence, hauling hay, and dragging a cattle trailer through the brush. But, I didn’t mind. “Sure we can take my truck. It’ll carry at least four people.” “That’s great! We might be in three or four vehicles. We’ll meet in Laredo and caravan down to Monterrey—it’s safer to go in a big group.” The date was set and my excitement began to build. I’d guided hunters for so long that the Montana wilderness, South Texas Muy Grande, and Old Mexico buster bucks camps were like home. This excursion to the interior of Mexico was going to be plain old-fashioned fun, and I looked forward to being with a robust crowd my own age. Laredo was bustling the day we met at Texas outdoor writer Marty Malin’s office. The older gentleman clapped us on the shoulders and bid us well. “I wish I could go with you boys, but I think y’all are going to have a grand adventure,” Marty said. F i s h

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“Where is everybody?” I asked Kendal. “Well, most of the bunch that normally goes couldn’t make it this year. But I want you to meet McCulloch County Judge Randy Young, and this is my cousin Gary Doyle.” “So there are only four of us?” “Yeah, but it’ll be fine.” The other two men grinned at me. Randy was with us to fulfill a bargain. Several years past Randy hosted Kendal to a sissy little charity bicycle ride and the boy had been whining ever since. Randy had been gracious enough to take Kendal to a worthwhile social event. In return, Kendal had written several articles about what an awful time he’d had, what a great charity it benefited, and how the bicycle seat inflicted permanent damage raising his voice several octaves. Now, it was Kendal’s turn to host Randy on a trip. The drive to Monterrey was a successful exercise in making new friends. We wound around the city and followed Kendal’s directions onto a blacktop road past the Cola de Caballo waterfalls. Then we began to gain altitude climbing into the mountains of Central Mexico. By dark, we were parked on the bank of the Matacanes River where we situated our sleeping bags on ground tarps. At first light, a couple of Barney Fife-looking characters began rousting other campers. “Who are those guys?” I asked Kendal. “They ain’t nobody,” he replied. “They’re just trying to shake down tourists for guide services on the river. Let’s get up the mountain before they bother us.” In two shakes, the four of us were in the truck. In two more shakes, I realized that this was the worst road I’d ever driven. For the next 90 minutes, my two-wheel-drive ranch truck went straight up a track made for pack mules. Several switchbacks were too sharp to navigate without backing up and pulling forward several times. And in short order we were in a constant position where an errant maneuver behind the steering wheel could

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plummet us 1,000 feet off the edge. Finally, we reached a small village where the locals raised chickens and sold t-shirts. Immediately behind us, a 4x4 taxi pickup load of college kids, boys and girls, arrived to float the river. I frowned at Kendal. “You mean we could have hired taxi service but now I have to pay one of these villagers to drive my truck back down the mountain?” “It’ll be fine, that’s what these guys do for a living. Let’s get our backpacks and hit the trail. It’s no more than a two-hour walk from here.” The trail started out plain enough, but then forked in the forest. Six hours of hiking later, it occurred to me that Kendal didn’t know how to find the river, but then he found it. “Here it is! You know I thought it was right here but it’s been a couple of years since I’ve been here, and I’ve only been here once.” I was glad we’d gotten an early start. Now, we donned wet suits and put our clothes back on over them. Then we strapped on spelunker helmets with headlamps, put on life vests, replaced the repelling gear into the backpacks, and jumped off a ledge 10 feet above the water. The current flushed us to an 80-foot waterfall where we clambered back out of the water and Kendal began preparing us for the first repel.

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Judge Randy stiffened and locked up. “Aw Hell No, I can’t do this! I’m deathly afraid of heights!” “Well, there’s no going back!” said Kendal. “And you made me ride that bicycle 350 miles, so, get over here and let me show you what to do.” Thirty minutes later, we coaxed Randy over the side and he descended the cliff and settled into a deep blue pool at the bottom. From there, the river bounced us through rapids and short falls. Then every few hundred yards would be a taller waterfall requiring us to jump from 10 to 20 feet into the pools below. The view from the bottom alternated from mountainous valleys with masses of ferns hanging into the stream to sheer walls of stone holding us within the blasting hydrologic chutes. The frigidity of the river necessitated the wet suits and the never-ending swimming helped maintain body temperature. Suddenly there was an immense hole and we came to the second 80-foot waterfall, this one hurling itself into the bowels of Mother Earth. Halfway down the cliff was a ledge where we unhooked our harnesses and leaped for the pool in the darkened cavern chambers. The next mile was a headlamped cave tour with short falls and jumps. Stalactites grew from the ceiling and some of them were broken half-off with water pouring out like high-pressure hoses. A mile fur-

ther we came back into the sunlight and the velocity of the downhill surge increased. We washed through the canyons cackling and screeching like school kids. Then we crawled out for various jumps and hesitated, standing, appreciating, and gawking in awe at this special world. Eight hours from our first plunge the river flattened out and we walked back to the truck on the round boulders in the riverbed. That night we were exhausted and rented a cabin from a local proprietor that kicked in a hearty bottle of sweet homemade wine. The next morning it was time to drift north and home to Texas. Time passed, years passed, and the story of our adventure swirled into its own reality. Then I met Kendal at a Texas Outdoor Writers conference. “Hey, I’m taking some Boy Scouts to Alaska,” he said. “Would you like to donate $20 for expenses?” “Here’s $50—hire those kids a guide!” And I smiled inside wondering when we’d make our next trip.

E-mail Herman W. Brune at wilderness@fishgame.com.

THE GURLZ PAGE Continued from Page C62 darn reservation. See? It all gets back to making a reservation. Why won’t you listen to me?” Yuck, I feel clammy, head is pounding, stomach feels queasy. Oh no, getting dark! “Baby, you had better sit down. You don’t look so good. You’re white as a ghost. Let me get you a glass of water. It will be all right. You really should not take this so seriously.” “Don’t take it seriously? Well, who— who—I ask, is responsible for that? You are the one that gave me this disease. You said, ‘Here, try it, you might like it, just try it once, trust me, don’t worry, I will show you how, blah, blah, blah.’ And now look at me! Look what a mess I am! I can’t think of anything else! Seeing those bluewings come screaming in…I have to get my

limit, I have to try, I have to be there! I, I, I…” Echo… going black… spinning… kabunck! There it is, what doctors call the “vasovagal syncope,” the common form of what we all know as “fainting.” The heart revs up, the blood pressure soars, and the vagus nerve collapses. That one deadly nerve that winds from the head, branching out to the larynx, through the throat, into the lungs, plummeting into the stomach, massaging the kidneys, and terminating down to the, well, you know. All body parts in overload. Vessels dilate, blood is cut off from the strategic areas, and wham! Danger! Danger! Body shutting down. Before you know it, there you are, lying in a heap on the floor. “Baby? Baby! Are you okay? I am sorry! I will call right away and make a A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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reservation! Are you all right? Okay, okay, you win, one teal season coming right up. We can always change the date of the reservation. Don’t worry, we will be there. I will take care of everything. Please, wake up!” Bluewing dreaming… Here they come, a veritable blue streak. Steady, put it on their beak, squeeze slowly. Got ‘im! And another! And another! What a perfectly beautiful morning. Just right. No worries as I sit with my limit of bluewings at my feet. I wait for the other guys to get their limits while I bask in the morning dew with no worries. It is all in the planning, boys. If you had made your reservation early, you would have had your limit by now. E-mail Mari Henry at gurlz@fishgame.com. G a m e ® / O C T O B E R

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Mesquite Grilled Dove Wraps S THE LONG DAYS OF SUMMER WIND DOWN, our thoughts move toward autumn. Kids getting back to school, football games, and, of course, dove season. There are great times spent and memories made while enjoying the outdoors with family or friends. The thrill of seeing a group of whitewings our mourning dove flying over, darting and diving, reminding you of just how challenging this sport is. This recipe is tried and true, with some helpful hints to make your harvest dinner a great meal and a fond memory for all.

24 dove breasts 24 Jalapenos (halved and seeded to make 48 halves) 2 purple onions peeled and cut into 1inch thick wedges 2 cakes of cream cheese (allow to sit out to soften for 1-2 hours)

For the Brine Fillet the breast meat from the breastplate. Place the fillet halves into a large bowl of ice water. They should be fully sub-

PHOTO BY JIM OLIVE

merged. Add 1/2 cup sea salt to 1/2 gallon of ice water. Allow meat to sit for 1-2 hours. Pour off water and rinse the meat again with cold water.

Preparation In a mixing bowl, add to the cream cheese 1 tablespoon each of black pepper, garlic salt, and basil leaves Stuff a Jalapeno half with 3/4 tsp cream cheese mixture. Place the breast on top of the cream cheese and place the purple onion on top of the breast. Wrap the pepper and breast with a half slice of bacon. Hold the bacon in place with a moist round toothpick. (Be sure to wrap tightly to hold in cheese.)

S P O N S O R E D BY:

For the Baste The baste will help to cook the bacon faster and keep the meat from overcooking and drying out.

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1 whole bottle of Syrah or Merlot wine 3/4 jar Jalapeno Kiwi Jelly 3 Tbs soy sauce 3 Tbs olive oil 1 Tbs Dijon mustard 3 tsp beef bullion 1 Tbs butter 1 Tbs black pepper 2 Tbs rosemary leaves, chopped coarsely 2 cloves of fresh minced garlic Place all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and reduce by 1/2 of volume. Remove from heat.

Grilling Because they are small, delicate, and prone to flare ups on the fire, place the dove wraps indirectly over medium high heat on the grill and keep it covered when not basting. Turn the wraps every 4-5 minutes and baste every time you turn until bacon is browned. Remove from the grill to a platter and cover loosely with a piece of foil for approx. 7-8 minutes to rest the meat. Then remove the toothpicks and enjoy.

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Cream of Winter Squash Soup 2 acorn squash, about 2 pounds each 1 butternut squash, about 2 pounds 1 stick of butter, cut into tablespoon portions 1/4 cup molasses 2 carrots, peeled and halved 1 onion, julienned 6 cloves of garlic, peeled 2 cups white wine 8 cups chicken stock 1 tsp allspice salt and white pepper 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 Tbs finely chopped parsley 2 Tbs crème fraiche 1 TBS chopped chives Preheat oven to 350. Cut the squashes in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Season the squash with salt and white pepper.

PHOTO COURTESY OF USDA

Place the halved squashes, skin side down, in a shallow roasting pan. Place one tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of molasses in the center of each squash. Arrange the carrots, onions, and garlic cloves around the squash. Pour 1 cup of the wine and 1 cup of the stock into the pan, cover with foil, and bake for two hours. Remove from the oven and cool the vegetables for five minutes.

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Scoop the flesh out of each squash and place in a large saucepot. Discard the skin. Place the other roasted vegetables and the cooking liquid in the pot. Add the remaining wine and chicken stock to the pot. Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Season with allspice, salt, and pepper. Simmer the soup for 10 minutes and then remove from heat. Using a handheld blender, puree the soup until smooth. Add the parsley, season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into a shallow bowl. Garnish with crème fraiche, and chives.

Contact Bryan Slaven, "The Texas Gourmet," at 888-234-7883, www.thetexasgourmet.com; or by email at texas-tasted@fishgame.com.

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TEXAS SALTWATER

GALVESTON

Rick Hart man Outdoor Tr Redfish avel In Photo by Don Muelr c. ath

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s and Jame ervice ve, Dylan n Guide S David, Ste 2 Redfish; Hillma nd 15 Trout a

ADVERTISERS, MAIL IN YOUR PHOTOS TODAY!

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Casey Hunting a Aoudad nd Ang Quality R ling eview

For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.

HUNTING AND ANGLING QUALITY REVIEW Hunting and Angling Quality Review is your source for reviews of hunting and fishing outfitters, leases and charters, by your fellow sportsmen and women. Browse through our growing list of reviews or submit your own reviews to be posted before you spend thousands of dollars for the next hunting or fishing lease/trip. Avoid giving the unethical outfitter, leaser or charter your hard-earned money. We accept no monies from outfitters, leases or charter services. We are the consumer’s only watch dog! Lifetime membership is $8.95. – Hunting and Angling Quality Review

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TEXAS FRESHWATER

Roddy Isom Speckled Trout Hugo Ford Guide Service

Connor Bond and Andrew Knezevich Oversized Redfish Redfish Charters

Chuck Walsh Trout 25-inch Speckled ce rvi Se ide Gu an Hillm

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COLORADO

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KING SALMON—ALASKA

TROUT & REDFISH—INGLESIDE, TEXAS

Frank Garcia of McAllen, Texas, and Carlos Camarillo caught this 41pound, 45-inch king salmon while on a fishing trip in Alaska.

Angler Lindsey Wyatt, along with partner Ken Willis, caught these 9 trout and 1 redfish in the Ingleside, Texas area. They were fishing with topwater lures.

BASS—LAKE FORK, TEXAS

Morgan Williams of Houston, Texas, caught this Michael Williams of Denison, Texas, caught and 7.1-pound, 21-inch bass at Lake Fork. The fish released this 6.5-pound bass at Lake Fork using a was caught on a white spinnerbait and was green/black beetle spin. released after the picture was taken.

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TF&G PHOTO ALBUM 1745 Greens Road Houston, Texas 77032 OR BY EMAIL: photos@fishgame.com

BLUE CATFISH—LAKE TAWAKONI, TEXAS Kenny Stafford of Arlington, Texas, caught this 50-pound blue catfish while fishing with friends, Larry O., Ralph, and Isaac, and guide, David Hanson, on Lake Tawakoni.

PLEASE INCLUDE NAME, HOMETOWN, WHEN & WHERE CAUGHT, SIZE AND WEIGHT

Note: All non-digital photos submitted become the property of Texas Fish & Game and will not be returned. TF&G makes no guarantee when or if any submitted photo will be published. F i s h

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BLACK DRUM—PORT MANSFIELD, TEXAS

BLUE CATFISH—LAKE TRAVIS, TEXAS

GAFFTOPS—CHARLIE’S PASTURE, TEXAS

Nacho Palomo and son Luis Palomo caught this 35-pound, 43-inch black drum off of a sinking barge in the Intracoastal Channel in Port Mansfield, Texas. The drum was released, due to the oversize limit.

Tim Hefner of Leander, Texas, along with his son Paul and Bill Young, caught this Lake Travis rod and reel blue catfish record—43 pounds, 43 inches—using cut shad for bait. Five days earlier, the same three caught the Lake Travis flathead record, a 32-pound, 40-incher. Both records are certified.

L-R Denise, husband Victor, Jesse and Letty caught these gafftops while fishing Charlie’s Pasture with dead shrimp and squid. Many more were caught but released, making this the start of a good vacation for the group.

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O YOU WANT TO KNOW A SECRET? KEEP IT to yourself, but many deer hunters have no idea how to properly sight in a rifle. Stay with me for a few minutes and I will show you how to do it properly and as easily as possible. First is to make certain that the scope (assuming that the rifle wears a scope) is mounted properly, with all the screws tight. The most common problem I run into is loose screws in the rings or bases (a set of precision-ground gunsmith’s screwdrivers is a great help in mounting a scope). If you are mounting the scope and don’t ever intend to change it, it is best to use some kind of fixative on the screw threads to keep them tight. There are commercial products such as Loctite, but clear fingernail polish will work in a pinch. Next is to get the scope and gun looking in the same direction. This is done by boresighting. A rifle can be bore-sighted by use of a collimator, one of the new laser boresighters, or by simply looking through the bore with the bolt removed and adjusting the scope until the bore and scope are aligned. In truth, once you get the hang of it, looking

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through the bore at a target set at 100 yards and aligning the crosshairs to correspond is probably more precise than the use of a collimator. However, using a collimator is easier and precise enough, and is the only way to bore-sight a semi-auto or a lever action. Now remember this: A bore-sighted rifle is not sighted in! It must be shot at a target

by Steve LaMascus and final adjustments made. A bore-sighted gun might still be as much as a foot off. And don’t forget to take the arbor or “spud” out of the barrel before you shoot the gun. Failure to do so will likely put you in the hospital and will most certainly wreck the rifle in a most spectacular manner. When sighting in, the rifle must be held solidly and consistently. This is accomplished by the use of commercial rests or sandbags; either will do just fine. Place the rifle on the bags with the front of the stock on the forward bag, and the butt stock just behind the pistol grip on the rear bag. Make sure that the barrel is not touching anything, as it will tend to shoot away from any unnatA L M A N A C / T E X A S

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ural pressure. Now grip the gun firmly with the trigger hand, pulling the stock into solid contact with your shoulder, and grip the gun gently with the other hand just behind the front sand bag, or in front of the trigger guard. Do not use the off hand for support in any way. You want the rifle to recoil naturally. The off hand is there just to keep the gun from jumping off the forward rest and damaging the stock. The best benchrest shooters do not touch the stock at all with the off hand, but when shooting high-power rifles, I prefer the above technique for reasons of safety. Finally, place your cheek firmly on the stock and align the crosshairs with the gun rested firmly on the sandbags. If you turn loose of the gun, the crosshairs should not move. Don’t pick the gun up off the sandbags. Move the rests around to bring the gun to the target. When shooting from the bench, take your time. Make sure you squeeze the trigger, getting a surprise break every time. Fire three shots, then use the center of the group as your point of impact. Make your adjustments to move the center of the group to G a m e ® / O C T O B E R

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In This Issue

I30 I32

INDUSTRY INSIDER • Woodee Rods; Navionics | BY TF&G STAFF SHOOT THIS • Kimber Model 8400 Sonora | BY STEVE LAMASCUS

HOW-TO SECTION

COVER STORY • How to Sight in a Deer Rifle | BY STEVE LAMASCUS

HOTSPOTS & TIDES SECTION

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

I16

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK • Tides, Solunar Table, Best Hunting/Fishing Times | BY TF&G STAFF

GEARING UP SECTION

I24 I26

TEXAS TESTED • Luresafety Wrap; Garmin; and more | BY TF&G STAFF NEW PRODUCTS • What’s New From Top Outdoor Manufacturers | BY TF&G STAFF

I42 I44 I46

TEXAS BOATING • Five Boating Adventures | BY LENNY RUDOW

I47 I48 I50 I52 I54

FRESHWATER BAITS & RIGS • Gar on Purpose | BY PAUL BRADSHAW

TEXAS KAYAKING • Cast, Blast, & Paddle | BY GREG BERLOCHER

SPECIAL ADVERTISING

I37

HUNTING TEXAS • Special Advertising Section | BY DON ZAIDLE

OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE SECTION

I33 I45 I56

TROPHY FEVER • Special Hunting Section | BY TF&G STAFF TOURNAMENT INSIDER • BASS Nixes Co-Anglers | BY MATT WILLIAMS GURLZ PAGE • Bluewing Worries | BY MARI HENRY

SALTWATER BAITS & RIGS • Circle Hook Jigs Revisited | BY PATRICK LEMIRE

HUNT TEXAS • Duck Lessons | BY BOB HOOD TEXAS GUNS & GEAR • The Sound of Silence | BY STEVE LAMASCUS WILDERNESS TRAILS • That’s My Story and I’m Sticking to It… | BY HERMAN W. BRUNE AFIELD WITH BARRY • It’s Not Just the Fishing | BY BARRY ST. CLAIR

I58 I60 I62

TEXAS TASTED • Mesquite Grilled Dove Wraps | BY BRYAN SLAVEN DISCOVER THE OUTDOORS • Classifieds | BY TF&G STAFF PHOTO ALBUM • Your Action Photos | BY TF&G STAFF

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wherever you want your point of impact to be at 100 yards. I usually sight my guns a bit high at 100 yards, because you will often be presented with a shot that is farther than 100 yards. A rifle sighted a little high at 100 will allow you to hit game at longer ranges without holdover. Generally, sighting 1-1/2 or 2 inches high is the preferred method, but if you hunt in big, open country, where the shots are usually long, you might consider 3 inches high. Most riflescopes have adjustments with 1/4-inch “clicks”; that is four clicks to the inch. So, all you have to do is measure the distance above or below the bull’s-eye and the distance right or left, and make the adjustments. For instance, if the center of your group is 4 inches high and 3 inches left, you move the scope adjustments 16 clicks down and 12 clicks right. If the scope adjustments are accurate, it takes only a few shots to sight in the rifle. What do we do if it is not on the target at all? My preference is to put up a large section of white butcher paper—big enough that the bullet is certain to hit it somewhere. Usually 3x3 feet will suffice. Then shoot again and see where it hits.

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If you don’t have any butcher paper, just move to 25 yards to make your primary adjustments—but beware: A scoped rifle

sighted to hit center at 25 yards is going to be several inches high at 100 yards. Also, any error in adjustment at 25 is going to be A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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multiplied by 4 at 100 yards. Do not sight in at 25 yards and think it is close enough. It might be, but the odds are against it. Once you are sighted in properly at 25 yards, go back to 100 to finalize your sight alignment. If you expect to have long shots when hunting, it is wise to check your sights at 200 and 300 yards. Sometimes, a rifle that is almost perfect at 100 will be several inches off at 300. The farther back you go, the more precise your zero. Each time you make an adjustment, shoot a three-shot group to check. Sometimes the scope adjustments will not move at all until you shoot the gun, then recoil causes the stuck crosshairs to move. This can be avoided by tapping the scope to settle the crosshairs into their new position. After I make an adjustment on the scope, I usually and tap around the adjustment knobs with the side of a loaded cartridge case to be certain that the crosshairs move and then settle in. This is such a common problem that it has become almost a religious rite when sighting in, and the brass cartridge case will not damage the finish of the scope. Never fire one shot and then make adjustments. This is called “chasing bullet G a m e ® / O C T O B E R

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holes.” Not many guns are accurate enough to do this, and most shooters do not shoot well enough. Instead, always shoot a group if at least three shots, then make your adjustments from the center of the group. The tools you will need for sighting in are few, but important. First is a solid bench

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rest. If you are trying to shoot from a wobbly, crooked rest, you will have nothing but heartache trying to sight in your rifle. Next is commercial front and rear rests or a sufficient number of sandbags to solidly bed the rifle. The gun must be solidly supported both at the front end and at the butt. As a last resort, shooting over the hood of a pickup, with the gun firmly supported with sandbags, is a workable solution. I have sighted in many rifles this way, but it is not as good as a benchrest and sandbags. If you are shooting a low-power scope, a good spotting scope is a wonderful tool to have. It will save you a lot of walking back and forth from the bench to the target to see where that last shot went. My current spotting scope is an Alpen that is adjustable from 18x to 36x. Any decent spotting scope of at least 20x will be sufficient to see bullet holes at 100 yards. Shoot-and-See targets are not absolutely necessary, but certainly handy things to have. These targets have a black coating over a highly visible base, usually something like bright chartreuse. When hit by a bullet, the black flakes off, leaving the bright color at the edge of the bullet hole, making it highly visible. Those I use are made by Birchwood Casey and are marked off in a grid of

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Never make scope adjustments after just one shot; always shoot for group before tweaking the sights.

PHOTO BY GRADY ALLEN

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1-inch squares. With the grid target, I do not have to measure anything; I just count the squares and make the adjustment. They also make it much easier to see the bullet holes than when shooting at a plain paper target. When you are sighting in, be precise. It is important that you know exactly where the gun is shooting. This is one time when “close enough for government work” is not acceptable.

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

Snooker a Snook LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: South Bay GPS: N26 1.122, W97 11.049

SPECIES: snook BEST BAITS: live shrimp, finger mullet; topwaters, soft plastic in purple/chartreuse, glow/chartreuse; swimbaits CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Ol’ Linesides becomes more active as moderate temperatures serve as a biological cue to get ready for the winter. They become so aggressive, in fact, that they will literally knock a topwater skyward. If they do that, switch over to a subsurface bait such as a jig or swimbait (the YUM Money Minnow is a perfect choice). Live bait also works well. Use Octopus-style or Kahle hooks to hook these snook in the corner of the jaw. That makes for an easier release.

Cast upcurrent and let your rig drift back through without slack. Keep a light touch. A mouse-like tap once turned into a 38-inch snook for me. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Convention Center (bank access) GPS: N26 06.150, W97 10.350 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp/popping cork, topwaters, gold spoons, soft plastics in chartreuse patterns CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Redfish really turn on in October, and even the bank angler who just wants to kill some time wetting a line could catch his fair share of slot reds pretty quickly. Wade out to the grassline (shuffle your feet; stingrays, you know), and start casting in a fan pattern to locate fish. For fishermen who don’t want to lug a bait bucket, the venerable weedless gold spoon is the best option to cover the most water quickly. Topwaters are more fun, though.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Rail bed (bank access) GPS: N26 3.830, W97 9.920 SPECIES: snook, redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp, live finger mullet; shad tails in red/white, pumpkinseed/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Snook and redfish use the drop-off that traces the shoreline as a migration mount through Brazos Santiago and into the Gulf and back. Intercept these traveling predators with live bait on a free-line rig or with soft plastics on a 1/4-ounce jighead.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Longbar GPS: N26 12.164, W97 15.957 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live bait, ballyhoo chunks; topwaters; soft plastics in red/white, New Penny; gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Anchor or drift around the gut and potholes that mark Longbar; on a calm day, they look like emerald-green holes and channels in the grass beds. You can throw your favorite topwater or soft plastic if you want. A more relaxing and easier technique is to toss a chunk of ballyhoo on a bottom rig into one of the potholes, sit back under your Ttop, and relax. Some snobs might sniff at you and say that isn’t sporting, but when a

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31-inch bull grabs your bait and takes off for Parts Unknown, it seems plenty sporting. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Holly Beach GPS: N26 6.888, W97 17.17.839 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp; topwaters; Gulp! shrimp in Nuclear Chicken, Lime Tiger; soft plastics in chartreuse patterns; gold spinnerbaits CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: People tend to forget about speckled trout in October because of all the redfish, but there are some real pigs hiding out there. Drift Holly beach and fling your favorite topwater or soft plastic and you should do well. Gold safety-pin style spinnerbaits with a chartreuse or Texas Shad patterned tail is also very effective, especially if there are any redfish around (which there will be). LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Arroyo Colorado (bank access) GPS: N26 20.061, W97 26.375 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp; Gulp! shrimp in Nuclear Chicken, Glow; speck rigs CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: Night-fishing for speckled trout from the lighted piers in Arroyo City really takes off in October, especially during the harvest moon. Free-lining live shrimp is old hat, but the 2-inch Gulp Shrimp in glow or Nuclear Chicken has carved a niche among frugal night fishermen. Don’t discount the classic yellow/white speck rig. It’s caught millions of trout over the years, and it still does. Boaters can drift around the edges of the lights to look for the bigger trout that lurk in the shadows. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: South Cullen Bay

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GPS: N26 13.421, W97 16.773 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp; soft plastics in clear/red, red/white, Pearl/red; topwaters CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: Redfish are much more active in October and are cruising all over the bay in pods great and small. They aren’t shy about attacking anything that resembles prey, and will smash a topwater. It’s a neat sight to behold when you see a redfish literally roll upside down to engulf a topwater. Fish whatever you’re confident with: live bait, soft plastics, topwaters. Fall redfish aren’t very finicky. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Peyton’s Bay GPS: N26 24.528, W97 21.703 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp; soft plastics in clear/red, red/white, Pearl/red; gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: Enter this shallow bay just west of Marker 191 and set down in the deeper water (we’re talking a difference of literally inches). Cast topwaters towards the spoil islands early in the morning, especially if the tide is up. Watch for tailing redfish and cast your bait in front of them if you can. LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: South of East Cut GPS: N26 32.814, W97 23.089 SPECIES: Speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: Gulp! Jerk Shads in New Penny, Pearl; topwaters CONTACT: Captain Terry Neal, 956-6427357 TIPS: The deep grass is still very good for redfish and trout in October. Fish shallow early with topwaters. Watch the grasslines for jumping bait as a cue to predators moving around and feeding. Use a 1/4-ounce head to fish jerkbaits. Look to the grasslines near the ICW.

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HOTSPOT: Badlands GPS: N27 18.744, W97 27 24.903

SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Norton Bull Minnows in Tequila Gold, clear/gold glitter; topwaters in Bone, red/white CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441 TIPS: You can wade the shallow rocks early in the morning and throw large topwaters such as a Top Dog or a Super Spook to draw reaction strikes from aggressive trout or hungry redfish. Soft plastics fished in deeper water later in the day are also very productive. The Norton Bull Minnow is a great choice because of the amount of vibration the boot tail puts off. Use a 1/4-ounce jighead. LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Center Reef GPS: N27 16.206, W97 34.362 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: purple/chartreuse Bull Minnow or Gulp! under Old Bayside Paradise Popper CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441 TIPS: Watch for birds working over trout or redfish. If you spot them, drift into range and throw a Gulp! or Bull Minnow pinned on a 1/4-ounce jighead. If the fish aren’t working under birds, then break out a Paradise Popper and fish the same setup underneath it. Vary your popping cadence until the fish respond the correct way. LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Black’s Bluff GPS: N27 14.000, W97 31.723 SPECIES: redfish, speckled trout BEST BAITS: live pinfish/Texas Rattlin’ Rig Mini Chatterweight; swimbaits CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441 TIPS: Between the grunting of a pinfish and the rattling of the Mini Chatterweight, it is little wonder that redfish and trout just F i s h

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cream this little buggers. A swimbait such as the DOA Toughguy will work well too, if you don’t want to go through the trouble of making bait. LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: King Ranch Shoreline GPS: N27 25.402, W97 2.075 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: live pinfish topwaters, gold spoons, Gulp!/Old Bayside float CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441 TIPS: Focus on the shallower grass beds near the drop-offs. redfish will be up on the grass prowling for some sort of protein. Topwaters and gold spoons will be the most effective lures in your bag. Back off and fish the grass edges with live pinfish rigged on a Texas Rattlin’ Rig Mini Chatterweight or a Gulp! tail under a Paradise Popper. LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Emmord’s Hole GPS: N27 30.057, W97 19.546 SPECIES: redfish, speckled trout BEST BAITS: live pinfish, gold spoons, Gulp!/Old Bayside Paradise Popper float, soft plastics in Tequila Gold CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Grass beds are the keys to Upper Laguna Madre in October. The grass beds that fringe Emmord’s are always a good area to prospect. If you would rather use lure over bait, gold spoons are the most versatile, especially when you are prospecting over a broad area. An Old Bayside Paradise Popper float will hold soft plastics over the grass tips and compel you to fish slower, which means that trout and redfish will be able to locate your offering more effectively. LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Beacroft’s Hole GPS: N27 33.029, W97 19.293 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: gold spoons, Gulp!/Old Bayside Paradise Popper float, soft plastics in Tequila Gold. CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441

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TIPS: The grasslines mark where the depth breaks are at, and that is where you want to fish. Work your baits or lures just above the grass tips, and let them fall into potholes that you spot. Most fish will be hanging around the fringes of the potholes, and will be waiting to ambush anything that cruises by. redfish will be prowling over the grass between the potholes. LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Jetties GPS: N27 50.615, W97 3.443 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live or cut mullet, crab chunks CONTACT: Captain George Rose, 361727-9227, 361-463-7700 TIPS: Both trophy reds and upper-slot fish are prowling up and down the jetties in October. Bait a fish-finder rig with mullet or crab and throw it into the holes and eddies near the rocks. It won’t take long before one of these bruisers finds your bait. Anchor carefully, and don’t pull in your anchor until your motor is running. LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Estes Flats GPS: N27 57.058, W97 5.331 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: shrimp, live or cut mullet, crab chunks, gold spoons; soft plastics in purple/white, chartreuse, New Penny CONTACT: Captain George Rose, 361727-9227, 361-463-7700 TIPS: You can drift the flats or anchor and fish around the sand holes that dot the flats. Gold spoons are standard, but you can use soft plastics in your favorite color. If you anchor up, throw bottom rigs with shrimp, mullet, or crab into the sand holes. Use a bell or No-snag sinker to avoid getting fouled up with grass on your rig.

Sabine Specks LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Keith Lake Cut

GPS: N29 46.503, W93 56.427 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish

BEST BAITS: topwaters in white/silver; plastics in pearl/chartreuse, glow/chartreuse, smoke/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, 409-673-2018 TIPS: The key is to fish the incoming and outgoing tides. Bait will get pushed out through the cut, and both trout and redfish will be waiting to take a shot at them. Early in the morning is the best time to fish the area. Work topwaters in the shallower water, and soft plastics and where the cut fans out. Use a 1/4-ounce jighead with the soft plastics. LOCATION: Sabine Pass HOTSPOT: Black’s Bayou GPS: N29 59.610, W93 45.783 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: soft plastics in Opening Night, Closing Night CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, 409-673-2018 TIPS: Fishing Sabine Lake in October depends on the amount of fresh water the lake gets from late season weather systems. If the salinity level is up, then focus on areas such as Blacks. Fish the cuts and drains during an outgoing tide, when redfish and trout will be pouncing on bait that is pushed out of the bayou. Soft plastics in lighter colors mimic white shrimp, the preferred meal of Bayou predators. Don’t be afraid to throw darker colors, which mimic baitfish. LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Boiler Bayou GPS: N29 38.547, W94 53.001 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: 1/4- to 3/8-ounce soft plastics in white or Glow/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Don Wood, 975-2442777, 979-240-4137 TIPS: Fish the area in front of Boiler (known locally as Towhead). Watch for birds working over bait. A heavier jighead will get your bait deeper down, where the better fish are prowling and picking up wounded bait. If there are no birds working, then look for scattered shell to fish over. Again, work near the bottom. LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Drull’s Lump GPS: N28 42.231, W95 49.652 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: 1/4- to 3/8-ounce soft plastics A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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in white or Glow/chartreuse; topwaters in light colors CONTACT: Captain Don Wood, 975-2442777, 979-240-4137 TIPS: The key to East Matagorda Bay in October is scattered shell and mud. Drull’s Lump has both. Start early with light colored topwaters, and switch over to soft plastics later in the day. Ambitious fishermen can wade the area and work more thoroughly. LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Boggy Cut GPS: N28 44.043, W95 49.658 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: 1/4- to 3/8-ounce soft plastics in white or Glow/chartreuse; topwaters in light colors CONTACT: Captain Don Wood, 975-2442777, 979-240-4137 TIPS: A falling tide is the best time to fish the cut. Fish are running the cuts to begin their seasonal migration, and fishermen can intercept them. Fish the edges with soft plastics. Watch for birds working around the cut as well, and cast heavier (1/4- to 3/8-ounce) jigs to fish deeper beneath the school.

Coleto Cats LOCATION: Coleto Creek HOTSPOT: Coletoville Road Bridge (bank access)

GPS: N28 45.813, W98 9.882. SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: shrimp, chicken liver, cut bait CONTACT: Coleto Creek Park, 361-5756366 TIPS: Fish chicken livers or cut baits on Carolina rigs near the pilings or brush to locate catfish that are foraging around the edges of both. Coleto has an excellent population of cooperative fish, and this is an excellent opportunity to indoctrinate youngsters into the joy of fishing. Fishing equipment can consist of the venerable Zebco 33, some hooks, and a few sinkers. Pretty easy stuff. LOCATION: Calaveras G a m e ® / O C T O B E R

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HOTSPOT: Granny’s Cove GPS: N29 17.084, W98 18.293 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live shad, gold spoons; swimbaits in blue, purple, chartreuse CONTACT: Jeff Snyder 210-649-2435 TIPS: Water temperatures drop off from summer highs well into the 90’s. Fish the east side of the cove. Live shad or small sunfish on a bottom rig are the best bet, but gold spoons or 1/2-ounce swimbaits such as Storm’s Wildeye Shad also work quite well. Use stout tackle, because these fish can run large and have plenty of stuff to run your line over. LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Big Tiger GPS: N26 44.326, W99 8.750 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: plastic worms, spinnerbaits CONTACT: Mike Hawks, 210-275-1309 TIPS: Fish around the points with spinnerbaits and Texas-rigged plastic worms fished over sunken timber. As the day progresses, fish farther into the timber at the back end of the creek with the same plastic worms. Braid and heavy line is a good idea; there are some big bass in this area. LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Rio Grande River Channel GPS: N26 56.350, W99 22.670 SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: prepared baits, cut bait, night crawlers CONTACT: Falcon Lake Tackle, 956-7654866 TIPS: Fish the channel drop-off to locate large numbers of catfish. The best baits are cut shad and sunfish, which are the catfish natural forage. Night crawlers and punchbaits will produce scads of smaller catfish. A standard bottom rig with a 1/0-3/0 longshank hook will work. Use heavier line (15to 20-pound) to handle any larger fish you might encounter.

Brave Brady Bass LOCATION: Lake Brady I10

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HOTSPOT: Upper Brady Creek GPS: N31 12.428, W99 30.889 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: shallow crankbaits, double willow leaf spinnerbaits, creature baits CONTACT: Wendell Ramsey, 325-2274931, bram4@suddenlink.net TIPS: There is a group of bass that stay in Brady Creek this time of year while feeding heavily as they prepare for winter. Moving baits will produce on the rocky, timbered banks. Use white/chartreuse color combos in stained water. BANK ACCESS: City Park LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Flag Island GPS: N30 48.571, W98 26.440 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: silver/blue back Chug Bugs or JDC Skip-N-Pop topwater poppers, Berkley Gulp, 5-inch Shakey Worms on Shakey Head jigheads, deep diving crankbaits in Tennessee Shad and Sexy Shad colors. CONTACT: Kandie Candelaria, 210-8232153, kandie@gvtc.com TIPS: Work the above baits from Flag Island all the way to the dam BANK ACCESS: Shaw Island, crappie, largemouth bass, white bass, catfish LOCATION: Lake LBJ HOTSPOT: Sandy Creek Rock Wall GPS: N30 34.752, W98 26.440 BEST BAITS: JDC Skip-N-Pop or Ghost, (smoke), colored small Zara Spook, Rat-LTraps in Bleeding Shad color, 3/16th ounce black/blue Bitsey Jigs in Watermelon Candy, Net Paca chunk, Watermelon stick baits by Crème, Whacky Sticks CONTACT: Kandie Candelaria, 210-8232153, kandie@gvtc.com TIPS: Work the cement wall and riprap, secondary breaklines with laydowns and stumps. Don’t be afraid to change baits. BANK ACCESS: Robin Hood Park, catfish, crappie, largemouth F i s h

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LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Dam Hump GPS: N29 52.029, W98 12.267 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: smoke or red JDC grubs, Texas-rigged Zoom Trick Worm 6 inches in Watermelon Candy with tungsten 1/4-ounce weights, 1/4-ounce Shakey Head jigs with Gulp!, drop-shot rig on Stand Out 2/0 hook with Devil’s Tongues in Pumpkin with the tail dipped in red dye CONTACT: Kandie Candelaria, 210-8232153, kandie@gvtc.com TIPS: Begin your day early and work water 8 to 15 feet deep along main lake bluff ledges, points, and humps. BANK ACCESS: Comal Park, largemouth, catfish LOCATION: Lake Granger HOTSPOT: Willis Creek SPECIES: largemouth bass GPS: N30 41.953, W97 23.485 BEST BAITS: buzzbaits and spinnerbaits in white, chartreuse; slab spoons CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell, 512-3657761, www.txfishing.com/tidwell/index.htm TIPS: Work the shallow water at the mouth of the river and the timber around Willis Creek, and upriver along stumps lining the edge of the channel. BANK ACCESS: Wilson Fox Fishing Dock, crappie on live minnows fished straight down off dock.

Spooks & Vixens Fool Bass LOCATION: Lake Amistad HOTSPOT: Mile Markers 21-25, (American side)

GPS: N29 33.340, W101 14.779 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Zara Spooks, Vixens, frogs, all in green

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CONTACT: Wendell Ramsey, bram4@suddenlink.net TIPS: October through November is topwater madness month on Amistad. Work parallel to the many points up in this part of the Rio Grande while keeping the trolling motor on medium speed. Work Baby Bass colored Spooks or Vixens using the “walk the dog” technique. Continue all day or until you have had your fill. Try the Ragtail Toad over mats of grass or salt cedar and you might get your arms worn out. BANK ACCESS: Airforce Marina, largemouth, catfish LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Bee Creek to Costello Island GPS: N32 51.274, W98 32.205 SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: jigs and slabs CONTACT: Dean Heffner, 940-779-2597, fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: PK is beginning to cool off. The fish are either spawning or going through a faux spawn and are beginning to feed heavily to stock up for winter. They are starting their fall migration toward the North end of the lake, so begin looking for them from Bee Creek to Costello Island and beyond to the North end of the lake. Jigs and slabs are the name of the game, but don’t for get to look for the birds. They are your extra sets of eyes, so take advantage of them. You might want to bring your cast net too, for the lake is full of perfect little “baits.” BANK ACCESS: Willow Beach RV Park, privately owned, ask for permission; largemouth, crappie, stripers, white bass

Wacky Twitchy Bass LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Northwood Docks, above 2946 Bridge GPS: N32 54.380, W95 39.547

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SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: shallow running crankbaits, Junebug colored Lake Fork Twitch worms rigged wacky style CONTACT: Rick Carter, 903-765-3474, www.lakeforkbassfish.com TIPS: In October, the bass move back into the grass beds from deep water into water 310 feet deep and start their fall feeding spree as they prepare for winter. Throw shallow running crankbait or Lake Fork Twitch Worm around docks with grass around them. A good place to start is Northwood Docks, just above the 2946 bridge. There is a long line of docks in this area. The bass might be stacked at one dock, so don’t give up. Fish all docks thoroughly. BANK ACCESS: Fishing Pier at the Minnow Bucket bait stand, crappie, largemouth bass LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: 2946 Bridge GPS: N32 53.865, W95 39.522 SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: crappie jigs and live minnows CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, 903-5302201, www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Crappie will be good both on minnows and jigs on the main lake points where you find big standing timber and also under the 515 and 2946 Bridges. Most of the crappie you catch will be in about 20 to 25 feet of water. Jig color doesn’t appear to be very important. BANK ACCESS: Fishing Pier at the Minnow Bucket bait stand, crappie, largemouth bass LOCATION: Lake Monticello HOTSPOT: 14-Pound Point GPS: N33 07 114, W95 05.150 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: chartreuse topwater lures CONTACT: Jeff Kirkwood, 972-853-0949, www.fishinwithjeff.com TIPS: October provides some of the very best fishing on Monticello. The topwater bite can be truly awesome. The key to fishing this lake is the color Chartreuse. The bass are suckers for this color most of the time. Work the topwaters around lay downs, stumps and on the edges of grass. BANK ACCESS: Titus County Park

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G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

LOCATION: Lake Sam Rayburn HOTSPOT: Buck Bay Moss Bed (off side of point) GPS: N31 11.015, W94 04.028 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Nichols Spinnerbaits in white and / or Chartreuse with willow leaf blades. Nichols also makes a “shattered glass” pattern for their spinnerbait blades. CONTACT: Don Mattern, Sr., 903-4782633, www.matternguideservice.fghp.com TIPS: There’s a huge hydrilla bed with 5to 8-foot edges near deeper water. Work the side of the point, casting Nichols Spinnerbait over the hydrilla. The shattered glass pattern has worked very well for me in these areas. You can also work a red or crawfish patterned Rattle Shad in 1/2-ounce. BANK ACCESS: Powell Park Marina Fishing Pier, largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, white and striped bass

Whites in the Riprap LOCATION: Lake Aquilla HOTSPOT: Dam Riprap at Spillway GPS: N31 53.860, W97 12.408

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BEST BAITS: topwater baits to match forage size in silver or clear, slabs to match forage size in silver or white, live shad CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-368-7411, Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com TIPS: Look for topwater feeding early and late. Pay attention to the size of shad regurgitated by fish you catch and try to closely match the forage size. Work topwaters until bite dies in the morning, then switch to slabs. When topwater bite resumes in the afternoon, switch back to topwaters. Action will improve as cold fronts cause temperatures to moderate and continue a cooling trend in water temperatures. LOCATION: Lake Joe Pool HOTSPOT: Secondary Points of Lynn & Walnut Creeks GPS: N32 35.415, W97 04.886 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Rat-L-Traps, small spinnerbaits; shallow running crankbaits in shad patterns. CONTACT: Randy Maxwell, 817-3132878, www.getagripguide.com TIPS: Early evening is starting to be the best time to fish. All you need remember is moving baits around shad activity. Watching wind direction for a few days before you head to the lake will give you a good place to start. Fish the windblown shores from the dam to the bridges on either Lynn or Walnut Creeks. Look for larger fish to start staging for their fall feeding, on the points and secondary points of Lynn and Walnut. Work DD22’s and Carolina-rigged Fries. Try throwing a weightless fluke or Chomper Salty Sinker in the grass wherever you can find it, while keeping your lure on the move. BANK ACCESS: Lynn Creek Fishing Dock, bream, crappie, largemouth bass, $3 per vehicle per day use fee LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Dam Rocks GPS: N33 02.208, W96 28.044 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: chartreuse/white spinnerbait, black/blue jig with a Gene Larew trailer to match, 100 or 200 series Bandit Mistake CONTACT: Jeff Kirkwood, 972-853-0949, www.fishinwithjeff.com TIPS: The better areas will be the riprap like the Dam Rocks and other riprap found throughout the lake (Hwy 380, Mallard Cove, and other dam areas). As the water

begins to cool, you’ll find that the rocks will not only hold baitfish, but also it will hold the heat as well. This will attract the fish. Secondary water level has consistently changed from one year to the next due to drought and each time it has created somewhat of a drop-off. Look for these areas in 7 to 10 feet of water. Several shallow humps on the lake hold good fish during the fall. Don’t be surprised to find several fish stacked up together. BANK ACCESS: Ticky Creek, largemouth bass on crankbaits and spinnerbaits LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Highsaw Creek & Ledbetter GPS: N32 07.825, W95 29.341 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Nichols Shattered Glass willow leaf blades spinnerbait CONTACT: Don Mattern, Sr. www.matternguideservice.fghp.com TIPS: These creek areas hold a lot of shad, and consequently the bass almost have a captive audience and feed voraciously on the shad. Work the Nichols spinnerbait along the creek banks and around the cuts between islands and you will be successful. BANK ACCESS: Dam Park, largemouth, crappie, fish pockets and rock wall LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Neches River GPS: N32 17.926, W95 26.890 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: shad colored crankbaits, chartreuse/white Shimmy Shaker Swim lure, Texas-rigged Red Shad worm, Diamond Head 3/8-ounce jig in black/brown/amber color CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, 903-5302201, www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Position your boat in the middle of the river and fish upriver, working all the bends and drainages that run into the river. Bass will also be good down south on all the big main lake points from the 155 bridge all the way to the dam. You will find bass bunching up on the points in 8 to 12 feet of water near lay downs and brush. Keep in mind to fish slow and cover the areas completely. Stay deep and cast to the shallows and pull down the points. You’ll catch more fish this way during the fall. BANK ACCESS: Dam Park, largemouth, crappie, fish pockets and rock wall

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

F i s h

LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard HOTSPOT: Yankee Creek GPS: N32 49.982, W96 29.930 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Small Rat-L-Traps, Bandit 100 crankbaits, black/blue/Chartreuse jig with matching Gene Larew trailer CONTACT: Jeff Kirkwood, 972-853-0949, www.fishinwithjeff.com TIPS: Bass are making a major move to the big creeks and East Fork River. Rat-L-Traps and Bandit 100 crankbaits are definitely a must. Once you find the productive area, slow down and fish the jig, methodically working each area. Secondary points, major coves, and creek entrances will also be great places. As always, when in doubt, work the Hwy 30 riprap or the riprap at the dam. Keep an eye out for the baitfish, and try to match your baits to the size of the baitfish, kind of a “match the hatch.” BANK ACCESS: Chaha Road Park, crappie, catfish, minnows, punchbait, fish off pier LOCATION: Richland-Chambers Reservoir HOTSPOTS: Crab & Grape Creeks, Three Fingers, (a.k.a. Church House Cove) GPS: Crab - N31 58.400, W96 18.350; Grape - N31 57.460, W96 20.200; Three Fingers - N31 59.550, W96 08.400 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: 3/8-ounce No. 2 gold willow leaf spinnerbait with a little bluish tint in the skirt, Clown color Yellow Magic Bait, Texas Carolina rig using a Kicker Fish Bird Dog or Zoom Brush Hog CONTACT: Steve Schmidt, 682-518-8252, www.schmidtsbigbass.com TIPS: The lake level in October is typically down about 2 to 2-1/2 feet. You really need to pay strict attention as you run on the lake. Moving into October, you’ll want to work the creeks and submerged roadbeds. The above-mentioned hotspots are all safe bets for finding your best catches. Head for shallow water from 2-10 feet deep, paying close attention to laydowns and grass. Some different techniques we are using in the mornings are a 3/8-ounce S.O.B. Buzzbait and Clown color Yellow Magic Bait. As you back off to deep water, use a Texas or Carolina rig with a Kicker Fish Bird Dog or a Zoom Brush Hog with its tail dipped in Chart Spike-it. BANK ACCESS: Midway Landing, fish shore for bass using crankbaits and spinnerbaits G a m e ® / O C T O B E R

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LOCATION: Richland-Chambers Reservoir HOTSPOT: Timber at mouth of Richland Creek GPS: N31 58.499, W96 12.736 SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: jigs or small minnows CONTACT: Royce Simmons, 903-3894117, www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: Crappie fishing over brush piles and in timber at the mouths of major creek tributaries will peak this month. The majority of our crappie trips in our fall guide trips are caught over my son’s man-made brush piles. Bait and crappie will hold tight to this cover in 20-25 feet of water. If you don’t have access to brush piles, check the timber in 20 feet of water in creek coves, as the shad will be in the creek mouths this time of year. BANK ACCESS: Midway Landing, fish shore for bass using crankbaits and spinnerbaits LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir HOTSPOT: Red Rood Cove GPS: N31 01.995, W97 34.208 SPECIES: largemouth bass, white bass BEST BATS: topwaters, shallow running crankbaits, slabs CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-368-7411, Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com TIPS: Stillhouse lost 100 percent of its hydrilla to flooding last year, so it is a new ballgame now as compared to the last decade of quality grass fishing. Shad tend to congregate in Red Rood Cove in early fall. A quick check with your sonar will tell you when this has occurred. The presence of and position of shad in the water column

will drive the fishing from topwater hard or soft bats for shad on top, to crankbaits for suspended shad, to slab spoons for shad near the bottom. Where the shad are is where the both species of bass will be. Beware of the standing timber. BANK ACCESS: Stillhouse Park, largemouth, crappie, catfish LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: North Island and Table Top GPS: N33 52.072, W96 41.672 SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: topwater lures, Sassy Shad jigs CONTACT: Bill Carey, 877-786-4477, bigfish@striperexpress.com TIPS: The big fish are on the banks in early morning in October. Blind cast Pencil Poppers and Chug Bugs in shallow water for vicious strikes. Mid-morning, change to a 4-inch Sassy Shad on a 1-ounce jighead. Favorite colors are white/Glow and chartreuse fleck. Keep your eyes on the seagulls. They locate schools of stripers roaming open water. Live shad fishing is also an excellent way to catch stripers. Locate fish on the ledges, anchor, and place your bait three turns of your reel off the bottom. The best depth will average 30 feet. BANK ACCESS: Washita Point and Platter Flats using the same baits mentioned above; alternate casting out from and parallel to shore LOCATION: Tradinghouse Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: Hydrilla Grass Beds GPS: N31 34.302, W96 57.137

SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Yellow Lucite Propeller Buzzbait with three or four blades, Texasrigged 8-inch Grape colored worm CONTACT: Jimmy D. Moore, 254-7442104, rayado@earthlink.net TIPS: Work buzzbait around edges and through hydrilla beds, keeping steady retrieve to keep buzzbait from hanging up. Flip Texas rigged worm into open pockets in hydrilla. Don’t set the hook on the buzzbait until you can feel the fish. If you’re too quick on the trigger, you can forget catching the bass. Best fishing will be early and late. There are other hydrilla beds on Tradinghouse. If you don’t have success here, move around to the hot-water discharge side and try again. Power generation on Tradinghouse is sporadic, so it acts differently from other power plant lakes. BANK ACCESS: South Levee, night fishing for catfish on stinkbait, chicken guts; go east past the levee, turn left, and park in old picnic area LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: Bear Creek Flats GPS: N31 59.479, W97 23.986 SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: 1-ounce slab, chartreuse Bass Assassin, jig with trailer CONTACT: Randy Routh, C-817-8225539, www.teamredneck.net TIPS: Bounce the slab off the bottom, lift and drop. Fish will hit the slab on the fall. When slab bite slows, tie on a soft plastic like the Chartreuse Bass Assassin or jig with trailer and make long casts behind the boat. Use your trolling motor on medium speed and stroll the baits. You can use the same pattern on Deep flats at GPS N31, 54.319, W97 22.105 BANK ACCESS: Loafer’s Bend Shore, stripers, white bass

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

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Tides and Prime Times for OCTOBER 2008 USING THE PRIME TIMES CALENDAR

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

T12

T11

T10

TIDE PREDICTIONS are located in the upper white boxes on the Calendar Pages. Use the Correction Table below, which is keyed to 23 other tide stations, to adjust low and high tide times.

T13 T7

T6 T5 T17

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

T15 T16

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

T14 T18

T19

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

T20

T21

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

KEY T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6

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

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

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

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

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

T22 T23

View TIDE PREDICTIONS for all Texas Coastal Tide Stations and DATES at...

www.FishGame.com • O C T O B E R

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

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

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

KEY T18 T19 T20 T21 T22 T23

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

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

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T9 T8

T3 T2 T1

F i s h

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

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

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

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NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

= Peak Fishing Period

7:45-9:40 AM

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for OCTOBER 2008

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Sunrise: 7:08a Set: 7:00p Moonrise: 10:18a Set: 8:47p

Sunrise: 7:09a Set: 6:59p Moonrise: 11:16a Set: 9:29p

Oct 1

= New Moon = Fi r s t Q u a r te r = Fu l l M o o n = Last Quarter = Best Day

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Sunrise: 7:07a Moonrise: 7:23a

Set: 7:04p Set: 7:04p

Sunrise: 7:07a Moonrise: 8:21a

Set: 7:03p Set: 7:36p

Sunrise: 7:08a Moonrise: 9:19a

Set: 7:01p Set: 8:10p

AM Minor: 5:25a

PM Minor: 5:47p

AM Minor: 6:11a

PM Minor: 6:33p

AM Minor: 6:59a

PM Minor: 7:22p

AM Minor: 7:51a

PM Minor: 8:15p

AM Minor: 8:45a

PM Minor: 9:09p

AM Minor: 9:39a

PM Minor: 10:05p

AM Minor: 10:34a

PM Minor: 10:59p

AM Major: 11:36a

PM Major: 11:58p

AM Major: ——-

PM Major: 12:22p

AM Major: 12:48a

PM Major: 1:11p

AM Major: 1:39a

PM Major: 2:03p

AM Major: 2:32a

PM Major: 2:57p

AM Major: 3:27a

PM Major: 3:52p

AM Major: 4:21a

PM Major: 4:47p

Moon Overhead: 1:17p 6a

12p

Moon Overhead: 2:47p

Moon Overhead: 2:01p

12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 3:35p 12a

12p

Sunrise: 7:09a Set: 6:58p Sunrise: 7:10a Moonrise: 12:11p Set: 10:16p Moonrise: 1:03p

Moon Overhead: 5:14p

Moon Overhead: 4:24p

12a

12p

12a

12p

Set: 6:57p Set: 11:07p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

12a

Moon Overhead: 6:05p 12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 12:55a +2.0

Moon Underfoot: 1:39a

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 3:59a

Moon Underfoot: 4:49a

Moon Underfoot: 5:39a

BEST:

1:05-2:50 PM

2:00-3:50 PM

2:50-4:35 PM

3:50-5:30 PM

4:45-7:20 PM

+2.0

TIDE LEVELS

12:15-2:10 PM

Moon Underfoot: 3:11a

TIDE LEVELS

11:30AM-1:25PM

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 2:24a

-1.0

+1.0

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

4:24 am 10:40 am 5:36 pm 11:22 pm

1.50 ft 0.57 ft 1.71 ft 1.10 ft

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

4:33 am 11:13 am 6:38 pm 11:57 pm

1.50 ft 0.41 ft 1.72 ft 1.30 ft

High Tide: 4:36 am 1.52 ft Low Tide: 11:47 am 0.32 ft High Tide: 7:43 pm 1.72 ft

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

12:27 am 4:28 am 12:25 pm 8:53 pm

1.46 ft 1.56 ft 0.29 ft 1.71 ft

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

12:47 am 3:48 am 1:07 pm 10:24 pm

1.59 ft 1.62 ft 0.30 ft 1.70 ft

Low Tide: 12:43 am 1.67 ft High Tide: 3:14 am 1.69 ft Low Tide: 1:56 pm 0.35 ft

High Tide: 3:20 am Low Tide: 2:54 pm

1.75 ft 0.40 ft

KEYS TO USING THE TIDE AND SOLUNAR GRAPHS TIDE LE VEL GRAPH: Yellow: Daylight Tab: Peak Fishing Period Green: Falling Tide Blue: Rising Tide Red Graph: Fishing Score

12a

BEST:

7:05-9:40 PM

12p

SOLUNAR AC TIVIT Y: 12a

AM/PM Timeline Light Blue: Nighttime

MINOR Feeding Periods (+/- 1.5 Hrs.)

AM Minor: 1:20a

PM Minor: 1:45p

AM Major: 7:32a

PM Major: 7:57p

Time Moon is at its Highest Point in the 12a Sky

Moon Overhead: 8:50a

Gold Fish: Best Time Blue Fish: Good Time

AM/PM Timeline

Moon Underfoot: 9:15p

12p

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

MOON PHASE SYMBOLS MAJOR Feeding Periods (+/- 2 Hrs.)

12a

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

F i s h

= New Moon = First Quarter = Full Moon = L a s t Q u a r te r = B es t Da y

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NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

MONDAY SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Sunrise: 7:11a Moonrise: 2:34p

AM Minor: 11:27a

PM Minor: 11:52p

AM Major: 5:14a

PM Major: 5:39p

Moon Overhead: 6:55p 6p

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Set: 6:54p Sunrise: 7:11a Set: 12:01a Moonrise: 3:13p

Set: 6:53p Sunrise: 7:12a Set: 12:58a Moonrise: 3:48p

Set: 6:52p Set: 1:57a

Sunrise: 7:13a Moonrise: 4:21p

Set: 6:51p Set: 2:56a

Sunrise: 7:13a Moonrise: 4:52p

Set: 6:50p Set: 3:55a

Sunrise: 7:14a Moonrise: 5:23p

Set: 6:49p Set: 4:55a

AM Minor: ——-

PM Minor: 12:17p

AM Minor: 12:41a

PM Minor: 1:05p

AM Minor: 1:26a

PM Minor: 1:49p

AM Minor: 2:08a

PM Minor: 2:31p

AM Minor: 2:48a

PM Minor: 3:10p

AM Minor: 3:27a

PM Minor: 3:50p

AM Major: 6:05a

PM Major: 6:30p

AM Major: 6:53a

PM Major: 7:17p

AM Major: 7:37a

PM Major: 8:01p

AM Major: 8:19a

PM Major: 8:42p

AM Major: 8:59a

PM Major: 9:22p

AM Major: 9:39a

PM Major: 10:02p

Moon Overhead: 8:32p

Moon Overhead: 7:44p 12a

THURSDAY

= New Moon = Fi r s t Q u a r te r = Fu l l M o o n = Last Quarter = Best Day

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 9:19p 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 10:50p

Moon Overhead: 10:05p 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 11:35p 12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Set: 6:55p Set: None

12p

WEDNESDAY

Sunrise: 7:10a Moonrise: 1:51p

Tides and Prime Times for OCTOBER 2008

TUESDAY

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 6:30a

-1.0

Moon Underfoot: 8:56a

BEST:

5:30-8:55 PM

6:15-7:55 PM

7:10-8:40 PM

7:50-9:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 9:42a BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 10:27a BEST:

8:30-10:15 PM

Moon Underfoot: 11:12a +2.0

BEST:

9:15-10:55 PM

6:00-9:45 AM TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 8:09a

TIDE LEVELS

+2.0

Moon Underfoot: 7:20a

High Tide: 3:34 am Low Tide: 4:01 pm

1.77 ft 0.45 ft

High Tide: 3:34 am Low Tide: 5:10 pm

1.77 ft 0.48 ft

High Tide: 3:06 am Low Tide: 6:10 pm

1.75 ft 0.51 ft

High Tide: 2:56 am Low Tide: 7:00 pm

1.72 ft 0.55 ft

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

2:57 am 9:01 am 12:40 pm 7:45 pm

1.69 ft 1.38 ft 1.48 ft 0.62 ft

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

3:04 am 8:44 am 2:02 pm 8:28 pm

1.65 ft 1.20 ft 1.55 ft 0.74 ft

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

3:11 am 8:58 am 3:12 pm 9:11 pm

1.62 ft 0.96 ft 1.65 ft 0.89 ft

+1.0

-1.0

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NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

= Peak Fishing Period

7:45-9:40 AM

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Sunrise: 7:14a Moonrise: 5:55p

Set: 6:48p Set: 5:56a

Sunrise: 7:15a Moonrise: 6:30p

Set: 6:47p Set: 7:00a

Sunrise: 7:16a Moonrise: 7:10p

Set: 6:45p Set: 8:08a

Sunrise: 7:16a Moonrise: 7:56p

Set: 6:44p Set: 9:19a

Sunrise: 7:17a Moonrise: 8:50p

AM Minor: 4:09a

PM Minor: 4:32p

AM Minor: 4:54a

PM Minor: 5:19p

AM Minor: 5:46a

PM Minor: 6:13p

AM Minor: 6:44a

PM Minor: 7:14p

AM Major: 10:20a

PM Major: 10:44p

AM Major: 11:07a

PM Major: 11:32p

AM Major: 11:59a

PM Major: ——-

AM Major: 12:30a

PM Major: 12:59p

Moon Overhead: None

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 1:15a

Moon Overhead: 12:23a 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 2:10a

12a

12p

SATURDAY

Set: 6:43p Sunrise: 7:18a Set: 10:30a Moonrise: 9:51p

Set: 6:42p Sunrise: 7:18a Set: 6:41p Set: 11:39a Moonrise: 10:57p Set: 12:41p

AM Minor: 7:49a

PM Minor: 8:20p

AM Minor: 8:59a

PM Minor: 9:31p

AM Minor: 10:08a

PM Minor: 10:40p

AM Major: 1:34a

PM Major: 2:05p

AM Major: 2:43a

PM Major: 3:15p

AM Major: 3:52a

PM Major: 4:24p

Moon Overhead: 4:13a

Moon Overhead: 3:10a 12a

SUNDAY

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 5:17a 12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Tides and Prime Times for OCTOBER 2008

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 11:59a +2.0

BEST:

-1.0

Moon Underfoot: 2:40p

BEST:

12:00-1:00AM

BEST:

112:00-1:30 AM

12:25-2:20 AM

Moon Underfoot: 3:41p

Moon Underfoot: 4:45p

BEST:

1:25-3:15 AM

2:35-4:25 AM

Moon Underfoot: 5:48p +2.0

BEST:

5:20-10:00 AM TIDE LEVELS

Moon Underfoot: 1:42p

TIDE LEVELS

10:15AM-12 Noon

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 12:48p

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

I20

3:19 am 9:25 am 4:18 pm 9:55 pm

1.59 ft 0.69 ft 1.76 ft 1.08 ft

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

• O C T O B E R

3:26 am 10:00 am 5:24 pm 10:41 pm

1.59 ft 0.41 ft 1.86 ft 1.29 ft

2 0 0 8 /

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

T E X A S

3:31 am 10:40 am 6:32 pm 11:28 pm

F i s h

1.62 ft 0.16 ft 1.93 ft 1.51 ft

High Tide: 3:33 am 1.69 ft Low Tide: 12:14 am Low Tide: 11:25 am -0.04 ft High Tide: 3:29 am High Tide: 7:46 pm 1.98 ft Low Tide: 12:16 pm High Tide: 9:09 pm

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

1.70 ft 1.78 ft -0.15 ft 1.99 ft

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

1:03 am 3:17 am 1:13 pm 10:45 pm

1.85 ft Low Tide: 2:17 pm 1.87 ft -0.19 ft 1.98 ft

-0.14 ft

+1.0

-1.0

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Tides and Prime Times for OCTOBER 2008 MONDAY

TUESDAY

Sunrise: 7:19a Moonrise: None

Set: 6:40p Set: 1:36p

AM Minor: 11:15a

PM Minor: 11:45p

AM Minor: ——-

AM Major: 4:59a

PM Major: 5:30p

AM Major: 6:01a

12p

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

End Daylight Savings

Set: 6:38p Set: 3:01p

Sunrise: 7:21a Moonrise: 2:19a

Set: 6:37p Set: 3:36p

Sunrise: 7:22a Moonrise: 3:20a

Set: 6:36p Set: 4:07p

Sunrise: 7:22a Moonrise: 4:18a

Set: 6:35p Set: 4:36p

Sunrise: 6:23a Moonrise: 4:15a

Set: 5:35p Set: 4:06p

PM Minor: 12:15p

AM Minor: 12:42a

PM Minor: 1:08p

AM Minor: 1:30a

PM Minor: 1:54p

AM Minor: 2:12a

PM Minor: 2:34p

AM Minor: 2:51a

PM Minor: 3:12p

AM Minor: 3:05a

PM Minor: 3:26p

PM Major: 6:29p

AM Major: 6:55a

PM Major: 7:21p

AM Major: 7:42a

PM Major: 8:06p

AM Major: 8:23a

PM Major: 8:46p

AM Major: 9:02a

PM Major: 9:23p

AM Major: 9:15a

PM Major: 9:37p

Moon Overhead: 8:12a

Moon Overhead: 7:18a 12a

FRIDAY

Sunrise: 7:20a Moonrise: 1:14a

Sunrise: 7:20a Set: 6:39p Moonrise: 12:06a Set: 2:22p

Moon Overhead: 6:19a

THURSDAY

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 9:01a 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 10:31a

Moon Overhead: 9:47a 12a

12p

12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

12a

WEDNESDAY

= New Moon = Fi r s t Q u a r te r = Fu l l M o o n = Last Quarter = Best Day

Moon Overhead: 10:13a 12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 6:49p

-1.0

BEST:

4:45-6:30 AM

6:00-7:35 AM

6:45-9:05 AM

Moon Underfoot: 9:24p BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 10:09p BEST:

7:35-10:05 AM

Moon Underfoot: 10:52p

Moon Underfoot: 10:35p

BEST:

8:15-11:00 AM

+2.0

BEST:

9:00AM-12:10PM

9:10-11:10AM TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 8:37p

TIDE LEVELS

+2.0

Moon Underfoot: 7:45p

High Tide: 12:24 am 1.97 ft High Tide: 1:21 am Low Tide: 3:28 pm -0.04 ft Low Tide: 4:45 pm

1.92 ft 0.10 ft

High Tide: 1:49 am Low Tide: 6:00 pm

1.83 ft 0.27 ft

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

2:06 am 8:21 am 11:46 am 7:09 pm

1.72 ft 1.33 ft 1.44 ft 0.46 ft

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

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

F i s h

2:20 am 8:29 am 1:31 pm 8:10 pm

1.62 ft 1.07 ft 1.48 ft 0.68 ft

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

2:32 am 8:51 am 2:54 pm 9:05 pm

1.54 ft 0.81 ft 1.56 ft 0.90 ft

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

G a m e ® / O C T O B E R

2:42 am 9:16 am 4:04 pm 9:56 pm

2 0 0 8

1.50 ft 0.56 ft 1.64 ft 1.11 ft

•

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+1.0

-1.0

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NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

= Peak Fishing Period

7:45-9:40 AM

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

MONDAY

Tides and Prime Times for OCTOBER 2008

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

= New Moon = Fi r s t Q u a r te r = Fu l l M o o n = Last Quarter = Best Day

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

N ov 1

Sunrise: 6:24a Moonrise: 5:12a

Set: 5:34p Set: 4:36p

Sunrise: 6:25a Moonrise: 6:09a

Set: 5:33p Set: 5:09p

Sunrise: 6:25a Moonrise: 7:08a

Set: 5:32p Set: 5:45p

Sunrise: 6:26a Moonrise: 8:06a

Set: 5:31p Set: 6:25p

Sunrise: 6:27a Moonrise: 9:02a

Set: 5:30p Set: 7:10p

Sunrise: 6:28a Moonrise: 9:56a

Set: 5:29p Set: 8:00p

AM Minor: 3:08a

PM Minor: 3:29p

AM Minor: 3:50a

PM Minor: 4:12p

AM Minor: 4:35a

PM Minor: 4:59p

AM Minor: 5:25a

PM Minor: 5:50p

AM Minor: 6:18a

PM Minor: 6:44p

AM Minor: 7:14a

PM Minor: 7:39p

AM Minor: 8:09a

PM Minor: 8:34p

AM Major: 9:19a

PM Major: 9:40p

AM Major: 10:01a

PM Major: 10:24p

AM Major: 10:47a

PM Major: 11:11p

AM Major: 11:37a

PM Major: ——-

AM Major: 12:06a

PM Major: 12:31p

AM Major: 1:01a

PM Major: 1:26p

AM Major: 1:57a

PM Major: 2:22p

Moon Overhead: 10:57a

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 12:28p

Moon Overhead: 11:42a 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 1:17p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 2:58p

Moon Overhead: 2:07p 12a

12p

Sunrise: 6:28a Set: 5:29p Moonrise: 10:45a Set: 8:53p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 3:48p 12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 11:19p +2.0

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 12:53a

BEST:

9:50AM-1:15PM

BEST:

10:40AM-1:30PM

Moon Underfoot: 1:42a BEST:

11:30AM-2:05PM

12:20-3:15 PM

Moon Underfoot: 2:32a

Moon Underfoot: 3:23a +2.0

BEST:

1:20-4:05 PM

2:15-4:50 PM TIDE LEVELS

Moon Underfoot: 12:05a

TIDE LEVELS

9:10AM-12:30PM

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: None

-1.0

+1.0

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

I22

2:50 am 9:44 am 5:06 pm 10:43 pm

1.48 ft 0.36 ft 1.71 ft 1.29 ft

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

• O C T O B E R

2:57 am 10:13 am 6:03 pm 11:27 pm

1.49 ft 0.22 ft 1.76 ft 1.44 ft

2 0 0 8 /

High Tide: 2:58 am 1.53 ft Low Tide: 10:45 am 0.13 ft High Tide: 6:57 pm 1.77 ft

T E X A S

F i s h

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

12:06 am 2:46 am 11:19 am 7:53 pm

1.54 ft 1.57 ft 0.10 ft 1.76 ft

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

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

12:33 am 2:06 am 11:56 am 8:55 pm

1.61 ft 1.62 ft 0.11 ft 1.73 ft

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

12:35 am 1:54 am 12:37 pm 10:09 pm

1.66 ft 1.66 ft 0.15 ft 1.70 ft

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

12:31 am 1:12 am 12:22 pm 10:54 pm

1.68 ft 1.69 ft 0.21 ft 1.69 ft

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Coming to the Call Byron South is a predator-calling addict. I first met Byron on a deer hunt along the Devils River in West Texas. He is just a slow-talking country boy who grew up with

Page I24

Luresafety Wrap

• O C T O B E R

2 0 0 8 /

T E X A S

Luresafety Wraps. F i s h

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

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Oregon 400i problem that I could not figure out and solve with a few twitches of the fingers. The second mind-blower : This unit comes preloaded with some serious lake and river maps. First, I zoomed in on Lewisville Lake, just north of Dallas. I brought the range down to 500 feet and discovered a road called Carrie Court. I have never been to Carrie Court, but with the Oregon 400i in my hands, I immediately discovered there is a nice 22foot drop-off just a few hundred feet from the end of the road. Next, I zoomed out, headed south, and zoomed back in on Lake Livingston. In moments, I had found a 40-foot deep channel running next to a 5-foot underwater island, right next to the Hwy. 190 bridge. Although the Oregon 400i has limited marine data, you can install a MicroSD card (about $100) to upgrade the information. Hunters will love the contour and elevation lines, sunset/sunrise clock, and built-in digital odometer. Geocachers and climbers will be thrilled with the vertical-speed readings, and everyone will like the tide tables, city locator, road mapping, and point of interest features. For an outdoorsman who needs a multifunction unit to drop in his pocket on land or at sea, no handheld unit I have tested yet can hold a candle to the Oregon 400i. Contact: Garmin International, 913397-8200, www.garmin.com —Lenny Rudow

Page I25

with their LiveLiner. Just one problem: the LiveLiner 560L was a relatively small reel, with a 240-yard line capacity of 15-pound test. Now, however, you can go after bigger game with the new 760L LiveLiner. This new reel is heavy artillery of the spinning reel world, with a 300-yard capacity of 20pound-test. Load up with braid, and you get 500 yards of 20-pound test onto the spool. You want to live bait for big fish, but you demand the ability to cast a spinning rig, as well? This one is just the ticket. When you are ready to live bait, there is a rocker switch on the back of the reel you click down. That engages the free spool function, which can be tightened or loosened via a rear drag knob. The LiveLiner is unlike other spinning reels with a free spool function in that it does not automatically engage the reel when you pick it up and turn the crank. This allows you to take up slack line without disengaging the free spool function, which is a great asset-just don’t forget to click the button before you try to cross Bubba’s eyes with a hookset. The 760L is a chunky rig, with an allmetal body, aluminum spool, and five stain-

less-steel ball bearings. That is because it is based on the Slammer series reels, which are built to take serious saltwater abuse. The downside is weight; the 760L weighs in at a whopping 28-ounces. Hey—you want to shoot artillery rounds, you need a big gun. Big does not have to mean slow, though. The 760L has a 4.7:1 gear ratio, so you can whoop big fish fast. And the full-length stainless-steel shaft should hold up for years. In fact, the longevity of the 760L will probably be measured by decades, not years— unusual in a marketplace where

Penn 760L LiveLiner the tendency is to build disposable “units.” Other features include infinite anti-reverse, a balanced rotor for wobble-free retrieves, a stainless-steel bail and bail roller with ball bearing, and Penn’s HT100 drag material. Contact: Penn Fishing Tackle Manufacturing Company, 215-229-9415, www.pennreels.com —LR

Penn 760L LiveLiner The biggest problem with spinning reels: the inability to free spool. Shimano answered that problem with their Bait Runner, and Penn took a slightly different tact A L M A N A C / T E X A S

F i s h

G a m e ® / O C T O B E R

2 0 0 8

•

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Canyon Special packs 80-pounds of drag into a 30-pound class package.

I26

• O C T O B E R

2 0 0 8 /

T E X A S

Page I26

New Power Jig Hammers Fish Profishco introduced the newest member of the Power Jig family—the Power Jig Hammered—chrome hammered finished

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

Bioline has introduced the first fully biodegradeable fishing line.

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Kicks Industries, Federal Ammo and the Duck Commander have teamed up to produce the new Kicks “Vortex” choke tube. A L M A N A C / T E X A S

F i s h

G a m e ® / O C T O B E R

2 0 0 8

•

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The Bait Shuttle bait delivery systems.

I28

• O C T O B E R

2 0 0 8 /

T E X A S

F i s h

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

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F i s h

Case-Guard shooting range box.

G a m e ® / O C T O B E R

2 0 0 8

•

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• O C T O B E R

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G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

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F i s h

G a m e ® / O C T O B E R

2 0 0 8

•

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Kimber Model 8400 Sonora

by Steve LaMascus

I32

• O C T O B E R

2 0 0 8 /

T E X A S

F i s h

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

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Death in the Moonlight

by Chester Moore

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

F i s h

G a m e ® / O C T O B E R

2 0 0 8

•

I33

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• O C T O B E R

2 0 0 8 /

T E X A S

F i s h

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

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BUCK—ODEM, TEXAS

BUCK—SONORA, TEXAS

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

BUCK—NACOGDOCHES COUNTY, TEXAS

F i s h

G a m e ® / O C T O B E R

2 0 0 8

•

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• O C T O B E R

2 0 0 8 /

T E X A S

Page I36

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

E-mail Lou Marullo at lmarullo@fishgame.com.

PHOTO BY ANNE GRIFFIN

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Essential Gear F ALL THE VARIETIES OF HUNTING IN Texas, bamboozling whitetails is the undisputed favorite—and an entire multifaceted industry has grown around it. Gear of such quality and value to purpose that was unimagined a few decades ago is now essential gear for the time-constrained hunter. Masking or attractant scents, ATVs and related accessories, after-hunt gear (up to and including walk-in coolers), even computer software and internet resources to help hunters find a lease or property to buy vie for the hunter’s attention. All of them are valuable and useful for helping a hunter spend more time hunting and less time preparing. Of all the gear hunters need and use, some items are more crucial than others. Aside from actual hunting weapons, quality optics rate high marks in the “must have” category. Today’s optics are simply astonishing compared to what our dads and granddads used.

F i s h

2 0 0 8

•

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years by pointing out parts of bucks standing in the brush watching the feeder. My clients are usually content to look at the does and small bucks that wander into the feeder in

Page I38

hopes of seeing a big buck materialize in their midst, but often the big boys just hang back. While seeing them does not guarantee you will get a shot, it is a great first step.

I38

• O C T O B E R

2 0 0 8 /

T E X A S

F i s h

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

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tant in a riflescope as they are in a binocular, but size, especially in the objective lens, is even more critical. That is because the bigger the objective lens, the higher you must mount the

I40

â&#x20AC;˘ O C T O B E R

2 0 0 8 /

T E X A S

Page I40

scope. The higher you mount the scope, the more prone it is to get knocked off and the harder it is to get a consistent cheek weld, which is essential to achieve consistent accura-

F i s h

G a m e ÂŽ / A L M A N A C

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eral makers offer affordable models that are more than adequate for the shooting range. If you buy one, invest in a decent tripod, as you cannot reap the benefits of the increased

power your spotting scope offers if you can’t keep it steady.

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

F i s h

G a m e ® / O C T O B E R

2 0 0 8

•

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Five Boating Adventures HE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE FLOWS THROUGH the veins of every boater. We love new challenges and experiences, and every time you cast off the dock lines, you don’t know what’s in store for you and your family. But sometimes, even boating can become a rut. Do you leave from the same slip, and do the same-old, same-old all season long? Has the excitement gone out of the experience? Then it’s time for a new adventure in your boating life. Fortunately, there are plenty of options out there. Here are some that are sure to get the blood pumping and put the wow-factor back into your boating life.

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Go Geo Geo-caching is a great boating activity that’s good for big fun. Simply put, people set up “caches” all over the world and share their location via GPS coordinates on the internet. Geo-cachers can then use the GPS coordinates to find the caches. Many are landlocked, but you’ll also find plenty accessible by boat. When you find a cache, the idea is to take something out of it, and leave something new in it. Most geo-cachers also set up a logbook for every cache they create, seal it in a plastic bag, and leave it in a bucket or box in the cache. Every visitor is expected to sign it and leave some sort of personal message—a note, joke, or some bit of wisdom. Years later, you can revisit your cache and see who’s been there. Of course, most of the fun in this game is the adventure of getting there; it’s not like you’ll discover chests of buried loot or plunder a pirate’s treasure, but the voyage is sure to be full of excitement. And geo-caching can take you to new and wonderful places: an is-

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land, a beach—who knows where you’ll end up. You can find all about how the geocaching game works at www.geocaching.com.

Shark Watch Few creatures of the sea create an adrenaline rush like sharks, and even if you’re not an angler, you can create a shark-watching experience that everyone in the family will remember for a lifetime. You’ll need chum and bait, which you can buy at any local tackle shop. Or, if you really want to bring up the big ones, visit the fish cleaning station at a marina and abscond with the bodies of tuna, bluefish, and bonito that are in the fish bucket. You’ll need to grind the bodies into chum, but this endeavor is worthwhile; sharks come to chum made from these game fishes with abandon. You’ll also need bait, naturally, and the head of a tuna or a chunk of partially cleaned fish is perfect for the job. If you can’t visit the fish cleaning station, you can buy whole bunker or mullet at the tackle shop, or buy a bluefish or two from the seafood store. Then, tie a float (an old milk jug works just fine) to a 30-foot length of nylon cord. Leave about a foot of line beyond the float, and use it to attach your bait. You’ll find sharks all along the coast just outside most inlets, and in the mouths of bays where they meet the ocean. Hotspots include areas with underwater features like humps or shelves, or where bluefish are congregated (a favorite food for several shark species). You can also find large numbers of hammerhead in areas where there are lots of tarpon. Drop your anchor or drift over these hotspots, and release your chum by poking holes in a chum bucket and hanging it over the side of the boat. (Frozen chum works best, since it releases from the bucket slowly and steadily as it melts.) Then, put out your bait and keep your eyes peeled. When you spot a fin in the water, quickly bring your bait back to the boat to excite the shark into chasing it. When that large toothy critter comes swim-

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ming right up to the transom, everyone on board is sure to let out a yell.

Seafood Blitz If you love fresh seafood, but gathering it yourself just isn’t your idea of fun, then why not buy it right from a commercial fisherman. Pulling up next to a crabber, oysterman, or netter and getting your seafood on the spot is a neat experience, especially for kids, and it costs a lot less than seafood purchased in a store. All you have to do is stop when you see a workboat gathering seafood, hail them on the radio (call on channel 16 then switch and talk on an open channel, like 68), and ask permission to come alongside. Obviously, this won’t work for large commercial vessels towing nets or dredges. Stick with workboats small enough to be maneuvered easily, and don’t try to approach those that are pulling gear through the water. Once next to the fisherman, make him an offer he can’t refuse. Generally speaking, half the price of what you see in the store is a good starting point. If

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crabs are going for $100 a bushel on land, for example, offer a crabber $50. He might want a bit more, but there usually won’t be much haggling before he nods his head and fills your boat with fresh seafood.

People Watching 101 Plenty of folks go “people watching” on land, but they’re missing out on half the fun. This experience is far more entertaining on the water—if, that is, you anchor near a busy boat ramp on a Saturday morning. Kicking back in the deck chair, busting open a cool, frosty drink, and watching the antics on shore, you’ll see everyone from amateurs to experts, and there are sure to be bloopers galore. Get there zero-dark-early (sunrise to 7 a.m.) to watch the serious fishing crowd; early morning (7-9 a.m.) to get a glance at the less intense anglers; mid-morning (9-11) to lay eyes on the bikini babes, water skiers, and tubing crowd; and mid-day to see the family boaters who can’t get their kids up and at ‘em before noon. Anglers might think of this as mildly en-

tertaining, but essentially a waste of good fishing time. There is, however, an upside for fishermen: In many areas, where there’s low current flow, moving water of any type will stir up the bottom, releasing food into the water column and attracting fish. In and around boat ramps, you can often catch fish just after a boat powers onto the trailer and shoots a plume of moving water out from the ramp. Try casting into the moving water just after the trailer pulls out of the water. You’ll be surprised at how often this activates the fish.

Man Overboard! When’s the last time you held a man-overboard drill with the family? Not only is this exciting, it’s also beneficial, and it’s simply good seamanship. Keep this adventure a mystery, and tell everyone you’re just going for a cruise, or heading to a special fishing hole. Then, when no one expects it, toss a life jacket or cushion over the side and step away from the wheel. Next, announce, “I have just fall-

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Kayaks are so portable there isn’t any reason not to tote one along.

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Ducks and redfish both have a fondness for the shallow grass flats of the Texas coast. Countless stories have been told of hunters crouching in their blinds, their attention singularly focused on ashen and overcast skies, only to become aware of an unnoticed school of redfish milling close by as the morning wears on. Frustration quickly turns to exasperation without a rod and reel at hand. I must confess that as the duck hunting scales tipped more toward hard work than it did enjoyment, I began to loose interest. Wading 100 yards through knee-deep, sucking mud, putting out and collecting hundreds of decoys, and huffing and puffing like I had played two downs too much football— all before gray light—was fun when I was 20-something, but as life’s odometer turned, it became less enjoyable. I then started hunting ducks from a kayak, which reenergized my fondness for waterfowl. A duck and redfish trip is as natural as F i s h

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red beans and rice. You can stow one small bag of decoys on your bow and another on your stern. A shotgun will slip neatly inside most hulls, and you can stow rods and reels in the holders. Many great hunting spots can be found close to the asphalt, allowing easy drive-in access and later alarm clock settings. Paddling several hundred yards will often put you into a pristine setting, but you need to do a little homework beforehand and make some scouting trips during summer months. You can beach your kayak, create a simple spread with your decoys, and set up a shore blind within minutes. Paddling up to the shoreline drastically reduces the amount of mud you have to wade through, thereby reducing the wear and tear on muscles and joints. Before the birds start flying, lay your rods and reels down on top of your hull and drape everything with cammo netting. The beauty of hunting ducks from a kayak is that a surprisingly small spread of decoys will fool plenty of birds. A waterfowling friend never puts more than six decoys in his spread; rarely does he fail to come back with a full strap of birds. Since kayaks float in mere inches of water, duck hunters who operate conventional boats find ‘yaks very handy for transporting gear and decoys to and from the blind. Most kayaks will fit inside a center console boat, although you might need to jiggle and wiggle a bit to find the best position. When the strap is full or when the ducks stop flying, you can whip a gold spoon around or work a topwater across the film in search of spotted gold. As the northers become stronger, they start pushing water out of the bays and reduce the depth of coastal flats, thereby making it easier to spot cruising and tailing reds. Dove and bass, turkey and crappie, ducks and redfish—the possibilities are almost limitless for cast, blast, and paddle outings. Email Greg Berlocher at kayak@fishgame.com.

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BASS Nixes Co-Anglers

other hand, I think this is a huge step for BASS as far as setting itself apart from the other circuits. As pros, we will be competing on the truest level of competition.” It also came as somewhat of a surprise to

LORIDA-BASED BASS MADE A COUPLE OF surprise announcements when it released its 2009 and 2010 Bassmaster Elite Series schedules last summer. Perhaps the biggest shocker is that coanglers have lost their seats in the back of the boat. Beginning in 2009, Elite Series pros will be paired with a non-fishing observer each day as opposed to a fishing amateur. Though the announcement did not sit well with some co-anglers, fishing fans, and members of the fishing industry, many Elite Series pros applaud the move because they feel it will level the playing field and greatly raise the level professionalism of the sport. “I think it was a good move on BASS’ part, although it really didn’t matter to me one way or the other,” said Skeeter pro Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas. “I have made a lot of good friends who are coanglers, and I hate to see them go. On the

learn that only one Texas lake is on the Elite Series schedule during the next two seasons—and it is not Lake Falcon. Located along the Texas/Mexico border in Zapata County, Lake Falcon produced record-shattering weights for Elite Series pros when the popular circuit visited the fishery for the first time in April 2008. Most competitors lauded the reservoir as the best they had ever seen, quite possibly the top big bass lake in the world. The numbers tell the story. Pros and coanglers weighed in more than 5-1/2 tons of bass over the course of the event. Mississippi bass pro Paul Elias won it with 20 bass that weighed 132.8 pounds, the heaviest four-day total ever recorded in BASS history. Elias’ catch crushed the previous record of 122.14 pounds set in 2007 on California’s Clear Lake by Alabama pro Steve Kennedy. Amazingly, Elias was not the only one to

by Matt Williams

top Kennedy’s year-old mark. Five other pros accumulated weights exceeding 125 pounds. All of the Top 12 finishers cracked 100 pounds. Lake Amistad in Del Rio is the lone Texas destination on the Elite Series schedule during 2009-10. BASS’ main competition, the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, will not host any tournaments in Texas in 2009. However, FLW Stren Series Texas Division will visit some heavy hitters next season. The tentative 2009 schedule for the Stren Series Texas Division is as follows: Lake Falcon, Jan. 15-17; Sam Rayburn, March 19-21; Lake Amistad, May 21-23; Toledo Bend, Oct. 15-17. The first two Stren events are scheduled at the height of the spawn on the respective impoundments, so anglers can expect to see some giant bags hauled to the scales. Jeremy Guidry of Opelousas, Louisiana, won the January 2008 Stren event at Falcon with 20 bass that weighed 110 pounds, 2 ounces— an FLW Outdoors all-time weight record. Bill Rogers of Jasper also set a new FLW Outdoors co-angler weight record with a four-day total of 96 pounds, 8 ounces. E-mail Matt Williams at freshwater@fishgame.com.

TEXAS BOATING Continued from Page I-43 en overboard. Who knows what to do?” If you’ve ever discussed this situation with your crew (and I hope you have), they should know that the oldest child or adult who is close to the wheel should step in and take the helm, while another crewmember points to the “man” overboard and keeps his or her eye on the “person” at all times. Anyone else with a free hand, or the lookout, if there’s no one else aboard, should immediately toss your throwable PFD (you know, the cushion you’re required to have handy at all times, according to USCG

regs) as close as possible to the MOB. The crewmember at the wheel should chop the throttle and then initiate a Williamson turn: Turn in the same direction as the person, and when you’re about 60 degrees beyond the original course, swing the wheel full over in the opposite direction. Continue the turn until you’re 180-degrees from the original course, and you’ll be headed directly at the MOB. Bring the boat upwind of the “victim,” shift into neural, and recover the MOB. Now, look at your watch and see how long the rescue took. If you have children aboard, a great way to get them interested A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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in drills like this is to offer them a reward if they can improve their performance. Offer to take them out for ice cream if they can knock 25 percent of the recovery time off, for example. Whether you have a close encounter with a shark, search for hidden caches, or go home loaded with seafood, these boating adventures are sure to put a little pizzazz back into your marine life. So, get out on the water and try something new—it’s an adventure! E-mail Lenny Rudow at boating@fishgame.com. G a m e ® / O C T O B E R

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Circle Hook Jigs Revisited HE PIECE I DID FOR THE JANUARY ISSUE covered my version of circle hook jigs. The reason for the revisit started with an email from a reader, Tom Buscher. He questioned why no one made circle hook leadhead jigs, and where to find or how to make up some. I referred him to that January issue article and illustration. His next email and subsequent phone call had the question: “Why not make some, using egg weights for the head?” Sounded like a great idea to me, so I drew up a sketch, then built four of them rather quickly. Three days later, he emailed me a note and a photo of three he had built. While Tom’s 5-ounce heads are workable, I suggested making up some in 1/2-, 1-, and 2-ounce sizes. The heavier 5-ounce is great for going deep, and the smaller sizes will give a slower sink rate to the 30- to 50-foot depths. Those I made up used 1- and 2-ounce egg weight heads. Note in the illustration the double crimps between the egg weight and hook loop. I did this to give a longer length to do the cover wraps that secure the skirting. Also, the cable loop to the stinger is through the bottom of the hook loop and bent slightly, allowing the stinger’s cable to lay cleanly below the shank of the main hook. Using back-to-back crimps also places the hook bend and point a bit farther from the egg weight, making it more exposed for easier and surer hookups. Those I make up incorporate a 200pound welded ring; 90-pound, 49-strand cable; double barrel crimps; Daiichi D84Z circle hooks in size 5/0; and Flash-A-Bou

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skirting. The build procedure is as follows: Start with a piece of cable about a foot long, and using the proper crimp and tool, form an eye in the cable through the welded ring. Run the cable through the egg weight. The loop through the lead circle hook’s eye is double crimped in place after pulling the cable’s tag end until the crimps are snug against both ends of the egg weight and held in place. Cut off the excess cable close. Using the cut off cable for the stinger leg, form an eye through the lead hook’s loop as in the illustration; crimp and bend. On mine, the distance between the head and stinger hook eye is about 2-1/2 inches. Crimp the stinger hook in about that position. Now is the time to spray paint your head weights. Use the stinger hook as a convenient hanger while the paint dries. I spray some of mine and leave some bare. The bare ones can be carefully and lightly scraped with the backside of a knife blade for a shortterm brilliance that is close to chrome. At this point, you are ready to tie on the skirting, covering the area over the back-to-back crimps and working the thread wraps to the F i s h

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backside of the egg weight. Besides the Flash-A-Bou, bucktail, nylon, and Mylar come to mind. When completed as illustrated, you will have sure-fire leadhead jigs of the “backyard” sort that will comply with the National Marine Fishery Service’s rules for using natural bait and circle hooks when fishing for reef fish in Federal waters of the Gulf. At this writing, there are no circle hook jigs on the market with or without a stinger. The only one I know for sure that will be out is by Strike Pro America. If you can’t find them, check their website at www.strikeproamerica.com. The hookset procedure is the same as with any circle hooks: Feel the bite, point your rod tip at your line’s entry into the water, wind in any slack, raise your rod tip with a medium speed motion, and the hookset should be completed.

E-mail Patrick Lemire at saltrigs@fishgame.com.

ILLUSTRATION BY PATRICK LEMIRE

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ILLUSTRATION BY PAUL BRADSHAW

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E-mail Paul Bradshaw at freshrigs@fishgame.com.

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Duck Lessons F YOU LIKE HUNTING DUCKS AS MUCH AS I DO, you probably have had your share of taking ducks off stock tanks and small private lakes. This is not to say I have not enjoyed some of the most exciting hunting on southern commercial operations in Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. What this is to say is that if you have access to a good stock tank or private lake, you can have a great duck hunt whether

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hunting alone or with a friend or two. I first began duck hunting when I was 16 years old. My grandfather owned a dairy in Comanche County about 100 miles from my home in Fort Worth, and that’s where I got my early knowledge about hunting ducks, jackrabbits, cottontails, bullfrogs, and whatever else I was there. There were three stock tanks on the dairy, and one of them always seemed to attract more ducks than the other two tanks. I didn’t understand why at first, but facts about good habitat soon began to make a dent in my young brain. I soon realized the importance of and difference between good habit and poor habitat. The “duck tank” as I began to call it

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was lined on one side with head-high cattails. I had been delivering the Fort Worth Star-Telegram since I was 11 years old, and had occasionally read outdoor articles that sometimes mentioned duck hunters using decoys and calling ducks to them. I had seen photographs and read similar stories in a couple of magazines. A 16-year-old boy can have a lot on his mind at that age, but one thing I remember was walking my paper route and thinking about how to build a duck blind on the “duck tank.” I had learned from my jumpshooting experiences that ducks, if given the choice, leave the water flying into the wind. I also had observed them approaching a stock tank doing the same thing, and that led me to deciding where I would erect my first duck blind. When the project was finished, I must admit I was proud. There were plenty of green willows at the dam to work with, and a pair of big mesquite trees that stood only a few feet apart on one side of the 2-acre stock tank served well as a site for the blind. Once finished, the willow-brush blind looked like one big wad of willows. Surely, no duck would think otherwise. I sat on a folding stool inside the blind on opening morning that season. As daybreak began to slip through the dark clouds of a building cold front, I realized I had over-done the construction of the blind. I could not see a dad-gum thing outside the folding stool! Two things were certain: any ducks coming into the tank could not see me, and I could not see any ducks approaching. Lesson No. 1: Always carry along a pair of limb clippers when hunting a newly-constructed duck blind. I broke off a few willow limbs with my hands to clear a shooting path and managed to bag two ducks that morning. It was an a la carte duck hunt because I did not own a duck call. Two weeks later, I bought my first duck call at a Fort Worth hardware store and

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began practicing with it. It amazed me how similar the sounds I produced from it were to my favorite Weems predator call. A few years later, a good friend, Don Stout, invited me to go hunting with him at a big lake where one of his commercial hunting buddies had erected a box blind in a flooded pecan flat. We got to the lake before daybreak, and as the sun began to rise, we watched a few flights of gadwall and mallard pass over, only to flare when I started blowing on my duck call. Later in the morning, without a duck bagged, a lone mallard approached the spread from the south. The drake was coming straight down the opening between the rows of flooded pecan trees. As I pushed the duck call to my lips, Stout put one hand on my shoulder and whispered a quiet “Shhhh!” I pulled the call from my lips and we watched the mallard float down through air and land on the water amid the decoys. It was an humbling experience and contributed nothing toward building confidence in my duck-calling abilities. Nevertheless, one should learn from his inabilities and practice, practice, practice to improve. In the years that have followed, I have learned that many “expert” duck callers are just that—people who call the feathers off the

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most decoy-shy ducks while deafening the ears of those hunting with them. Calling ducks is no different from calling predators or turkey. You do not need to call until you are hoarse to get results. Too

much calling usually serves only as entertainment to the caller. I would rather have results than entertain myself with a duck call. A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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Back to building a duck blind. I built a second blind on the Comanche County “duck tank” to take advantage of the shift of winds from south to north. One day while hunting from the “south wind blind,” I realized the “north wind blind” just might be helping keep my original single blind from standing out like a sore thumb. To shorten the story, I built two other fake blinds on other sides of the stock tank to distract the attention of any blind-shy ducks. The fake blinds did just what I wanted them to do—make the setting at the pond look more natural rather than a pond with one or two protruding blinds at the water’s edge. Soon, I realized ducks approaching the pond seemed less wary when they saw several wads of willows instead of what they might have already seen— and become wary of—elsewhere. It was just another learning experience—and one where the results ended up in my freezer.

E-mail Bob Hood at hunting@fishgame.com.

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The Sound of Silence EMEMBER THE OLD MOVIES WHERE THE BAD guy shoots somebody with a “silencer” screwed on the end of his .38 Special revolver and it just goes spooft? I also saw a TV show, Magnum P.I., I believe, where a sniper shoots somebody with a high-power rifle using a silencer and nobody can hear the sound of the shot. Well, let me tell you a couple of things about silencers…

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First, they are not “silencers,” they are suppressors. The only weapons that can be truly silenced are, I understand, ones chambered for such rounds such as .22 rimfire ammo loaded for subsonic velocity. You cannot silence a revolver at all because of the gap between the cylinder and barrel. You cannot silence a centerfire rifle because the bullet is traveling faster than the speed of sound and the bullet itself makes a sharp cracking sound when it exits the barrel. If you’re old enough to remember sonic booms from jets, you understand the principle. So, what you see in movies and on TV is nonsense. No matter what you might have heard, it is not illegal or immoral to own and use a suppressor. You must do the appropriate paperwork, be investigated by Uncle Sam

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Shangri-La. And they shouldn’t be cussed because these gay caballeros of the pen and camo fraternity provide dreams of big fish and huge bucks to the beleaguered souls chained to an urbanized Texas. Let them lie. Kendal called and laid out the plan. “We’re going to drive to Monterrey, Mexico,” he said. “A bunch of us firefighters go every year and float the Matacanes River. I’d like to invite some of my writing buddies to come along. It’s no trip for women. We’ll be repelling off cliffs and riding the wild river through underground caverns. It’s a heck of a lot of fun.” The thought thrilled me. This would be a real He-man adventure and for once, I wouldn’t be the person guiding. I’d be with a crew of All-American firefighters that could tend to their own needs, and the writers who are the sharpest wits and finest minds in the state. And unlike a hunt, there was no pressure to whack a trophy. This would be a relaxed journey into Old Mexico with good common folks and cold beer. But prior obligations and bad timing fouled my wants. Kendal had to make the trip without me and I was rendered to looking at pictures when he returned. The next year was skipped and almost two years passed until the invitation came again. This time I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity.

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“Yeah, a group of us are going again,” Kendal said. “Would you like to come along?” “Yes!” “Would you mind if we take your truck?” That query sounded odd. Most folks have nicer vehicles than I do because my truck gets used for building fence, hauling hay, and dragging a cattle trailer through the brush. But, I didn’t mind. “Sure we can take my truck. It’ll carry at least four people.” “That’s great! We might be in three or four vehicles. We’ll meet in Laredo and caravan down to Monterrey—it’s safer to go in a big group.” The date was set and my excitement began to build. I’d guided hunters for so long that the Montana wilderness, South Texas Muy Grande, and Old Mexico buster bucks camps were like home. This excursion to the interior of Mexico was going to be plain old-fashioned fun, and I looked forward to being with a robust crowd my own age. Laredo was bustling the day we met at Texas outdoor writer Marty Malin’s office. The older gentleman clapped us on the shoulders and bid us well. “I wish I could go with you boys, but I think y’all are going to have a grand adventure,” Marty said. “Where is everybody?” I asked Kendal. “Well, most of the bunch that normally goes couldn’t make it this year. But I want you to meet McCulloch County Judge Randy Young, and this is my cousin Gary Doyle.” “So there are only four of us?” “Yeah, but it’ll be fine.” The other two men grinned at me. Randy was with us to fulfill a bargain. Several years past Randy hosted Kendal to a sissy little charity bicycle ride and the boy had been whining ever since. Randy had been gracious enough to take Kendal to a worthwhile social event. In return, Kendal had written several articles about what an

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awful time he’d had, what a great charity it benefited, and how the bicycle seat inflicted permanent damage raising his voice several octaves. Now, it was Kendal’s turn to host Randy on a trip. The drive to Monterrey was a successful exercise in making new friends. We wound around the city and followed Kendal’s directions onto a blacktop road past the Cola de Caballo waterfalls. Then we began to gain altitude climbing into the mountains of Central Mexico. By dark, we were parked on the bank of the Matacanes River where we situated our sleeping bags on ground tarps. At first light, a couple of Barney Fifelooking characters began rousting other campers. “Who are those guys?” I asked Kendal. “They ain’t nobody,” he replied. “They’re just trying to shake down tourists for guide services on the river. Let’s get up the mountain before they bother us.” In two shakes, the four of us were in the truck. In two more shakes, I realized that this was the worst road I’d ever driven. For the next 90 minutes, my two-wheel-drive ranch truck went straight up a track made for pack mules. Several switchbacks were too sharp to navigate without backing up and pulling forward several times. And in short order we were in a constant position where an errant maneuver behind the steering wheel could plummet us 1,000 feet off the edge. Finally, we reached a small village where the locals raised chickens and sold tshirts. Immediately behind us, a 4x4 taxi pickup load of college kids, boys and girls, arrived to float the river. I frowned at Kendal. “You mean we could have hired taxi service but now I have to pay one of these villagers to drive my truck back down the mountain?” “It’ll be fine, that’s what these guys do for a living. Let’s get our backpacks and hit the trail. It’s no more than a two-hour walk from here.” The trail started out plain enough, but then forked in the forest. Six hours of hiking later, it occurred to me that Kendal didn’t know how to find the river, but then he found it. “Here it is! You know I thought it was right here but it’s been a couple of years since I’ve been here, and I’ve only been here once.”

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I was glad we’d gotten an early start. Now, we donned wet suits and put our clothes back on over them. Then we strapped on spelunker helmets with headlamps, put on life vests, replaced the repelling gear into the backpacks, and jumped off a ledge 10 feet above the water. The current flushed us to an 80-foot waterfall where we clambered back out of the water and Kendal began preparing us for the first repel. Judge Randy stiffened and locked up.

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“Aw Hell No, I can’t do this! I’m deathly afraid of heights!” “Well, there’s no going back!” said Kendal. “And you made me ride that bicycle 350 miles, so, get over here and let me show you what to do.” Thirty minutes later, we coaxed Randy over the side and he descended the cliff and settled into a deep blue pool at the bottom. From there, the river bounced us through

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do what we do not so much to catch a fish but to spend quality time outdoors with friends and family. It’s not just about the fishing. It started with a phone call out of the blue. I picked it up on the second ring and recognized the voice of my friend, Jim Darnell, from San Marcos, Texas. “Hey, Barry, do you want to meet me at Seadrift next Sunday?” he said. “I have a teal hunt and redfish trip lined up and you are welcome to come if you can.” I didn’t have to think about it before I said, “Yes.” Outdoor outfitters are always mindful of what it takes to attract customers, and one of the newer concepts combines hunting and fishing adventures into one package. Outfitters whose locations are conducive to offering these types of experiences to hunters and fishermen are jumping at the opportunity to do so. And so, my journey to Seadrift was to examine one of these combination outdoor trips at Bay Flats Lodge on the banks of San Antonio Bay. Chris and Debbie Martin are a husband

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and wife team that realized the potential of offering customers the opportunity to hunt and fish in one trip, and be pampered with great food and accommodations. Nine years ago, they established Bay Flats Lodge (888-677-4868, www.bayflatslodge.com) at Seadrift. They specialize in fishing the rich waters of the coastal bays and hunting the multitudes of dove, duck, and geese that move into the area in the fall. One of their most popular packages is what they call “cast and blast.” Depending on the season, they offer package deals that combine hunting in the morning and then fishing in the afternoon. I met Jim and another friend, Bill Mills, at Bay Flats Lodge on a Sunday evening. Chris and Debbie welcomed us like long lost friends and showed us to our rooms for the night. We were excited by the prospects of hunting and fishing the next day, and spent the hour before dinner relaxing in the comfortable lounge area of our room. Jim, Bill, and I have become fast friends from numerous outdoor adventures, and it was a good feeling to be in their company again with the prospect of another adventure looming on the morrow. Debbie hollered out the kitchen door, “Dinner’s ready!” and we nearly raced to see what she had to offer. After a fine steak dinner, Chris filled us in on what to expect the following day, and mentioned the teal hunting had been very good and the fishing was fair. The high-pressure system holding much of Texas hostage was keeping the fish in deeper water, but more than likely, we would find enough to keep us happy. Satisfied with the potential, we turned in early. Roll call was 4 a.m. in order to make it to the duck blind before shooting light. Standing in knee-deep water in a duck blind with a full moon setting in the west and the sun rising in the east is a spiritual experience. Four of us waited patiently for the first flights of teal to zoom into the decoys spread in front of the blind—and we were not disappointed. They came in twos

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WILDERNESS TRAILS rapids and short falls. Then every few hundred yards would be a taller waterfall requiring us to jump from 10 to 20 feet into the pools below. The view from the bottom alternated from mountainous valleys with masses of ferns hanging into the stream to sheer walls of stone holding us within the blasting hydrologic chutes. The frigidity of the river necessitated the wet suits and the never-ending swimming helped maintain body temperature. Suddenly there was an immense hole and we came to the second 80-foot waterfall, this one hurling itself into the bowels of Mother Earth. Halfway down the cliff was a ledge where we unhooked our har-

nesses and leaped for the pool in the darkened cavern chambers. The next mile was a head-lamped cave tour with short falls and jumps. Stalactites grew from the ceiling and some of them were broken half-off with water pouring out like high-pressure hoses. A mile further we came back into the sunlight and the velocity of the downhill surge increased. We washed through the canyons cackling and screeching like school kids. Then we crawled out for various jumps and hesitated, standing, appreciating, and gawking in awe at this special world. Eight hours from our first plunge the river flattened out and we walked back to the truck on the round boulders in the riverbed. That night we were exhausted

and rented a cabin from a local proprietor that kicked in a hearty bottle of sweet homemade wine. The next morning it was time to drift north and home to Texas. Time passed, years passed, and the story of our adventure swirled into its own reality. Then I met Kendal at a Texas Outdoor Writers conference. “Hey, I’m taking some Boy Scouts to Alaska,” he said. “Would you like to donate $20 for expenses?” “Here’s $50—hire those kids a guide!” And I smiled inside wondering when we’d make our next trip.

and threes, and everyone got a few chances at the speedsters before the sun popped over the horizon and they stopped flying. Lack of hunting pressure and no wind combined to keep the morning flight brief, but all of us enjoyed the opportunity and the hunt ended with enough birds so we could have grilled teal breasts for dinner.

We spent the afternoon on the vast expanse of San Antonio Bay wade-fishing for spotted trout and redfish. The persistent high-pressure weather system made finding hungry fish challenging, but our group managed to catch a respectable number of trout and reds thanks to our guide, T. J. Christensen.

The camaraderie of the whole affair was what I took home with me. Time spent outdoors with friends has no price tag. It is not just the fishing or the hunting we take home with us.

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E-mail Herman W. Brune at wilderness@fishgame.com.

E-mail Barry St. Clair at bstclair@fishgame.com.

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hunting.” “Precisely! There you have it. So, what is it that you don’t understand? Keep in mind that you have had 30 years of being able to do this. I am only on my third year and I think it is really selfish of you not to be more sensitive to that fact.” “Sensitive! Well, that really takes the cake. What is wrong with you? You are not being reasonable about this. I can’t do anything until we know what the dates are. Don’t worry so much.” Yeah, sure! I know what will happen. The lodge will fill up and there won’t be any rooms, the guides will all be taken, and sure as tooting, I will be SOL. Well, it is no skin off your nose you, you, veteran you. Easy for you to say since you have a million teal seasons under your belt. “Don’t worry? Well, I am plenty bloody worried. So, I ask you—what is so wrong with planning ahead? Covering your bases?” ILLUSTRATION BY RACHEL WATSON

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If gurlz were in charge of determining when teal season was going to be, it wouldn’t take so long for the dates to come out. We are planners, organizers, coordinators, cognizant of every detail. We would be ahead of the game. We would have plenty of time to get reservations at our favorite lodge, line up the guide, buy ourselves some new camo, and have the dog and the children taken care of at the home front. I bet TPWD is run by a bunch of—you know—males. Those flyby-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of breed that says, “Don’t worry, Baby.” Well, buckaroo, this is one bluewing shooter that is worried. “Baby, I have never seen you like this. Do you feel okay? Why are you getting so worked up?” “I’ll tell you why I am getting so worked up! I got one bluewing last year; you all limited out! I want to get my limit this year and I can’t do that if I don’t have a spot on the marsh, a guide to take us out, and a chance to take a shot, which will all require a goshdarn reservation. See? It all gets back to making a reservation. Why won’t you listen to me?” Yuck, I feel clammy, head is pounding, stomach feels queasy. Oh no, getting dark! “Baby, you had better sit down. You don’t look so good. You’re white as a ghost. Let me get you a glass of water. It will be all right. You really should not take this so seriously.” “Don’t take it seriously? Well, who— who—I ask, is responsible for that? You are the one that gave me this disease. You said, ‘Here, try it, you might like it, just try it once, trust me, don’t worry, I will show you how, blah, blah, blah.’ And now look at me! Look what a mess I am! I can’t think of anything else! Seeing those bluewings come screaming in…I have to get my limit, I have to try, I have to be there! I, I, I…” Echo… going black… spinning… kabunck! There it is, what doctors call the “vasovagal syncope,” the common form of what we all know as “fainting.” The heart revs up, the blood pressure soars, and the vagus nerve collapses. That one deadly nerve that winds from the head, branching out to the larynx, through the throat, into the lungs, plummeting into the stomach, massaging the kidneys, and terminating down to the, well, you know. All body parts in overload. Vessels dilate, blood is cut off from the strategic areas, and wham! Danger! Danger! Body shut-

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ting down. Before you know it, there you are, lying in a heap on the floor. “Baby? Baby! Are you okay? I am sorry! I will call right away and make a reservation! Are you all right? Okay, okay, you win, one teal season coming right up. We can always change the date of the reservation. Don’t worry, we will be there. I will take care of everything. Please, wake up!” Bluewing dreaming… Here they come, a veritable blue streak. Steady, put it on their beak, squeeze slowly.

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Got ‘im! And another! And another! What a perfectly beautiful morning. Just right. No worries as I sit with my limit of bluewings at my feet. I wait for the other guys to get their limits while I bask in the morning dew with no worries. It is all in the planning, boys. If you had made your reservation early, you would have had your limit by now.

E-mail Mari Henry at gurlz@fishgame.com.

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S THE LONG DAYS OF SUMMER WIND DOWN, our thoughts move toward autumn. Kids getting back to school, football games, and, of course, dove season. There are great times spent and memories made while enjoying the outdoors with fam-

PHOTO BY JIM OLIVE

Mesquite Grilled Dove Wraps ily or friends. The thrill of seeing a group of whitewings our mourning dove flying over, darting and diving, reminding you of just how challenging this sport is. This recipe is tried and true, with some helpful hints to make your harvest dinner a great meal and a fond memory for all. 24 dove breasts 24 Jalapenos (halved and seeded to make 48 halves) 2 purple onions peeled and cut into 1inch thick wedges 2 cakes of cream cheese (allow to sit out to soften for 1-2 hours)

For the Brine Fillet the breast meat from the breastplate. Place the fillet halves into a large bowl of ice water. They should be fully submerged. Add 1/2 cup sea salt to 1/2 gallon of ice water. Allow meat to sit for 1-2 hours. Pour off water and rinse the meat again with cold water.

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breast with a half slice of bacon. Hold the bacon in place with a moist round toothpick. (Be sure to wrap tightly to hold in cheese.)

For the Baste The baste will help to cook the bacon faster and keep the meat from overcooking and drying out.

S P O N S O R E D BY:

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PHOTO COURTESY OF USDA

8 cups chicken stock 1 tsp allspice salt and white pepper 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 Tbs finely chopped parsley 2 Tbs crème fraiche 1 TBS chopped chives Preheat oven to 350. Cut the squashes in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Season the squash with salt and white pepper. Place the halved squashes, skin side down, in a shallow roasting pan. Place one tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of molasses in the center of each squash. Arrange the carrots, onions, and garlic

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cloves around the squash. Pour 1 cup of the wine and 1 cup of the stock into the pan, cover with foil, and bake for two hours. Remove from the oven and cool the vegetables for five minutes. Scoop the flesh out of each squash and place in a large saucepot. Discard the skin. Place the other roasted vegetables and the cooking liquid in the pot. Add the remaining wine and chicken stock to the pot. Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Season with allspice, salt, and pepper. Simmer the soup for 10 minutes and then remove from heat. Using a handheld blender, puree the soup until smooth. Add the parsley, season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into a shallow bowl. Garnish with crème fraiche, and chives.

Contact Bryan Slaven, "The Texas Gourmet," at 888-234-7883, www.thetexasgourmet.com; or by email at texas-tasted@fishgame.com.

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TEXAS SALTWATER

GALVESTON

Rick Hart man Outdoor Tr Redfish avel In Photo by Don Muelr c. ath

CORPUS CHRISTI

s and Jame ervice ve, Dylan n Guide S David, Ste 2 Redfish; Hillma nd 15 Trout a

ADVERTISERS, MAIL IN YOUR PHOTOS TODAY!

ROCKPORT

Casey Hunting a Aoudad nd Ang Quality R ling eview

For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.

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TEXAS FRESHWATER

Roddy Isom Speckled Trout Hugo Ford Guide Service

Connor Bond and Andrew Knezevich Oversized Redfish Redfish Charters

Chuck Walsh Trout 25-inch Speckled ce rvi Se ide Gu an Hillm

OUTDOOR SHOPPER

LAKE TEXOMA

LAKE AMISTAD

TEXAS HUNTING

BAFFIN BAY

ADVERTISERS, MAIL IN YOUR PHOTOS TODAY!

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COLORADO

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KING SALMON—ALASKA

TROUT & REDFISH—INGLESIDE, TEXAS

Frank Garcia of McAllen, Texas, and Carlos Camarillo caught this 41pound, 45-inch king salmon while on a fishing trip in Alaska.

Angler Lindsey Wyatt, along with partner Ken Willis, caught these 9 trout and 1 redfish in the Ingleside, Texas area. They were fishing with topwater lures.

BASS—LAKE FORK, TEXAS

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TF&G PHOTO ALBUM 1745 Greens Road Houston, Texas 77032 OR BY EMAIL: photos@fishgame.com

PLEASE INCLUDE NAME, HOMETOWN, WHEN & WHERE CAUGHT, SIZE AND WEIGHT

Note: All non-digital photos submitted become the property of Texas Fish & Game and will not be returned. TF&G makes no guarantee when or if any submitted photo will be published. F i s h

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BLACK DRUM—PORT MANSFIELD, TEXAS

BLUE CATFISH—LAKE TRAVIS, TEXAS

GAFFTOPS—CHARLIE’S PASTURE, TEXAS

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PHOTO BY GRADY ALLEN

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by Steve LaMascus gun might still be as much as a foot off. And don’t forget to take the arbor or “spud” out of the barrel before you shoot the gun. Failure to do so will likely put you in the hospital and will most certainly wreck the rifle in a most spectacular manner. When sighting in, the rifle must be held solidly and consistently. This is accomplished by the use of commercial rests or sandbags; either will do just fine. Place the rifle on the bags with the front of the stock on the forward bag, and the butt stock just behind the pistol grip on the rear bag. Make sure that the barrel is not touching anything, as it will tend to shoot away from any unnatA L M A N A C / T E X A S

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In This Issue

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NEW PRODUCTS • What’s New From Top Outdoor Manufacturers | BY TF&G STAFF INDUSTRY INSIDER • Woodee Rods; Navionics | BY TF&G STAFF SHOOT THIS • Kimber 8400 Sonora | BY STEVE LAMASCUS

HOW-TO SECTION

COVER STORY • How to Sight in a Deer Rifle | BY STEVE LAMASCUS

HOTSPOTS & TIDES SECTION

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK • Tides, Solunar Table, Best Hunting/Fishing Times | BY TF&G STAFF

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

GEARING UP SECTION

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TEXAS TESTED • Luresafety Wrap; Garmin; and more | BY TF&G STAFF

N26 N28 N30 N31 N32 N34 N38 N40

TEXAS BOATING • Five Boating Adventures | BY LENNY RUDOW

SPECIAL ADVERTISING

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HUNTING TEXAS • Special Advertising Section | BY DON ZAIDLE

OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE SECTION

N18 N36 N37

TROPHY FEVER • Special Hunting Section | BY TF&G STAFF TOURNAMENT INSIDER • BASS Nixes Co-Anglers | BY MATT WILLIAMS GURLZ PAGE • Bluewing Worries | BY MARI HENRY

TEXAS KAYAKING • Cast, Blast, & Paddle | BY GREG BERLOCHER SALTWATER BAITS & RIGS • Circle Hook Jigs | BY PATRICK LEMIRE FRESHWATER BAITS & RIGS • Gar on Purpose | BY PAUL BRADSHAW HUNT TEXAS • Duck Lessons | BY BOB HOOD TEXAS GUNS & GEAR • The Sound of Silence | BY STEVE LAMASCUS WILDERNESS TRAILS • That’s My Story and I’m Sticking to It… | BY HERMAN W. BRUNE AFIELD WITH BARRY • It’s Not Just the Fishing | BY BARRY ST. CLAIR

1-1/2 or 2 inches high is the preferred method, but if you hunt in big, open country, where the shots are usually long, you might consider 3 inches high. Most riflescopes have adjustments with 1/4-inch “clicks”; that is four clicks to the inch. So, all you have to do is measure the

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CONSERVATION WATCH • Deadly Salad | BY TOM BEHRENS TEXAS TASTED • Mesquite Dove Wraps | BY BRYAN SLAVEN DISCOVER THE OUTDOORS • Classifieds | BY TF&G STAFF PHOTO ALBUM • Your Action Photos | BY TF&G STAFF

distance above or below the bull’s-eye and the distance right or left, and make the adjustments. For instance, if the center of your group is 4 inches high and 3 inches left, you move the scope adjustments 16 clicks down and 12 clicks right. If the scope adjustments are accurate, it takes only a few shots to sight in the rifle. What do we do if it is not on the target at all? My preference is to put up a large section of white butcher paper—big enough that the bullet is certain to hit it somewhere. Usually 3x3 feet will suffice. Then shoot again and see where it hits. If you don’t have any butcher paper, just move to 25 yards to make your primary

PHOTO BY GRADY ALLEN

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adjustments—but beware: A scoped rifle sighted to hit center at 25 yards is going to be several inches high at 100 yards. Also, any error in adjustment at 25 is going to be multiplied by 4 at 100 yards. Do not sight in at 25 yards and think it is close enough. It might be, but the odds are against it. Once you are sighted in properly at 25 yards, go back to 100 to finalize your sight alignment. If you expect to have long shots when hunting, it is wise to check your sights at 200 and 300 yards. Sometimes, a rifle that is almost perfect at 100 will be several inches off at 300. The farther back you go, the more precise your zero. Each time you make an adjustment, shoot a three-shot group to check. Sometimes the scope adjustments will not move at all until you shoot the gun, then recoil causes the stuck crosshairs to move. This can be avoided by tapping the scope to settle the crosshairs into their new position. After I make an adjustment on the scope, I usually and tap around the adjustment knobs with the side of a loaded cartridge case to be certain that the crosshairs move and then settle in. This is such a common problem that it

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has become almost a religious rite when sighting in, and the brass cartridge case will not damage the finish of the scope. Never fire one shot and then make adjustments. This is called “chasing bullet holes.” Not many guns are accurate enough to do this, and most shooters do not shoot well enough. Instead, always shoot a group if at least three shots, then make your adjustments from the center of the group. The tools you will need for sighting in are few, but important. First is a solid bench rest. If you are trying to shoot from a wobbly, crooked rest, you will have nothing but heartache trying to sight in your rifle. Next is commercial front and rear rests or a sufficient number of sandbags to solidly bed the rifle. The gun must be solidly supported both at the front end and at the butt. As a last resort, shooting over the hood of a pickup, with the gun firmly supported with sandbags, is a workable solution. I have sighted in many rifles this way, but it is not as good as a benchrest and sandbags. If you are shooting a low-power scope, a good spotting scope is a wonderful tool to have. It will save you a lot of walking back

and forth from the bench to the target to see where that last shot went. My current spotting scope is an Alpen that is adjustable from 18x to 36x. Any decent spotting scope of at least 20x will be sufficient to see bullet holes at 100 yards. Shoot-and-See targets are not absolutely necessary, but certainly handy things to have. These targets have a black coating over a highly visible base, usually something like bright chartreuse. When hit by a bullet, the black flakes off, leaving the bright color at the edge of the bullet hole, making it highly visible. Those I use are made by Birchwood Casey and are marked off in a grid of 1-inch squares. With the grid target, I do not have to measure anything; I just count the squares and make the adjustment. They also make it much easier to see the bullet holes than when shooting at a plain paper target. When you are sighting in, be precise. It is important that you know exactly where the gun is shooting. This is one time when “close enough for government work” is not acceptable.

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Tides and Solunar Table for OCTOBER 2008 MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

1 High Tide: 4:36 am 1.52 ft Low Tide: 11:47 am 0.32 ft High Tide: 7:43 pm 1.72 ft

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 3:34 am Low Tide: 4:01 pm

1.77 ft 0.45 ft

Sunrise: 7:35a Moonrise: 2:21p AM Minor: 11:51a PM Minor: ----Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

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

3:19 am 9:25 am 4:18 pm 9:55 pm

Set: 7:19p Set: None AM Major: 5:38a PM Major: 6:03p 7:20p 6:55a

1.59 ft 0.69 ft 1.76 ft 1.08 ft

Sunrise: 7:40a Moonrise: 6:18p AM Minor: 4:33a PM Minor: 4:56p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

Sunrise: 7:45a Moonrise: None AM Minor: 11:39a PM Minor: ----Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

2:50 am 9:44 am 5:06 pm 10:43 pm

Sunrise: 6:50a Moonrise: 5:39a AM Minor: 3:32a PM Minor: 3:53p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

1:10pm – 2:20pm

Set: 7:02p Set: 2:05p AM Major: 5:23a PM Major: 5:54p 6:44a 7:14p

1.48 ft 0.36 ft 1.71 ft 1.29 ft

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3:26 am 10:00 am 5:24 pm 10:41 pm

Sunrise: 7:40a Moonrise: 6:52p AM Minor: 5:18a PM Minor: 5:43p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

Set: 7:17p Set: 12:21a AM Major: 6:29a PM Major: 6:54p 8:09p 7:45a 1.59 ft 0.41 ft 1.86 ft 1.29 ft

7:10am – 8:20am

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

2:57 am 10:13 am 6:03 pm 11:27 pm

1:40pm – 2:55pm

Sunrise: 6:51a Moonrise: 6:37a AM Minor: 4:14a PM Minor: 4:36p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

T E X A S

11:30am – 12:55pm

Set: 7:01p Set: 2:51p AM Major: 6:25a PM Major: 6:53p 7:43a 8:10p 1.49 ft 0.22 ft 1.76 ft 1.44 ft

1.75 ft 0.51 ft

4:15pm – 5:45pm

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

7:45am – 9:00am

Set: 7:16p Set: 1:19a AM Major: 7:17a PM Major: 7:41p 8:57p 8:33a

PRIME TIME 3:31 am 10:40 am 6:32 pm 11:28 pm

Sunrise: 7:41a Moonrise: 7:31p AM Minor: 6:10a PM Minor: 6:37p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

1.62 ft 0.16 ft 1.93 ft 1.51 ft

22 High Tide: 1:49 am Low Tide: 6:00 pm

Sunrise: 7:46a Moonrise: 1:35a AM Minor: 1:06a PM Minor: 1:32p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

1.83 ft 0.27 ft

7:20am – 8:50am

High Tide: 2:58 am 1.53 ft Low Tide: 10:45 am 0.13 ft High Tide: 6:57 pm 1.77 ft

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PRIME TIME 12:27 am 4:28 am 12:25 pm 8:53 pm

Sunrise: 7:33a Moonrise: 10:48a AM Minor: 8:15a PM Minor: 8:39p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

Sunrise: 7:37a Moonrise: 4:16p AM Minor: 1:50a PM Minor: 2:13p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

Set: 7:23p Set: 9:07p AM Major: 2:03a PM Major: 2:27p 4:00p 3:36a 1.72 ft 0.55 ft

Sunrise: 7:42a Moonrise: 8:16p AM Minor: 7:08a PM Minor: 7:38p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

12:10pm – 1:20pm

3:00pm – 4:10pm

Set: 7:15p Set: 2:18a AM Major: 8:01a PM Major: 8:25p 9:44p 9:21a

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 3:33 am 1.69 ft Low Tide: 11:25 am -0.04 ft High Tide: 7:46 pm 1.98 ft

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

4:00pm – 5:30pm

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 2:56 am Low Tide: 7:00 pm

6:35am – 7:50am

Set: 7:07p Set: 9:48a AM Major: 12:54a PM Major: 1:23p 2:35a 3:05p

PRIME TIME 2:06 am 8:21 am 11:46 am 7:09 pm

Sunrise: 7:47a Moonrise: 2:41a AM Minor: 1:54a PM Minor: 2:18p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

PRIME TIME

7:25am – 8:50am

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

Set: 5:53p Set: 6:05p AM Major: 11:11a PM Major: 11:35p 12:53p 12:30a

1.46 ft 1.56 ft 0.29 ft 1.71 ft

PRIME TIME

Set: 7:00p Set: 3:29p AM Major: 7:19a PM Major: 7:45p 8:36a 9:02p

Sunrise: 6:52a Moonrise: 7:37a AM Minor: 4:59a PM Minor: 5:23p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

1:55pm – 3:35pm

Set: 7:08p Set: 8:36a AM Major: ----PM Major: 12:23p 1:39a 2:07p

PRIME TIME

Set: 5:54p Set: 5:30p AM Major: 10:25a PM Major: 10:48p 12:06p None

F i s h

Sunrise: 7:36a Moonrise: 3:41p AM Minor: 1:05a PM Minor: 1:29p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 3:06 am Low Tide: 6:10 pm

PRIME TIME

Set: 7:25p Set: 8:31p AM Major: 1:12a PM Major: 1:35p 3:12p 2:49a

PRIME TIME

Set: 7:09p Set: 7:27a AM Major: 11:31a PM Major: 11:56p 12:48a 1:13p 1.92 ft 0.10 ft

Sunrise: 7:45a Moonrise: 12:27a AM Minor: 12:15a PM Minor: 12:39p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

2 0 0 8 /

7:35am – 8:50am

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 1:21 am Low Tide: 4:45 pm

PRIME TIME

Set: 5:55p Set: 4:58p AM Major: 9:43a PM Major: 10:04p 11:21a 11:44p

1.77 ft 0.48 ft

Sunrise: 7:36a Moonrise: 3:03p AM Minor: 12:17a PM Minor: 12:41p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

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

11:10am – 12:25pm

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 3:34 am Low Tide: 5:10 pm

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 12:24 am 1.97 ft Low Tide: 3:28 pm -0.04 ft

PRIME TIME

Set: 7:10p Set: 6:22a AM Major: 10:44a PM Major: 11:08p None 12:24p

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

7:10am – 8:15am*

Sunrise: 7:32a Moonrise: 9:48a AM Minor: 7:23a PM Minor: 7:46p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

THURSDAY

12:06 am 2:46 am 11:19 am 7:53 pm

Sunrise: 6:52a Moonrise: 8:36a AM Minor: 5:49a PM Minor: 6:14p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

1.72 ft 1.33 ft 1.44 ft 0.46 ft

12:45pm – 2:00pm

Set: 6:59p Set: 4:02p AM Major: 8:06a PM Major: 8:30p 9:26a 9:49p

PRIME TIME 1.54 ft 1.57 ft 0.10 ft 1.76 ft

3:45pm – 5:00pm

Set: 5:53p Set: 6:45p AM Major: ----PM Major: 12:01p 1:42p 1:17a

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Tides and Solunar Table for OCTOBER 2008 FRIDAY

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

12:47 am 3:48 am 1:07 pm 10:24 pm

Sunrise: 7:33a Moonrise: 11:46a AM Minor: 9:09a PM Minor: 9:33p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

1.59 ft 1.62 ft 0.30 ft 1.70 ft

2:57 am 9:01 am 12:40 pm 7:45 pm

Sunrise: 7:38a Moonrise: 4:47p AM Minor: 2:32a PM Minor: 2:55p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

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

12:14 am 3:29 am 12:16 pm 9:09 pm

Sunrise: 7:42a Moonrise: 9:09p AM Minor: 8:13a PM Minor: 8:44p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

1.69 ft 1.38 ft 1.48 ft 0.62 ft

2:20 am 8:29 am 1:31 pm 8:10 pm

Sunrise: 7:48a Moonrise: 3:43a AM Minor: 2:36a PM Minor: 2:58p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

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

3:50pm – 5:10pm

Low Tide: 12:43 am 1.67 ft High Tide: 3:14 am 1.69 ft Low Tide: 1:56 pm 0.35 ft

1.70 ft 1.78 ft -0.15 ft 1.99 ft

3:45pm – 4:50pm

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

6:45am – 7:55am*

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

1.65 ft 1.20 ft 1.55 ft 0.74 ft

3:00pm – 4:10pm

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

Sunrise: 6:53a Moonrise: 9:33a AM Minor: 6:42a PM Minor: 7:08p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

1.61 ft 1.62 ft 0.11 ft 1.73 ft

3:50pm – 5:15pm*

Set: 5:52p Set: 7:29p AM Major: 12:30a PM Major: 12:55p 2:32p 2:07a

3:45pm – 5:00pm

High Tide: 3:20 am Low Tide: 2:54 pm

1:03 am 3:17 am 1:13 pm 10:45 pm

1.85 ft 1.87 ft -0.19 ft 1.98 ft

2:32 am 8:51 am 2:54 pm 9:05 pm

3:50pm – 5:00pm

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

6:50am – 8:00am

Sunrise: 7:48a Moonrise: 4:43a AM Minor: 3:15a PM Minor: 3:36p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

1.75 ft 0.40 ft

Sunrise: 7:35a Moonrise: 1:34p AM Minor: 10:58a PM Minor: 11:23p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

Set: 7:05p Set: 12:10p AM Major: 3:07a PM Major: 3:39p 4:38a 5:10p 1.54 ft 0.81 ft 1.56 ft 0.90 ft

PRIME TIME

6:50am – 7:55am

Set: 7:20p Set: 11:26p AM Major: 4:45a PM Major: 5:11p 6:30p 6:04a

PRIME TIME 3:11 am 8:58 am 3:12 pm 9:11 pm

1.62 ft 0.96 ft 1.65 ft 0.89 ft

Sunrise: 7:39a Moonrise: 5:47p AM Minor: 3:51a PM Minor: 4:14p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

3:55pm5:20pm

Set: 7:11p Set: 5:19a AM Major: 10:03a PM Major: 10:26p None 11:37a

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 2:17 pm

-0.14 ft

Sunrise: 7:44a Moonrise: 11:17p AM Minor: 10:32a PM Minor: 11:04p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

7:00am – 8:25am

Set: 7:03p Set: 1:12p AM Major: 4:16a PM Major: 4:48p 5:42a 6:13p

PRIME TIME

26 End DST

PRIME TIME

3:15pm – 4:30pm

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

3:20pm – 4:50pm*

Set: 6:57p Set: 5:00p AM Major: 9:26a PM Major: 9:47p 10:55a 11:17p

PRIME TIME 12:33 am 2:06 am 11:56 am 8:55 pm

PRIME TIME

Set: 7:12p Set: 4:19a AM Major: 9:23a PM Major: 9:46p 11:15p 10:52a

Sunrise: 7:43a Moonrise: 10:10p AM Minor: 9:23a PM Minor: 9:55p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

PRIME TIME

Set: 6:58p Set: 4:32p AM Major: 8:47a PM Major: 9:10p 10:12a 10:34p

3:04 am 8:44 am 2:02 pm 8:28 pm

SUNDAY

Set: 7:21p Set: 10:35p AM Major: 3:51a PM Major: 4:16p 5:39p 5:14a

Sunrise: 7:38a Moonrise: 5:17p AM Minor: 3:12a PM Minor: 3:34p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

PRIME TIME

Set: 7:06p Set: 11:01a AM Major: 1:58a PM Major: 2:29p 3:35a 4:06p 1.62 ft 1.07 ft 1.48 ft 0.68 ft

Sunrise: 7:34a Moonrise: 12:42p AM Minor: 10:03a PM Minor: 10:29p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

PRIME TIME

Set: 7:14p Set: 3:18a AM Major: 8:43a PM Major: 9:06p 10:29p 10:07a

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

PRIME TIME

Set: 7:22p Set: 9:49p AM Major: 2:56a PM Major: 3:21p 4:49p 4:24a

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

SATURDAY

2:42 am 9:16 am 4:04 pm 9:56 pm

1.50 ft 0.56 ft 1.64 ft 1.11 ft

Sunrise: 6:49a Moonrise:4:15a AM Minor: * PM Minor: 9:39p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:

Set: 6:49p Set: 4:41a AM Major: 3:29a PM Major: 3:50p 4:29p 10:38a

PRIME TIME

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)

PRIME TIME

HIGH

LOW

-1:46

-1:31

-1:26

-1:31

-1:00

-1:15

-0:04

-0:25

-0:39

-1:05

+0:14

-0:06

+0:33

+0:41

+3:54

+4:15

+6:05

+6:40

+10:21

+5:19

+10:39

+5:15

+5:48

+4:43

+3:16

+4:18

+2:38

+3:31

+2:39

+2:33

+2:32

+2:31

-1:06

-0.09

-0:44

-1:02

0:00

-1:20

-0:03

-1:31

-0:24

-1:45

+1:02

-0:42

PRIME TIME

SYMBOL KEY

New Moon

First Quarter

Full Moon

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

Last Quarter

F i s h

Good Day

PRIME TIME

BEST DAYS

G a m e ® / O C T O B E R

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

Brave Brady Bass LOCATION: Lake Brady HOTSPOT: Upper Brady Creek GPS: N31 12.428, W99 30.889

SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: shallow crankbaits, double willow leaf spinnerbaits, creature baits CONTACT: Wendell Ramsey, 325-2274931, bram4@suddenlink.net TIPS: There is a group of bass that stay in Brady Creek this time of year while feeding heavily as they prepare for winter. Moving baits will produce on the rocky, timbered banks. Use white/chartreuse color combos in stained water. BANK ACCESS: City Park LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Flag Island GPS: N30 48.571, W98 26.440 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: silver/blue back Chug Bugs or JDC Skip-N-Pop topwater poppers, Berkley Gulp, 5-inch Shakey Worms on Shakey Head jigheads, deep diving crankbaits in Tennessee Shad and Sexy Shad colors. CONTACT: Kandie Candelaria, 210-8232153, kandie@gvtc.com TIPS: Work the above baits from Flag Island all the way to the dam BANK ACCESS: Shaw Island, crappie, largemouth bass, white bass, catfish LOCATION: Lake LBJ HOTSPOT: Sandy Creek Rock Wall GPS: N30 34.752, W98 26.440 BEST BAITS: JDC Skip-N-Pop or Ghost, N6

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(smoke), colored small Zara Spook, Rat-LTraps in Bleeding Shad color, 3/16th ounce black/blue Bitsey Jigs in Watermelon Candy, Net Paca chunk, Watermelon stick baits by Crème, Whacky Sticks CONTACT: Kandie Candelaria, 210-8232153, kandie@gvtc.com TIPS: Work the cement wall and riprap, secondary breaklines with laydowns and stumps. Don’t be afraid to change baits. BANK ACCESS: Robin Hood Park, catfish, crappie, largemouth LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Dam Hump GPS: N29 52.029, W98 12.267 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: smoke or red JDC grubs, Texas-rigged Zoom Trick Worm 6 inches in Watermelon Candy with tungsten 1/4-ounce weights, 1/4-ounce Shakey Head jigs with Gulp!, drop-shot rig on Stand Out 2/0 hook with Devil’s Tongues in Pumpkin with the tail dipped in red dye CONTACT: Kandie Candelaria, 210-8232153, kandie@gvtc.com TIPS: Begin your day early and work water 8 to 15 feet deep along main lake bluff ledges, points, and humps. BANK ACCESS: Comal Park, largemouth, catfish LOCATION: Lake Granger HOTSPOT: Willis Creek SPECIES: largemouth bass GPS: N30 41.953, W97 23.485 BEST BAITS: buzzbaits and spinnerbaits in white, chartreuse; slab spoons CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell, 512-3657761, www.txfishing.com/tidwell/index.htm TIPS: Work the shallow water at the mouth of the river and the timber around Willis Creek, and upriver along stumps lining the edge of the channel. BANK ACCESS: Wilson Fox Fishing Dock, crappie on live minnows fished straight F i s h

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

JD MOORE

CALIXTO GONZALES

down off dock.

Spooks & Vixens Fool Bass LOCATION: Lake Amistad HOTSPOT: Mile Markers 21-25, (American side)

GPS: N29 33.340, W101 14.779 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Zara Spooks, Vixens, frogs, all in green CONTACT: Wendell Ramsey, bram4@suddenlink.net TIPS: October through November is topwater madness month on Amistad. Work parallel to the many points up in this part of the Rio Grande while keeping the trolling motor on medium speed. Work Baby Bass colored Spooks or Vixens using the “walk the dog” technique. Continue all day or until you have had your fill. Try the Ragtail Toad over mats of grass or salt cedar and you might get your arms worn out. BANK ACCESS: Airforce Marina, largemouth, catfish

Wacky Twitchy Bass LOCATION: Lake Fork

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ALL GPS COORDINATES VERIFIED BY

HOTSPOT: Northwood Docks, above 2946 Bridge GPS: N32 54.380, W95 39.547 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: shallow running crankbaits, Junebug colored Lake Fork Twitch worms rigged wacky style CONTACT: Rick Carter, 903-765-3474, www.lakeforkbassfish.com TIPS: In October, the bass move back into the grass beds from deep water into water 310 feet deep and start their fall feeding spree as they prepare for winter. Throw shallow running crankbait or Lake Fork Twitch Worm around docks with grass around them. A good place to start is Northwood Docks, just above the 2946 bridge. There is a long line of docks in this area. The bass might be stacked at one dock, so don’t give up. Fish all docks thoroughly. BANK ACCESS: Fishing Pier at the Minnow Bucket bait stand, crappie, largemouth bass LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: 2946 Bridge GPS: N32 53.865, W95 39.522 SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: crappie jigs and live minnows CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, 903-5302201, www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Crappie will be good both on minnows and jigs on the main lake points where you find big standing timber and also under the 515 and 2946 Bridges. Most of the crappie you catch will be in about 20 to 25 feet of water. Jig color doesn’t appear to be very important. BANK ACCESS: Fishing Pier at the Minnow Bucket bait stand, crappie, largemouth bass LOCATION: Lake Monticello HOTSPOT: 14-Pound Point GPS: N33 07 114, W95 05.150 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: chartreuse topwater lures CONTACT: Jeff Kirkwood, 972-853-0949, www.fishinwithjeff.com TIPS: October provides some of the very best fishing on Monticello. The topwater bite can be truly awesome. The key to fishing this lake is the color Chartreuse. The bass are suckers for this color most of the time. Work the topwaters around lay downs, N8

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T E X A S

stumps and on the edges of grass. BANK ACCESS: Titus County Park LOCATION: Lake Sam Rayburn HOTSPOT: Buck Bay Moss Bed (off side of point) GPS: N31 11.015, W94 04.028 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Nichols Spinnerbaits in white and / or Chartreuse with willow leaf blades. Nichols also makes a “shattered glass” pattern for their spinnerbait blades. CONTACT: Don Mattern, Sr., 903-4782633, www.matternguideservice.fghp.com TIPS: There’s a huge hydrilla bed with 5to 8-foot edges near deeper water. Work the side of the point, casting Nichols Spinnerbait over the hydrilla. The shattered glass pattern has worked very well for me in these areas. You can also work a red or crawfish patterned Rattle Shad in 1/2-ounce. BANK ACCESS: Powell Park Marina Fishing Pier, largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, white and striped bass

Whites in the Riprap LOCATION: Lake Aquilla HOTSPOT: Dam Riprap at Spillway

GPS: N31 53.860, W97 12.408 SPECIES: white bass & crappie BEST BAITS: Kastmaster spoons, Lil’ Georges, small shallow crankbaits CONTACT: Randy Routh, 817-822-5539, www.teamredneck.net TIPS: Work the riprap along the dam, moving up and down the dam early and late. Don’t be surprised at catching a mixed bag of white bass and crappie, as both species are along the riprap this time of year. BANK ACCESS: Tail Race Fishing Pier, jigs, slabs, spoons LOCATION: Lake Belton HOTSPOT: NW of Temple Lake Park F i s h

G a m e ® / A L M A N A C

GPS: N31 01.995, W97 34.208 SPECIES: white bass, hybrid bass BEST BAITS: topwater baits to match forage size in silver or clear, slabs to match forage size in silver or white, live shad CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-368-7411, Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com TIPS: Look for topwater feeding early and late. Pay attention to the size of shad regurgitated by fish you catch and try to closely match the forage size. Work topwaters until bite dies in the morning, then switch to slabs. When topwater bite resumes in the afternoon, switch back to topwaters. Action will improve as cold fronts cause temperatures to moderate and continue a cooling trend in water temperatures. LOCATION: Lake Joe Pool HOTSPOT: Secondary Points of Lynn & Walnut Creeks GPS: N32 35.415, W97 04.886 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Rat-L-Traps, small spinnerbaits; shallow running crankbaits in shad patterns. CONTACT: Randy Maxwell, 817-3132878, www.getagripguide.com TIPS: Early evening is starting to be the best time to fish. All you need remember is moving baits around shad activity. Watching wind direction for a few days before you head to the lake will give you a good place to start. Fish the windblown shores from the dam to the bridges on either Lynn or Walnut Creeks. Look for larger fish to start staging for their fall feeding, on the points and secondary points of Lynn and Walnut. Work DD22’s and Carolina-rigged Fries. Try throwing a weightless fluke or Chomper Salty Sinker in the grass wherever you can find it, while keeping your lure on the move. BANK ACCESS: Lynn Creek Fishing Dock, bream, crappie, largemouth bass, $3 per vehicle per day use fee LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Dam Rocks GPS: N33 02.208, W96 28.044 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: chartreuse/white spinnerbait, black/blue jig with a Gene Larew trailer to match, 100 or 200 series Bandit Mistake

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ALL GPS COORDINATES VERIFIED BY

CONTACT: Jeff Kirkwood, 972-853-0949, www.fishinwithjeff.com TIPS: The better areas will be the riprap like the Dam Rocks and other riprap found throughout the lake (Hwy 380, Mallard Cove, and other dam areas). As the water begins to cool, you’ll find that the rocks will not only hold baitfish, but also it will hold the heat as well. This will attract the fish. Secondary water level has consistently changed from one year to the next due to drought and each time it has created somewhat of a drop-off. Look for these areas in 7 to 10 feet of water. Several shallow humps on the lake hold good fish during the fall. Don’t be surprised to find several fish stacked up together. BANK ACCESS: Ticky Creek, largemouth bass on crankbaits and spinnerbaits LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Highsaw Creek & Ledbetter GPS: N32 07.825, W95 29.341 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Nichols Shattered Glass willow leaf blades spinnerbait CONTACT: Don Mattern, Sr. www.matter nguideservice.fghp.com TIPS: These creek areas hold a lot of shad, and consequently the bass almost have a captive audience and feed voraciously on the shad. Work the Nichols spinnerbait along the creek banks and around the cuts between islands and you will be successful.

BANK ACCESS: Dam Park, largemouth, crappie, fish pockets and rock wall LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Neches River GPS: N32 17.926, W95 26.890 SPECIES: largemouth bass

BEST BAITS: shad colored crankbaits, chartreuse/white Shimmy Shaker Swim lure, Texasrigged Red Shad worm, Diamond Head 3/8-ounce jig in black/brown/amber color CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, 903-530A L M A N A C / T E X A S

F i s h

2201, www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Position your boat in the middle of the river and fish upriver, working all the bends and drainages that run into the river. Bass will also be good down south on all the big main lake points from the 155 bridge all the way to the dam. You will find bass bunching up on the points in 8 to 12 feet of water near lay downs and brush. Keep in mind to fish slow and cover the areas completely. Stay deep and cast to the shallows and pull down the points. You’ll catch more fish this way during the fall. BANK ACCESS: Dam Park, largemouth, crappie, fish pockets and rock wall LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard HOTSPOT: Yankee Creek GPS: N32 49.982, W96 29.930 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Small RatL-Traps, Bandit 100 c r a n k b a i t s , black/blue/Chartreuse jig with matching Gene Larew trailer CONTACT: Jeff Kirkwood, 972-8530949, www.fishinwithjeff.com TIPS: Bass are making a major move to the big creeks and East Fork River. Rat-L-Traps and Bandit 100 crankbaits are definitely a must. Once you find the productive area, slow down and fish the jig, methodically working each area. Secondary points, major coves, and creek entrances will also be great places. As always, when in doubt, work the Hwy 30 riprap or the G a m e ® / O C T O B E R

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ALL GPS COORDINATES VERIFIED BY

riprap at the dam. Keep an eye out for the baitfish, and try to match your baits to the size of the baitfish, kind of a “match the hatch.” BANK ACCESS: Chaha Road Park, crappie, catfish, minnows, punchbait, fish off pier LOCATION: Richland-Chambers Reservoir HOTSPOTS: Crab & Grape Creeks, Three Fingers, (a.k.a. Church House Cove) GPS: Crab - N31 58.400, W96 18.350; Grape - N31 57.460, W96 20.200; Three Fingers - N31 59.550, W96 08.400 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: 3/8-ounce No. 2 gold willow leaf spinnerbait with a little bluish tint in the skirt, Clown color Yellow Magic Bait, Texas Carolina rig using a Kicker Fish Bird Dog or Zoom Brush Hog CONTACT: Steve Schmidt, 682-518-8252, www.schmidtsbigbass.com TIPS: The lake level in October is typically down about 2 to 2-1/2 feet. You really need to pay strict attention as you run on the lake. Moving into October, you’ll want to work the creeks and submerged roadbeds. The above-mentioned hotspots are all safe bets for finding your best catches. Head for shallow water from 2-10 feet deep, paying close attention to laydowns and grass. Some different techniques we are using in the mornings are a 3/8-ounce S.O.B. Buzzbait and Clown color Yellow Magic Bait. As you back off to deep water, use a Texas or Carolina rig with a Kicker Fish Bird Dog or a Zoom Brush Hog with its tail dipped in Chart Spike-it. BANK ACCESS: Midway Landing, fish shore for bass using crankbaits and spinnerbaits LOCATION: Richland-Chambers Reservoir HOTSPOT: Timber at mouth of Richland Creek GPS: N31 58.499, W96 12.736 SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: jigs or small minnows CONTACT: Royce Simmons, 903-3894117, www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: Crappie fishing over brush piles and in timber at the mouths of major creek tributaries will peak this month. The majority of our crappie trips in our fall guide trips are caught over my son’s man-made brush piles. N10

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Bait and crappie will hold tight to this cover in 20-25 feet of water. If you don’t have access to brush piles, check the timber in 20 feet of water in creek coves, as the shad will be in the creek mouths this time of year. BANK ACCESS: Midway Landing, fish shore for bass using crankbaits and spinnerbaits LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir HOTSPOT: Red Rood Cove GPS: N31 01.995, W97 34.208 SPECIES: largemouth bass, white bass BEST BATS: topwaters, shallow running crankbaits, slabs CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-368-7411, Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com TIPS: Stillhouse lost 100 percent of its hydrilla to flooding last year, so it is a new ballgame now as compared to the last decade of quality grass fishing. Shad tend to congregate in Red Rood Cove in early fall. A quick check with your sonar will tell you when this has occurred. The presence of and position of shad in the water column will drive the fishing from topwater hard or soft bats for shad on top, to crankbaits for suspended shad, to slab spoons for shad near the bottom. Where the shad are is where the both species of bass will be. Beware of the standing timber. BANK ACCESS: Stillhouse Park, largemouth, crappie, catfish LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: North Island and Table Top GPS: N33 52.072, W96 41.672 SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: topwater lures, Sassy Shad jigs CONTACT: Bill Carey, 877-786-4477, bigfish@striperexpress.com TIPS: The big fish are on the banks in early morning in October. Blind cast Pencil Poppers and Chug Bugs in shallow water for vicious strikes. Mid-morning, change to a 4-inch Sassy Shad on a 1-ounce jighead. Favorite colors are white/Glow and chartreuse fleck. Keep your eyes on the seagulls. They locate schools of stripers roaming open water. Live shad fishing is also an excellent way to catch stripers. Locate fish on the ledges, anchor, and place your bait three turns of your reel off the bottom. The best depth will average 30 feet. F i s h

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BANK ACCESS: Washita Point and Platter Flats using the same baits mentioned above; alternate casting out from and parallel to shore LOCATION: Tradinghouse Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: Hydrilla Grass Beds GPS: N31 34.302, W96 57.137 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Yellow Lucite Propeller Buzzbait with three or four blades, Texasrigged 8-inch Grape colored worm CONTACT: Jimmy D. Moore, 254-7442104, rayado@earthlink.net TIPS: Work buzzbait around edges and through hydrilla beds, keeping steady retrieve to keep buzzbait from hanging up. Flip Texas rigged worm into open pockets in hydrilla. Don’t set the hook on the buzzbait until you can feel the fish. If you’re too quick on the trigger, you can forget catching the bass. Best fishing will be early and late. There are other hydrilla beds on Tradinghouse. If you don’t have success here, move around to the hot-water discharge side and try again. Power generation on Tradinghouse is sporadic, so it acts differently from other power plant lakes. BANK ACCESS: South Levee, night fishing for catfish on stinkbait, chicken guts; go east past the levee, turn left, and park in old picnic area LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: Bear Creek Flats GPS: N31 59.479, W97 23.986 SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: 1-ounce slab, chartreuse Bass Assassin, jig with trailer CONTACT: Randy Routh, C-817-8225539, www.teamredneck.net TIPS: Bounce the slab off the bottom, lift and drop. Fish will hit the slab on the fall. When slab bite slows, tie on a soft plastic like the Chartreuse Bass Assassin or jig with trailer and make long casts behind the boat. Use your trolling motor on medium speed and stroll the baits. You can use the same pattern on Deep flats at GPS N31, 54.319, W97 22.105 BANK ACCESS: Loafer’s Bend Shore, stripers, white bass

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ALL GPS COORDINATES VERIFIED BY

Possum Stripers LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Bee Creek to Costello Island GPS: N32 51.274, W98 32.205

SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: jigs and slabs CONTACT: Dean Heffner, 940-779-2597, fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: PK is beginning to cool off. The fish are either spawning or going through a faux spawn and are beginning to feed heavily to stock up for winter. They are starting their fall migration toward the North end of the lake, so begin looking for them from Bee Creek to Costello Island and beyond to the North end of the lake. Jigs and slabs are the name of the game, but don’t for get to look for the birds. They are your extra sets of eyes, so take advantage of them. You might want to bring your cast net too, for the lake is full of perfect little “baits.” BANK ACCESS: Willow Beach RV Park, privately owned, ask for permission; largemouth, crappie, stripers, white bass

Snooker a Snook LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: South Bay GPS: N26 1.122, W97 11.049 SPECIES: snook BEST BAITS: live shrimp, finger mullet; topwaters, soft plastic in purple/chartreuse,

For MORE HOTSPOT listings, go to our website and click CURRENT ISSUE ARTICLES

glow/chartreuse; swimbaits CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Ol’ Linesides becomes more active as moderate temperatures serve as a biological cue to get ready for the winter. They become so aggressive, in fact, that they will literally knock a topwater skyward. If they do that, switch over to a subsurface bait such as a jig or swimbait (the YUM Money Minnow is a perfect choice). Live bait also works well. Use Octopus-style or Kahle hooks to hook these snook in the corner of the jaw. That makes for an easier release.

LOCATION: Coleto Creek HOTSPOT: Coletoville Road Bridge (bank access) GPS: N28 45.813, W98 9.882.

LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Badlands GPS: N27 18.744, W97 27 24.903

Sabine Specks LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Keith Lake Cut GPS: N29 46.503, W93 56.427 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: topwaters in white/silver; plasF i s h

area. Work topwaters in the shallower water, and soft plastics and where the cut fans out. Use a 1/4-ounce jighead with the soft plastics.

Coleto Cats

Badlands Trout

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tics in pearl/chartreuse, glow/chartreuse, smoke/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, 409-673-2018 TIPS: The key is to fish the incoming and outgoing tides. Bait will get pushed out through the cut, and both trout and redfish will be waiting to take a shot at them. Early in the morning is the best time to fish the

SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: shrimp, chicken liver, cut bait CONTACT: Coleto Creek Park, 361-5756366 TIPS: Fish chicken livers or cut baits on Carolina rigs near the pilings or brush to locate catfish that are foraging around the edges of both. Coleto has an excellent population of cooperative fish, and this is an excellent opportunity to indoctrinate youngsters into the joy of fishing. Fishing equipment can consist of the venerable Zebco 33, some hooks, and a few sinkers. Pretty easy stuff. Contact North Regional Fishing Editor JD Moore by email at hotspotsnorth@fishgame.com Contact South Regional Fishing Editor Calixto Gonzales by email at cgonzales@fishgame.com.

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Coming to the Call Byron South is a predator-calling addict. I first met Byron on a deer hunt along the Devils River in West Texas. He is just a slow-talking country boy who grew up with

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Penn 760L LiveLiner The biggest problem with spinning reels: the inability to free spool. Shimano answered that problem with their Bait RunA L M A N A C / T E X A S

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Heavyweight, Lightweight Reel Imagine the power of a huge 80 pound class reel shrunk into the body of a small 30 class reel. The new Everol Canyon Special is a 2 speed 4/0 with a super amped-up drag. At full spool it has just under 40 pounds of drag, 80lbs at half spool and 120lbs at empty spool. Perfect for braid or monofilament, the Canyon Special is a small, light-weight package that can haul in almost anything fish on the planet. It comes with Everol’s world famous Drag Scale which tells you ‘real time’ precisely how much drag is being applied during the fight. The Canyon Special’s gear ratios are: 3.8:1 and 1.8:1 and it has a capacity of 1700 yards of 50 lb braid, 1100 yards of 80 lb braid, or 700 yards of 30 lb monofilament. A special commercial grade black anodizing on its spool combats the huge load pressures exerted by braided line. There are 3 depth grooves on the spool that correspond to the drag scale, allowing users to set exact drag and virtually eliminate break-offs. The Canyon Special retails for only $810 and is handcrafted in Italy for the upscale fisherman who wants the best money can buy. www.Everol.com 888-EVEROL-1.

New Power Jig Profishco introduced the newest member of the Power Jig family—the Power Jig Hammered—chrome hammered finished with Glo Bellies and Glo Eyes. It features a natural fish shape body cast from solid metal and chromed for light reflecting qualities you just can’t match with painted surfaces. The facets created by the hammered finish shoot light in all directions attracting the attention of game fish from great distances. The large, lifelike 3D Glo Eyes enhance the natural target area predators home in on during the last seconds of an attack and the Glo BelN14

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lies help attract them in the darkest depths The Profishco Power Jig Hammered available in four color enhanced models, blue/chrome Glo; green/chrome Glo; black back/chrome Glo and Chrome Glo. Available in sizes from 3-1/2 to 8-3/4 ounce sizes, includes a solid Ring for tying the leader.. This feature makes the Hammered the most balanced, strongest and foul-proof jig on the market today! The Profishco Power Jig Hammered is deadly for striped bass, bluefish, grouper, snapper, amberjack and all inshore species and for tuna, dolphin, Mackerel and Wahoo on the offshore grounds. For more information on the complete line of Profishco products go to www.Profishco.com, or email info@profishco.com.

Biodegradable Fishing Line Portland, OR: With 24 years experience in bio-absorbable materials, Pat Ferguson has introduced Bioline. Bioline biofilament™ retains 100% of its tensile strength for 10 to 12 months on a reel and biodegrades to minimal carbon dioxide and water in a period of approximately five years with exposure to naturally occurring elements. Traditional nylon monofilaments remain in the environment for about 600 years and some lines last forever. Bioline’s patent pending technology has reached a point where we can offer a high performance product with the advantage of biodegradability, at a price competitive with premium fishing lines. Unlike nylon monofilament, Bioline does not absorb water. Bioline provides excellent knot strength and is highly UV and abrasion resistant. With low-memory and a silky smooth exterior, Bioline is an exceptional casting line on both spinning and casting reels alike. Clear in color, Bioline provides stealth in fresh and saltwater applications. With a 99% reduction in the life span of F i s h

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the line in the environment, Bioline offers an alternative for those anglers who value stewardship as integral to their participation in fishing. Bioline is available in 4-, 6-, 8-, 10-, and 12-pound tests in 210yrd spools with other sizes coming soon. MSRP: $16.00 www.biolinefishing.com

Kicks Vortex Kicks has teamed with Federal Ammunition & the Duck Commander to offer the new Kicks “Vortex” choke tube, specifically designed to be used with Federal “Black Cloud” ammo. Kicks “Vortex” chokes are a culmination of months of engineering & pattern testing resulting in a choke that delivers dense, uniform patterns shooting Federal “Black Cloud” ammo. Manufactured from the highest quality 17-4PH stainless steel, “Vortex” chokes are available in Improved Cylinder, Modified, Full & XFull constrictions and are safe to use with any non-toxic shot. When three powerhouses in the waterfowl industry work together to bring you a product and Phil Robertson, the “Duck Commander” puts his signature on that product, you know it is the Real Deal! Federal “Black Cloud” ammo “Drops ducks like rain”, Kicks “Vortex” choke tubes “Create the Perfect Storm”! Order your Kicks “Vortex” chokes today! Kick’s “Vortex” chokes are available by calling 1-800-5872779 or on our website at www.kicks-ind.com.

Bow Condo Southern Outdoor Technologies makers of the Sportsman’s Condo Hunting Blinds introduces their new “Bow Condo” for 2008. Born by customer demand and designed to meet the needs of the archery hunter, the newest member of the Sportsman’s Condo family stands a whopping 7-feet tall and 6-feet in diameter allowing “full draw” capability for even the tallest archer. The new Bow Condo features the same “Solid Blind Technology” that makes the Sportsman’s Condo the

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industry leader. Standard features include large vertical windows, two built in shelves, and a bow holder. For more information visit www.sportsmanscondo.com or call 662-2955702.

High Seas Braid Since the introduction of HI-SEAS Grand Slam Braid, fishermen have been raving about its surprising value and uncompromising performance. It has proven to be everything you could want in a super braid without the super high price. In fact anglers around the country have reported that it quickly became their favorite braid because it fishes better than the competition. Originally introduced in two colors, hi-vis yellow and camo green, HI-SEAS is adding a third color because anglers demanded it. So get to experience all the fishing performance of Grand Slam Braid in an all new RED color and add another dimension to your fishing. Grand Slam Braid is made with the highest quality, 100% Spectra® fibers and manufactured using our proprietary Tight Weave process. Braiding pure Spectra under extreme pressure is time-consuming and costly, but the benefits of the Tight Weave process will be evident from the first time you use it. Grand Slam Braid is more compact, thinner, maintains its shape longer and packs more uniformly on spinning and conventional reels. Your knots will be stronger, less prone to slip and abrasion resistance is greatly enhanced. Grand Slam Braid performance is unprecedented! It casts further and lets you feel your lures working like never before. Even the most subtle bites are transmitted back to your hands for immediate response. When it’s time to set the hook, a flick of the wrist is all it takes! Grand Slam Braid is the absolute pinnacle of fishing performance and now you can get it in RED to increase visibility above the water and reduce it below. Fish Grand Slam Braid and experience the best braid on the market today. Available in 6 to 200-pound test in 150, 300, and 2500 yard-spools. Brought to you by the most trusted name in fishing line—HI-SEAS! For more information on the full range of HI-SEAS lines, rigging products, tools and fishing gloves go to www.hiseas.net or call 1800-824-9473 for a free catalog.

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what the Bait Shuttle System is all about. Simply attach to your line (instructions enclosed) and insert weight and baited hook inside The Shuttle. No sharp hook dangling before you cast. Especially safe for kids, but all anglers who have experienced being hooked or hooking someone or some thing. Cast and The Shuttle flies through the air as a projectile, splashes down, rights itself, and safely dispenses weight, and bait into the water INTACT without ever being thrown off during casts. Then it becomes a bobber in bright colors. Fishing at night? No problem, insert a Glow-Stix on top for night time fishing up to 6 hours before replacing. Want to fish on the bottom instead of using a bobber? Use the Sinker model. Does exactly the same thing as the bobber, except upon splashdown and dispensing of bait safely it slowly sinks along with bait to the bottom. Great for things like catfishing. The Bait Shuttle System, because of it’s design, also allows for much further and accurate casts. Coming to a store near you soon. If they don’t have it contact the store manager. Remember, The Bait Shuttle System makes fishing safe for kids and bigger kids, and it delivers your bait intact. For further information see us at www.thebaitshuttle.com.

191 Bay Scout The all-new 191Bay Scout actually performs like a flats boat but handles rough water like a bay. The efficient and light weight hull will allow it to run nicely with a 90HP engine, but it will also be available in a 115hp engine. The model showcases a leaning post baitwell with rod holders standard (backrest optional), a very quiet hull, removable tackle center for access to battery charger inside the console, large aft lighted storage box (optional release well), rod storage under gunwale on both sides and standard Bay Star steering. And as always the 191, just like all other Scout models, is fuel efficient and has beautiful styling. Contact: Scout Boats, Inc., 2531 Hwy 78 West, Summerville SC 29483 Phone: 843-821-0068 Web: www.scoutboats.com.

Tournament Secret Revealed

whether you’re fishing for fun or in a competitive environment. Just look at the pictures to see exactly how Fish Vision works. The lure in the middle is painted with Fish Vision UV Lure Paint. The left lure is a regular jig and the lure on the right is a glow jig. The lures are viewed in UV underwater (that’s how fish see), and you can see how Fish Vision works as they are submerged deeper and deeper. Under 10 feet of water, you can barely see the left and right lures, and under 20 feet of water, they basically disappear. But the patent pending Fish Vision painted lure is still bright and bold for the fish to see and bite at! Fish Vision UV Lure Paint is easy to use and NEVER needs recharging and never fades! It is 200 times brighter than glow paint. Just paint your jigs, lures, spinners and more, let dry, and fish away and increase your catch size and amount! Fish Vision, a product of ReelWings, comes in 4 UV colors and is available by calling 1-701-365-8222 or visiting www.uvfishvision.com.

The Ultimate Range Box MTM brings a great new way to transport and store rifle cleaning kits with the new CaseGardTM Shooting Range Box (#RBMC). Sporting a toolbox top and cleaning-station base, the RBMC utilizes a two-piece design for compact transport and convenient use, once you get there. The tool section offers loads of divided space for jags, brushes, solvents…etc, keeping items sorted and organized. The base or ‘cleaning station’ offers plenty of deep storage for supplies and ammo. A pair of adjustable gun forks featuring soft, over-molded rubber padding offers easy positioning of firearms with a firm, non-marring hold. The overall length of the Shooting Range Box provides excellent stability for nearly any size firearm, as well as room for hard to fit items like collapsible cleaning rods or tripod extensions. Suggested retail $49.95. For more information and availability, check with your local sporting goods dealer or contact MTM Molded Products at (937) 890-7461. See the full line of MTM products at www.mtmcase-gard.com.

Fish Vision UV Lure Paint. That’s all you need for a successful fishing experience, A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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You won’t find Woodee Rods tagged with names such as “Speckled Trout Model” or “Redfish Model.” “I don’t think I should label our rods as being a trout rod, a redfish rod, or this or that,” said Robertson. “I go by feel and everybody else does, too. What feels good to one person might not be right for the other person, but it’s a redfish rod. I let people pick their own rod. I can make suggestions, and that’s how I leave it.” Capt. Lynn Waddell, a Galveston Bay fishing guide, has been using Woodee Rods since January: “It’s affordable for the average angler (suggested retail $99.95 for the Pro Series; $199.95 for the Titanium Series) and a great product. Dollar for dollar, I don’t think there is a better rod on the market, and Robertson stands behind his product. They have a lifetime guarantee. “Many anglers use braided line. Combine braided line with the rod, especially the Titanium Series, and the sensitivity is unbelievable. In the winter, when the fish can be lethargic, anglers need a rod that can pick up the gentle nudge.” Waddell uses a 6-foot, 3-inch, mediumfast Titanium rod when fishing topwater baits. He likes the 6-foot, 6-inch in a baitcasting or spinning rod for redfish in the marsh: “Sometimes, I am flipping for redfish, standing on the front deck of my boat. The 6foot, 3-inch short rod works just great. It’s very light weight [4 ounces]. It performs extremely well. I have caught 33-inch redfish on this little 6-foot, 3-inch rod.” On hooksets, Woodee Rods won’t roll left or right. “For example, in a piece of lumber, you have a crown or a spine in it,” said Waddell. “A graphite fishing rod will have spine, too. You want your guides lined up right down the middle of the spine. If the guides are not lined up, you get rod roll.” I personally used a couple of 7-foot rods on a fishing trip, mainly because I had never used a 7-foot rod before and I liked the sensitivity. The 7-foot, 6-inch extra fast spinning F i s h

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rod did a great job casting a lightweight jig a long distance. The rod had enough sensitivity to pick up light bumps while using monofilament, and adequate backbone to fight fish. One of the things I especially liked about the rod was its ability to flex while setting the hook without tearing the hook loose in paperthin fish lips, such as speckled trout have. The 7-foot medium-fast bait-casting rod worked equally well. Woodee Rods were named after a super person. The rods want to earn the reputation of “super fishing rods” among saltwater angler. —Tom Behrens

Pioneers in Digital Navigation Electronic charts were developed for sailors and long-distance power boaters to help them navigate from point A to B. Navionics created the first electronic charts ever made over 20 years ago. These innovative products gave boaters exceptional, situational awareness and kicked off the marine electronics revolution. As the level of chart detail increased, anglers were able to use charts to efficiently identify potential fishing locations. In the last couple of years, freshwater charts have become available from Navionics that give freshwater anglers the same benefits available for saltwater. Not only did Navionics start the cartography revolution, but they continue to lead through innovation and understanding anglers’ needs. Like their tag line states-Navionics manufactures, “Serious Charts for Serious Anglers.” Navionics’ three tier Good, Better, Best marine charts line-up gives anglers the ability to choose cartography features that best suit

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their needs without compromising the chart quality. Gold+, Navionics’ “Good” offering, is well suited for in, near and offshore anglers who demand chart accuracy and detail, but may have an older chart plotter or do not need the additional features of Navionics other marine cartography. These vector charts implement Navionics’ Intelligent Clarity feature that adjusts information displayed at various zoom levels to remove clutter and make it easier for anglers to identify fishing hot spots. Navionics’ Xplain function allows boaters to quickly learn more about buoys, bridges, and other elements simply by selecting the display icons. The enhanced port services present boaters with helpful information on points of interest and the major coastal roads network helps in locating specific amenities. An extensive wreck and diving database is also included with Gold+ to help anglers identify structure. One of the best fishing features is Navionics’ shaded depth contours, which quickly eliminates unproductive water by setting a minimum or maximum depth level. Targeting grouper below 75-feet? No problem. Just set your Gold+ chart to highlight all water that is deeper the 75-feet. It is ideal of identifying holes, humps, and transitions easily. Every owner of Gold+ charts for US waters can receive a free Fish’N Chip high-definition fishing chart with unparalleled bottom contour detail for pinpointing fish holding structures and transitions. Navionics’ “Better” offering, Platinum, the first multidimensional charting and navigational product for chart plotters, includes all Gold+ features and adds additional information to help anglers understand their surroundings. Satellite and high-aerial photography overlays combine chart data with photos allowing anglers to quickly identify sand bars, reefs and other underwater structure. Buildings and other on-land Navaids help anglers better understand their location and how it translates to their chart. 3D bathymetric charts provide enhanced bottom contour images and help anglers identify transitions that attract fish. Platinum’s panoramic port photography gives boaters views of unfamiliar destinations long before they reach them. Platinum+, Navionics’ “Best,” takes Platinum features to the next level. Brilliant, ultra-high definition satellite and aerial photography is displayed at resolutions that are

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Kimber 8400 Sonora IMBER HAS A NEW RIFLE ON THE MARKET and it is a real tack driver. The Sonora sports a 24-inch medium-heavy fluted barrel, a laminated stock with wide, flat forearm with two sling-swivel studs that allow the use of a bipod and a sling at the same time. It is a long action, chambered in several long-range calibers. Mine is in .25-06, with

by Steve LaMascus .30-06 and .300 Winchester Magnum available, but in the future it might be chambered in such hotrods as .280 Ackley Improved, .270 Winchester, and 7mm Remington Magnum. This is the perfect gun for shooting down those South Texas senderos that run into next week. It is also perfectly suited for long-range predator hunting. I don’t think I would want it in a prairie dog town where I intended to shoot several hundred rounds, but it would certainly get the job done with panache if one could tolerate the recoil. While most triggers today come from the factory adjusted by a lawyer with a persecution complex, the trigger on the Sonora is as good as any custom trigger in my gun safe. My Lyman digital trigger pull gauge says it breaks crisply at 1 pound, 13 ounces. How long has it been since you got a factory rifle with a trigger like that? The website says the triggers are supposed to leave the factory adjusted at 3 to 3.5 pounds, but they are fully adjustable if that doesn’t satisfy you. The bedding is doubled, consisting of both pillar and glass bedding. Those features, combined with the weather-impervious laminated stock, mean you can be certain that this gun is not going to change zero on a whim. I had just received a new Bushnell Elite A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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4200 Firefly 2.5-10X, so I mounted the scope on the Sonora, as low as possible so I could get solid face contact with the stock. Unfortunately, the wind started to blow about then, and for the next couple of weeks it was unceasing at 20 mph and above. It was more than a week before the wind and my schedule coincided to allowed me to get to the benchrest with the Sonora. I have never been so anxious to shoot a test rifle. I finally got to the bench on a blazing hot, cloudless morning in June. The temperature at 9 a.m. was already pushing 90 degrees, and there was too much mirage for real precision, but I had no other options. The Sonora shot very well. I got the standard fliers I expected from the weather conditions, but even with those conceded, I got groups averaging around 3/4-inch, with a couple of three-shot groups with my handloaded Nosler AccuBonds going around 1/2-inch. I was quite pleased with the results. Also, because of the weight of the stock and barrel and the wonderful front-end heavy balance of the gun, it was very pleasant to shoot. I found myself relaxing at the bench, more like I was shooting a .222 Remington than the much harder kicking .25-06. Still, after 20 rounds I was beginning to get that tingling in my shoulder that says I need to hold the gun a bit tighter. This Sonora is superbly accurate, and all the various loads shot into the same general group at 100 yards, which is a rare thing. That means that you can sight the gun in with 85grain Nosler Ballistic Tips for coyotes and then use the 110-grain AccuBonds for deer without changing zero. It also means that Kimber got the bedding exactly right. The new Kimber Sonora is a well-designed, well-built rifle. I loved it from first blush, and shooting it only intensified that feeling. It has no weaknesses that I could find. This is not a walking varminter, unless you are much younger and tougher than I am. It is, however, the perfect gun for a deer blind or for setting up a calling location where you don’t have to walk more than a few hundred yards. If you are looking for a new rifle, look at this one. Kimber has done it again.

E-mail Steve LaMascus at guns@fishgame.com.

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Death in the Moonlight T HAPPENED ON THE 4X RANCH IN DECEMBER 1995, located an hour South of San Antonio. My father along with my wife, Lisa, and I were down there bowhunting whitetails and hogs, and were having a tough go of it. The temperature peaked out at 86 degrees, which was a record for the region for that time of year, and the deer and hogs simply were not moving. The ranch manager worried that I might write a nasty article about the ranch, so when he took me out to the stand one evening, he mentioned he had something up his sleeve. I told him he had been very nice and the poor hunting was simply a result of weird weather, and assured him I am not the kind of writer who slams people for the fun of it. “I know,” he said before taking off back toward the ranch house. When Lisa and I got back from the stand that evening—empty-handed again—I was tired and wanted to hit the shower, but Hughes had other plans. “We’re going moonlight hog stickin’!” he exclaimed. The day before, he and I had a lengthy discussion about using red filtered lights to hunt hogs at night, so I was excited at the prospect. I grabbed my bow case and asked if he had the proper light setup. “You don’t need that bow—you need this,” he said, thrusting a long but suspiciously thin-bladed knife into my hands. “What’s this for?” I asked. “You’re gonna kill a hog with it tonight,” he said. “Uh…no.”

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At that, Hughes and some friends he had invited over erupted into laughter and then came in for the hard sell. “Come on, Chester, we’re gonna have a barbecue tomorrow and we need a good meat hog. We have a spot where we always see a bunch of small hogs, so you’ll be killing one in the 50- to 75-pound range,” Hughes said. I thought to myself that a hog of that size could not kill me, and Hughes explained there would be dogs there to corral the beast. So, I decided to go. Lisa stayed at camp while Dad and I took off with Hugh-

by Chester Moore es, his friends, and a pack of black-mouthed curs. It was a quiet night with no wind, so it would be easy to follow the sound of the dogs when they found a hog. As the group headed down the road, Hughes asked if Dad and I could drive back to camp and bring his two dogs back. “If they keep barking like they are, we won’t know where the right dogs are,” he said. When we came back, we could hear the sound of dogs in the distance as Hughes walked out of the brush looking as if he had just seen a ghost. “We’ve got a problem—a big problem, in fact,” he said. Apparently, the 50-pound hog we had planned on getting never showed up, so we were faced with a 200-pound boar that was putting some hurt on the dogs. “It’s a big Russian and we have to get in there and kill it before it kills the dogs,” Hughes said. At that point, Hughes, with a catch dog in tow, and my dad and me following behind, charged through the dark South Texas brush and cactus, listening to what sounded like a very violent war. The hog was fairly bellowing with a vengeance at this point, making sounds that would chill any rational man to the bone and send him back F i s h

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to the truck. Nonetheless, I stayed, which says I either have a lot of guts or am lacking in the brain department. As we got closer, Hughes let the catch dog go and then all hell really broke loose. The hog started squealing and thrashing violently as a couple of dogs backed up toward us. I knew it was time to make the kill, but before we went any closer, Hughes knocked the flashlight out of my hand. At first, I thought he had gone crazy and was about call him on it, but then he said some profound words: “If the hog sees that light, he’s gonna go for it.” Point taken—no light for Chester. I followed him in under the guidance of his light and saw what at this point in my life was the most intimidating, intense, and downright evil looking thing my eyes had ever viewed. The hog, with a huge cur holding onto one ear, had 2 inches of tusk protruding from a mouth that dripped and spewed foam, mantled in thick coat of wiry fur. As the beast turned its head, I ran in, stabbed under the front leg upward into the heart, and the hog fell down. After that, all I remember was Hughes approaching me and saying, “You can quit stabbing him now. He’s dead, Chester!” I wanted to make sure, but then I saw the monster lying lifeless. I later realized that was one of the quickest kills I had ever made. The creature did not last 10 seconds, but I was so high on adrenaline, I barely knew where I was. However, I distinctly remember inspecting the hog’s ear because I wanted to get the head mounted. I figured the dog had ripped the ear to shreds, but there was just one tiny hole. “You need to teach your dogs to hold on better!” I shouted. Excerpted from a new, soon-to-be-released book by Chester Moore on hog hunting. Watch for a future announcement of its release.

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BUCK—ODEM, TEXAS

BUCK—SONORA, TEXAS

BUCK—NACOGDOCHES COUNTY, TEXAS

INDUSTRY INSIDER Continued from Page N17 four times higher for crisp, clear images. Panoramic pictures are also super sharp at an incredible XGA (1024 x 768) resolution. Anglers will love the enhanced contours and bottom profiles of the 3D bathymetric displays available in Platinum+. However, only the latest products produced by chart plotter manufacturers have the horsepower to display the 8GB of information found on every Platinum+ chart card. For freshwater, Navionics is the only option with two products that are similar to Gold+ and Platinum. HotMaps Premium 08 offers over 12,000 US and Canadian lakes across five large regions. Most lakes offer 3- to 5-foot contours and all provide positioning information, underwater structure, and navigational aids. Navionics has even tapped professional anglers’ local knowledge of select lakes to help pinpoint hot fishing locations. Navionics has painstakingly surveyed over 460 lakes using their private fleet of hydro-cartography boats. These high-definition lake

charts offer an incredible 1-foot contour resolution and are the most detailed lake maps available. For Texas fishing, HotMaps Premium includes 151 lakes charts and a whopping 65 lakes in highdefinition. HotMaps Platinum turns up the heat and provides the ultimate details to help anglers catch fish. For all high-definition lake charts, anglers can study 3D displays of bottom contours and view topdown high aerial and satellite photography overlays, and panoramic port photography. Together, these two products provide freshwater anglers with the tools they need to pinpoint fish holding spots. Designed by anglers, for anglers, Navionics freshwater and saltwater charts are the result of the most extensive and accurate cartography library available. Combined with their pre-planning products NavPlanner and HotMaps Explorer, Navionics gives anglers the information to make the most of every fishing excursion. Contact: Navionics USA, 800-8485896, www.navionics.com. —Staff Report

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E-mail Lou Marullo at lmarullo@fishgame.com.

PHOTO BY ANNE GRIFFIN

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years by pointing out parts of bucks standing in the brush watching the feeder. My clients are usually content to look at the does and small bucks that wander into the feeder in

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hopes of seeing a big buck materialize in their midst, but often the big boys just hang back. While seeing them does not guarantee you will get a shot, it is a great first step.

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tant in a riflescope as they are in a binocular, but size, especially in the objective lens, is even more critical. That is because the bigger the objective lens, the higher you must mount the

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scope. The higher you mount the scope, the more prone it is to get knocked off and the harder it is to get a consistent cheek weld, which is essential to achieve consistent accura-

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eral makers offer affordable models that are more than adequate for the shooting range. If you buy one, invest in a decent tripod, as you cannot reap the benefits of the increased

power your spotting scope offers if you can’t keep it steady.

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you’ll discover chests of buried loot or plunder a pirate’s treasure, but the voyage is sure to be full of excitement. And geo-caching can take you to new and wonderful places: an island, a beach—who knows where you’ll end up. You can find all about how the geocaching game works at www.geocaching.com.

best, since it releases from the bucket slowly and steadily as it melts.) Then, put out your bait and keep your eyes peeled. When you spot a fin in the water, quickly bring your bait back to the boat to excite the shark into chasing it. When that large toothy critter comes swimming right up to the transom, everyone on board is sure to let out a yell.

Shark Watch

Seafood Blitz

Few creatures of the sea create an adrenaline rush like sharks, and even if you’re not an angler, you can create a shark-watching experience that everyone in the family will remember for a lifetime. You’ll need chum and bait, which you can buy at any local tackle shop. Or, if you really want to bring up the big ones, visit the fish cleaning station at a marina and abscond with the bodies of tuna, bluefish, and bonito that are in the fish bucket. You’ll need to grind the bodies into chum, but this endeavor is worthwhile; sharks come to chum made from these game fishes with abandon. You’ll also need bait, naturally, and the head of a tuna or a chunk of partially cleaned fish is perfect for the job. If you can’t visit the fish cleaning station, you can buy whole bunker or mullet at the tackle shop, or buy a bluefish or two from the seafood store. Then, tie a float (an old milk jug works just fine) to a 30-foot length of nylon cord. Leave about a foot of line beyond the float, and use it to attach your bait. You’ll find sharks all along the coast just outside most inlets, and in the mouths of bays where they meet the ocean. Hotspots include areas with underwater features like humps or shelves, or where bluefish are congregated (a favorite food for several shark species). You can also find large numbers of hammerhead in areas where there are lots of tarpon. Drop your anchor or drift over these hotspots, and release your chum by poking holes in a chum bucket and hanging it over the side of the boat. (Frozen chum works

If you love fresh seafood, but gathering it yourself just isn’t your idea of fun, then why not buy it right from a commercial fisherman. Pulling up next to a crabber, oysterman, or netter and getting your seafood on the spot is a neat experience, especially for kids, and it costs a lot less than seafood purchased in a store. All you have to do is stop when you see a workboat gathering seafood, hail them on the radio (call on channel 16 then switch and talk on an open channel, like 68), and ask permission to come alongside. Obviously, this won’t work for large commercial vessels towing nets or dredges. Stick with workboats small enough to be maneuvered easily, and don’t try to approach those that are pulling gear through the water. Once next to the fisherman, make him an offer he can’t refuse. Generally speaking, half the price of what you see in the store is a good starting point. If crabs are going for $100 a bushel on land, for example, offer a crabber $50. He might want a bit more, but there usually won’t be much haggling before he nods his head and fills your boat with fresh seafood.

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bloopers galore. Get there zero-dark-early (sunrise to 7 a.m.) to watch the serious fishing crowd; early morning (7-9 a.m.) to get a glance at the less intense anglers; mid-morning (9-11) to lay eyes on the bikini babes, water skiers, and tubing crowd; and midday to see the family boaters who can’t get their kids up and at ‘em before noon. Anglers might think of this as mildly entertaining, but essentially a waste of good fishing time. There is, however, an upside for fishermen: In many areas, where there’s low current flow, moving water of any type will stir up the bottom, releasing food into the water column and attracting fish. In and around boat ramps, you can often catch fish just after a boat powers onto the trailer and shoots a plume of moving water out from the ramp. Try casting into the moving water just after the trailer pulls out of the water. You’ll be surprised at how often this activates the fish.

Man Overboard! When’s the last time you held a manoverboard drill with the family? Not only is

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this exciting, it’s also beneficial, and it’s simply good seamanship. Keep this adventure a mystery, and tell everyone you’re just going for a cruise, or heading to a special fishing hole. Then, when no one expects it, toss a life jacket or cushion over the side and step away from the wheel. Next, announce, “I have just fallen overboard. Who knows what to do?” If you’ve ever discussed this situation with your crew (and I hope you have), they should know that the oldest child or adult who is close to the wheel should step in and take the helm, while another crewmember points to the “man” overboard and keeps his or her eye on the “person” at all times. Anyone else with a free hand, or the lookout, if there’s no one else aboard, should immediately toss your throwable PFD (you know, the cushion you’re required to have handy at all times, according to USCG regs) as close as possible to the MOB. The crewmember at the wheel should chop the throttle and then initiate a Williamson turn: Turn in the same direction as the person, and when you’re about 60 degrees beyond the original course, swing

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the wheel full over in the opposite direction. Continue the turn until you’re 180-degrees from the original course, and you’ll be headed directly at the MOB. Bring the boat upwind of the “victim,” shift into neural, and recover the MOB. Now, look at your watch and see how long the rescue took. If you have children aboard, a great way to get them interested in drills like this is to offer them a reward if they can improve their performance. Offer to take them out for ice cream if they can knock 25 percent of the recovery time off, for example. Whether you have a close encounter with a shark, search for hidden caches, or go home loaded with seafood, these boating adventures are sure to put a little pizzazz back into your marine life. So, get out on the water and try something new—it’s an adventure!

E-mail Lenny Rudow at boating@fishgame.com.

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Kayaks are so portable there isn’t any reason not to tote one along.

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crouching in their blinds, their attention singularly focused on ashen and overcast skies, only to become aware of an unnoticed school of redfish milling close by as the morning wears on. Frustration quickly turns to exasperation without a rod and reel at hand. I must confess that as the duck hunting scales tipped more toward hard work than it did enjoyment, I began to loose interest. Wading 100 yards through knee-deep, sucking mud, putting out and collecting hundreds of decoys, and huffing and puffing like I had played two downs too much football— all before gray light—was fun when I was 20-something, but as life’s odometer turned, it became less enjoyable. I then started hunting ducks from a kayak, which reenergized my fondness for waterfowl. A duck and redfish trip is as natural as F i s h

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of the hook loop and bent slightly, allowing the stinger’s cable to lay cleanly below the shank of the main hook. Using back-to-back crimps also places the hook bend and point a bit farther from the egg weight, making it more exposed for easier and surer hookups. Those I make up incorporate a 200-pound welded ring; 90-pound, 49-strand cable; double barrel crimps; Daiichi D84Z circle hooks in size 5/0; and Flash-A-Bou skirting. The build procedure is as follows: Start with a piece of cable about a foot long, and using the proper crimp and tool, form an eye in the cable through the welded ring. Run the cable through the egg weight. The loop through the lead circle hook’s eye is double crimped in place after pulling the cable’s tag end until the crimps are snug against both ends of the egg weight and held in place. Cut off the excess cable close. Using the cut off cable for the stinger leg, form an eye through the lead hook’s loop as in the illustration; crimp and bend. On mine, the distance between the head and stinger hook eye is

about 2-1/2 inches. Crimp the stinger hook in about that position. Now is the time to spray paint your head weights. Use the stinger hook as a convenient hanger while the paint dries. I spray some of mine and leave some bare. The bare ones can be carefully and lightly scraped with the backside of a knife blade for a short-term brilliance that is close to chrome. At this point, you are ready to tie on the skirting, covering the area over the back-to-back crimps and working the thread wraps to the backside of the egg weight. Besides the Flash-A-Bou, bucktail, nylon, and Mylar come to mind. When completed as illustrated, you will have sure-fire leadhead jigs of the “backyard” sort that will comply with the National Marine Fishery Service’s rules for using natural bait and circle hooks when fishing for reef fish in Federal waters of the Gulf. At this writing, there are no circle hook jigs on the market with or without a stinger. The only one I know for sure that will be out is by Strike Pro America. If you can’t find them, check their website at www.strikeproamerica.com. The hookset procedure is the same as with any circle hooks: Feel the bite, point your rod tip at your line’s entry into the water, wind in any slack, raise your rod tip with a medium speed motion, and the hookset should be completed. E-mail Patrick Lemire at saltrigs@fishgame.com.

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ILLUSTRATION BY PATRICK LEMIRE

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ILLUSTRATION BY PAUL BRADSHAW

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empty line, devoid of the gar and your hooks. Due to this, wire leaders are a must when rigging for gar, since even the little ones can easily bite through normal line. If you live near the coast, you can pick up a few kingfish leaders to use on gar. Most of these pre-made wire leaders consist of two short leaders with a snap swivel on the end. Attach a treble hook to each leader, making sure the hooks are as sharp as possible. Gar have very boney mouths with little to grab onto, so a sharp hook is of vital importance. If you do not live in a location where you can easily purchase pre-made steel leaders, you can make your own. Run the tag end of a 1-foot length of wire through one side of a barrel swivel, bringing about 6 inches through. Bend the tag end over until it is parallel with the rest of the leader, being careful not to kink the wire, and then make a haywire twist. To make a haywire twist, cross the tag end of the leader with the main body, attempting to keep the two as parallel as possible. With one hand, hold the intersection of the two wires and twist the tag end and main leader around each other six times. Then bend the tag end so it is perpendicular with the main leader, and twist the tag end around the main leader six more times. Cut off the remaining tag end. On the other end of the leader, use another haywire twist to tie on a treble hook. On the eye of this treble hook, connect another short leader with a haywire twist (start with about a foot of wire and you end up with a 6-inch leader). On the other end of this leader, use another haywire to tie on a second treble hook, and you are done. Tie your main line to the barrel swivel. If using live bait, run the first treble hook through the nose of a shad. Attach the secA L M A N A C / T E X A S

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ond close to the tail so that no matter which end is hit the gar should get a hook. Most serious gar anglers use braid for main line, often using line rated in the triple digits, for two reasons: First, gar get big and fight hard, so you need the extra strength. Second, when a gar hits the live bait, anglers free-spool the reel, letting the fish run. Only when it stops do they set the hook—hard. With that much distance between them and the fish, a line that doesn’t stretch is mandatory to ensure a solid hookset, and anything less than a maniacal eye-crossing hookset means going home empty handed. E-mail Paul Bradshaw at freshrigs@fishgame.com.

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had been delivering the Fort Worth StarTelegram since I was 11 years old, and had occasionally read outdoor articles that sometimes mentioned duck hunters using decoys and calling ducks to them. I had seen photographs and read similar stories in a couple of magazines. A 16-year-old boy can have a lot on his mind at that age, but one thing I remember was walking my paper route and thinking about how to build a duck blind on the “duck tank.” I had learned from my jumpshooting experiences that ducks, if given the choice, leave the water flying into the wind. I also had observed them approaching a stock tank doing the same thing, and that led me to deciding where I would erect my first duck blind.

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When the project was finished, I must admit I was proud. There were plenty of green willows at the dam to work with, and a pair of big mesquite trees that stood only a few feet apart on one side of the 2-acre stock tank served well as a site for the blind. Once finished, the willow-brush blind looked like one big wad of willows. Surely, no duck would think otherwise. I sat on a folding stool inside the blind on opening morning that season. As daybreak began to slip through the dark clouds of a building cold front, I realized I had over-done the construction of the blind. I could not see a dad-gum thing outside the folding stool! Two things were certain: any ducks coming into the tank could not see me, and I could not see any ducks approaching. Lesson No. 1: Always carry along a pair of limb clippers when hunting a newly-constr ucted duck blind. I broke off a few willow limbs with my hands to clear a shooting path and managed to bag two ducks that morning. It was an a la carte duck hunt because I did not own a duck call. Two weeks later, I bought my first duck call at a Fort Worth hardware store and began practicing with it. It amazed me how similar the sounds I produced from it were to my favorite Weems predator call. A few years later, a good

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friend, Don Stout, invited me to go hunting with him at a big lake where one of his commercial hunting buddies had erected a box blind in a flooded pecan flat. We got to the lake before daybreak, and

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duck bagged, a lone mallard approached the spread from the south. The drake was coming straight down the opening between the rows of flooded pecan trees. As I pushed the duck call to my lips, Stout put one hand on my shoulder and whispered a quiet “Shhhh!” I pulled the call from my lips and we watched the mallard float down through air and land on the water amid the decoys. It was an humbling experience and contributed nothing toward building confidence in my duckcalling abilities. Nevertheless, one should learn from his inabilities and practice, practice, practice to improve. In the years that have followed, I have learned that many “expert” duck callers are just that— people who call the feathers off the most decoy-shy ducks while deafening the ears of those hunting with them. Calling ducks is no different from calling predators or turkey. You do not need to call until you are hoarse to get results. Too much calling usually serves only as entertainment to the caller. I would rather have results than entertain myself with a duck call. Back to building a duck blind. I built a second blind on the Comanche County “duck tank” to take advantage of the shift of winds from south to north. One day while hunting from the “south wind blind,” I realized the “north

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BASS Nixes Co-Anglers LORIDA-BASED BASS MADE A COUPLE OF surprise announcements when it released its 2009 and 2010 Bassmaster Elite Series schedules last summer. Perhaps the biggest shocker is that coanglers have lost their seats in the back of the boat. Beginning in 2009, Elite Series pros will be paired with a non-fishing observer each day as opposed to a fishing amateur. Though the announcement did not sit well with some co-anglers, fishing fans, and members of the fishing industry, many Elite

by Matt Williams Series pros applaud the move because they feel it will level the playing field and greatly raise the level professionalism of the sport. “I think it was a good move on BASS’ part, although it really didn’t matter to me one way or the other,” said Skeeter pro Todd Faircloth of Jasper, Texas. “I have made a lot of good friends who are coanglers, and I hate to see them go. On the other hand, I think this is a huge step for BASS as far as setting itself apart from the other circuits. As pros, we will be competing

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This is a huge step for BASS as far as setting itself apart from the other circuits.

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on the truest level of competition.” It also came as somewhat of a surprise to learn that only one Texas lake is on the Elite Series schedule during the next two seasons—and it is not Lake Falcon. Located along the Texas/Mexico border in Zapata County, Lake Falcon produced record-shattering weights for Elite Series pros when the popular circuit visited the fishery for the first time in April 2008. Most competitors lauded the reservoir as the best they had ever seen, quite possibly the top big bass lake in the world. The numbers tell the story. Pros and coanglers weighed in more than 5-1/2 tons of bass over the course of the event. Mississippi bass pro Paul Elias won it with 20 bass that weighed 132.8 pounds, the heaviest four-day total ever recorded in

BASS history. Elias’ catch crushed the previous record of 122.14 pounds set in 2007 on California’s Clear Lake by Alabama pro Steve Kennedy. Amazingly, Elias was not the only one to top Kennedy’s year-old mark. Five other pros accumulated weights exceeding 125 pounds. All of the Top 12 finishers cracked 100 pounds. Lake Amistad in Del Rio is the lone Texas destination on the Elite Series schedule during 2009-10. BASS’ main competition, the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, will not host any tournaments in Texas in 2009. However, FLW Stren Series Texas Division will visit some heavy hitters next season. The tentative 2009 schedule for the Stren Series Texas Division is as follows: Lake Falcon, Jan. 15-17; Sam Rayburn, March 19-21; Lake Amistad, May 21-23; Toledo Bend, Oct. 15-17. The first two Stren events are scheduled at the height of the spawn on the respective impoundments, so anglers can expect to see some giant bags hauled to the scales. Jeremy Guidry of Opelousas, Louisiana, won the January 2008 Stren event at Falcon with 20 bass that weighed 110 pounds, 2 ounces— an FLW Outdoors all-time weight record. Bill Rogers of Jasper also set a new FLW Outdoors co-angler weight record with a four-day total of 96 pounds, 8 ounces.

E-mail Matt Williams at freshwater@fishgame.com.

HUNT TEXAS Continued from Page N33 wind blind” just might be helping keep my original single blind from standing out like a sore thumb. To shorten the story, I built two other fake blinds on other sides of the stock tank to distract the attention of any blind-shy ducks. The fake blinds did just what I N36

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wanted them to do—make the setting at the pond look more natural rather than a pond with one or two protruding blinds at the water’s edge. Soon, I realized ducks approaching the pond seemed less wary when they saw several wads of willows instead of what they might have already seen—and become wary of—elsewhere. It was just another F i s h

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learning experience—and one where the results ended up in my freezer.

E-mail Bob Hood at hunting@fishgame.com.

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Bluewing Worries WEETIE, DO YOU KNOW WHEN TEAL season is?” I asked David— again. “Nope, it has not come out yet. We should know in a few

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weeks.” Tic-tock, tic-tock… “David, it has been a week, have you heard any word on the dates for teal season?” “Not yet. Be patient. We will find out soon enough.” Yeah, well, I want to know. I have to put it into my calendar so that it doesn’t conflict with my work schedule. I need to put in for vacation. Get reservations at our favorite place. “Well, can’t we check with TPWD? Isn’t it published on-line? How is a person supposed to make arrangements when they don’t give you the proper notice?” “Baby, you are rabid. I can’t make it come out any earlier than it does.” “Okay, well, maybe we should call Bill and make a reservation at Falcon Point so that we have a spot. You know, just to be on the list.” “And what date you would suggest that I give him since we do not know yet what the dates are?” “Whatever dates they eventually come out with, silly. When they know, we will know, then when we know, he will know. And we will have a reservation.” Lord, have mercy! What is so hard to understand? Men make things so complicated. “Huh? So, you want me to make a reservation for dates unknown for those potential dates in the future that will be known, sometime in the future?” “Now you are getting it! Exactly! Why not? For heaven sakes, just follow the logic. That way we are sure to have a spot.”

ILLUSTRATION BY RACHEL WATSON

“How am I supposed to do that? That makes no sense at all. I can’t make a reservation for lodging for a time which has not yet been determined.” “Why not? It makes perfect sense to me. Once they determine the dates, then we will have a reservation. Really, sweetie, you are making me repeat myself.” “Well, excuse me for being so dense…have you been drinking? I think you have lost your cotton-pickin’ mind. Bill will think that I am insane.” “I don’t care if he thinks we are Looney Toons with a capital Mickey Mouse. I do not want to miss my spot for teal hunting. Don’t you know that there is only one time a year that you can do this?” “I know, I have been hunting for over 30 years. I am fully aware of the fact that there is only a small window of time to go teal hunting.” “Precisely! There you have it. So, what is it that you don’t understand? Keep in mind that you have had 30 years of being able to do this. I am only on my third year and I think it is really selfish of you not to be more sensitive to that fact.” “Sensitive! Well, that really takes the cake. What is wrong with you? You are not being reasonable about this. I can’t do anything until we know what the dates are. Don’t worry so much.” Yeah, sure! I know what will happen. The lodge will fill up and there won’t be any rooms, the guides will all be taken, and sure as tooting, I will be SOL. Well, it is no skin off your nose you, you, veteran you. Easy for you to say since you have a million teal seasons under your belt. A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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“Don’t worry? Well, I am plenty bloody worried. So, I ask you—what is so wrong with planning ahead? Covering your bases?” If gurlz were in charge of determining when teal season was going to be, it wouldn’t take so long for the dates to come out. We are planners, organizers, coordinators, cognizant of every detail. We would be ahead of the game. We would have plenty of time to get reservations at our favorite lodge, line up the guide, buy ourselves some new camo, and have the dog and the children taken care of at the home front. I bet TPWD is run by a bunch of—you know—males. Those fly-by-the-seat-of-yourpants kind of breed that says, “Don’t worry, Baby.” Well, buckaroo, this is one bluewing shooter that is worried. “Baby, I have never seen you like this. Do you feel okay? Why are you getting so worked up?” “I’ll tell you why I am getting so worked up! I got one bluewing last year; you all limited out! I want to get my limit this year and I can’t do that if I don’t have a spot on the marsh, a guide to take us out, and a chance to take a shot, which will all require a gosh-darn reservation. See? It all gets back to making a reservation. Why won’t you listen to me?” Yuck, I feel clammy, head is pounding, stomach feels queasy. Oh no, getting dark! “Baby, you had better sit down. You don’t look so good. You’re white as a ghost. Let me get you a glass of water. It will be all right. You really should not take this so seriously.” “Don’t take it seriously? Well, who— who—I ask, is responsible for that? You are the one that gave me this disease. You said, ‘Here, try it, you might like it, just try it once, trust me, don’t worry, I will show you how, blah, blah, blah.’ And now look at me! Look what a mess I am! I can’t think of anything else! Seeing those bluewings come screaming in…I have to get my limit, I have to try, I have to be there! I, I, I…” Echo… going black… spinning… kabunck! There it is, what doctors call the “vasovagal

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real He-man adventure and for once, I wouldn’t be the person guiding. I’d be with a crew of All-American firefighters that could tend to their own needs, and the writers who are the sharpest wits and finest minds in the state. And unlike a hunt, there was no pressure to whack a trophy. This would be a relaxed journey into Old Mexico with good common folks and cold beer. But prior obligations and bad timing fouled my wants. Kendal had to make the trip without me and I was rendered to looking at pictures when he returned. The next year was skipped and almost two years passed until the invitation came again. This time I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity. “Yeah, a group of us are going again,” Kendal said. “Would you like to come along?” “Yes!” “Would you mind if we take your truck?” That query sounded odd. Most folks have nicer vehicles than I do because my truck gets used for building fence, hauling hay, and dragging a cattle trailer through the brush. But, I didn’t mind. “Sure we can take my truck. It’ll carry at least four people.” “That’s great! We might be in three or four vehicles. We’ll meet in Laredo and caravan down to Monterrey—it’s safer to go in a big group.” The date was set and my excitement began to build. I’d guided hunters for so long that the Montana wilderness, South Texas Muy Grande, and Old Mexico buster bucks camps were like home. This excursion to the interior of Mexico was going to be plain oldfashioned fun, and I looked forward to being with a robust crowd my own age. Laredo was bustling the day we met at Texas outdoor writer Marty Malin’s office. The older gentleman clapped us on the shoulders and bid us well. “I wish I could go with you boys, but I think y’all are going to have a grand adventure,” Marty said. “Where is everybody?” I asked Kendal. F i s h

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“Well, most of the bunch that normally goes couldn’t make it this year. But I want you to meet McCulloch County Judge Randy Young, and this is my cousin Gary Doyle.” “So there are only four of us?” “Yeah, but it’ll be fine.” The other two men grinned at me. Randy was with us to fulfill a bargain. Several years past Randy hosted Kendal to a sissy little charity bicycle ride and the boy had been whining ever since. Randy had been gracious enough to take Kendal to a worthwhile social event. In return, Kendal had written several articles about what an awful time he’d had, what a great charity it benefited, and how the bicycle seat inflicted permanent damage raising his voice several octaves. Now, it was Kendal’s turn to host Randy on a trip. The drive to Monterrey was a successful exercise in making new friends. We wound around the city and followed Kendal’s directions onto a blacktop road past the Cola de Caballo waterfalls. Then we began to gain altitude climbing into the mountains of Central Mexico. By dark, we were parked on the bank of the Matacanes River where we situated our sleeping bags on ground tarps. At first light, a couple of Barney Fifelooking characters began rousting other campers. “Who are those guys?” I asked Kendal. “They ain’t nobody,” he replied. “They’re just trying to shake down tourists for guide services on the river. Let’s get up the mountain before they bother us.” In two shakes, the four of us were in the truck. In two more shakes, I realized that this was the worst road I’d ever driven. For the next 90 minutes, my two-wheel-drive ranch truck went straight up a track made for pack mules. Several switchbacks were too sharp to navigate without backing up and pulling forward several times. And in short order we were in a constant position where an errant maneuver behind the steering wheel could plummet us 1,000 feet off the edge. Finally,

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we reached a small village where the locals raised chickens and sold t-shirts. Immediately behind us, a 4x4 taxi pickup load of college kids, boys and girls, arrived to float the river. I frowned at Kendal. “You mean we could have hired taxi service but now I have to pay one of these villagers to drive my truck back down the mountain?” “It’ll be fine, that’s what these guys do for a living. Let’s get our backpacks and hit the trail. It’s no more than a two-hour walk from here.” The trail started out plain enough, but then forked in the forest. Six hours of hiking later, it occurred to me that Kendal didn’t know how to find the river, but then he found it. “Here it is! You know I thought it was right here but it’s been a couple of years since I’ve been here, and I’ve only been here once.” I was glad we’d gotten an early start. Now, we donned wet suits and put our clothes back on over them. Then we strapped on spelunker helmets with headlamps, put on life vests, replaced the repelling gear into the backpacks, and jumped off a ledge 10 feet above the water. The current flushed us to an 80-foot waterfall where we clambered back out of the water and Kendal began preparing us for the first repel. Judge Randy stiffened and locked up. “Aw Hell No, I can’t do this! I’m deathly afraid of heights!” “Well, there’s no going back!” said Kendal. “And you made me ride that bicycle 350 miles, so, get over here and let me show you what to do.” Thirty minutes later, we coaxed Randy over the side and he descended the cliff and settled into a deep blue pool at the bottom. From there, the river bounced us through rapids and short falls. Then every few hundred yards would be a taller waterfall requiring us to jump from 10 to 20 feet into the pools below. The view from the bottom alternated from mountainous valleys with masses of ferns hanging into the stream to sheer walls of stone holding us within the blasting hydrologic chutes. The frigidity of the river necessitated the wet suits and the never-ending swimming helped maintain body temperature. Suddenly there was an immense hole and

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we came to the second 80-foot waterfall, this one hurling itself into the bowels of Mother Earth. Halfway down the cliff was a ledge where we unhooked our harnesses and leaped for the pool in the darkened cavern chambers. The next mile was a head-lamped cave tour with short falls and jumps. Stalactites grew from the ceiling and some of them were broken half-off with water pouring out like high-pressure hoses. A mile further we came back into the sunlight and the velocity of the downhill surge increased. We washed

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through the canyons cackling and screeching like school kids. Then we crawled out for various jumps and hesitated, standing, appreciating, and gawking in awe at this special world. Eight hours from our first plunge the river flattened out and we walked back to the truck on the round boulders in the riverbed. That night we were exhausted and rented a cabin from a local proprietor that kicked in a

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E-mail Barry St. Clair at bstclair@fishgame.com.

WILDERNESS TRAILS Continued from Page N39 hearty bottle of sweet homemade wine. The next morning it was time to drift north and home to Texas. Time passed, years passed, and the story of our adventure swirled into its own N40

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reality. Then I met Kendal at a Texas Outdoor Writers conference. “Hey, I’m taking some Boy Scouts to Alaska,” he said. “Would you like to donate $20 for expenses?” “Here’s $50—hire those kids a guide!” F i s h

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And I smiled inside wondering when we’d make our next trip.

E-mail Herman W. Brune at wilderness@fishgame.com.

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Deadly Salad ALAD IS SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD FOR YOU—but not so for freshwater lakes. An exotic mix of invasive plants threatens the fishability if not the very health of Texas freshwater venues. Hydrilla: The salad ingredient that receives the most press in Texas is hydrilla. By Texas Parks & Wildlife Department estimates, hydrilla can be found in over 100 lakes in the state, some more than others. Lakes Cypress Springs, Conroe, Austin, several of the Guadalupe River chain lakes, and the Rio Grande have some of the most serious problems. Possible damage to the fishery depends on how intense the infestation becomes. “If it’s covering 40-60 percent or more of the lake, you can have detrimental effects on the fishery, the bass fishery,” said Earl Chilton, aquatic vegetation specialist with TPWD. “If the coverage is 20 percent or less, we don’t try to manage the weeds. An example is Lake Fork. We haven’t managed the hydrilla in Lake Fork. The fishery is pretty close to perfect. We want to let that system alone.” Because of the denseness of the topwater mats, hydrilla takes out much of the oxygen in the water. In addition, if it gets too dense it is actually difficult for predator fish such as bass to find the food they need. It doesn’t just provide cover for young bass; it also provides cover for the fish they eat. Growth rates go down. Research performed by biologists from Auburn University shows there is a couple of years lag time between when the fishery starts to go down and the time anglers notice it. Management options are different for every lake because each lake’s situation is different. On some lakes, spot herbicide treat-

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ments have been enough to keep hydrilla under control. In other lakes, it is difficult to keep it under control without grass carp. On famed Lake Tohopekaliga in Florida, fisheries biologists have used helicopters to spray herbicides on hydrilla-infested waters. Lake Conroe in southeast Texas is an example of where hydrilla has been hard to control. In the early 1980s, the lake was stocked with grass carp to control the hydrilla. The hungry carp stripped the lake clean of any vegetation. In the 1990s, hydrilla started to reappear in the lake. Starting in 1996, TPWD in conjunction with the San Jacinto River Authority

by Tom Behrens tried to control the growth with herbicides. “It worked for nine years with herbicides,” said Chilton. “But the truth is the herbicide treatments were probably aided by grass carp that were still surviving from the stockings in the early 80s. When most of those carp died off in the early 2000s, the hydrilla really started to take off, despite the fact we were spraying just about everything we could find. Funds were just not available for really large scale herbicide treatments.” Carp were stocked again based on the number of affected acres of water. As the vegetation mat decreased, the stocking rate decreased. Outward signs of hydrilla are gone. “We didn’t want to put a large number of carp in all at one time,” explained Jeff Hansen, the TPWD biologist that handles Lake Conroe. “We didn’t want to repeat what happened in the 80s; we really didn’t even get close to doing that.” Salvinia: Giant Salvinia, along with common salvinia, is beginning to grab the spotlight away from hydrilla as the No. 1 invasive plant. Giant salvinia is a floating, rootless aquatic fern, consisting of horizontal stems that float just below the water surface and reproduce at each node a pair of floating or emergent leaves. A L M A N A C / T E X A S

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Common salvinia is a little smaller and the hairs on the leaves are just a little different. It has caused some serious problems in Louisiana, and there is a large growth of it in B.A. Steinhagen Reservoir. Chilton said the giant variety causes most of the salvinia problems we have in the state: “There are pretty serious infestations on Caddo Lake, Toledo Bend Lake, Lake Conroe, and Sheldon Reservoir. It’s in a number of our reservoirs. We probably have anywhere from 600 to 1200 acres of giant salvinia on Caddo Lake. On Toledo Bend, just on the Texas side of the lake, we probably have about 3000 acres of giant salvinia. Altogether, we probably have about 5000 acres of giant salvinia on Toledo Bend.” According to Dan Bennett, a TPWD biologist in Jasper, hydrilla doesn’t come close to causing the serious problems that giant salvinia can: “It grows rapidly, covering the surface of the water, blocking sunlight, and basically shuts down the food chain. Primary production from plankton and other microscopic organisms die off.” Generally, control is a combination of herbicides and biological controls. Grass carp are not effective on salvinia because its root growth is horizontal on or near the top of the water, not vertical. Carp normally feed on vegetation under the water. If it’s a small infestation, you try to keep it under control with herbicides or biological controls. “The giant salvinia weevil has been effective in pretty much every place else in the world. It works better in the summer in Texas. It might not do so well during the winter,” said Bennett. Golden Alga: TPWD describes golden alga as a naturally occurring microscopic flagellated alga that typically occurs in brackish waters. “I think it’s pretty much all over the place in Texas,” said Luci Cook-Hildreth, golden alga Coordinator for TPWD. “However, we don’t see as many problems with it in East Texas. It doesn’t seem to do very well in

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Mesquite Dove Wraps S THE LONG DAYS OF SUMMER WIND DOWN, OUR thoughts move toward autumn. Kids getting back to school, football games, and, of course, dove season. There are great times spent and memories made while enjoying the outdoors with family or friends. The thrill of seeing a group of whitewings our mourning dove flying over, darting and diving, reminding you of just how challenging this sport is. This recipe is tried and true, with some helpful hints to make your harvest dinner a great meal and a fond memory for all.

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24 dove breasts 24 Jalapenos (halved and seeded to make 48 halves) 2 purple onions peeled and cut into 1-inch thick wedges 2 cakes of cream cheese (allow to sit out to soften for 1-2 hours)

Preparation In a mixing bowl, add to the cream cheese

1 tablespoon each of black pepper, garlic salt, and basil leaves Stuff a Jalapeno half with 3/4 tsp cream cheese mixture. Place the breast on top of the cream cheese and place the purple onion on top of the breast. Wrap the pepper and breast with a half slice of bacon. Hold the bacon in place with a moist round toothpick. (Be sure to wrap tightly to hold in cheese.)

For the Baste The baste will help to cook the bacon faster and keep the meat from overcooking and drying out. 1 whole bottle of Syrah or Merlot wine 3/4 jar Jalapeno Kiwi Jelly 3 Tbs soy sauce 3 Tbs olive oil

CONSERVATION WATCH Continued from Page N41 waters that are a little bit more neutral to acidic. It is way more prevalent out in West Texas where we have waters that are more alkaline. That’s usually where it causes the most problems. “What happens, it’s doing its thing, photosynthesizing, happy, living with all the other planktons in the water, but for some reason, it gets to a point where it reaches a critical mass, too much of it in the water. A lot of times you will see a bloom, not always, but more traditionally in the winter months.” A bloom is described as the water having a golden tint to it, with a lot of foam in the water. The alga starts secreting a toxin. Depending on the chemistry of the water, the substances will be toxic or non-toxic. If it secretes toxins, then we start seeing fish kills. Cook-Hildreth said fish suffocate and hemorrhage to death: “It breaks down the cellular membrane in the gills of the fish. The fish become lethargic. Sometimes it attaches only to forage fish such as shad, N42

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things bass and stripers eat. If it does that, we are not quite as upset about it because a lot of these forage fish are fast reproducers.” It doesn’t affect the predator fishes that eat the infected forage fishes: “It’s not necessarily going to affect other fish and wildlife. Birds and animals eat them and it doesn’t bother them. Although it’s not recommended, people can touch and eat affected fish. It’s not going to affect you like it’s affecting the fish.” Golden alga has been a big problem in the past. In 2001, it started infecting TPWD state hatcheries, primarily the Dundee and Possum Kingdom hatcheries. Millions of dollars in fish were lost to the alga. Areas other than state fish hatcheries where golden alga has caused problems include the Red, Rio Grande, Brazos, Canadian, and Colorado River basins. “We have spent lots and lots of research dollars to try to find predictors of a golden alga bloom,” said Cook-Hildreth. “There is some really general stuff and it certainly doesn’t apply to all cases. A cold front in the F i s h

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winter might cause a bloom. Traditionally, when you get into the cooler months of the year is when you start to see more blooms, but the stuff has bloomed in the summer, and it’s also bloomed in water we didn’t necessarily expect it to bloom. “It’s kind of got to run its course. There is a lot of research that has gone into red tide, and they are trying to apply that knowledge to dealing with golden alga. It’s interesting that everywhere else golden alga appears in the world, it is a coastal problem, found more in saltwater. We have it as an inland problem here in freshwater.” Besides our salad of hydrilla, salvinia, and golden alga, there are lesser ingredients in the mix. Substitute blue-green alga for golden alga. There are recorded cases of blue-green algae harming humans in other parts of the world in poorly treated waters. Zebra mussels are in Louisiana and Oklahoma waters waiting for ride into Texas waters. It seems like there is always a new challenge to keep Texas freshwater fisheries in good shape.

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THE GURLZ PAGE Continued from Page N37 syncope,” the common form of what we all know as “fainting.” The heart revs up, the blood pressure soars, and the vagus nerve collapses. That one deadly nerve that winds from the head, branching out to the larynx, through the throat, into the lungs, plummeting into the stomach, massaging the kidneys, and terminating down to the, well, you know. All body parts in overload. Vessels dilate, blood is cut off from the strategic areas, and wham! 1 Tbs Dijon mustard 3 tsp beef bullion 1 Tbs butter 1 Tbs black pepper 2 Tbs rosemary leaves, chopped coarsely 2 cloves of fresh minced garlic Place all ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and reduce by 1/2 of volume. Remove from heat.

Grilling Because they are small, delicate, and prone to flare ups on the fire, place the dove

Danger! Danger! Body shutting down. Before you know it, there you are, lying in a heap on the floor. “Baby? Baby! Are you okay? I am sorry! I will call right away and make a reservation! Are you all right? Okay, okay, you win, one teal season coming right up. We can always change the date of the reservation. Don’t worry, we will be there. I will take care of everything. Please, wake up!” Bluewing dreaming… Here they come, a veritable blue streak. wraps indirectly over medium high heat on the grill and keep it covered when not basting. Turn the wraps every 4-5 minutes and baste every time you turn until bacon is browned. Remove from the grill to a platter and cover loosely with a piece of foil for approx. 7-8 minutes to rest the meat. Then remove the toothpicks and enjoy.

Steady, put it on their beak, squeeze slowly. Got ‘im! And another! And another! What a perfectly beautiful morning. Just right. No worries as I sit with my limit of bluewings at my feet. I wait for the other guys to get their limits while I bask in the morning dew with no worries. It is all in the planning, boys. If you had made your reservation early, you would have had your limit by now. E-mail Mari Henry at gurlz@fishgame.com. S P O N S O R E D BY:

Contact Bryan Slaven, "The Texas Gourmet," at 888-234-7883, www.thetexasgourmet.com; or by email at texas-tasted@fishgame.com.

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TEXAS SALTWATER

GALVESTON

Rick Hart man Outdoor Tr Redfish avel In Photo by Don Muelr c. ath

CORPUS CHRISTI

s and Jame ervice ve, Dylan n Guide S David, Ste 2 Redfish; Hillma nd 15 Trout a

ADVERTISERS, MAIL IN YOUR PHOTOS TODAY!

ROCKPORT

Casey Hunting a Aoudad nd Ang Quality R ling eview

For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.

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TEXAS FRESHWATER

Roddy Isom Speckled Trout Hugo Ford Guide Service

Connor Bond and Andrew Knezevich Oversized Redfish Redfish Charters

Chuck Walsh Trout 25-inch Speckled ce rvi Se ide Gu an Hillm

OUTDOOR SHOPPER

LAKE TEXOMA

LAKE AMISTAD

TEXAS HUNTING

BAFFIN BAY

ADVERTISERS, MAIL IN YOUR PHOTOS TODAY!

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COLORADO

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KING SALMON—ALASKA

TROUT & REDFISH—INGLESIDE, TEXAS

Frank Garcia of McAllen, Texas, and Carlos Camarillo caught this 41pound, 45-inch king salmon while on a fishing trip in Alaska.

Angler Lindsey Wyatt, along with partner Ken Willis, caught these 9 trout and 1 redfish in the Ingleside, Texas area. They were fishing with topwater lures.

BASS—LAKE FORK, TEXAS

SEND YOUR PHOTOS TO:

TF&G PHOTO ALBUM 1745 Greens Road Houston, Texas 77032 OR BY EMAIL: photos@fishgame.com

PLEASE INCLUDE NAME, HOMETOWN, WHEN & WHERE CAUGHT, SIZE AND WEIGHT

Note: All non-digital photos submitted become the property of Texas Fish & Game and will not be returned. TF&G makes no guarantee when or if any submitted photo will be published.

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BLACK DRUM—PORT MANSFIELD, TEXAS

BLUE CATFISH—LAKE TRAVIS, TEXAS

GAFFTOPS—CHARLIE’S PASTURE, TEXAS

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Trophy Quest:Layout 1

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Amistad Ecstasy HAT DO YOU CALL A GOOD DAY ON THE water? How about a catch of 6070 largemouth bass. Granted, not all of these bass were keepers, but the action was almost non-stop throughout the day. That’s the kind of fishing Danny Poarch, the Texas Fish & Game July Trophy Quest winner, and his guest Mark Humphries experienced on their trip to Lake Amistad. The San Antonio duo was fishing with guide Ray Hanselman. Hanselman, besides being a guide, has professionally fished the FLW Stren Series, different BASS Opens, and last year was one of the pro anglers fishing the Texas Toyota Classic at Lake Fork.

by Tom Behrens Poarch and Humphries are members of the San Antonio Bass Club and had fished Amistad maybe three or four times before. On this trip, they learned a whole lot more about fishing the lake while out with Hanselman. The duo’s day began with breakfast with Hanselman at the Ramada Inn in Del Rio, where Poarch and Humphries had spent the

HOW YOU CAN WIN! TEXAS FISH & GAME HAS GIVEN AWAY OVER 200 TROPHY QUEST TRIPS. TROPHY QUEST is free guided hunting or fishing trips within the state of PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GUIDE

Danny Poarch had one heck of a day at Lake Amistad, boating more than 70 bass in the course of a day. night. Poarch and Humphries enjoyed a great meal at Michael’s Waypoint Cantina & Southwest Grill on Hwy 90 in Del Rio the previous evening, compliments of TF&G/Trophy Quest. By 7:30 a.m. the next morning, they were on the water plugging for bass in the hydrilla. “We pulled up to our first spot, kind of a grass point with submerged grass at about 10-15 feet,” says Poarch. “Within the first 30 minutes, we caught 10 fish and then it kind of leveled out.” Poarch described the action coming in spurts, maybe catching six or seven in row and then a spurt where there would be only one fish every 10-15 minutes. “Then we

Texas. The package includes a guided trip for two people, one night's lodging and all food and beverage (non-alcohol). Winners are responsible for all travel expenses getting to and from the destination point. HERE'S HOW YOU WIN! If you are a TF&G subscriber, your name is automatically entered on our monthly Trophy Quest Trip drawing. If you are a subscriber and would like

would hit another spurt. We had some really nice times when we would hit a pocket of fish. I think the longest we went without somebody catching anything was maybe 15 minutes.” Hanselman described the size of the fish caught as about average: “Normally, I have been catching 10-15 fish between 5 to 8 pounds per day. We just caught four or five fish that were around 4 pounds. We caught a lot of solid fish, but they were smaller. The fish were camera shy.” The fish were caught on Texas-rigged flukes in Green Pumpkin color. “We caught some on Tru-Tungsten Tru-Life swim baits. That’s the bait I have been catching a lot of the big fish on,” Hanselman said. “Ray was very knowledgeable, very courteous, and taught us a lot about the lake that we didn’t know,” said Poarch. “We actually went over the time for a full day of fishing. The fish started hitting good again about 3 p.m. and we stayed out a little longer.” What’s an indicator of a good day on the water? “I actually got tired of throwing my lure,” said Poarch. “The action was that good.” SPECIES: Largemouth bass LOCATION: Lake Amistad GUIDE: Ray Hanselman, 830-774-1857, 830-317-9942, www.reelnray.com LODGING: Ramada Inn-Del Rio, 830775-1511, www.ramadainndelrio.com MEALS: Michael’s Waypoint Cantina & Southwest Grill, 830-775-8940

your name entered 15 more times in our next monthly drawing, simply send us an email with your name, address and phone number* to trophyquest@fishgame.com. You can still win even if you are NOT a subscriber. Simply email us with your name, address, and phone number* to trophyquest@fishgame.com and you're entered in our next drawing. One winner is chosen at random each T E X A S

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month. The winner must be available to go on one of two previously scheduled dates. If the winner is unable to attend on either dates scheduled for the TROPHY QUEST TRIP, the winner's name will be returned to the pool for future drawings and another winner will be drawn. *Phone numbers will ONLY be used to contact the winners and will not be used for any other purpose.

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Skeeter 21i OU FRY THE LAKE’S SURFACE WITH THREE blades of stainless steel that spin 100 times a second, pushing your Skeeter 21i fast enough to earn you a ticket on I-10. When we took our test drive (on a sloppy, snotty lake riddled with two-foot waves, thanks to a howling 20-knot wind), we

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maneuver that will usually result in transom over-wash. But the 21i is designed with sponsons that protrude back from the transom and provide extra buoyancy aft, preventing this problem. Those sponsons also prevent the stern from squatting when you nail the throttle, minimizing bow rise. Put all these factors together and it’s clear: if you consider performance the most important thing in a bass boat, make sure you test drive a Skeeter 21i before you buy your next rig. Inside the boat, layout and fishing design

ed tackle stowage, livewells, and multiplestation fish-finders, are included, as is a tandem axel, disc brake trailer. If a tournament pro needs it, you can bet the Skeeter comes with it. The 21i is constructed with the same attitude, including touches like the aluminum torque-transfer transom and stringer system. The system transfers the vertical torque and energy from the outboard to the stringers in the bottom of the boat. This reduces stress on the transom, deck, and hullsides, while providing lift along the keel. The floor also boasts hi-tech construction, and is built with an inch-thick PVC-cored fiberglass sandwich. That’s why Skeeter has the confidence to offer a lifetime warranty with this boat, plus a 10-year transferable warranty. The 21i will give you confidence, too, that the next time you enter a tournament, you’ll be a contender.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SKEETER

Dargel 220 Skout Pro SKEETER 21i Category: Bass Boat Length:

21 in.

Beam: 7 ft. 10 in.

Hull: V-bottom, stretched sponson is just as advanced as pulled a full-speed Max HP: 300 Draft: 1 ft. 4 in. the ride. There’s a U-turn, popped onto Capacity: 5 people/700-lbs rod box with a builtplane in about three website: www.skeeterboats.com in line spooler, and a seconds with zero coded lock system bow-rise, and hopped across the wave tops in complete that secures every hatch, latch, and compartcomfort. The aggressive 22-degree deadrise ment on the boat with the press of a keypad. bottom chopped through the waves, while Those compartment hatches will always fit the hull’s running strakes and chines threw correctly, too, thanks to an aluminum deck spray away from the boat, so we stayed dry. grid system that provides superior support We also stayed dry when chopping the throt- and strength to the structure. Of course, all tle from a full-tilt boogie to a dead stop, a the fishing features you expect, like integrat-

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OW DOES A COMPANY SURVIVE LONGER than any other? By building an awesome product that sells for a reasonable price, and that explains why Dargel is the oldest family-owned boat builder in the state of Texas. Wait a sec; let’s add quality to that list of reasons, since every Dargel is built with hand-laid fiberglass and foam-filled fiberglass stringers. Still, the list isn’t complete; we need to put performance in there, too, after testing a new 220 Skout. With a 175-hp Evinrude E-TEC on the transom swinging a three-blade stainlesssteel 19-inch Viper prop at 5500 rpm, we blazed through the seas at nearly 50 mph. Considering all these factors, it’s clear the

PHOTO COURTESY OF DARGEL

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DARGEL 220 SKOUT PRO Category: Bay Boat

220 Skout should be on your short list of boats to check out; but the main reason folks will be looking at this boat is its shal-

Length:

22 ft. 0 in.

Hull:

Tunnel hull

Max HP:

225

Capacity:

N/A

website:

www.dargel.com

Beam: 8 ft. 6 in. Draft: 6 in.

low water abilities. The Skout rides on Dargel’s Hydrolift Vacuum tunnel, which runs about 3/4 of the boat’s length.

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It’s a shallow tunnel at about 6 inches deep, but it’s 21 inches wide and feeds a reliable stream of water to the outboard even when the jack plate is raised and the trim is up. That means your draft is only about 5-7 inches (depending on load) and you can sail across the shallowest flats that would leave other boats high and dry. Another benefit of the Skout will become apparent when you reach the hotspot and get ready to fish: the beefed-up console is a stand-on-top capable of supporting up to 340 pounds, giving you extra visibility and the ability to spot tailing reds from a distance. Detail work on the console provides more evidence of Dargel’s attention to quality. Switches are all lighted rockers, all six of the vertical rodholders are drained and plumbed so water doesn’t infiltrate your gear, and wiring runs forward to accommodate a trolling motor to hook up with the dual batteries that fit inside.

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My Beauty and the Beasts HAT STUNNING LAST LIGHT OF THE DAY, when the beautiful ball of golden fire barely dips beneath the western horizon, its final glow burning that magic shine on the world, is not only some of God’s ultimate eye candy, but viewed from a tall tree stand in game country, may very well be one of the most gorgeous moments in life. Now, add to this inspiring setting, that same special light glimmering upon the flowing blond locks of a svelte young woman next to me, and I am here to tell you that I am not sure I can control myself. The final stimulating ingredient putting the whole deal over the top would be a bow and arrow in her hands, and, well, I simply must look to the heavens and pray. Truly, I am not worthy. But this is how I know conclusively that God must love me madly, for I get to repeat this dream numerous times each fall and winter as the humble guide, servant/vidcamdude for the world’s sexiest bowhunter—Mrs. Backstrap, my gorgeous wife, the Queen of the Forest, Shemane. I am lucky I can hold the camera steady and find the record button without falling out of the tree. But as the trooper that I am, I take a deep breath, review my responsibilities as ace vidcamdude for our Spirit of the Wild TV show on Outdoor Channel, and do a valiant job of capturing all this wonderful stuff on video tape for all the world to see and enjoy. You owe me. Today Shemane is one of the most professional, dedicated, deadly bowhunters I know. She has put her heart and soul into learning all there is about wildlife, conserva-

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Maybe Mrs. N wouldn’t characterize the tion, and ultimately about the healthiest lifestyle and diet available to mankind; pure whole ordeal exactly like that, but once the initial shock wore off (she venison and the duty bound procedure to be claims it is still a hands-on environmentalist. She knows that killing deer is the perfect thing to do, and she is really good at it. Having never touched a bow or gun in her life prior to us meeting back in 1988, she was nonetheless a gungho athlete and one smart cookie. Winning medals and awards in swimming and ATV racing competition, this wild woman was no wallflower I assure you. Being raised mostly as a city kid, her buildlove of the outThe autho r ’s wife, S ing) she doors, boating, hemane, is an accomp i n d e e d skiing, hiking, lished hun ter. plunged full and off-roading, tilt into the was nearly as strong as her love for world of my shopping and fashion. And we all know that is really saying something in the always-fas- beloved Fred Bear, and within weeks of our cinating world of women. Fascinating and “connection”, she was flinging arrows with the best of them. In fact, based on my long, oftentimes bewildering, dare I say. Well, the poor dear, unbeknownst to her, intense life of gung-ho archery/bowhunting was on a collision course with the last of the trial and error, she greatly benefited from my Mohicans. She was about to rendezvous with a gentle, easy going tutelage by circumventing strange character, some say a dangerous man years of typical mistakes committed by beginfrom another time and place, The WhackMas- ners with less than ideal introductory instructer, The MotorCity MadMan, Uncle Ted, tion. Now that is true love, ladies and genReverend Theodocious Atrocious, LoudMan, tlemen. Baptized on a youth recurve bow, at a Captain BackStrap, Master of Sparks (OK, I made that one up) but nonetheless a well man- short-range 15 feet from a large Olympic nered, kind gentleman that would sweep her off type bale target, she grasped killer archery her feet (some say she simply felt sorry for me) form in a mere few minutes. Of course, I am and lead her down the glorious path to spiritu- a hands-on kind of guy, so I made it a point al redemption via the mystical flight of the to gently steer her into perfect position with my strong, guitar playing hands placed arrow. Say hallelujah! PHOTOS BY TED NUGE NT

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strategically on her beautiful athletic torso, so as to l moment. re a specia a h s d Te d n guide her very being into the Shemane a picture of archery grace and fluidity. acor ns Sometimes I had to remain firmly in and jerking their heads erect, control of her body throughout the testing the air with wet nostrils. shooting sequences, just to be sure she Emboldened by the coming of darkness, didn’t move wrong. I held her with much respect, I assure you. She actually seemed to they cautiously walk in single file toward enjoy it. I was strictly doing my job as a pro- another oak tree when the largest of the fessional, remaining very business like and group veers right toward our ambush site. serious. Inside I was about to blow up of Shemane follows him like a predator tractor course. Dear Lord she is sexy at full draw! I beam, bow up, ready to rock. In one smooth have never loved archery more than when swing, the buck lowers his head as Shemane draws back her arrow, and in an instant, her training and shooting with Shemane. Now that magic last light is melting into white feathers are disappearing into the dusk, the mystical bewitching hour that ribcage of the backstrapper. It lunges hard causes goose bumps on goose bumps for and pivots away, kicking up dust and a divot hunters. Game is stirring, and my camera of earth in his scramble to flee. But Shelens is capturing a glow of its own on her mane’s arrow has already done its work, and blond hair when I see a glint off to the left in after a 25-yard spurt, the buck looks around the mesquite scrub. From beneath the green confused, and in seconds, crumples to the canopy of an ancient, towering live oak tree ground, stone dead with a hole through his steps a handsome whitetail buck, followed vitals for the quickest, most humane kill posby three more that all look pretty much the sible in the wild. Shemane pulls off her facesame. Alert, they all take turns, nipping at mask, shakes down her gorgeous long hair T E X A S

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and smiles big and beautiful at the camera like the satisfied reasoning predator that she is. A job well done, indeed. Filming her recovery of the magnificent beast, I could not have felt more proud. She articulated with passion her sincere dedication to conservation and a healthy environment through the balancing of the herd each hunting season. She rejoiced in the bounty of her effort and exalted the health benefits of not just harvesting the surplus, but the perfection of a venison diet for her family. We were in backstrap heaven, together. Shemane brings home the bacon nearly every time she hunts. Her Queen of the Forest segments on our Spirit of the Wild TV show are by far the most popular. Through her public speaking presentations and in her writings in various publications, she has educated many to the logic and essentiality of the hunting lifestyle. She mentors kids and other women into the soul cleansing outdoor lifestyle, and I am in love with her more now than ever. She is doing God’s work with the bow and arrow, and I thank Him every day for bringing my best hunting buddy into my life. She deserves the long, protracted kisses and hugs I give her on every hunt, and I still like to hold her when she shoots, just to be sure she does it right! On this hunt, Shemane was using her 40-pound Martin Firecat bow, Sims fall away rest and sights, LimbSavers, GoldTip carbon arrows, Magnus Buzzcut broadheads, Scott release, Mossy Oak ScentLok clothing, LaCrosse boots, Bushnell optics and flashlight, Cmere Deer, Outdoor Edge SwingBlade knife, James Valley Wallhanger bucklure, Ol Man tree stand, Knight and Hale game calls and trail marker light, Glenn’s Deerhandle, BadBoy buggie and Hunter Safety System fall restraint harness. For information on Shemane Nugent’s Queen of the Forest program, visit tednugent.com.

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The Skinny On Fishing Lines HOICES, CHOICES... IN A ROUNDABOUT WAY, fishing lines are like plastic worms. There are so many different brands out there to choose from that deciding which one to buy can at times be a difficult decision. The task can become even more confusing when it comes time to pick between braid, monofilament, and fluorocarbon. Gone are the days of using one type of fishing line in combination with every lure and fishing technique. Line selection has become highly specialized. This holds especially true among hardcore bass guys like Ken Cook of Meers, Oklahoma. Cook is a 14-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier who won the Big Show in 1991. His busy Elite Series tournament schedule takes him to nearly a dozen different lakes over the course of the regular season, which in turn forces him to employ a wide variety of tactics and lures to catch bass consistently from one venue to the next. Not surprisingly, Cook is just as picky about the type of fishing line he puts on a level-wind as he is the lure he has dangling from his rod tip. Reason being, some fishing lines work better for certain applications than others do. “Each category of fishing line functions differently,” said Cook. “The reason for that is because their characteristics are entirely different.” In the segments that follow, Cook offers

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some valuable insight on how he selects fishing lines for specific bass fishing applications: Braid: Cook thinks the biggest advantages of using braid are its low stretch and small diameter/strength properties. Plus, it is super sensitive. “I use braid for any application where getting a hard, solid hookset is critical,” he said. “I use Berkley Stealth a lot when I am flipping in heavy grass mats. For casting a buzz frog over thick cover or making super long casts with a Carolina rig in water deeper than 15 feet, I prefer Ultra Cast. “Braid also comes in handy when you are fishing a lake like Falcon where you are like-

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“Each category of fishing line functions differently,” said Cook. “Because their characteristics areentirely different.”

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ly go encounter some gigantic fish around heavy cover,” he added. “It gives you optimum strength for horsing big fish without having to go to a large diameter line.” Some other advantages of braid are it cuts through grass like butter and it has no memory. The latter attribute is why many anglers prefer using braid in combination with spinning reels. “Line twist can be big problem with spinning reels, but you pretty much eliminate that issue with braid,” Cook said. “I like to use Berkley FireLine on a spinning reel, especially when I’m skipping Flukes, Senkos, or other finesse baits around docks. It is the slickest of the super lines, so it comes F i s h

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off the spool and goes through the guides extremely smooth.” Cook pointed out that he always uses a Berkley Trilene 100 percent Fluorocarbon leader in combination with braid for Carolina and finesse fishing applications. Fluorocarbon: There is a passel of fluorocarbon lines on the market today. Cook is a big fan of Berkley Trilene 100 percent Fluorocarbon. “I’ll go as far as to say it is the best fishing line I have ever used,” Cook said. “If I had to use just one line, that is the one I would use.” Fluorocarbon provides a number of key characteristics not found in monofilaments. It sinks, has very limited stretch, and is almost invisible under water. Additionally, the line is extremely sensitive and has a smaller diameter compared to monofilaments of equal breaking strength. Cook prefers fluorocarbon when casting “feel baits” such as football jigs and Texasrigged worms. He also likes to use it for working suspending jerkbaits, crankbaits, or target flipping around docks and other hard cover such as stumps and laydown logs. “About the only type of bait you can’t fish effectively with fluorocarbon is a topwater,” Cook said. “The line sinks and it tends to pull the nose of the bait down with it.” Monofilament: Monofilament floats, which helps optimize the action of a topwater lure such as the Storm Chug Bug or Zara Spook. The line also tends to stretch a little, which can give a fish a little extra time to engulf the bait before you set the hook. Cook also likes to use mono in combination with spinnerbaits and shallow-diving, square bill crankbaits. His lines of choice for those applications are Berkley Trilene Maxx and Berkley Trilene Sensation. E-mail Matt Williams at freshwater@fishgame.com

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“Off” Hand Shooting M

OST DAYS IN THE FIELD ARE MEMORABLE, but some stand out more than others. Whether it is the day you took your first deer, killed your biggest buck, or missed the buck of a lifetime, there are a few hunts that we can recall with uncanny clarity. One of mine has nothing to do with actually taking a buck, or even firing a shot, but is a day that I learned a lesson the hard way. I have an aversion to sitting in deer stands. For some reason, I feel more comfortable on the ground leaning against a tree, even if the weather is less than desirable. On this particular hunt, calling the weather “undesirable” might have been an understatement. A slow steady rain accompanied temperatures hovering in the mid-30s, but with enough layers and some rain gear, I wouldn’t freeze to death as I sat next to the trunk of an oak tree overlooking a small cutover. The brush was thick and I couldn’t see more than 30 yards in any direction, but I was sitting on a heavily used game trail, so the chances of an up-close encounter were good. At daybreak, things started heating up. Well, the deer activity did; I was still freezing. On my left, a doe ran through a small opening between bushes, followed shortly by a young buck. A few minutes later, another young buck ran down the same trail with its nose to the ground. I hit the grunt call, hoping to bring one of the bucks back for a closer look, without any luck. A hunter with a grunt call is easily 56

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ignored in favor of chasing a hot doe, but I had to at least try. No worries, though; with this much activity early on, it was just a matter of time before a shooter came by. Slowly scanning the small area I was covering, I saw movement to my right and froze. Seconds later, a mature 10-point stepped out, staring directly at me. I tried to think stump-like thoughts so it would look the other way. A few minutes passed, which seemed like hours, as the buck did the head-bob and foot-stomp dance before determining I was of little consequence and lowered its head to eat. Typically, this is the point where I raise the rifle and end the hunt, but remember where I said the buck was—on my right? Well, I am right handed, so shooting would require me to shoot left-handed or turn my whole body for a right-handed shot. I can’t shoot left-handed worth a flip and the buck was too close for me to turn without being

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seen, so I had to just sit there as it ate, silently albeit unwittingly mocking me. Eventually, the buck walked off into the brush and no amount of pleading on the grunt tube would bring it back. I might not have taken a buck that day, but the lesson learned was far more valuable. There are odd individuals in this world that can naturally do things with either hand with the same efficiency. Most people refer to them as “ambidextrous”; I call them freaks, simply because I can’t do it. My dad is one of them. As often as not, you will find him swinging a hammer left-handed as right (that sounds a lot easier than it is), and he has shot just as many deer right-handed as left. Even though most of us normal people cannot do this naturally, we can train ourselves F i s h

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to shoot from our weak side with plenty of practice, and like in the example I gave, it might be the difference between dragging home a nice buck and just going home wet. Do you remember how you learned to shoot a rifle? For most of us, our hunting career started with learning how to shoot an air rifle at some old cans or a paper target in the backyard. This same method should be used when training yourself to shoot from the other side. If the first thing you do is go out and try to shoot your 7mm magnum lefthanded, all you will accomplish is getting a sore shoulder, a ring around your eye, and end up never learning to shoot since you will flinch the rest of your life. Instead, purchase an adult air rifle, complete with scope, and set up some targets in your backyard. It is much easier to learn how to shoot when you are not worrying about recoil. Once you have learned where to place your cheek on the stock, which eye to open (yes, it will feel strange), and trained your weak hand to squeeze the trigger, then graduate to a rimfire. Spend most of your time with the rimfire in your hand and up to your shoulder since the ammunition is cheap and less punishing than a centerfire. Take a little time to hunt small game with it as well to put your new talent to the test. Only after you have mastered the smaller calibers should you pick up your deer rifle and start over again shooting at targets. Dedicate at least half of your preseason practice to shooting with your off-hand, and before long, you will be just as accurate with the rifle at either shoulder. Chances are that if you have the proper stand placement, you might never have to use your weak side to take a buck. However, on the off chance that a trophy buck shows up on the wrong side, do you really want to walk back home empty-handed because you couldn’t make the shot?

E-mail Paul Bradshaw at deerhunting@fishgame.com

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Designed for the Future O

FFICIALS FROM CARECO MULTIMEDIA, The Bass Federation Inc., and VERSUS have announced plans for the new Association of Collegiate Anglers Bass Fishing Series (CBFS), designed to establish the sport as a long-term, sustainable activity. The series, featuring 13 half-hour shows, is produced by Careco Multimedia and will air weekend mornings on VERSUS beginning July 2009. Recently, The Bass Federation (TBF) formed the Association of Collegiate Anglers (ACA) using its own structure as the foundation, where clubs become associated through membership and obtain benefits. The purpose of ACA is to support every aspect of college bass fishing, from developing new clubs to sanctioning events and qualifying championship contenders. The Bass Federation, with nearly 30,000 members among 47 states, is the nation’s oldest and largest organized fishing group. “While we’re excited to see all the interest in college bass fishing, this program differs by having a student membership organization, the ACA, serving as its presenting sponsor and governing body,” said Wade Middleton, Careco general manager and a person recognized throughout the outdoor industry as a formidable force behind today’s college bass movement. “Student anglers must have a role in where college fishing goes. Here, teams can advance through qualifying regional events to a championship, where they compete head-to-head on a level playing field for top bragging

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rights. There’s nothing like college rivalries, and partnering with VERSUS now gives the teams a stage to showcase their skills on national television.” Teams can earn their way into the new series’ championship through top finishes in official qualifying events. Some of these will be hosted by CBFS and others by college fishing clubs, but all are sanctioned by ACA. The events are open to active members of school-recognized fishing clubs and who are taking at least 12 credit hours while maintaining a GPA of 2.0 or higher. Event participants are not required to be ACA members, but for a school club to host a sanctioned qualifying event, it must belong to ACA. It is anticipated that more than 600 college anglers, representing approximately 120 college fishing programs, will compete in the 2009 CBFS qualifiers to vie for the 40 two-person-team spots available in the CBFS Championship. Among the total prizes is $35,000 in scholarships to be distributed among the top five teams. As a rule, college fishing events have either no entry fees or ones that are minimal. A team consists of two anglers fishing from the same boat, and they are responsible for full operation of the boat. “These college anglers are competing because they love to fish and they want to get to the championship to represent their school,” explained TBF president Robert Cartlidge. “Sure, they like to win prizes, but their ultimate goal is to have a shot at the national title, plus some of the scholarships. Winners also get a berth in TBF’s National Championship.” Officials at BoatU.S., a prominent sponsor of college bass fishing for the past few years, say they see the new series being an evolutionary step for the sport. “We’ve always been excited about this activity and we believe the transition to the new format will again take it up another level,” said Chris Edmonston of BoatU.S. “We are very proud to support the growth of college fishing.” T E X A S

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Additional CBFS national sponsors include BoatU.S. Angler, Cabela’s, Ranger Boats, Yamaha, Garmin, Costa Del Mar, Pioneer Beef Jerky, Abu Garcia, Berkley, Fenwick, Anglers’ Legacy, Stearns, EGO Nets, Sebile, American Rodsmiths, Aviva Fishin’ Buddy, Gene Larew Lures, Nemire Lures, Sperry Top-Sider, Power Pole, City of Lewisville, Sneaky Pete’s Marina, and VERSUS. •••

Aggies Net Second At Championship Who says Aggies can’t fish? Texas A&M’s Andrew Shafer and Scott Edmonds took second place among 54 twoman college bass fishing teams that competed in the 2008 Under Armour College Bass National Championship held July 9-11 on Lake Maumelle in Little Rock, Arkansas. Shafer/Edmonds weighed in five bass weighing 17.4 pounds. The University of Arkansas-Little Rock team of Jeremy Reese and Trent Gephardt earned the top spot with 21.24 pounds. The championship field was comprised of collegiate anglers representing dozens of colleges from around the country. Anglers qualified for the championship through sanctioned campus club tournaments held earlier this year. Four other Texas colleges sent teams to the tournament. Stephen F. Austin Univerisity’s Kyle Turner and Zach Brown finished 23rd after the two-day cut with 6.98 pounds. Baylor Univeristy’s Jay Holland and Andrew McAdams took 25th with 6.67 pounds, followed by Texas Tech’s Wes Medford and Russell Felts, 5.95 pounds, 29th; and Tarleton State’s Josh Anderson and Cody Prakta, 4.43 pounds, 38th. — Matt Williams

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Requiem For a Fishery H

ERE LIES THE 2008 RED SNAPPER SEASON. Its life was short. May it rest in peace. This year’s lackluster recreational season for red snapper ended barely two months after it began. Federal regulators claim the ridiculous abbreviation was caused by the unwillingness of Texans and Floridians to drink the elixir when overseers of deep-water resources proposed a slightly longer but still questionable version. Lone Star and Sunshine states thumbed their collective noses at what many considered unscientific justification for so narrow a window and became scapegoats for the final, gone-ina-blink season. Ultimately, however, it was federal overseers who first pushed what has grown into one behemoth of a snowball down Snapper Hill. Perpetual mismanagement, beginning years ago and continuing until an outside influence—a federal judge—said enough was enough, triggered this year’s pathetic excuse for a snapper season. Hopefully, each of us who has a stake in this fishery will acknowledge the crimson elephant in the room now. Oversight of this and other marine fisheries needs overhaul and reassessment that reflects wholesale changes in how we fish, in where we fish, and in who is fishing. Granted, a few marine species showed partial or full recovery when most recently tallied and judged. Not so the red snapper, however, and whatever change comes of this latest changing of the guard cannot come fast enough. 58

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SPECIAL REMINDER Do not miss the Southwest International Boat Show October 2-5 at the Kemah Boardwalk Marina. This “Florida style” boat show, sponsored by 93.7 The Arrow, Budweiser, GMC, Kemah Boardwalk, and Southwest Airlines is the largest in-water event ever to come to Houston. It features more than 400 boats in the water and 200 more ashore. Boat demos, luxury RV’s, exotic cars, fashion shows, fishing and boating gear, live music from The Bahamas, and plenty of fun for the family, all geared to present four fabulous days of fun in the sun. There will never be a better opportunity to buy this year’s boats while previewing next year’s models before they hit the showroom. CONTACT: Peter Bryant,561-842-8808, www.southwestinternationalboatshow.com

Figure what it will take to solve the problem, really, then solve it. A third-grade science class could have built a rocket ship and flown it to the moon in the time red snapper have been under federal management without showing signs of improvement. Past pandering to commercial interests must stop. A commercial fishery can co-exist with the recreational and for-hire fisheries, but each of the stakeholders must be willing to put the resource first. Before we can mete out fair slices, we need to take a closer look at the pie. I am not yet convinced that either side knows just how many red snapper are swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. How could they? That leaves extrapolation and conjecture, which can be only as good as the models on which they are built. Answers could be generated, but only if enough dollars were thrown at the questions. It takes personnel and time to conduct research, and everyone who counts red snapF i s h

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per deserves to be paid for doing so. Who pays? You and I do, it would seem, somewhere within the costs of our fishing licenses and the excise taxes collected on every piece of fishing equipment we buy. Charter operators pay, too, in their own way, as do commercial fishermen. We are all paying but apparently not getting our money’s worth. When and if a head count on red snapper finally is completed, it is time to shuffle the allocations. Respectfully, the commercial quota should be trimmed. Restaurant patrons have no absolute right to dine on snapper Pontchartrain. Eating fresh fish you did not catch yourself is a privilege, and one for which you must pay the going price. That is why lobster costs more than black drum and why red snapper would cost twice as much if there were half the commercial supply. Snapper lovers would pay, the rest would select something else, and all the many more snapper would remain in the population. Anyone willing to catch his or her own fish, either from private boats or under the watchful eyes of professional captains, should have a fair chance to do so. And in exchange for the considerable investment required to reach the fishing grounds, they should be allowed to keep more than a pitiful two red snapper. Recreational anglers should have felt insulted and outraged when that daily bag limit was announced. A few blog posts and subsequent responses generated smoke among die-hard anglers, but no emotional fire was lit close enough to managers that they felt any heat. Sportsmen continue to accept without serious question most of the laws and limits tossed their way. This year’s red snapper season serves as a prime example of what can happen when recreational anglers turn apathetic cheeks. So do no-fishing zones. In the long run, I am not sure which is worse. Let’s hope that here in Texas, we never have to find out.

E-mail Doug Pike at offshore@fishgame.com

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Contaminated Perspective T WOULD BE ACCURATE TO SAY THAT THE TEXAS Department of State Health Service’s consumption advisory for all of Galveston Bay took everyone by surprise. There had been an advisory for the upper reaches of Galveston Bay around Morgan’s Point and the Houston Ship Channel since the early 1990s because unacceptable levels of the carcinogen dioxin had been found in the fatty tissue of speckled trout and catfish. It was a concern, especially after a 2003 survey found that the dioxin and PCB levels were above state acceptable standards, and a fullblown consumption advisory was made in 2004 for the area north of a boundary line stretching from Red Bluff Point to Houston Point. Still, fishermen had the rest of the vast Galveston Bay complex to fish. That is when things went utterly to pot. According to Lance Robinson, Regional Director for the TPWD Coastal Fisheries Division in Dickinson, the agency asked DSHS about trout in Galveston Bay proper, based on the fact that trout migrate throughout the bay. After gaining additional funding, DSHS was able to extend the study, and the results led to the current consumption advisory that includes the entire bay. So, what the hell happened? “Organisms take up compounds like dioxin and PCBs at a different rate due primarily to their physiology, how food is metabolized, dosage levels, and other environmental conditions,” said Robinson. “These compounds...bind to fat within the body of the animal.” Robinson said speckled trout and catfish contain higher fat levels in their bodies than other species such as redfish and flounder, so they are prone to higher concentrations. According to various sources, once the pollutants are introduced into the food chain, it

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works its way up the line from vegetation to forage (prey) species to predators, where it takes up residence in the liver and body fat. It gets worse. “The key to how long the advisory might be in place is finding the source [of contamination],” said Robinson. “Once the source is eliminated, it would most likely take a generational cycle for the species affected to reach levels below the advisory level.” For speckled trout, that would be between 8 and 10 years. The caveat in Robinson’s statement is that it will be a decade or so after the source of contamination is found and cleaned up before the consumption advisory is lifted. As of this writing, that pollution source remains a mystery. Robinson stressed that readers should understand that the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department is not responsible for monitoring marine life as it relates to human health. That is under the purview of DSHS, Seafood and Aquatic Live Group. Water quality is not TPWD’s jurisdiction, either. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality holds that distinction. There is absolutely no way to point fingers at TPWD for this situation. If TCEQ does find the party responsible for the pollution of Galveston Bay, they will initiate procedures whereby that party cleans up their mess. Of course, you can rest assured that there will be a lengthy investigation to prove responsibility, which will include an appeals process, mediation, the drawing up of a plan for clean-up, approval of the plan by TCEQ, and the opening of a bidding process to find an environmental clean-up contractor. All that doesn’t happen overnight. Meetings have to be scheduled-and sometimes rescheduled. Hearings have to be held-and sometimes rescheduled. Deadlines have to be made-and extended. Lawsuits by special interest groups (and there always are) have to be heard and settled. Notices have to be published in newspapers state- and nationwide. This means literally years of wrangling—if the source of pollution is ever discovered and if the responsible party is identified. T E X A S

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If the source is discovered but the responsible party not identified, then TCEQ will have to seek funding to clean up the mess. That could take years, too. Then the actual clean-up begins—which itself could take a long time. After all that, the 10-year clock on flushing the junk out of the trout and catfish biomass begins to tick. Fortunately, if fishermen use a little care and common sense in handling speckled trout (I’ll assume that everyone out there can live without worrying about eating gafftops and hardhead), they can still enjoy a plate of fried fish now and then. “Anglers who wish to eat spotted seatrout or catfish can do some things that will reduce the level of risk,” said Robinson. “Removing the skin, belly flap, and red colored muscle of fish [which trout have very little of] will remove those parts where higher fat levels and more dioxins and PCBs exist. Also, cooking the fish on a grill or broiling allows fat to drip off the fillet, and reduce the exposure risk.” Besides, doctors always say that grilling and broiling are healthier than frying, so we should do that anyway. The misery is that we shouldn’t have to be so cautious when eating speckled trout out of Galveston Bay. Environmental Protection Agency laws have been in place for over 30 years that should have prevented this from happening. Obviously, someone who worships the almighty dollar decided that those laws could be ignored, and that person went about doing so. Even worse, the organizations that were sworn to protect us from such environmental brigandage failed to live up to that commitment, whether through negligence or deliberate ignorance. We should never have gotten to this point. We lived up to our end of the social contract by ceding to these groups the ability to look out for our best interests in exchange for them doing so. They didn’t live up to their end. That should make you very, very angry.

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DU Applauds Conservation “Holy Grail” N A MOVE CONTRARY TO SEVERAL weeks of speculation, the Department of Agriculture announced that they would not allow acres of the popular Conservation Reserve Program to be put into production without repayment. The announcement was made by Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer, who cited robust corn and soybean yields and less-than-expected crop damage as the reasons to not change the program. “We are very happy to hear that Ducks Unlimited’s concerns, and the needs of wildlife, were heard by the USDA,” said Ducks Unlimited Director of Agriculture Conservation Policy, Barton James. “The Conservation Reserve Program is the ‘holy grail’ of conservation, and we are pleased the USDA will maintain the program and the benefits that it has had.” CRP has been a windfall for wildlife, adding more than 2.2 million ducks to the annual migration, and more than 13.5 million pheasants to the prairies. These numbers contribute to the $76 billion engine of wildlife-based recreation that employs more than 1.6 million people. The ducks reared on CRP land in North and South Dakota help fuel tourism throughout the nation, from the Eastern Shore of

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Maryland to the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Texas and westward to the Central Valley of California. CRP land is also responsible for removing more than 50 million tons of carbon dioxide from the air. Carbon dioxide is a major contributor to global warming. Cultivating marginal acreage currently in the program would release the carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, adding to climate change. The program is credited with conserving more than 470 million tons of topsoil in the past year that would otherwise be washed into rivers and streams, degrading water for drinking, fish and wildlife, business, and downstream agriculture. The soil retention accomplished through CRP also lessens runoff of agricultural chemicals, which have been linked to the growing hypoxic “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico. “Losing CRP acres would have had a ripple effect on the American economy—lower bag limits and shorter seasons, both of which will decrease the money that sportsmen contribute to the economy and conservation,” said James. “Not to mention the lost jobs, the environmental degradation, and the loss of land held in reserve for future crises.” T E X A S

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Not all of the news released about CRP was positive, however. Secretary Schafer commented that one of the factors in the decision to not allow acres out without repayment was that many landowners were choosing to take their land out and paying back the rental rates and interest from their contracts. USDA figures have shown a 50 percent increase in the number of landowners removing their land from the program in the past year. Schafer also said there are millions of acres of land with expiring contracts over the next several years, with 1.1 million acres set to expire in September 2008, and 8 million more acres during the following two years. The overall enrollment in CRP needs to drop to accommodate the lower acreage cap placed by the 2008 Farm Bill, which became law in June. However, supporters of the program fear that the acreage will drop from the 39.2 million acres previously authorized, past the 34.7 million acres currently enrolled, to levels far below the 32 million acres authorized in the 2008

Farm Bill. Rental rates on CRP land, which have been lagging behind the value of the land for crop production, will also remain unchanged, and will continue to hurt the popularity of the program. Because the rental rates are determined from land prices over the previous three years, the recent spike in commodities has left CRP rental rates vastly below the rental rates for crop production. Secretary Schafer also confirmed that there would be no new enrollment into the program. With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest and most effective wetland and waterfowl conservation organization with more than 12 million acres conserved. The United States alone has lost more than half of its original wetlands—nature’s most productive ecosystem— and continues to lose more than 80,000 wetland acres important to waterfowl each year.

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Playing Hooky T

HE CONSPIRATORS MET JUST OUTSIDE THE GYM that cool, cloudy morning before school beside the tetherball court. I looked around and couldn’t see Coach Mankind. “Let’s go.” THE PLACE: Urban Park Elementary School THE TIME: Fall, 1966 THE PLAYERS: Me and another sixth-grade kid named Sparky Miles THE PLAN: Escape mean old Mrs. Parker and the daily drudgery of New Math. She must have been at least in her late 20s, ancient by our standards.

Without a word, Sparky stepped smartly off the blacktop and threaded his way between two Chevy Impalas parked at the curb. I followed him across the street and we disappeared between two tiny frame houses that today still stand across from the schoolyard. There was no chain link fence between the houses and our escape route led to the next street over. Breaking into a run, we raced down the sidewalk, right around another corner, and ended our quarter-mile dash by darting across the railroad tracks and into the woods on the other side. We stopped to catch our breath and check for pursuit. There was none. Free at last, we exchanged the Secret Handshake my fellow felon had created during recess the day before. The intricate shake was designed to identify members of our conspiracy, though at the time, there were only two of us. For some reason during that part of the sixties, the school district required all of us to sign disclosure statements saying that we were not, nor would we ever, become part of any gang or “club.” I have a feeling it was a de62

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layed reaction based on the movie West Side Story, which depicted gangsters dancing and flouncing wildly in the streets of New York. Adults at that time didn’t tolerate orchestrated dancing by hoodlums and were most likely worried those difficult dance routines involving foxtrotting students might well disrupt the hallways during passing periods. The complicated handshake maneuver involved intricate finger intertwining, which resulted in the first knuckle of my right index finger cracking like a .22. It immediately swelled to twice its size. As we watched the digit turn color, Sparky produced a folding pocketknife and began to clean his fingernails. “What do you want to do now?” he asked. Finding ourselves completely free during the week took us aback, and like cage-raised rabbits, we milled around in a

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tiny clearing. Then I remembered the supplies I had secreted in my pocket. I produced two fishing rigs rolled up around short sticks that would serve as a bobber once we unwound the string. “Cool!” Sparky shouted as he jerked one of the bundles from my good hand. A fishhook buried in the fishing line immediately impaled itself in the ball of my left thumb. The shriek of pain that tore from my throat most likely floated through the open classroom windows half a mile away, interrupting Mrs. Parker’s discussion of sets and units, probably providing the

students’ only relief that morning. “How are we gonna get that out?” Sparky asked, staring at the hook’s shank. Without thinking of the consequences, he reached out to

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pull the hook from my hand. The second shriek was two decibels louder than the first. Standing there with two maimed hands, I wondered the same thing. I recalled seeing Dad remove a hook from the leg of a friend’s dog. Talking fast before I lost my nerve, I explained the process of looping twine around

the hook’s shank, holding down the eye and giving it a sharp yank. “Far out, Cat Daddy,” Sparky said. Seeing that the hook only pierced the upper layers of skin, he simply grabbed the line and gave the whole thing a yank.

It worked and the hook popped out with an audible click. Shocked stock still, I watched blood well for a moment, but then we realized the crisis was past. Heartened, we took off for the nearby creek to fish. The thick woods were usually familiar, but with such thick cloud cover, we soon found ourselves turned around. Disoriented, we wandered for over two hours until we stepped through a particularly thick thicket and found ourselves on Jim Miller Road, not two hundred yards from where we had entered the woods. “I’m hungry,” I said, my spirit completely gone. “And my finger hurts.” “Me, too,” Sparky agreed. “Did you hurt your finger?” “No, I’m hungry.” “How are we going to get something to eat? My Mama is home and you live too far away.” We pondered the situation and finally gave up. “Let’s go back to school,” he said. “It’s almost lunch time and I’d like a couple of those soft rolls.” Our return was supercharged when Sparky kicked a rusty bucket lying beside a fence and a swarm of angry yellow jackets boiled out and stung us both. Our timing was off. Lunch was still over an hour away and we arrived just as our class lined up to come in from recess. Coach Mankind took one look at the two of us and shook his head, disgusted. “You two can get dirtier faster than anyone I’ve ever seen,” he said, not realizing we had missed his entire class. “How can you look like that playing kickball?” Numb from the pain of the yellow jacket stings, I shrugged and held out my hands. Coach looked at my swelled digit and the sting on my neck, and sent me to the nurses’ office. Sparky displayed his own sting and followed me inside. The nurse examined my digit, the bloody wound on the other hand, and our stings. She sent us both home for the rest of the day. It was the first and only time I played hooky. Not because I didn’t like being away from school in the woods; it was just too dangerous.

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