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www.fishgame.com Published by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. TEXAS FISH & GAME is the largest independent, family-owned outdoor publication in America. Owned by Ron and Stephanie Ward and Roy and Ardia Neves.
ROY NEVES PUBLISHER
DON ZAIDLE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
CHESTER
MOORE
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
C O N T R I B U T O R S
TOM BEHRENS • GREG BERLOCHER • PAUL BRADSHAW • HERMAN BRUNE • JOE DOGGETT • CALIXTO GONZALES • KENDAL HEMPHILL • CAPT. MIKE HOLMES • BOB HOOD • STEVE LAMASCUS • PATRICK LEMIRE • LOU MARULLO • JIMMY D. MOORE • TED NUGENT • DOUG PIKE • LENNY RUDOW • WAYNE C. WATSON • MATT WILLIAMS • REAVIS WORTHAM •
TROPHY QUEST COORDINATOR KAYAKING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR SALTWATER EDITOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR ASSOC. OFFSHORE EDITOR HUNTING EDITOR FIREARMS EDITOR SALTWATER RIGS EDITOR BOWHUNTING EDITOR NORTH HOTSPOTS EDITOR EDITOR AT LARGE SENIOR OFFSHORE EDITOR BOATING EDITOR LEGAL AFFAIRS EDITOR FRESHWATER EDITOR HUMOR EDITOR
A D V E R T I S I N G
ARDIA NEVES
We Goofed.
VICE PRESIDENT/ADVERTISING DIRECTOR NICOLE MCKIBBIN • NATIONAL MARKETING REP. DENISE BELL • NATIONAL MARKETING REP.
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TEXAS FISH & GAME (ISSN 0887-4174) is published monthly by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC., 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. ©Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. All rights reserved. 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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FEATURES SEPTEMBER 2009 • Volume XXV • NO.5 THE DEAL ON TEAL
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Bluewing teal migrate through Texas in September, giving hunters an early crack at waterfowl action. The season follows their southward movement, and passes in a flash. Success depends on learning all you can about these pint-sized ducks.
by Chester Moore, Jr. THE UPSIDE OF TOPWATER LURES
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How important could the BACK of a topwater lure be, if it is mainly seen from underneath by a fish? Our exploratory research below the surface yields some surprising answers...
ON THE COVERS: COASTAL: This season holds promise for outstanding teal hunting, with bluewing up 11 percent from last year at 7.4 million—the second highest count on record and 60 percent above the long-term average— and greenwing depicted on this month’s cover up 16 percent at 3.4 million.
by Chester Moore, Jr. PANHANDLE MONSTER BUCKS
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The northeast Texas Panhandle seems the last place one would label “trophy deer country.” But beyond the dry canyons and sagebrush are some of Texas’ largest whitetail bucks, rivaling the monster deer of Kansas.
by Bob Hood HANDS-OFF SALTWATER HOT SPOTS
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The Texas Coast abounds with locations loaded with specks and redfish, many of which haven’t seen a barbed hook in years. Unfortunately, fishing these mouthwatering locales is not possible. At least, not legally.
by Kyle Tomek
INLAND/NORTH: Many hunters mistakenly believe monster bucks like this come only from South Texas, but the other end of the state produces its share, too, as detailed in the feature “Monster Panhandle Bucks.”
Photos by: Grady Allen
BROADHEADS & BLOODTRAILS
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Tracking a whitetail in bow season can be more difficult than in gun season. At times, the signs are as small as pinheads; or it might look like someone dropped a pail of red paint. Knowing what to look for is the key.
www.facebook.com/pages/Texas-Fish-Game-Magazine/86524948620
www.twitter.com/FishandGame
by Lou Marullo 4
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COLUMNS and DEPARTMENTS SEPTEMBER 2009 • Volume XXV • NO.5
COLUMNS 10 Editor’s Notes Dangerous Sportsmen
59 Texas Saltwater Custom Rods
by DON ZAIDLE TF&G Editor-in-Chief
by CALIXTO GONZALES TF&G Saltwater Editor
16 Chester’s Notes Drugs and the Great Outdoors
60 Hunt Texas
Get Ready For “Crossbow Season”
by CHESTER MOORE TF&G Executive Editor
18 Commentary
by BOB HOOD TF&G Hunting Editor
DEPARTMENTS 8
YOUR LETTERS
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TF&G REPORT
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BIG BAGS &CATCHES
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TRUE GREEN
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TROPHY QUEST
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25TH ANNIVERSARY ARCHIVES: THE BOGUS BASS
61 Texas Freshwater
Swat Team
Fishin’ Words To Live By
by KENDAL HEMPHILL TF&G Commentator
by MATT WILLIAMS TF&G Freshwater Editor
20 Doggett at Large Adventure Along the Jetties
by JOE DOGGETT TF&G Senior Contributing Editor
22 TexasWild
For the Love Of Pigs by TED NUGENT TF&G Editor-at-Large
58 Texas Offshore
Recreational For-Hire Fishing Endangered
www.facebook.com/pages/Texas-Fish-Game-Magazine/86524948620
62 Open Season
Guilty By Accusation
by CAPT. MIKE HOLMES TF&G Associate Offshore Editor
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by REAVIS WORTHAM TF&G Humor Editor
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Letters KUDOS ALL AROUND I have been reading Lou Marullo’s column every month for better than a year and just wanted to thank you for publishing something with so much common sense and insight. It is rare that I feel someone I read really gets my bowhunting experience down like that, and he definitely does. His article about hunting bedding bucks in particular was one that blew me away and struck a real chord with my hunting buddies. Please keep up the good work and tell him he has a fan. Justin Michaels Via email Kendal Hemphill’s recent column about the Suburban brought back fine memories. One of the best was when my two sons (11 and 16 at the time) and I were headed for Perin, Texas, to go dove hunting. The boys were in the back of the Suburban reloading shotgun shells as fast at they could. That was 40 years ago. Boy, we had a great time when my kids were young. When I bought the reloaders, I thought I would save money. I was wrong. They would load a box and then take it out side to see how the reloads would shoot. The boys shot lightweight Remington 1100s and they were fast; quail hunting in brush around Gainesville, you had to be. I watched the oldest kill five quail on a covey rise one day. One other great memory was when we went to Muleshoe, Texas, pheasant hunting. There were about 10 of us in the group, and the boys took quite a kidding about their “toy” guns. When the birds started hitting the ground before the others could get their guns up, the kidding stopped and the crying commenced. What a great life I have had. W.D. Gibson Via email Just a note to let you know how much I look forward to your magazine each month. I swear, your staff just gets better and better 8
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every day. The one thing that I love the most about what they write is that it is down to earth, and outdoors folks like me and thousands of others would love to have them for neighbors and friends. Keep up the good work and tell all your staff that, yes, there are folks out there that listen to what you say. Dennis Stephens Via email I thought I would spend a few minutes to let you how much I enjoy Texas Fish & Game, especially the fishing columns. The first item I read is Saltwater Baits & Rigs, closely followed by Freshwater Baits & Rigs. Both Patrick Lemire and Paul Bradshaw write very well and provide information that fishermen can use, and provoke thoughts on how to modify lures to catch fish. I once sent Patrick an email asking a few questions about one of his rigs. He not only responded by email, he called me to discuss construction and where to find some of the components. I was impressed that he would take the time to call a reader. I placed an order with Cabela’s for the components I needed. I am looking forward to building this bait. Rick (no last name provided) Austin, TX via email Thank you for the very interesting Guns & Gear column in the June Texas Fish & Game regarding reloading, and specifically “roll your own” lead bullets. I have reloaded for many years and have poured lead round ball for my black powder rifle, but only recently ordered molds for several of my handguns. I got very concerned about the shortage of reloading components, but I was able to find several thousand primers, and I had accumulated pistol cases for years from various ranges that no longer exist. I have been able to gather 50-80 pounds of wheel weights, which I have melted, fluxed, and poured into ingots awaiting arrival of my Lee molds. F i s h
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Larry Loessin Austin, TX via email I was reading the February 2008 issue of Texas Fish & Game that someone sent to the soldiers over here in Iraq, and saw and read Ted Nugent’s column. Great reading and true about the little stuff we gripe about, but in the end, it is a great return. He makes a lot of comments that I like to read, especially about the overcrowded herds of does. I am from South Texas and I like to hunt, but I usually end up taking a nice doe because they eat well and there are enough out there. I am one to say, “You can’t eat the antlers.” I just wanted to thank Ted for all the things he has done for hunting and law enforcement, and for expressing his political views. I have never been political, just a redneck, but I do understand that we need people like him to make differences in this area. By the way, his music is great, too. I am not saying that in any derogatory way, I just think it is funny when I explain to other soldiers that, yes, he is a great musician, but he does all these other things, too. SGM Jeffrey L. Muckleroy Al Asad, Iraq I want to thank Herman Brune for writing such excellent columns each month. Every month, I am waiting by the mailbox for the magazine so I can read his passages. Although I am only 16, I enjoy reading and learning how life used to be, and the values of yesteryear. It is interesting, because I have many of the same values as he does, so Herman is someone I can relate to. Also, I am from the small town of West Columbia, so mentioning my hometown in the March edition made it more personal. Cole Harrison West Columbia, Texas I just wanted you to know how much I enjoyed Greg Berlocher’s Kayak Texas column, “Paddling your Children.” It really made me think of the days my dad and I
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fished South Padre from a 14-foot boat with a 5 horsepower Johnson outboard that did not even have a cover over it. I remember coming to dock with loads of reds and trout, busted lines, and completely out of Johnson Sprite spoons. Our lives have come full circle. Our first grandbaby came one month ago and is soon headed for her first coastal trip. God really blessed us with a healthy and happy granddaughter. I have been working on a kayak trailer all winter and it will be named Miss Abbey. I really enjoy the magazine, especially the kayaking column. Tommy Spitzer Via email
CEDAR BAYOU—PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER In your past articles, you have referred to whooping cranes, flounder, and low fish populations in the Rockport region. Maybe it’s time to put all the pieces together. The endangered whooping cranes have been nesting in the Aransas Wildlife Refuge for many years. With the rise and fall of the population, might there be a connection to low crab populations and the migration of schooling fish due to high salinity in the marsh? And might this be connected to the closing of Cedar Bayou? Zero water flow through the bayou means zero fish and crab migration, and little to no in- and outflow into the Gulf and bay. It does not take a rocket scientist to see the detrimental effects of Cedar Bayou being closed for more than two years. The whooping crane was thriving and growing in population when the bayou had high water flow. Flounder in the region have been at an all time low. Recent conservation efforts acknowledged, it seems the rebound of the southern flounder will be many years in the future. Once again, we need to look back at the water flow and the migration of flounder through Cedar Bayou. The bayou is a major migration route for many species of fish. With the absence of water flow and the migration of all game and non-game species virtually eliminated, it seems obvious the
cause of the detrimental effects that the closing of Cedar Bayou has had on the birding and fishing in the region. A lot if not most fishermen in the region have seen the marked decrease in fishing in the region, and most have moved farther south. With the opening of Packery and Port Mansfield, the fishing has increased threefold in these regions. I am surprised the city
of Rockport has not got on the bandwagon after losing millions of dollars to cities farther to the south. Dennis Williams Via email
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Editor’s Notes by Don Zaidle| TF&G Editor-in-Chief
Dangerous Sportsmen F YOU ARE READING THIS MAGAZINE, YOU POSE a “possible threat” to emergency medical service (EMS) personnel, police officers, and presumably anyone else unfortunate enough to cross paths with you. That is the assessment of at least one Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) as presented in an article, “Training EMS for Violent Encounters.” I am a volunteer firefighter and certified EMT, and as such receive newsletters from various firefighting and EMS publications and organizations. The article in question, written by Eric Dickinson, EMT-Intermediate, and a senior police officer with the Vinton, Iowa, Police Department, appeared in the on-line edition of the Journal of Emergency Medical Services in mid-July. The article suggested setting up realistic scenes for training scenarios, specifically: Place items inside the scene, such as ammunition boxes, outdoor magazines or hunting trophies, that may indicate the presence of traditional weapons, such as firearms and knives. Boxing gloves, martial arts uniforms or certain photos may suggest the patient or others have training in boxing, wrestling or martial arts. Uniforms, unit patches, awards and badges may indicate military or law enforcement training. (emphasis added) The article then advises: Give your personnel the opportunity to recognize these indicators of possible threats, and practice withdrawing from the area or calling for law enforcement assistance. (emphasis added) Unless the patient or family members are already violent or making threats (in which case EMS should not be there in the first place, but staged waiting for law enforcement), to “withdraw” or “call for law enforcement assistance” because there is a copy of Texas Fish & Game or Field & Stream on the coffee table, or a set of karate
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gi’s on the ironing board, is more than absurd; in my opinion, it is criminal. Certified EMS personnel have a “duty to act” to protect and preserve the life and safety of patients. Further, abandoning a patient other than to protect the EMT’s life or limb is grounds for censure or loss of license. Yet, this article recommends “withdrawing” from a scene due to nothing more than a “possible threat” based on the patient’s choice in reading material or sporting equipment. Here’s better advice based on my experiences, relatively limited though they are: Note items in the residence that hint at the patient’s interests, then use this knowledge to establish a rapport with the patient. Abandoning a patient or failing in one’s duty because of a deer mount or military unit patches on the wall is the stuff of which lawsuits and dereliction of duty charges are made. I will not abandon a patient—especially one with life-threatening injuries or illness—because I wimped out when confronted with an outdoors magazine sporting a menacing black bass on the cover, and I hope my fellow EMS providers do likewise. Following the article’s premise, a kitchen in the home poses more “possible threats” than a dojo full of blackbelts. Pan of boiling water or hot grease in the face, anyone? A meat tenderizer to the temple? A chef ’s knife to the ribs? An icepick in the eye? Threats come from individuals, not objects. Assess the patient and bystanders for mental status and attitude. As long as guns are in the cabinet and not in the patient’s lap, the baseball bat is in the kid’s athletic bag in the corner and not in a screaming bystander’s hands, and the knives are in the kitchen drawer, there is not much to worry about in terms of EMS safety. Knowing these objects are there in case someone makes a move for them is one thing, but “withdrawing” or calling in law enforcement merely because the objects are there is quite another. The medical, legal, ethical, and moral aspects notwithstanding, the article reflects the pervasive, unrelenting campaign to vilify outdoorsmen from seemingly every quarter. When a condor dies of unexplained causes, blame the hunter and his bullets. When fish stocks decline, blame the recreational fisherman. When a criminal murders someone,
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blame the gun and hunting industries. I am continually astonished at the level of general societal ignorance, especially regarding outdoors sports, wildlife, and the environment. Many years ago, I read in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram a letter from a 13-yearold decrying hunters and hunting, stating, “I believe that if people do not stop hunting them, whitetail deer will be extinct by the year 2000.” That child did not come up with such nonsense on his own; he had help, probably from a teacher, a parent, or both. Someone polluted that child’s mind with ignorance— or outright lies—about wildlife, nature, and hunters. As silly as the antics of PETA members might be, those people really believe “meat is murder,” “fishing is cruel,” the “life of an ant or clam” is equal (if not superior) to human life, the “murder” of broiler chickens is comparable to the Nazi Holocaust, and animals have “rights.” Frighteningly, the public is gradually accepting these notions as evidenced by nonsensical “animal cruelty” laws. Thanks to TV, movie, and book depictions, many people consider hunters and gun owners murderers in training. The mere mention of hunting or firearms in a social setting is sufficient to garner askance looks, whispers, suspicion, and ostracization. I have had guests in my home click their tongues and wag their heads at mounted hunting and fishing trophies. My response does not bear repeating here. Even the American Medical Association views hunters and gun owners with suspicion, allying itself with an anti-gun coalition that advocates physicians asking patients about gun ownership as part of a standard medical history. And now we have an otherwise credible and respectable EMS publication painting outdoorsmen as “possible threats.” Personally, I wish all the patients I attend were outdoorsmen; never have I felt threatened by one of them.
E-mail Don Zaidle at editor@fishgame.com
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Duck Counts Up, Teal Through the Roof HE EARLY TEAL SEASON KICKS OFF 12 September, and according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) annual breeding duck survey, it should be one to remember. Bluewing numbers are up 11 percent from last year at 7.4 million, the second highest count on record and 60 percent above the long-term average. Greenwing are up 16 percent at 3.4 million. Overall, duck numbers increased 13 percent according to USFWS officials, with an estimated breeding population of 42 million of the 10 key species and a total pond estimate (Canada and U.S. combined) of 6.4 million or 45 percent above last year.
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While Texas’ most prized duck, the pintail, remains 20 percent below the long-term average, numbers shot up 23 percent from 2008 due to a highly unusual number nesting on U.S. prairies. “If you would have told me 10 years ago we’d have twice as many pintails nesting on the U.S. side of the breeding grounds as on Canadian prairie, I would have laughed in your face,” said Dr. Frank Rohwer, scientific director for Delta Waterfowl. Rohwer said that is exactly what happened, as 1.4 million pintails nested in the Dakotas and eastern Montana while only 664,000 set up housekeeping in prairie Canada. Several other key species favored
the U.S. side of the border, which should contribute to much higher nesting success on the ultra-wet grasslands. Gadwall are up 12 percent at 3.1 million birds while shovelers are up 25 percent at 4.4 million or 92 percent above the longterm average. Mallard increased 10 percent to 8.5 million while canvasback jumped 35 percent to 662,000. Even the beleaguered scaup population saw a double digit increase to 4.2 million. Redhead and wigeon are the only species down with both seeing a decrease. Things to watch for regarding these breeding duck numbers include:
BIG BAGS & CATCHES
DRUM—REDFISH BAY
BUCK—LAKE JACKSON
RED—GALVESTON
Paige Hert caught this 32-inch black drum while fishing gas wells with her husband John in Redfish Bay. The fish was landed onto their 2006 Blue Wave 220 Classic Pro, then was released after pictures.
Alexis Morgan Tobola, age 10, of Needville, Texas, bagged her second deer while hunting with her dad at Lake Jackson. She took the 10point buck with a 6mm Remington at 125 yards.
Sean McEwen of Fort Worth, Texas, caught this 40-inch redfish off the Groins at Galveston on his birthday. He also caught a 3-foot black fin shark about an hour later.
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• Liberal Season: The duck seasons are centered on mallard counts, and with that key species up 10 percent, a liberal season framework allowing a 60-day season is almost guaranteed. • Pintail Regulations: The last few years, Texas hunters have been under “Hunter’s Choice” regulations that allow season-long pintail harvest in an aggregate bag with hen mallard, mottled duck, and canvasback. This experimental framework has expired and regulators have three options—a closed season, bag limit of one, or a season within a season where pintail harvest is allowed for only a certain period. With a 23 percent increase from last season, a closed season is unlikely, but the species is still down 20 percent, so expect some sort of action on the species. • Widespread Redhead: Redhead numbers are down 1 percent, but are currently well above the long-term average. Reports from Upper and Lower Laguna Madre show the same poor seagrass production migrating redhead faced last season. Many hunters reported seeing more redhead on East Texas reservoirs last year due to low seagrass production and high pressure on the coast. Look for this trend to continue this season. • Wigeon Decline: Wigeon populations are down 1 percent but are hanging at 5 percent below the long-term average. As reported in the January 2009 issue, the birds are half as populous as scaup, which have restrictive bag limits and are consistently below federal population goals. While there has been no official talk of wigeon restrictions, the species is a likely candidate. • Bluewing All Season: Texas hunters reported last year seeing more bluewing during the regular duck season than normal, and with an abundance of these ducks and warming trends along the coast, this will likely happen again. —Chester Moore
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TPWD Continues Non-lead Dove Shot Study Hoping to avoid a backlash similar to what occurred when lead shot was banned for waterfowl hunting, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department researchers have launched a multi-year and multi-phased study into the state’s most popular birdhunting activity—dove season.
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TPWD is preemptively studying the efficacy of non-lead shot for dove hunting.
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Among the factors under consideration in the study is the effectiveness of non-lead shot in hunting situations, and the possibility that a certain percentage of dove die each year from ingesting lead shot. One of the key pieces of research will be a harvest experiment in Brown, Coleman, and McCulloch counties scheduled for 1-3 September. A similar and controversial hunt conducted before opening day last year resulted in 24 volunteer hunters harvesting 503 birds for examination. The intent is to collect about 2000 this year.
PHOTO COURTESY TPWD
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TF&G Report Corey Mason, who is coordinating the research effort on the migratory birds, said the three counties in central Texas were selected for the field study because an estimated 250,000 dove were harvested there last year. Statewide, 250,000 to 300,000 hunters take to the dove fields each year, providing an annual economic input of about $316 million and harvesting a good portion of nearly 22 million dove that end up in game bags across the country. “If the research is not conducted properly and thoroughly, it will not be of much use,” Mason said. The harvest study is designed as a double blind test where neither the shooter nor the observer is aware of what type of shot is being used. Each shot bird is observed and data such as one-shot kills, wounded birds, and other pertinent information is collected. In addition, dove are being trapped across the state and x-ray machines used to determine if the birds have ingested any lead shot. Birds with ingested pellets are then examined to determine if the lead has caused any harm. Preliminary and very limited studies have shown that ingesting one No. 7-1/2 lead pellet can cause a 24 percent mortality rate for dove, state officials said. Complete findings of the studies are not expected to be released until 2012 or 2013. “Some biologists are already saying that all states should go to non-lead shot, but we are not choosing to go down that path,” said Carter Smith, TPWD executive director. “We don’t feel that we have a gun to our head. We are attempting a more thoughtful approach.” The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has required non-lead shot for waterfowl hunting since 1988, based on biologist concerns that ingesting lead shot was causing waterfowl deaths. That federal decision was issued because of a lawsuit and before any definitive studies had been conducted on the impact of lead shot on waterfowl populations. Because of the higher cost for non-lead shot and the potential damage to older shotgun barrels from using steel and other non-
toxic shot, hunters across the county protested the federal decision. The number of waterfowl hunters took a nosedive that has shown limited signs of recovery. “At this time, we cannot answer the question about whether there is a trigger point [for a federal decision on dove hunting with
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Chester’s Notes by Chester Moore, Jr. | TF&G Executive Editor that self-destructive and delinquent behavior is not only all right, but will earn you 15 minutes of fame via a reality show or most downloaded Youtube clip. I am writing this because, if you are reading this, you have a connection to the outdoors, and I believe with all of my heart that the outdoors is the last truly pure place on Earth. The outdoors, for many people (me included), is a sanctuary from the fast-paced society we live in. I have often said that step-
VERY HUMAN BEING HAS POTENTIAL. WITHin each of us are talents and abilities to make the most of life, which in and of itself is an amazing gift. Some people work hard to tap into this divine plan while others simply never choose to embrace the genuine quality of life it can provide. Still others squander it altogether by poisoning their minds, bodies, and spirits with drugs and the abuse of alcohol. I have lost friends to these evil (and I do mean evil) forces, and I am sure everyone reading this has, too. Self-destruction fueled by drug usage is at an epidemic level and there is no sign of this horrifying trend slowing down. The children of today are absolutely bombarded with imagery of the people they look up to, face down in the gutter either physically dead or so morally and spiritually bankrupt; the only difference between them and a corpse is a pulse. Whether it is Britney Spear’s breakdown, Lindsay Lohan’s cocaine-fueled insanity, or Heath Ledger dying of a prescription drug cocktail powerful enough to put down a bull moose, young, talented people are dropping like flies and the media glorifies them with 24-hour coverage. No longer do people have to actually achieve something in life and treat it with respect to become newsworthy. Paris Hilton is a prime example. What has she done to deserve her fame? Let’s see, she made a pornographic video with her boyfriend that “accidentally” made its way onto the internet, and then gets busted for drunk driving and becomes a media darling. The point is, in a celebrity- and fameobsessed culture, our children are learning
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The children of today are absolutely bombarded with imagery of the people they look up to, face down in the gutter either physically dead or so morally and spiritually bankrupt; the only difference between them and a corpse is a pulse.
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ping into the woods or being on the water is an instant blood pressure reducer. It is truly a great stress relief, and at the same time extremely exhilarating. In my personal life, the outdoors was a big part of the reason I never got involved with drugs or alcohol. Instead of seeking excitement in the form of chemicals, I was more interested in chasing wood ducks in the Sabine River bottoms and redfish on the Gulf Coast. Fishing and hunting are not just sports; they are a lifestyle, and part of that involves having a clear head, strong sense of awareness, and a stake in clean waters and maximum wildlife habitat.
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Earlier in this column, I wrote that the outdoors is the last “pure” place, and I meant it. I believe it literally purifies the soul by allowing God to speak to us directly through the whistling wings of a widgeon, the chilling call of a coyote, and the absolute grandeur of a giant blue marlin tail-walking on the surface of a cobalt sea. By understanding this spiritual outdoors connection, we have great power to influence the young people around us. By simply taking them along with us on our hunting, fishing, camping, and diving trips, we can expose them to things that can literally counteract the negative forces aligned against them in popular culture. When was the last time you read about a sporting clays champion perpetrating a drive-by shooting? How many young hunters or anglers do you know that have substance abuse problems? Sure, there are some, but compared to the rest of society, it is statistically insignificant. There is a power in the outdoors greater than all of us, and it is up to us to put young people in touch with it. A young life truly is a terrible thing to waste, and those of us who realize its value need to act now. Do not let the lifestyle you might have led in the past stop you from taking action. None of us are saints. Too often, we let the sins of the past dictate our stance on issues, but the reality is right is right, wrong is wrong, and deep inside we all know it. Allowing the young people in America to think the way to enlightenment is through chemical addiction is something we cannot afford to do. I implore everyone reading this, including myself, to take a greater interest in young people and help fuel a desire to spend time getting high climbing a tree stand instead of poisoning themselves. Their lives will benefit tremendously, and if enough of us get on task, we might just set society’s compass back on a true course. (To contact Chester Moore, e-mail him at cmoore@fishgame.com. You can hear him on the radio Fridays from 6-7 p.m. on Newstalk AM 560 KLVI or online at www.klvi.com.)
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Commentary by Kendal Hemphill | TF&G Commentator
Swat Team OR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN LIVING in your coat closets for the past couple of months, the space cadets at peta are at it again. Back in June, they attacked President Obama for swatting a fly during a television interview. An official peta spokesperson said he showed a lack of compassion for our fellow creatures, and he should try to think about that before mindlessly swatting. Now, I believe President Obama has made a great many mistakes since he was elected, but swatting a fly is not one of them. If God had not intended for us to swat flies, He would not have made so many of them—and if we have nothing better to do than complain about mistreatment of insects, we are not so much in trouble as doomed. As an aside here, let me point out that, for a long time now, I have written about peta instead of PETA (shorthand for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the antithesis of which is People Eating Tasty Animals). There’s a reason for that: The group (the first one, not the second) does not deserve capitalization and won’t get it here. When its members grow up, quit whining, disband, and start acting like adults instead of spoiled crybabies, I’ll think about capitalizing the acronym. Anyway, in reading some of the comments about this fly incident, and snooping around to find out what peta had to say about it, I learned about something else peta has done recently: It has gone beyond being silly, entertaining, and stupid, to being a group of disgusting, demented loons. They are, as my police officer friend says about some of the people he has to arrest, “a waste of skin.”
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The latest peta spokesperson is Lydia Guevara, 24-year-old granddaughter of Che Guevara. According to an article in the Canada Free Press (otherwise known as the Conservative Free Press), peta has started an ad campaign featuring pictures of Ms. Guevara, dressed in a communist uniform but topless, with bandoliers of carrots across her chest. The caption reads, “Join the Vegetarian Revolution!” Ms. Guevara is quoted as saying, “Revolution runs in my blood. I will never soil the great things achieved by my grandfather.” Michael McGraw, peta’s publicity chief, said, “It’s a homage of sorts to her grandfather.” Just to make sure we’re on the same page here, Ernesto “Che” Guevara was an Argentine who became a communist and set out to assist the people of Cuba. He aided them by joining the 26th of July Movement and helping put Fidel Castro in power as the communist dictator of Cuba. Under Castro’s leadership, the Cuban people have been oppressed to the point where they are willing to risk drowning, being eaten by sharks, and execution (if caught) to cross the 90 miles of open sea that separates them from Florida. Guevara helped Castro’s government by torturing and shooting people accused of being traitors. In other words, if they wanted freedom, they were bad people and deserved to be killed. One of Castro’s political prisoners, Pierre San Martin, has described the brutality of the Cuban communist government and the horrible treatment of his fellow “traitors” in detail. He witnessed many of Guevara’s atrocities first hand, including the murder of a 15-year-old boy who made the mistake of trying to protect his father. No question, Guevara was an evil man. This is the memory peta plans to cash in on to promote being nice to puppies, kittens, and flies. The great things achieved by Lydia Guevara’s grandfather were oppres-
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sion, starvation, torture, theft, and murder— and peta wants to pay homage to that. Even those who supposedly support peta are having a hard time with this campaign. One wrote, “It says a lot about the mentality of peta that they would invoke the memory and image of a butcher of human beings in order to promote their cause against the butchery of animals.” Another said, “I am a peta supporter, but I find it inappropriate and incompatible with peta’s stances to turn a blind eye to all the pain and death caused by Che Guevara against families who happened to be capitalist. I’m glad Lydia is going veg, but her grandfather should be left out of it.” A third wrote, “I support peta and I am all for it, but apparently peta is not aware of who Che Guevara was. Lydia’s grandfather tortured and killed thousands of Cubans; peta believes in the ethical treatment of animals, but grandfather Che Guevara did not believe in ‘ethical treatment of humans.’ It is wrong to have Lydia supporting peta.” I’d say it’s wrong to have Lydia supporting anything. Obviously, peta is using Lydia Guevara for the shock value, the same way they used references to the holocaust, and comparing the birds killed by Kentucky Fried Chicken to the Jews murdered by Hitler. There is no justification for this kind of insulting attack against the American people. No intelligent person takes peta seriously, or espouses the group’s lack of respect. Unfortunately, as Frank Zappa once said, “It’s not getting any smarter out there.”
E-mail Kendal Hemphill at commentary@fishgame.com
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Doggett at Large by Joe Doggett | TF&G Senior Contributing Editor
Adventure Along the Jetties Y FIRST SPECKLED TROUT STRUCK A PINK Queen Bingo plug while I was walking the Gulf-side rocks of the old Surfside Jetty. It was a fine fish, a solid 3-pounder, and in many ways larger than life. The rod dipped against the hard strike of a real predator and the Ambassadeur “red reel” yielded several stuttered bursts of line as the trout dug and ran in the deep water. I hopped anxiously along the granite ledges and slabs, fearful of treacherous slime or— worse yet—sudden slack. The fish flashed into view and the image of spotted silver against the creaming green of the rich Gulf remains vivid. I had no net. I lowered the rod, reeled close, and, with a timed motion, flipped the shining prize onto a flat rock. The hook pulled from the lip as the fish flounced and bounced. The pink Queen Bingo was a “killer bait” during the mid1960s (Bob Brister, the outdoor guy at the Houston Chronicle, said so), but the stubby hard-plastic plug was fitted with small trebles—not the best for rough-and-tumble horsing. I dropped the rod, unmindful of the gorgeous reel clattering underfoot, and clutched the flapping trout. Mine! I savored the moment. Everything about the graceful, glowing fish was excellent and I understood at once why the speckled trout is so special; and, for that matter, so are the rocks. I remain a confirmed jetty rat. Other types of coastal angling are available, some perhaps more glamorous, but the simple drill of walking the rocks provides an elemental contact that keeps drawing me back. The fishing is one-on-one, clean and basic, and late summer is prime time on the Gulf jetties
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all along the Texas coast. All the warm-water migrants are staging along the beachfront, and the weather—tropical storms permitting—often is calm and stable for days at a time. Some jetties are reachable only by boat or determined four-wheel-drive, but several excellent venues offer easy drive-to access. Galveston, Freeport (Surfside and Quintana), Port Aransas (north jetty on San Jose Island accessible via regular boat shuttle), and South Padre are good examples. Regardless of locale, the long Gulf jetties are fish magnets, and the grab-bag potential during a green late-summer tide can be remarkable. The sloping bases of granite provide great structure and cover to attract and hold schools of bait and predators along the otherwise monotone beachfront. The increased currents created by tidal interaction with free-flowing channels virtually assure moving water to encourage aggressive feeding. Also a trump, the long jetties improve the potential for fishable clarity under marginal conditions or contrary wind angles. You have four options with the typical twin jetty configuration (two Gulf sides and two channel sides) and the rock walker should be able to play the wind and tide to advantage. Well, most of the time. It doesn’t always work (especially under the wretched southwest wind), but the big jetties definitely give you more cards to play against a fickle forecast. The downside to this inexpensive and accessible angling is that it is not for everyone. Walking the rocks with any degree of determination demands a fair amount of stamina and agility. Fall hard, and you can really get bent. There are no soft spots amid the blocks of granite. Sadly, the graying ranks of Boomers that comprise a significant segment of the angling population are slowing down. I, for sure, feel old and brittle toeing from rock to rock, less confident that the old “cat-like reflexes” will compensate for a miscue. A few jetties such as Freeport’s Surfside/Quintana offer flat decks for easy walking (and transportation of accessory gear), but the serious fishing is done down by the water, amid the random jumbles of rocks and
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gaps. When working close to the tidal surge, you must study each outcrop and take nothing for granted. Never get in a hurry. Perhaps most treacherous are the seemingly safe flat surfaces recently dashed by rough spray. The water collects, allowing slime to form under a thin layer of sun-dried crust. A hasty weight transfer onto one of these racetracks can launch you into a major disaster. You hit so hard you see stars and wonder if the granite exploded—and, if you break something significant, it’s a long way back to the beach. Nonetheless, armed with proper footwear and a realistic measure of common sense, you should be able to calculate the safe routes and walk the rocks without incident. Just don’t get careless—I cannot stress this enough. It’s also prudent policy to travel as unencumbered as possible, leaving one arm free for balance and support. This is one reason why I prefer plugging on the rocks. Live bait can be deadly, no question, but the hassles of transporting and maintaining a bait bucket can override the advantages. I have always been fond of the clean, mean drill of chunking hardware. The rock walker equipped with a trout-type rod and a belt box holding a few terminal riggings and a selection of spoons, jigs, and plugs can scamper like a Norwegian wharf rat along the sun-blasted and salt-washed jetties. Primary light-tackle targets include speckled trout, Spanish mackerel, and redfish (plus a laundry list of “lesser” options). Down south, snook and gray snapper are common. If the tide really looks good—as it often does during late summer—you might consider toting a second rod fitted with a wideframed reel spooled with 20-pound line. This larger rig gives you a good chance against bigger species such as tarpon, king mackerel, bull reds, sharks, and jack crevalle. All are real possibilities when green Gulf water hits the rocks. If a flat-footed encounter with a 3-pound trout can be memorable, imagine the drama of a 20-pound king—or 100-pound tarpon. E-mail Joe Doggett at doggett@fishgame.com
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Ted Nugent’s TexasWild by Ted Nugent | TF&G Editor-at-Large
For the Love Of Pigs KILL PIGS. I AM A PIG KILLER. BIG PIGS, SMALL pigs, fast pigs, slow pigs, momma pigs, daddy pigs, little baby pigs; black pigs, brown pigs, yellow pigs, red pigs, tan pigs, calico pigs, striped pigs—swine of every imaginable description, I kill them all. My favorite entrée on the dinner menu in the world class dining establishments where I dine is the scrumptious suckling pig. Dead, grilled infant pigs are my favorite. I kill pigs in California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina, North Carolina, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and beyond. I like a pig in a poke. I like to poke pigs with sharp sticks. Ham, baby. Smoked ham. Terminus porkarado. Pulled pork on the hoof. Swine are my life. I will kill more pigs. I will never stop. I love hogs. This HogManDo. Often. I would make the consummate U.S. Congressman—I am all about the pork. Pork barrel spending is an American tradition. More pork, I say. I have celebrated the immense pleasure of killing pigs with handguns, rifles, shotguns, crossbows, longbows, recurve bows, compound bows, and my Ford F250. I killed a pig with a knife in Hawaii once. It was splendid. Our tax dollars are used to hire guys in helicopters with machineguns to annihilate wild hogs by the thousands. I want in, ASAP. A pig is slaughtered every minute someplace in the world to provide life sustaining pork products for the masses. This is good. Bacon. Bring it home. There are plen22
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ty of them. They breed like pigs. I like my pork roasted, baked, barbecued, sautéed, sizzled, smoked, stir fried, fried, deep fried, basted, sweet and sour, Cajun, oriental, pressure cooked, pit cooked, pigs in a blanket, rotisseried, shish-kabobbed, bacon wrapped, stabbed, shot, gaffed, skewered, punched, kicked, bolted, bonked, clobbered, blackened, boiled and dead. Kosher is crazy. Pork is food. Know it, love it, kill it, and grill it. Swine down. You would think that after more than a dozen, thrilling African safaris, killing lion, buffalo, elephant, rhino, greater kudu, eland, zebra, gemsbok, impala, warthog, tsetsebee, tiang, blesbok, nyala, reedbuck, waterbuck,
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bushbuck, white-eared kob, lesser kudu, Lord Derby Eland, steenbok, dik-dik, duiker, springbok, giraffe, sable, roan, baboon, wildebeest; and the amazing North American buffalo, elk, moose, grizzly bear, black bear, whitetail deer, mule deer, blacktail deer, musk ox, cougar, caribou, javelina and wild hogs by the thousands, that a simple, standard, plain old ordinary pig wouldn’t excite me that much anymore. You would be wrong. I do believe that wild pigs are to this day—and will more than likely forevermore remain—my bowhunting quarry of choice. Pigs turn me on. To say they are ubiquitous doesn’t quite convey the reality of it. Wild pigs are taking
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over America. Thank God for me. I am here to fix this plague. I’ve got the arrows and the will. Today, I arose from a bed in a camper shared with my favorite pig bowhunting buddy, the good governor of Texas, Rick Perry. Rick and I annually converge on the pig-infested grounds of our friend and BloodBrother, Lannie Vinson, in the wilds near Albany, Texas, to harass Rio Grande turkey and herds of feral swine. Following a belly-fortifying breakfast with our tribe of hearty wildmen, I was guided to my morning ambush site by Lannie’s son, Ross, where I settled into a sturdy ladder stand surrounded by gobbling turkey and warbling songbirds. The wind howled, the temperature rose, and I arrowed a fat rapscallion raccoon, but other than some whitetails, that was all I saw. After 3-1/2 patience-testing hours on stand, I decided to four-wheeler back to camp, but made it only half way when I saw the sounder of hogs crossing a large wheat field amongst the Angus cattle. I made a hasty dust-blowing 180 and Baja’d back to the forest along the river, in which direction my pretty little things were headed. It is a good thing I am aggressive and drove and ran as fast as I could, for when I covered the mile and entered the woods, I could see the dozen or so swine about to exit the open field and enter my little enchanted forest. God must love pig hunters, or at least this one, because the best cover I had was right in line with the path chosen by the pigs, and a pork lovers planet alignment was about to unfold. Hunkering behind a thick hanging tangle of green briar, my nocked arrow was pointing perfectly ahead when my sight picture became filled with calico pigness. At a delightful 15 yards, my sight pin settled in the magic triangle of shoulder, foreleg, and pump station ribs, and I let arrow No. 1 rip. Thunk! Squeal! Instantly, I slid arrow No. 2 onto the bowstring as the other pigs stopped abruptly to look at the now scrambling, squealing sow with a bloody hole through its chest. In about two seconds, my sight pin swung onto the ribcage of the second largest hog, found the shoulder, and at 25 yards the glowing
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Lumenok told no lie. Thunk! Squeal! Both sows made it only 40 yards or so, both shot nicely through the good stuff. Both would go about 120 pounds and represented a barbecue lovers dream. Kill pigs. It is the perfect thing to do. The more the merrier. Wild hog pork is absolutely delicious, natural, and good for you. Pig down. Go wild.
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E-mail Ted Nugent at bowhunting@fishgame.com
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GUN PRODUCT SHOTS COURTESY OF WINCHSTER BACKGROUND PHOTO BY CHESTER MOORE, JR.
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As a swollen sun peeked over the horizon, a familiar whistle tickled my eardrums. Seconds later, a flock of bluewinged teal buzzed our boat at breakneck speed. It was a sight my hunting partner and I had seen hundreds of times, but this one caught us by surprise. The shock came not from the birds’ incredible swiftness or daredevil navigation, but from the fact we were on Lake Guri in a remote corner of the Venezuelan rainforest. Six weeks earlier, we had hunted these birds on the upper Texas coast, and now they were among parrots, howler monkeys, and anacondas in South America. Bluewings migrate in September, giving hunters an early crack at waterfowl hunting action. The season follows their southward movement, which can be intense. At the first hint of a cold front, bluewings quickly exit our borders and head toward the tropics. Fortunately, Texas hunters have plenty opportunities to hunt them on public land while they are here. The key to success is learning what makes these pint-sized ducks tick and applying that knowledge to scouting their habitat. The most important factor in having a successful teal hunt is finding an area with the right water supply. Dry marshes and fields send teal south quickly, while too much water spreads them out so much that hunters have a difficult time luring them into shotgun range. The 2002-2003 season was prime example. Jacob Virdine, who works at the J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area near Port Arthur, said 49 hunters showed up there for opening day. Those hunters shot
his season provides a good opportunity to load up the game bag.
only 48 teal. The next day, 35 hunters took two-dozen birds. “The problem was our water level was too deep for teal,” Virdine said. “It was just right a couple of days before the opener, but
A hard-working dog like this Chesapeake is needed for teal hunts, which are often super fast-paced.
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then it rained really hard.” The same storm system dropped only a couple of inches of rain in the rice fields to the west and produced limits of teal for hunters during opening weekend. Back in 1998, the Texas coast experienced a brutal summer-long drought. Two days before teal season opened, tropical storm Frances hit, dumping water everywhere on the coast. Instead of shooting in marshes, hunters were shooting teal out of flooded cattle pastures where the birds had easier feeding on floating seed. Since hunters cannot control the rain, how should they prepare for early teal season? A big part involves scouting and learning what types of food sources the birds prefer. Teal are dabbling ducks and tend to prefer shallow mud flats and grass beds in marshes, where they eat milfoil, seeds of pond weeds, and tiny mollusks. High water can cover areas that would normally be productive, but knowing the topography of the
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land and locating higher ground that might hold only a few inches of water can yield results. In the Lower Neches Wildlife Management Area near Bridge City, I go to an island that has a shallow pond in the middle of it. It seems to be better during high tides because the birds can see the vegetation more easily than in the foot-deep water around it. I had passed by the island dozens of times, but after studying the area on an internet mapping website, I found the little pond and a true teal-hunting hotspot. Teal are small and offer a challenging target, but they are easy to hunt during the September season. They are creatures of habit, so you can generally count on them to feed both early and late. For years, hunters brought dozens of decoys for the early season, but that is becoming outdated. A dozen decoys of any kind set out in the marsh will give these sociable birds an inviting place to land— and you a place to shoot. I usually bring only a half-dozen teal decoys, a few shoveler imitations, and a robotic decoy, and have no problem scoring limits of teal. Sometimes I use a “confidence” decoy such as a great blue heron, a common sight on the Texas coast in September. Calling teal is rather simple, although many hunters on public lands tend to overdo it. Simple teal whistles sounded a few times at the sight of birds is enough to lure them; too much calling spooks them. I have been in areas where hunters a few ponds away called too much and pushed birds right to me. Part of a successful hunt on public land is using the mistakes of other hunters to your advantage. It seems there is always someone who calls too much, shoots when the birds are too high, or arrives in the field late and pushes birds to you. This might be frustrating, but if you keep your cool, you should get a shot at some of “their” birds. Making a paper-cutting sound as they move, teal seem to come out of nowhere. I do not know how many times I have thought nothing was going to happen, and then a flock of bluewings lands right in the decoys. Once, a small flock buzzed right over me and landed less than 10 feet from my blind. The encounter excited me so much, I never thought to shoot until my partner’s hyperactive dog alerted them and sent them packing. Some hunters might consider that a failure, but I consider it the ultimate success. PHOTO BY GRADY ALLEN
The day I quit being in awe of nature is the day I put away my decoys for good. With their super-fast flight and rapid migration, blue-winged teal remind us that good things come and go quickly, but their memory stays with us forever.
Editor’s Note: Excerpted from Chester Moore’s book, Texas Waterfowl. To order, telephone 800-750-4678, or visit www.fishgame.com.
A painted dawn with teal-colored accents is the stuff of legends and enduring memories.
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SHARK CAGE IN the Pacific Ocean might seem like a strange place to think about topwater plugs, but while watching the crew of our vessel pull a yellow and red surfboard above me, I could not help but relate it to topwater fishing. Since chumming is illegal where we were diving with great white sharks, surfboards are used to mimic seals in much the same way anglers pull chugging topwaters to imitate wounded baitfishes. As I waited for the real life “Jaws” to show up, I thought, I hope sharks like yellow, because I can’t see the red on top. Then it hit me: If I could not see the red, could a speckled trout or largemouth bass see the back of a topwater plug? Many times, anglers insist back colors are crucial in lure selection—but are they really? When would the fish ever see it, and even if part of the back dips into the water, would it make a difference? This inspired me to venture below the surface to photograph topwaters from a fish’s perspective and to answer my own question: Does back color make a difference? See page 30 for my observations & conclusions:
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The back color of a topwater can make a big difference in visibility. Most plugs sit with their heads I believe sound is the main attractor of out of the water and tail end sloppredatory fish to topwaters. However, even ing down just below the surface, in semi-murky water, certain visual cues like- and when done in conjunction with ly trigger bites from elusive big fish that make contrasting colors, gives fish somefew mistakes. Young fish will strike at any- thing on which to focus. The surthing, but big ones require more convincing. face of the surfboard mentioned at the beginning of the story was red, but it stayed totally on the surface and the sharks could VISIBILITY: 3 feet in green water not have seen it. With these PERSPECTIVE: 2-1/2 feet away, 2 feet down from behind topwaters, the back was OBSERVATIONS: This photo was taken on a cloudy day, visible. and the black back and orange belly made a striking Another artifact of slopcontrast. It also put off a very visible reflection. ing backs and contrast line was a well-defined reflection. How often have you been fishing a topwater and had a fish strike but VISIBILITY: 10 feet miss the plug, even in clear PERSPECTIVE: 2 feet away, dead on water? Is it possible they OBSERVATIONS: This is the lure in its diving position could be striking at the and on the surface. It can be fished in one spot and reflection? rise back slowly to the surface. In clear water, the lure had a powerful contrast and the green/black After this experiment, I outlines made it visible from as far away as 10 feet. have concluded back color and other lines of contrast can be an important factor in topwater fishing success. I would not have thought so a few years ago, but that was before I put on my dive mask and looked at things from the perVISIBILITY: 10 feet spective of a fish. While PERSPECTIVE: 3 feet away directly below lure, and 2 we cannot mimic fish eyefeet below/2 feet away OBSERVATIONS: This lure does not have a contrasting sight, approaching a topback color, but I thought it would be interesting to water as they do reveals see an underwater perspective of the red/white conthings we simply cannot trast on the head since it is such a popular combination in Texas. From a distance of 10 feet, the see from our normal per(human) eye is drawn directly to the red/white line spective. on the head. It also put off an impressive reflection. At this point, you might be wondering if I VISIBILITY: 2-1/2 feet in sandy green water ever saw a great white PERSPECTIVE: just in front of and below lure shark hit that surfboard. OBSERVATIONS: The clear body and black back create Yes, I did—four times, in watching the great sharks slam the surfboard a very realistic look combined with Sebile’s fluid and fact, and it was life changing. with relentless aggression, I was totally glitter-like innards. The black back creates an easy Comparing a great white’s immersed in the moment, but walked away point of contrast, and even in less than optimal water conditions, the lure puts off a strong reflection. “blow-up” to even the most power- with motivation to study the topwaters we ful topwater strikers such as pea- use here in Texas. cock bass is like comparing a hand How cool is that? grenade to an atom bomb. While
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t first glance, the northeastern Texas Panhandle seems the last place one would label “trophy white-tailed deer country,” but take another look. Out there, beyond the dry canyons, sagebrush, mesquites, and shin oaks, or hiding somewhere within them, are some of Texas’ largest whitetail bucks, rivaling the monster deer of Kansas that many claim are their cousins. One has only to look at the records to see the caliber of bucks produced in the Panhandle, and that’s one of the reasons so many hunters are unaware of the region’s trophy buck production. “Records” were few and far between until the Texas Big Game Awards Program (TBGA) began documenting trophy animals taken statewide just a few years ago. The program has unveiled astonishing things about deer in the area east of Lubbock and Amarillo. During the 2004-2005 season, while hunting on his parents’ Mill Iron Ranches in Collingsworth County, Hunt Allred shot a huge non-typical that scored 235-1/8 Boone and Crockett points. It was the largest nontypical entered for that year in TBGA. Cottle and Wheeler counties also produced 190-class bucks that season, and a year earlier, 16-year-old Tom Isaacs of Canadian shot a 12-pointer in Hemphill County with a 21-6/8- inch spread that scored 216-1/2 points. The list of great northeastern Panhandle bucks goes on and on, including an eightpoint Hemphill County buck taken in 2008 that scored 158 B&C, another that scored 193-3/8. Many bucks, typical and non-typical, scoring 150 to almost 200 points have been taken from the region over the years, with many field-dressed body weights in the 175- to 200-pound range. Among the top trophy-producing counties in the region are Hemphill, Wheeler, Collingsworth, Donley, Hall, Gray, and Roberts, but several big bucks also have been taken in counties farther to the south from Motley to Wilbarger. “The Panhandle has been producing trophy bucks forever, but it has been a very well kept secret,” said Mitch Lockwood, whitetail deer program director for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. “The habitat there is very diverse and the quality is high, so you have good nutrition plus age on the 34
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Kansas Deer in the Panhandle? There are about 37 subspecies of whitetail deer identified by scientists, but the so-called Kansas subspecies that many believe occupy portions of the northeast Panhandle remain a myth to some and a mystery to others. According to TPWD white-tailed deer program leader Mitch Lockwood, there are four subspecies of whitetail deer in Texas: the Carminis, Texanus, Mcilhennyi (Avery Island whitetail), and Macrourus (Mississippi whitetail). The Texanus is the most prevalent, accounting for most of the state’s 3.5 to 4 million whitetails. It is also found in the western two-thirds of Oklahoma, western half of Kansas, eastern half of New Mexico, and in southeastern Colorado. The Carminis subspecies is found in far West Texas, the Mcilhennyi in a small pocket on the Texas coast, and the Macrourus in northeast Texas around Texarkana. Many people believe the large whitetail deer in the Panhandle are descendents of a genetically superior Kansas “subspecies,” which has been reported in numerous newspapers and other journals. Lockwood said he knows of no documentation that a separate “Kansas subspecies” exists, and points to the fact that many species and subspecies of wildlife often grow heavier coats, larger bodies, and sport other changes in body characteristics when living in differing climates and habitats. “Larger bodies and other enhanced physical characteristics are not always because of genetics,” Lockwood said. “They might grow heavier coats and make other changes due to their environment.” Lockwood said scientists are continuing to study genetics in whitetail deer to learn more about the various subspecies and to identify their ranges. A different subspecies of Kansas deer in the Panhandle? Maybe, and maybe not—but who would ever have thought that white-winged doves would occupy North Texas in large numbers, that javelina would show up near Palo Pinto, that mule deer would be found near Breckenridge, and that mule deer and whitetail deer as well as bobwhite and blue quail would crossbreed...but they have.
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deer because the hunting is lighter [due to limited access to an overall small number of very large ranches and a one-buck limits in most counties].” As for the third most important factor for trophy buck production, genetics, Lockwood said he knows of nothing to support the theory that deer in the region have been genetically influenced by a subspecies from Kansas or elsewhere. Lockwood said he realizes that many people who live in the region might disagree after seeing deer in their area with huge, often reddish-brown bodies and large, heavy-beamed antlers—much larger than even the trophy bucks in South Texas. Some locals have dubbed the deer in their areas as “Kansas Reds.” Robert Hughes of Memphis in northeastern Hall County is among those who believe the huge deer in his area have been genetically influenced by deer migrating in from Kansas. I met Hughes a few years ago while hunting turkey on his ranch near Memphis. I spooked six whitetails with extremely large bodies just before calling up a nice 10-inch bearded Rio Grande; I wanted to learn more about the deer hunting in Hughes’ area. We went to his house and he showed me some exceptional racks plus several photos of incredible bucks that had been taken by hunters on his ranch. “Our deer have a lot of the same characteristics as those in Kansas, and I think it began a long time ago,” Hughes said. “They are so much larger in body size than anywhere else in Texas, and their antlers generally have a lot more mass.” Whether the big whitetail bucks of the Panhandle are a result of some type of genetic development among a subspecies drifted down from Kansas, or because they are growing larger in a virtually uncrowded habitat is a matter of personal opinion at this time. However, Panhandle bucks that regularly field-dress at 150 to 200 pounds and carry exceptionally heavy-beamed antlers are a fact. Because of the spacious terrain split by river bottoms such the Canadian, Salt Fork of the Red, and Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red, as well as canyons, sand dunes, and sparse brush flats, bagging a deer in the northeastern Panhandle generally requires hunting along the river and creek bottoms or glassing the more open areas and making longer shots. Finding a place to hunt deer in the Panhandle isn’t easy, but it is improving as
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Bowhunters can score early on big bucks by taking advantage of rutting conditions many rifle hunters never get to see.
more landowners are beginning to realize the economic benefits of leasing for hunting, and as more outfitters are beginning to work the area. Nevertheless, don’t expect to see large groups of deer standing around in the open just waiting for you to put your sights on them. The land is large and the deer have lots of canyons, draws, and dry washes to hide in far away from ranch roads—and the bucks that are there are far beyond many hunters’ expectations. There is much more to discover below the windmills that draw water from deep beneath the grasses and sparse brush. Mule deer also abound throughout much of the region. Many mulies scoring 150- to 180plus B&C are taken annually, along with some scoring more than 200 points. Many are taken by spot and stalk tactics, where bedded deer are located during the mid-day hours and then located again during the early morning and evening hours while feeding. Have those mulies been influenced by Kansas mule deer, too?
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Development has cut off access to many anglers who no longer can legally fish in certain subdivisions and other restricted zones.
certain level of mystique and longing hangs in the back of every angler’s mind for the pursuit of new water. In Texas, it can be easy to become complacent with a coastline full of saltwater species and a plethora of tactics to catch them. No matter how satisfied anglers might become with the availability of fishing pursuits, there will always be a yearning for fresh water in the soul of every plugger—and I don’t mean that in a non-saltwater sense. Certain untapped locations have been 38
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home to great numbers of speckled trout and redfish located directly beneath our noses for years. In some of these places, the sight of a barbed hook has not been seen in years. Unfortunately, fishing these mouthwatering locales is not possible, at least by legal means. The following are locations that could be fishing meccas of today, but rest in a realm of obscurity as no-fishing zones: Lavaca Bay is home to a prime example of a hands-off hotspot. Branching off of the north end of West Matagorda Bay, Lavaca is a relatively shallow bay consisting of a lot of mud and shell structure. In high winds, the bay can become a mud hole. Amazing catches of speckled trout and big redfish can
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be found after winds subside. Tucked on the southeast side of the Highway 35 bridge is a winter fishing hole that holds wild potential. Flourishing oyster reefs, touched by few, grow inside and outside of the Alcoa harbor. Water deep enough in some areas for tanker ships moves feverishly between the reefs and over sticky black mud. In winter, the fish stick to the mud for warmth, and feed viciously along immense drop-offs and oyster bars. Palacios native Mike Weixelman remembers what fishing the reefs within Alcoa’s harbor was like years ago, before the spot became a no-fishing zone. It was normal to catch excellent amounts of hefty redfish and speckled trout, especially when winds PHOTO BY CHESTER MOORE, JR.
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calmed and temperatures dropped, Weixelman waded the reefs and set the hook on many beautiful wintertime specks. In recent years, stories have circulated of anglers attempting to fish these areas, but were confronted by game wardens on the perimeter and chased off by boats with machine guns within the harbor due to the zone’s fishing closure. Due to massive mercury dumping around 1960, the areas in and around the Alcoa harbor have not fully recovered, and mercury levels are still too high to allow any fishing to take place. Further, security within the Harbor stepped up after 11 September 2001. Being void of boats and loaded with untouched structure, the Alcoa harbor and adjacent northern pocket could be the purest examples of “how fishing used to be.” The Old HL&P Cooling Pond, also known as “The Pond,” is another no-fishing zone. Located on the upper coast in Trinity Bay, The Pond is a warm-water discharge reservoir that has been surrounded by a bit of controversy in recent years. Closed to the public, the cooling pond is a magnet for baitfishes and predators seeking its warmth. It is evident that many fishermen would envy chances to plant casts into the discharge, based on the number of anglers that sit anchored at the gates of the spillway on a daily basis. Anglers that have been fortunate enough to fish inside the area have reported wonderful results, even for trophy fish. However, “No Trespassing” signs currently dot the shoreline. Watchdog groups and investigators have revealed the private waters of The Pond as an energy company’s longtime fishing retreat. KPRC’s Local 2 Investigators discovered that upon the property, owned by Centerpoint Energy, is a fishing resort that includes a lodge, guard tower, and escorts by golf cart to concreted fishing access. These facilities have evidently accommodated Houstonians ranging from city council members to state representatives. Many have undoubtedly visited the cooling pond for its spectacular, yet private, fishing grounds. Freeport Harbor is a location desired by coastal anglers for its fishing potential. Similar to Lavaca Bay’s Alcoa harbor for its deep-water refuge, Freeport Harbor holds abundant structure. The location was closed to fishing due to its transition as a secure zone following the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Captain Russell Smith of Freeport enjoyed fishing the harbor prior to its fishing closure. “The best areas were around the barge and ship docks,” Smith said. “We caught a lot of fish along the nearby rock ledges.” Seasoned speckled trout anglers have a strong understanding of how productive structure along drop-offs into deep water can be in the colder months of the year. “I spent many winters catching boxes of speckled trout by drifting with a trolling
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motor and pitching soft plastics to the drop offs and rock ledges,” Smith said. It is disappointing that such fine fishing locations are hands-off for anglers. Fortunately for Texans, “no fishing zones” are rather isolated on our treasured coast. A look toward nationwide trends reveals the expansion of federally-mandated no fishing zones. We must continue to stand strong for the protection of our coastal fishing waters.
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Fondren Steps Down As CCA Chairman HEN WALTER W. FONDREN III assumed the chairmanship of the fledgling Gulf Coast Conservation Association in 1977, it was a single-chapter organization concerned with a single issue— the “Save the Redfish” campaign near and dear to the hearts of Texas anglers. When he stepped down as chairman at the CCA Board of Directors meeting in March 2009, he left an organization that has grown to 17 state chapters on all three coasts with more than 100,000 members involved in issues at local, state, national, and international levels of marine conservation. During his remarkable tenure, Fondren oversaw efforts that produced significant conservation achievements, including net bans in several states, game fish status for certain species, landmark by-catch-reduction regulations, commercial fishing license buyback programs, and Presidential executive orders that elevated the role of recreational angling to unprecedented heights. “Walter is a unique individual who not only saw the problems facing marine resources and recreational anglers, but had the ability to create the solution,” said David Cummins, president of CCA. “No one was even paying much attention to the oceans in 1977. It is safe to say that what Walter created at CCA during his chairmanship essentially changed the entire playing field with regard to marine resource conservation.” Succeeding Fondren as CCA chairman is Venable Proctor, a native of Victoria, Texas, and member of the original board of directors for the Gulf Coast Conservation Association.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA
Birds ‘See’ Magnetic Fields With Poison
ever, what he did not realize was that superoxides
ACCORDING TO A RECENT STUDY, A TOXIC SUBSTANCE PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN HELPING BIRDS MIGRATE. EARLIER RESEARCH SHOWED BIRDS HAVE AN internal compass whereby they “see” Earth’s magnetic field to help navigate during migration. Scientists also identified a protein, cryptochrome, that drives the chemical processes behind avian magnetic ability. It was due to a laboratory mishap that scientists discovered toxic superoxides might be the previously missed ingredient. The new research revealed that toxic superoxides might be a catalyst in that process. “One of the researchers in our lab noticed that compounds called superoxides would partner very well with reactions associated with cryptochrome,” said study co-author Klaus Schulten, a biophysicist at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “How-
are toxic to cells.” Although the initial reaction was to discard the experiment, the research team realized that low levels of superoxide would work with cryptochrome without damaging birds’ eyes. Other researchers studying birds’ magnetic vision ignored superoxides because of the compounds’ toxicity, but the new study shows that the damaging substance forces bird immune systems to keep superoxides at low concentrations. Such small amounts allow a safe interaction with cryptochrome. Cryptochrome is also present in the human eye, but our amount of superoxides is even lower. Superoxides reduce longevity, so human evolution has put a premium on longer life span instead of superhuman magnetic vision—much to the relief of GPS makers. —Staff Report TG
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GREEN TF&G FIRST
Texas Wind Farm Cancelled LANS FOR THE WORLD’S LARGEST wind farm, previously reported in True Green, have been scrapped. The project’s progenitor, energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens, said he now has 687 giant wind turbines for sale. He has already ordered the turbines—which stand 400 feet tall. “When I start receiving those turbines...well, my garage won’t hold them. They’ve got to go someplace,” he said. Pickens has leases on about 200,000 acres in Texas for the project, and he might place some of the turbines there, but he is also looking for smaller wind projects to participate in, possibly in the Midwest and Canada. The problem in Texas is getting power from the Panhandle wind farm site to a distribution system Pickens hoped to build his own transmission lines, ran into technical problems. Wind power is a big part of the “Pickens Plan” to reduce the nation’s reliance on foreign oil.
PHOTO COURTESY OF NASA
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CA DJ pays NASA’s “Littering” Fine THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION (NASA) SKYLAB PROJECT CREATED AN INTERNATIONAL STIR WHEN IT FELL TO
—Staff Report TG
EARTH FROM ORBIT IN 1979, SCATTERING DEBRIS THAT AT LEAST ONE TOWN LABELED “LITTER.”
A Whole Lotta Shakin’ TEXAS OUTDOORSMEN ARE ACCUSTOMED TO WEATHER EXTREMES, TRUCULENT WILDLIFE, AND EVEN SUNSPOTS, BUT SOME MIGHT ENCOUNTER A DIFFERENT PHENOMENON—EARTHQUAKES.
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A number of small earthquakes hit North Texas from May through July, with most in the Cleburne area. Cleburne Mayor Ted Reynolds told the Fort Worth StarTelegram he was concerned by the nine quakes to hit the community, the most powerful a magnitude 3.3, and particularly how they might affect the earthen dam at Lake Pat Cleburne that supplies the city’s Continued on page 45 water.
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The Australian Shire of Esperance issued a tongue-in-cheek summons to the space agency and imposed a $400 fine for littering its territory; NASA never paid. Scott Barley, a DJ for California-based Highway Radio, recently learned of the fine and called the Esperance mayor’s office. After learning the fine was never paid, Barley decided to make good on NASA’s debt and appealed to his listeners to help pay NASA’s fine. With the help of small donations from listeners at home, truckers, and businesses, the $400 was raised. Triumphantly, Scott Barley wrote a $400 check and mailed it to the Shire of Esperance. The 30-year-old debt was officially paid. —Staff Report TG
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PHOTO BY DAVID SLATER
GREEN
Texas Protects Alligator Gar Fishery CADDO LAKE, THE ONLY LARGE, NATURALLY FORMED LAKE IN TEXAS, IS A WETLAND OF INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE. IT SUPPORTS
Some residents of Addison, Texas, are up in arms about sexual habits among the local duck population on Les Lacs Lake, a tiny impoundment surrounded by $300,000 brick homes. Resident Christine Sigman told North Texas TV station WFAA channel 8 that she has seen enough. “Male ducks gang-rape female ducks, and they usually end up killing them,” she said. “I’ve threatened to move every spring. I tell my neighbors, ‘I can’t stand this!’ It’s ruined my enjoyment of my house.” Addison officials estimate 70-100 ducks, mostly males, inhabit the lake. Too many males trying to mate with too few females is the problem, and the “activity” is sometimes fatal to the females. Wildlife experts suggested leaving the ducks alone, saying that since North Texas is in a major migratory flyway, it is useless to try to trap and remove the males because others will fly in to replace them. Town officials said if people would stop feeding the ducks, the problem would diminish or vanish, prompting the enactment of an ordinance banning duck-feeding. Violators face fines of up to $2000. —Don Zaidle TG
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TEXAS—AND WE MIGHT BE LOSING IT TO AN INVASIVE WATER PLANT. The 82-inch, 140-pound alligator gar I pulled from the Trinity River in April 2008 will likely remain my fish of a lifetime. Many other anglers can probably say the same—or would love to be able to. That’s the goal of the new one-fish-perday limit imposed on alligator gar harvest that goes into effect 1 September 2009. Under the new regulation, only one alligator gar of any size per day may be taken by anglers or bowfishermen. Anglers may keep only one, and bowfishermen may shoot only one fish per day. Proper management of the fishery is the key to providing the opportunity to land a trophy alligator gar for present and future generations of anglers. “A management strategy that ensures sustainability while allowing all types of anglers to continue to utilize the fishery is the goal,” said Dave Buckmeier, a Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) fisheries biologist now studying alligator gar populations. Buckmeier is leading several studies designed to provide information about key population characteristics, including population size, growth, recruitment, and habitat needs. Until those scientific studies are completed and management regulations crafted to fit each population, TPWD opted to take a statewide approach to regulating alliT E X A S
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OVERSEXED DUCKS SHOCK CITY DWELLERS
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gator gar harvest, an approach being used in other states, Buckmeier said: “Texas is fortunate to have the best remaining trophy alligator gar fishery in the world, and we want to make sure it is available to future generations.” What information is known about alligator gar suggests that protecting the large fish that anglers tend to target is a vital component of a successful management strategy. “Alligator gar mature between 10 to 14 years of age and are thought to spawn in flooded backwater areas,” Buckmeier said. “Because spawning is linked to seasonal flooding, successful spawns may be infrequent.” And because gar spawn in shallow water, they are vulnerable to overharvest during this crucial time in their life cycle. —Larry Hodge, TPWD
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NOAA Grant To Restore Galveston Bay Marsh WHEN THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED THE LAST WEEK OF JUNE THAT IT WAS PROVIDING $5,148,369 TO HELP RESTORE CRITICAL WETLANDS IN WEST GALVESTON BAY, THE NEWS TOOK TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT STAFFERS WHO WROTE THE GRANT REQUEST BY SURPRISE. “It’s a very happy surprise that we got this money. The project will return longterm benefits both to Galveston Bay and to the people of Galveston Island,” said Mike Ray, interim Coastal Fisheries Division director for TPWD. The project, officially called “Recovery Act: Restoring Estuarine Habitats in West Galveston Bay,” is one of 50 nationwide funded through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009. NOAA received more than 800 proposals, with the Texas project among the 10 largest. With another $647,597 from the Texas General Land Office, a $250,000 in-kind donation from NRG Texas Power LLC,
EARTHQUAKES Continued from page 42 “For the residents, it’s probably more of a curiosity than anything else,” he said. “We ... have some old cast iron water and gas lines in our city. We just want to make sure that they’re still safe.” Another 3.3 magnitude quake hit the city of Arlington near Fort Worth in early July. Jesse Moore, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service said such small quakes are barely noticeable: “We
and $10,000 in staff time from TPWD, the more than $6 million project will restore 328 acres of intertidal marsh complex at two locations: Galveston Island State Park and Jumbile Cove. The Galveston Island State Park shoreline component will reduce erosion at the state park, which is visited by approximately 500,000 people a year. It also will protect infrastructure within the City of Jamaica Beach by protecting its eastern shoreline from erosion. The Jumbile Cove component of the project will protect private property directly behind it from erosion. O’Brien said property owners in the area have been supportive of previous restoration projects. The project will employ approximately 50 people at the Galveston Island State Park site and 52 people at the Jumbile Cove site. Scheduled completion is October 2010. —Staff Report TG
received about a dozen reports about the ground shaking...[but] you generally don’t start seeing any sort of damage until it’s a [magnitude] five.” Two other small quakes hit southwest Irving in October 2008. Historically, Texas has experienced a number of “seismic events,” the largest on record a 5.8 magnitude quake near Valentine, Texas, in 1931. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): “In terms of magnitude and damage, this is the largest earthquake known to Continued on page 48
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GREEN
NOAA: Saltwater Angling Marks Coastal Vitality
NOAA & Chevron Restore Texas Wetlands
SALTWATER RECREATIONAL FISHING CONTINO R E T H A N 2 5 0 0 A C R E S O F C O A STA L wetlands have been restored and enhanced in Port Arthur, Texas, thanks to a cooperative agreement between the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its federal and state natural resource trustee partners. NOAA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, and the Texas General Land Office worked with the Chevron Corporation to restore habitats injured by pollution from refinery operations that took place decades ago. The largest restoration occurred in the Lower Neches Wildlife Management Area (WMA) near the Gulf of Mexico, where a project restored historic water flow conditions to approximately 1300 acres of coastal wetlands. Nearly 90 acres of estuarine intertidal marsh and more than 30 acres of coastal wet prairie were also created. At the J.D. Murphree WMA, approximately 1500 acres of coastal emergent marsh plant communities have been restored to historical conditions through the installation of berms and other water control structures. These habitats were restored to compensate the public for the natural resources that were harmed by historical releases of hazardous substances from the original Clark Chevron refinery in Port Arthur. Products produced at the refinery site, in operation since 1902, included gasoline, kerosene, jet fuel, and petrochemicals. Natural areas and waterways inside and adjacent to the refinery were negatively affected by refinery operations. The natural resource trustees worked with Chevron to assess and restore the environment. —Staff Report TG
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On the Web
UED TO PROVIDE IMPORTANT ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO AMERICA’S COASTAL COMMUNITIES IN 2008, BRINGING FISHERMEN TO THE SHORE TO REEL IN FISH, BOOK SPOTS ON CHARTER AND PARTY BOATS, BUY BAIT AND TACKLE, STAY IN LOCAL INNS AND EAT AT LOCAL RESTAURANTS, ACCORDING TO A REPORT ISSUED BY NOAA’S FISHERIES SERVICE. Saltwater recreational fishing continued to provide important economic benefits to America’s coastal communities in 2008, bringing fishermen to the shore to reel in fish, book spots on charter and party boats, buy bait and tackle, stay in local inns and eat at local restaurants, according to a report issued by NOAA’s Fisheries Service. Saltwater recreational anglers took an estimated 85 million fishing trips in 2008, down slightly from the 93 million trips estimated in 2007. Saltwater anglers caught an estimated 464 million fish in 2008, down slightly from the 475 million caught in 2007. That the decreases were moderate reflects stability in saltwater angling. “Saltwater recreational fishing is one of the most popular outdoor sports in America, and those who take part in it bring economic vitality to coastal towns and cities,” said NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco, who remembers her first experiences saltwater fishing for salmon with her father aboard a charter boat off the Oregon coast. Saltwater angling generates an estimated $82 billion in sales and supports more than 500,000 jobs annually, according to the most recent figures available to NOAA. “Saltwater anglers have their eyes on the water and a vested interest in sustaining fishing opportunities for their children and grandchildren,” Lubchenco added. “They are natural champions for ocean stewardship.” Saltwater anglers
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demonstrated their conservation ethic by catching and releasing back into the water some 58 percent of the 2008 catch, slightly up from 57 percent in 2007, today’s report said. NOAA’s report also tallied the top catches by region. Spotted seatrout (speckled trout) was the most popular catch among marine recreational anglers in 2008. The species is caught in the Gulf of Mexico and the south Atlantic regions, which have the highest combined concentration of saltwater anglers in the nation. The top catches in other regions were grouper (Caribbean), striped bass (North Atlantic), summer flounder (Mid-Atlantic), chub mackerel (Pacific), black rockfish (Pacific Northwest), and skipjack tuna (Western Pacific). The reported catch and effort statistics are compiled by NOAA’s Fisheries Service from face-to-face and telephone interviews with recreational fishermen. Currently, NOAA is working with the coastal states and those in the saltwater angling community to redesign the agency’s surveys to provide a more complete picture of saltwater anglers’ catch and effort and improve the conservation of our shared ocean resources. The data released on recreational fishing is part of Fisheries of the United States, a detailed annual report on the nation’s commercial and recreational fishing, landings, export, per capita fish consumption, and consumer expenditures for fish products.
On the Web www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/st1/index.html www.nmfs.noaa.gov —Staff Report TG
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CONSERVATION PARTNERS
CO2 Makes Fish Ears Bigger CARBON DIOXIDE BEING ABSORBED IN SEAWATER IS HAVING A PUZZLING EFFECT ON FISH—THEIR “EARS” (OTOLITH BONES INSIDE THEIR HEADS) GET BIGGER. Biological oceanographer David M. Checkley of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California at San Diego said of the discovery. “It was a surprise.” Checkley and colleagues knew carbon dioxide absorbed from the atmosphere have occurred in Texas. The most severe damage was reported at Valentine, Continued from page 45 where all buildings except wood-frame houses were damaged severely and all brick chimneys toppled or were damaged. The schoolhouse, which consisted of one section of concrete blocks and another section of bricks, was damaged so badly that it had to be rebuilt. Small cracks formed in the schoolhouse yard. Some walls collapsed in adobe buildings, and ceilings and partitions were damaged in wood-frame structures. Some concrete and brick walls were cracked severely. One low wall, reinforced with concrete, was broken and thrown down.
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makes seawater more acidic, which can dissolve and weaken shellfish shells, and wondered if it would reduce the size of fish otoliths. It turned out the opposite, as detailed in a report published in the journal Science. The surprising finding raises further questions. Researchers now will try to figure out how carbon dioxide enlarges otoliths, and whether the condition is detrimental to fishes. —Don Zaidle TG
Tombstones in a local cemetery were rotated.” Some have speculated that drilling for natural gas could be responsible for the quakes in Cleburne, which sits atop the Barnett Shale natural gas field, but no evidence currently exists to support this.
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On the Web http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/states/texas/history.php
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Croaker Return to the Texas Coast HE TWO BOYS AND A GIRL, THE CHILDREN OF a neighbor, had an issue of the utmost gravity when they rang my doorbell on a Saturday afternoon last September. “Mr. Gonzales,” began the girl, the oldest at 15, “we caught these with my dad and uncle, and we don’t know what they are. Could you help us?” The younger boys, ages 12 and 13, stepped aside and showed me the fish in a green 5-gallon bucket—three large croaker, easily 2 pounds apiece. “Where in the world did you catch those?” I asked with more than a little surprise. “The jetties,” the girl answered. “We caught 11 of them. These were the three biggest ones.” That Sunday morning, I was on the South Brazos Jetties soaking dead shrimp and trying for a few of those noisy panfish. I know a good thing when I see it.
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A Noticed Absence In decades past, the annual autumn run of Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) was a major event along the Texas coast, especially in the Galveston and Matagorda Bay complexes. Families would line the banks of passes such as San Luis, Rollover, Aransas, and Brazos-Santiago to intercept the vast schools of “golden croaker.” Their willingness to bite, excellent table
by Calixto Gonzales qualities, and surprisingly stubborn fight when hooked made these close relatives of the more glamorous speckled trout and redfish the stars of the fall stage for many shorebound anglers. “When I was in high school, a bunch of us would get together on Saturdays and drive to the Brownsville Ship Channel to fish for them,” said Mike Yznaga. “We’d catch croaker by the dozens. Big ones, too. Some would weigh 2, 3 pounds. We’d clean and fry a bunch of them right there on the bank.” A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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When he returned to Texas in the late 1980s after a 30-year career in the Army, Yznaga noticed that the croaker fishing wasn’t what it used to be. By the mid-1990s, croaker seemed hard to come by. “I stopped fishing for them,” he said, “It wasn’t worth the trouble. The phenomenon Yznaga experienced was happening up and down the Texas coast. The once heralded croaker run became a pale and fading shadow of what it once was, much to the chagrin of devotees of the fall run. Some sizeable croaker were still caught, such as Paul Straw’s 5.47-pound state record in 2002, but the sheer numbers were no longer there.
Golden Resurgence “Numbers of Atlantic Croaker are definitely up,” said Mark Fisher, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department coastal fisheries division science director, who monitors the health and size of fisheries along the Texas coast. “We’ve been seeing record numbers of croaker in our trawl surveys over the past few years, and the numbers are increasing.”
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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: CORPUS TO BAFFIN • September Brings Flounder, Bull Reds | BY CHESTER MOORE, JR.
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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: LOWER COAST • September Rocks | BY CALIXTO GONZALES
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SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK • Tides, Solunar Table, Best Hunting/Fishing Times | BY TF&G STAFF
HOW-TO SECTION
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COVER STORY • A Noisy Comeback | BY CALIXTO GONZALES
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HOTSPOTS & TIDES SECTION
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TEXAS HOTSPOTS • Texas’ Hottest Fishing Spots | BY CALIXTO GONZALES, KYLE TOMEK, & TRIPP HOLMGRAIN
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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: UPPER COAST • Tides Are Turning | BY CAPT. EDDIE HERNANDEZ
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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: GALVESTON COMPLEX • The Magnificent Mullet | BY CAPT. MIKE HOLMES
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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: MATAGORDA • Take September for Granite | BY BINK GRIMES HOTSPOTS FOCUS: ROCKPORT • Summer Patterns for September | BY CAPT. MAC GABLE
Not only are there more croaker showing up in the counts, the average size is increasing—some big enough to snare in gill net surveys. Numbers have improved to the point that Fisher expects the fall run to return, if it hasn’t already. “The fall run might have already started,” he said. “Most people don’t specifically fish for croaker anymore, so they don’t know they’re out there. As with any population increase or decline, a number of factors have contributed to the rejuvenation of the croaker fishery. The most important factor is a C2
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BOWHUNTING TECH • Missing the Target | BY LOU MARULLO TEXAS BOATING • The Five Commandments of Anchoring | BY LENNY RUDOW TEXAS GUNS & GEAR • Shooting Lead in Modern Firearms | BY STEVE LAMASCUS
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TEXAS KAYAKING • Different Strokes for Different Folks | BY GREG BERLOCHER
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FRESHWATER BAITS & RIGS • Catfishing with Kids’ Toys | BY PAUL BRADSHAW
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WILDERNESS TRAILS • Red Lights on the Horizon | BY HERMAN W. BRUNE
SALTWATER BAITS & RIGS • Circle the Diamonds | BY PATRICK LEMIRE
decrease in by-catch mortality from shrimp trawls. Shrimping effort along the coast has decreased by 90 percent since 1995, and that translates into a substantial reduction in croaker killed in the nets. Along with the statesponsored shrimping license buy-back program, which pulled a substantial number of boats off the water, high fuel prices and the decline of shrimp prices due cheaper farmraised shrimp have helped keep shrimp boats in port. With the decrease in pressure, species such as croaker have rebounded.
Catching On Creel surveys indicate croaker are showing up more often in recreational catches, which means more fish are growing to a size big enough for retention. Croaker have always been somewhat popular, especially among shore-bound anglers and families. The fish are willing to
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GEARING UP SECTION
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NEW PRODUCTS • What’s New from Top Outdoor Manufacturers | BY TF&G STAFF TEXAS TESTED • Costa Del Mar; Woo Shoes; and Yeti Coolers | BY TF&G STAFF INDUSTRY INSIDER • Anchor Marine Marks One-Year Anniversary | BY TOM BEHRENS
THIS • Cimarron Arms Model 1885 C40 SHOOT High Wall | S L M FEVER • 50 Years of Opening Days C41 TROPHY | K C J FISH THIS • Corks from Midcoast Products | C48 G B BY TEVE A
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OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE NEWS • FEMA Funds Sabine Dock C52 COASTAL Replacement | TF&G S TALES • DFW Channel Cat C54 FRESHWATER Haunts | M W THE OUTDOORS • C60 DISCOVER Classifieds | TF&G S TASTED • Beer Can Chicken | C62 TEXAS B S ALBUM • Your Action Photos | C64 PHOTO TF&G S BY
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eat any bait, whether fresh shrimp, a squid strip, or piece of cut bait. They are feisty and put up a noble fight on light tackle, which makes them perfect for young children breaking into the sport. Finally, they are plentiful and thus can save a fishing day when weather conditions or whimsy causes more “glamorous” to not bite. “Those fish can be make a charter,” said Captain Luke Bonura. “If the trout and redfish aren’t cooperating, instead of taking a client back to the dock and saying, ‘sorry,’ I can take them to a pass or to deeper water along the Intracoastal Waterway, find some croaker, and put a bunch in the box. Most clients want to catch fish, and croaker can make that happen.” For the past two decades or so, “croaker fishing” alluded to the technique of using small croaker as bait for speckled trout. With the comeback of the annual fall run of the grunting king of panfishes, the allusion is changing back to the idea of standing elbowto-elbow with several hundred of your closest friends along a deepwater pass on the Texas coast, and having a hand at trying to score a bunch of tasty fillets for the freezer. Some will say that it was worth the wait, even a long one.
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King of the Jetties LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: South Jetty Tip GPS: N26 4.108, W97 9.308
SPECIES: kingfish BEST BAITS: ribbonfish, live mullet; Rat-LTraps in chrome/blue, red/white CONTACT: Quik Stop, 956-943-1159 TIPS: Several calm days in a row means that blue Gulf water will find its way within casting difference of the jetties. Kingfish will be prowling in and around the pass, and fishermen armed with surf tackle, kingfish rigs, and ribbonfish or live mullet can have a decent shot at a few smokers. A big, noisy Rat-L-Trap burned back to the jetties can lead to crashing, line-peeling strikes. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Brownsville Ship Channel GPS: N26 2.124, W97 13.108 SPECIES: snook BEST BAITS: live shrimp, live pinfish; topwaters CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Run up the channel to the first shrimp boat channel on the right. This is a major snook hotspot. Cast toward dock pilings and riprap. Watch for fish working along the shoreline. A trolling motor will help you position with casting room. If fish aren’t rising to your topwater, fish along the drop-off with large live shrimp or pinfish (an underrated bait) on a split shot rig. Large snook can tear up tackle, so use 15-pound class tackle or heavier. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: South Bay GPS: N26 00.763, W97 9.838 SPECIES: snook BEST BAITS: live shrimp; topwaters; soft C4
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plastics in red/white, Pearl/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Outgoing tides push bait out of the flats and mangroves in the backwaters of the bay, and snook put on the feedbag. Topwaters are the most popular lures for linesiders because of the crashing strikes, but you miss more than you hook. Soft plastics or and live shrimp fished on the drop-offs make for better hookups, and large snook will still LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: South Bay Mouth GPS: N26 3.054, W97 11.135 SPECIES: black drum BEST BAITS: live shrimp, fresh shrimp, bucktails CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: Drum of 15-20 inches move in and out of the deep channels of South Bay with the tides. Free-lining live shrimp or fishing with fresh shrimp on the bottom are both great techniques. Try bouncing a pink bucktail tipped with a bit of shrimp along the bottom.
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HOTSPOT: The Saucer GPS: N26 28.134, W97 23.667 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp; Gulp! shrimp in Nuclear Chicken, Lime Tiger; soft plastics in chartreuse patterns; gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: start in shallow water early in the day, and move back deeper as the sun rises and the day warms. If the wind begins to pick up around mid morning, then watch either for a color change to form, or look for potholes to fish around. Trout use these to ambush prey. Live shrimp under a popping cork, or a Gulp! Shrimp is a good choice for this area. Another good time to fish is late afternoon/early evening. Trout become active as dusk approaches. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOT SPOT: Spoils North of Bennie’s Shack GPS: N26 29.865, W97 23.501 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: topwaters early; plastics in Bone/clear, Bone/Diamond, Salt & pepper; gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286
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TIPS: The shack is no longer there, but the fishing is still great. Most of the fish will be cruising the grassline, waiting in ambush. You can fish a topwater very aggressively early in them morning, and move to something slow and slinky later in the day. Bass Assassins and Gamblers are good for this application. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Peyton’s Bay GPS: N26 24.528, W97 21.703 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp/popping cork; cut mullet, ballyhoo; topwaters; gold spoons, red spinnerbaits; soft plastics in clear/red, red/white, Pearl/red CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: Pods of redfish can be located in the shallow waters of the area all summer. Fish the northernmost edge on line with the yel-
low house that is visible during part of the drift, and work gold spinnerbaits or spoons. Live bait under a popping cork works well, too. Try night fishing during the full moon with cut bait. Some big redfish, including some oversized brutes, have been caught at night. LOCATION: Laguna Madre at Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: East of Marker 151 GPS: N26 31.890, W97 23.260 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Gulp! Jerk Shads in Limetreuse, Pearl; soft plastics in red/white, Firetiger CONTACT: Captain Terry Neal, 956-9442556, www.terrynealcharters.com TIPS: Wade or drift the deep potholes in the area with soft plastics, or your favorite redfish lures to find pods of reds cruising the flats in this area. If you can locate the depth
break, wade parallel to it and cast along the break. Watch for trout chasing bait along the grasslines.
Pinfish Baffle Baffin Trout LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: East Kleberg Point GPS: N27 16.300, W97 30.426 SPECIES: speckled trout
BEST BAITS: live shrimp, pinfish CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Action really heats up after summer ends and everyone is back in school or work. Fish the shallows around rock edges and let the bait fall into deeper water. Use a Texas Rattlin’ Rig Chatterweight for best results. The combination of the weights clicking and the pinfish’s grunting can really get a trout’s attention. LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Rivera Channel GPS: N27 17.395, W97 39.476 SPECIES: black drum BEST BAITS: live shrimp CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Don’t discount the black drum. When other fish aren’t cooperating, the black drum can make a bad day a memorable one. Most fish are in the 14- to 30inch slot, but there are some bay donkies lurking out there. You can fish live shrimp under a popping cork or on the bottom. Either will work well. LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Rivera Channel GPS: N27 17.395, W97 39.476 SPECIES: black drum BEST BAITS: live shrimp CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-985-
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6089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Watch for birds working over schools that are crashing bait. When you locate a school, fish a Gulp! Shrimp or shad tail under an Old Bayside Paradise Popper X-treme. If the fish are deeper, work the lure without the cork. Use a 1/4-ounce jighead if the fish are deeper; switch to a 1/8-ounce jighead if using the X-treme cork. A live pinfish on a Chatterweight is also a good choice. LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Center Reef GPS: N27 16.206, W97 34.362 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp, pinfish, croaker; soft plastics in dark colors CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Fish the deep points around the Reef with live bait. Later in the day, fish closer to the rocks with live bait or soft plastics. Drift-fishing is better than anchoring because it allows you to cover more water around the reef. Once you find a concentration of fish, focus on the area they’re holding. Ease your anchor over the side, or you’ll spook the fish. A Power Pole is perfect for this type of application. LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Emmord’s Hole GPS: N27 30.057, W97 19.546 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp, pinfish, croaker; soft plastics in Tequila Gold CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: The grasslines in Emmord’s are still productive in September. Redfish become more active as their time for migration into the Gulf of Mexico. They are aggressive, and hungry. Work live pinfish under a Paradise Popper around the grasslines early in the morning. There will be speckled trout lurking and waiting for the sort of meal a noisy pin will provide. Late afternoon means tailing redfish, which means you can sight cast with soft plastics on light (1/8ounce) jighead. C8
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LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: King Ranch Shoreline GPS: N27 325.402, W97 2.075 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp, pinfish, croaker; Gulp! Baits/Paradise Popper CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: speckled trout are also active in the fall, and they are feeding heavily as fall continues. Fish the area slowly and thoroughly. If you are fishing a weedline, then use a live pinfish or shrimp without a cork. If you’re drifting potholes, then rig a live shrimp or 3inch Gulp! or Bayside Shrimp under an Old Bayside Paradise Popper. Again, slow is the catchword, so temper your drift with a drift anchor if you have one.
LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: ICW GPS: N27 37.167, W97 15.004 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: topwaters in Bone; soft plastics in Tequila Gold CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Redfish will be prowling the shallows along the ICW in the afternoon. Work the shallows (as in 1 inch deep) with topwaters to get these fish’s attention. If the wind is up, back off and fish the edges of the ditch with jerkbaits and soft plastics. Gold and chartreuse are good color choices.
DOA Reds at Sabine
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treuse, Glow/chartreuse, Pearl/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, 409-673-2018 TIPS: Fall tides and migration move white shrimp out of the bayous and into Sabine Lake, and redfish gorge themselves on the easy meals. Key in on drains and points when the tide is draining out of the marsh and use either live shrimp, or imitations such as the 1/4-ounce DOA Shrimp. Toss up into the drain and work your bait back along the bottom with occasional twitches. Watch for tailing reds. You’d be amazed at how shallow they go this time of year. LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: North Levee Road GPS: N29 54.194, W93 52.316 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: soft plastics in Glow/chartreuse, Pearl/chartreuse, Green Tomato, Strawberry/white CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, 409-673-2018 TIPS: The middle of the lake is still very productive, especially with continued bird activity. If you don’t see any birds or skipping bait, then slicks should tip off where trout are actively feeding. LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: West Jetty GPS: N29 39.681, W93 49.978 SPECIES: flounder BEST BAITS: live bait; soft plastics in Glow/chartreuse, Pearl/chartreuse, Green Tomato, Strawberry/white CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, 409-673-2018 TIPS: Big, mature flounder migrate into the passes as they get ready to move off into the Gulf of Mexico to spawn. Fish the channel and pass edges soft plastics on heavy jigheads (3/8- to 1/2-ounce) will bump the bottom for flatties. Back off to a 1/4-ounce head to fish more in the mid depths for bull redfish. You don’t have to break out the big plastics for the reds. A 3-inch tail will get its share of strikes. LOCATION: East Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Big Pasture Bayou GPS: N29 30.322, W95 35.780
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SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live bait, topwaters; soft plastics in Opening Night, Cheyenne Gold CONTACT: Captain Steve Hillman, 409256-7939, www.hillmanguideservice.com TIPS: Baitfishes and shrimp are starting to move out of the bayous and into the Bay proper. Much like Sabine, redfish will hand out around the drains to intercept the schools of prey. Live bait or topwaters work well early. Later in the month, back off and fish depth breaks and deeper water with jigs tipped with soft plastics in colors that match the hatch. LOCATION: East Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Yates Bayou GPS: N29 29.608, W95 36.026 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live bait, topwaters; soft plastics in Opening Night, Cheyenne Gold CONTACT: Captain Steve Hillman, 409256-7938, www.hillmanguideservice.com TIPS: Water clarity is going to determine the lure color you use. If the water is stained, then fish with darker colors, while clearer water requires lighter colors. Work the depth breaks and drains along the shoreline on an outgoing tide. Trout will be holding in deeper water, waiting for bait to drift by. Watch for working bait.
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Camo Fools Choke Bass LOCATION: Choke Canyon HOTSPOT: North Shore GPS: N28 30.258, W98 17.832
SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: jigs in Watermelon, Camo CONTACT: Robin McFarlane, 210-4164563 TIPS: Fish the coves and banks shallow early in the morning. Then as the sun comes up, move out and drop jigs as the day goes on. Jigs are good to throw in the North Shore area, but beware; you could get a good scrape going. LOCATION: Choke Canyon HOTSPOTS: Opossum Creek GPS: N28 31.890, W98 21.457 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: topwaters, Senkos, flukes, jigs CONTACT: Robin McFarlane, 210-4164563 TIPS: Look for grass and timber along the banks and in the coves. The flats on the east and west bank and above the Hwy 99 bridge have been known to hook anglers up with some big bass either by throwing jigs,
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topwaters, along with the necessary Senkos and flukes. Good jig colors are in the variety of Watermelon colors and camo. For topwaters, try a basic chrome/black back Pop-R, which works wonders, along with your Senkos and flukes in Watermelon colors as well.
LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Between Markers #2 and #3 GPS: N26 37.651, W99 09.963 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Crankbaits and Carolina Rigged baits in Watermelon/red, Mardi Gras. CONTACT: Robin McFarlane, 210-4164563 TIPS: Between Markers 2 and 3, there are numerous under water points and drop-offs that will hold fish from April - October of each year. Cranking either a Firetiger or a Red Craw Crankbait along or working an 8- to 12-inch worm, lizard, or Senko in Watermelon/red or Mardi Gras colors will hook you up with those big fish that you’re looking for. LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Dam Area GPS: N26 33.571, W99 09.823 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: crankbaits; Texas and Carolina rigs with baits in Red Crawfish, Firetiger, Watermelon/red, Red Bug CONTACT: Robin McFarlane, 210-4164563 TIPS: If you launch at the State Park, you won’t have far to run to the Dam area to pick up some of those mean Falcon Lake bass. Once your at the Dam, you will find the usual drop-offs, flats, and points that these bass are known to hang on. Throwing crankbaits that dive a variety of depths is a must to find what depth these bass are holding. If cranking is not your bag, try working either a Texas Rig or a Carolina Rig in these same areas. Primary colors for your crankbaits are Red Craw, Firetiger, or Parrot, with Watermelon red and Red Bug being your good worming colors
Stink Up a Cat LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: Rock Island Shoreline GPS: N30 18.709 W96 31.675
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SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: shad, worms, stinkbait, chicken livers CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, www.FishTalesGuideService.com, 979-229-3103 TIPS: Use a Carolina rig of a 3/4-ounce egg sinker and 1/0 Kahle hook with Shad, and No. 4 treble hook with other baits. Water is deep here and drops off into the rocks. Fish the dropoff. Baitfishes frequent the drop-off area and fish move there to feed on them. Fish are about a month away from moving into fall patterns, which means baitfishes will move and catfish will follow them. Fish this area thru September. Chum the area near the boat and fish close to the boat. LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: Eagle Point South GPS: N 30 37.919 W96 02.789 SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: shad, shrimp, worms, stinkbait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, www.FishTalesGuideService.com, 979-229-3103 TIPS: You will be anchoring in about 7foot water. Fish moving to and from main lake to Sulphur Creek pass through this shallower area. Use a tight-line Carolina rig with 2/0 Kahle hook for shad and 1-ounce egg sinker. Set out several rods around the boat, and try different types of bait on some rods here. Blue, Yellow, or Channel cats are possible here. If targeting channel cats you could use some range cubes or sour grain, since there is little current but good cover. For channel cats, fish over the chum. LOCATION: Fayette County Lake HOTSPOT: South East Trees GPS: N29 54.980 W96 42.954 SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: worms, stinkbait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, www.FishTalesGuideService.com,979-229-3103 TIPS: Trees in this area are right off of the old road bed. Tie off or anchor close to trees. Most are cedar trees, be careful casting, might fish straight down in 10-12 feet of water. Water has not cooled much yet, so look for fish near the bottom. Fish follow the road bed as well as feed in the trees here. Early morning and late evening, try closer in
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to shallow water where moss will allow. Fish will be eating moss along with the coots. Chum will bring cats out of the moss to your area, or chum straight down in deeper water. LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir HOTSPOT: Riprap at Dam GPS: N31 01.601, W97 31.858 SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: artificial baits matching forage size in silver, white, and silver/white on downriggers CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-368-7411, Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com TIPS: Go stocked with No. 12 and 13 Pet Spoons to match small shad, and Swimmin’ Image shallow divers to imitate larger shad. Run baits 1-2 feet above game fish marks on sonar, and about 30 feet behind the downrigger ball. Low-light times at dusk and dawn are always productive, with very windy days also productive at any time. LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Public Hump GPS: N32 51.174, W95 31.811 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: spoons, Carolina rigs CONTACT: Michael’s Guide Service, 903383-3406, www.lake-fork-guides.com TIPS: Use large jigging spoons on large schools of fish when you have found them using your depthfinder. If yellow bass are biting, stick around because largemouth bass are usually eating them. LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Bell Ridge GPS: N32.52.539, W95.31.367 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: spinnerbaits, football-head jigs in black/blue CONTACT: Michael’s Guide Service, 903383-3406, www.lake-fork-guides.com TIPS: If yellow bass are biting, stick around because largemouth bass are usually eating them. Use your depthfinder to find schools of fish and use larger jigs and spinners to catch them. LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Highway 515 E. Bridge (East Side) GPS: N32.53.713, W95.31.224 SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: 1/32- to 1/8-ounce jigs in
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gray/blue; live minnows CONTACT: Michael’s Guide Service, 903383-3406, www.lake-fork-guides.com TIPS: Keep your line moving up and down in the water column until you find where the fish are located. Count how long it takes your bait to reach that level and fish it there every cast. Don’t sit around at one piling for too long if they are not biting; just move to the next piling. LOCATION: Richland-Chambers HOTSPOT: Hwy 309 Flats GPS: N31 58.718, W96 06.878 SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: 1-ounce RSR Glitter Slabs, DD-22 crankbaits CONTACT: Royce Simmons, 903-3894117, www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: For folks wanting to troll for big hybrid stripers, tie on a DD-22 crankbait and troll the 25-foot water off the Hwy 309 flats. White bass will be stacked up on the dropoffs in the same area and can be caught on slabs bounced off the bottom. BANK ACCESS: Fisherman’s Point Marina, catfish LOCATION: Richland-Chambers HOTSPOT: Hwy 309 Flats GPS: N31 58.718, W96 06.878 SPECIES: hybrid striped bass BEST BAITS: 1-ounce RSR Glitter Slabs, DD-22 crankbaits CONTACT: Royce Simmons, 903-3894117, www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: For folks wanting to troll for big hybrid stripers, tie on a DD-22 crankbait and troll the 25-foot water off the Hwy 309 flats. White bass will be stacked up on the dropoffs in the same area and can be caught on slabs bounced off the bottom. BANK ACCESS: Fisherman’s Point Marina, catfish LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Flat Creek SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Mr. Twister Hawg Frogs CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, 903-5617299, ricky@rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Fish the weed beds and grass beds with your Hawg Frog, and when you have a fish blow up on your frog, give it 3-second count and then set your hook. Always wait and you will better your chances to catch a big bass. A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: Texas Flats and Mill Creek Flats GPS: N32 51.849, W96 48.761 SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: slabs and Coho Minnow jigs CONTACT: Bill Carey, 877-786-4477, bigfish@striperexpress.com TIPS: Stripers are moving out of deep water and roaming the flats in September. The lures of choice are slabs and jigs. Vertically jig 1-ounce chrome, white, and chartreuse slabs along the bottom in 10-30 feet of water. Coho minnow jigs in white Glow color with a 3/4-ounce jighead and a 4-inch tail are perfect for these hungry stripers. Cast the jigs and use a medium retrieve. If you find surfacing or swirling fish, cast the jig, hold your rod high, and keep the jig subsurface. BANK ACCESS: Mill Creek Campsites
Propher Bass at Rayburn LOCATION: Sam Rayburn Reservoir HOTSPOT: Popher’s Creek GPS: N31.12.010 - W94.23.200
SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Ribbit frogs in Green Pumpkin/Pearl; flukes in Pearl, Watermelon Red/chartruse tail CONTACT: Don Mattern Sr., 903-4782633, 903-724-0961, matternguideservice.fghp.com TIPS: In September, it is still hot in Texas but some big bass will get under and around thick lily pad patches. In the back of Popher’s creek is a creek channel running up into the woods with a huge lily pad thicket. Also mixed in are thickets of hydrilla. Take the Ribbit frog and rig it on a 5/0 or 6/0 hook that has the screw on wire at the head. Just screw the head of the frog on, come all the way through the frog, and let the point of the hook rest on the back of the frog. Work the frog through the shallow flats around the creek channel and the flukes on the edges of the deeper channel and hold on for these are great holding places for big bass. God bless and good fishing.
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LOCATION: Toledo Bend South HOTSPOT: Texas Islands GPS: N31 11.654, W93 36.641 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Ribbit Frogs, Top Dollar topwater lures, jigging spoons, DD-14/22 crankbaits, 7- to 10-inch Berkley Power Worms CONTACT: Joe Joslin, 337-463-3848, www.joejoslinoutdoors.com TIPS: Topwater patterns become even more successful this month as action heats up with plastic frogs and walking baits in shad patterns. Target primary and secondary points with visible grass at first light, late afternoon, and during cloudy conditions. Work frogs over grass and walk topwater baits along grass’ outer edges. When the topwater bite shuts down, move out to points and ledges where depths drop to 25 feet and work crankbaits and Texas and Carolina-rigged soft plastics. Jigging spoons fished vertically will catch both yellow and largemouth bass off points in depths of 10 to 25 feet. Yellows are best an hour after sunrise and mid-afternoon. BANK ACCESS: Below dam generators. Fishing is best when generators are running. All species. Call 337-286-5244 for pre-recorded generator schedule. LOCATION: Toledo Bend North HOTSPOT: Myrick Reach Pass (Green Willow Point) GPS: N31 46.155, W93 50.035 SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: slab spoons, tail spinners, shallow-diving crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, topwater plugs in shad patterns CONTACT: Greg Crafts, 936-368-7151, www.toledobendguide.com TIPS: White bass are following shad as they move around the lake. Barring a weather change, fish will school in the same areas and times each day. When fish are schooling, throw lipless and shallow-diving crankbaits or topwater plugs in shad colors. If fish stop schooling, move to adjacent deeper water and jig slab spoons in 1/2- to 3/4-ounce, or “yoyo” a tail spinner off the bottom. Concentrate on main lake points, boat lanes, and river channel sandbars.
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BANK ACCESS: public parks and marinas, crappie on live minnows, catfish on cut bait and liver LOCATION: Lake Livingston HOTSPOT: Below Trinity Dam GPS: N30 36.329, W95 00.490 SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: Zara Spooks in Bone, Shad CONTACT: Dave Cox, 936-291-9602, www.palmettoguideservice.com TIPS: To catch striped bass below Trinity Dam, launch before daylight and work your way downstream, throwing topwaters in the cuts off the river channel. Target depths of 8-10 feet. Fishing should be good until just after sunrise. Once the sun hits the water, the striper action is usually over. After sunrise, try fishing for white bass off gravel bars in 6-8 feet of water with jigs. BANK ACCESS: public parks and boat ramps, largemouth bass on artificials, catfish on cut bait, stinkbait, or liver LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N30 26.231, W95 35.510 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Pop-R’s in Bone, Shad; spinnerbaits in white and white/chartreuse CONTACT: Richard Tatsch, 936-2911277, www.fishdudetx.com TIPS: With the first cool fronts of the year beginning to move in, bass will start to feed on shad in preparation for cold weather and selective feeding. Now is a good time for topwater action and the aggressive strikes a spinnerbait can bring. Fishing up to the third day after a cold front has moved through can bring great action, particularly when overcast. Start by locating riprap rock and throw a small, single-blade spinnerbait, retrieving it at a very fast rate so the bait walks the surface. This is a very productive and fast way to catch a number of hard-hitting fish. Next, try working Pop-R’s in the same areas, alternating with spinnerbaits to determine the bass’ preference on that particular day. BANK ACCESS: Stowaway Marina, bream and catfish on live minnows or worms under cork.
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Medina Whites LOCATION: Lake Medina HOTSPOT: Walton Island GPS: N29 34.010, W98 55.220
SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: live minnows, small chrome or white jigging spoons, shad-colored grubs, chrome Rat-L Traps, shad-colored topwater baits CONTACT: Dave Burlington, 210-8339417, www.bassindave.com TIPS: White bass fishing at Medina Lake in September is about lights at night. It’s easiest to use floating or submersible fishing lights. Anchor off of points or bluff banks along the main river channel, position several lights around the boat and get ready. You will soon begin to see baitfish and white bass moving through the lighted water soon after. Vertically jig minnows, spoons and grubs at various depths to catch fish. If you don’t have lights, fishing lighted docks will generally produce fish in good numbers. Respect dock owners’ space if they are fishing. At first light and just before dark, look for whites to school and create surface action. Fish poppers, small prop-style topwaters, and Rat-L Traps through the schools. BANK ACCESS: Park Road 37, bass on plastic worms, catfish on cut bait and liver LOCATION: Lake Travis HOTSPOT: Anderson Bend GPS: N30 22.070, W98 00.590 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Bone or Shad topwaters; purple, Watermelon/red, Pumpkin, and Red Shad plastic worms or tubes; chartreuse and white spinnerbaits with matching painted blades; crawfish pattern crankbaits CONTACT: Dave Burlington, 210-8339417, www.bassindave.com TIPS: Bass are located in 5-15 feet of water close to deeper areas around points, flats, and bluff banks. Early and late in the day, bass will crush Pop-R’s, Zara Spooks, and prop-style topwaters. Once the
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topwater bite slows, throw spinnerbaits and crankbaits in the same areas, switching to plastic worms and tube style baits to catch inactive fish. Really pick apart the brush piles. Focus on docks, as they are always a key cover element on the lake; this can pay off big. BANK ACCESS: Pace Bend Park, bass on topwaters and plastic worms, catfish on stinkbait and cut bait LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Little Midland Cove GPS: N30 48.460, W98 22.320 SPECIES: largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: topwaters in Bone or Shad, Zara Spooks; whte and white/chartreuse buzzbaits; Watermelon, Green Pumpkin, purple, and Red Shad plastic worms; chartreuse/blue back crankbaits CONTACT: Dave Burlington, 210-8339417, www.bassindave.com TIPS: Bass are very active in shallow cover adjacent to deep water early, late in the day, and all day when overcast. Fish flats and points near creek and riverbed channels. Bass will be positioned on dock corners and around big rocks or wood in these areas. If no topwater bite, switch to crankbaits; then to Texas-, Carolina-, or drop-shot-rigged plastic worms as the bite continues to slow into the day. Bass are schooled up on cover this time of year, so where you catch one you should catch several. BANK ACCESS: Thunderbird Resort, largemouth bass on artificials, striped bass on spoons and shad, catfish on stinkbait or liver LOCATION: Lake LBJ HOTSPOT: Light Tower Point GPS: N30 33.450, W98 21.830 SPECIES: largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: white or black topwater buzzbaits and poppers; black or Watermelon/red plastic worms fished on Texas and Carolina rigs; white or chartreuse crankbaits; white spinnerbaits; Shad or white soft plastic jerkbaits CONTACT: Kandie Candeleria, 210-8232153, kandie@gvtc.com TIPS: Some of the best action now is at night around lighted docks. The lights draw in baitfishes and bass move in to feed after resting during the day. Fish the black and white baits, as they silhouette best in the dark. During the day, fish the grass beds and points in 2-10 feet of water, using char-
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treuse and Watermelon/red colors. Mid-day, grass beds are often overlooked, but they can be strong producers as they provide good oxygen and food sources for bass. If the bite there is slow, fish main points with Carolinarigged worms and crankbaits. BANK ACCESS: Sandy Creek, crappie on live minnows, catfish on stinkbait and liver LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Turkey Cove GPS: N29 51.440, W98 13.020 SPECIES: smallmouth Bass BEST BAITS: Rootbeer, Watermelon, and Smoke grubs; drop-shot-rigged plastic finesse worms CONTACT: Kandie Candeleria, 210-8232153, kandie@gvtc.com TIPS: You will find smallmouth schooled up along creek channel ledges, especially where they bend, and main lake points in 15-25 feet of water. Large rocks, wood, or manmade fish attractors concentrate fish in these areas. Use electronics to determine if fish are suspended over or in cover. If suspended over cover, use drop-shot plastic finesse worms fished vertically in the fish. If bass are in cover, use grubs, working them slowly and thoroughly through the cover. BANK ACCESS: Jacob’s Creek Park, bass on plastic grubs and worms, white bass on minnows
Amistad Smallies LOCATION: Lake Amistad HOTSPOT: ledges near deep water
GPS: N29 33.826, W100 59.067 SPECIES: smallmouth bass BEST BAITS: Zara Spooks, Vixens, Zoom Trick Worms, Senkos CONTACT: Wendell Ramsey, 325-2274931, bram4@suddenlink.net TIPS: In this area there are deep ledges along the river with vertical walls that can drop to 100 feet. Work bone colored topwaters parallel to the bluffs with a “walk the dog” technique. Use a steady cadence and be ready for some great blow ups. Other topwater colors that work are black/gold and baby bass. Sometimes schools will show themselves so be ready to fire topwaters at a moments notice. If the action slows or you A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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miss a fish, follow up with a wacky-rigged Watermelon Trick Worm or Senko and you will pick up a few more fish. BANK ACCESS: Diablo East Park or Black Brush area LOCATION: Possum Kingdom Lake HOTSPOT: Peanut Patch (close to Sandy Beach) GPS: N32 53.568, W98 30.923 SPECIES: sand (white) bass BEST BAITS: live shad; topwaters in shad patterns; crankbaits in white and chartreuse; slabs and jigs in chrome and chartreuse CONTACT: Dean Heffner, 940-329-0036, fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: Concentrate on edges of the old riverbed where it runs close to humps and flats in depths of 20 feet. From this “natural highway,” fish will chase shad onto flats and humps to ambush them. The Peanut Patch is one of these ambush areas and is even more productive during periods of cloud cover. Concentrate on the depth and location of your first fish caught and stay with that pattern until the bite dies. Then follow fish back to the old riverbed and wait for them to chase the next ball of baitfishes that comes by. BANK ACCESS: North D&D, largemouth and smallmouth bass on plastic worms, catfish on stinkbait and liver LOCATION: Lake Graham-Eddelman HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points GPS: N33 09.106, W98 37.452 SPECIES: hybrids BEST BAITS: live shad; topwaters in shad patterns, slabs in silver or chrome; perchcolored crankbaits CONTACT: Dean Heffner, 940-329-0036, fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: Fish power plant discharge area early unless plant is discharging and water is hot. Otherwise, fish main and secondary lake points. In early morning, fish topwaters until the bite slows, then use your electronics to find breaklines with depths of 15-20 feet. Start fishing shallow-diving crankbaits, then change to slabs and deeper-diving crankbaits as the day wears on and fish go deeper. On overcast days, fish will stay shallow. Watch for baitfish on surface. BANK ACCESS: Hwy 380 public boat ramp, crappie on live minnows, bass on plastic worms, catfish on cut bait and liver.
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Tides Are Turning ISHING SABINE IN SEPTEMBER IS EXCITING to me for several reasons. It signifies the very beginning of what is a transitional period for us because we slowly begin to shift our focus away from the jetties and the Gulf and concentrate more on fishing the lake. Although we are still catching fish south of the causeway, fall is fast approaching, and for us that means fishing Sabine Lake, the bayous, and surrounding marsh. The fall flounder run is getting ready to kick in and shrimp are beginning to make their way out of the marsh and bayous, where big schools of trout and reds are there to greet them. Over the next few months, seagulls and slicks will be leading us to these
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schools and there will be lots of nice limits taken. We are not quite through fishing the jetties and ship channel though, because that bite is still good. It is nice, however, to slip into the lake on a good calm September morning and get a little taste of what is right around the corner. Have a good pair of binoculars handy and cruise the lake looking for working gulls and slicks. They could be south, north, or anywhere in between, but when you find them, it will be worth your trip. Shut down the big motor well upwind of the school and troll until you get into casting range. Morning Glory, Glow, and Rootbeer soft plastics with 1/4-ounce heads work well, as do black with chartreuse and Bone colored topwaters. Rat-L-Traps in 1/4-ounce and chrome/black, chrome/blue are also good bets. We’ll definitely be talking more about this over the next couple of months, but let’s get back to south of the causeway for a minute. The wind has been brutal times two
THE BANK BITE LOCATION: North Revetment (Pleasure Island) SPECIES: trout, reds, flounder BAITS: fresh shrimp, live mud minnows, shad BEST TIME: Early morning with incoming tide this summer, but the green water found its way here and the trout have been behaving just as they are supposed to. We have had to deal with some big swells and a stiff wind at the jetties, but it has been worth it. We have taken lots of nice limits of very solid trout trolling from the end of the east jetty to the boat cut. (Don’t forget your Louisiana license!) Any bright colored soft plastic on 1/4- or 3/8-ounce heads has been working well, but Glow original Cocahoe Minnows have been doing the most damage for us. In the ship channel, live shrimp at Lighthouse Cove has been taking some nice limits of trout. Anchor in about 7 feet of water and use 24 inches of leader under a popping cork with a 1/4-ounce split shot halfway above a 3/0 Kahle hook. Making drifts at the LNG plant has also been good. Trout, reds, and flounder are taking Margarita and Glow plastics. Norton Sand Eel Jr. and Old Bayside 4-inch Shadlyns are getting the job done. It is September, so I can’t help but get excited about autumn fishing on Sabine Lake.
Contact: Eddie Hernandez, ehernandez@fishgame.com
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The Magnificent Mullet ULLET ARE VALUED AS PRIME BAIT BY most Galveston area fishermen, especially those after larger speckled trout and redfish. Just about anything will eat a mullet, and bay anglers can catch gafftop catfish, big stingrays near the passes, large black drum, and even hook the occasional tarpon while using the versatile mullet for bait.
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THE BANK BITE SEPTEMBER IS A GREAT WADING MONTH, WITH GOOD WEATHER AND DECENT TIDES. MANY OF THE SHALLOW LAKES OFF THE INTRACOASTAL WEST OF SAN LUIS PASS CAN BE DRIVEN TO BY CAR AND EASILY WADED. THE BEACHFRONT ROCK GROINS ON GALVESTON ISLAND PROVIDE DEEPER WATER ACCESS TO THOSE WISHING TO WALK THEM. THE SHALLOW LAKES ARE HOME TO FLOUNDER AND REDS MOSTLY, ALTHOUGH A FRESH TIDE CAN BRING IN SPECKS. VARIOUS PANFISHES MIGHT ALSO BE HOOKED. THE ROCK GROINS CAN YIELD ANYTHING FROM WHITING TO TARPON WITH THE RIGHT TACKLE AND TECHNIQUE. LIVE OR FRESH CUT MULLET WILL CATCH ANYTHING IN THE SURF. LIVE SHRIMP UNDER POPPING CORKS WORK WELL FOR TROUT. IN SHALLOW WATER, LIVE SHRIMP, MUD MINNOWS, OR SMALL FINGER MULLET ARE BEST, AND ALSO THOSE SOFT ARTIFICIALS THAT IMITATE THEM. FISH THE SHALLOW LAKES ON AN INCOMING OR FLOOD TIDE. IF YOU CAN GET TO THE OPENING WHERE IT MEETS THE ICW, A FALLING TIDE WILL BE SUCKING BAIT BACK INTO THE DEEPER WATER. ON THE BEACHFRONT, ANY MOVING TIDE IS GOOD.
Mullet are normally caught in cast nets, although they occasionally wander into a crab trap. Sometimes, however, mullet are caught on a hook and line. Many years ago, my fishing partner, Dave Shaeffer, and I were wading the shoreline east of San Luis Pass, casting silver Johnson Sprite spoons for speckled trout. We were getting hits on nearly every cast, many of them multiple attacks, but doing no catching, when Dave suddenly got a solid hookup. After a spirited fight, he reeled in a half-pound mullet. The fish was not hooked in the mouth, but on the side of the head. Still, there was little doubt the mullet had actually tried to eat the spoon. We caught several more that day, but were reluctant to “brag” about it to anyone. Mullet have very small mouths, but definitely eat more than plankton. Ever watch a fish carcass “swim” around in the water below a cleaning table? Chances are it is being pushed by a large school of mullet feeding on the remaining meat. I’m sure a hook sized to their mouths and baited with any sort of small piece of shrimp or baitfish could be used to hook up with a feisty mullet, although most fishermen might not want
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to. If they could hook one the size of the new state record striped mullet caught by game warden Scott Linder recently in Lower Laguna Madre, they might change their minds. Scott’s 10.4-pound mullet hit a Bass Assassin being fished for reds. A mullet that size had to have put up a very tough fight. Mullet are prized table fare in Florida, where they are generally served smoked. I have eaten mullet both smoked and fried from Texas waters, and they aren’t bad. The keys are to catch them from clean water, like green surf, and make sure the black intestinal cavity lining is completely removed. If you are looking for the makings of a fish fry, a cast net will likely be more productive than a rod and reel.
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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Take September for Granite Y FIRST CAST BOUNCED OFF THE GRANITE and surfaced in a pod of school of mullet staging against the outgoing tide. I gave it a twitch, walked it about five paces, then saw a spray and felt the weight of a 24-inch speckled trout. That was 10 years ago, but that morning session remains one of my most memorable topwater affairs since I began plugging as a kid. Jetties are a great place to locate during September, and there is none better on the middle coast than Port O’Connor. “There are some good trout caught on live bait,” said guide Lynn Smith of Port O’Connor. “Early in the morning and late in the evening—low light—is better for
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THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Oyster Lake Bridge SPECIES: redfish BAITS: live shrimp and mullet
lures when the water is so clear.” Pro guide Mike Williams of Galveston said the currents that flow through the rocks are the lifeblood of any bay estuary: “You can compare the Galveston jetty to the aorta of the circulatory system: Its waters supply life to Galveston Bay with fresh tidal exchange, and its granite attracts all types of fish.” Williams said live bait like piggy perch, croaker, and live shrimp is the best remedy for coaxing trout this time of year. Of course, tides play a role in success. The first two hours of the low tide and the last two hours of the incoming are best. Guide Dan Poffenberger of Rockport makes the long trek to the Port O jetty every
September, because as he puts it: “I can guarantee putting clients on bull redfish there. You never know when you hook a big ling, king, or red. Tarpon are there, too. There are some big ones—150- to 200pound-class fish.” Big mullet and live crab are the baits of choice to entice a silver king, but expect sharks to show as well. “We fish for sharks, and if the tarpon show we adjust,” said Poffenberger. “The sharks will keep you busy all of the time.” Poffenberger likes to concentrate in 30 feet of water near Bird Island, especially on the incoming tide. On the outgoing, he might anchor closer to the rocks, nearer the navigational buoys. “If I am not finding fish on anchor, I will drift with the tide until I do,” he said. Matagorda anglers are getting a new set of rocks, as the Army Corps of Engineers announced plans for a new jetty at the mouth of the Colorado River. According to reports, $21 million has been allocated for the project, which could begin this month. For years, shoaling has been a problem in Matagorda, with annual dredging a necessity to keep the channel open for Gulf shrimp boats. However, federal funds have not been available and the current jetty has not lived up to its engineering, shoaling to the point large boats cannot safely navigate. The new jetty should solve the Gulf access problem, and provide an excellent fishing venue.
Contact: Bink Grimes, www.binkgrimesoutdoors.com.
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Summer Patterns for September HILE THE FIRST NORTHERS ARE JUST around the corner, the reality is we are still in the summer pattern heat and one must fish accordingly to produce keeper fish. This still means an early morning and late evening strategy. I like live shrimp and cut bait this time of year, as they are easy meals for fish that have been prowling the extreme warm temperatures of the bays. ST. CHARLES BAY: Drifting across Cow Chip will produce reds using topwaters in Bone and red/white. The mouth of Cavasso is still producing black drum using peeled shrimp on a Carolina rig. Some flounder are being caught on soft plastics in Morning Glory and Rootbeer colors on the south shoreline of Cavasso. COPANO BAY: The mouth of Mission Bay is a good bet for reds early morning using cut menhaden. Little Lap Reef is good for trout using live shrimp under a cork. The deeper pockets of the mouth of the Aransas River are good places for trout using soft plastics in Rootbeer and New Penny colors. The deep edges of Lap Reef are holding trout and a few reds as well; use a free-line rig and live shrimp. ARANSAS BAY: Deadman Island and the reefs in this area running parallel to the ICW are good for trout and reds. Fish tight to the reefs for reds and out in deeper water for trout. Live piggies work well here. The spoil area at the mouth of Dunham Bay is a good spot for sheepshead and black drum; peeled shrimp and smaller hooks are the ticket.
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CARLOS BAY: The southwest shoreline of Cedar Reef next to the dugout is good for keeper reds using free-lined shrimp and cut menhaden on a Carolina rig. The mouth of Carlos at Beldon Dugout is a good place for trout drifting live shrimp under a popping cork on an outgoing tide. MESQUITE BAY: The reefs at the mouth of Brays Cove are holding reds and the occasional flounder early morning, using freelined shrimp and Norton Sand Eels in clear and Electric Chicken. The northeast shoreline is a good place for black drum using peeled shrimp under a silent cork. AYERS BAY: The west pocket of Ayres Island is good for reds and trout using live shrimp and topwater plugs in black/white. The south shoreline of Rattlesnake Island is
A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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THE BANK BITE HAIL POINT ON ST. CHARLES BAY IS A GOOD WADE WITH ACCESS VIA GOOSE ISLAND STATE PARK. FISH THE DEEPER EDGES OF THE GREEN WATER USING FREE-LINED PIGGY PERCH. FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR A GOOD WADE/WALK, THE CHANNEL BETWEEN ARANSAS BAY AND ST. CHARLES IS GOOD FOR TROUT USING SHRIMP UNDER A CORK OR FREE-LINED. good for sheepshead and reds using live shrimp. Contact Capt. Mac Gable at Mac Attack Guide Service, 512-809-2681, 361-790-9601
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September Brings Flounder, Bull Reds EPTEMBER BRINGS AN OVERLOOKED AND underutilized phenomenon to the region: flounder staging. Just as the first small cool fronts move through the area, flounder begin to stack up along the edge of drains in the marshes and points along the main body of Corpus Christi Bay, and feed heavily. Look for incoming tides to provide the most action, in particular any tides that put a foot or more of water in the bays within a
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short period. This stacks up baitfishes in eddies along the edge of drains and around points in a big way, and triggers the flounder bite. Work a Carolina-rigged Gulp! shrimp on a fluorocarbon leader slowly in these spots. With artificials, I wait only two seconds to set the hook on flounder, while with live bait, I hold off until 10 have gone by. With Gulp!, split the difference and make sure to put some muscle behind your strike. Flounder have a bony mouth and need hard contact for a good hookset. If you want to target bigger fish, look for ledges along the ship channel and cast parallel with this same rig or finger mullet. These spots can hold surprising numbers of big flatfish, although most of the action is hit and miss. The benefit is the fish are rarely undersized. Look for rising tides to provide the most action, but also the first hour of falling tides as fish feeding along the shorelines are pushed back to their deepwater haunts. Big redfish will begin feeding along the shorelines of Padre Island in large numbers
THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Padre Island National Seashore SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: crab, mullet BEST TIMES: High tides, murky water conditions as the spawn kicks in. A large crab with the shell popped off and hooked through the back paddle on a circle hook is hard for these brutes to pass up. Some anglers cut the crab in half, but if you are seeking a truly giant red, do not be afraid to use the whole thing. These fish have a mouth big enough to swallow a softball, and they are designed to terrorize crustaceans. If fooling with crab is not your thing, live croaker is a real redfish killer. This is especially true when the winds are up and the surf is murky, as the hooked croaker’s grunts give reds an audible target as well as something to excite the olfactory glands. Some anglers not familiar with the red’s mating rituals avoid rough surf, but this is often when the best fishing occurs. Many anglers say the very best redfish action comes with tropical storms in the distant Gulf as the big fish move in close and go crazy spawning. Remember that reds over 28 inches must have a trophy tag if you want to keep one. The only time I retain an oversized red is when one swallows the hook. You can avoid this by using circle hooks, but I would estimate 1 of 5 reds takes circle hooks in the throat instead of the mouth. If in a sensitive area, leave the hook in place, cut the line, and let the fish go if you don’t want to fool with these big fish. They are difficult to clean and the only decent way to cook them is grilled on the half shell. These big reds are much better off spawning in the Gulf to produce more of their kind. Email Chester Moore at cmoore@fishgame.com
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September Rocks REMEMBER THE DAY IN AUGUST 2008 QUITE vividly: I was making my run back to port down the Brownsville Ship Channel when my motor started beating that awful cadence—whack-whack-whackCLUNK! There was no way to deny the truth; my lower unit had tanked, and I was soon to be shorebound for a good long time in the middle of the best part of the South Texas fishing season. I was irked by my situation, but undaunted. I would simply revert to what I used to do back in my boatless days—hit the jetties, and hit them hard. Fishing the jetties in late summer/early fall is not a journey for just whiting and sand trout. Some of the most underrated summer fishing in South Texas takes place along either side of the Brazos Santiago jetties that bookend the pass of the same name, which feeds in and out of Lower Laguna Madre. These jetties are accessible from land— the north jetties (N26 4.080, W97 9.280) from South Padre Island; and the south jetties (N26 3.904, W97 8.738) from Brownsville via SH 4, and then turning left onto Brazos Island (known locally as Boca Chica Beach). They offer excellent fishing for everything from the four parts of the “Texas Slam” (trout, redfish, flounder, and snook) to mangrove snapper, Spanish mackerel, tarpon, and even kingfish for the properly equipped. Certainly, the most sought-after quarries are speckled trout and redfish. Both can be caught from the jetties on the same trip, but different techniques are called for. Speckled trout usually hold closer to the rocks and patrol up and down the gut that runs parallel to the jetties. This is especially true on the north jetties, where prevailing currents
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create gentler eddies and currents that, on an outgoing tide, push water and bait against the surf side of the rocks. Redfish will be prowling the surf away from the jetties and in the guts that intersect them. An incoming tide and soft southeast breezes that send clean water in from the Gulf make early mornings magical on the rocks. A fisherman can do well throwing live bait under a popping cork near the rocks for trout (and mangrove snapper, which almost become a nuisance in their abundance), or on a Carolina rig out in the surf for redfish; the bait bucket, however, isn’t necessary. A box filled with chugging topwaters such as the Storm Chug Bug or PRADCO Heddon Pop-R, a couple of pink/polka-dot Rat-L-Traps, a 1/2-ounce silver spoon or two, a collection of your favorite plastic tails in red/white or chartreuse patterns, and some 1/8-ounce jigheads is perfect to keep you mobile. If the wind is straight from the south, you can still fling topwaters parallel to the rocks. In fact, the trout seem a little more aggressive in the more active water. Start an early morning expedition on the jetties by casting back toward the corner where the rocks meet the beach, and work the lure back along the bottom. Trout should be there, but there might also be a few big flounder waiting in ambush. From those casts, expand out into the guts and cast parallel to the beach to see if there are redfish. It doesn’t hurt to place a few wire leaders in your tackle box. This time of year, there are schools of Spanish mackerel that tear into bait balls in front of the jetties. They are not discriminating, and can clean you out of tackle in a hurry. On the south jetties, the surf is a bit rougher and the rocks are not laid as smoothly, but the presence of snook in the suds more than makes up for the tougher work. These fish will also attack trout and redfish lures with abandon, but they offer some gill-rattling jumps for your thrills. The question always comes up about the sort of tackle needed for the jetties. HonestA L M A N A C / T E X A S
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ly, your traditional inshore 10- to 12-pound tackle is enough, but if you hook into a big red or snook, you are going to be in trouble. Upping slightly to 14- to 17-pound tackle is a safer bet to handle just about anything that swims the suds around the pink granite, and it gives you a little more power in reserve if Mr. Big comes calling. If you are feeling a little ambitious, walk all the way to the end of the jetty to take a shot at a kingfish or tarpon. Tarpon prowl the currents and eddies on the channel side of the jetties when the tide is running. Mullet imitators such as a large Rapala, Bomber Long A, or Money Mino are the best bets to get a poon’s attention. Fly-fishermen can use a large Tarpon Bunny or Chicken Feather-type fly on an 8- or 9-weight fly rod. Calm days bring blue water right up into the rocks, and kingfish follow bait into casting range. Use a Magnum Rat-L-Trap in chrome/blue or a fresh ribbonfish on a classic kingfish rig. Large menhaden (pogy) are best if you can get some that are fresh. Upgrade to a surf rod and high-capacity reel. Back in June of this year, I hooked into something that nailed my Pencil Popper and stripped my Penn 9500 SS of 400 yards of braid just like that. As far as I know, whatever it was is halfway to Yucatan. You never know what might show up and rock your world.
Contact: Calixto Gonzales by email at cgonzales@fishgame.com
THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Coast Guard Station GPS: 26 4.360, W97 10.031 SPECIES: speckled trout, flounder TIPS: Wade-fish with live shrimp/soft plastics under a Mauler.
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Tides and Prime Times
SEPTEMBER 2009 USING THE PRIME TIMES CALENDAR
The following pages contain TIDE and SOLUNAR predictions for Galveston Channel (29.3166° N, 94.88° W).
T12
T4
T11
T10
TIDE PREDICTIONS are located in the upper white boxes on the Calendar Pages. Use the Correction Table below, which is keyed to 23 other tide stations, to adjust low and high tide times.
T13 T7
T6 T5 T17
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY is shown in the lower color boxes of the Calendar pages. Use the SOLUNAR ADJUSTMENT SCALE below to adjust times for points East and West of Galveston Channel.
T15 T16
AM & PM MINOR phases occur when the moon rises and sets. These phases last 1 to 2 hours.
T14 T18
AM & PM MAJOR phases occur when the moon reaches its highest point overhead as well as when it is “underfoot” or at its highest point on the exact opposite side of the earth from your positoin (or literally under your feet). Most days have two Major Feeding Phases, each lasting about 2 hours.
T19
SOLAR & LUNAR ACTIVITY: Sunrise: 6:34a Sunset: 7:51p
PEAK DAYS: The closer the moon is to your location, the stronger the influence. FULL or NEW MOONS provide the strongest influnce of the month.
T20
AM Minor: 9:11a AM Major: 2:57a PM Minor: 9:40p PM Major: 3:25p
PEAK TIMES: When a Solunar Period falls within 30 minutes to an hour of sunrise or sunset, anticipate increased action. A moon rise or moon set during one of these periods will cause even greater action. If a FULL or NEW MOON occurs during a Solunar Period, expect the best action of the season.
Moonrise:9:27a Moon Set: None Moon Overhead:
T21
4:55p
TIDE CORRECTION TABLE Add or subtract the time shown at the right of the Tide Stations on this table (and map) to determine the adjustment from the time shown for GALVESTON CHANNEL in the calendars.
KEY T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6
PLACE Sabine Bank Lighthouse Sabine Pass Jetty Sabine Pass Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass Galveston Bay, S. Jetty Port Bolivar
HIGH -1:46 -1:26 -1:00 -0:04 -0:39 +0:14
LOW -1:31 -1:31 -1:15 -0:25 -1:05 -0:06
KEY PLACE HIGH Galveston Channel/Bays T7 Texas City Turning Basin +0:33 +3:54 T8 Eagle Point +6:05 T9 Clear Lake +10:21 T10 Morgans Point T11 Round Pt, Trinity Bay +10:39
LOW +0:41 +4:15 +6:40 +5:19 +5:15
KEY PLACE T12 Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay T13 Gilchrist, East Bay T14 Jamaica Beach, W. Bay T15 Alligator Point, W. Bay T16 Christmas Pt T17 Galveston Pleasure Pier
T22 T23
KEYS TO USING THE TIDE AND SOLUNAR GRAPHS TIDE LE VEL GRAPH: 12a
Tab: Peak Fishing Period
6a
12p
6p
12a
Green: Falling Tide
AM/PM Timeline Light Blue: Nighttime
BEST:
7:05-9:40 PM
Gold Fish: Best Time
Blue: Rising Tide Red Graph: Fishing Score
Blue Fish: Good Time
SOLUNAR AC TIVIT Y: MINOR Feeding Periods (+/- 1.5 Hrs.) Time Moon is at its Highest Point in the Sky 12a
AM/PM Timeline
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AM Minor: 1:20a
PM Minor: 1:45p
AM Major: 7:32a
PM Major: 7:57p
MAJOR Feeding Periods (+/- 2 Hrs.)
Moon Overhead: 8:50a 6a
12p
6p
12a
Time Moon is Directly Underfoot (at its peak on opposite side of the earth)
Moon Underfoot: 9:15p
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HIGH +5:48 +3:16 +2:38 +2:39 +2:32 -1:06
LOW +4:43 +4:18 +3:31 +2:33 +2:31 -1:06
KEY T18 T19 T20 T21 T22 T23
PLACE San Luis Pass Freeport Harbor Pass Cavallo Aransas Pass Padre Island (So. End) Port Isabel
SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:
NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION
Yellow: Daylight
TIDE PREDICTIONS are shown in graph form, with High and Low tide predictions in text immediately below. SOLUNAR ACTIVITY data is provided to indicate major and minor feeding periods for each day, as the daily phases of the moon have varying degrees of influence on a wide variety of wildlife species.
T9 T8
T3 T2 T1
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HIGH -0.09 -0:44 0:00 -0:03 -0:24 +1:02
LOW -0.09 -1:02 -1:20 -1:31 -1:45 -0:42
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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
SEP 1
2
THURSDAY
3
FRIDAY
4
SATURDAY
5
SUNDAY
6
Sunrise: 6:55a Moonrise: 5:26p
Set: 7:42p Set: 3:14a
Sunrise: 6:56a Moonrise: 6:01p
Set: 7:41p Set: 4:10a
Sunrise: 6:56a Moonrise: 6:33p
Set: 7:40p Set: 5:05a
Sunrise: 6:57a Moonrise: 7:03p
Set: 7:39p Set: 6:00a
Sunrise: 6:57a Moonrise: 7:32p
Set: 7:38p Set: 6:55a
Sunrise: 6:58a Moonrise: 8:01p
Set: 7:36p Set: 7:49a
Sunrise: 6:58a Moonrise: 8:31p
Set: 7:35p Set: 8:44a
AM Minor: 2:43a
PM Minor: 8:55p
AM Minor: 3:25a
PM Minor: 9:36p
AM Minor: 4:05a
PM Minor: 10:16p
AM Minor: 4:45a
PM Minor: 10:56p
AM Minor: 5:26a
PM Minor: 11:36p
AM Minor: 6:08a
PM Minor: ——-
AM Minor: 6:53a
PM Minor: 12:42p
AM Major: 8:55a
PM Major: 9:18p
AM Major: 9:36a
PM Major: 9:59p
AM Major: 10:16a
PM Major: 10:38p
AM Major: 10:56a
PM Major: 11:17p
AM Major: 11:36a
PM Major: 11:57p
AM Major: ——-
PM Major: 12:19p
AM Major: 12:42a
PM Major: 1:04p
Moon Overhead: 10:46p 6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: None
Moon Overhead: 11:31p 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 12:14a 12a
6a
12p
Moon Overhead: 1:37a
Moon Overhead: 12:56a
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
31
12a
Tides and Prime Times for SEPTEMBER 2009
Moon Overhead: 2:19a 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
FEET
FEET
Moon Underfoot: 10:22a +2.0
BEST:
BEST:
5:00 — 7:10 P
-1.0
BEST:
5:30 — 7:30 P
Moon Underfoot: 12:35p
Moon Underfoot: 1:16p
BEST:
10:00A — 12:20P
BEST:
10:56 A — 1:00 P
Moon Underfoot: 1:58p BEST:
11:15 A — 1:30 P
Moon Underfoot: 2:41p +2.0
BEST:
12:00 — 2:20 A
12:20 — 2:40 A
TIDE LEVELS
0
Moon Underfoot: 11:53a
TIDE LEVELS
+1.0
Moon Underfoot: 11:08a
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
5:09 AM 10:31 AM 12:13 PM 8:54 PM
1.55 ft 1.41 ft 1.42 ft 0.11 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
5:05 AM 10:06 AM 1:33 PM 9:28 PM
1.51 ft 1.35 ft 1.44 ft 0.18 ft
+1.0
0
-1.0 High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
5:06 AM 10:01 AM 2:34 PM 9:56 PM
1.47 ft 1.25 ft 1.45 ft 0.27 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
5:12 AM 10:15 AM 3:31 PM 10:23 PM
A L M A N A C / T E X A S
1.46 ft 1.12 ft 1.45 ft 0.39 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
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1.45 ft 0.97 ft 1.45 ft 0.54 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
5:33 AM 11:08 AM 5:23 PM 11:18 PM
1.44 ft 0.81 ft 1.45 ft 0.71 ft
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High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
5:42 AM 11:39 AM 6:24 PM 11:48 PM
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1.43 ft 0.65 ft 1.46 ft 0.90 ft
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7:45-9:40 AM
= Peak Fishing Period
= FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS
Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
8
Sunrise: 6:59a Moonrise: 9:03p
Set: 7:34p Set: 9:42a
Sunrise: 6:59a Moonrise: 9:40p
AM Minor: 7:41a
PM Minor: 1:30p
AM Major: 1:30a
PM Major: 1:53p
Moon Overhead: 3:03a 6a
12p
6p
9
FRIDAY
111
10
SATURDAY
Set: 7:29p Set: 1:52p
AM Minor: 8:33a
PM Minor: 2:21p
AM Minor: 9:29a
PM Minor: 3:16p
AM Minor: 10:28a
PM Minor: 4:14p
AM Minor: 11:28a
PM Minor: 5:13p
AM Minor: 12:05a
AM Major: 2:21a
PM Major: 2:45p
AM Major: 3:16a
PM Major: 3:42p
AM Major: 4:14a
PM Major: 4:42p
AM Major: 5:13a
PM Major: 5:43p
AM Major: 6:13a
Moon Overhead: 4:39a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 5:33a 12a
6a
12p
6p
Sunrise: 7:01a Set: 7:28p Moonrise: 12:10a Set: 2:52p
6a
12p
6p
13 Sunrise: 7:02a Moonrise: 1:13a
Set: 7:27p Set: 3:47p
PM Minor: 6:13p
AM Minor: 12:57a
PM Minor: 7:12p
PM Major: 6:44p
AM Major: 7:12a
PM Major: 7:42p
Moon Overhead: 7:31a
Moon Overhead: 6:31a 12a
SUNDAY
12
Set: 7:32p Sunrise: 7:00a Set: 7:33p Sunrise: 7:00a Set: 7:30p Sunrise: 7:01a Set: 10:42a Moonrise: 10:23p Set: 11:45a Moonrise: 11:12p Set: 12:49p Moonrise: None
Moon Overhead: 3:49a 12a
THURSDAY
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 8:32a 12a
6a
12p
6p
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
7
12a
Tides and Prime Times for SEPTEMBER 2009
12a
FEET
FEET
Moon Underfoot: 3:25p +2.0
BEST:
0
-1.0
BEST:
2:00 — 4:00 A
Moon Underfoot: 6:02p BEST:
10:00A — 12:00P
Moon Underfoot: 7:01p BEST:
4:30 — 6:30 P
Moon Underfoot: 8:02p BEST:
5:30 — 7:20 P
12:00 — 2:00 P
Moon Underfoot: 9:02p +2.0
BEST:
12:30 — 3:00 P TIDE LEVELS
+1.0
BEST:
Moon Underfoot: 5:06p
TIDE LEVELS
1:00 — 13:30 A
Moon Underfoot: 4:14p
High Tide: 5:46 AM 1.42 ft Low Tide: 12:14 PM 0.49 ft High Tide: 7:34 PM 1.47 ft
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
12:19 AM 5:41 AM 12:55 PM 8:56 PM
1.11 ft 1.45 ft 0.35 ft 1.50 ft
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
12:49 AM 5:24 AM 1:43 PM 10:43 PM
1.32 ft 1.51 ft 0.22 ft 1.55 ft
Low Tide: 1:11 AM High Tide: 5:07 AM Low Tide: 2:41 PM
1.51 ft 1.62 ft 0.12 ft
High Tide: 5:00 AM Low Tide: 3:50 PM
1.73 ft 0.03 ft
High Tide: 4:51 AM Low Tide: 5:05 PM
1.81 ft High Tide: 3:49 AM -0.03 ft Low Tide: 6:19 PM
1.83 ft -0.06 ft
+1.0
0
-1.0
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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
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
14
15
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
17
16
SATURDAY
18
SUNDAY
119
20
Sunrise: 7:02a Moonrise: 2:22a
Set: 7:26p Set: 4:36p
Sunrise: 7:03a Moonrise: 3:32a
Set: 7:24p Set: 5:19p
Sunrise: 7:03a Moonrise: 4:41a
Set: 7:23p Set: 5:58p
Sunrise: 7:04a Moonrise: 5:48a
Set: 7:22p Set: 6:33p
Sunrise: 7:04a Moonrise: 6:53a
Set: 7:21p Set: 7:07p
Sunrise: 7:04a Moonrise: 7:57a
Set: 7:19p Set: 7:42p
Sunrise: 7:05a Moonrise: 9:02a
Set: 7:18p Set: 8:18p
AM Minor: 1:52a
PM Minor: 8:07p
AM Minor: 2:45a
PM Minor: 8:59p
AM Minor: 3:34a
PM Minor: 9:48p
AM Minor: 4:22a
PM Minor: 10:35p
AM Minor: 5:10a
PM Minor: 11:22p
AM Minor: 5:59a
PM Minor: ——-
AM Minor: 6:52a
PM Minor: 12:39p
AM Major: 8:07a
PM Major: 8:37p
AM Major: 8:59a
PM Major: 9:27p
AM Major: 9:48a
PM Major: 10:14p
AM Major: 10:35a
PM Major: 11:00p
AM Major: 11:22a
PM Major: 11:47p
AM Major: ——-
PM Major: 12:36p
AM Major: 12:39a
PM Major: 1:04p
Moon Overhead: 9:32a
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 11:23a
Moon Overhead: 10:29a 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 12:15p 12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 1:53p
Moon Overhead: 1:04p 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 2:43p 12a
6a
12p
6p
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
Tides and Prime Times for SEPTEMBER 2009
12a
FEET
FEET
Moon Underfoot: 10:01p +2.0
BEST:
0
-1.0
Moon Underfoot: None
BEST:
8:45 — 11:00 A
BEST:
9:30 — 11:45 A
Moon Underfoot: 12:39a BEST:
10:20A — 12:50P
Moon Underfoot: 1:29a BEST:
11:00A — 1:30P
Moon Underfoot: 2:18a +2.0
BEST:
12:20 — 2:15 P
12:40 — 3:20 P TIDE LEVELS
+1.0
BEST:
Moon Underfoot: 11:49p
TIDE LEVELS
8:00 — 9:50 A
Moon Underfoot: 10:57p
High Tide: 3:43 AM Low Tide: 7:25 PM
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1.81 ft High Tide: -0.05 ft Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
• S E P T E M B E R
3:52 AM 9:01 AM 12:21 PM 8:25 PM
1.74 ft 1.52 ft 1.60 ft 0.04 ft
2 0 0 9 /
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
4:05 AM 9:09 AM 2:04 PM 9:18 PM
T E X A S
1.66 ft 1.28 ft 1.63 ft 0.21 ft
F i s h
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
&
4:19 AM 9:40 AM 3:26 PM 10:08 PM
1.58 ft 1.00 ft 1.67 ft 0.44 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
4:33 AM 10:18 AM 4:40 PM 10:54 PM
G a m e ® / A L M A N A C
1.53 ft 0.71 ft 1.71 ft 0.71 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
4:48 AM 10:59 AM 5:52 PM 11:39 PM
1.50 ft 0.46 ft 1.72 ft 0.98 ft
High Tide: 5:01 AM 1.51 ft Low Tide: 11:41 AM 0.27 ft High Tide: 7:05 PM 1.72 ft
+1.0
0
-1.0
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= New Moon = First Quarter = Full Moon = Last Quarter = Best Day
Tides and Prime Times for SEPTEMBER 2009 TUESDAY
Sunrise: 7:05a Set: 7:17p Moonrise: 10:06a Set: 8:57p
Sunrise: 7:06a Set: 7:16p Moonrise: 11:09a Set: 9:40p
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
21
22
THURSDAY
23
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
24
Sunrise: 7:06a Set: 7:15p Sunrise: 7:07a Moonrise: 12:09p Set: 10:27p Moonrise: 1:05p
SUNDAY
226
25
Set: 7:13p Sunrise: 7:07a Set: 11:17p Moonrise: 1:56p
Set: 7:12p Set: None
Sunrise: 7:08a Moonrise: 2:42p
27
Set: 7:11p Sunrise: 7:09a Set: 12:10a Moonrise: 3:23p
Set: 7:10p Set: 1:05a
AM Minor: 7:47a
PM Minor: 1:34p
AM Minor: 8:45a
PM Minor: 2:32p
AM Minor: 9:43a
PM Minor: 3:30p
AM Minor: 10:40a
PM Minor: 4:27p
AM Minor: 11:34a
PM Minor: 5:21p
AM Minor: 12:01a
PM Minor: 6:13p
AM Minor: 12:48a
PM Minor: 7:00p
AM Major: 1:34a
PM Major: 2:00p
AM Major: 2:32a
PM Major: 2:58p
AM Major: 3:30a
PM Major: 3:56p
AM Major: 4:27a
PM Major: 4:53p
AM Major: 5:21a
PM Major: 5:47p
AM Major: 6:13a
PM Major: 6:37p
AM Major: 7:00a
PM Major: 7:24p
Moon Overhead: 3:34p
12a
WEDNESDAY
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 5:19p
Moon Overhead: 4:26p 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 6:11p 12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 7:52p
Moon Overhead: 7:03p 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
MONDAY
Moon Overhead: 8:40p 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
FEET
FEET
Moon Underfoot: 3:08a +2.0
BEST:
BEST:
-1.0
BEST:
2:30 — 4:45 P
Moon Underfoot: 5:45a
Moon Underfoot: 6:37a
BEST:
9:30 — 11:50 A
BEST:
10:00A — 12:20P
Moon Underfoot: 7:28a
Moon Underfoot: 8:16a
BEST:
11:00A — 1:20P
+2.0
BEST:
12:00 — 2:00P
1:30 — 3:00 P TIDE LEVELS
0
Moon Underfoot: 4:52a
TIDE LEVELS
1:45 — 4:00 P
+1.0
Moon Underfoot: 4:00a
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
12:22 AM 5:12 AM 12:26 PM 8:21 PM
1.24 ft 1.53 ft 0.16 ft 1.71 ft
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
1:04 AM 5:13 AM 1:14 PM 9:50 PM
1.44 ft 1.57 ft 0.13 ft 1.69 ft
Low Tide: 1:42 AM High Tide: 4:32 AM Low Tide: 2:08 PM
1.60 ft 1.62 ft 0.16 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
12:06 AM 1:28 AM 2:46 AM 3:10 PM
A L M A N A C / T E X A S
1.70 ft 1.70 ft 1.70 ft 0.23 ft
High Tide: 3:07 AM Low Tide: 4:23 PM
F i s h
&
1.75 ft 0.30 ft
High Tide: 3:33 AM Low Tide: 5:38 PM
1.75 ft 0.36 ft
High Tide: 3:45 AM Low Tide: 6:43 PM
G a m e ® / S E P T E M B E R
2 0 0 9
1.73 ft 0.41 ft
•
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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
28
WEDNESDAY
29
THURSDAY
30
FRIDAY
OC T 1
SATURDAY
2
SUNDAY
44
3
Sunrise: 7:09a Moonrise: 4:00p
Set: 7:08p Set: 2:01a
Sunrise: 7:10a Moonrise: 4:33p
Set: 7:07p Set: 2:56a
Sunrise: 7:10a Moonrise: 5:03p
Set: 7:06p Set: 3:51a
Sunrise: 7:11a Moonrise: 5:33p
Set: 7:05p Set: 4:46a
Sunrise: 7:11a Moonrise: 6:02p
Set: 7:04p Set: 5:40a
Sunrise: 7:12a Moonrise: 6:31p
Set: 7:02p Set: 6:36a
Sunrise: 7:12a Moonrise: 7:04p
Set: 7:01p Set: 7:33a
AM Minor: 1:33a
PM Minor: 7:44p
AM Minor: 2:14a
PM Minor: 8:25p
AM Minor: 2:52a
PM Minor: 9:03p
AM Minor: 3:29a
PM Minor: 9:40p
AM Minor: 4:07a
PM Minor: 10:17p
AM Minor: 4:46a
PM Minor: 10:57p
AM Minor: 5:29a
PM Minor: 11:41p
AM Major: 7:44a
PM Major: 8:07p
AM Major: 8:25a
PM Major: 8:47p
AM Major: 9:03a
PM Major: 9:24p
AM Major: 9:40a
PM Major: 10:01p
AM Major: 10:17a
PM Major: 10:38p
AM Major: 10:57a
PM Major: 11:19p
AM Major: 11:41a
PM Major: ——-
Moon Overhead: 9:26p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 10:52p
Moon Overhead: 10:09p 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 11:33p 12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: None 12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 12:15a 12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 12:59a 12a
6a
12p
6p
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
Tides and Prime Times for SEPTEMBER 2009
12a
FEET
FEET
Moon Underfoot: 9:03a +2.0
BEST:
BEST:
-1.0
Moon Underfoot: 11:12a
BEST:
3:00 — 5:00 P
BEST:
4:00 — 6:00 P
Moon Underfoot: 11:54a BEST:
9:30A — 12:20P
Moon Underfoot: 12:37p BEST:
10:00A — 12:30P
Moon Underfoot: 1:22p +2.0
BEST:
10:30A — 1:00P
12:00 — 1:30 A TIDE LEVELS
0
Moon Underfoot: 10:31a
TIDE LEVELS
2:30 — 4:30 P
+1.0
Moon Underfoot: 9:48a
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
C32
3:40 AM 10:15 AM 10:36 AM 7:35 PM
1.68 ft 1.48 ft 1.48 ft 0.47 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
• S E P T E M B E R
3:35 AM 9:21 AM 12:40 PM 8:15 PM
1.63 ft 1.41 ft 1.49 ft 0.55 ft
2 0 0 9 /
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
3:35 AM 9:11 AM 1:53 PM 8:49 PM
T E X A S
1.59 ft 1.28 ft 1.53 ft 0.65 ft
F i s h
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
&
3:41 AM 9:18 AM 2:55 PM 9:21 PM
1.57 ft 1.12 ft 1.57 ft 0.77 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
3:49 AM 9:35 AM 3:52 PM 9:52 PM
G a m e ® / A L M A N A C
1.56 ft 0.94 ft 1.63 ft 0.91 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
3:58 AM 10:00 AM 4:48 PM 10:24 PM
1.56 ft 0.75 ft 1.68 ft 1.07 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
4:06 AM 10:30 AM 5:46 PM 10:59 PM
1.56 ft 0.57 ft 1.74 ft 1.23 ft
+1.0
0
-1.0
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MudArmour Shield for Shotguns
Contact Mud Brothers, LLC, PO Box 93803, Southlake, TX 76092. Phone:(817) 917-9364. Website: www.mudarmour.com.
MudArmour is an innovative product designed to prevent mud, dust, and water from invading the interior of a shotgun. This product is constructed of durable, lightweight, water-repelling neoprene. TheMudArmour kit consists of the Barrel Boot
Magnum Feeders Get a Charge Out of Silver While filling deer feeders 22 miles from nowhere, you discovered that the battery in the last feeder was dead, and the nearest town has no lead acid re-chargeable batteries. No problem if you are using Magnum Hunting Products new Silver “+” series controller.
MudArmor
Magnum Silver +
which seals the business end of the shotgun, and the Chamber Vest which surrounds the upper receiver to cover the loading and ejection ports. MudArmour serves as a mobile gun case that remains on the shotgun until you are ready to take the first shot. As you move down range on foot or ATV, Mud Armour repels the elements to keep your shotgun clean and fully operational. When it’s time to take the shot, you won’t be cleaning your gun. MudArmour can be easily stored and retrieved from your pocket. You invest in waders and outer-gear to protect you from the elements, give your shotgun the same vital protection. Whether you hunt waterfowl or upland birds, MudArmour is essential to protect your shotgun from the elements. C34
• S E P T E M B E R
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The Silver “+” is powered by D-Cell batteries in battery packs. The six battery pack delivers 9 volts and the eight battery pack delivers 12 volts. The packs will provide clean, smooth, reliable power for over 9 months. Every grocery store, convenience store and drug store in small towns have DCell batteries and they are considerably less expensive than the re-chargeable ones. The Silver “+” is menu driven making it extremely easy to set, and features an e-prom memory that saves all feeder settings. It comes complete with a spinner plate and Magnum’s N-Linear housing. Just pop in the D-Cells and start feeding. The Silver “+” Controller is built on
T E X A S
F i s h
&
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Magnums famous Platinum “+” technology and is the latest advancement in Magnum’s 42 year history in the game feeder industry. And, all Magnum’s products are made in Texas. For more information call 281-261-0803 or go to their website, www.magnumhunting.com.
All Season Feaders Having problems attracting your deer to a protein feeder? Tired of filling multiple feeders? With the new All Seasons Feeders Combo Feeders (Patent Pending) you can eliminate the need for doubling everything! The new Combo is a 2 feed stations in 1! Combining the best features of free choice protein tube feeder and our new weather /varmint resistant broadcast feeder into one. The ASF new Combo series feeders eliminates the need for multiple feed stations, eliminates the need for 2 feed pens, and the need of 2 set ups to fill your feeders. Our unique gate control allows you to feed both corn and protein at he same time, or each can be fed individually. The control unit is a our own heavy duty design built to withstand the abuse of the largest of animals while still resisting small unwanted animals and birds from wasting feed. Hopper size comes in 1,000 2,000 and 3,000 lbs capacity. The 1,000 lb holds 450 lbs of corn while the other 2 will hold
All Season Feeder
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700 lbs of corn. (Feeder capacities determined by corn weight) For more information, please visit the All Season Feeders website, www.allseasonsfeeders.com, or call (800) 841-1720.
George Strait Releases ‘Twang’ George Strait’s “Living For The Night,” the first single from his upcoming album TWANG, hit the Top 15 mark in just three weeks making it one of the fastest rising singles of his career. The song was
George Strait’s 38th album, “Twang.” written by Strait, his son Bubba Strait and legendary songwriter Dean Dillon. With the debut single racing up the charts, the street date of TWANG has been moved up to August 11, 2009. Co-producing this 13 track disc with producer Tony Brown, Strait proves again why he has sold over 67 million albums throughout his record-breaking career. TWANG, Strait’s 38th album, was recorded at Shrimpboat Sound Studio in Key West, FL. It is the same studio where they recorded Strait’s last two award-winning albums. With a career spanning more than 25 years, Strait has 57 #1 singles to his credit, which is the record for more Number One hits than any artist in history. His 33 different platinum or multi-platinum albums have earned him the most RIAA platinum certifications in country music and third in all genres behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley. Strait was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006, making
Page C35
him one of a few artists to receive such an honor while still actively recording and producing music.
Midstate Lamp A new propane lamp from Midstate Lamp Company is brighter and more energy-efficient than anything else on the mar-
Midstate Lamp
ket. The Model 450 is as bright as a 100watt bulb. Most propane lights burn at 10 pounds per square inch of pressure, but the Model 450 operates at less then 1 psi. Besides saving fuel, the new lamp is whisper quiet. The lamp is ideal for remote cabins or cottages without electricity. It’s also a sensible backup for modern homes when the power goes off. Made of stainless steel with brass fittings, the lamp, which sells for $99.95, comes with aluminum reflector and mounting bracket. Midstate Lamp, 169 E. CR 200 N., Arthur IL 61911; 866-450-LAMP (5267).
Rusty’s Rags Gun Cleaning Product Rusty’s Rags, Inc. announces a new gun cleaning cloth for all types of firearms. The “Rusty’s Rag” (MSRP $9.25) is basically two cleaning kits in one. The hand-cut sheepskin cloth is impregnated with a special silicone formulated for firearms. It also comes with a flannel cloth used for wiping off the excess oil and polishing to a fine finish. Each product is produced by hand in the USA. Whether in the field or at home the “Rusty’s Rag” gun cleaning cloth is the most effective way to clean and protect virtually any gun, anywhere. Two sizes have been developed for specific guns. The smaller size, approx. 2” x 5”, used for pistols, is the most popular with gun ranges, daily shooters, and occasional hunters. The larger size, approx. 5” x 5”, is ideal for rifles, shotguns, and black powder firearms. “We are constantly looking for high quality gun stores, shooting ranges, and distributers to sell our product,” says Latham Doxey, Vice President of Sales. “We offer a quality product which is hand-made and not packaged off of a high speed assembly line. If you want to offer a high quality gun cleaning product to your customers, the “Rusty’s Rag” is for you.” For more information on this product visit: www.RustysRags.com.
Rusty’s Rags
A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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Costa Shades in Death & Life A LOT OF SUNGLASSES HAVE PASSED UNDER THE boot heel since I destroyed my beloved Costa del Mar Hammerheads with a plasma torch. They were my first Costas, and I mourn the loss almost daily.
Page C36
well to keep them in place under grease-andsweat conditions. The lenses were a bit small for my tastes, so before I could destroy the Man-O-Wars I acquired a pair of Howlers. The bigger lenses suited me better, and the lightweight frames reduced ear and nose fatigue after extended wear. Both models have so far survived assorted indignities, including sittings on, standings on (once by a cow, no less), sand and
PHOTO BY DON ZAIDLE
Alas, most sunglasses face a short life and violent death around me. Don’t ask me why. I tried substituting cheaper glasses for the Costas, following the logic that since I would shortly destroy or lose them, it was better to sacrifice cheap than quality. To my chagrin, “cheap” lasted about 1/10 the time as quality and I was losing glasses (and money) at an alarming rate. (One “bargain” pair disappeared down the gullet of a chocolate Lab—literally disappeared, because despite due vigilance and frequent examination of Lab detritus, the remains never showed up, yet the Lab is still ticking after, lo, these many months. Made me wonder what really happened to that missing hunting knife.) For my triumphant return to quality, I first co-opted a pair of Man-O-War Costas, the rubberized nosepiece of which worked
gravel abrasion, and an extended slide down a highway with only minor road rash resulting. I keep writing the Costa engineers asking why they do not develop a Barbwire model in my honor, but they never write back. Busy, I guess. Contact: Costa del Mar, 800-447-3700, www.costadelmar.com
Woo Shoes. At first I thought it was a joke, maybe a pair of Oxfords with whoopee cushion insoles, but Woo was adamant it was a legit deal. Nonetheless, I remained reticent to agree simply because of the name. Not that I have any insecurities about my manhood or anything, but “Woo Shoes” sounds like something Peewee Herman would wear to the theater. I ultimately relented in the name of good relations, secretly scheming to ensconce the shoes in one of many boxes of “stuff ” or give them away to the unsuspecting. However, when the shoes arrived and I saw the material and workmanship quality (leather uppers bounded to a thick, slip-resistant rubber sole, double stitching, and brass eyelets), I thought, What the hell, I’ll just wear them around the house. “Around the house” for me includes midnight forays into the backyard (briar- and brush-choked woods) to dispatch marauding varmints, navigating driveway mud to reach the mailbox, and skinning assorted fauna on the back porch for grandsons who swear they will “get it” if I just show them how one more time. To my surprise and delight, the Woo Shoes stood up to this treatment with comfortable endurance, and remain my “house shoes” to prevent tracking “stuff ” all over the house and provoking spousal wrath.
—Don Zaidle
Woo-Hoos for Woo Shoes “YOU WANT ME TO TRY A PAIR OF WHAT?” I was unsure what to think when bassing legend Woo Daves asked me to try a pair of PHOTO BY DON ZAIDLE
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• S E P T E M B E R
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Although Woo Shoes, designed by and made for Woo Daves as fishing shoes, are available in several styles from Bass Pro Shops, I am unsure which ones I have. Whatever the case, I am confident other styles are just as rugged and comfortable— despite the funny name. Contact: Bass Pro Shops, 800-9204400, www.basspro.com —DZ
Yeti Coolers Pass the Grizzly Test WHEN YETI OFFERED TO SEND ME A 54-QUART ice chest over a year ago, I expected a highquality product. Even so, when the cooler arrived, I was impressed. Instead of being light and flimsy like most coolers, this one was heavy and tough. From the perfectly aligned lid to the heavy duty hinges, screwin drain plug, and rubber feet that keep the box from sliding around in a pickup bed, the Yeti ice chest is obviously a top-ofthe-line product. Inside and out, the cooler is built much better than the average ice chest. My oldest son, Courtland, and I took the Yeti on a trip to California during July 2008, and carried it on a rack on the back of our Jeep. We w e n t through the Mojave Desert twice, and were on the road for 10 days. The cooler was in the sun most of that time, and we opened it many times every day. When we got home, it still contained about half of a 10-pound block of ice
Page C37
we had put in it before we left home. This is a serious ice chest. I drained the water periodically, and we added a small bag of ice a couple of times, so the block of ice had help. Still, I have never had a cooler keep ice that well. The seal is so tight the lid is sometimes difficult to open the lid, even with the latches undone. If the drain plug is not opened first, the suction against the rubber seal will not allow the lid to be raised. It seals far better than my home refrigerator. The Yeti cooler is so tough it could probably be used as a jack stand without damage. Normally, if an ice chest blows out of a pickup, it is history. The Yeti is heavy enough not to blow out, even empty, but if it did, it would probably just get a little scratched up. The U.S. Forest Service has a division called the “Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee.” This committee has tested the Tundra line of Yeti coolers extensively. The coolers were padlocked and attacked by live, wild grizzly bears. The boxes were scratched, tossed, and chewed, but the bears
Which is not really a surprise. If my teenage son and I could not tear one up, a grizzly bear doesn’t stand a chance. Maybe if they sent one to Zaidle.... Contact: Yeti Coolers, 512-394-9384, www.yeticoolers.com —Kendal Hemphill
PHOTO COURTESY YETI COOLERS
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never got them open. The Yeti Tundra, consequently, is one of the few coolers officially approved by the IGBC for use on public lands occupied by grizzlies. A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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Anchor Marine Marks One-Year Anniversary NCHOR MARINE IN SAN ANTONIO MARKED ITS first anniversary under new owner, Tony Alvarez, Sr., this spring. Alvarez reflected on the first year as a tremendous learning experience: “This has
A
sonalities; just a bunch of easy-going hardworking people who like to fish and boat.” The first anniversary has been a tough year in today’s economy. Handling the credit crunch has been one of the challenges that
been better than going to school because it has given me an opportunity to get into a business where people care about people. You are not dealing with prima donnas, per-
Tony Alvarez and the employees of Anchor Marine
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• S E P T E M B E R
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not only Anchor, but all boat dealers are facing. Before credit availability tightened, a
T E X A S
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dealer sold the boat, called the bank, and was paid. Now dealers have to sell the boat, sell the bank, and then hope the bank is going to pay in a timely manner. The dealer is actually selling the boat twice. Alvarez said the secret to selling boats in today’s marketplace is educating the customer and being creative: “You need to be careful how you pre-qualify the customer without insulting his wishes. Everybody wants to drive a Cadillac, but not everybody can afford one. You have to reason with a customer, put him in a boat that he will be
comfortable with and be able to afford without much of a problem. That takes education. “In the past, I believe there were a lot of PHOTO COURTESY ANCHOR MARINE
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boat sales that were happening because you had a bunch of order takers that would write up the order. Now you have to research the customer; you have to qualify the customer; you have to educate the customer as to what products are available to meet his budgetary needs.” Boat financing is available. Maybe the bigger lending institutions such as large banks can be restrictive in their lending qualifications, but Alvarez finances many of his sales through credit unions. “We find that the easiest way to get money is through local credit unions. They are really open-minded. We have a good relationship with them and it’s fairly easy to get financing with them.” Alvarez is working with military presence in the San Antonio area in sponsoring fishing trips for returning Iraq veterans, “being part of the family.” Anchor Marine continues its emphasis on top-notch customer service for both saltand freshwater anglers. “We have made it a point to have a wide range of pricing so we can accommodate the first-time buyer all the way up to the buyer
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who has bought several boats,” said Alvarez. “We have cancelled some of the relationships we had with boat manufacturers, but we have brought in new lines, such as Majek, bringing it into the San Antonio area. We are very excited to have that relationship with them.” The dealership continues to have a strong relationship with Shallow Sport, and Skeeter boats are one of the top sellers along with Frontier and Blackjack boats from K2. “We see the $18-26 thousand price range boat moving fairly well with the economy. The high end priced boats are moving, but the biggest demand is for boats in the 18-26.” There is also a very high demand for used boats. “We usually have anywhere from 15 to 25 used boats in stock all the time, both fresh- and saltwater boats. Used boats have to meet our standards or I don’t touch it.” Great communication between the customer and the staff at Anchor Marine has never changed. Alvarez personally calls customers, thanks them for their business, and
gives them updates regarding service, new boat preparation, or how the loan application is moving on their new boat. “A customer expects top notch service before and after the sale—the way you greet customers, the way you walk customers through the dealership, making sure no matter what they are here for, they are treated the best we can. “God has blessed this company. I am a very fortunate individual, very blessed to have the caliber employees I have. These people are loyal, hard working, they really understand what customer care is really about. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them, the best of the best.” — Tom Behrens
On the Web www.anchormaineoftexas.com
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Cimarron Arms Model 1885 High Wall HE WINCHESTER MODEL 94 WAS introduced in November 1894. We all know it was the first to use a smokeless sporting cartridge, the famous .30-30 Winchester. However, most do not know that the .30-30 (originally the .30 WCF)
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by Steve LaMascus was not one of the Model 94’s original chamberings. That honor goes to the .38-55 and .32-40, both black powder cartridges. The .38-55 in particular was and still is a grand old cartridge. It is now experiencing a renaissance, due mainly to the growing popularity of Cowboy Action Shooting. While it was made popular in the Winchester 94 lever action, the .38-55 was originally introduced by Ballard in 1885 for a single-shot target rifle, and I believe that is where it fits best. Why? Because the .38-55 is an astoundingly accurate cartridge. When the black powder set is looking for pure accuracy, they usually pick the .38-55 or .32-40. I had never used the .38-55, but I have always admired it as a wonderful old deer slayer that was also sufficiently powerful for even larger game, if the range is kept short. I prefer it to the larger cartridges, like the .45-110 or the .50-90, because it is easy to reload with smokeless powder, while the large cases require special techniques to sucC40
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cessfully load smokeless. The .38-55 requires no fillers, card wads, or grease cookies; just pour in the powder, seat the bullet, and you are ready to go. It is also easily loaded with black powder for the purist. (If you are a purist, you already know how to load it with black powder, so for this piece we will concentrate on its serviceability with smokeless.) To remedy my lack of experience with this grand old cartridge, I called Cimarron Arms in Fredericksburg and ordered a Winchester Model 1885 High Wall single-shot manufactured for Cimarron by A. Uberti, the famous Italian gun maker. Lyman Products supplied bullet molds, reloading dies, and nose punches. My thanks to both those companies, which regularly help me with highest quality products for my research. The biggest advantages the .38-55 has over the .30-30 are bullet weight and bullet diameter; the two cartridges share the same head size and use the same shell holders, the .30-30 being nothing more than a necked down .38-55. The .38-55 shoots bullets of the same diameter as the vaunted .375 H&H Magnum. Depending on the rifle, groove diameter will run from about .376 to around .380 inches, which is where the “.38” part comes from. The only debit on the account is that it does not have much velocity, especially with heavier bullets like the Lyman 335-grain cast bullet, intended for shooting metallic silhouettes. Still, in most situations, I believe we have gone far overboard in our search for higher velocities. We should instead be searching for cartridges that get the job done without kicking our teeth out and making us flinch. The .3855, in spite of its considerable size, is not a hard-kicking cartridge, especially when com-
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pared to the modern super magnums like the .378 Weatherby. My Cimarron Model 1885 High Wall Sporting Rifle is gorgeous. I picked it up from my old friend Rodney Deorsam at Oasis Outback in Uvalde and sped home to try it out. It has plain but well-fitted wood; deep, dark bluing; nice case hardening on the receiver; and a double-set trigger that lets off at less than a pound. The barrel is a 30-inch full octagon. The trapdoor in the butt houses a brass cleaning rod. My test gun was equipped with a tang-mounted rear aperture sight and globe front sight, with a series of interchangeable inserts. In all, a very well made, well-finished, workmanlike gun just screams, “Shoot me!” I first loaded the .38-55 with 335-grain Lyman cast bullets lubed with Lyman MolyLube, Winchester cases primed with CCI 200 primers, and 18-grains of IMR4198. I had to guess at the right powder charge because I could not find loading data for that bullet. It was a good guess. The big Lyman is a semi-pointed bullet reminiscent of the old Postell black powder bullets. I was afraid they were too long and pointed to stabilize in the .38-55, which was designed for bullets in the 250-grain range, but I was pleasantly surprised. The first theshot group after I got it on paper at 100 yards measured right at 2 inches. Subse-
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50 Years of Opening Days HEIR FACES ARE YOUNG, CONFIDENT, excited, and smiling. In their posture, one detects the easy insouciance of the veteran sportsman. They are young men embarking on a journey, possibly even an adventure, and they are ready—all, that is, except one. On the front row is a young man—easily the youngest of the group, a boy still— with somber eyes behind large glasses. His posture is a poor copy of his companions’, a calculated swagger worn like an ill-fitting coat over his nervous stiffness. The boy is Charles Crain, and he is about to embark on his first opening-day dove hunt.
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by Krystin Crain Johnson He stands with two older brothers and three friends, and his eyes seem to stare past the camera. He could not have known, at age 13, that he was beginning what would become a life-long passion, taking the first steps of an annual pilgrimage that would span 50 years. He could not know that, as a freshman in college, one of the boys in the picture would accidentally fire the bullet that ended his baseball career and very nearly ended his life. He could not know that, in the year 2009, he would still be hunting on opening day with the boys in the photograph. The photo, taken September 1, 1960, in the driveway of the Crain family home in Dallas, Texas, shows Charles, his friend Denny Malouf, his older brothers Butch and Mike, and their friends Phil Curran PHOTO COURTESY KRYSTIN CRAIN JOHNSON
Front Row, L-R: Charles Crain (13), Denny Malouf (13). Middle Row, L-R: Butch Crain (20), Phil Curran (20), Jerry Wendt (21); Back Row, Mike Crain (17) on the day of Charles’ first opening day dove hunt.
and Jerry Wendt. This was to be Charles’ first dove hunt, and the site chosen was the Malouf family’s land in East Texas, near what is now Lake Tawakoni. Charles’ brothers were experienced hunters, and it fell to them to teach the youngest of the five Crain children the skills of a hunter and outdoorsman. In 1960, the dove limit was 10 birds. Excellent shots all, the Crain boys never took long to get their limits. Texas was still predominantly agricultural, and permission A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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to hunt on a rancher’s land could be had for the asking. The concept of hunting leases was virtually unknown. When Charles went on his first openingday dove hunt, there was more at stake than a day’s entertainment; he was being initiated into a time-honored Texas tradition. The hunters gather before daybreak, taking up positions when the sky first begins to lighten and the dove start to fly. The day ends with a cook-out, tired hunters sprawling on sagging tail-gates telling stories of the
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day’s hunt, last year’s hunt, and hunts that took place before some of the younger hunters were born. As the dove season progresses, a handful of hunters might shoot for a morning, or possibly escape from the city for a brief evening hunt. But opening day means some-
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thing more—a ritual, a sacred pilgrimage that all hunters insist on making. Charles Crain has made it, without fail, for 50 consecutive years. “The Texas tradition of the sportsman is being upheld in its purest form by this one man in Austin, Texas,” said Pat Boyle, long-time friend and
hunting partner. “He is the ultimate example of the Texas dove-hunter.” Although his first dove hunt, the 1960 trip was by no means Charles’ introduction to outdoor pursuits. He had fished with his father and brothers from a young age and was an avid baseball player, earning All-
SHOOT THIS Continued from Page C40 quent groups were right in there, with some going as small as 1.5 inches. That is as well as many modern, scope-sighted rifles will shoot. Accuracy with Winchester 255grain factory ammunition was equally good. As I expected, there was very little recoil. This is due mainly to the low velocity (1320 feet per second for the Super X factory loads; about 1250 for my handloads) combined with the heavy weight of the rifle, which scales over 10 pounds. A look at the Uberti website shows that they do not offer the Model 1885 High Wall in .38-55. From what I can gather, Uberti makes rifles in .38-55 and a few other nonstandard calibers like .30-40 Krag and .40-65, especially for Cimarron Arms, which then distributes them to other dealers and individuals. These guns are as well made as any I have seen, including the more expensive American-made brands. There are no obvious flaws, workmanship is exemplary, accuracy is exceptional, and functioning is smooth and flawless. After testing, I can say that I recommend this rifle and this caliber without reservations. —Steve LaMascus
On the Web www.cimarron-firearms.com
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District honors in high school. After his initial dove hunt, he began hunting duck and quail as well, and it was on a duck hunt in Charles’ freshman year at the University of Texas that tragedy nearly overtook the Crain family. Charles was hunting with a group that included his childhood best friend, Denny Malouf, when Denny’s gun accidentally discharged, shooting Charles in the lower leg. Thanks to the skilled intervention of a medical student who happened to be a member of the hunting party, Charles reached the far-distant hospital alive. He lost 70 percent of the muscle in his calf and was hospitalized for several weeks. “But the person who came out the worse for that accident was Denny,” Charles said sadly. “Denny couldn’t go to the hospital to get over what had happened; I could.” Occurring in January, the accident also ended Charles’ college baseball career before it even began. Charles, however, is sanguine about the experience: “Probably for the best,” he said with philosophical candor. “I was a mediocre baseball player, and this way, I had to concentrate on my studies.” As Charles went on to earn an MBA from the University of Texas, the assessment seems accurate. Since moving permanently to Austin in 1984, Charles has held season tickets to the University of Texas baseball games, the team for which he was slated to play, and he has brought up two avid baseball fans in his daughters, Krystin and Sara. Charles coached both of his daughters’ softball teams and still serves as the long-time, much-beloved public address announcer for Austin Westlake High School’s girl’s fastpitch softball. Charles also taught his daughters to hunt and fish. Sara, the family “fisherperson” as described by Charles’ brother “Uncle Mike” Crain, has fished both with her father and Jerry Wendt. Krystin prefers to shoot, an interest that has occasionally raised eyebrows. “There was this one evening when my husband and I were living in Chicago, and we were at a dinner party with about 20 people,” she said. “Somehow, the subject of guns came up, and I started talking about which guns I prefer to shoot and why. Suddenly, I realized that the entire table had gone silent, and everyone was looking at me. These were all northern people, and not a
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single one of them had ever handled a gun. I think they were terrified.” This September, Charles will once again pack up his gear (some of which is nearly as old as the photograph) and join his brothers, Butch and Mike Crain, Phil Curran, and Jerry Wendt for his 50th consecutive opening-day dove hunt (Denny Malouf passed away several years ago). His wife of 41 years, Donna Earle Crain, will, as always, smile and encourage him to go: “I think it’s important. I always have, but now it’s par-
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ticularly special. Charles is the youngest of those boys, and he’s 62, so who knows how many more years they’ll have together?” A few more, at least. After all, Charles now has a granddaughter to teach.
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Missing the Target PENING DAY IS LOOMING CLOSER WITH every passing day, and the excitement is building as well. Soon, you will not even be able to get a good night’s sleep. Ring any bells? By now, most of us have our tree stands in place, bows tuned, and scent-free camo hanging on the clothesline outside. Everything seems to be in place for a successful opening day. Your confidence is at a new
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high and you even have looked up new recipes for the fresh venison that is still on the hoof in the woods. I hate to even ask this question, but have you picked up bad hunting habits that you do not even know you have? Is your shooting form the best it can be? Unfortunately, when we practice shooting the bow, it is very easy to forget something about our shooting form—something that, at the time, seems unimportant, but will develop into a lifelong bad habit that is harder to break with every new season. Now is the time to make sure you are shooting correctly. Bring a friend along to watch your every move before, during, and after the shot to make sure that you are doing everything right. Stop by your local
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bow shop and ask a professional if he has any pointers for you. You might be surprised. A big mistake bowhunters make is cranking up draw weight too much. They want the arrow to get there faster—and maybe start to think of this as a “macho” sport. The misconception is the more draw weight you have, the bigger man you are. If your friend is pulling 80 pounds, you try to match that even if it is very difficult. Remember, a bow is set up for each individual. You do not need all that draw weight to harvest an animal. Plenty of hunters bring home venison pulling half that weight. If your equipment is matched and tuned for your setup, you will have no problem in the field.
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Try to shoot with both eyes open. If you are right handed, that does not necessarily mean that your right eye is your dominant eye. I have found that I am cross-dominant, meaning that although I am right handed, I am left eye dominant. That is a problem if I want to shoot with both eyes open—no can do. If someone told me about this when I wore a younger man’s clothes, I would have learned to shoot left-handed. It is easy enough to check your dominant eye. Simply extend your arm with your thumb pointed up, pick an object across the room, close one eye, and place your thumb over the object. Now open both eyes. If your thumb is no longer on the object, then your other eye is dominant. Another common mistake is not following through with the shot. As in every sport (golf, bowling, and tennis to name a few), to
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cessful in the field. It takes concentration to keep that hand in a steady position until your arrow hits the target. Some bows today come equipped with a bubble level mounted on the sight. What a great idea! When you come back to full draw, take a quick look at the level and make sure that your bow arm is not tilting or “canting” to the right or left. There is so much torque on the newer bows that a slight tilt might throw an arrow off target. I realize there are times when keeping your bow
upright might be unrealistic (in tight quarters where you need to tilt your bow for a clean shot), but it is always better to shoot from a level bow whenever possible. Being more aware of your shooting form and not developing bad habits is always good for an ethical bowhunter. It might be the difference between a short bloodtrail and a long day. E-mail Lou Marullo at lmarullo@fishgame.com
Now is the time to make sure you are shooting correctly.
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be successful you need to follow through with the shot. In the bowhunting world, a smooth string release is one of the important steps of a good follow-through. Whether a finger or mechanical release, the movement is the same—or should be. Keep your trigger hand in control and bring your hand straight back to your ear after the shot. If you get into the bad habit of “plucking” the string and not following through, the result could be a missed opportunity for some venison. If you use a mechanical release, it is always best if the shot itself comes as a surprise. You do not want to anticipate the shot. I wrote about target panic in a previous column, but it is important enough to touch on again. A smooth release with a good follow through will mean a tighter arrow group and a freezer full of wild meat. The arm holding the bow needs to stay straight after the shot. Many bowhunters drop their bow arm as soon as they release the arrow. This very common mistake should be addressed if you want to be sucA L M A N A C / T E X A S
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The Five Commandments of Anchoring NE THE SURFACE, DROPPING AN ANCHOR should be a piece of cake: put it over the side, lower away, and cleat it off. Then again, on the surface, many politicians seem to have basic moral values, and, well, you know.
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In fact, anchoring can save your life—or end it. Case in point: This past winter, pro football players Marquis Cooper, Corey Smith, William Bleakley, and Nick Schuyler rolled their 21-foot boat, about 50 miles offshore. You are probably already familiar with the story; their anchor was stuck in the reef, and they decided to cleat the line on the stern and hit the throttle. Bad move. Tension sucked the stern underwater, and in seconds, the boat filled and then rolled. Only Schuyler survived.
Unfortunately, these guys violated one of the five commandments of anchoring. Make sure you do not do the same. Commit these rules to memory, and live by them.
Anchoring Commandment No. 1: Thou Shalt Not Ever Anchor From the Stern. This is a basic rule of seamanship, and violating it regularly sinks boats. Let’s stop and think for a moment. We know the boat has a pointy end and a square one. We also know that whichever end the anchor line is secured to will be facing the waves, and will be pulled down by hundreds of pounds of pressure on that line. Hmmm... Which end of the boat do we want facing the waves? The answer is obvious. If you disagree, it’s time to sell Mom’s Mink and take up a landbased activity like gardening.
Anchoring Commandment No. 2: Thou Shalt Never Throw the Anchor. Here’s another rule we see violated on a regular basis, but it doesn’t usually sink
boats—it just injures people. Quite often, people throw the hook before they check to see if the line is clear—and it rarely is. If someone (probably the guy giving it a heaveho) is standing on the anchor line, when 15 or 20 pounds of anchor plus 10 or 15 pounds of chain suddenly comes taunt, there’s a good chance the line will get yanked out from underfoot. When this happens, someone standing on that line is going ass-over-teakettle onto the deck or into the drink. Worse is when someone’s foot is inside a coil of line instead of on top of it. In this case, the coil will tighten like a snake around the ankle, coming tight, and potentially yanking them over the side. Weighted down by the anchor and chain, whether or not someone can open the coil and escape is doubtful. Like Billy Mays used to say, “But wait, there’s more!” Throwing an anchor is also a great way to get the flukes fouled in the line. Give it a heave, and you can’t control where the line and anchor are in relation to each other. Simply lower it next to your boat in a controlled fashion and you always know the anchor will make it to the bottom without tangling the rode. So, why do people throw an anchor in the first place? One too many movies, I suppose. There is absolutely no advantage whatsoever to doing it, yet it raises the danger factor through the roof.
Anchoring Commandment No. 3: Keep Thy Hands Away From Yon Cleats. If an anchor line is strong enough to hold a couple of tons in place, your fingers won’t present much of a barrier. So, when you get your anchor set and need to cleat the line off, those hands shouldn’t be anywhere near the cleat. How can you secure the line, without getting close to the cleat? Simple. After deploying the anchor, take a single wrap C46
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around the cleat, slide your hands at least 2 feet up the line, and lean back a bit to put pressure against it. You can now let out additional scope by releasing pressure and letting the line pass through your hands and around the cleat, or you can hold it in place with minimal force. When you are ready to secure the line, move your hand in an arc forward of the cleat while maintaining tension. Roll your hand downward and slide it to port or starboard as necessary to pass the line under the far horn on the cleat. Then you can bring your hand back in the other direction to cross over the top of the horn in a figure-8, and do the same moving aft. When you have two figure-8s over the cleat, that line isn’t going anywhere and you can move in closer to roll the line over itself, creating a loop that will tighten down; pop the loop around the horn, and finish off the job.
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But in rough weather, a 10:1 scope might be necessary to keep you locked in place. You need less scope (and less anchor weight, though one should still stick to the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding anchor versus boat size) if you have a shot of chain between the anchor line and the anchor. Most experts agree that 6-8 feet of chain is the absolute minimum, and more is always better when it comes to anchoring. For boats up to 20 feet, 1/4-inch chain is fine, but larger boats should have 7/16-inch
chain at the end of the rode. And that brings us to the end of the road. Just remember: When it comes to anchoring, there’s more then meets the eye, but you’ll be locked down tight and in good condition as long as you don’t violate these commandments. E-mail Lenny Rudow at boating@fishgame.com
Anchoring Commandment No. 4: Thou Shalt Use the Right Tool for the Job. Far too often, you see someone dropping a Danforth on an oyster bed and expect it to hold. Instead, it just skips along over the shells for as long as Captain Cantanchor lets it; he is simply using the wrong tool for the job. Don’t know which anchor is best for which bottom? Here you go: Danforth - mud and sand Plow - grass and soft mud or sand Grappling - shell or rock bottom Bruce - soft bottom, designed to swing 360-degrees without breaking free
Anchoring Commandment No. 5: Thou Shalt Have Scope and Chain. No matter what type of anchor you have, it won’t do the trick without the proper scope and chain. Scope is the ratio of the amount of line you have out to the depth of the water, and it should be a minimum of 5:1. Don’t forget to include the height of the bow cleat over the water in your calculation. If you are in 10 feet of water and your bow is 3 feet high to keep that 5:1 ratio, you need 65 feet of line out, not 50. In glassycalm bays, of course, that much isn’t necessary and usually you can get by with 3:1. A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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Corks from Midcoast Products HAVE ALWAYS HAD A FONDNESS FOR PRODUCTS dreamed up by fellow fishermen. The genesis of their creation always comes from lake, bay, or river, and solves some sort of tangible problem. The fruits of their labors always seem genuine, designed to catch fish and not just fishermen. So it is with the owners of Midcoast Products. Glynn Walling and Lane Teykl would come back from bay trips complaining about their popping corks. Casting distance is important when probing bays for specks and reds; surely there must be a better way. They arrived at the same conclusion: It was time to start making their own high performance corks. In addition to improving casting distance, Walling and Teykl felt that they should try to solve the age-old problem of the leader tangling with the main line during a cast. With a modest budget and a tinkerer’s mindset, the pair started crafting their own corks. As the corks started to evolve, catches improved as well. Like Fred Arbogast and James Heddon before them, friends starting asking to buy their creations and the entrepreneurial bug took root. Soon after, they founded Midcoast Products. The fledgling company’s first cork, the Outcast, is a 4-inch foam offering, which on the surface looks like all the others, but look closely and you will see a few differences. First, there isn’t a line tie on the bottom of the cork. The cork utilizes a concept Walling and Teykl call “tie-all-to-the-top.” The main line and the leader both connect to a wire loop on the cork’s top. This invariably begs
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the question: Isn’t that going to tangle? In a word, no. The tie-all-on-top approach increases casting distance and reduces tangling. I was skeptical of the funny looking cork until I tried it. One cast later, I was converted. During a cast, the bottom of the heavily weight cork flies through the air like the nosecone of a missile, making it easier to punch a cast into wind. The main line and leader trail behind while the cork is in flight, producing longer casts and no tangles on splashdown. Although saltwater anglers designed the cork, it is at home on freshwater lakes when casting distance is crucial. Bank fishermen
by Greg Berlocher always want to add a little length to their casts. Catfish, striper, and white bass fishermen working tailraces can cast closer to the spillway. On the other side of the dam, the Outcast can deliver soft plastics to skittish schools of white and black bass in open water. Midcoast Products built on the success of the Outcast and introduced a range of corks in different sizes. The Inticer is their best selling cork. Measuring 2.75 inches, it is just right for bay fishing in waist-deep water. The Inticer features a 7-inch stainless wire running through the middle of cork. The line tie is on one end and a lead weight is molded onto the other end. Two plastic beads slide up and down the wire when the cork is popped, making it click and clack like a railroad car. The Mojo is basically the same product with a 90-pound cable instead of stainless wire. There is no such thing as idiot-proof equipment, only idiot resistant, and the Mojo falls into the latter category. The cable can be stepped on, twisted, and otherwise abused, and it will spring back to shape. If your fishing buddy is an accident waiting to happen or otherwise hard on your tackle, use a Mojo instead of an Inticer. The Lil’ Moe is the smallest cork in the
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Midcoast Products line. The company envisioned it as a child’s cork, but finesse fishermen quickly adopted it. Not much bigger than a crappie cork, the Lil’ Moe lands quietly, which is important in skinny water. Midcoast Products also makes a line of “tie on top and bottom” corks. To get the best performance with tie-allto-the-top corks, Midcoast Products recommends an un-weighted leader. Since the corks have plenty of casting weight, the only weight you might need is a split shot to keep a shrimp from hopping out of the water. I was a bit surprised at the extra casting distance these corks provide. When manufactures tout improvements, it is usually something small, but not here. The whole range of corks is well made, rugged, and a good value. About the only thing I would change with these corks is the sound. The plastic beads are good, but I would like to see some “noisier” corks—perhaps an option with glass rattles that gives off a higher pitch. All Midcoast Products corks are available in an eye-popping range of colors, making it easy for a squinting angler to pick them from the glare or against rough water. Corks from Midcoast Products are available through independent tackle shops across the state.
On the Web www.midcoastproducts.com
Email Greg Berlocher at fishthis@fishgame.com PHOTO COURTESY MIDCOAST PRODUCTS
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Shooting Lead in Modern Firearms FIRST STARTED CASTING LEAD BULLETS IN THE 1970s. I was shooting in handgun matches at my local gun club in Uvalde and couldn’t afford to buy bullets, so I started casting .38-caliber wadcutters. I used wheel weights for the lead, melted it on an old electric hotplate, and poured into the mold with a rusty iron ladle. Strangely enough, the bullets thus produced were sufficiently accurate that I was competitive, winning a few trophies and medals. Over the years, I continued casting my own handgun bullets, expanding the number of bullet styles and calibers until I ended up with a large collection of molds. I also graduated from the hotplate to electric lead furnaces. These days, I use two bottom-pour furnaces, one for soft lead, and one for wheel weights. At first, I used cast bullets for practice; eventually I found them sufficiently accurate for competition. Even then, I considered cast bullets inferior for hunting; later, I discovered I was wrong about that, too. Cast-lead handgun bullets of correct hardness and design are just as deadly and efficient as the best jacketed bullets, and in many instances, superior. A jacketed hunting bullet must expand to do its job, while a cast bullet such as the renowned Keith is designed to work properly without expansion. Rifle bullets are a different story. Hand-
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guns, at least normal handguns, fire bullets at velocities lead alloys can handle quite well—below about 1600 fps. High-powered rifles fire bullets at velocities no lead bullet, no matter how hard, can handle. That is why near the end of the Nineteenth Century shooters started to see metal jackets of copper, nickel silver (copper and nickel alloy), or gilding metal (copper and zinc alloy) wrapped around the lead cores of bullets. With the introduction of progressiveburning smokeless powders, velocities above 2000 fps became commonplace. At any velocity above that, lead is too soft to hold the rifling and the bullets are stripped, causing leading and loss of accuracy as well as poor performance on game. To maintain best accuracy in modern rifle cartridges firing lead bullets, it is necessary to reduce velocity to something equivalent to that produced by magnum handguns. Cast very hard and used with copper gas checks, bullets can be pushed faster than that—some a lot faster—but in my experience and that of other experienced shooters, accuracy is usually relatively poor, and performance on game is not as good as a softer bullet at lower velocity. Most of my guns perform best at velocities below 1500 fps, and really shine at 1200 to 1400. Shooting softer bullets around Brinell hardness number (BHN) 10 to 12 at velocities of 1200-1400 fps, accuracy is astound-
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ing. I often get 1-inch, three-shot groups at 100 yards. In addition, performance on game is quite good because the bullets deform on impact, mushrooming and causing a wide wound channel. This is not to say modern jacketed bullets at velocities of 2700-3000 fps and higher are not superior for hunting big game. They are admittedly better or we would never have invented jacketed bullets. Home-cast lead bullets, however, are much, much less expensive. Some bullets today cost in excess of a dollar each—and that is just the bullet, not a cartridge. I can load an entire box of cartridges using cast lead bullets for less than $3 (primers 60 cents, powder $1.20, gas checks 51 cents, reused brass $0—total $2.31). With the cost of factory ammunition climbing like a homesick angel, a three-dollar box of .308 cartridges sounds pretty good to me. I have tried casting and shooting cast sharp pointed or “spitzer” bullets in my rifles. While the spitzers look great, they do not seem to shoot as well as round- or flatnosed bullets. My Thompson-Center Icon absolutely loves 160-grain cast gas-check bullets intended for the .30-30 Winchester. I load them to about 1250 fps and the Icon regularly puts them into groups averaging an inch. That is about as good as that gun will shoot with my pet load of 150-grain Sierra
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Different Strokes for Different Folks STEPPED OUT OF MY SUBURBAN AND INTO A movie. You know the scene: A rich person goes into an exclusive boutique and the store owner sits them down and orders the staff to start bringing out expensive merchandise for inspection. The only difference was we were at a lake instead of Beverly Hills, and a row of kayaks sat before me instead of designer clothes. This was awesome—all the latest new toys and I didn’t even have to lift a single hull, just show up and paddle. What a concept. What started out as a simple demo of a new hull grew quickly with multiple vendors offering a variety of hulls for me to paddle. Paddling multiple boats in a single morning
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or afternoon is an educational experience. Each hull has its own character and charm that can’t be fully described in a brochure. Sensory input is the only real way to understand the differences between hulls. When buying a kayak, even if you are an old hand, it is always wise to take a test ride or two before pulling out your wallet. Paddling boats in a back-to-back fashion is not a new concept. Just about every fullservice kayak shop I am familiar with has several “demo days” each year, when customers can take out different kayaks for a test paddle. These demos are usually well publicized on a shop’s website or in its newsletter. If it doesn’t have a demo day list-
ed, call the shop and ask when the next one will be. It had been a while since I attended a demo event, and the variety of hulls before me spanned a wide range. First up was a 12-foot Tarpon from Wilderness Systems. The Tarpon comes in different lengths and the hull ranks as one of the most popular fishing kayaks in the state, if not the nation. Several years ago, Wilderness Systems decided to update the Tarpon, and rather than make any drastic changes, simply put a new dress on the bride. Among some of the changes: improved hatches and a metal railing embedded into the sides of the hull, making is easier to mount depthfinders and GPS systems. The Tarpon is still a delight to paddle; the hull tracks well and provides a stable ride, both at rest and on the move. I jumped out of the Tarpon and into a 10-foot Emotion Stealth. The bow of the shorter hull wiggle-waggled more with each stroke of the paddle, but the wider hull provided a bit more stability. The shorter hull
TEXAS GUNS & GEAR Continued from Page C49 Game Kings. My custom-built Hill Country Rifles .35 Whelen shoots well with both 250- and 290-grain round-nosed bullets, and when one of those massive lead slugs slams into something, the sound alone is impressive. There is some loading data for cast bullets available on the internet, and Lyman publishes a reloading manual for cast bullets, but otherwise, information is severely lacking. Therefore, much of it I have had to figure out by guess and by gosh. One thing to remember is that it is never wise to reduce charges of slow powders like H4831, IMR7828, and others of that general burn rate. Sometimes, mystery detonations have resulted from trying to shoot reduced charges of slow burning powders, especially Hodgdon 4831, causing a C50
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destroyed gun and injury to the shooter. Instead, shoot powders intended for reduced loads. I shoot Unique, Accurate 5744, Blue Dot, and other similar powders. If forced to choose only two powders for reduced rifle loads, I would pick Unique and 5744 without a second’s thought. Both powders can be loaded in a wide range of cartridges and at many power levels. In addition, 5744 is great for smokeless powder loads in huge black powder cartridges, such as the .50-90 Sharps. The massive herds of American bison and most of the plains game of the Americas were reduced to remnants by subsistence and market hunters using cast lead slugs at modest velocities. To this day, myths abound about the skill of buffalo hunters who could regularly kill buffalo at 1000 yards and hostile Indians even farther, and they cast their bullets from lead
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melted over a campfire and loaded them with simple hand tools. There is no doubt that those men were marvelous marksmen, and that their old technology was sufficient for the purpose. So, why not save a wad of money, have some fun, and return to those “Golden Days of Yesteryear.” Try cast bullets in your modern firearms. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the results.
On the Web www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/publica tions/cast-bullet.php E-mail Steve LaMascus at guns@fishgame.com
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was much easier to turn, which is significant if you intend paddling on rivers or in tight brush on inland lakes. Trying to negotiate hairpin twists and turns in rushing water with a 12- to 16-foot hull is a wreck waiting to happen. I closed my eyes for a second and could picture myself sitting in the Stealth and sliding through rock-strewn shoots on the Guadalupe. The Stealth hull was also easier to get moving from a resting position, or bring to a halt. Children and smaller adults will find this boat easier to paddle. The price tag is easier on the wallet, too. Back on shore, I hopped into an 8-foot Shakespeare kayak. This was the shortest of the hulls, and I wasn’t sure if the carrying capacity was up to the task. Moments later, I was zigzagging around the lake and carving a few donuts. Imagine driving a truck for several hours and then stepping in a go-cart. The hull was as responsive as any I have paddled, turning on a dime with hardly any effort. The Shakespeare kayak is extremely affordable and lightweight, making it a snap to lift onto the top of a vehicle. While the
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hull didn’t track well and was a very wet ride, those aren’t necessarily huge disadvantages. Perspective is the key. This is a great option for the fisherman looking for an affordable kayak whereby to ply stock tanks or retrieve a waterlogged dove or two on a September afternoon. It would also make a great beach boat for paddling in the waves. The Hobie Mirage Pro Angler was the bad boy of the group. Due to its ample weight (130 pounds sans back rest and fishing tackle), Hobie officially calls this craft a “boat” and not a kayak. What really sets this vessel apart is the foot-powered Mirage Drive, which eliminates the need for a paddle. Two adjustable stirrups held my feet securely in place and the pedals reciprocated back and forth in a straight line. Five different settings allow the “paddler” to adjust the length of the stroke. I changed this several times while out on the lake, “dialing in” my favorite setting. A small knob by the seat adjusts the rudder, allowing you to steer the vessel. The business end of the drive is equipped with two flexible blades extended below the hull. Hobie recently introduced
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new Turbo blades, which provide even more propulsion. I was extremely impressed with the amount of thrust the Turbo blades created. I didn’t have a GPS or any other way to verify my speed, but guessed a full 1-2 mph faster with the Turbo blade Mirage Drive. If you have shoulder problems or like peddling a bike, you will love this boat. The film had come to an end and it was time for the star to head for the house. I thanked the good folks from Emotion Kayaks and Fishing Tackle Unlimited for providing the kayaks. With all the grace and style I could muster, I sauntered back to my Suburban, my sopping tennis shoes oozing with every step; I wondered if anyone noticed my butt was wet. Thank goodness the paparazzi wasn’t there or I would be on the front page of some tabloid.
Email Greg Berlocher at kayak@fishgame.com.
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FEMA Funds Sabine Dock Replacement HEN HURRICANE IKE HIT THE UPPER coast last September, it tossed dozens of boats from the water onto dry land and destroyed several public boat docks at the Pleasure Island Marina on Sabine Lake. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
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have been more than 50 percent of the replacement value, the commission qualified for replacement funding from FEMA. The FEMA grants will pay 90 percent of the docks’ replacement costs. “The marina suffered severe damage because of Ike’s strong storm surge,” said
to the state since September 2008. In all, federal assistance to Texas for the Hurricane Ike recovery effort tops $2.3 billion. “This federal assistance will help get the marina back in operation after a difficult period,” said State Coordinating Officer Ben Patterson. “FEMA’s Public Assistance grants are making a visible difference in state and local recovery efforts.” —Staff Report
On the Web www.fema.gov/ike
PHOTO COURTESY WIKIMEDIA
Ike’s Effects on Waterways, Fish Contamination Analyzed
has now obligated Public Assistance grants totaling more than $2.7 million to replace four of the marina’s eight docks. The first award for $1.4 million will go toward replacing Docks B and C, while a second $1.3 million award will help replace docks D and E at the popular marina, which is operated by the city of Port Arthur’s Pleasure Island Commission. Because costs to repair the docks would C52
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Federal Coordinating Officer Brad Harris. “These FEMA grants will help fix the marina and thus contribute to the recovery of Pleasure Island’s economy.” Once FEMA reimburses the state of Texas, it is the state’s responsibility to manage the funds, which includes making disbursements to local jurisdictions and organizations that incurred costs. The obligated funds are a portion of more than $1.2 billion in total Public Assistance disaster funds sent
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A LONG-TERM ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH PROject being conducted at the University of Houston might offer important information about the effects of Hurricane Ike on pollution levels and help regulators determine whether existing fish-consumption advisories remain appropriate. With this year’s storm season under way, the UH engineering team’s project is entering a new phase as participants collect and analyze fresh samples from Galveston Bay and related waterways. Cullen College of Engineering professor Hanadi Rifai, who has studied pollution in Houston-area bodies of water in partnership with both state and federal authorities since 2001, is leading the team. “Our work with the Galveston Bay system started in the early 90s with funding from the EPA Galveston Bay National Estuary Program,” said Rifai, whose team
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helped write the first “State of the Bay” report identifying the environmental challenges facing the estuary. “We have since focused on POPs, or Persistent Organic Pollutants, which include dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. We have a unique opportunity this year to study the effect of Hurricane Ike on these pollutants, particularly in the water and sediment of the estuary, so we are gathering a one-of-its-kind data set for the ‘after’ condition that we can compare to our pre-Ike 2008 data set,” Rifai said. “The results will be enlightening from an environmental impact perspective of hurricanes on natural resources such as Galveston Bay.” Dioxins are primarily byproducts resulting from paper mills, industrial waste incineration, and water purification processes, but they also result from natural sources like forest fires in much smaller quantities. Rifai said her team believes the majority of dioxins found locally today are from historical sources. Meanwhile, PCBs, whose manufacture was banned in 1979, long were used as coolants and lubricants in electrical transformers and capacitors. Why they persist today in local waterways and seafood remains something of a mystery, Rifai said. “Now, what we find with the PCBs, and what’s got people worried, is, if indeed it’s historical from before the ban, you would see it in the sediment,” she explained. “But, we’re actually seeing the patterns have shifted, as if there are some new sources of PCBs. Since the 1990s, we’ve had so much growth and industrial activity kicking back up that there might be some new material coming in.” What those new sources are remains unclear, Rifai said, and materials that were manufactured with PCBs before the ban might still be in use. “Historically with PCBs, if you’ve made a million transformers, you didn’t have to destroy them. You use them up till they die,” she said, adding that many outdated transformers were ruined by Hurricane Ike. In July 2008, the Texas Department of State Health Services issued an advisory for Galveston Bay, Chocolate Bay, East Bay, West Bay, Trinity Bay, and contiguous waters, saying consumers should limit intake of speckled trout and gafftop catfish to no more than one 8-ounce meal a month. Fur-
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thermore, children, women who are nursing, pregnant or who might become pregnant are to have none. Long-term consumption of both dioxins and PCBs is believed to cause numerous health effects, including cancer. The inclusion of new species in the advisories, Rifai said, has many implications, because commercial and recreational fishing is a $100-plus million industry annually. But, when her team was asked by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to do its own assessment of the state health
department findings last year, the results were what Rifai expected. “We told them that we thought the data was valid. We actually merged it with our data, and it was very consistent with what we see,” she said. “We looked carefully at what was done, and, at the end of the day, I wasn’t surprised.” —Staff Report
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DFW Channel Cat Haunts T MIGHT SEEM ODD SEEING CATFISHING AND big city skyscrapers mentioned in the same sentence. Truth is, there might not be a better bet going than Ol’ Whiskers when it comes to fishing opportunities in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex area. There are three species of game catfishes
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in Texas: flathead, blue, and channel. Channel cat are the smallest of the three, but they also are the easiest locate and catch, and mighty tasty in the skillet. Here is rundown of some of the best channel cat lakes within easy driving distance of the DFW area:
by Matt Williams Lake Arlington Rod and Reel Record: 13.6 pounds Lake Arlington is a small lake spanning only 1939 surface acres, but it supports a big catfish population that ranks among the best in the Metroplex, according to Tom Hungerford, a TPWD inland fisheries biologist based Ft. Worth.
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Hungerford said the most recent gill net surveys turned up nearly twice as many 12inch-plus channel cat as any other impoundment in District 2D. “It’s loaded,” said Hungerford. “There are some nice size fish out there, too. Reports of channel cat in the 4- to 5-pound range are fairly common.” The power plant lake doesn’t offer much in terms of structure or cover. It impounds Village Creek, a tributary of the West Fork of the Trinity River. Hungerford said one of the best times to fish is when the lake is on a rise from water being pumped in from Cedar Creek Reservoir. He recommended fishing around main lake points or new growth willows and other vegetation using punch bait, shrimp, shad, or night crawlers.
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The cut between the hot-water outlet and main lake near Eugene McCray Park also can be good. Boat ramps are available at three lakeside parks; an annual permit or day use fee required. Bank fishing access is best at Richard Simpson Park. Eagle Mountain Rod and Reel Record: 8.40 pounds Hungerford ranks 8500-acre Eagle Mountain a close second behind Arlington in terms of numbers of channel cat and quality. Anglers routinely catch limits of channels in the 2- 4-pound range, along with an occasional blue cat. Local fishing guide Chad Ferguson (214-878-9471) said the fishing can be excellent up and down the lake. He spends the most time targeting baited holes in 4-6 feet of water on flats, points, or near channels from the mid-lake area south to the dam. He prefers to concentrate the fish using soured wheat and catches them on Sure Shot punch bait. Bank fishing access is limited around the lake, but there are a number of docks where anglers can fish for a fee. Boats can launch from 10 access points. White Rock Lake Rod and Reel Record: none established Anglers who don’t own boats can find plenty of room to fish at White Rock. The 1088-acre reservoir just east of downtown Dallas offers more bank access than any other in the district. “There are walking and jogging trails all the way around it, along with several piers, so you can pretty much fish wherever you want,” Hungerford said. The lake maintains a good population of keeper channel cat in the 12- to 16-inch range, but there are some big ones out there, too. Hungerford said more than 160 retired brood fish from the TPWD A.E. Woods Fish Hatchery in San Marcos were stocked in the lake on Memorial Day 2008. Most of the fish weighed upward of 5 pounds, with several in the 10-pound class. Anglers are reminded of a 9.9 horsepower limit on outboard engines. Boats equipped with larger outboards are allowed, but must navigate using an electric trolling motor. Ramps are located off Fisher Road and East Lawther Drive.
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Mountain Creek Rod and Reel Lake Record: 3.80 pounds Mountain Creek maintains a good channel cat fishery, but you can’t keep any for the skillet. The 2500-acre power plant reservoir is one of several that have been placed under a possession/consumption ban by Texas Department of State Health Services due to PCB contamination. “It’s a good place to go to get your line stretched, but that’s about it,” Hungerford said. “The channel cat population is very similar to that of Eagle Mountain.” Hungerford said much of the lake has silted in with time, so shallow, stained water is abundant. The best fishing occurs over baited holes, around available riprap, and near the discharge canal using stinkbait, cut bait, shrimp, or chicken livers. Bank fishermen experience decent success from the public ramp area off Mountain Creek Parkway.
There are a number of access points. Robertson Park is among the best for bank fishermen.
Fishin’ Down the Street Good catfishing could be closer to home than you think. Thanks to the TPWD Neighborhood Fishin’ program, a big-city dweller might not even have to leave his own neighborhood to find an army of hungry mouths to catch. Continued on Page C62
Lake Lewisville Rod and Reel Record: 22.68 pounds Lake Lewisville north of Dallas is best known for its trophy-class blues and flatheads, but it also supports a bountiful population of channel cats. “Lewisville is hard to be beat,” said Ferguson. “It’s chock full of fish the 14- to 16inch range, but we also catch quite a few up to 5 pounds.” During fall, the guide spends the majority of his time soaking punch bait in major and secondary creeks. He likes to target shallow flats or standing timber/stump fields utilized for roosting by cormorants. The ideal water depth is 2-6 feet. Baiting holes with soured grain or fishing along windblown points and shorelines also works well. Ray Hubbard Rod and Reel Record: 12.46 pounds It is no secret the blue cat is king at the 21,600-acre reservoir just east of Dallas, but its cousin the channel cat might be the most cooperative from one day to the next. Channel cat are everywhere, but some of the better hauls during fall and winter come off timber flats and wind-blown shorelines in water ranging 1-6 feet deep. The area above the State Highway 66 bridge can be especially good for 2- to 4-pound channels, especially when large flocks of migrant cormorants are present. Punch bait, chicken livers, or night crawlers are the tickets. A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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Circle the Diamonds IRCLE THE DIAMONDS” IS A CALL TO replace J-style hooks on diamond and butterfly jigs with circle assist hooks. The original assist hooks on butterfly types possibly came from seeing them first used during the 1970s by long-range fishermen out of San Diego. They called them “trap hooks” and were added using cable to attach two J hooks to the line attachment ring of their metal jigs. The object was to hook/trap wahoo that hit at the mid-body of the jigs and might miss the tail end treble. The first time I put a circle hook on a diamond jig was about eight years ago, primarily for use on amberjack. The obvious advantage of using circle assist hooks didn’t dawn on me at the time. I first put circle assist hooks on some of my diamond and butterfly jigs about three years ago after seeing another fisherman who had two attached to the upper ring of his diamond jig. My first J assist hooks addition to diamond jigs and other metal baits had begun about a year before. With circle hooks seldom thrown even by even the hardest head-shakers, the probability of your circle assist hook staying in place is great. Circle hooks also have a greatly reduced chance of becoming hung up in structure—or in you or one of your fellow fishermen. When you get your prize catch on deck, a firm press to the hook eye from the opposite side of the hook bend will roll it out. When using diamond jigs or butterfly types, I use only one assist hook when it’s a J hook. A second J hook has a habit of somehow becoming stuck in the fish’s head. Your connection to the fish becomes a bridle.
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This makes the fight harder because you’ve lost a lot of control over the fish’s head. That second J hook, if not stuck in the fish, can become embedded in someone when the thrashing fish is coming over the rail, or is being de-hooked. Circle assist hooks eliminate those problems. At the time of this writing, there are no pre-rigged circle assist hooks on the market that I could find, so you must build them yourself. Light wire circle hooks such as Eagle Claw L2004EL in size 8/0 and 9/0 are good for many species. Heavier wire hooks for larger species are Eagle Claw L2004GH, 7/0-10/0, or L2022 wide gap circle 6/0-7/0. The circle hook used must be of a size with the bend diameter being somewhat larger than the jig body is wide, increasing hookups. For toothy service, cable is the way to go. You start each assist hook cable rigging assembly by cutting a piece of 90-pound, 49-strand cable to about 8 inches. Push one end through the circle hook eye from the bend side. Pull about half the cable through, then reverse it by passing the same end back through the hook eye. While holding both
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strands outside the eye, take the loop formed below the hook and loop it over and back on the shank. Next, “nurse” the short tag end toward the hook while pulling on the long leg of the cable. The finished look will have the wraps snugly around the hook shank and seated against the backside of the hook eye, about 3/4-inch of the end of the cable outside the eye. Slide your double barrel crimp onto the cable and crimp in place. Determine the cable length needed to put your circle hook from 1/2 to 2/3 way down your jig and bend slightly as a marker. Crimp tight after forming a loop at the ring and closely cut the excess cable. Now it’s all ready to be put to use. This wrapping of the cable around the hook shank and exiting on the bend side of the eye gives quicker penetration due to the stiff rig configuration, and the hook’s added rotation when the cable comes from snug to tightness and a hookset. Spectra’s near-zero stretch gives quicker line tightening at the strike, producing a quicker, surer hookset. E-mail Patrick Lemire at saltrigs@fishgame.com ILLUSTRATION BY PATRICK LEMIRE
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OT ALL FISHING REQUIRES A ROD AND A reel. Sometimes, you can get by with some fishing line, a few hooks and weights, and some pool toys. Jug-fishing is nothing new, and throughout the south is considered a sporting way to put some fillets in the freezer. There are even a few jug-fishing catfish tournaments. The first time I ever went jugging was with what most would consider traditional jugs made out of 2-liter coke bottles and gallon bleach jugs. On a private lake close to where I grew up, we spent the evenings after work setting out jugs before heading off to catch bass. When we had our fill of catching fish with rod and reel, we went searching for our jugs. There might not be a more exciting sight in fishing than seeing a white bottle being jerked underwater when the boat approaches. Remember the scene in “Jaws” where the shark is dragging three yellow barrels around the ocean while being chased by crazed men in a sinking boat? Then you have some idea of the thrill of jug-fishing— except the catfish isn’t trying to eat you...maybe. All fishing methods change over the years due to innovations in gear or bait, and jug-fishing is no different. The biggest change in jug-fishing for catfish is that most juggers no longer actually use jugs, which are bulky and hard to store or carry in a
small boat. Plus, if one gets a hole, it sinks to the bottom of the lake, which gives the sport a black eye. So, instead of finding old scrap jugs (with who knows what in them), many juggers have looked into the swimming pool for inspiration and are now converting pool noodles into catfishing contraptions. That piece of Styrofoam your kid uses to stay afloat—or to smack his sister across the head—can also be used to float a bait and bring a catfish to the boat. There are as many different ways to rig a noodle for fishing as there are anglers who use them. It seems everyone has their own little twist, so let’s just cover a very basic rig and you can add your own modifications from there. Cut a noodle it into 1-foot lengths with a sharp knife. Standard noodles come in lengths of 45 feet, so you can make four or five jug rigs from a single one. Since pool noodles typically come in bright fluorescent colors that you probably cannot find in your kid’s 64-count crayon box, the first modification is to turn them white. Why? Because TPWD says you have to. The float on a jug line must be white, according to state law. The quickest and cleanest was to do this is to get some white duct tape and wrap the noodles with
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it. Besides making the noodles white, this also helps strengthen them, since they can tear somewhat easily. Wrap the tape a few extra times around what will become the bottom of the noodle rig. Next, cut a small hole all the way through from one side to the next about 3-4 inches from the bottom of the noodle. This will serve as the hole for the line to slip through. Some anglers sleeve this hole with a drinking straw to keep the line from cutting through the noodle, but the extra wraps of duct tape serves the same purpose. A few more layers of duct tape in this area is cheap insurance to assure the noodle doesn’t rip. Some anglers use braided line like you see on a trotline, but I go with rather inexpensive 50-pound-test monofilament. Run the monofilament through the hole you cut in the noodle, attaching it with a loop knot. Leave between 6 and 20 feet of mono hanging down below the noodle (depending on the depth of water and time of year you are fishing), and slide an egg weight on the line before tying on a barrel swivel to the end. On the other side of the swivel, tie on a short leader made of 20-pound monofilament with a circle hook on the end. That’s it. There are many more elaborate ways to make one, including inserting short lengths of PVC pipe with weights inside to serve as strike indicators, but for starters, this is a cheap way to get a few baits in the water and potentially some big fish in the boat. E-mail Paul Bradshaw at freshrigs@fishgame.com
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Red Lights on the Horizon HE NIGHT AIR SIFTED THROUGH THE GIANT screened window. My bare feet braced against the wooden sill and my butt perched on the edge of Grandma’s bed. She dozed and watched me. A single thin sheet covered her. My attention focused on the scene outside. A full moon glared silver light through giant live oak trees. The ground was a patchwork of glowing bright spots and dark shadows, but even the shadows gave way to the twinkling tails of fireflies. The southern breeze blew against my cheeks and my eyes
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strained to see the secrets beyond the darkness. My ears filled with the chirping songs of tree frogs, and occasionally the low moaning bellow of a cow or nickering call a horse. If I was lucky, the shuffling scuttle of an armadillo rooting through leaves beneath the live oaks sounded, and in a flash, the yard dog would educate the poor thing about Grandma’s trespass laws. But mostly, there was the silver moonlight and dreamy, enchanting aura of the night. It caused stillness in a person and made a small boy’s imagination run wild. It also filled me with something that never went away; just as Sunday school and family gatherings filled me with respect and some wherewithal about the social order. The outdoor scene soothed a niche of my psyche, and for me, that niche turned out to be one of the biggest factors in my character. A distant rumble sounded from the Glidden train yards, and Grandma stirred. “Herman Willie, are you still awake?” “Yes, ma’am.”
“Well, you better lie down and go to sleep pretty soon. You can’t sit there until morning.” Of course, I thought I could, but knew I shouldn’t. “Herman Willie, do you see those red lights on the horizon?” “Yes, ma’am. What are they?” “Those are the towers on Rocky Hill and at Glidden. They’re miles away but we can still see them. They haven’t been there too many years, and I don’t like them. I think it’s awful that they spoil our view.” I didn’t know what to say. The towers were there before I came along and they were part of the world I knew. The red lights didn’t particularly bother me, but according to Grandma’s suggestion, I lay down and the southern breeze caressed me, the thin cotton sheet protected me, and I floated away to peaceful sleep.
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My horse plodded down the trail, kicking up a knee-deep dust cloud. Behind, seven loaded mules trudged along, bobbing their heads, swishing their trails, and dripping frothy sweat. I rocked in the saddle and surveyed my surroundings, then shot a fast, thin stream of tobacco juice at a rock. My hat was kicked back and, though my clothes were caked with dirt, my posture was straight but loose. Something about being a mule packer and living in the wilderness makes a guy feel great. It’s as if you know there isn’t much that can be thrown your way that you can’t handle. Grizzly bears, stubborn mules, sleeping on the ground, and taking care of tinhorn guests are all in a day’s chores. My mind drifted and I wondered at the dying forest. Pine beetles are destroying much of the woodlands and watersheds of the Pacific Northwest and Canada. Hundreds of square miles are a tinderbox waitC58
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ing for the perfect lightning storm and wind to burn a major portion of North America. When I asked why the beetles weren’t sprayed, I was told that this was wilderness. Come what may, there would be no manmade tampering to eradicate the beetles. Whatever happened would be the natural course for Mother Nature. What a shame; the green mountains are fading to the hues of death. Then my horse turned a corner and stopped. The trail cut close to the South Fork of Birch Creek, and in front of me stood another problem—a young man wearing a Forest Service shirt, short pants, a ponytail, and an earring. Obviously, this was one of those ranger breeds from the East Coast, California, or Disneyland. He seemed busy. “Howdy. What are you doing?” I greeted. “I’m checking to see what sort of fish are in this creek. If they aren’t West Slope cutthroats, we’re going to have to shock this creek and remove all the fish.” The sight of the jackass schoolboy irked me and I wanted to thrash him. I knew the
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creek was full of rainbow trout as well as cutthroat. Instead, I held my tongue and rode around him. His presence was a static disruption in the smooth vibrations of the mountain climate. The double standard of killing trout but not beetles was heinous. I rode away and didn’t look back at him; I couldn’t stand the sight of him.
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It was an escape. My daughter, Sam, had business to settle in Albuquerque and we were enjoying our road trip. We drove west on I-10, and getting past San Antonio was a treat. We both love the vistas and openness of West Texas. The rocky terrain, rolling hills, mesas, and desert hold a different type of beauty that contrasts our native Post Oak Savannah. Then near Iraan, we started seeing the windmills. The first few looked novel and cute. Then there were long rows of them against the skyline for miles and miles. “Sam, what do you think of that?”
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“I don’t know, Dad.” “Well, it’s a sign of the times, but I don’t think those things will ever produce a nickel’s worth of energy. They had to be subsidized to get here. I wish the landowners well, but if this country was worth $50 an acre before, it ain’t worth five cents a mile now.” Something in my gut twisted. I knew this would be the world that coming generations witness. The slow-moving vanes smacked of a contemporary artist’s concept thrust against the backdrop of Mother Nature’s West Texas. I’ll be like Grandma, remembering when there were no red lights on the horizon, and wish for the days when I may view the landscape and not see man’s presumptuous mark.
E-mail Herman W. Brune at wilderness@fishgame.com
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CORPUS CHRISTI
ROCKPORT
n ary Brow Cathy & G rum D ig Cathy’s B uide Service G Hugo Ford
GALVESTON
ADVERTISERS, SEND IN YOUR PHOTOS TODAY!
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UPPER COAST (SABINE LAKE)
TEXAS SALTWATER BAFFIN BAY
TEXAS FRESHWATER EAST TEXAS
For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579. C60
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Kenny Havard, Jr. 37-inch Redfish Guide Service an llm Hi
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John Havard 36-inch Redfish Hillman Guide Servi ce
), Connie Travis (19), Tyler (13 n so hn Jo n Be & r Redfish & Flounde Redfish Charters
TEXAS HUNTING
TEXAS HUNTING
OUTDOOR SHOPPER
ADVERTISERS, SEND IN YOUR PHOTOS TODAY!
PROPERTY FOR SALE
For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.
MISSISSIPPI
SPOTLIGHT: HUGO FORD GUIDE SERVICE I started my guiding career in 1974, guiding quail hunts in South Texas. After a couple of years, I decided to turn my hunting customers into fishing customers. I became U.S.C.G. licensed and since that time, I have spent my winters running quail hunts and deer hunts. I primarily hunt out of Hebbronville, Premont, and Carrizo Springs, Texas. We also offer hunts on a beautiful ranch in the mountains north of Van Horn, Texas. I fished the Port O’Connor area for nearly 13 years, before moving on to Rockport for another 8 years. I have fished out of Corpus Christi and on south to other surrounding waters since 1998. Spring and summer months, I am wading the Upper Laguna and Baffin Bay areas. Upon request, we take customers to Port Mansfield to enjoy the beautiful shallow flats in that area. In 1994, I started donating 10 to 15 trips a year to CCA Texas. Currently, I am donating 20 to 25 throughout Texas and Louisiana. I must say that the CCA customers are the most gracious people I have ever been associated with! I have become great friends with many of them.
My girlfriend, Connie Muse, is my faithful assistant helping daily on my fishing trips. We make a great team. On days when my clients elect to wade rather than stay in the boat, she is sufficient in bringing the boat to us when we need more bait or something to drink. I have people ask all the time if I get tired of guiding after all these years. My answer is always the same: I will never get tired of seeing that smile on the face of a young child or any adult fishing for the first time, hooked up on a nice fish. I am currently fishing a 24’ Haynie with 250 Mercury Motor, without a doubt the finest boat I have ever operated. Haynie boats are made by Chris’s Marine in Aransas Pass, Texas. We can help you with any accommodations that you may need, please call and visit. Hope to see ya on the water soon! — Capt. Hugo Ford www.capt.hugoford.com capt.hugoford@yahoo.com fordplay@prodigy.net 361-318-3836 (cell)
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Beer Can Chicken OR MANY YEARS, WE ALWAYS CUT OUR chicken into pieces when preparing on the pit or grill. About five years ago, I was introduced to Beer Can Chicken or Beer Butt Chicken. No matter what you call it, it is a delicious way to barbecue a whole chicken. This will be the juiciest
F
FRESHWATER TALES Continued from Page C55 Each year, beginning in mid April, the department stocks thousands channel catfish in 13 community lakes and ponds located in metro areas. The fish are stocked every two weeks through early November, minus August. Most of cats measure 12-16 inches. Four of the hotspots are in the DFW area include: Lakeside Park (3 acres) in Duncanville; Chisholm Park in Hurst (3 acres); Bob Jones Park in Southlake (8 acres); and Greenbriar Park in Ft. Worth (3 acres). Each lake offers plenty of bank access and clean restrooms. No more than two rods per angler. Daily limit is five fish. Fishing rods and tackle are available for loan at some locations. For more information, contact Rafe Brock, 817-732-0761.
Other Good Bets Other options include Ray Roberts, Lavon, Grapevine, Granbury, Tawakoni, Cedar Creek, and Richland Chambers. C62
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chicken you have ever tasted. The beer inside the can steams the inside of the chicken while the grill or pit cooks the outside for an awesome flavor sensation. For the beer selection, it is personal preference. You can use almost any beer, then add a few cloves of garlic and a few peppercorns for added flavor. Beer is not mandatory; you can use a standard soda can and fill it half way with chicken broth and your favorite herbs. — Bryan Slaven - 1 whole 5- to 6-lb fully thawed chicken (remove neck and giblets) - 1 can beer; open and pour out half, add garlic, peppercorns and The Texas Gourmet Sweet Chipotle Season All, or your favorite dry rub. (Before opening the beer, make sure the can will fit inside the chicken. Make sure the grill or pit you are using is tall enough when closed to hold the chicken on the can.) For the baste, combine: Texas Gourmet’s Sweet Chipotle Season All 3 Tbs melted butter 2 Tbs olive oil Wrap the chicken with cheesecloth as it: 1. keeps the skin from burning 2. keeps the smoke from penetrating and over smoking the bird. 3. allows the baste to slowly soak in and keep the skin moist throughout the cooking process The cheesecloth is not mandatory, but I definitely recommend it. Try it once, put cheesecloth on one chicken and not on another, and see which one you like best. Preheat the pit to 250 degrees and smoke the chicken for 3 to 3-1/2 hours, basting every 30 to 45 minutes. When done, a meat thermometer should register 165 degrees. Remove from pit, then remove the cheesecloth and take the chicken off of the beer can. (CAUTION: Wear gloves when removing the beer can wear gloves; the liq-
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uid and can are extremely hot.) Set on plate and cover with a loose piece of foil for 8-10 minutes to rest the bird.
On the Grill Build charcoal fire to one side of the grill. Baste the bird every 20 to 30 minutes and cook for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours. Serve with Texas Style Creamy Cole Slaw.
Texas Style Creamy Cole Slaw 5 cups shredded green cabbage 5 cups shredded red cabbage 1 cup shredded carrots 1 cup coarsely chopped purple onion 2 Granny Smith apples, cored, cut into 1/4-inch cubes 2 tsp lemon juice 1/2 cup cider vinegar 4 tsp Texas Gourmet’s Jalapeno Kiwi Jelly 1-1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup sour cream 1 Tbs Creole mustard or other coarsegrained mustard Combine the green and red cabbages, carrots, and purple onion in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, toss the cubed apples with the lemon juice and add to the cabbage mixture. In a small mixing bowl, combine the vinegar, jelly, salt, and pepper and whisk until the ingredients are well blended. Pour the seasoned vinegar mixture over the cabbage mixture and toss to thoroughly combine. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, and mustard and stir to combine. Add the mayonnaise mixture to
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the coleslaw and toss to thoroughly combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight before serving.
Apple Pecan Pie - 1 package Pillsbury pie crust, 2 pieces top and bottom - 1 glass pie pan - butter - 2 cups pecans, chopped coarsely - 2 cups dark brown sugar - 6 apples, Braeburn or any other firm and juicy variety, peeled and sliced thin - 2-1/2 Tbs flour - 1/2 tsp cinnamon - 1 cup sugar - pinch of nutmeg Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a double large sheet of foil under pie pan rack (the juices will tend to bubble out of the shell). Line the interior pie pan surface with a thin coat of butter. Place the pecans in the bottom of the pan. Place the brown sugar on the pecans and gently pat down. Place the first pie shell over the brown sugar and pecans and be sure to make the shell hang over the edge of the pan slightly.
PHOTO BY BRYAN SLAVEN
Place the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl and stir together well. Sprinkle the dry mixture over the sliced apples, and stir gently to combine Place the apples in the pan on top of the first pie shell (careful—it’s a lot of apples and it will look really tall, but it’s okay). Add the other pie shell and pinch the edges of the two crusts together. Cut a few slits in the top of the pie to allow the steam to escape during baking. Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Remove from oven and carefully place a plate on the top of the pie and flip over onto the plate. Lift off the pie shell carefully, scraping any pecan bits over the top of the pie.
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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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.
SEND YOUR PHOTOS TO: photos@fishgame.com or by mail at:
1745 Greens Road Houston, Texas 77032
CATFISH—PALACIOS
CATFISH—LITTLE CYPRESS
BUCK—LAMPASAS COUNTY
Russ Crone, age 10, proudly shows off this 12- Seven-year-old Jay Orosco proudly shows off his Robert Pereira, age 13, of Salado, Texas, harvested pound catfish that he caught while fishing with first catfish, caught while fishing with his family in his first deer, an 8-pointer, while hunting with his Palacios, Texas. father Richard on the Jake Brinegar Ranch in Lamhis dad in a pond in Little Cypress, Texas. pasas County with a Savage .243.
MALLARDS—MARIETTA, OKLAHOMA
CARP—LAKE JACKSONVILLE
L-R Dallas hunters Scott Hamilton, Al Edmond, Philip Schoeneck, Rob Gokey, and Tome Lowe limited on mallards during a hunt on a private tank near Marietta, Oklahoma, with outfitter Mike Beeson of Denison, Texas.
Dr. Michael Banks of Jacksonville, Texas, caught this 20-pound carp from his kayak on Lake Jacksonville. The carp was released to help control hydrilla in the lake. Photo by Steve Watson.
CRAPPIE—BRIDGE CITY
REDFISH—TRINITY BAY
BASS—LAKE AMISTAD
Gunar Fugler of Kingwood, Texas, caught his first Dyllan Branshaw, age 7, of Bridge City, Texas, caught Romeo Dominguez of Kerrville, Texas, caught redfish while fishing with his dad and friends in these crappie, the largest being 1 pound, two ounces. this 9-pound bass on a topwater plug in Lake Dyllan was using his Superman rod while fishing Amistad. Trinity Bay. The red was 23 inches long. with his granny and papa, Ruth and Don Dunaway. C64
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T MIGHT SEEM ODD SEEING CATFISHING AND big city skyscrapers mentioned in the same sentence. Truth is, there might not be a better bet going than Ol’ Whiskers when it comes to fishing opportunities in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex area. There are three species of game catfishes in Texas: flathead, blue, and channel. Channel cat are the smallest of the three, but they also are the easiest locate and catch, and mighty tasty in the skillet. Here is rundown of some of the best channel cat lakes within easy driving distance of the DFW area:
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Lake Arlington Rod and Reel Record: 13.6 pounds Lake Arlington is a small lake spanning only 1939 surface acres, but it supports a big catfish population that ranks among the best in the Metroplex, according to Tom Hungerford, a TPWD inland fisheries biologist based Ft. Worth. Hungerford said the most recent gill net surveys turned up nearly twice as many 12inch-plus channel cat as any other impoundment in District 2D. “It’s loaded,” said Hungerford. “There PHOTO BY MATT WILLIAMS
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are some nice size fish out there, too. Reports of channel cat in the 4- to 5-pound range are fairly common.” The power plant lake doesn’t offer much in terms of structure or cover. It impounds Village Creek, a tributary of the West Fork of the Trinity River. Hungerford said one of the best times to fish is when the lake is on a rise from water being pumped in from
by Matt Williams Cedar Creek Reservoir. He recommended fishing around main lake points or new growth willows and other vegetation using punch bait, shrimp, shad, or night crawlers. The cut between the hot-water outlet and main lake near Eugene McCray Park also can be good. Boat ramps are available at three lakeside parks; an annual permit or day use fee required. Bank fishing access is best at Richard Simpson Park. Eagle Mountain Rod and Reel Record: 8.40 pounds Hungerford ranks 8500-acre Eagle Mountain a close second behind Arlington A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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in terms of numbers of channel cat and quality. Anglers routinely catch limits of channels in the 2- 4-pound range, along with an occasional blue cat. Local fishing guide Chad Ferguson (214-878-9471) said the fishing can be excellent up and down the lake. He spends the most time targeting baited holes in 4-6 feet of water on flats, points, or near channels from the mid-lake area south to the dam. He prefers to concentrate the fish using soured wheat and catches them on Sure Shot punch bait. Bank fishing access is limited around the lake, but there are a number of docks where anglers can fish for a fee. Boats can launch from 10 access points. White Rock Lake Rod and Reel Record: none established Anglers who don’t own boats can find plenty of room to fish at White Rock. The 1088-acre reservoir just east of downtown Dallas offers more bank access than any other in the district. “There are walking and jogging trails all the way around it, along with several piers,
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In This Issue
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NEW PRODUCTS • What’s New from Top Outdoor Manufacturers | BY TF&G STAFF
OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE SECTION
SHOOT THIS • Cimmaron Arms Model 1885 High Wall | BY STEVE LAMASCUS
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TROPHY FEVER • 50 Years of Opening Days | BY KRYSTIN CRAIN JOHNSON
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DISCOVER THE OUTDOORS • Classifieds | BY TF&G STAFF TEXAS TASTED • Beer Can Chicken | BY BRYAN SLAVEN
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PHOTO ALBUM • Your Action Photos | BY TF&G STAFF
FISH THIS • Corks from Midcoast Products | BY GREG BERLOCHER
HOW-TO SECTION
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COVER STORY • DFW Channel Cat Haunts | BY MATT WILLIAMS
HOTSPOTS & TIDES SECTION
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TEXAS HOTSPOTS • Texas’ Hottest Fishing Spots | BY CALIXTO GONZALES, KYLE TOMEK, & TRIPP HOLMGRAIN
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SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK • Tides, Solunar Table, Best Hunting/Fishing Times | BY TF&G STAFF
GEARING UP SECTION
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TEXAS TESTED • Costa Del Mar; Woo Shoes; and Yeti Coolers | BY TF&G STAFF INDUSTRY INSIDER • Anchor Marine Marks One-Year Anniversary | BY TOM BEHRENS
so you can pretty much fish wherever you want,” Hungerford said. The lake maintains a good population of keeper channel cat in the 12- to 16-inch range, but there are some big ones out there, too. Hungerford said more than 160 retired brood fish from the TPWD A.E. Woods Fish Hatchery in San Marcos were stocked in the lake on Memorial Day 2008. Most of the fish weighed upward of 5 pounds, with several in the 10-pound class. Anglers are reminded of a 9.9 horsepower limit on outboard engines. Boats equipped with larger outboards are allowed, but must navigate using an electric trolling motor. Ramps are located off Fisher Road and East Lawther Drive. Mountain Creek Rod and Reel Lake Record: 3.80 pounds Mountain Creek maintains a good channel cat fishery, but you can’t keep any for the skillet. The 2500-acre power plant reservoir is one of several that have been placed under a possession/consumption ban by Texas Department of State Health Services due to PCB contamination. “It’s a good place to go to get your line stretched, but that’s about it,” Hungerford I2
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BOWHUNTING TECH • Missing the Target | BY LOU MARULLO TEXAS BOATING • The Five Commandments of Anchoring | BY LENNY RUDOW TEXAS GUNS & GEAR • Shooting Lead in Modern Firearms | BY STEVE LAMASCUS
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TEXAS KAYAKING • Different Strokes for Different Folks | BY GREG BERLOCHER
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FRESHWATER BAITS & RIGS • Catfishing with Kids’ Toys | BY PAUL BRADSHAW
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WILDERNESS TRAILS • Red Lights on the Horizon | BY HERMAN W. BRUNE
COASTAL NEWS • FEMA Funds Sabine Dock Replacement | BY TF&G STAFF TOURNAMENT NEWS • GC Anglers Assoc. Holds Fifth Event of 2009 | BY TF&G STAFF
SALTWATER BAITS & RIGS • Circle the Diamonds | BY PATRICK LEMIRE
said. “The channel cat population is very similar to that of Eagle Mountain.” Hungerford said much of the lake has silted in with time, so shallow, stained water is abundant. The best fishing occurs over baited holes, around available riprap, and near the discharge canal using stinkbait, cut bait, shrimp, or chicken livers. Bank fishermen experience decent success from the public ramp area off Mountain Creek Parkway. Lake Lewisville Rod and Reel Record: 22.68 pounds Lake Lewisville north of Dallas is best known for its trophy-class blues and flatheads, but it also supports a bountiful population of channel cats. “Lewisville is hard to be beat,” said Ferguson. “It’s chock full of fish the 14- to 16inch range, but we also catch quite a few up to 5 pounds.” During fall, the guide spends the majority of his time soaking punch bait in major and secondary creeks. He likes to target shallow flats or standing timber/stump fields utilized for roosting by cormorants. The ideal water depth is 2-6 feet. Baiting holes with soured grain or fishing along windblown points and shorelines also works well. F i s h
SALTWATER TALES • A Noisy Comeback | BY CALIXTO GONZALES
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Ray Hubbard Rod and Reel Record: 12.46 pounds It is no secret the blue cat is king at the 21,600-acre reservoir just east of Dallas, but its cousin the channel cat might be the most cooperative from one day to the next. Channel cat are everywhere, but some of the better hauls during fall and winter come off timber flats and wind-blown shorelines in water ranging 1-6 feet deep. The area above the State Highway 66 bridge can be especially good for 2- to 4-pound channels, especially when large flocks of migrant cormorants are present. Punch bait, chicken livers, or night crawlers are the tickets. There are a number of access points. Robertson Park is among the best for bank fishermen.
Fishin’ Down the Street Good catfishing could be closer to home than you think. Thanks to the TPWD Neighborhood Fishin’ program, a big-city dweller might not even have to leave his own neighborhood to find an army of hungry mouths to catch. Each year, beginning in mid April, the department stocks thousands channel catfish in 13 community lakes and ponds located in metro areas. The fish are stocked every two
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weeks through early November, minus August. Most of cats measure 12-16 inches. Four of the hotspots are in the DFW area include: Lakeside Park (3 acres) in Duncanville; Chisholm Park in Hurst (3 acres); Bob Jones Park in Southlake (8 acres); and Greenbriar Park in Ft. Worth (3 acres).
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Each lake offers plenty of bank access and clean restrooms. No more than two rods per angler. Daily limit is five fish. Fishing rods and tackle are available for loan at some locations. For more information, contact Rafe Brock, 817-732-0761.
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Other Good Bets Other options include Ray Roberts, Lavon, Grapevine, Granbury, Tawakoni, Cedar Creek, and Richland Chambers.
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King of the Jetties LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: South Jetty Tip GPS: N26 4.108, W97 9.308 SPECIES: kingfish BEST BAITS: ribbonfish, live mullet; Rat-LTraps in chrome/blue, red/white CONTACT: Quik Stop, 956-943-1159 TIPS: Several calm days in a row means that blue Gulf water will find its way within casting difference of the jetties. Kingfish will be prowling in and around the pass, and fishermen armed with surf tackle, kingfish rigs, and ribbonfish or live mullet can have a decent shot at a few smokers. A big, noisy Rat-L-Trap burned back to the jetties can lead to crashing, line-peeling strikes. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Brownsville Ship Channel GPS: N26 2.124, W97 13.108
SPECIES: snook BEST BAITS: live shrimp, live pinfish; topwaters CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Run up the channel to the first shrimp boat channel on the right. This is a major snook hotspot. Cast toward dock pilings and riprap. Watch for fish working along the shoreline. A trolling motor will help you position with casting room. If fish aren’t rising to your topwater, fish along the drop-off with large live shrimp or pinfish (an underrated bait) on a split shot rig. Large snook can tear up tackle, so use 15-pound class tackle or heavier. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: South Bay GPS: N26 00.763, W97 9.838 SPECIES: snook BEST BAITS: live shrimp; topwaters; soft I6
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plastics in red/white, Pearl/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Outgoing tides push bait out of the flats and mangroves in the backwaters of the bay, and snook put on the feedbag. Topwaters are the most popular lures for linesiders because of the crashing strikes, but you miss more than you hook. Soft plastics or and live shrimp fished on the drop-offs make for better hookups, and large snook will still LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: South Bay Mouth GPS: N26 3.054, W97 11.135 SPECIES: black drum BEST BAITS: live shrimp, fresh shrimp, bucktails CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: Drum of 15-20 inches move in and out of the deep channels of South Bay with the tides. Free-lining live shrimp or fishing with fresh shrimp on the bottom are both great techniques. Try bouncing a pink bucktail tipped with a bit of shrimp along the bottom.
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HOTSPOT: The Saucer GPS: N26 28.134, W97 23.667 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp; Gulp! shrimp in Nuclear Chicken, Lime Tiger; soft plastics in chartreuse patterns; gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: start in shallow water early in the day, and move back deeper as the sun rises and the day warms. If the wind begins to pick up around mid morning, then watch either for a color change to form, or look for potholes to fish around. Trout use these to ambush prey. Live shrimp under a popping cork, or a Gulp! Shrimp is a good choice for this area. Another good time to fish is late afternoon/early evening. Trout become active as dusk approaches. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOT SPOT: Spoils North of Bennie’s Shack GPS: N26 29.865, W97 23.501 SPECIES: speckled trout, redfish BEST BAITS: topwaters early; plastics in Bone/clear, Bone/Diamond, Salt & pepper; gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286
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TIPS: The shack is no longer there, but the fishing is still great. Most of the fish will be cruising the grassline, waiting in ambush. You can fish a topwater very aggressively early in them morning, and move to something slow and slinky later in the day. Bass Assassins and Gamblers are good for this application. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Peyton’s Bay GPS: N26 24.528, W97 21.703 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp/popping cork; cut mullet, ballyhoo; topwaters; gold spoons, red spinnerbaits; soft plastics in clear/red, red/white, Pearl/red CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: Pods of redfish can be located in the shallow waters of the area all summer. Fish the northernmost edge on line with the yellow house that is visible during part of the drift, and work gold spinnerbaits or spoons. Live bait under a popping cork works well, too. Try night fishing during the full moon with cut bait. Some big redfish, including some oversized brutes, have been caught at night.
LOCATION: Laguna Madre at Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: East of Marker 151 GPS: N26 31.890, W97 23.260 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Gulp! Jerk Shads in Limetreuse, Pearl; soft plastics in red/white, Firetiger CONTACT: Captain Terry Neal, 956-9442556, www.terrynealcharters.com TIPS: Wade or drift the deep potholes in the area with soft plastics, or your favorite redfish lures to find pods of reds cruising the flats in this area. If you can locate the depth break, wade parallel to it and cast along the break. Watch for trout chasing bait along the grasslines.
Pinfish Baffle Baffin Trout LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: East Kleberg Point GPS: N27 16.300, W97 30.426 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp, pinfish CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-985-
6089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Action really heats up after summer ends and everyone is back in school or work. Fish the shallows around rock edges and let the bait fall into deeper water. Use a Texas Rattlin’ Rig Chatterweight for best results. The combination of the weights clicking and the pinfish’s grunting can really get a trout’s attention. LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Rivera Channel GPS: N27 17.395, W97 39.476 SPECIES: black drum BEST BAITS: live shrimp CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Don’t discount the black drum. When other fish aren’t cooperating, the black drum can make a bad day a memorable one. Most fish are in the 14- to 30inch slot, but there are some bay donkies lurking out there. You can fish live shrimp under a popping cork or on the bottom. Either will work well. LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Rivera Channel GPS: N27 17.395, W97 39.476 SPECIES: black drum BEST BAITS: live shrimp CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Watch for birds working over schools that are crashing bait. When you locate a school, fish a Gulp! Shrimp or shad tail under an Old Bayside Paradise Popper X-treme. If the fish are deeper, work the lure without the cork. Use a 1/4-ounce jighead if the fish are deeper; switch to a 1/8-ounce jighead if using the X-treme cork. A live pinfish on a Chatterweight is also a good choice. LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Center Reef GPS: N27 16.206, W97 34.362
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SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp, pinfish, croaker; soft plastics in dark colors CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Fish the deep points around the Reef with live bait. Later in the day, fish closer to the rocks with live bait or soft plastics. Drift-fishing is better than anchoring because it allows you to cover more water around the reef. Once you find a concentration of fish, focus on the area they’re holding. Ease your anchor over the side, or you’ll spook the fish. A Power Pole is perfect for this type of application. LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Emmord’s Hole GPS: N27 30.057, W97 19.546 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp, pinfish, croaker; soft plastics in Tequila Gold CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: The grasslines in Emmord’s are still productive in September. Redfish become more active as their time for migration into the Gulf of Mexico. They are aggressive, and hungry. Work live pinfish under a Paradise Popper around the grasslines early in the morning. There will be speckled trout lurking and waiting for the sort of meal a noisy pin will provide. Late afternoon means tailing redfish, which means you can sight cast with soft plastics on light (1/8ounce) jighead. LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: King Ranch Shoreline GPS: N27 325.402, W97 2.075 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp, pinfish, croaker; Gulp! Baits/Paradise Popper CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: speckled trout are also active in the fall, and they are feeding heavily as fall continues. Fish the area slowly and thoroughly. If you are fishing a weedline, then use a live pinfish or shrimp without a cork. If you’re I10
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drifting potholes, then rig a live shrimp or 3inch Gulp! or Bayside Shrimp under an Old Bayside Paradise Popper. Again, slow is the catchword, so temper your drift with a drift anchor if you have one. LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: ICW GPS: N27 37.167, W97 15.004 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: topwaters in Bone; soft plastics in Tequila Gold CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Redfish will be prowling the shallows along the ICW in the afternoon. Work the shallows (as in 1 inch deep) with topwaters to get these fish’s attention. If the wind is up, back off and fish the edges of the ditch with jerkbaits and soft plastics. Gold and chartreuse are good color choices.
DOA Reds at Sabine LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Green’s Bayou GPS: N28 49.417, W93 50.499
SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live bait; soft plastics in chartreuse, Glow/chartreuse, Pearl/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, 409-673-2018 TIPS: Fall tides and migration move white shrimp out of the bayous and into Sabine Lake, and redfish gorge themselves on the easy meals. Key in on drains and points when the tide is draining out of the marsh and use either live shrimp, or imitations such as the 1/4-ounce DOA Shrimp. Toss up into the drain and work your bait back along the bottom with occasional twitches. Watch for tailing reds. You’d be amazed at how shallow they go this time of year.
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LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: North Levee Road GPS: N29 54.194, W93 52.316 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: soft plastics in Glow/chartreuse, Pearl/chartreuse, Green Tomato, Strawberry/white CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, 409-673-2018 TIPS: The middle of the lake is still very productive, especially with continued bird activity. If you don’t see any birds or skipping bait, then slicks should tip off where trout are actively feeding. LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: West Jetty GPS: N29 39.681, W93 49.978 SPECIES: flounder BEST BAITS: live bait; soft plastics in Glow/chartreuse, Pearl/chartreuse, Green Tomato, Strawberry/white CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, 409-673-2018 TIPS: Big, mature flounder migrate into the passes as they get ready to move off into the Gulf of Mexico to spawn. Fish the channel and pass edges soft plastics on heavy jigheads (3/8- to 1/2-ounce) will bump the bottom for flatties. Back off to a 1/4-ounce head to fish more in the mid depths for bull redfish. You don’t have to break out the big plastics for the reds. A 3-inch tail will get its share of strikes. LOCATION: East Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Big Pasture Bayou GPS: N29 30.322, W95 35.780 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live bait, topwaters; soft plastics in Opening Night, Cheyenne Gold CONTACT: Captain Steve Hillman, 409256-7939, www.hillmanguideservice.com TIPS: Baitfishes and shrimp are starting to move out of the bayous and into the Bay proper. Much like Sabine, redfish will hand out around the drains to intercept the schools of prey. Live bait or topwaters work well early. Later in the month, back off and fish depth breaks and deeper water with jigs tipped with soft plastics in colors that match the hatch.
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LOCATION: East Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Yates Bayou GPS: N29 29.608, W95 36.026 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live bait, topwaters; soft plastics in Opening Night, Cheyenne Gold CONTACT: Captain Steve Hillman, 409256-7938, www.hillmanguideservice.com TIPS: Water clarity is going to determine the lure color you use. If the water is stained, then fish with darker colors, while clearer water requires lighter colors. Work the depth breaks and drains along the shoreline on an outgoing tide. Trout will be holding in deeper water, waiting for bait to drift by. Watch for working bait.
Camo Fools Choke Bass LOCATION: Choke Canyon HOTSPOT: North Shore GPS: N28 30.258, W98 17.832
SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: jigs in Watermelon, Camo CONTACT: Robin McFarlane, 210-4164563 TIPS: Fish the coves and banks shallow early in the morning. Then as the sun comes up, move out and drop jigs as the day goes on. Jigs are good to throw in the North Shore area, but beware; you could get a good scrape going. LOCATION: Choke Canyon HOTSPOTS: Opossum Creek GPS: N28 31.890, W98 21.457 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: topwaters, Senkos, flukes, jigs CONTACT: Robin McFarlane, 210-4164563 TIPS: Look for grass and timber along the banks and in the coves. The flats on the east and west bank and above the Hwy 99 bridge have been known to hook anglers up with some big bass either by throwing jigs, topwaters, along with the necessary Senkos and flukes. Good jig colors are in the variety of Watermelon colors and camo. For topwaters, try a basic chrome/black back Pop-R,
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which works wonders, along with your Senkos and flukes in Watermelon colors as well. LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Between Markers #2 and #3 GPS: N26 37.651, W99 09.963 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Crankbaits and Carolina Rigged baits in Watermelon/red, Mardi Gras. CONTACT: Robin McFarlane, 210-4164563 TIPS: Between Markers 2 and 3, there are numerous under water points and drop-offs that will hold fish from April - October of each year. Cranking either a Firetiger or a Red Craw Crankbait along or working an 8- to 12-inch worm, lizard, or Senko in Watermelon/red or Mardi Gras colors will hook you up with those big fish that you’re looking for. LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Dam Area GPS: N26 33.571, W99 09.823 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: crankbaits; Texas and Carolina rigs with baits in Red Crawfish, Firetiger, Watermelon/red, Red Bug CONTACT: Robin McFarlane, 210-4164563 TIPS: If you launch at the State Park, you won’t have far to run to the Dam area to pick up some of those mean Falcon Lake bass. Once your at the Dam, you will find the usual drop-offs, flats, and points that these bass are known to hang on. Throwing crankbaits that dive a variety of depths is a must to find what depth these bass are holding. If cranking is not your bag, try working either a Texas Rig or a Carolina Rig in these same areas. Primary colors for your crankbaits are Red Craw, Firetiger, or Parrot, with Watermelon red and Red Bug being your good worming colors.
Stink Up a Cat LOCATION: Lake Somerville
HOTSPOT: Rock Island Shoreline GPS: N30 18.709 W96 31.675 SPECIES: catfish A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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BEST BAITS: shad, worms, stinkbait, chicken livers CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, www.FishTalesGuideService.com, 979-229-3103 TIPS: Use a Carolina rig of a 3/4-ounce egg sinker and 1/0 Kahle hook with Shad, and No. 4 treble hook with other baits. Water is deep here and drops off into the rocks. Fish the dropoff. Baitfishes frequent the drop-off area and fish move there to feed on them. Fish are about a month away from moving into fall patterns, which means baitfishes will move and catfish will follow them. Fish this area thru September. Chum the area near the boat and fish close to the boat.
LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Public Hump GPS: N32 51.174, W95 31.811 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: spoons, Carolina rigs CONTACT: Michael’s Guide Service, 903383-3406, www.lake-fork-guides.com TIPS: Use large jigging spoons on large schools of fish when you have found them using your depthfinder. If yellow bass are biting, stick around because largemouth bass are usually eating them.
LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Bell Ridge GPS: N32.52.539, W95.31.367 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: spinnerbaits, football-head jigs in black/blue CONTACT: Michael’s Guide Service, 903383-3406, www.lake-fork-guides.com TIPS: If yellow bass are biting, stick around because largemouth bass are usually eating them. Use your depthfinder to find schools of fish and use larger jigs and spinners to catch them. LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Highway 515 E. Bridge (East Side) GPS: N32.53.713, W95.31.224 SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: 1/32- to 1/8-ounce jigs in gray/blue; live minnows CONTACT: Michael’s Guide Service, 903383-3406, www.lake-fork-guides.com TIPS: Keep your line moving up and down in the water column until you find where the fish are located. Count how long it takes your bait to reach that level and fish it there every cast. Don’t sit around at one piling for too long if they are not biting; just move to the next piling.
LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: Eagle Point South GPS: N 30 37.919 W96 02.789 SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: shad, shrimp, worms, stinkbait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, www.FishTalesGuideService.com, 979-229-3103 TIPS: You will be anchoring in about 7foot water. Fish moving to and from main lake to Sulphur Creek pass through this shallower area. Use a tight-line Carolina rig with 2/0 Kahle hook for shad and 1-ounce egg sinker. Set out several rods around the boat, and try different types of bait on some rods here. Blue, Yellow, or Channel cats are possible here. If targeting channel cats you could use some range cubes or sour grain, since there is little current but good cover. For channel cats, fish over the chum. LOCATION: Fayette County Lake HOTSPOT: South East Trees GPS: N29 54.980 W96 42.954 SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: worms, stinkbait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, www.FishTalesGuideService.com,979-229-3103 TIPS: Trees in this area are right off of the old road bed. Tie off or anchor close to trees. Most are cedar trees, be careful casting, might fish straight down in 10-12 feet of water. Water has not cooled much yet, so look for fish near the bottom. Fish follow the road bed as well as feed in the trees here. Early morning and late evening, try closer in to shallow water where moss will allow. Fish will be eating moss along with the coots. Chum will bring cats out of the moss to your area, or chum straight down in deeper water. LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir HOTSPOT: Riprap at Dam GPS: N31 01.601, W97 31.858 SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: artificial baits matching forage size in silver, white, and silver/white on downriggers CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-368-7411, Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com TIPS: Go stocked with No. 12 and 13 Pet Spoons to match small shad, and Swimmin’
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Image shallow divers to imitate larger shad. Run baits 1-2 feet above game fish marks on sonar, and about 30 feet behind the downrigger ball. Low-light times at dusk and dawn are always productive, with very windy days also productive at any time. LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir HOTSPOT: Riprap at Dam GPS: N31 01.601, W97 31.858 SPECIES: smallmouth bass BEST BAITS: artificial baits matching forage size in silver, white, and silver/white on downriggers CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-368-7411, Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com TIPS: Go stocked with No. 12 and 13 Pet Spoons to match small shad, and Swimmin’ Image shallow divers to imitate larger shad. Run baits 1-2 feet above game fish marks on sonar, and about 30 feet behind the downrigger ball. Low-light times at dusk and dawn are always productive, with very windy days also productive at any time. LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir HOTSPOT: Riprap at Dam
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GPS: N31 01.601, W97 31.858 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: artificial baits matching forage size in silver, white, and silver/white on downriggers CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-368-7411, Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com TIPS: Go stocked with No. 12 and 13 Pet Spoons to match small shad, and Swimmin’ Image shallow divers to imitate larger shad. Run baits 1-2 feet above game fish marks on sonar, and about 30 feet behind the downrigger ball. Low-light times at dusk and dawn are always productive, with very windy days also productive at any time. LOCATION: Belton Lake HOTSPOT: Temple’s Lake Park GPS: N31 07.429, W97 29.285 SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: clear topwater baits sized to match forage size 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 the fish you catch, and try to
closely match that forage size with your baits. Action will continue to improve as cold fronts cause temperatures to moderate and begin a cooling trend in water temperatures. LOCATION: Belton Lake HOTSPOT: Temple’s Lake Park GPS: N31 07.429, W97 29.285 SPECIES: hybrid striped bass BEST BAITS: clear topwater baits sized to match forage size 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 the fish you catch, and try to closely match that forage size with your baits. Action will continue to improve as cold fronts cause temperatures to moderate and begin a cooling trend in water temperatures. LOCATION: Richland-Chambers HOTSPOT: Hwy 309 Flats GPS: N31 58.718, W96 06.878 SPECIES: white bass
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BEST BAITS: 1-ounce RSR Glitter Slabs, DD-22 crankbaits CONTACT: Royce Simmons, 903-3894117, www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: For folks wanting to troll for big hybrid stripers, tie on a DD-22 crankbait and troll the 25-foot water off the Hwy 309
flats. White bass will be stacked up on the dropoffs in the same area and can be caught on slabs bounced off the bottom. BANK ACCESS: Fisherman’s Point Marina, catfish LOCATION: Richland-Chambers HOTSPOT: Hwy 309 Flats GPS: N31 58.718, W96 06.878 SPECIES: hybrid striped bass BEST BAITS: 1-ounce RSR Glitter Slabs, DD-22 crankbaits CONTACT: Royce Simmons, 903-3894117, www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: For folks wanting to troll for big hybrid stripers, tie on a DD-22 crankbait and troll the 25-foot water off the Hwy 309 flats. White bass will be stacked up on the dropoffs in the same area and can be caught on slabs bounced off the bottom. BANK ACCESS: Fisherman’s Point Marina, catfish LOCATION: Richland-Chambers HOTSPOT: Oak Creek Point GPS: N31 57’ 11.82” W96 15’ 42.55” SPECIES: black bass BEST BAITS: 4- to 5-inch Watermelon/chartreuse, or Pumpkin/chartreuse stickbaits CONTACT: Steve Schmidt, 682-518-8252, 817-929-0675, steve@schmidtsbigbass.com TIPS: You want to put your boat in about 12-14 feet of water and throw up on the point. On your Carolina rig, use an 18- to 24-inchleader with a 4/0 hook, 1/2- to 3/4ounce Tungsten weight, and two 8mm force beads. When using Tungsten weights, do not use glass or plastic beads; the tungsten weights will break the beads because they are much harder than lead. LOCATION: Richland-Chambers HOTSPOT: Wind Sock Hump GPS: N31 25.46 W96 77.01 SPECIES: black bass BEST BAITS: 4- to 5-inch Watermelon/chartreuse, or Pumpkin/chartreuse stickbaits CONTACT: Steve Schmidt, 682-518-8252, 817-929-0675, steve@schmidtsbigbass.com
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TIPS: Don’t get confused with Wind Sock Point. This area is on the south end of the main lake. This area is great for a Carolina rig. The only bad thing is when you thrown a fast moving rattling bait, they tend to catch whites and hybrids as well. LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Flat Creek SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Mr. Twister Hawg Frogs CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, 903-5617299, ricky@rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Fish the weed beds and grass beds with your Hawg Frog, and when you have a fish blow up on your frog, give it 3-second count and then set your hook. Always wait and you will better your chances to catch a big bass. LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points from the Villages Marina to the dam SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: deep-diving shad pattern crankbaits CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, 903-5617299, ricky@rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Pull up on your points and make an S formation and watch your fish-finder. When you spot your fish, throw out a marker and begin fishing your crankbait, covering the whole area where you marked your fish. LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Cade Lake Area GPS: N32 17.30, W95 27.30 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Phantom Stinko in natural with red/purple glitter; Nichols Salty Mother Sinko in Green Pumpkin CONTACT: Don Mattern Sr., 903-4782633, 903-724-0961, matternguideservice.fghp.com TIPS: The Cade Lake area has been opened up in two places so you can get your boat through it. It has some islands in the area and a great hydrilla flat that bass love to get around. Fish the flat with sinking worms on a weightless Texas rig using a 35/0 hook. Cast the worm along edges of the hydrilla patches and don’t forget to work the open flats. The bass will lay in the hydrilla
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in the middle of the big openings where they find less pressure. LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard HOTSPOT: Riprap, any available vegetation SPECIES: black bass BEST BAITS: Hag’s Tornado in Watermelon red or Green Pumpkin; Bandit 200 series in white CONTACT: Jeff Kirkwood, 800-965-0350, 214-385-0301 TIPS: Carolina-rig plastics along the bottom edges of the riprap. Bounce a Bandit off the riprap. LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Mallard Cove, Riprap, Main Lake Points SPECIES: black bass BEST BAITS: white jig, Bandit 200 series crankbait CONTACT: Jeff Kirkwood, 800-965-0350, 214-385-0301 TIPS: These baits are best used at the bases of stumps, on main lake points, and road beds.
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LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: Texas Flats and Mill Creek Flats GPS: N32 51.849, W96 48.761 SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: slabs and Coho Minnow jigs CONTACT: Bill Carey, 877-786-4477, bigfish@striperexpress.com TIPS: Stripers are moving out of deep water and roaming the flats in September. The lures of choice are slabs and jigs. Vertically jig 1-ounce chrome, white, and chartreuse slabs along the bottom in 10-30 feet of water. Coho minnow jigs in white Glow color with a 3/4-ounce jighead and a 4-inch tail are perfect for these hungry stripers. Cast the jigs and use a medium retrieve. If you find surfacing or swirling fish, cast the jig, hold your rod high, and keep the jig subsurface. BANK ACCESS: Mill Creek Campsites
LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: White No. 2 Deep Flats GPS: N31 54.319, W97 22.105 SPECIES: stripers
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LOCATION: Lake Stillhouse Hollow HOTSPOT: large grass flats
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GPS: N31 01.344, W97 35.555 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: 10-inch Rage Tail Anacondas in Bama Bug; Carolina-rigged Watermelon flukes CONTACT: Wendell Ramsey, 325-2274931, bram4@suddenlink.net TIPS: The large flats that run parallel to the river channels are coming back with strong, good, green grass. Graph the flats in this area and find the grass closest to channels. Throw big worms on the grass, working your way out into the channel. Use the lightest weight that the wind will allow. The fish usually stay on top of the grass, so stay on top of it the best you can. BANK ACCESS: Dana Peak Park and Union Grove Park, call 254-939-2461 LOCATION: Lake Proctor HOTSPOT: humps GPS: N31 59.113, W98 29.264 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Texas-rigged Senkos in Green Pumpkin; topwaters, buzzbaits CONTACT: Wendell Ramsey, 325-2274931, bram4@suddenlink.net TIPS: Work the 8-12 feet deep water along the edges of humps with Senkos, dragging them across the bottom slowly. Make sure to mix up the action of the bait until you determine what technique the fish want. There might be schooling action as well, so have a buzzbait or Pop-R ready on a separate rod to fire at the school. BANK ACCESS: Promontory Point Park or Sowell Creek Park, crappie on live minnows, bass on soft plastics, catfish on stinkbait and liver
Propher Bass at Rayburn LOCATION: Sam Rayburn Reservoir
HOTSPOT: Popher’s Creek GPS: N31.12.010 - W94.23.200 SPECIES: largemouth bass I18
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BEST BAITS: Ribbit frogs in Green Pumpkin/Pearl; flukes in Pearl, Watermelon Red/chartruse tail CONTACT: Don Mattern Sr., 903-4782633, 903-724-0961, matternguideservice.fghp.com TIPS: In September, it is still hot in Texas but some big bass will get under and around thick lily pad patches. In the back of Popher’s creek is a creek channel running up into the woods with a huge lily pad thicket. Also mixed in are thickets of hydrilla. Take the Ribbit frog and rig it on a 5/0 or 6/0 hook that has the screw on wire at the head. Just screw the head of the frog on, come all the way through the frog, and let the point of the hook rest on the back of the frog. Work the frog through the shallow flats around the creek channel and the flukes on the edges of the deeper channel and hold on for these are great holding places for big bass. God bless and good fishing. LOCATION: Toledo Bend South HOTSPOT: Texas Islands GPS: N31 11.654, W93 36.641 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Ribbit Frogs, Top Dollar topwater lures, jigging spoons, DD-14/22 crankbaits, 7- to 10-inch Berkley Power Worms CONTACT: Joe Joslin, 337-463-3848, www.joejoslinoutdoors.com TIPS: Topwater patterns become even more successful this month as action heats up with plastic frogs and walking baits in shad patterns. Target primary and secondary points with visible grass at first light, late afternoon, and during cloudy conditions. Work frogs over grass and walk topwater baits along grass’ outer edges. When the topwater bite shuts down, move out to points and ledges where depths drop to 25 feet and work crankbaits and Texas and Carolina-rigged soft plastics. Jigging spoons fished vertically will catch both yellow and largemouth bass off points in depths of 10 to 25 feet. Yellows are best an hour after sunrise and mid-afternoon. BANK ACCESS: Below dam generators. Fishing is best when generators are running. All species. Call 337-286-5244 for pre-recorded generator schedule.
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LOCATION: Toledo Bend North HOTSPOT: Myrick Reach Pass (Green Willow Point) GPS: N31 46.155, W93 50.035 SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: slab spoons, tail spinners, shallow-diving crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, topwater plugs in shad patterns CONTACT: Greg Crafts, 936-368-7151, www.toledobendguide.com TIPS: White bass are following shad as they move around the lake. Barring a weather change, fish will school in the same areas and times each day. When fish are schooling, throw lipless and shallow-diving crankbaits or topwater plugs in shad colors. If fish stop schooling, move to adjacent deeper water and jig slab spoons in 1/2- to 3/4-ounce, or “yoyo” a tail spinner off the bottom. Concentrate on main lake points, boat lanes, and river channel sandbars. BANK ACCESS: public parks and marinas, crappie on live minnows, catfish on cut bait and liver LOCATION: Wright Patman Lake HOTSPOT: McFarland Island GPS: N33 15.720, W94 19.870 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Bobby’s Perfect Frog, SPRO Frogs, Pop-R’s, 5- to10-foot diving crankbaits CONTACT: Doug Rochelle, 903-671-3494, reteeks77@aol.com TIPS: Fish main lake points around McFarland Island from dawn to about 8 AM with Pop-R’s, then switch to crankbaits and moving farther out on the points. As the bite slows, move back into coves and pockets and fish grass beds and duckweed with plastic frogs. Be sure to use braided line when fishing frogs in these areas. BANK ACCESS: Hwy 8 boat ramp, catfish with cut liver, crappie at 10-14 feet with minnows, bream around trees on red worms LOCATION: Caddo Lake HOTSPOT: Land Island Cove GPS: N32 44.010, W94 08.372 SPECIES: panfishes BEST BAITS: live red wigglers, live crickets; 1/16-ounce Bubble Belly Road Runner; 1/32-ounce Road Runner Curly Tails;
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Fishing with Dennis Hook-Band-Worms CONTACT: Dennis North, 903-687-2128, www.fishingwithdennis.com TIPS: September is a good time to fish Land Island Cove in the upper river for panfishes. Water temperatures at night are starting to fall, so panfishes are moving out of deep water to areas around cypress trees, docks, and lily pads. Look for good brush along shorelines and near docks. Baits that have always produced good numbers in the cove include live baits, small 1/32-ounce baits with spinners, and Hook-BandWorms. With any live bait, try to fish with the smallest floats you can get away with. BANK ACCESS: Caddo Lake State Park, panfishes, catfish, largemouth bass, white bass LOCATION: Lake O’ the Pines HOTSPOT: Alley Creek Road Bed GPS: N32 47.094, W94 34.917 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Shaky Heads, drop-shotrigged Watermelon/red finesse worms, Bandit 200 Series crankbaits in chartreuse/blue back, Tackle Technology CrawClicker lockon rattles CONTACT: Dennis North, 903-687-2128, www.fishingwithdennis.com TIPS: The Alley Creek area is always good in September and one of the most consistent areas is the old road bed just under the bridge. This area holds fish just about all year. Fish the Shaky Head and dropshot rig in 7-14 feet of water in this area. Also fish Bandit Crankbaits around the many stumps and logs in the back of Alley Creek. TIPS: Dam overlook area, catfish and panfishes are plentiful LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Cade Lake Area GPS: N32 17.300, W95 27.300 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Senkos and Phantom Stickos in natural with red and purple glitter; Nichols Salty Mother Sinkers in Green Pumpkin CONTACT: Don Mattern Sr., 903-4782633, www.matternguideservice.fghp.com TIPS: The Cade Lake area is an old lake and dam that has been opened up in two places for boat access. It contains islands and a great Hydrilla flat that bass love to get around. Fish the flat with Senko or Sticko
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sinking worms rigged on a weightless Texas rig with 3/0 to 5/0 hooks. Owner hooks in 5/0 work well. Cast worms along Hydrilla patch edges and be sure to work open flats. Bass will lay in the hydrilla in the middle of big openings to avoid pressure. BANK ACCESS: Highsaw Bridge, bass, catfish, and crappie; fish the old roadway under the bridge LOCATION: Lake Livingston HOTSPOT: Below Trinity Dam GPS: N30 36.329, W95 00.490 SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: Zara Spooks in Bone, Shad CONTACT: Dave Cox, 936-291-9602, www.palmettoguideservice.com TIPS: To catch striped bass below Trinity Dam, launch before daylight and work your way downstream, throwing topwaters in the cuts off the river channel. Target depths of 8-10 feet. Fishing should be good until just after sunrise. Once the sun hits the water, the striper action is usually over. After sunrise, try fishing for white bass off gravel bars in 6-8 feet of water with jigs. BANK ACCESS: public parks and boat ramps, largemouth bass on artificials, catfish on cut bait, stinkbait, or liver LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N30 26.231, W95 35.510 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Pop-R’s in Bone, Shad; spinnerbaits in white and white/chartreuse CONTACT: Richard Tatsch, 936-2911277, www.fishdudetx.com TIPS: With the first cool fronts of the year beginning to move in, bass will start to feed on shad in preparation for cold weather and selective feeding. Now is a good time for topwater action and the aggressive strikes a spinnerbait can bring. Fishing up to the third day after a cold front has moved through can bring great action, particularly when overcast. Start by locating riprap rock and throw a small, single-blade spinnerbait, retrieving it at a very fast rate so the bait walks the surface. This is a very productive and fast way to catch a number of hard-hitting fish. Next, try working Pop-R’s in the same areas, alternating with spinnerbaits to determine the bass’ preference on that particular day. BANK ACCESS: Stowaway Marina, bream and catfish on live minnows or worms under cork. A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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chrome Rat-L Traps, shad-colored topwater baits CONTACT: Dave Burlington, 210-8339417, www.bassindave.com TIPS: White bass fishing at Medina Lake in September is about lights at night. It’s easiest to use floating or submersible fishing lights. Anchor off of points or bluff banks along the main river channel, position several lights around the boat and get ready. You will soon begin to see baitfish and white bass moving through the lighted water soon after. Vertically jig minnows, spoons and grubs at various depths to catch fish. If you don’t have lights, fishing lighted docks will generally produce fish in good numbers. Respect dock owners’ space if they are fishing. At first light and just before dark, look for whites to school and create surface action. Fish poppers, small prop-style topwaters, and Rat-L Traps through the schools. BANK ACCESS: Park Road 37, bass on plastic worms, catfish on cut bait and liver LOCATION: Lake Dunlap HOTSPOT: Upper lake GPS: N29 41.260, W98 06.070 SPECIES: smallmouth bass BEST BAITS: chartreuse and red crawfishpattern crankbaits; Watermelon/red, Green Pumpkin, chartreuse, and Cotton Candy tubes; drop-shot plastic finesse worms CONTACT: Dave Burlington, 210-8339417, www.bassindave.com TIPS: Fish the channel ledges from the dam at the lake’s upper end to the first big bend. Smallmouth on Dunlap use the channel ledges and eel grass beds in channel centers for cover most of the time. Fish an 8- to 10-foot diving crankbait, making quartering casts from the channel center to the ledges along the banks. If bass are not biting the
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ALL GPS COORDINATES VERIFIED BY
crankbait, switch to tubes and drop-shot worms; present the baits in a similar manner. BANK ACCESS: I-35 bridge public boat ramp and park, bluegill on worms and crickets, catfish on stinkbait or liver LOCATION: Lake Travis HOTSPOT: Anderson Bend GPS: N30 22.070, W98 00.590 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Bone or Shad topwaters; purple, Watermelon/red, Pumpkin, and Red Shad plastic worms or tubes; chartreuse and white spinnerbaits with matching painted blades; crawfish pattern crankbaits CONTACT: Dave Burlington, 210-8339417, www.bassindave.com TIPS: Bass are located in 5-15 feet of water close to deeper areas around points, flats, and bluff banks. Early and late in the day, bass will crush Pop-R’s, Zara Spooks, and prop-style topwaters. Once the topwater bite slows, throw spinnerbaits and crankbaits in the same areas, switching to plastic worms and tube style baits to catch inactive fish. Really pick apart the brush piles. Focus on docks, as they are always a key cover element on the lake; this can pay off big. BANK ACCESS: Pace Bend Park, bass on topwaters and plastic worms, catfish on stinkbait and cut bait LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Little Midland Cove GPS: N30 48.460, W98 22.320 SPECIES: largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: topwaters in Bone or Shad, Zara Spooks; whte and white/chartreuse buzzbaits; Watermelon, Green Pumpkin, purple, and Red Shad plastic worms; chartreuse/blue back crankbaits CONTACT: Dave Burlington, 210-8339417, www.bassindave.com TIPS: Bass are very active in shallow cover adjacent to deep water early, late in the day, and all day when overcast. Fish flats and points near creek and riverbed channels. Bass will be positioned on dock corners and around big rocks or wood in these areas. If no topwater bite, switch to crankbaits; then to Texas-, Carolina-, or drop-shot-rigged I20
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plastic worms as the bite continues to slow into the day. Bass are schooled up on cover this time of year, so where you catch one you should catch several. BANK ACCESS: Thunderbird Resort, largemouth bass on artificials, striped bass on spoons and shad, catfish on stinkbait or liver LOCATION: Lake LBJ HOTSPOT: Light Tower Point GPS: N30 33.450, W98 21.830 SPECIES: largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: white or black topwater buzzbaits and poppers; black or Watermelon/red plastic worms fished on Texas and Carolina rigs; white or chartreuse crankbaits; white spinnerbaits; Shad or white soft plastic jerkbaits CONTACT: Kandie Candeleria, 210-8232153, kandie@gvtc.com TIPS: Some of the best action now is at night around lighted docks. The lights draw in baitfishes and bass move in to feed after resting during the day. Fish the black and white baits, as they silhouette best in the dark. During the day, fish the grass beds and points in 2-10 feet of water, using chartreuse and Watermelon/red colors. Mid-day, grass beds are often overlooked, but they can be strong producers as they provide good oxygen and food sources for bass. If the bite there is slow, fish main points with Carolinarigged worms and crankbaits. BANK ACCESS: Sandy Creek, crappie on live minnows, catfish on stinkbait and liver LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Turkey Cove GPS: N29 51.440, W98 13.020 SPECIES: smallmouth Bass BEST BAITS: Rootbeer, Watermelon, and Smoke grubs; drop-shot-rigged plastic finesse worms CONTACT: Kandie Candeleria, 210-8232153, kandie@gvtc.com TIPS: You will find smallmouth schooled up along creek channel ledges, especially where they bend, and main lake points in 15-25 feet of water. Large rocks, wood, or manmade fish attractors concentrate fish in these areas. Use electronics to determine if fish are suspended over or in cover. If suspended over cover, use drop-shot plastic
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finesse worms fished vertically in the fish. If bass are in cover, use grubs, working them slowly and thoroughly through the cover. BANK ACCESS: Jacob’s Creek Park, bass on plastic grubs and worms, white bass on minnows LOCATION: Granger Lake HOTSPOT: Open Water Brush Piles SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: 1/32-ounce jigum jigs and minnows CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell 512-365-7761 www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: At this time of the year, the crappie will be moving to shallower water as it begins to cool somewhat. Fish jigs over very shallow natural cover or man made brush piles. These can be from 4 to 7 feet deep. The larger crappie will be in these spots. crappie will also be relating to standing timber. Fence lines at the mouth of the river can be very good at this time of year.
Coleman Hybrids Hit Cranks LOCATION: Lake Coleman HOTSPOT: River Channel and Points along Bluffs
GPS: N32 01.666, W99 28.553 SPECIES: hybrid stripers BEST BAITS: cut shad, DD-22 crankbaits, 1/2-ounce jigs CONTACT: Wendell Ramsey, 325-2274931, bram4@suddenlink.net TIPS: The river channel swings along the bluffs in this area. Pay attention to deep points that run out into the channel. Cut shad will work all day long, but early try a big deep-diving crankbait and heavy jigs in shad patterns, plain white, or white/chartreuse. Fish that suspend and then move shallow early and late are more apt to eat the moving baits. Once you hit a fish, get back out there, as there probably is a school.
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BANK ACCESS: Press Morris Park, crappie on live minnows, catfish on cut bait or liver LOCATION: Lake Amistad HOTSPOT: ledges near deep water GPS: N29 33.826, W100 59.067 SPECIES: smallmouth bass BEST BAITS: Zara Spooks, Vixens, Zoom Trick Worms, Senkos CONTACT: Wendell Ramsey, 325-2274931, bram4@suddenlink.net TIPS: In this area there are deep ledges along the river with vertical walls that can drop to 100 feet. Work bone colored topwaters parallel to the bluffs with a “walk the dog” technique. Use a steady cadence and be ready for some great blow ups. Other topwater colors that work are black/gold and baby bass. Sometimes schools will show themselves so be ready to fire topwaters at a moments notice. If the action slows or you miss a fish, follow up with a wacky-rigged Watermelon Trick Worm or Senko and you will pick up a few more fish. BANK ACCESS: Diablo East Park or Black Brush area LOCATION: Possum Kingdom Lake HOTSPOT: Peanut Patch (close to Sandy Beach) GPS: N32 53.568, W98 30.923 SPECIES: sand (white) bass BEST BAITS: live shad; topwaters in shad patterns; crankbaits in white and chartreuse; slabs and jigs in chrome and chartreuse CONTACT: Dean Heffner, 940-329-0036, fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: Concentrate on edges of the old riverbed where it runs close to humps and flats in depths of 20 feet. From this “natural highway,” fish will chase shad onto flats and humps to ambush them. The Peanut Patch is one of these ambush areas and is even more productive during periods of cloud cover. Concentrate on the depth and location of your first fish caught and stay with that pattern until the bite dies. Then follow fish back to the old riverbed and wait for them to chase the next ball of baitfishes that comes by. BANK ACCESS: North D&D, largemouth and smallmouth bass on plastic worms, catfish on stinkbait and liver
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LOCATION: Lake Graham-Eddelman HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points GPS: N33 09.106, W98 37.452 SPECIES: hybrids BEST BAITS: live shad; topwaters in shad patterns, slabs in silver or chrome; perchcolored crankbaits CONTACT: Dean Heffner, 940-329-0036, fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: Fish power plant discharge area early unless plant is discharging and water is hot. Otherwise, fish main and secondary lake points. In early morning, fish topwaters until the bite slows, then use your electronics to find breaklines with depths of 15-20 feet. Start fishing shallow-diving crankbaits, then change to slabs and deeper-diving crankbaits as the day wears on and fish go deeper. On overcast days, fish will stay shallow. Watch for baitfish on surface. BANK ACCESS: Hwy 380 public boat ramp, crappie on live minnows, bass on plastic worms, catfish on cut bait and liver LOCATION: Palo Pinto Reservoir HOTSPOT: Main lake points GPS: N32 39.033, W98 18.207 SPECIES: sand (white) bass BEST BAITS: live shad; topwaters in shad patterns; slabs in chrome CONTACT: Dean Heffner, 940-329-0036, fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: The bite will extend later into the morning as September brings cooler weather. Start by fishing topwaters early and continue until the bite slows. Fish then move deeper to avoid sun and warmer temperatures during the day. Fish slabs at breaklines in water depths of 15-20 feet off main and secondary lake points. Early morning and night fishing can be productive in shallower water with shad or topwater lures. BANK ACCESS: public boat ramps, crappie on live minnows, catfish on stinkbait, cut bait, and liver
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Tides and Prime Times
SEPTEMBER 2009 USING THE PRIME TIMES CALENDAR
The following pages contain TIDE and SOLUNAR predictions for Galveston Channel (29.3166° N, 94.88° W).
T12
T4
T11
T10
TIDE PREDICTIONS are located in the upper white boxes on the Calendar Pages. Use the Correction Table below, which is keyed to 23 other tide stations, to adjust low and high tide times.
T13 T7
T6 T5 T17
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY is shown in the lower color boxes of the Calendar pages. Use the SOLUNAR ADJUSTMENT SCALE below to adjust times for points East and West of Galveston Channel.
T15 T16
AM & PM MINOR phases occur when the moon rises and sets. These phases last 1 to 2 hours.
T14 T18
AM & PM MAJOR phases occur when the moon reaches its highest point overhead as well as when it is “underfoot” or at its highest point on the exact opposite side of the earth from your positoin (or literally under your feet). Most days have two Major Feeding Phases, each lasting about 2 hours.
T19
SOLAR & LUNAR ACTIVITY: Sunrise: 6:34a Sunset: 7:51p
PEAK DAYS: The closer the moon is to your location, the stronger the influence. FULL or NEW MOONS provide the strongest influnce of the month.
T20
AM Minor: 9:11a AM Major: 2:57a PM Minor: 9:40p PM Major: 3:25p
PEAK TIMES: When a Solunar Period falls within 30 minutes to an hour of sunrise or sunset, anticipate increased action. A moon rise or moon set during one of these periods will cause even greater action. If a FULL or NEW MOON occurs during a Solunar Period, expect the best action of the season.
Moonrise:9:27a Moon Set: None Moon Overhead:
T21
4:55p
TIDE CORRECTION TABLE Add or subtract the time shown at the right of the Tide Stations on this table (and map) to determine the adjustment from the time shown for GALVESTON CHANNEL in the calendars.
KEY T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6
PLACE Sabine Bank Lighthouse Sabine Pass Jetty Sabine Pass Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass Galveston Bay, S. Jetty Port Bolivar
HIGH -1:46 -1:26 -1:00 -0:04 -0:39 +0:14
LOW -1:31 -1:31 -1:15 -0:25 -1:05 -0:06
KEY PLACE HIGH Galveston Channel/Bays T7 Texas City Turning Basin +0:33 +3:54 T8 Eagle Point +6:05 T9 Clear Lake +10:21 T10 Morgans Point T11 Round Pt, Trinity Bay +10:39
LOW +0:41 +4:15 +6:40 +5:19 +5:15
KEY PLACE T12 Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay T13 Gilchrist, East Bay T14 Jamaica Beach, W. Bay T15 Alligator Point, W. Bay T16 Christmas Pt T17 Galveston Pleasure Pier
T22 T23
KEYS TO USING THE TIDE AND SOLUNAR GRAPHS TIDE LE VEL GRAPH: 12a
Tab: Peak Fishing Period
6a
12p
6p
12a
Green: Falling Tide
AM/PM Timeline Light Blue: Nighttime
BEST:
7:05-9:40 PM
Gold Fish: Best Time
Blue: Rising Tide Red Graph: Fishing Score
Blue Fish: Good Time
SOLUNAR AC TIVIT Y: MINOR Feeding Periods (+/- 1.5 Hrs.) Time Moon is at its Highest Point in the Sky 12a
AM/PM Timeline
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AM Minor: 1:20a
PM Minor: 1:45p
AM Major: 7:32a
PM Major: 7:57p
MAJOR Feeding Periods (+/- 2 Hrs.)
Moon Overhead: 8:50a 6a
12p
6p
12a
Time Moon is Directly Underfoot (at its peak on opposite side of the earth)
Moon Underfoot: 9:15p
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HIGH +5:48 +3:16 +2:38 +2:39 +2:32 -1:06
LOW +4:43 +4:18 +3:31 +2:33 +2:31 -1:06
KEY T18 T19 T20 T21 T22 T23
PLACE San Luis Pass Freeport Harbor Pass Cavallo Aransas Pass Padre Island (So. End) Port Isabel
SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:
NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION
Yellow: Daylight
TIDE PREDICTIONS are shown in graph form, with High and Low tide predictions in text immediately below. SOLUNAR ACTIVITY data is provided to indicate major and minor feeding periods for each day, as the daily phases of the moon have varying degrees of influence on a wide variety of wildlife species.
T9 T8
T3 T2 T1
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HIGH -0.09 -0:44 0:00 -0:03 -0:24 +1:02
LOW -0.09 -1:02 -1:20 -1:31 -1:45 -0:42
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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
SEP 1
2
THURSDAY
3
FRIDAY
4
SATURDAY
5
SUNDAY
6
Sunrise: 6:55a Moonrise: 5:26p
Set: 7:42p Set: 3:14a
Sunrise: 6:56a Moonrise: 6:01p
Set: 7:41p Set: 4:10a
Sunrise: 6:56a Moonrise: 6:33p
Set: 7:40p Set: 5:05a
Sunrise: 6:57a Moonrise: 7:03p
Set: 7:39p Set: 6:00a
Sunrise: 6:57a Moonrise: 7:32p
Set: 7:38p Set: 6:55a
Sunrise: 6:58a Moonrise: 8:01p
Set: 7:36p Set: 7:49a
Sunrise: 6:58a Moonrise: 8:31p
Set: 7:35p Set: 8:44a
AM Minor: 2:43a
PM Minor: 8:55p
AM Minor: 3:25a
PM Minor: 9:36p
AM Minor: 4:05a
PM Minor: 10:16p
AM Minor: 4:45a
PM Minor: 10:56p
AM Minor: 5:26a
PM Minor: 11:36p
AM Minor: 6:08a
PM Minor: ——-
AM Minor: 6:53a
PM Minor: 12:42p
AM Major: 8:55a
PM Major: 9:18p
AM Major: 9:36a
PM Major: 9:59p
AM Major: 10:16a
PM Major: 10:38p
AM Major: 10:56a
PM Major: 11:17p
AM Major: 11:36a
PM Major: 11:57p
AM Major: ——-
PM Major: 12:19p
AM Major: 12:42a
PM Major: 1:04p
Moon Overhead: 10:46p 6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: None
Moon Overhead: 11:31p 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 12:14a 12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 1:37a
Moon Overhead: 12:56a 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 2:19a 12a
6a
12p
6p
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
31
12a
Tides and Prime Times for SEPTEMBER 2009
12a
FEET
FEET
Moon Underfoot: 10:22a +2.0
BEST:
BEST:
5:00 — 7:10 P
-1.0
BEST:
5:30 — 7:30 P
Moon Underfoot: 12:35p BEST:
10:00A — 12:20P
Moon Underfoot: 1:16p BEST:
10:56 A — 1:00 P
Moon Underfoot: 1:58p BEST:
11:15 A — 1:30 P
Moon Underfoot: 2:41p +2.0
BEST:
12:00 — 2:20 A
12:20 — 2:40 A
TIDE LEVELS
0
Moon Underfoot: 11:53a
TIDE LEVELS
+1.0
Moon Underfoot: 11:08a
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
5:09 AM 10:31 AM 12:13 PM 8:54 PM
1.55 ft 1.41 ft 1.42 ft 0.11 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
5:05 AM 10:06 AM 1:33 PM 9:28 PM
1.51 ft 1.35 ft 1.44 ft 0.18 ft
+1.0
0
-1.0 High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
5:06 AM 10:01 AM 2:34 PM 9:56 PM
1.47 ft 1.25 ft 1.45 ft 0.27 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
5:12 AM 10:15 AM 3:31 PM 10:23 PM
1.46 ft 1.12 ft 1.45 ft 0.39 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
5:22 AM 10:39 AM 4:26 PM 10:50 PM
1.45 ft 0.97 ft 1.45 ft 0.54 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
5:33 AM 11:08 AM 5:23 PM 11:18 PM
1.44 ft 0.81 ft 1.45 ft 0.71 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
5:42 AM 11:39 AM 6:24 PM 11:48 PM
1.43 ft 0.65 ft 1.46 ft 0.90 ft
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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
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
8
Set: 7:34p Set: 9:42a
Sunrise: 6:59a Moonrise: 9:40p
AM Minor: 7:41a
PM Minor: 1:30p
AM Major: 1:30a
PM Major: 1:53p
Moon Overhead: 3:03a 6a
12p
6p
9
FRIDAY
111
10
SATURDAY
Set: 7:29p Set: 1:52p
AM Minor: 8:33a
PM Minor: 2:21p
AM Minor: 9:29a
PM Minor: 3:16p
AM Minor: 10:28a
PM Minor: 4:14p
AM Minor: 11:28a
PM Minor: 5:13p
AM Minor: 12:05a
AM Major: 2:21a
PM Major: 2:45p
AM Major: 3:16a
PM Major: 3:42p
AM Major: 4:14a
PM Major: 4:42p
AM Major: 5:13a
PM Major: 5:43p
AM Major: 6:13a
Moon Overhead: 4:39a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 5:33a 12a
6a
12p
6p
Sunrise: 7:01a Set: 7:28p Moonrise: 12:10a Set: 2:52p
6a
12p
6p
13 Sunrise: 7:02a Moonrise: 1:13a
Set: 7:27p Set: 3:47p
PM Minor: 6:13p
AM Minor: 12:57a
PM Minor: 7:12p
PM Major: 6:44p
AM Major: 7:12a
PM Major: 7:42p
Moon Overhead: 7:31a
Moon Overhead: 6:31a 12a
SUNDAY
12
Set: 7:32p Sunrise: 7:00a Set: 7:33p Sunrise: 7:00a Set: 7:30p Sunrise: 7:01a Set: 10:42a Moonrise: 10:23p Set: 11:45a Moonrise: 11:12p Set: 12:49p Moonrise: None
Moon Overhead: 3:49a 12a
THURSDAY
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 8:32a 12a
6a
12p
6p
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
7 Sunrise: 6:59a Moonrise: 9:03p
12a
Tides and Prime Times for SEPTEMBER 2009
12a
FEET
FEET
Moon Underfoot: 3:25p +2.0
BEST:
0
-1.0
Moon Underfoot: 6:02p
BEST:
2:00 — 4:00 A
BEST:
10:00A — 12:00P
Moon Underfoot: 7:01p BEST:
4:30 — 6:30 P
Moon Underfoot: 8:02p BEST:
5:30 — 7:20 P
12:00 — 2:00 P
Moon Underfoot: 9:02p +2.0
BEST:
12:30 — 3:00 P TIDE LEVELS
+1.0
BEST:
Moon Underfoot: 5:06p
TIDE LEVELS
1:00 — 13:30 A
Moon Underfoot: 4:14p
High Tide: 5:46 AM 1.42 ft Low Tide: 12:14 PM 0.49 ft High Tide: 7:34 PM 1.47 ft
I28
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
• S E P T E M B E R
12:19 AM 5:41 AM 12:55 PM 8:56 PM
1.11 ft 1.45 ft 0.35 ft 1.50 ft
2 0 0 9 /
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
12:49 AM 5:24 AM 1:43 PM 10:43 PM
T E X A S
1.32 ft 1.51 ft 0.22 ft 1.55 ft
F i s h
Low Tide: 1:11 AM High Tide: 5:07 AM Low Tide: 2:41 PM
&
1.51 ft 1.62 ft 0.12 ft
High Tide: 5:00 AM Low Tide: 3:50 PM
G a m e ® / A L M A N A C
1.73 ft 0.03 ft
High Tide: 4:51 AM Low Tide: 5:05 PM
1.81 ft High Tide: 3:49 AM -0.03 ft Low Tide: 6:19 PM
1.83 ft -0.06 ft
+1.0
0
-1.0
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ALMANAC I.qxd:ALMANAC I
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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
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
15
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
17
16
SATURDAY
18
SUNDAY
119
20
Sunrise: 7:02a Moonrise: 2:22a
Set: 7:26p Set: 4:36p
Sunrise: 7:03a Moonrise: 3:32a
Set: 7:24p Set: 5:19p
Sunrise: 7:03a Moonrise: 4:41a
Set: 7:23p Set: 5:58p
Sunrise: 7:04a Moonrise: 5:48a
Set: 7:22p Set: 6:33p
Sunrise: 7:04a Moonrise: 6:53a
Set: 7:21p Set: 7:07p
Sunrise: 7:04a Moonrise: 7:57a
Set: 7:19p Set: 7:42p
Sunrise: 7:05a Moonrise: 9:02a
Set: 7:18p Set: 8:18p
AM Minor: 1:52a
PM Minor: 8:07p
AM Minor: 2:45a
PM Minor: 8:59p
AM Minor: 3:34a
PM Minor: 9:48p
AM Minor: 4:22a
PM Minor: 10:35p
AM Minor: 5:10a
PM Minor: 11:22p
AM Minor: 5:59a
PM Minor: ——-
AM Minor: 6:52a
PM Minor: 12:39p
AM Major: 8:07a
PM Major: 8:37p
AM Major: 8:59a
PM Major: 9:27p
AM Major: 9:48a
PM Major: 10:14p
AM Major: 10:35a
PM Major: 11:00p
AM Major: 11:22a
PM Major: 11:47p
AM Major: ——-
PM Major: 12:36p
AM Major: 12:39a
PM Major: 1:04p
Moon Overhead: 9:32a 6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 11:23a
Moon Overhead: 10:29a 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 12:15p 12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 1:53p
Moon Overhead: 1:04p 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 2:43p 12a
6a
12p
6p
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
14
12a
Tides and Prime Times for SEPTEMBER 2009
12a
FEET
FEET
Moon Underfoot: 10:01p +2.0
BEST:
0
-1.0
BEST:
8:45 — 11:00 A
Moon Underfoot: None BEST:
9:30 — 11:45 A
Moon Underfoot: 12:39a BEST:
10:20A — 12:50P
Moon Underfoot: 1:29a BEST:
11:00A — 1:30P
Moon Underfoot: 2:18a +2.0
BEST:
12:20 — 2:15 P
12:40 — 3:20 P TIDE LEVELS
+1.0
BEST:
Moon Underfoot: 11:49p
TIDE LEVELS
8:00 — 9:50 A
Moon Underfoot: 10:57p
High Tide: 3:43 AM Low Tide: 7:25 PM
1.81 ft High Tide: -0.05 ft Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
3:52 AM 9:01 AM 12:21 PM 8:25 PM
1.74 ft 1.52 ft 1.60 ft 0.04 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
4:05 AM 9:09 AM 2:04 PM 9:18 PM
1.66 ft 1.28 ft 1.63 ft 0.21 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
4:19 AM 9:40 AM 3:26 PM 10:08 PM
1.58 ft 1.00 ft 1.67 ft 0.44 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
4:33 AM 10:18 AM 4:40 PM 10:54 PM
1.53 ft 0.71 ft 1.71 ft 0.71 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
4:48 AM 10:59 AM 5:52 PM 11:39 PM
1.50 ft 0.46 ft 1.72 ft 0.98 ft
High Tide: 5:01 AM 1.51 ft Low Tide: 11:41 AM 0.27 ft High Tide: 7:05 PM 1.72 ft
+1.0
0
-1.0
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= New Moon = First Quarter = Full Moon = Last Quarter = Best Day
Tides and Prime Times for SEPTEMBER 2009 TUESDAY
Sunrise: 7:05a Set: 7:17p Moonrise: 10:06a Set: 8:57p
Sunrise: 7:06a Set: 7:16p Moonrise: 11:09a Set: 9:40p
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
21
22
THURSDAY
23
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
24
Sunrise: 7:06a Set: 7:15p Sunrise: 7:07a Moonrise: 12:09p Set: 10:27p Moonrise: 1:05p
SUNDAY
226
25
Set: 7:13p Sunrise: 7:07a Set: 11:17p Moonrise: 1:56p
Set: 7:12p Set: None
Sunrise: 7:08a Moonrise: 2:42p
27
Set: 7:11p Sunrise: 7:09a Set: 12:10a Moonrise: 3:23p
Set: 7:10p Set: 1:05a
AM Minor: 7:47a
PM Minor: 1:34p
AM Minor: 8:45a
PM Minor: 2:32p
AM Minor: 9:43a
PM Minor: 3:30p
AM Minor: 10:40a
PM Minor: 4:27p
AM Minor: 11:34a
PM Minor: 5:21p
AM Minor: 12:01a
PM Minor: 6:13p
AM Minor: 12:48a
PM Minor: 7:00p
AM Major: 1:34a
PM Major: 2:00p
AM Major: 2:32a
PM Major: 2:58p
AM Major: 3:30a
PM Major: 3:56p
AM Major: 4:27a
PM Major: 4:53p
AM Major: 5:21a
PM Major: 5:47p
AM Major: 6:13a
PM Major: 6:37p
AM Major: 7:00a
PM Major: 7:24p
Moon Overhead: 3:34p
12a
WEDNESDAY
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 5:19p
Moon Overhead: 4:26p 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 6:11p 12a
6a
12p
Moon Overhead: 7:52p
Moon Overhead: 7:03p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
MONDAY
Moon Overhead: 8:40p 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
FEET
FEET
Moon Underfoot: 3:08a +2.0
BEST:
BEST:
-1.0
BEST:
2:30 — 4:45 P
Moon Underfoot: 5:45a
Moon Underfoot: 6:37a
BEST:
9:30 — 11:50 A
BEST:
10:00A — 12:20P
Moon Underfoot: 7:28a
Moon Underfoot: 8:16a
BEST:
11:00A — 1:20P
+2.0
BEST:
12:00 — 2:00P
1:30 — 3:00 P TIDE LEVELS
0
Moon Underfoot: 4:52a
TIDE LEVELS
1:45 — 4:00 P
+1.0
Moon Underfoot: 4:00a
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
12:22 AM 5:12 AM 12:26 PM 8:21 PM
1.24 ft 1.53 ft 0.16 ft 1.71 ft
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
1:04 AM 5:13 AM 1:14 PM 9:50 PM
1.44 ft 1.57 ft 0.13 ft 1.69 ft
Low Tide: 1:42 AM High Tide: 4:32 AM Low Tide: 2:08 PM
1.60 ft 1.62 ft 0.16 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
12:06 AM 1:28 AM 2:46 AM 3:10 PM
A L M A N A C / T E X A S
1.70 ft 1.70 ft 1.70 ft 0.23 ft
High Tide: 3:07 AM Low Tide: 4:23 PM
F i s h
&
1.75 ft 0.30 ft
High Tide: 3:33 AM Low Tide: 5:38 PM
1.75 ft 0.36 ft
High Tide: 3:45 AM Low Tide: 6:43 PM
G a m e ® / S E P T E M B E R
2 0 0 9
1.73 ft 0.41 ft
•
I31
+1.0
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
28
WEDNESDAY
29
THURSDAY
30
FRIDAY
OC T 1
SATURDAY
2
SUNDAY
44
3
Sunrise: 7:09a Moonrise: 4:00p
Set: 7:08p Set: 2:01a
Sunrise: 7:10a Moonrise: 4:33p
Set: 7:07p Set: 2:56a
Sunrise: 7:10a Moonrise: 5:03p
Set: 7:06p Set: 3:51a
Sunrise: 7:11a Moonrise: 5:33p
Set: 7:05p Set: 4:46a
Sunrise: 7:11a Moonrise: 6:02p
Set: 7:04p Set: 5:40a
Sunrise: 7:12a Moonrise: 6:31p
Set: 7:02p Set: 6:36a
Sunrise: 7:12a Moonrise: 7:04p
Set: 7:01p Set: 7:33a
AM Minor: 1:33a
PM Minor: 7:44p
AM Minor: 2:14a
PM Minor: 8:25p
AM Minor: 2:52a
PM Minor: 9:03p
AM Minor: 3:29a
PM Minor: 9:40p
AM Minor: 4:07a
PM Minor: 10:17p
AM Minor: 4:46a
PM Minor: 10:57p
AM Minor: 5:29a
PM Minor: 11:41p
AM Major: 7:44a
PM Major: 8:07p
AM Major: 8:25a
PM Major: 8:47p
AM Major: 9:03a
PM Major: 9:24p
AM Major: 9:40a
PM Major: 10:01p
AM Major: 10:17a
PM Major: 10:38p
AM Major: 10:57a
PM Major: 11:19p
AM Major: 11:41a
PM Major: ——-
Moon Overhead: 9:26p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 10:52p
Moon Overhead: 10:09p 12a
6a
12p
6p
12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 11:33p 12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: None 12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 12:15a 12a
6a
12p
6p
Moon Overhead: 12:59a 12a
6a
12p
6p
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
SOLUNAR ACTIVITY
Tides and Prime Times for SEPTEMBER 2009
12a
FEET
FEET
Moon Underfoot: 9:03a +2.0
BEST:
BEST:
-1.0
Moon Underfoot: 11:12a
BEST:
3:00 — 5:00 P
BEST:
4:00 — 6:00 P
Moon Underfoot: 11:54a BEST:
9:30A — 12:20P
Moon Underfoot: 12:37p BEST:
10:00A — 12:30P
Moon Underfoot: 1:22p +2.0
BEST:
10:30A — 1:00P
12:00 — 1:30 A TIDE LEVELS
0
Moon Underfoot: 10:31a
TIDE LEVELS
2:30 — 4:30 P
+1.0
Moon Underfoot: 9:48a
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
I32
3:40 AM 10:15 AM 10:36 AM 7:35 PM
1.68 ft 1.48 ft 1.48 ft 0.47 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
• S E P T E M B E R
3:35 AM 9:21 AM 12:40 PM 8:15 PM
1.63 ft 1.41 ft 1.49 ft 0.55 ft
2 0 0 9 /
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
3:35 AM 9:11 AM 1:53 PM 8:49 PM
T E X A S
1.59 ft 1.28 ft 1.53 ft 0.65 ft
F i s h
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
&
3:41 AM 9:18 AM 2:55 PM 9:21 PM
1.57 ft 1.12 ft 1.57 ft 0.77 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
3:49 AM 9:35 AM 3:52 PM 9:52 PM
G a m e ® / A L M A N A C
1.56 ft 0.94 ft 1.63 ft 0.91 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
3:58 AM 10:00 AM 4:48 PM 10:24 PM
1.56 ft 0.75 ft 1.68 ft 1.07 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
4:06 AM 10:30 AM 5:46 PM 10:59 PM
1.56 ft 0.57 ft 1.74 ft 1.23 ft
+1.0
0
-1.0
8/3/09
11:44 AM
Costa Shades in Death & Life A LOT OF SUNGLASSES HAVE PASSED UNDER THE boot heel since I destroyed my beloved Costa del Mar Hammerheads with a plasma torch. They were my first Costas, and I mourn the loss almost daily. Alas, most sunglasses face a short life and violent death around me. Don’t ask me why. I tried substituting cheaper glasses for the Costas, following the logic that since I would shortly destroy or lose them, it was better to sacrifice cheap than quality. To my chagrin, “cheap” lasted about 1/10 the time as quality and I was losing glasses (and money) at an alarming rate. (One “bargain” pair disappeared down the gullet of a chocolate Lab—literally disappeared, because despite due vigilance and frequent examination of Lab detritus, the remains never showed up, yet the Lab is still ticking after, lo, these many months. Made me wonder what really happened to that missing hunting knife.) For my triumphant return to quality, I first co-opted a pair of Man-O-War Costas, the rubberized nosepiece of which worked well to keep them in place under grease-andsweat conditions. The lenses were a bit small for my tastes, so before I could destroy the Man-O-Wars I acquired a pair of Howlers. The bigger lenses suited me better, and the lightweight frames reduced ear and nose fatigue after extended wear. Both models have so far survived assorted indignities, including sittings on, stand-
Page I33
ings on (once by a cow, no less), sand and gravel abrasion, and an extended slide down a highway with only minor road rash resulting. I keep writing the Costa engineers asking why they do not develop a Barbwire model in my honor, but they never write back. Busy, I guess. Contact: Costa del Mar, 800-447-3700, www.costadelmar.com —Don Zaidle
Woo-Hoos for Woo Shoes “YOU WANT ME TO TRY A PAIR OF WHAT?” I was unsure what to think when bassing legend Woo Daves asked me to try a pair of
lets), I thought, What the hell, I’ll just wear them around the house. “Around the house” for me includes midnight forays into the backyard (briar- and brush-choked woods) to dispatch marauding varmints, navigating driveway mud to reach the mailbox, and skinning assorted fauna on the back porch for grandsons who swear they will “get it” if I just show them how one more time. To my surprise and delight, the Woo Shoes stood up to this treatment with comfortable endurance, and remain my “house shoes” to prevent tracking “stuff ” all over the house and provoking spousal wrath. Although Woo Shoes, designed by and made for Woo Daves as fishing shoes, are available in several styles from Bass Pro Shops, I am unsure which ones I have. Whatever the case, I am confident other styles are just as rugged and comfortable— despite the funny name. Contact: Bass Pro Shops, 800-9204400, www.basspro.com —DZ
Bear-Tough Yeti PHOTO BY DON ZAIDLE
Woo Shoes. At first I thought it was a joke, maybe a pair of Oxfords with whoopee cushion insoles, but Woo was adamant it was a legit deal. Nonetheless, I remained reticent to agree simply because of the name. Not that I have any insecurities about my manhood or anything, but “Woo Shoes” sounds like something Peewee Herman would wear to the theater. I ultimately relented in the name of good relations, secretly scheming to ensconce the shoes in one of many boxes of “stuff ” or give them away to the unsuspecting. However, when the shoes arrived and I saw the material and workmanship quality (leather uppers bounded to a thick, slip-resistant rubber sole, double stitching, and brass eye-
WHEN YETI OFFERED TO SEND ME A 54-QUART ice chest over a year ago, I expected a highquality product. Even so, when the cooler arrived, I was impressed. Instead of being PHOTO COURTESY YETI COOLERS
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PHOTO BY DON ZAIDLE
A L M A N A C / T E X A S
F i s h
&
G a m e ® / S E P T E M B E R
2 0 0 9
•
I33
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Anchor Marine Marks One-Year Anniversary NCHOR MARINE IN SAN ANTONIO MARKED ITS first anniversary under new owner, Tony Alvarez, Sr., this spring. Alvarez reflected on the first year as a tremendous learning experience: “This has been better than going to school because it has given me an opportunity to get into a business where people care about people. You are not dealing with prima donnas, personalities; just a bunch of easy-going hardworking people who like to fish and boat.” The first anniversary has been a tough year in today’s economy. Handling the credit crunch has been one of the challenges that not only Anchor, but all boat dealers are facing. Before credit availability tightened, a dealer sold the boat, called the bank, and
A
was paid. Now dealers have to sell the boat, sell the bank, and then hope the bank is going to pay in a timely manner. The dealer is actually selling the boat twice. Alvarez said the secret to selling boats in today’s marketplace is educating the customer and being creative: “You need to be careful how you pre-qualify the customer without insulting his wishes. Everybody wants to drive a Cadillac, but not everybody can afford one. You have to reason with a customer, put him in a boat that he will be comfortable with and be able to afford without much of a problem. That takes education. “In the past, I believe there were a lot of boat sales that were happening because you
had a bunch of order takers that would write up the order. Now you have to research the customer; you have to qualify the customer; you have to educate the customer as to what products are available to meet his budgetary needs.” Boat financing is available. Maybe the bigger lending institutions such as large banks can be restrictive in their lending qualifications, but Alvarez finances many of his sales through credit unions. “We find that the easiest way to get money is through local credit unions. They are really open-minded. We have a good relationship with them and it’s fairly easy to get financing with them.” Alvarez is working with military presence in the San Antonio area in sponsoring fishing trips for returning Iraq veterans, “being part of the family.” Anchor Marine continues its emphasis on top-notch customer service for both saltand freshwater anglers. “We have made it a point to have a wide range of pricing so we can accommodate the
TEXAS TESTED Continued from Page I-33 light and flimsy like most coolers, this one was heavy and tough. From the perfectly aligned lid to the heavy duty hinges, screwin drain plug, and rubber feet that keep the box from sliding around in a pickup bed, the Yeti ice chest is obviously a top-of-theline product. Inside and out, the cooler is built much better than the average ice chest. My oldest son, Courtland, and I took the Yeti on a trip to California during July 2008, and carried it on a rack on the back of our Jeep. We went through the Mojave Desert twice, and were on the road for 10 days. The cooler was in the sun most of that time, and we opened it many times every day. When we got home, it still contained about half of a 10-pound block of I34
• S E P T E M B E R
2 0 0 9 /
ice we had put in it before we left home. This is a serious ice chest. I drained the water periodically, and we added a small bag of ice a couple of times, so the block of ice had help. Still, I have never had a cooler keep ice that well. The seal is so tight the lid is sometimes difficult to open the lid, even with the latches undone. If the drain plug is not opened first, the suction against the rubber seal will not allow the lid to be raised. It seals far better than my home refrigerator. The Yeti cooler is so tough it could probably be used as a jack stand without damage. Normally, if an ice chest blows out of a pickup, it is history. The Yeti is heavy enough not to blow out, even empty, but if it did, it would probably just get a little scratched up. The U.S. Forest Service has a division
T E X A S
F i s h
&
G a m e ® / A L M A N A C
called the “Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee.” This committee has tested the Tundra line of Yeti coolers extensively. The coolers were padlocked and attacked by live, wild grizzly bears. The boxes were scratched, tossed, and chewed, but the bears never got them open. The Yeti Tundra, consequently, is one of the few coolers officially approved by the IGBC for use on public lands occupied by grizzlies. Which is not really a surprise. If my teenage son and I could not tear one up, a grizzly bear doesn’t stand a chance. Maybe if they sent one to Zaidle.... Contact: Yeti Coolers, 512-394-9384, www.yeticoolers.com —Kendal Hemphill
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first-time buyer all the way up to the buyer who has bought several boats,” said Alvarez. “We have cancelled some of the relationships we had with boat manufacturers, but we have brought in new lines, such as Majek, bringing it into the San Antonio area. We are very excited to have that relationship with them.” The dealership continues to have a strong relationship with Shallow Sport, and Skeeter boats are one of the top sellers along with Frontier and Blackjack boats from K2. “We see the $18-26 thousand price range boat moving fairly well with the economy. The high end priced boats are moving, but the biggest demand is for boats in the 18-26.” There is also a very high demand for used boats. “We usually have anywhere from 15 to 25 used boats in stock all the time, both fresh- and saltwater boats. Used boats have to meet our standards or I don’t touch it.” Great communication between the customer and the staff at Anchor Marine has never changed. Alvarez personally calls customers, thanks them for their business, and gives them updates regarding service, new boat preparation, or how the loan application is moving on their new boat. “A customer expects top notch service before and after the sale—the way you greet customers, the way you walk customers PHOTO COURTESY ANCHOR MARINE
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Tony Alvarez and the employees of Anchor Marine through the dealership, making sure no matter what they are here for, they are treated the best we can. “God has blessed this company. I am a very fortunate individual, very blessed to have the caliber employees I have. These people are loyal, hard working, they really understand what customer care is really
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On the Web www.anchormaineoftexas.com
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MudArmour Shield for Shotguns
Contact Mud Brothers, LLC, PO Box 93803, Southlake, TX 76092. Phone:(817) 917-9364. Website: www.mudarmour.com.
MudArmour is an innovative product designed to prevent mud, dust, and water from invading the interior of a shotgun. This product is constructed of durable, lightweight, water-repelling neoprene. TheMudArmour kit consists of the Barrel Boot
Magnum Feeders Get a Charge Out of Silver While filling deer feeders 22 miles from nowhere, you discovered that the battery in the last feeder was dead, and the nearest town has no lead acid re-chargeable batteries. No problem if you are using Magnum Hunting Products new Silver “+” series controller.
MudArmor
Magnum Silver +
which seals the business end of the shotgun, and the Chamber Vest which surrounds the upper receiver to cover the loading and ejection ports. MudArmour serves as a mobile gun case that remains on the shotgun until you are ready to take the first shot. As you move down range on foot or ATV, Mud Armour repels the elements to keep your shotgun clean and fully operational. When it’s time to take the shot, you won’t be cleaning your gun. MudArmour can be easily stored and retrieved from your pocket. You invest in waders and outer-gear to protect you from the elements, give your shotgun the same vital protection. Whether you hunt waterfowl or upland birds, MudArmour is essential to protect your shotgun from the elements. I36
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The Silver “+” is powered by D-Cell batteries in battery packs. The six battery pack delivers 9 volts and the eight battery pack delivers 12 volts. The packs will provide clean, smooth, reliable power for over 9 months. Every grocery store, convenience store and drug store in small towns have DCell batteries and they are considerably less expensive than the re-chargeable ones. The Silver “+” is menu driven making it extremely easy to set, and features an e-prom memory that saves all feeder settings. It comes complete with a spinner plate and Magnum’s N-Linear housing. Just pop in the D-Cells and start feeding. The Silver “+” Controller is built on
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Magnums famous Platinum “+” technology and is the latest advancement in Magnum’s 42 year history in the game feeder industry. And, all Magnum’s products are made in Texas. For more information call 281-261-0803 or go to their website, www.magnumhunting.com.
All Season Feaders Having problems attracting your deer to a protein feeder? Tired of filling multiple feeders? With the new All Seasons Feeders Combo Feeders (Patent Pending) you can eliminate the need for doubling everything! The new Combo is a 2 feed stations in 1! Combining the best features of free choice protein tube feeder and our new weather /varmint resistant broadcast feeder into one. The ASF new Combo series feeders eliminates the need for multiple feed stations, eliminates the need for 2 feed pens, and the need of 2 set ups to fill your feeders. Our unique gate control allows you to feed both corn and protein at he same time, or each can be fed individually. The control unit is a our own heavy duty design built to withstand the abuse of the largest of animals while still resisting small unwanted animals and birds from wasting feed. Hopper size comes in 1,000 2,000 and 3,000 lbs capacity. The 1,000 lb holds 450 lbs of corn while the other 2 will hold
All Season Feeder
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700 lbs of corn. (Feeder capacities determined by corn weight) For more information, please visit the All Season Feeders website, www.allseasonsfeeders.com, or call (800) 841-1720.
George Strait Releases ‘Twang’ George Strait’s “Living For The Night,” the first single from his upcoming album TWANG, hit the Top 15 mark in just three weeks making it one of the fastest rising singles of his career. The song was
George Strait’s 38th album, “Twang.” written by Strait, his son Bubba Strait and legendary songwriter Dean Dillon. With the debut single racing up the charts, the street date of TWANG has been moved up to August 11, 2009. Co-producing this 13 track disc with producer Tony Brown, Strait proves again why he has sold over 67 million albums throughout his record-breaking career. TWANG, Strait’s 38th album, was recorded at Shrimpboat Sound Studio in Key West, FL. It is the same studio where they recorded Strait’s last two award-winning albums. With a career spanning more than 25 years, Strait has 57 #1 singles to his credit, which is the record for more Number One hits than any artist in history. His 33 different platinum or multi-platinum albums have earned him the most RIAA platinum certifications in country music and third in all genres behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley. Strait was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006, making
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him one of a few artists to receive such an honor while still actively recording and producing music.
Midstate Lamp A new propane lamp from Midstate Lamp Company is brighter and more energy-efficient than anything else on the mar-
Midstate Lamp
ket. The Model 450 is as bright as a 100watt bulb. Most propane lights burn at 10 pounds per square inch of pressure, but the Model 450 operates at less then 1 psi. Besides saving fuel, the new lamp is whisper quiet. The lamp is ideal for remote cabins or cottages without electricity. It’s also a sensible backup for modern homes when the power goes off. Made of stainless steel with brass fittings, the lamp, which sells for $99.95, comes with aluminum reflector and mounting bracket. Midstate Lamp, 169 E. CR 200 N., Arthur IL 61911; 866-450-LAMP (5267).
Rusty’s Rags Gun Cleaning Product Rusty’s Rags, Inc. announces a new gun cleaning cloth for all types of firearms. The “Rusty’s Rag” (MSRP $9.25) is basically two cleaning kits in one. The hand-cut sheepskin cloth is impregnated with a special silicone formulated for firearms. It also comes with a flannel cloth used for wiping off the excess oil and polishing to a fine finish. Each product is produced by hand in the USA. Whether in the field or at home the “Rusty’s Rag” gun cleaning cloth is the most effective way to clean and protect virtually any gun, anywhere. Two sizes have been developed for specific guns. The smaller size, approx. 2” x 5”, used for pistols, is the most popular with gun ranges, daily shooters, and occasional hunters. The larger size, approx. 5” x 5”, is ideal for rifles, shotguns, and black powder firearms. “We are constantly looking for high quality gun stores, shooting ranges, and distributers to sell our product,” says Latham Doxey, Vice President of Sales. “We offer a quality product which is hand-made and not packaged off of a high speed assembly line. If you want to offer a high quality gun cleaning product to your customers, the “Rusty’s Rag” is for you.” For more information on this product visit: www.RustysRags.com.
Rusty’s Rags
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Cimarron Arms Model 1885 High Wall HE WINCHESTER MODEL 94 WAS introduced in November 1894. We all know it was the first to use a smokeless sporting cartridge, the famous .30-30 Winchester. However, most do not know that the .30-30 (originally the .30 WCF)
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by Steve LaMascus was not one of the Model 94’s original chamberings. That honor goes to the .38-55 and .32-40, both black powder cartridges. The .38-55 in particular was and still is a grand old cartridge. It is now experiencing a renaissance, due mainly to the growing popularity of Cowboy Action Shooting. While it was made popular in the Winchester 94 lever action, the .38-55 was originally introduced by Ballard in 1885 for a single-shot target rifle, and I believe that is where it fits best. Why? Because the .38-55 is an astoundingly accurate cartridge. When the black powder set is looking for pure accuracy, they usually pick the .38-55 or .32-40. I had never used the .38-55, but I have always admired it as a wonderful old deer slayer that was also sufficiently powerful for even larger game, if the range is kept short. I prefer it to the larger cartridges, like the .45-110 or the .50-90, because it is easy to reload with smokeless powder, while the large cases require special techniques to sucI38
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cessfully load smokeless. The .38-55 requires no fillers, card wads, or grease cookies; just pour in the powder, seat the bullet, and you are ready to go. It is also easily loaded with black powder for the purist. (If you are a purist, you already know how to load it with black powder, so for this piece we will concentrate on its serviceability with smokeless.) To remedy my lack of experience with this grand old cartridge, I called Cimarron Arms in Fredericksburg and ordered a Winchester Model 1885 High Wall single-shot manufactured for Cimarron by A. Uberti, the famous Italian gun maker. Lyman Products supplied bullet molds, reloading dies, and nose punches. My thanks to both those companies, which regularly help me with highest quality products for my research. The biggest advantages the .38-55 has over the .30-30 are bullet weight and bullet diameter; the two cartridges share the same head size and use the same shell holders, the .30-30 being nothing more than a necked down .38-55. The .38-55 shoots bullets of the same diameter as the vaunted .375 H&H Magnum. Depending on the rifle, groove diameter will run from about .376 to around .380 inches, which is where the “.38” part comes from. The only debit on the account is that it does not have much velocity, especially with heavier bullets like the Lyman 335-grain cast bullet, intended for shooting metallic silhouettes. Still, in most situations, I believe we have gone far overboard in our search for higher velocities. We should instead be searching for cartridges that get the job done without kicking our teeth out and making us flinch. The .3855, in spite of its considerable size, is not a hard-kicking cartridge, especially when com-
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pared to the modern super magnums like the .378 Weatherby. My Cimarron Model 1885 High Wall Sporting Rifle is gorgeous. I picked it up from my old friend Rodney Deorsam at Oasis Outback in Uvalde and sped home to try it out. It has plain but well-fitted wood; deep, dark bluing; nice case hardening on the receiver; and a double-set trigger that lets off at less than a pound. The barrel is a 30-inch full octagon. The trapdoor in the butt houses a brass cleaning rod. My test gun was equipped with a tang-mounted rear aperture sight and globe front sight, with a series of interchangeable inserts. In all, a very well made, well-finished, workmanlike gun just screams, “Shoot me!” I first loaded the .38-55 with 335-grain Lyman cast bullets lubed with Lyman MolyLube, Winchester cases primed with CCI 200 primers, and 18-grains of IMR4198. I had to guess at the right powder charge because I could not find loading data for that bullet. It was a good guess. The big Lyman is a semi-pointed bullet reminiscent of the old Postell black powder bullets. I was afraid they were too long and pointed to stabilize in the .38-55, which was designed for bullets in the 250-grain range, but I was pleasantly surprised. The first theshot group after I got it on paper at 100 yards measured right at 2 inches. Subse-
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50 Years of Opening Days HEIR FACES ARE YOUNG, CONFIDENT, excited, and smiling. In their posture, one detects the easy insouciance of the veteran sportsman. They are young men embarking on a journey, possibly even an adventure, and they are ready—all, that is, except one. On the front row is a young man—easily the youngest of the group, a boy still— with somber eyes behind large glasses. His posture is a poor copy of his companions’, a calculated swagger worn like an ill-fitting coat over his nervous stiffness. The boy is
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by Krystin Crain Johnson Charles Crain, and he is about to embark on his first opening-day dove hunt. He stands with two older brothers and three friends, and his eyes seem to stare past the camera. He could not have known, at age 13, that he was beginning what would become a life-long passion, taking the first steps of an annual pilgrimage that would span 50 years. He could not know that, as a freshman in college, one of the boys in the picture would accidentally fire the bullet that ended his baseball career and very nearly ended his life. He could not know that, in the year 2009, he would still be hunting on opening day with the boys in the photograph. The photo, taken September 1, 1960, in the driveway of the Crain family home in Dallas, Texas, shows Charles, his friend Denny Malouf, his older brothers Butch PHOTO COURTESY KRYSTIN CRAIN JOHNSON
Front Row, L-R: Charles Crain (13), Denny Malouf (13). Middle Row, L-R: Butch Crain (20), Phil Curran (20), Jerry Wendt (21); Back Row, Mike Crain (17) on the day of Charles’ first opening day dove hunt. and Mike, and their friends Phil Curran and Jerry Wendt. This was to be Charles’ first dove hunt, and the site chosen was the Malouf family’s land in East Texas, near what is now Lake Tawakoni. Charles’ brothers were experienced hunters, and it fell to them to teach the youngest of the five Crain children the skills of a hunter and outdoorsman. In 1960, the dove limit was 10 birds. Excellent shots all, the Crain boys never took long to get their limits. Texas was still A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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predominantly agricultural, and permission to hunt on a rancher’s land could be had for the asking. The concept of hunting leases was virtually unknown. When Charles went on his first openingday dove hunt, there was more at stake than a day’s entertainment; he was being initiated into a time-honored Texas tradition. The hunters gather before daybreak, taking up positions when the sky first begins to lighten and the dove start to fly. The day ends with a cook-out, tired hunters sprawl-
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ing on sagging tail-gates telling stories of the day’s hunt, last year’s hunt, and hunts that took place before some of the younger hunters were born. As the dove season progresses, a handful of hunters might shoot for a morning, or possibly escape from the city for a brief evening hunt. But opening day means something more—a ritual, a sacred pilgrimage that all hunters insist on making. Charles Crain has made it, without fail, for 50 consecutive years. “The Texas tradition of the sportsman is being upheld in its purest form by this one man in Austin, Texas,” said Pat Boyle, long-time friend and hunting partner. “He is the ultimate example of the Texas dove-hunter.” Although his first dove hunt, the 1960 trip was by no means Charles’ introduction to outdoor pursuits. He had fished with his father and brothers from a young age and was an avid baseball player, earning All-
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District honors in high school. After his initial dove hunt, he began hunting duck and quail as well, and it was on a duck hunt in Charles’ freshman year at the University of Texas that tragedy nearly overtook the Crain family. Charles was hunting with a group that included his childhood best friend, Denny Malouf, when Denny’s gun accidentally discharged, shooting Charles in the lower leg. Thanks to the skilled intervention of a medical student who happened to be a member of the hunting party, Charles reached the far-distant hospital alive. He lost 70 percent of the muscle in his calf and was hospitalized for several weeks. “But the person who came out the worse for that accident was Denny,” Charles said sadly. “Denny couldn’t go to the hospital to get over what had happened; I could.” Occurring in January, the accident also ended Charles’ college baseball career
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before it even began. Charles, however, is sanguine about the experience: “Probably for the best,” he said with philosophical candor. “I was a mediocre baseball player, and this way, I had to concentrate on my studies.” As Charles went on to earn an MBA from the University of Texas, the assessment seems accurate. Since moving permanently to Austin in 1984, Charles has held season tickets to the University of Texas baseball games, the team for which he was slated to play, and he has brought up two avid baseball fans in his daughters, Krystin and Sara. Charles coached both of his daughters’ softball teams and still serves as the long-time, much-beloved public address announcer for Austin Westlake High School’s girl’s fastpitch softball. Charles also taught his daughters to hunt and fish. Sara, the family “fisherperson” as described by Charles’ brother “Uncle
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Mike” Crain, has fished both with her father and Jerry Wendt. Krystin prefers to shoot, an interest that has occasionally raised eyebrows. “There was this one evening when my husband and I were living in Chicago, and we were at a dinner party with about 20 people,” she said. “Somehow, the subject of guns came up, and I started talking about which guns I prefer to shoot and why. Suddenly, I realized that the entire table had gone silent, and everyone was looking at me.
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These were all northern people, and not a single one of them had ever handled a gun. I think they were terrified.” This September, Charles will once again pack up his gear (some of which is nearly as old as the photograph) and join his brothers, Butch and Mike Crain, Phil Curran, and Jerry Wendt for his 50th consecutive opening-day dove hunt (Denny Malouf passed away several years ago). His wife of 41 years, Donna Earle Crain, will, as always, smile and encourage him to go: “I think it’s
important. I always have, but now it’s particularly special. Charles is the youngest of those boys, and he’s 62, so who knows how many more years they’ll have together?” A few more, at least. After all, Charles now has a granddaughter to teach.
SHOOT THIS Continued from Page I-38 quent groups were right in there, with some going as small as 1.5 inches. That is as well as many modern, scope-sighted rifles will shoot. Accuracy with Winchester 255grain factory ammunition was equally good. As I expected, there was very little recoil. This is due mainly to the low velocity (1320 feet per second for the Super X factory loads; about 1250 for my handloads) combined with the heavy weight of the rifle, which scales over 10 pounds. A look at the Uberti website shows that they do not offer the Model 1885 High Wall in .38-55. From what I can gather, Uberti makes rifles in .38-55 and a few other nonstandard calibers like .30-40 Krag and .40-65, especially for Cimarron Arms, which then distributes them to other dealers and individuals. These guns are as well made as any I have seen, including the more expensive American-made brands. There are no obvious flaws, workmanship is exemplary, accuracy is exceptional, and functioning is smooth and flawless. After testing, I can say that I recommend this rifle and this caliber without reservations. —Steve LaMascus
On the Web www.cimarron-firearms.com
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Missing the Target PENING DAY IS LOOMING CLOSER WITH every passing day, and the excitement is building as well. Soon, you will not even be able to get a good night’s sleep. Ring any bells? By now, most of us have our tree stands in place, bows tuned, and scent-free camo hanging on the clothesline outside. Everything seems to be in place for a successful opening day. Your confidence is at a new
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high and you even have looked up new recipes for the fresh venison that is still on the hoof in the woods. I hate to even ask this question, but have you picked up bad hunting habits that you do not even know you have? Is your shooting form the best it can be? Unfortunately, when we practice shooting the bow, it is very easy to forget something about our shooting form—something that, at the time, seems unimportant, but will develop into a lifelong bad habit that is harder to break with every new season. Now is the time to make sure you are shooting correctly. Bring a friend along to watch your every move before, during, and after the shot to make sure that you are doing everything right. Stop by your local
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bow shop and ask a professional if he has any pointers for you. You might be surprised. A big mistake bowhunters make is cranking up draw weight too much. They want the arrow to get there faster—and maybe start to think of this as a “macho” sport. The misconception is the more draw weight you have, the bigger man you are. If your friend is pulling 80 pounds, you try to match that even if it is very difficult. Remember, a bow is set up for each individual. You do not need all that draw weight to harvest an animal. Plenty of hunters bring home venison pulling half that weight. If your equipment is matched and tuned for your setup, you will have no problem in the field.
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Try to shoot with both eyes open. If you are right handed, that does not necessarily mean that your right eye is your dominant eye. I have found that I am cross-dominant, meaning that although I am right handed, I am left eye dominant. That is a problem if I want to shoot with both eyes open—no can do. If someone told me about this when I wore a younger man’s clothes, I would have learned to shoot left-handed. It is easy enough to check your dominant eye. Simply extend your arm with your thumb pointed up, pick an object across the room, close one eye, and place your thumb over the object. Now open both eyes. If your thumb is no longer on the object, then your other eye is dominant. Another common mistake is not following through with the shot. As in every sport (golf, bowling, and tennis to name a few), to
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be successful you need to follow through with the shot. In the bowhunting world, a smooth string release is one of the important steps of a good follow-through. Whether a finger or mechanical release, the movement is the same—or should be. Keep your trigger hand in control and bring your hand straight back to your ear after the shot. If you get into the bad habit of “plucking” the string and not following through, the result could be a missed opportunity for some venison. If you use a mechanical release, it is always best if the shot itself comes as a surprise. You do not want to anticipate the shot. I wrote about target panic in a previous column, but it is important enough to touch on again. A smooth release with a good follow through will mean a tighter arrow group and a freezer full of wild meat. The arm holding the bow needs to stay straight after the shot. Many bowhunters drop their bow arm as soon as they release the arrow. This very common mistake should be addressed if you want to be suc-
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cessful in the field. It takes concentration to keep that hand in a steady position until your arrow hits the target. Some bows today come equipped with a bubble level mounted on the sight. What a great idea! When you come back to full draw, take a quick look at the level and make sure that your bow arm is not tilting or “canting” to the right or left. There is so much torque on the newer bows that a slight tilt might throw an arrow off target. I realize there are times when keeping your bow
upright might be unrealistic (in tight quarters where you need to tilt your bow for a clean shot), but it is always better to shoot from a level bow whenever possible. Being more aware of your shooting form and not developing bad habits is always good for an ethical bowhunter. It might be the difference between a short bloodtrail and a long day. E-mail Lou Marullo at lmarullo@fishgame.com
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The Five Commandments of Anchoring NE THE SURFACE, DROPPING AN ANCHOR should be a piece of cake: put it over the side, lower away, and cleat it off. Then again, on the surface, many politicians seem to have basic moral values, and, well, you know.
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In fact, anchoring can save your life—or end it. Case in point: This past winter, pro football players Marquis Cooper, Corey Smith, William Bleakley, and Nick Schuyler rolled their 21-foot boat, about 50 miles offshore. You are probably already familiar with the story; their anchor was stuck in the reef, and they decided to cleat the line on the stern and hit the throttle. Bad move. Tension sucked the stern underwater, and in seconds, the boat filled and then rolled. Only Schuyler survived.
Unfortunately, these guys violated one of the five commandments of anchoring. Make sure you do not do the same. Commit these rules to memory, and live by them.
Anchoring Commandment No. 1: Thou Shalt Not Ever Anchor From the Stern. This is a basic rule of seamanship, and violating it regularly sinks boats. Let’s stop and think for a moment. We know the boat has a pointy end and a square one. We also know that whichever end the anchor line is secured to will be facing the waves, and will be pulled down by hundreds of pounds of pressure on that line. Hmmm... Which end of the boat do we want facing the waves? The answer is obvious. If you disagree, it’s time to sell Mom’s Mink and take up a landbased activity like gardening.
Anchoring Commandment No. 2: Thou Shalt Never Throw the Anchor. Here’s another rule we see violated on a
regular basis, but it doesn’t usually sink boats—it just injures people. Quite often, people throw the hook before they check to see if the line is clear—and it rarely is. If someone (probably the guy giving it a heaveho) is standing on the anchor line, when 15 or 20 pounds of anchor plus 10 or 15 pounds of chain suddenly comes taunt, there’s a good chance the line will get yanked out from underfoot. When this happens, someone standing on that line is going ass-over-teakettle onto the deck or into the drink. Worse is when someone’s foot is inside a coil of line instead of on top of it. In this case, the coil will tighten like a snake around the ankle, coming tight, and potentially yanking them over the side. Weighted down by the anchor and chain, whether or not someone can open the coil and escape is doubtful. Like Billy Mays used to say, “But wait, there’s more!” Throwing an anchor is also a great way to get the flukes fouled in the line. Give it a heave, and you can’t control where the line and anchor are in relation to each other. Simply lower it next to your boat in a controlled fashion and you always know the anchor will make it to the bottom without tangling the rode. So, why do people throw an anchor in the first place? One too many movies, I suppose. There is absolutely no advantage whatsoever to doing it, yet it raises the danger factor through the roof.
Anchoring Commandment No. 3: Keep Thy Hands Away From Yon Cleats. If an anchor line is strong enough to hold a couple of tons in place, your fingers won’t present much of a barrier. So, when you get your anchor set and need to cleat the line off, those hands shouldn’t be anywhere near the cleat. How can you secure the line, without getting close to the cleat? Simple. After I44
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deploying the anchor, take a single wrap around the cleat, slide your hands at least 2 feet up the line, and lean back a bit to put pressure against it. You can now let out additional scope by releasing pressure and letting the line pass through your hands and around the cleat, or you can hold it in place with minimal force. When you are ready to secure the line, move your hand in an arc forward of the cleat while maintaining tension. Roll your hand downward and slide it to port or starboard as necessary to pass the line under the far horn on the cleat. Then you can bring your hand back in the other direction to cross over the top of the horn in a figure-8, and do the same moving aft. When you have two figure-8s over the cleat, that line isn’t going anywhere and you can move in closer to roll the line over itself, creating a loop that will tighten down; pop the loop around the horn, and finish off the job.
Anchoring Commandment No. 4: Thou Shalt Use the Right Tool for the Job. Far too often, you see someone dropping a Danforth on an oyster bed and expect it to hold. Instead, it just skips along over the shells for as long as Captain Cantanchor lets it; he is simply using the wrong tool for the job. Don’t know which anchor is best for which bottom? Here you go: Danforth - mud and sand Plow - grass and soft mud or sand Grappling - shell or rock bottom Bruce - soft bottom, designed to swing 360-degrees without breaking free
Anchoring Commandment No. 5: Thou Shalt Have Scope and Chain. No matter what type of anchor you have, it won’t do the trick without the proper scope and chain. Scope is the ratio of the amount of line you have out to the depth of the water, and it should be a minimum of 5:1. Don’t forget to include the height of the bow cleat over the water in your calculation. If you are in 10 feet of water and your bow is 3 feet high to keep that 5:1 ratio, you need 65 feet of line out, not 50. In glassycalm bays, of course, that much isn’t neces-
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sary and usually you can get by with 3:1. But in rough weather, a 10:1 scope might be necessary to keep you locked in place. You need less scope (and less anchor weight, though one should still stick to the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding anchor versus boat size) if you have a shot of chain between the anchor line and the anchor. Most experts agree that 6-8 feet of chain is the absolute minimum, and more is always better when it comes to anchoring. For boats up to 20 feet, 1/4-inch chain is
fine, but larger boats should have 7/16-inch chain at the end of the rode. And that brings us to the end of the road. Just remember: When it comes to anchoring, there’s more then meets the eye, but you’ll be locked down tight and in good condition as long as you don’t violate these commandments. E-mail Lenny Rudow at boating@fishgame.com
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Corks from Midcoast Products HAVE ALWAYS HAD A FONDNESS FOR PRODUCTS dreamed up by fellow fishermen. The genesis of their creation always comes from lake, bay, or river, and solves some sort of tangible problem. The fruits of their labors always seem genuine, designed to catch fish and not just fishermen. So it is with the owners of Midcoast Products. Glynn Walling and Lane Teykl would come back from bay trips complaining about their popping corks. Casting distance is important when probing bays for specks and reds; surely there must be a better way. They arrived at the same conclusion: It was time to start making their own high performance corks. In addition to improving casting distance, Walling and Teykl felt that they should try to solve the age-old problem of the leader tangling with the main line during a cast. With a modest budget and a tinkerer’s mindset, the pair started crafting their own corks. As the corks started to evolve, catches improved as well. Like Fred Arbogast and James Heddon before them, friends starting asking to buy their creations and the entrepreneurial bug took root. Soon after, they founded Midcoast Products. The fledgling company’s first cork, the Outcast, is a 4-inch foam offering, which on the surface looks like all the others, but look closely and you will see a few differences. First, there isn’t a line tie on the bottom of the cork. The cork utilizes a concept Walling and Teykl call “tie-all-to-the-top.” The main line and the leader both connect to a wire loop on the cork’s top. This invariably begs
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the question: Isn’t that going to tangle? In a word, no. The tie-all-on-top approach increases casting distance and reduces tangling. I was skeptical of the funny looking cork until I tried it. One cast later, I was converted. During a cast, the bottom of the heavily weight cork flies through the air like the nosecone of a missile, making it easier to punch a cast into wind. The main line and leader trail behind while the cork is in flight, producing longer casts and no tangles on splashdown. Although saltwater anglers designed the cork, it is at home on freshwater lakes when casting distance is crucial. Bank fishermen
by Greg Berlocher always want to add a little length to their casts. Catfish, striper, and white bass fishermen working tailraces can cast closer to the spillway. On the other side of the dam, the Outcast can deliver soft plastics to skittish schools of white and black bass in open water. Midcoast Products built on the success of the Outcast and introduced a range of corks in different sizes. The Inticer is their best selling cork. Measuring 2.75 inches, it is just right for bay fishing in waist-deep water. The Inticer features a 7-inch stainless wire running through the middle of cork. The line tie is on one end and a lead weight is molded onto the other end. Two plastic beads slide up and down the wire when the cork is popped, making it click and clack like a railroad car. The Mojo is basically the same product with a 90-pound cable instead of stainless wire. There is no such thing as idiot-proof equipment, only idiot resistant, and the Mojo falls into the latter category. The cable can be stepped on, twisted, and otherwise abused, and it will spring back to shape. If your fishing buddy is an accident waiting to happen or otherwise hard on your tackle, use a Mojo instead of an Inticer. The Lil’ Moe is the smallest cork in the
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Midcoast Products line. The company envisioned it as a child’s cork, but finesse fishermen quickly adopted it. Not much bigger than a crappie cork, the Lil’ Moe lands quietly, which is important in skinny water. Midcoast Products also makes a line of “tie on top and bottom” corks. To get the best performance with tie-allto-the-top corks, Midcoast Products recommends an un-weighted leader. Since the corks have plenty of casting weight, the only weight you might need is a split shot to keep a shrimp from hopping out of the water. I was a bit surprised at the extra casting distance these corks provide. When manufactures tout improvements, it is usually something small, but not here. The whole range of corks is well made, rugged, and a good value. About the only thing I would change with these corks is the sound. The plastic beads are good, but I would like to see some “noisier” corks—perhaps an option with glass rattles that gives off a higher pitch. All Midcoast Products corks are available in an eye-popping range of colors, making it easy for a squinting angler to pick them from the glare or against rough water. Corks from Midcoast Products are available through independent tackle shops across the state.
On the Web www.midcoastproducts.com
Email Greg Berlocher at fishthis@fishgame.com PHOTO COURTESY MIDCOAST PRODUCTS
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Shooting Lead in Modern Firearms FIRST STARTED CASTING LEAD BULLETS IN THE 1970s. I was shooting in handgun matches at my local gun club in Uvalde and couldn’t afford to buy bullets, so I started casting .38-caliber wadcutters. I used wheel weights for the lead, melted it on an old electric hotplate, and poured into the mold with a rusty iron ladle. Strangely enough, the bullets thus produced were sufficiently accurate that I was competitive, winning a few trophies and medals. Over the years, I continued casting my own handgun bullets, expanding the number of bullet styles and calibers until I ended up with a large collection of molds. I also graduated from the hotplate to electric lead furnaces. These days, I use two bottom-pour furnaces, one for soft lead, and one for wheel weights. At first, I used cast bullets for practice; eventually I found them sufficiently accurate for competition. Even then, I considered cast bullets inferior for hunting; later, I discovered I was wrong about that, too. Cast-lead handgun bullets of correct hardness and design are just as deadly and efficient as the best jacketed bullets, and in many instances, superior. A jacketed hunting bullet must expand to do its job, while a cast bullet such as the renowned Keith is designed to work properly without expansion. Rifle bullets are a different story. Hand-
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guns, at least normal handguns, fire bullets at velocities lead alloys can handle quite well—below about 1600 fps. High-powered rifles fire bullets at velocities no lead bullet, no matter how hard, can handle. That is why near the end of the Nineteenth Century shooters started to see metal jackets of copper, nickel silver (copper and nickel alloy), or gilding metal (copper and zinc alloy) wrapped around the lead cores of bullets. With the introduction of progressiveburning smokeless powders, velocities above 2000 fps became commonplace. At any velocity above that, lead is too soft to hold the rifling and the bullets are stripped, causing leading and loss of accuracy as well as poor performance on game. To maintain best accuracy in modern rifle cartridges firing lead bullets, it is necessary to reduce velocity to something equivalent to that produced by magnum handguns. Cast very hard and used with copper gas checks, bullets can be pushed faster than that—some a lot faster—but in my experience and that of other experienced shooters, accuracy is usually relatively poor, and performance on game is not as good as a softer bullet at lower velocity. Most of my guns perform best at velocities below 1500 fps, and really shine at 1200 to 1400. Shooting softer bullets around Brinell hardness number (BHN) 10 to 12 at velocities of 1200-1400 fps, accuracy is astound-
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ing. I often get 1-inch, three-shot groups at 100 yards. In addition, performance on game is quite good because the bullets deform on impact, mushrooming and causing a wide wound channel. This is not to say modern jacketed bullets at velocities of 2700-3000 fps and higher are not superior for hunting big game. They are admittedly better or we would never have invented jacketed bullets. Home-cast lead bullets, however, are much, much less expensive. Some bullets today cost in excess of a dollar each—and that is just the bullet, not a cartridge. I can load an entire box of cartridges using cast lead bullets for less than $3 (primers 60 cents, powder $1.20, gas checks 51 cents, reused brass $0—total $2.31). With the cost of factory ammunition climbing like a homesick angel, a three-dollar box of .308 cartridges sounds pretty good to me. I have tried casting and shooting cast sharp pointed or “spitzer” bullets in my rifles. While the spitzers look great, they do not seem to shoot as well as round- or flatnosed bullets. My Thompson-Center Icon absolutely loves 160-grain cast gas-check bullets intended for the .30-30 Winchester. I load them to about 1250 fps and the Icon regularly puts them into groups averaging an inch. That is about as good as that gun will shoot with my pet load of 150-grain Sierra
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Different Strokes for Different Folks STEPPED OUT OF MY SUBURBAN AND INTO A movie. You know the scene: A rich person goes into an exclusive boutique and the store owner sits them down and orders the staff to start bringing out expensive merchandise for inspection. The only difference was we were at a lake instead of Beverly Hills, and a row of kayaks sat before me instead of designer clothes. This was awesome—all the latest new toys and I didn’t even have to lift a single hull, just show up and paddle. What a concept. What started out as a simple demo of a new hull grew quickly with multiple vendors offering a variety of hulls for me to paddle. Paddling multiple boats in a single morning
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or afternoon is an educational experience. Each hull has its own character and charm that can’t be fully described in a brochure. Sensory input is the only real way to understand the differences between hulls. When buying a kayak, even if you are an old hand, it is always wise to take a test ride or two before pulling out your wallet. Paddling boats in a back-to-back fashion is not a new concept. Just about every fullservice kayak shop I am familiar with has several “demo days” each year, when customers can take out different kayaks for a test paddle. These demos are usually well publicized on a shop’s website or in its newsletter. If it doesn’t have a demo day list-
ed, call the shop and ask when the next one will be. It had been a while since I attended a demo event, and the variety of hulls before me spanned a wide range. First up was a 12-foot Tarpon from Wilderness Systems. The Tarpon comes in different lengths and the hull ranks as one of the most popular fishing kayaks in the state, if not the nation. Several years ago, Wilderness Systems decided to update the Tarpon, and rather than make any drastic changes, simply put a new dress on the bride. Among some of the changes: improved hatches and a metal railing embedded into the sides of the hull, making is easier to mount depthfinders and GPS systems. The Tarpon is still a delight to paddle; the hull tracks well and provides a stable ride, both at rest and on the move. I jumped out of the Tarpon and into a 10-foot Emotion Stealth. The bow of the shorter hull wiggle-waggled more with each stroke of the paddle, but the wider hull provided a bit more stability. The shorter hull
TEXAS GUNS & GEAR Continued from Page I-47 Game Kings. My custom-built Hill Country Rifles .35 Whelen shoots well with both 250- and 290-grain round-nosed bullets, and when one of those massive lead slugs slams into something, the sound alone is impressive. There is some loading data for cast bullets available on the internet, and Lyman publishes a reloading manual for cast bullets, but otherwise, information is severely lacking. Therefore, much of it I have had to figure out by guess and by gosh. One thing to remember is that it is never wise to reduce charges of slow powders like H4831, IMR7828, and others of that general burn rate. Sometimes, mystery detonations have resulted from trying to shoot reduced charges of slow burning powders, especially Hodgdon 4831, causing a I48
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destroyed gun and injury to the shooter. Instead, shoot powders intended for reduced loads. I shoot Unique, Accurate 5744, Blue Dot, and other similar powders. If forced to choose only two powders for reduced rifle loads, I would pick Unique and 5744 without a second’s thought. Both powders can be loaded in a wide range of cartridges and at many power levels. In addition, 5744 is great for smokeless powder loads in huge black powder cartridges, such as the .50-90 Sharps. The massive herds of American bison and most of the plains game of the Americas were reduced to remnants by subsistence and market hunters using cast lead slugs at modest velocities. To this day, myths abound about the skill of buffalo hunters who could regularly kill buffalo at 1000 yards and hostile Indians even farther, and they cast their bullets from lead
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melted over a campfire and loaded them with simple hand tools. There is no doubt that those men were marvelous marksmen, and that their old technology was sufficient for the purpose. So, why not save a wad of money, have some fun, and return to those “Golden Days of Yesteryear.” Try cast bullets in your modern firearms. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the results.
On the Web www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/publica tions/cast-bullet.php E-mail Steve LaMascus at guns@fishgame.com
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was much easier to turn, which is significant if you intend paddling on rivers or in tight brush on inland lakes. Trying to negotiate hairpin twists and turns in rushing water with a 12- to 16-foot hull is a wreck waiting to happen. I closed my eyes for a second and could picture myself sitting in the Stealth and sliding through rock-strewn shoots on the Guadalupe. The Stealth hull was also easier to get moving from a resting position, or bring to a halt. Children and smaller adults will find this boat easier to paddle. The price tag is easier on the wallet, too. Back on shore, I hopped into an 8-foot Shakespeare kayak. This was the shortest of the hulls, and I wasn’t sure if the carrying capacity was up to the task. Moments later, I was zigzagging around the lake and carving a few donuts. Imagine driving a truck for several hours and then stepping in a go-cart. The hull was as responsive as any I have paddled, turning on a dime with hardly any effort. The Shakespeare kayak is extremely affordable and lightweight, making it a snap to lift onto the top of a vehicle. While the hull didn’t track well and was a very wet ride, those aren’t necessarily huge disadvantages. Perspective is the key. This is a great option for the fisherman looking for an affordable kayak whereby to ply stock tanks or retrieve a waterlogged dove or two on a September afternoon. It would also make a great beach boat for paddling in the waves. The Hobie Mirage Pro Angler was the bad boy of the group. Due to its ample weight (130 pounds sans back rest and fishing tackle), Hobie officially calls this craft a “boat” and not a kayak. What really sets this vessel apart is the foot-powered Mirage Drive, which eliminates the need for a paddle. Two adjustable stirrups held my feet securely in place and the pedals reciprocated back and forth in a straight line. Five different settings allow the “paddler” to adjust the length of the stroke. I changed this several times while out on the lake, “dialing in” my favorite setting. A small knob by the seat adjusts the rudder, allowing you to steer the vessel. The business end of the drive is equipped with two flexible blades extended below the hull. Hobie recently introduced new Turbo blades, which provide even more propulsion. I was extremely impressed with the amount of thrust the Turbo blades creat-
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ed. I didn’t have a GPS or any other way to verify my speed, but guessed a full 1-2 mph faster with the Turbo blade Mirage Drive. If you have shoulder problems or like peddling a bike, you will love this boat. The film had come to an end and it was time for the star to head for the house. I thanked the good folks from Emotion Kayaks and Fishing Tackle Unlimited for providing the kayaks. With all the grace and style I could muster, I sauntered back to my Suburban, my sopping tennis shoes oozing
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with every step; I wondered if anyone noticed my butt was wet. Thank goodness the paparazzi wasn’t there or I would be on the front page of some tabloid.
Email Greg Berlocher at kayak@fishgame.com.
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Circle the Diamonds IRCLE THE DIAMONDS” IS A CALL TO replace J-style hooks on diamond and butterfly jigs with circle assist hooks. The original assist hooks on butterfly types possibly came from seeing them first used during the 1970s by long-range fishermen out of San Diego. They called them “trap hooks” and were added using cable to attach two J hooks to the line attachment ring of their metal jigs. The object was to hook/trap wahoo that hit at the mid-body of the jigs and might miss the tail end treble. The first time I put a circle hook on a diamond jig was about eight years ago, primarily for use on amberjack. The obvious advantage of using circle assist hooks didn’t dawn on me at the time. I first put circle assist hooks on some of my diamond and butterfly jigs about three years ago after seeing another fisherman who had two attached to the upper ring of his diamond jig. My first J assist hooks addition to diamond jigs and other metal baits had begun about a year before. With circle hooks seldom thrown even by even the hardest head-shakers, the probability of your circle assist hook staying in place is great. Circle hooks also have a greatly reduced chance of becoming hung up in structure—or in you or one of your fellow fishermen. When you get your prize catch on deck, a firm press to the hook eye from the opposite side of the hook bend will roll it out. When using diamond jigs or butterfly types, I use only one assist hook when it’s a J hook. A second J hook has a habit of somehow becoming stuck in the fish’s head. Your connection to the fish becomes a bridle.
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This makes the fight harder because you’ve lost a lot of control over the fish’s head. That second J hook, if not stuck in the fish, can become embedded in someone when the thrashing fish is coming over the rail, or is being de-hooked. Circle assist hooks eliminate those problems. At the time of this writing, there are no pre-rigged circle assist hooks on the market that I could find, so you must build them yourself. Light wire circle hooks such as Eagle Claw L2004EL in size 8/0 and 9/0 are good for many species. Heavier wire hooks for larger species are Eagle Claw L2004GH, 7/0-10/0, or L2022 wide gap circle 6/0-7/0. The circle hook used must be of a size with the bend diameter being somewhat larger than the jig body is wide, increasing hookups. For toothy service, cable is the way to go. You start each assist hook cable rigging assembly by cutting a piece of 90-pound, 49-strand cable to about 8 inches. Push one end through the circle hook eye from the bend side. Pull about half the cable through, then reverse it by passing the same end back through the hook eye. While holding both
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strands outside the eye, take the loop formed below the hook and loop it over and back on the shank. Next, “nurse” the short tag end toward the hook while pulling on the long leg of the cable. The finished look will have the wraps snugly around the hook shank and seated against the backside of the hook eye, about 3/4-inch of the end of the cable outside the eye. Slide your double barrel crimp onto the cable and crimp in place. Determine the cable length needed to put your circle hook from 1/2 to 2/3 way down your jig and bend slightly as a marker. Crimp tight after forming a loop at the ring and closely cut the excess cable. Now it’s all ready to be put to use. This wrapping of the cable around the hook shank and exiting on the bend side of the eye gives quicker penetration due to the stiff rig configuration, and the hook’s added rotation when the cable comes from snug to tightness and a hookset. Spectra’s near-zero stretch gives quicker line tightening at the strike, producing a quicker, surer hookset. E-mail Patrick Lemire at saltrigs@fishgame.com ILLUSTRATION BY PATRICK LEMIRE
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Catfishing with Kids’ Toys OT ALL FISHING REQUIRES A ROD AND A reel. Sometimes, you can get by with some fishing line, a few hooks and weights, and some pool toys. Jug-fishing is nothing new, and throughout the south is considered a sporting way to put some fillets in the freezer. There are even a few jug-fishing catfish tournaments. The first time I ever went jugging was with what most would consider traditional jugs made out of 2-liter coke bottles and gallon bleach jugs. On a private lake close to where I grew up, we spent the evenings after work setting out jugs before heading off to catch bass. When we had our fill of catching fish with rod and reel, we went searching for our jugs. There might not be a more exciting sight in fishing than seeing a white bottle being jerked underwater when the boat approaches. Remember the scene in “Jaws” where the shark is dragging three yellow barrels around the ocean while being chased by crazed men in a sinking boat? Then you have some idea of the thrill of jug-fishing— except the catfish isn’t trying to eat you...maybe. All fishing methods change over the years due to innovations in gear or bait, and jug-fishing is no different. The biggest change in jug-fishing for catfish is that most juggers no longer actually use jugs, which are bulky and hard to store or carry in a small boat. Plus, if one gets a hole, it sinks
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to the bottom of the lake, which gives the sport a black eye. So, instead of finding old scrap jugs (with who knows what in them), many juggers have looked into the swimming pool for inspiration and are now converting pool noodles into catfishing contraptions. That piece of Styrofoam your kid uses to stay afloat—or to smack his sister across the head—can also be used to float a bait and bring a catfish to the boat. There are as many different ways to rig a noodle for fishing as there are anglers who use them. It seems everyone has their own little twist, so let’s just cover a very basic rig and you can add your own modifications from there. Cut a noodle it into 1-foot lengths with a sharp knife. Standard noodles come in lengths of 4-5 feet, so you can make four or five jug rigs from a single one. Since pool noodles typically come in bright fluorescent colors that you probably cannot find in your kid’s 64count crayon box, the first modification is to turn them white. Why? Because TPWD says you have to. The float on a jug line must be white, according to state law. The quickest and cleanest was to do this is to get some white duct tape and wrap the noodles with A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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it. Besides making the noodles white, this also helps strengthen them, since they can tear somewhat easily. Wrap the tape a few extra times around what will become the bottom of the noodle rig. Next, cut a small hole all the way through from one side to the next about 3-4 inches from the bottom of the noodle. This will serve as the hole for the line to slip through. Some anglers sleeve this hole with a drinking straw to keep the line from cutting through the noodle, but the extra wraps of duct tape serves the same purpose. A few more layers of duct tape in this area is cheap insurance to assure the noodle doesn’t rip. Some anglers use braided line like you see on a trotline, but I go with rather inexpensive 50-pound-test monofilament. Run the monofilament through the hole you cut in the noodle, attaching it with a loop knot. Leave between 6 and 20 feet of mono hanging down below the noodle (depending on the depth of water and time of year you are fishing), and slide an egg weight on the line before tying on a barrel swivel to the end. On the other side of the swivel, tie on a short leader made of 20-pound monofilament with a circle hook on the end. That’s it. There are many more elaborate ways to make one, including inserting short lengths of PVC pipe with weights inside to serve as strike indicators, but for starters, this is a cheap way to get a few baits in the water and potentially some big fish in the boat.
E-mail Paul Bradshaw at freshrigs@fishgame.com
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PHOTO BY JOE RICHARD
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Croaker Return to the Texas Coast HE TWO BOYS AND A GIRL, THE CHILDREN OF a neighbor, had an issue of the utmost gravity when they rang my doorbell on a Saturday afternoon last September. “Mr. Gonzales,” began the girl, the oldest at 15, “we caught these with my dad and
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by Calixto Gonzales uncle, and we don’t know what they are. Could you help us?” The younger boys, ages 12 and 13, stepped aside and showed me the fish in a green 5-gallon bucket—three large croaker, easily 2 pounds apiece. “Where in the world did you catch those?” I asked with more than a little surprise. I52
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“The jetties,” the girl answered. “We caught 11 of them. These were the three biggest ones.” That Sunday morning, I was on the South Brazos Jetties soaking dead shrimp and trying for a few of those noisy panfish. I know a good thing when I see it.
A Noticed Absence In decades past, the annual autumn run of Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) was a major event along the Texas coast, especially in the Galveston and Matagorda Bay complexes. Families would line the banks of passes such as San Luis, Rollover, Aransas, and Brazos-Santiago to intercept the vast schools of “golden croaker.” Their willingness to bite, excellent table qualities, and surprisingly stubborn fight when hooked made these close relatives of the more glamorous speckled trout and red-
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fish the stars of the fall stage for many shorebound anglers. “When I was in high school, a bunch of us would get together on Saturdays and drive to the Brownsville Ship Channel to fish for them,” said Mike Yznaga. “We’d catch croaker by the dozens. Big ones, too. Some would weigh 2, 3 pounds. We’d clean and fry a bunch of them right there on the bank.” When he returned to Texas in the late 1980s after a 30-year career in the Army, Yznaga noticed that the croaker fishing wasn’t what it used to be. By the mid-1990s, croaker seemed hard to come by. “I stopped fishing for them,” he said, “It wasn’t worth the trouble. The phenomenon Yznaga experienced was happening up and down the Texas coast. The once heralded croaker run became a pale and fading shadow of what it once was, much to the chagrin of devotees of
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the fall run. Some sizeable croaker were still caught, such as Paul Straw’s 5.47-pound state record in 2002, but the sheer numbers were no longer there.
Golden Resurgence “Numbers of Atlantic Croaker are definitely up,” said Mark Fisher, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department coastal fisheries division science director, who monitors the health and size of fisheries along the Texas coast. “We’ve been seeing record numbers of croaker in our trawl surveys over the past few years, and the numbers are increasing.” Not only are there more croaker showing up in the counts, the average size is increasing—some big enough to snare in gill net surveys. Numbers have improved to the point that Fisher expects the fall run to return, if it hasn’t already. “The fall run might have already started,” he said. “Most people don’t specifically fish for croaker anymore, so they don’t know they’re out there. As with any population increase or decline, a number of factors have contributed to the rejuvenation of the croaker fishery. The most important factor is a decrease in by-catch mortality from shrimp trawls. Shrimping effort along the coast has decreased by 90 percent since 1995, and that translates into a substantial reduction in croaker killed in the nets. Along with the
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state-sponsored shrimping license buy-back program, which pulled a substantial number of boats off the water, high fuel prices and the decline of shrimp prices due cheaper farm-raised shrimp have helped keep shrimp boats in port. With the decrease in pressure, species such as croaker have rebounded.
Catching On Creel surveys indicate croaker are showing up more often in recreational catches, which means more fish are growing to a size big enough for retention. Croaker have always been somewhat popular, especially among shore-bound anglers and families. The fish are willing to eat any bait, whether fresh shrimp, a squid strip, or piece of cut bait. They are feisty and put up a noble fight on light tackle, which makes them perfect for young children breaking into the sport. Finally, they are plentiful and thus can save a fishing day when weather conditions or whimsy causes more “glamorous” to not bite. “Those fish can be make a charter,” said Captain Luke Bonura. “If the trout and redfish aren’t cooperating, instead of taking a client back to the dock and saying, ‘sorry,’ I can take them to a pass or to deeper water along the Intracoastal Waterway, find some croaker, and put a bunch in the box. Most clients want to catch fish, and croaker can make that happen.” For the past two decades or so, “croaker
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fishing” alluded to the technique of using small croaker as bait for speckled trout. With the comeback of the annual fall run of the grunting king of panfishes, the allusion is changing back to the idea of standing elbowto-elbow with several hundred of your closest friends along a deepwater pass on the Texas coast, and having a hand at trying to score a bunch of tasty fillets for the freezer. Some will say that it was worth the wait, even a long one.
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FEMA Funds Sabine Dock Replacement HEN HURRICANE IKE HIT THE UPPER coast last September, it tossed dozens of boats from the water onto dry land and destroyed several public boat docks at the Pleasure Island Marina on Sabine Lake. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
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replacement value, the commission qualified for replacement funding from FEMA. The FEMA grants will pay 90 percent of the docks’ replacement costs. “The marina suffered severe damage because of Ike’s strong storm surge,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Brad Harris.
federal assistance to Texas for the Hurricane Ike recovery effort tops $2.3 billion. “This federal assistance will help get the marina back in operation after a difficult period,” said State Coordinating Officer Ben Patterson. “FEMA’s Public Assistance grants are making a visible difference in state and local recovery efforts.” —Staff Report
On the Web www.fema.gov/ike
PHOTO COURTESY WIKIMEDIA
Ike’s Effects on Waterways, Fish Contamination Analyzed
has now obligated Public Assistance grants totaling more than $2.7 million to replace four of the marina’s eight docks. The first award for $1.4 million will go toward replacing Docks B and C, while a second $1.3 million award will help replace docks D and E at the popular marina, which is operated by the city of Port Arthur’s Pleasure Island Commission. Because costs to repair the docks would have been more than 50 percent of the I54
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“These FEMA grants will help fix the marina and thus contribute to the recovery of Pleasure Island’s economy.” Once FEMA reimburses the state of Texas, it is the state’s responsibility to manage the funds, which includes making disbursements to local jurisdictions and organizations that incurred costs. The obligated funds are a portion of more than $1.2 billion in total Public Assistance disaster funds sent to the state since September 2008. In all,
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A LONG-TERM ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH PROject being conducted at the University of Houston might offer important information about the effects of Hurricane Ike on pollution levels and help regulators determine whether existing fish-consumption advisories remain appropriate. With this year’s storm season under way, the UH engineering team’s project is entering a new phase as participants collect and analyze fresh samples from Galveston Bay and related waterways. Cullen College of Engineering professor Hanadi Rifai, who has studied pollution in Houston-area bodies of water in partnership with both state and federal authorities since 2001, is leading the team. “Our work with the Galveston Bay system started in the early 90s with funding from the EPA Galveston Bay National Estuary Program,” said Rifai, whose team helped write the first “State of the Bay”
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report identifying the environmental challenges facing the estuary. “We have since focused on POPs, or Persistent Organic Pollutants, which include dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. We have a unique opportunity this year to study the effect of Hurricane Ike on these pollutants, particularly in the water and sediment of the estuary, so we are gathering a one-of-its-kind data set for the ‘after’ condition that we can compare to our pre-Ike 2008 data set,” Rifai said. “The results will be enlightening from an environmental impact perspective of hurricanes on natural resources such as Galveston Bay.” Dioxins are primarily byproducts resulting from paper mills, industrial waste incineration, and water purification processes, but they also result from natural sources like forest fires in much smaller quantities. Rifai said her team believes the majority of dioxins found locally today are from historical sources. Meanwhile, PCBs, whose manufacture was banned in 1979, long were used as coolants and lubricants in electrical transformers and capacitors. Why they persist today in local waterways and seafood remains something of a mystery, Rifai said. “Now, what we find with the PCBs, and what’s got people worried, is, if indeed it’s historical from before the ban, you would see it in the sediment,” she explained. “But, we’re actually seeing the patterns have shifted, as if there are some new sources of PCBs. Since the 1990s, we’ve had so much growth and industrial activity kicking back up that there might be some new material coming in.” What those new sources are remains unclear, Rifai said, and materials that were manufactured with PCBs before the ban might still be in use. “Historically with PCBs, if you’ve made a million transformers, you didn’t have to destroy them. You use them up till they die,” she said, adding that many outdated transformers were ruined by Hurricane Ike. In July 2008, the Texas Department of State Health Services issued an advisory for Galveston Bay, Chocolate Bay, East Bay, West Bay, Trinity Bay, and contiguous waters, saying consumers should limit intake of speckled trout and gafftop catfish to no more than one 8-ounce meal a month. Furthermore, children, women who are nursing,
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pregnant or who might become pregnant are to have none. Long-term consumption of both dioxins and PCBs is believed to cause numerous health effects, including cancer. The inclusion of new species in the advisories, Rifai said, has many implications, because commercial and recreational fishing is a $100-plus million industry annually. But, when her team was asked by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to do its own assessment of the state health
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department findings last year, the results were what Rifai expected. “We told them that we thought the data was valid. We actually merged it with our data, and it was very consistent with what we see,” she said. “We looked carefully at what was done, and, at the end of the day, I wasn’t surprised.” —Staff Report
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Red Lights on the Horizon HE NIGHT AIR SIFTED THROUGH THE GIANT screened window. My bare feet braced against the wooden sill and my butt perched on the edge of Grandma’s bed. She dozed and watched me. A single thin sheet covered her. My attention focused on the scene outside. A full moon glared silver light through giant live oak trees. The ground was a patchwork of glowing bright spots and dark shadows, but even the shadows gave way to the twinkling tails of fireflies. The southern breeze blew against my
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cheeks and my eyes strained to see the secrets beyond the darkness. My ears filled with the chirping songs of tree frogs, and occasionally the low moaning bellow of a cow or nickering call a horse. If I was lucky, the shuffling scuttle of an armadillo rooting through leaves beneath the live oaks sounded, and in a flash, the yard dog would educate the poor thing about Grandma’s trespass laws. But mostly, there was the silver moonlight and dreamy, enchanting aura of the night. It caused stillness in a person and made a small boy’s imagination run wild. It also filled me with something that never went away; just as Sunday school and family gatherings filled me with respect and some wherewithal about the social order. The outdoor scene soothed a niche of my psyche, and for me, that niche turned out to be one of the biggest factors in my character. A distant rumble sounded from the Glidden train yards, and Grandma stirred.
“Herman Willie, are you still awake?” “Yes, ma’am.” “Well, you better lie down and go to sleep pretty soon. You can’t sit there until morning.” Of course, I thought I could, but knew I shouldn’t. “Herman Willie, do you see those red lights on the horizon?” “Yes, ma’am. What are they?” “Those are the towers on Rocky Hill and at Glidden. They’re miles away but we can still see them. They haven’t been there too many years, and I don’t like them. I think it’s awful that they spoil our view.” I didn’t know what to say. The towers were there before I came along and they were part of the world I knew. The red lights didn’t particularly bother me, but according to Grandma’s suggestion, I lay down and the southern breeze caressed me, the thin cotton sheet protected me, and I floated away to peaceful sleep. ••• My horse plodded down the trail, kicking up a knee-deep dust cloud. Behind, seven loaded mules trudged along, bobbing their heads, swishing their trails, and dripping frothy sweat. I rocked in the saddle and surveyed my surroundings, then shot a fast, thin stream of tobacco juice at a rock. My hat was kicked back and, though my clothes were caked with dirt, my posture was straight but loose. Something about being a mule packer and living in the wilderness makes a guy feel great. It’s as if you know there isn’t much that can be thrown your way that you can’t handle. Grizzly bears, stubborn mules, sleeping on the ground, and taking care of tinhorn guests are all in a day’s chores. My mind drifted and I wondered at the dying forest. Pine beetles are destroying much of the woodlands and watersheds of
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the Pacific Northwest and Canada. Hundreds of square miles are a tinderbox waiting for the perfect lightning storm and wind to burn a major portion of North America. When I asked why the beetles weren’t sprayed, I was told that this was wilderness. Come what may, there would be no man-made tampering to eradicate the beetles. Whatever happened would be the natural course for Mother Nature. What a shame; the green mountains are fading to the hues of death. Then my horse turned a corner and stopped. The trail cut close to the South Fork of Birch Creek, and in front of me stood another problem—a young man wearing a Forest Service shirt, short pants, a ponytail, and an earring. Obviously, this was one of those ranger breeds from the East Coast, California, or Disneyland. He seemed busy. “Howdy. What are you doing?” I greeted. “I’m checking to see what sort of fish are in this creek. If they aren’t West Slope cutthroats, we’re going to have to shock this creek and remove all the fish.” The sight of the jackass schoolboy irked me and I wanted to thrash him. I knew the creek was full of rainbow trout as well as cutthroat. Instead, I held my tongue and rode around him. His presence was a static disruption in the smooth vibrations of the mountain climate. The double standard of killing trout but not beetles was heinous. I rode away and didn’t look back at him; I couldn’t stand the sight of him.
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a nickel’s worth of energy. They had to be subsidized to get here. I wish the landowners well, but if this country was worth $50 an acre before, it ain’t worth five cents a mile now.” Something in my gut twisted. I knew this would be the world that coming generations witness. The slow-moving vanes smacked of a contemporary artist’s concept thrust against the backdrop of Mother Nature’s West Texas. I’ll be like Grandma, remembering
when there were no red lights on the horizon, and wish for the days when I may view the landscape and not see man’s presumptuous mark.
E-mail Herman W. Brune at wilderness@fishgame.com
••• It was an escape. My daughter, Sam, had business to settle in Albuquerque and we were enjoying our road trip. We drove west on I-10, and getting past San Antonio was a treat. We both love the vistas and openness of West Texas. The rocky terrain, rolling hills, mesas, and desert hold a different type of beauty that contrasts our native Post Oak Savannah. Then near Iraan, we started seeing the windmills. The first few looked novel and cute. Then there were long rows of them against the skyline for miles and miles. “Sam, what do you think of that?” “I don’t know, Dad.” “Well, it’s a sign of the times, but I don’t think those things will ever produce A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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Louis Houvenaeghel eked out the win by a whopping 0.01 pounds with two redfish weighing 15.14 pounds for a $1445 prize. The Delta Marine-sponsored team used spinnerbaits in the Delacroix area.
caught the tournament’s Big Fish Award of 7.98 pounds. In second place was the father and son team of Steve and Barnie White with 15.13 pounds and winnings of $710. White and White targeted schooling redfish in the Delacroix area with No Slack Tackle Company jigheads and Gulp! Baits. The Blackfin-sponsored team culled over 60 redfish to reach their tournament weight. The teams other sponsors include: Ranger Boats, MotorGuide, Optima Batteries, Bayou Buck Lures, Mann’s Bait Company, and Stay-n-Charge.
Angelo and Houvernaeghel targeted schooling fish feeding on mud flats to catch over 40 fish on tournament day, and also
In third place, Sean O’Connell/Ryan Pruett (14.68 pounds, $435); fourth place, Scott Ritter/Bobby Abruscato (14.51
GC Anglers Assoc. Holds Fifth Event of 2009 HE NEW GULF COAST ANGLER’S ASSOCIATION (GCAA) kicked off its fifth tournament of the year on 11 July 2009. Anglers launched from Delta Marine in Empire, Louisiana. The weather was hot but so was the action. Anglers found plenty of redfish willing to take a boat ride and have their photo taken. The home team of Darren Angelo and
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pounds, $280); fifth place, Chris Kennedy/Stephen Hooter (14.23 pounds, $225).
in Empire. Darren Angelo of Delta Marine has pledged an additional $500 to the Championship pot.
The Team of the Year race is heating up. Last year’s Team of the Year winners, Scott Ritter and Bobby Abruscato, have taken the points lead but several tournaments remain before this race will be settled. The location for the GCAA Championship 24-25 October will be Delta Marine
The Gulf Coast Anglers Association is a brand new redfish tournament organization catering to anglers who want to experience a friendly competitive environment. Dwayne Mills, tournament director, is dedicated to the anglers’ desire to have a tournament organization that will showcase its anglers
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On the Web www.gulfcoastanglersassociation.com
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CORPUS CHRISTI
ROCKPORT
n ary Brow Cathy & G rum D ig Cathy’s B uide Service G Hugo Ford
GALVESTON
ADVERTISERS, SEND IN YOUR PHOTOS TODAY!
Larry Don T Redfish & illis Tr Akins Salt out wate Guide Serv r ice
UPPER COAST (SABINE LAKE)
TEXAS SALTWATER BAFFIN BAY
TEXAS FRESHWATER EAST TEXAS
For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579. I60
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Kenny Havard, Jr. 37-inch Redfish Guide Service an llm Hi
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John Havard 36-inch Redfish Hillman Guide Servi ce
), Connie Travis (19), Tyler (13 n so hn Jo n Be & r Redfish & Flounde Redfish Charters
TEXAS HUNTING
TEXAS HUNTING
OUTDOOR SHOPPER
ADVERTISERS, SEND IN YOUR PHOTOS TODAY!
PROPERTY FOR SALE
For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.
MISSISSIPPI
SPOTLIGHT: HUGO FORD GUIDE SERVICE I started my guiding career in 1974, guiding quail hunts in South Texas. After a couple of years, I decided to turn my hunting customers into fishing customers. I became U.S.C.G. licensed and since that time, I have spent my winters running quail hunts and deer hunts. I primarily hunt out of Hebbronville, Premont, and Carrizo Springs, Texas. We also offer hunts on a beautiful ranch in the mountains north of Van Horn, Texas. I fished the Port O’Connor area for nearly 13 years, before moving on to Rockport for another 8 years. I have fished out of Corpus Christi and on south to other surrounding waters since 1998. Spring and summer months, I am wading the Upper Laguna and Baffin Bay areas. Upon request, we take customers to Port Mansfield to enjoy the beautiful shallow flats in that area. In 1994, I started donating 10 to 15 trips a year to CCA Texas. Currently, I am donating 20 to 25 throughout Texas and Louisiana. I must say that the CCA customers are the most gracious people I have ever been associated with! I have become great friends with many of them.
My girlfriend, Connie Muse, is my faithful assistant helping daily on my fishing trips. We make a great team. On days when my clients elect to wade rather than stay in the boat, she is sufficient in bringing the boat to us when we need more bait or something to drink. I have people ask all the time if I get tired of guiding after all these years. My answer is always the same: I will never get tired of seeing that smile on the face of a young child or any adult fishing for the first time, hooked up on a nice fish. I am currently fishing a 24’ Haynie with 250 Mercury Motor, without a doubt the finest boat I have ever operated. Haynie boats are made by Chris’s Marine in Aransas Pass, Texas. We can help you with any accommodations that you may need, please call and visit. Hope to see ya on the water soon! — Capt. Hugo Ford www.capt.hugoford.com capt.hugoford@yahoo.com fordplay@prodigy.net 361-318-3836 (cell)
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Beer Can Chicken OR MANY YEARS, WE ALWAYS CUT OUR chicken into pieces when preparing on the pit or grill. About five years ago, I was introduced to Beer Can Chicken or Beer Butt Chicken. No matter what you call it, it is a delicious way to barbecue a whole chicken. This will be the juiciest chicken you have ever tasted. The beer inside the can steams the inside of the chicken while the grill or pit cooks the outside for an awesome flavor sensation. For the beer selection, it is personal preference. You can use almost any beer, then add a few cloves of garlic and a few peppercorns for added flavor. Beer is not mandatory; you can use a standard soda can and fill it half way with chicken broth and your favorite herbs. — Bryan Slaven - 1 whole 5- to 6-lb fully thawed chicken (remove neck and giblets) - 1 can beer; open and pour out half, add garlic, peppercorns and The Texas Gourmet Sweet Chipotle Season All, or your favorite dry rub. (Before opening the beer, make sure the can will fit inside the chicken. Make sure the grill or pit you are using is tall enough when closed to hold the chicken on the can.)
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3. allows the baste to slowly soak in and keep the skin moist throughout the cooking process The cheesecloth is not mandatory, but I definitely recommend it. Try it once, put cheesecloth on one chicken and not on another, and see which one you like best. Preheat the pit to 250 degrees and smoke the chicken for 3 to 3-1/2 hours, basting every 30 to 45 minutes. When done, a meat thermometer should register 165 degrees. Remove from pit, then remove the cheesecloth and take the chicken off of the beer can. (CAUTION: Wear gloves when removing the beer can wear gloves; the liquid and can are extremely hot.) Set on plate and cover with a loose piece of foil for 8-10 minutes to rest the bird.
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On the Grill Build charcoal fire to one side of the grill. Baste the bird every 20 to 30 minutes and cook for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours. Serve with Texas Style Creamy Cole Slaw.
Texas Style Creamy Cole Slaw 5 cups shredded green cabbage 5 cups shredded red cabbage 1 cup shredded carrots 1 cup coarsely chopped purple onion 2 Granny Smith apples, cored, cut into 1/4-inch cubes 2 tsp lemon juice PHOTO BY BRYAN SLAVEN
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1/2 cup cider vinegar 4 tsp Texas Gourmet’s Jalapeno Kiwi Jelly 1-1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup sour cream 1 Tbs Creole mustard or other coarsegrained mustard Combine the green and red cabbages, carrots, and purple onion in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, toss the cubed apples with the lemon juice and add to the cabbage mixture. In a small mixing bowl, combine the vinegar, jelly, salt, and pepper and whisk until the ingredients are well blended. Pour the seasoned vinegar mixture over the cabbage mixture and toss to thoroughly combine. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, and mustard and stir to combine. Add the mayonnaise mixture to the coleslaw and toss to thoroughly combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight before serving.
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well. Sprinkle the dry mixture over the sliced apples, and stir gently to combine Place the apples in the pan on top of the first pie shell (careful—it’s a lot of apples and it will look really tall, but it’s okay). Add the other pie shell and pinch the edges of the two crusts together. Cut a few slits in the top of the pie to allow the steam to escape during baking. Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully place a
plate on the top of the pie and flip over onto the plate. Lift off the pie shell carefully, scraping any pecan bits over the top of the pie.
Contact Bryan Slaven, "The Texas Gourmet," at 888-234-7883, www.thetexasgourmet.com; or by email at texas-tasted@fishgame.com.
Apple Pecan Pie - 1 package Pillsbury pie crust, 2 pieces top and bottom - 1 glass pie pan - butter - 2 cups pecans, chopped coarsely - 2 cups dark brown sugar - 6 apples, Braeburn or any other firm and juicy variety, peeled and sliced thin - 2-1/2 Tbs flour - 1/2 tsp cinnamon - 1 cup sugar - pinch of nutmeg Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a double large sheet of foil under pie pan rack (the juices will tend to bubble out of the shell). Line the interior pie pan surface with a thin coat of butter. Place the pecans in the bottom of the pan. Place the brown sugar on the pecans and gently pat down. Place the first pie shell over the brown sugar and pecans and be sure to make the shell hang over the edge of the pan slightly. Place the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl and stir together A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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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.
SEND YOUR PHOTOS TO: photos@fishgame.com or by mail at:
1745 Greens Road Houston, Texas 77032
CATFISH—PALACIOS
CATFISH—LITTLE CYPRESS
BUCK—LAMPASAS COUNTY
Russ Crone, age 10, proudly shows off this 12- Seven-year-old Jay Orosco proudly shows off his Robert Pereira, age 13, of Salado, Texas, harvested pound catfish that he caught while fishing with first catfish, caught while fishing with his family in his first deer, an 8-pointer, while hunting with his Palacios, Texas. father Richard on the Jake Brinegar Ranch in Lamhis dad in a pond in Little Cypress, Texas. pasas County with a Savage .243.
MALLARDS—MARIETTA, OKLAHOMA
CARP—LAKE JACKSONVILLE
L-R Dallas hunters Scott Hamilton, Al Edmond, Philip Schoeneck, Rob Gokey, and Tome Lowe limited on mallards during a hunt on a private tank near Marietta, Oklahoma, with outfitter Mike Beeson of Denison, Texas.
Dr. Michael Banks of Jacksonville, Texas, caught this 20-pound carp from his kayak on Lake Jacksonville. The carp was released to help control hydrilla in the lake. Photo by Steve Watson.
CRAPPIE—BRIDGE CITY
REDFISH—TRINITY BAY
BASS—LAKE AMISTAD
Gunar Fugler of Kingwood, Texas, caught his first Dyllan Branshaw, age 7, of Bridge City, Texas, caught Romeo Dominguez of Kerrville, Texas, caught redfish while fishing with his dad and friends in these crappie, the largest being 1 pound, two ounces. this 9-pound bass on a topwater plug in Lake Dyllan was using his Superman rod while fishing Amistad. Trinity Bay. The red was 23 inches long. with his granny and papa, Ruth and Don Dunaway. I64
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T MIGHT SEEM ODD SEEING CATFISHING AND big city skyscrapers mentioned in the same sentence. Truth is, there might not be a better bet going than Ol’ Whiskers when it comes to fishing opportunities in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex area. There are three species of game catfishes in Texas: flathead, blue, and channel. Channel cat are the smallest of the three, but they also are the easiest locate and catch, and mighty tasty in the skillet. Here is rundown of some of the best channel cat lakes within easy driving distance of the DFW area: Lake Arlington
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Rod and Reel Record: 13.6 pounds Lake Arlington is a small lake spanning only 1939 surface acres, but it supports a big catfish population that ranks among the best in the Metroplex, according to Tom Hungerford, a TPWD inland fisheries biologist based Ft. Worth. Hungerford said the most recent gill net surveys turned up nearly twice as many 12inch-plus channel cat as any other impoundment in District 2D. “It’s loaded,” said Hungerford. “There are some nice size fish out there, too. Reports of channel cat in the 4- to 5-pound range are fairly common.” PHOTO BY MATT WILLIAMS
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The power plant lake doesn’t offer much in terms of structure or cover. It impounds Village Creek, a tributary of the West Fork of the Trinity River. Hungerford said one of the best times to fish is when the lake is on a rise from water being pumped in from Cedar Creek Reservoir. He recommended fishing around main lake points or new growth willows and other vegetation using punch bait, shrimp, shad, or night crawlers. The cut between the hot-water outlet and main lake near Eugene McCray Park also can be good.
by Matt Williams
White Rock Lake
Boat ramps are available at three lakeside parks; an annual permit or day use fee required. Bank fishing access is best at Richard Simpson Park. Eagle Mountain Rod and Reel Record: 8.40 pounds Hungerford ranks 8500-acre Eagle Mountain a close second behind Arlington in terms of numbers of channel cat and quality. Anglers routinely catch limits of channels in the 2- 4-pound range, along with an occasional blue cat. A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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Rod and Reel Record: none established Anglers who don’t own boats can find plenty of room to fish at White Rock. The 1088-acre reservoir just east of downtown Dallas offers more bank access than any other in the district. “There are walking and jogging trails all the way around it, along with several piers, so you can pretty much fish wherever you want,” Hungerford said. The lake maintains a good population of keeper channel cat in the 12- to 16-inch range, but there are some big ones out there, too. Hungerford said more than 160 retired
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In This Issue HOTSPOTS & TIDES SECTION
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SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK • Tides, Solunar Table, Best Hunting/Fishing Times | BY TF&G STAFF
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TEXAS HOTSPOTS • Texas’ Hottest Fishing Spots | BY CALIXTO GONZALES, KYLE TOMEK, & TRIPP HOLMGRAIN
HOW-TO SECTION
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COVER STORY • DFW Channel Cat Haunts | BY MATT WILLIAMS
brood fish from the TPWD A.E. Woods Fish Hatchery in San Marcos were stocked in the lake on Memorial Day 2008. Most of the fish weighed upward of 5 pounds, with several in the 10-pound class. Anglers are reminded of a 9.9 horsepower limit on outboard engines. Boats equipped with larger outboards are allowed, but must navigate using an electric trolling motor. Ramps are located off Fisher Road and East Lawther Drive. Mountain Creek Rod and Reel Lake Record: 3.80 pounds Mountain Creek maintains a good channel cat fishery, but you can’t keep any for the skillet. The 2500-acre power plant reservoir is one of several that have been placed under a possession/consumption ban by Texas Department of State Health Services due to PCB contamination. “It’s a good place to go to get your line stretched, but that’s about it,” Hungerford said. “The channel cat population is very similar to that of Eagle Mountain.” Hungerford said much of the lake has silted in with time, so shallow, stained water is abundant. The best fishing occurs over N2
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BOWHUNTING TECH • Missing the Target | BY LOU MARULLO
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TEXAS BOATING • The Five Commandments of Anchoring | BY LENNY RUDOW
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TEXAS GUNS & GEAR • Shooting Lead in Modern Firearms | BY STEVE LAMASCUS
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FRESHWATER BAITS & RIGS • Catfishing with Kids’ Toys | BY PAUL BRADSHAW
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WILDERNESS TRAILS • Red Lights on the Horizon | BY HERMAN W. BRUNE TEXAS KAYAKING • Different Strokes for Different Folks | BY GREG BERLOCHER
baited holes, around available riprap, and near the discharge canal using stinkbait, cut bait, shrimp, or chicken livers. Bank fishermen experience decent success from the public ramp area off Mountain Creek Parkway. Lake Lewisville Rod and Reel Record: 22.68 pounds Lake Lewisville north of Dallas is best known for its trophy-class blues and flatheads, but it also supports a bountiful population of channel cats. “Lewisville is hard to be beat,” said Ferguson. “It’s chock full of fish the 14- to 16inch range, but we also catch quite a few up to 5 pounds.” During fall, the guide spends the majority of his time soaking punch bait in major and secondary creeks. He likes to target shallow flats or standing timber/stump fields utilized for roosting by cormorants. The ideal water depth is 2-6 feet. Baiting holes with soured grain or fishing along windblown points and shorelines also works well.
T E X A S
Ray Hubbard Rod and Reel Record: 12.46 pounds F i s h
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G a m e ® / A L M A N A C
GEARING UP SECTION
N22 N24 N26 N28 N29 N36
TEXAS TESTED • Costa Del Mar; Woo Shoes; and Yeti Coolers | BY TF&G STAFF INDUSTRY INSIDER • Anchor Marine Marks One-Year Anniversary | BY TOM BEHRENS NEW PRODUCTS • What’s New from Top Outdoor Manufacturers | BY TF&G STAFF SHOOT THIS • Cimarron Arms Model 1885 High Wall | BY STEVE LAMASCUS TROPHY FEVER • 50 Years of Opening Days | BY KRYSTIN CRAIN JOHNSON FISH THIS • Corks from Midcoast Products | BY GREG BERLOCHER
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NEWS FROM THE COAST • FEMA Funds Sabine Dock Replacement | BY TF&G STAFF
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N48
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It is no secret the blue cat is king at the 21,600-acre reservoir just east of Dallas, but its cousin the channel cat might be the most cooperative from one day to the next. Channel cat are everywhere, but some of the better hauls during fall and winter come off timber flats and wind-blown shorelines in water ranging 1-6 feet deep. The area above the State Highway 66 bridge can be especially good for 2- to 4-pound channels, especially when large flocks of migrant cormorants are present. Punch bait, chicken livers, or night crawlers are the tickets. There are a number of access points. Robertson Park is among the best for bank fishermen.
Fishin’ Down the Street Good catfishing could be closer to home than you think. Thanks to the TPWD Neighborhood Fishin’ program, a big-city dweller might not even have to leave his own neighborhood to find an army of hungry mouths to catch. Each year, beginning in mid April, the department stocks thousands channel catfish in 13 community lakes and ponds located in Continued on Page N6
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Tides and Prime Times
SEPTEMBER 2009
MONDAY
TUESDAY
1
PRIME TIME
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
5:05 AM 10:06 AM 1:33 PM 9:28 PM
Sunrise: 7:13a Moonrise: 6:23p AM Minor: 3:43a PM Minor: 4:06p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
7
PRIME TIME
High Tide: 5:46 AM 1.42 ft Low Tide: 12:14 PM 0.49 ft High Tide: 7:34 PM 1.47 ft
Sunrise: 7:16a Moonrise: 9:20p AM Minor: 8:00a PM Minor: 8:22p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
Set: 7:53p Set: 10:03a AM Major: 1:48a PM Major: 2:11p 3:22a 3:44p
14
PRIME TIME
High Tide: 3:43 AM Low Tide: 7:25 PM
Sunrise: 7:20a Moonrise: 2:37a AM Minor: 2:11a PM Minor: 2:40p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
21 Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
12:22 AM 5:12 AM 12:26 PM 8:21 PM
Sunrise: 7:24a Moonrise: 10:28a AM Minor: 8:06a PM Minor: 8:31p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
1.81 ft -0.05 ft
PRIME TIME 1.24 ft 1.53 ft 0.16 ft 1.71 ft
12:40 — 3:20 P
Set: 7:35p Set: 9:12p AM Major: 1:53a PM Major: 2:18p 3:53p 3:27a
PRIME TIME 3:40 AM 10:15 AM 10:36 AM 7:35 PM
Sunrise: 7:28a Moonrise: 4:22p AM Minor: 1:51a PM Minor: 2:14p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
N4
12:30 — 3:00 P
Set: 7:44p Set: 4:58p AM Major: 8:26a PM Major: 8:55p 9:51a 10:20p
28 High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
12:20 — 2:40 A
1.68 ft 1.48 ft 1.48 ft 0.47 ft
1:30 — 3:00 P
Set: 7:26p Set: 2:16a AM Major: 8:03a PM Major: 8:25p 9:45p 9:22a
• S E P T E M B E R
1.51 ft 1.35 ft 1.44 ft 0.18 ft
5:00 — 7:10 P
Set: 8:01p Set: 4:25a AM Major: 9:54a PM Major: 10:17p 11:50p 11:27a
8
PRIME TIME
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
12:19 AM 5:41 AM 12:55 PM 8:56 PM
Sunrise: 7:16a Moonrise: 9:56p AM Minor: 8:52a PM Minor: 9:16p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
1.11 ft 1.45 ft 0.35 ft 1.50 ft
1:00 — 13:30 A
Set: 7:52p Set: 11:05a AM Major: 2:39a PM Major: 3:04p 4:08a 4:33p
15
PRIME TIME
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
3:52 AM 9:01 AM 12:21 PM 8:25 PM
Sunrise: 7:20a Moonrise: 3:48a AM Minor: 3:03a PM Minor: 3:31p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
1.74 ft 1.52 ft 1.60 ft 0.04 ft
8:00 — 9:50 A
Set: 7:43p Set: 5:41p AM Major: 9:17a PM Major: 9:45p 10:48a 11:16p
22
PRIME TIME
Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
1:04 AM 5:13 AM 1:14 PM 9:50 PM
Sunrise: 7:24a Moonrise: 11:32a AM Minor: 9:03a PM Minor: 9:29p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
1.44 ft 1.57 ft 0.13 ft 1.69 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
1:45 — 4:00 P
Set: 7:34p Set: 9:54p AM Major: 2:50a PM Major: 3:16p 4:45p 4:19a
29
PRIME TIME 3:35 AM 9:21 AM 12:40 PM 8:15 PM
Sunrise: 7:28a Moonrise: 4:54p AM Minor: 2:32a PM Minor: 2:54p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
2 0 0 9 /
WEDNESDAY
T E X A S
1.63 ft 1.41 ft 1.49 ft 0.55 ft
2:30 — 4:30 P
Set: 7:25p Set: 3:12a AM Major: 8:43a PM Major: 9:05p 10:28p 10:07a
F i s h
&
2 High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
PRIME TIME 5:06 AM 10:01 AM 2:34 PM 9:56 PM
Sunrise: 7:13a Moonrise: 6:54p AM Minor: 4:24a PM Minor: 4:45p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
1.47 ft 1.25 ft 1.45 ft 0.27 ft
PRIME TIME 12:49 AM 5:24 AM 1:43 PM 10:43 PM
Sunrise: 7:17a Moonrise: 10:37p AM Minor: 9:47a PM Minor: 10:14p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
1.32 ft 1.51 ft 0.22 ft 1.55 ft
PRIME TIME 4:05 AM 9:09 AM 2:04 PM 9:18 PM
Sunrise: 7:21a Moonrise: 4:58a AM Minor: 3:53a PM Minor: 4:19p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
1.66 ft 1.28 ft 1.63 ft 0.21 ft
8:45 — 11:00 A
Set: 7:42p Set: 6:18p AM Major: 10:06a PM Major: 10:33p 11:42a None
23
PRIME TIME
Low Tide: 1:42 AM High Tide: 4:32 AM Low Tide: 2:08 PM
Sunrise: 7:25a Moonrise: 12:33p AM Minor: 10:01a PM Minor: 10:28p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
1.60 ft 1.62 ft 0.16 ft
3:35 AM 9:11 AM 1:53 PM 8:49 PM
Sunrise: 7:29a Moonrise: 5:24p AM Minor: 3:11a PM Minor: 3:32p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
2:30 — 4:45 P
Set: 7:33p Set: 10:41p AM Major: 3:48a PM Major: 4:14p 5:38p 5:11a
30 High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
2:00 — 4:00 A
Set: 7:51p Set: 12:08p AM Major: 3:34a PM Major: 4:01p 4:58a 5:25p
16 High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
5:30 — 7:30 P
Set: 8:00p Set: 5:22a AM Major: 10:35a PM Major: 10:56p None 12:11p
9 Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:
THURSDAY
1.59 ft 1.28 ft 1.53 ft 0.65 ft
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
PRIME TIME 5:12 AM 10:15 AM 3:31 PM 10:23 PM
Sunrise: 7:14a Moonrise: 7:23p AM Minor: 5:04a PM Minor: 5:25p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
1.46 ft 1.12 ft 1.45 ft 0.39 ft
Set: 7:58p Set: 6:18a AM Major: 11:14a PM Major: 11:35p 12:33a 12:54p
10
PRIME TIME
Low Tide: 1:11 AM High Tide: 5:07 AM Low Tide: 2:41 PM
Sunrise: 7:18a Moonrise: 11:27p AM Minor: 10:46a PM Minor: 11:14p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
17 High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
4:19 AM 9:40 AM 3:26 PM 10:08 PM
Sunrise: 7:21a Moonrise: 6:06a AM Minor: 4:40a PM Minor: 5:06p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
1.51 ft 1.62 ft 0.12 ft
10:00A — 12:00P
Set: 7:50p Set: 1:13p AM Major: 4:32a PM Major: 5:00p 5:52a 6:21p
PRIME TIME 1.58 ft 1.00 ft 1.67 ft 0.44 ft
9:30 — 11:45 A
Set: 7:41p Set: 6:52p AM Major: 10:53a PM Major: 11:18p 12:34p 12:08a
24 High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
10:00A — 12:20P
PRIME TIME 12:06 AM 1:28 AM 2:46 AM 3:10 PM
Sunrise: 7:25a Moonrise: 1:29p AM Minor: 10:58a PM Minor: 11:24p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
1.70 ft 1.70 ft 1.70 ft 0.23 ft
9:30 — 11:50 A
Set: 7:32p Set: 11:31p AM Major: 4:45a PM Major: 5:11p 6:30p 6:04a
PRIME TIME
PRIME TIME
3:00 — 5:00 P
4:00 — 6:00 P
Set: 7:24p Set: 4:08a AM Major: 9:21a PM Major: 9:42p 11:11p 10:50a
G a m e ® / A L M A N A C
3
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Tides and Prime Times
SEPTEMBER 2009
FRIDAY
4 High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
PRIME TIME 5:22 AM 10:39 AM 4:26 PM 10:50 PM
1.45 ft 0.97 ft 1.45 ft 0.54 ft
Sunrise: 7:14a Moonrise: 7:51p AM Minor: 5:44a PM Minor: 6:05p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
10:56 A — 1:00 P
Set: 7:57p Set: 7:13a AM Major: 11:55a PM Major: ——1:15a 1:35p
11
PRIME TIME
High Tide: 5:00 AM Low Tide: 3:50 PM
1.73 ft 0.03 ft
Sunrise: 7:18a Moonrise: None AM Minor: 11:47a PM Minor: ——Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
18 High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
SATURDAY
Set: 7:48p Set: 2:16p AM Major: 5:32a PM Major: 6:01p 6:50a 7:20p
PRIME TIME
4:33 AM 10:18 AM 4:40 PM 10:54 PM
1.53 ft 0.71 ft 1.71 ft 0.71 ft
Sunrise: 7:22a Moonrise: 7:13a AM Minor: 5:28a PM Minor: 5:53p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
10:20A — 12:50P
Set: 7:39p Set: 7:26p AM Major: 11:40a PM Major: 12:05p 1:23p 12:58a
25 High Tide: 3:07 AM Low Tide: 4:23 PM
4:30 — 6:30 P
PRIME TIME 1.75 ft 0.30 ft
Sunrise: 7:26a Moonrise: 2:21p AM Minor: 11:52a PM Minor: ——Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
10:00A — 12:20P
Set: 7:30p Set: None AM Major: 5:40a PM Major: 6:05p 7:22p 6:56a
5 High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
New Moon
First Quarter
6
PRIME TIME 5:33 AM 11:08 AM 5:23 PM 11:18 PM
1.44 ft 0.81 ft 1.45 ft 0.71 ft
Sunrise: 7:15a Moonrise: 8:19p AM Minor: 6:27a PM Minor: 6:47p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
11:15 A — 1:30 P
Set: 7:56p Set: 8:08a AM Major: 12:16a PM Major: 12:37p 1:56a 2:17p
12 1.81 ft -0.03 ft
Sunrise: 7:19a Moonrise: 12:24a AM Minor: 12:23a PM Minor: 12:47p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
19 High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:
5:30 — 7:20 P
Sunrise: 7:23a Moonrise: 8:18a AM Minor: 6:18a PM Minor: 6:42p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
1.75 ft 0.36 ft
Sunrise: 7:27a Moonrise: 3:06p AM Minor: 12:19a PM Minor: 12:43p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
11:00A — 1:20P
Set: 7:29p Set: 12:24a AM Major: 6:31a PM Major: 6:56p 8:11p 7:47a
Set: 7:55p Set: 9:05a AM Major: 1:01a PM Major: 1:22p 2:38a 3:00p
PRIME TIME 1.83 ft -0.06 ft
12:00 — 2:00 P
Set: 7:46p Set: 4:10p AM Major: 7:30a PM Major: 8:01p 8:51a 9:21p
PRIME TIME
High Tide: 5:01 AM 1.51 ft Low Tide: 11:41 AM 0.27 ft High Tide: 7:05 PM 1.72 ft
Set: 7:38p Set: 7:59p AM Major: ——PM Major: 12:54p 2:12p 1:48a
PRIME TIME
High Tide: 3:33 AM Low Tide: 5:38 PM
Sunrise: 7:15a Moonrise: 8:48p AM Minor: 7:11a PM Minor: 7:33p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
12:00 — 2:20 A
20
11:00A — 1:30P
26
1.43 ft 0.65 ft 1.46 ft 0.90 ft
Sunrise: 7:19a Moonrise: 1:28a AM Minor: 1:15a PM Minor: 1:45p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
Set: 7:47p Set: 3:16p AM Major: 6:32a PM Major: 7:02p 7:50a 8:21p
1.50 ft 0.46 ft 1.72 ft 0.98 ft
5:42 AM 11:39 AM 6:24 PM 11:48 PM
High Tide: 3:49 AM Low Tide: 6:19 PM
PRIME TIME 4:48 AM 10:59 AM 5:52 PM 11:39 PM
PRIME TIME
13
PRIME TIME
High Tide: 4:51 AM Low Tide: 5:05 PM
PRIME TIME 9:30A — 12:20P
SUNDAY
Sunrise: 7:23a Moonrise: 9:23a AM Minor: 7:10a PM Minor: 7:35p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
12:20 — 2:15 P
Set: 7:37p Set: 8:34p AM Major: 12:58a PM Major: 1:23p 3:02p 2:37a
27
PRIME TIME
High Tide: 3:45 AM Low Tide: 6:43 PM
1.73 ft 0.41 ft
Sunrise: 7:27a Moonrise: 3:46p AM Minor: 1:07a PM Minor: 1:31p Moon Overhead: Moon Underfoot:
12:00 — 2:00P
Set: 7:28p Set: 1:20a AM Major: 7:19a PM Major: 7:43p 8:59p 8:35a
PRIME TIME SYMBOL KEY
Full Moon
10:00A — 12:30P
Last Quarter
PRIME TIME 10:30A — 1:00P
Good Day
A L M A N A C / T E X A S
PRIME TIME
BEST DAYS
F i s h
&
TIDE STATION CORRECTION TABLE (Adjust High & Low Tide times listed in the Calendar by the amounts below for each keyed location)
NOT FOR NAVIGATION PLACE SABINE BANK LIGHTHOUSE (29.47° N, 93.72° W) SABINE PASS JETTY (29.65° N, 93.83° W) SABINE PASS (29.73° N, 93.87°W) MESQUITE PT, SABINE PASS (29.77° N, 93.9° W) GALV. BAY, SO. JETTY (29.34° N, 94.7° W) PORT BOLIVAR (29.36° N, 94.77° W) TX CITY TURNING BASIN (29.38° N, 94.88° W) EAGLE POINT (29.5° N, 94.91° W) CLEAR LAKE (29.56° N, 95.06° W) MORGANS POINT (29.68° N, 94.98° W) ROUND PT, TRINITY BAY (29.71° N, 94.69° W) PT. BARROW, TRIN. BAY (29.74° N, 94.83° W) GILCHRIST, E. BAY (29.52° N, 94.48° W) JAMAICA BCH., W. BAY (29.2° N, 94.98° W) ALLIGATOR PT., W. BAY (29.17° N, 94.13° W) CHRISTMAS PT, CHR. BAY (29.08° N, 94.17° W) GALV. PLEASURE PIER (29.29° N, 94.79° W) SAN LUIS PASS (29.08° N, 95.12° W) FREEPORT HARBOR (28.95° N, 95.31° W) PASS CAVALLO (28.37° N, 96.4° W) ARANSAS PASS (27.84° N, 97.05° W) PADRE ISL.(SO. END) (26.07° N, 97.16° W) PORT ISABEL (26.06° N, 97.22° W)
G a m e ® / S E P T E M B E R
HIGH
LOW
-1:46
-1:31
-1:26
-1:31
-1:00
-1:15
-0:04
-0:25
-0:39
-1:05
+0:14
-0:06
+0:33
+0:41
+3:54
+4:15
+6:05
+6:40
+10:21
+5:19
+10:39
+5:15
+5:48
+4:43
+3:16
+4:18
+2:38
+3:31
+2:39
+2:33
+2:32
+2:31
-1:06
-1:06
-0.09
-0.09
-0:44
-1:02
0:00
-1:20
-0:03
-1:31
-0:24
-1:45
+1:02
-0:42
2 0 0 9
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N5
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by Calixto Gonzales, Kyle Tomek, and Tripp Holmgrain
Stink Up a Cat LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: Rock Island Shoreline GPS: N30 18.709 W96 31.675 SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: shad, worms, stinkbait, chicken livers CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, www.FishTalesGuideService.com, 979-229-3103 TIPS: Use a Carolina rig of a 3/4-ounce egg sinker and 1/0 Kahle hook with Shad, and No. 4 treble hook with other baits. Water is deep here and drops off into the rocks. Fish the dropoff. Baitfishes frequent the drop-off area and fish move there to feed on them. Fish are about a month away from moving into fall patterns, which means baitfishes will move and catfish will follow them. Fish this area thru September. Chum the area near the boat and fish close to the boat. LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: Eagle Point South GPS: N 30 37.919 W96 02.789 SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: shad, shrimp, worms, stinkbait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, www.FishTalesGuideService.com, 979-229-3103 TIPS: You will be anchoring in about 7foot water. Fish moving to and from main lake to Sulphur Creek pass through this shallower area. Use a tight-line Carolina rig
with 2/0 Kahle hook for shad and 1-ounce egg sinker. Set out several rods around the boat, and try different types of bait on some rods here. Blue, Yellow, or Channel cats are possible here. If targeting channel cats you could use some range cubes or sour grain, since there is little current but good cover. For channel cats, fish over the chum. LOCATION: Fayette County Lake HOTSPOT: South East Trees GPS: N29 54.980 W96 42.954 SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: worms, stinkbait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, www.FishTalesGuideService.com,979-229-3103 TIPS: Trees in this area are right off of the old road bed. Tie off or anchor close to trees. Most are cedar trees, be careful casting, might fish straight down in 10-12 feet
SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: artificial baits matching forage size in silver, white, and silver/white on downriggers CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-368-7411, Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com TIPS: Go stocked with No. 12 and 13 Pet Spoons to match small shad, and Swimmin’ Image shallow divers to imitate larger shad. Run baits 1-2 feet above game fish marks on sonar, and about 30 feet behind the downrigger ball. Low-light times at dusk and dawn are always productive, with very windy days also productive at any time.
of water. Water has not cooled much yet, so look for fish near the bottom. Fish follow the road bed as well as feed in the trees here. Early morning and late evening, try closer in to shallow water where moss will allow. Fish will be eating moss along with the coots. Chum will bring cats out of the moss to your area, or chum straight down in deeper water.
LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir HOTSPOT: Riprap at Dam GPS: N31 01.601, W97 31.858 SPECIES: smallmouth bass BEST BAITS: artificial baits matching forage size in silver, white, and silver/white on downriggers CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-368-7411, Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com TIPS: Go stocked with No. 12 and 13 Pet Spoons to match small shad, and Swimmin’ Image shallow divers to imitate larger shad. Run baits 1-2 feet above game fish marks on sonar, and about 30 feet behind the downrigger ball. Low-light times at dusk and dawn are always productive, with very windy days also productive at any time.
LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir HOTSPOT: Riprap at Dam GPS: N31 01.601, W97 31.858
LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir HOTSPOT: Riprap at Dam GPS: N31 01.601, W97 31.858
COVER STORY Continued from Page N2 metro areas. The fish are stocked every two weeks through early November, minus August. Most of cats measure 12-16 inches. Four of the hotspots are in the DFW area include: Lakeside Park (3 acres) in Duncanville; Chisholm Park in Hurst (3 N6
• S E P T E M B E R
2 0 0 9 /
T E X A S
acres); Bob Jones Park in Southlake (8 acres); and Greenbriar Park in Ft. Worth (3 acres). Each lake offers plenty of bank access and clean restrooms. No more than two rods per angler. Daily limit is five fish. Fishing rods and tackle are available for loan at some locations. For more information, contact Rafe Brock, 817-732-0761. F i s h
&
G a m e ® / A L M A N A C
Other Good Bets Other options include Ray Roberts, Lavon, Grapevine, Granbury, Tawakoni, Cedar Creek, and Richland Chambers.
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SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: artificial baits matching forage size in silver, white, and silver/white on downriggers CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-368-7411, Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com TIPS: Go stocked with No. 12 and 13 Pet Spoons to match small shad, and Swimmin’ Image shallow divers to imitate larger shad. Run baits 1-2 feet above game fish marks on sonar, and about 30 feet behind the downrigger ball. Low-light times at dusk and dawn are always productive, with very windy days also productive at any time. LOCATION: Belton Lake HOTSPOT: Temple’s Lake Park GPS: N31 07.429, W97 29.285 SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: clear topwater baits sized to match forage size CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-368-7411,
Page N8
Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com TIPS: Look for topwater feeding early and late. Pay attention to the size of shad regurgitated by the fish you catch, and try to closely match that forage size with your baits. Action will continue to improve as cold fronts cause temperatures to moderate and begin a cooling trend in water temperatures. LOCATION: Belton Lake HOTSPOT: Temple’s Lake Park GPS: N31 07.429, W97 29.285 SPECIES: hybrid striped bass BEST BAITS: clear topwater baits sized to match forage size 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 the fish you catch, and try to closely match that forage size with your
baits. Action will continue to improve as cold fronts cause temperatures to moderate and begin a cooling trend in water temperatures. LOCATION: Richland-Chambers HOTSPOT: Hwy 309 Flats GPS: N31 58.718, W96 06.878 SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: 1-ounce RSR Glitter Slabs, DD-22 crankbaits CONTACT: Royce Simmons, 903-3894117, www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: For folks wanting to troll for big hybrid stripers, tie on a DD-22 crankbait and troll the 25-foot water off the Hwy 309 flats. White bass will be stacked up on the dropoffs in the same area and can be caught on slabs bounced off the bottom. BANK ACCESS: Fisherman’s Point Marina, catfish
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LOCATION: Richland-Chambers HOTSPOT: Hwy 309 Flats GPS: N31 58.718, W96 06.878 SPECIES: hybrid striped bass BEST BAITS: 1-ounce RSR Glitter Slabs, DD-22 crankbaits CONTACT: Royce Simmons, 903-3894117, www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: For folks wanting to troll for big hybrid stripers, tie on a DD-22 crankbait and troll the 25-foot water off the Hwy 309 flats. White bass will be stacked up on the dropoffs in the same area and can be caught on slabs bounced off the bottom. BANK ACCESS: Fisherman’s Point Marina, catfish LOCATION: Richland-Chambers HOTSPOT: Oak Creek Point GPS: N31 57’ 11.82” W96 15’ 42.55” SPECIES: black bass BEST BAITS: 4- to 5-inch Watermelon/chartreuse, or Pumpkin/chartreuse stickbaits CONTACT: Steve Schmidt, 682-518-8252, 817-929-0675, steve@schmidtsbigbass.com TIPS: You want to put your boat in about 12-14 feet of water and throw up on the point. On your Carolina rig, use an 18- to 24-inchleader with a 4/0 hook, 1/2- to 3/4ounce Tungsten weight, and two 8mm force beads. When using Tungsten weights, do not use glass or plastic beads; the tungsten weights will break the beads because they are much harder than lead. LOCATION: Richland-Chambers HOTSPOT: Wind Sock Hump GPS: N31 25.46 W96 77.01 SPECIES: black bass BEST BAITS: 4- to 5-inch Watermelon/chartreuse, or Pumpkin/chartreuse stickbaits CONTACT: Steve Schmidt, 682-518-8252, 817-929-0675, steve@schmidtsbigbass.com TIPS: Don’t get confused with Wind Sock Point. This area is on the south end of the main lake. This area is great for a Carolina rig. The only bad thing is when you thrown a fast moving rattling bait, they tend to catch whites and hybrids as well. LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Flat Creek SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Mr. Twister Hawg Frogs
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CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, 903-5617299, ricky@rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Fish the weed beds and grass beds with your Hawg Frog, and when you have a fish blow up on your frog, give it 3-second count and then set your hook. Always wait and you will better your chances to catch a big bass. LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points from the Villages Marina to the dam SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: deep-diving shad pattern crankbaits CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, 903-5617299, ricky@rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Pull up on your points and make an S formation and watch your fish-finder. When you spot your fish, throw out a marker and begin fishing your crankbait, covering the whole area where you marked your fish. LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Cade Lake Area GPS: N32 17.30, W95 27.30 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Phantom Stinko in natural with red/purple glitter; Nichols Salty Mother Sinko in Green Pumpkin CONTACT: Don Mattern Sr., 903-4782633, 903-724-0961, matternguideservice.fghp.com TIPS: The Cade Lake area has been opened up in two places so you can get your boat through it. It has some islands in the area and a great hydrilla flat that bass love to get around. Fish the flat with sinking worms on a weightless Texas rig using a 35/0 hook. Cast the worm along edges of the hydrilla patches and don’t forget to work the open flats. The bass will lay in the hydrilla in the middle of the big openings where they find less pressure. LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard HOTSPOT: Riprap, any available vegetation SPECIES: black bass BEST BAITS: Hag’s Tornado in Watermelon red or Green Pumpkin; Bandit 200 series in white CONTACT: Jeff Kirkwood, 800-965-0350, 214-385-0301 TIPS: Carolina-rig plastics along the bottom edges of the riprap. Bounce a Bandit off the riprap. A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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Point. Make longs casts with a medium retrieve and make baits flutter down occaisionally. Keep binoculars handy and glass the lake for more schooling acitivity.
Propher Bass at Rayburn LOCATION: Sam Rayburn Reservoir HOTSPOT: Popher’s Creek GPS: N31.12.010 - W94.23.200 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Ribbit frogs in Green Pumpkin/Pearl; flukes in Pearl, Watermelon Red/chartruse tail CONTACT: Don Mattern Sr., 903-4782633, 903-724-0961, matternguideservice.fghp.com
TIPS: In September, it is still hot in Texas but some big bass will get under and around thick lily pad patches. In the back of Popher’s creek is a creek channel running up into the woods with a huge lily pad thicket. Also mixed in are thickets of hydrilla. Take the Ribbit frog and rig it on a 5/0 or 6/0 hook that has the screw on wire at the head. Just screw the head of the frog on, come all the way through the frog, and let the point of the hook rest on the back of the frog. Work the frog through the shallow flats around the creek channel and the flukes on the edges of the deeper channel and hold on for these are great holding places for big bass. God bless and good fishing. LOCATION: Toledo Bend South HOTSPOT: Texas Islands GPS: N31 11.654, W93 36.641 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Ribbit Frogs, Top Dollar topwater lures, jigging spoons, DD-14/22 crankbaits, 7- to 10-inch Berkley Power Worms CONTACT: Joe Joslin, 337-463-3848, www.joejoslinoutdoors.com TIPS: Topwater patterns become even more successful this month as action heats N12
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up with plastic frogs and walking baits in shad patterns. Target primary and secondary points with visible grass at first light, late afternoon, and during cloudy conditions. Work frogs over grass and walk topwater baits along grass’ outer edges. When the topwater bite shuts down, move out to points and ledges where depths drop to 25 feet and work crankbaits and Texas and Carolina-rigged soft plastics. Jigging spoons fished vertically will catch both yellow and largemouth bass off points in depths of 10 to 25 feet. Yellows are best an hour after sunrise and mid-afternoon. BANK ACCESS: Below dam generators. Fishing is best when generators are running. All species. Call 337-286-5244 for pre-recorded generator schedule. LOCATION: Toledo Bend North HOTSPOT: Myrick Reach Pass (Green Willow Point) GPS: N31 46.155, W93 50.035 SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: slab spoons, tail spinners, shallow-diving crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, topwater plugs in shad patterns CONTACT: Greg Crafts, 936-368-7151, www.toledobendguide.com TIPS: White bass are following shad as they move around the lake. Barring a weather change, fish will school in the same areas and times each day. When fish are schooling, throw lipless and shallow-diving crankbaits or topwater plugs in shad colors. If fish stop schooling, move to adjacent deeper water and jig slab spoons in 1/2- to 3/4-ounce, or “yoyo” a tail spinner off the bottom. Concentrate on main lake points, boat lanes, and river channel sandbars. BANK ACCESS: public parks and marinas, crappie on live minnows, catfish on cut bait and liver LOCATION: Wright Patman Lake HOTSPOT: McFarland Island GPS: N33 15.720, W94 19.870 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Bobby’s Perfect Frog, SPRO Frogs, Pop-R’s, 5- to10-foot diving crankbaits CONTACT: Doug Rochelle, 903-671-3494, reteeks77@aol.com
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TIPS: Fish main lake points around McFarland Island from dawn to about 8 AM with Pop-R’s, then switch to crankbaits and moving farther out on the points. As the bite slows, move back into coves and pockets and fish grass beds and duckweed with plastic frogs. Be sure to use braided line when fishing frogs in these areas. BANK ACCESS: Hwy 8 boat ramp, catfish with cut liver, crappie at 10-14 feet with minnows, bream around trees on red worms LOCATION: Caddo Lake HOTSPOT: Land Island Cove GPS: N32 44.010, W94 08.372 SPECIES: panfishes BEST BAITS: live red wigglers, live crickets; 1/16-ounce Bubble Belly Road Runner; 1/32-ounce Road Runner Curly Tails; Fishing with Dennis Hook-Band-Worms CONTACT: Dennis North, 903-687-2128, www.fishingwithdennis.com TIPS: September is a good time to fish Land Island Cove in the upper river for panfishes. Water temperatures at night are starting to fall, so panfishes are moving out of deep water to areas around cypress trees, docks, and lily pads. Look for good brush along shorelines and near docks. Baits that have always produced good numbers in the cove include live baits, small 1/32-ounce baits with spinners, and Hook-BandWorms. With any live bait, try to fish with the smallest floats you can get away with. BANK ACCESS: Caddo Lake State Park, panfishes, catfish, largemouth bass, white bass LOCATION: Lake O’ the Pines HOTSPOT: Alley Creek Road Bed GPS: N32 47.094, W94 34.917 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Shaky Heads, drop-shotrigged Watermelon/red finesse worms, Bandit 200 Series crankbaits in chartreuse/blue back, Tackle Technology CrawClicker lockon rattles CONTACT: Dennis North, 903-687-2128, www.fishingwithdennis.com TIPS: The Alley Creek area is always good in September and one of the most consistent areas is the old road bed just under the bridge. This area holds fish just about
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all year. Fish the Shaky Head and dropshot rig in 7-14 feet of water in this area. Also fish Bandit Crankbaits around the many stumps and logs in the back of Alley Creek. TIPS: Dam overlook area, catfish and panfishes are plentiful LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Cade Lake Area GPS: N32 17.300, W95 27.300 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Senkos and Phantom Stickos in natural with red and purple glitter; Nichols Salty Mother Sinkers in Green Pumpkin CONTACT: Don Mattern Sr., 903-4782633, www.matternguideservice.fghp.com TIPS: The Cade Lake area is an old lake and dam that has been opened up in two places for boat access. It contains islands and a great Hydrilla flat that bass love to get around. Fish the flat with Senko or Sticko sinking worms rigged on a weightless Texas rig with 3/0 to 5/0 hooks. Owner hooks in 5/0 work well. Cast worms along Hydrilla patch edges and be sure to work open flats.
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Bass will lay in the hydrilla in the middle of big openings to avoid pressure. BANK ACCESS: Highsaw Bridge, bass, catfish, and crappie; fish the old roadway under the bridge LOCATION: Lake Livingston HOTSPOT: Below Trinity Dam GPS: N30 36.329, W95 00.490 SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: Zara Spooks in Bone, Shad CONTACT: Dave Cox, 936-291-9602, www.palmettoguideservice.com TIPS: To catch striped bass below Trinity Dam, launch before daylight and work your way downstream, throwing topwaters in the cuts off the river channel. Target depths of 8-10 feet. Fishing should be good until just after sunrise. Once the sun hits the water, the striper action is usually over. After sunrise, try fishing for white bass off gravel bars in 6-8 feet of water with jigs. BANK ACCESS: public parks and boat ramps, largemouth bass on artificials, catfish on cut bait, stinkbait, or liver LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake
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GPS: N30 26.231, W95 35.510 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Pop-R’s in Bone, Shad; spinnerbaits in white and white/chartreuse CONTACT: Richard Tatsch, 936-2911277, www.fishdudetx.com TIPS: With the first cool fronts of the year beginning to move in, bass will start to feed on shad in preparation for cold weather and selective feeding. Now is a good time for topwater action and the aggressive strikes a spinnerbait can bring. Fishing up to the third day after a cold front has moved through can bring great action, particularly when overcast. Start by locating riprap rock and throw a small, single-blade spinnerbait, retrieving it at a very fast rate so the bait walks the surface. This is a very productive and fast way to catch a number of hard-hitting fish. Next, try working Pop-R’s in the same areas, alternating with spinnerbaits to determine the bass’ preference on that particular day. BANK ACCESS: Stowaway Marina, bream and catfish on live minnows or worms under cork
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LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Public Hump GPS: N32 51.174, W95 31.811 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: spoons, Carolina rigs CONTACT: Michael’s Guide Service, 903383-3406, www.lake-fork-guides.com TIPS: Use large jigging spoons on large schools of fish when you have found them using your depthfinder. If yellow bass are biting, stick around because largemouth bass are usually eating them. LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Bell Ridge GPS: N32.52.539, W95.31.367 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: spinnerbaits, football-head jigs in black/blue CONTACT: Michael’s Guide Service, 903383-3406, www.lake-fork-guides.com TIPS: If yellow bass are biting, stick around because largemouth bass are usually eating them. Use your depthfinder to find schools of fish and use larger jigs and spinners to catch them. LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Highway 515 E. Bridge (East Side) GPS: N32.53.713, W95.31.224 SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: 1/32- to 1/8-ounce jigs in gray/blue; live minnows CONTACT: Michael’s Guide Service, 903383-3406, www.lake-fork-guides.com TIPS: Keep your line moving up and down in the water column until you find where the fish are located. Count how long it takes your bait to reach that level and fish it there every cast. Don’t sit around at one piling for too long if they are not biting; just move to the next piling.
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BEST BAITS: live minnows, small chrome or white jigging spoons, shad-colored grubs, chrome Rat-L Traps, shad-colored topwater baits CONTACT: Dave Burlington, 210-8339417, www.bassindave.com TIPS: White bass fishing at Medina Lake in September is about lights at night. It’s easiest to use floating or submersible fishing lights. Anchor off of points or bluff banks along the main river channel, position several lights around the boat and get ready. You will soon begin to see baitfish and white bass moving through the lighted water soon after. Vertically jig minnows, spoons and grubs at
various depths to catch fish. If you don’t have lights, fishing lighted docks will generally produce fish in good numbers. Respect dock owners’ space if they are fishing. At first light and just before dark, look for whites to school and create surface action. Fish poppers, small prop-style topwaters, and Rat-L Traps through the schools. BANK ACCESS: Park Road 37, bass on plastic worms, catfish on cut bait and liver LOCATION: Lake Dunlap HOTSPOT: Upper lake GPS: N29 41.260, W98 06.070 SPECIES: smallmouth bass BEST BAITS: chartreuse and red crawfishpattern crankbaits; Watermelon/red, Green Pumpkin, chartreuse, and Cotton Candy tubes; drop-shot plastic finesse worms CONTACT: Dave Burlington, 210-8339417, www.bassindave.com TIPS: Fish the channel ledges from the dam at the lake’s upper end to the first big bend. Smallmouth on Dunlap use the channel ledges and eel grass beds in channel centers for cover most of the time. Fish an 8- to 10-foot diving crankbait, making quartering casts from the channel center to the ledges along the banks. If bass are not biting the crankbait, switch to tubes and drop-shot worms; present the baits in a similar manner. BANK ACCESS: I-35 bridge public boat ramp and park, bluegill on worms and crickets, catfish on stinkbait or liver
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LOCATION: Lake Travis HOTSPOT: Anderson Bend GPS: N30 22.070, W98 00.590 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Bone or Shad topwaters; purple, Watermelon/red, Pumpkin, and Red Shad plastic worms or tubes; chartreuse and white spinnerbaits with matching painted blades; crawfish pattern crankbaits CONTACT: Dave Burlington, 210-8339417, www.bassindave.com TIPS: Bass are located in 5-15 feet of water close to deeper areas around points, flats, and bluff banks. Early and late in the day, bass will crush Pop-R’s, Zara Spooks, and prop-style topwaters. Once the topwater bite slows, throw spinnerbaits and crankbaits in the same areas, switching to plastic worms and tube style baits to catch inactive fish. Really pick apart the brush piles. Focus on docks, as they are always a key cover element on the lake; this can pay off big. BANK ACCESS: Pace Bend Park, bass on topwaters and plastic worms, catfish on stinkbait and cut bait LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Little Midland Cove GPS: N30 48.460, W98 22.320 SPECIES: largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: topwaters in Bone or Shad, Zara Spooks; whte and white/chartreuse buzzbaits; Watermelon, Green Pumpkin, purple, and Red Shad plastic worms; chartreuse/blue back crankbaits CONTACT: Dave Burlington, 210-8339417, www.bassindave.com TIPS: Bass are very active in shallow cover adjacent to deep water early, late in the day, and all day when overcast. Fish flats and points near creek and riverbed channels. Bass will be positioned on dock corners and around big rocks or wood in these areas. If no topwater bite, switch to crankbaits; then to Texas-, Carolina-, or drop-shot-rigged plastic worms as the bite continues to slow into the day. Bass are schooled up on cover this time of year, so where you catch one you should catch several. BANK ACCESS: Thunderbird Resort, largemouth bass on artificials, striped bass on spoons and shad, catfish on stinkbait or liver
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LOCATION: Lake LBJ HOTSPOT: Light Tower Point GPS: N30 33.450, W98 21.830 SPECIES: largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: white or black topwater buzzbaits and poppers; black or Watermelon/red plastic worms fished on Texas and Carolina rigs; white or chartreuse crankbaits; white spinnerbaits; Shad or white soft plastic jerkbaits CONTACT: Kandie Candeleria, 210-8232153, kandie@gvtc.com TIPS: Some of the best action now is at night around lighted docks. The lights draw in baitfishes and bass move in to feed after resting during the day. Fish the black and white baits, as they silhouette best in the dark. During the day, fish the grass beds and points in 2-10 feet of water, using chartreuse and Watermelon/red colors. Mid-day, grass beds are often overlooked, but they can be strong producers as they provide good oxygen and food sources for bass. If the bite there is slow, fish main points with Carolinarigged worms and crankbaits. BANK ACCESS: Sandy Creek, crappie on live minnows, catfish on stinkbait and liver LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Turkey Cove GPS: N29 51.440, W98 13.020 SPECIES: smallmouth Bass BEST BAITS: Rootbeer, Watermelon, and Smoke grubs; drop-shot-rigged plastic finesse worms CONTACT: Kandie Candeleria, 210-8232153, kandie@gvtc.com TIPS: You will find smallmouth schooled up along creek channel ledges, especially where they bend, and main lake points in 15-25 feet of water. Large rocks, wood, or manmade fish attractors concentrate fish in these areas. Use electronics to determine if fish are suspended over or in cover. If suspended over cover, use drop-shot plastic finesse worms fished vertically in the fish. If bass are in cover, use grubs, working them slowly and thoroughly through the cover. BANK ACCESS: Jacob’s Creek Park, bass on plastic grubs and worms, white bass on minnows
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LOCATION: Granger Lake HOTSPOT: Open Water Brush Piles SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: 1/32-ounce jigum jigs and minnows CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell 512-365-7761 www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: At this time of the year, the crappie will be moving to shallower water as it begins to cool somewhat. Fish jigs over very shallow natural cover or man made brush piles. These can be from 4 to 7 feet deep. The larger crappie will be in these spots. crappie will also be relating to standing timber. Fence lines at the mouth of the river can be very good at this time of year.
Coleman Hybrids Hit Cranks LOCATION: Lake Coleman HOTSPOT: River Channel and Points along Bluffs GPS: N32 01.666, W99 28.553 SPECIES: hybrid stripers BEST BAITS: cut shad, DD-22 crankbaits, 1/2-ounce jigs
CONTACT: Wendell Ramsey, 325-2274931, bram4@suddenlink.net TIPS: The river channel swings along the bluffs in this area. Pay attention to deep points that run out into the channel. Cut shad will work all day long, but early try a big deep-diving crankbait and heavy jigs in shad patterns, plain white, or white/chartreuse. Fish that suspend and then move shallow early and late are more apt to eat the moving baits. Once you hit a fish, get back out there, as there probably is a school. BANK ACCESS: Press Morris Park, crappie on live minnows, catfish on cut bait or liver LOCATION: Lake Amistad HOTSPOT: ledges near deep water GPS: N29 33.826, W100 59.067 SPECIES: smallmouth bass A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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BEST BAITS: Zara Spooks, Vixens, Zoom Trick Worms, Senkos CONTACT: Wendell Ramsey, 325-2274931, bram4@suddenlink.net TIPS: In this area there are deep ledges along the river with vertical walls that can drop to 100 feet. Work bone colored topwaters parallel to the bluffs with a “walk the dog” technique. Use a steady cadence and be ready for some great blow ups. Other topwater colors that work are black/gold and baby bass. Sometimes schools will show themselves so be ready to fire topwaters at a moments notice. If the action slows or you miss a fish, follow up with a wacky-rigged Watermelon Trick Worm or Senko and you will pick up a few more fish. BANK ACCESS: Diablo East Park or Black Brush area LOCATION: Possum Kingdom Lake HOTSPOT: Peanut Patch (close to Sandy Beach) GPS: N32 53.568, W98 30.923 SPECIES: sand (white) bass BEST BAITS: live shad; topwaters in shad patterns; crankbaits in white and chartreuse; slabs and jigs in chrome and chartreuse CONTACT: Dean Heffner, 940-329-0036, fav7734@aceweb.com
TIPS: Concentrate on edges of the old riverbed where it runs close to humps and flats in depths of 20 feet. From this “natural highway,” fish will chase shad onto flats and humps to ambush them. The Peanut Patch is one of these ambush areas and is even more productive during periods of cloud cover. Concentrate on the depth and location of your first fish caught and stay with that pattern until the bite dies. Then follow fish back to the old riverbed and wait for them to chase the next ball of baitfishes that comes by. BANK ACCESS: North D&D, largemouth and smallmouth bass on plastic worms, catfish on stinkbait and liver LOCATION: Lake Graham-Eddelman HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points GPS: N33 09.106, W98 37.452 SPECIES: hybrids BEST BAITS: live shad; topwaters in shad patterns, slabs in silver or chrome; perchcolored crankbaits CONTACT: Dean Heffner, 940-329-0036, fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: Fish power plant discharge area early unless plant is discharging and water is hot. Otherwise, fish main and secondary lake points. In early morning, fish topwaters
until the bite slows, then use your electronics to find breaklines with depths of 15-20 feet. Start fishing shallow-diving crankbaits, then change to slabs and deeper-diving crankbaits as the day wears on and fish go deeper. On overcast days, fish will stay shallow. Watch for baitfish on surface. BANK ACCESS: Hwy 380 public boat ramp, crappie on live minnows, bass on plastic worms, catfish on cut bait and liver LOCATION: Palo Pinto Reservoir HOTSPOT: Main lake points GPS: N32 39.033, W98 18.207 SPECIES: sand (white) bass BEST BAITS: live shad; topwaters in shad patterns; slabs in chrome CONTACT: Dean Heffner, 940-329-0036, fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: The bite will extend later into the morning as September brings cooler weather. Start by fishing topwaters early and continue until the bite slows. Fish then move deeper to avoid sun and warmer temperatures during the day. Fish slabs at breaklines in water depths of 15-20 feet off main and secondary lake points. Early morning and night fishing can be productive in shallower water with shad or topwater lures. BANK ACCESS: public boat ramps, crappie on live minnows, catfish on stinkbait, cut bait, and liver
King of the Jetties LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: South Jetty Tip
GPS: N26 4.108, W97 9.308 SPECIES: kingfish BEST BAITS: ribbonfish, live mullet; Rat-LTraps in chrome/blue, red/white CONTACT: Quik Stop, 956-943-1159 TIPS: Several calm days in a row means that blue Gulf water will find its way within casting difference of the jetties. Kingfish will be prowling in and around the pass, and fishermen armed with surf tackle, kingfish rigs, and ribbonfish or live mullet can have a decent shot at a few smokers. A big, noisy N20
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Rat-L-Trap burned back to the jetties can lead to crashing, line-peeling strikes.
Pinfish Baffle Baffin Trout LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: East Kleberg Point
GPS: N27 16.300, W97 30.426 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp, pinfish CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart, 361-9856089, 361-449-7441, brushcountrycharters.com TIPS: Action really heats up after summer ends and everyone is back in school or work. Fish the shallows around rock edges and let the bait fall into deeper water. Use a Texas Rattlin’ Rig Chatterweight for best results. The combination of the weights clicking and the pinfish’s grunting can really get a trout’s attention.
DOA Reds at Sabine
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HOTSPOT: Green’s Bayou GPS: N28 49.417, W93 50.499 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live bait; soft plastics in chartreuse, Glow/chartreuse, Pearl/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, 409-673-2018 TIPS: Fall tides and migration move white shrimp out of the bayous and into Sabine Lake, and redfish gorge themselves on the
CONTACT: Robin McFarlane, 210-4164563 TIPS: Fish the coves and banks shallow early in the morning. Then as the sun comes up, move out and drop jigs as the day goes on. Jigs are good to throw in the North Shore area, but beware; you could get a good scrape going.
easy meals. Key in on drains and points when the tide is draining out of the marsh and use either live shrimp, or imitations such as the 1/4-ounce DOA Shrimp. Toss up into the drain and work your bait back along the bottom with occasional twitches. Watch for tailing reds. You’d be amazed at how shallow they go this time of year.
Camo Fools Choke Bass LOCATION: Choke Canyon HOTSPOT: North Shore GPS: N28 30.258, W98 17.832 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: jigs in Watermelon, Camo
LOCATION: Sabine Lake
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Costa Shades in Death & Life A LOT OF SUNGLASSES HAVE PASSED UNDER THE boot heel since I destroyed my beloved Costa del Mar Hammerheads with a plasma torch. They were my first Costas, and I mourn the loss almost daily. Alas, most sunglasses face a short life and violent death around me. Don’t ask me why. I tried substituting cheaper glasses for the Costas, following the logic that since I would shortly destroy or lose them, it was better to sacrifice cheap than quality. To my chagrin, “cheap” lasted about 1/10 the time as quality and I was losing glasses (and money) at an alarming rate. (One “bargain” pair disappeared down the gullet of a chocolate Lab—literally disappeared, because despite due vigilance and frequent examination of Lab detritus, the remains never showed up, yet the Lab is still ticking after, lo, these many months. Made me wonder what really happened to that missing hunting knife.) For my triumphant return to quality, I first co-opted a pair of Man-O-War Costas, the rubberized nosepiece of which worked well to keep them in place under grease-andsweat conditions. The lenses were a bit small for my tastes, so before I could destroy the Man-O-Wars I acquired a pair of Howlers. The bigger lenses suited me better, and the lightweight frames reduced ear and nose fatigue after extended wear. Both models have so far survived assorted indignities, including sittings on, stand-
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ings on (once by a cow, no less), sand and gravel abrasion, and an extended slide down a highway with only minor road rash resulting. I keep writing the Costa engineers asking why they do not develop a Barbwire model in my honor, but they never write back. Busy, I guess. Contact: Costa del Mar, 800-447-3700, www.costadelmar.com —Don Zaidle
Woo-Hoos for Woo Shoes “YOU WANT ME TO TRY A PAIR OF WHAT?” I was unsure what to think when bassing legend Woo Daves asked me to try a pair of
Bear-Tough Yeti PHOTO BY DON ZAIDLE
Woo Shoes. At first I thought it was a joke, maybe a pair of Oxfords with whoopee cushion insoles, but Woo was adamant it was a legit deal. Nonetheless, I remained reticent to agree simply because of the name. Not that I have any insecurities about my manhood or anything, but “Woo Shoes” sounds like something Peewee Herman would wear to the theater. I ultimately relented in the name of good relations, secretly scheming to ensconce the shoes in one of many boxes of “stuff ” or give them away to the unsuspecting. However, when the shoes arrived and I saw the material and workmanship quality (leather uppers bounded to a thick, slip-resistant rubber sole, double stitching, and brass eyelets), I thought, What the hell, I’ll just wear
PHOTO BY DON ZAIDLE
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them around the house. “Around the house” for me includes midnight forays into the backyard (briar- and brush-choked woods) to dispatch marauding varmints, navigating driveway mud to reach the mailbox, and skinning assorted fauna on the back porch for grandsons who swear they will “get it” if I just show them how one more time. To my surprise and delight, the Woo Shoes stood up to this treatment with comfortable endurance, and remain my “house shoes” to prevent tracking “stuff ” all over the house and provoking spousal wrath. Although Woo Shoes, designed by and made for Woo Daves as fishing shoes, are available in several styles from Bass Pro Shops, I am unsure which ones I have. Whatever the case, I am confident other styles are just as rugged and comfortable— despite the funny name. Contact: Bass Pro Shops, 800-9204400, www.basspro.com —DZ
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WHEN YETI OFFERED TO SEND ME A 54-QUART ice chest over a year ago, I expected a highquality product. Even so, when the cooler arrived, I was impressed. Instead of being light and flimsy like most coolers, this one PHOTO COURTESY YETI COOLERS
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Anchor Marine Marks One-Year Anniversary NCHOR MARINE IN SAN ANTONIO MARKED ITS first anniversary under new owner, Tony Alvarez, Sr., this spring. Alvarez reflected on the first year as a tremendous learning experience: “This has been better than going to school because it has given me an opportunity to get into a business where people care about people. You are not dealing with prima donnas, personalities; just a bunch of easy-going hardworking people who like to fish and boat.” The first anniversary has been a tough year in today’s economy. Handling the credit crunch has been one of the challenges that not only Anchor, but all boat dealers are facing. Before credit availability tightened, a dealer sold the boat, called the bank, and
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was paid. Now dealers have to sell the boat, sell the bank, and then hope the bank is going to pay in a timely manner. The dealer is actually selling the boat twice. Alvarez said the secret to selling boats in today’s marketplace is educating the customer and being creative: “You need to be careful how you pre-qualify the customer without insulting his wishes. Everybody wants to drive a Cadillac, but not everybody can afford one. You have to reason with a customer, put him in a boat that he will be comfortable with and be able to afford without much of a problem. That takes education. “In the past, I believe there were a lot of boat sales that were happening because you
had a bunch of order takers that would write up the order. Now you have to research the customer; you have to qualify the customer; you have to educate the customer as to what products are available to meet his budgetary needs.” Boat financing is available. Maybe the bigger lending institutions such as large banks can be restrictive in their lending qualifications, but Alvarez finances many of his sales through credit unions. “We find that the easiest way to get money is through local credit unions. They are really open-minded. We have a good relationship with them and it’s fairly easy to get financing with them.” Alvarez is working with military presence in the San Antonio area in sponsoring fishing trips for returning Iraq veterans, “being part of the family.” Anchor Marine continues its emphasis on top-notch customer service for both saltand freshwater anglers. “We have made it a point to have a wide range of pricing so we can accommodate the
TEXAS TESTED Continued from Page N22 was heavy and tough. From the perfectly aligned lid to the heavy duty hinges, screwin drain plug, and rubber feet that keep the box from sliding around in a pickup bed, the Yeti ice chest is obviously a top-of-theline product. Inside and out, the cooler is built much better than the average ice chest. My oldest son, Courtland, and I took the Yeti on a trip to California during July 2008, and carried it on a rack on the back of our Jeep. We went through the Mojave Desert twice, and were on the road for 10 days. The cooler was in the sun most of that time, and we opened it many times every day. When we got home, it still contained about half of a 10-pound block of ice we had put in it before we left home. N24
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This is a serious ice chest. I drained the water periodically, and we added a small bag of ice a couple of times, so the block of ice had help. Still, I have never had a cooler keep ice that well. The seal is so tight the lid is sometimes difficult to open the lid, even with the latches undone. If the drain plug is not opened first, the suction against the rubber seal will not allow the lid to be raised. It seals far better than my home refrigerator. The Yeti cooler is so tough it could probably be used as a jack stand without damage. Normally, if an ice chest blows out of a pickup, it is history. The Yeti is heavy enough not to blow out, even empty, but if it did, it would probably just get a little scratched up. The U.S. Forest Service has a division called the “Interagency Grizzly Bear Com-
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mittee.” This committee has tested the Tundra line of Yeti coolers extensively. The coolers were padlocked and attacked by live, wild grizzly bears. The boxes were scratched, tossed, and chewed, but the bears never got them open. The Yeti Tundra, consequently, is one of the few coolers officially approved by the IGBC for use on public lands occupied by grizzlies. Which is not really a surprise. If my teenage son and I could not tear one up, a grizzly bear doesn’t stand a chance. Maybe if they sent one to Zaidle.... Contact: Yeti Coolers, 512-394-9384, www.yeticoolers.com —Kendal Hemphill
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Tony Alvarez and the employees of Anchor Marine
first-time buyer all the way up to the buyer who has bought several boats,” said Alvarez. “We have cancelled some of the relationships we had with boat manufacturers, but we have brought in new lines, such as Majek, bringing it into the San Antonio area. We are very excited to have that relationship with them.” The dealership continues to have a strong relationship with Shallow Sport, and Skeeter boats are one of the top sellers along with Frontier and Blackjack boats from K2. “We see the $18-26 thousand price range boat moving fairly well with the economy. The high end priced boats are moving, but the biggest demand is for boats in the 18-26.” There is also a very high demand for used boats. “We usually have anywhere from 15 to 25 used boats in stock all the time, both fresh- and saltwater boats. Used boats have to meet our standards or I don’t touch it.” Great communication between the customer and the staff at Anchor Marine has never changed. Alvarez personally calls cus-
tomers, thanks them for their business, and gives them updates regarding service, new boat preparation, or how the loan application is moving on their new boat. “A customer expects top notch service before and after the sale—the way you greet customers, the way you walk customers through the dealership, making sure no matter what they are here for, they are treated the best we can. “God has blessed this company. I am a very fortunate individual, very blessed to have the caliber employees I have. These people are loyal, hard working, they really understand what customer care is really about. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them, the best of the best.” — Tom Behrens
PHOTO COURTESY ANCHOR MARINE
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On the Web www.anchormaineoftexas.com
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MudArmour Shield for Shotguns
Contact Mud Brothers, LLC, PO Box 93803, Southlake, TX 76092. Phone:(817) 917-9364. Website: www.mudarmour.com.
MudArmour is an innovative product designed to prevent mud, dust, and water from invading the interior of a shotgun. This product is constructed of durable, lightweight, water-repelling neoprene. TheMudArmour kit consists of the Barrel Boot
Magnum Feeders Get a Charge Out of Silver While filling deer feeders 22 miles from nowhere, you discovered that the battery in the last feeder was dead, and the nearest town has no lead acid re-chargeable batteries. No problem if you are using Magnum Hunting Products new Silver “+” series controller.
MudArmor
Magnum Silver +
which seals the business end of the shotgun, and the Chamber Vest which surrounds the upper receiver to cover the loading and ejection ports. MudArmour serves as a mobile gun case that remains on the shotgun until you are ready to take the first shot. As you move down range on foot or ATV, Mud Armour repels the elements to keep your shotgun clean and fully operational. When it’s time to take the shot, you won’t be cleaning your gun. MudArmour can be easily stored and retrieved from your pocket. You invest in waders and outer-gear to protect you from the elements, give your shotgun the same vital protection. Whether you hunt waterfowl or upland birds, MudArmour is essential to protect your shotgun from the elements. N26
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The Silver “+” is powered by D-Cell batteries in battery packs. The six battery pack delivers 9 volts and the eight battery pack delivers 12 volts. The packs will provide clean, smooth, reliable power for over 9 months. Every grocery store, convenience store and drug store in small towns have DCell batteries and they are considerably less expensive than the re-chargeable ones. The Silver “+” is menu driven making it extremely easy to set, and features an e-prom memory that saves all feeder settings. It comes complete with a spinner plate and Magnum’s N-Linear housing. Just pop in the D-Cells and start feeding. The Silver “+” Controller is built on
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Magnums famous Platinum “+” technology and is the latest advancement in Magnum’s 42 year history in the game feeder industry. And, all Magnum’s products are made in Texas. For more information call 281-261-0803 or go to their website, www.magnumhunting.com.
All Season Feaders Having problems attracting your deer to a protein feeder? Tired of filling multiple feeders? With the new All Seasons Feeders Combo Feeders (Patent Pending) you can eliminate the need for doubling everything! The new Combo is a 2 feed stations in 1! Combining the best features of free choice protein tube feeder and our new weather /varmint resistant broadcast feeder into one. The ASF new Combo series feeders eliminates the need for multiple feed stations, eliminates the need for 2 feed pens, and the need of 2 set ups to fill your feeders. Our unique gate control allows you to feed both corn and protein at he same time, or each can be fed individually. The control unit is a our own heavy duty design built to withstand the abuse of the largest of animals while still resisting small unwanted animals and birds from wasting feed. Hopper size comes in 1,000 2,000 and 3,000 lbs capacity. The 1,000 lb holds 450 lbs of corn while the other 2 will hold
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700 lbs of corn. (Feeder capacities determined by corn weight) For more information, please visit the All Season Feeders website, www.allseasonsfeeders.com, or call (800) 841-1720.
George Strait Releases ‘Twang’ George Strait’s “Living For The Night,” the first single from his upcoming album TWANG, hit the Top 15 mark in just three weeks making it one of the fastest rising singles of his career. The song was
George Strait’s 38th album, “Twang.” written by Strait, his son Bubba Strait and legendary songwriter Dean Dillon. With the debut single racing up the charts, the street date of TWANG has been moved up to August 11, 2009. Co-producing this 13 track disc with producer Tony Brown, Strait proves again why he has sold over 67 million albums throughout his record-breaking career. TWANG, Strait’s 38th album, was recorded at Shrimpboat Sound Studio in Key West, FL. It is the same studio where they recorded Strait’s last two award-winning albums. With a career spanning more than 25 years, Strait has 57 #1 singles to his credit, which is the record for more Number One hits than any artist in history. His 33 different platinum or multi-platinum albums have earned him the most RIAA platinum certifications in country music and third in all genres behind The Beatles and Elvis Presley. Strait was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006, making
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him one of a few artists to receive such an honor while still actively recording and producing music.
Midstate Lamp A new propane lamp from Midstate Lamp Company is brighter and more energy-efficient than anything else on the mar-
Midstate Lamp
ket. The Model 450 is as bright as a 100watt bulb. Most propane lights burn at 10 pounds per square inch of pressure, but the Model 450 operates at less then 1 psi. Besides saving fuel, the new lamp is whisper quiet. The lamp is ideal for remote cabins or cottages without electricity. It’s also a sensible backup for modern homes when the power goes off. Made of stainless steel with brass fittings, the lamp, which sells for $99.95, comes with aluminum reflector and mounting bracket. Midstate Lamp, 169 E. CR 200 N., Arthur IL 61911; 866-450-LAMP (5267).
Rusty’s Rags Gun Cleaning Product Rusty’s Rags, Inc. announces a new gun cleaning cloth for all types of firearms. The “Rusty’s Rag” (MSRP $9.25) is basically two cleaning kits in one. The hand-cut sheepskin cloth is impregnated with a special silicone formulated for firearms. It also comes with a flannel cloth used for wiping off the excess oil and polishing to a fine finish. Each product is produced by hand in the USA. Whether in the field or at home the “Rusty’s Rag” gun cleaning cloth is the most effective way to clean and protect virtually any gun, anywhere. Two sizes have been developed for specific guns. The smaller size, approx. 2” x 5”, used for pistols, is the most popular with gun ranges, daily shooters, and occasional hunters. The larger size, approx. 5” x 5”, is ideal for rifles, shotguns, and black powder firearms. “We are constantly looking for high quality gun stores, shooting ranges, and distributers to sell our product,” says Latham Doxey, Vice President of Sales. “We offer a quality product which is hand-made and not packaged off of a high speed assembly line. If you want to offer a high quality gun cleaning product to your customers, the “Rusty’s Rag” is for you.” For more information on this product visit: www.RustysRags.com.
Rusty’s Rags
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Cimarron Arms Model 1885 High Wall HE WINCHESTER MODEL 94 WAS introduced in November 1894. We all know it was the first to use a smokeless sporting cartridge, the famous .30-30 Winchester. However, most do not know that the .30-30 (originally the .30 WCF)
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by Steve LaMascus was not one of the Model 94’s original chamberings. That honor goes to the .38-55 and .32-40, both black powder cartridges. The .38-55 in particular was and still is a grand old cartridge. It is now experiencing a renaissance, due mainly to the growing popularity of Cowboy Action Shooting. While it was made popular in the Winchester 94 lever action, the .38-55 was originally introduced by Ballard in 1885 for a single-shot target rifle, and I believe that is where it fits best. Why? Because the .38-55 is an astoundingly accurate cartridge. When the black powder set is looking for pure accuracy, they usually pick the .38-55 or .32-40. I had never used the .38-55, but I have always admired it as a wonderful old deer slayer that was also sufficiently powerful for even larger game, if the range is kept short. I prefer it to the larger cartridges, like the .45-110 or the .50-90, because it is easy to reload with smokeless powder, while the large cases require special techniques to sucN28
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cessfully load smokeless. The .38-55 requires no fillers, card wads, or grease cookies; just pour in the powder, seat the bullet, and you are ready to go. It is also easily loaded with black powder for the purist. (If you are a purist, you already know how to load it with black powder, so for this piece we will concentrate on its serviceability with smokeless.) To remedy my lack of experience with this grand old cartridge, I called Cimarron Arms in Fredericksburg and ordered a Winchester Model 1885 High Wall single-shot manufactured for Cimarron by A. Uberti, the famous Italian gun maker. Lyman Products supplied bullet molds, reloading dies, and nose punches. My thanks to both those companies, which regularly help me with highest quality products for my research. The biggest advantages the .38-55 has over the .30-30 are bullet weight and bullet diameter; the two cartridges share the same head size and use the same shell holders, the .30-30 being nothing more than a necked down .38-55. The .38-55 shoots bullets of the same diameter as the vaunted .375 H&H Magnum. Depending on the rifle, groove diameter will run from about .376 to around .380 inches, which is where the “.38” part comes from. The only debit on the account is that it does not have much velocity, especially with heavier bullets like the Lyman 335-grain cast bullet, intended for shooting metallic silhouettes. Still, in most situations, I believe we have gone far overboard in our search for higher velocities. We should instead be searching for cartridges that get the job done without kicking our teeth out and making us flinch. The .3855, in spite of its considerable size, is not a hard-kicking cartridge, especially when com-
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pared to the modern super magnums like the .378 Weatherby. My Cimarron Model 1885 High Wall Sporting Rifle is gorgeous. I picked it up from my old friend Rodney Deorsam at Oasis Outback in Uvalde and sped home to try it out. It has plain but well-fitted wood; deep, dark bluing; nice case hardening on the receiver; and a double-set trigger that lets off at less than a pound. The barrel is a 30-inch full octagon. The trapdoor in the butt houses a brass cleaning rod. My test gun was equipped with a tang-mounted rear aperture sight and globe front sight, with a series of interchangeable inserts. In all, a very well made, well-finished, workmanlike gun just screams, “Shoot me!” I first loaded the .38-55 with 335-grain Lyman cast bullets lubed with Lyman MolyLube, Winchester cases primed with CCI 200 primers, and 18-grains of IMR4198. I had to guess at the right powder charge because I could not find loading data for that bullet. It was a good guess. The big Lyman is a semi-pointed bullet reminiscent of the old Postell black powder bullets. I was afraid they were too long and pointed to stabilize in the .38-55, which was designed for bullets in the 250-grain range, but I was pleasantly surprised. The first theshot group after I got it on paper at 100 yards measured right at 2 inches. Subse-
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50 Years of Opening Days HEIR FACES ARE YOUNG, CONFIDENT, excited, and smiling. In their posture, one detects the easy insouciance of the veteran sportsman. They are young men embarking on a journey, possibly even an adventure, and they are ready—all, that is, except one. On the front row is a young man—easily the youngest of the group, a boy still— with somber eyes behind large glasses. His posture is a poor copy of his companions’, a calculated swagger worn like an ill-fitting coat over his nervous stiffness. The boy is
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by Krystin Crain Johnson Charles Crain, and he is about to embark on his first opening-day dove hunt. He stands with two older brothers and three friends, and his eyes seem to stare past the camera. He could not have known, at age 13, that he was beginning what would become a life-long passion, taking the first steps of an annual pilgrimage that would span 50 years. He could not know that, as a freshman in college, one of the boys in the picture would accidentally fire the bullet that ended his baseball career and very nearly ended his life. He could not know that, in the year 2009, he would still be hunting on opening day with the boys in the photograph. The photo, taken September 1, 1960, in the driveway of the Crain family home in Dallas, Texas, shows Charles, his friend Denny Malouf, his older brothers Butch PHOTO COURTESY KRYSTIN CRAIN JOHNSON
Front Row, L-R: Charles Crain (13), Denny Malouf (13). Middle Row, L-R: Butch Crain (20), Phil Curran (20), Jerry Wendt (21); Back Row, Mike Crain (17) on the day of Charles’ first opening day dove hunt. and Mike, and their friends Phil Curran and Jerry Wendt. This was to be Charles’ first dove hunt, and the site chosen was the Malouf family’s land in East Texas, near what is now Lake Tawakoni. Charles’ brothers were experienced hunters, and it fell to them to teach the youngest of the five Crain children the skills of a hunter and outdoorsman. In 1960, the dove limit was 10 birds. Excellent shots all, the Crain boys never took long to get their limits. Texas was still A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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ing on sagging tail-gates telling stories of the day’s hunt, last year’s hunt, and hunts that took place before some of the younger hunters were born. As the dove season progresses, a handful of hunters might shoot for a morning, or possibly escape from the city for a brief evening hunt. But opening day means something more—a ritual, a sacred pilgrimage that all hunters insist on making. Charles Crain has made it, without fail, for 50 consecutive years. “The Texas tradition of the sportsman is being upheld in its purest form by this one man in Austin, Texas,” said Pat Boyle, long-time friend and hunting partner. “He is the ultimate example of the Texas dove-hunter.” Although his first dove hunt, the 1960 trip was by no means Charles’ introduction to outdoor pursuits. He had fished with his father and brothers from a young age and was an avid baseball player, earning All-
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District honors in high school. After his initial dove hunt, he began hunting duck and quail as well, and it was on a duck hunt in Charles’ freshman year at the University of Texas that tragedy nearly overtook the Crain family. Charles was hunting with a group that included his childhood best friend, Denny Malouf, when Denny’s gun accidentally discharged, shooting Charles in the lower leg. Thanks to the skilled intervention of a medical student who happened to be a member of the hunting party, Charles reached the far-distant hospital alive. He lost 70 percent of the muscle in his calf and was hospitalized for several weeks. “But the person who came out the worse for that accident was Denny,” Charles said sadly. “Denny couldn’t go to the hospital to get over what had happened; I could.” Occurring in January, the accident also ended Charles’ college baseball career
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before it even began. Charles, however, is sanguine about the experience: “Probably for the best,” he said with philosophical candor. “I was a mediocre baseball player, and this way, I had to concentrate on my studies.” As Charles went on to earn an MBA from the University of Texas, the assessment seems accurate. Since moving permanently to Austin in 1984, Charles has held season tickets to the University of Texas baseball games, the team for which he was slated to play, and he has brought up two avid baseball fans in his daughters, Krystin and Sara. Charles coached both of his daughters’ softball teams and still serves as the long-time, much-beloved public address announcer for Austin Westlake High School’s girl’s fastpitch softball. Charles also taught his daughters to hunt and fish. Sara, the family “fisherperson” as described by Charles’ brother “Uncle
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Mike” Crain, has fished both with her father and Jerry Wendt. Krystin prefers to shoot, an interest that has occasionally raised eyebrows. “There was this one evening when my husband and I were living in Chicago, and we were at a dinner party with about 20 people,” she said. “Somehow, the subject of guns came up, and I started talking about which guns I prefer to shoot and why. Suddenly, I realized that the entire table had gone silent, and everyone was looking at me.
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These were all northern people, and not a single one of them had ever handled a gun. I think they were terrified.” This September, Charles will once again pack up his gear (some of which is nearly as old as the photograph) and join his brothers, Butch and Mike Crain, Phil Curran, and Jerry Wendt for his 50th consecutive opening-day dove hunt (Denny Malouf passed away several years ago). His wife of 41 years, Donna Earle Crain, will, as always, smile and encourage him to go: “I think it’s
important. I always have, but now it’s particularly special. Charles is the youngest of those boys, and he’s 62, so who knows how many more years they’ll have together?” A few more, at least. After all, Charles now has a granddaughter to teach.
SHOOT THIS Continued from Page N28 quent groups were right in there, with some going as small as 1.5 inches. That is as well as many modern, scope-sighted rifles will shoot. Accuracy with Winchester 255grain factory ammunition was equally good. As I expected, there was very little recoil. This is due mainly to the low velocity (1320 feet per second for the Super X factory loads; about 1250 for my handloads) combined with the heavy weight of the rifle, which scales over 10 pounds. A look at the Uberti website shows that they do not offer the Model 1885 High Wall in .38-55. From what I can gather, Uberti makes rifles in .38-55 and a few other nonstandard calibers like .30-40 Krag and .40-65, especially for Cimarron Arms, which then distributes them to other dealers and individuals. These guns are as well made as any I have seen, including the more expensive American-made brands. There are no obvious flaws, workmanship is exemplary, accuracy is exceptional, and functioning is smooth and flawless. After testing, I can say that I recommend this rifle and this caliber without reservations. —Steve LaMascus
On the Web www.cimarron-firearms.com
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Missing the Target PENING DAY IS LOOMING CLOSER WITH every passing day, and the excitement is building as well. Soon, you will not even be able to get a good night’s sleep. Ring any bells? By now, most of us have our tree stands in place, bows tuned, and scent-free camo hanging on the clothesline outside. Everything seems to be in place for a successful opening day. Your confidence is at a new
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high and you even have looked up new recipes for the fresh venison that is still on the hoof in the woods. I hate to even ask this question, but have you picked up bad hunting habits that you do not even know you have? Is your shooting form the best it can be? Unfortunately, when we practice shooting the bow, it is very easy to forget something about our shooting form—something that, at the time, seems unimportant, but will develop into a lifelong bad habit that is harder to break with every new season. Now is the time to make sure you are shooting correctly. Bring a friend along to watch your every move before, during, and after the shot to make sure that you are doing everything right. Stop by your local
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bow shop and ask a professional if he has any pointers for you. You might be surprised. A big mistake bowhunters make is cranking up draw weight too much. They want the arrow to get there faster—and maybe start to think of this as a “macho” sport. The misconception is the more draw weight you have, the bigger man you are. If your friend is pulling 80 pounds, you try to match that even if it is very difficult. Remember, a bow is set up for each individual. You do not need all that draw weight to harvest an animal. Plenty of hunters bring home venison pulling half that weight. If your equipment is matched and tuned for your setup, you will have no problem in the field.
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Try to shoot with both eyes open. If you are right handed, that does not necessarily mean that your right eye is your dominant eye. I have found that I am cross-dominant, meaning that although I am right handed, I am left eye dominant. That is a problem if I want to shoot with both eyes open—no can do. If someone told me about this when I wore a younger man’s clothes, I would have learned to shoot left-handed. It is easy enough to check your dominant eye. Simply extend your arm with your thumb pointed up, pick an object across the room, close one eye, and place your thumb over the object. Now open both eyes. If your thumb is no longer on the object, then your other eye is dominant. Another common mistake is not following through with the shot. As in every sport (golf, bowling, and tennis to name a few), to
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be successful you need to follow through with the shot. In the bowhunting world, a smooth string release is one of the important steps of a good follow-through. Whether a finger or mechanical release, the movement is the same—or should be. Keep your trigger hand in control and bring your hand straight back to your ear after the shot. If you get into the bad habit of “plucking” the string and not following through, the result could be a missed opportunity for some venison. If you use a mechanical release, it is always best if the shot itself comes as a surprise. You do not want to anticipate the shot. I wrote about target panic in a previous column, but it is important enough to touch on again. A smooth release with a good follow through will mean a tighter arrow group and a freezer full of wild meat. The arm holding the bow needs to stay straight after the shot. Many bowhunters drop their bow arm as soon as they release the arrow. This very common mistake should be addressed if you want to be suc-
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cessful in the field. It takes concentration to keep that hand in a steady position until your arrow hits the target. Some bows today come equipped with a bubble level mounted on the sight. What a great idea! When you come back to full draw, take a quick look at the level and make sure that your bow arm is not tilting or “canting” to the right or left. There is so much torque on the newer bows that a slight tilt might throw an arrow off target. I realize there are times when keeping your bow
upright might be unrealistic (in tight quarters where you need to tilt your bow for a clean shot), but it is always better to shoot from a level bow whenever possible. Being more aware of your shooting form and not developing bad habits is always good for an ethical bowhunter. It might be the difference between a short bloodtrail and a long day. E-mail Lou Marullo at lmarullo@fishgame.com
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The Five Commandments of Anchoring NE THE SURFACE, DROPPING AN ANCHOR should be a piece of cake: put it over the side, lower away, and cleat it off. Then again, on the surface, many politicians seem to have basic moral values, and, well, you know.
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In fact, anchoring can save your life—or end it. Case in point: This past winter, pro football players Marquis Cooper, Corey Smith, William
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Bleakley, and Nick Schuyler rolled their 21-foot boat, about 50 miles offshore. You are probably already familiar with the story; their anchor was stuck in the reef, and they decided to cleat the line on the stern and hit the throttle. Bad move. Tension sucked the stern underwater, and in seconds, the boat filled and then rolled. Only Schuyler survived. Unfortunately, these guys violated one of the five commandments of anchoring. Make sure
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you do not do the same. Commit these rules to memory, and live by them.
Anchoring Commandment No. 1: Thou Shalt Not Ever Anchor From the Stern. This is a basic rule of seamanship, and violating it regularly sinks boats. Let’s stop and think for a moment. We know the boat has a pointy end and a square one. We also know that whichever end the anchor line is secured to will be facing the waves, and will be pulled down by hundreds of pounds of pressure on that line. Hmmm... Which end of the boat do we want facing the waves? The answer is obvious. If you disagree, it’s time to sell Mom’s Mink and take up a land-based activity like gardening.
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Anchoring Commandment No. 2: Thou Shalt Never Throw the Anchor. Here’s another rule we see violated on a regular basis, but it doesn’t usually sink boats— it just injures people. Quite often, people throw the hook before they check to see if the line is clear—and it rarely is. If someone (probably the guy giving it a heave-ho) is standing on the anchor line, when 15 or 20 pounds of anchor plus 10 or 15 pounds of chain suddenly comes taunt, there’s a good chance the line will get yanked out from underfoot. When this happens, someone standing on that line is going ass-over-teakettle onto the deck or into the drink. Worse is when someone’s foot is inside a coil of line instead of on top of it. In this case, the coil will tighten like a snake around the ankle, coming tight, and potentially yanking them over the side. Weighted down by the anchor and chain, whether or not someone can open the coil and escape is doubtful. Like Billy Mays used to say, “But wait, there’s more!” Throwing an anchor is also a great way to get the flukes fouled in the line. Give it a heave, and you can’t control where the line and anchor are in relation to each other. Simply lower it next to your boat in a controlled fashion and you always know the anchor will make it to the bottom without tangling the rode. So, why do people throw an anchor in the first place? One too many movies, I suppose. There is absolutely no advantage whatsoever to doing it, yet it raises the danger factor through the roof.
Anchoring Commandment No. 3: Keep Thy Hands Away From Yon Cleats. If an anchor line is strong enough to hold a couple of tons in place, your fingers won’t present much of a barrier. So, when you get your anchor set and need to cleat the line off, those hands shouldn’t be anywhere near the cleat. How can you secure the line, without getting close to the cleat? Simple. After deploying the anchor, take a single wrap around the cleat, slide your hands at least 2 feet up the line, and lean back a bit to put pressure against it. You can now let out additional scope by releasing pressure and letting the line pass through your hands and around the cleat, or you can hold it in place with minimal force. When you are ready to secure the line, move your hand in an arc for-
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ward of the cleat while maintaining tension. Roll your hand downward and slide it to port or starboard as necessary to pass the line under the far horn on the cleat. Then you can bring your hand back in the other direction to cross over the top of the horn in a figure-8, and do the same moving aft. When you have two figure-8s over the cleat, that line isn’t going anywhere and you can move in closer to roll the line over itself, creating a loop that will tighten down; pop the loop around the horn, and finish off the job.
7/16-inch chain at the end of the rode. And that brings us to the end of the road. Just remember: When it comes to anchoring, there’s more then meets the eye, but you’ll be locked down tight and in good condition as long as you don’t violate these commandments.
E-mail Lenny Rudow at boating@fishgame.com
Anchoring Commandment No. 4: Thou Shalt Use the Right Tool for the Job. Far too often, you see someone dropping a Danforth on an oyster bed and expect it to hold. Instead, it just skips along over the shells for as long as Captain Cantanchor lets it; he is simply using the wrong tool for the job. Don’t know which anchor is best for which bottom? Here you go: Danforth - mud and sand Plow - grass and soft mud or sand Grappling - shell or rock bottom Bruce - soft bottom, designed to swing 360degrees without breaking free
Anchoring Commandment No. 5: Thou Shalt Have Scope and Chain. No matter what type of anchor you have, it won’t do the trick without the proper scope and chain. Scope is the ratio of the amount of line you have out to the depth of the water, and it should be a minimum of 5:1. Don’t forget to include the height of the bow cleat over the water in your calculation. If you are in 10 feet of water and your bow is 3 feet high to keep that 5:1 ratio, you need 65 feet of line out, not 50. In glassy-calm bays, of course, that much isn’t necessary and usually you can get by with 3:1. But in rough weather, a 10:1 scope might be necessary to keep you locked in place. You need less scope (and less anchor weight, though one should still stick to the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding anchor versus boat size) if you have a shot of chain between the anchor line and the anchor. Most experts agree that 6-8 feet of chain is the absolute minimum, and more is always better when it comes to anchoring. For boats up to 20 feet, 1/4inch chain is fine, but larger boats should have A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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Corks from Midcoast Products HAVE ALWAYS HAD A FONDNESS FOR PRODUCTS dreamed up by fellow fishermen. The genesis of their creation always comes from lake, bay, or river, and solves some sort of tangible problem. The fruits of their labors always seem genuine, designed to catch fish and not just fishermen. So it is with the owners of Midcoast Products. Glynn Walling and Lane Teykl would come back from bay trips complaining about their popping corks. Casting distance is important when probing bays for specks and reds; surely there must be a better way. They arrived at the same conclusion: It was time to start making their own high performance corks. In addition to improving casting distance, Walling and Teykl felt that they should try to solve the age-old problem of the leader tangling with the main line during a cast. With a modest budget and a tinkerer’s mindset, the pair started crafting their own corks. As the corks started to evolve, catches improved as well. Like Fred Arbogast and James Heddon before them, friends starting asking to buy their creations and the entrepreneurial bug took root. Soon after, they founded Midcoast Products. The fledgling company’s first cork, the Outcast, is a 4-inch foam offering, which on the surface looks like all the others, but look closely and you will see a few differences. First, there isn’t a line tie on the bottom of the cork. The cork utilizes a concept Walling and Teykl call “tie-all-to-the-top.” The main line and the leader both connect to a wire loop on the cork’s top. This invariably begs
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the question: Isn’t that going to tangle? In a word, no. The tie-all-on-top approach increases casting distance and reduces tangling. I was skeptical of the funny looking cork until I tried it. One cast later, I was converted. During a cast, the bottom of the heavily weight cork flies through the air like the nosecone of a missile, making it easier to punch a cast into wind. The main line and leader trail behind while the cork is in flight, producing longer casts and no tangles on splashdown. Although saltwater anglers designed the cork, it is at home on freshwater lakes when casting distance is crucial. Bank fishermen
by Greg Berlocher always want to add a little length to their casts. Catfish, striper, and white bass fishermen working tailraces can cast closer to the spillway. On the other side of the dam, the Outcast can deliver soft plastics to skittish schools of white and black bass in open water. Midcoast Products built on the success of the Outcast and introduced a range of corks in different sizes. The Inticer is their best selling cork. Measuring 2.75 inches, it is just right for bay fishing in waist-deep water. The Inticer features a 7-inch stainless wire running through the middle of cork. The line tie is on one end and a lead weight is molded onto the other end. Two plastic beads slide up and down the wire when the cork is popped, making it click and clack like a railroad car. The Mojo is basically the same product with a 90-pound cable instead of stainless wire. There is no such thing as idiot-proof equipment, only idiot resistant, and the Mojo falls into the latter category. The cable can be stepped on, twisted, and otherwise abused, and it will spring back to shape. If your fishing buddy is an accident waiting to happen or otherwise hard on your tackle, use a Mojo instead of an Inticer. The Lil’ Moe is the smallest cork in the
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Midcoast Products line. The company envisioned it as a child’s cork, but finesse fishermen quickly adopted it. Not much bigger than a crappie cork, the Lil’ Moe lands quietly, which is important in skinny water. Midcoast Products also makes a line of “tie on top and bottom” corks. To get the best performance with tie-allto-the-top corks, Midcoast Products recommends an un-weighted leader. Since the corks have plenty of casting weight, the only weight you might need is a split shot to keep a shrimp from hopping out of the water. I was a bit surprised at the extra casting distance these corks provide. When manufactures tout improvements, it is usually something small, but not here. The whole range of corks is well made, rugged, and a good value. About the only thing I would change with these corks is the sound. The plastic beads are good, but I would like to see some “noisier” corks—perhaps an option with glass rattles that gives off a higher pitch. All Midcoast Products corks are available in an eye-popping range of colors, making it easy for a squinting angler to pick them from the glare or against rough water. Corks from Midcoast Products are available through independent tackle shops across the state.
On the Web www.midcoastproducts.com
Email Greg Berlocher at fishthis@fishgame.com PHOTO COURTESY MIDCOAST PRODUCTS
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Shooting Lead in Modern Firearms FIRST STARTED CASTING LEAD BULLETS IN THE 1970s. I was shooting in handgun matches at my local gun club in Uvalde and couldn’t afford to buy bullets, so I started casting .38-caliber wadcutters. I used wheel weights for the lead, melted it on an old electric hotplate, and poured into the mold with a rusty iron ladle. Strangely enough, the bullets thus produced were sufficiently accurate that I was competitive, winning a few trophies and medals. Over the years, I continued casting my own handgun bullets, expanding the number of bullet styles and calibers until I ended up with a large collection of molds. I also graduated from the hotplate to electric lead furnaces. These days, I use two bottom-pour furnaces, one for soft lead, and one for wheel weights. At first, I used cast bullets for practice; eventually I found them sufficiently accurate for competition. Even then, I considered cast bullets inferior for hunting; later, I discovered I was wrong about that, too. Cast-lead handgun bullets of correct hardness and design are just as deadly and efficient as the best jacketed bullets, and in many instances, superior. A jacketed hunting bullet must expand to do its job, while a cast bullet such as the renowned Keith is designed to work properly without expansion. Rifle bullets are a different story. Hand-
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guns, at least normal handguns, fire bullets at velocities lead alloys can handle quite well—below about 1600 fps. High-powered rifles fire bullets at velocities no lead bullet, no matter how hard, can handle. That is why near the end of the Nineteenth Century shooters started to see metal jackets of copper, nickel silver (copper and nickel alloy), or gilding metal (copper and zinc alloy) wrapped around the lead cores of bullets. With the introduction of progressiveburning smokeless powders, velocities above 2000 fps became commonplace. At any velocity above that, lead is too soft to hold the rifling and the bullets are stripped, causing leading and loss of accuracy as well as poor performance on game. To maintain best accuracy in modern rifle cartridges firing lead bullets, it is necessary to reduce velocity to something equivalent to that produced by magnum handguns. Cast very hard and used with copper gas checks, bullets can be pushed faster than that—some a lot faster—but in my experience and that of other experienced shooters, accuracy is usually relatively poor, and performance on game is not as good as a softer bullet at lower velocity. Most of my guns perform best at velocities below 1500 fps, and really shine at 1200 to 1400. Shooting softer bullets around Brinell hardness number (BHN) 10 to 12 at velocities of 1200-1400 fps, accuracy is astounding. I often get 1-inch, three-shot groups at 100 yards. In addition, performance on game is quite good because the bullets deform on impact, mushrooming and causing a wide wound channel. This is not to say modern jacketed bullets at velocities of 2700-3000 fps and higher are not superior for hunting big game. They are admittedly better or we would never have invented jacketed bullets. Home-cast lead bullets, however, are much, much less expensive. Some bullets today cost in excess of a dollar each—and that is just the bullet, not a cartridge. I can load an entire box of cartridges using cast lead bullets for less than $3 A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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(primers 60 cents, powder $1.20, gas checks 51 cents, reused brass $0—total $2.31). With the cost of factory ammunition climbing like a homesick angel, a three-dollar box of .308 cartridges sounds pretty good to me. I have tried casting and shooting cast sharp pointed or “spitzer” bullets in my rifles. While the spitzers look great, they do not seem to shoot as well as round- or flatnosed bullets. My Thompson-Center Icon absolutely loves 160-grain cast gas-check bullets intended for the .30-30 Winchester. I load them to about 1250 fps and the Icon regularly puts them into groups averaging an inch. That is about as good as that gun will shoot with my pet load of 150-grain Sierra Game Kings. My custom-built Hill Country Rifles .35 Whelen shoots well with both 250- and 290-grain round-nosed bullets, and when one of those massive lead slugs slams into something, the sound alone is impressive. There is some loading data for cast bullets available on the internet, and Lyman publishes a reloading manual for cast bullets, but otherwise, information is severely lacking. Therefore, much of it I have had to figure out by guess and by gosh. One thing to remember is that it is never wise to reduce charges of slow powders like H4831, IMR7828, and others of that general burn rate. Sometimes, mystery detonations have resulted from trying to shoot reduced charges of slow burning powders, especially Hodgdon 4831, causing a destroyed gun and injury to the shooter. Instead, shoot powders intended for reduced loads. I shoot Unique, Accurate 5744, Blue Dot, and other similar powders. If forced to choose only two powders for reduced rifle loads, I would pick Unique and 5744 without a second’s thought. Both powders can be loaded in a wide range of cartridges and at many power levels. In addition, 5744 is great for smokeless powder loads in huge black powder cartridges, such as the .50-90 Sharps.
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Catfishing with Kids’ Toys OT ALL FISHING REQUIRES A ROD AND A reel. Sometimes, you can get by with some fishing line, a few hooks and weights, and some pool toys. Jug-fishing is nothing new, and throughout the south is considered a sporting way to put some fillets in the freezer. There are even a few jug-fishing catfish tournaments. The first time I ever went jugging was with what most would consider traditional jugs made out of 2-liter coke bottles and gallon bleach jugs. On a private lake close to where I grew up, we spent the evenings after work setting out jugs before heading off to catch bass. When we had our fill of catching fish with rod and reel, we went searching for our jugs. There might not be a more exciting sight in fishing than seeing a white bottle being jerked underwater when the boat approaches. Remember the scene in “Jaws” where the shark is dragging three yellow barrels around the ocean while being chased by crazed men in a sinking boat? Then you have some idea of the
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thrill of jug-fishing—except the catfish isn’t trying to eat you...maybe. All fishing methods change over the years due to innovations in gear or bait, and jug-fishing is no different. The biggest change in jugfishing for catfish is that most juggers no longer actually use jugs, which are bulky and hard to store or carry in a small boat. Plus, if one gets a hole, it sinks to the bottom of the lake, which gives the sport a black eye. So, instead of finding old scrap jugs (with who knows what in them), many juggers have looked into the swimming pool for inspiration and are now converting pool noodles into catfishing contraptions. That piece of Styrofoam your kid uses to stay afloat—or to smack his sister across the head— can also be used to float a bait and bring a catfish to the boat. There are as many different ways to rig a noodle for fishing as there are anglers who use them. It seems everyone has their own little twist, so let’s just cover a very basic rig and you can add your own modifications from there. Cut a noodle it into 1-foot lengths with a sharp knife. Standard noodles come in lengths of 4-5 feet, so you can make four or five jug rigs from a single one. Since pool noodles typically come in bright fluorescent colors that you probably cannot find in your kid’s 64-count crayon box, the first modification is to turn them white. Why? Because TPWD says you have to. The float on a jug line must be white, according to state law. The quickest and cleanest was to do this is to get some white duct tape and wrap the noo-
dles with it. Besides making the noodles white, this also helps strengthen them, since they can tear somewhat easily. Wrap the tape a few extra times around what will become the bottom of the noodle rig. Next, cut a small hole all the way through from one side to the next about 3-4 inches from the bottom of the noodle. This will serve as the hole for the line to slip through. Some anglers sleeve this hole with a drinking straw to keep the line from cutting through the noodle, but the extra wraps of duct tape serves the same purpose. A few more layers of duct tape in this area is cheap insurance to assure the noodle doesn’t rip. Some anglers use braided line like you see on a trotline, but I go with rather inexpensive 50-pound-test monofilament. Run the monofilament through the hole you cut in the noodle, attaching it with a loop knot. Leave between 6 and 20 feet of mono hanging down below the noodle (depending on the depth of water and time of year you are fishing), and slide an egg weight on the line before tying on a barrel swivel to the end. On the other side of the swivel, tie on a short leader made of 20-pound monofilament with a circle hook on the end. That’s it. There are many more elaborate ways to make one, including inserting short lengths of PVC pipe with weights inside to serve as strike indicators, but for starters, this is a cheap way to get a few baits in the water and potentially some big fish in the boat. E-mail Paul Bradshaw at freshrigs@fishgame.com
TEXAS GUNS & GEAR Continued from Page N37 The massive herds of American bison and most of the plains game of the Americas were reduced to remnants by subsistence and market hunters using cast lead slugs at modest velocities. To this day, myths abound about the skill of buffalo hunters who could regularly kill buffalo at 1000 yards and hostile Indians even farther, and they cast their bullets from lead N38
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melted over a campfire and loaded them with simple hand tools. There is no doubt that those men were marvelous marksmen, and that their old technology was sufficient for the purpose. So, why not save a wad of money, have some fun, and return to those “Golden Days of Yesteryear.” Try cast bullets in your modern firearms. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the results.
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On the Web www.lymanproducts.com/lyman/publica tions/cast-bullet.php
E-mail Steve LaMascus at guns@fishgame.com
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FEMA Funds Sabine Dock Replacement HEN HURRICANE IKE HIT THE UPPER coast last September, it tossed dozens of boats from the water onto dry land and destroyed several public boat docks at the Pleasure Island Marina on Sabine Lake. The Federal
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Because costs to repair the docks would have been more than 50 percent of the replacement value, the commission qualified for replacement funding from FEMA. The FEMA grants will pay 90 percent of the docks’ replacement costs.
zations that incurred costs. The obligated funds are a portion of more than $1.2 billion in total Public Assistance disaster funds sent to the state since September 2008. In all, federal assistance to Texas for the Hurricane Ike recovery effort tops $2.3 billion. “This federal assistance will help get the marina back in operation after a difficult period,” said State Coordinating Officer Ben Patterson. “FEMA’s Public Assistance grants are making a visible difference in state and local recovery efforts.” —Staff Report
On the Web www.fema.gov/ike
PHOTO COURTESY WIKIMEDIA
Ike’s Effects on Waterways, Fish Contamination Analyzed
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has now obligated Public Assistance grants totaling more than $2.7 million to replace four of the marina’s eight docks. The first award for $1.4 million will go toward replacing Docks B and C, while a second $1.3 million award will help replace docks D and E at the popular marina, which is operated by the city of Port Arthur’s Pleasure Island Commission. N40
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“The marina suffered severe damage because of Ike’s strong storm surge,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Brad Harris. “These FEMA grants will help fix the marina and thus contribute to the recovery of Pleasure Island’s economy.” Once FEMA reimburses the state of Texas, it is the state’s responsibility to manage the funds, which includes making disbursements to local jurisdictions and organi-
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A LONG-TERM ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH PROject being conducted at the University of Houston might offer important information about the effects of Hurricane Ike on pollution levels and help regulators determine whether existing fish-consumption advisories remain appropriate. With this year’s storm season under way, the UH engineering team’s project is entering a new phase as participants collect and analyze fresh samples from Galveston Bay and related waterways. Cullen College of Engineering professor Hanadi Rifai, who has studied pollution in Houston-area bodies of water in partnership with both state and federal authorities since 2001, is leading the team. “Our work with the Galveston Bay system started in the early 90s with funding
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from the EPA Galveston Bay National Estuary Program,” said Rifai, whose team helped write the first “State of the Bay” report identifying the environmental challenges facing the estuary. “We have since focused on POPs, or Persistent Organic Pollutants, which include dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. We have a unique opportunity this year to study the effect of Hurricane Ike on these pollutants, particularly in the water and sediment of the estuary, so we are gathering a one-of-its-kind data set for the ‘after’ condition that we can compare to our pre-Ike 2008 data set,” Rifai said. “The results will be enlightening from an environmental impact perspective of hurricanes on natural resources such as Galveston Bay.” Dioxins are primarily byproducts resulting from paper mills, industrial waste incineration, and water purification processes, but they also result from natural sources like forest fires in much smaller quantities. Rifai said her team believes the majority of dioxins found locally today are from historical sources. Meanwhile, PCBs, whose manufacture was banned in 1979, long were used as coolants and lubricants in electrical transformers and capacitors. Why they persist today in local waterways and seafood remains something of a mystery, Rifai said. “Now, what we find with the PCBs, and what’s got people worried, is, if indeed it’s historical from before the ban, you would see it in the sediment,” she explained. “But, we’re actually seeing the patterns have shifted, as if there are some new sources of PCBs. Since the 1990s, we’ve had so much growth and industrial activity kicking back up that there might be some new material coming in.” What those new sources are remains unclear, Rifai said, and materials that were manufactured with PCBs before the ban might still be in use. “Historically with PCBs, if you’ve made a million transformers, you didn’t have to destroy them. You use them up till they die,” she said, adding that many outdated transformers were ruined by Hurricane Ike. In July 2008, the Texas Department of State Health Services issued an advisory for Galveston Bay, Chocolate Bay, East Bay, West Bay, Trinity Bay, and contiguous waters, saying consumers should limit intake of speckled trout and gafftop catfish to no
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more than one 8-ounce meal a month. Furthermore, children, women who are nursing, pregnant or who might become pregnant are to have none. Long-term consumption of both dioxins and PCBs is believed to cause numerous health effects, including cancer. The inclusion of new species in the advisories, Rifai said, has many implications, because commercial and recreational fishing is a $100-plus million industry annually. But, when her team was asked by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to
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Red Lights on the Horizon HE NIGHT AIR SIFTED THROUGH THE GIANT screened window. My bare feet braced against the wooden sill and my butt perched on the edge of Grandma’s bed. She dozed and watched me. A single thin sheet covered her. My attention focused on the scene outside. A full moon glared silver light through giant live oak trees. The ground was a patchwork of glowing bright spots and dark shadows, but even the shadows gave way to the twinkling tails of fireflies. The southern breeze blew against my cheeks and my eyes strained to see the secrets beyond the darkness. My ears filled with the chirping songs of tree frogs, and occasionally the low moaning bellow of a cow or nickering call a horse. If I was lucky, the shuffling scuttle of an armadillo rooting through leaves beneath the live oaks sounded, and in a flash, the yard dog would educate the poor thing about Grandma’s trespass laws. But mostly, there was the silver moonlight and dreamy, enchanting aura of the night. It caused stillness in a person and made a small boy’s imagination run wild. It also filled me with something that never went away; just as Sunday school and family gatherings filled me with respect and some wherewithal about the social order. The outdoor scene soothed a niche of my psyche, and for me, that niche turned out to be one of the biggest factors in my character. A distant rumble sounded from the Glidden train yards, and Grandma stirred. “Herman Willie, are you still awake?”
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“Yes, ma’am.” “Well, you better lie down and go to sleep pretty soon. You can’t sit there until morning.” Of course, I thought I could, but knew I shouldn’t. “Herman Willie, do you see those red lights on the horizon?” “Yes, ma’am. What are they?” “Those are the towers on Rocky Hill and at Glidden. They’re miles away but we can still see them. They haven’t been there too many years, and I don’t like them. I think it’s awful that they spoil our view.” I didn’t know what to say. The towers were there before I came along and they were part of the world I knew. The red lights didn’t particularly bother me, but according to Grandma’s suggestion, I lay down and the southern breeze caressed me, the thin cotton sheet protected me, and I floated away to peaceful sleep. ••• My horse plodded down the trail, kicking up a knee-deep dust cloud. Behind, seven loaded mules trudged along, bobbing their heads, swishing their trails, and dripping frothy sweat. I rocked in the saddle and surveyed my surroundings, then shot a fast, thin stream of tobacco juice at a rock. My hat was kicked back and, though my clothes were caked with dirt, my posture was straight but loose. Something about being a mule packer and living in the wilderness makes a guy feel great. It’s as if you know there isn’t much that can be thrown your way that you can’t handle. Grizzly bears, stubborn mules, sleeping on the ground, and taking care of tinhorn guests are all in a day’s chores. My mind drifted and I wondered at the dying forest. Pine beetles are destroying much of the woodlands and watersheds of the Pacific Northwest and Canada. Hundreds of square miles are a tinderbox waiting for the perfect lightning storm and wind
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to burn a major portion of North America. When I asked why the beetles weren’t sprayed, I was told that this was wilderness. Come what may, there would be no manmade tampering to eradicate the beetles. Whatever happened would be the natural course for Mother Nature. What a shame; the green mountains are fading to the hues of death. Then my horse turned a corner and stopped. The trail cut close to the South Fork of Birch Creek, and in front of me stood another problem—a young man wearing a Forest Service shirt, short pants, a ponytail, and an earring. Obviously, this was one of those ranger breeds from the East Coast, California, or Disneyland. He seemed busy. “Howdy. What are you doing?” I greeted. “I’m checking to see what sort of fish are in this creek. If they aren’t West Slope cutthroats, we’re going to have to shock this creek and remove all the fish.” The sight of the jackass schoolboy irked me and I wanted to thrash him. I knew the creek was full of rainbow trout as well as cutthroat. Instead, I held my tongue and rode around him. His presence was a static disruption in the smooth vibrations of the mountain climate. The double standard of killing trout but not beetles was heinous. I rode away and didn’t look back at him; I couldn’t stand the sight of him. ••• It was an escape. My daughter, Sam, had business to settle in Albuquerque and we were enjoying our road trip. We drove west on I-10, and getting past San Antonio was a treat. We both love the vistas and openness of West Texas. The rocky terrain, rolling hills, mesas, and desert hold a different type of beauty that contrasts our native Post Oak Savannah. Then near Iraan, we started seeing the windmills. The first few
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Different Strokes for Different Folks STEPPED OUT OF MY SUBURBAN AND INTO A movie. You know the scene: A rich person goes into an exclusive boutique and the store owner sits them down and orders the staff to start bringing out expensive merchandise for inspection. The only difference was we were at a lake instead of Beverly Hills, and a row of kayaks sat before me instead of designer clothes. This was awesome—all the latest new toys and I didn’t even have to lift a single hull, just show up and paddle. What a concept. What started out as a simple demo of a new hull grew quickly with multiple vendors offering a variety of hulls for me to paddle. Paddling multiple boats in a single morning or afternoon is an educational experience. Each hull has its own character and charm that can’t be fully described in a brochure. Sensory input is the only real way to understand the differences between hulls. When buying a kayak, even if you are an old hand, it is always wise to take a test ride or two before pulling out your wallet. Paddling boats in a back-to-back fashion is not a new concept. Just about every fullservice kayak shop I am familiar with has several “demo days” each year, when customers can take out different kayaks for a test paddle. These demos are usually well publicized on a shop’s website or in its newsletter. If it doesn’t have a demo day listed, call the shop and ask when the next one will be. It had been a while since I attended a demo event, and the variety of hulls before me spanned a wide range. First up was a 12foot Tarpon from Wilderness Systems. The Tarpon comes in different lengths and the hull ranks as one of the most popular fishing kayaks in the state, if not the nation. Several years ago, Wilderness Systems
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decided to update the Tarpon, and rather than make any drastic changes, simply put a new dress on the bride. Among some of the changes: improved hatches and a metal railing embedded into the sides of the hull, making is easier to mount depthfinders and GPS systems. The Tarpon is still a delight to paddle; the hull tracks well and provides a stable ride, both at rest and on the move. I jumped out of the Tarpon and into a 10foot Emotion Stealth. The bow of the shorter hull wiggle-waggled more with each stroke of the paddle, but the wider hull provided a bit more stability. The shorter hull was much easier to turn, which is significant if you intend paddling on rivers or in tight brush on inland lakes. Trying to negotiate hairpin twists and turns in rushing water with a 12to 16-foot hull is a wreck waiting to happen. I closed my eyes for a second and could picture myself sitting in the Stealth and sliding through rock-strewn shoots on the Guadalupe. The Stealth hull was also easier to get moving from a resting position, or bring to a halt. Children and smaller adults will find this boat easier to paddle. The price tag is easier on the wallet, too. Back on shore, I hopped into an 8-foot Shakespeare kayak. This was the shortest of the hulls, and I wasn’t sure if the carrying capacity was up to the task. Moments later, I was zigzagging around the lake and carving a few donuts. Imagine driving a truck for several hours and then stepping in a go-cart. The hull was as responsive as any I have paddled, turning on a dime with hardly any effort. The Shakespeare kayak is extremely affordable and lightweight, making it a snap to lift onto the top of a vehicle. While the hull A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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didn’t track well and was a very wet ride, those aren’t necessarily huge disadvantages. Perspective is the key. This is a great option for the fisherman looking for an affordable kayak whereby to ply stock tanks or retrieve a waterlogged dove or two on a September afternoon. It would also make a great beach boat for paddling in the waves. The Hobie Mirage Pro Angler was the bad boy of the group. Due to its ample weight (130 pounds sans back rest and fishing tackle), Hobie officially calls this craft a “boat” and not a kayak. What really sets this vessel apart is the foot-powered Mirage Drive, which eliminates the need for a paddle. Two adjustable stirrups held my feet securely in place and the pedals reciprocated back and forth in a straight line. Five different settings allow the “paddler” to adjust the length of the stroke. I changed this several times while out on the lake, “dialing in” my favorite setting. A small knob by the seat adjusts the rudder, allowing you to steer the vessel. The business end of the drive is equipped with two flexible blades extended below the hull. Hobie recently introduced new Turbo blades, which provide even more propulsion. I was extremely impressed with the amount of thrust the Turbo blades created. I didn’t have a GPS or any other way to verify my speed, but guessed a full 1-2 mph faster with the Turbo blade Mirage Drive. If you have shoulder problems or like peddling a bike, you will love this boat. The film had come to an end and it was time for the star to head for the house. I thanked the good folks from Emotion Kayaks and Fishing Tackle Unlimited for providing the kayaks. With all the grace and style I could muster, I sauntered back to my Suburban, my sopping tennis shoes oozing with every step; I wondered if anyone noticed my butt was wet. Thank goodness the paparazzi wasn’t there or I would be on the front page of some tabloid. Email Greg Berlocher at kayak@fishgame.com
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CORPUS CHRISTI
ROCKPORT
n ary Brow Cathy & G rum D ig Cathy’s B uide Service G Hugo Ford
GALVESTON
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Larry Don T Redfish & illis Tr Akins Salt out wate Guide Serv r ice
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TEXAS SALTWATER BAFFIN BAY
TEXAS FRESHWATER EAST TEXAS
For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579. N44
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Kenny Havard, Jr. 37-inch Redfish Guide Service an llm Hi
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John Havard 36-inch Redfish Hillman Guide Servi ce
), Connie Travis (19), Tyler (13 n so hn Jo n Be & r Redfish & Flounde Redfish Charters
TEXAS HUNTING
TEXAS HUNTING
OUTDOOR SHOPPER
ADVERTISERS, SEND IN YOUR PHOTOS TODAY!
PROPERTY FOR SALE
For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.
MISSISSIPPI
SPOTLIGHT: HUGO FORD GUIDE SERVICE I started my guiding career in 1974, guiding quail hunts in South Texas. After a couple of years, I decided to turn my hunting customers into fishing customers. I became U.S.C.G. licensed and since that time, I have spent my winters running quail hunts and deer hunts. I primarily hunt out of Hebbronville, Premont, and Carrizo Springs, Texas. We also offer hunts on a beautiful ranch in the mountains north of Van Horn, Texas. I fished the Port O’Connor area for nearly 13 years, before moving on to Rockport for another 8 years. I have fished out of Corpus Christi and on south to other surrounding waters since 1998. Spring and summer months, I am wading the Upper Laguna and Baffin Bay areas. Upon request, we take customers to Port Mansfield to enjoy the beautiful shallow flats in that area. In 1994, I started donating 10 to 15 trips a year to CCA Texas. Currently, I am donating 20 to 25 throughout Texas and Louisiana. I must say that the CCA customers are the most gracious people I have ever been associated with! I have become great friends with many of them.
My girlfriend, Connie Muse, is my faithful assistant helping daily on my fishing trips. We make a great team. On days when my clients elect to wade rather than stay in the boat, she is sufficient in bringing the boat to us when we need more bait or something to drink. I have people ask all the time if I get tired of guiding after all these years. My answer is always the same: I will never get tired of seeing that smile on the face of a young child or any adult fishing for the first time, hooked up on a nice fish. I am currently fishing a 24’ Haynie with 250 Mercury Motor, without a doubt the finest boat I have ever operated. Haynie boats are made by Chris’s Marine in Aransas Pass, Texas. We can help you with any accommodations that you may need, please call and visit. Hope to see ya on the water soon! — Capt. Hugo Ford www.capt.hugoford.com capt.hugoford@yahoo.com fordplay@prodigy.net 361-318-3836 (cell)
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Beer Can Chicken OR MANY YEARS, WE ALWAYS CUT OUR chicken into pieces when preparing on the pit or grill. About five years ago, I was introduced to Beer Can Chicken or Beer Butt Chicken. No matter what you call it, it is a delicious way to barbecue a whole chicken. This will be the juiciest chicken you have ever tasted. The beer
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WILDERNESS TRAILS Continued from Page N42 looked novel and cute. Then there were long rows of them against the skyline for miles and miles. “Sam, what do you think of that?” “I don’t know, Dad.” “Well, it’s a sign of the times, but I don’t think those things will ever produce a nickel’s worth of energy. They had to be subsidized to get here. I wish the landowners well, but if this country was worth $50 an acre before, it ain’t worth five cents a mile now.” Something in my gut twisted. I knew this would be the world that coming generations witness. The slow-moving vanes smacked of a contemporary artist’s concept thrust against the backdrop of Mother Nature’s West Texas. I’ll be like Grandma, remembering when there were no red lights on the horizon, and wish for the days when I may view the landscape and not see man’s presumptuous mark.
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inside the can steams the inside of the chicken while the grill or pit cooks the outside for an awesome flavor sensation. For the beer selection, it is personal preference. You can use almost any beer, then add a few cloves of garlic and a few peppercorns for added flavor. Beer is not mandatory; you can use a standard soda can and fill it half way with chicken broth and your favorite herbs. —Bryan Slaven - 1 whole 5- to 6-lb fully thawed chicken (remove neck and giblets) - 1 can beer; open and pour out half, add garlic, peppercorns and The Texas Gourmet Sweet Chipotle Season All, or your favorite dry rub. (Before opening the beer, make sure the can will fit inside the chicken. Make sure the grill or pit you are using is tall enough when closed to hold the chicken on the can.) For the baste, combine: Texas Gourmet’s Sweet Chipotle Season All 3 Tbs melted butter 2 Tbs olive oil Wrap the chicken with cheesecloth as it: 1. keeps the skin from burning 2. keeps the smoke from penetrating and over smoking the bird. 3. allows the baste to slowly soak in and keep the skin moist throughout the cooking process The cheesecloth is not mandatory, but I definitely recommend it. Try it once, put cheesecloth on one chicken and not on another, and see which one you like best. Preheat the pit to 250 degrees and smoke the chicken for 3 to 3-1/2 hours, basting
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every 30 to 45 minutes. When done, a meat thermometer should register 165 degrees. Remove from pit, then remove the cheesecloth and take the chicken off of the beer can. (CAUTION: Wear gloves when removing the beer can wear gloves; the liquid and can are extremely hot.) Set on plate and cover with a loose piece of foil for 8-10 minutes to rest the bird.
On the Grill Build charcoal fire to one side of the grill. Baste the bird every 20 to 30 minutes and cook for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours. Serve with Texas Style Creamy Cole Slaw.
Texas Style Creamy Cole Slaw 5 cups shredded green cabbage 5 cups shredded red cabbage 1 cup shredded carrots 1 cup coarsely chopped purple onion 2 Granny Smith apples, cored, cut into 1/4-inch cubes 2 tsp lemon juice
PHOTO BY BRYAN SLAVEN
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1/2 cup cider vinegar 4 tsp Texas Gourmet’s Jalapeno Kiwi Jelly 1-1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup sour cream 1 Tbs Creole mustard or other coarsegrained mustard Combine the green and red cabbages, carrots, and purple onion in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, toss the cubed apples with the lemon juice and add to the cabbage mixture. In a small mixing bowl, combine the vinegar, jelly, salt, and pepper and whisk until the ingredients are well blended. Pour the seasoned vinegar mixture over the cabbage mixture and toss to thoroughly combine. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, and mustard and stir to combine. Add the mayonnaise mixture to the coleslaw and toss to thoroughly combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight before serving.
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well. Sprinkle the dry mixture over the sliced apples, and stir gently to combine Place the apples in the pan on top of the first pie shell (careful—it’s a lot of apples and it will look really tall, but it’s okay). Add the other pie shell and pinch the edges of the two crusts together. Cut a few slits in the top of the pie to allow the steam to escape during baking. Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully place a plate on the top of the pie and flip over onto
the plate. Lift off the pie shell carefully, scraping any pecan bits over the top of the pie. Contact Bryan Slaven, "The Texas Gourmet," at 888-234-7883, www.thetexasgourmet.com; or by email at texas-tasted@fishgame.com.
Apple Pecan Pie - 1 package Pillsbury pie crust, 2 pieces top and bottom - 1 glass pie pan - butter - 2 cups pecans, chopped coarsely - 2 cups dark brown sugar - 6 apples, Braeburn or any other firm and juicy variety, peeled and sliced thin - 2-1/2 Tbs flour - 1/2 tsp cinnamon - 1 cup sugar - pinch of nutmeg Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a double large sheet of foil under pie pan rack (the juices will tend to bubble out of the shell). Line the interior pie pan surface with a thin coat of butter. Place the pecans in the bottom of the pan. Place the brown sugar on the pecans and gently pat down. Place the first pie shell over the brown sugar and pecans and be sure to make the shell hang over the edge of the pan slightly. Place the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl and stir together A L M A N A C / T E X A S
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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.
SEND YOUR PHOTOS TO: photos@fishgame.com or by mail at:
1745 Greens Road Houston, Texas 77032
CATFISH—PALACIOS
CATFISH—LITTLE CYPRESS
BUCK—LAMPASAS COUNTY
Russ Crone, age 10, proudly shows off this 12- Seven-year-old Jay Orosco proudly shows off his Robert Pereira, age 13, of Salado, Texas, harvested pound catfish that he caught while fishing with first catfish, caught while fishing with his family in his first deer, an 8-pointer, while hunting with his Palacios, Texas. father Richard on the Jake Brinegar Ranch in Lamhis dad in a pond in Little Cypress, Texas. pasas County with a Savage .243.
MALLARDS—MARIETTA, OKLAHOMA
CARP—LAKE JACKSONVILLE
L-R Dallas hunters Scott Hamilton, Al Edmond, Philip Schoeneck, Rob Gokey, and Tome Lowe limited on mallards during a hunt on a private tank near Marietta, Oklahoma, with outfitter Mike Beeson of Denison, Texas.
Dr. Michael Banks of Jacksonville, Texas, caught this 20-pound carp from his kayak on Lake Jacksonville. The carp was released to help control hydrilla in the lake. Photo by Steve Watson.
CRAPPIE—BRIDGE CITY
REDFISH—TRINITY BAY
BASS—LAKE AMISTAD
Gunar Fugler of Kingwood, Texas, caught his first Dyllan Branshaw, age 7, of Bridge City, Texas, caught Romeo Dominguez of Kerrville, Texas, caught redfish while fishing with his dad and friends in these crappie, the largest being 1 pound, two ounces. this 9-pound bass on a topwater plug in Lake Dyllan was using his Superman rod while fishing Amistad. Trinity Bay. The red was 23 inches long. with his granny and papa, Ruth and Don Dunaway. N48
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Trophy Quest
Forget the Bass AKE CONROE IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS WAS ONE of the top producers of 13-pounds-plus largemouth bass in the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department’s ShareLunker program this past spawning season. Fishing guide Ron Higgins of Higgy’s Freshwater Adventures was the guide on one of the trips that boated one of the ShareLunkers. Thomas Radford and his wife, Shirley, of Houston were the Trophy Quest winners for a trip on Lake Conroe for lunker bass. The Radfords are saltwater anglers and have not fished freshwater much, especially at Lake Conroe. They really wanted just a chance to catch catfish from Lake Conroe and just get to know the lake; forget the bass. “My wife has arthritis and she would not have been able to throw the plastics like she would have had to do with the bass fishing,” said Thomas. “We wanted to go somewhere where we could just use a cork.”
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by Tom Behrens Higgins said he lets his customers dictate how and what they want to fish for. It doesn’t have to be for big bass. Besides Lake Conroe, Higgins also guides on Lake Livingston. They didn’t catch any 13-pound bass but Shirley did catch a carp pushing 8 pounds. “We saw the carp swimming around in the shallows,” said Thomas, referring to the grass carp stocked in Conroe to help control an invasive plant problem. “Ron said carp are a lot of fun, so he took a piece of his peanut butter and
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 BY THOMAS RADFORD
Thomas and Shirley Radford caught channel catfish, bream, and a couple of oversized grass carp to their fishing trip on Lake Conroe. jelly sandwich and put it on a hook under a cork, and threw it out there. That rascal hit it and my wife went wall to wall all over the boat fighting the fish. She had about 6-pound-test line; the fish weighed 7 pounds 13 ounces. It was a lot of fun for her. When the carp get up close to the boat and see the net, they take off again and you have to fight them all over again.” Thomas also caught a carp of about the same weight as Shirley’s. His fish was partial to a cheese doughball bait that Higgins concocts. In addition to the carp, Thomas added three channel catfish to the livewell, two weighing about 3 pounds each and one weighing about a pound. Shirley added a bucket full of bream to round out the day’s catch. Super accommodations at the Baymont Inn and Suites in Conroe and shrimp & linguine
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
Alfredo dinners at Joe’s Pizza, Pasta & Subs the night before made this a great Trophy Quest trip for the Radfords, even though they didn’t try to hook up with one of Lake Conroe’s 13-pound bass. WHAT: Carp, channel catfish, and bream WHERE: Lake Conroe GUIDE: Ron Higgins, 936-444-7914, www.texashuntfish.com/app/view/Hunt/ 2880/Higgy-s-Freshwater-Adventures ACCOMMODATIONS: Baymont Inn and Suites, 1506 I-45 South, Conroe, TX; 936-539-5100 MEALS: Joe’s Pizza, Pasta & Subs, 1604 North Frazier, Conroe, TX; 936-760-9002
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
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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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he eight-point buck approached slowly, checking the wind often for unfamiliar, betraying scent. At one point, I thought it heard my heart thumping, but it was only stopping for a sip of water. That was when I released my arrow and watched it vanish through the buck’s chest, piercing both lungs. The 30-minute wait seemed interminable. I calmed myself and carefully descended from my tree perch. The spray of blood further evidenced a great double lung shot. It was an easy trail to follow and lasted only 30 yards before I found my trophy piled up against a blowdown along the edge of a stream. This was the perfect bowhunt, ending with a whitetail on the ground after following an easy bloodtrail. If only they were all that easy... For many hunters, novice and veteran, the hardest part of the hunt is waiting the appropriate time after the shot before searching for the trophy; you really need to give the animal enough time to expire. If you rush the bloodtrailing and spook the animal, it can become a much more difficult task. How long you should wait depends on where the shot hit. Half an hour is usually enough, but if misfortune led to a gut shot, you should wait at least 5-6 hours. Tracking a whitetail during bow season can be much more difficult than in gun season. At times, the blood sign is as small as a pinhead, or it might look as if someone dropped a pail of red paint in the woods. It all depends on the hunter and his shooting skill. It is important to remember when following a bloodtrail that less is more, at least in terms of the number of searchers. All your friends want to help, but when people start disturbing the ground—and whatever blood sign there is—the trail can vanish quickly. Following a bloodtrail is a slow process and that takes a trained eye to know what to look for. If your arrow did not pass through, sign will be on only one side of the trail. You also run the risk of the entry wound coagulating and the bloodtrail stopping completely. The animal will continue to bleed internally, and 52
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Knowing how to find and follow a bloodtrail is a critical bowhunting skill.
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Not all blood is found on the ground; look for smears and droplets on vegetation, deadfalls, and clumps of grass.
if you lose the bloodtrail, the coyotes and other scavengers in the woods will have a feast. A complete pass-through doubles the chances of finding blood on the forest floor. Remember to look carefully where you place your foot while tracking; you do not want to step on the bloodtrail. It is always best to walk to one side of the trail whenever possible so as not to disturb the spoor. Remember, too, to look high for blood. Inspect grass and brush up to the height of the animal’s back for specks and smears of blood, hair, and bits of tissue (often light pink or white in color). Even a hard-hit animal can leave a sparse bloodtrail, especially if hit high in the chest. Such trails start out thin with just droplets of blood from the skin. The massive internal bleeding stays in the chest cavity, spilling out only after filling the chest up to the level of the entry and exit wounds. Only then does the bloodtrail become heavy and obvious, and that only if the animal keeps moving. If
it dies before the chest cavity fills, no heavy bleeding appears on the trail. If you lose the trail, remember that the animal did not just vanish, although it might seem like that at times. Deer are survivors and will do the unexpected to elude the hunter. It is not unusual to find that the deer backtracked on its own trail before venturing off in a different direction; such a trail can prove hardest to find, but not impossible. Always keep sight of the last blood sign. I usually mark blood with an arrow placed in the ground with a piece of toilet paper on the end. It is easy to see from a distance, and by looking back at the markers, you can “get a line” on the direction the deer is traveling. If you lose the trail, go back to the last blood, move about 10 yards away, and start walking in a circle around your marker. Look carefully—on hands and knees if necessary—and most of all, take your time. It is easy to miss a small speck of blood, so you must stay alert. If after you have completed T E X A S
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the small circle with no results, move out another 10 yards and repeat the process. Eventually, you will find blood again and the process of finding your trophy can continue from there. It is good to know the area you are hunting. Learn where the water sources are. If you have exhausted all efforts to locate a wounded animal, mark the last blood sign and head for water. As the animal loses fluid, it will crave water and often go seeking it. After losing a wounded deer, I headed for the nearby lake. I walked the shore in one direction and then the other until I finally found drops of blood that led directly into the lake. My trophy was floating 50 yards or so from the shoreline. The water was cold but the meat was delicious. I called it my “surf and turf ” buck. With nearly every shot, a deer gives some clue about how hard it is hit and even where on its body, and the nature and color of the bloodtrail speaks volumes. Lung shot: Expect to see bright red blood often containing pinkish coloration with some foam or bubbles. When lung hit, deer most often tuck their tail and run hard and fast with their belly to the ground. Heart shot: This produces dark red blood that is lighter in color than a liver hit, but noticeably darker than lung blood. Deer shot in the heart often do a “mule kick” then run hard and fast. Liver shot: Blood will be very dark and thick, and the deer will likely move out of the country at a slower pace than when heart- or lung-shot. Gut shot: Blood from a belly shot often has a greenish texture and is thin and watery, often mixed with paunch contents or fecal matter. The blood has a discernable unpleasant odor. Deer shot in the guts often hunch up, sneak away, and bed up within 40 yards. Following a bloodtrail can be tedious at times, but the reward is worth it. It would be nice if all bloodtrails were as easy as the one at the beginning of this story, but that is not always the case. Knowing the secrets of how to track a wounded deer will bring success in the field for you and your hunting friends.
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Texas Fish & Game launches—and lands—the search for “The Bass that Ate Purtis Creek” by Don Zaidle
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t all started with a chance meeting at a boat ramp. In the early evening hours of Tuesday 24 March 1998, fishing guide Brian Hughes and a companion were launching at Purtis Creek Lake near Athens when two men in a small aluminum boat pulled in at the dock. A conversation ensued and, as is the way of bass fishermen, the talk turned to,” How’d you do?” The men in the small boat told Hughes they’d caught only one bass,
but that “It was a good one.” They went on to detail how the fish had fallen for a white, musky-size Rapala Husky Jerk lure,
which was still attached to a rod resting in the boat. The duo said the fish out-classed any they’d ever seen, dwarfing a mounted 12.5pounder that one of them had on the wall at home. Hughes asked to see the fish, and was told it had been released. The men said they were bringing the fish to the Purtis Creek weigh station when they hit a stump and sheared a prop pin. The small johnboat had no livewell, and they were concerned the fish would die if they tried to bring it back under the impetus of just the electric troller. (Purtis Creek operates under a strictly enforced catch-andrelease-only rule.) So, they laid the fish on one of the boat’s bench seats, marked its length, took a photograph, and then released the monster bass. The excitement in the men’s voices was infectious, and Hughes became increasingly intrigued. He asked for a copy of the photo, planning to use it in the outdoors column he writes for the Cedar Creek Progress newspaper. The man who had caught the fish agreed to send a copy of the photo. He said his name was “John Stuart of Dallas, Texas.” The other man never gave his name. About a week later, Hughes received an odd packet in the mail—a proverbial “plain brown envelope” that looked homemade. Inside was the promised photograph. Hughes’ eyes popped. The photo depicted John Stuart holding what looked like a 20-pound largemouth. Notations on the back of the photo put the fish’s length at a whopping 32 inches. For a while, Hughes was in a state of T E X A S
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near-shock. He’d been expecting the photo to show a possible lake record of 15 pounds or so, but the fish in the photo could eat a 15-pounder and still have room for a shad casserole. Further, at a reported length of 32 inches, Hughes knew it could easily be a new state if not world record; the standing world record George Perry bass of 22 pounds, 4 ounces, measured 32-1/2 inches in length. Was it really possible that tiny Purtis Creek Lake had yielded the Holy Grail of bass fishing—a new world record? It was not impossible, according to TPWD fisheries biologist Rick Ott. “We knew we had some big fish out there (in Purtis Creek),” Ott said in outdoor writer Steve Knight’s column in the Tyler Morning Telegraph, one of several daily newspapers that picked up the story. “Before we put the weigh station in, we had anglers reporting catching fish in excess of 15 [pounds] using their scales. That was in 1991. A fish that weighed 15 pounds in 1991 would certainly be much larger now.” Indeed, larger it would be. But was the fish in the photo a world-record wannabe that grew up, or was it a hoax? From the outset, many believed the latter. After the photo was dispersed to news outlets, most “experts” pronounced it a fake, giving explicitly detailed reasons. “You can see a mold seam along the belly, and there is no anal vent,” said one TPWD biologist who examined a blow-up of the photo. “And the gill rakers are made of paintbrush bristles,” he added. “It is definitely a fiberglass replica, and a bad one at that, probably of the George Perry bass.” Another biologist claimed that one
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Dallas-area tackle store had just such a replica on display, and suggested it was probably the same one. A spokesman for the Honey Hole organization was quite emphatic that the photo was of a real fish that had been digitally altered. “Definitely digitally altered,” were the exact words. A team comprised of B.A.S.S. staff members also proclaimed the photo a digitally altered fake. So did a Dallas photographic expert TF&G commissioned to examine the photo. On the other hand, there were quite a few things about the fish that just didn’t seem consistent with a fiberglass mount or photographic manipulation. For starters, we at TF&G examined every fiberglass replica we could find, and the tail on every one was flared and curved. The Purtis Creek bass’ tail was folded and flat. None of the dozens of taxidermists we contacted could recall ever seeing a mount made that way. Then there was the fact that Hughes said there did not appear to be any place in the boat to hide a replica of that size. Further, a fiberglass mount that size would be frightfully expensive. Why would anyone go to the expense and bother of having one specially made in order to perpetrate a hoax, then make no attempt to claim glory or a record? Perhaps the most intriguing aspect was that the story seemed plausible in light of other recent, similar events. You may recall the story from last year of West Coast basser Paul Duclos allegedly catching and releasing a 24-pound largemouth (weighed on bathroom scales) from a small California lake. Like the Purtis Creek bass story, the Duclos fish involved a small boat on a small lake, a big lure, few witnesses, and a potential world record released due to the angler’s expressed concern for the fish. Some poor-quality photographs served as the only hard evidence. There were a lot more questions than good answers, the most compelling being, “Could this be the real deal?” The only way to know for sure was to talk to the man who said he caught it, John Stuart, or his partner, “the second gunman.” Problem was, nobody seemed able to find either of them. Across the state, the airwaves and internet hummed and tons of newsprint went under the puppy with pleas for John Stuart or his partner to “come forward.” When they didn’t, the pleas took on a nasty tone— not quite calling for the men’s heads on a 56
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The bass that never was stirred almost as much excitement as a legitimate record.
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post, but an unmistakably hostile undercurrent suggested a bonfire was already cracking around a freshly planted stake. Phrases like, “TPWD wants to talk to them—and its not to give them a medal,” were juxtaposed alongside what amounted to calls for anyone with information to “turn in” one or both men. Some heat was even directed at Hughes, amid accusations of complicity in a hoax to enhance his guide business on Purtis Creek—all of which seemed a bit silly, since neither Stuart, his partner, nor Hughes had done anything wrong, let alone illegal. Nonetheless, John Stuart and the “second gunman” were wanted men. So, TF&G editor Larry Bozka sent me on a mission with the simple instruction, “Find them.” I did—but it took a bit of doing. None of the dozen or so “John Stuarts” in the Dallas phone book owned up to being the man I was looking for. Brian Hughes had lost the envelope in which the photo was mailed, so there was no return address or
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even a post office mark to go on. The sign-in logs at Purtis Creek State Park contained no “John Stuart,” so it was assumed they had registered under the partner’s name, which was unknown. The search led to a lot of dead ends, and even produced a few side-mysteries—a potential witness who had camped near the site where the photo was taken on the day in question had vanished; the sign board identifying the campsite, reading “Campsite M,” was missing. None of the park employees seemed to remember seeing anyone that fit Stuart’s or his partner’s descriptions, which, in combination with the heated, emphatic denial of the bass’ authenticity by most TPWD personnel, caused me to temporarily suspect an official cover-up. After all, a lot was at stake for TPWD in general and Purtis Creek Park in particular. The park’s operating budget is largely based on the revenue it collects, so hundreds—perhaps thousands—of anglers
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vying for space on a lake known to hold a world record bass would produce some pretty substantial revenue. On the other hand, even though TPWD would like nothing better than for the next world record to come from a Texas lake, they do not want it to come out of a tiny, 375-acre puddle like Purtis Creek, which has a selfimposed limit of 50 boats at any one time. No, the world record must come from a Fork or a Sam Rayburn, where you can put lots of tourists/anglers on the water—after selling each of them a fishing license. Be that as it may, I still had to find Stuart and company. The inspiration that led to the big break I needed came while studying the photograph, in which the bow of the small, aluminum boat was plainly visible. The boat was the key. Park records showed only one boat of that type signed in on the day in question. A check of the registration number produced the name of the registered owner—Mark Bohanon of Dallas, Texas. Crosschecking with driver’s license records showed Bohanon’s physical description perfectly matched Hughes’ recollection of the man. Another driver’s license cross-match reduced the vast number of “John Stuarts” to a list of one. Not only did his official DPS description match, his address showed that he lived in the same part of town as Bohanon. Since phone calls to both men elicited only denials, my next step was clear: a stakeout. Since Hughes was the only one who had actually seen Stuart and Bohanon, I took him along to ID the “suspects.” On a lastminute whim, I decided to forego the cloakand-dagger stuff for a more direct approach: Hughes and I would knock on Mark Bohanon’s door. If Hughes recognized him, he would let me know by a prearranged signal. When the hulking specter of Bohanon’s 6-foot-, six-inch, 270-pound frame filled the door, I started to wonder if this had been such a good idea. Thankfully, Bohanon was not disposed to violence and actually turned out to be one helluva nice guy. He and Hughes immediately recognized each other and shook hands. At first, Mark looked a bit sheepish, like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. We all joked around about all the folderol. Mark’s wife, Sandy, even got in on the act,
proclaiming, ”I wanted to turn him in all along—I’m a law-abiding citizen.” She then added with a mischievous grin, “If anybody had offered a reward, he would have been toast.” Indeed, not only was Mark the “second gunman,” but it was he who had made the “fish” in the photograph—hand carved out of Styrofoam. Mark is a budding taxidermist who has been toying with hand-carved replicas as customized alternatives to production-line fiberglass mounts. He showed us a few more of his creations—including, of course, “The Bass that ate Purtis Creek.” It looked a lot better “in person” than it did in the photograph. Interestingly, Mark and John never intended for the photo or their “story” to get into the papers and create such a fuss. It started out as a joke intended for a few fishing buddies. “A guy we know who’d just bought a $30,000 bass boat was giving us a bad time about how we couldn’t catch good bass in our little 10-footer,” Mark told me. “So, we came up with this to rattle his cage a little.” For the most part, the joke was a masterpiece of planning and execution. Mark intentionally made the fish’s tail flat and folded, just as it would be on a bass held vertically by the lower jaw. John said Purtis Creek was chosen because its “catch-andrelease-only” rule provided a built-in reason to release the fish—which, by the way, was secreted into and out of the boat in a pile of life jackets. Despite all the planning, Kismet provided some of the finer details. The sheared prop pin bit was unplanned—it actually happened. And meeting Hughes at the ramp was just another coincidence. And what of the mold seams, computerenhanced photography, and other “expert” proclamations? Other than the fish being a replica, none of them were true. The replica was carved out of a solid piece of foam, hence no mold seam, and it does have an anal vent, you just can’t see it very well because of the photo angle. The photo never saw the inside of a computer until somebody posted it on the internet. And what of those “paint brush-bristle” gill rakers? They were made from a Coors Lite box, painted red. The fins and tail were made from one of those long, clear plastic strips you see hanging over loading dock doors. And that “George Perry bass repliT E X A S
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ca” purported to be on display at a tackle store never existed. To the question of why they didn’t “come forward,” John said that after the story made the press, he and Mark decided to “ride it out” and see just how far it would go. “I’d always wanted to tweak a few elitist noses,” John told me. “And this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do it. I get pretty sick of some of the snobbery you see in bass fishing these days. We had one guy, a total stranger, come up one time and ask, ‘Do you guys really fish out of this boat?’ We said ‘Yes,’ then he said, ‘It looks so crappy—is it safe?’ ” So, the bottom line would seem to be, all you guys who take this bass fishing stuff way too seriously—this one was for you. Perhaps all of us would be well advised to read and heed the advice of John A. Underwood, as expressed in his classic 1975 book, Lunker. The Introduction starts with, “Listen—Don’t take it all too seriously. Fishing, I mean. Fishing is not a serious matter. Fishing is a fun thing.” Whatever the lessons learned from the Purtis Creek bass incident, one thing is for sure: It is purely amazing how much fun two guys with a sense of humor can have with nothing more than a piece of Styrofoam and a camera. The motto on the park brochure is truer than most suspect: “Purtis Creek Lake: Where Fishing Tales are Just Naturally Big.” Editor’s note: When I first heard rumors of a potential world-record largemouth bass that had allegedly been caught from tiny Purtis Creek Lake near Athens, I knew it would take more than a few phone calls to get to the bottom of it. It would, in fact, require the talents of a skilled investigator to ferret out the truth. Fortunately, I have one. When Don Zaidle came on staff as Texas Fish & Game news editor, he brought with him several years of experience as a private investigator. Between his investigative skills, bulldog tenacity, and sheer passion for his work, I knew that once given the assignment, Zaidle wouldn’t quit—no matter what— until he got to the truth. I was right. —Larry Bozka
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Texas Offshore by Capt. Mike Holmes | TF&G Associate Offshore Editor
Recreational For-Hire Fishing Endangered Y NOW, THE EFFECTS OF THE TIGHTENED TAC (Total Allowable Catch) and resultant short bag limits for recreational red snapper fishing in the Gulf of Mexico should be obvious on the forhire fishing fleet. Head boats are for sale, charter boats tied to the docks, and former customers are taking up golf. If you find it hard to believe that a two fish per angler, per day bag limit on one species could cripple an entire industry, in an “enlightened” era when the “sport” part of “sportfishing” should be stressed over “meat” fishing by boat operators and understood and embraced by their customers, you are absolutely correct. The snapper situation is only the tip of the iceberg that is floating ever closer, ready to sink an industry that should be classified more as outdoor entertainment than commercial fish harvest. First, let’s deal with catch restrictions. There is a long held tradition that trips on the open Gulf should result in enough fish to feed every neighbor on the block, and their cats. At one time, this might have been true. Before trailerable boats with multiple dependable outboards, snapper fishing was largely the realm of party boats. Conditions are often crowded, which impedes fishing for sport species like king mackerel and ling. Snapper in deep water, on heavy tackle with 1-pound sinkers, are more of an upand-down fish, and they are more noted for table qualities than fighting abilities. When seaworthy trailerables began to join private yachts and six-man charter boats offshore in significant numbers, king mackerel were the main target. Kings did not do well in the preferred deep-fry-in-hot-oil fish cooking techniques of the south, but they were easy to locate and hook, fought hard, and are very
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shiny. Kings are normally boated by gaffing, which involves puncturing them with a large metal hook and hoisting them aboard. Gaffed fish later released have a low survival rate, which, coupled with low popularity as a food fish, led to untold numbers of kings stuffed into dockside garbage cans and given to unsuspecting neighbors—and their cats. Suddenly, fishermen and—more importantly—the National Marine Fisheries Service began to notice a marked decline in king mackerel in the Gulf. Drastic measures were undertaken to revive the kingfish population. A closed season was imposed—the first ever in the Gulf for any fish species—and a bag limit enacted for the first time. When all the dust had settled on the water, we were left with a minimum size limit for kings and a daily bag limit of two per angler. There was also a provision for captain and crew on charter and head boats to keep a limit of kings for themselves—or add to the number their customers could catch— that has been a now-we-see-it, now-we-don’t thing as NFMS would alternate between giving it to us, then taking it away. While this situation did not stop kingfishing from being a popular activity as many had feared, it did cause captains and anglers to look for something else to catch. Suddenly, the combination of more seaworthy small boats, dramatically improved electronics for fish-finding and navigation, and the discovery that there were concentrations of big snapper on smaller spots the party boats never fished, put a big bull’s-eye on the back of the humble red snapper throughout the Gulf. Of course, no one can argue that the actions taken to preserve king mackerel (added to the Florida inshore gillnet ban and larger required mesh sizes in nets still used offshore) have restored these fish. Kings are no longer classified as “overfished” or “undergoing overfishing.” So, where do we direct the angling pressure that was shifted from kings to snapper? We have been ambushed in this respect. Amberjack have a two-fish limit now; sharks have a tighter restriction than that. There are limits on ling, and they are coming for yel-
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lowfin tuna, if not already in effect by now. Look for limits on dolphin and wahoo soon. Vermillion snapper are actually under limits, along with Lane snapper in the “other snapper” category. Even the hated triggerfish is subject to limits under the “reef fish aggregate” classification, and who knows how long blackfin tuna will remain unrestricted. In the meantime, legal charter boat operators are facing mandatory random drug testing, alcohol testing in cases of accidents, expensive liability insurance, and the possibility of even more requirements shuffled down from commercial shipping requirements by the DOT and other government agencies. There was a strong possibility we would be required to be wheelchair accessible to remain in business, and NOAA Fisheries wants us to carry required equipment to release hooked sea turtles unharmed, including an old automobile tire to rest the poor creature on. I have never hooked a sea turtle, nor has any captain I have talked to, yet if you hold a reef fish permit, this will be a requirement. Permits are another story. To legally carry passengers to fish for reef species, including snapper, grouper, and amberjack, requires a Gulf Charter/Head Boat Reef Fish Permit. To fish for king and Spanish mackerel, ling, bluefish, and other migratory species requires a Coastal Pelagic Permit. These permits are under a permanent moratorium—no new ones will be issued. They can be bought and sold, but customers should be wary of new operators in the business who might not be permitted. For-hire fishing for tuna, shark, and billfish requires another permit, but this one—for now—is not as expensive or restricted. The recreational for-hire fishing business is in trouble. Anglers who rely on charter or head boats for their offshore opportunities should be aware of these problems, and support this industry in any way they can. 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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Texas Saltwater by Calixto Gonzales | TF&G Saltwater Editor
Custom Rods LOVE FISHING RODS. I LOVE THE LIMITLESS variety of actions, lengths, styles, and designs. I love the uber-spectrum of colors and shades, and the vast array of materials, blends, and composites that they can be built on. For every technique and every application, there is a rod. The selection is staggering. As deeply infatuated as I am with fishing rods, I doubt it even comes close to comparing to the passion of a person who custombuilds fishing rods. I had my first encounter with custom rods when I was a boy and hung out in my Uncle Bob Renaud’s Corpus Christi tackle shop, Gulf Sporting Goods. Uncle Bob used to build customized surf and light-tackle rods coveted by his clientele. I always admired his rods, which were artworks in both form and function. He was proud of those rods, and their owners considered themselves lucky to have them. Unfortunately, my uncle had long retired from building rods by the time I had the common sense to appreciate how special owning one would have been. Rod builders are an interesting breed. They consider a fishing rod as more than a tool to cast lures and control fishing line. The graphite, fiberglass, or composite blank is the canvas on which they express their identities. (Actually, any material can be considered fair game; Joe Montemayor, owner of Joe’s Tackle in McAllen, used to build surf rods from retama cane, which had both flexibility and toughness, and the rods were staples among South Padre Island surf and jetty fishermen.) The thread, butts, handles, and wraps replace oils and watercolors. A rod builder can show his dedication to his or a customer’s alma mater, profession or trade, or as a display of gratitude for a sol-
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dier home from harm’s way. “Really, we can pretty much design whatever we or a customer can think of,” said rod builder Jerry Pointdexter. “If a customer wants a white rod with burnt orange or maroon threads and handle, we can do that. If you want your name on the rod, that’s no problem.” A custom rod, then, can be as unique as the individual wielding it. Custom rod builders can also offer features that mainstream tackle companies cannot, such as spiral-wrapped guides or micro-guides. “Micro-guides and spiral wraps are really unique to custom rod-builders,” said Terry Jones, a rod builder at Houston’s Fishing Tackle Unlimited. “Spiral wraps wrap around the spine of the rod to maximize the effectiveness of the rod’s action by allowing it to bend more naturally. The micro-guides are smaller than your typical guides, which decreases the weight of the rod.” Jones said major tackle companies are reluctant to offer features such as spiral wrapping because most customers “have a hard time wrapping their minds around the unconventional look.” So, if an angler is interested in unique features such as these, a custom rod builder is the best and perhaps only avenue. Anglers might have to pay a bit of premium to own a customized rod, but many consider the benefits well worth the expenditure. Besides, there are always birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, and other special occasions that merit a special gift. Over the past year, Texas Rod Builders—the only organized rod builders club in the state—has initiated the program “Rods for Soldiers.” The program, according to the club’s website, started as a donation of a custom rod to wounded Iraq War veteran Brad Thomas. From there, it grew into a program where customized rods are donated to any Iraq or Afghanistan veteran who requests one (or, usually, requested by family and friends). The program, headed by Pat Helton, subsists on donations of rod materiT E X A S
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als from various vendors and proceeds from sales of TRB merchandise. The idea among the club members is to contribute to a soldier’s transition back to stateside living. It’s also a gesture from grateful citizens for the service and monumental sacrifice that these men and women make without pause. Custom rod builders are more than just hobbyists who try to make a little extra money from their pastimes. They are a unique part of the panorama that makes up Texas fishing. Joe Fisherman pulls a little extra overtime and saves his spare cash in the hopes of eventually owning a spiralwrapped, micro-guided beauty with the Dallas Cowboys star emblazoned next to his name. Doctors’ and lawyers’ (and writers’) wives smile at the idea of commissioning a special anniversary gift from one of these artists. They contribute to the identity of Texana, and they enhance the quality of life of a few soldiers to boot! And it is all a labor of love to them. Many readers might believe that a customized rod is beyond their economic reach. That is not necessarily true. Granted, a topof-the line blank loaded with features is going to drain a bank account, but a good, well-made, individualized rod is surprisingly affordable. The trick is to contact a rod builder and ask questions about materials and cost. The erudite angler will call and ask about cost well before considering a personalized rod. Then he can make the appropriate arrangements to cover the cost. It might take a little time to collect the funds, but it is well worth the wait.
On the Web www.texasrodbuilders.com
E-mail Calixto Gonzales cgonzales@fishgame.com
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Hunt Texas by Bob Hood | TF&G Hunting Editor
Get Ready For “Crossbow Season” EXA S HUNTERS OWE EA ST TEXA S Rep. Mark Homer and Sen. Chris Harris of Fort Worth a great round of applause. The two legislators co-sponsored H.B. 968 that finally legalized the use of crossbows for all hunters during the archery-only hunting seasons. Gov. Rick Perry signed the bill into law 23 May and it goes into effect 1 September, a perfect time for crossbow enthusiasts to prepare for the upcoming archery-only deer and turkey seasons. I will be among them. The new law comes as a disappointment to some archery hunters, but fortunately not to all bow and arrow enthusiasts. I say “fortunately” because hunters in general are fortunate that the majority of them favor increased hunting opportunities without prejudice toward rifles, types of muzzleloaders, handguns, vertical bows, or horizontal bows. Previously, crossbows were allowed during the archery-only season by disabled persons only, but were allowed by all hunters during the general seasons. I never have fully understood why some archery hunters oppose the use of a crossbow during the archery-only season, especially those who say they want to preserve their “primitive arms season.” Compound bows, the most popular used by today’s archers, were not invented until 1968, and Texas archers are allowed to use arrow locking devices (Draw-Loc) on their vertical bows during archery-only seasons. Bows and arrows might date back more than several thousand years, but there is nothing primitive about the types and capabilities of today’s longbows, crossbows, or compound bows. It seems that many cross-
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bow opponents have been less interested in promoting hunting as they have been in protecting their own turf. And if you ever have heard their arguments against crossbows during “their” special season, you have seen the ideology behind their “turf ” a bit ragged, in fact rutted right down the middle. Opening up the archery-only season to all archers as opposed to limiting it to vertical bow shooters hopefully will put more hunters in the woods, and that’s exactly what we need to show state and federal governments that demand for more hunting opportunities is increasing. Sen. Harris said in a statement that the passage of the new crossbow law could increase the sales of hunting licenses, and I hope it does. One thing I am certain it will do is provide additional hunting opportunities during the archery-only season—not just for new hunters, but also for many veteran hunters who no longer have the strength to draw and hold a vertical bow of any type. I have friends in that category and who have added locking devices such as the Draw-Loc to their compound bows just for that reason. Decades ago, crossbows were not as accurate as they are today, just as many vertical bows did not shoot as fast or have the accuracy produced by today’s compound bows. I have shot several makes of crossbows over the years and had the privilege of field-testing Eastman Outdoors’ X-Force series of crossbows before they were recently released to the market. Today’s crossbow manufacturers have done the same for their products, as have the makers of compound bows and muzzleloaders. They have made them safer, flatter shooting, and more durable than many
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of their predecessors. My preference today is the Eastman X-Force 800, a crossbow that might seem a bit on the heavy side to some hunters, but I find it very stable and extremely accurate at up to 40 yards. Some crossbow enthusiasts will tell you they can achieve good accuracy at up to 75 yards or more, but I often question their definition of accuracy. I limit the distance of my shots at game to about 35 yards, just as I have done with vertical bows. After all, crossbows, like vertical bows, require the hunter to be close to the game he is seeking to achieve an accurate and killing shot. Don’t let anyone try to convince you otherwise. The X-Force 800 has a 165-pound draw with a 16-inch power stroke that pushes a 22-inch bolt, or arrow, at 330 feet per second. I have had no problem shooting 2-inch groups at up to 35 yards. Many other crossbows have similar characteristics. My advice for anyone considering purchasing a crossbow is to study the capabilities and choose one that feels comfortable in your hands; one that is easy to cock and delivers the accuracy you desire. I shoot a 125-grain broadhead and have killed hogs, deer, and turkey with both fixed and mechanical blades. Today’s top-of-theline crossbows can be fitted with various types of scopes that often are included in the manufacturer’s “crossbow kit” along with the crossbow, rail lube, string wax, cocking device, and other accessories. Texas is among at least eight states that allow crossbows during the archery-only season without restrictions such as for antlerless deer only in one state, for senior citizens only in another, and for handicapped persons only in numerous others. Hopefully, other states will soon liberalize their crossbow laws. We do not need more restrictions on hunting; we need more opportunities.
E-mail Bob Hood at hunting@fishgame.com.
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Texas Freshwater by Matt Williams| TF&G Freshwater Editor
WELL-SCHOOLED ANGLER PROBABLY WON’T get much of an education here, but a novice might learn a little something. If nothing else, they might broaden their vocabulary. Here is a lexicon of fishing terms frequently used by anglers of all kinds: Point: Like most forms of structure, a point is formed by the geographic lay of the land. There are two types of points: main lake and secondary. Any point located beyond the mouth of a creek is considered secondary. Points that originate from the shoreline are the most obvious. Points that form beneath the surface, sometimes several hundred yards from shore, are more difficult to find, but the rewards can be worth it. The finger-like anatomy of a point can vary from gently sloping to sharply dropping. Some are bare, while others are cluttered with brush, rocks, or grass. Hump: Think of a flat pasture with a lone hilltop in the middle. Now imagine the hilltop with 5-10 feet of water on top of it. The best humps are usually surrounded by significantly deeper water, and small enough to be fished in short order. Stumps, brush, or rocks on a hump will make it more attractive to predators. Bend: A term used to describe the spot where a creek or river channel makes a sharp turn, left or right. Outside channel bends are normally much deeper than inside bends. Chip: Information in bytes, and lots of it. A removable data card that contains useful mapping and navigation data that is compatible with modern Global Positioning System (GPS) units. Many anglers would be lost out there without one.
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Points that originate from the shoreline are the most obvious. Points that form beneath the surface, sometimes several hundred yards from shore, are more difficult to find, but the rewards can be worth it.
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Waypoint: A recording of a precise location that is stored in a GPS unit so it can be used as a go-to destination or point of reference when charting a travel route. Toad: Sometimes used as a label for a large fish of any species; similar to “lunker.” Giant Salvinia: A noxious aquatic
plant native to Brazil that is causing serious problems at Toledo Bend and Caddo lakes, and poses a nasty threat to others. Left unchecked, the plant can spread quickly, form mats 3 feet thick, block out sunlight, and turn a lively fishery into a dead one. Keeper: Any fish that conforms to minimum length limits established by the governing state agency or a tournament organization. Senko: Often copied, but never duplicated, it is arguably the most deadly soft plastic bait for bass since the plastic worm. Shaped similar to a Bic pen, the salt-impregnated bait catches fish year-round in a wide variety of rigging methods. Slab: Most commonly used when talking about a large crappie weighing upward of 11/2 pounds. Anglers sometimes refer to heavyweight spoons as slabs. The baits are used for targeting white bass, hybrids, and stripers in deep water. T E X A S
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Backing: Line that used to partially fill a reel spool before topping off the spool with a premium line of choice. Also line on a fly reel beneath the main fly line. Punch Bait: This catfishing expression stems from the practice of using a wooden spoon, screwdriver, or stick to “punch” a treble hook into a prepared catfish bait to avoid getting the smelly concoction on your hands. Wacky Worm: A straight tail worm hooked through the middle so the head and tail sections dangle freely. Cast it out, let it fall for a few seconds, and twitch it slowly back to the boat, stopping occasionally to let the bait fall. The do-nothing worm rig will work any time bass are holding in shallow or mid-range depths. It also works exceptionally well on finicky bass that might be reluctant to take other lures. Gear Ratio: Plays a key role in how quickly a fishing reel recovers line after the cast. A reel with a low gear ratio (5.3:1) has more torque and recovers line slower than one with a high gear ratio (6.4:1 or greater). On a reel with a 6.4:1 gear ratio, the spool turns 6.4 times for every one revolution of the reel handle. Flipping: A short-range tactic bass anglers rely on for placing weedless lures such as jigs and Texas-rigged plastics into tight places around bushes, grass, or boat docks. Front: A weather system that brings subtle or significant changes in temperature, wind, barometric pressure, and precipitation. Grass: Slang for aquatic vegetation. Texas anglers use the term freely when referring to hydrilla. PowerBait: The trademark name of a fish attractant invented by fishing tackle giant Berkley. The attractant is used in a wide variety of baits intended to catch bass, catfishes, trout, and panfishes.
E-mail Matt Williams at freshwater@fishgame.com
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Open Season by Reavis Wortham| TF&G Humor Editor
Guilty By Accusation WAS SHOCKED WHEN I PULLED INTO THE PARKing lot of Doreen’s 24 HR Eat Gas Now Café. Delbert P. Axelrod’s dog, Lucky, was lying in the ditch just off the highway. I knew it was Lucky because I recognized the eye patch over his missing eye (Delbert thought it gave him a more dashing look) and his three remaining legs, which were sticking up in the air. I parked and entered the café. Most of the Hunting Club members were already there, huddled in the corner booth like baby chicks and keeping a wary eye on the television news crew eating
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lunch at the counter. I recognized the Talking Head at the counter and had seen his cameraman from time to time, who also had an eye patch, although it wasn’t as debonair as Lucky’s. “Delbert,” I said, “Lucky’s in the ditch. He looks like he’s dead.” “He was fine a minute ago,” Delbert said. He frowned through the window.
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“It doesn’t take long to get run over. He wasn’t fine when I pulled off the highway.” “Did you hit him?” Doc asked. “Of course not. If I’d run over him I would have told you.” “But you just said he’s dead,” Delbert argued. “Right, but I didn’t...” I suddenly realized that the television camera was pointed in my direction and the Talking Head was adjusting his tie. He looked into the glass eye. “This just in: A tragic story unfolding at Doreen’s 24 HR Eat Gas Now Café just off the route. ‘Animal Cruelty on the Highways.’ More in a moment. Back to you, Henry.” “Don’t do this to me,” I said, looking around for help. The Hunting Club members were smoothing wrinkles and patting their hair.
Gertrude Hildinger, our resident Bunnyhugger, glared at me across the room. “It doesn’t surprise me. You hunters kill everything you see, anyway.” She walked over to the reporter. “I know for a fact that he regularly kills deer.” A loaded microphone was pointed at me. “Is there any truth to the accusations that you regularly kill deer out of season?” Talking Head demanded.
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“No, I, uh...wait a minute...who said anything about out of season?” “So you admit you regularly murder innocent animals?” “I didn’t murder anybody! He was like that when I got here!” “So, you deny these allegations?” “I am not denying anything because I didn’t do anything!” “He’ll hunt anything that runs from him,” Doc said helpfully. “That poor innocent animal is laying out there, a victim of your bloodlust, and you’re just standing here waiting for lunch like you don’t have a care in the world,” Gertrude said, working herself up for a colossal attack. The Talking Head looked back into the camera. “Henry, we’re on the site of this breaking story of animal cruelty. At the present time, a 45-year-old male has allegedly run down one of nature’s greatest gifts to mankind, man’s best friend, a dog.” He worked up a tear. I think it was
just a gas pain. “Informed sources tell us that the suspect, Reavis Zane Wortham—we always use three names when speaking of assassins—has allegedly killed before.” I began to worry. Deputy Sheriff Carl Williams dropped by for coffee and joined the crowd to see what the all the fuss was about. I edged toward the door, but Carl put his hand on my elbow and held me back. “Careful there, Carl,” Doc said. “He might be armed.”
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Open Season The Talking Head turned toward Delbert. The camera followed. “I’m here with the victim’s grieving owner, Delbert P. Axelrod. Delbert, I understand Lucky was one of those dogs that everyone loved. How do you feel about what happened virtually right before your very eyes, even though you weren’t looking at the time?” Delbert worked up a tear. “I loved that dog, until Rev ran him down in Cold Blood.” “I didn’t kill your stupid dog, Delbert,” I argued. Wrong Willie, Woodrow, and Jerry Wayne pretended they didn’t know me. “I’m shocked that Rev would do something so horrible,” Doreen said to Trixie, who nodded agreement. “I did not run over Delbert’s stinking
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dog!” I shouted. “And I’m not saying anything about it until I talk to an attorney. You guys are just giving me a Trial by Media.” “Can I quote you on that?” asked someone whom I took to be a reporter. I didn’t know where he came from. “You can quote me on this...” I began and then stopped. In the background, near the highway, I noticed a slight movement. I peered closer. Yep, it was a movement. Lucky, the dead dog, moved a paw. Then, as if testing his faculties, he moved a second leg, then the third. Pleased with his success, Lucky slowly rolled over and staggered to his feet. All 47 eyes and 1 camera turned toward the street. Lucky slowly walked toward the café. He stopped when he reached the shade of the overhang. He yawned widely,
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turned around three times, and settled in the shade for another nap. The crowed applauded. The Talking Head sighed for a moment, his story apparently alive and uninjured. He turned toward the camera, “You saw it here, Henry, another animal victory over the Demon Hunter and his Devil Car. This story has a happy ending. Back to you in the studio.” “Can I buy you some coffee?” the Talking Head asked me. “I’d like to do a story on hunting dogs like Lucky, if I can.” “No, that dog won’t hunt,” I deadpanned.
E-mail Reavis Wortham at humor@fishgame.com
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