Texas Fish & Game June 2015

THE TEXAS OUTDOOR AUTHORITY

www.FishGame.com Natural Options for

Deer Lease Prep

June 2015 $3.95

THE

Future OF Fishing

Hook & Bullet:

Next Gen Sportsmen Make Some

Alton Jones with the Texas High School Bass Champs

Crappie Magic

Overlooked

Underrated

Texas Bass Lakes 1506-Jun-CoverDIG.indd 1

Blacktip Shark 5/24/15 3:36 PM

1506 Staffbox-Contents.indd 2

5/7/15 7:44 PM

1506 Staffbox-Contents.indd 1

5/7/15 7:40 PM

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

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

ROY NEVES PUBLISHER

CHESTER MOORE EDITOR IN CHIEF

C O N T R I B U T O R S JOE DOGGETT DOUG PIKE TED NUGENT LOU MARULLO MATT WILLIAMS CALIXTO GONZALES LENNY RUDOW STEVE LAMASCUS DUSTIN ELLERMANN KENDAL HEMPHILL WILL LESCHPER REAVIS WORTHAM TOM BEHRENS GREG BERLOCHER PAUL BRADSHAW CAPT. MIKE HOLMES DUSTIN WARNCKE STAN SKINNER LISA MOORE JOHN GISEL

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR EDITOR AT LARGE HUNTING EDITOR FRESHWATER EDITOR SALTWATER EDITOR BOATING EDITOR FIREARMS EDITOR SHOOTING EDITOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR CONSERVATION EDITOR HUMOR EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR COPY EDITOR CONTRIBUTING PHOTO EDITOR STRATEGIC ADVISOR

A D V E R T I S I N G ARDIA NEVES VICE PRESIDENT/ADVERTISING DIRECTOR LARRY DALTON • ADVERTISING COORDINATOR 1745 GREENS ROAD HOUSTON, TX 77032 PHONE: (281) 227-3001 • FAX (281) 227-3002 EMAIL: ANEVES@FISHGAME.COM

REPRESENTATION THE OMNI GROUP BRIAN THURSTON • PRESIDENT LEAHA WIRTH • VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES (971) 322-7548

C R E A T I V E ELLIOTT DONNELLY DIGITAL PUBLISHER ANNA CAMPBELL MELINDA BUSS WENDY KIPFMILLER-O’BRIEN

• • •

GRAPHIC DESIGNER GRAPHIC DESIGNER DIGITAL ISSUES DESIGNER

SUBSCRIPTIONS 1745 GREENS ROAD, HOUSTON, TX 77032 PHONE (800) 725-1134 TEXAS FISH & GAME (ISSN 0887-4174) is published monthly by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC., 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. ©Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. All rights reserved. Content is not to be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission. The publication assumes no responsibility for unsolicited photographs and manuscripts. Subscription rates: 1 year $19.00: 2 years $34.75; 3 years $48.50. Address all subscription inquiries to Texas Fish & Game, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for response.

Give old and new address and enclose latest mailing address label when writing about your subscription. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Address all subscription inquiries to TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Email change of address to: subscriptions@fishgame.com Email new orders to: subscriptions@ fishgame.com Email subscription questions to: subscriptions@fishgame.com.

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

Paid Distribution of over 90,000 Verified by Independent Audit

2 |

J U N E

1506 Staffbox-Contents.indd 2

2 0 1 5

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

5/11/15 1:55 PM

1506 Staffbox-Contents.indd 3

5/7/15 7:40 PM

Table of

JUNE 2015 Volume 32 • NO. 2

Contents FEATURES

OVERLOOKED BASS LAKES

Everybody knows the superstar Texas bass lakes. But the state is also home to some unheralded fisheries that quietly produce monster bass without much fanfare.

COVER STORY: FISHING’S FUTURE

Alton Jones, pictured on the cover with last year’s top two State High School Bass Championship teams, was an early proponent of interscholastic bass competitions to foster growth in the fishing industry.

STORY:

52

20

by Matt Williams

THE UNDERRATED BLACKTIP SHARK

Cover Photo and Story

by Chester Moore

These sharks are popular and important for sport anglers on the Gulf Coast, yet they are greatly misunderstood .

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

24

by Chester Moore

WHETHER YOU LEASE OR NOT

TABOO FISH & GAME

Gar, ‘gou,’ squirrel brains and leprosy risks—the good, the bad and the ugly of oddball sporting species.

STORY:

44

Your preparations for this fall’s deer season, whether it’s on a traditional deer lease, or on public land, can benefit from a number of natural options.

by Chester Moore

CRAPPIE MAGIC

HOOK & BULLET STORY:

48

4 |

Changing demographics and the next gen sportsmen.

J U N E

1506 Staffbox-Contents.indd 4

2 0 1 5

|

28

“Mr. Crappie,” Wally Marshall, is something of a magician when it comes to catching big fish. And unlike regular magicians, he’s perfectly willing to share some of the secrets of his craft.

T E X A S

36

by Chester Moore F I S H

&

G A M E ®

5/11/15 1:56 PM

1506 Staffbox-Contents.indd 5

5/7/15 7:40 PM

Inside FISH & GAME

Contents (continued) COLUMNS

10

by ELLIOTT DONNELLY Digital Publisher

FishGame App Update

D

ESIGNING A NEW TECHNOLOGY BASED PLATform can be just as frustrating for the developer as it can be for the end user to figure out. In the May issue we talked about all the new features of the Texas Fish & Game app that we have been developing over the past few months. For the most part, we have been successful in implementing all of the cool stuff that we came up with in the original app blueprint. We did, however, run into one major hurdle along the way.

As many of our readers know, the existing subscriber Tap the home login mechanism within the button to access app has been spotty at best. the menu We have spent a great deal of time developing a new system and working to get it up and running in a timely manor.

Undoubtedly, we have caused some heartburn for some folks who have been waiting to regain access to their digital issues, and for that we offer our apologies.

Tap the my I am excited to account button announce that we to login have now added a working subscriber login component to the FishGame App. Now, all of our existing print subscribers and our newly minted CCA digital subscribers will be able to access all of the issues of Texas Fish & Game back to 2013.

To login, you simply need your email address and zip code. If you are a current subscriber and you have not provided us with your email address, call us at (800) 725-1134 or email us at subscriptions@fishgame.com. Once we have your email, we will be add you to the digital subscriber database.

For those of you who have an email address on file, simply click on the My Account icon within the app and enter your email address and zip code. Once submitted, the app will reload the issues page and you will be able to download any issue you would like to read.

Editor’s Notes

by Chester Moore

TF&G Editor in Chief

14

Doggett at Large

by Joe Doggett

TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

16

Pike on the Edge

by Doug Pike

TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

18

Nugent in the Wild

by Ted Nugent

TF&G Editor At Large

19

Commentary

by Kendal Hemphill

TF&G Political Commentator

35

Bare Bones Hunting

by Lou Marullo

TF&G Hunting Editor

43

by Matt Williams

Texas Saltwater

by Calixto Gonzales

TF&G Saltwater Editor

51

Open Season

by Reavis Wortham

TF&G Freshwater Editor

54

Texas Boating

by Lenny Rudow

TF&G Boating Editor

58

8 LETTERS 12 TF&G REPORT 32 TEXAS DEPT. OF DEFENSE

Texas Freshwater TF&G Freshwater Editor

47

DEPARTMENTS

Practical Angler

by Paul Bradshaw

40 TRUE GREEN 62 INSIDER INDUSTRY

64 FISH AND

GAME GEAR

66 HOTSPOT FOCUS

74 TEXAS

HOTSPOTS

86 TIDES & PRIME TIMES

TF&G Contributing Editor

60

Texas Guns

by Steve LaMascus

TF&G Firearms Editor

94

TF&G PHOTOS

92 Texas Tasted

by Bryan Slaven

The Texas Gourmet

Email Elliott Donnelly at webmaster@fishgame.com 6 |

J U N E

1506 Staffbox-Contents.indd 6

2 0 1 5

|

T E X A S

F I S H

www.FishGame.com &

G A M E ®

5/11/15 1:56 PM

NTS

T

1506 Staffbox-Contents.indd 7

5/7/15 7:40 PM

LETTERS to the Editor Let the Wookie Win THIS EMAIL IS FOR CHESTER Moore. I read his tribute to his dad article and wanted to tell him how wonderful it was. I also wanted to let him know how much I loved the ending and his reference to Chewie!

I am forwarding a copy of his article to Peter Mayhew. Peter is in my family and loved that Chester wrote about him and is such a fan. There are new UGG boots coming out in May that are Star Wars themed. The first ones are Darth Vader black leather. I’m not sure why they are coming out in May. I guess we can wear them at night to Walmart with shorts and a tank top and won’t look suspicious.

Now if they come out with Wookie ones, all bets are off! I will be the weird girl walking around with hairy feet and shorts.

Game Camera Eagle

camera set in Orange County.

He got several photos of a huge bald eagle that was scavenging on some carrion in the woods and he wanted to share it with the TF&G readers.

Although not widely publicized, eagles are adept at scavenging, which is the reason Benjamin Franklin opposed them being the symbol of America.

Scavenger or not, they are awesome birds and getting one unintentionally on a game camera is a real treat.

READER DAVID DUFOUR GOT A huge surprise when he checked his game

CM

rel swivels with a short black leader (wire, I think). There was a snap swivel which would eliminate the need for the split ring when attached to the spoon.

At the other end of the short leader was a ring with which to attach the line. Not expensive, and a lot quicker.

Mike Sands

Alison S. Editor: This is such a huge honor. I have been a fan of Mr. Mayhew since I learned he played Chewbacca many years ago. I’m glad the article resonated with you and Mr. Mayhew and am deeply excited about the forthcoming Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.

May the Force be with you!

CM

May Issue Kudos I LOVED THE MAY ISSUE. GOOD stuff throughout and nice to see a serious commitment to adding biological and wildlife information to the hunting and fishing stories.

Jesse Phelps

Bradshaw Fan PAUL BRADSHAW—YOUR ARTICLE about spoons in the April issue was very interesting to me. In order to simplify things I found some black Eagle Claw bar8 |

1506 Letters.indd 8

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

5/7/15 8:07 PM

Oregon Cons JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW that I received one of the fake renewal notices in the mail yesterday from the company in Oregon. I’m glad you have mentioned this issue in your magazine more than once because I recognized it right away for what it was even though it does appear to be very legitimate.

Thanks for a great magazine, we look forward to receiving it every month.

Publisher: Thanks for the kind words.

With the Texas Attorney General now involved (see Inside Fish & Game, May 2015) maybe these clowns will get shut down for good.

RN

Some Gave All CHESTER, JUST GOT THE MAY 2015 TEXAS FISH & GAME. So sorry to hear about your father’s passing. You have my prayers, bro.

1506 Letters.indd 9

Don’t want to stir the hornet’s nest, but I read Kendal Hemphill’s commentary. I have always enjoyed Kendal’s words, and today was no exception, except the very last paragraph is contrary to the entire piece and should have been omitted.

I grew up in a military family. I have seen the military life from the inside since I was a youngster.

With the greatest respect for Kendal, I think he may have just let the emotions flow and not completely vet that last paragraph.

We DO have the right to make rude comments without censorship and have opinions that vary from Chris Kyle’s, Kendal Hemphill’s and Greg Ford’s, because last time I looked, the flag flying outside did not have a sickle and hammer, but rather stars and stripes. If someone chooses to act like a jackass, more power to him/her.

As we know, American cities are full of them (see Baltimore). Keep in mind, I am on Kendal’s side here — all for respect and reverence. But because I choose, not because someone is going to make me.

We also have the right to be respectful

without having to run it by anyone. And we have the right to think and pray and do a lot of things thing Chris Kyle fought for.

Good piece by Kendal, except for the last paragraph.

Liberty applies to everyone — even the disrespectful idiots.

Warm Regards, Greg Ford Houston

Send Your Comments to: MAIL: Editor Texas Fish & Game 1745 Greens Rd Houston TX 77032 EMAIL: editor@fishgame.com

5/7/15 8:07 PM

EDITOR’S Notes

by CHESTER MOORE :: TF&G Editor-in-Chief

Sea Arama: Wildlife Education Inspiration

R

EMEMBER SEA ARAMA? I sure do.

It was the super cool marine/ wildlife park in Galveston that was a destination of many thousands of Texas from 1965 to 1990.

It was the first place I ever saw a Galapagos tortoise. It was the first place I saw a king cobra and it was where the seeds were planted in me to get into wildlife education.

“Jaws” inspired me to seek out sharks.

Marlin Perkins and Jim Fowler of “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom” taught me that the world was a big place filled with many wild creatures.

And Jacques Cousteau spoke to my heart about conservation.

But Sea Arama taught me encounterbased education is what really gets children motivated about wildlife. I did not realize it at the time but it had profound impact.

You see kids need to see wild things up close. They need to look animals in the eye and see wildness looking back at them.

The great naturalist Henry David Thoreau wrote, “In wildness is the preservation of the world” and I could not agree more.

The idea of safe encounters with animals is what petting zoos are all about and they are what keeps drive through wildlife parks going. I think there is a gigantic opportunity to teach wildlife conservation by unique chances to see animals in a safe setting.

That is one reason my wife Lisa and I founded the Kingdom Zoo: Education Center-a classroom designed for interaction with kids. Our ministry’s heart is to spread the gospel to children and we also want to teach children’ to be good stewards of the 10 |

1506 EdNotes.indd 10

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

Lord’s resources.

We have been able to do that through having family groups come through and visit our ferrets, turtles, giant frogs and other small creatures. We have had some 1,500 visitors come through and get a dose of Creation education through presentations that I do and special outreach.

To see a kid’s eyes light up when they see our African bullfrog “Prince” engulf a 10-inch nightcrawler in one bite or see our hairless rat “Lita” is priceless.

We recently had a beautiful black and white Argentine tegu (lizard) donated to us who has a broken back. “Lizzie’s” back legs do not work so well but we have been able to give her a good home and it gives us a special opportunity.

By seeing Lizzie, they learn that even though a person might have a disability, it does not mean they have no value. That might translate into them treating a special needs schoolmate with more respect or it might give the special needs child themselves more self-respect.

That is certainly the heart of what we do.

It is time for the outdoors industry to get hands on with wildlife education and stop doing the same old thing again and again.

Children’s lives matter. Conservation matters too and once you get kids to realize the value of wildlife, they will never turn back from their love of it.

One of the greatest lessons I have ever learned about the natural world started at the place that first inspired me-Sea Arama.

The large alligator garfish that swam freely with the sharks, rays and groupers in their 200,000 gallon aquarium was my favorite. It was huge and made me think of Cow Bayou in Orange County where my

T E X A S

F I S H

&

Dad caught a monster gar.

15 years later, I found myself at the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans and I saw a gar that looked eerily familiar.

I told my wife Lisa it looked like the one at Sea Arama and the lady working at the tank turned around.

“Was that place in Galveston?”

“Yes,” I replied.

“That’s the same gar. They sent it to us when they closed.”

I was stunned. How cool was it that I was looking at the gar I saw many times at Sea Arama?

But it gets better.

In 2003, Lisa and I were at the Mandalay Bay Aquarium in Las Vegas and once again, I spotted a gar that looked super familiar. After interviewing the divemaster I found it was the same gar!

It had been sent over from New Orleans and had actually been in captivity since the 1930s.

It takes an intimate place to get that kind of education and that is what my wife and I have begun. We are not at Sea Arama level yet but we have already seen many inspired kids.

We do this all on donations and if you would like to make a tax deductible contribution go to this address- https://kingdomzoo. donortools.com It’s important kids know God has a purpose and plan for their life and that wildlife resources are valuable and deserve their attention.

Email Chester Moore at CMoore@fishgame.com

G A M E ®

5/11/15 1:56 PM

1506 EdNotes.indd 11

5/7/15 7:44 PM

The TF G Report Sharelunker Season Wraps Up THE 29TH SEASON FOR THE TOYOta ShareLunker season ended on Thursday, April 30, with a total of six fish entered.

David Roulston of Frisco kicked off the season with his catch of Toyota ShareLunker 558, a 13.88-pound largemouth bass from Lake Fork, on November 20.

The fish was 26.75 inches long and 20.5 inches in girth.

Roulston was fishing in 25 feet of water with a Brush Hog when the fish slammed his lure.

Blair Schwarz of McAllen caught Toyota ShareLunker 559 from a private lake in Zapata County on February 19.

The fish weighed 14.30 pounds and was caught on a Jackall ASKA squarebill crankbait in about six feet of water. The fish was 26.75 inches long and 21 inches in girth.

Toyota ShareLunker 560 came from Lake Ray Roberts and was caught by Shannon Lee Elvington of Pilot Point on March 7. The 15.18-pound bass took a jerkbait.

The fish was 26.25 inches long and 21.5 inches in girth. It is the current lake record for Lake Ray Roberts and is just three ounces shy of making the list of 50 biggest largemouth bass ever caught in Texas.

The fish qualifies Elvington for Toyota ShareLunker Angler of the Year honors as the angler catching the biggest fish of the season. Elvington will receive a prize package from G. Loomis and a lifetime fishing license.

Also on March 7, Wayman Triana of Nacogdoches caught Toyota ShareLunker 561 from Sam Rayburn Reservoir during a Bass Champs tournament. The 13.05pound fish was 25.5 inches long and 21 inches in girth. Triana caught it in 15 feet of water on a crankbait at 1:30 p.m.

Darrell Tompkins of Huffman, also fishing on Sam Rayburn, rounded out a three-ShareLunker day, catching Toyota ShareLunker 562 at 6 p.m. Tompkins was throwing a spinnerbait in shallow water when the 14.32-pound bass took it. The fish was 26.25 inches long and 22.25 inches in girth. It was held for pickup at Jackson Hill Marina, an official Toyota ShareLunker weigh and holding station.

The final fish of the season was caught

by David Campbell Perciful of Conroe. He caught Toyota ShareLunker 563 on April 7 while fishing in a tournament on Lake Conroe. The fish weighed 13.14 pounds and was caught in six feet of water on an eightinch Texas-rigged lizard. The fish was 27.5 inches long and 20.25 inches in girth. It was held for pickup at Stow-A-Way Marina and RV Park, an official Toyota ShareLunker Weigh and Holding Station.

BIG BAGS CATCHES

ALLIGATOR

BLACK DRUM

WHITETAIL

Anahuac

Undisclosed Location

Medina

Taylor Shirley’s first time alligator hunting was a success, thanks to the Oyster Bayou Hunting at Anahuac.

Holden Janysek caught this 44-inch black drum in Seadrift, using cut crab while on a family fishing trip. It was his largest fish so far.

Frank Garcia of Edinburg shot this 17 point buck at the DD Ranch in Medina in Bandera county. It scored 200 B&C and was his biggest buck to date.

Visit FishGame.com to upload your Big Bags & Catches Photos and Vote for our next Winners 12 |

J U N E

1506 TFG Report.indd 12

2 0 1 5

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

5/11/15 1:58 PM

State Funding from Sportsmen is Huge THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERvice announced today that it will distribute $1.1 billion in revenues generated by the hunting and angling industry to state and territorial fish and wildlife agencies throughout the nation. The funds support critical fish and wildlife conservation and recreation projects that benefit all Americans.

The Service apportions the funds to all 50 states and U.S. territories through the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration and Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration programs. Texas received $54,850,661.

Revenues come from excise taxes generated by the sale of sporting firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, fishing equipment, electric boat motors, and from taxes on the purchase of motorboat fuel.

“These funds are the cornerstone of state-based efforts that are critical to the preservation of America’s wildlife and natural resources,” said Service Director Dan Ashe. “But they are also the fuel for a massive financial engine that benefits outdoor recreationists, hunters, boaters and anglers, equipment manufacturers and retailers, and local and regional economies. Their value cannot be overstated in providing opportunities for the next generation of Americans to get outdoors, experience our wild places and learn the importance of conserving our natural heritage.”

Pittman Robertson-Dingell Johnson funds are distributed by the Service’s Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program.

Since their inception, the programs have generated more than $15 billion to conserve fish and wildlife resources and support outdoor recreation opportunities for the American public.

The recipient state fish and wildlife agencies have matched these funds with more than $5 billion over the years, mostly through license revenues.

“The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program provides critical funding for conservation projects and outdoor recreation activities across this great nation,” said Assistant Director Hannibal Bolton of the Service’s WSFR program.

“I can’t stress enough that the key to the program’s success is through our dedicated partnerships with State agencies, non-gov-

1506 TFG Report.indd 13

ernment organizations and many others.

“It is thanks to this significant financial investment made by America’s sportsmen and women and the hunting, shooting sports, angling and boating industries that state and territorial fish and wildlife agencies can deliver science-based conservation on the ground,” said Larry Voyles, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies President and Arizona Game and Fish Dept. Director.

“The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program has made the difference

between the survival and abundance of some species and it helps agencies like mine manage a vast estate of lands and waters and connect more people to wildlife-related recreation.”

—from Staff Reports

5/11/15 1:58 PM

DOGGETT at Large

by JOE DOGGETT :: TF&G Contributing Editor

Protect Your Investment

scoff! I’ve come up short at least once, and I’ve seen two other veteran anglers pull the same blunder.

You do, in fact, have four pieces in the sock, but only three belong to the rod in question.

The confusion typically occurs at the conclusion of a major trip, as you break down and wipe down the various rods prior to packing for home. They all tend to look alike. This especially is true amid hurried circumstances, or under poor lighting condi-

Now is the time to find out if a ferrule is cracked or a tip guide is broken.

The second thing to do on a flight is to hand-carry the breakdown rods whenever possible. Checking valuable, fragile fly rods is risking disaster. Various compact rod cases suitable for carry-on are available, and a good one can accommodate five or six rods in their individual socks. These cases more-or-less meet carry-on requirements but O, YOU ARE THE PROUD a nitpicking agent may be a problem. At possessor of a fine, new fly rod. least you tried.

Maybe you When “setting up” a bought it. rod, the first day in camp, Maybe it was a gift. make sure each section is Maybe you “borrowed” snug. Some makers recit. ommend rubbing a bit How you obtained the of wax on each male ferrod is of no concern to rule, but modern rods are me. My objective is to pretty good about staying offer some advice on how together during the rigors to take care of it. Keep of casting. in mind that a high-end Having said this, it graphite stick from most takes only a moment to of the big names in the hand test the tightness industry retails between of each section several $500 and $1,000. A times during a prolonged little TLC is worth consession. Old habits die sidering. hard, and this is not a Most fly rods are built bad ritual to follow. If an on a four-piece “travel” unattended section works A conservative retail value of the tackle in this design. The individual loose, the trip-killing Christmas Island rod rack is $6,000 to $7,000.

The wise angler strives to protect his investment. sections are placed in a price could be a split fercloth sock and secured rule. in a fitted aluminum tube Pay attention when with a twist-off cap. This is a good idea, tions, or maybe after three fingers of dark, stringing the fly line from the reel and considering that most fly rods are in the aged rum. through the rod guides. The typical ninenine-foot range that would be awkward to Inadvertently swapping a section from foot rod has 11 guides, including the striptransport in one or two sections. It’s worth the pickup-stix jumble on your bunk can per and tip. The so-called snake guides in noting that modern technology allows the knock a favorite rod out of action for the between are small (compared to spinning or four-piece design to function with ease and next expedition. My blunder happened with casting rods); it’s easy to miss one, especially elegance. an 8-weight bonefish rod in the Yucatan. after dabbling around the aforementioned Also worth noting, fly rods and jet planes The third section in the sock belonged to a ice cubes. often go together (as many staggering credit 10-weight back at home.

While you’re at it, make certain the line card accounts will attest).

When packing for a trip it doesn’t cost goes through the eye of the rear stripping The first thing to do when packing for a anything to pull each rod from its tube and guide and not through the gap between the big trip is to ensure that each individual rod ensure all four pieces match. If nothing else, eye and the foot. tube contains four matching sections. Don’t this inspection is smart damage control.

Missing a guide sounds dumb but it hap-

S

14 |

1506 Doggett.indd 14

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

5/11/15 1:59 PM

pens with alarming regularity. During a day on the water, sometimes the line between the tip-section guides wraps back through itself.

Exactly how this happens, I have no idea, but be aware of the potential problem.

A sure sign something is wrong is when you can’t “shoot” properly during a manly double haul. The cast bogs down and you look like a rookie. Even worse, if a hot fish takes off, the added friction might snap the leader.

On the subject of stringing the rod, be careful when pulling a long leader from the tip. Pull out, not down. If the nail knot or fly line loop hangs in the tip guide, the abrupt resistance at the sharp angle can snap the tip in a nanosecond.

Same thing when attempting to land a big fish by holding the high rod tight to your chest and pulling back to bring the trophy close. The acute angle can snap the sharp bend in the tip. The correct stance is to extend the rod hand as far behind you as possible while tilting the tip forward to ease pressure on the tip. Grab the leader and glide the Big Boy within reach. And,

1506 Doggett.indd 15

of course, release tension at once if the fish bolts away.

A major disaster can occur if a leaping fish comes toward a high rod. The resulting slack can whip around the tip. Your best chance is to thrust the rod forward, slamming it down near the water, and hope the inertia flings the slack wraps off the tip. It does work if you react smartly.

Reeling frantically against a great bag of slack also can encourage the line to wrap around the waggling, bobbling tip; the wise ploy is to shove the tip into the water, providing tension to control the incoming line. Of course, saying this at the keyboard and doing this in the clutch can be two different issues.

Fortunately, with my cat-like reflexes, controlling slack against a raging fish rarely has been a problem. Well, maybe once or twice.

If, despite all, you become tip-wrapped against a hot fish two bad things can happen: The leader will break or the tip will break. Better the former, but neither does much for bragging rights back at camp.

Finally, putting a rod to bed wet is asking

for trouble. It’s OK to stuff a damp rod and sock in a tube for the trip back, just remember to air them out when you get home. This means the day you return not two or three weeks later. Failure to promptly tend to this chore might result a nasty, moldy cork grip and a rod unfit for use.

Many things can cripple a fine fly rod.

And in the real world screw-ups happen.

Fortunately, the ruinous price tag for a topend stick usually includes a no-questionsasked guarantee. At least, it should. The cost for a repair (or replacement) can be anywhere from free to about $50, depending on the manufacturer.

Send the rod and tube off and a month or so later it returns like new. This is one thing the industry really got right.

Email Joe Doggett at ContactUs@fishgame.com

5/11/15 1:59 PM

PIKE on the Edge

by DOUG PIKE :: TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

Social Media Rules

N

O TWO WORDS, NOT trolling motor nor steel shot nor braided line nor mechanical decoy, have more greatly impacted the way outdoorsmen interact and communicate than social media.

The procession and proliferation of sites and apps devoted to outdoor recreation are littered with shortcomings, but they pretty far outweigh the ugly, and that is especially true as regards to resource management.

On the positive side of the ledger, for starters,

1506 Pike.indd 16

are the thousands of websites and message boards dedicated to the lawful, conscientious pursuit of fish and game. Photographs, stories, product reviews, tips and hints are at our fingertips all day every day and right through the night, never more than a click away for the curious sportsman.

The amount of information “out there” is growing nearly exponentially. With little more than a smartphone, Wi-Fi connection and young eyes, there’s absolutely no aspect of outdoor recreation about which you can’t learn more than you ever wanted to know in half the time you thought it would take.

Also to the favor of social media, there is the incredible amount of law enforcement being done by lawbreakers themselves. “Dumb criminals,” they’re called wherever they pop up, and lately, a whole lot of them are popping up on outdoor-

related sites.

Turns out, when some poachers take animals illegally, they can’t resist posting photographs of themselves to boast of what they killed or caught.

Nearly every state wildlife law-enforcement agency now has staff dedicated specifically to watching young people’s favorite sites for possible violators and violations.

I’m not sure how dumb you have to be to post a picture of yourself with an illegally taken animal, but I know that lots of guys are at least dumb enough. Kind of makes me laugh, truth be told, and makes airtight cases for game wardens.

A pebble in the shoe of social media, once you navigate outside the best known and recognized brands and sites, is that there’s no way to distinguish between valid information and misinformation. They look nearly identical, sometimes dis-

5/7/15 8:53 PM

tinguishable only by application of common sense.

Beware false and outrageous claims. Your parents were right, as were their parents: If it seems too good or amazing to be true, it probably is…not true.

Another red flag is the site that carries dozens of rave reviews and none or maybe one negative comment. Everybody loves the new fish widget but nobody, not a single person, took issue with the thing? Unlikely.

Remember as you size up a temptation, the person who owns the site is the one who decides which comments see daylight and which are swept under the digital rug.

I was asked once by an acquaintance to post a glowing review of his product when, in fact, I’d never even used it. I declined, of course, but was left with strong doubt about each of the other favorable comments at his company’s website.

In the race to tick me off, rants of the ignorant and idle are running a dead heat with fake praise.

Some take pleasure in criticizing hunters who generally don’t deserve it. Bolstering my case against these dimwits is the fact they typically prey on women hunters as if women who hunt might be somehow weaker than men who hunt. (Guess

1506 Pike.indd 17

what? They’re not.)

Twice in recent memory, hunting women have suffered vile and unfounded comments from people who reacted with a jerked knee to photographs that showed the women with game they’d taken legally around the world.

Those who posted the grossly negative comments didn’t take time to research the subjects of their disapproval. Nor, based on what I read, did they bother to check local status of the animals that were hunted or where the money spent on those hunts wound up.

(In two high-profile cases, the animals in question were not threatened or endangered, the animals were killed fully in accord with rules and regulations of the countries in which the hunts took place, the meat and hide and other parts of those animals were used by locals, and trophy fees paid by the hunters went to anti-poaching and habitatrestoration efforts. But details such as those never stopped an anti-hunter from raising a stink.)

When a professional hunter was killed by a charging elephant in Namibia early this spring and word of the tragedy found social media, animalrights fanatics leapt at the chance to write that the man had it coming and that they hoped more

hunters met the same fate.

Did they know the PH was involved with programs to save those elephants from poachers? Did they care that he, during his career, probably was responsible for the injection of more than a million dollars into cash-poor local economies? Did they ask any questions at all before they condemned a dead man? Probably not.

A finally word of social-media caution: Anytime you post something to the Internet, especially if it’s at all controversial, it’s forever.

Posting to the Internet is like writing a letter and mailing it to everyone in the world. And even if you delete it quickly, the recipient may already have hit the “Print Screen” button and saved that off-the-cuff remark permanently.

If one boring night, a couple of energy drinks into a social media session, you elect to challenge some college kid who hates hunting and guns and wishes we’d all fall off a cliff, think before you type and choose your words carefully.

One of my favorite words under those circumstances is “jackass.” It’s not vulgar or overly harsh, but it’s direct and universally understood.

5/7/15 8:53 PM

NUGENT in the Wild

by TED NUGENT :: TF&G Editor-at-Large

CornHold StrangeHold

F

OR MANY YEARS NOW I wake up each night two or three times to relieve my oldman overworked bladder, but it’s not all that bad really. In fact I rather look forward to it, for you see, on each pee trip, there outside my bathroom window I am rewarded with one of the greatest joys of my life.

Throughout the night and into the morning I catch glimpses of many whitetail deer, exotics like giant Oryx and Gemsbok, blackbuck antelope by the dozens, groups of fallow deer, axis deer, sika deer, bands of Aoudad rams, nervous rabbits and jackrabbits, fidgety squirrels, flitting songbirds and birds of prey of every description and species, the occasional aggressive wild hog, even turtles, snakes, armadillos, roadrunners, many varieties of waterfowl and shorebirds, and even fish splashing about where the errant kernels may fall off shore.

And this constant stimulating joy is a direct result of another daily priority joy-the daily running of shellcorn and other proven wildlife attractants all around my home property in order to maximize critter encounters, and we all know that the more critter encounters we are blessed with each day brings those ever-loving healing powers of nature to the max as epitomized by such sightings.

Corn! Wonderful, wonderful, wildlife enhancing golden kernels of CORN! I gotta tell ya, this simple grain brings me so much indescribable joy, happiness and supreme quality of life, I get a little emotional just talking about it.

I’ll never forget the very 1st time corn came into my life other than roasted with salt and butter at the picnic table. I had just bought my 1st little chunk of American deerhunting dream wildlife paradise farm in southern Michigan way back in 1971, and was struggling, as I had been for my 1st 20 years of stumbling, fumbling skunked deerhunting desperate to

18 |

1506 Nugent.indd 18

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

ambush a whitetail with my trusty Bear recurve bow, MicroFlite glass arrows and old Bear Razorheads.

From the very beginning I hunted hard every day I could possibly get out there, but never seemed to nail down that ever mystical, always elusive “right place right time” thing.

I wanted backstraps so bad I could taste them!

On numerous occasions I would see deer movement off in the distance right around dusk, but never in range of my chosen tree. And if you can believe it, astonishingly and inexplicably, treestands were illegal in Michigan back then, so until we fixed that absurd law, I would settle into a slightly elevated crotch of some big old oak tree where I thought I could get a decent shot.

Scouting one day in my ever increasing frustration to kill a deer, I wandered down to the edge of a cut corn field where I had seen deer move on several occasions. As I rounded the bend where the wide, thick, tangled fencerow opened up into the field, right there at my feet was an elongated, three foot half-moon shaped scattering of shellcorn where I figured the combine had spilled some as it made the hard loop out of the field.

I knew that there were spilled kernels here, there and everywhere throughout every harvested field, but I had never seen an accumulation as apparent as this scattering.

Why a more concentrated accumulation would attract more deer better than random spillage didn’t make sense to me at the time, but the proof was in the eye witness evidence, so I figured I would improvise, adapt and overcome.

There was no good ambush setup where this corn had spilled, so I scooped and scraped up a bunch of kernels and relocated them to a good, deadly spot.

Well, suffice it to say, I had struck real gold with this revelation, and from that point on, with many other lessons learned about getting into bowrange of crazy spooky Michigan whitetails, suffice it to say that the backstraps and giddy smiles started flowing from that point on!

Each day here at home in Texas on our SpiritWild Ranch, I load up my mighty Labradors Gonzo and Happy into the Polaris

T E X A S

F I S H

&

with a Harvant electric feeder mounted on the back bumper full of corn, and we make our daily run scattering corn here, there and everywhere across the property.

We have discovered the best of the best commercial attractant/supplements on the market too, and we go wild planting Evolved Harvest Throw&Grow all over the place along with varieties of killer Buck Forage Oats and other proven plantings.

We also make it a point to create mineral licks with our Primos Red Spot concoction along with some green selenium blocks.

We have many electric automatic cornfeeders strategically placed around the property too, including the incredible Capsule feeders (capsulefeeders.com) and super strong and reliable Hang Em High feeders (hangemhighfeeders. com) plus a monster custom Dandy feeder that holds a ton!

Bags of granulated Swamp Donkey and Swamp Donkey blocks are placed in prime travel corridors where wind, sun and cover provide the most advantageous ambush setup for both ladderstands, Shadow Hunter blinds and Primos Double Bull groundblinds.

I bet we have more than 50 setups on our 300 acre ranch to allow us to minimize pressure and still have the advantage of surprise.

Hunting the spookiest deer on the planet, I need all the help I can muster, I assure you.

When ponds and waterholes recede or dry up during always expected droughts, we run a pump down to the river to keep the waterholes up and running. The ultimate bait on hot hunting days is water!

Blessed with 100s and 100s of acorn raining oaks, many pecans, cedars and junipers galore, cedar elms, greenbriar, hackberrys, jungles of cedar and mesquite thickets, huge hayfields, wild berry and grapevine tangles, and our sacred home hunting grounds can only be described as the ultimate wildlife habitat an old bowhunter could dream of!

Say Glory Glory YOWZA backstrap Hallelujah!

Email Ted Nugent at TNugent@fishgame.com

G A M E ®

5/7/15 8:52 PM

TF&G COMMENTARY

by KENDAL HEMPHILL :: TF&G Political Editor

No, Ma’am

G

ROWING UP IN CENTRAL Texas, we had a word for girls who hunted, fished, and camped.

We called them “keepers.”

Granted, a lot of women went hunting with their husbands or boyfriends, but there were some who went hunting alone.

Such women were fairly rare even in rural America during the 1970s, but there has been an upsurge of female hunters since the turn of the millennium. And those women are now under attack.

Several years ago I wrote an article in this space about Olivia Angelloz, a beautiful lady whose home features numerous trophies from her hunts in Africa and elsewhere. Olivia also earned the title of Mrs. Nebraska in 2003, and used her influence to promote hunting whenever she was afforded an opportunity.

Unfortunately, such promotions of the shooting sports by women often backfire, and create more anger than support.

Kendall Jones, a nineteen-year-old cheerleader at Texas Tech University came face to face with this fact in 2014, after posting pictures of herself posing with African big game animals to her Facebook page. The vitriol was so thick that a Washington Post article by Caitlin Dewey claimed Kendall was “the most eminently hateable person on the Internet.”

Eva Shockey, of course, has been a strong contender for that title for years. As co-host of a hunting show on the Outdoor Channel, Eva has long been a target for anti-hunters.

Melissa Bachman, a hunter from Minnesota with her own television hunting show, spent some time at ground zero in 2013 over some African safari pictures. Her haters created a ‘Stop Melissa Bachman’ Facebook page which received 360,000 likes.

Lately it’s been Rebecca Francis’s turn to sit on the bullseye. Rebecca posted some pictures of her African kills, one of which was a giraffe, and sent the antis into a frothing fit.

Never mind her explanation that she had no intention of killing a giraffe, ever, until she was implored to dispatch this elderly male which had been ostracized by its herd.

Never mind that the meat fed hundreds of local, starving villagers.

And never mind that, had she not killed the giraffe, it would have soon suffered a slower and less dignified death.

For years we have scratched our heads at the anti-hunting crowd and its hypocrisy.

These pacifists are aghast when confronted with hunting of any kind, and their stated reason is that hunters have no respect for animals, or else they would never harm one.

The antis, of course love animals, and have a great respect for life. So they call for the heinous, horrible, torturous deaths of the hunters. It’s a self-defeating argument.

But as duplicitous as is the antis’ position on hunting in general, these recent attacks on female hunters have created a whole new level of hypocrisy among their ranks, which generally bulge at the seams with liberal, tolerant, equal rights advocates. It seems those most sensitive and opposed to misogyny are, themselves, misogynists.

This is, at best, incongruent, but just because something doesn’t make sense doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. When you’re dealing with people whose main argument is “life is sacred, therefore you must die,” you have to think outside the box. You might have to think outside the box factory.

The recent attacks on women who post pictures of themselves with animals they’ve killed would, in every case, not have occurred if they had been middle-aged men.

In point of fact, I happen to be a middleaged man, and I’ve posted pictures of myself with dead game lately. Not a peep from the antis. Although I’m hardly famous, I can point to some men who are celebrities who T E X A S

1506 Commentary.indd 19

F I S H

&

have received hardly a “shame on you” for similar posts.

According to the Washington Post, Vanderbilt philosophy professor Kelly Oliver thinks this is because people are unsettled by women who hunt. She says, “We expect men to be hunters, but we’re surprised when girls are hunting. We still have issues with women and girls carrying guns and using them.” This is, without question, evidence of a double standard.

Marlea Clarke, who teaches southern African politics at the University of Victoria, claims otherwise. She says the problem is not the hunters’ lack of a Y chromosome, but their blasé attitude about killing animals.

Clarke said, “There’s no self-reflection about the animals she’s (speaking of Kendall Jones) bragging about shooting. She doesn’t at all question that she’s going to South Africa and benefiting the white middleclass land owners, with few advances going towards the black population.”

Beg pardon, but how much are the antis helping the black population of Africa?

People who do nothing for African people are complaining that other people are also doing nothing for African people, and should die because of it.

At best the argument is disingenuous, at worst it’s criminal.

When the Ford Model T came out, you could get one in any color you wanted, so long as you wanted black. Liberals now want women to be treated as equals with men, so long as they act the way the liberals want them to act. Which means, don’t act like real men.

The times, they are achanging . . .

G A M E ®

Email Kendal Hemphill at ContactUs@fishgame.com

|

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

19

5/7/15 7:46 PM

story by Matt Williams

20 |

J U N E

2 0 1 5

Feature 1 Tx Overlooked Lakes-MW.indd 20

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E 速

PHOTO: MATT WILLIAMS

5/7/15 7:50 PM

e

verybody knows Texas harbors some of the very best bass fishing lakes on the planet, but some of those impoundments grab way more attention than all the rest put together.

As a result, some of the state’s sweetest spots often get lost in the whirlwind of media hype frequently cast on Texas “super lakes” and whopper size tournament favorites like

Sam Rayburn, Toledo Bend, Livingston, Palestine, Conroe, Fork, Ray Roberts or Falcon.

Think about it for a minute. When is last time you saw Lake Pinkston mentioned in a magazine or on the Internet? How about Lake Kurth, Timpson, Lake O’ The Pines, Bonham, Athens, Marine Creek, Bastrop, Murvaul, Welsh or Somerville?

T E X A S

Feature 1 Tx Overlooked Lakes-MW.indd 21

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

|

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

21

5/7/15 7:50 PM

The spectacular bass fishing available in Texas is not limited to the so-called “super lakes.”

Trust me. The lack of publicity about some of these fisheries doesn’t come because of crappy fishing quality. Often times it comes as the result of dynamite bassin’ that tight-lipped locals had rather keep all to themselves.

A few of my fishing buds may want to dump outboard oil in my fuel cell for what about I am about share here, but sometimes it comes with the territory. Here is a synopsis of some of Texas most overlooked bass lakes:

ing optimum conditions for vertical flipping in the summer and springtime sight fishing.

TPWD manages the lake with a restrictive 16-inch maximum length limit, designed

to protect all bass larger than 16 inches and to enhance the trophy prospects. Access is limited to annual and daily permit holders.

Annual permits and three-day permits can Chris Fontenot pulls a nice bass out of Lake Kurth.

Kurth Here’s an East Texas honey hole that has gotten so little publicity over the years that many folks may not even know it exists.

Located in Angelina County a few miles off US 59, Kurth spans about 726-acres and maintains an outstanding population of trophy-size fish, largely because of its excellent water quality, a relatively constant water level and outstanding habitat provided by abundant hydrilla, lily pads, cattails submerged brush and stumps. The water clarity here is typically gin-clear, and hydrilla has taken hold at depths beyond 15 feet, creat22 |

J U N E

2 0 1 5

Feature 1 Tx Overlooked Lakes-MW.indd 22

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

PHOTOS: MATT WILLIAMS

5/7/15 7:50 PM

be purchased through the City of Lufkin Monday through Friday or from the lake caretaker’s residence during daylight hours.

Overlooked bass fisheries such as Somerville, Pinkston, Brandy Branch and even the larger Lake O’ the Pines offer a change of pace from better known high-pressure lakes.

Pinkston Pinkston has as been producing big bass since the early 1980s, but the late Earl Crawford made it famous when he hauled in a former state record weighing 16.90 pounds there in February 1986.

Located in Shelby County along Big and Little Sandy creeks, the lake spans only 523 surface acres. But don’t be fooled by its size.

Pinkston maintains one of the healthiest bass populations in all of eastern Texas.

It was among the first lakes in the state to be stocked with Florida bass (1976) and has since been salted with more than 20,000 Toyota ShareLunker offspring that have flourished in a habitat-rich environment comprised of hydrilla, lily pads and abundant wood cover. The fish are protected by a restrictive 14- to 21-inch slot limit.

Timpson For years, the 237-acre reservoir has been flying beneath the radar of Texas’s bass fishing fraternity. Meanwhile, a handful of local anglers from Shelby and surrounding counties have been catching and releasing big Florida bass topping 12 pounds and saying very little about it. There has never been a lake record largemouth certified for Timpson, if that tells you anything.

Located at the end of FM 2667, Lake Timpson is named after the nearby town of the same name. It maintained an abundant coverage area of hydrilla until 2004, when grass carp were introduced at the request of lakeside homeowners.

Although the grass has not yet made a comeback, the lake has dozens of docks, stumps and plenty of native vegetation where anglers can soak their baits. The lake is governed by a 14- to 21-inch slot limit intended to promote quality fishing.

Somerville Here’s a sweet little honey hole just a short trip from Houston for those looking for change of pace from more pressured waters like Conroe, Livingston or Fayette County.

Located near Brenham, Somerville covers about 11,400 acres and produces num-

bers and quality fish alike. In 2009, the lake kicked out a lake record ShareLunker weighing 13.6 pounds.

Things are looking especially bright for the lake’s future thanks to big rains last spring that pushed it beyond full pool just prior to the heart of the spawn. According to area fisheries biologist Mark Webb, the big rise flooded a wealth of terrestrial vegetation that grew during multiple years of low water, creating optimum conditions for spawning and recruitment of a banner year-class of fish.

The lake is managed under the statewide limit of five fish, 14 inches. It is worth nothing that Somerville also maintains good populations of white bass and hybrids.

Lake O’ The Pines Lake o’ the Pines near Longview will turn 60 next year. But you would never know it by the quality of the goods.

Lake o’ the Pines has weathered the test of time and continues to crank out top notch results for weekend anglers and tournament buffs alike. The lake record is 15.13 pounds, and it produces fish in the 6- to 8-pound class consistently.

The lake typically produces the heaviest sacks during the spring months. However, summertime can be outstanding for those who like to toss frogs and topwaters around grass and lily pads or dredge deep diving T E X A S

Feature 1 Tx Overlooked Lakes-MW.indd 23

F I S H

&

crankbaits around main lake structure.

The best grass is typically located at the lake’s northern quadrant, but some fear the vegetation may have gotten hurt by extreme high water back in March and April. The lake is governed by the statewide five-fish, 14-inch length limit.

Brandy Branch Brandy Branch is a 1,250 acre power plant reservoir east located east of Longview off of FM 3251 in Harrison County. It was built in 1982.

If you like to flip grass with big jigs, this is definitely one to check out during the summer months. The lake is extremely clear and the hydrilla forms mats at depths beyond 20 feet.

It produces good numbers of quality fish and some giants. Local bass club events frequently record five fish weights topping 20 pounds, and 30-pound sacks aren’t unheard of. The lake also produces outstanding results at night because of its extremely clear water.

The lake record at “Perky” stands at 13.97 pounds, and it frequently produces fish in the 8- to 10-pound class. The limit on bass is five fish, 14 inches.

G A M E ®

|

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

23

5/7/15 7:50 PM

24 |

J U N E

Fea 2-Blacktip Sharks.indd 24

2 0 1 5

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E 速

5/7/15 7:51 PM

y first encounter with a blacktip shark came while soaking a big hunk of cut mullet behind a shrimp boat in the Gulf of Mexico.

I will never forget seeing the streamlined fish burst from the water like a wayward rocket and achieve an almost marlin-like tail walk on the sandy green surface. To my fishing hosts, this was just another annoying shark, but to this young angler it was an encounter with destiny.

Since then I have battled and caught many blacktips.

Although my shark studies have focused more on bulls, great whites, tigers and even the diminutive Atlantic sharpnose, blacktips always seem to be in the mix somewhere. These sharks are popular and important for sport anglers on the Gulf Coast, yet they are greatly misunderstood.

For starters, all “blacktips” are not necessarily blacktips. Young bull sharks are sometimes mistaken for blacktips by novice anglers due to the black markings on their fins but on closer inspection, the rounded nose and bulldog like appearance of the bull is a striking contrast to the sleek blacktip. The spinner shark however is much more difficult to differentiate from blacktips. In fact, many veteran anglers and biologists have a hard time telling the difference at first glance.

They are very similar in body shape and size and both are quite acrobatic when hooked although the spinner twists like a tornado as the name implies, and blacktips do more straight jumps. The best way to tell them apart is the anal fin on the spinner is black whereas the blacktip’s is not. In reality, the spinner in many cases has more black on its tips than the blacktip.

If you were to ask anglers whether these species were dangerous, most would answer with a resounding “No!” since they are not in the lexicon of deadly sharks. In fact, the Discovery Channel produced a highly rated program about the top 10 most dangerous sharks and neither made the list. Both the oceanic whitetip and shortfin mako did.

However, those species rank far below both the blacktip and spinner in terms of unprovoked attacks on humans according to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF) at the Florida Museum of Natural History.

PHOTO: DPC

Fea 2-Blacktip Sharks.indd 25

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

|

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

25

5/7/15 7:51 PM

Blacktips can grow to fairly large sizes and and are extremely exciting sportfish with impressive acrobatic ability.

ISAF data show blacktips are responsible for 28 unprovoked attacks and 13 provoked attacks (think feeding, harassing, etc.). Spinners have been responsible for 15 unprovoked attacks, and one on the provoked side. For comparison, the oceanic whitetip committed five unprovoked and three provoked attacks. The shortfin mako dished out eight unprovoked attacks and 15 provoked.

In the network’s defense, its list featured numerous factors, including fatalities, size and likelihood to encounter humans. This would obviously put species like the great white above many other known attackers, but in terms of raw attack data, blacktips and spinners deserve our respect.

They are also a species humans are likely to encounter in shallow water along beaches.

This is where anglers tote stringers of speckled trout and other sport fishes, not to mention the scores of swimmers in this area.

It is also possible blacktips and spinners 26 |

J U N E

Fea 2-Blacktip Sharks.indd 26

2 0 1 5

|

are responsible for more attacks than ISAF can accurately list.

“Positive identification of attacking sharks is very difficult, since victims rarely make adequate observations of the attacker during the ‘heat’ of the interaction,” according to George H. Burgess of ISAF. “Tooth remains are seldom found in wounds, and diagnostic characters for many requiem sharks (including blacktips and spinners) are difficult to discern even by trained professionals.

“Realistically, almost any shark in the right size range, roughly six feet (1.8 meters) or greater, is a potential threat to humans because, even if a bite is not intended as a directed feeding attempt on a human, the power of the jaw and tooth morphology can lead to injury.”

This does not mean you should start worrying about becoming a blacktip’s next meal.

After all, shark attacks are rare, no matter

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

the species. However, you might want to give them a bit more respect because the statistics don’t lie.

The blacktip shark deserves it.

I spent two summers tagging blacktips with the Mote Marine Laboratory under the guidance of biologist John Tyminski.

Unfortunately, I had to quit my tagging efforts because of finances and an adequate boat at the time, but I learned a lot about the species and their conservation problems.

The Mote officials were interested in establishing whether the Upper Texas Coast was a nursery area for blacktips and whether they headed south toward Mexican waters in the winter.

There is a totally unregulated commercial fishery for sharks (and just about everything else in the Gulf) down there. Biologists were looking for a way to establish where the sharks were produced and where they met their demise.

My personal favorite blacktip encounter PHOTO: CHESTER MOORE

5/7/15 7:51 PM

PHOTO: DPC:

Blacktip sharks frequent shallow waters and are likely to be encountered by humans.

happened in the Chandelier Islands back in the summer of 1999. I was fishing off the shore of Breton Island with Capt. George Knighten when a school of mullet in front of us went from being nervous to completely freaking out. They leapt in every direction away from something that looked to be about two and half feet long and stirring in the water below.

Knighten, who was wading ahead of me, chunked his Mirrolure Top Dog toward the fracas, fully expecting to catch a big sow speck. What he got instead was a massive blowup from a juvenile blacktip. At that

Fea 2-Blacktip Sharks.indd 27

time, Top Dogs were hot commodities so he wanted to reel the fish in and retrieve his plug. However, the shark had other ideas, snapping the line easily with its sharp sandpaper skin and quickly darting back into the small channel along the island.

Two days later, just before we were headed back to the mainland, Knighten and I found ourselves wading the exact same stretch of shoreline, this time catching a nice bunch of specks. As we plugged away, Knighten hollered “shark” as a blacktip tugged at his stringer, making an easy meal of the trout.

“You’re not going to believe this,” Knighten said.“This is the same blacktip I lost here two days ago.”

“How do you know,” I asked.

“My plug is still in its mouth!”

Whether that shows the species is territorial or not is debatable, but it definitely illustrates a dogged determination that is seeing this valuable species hold its own while others dwindle away.

5/11/15 2:00 PM

Natural Options for Better Management and Better Hunting STORY BY CHESTER MOORE 28 |

J U N E

Fea 4 Deerlease.indd 28

2 0 1 5

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E 速

PHOTO: CANSTOCK

5/11/15 2:01 PM

IF YOU WANT TO be consistently successful hunting whitetails, gaining a broad knowledge of their natural food habitat is important.

The time to start thinking about it is now.

It is easy to rely solely on corn feeders to lure them in, but the fact is deer prefer natural foods when they are abundant, and few big bucks frequent feeders during legal shooting hours.

There is another reason for this story.

With today’s financial woes, many hunters are having to hunt national forest land, draw for hunts on public land or simply forego using feeders.

We thought it was important to give some space to the importance of natural foods.

The food sources deer will eat are growing right now, and the earlier you get the jump on their location, the better―especially if you are hunting public land.

The Texas Agricultural Extension Service based out of Texas A&M University said it’s important for hunters to know that white-tailed deer are ruminants like cows, but their diet selection is radically different.

T E X A S

Fea 4 Deerlease.indd 29

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

|

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

29

5/11/15 2:01 PM

Learning a deer’s preferred food can save you money and help score on nutritious, heart-healthy venison.

“Cattle are grass-roughage eaters, have a relatively large rumen relative to body size, and depend heavily on grasses for their diet. Grasses are relatively low in crude protein and digestibility when compared with legumes or forbs (broadleaf weeds).”

“Because of these nutritive parameters, grasses have a longer residence time in the cow rumen,” they said. “Longer residence time increases rumen microflora (bacteria and protozoa) degradation of the forage.

Thus for grass-roughage eaters such as cattle and sheep, residence time is relatively long and rate of passage slow.”

White-tailed deer are concentrate selectors, which means their diet must be higher in nutritive value and more rapidly degraded in the rumen.

“Therefore, white-tailed deer rely primarily on forbs and browse (leaves and twigs of 30 |

J U N E

Fea 4 Deerlease.indd 30

2 0 1 5

|

woody plants), which are usually higher in crude protein and digestibility than grasses.

Grasses comprise only a very small part of the overall diet of the white-tailed deer. Only grasses that are rapidly degraded in the rumen, such as the small grains and ryegrass, are used to any extent by deer.”

“Other useful introduced forages include both warm- and cool-season legumes. Native plants used by white-tailed deer include browse, forbs, soft and hard mast (fruits, acorns), and mushrooms. Forbs and mast, while providing good nutrition, may not be available each year or at all times of the year.

Browse is usually the most important source of deer nutrition because of year-round availability.”

Another excellent source for deer is black gum, which Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) officials rank

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

as “excellent” for deer and other game.

Coralberry or “buck brush” is a great source of food, especially in the eastern third of the state.

The name should give it away, but the thicket it creates along with the nutrition it provides makes it a favorite among deer hunters in the region. Looking at the Piney Woods as a whole, TPWD officials note that in most areas, the virgin forest has been harvested several times over the last century.

For those hunting on national forest or large public hunting lands in the eastern third of the state it is important to examine how the land is divided.

A TPWD survey indicated that 22 percent of all timberland was classified as pine plantation. Most (72 percent) plantation establishment was on forest industry lands.

The 1992 survey indicated that approxiPHOTOS: COURTESY TPWD

5/7/15 4:05 PM

Pre-season scouting is key on public lands in East Texas in particular because natural foods are the only kinds allowed to hunt over. Feeders are banned.

mately 71 percent of the plantations were less than 20 years old.

That is worth explaining because some of the very best areas in the state are around fresh clear cuts (and up to a few years old) that are used to make way for these pine plantations.

“The woods in the region are so different from what they were 100 years ago,” said hunting enthusiast Chris Godfrey. “The reason you see deer feeding alongside the roads so much is because that’s where a lot of the broadleaf forbs they eat can grow. It requires sunlight for them to grow; and in much of the woods, there is not enough light for that to happen.”

Godfrey said that’s why hunters would be wise to find those fresh clear cuts.

“As aesthetically unpleasing as they are, there is no denying they produce a lot of the woody browse and allow for broadleaf forbs to grow, which is very important to deer,” he said. “Some misinformed hunters move their stands when their area gets clear cut, but the reality is they should be staying there because there will be a whole lot more deer activity than before.”

Broadleaf forbs are essentially weeds that grow in open areas and are what often give farmers and gardeners a big headache. In T E X A S

Fea 4 Deerlease.indd 31

F I S H

&

fact, most of the time deer are seen in fields feeding, they are eating these forbs, not the grasses. Find a weedy pasture along a pine thicket, and you’re likely to find lots of deer.

“We have so many super-thick areas, but some of the very best you can find are some of the spots in the national forests that are managed with fire where the underbrush is kept low and you get a lot of the forbs growing and a lot of sunlight penetration into the forest,” Godfrey said.

“These spots also offer the advantage of being able to see deer. So much of the public hunting involves seeing a deer and then not seeing it a second later because of the habitat and its density. These types of areas allow you to have a much better chance of shooting deer you see.”

That is extra important, factoring in antler restrictions, and is crucial for the hunter with limited time.

Hunting on a budget is challenging. No doubt about it. However there is something about truly learning the habits of our quarry that makes the hunt that much more meaningful.

G A M E ®

|

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

31

5/7/15 4:05 PM

TEXAS Dept. of DEFENSE

by STEVE LAMASCUS & DUSTIN ELLERMANN

Self Defense Tactical :: Concealed Carry

Alterations

I

AM NOT A BIG BELIEVER IN altering carry guns.

When I was on active duty with the Border Patrol, and even before that, I saw a lot of cops who would do some pretty scary things to their guns with the idea it would make them quicker to get into action.

One of the scariest was cutting away the front of the trigger guard. The idea was that if there were no trigger guard to get in the way, the shooter could shave a few thousandths of a second off his reaction time. I never could see it did anything but make the gun unsafe and more fragile.

Some of the guys, when they got a new Smith & Wesson revolver, would immediately take the grips off, remove the side-plate, cut a couple of turns off the trigger return spring and unscrew the hammer spring tension screw until the trigger was

Defensive AR Upgrades AR15S ARE SO EASY TO CUStomize they are called “Adult Legos.”

With just a few simple tools you can upgrade any part. Although it is good to be proficient with a stock rifle, an optimized defensive rifle is preferred.

There are a few upgrades I always recommend.

First accessory you should acquire for your rifle is a good quality sling. Having a rifle without a sling is as silly as having 32 |

J U N E

1506 Dept of Def.indd 32

2 0 1 5

|

light enough to suit them.

The problem with this was that cutting too much off the trigger return spring could allow the shooter to tie up the gun in rapid fire. Also, unscrewing the hammer spring screw to lessen the tension on the spring could cause the hammer to strike the primer too lightly, thus causing a misfire, or worse a hang-fire.

On my competition guns I would spend untold hours honing the parts with hard Arkansas stones, filing the flat hammer spring, and cutting back the coil springs, to get just the ultimate possible perfection on the trigger. However, on my duty guns I left them pretty much the way they came from the factory.

If the trigger was so hard it was difficult to shoot well, I might cut a coil off the trigger

return spring, but never enough to cause the gun to tie up in rapid fire.

I left the hammer spring alone, because I wanted to be absolutely sure that the gun would fire when I pulled the trigger. A misfire in a pistol match is just an inconvenience. A misfire in a gunfight could very well mean your death.

Changing grips is another thing: I saw a lot of guys change from the factory grips to some kind of rubber grip, with the idea that it gave them a more solid grip on the gun.

This is true. However, often the grips they chose were the kind that placed a bunch of rubber between the back strap and the

a pistol without a holster. A sling isn’t necessary for plinking or zeroing your rifle, but for any serious training, huntThe author’s primary defensive rifle, and ing or defensive Adams Arms adjustable piston AR15 with maneuvers it is a VTAC sling, Geissele SSA trigger, Elzetta Charlie light, and Trijicon 1-4x optic. mandatory. I prefer an adjustable but try to at least get a Streamlight and two point sling even better, an Elzetta. These lights are like the VTAC series mounted with push designed to handle recoil and can take a button QD swivels so I can remove it beating. In fact I threw my Elzetta Charlie quickly as necessary. light out of a helicopter from 300 feet Next I recommend mounting a good onto concrete, and it still works. Find quality light on the rifle. Evil loves the a solid mount that fits your preference, darkness so there is a good chance that if upgrade to a pressure switch and you will you ever were in a defensive situation, it would be in low light. I wouldn’t go cheap be in business.

My next upgrade would be a good with a Chinese-made gun show special

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

PHOTOS: DUSTIN ELLERMANN

5/11/15 2:02 PM

1506 Dept of Def.indd 33

5/11/15 2:02 PM

TEXAS Dept. of DEFENSE shooter’s hand. This trend was, I think, started by Bill Jordan.

What the unsuspecting shooter didn’t realize was that Jordan had hands the size of the Jolly Green Giant. For him to grip the gun properly, he had to have this extra distance between the back strap and his hand, so that his trigger finger struck the trigger in the right place. If the shooter didn’t have hands a foot long, he was making a mistake that would negatively impact his ability to put the shots on the target.

I have big hands, but I cannot shoot that type of grip at all well. For me, the standard Smith &Wesson target grip, on anything but the small J-frame snubbies, fits like it was made for me.

Today, with the interchangeable rubber back straps on some of the modern semiautos, the shooter needs to find the one that fits him, not the one he was told was best by his buddy who is six foot eight, and has fingers eight inches long.

One alteration I wholeheartedly believe in is bobbing the hammer of a snub-nosed revolver that is to be carried concealed. The hammer spur of a snubby is of very little use. The little gun is (or should be) almost always fired double action, by pulling the trigger without using the hammer to cock

the gun.

A hammer spur is usually just in the way and can get caught in clothing during the draw. This happened to one of the deadliest gunfighters that ever lived. When John Wesley Hardin was confronted by a Texas Ranger on a train in Florida, where he was hiding from the law, he yelled, “Texas, by God!” and tried to draw his

quality trigger. Mil-spec triggers are reliable, but they can be horribly heavy, gritty and have way too much travel before the break. A consistent, crisp trigger will help you shoot accurately and give the overall quality of the rifle a boost.

I don’t recommend tweaking a milspec trigger by adjusting the springs because that can lead to reliability issues that could be catastrophic on a defensive rifle. A good quality trigger will run from $120-$300. The most affordable that I’ve found acceptable is the Rock River Arms two-stage trigger that runs $120 If you are uncomfortable installing smaller trigger parts look into the CMC self-contained, drop-in trigger.

Manufactured in Fort Worth, the CMC triggers offer a clean, crisp, consistent break in your choice of traditional curved

or flat shoe in a variety of different weights for around $200.

If you like options check out Geissele, which offers more than a dozen models tuned for different missions such as speedy 3 Gun to Competition Precision.

And finally I’ve really enjoyed the new LaRue MBT on my OBR lately. It’s also an ultra reliable, precision trigger manufactured out of solid S7 steel tool plates breaking crisply at 4.5 pounds in two stages of 2.5 and 2 pounds.

My final AR upgrade is a reliable optic.

Since defense is usually fast-paced and close quarters I suggest a non-magnified, red-dot style optic. My favorite has been Aimpoint. They are rugged and reliable and have a super-long battery life. I leave mine on 24/7 and haven’t replaced the battery in more than three years.

J U N E

1506 Dept of Def.indd 34

2 0 1 5

|

There are a number of snub-nosed revolvers that have either shrouded hammers or internal strikers.

“

34 |

“

T E X A S

F I S H

&

gun, but the hammer got caught in his suspenders. The Ranger cold-cocked Hardin with the barrel of his Colt Peacemaker and hauled him off to prison.

There are a number of snub-nosed revolvers that have either shrouded hammers or internal strikers. If yours is not one of these, you should consider bobbing the hammer. The gun can still be cocked by starting the hammer back with the trigger, then catching the top of the hammer with the thumb to continue the cocking stroke.

This should never be done except on a range, or when out in the pasture and away from people, and never in a high tension environment, as an accidental discharge can occur.

By and large, carry guns should not be altered. It is almost always better to find one that suits you than it is to try to alter one to make it better.

—Steve LaMascus

I’ll also use a low-power magnification optic as long as it is a true 1x in addition to an illuminated reticle such as my Meopta and Trijicon. However if you can’t afford an optic that you can trust your life to, just make sure you have a secondary aiming system such as 45-degree iron sights, pop up iron sights that you can use with your optic, or true co-witness iron sights.

So before you slap on any silly bipods, foregrips, or any other bells and whistles to your Minuteman weapon system consider the above. Keep it simple, pray hard, shoot straight.

—Dustin Ellermann

G A M E ®

5/11/15 2:03 PM

Bare Bones HUNTING

by LOU MARULLO :: TF&G Hunting Editor

The Confidence Builder

S

PRING HAS SPRUNG! AND now it has already left!

It does not take too long for the warmth of summer to take control here in Texas.

Although some of the northern States are still dealing with the mud and rain that spring brings, Texans are already turning the air conditioners on, and hunting is no longer the most important thing on a hunter’s mind.

As a matter of fact, I would bet that most outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen reading this column have a Texas Fish and Game magazine in one hand and a fishing rod in the other.

I do not blame them at all. Sometimes, it is just too warm to deal with the bugs and the sweat while trying to take a hog or an exotic, but practice should always be on your mind.

I am not talking about an entire afternoon set aside for practice, but a light practice should be the order of the day.

It matters not if you are shooting your favorite rifle or “Betty Lou,” your trusty bow. You should keep both handy and easily available for a quick, half-hour of practice if you can.

I have a friend who shoots one arrow every day before he goes to work. He walks out of his kitchen to the garage, opens the garage door and picks up his bow. A target is already set up 20 yards away. He takes one shot, gets in his car and backs it up out of his driveway, retrieves his arrow while the garage door is closing, and off to work he goes every morning.

Now, I realize that to some, this kind of practice is a little “over the top,” but it really

is a good thing to do if you have the room to do it. By shooting one arrow a day, you are training your muscles to be able to draw before your first cup of coffee. Not only is this muscle memory important, but you also are training your mind to concentrate more on the shot.

If you have only one shot at the target, you want to make it count. That is exactly the way it is for us in the field in a real hunting situation. Many times, you get only one shot at the animal you are hunting. You need to be accurate to make that shot count.

Make practice fun. I remember when I wanted to introduce bow hunting to my young son. I would practice a little every day and would always ask him to join me. There was always a reason why he could not make it.

Then, one day I blew up some balloons and put them on my target. One by one the balloons would break, and my son was fascinated. Of course it did not take long before he showed a huge interest in giving it a try, himself. That afternoon has led to many afternoons, very early mornings and a lifetime of bow hunting.

Another way to make practice fun is to incorporate the old basketball game “pig” in your practice. I have no idea what it is called today. I have heard horse, cow…whatever.

The idea here is to make a shot and then the others have to make the same shot or take a letter. It can certainly get interesting when your buddy makes a shot on one leg that looks impossible.

Oh well… that’s what makes it fun.

This time of year is also a perfect time to teach your little one or not so little one some safety issues with your firearm. Even if they say they already know about it, it is always good to go over certain rules again and again.

Rules like… always treat your firearm as if it were loaded.

We are creatures of habit, and it is a good habit to get into always to check any firearm that is handed to you. Always check to make sure it is not loaded. Even after confirming it is empty, treat it as if it were loaded and T E X A S

1506 Hunting.indd 35

F I S H

&

always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

How about teaching your new hunter about cleaning your firearm? How does it come apart? What are the parts of your rifle?

What is their function, and how does it work?

Much can be discussed while you are in the process of cleaning it and making sure it is ready for the upcoming season (which really is not too far away).

You should not forget to sight your rifle in. give yourself plenty of time to do that.

Procrastinating is not a good thing here. As the season gets closer, more and more hunters will be at the range doing the same thing you are doing. So, my advice is to be one of the first people at the range a few months before the season begins. Once your firearm is sighted in, check it again to make sure it is unloaded and store it in a case until hunting season arrives.

You will have plenty of other things to do to fully prepare for the upcoming season. If you are like me, then you don’t view this as a chore. I love all the prep work that is involved before you actually get out there in the field.

For most hunters, it is fun to scout for deer sign, and that is going to take up a lot of your time next month.

With practice comes confidence, and confidence is something you will want to have when it comes time for the real hunt. Your nerves will be rattled enough just watching that big whitetail come closer and closer to you. If you have practiced enough, you are prepared. You are sure of yourself and you are confident you will fill your freezer this hunting season.

Above all, remember to hunt safe and have fun out there.

G A M E ®

Email Lou Marullo at ContactUs@fishgame.com

|

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

35

5/7/15 7:54 PM

story by Chester Moore “MR. CRAPPIE” IS THE PERFECT NICKNAME FOR WALLY MARSHALL. Yes, he has his own line of top-selling crappie fishing videos, a television show and dozens of crappie-related fishing products to his name. The man lives, eats and breathes crappie fishing.

“It’s what I do,” he said.

A couple of years back at Lake Fork Lodge, I spoke with Marshall. I had known him for a number of years, but we had never fished together so he invited me 36 |

Fea 3 Crappie.indd 36

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

out to remedy that and allow me to tap into his knowledge of crappie.

As we idled into a cove loaded with timber, Marshall said that anglers could spend hours trying to find fish without

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

electronics. “You really won’t have an impact on fishing unless you know how to use electronics,” he said. “It is important for any kind of fishing, but to consistently locate crappies, it is crucial.

PHOTO: CHESTER MOORE

5/11/15 2:05 PM

“Side-imaging sonar has changed the way we fish,” he said. “You can set it to read out to 200 feet, but I keep mine around 90 feet so the image is clear. In addition there is a split screen option to see what is below the boat. With a fish like crappie that holds tight to cover and structure, that is so important.”

Marshall said the spot we were fishing was a brush pile that stretched between two trees.

“What we’re going to be fishing with is a jig I have out through Strike King called The Joker,” he said. “It has incredible action and really lures in the crappie.” We fished these lures with six-pound test line on long fly-style poles Marshall has out through Lew’s.

“Throw right there,” he said pointing to the corner of a tree.

Thump!

A keeper black crappie hit my line.

T E X A S

Fea 3 Crappie.indd 37

F I S H

&

Then a few seconds later Marshall had one on. “Yesterday it was all whites,” he said.

“Interesting that some blacks moved in.”

Black and white crappie are both structure-loving fish, but will sometimes be found in different areas. “These crappie will move to different spots from day to day,” he said. “Not all of them, of course, but they move more than people think.”

G A M E ®

|

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

37

5/11/15 2:05 PM

Guides Roger Bacon and Ronnie Burnett with a huge strap of crappie caught on Sam Rayburn.

The day was overcast and Marshall said he hoped the sun would come out. “When it is overcast the fish are scattered, but when the sun is bright they hold tighter to the cover.”

And he was right.

As soon as the sun came out the bite turned on, I caught a two-pound white crappie. A few minutes later, Marshall did the same thing.

“I told you there are some big fish here,” he said.

Marshall said Lake Lavon is “bar none” the best crappie fishery in the state right now, but that he just returned from a 100-fish day on Rayburn and that Lake Fork is real sleeper for slabs. “This lake not only produces big bass but also big crappie and lots of them,” he said.

My time with Marshall reminded me how underappreciated the “intelligence” of crappie is among anglers, and my own experience showed me just how tuned-in Mr. Crappie is to these 38 |

Fea 3 Crappie.indd 38

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

great fish.

Back in 2005, I had the amazing opportunity to dive with and hand-feed “Splash,” the 121-pound blue catfish caught by angler Cody Mullenix on Lake Texoma.

The fish was brought in alive and housed at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in

T E X A S

Athens. My goal for the dive was to establish the perspective of a diver encountering a catfish of record proportions for an article I was doing about the legends of giant catfish below dams.

Before the dive, the dive master handed me a mesh bag with a few koi and a rainbow trout to feed “Splash” and another full of shiners and crickets to feed the bass and

A nice, fat black crappie.

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

PHOTOS: CHESTER MOORE; STEVE OEHLENSCHLAGER, DPC; DCW CREATIONS, CS

5/11/15 2:05 PM

Wally Marshall, a.k.a. Mr. Crappie.

perch. After achieving the goal of handfeeding the giant catfish and having someone photograph to show the scale of such a huge catfish and a grown man, I took a few minutes to feed the other fish.

Fea 3 Crappie.indd 39

My eyes were immediately drawn to a massive crappie in the tank.

The fish had to be every bit of three pounds, and as soon as I broke out the food, it started my direction. I held out a shiner toward it and was amazed as the fish slowly swam up to it, stopped and then blew a hard jet of water over my shiner (and my fingers) a second or two before lunging forward and inhaling it.

The fish repeated this process every time as I observed with astonishment. It was extremely cautious on the approach. Then came the blast of water, followed by the attack.”

After catching a few of these super-sized slabs on Sam Rayburn, it did not take long to connect the dots between my diving expe-

rience and the bites of these big fish. These trophy crappies, in my opinion, were either testing or shocking the bait before the strike.

My fishing guide friend Roger Bacon often feeds the crappie a little line by peeling it off the spool of his Falcon spinning reel.

He then sets the hook when he thinks it is a big one.

“We catch a lot of the bigger fish like that,” he said.

Now I know why.

Crappie fishing is gaining in popularity in Texas and Marshall said that is because of access. “Most lakes have a good crappie population,” he said. “There is nothing more fun than catching a mess of slabs for the frying pan with your family. If you have not been in awhile go. The fishing is great in Texas right now.”

“If you haven’t started, get after it. You will have loads of fun and at the end of the day that is what fishing is all about.”

5/11/15 2:05 PM

True GREEN TF&G Conservation Editor

Edited by WILL LESCHPER

Contributing Conservationists

H

UNTERS AND ANGLERS long have been the greatest conservationists of natural resources and game species while also pumping huge revenues into economies at the state and city levels.

Dove hunting in Texas alone is a more than $300 million industry, according to Texas Parks & Wildlife Department figures. Although that number includes valuable dollars headed to outfitters and momand-pop shops, the federal taxes generated by the overall hunting and angling industry end up going back into the state coffers earmarked for needed resource protections.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service annually distributes revenue to each state’s 40 |

J U N E

1506 TrueGreen.indd 40

2 0 1 5

|

wildlife agency through the PittmanRobertson Wildlife Restoration and Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration programs. These funds come from excise taxes on the sale of sporting firearms, ammunition, archery and fishing equipment, electric boat motors and taxes on the purchase of motorboat fuel. This year’s total of $1.1 billion includes $54,850,661 coming to our state, the highest appropriation in the country.

The Service’s Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program reimburses as much as 75 percent of the cost of each eligible project. State fish and wildlife agencies contribute a minimum of 25 percent, generally using hunting and fishing license revenues

T E X A S

F I S H

&

as the required non-federal match. Funding is paid by manufacturers, producers and importers and is distributed by the Service’s Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program to each state and territory.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs have generated more than $15 billion since their inception—1937 for the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Program and 1950 for the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Program. To conserve resources. State agencies have matched these program funds with more than $5 billion.

Pittman-Robertson funds allow TPWD’s Wildlife Division to offer many services, including technical guidance to private landowners who control 94 percent of wildlife habitat in Texas.

Other services include TPWD surveys and research for development of hunting regulations, operation and management of Wildlife Management Areas and conducting research and developing techniques for managing wildlife populations and wildlife habitat.

The Sport Fish Restoration Program supports monitoring of sport fish populations, their habitats and public use of fishery resources. Information collected from fishery management surveys is used to set fish harvest regulations, develop fish stocking plans and design projects that restore and enhance aquatic habitat.

Through support from the Sport Fish Restoration Program, TPWD has developed nationally recognized programs in applied research for the study of freshwater and coastal fisheries. These programs conduct special investigations of unique problems identified through fisheries management surveys. They also develop and evaluate projects focused on expanding and improving sport fishing in the state.

Other programs that benefit from these funds include projects that increase or improve access to public waters. These funds also fund the operation of freshwater Continued on page 42 u

G A M E ®

5/11/15 2:57 PM

1506 TrueGreen.indd 41

6/2/15 7:54 AM

True GREEN Seldon Lake Park Makeover

D

UCKS UNLIMITED AND THE Texas Parks and Wildlife Department are working on continuing improvements to Houston’s popular Sheldon Lake State Park.

Sheldon Lake State Park is a 2,900acre nature preserve and low-density educational park, specializing in the introduction of urban youth to the outdoors and wildlife.

The next phase of wetland restoration work on Sheldon Lake State Park will recreate eight acres of historic wetlands in this abandoned ag field.

Previous project phases helped to conserve native plant populations like this pickerelweed, a good food for ducks and pollinators.

42 |

J U N E

1506 TrueGreen.indd 42

2 0 1 5

|

The park has almost continual visitation by school groups and others who come to fish, bird and receive outdoor and sustainable living education.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is now restoring these lands to pre-settlement conditions for the conservation of native plant and animal populations, and to show visitors an authentic piece of the region’s original landscape. The cornerstone of this effort is the restoration of ephemeral and seasonal wetlands that dotted the local prairie before being filled and leveled for agriculture.

Three phases of this effort have already restored approximately 312 acres of native prairie wetlands and grasslands.

During phase 4 of the Sheldon Lake State Park Wetland Restoration project, Ducks Unlimited will excavate four shallow depressions to create approximately eight acres of restored wetland habitat. DU is currently under contract to provide survey, engineering, bidding, and construction management services for this project.

This project is being coordinated and supported by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service with additional funding from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Construction of the wetlands is scheduled to be completed this summer.

Recently completed park roads and boardwalks, along with a new 82-foot

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

observation tower, give visitors excellent opportunities to experience the outdoors.

« —Andi Cooper

Conservation t Continued from page 40 hatcheries and coastal hatcheries which produce and stock more than 40 million fish annually in state lakes, ponds and bays.

Those fish are stocked to establish populations and enhance existing ones, support research efforts and maintain put-and-take and putgrow-and-take fisheries in small urban reservoirs, which is how many youngsters are introduced to the pastime.

These funding streams are vital to future success, and it’s up to hunters and anglers to continue our support of state and federal initiatives. These programs pump millions of dollars into efforts to maintain and improve our hunting and fishing opportunities.

It also is imperative to stay abreast of any encroachment on those funding streams. Diverting some of these dollars for other projects has been discussed by legislators and other special interest groups.

The wildlife and sport fish funds were earmarked for specific intentions and should always stay that way, plain and simple.

«

Email Will Leschper at WillLeschperOutdoors@gmail.com

PHOTOS: DUCKS UNLIMITED

5/11/15 2:57 PM

Texas FRESHWATER

by MATT WILLIAMS :: TF&G Freshwater Editor

Mind Your Own Biz

I

T NEVER FAILS—EACH TIME Texas lawmakers get together in Austin, it seems like somebody gets the itch to nose around in Texas Parks Wildlife business where they have none.

More than once the suits have found reason to freeze money generated by us sportsmen so we can’t use it, or shift our funds around to help balance the budget.

It’s aggravating when they do that.

It is equally annoying when a politician files some sort of bill that undermines the department’s regulations policy for no other real reason than to butter the bread of a few voters back home at the expense of everyone else just because they can.

Just so you know, the Texas Legislature in 1983 gave TPWD full authority to manage our fisheries and wildlife the best way its staff sees fit. That’s when lawmakers passed the Wildlife Conservation Act. The law gives biologists the opportunity to be biologists to set season dates and bag limits on everything from whitetail deer to black bass based on scientific research rather than personal interests that are of no benefit to the majority of the fishermen and hunters in this state.

TPWD experts take all sorts of biological and sociological factors into consideration before implementing or changing game and fish regulations.

They also take any proposed changes to public hearings to gather input. In most cases it takes the better part of a year for any change to take effect.

State Representative Dade Phelan of Port Neches obviously doesn’t think very much of TPWD’s regulatory process.

Last February, Phelan filed HB 1979 in the 84th Texas Legislature calling for TPWD to place a special tournament length limit exemption on largemouth bass on the southern stretches of the Sabine or Neches rivers, in the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway, or in the Gulf of Mexico as those bodies of water lie within or adjacent to a six county

area including Chambers, Jefferson, Galveston, Hardin, Newton and Orange counties.

These waters are currently governed under the statewide limit of five fish, 14 inches, and some of the water is managed under reciprocal agreements with Louisiana.

The way the bill was written, it would apply only to participants in high school and college bass fishing tournaments. It would allow those anglers to bring five fish as short as 12 inches to the scales, whereas everyone else would go by the 5-14.

Furthermore, the bill contained language that clearly illustrates it was meant to circumvent TPWD’s regulatory process. As of this writing, the bill was still under review by the state’s Committee on Culture, Recreation and Tourism.

The bill didn’t have biological roots. Instead, it originated as a favor to a group of citizens from the Orange area who believe a reduced length limit would make the area more attractive to tournament organizations and boost the local economy.

The group is headed by John Gothia of Bridge City. Gothia, who claims he fishes many of the named waters regularly, says he is pushing for a reduced limit because the waters in question aren’t known for producing big numbers of bass that meet the 14 inch minimum. As a result, most organizations steer clear of the area’s turbid rivers and bayous as a tournament destination in favor of more productive southeast Texas lakes like Sam Rayburn or Toledo Bend.

“The water here is brackish,” Gothia said, “and the river system just doesn’t grow the numbers of bigger fish like a lot of the other waters in Texas do. I know that because I live here and fish here all the time. TPWD fisheries biologists have told me the same thing. These fish grow slow, and they just don’t get very big.”

Gothia pointed out that the group’s main goal in pushing for the reduced limit is to make the Orange area more attractive as a tournament venue and to cash-in on the money anglers spend in the process.

“Tournament fishing is big business, and we’re just trying to do what we can to get a piece of the pie,” he said. “I ran this past our state representative (Phelan), and he thought it was a good idea.

That’s how this bill came about.”

T E X A S

1506 Freshwater Col.indd 43

F I S H

&

Phelan couldn’t be reached for comment, but his legislative director, Zach Johnson, confirmed the connection between the state representative and Gothia’s group.

Although a tournament exemption might sound like a good idea on the surface to some, my thought is that it’s dirty deal all the way around.

For starters, TPWD has gotten its feet wet with tournament exemptions before and the water got very hot really quick.

“A previous experiment to test the impact of an exemption to a slot length limit for largemouth bass on Lake Fork Reservoir in Texas resulted in substantial conflicts among angling groups in the local area,” said Craig Bonds, TPWD director of inland fisheries. “The effort to create a permanent exemption was abandoned. Following that experiment, TPWD worked with the Professional Anglers Association and other partners to develop the catch-weigh-and-immediate-release procedures used in the Toyota Texas Bass Classic tournament.

By adopting technology and procedures to weigh fish onboard the boat, this method negated the need for a size limit exemption and alleviated any concerns over mortality and displacement of fish transported to weigh-in activities.”

Another downside is the potential for sociological conflicts that might arise with two different angler groups sharing the same water at the same time with differing limits, or the headaches it could create for game wardens in attempts to enforce it.

Biologically, a lesser limit probably wouldn’t do much harm to the overall health of the fishery.

However, it wouldn’t help it, either, because it would likely lead to an increase in the mortality of some smaller fish that would otherwise be protected under the 5-14.

Finally, for a legislator to be able to force a tournament exemption, or any other fishing/hunting regulation change for that matter, would create very bad precedent that could result in others following down the same road.

This is bad business, any way you slice it.

G A M E ®

Email Matt Williams at ContactUs@fishgame.com |

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

43

5/7/15 8:10 PM

H

ave you noticed the alli-

Gar, ‘Gou’, Squirrel Brains and Leprosy Risks STORY BY CHESTER MOORE 44 |

J U N E

Fea 6 Texas Slam.indd 44

2 0 1 5

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

gator garfish has become a media darling?

Jeremy Wade of River Monsters made a trek to the Trinity River a few years back and caught a big alligator gar on international television.

Suddenly, anglers from around the world started looking at the alligator gar as not only respectable but downright cool.

In my opinion, that is long overdue.

PHOTOS: JEREMY WADE, TEXAS STATE; USFWS; CANSTOCK

5/7/15 7:55 PM

T E X A S

Fea 6 Texas Slam.indd 45

F I S H

&

G A M E 速

|

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

45

5/7/15 7:55 PM

Catching garfish has been important to my family for generations. It was the species we pursued most when I was growing up in Orange County.

This got me to thinking about other socalled “trash” fish that could use a media makeover. Do other less-than-desirable species have the potential to be the next breakout star of the fishing world?

Let’s start with the freshwater drum (gaspergou, gou). Only a handful of anglers pursue these fish and most of them live in Louisiana. “Gou” are hard fighting and will occasionally hit lures, so there is some fun factor to be had catching them.

In the size and looks department, however, they are lacking. Gou can grow to impressive weights but not impressive enough to override their dull looks and lack of flash.

Other than the drumming noise they make, they do not have any “it” factor like the gar’s creepy teeth.

The grinnel (bowfin, choupique) is perhaps a better candidate for a makeover. If a major television program were done detailing these fish, it could very well move them up the ladder of respect.

They strike lures regularly, fight extremely hard, live in cool looking swamps and can even live outside the water for a long period of time. Another thing they have going for them is they look a lot like the snakehead which is a currently media favorite. I could see a show called “America’s Original Snakehead” or some other semimisleading title that would draw in viewers.

The Grinnel has potential.

The gafftopsail catfish is one that has many positive attributes, but is overlooked.

They are hard fighters, have an impressive look with the big sail fin and are another fish that will hit lures.

They have one huge hang-up slime.

Gafftops are bar none the slimiest fish swimming southern waters. In fact, they are so slimy, they have made me retire from eating them. Well, that and the consumption warning from the health department took them off my list. Fish that ooze are not popular television fare so we will say the gafftop is a no-go.

Maybe it’s something unusual on the game side of things that stirs your interest or 46 |

J U N E

Fea 6 Texas Slam.indd 46

2 0 1 5

|

inspires your appetite. Over the years I have eaten many things the general public would consider strange.

FROM RATTLESNAKE TO water buffalo my mind has always been open about the wide variety of unique meats available to those who hunt and fish. There are a few things however I would not try unless someone paid me a large sum of money in advance.

Squirrel brains are something many people enjoy, but this will never be part of my diet.

First off, a squirrel is basically a rat with a cuter face and prettier tail. It is one thing to eat their meat, but their brains is another issue. The fact is there could be a good reason to avoid them.

Researchers at the University of Kentucky are concerned there is a link between mad cow disease and eating squirrel brains. “While

and Louisiana State University, “…clear evidence was found that a never-before-seen strain of Mycobacterium leprae (leprosy) has emerged in the Southern United States and that it is transmitted through contact with armadillos carrying the disease.”

The results were published in the April 28th edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Researchers suggested frequent direct contact (handling) armadillos and cooking and consumption of armadillo meat should be “discouraged.”

This goes along with a story we ran on these pages in 2006 that showed up to one in six armadillos on the Texas and Louisiana coasts harbor leprosy. This does not mean you should go out and kill every armadillo you see. However, it should inspire everyone to scratch armadillo off the grocery list permanently.

On a far less sinister note, while researching this article, a recipe for opossum roast with liver turned up. The rec-

Good old gafftop.

conducting a study of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in south Florida, one of us observed an affected patient who was originally a native of Kentucky and had a history of eating squirrel brains...Several case reports have suggested the possibility of transmission of CJD by consumption of the brains of wild animals.”

Armadillo is another one that is off-limits for this outdoor writer. In fact, they fall into the category of would not eat for any reason ever.

Although numerous people have touted the great taste of armadillo, there are a couple of problems:

ipe is very involved and would take a great while to prepare. In fact it looks like something that would air on the Food Network, minus the opossum of course.

I could not however see celebrity chefs like Bobby Flay or Giada de Laurentis touting the palatability of opossum. It may very well taste good (I will never know), but it would probably sink their careers forever.

My wife and I are big fans of Giada and as amazing as her Italian dishes look, a parmesan-crusted opossum somehow just would not seem right.

A. They stink worse than a feral hog.

B. They carry leprosy.

Yes, they have been proved to carry leprosy.

In a joint collaboration between the Global Health Institute at EPFL in Switzerland

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

5/7/15 7:55 PM

Texas SALTWATER

by CALIXTO GONZALES :: TF&G Saltwater Editor

E-mail

M

UCH TO MY REGRET, I don’t get to answer many of the e-mails readers send me. Time constraints and a variety of obligations always seem to interfere with getting back to the queries and comments that so many of you take the time to write. I have decided to dedicate an occasional column to the questions, rants, and raves you folks send.

Let’s get on with it, shall we?

Mr. Gonzales, I just started fishing with lures in saltwater.

There is an old man who lives near me that says that I should use topwaters if I want to catch big trout. Do you have a selections of these lures that I can use as a kind of starter kit?

D. Foster (age 14) Hi, D., One of the great things about fishing is the constant personal evolution every angler goes through as they grow. I guarantee that you are going to love using topwaters. Even the smallest trout looks like a 30-incher when it blasts a floating plug.

A good starting point is the same way I began fishing topwaters poppers. I started out using the classic Heddon Lucky 13. I caught quite a few nice trout and redfish on that old plug.

These days, you have your pick among such plugs as the Strom Chug Bug, the Rapala Skitterpop, Mirrolure’s Poppa Dog, and a host of others. They’re easy to use, too. A tug-tug-pause cadence with an occasional good chug! Is usually good enough to get strikes.

If a fish hits and misses, let the lure sit in place for a bit, then start it back a little faster. That’ll bring ‘em back!

CG

Calixto, I’m confused. I went fishing with an offshore guide who helped my brother and me catch 8 nice large red snappers. He said the big ones bite

best in the winter. A co-worker told me we could get in big trouble because season is closed on red snappers and we’re only allowed two fish per person. What gives? Did we hire a captain who was breaking the law?

M. Lucio I wouldn’t be so worried about your captain as I would be about your co-worker, who doesn’t quite have his facts straight. If the charter captain was fishing in state waters—which I’m assuming he was—you guys are okay. Texas state fishing regulations allow for a year-round fishery for red snapper and a bag limit of four fish per person more than 15 inches per day. In federal waters, the season is very short, based on some blindfolded bureaucrat throwing two darts at a July calendar, and allows for two snappers over 16 inches. Don’t ask why. Explaining it will make my brain hurt.

CG Gonzales, What would you say to someone who kept a 30-inch trout he caught croaker soaking?

R. Corby Congratulations!

Mr. Gonzales, Why do we have to pay so much for fishing licenses? I thought that fishing was a right. I hate that I have to pay so much every year to pay for one of my rights.

R. Corby That’s a fair complaint, but you might want to consider this: The fees you pay for your license are the very reason you can enjoy some of the best fishing in the country. The redfish and trout stamps pay for the hatchery, manpower, research, and re-stocking programs that protect the stocks, rebuild them in historic areas that are depleted, and maintain the genetic diversity that helps maximize a species’s potential for growth and fecundity.

The state provides Texas Parks and Wildlife with a very bare-bones spending budget. I’m sure that they could cut licensing fees, but if there are T E X A S

1506 Saltwater.indd 47

CG

F I S H

&

reciprocal consequences. You have to cut spending somehow. What do you want to sacrifice?

CG Calixto, There are so many different brands of rod and reels on the market, and they all seem to make the same things. Which one should I choose?

L. Avery Each product has assets and liabilities. You can’t deny that. Ultimately, when you line up and balance the top products of each company, it comes out as a wash. A lot of it comes down to what you want and what you’re comfortable with.

Do you want speed, or power? Casting distance or accuracy? Line capacity or drag power? When you have an idea what you want, you can start looking for the most suitable products in your price range (always an important factor to consider). The fun part of outfitting your setup the way you want it is the shopping.

Of course, you could always have a rod custombuilt; that’s a whole different can of worms…

CG C, What is your favorite fishing memory?

M. Castille My son overcoming a horrendous case of food poisoning and braving an impromptu typhoon to win his age division in the 2012 Dargel Owners Tournament.

My boy was sick as a dog, chilled, and soaking wet, but he got his fish and beat some tough competition. I was prouder then than after any trophy fish I ever brought to the net. As much as he hates admitting it, that kid has a lot of his old man in him.

Don’t e-mail him about that. He’ll kill me.

Keep your e-mails coming. I may not be able to answer them right off, but I do read them. Besides, I always need grist for a new column.

CG

G A M E ®

Email Calixto Gonzales at ContactUs@fishgame.com |

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

47

5/7/15 8:56 PM

Changing Demographics and the Next Sporting Generation story by chester moore 48 |

J U N E

Fea 5-Hooks and Bullets.indd 48

2 0 1 5

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E 速

5/7/15 7:57 PM

H

ook and bullet. That is a term members of the mainstream media use to describe the outdoor community, particularly those of us involved in communication, such as yours truly.

Although hooks and bullets are certainly a very important part of this page, there is much more to the story.

COMPOSITE PHOTO: TF&G

Fea 5-Hooks and Bullets.indd 49

T E X A S

The wild creatures that drive us to the field are the glue that holds the outdoor community together. After all, there could be no deer season without deer or bass tournaments without—well—bass.

Pigeonholing from so-called proper media types is understandable, but the “hook and bullet community” has dug that hole even deeper, much deeper.

Not every kid is going to become a full-on, camowearing, gun-loving hunter nor a passionate wade-fishing fanatic. And we should not expect them to.

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

|

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

49

5/7/15 7:57 PM

Lauren Williams gets a close look at a cougar at the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler. Even zoo trips can be a big inspiration for kids.

I realize that probably caused a few gasps but it is the truth.

There have always been hunters, and there have always been gatherers, and they serve equally important roles.

Because of a constant media barrage of animal rights drivel, hunters in particular have a “if you’re not one of us, you’re against us” attitude. The result is a large number of young hunters and, to a lesser extent, anglers who have very little knowledge of the habitat they hunt, the game they pursue and no interest in anything that cannot be killed.

They would not know a ringtail from a badger, nor a sand eel from a moray.

The outdoor experience for many has been turned into a means to enhance one’s status on social media by posing with kills and catches alone. And while we should celebrate outdoor triumphs (I certainly do) appreciating all wild things is important.

Yes, even stuff we cannot kill.

Some kids are just not going to hunt or fish, but it does not mean they cannot go to the family deer lease or enjoy time on the water. However framing the outdoor experience in a macho, mine is bigger than yours, frat-house type of way we can drive away children not bent in that direction. In fact, we have done this to entire generations.

Girls are particularly prone to dislike anything even loosely associated with “redneck” but like all of us have a God-given spirit for spending time outdoors.

The first time I taught one of my Kingdom 50 |

J U N E

Fea 5-Hooks and Bullets.indd 50

2 0 1 5

|

Zoo classes, I was shocked that 75 percent of participants were girls.

After my spring session, I started asking why and then realized it was how the classes were promoted and taught. It wasn’t billed as “come get your tough on” in the outdoor class. It was simply about enjoyment.

The next generation of conservationists needs to be the most passionate and dedicated ever because of the growing problems facing our resources.

But where are they going to come from?

When reverence is considered weakness, and we are driven by bag limits instead of sum total outdoor experience who will truly care enough about habitat to stand when trouble comes? The few have always risen to benefit the many but the few are getting fewer.

A friend of mine and I have talked at length about who will take up the mantle of waterfowl conservation and agree that all it will take to lose about half of the waterfowl hunters under age 30 is a severe drought on the nesting grounds and a three bird limit.

Perspective is extremely important and that demographic has nothing to draw from but big fall flights and liberal limits.

In the end that will separate the chaff from the wheat, but it will also greatly decrease the number of duck stamps sold.

These are numbers that hunter groups such as Ducks Unlimited and Delta Waterfowl can use to lobby for pro-sportsman and conservation issues, as well as a host of other

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

problems.

As a community, we need to reevaluate what we are teaching young people and take time to enjoy what is out there.

Your daughter who tags along to deer camp may never become an adult hunter, but if she gets a proper outdoor education including up close and personal wildlife encounters at a formative age, she may become a biologist who makes a real difference in wildlife research.

Your son who seems a little awkward chunking a topwater on the bay may not become an every weekend fisherman like Daddy, but he may hold public office one day and hold the very key that preserves your fishing and hunting rights.

The young people whom I work with every week are seeking authenticity perhaps more than anything else. The outdoor industry and we as individuals need to figure out how to unapologetically promote our consumption-based, pro-conservation lifestyle. If we do this and embrace those who do not enjoy fishing or hunting, they might become our best allies, and we will be much better off.

We live in a complex world. Changing attitudes and socio-economic demographics demand that we take a hard look at ourselves to broaden our base.

PHOTOS: STEVE OEHLENSCHALGER, KIMBERLY REINICK, DPC

5/7/15 7:57 PM

Open SEASON

by REAVIS Z. WORTHAM :: TF&G Humor Editor

An Excellent Question

I

’D FORGOTTEN HOW DARK IT gets in central Texas until I went hog hunting with Wrong Willie and Jerry Wayne outside of Hico. It was one of those jump trips that begins when the phone rings and someone on the other end starts the ball rolling.

I answered, “What?”

Wrong Willie responded as usual.

“That’s not the way you answer the phone.

Me and Jerry Wayne will be over in an hour.

We’re going hog hunting tonight.”

“Aren’t you supposed to ask me if I want to go? I have a life. I might be busy tonight.”

“We’ll be there in fifty-nine minutes.”

“See you then.”

It was full dark-thirty when we wrestled the wire gate out of the way, suffering only one minor wound. Negotiating the pasture without headlights was easy under the full moon. When we got to the lowest part near the creek, the ground bounced us around like seeds in a rattle.

Willie fought the wheel. “That’s why we need to shoot some of these hogs. They’re tearing this place up.”

I held onto the handle attached to the door post. “Park there. We can see most of this open bottom from this little ridge.”

He turned, backed up, and we detrucked. Each of us grabbed a backpack and a rifle. Willie provided the million candlepower red light. I didn’t think we needed it, but you never know.

Jerry Wayne sounded like an elephant as he stomped around the bed of the truck.

“Can you move a little more quietly?”

He sat heavily onto the toolbox, sounding as if someone had dropped a sack of cement.

“Fine. I’ll sit right here.” With that declaration, he unzipped the loudest zipper I’ve ever heard. The sound of his hand rustling through the pack filled the air.

“Shhh.”

“I’m being quiet.” Not finding what he was looking for in the pocket apparently full of nothing but crunchy cellophane, he closed the pocket as loudly as possible. Then he unzipped the next pocket.

Willie leaned over and whispered. “What are you looking for?”

“Something to eat.”

“Can’t you do that a little quieter?”

“I’ll try.”

Another zipper about three yards long riiiipped through the silence. It sounded as if he was intentionally crushing a bag of chips, then it closed. “I know I have snacks in here.”

“Hang on.” Willie picked up his bazillion-power candlepower spotlight and flicked it on….directly in my eyes.

“Jeeze!!!” I nearly fell over the side. “I’m blind!”

“Shhh. Here Jerry Wayne.” He started to aim it toward the offensive backpack when a grunt caught his attention. Willie swung the beam toward a line of cedars and caught the hind end of a hog disappearing.

“Rev, get ready.”

“I was ready a long time ago.” I raised my rifle and waited. “I can’t see anything but spots now.”

The grunting continued, almost drowned by the noise coming from Jerry Wayne’s backpack. “Found it.”

Cellophane again crackled behind me, followed by a low, satisfied moan and the sounds of chewing.

The hogs disappeared, probably because Jerry Wayne didn’t offer them anything to eat, and Willie clicked off the gazillion power light.

As our eyes became accustomed to the moonlight, I saw a deer slip past, about fifty yards away.

“Did we leave the cooler in the back seat?”

T E X A S

1506 Humor.indd 51

F I S H

&

“You left the cooler in there, Jerry.”

He grunted over the side and opened the door. The dome light immediately destroyed our night vision once again. Ice swished as Jerry Wayne lifted the cooler out and bumped it against the fender. The sound was like a dead body plopping into the back.

He finally piled in again.

Thinking it was over, Wrong Willie flicked on the mazillion-power red light and scanned the area.

Apparently satisfied, Jerry chewed thoughtfully. “You know, I’d have found something to eat faster if I hadn’t been looking in your pack, Willie.”

“That’s what we get for buying them at the same time.”

“Hey, it was a great sale. Thanks for the jerky.”

The red light beam stopped its prowl.

“Jerry, I didn’t bring jerky.”

“Sure you did. It’s pretty good, too.”

“No. I didn’t bring jerky.”

“Then what am I eating?”

The beam raced from the cedars, across the pasture, and into the bed of our truck, finally lighting the object in Jerry Wayne’s hand.

“That’s not jerky.”

We stared for a long moment, then the beam slowly returned to the cedars.

“If this ain’t jerky, then what is it?”

Willie and I swallowed, gagged slightly, and returned to the hunt, leaving Jerry Wayne to ponder what was in his hand.

G A M E ®

Email Reavis Wortham at ContactUs@fishgame.com

|

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

51

5/7/15 7:58 PM

Fishing’s Future Fishing with Alton Jones and Last Year’s State High School Bass Champs

W

hat is the future of fishing?

That’s the question outdoors industry pundits have been asking for decades as overall participation in the great sport has in good years remained static.

I have them answer for them.

It’s called high school bass fishing.

According to Bassmaster Elite Series Pro Alton Jones, this has the potential to shape the future of not only professional fishing but can serve to inspire a new generation of kids to get serious about all kinds of angling opportunities.

“When you start getting kids focused on this in high school, learning about competition, getting experience, honing their skills and even seeking sponsorships it is easy to see how this will make a positive difference on the future of tournament fishing,” Jones said.

I recently had the privilege of accompanying Jones on a high school team event sponsored by Texas Fish & Game on Lake Bastrop and found he has super high confidence in what the sport will bring to bass fishing in the long run.

“Many of the pros of the future will likely 52 |

J U N E

Fea 7-HS Bass.indd 52

2 0 1 5

|

STORY BY CHESTER MOORE

Above: Pro Alton Jones with, from left, Tristan Riddle and Sterlyn Wood of San Angelo, and Will Brady and Joe Beebee of The Woodlands.

come out of high school clubs, go into college and then hit the pro level with much greater experience than those of us currently on the Bassmaster Elite Series did,” he said.

Most Texas teams are part of the Student Angler Federation (SAF), a collaborative effort of The Bass Federation and FLW Outdoors. Cost is only $25/ year and includes full TBF and FLW benefits, including FLW Magazine e-Edition and insurance coverage for students and their club.

Through SAF students have many opportunities to excel and get a taste of what high level competition is all about.

My wife Lisa Moore started a in 2013 at Deweyville High School and since then, the Deweyville Pirate Angler’s Club has grown tremendously.

“It’s so exciting as we have so many teams in a relatively small region and it grow super fast. The kids are so into it and what I like is that it gets some kids involved who might otherwise not be into extracurricular events.

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

Our school district is always happy to get kids involved in things to help mentor and motivate. I have been so impressed with our team and I am so proud of what they have accomplished,” she said.

Jenn Doyle is sponsor of the Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School Bass Fishing Team and said the growth potential in Texas is huge.

“There is no better state for bass fishing than Texas and there is no place where people are as passionate about the outdoors.

We are going to see this grow and see a new generation of highly skilled anglers coming out of our schools. It is an exciting time.”

Indeed it is.

The Southeast Texas High School Fishing Association regularly sees more than 300 teams fishing on Sam Rayburn.

Think about that. More than 300 teams of young fishermen excited enough about the sport to invest their time and money and brave all kinds of fishing conditions. These kids have officially traded in the X-Box for the tackle box.

Right now these competitions are flourishing in some part because the school systems haven’t really gotten their hooks into them.

PHOTO: CHESTER MOORE

5/11/15 2:23 PM

For example, they are not part of the UIL system, which regulates everything from football to cheerleading. In my opinion virtually everything with some sort of educational oversight gets screwed up.

Right now it’s sort of like the wild west out there with loose bands operating together in isolated pockets. You have large conglomerations of schools like SETX and areas with just one or two schools. The tournaments are organized by the team sponsors and much of the work is done by parents and teachers.

It is an amazing thing to watch.

There is potential for this to catch on in coastal areas with redfish tournaments and in other states for fish like walleye.

Beyond the number of soft plastic worms, line and rods sold, the high school fishing phenomenon has done something truly magnificent.

It has made fishing cool for kids.

That’s something no one has managed to pull off and it is an exciting thing to see, especially in this era.

Where will this trend go?

It will probably peak out in Texas in the next few years but in my opinion it is here to stay. Fishing is in the DNA of many Texans and now it is in the heart and minds of high school students.

I have been blessed to fish alongside some of these teams and last fall got to fish with two very special teams with Alton Jones on Lake Bastrop.

Joe Beebee and Will Brady of The Woodlands placed first in the state high school championship in 2014 and Sterlyn Wood of Christoval and Tristan Riddle of San Angelo placed second. The event was held at LBJ Reservoir out of Marble Falls and TEXAS FISH & GAME provided them a chance to fish with Jones.

As I watched these young men fish alongside Jones and absorb his angling wisdom, it was apparent they not only had some skills but a desire to improve their craft and take things to another level.

Texas high school sports have always

revolved around balls with a particular emphasis on pigskins. Our state has had many go to the pros and become legends in the NFL. Now kids more inclined to fish than suit up for football, baseball or basketball have the same kind of opportunity.

They may choose to simply fish hard and test themselves, which is noble in its own right or had down the path of becoming a professional angler.

Either way is a win for the industry and in my opinion, it won’t be too long before we see a Bassmaster Classic champion who came out of high school fishing in the great state of Texas.

For more information on the Student Angler Federation go to highschoolfishing. org. B.A.S.S. also has a growing youth fishing division you can learn more about at bassmaster.com/youth.

Ray Roberts Lake Record

pulled up this was a big fish spot. Boy, was I right that day.

The boat was setting in 22 feet of water. He was casting up on the edge of a drop off, that was around 14 feet deep. After making 4 or 5 casts, Shannon hooked up. He was using one of my Abu Garcia Veracity Medium actions rods, with a Lew’s tournament MG reel, spooled with Berkley 12lb test 100% Fluorocarbon line. He was still throwing the suspending jerkbait. He hooked up and immediately the fish came near the surface, but didn’t break it. The water was extremely clear for Ray Roberts. And clearly, this was a very large fish.

Shannon did a great job, as the fish made a big surge under the boat, and made another run away from the boat. When the fish came by the boat, I could see she had all 3 treble hooks and was hooked good. On the next pass, she came by the boat, much shallower than before, and I was able to net her. I knew we had something special as I pulled her in the boat.

Shannon immediately said, “I hope she is over ten.”

Not sure what I said, but it was something along the lines of, “she is WAY over ten.”

We weighed the fish one time on the boga grips scales and she showed just a

hair over 15 pounds. There were a bunch of high fives, and big yells. I’m sure we could be heard from a ways away.

We made a phone call to the TPWD ShareLunker program to get them on the way, to pick her up. Shannon donated the fish to the program.

Once they arrived, they weighed her and certified her weight. She weighed in at 15.18 pounds and eclipsed the previous lake record.

She was ShareLunker #560 for the state of Texas!

—Dannie Golden

IT ALL STARTED WITH MY NEW

boat. I had just picked up my new Triton 22 TRX, powered by a Mercury 250 Pro XS two days before. I had taken my first guide trip in it the day before, on March 6th. That day was special in its own right: we had two fish over 10 pounds. Not a bad way to break in a new boat.

Well, that was just the beginning.

On Saturday March 7, I had Shannon Elvington, of Pilot Point scheduled for a full day bass fishing trip. He grew up fishing, but had gotten away from it for a while. He hired me to help get him back into the swing of things.

We started the day with some quick fish, working suspending jerkbaits around main lake rocky points. About 9:45, I caught a fish just a little over 10 pounds. Shannon was super excited to see that size of fish. He had always wanted to catch a ten, but unfortunately I caught it.

He had wanted to schedule a trip with me the previous July, hoping to get on a big fish.

But I advised him for the best chance at a big fish, was to wait until the spring.

Around 10:45 we pulled up to another main lake point. I actually told Shannon, when we PHOTO: COURTESY DANNIE GOLDEN

Fea 7-HS Bass.indd 53

T E X A S

F I S H

&

Dannie Golden is a fishing guide on Lake Ray Roberts. He can be reached at 817-228-5999 or online at www.get-bit.com

G A M E ®

Shannon Elvington, left, with guide Dannie Golden. |

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

53

5/11/15 2:23 PM

Texas BOATING

by LENNY RUDOW :: TF&G Boating Editor

Maintenance Mishaps

L

OOK OUT FOR THESE BOAT and engine maintenance mishaps, which can put a serious crimp in your boating season.

We hope you give your boat and its engine periodic inspections, keep up with regular maintenance, and fix things as soon as you notice they aren’t operating at 100-percent.

We say “hope” because the number-one maintenance problem is a lack of said maintenance. But sometimes, a regular maintenance chore that we know we need to take care of goes awry. Try as we might to do

the right thing, the wrong thing happens.

Look out for these 10 maintenance mishaps, and the time you spend afloat will be worryfree we hope.

1. THE BROKEN BOLT. WE’VE ALL been there. You choose the correct socket or wrench, apply pressure, and… snap!

Off comes the head. Broken bolts are a major hassle, not only because removing the bolt just became 10 times tougher, but also because you now need to go to the marine supply store and get a replacement.

How can you prevent this problem? For

starters, don’t over-pressure the bolt in the first place. A spritz of PB Blaster, WD-40, or a similar lubricant can work wonders.

Spray it on liberally, then give it plenty of time for the juice to seep in.

Secondly, don’t let bolts get corroded in the first place. Usually a bolt that breaks is one that hasn’t been removed for years, while being subjected to lots of moisture and/or saltwater. As soon as you see one going bad, pull and replace it. Finally, when a bolt’s sticky, moderate pressure and some lube doesn’t do the trick, and you’re at a loss, try applying some heat. A minute or two with a torch is often all it takes to get a bolt moving again.

2. THE HAZY GLAZE. IF YOU HAVE any sort of clear plastic on your boat—and you almost surely do, either in the windshield, clear canvas curtains, or opening ports—you probably give it regular cleaning.

We hope you also polish it with an appropriate product (like Plexus) that replaces the plasticizers, which can leach out over time.

Yet they may still turn hazy; and eventually, it seems like you’re always looking through a thick fog. The first reason this happens is because people clean the clear plastic with a contaminated rag or cloth.

All it takes is a tiny bit of grit to scratch the surface of the plastic. The second common reason is using the wrong cleaning products.

Anything containing ammonia, including common window cleaners, will cause the clear plastic to haze up in a flash.

3. GEL COAT GLOSS LOSS. YOU say you waxed your boat every spring, yet the gel coat is still deteriorating at a rapid pace? While regular waxing is a must, if you don’t eliminate all oxidation first, you lock it in behind that wax and things will only get worse. When you first get ready to wax the hull sides inspect them closely for any chalky spots. If you find any, hit the hull with a good oxidation remover before beginning that wax job.

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 54

5/11/15 2:26 PM

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 55

5/7/15 9:40 AM

Texas BOATING 4. FILTER’S OUT OF KILTER. FUEL filter/water separators go bad with some regularity, whether your fuel becomes contaminated with water or not. Every two or three years, you need to swap them out. Aha! We’ve already identified a problem. After two or three years, the threads on fuel filter/water separators quite commonly become corroded.

Then it becomes a struggle to remove it, and as you struggle, something breaks. A simple solution is to remove and replace the fuel filter every spring, regardless of its condition.

have perpetual problems with them. In an ideal world you’d replace the system, but in reality, you probably get by with a box of spare fuses and replace some now and again.

This works… until it doesn’t. The reason?

The market is flooded with cheap fuses massproduced overseas, with poor tolerances. It you have perpetual electrical gremlins, there’s a good chance you got a bad batch of fuses.

The solution is simple: throw all those cheap fuses away, and get a selection of high-quality fuses made in the good ‘ol U.S. of A.

5. GETTING GOUGED. IF YOUR boat lives in a slip, repainting the bottom every few years is a must. But first, you have to get rid of the old paint. Unfortunately, the scraping chore often leads to gashes and gouges in your boat’s bottom. Why? Because many people assume a regular paint scraper or a putty knife is the right tool for the job. It’s not, because most paint scrapers are intended to be used on flat surfaces, not rounded ones like boat hulls. Prevent the problem by grinding off the corners of your scraper or putty knife, to avoid gouging the gel coat as you scrape the loose paint free.

7. OUTBOARD MOUNT MANEUVERS. If you have a long history with small outboards that are mounted with clamps, you’ve almost certainly experienced two things: the clamps becoming too tough to turn because of a lack of lubrication, and the clamps vibrating free, because of the lubrication you gave them.

Truth be told, there’s not much of a happy middle ground. You need them lubed a bit, so keep up with that maintenance chore. But prevent them from spinning open, by connecting the eyes in the two hand-screws of the clamps with a zip-tie.

6. FUSE FOLLIES. IF YOUR BOAT has fuses instead of breakers, you probably

8. SLICK TRICK. HERE’S ANOTHER double-edged sword: if you don’t wax the deck, it’ll look terrible and become difficult

to clean. If you do wax the deck, it’ll become an ice-skating rink. The good news is Woody Wax. This stuff works wonders, without making the deck slippery. (3M and Meguiar’s also make a wax they claim is non-slip, but I can’t vouch for them since I’ve never used them—Woody Wax is ideal for the purpose, and I operate under the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” school of thought, regarding this matter).

9. DON’T SPOIL THE OIL. REGULAR lower unit oil changes are a must, and if you do this job regularly, you should have one of those handy little pumps that threads onto the neck of the oil bottle. There’s just one problem. Between changes, the pick-up tube of the pump tends to collect dust and grime—which can contaminate the oil the next time you start pumping. Prevent this problem by leaving the pump threaded onto the empty oil bottle the next time you complete an oil change.

10. EEEEEEW, GROSS. AND FOR our final maintenance mishap tip (drum roll, please) let’s address one of the more odious tasks we boat owners face: cleaning out the portable MSD. At least once each season you’ll need to remove it from the head compartment, get it to a toilet, and hold your nose while you evacuate the contents. But the seals on these things are rarely as effluenttight as we’d like, and it’s pretty common to have some of the contents leak out as you carry it to the bathroom. True, this probably won’t damage anything. Still, it’s a hideous enough event that we want to take every possible precaution to avoid such sickening spillage. Here’s how: Take a large, heavyduty lawn-and-leaf garbage bag, open it up, and place it on the deck as close to the head as possible. Then move the MSD onto it as carefully as possible, lift the edges of the bag up and around your portable pottie, and carry it to the bathroom while it’s inside the bag.

Whew!—thank goodness that maintenance chore is over with for another year.

Email Lenny Rudow at ContactUs@fishgame.com

56 |

J U N E

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 56

2 0 1 5

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

5/7/15 9:40 AM

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 57

5/7/15 9:40 AM

The Practical ANGLER

by PAUL BRADSHAW | TF&G Contributing Editor

Back to Basics

T

HIS IS A GREAT TIME OF year isn’t it? The birds are singing, the sun is shining, and the kids are out of school. Wait. The kids are out of school! When did that happen?

So now that means you have a house full of short people, and you have to find a way to keep them busy that doesn’t involve handheld electronic devices, hours sitting inside air conditioned buildings eating potato chips, and doesn’t require copious amounts of cash.

Well, you’re in luck because I have a way to do that. Just send them off to the closest body of water with a fishing pole, a little bit of tackle, this article and tell them you’ll see them at sunset. You’re part is done. I’ll take it from here.

OK, kids we’re getting back to basic fishing nothing fancy. No soft plastic rigs named after states. No multi-hook concoctions that require a PhD to understand how to tie. If you’re looking for a secret on how to win your next bass tournament or expecting some earth shattering fishing revelation, then move along. However, if you’re looking for a way to catch fish on just about every cast then stay right here and pay attention because I’m only going to type this once.

Of course, you can read it as many times as you want to.

58 |

J U N E

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 58

2 0 1 5

|

Fish love grasshoppers. More precisely, they love to eat grasshoppers. Sure, they eat other bait too but I doubt you can find a fish swimming anywhere that wouldn’t attack a grasshopper as if it insulted its mom.

Many years ago, when I was a youngster, grasshoppers were my bait of choice. Mainly because we had roughly 87 billion of them around the small pond we fished in. Lose your bait? No problem, just step out into the tall grass and find some more. The ones that spit on you were the best bait.

I remember one time I caught so many that I kept them in a jar in the house, where I forgot about them for a few weeks…but that’s a story for a different time.

The rig used for fishing with grasshoppers is fairly straight

forward.

Start by tying a small hook on the end of your line. I’m a fan of long shanked bait hooks simply because they are easier to unhook once you catch something since the eye will not be very deep in the fish’s mouth. If you don’t have longshanked hooks that’s fine, any bait hook will work as long as you match it to the size of the grasshoppers you intend to use.

About three inches up the line from the hook, you will need to attach a split shot.

Why? Because grasshoppers float and if you don’t have a weight on the line they’ll float to the top and climb up on your bobber for a nice leisurely sunbath.

This leads us to the last part of this rig, your bobber. Approximately, 12 to 18

T E X A S

F I S H

&

inches up the line you will need a bobber in order to keep your bait off the bottom. This also acts as a strike indicator.

I’m a fan of Styrofoam bobbers since they are more durable than the standard red and white plastic kind and don’t break when you bounce them off docks, tree limbs, or the occasional turtle. Just keep in mind that bigger doesn’t always mean better when selecting bobbers. Small fish cannot pull down big bobbers so don’t choose one the size of a beach ball if you’re chasing bream.

Putting a grasshopper on your hook is fairly simple as well.

Some people like to hook them through the head or back but in my opinion this leaves too much of the bait without a hook in it. I prefer to hook them lengthwise through the thorax (that’s the chest of the grasshopper). Start by pushing the point of the hook into the section between the chin and thorax, running it down through the body and exiting in the abdomen just behind the thorax. If you do this right, there will be minimal damage to the grasshopper, and it will stay alive and kicking well, right up until it gets eaten.

Email Paul Bradshaw at ContactUs@fishgame.com

G A M E ®

5/11/15 2:26 PM

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 59

5/7/15 9:40 AM

Texas GUNS

by STEVE LAMASCUS | TF&G Shooting Editor

Battle Rifles, Pt 2

B

ETWEEN THE KOREAN War and the Vietnam war, the M1 Garand was replaced as the main battle rifle of the U.S. military by the M14, a select-fire weapon that used a shorter .308 caliber (7.62x51 or .308 Winchester) round and was loaded with a 20-round box magazine inserted into bottom of the rifle. It was a fine battle rifle. So good, in fact, that when the M16 was adopted there was almost a mutiny in the Marine Corps when they began trying to replace the big, powerful M14 with the toy-like M16.

Today a popular rifle with on the civilian market is the semi-auto version of the M14, the M1A, which is used in military-style target matches. Unlike the M1, the M14 made a very good sniping rifle because a scope could be mounted centrally over the bore. Equipped with a Starlight scope, it was very popular as a night-time sniping rifle.

When the M16 entered service during the Vietnam War, it had many teething pains.

When the M16 was shipped to Vietnam, the troops were told it was “self cleaning,” and were provided no cleaning kits.

It was not.

This caused stoppages at critical moments in combat and the M16 got a bad reputation that it did not deserve. The troops claimed that the “M” in M16 stood for the manufacturer, Mattel, the toy maker. This was untrue. The actual innovator of the M16 was Armalite.

After the military began shipping cleaning kits to the war zone, the gun began to work as it was intended, and by the end of the war it was gaining in popularity with the troops.

Today the latest version of the M16 is still in service, over 50 years after the first one saw combat. The AR15, the semi-auto civilian version is so popular that almost every major manufacturer

60 |

J U N E

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 60

2 0 1 5

|

makes some version.

As part of the preparation for this article, I did accuracy tests with all the above, or civilian versions of those I did not have access to, with the exception of a .30-40 Krag. I could not find a Krag in what I thought was condition sufficient to test.

I will readily admit that I was pretty certain from the start that I could not expect much from combat rifles, especially those that in some cases were approaching a hundred years of age. I was, of course, wrong.

I did 100-yard bench tests of a 1903A3 Springfield, two Springfield M1 Garands, a 1917 Eddystone Enfield, and an Inland M1 Carbine; also Smith and Wesson AR15 M4 version and a Springfield M1A. Except for the M1 Carbine, the guns were not tested with military ammunition.

In the M1 Garands, the 1903A3, and the 1917 Enfield, I fired handloads using 150grain full metal-cased bullets, loaded to military WWII specifications. In the AR15 and M1A I used handloads of current specs. In the M1 Carbine I fired what I believe was Lake City arsenal ammunition of 1971 manufacture, but I would not bet the bank on it since the headstamps were almost impossible to read.

I thank Hornady for providing the bullets and the brass for these tests and Springfield Armory for use of their fine M1A. For the use of the M1 Carbine and ammunition I thank Rodney Deorsam of Oasis Outback in Uvalde, Texas. Rodney is an old buddy of mine and Oasis Outback is a large sporting goods store, firearms dealer, and has a fine restaurant on site.

The 1903A3 and both Garands would regularly group inside three inches for three shots, and sometimes less. One of the Garands, a parts gun using a reconditioned receiver and a new barrel, often managed groups of two inches.

They all beat the factory specs. which called for four-inch groups at 100 yards. The 1917 Enfield had been “sporterized” by cutting away all the excess military wood, and was not as accurate as the others, but did manage four-inch 100-yard groups.

The M1A was more accurate than I am

T E X A S

F I S H

&

with my aging eyes, using the peep sights that come on the rifle. It was sufficiently accurate to deserve a scope. I tried to mount a scope on the rifle using the Springfield mount, but could not make it fit properly and eventually destroyed the threads on the mounting bolt.

The AR15 was fitted with a Bushnell 3x9 scope and would regularly shoot three shots right at one inch. This was not really surprising, as I have actually come to expect such accuracy from the better AR15s. They tend to shoot about as well as a modern, off-the-shelf bolt-action.

The little M1 Carbine, as I suspected it would be, was the loser in the accuracy department. At 50 yards it was adequate, posting groups of about two inches. But when I backed off to 100 yards it fell apart; 100 yard groups were all four inches to six inches, not good, but good enough for its intended purpose.

However, it functioned poorly, jamming after every one or two shots. I believe it needs either a different magazine, a new mainspring, or both.

These are not all the weapons in the U.S. arsenal. I had no way to test the various full-auto weapons, such as the Thompson submachine gun, and the special operations units, such as the SEALs and Delta Force, use a great many specially built weapons that fit the needs for their very special purposes. These are, however, the weapons that G.I. Joe carried through four major wars and numerous other armed conflicts.

The bottom line is that the U.S. soldiers in the 20th Century had always been armed with weapons that were well-made and serviceable.

They shoot very well and were at least the equal and usually superior to any other weapon on the battle field. I just hope the military continues to provide our soldiers and Marines with such superior weaponry. Uncles Sam’s finest deserve the best we can give them.

Email Steve LaMascus at ContactUs@fishgame.com

G A M E ®

5/7/15 9:40 AM

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 61

5/7/15 9:40 AM

Industry INSIDER Costa and Kenny Chesney Team Up for CCA

able in mellow yellow, cherry berry and a tricolor fusion technology that creates a tortoise/white/ aqua option.

Two metal sunglass styles are also available: the

La Mar

COUNTRY ICON KENNY CHESNEY, who recently topped the charts with “Til It’s Gone” and the Grammy-nominated multiple week No. 1 “American Kids” from his brand new Big Revival album, again teams with Costa for another series of limited edition sunglasses to benefit Music icon Kenny Chesney has the Coastal Conpartnered with Costa for another servation Associaseries of limited edition suntion (CCA). This glasses benefitting CCA. year’s five styles arrive just in time for Chesney’s Big Revival 2015 Summer Tour, hitting the road and 23 stadiums before the end of August.

The five popular sunglass styles in this year’s limited edition line include Cut, Caballito and KC, as well as two new styles for 2015, La Mar and Loreto.

Cut, Caballito and La Mar feature Costa’s nearly indestructible coinjected molded nylon frame construction, with hypoallergenic no-slip nose pads and sturdy integral hinge technology.

KC named for In keeping with the bold, bright vibe from this year’s tour, these limited edition Kenny Chesney’s initials, and Loreto.

Chesney Costa sunglass frames are avail62 |

J U N E

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 62

2 0 1 5

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

KC

Cut (yellow)

Caballito

Both feature optically adjustable no-slip silicone nose G A M E ®

PHOTOS: COSTA DEL MAR

5/7/15 9:40 AM

Each of the 8-time Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year’s Costa sunglasses come with a free gift pack that includes a custom hat, cleaning cloth and sunglass case. All the kit’s components feature a unique design with bold colors inspired by the painted school bus featured in Chesney’s “American Kids” video.

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 63

A portion of the proceeds generated from the Kenny Chesney Costa sunglasses will directly benefit the CCA in their reef restoration and coastal rebuilding efforts.

So far, the program has raised more than $119,000 for the CCA.

“ Proceeds from Chesney sunglasses so far have raised more than $119,000 for CCA.

“

pads and integral hinges. Frame colors include choices such as palladium, rose gold and gunmetal with crystal temples.

All of Kenny Chesney’s limited edition Costa sunglasses are meant for people who savor the outdoors, especially being on the water. Available in the full array of Costa’s 580P™ lens technology, these options selectively filter out harsh yellow and harmful high-energy ultraviolet blue light. By filtering yellow light, they enhance reds, blues and greens and produce better contrast and definition, while reducing glare and eye fatigue. Absorbing high-energy blue light also cuts haze, producing greater visual clarity and sharpness.

Go here to see a video about the project: http://bit.ly/kennycostayt.

“Our programs focus on rebuilding vital oyster reefs and marshes to improve water quality and provide critical habitat for finfish and other aquatic creatures,” said Pat Murray, president of the Coastal Conservation Association. “It is inspiring to see how much we have been able to expand and enhance our coastal restoration efforts, especially along the Gulf Coast, as a result of the partnership between Kenny Chesney and Costa.”

“Our brand was born on the water and lives for the water,” said Al Perkinson, vice president of marketing for Costa. “We work to partner with like-minded people, like Kenny, who share our goal to make the oceans a cleaner, more sustainable place for us all to enjoy.”

The limited edition Kenny Chesney Costa sunglasses start in retail at $149, and are available at www.costadelmar.com.

5/7/15 9:40 AM

Fish and Game GEAR Livingston Lures Walking Boss

LIVINGSTON LURES’ WALKING Boss is a new twist on the tried-and-true walking bait. What’s the twist? Well, there are actually two: Livingston’s Electronic Baitfish Sounds (EBS) MultiTouch technology – which emits the sounds of actual baitfish in distress – and the ease with which anglers

can achieve the “sashaying” walk-thedog action that make this style of bait so effective for both largemouth and speckled trout.

The 5-inch Walking Boss settles in the water at an 80-degree angle, with a slightly-concave chugger mouth that throws off a sharp spitting action at the start of the retrieve. The elongated shape and construction of the body provide an exaggerated side-to-side, walk-the-dog action, and as Team Livingston pro Stetson Blaylock points out: “It’s not always easy to make a walking bait actually walk the dog, but with the Walking Boss, all you have to do is ‘twitch, reel, twitch, reel’ and you get great topwater action.”

Add to that the power of Livingston’s EBS MultiTouch, which allows the angler 64 |

J U N E

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 64

2 0 1 5

|

to “program” the bait to four different settings to best match an angler’s unique needs: EBS Original (gill-plate compressions), EBS Shad (fleeing shad in distress), EBS Craw (clicking of a shellfish) and an EBS Silent mode, which provides a “stealth” setting for highly pressured fish.

The Walking Boss is outfitted Livingston Walking with premium Boss Lure Daiichi hooks (4x strong, chemically sharpened), and premium black-nickel-plated, stainless-steel split rings. It’s available in 17 colors and retails for $16.99.

Visit livingstonlures.com.

TRUGLO New BriteSite

Fiber-Optic Xtreme).

The patented TFX (Tritium/FiberOptic Xtreme) sighting system is an enhanced version of TRUGLO’s field proven TFO (Tritium/Fiber-Optic) sights.

This sight’s hermetically sealed TFX capsule provides maximum protection for the integrated Swiss tritium GTLS and fiber-optic element against oils, chemicals, cleaning solvents and ultra-sonic cleaning processes for the utmost in durability.

The sight set offers the combination of the premium-grade “glow-in-the-dark” Swiss tritium producing extreme brightness with a white focus ring that surrounds the front sight fiber assisting in low-light visibility while increasing target acquisition speed.

The TFX handgun sight family, like all of TRUGLO’s handgun sights, utilizes a snag-free design for quick holster deployment. Available for many of today’s popular handgun models the new TFX sights are backed by a 12-year limited warranty.

Retail price $172.00.

For more information on TRUGLO’s new Brite-Site TFX sights, visit www.TRUGLO.com.

TRUGLO INC., MANUFACTURER of the world’s most advanced line of fiber-optic sights and accessories for the

shooting sports industry introduces its next generation of their awarding winning TFO (Tritium/Fiber-Optic) handgun sights, the TruGlo Brite-Site newBrite-Site TFX sights TFX (Tritium/

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

PHOTOS: LIVINGSTON LURES; TRUGLO; BEAR & SON CUTLERY

5/7/15 9:40 AM

New Push-Button Auto Stiletto from Bear OPS

Bear OPS pushbutton stiletto

bama-based Bear & Son Cutlery.

The handle is black T-6 aircraft aluminum, with a steel pocket clip for tip-up carry and easy access. Locked open, the

ALL IT TAKES IS A FIRM PUSH ON the recessed button and the blade of the new Bear OPS AC-300-ALBKS Stiletto swings open, ready for action.

The 3-1/4-inch modified spear-point blade is made of premium grade CPMS30V stainless steel, heat-treated to a Rockwell hardness of 58-60. Known for its superior edge quality, this blade steel also is rust- and corrosion-resistant.

“We stress a ‘firm push’ because it is important that the blade swings smoothly open only when you want it to, not by accident,” said Ken Griffey, president of Ala-

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 65

AC-300 is 7-5/8”; closed it is 4-1/2”; and it weighs only 4.3 oz.

Made in the USA and backed by Bear’s Lifetime Warranty, it retails for $170.00.

For more information on this and the full line, visit bearandsoncutlery.com.

CHECK OUT OUR ONLINE STORE for an expanding selection of innovative, new and hard-to-find outdoor gear.

Visit

FishandGameGear.com

5/11/15 2:26 PM

SABINE Area Hotspot Focus :: by Capt. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

R

IDING INTO TOWN ALONG with the month of June comes long, hot days, mostly mild winds, pretty water and lots of fish.

Catching fish on Sabine Lake in June is really pretty easy. Let’s take a look at some of the top tactics for catching the big three on Texas’s northernmost bay system.

For trout, we spend a lot of time in the surf. The beachfront is a popular and proven destination for many along the Texas Coast.

Light winds and sandy, (trout green) water usually adds up to lots of fish in the box.

Hungry trout looking for an easy meal while cruising the guts will be more than willing to

“ For trout, we spend a lot of time in the surf.

“

Long, Hot Summer Begins

take topwaters, plastics, spoons, jerk baits, and live bait.

A lot of our time this month is spent drifting the first and second guts catching hefty stringers of trout. When the winds are favorable and the green water has made its way to the sand and it’s almost hard not to score big. If there is bait present and surface activity your odds should really go up.

For redfish, we like to throw topwaters early toward the rock wall at Willow Bayou

and work our way northward to East Pass.

When the sun gets up and the bite tapers a bit, make the switch to soft plastics.

Cocahoe minnows, Bull minnows and Egret 3.5-inch Bayou Chub are excellent choices when rigged with 1/4 or 1/8 oz. jig heads.

Another killer setup for nice slot reds is a four-inch GULP Shrimp with 18-24 inches of leader under a nice loud popping cork.

Look for areas that are holding bait and give it some good hard pops, then pause.

Have your binoculars handy and keep an eye out for gulls or terns working in the open bay. A lot of times it only takes a few birds diving or picking to put you right in the middle of some of the biggest schools of redfish you’ve ever encountered.

For flounder, a great place to start is the causeway bridge located on the extreme south end of Pleasure Island. Both the Texas and Louisiana sides of the bridge hold lots of nice flounders in June. Anchor on either side near the boat ramp and drag mud minnows or curl tailed jigs like Gulp Swimming Mullet. Tipping with fresh, dead shrimp is never a bad idea. We also like to work the mouths of the bayous on the Louisiana shoreline. From there, move down the bank keying on areas where there is Roseau cane, especially those areas where the cane meets salt grass. Also work any small cuts or points thoroughly.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: McFaddin Beach SPECIES: Speckled Trout, Redfish BAITS/LURES: Topwaters, spoons, plastics, mud minnows BEST TIMES: Morning and late afternoon

Email Eddie Hernandez at ContactUs@fishgame.com 66 |

J U N E

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 66

2 0 1 5

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

5/7/15 9:40 AM

GALVESTON Area Hotspot Focus :: by Capt. MIKE HOLMES

Off to a Good Start

F

ISHING PUTS YOU MORE IN touch with the weather than just about any other activity, and saltwater fishing is doubly so.

Of course, if you also fish the Texas coast you will likely experience more variations of weather than you really want to see. We seldom get extreme cold in our area, but having lived here pretty much all my life I have seen 12 inches of snow, coastal bayous and marina harbors frozen across, and even ice covering large portions of the bays around Galveston.

Doesn’t happen often, of course, but it CAN happen.

Warmer weather is the more common extreme, and it can get very hot on our coast.

Warm weather has off-shoots that are as violent as a hurricane, or as non-violent as fog. In spite of the very real problems thick fog can cause, I like it, and have seldom let it stop me from enjoying our great Texas outdoors.

An instance of a pleasant day in the fog was on a surf fishing trip to near San Luis Pass. The sky was bright, clear, and sunny driving down 61ST, but when I topped the seawall I could not even see the beach, because the fog was so thick. Once on the beach, I could not see the surf.

Once in the surf, when I heaved a heavy spider-weight sinker and a big chunk of mullet toward the third bar, I realized the dream of most surf casters I cast that bait seemingly so far out I could not see it when it finally splashed down in the Gulf. I was casting farther than I could see.

Lately it seems that federal fisheries managers are “fogged in” most of the time, and groping for solutions they can only partially see. Last year, in the face of hard evidence that redfish were so numerous they were

threatening other fish populations, the nineday season certainly seems to demonstrate impaired vision.

Projections for the 2015 red snapper season, based on estimates of last seasons estimated catch in nine days, remember? are 25 days if the recreational catch limit is kept at two fish per angler per day. If the limit is dropped to one fish per day, the season could last 45 days.

NMFS personnel still expect the quota to be exceeded. This would cause the season to be closed earlier than the 25 or 45 days.

I expect this will happened regardless of the actual catch, because NMFS always says recreational anglers overfish their quota.

If a one fish limit is instituted, or even a two-fish limit for that matter, expect widespread “culling” to happen.

Red snappers have a very poor release survival rate. A similar move several years ago that raised the minimum size limit to 18 inches resulted in dead 14- to 16-inch snappers floating all over the surface of the Gulf.

Until those responsible for managing our

T E X A S

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 67

F I S H

&

fisheries clear out the fog that keeps them from seeing such things, efforts to conserve and restore will seem to be a bit hazy.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: The surf will heat up first in June, also passes leading to the Gulf.

SPECIES: Redfish, speckled trout, flounder, croaker.

BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, dead bait or small baitfish caught in a cast net.

BEST TIMES: June tides usually give good water movement – coming in or going out.

G A M E ®

Email Mike Holmes at ContactUs@fishgame.com

|

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

67

5/7/15 9:41 AM

MATAGORDA Area Hotspot Focus :: by MIKE PRICE

Surf Guts and Sand Bars: Ideal Habitat

L

ATE ONE JUNE AFTERNOON I checked the weather and discovered that a rare event in the world of surf fishing was going to take place the next morning a light north wind and an incoming tide at sunrise. This caused me to drop all previous plans and head for Matagorda Beach well before first light the next day.

At 5:15 a.m., as my four-wheel drive SUV rolled onto the sand, I set the odom-

eter to zero and headed several miles down the beach to a cove that I had observed at low tide on a previous trip. While it was still dark, I waded to the east side of the cove and started casting. The first cast yielded a fifteen-inch trout but the following casts were not touched.

As the sun rose and illuminated the water on the opposite side of the cove, I could see that predators were ripping bait fish, so I

moved over there. Hits started immediately, and I soon had a couple of trout on the stringer. I studied the spot where the fish had concentrated and realized that it was an eddy created by a buildup of the sandbar next to a gut running perpendicular to the beach. Identifying an eddy, which is a place where movement of the water is different from surrounding current (usually circular), is a good place to fish because predators use it as a place from which to ambush prey.

In this situation, water was coming into the beach over the sandbars, and then rushing back offshore through an opening between sandbars creating a rip current.

Be aware of rip currents; if you get caught in a rip current, and cannot wade to safety, just inflate your life jacket and ride with the current. Once beyond the opening in the sandbar, the current will dissipate and you can make your way back to the beach.

You may not be able to find or identify an eddy in the surf because the waves obscure them, but guts that run parallel to the beach between sandbars are what make up the terrain in the surf. Predators swim these guts looking for bait fish and other prey being flushed into them by waves and currents.

Small fish, crabs, and shrimp are attracted to the guts to feed on worms, eels, and other marine organisms on the bottom and the plankton suspended in the water. Casting to the area offshore where waves are breaking will drop your lure on a sandbar. Slowly working the lure towards you will allow the lure to fall into the gut, and predator fish like to hit the lure as it drops. When the water is clear, I like to use a five-inch glow/chartreuse tail Salt Water Assassin from Bass Assassin on a Âź ounce jig head.

Some surf fishermen and women like the advantage of using live shrimp in the surf. One evening when I was walking with my dog on the beach I talked with John Reynolds while he got ready to wade into the surf. John was using a light American Rodsmith six-foot, five-inch rod with a

68 |

J U N E

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 68

2 0 1 5

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ÂŽ

5/7/15 9:41 AM

Shimano Curado bait caster reel rigged with 20-pound-test, braided line, an Inticer popping cork and about three feet of 15-poundtest fluorocarbon leader and a small, sharp # 4 Owner treble hook.

He waded out until he was waist to chest deep, and started casting and popping. I could tell by the way he moved his fishing rod and watched his cork that he had done this many times before. When a fish took off with the bait he deftly set the hook, and thoroughly enjoyed every run the fish made.

I watched him fish for ten minutes, and he put two trout on the stringer.

There are days in June when the wind is too strong to consider fishing in the surf, but you will be able to find leeward fishing spots in both East and West Matagorda Bays. In late June my wife and I went to the south shore of West Matagorda Bay on a day when the wind was blowing from the east-southeast at 15 to 25 mph. With my fishing rod at the ready, lying in front of me in my kayak, I quietly paddled into the bayou, scanning the shoreline for any sign of

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 69

redfish herding bait. I heard a loud splash, like the sound of a bowling ball hitting the water, and continued moving stealthily in that direction. Sunlight reflected off the red dorsal fins and tails of four redfish.

I laid the paddle down softly, picked up my rod and tossed my Texas Tackle Factory four-inch Texas Red Killer lure on a 1/16 ounce jig head just in front of the feeding fish. It took about a half of a second for a redfish to grab the soft plastic and start running. I reared back to set the hook, the redfish (about 23 inches) jumped almost completely out of the water, shook its head, spit out the lure and swam off. I just laughed, enjoyed the moment, and went looking for another redfish.

It usually gets up to around 90°F by 10:30 or 11 a.m. in June, so you may want to get to your fishing spot early and head back before it becomes too uncomfortably hot. The water temperature in late June on the day I missed the redfish was 90 degrees.

If the wind is light and the tide is incoming, give the surf a try. If you have strong winds and the surf is blown out, head for

the bays. Either way, there is a good chance that you will come upon hungry fish in June.

THE BANK BITE PARKER’S CUT FOR KAYAKERS: Parker’s Cut is located on the west side of the Old Colorado River. It is fairly physically challenging to get there, but worth the effort.

Park at the first fishing pier you come to on 2031, which is ½ mile from the Matagorda Nature Park sign, N28°36.728’ W95°68.480’, and paddle across the river to a fence, N28°37.018’ W95°58.644’, follow the path on the right side of the fence and portage across about 150 yards until you reach a bayou connecting to West Matagorda Bay. Be prepared for mosquitoes when you portage.

Email Mike Price at ContactUs@fishgame.com

5/11/15 2:26 PM

UPPER MID Coast Hotspot Focus :: by Capt. CHRIS MARTIN

Top Fun in June

J

UNE IS AN EXCITING TIME for a lot of us in that it often represents the official start of our summertime fun.

Many folks who have been juggling hectic schedules at home and at the office will now be planning to spend some quality time together with family and friends amid all the great Texas outdoors has to offer. For some, this may mean camping adventures along a river or lake, or visiting some of our state’s

70 |

J U N E

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 70

2 0 1 5

|

many historical landmarks.

Some will opt for taking in one or more of the large amusement or water parks. Others may simply settle for making their way to the nearest beach.

Whatever your summertime passion may be, June in Texas can certainly fulfill all your outdoor desires.

For those whose outdoor passion is coastal fishing, the month of June takes on special meaning in a couple different ways. It is the beginning of the warmer months of the year, which means more activity on the water.

Because June can become extremely hot, it will also be essential to take personal precautions. Anglers will need to apply sunscreen to exposed skin areas before leaving the dock and will need to re-apply it again, and again, as needed. It’ll also be important to wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and a hat to protect body parts from damaging sun.

Equally important is to hydrate often with water or sports drink (the non-alcoholic type, of course).These basic precautions will allow a much better experience on the water.

Another thing June means is that coastal anglers should now alter their daily fishing routine. Bay water temperatures are now within the 80+ degree range, so great concentrations of baitfish will be working their way up and down sandy, grassy shorelines and guts where they have massed during the overnight hours.

With this being the case, you should now be in your preferred wading spot before the sun rises, and start your first wade session in the shallows. Huge schools of baitfish, sometimes one right after another, naturally attract greater numbers of game fish, especially redfish. Coastal anglers should see large schools of redfish, as well.

A lot of times several different groups, or schools, of redfish will be in very close proximity of each other.As the water temperatures continue to soar, so shall the redfish.

They’ll soar to the water’s surface in a fury, revealing their presence more and more each day as they prey upon the surface-roaming

T E X A S

F I S H

&

pods of baitfish.

As a suggestion, you might rig one of your preferred top water baits to the end of your line for your initial wade session because as the warmth increases, so will top water lure results.

The heat of the summer driveshigher salinity levels in our bay systems, and large trout just love elevated salinity saturation numbers and percentages. So, it may not come as a surprise to anyone if we start seeing some extremely nice fish landed as early as this month.

When working calm shallows containing trout-green water with absolutely no cloud cover, anglers should toss small, brightcolored surface baits to entice the trout.

On overcast days and in stained water conditions, anglers may have greater success presenting darker lure colors.

Whenever forced to work in choppy water, anglers might benefit from much larger, much noisier, top water baits.Although the start of June can still require hard surface grinding with small rewards, those who stick with it might just be surprised with the outcome.

Given the amount of springtime rainfall we received this year, we could very well be in store for one of the most productive summers in a long time.

Good luck, and keep grindin’!

Contact Capt. Chris Martin at bayflatslodge@gmail.com or visit bayflatslodge.com

G A M E ®

5/7/15 9:41 AM

ROCKPORT Area Hotspot Focus :: by Capt. MAC GABLE

Bait Chase Debate

I

T WAS THE END OF MARCH. I had eaten breakfast with a good friend and decided to pursue some fish filets as, my wife had informed me, were in short supply in our freezer. I eat fish two to three times a week and have even been known to make a quick breakfast out of last night’s left over fishy morsels.

Live shrimp was the right bait combination for the day. I pulled my boat to the one and only game in town that time of year and luckily was the only customer at the eerily vacant bait stand. I was familiar with the owner though he was not my regular supplier of live bait. He said hello and I asked him how the bait looked this morning.

He grimaced. “It doesn’t look at all, for I have none,” he said. “My boat is on the way in and should be here in about 20 minutes with about 40 pounds of shrimp.”

“Great!” I said, “I will take a quart.”

He rang me up to kill time. I heard the bait stand phone ring as I walked outside to fill my live well with saltwater. Once outside I heard it ring again, then it rang again.

It rang four more times in the span of 10 minutes.

With a look of frustration the owner came out and said “Jesus! That thing is ringing off the hook this morning! Everyone needs bait when I don’t have any! There will be some unhappy people here again this morning!”

“Again?” I asked.

“Yeah, seems like it’s getting pretty common. What I now have coined The Bait Debate by all the Master Baiters in the area.”

I laughed thinking well, at least business is good.

It seemed like just a minute had passed during which time I had my head down inside my rigging box, fiddling with a pesky

leaking fitting. When I lifted my head, confident the leak was fixed, I was amazed at the number of people at the bait stand. There was now a line running out the door, 10 anglers deep and growing. Trucks, boats, cars and more people were converging on the small bait shack like gold had been discovered at the bottom of the bait tanks.

I glanced out on the water and could see an old battered shrimp boat slowly making its way home to the bait stand. Having filled my live well, I made my way to the now outthe-door line of people waiting for bait.

I don’t believe much in sixth sense, ESP or crystal balls but something in my brain added all the elements I was seeing, and I felt a fight or flight situation was impending.

I would have walked away for sure but having already paid I went for the/my bait.

The decision proved to be, shall we say, a learning experience. Not wanting to walk around, through, or over the now long-formed line, I hesitated, thinking I will explain in a loud, but kind and clear voice I had already paid for my bait before I ven-

T E X A S

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 71

F I S H

&

tured into the now ever-growing impatient baiters horde.

This thought was short lived as the owner, now carrying five gallon buckets of shrimp from the newly arrived shrimp boat, waved me forward, and hurriedly was trying to divvy out my golden quart of shrimp.

“That’s BS!” one guy in line said.“We were here first!”

“No you weren’t!” the crusty bait stand owner said. “He was here 20 minutes ago.”

“Well, he wasn’t in line,” another said.

“He’s a guide!” yet another chimed in, “They get special treatment, now don’t they, Mister bait stand owner!?”

“Did you see how much bait he gave him? If that’s just a quart I’ll kiss your backside and give you thirty minutes to draw a crowd!” yet another shouted.

“He doesn’t have to be in line, and a quart is a quart is a quart!” the stand owner shouted. “This is not grade school!” He and I regretted the remark as the line now broke rank and crowded toward the bait tanks.

“No one past that line” the bait stand

G A M E ®

|

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

71

5/11/15 2:26 PM

Focus: ROCKPORT owner said.

“Thought this was not kindergarten!” was the response.

“He’s past the line!” an angry bait-less angler shouted, pointing at me.

I tried to respond, but was cut off. “Well, yeah!” another said. “He can go where he wants he’s a guide!”

At this point I am calculating my odds of getting out the door alive with my quart of shrimp. Bait bucket in hand I made my way past the now livid crowd hoping no one broke my boat.

I was almost out when one guy said “See, he doesn’t even have to pay. They are thick as thieves these guides and bait stands.

Hey man, call the cops. He’s stealing your bait!” came another angry response.

Enough! I said to myself, falsely accused and now being called a thief! I spun and confronted the guy. Digging into my pocket I pulled out my receipt, and stuck it in the guy’s face. It read One quart of shrimp PAID. “Leave it alone,” one guy said. “He was here before any of us!”

Outside at my boat I took a deep breath and counted to ten as my anger subsided. In a rush, I saw the crowd making its way back out the door as the live bait had quickly sold

out leaving most without bait.

The comments kept coming. “Why did that one guy need 10 quarts?”

“There ought be a law,” another remarked. “This just ain’t fun no more!”

As I started to dump the/my shrimp into my live well, another boat pulled up. It was a small john boat pulled by a Nissan truck.

I recognized it, but couldn’t remember why.

An elderly lady got out and walked directly towards me and my boat. “Capt. Mac” she said.

Ah yes, I recognized her and remembered her as one of my clients.

“Is there any bait left?” she asked.

“No ma’am, I do believe it’s all gone.”

“The story of my life,” she laughed. “I’m the last in line.” “They might have some frozen if that helps” I said weakly. “No, I just can’t figure out how to catch fish on that” she smiled. “My goodness!”

“You might try some other bait stands.”

“I did already,” she replied, “but they don’t have any and probably won’t for a couple of days. Frustrating isn’t it? Get all excited, get up early, do all the work to get ready only to have to jockey for bait. Oh well, perhaps another day.” She smiled and started back to her small truck.

I felt bad, should I offer her my services as

a guide? No, I got the sense she needed her own company that day. The truth is I wasn’t much in the mood to fish anymore. The debacle that morning just seemed to take my desire away, and if I were honest, I know I get to fish a whole lot more than she does.

“Ma’am!” I shouted across the parking area, “how about taking my shrimp? I’m not feeling up to fishing today.” “Excuse me?” she said. “My shrimp. Would you like them? I can’t fish today.”

“Oh,” she said, “something broke?”

“Yes Ma’am, guess you could say that, and these shrimp are just aching to jump in a fish’s mouth!”

“Is your misfortune to be my fortune?” she asked guiltily.

I laughed. “That makes better sense than most of what I’ve seen today.”

She looked puzzled. “Well, great! What do I owe you for them?”

“How about some filets if you catch a bunch?”

“Now Capt. Mac, you know I only keep the first three fish I catch, no matter if they are reds, trout, black drum, gaff top, sheepshead. They all taste good if you know how to fix them and three are more than I alone can eat!”

“Yes, I do recall” I said. “Catch a few more for me if they are biting and we’ll call it even. How does that suit you?”

“Right down to the ground,” she smiled.

“Of course, I’ll call you if I have fish for you; I still have your number.”

Even in the storms of debate one can find beauty. I remembered now why I remembered her.

• • • HINT: this time of year fluorocarbon leaders work well. They don’t hold up as well as regular mono, but if you don’t mind replacing a few rigs they can be very productive.

COPANO BAY — Croakers on Lap Reef are good for trout on a free-line rig. There is some good red action off Newcomb Point using finger mullet on a light Carolina rig.

In the early morning fish shallow (close to shoreline), mid-day the deeper edges are more productive.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 74 u

72 |

J U N E

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 72

2 0 1 5

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

5/11/15 2:26 PM

LOWER Coast Hotspot Focus :: by CALIXTO GONZALES

Flat Outlook

F

LOUNDER HAVE BEEN UP and down along the Lower Laguna Madre the past couple of years..

The flatties just seemed to disappear from their regular haunts for a few years. At best, a handful of them would come to the dock every month, and rarely more than one on the same stringer.

Things turned around about four years ago, however.

Better and better catches of keeper-sized flounder were reported after the hard freeze of February, . The gigging seasons in summer, which had been pretty think, saw a steady rise of landing, and rod and reel fishermen are finding enough fish to actually focus fisng trips on the tasty flatfish.

Though numbers aren’t as impressive as a few years ago, flounder fishing is still in very good shape on the LLM. Many of the flounder have also been pretty hefty, too, some over three pounds.

Anglers who would like to get a flounder to stuff with crab meat and bake or pan fry in butter can reasonly hope to succeed.

Anglers who pick up their mail in Port Mansfield won’t burn too much gas looking for flounder. There are plenty of spots a short run across Lower Laguna Madre in the East Cut. The side channels that feed into the back bays attract flounder on both the incoming and outgoing tides. The fish settle on thin drop-offs along the pass on an outgoing tide, then work their way into the inside edges on an incoming tide. The easiest way to for Mansfield flatties is to work live bait ofr a soft plastic along the edges. A live shrimp or mullet is an ideal bait. Fish them on a spit-shot or fishfinder rig and a 1/0 short-shanked or Khale hook.

If you are going to hop a shrimp or shad tail (the venerable Norton Bull Minnow is a great standard), use a ¼ ounce jighead and

hop the bait. This is akin to fishing for bass with a jig/pig combo. Hop with the rod tip up until you feel the resistance of a pick-up.

Lower the rod tip, reel in the slack, and set the hook. Hard. If you miss, start over.

Nothinig to it, right?

The channels that lead into the back of Cullen Bay hold flounder around the edges in June. Fishing for them is very straightforward. Use a fish-finder (Carolina) rig with a ¼ ounce sinker and a live shrimp or finger mullet on a #1/0 short-shanked single hook (the Owner SSW in blood red, for example). If you’d rather fish with lures, then try a 3” Gulp! Shrimp or Mud Minnow in New Penny or Pearl pinned to a ¼ ounce jighead and bounced along the bottom. If the flounder are there—and they should be—they’ll nail it with gusto.

Moving south, an underutilized flounder area is the channel into South Bay. Most ignore the gateway for the riches on the other side, but they miss out on the treasure that abounds. On a flood tide, the narrow flats on either side (especially the ones on the south side) hold plenty of flounder to keep you happy. This is an especially effective area to fish at night under a full moon. The only problem is to pay attention to the tides, or you may be stuck for awhile on the ebb.

The mainland shoreline on the island at the intersection of the Brownsville Ship Channel and the Port Isabel Channel (also known as the Y) is another good flounder hole. A trolling motor allows you to fish this area the most effectively. Work parallel to the dropoff and cast your bait or lure towards shore and work back to the boat slowly. Again, either live baits on a Carolina rig or soft plastics are the trick.

Don’t be surprised to latch onto some trout and the occasional redfish. These fish tend to share space with the flounder.

A classic, but unused technique for working these shoreline edges is the classic bucktail jig. A ¼ ounce pink bucktail, such as the one produced by Bomber Saltwater Grade, with a live shrimp to sweeten the deal is one of the most effective combos I’ve T E X A S

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 73

F I S H

&

ever used for flounder. Break the horn off the shrimp so that it will ride straight on the hook, then pass the jighook through the bug’s head from bottom to top (as usual, avoid the black spot on the shrimp’s head, or you’ll kill it instantly). If you want to add scent, snip the tailfan off. Cast the rig up to the shallows, and bounce it back to you. When you feel the heavy “thump!,” count to three and set the hook. I’ve been experimenting with the hot pink Gulp! curlytail minnow, and I’ve been encouraged with the results.

If live shrimp are hard to come by, try a 3” Gulp! Shrimp of DOA Shrimp as alternatives to real meat. Flounder don’t seem to be very discriminating when they’re on the feed. Adherents to the DOA brand will find that the CAL Minnow is another deadly weapon during flounder missions.

Don’t overlook flounder when you are on Lower Laguna Madre. They make a welcome addition to the summer get-togethers that you usually invite specks and redfish to.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Coast Guard Station SPECIES: Speckled Trout, redfish.

TIPS: Wadefishing with live shrimp/soft plastifcs under a Mauler.

G A M E ®

Email Calixto Gonzales at ContactUs@fishgame.com

|

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

73

5/7/15 9:41 AM

Texas HOTSPOTS

UPPER COAST

GPS COORDINATES are provided in two formats: “Decimal Degrees” (degrees.degrees) and “Degrees and Minutes” sometimes called “GPS Format” (degrees minutes.minutes).

Examples (for Downtown Austin): Decimal Degrees: N30.2777, W97.7379; Degrees and Minutes: N30 16.6662, W97 44.2739. Consult your manual for information specific to your GPS device.

Specks, Specks & More Specks

by TOM BEHRENS

LOCATION: Caranchua Bay HOTSPOT: Pipeline GPS: N 28 42.6, W 96 23.8159 (28.7100, -96.3969) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters and soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 271-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “If I’m wade fishing I will be in West Bay fishing the grass beds, throwing a topwater early and then switching over to a soft plastic.” Capt.

Countz

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Willies Head Island GPS: N 29 32.155, W 94 48.5239 (29.5359, -94.8087) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Super Spook & Baby Spooks CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: “Fish the Super Spook in water that is choppy; fish the Baby Spook on calmer water.”

Capt. Marcaccio

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Deep Reef GPS: N 29 30.802, W 94 40.581 (29.5134, -94.6764) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: “June is a wade-drift month. Wade early, starting about 5 a.m. and move out to deeper water as the sun comes up.” Capt. Marcaccio LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Little Pasture Bayou GPS: N 29 31.254, W 94 32.3179 (29.5209, -94.5386) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: She Dog & She Pup CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com www.gofishgalveston.com

HOTSPOT FOCUS: ROCKPORT to Salt Creek. The shorelines adjacent to the area are a good place to fish peeled shrimp on a light Carolina rig.

t CONTINUED FROM PAGE 72 ARANSAS BAY — Jay Bird Reef is good for trout using croakers or piggy perch on a light Carolina rig. On high tide don’t be afraid to throw on top of the reef, working your bait off the reef’s edge. Drifts down Long Reef are good for trout using soft plastics Norton Sand eels in pumpkin/ chartreuse or black magic chartreuse. The south shoreline off Blackjack is a good wade for reds using finger mullet or Jerk Shad in new penny color.

ST CHARLES BAY — The mouths of Little or Big Devil bayous are a good place for reds using mud minnows or cut mullet.

The key here is to approach silently, set up and be patient. Still some black drum close 74 |

J U N E

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 74

2 0 1 5

|

CARLOS BAY — On high tide, drifts across Carlos Lake are good for trout and reds using free-lined live Shrimp. Cut mullet on a light Carolina rig is good for reds on the shell that parallels Carlos Dugout.

MESQUITE BAY — Wades at the mouth of Cedar Bayou are good for trout using top waters like the Badonk-A-Donk in silver mullet and speckled trout colors. The west shoreline is a good wade for reds and trout using a live croaker on a free lined rig. This can be muddy bottom mixed with sand, so move slowly and be patient.

AYERS BAY — Ayers Reef is good for

T E X A S

F I S H

&

reds using finger mullet on a light Carolina rig. Try not to reel until you get a bite as this is sharp shell and break-offs can be frequent with too much reeling. Second Chain is good for trout using croakers on a free-lined rig.

THE BANK BITE THE AIRPORT SHORELINE on Copano Bay is good for black drum using a popping cork and shrimp. Move slowly and quietly, wading about 30 yards off, working / casting parallel to the bank.

Contact Capt. Mac Gable at Mac Attack Guide Service, 512-809-2681, 361-790-9601 captmac@macattackguideservice.com

G A M E ®

5/7/15 9:41 AM

Texas HOTSPOTS TIPS: Concentrate on drains early that have tidal movement.

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Elm Lake GPS: N 29 27.1469, W 94 41.691 (29.4525, -94.6949) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Heddon Spooks or MirrOlure She Dogs or Pups CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: “Anticipate on arriving at the drain you have targeted one hour before an outgoing or incoming tide. If I don’t get a strike in about a half-an-hour, I will move on to another location.” Capt. .Marcaccio LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Yates Bayou GPS: N 29 29.55, W 94 36.0109 (29.4925, -94.6002) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 75

CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: “If possible, select drains and bayous that have reefs close by. Wadefish early with topwater baits and then move out into deeper water over shell and drift fish for the trout.” Capt. Marcaccio LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Trinity Wells GPS: N 29 42.9829, W 94 43.138 (29.7164, -94.7190) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: “By midday the water temperature should be getting in the 80s and the fish are going down deep.

Use a 1/2 or 3/8 ounce jig head.” Capt. Marcaccio LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Hodges

GPS: N 29 34.963, W 94 44.574 (29.5827, -94.7429) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: Marcaccio’s rule of thumb for the correct color in a soft plastic: “Clear baits on clear days and dark baits on dark days.

LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Little Hodges Reef GPS: N 29 39.261, W 94 43.0759 (29.6544, -94.7179) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: Determining tidal flow: “Check the crab traps and PVC pipes sticking out of the water. If there is water movement around them, going in one

5/11/15 2:26 PM

Texas HOTSPOTS direction or the other, there is tidal flow.” Capt.

Marcaccio

area that we call the Log, which is south of Half Moon Shoal, not to be confused with Half Moon Reef.” Capt. Countz

LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay HOTSPOT: Airport Flats GPS: N 28 27.532, W 96 18.3809 (28.4589, -96.3064) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Skitter Walk CONTACT: Capt. Royce Macha 979-429-0406 rlmamlm@live.com machasguideservice.com TIPS: “After the sun comes up, while wading, I will start working my way back out into deeper water. If I am waist deep and can’t hit the deeper guts on my casts, it’s time to quit wading and climb back into the boat.” Capt. Macha

LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Ving-et-un GPS: N 29 32.92, W 94 46.419 (29.5487, -94.7737) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: Marcaccio’s favorite soft plastic colors: pumpkin, plum and black if water muddy or stained.

Fire Tiger, Limetreuse and Salt&Pepper for good water clarity.

LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay HOTSPOT: Three Mile Reef GPS: N 28 38.1, W 95 56.449 (28.6350, -95.9408) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 271-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “We will either throwing live shrimp or a 1/4 ounce, maybe a 3/8 ounce lead head in either Black Magic or Chicken-On-A-Chain.” Capt. Countz

LOCATION: Matagorda HOTSPOT: Jetties GPS: N 28 25.0529, W 96 19.3799 (28.4176, -96.3230) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Live shrimp or soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 271-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: Tidal movement along the jetties is critical.

Countz’s favorite is an outgoing tide. “When the tide starts falling it pulls a lot of the fish off the rocks.

LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay HOTSPOT: Raymond Shoal GPS: N 28 40.449, W 95 53.898 (28.6742, -95.8983) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 271-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: Raymond Shoal on the east end of the bay is like one big reef. “You can drift for over a mile.”

Capt. Countz

LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay HOTSPOT: Half Moon Shoal GPS: N 28 43.345, W 95 46.392 (28.7224, -95.7732) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters and soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 271-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: Look for bait or slicks. “We will start in early on the beds and then later in the day we will go out and start working some of the drains.” Capt. Countz

LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay HOTSPOT: Cottons Bayou GPS: N 28 30.45, W 96 12.3816 (28.5075, -96.2064) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Skitter Walk CONTACT: Capt. Royce Macha 979-429-0406 rlmamlm@live.com machasguideservice.com TIPS: Macha concentrates on grass pockets on the shorelines

LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay HOTSPOT: New Half Moon Reef GPS: N 28 33.7999, W 96 14.5309 (28.5633, -96.2422) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 271-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “Normally I’m throwing an 1/8 ounce lead head with one of the darker colored baits, like the Black Magic or Chicken-On-A-Chain … my two favorites.” Capt Countz

LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay HOTSPOT: Greens GPS: N 29 44.8302, W 95 10.1628 (29.7472, -95.1694) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Skitter Walk CONTACT: Capt. Royce Macha 979-429-0406 rlmamlm@live.com machasguideservice.com TIPS: Macha’s favorite topwater color is chartreuse/silver. “If the water is off-color I will go to a darker color, but I wouldn’t rule out Bone White.

LOCATION: Port O’Connor HOTSPOT: Pass Cavallo GPS: N 28 21.805, W 96 24.0289 (28.3634, -96.4005) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Royce Macha 979-429-0406 rlmamlm@live.com machasguideservice.com TIPS: June is the time of the year when a croaker rigged so it has freedom to move around will attract fish.

LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay HOTSPOT: Long Reef GPS: N 28 40.3879, W 95 53.0899 (28.6731, -95.8848) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 271-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “If I’m drift fishing and the winds are up, I will be in East Matagorda Bay. In June we drift an

76 |

J U N E

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 76

2 0 1 5

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay HOTSPOT: Surf GPS: N 28 24.319, W 96 21.3149 (28.4053, -96.3553) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: 4 Inch Saltwater Assassins CONTACT: Capt. Royce Macha 979-429-0406 rlmamlm@live.com machasguideservice.com TIPS: Macha normally likes to use a 1/8 ounce jig head

G A M E ®

5/7/15 9:41 AM

Texas HOTSPOTS LOCATION: Sabine Jetty HOTSPOT: Jetty GPS: N 29 40.0301, W 93 49.8768 (29.6672, -93.8313) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Wedgetails and Trout Killers soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Adam Jaynes 409-988-3901 amjaynes@gmail.com www.justfishsabine.com TIPS: “The only thing the trout are feeding on at this time are ribbon fish. The baits I’m using are 5 inches long and look like ribbon fish to the trout.”

Capt. Jaynes LOCATION: Sabine Jetty HOTSPOT: Big Rocks GPS: N 29 39.4169, W 93 49.501 (29.6570, -93.8250) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Catch 2000 CONTACT: Capt. Bill Watkins 409-673-9211

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 77

4097862018@sbcglobal.net www.fishsabinelake.com TIPS: “Early in the morning when fishing the jetty I will throw a Catch 2000 right up against the rocks, but as the sun starts to come up, the fish will start dropping down. Then I will go to a soft plastic with a 1/4 ounce jig head.” Capt. Watkins LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Causeway Reef GPS: N 29 47.221, W 93 55.9189 (29.7870, -93.9320) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Wedgetails and Trout Killers soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Adam Jaynes 409-988-3901 amjaynes@gmail.com www.justfishsabine.com TIPS: “The only place on the lake where I really every use my side scan and down scan on my electronics is around the Causeway Reef. Once you find where the schools of bait are and what depth they are at, that’s where you will find the fish” Capt.

Adam Jaynes

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Sabine Pass GPS: N 29 40.0919, W 94 5.76 (29.6682, -94.0960) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: MirrOlure Mirrodine or MirrOlure Lil John CONTACT: Capt. Bill Watkins 409-673-9211 4097862018@sbcglobal.net www.fishsabinelake.com TIPS: “Birds are working the lake, the lower half of the lake. The ship channel and Sabine Pass will all be holding trout in June.” Capt. Watkins

5/11/15 2:26 PM

Texas HOTSPOTS TIPS: Hook the croaker right above the anal fin so he can swim around naturally, won’t be upside down or sideways in the water.

MIDDLE COAST

Port A Specks Quarantined

by TOM BEHRENS LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Quarantine Shoreline GPS: N 27 54.733 W 97 03.502 (27.912217, -97.058367) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Freeline live croaker CONTACT: Capt. Marvin Engel 361-658-6674 CaptMarvinEngel@yahoo.com www.texasfishingguides.org/bigm TIPS: In June, Engel switches exclusively to live croaker as bait of choice for speckled trout.

“Baitfish become so numerous as the water warms up, they will strip a live shrimp off a hook in 10 seconds.” – Capt. Marvin Engel LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Traylor Island GPS: N 27 56.610 W 97 04.263 (27.9435, -97.07105) SPECIES: Speckled trout CONTACT: Capt. Marvin Engel 361-658-6674 CaptMarvinEngel@yahoo.com www.texasfishingguides.org/bigm BEST BAITS: Freeline live croaker TIPS: Capt. Engel’s freeline rigging: 4/0 croaker hook, 2 foot shock leader made up using 30 lb. test Berkley Trilene, clear color LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Mud Island GPS: N 27 56.380 W 97 00.763 (27.939667, -97.012717) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Freeline live croaker CONTACT: Capt. Marvin Engel 361-658-6674 CaptMarvinEngel@yahoo.com www.texasfishingguides.org/bigm

78 |

J U N E

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 78

2 0 1 5

|

LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Super Flats GPS: N 27 54.669 W 97 02.196 (27.91115, -97.0366) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Freeline live croaker CONTACT: Capt. Marvin Engel 361-658-6674 CaptMarvinEngel@yahoo.com www.texasfishingguides.org/bigm TIPS: Pop your line about every 15-20 seconds, reel 2-3 cranks to get slack out of the line.

LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: East Flats GPS: N 27 48.991 W 97 07.139 (27.816517, -97.118983) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Freeline live pin perch or cut mullet CONTACT: Capt. Marvin Engel 361-658-6674 CaptMarvinEngel@yahoo.com www.texasfishingguides.org/bigm TIPS: Hook the pin perch under the anal fin, the same way as if you were using croaker for trout.

BEST BAITS: Freeline live croaker CONTACT: Capt. Marvin Engel 361-658-6674 CaptMarvinEngel@yahoo.com www.texasfishingguides.org/bigm TIPS: A croaker should last 10-15 minutes before he becomes fatigued and needs to be replaced.

LOWER COAST

Ship Ahoy: Laguna Snook

by CALIXTO GONZALES and TOM BEHRENS LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Brownsville Ship Channel GPS: N 26 2.124, W 97 13.108 (26.0354, -97.2185) SPECIES: Snook BEST BAITS: Topwaters in Bone, black/Silver, live pinfish, live mullet, large shrimp.

CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Anchor or drift about 30-50 feet off the shoreline to give yourself some casting room and work topwaters. If fish aren’t rising to your topwater, fish along the drop-off with large live shrimp on a split shot rig. With all the snags in the area, a flourocarbon leader is a very good idea.

LOCATION: Redfish Bay HOTSPOT: Dagger Flats GPS: N 27 49.754 W 97 10.610 (27.829233, -97.176833) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Freeline live pin perch or cut mullet CONTACT: Capt. Marvin Engel 361-658-6674 CaptMarvinEngel@yahoo.com www.texasfishingguides.org/bigm TIPS: If the wind is blowing hard and the trout water is muddy, switch off to fishing water, 1-3 feet deep in one of the flats areas.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Marker 124 GPS: N 26 3.83, W 97 9.92 (26.0638, -97.1653) SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live Shrimp, soft plastics in Electirc Chicken, Chartruese, Watermelon/ Chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Fish the gut formed between Long Bar and the submerged spoil banks along the ICW. You can drift the entire length of the gut. Focus on the color change (clear to sandy-green) along the spoils.

LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Outside Dagger GPS: N 27 50.217 W 97 09.967 (27.83695, -97.166117) SPECIES: Speckled trout

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: South Bay GPS: N 26 1.583, W 97 11.101 (26.0264, -97.1850) SPECIES: Snook BEST BAITS: Topwaters, soft plastics in red/

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

5/11/15 2:26 PM

Texas HOTSPOTS white, Bpne glitter, Bone/Chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Snook spread out over the flats sa the water tops 75 degrees. Topwaters and soft plastics are best. Fish with a faster cadence.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Marker 11 GPS: N 26 5.137, W 97 9.993 (26.0856, -97.1666) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Live bait, cut bait, gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Watch for tailing reds and nervous bait near the shoreline. Set yourself up on an intercept to the prowling reds and pitch a weightless tail or a ¼ gold spoon across their paths.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: The Saucer GPS: N 26 27.652, W 97 21.702 (26.4609, -97.3617) SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters, soft plastics in red/ white, Bpne glitter, Bone/Chartreuse CONTACT: LG Outfitters 956-971-0220 lgonzales@lgoutfitters.com lgoutfitters.com TIPS: Start off in shallow water early in the day, and move back deeper near the ICW as the sun rises. 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.

W 97 09.103 (26.049649, -97.151721) SPECIES: Speckled trout, BEST BAITS: live mullet, ballyhoo; gold spoons; soft plastics in red and white CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Speckled trout will cross the bars and cruise the guts along the beach across from South Padre Island. Live bait is the best bet for surf predators, but it’s easier to work up and down the beach if you take a small boxful of spoons, 1/4 ounce jigheads, and a couple of bags of plastics. Fish the wade gut early in the morning, especially on a high tide.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: South Bay Channel GPS: N 26 02.692 W 97 10.974 (26.044867, -97.1829) SPECIES: Flounder BEST BAITS: live bait; topwaters; soft plastics in red/white, New Penny CONTACT:

Captain Carlos Garcia 956-433-8094 southtexasredfish20@gmail.com TIPS: Fish the mouths of the channel during moving tides. Fish the interior on an incoming tide, and outer fringes on an outgoing. Live bait under a popping cork produces well when flounder are very active. Hopping soft plastics on a 1/8-ounce jighead along the channel edges will also produce.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Railbed (bank access) GPS: N 26 03.849 W 97 12.016 (26.064147, -97.200268) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp; Gulp! shrimp in Nuclear Chicken, Lime Tiger; soft plastics in chartreuse patterns; gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Two rows of base stones that disappear into Laguna Madre along the shoreline of Brazos Island don’t look like much, but the hold both trout. Free-

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: North Brazos Santiago Jetties GPS: N 26 04.080 W 97 09.280 (26.068, -97.154667) SPECIES: snook BEST BAITS: finger mullet; soft plastics in chartreuse, smoke CONTACT: Captain Carlos Garcia 956-433-8094 southtexasredfish20@gmail.com TIPS: Toss soft plastics or live baits parallel to the granite, especially in areas that have rock groins.

Let the bait fall along the edges. A sharp jerk/fall technique is best to tempt snookums into coming out to play.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Boca Chica Beach (bank access) GPS: N 26 02.979

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 79

5/7/15 9:41 AM

Texas HOTSPOTS line a shrimp or finger mullet If the fish movement occurs later in the day, fish the deeper water with bottom bouncing jigs or fish-finder bait rigs.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Green Island GPS: N 26 23.310 W 97 19.876 (26.3885, -97.331267) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp/popping cork; topwaters; gold spoons, red spinnerbaits; soft plastics in clear/red, red/white, Pearl/red CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Smaller topwaters such as Top Dog Jr and Saltwater Chug Bug can be aggressively fished in sand pockets and along spoil banks. As the day warms up, move to deeper water and use a shrimp/ popping cork rig or a spinnerbait fished near the bottom. Gold blades work best.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Stover Point GPS: N 26 12.150 W 97 17.480 (26.2025, -97.291333) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: topwaters; soft plastics in clear/ red, red/white, Pearl/red; cut bait CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Drift just east of the point and watch for potholes. Topwaters fished around the edges of the holes will get ambushed. As the day grows long, fish near the spoils of the ICW to find trout lurking around the drop-offs. Night fishing is also a good tactic for June, especially around the full moon. Anchor up and cast toward the shoreline with chunks of ballyhoo or mullet.

LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Tide Gauge GPS: N 27 18.248 W 97 27.593 (27.304133, -97.459883) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live croaker; topwaters early; soft plastics in Strawberry/black back, Plum/chartreuse, Rootbeer/red flake, Morning Glory, Pumpkinseed/ chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart 361-449-7441 TIPS: The greater availability of croaker as summer progresses makes them the focus of hungry trout

80 |

J U N E

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 80

2 0 1 5

|

in Baffin. Free-line them on a 3/0 Kahle hook along the drop-offs, giving them a twitch occasionally to prevent them from hiding in structure or weeds. If you prefer lures, the same topwaters and plastics that have worked throughout the spring will work in June.

LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Center Reef GPS: N 27 16.206 W 97 34.362 (27.2701, -97.5727) SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live croaker; soft plastics in Plum/ chartreuse, Rootbeer/red flake, Morning Glory, Pumpkinseed/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Mike Hart 361-449-7441 TIPS: Move to fishing the outside edges of the reef with free-lined croaker. Trout will be cruising around the rocks, looking for an easy meal. For best hookups, use a wide-gapped hook such as a Kahle or wide-bite circle or octopus hook. Rods with soft tips and sturdy actions are best for live bait applications. Eel and shad tails are also very effective when fished on a 1/8- to 1/16-ounce hook.

PINEY WOODS

Toledo Whites Play in the Sand

by DUSTIN WARNCKE LOCATION: Toledo Bend HOTSPOT: Wilson River Bend Sand-Bar GPS: N 31 37.242, W 93 49.608 (31.6207, -93.8268) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Slab spoons, tail spinners, and Rat-L-Traps CONTACT: Greg Crafts, Toledo Bend Guide Service and Lake Cottages 936-368-7151 gregcrafts@yahoo.com www.toledobendguide.com TIPS: As the water continues to warm, the White Bass will be moving further south down the lake following the old river channel, holding and feeding on the inside bend sand-bars. Use your electronics to find the bait-fish and the Whites will be close by.

Schooling activity will be increasing as the water warms so keep a Rat-L-Trap handy. As the school-

T E X A S

F I S H

&

ing increases, look for the Sea Gulls feeding on the bait -fish. The Whites have usually pushed the baitfish to the surface.

LOCATION: Caddo Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 32 41.5919, W 94 4.35 (32.6932, -94.0725) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Plastic frogs, buzz baits, flukes CONTACT: Caddo Lake Guide Service/Paul Keith 318-455-3437 caddoguide1@att.net www.caddolakefishing.com TIPS: Fish the frogs over the grass and pads on the 3-4 ft. deep flats on the main lake areas. Fish buzzbaits and flukes where the cover is a little thinner. Also, the fluke is a great bait to throw when you get misses and short strikes on the frog.

LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 25.8, W 95 35.61 (30.4300, -95.5935) SPECIES: Hybrid Striper BEST BAITS: Live shad and Storm Swim shad CONTACT: Richard Tatsch (936)291-1277 admin@fishdudetx.com www.fishdudetx.com TIPS: The hybrid stripers are in full swing now and this is the time to catch trophy fish and possibly lake record Hybrids. They will be all around the lake on submerged points and humps. The use of electronics is a necessity! Find the schools of shad and you will find the Hybrids. This time of year they will range in the water column from 16 foot to 28 feet. find the depth the bait are in and you will find the fish. As the weather heats up the early morning bite will be best. Live shad will be the bait of choice but the swim shad will work if you can control the depth.

LOCATION: Lake Livingston HOTSPOT: 190 Road Bed GPS: N 30 45.1319, W 95 10.308 (30.7522, -95.1718) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Jigging slabs, spoons, troll pet spoon on down rigger, Tsunami Zombie Eyes (1 oz pink/silver glow) CONTACT: David S Cox, Palmetto Guide Service 936-291-9602 dave@palmettoguideservice.com www.palmettoguideservice.com TIPS: Key in on ythe old bridge rails and road bed in 11 - 15 foot. Jig slabs and Tsunami Zombie Eyes right off the bottom.

G A M E ®

5/7/15 9:41 AM

Texas HOTSPOTS PRAIRIES & LAKES

Early and Late for Belton Bass

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Punch bait, shad, worms CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Tie to trees. Fish in 18-24 foot water. Chum around the boat. Fish straight down using #6 treble and CJ’s punch bait or cut shad.

LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Res. HOTSPOT: Lotus Flats GPS: N 30 37.4339, W 96 2.8139 (30.6239, -96.0469) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Punch bait, shad CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103

by DUSTIN WARNCKE and DEAN HEFFNER LOCATION: Belton Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 31.129284 W 97.508142 (31.129284, -97.508142) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, top water lures, jigs, spoons or deep diving crankbaits CONTACT: Henry Niemiec 254-368-0294 surestrikeguideservice@yahoo.com www.surestrikeguideservice.com TIPS: By now the spawn is over and the days and nights are getting much warmer. The fish will have moved back into deeper water and the primetime for catching bass is going to be in the early morning or the evening hours. The bass will move into the shallows in morning and then again in the evening to feed. Crankbaits, Spinnerbaits and Topwater baits are all good choices for this time of the year. If you choose to fish other than these times, look for these fish on deep flats close to deeper water or in the bends of deep creek channels close to shallow water. Here Jigs, Spoons or deep diving crankbaits work great.

LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake HOTSPOT: North End of the Lake GPS: N 32 23.07, W 96 9.3899 (32.3845, -96.1565) SPECIES: Channel Catfish BEST BAITS: Punch bait CONTACT: Jason Barber 903-887-7896 kingscreekadventures@yahoo.com www.kingscreekadventures.com TIPS: Chum will attract fish quickly. Fish straight down or tight line in deeper water and use a float in shallow water.

LOCATION: Fayette County Res. HOTSPOT: South East Trees GPS: N 29 55.044, W 96 43.23 (29.9174, -96.7205)

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 81

5/7/15 9:41 AM

Texas HOTSPOTS weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Lily pads starting to grow in this area.

Anchor out from the lily pads fish a slip cork drifting along the pads. Use #4-#6 treble hook with CJ’s punch bait.

LOCATION: Lake Granbury HOTSPOT: Mid Lake GPS: N 32 25.9942, W 97 47.4511 (32.4332, -97.7909) SPECIES: Channel catfish BEST BAITS: Prepared Stink bait, hot dogs and cut shad CONTACT: Michael Acosta 817-578-0023, Unfair Advantage Charters 817-578-0023 www.unfairadvantagecharters.com TIPS: Fish near docks and bridges near channel ledges. Fish under the docks, with baited holes producing the best action. Granbury levels continue to be low, so call to make sure access is available.

Access continues to be available at the Hilton/City Beach launch, Rough Creek and Pecan Plantation private launch. All species are in their summer patterns (all species have spawned out). Lake temperatures are in the 80s and warming. No thermoclines as of yet, buy they are sure to start setting up.

LOCATION: Lake Granger HOTSPOT: Open Main Lake Flats GPS: N 30 42.048, W 97 20.964 (30.7008, -97.3494)

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Jigs CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell (512) 365-7761 crappie1@hotmail.com www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: Right now crappie fishing is in full swing and they are biting all over the lake in open water brush piles. They are in depths from 4 to 15 feet deep. Every spot has crappie but it can sometimes be a problem finding the big keeper fish. You might find a spot with a big brush pile in 15 feet of water.

The problem is that it has loads of fish but none or few that are keeper sized. When this happens you have to find the smaller shallower areas and those will hold less fish but better quality fish. That is the trick to loading the boat with big keepers. Vertically fish a 1/32 or 1/16 oz. marabou jig and be sure to tip it with a Berkley Crappie Nibble. Color doesn’t matter at this lake so use the color that you like and the fish will like it . Good luck and good fishing.

LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Main Lake Humps and Points GPS: N 33 54.684, W 96 28.7039 (33.9114, -96.4784) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Slabs and live shad CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo.com TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com TIPS: Most of the white bass are still up in creeks.

Look for them shallow in 1 to 8 foot of water in the mornings, then back out, fishing humps and points in 8 to 20 foot of water.

LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Flat Creek GPS: N 32 11.304, W 95 30.2699 (32.1884, -95.5045) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Blue Heron color Shimmy Shakers in white or chartreuse/white, 3/8 oz Ricky’s special spinner baits from the Texas Spinner Bait Company, Big Eye Jig in black/brown/amber color and trail it with a Mister Twister watermelon red 4” Flip’n out trailer, Bomber BD7 Crank Bait CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 OR 903-530-2201 ricky@rickysguideservice.com www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Fish the flats in the back of the creek and up near the shorelines early and as the time of day gets up around 9 or 10 am move over on the creek and pitch the Big Eye Jig. You can also get out on the main lake points and cast a crankbait to catch some nice bass. Fish slow and cover areas well, including all trees and logs.

LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard HOTSPOT: Chandler’s Landing GPS: N 32 52.326, W 96 29.082 (32.8721, -96.4847) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Shaky Head Worms and Drop-Shot rigs, buzz baits and small top water lures CONTACT: The Cajun Guide/Johnny Procell (972) 814-8942 cajunguide@att.net www.johnnyprocell.com TIPS: “Bass have finished the spawn and have moved off to the deepest drop line on all the long points and to the deeper drops along the I-30 riprap. Catch these weary fish on shaky head worms and drop-shot rigs. It will take a time for the bass to recover from the rigors of the spawn so slow presentation is the key. There will be a number of schools of smaller bass working the edges of the inundated grass and small trees that grew during the low water periods. Think buzz baits and small top water lures like the Chug bug and the tiny torpedo type lures. Good areas are the grass lines below Chandler’s Landing and at the end of the Power Plant jetty.

LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts HOTSPOT: Cates Point GPS: N 33 22.659, W 97 3.158 (33.3777, -97.0526) SPECIES: White bass

82 |

J U N E

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 82

2 0 1 5

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

5/7/15 9:41 AM

Texas HOTSPOTS BEST BAITS: Heddon Torpedoes, RatLTraps CONTACT: Dannie Golden - Get Bit Guide Service 817-228-5999 www.get-bit.com TIPS: Look for the white bass to be schooling early in the mornings. Clear Heddon baby torpedoes and 1/4oz chrome blue rattle traps. When not on top, use graph to locate on or near drop off on ridges and long points. 1oz slabs bounced off the bottom will work great. Make sure you watch for both the Blue Herons along the shoreline and gulls working over the main lake. Those are always signs to watch for.

LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts HOTSPOT: State Park Cove GPS: N 33 21.833, W 97 1.992 (33.3639, -97.0332) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Topwaters, plastic worms, buzzbaits/frogs CONTACT: Dannie Golden - Get Bit Guide Service 817-228-5999 www.get-bit.com TIPS: Topwater Pop-r’s and Spooks worked early around main lake rocky points and shallow grass beds. Buzz frogs and hollow body frogs will work this time of year around the main lake flooded new growth along the shoreline. With the lake being up, there is plenty. Look for the button willow bushes near the shore. The off shore deep water bite will be working as well. Big worm’s dragged over the corp. brush piles and deep ledges. Gene Larew El Salto Grande worms in Jalapeno is a good choice to start with. Red bug is also a good color. A blue fleck 10” Berkely Power worm is also a good choice. I also like a 6XD Strike King crankbait worked around the rocky points, brush piles. pond dams, and ledges.

Just make sure you are checking your line every few casts. The zebra mussels are bad and will knick or cut your line.

LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: White Bass Pass GPS: N 20 12.4619, W 96 31.884 (20.2077, -96.5314) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Punch bait, shad CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Just outside the pass to the east are rocks along the bank. Fish are in these rocks spawning.

Use drift cork and fish close to bank using punch bait.

LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: The North End of the Lake GPS: N 33 52.068, W 96 41.67 (33.8678, -96.6945) SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Slabs, jigs and top water plugs CONTACT: Bill Carey 903-786-4477 bigfish@striperexpress.com www.striperexpress.com TIPS: June is the beginning of the summer fishing patterns at Lake Texoma. Stripers are schooling in large groups across the lake. For best results this month, cast top water plugs on shallow banks near deep water drop offs early in the morning. The top water bite is exciting fishing this time of year. The go-to top water plug is the Pencil Popper. When mid-morning rolls around, try tying 1.5 ounce slabs in chrome, white or chartreuse. Track large schools of fish in the main lake area and in river channels. The technique of choice this month is a fast retrieve; let your slab free fall to the bottom, reeling quickly to the surface. Pay attention – the stripers will hit on the fall. We call this technique “drop it and rip ‘em”. Look for surfacing topwater action mid-month in the river channels and main lake areas.

LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: Mouth of Big Rocky Creek GPS: N 31 52.842, W 97 23.64 (31.8807, -97.3940) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Live Gizzard Shad CONTACT: Randy Routh 817-822-5539 teamredneck01@hotmail.com www.teamredneck.net TIPS: Post Spawn patterns are here and the big fish bite is on. Anchor up and use live gizzard shad on a Carolina rig, dropping baits to 24 feet. Quick limits coming early and late in the day. BANK ACCESS: WALLING BEND LOCATION: Richland Chambers Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 31 59.1119, W 96 9.18 (31.9852, -96.1530) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Rat-L-Traps, Tiny Torpedos, Top Water or shallow running shiny lures.

CONTACT: Royce Simmons 903-389-4117 simmonsroyce@hotmail.com www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: “June is traditionally the month that the top water white bass action kicks in full gear! Once T E X A S

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 83

started, the action only gets better as the weather gets hotter. Look for early morning schooling action on the Main Lake from the Dam all the way back to the Hwy 287 Bridge. The Hwy 309 Flats is the area we usually head for early and start the search for schooling activity. If you’re lucky and get a light breeze and some cloudcover, the top water action can last up to several hours and you’ll often be on several acres of fish! This is the time of the year to

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

|

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

83

5/7/15 9:41 AM

Texas HOTSPOTS take the Kids as the action is fast and easy and most importantly FUN!!!

PANHANDLE

Henry Bass in Transition

by DUSTIN WARNCKE and DEAN HEFFNER LOCATION: Lake Alan Henry HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 33 3.0899, W 101 2.628 (33.0515, -101.0438) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: “Shaky head jigs, Texas rigged worms, crankbaits, spoons, jigs, spin jigs, drop shots with flukes, 10”” worms in dark colors.

CONTACT: Norman Clayton’s Guide Services 806-792-9220

nclayton42@sbcglobal.net www.lakealanhenry.com/norman_clayton.htm TIPS: “At the start of June the bass will still be shallow, but as the water begins to warm they will l start moving into the deep sanctuaries in about 25 to 35 feet deep. Before the water starts to really warm up, the bass can still be caught on shaky heads jigs, Texas rigged worms, and crank baits on the steep banks of the main lake.

As the bass migrate into deep water, you can find schools of bass starting to chase the schools of shad that have moved into the deep water close to the channels. You can use spoons, jigs, spin jigs, and drop shots with flukes. This is also the time to start night fishing for some really big bass using big 10”” worms in a dark color. When fishing at night, you will want to concentrate on the clear part of the lake close to the dam. Stay on the steep points and banks. When the shad and bass really get schooled up in deep water, you will need to use your electronics to find the schools of shad that have move into the deep channels. Use the large crank baits now to get to the depth you need to catch bass.

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Cut bait, shad CONTACT: Dean Heffner 940-329-0036 fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: Catfish will be on breaklines and up north in the stained water. Twenty to thirty feet is the magic depth. Fresh dead cut bait shad is best. Just look for those breaklines, preferably around the mouths of coves like the bank running south from the mouth of Caddo Bay.

LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Caddo Bay GPS: N 32 51.726, W 98 32.39828 (32.8621, -98.5400) SPECIES: Striped bass & hybrids BEST BAITS: Fresh shad, topwaters, jigs CONTACT: Dean Heffner 940-329-0036 fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: This is mid-lake with a lot of water to cover!

The white bass and stripers can come up anywhere here and feed a long ways before going back down.

They can end up in Caddo or the mouth of Cedar Creek, so it has everything a schooling fish could want! Fresh caught shad is your best bait. Watch your graph and follow the 20-30 foot breaklines, as these are now natural highways. Topwater, we prefer the Pradco Pop-R (no baits with a noisy propeller!) We troll and catch a lot of stripers and hybrids on 1-oz. white hair striper jigs with 6-inch Mister Twister trailer tails. Several clients have caught many 15 to 22-pound fish downrigging with us already this year, so reserve your trip now. Jigs and slabs work well. A lot of fish are caught on just a plain 1/8-oz. jig with a 3-4 inch white Mister Twister Tail. Virtually anything that resembles a shad will work this time of year. But when fishing live shad fresh-caught from the lake, we catch 4-6 species.

LOCATION: Lake Amistad HOTSPOT: Deep Water Points GPS: N 29 29.67126 W 101 8.2884 (29.494521, -101.138140) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Crank baits, soft plastic worms, topwater lures CONTACT: Stan Gerzsenyl 830-768-3648 stan@amistadbass.com amistadbass.com TIPS: Fish the major points that drop-off into 20 feet of water. The bass will be feeding on crawfish so crawfish-colored lures will produce the best catches. Try topwaters early in the backs of the coves.

LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Caddo Bay Breaklines GPS: N 32 51.726, W 98 32.39828 (32.8621, -98.5400)

84 |

J U N E

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 84

2 0 1 5

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

BIG BEND

Amistad Bass Head Deeper

by DUSTIN WARNCKE

LOCATION: Amistad HOTSPOT: Highway 90 Area GPS: N 29 28.72116 W101 3.2424 (29.478686, -101.054040) SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Carolina-rigged worms, Texasrigged worms, Senkos, crankbaits CONTACT: Stan Gerzsenyl 830-768-3648 stan@amistadbass.com amistadbass.com TIPS: Fish the backs of the multiple coves in this area with Texas-rigged plastic worms, Senkos and

G A M E ®

5/7/15 9:41 AM

Texas HOTSPOTS crawdad-colored crankbaits. If the action is slow, move off the points and fish the edges of the grass beds with Carolina-rigged soft plastics.

HILL COUNTRY

Buch Stripers Hit the Middle

by DUSTIN WARNCKE LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Mid-Lake Humps GPS: N 30 48.384, W 98 24.942 (30.8064, -98.4157) SPECIES: Striped Bass and Hybrids BEST BAITS: Top water Lures, Live Shad CONTACT: Ken Miliam 325-379-2051 kmilam@verizon.net www.striperfever.com.com TIPS: Stripers an Hybrids are holding around midlake humps in 19 to 35 feett of water. In the early morning and late evening there is a great topwater bite. Chunk anything that will splash and make noise and hang on!

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Jacob’s Point GPS: N 29 52.6319, W 98 13.3259 (29.8772, -98.2221) SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Jigging spoon in white color CONTACT: Steve Nixon, Fishhooks Adventures 210-573-1230 steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com www.sanantoniofishingguides.com TIPS: Fish from the point back to the swim beach casting out the spoon and try to maintain a depth of 20 to 40 feet. The Striped Bass like to school in this area this time of year. Tight lines and Fish On! LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Up-River Area GPS: N 29 54.5339, W 98 19.3319 (29.9089, -98.3222) SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Small crank baits, small spinner baits, jigs, minnows, or jigs with minnows CONTACT: Teach ‘Em to Fish Guide ServiceBarry Dodd 210-771-0123 barry@teachemtofish.net www.teachemtofish.net

TIPS: Up-River area is protected and has lots of trees and small concentrated flats. Look for areas with flats near the river channel. This is a good time to use jigs under bobbers.

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Point Near Fishing Pier Near Potter’s Creek GPS: N 29 54.132, W 98 15.978 (29.9022, -98.2663) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Creature baits, 7” Berkely Power Worms, Crème Whakey Stix, Bass Kandi Trick Worms, Flick Shake CONTACT: KC’S Bassin’ Guide Service 210-823-2153 kandie@gvtc.com www.kcbassinguide.com TIPS: The Bass are on the move again looking for deeper water. Look for bass to be along bluff edges and flooded timber. Use Flick Shake in 1/8 oz. weight, Power Worms or Zoom Trick Worms.

Good colors for this time of year are Motor Oil, Watermelon Red and Blue Fleck. Be sure to fish the entire point into the enterance of Canyon Park, about a 300 yard stretch. Concentrate on fishing 8-15 foot depths.

LOCATION: Lake Austin HOTSPOT: Main Lake Flats GPS: N 30 19.824, W 97 50.6219 (30.3304, -97.8437) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Picasso Shad Walker, Picasso Buzzbait, V&M Chopstick, V&M Wild Thang CONTACT: Brian Parker - Lake Austin Fishing 817-808-2227 lakeaustinfishing@yahoo.com www.LakeAustinFishing.com TIPS: I’m having success throwing the Picasso Shad Walker and Buzzbait in the mornings and when there’s wind and/or rain. It’s ideal to fish these baits on long casts as the bigger fish will sometimes follow the baits. Once the sun gets high or the topwater bite subsides, throw the V&M Chopstick or Wild Thang either Texas-rigged or weightless just off of the flats. Work these slowly with a hard twitch in between pauses and be ready for some action!

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Main Lake Rock Piles and Ledges GPS: N 30 48.468, W 98 26.154 (30.8078, -98.4359) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Cut shad CONTACT: Clancy Terrill 512-633-6742 centraltexasfishing@yahoo.com T E X A S

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 85

F I S H

&

www.centraltexasfishing.com TIPS: Eating-sized and trophy Blue Cats are very good. Double anchor near rock piles and ledges and use cut bait. I catch and use shad but store bought may be good as well.

SOUTH TEXAS

Get to the Points for Coleto Bass

by DUSTIN WARNCKE LOCATION: Coleto Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points and Humps GPS: N 28 44.4899, W 97 10.8 (28.7415, -97.1800) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Zoom fluke in pearl or watermelon, dipped in garlic chartruse dip.

CONTACT: Rocky’s Guide Service 361-250-3959 N/A www.coletocreekguidefishing.com TIPS: During the day I like to Carolina rig the deeper water concentrating on main lake points or humps. Its always good to get out and sink some private brush piles in 15 feet plus and GPS them.

Early morning and late evening the action will be in the back of the main creeks. There will be a lot of grass and they’ll hit about anything you throw at them. in fishing grass don’t hesitate to use as big as 5/0 hooks and at least 20lb test.

LOCATION: Choke Canyon Res. HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 28 29.274, W 98 22.8239 (28.4879, -98.3804) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Stink bait, cheese bait, or worms.

CONTACT: Charlie Brown 830-780-2162 TIPS: Expect to find catfish in shallow water this time of year. Use a float rigged to 3 feet and move to another spot if you don’t get a bite within 10-15 minutes.

G A M E ®

|

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

85

5/7/15 9:41 AM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK JUNE 2015

Tides and Prime Times

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 T9

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.

T8 T6 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.

T5

T14

T15 T16

TIDE PREDICTIONS are shown in graph form, with High and Low tide predictions in text immediately below.

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY data is provided to indicate major and minor feeding periods for each day, as the daily phases of the moon have varying degrees of influence on many wildlife species.

T13 T7

T3 T2 T1

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

T18

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

T19

T20

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

PEAK TIMES: When a Solunar Period falls within 30 minutes to an hour of sunrise or sunset, anticipate increased action. A moon rise or moon set during one of these periods will cause even greater action. If a FULL or NEW MOON occurs during a Solunar Period, expect the best action of the season.

T21

TIDE CORRECTION TABLE

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

KEY 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 T12 T13 T14 T15 T16 T17

PLACE Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay Gilchrist, East Bay Jamaica Beach, W. Bay Alligator Point, W. Bay Christmas Pt Galveston Pleasure Pier

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

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

KEY T18 T19 T20 T21 T22 T23

PLACE HIGH San Luis Pass -0.09 Freeport Harbor -0:44 Pass Cavallo 0:00 Aransas Pass -0:03 Padre Island (So. End) -0:24 Port Isabel +1:02

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

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION T22 T23

KEYS TO USING THE TIDE AND SOLUNAR GRAPHS TIDE GRAPH:

Yellow: Daylight Tab: Peak Fishing Period Green: Falling Tide

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

AM/PM Timeline Light Blue: Nighttime

BEST:

5:30 — 7:30 AM

Gold Fish: Best Time

Blue: Rising Tide Red Graph: Fishing Score

Blue Fish: Good Time

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY:

AM PM MINOR Minor: 1:20a Minor: 1:45p Feeding Periods AM PM (+/- 1.5 Hrs.) Major: 7:32a Major: 7:57p Time Moon is at its Moon Overhead: 8:50a Highest Point in the Sky 12a

AM/PM Timeline

86 |

6a

12p

6p

MAJOR Feeding Periods (+/- 2 Hrs.) Time Moon is Directly Underfoot (at its peak on opposite side of the earth)

12a

Moon Underfoot: 9:15p

J U N E

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 86

2 0 1 5

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

5/7/15 9:41 AM

SYMBOL KEY

= Peak Fishing Period

BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

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

Fishing Day’s Best 2nd Score Graph Score Best

MONDAY

JUNE 2015

Tides and Prime Times

TUESDAY

1«

l = New Moon º = First Quarter l = Full Moon » = Last Quarter « = Good Day n = Best Day SUNDAY

DIGITAL EXTRA Tap for Customized Tide Charts

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

WEDNESDAY

2¡

THURSDAY

3«

5

4«

FRIDAY

6

SATURDAY

7

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

AM Minor: 4:40a

PM Minor: 5:06p

AM Minor: 5:30a

PM Minor: 5:56p

AM Minor: 6:23a

PM Minor: 6:50p

AM Minor: 7:21a

PM Minor: 7:48p

AM Minor: 8:21a

PM Minor: 8:48p

AM Minor: 9:22a

PM Minor: 9:49p

AM Minor: 10:22a

PM Minor: 10:49p

AM Major: 10:53a

PM Major: 11:18p

AM Major: 11:43a

PM Major: -----

AM Major: 12:10a

PM Major: 12:37p

AM Major: 1:07a

PM Major: 1:34p

AM Major: 2:07a

PM Major: 2:34p

AM Major: 3:08a

PM Major: 3:35p

AM Major: 4:08a

PM Major: 4:35p

Moon Overhead: 12:08a 12a

Set: 8:16p Set: 11:18a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 1:52a

Moon Overhead: 12:59a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 2:47a 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 4:37a

Moon Overhead: 3:42a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:13p Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:14p Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:14p Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:14p Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:15p Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:15p Sunrise: 6:19a Moonrise: 7:27p Set: 5:44a Moonrise: 8:23p Set: 6:30a Moonrise: 9:18p Set: 7:21a Moonrise: 10:11p Set: 8:16a Moonrise: 11:01p Set: 9:14a Moonrise: 11:48p Set: 10:15a Moonrise: None

Moon Overhead: 5:31a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 12:34p

+2.0

-1.0

BEST: 6:00 — 8:00 pm

Moon Underfoot: 3:14p

BEST: 6:30 — 8:30 pm

Moon Underfoot: 4:09p

BEST: 7:30 — 9:30 pm

Moon Underfoot: 5:04p

BEST: 8:00 — 10:00 pm

Moon Underfoot: 5:58p

BEST: 9:00 — 11:00 pm

BEST: 10:00p — 12:00a

TIDE LEVELS

0

BEST: 5:30 — 7:30 pm

Moon Underfoot: 2:19p

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 1:26p

5:32 AM 10:36 AM 2:14 PM 10:06 PM

1.51 ft 1.21 ft 1.29 ft -0.11 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

6:16 AM 11:19 AM 2:30 PM 10:43 PM

1.57 ft 1.26 ft 1.31 ft -0.20 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

7:01 AM 12:05 PM 2:48 PM 11:23 PM

1.61 ft High Tide 7:47 AM 1.29 ft Low Tide 12:56 PM 1.32 ft High Tide 3:11 PM -0.25 ft

T E X A S

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 87

1.62 ft 1.30 ft 1.32 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

F I S H

&

12:07 AM 8:33 AM 1:58 PM 3:42 PM

-0.25 ft 1.61 ft 1.27 ft 1.28 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

G A M E ®

|

12:52 AM 9:18 AM 3:18 PM 4:29 PM

-0.20 ft 1.57 ft 1.19 ft 1.19 ft

J U N E

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

1:42 AM 10:00 AM 4:27 PM 6:40 PM

2 0 1 5

|

-0.08 ft 1.51 ft 1.05 ft 1.06 ft

+2.0

+1.0

0

-1.0

87

5/7/15 9:41 AM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK

SYMBOL KEY

l = New Moon º = First Quarter l = Full Moon » = Last Quarter « = Good Day n = Best Day SUNDAY

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION = Peak Fishing Period

BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

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

8

Fishing Day’s Best 2nd Score Graph Score Best

MONDAY

JUNE 2015

Tides and Prime Times

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

10

9»

FRIDAY

11

SATURDAY

12

13

14

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

AM Minor: 11:19a

PM Minor: 11:46p

AM Minor: -----

PM Minor: 12:14p

AM Minor: 12:39a

PM Minor: 1:05p

AM Minor: 1:28a

PM Minor: 1:54p

AM Minor: 2:15a

PM Minor: 2:41p

AM Minor: 3:02a

PM Minor: 3:29p

AM Minor: 3:50a

PM Minor: 4:17p

AM Major: 5:06a

PM Major: 5:33p

AM Major: 6:01a

PM Major: 6:27p

AM Major: 6:52a

PM Major: 7:18p

AM Major: 7:41a

PM Major: 8:07p

AM Major: 8:28a

PM Major: 8:55p

AM Major: 9:15a

PM Major: 9:42p

AM Major: 10:04a

PM Major: 10:31p

Moon Overhead: 6:24a 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 8:09a

Moon Overhead: 7:17a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

Moon Overhead: 9:01a

6p

12a

6a

12p

Moon Overhead: 10:47a

Moon Overhead: 9:54a

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:16p Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:17p Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:17p Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:18p Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:18p Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:18p Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:19p Moonrise: 12:32a Set: 12:20p Moonrise: 1:15a Set: 1:23p Moonrise: 1:57a Set: 2:26p Moonrise: 2:38a Set: 3:28p Moonrise: 3:21a Set: 4:31p Moonrise: 4:05a Set: 5:33p Moonrise: 4:52a Set: 6:34p

Moon Overhead: 11:42a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 6:50p

+2.0

BEST: BEST: 12:00 — 2:00 pm 12:00 — 2:00 am

Moon Underfoot: 9:27p

BEST: 1:00 — 3:00 am

Moon Underfoot: 10:20p

Moon Underfoot: 11:14p

BEST: 3:30 — 5:30 pm

BEST: 4:00 — 6:00 pm

BEST: 2:30 — 4:30 pm

Moon Underfoot: None

-1.0

+2.0

BEST: 5:00 — 7:00 pm

TIDE LEVELS

0

Moon Underfoot: 8:35p

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 7:43p

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

2:34 AM 10:37 AM 5:13 PM 9:17 PM

0.09 ft 1.43 ft 0.85 ft 0.96 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

MONDAY

3:32 AM 11:10 AM 5:56 PM 11:23 PM

Low Tide 4:39 AM High Tide 11:39 AM Low Tide 6:39 PM

0.31 ft 1.36 ft 0.61 ft 0.97 ft

TUESDAY

15 «

0.55 ft 1.31 ft 0.34 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

WEDNESDAY

16 l

1:10 AM 5:56 AM 12:07 PM 7:23 PM

1.07 ft 0.78 ft 1.27 ft 0.08 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

THURSDAY

17 «

2:39 AM 7:25 AM 12:34 PM 8:07 PM

1.22 ft 0.97 ft 1.26 ft -0.15 ft

FRIDAY

18 «

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

3:51 AM 8:52 AM 1:03 PM 8:51 PM

1.37 ft 1.10 ft 1.27 ft -0.33 ft

SATURDAY

4:52 AM 10:06 AM 1:34 PM 9:34 PM

21

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

PM Minor: 5:08p

AM Minor: 5:34a

PM Minor: 6:01p

AM Minor: 6:28a

PM Minor: 6:55p

AM Minor: 7:24a

PM Minor: 7:49p

AM Minor: 8:19a

PM Minor: 8:43p

AM Minor: 9:12a

PM Minor: 9:35p

AM Minor: 10:03a

PM Minor: 10:25p

AM Major: 10:54a

PM Major: 11:22p

AM Major: 11:47a

PM Major: 12:14p

AM Major: 12:15a

PM Major: 12:42p

AM Major: 1:11a

PM Major: 1:36p

AM Major: 2:06a

PM Major: 2:31p

AM Major: 3:00a

PM Major: 3:23p

AM Major: 3:52a

PM Major: 4:14p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 2:24p

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 4:51p

Moon Overhead: 4:04p

Moon Overhead: 3:15p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

AM Minor: 4:41a

Moon Overhead: 1:31p

-1.0

1.47 ft 1.18 ft 1.28 ft -0.44 ft

Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:19p Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:19p Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:20p Sunrise: 6:19a Set: 8:20p Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:20p Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:20p Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:21p Moonrise: 5:42a Set: 7:33p Moonrise: 6:34a Set: 8:28p Moonrise: 7:28a Set: 9:18p Moonrise: 8:23a Set: 10:05p Moonrise: 9:18a Set: 10:47p Moonrise: 10:12a Set: 11:25p Moonrise: 11:05a Set: None

Moon Overhead: 12:37p

Moon Overhead: 5:35p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

FEET

0

-1.0

Moon Underfoot: 1:04a

BEST: 5:30 — 7:30 pm

Moon Underfoot: 1:58a

BEST: 6:00 — 8:00 pm

Moon Underfoot: 2:50a

BEST: 6:30 — 8:30 pm

Moon Underfoot: 3:40a

BEST: 7:30 — 9:30 pm

Moon Underfoot: 4:28a

BEST: BEST: 8:00 — 10:00 pm 10:00a — 12:00p

Moon Underfoot: 5:13a

+2.0

BEST: 10:30a — 12:30p TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 12:09a

TIDE LEVELS

+2.0

0

SUNDAY

20

19 «

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

+1.0

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

5:44 AM 11:08 AM 2:09 PM 10:18 PM

1.53 ft 1.22 ft 1.29 ft -0.48 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

6:31 AM 12:00 PM 2:47 PM 11:00 PM

TIDE CORRECTION TABLE

1.54 ft 1.23 ft 1.28 ft -0.45 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

7:14 AM 12:48 PM 3:28 PM 11:42 PM

1.51 ft High Tide 7:54 AM 1.21 ft Low Tide 1:37 PM 1.25 ft High Tide 4:12 PM -0.37 ft

KEY

PLACE

HIGH

LOW

KEY

T1

Sabine Bank Lighthouse -1:46

-1:31

Galveston Channel/Bays

T2

Sabine Pass Jetty

-1:26

-1:31

T7

T3

Sabine Pass

-1:00

-1:15

T8

Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass -0:04

-0:25

Galveston Bay, S. Jetty -0:39

Add or subtract the time shown at the rightof the T4 Tide Stations on this table (and map) to determine T5 the adjustment from the time shown for GALVES- T6 TON CHANNEL in the calendars.

Port Bolivar

PLACE

1.46 ft 1.16 ft 1.19 ft

HIGH

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

LOW

12:22 AM 8:33 AM 2:32 PM 5:01 PM

-0.25 ft 1.40 ft 1.09 ft 1.11 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

HIGH

LOW

1:01 AM 9:09 AM 3:37 PM 6:02 PM

-0.09 ft 1.34 ft 1.00 ft 1.02 ft

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

1:39 AM 9:41 AM 4:38 PM 7:28 PM

KEY

PLACE

KEY

PLACE

HIGH

LOW

T12

Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay +5:48 +4:43

T18

San Luis Pass

-0.09

-0.09

Texas City Turning Basin+0:33 +0:41

T13

Gilchrist, East Bay

+3:16 +4:18

T19

Freeport Harbor

-0:44

-1:02

Eagle Point

+3:54 +4:15

T14

Jamaica Beach, W. Bay+2:38 +3:31

T20

Pass Cavallo

0:00

-1:20

T9

Clear Lake

+6:05 +6:40

T15

Alligator Point, W. Bay +2:39 +2:33

T21

Aransas Pass

-0:03

-1:31

-1:05

T10

Morgans Point

+10:21 +5:19

T16

Christmas Pt

T22

Padre Island (So. End) -0:24

-1:45

+0:14 -0:06

T11

Round Pt, Trinity Bay +10:39 +5:15

T17

Galveston Pleasure Pier -1:06

T23

Port Isabel

+2:32 +2:31 -1:06

0.09 ft 1.28 ft 0.89 ft 0.92 f

+1.0

0

-1.0

+1:02 -0:42

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION 88 |

J U N E

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 88

2 0 1 5

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

5/7/15 9:41 AM

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 89

5/7/15 9:41 AM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK

SYMBOL KEY

l = New Moon º = First Quarter l = Full Moon » = Last Quarter « = Good Day n = Best Day SUNDAY

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION = Peak Fishing Period

BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

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

Fishing Day’s Best 2nd Score Graph Score Best

MONDAY

WEDNESDAY

23

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

25

24 º

SATURDAY

26

27

28

Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:21p Sunrise: 6:20a Set: 8:21p Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:21p Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:21p Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:21p Sunrise: 6:21a Set: 8:21p Sunrise: 6:22a Set: 8:21p Moonrise: 11:57a Set: 12:01a Moonrise: 12:48p Set: 12:36a Moonrise: 1:39p Set: 1:09a Moonrise: 2:30p Set: 1:43a Moonrise: 3:23p Set: 2:19a Moonrise: 4:18p Set: 2:56a Moonrise: 5:13p Set: 3:37a AM Minor: 10:51a

PM Minor: 11:12p

AM Minor: 11:36a

PM Minor: 11:58p

AM Minor: -----

PM Minor: 12:20p

AM Minor: 12:40a

PM Minor: 1:01p

AM Minor: 1:20a

PM Minor: 1:43p

AM Minor: 2:01a

PM Minor: 2:24p

AM Minor: 2:42a

PM Minor: 3:07p

AM Major: 4:40a

PM Major: 5:02p

AM Major: 5:26a

PM Major: 5:47p

AM Major: 6:09a

PM Major: 6:30p

AM Major: 6:51a

PM Major: 7:12p

AM Major: 7:31a

PM Major: 7:54p

AM Major: 8:12a

PM Major: 8:36p

AM Major: 8:55a

PM Major: 9:19p

Moon Overhead: 6:18p 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 7:43p

Moon Overhead: 7:01p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 8:26p 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 9:59p

Moon Overhead: 9:11p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

22

TUESDAY

JUNE 2015

Tides and Prime Times

Moon Overhead: 10:48p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 5:57a

+2.0

-1.0

BEST: 11:30a — 1:30p

Moon Underfoot: 8:05a

BEST: 12:30 — 2:30 pm

Moon Underfoot: 8:49a

BEST: 1:30 — 3:30 pm

Moon Underfoot: 9:35a

BEST: 2:30 — 4:30 pm

Moon Underfoot: 10:23a

BEST: 3:00 — 5:00 pm

+2.0

BEST: 4:00 — 6:00 pm

TIDE LEVELS

0

Moon Underfoot: 7:22a

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST: 11:00a — 1:00p

Moon Underfoot: 6:40a

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

2:16 AM 10:11 AM 5:24 PM 9:13 PM

90 |

0.27 ft 1.23 ft 0.76 ft 0.85 ft

J U N E

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 90

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

2:53 AM 10:38 AM 6:00 PM 11:03 PM

2 0 1 5

|

0.46 ft 1.19 ft 0.62 ft 0.84 ft

Low Tide 3:31 AM High Tide 11:02 AM Low Tide 6:29 PM

T E X A S

0.64 ft 1.16 ft 0.47 ft

F I S H

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

&

12:47 AM 4:17 AM 11:23 AM 6:58 PM

0.90 ft 0.81 ft 1.15 ft 0.32 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

2:16 AM 5:21 AM 11:41 AM 7:27 PM

1.01 ft 0.96 ft 1.15 ft 0.17 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

3:21 AM 6:49 AM 11:57 AM 7:57 PM

1.13 ft 1.07 ft 1.17 ft 0.03 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

4:08 AM 8:19 AM 12:15 PM 8:31 PM

1.25 ft 1.15 ft 1.20 ft -0.12 ft

+1.0

0

-1.0

G A M E ®

5/7/15 9:42 AM

SYMBOL KEY

BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best 2nd Score Graph Score Best

MONDAY

WEDNESDAY

30 «

THURSDAY

Jul 1 «

FRIDAY

2¡

SATURDAY

3«

4«

5

Sunrise: 6:22a Set: 8:22p Sunrise: 6:22a Set: 8:22p Sunrise: 6:23a Set: 8:22p Sunrise: 6:23a Set: 8:22p Sunrise: 6:23a Set: 8:22p Sunrise: 6:24a Set: 8:22p Sunrise: 6:24a Set: 8:21p Moonrise: 6:10p Set: 4:21a Moonrise: 7:06p Set: 5:10a Moonrise: 8:01p Set: 6:04a Moonrise: 8:54p Set: 7:02a Moonrise: 9:43p Set: 8:04a Moonrise: 10:30p Set: 9:08a Moonrise: 11:14p Set: 10:12a AM Minor: 3:27a

PM Minor: 3:53p

AM Minor: 4:14a

PM Minor: 4:41p

AM Minor: 5:06a

PM Minor: 5:34p

AM Minor: 6:01a

PM Minor: 6:29p

AM Minor: 7:00a

PM Minor: 7:28p

AM Minor: 8:01a

PM Minor: 8:28p

AM Minor: 9:02a

PM Minor: 9:29p

AM Major: 9:40a

PM Major: 10:06p

AM Major: 10:28a

PM Major: 10:55p

AM Major: 11:20a

PM Major: 11:48p

AM Major: -----

PM Major: 12:15p

AM Major: 12:46a

PM Major: 1:14p

AM Major: 1:47a

PM Major: 2:15p

AM Major: 2:48a

PM Major: 3:16p

Moon Overhead: 11:41p 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 12:35a

Moon Overhead: None

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 1:31a 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 3:24a

Moon Overhead: 2:28a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

JUNE 2015

Tides and Prime Times

TUESDAY

29

l = New Moon º = First Quarter l = Full Moon » = Last Quarter « = Good Day n = Best Day SUNDAY

DIGITAL EXTRA Tap for Customized Tide Charts

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

Moon Overhead: 4:19a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 11:14a

+2.0

-1.0

BEST: 5:00 — 7:00 pm

Moon Underfoot: 1:59p

BEST: 5:30 — 7:30 pm

Moon Underfoot: 2:56p

BEST: 6:00 — 8:00 pm

Moon Underfoot: 3:51p

BEST: 7:00 — 9:00 pm

Moon Underfoot: 4:46p

+2.0

BEST: BEST: 8:00 — 10:00 pm 3:00 — 5:00 am

TIDE LEVELS

0

BEST: 4:30 — 6:30 pm

Moon Underfoot: 1:03p

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 12:08p

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

4:48 AM 9:25 AM 12:39 PM 9:07 PM

1.35 ft 1.20 ft 1.23 ft -0.25 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

5:27 AM 10:13 AM 1:14 PM 9:46 PM

1.44 ft 1.22 ft 1.26 ft -0.36 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

6:05 AM 10:54 AM 1:59 PM 10:27 PM

1.49 ft 1.23 ft 1.28 ft -0.42 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

6:44 AM 11:36 AM 2:51 PM 11:10 PM

T E X A S

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 91

1.52 ft 1.21 ft 1.27 ft -0.44 ft

High Tide Low Tide High Tide Low Tide

F I S H

&

7:22 AM 12:22 PM 3:51 PM 11:54 PM

1.52 ft High Tide 7:59 AM 1.15 ft Low Tide 1:12 PM 1.23 ft High Tide 5:01 PM -0.38 ft

G A M E ®

|

1.48 ft 1.04 ft 1.16 ft

J U N E

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

12:40 AM 8:34 AM 2:09 PM 6:26 PM

2 0 1 5

|

-0.25 ft 1.42 ft 0.89 ft 1.05 f

+1.0

0

-1.0

91

5/7/15 9:42 AM

Texas TASTED

by BRYAN SLAVEN :: The Texas Gourmet

Happy Reader & Cook

T

HIS IS FROM A HIGHLY SATisfied reader who gave me a call a few years back wanting information on how to prepare a sharp tailed grouse. I had never hunted them and was a bit uncertain of how they are as table fare, so I spent some time researching the grouse and then went to work detailing the recipe.

This is a follow-up letter from Scott, the hunter requesting information along with a few photos he took detailing the preparation and evening. I wanted to share this with all of you readers and encourage you to submit your favorite recipes you have prepared with some photos. We look forward to seeing and sharing them.

Sharp-tail Grouse Rolls

The menu was as follows:

Appetizers:

Cheeses and Crackers Relish Tray Pheasant Fingers

Entrees:

Parmesan Crusted Quail and Hungar-

—Bryan Slaven The Texas Gourmet

92 |

J U N E

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 92

2 0 1 5

|

T E X A S

Sides:

Asian Salad Spicy Rosemary Potatoes (Yukon Gold)

Dessert:

Texas Sheet Cake with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream We prepared and cooked 13 Grouse which made 26 rolls.

They were cooked in an egg at 375 to 400 for 15 minutes. After resting for 5-7 minutes, they were served.

The meat was tender and flavorful with the filling adding an additional layer of complexity and taste. The group was unanimous in their approval.

Thanks for your time to research the game and prepare the recipe. It will be repeated.

Bryan, Well it took me almost two years from the time you supplied me with the recipe for the Sharp-Tail Grouse until I prepared it and served it to a group of close friends.

My wife and I worked almost every evening last week to prep for our Wild Game Dinner. The party guests were 10 of my hunting buddies and their wives.

The dinner took place on Saturday.

The evening was perfect, with temps in the 60’s. All activities took place in our outdoor cooking and entertainment area.

Dessert, coffee and lively conversation around the fire pit completed a great evening.

ian Partridge (served with either a Pesto or BBQ Sauce) Buffalo Sliders Sharp-Tailed Grouse Rolls

Scott J. Balch

Email Bryan Slaven at bryan@thetexasgourmet.com

The chef F I S H

&

G A M E ®

PHOTOS: SCOTT J. BALCH

5/7/15 9:42 AM

TEXAS FRESHWATER

TEXAS SALTWATER

LAKE AMISTAD

UPPER TEXAS COAST

OUTDOOR SHOPPER

MIDDLE TEXAS COAST

DFW METROPLEX

LAKE TEXOMA

NEW 2015 EDITION

HUNTING SOUTH TEXAS

ORDER NOW

www.FishandGameGear.com T E X A S

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 93

F I S H

&

G A M E 速

|

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

93

5/7/15 9:42 AM

WHITETAIL Rio Medina Kynlee Crisp, age 7, of Castroville, killed her first deer, a 6-pointer, on her grandparents ranch in Rio Medina.

HYBRID

REDFISH

REDFISH

Lake Texoma

Keith Lake

Lake Calcasieu

Ten-year-old Aubree Hall caught this hybrid striped bass at Lake Texoma.

Donna Curl of Orange with a nice redfish out of Keith Lake.

J.T. Dettman from Austin caught this 29-inch, 12-pound redfish on a straight tail jig while fishing on the “Texas side” of Lake Calcasieu, Louisiana.

STRIPED BASS Lake Buchanan Jesse Garza of Floresville caught this striper on Upper Lake Buchanan at his father’s lake house. He caught it on a knocker rig, fishing on bottom with live shad.

94 |

J U N E

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 94

2 0 1 5

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

SPECKLED TROUT Sabine Lake Paige Hurlburt caught this 25.5in trout North end of Sabine Lake.

G A M E ®

5/11/15 2:31 PM

MAIL TO: TFG PHOTOS 1745 Greens Rd, Houston TX 77032 NOTE: Print photos can not be returned.

EMAIL: photos@FishGame.com

For best results, send MED to HIGH quality JPEG digital files only, please.

No guarantee can be made as to when, or if, a submitted photo will be published.

WAHOO Packery Channel Thomas Mullenix caught this nice wahoo while fishing offshore out of Packery Channel aboard the Reelax with Capt.

Jerry Bravenec.

TEAL Brookshire Eleven-year-old Evan Mainord of Huffman shot this teal while hunting near Brookshire.

WHITETAIL AND TURKEY Pipe Creek BLACK DRUM Port Mansfield Eight-year-old Aiden Medrano, caught this 32-inch black drum while fishing at Port Mansfield.

Carly Gekas shot a buck and a turkey while hunting with her grandfather Les Walters on their lease near Pipe Creek.

HALIBUT

REDFISH

Alaska

Galveston

Lenny Maartens of Pearland caught this 70-pound halibut while fishing at Seward, Alaska.

Six-year-old Aiden Gonzales can bait and cast his own rod. He caught and released this 19-inch red in Galveston Bay while fishing with his uncle, Malcolm Mencacci.

T E X A S

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 95

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

|

J U N E

2 0 1 5

|

95

5/7/15 9:42 AM

ALMANAC-1506-Jun.indd 96

5/7/15 9:42 AM

C3_Columbia Sportswear.indd 3

5/7/15 7:47 PM

C4_Xpress.indd 4

5/7/15 7:48 PM