Texas Fish & Game July 2018 by Texas Fish & Game

Investing in Guadalupe Bass Prepping for Texas Dove Take Bass for a Spin LSBA: Texas Bowhunters 1807-July-CoverDIG.indd 1

July 2018 | $3.95

www.FishGame.com

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Inside FISH & GAME 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.

by ROY and ARDIA NEVES TF&G Owners

ROY NEVES

Ready for Prime Times

PUBLISHER

CHESTER MOORE EDITOR IN CHIEF

CCASIONALLY, THE POST OFFICE WILL LOSE A MAGAZINE IN ITS LABYRINTH of conveyor belts, pneumatic tubes and giant cogwheels. Or, it will drag its feet while making its appointed rounds so that a subscriber doesn’t get their new issue of FISH & GAME on time. When this happens, a frequent comment we hear on the other end of a complaint call one of these service glitches (rightfully) triggers is, “I need my tide tables!” We get it. Every time somebody’s outdoor plans get compromised by the failure to deliver this valued information to them, whether it’s ultimately our fault or not, we feel terrible. People rely on the charts and times compiled in that section to help determine when to get on the water or out in the field. When free time is precious and difficult to come by, it’s hard to fully enjoy a fishing trip if the prime action happened yesterday... Or four hours before you stepped onto your boat. Tide predictions and prime time forecasts are a blend of art and science. Centuries of observation and mathematical gymnastics have created systems that accurately predict the times and volumes of tidal movement at any given location on the planet. Science has also charted the predictable courses of the moon and the sun across the sky (or rather, the course of the earth around the sun, for those who still haven’t bought in to the burgeoning flat-earth gospel). Because the gravitational and luminous effects of these heavenly bodies on fish and wildlife have been thoroughly documented, tracking their positions can be a valuable method of finding the best fishing —and to a smaller degree, hunting—action. We use SoLunar data, a proprietary source that factors the movements and positions of both the sun and moon (Sol and Luna) in calculating Major and Minor feeding periods in each 24 hour lunar day. When the moon is directly “overhead” at any given point on earth (astronomical types call this the azimuth), its effect on biological creatures is thought to be at its peak. For this reason, these times are seen as the prime, or Major periods. For two hours centered on this Overhead time, wildlife and fish should—by this logic—be more active. A similar, lesser, effect is attributed to when the moon is in the same position but on the other side of the earth from a given point. The moon is said to be “Underfoot” then, approximately twelve hours from the Overhead period. This time is labeled a Minor period. In our Sportsman’s Notebook, (pages 58-63 in this issue) we present the forecasted times for tides and sun/moon positions, as well as sunrise and sunset. We also produce a graph that tracks the times of the tidal movements, ebb and flow, and shows daylight and darkness periods. Due to space limitations, we can only show this data for a single location and adjustments must be made from a tide correction table and a SoLunar adjustment scale. We’re working on a customizable version on the web. We also produce a Fishing Score graph, which overlays the tide graph. The Fishing Score graph uses a combination of both the sun/moon data and tidal movements to predict the Prime fishing times for each day. Sometimes these prime times fall within the same periods shown as Major and Minor from the SoLunar data, and sometimes they don’t. When they don’t, it’s because in our system tides are the key factor—which anyone who frequently fishes along the Gulf Coast knows. The best times occur when all of these data—tides and sun/moon positions—line up. And if there is a Major period at the same time tidal movement is at its peak AND there is a Full or New moon AND it’s happening at sunrise or sunset... Drop everything and head for the water. In theory, at least. Because, while this forecasting apparatus is based on solid Science, there is still a great deal of Art in the interpretation of what it all means. Plus, many factors can change the most accurate tidal forecast—wind and barometric pressure being the main culprits. Still, having a reference guide is better than heading out blind. At least, that’s what many of you have told us over the years. And if the aforementioned “special treatment” by the Postal Service ever affects you and you don’t get your copy of our Prime Times, call us. We can email you a PDF of the printed pages. We can’t control the tides or the sun or moon—or the Post Office. But we keep trying.

E-mail Roy at rneves@ﬁshgame.com and Ardia at aneves@ﬁshgame.com 2

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T E X A S

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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 REAVIS WORTHAM TOM BEHRENS GREG BERLOCHER RAZOR DOBBS CAPT. MIKE HOLMES DUSTIN WARNCKE DEB COPELAND STAN SKINNER LISA MOORE

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SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR EDITOR AT LARGE HUNTING EDITOR FRESHWATER EDITOR SALTWATER EDITOR BOATING EDITOR FIREARMS EDITOR SHOOTING EDITOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR HUMOR EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING PHOTO EDITOR

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TEXAS FISH & GAME (ISSN 0887-4174) is published monthly by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC., 247 Airtex Dr. Houston, TX 77090. ©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 $24.95; 2 years $42.95; 3 years $58.95. Address all subscription inquiries to Texas Fish & Game, 247 Airtex Dr. Houston, TX 77090. 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, 247 Airtex Dr. Houston, TX 77090. Address all subscription inquiries to TEXAS FISH & GAME, 247 Airtex Dr. Houston, TX 77090. 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.

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Contents July 2018 | Vol. 35 • No. 3

FEATURE ARTICLES

TAKE BASS FOR A SPIN Why spinning rigs should be a part of every bass angler’s arsenal.

by Matt Williams

COVER STORY

COASTAL BOW FISHING What saltwater species are legal to stick with an arrow, and the best methods for doing it right.

story by Dustin Warncke

Nugent in the Wild

Texas Saltwater

Texas Whitetails

Texas Guns

Texas Freshwater

by CHESTER MOORE

Doggett at Large by JOE DOGGETT

by Ted Nugent

Coastal Focus Columns

by Chester Moore

Texas Hotspots

News of the Nation + Texas HotShots

Sportsman’s Daybook

Why have free-ranging nilgai never left coastal South Texas?

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by STEVE LAMASCUS

by MATT WILLIAMS

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Tides & Prime Fishing Times

DEPARTMENTS

by LARRY WEISHUHN

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A novel way TPWD is investing in the future of the Lone Star State’s native bass.

by TF&G Staff

WHY NILGAI DON’T WANDER

by CALIXTO GONZALES

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GUADALUPE BASS

TEXAS OUTDOOR NATION

Editor’s Notes

Understanding the game and getting prepped for the biggest dove hunt in the U.S.

The Lone Star Bowhunters Association has been supporting their sport since the 1970s.

by TF&G Staff

COLUMNS

TEXAS DOVE HUNTING

LONE STAR BOWS

T E X A S

Letters

by TFG Readers

Industry Insider by TFG Staff

Fish & Game Gear by TFG Staff

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Texas Tasted by Bryan Slaven

Outdoor Directory Fish & Game Photos by TFG Readers

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LETTERS to the Editor White Turkey Response ABOUT 25 YEARS AGO, ON MY grandfather’s farm in Wilson Co. along the Cibolo Creek near La Vernia, TX, there was the largest group of gobblers I had ever seen before or since roaming around. There was probably two dozen gobblers, and the gobbler that seemed to be dominant was completely white. Never got close enough to tell if it was an albino or just simply a white color phase. About 20 years ago on a deer lease in Zavala Co. we had a large flock of hens that had both white and normally colored feathers in quite a few of the birds. We called them the Zebra flock. Last Spring, on the side of a farm to market road near the Cibolo Creek in Guadalupe Co. I saw a small flock of hens (6-8 adults) and numerous poults. One adult hen was completely white, and the other adult hens had varying amounts of white feathers mixed in with normally colored feathers much like the Zebra flock in Zavala Co. All pretty cool, and God does seem to admire amazing variety.

White turkey, captured on camera at Johnson City, Texas.

believe it was ruined in a freezer power outage.

Bill Wyatt

Jay Gurry

HEY CHESTER, I JUST READ YOUR article. We saw and harvested a white “Rio” on a property east of Paint Rock Tx, several years ago (probably 15). The property we hunted bordered O.H. Ivie Reservoir and was home to a larger turkey roost. There were hundreds of “normal” wild turkeys in the area. The white hen was mixed in a pack of at least two dozen other “normal” birds and was seen several times, before harvested. We wondered if it was a domestic turkey that had lost its way, but it looked and acted like the other wild birds and was the same size as the rest of the group, so we figured it simply a freak color phase. The hunter that harvested the bird intended to have it mounted; however, I 6

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BACK IN THE 1950S, MY DAD HAD A “white feather problem” on an island where he managed the wild game. Unfortunately, a flock of white domestic turkeys was kept on hand to provide turkeys for eating purposes. The free ranging domestic hens mated with wild toms native to the Island, and problems began. The poults all had some white feathers. To rectify the problem, the flock of white turkeys was eliminated, and over a period of years, any turkey with white feathers was eliminated.

WE HAVE CAPTURED PICTURES OF a white turkey on our lease at Johnson City and I thought you might like to see them.

Richard Berry Editor: Guys, I can’t tell you how exciting it is to read these emails. These types of stories are important because they are the ones that keep us excited about the wild. When someone hears of a white turkey at hunting camp it becomes the talk of the season. Thanks so much for sharing your stories.

« Email your comments to: editor@ﬁshgame.com

Anonymous By Request |

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PHOTO:RICHARD BERRY

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EDITOR’S Notes by CHESTER MOORE :: TF&G Editor-in-Chief

Poaching Must End

HE SHELL OF AN ALLIGATOR snapping turtle is unmistakable. Giant ridges rise up giving the species an ancient look. In reality, these creatures are not much different from dinosaurs of the past. Seeing pieces of shell and remnants of the skull of a large alligator snapper in a hoop net was an early lesson in conservation. My cousin Frank Moore and I found it in a slough on Adams Bayou on a low tide back in 1996. It was sticking out of the water in a place we used to go bank fishing. Hoop nets are large, round nets that are designed to catch catfish by allowing them to swim in, but offer no way to get out. The problem is nothing else can get out either. As we saw the remnants of the shattered giant in the net, I realized just how harmful these nets are. This was one we found and pulled out of the water because they are illegal in Texas. We called and reported it to a game warden when we got home, and he said he has pulled numerous nets out of that bayou and others in the area. They are legal for use just across the border in Louisiana and in other states. They kill untold numbers of turtles and nontarget fish, and they are extremely wasteful. I have no doubt that a large part of the alligator snapping turtles demise in many areas is because of the presence of hoop nets that add to the problem of illegal harvest and dams blocking migration routes. This is not unlike the problem of “ghost” crab traps along the bay systems of the United States. Commercial crabbers sometimes lose their traps to storms and other factors and they lie on the bottom continually killing crabs, various fish and the rare diamondback terrapin, a small turtle that sometimes finds its way into these ghost traps.

PHOTO: CANSTOCK

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Problems like these are big for wildlife. They are a constant enforcement stress point for the hard-working Texas game wardens who put their lives on the line to protect our resources. Some poaching problems involve illegal methods to collect legal fish. Others are illegal, unethical and just plain wrong in every way. We addressed youth poaching in the March edition, but there is much more. Take for example, a 17-year-old Harris County boy who was charged in connection with a shooting of a bald eagle near White Oak Bayou. It was one of a pair that actively nested in the area for several years. A BALD EAGLE! —the symbol of the United States of America. Yes, a bald eagle. This was close to home, so I started investigating eagle poaching and found numerous instances of teens killing eagles. The most heinous instance came from the Pacific Northwest. Washington Fish and Wildlife police said a sheriff’s department officer found evidence of teens purposely hunting for and poaching eagles. “Officer Bolton and the deputy searched the area for downed wildlife and soon discovered a relatively fresh doe deer on the hillside near where the suspects had parked. Four older deer carcasses in various stages of decomposition were found in the same location. The officers learned that one of the young men shot the doe the night before by using a high-powered spotlight,” police wrote in a Facebook post. “The animal was then placed near the other carcasses in an effort to bait in and shoot eagles.” Multiple eagles killed across the country have been killed by teens including the Washington case where they actually baited up the eagles and illegally shot deer to do it. Poaching is vile. And when our young people are involved in so much of it everyone the hunting industry should be asking why. This has to change and we must take off our blinders for not only the sake of wildlife but the teens themselves. Poaching is not hunting. It is the antithT E X A S

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The killing of a bald eagle is the height of poaching depravity.

esis of legal, regulated hunting, and it damages wildlife populations in terrible ways. We need to confront it here in America before it becomes an epidemic. We have already covered how teen poaching of endangered and protected species is on the rise—it is nothing but contempt for wildlife. Unfortunately this kind of contempt can be contagious. I cannot help but think back to the shattered snapping turtle that died a terrible death in a hoop net less than a mile from my home. If humans had used the many legal and effective methods for catching catfish that turtle would not have died. It is important that we find ways to balance human activity and wildlife needs. Hoop nets kill snapping turtles and something is inspiring teens to kill eagles-in Texas and beyond. We might not want to admit that, but both of the statements are true. We must come to a place of honest discussion where we can find real ways to conserve wildlife in the face of gigantic obstacles. We must hit on issues that no one seems to want to address.

Email Chester Moore at cmoore@ﬁshgame.com |

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DOGGETT at Large by JOE DOGGETT :: TF&G Contributing Editor

Bugging for Bass

refers to a variety of floating fly-type lures. The primary two are cork/foam/plastic poppers with dished-out faces, and bugs made of tightly spun deer hair. Bugging not only is fun, it can be extremely effective. First, the small, lightweight payload lands with a soft “fuzzy” splat, a stealthy advantage over the clunk of a heavy casting lure in clear or calm shallows. Second, bugging minimizes wasted time on empty water. The skilled hand can work the first 10 or 15 feet through the prime area, then pick up the floating fly line and with a single backcast redirect for another delivery—no lost effort cranking back to the rod tip. Also worth noting, the caster can “overfly” a thick rim of perimeter weeds and

HE SHAKESPEARE FIBERglass fly rod was my great pride during the summer of 1959. I stood on the bank of Houston’s Hermann Park duck pond and again admired the trim, white blank and the clean red windings. No doubt, the Wonderod was an A-Team stick; I was only 13, but the great Joe Brooks would have been proud to wield such an outfit. The rod flexed, a slow and pleasing push that turned the short loop and dropped the popping bug. The yellow popper landed with a light plop alongside the edge of “coontail” moss. The bug floated, then twitched and gurgled and fluttered—and the green water boiled as a two-pound bass struck. The line came tight, and the fish twisted out in a jump straight from a Field & Stream or Outdoor Life cover. I worked the fish close and with thumb and index clamped the lower lip. Well, maybe 1 1/2 pounds—but my first “real” fish on a fly rod. Bluegills and “goggle eyes” didn’t quite get it. That long-ago bass and that long-gone rod helped launch a lifelong fly fishing adventure. From Atlantic salmon to Pacific sailfish, I’ve caught pretty much all the fish that matter, but the basic drill of bass bugging remains a favorite. And summer is a great time to flog the nearest green shoreline. This is because warm-water weed growth is spreading and shallow bass often are looking up, snatching small terrestrial prey and large insects (especially dragonflies). Bugging may not the best way to catch a really big bass, but it is a grand way to make the most of average fish. A two-pound largemouth that blows up from nowhere and inhales a popper is about as much fun as you can expect to have on a farm pond or back cove—or anywhere else, for that matter. Incidentally, “bug” is a catch-all term that 8

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drop the bug into a defined open pocket. Twitch, twitch, twitch, then pick up smartly. Empty water aside, the idea is to pick up while sufficient heavy fly line remains off the rod tip to load the backcast. Retrieving all the way back forces the caster to make multiple false casts to get the weight-forward line belly moving again. This efficient drill is aided and abetted by the fact that most casts with a bass bug are relatively short, say 30 to 50 feet. The blazing double haul needed to fire a laser loop 80 or 90 feet across a saltwater flat really isn’t necessary. A single haul on the forward presentation might add authority into the wind, but the tempo of close-quarters bugging is slow. Come to think of it, a lazy-flexing fiberglass rod is a fine choice for this deliberate work. A good way to slow things down with a fast graphite rod is to over-line one size (say, a nine-weight line on an eight-weight stick), |

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or to buy a specialized bugging taper with a shorter, thicker belly for close loading. Large air-resistant bugs usually are overkill. The big wad is wretched to cast, and you don’t need a fluffy chicken with floo-floo flight characteristics to draw fire from most shallow bass. Far easier to work with, is a bug with a head about the size of a fingernail. While you’re about it, use a pair of scissors to trim back any long rubber legs and excessive hackles. Make sure the gap of the hook is wide enough to clear the fluff and stick the fish. Bass in tangled water are not particularly leader shy. A fairly short leader (six to eight feet) tapered to somewhere between 10 and 20 pounds (depending on water conditions) turns over a bug smoother than a longer, lighter leader. Also, the trendy “strip strike” with a low rod tip is a bad idea when bugging. If a bass misses, yanking straight back with the line hand causes the bug to plow across the surface, creating a potentially fish-scaring commotion. Simply lifting the rod tip (as with a trout dry fly but with more authority) plucks the missed bug into the air, ready for a followup presentation. And, on the subject of a high rod tip, a 45-degree angle during the retrieve is handy for fluttering, skating and jiving a bug across calm water or amid a tight pocket. Finally, if a big bass clamps down, forget the mantra to “get him on the reel.” Trying to wind slack coils from the deck gives the burly sow time to dive for cover. Strip hard and hope the leader holds. Come to think of it, a costly reel with a powerful internal drag is a waste of money when bugging; a simple clicker reel works just fine. All this might fly in the face of popular technique but proper bugging is a specialized game—and it’s one that makes the most of average bass in average water.

Email Joe Doggett at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com PHOTO: CANSTOCK

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NUGENT in the Wild by TED NUGENT :: TF&G Editor-at-Large

Let Us Never Forget Our Daily Lessons breathe. After 10 minutes, I continued to force myself to ignore the mass of antler and drill my focus right into the crease behind his foreleg. Finally, when his head pivoted ever so slightly away, I began my lifelong Zen musclespirit memory archery draw and shot sequence with all the determination I have ever mustered. Then the bow jerked and my zebra arrow flailed meaninglessly to the ground, landing sideways under the buck.

“

Talking about target rich!

“

THOUGHT FOR SURE I WOULD tumble out of my stand the way my body was trembling and quivering so violently. Without a doubt the biggest buck of my life was standing statuesque not 15 yards in front of me on full alert, head up, cocked, locked and ready to rock! And so was I! His big, radar ears were erect, moist nose in the air, eyeballs bulging in a full-on gonzo attempt to find the source of the overbearing electronic predator Tedator death-rays zapping the South Texas puckerbrush all around. I’ve been here so many times before, and under these trying conditions, it more often than not does not end well for this old stinky Rock-N-Roll bowhunter. SpiritWild VidCamDude Kris Helms and I knew this predator-prey game all too well, and we reciprocated in kind with a deadly stealth response of our own, determined to get an arrow into this giant beast’s pumpstation come hell or high water! It’s not like I was caught off-guard, for I live to never be off-guard, especially when bowhunting South Texas on the amazing 777 Ranch outside Hondo, Texas with legendary professional hunter Jeff Rann. Talking about “target rich”! I was sitting in what may very well be the trophy whitetail deer mecca of planet earth, so we knew darn well what we were getting into. But this test of nerves went on forever. I know; we always believe our deer stare-downs go on forever, but this time, it really did, and I was determined to win this standoff no matter what. This giant old buck had enough head-bone to push the mystical 190” mark, and I called on all my lifelong killer instincts and hard learned bowhunting lessons to get the job done. I reminded myself over and over again to

I’ve never done drugs in my life, but right there and then it became crystal clear to me why some people may indulge. I knew immediately what had happened in spite of the dizzying hysteria surrounding this mind-boggling, spirit-shattering bowhunting blunder moment. After sitting in the chair of my quadpod for long hours that morning, I had eventually slouched back, slumping to be comfortable. When the buck first appeared so close, I hadn’t dared to lift myself up into shooting form, certain the wary beast would detect even the slightest of movement. Throughout the long wait for a hopeful shot, I remained in a slouched position, and when I finally made the decision to shoot, I made the terminal mistake of attempting to draw back my bow in what can best be described as an anti-archery form, slumped body condition. T E X A S

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Using a back-tension/thumb release, I somehow triggered it at half-draw and the arrow spilled harmlessly to the ground. It’s not like I am not aware of how critical archery form is for proper arrow control, but after that long, nerve-wracking wait, I foolishly began my draw in a slouchy, hunched over condition, and the buck laughed all the way into the Texas neverlands! Well doggone it anyway! I took the expert advice of master archer/ bowhunter Randy Ulmer many years ago and rotate my use of various mechanical release aids to maintain maximum awareness of shot sequence to help manage my lifetime of on again off again dreaded target panic. Had I used my wrist-strap trigger-finger release where my finger would not have been near the trigger, I would bet you anything that buck would have died that morning. But with my right hand and thumb wrapped tensely around the trigger mechanism on my back-tension/thumb release, my slouchy body allowed my hand to compress and touch it off at the most inappropriate moment. I have made many painful and oftentimes heartbreaking mistakes and miscalculations in my hunting life, but the most important thing to remember about mistakes is to learn from them and do everything in our power to make sure we do not repeat them. With many months ahead of us before deerseason opens, now is the time to look back on those mistakes and review the gory details in order to pound them into our memory bank, and practice ways to remind us how to never make them again. A few days later I was able to implement my lesson learned and arrowed a dandy 777 Ranch whitetail monarch from the very same stand. The ultimate reminder of that earlier tormenting morning is the photo of my hunting buddy J. Alain Smith holding that monster buck that I missed that he killed two days later. I am very happy for him, but I could have been even happier!

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Email Ted Nugent at tnugent@ﬁshgame.com |

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Why Spinning Rigs Belong in a Bass Angler’s Arsenal story and photos by Matt Williams SPINNING REELS HAVE BEEN around for decades. I fished with one a lot when I was a kid shagging grasshoppers around farm ponds back in the 1960s. One thing I’ll always remember was how well that little Mitchell would zing a grasshopper buttthreaded on a small hook with no weight, even in a stiff wind. If I really wanted the bait to sail, I would add a small barrel swivel or split shot a foot or so above the hook. I was hardly the only one who found the reels advantageous for throwing small baits on light line. Veteran bass pro Tommy Martin of Hemphill spent a lot time wade fishing along the Texas Coast with a spinning

catching largemouths. “We’d drift around those open bays casting a 1/16 or 1/8-ounce black marabou jig on six-pound line catching one- to three-pounders one after another. Sometimes you’d catch a bigger one,” Martin said. “It was great for customers because it was an easy way to fish that didn’t demand a lot of skill. That’s another big plus about spinning reels. They are simple to cast once you learn how.” Spinning tackle isn’t just for beginners, either. Many of the world’s top bass pros have learned from experience that it’s always a good idea to keep a spinning outfit handy. This is especially true for “finesse” situations or when performing techniques that call for baits weighing 1/4 ounce or less and smaller diameter lines. This is often the case on reservoirs with exceptional water clarity, an abundance of small fish or when there is so much fishing pressure the bass might be spooky or reluctant to eat bigger, bulkier baits. That’s not to say you can’t throw a 1/8-ounce shaky head worm, drop shot or pint-size crankbait or jerkbait on a baitcasting outfit spooled with 10-pound line, because you can. But it can usually be accomplished much more effectively, and without the worry of backlashes, by using a spinning rig.

outfit in his hands in the ‘60s before he bought a marina on Toledo Bend and started a guide service on the big lake during its hey day. He brought his spinning gear along on the move and found it was just as handy for T E X A S

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Many top bass pros have learned to keep a spinning rig handy.

your finger with the rod’s forward momentum. The reels can be cast overhand for maximum distance or underhand to make the bait maintain low trajectory.

“There is a time when you have to use small baits that you can’t throw very well on casting gear,” Martin said. “I always have at least one spinning outfit rigged up for every tournament I go to. The key is knowing when to pick it up and when to put it down.”

Choices, Choices Spinning reels are available in several sizes with small and medium sizes being the favorites for most freshwater applications. Check the manufacturer specs to ensure the reel is sized proportionally with the line size you intend to use. A reel that is advertised to hold 120 yards of eight-pound line (the specs will read 8LB/120 yards) should work just fine with lines that are slightly smaller or larger. Some key things to look for are a sturdy, lightweight housing, strong gears, a midrange gear ratio, a quality drag system, stainless ball bearings and a switch that allows for back reeling to aid the drag in case you hook a really big fish. Many of these reels are available with interchangeable line spools that will allow for quick swaps when want to use a lighter or heavier line or a different capacity. Ultra-light spinning reels matched with a five- to six-foot medium power rod are ideal for casting small jigs, Roadrunners and other tiny baits for bream, crappie and trout. Meanwhile, reels with a small-to-medium size frame rule in bass fishing arenas. These reels are great for tossing or skipping shaky heads, tubes, wacky worms, floating worms,

Getting to Know Spinning Reels Spinning reels are sometimes referred to as “open face” reels, because the line spool is exposed at the head of the reel. This allows line to feed freely off the spool when the bail is open, thus allowing for long, easy casts with lightweight lures. Unlike spincasters and baitcasters, the spinning reel is designed to mount to the bottom side of the rod instead of on top. It operates using an odd-shaped bail arm that opens when the reel is ready to cast and closes to gather the line. Casting with a spinning reel is simple once you learn the steps. Make sure the reel is facing downward and that you grip it correctly. Some anglers like to place all of their fingers in front of the reel post while others like to place the post between their middle and ring fingers. Do whatever is most comfortable. Next, trap the line with the tip of your index finger on your casting hand, open the bail and cast, releasing line from beneath 12

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small swim baits, Rapala-style minnows and micro-crankbaits.

The Right Set Up A number of good quality reels are available from Garcia, Shimano, Pfleuger and Lews, all of which offer combo reel/rod packages for a price that won’t break the bank. One of my favorite set-ups is Garcia Revo STX20 matched with a seven-foot Vendetta in a medium-light power and extra fast action. I use it a lot for throwing shaky heads, but it also works well for floating worms, wacky worms and other baits that are on the light side. A Garcia Mag Pro is a slightly larger reel with a little more spool capacity and a heavier drag.

Line Management One thing to always remember with spinning reels is to load them correctly with a manageable fishing line. Many anglers prefer using small diameter braided line in combination with a small diameter fluorocarbon leader on spinning reels. Braided line has no memory, so it is very easy to manage on the spool and doesn’t twist. It is also smaller in diameter than fluorocarbon, so you can get away with using a little heavier line without sacrificing performance or capacity. PHOTOS: MATT WILLIAMS

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Fluorocarbon leaders should be joined with a reliable knot that won’t snag in the spool or on the line guides. I’ve had really good luck with the Alberto and FG knots.

The Spinning Advantage As earlier mentioned, spinning tackle brings a host of advantages to bass arenas. They shine especially bright in specific situations that call for small diameter lines and baits that are on the light side. Longview bass pro Jim Tutt is a spinning rig nut from way back. He has used them to land smallmouths as big as six pounds and largemouths as heavy as nine. Tutt says one of the key advantages to spinning gear is it allows you to play fish better on light line than you can with baitcasting tackle. “You can use light line on baitcasting gear but you have to be really careful not to over fight the fish,” Tutt said. “I think the spinning rod and reel help you play the fish better. You don’t lose or break off near as many as you would if you were using light

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Spinning gear also allows you to play ﬁsh better on light lines.

line on a baitcaster.” Tutt says spinning gear is also a good choice for skipping baits into hard-to-reach places beneath docks, piers and over-hang-

ing limbs. Skipping is a low trajectory presentation where the bait skims the surface like a flat rock. Pros can skip with baitcasting gear, but it takes lots of practice to perfect the tactic it without getting troublesome backlashes. “It’s great for shaky heads and floating worms,” Tutt said. “It eliminates the potential for back lashes and allows for getting the bait into tight spots. Plus, the light line gives the bait a more natural action.” Tutt says spinning reels also allow baits to fall vertical in the water column quicker because the line uncoils from the spool with minimal resistance. This is a huge plus when fishing a drop-shot rig or shaky head around bluff walls, pilings or hard bottom structure in deep water away from the bank. “On top of all that the reel handles interchange from one side to the other,” Tutt said. “You can buy one reel and make it a right- or left-handed model by simply swapping the handle to the opposite side. You can’t do that with a baitcasting reel.”

6/11/18 1:42 PM

OWFISHING IS by far one of my favorite outdoor pursuits. It combines many elements into one

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relatively simple sport of arrowing nongame fish of many varieties. Two of the most important things to keep in mind are aiming low at your intended targets and shooting the correct species of fish. There are many laws

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on the books about bowfishing, but the main thing a law-abiding bowfisher needs is a saltwater or all-water fishing license, which you might already have if you fish with a rod and reel on coastal waters. Fish such as flounder, mullet, sheeps-

PHOTO: GRADY ALLEN

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head, and gar are all fair game in the saltwater realm. This includes all different kinds of rays, with sting rays being the most popular. Bowfishing for these species follows

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the same rules and regulations as rod and reel fishing for them. However, sticking fish and rays with an arrow can prove to be more challenging than getting them to bite a bait with a hook in it. Following the rules and regulations

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means that if you’re not sure what you’re shooting, don’t draw back and shoot it. This can prove to be frustrating at first, but the more experience you gain, the better you will be at identifying your target when it counts the most.

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PHOTO: DUSTIN WARNCKE

Keep in mind the size and bag limits for bowfishing and do your research before you hit the water. Remember, ignorance is not an excuse in the eyes of the law. The main gear you use to shoot carp, buffalo and gar in freshwater can be pressed into service when you hit the marsh or other coastal waters. Keep in mind that saltwater is corrosive and can wreak havoc on your gear if it isn’t properly cleaned with fresh water after your bowfishing trip. You don’t need a whitetail deer or feral hog-hunting bow either. A draw weight of 40 pounds or so should be all you need to penetrate even the toughest or largest underwater brute. Under Texas Parks and Wildlife rules, you can use compound, recurve or long bows— and even crossbows for bowfishing. One of my personal favorites is the lever bow. This bow combines the power of a compound with the fast action and let off of a recurve bow. Many just starting out in the sport prefer a compound bow such as the Diamond Edge Sonar, which we here at Texas Fish & Game used in the Bowfishing 101 digital special program that ran last sum-

Stingrays are favorite saltwater bowﬁshing targets.

mer. This is a great bow for the money and, if outfitted with the full AMS bowfishing pack-

age, will have everything you need to start sticking fish the day you get it.

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PHOTO: GRADY ALLEN

Flavorful ﬂounder are fair game for bowﬁshers.

I personally prefer spin-cast style reels specially made for bowfishing for hard fighting fish in brackish or saltwater environments such as the ones made by Muzzy. This style is easy to retrieve in a moving boat and will also be better when you stick a hard hitter that thrashes your arrow and line. I often say that I don’t play checkers, I

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play chess, and I play to win with whatever I am after. You want to use good quality gear as it will be put through its paces when it counts the most. You can choose to hire a saltwater bowfishing guide, who should have a captain’s license to be legal, or you can outfit your own boat for bowfishing. Many bowfishing

excursions happen at night or at least in low light conditions, so a good lighting system and generator to support it is a good idea. I have seen many bowfishing trips in airboats and deck boats, but at first, you should use what you already have. You can then decide whether to invest in more dedicated gear such as a shooting platform, a fish receptacle

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PHOTO: GRADY ALLEN

and more boat-mounted bowfishing lights. If a personal watercraft is your preference, such as a kayak or a round boat from Roundabout Watercraft or other companies, you will be able to get into areas that bigger boats can’t. That is a great advantage, especially if you are rolling solo. Flounder, stingrays and gars provide some of the best table fare in the saltwater realm and are key target species to eat. Many bowfishers like to “core out” the fine meat from a stingray with a cookie cutter or other such tool. The result is a meat with a consistency similar to a scallop. I don’t need to tell you how good flounder is to eat. Many people don’t believe you can eat gar, but I have found this prehistoric fish to be some of the best eating fish around. Simply cut into their armor plating with a reciprocating saw with a good blade or even a pair of tinsnips. Then, simply fillet out the two large rows of boneless meat that run along each side of the backbone. Clean that up, removing as much “red line” as possible, chunk it up, batter and fry it just as you would any fish. Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself!

Believe it or not, if prepared correctly, alligator gar can be very tasty.

However you approach this sport, be safe and have fun. I got hooked on bowfishing my first time out. If you’ve never tried it, you’re in for an outdoor adventure that the whole family can enjoy.

I highly recommend aiming low, thinking big and stickin’ and reelin’ in some fish with your bow!

6/11/18 1:42 PM

Texas SALTWATER by CALIXTO GONZALES :: TF&G Saltwater Editor

CAN SAFELY SAY THAT I AM THE saltwater angler that I’ve become largely from the mentorship of one fishing guide: Captain Larry Corbett. He taught me to fish with artificial lures at a time when I used primarily live bait (except for the speck rigs I used under the lights). I have developed a preference for baitcasting tackle and braided lines because of Larry, and I’m a huge fan of soft plastics such as the Kelly Wiggler and Down South Lures, and especially the Gambler Flapping Shad and Z-Man baits too—all thanks to Larry. Corbett was a tournament bass fisherman in a previous life, and he carried the same amount of tackle that bass fishermen of the ’80s and ’90s did. He literally had boxes and boxes of soft plastics, jigheads, topwater plugs, swim baits, spoons, spinnerbaits (before they were in vogue as redfish killers), MirroLures, bucktails, and some lures I still haven’t been able to identify. If anyone was going to be prepared for any on-the-water contingency, it was going to be Larry. Being the good and studious protégé that I was, I began to emulate Larry in the amount of tackle I’d drag along with me when I was on the water. I had every possible color of plastic lure that I could find. If a new color came on the market, I’d buy four bags before I even knew if the darned thing even caught fish. Then I took one trip with Captain Jeff Neu, and I was forced to face reality: The joke was that I never even opened the damn box. I used one of Jeff’s favorite soft plastics the entire day. I realized at that point that I had a real problem. My name is Cal, and I’m a tackle hoarder. The only solution was to go through my tackle bag and start thinning out all the excess tackle that I’m herniating myself by carrying. Where to begin… First thing I need to get rid of is the box of MirrOlure 7 MR topwater switchbaits. I have at least a couple of dozen in that box, and they take up a lot of space. They’re outta here!

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My name is Cal, and I’m a tackle hoarder.

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In The Bag

I have some for swim baits, others for shrimp tails, football heads for fishing for flounders on the bottom and shadheads for swimming shad and curlytails. I have light jigheads for fishing shallow, and heavier ones for fishing in deeper water. There is a purpose for every single jighead in my tacklebox. I’d better leave them alone. You never know when I’m going to be looking for just the right head after I got rid of it. Can you believe that I have so many different spools of leader material? Who on earth would have so many of them? Me, that’s who. The 30-pound test fluorocarbon is for those times when I’m fishing for big bruiser redfish around the Mansfield or Brazos Santiago jetties, so I can’t get rid of it. I use the 20-pound test the most, so I can’t lose that (it also explains why I have such a big spool of it). T E X A S

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Sometimes the water is really, really clear, so the 15- and 12-pound are necessities (and the lighter stuff will do as reel-filler in a pinch). I’ve got a use for all of them, so I better hang on to each. I need those braid scissors because I do use braid so much. Not only that, but it does a good job cutting leader line, trimming down soft plastics, and cutting nose hair. I got to hang onto the needlenose pliers just in case I have to replace a split ring (They have wire cutters built-in; what if I lose or break my scissors?). Every fisherman has at least one knife. AND, you never know when I’m going to need that spare. I guess that means I need to get rid of some those soft plastics. I have so many I could open my own section at Academy. But which ones? I don’t want to get rid of the classic color patterns. Red and white has always done me right. I’m not too keen on the SEC, but LSU is a very effective color pattern. Chartreuse also goes well with white…and with red for that matter. Those are some of the best colors I’ve got, so it also stands to reason I’d have all my favorite tails in those patterns. They work so well I HAVE to keep as many spares on hand as I can. Those color patterns don’t always work, so it stands to reason that I’d have a few other color patterns to experiment with when the old reliables fail to produce. The astute fisherman is a versatile one, you know? I can’t have them in just one length, either, y’know? I need three-inchers for when fish are feeding on young of the year bait. Fourinch tails are my default size, so I’ve gotta keep them around. Big fish like big baits, so I better keep those six and eight-inch plastics handy. I did find an old jerkbait that I could never get to swim straight. After years of experimenting and tweaking, I’m giving up on it and tossing it into the dead lure box. I feel better. Maybe Jeff won’t razz me so much.

On second thought, that’s not such a good idea. The first big trout I ever caught on a topwater was on a 7MR. I may not use them very often, but they do put fish in the pot when I fish with them, especially when trout are short striking at bigger plugs. I think I’d better leave them where they sit. I know, I’ll ditch all those jigheads. I must have more than 100 of them in varying sizes. There’s gotta be at least a pound, pound and a half of lead. Talking about giving me a hernia! I’m surprised that my guts haven’t popped out of my navel from all that weight. I should know better than having so many of them. Wait a minute…those jigheads are in a variety of shapes and sizes. If I have them there, it’s because they each have different application.

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Email Cal Gonzales at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com |

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6/11/18 1:43 PM

Getting Prepped and Understanding the Game TF&G Staff Report 20

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ID YOU KNOW MORE THAN 30 PERCENT OF all of the doves bagged in America are taken in Texas? Annually, close to 400,000 Texas hunters take to the field and bag somewhere in the neighborhood of five million doves. With the mourning dove population alone exceeding 30 million, this state is unlike any other in terms of hunting these sporting birds. Yes, we said “mourning doves alone.” According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) seven species of doves and pigeons are indigenous to Texas. Of these, only three (mourning dove,

white-winged dove, and white-tipped dove) are currently hunted. “Two species (red-billed pigeon and band-tailed pigeon) are currently listed as legal game birds by federal and state regulations, but are not hunted in Texas due to limited numbers and distribution,” officials said. “Two other species (Inca dove and common ground-dove) are sparrowsized birds with no potential for hunting and for which no formal management actions are undertaken.” By the time you read this article we will be 60 days or fewer from the September 1 dove opener, so we thought we would give you the low-down on how to prep for dove season and make this year your most successful ever.

Practice Makes Perfect Baseball players practice. Football players practice. Heck, even professional bass fishermen practice, so why should dove hunters wait until opening day to shoot? PHOTO:

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PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Shooting sporting clays, skeet or trap is a great way to ensure better success during dove season.

is more about crossing targets as well as two targets at a time. Sporting clays is more involved. It is set up sort of like a golf course with various positions and situations to challenge the shooter. All three sports are seeing increased interest. However, sporting clays alone has grown

Three popular shooting sports are available to hunters year-round at relatively little cost. Pursuing them can help hunters have maximum impact in the field. These are trap, skeet and sporting clays. Trap focuses on shooting at targets rising and going away at various angles while skeet

The All-American Trap Combo from CZ BUILT SPECIFICALLY FOR ATA

shooters who compete in trap singles as well as doubles and want one gun to do it all, the All-American Trap Combo is the tool for the game and for dove hunters wanting to improve their skills. It ships with two-barrel sets—one a single-shot “un-single” with a dial-adjustable aluminum rib (adjustable

CZ’s All-American Trap Combo ships with two barrel sets.

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to the point the National Sporting Clays Association has more than 22,000 members and 600 member clubs. “Practicing in the off-season is crucial, and in Texas there are many places hunters can shoot any of the three styles,” said CZ Pro Dave Miller. Miller set a Guinness World Record for the most sporting clay targets shot in one hour-an amazing 3,653 clays in May of 2015, followed by winning the Missouri State Sporting Clays Championship in July 2015. He recommends hunters who decide to take up off-season shooting get a gun that will give them many options and can also be used hunting. That gun is the CZ AllAmerican Trap Combo. It ships with two-barrel sets. One is a single-shot ‘un-single’ with a dial-adjustable aluminum rib (adjustable from 50/50 up to 90/10 point of impact), the other a standard set of barrels with stepped rib (50/50 point of impact). Barrel length for both sets is 32 inches, with lengthened forcing cones and ports to reduce perceived recoil. A set of extended, knurled chokes give a wide variety of constriction options. “It’s a versatile gun and perfect for getting serious about shooting,” Miller said. Miller said connecting with other shoot-

from 50/50 up to 90/10 point of impact), the other a standard set of barrels with stepped rib (50/50 point of impact). Barrel length for both sets is 32 inches, with lengthened forcing cones and ports to reduce perceived recoil. A set of extended, knurled chokes with the Rem-

To ward off corrosion, the CNC-milled action is surface hardened, resulting in a beautiful white metal ﬁnish that resembles brushed stainless. The inner workings resemble those on shotguns much higher in price, with ﬁring pins that ride in bushings and drop-in parts for once the round count starts to climb. Intended to be used heavily by the regular competitor, multiple sizes of locking blocks are available and hinge pins are replaceable, making it easy to freshen the gun up after heavy use. The barrels are not selectable, instead

Choke thread pattern give a wide variety of constriction options (Cyl, Improved Cylinder, Modiﬁed, Full and extra Full.

always ﬁring bottom barrel ﬁrst. It has a reliable mechanical trigger and manual safety, so that the gun does exactly what you want it to when you tell it to do it. With a parallel adjustable comb,

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ers is easier than ever and it makes things much more interesting. Hunters can contact local gun ranges or seek out other interested shooters on the Internet where shooters gather to talk their favorite pastime. “The serious dove hunter will do their best to invest in learning how to make the most of their opportunities and become a better shooter,” Miller said.

Vision and Timing Even during practice shooting sessions hunters should keep in mind what they will encounter in the field and how they can make the most of it. Miller said one-thing hunters and shooters overlook is vision. “It’s the most important factor. If you can’t see you can’t shoot,” he said. This needs to get cleared up well before the season. This can be fixed simply by getting a vision examination and buying prescription field glasses if the doves are starting to look a little fuzzy. Fishgame.com blogger and dedicated dove hunter Shane Smith said hunters need to be where the doves are when the doves are there. “Doves will typically go to drink water fairly early in the morning and again before they roost,” he said. “The places they

healthy right-hand palm swell and Monte Carlo stock, the All-American Trap Combo also has adjustable butt plate hardware. With this comes the ability to adjust the length of pull from 14-5/8 inches to 15-1/2 inches and give the recoil pad toe-in or toeout. A dovetailed trigger blade gives 3/8 inches of adjustment on the reach to the trigger shoe. All of these features combined make the All-American Trap Combo an incredible gun for the money. This versatile gun is easy to tune to an individual shooter, allowing them to be more comfortable behind the gun and break more clays. To top it all off, this gun is shipped in a custom Americase built to safely house and transport the two-barrel set gun.

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like to water are free of weeds or tall grasses on the bank. Doves like a smooth or sandy bank that gives them security and an easier path to drink.” Smith said the best times to hunt doves typically are the first three hours of daylight and the last three hours of daylight. It is normally very hot during the midday, and the birds are resting in trees and are relatively inactive. “The best areas to kill doves are funnel points in the area that you have chosen. Doves will typically have a few entrance points and exit points. Pay close attention to find these flight funnels and get there as soon as you have established a flight pattern,” Smith said.

Top Dove WHITEWINGS ARE ON THE

rise and Eurasian-collared doves may end up in the bag, but for the most part Texas dove hunting is about the mourning dove. According to TPWD, mourning Doves (Zenaida macroura) are found in all counties of the Texas Panhandle, in every month of the year, and are an important migratory upland game bird. Resident populations occur yearround in our area. “Cold fronts often move doves from the central United States southward into the Texas Panhandle and temporarily increase populations during late August, September, and early October; however, periods of wet weather often force doves southward out of the Texas Panhandle. A segment of the mourning dove population migrates south during the winter into south Texas, Mexico, and Central America.” “Mourning doves are our most slender dove, with a long pointed tail, and fairly narrow pointed wings held close while

Common Sense Tips Miller recommends hunters stay focused on a single bird. Sometimes you’ll encounter dozens or perhaps hundreds so keeping your eye on one bird really can make the difference. Shane Smith recommends hunters take reasonable shots. “It is easy to want to shoot at every bird within 50 yards. However, your chances of killing a dove at that range are minimal at best. Try to find an area where the birds will be within 35 yards, and you have just greatly increased your odds,” he said.

And finally, don’t be overgunned. You certainly don’t need a .10 gauge to hunt doves. A .12 will work and a 20 will get the

ﬂapping; however, on takeoff they produce a light airy whistling on takeoff. Song of a mourning dove is a mournful hooting ooAAh cooo cooo coo, often mistaken for an owl.”

job done as well. If you are comfortable with what you are shooting and follow these tips, you will be well on your way to dove hunting success in Texas.

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TEXAS WHITETAILS by LARRY WEISHUHN :: TF&G Contributing Editor

Summertime Whitetail Pursuits

HANKFULLY IT IS FINALLY mid-summer. Whitetail fawns are on the ground, some starting as early a mid-April continuing on through August—and antlers on bucks are once again interesting. As deer hunters we sometimes tend to forget about the importance of fawns and fawn survival rates. I love hunting mature bucks regardless of the size of their antlers, but will also tell you bucks with bigger antlers are more interesting than those with smaller antlers. Mature bucks, too, tend to be challenging to hunt. If the fawn survival rates are high, as they are in many areas of Texas this year, that simply means that four, five, six and seven years from now, if property managed, there should be a goodly number of mature bucks. In those areas where the fawn survival rates are 20 percent, meaning 100 does raise 20 or less fawns to maturity or lower, there will not be many five-year old bucks, five years from now, pure and simple. This is one of the reasons why spring and especially summer nutrition are of such great importance when it comes to a healthy deer herd. If there is sufficient ground cover when fawns are born, there is less chance they will be seen and eaten by predators. It also means there is sufficient forage for the doe to eat to produce milk and for the fawn to get a great start nutritionally. We saw our first fawn on my property about 80 miles west of Houston on April 19th, where normally fawns start being born in mid-May. This thrills me because that fawn came along at a time when, thanks to fortuitous rains, there was excellent natural nutrition. If it was a buck he’s off to a great early start in life. The reason the whitetail deer rut or breeding season occurs when it does in different

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areas is so that seven-and-a-half months later, fawns are born at the most opportune natural nutrition time. In Texas along the mid-coast, we occasionally see bucks chasing does in early September. In the Brush Country it’s during late January.

A healthy fawn crop now raises the prospects for good hunting seasons four to seven years down the road.

Often hunters talk about a secondary rut, which occurs very late, well after most of the breeding has taken place. Often this is attributed to does that were not “settled,” or pregnant, during their first estrus period. In most instances the secondary rut is caused by young does, fawns of the year, having been on good nutrition coming into their first estrus period. Whitetail doe fawns can and frequently do breed at six months of age. On one of the ranches I used to manage as a wildlife biologist in the western reaches of the Hill Country as high as 80 percent of the six- to eight-month old doe fawns got bred each year. When these young doe fawns get bred and |

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birth a buck fawn, it will almost always produce spike antlers that first year. This happens regardless of their genetic potential for growing big antlers. The young doe is trying to grow a body, produce a fetus, and produce milk for her fawn. As result her fawn will suffer. If it is a buck it will be reflected in first year antler development. This is why we try to make certain the deer herd is properly managed, which includes habitat, food and water and total numbers. Summer and late summer in most areas of Texas is when natural nutrition is low. Proper livestock grazing, deer herd numbers management, food plots and in some instances supplementation can truly help in getting the deer herd through this stress period. If you do plant food plots, July is a time when it is fun to start looking at bucks once again. If you do not have food plots, then water holes are a great place for some “observing.” By late July whitetail bucks throughout most of Texas are close to three-quarters of their full antler development. In some areas the antlers may be fully developed. From a hunting perspective there are a few other things I like to do during the “dog days of summer.” One is getting my Ruger rifles and handguns, mounted with TrackingPoint scopes properly sighted with the Hornady ammo I use. It’s also a time for me to learn the capabilities of the firearms I shoot and my capabilities with them. This means initially shooting from a solid bench rest, but then shooting from “real world” hunting positions, including shooting from shooting sticks. I have never been a good off-hand shooter when it comes to anything other than shotguns, so I insist upon shooting from a rest. Shooting sticks provide me with just that no matter where I hunt.

« Email Larry Weishuhn at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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Texas GUNS by STEVE LAMASCUS | TF&G Shooting Editor

Semi-Auto or Revolver?

HE REVOLVER WAS THE preeminent handgun for well over a hundred years, but in the late1980s or early ‘90s, the semi-auto caught up and then passed the revolver as the most likely to succeed. There were many reasons for the transcendence of the semi-auto. I suppose the most important was the fact that the manufacturers finally figured out how to make an auto that was trustworthy enough to satisfy police officers when used with expanding ammunition. Up until then the vast majority of semiautos on the market were dependable only with hardball bullets, which were not all that good for self-defense purposes. Second was probably the introduction of factory ammunition that really performed as it was supposed to; that is, soft-points and hollow-points, such as the “flying ashtray,” that really did expand at handgun velocities. Last, I think, was that our economy finally reached a point where the average shooter could afford to buy factory ammunition instead of having to cast his own bullets and load his own ammo. There are probably many other factors that could be included, but those are the most prominent. Now I will be the first to admit that I generally carry a semi-auto for self-defense. However, there are many other uses for a handgun. I think ruling out the revolver just because it doesn’t carry a large supply of ammunition is a mistake. Many people who are now carrying semiautos would be better served with a revolver. I still on occasion carry a 2½-inch Model 19 Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum, or a little Model 36 Chief’s Special with a bobbed ham-

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remember what the adjustments were. What I do remember is that it was surprising how often you could knock over a steel ram at 200 meters with a handgun. The hardest targets were the turkeys at 150 meters. This was something that no commonly available semi-auto could do. After some practice I could hit the pigs at 100 meters with a .45 automatic, but beyond that range it was pretty much hopeless. This, I think, demonstrates the advantages and disadvantages of both types of handguns. The .45 auto is a wonderful gun for self-defense, but the long-barreled revolver is a very poor choice for that use. A powerful revolver is, however, much superior to the .45 auto for IHMSA or for hunting, and a short-barreled revolver is still a fine choice for self-defense. As for cast bullets, they are great for use in revolvers, but perform poorly in some automatics. I still cast most of my own bullets for use in revolvers, but do not use them in autos. The reason is manifold, but mostly because a revolver will fire almost any ammunition you can cram in the chambers, although a semiauto requires perfect ammunition or it will fail to function. Some autos, particularly Glocks, will be damaged by the use of lead bullets. The reason for this is, I understand, the type of rifling used in the autos. As far as which is better, the answer is, neither. Both are very good. A high quality revolver is a bit more reliable than a semi-auto and is easier to clear if a misfire occurs. However, most semi-autos are easier to conceal than a revolver of equal barrel length and generally hold more ammo. For concealed carry or for a uniformed officer, the semi-auto is probably a better choice, for most other uses the revolver is at least as good as an auto and probably better. In the end it is, as my granddad used to say, “whatever trips your trigger.”

mer. When I first began shooting handguns, revolvers firing cast bullets were the sine qua non of hand gunning. I scrounged brass, cast bullets by the thousands from reclaimed wheel weights, and loaded my ammo on an old single-stage RCBS Jr. press. I spent much more time casting and reloading than I did shooting. But by doing this I learned a lot about what made a handgun tick, and I learned the most important rules of hand gunning—sight alignment and trigger control. This means you simply cannot yank the shot off as the sights wobble by the target. You must hold a good sight picture and squeeze the trigger until Roscoe fires. Instead of spraying bullets from a semi-auto with a magazine holding 15 or more rounds, I carefully fired my six, checked the target, and fired six more, trying to keep my groups as tight as possible, because I knew that if I really needed that handgun, those six rounds were probably all I would have to settle the problem. If I fired six rounds and couldn’t cover them all with my hand at 25 yards, I knew I had done something wrong. At closer ranges my wad cutters usually just left a ragged hole in the X-ring. In those days I was an active member of the Uvalde Gun Club. The club held several types of handgun matches, and I participated in all of them, National Match bulls eye, combat, and registered International Handgun Metallic Silhouette Association (IHMSA) matches were held monthly. The IHMSA matches were fired at steel silhouettes of chickens, javelinas, turkeys, and rams at ranges of 50, 100, 150 and 200 meters. These matches were all fired with open sights. My gun for the IHMSA matches was a Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44 Magnum with an 8 3/8-inch barrel. At first I shot 240-grain jacketed bullets. Eventually, I found that 250grain cast bullets of the Keith-type were just as accurate and tended to knock over the targets better than the jacketed bullets. I had practiced until I knew just exactly how many clicks of elevation I needed to make for each series of shots. Sadly, I do not now F I S H

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The Many Accomplishments of the Lone Star Bowhunters Association TF&G Staff Report

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DID YOU KNOW TEXAS HAS ITS own bowhunter’s association? The Lone Star Bowhunters Association has been active since the early 1970s. Here are a few things the organization has accomplished for bowhunters in Texas. 1975: The LSBA supported creation of the archery stamp to help increase revenues for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD). 1977: The LSBA was successful in allowing the presence of a shotgun in archery camps. This would allow the archer to also hunt squirrels and game birds when the seasons overlap. 1980: The LSBA was in Austin to change the archery season to run from the first Sunday in October for 30 consecutive days. This gives the bowhunter five weekends to hunt. 1986: The LSBA responded to a TPWD request and provided valued information and assistance to modernize our archery regulations. 1989: The LSBA established a scholarship fund for a college freshman majoring in wildlife conservation or biology. 1990: The LSBA succeeded in having names and addresses removed from the arrows of bowhunters and initiated the

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Bowhunters Feed the Hungry program which provided hot meals for the homeless. 1991: The LSBA was instrumental in defeating House Bill 1609, which would have restricted bowhunting on smaller tracts of land. The LSBA also co-hosted the 1st Annual Charity Shoot with Salt Grass Archery Club, which netted $17,000 for Make-A-Wish Foundation. 2003: The LSBA successfully fought to remove language from HB 1989 that could have possibly abolished the Archery Stamp. Although there was no clear wording threat, the repeal of the stamp could have paved the way to the eventual removal of the special Archery Only Season 2008: The LSBA introduced over 7,500 children to archery through our Youth Archery Range at many of the same events as in 2007. The LSBA honored the two fallen Game Wardens that died during the line of duty at our banquet in 2008. A $250 donation was made to Operation Game Thief. 2009: The LSBA introduced more than 5,000 children into archery and helped to extend the Youth Rifle Season to help these children. We went through many avenues and helped to keep Grayson County an Archery-Only county.

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The LSBA made donations to help out some organizations in need, such as Texas Outdoor Partnership and Texas Police Athletic Federation. 2010: The LSBA donated money again to help the A&M Archery Team with their trip to Nationals. They also donated to Texas Police Athletic Federation, US Sportsmen’s Alliance Bowhunter Rights Coalition Club and Burleson ISD NASP Program. 2011: The LSBA joined forces with Texas Bowfishing Assocation and the Traditional Bowhunters of Texas to forge the Texas Bowhunting & Bowfishing Coalition in an effort to better serve the bowhunters and bowfishers of Texas. We made a donation to The Rose to help raise awareness of breast cancer. Also, we helped with a couple of 3-D shoots around Texas. 2012-2016: The LSBA introduced another 20,000-plus children to archery at multiple events. For more information visit their website at lonestarbowhunter.com.

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TF&G Staff Report

INSET: Bryan Townsend of Austin caught this 3.71-pound, 17-inch Guadalupe bass from the Colorado River below Austin.

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PHOTOS: INSET, TPWD; BACKGROUND, BIGSTOCK

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IN 2017, THE TEXAS PARKS and Wildlife Department (TPWD), the Llano River Watershed Alliance and Bass Pro Shops partnered to help celebrate conservation successes in the South Llano River and to recognize the ecological, recreational and economic importance of Guadalupe bass. As part of that effort, TPWD stocked 35 tagged Guadalupe bass

in the South Llano River at multiple locations including the South Llano River State Park, the South Llano Paddling Trail, and the County Road 150 River Access and Conservation Area. Anglers who catch these tagged fish can redeem the tag for fly fishing gear donated by Bass Pro Shops through December 31.

Antonio, Arlington, Pflugerville, Kerrville and Junction have caught 11 of the 35 tagged fish. Among this group are a youth angler, an outof-towner visiting the South Llano River to escape bad BACKGROUND: The weather, a Guadalupe River of Central Texas, fly fisher-

So far, anglers from five cities around the state including San

man affectionately

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dubbed the “stocker stalker,” and a few lucky locals who have caught multiple tagged fish during the same fishing trip. “I think it’s a really cool program in that way, getting people out to explore this place,” said angler Robin Fuquay of Junction, who caught the third tagged fish in the contest. “We call Junction ‘The Land of Living Waters’—and it’s very alive with Texas fishing. It truly is a hidden gem in the hill country.” For Fuquay and J.D. Davila, who recently moved to Junction from the Austin area, one of the tagged Guadalupe bass created quite a fish tale for the couple. In November 2017, Davila unofficially caught the third tagged Guadalupe bass. That catch was unofficial because he didn’t realize until after he got home and checked the internet that it was tagged for a prize program and not a tracking or movement study from the local university. “I threw it back after we had taken a few pictures, and when I got home I went to look up Guadalupe bass and I found the TPWD [prize giveaway],” Davila said. “I was howling…I was going crazy once I found out.” But Fuquay wasn’t willing to label it the Guad’ that got away. The next weekend Fuquay said she put on her game face, grabbed the same fishing tackle used to catch the fish initially and revisited the fishing hole where Davila released the fish. “I really thought ‘let’s just go back to that same fishing hole and catch that fish,’” Fuquay said. The plan worked. After fishing in the same spot for a little while, Fuquay pulled up a Guadalupe bass that appeared to have the same tag in the same location on the fish. After they got home and compared pictures of the fish they said there was no mistake —this fish had the same scale pattern all the way to the tail. “It was exciting…it felt like it was a ‘welcome wagon’ from the river when we caught it again,” Fuquay said. In February 2018, angler Albert Vasquez of San Antonio caught the fifth tagged Guadalupe bass in the South Llano River after a storm diverted his group to find a fishing spot west of San Antonio. Although he did not set out to catch a tagged Guadalupe bass that day, he said he and his group of fishing buddies, the Lone Star River Riders, joked about the possibility during the twohour car ride from San Antonio. 30

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TPWD has been involved in stocking Guadalupe bass for many years.

“When we were headed up there we were joking with each other about catching one of them,” Vasquez said. “Right below the state park the river kind of split. I went left, my buddies went right, and I ended up catching one. It was cool to think that at that point I caught one of the 15 initially stocked in the river.” An avid kayak angler who fishes more than 20 Texas rivers each year on the River Bassin’ Tournament Trail, Vasquez said he is no stranger to catching plenty of black bass in his travels. But even for this seasoned veteran, catching the state fish of Texas is always a special experience. “I’m kind of a Guadalupe bass nerd,” Vasquez joked. “I feel proud catching them. They fight like a train—the colors and patterns on them are awesome. It’s a beautiful fish to be our state fish.” Although the prize giveaway provides extra incentives for anglers to explore the South Llano River in pursuit of the state fish, the broader goal of the program is to inform the public on the decade-long effort that TPWD has put in to restore the population of Guadalupe bass in this stretch of the river. It wasn’t long ago that the Guadalupe bass population there was threatened by |

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hybridization from smallmouth bass stockings that occurred nearly 60 years ago. In 2010, TPWD partnered with the Llano River Watershed Alliance, the Texas Tech University Llano River Field Station, area landowners, and an extensive list of other local project partners to hatch a plan to restore Guadalupe bass to the South Llano River. Between spring 2011 and spring 2017, more than 700,000 geneticallypure Guadalupe bass were stocked in the river. Today, less than two percent of the Guadalupe bass population now consists of hybrids. Because of this effort, the South Llano River now supports a healthy, thriving population of pure Guadalupe bass. For those who want to try their luck catching one of the tagged fish, Fuquay has one recommendation. “Go out with your game face on, and believe that you are going to catch one,” Fuquay said. “Those fish are still out there waiting to be caught.” For more information about Guadalupe bass restoration and prize giveaway rules, visit www.llanoriver.org/guadalupe-bass.

« PHOTO: CHASE A. FOUNTAIN, TPWD

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Texas FRESHWATER by MATT WILLIAMS :: TF&G Freshwater Editor

Keeping Your Cool in a Dicey Situation and work my way up the west bank towards the bridge.” he said. “There were solid five- to six-footers out there, and it was blowing steady at 25 m.p.h. It was pretty rough, but I’ve been in worse conditions on Rayburn before.” Pike said he was tacking along at slow speed without any issues until his 225-horsepower engine backfired and lost power. This left him

“ ‘If you lose power to the big motor you are at the mercy of the wind.’

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IKI PIKE HAS BEEN DRIVING bass boats longer than he’s been driving pick-up trucks. The 32-year-old angler from Silsbee claims he has bucked some big waves on some of Texas’s largest reservoirs over the years. Getting into a bind had never been an issue until a fateful Saturday morning last April on Sam Rayburn Reservoir in eastern Texas. “It’s the first time I ever felt like I was in trouble,” said Pike. To hear Pike tell it, losing power to the big motor in tall waves in big winds is akin to witnessing the front wheel come off of a dirt bike sailing 20 feet above ground. Somehow you just know the outcome is not going to be good. “It makes no difference how good of a boat driver you are,” Pike said. “If you lose power to the big motor you are at the mercy of the wind.” Pike was competing in a team tournament on April 14 out of Cassels Boykin County Park with Kyle Mackey, also of Silsbee. Mackey is a former NFL quarterback who was Pike’s high school football coach in the early 2000s. Both are big guys. Pike is 6-3, 289 pounds. Mackey stands 6-5 and weighs 300 pounds. A cold front packing stiff northwest winds had been forecast to pass through the region about mid-morning, so Pike played it smart and fished within a few miles of the ramp. The angler said there was barely a ripple on the water at daylight when he launched his Nitro Z8 and headed south of the State Highway 147 bridge towards Mudd Creek, a protected pocket on the lake’s west shore. About 9:45 a.m., the pleasant conditions began to deteriorate. That’s when Pike decided to move closer to the boat ramp. “When we got to Calhoun Point we could see things had gotten really rough, so I decided to run the wave troughs toward Julie Creek

and his partner at the mercy of a relentless wind as their 20-foot boat bobbed around like a dingy amid a sea of whitecaps. Pike said he attempted to restart the motor, but it was a no-go. “It sputtered once and then it just locked up,” he said. “I managed to get onto the trolling motor, but several waves had crashed over the side by the time I got the boat turned. Water was hip deep, and the bilge pump just couldn’t keep up. I knew we were in trouble and told Kyle to call 911.” Pike said the flooded boat was adrift for T E X A S

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several hundred yards before washing ashore at the base of a bluff bank near the tip of Calhoun Point. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game wardens used ropes and life rings to rescue both men about two hours later. Even though the anglers lost their gear and Pike’s boat was declared a total loss, both men feel fortunate to be able to tell about it. “It could have been a whole lot worse,” Pike said. “If we hadn’t caught the tip of Calhoun Point where we drifted ashore, the wind would have blown us onto the main lake, and we would have had some really serious issues. This whole deal just goes to show you it doesn’t matter how good of a boat driver are. It wouldn’t have mattered if it had been Kevin VanDam out there, the result would have been the same. We were perfectly fine until we lost the big motor. At that point we were at the mercy of the wind.” Some good lessons can be learned from the aforementioned tale. The most obvious is that bad things can happen when you mix big wind and big water—often when you least expect it. Mechanical failures can happen to anyone. Some are just more untimely than others. In tournament fishing, it’s just part of the gig. Probably the best way for boaters to avoid trouble is to err on the side of caution and stay on the bank when foul weather is a possibility, particularly if you have an uneasy feeling about it. Otherwise, you should always be prepared for the worst, make sure all your equipment is snug, keep your cool and never panic when things get dicey. It could mean the difference between a rough day and really bad one.

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PHOTO: CANSTOCK

6/11/18 1:52 PM

HE NILGAI ANTELOPE IS ONE OF the most sought after exotic species in Texas. According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, nilgai are native to Pakistan and India and they are truly unique animals. “The male nilgai stands between 48 to 60 inches high at the shoulder and weighs between 480 and 540 pounds,” officals say. “The male (often called a blue bull) averages about one-fifth larger and heavier than the female. The hair on the body is short and wiry. Although in both sexes the neck is ornamented with a mane, only bulls develop a tuft of hair on the throat. “The upper parts of males are generally iron gray, but the lower surface of the tail, stripes inside the ears, rings on the fetlocks, and underparts are white. The head and limbs are tawny, and the throat tuft and the tip of the tail are black. The females are more lightly colored. On both sexes, the forelegs are longer than the hind ones, and the head is long and pointed. The horns are short and carried only by males.” According to the Texas State Historical Association, nilgais were brought to the United States from India as zoo animals before the mid1920s and were released in South Texas about 1930. “The King Ranch pioneered the release of nilgais in Texas. Between about 1930 and 1941, the ranch acquired several nilgais from zoo stock and released them in Kennedy County. With limited hunting and predation, protection, and favorable habitat, the nilgais adapted well. Their primary range now includes the area from Baffin Bay south to near Harlingen,” they reported.

REPORT: NEWS 36 u TF&G OF THE NATION Reported by TF&G Staff

HOT 36 u TEXAS SHOTS Trophy Photos from TF&G Readers

38 u TEXAS COASTAL FORECAST

by Capt. Eddie Hernandez, Capt. Mike Holmes, Mike Price, Capt. Chris Martin, Capt. Mac Gable, Tom Behrens, Capt. Sally Black and Calixto Gonzales

48 u TEXAS FISHING HOTSPOTS

by Tom Behrens, Dustin Warncke and Dean Heffner

58 u SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK Tides and SoLunar Data

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They are hard to keep in fences, but none of the thousands of free ranging nilgai have migrated out of South Texas.

According to the Texas State Historical Association it has to do with the cold. “Approximately 15,000 nilgais are now on Texas rangelands,” they said. “Nilgais will probably not become widespread because they suffer in extreme cold, and even in temperate South Texas they may die during unusually cold winters when food is scarce.”

These nilgais are free-ranging. The species, in fact, is hard to keep in fences—not because they leap over them, but because they can destroy them. I have always wondered why—if nilgais have been present for nearly 100 years in South Texas, and they are free-ranging— they have not migrated farther north. 34

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I have seen nilgais on high-fenced ranches in Central Texas but those animals get supplemental feed, and I have heard of them dying off in temperatures that have little impact on other exotics.

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6/11/18 1:52 PM

The NATIONAL

How Texans Got an 82-Day Snapper Season

News of TEXAS

son in federal waters. “CCA has been a strong proponent of state management of red snapper for years, so this is a very exciting first step toward more predictable and enjoyable seasons for recreational anglers,” said Mark Ray, chairman of CCA Texas. “We appreciate the hard work that TPWD put into this plan. Given the box that federal management has put this fishery in, this EFP is very likely the only way private recreational anglers would even have a season in 2018, and the state managed to produce the longest red snapper season in years.” The only negative development was the removal of the CFH from the EFP, which was not the desire of TPWD nor that of the public. Texas anglers dominated the public comment period on the Federal Register, accounting for 47.1% of nearly 1,700

TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE Department (TPWD) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) have agreed on what is the longest red snapper season in many years. Under the Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) program, recreational anglers fishing from private vessels will have an 82-day season in federal waters and a 365-day season in state waters off the coast of Texas. That began June 1. Charter for-hire (CFH) vessels are not included in the EFP, therefore recreational anglers fishing on a charter trip will have roughly a 50-day sea-

comments received. A total of 98.8% of the individuals from Texas who commented were in favor of keeping the CFH in the EFP. Despite this overwhelming majority, NMFS once again ignored the voice of the recreational angler and forced Texas and Louisiana to remove the CFH from their plans, a move that segregates the recreational fishery. “The initial inclusion of the CFH sector in the EFP confirmed that TPWD does not play favorites within the recreational fishing community and they clearly wanted to provide all anglers equal opportunity to participate in this fishery,” said Robby Byers, executive director of CCA Texas. “We believe that TPWD has the ability to provide greater access to this fishery to both private recreational anglers and the anglers who use charter boats, so we

CATFISH

WHITETAIL

Lake Tawakoni

Goliad County

Jason Barnett of Hawkins caught this 45-pound catﬁsh while ﬁshing on Lake Tawakoni. It was one of several monster cats boated that day.

Abby Stegeman shot this ten point buck while hunting in Goliad County with her dad, Chris Stegemen, during the Youth season. This was her ﬁrst buck and the excitement shows in her face.

Visit FishGame.com to upload your own TEXAS HOT SHOTS and help pick our next Winners 36

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are disappointed that NMFS forced TPWD to remove the CFH from the EFP.” The EFP will allow TPWD the opportunity to demonstrate they have the ability to effectively manage the recreational red snapper fishery by using current data collection methods and incorporating new reporting tools such as i-Snapper. “Concertedly, the fishery-dependent and fishery-independent tools utilized by TPWD have proven to be effective in the management of recreationally and commercially valuable fisheries,” said Shane Bonnot, advocacy director of CCA Texas. “Under this EFP they can utilize these tools to make management decisions to stay within the quota, and they have the flexibility to propose red snapper season dates that are generally more suitable for offshore navigation and/or in conjunction with historical high-use dates. We encourage all anglers to assist TPWD by participating in dock-side creel surveys and utilizing the i-Snapper app to report their snapper landings.” The state management EFPs are a start to figuring out how to bring sanity back to the red snapper fishery. If utilized properly, they should serve as a model for the Gulf Council in the development of the more comprehensive state management amendments that will hopefully give states more authority over all aspects of the fishery off their coasts. “At this point, it is important that the Gulf Council refrains from making any farreaching decisions on red snapper and other reef fish that could fundamentally impact management in the future until the results of these EFPs are analyzed and presented to the public for consideration,” stated Bonnot. “If the states are going to invest the resources to go down this path, then the council should not take any action that will tie their hands in the future. We should allow the state management concept a fair chance to show what it can achieve.” The EFP began June 1, 2018 and continues through December 31, 2019 with no anticipated changes to current state and federal bag and size limits. —Coastal Conservation Assoc.

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Playa Lakes WMA Enhanced

reseeded native plants to restore 16 acres of habitat for waterfowl and upland game. This project was supported by a North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant and revenues from the sales of Texas DU license plates. License plate funding comes from those who show their support for wetland conservation in Texas and Ducks Unlimited by purchasing a specialty DU license plate for their vehicle. Each Texas DU license plate and renewal contributes $22 to Ducks Unlimited to support conservation and management of waterfowl habitat in Texas,

THE PLAYA LAKES WILDLIFE MANagement Area in the Texas Panhandle provides important hunting, recreational and research opportunities for the public. It also serves as a demonstration site for educational outreach programs. The WMA was part of a family farm. It was purchased by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1993 to preserve and provide playa lakes wintering habitat for migratory

Cattail Lake pre-dredging (top) and post dredging (bottom).

waterfowl and shorebirds. The WMA’s Taylor Lakes Unit is located in the rolling plains of Donley County, near Clarendon. Over the years, the unit’s Cattail Lake had filled with sediment, eliminating important habitat for waterfowl and other migratory birds. Ducks Unlimited and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department cleared the lake and T E X A S

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such as the Cattail Lake project at the Taylor Lakes Unit of the Playa Lakes WMA. With three designs to choose from, there is a wetland conservation plate for everyone. Purchase your Texas DU license plate now at www.ducks.org/texas/show-your-texaspride-tag-your-ride. —Andi Cooper

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Coastal Focus: SABINE :: by Capt. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

’M NOT QUITE SURE HOW IT happened so fast, but somehow or another we’ve already made it past the halfway point of 2018. July has snuck up on us, and in case you haven’t started already, it is time to give some serious thought to fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. It’s time to take advantage of the calm winds and green tides that this month offers. The surf will be a popular and proven destination for many along the coast. Whether you get there by car or boat, wade or drift, the payoff can be huge. Hungry trout and reds are looking for an easy meal while cruising the guts, They are more than willing to take soft plastics, mullet imitations, silver spoons or live bait.

We spend a lot of time drifting the first and second guts this month catching hefty stringers of trout as well as some nice reds. When the winds are favorable and the green water has made its way to the surf, it’s almost hard not to score big. If you’ve got finger mullet and surface activity you can really up the ante. One of the coolest things about fishing the surf in July is that if you live close enough and the conditions are right you can drive down at daylight, catch a quick limit and be home in plenty of time for your other obligations. Another good option would be to hit the short rigs. The trout bite at the rigs is hitting its stride this month with nice hauls being taken on artificials as well as live bait. Soft plastics such as Bass Assassins and Norton

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The surf will be a proven destination.

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Take Advantage of July Conditions

Bull Minnow will get the job done as well as rattletraps, spoons, MR51 MirrOLures and topwaters. You do have to be careful throwing your expensive lures though because the Spanish mackerel and all their line cutting teeth can get pretty thick in the warm green water. For those who prefer to fish with live bait, if you can get your hands on live shrimp or croaker, use it!

Both are deadly when it comes to big numbers and big trout on the surf and at the rigs. Finger mullet and shad will also work well and are an easy cheap alternative for those who can’t find or afford the others. Most of the fish are caught near structure by casting to or between the legs. It’s also a good idea to check your sonar for pods of baitfish or any other unforeseen structure. If the bite slows, try casting away from the rig and fish all sides before moving on. A lot of times, for whatever reason, the fish will stack up several yards from the rig and you will be back in action.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Surf, Johnson Bayou, Louisiana SPECIES: Jacks, Trout, Reds BAITS/LURES: Live Shrimp, Topwaters, Soft Plastics BEST TIMES: All day when the green water is in

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6/11/18 1:52 PM

Coastal Focus: GALVESTON :: by Capt. MIKE HOLMES

‘Hot’ Fishing Centers Around July holes in bays and near outlets to the Gulf, such as jettied passes. With the exception of big gars, most of these species will travel back and forth through river mouths and passes between the bays and Gulf. Tidal water fish such as speckled trout and redfish of smaller sizes will be the real stars of inshore fishing for the summer. These fish will be hooked in tidal streams well into what might be considered “fresh water”, and also in the surf and beyond.

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Tidal water ﬁsh will be the real stars.

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N THE SOUTHERN COAST of Texas—which for my purposes includes Galveston and Freeport where land ends and the Gulf of Mexico begins—July is usually the “middle” of the summer season. Some years, our famous hot weather has been well established earlier, in June, and the most intense heat comes with August and sometimes continues through September. However, July sees summer heat established and needing to be reckoned with. Luckily for fishermen, our best saltwater fishing will be here to balance out the hot weather. Both inshore and offshore fishing will be seeing their peak times. More Texans and visiting fishermen will be enjoying salt water than at any other time of the year because school attendance is reduced. Although serious blue water angling can be time and cost intensive, there are easier and more reasonably prices alternatives for warm water action. Coastal streams, from our various rivers to smaller bayous, will have water that is much more saline in midsummer. This lures gamefish and the forage species they feed on farther upstream. Pan fish and small gamefish from flounder and croaker to speckled trout and red drum will inhabit these inshore habitats in large numbers. Larger game like tarpon and sharks of very respectable sizes can be found either in these coastal streams or the bays they empty into. Less glamorous to most, but very much appreciated by a select few anglers, species like stingrays and alligator gar can be found in these “inshore haunts.” These species provide serious stout tackle action at budget prices. Gar will be best sought in coastal bayous and tidal rivers. Rays will be found in deep

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Structure in the form of pilings, piers, jetties, or deep channels bordered by bay reef systems. The surf itself is a great structure, providing fish with cover and bait species. SPECIES: Inshore waters will hold trout, reds, flounder, croakers, sheepsheads, and drum. The surf adds bull reds, tarpon and jack crevalles, and further offshore sees king mackerels, bonitos, red snappers and ling. BAIT: Natural baits common to the fishing area, either purchased or caught on site are best, with live offerings having premium returns. Good plastic and metal lures of many types also yield results. BEST TIME: Early or late, with the late period running all night, can all pay off. Generally, the heat of midday should be avoided.

Light tackle anglers after fast action and good eating need only some bait, good terminal tackle, or possibly a selection of proven artificial lures such as spoons, spinner baits, and fish-imitating plugs. Work them under bait schools marked by bird action or surface commotion. More specialized action can be found around pier pilings or jetties in the form of smaller black drum and sheepshead. These prefer bait to lures, but it doesn’t always have to be live bait. Moving outside the passes, the surf line offers tremendous sport fishing opportunities for trout, reds, tarpon, sharks, and sometimes offshore gamefish such as king mackerel. Using live or dead bait and tackle heavy enough for longer casts past the shoreline sandbars can be slow fishing. However, it T E X A S

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often pays off in a big way. Surf sinkers are used by the pros to hold baits in the surf. Leaders of heavy mono or single strand wire built with a three-way swivel as their center point are often fitted with circle hooks for their ability to hook fish without any special effort from the angler. Tidal movement gets fish feeding in the currents, and it is even better at night—falling or rising. Some real trophies are taken by surf anglers each year. The average surf catch will be larger and stronger than fish most often encountered in the bays. For anglers with a boat—and a well developed sense of water-borne caution—either running through a natural pass or launching in a gentle surf can yield access to “hot” fishing action. All the larger species treasured by surf casters can often be taken in even greater numbers a bit farther out. Some nearshore structure will shelter red snappers of legal size, along with good numbers of sand trout. Trolling close to shore might yield catches of Spanish mackerel and jack crevalle—even bonito at times.

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Email Mike Holmes at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com |

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6/11/18 1:52 PM

Coastal Focus: MATAGORDA :: by Contributing Editor MIKE PRICE

Matagorda Offshore, In the Bay, and In the Surf

FFSHORE Hallelujah! We finally have a real red snapper season in federal waters, more than nine nautical miles offshore. Back in 2005, I fished for red snappers at the V.A. Fogg wreck and caught 20, but every fish was less than the legal size of 16 inches. Today however, the situation is much different thanks to the management of National Marine Fisheries Service. Red snappers are bigger and more abundant than ever off the Texas coast, but Texas offshore fishermen have not had enough opportunity to fish for them. Red snapper season for the last several years has only been three to nine days. A new arrangement has been worked out so that Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will manage red snapper in federal waters off the Texas coast. The season is projected to be 82 days. It started June 1, but may be shorter if the total recreational catch is reached before then. The red snapper limit in federal waters is two fish and they must be at least 16 inches. Many species of fish actively chase prey in the Gulf of Mexico in July, and the fun starts when your boat is in the midst of this turmoil. Some of my favorite predators are king mackerel, ling, and tripletail. The way to fish for king mackerel is to float a line off the stern using a wire leader, rigged with two hooks and ribbonfish for bait. Ling are curious and often approach the boat when it arrives, so have a fluorocarbon leader with a sardine on your hook and a two-ounce sinker (or no sinker) ready. Drop the bait close to the ling and stand by. Tripletail will be found under weed lines. They are cautious fish, so use a fluorocarbon leader and live bait if possible. Tripletail will take shrimp, 40

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sardines, and sometimes a soft plastic lure.

The Surf The best days to fish the surf are when the water is calm and clear, but these conditions are rare. Last July I thought the surf would be right because there was a six-mph wind from the north which typically makes for small waves on the first sand bar. But the previous few days the wind had come from the

southeast at 15 mph. Consequently, there was so much energy in the water that choppy, unfriendly waves were breaking on both the first and second sand bars. I knew the tide was incoming, a strong plus factor, so I waded out there. I caught gafftop and trout. Two of the larger trout (20 and 22 inches) pulled the drag and fought well. I thought it was great fun even though I got bashed around by the waves. Remember to wear your life jacket when fishing in the surf. A week later, I went back to the same spot with Jeff Wiley. This time the water was calm and clear. We caught whiting, shark, gafftop, menhaden, pinfish, and ladyfish, but no trout. There were so many fish in the surf that

The author, ďŹ shing in the surf on a day with choppy waves.

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PHOTO: MIKE PRICE

6/11/18 1:52 PM

Coastal Focus: MATAGORDA we snagged several, and mullet were there by the millions. I surmised that we did not catch trout because the tide was at a lull whereas the previous week it had been incoming.

Shallow Water Fishing in the Bay I quietly paddled my kayak into a bayou connecting two coves in West Matagorda Bay. The depth was 12 to 15 inches over oyster shell. My Chicken-on-a-Chain Bass Assassin sailed 20 yards to a narrow (five feet) spot with cordgrass on both sides. When the lure hit the water I saw a yellow mouth the size of my fist take it and go back underwater, and then the line went slack. I thought the trout got off. Then it swam past my kayak and out into the cove, and the line tightened. My spirits rose, but after a short struggle, the big trout got off. When fishing shallow water with a soft plastic lure, use a 1/16 ounce jig head if you

are using a spinning rod and a 1/8 ounce jig head if you’re fishing with a bait casting outfit. Keep your rod tip high. As soon as the lure hits the water, start moving it or it will sink and get stuck. Fish in shallow, clear water are wary, so cast long distances and be as quiet as possible. The best time of day to find them in shallow water is early morning.

THE BANK BITE RESEARCH STATION SHORELINE: This spot is great for kayak and wade fishing. To get to the water you have to walk (or carry your kayak) over some rocks, but once you reach the water, the terrain is hard sand so it is easy to launch your kayak or to wade-fish. It is located on the north side of West Matagorda Bay. It is subject to off-colored water on south winds, so it’s best to fish this spot on a light north wind. To get there turn south off Highway 35 onto FM 3280 west of Palacios and follow it until you come to the bay.

The Beach If conditions are calm and clear, the surf is where you want to be in July. Famed Bay City fisherman, Eddie Douglas (inventor of the ED Special lure) said, “You want to be out in the surf right around the Fourth of July. Those trout move from east to west along the coast, so when you hear that they are hitting on the beach in Freeport, head for the beach in Matagorda, we’re next.” If the water is rough, you will not be able to venture out into the surf without getting tumbled. If you stand on the beach, you can

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toss a popping cork with a shrimp into the gut or cast your weighted shrimp onto the sandbar. Then slowly drag it into the gut. The hit usually comes when the bait drops.

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Email Mike Price at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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6/11/18 1:52 PM

Coastal Focus: MID COAST :: by Capt. CHRIS MARTIN

Fishing the Signs, Not the Spot

T’S HALF-PAST SIX IN THE MORNing, and you’re already behind schedule. You’re just idling-up to your first choice of a wading spot for the day, but you should’ve already been in the water for some time now. You’re kind of glad you arrived as late as you did, however. It has given you a chance to actually see the area before spending a whole lot of time there if it looks like you might not need to do so. You’ve been catching moderate numbers of trout in this very spot for going on a week

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now, but this morning things seem different. The first noticeable difference is that it was already light when you arrived this morning. On previous days it had always been dark when you entered the water. You had basically been running on intuition from prior days. Another difference today is the clarity of the water. A thunderstorm rolled through last night, and now you can’t make out the bottom of the sand flat you’re idling across until the depth on your GPS indicates less than 1.5 feet. Up until this morning this place had held some pretty green water, but it has been stained by last night’s bad weather. To add even more change to the pattern of the past week, today there is absolutely no wind blowing across the water. It was glass-smooth on your ride across the bay this morning. Additionally, before leaving home this morning, you heard someone on TV say there would only be one tide today. That means there would be less water movement today over that of the past week. Yet, the one thing that probably stuck out the most in your mind as being a major difference is the fact that you didn’t see or hear any bait activity upon your approach this morning—no jumping mullet, no pods scurrying quickly as birds flew over, no sounds of the common “slurp” that trout make as they snatch prey from the surface. Today, this place seemed completely void of any productive signs of fish activity, whatsoever. You don’t even get out of the boat. Instead, you turn around and head for another favorite area of yours in order to investigate its signs. It’s an area that should’ve been protected from last night’s storm and that historically has produced for you under similar circumstances. You travel about 20 minutes back across the bay to your new destination when you notice a slight wind blowing across the water’s surface. |

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You’re glad to see this because some wind is often a good thing from a fishing perspective. As you approach your landing-place, you can already tell that the water is in good shape. This location happens to be enclosed on both the north and the south sides by small barriertype pieces of land, thereby protecting it from any water or wind turbulence from last night’s storm. You pull the boat to within a hundred yards of where you want to start wading, then you drop the power pole. You exit the boat into waist-deep, green water over a soft-shell bottom. The two friends with you are throwing soft-plastics, but you are tossing a small top water lure. You’re still several yards from where you want the three of you to be, but the soft-plastics crew has already scored two nice trout. You’ve seen a couple of small bursts of interest around your top water, but no takers yet. As you wade to within casting distance of your target area, you tell the other two to line up shoulder-to-shoulder in a straight line. As they get into place, you suggest they work their baits over the dark water out in front of you. The water isn’t stained or off-colored, but is simply where the mud and shell on the bottom makes an immediate transition to that of soft sand and lots of grass. You see rafts of surface mullet floating atop the huge grass flat, and you’re watching disruptions among the pods. The mullet obviously are fleeing for their lives as they’re chased from below. It’s just a matter of minutes, and a few minor readjustments, when you all begin catching some of the most beautiful and broad-shouldered red fish that you have seen all summer long. Y’all catch reds until your arms and legs hurt. As it turns out, you each keep one fish for a home cooked meal tonight, but release all the rest for another day. It has truly become a memorable day for all of you, but only because you chose early on to fish the signs, and not the spot.

Contact Capt. Chris Martin at bayﬂatslodge@gmail.com

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6/11/18 1:52 PM

Coastal Focus: ROCKPORT :: by Capt. MAC GABLE

Non-Zero Sum

HESE COMMENTS AND MANY more are just a sampling of real life conversations I have been a part of the past several months. “The phone is just not ringing like it has this time of year in the past. I don’t see the weekenders like we normally do.” “The place looks empty without our bait stands operating. Is the economy bad all over America or just here on the middle Texas coast?” “There’s just nowhere for folks to stay if you visit Rockport now.” “The bays are not the same as in the past, things have moved, the fish have moved, and it’s harder to find the bite (feeding fish). The help is mostly gone, FEMA did not deliver and there is still so much to do.” “Will Rockport ever be the same?” “When I looked at the bay growing up, I saw it as a friend, but now, like an unpredictable companion, I know it can be a soul mate one day and my worst enemy the next. I don’t feel at peace here anymore.” “Will our area ever be the same?” If you study hard-hit disaster areas all over our country, these feelings and views are quite normal. For certain, any place that has been devastated needs a shot in the arm, a boost, a leg up if you will. It seems these days everyone has a suggestion that will help Rockport turn the corner. Just recently at a local guide meeting I attended, it was stated that if we raise the fish limits (an angler’s legal number of keeper fish) it will bring more anglers back to our coastlines. “Let’s raise trout limits from five back to 10 or 15.” was one suggestion. “Lower the slot length on reds and up the limit from three to five.” was another suggestion.

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is the answer, but it may be the hardest to get to. The point being that problems here are multifaceted and require diverse and openminded solutions. For us to once again lean on our natural resources, as a cure-all to our problems is to commit the same mistakes that has 30 percent of the world’s fisheries on the edge of unrecoverable collapse. Take the Atlantic cod for example. For years, it was believed this fish was immune to over fishing, then man became more and more efficient and more aggressive with his long nets and fishing apparatus. The wakeup call came in the early ’90s, which saw what was once as an unlimited supply of cod, now at less than one percent of its early years’ biomass. This crash saw the collapse of many northern communities, especially along Canada’s eastern coast. The tragedy here was the marine biologists and even seasoned fishermen warned that the data supported a collapse of the fishing industry at its current pace. These and other warnings were ignored in favor of

“Louisiana has a lot fewer restrictions, and their fish stock hasn’t suffered,” said one in defense of the above recommendations. These comments are not just wishful thinking, the Texas Parks and Wildlife is holding open meetings on these and other resource-related topics as I write this article. It has been suggested to raise limits in just those areas, which are at present economically challenged, such as Rockport. The thought is that it will bring more business or bring back business to our struggling area. Other thoughts include allowing angling clients to keep the guide’s limit in addition to her/his own (the client’s) limit. This of course doesn’t help the recreational angler (non-guide) one bit. Rather it would help local fishing guides stay afloat. The scary part about these recovery strategies is they lack real science. Instead, they are a quick fix to a very complicated issue. If you are drowning, it is natural to latch onto anything to save your life, be it a life ring, a 200-pound bull shark, a 300-pound alligator or a chunk of concrete. The life ring

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Forecast: ROCKPORT 98 percent of our planet’s population, some in our area may need to embrace a career change. It’s not easy, but it’s the right thing to do. Let us learn from history and our mistakes lest we become history ourselves. The bait stand situation is better. Two more have opened, with more on the way. They are still battling available boats to catch bait as many were destroyed, but thankfully that too is improving. Hotel re-openings are still slow, so again check ahead for accommodations.

unqualified opinions and less than scientific reasoning that focused on short-term fixes and goals. The result was the end of a 500-year-old industry and means of making a living for families on the eastern seaboard. The blue fin tuna, as well the yellow fin tuna, is on the brink today. Looking to our natural fisheries resource to bail us out is not the answer, especially long term. The answer lies in creating an economy that is not just dependent on fishing. Our area has more to offer than that. Prior to the Harvey, if a person was truly looking they could see it. Birding, for example, was rivaling recreational fishing. It was and still can be one of Rockport’s top visitor draws. It is also year-round. People line up to see whooping cranes, humming birds, gulls, white pelicans, and brown pelicans. The indigenous animal viewing alone is incredible: white tailed deer, bobcats, lynxes, ringtail cats, and the list goes on. I would like to see a robust aquarium here that clearly shows the multiple water species here and a timeline that shows how long it takes for each species to reach not just maturity, but legal keeper size. Believe it or not, the majority of people who live here don’t fish, they simply enjoy being close to our bays. A daily drive to see the water, smell the Gulf air, and dip one’s toes and ankles is all that’s needed to turn a bad day into a good day. My sister, while dealing with cancer, came for her last visit to our area. As she sat looking out over St. Charles Bay said, “It breaks my heart that I may never get to feel this again.” The operative word here is FEEL! You can truly feel the energy and beauty here. These things are free, and they have almost no negative impact on our natural resources. These are by pure definition a “non-zero sum,” which is just a new age term for win/win where everyone gains. In this man’s limited view, it is precisely what this area needs for long-term success. Short sighted answers seldom, if ever work when they apply to our natural resources. If we raise fish limits, it needs to be based on the best science available and not on economic or political pressure. This I know is tough love but similar to |

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Believe it or not, the majority of people who live here don’t ﬁsh, they simply enjoy being close to our bays.

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Most anglers are using live bait this time of year. However, this can also be a good time to switch to cut bait. Menhaden and mullet are easy to find and with a little patience produce good results.

• • • COPANO BAY: Still some hazards in the water, so proceed with caution. The area close to Swan Lake is producing some keeper reds using finger mullet free-lined or cut menhaden free-lined. Some keeper black drums are at the mouth of Mission Bay; use fresh dead shrimp on a very light Carolina rig.

ST. CHARLES BAY: Little Devil’s Bayou is a good place for reds using cut mullet on a medium Carolina rig. Wades on the shoreline just off Big Sharp Point are good |

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for trout and reds using live shrimp under a rattle cork. Some keeper reds may be found at the mouth of McHugh Bayou. Cut menhaden works well here free-lined or on a light Carolina rig. ARANSAS BAY: Grass Island Reef is a good place for trout using free-lined croaker. Some black drum may be found on Scotch Tom Reef, with fresh dead shrimp on a light Carolina rig being the best approach. CARLOS BAY: Wades with finger mullet on the shoreline near Cedar Point are good for reds and trout. Free-lined is best here. Cedar Reef is a good spot for sheepshead and black drum using free-lined peeled shrimp. MESQUITE BAY: The shoreline just off Roddy Island is a good spot for reds using finger mullet and croaker on a light Carolina rig. During high tide Third Chain Islands is a good spot for some flounder and reds using free-lined live shrimp. A subtle bite will be a flounder. The reds will almost knock the rod out of your hand. AYERS BAY: The Second Chain Island side is a good spot for large black drums using jumbo shrimp on a very light Carolina rig. Cracked crab works as well. Live shrimp in this area will produce some keeper trout. The northwest shoreline has been holding some black drums and sheepshead. Peeled shrimp under a silent cork work well here.

THE BANK BITE HAIL POINT in St. Charles Bay is a good wade for trout and reds. The area can be waded to from Goose Island boat ramp. It’s a long wade so bring water. In this area the reefs run almost 90 degrees off the shoreline. Live shrimp as well as croaker work well here free-lined.

« Contact Capt. Mac Gable at Mac Attack Guide Service, 512-809-2681, 361-790-9601 captmac@macattackguideservice.com

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6/11/18 1:53 PM

Coastal Focus: ARANSAS/CORPUS :: by Contributing Editor TOM BEHRENS

HE POPPING CORK/SHRIMP combo is undoubtedly the most used technique along the coast to catch speckled trout. Why? Because it features one of the specks’ favorite foods, and it’s easy to use for the novice angler as well as the seasoned pros. When the cork disappears, as one guide says, “Fish On!” As with any popular method of filling limits, there are lots of different types of popping corks and how to rig them. Guide Tommy Countz uses a Mid-Coast cork, a conventional dome type cork. You pop it and get that distinct plop sound. “I’ll put a three foot, 20- to 25-pound fluorocarbon or monofilament leader with a single hook under the cork. I like the single hook because it doesn’t kill so many little fish. Sometimes I’ll pinch a piece of buckshot about six inches above the hook just to keep the hook down in the water.” Jack McPartland uses a Cajun Thunder football shaped cork—not your conventional popping cork, but worked like a popping cork. Metal beads are on the bottom and plastic beads on the top. “I think the metal beads on the bottom are there to provide weight to keep the cork floating in the upright position. “You pop it just the same,” continued McPartland. “It has a wire extending from both ends, one to tie the reel line to and the other the leader line.” The Cajun comes in a variety of colors, as most of the different types of corks do. McPartland doesn’t have a favorite color, but if he has several different anglers fishing with him, each one has a different color cork on

“ As with any popular method of ﬁlling limits, there are lots of different types of popping corks and how to rig them.

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Tried, True Popping Cork

Hooks… “With a treble hook you won’t miss as many fish,” said McPartland. “I put a 1/16 ounce jig head with a Gulp or Down South soft plastic on the hook when live shrimp are scarce. Rig the soft plastic like you do a live shrimp. Pop the heck out of them, jig them around, and they catch fish.” Capt. Daniel Land, who in April will be spending much of his time in Baffin Bay, prefers a Woody Cork. He describes the cork as having a wood grain appearance on the bottom and the top painted orange. The corks are already rigged and have a good-sized cup

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in the top. “The popping noise created from the cup in the top of the cork creates a noise like a trout exploding on the shrimp when the fish are feeding. It also has beads attached to the top and bottom of the cork that give it a good clicking sound, mimicking the clicking noise of jumping, popping shrimp.” Land likes a 1/16-ounce jig head with the shrimp. “The jig head gets the bait down a little quicker when you are popping it, rather than the shrimp fluttering around the surface and not being in the strike zone.” “Treble or straight hook will work, but it’s a lot easier to use a jig head. When you have to re-rig a line you don’t have to put on split shot and then tie on the treble hook. Tie the jig head on and it’s ready to go.” For Baffin he likes a foot-and-a-half leader. Line choice is important for Land. He spools his reels with Hook Spit Platinum Braid. He claims his fish numbers have gone up since switching line. “The braid blends into the water a lot better than the other colors such as pink and green. “On cloudy days, if the water is just a little off color, it blends really well. For those guys who don’t like to use a leader, you can tie the hook straight to the braid.” He uses 30-pound test if there is light wind. “You can cast a little farther. If the winds are blowing pretty well, I’ll move it up to 40-pound test. With the 40-pound test you can feel the bite a little bit better.” The types of popping corks described here only scrape the top of the list of what’s available to the coastal angler. By varying the retrieve, frequency of popping, and the depth of bait, the popping cork is one of the best rigs for catching trout that can be found.

the end of their line with a different length of leader under the cork. “The angler catching the most, I know from the color of his cork what length of leader he or she is using, and that’s the depth the fish are at.” Popping the cork… “If it’s real calm I don’t pop the living heck out of it. I want to make some noise, but not to the point where it scares fish off.” Leader length… “Depends on getting the bait just above the bottom, not on the bottom, just above the grass line.”

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« Email Tom Behrens at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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6/11/18 1:53 PM

Coastal Focus: BAFFIN BAY :: by Capt. SALLY BLACK

In the Clear

quail calling along the shorelines. It’s easy to get sidetracked by the birds and wild life that will appear here. Keep your camera handy. Fly fisherman or fly fishing wannabees, this is the time of year that makes it tough to fish anywhere other than ankle deep. Leave that casting rod home and “live or die on the fly.” Doing this will help you focus on the act of seeing the fish and making the cast. No one cares (especially not the fish), how the cast looks, it’s all about getting the fly to the fish. Good news, these fish aren’t very spooky, so getting to make four or five attempts to get the fly near the “dinner-plate zone” of one fish is not unheard of. Be persistent and don’t worry about the “catch,” focus on the presentation. Once a fly fisherman starts to catch, thoughts of the cast go away, and the ratio of cast to catch goes way up. Toss a clouser or crab in a white variation so both fisherman and fish can see the fly. Use a 12-pound tapered leader looped onto a good fly line for everyone such as the Orvis Saltwater “All-Rounder.” This fly line will help everyone cast a little farther, a little easier. Use a lightweight rod like the Orvis Helios 3D, in an 8 or 9 weight, or its less expensive cousin, the Orvis Recon. All of these “tools” will add up to a successful day of fly-fishing. A must-have, of course, is a good pair of polarized sunglasses in brown, amber or copper. There are many great brands out there, so pick the best one you can afford. These glasses are essential for fly-fishing or sight casting on the Texas Coast. If the afternoon gets windy, and it usually does, hop on the boat for a few long drifts. Break out the four-inch Saltwater Assassin Sea Shad, hooked to a Black’s Magic 1/32-ounce jig head. Use light colored plastics like Mighty White or Sugar and Spice in clear water to catch big reds laid up in the potholes or off the edges of the grass line. The redfish in Baffin Bay are a lot tougher than in other bay systems, as they don’t move around much and stack on the pounds. Those big schools of gigantic reds that live in Baffin are also known as “The Ghosts of Baffin Bay.”

LORIOUS CLEAR WATER has enveloped Baffin Bay and all of its finger bays, such as the Cayo del Grullo and Alazan Bay. This gives all anglers a unique look into why this place is so special. On certain days, fishing gives way to “rock marking,” a pastime that serious anglers pursue when the conditions are right. Clear water will begin to tell some of the “secrets” of the Bay for those who wish to discover them. Marking on a GPS, the “rocks,” sand bars and drains that are visible, can create patterns and piles that hold fish all year. Having these structures marked, and the opportunity to study them, can graduate an angler from Baffin beginner to Baffin pro when the conditions are not perfect. Invest some time on Baffin Bay to round out that GPS with some important information given courtesy of Mother Nature and the cycle of clear water that the bay is now in. After a breakout spring, with many doubledigit trophy trout caught and released on Baffin Bay, even the summer can bring gigantic trout. They may not be as heavy as they were pre-spawn (which happened when the water temperature rose to 75 to 80 degrees and stayed there, this year about mid-May), but they are still big. They hang out shallow, especially in the early mornings, and a big topwater lure can bring one out with a vengeance. Target long shorelines with bait and water movement (in Baffin usually created by a little wind). Find where the grass grows out in long fingers to the deeper water, or the sand pockets up near the bank. This year, there are so many good choices for good fishing spots, that anglers can spread out and enjoy the serenity of wade fishing, with the ever-present King or Kenedy Ranch 46

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They appear out of nowhere and all of a sudden the fight is on. Landing a redfish in the 50-inch class is time consuming and tiring. Keep a tight line and “reel when you can, and don’t when you can’t.” It’s all about the picture, so get that big fish in and take some good shots and most importantly that release shot. These fish don’t leave Baffin so they are the ones that are breeding to make more of one of the most sought-after predators on the bay. Spending a lot of time on Baffin Bay is an adventure like none other. The sheer amount of open space, the serenity, peace and wonderment cannot be compared. To be so blessed to be there cannot be understated and catching fish is really just icing on the cake. Whether you are seeking that one big trout of your fishing career, catching a stringer full of reds and trout, or want to learn to fly fish, Baffin Bay Rod and Gun is the best place to be. Not to mention the fact that we have a great Five Star Chef and a beautiful, tropical swimming pool at our first-class lodge. Capt. Black and I sure look forward to hosting your corporate group, a family fishing trip or a group of buds wanting to hang out together. From top to bottom, we are pleased to provide a “Five Star Adventure for Everyone” here at BBR&G, and you will feel the difference when you walk into our lodge. We are dog friendly, family friendly and want to include anyone—woman or man— who wants to learn about fishing. There’s not a better place than Baffin Bay Rod and Gun. We can sleep 20 guests, and we hope you are planning a trip to see us this summer. See you soon!

Contact Capt. Sally Black at 361-205-0624 Email: Sally@CaptainSally.com Web: www.BaffinBayRodandGun.com Facebook: Baffin Bay Rod and Gun Twitter: @CaptainSally Instagram: baffin_bay_rod_and_gun

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6/11/18 1:53 PM

Coastal Focus: LOWER COAST :: by Saltwater Editor CALIXTO GONZALES

Rock On

OMETIMES, YOU JUST don’t want to go through the expenditure and trouble of getting your boat on the water. Rising gas prices, monstrous traffic, and the trouble finding parking on a crowded boat ramp parking lot just seem too big a hassle to drag your tired bones out of bed to endure. Still, the water beckons. It’s times like this you should consider hitting the jetties that are fish magnets. Some of the most underrated summer fishing in South Texas takes place along both sides of the Brazos Santiago jetties. They bookend the pass by the same name, which feeds in and out of Lower Laguna Madre. These jetties are accessible from land (the north jetties from South Padre Island, and the south jetties from Brownsville via SH 4, and turn left onto Brazos Island (known locally as Boca Chica Beach). However, access can be iffy now that Space X is building a launch pad in the area. This jetty system offers excellent fishing for everything from the most popular species (speckled trout, redfish, flounder, tarpon and snook), mangrove snapper, Spanish mackerel, and even kingfish for the properly equipped. Certainly, the most sought-after species of the dedicated rock-hopper are speckled trout and redfish. Both can be caught from the jetties on the same trip; but, different techniques are called for. Speckled trout usually will be holding closer to the rocks and patrolling up and down the gut that runs parallel to the jetties. This is especially true on the north jetties, where prevailing currents create gentler eddies and currents. On an outgoing tide, these currents push water and bait against the surf side of the rocks. Redfish will be prowling the surf away from the jetties and in the guts that intersect them.

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However, if you hook into a big red or snook, you are going to be in trouble, and you may as well just give up if you hook into a tarpon or a jackfish. Upping slightly to 14- to 17-pound tackle is a safer bet to handle just about anything that swims the suds around the pink granite. It also gives you a little more power in reserve if Mr. Big comes calling. If you are going to walk all the way to the end of the jetties to take a shot at a kingfish or something else really big, you may want to upgrade to a surf rod and high-capacity reel. You could hook into a smoker, and if you don’t have at least 300 yards of 20-pound line, you may be waving bye-bye in less than a minute. For moon launching off the end of the jetties, I prefer a Shimano Terez eight-foot spinning rod with an 8000 Sustain spinning reel loaded with 40-pound braid. I’ve handled 40+ inch kingfish and some big redfish with this rig. It offers enough flex that I can send a one-ounce Rat-L-Trap waaaaaayyyyy out there where the lunkers lurk. Kayakers can have a blast fishing off the point of the jetties. Joe Montemayor of Joe’s Bait and Tackle in Pharr, Texas describes the “Dawn Patrol.” They will slowly pull a large Trap or a Live Target Rattling Pinfish behind their ‘yaks while working along the edge of the jetty point. Some have replaced the plug with a large live mullet nose-pinned to a 7/0 hook. That sounds like an interesting plan. Then again, you might be doing that anyway for one of the true monsters that sometimes show up around the jetties. Kingfish, sharks, tarpon, giant bull redfish, and other surfing hoods know no mercy. Then you might not be rocking, but crying the blues.

The key to fishing the jetties is catching the “cupcake” conditions that prevail starting in late June and hold on into September. An incoming tide and soft southeast breezes send clean water in from the Gulf. This lays swells down make early mornings magical off the rocks. A fisherman can do well throwing live bait under a noisy float such as an Alameda float or Cajun Thunder near the rocks for trout and mangrove snapper, which almost become a nuisance with their abundance. On a Carolina rig out in the surf for redfish; the bait bucket, however, isn’t necessary, and might even be a nuisance for the fast-moving rock hopper. Bring a box filled with topwaters such as Yo Ziru’s poppers or PRADCO’s Heddon Pop’R, a few 1/4 ounce jigheads, and a ½ ounce silver spoon or two. Add a collection of your favorite plastic tails in red/white, or chartreuse patterns. By the way, weighted worm hooks such as the Eagle Claw Trokar are helpful to mitigate snagging on the rocks. Start an early morning expedition on the jetties by casting back towards the corner where the rocks meet the beach and work the lure back along the bottom. Trout should be there, but there may also be a few big flounder waiting in ambush. From those casts, expand out into the guts and cast parallel to the beach to see whether there are redfish. It doesn’t hurt to take a few wire leaders in your tackle box. This time of year, schools of Spanish mackerel tear into bait balls in front of the jetties. They aren’t discriminating, and can clean you out of tackle in a hurry. On the South jetties, the surf is a bit rougher, and the rocks are not laid as smoothly. However, the presence of snook in the suds more than makes up for the tougher work. These fish will also attack the same trout and redfish lures with abandon, only they offer some gill-rattling jumps for your thrills. The question always comes up about the sort of tackle needed for the jetties. Honestly, your traditional inshore 10- to 12-pound tackle is enough. F I S H

G A M E ®

Email Cal Gonzales at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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FISHING HOTSPOTS Saltwater: n Upper Coast n Mid Coast n Lower Coast Freshwater: n Piney Woods

Big Game Fishing on Sabine Lake

Freshwater: n Prairies & Lakes n Panhandle n Big Bend n Hill Country n South Texas

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.

by Tom Behrens

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Stewt’s Island GPS: N 29 58.159, W 93 50.782 (29.9693, -93.8464)

LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Campbell’s Bayou GPS: N 29 21.063, W 94 53.276 (29.3511, -94.8879)

GPS: N 28 40.921, W 95 53.137 (28.6820, -95.8856)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Popping Cork with live shrimp or Gulp CONTACT: Capt. Kendal Kersh 979-248-1871 TIPS: “Use a 2-to-3-foot leader under the popping cork. Some of the ﬁsh may be on the bottom, but when they get to actively feeding they will come up a foot or two off the bottom to eat.” Capt. Kersh

SPECIES: Shark, Tarpon BEST BAITS: Shad CONTACT: Capt. Mike Williams 713-256-9260 www.galvestonsharkﬁshing TIPS: “When you think of sharks, people think about 500 lbs. or bigger. We target smaller sharks, 40-150 lbs., something a young teen could catch.” Capt. Williams

SPECIES: Shark, Tarpon BEST BAITS: Shad CONTACT: Capt. Mike Williams 713-256-9260 www.galvestonsharkfishing TIPS: “Besides shark, we also catch tarpon, ling and kingfish. All the shark trips we make, the water we fish, you can see land. A lot of people don’t like to go offshore if they can’t see land.” Capt. Williams LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Beach Front GPS: N 29 5.719, W 95 5.883 (29.0953, -95.0981)

LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Long Reef GPS: N 28 40.388, W 95 53.09 (28.6731, -95.8848)

LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Drull’s Lump GPS: N 28 42.354, W 95 49.765 (28.7059, -95.8294)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Popping Cork with live shrimp or Gulp CONTACT: Capt. Kendal Kersh 979-248-1871 TIPS: Capt. Kersh likes the Guide’s Choice Popping Corks. “They are a lot more durable than most other corks. They have an epoxy ﬁnish on the bottom of the cork next to where the weight hits it.” Capt. Kersh

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Popping Cork with live shrimp or Gulp CONTACT: Capt. Kendal Kersh 979-248-1871 TIPS: Capt. Kersh is concentrating on deep shell in 5-6 feet of water, drifting, throwing a popping cork with live shrimp, soft plastic, or Gulp.

SPECIES: Shark, Tarpon BEST BAITS: Shad CONTACT: Capt. Mike Williams 713-256-9260 www.galvestonsharkﬁshing TIPS: “We are ﬁshing in state waters, within nine miles nautical miles, before you get out to the rigs.” Capt. Williams

LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Mid Bay Reefs

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6/14/18 3:03 PM

FISHING HOTSPOTS LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Beach Front West GPS: N 29 6.305, W 95 4.919 (29.1051, -95.0820)

SPECIES: Shark, Tarpon BEST BAITS: Shad CONTACT: Capt. Mike Williams 713-256-9260 www.galvestonsharkﬁshing TIPS: “We use large shad, about the size of your hand, the same bait we use for tarpon. Drop it into the water and you’re liable to catch anything.” Capt. Williams

Magic Grass by Down South Lures.

Play Chicken with SA Specks

LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Greens GPS: N 28 29.738, W 96 13.565 (28.4956, -96.2261)

LOCATION: San Antonio Bay HOTSPOT: Chicken Foot Reef GPS: N 28 16.204, W 96 46.813 (28.2701, -96.7802)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics with 1/8 jig head CONTACT: Capt. Kendal Kersh 979-248-1871 TIPS: Capt. Kersh describes Magic Grass as a translucent green with a chartreuse tail.

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LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: San Luis Pass GPS: N 29 4.851, W 95 6.776 (29.0809, -95.1129)

by Tom Behrens

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live Croaker or soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Billy Freudensprung 979-997-2244 TIPS: “You will feel it go down to the bottom. Give

SPECIES: Shark, Tarpon BEST BAITS: Shad CONTACT: Capt. Mike Williams 713-256-9260 www.galvestonsharkﬁshing TIPS: “We target the near shore shrimp boats, ones you can see from the beach. Sharks love feeding on the chum that shrimpers throw overboard.” Capt. Williams LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Cottons Bayou GPS: N 28 30.552, W 96 12.453 (28.5092, -96.2076)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics with 1/8 jig head CONTACT: Capt. Kendal Kersh 979-248-1871 TIPS: “I’ve gotten to where I don’t switch colors on the soft plastics very much.” His favorite color is the T E X A S

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F I S H

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FISHING HOTSPOTS it a few seconds on the bottom, crank my reel a few turns, and move it again. Pop it a few more times.” Capt. Freudensprung

LOCATION: Mesquite Bay HOTSPOT: Cedar Bayou GPS: N 28 6.851, W 96 50.433 (28.1142, -96.8406)

LOCATION: San Antonio Bay HOTSPOT: Panther Point GPS: N 28 12.951, W 96 42.016 (28.2159, -96.7003)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live Croaker or soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Billy Freudensprung 979-997-2244 TIPS: Croaker size should be around 3 - 3 1/2 inches. “Use a #5 Mustad Ultra Point hook.” Capt. Freudensprung

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live Croaker or soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Billy Freudensprung 979-997-2244 TIPS: “Once you feel that bump, let him run with it for a second, then set the hook…pretty much almost like a ﬂounder bite.” Capt. Freudensprung

LOCATION: Carlos Bay HOTSPOT: Cedar Reef GPS: N 28 8.251, W 96 53.049 (28.1375, -96.8842)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live Croaker or soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Billy Freudensprung 979-997-2244 TIPS: Fifteen minutes is the limit he stays on a spot unless he is ﬁshing a point and there is tidal movement. “Look for bait action, especially mullet, ﬂipping out of the water.” Capt. Freudensprung

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Bafﬁn Specks & Reds Rock Out

by Tom Behrens

LOCATION: Bafﬁn Bay HOTSPOT: Rocks at 4 GPS: N 27 16.599, W 97 25.003 (27.2767, -97.4167)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout and Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics or Live Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Gilbert Esquivel 361-522-8496 TIPS: Capt. Esquivel will be ﬁshing rock structures in mid-morning and shoreline early mornings, using soft plastics or live croaker.

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6/14/18 3:03 PM

FISHING HOTSPOTS LOCATION: Bafﬁn Bay HOTSPOT: Cat Head GPS: N 27 18.382, W 97 26.263 (27.3064, -97.4377)

LOCATION: Bafﬁn Bay HOTSPOT: Badlands South GPS: N 27 17.152, W 97 25.053 (27.2859, -97.4176)

LOCATION: Bafﬁn Bay HOTSPOT: Neubauer Rocks GPS: N 27 18.134, W 97 39.07 (27.3022, -97.6512)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout and Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics or Live Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Gilbert Esquivel 361-522-8496 TIPS: In soft plastics he likes Gamblers and Down South lures. Favorite color is red/white tail

SPECIES: Speckled Trout and Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics or Live Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Gilbert Esquivel 361-522-8496 TIPS: “I like to use a 1/16 oz. jig head because I can move the lure a lot slower and get more action into it.” Capt. Esquivel

SPECIES: Speckled Trout and Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics or Live Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Gilbert Esquivel 361-522-8496 TIPS: “Morning Glory is another good color if the red/ white isn’t working. If the water is off color, a black/ white or yellow tail is my next choice.” Capt. Esquivel

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6/14/18 3:03 PM

FISHING HOTSPOTS LOCATION: Bafﬁn Bay HOTSPOT: Sloughs Rocks GPS: N 27 18.651, W 97 33.465 (27.3109, -97.5578)

LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Dam Area GPS: N 30 21.816, W 95 33.09 (30.3636, -95.5515)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: “Top water frog lures, football head jigs (Vicktory Jig from Finch Nasty Bait Co.) with a Grandebass Airtail wiggler as trailer” CONTACT: Lance Vick 903-312-0609 lance@lakeforkbass www.guideonlakefork TIPS: “In July, the hotter it gets, better they bite! In the deep summer time, the sun blooms the algae and plankton which in turn activates shad to feed and, therefore, positions bass on structure in 20 to 30 feet of water on points, humps and roadbeds. The 5/8 oz Vicktory screw lock football head jig was designed to catch these deep summertime bass. The screw lock replaces the brush guard, positioning the trailer to stand up off the bottom attracting Bass from farther away. The Grandebass Airtail Wiggler or Mega Claw really work well on the Vicktory Jig. Choose a black and blue or peanut butter/jelly as your ‘go-to’ colors. You can find the Vicktory Jig at www.finchnastybaitco . I use 17-pound fluorocarbon line on a 7.6 heavy action Impulse rod and that lets me make long cast and has the power to winch up big bass. Fish the Vicktory jig slow along the bottom, letting it rock side to side. This gives the trailer lots of action, attracting big bass.“

SPECIES: Speckled Trout and Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics or Live Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Gilbert Esquivel 361-522-8496 TIPS: “If using live croaker, within a few seconds after hitting the water around the rocks, the trout will take the bait. Most of the trout are small.” Capt. Esquivel LOCATION: Port Mansﬁeld HOTSPOT: Beachfront GPS: N 26 42.437, W 97 19.312 (26.7073, -97.3219)

SPECIES: Shark, Tarpon BEST BAITS: Shad CONTACT: Capt. Mike Williams 713-256-9260 www.galvestonsharkfishing TIPS: Terminal rig for shark is 50 lb. monofilament, heavy duty black swivel, and then nine feet of 150 lb. test monofilament leader tied to a 15/0 circle hook.

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: 1/8 oz. Texas-rigged worms in Junebug or black/red colors, frogs and 1oz. weighted punch baits in black or green CONTACT: Caddo Lake Guide Service/Paul Keith 318-455-3437 caddoguide1@att www.caddolakefishing TIPS: Fish the bayou edges with frogs and 1 oz. weighted punch baits in black or green colors. Watch for schooling or bunched fish in the creek bends. I like to throw 1/8 oz. Texas-rigged worms in Junebug or black/red colors on the bunched-up fish.

by Dustin Warncke

LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Main Lake Deep Water Points and Humps GPS: N 32 54.804, W 95 38.322 (32.9134, -95.6387)

LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Dale Creek GPS: N 32 49.494, W 95 33.498 (32.8249, -95.5583)

LOCATION: Caddo Lake HOTSPOT: Alligator Bayou GPS: N 32 43.1699, W 94 5.424 (32.7195, -94.0904)

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Summer Bass Go Deep on Fork

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Stink bait, cut shad CONTACT: Richard Tatsch 936-661-7920 admin@fishdudetx www.fishdudetx TIPS: The catfish will start feeding in the 15- to 20-foot depth ranges. Most days you will catch a lot of fish in the one pound and a half to three-pound range. I typically bait a spot or two using cattle cubes. Just dump some over on a spot close to a creek or river channel, give it about 30 minutes and start catching fish. I use a #6 treble hook with a sponge and a 1/8ounce weight. Get a tub of Primos dipping bait and punch the sponge in until it absorbs the bait. Drop it to the bottom and wait until you feel either a good strike or any additional weight on the end of the line. Once you feel either set the hook and try to pull their lips off. Usually the larger fish just feel like additional weight on the line. Good luck and good fishing! Bank Access: Stowaway Marina

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SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows, crappie jigs in blue ice color CONTACT: Doug Shampine 940-902-3855 doug@lakeforktrophybass www.lakeforktrophybass TIPS: July is a great time to bring the kids to Lake Fork and teach them how to ﬁsh or catch a good mess of crappie to take home to eat. The crappie have moved back to the deeper brush piles by now and I look for them in 18-22 feet of water. I have many brush piles around the lake for us to camp on and catch a good mess of crappie or teach the kids or mom and dad how

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6/14/18 3:03 PM

FISHING HOTSPOTS to catch crappie as well. I use minnows or jigs this time of the year and blue ice is a great color on Lake Fork in July. Areas to look for crappie will be Dale, Little Caney, Ray Branch, and around the main lake bridges. I supply everything for your trip just come to lake Fork and get in my boat and go ﬁshing. LOCATION: Lake Livingston HOTSPOT: The Hump GPS: N 30 39.663, W 95 2.268 (30.6611, -95.0378)

SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Live Shad, 1 ¼ oz white “Super D’s” slabs, Tsunami Holographic hot pink/gold 4” Swim Shad, Tsunami 1 oz. Holographic Zombie Eye jig blue silver CONTACT: David S. Cox, Palmetto Guide Service 936-291-9602

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dave@palmettoguideservice www.palmettoguideservice TIPS: Great fishing this time of year as the whites will still be on lower lake structure. They may be deeper than they were in May and June as water temperatures rise. This is structure fishing using your electronics to find and keep you on fish. Mark the spots you find fish on with your GPS and date them for later reference. You can find some of my GPS coordinates in the TF&G Texas Lakes & Bays Atlas. The whites will follow schools of shad up and down the humps from 17’ to 25’. Look for whites to stack up on the slope or edges of the structure. Bounce baits off the bottom, feeling for strikes on falling baits. Troll Tsunami Swim Shad behind a #10 jet diver over the same structure. Watch for birds chasing shad and schooling whites in the same areas. Quietly get into the schooling fish and follow the school throwing the same baits. When the school goes down, start fishing the structure again. LOCATION: Sam Rayburn Reservoir HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 31 11.406, W 94 12.5759 (31.1901, -94.2096)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Bass: Carolina-rigged 10” worms, deep diving crankbaits | Crappie: minnows, jigs CONTACT: Mike Knight 936-635-2427 notechmike@hotmail www.easttxﬁshingguide TIPS: Sam Rayburn should have good bass ﬁshing this time of year. July is an offshore month like in my Toledo Bend report but usually not as deep. Humps and ledges in 12 to 20 feet with Carolina rigged 10” worms or deep running crankbaits should work. The crappie are the same all over east Texas and can be found in 20 to 30 feet deep over man-made brush piles. LOCATION: Toledo Bend Lake HOTSPOT: Robinson Bend

6/14/18 3:03 PM

FISHING HOTSPOTS GPS: N 31 16.368, W 93 36.2579 (31.2728, -93.6043)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass and crappie BEST BAITS: Bass: Dropshot rigs, Carolina rigs, deep crankbaits. For crappie: minnows, jigs CONTACT: Mike Knight 936-635-2427 notechmike@hotmail www.easttxfishingguide TIPS: “The bass fishing should be great this time of year but T-Bend in the summer is a deep, deep water fishery. Look for bass in 25 to 35 feet on river ledges, humps or channel confluences. Crappie will be bunched up on man-made brush piles in 20-25 feet.” LOCATION: Toledo Bend HOTSPOT: Huxley Area Main Lake Points GPS: N 31 44.796, W 93 49.86 (31.7466, -93.8310)

SPECIES: Black Bass & White Bass BEST BAITS: Top water plugs, crankbaits, plastics, buzzbaits, spinnerbaits CONTACT: Greg Crafts, Toledo Bend Guide Service and Lake Cottages 936-368-7151 gregcrafts@yahoo www.toledobendguide TIPS: Concentrate on the main lake points close or falling off into the river channel. Early and late throw Rat-L-Traps, top water plugs, buzz baits, spinner baits and shallow diving crank-baits. When the sun gets up and the shallow bite slows down, back off to deeper water and throw Texas or Carolina-rigged plastics and deep diving crank baits for the black bass and ½ oz. to ¾ oz. spoons jigged on the bottom for the whites. Also, look for any gulls feeding on shad that the ﬁsh have pushed to the surface.

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Crappie & Whites in Roberts Brush

by Dustin Warncke & Dean Heffner

LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts HOTSPOT: Deep Water Brush Pile GPS: N 33 24.005, W 97 2.796 (33.4001, -97.0466)

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SPECIES: Crappie/White bass BEST BAITS: Minnows, Small Swimbaits, Shad colored top waters CONTACT: Justin Wilson 214-538-2780 justinwilson371@yahoo TIPS: Summer is in full swing; the weather is hot and so is the ﬁshing. Crappie are out on deeper brush piles and structure. 30-40-foot water seems to be best, but shallower 20 footers are working as well. They can be caught on jigs, but minnows are the best choice. The white bass can be found schooling on top out in the deep water as well. I recommend small swim baits and topwaters, but they can be caught on just about anything ﬂashy or shad colored. Look for them feeding heavy, early morning and late evening but keep an eye out for that boiling water at all times of the day. LOCATION: Bachman Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 32 51.156, W 96 52.374 (32.8526, -96.8729)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Bass: spinnerbaits and chatterbaits CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo TexasOklahomaFishingGuide TIPS: This time of year, bass will usually always be in 1 to 5 feet of water until August then they move out a little deeper in the middle of the lake. Spinnerbaits seem to work the best along with chatterbaits. When It gets a little warmer and it’s super bright out, ﬁsh the bridges or the rip rap where there is access to deeper water. LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 32 18.036, W 96 7.9259 (32.3006, -96.1321)

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6/14/18 3:03 PM

FISHING HOTSPOTS

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Cut Bait, chicken hearts, gizzards, etc. CONTACT: Jason Barber 903-603-2047 kingscreekadventures@yahoo www.kingscreekadventures TIPS: This is a great month for jug fishing. Make multiple juglines out of bottles, noodles, etc. and rig them with one hook and a small weight with just a couple feet of line. Throw out multiple rigs in a fairly tight group baited with your choice of shad, chicken hearts or gizzards or even chicken breast chunks or any other legal cut bait. Let the shallow rigs drift across deeper water say 10’ to 30’ and just follow along and pick up the ones that start bouncing around with fish on them. It usually doesn’t take long to get bit and it’s a really fun way to entertain kids and friends. Use a net or boat hook to retrieve the jugs and let everyone take turns.

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LOCATION: Eagle Mountain Lake HOTSPOT: Dam GPS: N 32 52.693, W 97 28.006 (32.8782, -97.4668)

LOCATION: Fayette County Res. HOTSPOT: West Ridge Hump GPS: N 29 55.9199, W 96 44.7839 (29.9320, -96.7464)

SPECIES: Hybrids, white bass BEST BAITS: Hell Pet or deep-running lures CONTACT: Johnny Stevens 817-597-6598 johnnysguideservice johnnystevens@1scom TIPS: This area just north of the dam is a series of humps with deep water all around them. As the water heats up the Hybrids that have come down from lake Bridgeport during a ﬂood hang out in this area. An effective method is to troll a very deep running lure. A Hell pet rig with a bell sinker on the front of the hell bender to make it run deep.

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: CJ’s punch bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail www.fishtales-guideservice TIPS: The hump at this hotspot is 4-5 feet deep. Anchor on hump and fish the lake side of the hump. Chum on the lake side of the boat after anchored. Tight line is best here. LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Res. HOTSPOT: Dam Rocky Point GPS: N 30 36.672, W 96 3.9779

6/14/18 3:03 PM

FISHING HOTSPOTS (30.6112, -96.0663)

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows, jigs CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail www.ﬁshtales-guideservice TIPS: Gibbons is open only Friday thru Sunday. Use minnows or Black Chartreuse curly tail 1/16 oz jig. Rocks, stumps, brush here, so experiment with depth, deeper late in the day. LOCATION: Granger Lake HOTSPOT: Open Lake Humps and Ridges GPS: N 30 41.85, W 97 20.01 (30.6975, -97.3335)

LOCATION: Lake Granbury HOTSPOT: Lower End GPS: N 32 22.659, W 97 42.009 (32.3777, -97.7002)

LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points GPS: N 32 11.1959, W 95 29.4239 (32.1866, -95.4904)

SPECIES: Striped bass BEST BAITS: Live Shad and Perch. White or Chartreuse Curly Tail trailers on large pony head jigs for downrigging CONTACT: Michael W. Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters 817-578-0023 TIPS: Work channel ledges near feeding ﬂats. Fish large live baits behind the boat under a balloon for the bigger stripers to 12lbs. If possible let the bait drift under the balloon near shallow points/ﬂats where top water action is taking place. Granbury water temperatures are in the upper 80’s and summertime is in full force. Stripers are on the lower ends to mid-lake.

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Fish with Carolina-rigged Mister Twister Phenom worm in watermelon red and black blue, Bomber crankbaits in shad color CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 or 903-530-2201 ricky@rickysguideservice www.rickysguideservice TIPS: Fish points in 8-16 foot of water this time of year. This particular point detailed in this hotspot is a great one to start with. Fish your lures slow for best result.

LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Hybrid Point GPS: N 33 3.186, W 96 27.312 (33.0531, -96.4552) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Slab spoons CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell 512-365-7761 crappie1@hotmail www.gotcrappie TIPS: “Right now is the best month for white bass in the open lake. They are feeding heavily on shad right in the middle of the day. Best times are from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Look for humps or ridges out from the dam. The top of the hump being around 10 feet deep and surrounding area being much deeper. Look for the whites on your sonar or spot them crashing the top. Position your boat on the top of the hump and bounce a slab spoon off the bottom. Just hop it two or three feet from the bottom. Dragging the spoon can also work. Good luck and good ﬁshing!”

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SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Cohoes, slabs CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo TexasOklahomaFishingGuide TIPS: Fish main lake points in 1-18 feet. The whites should be schooling on surface in the morning and then holding on structure like points with immediate deep-water access. Stay within 2 miles of the dam and hit all the points. Start at the island tip. Hybrid Point is directly east of the island tip. This is a great spot with a huge ﬂat and drop offs on edges.

T E X A S

F I S H

LOCATION: Richland Chambers Lake HOTSPOT: Pelican Island GPS: N 31 58.9439, W 96 10.5959 (31.9824, -96.1766)

SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Tiny Torpedo, 1/4 oz. blue/chrome Rat-L-Trap CONTACT: Royce Simmons 903-389-4117 simmonsroyce@hotmail www.goneﬁshin TIPS: White bass top water action kicks into gear in the summertime and can be FUN for all age groups as kids love the chance to cast to surfacing ﬁsh and adults love watching the kids! Tie on any small shiny surface lure and you’re in business. We like a small clear Tiny Torpedo or a 1/4 oz. Blue Chrome Rat-L-Trap. Mornings and late afternoons (low light conditions) are best and if you get a cloudy, breezy summer morning, the top water action can last several hours. The main lake is often best and pay particular attention to the Pelican Island area.

G A M E ®

6/14/18 3:03 PM

FISHING HOTSPOTS LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: South Schooling Area GPS: N 30 18.642, W 96 34.2059 (30.3107, -96.5701)

LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: McCowan Flats GPS: N 31 55.4519, W 97 24.6239 (31.9242, -97.4104)

fav7734@aceweb TIPS: Look for ﬁsh to be off ledges and close to the old river channel. Look for bass off ten to 15-foot drop offs. Topwater action can happen anywhere and without notice, so be prepared. Now, on cloudy days, the ﬁsh are just plain and simple biting better. LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: YMCA Camp GPS: N 32 52.689, W 98 28.001 (32.8782, -98.4667)

SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Cut shad. ghost minnows, slab spoons CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail www.ﬁshtales-guideservice TIPS: Tight line shad or ghost minnows here. Try also bouncing a spoon off the bottom. If birds are working the area, move to where the birds and are and anchor there. LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: Alberta Creek GPS: N 33 57.5417, W 96 36.012 (33.9590, -96.6002)

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Top water plugs, slabs CONTACT: Bill Carey 903-786-4477 bigfishlaketexoma@gmail www.striperexpress TIPS: “It’s topwater fishing at its best this time of year! Early morning, serval large schools will surface around the lake. These schools of fish can be a mile long and a half mile wide. Cast Pencil Popper top water plugs for great action. After surface action ends, locate the schools of fish with your electronics. Then, vertically drop slabs and use a fast retrieve. The fish will try to pull the rod out of your hands! Bank Access: Washita Point and Platter Flats”

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: 1/2 oz white jigs and 7” Striper Sniper Snake Worms CONTACT: Randy Routh 817-822-5539 teamredneck01@hotmail www.teamredneck TIPS: It’s hot and some days the fish have fed at night or real early and it turns into a reaction strike pattern. I’m using my downriggers and pulling 1/2 oz white/ lemon-lime Bucktail jigs and 10” Snake Worms from Striper Sniper Tackle (www.stripersniper). I like to run the old road beds and small ledges in the McCowan flats. The depth of my baits vary depending on the depth of the fish but are usually between 15’ to 18’. For bigger fish that sometimes are isolated, look for a hump on the bottom. I’m making long cast and running my downrigger balls closer to the bottom and basically skipping the jigs off the bottom. Yes, I get hung up occasionally and lose a bait or two, but the rewards of big fish are worth it. Hang on as there are some big ones on those flats!

••

SPECIES: Striped/hybrid striped bass BEST BAITS: trolling jigs CONTACT: Dean Heffner 940-329-0036 fav7734@aceweb TIPS: Look for ﬁsh to be off ledges and close to the old river channel. This is a great time to troll. The magic depth is 24 feet in 50 or more foot of water, Mister Twister Curly is the bait of the day trailing a 1 oz. jig. LOCATION: Hords Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 31 49.9735, W 99 34.0852 (31.8329, -99.5681)

•••

Join the Y for PK Stripers & Hybrids

SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: soft plastics, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits CONTACT: Michael D. Homer, Jr., Natural Resources Specialist, TPWD 325-692-0921 michael.homer@tpwd.texas TIPS: Hords Creek is an excellent reservoir to bass ﬁsh in West Texas. Fishing with soft plastics such as trick worms, ﬂukes, and senkos should produce a bite. Water clarity is decent, so consider brighter colors. Spinner baits and jerk baits are other go-to lures for this reservoir.

by Dustin Warncke & Dean Heffner

LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: YMCA Camp GPS: N 32 52.689, W 98 28.001 (32.8782, -98.4667)

SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: soft plastics, topwaters, jigs CONTACT: Dean Heffner 940-329-0036 T E X A S

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FISHING HOTSPOTS Twin Canyons, Twice the Bass

LOCATION: Lake Alan Henry HOTSPOT: Rocky Creek GPS: N 33 1.722, W 101 6.3599 (33.0287, -101.1060)

LOCATION: Amistad HOTSPOT: Twin Canyons GPS: N29 36.31098 W100 58.377 (29.605183, -100.972950)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: 10” dark worms, top water lures, crankbaits, spoons, jigs, Road Runner type lures CONTACT: Norman Clayton’s Guide Services 806-792-9220 nclayton42@sbcglobal www.lakealanhenry /fishing-guides.htm TIPS: “In July the night fishing will really come into its own. Fishing at night in July will sure beat the heat of the day time. I will be throwing 10”” dark worms on the points and flats in the clear water. I love the night time fishing which gets me away from all the pleasure boaters of the day who are trying to beat the heat by getting in the water. Most of the time I will have the lake all to myself at night. Top water baits and crankbaits will work, but you come near catching a tree. I will go around the full moon so that the fisherman can see. You do not have to have a moon to catch bass, but the moon makes it a lot easier on the fisherman. If you still want to fish in the day, use your electronics to search the mouths of the creeks for schools of shad. When you find the shad, use a buoy to mark the school, then use spoons, jigs, or Road Runner type baits to catch the bass. If the shad are the depth that you can reach them with a trolled crank bait, this is an easy way to put a limit in the boat.”

••

by Dustin Warncke

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Lower Half of Lake GPS: N 30 46.278, W 98 24.9059 (30.7713, -98.4151)

SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Pop Rs, buzzbaits, Zara Spooks CONTACT: Stan Gerzsenyl 830-768-3648 sg3@live www.amistadbass.com TIPS: Fish topwaters from the main lake grass beds to the backs of the creeks. Zara Spooks are my favorites but Pop Rs and buzzbaits also can be effective. Look for schooling ﬁsh throughout the day.

••

•••

Troll Turkey for Canyon Stripers

•••

by Dustin Warncke SPECIES: Stripers and Hybrid Bass BEST BAITS: Live shad CONTACT: Ken Milam 325-379-2051 kmilam@verizon www.striperfever TIPS: “Stripers and hybrids will be down by the dam area looking for cooler water. You can also ﬁnd them along the river channel on the humps and ridges. Live shad will be the best bait for this time of year.”

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Bigroid 210 red with black back CONTACT: Capt. Steve Nixon, Fishhooks Adventures |

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SPECIES: Striped Bass and Hybrids BEST BAITS: Live shad CONTACT: Clancy Terrill 512-633-6742 centraltexasfishing@gmail www.centraltexasfishing TIPS: The weather is getting really warm this month and the striper and hybrids have moved to the lower half of lake. Early morning concentrate on 30-40 foot of water on ridges and humps, drifting or anchoring live bait. Later in the day move to 50 to 60 foot and fish tops of trees using your electronics. LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Dam Area GPS: N 30 45.462, W 98 25.278 (30.7577, -98.4213)

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Turkey Creek Point GPS: N 29 51.7079, W 98 12.948 (29.8618, -98.2158)

210-573-1230 capt.steve@sanantoniofishingguides www.sanantoniofishingguides TIPS: “Troll this area with downriggers. The West point and in Turkey Creek seems to produce the best catches. Set the downriggers from 40 to 60 feet deep and look for schools of striped bass, when located, vary trolling speeds until the fish strike. Tight lines and fish on!”

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Garret Island

G A M E ®

6/14/18 3:03 PM

FISHING HOTSPOTS GPS: N 30 50.525, W 98 24.588 (30.842078, -98.409793)

eight feet of water and ﬁsh the thickest brush with a Texas-rigged plastic worm.

Coleto Bassing a Dam Site Better

by Dustin Warncke

SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Slabs and jigs CONTACT: Ken Miliam 325-379-2051 kmilam@verizon.net www.striperfever.com.com TIPS: White bass are on the upper end of the lake around Garret Island area. Fish slabs and jigs in 15 to 30 feet of water.

LOCATION: Coleto Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Dam Area GPS: N 28 43.41, W 97 10.23 (28.7235, -97.1705)

LOCATION: Lake LBJ HOTSPOT: Horseshoe Bay Area GPS: N 30 33.618, W 98 22.9799 (30.5603, -98.3830)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits and buzzbaits CONTACT: Rocky’s Guide Service 361-960-0566 TIPS: The lakes are getting busy this time of year. Don’t let that stop you! Usually on early morning and late evenings it’s quiet and fish are active. As always, go deeper and use bigger baits for bigger bass. Main lake by the dam holds probably most big bass this time of year. However the back of most creeks will hold several 2-8 lb. class fish. Spinners are great this time of year especially on windy days. I like hitting stumps and hardwoods around 3 feet deep, throw past stumps about 10 feet then retrieve it so that it kinda knocks on the door and get their attention. That’s a little trick I learned long ago from Bruce Fox. Bend your hook out just a little on your spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. It will make the difference! Good fishing and God bless us all!

SPECIES: Bass and Crappie BEST BAITS: Bass: Topwater lures, lipless crankbaits and worms; Crappie: Jigs or minnows CONTACT: Teach ‘Em to Fish Guide Service-Barry Dodd 210-771-0123 barry@teachemtofish.net www.teachemtofish.net TIPS: There is lots of vegetation, enough contour and deeper water in this area to hold some big bass. I prefer Matzuo sickle style hooks for live bait, jigs and soft plastics because they penetrate easier and hold firmer. Bass and crappie have mostly settled into their summer patters of holding near the thermocline, along deep water ledges, points and cover near these areas. For bass, spend most of your time fishing points with deep diving crank baits and soft plastics. For crappie, look for channels bends or points with brush piles.

••

•••

SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Jigs, plastic worms, spinnerbaits CONTACT: Robert Amaya 956-765-1442 TIPS: Fish the brush here early with topwater lures, Texas-rigged plastic worms and spinnerbaits. Carolinarigged soft plastics also work well off the roadbed and in the openings where the water drops off from ﬁve to 8-12 feet. Also ﬁsh nearby humps.

« DIGITAL EXTRA: Locator Maps link to Google Maps online

LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Hybrid Point GPS: N 33 3.186, W 96 27.312 (33.0531, -96.4552)

LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Dos Creeks GPS: N26 55.44252, W99 19.56072 (26.924042, -99.326012)

SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Plastic worms, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, topwaters CONTACT: Robert Amaya 956-765-1442 TIPS: Fish shallow points early with topwater lures and buzzbaits. Once the sun is up, move out to six to T E X A S

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LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Alejandrejas Roadbed GPS: N26 44.22498 W99 11.9439 (26.737083, -99.199065)

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Sportsman’s DAYBOOK JULY 2018

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

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 T17

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

T15 T16

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 T6

T3 T2 T1

T14

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

T18

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

T19

T20

PEAK DAYS: The closer the moon is to your location, the stronger the inﬂuence. FULL or NEW MOONS provide the strongest inﬂunce of the month. PEAK TIMES: When a Solunar Period falls within 30 minutes to an hour of sunrise or sunset, anticipate increased action. A moon rise or moon set during one of these periods will cause even greater action. If a FULL or NEW MOON occurs during a Solunar Period, expect the best action of the season.

T21

TIDE CORRECTION TABLE

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

KEY 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

READING THE GRAPH

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

Moon Overhead

Fishing Score Graph

Moon Underfoot

Day’s Best Day’s 2nd Score Best Score

Best Day Overall

MOON PHASES

l = New Moon l = Full Moon = First Quarter º » = Last Quarter «= Good Day by Moon Phase 60

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T E X A S

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G A M E ®

6/14/18 3:04 PM

JULY 2018

Tides and Prime Times MONDAY

25 FEET

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

5:11 AM 11:00 AM 1:17 PM 9:34 PM

TUESDAY

26 «

1.37 ft. 1.13 ft. 1.16 ft. -0.29 ft.

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

5:55 AM 12:05 PM 1:28 PM 10:07 PM

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

27 «

1.42 ft. 1.18 ft. 1.18 ft. -0.31 ft.

28 l

High Tide: 6:32 AM 1.43 ft. Low Tide: 10:40 PM -0.31 ft.

High Tide: 7:07 AM 1.42 ft. Low Tide: 11:13 PM -0.27 ft.

FRIDAY

29 «

High Tide: 7:41 AM 1.40 ft. Low Tide: 11:47 PM -0.22 ft.

SATURDAY

30 «

High Tide: 8:15 AM 1.38 ft.

SUNDAY

Jul 1

Low Tide: 12:21 AM -0.14 ft. High Tide: 8:48 AM 1.35 ft. FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

5:00 — 7:00 PM Sunrise: 6:21a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 6:19p Moon Set: 4:33a

AM Minor: 3:37a AM Major: 9:49a PM Minor: 4:01p PM Major: 10:13p Moon Overhead: 11:47p Moon Underfoot: 11:24a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

5:30 — 7:30 PM Sunrise: 6:21a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 7:12p Moon Set: 5:14a

AM Minor: 4:20a AM Major: 10:32a PM Minor: 4:44p PM Major: 10:56p Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 12:11p

1807-TexasOutdoorNation-ISSUU.indd 61

12p

12a

BEST TIME

6:00 — 8:00 PM Sunrise: 6:21a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 8:03p Moon Set: 5:58a

AM Minor: 5:06a AM Major: 11:18a PM Minor: 5:30p PM Major: 11:42p Moon Overhead: 12:35a Moon Underfoot: 1:00p

12p

BEST TIME

6:30 — 8:30 PM Sunrise: 6:21a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 8:51p Moon Set: 6:45a

AM Minor: 5:54a AM Major: ----PM Minor: 6:18p PM Major: 12:06p Moon Overhead: 1:24a Moon Underfoot: 1:48p

12a

12p

BEST TIME

7:00 — 9:00 PM Sunrise: 6:22a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 9:37p Moon Set: 7:35a

AM Minor: 6:44a AM Major: 12:32a PM Minor: 7:08p PM Major: 12:56p Moon Overhead: 2:13a Moon Underfoot: 2:37p

12a

12p

BEST TIME

8:00 — 10:00 PM Sunrise: 6:22a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 10:19p Moon Set: 8:26a

AM Minor: 7:36a AM Major: 1:24a PM Minor: 7:59p PM Major: 1:47p

Moon Overhead: 3:01a Moon Underfoot: 3:24p

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

9:00 — 11:00 PM Sunrise: 6:22a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 10:58p Moon Set: 9:19a

AM Minor: 8:27a AM Major: 2:16a PM Minor: 8:50p PM Major: 2:39p

Moon Overhead: 3:48a Moon Underfoot: 4:11p

6/14/18 3:04 PM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

Low Tide: 12:55 AM -0.04 ft. High Tide: 9:21 AM 1.32 ft.

Low Tide: 1:29 AM 0.09 ft. High Tide: 9:50 AM 1.28 ft.

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

FEET

2:05 AM 10:16 AM 5:19 PM 8:32 PM

THURSDAY

5»

0.23 ft. 1.24 ft. 0.80 ft. 0.82 ft.

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

2:44 AM 10:37 AM 5:26 PM 10:55 PM

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

0.40 ft. 1.20 ft. 0.63 ft. 0.82 ft.

Low Tide: 3:30 AM 0.59 ft. High Tide: 10:54 AM 1.17 ft. Low Tide: 5:53 PM 0.42 ft.

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

12:47 AM 4:29 AM 11:06 AM 6:29 PM

0.92 ft. 0.79 ft. 1.16 ft. 0.18 ft.

SUNDAY

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

2:16 AM 5:46 AM 11:17 AM 7:11 PM

1.09 ft. 0.98 ft. 1.18 ft. -0.07 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

9:00 — 11:00 PM

12p

12a

12:00 — 2:00 PM

1.27 ft. 1.13 ft. 1.23 ft. -0.31 ft.

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

4:22 AM 8:50 AM 12:00 PM 8:44 PM

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

5:14 AM 10:00 AM 12:47 PM 9:34 PM

12p

12a

BEST TIME

12p

12a

BEST TIME

12:30 — 2:30 PM Sunrise: 6:24a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 1:17a Moon Set: 1:48p

7:00 — 9:00 AM

AM Minor: 12:49a AM Major: 7:01a PM Minor: 1:13p PM Major: 7:25p

Moon Overhead: 7:30a Moon Underfoot: 7:53p

12p

12a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:25a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 1:52a Moon Set: 2:46p

AM Minor: 12:04a AM Major: 6:17a PM Minor: 12:28p PM Major: 6:39p

Moon Overhead: 6:46a Moon Underfoot: 7:08p

8:00 — 10:00 AM Sunrise: 6:25a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 2:30a Moon Set: 3:47p

AM Minor: 1:33a AM Major: 7:46a PM Minor: 1:59p PM Major: 8:11p

Moon Overhead: 8:16a Moon Underfoot: 8:41p

Moon Overhead: 9:06a Moon Underfoot: 9:32p

MOON PHASES

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

11 «

12a

AM Minor: 11:43a AM Major: 5:32a PM Minor: ----PM Major: 5:54p

Moon Overhead: 6:02a Moon Underfoot: 6:24p

1.43 ft. 1.24 ft. 1.29 ft. -0.52 ft.

8:30 — 10:30 AM

AM Minor: 10:56a AM Major: 4:45a PM Minor: 11:18p PM Major: 5:07p

TUESDAY

12p

Sunrise: 6:24a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 12:44a Moon Set: 12:53p

= FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS Fishing Score Moon Moon Graph Overhead Underfoot

MONDAY

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:23a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 12:10a Moon Set: 11:58a

Moon Overhead: 5:18a Moon Underfoot: 5:40p

READING THE GRAPH

FEET

BEST TIME

AM Minor: 10:08a AM Major: 3:57a PM Minor: 10:30p PM Major: 4:19p

Moon Overhead: 4:33a Moon Underfoot: 4:56p

3:25 AM 7:19 AM 11:31 AM 7:56 PM

12a

Sunrise: 6:23a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: None Moon Set: 11:05a

AM Minor: 9:18a AM Major: 3:07a PM Minor: 9:41p PM Major: 3:29p

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

10:00P — 12:00A

Sunrise: 6:23a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 11:35p Moon Set: 10:12a

12p

BEST TIME

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

12 «

1.54 ft. 1.30 ft. 1.34 ft. -0.67 ft.

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

6:02 AM 10:51 AM 1:47 PM 10:25 PM

l = New Moon l = Full Moon = First Quarter º » = Last Quarter « = Good Day by Moon Phase

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

13 l

1.60 ft. 1.31 ft. 1.37 ft. -0.73 ft.

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

6:47 AM 11:38 AM 2:55 PM 11:17 PM

1.60 ft. 1.28 ft. 1.36 ft. -0.70 ft.

SATURDAY

14 «

High Tide: 7:30 AM 1.56 ft. Low Tide: 12:27 PM 1.19 ft. High Tide: 4:06 PM 1.31 ft.

SUNDAY

15 « Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

12:08 AM 8:10 AM 1:22 PM 5:23 PM

-0.58 ft. 1.48 ft. 1.05 ft. 1.21 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

9:00 — 11:00 AM Sunrise: 6:26a Sunset: 8:21p Moonrise: 3:12a Moon Set: 4:51p

12a

10:00A — 12:00P

AM Minor: 3:08a AM Major: 9:23a PM Minor: 3:37p PM Major: 9:52p

Moon Overhead: 9:59a Moon Underfoot: 10:27p

Sunrise: 6:26a Sunset: 8:20p Moonrise: 4:00a Moon Set: 5:57p

AM Minor: 2:19a AM Major: 8:33a PM Minor: 2:46p PM Major: 9:00p

12p

BEST TIME

Moon Overhead: 10:56a Moon Underfoot: 11:26p

J U L Y

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12p

12a

BEST TIME

11:00A — 1:00P Sunrise: 6:27a Sunset: 8:20p Moonrise: 4:54a Moon Set: 7:03p

AM Minor: 4:01a AM Major: 10:17a PM Minor: 4:32p PM Major: 10:48p

12a

12:00 — 2:00 PM

1:00 — 3:00 PM

AM Minor: 6:03a AM Major: ----PM Minor: 6:34p PM Major: 12:50p

Moon Overhead: 1:01p Moon Underfoot: 12:29a

F I S H

12p

Sunrise: 6:28a Sunset: 8:20p Moonrise: 7:00a Moon Set: 9:05p

AM Minor: 5:00a AM Major: 11:16a PM Minor: 5:32p PM Major: 11:47p

T E X A S

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:27a Sunset: 8:20p Moonrise: 5:54a Moon Set: 8:06p

Moon Overhead: 11:57a Moon Underfoot: None

12p

BEST TIME

Moon Overhead: 2:04p Moon Underfoot: 1:33a

12a

12p

BEST TIME

2:00 — 4:00 PM Sunrise: 6:28a Sunset: 8:19p Moonrise: 8:09a Moon Set: 9:58p

AM Minor: 7:08a AM Major: 12:53a PM Minor: 7:39p PM Major: 1:23p Moon Overhead: 3:06p Moon Underfoot: 2:36a

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

3:00 — 5:00 PM Sunrise: 6:29a Sunset: 8:19p Moonrise: 9:18a Moon Set: 10:45p

AM Minor: 8:13a AM Major: 1:59a PM Minor: 8:42p PM Major: 2:28p

Moon Overhead: 4:05p Moon Underfoot: 3:36a

G A M E ®

6/14/18 3:04 PM

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6/14/18 3:04 PM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MONDAY

16 FEET

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

12:59 AM 8:46 AM 2:23 PM 6:50 PM

TUESDAY

-0.37 ft. 1.39 ft. 0.87 ft. 1.09 ft.

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

1:51 AM 9:20 AM 3:28 PM 8:29 PM

WEDNESDAY

-0.10 ft. 1.30 ft. 0.66 ft. 0.97 ft.

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

2:44 AM 9:52 AM 4:32 PM 10:18 PM

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

0.21 ft. 1.22 ft. 0.44 ft. 0.93 ft.

20 º

Low Tide: 3:41 AM 0.52 ft. High Tide: 10:20 AM 1.16 ft. Low Tide: 5:33 PM 0.23 ft.

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

12:14 AM 4:55 AM 10:46 AM 6:27 PM

SATURDAY

0.97 ft. 0.79 ft. 1.13 ft. 0.05 ft.

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

2:09 AM 6:58 AM 11:10 AM 7:15 PM

1.09 ft. 0.98 ft. 1.12 ft. -0.09 ft.

SUNDAY

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

3:39 AM 9:00 AM 11:32 AM 8:00 PM

1.23 ft. 1.09 ft. 1.12 ft. -0.19 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

4:00 — 6:00 PM

12p

12a

5:30 — 7:30 AM

1.32 ft. 1.14 ft. 1.14 ft. -0.24 ft.

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

5:18 AM 11:27 AM 12:23 PM 9:17 PM

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

5:49 AM 11:49 AM 1:10 PM 9:52 PM

12p

12a

BEST TIME

12p

12a

BEST TIME

1:00 — 3:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:32a Sunset: 8:17p Moonrise: 3:20p Moon Set: 1:55a

AM Minor: 12:23a AM Major: 6:35a PM Minor: 12:46p PM Major: 6:58p

AM Minor: 1:07a AM Major: 7:18a PM Minor: 1:30p PM Major: 7:42p

Moon Overhead: 8:12p Moon Underfoot: 7:49a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

10:00P — 12:00A

Sunrise: 6:31a Sunset: 8:17p Moonrise: 2:25p Moon Set: 1:19a

Moon Overhead: 7:26p Moon Underfoot: 7:03a

3:00 — 5:00 PM Sunrise: 6:32a Sunset: 8:16p Moonrise: 4:15p Moon Set: 2:33a

AM Minor: 1:49a AM Major: 8:01a PM Minor: 2:12p PM Major: 8:24p

Moon Overhead: 8:59p Moon Underfoot: 8:35a

Moon Overhead: 9:45p Moon Underfoot: 9:22a

MOON PHASES

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

12a

AM Minor: ----AM Major: 5:49a PM Minor: 12:00p PM Major: 6:12p

Moon Overhead: 6:39p Moon Underfoot: 6:15a

1.37 ft. 1.17 ft. 1.17 ft. -0.26 ft.

12:30 — 2:30 PM

AM Minor: 11:10a AM Major: 4:58a PM Minor: 11:35p PM Major: 5:22p

TUESDAY

12p

Sunrise: 6:31a Sunset: 8:18p Moonrise: 1:28p Moon Set: 12:43a

= FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS Fishing Score Moon Moon Graph Overhead Underfoot

MONDAY

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:30a Sunset: 8:18p Moonrise: 12:29p Moon Set: 12:07a

Moon Overhead: 5:51p Moon Underfoot: 5:26a

READING THE GRAPH

FEET

BEST TIME

AM Minor: 10:16a AM Major: 4:03a PM Minor: 10:41p PM Major: 4:29p

Moon Overhead: 5:00p Moon Underfoot: 4:33a

4:38 AM 10:30 AM 11:53 AM 8:40 PM

12a

Sunrise: 6:30a Sunset: 8:18p Moonrise: 11:29a Moon Set: None

AM Minor: 9:17a AM Major: 3:03a PM Minor: 9:44p PM Major: 3:30p

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

4:30 — 6:30 AM

Sunrise: 6:29a Sunset: 8:19p Moonrise: 10:25a Moon Set: 11:28p

12p

BEST TIME

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

26 «

1.38 ft. 1.19 ft. 1.19 ft. -0.26 ft.

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

6:14 AM 11:52 AM 2:01 PM 10:25 PM

l = New Moon l = Full Moon = First Quarter º » = Last Quarter « = Good Day by Moon Phase

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

27 «

1.38 ft. 1.19 ft. 1.21 ft. -0.23 ft.

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

6:38 AM 11:49 AM 2:49 PM 10:57 PM

SATURDAY

28 l

1.37 ft. 1.17 ft. 1.21 ft. -0.18 ft.

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

7:02 AM 11:58 AM 3:34 PM 11:27 PM

1.35 ft. 1.13 ft. 1.19 ft. -0.11 ft.

SUNDAY

29 « High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

7:28 AM 12:22 PM 4:19 PM 11:57 PM

1.34 ft. 1.07 ft. 1.16 ft. -0.02 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

3:30 — 5:30 PM Sunrise: 6:33a Sunset: 8:16p Moonrise: 5:08p Moon Set: 3:13a

12a

4:30 — 6:30 PM

AM Minor: 3:13a AM Major: 9:25a PM Minor: 3:37p PM Major: 9:49p

Moon Overhead: 10:33p Moon Underfoot: 10:09a

Sunrise: 6:33a Sunset: 8:15p Moonrise: 5:59p Moon Set: 3:56a

AM Minor: 2:30a AM Major: 8:42a PM Minor: 2:54p PM Major: 9:06p

12p

BEST TIME

Moon Overhead: 11:21p Moon Underfoot: 10:57a

J U L Y

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12p

12a

BEST TIME

AM Minor: 3:56a AM Major: 10:08a PM Minor: 4:20p PM Major: 10:32p

12a

6:00 — 8:00 PM

12a

7:00 — 9:00 PM

AM Minor: 5:28a AM Major: 11:40a PM Minor: 5:52p PM Major: -----

Moon Overhead: 12:09a Moon Underfoot: 12:34p

F I S H

12p

Sunrise: 6:35a Sunset: 8:14p Moonrise: 8:19p Moon Set: 6:22a

AM Minor: 4:41a AM Major: 10:53a PM Minor: 5:05p PM Major: 11:17p

T E X A S

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:35a Sunset: 8:14p Moonrise: 7:35p Moon Set: 5:31a

Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 11:45a

12p

BEST TIME

5:00 — 7:00 PM Sunrise: 6:34a Sunset: 8:15p Moonrise: 6:49p Moon Set: 4:42a

Moon Overhead: 12:58a Moon Underfoot: 1:22p

12p

BEST TIME

7:30 — 9:30 PM Sunrise: 6:36a Sunset: 8:13p Moonrise: 8:59p Moon Set: 7:14a

AM Minor: 6:16a AM Major: 12:04a PM Minor: 6:39p PM Major: 12:27p Moon Overhead: 1:45a Moon Underfoot: 2:09p

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

8:00 — 10:00 PM Sunrise: 6:36a Sunset: 8:12p Moonrise: 9:37p Moon Set: 8:07a

AM Minor: 7:04a AM Major: 12:53a PM Minor: 7:27p PM Major: 1:16p Moon Overhead: 2:32a Moon Underfoot: 2:54p

G A M E ®

6/14/18 3:04 PM

JULY 2018

Tides and Prime Times MONDAY

TUESDAY

30 «

High Tide: 7:53 AM 1.32 ft. Low Tide: 12:57 PM 1.00 ft. High Tide: 5:07 PM 1.10 ft.

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

FEET

12:28 AM 8:18 AM 1:36 PM 6:07 PM

0.10 ft. 1.30 ft. 0.90 ft. 1.03 ft.

WEDNESDAY

Aug 1 Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

12:59 AM 8:40 AM 2:19 PM 7:28 PM

0.25 ft. 1.26 ft. 0.79 ft. 0.97 ft.

THURSDAY

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

1:32 AM 8:58 AM 3:05 PM 9:11 PM

0.42 ft. 1.22 ft. 0.64 ft. 0.94 ft.

FRIDAY

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

2:08 AM 9:11 AM 3:54 PM 11:06 PM

0.62 ft. 1.20 ft. 0.47 ft. 0.98 ft.

SATURDAY

4»

Low Tide: 2:50 AM 0.84 ft. High Tide: 9:16 AM 1.20 ft. Low Tide: 4:47 PM 0.27 ft.

SUNDAY

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

12:58 AM 3:46 AM 9:14 AM 5:43 PM

1.11 ft. 1.05 ft. 1.23 ft. 0.05 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

8:00 — 10:00 PM Sunrise: 6:37a Sunset: 8:12p Moonrise: 10:12p Moon Set: 9:01a

AM Minor: 7:53a AM Major: 1:42a PM Minor: 8:16p PM Major: 2:05p

Moon Overhead: 3:17a Moon Underfoot: 3:39p

12p

BEST TIME

3:00 — 5:00 AM Sunrise: 6:38a Sunset: 8:11p Moonrise: 10:46p Moon Set: 9:54a

AM Minor: 8:42a AM Major: 2:32a PM Minor: 9:04p PM Major: 2:53p

Moon Overhead: 4:01a Moon Underfoot: 4:23p

1807-TexasOutdoorNation-ISSUU.indd 65

12a

12p

BEST TIME

3:30 — 5:30 AM Sunrise: 6:38a Sunset: 8:11p Moonrise: 11:19p Moon Set: 10:48a

AM Minor: 9:31a AM Major: 3:20a PM Minor: 9:53p PM Major: 3:42p

Moon Overhead: 4:44a Moon Underfoot: 5:06p

12a

12p

BEST TIME

4:30 — 6:30 AM Sunrise: 6:39a Sunset: 8:10p Moonrise: 11:52p Moon Set: 11:42a

AM Minor: 10:20a AM Major: 4:09a PM Minor: 10:42p PM Major: 4:31p

Moon Overhead: 5:28a Moon Underfoot: 5:50p

12a

12p

BEST TIME

5:00 — 7:00 AM Sunrise: 6:39a Sunset: 8:09p Moonrise: None Moon Set: 12:37p

AM Minor: 11:08a AM Major: 4:57a PM Minor: 11:31p PM Major: 5:19p Moon Overhead: 6:12a Moon Underfoot: 6:35p

12a

12p

BEST TIME

12:30 — 2:30 PM Sunrise: 6:40a Sunset: 8:08p Moonrise: 12:28a Moon Set: 1:35p

AM Minor: 11:56a AM Major: 5:44a PM Minor: ----PM Major: 6:08p

Moon Overhead: 6:59a Moon Underfoot: 7:23p

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

1:00 — 3:00 PM Sunrise: 6:40a Sunset: 8:08p Moonrise: 1:06a Moon Set: 2:36p

AM Minor: 12:20a AM Major: 6:33a PM Minor: 12:46p PM Major: 6:59p Moon Overhead: 7:48a Moon Underfoot: 8:15p

6/14/18 3:04 PM

Industry INSIDER SCI Engages Media To Save Hunting

attack on hunting, we’re there to fight the good fight and to let the world know that hunters are the solution and not the problem.”

HSM Ammunition Celebrates 50th Anniversary

SAFARI CLUB INTERNATIONAL IS taking the message of hunting to the mainstream media and beyond as part of a new communications effort to let the world know how hunting helps assure a bright future for wildlife around the world. This new and bold step into the limelight already is paying dividends as SCI has delivered the hunters’ messaging to tens of millions of viewers and readers who otherwise would hear only the rants and lies of the anti-hunters. “We’re going head-on in the media with a simple, but powerful message,” said SCI President Paul Babaz. “We’re telling the world about all of the good things hunters do and that we’re proud of who we are and what we do.” Since SCI began its new approach to communications, SCI President Babaz, CEO Rick Parsons and others have participated in interviews with most of the major television networks, major newspapers and radio outlets. That is a combined audience that is larger and more diverse than pro-hunting interests have reached historically and is growing all the time. At the same time, SCI is engaging media within the shooting sports industry so that fellow hunters and shooters can be aware that someone is there, standing up for what is right. “SCI decided that hunters need to respond every time we are attacked anywhere in the world,” Babaz explained. “So, when we become aware of lies being spread by the antis, we jump right in and try to set the record straight.” Not all interviews are friendly, and rarely does a major media outlet openly endorse hunting or SCI. But to SCI, success happens one step at a time, and the first step is just to get the word about hunting out there in the greater social conversation. SCI is winning at that. “We know that not everyone is a hunter 66

1807-Industry Insider.indd 64

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SCI President Paul Babaz

and we know that not everyone likes hunting,” Babaz explained. “We can respect other points of view and insist that our point of view deserves equal respect – although the antis seem incapable of respecting themselves, let alone others.” Although SCI engages the media across the board, the most effective scenarios are when SCI leaders and representatives are interviewed one-on-one in print or on the air. SCI understands that it is unlikely to change the minds of anti-hunters. Rather, SCI is accessing mass audiences of viewers, readers and listeners who can make up their own minds about hunting once they learn the facts. “It is amazing how the dialogue changes when the media folks realize that we hunters are human and that the good things we do around the world help both animals and fellow humans.” Babaz noted. “Being a hunter is being human because humans have been hunters since the beginning of time. Once we are able to discuss issues that way, we are able to show the viewers, readers and listeners that there is another side to the story, and that it is something they want and need to know.” Just in the past few months, SCI has engaged in media coverage of items ranging from grizzly bears in British Columbia to lions and elephants in Africa. “SCI is positioned uniquely to be able to speak credibly to wildlife and hunting issues worldwide,” Babaz stressed. “If there is an |

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

FIFTY YEARS OF HARD WORK, GRIT, determination, and achievement. The year was 1968 when Bill and Catherine Campbell decided to start up ammunition manufacturing in a tiny town in Montana. The company would eventually be known as HSM Ammunition. Initial sales were to the law enforcement community. By word of mouth alone, the company’s reputation rapidly began to grow. Larger departments came on board, commercial sales began, and business was booming for the little company that could. As the decades passed, more calibers were added and soon HSM had expanded into the full realm of the shooting sports experience. Partnerships were formed with renowned components manufacturers such as Sierra and Berger. Recent years have seen HSM become one of the true innovators within the industry. Low Recoil, Bear Load, Trophy Gold, Game King, and Pro Pistol Hunter cartridges are excellent exemplars of this fact. Over these past 50 years, HSM has earned a well-deserved stellar reputation with hunters, law enforcement, military, and recreational shooters world-wide. With an ever-present passion for accuracy, today HSM is manufacturing superlative cartridges for virtually every caliber of semi-auto pistols, revolvers, and rifles. As Johnny Carson would say on “The Tonight Show” back in 1968, there’s “More to come!” For additional information on all the innovative cartridges produced by HSM Ammunition, visit www.HSMammunition.com.

« PHOTO: SCI

6/11/18 1:55 PM

1807-Industry Insider.indd 65

6/11/18 1:55 PM

Fish and Game GEAR Daiwa Exist Spinning Reels

antees smooth, rugged performance with digitally milled alloy gearing that maximizes the efficiency of the gear-tooth interaction. An ABS Long Cast Spool pays out line smoothly for long accurate casts. Daiwa’s ATD Drag System uses a new proprietary grease that enables the reel to apply smooth and consistent start up drag

THE NEW EXIST SPINNING REELS represent 60 years of Daiwa innovation and the long range vision of a company founded in 1958. The spinning reel body features Daiwa’s LT Concept, light yet tough. The Magnesium Monocoque Body design technique uses the exterior shell of the body to provide structural support for the reel. A threaded side plate provides greater strength and rigidity and prevents dirt and water intrusion. The unique body design allows more room for gears, eliminating space demanding screw holes and sideplate stablization. An impressive 85 percent of the area is gear space, facilitating larger, more powerful gearing, the greatest gear size in the market. The LT Concept is furthered with the use of the Zaion Air Rotor and Air Bail. The innovative design provides easier ballanced rotations and reduces the overall weight of the reel . The Daiwa developed Zaion is a “ high density” carbon strain material that is 20 percent stronger and 50 percent lighter than traditional nylon and aluminim construction. The mag sealed main shaft, bearings and line roller utilizes a aerowspace developed magnetic oil, that seals the bearing surfaces from water and dirt intrusion without adding any friction, an important feature securing continued high performance. The Digigear Digital Gear Design guar68

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Daiwa Exist spinning reel.

pressure from the first pull. The Twist Buster 2 system keeps line twist to a minimum on the retrieve. The12 CRBB super corrosion resistant ball bearings deliver flawless performance. The reel in its entirety, is constructed in Japan.

T E X A S

F I S H

Mustad Dry Boat Bag and Double Rigger Wallet WHEN MOST PEOPLE THINK OF Mustad, they think of a heritage of hook manufacturing as the oldest and largest hook manufacturer in the world but they have also ventured into making other incredible fishing gear as well. I have been a fan of the Mustad Boat Bag since I picked one up for the first time at a fishing event I attended this past summer. Designed as a waterproof and durable solution to protecting your tackle and other gear on the boat or even dockside, the PVC material this bag is made of is thick and sturdy in even the harshest conditions. With a hard box style bottom and flexible but tough construction on the sides and top, you don’t have to worry about your gear getting soaked or exposed to the harsh conditions you are enduring on the water. The zipper is solid on this bag so you can have a tight barrier between rain or your boat taking on water from waves. This bag has gone on several boat trips as well as land-bound waterfront fishing voyages with me both fresh and saltwater conditions and has met every expectation I have had for a boat bag. It is as tough as any tackle bag I owned and has made it through all of the challenges I have put it through like a champ. It comes in 18” and 24” sizes making it a great choice for any size boat or other personal watercraft like a round boat or kayak. I recently tested another product made of this soft but durable and strong PVC material. The Double Rigger Wallet is a more compact storage solution for fishing gear and tackle. With storage compartments on both sides, this is an efficient and effec-

G A M E ®

6/11/18 1:56 PM

one another sharing location, angle, direction, elevation. The units know precisely where every member of the SafeShoot party is and there is no line of sight needed. The result is that if one party member inadvertently sweeps another party member an unmistakable red STOPLIGHT illuminates along with a warning tone alerting the hunter of an unsafe situation. From there, the hunter can lower their muzzle and reevaluate the situation. If you prefer a deep dive into the technical aspects, here it is. The SafeShoot measures its position continuously at a rate of 1 Hz when the rifle is moving by using a two band GPS system (GPS+GLONASS). It slows down when stationary. It measures its 3D position in space at a higher rate ( up to 100 Hz). This includes yaw, roll and pitch. The measurement of the 3D posture is done by using a 3-axis gyro, 3-axis accelerometer and 3-axis magnetometer. SafeShoot also measure barometric pressure in order to enhance the GPS performance in the vertical axis. Each device has RF transceiver that operates in the ISM band of 900-930 MHz with an effective range of 900 meters. SafeShoot is certainly not a replacement for safe gun handling practices. It is just like the airbag in your car, one more level of safety. Learn more at: www.safe-shoot.com.

Mustad Dry Boat Bag

tive way to safely store your tackle in a small space while protecting it from the elements and keeping your gear dry and easily accessible on any size of watercraft. Keeping your gear is dry and clean is so important in preserving the quality and integrity of your fishing tackle. To be honest, I expected something really awesome from the best-selling hook brand on the planet but the build quality of both of these products really impressed me even more than I thought they would. Mustad gets it. Fishermen of any level want a durable, safe and dry way to transport their gear on any size of watercraft. Both of these products fit my needs well and I think you will find them very beneficial to your future fishing adventures as well. These bags get my Texas Tested stamp of approval as they play as hard in the outdoor as I do!

Shoot is simple for the user. There are only three things you need to know: 1) Righty tighty...to mount it. 2) On and off...just like a flashlight. 3) RED means stop. The device can mount on a picatinny rail, any hunting scope or on a dog harness. When the hunting party prepares to go afield they each turn their SafeShoot on. The SafeShoot then uses local radio frequencies to create a network of all the units within 900 yards. From the moment the network is formed the units are communicating with

ÂŤ

Safe Shoot

Safe Shoot ISRAELI MILITARY PROFESSIONALS created SafeShoot to eliminate friendly fire accidents. During his years of service (ret) Brigadier General Amir Nadin was disturbed by the high number of casualties due to friendly fire. When he learned of the genesis of SafeShoot he decided to take the helm as CEO and devote his time to fixing the problem of friendly fire. SafeShoot recently decided to make their devices available to American hunters in an effort to reduce hunting accidents. SafeT E X A S

1807-FishandGame Gear.indd 67

F I S H

G A M E ÂŽ

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6/11/18 1:56 PM

Texas TASTED by BRYAN SLAVEN :: The Texas Gourmet

Beef Fajitas (Serves 4 to 6) You can increase the recipe in equal increments as necessary

HIS IS AN AWESOME RECIPE that I developed back in the mid 1980s. I have won many a cookoff with this recipe in and around Houston, Texas. It took many cold cervezas to assist in refining the recipe, but I feel it is where it should be. Take it and make it yours, just remember that you got it from me.

The perfect summer meal: savory beef fajitas.

chicken separate from the beef when marinating and grilling until it’s placed on the plate at serving time)

Ingredients 3 to 4 pounds - skirt steak Remove skin sheath, but don’t worry about removing all fat. Cut the meat with the grain into 6- to 8-inch pieces. The meat will cook at a very high temperature and will use the fat to keep the meat moist and will largely melt away. 1 sweet onion- sliced into 1/2” thick rings 2 poblano peppers, rinsed and cut into 1/2” thick slices (remove the seeds) 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil 3 to 4 cloves fresh garlic, crushed 2 limes – juiced 1/4 cup of brown sugar 1 Tablespoon - med. or fine-ground black pepper 1/2-cup light soy sauce 5 to 7 pounds of charcoal Preferably mesquite, or add a few chunks or bits of mesquite while cooking, killer flavor! (Remember this, increase your charcoal and mesquite as you increase the recipe, as you want a good hot fire when grilling the me)!

Preparation After you have cleaned the fajitas, rub them down with the fresh crushed garlic, then sprinkle with the black pepper .Set aside, then in a large bowl, combine the olive oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, lime juice and beer. Stir well to combine, then add the fajita meat and then add the peppers and onions. Using your hands, work the liquid mixture into the meat and then place in increments that will fit into 1 gallon zip-locks about 3/4 full. After all meat is divided into bags, equally distribute the liquid marinade among the bags. Seal up removing all air from the bags and place them all in a cooler with ice or in a spare refrigerator. I like to marinate them for a minimum of 4 to 6 hours but, overnight is even better.

Grilling Make a good hot fire, if using charcoal, when the coals are grey and hot, put the meat on directly over the fire, about 6 to 7 inches away is good.

If you want to cook chicken breast with this recipe, you can. Just be sure to keep the 70

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Sear the meat for a couple minutes on each side, then move them to the opposite side of the grill, cover and cook for 7 to 8 minutes. I like to place the onion and pepper rings on the meat as it cooks, this adds flavor to the meat, and keeps the vegetables from burning. After cooking each piece, transfer to a cutting board and slice the meat across the grain into slices approx. 1/2 “ thick. Transfer the meat to large double-lined foil pouches, approx. 2 lbs. to a pouch, add a tablespoon of butter to each pouch then place on a cookie sheet in a preheated oven at about 225 degrees until ready to serve.

Serving Serve with good, warm flour tortillas, chile con queso, and of course, with some spicy pico de gallo and your favorite salsa. I certainly hope you and yours will enjoy these fajitas as much as we do here at the Slaven household. Bon Appetit!

« Email Bryan Slaven at bryan@thetexasgourmet.com PHOTO: BRYAN SLAVEN

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Braxton Richards bagged his ﬁrst turkey in early December near Gatesville. He shot the bird at 70 yards with his 22-250.

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Britney Blood caught this ﬁve-pound bass on Lake LBJ while ﬁshing with guide Ander Meine.

Johnny Hays caught and released a load of bass—each weighing between 5 and 8.5 pounds and up to 27 inches long—on a two-hour ﬁshing trip at Caddo Lake with his wife in March.

WHITETAIL Gillespie County Connor Clements, 13, harvested his ﬁrst buck, a 9-pointer, while hunting in Gillespie County during the late youth season.

BLACK DRUM Galveston Esau Powell caught and released this HUGE 38 pound black drum in Galveston Bay on a ﬁshing trip with this stepdad Clay Wills and his cousins. The trip was guided by Hingle’s guide service of Galveston.

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