Texas Fish & Game September/October 2020

Piney Woods

Dove Hotspots

September/October 2020 | $3.95

Cloning Flounder?

Bass Lakes for Teal

Hunting Takes Flight

Talking Texas Smallmouth

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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 AND ARDIA NEVES

Invest in Silver Linings

PUBLISHERS

CHESTER MOORE EDITOR IN CHIEF

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INDING ANYTHING POSITIVE THESE DAYS HAS BEEN A REAL CHALLENGE. BUT there are silver linings all around us.

Unless you’re one of those Live Free or Die purists who would literally rather die than follow the basic common sense recommendations of most healthcare experts, your lifestyle has changed radically since Covid-19 invaded our shores and our mindsets. Your movements outside the home have been restricted and strategic. Many things you did without a second thought, especially during your personal time, are now off the table. Recreation has become both abundant— thanks to upended work schedules and loads of free time—and at the same time severely limited.

It is likely that 175,000 Americans have died from Covid-19 by the time you read this. So, it is hard to find anything positive about the situation we’re in. But as Americans, as Texans, as Human Beings, we need optimism to survive. There MUST be silver linings, somewhere. Otherwise, we might just give up. After all, as Bluto so aptly put it in “Animal House,” Did we give up when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?

So we’re looking. And we see rich veins of silver around the clouds of disease and economic crisis.

Restrictions on travel, access to workplaces and schools and other public destinations have allowed us to spend more time with our immediate families and to engage in slower paced, more contemplative activities. Mothers and fathers became teachers. Children stayed home, hanging out with parents and siblings rather than with their “gangs.” Sure, there have been problems with this, in dysfunctional situations where alcohol abuse and domestic violence happened and, with school closures and general stay-at-home advisories, children have been deprived the benefit of social engagement with peers. But, for a while and for most, it has been refreshing to boil things down to the basics of family living.

As a by-product of this cultural re-set, many families and individuals are re-discovering or are discovering for the first time the wonders of outdoors sports.

If crowded bars and indoors gatherings represent the height of risky behavior these days, activity in the outdoors represents the opposite. And throngs of people are arriving at this obvious conclusion.

Our boat dealers are telling us that sales have been historically high this year. People who have found themselves with all that extra time, and fewer recreational opportunities, and who also realize that social distancing is a wise course of action, are investing in family boats as both a short and long term answer to this new recreational dilemma. If not for the fact that the crisis that has encouraged this boom in demand has also caused a bust in supply, this year would probably go down as a record breaker for the boating industry. Fishing tackle manufacturers are experiencing similar boom markets, and are also suffering the exasperation of not being able to keep up with the sudden demand.

And of course, on the Field side of the outdoors industry, gun and ammo sales have gone through the roof this year. But in that case, much of the market rush has been driven by political forces, similar to what happened in the early years of the previous presidential administration that prompted a few cynics at 2010 and 2011 S.H.O.T. Shows to suggest nominating President Obama for “Salesman of the Year.”

This demand phenomenon creates a frustrating paradox, given that we’re still in the worst economic downturn of our lifetimes and these companies, thanks to the supply shortages, are not reaping any windfalls. Yet, there is still a lot to celebrate. The statistics are far from conclusive, but anecdotally, our conversations with dealers and manufacturers are consistently positive: more and more people are clamoring for the gear to get outside. One statistic that does back up this analysis is the news from CCA-Texas that this year’s S.T.A.R. tournament has registered more than 13,000 new entries—people who have never fished in the tournament before.

At a fundamental level, this is all pretty darn positive. Before Covid, interest in fishing and hunting was on a steep decline. If the jarring reality of this pandemic has forced people to rethink their use of recreational time, it may mark a turning point in the health of outdoors sports.

When times are bad, the smart money is buying. In this market, we’re bullish on Silver Lining futures.

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

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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 REAVIS WORTHAM KENDAL HEMPHILL TOM BEHRENS GREG BERLOCHER RAZOR DOBBS CAPT. MIKE HOLMES STAN SKINNER NICOLE BECKA CYNDI DELANA 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 HUMOR EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR DIGITAL CONTRIBUTOR DIGITAL CONTRIBUTOR CONTRIBUTING PHOTO EDITOR

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Contents S e p t e m b e r / O c t o b e r 2 0 2 0 | Vol. 37 • No. 4

FEATURE ARTICLES

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HUNTING TAKES WING From doves to sandhill cranes, wingshooting kicks off the Texas hunting seasons.

by TF&G Staff

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STRING THEORY FOR BOW HUNTERS story and cover photo by Lou Marullo

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by CHESTER MOORE

Doggett at Large

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by LARRY WEISHUHN

Texas Freshwater

by MATT WILLIAMS

Texas Saltwater

by LOU MARULLO

Open Season

by REAVIS Z. WORTHAM

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If you’re talking Texas smallmouth bass, two lakes dominate the conversation.

by Matt Williams

FLOUNDER CLONES? Can cloning help reverse the decline in Southern flounder populations?

by Chester Moore

TEXAS OUTDOOR NATION EAST TEXAS DOVE Hotspots for hunting doves in the Piney Woods.

60 Sportsman’s Daybook & Game j66 Fish Hunting Center

TF&G Report and Hotshots Fish & Game Forecast Center

by CALIXTO GONZALES

Bare Bones Hunting

SMALL TALK

by Matt Williams

by JOE DOGGETT

Texas Whitetails

by Matt Williams

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An excerpt from our Hunting Editor’s new audiobook.

Editor’s Notes

The ins and outs of hunting teal on larger lakes better known for bass fishing.

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COVER STORY

COLUMNS

RESERVOIR DUCKS

Letters

DEPARTMENTS Fish & Game Photos

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from TF&G Readers

by TFG Readers

Outdoor Directory

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Guides, Outfitters & More &

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LETTERS to the Editor America Is Still Beautiful HI CHESTER, I read your article “America Is Still Beautiful” in the July/August issue not once, but twice. Indeed, you are very fortunate to have been able to travel and experience all that you have in America. Many people including me have not even been to all of the states in America. Your adoration of America and all its wildlife and scenery are indeed a treasure.

I live in East Texas near Lake Fork and it pisses me off just to travel the back roads and see all the trash people throw away along the road. When we take a walk, we take a trash bag to pick up stuff on our way back to the house.

My wife and I own what we call a “little piece of paradise” with a big pond right out our back door. It is stocked with bluegill and bass so we can fish and share it with our grand kids and the neighbor’s kids too. We have a small flock of Canadian geese that come back each year to have babies. Such a treat to know that they trust us and keep coming back; and such a God-given instinct to find our place each year.

Thank you for sharing your experiences and talent for writing about them for us.

TF&G has been covering bears in Texas for twenty years.

these days is fly fishing in the mountains of the Occupied Territories, the 2/3 of New Mexico and 1/3 of Colorado that are part of the Republic of Texas. So, I ordered some fly-tying equipment and materials and I am teaching myself to tie flies.

FWIW: There are countless hours of very good fly-tying instructional videos on the Internet. Davie McPhail on YouTube is very good, but it takes a while to get used to his very thick Scottish accent.

Kind Regards, Herman and Mary Meister

Jay Bute Austin, Texas

Editor: Thank you so much for your kind words. I love seeing baby Canadas. Too cute and really cool they are increasing in numbers in East Texas. I still believe great things can happen here in America if we move forward with God-given creativity and freedom.

Editor: Doug always turns in great columns and your “occupied territory” comment totally made my day.

Bear Coverage

Cool Down and Be Thankful

THANKS FOR THE GREAT BEAR coverage in the Texas Fish & Game e-newsletter. I appreciate that you do so much diversity in coverage, and whether I want to learn how to catch trout on topwaters or learn about bear recovery in Texas I can get it in my inbox. The bear stories have been

I ENJOYED DOUG PIKE’S COLUMN, a lament on the no-fishing lock-down, “Cool Down and Be Thankful.”.

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great. Keep them coming.

Lon Felsher IT’S SO COOL TO SEE BEARS COMing back to Northeast Texas. Your work to raise awareness to the bear situation has to go back at least a decade. Kudos to you for that.

W. HOLLEN Editor: I started writing on bears returning to Texas in ’96 when I was 23 in newspapers and in TF&G in 2000. I started the “Be Texas Bear Aware” program with TF&G in 2007.

Through it we have distributed thousands of bear aware posters and published numerous articles in Texas Fish & Game and in our e-newsletter. We are the only privately owned outdoor magazine to have a bear cover in Texas and are proud that we were doing this before anyone else.

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EDITOR’S Notes

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

Friends on Fishing Trip Killed in ‘Massacre’

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HAT HEADLINE SHOOK ME to the core as I had just broadcast a radio program about the dangers of encountering bad people on fishing and hunting expeditions. I have recently written a series of articles on the topic at fishgame.com.

Polk County, Florida Sheriff Grady Judd, who has worked at the department since 1972, described the killings as a “massacre.”

“This is a horrific scene,” Judd said in an article at Yahoo News. “I’ve been to a lot of murder scenes in my life, and this ranks among the worst.”

Three men who had been friends for years, had gathered to go fish at a remote location. The victims had been beaten and shot.

Just a few days later, Polk County Sheriff’s Department officials announced the arrest of three people they believe had ambushed the anglers on the long, desolate country road and committed the murders.

I started writing the “Deep Woods Dangers” series and doing broadcasts on the topic at fishgame. com, Moore Outdoors; Newstalk AM 560 KLVI, and the Higher Calling podcast two years ago.

It was inspired by a question someone asked me at a seminar. “Chester, what’s the most dangerous thing you’ve encountered in the woods?”

Without blinking I said, “people.”

This was because of dangerous encounters with people I have had, while fishing, hunting, and exploring in remote locations. Once I started sharing my stories, others came forth with theirs.

In my opinion, the most dangerous outdoor areas in Texas are remote spots located near large urban centers. During a radio broadcast, a caller revealed that on an early teal hunt, he found a murder victim burning on the road on his duck lease just outside of Houston.

I have personally had three fishing-related runins in remote spots just outside of cities. This has caused me never to go fishing in these locations.

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dangerous people.

Anthony Michael Bilodeau, 31, was charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Jake Sansom, 39, and Morris Cardinal, 57, in Alberta, Canada during the spring of 2020.

Sansom and Morris were killed while driving back from a successful moose hunt on a rural road.

There are many reasons hunters and anglers could be in serious danger from people in these areas. The include the following: 1. Randomly running into sociopaths in rural areas who see the isolation as an opportunity to do harm.

2. Confrontations with other hunters and anglers or property owners in remote spots.

3. Idiot hunters who shouldn’t be in the woods.

I’m talking about the tiny minority who shoot at anything that moves. We read stories about their acts every year.

4. Sexual predators looking for victims on hiking trails, etc.

5. Coming across meth labs, pot fields and other drug-related operations.

6. Serial killers.

Over the years, I have learned a few things about staying safe in the woods from people with bad intentions.

•BAD VIBES: IF you feel bad about going into an area don’t go. I am a follower of Christ. I believe sometimes this is the Holy Spirit telling me to stay away. You may not believe that, but just call it a “gut feeling” and go with it.

•NEVER ALONE: AS much as I love to be in the distant forest alone with my camera—don’t you do it. Always bring someone along. Preferably someone who is experienced in the woods. You are far more likely to get hurt by evil people if you are alone.

•PACK HEAT: If it’s legal where you are, use your Second Amendment right, and carry a firearm. Make sure you are trained in its use and be prepared to do what is necessary. |

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Better you should defend yourself against a maniac than become a statistic. Also, carry a large knife with you. In close quarters it could save your life.

•STUDY THE AREA: THE Internet is a great tool for studying areas. For example, if you find an area is a high drug trafficking area, avoid it like the plague.

I have several areas I no longer frequent because of this issue.

•STAY CALM: IF you do encounter people in the woods who seem uneasy or a bit shifty, stay calm. Getting angry or showing fear is a good way to trigger someone who has violent tendencies.

•TRAVEL PLAN: Leave your spouse or close friends a travel plan, and let them know the points you plan to explore. Give them a time frame.

Let them know to call for help if you have not returned by a certain time or day.

•STRATEGIC PARKING: Always park your vehicle facing out of the area as you check out.

In a tight spot, you don’t want to have to back up and turn around during a retreat.

Also, park in a spot in a clear area that you can see from a distance. If someone is waiting on you or has moved into the spot, it will give you a chance to assess the situation and prepare.

•BUY AND CARRY A BEACON: I carry a Spot-X beacon that will alert all rescue personnel at the touch of a button. Don’t rely on just a cell phone. Get a beacon of some kind, too.

•TALK TO LOCALS: Not all information is on social media. Talking to locals in a gun shop or sporting goods store can give you good intel on the local region.

Have you ever had a truly dangerous or weird run-in with people fishing or hunting? If so, please email me at chester@chestermoore.com. The more we share these stories, the more people will be aware that there are dangers out there.

Fishing and hunting are generally safe, but we have to be real and admit some locations these days are anything but secure.

This massacre is a dark reminder of that.

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Email Chester Moore at cmoore@fishgame.com

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DOGGETT at Large

by JOE DOGGETT :: TF&G Contributing Editor

Looking for Dove

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HE EASIEST BIRD TO SPOT on the ground undoubtedly is the ostrich. One of the hardest birds to find on the ground is a downed

dove.

This especially is true amid thick cover or uneven terrain—and when the hunter diverts his attention from the shot. Accurately marking the fall, following it all the way down and promptly pacing to the spot are the key to a high percentage of recovered doves.

Keep in mind that many casual dove hunters do not own trained retrievers. The typical afternoon shoot is a do-it-yourself program.

This is worth stressing as the 2020 dove seasons open across Texas. The obligation of each conscientious hunter is to make a legitimate effort to recover all birds knocked downed within reasonable reach. Moral duties aside, failure to do so is against the law— ”wanton waste.”

Two factors conspire to hamper the recovery. First, the mourning dove is the smallest of our primary game birds. Mature mourners average about 4 1/2 ounces. Chunky whitewings are scarcely an ounce heavier. Both diminutive species can be easily swallowed by even a slight hiccup in the terrain.

Second, the plumage of a mourning dove is drab mix of browns and grays and tans—and both sexes look the same. This is because mourners are primarily ground feeders.

Conversely, males of most game birds are gaudy—easier to spot. Greenhead mallards and bull sprigs and cock pheasants come to mind.

In short, anywhere this side of the nearest putting green or parking lot, the frustrated hunter who fails to claim a quick and accurate mark doesn’t have much to work with.

On the upside, two factors can aid the savvy shooter.

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difficult, a good way lose one or both birds.

The disciplined shooter avoids these situations. The sweaty frustration of trying to find two confusing falls can be considerable when other doves are whizzing overhead. This is a fine time to recall the old adage, “A bird in the hand...”

Most doves are knocked down at between 25 and maybe 40 yards—not so far. Put the gun on safety and start pacing straight as a ruler to the presumed mark. It should be easy.

The occasional wounded bird that sails well beyond 50 yards can be a different matter, and it’s a sad reality of wingshooting. If the dove lands on relatively open ground, give it a go. However, the bird that carries beyond 100 yards, or topples from sight over a thick levee or brush line almost certainly is beyond reasonable recovery. Counting the lost bird on the daily limit is a commendable gesture, but no law requires this.

It’s a common mistake to overestimate the distance on in-range falls and pace too far before seriously starting to search. Remember, an honest 50 yards is a long way over the rib of an upland shotgun barrel.

If the presumed “Ground Zero” seems empty, identify the spot before expanding the search. It can provide a reliable point of reference amid a sea of sameness. A broken grain stalk or a bright shotgun shell is a handy marker. Dropping the hunting cap works; but be advised that following an expanded patrol, a camo cap might harder to find than the dove.

A good trick is to place two shotshells maybe six or eight feet apart on the same line as the straight approach. Stay on that line before slowly and meticulously widening the search (either in expanding circles or backand-forth grids).

Sixty years of experience convinces me that the dove hunter who faithfully follows this drill should recover almost all clean falls; in fact, it’s rare to lose one.

First, doves are loose-feathered. The lighter breast feathers can be knocked free by a ripping pellet or a tumbling fall. A cluster of fluff amid weeds or tall grass almost certainly pegs the location of the downed bird. (In a stiff breeze the bird may fall a bit upwind of trailing plumage.)

Second, the “dusted” dove that hits the ground but is unable to fly again seldom runs far. This is a huge plus for a dog-less recovery, and more than can be said for a scampering quail or a swimming duck. Also, a wounded dove often flutters, stirring the screening brush.

However, the crippled dove that slants down and lands with some semblance of control might be able to take flight again. The hunter is well advised to approach with a ready gun (making certain the potential field of fire is safe).

Ironically, the hardest dove to recover might be the one that folds instantly. If the bird thumps breast-down with wings tight, it looks precisely like a hundred dirt clods or grain husks within sight. It’s right there on plowed ground and stone dead and—where did it go?

To repeat, regardless of field clutter, the foundation for finding downed doves is to watch the fall all the way down and promptly advance. Admittedly, this sometimes is hard to do, especially under a flurry of action.

Any nearby cry of “Over you! Over you!” or “Coming in! Coming in!” is a strong bet to derail the all-important focus. Even when a single is rolled from empty sky, the temptation is great to look around to see if any buddies witnessed the smooth gun handling. Even a glance down to paw through the belt pouch and reload can divert attention.

Under a hot flight the cool hand might crumple three or four doves in rapid succession—no major problem at close distances and over open ground (sandy low-water tank banks are fine examples). A flashy double can be trip highlight, so long as both birds fall within the same quadrant.

But be wary of taking one coming in, another going away. Accurate marks become F I S H

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opportunities that Texas does.

From the shallow Lower Laguna Madre to the peanut fields in the Panhandle, the state is loaded with a wide variety of birds and hunting styles that would appeal to anyone with an interest in shotgunning, shooting and super fine table fare.

Let’s take a look at the chronological options available within the bounds of this great state.

DOVE: No doubt about it, doves are the most popular and abundant game bird in Texas.

In fact, there are more doves killed in Texas than populate most states.

Beginning September 1 and extending into winter, dove hunting is fun whether you’re pursuing whitewings in Uvalde or mourning doves in the fields of East Texas.

EARLY TEAL: The first hint of cool snaps send blue-winged teal down into the reservoirs, marshes and fields of Texas. Shooting can be fast and furious and allow waterfowlers to whet their appetite before the general waterfowl season kicks off six weeks later.

Ring-necked pheasants are abundant in parts of the Panhandle.

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EARLY CANADA GEESE: Relatively few hunters are aware that in recent years Texas Parks & Wildlife Department officials instituted an early Canada goose season to coincide with the early teal season. Canada goose numbers are rising in Texas, especially in the eastern third of the state, giving hunters a unique opportunity for a big game bird.

QUAIL: Although quail numbers have fallen drastically in Texas and everywhere in the country, they are still abundant in many areas, especially during wet years, and parts of their range has had abundant water this year. Texas hunters can bag bobwhites, scaled (blue) quail and the gorgeous Gambel’s quail.

Gambel’s quail have the signature head feather and are considered one of America’s most beautiful game birds.

TURKEY: Coinciding with the deer season in the eastern two-thirds of the state, Texas hunters can get in on fall turkey hunting. Most fall turkeys are taken incidental to deer hunting, but savvy spring hunters know how to lure them into shotgun range in autumn. In most areas of the Hill Country and South Texas as well as parts of the Panhandle, opportunities abound.

DUCK: Texas has incredible duck hunting opportunities in the general season over a wide variety of ecological regions. From shooting mallards in the timber in northeast Texas to hunting pintails on the marsh flats of the Middle Coast there is much to offer.

Texas is the top duck state in the Central Flyway for wintering ducks and Texas hunters have plenty of affordable hunting options on reservoirs, wildlife management areas and federal refuges open to the public.

Cinnamon teal are not common in Texas but they do show up and thrill hunters lucky enough to bag one.

GEESE: Goose hunting is a long-standing tradition in Texas. Although snow and specklebelly numbers aren’t what they used to be in Texas, there are still areas with huge concentrations and huge opportunities.

Top spots include the Middle Coast and Panhandle, which also has an ample Canada population.

for the raucous, ear-splitting chorus a flock makes. The loud cha-cha-lac-a call is most commonly heard during the morning hours.

Secretive and often difficult to spot in their native habitat, this unique gamebird offers a challenging hunting experience for the outdoorsman. Legal hunting seasons begin in early November and extend through mid-February. The daily bag limit is five birds.

CHACHALACA: In Cameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy County along the Mexico border, lives Texas’s most overlooked game bird the chachalaca.

According to Texas Parks & Wildlife Department officials, this native, non-migratory game bird is similar in size and form to a female Ring-necked Pheasant and is named

PHEASANTS: Ring-necked pheasants are not native to Texas (or America for that matter), but there are huntable populations in 37 counties in the Panhandle region.

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW) records, the first pheasants in the High Plains and Northern Rolling Plains of Texas immigrated from western Oklahoma

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in 1939 or 1940. Private releases of birds during the 1930s and 1940s by private landowners in the Panhandle of Texas also helped to establish populations of ring-necked pheasants in several areas of the region.

Texas hunters are allowed to take three cocks a day with a possession limit of nine.

The pheasants we are talking about here are true wild pheasants. There are numerous places with great stocked birds across the state, but these are free ranging, breeding birds.

SANDHILL CRANES: If you want to have a truly different hunt, try the largest game bird in Texas. It’s so good on the table some call it the “sirloin of the sky.”

Hunters can pursue these birds in three different zones, but be cautious as they look PHOTOS: USFWS

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PHOTO: CHESTER MOORE

Many counties in Texas have fall turkey seasons.

quite a bit like the endangered whooping crane. Sandhills are loud, beautiful, boisterous birds that sound like a plane crash when hitting the ground and have been known to pluck a retriever’s eye out.

THE RIGHT GUN Choosing the right gun for the hunt is crucial.

The CZ 1012 Synthetic Bottomland is a great choice for many of these wingshooting opportunities.

With one of the most iconic camo patterns of all time, the 1012 Bottomland is a bird-hunting machine. Using the same uber-reliable inertia semi-auto system that was used to set a clay shooting world record in 2019, this auto-loader is built for abuse.

Whether it’s in a duck boat or a grueling

12-hour torture test, the 1012 is specifically designed to run a wide variety of ammunition while receiving minimal maintenance.

For wingshooters who love over/unders and specifically like pursuing dove, quail and pheasant the CZ Redhead Premier is a great option.

The flagship of their over/under line, the reliable Redhead is a true all-purpose shotgun, it’s just as comfortable to shoot at a sporting clays event as it is when chasing quail in the Brush Country.

With a silver receiver and ejectors that kick out the spent shells automatically, the Redhead Premier is packed with features that can’t be found on another shotgun in its price range. 12 and 20 gauges have threeinch chambers and five flush-mount choke tubes. The 16 gauge has a 2 ¾-inch chamber

Synthetic Bottomland Springs into Action THE LATEST EVOLUTION IN CZ’S SEMIautomatic shotgun line, the 1012 uses a gas-less inertia operating system. Instead of redirecting gas from the barrel to run the action, the

1012 uses a spring within the bolt to store energy during the shotgun’s recoil. This spends the energy a

split second later to rotate and unlock the twin lugs from the barrel extension and

withdraw the spent shell.

The major advantage of an inertia system is the less stringent maintenance schedule. Unlike gas guns that need periodic cleaning of the piston and magazine

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and fixed IC/MOD chokes. All Redhead Premiers have a mechanical safety with barrel selector, Turkish walnut stocks and independent auto ejectors.

SOCIAL DISTANCING IN THE FIELD In a year dominated by a new term— “social distancing,” one can argue that the best place to do it is in the field.

In a state that deemed hunting and fishing as “essential’ during the crisis, wingshooting opportunities abound. We should enjoy them to the max and conserve species and habitats so others can do the same in the future.

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tube, the 1012’s needs are vastly fewer.

During testing, CZ pushed 1012s to 5,000 rounds without a drop of oil or cleaning of any sort, while experiencing zero parts breakage or malfunctions. In normal field use, the occasional cleaning and oiling should be more than enough.

Additionally, the gas-less system itself is tuned to run a wider variety of shells

— from light-recoiling target loads up to the smoking hot three-inch magnums currently on the market.

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HOSE BIG, STATELY GREENHEADS MAY RULE WITH THE masses, but blue-winged teal always ring the bell the loudest with Texas’s early bird waterfowl crowd.

Small, agile and built for speed, teal are always the first ducks to vacate their northern breeding grounds to begin their annual migration southward toward Mexico, Central and South America.

Not all of the small ducks that pour out the Dakotas and Canada in August and September will pass through Texas en route to their wintering grounds, but a whole bunch of them do. That can lead to some world-class shoots on inland waters and coastal prairies.

That’s particularly true when the arrival coincides with the 16-day early teal season that thousands of Texas duck hunters look forward to each September.

This year’s teal season is set for September 12 to 27.

It’s impossible to say from one year to the next when earliest flights of teal will arrive. The weather-sensitive birds tend to start pushing south when the first cool breath of autumn air sweeps across northern grasslands. In a normal year, the fast-flying ducks will begin showing up in Texas in late August. Their numbers will continue to build right on through September.

Those numbers can escalate quickly once the birds start winging their way south en masse. It happens quickly. A seemingly lifeless shallow mud flat at mid-week might swarm with birds buzzing a spread by the weekend.

That’s why most dedicated waterfowlers are weather watchers. They know a promising weather forecast when they see one.

All it takes is a subtle temperature drop up north to send teal packing south. It makes all the sweat and swatting mosquitos of a September duck in Texas well worthwhile.

Of course, how long the birds will stick around once they get here, will be heavily influenced by what they find in terms of water conditions and, more importantly, groceries.

Teal are dabblers. They feed primarily in the shallows, often in water so skinny that it’ll barely float a decoy.

The birds will eat insects and other invertebrates, but they really like new growth terrestrial vegetation and seeds. They can easily reach the feed in a posture that sometimes puts their heads beneath the surface and their butts in the air.

A second growth rice field spurred to life by timely rains can be a magnet for migrant teal looking for a spot to loaf and recharge. The same holds true of mud flats ripe with vegetation on well known bass lakes such as Cooper, Sam Rayburn, Richland Chambers, Toledo Bend and Palestine.

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Bass Anglers Should Be Prepared to Share BASS ANGLERS AND OTHER FISHERMEN OFTEN FIND THEMselves sharing the same water as duck hunters during fall and winter. If you find yourself in this situation, exercising common courtesy and common sense are the orders of the day.

Duck hunters are typically on the water well before daylight. It can be frustrating to make a long run to a favorite fishing area and find it already occupied by duck hunters, but it happens pretty frequently. Nothing says the angler has to leave. However, the courteous thing to do is relocate to a

Big reservoir teal hunting tends to be at its best when significant rain in August or September follows a moderately dry summer. According to Jared Laing of Lindale, that’s when the odds can really be good.

“It’s all about timing,” Laing said.

“The hunting can be lights out if you get a lot of new growth vegetation, then get a system that puts some water on top of it. You can have some really good shoots on reservoirs when the water is right.

“That means rising water, not falling water. Some of the best areas will be shallow mud flats with flooded new growth vegetation. It’s just like the coast, just a different setting.”

Laing, a former TPWD waterfowl biologist turned consultant, said succulent terrestrial weeds tend to sprout along shorelines and on expansive flats that are exposed to sunlight during low water periods. Add water to flood the greenery, and it can be a dinner buffet for teal. Flats and shorelines grown up in pink smartweed or barnyard grass can be particularly attractive to bluewings.

“They’ll nibble on submerged aquatic vegetation, but that’s not really what they key in on,” he said. “It’s mostly seeds they’re hunting early on.”

Although an abundance of goodies is always a great ingredient to have in the mix, some years the stars just don’t line up.

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different spot or stay far enough away that you don’t screw up their hunt.

Duck hunters, meanwhile, should be mindful of distant anglers and avoid taking risky shots in their direction. Shotshell pellets can travel farther than you think. All it takes is one errant pellet to take out an eye.

—Matt Williams

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lake to the next.

Laing said teal will often sit on shallow flats with limited food just to take a breather before moving on. Strategic positioning where the birds want to be can lead to a full strap in short order.

“Sometimes they just key on big sheet water,” he said. “Even though there isn’t much there for them to eat, they’ll use it to loaf and rest before moving on.”

Laing says public reservoirs all around the state can hold teal, but some lakes tend to be better than others. Relatively shallow reservoirs with lots of expansive flats are historically the best.

“On some lakes you might have a 100 yards of shoreline exposed if the water level drops a foot or two,” he said. “That’s why some of the more productive duck lakes have big, long shallow shorelines.”

A number of lakes across eastern Texas fit that bill, but Laing says those impoundments along the western edge of Pineywoods are among his favorites from one year to the next.

“All of the big reservoirs can have the right stuff, but historically those lakes along the western edge are a little bit better,” he

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said. “They tend to fluctuate more.”

If you plan to hunt during the early teal season this year, remember that blue-winged, green-winged and cinnamon teal are the only ducks you can shoot. If you’re not sure of the target, don’t pull the trigger. Fines for shooting other ducks out of season can be brisk, besides the embarrassment of getting ticketed. The daily limit on early teal is six per hunter, per day.

Also, remember to purchase a new hunting license and make sure to answer a short list of questions about last year’s migratory bird hunting successes required for HIP (Harvest Information Program).

Additionally, you will need the migratory game bird and Federal Duck Stamp endorsements. The migratory game bird stamp costs $7; the Federal stamp is $25.

A person 17 years of age or older must possess a migratory game bird endorsement receipt to hunt any migratory game bird in this state. Waterfowl hunters 16 years of age and over are required to have a Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (commonly called a Duck Stamp; available at most post offices and TPWD offices).

Finally, remember to carry only steel or other nontoxic shot into the field. Shotshells containing lead shot are not legal for hunting ducks. Shotguns must be plugged to accept no more than three shotshells.

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TEXAS WHITETAILS

by LARRY WEISHUHN :: TF&G Contributing Editor

Hunting Season, Finally!

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O SAY 2020 HAS BEEN AN “interesting” year, is quite an understatement. We’ve faced a pandemic, which totally disrupted our lives with scarce food supplies in grocery stores, face mask requirements, and social distancing. Not to mention wide-spread protests and riots in large cities.

However, now comes the part of the year where social distancing has been the norm for years—whitetail deer season in Texas.

Hallelujah!

More and more people are heading to the deer woods this year. Many have realized whitetail deer provide some of the best meat there is—totally organic, highly nutritious, low fat and absolutely delicious. That’s not to mention they’re great fun to hunt, as well.

For me, whitetail season essentially never ends, at least not the part about preparing. I began planning for the 2020 season the day the previous hunting season closed.

This includes late winter fertilizing of native browse species and select oak and persimmon trees, as well as planting native browse and seed-producing plants. Add to this, predator control, looking for sheds, planting food plots, and creating trails through thickets during the summer.

Also, I practice with my rifles and handguns, making certain my Trijicon scopes are still properly sighted-in with appropriate Hornady ammo. In addition, my crossbows, and even a new Seneca Dragon Claw air gun (which shoots broad-head tipped air-bolts) have played heavily in my preparation.

A big part of getting ready too, was to make use of Texas Raised Hunting Products’ (TRHP) Curiosity Lure. Then about the time

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are primarily for hogs. They also hold does as much as possible, which will in turn, draw bucks.

I will try to take does during the first days of the archery season as soon as it opens (I can legally take does with my crossbow during the archery season). Then as the season progresses, I will concentrate on mature bucks.

In November I will hunt areas that hold does where I have TRHP scent working for me. Last day of the previous season, I saw a couple of bucks on my property that I am truly hoping to see again.

Big antlers? Depends on your description.

With any luck, those bucks will have eight or ten points this year with about a fifteen to sixteen-inch outside spread.

I am thankful that, once again, it’s our time of the year.

whitetail bucks’ antler development was completed, I put out TRHP’s Scrape King. As the season progresses toward the beginning of the rut, I’ll start using TRHP’s Dominant Buck and Inflamed Estrus scent.

I hunt on my property about 70 miles west of Houston, even though it’s not very big. I also hunt in the Lower Panhandle, and a few other places scattered across the state.

The rut around my home place generally occurs in late October, but I have seen bucks chasing does in late September. In other areas of Texas, the rut occurs in mid-November to late December.

Fortunately, I get to hunt properties other than my own that have Managed Lands Deer Permits. This allows me to take several bucks and numerous does each year.

Although I do use trail cameras to get an idea of what deer are in the area, I truly like being surprised.

Early in the season, while the rut is not yet underway, I hunt food sources. I do have a couple of feeders on my property, but those T E X A S

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Email Larry Weishuhn at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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HEN TEXAS ANGLERS TALK smallmouth bass, lakes Texoma and Belton are sure to enter the mix.

Though neither impoundment cranks out the numbers and quality with the consistency of northern hotspots like St. Clair or Champlain, both are top notch by Texas standards. In fact, the two lakes are so good for thick-shouldered bronzebacks that putting a finger on which one

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is best depends entirely on whom you talk to.

Here’s the skinny on Texas’s top-ranked smallmouth lakes, along with some local input on how to approach them during the fall of the year:

Lake Belton

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HOW IT FISHES: Keith Honeycutt of Temple lives about a half mile from the lake and knows it as well as anyone. On a Texas scale of 1 to 10, he gives Belton a fall rating of 11.

“It’s damn good—like really, really good,” he said. “It’s definitely one of the best smallmouth lakes in Texas. They pretty much dominate most of the tournament weigh-ins from November through February. There are a lot of five- to sixpounders caught here. This year we probably caught more twoto three-pounders than I’ve caught my whole life.”

What makes Belton’s smallmouths really attractive is their fancy for a topwater plug. Honeycutt says they love a popper and walking baits such as a Zara Spook.

“It usually starts in late September and gets better the cooler that water gets. When it hits 55 to 57 degrees they really start

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crunching.”

Honeycutt spends a high percentage of his time graphing for balls of shad around submerged hardwoods and cedar trees away from the rocky shores in about 25 to 35 feet of water. He said

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smallmouths like to suspend in the timber around balls of shad, and they’ll rush to the surface to blast a surface bait.

Flukes, umbrella rigs and medium diving crankbaits such as a Rapala DT10 or Storm Wiggle Wart in a crawfish color pattern also get high marks.

“Electronics is a big key,” he said. “Find the bait and you’ll find the smallmouths.”

Honeycutt prefers fishing the mid to upper lake in early fall. Once the water starts cooling down, he concentrates more on the mid and lower lake.

Lake Texoma

SIZE: 74,686 acres LOCATION: Lies on the Red River and Washita River along the Texas/Oklahoma border LAKE RECORD: 7.06 pounds, 22.75 inches, January 2006 Texas Bass pro Chris McCall cut his bass fishing teeth on Lake Texoma as a kid growing up in nearby Gainesville. McCall has since relocated to Palmer, but still heads the

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Smallmouth hit hard and are a thrill to catch whether you are six or 60.

Texas/Okie border lake every chance he gets. Fall and winter rank about his favorite times to go for smallmouth.

“They always slow down during summer, but come fall they turn back on,” McCall said. “There aren’t a lot of big tournaments

there anymore, but when there is one there during fall the brown fish are always a player.

It’s got lots of four- to five-pounders.”

McCall says bronzebacks can be found as far north as Little Glasses creek south to Eisenhower State Park to the Denison dam.

He pointed to the classic smallmouth habitat at the lower third of the lake as promising hotbed during autumn and winter. Water depths of 2 to 12 feet are ideal.

“One day they might be on big boulders and next they might be on something flat,” he said. “They aren’t afraid to get around sand and clay drops, either.”

As fishing tactics go, McCall suggests sticking with one of four patterns. His favorite is throwing a Flash Mob, Jr. umbrella rig matched with 3/16 ounce Santone swim bait heads and Zoom Swimming Super Fluke, Jr. swimbaits.

“They love a topwater such as a ‘Spook, Vixen or Pop-R, but there are times when they’ll crush a buzz bait, too. “If they are wanting something on the bottom, a Santone Piglet shaky head or Ned rig can be really effective.”

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Texas FRESHWATER

by MATT WILLIAMS :: TF&G Freshwater Editor

Fishing In Uncertain Times

As a consequence, the first of two production cycles of Florida largemouth bass scheduled for early March didn’t happen.

Likewise, production numbers for the year were projected be down at least 50 percent, if not more. That ultimately resulted in significantly fewer fish available for stocking in public lakes than were requested by district leaders.

T’S MID-JUNE AS I SIT DOWN TO write this—roughly four months after a troublesome bug believed to have originated in China reared its ugly head. It has turned what started off as a banner spring fishing season into a living nightmare unlike any we have ever seen.

To date, more than 100,000 people have reportedly died in the U.S. as the result of the coronavirus. Millions have lost their jobs and many others are living with the uneasy feeling they might get a pink slip any day.

Amazingly, quite a few are making considerably more by drawing unemployment than their day jobs paid. Uncertain and strange times, indeed.

The impact of this pandemic has been devastating, and there are seemingly no boundaries to its reach. It’s hard to imagine that this virus might wreck a Florida bass production year for a state-of-the-art freshwater hatchery system such as Texas Parks and Wildlife’s, but it did.

The pandemic occurred during a magical window of time when freshwater hatchery production is at its peak. Freshwater aquaculture is a labor-intensive business that often places hatchery workers in close quarters for extended periods of time, particularly when it’s time for fish to spawn.

With shelter in place orders and social distancing guidelines, TPWD freshwater hatchery managers decided it was prudent to err on the side of safety. Hatchery personnel were reduced to skeleton crews. Their workloads shifted toward raising forage for captive brood bass and rearing channel cats to meet commitments with the popular Neighborhood Fishing Program.

TO WIT: In mid-June, Sam Rayburn received 429,000 of the 858,000 fingerlings originally requested for the year. At Lake Fork, only about 256,000 of the 508,000-requested Florida bass fingerlings were stocked.

The economic fallout on the fishing industry hasn’t been fully recognized yet, but it hasn’t been pretty. Fishing tournament organizations—large and small—have been forced into a four-month hiatus that did not end until early June.

ICAST, recognized as the largest fishing tackle trade show in the world for more than 60 years, canceled the “physical” portion its July show in favor of a “virtual” format to help keep the global fishing community connected.

More bad news came in late May when Evinrude announced it will cease production of outboard engines. This includes the Evinrude E-Tec currently mounted to transoms of several top bass pros such as Clark Wendlant, Andy Morgan, Bryan Thrift, Scott Martin, Jim Tutt, Jacob Wheeler and others.

Evinrude’s parent company, Bombardier Recreational Products, cited the economic fallout from the coronavirus crisis as the final nail in the coffin for a company that was already struggling.

What’s really interesting is the uptick in fishing traffic on Texas lakes, bays and rivers during the height of all this hysteria. July 4 crowds seemed to gather on good fishing lakes just about every day of the week, resulting in a definite spike in fishing license sales.

According to TPWD figures, 418,259 fishing licenses were sold statewide between March 11 and May 20 of this year. During the

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same time period in 2019, 336,019 fishing licenses were sold. These figures indicate an increase of 82,240 licenses sold.

The increase in sales resulted in a significant bump in revenue for the department.

License revenue for March 11 and May 20, 2020, was up more than $5.6 million over 2019.

Like most bait shop, tackle store and marina operators, Tony Parker at Minnow Bucket Marina on Lake Fork says he sold more licenses to beginning anglers last spring than he can recall in the past.

“I think it’s because there isn’t much else to do around here right now except fish, or because people are starting to worry and are wanting to stock their freezers with fish,” Parker said. “There have definitely been a lot of people out on the water.”

Craig Bonds, TPWD’s chief of inland fisheries, says he believes both factors may have led to the bump in license sales.

“We don’t know which is more influential, but people had more leisure time on their hands with less competing activities for their time,” Bonds said. “They either want to get out to enjoy some recreation outdoors in a responsible and safe way, or they are looking for a way to put some food in the freezer.

Fishing allows you to accomplish both.”

Strange and uncertain times, indeed.

Here’s hoping it’s all behind us by the time this issue of TF&G hits the streets.

« Email Matt Williams at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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EFORE YOU START TO READ this article, allow me to make a few suggestions.

Grab a pen and paper to take down a few of these ideas for a quick reference, so you do not forget any of them and also, empty your bladder now so there are no “accidents” from laughing your head off.

Strange as some of these may sound, they do and have worked for me in the past.

My buddy Tom came up with this one.

He takes some reflective tape and puts it on the back of his arrow between the fletching and the nock. When I first saw this, I thought to myself that this was a wasted effort. Then I helped him track a deer at night.

He shined his hi-powered flashlight ahead in the direction the deer traveled, and there was his arrow on the ground, off the beaten deer path.

Had it not been for the reflective tape, we might have walked right past that arrow. We would have missed all the information the blood on that arrow told us.

He told me he lost an arrow while practicing and asked me to help him look for it. I immediately reminded him that it was already very dark outside and we should wait until daylight.

He took me outside and shined his light. Viola!

There was his arrow shining like the morning sun.

Here is another one that worked like a charm for me. Now, you better sit down for this one. I would hate to have you fall down laughing.

One Halloween, I saw a friend’s spooky display. In that array of horrors was a dummy he had filled with straw. It was sitting in a chair on his front porch.

A light bulb went on in my head. I went home and started my own “Halloween” dummy.

The following summer, my masterpiece was ready. I dressed him in camo and took him into the woods to my deer stand. I strapped my new hunting buddy up in the stand and left him there for the deer to see.

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Whitetails are smart animals and using a few of Marullo’s tricks can help bowhunters bag them on a consistent basis.

The whitetails soon got used to seeing that dummy, and on opening morning, a different dummy was up there. Only this one

could draw a bow and harvest a deer. I was amazed at how well this worked.

Pretty cool, huh?

Make sure you tie it in good and tight, so it stays upright. It would be a useless attempt if the original dummy did not look realis-

Listen Up for More Great Bow Hunting Tips TF&G HUNTING EDITOR AND MASTER Bowhunter Education Instructor Lou Marullo has released his first-ever audio book String Theory For Bowhunters. Learn the ins and outs of bowhunting. He covers everything from getting started to high level strategies and tricks to help you bag whitetails, wild turkeys, hogs

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and more. This fun listen is narrated by Marullo himself and is filled with humor and wild anecdotes. Get the book in the Itunes store, audiobooks.com and other top e-book platforms.

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tic—at least realistic enough to fool the deer.

Here is another tip, Try to think like a deer.

In my hunting classes, I ask my students to listen to a sound and tell me what it is. I then proceed to walk around the room and continue to do so while I ask what are they hearing. If I get no correct answer, I clap my hands to match my footsteps. It is not long before some alert student proclaims that I have created a rhythm to my step.

That’s right!

We are the only animal in the woods who has a rhythm to our walking, and everyone walking with us has the same beat. As a matter of fact, strange as THIS may sound, but it is not unusual to have the person that is following you place his foot in the exact spot yours was. How weird is that?

If you want to fool that big boy, then try walking to your stand with a broken rhythm.

Have you ever heard a squirrel when he prances around gathering his food? Three or four fast steps…stop…five or six fast steps…stop… and so on.

Now, I do not expect you to close the car door and then take two or three steps

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and stop.

But once I get 100 yards or so from my tree stand, I stop and let the other hunters with me continue walking to their spot.

Once the woods have quieted down, which usually only takes about five minutes or so, I then walk like a squirrel that last 100 yards. I know you are saying to yourself, “Come on… isn’t that a bit much?”

I can only tell you that it has worked for me, and it has worked more than once. As a matter of fact, one time I was caught still getting in my stand when a huge buck walked right in on me. My trick worked so well, he had no idea I had invaded his turf.

Here is a little trick for you. Where there are deer, there are also turkeys. Both are extremely wary animals, and along with that comes highly receptive senses, particularly their hearing and sight. Either one is very tough to sneak up on. With that said, it is not uncommon to see the whitetails feeding fairly close to the turkeys.

I tried an experiment one day. I set my portable blind up on the edge of a field one day while hunting turkeys. Early in the predawn, I set up a few turkey decoys near

the blind and then climbed into my humble abode and waited for the turkeys.

Although that particular day did not produce any gobblers in the field, it did bring a few deer. As soon as the deer hit the open field, they showed signs of extreme caution as they looked directly at my blind.

After two weeks, at least it seemed like that, (actually only a few long minutes later), they decided they did not like the big bush that was not there yesterday. I took my mouth call and softly yelped a few times, and like magic, the deer decided that all was safe.

They paid no attention to the blind at all after that and actually fed much closer to me.

The smile on my face showed that it is true. You really are never too old to learn something new.

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ESEARCHERS AT TEXAS A&M University think cloning could be one way to help.

Dr. Todd Sink and graduate research assistant Elizabeth Silvy have developed a methodology that may aid stock enhancement programs that promote the flounder fishery.

The inherent cause of stock decline can be attributed to the fact that male flounders outnumber female flounders in the wild, and that larval flounders are temperature dependent when it comes time to form gonads.

If temperatures are too high or too low, a majority of the offspring produced will be male. This has been proved true in the wild as well as in stock enhancement programs currently run by TPWD. To produce a hearty wild flounder stock, or even promote hatchery numbers, a majority of the offspring must be female, as one male can mate with a hundred females.

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The author first started writing about how hatcheries might be part of flounder woes in the late 1990s.

A&M officials said cloning of female flounders created broodstock females that are genetically female and physically male.

“These female/male flounder can then be bred back to wild females collected from TPWD’s stock enhancement programs to

produce all female progeny to be released in the wild,” the officials said.

They indicated that milt (flounder sperm) and eggs are collected from adult fish. Then, the milt is subjected to a UV irradiation treatment that renders the DNA within useless for passing on to the offspring.

The UV irradiated milt is mixed with eggs collected from a female flounder. These fertilized eggs are subjected to different shock treatments using either a hydrostatic pressure chamber or a cold-water bath. This causes the egg to retain the second polar body and hatch as a gynogenic clone of the female flounder.

“Once the larvae are developed, they are subjected to a methyl testosterone treatment that will aid in the development of male reproductive organs in a genetically female fish,” the officials said. “These fish will never be released into the wild. Instead they will be kept as broodstock to breed with female flounders collected from the wild to maintain genetic diversity.”

Flounder are a challenging fish to manage and have been the subject of many regulation changes in recent years. Perhaps an expansion of stocking through such a program could enhance the fishery.

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Texas SALTWATER

by CALIXTO GONZALES :: TF&G Saltwater Editor

Hoofing It

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HE SPANISH MACKEREL were tearing bait in the surf near the Padre Island Jetties that gorgeous October morning. I was trying to forget the Longhorns’ trouncing at the hands of dastardly Oklahoma the day before, and I was having a fine time.

Every cast of the chrome spoon I was throwing into the thrashing schools of blue and yellow-spotted rapiers was getting slammed, and I had four in the ice chest in four casts.

I made my fifth cast and started swimming the ½-ounce chrome Kastmaster back to the rocks just under the surface. Halfway back, another Spanny struck and took off in a streak. I worked the fish back to the edge of the rocks and was getting ready to flip on top of them when a six-foot long tarpon came up under the hapless pelagic and sucked him down with an audible slurp.

I don’t know whether the little treble hook actually found purchase in the fish’s bony mouth, or the mackerel got lodged in his throat, but whatever the reason, I was latched into a large and angry fish.

Ninety minutes later, the big ‘poon finally broke the 20-pound line, and left me a sunburned, bloody (my knees showed the wages of repeatedly tripping while chasing the fish up and down the rocks) wreck.

Such is the punishment for challenging the silver king from shore. He can do a number on you. Still, if you have a desire to go knuckle and skull with one of the premier gamefish in the world while keeping your feet on terra firma, then chasing tarpon from the beach or jetties is your game.

There’s no telling the sort of fish you’ll latch onto, either. Jeremy Ebert of Deer Park, Texas broke the state tarpon record on 4 October 2006 with a 210 pound, 11-ounce behemoth. He hooked and landed the huge tarpon while soaking menhaden in the surf off the Galveston fishing pier for redfish.

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lel to the rocks and takes off for Campeche I am prepared. It’s reassuring to know that I have a top-shot of 300 yards of braid on top of 250 yards of 20-pound line when using my Okuma.

In a best-case scenario, I have a large line cushion to try to pressure the fish into turning. Worst case, I have added time to suffer while I hope for a miracle to stop the fish.

The longer rods also give you an added advantage when you hook a fish from the jetties. You can put greater pressure onto a sounding fish or one running from you because of the higher angle the long rods afford you. Believe me, when you latch into a big tarpon that starts rampaging around the jetties you’re stuck on, a twelve-foot rod becomes your best friend.

The great thing about these fish is that they are perfect opponents for the typically equipped surf fisherman who is chasing trout and redfish. A 40-pound tarpon is great fun on a seven to seven-and-a-half-foot trout rod with a reel loaded with 12- to 15-pound line.

You can fight him from the shore, and if the fish starts a greyhound run parallel to the beach, you can hoof it keep up with him.

Beach-combing tarpon will strike the same lures and flies that trout and redfish strike. If you target them specifically, patterns that include white or red seem to work best, and noisy plugs are very effective. Don’t be surprised if one of these junior thugs sucks down a shrimp under a popping cork, either.

These fish aren’t very discriminating.

Jeremy Ebert’s fish showed that fact.

You don’t need a $25,000 boat equipped with a trolling motor and top-of-the-line electronics to reach out and latch on to one of the most sought-after gamefish anywhere.

Solid tackle, a smart assortment of bait or lures, and a stout heart are the tools you’ll need.

Before you blanch and decide that it may not be a good idea to go after tarpon from shore—rest easy. For every big tarpon out there ready to give a fisherman the business, there are plenty of 40- to 60-pound tarpon who are more than a bit accommodating when it comes to taking bait or lures and giving you a fine time without too much pain and angst.

During October, vast schools of large mullet begin migrating along the Texas Coast preparing for their spawn. Tarpon join the legions of sport fish that follow these giant schools and rip into them with abandon. The day I latched onto my big tarpon, I had witnessed such a school of mullet pass through the Brazos Santiago surf.

These fish can be intercepted and hooked by the angler who casts large, noisy lures such as the Magnum Rat-L Trap or the Magnum Super Spook. Two novel options that I’ve experimented with have been large swimbaits such as the Castaic Ayu (which does an excellent job of imitating a wounded mullet), and the South Padre Island Lures seven-inch tandem, which is a pair of large jerkbaits fished on a unique tandem rig.

Appropriate tackle includes a surf rod 8 to 12 feet long to reach out to where the lunkers lurk. You’ll also need a high capacity reel such as the Penn 8500 SS or Okuma Coronado (or an Ambassadeur 7000-C4 or Shimano Calcutta 400TE or 600 TE, if you prefer casting reels). Fill it with at least 20-pound test line such as Stren High Impact or Trilene Big Game. Flourocarbon is another excellent option because of the excellent abrasion resistance this line formulation provides.

I prefer braided line in this and other surf/ jetty applications because of the increased reel capacity it provides me. If a big fish gets down in the outgoing currents that run paralF I S H

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Bare Bones HUNTING

by LOU MARULLO :: TF&G Hunting Editor

Practice for Fall Hunting

to shoot alongside a friend. We would often play a game while we are practicing.

There is a basketball game that we used to call PIG. Someone would make a shot, and you had to stand in the exact same spot and shoot in the exact same way. If you missed, you took a letter. Once you took enough letters to spell PIG, you were eliminated.

We introduced this game in our bow hunting practice times. The same rules applied except instead of a basketball, we used arrows.

We would pick random distances (because we all know a deer does not always stand broadside at 20 yards). When one of my friends hit the specific target, we all had to go to the exact spot and shoot in the exact way he did and score or take a letter.

Believe me when I tell you that some of those shots were absolutely crazy. Things like down on one knee or twisting around so that your back is facing the target.

One of my friends, I will not say who (Tom) once took aim at the eye of a 3-D deer and after his shot, we all had to hit it as well. Some days I wanted to change the name of the game from PIG to Superkalifragilisticexpialidocious just so I could stay in the game longer.

For those who never heard that word, it comes from Disney’s Mary Poppins. Yeah, my hunting buddies didn’t think much of it either.

Crazy as this may sound, it forced us to concentrate on a small target. In the long run we all became better shooters and had a blast while we were improving our shooting skills. Aim small, miss small. It is true that the smaller your target, the more you will be forced to concentrate on it. In real hunting situations, too many beginners will see the deer come into range and just shoot at the whole animal.

Usually, they have no idea of exactly where they hit the deer. Everything happens so fast.

You should never just shoot at the whole deer. Or even at the 12-inch area we call the breadbasket. Rather, pick a small spot on that

P

RACTICE MAKES PERFECT. That’s what we are told, and I am here to tell you how true that statement is.

It’s almost time to get out there and hunt for the whitetail of your dreams. Your scouting should be completed by now, your stand locations, assigned. Your stands should be up and tiny laneways cleared for an arrow to cleanly and humanely take an animal.

Now is the time to take that last important step and really hone your shooting ability.

Some readers will be consistent at 10 yards.

Others will find they are consistent at 20, 30, even 40 yards or more.

There is more to consider when it comes to shooting consistently and accurately.

Many shooters are happy with hitting a paper plate at different distances, but some hunters will never be satisfied with that.

These hunters are not happy until they can group their arrows tightly into a very small circle on that 12-inch paper plate.

These outdoor enthusiasts will never take a questionable shot.

These ethical hunters not only have a love for bow hunting, but also have a resolute respect for the animal they are pursuing.

These hunters might not score on a nice whitetail every year, but they can go home after a long day in the field and be satisfied with just enjoying the outdoors.

When it’s time to practice, I have found that having a shooting buddy with you can help immensely.

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deer. Pick a hair in the middle of that 12-inch breadbasket and concentrate on that—and only that.

Try to stay calm and follow through with your shot. If you do, chances are you will be eating venison for dinner.

Another big practice problem is that, often times, the shooter will shoot way too many arrows. After 10 shots or so, the muscles will tire and you’ll not be as accurate as you were earlier.

A good habit to get into, especially this close to the season, is to go out every day after work and limit your shots to no more than 10 arrows. Maybe even limit your shots to five, but make every one of those count.

Target panic is a major problem for beginners and veteran hunters alike. It has happened to me and just about every other hunter I know.

You’ve practiced and are accurate. But once in a while, an arrow goes flying and might miss the target altogether. What the heck was that? How can that happen?

In bow shooting, it’s the same as shooting a rifle. Once you are settled in and have your sights on the target, you need to squeeze the trigger and let the moment the arrow releases be a surprise.

Every once in a while, I still have an arrow fly off target because I punch the trigger instead of getting a nice smooth, steady squeeze. I know it, and I must constantly remind myself of that fact. For me, it’s still a work in progress, so you are not alone if you have target panic.

Whitetail season is right around the corner, and I do hope you have a successful year.

After all, with all that practice under your belt, it should be a piece of cake. Right?

Well… maybe not a piece of cake, but at least you’re prepared. Good luck!

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IVE IT ANOTHER FEW WEEKS and Texas highways will clog with parades of pick-up trucks and SUVs as more than 300,000 revved-up shotgunners head to dove fields across the state for the September 1 season opener in the North and Central zones.

Most Pineywoods hunters can’t get out of town fast enough when opening day of dove season rolls around. That’s because hunting prospects across eastern Texas pale in comparison to dove-rich regions such as the Panhandle, Central Texas and South Texas.

Together those three regions support most of the state’s massive breeding dove populations. This includes about 35 million mourning doves, 12 million white wings and about 5 million Eurasian collared doves.

They’re attracted by a favorable mix of habitat and gobs of tasty goodies left on the ground by agricultural and grain operations.

That’s not to say good dove hunts don’t exist in the Pineywoods, but the chips have to fall just right for them to happen with any consistency.

I’ve enjoyed some pretty fair shoots in this part of the country over the years, but none to compare to a fairy tale flurry that unfolded back in 2002. It happened on a 40-acre pasture across the road from my home in western Nacogdoches County. The field was bisected by an old power line at the time.

REPORT: NEWS 40 u TF&G OF THE NATION Reported by TF&G Staff

& GAME 40 u FISH HOTSHOTS Trophy Photos from TF&G Readers

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FISH & GAME FORECAST CENTER SALTWATER

Reported by Capt. Eddie Hernandez, Capt. Mike Holmes, Mike Price, Capt. Chris Martin, Capt. Mac Gable, Capt. Joey Farah and Capt. Gerad Meritt

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FISH & GAME FORECAST CENTER FRESHWATER Reported by TF&G Staff

60 u SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK

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Tides and SoLunar Data

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FISH & GAME HUNTING CENTER

by Chester Moore

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the area and brought an army of mourning doves with it. Hundreds of mourning doves began staging on the power line each morning before dropping down to feed.

They feasted on a smorgasbord of fresh croton and watermelon seeds left behind from the previous summer.

By east Texas standards, my wife and I enjoyed a dream season that year.

Together we shot 109 doves in seven hunts before another cold front raced across the region. Poof! Like gray ghosts riding a brisk, fall wind, the birds were gone just as

A cold front will often push dove into a new area.

My neighbor had leased the property to a watermelon farmer the previous year.

Goat weeds blanketed the field the following summer, shielding the bare ground 32

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quickly as they showed up.

It’s tough to say how many birds frequented the field in a day’s time.

We always tried to get in and out as quickly as possible. We never hunted the spot two days in a row to avoid pressuring the birds too much.

The field was planted in improved pasture the following year. Not surprisingly, it hasn’t been worth a flip for dove hunting ever since.

Sean Willis of Huntington knows the scenario all too well. Willis is a veteran wildlife biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Based in Lufkin, Willis does a lot of his hunting on public lands.

Some of his best dove hunts have gone down on national forest property that can be accessed for free. Also good are state managed wildlife management areas that require hunters to have a $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit.

According to Willis, almost always, a few good dove hunts are to be had on public hunting lands each September. He said the main key to success is scouting ahead to find areas the birds are using to feed PHOTO: USFWS

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PHOTO: TF&G

Doves roosting in trees are a common sight in the Piney Woods.

frequently. Most often, these areas consist of new clear cuts—places where tall timber has been removed, and the open ground left behind has grown up native weeds and grasses.

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“The important thing to remember about clear cuts is that they have a very narrow window of time when they will be good for doves,” Willis said. “Usually, the first year after being treated with herbicide |

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Texas has 35 million mourning dove...

...12 million white winged dove...

...and 5 million Eurasian collared dove.

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PHOTOS: TPWD

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and replanted is the best. That’s when it has the barest ground and therefore the wooliest croton (also called goat weed or dove weed).

“Croton is going to be the primary food source for doves in these clear cuts. You can rarely come back to a clear-cut where you had good hunts last year and still find birds. They just get too thick with other vegetation, and doves are no longer able to effectively feed.”

Here’s another good public lands hunting tip Willis had to offer. If you find an area that holds an abundance of birds, don’t dally around about hunting it. The birds probably won’t stick around for very long.

“If I find a hot spot on public land I will

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usually stay with it while it lasts,” he said.

“The birds usually won’t stay put for long due to weather, the food, or other hunters finding them.”

Owen Fitzsimmons is another veteran TPWD wildlife biologist who knows a thing or two about dove and dove hunting.

Fitzsimmons heads up the department’s dove program. He says there are a number of things East Texas private lands hunters and landowners can do to make their property more attractive to mourning doves.

One of the most effective is to light-disk native pastures in late winter and early spring to promote the growth of native forbs and grasses such as croton, pigweed, vetch and bristle grass. Come August, he suggests mowing strips or circles in the

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vegetation to put native seeds on the ground and provide a place for birds to land and feed.

Another option is to plant fields in food plot crops such as sunflower, millet, wheat

and rye well ahead of the season. Fitzsimmons says millet can grow cheaper and faster than sunflower and are great food plot crops for early season. Wheat and rye can be good

If you find a hot spot on public land, stick with it.

for late season.

“Planting a mix of these crops so they seed out and provide forage throughout the season is a good tactic,” Fitzsimmons said. “Fallow wheat fields that have some successional forbs such as annual sunflower, croton, prickly poppy, and pigweed coming up can be excellent.”

Hay fields can also be productive, Fitzsimmons added. “One popular technique across the southeast United States is to plant brown top millet as a hay crop and cut it just before the season. This gives you hay bales for hunting cover and plenty of knocked-down seed and open ground for doves. It’s a winning combination.”

Fitzsimmons also advises manicuring around stock pond edges and other water sources to make sure doves have a good place to land and can get to the water’s edge easily when they come to drink.

Doves are likely to water any time during the day, but early morning and late afternoon are peak times.

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PHOTO: TPWD

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One of the best ways is to find a way to concentrate cattle to a specific shoreline. Cattle will keep grass and weeds trampled down to create easy access to the water for doves.

As hunting tactics go, Fitzsimmons says hunters should look for open meadows or unimproved pastures grown up in native forbs and grasses. Places that offer food with a good water source nearby can be especially good.

“Look for fields with power lines, dead snags, or large, open-growth trees in the middle of them,” he said. “Doves often prefer to land near a field and scout before committing to feed.”

Finally, the biologist advises hunters to watch the weather and to be sure to

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check their hunting areas for “new birds” after frontal passages.

“East Texas isn’t a major agricultural area, so you don’t find large concentrations of doves over-wintering like you do in other parts of the state,” he said. “But cold fronts can push migrant birds in big numbers. Take advantage of birds migrating through on a front, because they probably won’t be there long.”

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The NATIONAL

Bears Making Big Return to East, West Texas

News of TEXAS

Northeast Texas after being absent for a century or more,” said Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) biologist, Penny Wilkerson.

The recovery of black bears in the threestate region has been ongoing for 30 to 50 years. Thanks to conservation efforts, the Louisiana black bear is no longer listed as a federally threatened species. Similarly, efforts in Oklahoma and Arkansas have increased and expanded bear populations by focusing on habitat conservation and species management.

Bears have an excellent sense of smell and much of their behavior is driven by their appetite. These natural characteristics can, however, become a problem when bears find an easy meal from a human-related source such as garbage, pet food or corn from a deer feeder. If over time a bear con-

SINCE APRIL, THERE HAS BEEN AN uptick in black bear sightings in Bowie, Grayson and Titus counties in northeast Texas.

The bears are thought to originate from the neighboring states of Oklahoma and Arkansas, or possibly Louisiana, where resident bear populations are well established and expanding. As the numbers of this iconic species grow, dispersing black bears find their way across state lines into Texas, which signals the possibility of their eventual permanent return to our landscape.

“It is inspiring as a biologist to watch these animals make their return to

REDFISH

SHARK

Matagorda

PINS

Shelby Dupont fought this red for 15 minutes before getting it in the boat. She was using croaker near the Matagorda jetties.

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tinually finds food around humans, it can become habituated, losing its fear of people and creating a potentially dangerous situation.

“Bears do not generally pose a threat to pets or livestock,” Wilkerson said. “These critters are omnivores and are more interested in berries, grubs and acorns than anything else.”

Texas hunters should make sure they know their targets. Hogs and bears can look very similar from a distance. Black bears are currently a protected species in Texas.

TPWD is interested in documenting all sightings of bears and encourages reporting any sightings to a local biologist. Biologists can provide technical help on electric fence specifications and other ways to secure attractants.

Residents can find a local biologist and more information about bears and

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Nina Garrett caught and released this blacktip shark while fishing with cut bluefish at the Padre Island National Seashore. She released the shark soon after the photo was taken.

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encouraged. Similarly, TPWD biologists recommend feeding pets inside or limiting pet food portions to an amount that can be consumed completely at each feeding.

Particularly challenging to manage is the Texas culture of attracting and feeding deer.

Bears are sensitive to electricity however, so electric fences can be used to prevent bears from accessing feeders while still allowing deer to reach them because of their ability to jump the fence. Although it’s an added cost, electric fencing can pay for itself in the prevention of lost feed and damage to a feeder.

If you see a bear, stay away and do not attempt to feed it. If you are in an urban or developed area, notify your local police or sheriff dispatch immediately and request they contact the local Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Warden. Noting the bear’s size, direction, speed of travel and behavior, especially when it’s feeding in town, will greatly aid authorities in determining how to respond.

“Bears and humans can co-exist well,” said Janis. “The key is preventing bears from accessing human-related food sources.”

—TPWD

If a bear regularly visits your deer stand, scare it with rocks, a slingshot or air horn.

bear safety on the TPWD website. Residents are also encouraged to call the east Texas Region Office at 903-566-1626 extension 209.

Reports have also skyrocketed in the Trans Pecos this year.

“There has been a flurry of bear activity in the Trans-Pecos recently,” said Michael Janis of the Trans-Pecos District Leader.

“Reports of black bears wandering into Fort Davis, Alpine and Fort Stockton were received this past week on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, respectively.”

TPWD biologists say education is the best way to prevent human-bear conflicts.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to preventing conflicts with bears,” said Janis.

Residents in areas where bears have been spotted should secure anything that could be a potential attractant (e.g. garbage, pet food, bird and deer feeders, etc.). Residents can also choose to invest in bear-proof garbage dumpsters, a recourse that many communities in the western U.S. have employed to reduce or prevent bear encounters.

Double-bagging garbage to reduce odors and keeping bags in a secure location until the morning of trash pickup are also

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Will Fall Fall in the Month of September? me happy.

Another big reason for all the excitement is the fact that Texas’s bays are producing in a big way. Here on the upper coast, the fish are feeding aggressively and CAPT. HERNANDEZ taking a variety ContactUs@Fishgame.com of artificial lures as well as live bait. It’s as if they can sense the changing of the seasons well before it shows on the thermometer.

We are not quite done with summer just yet. However, knowing what the not too distant future will bring is enough to get us excited—along with the bait and fish.

On Sabine Lake, fishing the mouths of the bayous along the eastern shoreline should yield some impressive stringers of trout, redfish and flounder. The mouths of these bayous have long been “go to” spots for locals and almost always attract and hold baitfish.

Good tidal movement pushes shrimp, mullet and shad in and out of these bayous.

That, in turn, attracts predator fish. These fish will be more than happy to inhale any of these baits as well as an assortment of artificial lures.

Good choices for soft plastics include H

Reported by CAPT. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

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HE FIRST OFFICIAL DAY OF fall is Tuesday, September 22, 2020. Even though that doesn’t mean much.

Texas’s upper coast in September is, more often than not, just an extension of August.

Yet it still gets me excited. A big reason is seasonal change.

Even though it might not occur this month, it is so close we can almost taste it. I personally love the changing of the seasons, especially when going into fall and spring.

The idea of changing patterns and techniques to coax the big three into biting just makes

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& H Cocahoe Minnows, Down South Lures, Zoom Super Fluke and Gulp! Shrimp and Swimming Mullet. Great color choices are salt and pepper/chartreuse tail, glow, new penny and chartreuse. Topwaters such as She Dog and Skitterwalks in bone and pink/silver as well as gold spoons and Catch 2000s will also get serious results.

As usual, your chances of finding fish are greatly enhanced when fishing either an incoming or outgoing tide. Work the points over good and pay special attention to areas where the current forms small eddies.

If these points are holding bait, especially shrimp, glass minnows or small shad, you should be in business. If flounders are what you’re looking for, slow drag a Gulp!

Swimming Minnow or other curl tail grub tipped with fresh peeled shrimp on a 1/8 or ¼ ounce lead head.

When you feel the trademark “thump,” give it a couple of seconds then set the hook hard to make sure the hook penetrates its bony mouth. Live bait fishermen have always done well by dragging a mud minnow or finger mullet using a fish-finder rig with the weight about 18 inches above the hook.

For trout and redfish, work your lure a little faster. Bounce it off the bottom by popping the slack in your line or keep it a little higher in the water column. Again, keying on areas where bait is present will greatly improve your chances. I’ll be excited this month whether fall actually falls or not.

• • •

UPPER COAST HOTSPOTS LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Island Reefs GPS: N 29 45.106, W 93 53.307 (29.7518, -93.8885)

SPECIES: Speckled trout and redfish BEST BAITS: Soft platics CONTACT: Capt. Bill Watkins 409-673-9211 .9782018@sbcglobal.net www.fishsabinelake.com

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West Matagorda Bay

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BEST BAITS: Soft plastics or small topwater lures CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: Confederate Reef is 3/4 mile long. Try to be careful to not walk on the shell; walk on th edge. The fish can hear you walking will move away.

Cotton Bayou

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4

2

3 1

Greens Bayou 1

LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay HOTSPOT: Cottons Bayou GPS: N 28 30.45, W 96 12.3816 (28.5075, -96.2064)

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A RD A O L G TA SU MAENIN P

Gulf of Mexico

HOTSPOTLIGHT:

WEST MATAGORDA BAYOUS

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Super Spook Junior or soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Van Critendon 361-648-1886 raiseemuptexas@hotmail.com TIPS: Capt. Critendon says he is fishing a lot of grass and sand bottoms, early in the morning with topwatrs, then changing to soft plastics as the sun rises in the sky.

THREE BAYOUS OFFER PRIME FISHING ON THE NORTHERN SHORELINE OF Matagorda Peninsula on Matagorda West Bay. The peninsula is a fifty-one mile strip of land separating the Gulf of Mexico from Matagorda East and West Bays and is split by the mouth of the Colorado River. Greens, Hilbert’s and Cotton Bayous have excellent fishing, especially for reds and speckled trout. Selected FISHING HOTSPOTS are shown in the table below, and on the map.

SPECKLED TROUT KEY

HOTSPOT NAME

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Green Island

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Middle Ground

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Cottons Bayou

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Cottons Bayou Shoreline

REDFISH

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Greens Bayou

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Cotton’s Bayou Shoreline

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Hilbert’s Bayou

WADEFISHING

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GPS

BEST BAIT & TACTIC

N 28 29.738, W 96 13.565 N 28 29.805, W 96 14.265 N 28 30.692, W 96 13.611 N 28 30.552, W 96 12.453 N 28 42.285, W 95 50.066

Fish red shad soft plastics,morning glory, Good wading; dawn thru morning, dusk.

N 28 29.738, W 96 13.565 N 28 31.342, W 96 12.489 N 28 29.977, W 96 13.250

Fish gold spoons, Junebug plastics, wade or anchor; dawn thru dusk.

Fish silver/blue She Dog topwaters, wade the area; dawn thru morning, dusk.

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Deep Reef GPS: N 29 30.802, W 94 40.581 (29.5134, -94.6764)

Fish topwaters, live croaker, soft plastics. Work shallow; dawn thru morning, dusk.

Fish 10W40 Trout Killers. Wade the area shallow to deep; dawn thru morning, dusk.

Fish live shrimp with or without popping cork. Wade the area; dawn thru morning, dusk.

Fish topwaters, soft plastics, wade or anchor, fish column; dawn thru dusk.

Fish gold spoons, Junebug plastics, wade or anchor; dawn thru dusk.

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Small topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: Small baits--She Pups, Baby Spooks, small Skitter Walks in chrome, bone or chartreuse shoule be magnificent early. Falling tides are essential.

N 28 29.738, Trout, redfish, Corky’s, Trout Killers, shallow early; dawn thru dusk.

W 96 13.565 N 28 30.742, Trout, redfish, bone tops, Corky’s, fish shallow warm; Middle Ground all day action.

W 96 13.488 N 28 31.094, Trout, redfish, Corky’s, Trout Killers, shallow early; Cotton’s Bayou dawn thru dusk.

W 96 12.617 SOURCE: TEXAS LAKES & BAYS FISHING ATLAS 2020 Greens Bayou

TIPS: October on Sabine Lake is a premier month for fishing under the birds. The Jetties will only have a few trout; redfish are always there.

LOCATION: Galveston West Bay HOTSPOT: Confederate Reef GPS: N 29 15.7549, W 94 55.177 (29.2626, -94.9196)

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Hanna’s Reef GPS: N 29 28.7029, W 94 45.703 (29.4784, -94.7617) SPECIES: Speckled trout T E X A S

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CONTACT: Capt. Van Critendon 361-648-1886 raiseemuptexas@hotmail.com TIPS: I like to throw a colored bait that resembles needle fish or glass minnows (light green or almost crystal clear).

UPPER COAST

LOCATION: Galveston West Bay HOTSPOT: North Deer Island GPS: N 29 16.954, W 94 56.223 (29.2826, -94.9371)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics with a 3/8 or 1/2 jig head CONTACT: Capt. Glenn Boyd 409-789-6225 boydgw1@comcast.net www.boydsguideservice.com TIPS: At the beginning of September the trout should be transitioning out of the deeper waters of Galveston Bay back into over the reefs of East Bay.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Saltwater Assassin CONTACT: Capt. Glenn Boyd 409-789-6225 boydgw1@comcast.net www.boydsguideservice.com TIPS: My favorite color is Woodpecker…red with green, while using a 1/4 oz. jig head. You don’t need a lot of weight. Jerk it real good, like a wounded fish.

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Pepper Grove GPS: N 29 27.838, W 94 41.635 (29.4640, -94.6939)

LOCATION: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Milk Jug GPS: N 29 26.8099, W 94 49.4599 (29.4468, -94.8243)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Saltwater Assassin CONTACT: Capt. Glenn Boyd 409-789-6225 boydgw1@comcast.net www.boydsguideservice.com TIPS: Helicopter Pad, Milk Jug and Old Pilings are underwater structure you will find in lower Galveston Bay that will work the first part to mid September.

After that it depends on weather changes.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics with a 3/8 or 1/2 jig head CONTACT: Capt. Glenn Boyd 409-789-6225 boydgw1@comcast.net www.boydsguideservice.com TIPS: You almost want to hang up one time to know where the bottom is, and then work your way up grandually, ‘clinking’ it along off the shell. Actually the sound helps draw the fish.

LOCATION: Port O’Connor HOTSPOT: Jetties GPS: N 28 25.212, W 96 19.5439 (28.4202, -96.3257)

LOCATION: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Helicopter Pad GPS: N 29 26.41, W 94 48.8999 (29.4402, -94.8150)

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft plastics or small topwater lures CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: A lot of people walk along on top of the shell, because it’s easier walking, but it spooks the fish. It doesn’t sound bad to you, but the fish sense the noise with lateral lines along their body.

LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Robinson Bayou GPS: N 29 35.0637, W 94 34.4947 (29.5844, -94.5749)

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 captpaul@gofishgalveston.com www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: Marcaccio recomends drifting, using soft plastic tails in either Limetreuse, pearl, plum, or Chickenon-a-Chain along with a quarter ounce jig head.

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Super Spook Junior or soft plastics

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LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay HOTSPOT: Boggy Cut GPS: N 28 44.043, W 95 49.6579 (28.7341, -95.8276)

BEST BAITS: Super Spook Junior or soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Van Critendon 361-648-1886 raiseemuptexas@hotmail.com TIPS: If I’m working stained water, then I’ll go with a darker color.

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout and Redfish BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics with either 1/2 or 3/8 oz jig head CONTACT: Capt. Kendall Kersh 979-248-1871 kendallkersh@gmail.com www.puresaltadventures.com TIPS: With a 3/8 oz. jig head you can cast a bait a long way and not have to get right up on a slick.

LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay HOTSPOT: Chinquapin Reef GPS: N 28 43.9939, W 95 47.9539 (28.7332, -95.7992)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics with either 1/2 or 3/8 oz jig head CONTACT: Capt. Kendall Kersh 979-248-1871 kendallkersh@gmail.com www.puresaltadventures.com TIPS: In September the trout and redfish begin to school…shrimp migration causes the fish to school up, and the birds will start working pointing to where the fish might be.

LOCATION: Port O’Connor HOTSPOT: Coast Guard Flats GPS: N 28 29.6869, W 96 27.1009 (28.4948, -96.4517)

SPECIES: Speckled trout

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September: Time for Shrimp Fest trout are no longer spawning, and fall hasn’t really started yet.

Trout that anglers have been successful in finding along sandy shorelines, may now be slowly relocating to deeper areas abundant in mud and grass. These relocation efforts often make it tough in finding a steady September trout bite. However, when anglers do locate the trout, they will often find them in numbers.

Changes in September may mean anglers will have to cover a lot more water than they’re used to, as they search for an active trout bite. As usual, finding bait will still be a key component to finding the trout.

Baitfish receive the same signals as the trout do regarding seasonal changes.

So, they will begin their own transitions.

Baitfish will move from one spot to the next in their never-ending search for food, safety, and comfort. So, what kind of bait will September trout be looking for?

If you’ve been a speckled trout enthusiast for any period of time, you’ve probably seen, or at least heard, a story of a trout being caught that has another fish hanging out of its mouth.

Some of these are fairly big—almost as big as the trout, itself. No kidding, a speckled trout will eat just about anything it can fit inside its mouth. This is going to be whatever is most plentiful and available to them at the time. For September, one of the most abundant things they’ll be feeding on is white shrimp.

White shrimp spawn offshore in the Gulf of Mexico beginning in March. Post-larval shrimp then ride the tides from offshore to estuarine bays as they look to settle over soft mud or peat bottoms. Such places along our part of the coast include the many back areas of Matagorda Island.

Late September’s decreasing water temperatures accelerate the need for the white shrimp to begin their migration back to the Gulf. This means the trout will be gorging themselves with the shrimp as the shrimp attempt to make their exit.

Shrimp, in general, are not strong swim-

SAN ANTONIO BAY AREA Reported by CAPT. CHRIS MARTIN

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T’S BEEN HOT THE PAST FEW months, but temperature changes should be in store for us in this month’s weather forecast.

September historically marks some of fall’s first noticeable cold fronts along our portion of the Texas coast. We’re not talking about huge temperature swings here, but noticeable differences, nonetheless.

Cooler air temperatures will spark a slow cooling cycle for coastal water temperatures as well, which in itself is a signal to all marine life that a change in seasons is once again about to get underway.

In addition to wind and weather changes, other September transitions include the slow movement of speckled trout from shallow locations to some of the larger bay water masses. It’s a subtle change that begins this time of CAPT. MARTIN bayflatslodge@gmail.com the year. The

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mers. Because of this, they rely heavily on tidal movement and water currents to aid them in their migration efforts. As an example, the shrimp will use the flow of water created by a falling tide to help them get their fall migration underway.

The shrimp will be exiting the back lakes during a period of outgoing tidal movement via the many assorted bayous, cuts, and drains that empty the lakes into the many secondary bay systems. Many of the narrow and shallow bayous and cuts, won’t move as much shrimp as will a deeper and wider cut.

A deeper and wider opening equals more water flow, which equals more flow of shrimp. All of the shrimp that drain out of Matagorda Island’s backcountry marsh, lagoons, ponds, and bays eventually feed through the major openings out of Matagorda Island and into San Antonio Bay and Espiritu Santo Bay. Some examples of such openings in the Seadrift and Port O’Connor area include the entrance to Panther Lake, the mouths of Twins Lake, Pats Bay, Long Lake, South Pass Lake, Contee Lake, Pringle Lake, and the entrance to the Army Hole.

All of these places are a bit deeper and have a bit more moving water. This also means the water is generally going to be a bit cooler and will contain more oxygen. Of course, these locations are very attractive and comfortable places for speckled trout to hang out where there’s an abundant food supply.

Have fun and be safe!

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Reported by CAPT. MAC GABLE

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HE TEXT MESSAGE CAME around 10 p.m. Angler Alert !!!!. I ignored it and went back to sleep. It did it three more times.

If I hadn’t just spent $300 on a new phone, it would have been thrown against the wall. Marketers, I thought.

“If it weren’t against the law there would be a bounty on them paid by the ear,” I said out loud.

The text was from an old client who had decided to buy CAPT. GABLE a boat for him ContactUs@Fishgame.com and his wife

1 1 1

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HOTSPOTLIGHT:

ST. CHARLES BAY ST. CHARLES BAY IS AN INLET OF ARANSAS BAY, SITUATED BETWEEN LAMAR Peninsula and Blackjack Peninsula. Goose Island State Park is located on its western shoreline, at the tip of Lamar Peninsula, north of Rockport on State Highway 35. The park offers camping, boat launch and full facilities. Selected FISHING HOTSPOTS are shown in the table below, and on the map.

SPECKLED TROUT KEY

HOTSPOT NAME

1

Blackjack Point

2

Goose Island

3

Blackjack Shoreline

4

Goose Island

REDFISH

5

Hotspot Name

2

Hotspot Name

FLOUNDER

1

Hotspot Name

2

Hotspot Name

BLACK DRUM Hotspot Name

8

WADEFISHING

1

Goose Island

2

Blackjack Shoreline

FACILITIES

KEY FACILITY NAME

A B

GPS

GPS

BEST BAIT & TACTIC

N 28 07.308, W 96 57.951 N 28 07.579, W 96 59.427 N 28 07.273, W 96 57.320 N 28 07.353, W 96 58.845

FISH chartreuse plastics, freeline live bait, best in SE wind; dawn thru afternoon.

N 28 07.675, W 96 57.809 N 28 08.446, W 96 57.200

Fish gold spoons, dark soft plastics, 7/16 oz jigs, drift fish; morning thru afternoon.

N 28 07.511, W 96 57.941 N 28 08.228, W 96 57.333

Fish mud minnows, cut mullet, bottom fish the falling tide; dawn thru dusk.

N 28 07.675, W 96 57.809

Fish live shrimp under popping cork, sight fish, see tailing; midday thru afternoon.

N28 07.629, W96 59.463 N 28 07.290, W 96 56.818

Speckled trout, live croaker, wade in N or SE wind; dawn thru morning.

Drift with live shrimp under cork, or anchor and freeline croakers; avoid midday.

Fish outside sandbar edge, fish parallel to bank; all day action.

Fish piggy perch, wade or anchor in SE to E wind; dawn thru afternoon.

Fish gold spoons, live shrimp. Fish croakers, freeline from boat; morning thru afternoon.

Fish mud minnows, 74/4-74/2 oz. jig heads, fish reefs/ shores; morning thru dusk.

Trout, redfish, work down shoreline to sandy spots; all day action.

LOCATION

PHONE

N 28 07.711, Goose Island SP 202 S. Palmetto St. W 96 59.138 N 28 08.519, St Charles Bay Ramp 175 Lamar Beach Rd W 96 58.574 SOURCE: TEXAS LAKES & BAYS FISHING ATLAS 2020

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MIDDLE COAST because they truly loved to fish.

He agonized over the decision and often called me for my two cents worth. I truly enjoy talking to folks about fishing. If time warrants, I will talk your ear off, but this angler was wearing me out.

I finally told him if he bought a boat, I’d take them out on the maiden voyage to acclimate them to the new vessel. Rule of thumb I had told them: if you want to fish more than five times a month, then your own boat might be the best choice.

However, boats are a hole in the water you sink money into, now and going forward.

They bought the boat. On the maiden voyage we caught fish, and all God’s children were happy. So, I cut them loose and would miss them as clients.

A few months down the road, the other shoe fell. He and she were frustrated they were not catching fish. After another scolding about texting me late at night, we got into the particulars of their fishing approach. As many before him (and I’m sure many to follow) they bought every device, lure, and bait that would fit on the boat—high dollar rods and reels, knives, flares, PFDs, ice chests. The list went on.

This guy was 24 carat solid gold in his intentions. He was attempting to conquer fishing all in one fell swoop. How can you NOT love folks like this, however misled they might be?

I agreed begrudgingly to take them out again in their boat. I believed I knew the cause of their lack of catching. However, I knew the phone calls wouldn’t stop until I showed them as OJT (on the job training) is worth 10,000 words in angling.

When I met them at the dock, the boat looked like a Bass Pro Shops floating advertisement. Heck, even I was intrigued by some of the items they had bought.

“Permission to come aboard?” I said.

“Absolutely!” came the reply. “This is your boat for the day, do whatever you need to do.”

“Take everything off the boat,” I said.

“What?”

“I want to go through your gear.”

They looked hesitant but complied.

“Take your favorite rods, but only two. I will bring one of the rods you used when on my boat. Do you want to lure-fish or bait-fish 48

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today?”

“Both!” they said.

“Not happening,” I said in a friendly tone.

“Right now, we are going to commit to ONE approach, just one.”

“Bait,” they both said.

“Okay, what kind did you get?”

“Four kinds.”

“We are fishing with just one today, and that’s live shrimp. Do you have any?” Luckily, they had two quarts.

“You can use the other tomorrow if it lives.”

That was unlikely, because it was all mixed together, but that’s another story. After unloading at least 10 rods, a similar number of PFDs, and a truckload of tackle boxes, we were set to fish.

The lecture began. “Keep it SIMPLE, focus on one approach per fishing trip until you master that approach. Unsuccessful anglers give up way too soon. They switch from THIS to THAT all day long, never truly understanding the why, the when and the where.

“It takes stubborn persistence to do this, but it is absolutely the best way to learn.

When an angler fails, he/she has half the puzzle solved. Bait types, lure types, type of rods, type of rod action, fishing line, approach to an area, all have the proper place and time for success.

“The new boat owner is also a new angler for all practical purposes. Many try to squeeze too much into too little, and the result is nothing is truly learned.

“Today we will fish with shrimp, and you will be the guide. I will do the rigging on the rods to give you a leg up, because it often changes day to day so pay attention in detail.

Sink or swim, fish or no fish, you will be better shrimp anglers at the end of the day.

“Get a notebook and record how you fished, what worked what didn’t, the area fished, conditions, and results. Keep it simple, |

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so you can go back and review and understand for future trips.

“This type of angling is slower-paced no over thinking and helter-skelter activity; it’s simple in its approach but highly effective. It is also less stressful, and you enjoy the many dimensions of fishing instead of just one or two. This is called a full day of fishing.

“Less wealthy folks have a leg up here, as they can’t afford to buy the many options available, but learn to succeed through perseverance with what they have.

“Here’s the best part. We never learn it all. It’s continued growth for the young and the old. Some anglers are better than others, simply because they are farther along in this growth cycle. Catching fish is not a miracle you just need to learn how to go about it and to persevere.”

••• THE SUMMER HAS SEEN BAIT stands with plenty of bait. However, check ahead before planning a live bait fishing trip.

The bait can disappear very quickly.

COPANO BAY: Mud minnows freelined are a good bet for trout and reds near Smith Channel. Early morning is best on a moving tide. Shell Bank Reef is good for trout using croakers. In the early morning fish tight into the reef and deeper as the day heats up.

ST. CHARLES BAY: Some nice red action near Twins Creek using free lined finger mullet. The reefs in front of Boy Scout Camp are good for trout using free-lined croakers. This area is best on a falling tide.

ARANSAS BAY: The area near Allyns Lake is good for reds and some trout, using free-lined croakers. The area near Blind Pass is a good spot for reds. It can be heavily fished during summer, so be respectful of other anglers. Finger mullet on a light Carolina rig works best.

MESQUITE BAY: Rattlesnake Reef is a good wade spot for trout top using top waters in bone and white and soft plastics in new penny color. Wades on the shoreline of Bludworth Island using sand eels in new penny and morning glory colors are good for trout.

AYERS BAY: Finger mullet free-lined just off Second Chain Island will produce

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good reds. This area is heavy shell, so let the mullet work without reeling in until you get a bite. Some keeper trout are just off Ayers Island. In the early morning fish close to the reef, and later in the day fish farther out in the deeper water.

BANK BITE: If you’re into endurance fishing, the long wade to Newcomb Point can be very productive. This is a good spot during the hot days of September. Live bait is best and a quart of shrimp in a bait bucket works well. Keep it simple using a silent cork and move slow working the cork from shallow to deeper water.

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MIDDLE COAST HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Dagger Flats GPS: N 27 49.7597, W 97 10.6099 (27.8293, -97.1768)

SPECIES: Flounder BEST BAITS: Soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: Drag it across the bottom; don’t bounce or jig the solft plastic. You actually drag it over the fish, making the fish react.

LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Mud Island GPS: N 27 56.635, W 97 1.266 (27.9439, -97.0211)

treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: In the fall, McPartland prefers the strawberry color. A gold spoon also works good.

TIPS: McPartland free lines live finger mullet, rigged Carolina style so it can’t swim off…generally best allaround bait for redfish.

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Intracoastal spoils GPS: N 27 33.6839, W 97 16.759 (27.5614, -97.2793)

LOCATION: Espiritu Santo Bay HOTSPOT: Pringle Lake GPS: N 28 18.984, W 96 30.865 (28.3164, -96.5144)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live Croaker CONTACT: Capt. Adam Doelle 361-649-6509 adoelle@hotmail.com TIPS: The swivel blends in with everything else, doesn’t shine versus a gold or silver swivel.

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork, cut bait, or soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Billy Freudensprung 979-997-2244 billyfreudensprung@gmail.com TIPS: Fish the drains using shrimp under a popping cork, drains that are coming out of marshes. Just sit a the side of drain and work a popping cork.

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: King Ranch Shoreline GPS: N 27 29.134, W 97 21.1079 (27.4856, -97.3518)

LOCATION: Redfish Bay HOTSPOT: Dagger Island GPS: N 27 50.1019, W 97 10.2659 (27.8350, -97.1711)

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Live finger mullet CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302

LOCATION: Espiritu Santo Bay HOTSPOT: Saluria Bayou GPS: N 28 23.9839, W 96 25.1479 (28.3997, -96.4191)

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Popping cork with live shrimp or Gulp CONTACT: Capt. Nino Gonzalez 361-332-1568 nino@redtailrods.com www.captninogonzales.com TIPS: Capt. Gonzalez’s favorite Gulp colors for use under a popping cork are white or New Penney.

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SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork, cut bait, or soft plastics

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Welcome to the Amazement Park BAFFIN BAY Reported by CAPT. GERAD MERRITT

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HE MONTHS OF SEPTEMber and October have the ability to produce some amazing fish, especially in Baffin Bay. The water is slowly, but surely, starting to improve in quality, and the fish are adjusting accordingly.

The key to these particular months is to find your fish and find them early in the morning. As water temperatures rise throughout the day, the fish will move to deeper water and stay there until night falls.

Croakers are still the preferred bait method for my clients and me, but not just any croaker will do. In these months, the croakers are becoming CAPT. MERRITT larger in size, geradmerritt@gmail.com and the phrase “big bait equals big fish” is not always correct.

With that being said, bait selection is paramount. The croaker I tend to favor in early fall are around four inches in size.

Lures are also an option for this time of year, and they make a great choice in addition to live bait.

During these months, I still fish the same patterns as mid-summer, but set out for deeper structures earlier in the morning. The tides are starting to become more “normal,” meaning we typically do not see a drastic high or low tide.

With more of a normal fluctuation, you should not see too much of a change in the fish patterns based on the tide going out or coming into the bay. This factor helps you to find fish in the same spots day after day.

I generally start my mornings fishing grass and weed lines. Once the tempera-

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LOWER COAST HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Arroyo Colorado GPS: N 26 20.266, W 97 29.5909 (26.3378, -97.4932)

tures start to heat up, I then start making my way into the deeper water tables until I find what I’m looking for.

My general rule is to avoid fishing in the same spot for more than fifteen to twenty minutes when searching for trout. In my experience with croaker fishing, if there were decent fish at “this spot,” we would have already caught some.

Fishing for red fish in our bay can be complicated, as we don’t have an outlet to the gulf. This makes it hard to catch them leaving or entering the bay. They typically tend to stay in the bay rather than moving in and out, and once you find them, it’s on.

Nevertheless, it may take quite a bit of searching to locate the redfish. Usually when you find a couple of reds, they’ll stick to that area until something pushes them out, or you’ve caught the handful that were there (which will happen and is fun to do).

The bigger bull reds are sometimes found behind the path of a pod of porpoises or just mixed in with trout on a structure of rocks. This can be an awesome fight for an angler on light tackle.

Whether you favor trout or red fish, Baffin Bay offers plenty of challenging opportunities for the adventurous angler.

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Corkies, big topwater artificials, live croaker and live piggy perch CONTACT: Capt. Rudy “Jawbreaker” Romero 956-226-3561 saltwaterwarriors777@gmail.com TIPS: We had a really good spring for big trout, and they stuck around for the summer. For the wade fishing angler, they should still be around in October.

LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Badlands GPS: N 27 18.447, W 97 25.993 (27.3075, -97.4332)

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Topwater artificials CONTACT: Capt. Nino Gonzalez 361-332-1568 nino@redtailrods.com www.captninogonzales.com TIPS: Topwarters early, looking for sand potholes with weeds around the pothole.

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

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Intracoastal Waterway

Gladys’ Hole

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SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Popping cork with live shrimp CONTACT: Capt. Nino Gonzalez 361-332-1568 nino@redtailrods.com www.captninogonzales.com TIPS: In October, we should still have some good schools of redfish around. Bird activity is not the big indicator of fish activity. Look for slicks or sand pocket potholes.

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HOTSPOTLIGHT:

LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Kennedy Shoreline GPS: N 27 15.598, W 97 27.6509 (27.2600, -97.4609)

GLADYS’ HOLE

GLADYS’ HOLE IS A SMALL INLET JUST SOUTH OF THE LAND CUT DIVIDING THE Upper and Lower Laguna Madre. It is on the land side of the Intracoastal Waterway. Gladys’ Hole, like much of the King Ranch Shoreline along the Laguna Madre, is a big trout haven. But this spot also sees a lot of redfish and flounder action as well.

SPECKLED TROUT KEY

HOTSPOT NAME

1

East Side of Spoil Islands

2

Mouth to Gladys’ Hole

3

North Tip of Rincon

4

West End Gladys’ Hole

5

Land Cut Spoils

REDFISH

GPS

BEST BAIT & TACTIC

N 26 47.049, W 97 27.561 N 26 48.691, W 97 28.592 N 26 47.803, W 97 28.557 N 26 49.038, W 97 30.450 N 26 49.564, W 97 28.129

Fish hug the East shoreline at high tide night & early morning; all day action.

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Popping cork with live shrimp or Gulp CONTACT: Capt. Nino Gonzalez 361-332-1568 nino@redtailrods.com www.captninogonzales.com TIPS: Rigging the popping cork: If I’m fising with live shrimp, I’ll use an 18 inch drop and 3/0 croaker hook.

If I’m using Gulp, I rig the same way, but use a 1/16 ounce jig head to put the Gulp on.

Fish white/red soft plastics, drift soft bottom along the ICW; all day action.

Fish dark soft plastics on jighead, fish deep gut 100 yds. out; dawn thru midday.

On a high tide drift the shore and fencelines, low drift the middle bay; dawn thru midday.

Fish topwaters, red/white soft plastics, gold or chrome spoons; all day action.

N 26 47.049, Fish hug the East shoreline at high tide night & early morning; all day action.

W 97 27.561 N 26 47.384, Fish topwaters, red/white soft plastics on 103/8 oz.

Rincon de San Jose Shoreline 2 leadhead; all day action.

W 97 28.459 N 26 48.903, Fish topwaters, red/white soft plastics on 103/8 oz.

Middle of Gladys’ Hole 3 leadhead; all day action.

W 97 29.708 N 26 49.038, On a high tide drift the shore and fencelines, low drift West End Gladys’ Hole 4 the middle bay; dawn thru midday.

W 97 30.450 FLOUNDER N 26 47.384, Fish live shrimp or mullet, gigging at night under Rincon de San Jose Shoreline 1 lights; all day action.

W 97 28.459 N 26 47.803, Fish mud minnows, fish deep gut 100 yds. out from North Tip of Rincon 2 island; dawn thru midday.

W 97 28.557 N 26 48.620, Fish soft plastics, finger mullet, or shrimp, fish the Mouth of Gladys’ Hole 3 gut; all day action.

W 97 28.561 WADEFISHING N 27 16.386, Catch speckled rout, redfish & flounder. Fish live bait 1 Middle of Gladys’ Hole & soft plastics.

W 97 25.266 SOURCE: TEXAS LAKES & BAYS FISHING ATLAS 2020

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East Side of Spoil Islands

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Butchers Island GPS: N 26 38.1019, W 97 23.149 (26.6350, -97.3858)

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raiseemuptexas@hotmail.com TIPS: I prefer wade fishing because once I find a school of fish I can be more quiet, stay with the fish, and then I can walk away and leave the fish biting.

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CONTACT: Capt. Billy Freudensprung 979-997-2244 billyfreudensprung@gmail.com TIPS: Rigging the popping cork: I like the Mid Coast cork. It has a weight underneath and swivel. I tie my leader, usually about two feet, and then a number four croaker hook.

LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Traylor Island GPS: N 27 56.6849, W 97 4.4609 (27.9448, -97.0744)

TIPS: The flats should be good for redfish and the deeper water over reefs should yield trout.

LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Shamrock Cove GPS: N 27 45.369, W 97 9.733 (27.7562, -97.1622)

LOCATION: San Antonio Bay HOTSPOT: Shell Reef GPS: N 28 12.9319, W 96 47.155 (28.2155, -96.7859)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft plastics or live finger mullet CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Super Spook Junior or soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Van Critendon 361-648-1886 SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Corkies, big topwater artificials, live croaker and live piggy perch CONTACT: Capt. Rudy “Jawbreaker” Romero 956-226-3561 saltwaterwarriors777@gmail.com TIPS: Rigging the croaker: A number five circle hook, croaker hook. During the summer I use a number four hook because the croaker are smaller.

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SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Corkies, big topwater artificials, live croaker and live piggy perch CONTACT: Capt. Rudy “Jawbreaker” Romero 956-226-3561 saltwaterwarriors777@gmail.com TIPS: Once the big cold fronts start coming through, croaker will be hard to find and I will start using piggy perch for the winter. When the perch become hard to find, then I switch off to Corkies.

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Corkies, big topwater artificials, live croaker and live piggy perch CONTACT: Capt. Rudy “Jawbreaker” Romero

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956-226-3561 saltwaterwarriors777@gmail.com TIPS: Set the chatter weight right by the hook, maybe 8-10 inches above the hook. In deep water, bring the chatter weight down closer to my hook.

LOCATION: ICW Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Stover Point GPS: N 26 12.138, W 97 17.8489 (26.2023, -97.2975)

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Horse Island GPS: N 26 20.3539, W 97 20.2489 (26.3392, -97.3375) (26.3392, -97.3375)

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Greens Island GPS: N 26 23.5379, W 97 19.465 (26.3923, -97.3244)

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SPECIES: Flounder BEST BAITS: Gigging CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: Capt. McPartland explained anglers will have their chance for flounder in October as the season is closed in November. You can still fish with rod & reel for flounder, but no gigging.

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preparation for the cold weather when they will begin to selectively feed. This is good for us fishermen who enjoy the top water bite and the aggressive strikes that a spinnerbait can bring. If your on the water this time of year immediately after a cold front (up to the 3rd day after) and it is at daylight or an overcast day locate the rip rap rock around the lake and start by throwing a small single blade spinner bait at the rocks then retrieving it back at a very fast rate where the bait is waking the surface. This is a very productive and very fast way to catch a number of fish that will attempt to pull the rod out of your hand. The next thing to try would be a Pop’r or a Zara Spook type bait. Work this bait in the same areas and alternate between the baits to determine which they want on that particular day.

They will also hit a chatter bait very aggressively. I put a small curly tail grub on as a trailer; I’ll also alternate between a white trailer and a chartreuse one.

East Texas Lakes Get Ready for Fall

Reported by TF&G STAFF

LOCATION: Lake Chapman/Cooper HOTSPOT: Pond in the Weeds GPS: N 33 19.078 , W 95 42.297 (33.3180, - 95.7050)

BEST BAITS: Hollow body frogs, V&M Wild Thang 8.5 inch worms, buzzbaits CONTACT: Caddo Lake Guide Service/Paul Keith 318-455-3437 caddoguide1@att.net www.caddolakefishing.com TIPS: Fish the main lake pad fields using the hollow body frogs and buzzbaits where the pads are a little scattered. Also make sure there are baitfish and hydrilla present. Use the large worms in colors of junebug and redbug with a 1/2 oz weight on the edges of the thick vegetation where it meets a drop off of a channel or creek.

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Crankbaits CONTACT: TPWD District Fisheries Office 903-593-5077 TIPS: Fish green pumpkin medium crankbaits. Sit in the pond and cast to the dam. Morning to dusk.

LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 28.596, W 95 34.7459 (30.4766, - 95.5791)

LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points and Ridges GPS: N 32 54.21, W 95 39.7319 (32.9035, - 95.6622)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Pop’r, spinnerbaits and chatter baits CONTACT: Richard Tatsch 936-291-1277 admin@fishdudetx.com www.fishdudetx.com TIPS: With the first cold fronts of the year beginning to move in the bass will begin to feed on shad in

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Chrome 1/2 oz Rat-L-Trap and Spooks CONTACT: Doug Shampine 940-902-3855 doug@lakeforktrophybass.com www.lakeforktrophybass.com TIPS: September is a month the fishing on Lake Fork

EAST TEXAS HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Caddo Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake Pad Fields GPS: N 32 41.634, W 94 3.7979 (32.6939, - 94.0633)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

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UPPER COAST is on the up swing due to cooling water. We normally start getting a little cooler weather in September and that makes the bass bite really improve. You can find bass back in the shallow water, deeper water on the deeper points and schooling bass just moving around the lake feeding on the big schools of shad. Areas I like to check out this time of the year will be SRA point, Chaney Point, and the ridge in front of Dale to name a few. One of the baits I always have handy is the chrome 1/2 oz Rat-L-Trap. It’s good in the shallow water and when the schooling bass decide to come to the surface and feed. I also keep a Spook handy for the schooling bass. You may catch some big sand bass with the bass!

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Live minnows.

CONTACT: TPWD District Fisheries Office 903-938-1007 TIPS: Fish live minnows. Slowly drop shot until you find a good depth. Dawn through midday.

LOCATION: Lake Livingston HOTSPOT: Ben Shot Lake GPS: N 30 42.246, W 95 9.276 (30.7041, - 95.1546)

LOCATION: Lake Sam Rayburn HOTSPOT: Duranzo Point GPS: N 31 21.124, W 94 27.403 (31.352067, -94.456717)

LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Major Creeks GPS: N 32 54.804, W 95 38.352 (32.9134, - 95.6392)

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Live shad, slabs, spoons, Tsunami Slim Wade 1 oz. chrome w/ green prism CONTACT: David S. Cox, Palmetto Guide Service 936-291-9602 dave@palmettoguideservice.com www.palmettoguideservice.com TIPS: Bounce baits off the bottom. Best times are early morning and late evening. Watch for schooling fish. Fishing has been best with a north wind less than 10 mph or no wind. BANK ACCESS: Governor’s Point

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Topwater Lures like the Zara Spook and Grandebass Airtail Wiggler on a shakey head CONTACT: Lance Vick 903-312-0609 lance@lakeforkbass.com www.guideonlakefork.com TIPS: September on lake fork is fun due to the fact fish school on the surface quite a bit. Nothing gets people fired more than a bass chasing bait on the surface. So have your favorite popper or Zara spook ready to throw. Start looking in the backs of major creeks for this action. Birch and Little Chaney Creeks, for instance, are great places to start. If the topwater action is slow a Grandebass Airtail Wiggler on a shakey head fished on hard bottom spots like points and roadbeds should get the trick done.

LOCATION: Lake Nacogdoches HOTSPOT: Old Pond GPS: N 31 37.757, W 94 49.382 (31.6293, - 94.8230)

LOCATION: Toledo Bend HOTSPOT: Green Willow Point (Myrek Reach) GPS: N 31 45.072, W 93 50.2379 (31.7512, - 93.8373)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Crankbaits CONTACT: TPWD District Fisheries Office 409-698-9114 TIPS: Fish the pond dam and work to and across timber. Dawn through afternoon.

LOCATION: Lake O the Pines HOTSPOT: Big Cypress at Black Lake GPS: N 32 48.789, W 94 38.728 (32.8132, - 94.6455)

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SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Chicken livers, cut bait CONTACT: Mike Knight 936-635-2427 notechmike@hotmail.com www.easttxfishingguide.com TIPS: Fish the bushes. Move to grass if the water temperature falls.

SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Rat-L-Traps, Tail Spinners, Slab Spoons, shallow diving crank baits CONTACT: Greg Crafts, Toledo Bend Guide Service and Lake Cottages 936-368-7151 gregcrafts@yahoo.com www.toledobendguide.com TIPS: The whites will be schooling off the main lake points, road beds, tree lines and boat lanes. Use a

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CURRENT LAKE LEVELS LAKE

EAST TEXAS

CAPACITY AC. FT. Addicks 7,900 B A Steinhagen 69,186 Barker 46,122 Bob Sandlin 192,417 Bonham 11,027 Caddo 816,904 Coleto Creek 31,040 Conroe 410,988 Crook 9,195 Cypress Springs 66,756 Fork 605,061 Houston 130,147 Houston County 17,113 Jacksonville 25,670 Jim Chapman 260,332 Lake O’ the Pines 268,566 Livingston 1,741,867 Monticello 34,740 Murvaul 38,285 Nacogdoches 39,522 Palestine 367,303 Pat Mayse 113,683 Sam Rayburn 2,857,077 Striker 16,934 Sulphur Springs 17,747 Toledo Bend 1,243,801 Wright Patman 29,880 As of 8/9/2020

CURRENT AC. FT. 6,541 67,865 45,465 190,289 9,978 777,482 20,872 391,111 9,195 65,468 576,276 121,290 16,740 25,300 236,728 268,566 1,741,867 29,217 37,771 36,947 360,638 113,177 2,666,025 16,934 15,604 1,243,801 4,941

% FULL 83% 98% 99% 99% 91% 95% 67% 95% 100% 98% 95% 93% 98% 99% 91% 100% 100% 84% 99% 94% 98% 100% 93% 100% 88% 100% 17%

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Rat-L-Trap or other shallow diving bait when the fish are breaking the surface. When they go down, switch to a slab spoon or drag a tail spinner.

LOCATION: Toledo Bend HOTSPOT: 2x4 Hole GPS: N 31 46.6848, W 93 49.986 (31.7781, -93.8331)

20 miles East of Jacksonville

HOTSPOTLIGHT:

LAKE STRIKER LOCATION: On Striker Creek, 20 miles east of Jacksonville SURFACE AREA: 1,863 acres MAXIMUM DEPTH: 35 feet IMPOUNDED: 1957

Largemouth bass and channel catfish fisheries are the most popular at Striker Reservoir. Crappie are also present and provide a fair fishery.

Bluegill and redear sunfish are present in high numbers and provide good fishing, especially for youth or inexperienced anglers..

ANGLERS CATCH LARGEMOUTH AND spotted bass year-round at Striker Reservoir. Due to the turbid conditions, fish stay in relatively shallow water.

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plenty of schooling activity in these same areas.

SPECIES: White Bass Best Baits: Slab spoons, tail spinners and Rat-L-Traps TIPS: October is always a great time to be on the lake. Not much traffic, the days are getting shorter and the water temperature is starting to fall, signaling that winter is on its way. The fish will start feeding heavy bulking up in anticipation for the coming winter season. The White Bass will start migrating to the north end main lake river channel sand bars. Concentrate on the inside river channel bends. Use your electronics to locate the bait- fish. There will usually be

LOCATION: Lake Wright Patman HOTSPOT: Kelly Creek GPS: N 33 16.581, W 94 14.079 (33.2764, - 94.2347)

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SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Slabs CONTACT: TPWD District Fisheries Office (903) 938-1007 TIPS: Fish chartreuse slabs. Bounce them off the bottom, then reel in a fast retrieve. Dawn through dusk.

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Big Transition Between September, October HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 32 51.1859, W 96 52.014 (32.8531, - 96.8669)

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Lower Half of Main Lake GPS: N 30 46.2119, W 98 25.098 (30.7702, - 98.4183) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Small rooster tails and small creature baits (3-4 inches long) CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo.com TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com TIPS: Bass are on fire shallow along the banks as shad are running shallow too. Fish in 1-5 feet of water using the bridge for shaded cover. Cast along the banks parallel as the fish are no more than five foot from the banks. At the time of this report, 1-8 pound fish are being caught!

Reported by TF&G STAFF

CENTRAL TEXAS HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Lake Austin HOTSPOT: Docks by Deep Water GPS: N 30 19.464, W 97 50.316 (30.3244, - 97.8386)

LOCATION: Lake Belton HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 31 8.3459, W 97 31.932 (31.1391, - 97.5322)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Pacemaker Jig, V&M Twin Tail Trailer, V&M Wild Craw Jr, Picasso Shock Blade, Picasso Tungsten Flipping Weight CONTACT: Brian Parker - Lake Austin Fishing 817-808-2227 TIPS: September is typically a hot water month which means these fish want to hide in the shadows.

I enjoy flipping the Pacemaker Adrenaline jig with a V&M Twin Tail or Wild Craw trailer to each post of docks or skipping a my jig in the back of the docks. I also like flipping under heavy brush. The good thing about flipping is you can cover water quickly and effectively by targeting areas that hold fish. It’s good to throw at the same pilings more than once to give them another chance if they missed it the first time.

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Garrett Island Area GPS: N 30 47.556, W 98 25.4459 (30.7926, - 98.4241)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Crankbaits or spinnerbaits in a white or sexy-shad color CONTACT: Henry Niemiec 254-368-0294 surestrikeguideservice@yahoo.com TIPS: Fish can be caught and many are positioning themselves on the outside of the flooded brush for an easy meal. Crankbaits or spinnerbaits in a white or sexy-shad color, worked from the shoreline out have been the best producer. The downside is you will have to cover a lot of water to get a bite, but the upside to that is when you do hold on, the fish are big and healthy. Good Luck!

LOCATION: Bachman Lake

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SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Live Shad CONTACT: Clancy Terrill 512-633-6742 centraltexasfishing@yahoo.com www.centraltexasfishing.com TIPS: Fish the lower half of the lake towards the dam area. Fish the down wind side of your boat with live shad either drifting or anchord in 25 to 35 feet concetrating on coves or ridges.

SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Topwater Lures CONTACT: Ken Miliam 325-379-2051 kmilam@verizon.net www.striperfever.com TIPS: Look for White Bass to be in the Garrett Island area. Fish with topwater lures in the early morning and late evenings LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Lake Shore Drive Point Area

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CURRENT LAKE LEVELS

CENTRAL TEXAS

LAKE

As of 8/9/2020

Aquilla Arlington Athens Austin Bardwell Belton Benbrook Buchanan Canyon Cedar Creek Choke Canyon Corpus Christi Eagle Mountain Georgetown Granger Grapevine Halbert Hubert H Moss Inks Joe Pool Lavon Lewisville Limestone Lyndon B Johnson Marble Falls Martin Medina Mountain Creek Nasworthy Navarro Mills New Terrell City Ray Hubbard Ray Roberts Richland-Chamb.

Somerville Stillhouse Hollow Tawakoni Texana Texoma Travis Tyler Waco Waxahachie Weatherford Whitney Worth

CAPACITY

(Acre Feet)

43,243 40,157 29,503 23,972 46,122 435,225 85,648 816,904 378,781 644,686 662,820 256,062 179,880 36,823 51,822 163,064 6,033 24,058 13,962 175,800 406,388 563,228 203,780 115,249 6,901 75,726 254,823 22,850 9,615 49,827 8,583 439,559 788,167 1,087,839 150,293 227,771 871,685 159,566 159,566 1,113,348 72,073 189,418 10,780 17,812 29,880 29,880

CURRENT

(Acre Feet)

42,262 35,052 29,393 22,757 45,465 413,443 74,966 777,482 359,265 616,974 261,581 161,305 171,465 23,515 49,081 162,208 5,203 23,638 12,840 171,741 372,061 546,351 195,667 111,187 6,863 72,835 147,147 22,850 8,368 49,544 8,197 418,065 779,124 1,080,141 139,167 216,248 842,808 159,290 159,290 844,111 69,929 181,016 9,357 16,367 4,941 4,941

GPS: N 29 54.269, W 98 16.845 (29.904483, -98.280742)

SPECIES: Crappie

% FULL 98% 87% 100% 95% 99% 95% 88% 95% 95% 96% 40% 63% 95% 64% 95% 100% 86% 98% 92% 98% 92% 97% 96% 97% 99% 96% 58% 100% 87% 99% 96% 95% 99% 99% 93% 95% 97% 100% 100% 76% 97% 96% 87% 92% 17% 17%

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5 miles west of Belton

HOTSPOTLIGHT:

TRADINGHOUSE CREEK LOCATION: On FM 2957 east of Waco SURFACE AREA: 2,010 acres MAXIMUM DEPTH: 42 feet IMPOUNDED: 1968 TRADINGHOUSE CREEK RESERVOIR IS known for largemouth bass in the 3- to 8-pound range but has produced a lake record of 13.81 pounds. Crappie are increasing in number and are usually of good size. Channel catfish provide an excellent angling opportunity year round. The power plant is currently not

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BEST BAITS: Live minnows or jigs CONTACT: Steve Nixon 210-573-1230 steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com www.sanantoniofishingguides.com TIPS: Water temperature and days are still hot.

Crappie remain in their summer pattern of holding near the thermocline, along deep water ledges, points and cover. The best and most comfortable times to fish in this Texas heat are daybreak until 10 AM, after 5 PM till dark and at night with lights. Live bait fished near the bottom often produces the best results but jigs work, as well. There are a couple brush piles on this main lake point, very good breaks, deep water water and a long flat.

(29.8618, - 98.2380)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and soft plastics CONTACT: Barry Dodd 210-771-0123 TIPS: October is the month that the water temperature finally falls into the 70’s and marks the beginning of the fall fishing season. Bass begin moving from the depths of the lake into shallower water and the catching percentages improve. It is also the time for cool fronts, which are blessings for moderating

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Comal Park Area GPS: N 29 51.7079, W 98 14.28

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operating, so the water is not warmed in the winter. As a result, the red drum fishery no longer exists, and stockings have been discontinued.

Cattails, bulrush, and the dam riprap provide consistent cover. Isolated patches of hydrilla are available seasonally. TPWD has installed bamboo “crappie condos” at strategic points around the lake.

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LOCATION: Fayette County HOTSPOT: Deer Stand Hump GPS: N 29 55.944, W 96 43.7819 (29.9324, - 96.7297)

CENTRAL TEXAS temperatures but can also produce dangerous winds and storms. Before a front arrives and as the front is pushing in, fish become more active and feed much more aggressively. This secondary point has deep and shallow water along with brush.

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

SPECIES: White bass BEST BAITS: Slab with a fly 12” above it CONTACT: Johnny Stevens 817-597-6598 johnlu1313@gmail.com johnnysguideservice.com TIPS: This area just north of the dam is a series of humps and ridges and ditches. Use your electronics to look on top of these ridges and along the slopes.

When you locate fish over them and use a vertical jigging method on them. If you prefer to cast to them.

Use a slab and fly combo and let it go to the bottom and hop it back to the boat.

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Sassy Shad in Pearl color CONTACT: Steve Nixon 210-573-1230 steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com www.sanantoniofishingguides.com TIPS: Trolling this area with downriggers seems to produce the best catches. Set the downriggers from 40-60 feet deep and look for schools of Striped Bass.

When located, vary trolling speeds until the fish strike.

LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake Bridges GPS: N 32 18.546, W 96 6.738 (32.3091, - 96.1123)

LOCATION: Eagle Mountain Lake HOTSPOT: Twin Points Humps GPS: N 32 53.155, W 97 29.658 (32.8859, - 97.4943)

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Jigs and minnows CONTACT: Jason Barber 903-603-2047 kingscreekadventures@yahoo.com www.kingscreekadventures.com TIPS: Fish all bridges and you’ll find the fish suspended around the pillars usually about 10 to 12 feet down regardless of the depth.

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LOCATION: Gibbons Creek HOTSPOT: Sulphur Creek Creek Bed GPS: N 30 36.96, W 96 3.582 (30.6160, - 96.0597)

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: CJs Punch bait, shad CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Anchor here in creek bed area. Tight line. Cast out with cut bait or fish straight down beside the boat, over chum, with CJs punch bait. Large fish travel this area, so good day or night.

SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Slab with a fly 12 in. above CONTACT: Johnny Stevens 817-597-6598 johnnystevens@1scom.net johnnysguideservice.com TIPS: This area is three large humps out in open water. The tops of these humps are 24 feet deep, surrounded by 32 feet of water. Search the edges of these humps with your electronics. When you locate fish jig up and down with your slab and fly rig. The humps can be worked by fan casting hopping your slab just off the bottom back to the boat.

LOCATION: Eagle Mountain Lake HOTSPOT: 50 yards to 300 yards north of dam GPS: N 32 52.709 W 97 28.044 (32.878483 -97.4674)

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: CJ’s punch Bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Anchor on the shoreline side of the hump which allows you to cast toward the shoreline or the hump. Excellent night fishing spot. Throw out buoy, chum around it, then cast at the chummed spot.

LOCATION: Granger Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 42.402, W 97 20.964 (30.7067, - 97.3494)

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SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Marabou jigs and Berkley Crappie Nibbles CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell 512-365-7761 crappie1@hotmail.com www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: This month is probably the best of the year for crappie at Granger Lake. They have been feeding heavily all summer and are very thick and fat. The weather is good this time of year and the crowds are scarce with most people hunting or watching football. Find any kind of structure in 6 to 12 feet of water and you will find some good quality crappie. Fish a jig vertically holding it very still right over the structure. Put a Crappie Nibble on the jig running it up to the body and not on the tip of the hook. Use a loop knot. This will make a big difference in the number of fish you.

LOCATION: Lake Joe Pool HOTSPOT: Haul Road GPS: N 32 38.123, W 97 01.015 (32.6354, - 97.0169)

SPECIES: Largemouth BEST BAITS: Flukes, worms CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 whitebassfishingtexas@gmail.com whitebassfishingtexas.com TIPS: Drop shot flukes or finesse worms on Texas rig in 10-15 feet of water. Avoid midday.

LOCATION: Lake Aquilla HOTSPOT: Deep Humps GPS: N 31 54.204, W 97 12.18 (31.9034, - 97.2030)

Hog and spinnerbaits CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 or 903-530-2201 ricky@rickysguideservice.com www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Fish the back of Flat Creek near the dogwood ridge as well as the back of Saline Creek. Fish the Big Eye Jig on and around the docks. Fish Texas-rigged baby Brush Hogs and spinnerbaits around the stumps.

LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts HOTSPOT: Big Boot Cove GPS: N 33 25.324, W 97 1.922 (33.4221, - 97.0320)

www.teamredneck.net TIPS: Watch your graph along the humps and you will see the White Bass stacked up on the edges of the humps. Drop slabs down and bounce off bottom making contact with bait as it falls. Carry binoculars and glass the lake occasionally watching for the herons and cranes that land on the water. The white bass push the bait to the surface and the cranes will drop down and feed. Keep a good distance and make long casts with slabs or tail spinners.

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Lipless crank baits and small white spinnerbaits CONTACT: Jim Walling 940-391-5534 jimwwalling@icloud.com TIPS: This time of year, especially as the water starts to cool down, the bass fishing normally gets good.

Fish ¼-ounce lipless crank baits and white spinnerbaits around any flooded vegetation. Most of the fish will be in water from 1-6 feet deep. Fish can be found in the back of any main lake cove. Continue to keep moving and covering water until you catch a couple in one area. Then fish that area thoroughly—there should be several more fish to be caught.

LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 33 7.248, W 96 29.8079 (33.1208, - 96.4968)

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Black and chartreuse jigs CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo.com TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com TIPS: Fish 15-18 feet in standing and submerged timber. Crappie action has been really good on this lake lately.

LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts HOTSPOT: COE Brush Piles SPECIES: Crappie GPS: N 33 22.786 W 97 03.192 (33.379764 -97.053194)

LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Flat Creek GPS: N 32 12.230, W 95 30.976 (32.203826, -95.516268)

SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: 1oz Chartruese slabs from RSRLures. com and Tail Spinners CONTACT: Randy Routh 817-822-5539 teamredneck01@hotmail.com

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Big Eye Jig, Texas rigged baby Brush T E X A S

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CONTACT: Cliff Spindle 940-727-3493 cliffspindle@yahoo.com TIPS: In September the crappie action is very good.

Ray Roberts offer’s 54 Corps of Engineers Piles that are great for crappie fishing in September, Some piles are as deep as 38 feet of water to as shallow as 20

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a medium retrieve. If you find surfacing or swirling fish, cast the jig, hold your rod high and keep the jig subsurface.

CENTRAL TEXAS feet. Crappie can be caught on most piles, In early September the deeper piles should be your best piles to hit but by mid to late month the others should start turning on. Many times you can find the fish hanging to the highest part of the piles but be sure to check the outside deep corners that is one the best spots of the piles many times. Minnows are always an excellent bate to use, jigs are also very productive too in September, you may want to add a shot weight in the deeper water. Many colors work good yet go to color is white/chartreuse.

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

LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: Yegua Park GPS: N 30 18.552, W 96 31.6679 (30.3092, - 96.5278)

LOCATION: Richland Chambers Lake HOTSPOT: Creek Channels & Timbered Flats GPS: N 31 56.424, W 96 7.38 (31.9404, - 96.1230)

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: CJ’s punch Bait/cut bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Lake level is dropping from summer flood.

North shoreline of Yegua allows you to reach deeper water. Great catfishing, also white bass.

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Danny Kings Punch Bait on a #4 treble hook CONTACT: Royce Simmons 903-389-4117 simmonsroyce@hotmail.com www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: Late Summer can be slow fishing for many species but you can always count on the Channel and Blue Cats on Richland Chambers for lots of action!

Most of our fish come from areas where we have baited with a 5 gallon bucket filled with range cubes.

I drill 1/4 holes in the bucket, tie it off to a tree, sink it, and the cubes dissolve over a period of a few days.

The Catfish are attracted to the area. I usually throw out a little sour maize when we first arrive and you know within a few minutes if the Catfish are around.

If we haven’t caught any fish in 10 minutes or so, move to another baited area. Lots of FUN and GREAT EATING! Most fish are in the 2 lb. size range, but you never know when you might hook one of the big blues!

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LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: Texas Flats and Mill Creek Flats GPS: N 33 48.936, W 96 46.2479 (33.8156, - 96.7708)

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: 1/2 oz Bucktail jigs with plastic trailers CONTACT: Randy Routh 817-822-5539 teamredneck01@hotmail.com www.teamredneck.net TIPS: The thermocline has set in and the stripers are hanging out on top of it. This time of year turns into a reaction type strike a lot of times. The fish will feed early, late or even at night when it’s cooler. Using down riggers 1/2 oz buck tail jigs with plastic trailers troll the flats and ledges and edges anywhere from 13 to 18’ down. keep in mind the thermocline usually sets in at 22’ on Whitney so keep your baits above it.

••

•••

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Slabs and Coho Minnow Jigs CONTACT: Bill Carey 903-786-4477 bigfish@striperexpress.com www.striperexpress.com TIPS: Stripers are moving out of the deep water and roaming the flats in September. The lures of choice are slabs and jigs. Vertically jig one-ounce chrome, white and chartreuse slabs along the bottom in 10 to 30 foot depths. Coho minnow jigs in white glow color with a ¾ ounce jighead and a four-inch tail are perfect for these hungry stripers. Cast the jigs and use |

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September Anglers Still Getting into Hot Water

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Topwaters, slabs, spoons CONTACT: Stan Gerzsenyl 830-768-3648 stan@amistadbass.com www.amistadbass.com TIPS: Use topwaters when cool, slabs or spoons when it heats up. Dawn to mid morning; afternoon to dusk.

Reported by DEAN HEFFNER

WEST TEXAS HOTSPOTS

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Spoons, jigs and worms CONTACT: Norman Clayton’s Guide Services 806-792-9220 nclayton42@sbcglobal.net www.lakealanhenry.com/norman_clayton.htm TIPS: September will still be hot and the bass will still be in the deep water. Fish should be in the 30 to 50 foot deep range. Use your electronics to find the shad, then fish with spoons, jigs, or worms at 30 to 40 feet. Most of the bass will be near the dam or in the mouth of the major creeks. Check out Big Grape, Little Grape, Rocky, Ince, and the deep points on the main Brazos River.

LOCATION: Lake Amistad HOTSPOT: Castile Canyon GPS: N 29 31.643, W 101 01.173 (29.5274, - 101.0196) | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

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LOCATION: Lake Leon HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 32 21.63, W 98 40.692 (32.3605, - 98.6782)

LOCATION: Lake Falcon HOTSPOT: Between Markers 2 and 3 GPS: N 26 34.022, W 99 08.664 (26.5670, - 99.1444)

LOCATION: Lake Alan Henry HOTSPOT: Mouth of Major Creeks and Dam Area GPS: N 33 1.722, W 101 6.654 (33.0287, - 101.1109)

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spooks; white frogs and power worms later in the am.

CONTACT: Michael W. Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters 817-578-0023 TIPS: Black bass are schooling with the sandbass on several areas of the lake. Work points with stick ups and look for bird action shallow.

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Senkos CONTACT: Robert Amaya, Robert’s Fishing Tackle 956-765-1442 www.robertsfishntackle.com TIPS: Fish underwater points and drops, 8- to 12-in.

Senkos. Morning through afternoon.

SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, trick worms, Senkos, crankbaits CONTACT: TPWD District Office 325-692-0921 TIPS: Lake Leon has seen a good influx of water in the last two years. As a result, habitat has very much improved for largemouth bass, sunfishes, and crappie. September should offer good bass fishing along vegetation, docks, and rocky areas. Spinner baits, trick worms, Senkos, and crankbaits should produce a bass bite. Early morning, consider using topwater baits.

LOCATION: Granbury HOTSPOT:10 Foot Hump near Blue Water Shores GPS: N 32 23.189, W97 42.441 (32.3865, -97.7074)

LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Bee Creek GPS: N 32 51.244, W 98 33.089 (32.854067 -98.551483)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, RatLtraps, topwater

SPECIES: Striped bass BEST BAITS: Live shad, jigs

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CURRENT LAKE LEVELS LAKE

WEST TEXAS

As of 8/09/2020

Abilene Alan Henry Amistad Amon G Carter Arrowhead Brady Creek Bridgeport Brownwood Champion Creek Cherokee Cisco Coleman Colorado City E V Spence Elephant Butte Falcon Fort Phantom Hill Graham Granbury Greenbelt Hords Creek Hubbard Creek J B Thomas Kemp Kickapoo Leon Lost Creek Mackenzie Meredith Millers Creek Mineral Wells Natural Dam Nocona N. Fork Buffalo Cr. O C Fisher O H Ivie Oak Creek Palo Duro Palo Pinto Pat Cleburne Possum Kingdom Proctor Red Bluff Squaw Creek Stamford Sweetwater Twin Buttes White River

CAPACITY

(Acre Feet)

7,900 96,207 96,207 19,266 230,359 28,808 366,236 130,868 41,580 40,094 29,003 38,075 30,758 517,272 179,880 1,960,900 70,030 45,288 132,949 59,968 8,109 313,298 199,931 245,307 86,345 27,762 11,950 46,450 254,823 26,768 5,273 9,615 21,444 15,400 115,742 554,340 39,210 61,066 26,766 26,008 538,139 54,762 151,110 151,250 51,570 12,267 182,454 29,880

CURRENT

(Acre Feet)

6,541 93,169 93,169 19,266 222,317 22,716 357,191 107,864 25,542 40,094 23,894 35,183 11,716 123,530 171,465 155,018 63,662 43,065 128,989 11,549 5,300 280,558 39,623 213,717 78,192 23,947 11,631 4,605 147,147 26,133 4,988 8,368 21,057 14,415 8,548 364,110 32,144 1,708 22,937 24,766 517,320 41,487 77,926 151,250 51,570 10,900 104,800 4,941

% FULL 83% 97% 97% 100% 97% 79% 98% 82% 61% 100% 82% 92% 38% 24% 95% 8% 91% 95% 97% 19% 65% 90% 20% 87% 91% 86% 97% 10% 58% 98% 95% 87% 98% 94% 7% 66% 82% 3% 86% 95% 96% 76% 52% 100% 100% 89% 57% 17%

•

CONTACT: Dean Heffner 940-329-0036 Fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: Look for stripers on points, humps and pushing baitfish up on flats. We like to mark a fish or two, pay attention to what the bottom depth is and drop the trolling motor and come back slowly over that spot and follow the contour line of the same depth. Live shad is best, but we are still catching fish downrigging

INSET

10 Miles NE of Comanche

SEE INSET ABOVE

HOTSPOTLIGHT:

LAKE PROCTOR LOCATION: On the Sabana and Leon rivers in Comanche County, off US 67 between the cities of Comanche and Proctor SURFACE AREA: 4,537 acres MAXIMUM DEPTH: 34 feet IMPOUNDED: 1963

•

LAKE PROCTOR HAS A HEALTHY POPUlation of largemouth bass as well as

with jigs and Mister Twister curly tails until the fish get into the trees north of Costello Island.

BEST BAITS: RatLTraps, crankbaits, slabs CONTACT: Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept.

325-692-0921 TIPS: Hybrid striped bass have been stocked by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for many years to support the popular fishery. On the northwest and southeast sides of the island near the dam, there are a humps that hybrids can commonly be found shoaling together. Trolling with chrome or white RatLTraps, deep diving crankbaits, or slabbing may produce a good catch. Heavy spinner baits with similar colors could be effective as well.

LOCATION: Lake Proctor HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 31 58.6996, W 98 28.4398 (31.9783, - 98.4740)

••

SPECIES: Hybrid Striped Bass T E X A S

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crappie. It has also been recognized as one of the best hybrid striped bass lakes in the state.

The upper end of Lake Proctor has standing timber. A number of brushpiles have been installed to provide additional cover.

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Sportsman’s DAYBOOK SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

Tides and Prime Times

2020

USING THE PRIME TIMES CALENDAR

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

T12

T4

T11

T10 T9

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

T8 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

T7

T3 T2 T1

T5

T14

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

T18

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

T19

T20

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

PEAK TIMES: When a Solunar Period falls within 30 minutes to an hour of sunrise or sunset, anticipate increased action. A moon rise or moon set during one of these periods will cause even greater action. If a FULL or NEW MOON occurs during a Solunar Period, expect the best action of the season.

T21

TIDE CORRECTION TABLE

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

KEY 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

Day’s Best Day’s 2nd Score Best Score

Moon Underfoot

n

Best Day Overall

MOON PHASES

l = New Moon l = Full Moon = First Quarter º » = Last Quarter «= Good Day by Moon Phase 64

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

Tides and Prime Times MONDAY

31 FEET

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

5:19a 10:16a 11:31a 9:01p

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

Sep 1 «

1.71 ft.

1.54 ft.

1.54 ft.

0.01 ft.

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

5:39a 9:58a 1:20p 9:46p

2«

1.63 ft.

1.47 ft.

1.55 ft.

0.21 ft.

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

5:52a 10:11a 2:37p 10:26p

1.54 ft.

1.36 ft.

1.55 ft.

0.43 ft.

THURSDAY

3l High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

5:56a 10:33a 3:46p 11:05p

1.45 ft.

1.22 ft.

1.53 ft.

0.64 ft.

FRIDAY

4« High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

5:53a 10:58a 4:54p 11:42p

1.36 ft.

1.07 ft.

1.50 ft.

0.85 ft.

2020

SATURDAY

5«

High Tide: 5:41a Low Tide: 11:26a High Tide: 6:05p

1.30 ft.

0.91 ft.

1.46 ft.

SUNDAY

6

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

12:20a 5:21a 11:57a 7:25p

1.03 ft.

1.26 ft.

0.75 ft.

1.45 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

11:30A — 1:30P Sunrise: 6:55a Sunset: 7:42p Moonrise: 7:13p Moon Set: 5:19a

AM Minor: 4:27a AM Major: 10:39a PM Minor: 4:52p PM Major: 11:04p Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 12:19p

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

12:00 — 2:00 PM Sunrise: 6:56a Sunset: 7:41p Moonrise: 7:49p Moon Set: 6:17a

AM Minor: 5:13a AM Major: 11:25a PM Minor: 5:36p PM Major: 11:48p Moon Overhead: 12:43a Moon Underfoot: 1:06p

TexasOutdoorNation-2009-DIG.indd 65

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

7:00 — 9:00 PM Sunrise: 6:56a Sunset: 7:39p Moonrise: 8:21p Moon Set: 7:13a

AM Minor: 5:58a AM Major: ----PM Minor: 6:20p PM Major: 12:09p Moon Overhead: 1:28a Moon Underfoot: 1:50p

12a

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

1:00 — 3:00 AM Sunrise: 6:57a Sunset: 7:38p Moonrise: 8:51p Moon Set: 8:07a

AM Minor: 6:43a AM Major: 12:32a PM Minor: 7:04p PM Major: 12:53p Moon Overhead: 2:11a Moon Underfoot: 2:32p

12a

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

2:00 — 4:00 AM Sunrise: 6:57a Sunset: 7:37p Moonrise: 9:20p Moon Set: 9:00a

AM Minor: 7:28a AM Major: 1:17a PM Minor: 7:48p PM Major: 1:38p Moon Overhead: 2:52a Moon Underfoot: 3:13p

12a

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

2:30 — 4:30 AM Sunrise: 6:58a Sunset: 7:36p Moonrise: 9:49p Moon Set: 9:52a

AM Minor: 8:13a AM Major: 2:03a PM Minor: 8:33p PM Major: 2:23p Moon Overhead: 3:33a Moon Underfoot: 3:53p

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

3:00 — 5:00 AM Sunrise: 6:58a Sunset: 7:35p Moonrise: 10:19p Moon Set: 10:44a

AM Minor: 8:58a AM Major: 2:48a PM Minor: 9:19p PM Major: 3:09p

Moon Overhead: 4:13a Moon Underfoot: 4:34p

8/21/20 3:37 PM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MONDAY

7 FEET

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

1:05a 4:50a 12:33p 9:03p

TUESDAY

8

1.20 ft.

1.28 ft.

0.61 ft.

1.46 ft.

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

2:26a 3:43a 1:15p 11:05p

WEDNESDAY

9»

1.34 ft.

1.34 ft.

0.49 ft.

1.53 ft.

Low Tide:

2:07p

THURSDAY

10

0.40 ft.

High Tide: 12:49a Low Tide: 3:08p

1.65 ft.

0.32 ft.

FRIDAY

11

High Tide: 1:51a Low Tide: 4:15p

SATURDAY

12

1.77 ft.

0.25 ft.

High Tide: 2:37a Low Tide: 5:21p

1.89 ft.

0.18 ft.

SUNDAY

13

High Tide: 3:15a Low Tide: 6:24p

1.97 ft.

0.14 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

3:30 — 5:30 AM

12a

6a

6p

12a

6:00 — 8:00 PM

15 «

1.99 ft.

0.15 ft.

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

FEET

4:13a 9:38a 11:21a 8:19p

16 « High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

4:29a 9:17a 1:25p 9:14p

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

1:00 — 3:00 PM

Sunrise: 7:01a Sunset: 7:28p Moonrise: 1:45a Moon Set: 4:13p

AM Minor: 12:35a AM Major: 6:48a PM Minor: 1:01p PM Major: 7:15p

AM Minor: 1:25a AM Major: 7:39a PM Minor: 1:53p PM Major: 8:06p

Moon Overhead: 8:05a Moon Underfoot: 8:32p

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

2:00 — 4:00 PM

Sunrise: 7:01a Sunset: 7:29p Moonrise: 12:53a Moon Set: 3:18p

Moon Overhead: 7:13a Moon Underfoot: 7:38p

3:00 — 5:00 PM Sunrise: 7:02a Sunset: 7:26p Moonrise: 2:43a Moon Set: 5:05p

AM Minor: 2:15a AM Major: 8:29a PM Minor: 2:44p PM Major: 8:58p

Moon Overhead: 8:59a Moon Underfoot: 9:27p

Moon Overhead: 9:56a Moon Underfoot: 10:24p

MOON PHASES

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

1.94 ft.

1.68 ft.

1.69 ft.

0.22 ft.

12a

AM Minor: ----AM Major: 5:58a PM Minor: 12:11p PM Major: 6:23p

Moon Overhead: 6:24a Moon Underfoot: 6:48p

TUESDAY

6p

12:00 — 2:00 PM

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

MONDAY

12p

Sunrise: 7:00a Sunset: 7:30p Moonrise: 12:07a Moon Set: 2:22p

AM Minor: 11:21a AM Major: 5:09a PM Minor: 11:45p PM Major: 5:33p

Moon Overhead: 5:38a Moon Underfoot: 6:01p

READING THE GRAPH

6a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:00a Sunset: 7:31p Moonrise: None Moon Set: 1:26p

AM Minor: 10:33a AM Major: 4:21a PM Minor: 10:55p PM Major: 4:44p

Moon Overhead: 4:55a Moon Underfoot: 5:16p

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 6:59a Sunset: 7:32p Moonrise: 11:27p Moon Set: 12:31p

AM Minor: 9:45a AM Major: 3:34a PM Minor: 10:06p PM Major: 3:56p

High Tide: 3:47a Low Tide: 7:23p

6p

10:30A — 12:30P

Sunrise: 6:59a Sunset: 7:34p Moonrise: 10:51p Moon Set: 11:37a

14

12p

BEST TIME

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

17 l

1.82 ft.

1.53 ft.

1.72 ft.

0.37 ft.

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

n

4:37a 9:32a 2:59p 10:11p

1.65 ft.

1.28 ft.

1.76 ft.

0.60 ft.

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

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

18 « High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

4:37a 10:02a 4:29p 11:10p

1.48 ft.

0.95 ft.

1.80 ft.

0.87 ft.

SATURDAY

19 «

High Tide: 4:29a Low Tide: 10:40a High Tide: 5:59p

1.36 ft.

0.60 ft.

1.84 ft.

SUNDAY

20

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

12:17a 4:13a 11:25a 7:36p

1.16 ft.

1.34 ft.

0.29 ft.

1.88 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

5:00 — 7:00 AM Sunrise: 7:02a Sunset: 7:25p Moonrise: 3:46a Moon Set: 5:53p

AM Minor: 3:06a AM Major: 9:20a PM Minor: 3:34p PM Major: 9:49p Moon Overhead: 10:53a Moon Underfoot: 11:21p

66

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

11:00A — 1:00P Sunrise: 7:03a Sunset: 7:24p Moonrise: 4:53a Moon Set: 6:38p

AM Minor: 3:57a AM Major: 10:11a PM Minor: 4:25p PM Major: 10:39p

6p

12a

12:00 — 2:00 PM Sunrise: 7:03a Sunset: 7:23p Moonrise: 6:01a Moon Set: 7:18p

AM Minor: 4:48a AM Major: 11:02a PM Minor: 5:15p PM Major: 11:29p

Moon Overhead: 11:49a Moon Underfoot: None

| SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

TexasOutdoorNation-2009-DIG.indd 66

12p

6a

BEST TIME

6p

12a

12:30 — 2:30 PM

AM Minor: 5:40a AM Major: 11:54a PM Minor: 6:07p PM Major: 12:20p

T E X A S

Moon Overhead: 1:37p Moon Underfoot: 1:10a

F I S H

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:04a Sunset: 7:21p Moonrise: 7:09a Moon Set: 7:57p

Moon Overhead: 12:44p Moon Underfoot: 12:16a

|

12p

BEST TIME

&

1:30 — 3:30 PM Sunrise: 7:04a Sunset: 7:20p Moonrise: 8:17a Moon Set: 8:34p

AM Minor: 6:35a AM Major: 12:21a PM Minor: 7:01p PM Major: 12:48p Moon Overhead: 2:29p Moon Underfoot: 2:03a

12a

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

2:30 — 4:30 PM Sunrise: 7:05a Sunset: 7:19p Moonrise: 9:25a Moon Set: 9:13p

AM Minor: 7:31a AM Major: 1:18a PM Minor: 7:58p PM Major: 1:45p Moon Overhead: 3:22p Moon Underfoot: 2:56a

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

3:30 — 5:30 PM Sunrise: 7:05a Sunset: 7:18p Moonrise: 10:33a Moon Set: 9:54p

AM Minor: 8:31a AM Major: 2:17a PM Minor: 8:58p PM Major: 2:45p

Moon Overhead: 4:16p Moon Underfoot: 3:49a

G A M E ®

8/21/20 3:37 PM

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

Tides and Prime Times MONDAY

21 FEET

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

1:57a 3:25a 12:16p 9:21p

TUESDAY

22

1.43 ft.

1.44 ft.

0.05 ft.

1.94 ft.

Low Tide: 1:14p High Tide: 11:10p

WEDNESDAY

23

-0.07 ft.

2.01 ft.

Low Tide:

2:18p

THURSDAY

24 º

-0.08 ft.

High Tide: 12:41a Low Tide: 3:29p

FRIDAY

25

2.07 ft.

-0.01 ft.

High Tide: 1:48a Low Tide: 4:43p

2020

SATURDAY

26

2.09 ft.

0.12 ft.

High Tide: 2:37a Low Tide: 5:55p

2.07 ft.

0.27 ft.

SUNDAY

27

High Tide: 3:12a Low Tide: 7:00p

2.02 ft.

0.45 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

4:30 — 6:30 PM

12p

6p

12a

11:30A — 1:30P

29

1.94 ft.

1.68 ft.

1.73 ft.

0.64 ft.

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

3:51a 8:50a 1:23p 8:49p

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

3:59a 9:05a 2:39p 9:37p

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

1:30 — 3:30 PM

Sunrise: 7:08a Sunset: 7:10p Moonrise: 4:33p Moon Set: 2:15a

AM Minor: 1:00a AM Major: 7:14a PM Minor: 1:27p PM Major: 7:41p

AM Minor: 1:51a AM Major: 8:04a PM Minor: 2:17p PM Major: 8:30p

Moon Overhead: 9:00p Moon Underfoot: 8:32a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

2:30 — 4:30 PM

Sunrise: 7:08a Sunset: 7:12p Moonrise: 3:46p Moon Set: 1:17a

Moon Overhead: 8:05p Moon Underfoot: 7:36a

3:30 — 5:30 PM Sunrise: 7:09a Sunset: 7:09p Moonrise: 5:14p Moon Set: 3:13a

AM Minor: 2:37a AM Major: 8:50a PM Minor: 3:02p PM Major: 9:14p

Moon Overhead: 9:52p Moon Underfoot: 9:26a

Moon Overhead: 10:41p Moon Underfoot: 10:16a

MOON PHASES

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

30 «

12a

AM Minor: 12:10a AM Major: 6:19a PM Minor: 12:34p PM Major: 6:48p

Moon Overhead: 7:08p Moon Underfoot: 6:39a

1.85 ft.

1.57 ft.

1.78 ft.

0.83 ft.

6p

12:30 — 2:30 PM

AM Minor: 11:36a AM Major: 5:21a PM Minor: ----PM Major: 5:50p

TUESDAY

12p

Sunrise: 7:07a Sunset: 7:13p Moonrise: 2:53p Moon Set: 12:20a

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

MONDAY

6a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:07a Sunset: 7:14p Moonrise: 1:53p Moon Set: None

Moon Overhead: 6:10p Moon Underfoot: 5:41a

READING THE GRAPH

FEET

6a

BEST TIME

AM Minor: 10:35a AM Major: 4:20a PM Minor: 11:04p PM Major: 4:49p

Moon Overhead: 5:12p Moon Underfoot: 4:44a

3:36a 8:52a 11:43a 7:58p

12a

Sunrise: 7:06a Sunset: 7:15p Moonrise: 12:49p Moon Set: 11:27p

AM Minor: 9:33a AM Major: 3:19a PM Minor: 10:01p PM Major: 3:47p

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

6p

5:30 — 7:30 PM

Sunrise: 7:06a Sunset: 7:17p Moonrise: 11:41a Moon Set: 10:38p

28

12p

BEST TIME

Day’s 2nd Best Score

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

3:59a 9:25a 3:46p 10:23p

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

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

Oct 1 «

1.75 ft.

1.42 ft.

1.83 ft.

1.01 ft.

n

2l

1.65 ft.

1.25 ft.

1.85 ft.

1.18 ft.

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

3:50a 9:47a 4:47p 11:11p

SATURDAY

1.56 ft.

1.07 ft.

1.86 ft.

1.32 ft.

3«

High Tide: 3:32a Low Tide: 10:10a High Tide: 5:47p

1.51 ft.

0.89 ft.

1.86 ft.

SUNDAY

4«

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

12:06a 3:00a 10:34a 6:48p

1.44 ft.

1.49 ft.

0.74 ft.

1.86 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

11:30P — 1:30A Sunrise: 7:09a Sunset: 7:08p Moonrise: 5:51p Moon Set: 4:11a

AM Minor: 3:21a AM Major: 9:32a PM Minor: 3:44p PM Major: 9:55p Moon Overhead: 11:26p Moon Underfoot: 11:04a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

11:00A — 1:00p Sunrise: 7:10a Sunset: 7:07p Moonrise: 6:23p Moon Set: 5:07a

AM Minor: 4:02a AM Major: 10:13a PM Minor: 4:24p PM Major: 10:34p Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 11:48a

6a

12p

6p

12:00 — 2:00 PM Sunrise: 7:10a Sunset: 7:06p Moonrise: 6:53p Moon Set: 6:01a

AM Minor: 4:41a AM Major: 10:52a PM Minor: 5:02p PM Major: 11:13p Moon Overhead: 12:10a Moon Underfoot: 12:30p

T E X A S

TexasOutdoorNation-2009-DIG.indd 67

12a

BEST TIME

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

12:00 — 2:00 AM

AM Minor: 5:21a AM Major: 11:31a PM Minor: 5:41p PM Major: 11:51p Moon Overhead: 12:51a Moon Underfoot: 1:11p

&

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:11a Sunset: 7:04p Moonrise: 7:22p Moon Set: 6:54a

F I S H

6a

12:30 — 2:30 AM

6p

1:00 — 3:00 AM Sunrise: 7:12a Sunset: 7:02p Moonrise: 8:20p Moon Set: 8:38a

AM Minor: 6:02a AM Major: ----PM Minor: 6:22p PM Major: 12:12p

AM Minor: 6:44a AM Major: 12:34a PM Minor: 7:05p PM Major: 12:55p

Moon Overhead: 1:31a Moon Underfoot: 1:51p

|

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:11a Sunset: 7:03p Moonrise: 7:51p Moon Set: 7:46a

G A M E ®

6a

Moon Overhead: 2:12a Moon Underfoot: 2:32p

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

1:30 — 3:30 AM Sunrise: 7:12a Sunset: 7:01p Moonrise: 8:52p Moon Set: 9:31a

AM Minor: 7:29a AM Major: 1:19a PM Minor: 7:50p PM Major: 1:40p Moon Overhead: 2:53a Moon Underfoot: 3:14p

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

|

67

8/21/20 3:37 PM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MONDAY

5

Low Tide: 11:03a High Tide: 7:55p

TUESDAY

6

0.61 ft.

1.88 ft.

Low Tide: 11:36a High Tide: 9:12p

WEDNESDAY

7

0.52 ft.

1.92 ft.

Low Tide: 12:18p High Tide: 10:36p

THURSDAY

8

0.47 ft.

1.99 ft.

Low Tide: 1:10p High Tide: 11:51p

FRIDAY

9»

0.45 ft.

2.08 ft.

Low Tide:

2:12p

SATURDAY

10

0.46 ft.

High Tide: 12:49a Low Tide: 3:24p

2.17 ft.

0.48 ft.

SUNDAY

11

High Tide: 1:32a Low Tide: 4:38p

2.22 ft.

0.53 ft.

FEET

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

2:00 — 3:00 AM

12a

6a

6p

12a

9:30 — 11:30 AM

13

2.21 ft.

0.59 ft.

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

FEET

2:27a 8:36a 10:46a 6:59p

14

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

2:39a 8:10a 1:03p 8:06p

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

11:30A — 1:30P

Sunrise: 7:16a Sunset: 6:54p Moonrise: 12:30a Moon Set: 2:55p

AM Minor: 11:47a AM Major: 5:34a PM Minor: ----PM Major: 6:00p

AM Minor: 12:17a AM Major: 6:27a PM Minor: 12:41p PM Major: 6:55p

Moon Overhead: 6:50a Moon Underfoot: 7:16p

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

12:00 — 2:00 PM

Sunrise: 7:15a Sunset: 6:55p Moonrise: None Moon Set: 2:04p

Moon Overhead: 5:58a Moon Underfoot: 6:23p

1:00 — 3:00 PM Sunrise: 7:16a Sunset: 6:53p Moonrise: 1:29a Moon Set: 3:44p

AM Minor: 1:06a AM Major: 7:20a PM Minor: 1:34p PM Major: 7:48p

Moon Overhead: 7:44a Moon Underfoot: 8:11p

Moon Overhead: 8:39a Moon Underfoot: 9:06p

MOON PHASES

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

2.11 ft.

1.72 ft.

1.74 ft.

0.71 ft.

12a

AM Minor: 10:53a AM Major: 4:40a PM Minor: 11:18p PM Major: 5:06p

Moon Overhead: 5:08a Moon Underfoot: 5:32p

TUESDAY

6p

10:30A — 12:30P

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

MONDAY

12p

Sunrise: 7:15a Sunset: 6:56p Moonrise: 11:36p Moon Set: 1:10p

AM Minor: 9:59a AM Major: 3:47a PM Minor: 10:24p PM Major: 4:11p

Moon Overhead: 4:20a Moon Underfoot: 4:44p

READING THE GRAPH

6a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:14a Sunset: 6:57p Moonrise: 10:47p Moon Set: 12:15p

AM Minor: 9:07a AM Major: 2:55a PM Minor: 9:30p PM Major: 3:19p

Moon Overhead: 3:35a Moon Underfoot: 3:58p

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:14a Sunset: 6:59p Moonrise: 10:04p Moon Set: 11:20a

AM Minor: 8:17a AM Major: 2:06a PM Minor: 8:39p PM Major: 2:28p

High Tide: 2:05a Low Tide: 5:50p

6p

9:00 — 11:00 AM

Sunrise: 7:13a Sunset: 7:00p Moonrise: 9:26p Moon Set: 10:25a

12

12p

BEST TIME

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

15 «

1.95 ft.

1.50 ft.

1.82 ft.

0.87 ft.

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

n

2:42a 8:24a 2:40p 9:14p

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

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

16 l

1.75 ft.

1.17 ft.

1.93 ft.

1.08 ft.

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

2:38a 8:51a 4:06p 10:28p

SATURDAY

17 «

1.59 ft.

0.78 ft.

2.05 ft.

1.30 ft.

High Tide: 2:24a Low Tide: 9:28a High Tide: 5:28p

1.51 ft.

0.40 ft.

2.15 ft.

SUNDAY

18 « Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

12:03a 1:47a 10:10a 6:50p

1.52 ft.

1.53 ft.

0.08 ft.

2.22 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

2:00 — 4:00 PM Sunrise: 7:17a Sunset: 6:52p Moonrise: 2:33a Moon Set: 4:28p

AM Minor: 1:57a AM Major: 8:11a PM Minor: 2:24p PM Major: 8:38p Moon Overhead: 9:34a Moon Underfoot: 10:01p

68

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

10:00A — 12:00P Sunrise: 7:18a Sunset: 6:51p Moonrise: 3:39a Moon Set: 5:10p

AM Minor: 2:46a AM Major: 8:59a PM Minor: 3:13p PM Major: 9:26p

6p

12a

AM Minor: 3:33a AM Major: 9:46a PM Minor: 4:00p PM Major: 10:13p

| SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

12p

6p

12a

11:30A — 1:30P

AM Minor: 4:21a AM Major: 10:34a PM Minor: 4:47p PM Major: 11:00p

T E X A S

Moon Overhead: 12:13p Moon Underfoot: None

F I S H

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:19a Sunset: 6:48p Moonrise: 5:53a Moon Set: 6:26p

Moon Overhead: 11:21a Moon Underfoot: 11:47p

|

6a

BEST TIME

10:30A — 12:30P Sunrise: 7:18a Sunset: 6:50p Moonrise: 4:46a Moon Set: 5:49p

Moon Overhead: 10:28a Moon Underfoot: 10:55p

TexasOutdoorNation-2009-DIG.indd 68

12p

BEST TIME

&

12:00 — 2:00 PM Sunrise: 7:19a Sunset: 6:47p Moonrise: 7:01a Moon Set: 7:04p

AM Minor: 5:10a AM Major: 11:23a PM Minor: 5:37p PM Major: 11:50p Moon Overhead: 1:06p Moon Underfoot: 12:40a

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

1:00 — 3:00 PM Sunrise: 7:20a Sunset: 6:46p Moonrise: 8:10a Moon Set: 7:44p

AM Minor: 6:04a AM Major: ----PM Minor: 6:31p PM Major: 12:45p Moon Overhead: 2:00p Moon Underfoot: 1:33a

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

2:00 — 4:00 PM Sunrise: 7:21a Sunset: 6:45p Moonrise: 9:20a Moon Set: 8:28p

AM Minor: 7:03a AM Major: 12:48a PM Minor: 7:31p PM Major: 1:17p Moon Overhead: 2:57p Moon Underfoot: 2:29a

G A M E ®

8/21/20 3:37 PM

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER

Tides and Prime Times MONDAY

19 «

Low Tide: 10:57a High Tide: 8:13p

TUESDAY

20

-0.13 ft.

2.26 ft.

Low Tide: 11:49a High Tide: 9:39p

WEDNESDAY

21

-0.20 ft.

2.28 ft.

Low Tide: 12:46p High Tide: 10:59p

THURSDAY

22

-0.14 ft.

2.27 ft.

Low Tide:

1:49p

FRIDAY

23

0.02 ft.

High Tide: 12:06a Low Tide: 2:58p

2020

SATURDAY

24 º

2.24 ft.

0.25 ft.

High Tide: 12:55a Low Tide: 4:11p

SUNDAY

25

2.19 ft.

0.50 ft.

High Tide: 1:28a Low Tide: 5:24p

2.11 ft.

0.74 ft.

FEET

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

3:00 — 5:00 PM

12p

6p

12a

10:00A — 12:00P

27

2.01 ft.

1.62 ft.

1.68 ft.

0.97 ft.

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

2:01a 7:55a 1:04p 7:36p

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

2:04a 8:10a 2:29p 8:36p

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

12:00 — 2:00 PM

12a

Sunrise: 7:26a Sunset: 6:39p Moonrise: 3:53p Moon Set: 2:06a

AM Minor: 12:44a AM Major: 6:57a PM Minor: 1:10p PM Major: 7:22p

Moon Overhead: 7:48p Moon Underfoot: 7:21a

6p

2:00 — 4:00 PM

Sunrise: 7:25a Sunset: 6:39p Moonrise: 3:15p Moon Set: 1:07a

AM Minor: ----AM Major: 6:05a PM Minor: 12:18p PM Major: 6:32p

12p

BEST TIME

1:00 — 3:00 PM

Sunrise: 7:24a Sunset: 6:40p Moonrise: 2:31p Moon Set: 12:07a

Moon Overhead: 6:53p Moon Underfoot: 6:25a

AM Minor: 1:32a AM Major: 7:44a PM Minor: 1:55p PM Major: 8:07p

Moon Overhead: 8:38p Moon Underfoot: 8:14a

Moon Overhead: 9:25p Moon Underfoot: 9:02a

MOON PHASES

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

28

12a

AM Minor: 11:21a AM Major: 5:06a PM Minor: 11:49p PM Major: 5:35p

Moon Overhead: 5:56p Moon Underfoot: 5:26a

1.91 ft.

1.46 ft.

1.75 ft.

1.17 ft.

6p

11:00A — 1:00P

AM Minor: 10:18a AM Major: 4:03a PM Minor: 10:48p PM Major: 4:33p

TUESDAY

12p

Sunrise: 7:23a Sunset: 6:41p Moonrise: 1:41p Moon Set: None

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

MONDAY

6a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:23a Sunset: 6:42p Moonrise: 12:43p Moon Set: 11:08p

Moon Overhead: 4:56p Moon Underfoot: 4:26a

READING THE GRAPH

FEET

6a

BEST TIME

AM Minor: 9:12a AM Major: 2:57a PM Minor: 9:42p PM Major: 3:27p

Moon Overhead: 3:56p Moon Underfoot: 3:26a

1:49a 8:01a 11:03a 6:32p

12a

Sunrise: 7:22a Sunset: 6:43p Moonrise: 11:40a Moon Set: 10:10p

AM Minor: 8:06a AM Major: 1:51a PM Minor: 8:36p PM Major: 2:21p

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

6p

4:00 — 6:00 PM

Sunrise: 7:21a Sunset: 6:44p Moonrise: 10:31a Moon Set: 9:17p

26

12p

BEST TIME

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

29

1.80 ft.

1.27 ft.

1.84 ft.

1.34 ft.

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

n

2:00a 8:29a 3:38p 9:38p

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

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

30 «

1.70 ft.

1.05 ft.

1.90 ft.

1.47 ft.

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

1:44a 8:50a 4:39p 10:52p

SATURDAY

31 «

1.62 ft.

0.84 ft.

1.94 ft.

1.55 ft.

High Tide: 1:09a Low Tide: 9:12a High Tide: 5:33p

SUNDAY

Nov 1l

1.58 ft.

0.65 ft.

1.97 ft.

Low Tide: 8:35a High Tide: 5:25p

END DST

0.49 ft.

1.98 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

3:00 — 5:00 PM Sunrise: 7:26a Sunset: 6:38p Moonrise: 4:26p Moon Set: 3:03a

AM Minor: 2:14a AM Major: 8:25a PM Minor: 2:36p PM Major: 8:47p Moon Overhead: 10:09p Moon Underfoot: 9:48a

12p

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11:30A — 1:30P Sunrise: 7:27a Sunset: 6:37p Moonrise: 4:57p Moon Set: 3:57a

AM Minor: 2:53a AM Major: 9:03a PM Minor: 3:14p PM Major: 9:24p Moon Overhead: 10:51p Moon Underfoot: 10:30a

6a

12p

6p

12:00 — 2:00 PM Sunrise: 7:28a Sunset: 6:36p Moonrise: 5:25p Moon Set: 4:50a

AM Minor: 3:29a AM Major: 9:39a PM Minor: 3:49p PM Major: 9:59p Moon Overhead: 11:31p Moon Underfoot: 11:11a

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6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

5:00 — 7:00 AM

AM Minor: 4:05a AM Major: 10:15a PM Minor: 4:25p PM Major: 10:35p Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 11:51a

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Sunrise: 7:28a Sunset: 6:35p Moonrise: 5:54p Moon Set: 5:42a

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5:30 — 7:30 AM

6p

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AM Minor: 4:42a AM Major: 10:52a PM Minor: 5:02p PM Major: 11:13p

AM Minor: 5:22a AM Major: 11:32a PM Minor: 5:43p PM Major: 11:53p

Moon Overhead: 12:11a Moon Underfoot: 12:31p

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Sunrise: 7:29a Sunset: 6:34p Moonrise: 6:23p Moon Set: 6:34a

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Moon Overhead: 12:51a Moon Underfoot: 1:12p

6a

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12:30 — 2:30 AM Sunrise: 7:31a Sunset: 6:33p Moonrise: 7:27p Moon Set: 8:20a

AM Minor: 6:05a AM Major: ----PM Minor: 6:27p PM Major: 12:16p Moon Overhead: 1:34a Moon Underfoot: 1:56p

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The History of Native Elk in Texas not native to Texas. In fact, I recently came across an incredible study by Richardson B. Gill, Christopher Gill, Reeda Peel, and Javier Vasquez. It goes deeply into historical accounts of elk in the Lone Star State, and as the study shows, elk were not limited to the Trans Pecos.

The earliest recorded sighting of elk in Texas occurred in 1601 according to the authors. The Spanish governor of New Mexico, Don Juan de Oñate, embarked on an exploration of lands to the northeast of

story by CHESTER MOORE

F

REE-RANGING ELK ROAM the Trans-Pecos of Texas, with some anecdotal evidence showing increasing numbers in some areas.

Elk, despite being perhaps North America’s most coveted big game animal, are not a game animal in Texas. In fact, they are treated as exotics with no seasons, bag limits or restrictions at all.

That however does not mean elk are

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Santa Fe. “This river [the Canadian] is thickly covered on all sides with these cattle [bison] and with another not less wonderful, consisting of deer which are as large as large horses. They travel in droves of two and three hundred and their deformity causes one to wonder whether they are deer or some other animal.”

Translation: Elk. In 1759, Captain Juan Angel de Oyarzún reported elk near Menar.

“This watering place was recognized as that of the buros (what they called elk at the time) for the many it maintains. This species resembles deer, although its body and antlers are larger. As a rule they are, when grown, like a medium-sized horse, and

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the antlers ordinarily attain the height of two varas [1.7 meters or 5.5 feet]. For this reason, the Comanche indians use them to make bows for their arrows.”

In 1772, French captain Athanase de Mézières reported elk by calling them red deer (the elk’s close European cousin) between modern day Nacogodches and the

served us in this long journey for recreations as well as for sustenance.”

There are many, many more historical accounts in their study but just as fascinating is the DNA evidence they show of today’s free-ranging Texas elk origins.

“DNA research indicates that today’s free-ranging elk in the Davis and Glass mountains are the result of the natural immigration of elk from the Lincoln National Forest of New Mexico, just north of the Texas border, to recolonize areas of their former native range in the TransPecos. The evidence presented substantiates the presence of native elk throughout Texas prior to their extirpation in the 20th century…”

Elk are a Texas native and maybe learning a bit about their history will help us secure their future within our borders.

Sabine River.

“This very large province can compete with the most fertile and productive. It produces in abundance beans, maize, large and small stock, buffalo, deer, red deer, wild goats, turkeys, wild hogs, partridges, hares, rabbits, and other species of both quadrupeds and birds, which has

•

The earliest sighting of elk in Texas occurred in 1601, said to travel in “droves of two and three hundred.”

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Open SEASON

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

Quarantine Camping

the café.

The big trees just across the fence threw shade into the lot. There was little humidity in the air when I stepped out of the truck. Taking a deep breath of clean air on the way into the café, I glanced the shaded camper and had a brilliant idea and went back.

The breeze was cool enough to open the trailer, so I took advantage of the circulation. None of the boys’ trucks were in the lot, so instead of going inside, I started a pot of coffee on the propane stove.

While it brewed, I placed a couple of chairs under the awning and sat down.

Like flies to honey, Wrong Willie soon appeared.

He steered into the lot, saw the camper and pulled around to back up near the trailer, the same way we do it on the deer lease.

He emerged with a wide smile. “Rev! You camping here?”

I explained that everything was closed, and I parked the rig at Doreen’s just to get out of the house. I honestly hadn’t thought about staying all night until then.

He sniffed like a bird dog winding quail. “Is that coffee I smell?”

“Sure is.” I jerked a thumb over my shoulder.

“Get us a couple of cups.”

“You have cream?” His question floated through the screen.

“In the fridge.”

“Hey, this new camper is cool.” He emerged with two steaming mugs. “I love those bunk beds.”

“The War Department wanted it so we could take the grandkids.”

“They’re huge.”

“No, the kids are still small.”

“I meant the beds.”

“Oh. We can get three kids in each one. Two adults can fit.”

“You mind if I spend the night here with you?”

“Sure.” I pointed at an exterior door panel.

“Open that up.”

He did, and discovered the slide-out stove and refrigerator. “Wow! I’m cooking breakfast out here in the morning!”

Willie quickly called home and explained that we were spending a couple of days in Doreen’s parking lot.

While he was talking, Doc turned into the lot.

Woodrow was in the cab with him. Jerry Wayne was

T

HE WAR DEPARTMENT INVITed three of her friends over to the house for a girls’ get-together once the China Virus quarantine was lifted. “You can stay if you want. I imagine you’ll want to hole up in the bedroom while they’re here, though.”

There was no way I was going to dodge her chatty friends for that long. My office is open to the living/kitchen areas of the house, so that was out.

I can write anywhere, and often prop up in bed like Mark Twain did with his old typewriter, but I had a better idea. “I’ll take the new trailer out for a few nights on a shakedown trip,” I told her.

It would have been a great idea, but I quickly found that state parks, national forests, and national grasslands were closed due to the virus. Even the privately owned RV parks I called were closed.

Frustrated, I hitched the bumper-pull up to the truck and pulled out.

I steered onto the highway with no particular destination in mind, other than to see how the trailer felt out on the highway. We’d only pulled it for a short fifteen-minute drive after we bought it, so I wondered if it’d feel dramatically different from the 14,000-pound fifth wheel we traded in.

Finding myself on the highway, I accelerated and realized I could barely feel the camper. The road felt great after I had been locked up in the house for so long.

The next thing I knew, I was blowing down the road with the windows open, feeling the wind in what’s left of my hair, and listening to Born to Be Wild.

Two young girls went around me in a convertible. One glanced over and saw me singing along. I gave her a bright smile and was rewarded with the information that I’m number one.

Disappointed in my ability to impress the young lady, I gave up on the day and pulled into Doreen’s 24 HR Eat Gas Now Café parking lot.

I almost parked in one of the regular spaces and then realized the trailer was attached. Instead, I steered around the perimeter and parked along the fence separating the lot from the big pasture beside 72

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right behind in his pickup. The next thing I knew, they’d backed up, forming a semi-circle of pickups facing outward.

We were camping!

Lawn chairs appeared and they settled in.

Woodrow rested for only a moment, then frowned.

“We’re missing something.”

“What?” Jerry Wayne thought. “Oh, yeah. A campfire.”

Willie jumped up. “I’ll take care of that.”

“Whoa, boys!” I held up a hand and almost spilled my coffee. “Doreen’ll draw the line at a fire on her parking lot.”

Willie waved the thought away. “Hold on a minute.”

Hurrying to his truck, he opened the toolbox in the bed and came back with a portable campfire that operated on propane. “Look, no damage. Bought it last year. This thing is great.”

Willie opened the outside refrigerator to display the contents. Ice rattled into glasses, cans popped open with a fizz, and we were in business.

The sun settled behind the trees and the boys decided they’d all spend the night. Willie was cooking whatchagot stew for supper when we heard a shriek.

Doc stood, ready to run. “Here comes Doreen, and she don’t look happy. Rev, she did say we could set up camp here, right?” When he saw my expression his mood faded. “You asked, didn’t you?”

“Uh, no. Hadn’t thought of camping all night when I first got here.”

“I’ve got this.” Woodrow stood and held out one hand. “Stay safe, Doreen! No more than six feet! We don’t have any masks!”

She paused, hands on her hips and studied the assemblage. “Fine then, but you’re gonna pay to stay. Sixty bucks per night, and five dollars extra for each one of you.”

Doc sighed. “Fine, but we get to plug into your electricity.”

“Fine.”

We have an extra-long power cord, and I was soon plugged into an outlet on the café’s side.

Negotiations over, we settled in for a fine night at Doreen’s Campground because, hey, you do what you gotta do in a crisis.

«

Email Reavis Wortham at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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Outdoor DIRECTORY Guides & Outfitters

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FLOUNDER Surfside Beach Eleven-year-old Peyton Waneck caught this 15.5inch flounder during a slow bite on Surfside beach while fishing with her father, Michael Waneck.

SPECKLED TROUT Galveston West Bay Case Jaggard caught his best trout while drifting deep reefs in Galveston West Bay.

BASS

HYBRID STRIPED BASS

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Lake Somerville

Private Pond

Colton Kimble caught this 21-inch hybrid while fishing at Yequa Creek Park on Lake Somerville.

Eight-year-old Grayson Holland of Henderson caught this 4.8-pound bass out of his aunt’s and uncle’s pond.

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SEND YOUR PHOTOS TO photos@FishGame.com For best results, send MED to HIGH quality JPEG digital files only, please.

Also Enter our PHOTO CONTEST: FishGame.com/HotShots No guarantee can be made as to when, or if, a submitted photo will be published.

SPECKLED TROUT

BASS

Baffin Bay

Lake Sam Rayburn

Ten-year-old Christian Garcia of Bishop caught and released this 24.5-inch speck at Drum Point on Baffin Bay, fishing with cut skipjack.

Jocy Aguirre caught this 4.9-pound bass on her favorite lake, Sam Rayburn, with her favorite fishing partner, her husband.

SPECKLED TROUT Upper Laguna Madre Krystal Becker caught this 28.5-inch trout while fishing with live croaker near Pita Island on the Upper Laguna Madre.

SHARK Galveston Nathan Hastings of Haltom City shows off a blacktip shark he caught while fishing with his family near the Galveston North Jetty.

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