Texas Fish & Game January 2020 by Texas Fish & Game

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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

Twenty-Twenty Vision

PUBLISHERS

CHESTER MOORE

EDITOR IN CHIEF

ELCOME TO THE NEW YEAR. IN FACT, WELCOME TO A NEW DECADE. Before proceeding, we acknowledge that the year 2020 is considered to be part of the Teens decade by calendar experts—who also lectured everybody about observing the year 2000 as the new Century and Millennium, when according to those same experts, a decade technically should start with the first year, i.e., 2001, 2011, 2021. So what. Twenty-Twenty sounds like it belongs in the Twenties, and so we hereby officially declare the Twenties to have begun. We have high hopes for this new decade. Perhaps it will be known to future generations as “The Roaring Twenties 2.0.” If so, let’s hope it doesn’t have as “depressing” a finish as last century’s Twenties decade. But there is no profit in dwelling on past failings, so we resolve to trudge ahead with an optimistic vision of this century’s Twenties. There will be challenges, for sure. In our business, still mainly print publishing, the challenges remain glaring—led by the decline in how seriously the world takes our legacy method of information delivery via paper, ink and the U.S. Postal Service. Fortunately, we’re up to that challenge and have long considered TEXAS FISH & GAME as not just a print product but as a multi-channel outdoors information source. Between our now quarter-centuryold website, our growing daily email newsletter (67,000-plus subscribers), our weekly podcasts, and the robust digital versions of our monthly issues, we have fully embraced the digital frontier of information delivery and consumption. We also understand the need to keep evolving. Change is inevitable if you plan to survive, and we have a number of changes in store for the coming year. For one, we’re reformatting our Hotspots section into “The Fish & Game Forecast Center,” and, starting this issue, will begin including hunting in the coverage of regional outdoors opportunities. More changes to that section will follow in coming issues, as will other new and exciting additions and changes throughout our print and digital incarnations. We also see other challenges that pose even broader threats—not just to those of us who make our living promoting the outdoors, but to the very ability of all of us to enjoy the outdoors. Texas, blessed as it is with vast resources and a bounty of wildlife, is under an unrelenting assault by population growth and its resulting surge in construction and development. This poses an imminent and seemingly unstoppable threat to both habitat and access to wildlife and outdoors sporting activities. As large swaths of East Texas forests, Central Texas hillsides, North Texas grasslands and Coastal marshes fall under the blades of bulldozers and even West and South Texas ranchlands become less and less accessible, the average sportsman is under constant threat of being edged out of their own participation in the sports they love. Fighting off this threat will take a constant and vigilant effort every bit as strong as the threat itself. If any group is up to that fight, it is Texas hunters and anglers. One of the greatest threats is virtually invisible. That is the threat posed by loss of interest, or interest in competing activities that keep us off the water or out of the field. Youth are especially vulnerable to this threat. The only defense against this threat is a strong offense. Make every effort to get out there. Every chance you get, choose the outdoors over those other leisure choices, and make every effort to share your experience with the young members of your family or community. There are plenty of signs of optimism, if you look for them. As we have noted, our involvement in Texas high school Ag and FFA programs has proven that there is a powerful drive among Texas teens to be a part of the outdoors. High school and collegiate bass tournaments continue to skyrocket in participation and popularity. These are just two examples of why hope for the future is a winning bet. Above all, we are here in Texas. The land and its people are unique in the world. No mere state, Texas is a place where the impossible is just another task on the to-do list. Challenge is what gets us out of bed every morning. Threats don’t intimidate Texans. They inspire us. Twenty-Twenty, here we come.

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C O N T R I B U T O R S DUSTIN WARNCKE 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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ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER 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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TEXAS FISH & GAME (ISSN 0887-4174) is published monthly by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC., 247 Airtex Dr. Houston, TX 77090. ©Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. All rights reserved. Content is not to be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission. The publication assumes no responsibility for unsolicited photographs and manuscripts. Subscription rates: 1 year $24.95; 2 years $42.95; 3 years $58.95. Address all subscription inquiries to Texas Fish & Game, 247 Airtex Dr. Houston, TX 77090. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for response. Give old and new address and enclose latest mailing address label when writing about your subscription. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: TEXAS FISH & GAME, 247 Airtex Dr. Houston, TX 77090. Address all subscription inquiries to TEXAS FISH & GAME, 247 Airtex Dr. Houston, TX 77090. Email change of address to: subscriptions@fishgame.com. Email new orders to: subscriptions@fishgame.com. Email subscription questions to: subscriptions@fishgame.com. Periodical postage paid at Houston, TX 77267-9946 and at additional mailing offices.

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Contents January 2020 | Vol. 36 • No. 9

FEATURE ARTICLES

VANISHING FLOUNDER Inside the alarming decline of southern flounder, one of the most popular fish on the Gulf Coast.

by Chester Moore

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COVER STORY LUNKER GENES

Editor’s Notes

by CHESTER MOORE

Doggett at Large by JOE DOGGETT

Nugent in the Wild

Timberdoodles—a.k.a. American woodcock— are challenging gamebirds that go largely ignored by winter hunters.

by Matt Williams

HORNS ACROSS THE BORDER Bighorn sheep in the Sierra El Alamo region of Mexico have made a remarkable recovery.

TEXAS OUTDOOR NATION IF IT’S WINTER, IT’S SHOW TIME! January is all about outdoor expos and trade shows.

by TF&G Staff

by Ted Nugent

Texas Freshwater

TF&G Report • 37 The News of the Nation

by MATT WILLIAMS

Texas Saltwater

by CALIXTO GONZALES

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Texas Whitetails by LARRY WEISHUHN

Spec. Hunting Report by CHESTER MOORE

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TEXAS TIMBERDOODLES

by Chester Moore

COLUMNS

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DNA analysis of recent entries to TPWD’s ShareLunker program has identified a second generation of ShareLunkers.

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The last decade has seen advances in boating technology so vast that they have changed the face of fishing forever.

by TF&G Staff

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FISHING BOAT TECH

T E X A S

Letters

by TFG Readers

Tides & Prime Fishing Times

DEPARTMENTS Fish & Game Photos

Outdoor Directory F I S H

Hotshots 37 Texas Action Photos and 38 Fishing Hunting Forecast 50 Texas Hotspots 57 Sportsman’s Daybook

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by TFG Readers

Texas Tasted by Bryan Slaven

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LETTERS to the Editor Pike On The Edge

4. 5.

AS SOMEONE WHO WILL HIT 59 next month I sure could relate to your latest column. I miss some of those earlier efforts, but don’t miss the pain that seems to come with them. I recently moved back to Rockport after rebuilding from Harvey. So, I’ve got to get back on the water more and do what I love. I hit Rollover, the North Jetty and a few places while we were living in Houston and rebuilding, but nothing like it was regularly while living here. Now that I’m back, I’m doing more—of everything. I’m cast netting mullet, catching, cooking and eating crabs, quick two-hour fishing trips between chores, etc. I even started getting back in to wade fishing, which I used to do from sunup to just about sundown, which brings me to your column. I’ve read you for years and years and enjoyed your writing thank you. I know you did those long days of wading as well, and our backs just don’t support us as well as they used to. I’m OK with shorter wading days, but there is one thing I’ve given up on, and that’s mud. Late teens and twenties wading mud was no big deal. Even knee-deep mud if you had to. Now, I’m not wading mud for beans. If I can’t drift over it, I’m not fishing it. Hard sand, shell, sure, but remembering sinking up to my hips in the stuff makes me think trying to do it now would make my heart explode. Thanks for choosing to be a writer.

forward to nonhunters can begin with food. I enjoy getting to read the magazine every month, and seeing this article reignited a love for wild game cooking. Thank you!

Shelly Travis IF YOU COULD GIVE ME YOUR TOP five wild meats and fish, I would appreciate it. I want to explore a little more wild game and fish eating thanks to the recent article.

Bubba Isaac Editor: Thanks for the kind words! I am excited people are responding to the “Trophy Cooking” concept.

‘Trophy Cooking’ feature from the November 2019 issue.

In terms of my favorite wild game and fish here we go… Game 1. Nilgai 2. Blue-Winged Teal 3. Wild Turkey 4. Axis Deer 5. Bison Fish 1. Peacock Bass (I know I never get to eat this but the few times I did it was amazing!) 2. Crappie 3. Red snapper

Brad Brumback

Trophy Cooking Questions THE ARTICLE CALLED “TROPHY Cooking” was a refreshing take on wild game harvest and the idea that putting a good foot 6

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Flounder Mahi-mahi

Mule Deer Population I HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THE ARTIcles on fishgame.com mentioning mule deer, and I really appreciate that. No one else touches on the topic of muleys in Texas. Do you have any idea what the current mule deer population is in Texas?

Eldon Spears Editor: I love mule deer! They are among my favorite animals on the planet, and I just got back from photographing some beautiful bucks in Colorado. It’s hard to get mule deer population info, but I was able to find a pretty recent one. According to a very detailed report on mule deer by the Mule Deer Working Group of the Western Association Of Fish and Wildlife Agencies the number as of 2017 was 285,918. In general, the Trans-Pecos population has been on an increasing trend since 2012 because of good range conditions and fawn production and recruitment from 2013 to2017. “The 2017 survey estimate (152,870) indicated a 57 percent increase from 2012 (97,315). Surveys were not conducted in 2007 and 2010. The survey estimated 2013 to 2017 fawn crops of 47, 35, 38, 40, and 49 fawns. One hundred does was higher than the 2012 estimate of 32. The sex ratio for 2017 was 54 bucks: 100 does, the highest buck ratio to 100 does since 2005.” The Panhandle population trend has been stable to increasing since 2011. Surveys were not conducted in 2015. The 2017 population estimate of 133,048 was highest among survey years according to the report.

Email your comments to: editor@ﬁshgame.com

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

Texans Hunting Across North America

EVEN DEGREES IS COLD. It is especially cold for someone who lives in Southeast Texas and the chill is taken to a new level when the wind is blowing 15 miles per hour. Despite the cold, wind and snow, nothing was getting in my way of photographing mule deer. I found myself deep in a valley in Colorado and had two huge bucks in front me. There were four more behind them. Two younger bucks were fighting as the others looked on. The rut was just now beginning, and I find myself in position to get photos of a lifetime. This was last October and is the inspiration from something knew we are doing here at Texas Fish & Game. Each month we will (without reducing other material) creating a four-page section called “Hunting North America”. It will be about hunting opportunities outside of Texas with a focus on affordable and unique opportunities. The largest number of non-resident licenses in Colorado are purchased by Texas hunters. Other mountain states sell thousands of licenses to Texans eager to expand their horizons. Top this with turkey hunters and waterfowlers looking to score on species not available in Texas, and you have a recipe for an informative and fun section of Texas Fish & Game. We will list monthly public draw opportunity deadlines for everything from elk to bighorns to moose and bear in the U.S. and Canada. We will shed light on little known hunting opportunities and profile species that inform you how and where to hunt them as well as give unique insight into their life history and conservation. Blacktail deer are a prime example. This species is one of the most affordable hunts in North America. In fact, you can get a private land hunt for a large blacktail cheaper than

PHOTO: CHESTER MOORE

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read in the new section as well as the monthly e-newsletter we will be sending out with bonus videos and other goodies. It’s part of our commitment to bring you cutting-edge information that will help you better enjoy your outdoor experience and understand how to be good stewards. Down in that valley, I finally had enough of the cold. The wind kicked up to around 25 miles an hour, and it felt as if a cold razor blade was cutting through me with each gust. The last buck I photographed really touched my heart. Most hunters’ view of the west is shaped by the elk. Yet, when I think anything from Trans-Pecos Texas to California the mule deer is the first animal that comes to mind. I have always felt they were stunningly beautiful creatures, and I know the scene I saw was becoming increasingly rare in some states. Colorado for example has had a substantial loss in muleys in some areas. A hunting dream of mine is to take a nice, representative buck with my bow, and that is on my hunting agenda for 2020. For now though, I was content with getting photos of this particular beauty and having my soul come alive as I locked eyes with the buck. In 2019 I was able to capture photos of Rocky Mountain bighorns in Colorado and New Mexico, desert bighorns in Texas, mule deer in all three states and bison and elk in Montana.. It’s a personal dream to give you on these pages, what I consider to be unique information on these opportunities for hunters. This is in addition to our normal coverage of everything within the borders of this awesome state. Be ready for a truly wild year for TF&G and its readers!

you can most average whitetail hunts in Texas. That’s not to mention public land opportunities. The author captured this photo of a Colorado mule deer.

Did you know scientists believe blacktails split off the whitetails eons ago and at some point, mule deer arose out of the blacktail? There are two varieties of blacktail, the Columbia which can be found from California through Washington and the Sitka, which roams British Columbia and Alaska. This is the kind of information you will T E X A S

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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

Waterfowl Glory Days

back then, Houston was the fourth largest city in the nation. Compare this cornucopia to the limited resources available within a short drive of New York City, Los Angeles or Chicago—or all three combined. Southeast Texas was the mother lode for waterfowl migrating down the Central Flyway. The upper coast had it all—abundant forage, plentiful water and temperate weather—to hold concentrations of waterfowl through most of the winter. To stress again, this potential was an easy predawn drive away. Hunters on the west side, for example, had tens of thousands of geese on the Katy Prairie within reach of a single go cup of hot coffee. Maybe it was hundreds of thousands; I lose track. Add 30 or 40 minutes to the drive and toss Brookshire/Cypress/Hockley or Eagle Lake/ Altair/Lissie into the mix—or Anahuac and Winnie to the east and the tally of wintering snows and blues was ridiculous. The close hunting was so productive that a growing day-hunt industry flourished. At one point, almost 100 full-time operations were scattered around Houston (based on the Houston Chronicle’s Day-Hunt Directory, an annual listing free to the professionals that yours truly laboriously compiled each October). Various unguided walk-in hunts also were available—the huge Barrow Ranch Hunting Preserve near Anahuac is an excellent example of this inexpensive option. The urban hunter making the right call could wing it solo or book with a pro and be back in Houston with a strap of birds well before lunch. Because of this quick-draw abundance, the original Houston Chapter of Ducks Unlimited became the largest and richest fundraiser for DU in the nation during the ’70s. The annual dinner held in the old Shamrock Hotel’s Emerald Ballroom was a monster gathering. The event raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for waterfowl habitat and wetlands conservation. Of course, pockets of excellent waterfowl hunting within a reasonable drive from Houston still are available, but the overall abundance is a shadow of the glory years. The change occurred gradually, like the graying and thinning of an aging gunner’s hair, but it was inevitable.

ALF A CENTURY AGO, THE waterfowl hunting opportunities within an easy hour of the outskirts of Houston were remarkable. I know. I was there. I can’t say “world class,” as measured against the phenomenal concentrations in regions of Mexico and South America, but the close-range potential during the ‘60s and ‘70 was very good—and the variety of waterfowl hunting options was world class indeed. A Houston-area hunter could spin the compass and choose from rice prairies, coastal marshes, bay flats, flooded river bottoms, ponds and reservoirs. The list of available species was also world class. Goose hunters using “white spreads” had legitimate chances at huge concentrations of snows and blues, as well as impressive numbers of specklebellies and several subspecies of Canadas. Virtually every legal duck native to the Central Flyway might see the distant glow from the city. Some species, of course, were more plentiful than others, but the full muster was present. Depending on location, the individual “mixed bag” might consist of three or four species. Lists can be subjective, but here are the prized ducks that were available around Houston (assuming all were drakes): The “big ducks” were northern mallards (greenheads), pintails (bull sprigs), canvasbacks (rare), black mallards (native mottled ducks), redheads (bays and big lakes), wood ducks (flooded timber and sloughs), widgeons and gadwalls. A limit strap consisting of any mix of these was as good as duck hunting can get. The lesser ducks that helped fill out limits included teal (blue-winged and green-winged), scaup, shovelers (spoonbills), and legal hens of any of the top-tier species. Poor hunts certainly occurred close to town, but the abundance and variety on the right days in the right places was astounding. This bounty was even more impressive when you consider that even

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So, what happened? Shooting pressure had little to do with the decline. For starters, federal guidelines carefully restrict the bag limits (as determined each year by nesting surveys). Also important, both the day-hunt operators and seasonal lease members usually stop waterfowl hunting at noon. This self-imposed policy allows flocks to settle back in to feed or roost. The primary areas maintain no-hunting sanctuaries. No, three other factors dwindled the waterfowl populations: First was the ongoing loss of habitat. Greater Houston continues to spread, destroying more acreage for wintering birds each year. For example, as a teen during the ’60s I hunted with school friends on prairies and ponds near Clear Lake, Alvin, Pearland, Almeda, Stafford, Sugarland, and Richmond/Rosenberg. These fledgling forays usually produced at least a few ducks, and no spot was more than 30 or 40 minutes from the then-new 610 Loop. Safe to say, most of that open country has been erased by subdivisions, strip centers, office parks and industrial complexes. Second were the changes in agricultural practices. Fifty years ago, Houston was surrounded by vast prairies cultivated for rice and soybeans. Mile after mile of flooded fields attracted and held multitudes of waterfowl. Now, not so much—a grain or bean field here and there beyond the expanding suburbs. Finally, the traditional Central Flyway migration to southeast Texas is reduced—or at least stalled. Birds are being “short stopped” by favorable habitat being maintained in regions farther north. Some flocks move grudgingly, only after several brutal ice storms. Some apparently don’t arrive at all. But solid numbers of waterfowl still do funnel onto the upper Texas coast. Good quality hunting does remain, especially for the established outfitters with access to scouted fields and marshes. But the bounty once within easy reach of a major metropolis is gone, a casualty to the inexorable passage of time. Younger hunters should understand and appreciate that Houston has an unmatched big-city legacy in the annals of waterfowl hunting.

Email Joe Doggett at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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

O REALLY! QUICKSAND! I often rave about my sacred swamp on our old Michigan family hunting grounds, and it is indeed a wildlife paradise sacred swamp. This wonderful October afternoon would not bode well for the old backstrapper as I gleefully stalked the marshlands and fen into my timbered buck knob oak mound, smack dab in the middle on no-mans muck-hell! We have always known there are numerous pockets of quicksand within the vast mucky, muddy, super-goo hinterlands of this incredible piece of property, but we have always believed they can be avoided just by cautious observation and the diligent avoidance of the treacherous floating black globs of bottomless peat in and around the amazing impenetrable tangles of alders, dogwoods, willows, cattails, reedgrass and the plethora of aquatic vegetation that makes this ground the definitive wildlife sanctuary. I have traversed such dangerous areas for more than forty years with only the occasional leg sucking encounter, always able to extract free before things got too threatening. On this day I had even mentioned to my wife Shemane that I probably shouldn’t hunt the buck knob by myself, as more than a few deer retrievals have tested even a tag team effort in the past. Well, yours truly, Mr. Goofball ignored my instinctual intellect and I ventured into the dangerzone anyway. Arrowing a fine old she-deer before dark, I didn’t like the smell of my arrow, so backed out and cleaned up and had dinner before taking up the bloodtrail a few hours later. Once again ignoring the wisdom from my wife to not track the deer alone, I figured I would just take up the bloodtrail a short-ways and not put myself in jeopardy as the boot-sucking goo factor increased. Yeah, right! The bloodtrail looked promising and inspired me to stay on it. There are no words to adequately describe

“ I have traversed such dangerous areas for more than forty years with only occasional leg sucking encounter.

“

Quicksand!

backtrack my adventure to make my way back to the knob. With the nearly full-moon overhead as a constant guide, I carefully fought my way back through the hellzone when suddenly a thrusted right foot hit a gob of black goo and I sank quickly to my crotch falling forward uncontrollably, sinking fast. I immediately knew I had hit quicksand and with my legs akimbo nearly in the splits, I struggled with all my might to yank my leg out of the black snot, only to cause both legs to sink deeper. I forced myself to stop struggling, having learned from old cowboy TV shows in my youth that one should never struggle when mired in quicksand as it only makes things worse. T E X A S

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I laid back against a nasty tangle of vines, limbs and roots to catch my breath, and slowly attempted to wriggle my right foot upward using only my arms and back muscles to literally weightlift myself out of the sucking slop. Being less than a mile from our cabin, I knew my situation was not hopeless or life-threatening with my son Toby and hunting buddy Jim to the rescue at some point worst-case scenario. Now if only my cell signal is strong enough to text everyone! I texted Shemane, Jim and Toby- “East of buck knob quicksand come asap” With that big moon shining down, I very slowly hoisted myself out of the mire, inch by inch for the next half-hour, crawled over the limbs and puckerbrush, and eventually made my way back to the high ground of the knob just about the time Jim arrived. I was soaked head to toe in sweat and covered in thick, black, clinging muck up to my crotch, my left hearing aid and hat gone back there somewhere. I leaned against a big oak for a while catching my breath and sharing my adventure with Jim, rather pleased and downright thrilled to have gone through the challenge, and rather relieved to have made it out not much worse for wear. At my age I am well aware of the heart attack considerations of old men, so all my decisions were made to err on the side of steady-as-shegoes controlled excursion. Unfortunately, I never did recover my doe and that always leaves a hole in our hearts, but the adventure was fascinating to say the least. Hosing off my pants and boots left a giant puddle of black muck on the driveway, remnants of a hard lesson learned to always believe in and trust your instincts and the smart advice of your loved ones. From here on out, the buck knob is off limits to my solo hunts, and here’s to fully charged cellphones and flashlights!

the rabbit defying thickness of this astonishing tanglezone of jungle-like vegetation. Every foot of progress is painstaking and challenging beyond words. I struggled through the heavy branches, roots, multi-flora rose walls of phenomenal flora and squirmed hellishly on my hands and knees following the ever-decreasing blood spoor. Taking the trail through this most amazing maze, I finally popped out into the somewhat negotiable sawgrass that provided a hint of barely supportable footing. Now facing the partially open water of the muck-pond, I knew I had to

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Email Ted Nugent at TNugent@ﬁshgame.com

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IN FEBRUARY 2017, MARINE Creek Lake produced the first ever-confirmed Toyota ShareLunker offspring entered in the program, a major milestone in the programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s effort to create bigger, better bass in Texas. Two years later, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) biologists confirmed that ShareLunker 577, a 14.57 pound

Below: ShareLunker 577, caught on Marine Creek in January 2019.

bass caught at Marine Creek Lake on January 26, is a full sibling to the 2017 Marine Creek Lake fish, both stocked from the same group of selectively bred largemouth bass 13 years ago.

PHOTO: TPWD

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Mother Bass: Sharelunker 410, caught in 2006 on Lake Conroe.

“Having two confirmed ShareLunker offspring caught in Marine Creek Lake is very satisfying,” said Tom Hungerford, “because before we stocked it with ShareLunker fingerlings it didn’t have a history of producing trophy-sized bass.” Hungerford is a TPWD Inland Fisheries

Share Your Lunker SINCE 1986, THE TEXAS PARKS AND WILDlife’s popular Toyota ShareLunker program has been partnering with anglers to promote and enhance bass ﬁshing in Texas. Each season (January 1 through December 31), anglers will have new and exciting opportunities to partner with ShareLunker and be recognized for their achievement and contributions all year long. Anglers who reel in any largemouth bass at least 8 lbs. or 24 inches can participate simply by entering their

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Assistant Biologist from the Dallas-Fort Worth District Office. “But I thought if the genetics really play a role in producing double digit bass then a lake like that will truly show the potential, and it has.” Genetic testing conducted by TPWD

fisheries biologists using a clip from ShareLunker 577’s fin found she is not only the full sister to ShareLunker 566, the 13.07 pound bass caught by angler Ryder Wicker from Marine Creek Lake in February 2017, she’s also the daughter of ShareLunker 410, a 14.48 pound bass caught by angler Edward

lunker catch information. Complete Entry Requirements online or in the new ShareLunker mobile app during the yearlong season (January 1 through December 31). All conﬁrmed ShareLunker participants will receive a Catch Kit corresponding to their ﬁsh’s weight class. Each Catch Kit includes an achievement decal, merchandise and other giveaways. Plus, everyone who enters will be included in a grand prize drawing to

win a $5,000 shopping spree and other prizes! And, anglers who donate their 13 lb. or larger bass for spawning will be entered in an additional drawing to win a $5,000 shopping spree, VIP access and awards programming at the 2019 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest and other prizes. Visit TexasShareLunker.com.

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First Daughter: Sharelunker 566, also caught on Marine Creek, in 2017.

Reid from Lake Conroe in March 2006. “In 2006 and 2008, we stocked thousands of fingerlings produced by spawn-

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ing ShareLunker 410 and other 13 pound and larger bass as part of a research project to evaluate the growth of ShareLunker off-

spring in public reservoirs,” Hungerford said. “With the two confirmed ShareLunker offspring caught and entered in the program from Marine Creek Lake—along with other double-digit bass other anglers have caught there recently,” said Tom Hungerford. “It’s clear those fingerlings have absolutely survived and thrived. And the potential for even larger bass continues because we keep seeing bigger and bigger fish being caught in that lake every year.” Hungerford said ShareLunker 577 is the largest largemouth bass ever caught within the four-county Dallas-Forth Worth district. ShareLunker 577 is also the third confirmed ShareLunker offspring ever entered in the program, a list that also includes full sibling ShareLunker 566 and ShareLunker 567, a 13.06-pound bass caught by angler Larry Mosby from Lake Naconiche in February 2017.

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Inside the Decline of Southern Flounder THE SOUTHERN FLOUNDER (PARALICTHYS LETHOSTIGMA) IS AN EXTREMELY important fish in Texas and along the Gulf Coast. It is revered by a hardcore contingent of flounder specialist anglers, appreciated by the angling masses and renowned for its quality on the dinner table. And it is a species in trouble. Since the 1980s, flounder have had many ups and downs with populations growing and shrinking and now reaching a point of great concern for fisheries managers from the East Coast to Austin. “We’re seeing some disturbing trends in flounder stocks. The catch rates for Southern flounder from our gill net and trawl surveys are at the lowest levels recorded since 1982,” said Lance Robinson, Deputy Director of Coastal Fisheries for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD). “The recruitment index (obtained from shoreline bag seine surveys) is also at historic lows. We’ve heard reports of pretty decent catches over the last couple of years, but this is not expected to last. The catches we’re seeing now are being driven by a decent recruitment class in 2015.” Flounder fisheries are extremely complex to manage because of factors that do not apply to other gamefish such as speckled trout and redfish. • Flounder are not legally recognized as a gamefish whereas redfish and speckled trout are. This means flounder are harvested commercially and can be pursued by means other than hook and line (gigging/bowfishing).

by Chester Moore

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Unlike speckled trout and redfish, flounder are not protected as gamefish.

“While they spend most of the year inshore feeding on invertebrates and smaller fish,” said Shane Bonnot, CCA Texas Advocacy Director, “adult southern flounder migrate to offshore waters each year during the late fall and early winter to depths of over 100 feet to spawn. Some flounder have been found at depths greater than 350 feet, releasing on average 45,000 eggs per pound body weight,” One hundred feet of water can mean 12 miles out of Port Aransas, but in the Sabine area that can be 40 miles offshore. That’s a long trek for tiny flounder to make it back into bays. “After the eggs are fertilized in the water column, they float to the surface and, dependent on the water temperature, will hatch after an approximate 48-hour incubation period,” Bonnot said. This is where things get really tricky. “From work done by the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, they’ve found there is a very narrow temperature range that larval flounder can survive within,” said Lance Robinson. “The optimal temperature for survival is 18°C. If the temperature rises or falls by more than 2°C in either direction, within the first three weeks of hatching, larvae die. We also

Fisheries managers have to keep an eye on rod and reel fisheries for specks and reds whereas flounder have three separate types of angling pressure: 1) Recreational Rod and Reel 2) Recreational Gigging 3) Commercial Gigging. • Flounder are a bottom fish, and for years bycatch in shrimping trawls has been an issue. It is still problematic, but there has been a drastic decrease in shrimping pressure. Still, bycatch as juveniles and adults is an issue for flounder. Specks and reds are not immune to shrimping bycatch, but they are not a major incidental catch either. • Flounder are hard to spawn in captivity. TPWD officials have come light years in the ability to stock flounder, but in comparison to the numbers of redfish and trout that hatchers produce annually, it is a minimal factor. • Flounder spawn in the Gulf of Mexico. Speckled trout do most of their spawning inshore. Redfish spawn in the nearshore Gulf where the eggs and fry are easily transported by incoming tides into estuarine marsh. Flounder are different in this regard.

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know that sex determination is temperature dependent with males being produced in warmer water and females in colder. Looking back over water temperature data collected with every sample we take, beginning in the mid-1970s we’ve been able to document that average water temperatures have increased along the Texas coast by about 2° C.” Robinson said this issue is not unique to Texas. “I’ve spoken to state biologists with Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama who are also reporting significant reductions in this species in their waters. Our suspicion is that these declines are temperature related. As you know, flounder are very temperature dependent,” he said. Fisheries managers and anglers cannot control the Gulf’s temperatures, but they can regulate various aspects of harvest. “It is likely that we will never get back to the flounder abundance we observed in the 1980s, but we should do everything within our ability to prevent further declines,” Bonnot said. “All options should be on the table, and it is time to answer the tough questions many have had for decades. Why have a commercial fishery for a species at the lowest end of its geographical range? What are the effects

PHOTO: TERRY UPTON

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of the gigging fishery? Why just a 14-inch minimum size limit and why not raise it to 16 or 17 inches to ensure female flounder have two years to contribute to spawning biomass?” With the current 14-inch minimum size limit, only 50 percent of the fish reach sexual maturity. Most would reach that level by 17 inches. Other options could possibly include the following: • Full spring closure to allow flounder to return from the Gulf undisturbed. • Extension of current fall regulations (October to December?) • Year-round two flounder bag limit • Seasonal gigging closure during spring or summer None of these have been proposed at the time of this writing, but they are the only real options if regulation changes are made. There is no question that if regulation changes had not been made a decade earlier the fishery would be suffering to a greater extent. Killing more of the flounder that do make it into the bays is not a solution. Fewer flounder spawning means fewer flounder for

As bottom ﬁsh, ﬂounder more easily become bycatch in shrimp nets.

anglers to catch. This is an extremely challenging issue with tradition, commerce and science all playing a factor. Let’s hope in the end, the southern floun-

der benefits from good decision-making and advocacy for a great species.

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AYING THAT BOATING-RELATED TECHnology has come a long way, is a huge understatement. This is especially true when it comes to fishing-related tech. The last decade alone has seen advances so vast they have literally changed the face of fishing

forever. To kick off 2020 we thought we would look at a few items that are having a powerful impact on fishing—some at a simple, practical level, and others virtually space age.

Trolling Motors With Mega Imaging Sonar Minn Kota is producing built-In MEGA Side Imaging in its Ultrex and Ulterra trolling motors, allowing anglers to run their boats confidently, while seeing the clearest, most precise images of structure and fish in real-time directly below and to either side of their boat. MEGA Imaging is the first imaging technology to enter the megahertz range with performance that provides three times greater detail than traditional 455 kHz frequencies. Adding Humminbird’s MEGA Side Imaging to Minn Kota’s trolling motors results in clear, sharp real-time images without the need to run wires, which can compromise the use of the trolling motor’s key features such as Spot-Lock and I-Pilot Link. Ultrex trolling motors changed the way anglers approach boat control by combining Spot Lock, a GPS anchoring system with unparalleled accuracy, with power steering in an intuitive and responsive heel-toe foot pedal. Ulterra features auto stow/deploy and power trim, allowing anglers to precisely control their motor with unrivaled ease. “Fishing from the bow with down and side-imaging has been an imperfect practice with anglers having to deal with external transducers and cords,” said Joe Brown, senior director of brand management at Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics. “Minn Kota’s Built-In MEGA Side Imaging houses the transducer directly inside the trolling motor for ultimate protection. It also relays real-time images from directly underneath and to the side of the boat letting anglers focus entirely on the fish.”

TF&G Staff Report PHOTO COURTESY PARKS MFG.

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PHOTO: COURTESY POWER-POLE

With Built-In MEGA Side Imaging, the transducer is housed in the motor’s lower unit and the wiring runs through the indestructible composite shaft providing clean rigging that is protected from damage over time. In addition, having the transducer integrated into the trolling motors allows anglers to see what is directly below the bow and to the side of the boat rather than the transom.

Hybrid Boats Anglers wanting to fish both in shallow water and offshore have typically had to buy two boats. That has changed. Anglers wanting to cast along bay shorelines for reds can do it in the same boat as they fish rigs offshore for red snappers. The Blue Wave 2800 Pure Hybrid, the world’s largest bay boat, is just as comfortable fishing the shallows as fishing blue water. The hull design of 2800 Pure Hybrid delivers a soft and comfortable ride able to stay dry in most conditions. The doublestepped hull gets on top of the waves immediately for peak fuel economy. Fishing is at the forefront of this boat’s purpose-built design. One standard pressurized livewell aft holding 35 gallons of live bait and a 10 gallon pitch well forward, are standard. An additional 75 gallons of livewell is an option.

Shallow water anchor, scaled down for small craft like kayaks.

anglers to quietly and quickly stop your paddleboard or kayak. The all-electric MicroDriver is ultra-compact and drives up to a 10-foot spike into the shallow water bottom. This anchor uses low friction and a soft-drive stealth, along with an all-electric motor that remains silent to avoid disturbing fish when you power-pole down.

Simple, But Effective

Fishing in small craft such as kayaks, whether for pros or the everyday angler, has become increasingly popular in the past few years. Not only are they more cost-effective than traditional boats, they are lightweight and portable, making it much easier to set out and extend your day on the water. Shallow water fishing in kayaks and paddleboards allows you to sit or stand while fishing, putting you right on top of your target. Traditional anchors are impractical on these smaller vessels, posing the problem of spooking fish when you drop your anchor. Because they are so lightweight, you can quickly drift away from your spot in fast moving waters, or even come up too fast on the fish, or hit your kayak or board on the shallow water bottom. The Power-Pole Micro-Driver allows

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It’s certainly not cutting-edge space age technology, but jackplates can net a slight efficiency boost for just about any outboardpowered boat on the water according to

Shallow Water Anchors For Kayaks

A jackplate can add efﬁciency to your outboardpowered boat.

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TF&G Boating Editor Lenny Rudow. “To understand why, you need to get a clear picture of what a jackplate allows you to do—raise and lower the outdrive, without changing tilt,” he said. “Normally, when you trim your outboard up, it not only raises the outdrive in the water column but also changes the angle of the propeller’s thrust,” Rudow added. “The higher you trim, the more it pushes the transom down and the bow up.” Rudow said savvy boaters will already know that the most efficient cruise is usually attained by trimming your outboard up as far as possible before it starts ventilating. That’s because trimming up minimizes the amount

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of lower unit in the water, reducing drag. “But not all boats will be at their most efficient running angle when the engine is trimmed all the way up—in fact, very few will. Trimming the drive up with a jackplate, on the other hand, allows you to minimize the amount of lower unit in the water.” Rudow said a jackplate moves the point of thrust aft of the transom. This moves the pivot point farther aft as well, enhancing

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tight turning abilities. It also exaggerates the effects of tilt and trim, since it increases the fulcrum between the propulsive force and the boat’s hull. This has an effect on how high you can trim without ventilating. “On some boats, particularly tunnel boats and powercats, shifting the prop aft can also help it maintain a better bite on the water. This is true in many cases where the hull itself causes turbulence, which may cause ventila-

PHOTO: COURTESY HUMMINBIRD

Minn-Kota has added MEGA imaging to trolling motors.

tion in certain situations.” “On top of that, being able to control the prop’s depth at any time, allows you to lower the drive unit when initiating turns or hopping waves. These are the specific times when turbulent water is most problematic for most tunnel and cat boats.”

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

Taking it to the Bank

played down, Mathis waded into the water and helped wrestle it to shore. What the two men discovered was a largemouth bass bigger than most fishermen have ever seen. “I caught a 13.2 pounder out of a stock tank near Weatherford several years ago,” Crockett recalled. “I could tell by looking this one was bigger,” Crockett said. The lakeside marina—Crockett Family Resort—had already closed for the day, so there was no place to weigh the fish on scales that had been verified for accuracy. Crockett did the responsible thing. He didn’t want to risk killing the fish by holding it overnight, so he weighed it on a digital scale, took a picture and released the bass back into the lake. The angler said the hand-held scale read 14.1 pounds. “It was a beautiful fish, really thick and healthy,” he said. “I made a point not to keep her out of the water very long. She took off once I released her. Hopefully, somebody else will catch her again one day.” The big bass is more than just a new personal best for the casual angler. If the scale used to weigh the bass is remotely accurate, Crockett’s fish may be biggest bass caught from Houston County in nearly 30 years. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department water body records, the lake record largemouth for Houston County Lake is a 15.20 pounder caught in February 1988 by Terry Walling of Tennessee Colony. Only two other Houston County bass topping 13 pounds have been reported since, a 14 pounder and a 13.25 pounder. Both fish were caught during the spring of 1990 and turned over to TPWD’s Toyota ShareLunker program.

Houston County Lake kicks out biggest bass in nearly 30 years

F YOU LIKE BIG FISH STORIES, you’ll love the one told by Jim Crockett of Brock. Crockett is a 63-year-old pipeline worker who likes to do a little bass fishing on the side. He was off work on a lazy afternoon last October when he grabbed his rod and reel and headed to his happy place along the shores of Houston County Lake. “I’ve been here for about two to three months,” said Crockett. “I like to take my lawn chair down by the water in the afternoon and fish after work. It’s a good way to get away from things. It’s what we do to relax.” Crockett said he and a co-worker, Jesse Mathis, also from Brock, had been fishing from the bank on a small point for about two hours without catching much. It was just beginning to get dusky dark when Crockett’s luck changed in a big way. “There’s a creek channel out there that winds right up next to an old boat dock,” he said. “The shad show up there just about every afternoon. You’ll see an occasional swirl when the bass start to feed. Sometimes they jump clear out of the water. It’s a pretty good spot.” Crockett lofted a one-ounce perch pattern Rat-L-Trap into about 15 feet of water and began a slow, methodical retrieve. The angler said his lure was about 10 yards from the bank when he got the bite he was waiting for. “I knew right away it was big,” he said. “The fish was really strong. I was using 20-pound test line, but I wasn’t sure if it was going to hold or not. It pulled a lot of drag.” As every good fishing partner should, Mathis had Crockett’s back. Once the big bass was

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Lake With a History Although Houston County has been off the ShareLunker radar in recent years, it is no stranger to Texas’s big bass circles. There was a time when the lake 10 miles northwest of Crockett was regarded as one of the “best little big bass lakes” in Texas. Throughout the 1980s, Houston County cranked out six- to nine-pound bass almost like a gumball machine. Much of the lake’s |

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early success can be attributed to Florida bass, a strain known for growing faster and significantly larger than native northern largemouths. Houston County was among the first reservoirs in the state to be stocked with Floridas in the early-to-mid 1970s. Sadly, however, the lake’s heyday occurred before catch and release became widely accepted. Many of the big fish that were caught from the lake during its prime were either filleted or killed for mounting by the anglers who reeled them in. John Hope of Brackettville guided on Houston County for about eight years from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s. He says he lost count of the number of fish over seven pounds that he put in the boat. His personal best was a 12.8 pounder, but he guided clients to bigger ones. Hope was widely known for conducting a tracking study on big bass using electronic transmitters to monitor movements of the fish. The study originated on Houston County before he expanded it to other lakes. “The number of big fish that were caught out of that lake back in the 1980s was unreal,” Hope recalled. “It was almost like somebody was stocking nine- to ten-pounders in there. Trucks and trailers used to line up and down the road and people came there from all over the world. Some of the big bass were released but a bunch of them weren’t. The fishing pressure eventually took its toll. It’s only 1,300 acres. A lake that size can only take so much.” Catherine Markham’s family has owned the lakeside marina on Houston County for 38 years. Markham says she was pleased to hear about Crockett’s 14 pounder, but says it didn’t come as a total surprise. “I think there’s a 20 pounder out there somewhere,” she said. “We still hear about or see quite a few eight- to ten- pounders, but there are a bunch we don’t hear about, either. A lot of anglers around here are pretty tight lipped about the big fish they catch these days.”

Email Matt Williams at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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

Infectious Subject

O, LET’S DISCUSS WOUND care. If you fish long enough, you are going to get some kind of wound. It can be a hook in a body part, or a catfish spine, you might have a shell or barnacle slice your calf, or—heaven forbid—you get zapped by a stingray. I once had a four-pound mangrove snapper reach out and clamp down on my index finger while I was trying to work a hook out of his gnarly little maw. We’ve all left some blood in the water. Any kind of broken-skin injury on the water is nothing to ignore, no matter how small. The fish bite I suffered, for example, was a single tooth piercing the pad of my right index finger. It didn’t even hurt that much. The next morning, however, my hand was red and swollen, and there were red streaks running up my forearm. I knew I was in trouble when the doctor took one look at my arm and said, “Oh, wow!” (Up to that point, I used to be annoyed at how doctors could look at an injury such as a broken bone and say, “Aw, that’s not so bad;” I never complained about them making that comment ever again.) Fortunately, a round of Keflex and soaking the offended digit in warm water helped clear up the cellulitis I had contracted. Nevertheless, I was much more cautious and diligent with my on-the-water wound maintenance after that event. As much as we like to wax eloquent about the emerald green waters of the Texas Coast (or, if you are on the Upper Coast, the Nestle Quik waters—I kid, I kid!), the slow flowing, waters of the back bays and lagoons that we all love so much are not the most sanitary of environs. There are all sorts of cooties that are waiting to infiltrate the human body once an

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moment). Wade fishermen have a bit of an issue, however. The smartest thing to do if you sustain some kind of wound while wading is to get back to your boat or ashore as soon as possible, and treat your wound. The longer the wound is exposed to water, or worse still, submerged, the greater risk that infection will seep in. Though rinsing the wound with clean water is a smart move, it shouldn’t be your only step. It’s a smart choice to treat your injury with some kind of antiseptic. Alcohol can be effective, but can make your injury worse. Many anglers I know have taken to carrying a bottle of bleach water to help clean a wound, but even that can cause injury to the wound. Even when diluted down to a ratio of 100 parts water to 1part bleach, it can be too irritating. A good alternative is to carry a bottle of Anasept® spray. Anasept is an extremely safe topical antimicrobial with exceptionally rapid broad spectrum bactericidal, including the antibiotic resistant strains MRSA & VRE. Anasept also comes in an antimicrobial gel, which is also a bit pricey, but also worth the expenditure. It’s ironic that we don’t blink about the cost of a fishing trip, but we tend to balk at spending the same amount on something like first aid. After cleansing the wound, a good, waterproof dressing is more than enough to protect the wound. In most cases, you can continue fishing, but monitor your injury. If it shows any redness, gives off heat, or has some kind of discharge, get off the water and seek medical care immediately. A little caution and a lot of common sense when it comes to treating cuts on the water can go a long way to keeping you on the water and out of the ICU.

access is created. Vibrio vulnificus, MRSA, necrotizing fasciitis, and tetanus are among the little monsters lurking and waiting to wreak havoc on our limbs and organs. Vibrio and MRSA are quite common, and we get to see their effect thanks to friends and acquaintances who just have to post pictures on social media. Every year, however, we hear or read about some poor soul who succumbed to the horrors of necrotizing fasciitis (flesh-eating bacteria) they got from a small cut sustained on the water. More people than you might think are vulnerable to these infections. Anglers with depressed immunity, such as diabetics, cancer survivors, or transplant patients are walking targets. Even the healthiest of men and women can be infected by a water-borne pathogen. The treatments for these infections are equally daunting. Strong antibiotics and their side effects (one particularly gnarly antibiotic is Omnicef, which makes you think you’ve eaten a pound of sugar-free Gummy Bears) are the least of your problems. Severe cases of Vibrio, MRSA, or NF could lead to hospitalization and surgery. You can rest assured that any one of these infections could, at the very least, keep you off the water for some time. At most, they can leave you disfigured, crippled, or even dead. Yes, it can be scary. Some of you might think I’m some kind of rat for going into such detail, but hey, better to have the knowledge and not need it, than to need it and not have it. Truth is, however, that anglers can avoid the pain, expense, and misery of contracting one of the aforementioned infections with a little common sense. The most obvious suggestion is to avoid getting cut. But, as I wrote in the opening, if you fish long enough, sooner or later you will bleed. The key is tending to your wound as quickly as possible. For boat or shore-bound anglers, doctoring a wound is fairly easy. The most rudimentary, but effective, move is to wash the wound out with clean water and cover it with a BandAid, or even a piece of tape, if no Band-Aids are at hand (we’ll get into that a bit more in a F I S H

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HERE DOESN’T SEEM TO BE MUCH glamour in the life of a timberdoodle (woodcock). These peculiar-looking migratory birds are actually shorebirds that have adapted to life in the woods. The woodcock is gifted with a stiletto bill that appears way too large for its body, buggy eyes, ears positioned at odd angles on its head and a brain that essentially sits upside down in its skull. The timberdoodle is better known as the American woodcock. It’s an early fall staple for wingshooting junkies across the upper Midwest. It’s also a feathered treasure that appears to be widely undiscovered by Texas’s close-knit gun dog clan.

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Picture a small, party balloon pumped to the max, then set free to zip around on a knuckleball path through a mangled maze of limbs, branches and briars. That’s a pretty fair description of what throwing down with a trusty scattergun on a wild-flying woodcock is all about. It may not be the fastest bird in the woods, but it’s certainly among the toughest to hit with any consistency. The inclination to stick like glue for a pointing dog makes the woodcock all the more attractive.

An Underutilized Resource Like waterfowl, woodcocks live and breed up north before winging it south for the winter. Many of the migrants wind up in Texas,

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Woodcocks, can be found from Texarkana to the Gulf Coast.

hundreds of thousands of acres of national forests and wildlife management areas can be accessed for free or with a $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit. Plentiful as the hunting opportunities are, enjoying some success in the woodcock’s wintertime lair isn’t always easy. Chasing the birds can lead dogs and hunters through some pretty inhospitable territory. They’re found in vswamps, bogs, green briars and prickly blackberry thickets that can shred clothes, rip skin and stop a tough guy dead in his tracks. Andrew Boatman knows a thing or two about hunting timberdoodles. Boatman is a hardcore quail hunter from Nacogdoches who went on his first woodcock hunt 12 years ago in the Angelina National Forest. He’s been hooked ever since. “To me, hunting woodcock is just like quail hunting, except I don’t have to drive 10 hours to south or west Texas do it,” he said. “Woodcocks are a very gentlemanly bird. They hold really well for a pointing dog. They aren’t as fast as quail, but they do a lot more jukin’ and jivin’. You’ve got to be quick.” Like Fitzsimmons, Boatman believes winter woodcock hunting is a sport that goes overlooked by most Texas gun dog enthusiasts for one reason or another.

Hunting Opportunities Abundant One can only speculate as to why, but it certainly isn’t for a lack of affordable places to hunt the tasty game birds. The timberdoodle might be coined as the poor man’s bobwhite. It’s well known to sit tight for gun dogs, then flush like a single quail separated from its covey. That’s not to say quail hunting is a sport reserved strictly for the rich guys. There just aren’t many places in Texas where you can take a rangy pointer and hunt them for free. Woodcocks are different. There are plenty of venues where hunters can enjoy a low cost, quality hunting experience. Some of the very best woodcock hunting is found on public lands in the eastern half of the state. There, 26

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with concentrations gathering across forested areas in the southeastern part of the state, where suitable habitat is abundant. Wildlife experts say Texas does have a small resident population of woodcocks, but the majority of the birds with the big beaks and bulbous bodies are drifters from up north. Some come from as far away as southern Canada. “Depending on the year, woodcocks can be found from Texarkana all the way down to the Gulf Coast,” said Owen Fitzsimmons, webless migratory bird program leader with the Texas Parks Wildlife Department. “There is usually a pretty reliable population that shows up in southeast Texas. It’s tough to say just how many birds Texas sees each year because it varies with how cold and wet it gets in other states. But the more we learn about them, we are finding that there are probably more here than anybody realizes.” The wildlife biologist is certain about one thing, however. The number of hunters who take advantage of the short, 45-day woodcock season each winter is relatively small. This year’s season got underway December 18 and runs through January 31, 2020. The daily limit is three per day, per hunter. “It’s a very underutilized resource,” Fitzsimmons said. “For some reason it has never developed the tradition in Texas that it has in other places. It’s kind of strange, because Louisiana has a very strong woodcock hunting tradition. It just hasn’t caught on here.”

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“Probably 90 percent of the people in Texas couldn’t draw a picture of one if you asked them to,” he said. “Mention the bird to most people, and they’ll just look at you and laugh at the funny name.”

Location the Key

One of the main keys to enjoying success with any migrant game bird is hunting where the birds want to be. Much of that hinges on finding a preferred food source that is both reliable and abundant. The woodcock feeds predominantly on earthworms, using its king-size bill. The bill is equipped with sensitive nerves that help the woodcock locate worms and snatch them from their underground burrows. Interestingly, the unique positioning of the woodcock’s big eyes allow it to watch for predators while its nose is probing the dirt. “They are kind of a weird bird,” Fitzsimmons said. “They like to feed at night, dawn and dusk, typically in areas that are fairly open such. Open understory pine plantations have loamy soils where they can probe for worms and other invertebrates with their bills.” The birds roost during the day, usually thick areas like two- to three-year-old clear cuts. These places have plenty of briars,

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Finding a Hunting Spot

Woodcocks can lead hunters and dogs through challenging territory.

shrubs and small trees to provide cover from hawks and predators. “They like it to be fairly open on bottom

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with a canopy two to three feet above them,” Fitzsimmons said. “They need room to move and run.”

Boatman says trial and error has taught him a lot about woodcocks, particularly when it comes to locating the most productive hunting spots. “A lot people say you need to be in lowland swampy areas, but I kill them in upland pine forests all the time,” he said. “It’s not near as hard to hunt them there as it is in lowland areas.” Boatman says he has found some of his best hunting spots by simply driving around isolated national forest roads until he sees something that catches his eye. At that point he’ll cut his pointers loose and let them determine whether the spot is a good one. “I like to find something I can walk through fairly easy,” he said. “I had much rather find fewer birds in open country and be able to shoot them when they get up than get all scratched up moving 12 birds and only get a shot at two. If birds are around, the dogs will let me know pretty quick.”

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ESERT BIGHORN SHEEP WERE NONEXistent in the mountainous regions of Sierra El Alamo in Sonora, Mexico 30 years ago. At the time of this writing 100 desert bighorns have been released onto open range there, bringing an iconic part of the Mexican culture back to prominence. The Sierra El Alamo restoration effort is a cooperative effort of landowner Javier Artee and family, the Wild Sheep Foundation, Dallas Safari Club Foundation and other concerned hunter-conservationists. “Desert bighorn sheep are an important part of our culture in Mexico,” said Jacob Artee. “My family is proud to play a role in repatriating these animals for the people of Sonora, Mexico.” These sheep are raised in a large high-fenced area and released onto open range as they are acclimated and optimal release locations are secured. “This project is a shining example of the people of Mexico’s commitment to sheep conservation,” said Clay Brewer, conservation director of The Wild Sheep Foundation. “The Artee family and all of those involved with the project as well as the community as a whole have really come together to do something historic and important for bighorns in an area that was once a stronghold for them.”

Brewer was longtime director of the Texas desert bighorn program which has seen the population soar from 40 in 1975 to 1,500, which is the estimated population in 2019. “What is happening in Mexico is as exciting as what started happening in Texas in the 1980s and 90s,” Brewer said. “These dedicated landowners and conservationists are making sheep conservation happen along the border. This project not only brings sheep back to the mountains, but is bringing like-minded hunters, landowners and conservationists together as well.” The goal is to release 200 desert bighorns into the area and to manage them for maximum population as well as eventual hunting opportunities. “The ability to make these transplants happen on free range ranches in Mexico with minimal red tape is a great way to move the needle and restore desert bighorns to their native ranges” said WSF president Gray Thornton. “WSF is honored to work alongside these visionary landowners and conservationists,” Desert bighorns have been an important part of Southwest lore for thousands of years. Pictographs and petroglyphs depicting these great animals adorn rocks in Mexico, Texas and New Mexico. It’s not known how valuable they were as a food or sport animal to ancient people. However, these ancient etchings show people in the desert Southwest have always held bighorns in high regard. This legacy continues with the Sierra El Alamo project.

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

Late Season

The bucks paid no attention to the does, only interested in filling their rumens. The rut was six weeks past, and bucks were again forming into bachelor herds, a far call from what I had seen only a couple of weeks earlier in the Brush Country where the rut was still going full force—where too, bucks were still coming to rattling horns. Watching these Gulf Coast Prairie whitetails, I reflected upon my most recent trip to South Texas, only a few days ago I had rattled in 27 bucks in a day’s hunt.

HATYA THINK—FIELD OR woods?” questioned my brother. Before I could answer, he continued. “With this hard north wind? I’d say woods, but the hard freezes have pretty well done in most of the green weeds, and the acorns are just about gone. So they will likely be hitting the food plots that are still green.” I nodded in agreement. “How about you hunt the field on the north side of the property. There are several small pockets going back into the woods. There should be some protection from this wind. “As cold as the wind is, deer might be feeding there. I’ll hunt the plot close to camp. Been a pretty good deer on-camera there and lots of hogs.” With that my brother Glenn and I headed to our respective areas after loading our muzzleloaders. I loaded my vintage Ruger M77 .50 with 100-grains of Pyrodex, topped with a 250-grain Hornady SST sabot, on which was mounted a Trijicon AccuPoint scope, sighted in at 100 yards. Thirty minutes later I crawled in at the base of an ancient live oak, surrounded by oak saplings just tall enough to cover the majority of my presence, a near-perfect natural ground blind. Having sprayed down with Texas Raised Hunting Products, Scent Guardian, I was not concerned about the wind. I propped the Ruger muzzleloader on my shooting sticks and began the evening vigil. No sooner had I settled in than deer started to show up, does, fawns and two young fork-horns. Obviously they were hungry! Soon more deer arrived, including an almost legal ten-point buck. He was tall but only had a 12-inch inside spread; local regulation required 13 inches. 30

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the rut is going on, food still plays a role, because that is where bucks go to check on the estrus status of does. Often a good way to hunt food plots during the rut is to follow a trail back into the cover to where deer trails converge. It is here that bucks often check does going to the food plot without exposing themselves in the plots. Rattling, too, works pretty much throughout the extended breeding season. Back at the Gulf Coast Plains property,

Late season bucks tend to be more interested in food than does.

Because our state is expansive, by late December and January in some regions the breeding season is way past. In others it is still going strong. In some areas with excellent nutrition, as many as 80 percent or more of the doe fawns born the previous spring may have their first estrus period in January and February, creating what some refer to as a “second rut.” This is when older bucks not previously seen, show up during daylight hours. Techniques for Texas’s late season vary from hunting food sources primarily, to using Texas Raised Hunting Products attractants and rattling horns. In areas where the rut is long past, food sources are prime places to find deer. Where |

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mid-January. It was just past legal shooting light when a five-buck bachelor herd appeared. Alas, all had at least eight points with inside spreads of thirteen to fifteen inches. I was thankful that three days of the late muzzleloader season remained. Hopefully, tomorrow they would show up earlier. Then, too, several more days of the Managed Lands Deer Permit season remained on other property I hunted. Got to love living and hunting in Texas!

Email Larry Weishuhn at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com PHOTO: LARRY WEISHUHN

12/10/19 6:09 PM

Special HUNTING Report by CHESTER MOORE | TF&G Editor-in-Chief

The Truth About the Feral Hog Problem lax with behavior in hog country and be far more alert than we have been. It’s easy to say you have a very small chance of being attacked by hogs but this woman was and others have been as well. There is also some basic safety informa-

“ As hog populations soar, more attacks will happen.

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AST MONTH’S DEATH OF Christine Rollins, 59, of Anahuac, was officially been ruled to have been caused by feral hogs. This, according to a statement released by the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office and published at KFDM.com, is conclusive. “The Medical Examiner determined her death was not due to a medical condition or canine related.” Rollins was killed outside of a home on Highway 61 near Anahuac where she was a caretaker for an elderly couple. The most important thing here is that someone lost their life. Family and friends will grieve the unthinkable loss of their loved one to something so horrible few could imagine. As feral hog populations soar in Texas and spread into new territory all around the nation, more attacks will happen. In 2017, I wrote an article called “Do Feral Hogs Attack? These Do”... That article sites troubling statistics. Of the 21 states reporting hog attacks, Texas led the pack with 24 percent with Florida at 12 percent and South Carolina at 10. Interestingly, when examining worldwide shark fatalities, hogs actually beat them out in deaths some years—including as recently as 2013. In this particular case, Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne said there is “no doubt in my mind or that of my criminal investigation captain John Miller that multiple animals were responsible for the attack.” The typical cause of fatal hogs attacks is a single lone and large boar, according to a study by Dr. Jack Mayer we have quoted on several occasions. It is time as hunters that we take the hog threat more seriously. We need to not be so

tion we need to pass on to our families and the community at large. This is especially true since we have been documenting the rise in feral hog numbers in urban and suburban areas. Many people have no idea the real threat of these animals. Here are= basic tenets I believe everyone needs to know. *Hogs are dangerous. They can attack and kill. Never approach them. *Never approach even cute piglets. Baby feral hogs are adorable but their mothers (sows) will go to any length to protect them. The sow may be out of the line of sight if you see tiny pigs but she is nearby and will respond. *Do not feed hogs. Unless hogs are being baited in a wild location in preparation of hunting them, do not feed them. Never feed around houses or in parks. In areas like urban T E X A S

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centers where hogs are never hunted, they can seem tame. Do not make them accustomed to seeing people as a food source. Additionally, do not throw scraps outside. That can also attract hogs. *Be especially mindful of large, solitary boars. If you see such an animal on a hiking trail for example give it wide berth and report to officials. That animal certainly needs to be targeted for removal and elimination. From a hunting standpoint there are some things we can do to at least help stop the overall growth of hog numbers in the areas we hunt and manage. *Shoot big boars. Many hunters don’t like killing big boars due to smell and taste of meat but statistics show most fatal attacks (nearly 90 percent) are large, lone boars. Kill these hogs with no hesitation. *Shoot sows first. If you have a group of hogs coming in with the typical size structure of hogs 150 pounds and below, shoot sows, then boars. The more sows we take out the less hogs areas will produce. *Trap. Trap. Trap. If you have a deer lease, pool resources with other lease members and get hog traps going. Mature hogs will become trap shy but you will catch younger hogs along with others. Keep the pressure on year-round. No mercy. *Turn in hog traffickers. If you know of people releasing feral hogs into open range for hunting purposes turn them in. It’s illegal. Very few people do this any more but this is the key reason hog numbers have spread so far. A handful of hunters have released them into different areas. If you have ever been attacked by a hog please email cmoore@fishgame.com. We would like to share these stories with others to let them know this is a real situation. Hogs are great sport animals but the fact is we need to be killing as many as we can. I’m not saying this will reduce attacks but it will put more pressure on hogs and just might take out that one hog that is likely to attack if the opportunity presents itself.

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IS THE SEASON FOR OUTDOOR trade shows. This month is loaded with shows involved with everything from boats to safari hunting and the shows we are listing here are open to the public. Texas Fish & Game will attend all of these shows and post at fishgame.com all the interesting stories we uncover. 32

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For now, hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a chronological order of what you can expect to see. The 2020 Houston International Boat, Sport & Travel Show is coming to NRG Center January 3 through January 12. It will feature more than 1,000 powerboats, luxury cruisers, fishing products, guide services, seminars and more. G A M E ÂŽ

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REPORT: NEWS 37 u TF&G OF THE NATION Reported by TF&G Staff

HOT 37 u TEXAS SHOTS Trophy Photos from TF&G Readers

38 u TEXAS COASTAL FORECAST

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

46 u TEXAS HUNTING FORECAST

by TF&G Staff

50 u TEXAS FISHING HOTSPOTS

by TF&G Staff

57 u SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK Tides and SoLunar Data

This show features a stunning array of boats of all kinds ranging from yachts you might see on a Bond movie to johnboats. You won’t find only powerboats. Kayaks are an integral part of the show and are of course growing in popularity, seemingly by the year. Also be on the lookout for ski boats, pontoon boats and even duck hunting boats. PHOTO COURTESY HOUSTON BOAT SHOWS

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Above: Houston International Boat, Sport & Travel Show, Jan. 3-12 2020.

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Center in Dallas, Texas. Live and silent auctions will offer some exciting dream hunts and trips to beautiful, wild places in the world, exotic

TF&G Whitetail editor Larry Weishuhn will be on hand at the Dallas Safari Club Convention, January 9-12.

Next up is the Dallas Safari Club Convention that begins Thursday, January

9 and runs through Sunday, January 12 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention

furs and stunning jewelry, gorgeous guns and high-end gear to make your hunt more enjoyable and more successful. A slew of outdoor celebrities will appear on the Conservation Stage sponsored by Trijicon. Guest speakers will include notable conservationists from Africa such as Ivan Carter, and Shane Mahoney, media personalities Larry Weishuhn, Blake Barnett, Bob Foulkrod, Jim Shockey and Craig Boddington. Lined up to address the crowd at the Saturday night banquet are Patrick Mavros, Buzz Charlton, and Michel Mantheakis. Scheduled to speak at the Life Member Breakfast are Danene van der Westhuyzen and Scott Ellis. The Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) The Houston Safari Club Expo and Convention is set for January 24.

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PHOTOS: ABOVE, LARRY WEISHUHN; BELOW, HOUSTON SAFARI CLUB

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Convention and Sporting Expo better known as “The Sheep Show®” is the premier outdoor and mountain hunting expo. It will be held January 16 through 18 at the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino in Reno, NV. The exhibit hall features more than 400 exhibits of the finest guides and outfitters from North America and around the globe, plus top of the line retailers selling gear, guns, art, taxidermy, jewelry, furs and every other outdoor item you need. “Join the most passionate and dedicated group of outdoorsmen and women in the world as we celebrate an iconic species, the wild sheep,” WSF officials said. “Whether participating in backpack races, evening banquets, incredible live auctions, sheep hunt raffles, or a cruise through hundreds of outdoor industry exhibitors, you will find yourself surrounded by like-minded conservationists at every turn.,”

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The Houston Safari Club Foundation (HSCF) will hold its Worldwide Hunting Expo and Convention, January 24

through 26 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. The Friday night banquet will feature Don Felder, renowned as a former lead guitarist of The Eagles, one of the most popular and influential rock groups of our time. Don is a member of the Rock and Roll

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Hall of Fame, having been inducted with the Eagles back in 1998, and was also inaugurated into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville in 2016 and the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in

2017. Felder spent 27 years with the Eagles, who have sold more than 150 million

albums worldwide to date and own the fine distinction of recording the topselling album of all time-Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975), which has sold over 38 million copies (and counting). Co-writer of such hit songs as “Victim of Love,” “Those Shoes,” and his most popular co-creation, “Hotel California.” The Saturday night banquet features comedian Tom Papa. With more than 20 years as a stand-up comedian, Tom Papa is one of the top comedic voices in the country, finding success in film, TV, radio and podcasts as well as on the live stage. Tom is the head writer and regular performer for the legendary radio show, “Live From Here”, heard regularly by the 2.6 million fans of the weekly radio show. HSCF’s Annual Worldwide Hunting Expo and Convention, themed TOGETHER 2020, is a three-day experience featuring hunting and fishing outfitters, gear, clothing, firearms, artwork, jewelry and more. Don’t miss the banquets and auctionsexciting events offering opportunities to meet and greet fellow hunters and win incredible auction items. These shows are great places to connect with fellow outdoors lovers, book hunting and fishing trips, buy cool items and have an all-around great time. Don’t forget to check out fishgame. com for our coverage and our weekly State of the Nation enewsletter for further updates.

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NEWS PHOTO:

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The NATIONAL

Game Wardens Contend With Poachers THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE COMpiled from recent Texas Parks and Wildlife law enforcement reports. HOW TRASHY On Nov. 20, a Lubbock district game warden received a call about several illegally dumped sandhill cranes in a community dumpster. The Lubbock police department officer on scene climbed into the dumpster to confirm that the birds were not breasted out and the warden responded to collect evidence and begin interviewing possible suspects and neighbors. The dumpster was next to a Texas Tech University fraternity and a large apartment complex.

After interviewing multiple individuals, the suspect was discovered and admitted that he and his friend left the cranes in the back of his truck the day prior and thought that the temperature was too warm to keep the meat. Waste of game charges were filed on both individuals.

were found along with the deer hide. Time elapsed and after a brief wait, the female suspect returned to the scene. The wardens questioned her about the deer and the location of her husband. She stated that she dropped her husband off at work. After further investigation the husband was located at the local Walmart and later returned to the scene. The husband admitted to killing a doe and said that his wife killed an illegal buck a few weeks prior. As for the other whitetail buck, the couple removed its head from the median of Highway 155. Multiple citations were issued including hunting under the license of another, allowing another to hunt under his/her license, and no hunting license. The case is still under investigation and pending.

TWO HEARTS THAT BEAT AS ONE On Nov. 16, Anderson County game wardens were patrolling near Highway 155 for deer hunters. While traveling, the wardens noticed a freshly caped whitetail deer hide stretched and tacked on a 4x8 sheet of plywood and a gentleman observing it. After turning around to make an inspection, the gentleman and his wife both noticed the game wardens making an effort to approach their residence and left the scene. After further inspection, two undersized buck heads

—TPWD Field Reports

WHITETAIL

REDFISH

Missouri

South Padre

Seven-year-old Charlotte Morton shows off the buck that her dad, Jason, shot while hunting in Clay County, Missouri. The buck made it 30 yards into the timber before dropping. Jason walked past the fallen buck and let his daughter ﬁnd it. She was more excited than he was. T E X A S

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News of TEXAS

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Nina Garrett of Portland caught this 42-inch bull red while ﬁshing at the Padre Island National Seashore in November. She said it was a thrill to hook and land her personal best.

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Coastal Focus: SABINE :: by Capt. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

Wintertime Fishing on Sabine: Day by Day

F YOU HAVE ANY INTENTIONS of making a trip up the coast to fish Sabine Lake in January, it would be best not to think of it as a wintertime fishing trip. A more accurate perspective would be to think of it as a Southeast Texas wintertime fishing trip. Winter and Southeast Texas winter can be and often are at opposite ends of the spectrum. We really never know what we’re going to get from day to day. It can be bone-chilling

and blustery one day, and the next day we’re wearing shorts and t-shirts. Many days here on Texas’s uppermost coast, the temperature varies almost that much from morning to afternoon. I like to refer to these as thirty-eighty days. These are the days that you wake up to lows in the upper 30s and have sunshine-filled afternoons with highs pushing 80 degrees. It’s like having the best of both worlds. How often do you get to fish winter patterns

in the morning, then switch gears and fish spring-like conditions in the afternoon? Break out the waders at daylight on a nice, hard mud bottom, armed with topwaters and slow sinkers and there’s a decent chance you’ll get to do battle with your personal best trout. Then go for numbers as you tempt them with soft plastics while drifting flats and structure in the afternoon. Locate mullet, and your odds go way up in either scenario. Sometimes the obvious signs such as nervous water, or actually seeing schools of finger mullet on the surface are not an option. Therefore, savvy anglers have learned to rely heavily on their sonar to locate pods of baitfish on points, ledges, guts and ridges over mud and shell. Even though it may not always feel like winter, the baitfish can be pretty scarce this month. So, it’s a good idea to use every tool available to keep the advantage in your favor. Finding baitfish is super-critical in the winter months. It can be the difference between putting fish in the ice chest or going home empty handed. Key on points, ledges, drop offs and even changes in water color that the trout will use as ambush points. Whether you don the waders on a brisk morning or drift on a sunny afternoon, if you can find the mullet, there’s a good chance you’ll also find the fish.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Intracoastal Canal, Hwy 87 Sabine Pass. SPECIES: Redﬁsh, croaker, black drum. BAITS/LURES: Fresh dead shrimp, cut bait. BEST TIMES: All day (Best with moving tide).

Email Eddie Hernandez at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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Coastal Focus: GALVESTON :: by Capt. MIKE HOLMES

A New Year Still Favors Traditional Methods shad will all attract the interest of feeding winter fish. Of course, if live shrimp or small baitfish is available they should certainly be given an honest try.

“ The wise angler will keep informed on both current weather and expected local changes.

LOCATION: Beachfront piers, inshore pilings, jetties and rock groins. SPECIES: Trout, reds, croakers, ﬂounders, and an occasional black drum. BAITS: Cut natural baits such as mullet and squid, live baitﬁsh or shrimp when available.

Even when fishing a line or two baited with natural offerings, casting with artificial lures is worth the effort. Small soft plastic lures and soft jigs or shiny spoons will often work best—especially when fished slowly. However, shallow running plugs can be good as well. If conditions seem to favor it, even surface plugs might produce well on any given day. Offshore, when water conditions allow it, artificial lures might be even better than in inshore waters. Lures cast around rigs or buoys are a good bet, and bottom bouncing a jig might also pay off. If schools of mackerels or bluefish are sighted working bait, slow trolling with appropriate lures might be a good technique to try. T E X A S

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THE BANK BITE

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S ALWAYS, JANUARY WILL probably be a mixed month for coastal Texas. Often this month brings us the coldest weather our admittedly temperate climate will have to offer. Still, there is always a chance of warm temperatures and calm conditions. As is often said about Texas weather, if you don’t like it, be just a bit patient, and it will likely change—rather quickly! Normally, however, this month will require waders in the cooler waters, and a stiff breeze blowing off the Gulf will encourage wearing warmer clothing anytime we are near the water. I have spent many hours fishing the surf shirtless in various Januaries. Yet, have also been forced to bundle up snugly at the start of other New Years. Good fishing can be had this month in most years for those who plan carefully and think up a reasonable game plan. Because conditions can change rapidly, the wise angler will keep informed on both current weather and expected local changes. Of course, fish can be caught in “bad” weather, but a warm, pleasant day usually makes the fishing more enjoyable. Regardless of weather conditions, it is always important to watch for signs of bait activity. This can range from actually seeing baitfish in the water, observing fish feeding activity, or observing birds diving on bait. Sometimes a cast net put into use in nearshore waters may reveal quantities of baitfish species that were otherwise unseen. Because bait will usually be less common than in warmer water, “fresh” dead bait could be as good an offering as any other. Winter fish often feed as much by smell as by sight, maybe even more so. Dead shrimp, cut squid, and cut baitfish such as mullet or

Something I have mentioned before, an “unexpected” bait, such as live shrimp in winter, will often draw the interest of fish that have otherwise not shown much desire to feed. Because anything tried this time of year will probably be on a “hit or miss” basis, why not give something a bit different a try? Most fishing effort in any but exceptional weather will be a gamble, so why not shoot for the moon? Most fish found in more favorable conditions could possibly be found in January’s less than perfect waters. Speckled trout, sand trout, redfish, flounder, drum, sheepshead, and other inshore species are always possible. Offshore “fields” might yield snappers, groupers, or amberjacks. There are also spots less than 30 to 40 miles from shore known for holding king mackerels in winter. For those with the ability and/or desire to search waters farther out, tuna might be added to the possibilities!

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BEST TIME: This time of year, temperatures should be better for ﬁshing during the day, although night forays under lights could also be productive.

« Email Mike Holmes at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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Coastal Focus: MATAGORDA :: by Contributing Editor MIKE PRICE

The Fish’s Point of View

normal. The water will be slightly warmer on the bottom in deeper water. The deepest water associated with our bays is in the Colorado and Tres Palacios Rivers. Other deeper water locations are holes in the bays, the Intracoastal Waterway and the Diversion Channel that dumps Colorado River water into West Matagorda Bay. Winter storms pour a lot of rain into the Tres Palacios and Colorado rivers and East and West Matagorda Bays, So, trout and redfish seek water with higher levels of salinity. Saltwater weighs 64 pounds per cubic foot, and freshwater weighs 62 pounds per cubic foot. Therefore freshwater floats above saltwater. Once again, the fish will be found in deeper water because it will be saltier if it rains a lot. The Colorado River is very popular for winter fishing because it’s deeper than the bays. If we haven’t had too much rain, there’s a good

OOK AT IT FROM THE FISH’S point of view; fish are most comfortable when the water temperature is between 70º and 80ºF and the bay water salinity is around 15 parts per thousand. But in January the water temperatures typically vary between 50º and 60ºF. Also, when the bays are inundated by fresh water, the salinity drops.

You can do that by trolling soft plastics, drifting on a light wind, or by moving and anchoring along the sides of the river. If live shrimp is available, it will be the most productive bait, but dead shrimp works well also. If you find a concentration of trout and they are hungry, they will hit just about any bait or lure. There are times in the winter when fish slow way down and hang out on the bottom. After all, they are cold-blooded animals; the body temperature of fish is the same as the surrounding water temperature. Even when the water is cold and somewhat fresh, fish get hungry. When conditions change, such as fresh water getting flushed out or water temperature, increasing on a warm day, the hungry fish will be looking for prey. Sometimes when the water is cold, fish will hit with a vengeance, but other times, the bite

Roy Gray with a red snapper that he speared on a rig.

So, you will find the fish where the water is a bit warmer and the salinity is closer to 40

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fish swimming, then set the hook. When the rivers dump vast amounts of fresh water into West Matagorda Bay, fish East Matagorda Bay. You can check the flow of the Colorado into West Bay by going to www. hydromet.lcra.org. East Bay has fresh water flowing into it from creeks and marshes. However, it receives much less volume than the water pumped into West Matagorda Bay. Last January on a sunny day when West Bay had too much fresh water, Eddie Vacek drift fished the west side of East Matagorda Bay. The water temperature started at 51°F and went up to 57°F, which stimulated the bite later in the day. Eddie and his fishing buddy limited on trout that were between 20 and 24 inches, plus they caught three redfish. Harbors are deeper than surrounding waters. Therefore fish will be there when the water is cold. However, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department closes fishing to these areas and other deep holes when the temperatures really drop. This is done to protect the fish population

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from overfishing. So, if you intend to fish a deep spot when the water is cold, check the TPWD website at https://tpwd.texas.gov/ and look at Saltwater Freeze Events before going.

Offshore I held onto my face mask and rolled backwards off the boat into the cold January water and swam to the rig. I could only see about 20 feet, but the water was alive with fish. Two big lings came cruising by, Atlantic angelfish, bluefish, sheepsheads, little blennies poking their heads out of barnacles, and hundreds of other fish lived on this rig. I descended to 35 feet, and the visibility opened up to 50 feet. It was loaded with red snappers. Most of them were around 20 inches, but some were much bigger. Cold water holds more oxygen and that brings fish closer to shore in the winter. We have an artificial reef that is 160 acres of pyramids that are eight feet tall with 20-foot bases. This habitat works just like the rig that I dived on, attracting an array of marine life, including red snapper and ling.

The reef is called Brazos-A-439 Reef. It is located 11 miles from the Matagorda jetty and eight miles off Matagorda Beach. To see an interactive map showing GPS quadrants and other information go to the TPWD website and search artificial reefs. It’s legal to take red snappers caught on this reef because it is within nine miles of the coast. This is Texas waters as opposed to Federal waters more than nine miles offshore.

THE BANK BITE THE INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY (ICW) is dredged to a depth of 12 feet. Warmer water on the bottom attracts ﬁsh in the winter. Take CR 259 next to the cemetery in Matagorda going along the ICW. Starting at the bridge, there are several access points to the ICW.

Email Mike Price at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

12/18/19 12:44 PM

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

Wade Fishing for Cold-Water Specks

ANUARY’S EVER-CHANGING conditions mean anglers will most often need to look for fish in different spots each day. You might find the bite in the same general area as the day before, but you seldom will be able to locate the fish in the exact same spot as yesterday. The weeks leading up to January often provide a wide range of water and air temperatures along our mid-coast region. Accompanying these changing weather patterns will be move-

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ment of the fish—however faint the pattern may be. The fish will tend to stay in the same overall locale for a reason, and that reason is food. If bait is in the area, then cold-water trout won’t be far off. Tide adjustments, and currents influenced by heavier winds often rearrange things a bit over the course of a 24-hour period. So, the baitfish may not be found in the exact same spot from one day to the next. But they probably haven’t moved too far. Look around before spending precious time venturing off to a different spot in search of a different bite. Even seeing just a single mullet jump justifies close examination of the area before you move on. Subtle movement of the trout calls for subtle tactics. When wading atop a reef in cold conditions, slowly vary the depth of water in which you’re walking. This allows you to cover the water column completely. It also enables you to work all of the different features of the reef—points, holes, troughs, the crest, etc. When you wade a tapering shoreline, walk in various depths as you look for the bite. You should also always try to make subtle movements, and .always walk slowly. When you think you’re walking slowly, slow it down some more! As extreme cold sets in, deep-water places such as the Army Hole, the oilfield cuts off of Saluria Bayou, and the deeper holes located in the First Chain of Islands suddenly become go-to spots. When things get this cold, you might want to try drift-fishing so you can stay on the bite when the fish move out to deeper water as a result of the colder conditions. Just as important are the days following a cold snap. With each cold spell there’s generally a warming period that follows. It might be beneficial for you to check some of the mud |

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flats just adjacent to deep-water spots during the warming trends. Trout can often be found traveling these areas during high-sunlight periods in their search for warmer water. Again, keep this one thing in mind when the weather pushes the fish into one particular area. The fish will tend to hold in the same general location as long as a food source is nearby and available. The only exceptions might be a major weather change such as a pumping 30 to 40+mph north wind, or a dramatic drop in water and air temperatures resultant of an arctic air blast. When this happens, the fish will push down to the deep holes, which are their only protection from such harsh weather conditions. Because bay waters are exposed to inferior weather this month, you’ll often find stained or muddied water as a result of high winds or rapidly changing tides. When this occurs, one of your preferred lures needs to be one of the plastic baits, either in a tail or a slow-sinker model. Tail colors such as plum/chartreuse, Roach, Morning Glory, and red/plum rigged on a 1/16 or 1/8 ounce locking-screw jig head are all good choices. Slow-sinkers in dark green, pink, bone, and green/brown are also typically good producers for wintertime trout. This time of the year often provides rapidly changing weather conditions that can, at times, be very severe. For this reason, safety should always be part of your checklist before leaving the dock for your wintertime fishing trip. Let someone at home know where you’re going and when you plan to return. Check the weather forecast the night before, and don’t forget to take your cell phone (fully-charged). Carrying an extra set of dry clothes isn’t a bad idea, either. Have fun out there, and be safe!

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

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Coastal Focus: ROCKPORT :: by Capt. MAC GABLE

The Best Anglers

S I SAT WAITING IN THE doctor’s office for a procedure I was quite nervous about, I heard the dreaded words “Mr. Gable?” This was announced by a nurse who reminded me of a drill sergeant in an old war movie. She gave me a look that said, You may be a Captain out there, but in here, I OWN you! The small room she sat me in looked like a duplicate of the sterile, padded room used in the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The room was so clean I felt dirty just being there, even though I had showered that morning. When the nurse (whom I had now named Helga from Hell) came into the room, any vision I had this was going to be a breeze vanished like vapor in a 30-knot wind. Luckily, the doctor, whom I liked immediately, arrived and my fears abated. Then he dashed my hopes when he explained the procedure and told me the nurse was going to do the procedure. “Something might take place in this room, but it’s not gonna be THAT especially by HER!” my voice loud and very clear. The nurse’s (Helga H.) eyes now were about to pop out, mostly because her hair had been wrapped into a tight bun on the back of her head, I thought. Tense moments are usually diffused by calm and understanding communication— none of which were forthcoming from me. Learning moments usually come to most 63-year-old males as a surprise. We’ve seen it all and done it all, after all. However, we do— be it seldom—learn, on occasion, contrary to our respective spouses’ opinion. This for me was one of those moments. “Captain Mac,” the doctor said calmly, “you don’t want me to do this. I haven’t performed that procedure in over 15 years.” Nodding his head toward Helga H. he said,

“She does all these in this office.” So, after some urging, the nurse did proceed and did an excellent job. This scary memory came back to me as a trusted friend asked me the quintessential question often discussed in the fishing industry: Who are the best fishermen/anglers? I can tell you for one, guides are not always the best anglers. For that matter neither are pro circuit anglers. To define the best angler, one needs to be able to catch fish in a wide array of conditions and places. Also, the best angler is not limited to a regular set of species. I have found this to be true from Africa, to the wilds of Alaska, to the jungles of South America. Successful guides, have a wide variety of talents, one of which is fishing. But seldom are they the best anglers. The best anglers fish waters from stock tanks, duck ponds, small fresh water lakes to the Great Lakes and mix saltwater fishing in with it all. These folks can catch fish out of a bucket or mud puddle. They are open minded, employ a wide range of tactics, and target any species of fish that will bite. They will throw expensive lures on the ground and switch to live or cut bait if that’s what the bite is on. They don’t have to please clients, have good people skills or please sponsors. Most could care less about fancy gear or garments. They’re the best and don’t even know it. Theirs is the love of the GAME! • • • A SHORT TRIP TO A SELECTED FISHing hole is a good tactic this month. On warmer days, I find trout and reds leave the protection of deeper pools and channels to feed shallow. Colder days are best spent on the edges of deeper water such as the ICW.

ARANSAS BAY: Wade the shoreline of Blackjack Peninsula, especially with a north wind. Wade close to the shoreline and cast into deep edges. Soft plastics in new penny and camo-colored jerk shad work here. On warm days, the potholes on the north side of Mud Island are for reds. Use finger mullet or cut mullet on a light Carolina rig. CARLOS BAY: Carlos Trench is the best bet here during the colder days. Rattle lures such as rattle traps that are deep runners work well, an ebb tide being the best time. Drifts across Carlos Lake on warm days can produce trout using live shrimp or imitation shrimp under a rattle cork. MESQUITE BAY: This is not a bay you want to get caught on if a norther is blowing in. The swells can get very big. The area at the mouth of Cedar Bayou is a good spot to wade with live shrimp. Trout and reds frequent this area, especially on a falling tide. On high tides and warmer days, Rattlesnake Point is a good spot for reds using mud minnows or cut mullet free-lined. AYERS BAY: Ayers Reef is a good spot with a light north wind. A trolling motor works well. Soft plastics in morning glory and blue pepper neon colors work best. Second Chain is a good spot for reds on warm days. Finger mullet free-lined is the best choice.

COPANO BAY: On warmer days, the channel of Copano Creek is a good spot for reds. Soft plastics in nuclear chicken and morning glory work well. The mouth of Mission Bay is a good spot for black drums using peeled shrimp on a light Carolina rig.

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

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Salt Creek is a good spot for reds and black drums using cut mullet and fresh dead or frozen shrimp. Free-lined is best. If there’s a stiff wind, a medium to heavy Carolina rig works well. The mouth of Little Devils Bayou is a good spot for reds and a few trout. Live shrimp is best under a silent cork.

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

Life Does Go On

ten different species of ducks this year, with a lot of trophies for the wall and a few banded birds as well. We are lucky to be the only duck guides on Baffin Bay and there are no airboats buzzing around this bay. We are Orvis Endorsed for wing shooting, so you can be assured that we know what we are doing. Come and join us here on Baffin for some great times with your family and friends to create an adventure that you will never forget. Memories and experiences are the only things that keep us all together. An early morning duck hunt, before the sun comes up with the sounds of nature all around you makes you forget everything else but that moment in time. Hearing the wing beats of a hundred redhead ducks landing in the spread of decoys cannot be forgotten. It might be a little chilly in January, but that only means one thing—the hunt for a personal best trout. On Baffin Bay, they grow really big, really fast in January. When the time is right, these big trout are fattening up for the winter and getting ready for the spring spawn. Big trout usually like to eat big. Did you know that a speckled trout can eat 2/3rds of its body length? It’s not uncommon to catch a 28- to 32-inch trout that has a giant mullet tail sticking out of its mouth—and it’s still eating! Being prepared is the most important thing if you are hunting a trophy trout on Baffin Bay. The right clothes, waders and gear

USUALLY LIKE NEW BEGINnings. A new year usually brings a sense of freshness, of leaving old things behind, about closing a door and opening a new

one. This year, for me, will be a new beginning that I never thought I’d be facing. The death of my husband, my best friend, my confidant and fishing buddy, Capt. Aubrey Black in October of 2019, makes this New Year so very bittersweet. With so many memories, good times and ten years of the most awesome love any woman could ever have, a new year without Aubrey in my life brings me so much sadness. Yet it’s mixed with gratitude to have had a friend like him for the time we had. It’s a love story like none other, that ended way too soon. Life does go on. The only thing that really makes me happy and closer to God and Aubrey is being out on the water. The healing power of the sunrise cannot be diminished. A day of catching big trout or shooting ducks with my dog Cinder puts a smile on my face, knowing that Capt. Black is out there with me, cheering me on. So, with all of that said, January is one of those months in the outdoors that we all dream about. The mixture of the hunt for the trophy trout on Baffin Bay, along with some of the very best wild duck hunting on the Texas Coast, keeps us busy here at Baffin Bay Rod and Gun. These two adventures together are called a “Blast and Cast,” a duck hunt in the morning and fishing trip in the afternoon. Do that for a couple of days in a row and you will find out how hearty of an outdoorsman you really are. This year, the ducks piled down early, and the mixture of ducks here on Baffin Bay has been fantastic. We have already shot about 44

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can turn a chilly day into a super productive hunt. If you are cold or wet, it’s tough to stay focused on the fishing. Layers of good quality fleece under waders that don’t leak will keep you warm on the wade. Other things to think about would be a few pairs of gloves, a fleece buff and a good quality wading jacket that keeps you dry. Of course, if you think trophy trout, you think Corky. For all of you Corky devotees, now is the time to fish Baffin Bay. But, any slow-sinking lure works, if you know how to work it. Think about working a top water lure, only a lot slower and a lot deeper. If you are not into Corky’s or other slow sinkers, there are a lot of good options out there such as the Saltwater Assassin Die Dapper. This is a five-inch, fat bodied paddle tail with lots of action. Because of its size and paddle tail vibration, big trout like to hammer it. Worked low and slow, a trout will usually hit this lure on the drop. Capt. Aubrey Black’s dream was to have a first-class fishing and hunting lodge on Baffin Bay. Before he died, he knew he had achieved his goal. With everyone’s help, I will keep his dream alive and growing. Please come visit us at Baffin Bay Rod and Gun. We have the very best facility, the best staff, and most important, the very best guides on the bay. If you haven’t met these guys, you need to. Capt. Sutton Schoonover, Capt. Storm Brodnax, Capt. Chris Munoz, Capt. Bo Patrick and Capt. Hector Lopez, and me, Capt. Sally Black have a handle on this bay like no one else. Plus, every one of us are “teaching guides”, meaning we all work hard to help you achieve your goals and have a great time doing it. Hope to see y’all soon!

« Contact Capt. Sally Black at 361-205-0624 Email: Sally@CaptainSally.com Web: www.BafﬁnBayRodandGun.com

Aubrey Black with his largest trout.

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

Bang a Wintry Drum

ANUARY IS CONSIDERED A tough month among anglers. Unless you are a truly dedicated grinder looking for that ONE trout that may never come. The rest of us are usually at home getting caught up on the things that you neglected when the trout and reds were biting all summer and fall. Maybe you’re watching WFN and a) wishing you were somewhere in the tropics catching fish; or b) wondering what possesses Yankees to sit on top of three feet of ice to catch fish. January’s up-and-down weather makes planning a fishing trip an iffy proposition at best. Even when you can get out, there is no guarantee that there will be trout or redfish around to make the run to the Lower Laguna Madre worth the effort. Anglers who are willing to modify their targets to a different quarry can have plenty of action, even when the weather is snotty. There’s no need for specialized tackle or for neoprene waders that can withstand an Arctic gale. In fact, you may be at an advantage if you simplify your approach when hunting the tatanka of the coast, the black drum. Some sharpies along Lower Laguna Madre have taken to calling the schools of foraging black drum “tatanka.” As we learned from the Kevin Costner horse opera Dances With Wolves, tatanka means “bison” in the Lakota language. The name is not unjustified. Much like their wooly namesakes, black drums are burly, large; and they tend to forage the breadth and width of LLM. Much like the bison, they may also be one of the toughest

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you (it’s a 30 minute run with even a large motor), an easier-accessed spot is the mouth of South Bay. This spot is a quick five- to tenminute run from most put-in points. On an outgoing tide, anchor on the edge of the channel mouth that opens out of South Bay, and use the same free-lining techniques that you would on the ICW. Sometimes, the tidal flow is stronger than normal (especially during the full moon), so a heavier weight or even a ¼ ounce jighead tipped with shrimp is a necessity. If the current is forming into an eddy at the end of the mouth, set up down current of the eddy. Cast into it, and let your bait flow out to the fish. It won’t take too long before you feel that telltale “THUMP.” It isn’t a bad idea to use stouter 17- to 20-pound tackle for this application. There aren’t any real snags in the area, but it’s much easier to turn one of these finny bulldozers with the heavier stuff. Even when the weather sours, you will have some good fishing opportunities on the Lower Laguna Madre. Just put on your best Kevin Costner scowl, and go after a tatanka or two.

critters in their habitat. A two-to five-pound blackie can put up a stout fight on trout tackle. Tangling with one of the 30- to 40-pound beasts that lucky anglers sometimes latch into is often likened to reeling a bowling ball up a sharp incline. It isn’t difficult to find an area that produces good numbers of black drums. Just a little north and west of the Causeway is a broad flat near the current Pirate’s Fishing Pier (a long cast from the pier can easily reach the area). The best times to fish the area are the calm days after a cold front, and at night during the full moon. Large shrimp on a Carolina rig works well for these bruisers. Most of the fish will be over the maximum 30-inch slot—but the best bait for large black drum is crab chunks with the carapace removed. Pass a 5/0 circle hook through a leg socket and out the top of the crab, chunk the whole rig out, and set the rod in a holder to wait. Many anglers have recently begun using sea lice—or mantis shrimp—for bait. In the winter, sea lice are easier to find than fresh shrimp. The trick is to remove the beasty’s head, peal back some of the carapace to let more scent ooze out of the body, thread it on a hook through the tail, and chuck it out. Experience has taught me that tatanka won’t pass up a sea louse as an easy meal. Often overlooked when hunting tatanka are the deeper holes around the fishing shacks along the edge of the ICW. Black drums tend to mill around in these holes when the tide is washing off the flats behind the shacks. The docks act as a current break, and crustaceans get washed into these areas. Drop your anchor or power pole next to the end of the shack’s dock (usually on the north side) and cast into the deeper water in front of and parallel to the shack. It’s considered bad form to tie off to a shack’s dock, except in the case of a real emergency. A standard free-line rig with a #3 split shot and size 1/0 Khale hook is a practical choice. Live or fresh shrimp is best, but again, crab isn’t a bad option if bugs aren’t easily available. If the run to the shacks is a bit long for F I S H

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THE BANK BITE SPOT: Highway 48 Shoreline SPECIES: Sheepshead, drum. TECHNIQUES: Freelined live shrimp, fresh bait on the bottom.

Email Cal Gonzales at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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Mule Deer Foundation Wants Wolves Delisted

T IS THE POSITION OF THE Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) that the gray wolf in the northern Rocky Mountains is delisted as soon as possible and their management is transferred to the State Fish and Wildlife agencies. A statement from MDF said, “We believe that the current population levels which greatly exceed the original recovery objectives and the widespread distribution of wolves are factors necessitating such an immediate action. Further, we believe that such an action would provide managers with the flexibility necessary for managing wolves. We believe that the states can more effectively balance the management of wolves with the management of other resident wildlife such as mule deer. “State wildlife agencies should classify the wolf as a “game species.” States would be able to set season and bag limits on wolves which would be part of an overall strategy of balancing big game populations and wolf populations. “MDF supports the current approved Gray Wolf Management Plans in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. We believe that these plans have adequate safeguards to ensure the long term sustainability of the Rocky Mountain Gray Wolf population in balance with the big game populations. We believe that this strategy will also maintain the

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genetic diversity of the wolf population which has been an issue raised in the delisting process. “The introduction and subsequent management of wolves is a hotly debated issue across the western United States. Habitat for the northern gray wolf includes Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, the

eastern third of Oregon and Washington, and north-central Utah. The northern gray wolf was formally listed as a federal endangered species in 1974 in accordance with provisions contained within the Endangered Species Act. “Wolves were re-introduced into Yellowstone National Park 1995 and in central Idaho in 1996. These areas were selected due to their relatively high elk populations and remote public lands that include classified Wilderness and backcountry thus minimizing potential impacts with existing management activities. Wolves dispersed naturally from Canada and became established in Montana sometime in the 1980’s thus precluding the need for a wolf transplant in that area. The United States Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) determined that recovery of the northern gray wolf was dependent on the establishment of 30 or more well distributed breeding pairs and 300 individual wolves in western Montana, central Idaho and in Wyoming for three successive years.” (Editor’s note: Wolves have exceeded by at least five fold in the last five years) The overall mission of the Mule Deer

MDF calls for reclassifying gray wolves as a game species, to help balance the management of mule deer.

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PHOTO:CHESTER MOORE

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Burleigh, with his crossbow trophy.

CROSSBOW FOR BEAR

A gray wolf.

Foundation (MDF) is to ensure the conservation of mule deer and black-tailed deer and their habitat. Presently, mule deer populations across the western states are well below their objectives; in fact they are the only western big game species with a declining population trend. Several years ago the Directors of the western state fish and wildlife agencies organized a committee of professional wildlife biologists to study the reasons for this decline. They determined that there were many contributing factors including predation. While the MDF recognizes the positive role of predators in naturally functioning ecosystems, we are concerned about the impact that an additional predator could have on the ability of mule deer populations to recover. Several studies on wolf-big game relationships have been where the principal prey is elk, except in western Montana where whitetail deer are important to wolves. In places like southern and central Idaho, southwestern Wyoming, parts of Montana and Utah, mule deer are more prevalent and could be quite vulnerable to wolves.

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PHOTOS: ABOVE LEFT, CANSTOCK; ABOVE RIGHT, GERALD BURLEIGH

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THROUGH THE LENS OF A CAMERA and the eyes of a sportsman, Gerald Burleigh has seen many amazing things in his career. The longtime photographer and TF&G reader grew up as a hunter and found a love for photography at a young age. “As we grow older, we start to think back to our youth. I grew up on an egg farm on 10 acres of land in Orange County Texas. There was no one close to play with so I used to entertain myself with hunting and ﬁshing in nearby woods and bayous. Someone gave me a 35-pound Bear recurve. Back then it was just a stick and string. I learned to shoot instinctively with bow and wooden arrow. Living on an egg farm meant any varmints posed a loss of egg production. Pop would pay in bullets for every rat, opossum and other varmints. “I like the bow because it was quiet around the caged chickens. Learning to hunt also put food on the table which helped out on the farm. That started my taste for bowhunting. I found out years later we were poor. But as a kid I had a full stomach, clothes on my back and a loving family.” Burleigh got to put those skills to use when he picked up a crossbow and headed to Manitoba to realize his lifelong dream of hunting black bears. “I’m like a kid at Christmas. I

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couldn’t wait to get up there and hunt bears in the great woods of Canada,” he said. The thick forests in the region make perfect bear habitat. “I took a 241-pound bear with the TenPoint Stealth SS. It had a 19 1/16inch skull and the most beautiful coat you have ever seen. I could not have been happier with the hunt or the performance of the crossbow,” he said. Burleigh pursued his bear-hunting dream with Scott Smith of Canadian Wilderness Outﬁtters (www. canadianwildernessoutﬁtters.com) and said the whole experience was top-notch. “Scott is a straight-up honest guy with lots of bears on his properties and a strong work ethic. If you hunt with crossbow, bow or gun, he is the man to see. I could not have been happier with my experience,” Burleigh said. Burleigh said his journey from hunting with longbows and recurves to crossbows has been an exciting one. “It’s nice to know that no matter what your age or situation there is an effective hunting device for you. I’m now more motivated to hunt than I have been in years and taking a bear with that crossbow is a big part of that.”

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Hunting Osceola Turkey

WHERE TO SEE WILDLIFE: ROCKY MOUNTAIN ARSENAL

HE SWAMPS ALONG THE edge of Florida’s Myakka River in the heart of Osceola turkey country are teeming with life.

subdivisions, businesses, and tourist destinations. That made it feel a little off during the research process and the epic travel from Orange, TX. Things changed once I found myself along the banks of the Myakka River. It felt wild although I was only three miles away

story by CHESTER MOORE

From alligators to Seminole whitetail to mottled ducks, the wildlands just outside of Sarasota are rich in biodiversity. The short, thin pines reminded me a bit

Osceola turkey

from a subdivision. It was an interesting dichotomy-tourist Florida vs. turkey Florida. I had done many studies to end up in this location to find Osceola turkeys. And since I am doing this all on my coin, I was low on time. I had from sunrise to noon to make something happen. One particular area looked seriously promising, and within 30 minutes there I

of the habitat on the Upper Coast of Texas where I live, but it looked uniquely Florida. With scattered palms and thick palmetto, this place looked subtropical. It would have been easy to get lost in the majesty of it all, but I was on a mission. That mission was to get a photo of an Osceola turkey. While Florida has plenty of forested lands, it also has many highways, 48

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LOCATED JUST NORTHEAST OF DENVER, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge is a 15,000-acre expanse of prairie, wetland and woodland habitat. The land has a unique story - it has survived the test of time and transitioned from farmland, to war-time manufacturing site, to wildlife sanctuary. It may be one of the ﬁnest conservation Prior to becoming a Refuge, Plains Indians followed large herds of bison and lived off the land. Later, as settlers moved west to start a new life, they began growing crops and grazing cattle. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Army transformed the area into a chemical weapons manufacturing facility called the Rocky Mountain Arsenal to support World War II. As production declined at war’s end, a portion of the idle facilities were leased to Shell Chemical Co. for the production of agricultural chemicals. The Arsenal was later used for Cold-War weapons production and demilitarization. In the early 1980s, the Army and Shell began an extensive environmental cleanup under the oversight of federal, state, and local regulatory agencies. Soon after, a roost of bald eagles was discovered prompting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to become involved in managing wildlife at the site. The discovery also led Congress to designate the site as a national wildlife refuge in 1992. In the mid-1990s, a unique public-private partnership formed among the U.S. Army, Shell Oil Co., and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. As cleanup progressed and projects met federal and state regulatory requirements, the Army transferred land to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to establish and expand the Refuge. It is an incredible place to see mule deer and whitetail side by side, bison, prairie dogs and possibly black-footed ferrets that have been released into the prairie dog towns of the refuge.

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spied my prize and captured some great photos of an Osceola hen and her brood. After the trip I consulted David Nicholson, a biologist with the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) in Florida to learn more about the status of the Oceola turkey. I inquired specifically about population trends. “Unfortunately, there is not a reliable/ accurate way to estimate wild turkey populations at a large-scale and therefore the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) does not currently estimate wild turkey population size in Florida,” he said. “Instead, the FWC utilizes spring turkey season harvest estimates from an annual mail survey as an index to population

have been more stable in Central & South Florida where the Osceola subspecies occurs. The Grand Slam is a turkey hunting quest to bag a Merriam’s, Rio Grande, Eastern and Osceola. Out of those the Osceola is the hardest to get simply because it lives in the smallest range, only in the southern half of Florida. If you really like to turkey hunt, consider the Grand Slam and put your focus on an Osceola. There is something about the swamps of Florida and the sight of seeing these great birds that drew me in and has me on the search for an Osceola (but this time with a shotgun) in 2020.

size. These harvest estimates are either on a statewide scale or a regional scale, so, therefore, do not necessarily track harvest rates of the Eastern and Osceola subspecies separately in Florida. Nicholson said that given this data is derived from mail surveys, and the harvest estimates are currently only available through the spring of 2018 and information is not yet available for 2019. “In examining the spring turkey harvest estimates provided by FWC, it appears populations in Florida have been stable to slightly declining over the last decade depending on the region.” Harvest data suggests the slight declines were observed more in Northern Florida coinciding more with the Eastern subspecies and harvest rates since that time

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New Mexico’s Public Land Free-Ranging Ibex DID YOU KNOW ONE OF THE MOST prized game animals of Asia is huntable on free-range on public land in New Mexico? story by CHESTER MOORE

In 1970, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) imported 15

been conducted every year since. “We managed them to stay isolated in those mountains and to give hunters a unique opportunity at a challenging game animal,” said Nicole Tatman, Big Game Program Manger, NMDGF. The Bureau of Land Management has established an optimum, supportable number of 400 animals for this localized population. To achieve and maintain this target, NMDGF annually conducts aerial surveys, determines populations and offers public and management hunts accordingly. New Mexico’s big game drawing is subject to a quota system. In accordance with state law, the draw attempts to distribute a minimum of 84 percent of the licenses for each hunt to New Mexico residents, 10 percent to residents or nonresidents who’ve contracted with an outfitter and six percent to nonresidents who have not contracted with an outfitter (this does not prohibit nonresidents in the 6 percent pool from contracting with an outfitter if they are lucky in the draw). “As you can imagine there are many applicants but people do get drawn and have successful hunts every year. We encourage anyone with an interest in hunting ibex in New Mexico to apply,” Tatman said. For more information go to http:// www.wildlife.state.nm.us

Persian ibex from Iran and released them in the Florida Mountains near Deming, New Mexico. Soon after, an additional 27 were released, and a sustainable population was established. By 1974, the first Persian ibex hunt in the Florida Mountains was offered to the public, and one to two hunts have

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Ibex

PHOTO: CANSTOCK

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

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

SALTWATER Late Deer Season on West Galveston

GPS COORDINATES are provided in two formats: “Decimal Degrees” (degrees.degrees) and “Degrees and Minutes” sometimes called “GPS Format” (degrees minutes.minutes). Examples (for Downtown Austin): Decimal Degrees: N30.2777, W97.7379; Degrees and Minutes: N30 16.6662, W97 44.2739. Consult your manual for information speciﬁc to your GPS device.

by TF&G Staff

colors when the water is clear. If you have a blue-bird sky, we always throw a silver/blue back or a chrome/ blue back topwater for trout.

• • • SPOTLIGHT • • • LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: North Deer Island GPS: N 29 16.9639, W 94 56.223 (29.2827, -94.9371)

LOCATION: East Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: North Shoreline GPS: N 29 33.1439, W 94 37.785 (29.5524, -94.6298)

LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay HOTSPOT: Drulls Lump GPS: N 28 42.285, W 95 50.0659 (28.7048, -95.8344)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Glenn Ging 979-479-1460 www.glennsguideservice.com TIPS: Try topwaters if the weather has been warm. LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay HOTSPOT: Halfmoon Shoal GPS: N 28 43.371, W 95 46.228 (28.7229, -95.7705)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Down South Paddle Tails or TTF Trout Killer CONTACT: Capt. Joe Madsen 281-960-6960 TIPS: As the temperature drops, trout should relocate to muddy bottoms, as the mud will hold heat better.

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Live shrimp and finger mullet CONTACT: Capt. Joe Madsen 281-960-6960 TIPS: As water flows out of the marshes, look for schooling reds feeding on shrimp and finger mullet.

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LOCATION: Matagorda HOTSPOT: Colorado River at Selkirk Island GPS: N 28 45.333, W 95 59.849 (28.755547, -95.997478)

LOCATION: Christmas Bay HOTSPOT: Mouth of Churchill Bayou GPS: N 29 3.3499, W 95 9.7219 (29.0558, -95.1620)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Glenn Ging 979-479-1460 www.glennsguideservice.com TIPS: If ﬁshing for big trout, Capt. Ging prefers to wade, but if a customer doesn’t want to wade, he will drift the shell reefs in ﬁve to six feet of water. 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: Soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Glenn Ging 979-479-1460 www.glennsguideservice.com TIPS: Fish deep holes in the river with soft plastics

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Corkys, MirrOlures and Bass Assassins CONTACT: Capt. Ralph Frazier 281-337-0321 www.fraziersguideservice.com TIPS: Bait colors: Frazier likes to throw the darker

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FISHING HOTSPOTS SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Glenn Ging 979-479-1460 www.glennsguideservice.com TIPS: If Capt. Ging is ﬁshing deep reefs, he will be ﬁshing with a popping cork and live shrimp LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay HOTSPOT: Peninsula Shoreline GPS: N 28 28.801, W 96 15.753 (28.4800, -96.2626)

BEST BAITS: Soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Glenn Ging 979-479-1460 www.glennsguideservice.com TIPS: This time of year, West Bay out-performs East Bay for redﬁsh.

SPECIES: Redﬁsh

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Black Bayou

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Glenn Ging 979-479-1460 www.glennsguideservice.com TIPS: On outgoing tides, ﬁsh the drains coming into the bay. LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay HOTSPOT: Phillips Bayou GPS: N 28 32.464, W 96 9.2839 (28.5411, -96.1547)

SPECIES: Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Popping cork with live shrimp CONTACT: Capt. Glenn Ging 979-479-1460 www.glennsguideservice.com TIPS: If live shrimp are not available, try Berkley Gulp in a pearl color. LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay HOTSPOT: Maverick Bayou GPS: N 28 34.663, W 96 3.705 (28.5777, -96.0618)

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FISHING HOTSPOTS GPS: N 29 59.866, W 93 45.1819 (29.9978, -93.7530)

(27.9112, -97.0366)

LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Snake Island Cove GPS: N 29 6.1279, W 95 8.7259 (29.1021, -95.1454)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: MirrOlure soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Bill Watkins 409-673-9211 www.ﬁshsabinelake.com TIPS: For big trout, throw a ﬁve -inch MirrOlure Provoker along with 1/4-ounce jighead. If the water gets cold, switch to a 1/2 ounce gum ball jig head.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Corkys, MirrOlures and Bass Assassins CONTACT: Capt. Ralph Frazier 281-337-0321 www.fraziersguideservice.com TIPS: Wade ﬁshing in January and February is best in West Bay and the back of Trinity Bay, if there is no fresh water coming in from the river.

LOCATION: West Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Alligator Point GPS: N 29 10.2889, W 95 6.8789 (29.1715, -95.1147)

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Last Chance for Aransas Specks

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Down South Paddle Tails or TTF Trout Killer CONTACT: Capt. Joe Madsen 281-960-6960 TIPS: It all depends the how cold the month is as to whether the ﬁsh will be deep or shallow.

by TF&G Staff

• • • SPOTLIGHT • LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Last Chance GPS: N 27 58.452, W 97 4.7939 (27.9742, -97.0799)

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

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LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Upper Estes Flats GPS: N 27 57.058, W 97 5.3309 (27.9510, -97.0889)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: The Down South Paddle Tail soft plastic has good action without anything else on it. It casts almost like a spoon. LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: South Bay GPS: N 27 53.4589, W 97 5.7889 (27.8910, -97.0965)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Popping cork with live shrimp CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: A drifting popping cork with live shrimp will catch trout and some redﬁsh too, especially right after a front, even when we still have a north wind.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork CONTACT: Capt. Joe Madsen 281-960-6960 TIPS: If the weather is warm, live shrimp ﬁshed under a popping cork will still work, especially if the ﬁsh are in deeper water.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: Try using a lighter jig head—a 1/8-oz. instead of 1/4-oz., unless you’re ﬁshing the jetties.

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LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Super Flats GPS: N 27 54.669, W 97 2.196 |

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FISHING HOTSPOTS tail (Down South) soft plastic used with a 1/8 ounce jig head. LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Little Flats GPS: N 27 48.768, W 97 6.6829 (27.8128, -97.1114)

SPECIES: Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: The reds won’t be moving around as much early, until mid morning. I would suggest jumping from pot hole to pot hole until you see some bait moving.

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: With a 1/8 ounce jig head you don’t have to work it as fast. With a 1/4 ounce jig head, it just falls to the bottom. LOCATION: Nueces Bay HOTSPOT: Porno Flats GPS: N 27 51.42, W 97 21.357 (27.8570, -97.3560)

(26.8102, -97.4690)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Norton Bull Minnows CONTACT: Capt. Steve Ellis 956-492-8472 captainsteve52@hotmail.com TIPS: January ﬁshing is incredibly weather oriented. This is a good time of year to target big trout, because everything else can be so ﬂakey.

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Hook Mansﬁeld Specks in the Mouth

by Tom Behrens

• • • SPOTLIGHT • LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Mouth of the Land Cut GPS: N 26 48.6139, W 97 28.1399

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Down South soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: Most of the areas that you ﬁsh don’t have real bad tide movement down here, so you don’t need the heavy weight to control the lure. LOCATION: Redﬁsh Bay HOTSPOT: Terminal Flats GPS: N 27 54.606, W 97 7.009 (27.9101, -97.1168)

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FISHING HOTSPOTS LOCATION: Port Isabel HOTSPOT: Brownsville Ship Channel GPS: N 26 0.405, W 97 16.465 (26.0068, -97.2744)

CONTACT: Capt. DeWitt Thomas 956-551-1965 cdct1005@aol.com www.customsportanglers.com TIPS: In the back of the bay there are oyster beds where you can ﬁnd snook. Use small mullet for bait. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Old Causeway GPS: N 26 4.3882, W 97 10.9579 (26.0731, -97.1826)

SPECIES: Snook, black drum and speckled trout BEST BAITS: Shrimp, if available, or cut bait CONTACT: Capt. DeWitt Thomas 956-551-1965 cdct1005@aol.com www.customsportanglers.com TIPS: Fishing structure, use three-four inch live shrimp, and ﬂip the bait under the dock. Drag must be tightened down really tight because you will have to horse the ﬁsh out.

SPECIES: Redﬁsh, black drum, sheepshead and trout BEST BAITS: Shrimp, if available, or cut bait CONTACT: Capt. DeWitt Thomas 956-551-1965 cdct1005@aol.com www.customsportanglers.com TIPS: Fish the remnants of the old Queen Isabel bridge…a great place to catch mangroves. LOCATION: Port Mansﬁeld HOTSPOT: East Cut GPS: N 26 33.7999, W 97 17.029 (26.5633, -97.2838)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Shrimp, if available, or cut bait CONTACT: Capt. DeWitt Thomas 956-551-1965 cdct1005@aol.com www.customsportanglers.com TIPS: Capt. Thomas likes to use a four inch popping cork with a red bead under the cork. It adds a little weight and extra noise.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Norton Bull Minnows CONTACT: Capt. Steve Ellis 956-492-8472 captainsteve52@hotmail.com TIPS: Capt. Ellis’ favorite soft plastic colors are Cock Roach, black/gold…something dark. Other good colors are purple/chartreuse, and white/chartreuse tails.

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SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Crappie jigs CONTACT: Mike Knight (936-635-2427 notechmike@hotmail.com www.easttxﬁshingguide.com TIPS: Graph for man-made brush piles on top of the ledges. Best baits should be heavy jig/plastic combos. If water temps drop into the 40’s, crappie should pile up on the legendary chicken coop area about 4 miles north of Pendleton Bridge.

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LOCATION: Caddo Lake HOTSPOT: Big Cypress River GPS: N 32 43.9559, W 94 8.682 (32.7326, -94.1447)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Crankbaits and umbrella rigs in shad or white color, 1/2 oz. chrome jigging spoons CONTACT: Caddo Lake Guide Service/Paul Keith 318-455-3437 caddoguide1@att.net www.caddolakeﬁshing.com TIPS: Concentrate on the bends and cuts in this main channel. When the bass are active, throw the shad or

SPECIES: Speckled Trout, sheepheads, black drum BEST BAITS: Shrimp, if available, or cut bait J A N U A R Y

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LOCATION: Port Isabel HOTSPOT: South Bay GPS: N 26 1.771, W 97 11.0479 (26.0295, -97.1841)

Crappie Cooped Up on Toledo

• • • SPOTLIGHT • LOCATION: Toledo Bend Lake HOTSPOT: Chicken Coop Area GPS: N 31 17.3219, W 93 45.6659 (31.2887, -93.7611)

LOCATION: Port Isabel HOTSPOT: Cullen Channel GPS: N 26 15.6, W 97 17.415 (26.2600, -97.2903)

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FISHING HOTSPOTS white colored crankbaits and umbrella rigs. When they are not feeding well, drop a 1/2 oz. chrome jigging spoon in these same areas and vertically jig off them off the bottom. Watch visibly and on your electronics for balls of shad to increase your odds of ﬁnding these wintertime schools of bass. LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 22.7099, W 95 35.352 (30.3785, -95.5892)

SPECIES: Hybrid Stripers BEST BAITS: Live shad, Strom Swim Shad CONTACT: Richard Tatsch 936-661-7920 admin@fishdudetx.com www.fishdudetx.com TIPS: The hybrid stripers are schooling around ledges along the river channel. Find the schools of shad and you will find the hybrids. This time of year, they will run shad up on these ridges. During the day, they will move deeper around the area. Find the depth the bait are in and you will find the fish. As the water temperatures drop, they will be in the 30 to 40-foot depths. Live shad will be the bait of choice in deeper water, but the swim shad will work as long as you can control your retrieve to keep the bait in the depth the fish are going to be in. The depths will vary from one day to the next. Today they may be in 20 foot of water and tomorrow they may be in 40 foot. It all depends on the schools of shad. Good luck and good fishing! LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Little Caney Creek GPS: N 32 49.086, W 95 33.4559 (32.8181, -95.5576)

TIPS: January is the month I look for the deeper crappie bite. You can find them schooled up in the 30-45-foot range around the deeper creek channels or humps and flats around the mouth of Little Caney. When you find the bait fish you will also find crappie around them. Make sure you keep a marker handy so when you find these schools you can throw out a marker and be able to stay around the schools. The deeper winter crappie will hit either jigs or minnows. Best color is pink/chartreuse in the jigs and I like the 1/8 oz. jig head as it’s usually a little windy in the winter months and you will be fishing open water. This is one of the months you will need to keep the first 25 you catch. This applies for the months of December through February.

SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: ¼ oz rattle trap (silver/blue), 1/4oz. Tsunami Cocktail, 2 shad swim baits on 1/4 oz jig heads CONTACT: David S. Cox, Palmetto Guide Service 936-291-9602 dave@palmettoguideservice.com www.palmettoguideservice.com TIPS: January is spring fever month on Lake Livingston. It is not too early for the annual white bass run. Conditions in January can be volatile. With the first good warming spell in January, spring fever becomes contagious. White Rock Creek is the first major creek the whites will begin to stack up in to spawn. Best fishing here is after a local rain and a south east wind. Look for water temps to be 50 degrees or higher. The moving water will pull the whites upstream. Go as far up White Rock as you can looking for tea colored water. Throw 1/4 oz Tsunami Cocktails and shad swim baits on 1/4 oz. jig heads. BANK ACCESS: White Rock City Marina, HWY. 94 public ramp.

LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: White Oak Branch GPS: N 32 55.608, W 95 40.824 (32.9268, -95.6804)

LOCATION: Sam Rayburn Lake HOTSPOT: Coleman Bay GPS: N 31 9.0059, W 94 10.128 (31.1501, -94.1688)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Lipless rattlebaits, spinnerbaits, Finch Nasty Thumpers, GrandeBass Air Pro, Texas rigged 6.5 Mag Rattlesnake CONTACT: Lance Vick 903-312-0609 lance@lakeforkbass.com www.guideonlakefork.com TIPS: Happy New Year! On Lake Fork the bass are moving into pre-spawn stage. Rattlebaits, spinnerbaits and Finch Nasty Thumpers work well on the windy days. On sunny days weightless soft plastics like the GrandeBass Air Pro, a salt heavy stick bait with the airtail chamber so you can put scent or rattles in it, or a light Texas rig with a 6.5 Mag Rattlesnake. Work secondary points and creek channel swings on ﬂats. Lay down logs and any vegetation are great cover this time of year. Its big ﬁsh season!

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: 6- to 7-inch suspending jerk baits, red Rat-L-Traps, bass jigs, Carolina rigs, deep diving crankbaits CONTACT: Mike Knight 936-635-2427 notechmike@hotmail.com www.easttxﬁshingguide.com TIPS: January is one of the three best months of the year to catch a bass over 10 pounds on this lake. If the winter is mild, look for big pre-spawn females to move into big bays and stage in drains and ditches that are 8 to 15 feet deep. Best baits will be 6 - 7 suspending jerk baits and the Rayburn standby, red Rat-L-Traps. If the winter is cold/bitter, try ledges and channel swings in 15 to 25 feet with jigs, Carolina rigs and deep cranks.

LOCATION: Lake Livingston HOTSPOT: White Rock Creek GPS: N 30 54.2819, W 95 15.9179 (30.9047, -95.2653) SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows, jigs in pink/chartreuse color on a 1/8 oz. jig head CONTACT: Doug Shampine 940-902-3855 doug@lakeforktrophybass.com www.lakeforktrophybass.com T E X A S

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FISHING HOTSPOTS LOCATION: Toledo Bend North HOTSPOT: Brown’s Bend GPS: N 31 42.324, W 93 47.8199 (31.7054, -93.7970)

979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.ﬁshtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Catﬁsh are in pre-spawn mode. Fish 10 feet of water, close to stumps, straight down with tight lines. Chumming this area will help too.

GPS: N 32 54.304, W 97 30.237 (32.9051, -97.5040)

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LOCATION: Bachman Lake HOTSPOT: Bridge or Dam Areas GPS: N 32 51.5699, W 96 51.3839 (32.8595, -96.8564) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Slab spoons, Rat-L-Traps, tail spinners CONTACT: Greg Crafts, Toledo Bend Guide Service and Lake Cottages 936-368-7151 gregcrafts@yahoo.com www.toledobendguide.com TIPS: In January, the white bass will be feeding heavy, bulking up before making their annual run up the river to spawn. The whites will be holding on the north end river channel sandbars. If we receive a lot of rain and have a strong river current, you will start seeing some action in the river proper. Otherwise, work the main lake sandbars with slab spoons, Rat-L- Traps and tail spinners. Use your electronics to locate the bait ﬁsh and you’ll locate the whites. Your daily limit is 25 ﬁsh per person.

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass and Crappie BEST BAITS: Bass: spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Traps | Crappie: minnows and jigs CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 Whitebassfishingtexas@gmail.com www.whitebassfishingtexas.com TIPS: For bass, throw spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Traps along the weed lines. Bass fishing is especially good at the dam, by the banks and near the timber under the bridge. Crappie are under the bridge at night this time of year. Minnows and jigs are your best bet right now.

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Fayette County Cats Go Hog Wild

•• SPECIES: Hybrid Striper & White Bass BEST BAITS: Swimbaits, buck tail jigs, flukes on jig heads CONTACT: Jason Barber (903-603-2047 kingscreekadventures@yahoo.com www.kingscreekadventures.com TIPS: This month we are dead sticking for hybrids and whites. Fish the lower main lake in 30’-50’ of water with shad imitations such as swimbaits, buck tails, flukes on jig heads, etc. Present your bait vertically to fish, relating to suspended schools of shad.

SPECIES: Catﬁsh BEST BAITS: Earthworms or punch Bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk

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LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: North Bank on Eagle Point GPS: N 30 38.118, W 96 3.0779 (30.6353, -96.0513)

LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Lower Main Lake GPS: N 32 13.308, W 96 6.4619 (32.2218, -96.1077)

by Dustin Warncke & Dean Heffner

• • • SPOTLIGHT • LOCATION: Lake Fayette HOTSPOT: Hog Pond Trees GPS: N 29 55.2779, W 96 43.056 (29.9213, -96.7176)

SPECIES: Blue catfish BEST BAITS: Cut or whole shad CONTACT: Johnny Stevens 817-597-6598 johnlu1313@gmail.com johnnysguideservice.com TIPS: This area is surrounded by two channels, Walnut creek on the west and Trinity River on the east. This area is 4- to 10 ft. deep. The water warms during the day. The shad go up in the shallow water and the blue cats follow them. I like to anchor the front and back of the boat to eliminate sway. I use a Carolina rig with circle hooks. If you don’t find them in a few minutes move until you find them. They tend to stack up in one area.

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SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Shad or CJ’s punch bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: This creek comes close to shore here so fish in 12 feet of water using tight line. Large blues pass through this creek area. Use a #6 treble hook for punch bait.

LOCATION: Lake Eagle Mountain HOTSPOT: South of Pelican Island |

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FISHING HOTSPOTS LOCATION: Lake Granbury HOTSPOT: Deep Water Ledge, Lower End GPS: N 32 23.014, W 97 42.55 (32.3836, -97.7092)

SPECIES: Striped bass BEST BAITS: 3/4- to 1-oz. jig heads with 5-inch swimbaits/jerkbaits in blue/chartreuse CONTACT: Michael W. Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters 817-578-0023 www.unfairadvantagecharters.com TIPS: Work over structure slowly and work deeper until you locate the best depth. Very little movement is required to get bit. LOCATION: Granger Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 42.672, W 97 20.808 (30.7112, -97.3468)

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Cut bait, shad, Zote soap CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell 512-365-7761 crappie1@hotmail.com www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: The wintertime at Granger Lake is very spotty fishing for crappie, white bass, and black bass. These species are good for the 8 warm months of the year, but the best fishing now is for catfish and namely the blue catfish. Blues like the cold weather and are highly active during this time of year. Fish wind-blown shorelines where shad are being blown in. On very cold days there can even be some shad die offs and this just turns on the blues. Jug lines work well using all the normal baits, but rod and reel can also be good. Take advantage of this time to fill your freezers with some good catfish fillets. LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Island and Dam Area GPS: N 33 3.0119, W 96 28.416 (33.0502, -96.4736)

SPECIES: White Bass & Crappie BEST BAITS: Live minnows, flukes in white or chartreuse CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 Whitebassfishingtexas@gmail.com www.whitebassfishingtexas.com TIPS: Crappie will be suspended next to the dam in 18-25 feet of water. Spider rigging minnows is your best bet. White bass will be near the island and out towards the dam. Concentrate your fishing efforts in 20-30 feet of water. Dead sticking Berkley Gulp Minnows, dead sticking live minnows, or dead sticking a 3 to 4 fluke in white or chartreuse just one foot above the school, when you find them, usually produces the best catches. LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Flat Creek GPS: N 32 12.522, W 95 31.782 (32.2087, -95.5297)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Big Eye jigs, Texas Spinnerbaits CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 or 903-530-2201 ricky@rickysguideservice.com www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: This time of year, there are a few locations that I will focus on - all in the Flat Creek area. There is standing timber so fish your lures around all your trees and any tree you find up near the creek bends. Take extra time fishing this area and cast to the tree several times. Lures I will use will be my Big Eye jigs and the Texas Spinnerbaits. The best jig colors will be black/brown amber, black/blue and blue candy. These colors will work in clear, stained and muddy water. Spinnerbaits in chartreuse/white and black neon will work well too. LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts HOTSPOT: Johnson Branch GPS: N 33 23.753, W 97 0.801 (33.3959, -97.0134) T E X A S

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SPECIES: Crappie, white bass

F I S H

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12/18/19 12:45 PM

FISHING HOTSPOTS BEST BAITS: Minnows, 3/4- to 1-oz. slabs CONTACT: Justin Wilson 214-538-2780 TIPS: The start of the year is here along with cold temperatures but the fishing is still great. White bass bite has been consistent. Look for big schools of fish stacking up on points and humps close to creek channels in 20-30 foot of water. Slabs off the bottom have been the best with bucktail teasers tied on as well. Light boat traffic has made it easier to stay on fish once you find them. Keep an eye out for diving gulls making easy meals off bait fish being pushed up from schooling fish. The crappie bite has been good. Crappie have been on brush piles in 20-30 feet of water. Jigs are working well but the quality of fish seem to be better on minnows.

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Shad or CJ’s punch bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Park is closed. Fish from shore, casting out or anchor 40 yards offshore and fish back toward shore along edge of the cane. LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: Paw Pak Creek and Willis Bridge GPS: N 33 53.9879, W 96 53.796 (33.8998, -96.8966)

LOCATION: Richland Chambers Lake HOTSPOT: Crab Creek GPS: N 31 57.348, W 96 19.914 (31.9558, -96.3319)

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Danny King’s Punch Bait CONTACT: Royce Simmons 903-389-4117 simmonsroyce@hotmail.com www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: Bundle up, take a thermos of coffee and get ready to catch some really nice blue cats on Richland Chambers. While we fish all winter for catfish, January and February are the best months to catch some of the bigger blues. Our target is eater size blues and channel cats but almost every trip someone will hook into a really big blue. We’re fishing in the heavy timber in Crab Creek and along the Richland Creek channel in 25’-35’ using Danny Kings Punch Bait on a # 4 treble hook. If you want to stock up on catfish filets, the winter is the time to do it on Richland Chambers!

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Road Runner and Sassy Shad Jigs CONTACT: Bill Carey 903-786-4477 bigfishlaketexoma@gmail.com www.striperexpress.com TIPS: January is a big fish month at Lake Texoma. The cool water winter fishing is legendary. Large stripers up to 20 pounds will hold on structure. A 7-foot medium heavy fishing rod with 20-pound test is recommended. Throwing 1oz. Road Runner jigs with a white 9 worm will produce fish located on main lake points, the mouths of creeks and humps with deep water nearby. The cooler the weather, the better the fishing holds true for these hard-fighting fish. Bait fishing with live shad is also an excellent way to catch stripers. Pay attention to the weather forecast and dress warm. Our charters depart at 10:30 a.m. in the winter. The fish will bite all day and the solar heat can help keep you warm. Keep your eyes on the seagulls; they can be your best fish locator. Bank Access: The Oil Wells and Texas Flats (Using the same baits mentioned - shad will work best on the banks. Tie on jigs if the seagulls are working near you.)

LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: Big Creek Park Shoreline GPS: N 30 19.2419, W 96 34.908 (30.3207, -96.5818)

LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: State Park Area GPS: N 31 55.074, W 97 21.8219 (31.9179, -97.3637)

SPECIES: Striped Bass & White Bass BEST BAITS: 3 chartreuse swim baits from RSR Lures and chartreuse Bass Assassins CONTACT: Randy Routh 817-822-5539 teamredneck01@hotmail.com www.teamredneck.net TIPS: SLOW IS THE NAME OF THE GAME! The water temp has dropped, the shad have been pushed from the creeks, ganging up in a safety in numbers type of pattern in the open water. The stripers and whites are following gorging on them. The water is cold, the bait fish are lethargic and not moving as fast as normal so when you think your fishing slow enough, slow down even more. Two patterns are putting stripers and whites in the boat right now. Wild Eyed chartreuse swim baits cast out behind the boat and slow trolled with the trolling motor covers a lot of water and presents your baits to more fish. Again, SLOW is the name of the game. Watch your graph and when you do come up on a school of bait and fish, mark the fish, stop the boat and switch over to 5 to 6 Bass Assassins with 3/4 oz. lead heads. Drop them down to just above the fish, then DO NOTHING and hold the bait dead still (dead sticking). Every so often, raise your rod tip slowly and then drop it back down slowly and get ready for a quick hook set. The bite will more often than not feel like the tap of a small fish.

••

•••

Juicy Bass Action on Grape Creek

by Dustin Warncke & Dean Heffner

• • • SPOTLIGHT • LOCATION: Lake Alan Henry HOTSPOT: Little Grape Creek GPS: N 33 2.8626, W 101 3.6119 (33.0477, -101.0602)

••

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jerkbaits, bass jigs CONTACT: Norman Clayton’s Guide Services 806-792-9220 nclayton42@sbcglobal.net

J A N U A R Y

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T E X A S

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FISHING HOTSPOTS www.lakealanhenry.com/fishing-guides.html TIPS: January will find the bass in mostly deep water depending on the weather we have up until then. On good sunny days, the bass will move to the steep banks where the direct sun light is hitting the banks. Try slow rolling spinnerbaits, crankbaits, jerkbaits, and using jigs to find the bass. Try one spot and, if nothing happens, go try another until the fish are found. Also, on a really sunny day, there may be some bass found up the creeks where spinnerbaits, jigs, or crankbaits may catch them. Fish fun-fish safe.

•••

LOCATION: Ft. Phantom Hill Res. HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 32 35.4179, W 99 42.084 (32.5903, -99.7014)

SPECIES: Blue catﬁsh BEST BAITS: Cut carp, shad, live bait CONTACT: Michael D. Homer, Jr., TPWD 325-692-0921 michael.homer@tpwd.texas.gov TIPS: Ft. Phantom Hill produces many quality-sized blue catﬁsh for anglers. Anglers interested in catching wintertime blues will have luck using cut carp or shad bait as well as live bait. Fishing slopes and drop-offs or adjacent to bait balls may likely produce a bite. LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Pickwick Bridge GPS: N 32 54.777, W 98 27.939 (32.9130, -98.4657)

and the ﬁsh will be as fat as they will get all year long.

••

TIPS: White bass stage in this area before making their annual spawning run toward the upper portions of the Pecos River. Another good place to ﬁnd them is at the mouth of the Devil’s River.

•••

Draw Up a Plan for Amistad Bass

••

Tower Rings a Bell for LBJ Bass

by Dustin Warncke

• • • SPOTLIGHT • LOCATION: Lake Amistad HOTSPOT: Salem Point Draws GPS: N 29 29.1299, W 101 5.8439 (29.4855, -101.0974)

••

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Plastic worms, Senkos, Stanley Wedgetail Minnows, Roadrunners CONTACT: James Burkeen 830-734-9652 jjburkeen@gmail.com amistadbassin.com TIPS: Fish the rocky drop-offs with ultra-light equipment, letting the Wedgetail Minnows weightless Senkos or Roadrunners fall slowly and then lifting your rod up very lightly. The strikes often occur when the small lures are on the fall. Later in the day, use Carolina-rigged plastic worms in the deeper water when you ﬁnd second drop-offs near the channels.

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•••

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Slow rolling spinnerbaits, hard jerkbaits, drop-shots, and jigs CONTACT: Barry Dodd 210-771-0123 TIPS: This area is a good location this time of year. There is lots of deep water with rock and some deeper vegetation. The rocks hold some warmth and the ﬁsh naturally gravitate to that warmth. Many times the long point gives a good windbreak.

•••

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Granger Lake GPS: N 30 51.12, W 98 24.9839 (30.8520, -98.4164)

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Live Shad CONTACT: Clancy Terrill 512-633-6742 centraltexasﬁshing@gmail.com www.centraltexasﬁshing.com

SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Rat-L-Traps, shallow-diving crankbaits CONTACT: Larry Scruggs, Amistad Lodge and Adventures, 210-789-1645

T E X A S

by Dustin Warncke

• • • SPOTLIGHT LOCATION: Lake LBJ HOTSPOT: Bell Tower Point GPS: N 30 33.5039, W 98 21.24 (30.5584, -98.3540)

LOCATION: Lake Amistad HOTSPOT: Pecos River GPS: N29 42.039, W101 22.3422 (29.700650, -101.372370) SPECIES: Striped & white bass, hybrids BEST BAITS: Live shad, slabs CONTACT: Dean Heffner 940-329-0036 fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: PK has a lot of ﬁsh to be caught this month. Live shad are always best but, this time of year, they are hard to come by. We use slabs and jigs with Mister Twister curly tails, because you can just count them down and set them in a rod holder and the ﬁsh will bite them. This is called dead sticking. We catch a lot of stripers, white bass and hybrids with these methods

•••

J A N U A R Y

2 0 2 0

12/18/19 12:45 PM

FISHING HOTSPOTS TIPS: Striper will be in transition and moving towards the upper end of the lake. Drift or anchor with live bait, preferably live shad. Fish in 25’ -35’ on ridges and humps. Then move to the river channel around the trees. Early mid to upper end of the lake will be best for ﬁshing this time of year: from Chism Cove or Rocky Point to Garrett Island. LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Tow Area GPS: N 30 52.398, W 98 27.624 (30.8733, -98.4604)

SPECIES: Striped Bass, Hybrids and White Bass BEST BAITS: Live bait, jigs, slabs CONTACT: Ken Milam 325-379-2051 kmilam@verizon.net www.striperfever.com.com TIPS: Stripers, hybrids and white bass will be on the upper end of the lake towards Garret Island to Tow. Some top water action can be found this time of the year as well. Watch for the gulls! This time of year is a tricky one. Just put your time in and when you hit a pattern, stay on it!

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Canyon Park Point GPS: N 29 53.2559, W 98 13.638 (29.8876, -98.2273)

important to me. I like to go to bed at a decent hour get up rested and spend the first day of the new year on the water. I figure I have a better chance of the rest of the year going right compared to getting off on the wrong foot (hungover)! January is kinda a relaxing month to fish. Fishing is a little slower as a rule along with presentation. If you watch the water, usually, most everything is moving slower. So, to look natural, slow your baits down and enjoy. I hope everyone has a great new year! May your bites be big, and your fish be healthy!

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Hogies 4-in. Super Shad pearl/black back CONTACT: Capt. Steve Nixon, Fishhooks Adventures 210 573-1230 capt.steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com www.sanantoniofishingguides.com TIPS: Look for the striped bass to be shallow (20-40 feet). They will be suspending over the river channel and feeding on the point in this area. Fishing the Super Shad close to the bottom produces fish in this area. Tight lines and fish on!

LOCATION: Falcon Lake HOTSPOT: Dam Area GPS: N 26 33.648, W 99 9.738 (26.5608, -99.1623)

••

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Flukes, Senkos, deep diving crankbaits, Brown/Orange jigs CONTACT: Bassin Billy’s Guide Service and Lodging 281-928-1133 billy34@gmail.com www.lakefalconfishing.com TIPS: Rocks are holding fish. Approach them with a Texas rig or Carolina rig and fish very slowly. When throwing the crankbait make sure you are digging into the rocks and pause often. The fish should be moving to the back of creeks by now in preparation of the spawn.

•••

Start the New Year Out Right on Coleto

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: River Channel GPS: N 29 53.49, W 98 17.778 (29.8915, -98.2963)

by Dustin Warncke

• • • SPOTLIGHT • • •

J A N U A R Y

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LOCATION: Coleto Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 28 45.5939, W 97 10.104 (28.7599, -97.1684)

SPECIES: Striped Bass, White Bass & Crappie BEST BAITS: Luhr-Jensen Radar 10, jigging spoon in chrome blue or chartreuse CONTACT: Capt. Steve Nixon, Fishhooks Adventures (210-573-1230 steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com www.sanantoniofishingguides.com TIPS: Troll the Luhr-Jensen Radar 10 in the main river channel around the mouth of the lake until you locate the fish and then fish the area of the river where you find them with a 1 oz. jigging spoon. This is one of my favorite times of year on Canyon Lake, on any cast you may catch a white bass, striped bass, largemouth bass, crappie or even catfish.

•••

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Zoom pearl white or watermelon Fluke using a 4/0 worm hook, rigged weedless CONTACT: Rocky’s Guide Service 361-960-0566 TIPS: Starting the new year out right has always been |

T E X A S

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12/18/19 12:45 PM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK JANUARY 2020

Tides and Prime Times

USING THE PRIME TIMES CALENDAR

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

T12

T3 T2 T1

T11

T10 T9

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

T8 T6 T17

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

T15 T16

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY data is provided to indicate major and minor feeding periods for each day, as the daily phases of the moon have varying degrees of inﬂuence on many wildlife species.

T13 T7

TIDE PREDICTIONS are shown in graph form, with High and Low tide predictions in text immediately below.

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

Best Day Overall

MOON PHASES

l = New Moon l = Full Moon = First Quarter º » = Last Quarter «= Good Day by Moon Phase T E X A S

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12/18/19 12:45 PM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MONDAY

Low Tide: 12:40p High Tide: 9:06p

TUESDAY

Dec 31

-0.34ft. 1.01ft.

Low Tide: 1:18p High Tide: 9:38p

WEDNESDAY

Jan 1

-0.16ft. 0.92ft.

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

FEET

5:25a 6:30a 2:00p 9:59p

THURSDAY

2º

0.64 ft. 0.64 ft. 0.04 ft. 0.87 ft.

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

5:17a 9:07a 2:38p 10:16p

FRIDAY

0.47 ft. 0.55 ft. 0.24 ft. 0.83 ft.

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

5:33a 11:12a 3:21p 10:30p

SATURDAY

0.29 ft. 0.57 ft. 0.44 ft. 0.81 ft.

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

5:54a 12:57p 4:19p 10:39p

SUNDAY

0.10 ft. 0.68 ft. 0.61 ft. 0.81 ft.

Low Tide High Tide Low Tide High Tide

6:20a 2:17p 5:47p 10:41p

-0.09 ft. 0.81 ft. 0.76 ft. 0.83 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

8:30 — 10:30 AM Sunrise: 7:12a Sunset: 5:29p Moonrise: 10:36a Moon Set: 9:50p

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

9:00 — 11:00 AM

4:30 — 6:30 PM

MONDAY

-0.19 ft. 1.26 ft.

Low Tide: 5:57a High Tide: 3:40p

8«

Low Tide: 6:35a High Tide: 4:22p

12p

12a

BEST TIME

12p

12a

BEST TIME

12:00 — 2:00 AM

12a

Sunrise: 7:13a Sunset: 5:33p Moonrise: 1:43p Moon Set: 2:12a

AM Minor: ----AM Major: 6:03a PM Minor: 12:14p PM Major: 6:24p

Moon Overhead: 6:57p Moon Underfoot: 6:36a

7:30 — 9:30 PM

Sunrise: 7:13a Sunset: 5:32p Moonrise: 1:11p Moon Set: 1:19a

AM Minor: 11:34a AM Major: 5:24a PM Minor: 11:54p PM Major: 5:44p

12p

BEST TIME

6:30 — 8:30 PM

Sunrise: 7:13a Sunset: 5:31p Moonrise: 12:40p Moon Set: 12:27a

Moon Overhead: 6:16p Moon Underfoot: 5:56a

AM Minor: 12:31a AM Major: 6:42a PM Minor: 12:53p PM Major: 7:04p

Moon Overhead: 7:38p Moon Underfoot: 7:17a

Moon Overhead: 8:23p Moon Underfoot: 8:00a

MOON PHASES

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

-0.45 ft. 1.38 ft.

12a

AM Minor: 10:53a AM Major: 4:43a PM Minor: 11:13p PM Major: 5:03p

Moon Overhead: 5:36 Moon Underfoot: 5:15a

TUESDAY

5:00 — 7:00 PM

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

READING THE GRAPH

12p

Sunrise: 7:12a Sunset: 5:31p Moonrise: 12:11p Moon Set: None

AM Minor: 10:10a AM Major: 4:00a PM Minor: 10:31p PM Major: 4:20p

Moon Overhead: 4:54p Moon Underfoot: 4:33a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:12a Sunset: 5:30p Moonrise: 11:41a Moon Set: 11:35p

AM Minor: 9:24a AM Major: 3:13a PM Minor: 9:45p PM Major: 3:34p

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

Low Tide: 5:23a High Tide: 3:01p

Sunrise: 7:12a Sunset: 5:29p Moonrise: 11:10a Moon Set: 10:43p

AM Minor: 8:34a AM Major: 2:22a PM Minor: 8:57p PM Major: 2:45p

12p

BEST TIME

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

9«

-0.67 ft. 1.48 ft.

Low Tide: 7:17a High Tide: 5:07p

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

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

10 l

-0.85 ft. 1.57 ft.

Low Tide: 8:01a High Tide: 5:52p

SATURDAY

11 «

-0.96 ft. 1.62 ft.

Low Tide: 8:47a High Tide: 6:35p

SUNDAY

12 «

-0.98 ft. 1.63 ft.

Low Tide: 9:35a High Tide: 7:11p

-0.90 ft. 1.57 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

8:00 — 10:00 PM Sunrise: 7:13a Sunset: 5:34p Moonrise: 2:20p Moon Set: 3:08a

AM Minor: 1:11a AM Major: 7:23a PM Minor: 1:34p PM Major: 7:46p Moon Overhead: 9:10p Moon Underfoot: 8:46a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

5:00 — 7:00 PM Sunrise: 7:13a Sunset: 5:34p Moonrise: 3:01p Moon Set: 4:07a

AM Minor: 1:53a AM Major: 8:06a PM Minor: 2:18p PM Major: 8:31p Moon Overhead: 10:02p Moon Underfoot: 9:36a

J A N U A R Y

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2 0 2 0

12p

12a

BEST TIME

AM Minor: 2:39a AM Major: 8:52a PM Minor: 3:06p PM Major: 9:20p

12a

4:30 — 6:30 AM

AM Minor: 3:30a AM Major: 9:44a PM Minor: 3:58p PM Major: 10:13p

T E X A S

Moon Overhead: 11:55p Moon Underfoot: 11:26a

F I S H

12p

12a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:13a Sunset: 5:36p Moonrise: 4:43p Moon Set: 6:08a

Moon Overhead: 10:57p Moon Underfoot: 10:29a

12p

BEST TIME

4:00 — 6:00 AM Sunrise: 7:13a Sunset: 5:35p Moonrise: 3:49p Moon Set: 5:07a

5:00 — 7:00 AM Sunrise: 7:13a Sunset: 5:37p Moonrise: 5:43p Moon Set: 7:07a

AM Minor: 4:25a AM Major: 10:40a PM Minor: 4:55p PM Major: 11:10p Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 12:25p

12p

12a

BEST TIME

5:30 — 7:30 AM Sunrise: 7:13a Sunset: 5:37p Moonrise: 6:48p Moon Set: 8:03a

AM Minor: 5:25a AM Major: 11:40a PM Minor: 5:55p PM Major: ----Moon Overhead: 12:55a Moon Underfoot: 1:24p

12p

12a

BEST TIME

6:00 — 8:00 AM Sunrise: 7:13a Sunset: 5:38p Moonrise: 7:56p Moon Set: 8:54a

AM Minor: 6:27a AM Major: 12:13a PM Minor: 6:56p PM Major: 12:42p Moon Overhead: 1:54a Moon Underfoot: 2:23p

G A M E ®

12/18/19 12:45 PM

JANUARY 2020

Tides and Prime Times MONDAY

Low Tide: 10:23a High Tide: 7:36p

-0.72 ft. 1.45 ft.

TUESDAY

Low Tide: 11:12a High Tide: 7:48p

WEDNESDAY

-0.44 ft. 1.29 ft.

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

FEET

2:04a 3:29a 12:02p 7:50p

THURSDAY

0.91 ft. 0.91 ft. -0.10 ft. 1.12 ft.

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

2:09a 6:35a 12:56p 7:45p

FRIDAY

17 »

0.58 ft. 0.76 ft. 0.28 ft. 1.00 ft.

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

2:46a 9:38a 1:59p 7:30p

SATURDAY

0.21 ft. 0.79 ft. 0.64 ft. 0.95 ft.

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

3:30a 12:24p 3:48p 6:55p

SUNDAY

-0.17 ft. 0.99 ft. 0.94 ft. 0.98 ft.

Low Tide: 4:19a High Tide: 2:05p

-0.50 ft. 1.21 ft. FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

7:00 — 9:00 AM Sunrise: 7:13a Sunset: 5:39p Moonrise: 9:03p Moon Set: 9:41a

AM Minor: 7:30a AM Major: 1:16a PM Minor: 7:58p PM Major: 1:44p

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

8:00 — 10:00 AM

3:30 — 5:30 AM

MONDAY -0.76 ft. 1.35 ft.

Low Tide: 6:00a High Tide: 3:59p

Low Tide: 6:51a High Tide: 4:47p

12p

12a

BEST TIME

12p

12a

BEST TIME

5:00 — 7:00 AM

12a

Sunrise: 7:13a Sunset: 5:44p Moonrise: 2:23a Moon Set: 1:32p

AM Minor: ----AM Major: 5:52a PM Minor: 12:05p PM Major: 6:18p

Moon Overhead: 6:18a Moon Underfoot: 6:43p

1:00 — 3:00 AM

Sunrise: 7:13a Sunset: 5:43p Moonrise: 1:20a Moon Set: 12:51p

AM Minor: 11:16a AM Major: 5:04a PM Minor: 11:41p PM Major: 5:29p

12p

BEST TIME

12:00 — 2:00 AM

Sunrise: 7:13a Sunset: 5:42p Moonrise: 12:17a Moon Set: 12:14p

Moon Overhead: 5:29a Moon Underfoot: 5:54p

AM Minor: 12:27a AM Major: 6:40a PM Minor: 12:53p PM Major: 7:06p

Moon Overhead: 7:08a Moon Underfoot: 7:34p

Moon Overhead: 8:00a Moon Underfoot: 8:26p

MOON PHASES

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

-0.92 ft. 1.42 ft.

12a

AM Minor: 10:25a AM Major: 4:12a PM Minor: 10:50p PM Major: 4:37p

Moon Overhead: 4:39a Moon Underfoot: 5:04p

TUESDAY

Sunrise: 7:13a Sunset: 5:41p Moonrise: None Moon Set: 11:37a

AM Minor: 9:30a AM Major: 3:17a PM Minor: 9:55p PM Major: 3:43p

Moon Overhead: 3:46a Moon Underfoot: 4:13p

12p

4:30 — 6:30 AM

Sunrise: 7:13a Sunset: 5:41p Moonrise: 11:14p Moon Set: 11:01a

AM Minor: 8:31a AM Major: 2:18a PM Minor: 8:58p PM Major: 2:45p

BEST TIME

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

READING THE GRAPH

Low Tide: 5:09a High Tide: 3:08p

Sunrise: 7:13a Sunset: 5:40p Moonrise: 10:09p Moon Set: 10:22a

Moon Overhead: 2:51a Moon Underfoot: 3:19p

12p

BEST TIME

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

23 «

-0.98 ft. 1.43 ft.

Low Tide: 7:40a High Tide: 5:31p

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

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

24 «

-0.95 ft. 1.41 ft.

Low Tide: 8:26a High Tide: 6:10p

SATURDAY

25 l

-0.85 ft. 1.36 ft.

Low Tide: 9:09a High Tide: 6:43p

SUNDAY

26 «

-0.70 ft. 1.31 ft.

Low Tide: 9:48a High Tide: 7:06p

-0.50 ft. 1.24 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

2:00 — 4:00 AM Sunrise: 7:12a Sunset: 5:45p Moonrise: 3:25a Moon Set: 2:16p

AM Minor: 1:13a AM Major: 7:27a PM Minor: 1:40p PM Major: 7:53p Moon Overhead: 8:52a Moon Underfoot: 9:19p

12p

12a

BEST TIME

3:00 — 5:00 AM Sunrise: 7:12a Sunset: 5:46p Moonrise: 4:27a Moon Set: 3:04p

AM Minor: 2:01a AM Major: 8:14a PM Minor: 2:28p PM Major: 8:41p Moon Overhead: 9:46a Moon Underfoot: 10:13p

12p

4:00 — 6:00 AM Sunrise: 7:12a Sunset: 5:47p Moonrise: 5:25a Moon Set: 3:55p

AM Minor: 2:50a AM Major: 9:03a PM Minor: 3:17p PM Major: 9:30p Moon Overhead: 10:41a Moon Underfoot: 11:08p

T E X A S

TexasOutdoorNation-2001-DIG.indd 63

12a

BEST TIME

12p

12a

BEST TIME

4:30 — 6:30 AM

AM Minor: 3:40a AM Major: 9:53a PM Minor: 4:07p PM Major: 10:20p Moon Overhead: 11:34a Moon Underfoot: None

12p

12a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:12a Sunset: 5:48p Moonrise: 6:20a Moon Set: 4:50p

F I S H

5:00 — 7:00 AM Sunrise: 7:11a Sunset: 5:48p Moonrise: 7:09a Moon Set: 5:47p

AM Minor: 4:31a AM Major: 10:44a PM Minor: 4:57p PM Major: 11:10p Moon Overhead: 12:27p Moon Underfoot: 12:01a

G A M E ®

12p

12a

BEST TIME

5:30 — 7:30 AM Sunrise: 7:11a Sunset: 5:49p Moonrise: 7:54a Moon Set: 6:44p

12a

6:00 — 8:00 AM Sunrise: 7:10a Sunset: 5:50p Moonrise: 8:33a Moon Set: 7:40p

AM Minor: 5:22a AM Major: 11:06a PM Minor: 5:47p PM Major: -----

AM Minor: 6:14a AM Major: 12:02a PM Minor: 6:37p PM Major: 12:25p

Moon Overhead: 1:17p Moon Underfoot: 12:52a J A N U A R Y

12p

BEST TIME

Moon Overhead: 2:04p Moon Underfoot: 1:41a

2 0 2 0

12/18/19 12:45 PM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MONDAY

27 «

Low Tide: 10:24a High Tide: 7:18p

-0.28 ft. 1.16 ft.

FEET

TUESDAY

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

12:40a 1:28a 10:57a 7:19p

1.00 ft. 1.00 ft. -0.05 ft. 1.07 ft.

WEDNESDAY

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

12:45a 3:19a 11:27a 7:10p

0.86 ft. 0.89 ft. 0.18 ft. 0.98 ft.

THURSDAY

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

1:11a 5:12a 11:55a 6:56p

FRIDAY

0.68 ft. 0.77 ft. 0.39 ft. 0.92 ft.

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

1:43a 7:36a 12:23p 6:35p

SATURDAY

Feb 1

0.48 ft. 0.71 ft. 0.59 ft. 0.88 ft.

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

2:19a 10:52a 12:49p 6:05p

SUNDAY

2º

0.25 ft. 0.77 ft. 0.76 ft. 0.87 ft.

Low Tide: 3:00a High Tide: 1:32p

0.02 ft. 0.93 ft. FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

7:00 — 9:00 AM Sunrise: 7:10a Sunset: 5:51p Moonrise: 9:09a Moon Set: 8:34p

AM Minor: 7:04a AM Major: 12:53a PM Minor: 7:26p PM Major: 1:15p

12a

12p

8:00 — 10:00 AM

AM Minor: 7:52a AM Major: 1:42a PM Minor: 8:13p PM Major: 2:03p

-0.22 ft. 1.08 ft.

3:00 — 5:00 AM

AM Minor: 8:39a AM Major: 2:29a PM Minor: 8:59p PM Major: 2:49p

Low Tide: 4:31a High Tide: 2:40p

-0.44 ft. 1.23 ft.

Low Tide: 5:21a High Tide: 3:21p

12a

-0.64 ft. 1.35 ft.

12p

12a

BEST TIME

5:00 — 7:00 AM

5:30 — 7:30 AM

12p

12a

12:00 — 2:00 AM

12a

1:00 — 3:00 AM Sunrise: 7:07a Sunset: 5:56p Moonrise: 12:15p Moon Set: 12:56a

AM Minor: 10:52a AM Major: 4:41a PM Minor: 11:13p PM Major: 5:02p

Moon Overhead: 5:33p Moon Underfoot: 5:13a

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:08a Sunset: 5:55p Moonrise: 11:41a Moon Set: 12:02a

AM Minor: 10:08a AM Major: 3:58a PM Minor: 10:29p PM Major: 4:18p

Moon Overhead: 4:52p Moon Underfoot: 4:32a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:08a Sunset: 5:55p Moonrise: 11:10a Moon Set: None

AM Minor: 9:24a AM Major: 3:14a PM Minor: 9:44p PM Major: 3:34p

AM Minor: 11:36a AM Major: 5:24a PM Minor: 11:58p PM Major: 5:47p

Moon Overhead: 6:16p Moon Underfoot: 5:54a

Moon Overhead: 7:01p Moon Underfoot: 6:38a

MOON PHASES

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

12p

Sunrise: 7:09a Sunset: 5:54p Moonrise: 10:41a Moon Set: 11:10p

Moon Overhead: 4:12p Moon Underfoot: 3:52a

TUESDAY

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:09a Sunset: 5:53p Moonrise: 10:11a Moon Set: 10:19p

Moon Overhead: 3:32p Moon Underfoot: 3:11a

MONDAY

12a

BEST TIME

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

READING THE GRAPH

Low Tide: 3:44a High Tide: 2:03p

Sunrise: 7:10a Sunset: 5:52p Moonrise: 9:41a Moon Set: 9:27p

Moon Overhead: 2:49p Moon Underfoot: 2:27a

12p

BEST TIME

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

Low Tide: 6:11a High Tide: 4:03p

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

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

7«

-0.80 ft. 1.45 ft.

Low Tide: 7:02a High Tide: 4:43p

SATURDAY

8«

-0.91 ft. 1.49 ft.

Low Tide: 7:52a High Tide: 5:18p

SUNDAY

-0.93 ft. 1.46 ft.

Low Tide: 8:42a High Tide: 5:45p Low Tide: 10:44p

-0.85 ft. 1.37 ft. 1.15 ft.

FEET

+3.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

2:00 — 4:00 AM Sunrise: 7:06a Sunset: 5:57p Moonrise: 12:53p Moon Set: 1:52a

AM Minor: ----AM Major: 6:08a PM Minor: 12:20p PM Major: 6:33p Moon Overhead: 7:49p Moon Underfoot: 7:24a

12p

BEST TIME

3:00 — 5:00 AM Sunrise: 7:06a Sunset: 5:58p Moonrise: 1:37p Moon Set: 2:50a

AM Minor: 12:41a AM Major: 6:54a PM Minor: 1:07p PM Major: 7:20p Moon Overhead: 8:42p Moon Underfoot: 8:15a

J A N U A R Y

TexasOutdoorNation-2001-DIG.indd 64

2 0 2 0

12a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

AM Minor: 1:28a AM Major: 7:42a PM Minor: 1:56p PM Major: 8:10p

12a

4:30 — 6:30 AM

12a

5:00 — 7:00 AM

AM Minor: 3:12a AM Major: 9:27a PM Minor: 3:42p PM Major: 9:57p

Moon Overhead: 10:37p Moon Underfoot: 10:07a

F I S H

12p

Sunrise: 7:04a Sunset: 6:01p Moonrise: 4:28p Moon Set: 5:48a

AM Minor: 2:18a AM Major: 8:33a PM Minor: 2:48p PM Major: 9:02p

T E X A S

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:05a Sunset: 6:00p Moonrise: 3:24p Moon Set: 4:50a

Moon Overhead: 9:38p Moon Underfoot: 9:09a

12p

BEST TIME

4:00 — 6:00 AM Sunrise: 7:05a Sunset: 5:59p Moonrise: 2:27p Moon Set: 3:50a

Moon Overhead: 11:37p Moon Underfoot: 11:07a

12p

12a

BEST TIME

5:30 — 7:30 AM Sunrise: 7:03a Sunset: 6:01p Moonrise: 5:35p Moon Set: 6:43a

AM Minor: 4:08a AM Major: 10:23a PM Minor: 4:38p PM Major: 10:53p Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 12:07p

12p

12a

BEST TIME

6:00 — 8:00 AM Sunrise: 7:02a Sunset: 6:02p Moonrise: 6:45p Moon Set: 7:32a

AM Minor: 5:07a AM Major: 11:21a PM Minor: 5:36p PM Major: 11:51p Moon Overhead: 12:37a Moon Underfoot: 1:06p

G A M E ®

12/18/19 12:45 PM

Outdoor DIRECTORY Guides & Outfitters

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2001 Outdoor Directory.indd 61

F I S H

G A M E Â®

J A N U A R Y

2 0 2 0

12/10/19 6:15 PM

SPECKLED TROUT Seadrift

REDFISH TWINS

Kingston Faldyn caught two speckled trout, on a double swim bait, while ﬁshing at his Uncle John’s place on Shoalwater Flats in Seadrift.

Christmas Bay Twins Lily and Matthew Perez both caught redfish on their first fishing trip with their Dad, David Perez, on Christmas Bay.

BASS Lake Naconiche Wade Allen caught this 11.22-pound at 9:45 p.m. at Lake Naconiche, using a Senko in 15 feet of water.

J A N U A R Y

2001-Reader Photos.indd 62

2 0 2 0

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

12/10/19 6:56 PM

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.

RAM Central Texas Ten-year-old Jackson Warncke made a great shot on this full curl ram while hunting at DB Hunting Ranch in Central Texas. It was Jackson’s ﬁrst archery harvest and second overall animal harvest after a successful hog hunt earlier in the year. Jackson used a Barnett reverse limb crossbow for a 20-yard shot.

SHEEPSHEAD Rockport Cameron Hood of Littleton, Colorado, caught this sheepshead on his first fishing trip to Rockport. He was with his uncle, Stephen Hudgins. Cameron says he will definitely be back!

WHITETAIL Missouri Jason Morton with the ﬁrst buck taken on his own place, in Clay County, Missouri. He was hunting with his daughter Charlotte, who turned seven on December 1. Jason used his CZ 557 American with Hornady 6.5 Creedmoor and Precision Hunter143 gr. ELD-X.

SHARK Caranahua Bay

BLACK DRUM West Matagorda Bay Fourteen-year-old Maddie Croix hooked this 42-inch black drum while ﬁshing for speckled trout in West Matagorda Bay last July 4th.

Cameron Labay, of Garwood, caught this shark—his ﬁrst—while ﬁshing with his uncle, Drew Kana on Carancahua Bay.

Galveston Wes Pyfer of Irving shows off one of the many gafftop catﬁsh that he caught while ﬁshing with family near the North Jetty in Galveston.

T E X A S

2001-Reader Photos.indd 63

GAFFTOP

F I S H

G A M E ®

J A N U A R Y

2 0 2 0

12/10/19 6:56 PM

Texas TASTED by BRYAN SLAVEN :: The Texas Gourmet

Venison Chili

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Swanson Chicken Broth 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Swanson Beef Broth 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Stewed Tomatoes

Add 1/2 tsp. light brown sugar. Use the following to season to taste: Salt Cayenne Pepper – for hot front taste

HERE ARE MANY WAYS TO cook venison. This chili recipe will warm you up on a cold winter day and makes for great football game day food as well. This is great the day you prepare it, but I think its twice as good the next day, it freezes well too.

Ingredients 2 lbs. “Chili Grind ” Beef Chuck Roast 1 lb. backstrap- cubed in 3/4 inch pieces, you can use top of round instead if so desired. BAG #1 4 tbsp. Chili Powder- (Dark Ancho, Its rich in flavor)*Substitution shown at bottom 3 cloves of garlic 1 medium white onion 1/2 tsp.-Black Pepper, 1/2 tsp.-Salt 1/2 tsp.-Cayenne Pepper 1 can (8 oz.) Hunts “No Salt Added” Tomato 1 Knorr Beef Bullion Cube 1 Tsp. Light Brown Sugar 1 Beer Bock Style]

For a milder flavor use 2 dried Ancho peppers and 1 dried New Mexico Red instead of the powder. Remove the stems and seeds, chop coarsely and boil for 15 to 20 minutes in 3/4 cup of water, then transfer all to your food processor and blend into a paste. Then add to recipe. BAG #2 3 TBSPNS Texas Gourmet’s Sweet Chipotle Season All 3 tbsp.-Cumin 2 tsp.-Garlic Powder 1/16th tsp.-cinnamon 1/2 tsp.-Oregano Leaf 2 Fresh Jalapeno- seeded and chopped OTHER INGREDIENTS: 68

J A N U A R Y

2001 Tasted Recipe.indd 64

2 0 2 0

Preparation Add “Room Temperature” meat to a hot cast iron skillet, brown it until it starts to make its own juice. Stir continuously; add both cans of broth, and Bag #1. Cook covered at a medium boil for 45 minutes. Uncover and stir every 10 minutes. Add water and beer as needed. Drink one or two for me. Add tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes and add Bag #2. Add 1 Beef bullion cube. |

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

White Pepper – for hot front taste Brown Sugar – for a sweeter taste Ready to eat – Better next day! Bon Appétit!

Email Bryan Slaven at bryan@thetexasgourmet.com

PHOTO: BRYAN SLAVEN

12/10/19 6:15 PM

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