Texas Fish & Game July/August 2024

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Periodical

and

PHOTO:

Keira Vanderlick,

with an

trophy trout. Photo by Capt. Kim Goulden.

TInside FISH GAME

:: by ROY & ARDIA NEVES TF&G Owners/Publishers

CCA and Fish & Game: A Decades-Long Partnership

WO INSTITUTIONS HAVE

been toiling in the trenches as advocates for Texas coastal anglers for more than forty years. One of them has been doing it as part of its for-pro t business plan. A er all, endorsing protection of the very eld its customers play on is the de nition of “good for business.”

e other has been doing it as a non-profit mission driven by volunteers and funded by seagrass-rooted donations and at least one stroke of fund-raising genius.

As the pro t-seeking side of these parallel e orts, Fish & Game recognized early on that a partnership with the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) made perfect sense.

CCA is the vocal, and phyiscal, power plant of coastal preservation in America—from sea to shining sea, with chapters in almost every state that has a saltwater coastline (even Alabama, with that li le toe-like appendage dipping into the Gulf between Mississippi and Flordia).

But CCA’s roots, proudly, are right here in Texas. e association was created in 1977 by a group of concerned anglers led by the late Walter Fondren, to take a lead role in what was known at the time as “ e Red sh Wars.”

Red sh and speckled trout in those days were being anihilated by ruthless commercial over shing in Texas Gulf waters. e Gulf Coast Conservation Association, or GCCA, as Fondren’s group called itself, got busy in a hurry. Within four years, commercial gill nets had been outlawed on the Texas Coast, and red drum and speckled trout had both been designated as game sh.

e rest, as they say, is history. e Gulf Coast Conservation Association grew rapidly from its initial success—adding one strong chapter a er another, as it spread out from its charter base in Houston, all down the coast and

then inland, to San Antonio, Austin and even the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. is early burst of growth was fueled by a steady ground game of local banquests, ra es and word-of-mouth campaigns.

In 1990, lightning struck in the form of an ambitious idea for a membership and fundraising event—a massive shing tournament. e tournament was christened the State of Texas Anglers Rodeo, or STAR. Its concept was so big—Big in two dimensions, Time and Space, stretching from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and encompassing the entire Texas Coast—that the Lone Star State was its only ing birthplace.

STAR was piloted from the start by Tournament Director Bill Kinney, who proved to be the perfect evangelist not only for this audacious event but for the CCA cause at large. Under Kinney’s dynamic and, some might say, genius-level guidance, STAR quickly became a Texas institution, a racting thousands and before long, tens of thousands, and then scores of thousands of entrants each year.

Not only was the scale of the contest big, its stakes were Texas-size as well. CCA’s expertise in stewardship of coastal species made it possible for STAR to incorporate a unique feature to the tournament: the release of tagged red sh to be caught as tickets to winning new truck and boat/motor/trailer packages. As reports came in year a er year of anglers catching one of these tagged reds without being entered in STAR, registration became as much a staple for many anglers as their annual Saltwater Stamp. Genius.

But that, and many other enticing adult competition features was only half the story.

With an eye toward CCA’s responsibility to the future of the resources under its watch, STAR also implemented youth divisions with scholarships as high as $50,000. With free or

nominal entry fees for kids to enter, this one feature probably introduced more young people to the wonders of saltwater shing than could ever be counted.

In the decades since its founding, CCA dropped the “G” from its name and took on oversight of coastal conservation not only along the entire United States Gulf Coast, but also the Atlantic and Paci c coasts as well, with state chapters in eighteen coastal states—and one landlocked one (Tennessee).

In our humble opinion, STAR was the main driver of this growth. Its mass appeal helped make possible all the achievements this now-national conservation giant has racked up in the post Red sh Wars era.

Hurricane Bill (Kinney), a true force of nature then and now—he is still running STAR—grabbed our a ention in 1995 and encouraged us to partner up. We jumped at the chance—instantly recognizing the marketing brilliance of the event and the importance of its underlying mission.

So here we are, almost 30 years later, still doing everything within our power to support and promote STAR. is year, we inaugurated a special E-newsle er, THE STAR REPORT, sent every other week during the tournament, to our 77,000 base of FISH & GAME REPORT subscribers. Chester Moore is editing each issue with articles to help anglers up their game as they compete in STAR—plus news and updates on current standings. If you aren’t signed up yet, go to FishGame.com/newsle er.

Kinney still has a steady hand on the STAR tiller, aided by a dedicated team that includes Peggy McMillan, Ryan Townes, Kevin Hickson, Lucy De Jesus, Lorri Hromas, Alaina Yepez, and the volunteers on the STAR Tournament Commi ee. ese people, the entire CCA sta , its local and national boardmembers and leadership, and the thousands of member volunteers, are doing God’s work every day—literally working to preserve some of the greatest riches ever endowed to humanity.

Fondren and the original Red sh Warriors would be proud.

Email Ardia at aneves@fishgame.com

Email Roy at rneves@fishgame.com

Scan to Hear Audio Version

A Perfect Shot

MY GRANDDAUGHTER, TAYLOR, her Uncle Bret, and I were in a tower stand in the Texas Hill Country when Taylor saw the buck through the spo ing scope. e deer was about 50 yards away, slipping into and back out of view behind a mesquite tree.

A er a bracing ride across the rocky terrain in an open UTV, ducking thorny branches that emerged suddenly out of the dusky darkness, and breathing rushing air crammed with an amalgam of autumn scents, we’d covered the half-mile to the deer stand more than an hour earlier.

Now, with a buck in range, Taylor pulled the gun’s hammer to full cock. Her expression was one of complete concentration on the deer, though her glance shi ed occasionally to some does nearby.

My son motioned for her to take the shot. But she hesitated, and the buck disappeared back behind the mesquite.

“It will move back into sight,” he whispered to her. His arm was under hers, trying to steady her aim. “When it does, remember to pull back on the trigger slowly, so that when the gun goes o , it will take you by surprise. And aim just above the heart.”

Head low to the ground, the buck soon reappeared. He stood broadside a few seconds, still at 50 yards, presenting a brief opportunity for a good shot. My son signaled for Taylor to take it. When she hesitated yet again and the buck once more moved out of sight, he sucked in his breath loudly, then let it back out.

“You missed a perfect shot,” he said. Taylor su ers from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and though she was loath to admit it, I knew her ngers ached from being too long on the trigger. Too, she still was worn out from our cross-country ight to Austin three days earlier, then a 50-mile-plus drive to a family-owned ranch where her uncle had given her a quick shooting lesson the day before on a makeshi range. It all had been a lot to digest for a 12-year-old city girl whose only hunting experience had been to take a hunter education course back in her home state.

u LETTERS to the EDITOR

:: by TF&G READERS

Minutes passed. Taylor’s anxiety mounted. Mine did, too. I knew how important ge ing a decent buck was to her. I also knew what she was likely thinking: Have I missed my one chance at ge ing a buck? Will it return? If it does, can I hit it? If I do hit it, can I put the bullet exactly where Uncle Bret told me to?

Trying to shake o my own growing nervousness, I turned my head and stared out the small window at the San Saba River owing by. Why did Taylor suddenly decide to take up deer hunting in the rst place? I wondered. To prove to her uncle (who intimidates her slightly, though he doesn’t mean to) and her same-age Texas girl cousin, who grew up hunting, that she could bag a deer?

Taylor and Bret were scanning for the buck again. All was quiet except for the so creaking of a tree limb rubbing against our stand.

When the buck at last stepped back into view, Taylor’s body coiled taut like that of a ra lesnake preparing to strike. She aimed the gun, her thumb on the hammer and her fore nger near the trigger. When the shot came, I jerked with surprise.

“It went straight down!” Bret yelled in disbelief.

I didn’t understand. e shot had gone straight down? Had it hit the ground? How could that be? During practice the day before, she’d hit the target time and again at 75 yards.

But there was a grin as wide as the San Saba itself on Taylor’s face. And she and her uncle were high- ving.

“Way to go!” he yelled. “You dropped it dead in its tracks!”

I couldn’t tell who was more excited, Taylor or my son. en she was out of the tree stand, backing down the ladder so fast I was afraid she might fall. But she made it down without a problem. And then, once on the ground, she ran ahead, stopping every few feet or so to click her heels and raise her arms in victory.

My son eld dressed the deer as Taylor, wearing the traditional smear of blood across her forehead, excitedly posted on social media a photo of herself next to her prize. It was the happiest I’d seen her since we’d arrived at the ranch.

Barbara Weddle

Thumbs Up for The Fish & Game Report

IT’S GREAT TO OPEN THE WEEKLY newsle ers and see such diversity in stories. I hunt and sh so it’s nice to see something on red sh on the same day as a story on hog hunting. You guys do a great job in keeping it interesting. ank you.

John Muraco

Editor: anks for the good words! We do our best to keep e Fish & Game Report esh and packed with a variety of interesting and informative topics. Our challenge, years ago, in choosing the format of our hunting AND shing coverage as a periodical print publication was that it put limits on the timeliness of our reporting. is E-Newsle er overcomes that challenge. If you’re not ge ing e Fish & Game Report in your inbox, visit our website, Fishgame.com and sign up.

Email Your Comments to editor@fishgame.com

:: by CHESTER MOORE, JR. TF&G Editor-in-Chief

Loving Laguna Madre

SEVEN TAILS.

Seven beautiful bronze tails with a dot in the middle.

at’s how many I counted before shooting a white shrimp-pa erned y their direction.

e rst cast got no response but on the second my rod immediately doubled over, and the ght was on.

at was the rst stop on the rst morning of a three-day y shing odyssey in Lower Laguna Madre out of beautiful South Padre Island, TX.

My friend Gray ornton invited me to join him, and his longtime guide friend Capt. Eric Glass and I could not resist.

Over the last ve years I have come to love y shing and spend a lot of time at home in Southeast Texas pursuing largemouth bass, bluegill, and crappie.

But I had never been on a proper saltwater y shing trip, which is kind of ironic. I live on the coast and have spent untold hours on the water seeking everything from red sh to ounder and even bone sh.

Just not with a y rod.

e red that hit was in the 22–23-inch class and fought like crazy. It was a surreal moment landing my rst-ever y red and soaking in the environment.

e huge sand dunes, seagrass ats and clear waters look more like Florida than Texas

EDITOR’S Notes

and allow an angler to easily escape from life’s daily burdens.

eries, and conservation.

ornton

have a lot on my plate with a ministry as well nice to be guys out shing.

ornton is President and CEO of the Wild Sheep Foundation and has a travel schedule and workload that’s quite intense. I have a lot on my plate with a ministry as well as a wildlife journalism career, so it was just nice to be guys out shing.

When ornton caught his rst red of the trip, Captain Eric Glass told us the remote area we were in can be good for nding tailing reds in the morning and it did not disappoint.

I immediately picked up on Glass’s reverence and knowledge of the habitat and the creatures of Laguna Madre.

“ is area here was covered with grass like you’ll see later in another area. Now it’s all black mangrove. e mangrove has really done well down here and even weathered the freeze of ’21 with minimal damage,” he said.

It was uncanny how he would say things like, “ ere will be a red sh on that tiny li le sand at there.’

And there would be a red sh on that tiny sand at.

Fishing conditions were challenging at some level the whole time due to high winds. e rst two days we saw lots of red sh along with tons of sheepshead, black drum, and stingrays.

I will be the rst to tell you I’m a moderately skilled y sherman. My casting in the wind needs work and I’m sort of a bull in a China closet with the gear, but I somehow managed to catch sh anyway.

Fly shing has become a passion because it is a challenge, but mainly because in the sort of close-range, detailed pursuit of sh required by y gear, you learn so much.

Each trip is like a sheries biologist class of sorts, but it’s a whole lot more fun than si ing in a class listening to some professor.

It’s about matching the hatch, sometimes of the day and mimicking nature in a form that forces you to learn more about it.

And I learned a lot watching ornton sh. He put on a master class on day two, catching four reds and three trout.

I squeezed out one nice red and a small trout and was grateful for that.

But I was more grateful for being in this majestic area with two great guys talking about an appreciation for the ecosystem, sh-

Glass uses barbless hooks on all his trips and promotes catch-and-release. e kind of excitement we experienced catching reds on the y can only come in the great outdoors. ere is a deep love for wildness that rejuvenates a person when they encounter the creatures they grew up dreaming about.

And it lets you know that no ma er what kind of crazy thing is going on in the world or in your life, great things can still happen.

Our nal day was a test in endurance. e winds howled, tides were low, and the skies were dim, making shing tough.

ornton managed to catch a black drum at the end of day, which added some diversity to the trip’s bag. And although we both hooked into reds, they got the be er of us.

But that’s shing.

It only made me want to go back and give it another try to experience more y shing in Lower Laguna Madre.

e Mother Lagoon is a special, special place and it is worth every bit of admiration it receives.

As development engulfs the Texas Coast, we need to be mindful of how places like this impact our lives.

Red sh need a place to roam, and shermen need a place to pursue their passion.

Life is be er on the water, especially when there’s a raging red sh on the end of your line and good friends surrounding you.

Email Chester Moore at cmoore@fishgame.com

WThere is No ‘I’ in ‘Speckled Trout’

E’VE HAD SEVERAL months now to consider and reconsider, to hash and rehash the new speckled trout limits. To those of you who still consider the changes somehow unfair or ine ective or otherwise unsuitable to you—without consideration that their purpose is to rebuild and maintain this state’s trout population for the enjoyment of all licensed anglers—I say this: Come up with something be er, stop griping…or stop shing.

Having covered our state’s wildlife and sheries now for nearly 40 years, I’ve gained solid insight into the department that oversees both and how it functions on our behalf. Additionally, I have friends who are closely tied to shing and our sheries, on professional levels, and they routinely help me ll in the blanks.

ree sh daily within a 15-inch to 20-inch slot. at’s hardly unreasonable given all the alternatives. And one of those three can be longer than 28 inches. ( ose are rare sh, nearly so infrequent that I’d expect to see each of them being ridden by leprechauns in scuba gear.)

In September, there will come implementation of a $3 tag you can “spend” if you really, really want to kill a second giant trout and the leprechaun on its back. Which is unnecessary in any way or for any purpose; those sh deserve more than to be tossed into an oven, and skin mounts went out with the Hula Hoop.

During discussion of these changes on my radio show (weekend mornings on SportsTalk790 in Houston or on iHeartRadio) one weekend in April or so, Capt. Sco Null responded by email to a caller who wasn’t pleased with the way the regulation change impacted “my” shing and “my” time on the water.

In his email, Null pointed out something quite telling about that statement.

PIKE on the Edge

ose who oppose the rules typically speak of short-term outcomes and the way they personally will be inconvenienced by the new regulation, Null wrote. e words “I” and “me” and “my” are li ered throughout the lyrics of their sad li le songs.

On the conservative side, among those who see this as an opportunity to rebuild the shery so that it is braced to rebound from freeze or spill deep into the future, to keep the resource capable of providing entertainment and an occasional meal for generations to come…those folks talk of how the new limit will bene t “us” and “them,” meaning all anglers in the present and the future.

Fishing regulations, like everything else in the world, change. And it’s we, every time, who force those changes. When more people move into—or out of —an area, pressure on natural resources ebbs or ows in parallel. If somehow I woke up tomorrow and there were only 100 people licensed to sh the entire Texas coast—I sure hope my name’s on the list—limits could go up. Way up.

But because the opposite is almost certain in a country and world so smi en with Texas, lawmakers are compelled to plan for signi cant future pressure on this treasured, spo ed resource.

If your blood is still boiling over the new limits, turn o the heat. Take a holiday from shing and, while you’re missing it, try to look at it through less sel sh eyes. Our wildlife and sheries, collectively, belong to all Texans. But not a one of those sh belongs exclusively to you or me or anyone else. I’ve caught plenty of

:: by DOUG PIKE

TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

sh and never seen one with a ta oo that read, “Property of Doug.” (But how cool would that be?)

I’ve been a Texas sherman for more than 60 years, and not once have I considered any hunting or shing rule change severe enough to make me leave the outdoors. I love fresh trout prepared just so, but unless a sh is of legal length and on death’s door from injury during the ght, it gets free and gentle passage back into the water. Short, long, middle of the slot, 30 inches or three feet. All the same. Back they go.

By the time every sh I catch comes to my hand, they’ve given me all I could ask. e strike. e ght. e splash of water in my face for having embarrassed them in front of all their sh friends. In giving me all that, they earn a chance to put a smile on someone else’s face. And I hope the next sherman is equally appreciative.

Rather than complain about change, be grateful we’ve still got enough sh to support a year-around season and that the new limit shines a strong, favorable light on the future of the state’s top saltwater game sh.

Editors Note: See a complete description of the new trout regulations on page 28 in the TF&G Sta Report “Speck Regs: How Will New Limits A ect Trout Fishing.”

Email Doug Pike at contactus@fishgame.com

ETTIES EMERGE AS PRIME SPOTS FOR REELING in sizable catches from modest vessels throughout the summer season.

Attracting a diverse array of inland and offshore species, these expansive granite structures mimic the allure of coral reefs. They harbor self-sustaining ecosystems, resembling the intricate food chains of natural reefs.

Within these aquatic realms, a hierarchy of species thrives, reminiscent of typical food chains.

Let’s start near the surface.

The upper reaches of jetties at times hold incredible numbers of speckled trout and the first thing anglers should be mindful of is water clarity.

At jetties, I have seen pockets of clear water produce fish when other areas seemed barren of specks. Sandy green water is good. Clear water is excellent but chocolate-colored water means you need to go somewhere else.

Savvy anglers should look for emerging slicks, the small round spots of fish oil spilled when trout feed on shad and other prey items. The smaller the slick the better because it means the fish are still nearby. Avoid fishing slicks around crab traps. Those usually come from the bait inside.

Shrimp jumping along the surface and birds are a more obvious sign although at the jetties birds usually lead to Spanish mackerel more than trout. Birds on the lake, usually trout, are reds. Birds in the surf or at the jetty area could be anything.

While shrimp are not a guarantee of trout, ribbonfish (cutlassfish) can be. If you see the smaller ribbonfish (six to 10 inches) fleeing from the water, there is a good chance trout are under them. Spanish mackerel will prey on these eel-like creatures as well but on almost every experience I have had, trout are the predator.

Scan to Hear Audio Version q

PHOTOS: INSET: CHESTER MOORE; BACKGROUND, ADOBE

Capt. Derek York put Faith Moore on her first-ever sheepshead at the Galveston Jetties.

Redfish rule the bottom layer of a jetty ecosystem, and big ones lie in wait around jetty boat cuts.

rowing some sort of eel imitation or a silver spoon is a good way to score on these specks. Remember, if you come across large ribbon sh jumping, it is likely not trout.

ey will actually leap from the water feeding on shad and other sh.

Sheepshead feed throughout the je y water column but most of their activity is in the mid to upper range. My favorite method for catching them is using a 1/4-ounce jighead rigged with a small piece of shrimp

and shed vertically over rock outcroppings at the je ies.

I use a braided line in the 20-pound test class. e low stretch line helps with hookset in the hard mouth since there is no stretch and it also aids with sensitivity.

e sheepshead’s bite can be so slight you actually have to watch the line because it can be virtually impossible to detect otherwise. A braided or fusion line can help overcome this, but it can still be tough at

times. Many times they thump a jig pre y hard but when they go stealth, few sh can pick a bait o of a hook quicker.

Fishing a live shrimp under a popping cork is also a great way to catch sheepshead along the rocks. When the water clears up, these sh can be line shy so use a uorocarbon leader under the cork for best results. Fluorocarbon is virtually invisible, and it also has low-stretch properties, which enhances its sensitivity.

Moving toward the bo om layer of the ecosystem, red sh rule.

And this is where my friend Bill Killian rules as well. I have never seen a person score on so many red sh at je ies even when conditions were terrible. Bill always catches big ones.

“ e boat cuts are a good place to start because during tidal movements you have a lot of bait sh moving through. e boats cuts in a je y system are the point with the most intense tidal ow because they are a small opening. You will get lots of shrimp, shad and crabs pushing through and the reds will move in and lie in wait.”

Killian said this is a great spot to throw

large lipless crankbaits like a Rat-L-Trap.

“You will need something large so it can get down deep below the current quickly. Just let it sink and rip it as fast as you can. If that doesn’t work you might try lowering it down and le ing it simply ow with the current,” he said.

Another great spot to nd bull reds at the je ies any time are the deep holes usually found around the southern tip of the rocks and back about 50 yards. ese spots are where the current wraps around the rocks and carves out large holes.

e reds in these areas tend to move through in small schools or hold over one piece of rock in large numbers.

And while reds ght hard, they have nothing on another je y monster—stingrays.

Stingrays come in two size categories at je ies: large and extra large. And the best places to start are the aforementioned boat cuts. e tidal ow can be incredibly strong in these spots, since a huge amount of water is trying to move through a small space in a short time.

Rays will lay on the edge of this ow to

Stingrays might have a face only a mother could love, but they fight hard and can be a fun part of jetty fishing.

mop up on the crabs and bait sh that move through. e same deep holes that reds love are also magnets to rays.

On stingray quests, I generally put out several lines with a slip egg weight and swivel, nished o with a wide gapped hook baited with cut mullet or croaker.

It is best to use a steel leader of at least three feet in length, as it will help to avoid ge ing broken o if the ray runs to the rocks.

Rays usually take the bait and run with it, especially if they are extra-large ones.

Je ies are great hunting grounds for anglers seeking big saltwater game. And if you are open to trying some of these strategies and patient enough to give them a chance to work you can score on true trophy-sized sh.

HE 2024 TOYOTA SHARELUNKER program was full speed ahead and produced an exceptional collection season for the fourth consecutive year.

Anglers contributed 19 Legacy Class ShareLunkers from seven different lakes throughout Texas. Three new water bodies recorded their first Legacy Class fish, but O.H. Ivie in west Texas was at the head of the class again this season with 12 entries.

“Thank you to everyone involved in making another great Toyota ShareLunker collection season,” said Natalie Goldstrohm, Toyota ShareLunker program coordinator. “We’re grateful that so many anglers caught their fish of a lifetime this season and then decided to share their ShareLunker to support a future full of bigger, better bass in Texas.”

O.H. Ivie generated seven consecutive Legacy Lunkers to close out the 2024 collection season. It has produced an unprecedented number of ShareLunkers during the last four seasons, accounting for the final ShareLunker of the 2020 collection season and then exploding for 12 Legacy Class Lunkers in 2021, 2022 and 2024. It proceeded to shatter the single-season collection record for that waterbody, with 15 ShareLunkers in 2023.

O.H. Ivie boasts 51 combined Legacy Lunkers and multiple Legend Class entries over the past four collections seasons.

Key highlights from the 2024 Toyota ShareLunker collection season:

• Seven reservoirs delivered Legacy Class Lunkers (Fort Phantom Hill, Inks Lake, J.B. Thomas, Naconiche, O.H. Ivie, Sam Rayburn, Toledo Bend)

• Three new reservoirs with Legacy Class ShareLunkers (Fort Phantom Hill, Inks Lake, J.B. Thomas)

• Three new waterbody records (J.B. Thomas, Inks Lake, Fort Phantom Hill) and one new junior waterbody record (J.B. Thomas)

• Angler Kyle Hall’s ShareLunker 665 (15.82-pounds) made the Texas Top 50 as the 37th heaviest all-time Texas largemouth bass

• Angler Kyle Hall recorded a Legacy Lunker in three consecutive seasons

• Six out-of-state anglers etched their name into the program’s record book. The anglers hailed from Kansas, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma and Washington.

Scan to Hear Audio Version q

• Angler Larry R. Walker reeled in two Legacy Class Lunkers in 2024 TPWD biologists implemented a genetic analysis of this year’s Legacy Lunkers and made some incredible discoveries. For example, they determined ShareLunker 666, reeled in by Larry R. Walker from O.H. Ivie, was a recapture of ShareLunker 646 originally caught by Mechelda Criswell on Feb. 27, 2023.

A 13.20-pound fish from Lake Athens proved to be the offspring of ShareLunker 552 which was caught by Randall E. Claybourne on Jan. 12, 2014 at Lake Fork. This is the first time a Legacy Class descendant from this specific family tree was discovered in the ShareLunker program.

Of the 19 Legacy Class ShareLunkers, 13 of the fish had secondary relationships to either previous Legacy Class fish or other ShareLunkers that anglers submitted scale samples for genetic analyses. Tissues from a pair of full siblings from Oak Creek were submitted by Criswell through the ShareLunker app. One of these fish was caught in 2023 and the other in 2024. All of these findings highlight the valued partner-

ship that the ShareLunker program facilitates with anglers throughout the world.

Unfortunately, one of this year’s 19 Legacy Class fish, the 13.42-pound ShareLunker 662 from Inks Lake, perished due to extenuating circumstances. However, in the last five years, the program has achieved an excellent overall fish survival success rate of 94 percent. The last time a Legacy Lunker perished in TPWD care was more than three years ago, in 2021.

“The TPWD hatchery teams work diligently to provide the absolute best fish healthcare for each and every ShareLunker bass,” said Goldstrohm. “We continue to learn from these experiences and further refine big bass healthcare and life supporting treatments.”

Anglers who caught and loaned one of these 13-plus pound lunkers earn Legacy Class status, receive a catch kit filled with merchandise, a 13 lb.+ Legacy decal for their vehicle or boat, VIP access to the Toyota ShareLunker Annual Awards event, a high-quality replica mount of their fish from Lake Fork Taxidermy, and Bass University will provide a swag pack and

annual subscription. These anglers also receive entries into two separate drawings – a Legacy Class Drawing and the year-end Grand Prize Drawing. Both drawings will award the winner a $5,000 Bass Pro Shops shopping spree.

While the Legacy class season has ended, the year-round Toyota ShareLunker program offers anglers three additional levels of participation for catching bass over eight pounds or 24 inches in Texas. Each of these levels still provide vital data to TPWD fisheries biologists, helping them to continue to create bigger, better bass in Texas.

Anglers who enter data for any lunker they catch greater than eight pounds or 24 inches during the 2024 calendar year also receive a catch kit, a decal for their vehicle or boat, a one-month subscription to Bass University and an entry into the year-end Grand Prize Drawing to win a $5,000 Bass Pro Shops shopping spree. ShareLunker entry classes include the Bass Pro Shops Lunker Class (8 lb.+), Strike King Elite Class (10 lb.+) and Lew’s Legend Class (13 lb.+).

Once a lunker is reeled in, anglers need

Will Forward-Facing Sonar Bring a New State Record?

FORWARD-FACING SONAR IS A REVOLUtionary tool that has been making waves in the fishing community in unprecedented fashion.

With forward-facing sonar, anglers can pinpoint the exact location of their target and make more accurate casts, increasing their chances of success.

The potential of forward-facing sonar to revolutionize fishing has already been demonstrated in some remarkable ways in light of the Sharelunker program. Take, for example,

to enter the catch data on the Toyota ShareLunker mobile app – available for free from the Apple App Store and Google Play – or on the Toyota ShareLunker online app at TexasSharelunker.com.

In addition to providing basic catch information, anglers have the option to

the case of O.H. Ivie, where the use of this technology led to the capture of a lake record bass that weighed 17.06 pounds.

This breakthrough has left many anglers wondering: could forward-facing sonar be the key to breaking long-standing records, such as Barry St. Clair’s legendary 18.18-pound Texas state record caught at Lake Fork in 1992?

On one hand, forward-facing sonar provides anglers with a level of preci-

send a DNA scale sample from their lunker bass to TPWD researchers for genetic analysis. Anglers who contribute a sample to the program in 2024 will receive a Lew’s baitcast reel valued at up to $200 while supplies last, with a limit of one reel per angler. Anglers who send in a genetic sample will

sion and accuracy that was previously unheard of.

On the other hand, fishing records are not just about technology; they are also about skill, knowledge, and experience. While forward-facing sonar may give anglers an advantage, it is ultimately up to the individual to use that advantage to its fullest potential.

Do you think forward-facing sonar will help produce the next state record bass? We would love to hear your comments. Email cmoore@fishgame.com.

also get a three-month subscription to Bass University. Instructions for submitting DNA samples are located on the Toyota ShareLunker website.

New Carcass

Disposal Rules

Plus... Venison-to-Human Transmission?

TF&G Staff Report

OFFICIALS WITH THE

National Deer Association

are urging caution about a report from the University of Texas Health Science Center published in the journal Neurology.

e article suggested chronic wasting disease (CWD) could have been transmi ed from deer to humans through the eating of venison.

“Caution and accuracy are critical when examining the question of CWD and human health. Until more information about this report becomes available, we urge deer hunters to consider this new report cautiously.”

“First, we emphasize: Nothing about this new report changes current knowledge or guidance on CWD in deer. e evidence remains strong that CWD in deer and elk is not causing disease among hunters who consume infected animals. Because scienti c certainty is not 100 percent, and prion diseases are still not fully understood, experts continue to recommend CWD testing of all deer harvested in known CWD areas and avoiding consumption of CWDpositive venison to minimize risk.”

NDA o cials reported the brief report focuses on a 72-year-old man who died in 2022 of Creutzfeldt-Jakob

Disease (CJD), a human disease that is similar to CWD in deer but never de nitively connected through causation. We aren’t told where he lived.

“ e man reportedly had a friend who also died “recently” of CJD. We are given scant details about any of this, but according to the report, both men had “…a history of consuming meat from a CWD-infected deer population.”

NDA o cials pointed out this is not the same as eating meat from a CWDinfected animal.

“Just because CWD is in the population does not mean the patient ate a sick deer. In many CWD zones, prevalence rates are low and the vast majority of deer are healthy. If either of these patients in fact consumed CWDpositive venison, the evidence for this is not presented or even hinted at in the paper.”

“CJD, which a ects about one in every 1 million Americans annually and is most common in people over age 55, is known to be sporadic and to appear in localized clusters. No previously investigated cluster has been found to have links to CWD in deer. In fact, experts have looked for pa erns or clusters among hunters in the oldest CWD zones without nding any. While the

odds of two acquaintances both having CJD are slim, it is not impossible. Just because it is unlikely does not prove a connection to CWD, especially with no supporting evidence for that conclusion other than circumstance.”

“Any assertion that CWD has spilled over into humans needs a full and comprehensive diagnostic investigation,” said Dr. Krysten Schuler, wildlife disease ecologist with the Cornell Wildlife Health Lab in a press release published by NDA.

“ e implications of such a nding would have huge implications for wildlife and the hunting community.”

You can read more about this issue at deerassociation.com

• • •

BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS story Texas Parks & Wildlife Department o cials will have likely made a decision on deer carcass disposal rules in relation to CWD.

According to TPWD currently, hunters who harvest deer within a Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)

zone must comply with carcass movement restrictions, which require quartering a hunter-harvested animal and leaving the most infectious parts of the animal (i.e., brain and spinal cord) within the zone.

“This approach helps mitigate the risk of CWD transmission. Current carcass movement restrictions, however, present an inconvenience for those hunters and landowners who have difficulty quartering or deboning deer and/or do not have access to a locker plant or deer processor within a zone. One proposed change would allow them the flexibility to travel to a processor and then have all unused carcass parts disposed of correctly.”

“For most hunters, this proposal does not change how they currently care for their deer after harvest, since many hunters take the carcass to a commercial processor who properly disposes unused parts for them,” said Blaise Korzekwa, TPWD White-tailed Deer Program Leader.

“Hunters that process deer at home should dispose of the unused parts in their commercial trash service. Hunters who prefer to quarter or debone their deer at the

property where it was harvested only need to leave the remaining parts at that location to follow this new proposed rule.”

TPWD asserts proper disposal of all potentially infectious material is critically important for reducing the risk of disease transmission. If CWD is not contained and managed, the implications of the disease for Texas and its multibillion-dollar ranching, hunting, wildlife management and real estate economies could be significant.

TPWD is proposing statewide carcass disposal measures only for unused carcass parts from native deer (i.e. white-tailed deer and mule deer) harvested in Texas that are being transported from the property of harvest. If carcass parts from native deer species are not being transported from the property of harvest, these carcass disposal rules would not apply.

Acceptable disposal options include:

• Directly or indirectly disposing of the remains at a landfill permitted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to receive such wastes,

• Burying the carcass at a depth of no less than three feet below the natural surface of the ground and covered with at least three feet of earthen material, or

• Returned to the property where the animal was harvested.

TPWD is also proposing to allow hunters to debone a carcass at the site of harvest provided proof of sex and tags are maintained until the hunter reaches the final destination. Meat from each deboned carcass must remain in whole muscle groups and maintained in a separate bag, package or container until reaching the final destination.

What are your thoughts on carcass disposal? Have you ever heard of an issue with law enforcement over deer carcass disposal? Email us at cmoore@fishgame.com with your thoughts.

Not Quite the Best Time of the Year

MANY PEOPLE WOULD

agree that the summer months are the best! I am not one of those people. No sir! And I am not alone. Hunters would agree the very best months of the year are October, November and even December. ose are the months when we once again nd ourselves in the elds and woods in search of our hunting prize.

Although sometimes it does happen, you cannot expect to simply walk in the woods, see your prey and shoot. To be pro cient in your sport, you need to prepare and that could take months. You will also have to prepare your wife to let her know you will have to spend hours away from home. I am sure she will understand….. I think she will anyway. Personally, I will admit I have started to slack o on some of my preparations. As I grow older, I convince myself that the months of practice are not necessary. However, it never fails that I will nd myself in line at the range waiting for my turn to sight my ri e in.

Here’s an idea. Why not go to the range now and avoid the crunch of hunters that wait until the last minute to make sure they are accurate. When I take my bow out, I can shoot up to 40 yards in my backyard and as long as I have permission from my neighbors, it is perfectly legal to practice in the city. Not so much with my ri e. For some unknown reason, I am pre y sure the neighbors might think I have nally gone over the edge, so to speak. Hey! I might be nuts, but I am not crazy! My wife would not agree with that statement. Hmmm, I digress.

I suggest grabbing your ri e, and really hone in on your target. A er a long season,

Bare Bones HUNTING

and moving your rearm from vehicle, home and repeating the process many times, your sights might be o . I remember once I dropped my ri e. It wasn’t far or that hard when it landed, but when I checked my sight, it still felt secure, and I was convinced that nothing had moved. Still, I thought it wise to shoot a few rounds just to make sure. To my surprise, I was o a ton!! A er a considerable amount of time and about 10 rounds or more, I nally started to hit the bullseye. e only good thing about that is the fact that I was alone in my practice. I did not have to worry about being intimidated by other sportsmen who are carefully watching me shoot! And that alone made me realize that July is the perfect month to sight in your ri e.

dropped my ri e. It wasn’t far or that hard it still felt secure, and I was convinced that to shoot a few rounds just to make sure. To :: by

Bows are a di erent animal all together. As I said earlier, I can shoot up to 40 yards right behind my house. ere was a time when I would have 3 or 4 bowhunting friends come over to practice with me. We would make a game out of it. Believe me, if you are not having fun doing whatever you are doing, you will not invest the time needed to be the best that you can be. at being said, we would get together and play what we called PIG. I have heard the same game called HORSE whatever. We would take turns being the shooter. e object of the game is if the designated shooter makes a shot, no ma er how crazy it was, the others would have to try to make the same shot. Sometimes it is not an easy thing to do. It might be on one knee, si ing on a log, or twisting your torso so you end up shooting behind yourself. However it is, it sure is fun! If any of the others miss the shot, then they must take the le er P and so on until they take the last le er G and are eliminated from the competition.

I have introduced many to the bowhunting sport. I was a master instructor for many years and when it came time to shoot some arrows, I would blow up a balloon and a ach it to the target. I was trying to make it fun for the young hunters and it really worked. Some

LOU MARULLO TF&G Hunting Editor

would miss the target completely. Others would concentrate, take a serious bead on the target, take their time, release the arrow and also miss the target! But every once in a while, you would hear the balloon break followed by a roar from the rest of the class. Fun times!

e movie “ e Patriot” had a line in it that I always remembered. “Aim small, miss small”. How true that is! e smaller your target, the more you will concentrate and make a good shot. I would tell my students that when they aim at an animal, do not aim at the whole animal. Instead aim at a hair on the animal. It is true you will be more procient that way. I would tell my students when you nally break that balloon at 25 yards, make the next balloon smaller and smaller and smaller until you are consistently hi ing your target and that target could be as small as a soda bo le top! I tell you; this really works, and you will be a much be er hunter for it.

Although all the broadhead companies out there will say their broadhead shoots exactly like a eld tip, don’t believe it. You may nd yours really does shoot like a eld tip, but you will nd many that do not. I strongly advise any bowhunters out there that a er they are pro cient with their equipment, they should take the time to shoot with the broadhead you are going to hunt with. You may have to make some minor adjustments with your sights.

July and August are good months to make sure everything is ready for your opening day. So, if you are not shing or doing some of the other fun things to do during those hot summer months, check your equipment and be prepared. u

Email Lou Marullo at ContactUs@fishgame.com

Scan to Hear Audio Version

ATE AUGUST IN THE Northern Wyoming mountains never reached more than seventy degrees. A cool afternoon found me in denim and knee-high muck boots, an interesting choice

of attire for wading through the Wood River, but I thought it better to be warm than frozen in sandals and shorts, and I had lost my hip-waders a long time ago in one of my many cross-country moves.

I stood on the bank of the river with my mentor, Fred, and a friend from the program, Heather, a woman of a differ-

ent generation than myself but friendly and enthusiastic about experiencing this process with me.

We had come to this moment after a series of clinics throughout the spring. First, we learned to tie flies in the front area of a local storefront, North Fork Anglers, with the clothing fixtures

pushed inward to accommodate our three rows.

Ten of us gathered around the white plastic folding tables that had been set up and watched as our instructors walked us through how to tie a “wooly bugger” from start to nish.

INSET ABOVE: Grayson Highfield with the first fish she caught on fly gear.

Scan to Hear Audio Version

A month later, we met again outside of the community library and were coached by our mentors on properly casting a line. We stood in the expanse of grass next to a local pond and practiced the repetitive motion until it felt natural, the sun shining as an a ernoon shower sprinkled overhead. is process was part of the First Fish on A Fly clinic through the First Hunt Foundation, Wyoming Chapter. It included an application process, from which ten individuals were selected out of thirty applications submi ed.

PHOTO COMPOSITE: TF&G; INSET, GRAYSON HIGHFIELD

I had moved to Wyoming only a few short months prior and was forcing myself through the beginning phases of a major transitional period; this was a new chapter, a journey I was embarking upon on my own while simultaneously mourning the end of a four-year relationship, nursing a potentially career-ending wound on my too-young heart-horse, building a new community of friends and starting a new career.

Somewhere along the trajectory of this journey, I decided to not only embrace these changes but pursue them. A lifelong vegetarian, I had nally decided to take a bold leap and immerse myself in a new adventure. Fishing and hunting were both skills I had long been intrigued by, and I made an ethical promise to myself that were I to begin eating meat again, I would learn to harvest it myself.

Fishing seemed like the less intimidating of these two endeavors, and so I found myself researching y shing courses between Wyoming and Montana for the spring and summer of 2023. As a semibroke horse mom making it on her own for the rst time in four years, expense was a factor, and when I stumbled across the First Hunt Foundation’s fully sponsored First Fish on A Fly course, I leapt at the opportunity and submi ed my application. at series of events is what ultimately led me to where I stood, denim soaked through to my thighs and muck boots sucking in river water with that familiar squelching sound as I carefully placed each step on the rocky bo om and waded my way across and upstream to a nice hole at which my mentor guaranteed we would nd trout.

Fred coached me calmly through the motions of properly casting my line, over and over in ceremonious repetition until I started to feel a sharp tug on my y as it oated through the water.

“When you feel the pressure, ick your rod up and create tension on that line,” he told me, and watched patiently as it took me several tries to get the movement right.

Patience and repetition a racted me to this discipline more than anything, and catching my rst sh was a lesson in both. When I ultimately jerked the line at exactly the right moment and felt the satisfactory tug of tension con rming that I had, in fact, succeeded in hooking my rst trout, Fred grabbed his net and talked me through reeling it in as he prepared himself to unhook

the sh and demonstrate how to properly hold and release it.

ese li le movements, I realized, were second nature to a seasoned sherman but strange territory to a woman unfamiliar with the cra of y shing. I was grateful to be privy to these intimacies, to revel in the artistry of the discipline, as I marveled at the colorfully speckled body of the Yellowstone Cu hroat that writhed between my ngers. Fred gently reminded me of the strength of my own two hands as I held this small life within them and coached me through its release back into the river from whence it

came as he ensured I supported it against the current until it regained the energy it needed to begin swimming again.

In as many small moments as it took for me to decide to learn to sh, apply to this program, tie my rst y, stand squarely in this river and reel in my rst trout, the creature had revitalized itself, thrust its tail from le to right and right to le , and disappeared once more into the camou age of the silted brown river rock and blue-gray rushing water.

Grayson Highfield getting practice with a fly rod.

TTexas TACTICAL

What Makes This AR Unique? It Folds in Half

HE FIRST THING I ASK

when I’m shown a new AR15 model is “what’s unique about it?”

With so many di erent models being so similar—a manufacturer needs to stand out and give the customer a reason to consider theirs over the thousands of other o erings available. FoldAR does that and it’s

FoldAR gives you. Removing a 16” barreled upper from a lower still measures over 24” which would be a bit more di cult to tuck away into a small bag and even slower to deploy.

FoldAR achieves this with their patented toolless interchangeable barrel system that not only allows you to deploy the FoldAR

revealed why in their name. Yes, the FoldAR folds in half. And I don’t mean a lazy fold such as a lame stock adapter. But rather, it folds at the front of the upper receiver, right where the barrel a aches, which then allows a usual overall length of 33” ri e fold into a much more compact 17” package.

Nay sayers are the rst to point out that one could simply remove an upper from a lower and compact it. Yes, this is true, but not to the level of concealment that a

into ring mode by locking into place with one movement of a lever, but it actually allows you to change barrels/gas systems and calibers by removing one takedown pin just like the ones on your upper and lower receivers.

At rst, I was skeptical, so I shot several hundred rounds through my sample in order to “break it in.” In the YouTube video you can hear the barrel and receiver croaking like a frog as the conical modi ed receiver that

:: by DUSTIN ELLERMANN TF&G Shooting Editor

accepts the barrel was reacting to the heat. Nevertheless, the ri e still shot sub 1MOA a er my miniature torture test. Every time I’ve pulled it out of my bag and test red it over the past several months the ri e has still been zeroed. In fact, when I used the same upper and installed a 9” 300BLK on my registered SBR lower (so I could keep it suppressed in the same small package as pictured) I was shocked to see that my 100 yard zero was the same as with my rst 5.56 NATO 16” barrel with the same mounted optic. Surely some of this was just chance, but I was still surprised.

Scan to Hear Audio Version

e 300BLK SBR package has become my go to ri e since it’s easy to pack with me all the time. A er a li le training I can deploy it from my backpack to shots red in 6 seconds. But quickdraw is not the point of the FoldAR. e point is to discreetly have a ri e with you. ink of more non-permissible environments where you want to be extra safe but can’t carry a ri e case. For me, it’s a ma er of safety the majority of the time, and yet a convenience when visiting the hunting grounds. Law enforcement, school resource o cers and private security personnel obviously are ordering these for duty too.

e FoldAR is available in 5.56 NATO, 300BLK, and 6.5 Grendel in several barrel lengths and con gurations. You can nd this Texas based company at FoldAR.com and save 10% with my special code “TopShot10.”

Email Dustin Ellermann at ContactUs@fishgame.com

A suppressed 9” 300 Blackout FoldAR upper in folded position fits nicely in this small backpack and deploys in just seconds from its compact package.

LAST MAY, I JOINED MY friend Gray Thornton and Capt. Eric Glass for three days of fly fishing for redfish in Lower Laguna Madre out of South Padre Island.

On the way back to the dock on day two, I looked to our west about 15 yards from the boat and saw a tailing fish.

It wasn’t a red.

And it wasn’t a trout or a drum or sheepshead.

“It’s a pompano,” I shouted.

Thornton said, “Yes, it is.”

Southern pompanos are not uncom-

mon in South Texas and are occasionally caught in Lower Laguna Madre.

But their close cousins permit are showing up more frequently on the Texas Coast in recent years.

Is it possible that we saw a permit, the most coveted flats fish on the planet on the flats out of South Padre Island?

We will never know but it was a point of conversation off and on for the rest of the trip.

Quite a few anglers think they’ve caught

a permit in Texas but are disappointed to find out it was a southern pompano (a close relative) or even a jack crevalle (similar shape and colors).

Christy Real caught and released the real deal while fishing the Texas City Dike in late March. The Galveston ecosystem has had several small permit caught in net samples over the last few years according to Texas Parks & Wildlife Department sources.

Permit are stunning flats species that get big and are part of the prestigious Flats Slam which includes bonefish and tarpon. Permit are said to be the moodiest of flats slam species and will often ignore the most perfectly placed lure or fly.

Jared Guinn caught the Texas state record in the Gulf of Mexico in 1993. It only weighed 1.50 pounds. I’ve heard anecdotal evidence of permit close to this

size caught in the Galveston Bay complex in recent years, from very informed anglers.

One of our TF&G contributors Capt. Brian Barerra’s young client, Rider Colvin, caught a permit in the South Padre area. It wasn’t a monster but in a very real way, it was the catch of a lifetime.

There is evidence that tropical species are increasing in Gulf waters due to warming trends. Are more permit showing up in Texas for this reason?

Have you ever caught a permit in Texas? Or maybe a bonefish?

If you have, send photos, videos and stories to cmoore@fishgame.com.

We will publish them in a future story.

I’ll never forget seeing that mysterious tailing fish in the flats out of South Padre Island. Whether it was a permit or pompano, it was still super cool and shows the Texas flats have impressive biodiversity.

RULE CHANGES TO bag and size limits for spo ed seatrout are now in e ect across the Texas coast. e new statewide changes consist of the following:

• ree sh daily bag limit per angler

• A minimum size of 15 inches and a maximum size limit of 20 inches

• One oversized trout greater than 30 inches allowed as part of daily bag limit

Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission adopted these changes at its January meeting to assist spo ed seatrout recovery a er several years of

below-average abundance.

e Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW) Commission approved a tag system for harvesting oversized specks. is new tag will allow anglers to harvest one oversized spo ed seatrout greater than 28 inches with the purchase of a saltwater shing license or endorsement. e rule also implements a $3 Bonus Spo ed Seatrout Tag and a $3 Exempt Angler Tag (for individuals who, by law, are exempted from license requirements), allowing the retention of one additional oversized spo ed seatrout per license year. e adjusted oversized spo ed seatrout length and the oversized tag system go into e ect September 1.

Anglers can continue to harvest one trout more than 30 inches per day as part of the daily bag until September 1.

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T5 Tips for Boosting Resale

HE COST OF A BOAT SEEMS spectacularly high these days, but truth be told, boat prices have never exactly been cheap. And in reality, few people “spend” the full cost of a new boat. We pay the money and then sometime down the road, be it in three years or 10 years, we sell the boat and recover most of what we initially spent. A $100,000 boat you sell for $75,000 ve years later didn’t cost you $100,000, it cost you $5,000 a year for ve years — which seems quite reasonable when one considers just how much fun, relaxation, and mental decompression a shing boat provides. ere’s one y in this economic ointment: how much you can sell that boat for a er years of use depends entirely upon how well you take care of it. You say you want to do everything necessary to maintain that boat’s value, and ensure that in the long run you “pay” as li le as possible? ese ve maintenance tips will help boost that boat’s resale.

1. Wax all gel coated surfaces every spring and every fall. Buying a boat is every bit as emotional as it is practical and how bright that boat gleams will have a direct impact on how much someone is willing to pay for it. Neglect waxing and the gel coat will oxidize, becoming dull and chalky. One coat a season isn’t enough to do the job, either. If you give it a thick coat (of paste wax, the most protective variety) every spring and every fall, however, it’ll be shiny for years to come.

2. Treat your outboard like royalty. is includes biannual waxing as with the gel coat, but along with that stick to the manufacturer’s scheduled maintenance regime like it were religion. Document all service and save that documentation in a folder, so when it comes time to sell the boat you can quickly and easily prove to a potential buyer that the engine has been cared for exactly as recommended.

Also be sure to give the engine a freshwater ush a er each and every saltwater use. Along with doing the scheduled maintenance on time

Texas BOATING

you

this is the most important thing you can do to extend the outboard’s lifespan and prevent deterioration from the inside out.

of mere looks, but looks count big in this case.

cover that will prevent UV rays from damaging

Finally, if you don’t already have a cover for that outboard, get one. Again, this is a ma er of mere looks, but looks count big in this case. Spend a few hundred bucks on a tight- ing cover that will prevent UV rays from damaging the cowl’s nish and it will more than pay for itself over the long run. Note: when shing in saltwater also be sure to give that cowl a thorough rinse and washdown with a micro ber mi —never with a scrub brush or other abrasive item that will dull the cowl’s nish over time—prior to pu ing the cover on.

3. Protect the cushions. Standard marine grade vinyl cushions have a limited lifespan, and in the harsh Texas sun will only last four or ve years if le unprotected. How you protect them depends on what type of boat you have and how they’re a xed. In some cases, you can pull them all o and stow them in the console or in your garage between uses. In other cases, you may need to keep individual cushions or the entire boat under a (well-ventilated) cover. Either way, do what it takes to protect the vinyl, or it will mildew, crack, and deteriorate.

In some cases, such as cushions in an elevated cobia tower, it may be virtually impossible to do this. Or, in your case it may simply be too late. If you nd yourself in this situation, consider having the cushions replaced before trying to sell your boat. It can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars depending on the situation, but nobody wants to buy a boat with ragged, ripped cushions. Potential buyers will build the cost of repairs into the number they’re willing to pay while also thinking that you didn’t properly maintain the boat. ey’ll wonder what else that they can’t see might be in bad shape. So, in the long run, this is an investment that’s well worth making before selling any boat.

4. Cover the boat in the o -season, and if possible, keep it covered whenever it’s not in use. Few things make a boat look drab and dirty as le ing it sit uncovered. And if you live in an area where freezing temperatures are a possibility water may pool up, freeze, and cause cracking in the berglass, especially around ings where the sealant has failed. A good cover or keeping the boat in a garage or pole barn will add years to its life as a good-looking boat—which means it will sell for more when you’re ready to move on.

:: by LENNY RUDOW TF&G Boating Editor

Warning: when it comes to covers remember that caution is warranted because some will do more harm than good. What we’re worried about here is the use of those regular cheap poly tarps. ese will keep the UV rays and rain or snow o a boat, but if they aren’t secured properly and the material shi s back and forth in the wind, the checkered-pa ern surface can actually wear away the gel coat on berglass or the nish on an outboard cowl. When using these it’s critical to make sure they don’t move in a breeze. Just in case there is some motion, also protect contact points like corners or the top of an outboard with an old sheet or towel.

5. Treat acrylics with care. Most boats have acrylic windshields, livewell lids, and other pieces-parts. And a er ve or six years these o en appear hazy or cloudy. Micro-scratches are the culprit, and most of them come from improper cleaning. Tiny bits of dirt, grime, and even salt crystals scratch the surface whenever you wipe down or rub against these acrylic parts. Always clean them gently with mild soapy water and a micro ber cloth, and only a er giving them a thorough rinse. And never hit them with a cleaner that contains ammonia, like Windex, or they’ll cloud up in no time.

Okay: now, are you ready to sell that boat for top dollar?

We hope not—at least, not unless you already have a new boat picked out or you’ll be stuck si ing on dry land for the foreseeable future. When you do sell it, however, having paid heed to these ve tips will help make sure you get top dollar.

u

Email Lenny Rudow at contactus@fishgame.com

T’S HARD TO IMAGINE THAT even though the temps are soaring outside, hunting season will begin shortly with dove kicking o Sept. 1 followed by teal season.

And there are always great shing opportunities in that late summer/early fall period. Here are a few tips to get you ready.

Get a teal call and learn to blow it

ere are two distinct sounds that a teal makes. One is a peep-peep type of whistle, and the other is a high pitched rapid quack. ere are calls on the market that mimic each sound. e whistle is easier to blow, but the quack is sometimes more e ective when blown properly. Time is running out so if you don’t have one of each, go shopping now!

Pack your mosquito spray and Thermacell

Both of these devices are imperative to have in the bag on a dove or teal hunt or shing trip for that ma er. Without them you will feel like you have been the victim of a vampire. e skeeters will suck every ounce of blood from your hot sweating body!

Legal stuff

As simple as it sounds, make sure you have your hunting and shing license and any other additional tags or permits you might need.

Will you be needing a federal duck stamp? What about an annual public hunting permit?

Make sure you have all of the above before you hit the eld and nd yourself in an uncomfortable position in a game warden check.

Heflin enjoys some time in the surf. Late summer is a great time to spend time in the surf seeking specks and other sportfish.

Fall’s Favorite Lures

Fall shing can be intense and we mean that in a good way. e action can be red hot with the best numeric catches of the year both in our bays and inland reservoirs.

If you have favorite lures or favorite color/pa ern lures, now is the time to stock up. Don’t wait until your favorite DOA shrimp color or Gulp Swimming Mullet is sold out. Get them now and stockpile them away so you will be ready when the action hits.

Check Your Waders

If you plan to pull out your waders from last season, go ahead and do it now. Sometimes mice decide to chew waders when they are stored in garages or storage buildings. ey may even make a nest in

Marcus

your boot. Other times, waders simply dry rot or tear. Either way, no one wants wet underwear after a hunt so be sure to do an inspection.

Separate Teal Decoys

Teal decoys are much lighter and easier to haul. Since you will be hunting only teal, it makes perfect sense to use teal decoys exclusively. If you need new ones, the good news is that teal are cheaper than the full size decoys.

Dove Decoys

Decoying is an overlooked aspect of dove hunting. We have lots of birds in Texas and many choose to find a good flyway and position themselves accordingly. Setting up decoys can be a great way to put birds in the shooting zone.

File A Field Plan

This can be as easy as telling a loved one where you are headed and when you

plan to return. Leaving this crucial information with someone on shore can help rescuers narrow down where to look if

you don’t return when scheduled. If time allows, you should always try to ll out a completed oat plan and update it as

changes occur. Every piece of information proves more helpful than you may think. On a boat, the easiest thing to have is

Teal season is just around the corner, so now is the time to practice your calling and organize your decoys.

a working marine-band VHF radio and a handheld GPS. is will easily allow you to call for help and give rescuers your

position if necessary. Cell phones don’t always receive reception in the areas you may be going on your boat – so be er to be prepared with extra equipment and not need it, than need it and not have it.

e Coast Guard always monitors VHF Channel 16 for distress.

Venturing into the woods on a hunting or camping trip has some similar guidelines. A great option is to get a transpon-

Make sure you have all proper licenses and permits going into hunting season.

der which links to a satellite and can send the GPS coordinate of your location to all emergency response units in your area by the push of a bu on.

Pick One Bird When Shooting

e most common mistake I see bird hunters make is not picking out

an individual bird. e temptation is to just throw up your gun and ock shoot. Remember if you aim at nothing. that’s probably what you will hit. Be patient and pick a single bird out of the ock before pulling the trigger.

PHOTOS: CHESTER MOORE, NFWS

First Major Lake in 30 Years Opens in N. Texas

W HEN BOIS D’ARC LAKE IN FANnin County o cially opened for use in April, Texas got its rst major reservoir in more than 30 years. But early results indicate anglers may have a budding new shing haven as well, thanks to a partnership formed between Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) and the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD).

“TPWD is incredibly grateful and appreciative of the collaborative partnership formed with NTMWD to develop Bois d’Arc Lake into a world-class shery for Texas anglers and our visitors,” said Tim Birdsong, Director of TPWD’s Inland Fisheries Division. “NTMWD proactively engaged TPWD sheries biologists, wildlife biologists, and game wardens in 2016 to identify shared goals and strategies for tim-

ber management, sh habitat development, sh stockings, boating access, watershed conservation, mitigation of streams and wetlands, enforcement of shing and hunting laws, and capacity for emergency response. Outcomes achieved over the past eight years are simply remarkable.”

TPWD began stocking sun sh and minnows in 2018, during the lake’s construction. e sh were placed in four large ponds preserved by NTMWD within the footprint of that lake.

Advanced size ShareLunker bass ngerlings arrived in the ponds in 2019, and when the lake began to hold water in 2021, stocking commenced in the reservoir’s main body, along with bluegill and channel cat sh.

“So far, 373,859 pure Florida Largemouth Bass have been stocked that are

NEWS of the OUTDOOR Nation

direct descendants of a 13-pound or larger bass,” said Dan Benne , Inland Fisheries Division Denison District Supervisor. “We are excited to see what sort of trophy bass can be produced from the combined productivity of a new lake and a new bass population originating from so many sh genetically selected for growth. We have already seen submissions of bass over eight pounds to the Toyota ShareLunker app.

A scale sample taken from one 9.05-pound bass should con rm if it originated from one of the original ShareLunker stockings by TPWD.”

TPWD also created gravel spawning beds and installed commercial shing habitat and PVC cubes around the lake. TPWD is in the process of raising a few hundred bu on bush and bald cypress trees to plant around the shoreline this summer. ese trees will provide additional habitat for the sh.

NTMWD consolidated cleared trees to build over 40 large brush piles in the main lake which are designed to furnish substantial sh habitat for many years. Anglers can target all of the installed habitat structures when casting a line in Bois d’Arc Lake by using TPWD’s sh habitat structure interactive map, which marks the locations.

Standing timber and aquatic vegetation, including American Pondweed and Coontail colonies that spread from ponds ooded by the lake, provide natural cover and habitat for sh.

“NTMWD did a good job compromising between providing substantial open water areas for pleasure boaters, yet still leaving about a third or more of the lake in standing timber with large boat lanes,” added Benne . “ at is going to provide excellent sh habitat for a long time.”

NTMWD developed three public access

Scan to Hear Audio Version

areas on the lake that feature boat launch ramps, day-use picnic areas and restrooms. For more information on the public access areas and Bois d ’Arc Lake, visit the o cial lake website.

Bois d ’Arc Lake is currently managed with a 16-inch maximum length limit for largemouth bass. It gives the largest bass in the new lake a greater chance to reach trophy size during the rst years the lake is open to shing. All other species are man-

aged with statewide regulations.

Anglers wishing to donate a bass over 13 lbs. to TPWD’s ShareLunker program are able to temporarily retain the bass in a livewell between Jan. 1 and March 31. Anglers who catch bass over eight pounds are encouraged to enter their catch to the ShareLunker app and submit a scale sample to TPWD for genetic testing.

TPWD sustains quality shing opportunities for 3.1 million freshwater anglers

on Texas’ 1,100 public lakes and 191,228 miles of streams, creeks and rivers. In 2022, anglers spent an estimated $11.1 billion on food, lodging, transportation and equipment while shing Texas freshwater and coastal waters, and shing supported an estimated 51,380 jobs in the state.

—TF&G Staff Report

Bois d’Arc Lake opened in April, with conservation capacity of 367,609 acre feet. As of June 5, 2024, the lake was reported 100% full.

Opportunity Knocks SABINE

Reported by CAPT. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

THE WAIT IS OVER. IT IS now o cially summer. Well, it actually has been o cially summer for a li le while but now it really feels like it. It is hot, period. I guess sometimes we should be careful what we wish for. e good news is that these two ho est months of the year bring with it an endless array of pre y water, techniques, destinations and opportunities. Just about every inshore species will be biting. e rod-bending action should be hot from the Neches and Sabine rivers to the Gulf of Mexico. If Sabine Lake itself is your destination, it shouldn’t be too di cult locating trout, reds and ounder. ere are several di erent paths which will lead you to the sh.

plastics or dragging curly tail grubbs, mud minnows or nger mullet in two to ve feet of water should all work well. A huge advantage of shing this side of the lake is the number of bayous and cuts you’ll encounter as you make your way down the shoreline. Fishing the mouths of these can be killer on trout, reds and ounder as the warm water and bait sh move in and out with the tide.

again. A good set of binoculars will de nitely come in handy here.

If you’re anything like me and can’t resist the temptation of the Gulf in the summer months, the action at the close rigs should be just as hot as the temperature. e legs of the rigs as well as other nearby unseen structure are like magnets for bait sh and predator sh alike. Serious numbers of solid trout are caught at the rigs every summer and it is at its peak during July and August. Brighter colors like glow and chartreuse are very good choices if you’re throwing so plastics. Most of the time you can get by with 1/4 oz lead heads but it’s a smart to bring some heavier ones in case the current is stronger than expected.

rowing the cast net a few times on your way to the rigs can be a good move on your part.

ere are some days when the sh will absolutely annihilate live bait such as shad, shrimp and nger mullet and not even sni at arti cials. Use a sh nder rig either with or without a cork and experiment di erent depths to determine where the sh are in the water column.

Do yourself a favor and come see what Sabine has to o er you this summer. Just make sure not to forget extra water and sweat towels.

CONTACT CAPT. HERNANDEZ: Email: GHGS.Eddie@gmail.com Online: GoldenHookGuide.com

For starters, the entire eastern side of the lake from East Pass to Blue Buck Point should keep you in the action.

Topwaters,

Another good option is to run the open bay in search of schooling trout and reds. Whether gulls and terns are giving up their coordinates or you simply nd shrimp skipping along the surface and sh blowing up the calm water, this is an action-packed way to spend a hot summer day. Spoons, ra letraps, plastics and just about anything else you can reach them with will get hit. e action is fast and furious while it lasts. It’s a good idea to sh that area a li le longer a er the sh go down, then continue running the lake slowly, watching the surface carefully for any sign of activity until you locate them

Beating the Heat GALVESTON

Reported by CAPT. DEREK YORK

EARLY MORNINGS AND LATE evenings may be the theme for a lot of us during July and August, with temps nearing triple digits each day, you almost hope to get some of those sea breeze summer showers while out shing just to survive this part of the summer.

With the recent trout regulation changes going to 3 sh per person and a 15-20 inch slot, anglers will potentially be able to chase more species this summer like red sh, black drum, sheepshead and ounder if the trout are biting good early. Most shermen will be targeting spo ed seatrout along the many reefs in our bay system and on the Galveston and Bolivar beachfronts.

When targeting seatrout, a lot of the same tactics for other species will work for you as well. So plastics, top waters, live bait such as shrimp under a popping cork and croaker shed on a Carolina style rig are all go-to techniques that have stood the test of time and produced year a er year. Finding bait along the beach and in the bay is key along with moving water. is will give you a good starting point and once you nd the sh, continue to cast or dri in the same area for best results. But be sure to always be quick on your drag when that bull red hits. We have boated a lot of bull red sh while dri ing on the reefs the last several years and they always catch people o guard when they hit!

A lot of my time is spent in the bay during the early part of the day in the summer, but I typically move out to the je ies later in the morning hoping to target some larger species near the pass or just o shore. Sharks, Jacks and numerous other pelagics show up in huge numbers o Galveston this time of the year. And on a good calm day, we will usually head o shore to look for weed lines and check the channel marker buoys and nearby platforms for cobia. Most people are surprised when we come across these unique sh on the surface, o en reaching over 60 pounds. And once hooked, you be er hold on for the ba le that is to follow. I typically have one or two larger 8000 size spinning reels rigged up with a uorocarbon leader in 60# test with a small circle hook on it to pitch a live bait at these sh. A er landing one, they make great table fare and are perhaps my favorite sh to make fresh ceviche out of! One thing to think about this summer is to make sure and pick up a

HOTSPOTLIGHT

COLORADO RIVER

AS IT EMPTIES INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO, THE COLORADO RIVER SEPARATES the Matagorda Bay complex into East and West. Selected HOTSPOTS and facilities are shown in the table below, and on the map above.

copy of the current Texas Lakes and Bays Fishing Atlas. You’ll have access to thousands of potential new shing spots and possibly learn where more boat ramps are in your area you may not be utilizing. With the increased pressure it seems we have every year, a new ramp to use may be the best thing yet!

CONTACT CAPT. YORK:

Email: SportStalkerFishing@sbcglobal.com

Online: FishGalvestonBayTX.com

Having a Good Day MATAGORDA

Reported by CAPT. MARK TALASEK

WHAT CONSTITUTES A good day on the water? Full limits? Trophy sh? e de nition can have di erent meanings for everyone. Any day on the water is a blessing. Taking in God’s creation helps recharge our human ba ery.

As a shing guide you have to communicate what your customers are looking for. Most people are looking for something to bend their pole. Some of my clients have shed with me for 30 years and have di erent expectations. A safe trip when nothing breaks is good for most. Some clients come to learn di erent techniques/bait/presentation/spots, etc. Full limits or a trophy entice others. Just being on the water satis es most. I have been shing Matagorda for 40 plus years. ings have de nitely changed.

UPPER COAST HOTSPOTS

TIPS: Live shrimp, flounder jigs, best with moving tides; dawn through morning, dusk and night Scan to

LOCATION: Christmas/Bastrop Bay

HOTSPOT: Bastrop Bay Shell

GPS: N 29 6.033, W 95 10.271 (29.1006, -95.1712)

Limits, estuary, population ( sh and human). ere are not as many sh as there were before. I have had 50 trout limits in less than an hour of shing under birds. Stuck 60 ounder in less than half an hour with clients. I have caught ve pound red sh every cast until you get tired of catching. We still have days like that, but they are few and far in between.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Topwaters

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas FishGame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Catch 2000’s, DOA Shrimp, She Dogs, Corkies all solid choices

LOCATION: Galveston Bay

HOTSPOT: Channel Marker 72

e guides were having a pow wow at the bait camp waiting for clients. We were discussing what we were going to do for the day. Wind was blowing hard and had the water chocolate. Most were going for black drum. Never thought it would come to this. e target species has always been trout. With numbers declining a er the freeze a few years ago red sh have become the staple. Black drum has been another way to bend the pole lately. Might not be as good as trout but they taste good and are fun to catch. Don’t get me wrong, we still target trophy trout, but times are changing so you have to adapt. It all makes for a good day on the water.

Summer conditions are starting to be more consistent. When the wind lays, we are boxing trout on midbay reefs. Red sh and black drum are ge ing be er in the shallow water. Live shrimp under a popping cork is the best. Flounder gigging has improved at night. is has been a late start for everything in my opinion.

CONTACT CAPT. TALASEK:

Email: MarkTalasek@sbcglobal.com Online: TalasekGuideService.com

GPS: N 29 35.22, W 94 55.806 (29.5870 -94.9301)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Use shrimp on popping cork in incoming wind, less than 15 mph

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas FishGame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Use shrimp on popping cork in incoming wind, less than 15 mph; early

LOCATION: Galveston Bay

HOTSPOT: Seabrook Pipes

GPS: N 29 33.306, W 95 1.385 (29.5551 -95.0231)

SPECIES: Flounder

BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, flounder jigs, best with moving tides

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas FishGame.com/fishgamegear

LOCATION: Galveston Bay

HOTSPOT: Wreck

GPS: N 29 27.814, W 94 50.615 (29.4636 -94.8436)

SPECIES: Redfish

BEST BAITS: Kelly Wiggler Soft plastics. Fish slow and deep

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

FishGame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Kelly Wiggler Soft plastics. Fish slow and deep; all day

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay

HOTSPOT: Hanna’s Reef

GPS: N 29 28.92, W 94 43.6559 (29.4820 -94.7276)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

FishGame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Key on slicks; this spot is productive all day.

LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay

HOTSPOT: Spoonbill Reef

GPS: N 29 33.667, W 94 46.517 (29.5611 -94.7753)

SPECIES: Redfish

BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under cork, mullet

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Fish reef top and edges; dawn through midday

LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay

HOTSPOT: Redfish Island North

GPS: N 29 40.871, W 94 45.409 (29.6812 -94.7568)

SPECIES: Redfish

BEST BAITS: Croakers, Kelly Wiggler soft plastics

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Watch for ship wakes; fish early

LOCATION: Galveston West Bay

HOTSPOT: Mud Cut

GPS: N 29 6.163, W 95 9.519 (29.1027 -95.1587)

SPECIES: Flounder

BEST BAITS: Live bait, gigging

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Fish mud minnows if casting; morn, dusk.

LOCATION: Galveston West Bay

HOTSPOT: Pirate’s Entrance

GPS: N 29 13.123, W 94 58.302 (29.2187 -94.9717)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Soft plastics, live bait

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Key on slicks; this spot is productive all day.

LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay

HOTSPOT: Chinquapin Reef

GPS: N 28 43.994, W 95 47.954 (28.7332, -95.7992)

SPECIES: Redfish

BEST BAITS: Topwaters, soft plastics

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Drift with topwaters or bounce soft plastics near the bottom; morning-midday, dusk.

LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay

HOTSPOT: Jetties

GPS: N 28 35.666, W 95 59 (28.5944, -95.9833)

Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Fish the bottom with live finger mullet using a slip slinker; dawn-morning.

LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay

HOTSPOT: Maverick Bayou

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Live bait, Gulp! or soft plastics

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Fish deep here… avoid rough water days; good all day.

LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay

HOTSPOT: Raymond Shoals

GPS: N 28 40.449, W 95 53.898 (28.6742 -95.8983)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Berkley Gulp Shad or live shrimp

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Try Berkley Gulp with a 1/4-ounce jig head, jigging it, or under a popping cork.

LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay

HOTSPOT: Intracoastal Waterway

GPS: N 28 39.953, W 96 0.674 (28.6659 -96.0112)

SPECIES: Flounder

BEST BAITS: Finger mullet, mud minnows

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

GPS: N 28 34.663, W 96 3.705 (28.5777 -96.0618)

SPECIES: Flounder

BEST BAITS: Mud minnows

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Anchor or wade and drag the bottom; dawn-morning, dusk-night.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake

HOTSPOT: Mid-Lake

GPS: N 29 57.158, W 93 48.617 (29.9526 -93.8103)

SPECIES: Redfish

BEST BAITS: Spoons, soft plastics

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas FishGame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Texas Red Killers or gold spoons.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake

HOTSPOT: Sabine Channel

GPS: N 29 59.87, W 93 46.171 (29.9978 -93.7695)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Live mullet

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Live mullet works best.

Look for Something Different PORT

O’CONNOR

Reported by CAPT. KIM GOULDEN

JULY AND AUGUST IN THE Port O’Connor area bring us many opportunities for inshore and nearshore targets. Our water temps are certain to be high and being aware of your surroundings can sure make a di erence in your shing success.

Deep in the Heat of Texas ROCKPORT PORT ARANSAS

Reported by CAPT. RICHARD THOMPSON

SAs a guide, I have a general idea where I want to be based on the day’s conditions and the target species of my anglers. However, I’m always on the lookout for opportunities along the way.

I’m o en asked what I’m looking for as I scan the top of the water. My generic answer is always “something di erent”. What quali es as something di erent? Here are the top four that get my a ention:

1. OFF-COLOR WATER. A strip or section of water that appears dirty or o in color from the surrounding water. is can be a sign of sh activity or a combination of water movement over a certain bo om structure. Every now and then, you get both.

2. DUMPING WATER. A drain that’s lined up with the wind so that it’s dumping water from one area to another can hold opportunity. Bait is o en mixed in with moving water and predators can make short work of the bu et line. You’ll be shing in the drain or downwind from this structure.

3. WINDWARD PINCH POINTS. is setup causes water to move di erently

and faster than the surrounding water. e wind is pushing water towards a narrow opening which creates accelerated pushing and pulling of the water ow. Bait sh are o en caught up in the current and predators nd easy meals ahead of the points. In this scenario, you’ll be shing upwind of the structure.

4. BAIT, BAIT, BAIT! e presence of bait is always a good bet. Finger-sized bait sh ipping, or bait being busted by a hungry predator are good clues. I love to see a linear area of bait ipping along and just inside the grass line or drop-o of a sand/grass at. If you’re fortunate enough to sh a at-surf day, keep an eye out for bait in that rst gut!

With warming water temps this time of year, try shing up shallow early morning. As the sun rises and temps warm, some sh may begin to gradually move from shallow to deeper, cooler water.

Focusing on these ledges or drop-o s just o shallow ats can certainly pay o .

I hope this information helps you make a game plan and leads to landing your favorite targets around the coastal bend.

As always, be safe and be nice to each other on the water! Tight lines!

UMMER IS HERE AND WE are feeling it as the temperature and heat index are brutal. It is no surprise to us down here in South Texas. Being prepared for this type of harsh environment allows you to manage through these dog days of Summer on the water. With that said, wade shing is a must for us, almost like jumping in a cool pool a er mowing the lawn.

Our strategy during the summer months is leaving the dock early before sunrise so we can be at our spot as the sun is coming up. A er doing this thousands of times, it still gets my adrenaline pumping as we prepare ourselves to slide into the water anticipating that rst massive top water blow up.

Typically, our rst stop of the day is on some type of at that we know has been holding a lot of bait. ese sh are cruising the ats looking for that rst meal of the day (South Texas breakfast taco) haha! Our early morning arsenal is top waters, Mans eld Knocker, with j hooks, allows us to sh areas that typically have oating grass here in the Upper Laguna Madre. It allows the grass to shed o the j hooks unlike the treble hooks. You will de nitely have a few miss hook ups with the j hook but being able to work a top water on these ats will pay o tremendously.

We are also still throwing our so plastics early as well but utilizing lighter lead heads, 1/16 oz Salty Head and or a weedless style. is allows you to keep the lure moving

Scan to Hear Audio Version

CAPT. KIM GOULDEN

CAPT. RICHARD THOMPSON

MIDDLE COAST

through the tighter water column without hanging up on the grass on the bo om. One of our favorite baits lately has been the 6” Coastal Brew Baits, Nuke Juice, as they have been producing larger solid Trout and it gives you an opportunity to catch your PB with this larger pro le lure.

As the water temperature climbs the Trout and Red sh will slide o the ats and head to the ledges as they position themselves to ambush the bait coming o the ats. is can be no less than 1 to 3 drop in depth. During the major or minors a er the temperature rises, we de nitely are keeping an eye out for slicks and nervous bait. Depending on the type of customers I have, we also do a lot of dri shing, and our strategy is consistent and very similar to our wade shing techniques.

One of our favorite locations we key on is the East shoreline of the Upper Laguna Madre from Bird Island to the Meadows. is area has an abundance of ats with distinct drop o s from 3-4 in some areas. e Red sh, Black Drum, and Trout use this ledge as a highway and are always on the move. We also sh the spoils o the Intracoastal in this same area which has an obviously quite deeper drop o with the Intracoastal being nearby.

Something that is really fun for novice shermen, is targeting the huge schools of Black Drum this time of year. In my opinion, Black Drum doesn’t get the recognition as it deserves being a sport sh. ey ght as hard as a Red sh and are pre y darn tasty to boot. With the new Trout regulations this year, this will be a species we will be targeting.

I want to recommend that you plan your day around the major and minor feed times and as these times arrive you are positioned in an area with good water and bait as you will see an increase in your successful harvest.

As always during this time of year, our coastal waters are heavily populated with recreational boats, kite surfers, kayakers, and

jet skiers and it is up to everyone to think about being safe on the water and practice being respectful and responsible towards each other because we ALL want to have fun in the Sun!

CONTACT CAPT. THOMPSON:

Email: RandKCoastalOutfitters@gmail.com

Online: RandKCoastalOutfitters.com

Calm, Hot Days CORPUS CHRISTI

Reported by CAPT. JAKE WHEELIS

Tthose challenges is the di erence between a successful day to a grind. So that being said, let’s talk about our approach to a day of shing in the dog days of summer. As far as country and environment that I’m going to be looking for during this time of year, are ats with a drop o and a secondary drop o that we can still wade with the pushed out tide. I will still sh the top of the ats early, but recognizing when the sh are pulling to deeper water is the key. As the water warms, the sh are going to pull into deeper water, whether it be guts or the edge of spoil banks and ats. As this happens, try to read the water as to what is happening, paying a ention to what the bait is doing. Is it starting to migrate to deeper water and still jumping and acting nervous? e simple version of this is to follow the bait to the sh, paying a ention to your surroundings, not just what’s going on right in front of you. Adapt to what the sh wants to do.

HE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER are upon us once again. I’m fortunate to live, in my opinion, in the best place on earth. I can hunt and sh 365 days a year, but there are two months out of the year I’m not a huge fan of, and it’s the back half of July to the middle of September. With hot temperatures, low wind and historically speaking low tides, let’s dive in to how we will continue chasing sh and ge ing bites.

July and August will bring challenges just like the rest of the year, and how you tackle

My lure box gets very simple this time of year, with Lil John XL, Bass Assassin straight tails, and small top waters. Fish have made the time honored transition to a shrimp and n sh diet and they are very active in chasing bait. ey are going to eat small, and a lot of it, since they have the energy to do that in the warmer water of summer. I’ll be what I like to call “swimming a bait”, which is a lot more working it more erraticly this time of year on my top waters. I’ll still be changing my cadence from a fast “walk the dog” to a slower “walk the dog” and adding a pause to every few twitch’s. In short, nd what the sh want to eat and don’t get a hair trigger on blow ups. Wait to feel the sh eat.

In closing, please remember to hydrate and keep plenty of water on the boat. is time of year is no joke with the heat. at being said, please only take what you need and practice CPR. As always tight lines and good times. And if you see me out there, come introduce yourself.

CONTACT CAPT. WHEELIS: Email: Wheelis85@gmail.com Phone: (361) 575-9056

Scan to Hear Audio Version 

Scan to Hear Audio Version 

CAPT. JAKE WHEELIS

MIDDLE COAST HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Carlos Bay

HOTSPOT: Cedar Reef

GPS: N 28 8.251, W 96 53.049 (28.1375, -96.8842)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Live Croaker or soft plastics

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Look for bait action, especially mullet, flipping out of the water.

LOCATION: Copano Bay

HOTSPOT: Bayside Shoreline

GPS: N 28 5.955, W 97 12.119 (28.0993 -97.2020)

SPECIES: Redfish

BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, croaker

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Good on a rising tide & new moon phase, cast to shallow; dawn and dusk.

LOCATION: Copano Bay

HOTSPOT: Copano Reef

GPS: N 28 8.536, W 97 7.832 (28.1423 -97.1305)

SPECIES: Redfish

BEST BAITS: Piggy perch, cut bait, gold spoons

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Fish falling tide, drift/anchor, hit sand pockets; dawn through dusk.

LOCATION: Copano Bay

HOTSPOT: Mud Flat

GPS: N 28 3.493, W 97 10.262 (28.0582 -97.1710)

SPECIES: Flounder

BEST BAITS: Jigs, live bait

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Flounder are in clusters, so cast 10 times and if you get no action, move; morning, afternoon.

LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay

HOTSPOT: Shamrock Cove

GPS: N 27 45.369, W 97 9.733 (27.7562 -97.1622)

SPECIES: Redfish

BEST BAITS: Crab

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Redfish are going to be thick around Shamrock Island especially with all the rain we have had this spring. They will be looking for new crabs, new areas to feed in the shallows.

LOCATION: Espirito Santo Bay

HOTSPOT: Big Pocket

GPS: N 28 22.174, W 96 26.124 (28.3696 -96.4354)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Live croaker, plastics

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Wade shorelines near drop-offs, drift middle deeper water; dawn through morning, afternoon through night.

LOCATION: Espirito Santo Bay

HOTSPOT: Fish Pond

GPS: N 28 21.805, W 96 24.029 (28.3634 -96.4005)

SPECIES: Flounder

BEST BAITS: Finger mullet

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Wade or anchor in the mouth on an outgoing tide; good all day.

LOCATION: Mesquite Bay

HOTSPOT: Cedar Bayou

GPS: N 28 4.3309, W 96 50.832 (28.0722 -96.8472)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout, Redfish and Flounder

BEST BAITS: Live Croaker

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Close to the Aransas Wildlife Refuge, use live croaker over shell and mud where the edges drop off.

LOCATION: Nueces Bay

HOTSPOT: East Nueces Bay

GPS: N 27 52.2799, W 97 19.9979 (27.8713 -97.3333)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Live Croaker or Live Shrimp

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Fresh water runoff doesn’t affect the trout like it does on other bays. The trout are used to it, and the rain will clean up the water for us, reduce high salinity.

LOCATION: Port Aransas

HOTSPOT: Lydia Ann Channel

GPS: N 27 51.736, W 97 3.298 (27.8623 -97.0550)

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Fishing a bunch of schooling fish mostly. Use your trolling to move along to find the schooling action.

LOCATION: San Antonio Bay

HOTSPOT: Chicken Foot Reef

GPS: N 28 16.204, W 96 46.813 (28.2701 -96.7802)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout, Redfish and Flounder

BEST BAITS: Live Croaker

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: The perfect size for the croaker for trout and redfish is between 3 to 3 1/2 inches. Use a #5 Mustad Ultra Point Hook.

LOCATION: San Antonio Bay

HOTSPOT: Refuge Reef

GPS: N 28 17.392, W 96 46.6519 (28.2899 -96.7775)

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Live croaker

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: If you start losing fish, not actually getting hooked, move to the 6/0 hook.

HOTSPOTLIGHT

MESQUITE BAY

MESQUITE BAY IS A PRIME FISHING AREA BETWEEN SAN ANTONIO BAY AND Aransas Bay. Selected HOTSPOTS are shown in the table below, and on the map. To its immediate northeast is Ayres Bay and to the southwest is Carlos Bay. One of its many attractive features is Cedar Bayou, which has been recently dredged open again to connect Mesquite Bay to the Gulf of Mexico.

Fallout of New Trout Limits BAFFIN BAY

Reported by CAPT. GERAD MERRITT

THERE ARE A FEW DIFFERent ways to look at how e ective the new sea trout regulations are on our beautiful Texas waters. My report is on the Ba n Bay area, and I am addressing that portion of the coast. Now that the new limits are set in place, we are seeing the impact of it.

We have started to see a slight economic decline in the area due to the new regulations. It has led to a downward trend in people traveling to the area to sh because they are deterred by the 3 trout limit. is change has a ected everyone from bait shops to lodging and shing guides.

on the bo om. e pier shing is promising in the wind we’ve had, but timing is key!

We strive to be highly respectful of the resource as our livelihood relies on it. ere is always controversy when it comes to the economic impact of stricter changes and managing wildlife. Don’t let the limits discourage you; fun is still here. e guides around Ba n Bay are dedicated, talented and still can put excellent memories together. at is what we strive to do and hope that families, companies, corporations, and just brother and sister groups are still willing to allow us to put memories in their shing scrapbooks.

CONTACT CAPT. MERRITT: Email: GeradMerritt@gmail.com Online: ParadiseGuideServices.com

Although there are many that blame the uptick in the number of guides along the Texas coast for the depletion of the trout population, this is not the sole factor in our area. ere are now a large number of recreational sherman running boats up and down the coast, as well as a greater number of pier and bank sherman. In fact, many shing guides try to be as conservative as possible when it comes to the trout population, as our livelihood relies on it. Our groups range from wade sherman with lures, trophy trout sherman, and families shing live bait who enjoy watching their kids hook up to their rst saltwater sh. e trips vary from catch and release to keeping the limit allowed. Each client is di erent, and we provide the service that is asked of us.

on a speci c size of trout and depleting the number within that size range. With the trout we are seeing on a daily basis, the reasoning behind the size change does not add up. It would be be er if TPWD put tougher regulations on applications for guide licenses and currently licensed guids, to eliminate those who do not pursue it as a career.

Gear Up for Big Fish LOWER LAGUNA MADRE

Reported by CAPT. BRIAN BARRERA

TIME TO PUT AWAY THE light tackle and gear up for some big sh! With July and August in mind all I can think of is the winds start to calm, the bugs start to bite, the mornings are sticky, and the sh are BIG!

slightly

di erent, and we provide

We were disappointed that TPWD did not o er a meeting in the Ba n Bay area, especially a er they claimed we were some of the ones hit hardest a er the 2021 freeze that impacted our bay system. e biologists they sent to the area used gill nets and relied on a small number of the local shing population to establish their results and make their decisions. ey also treated the entire Texas coast as a whole. Which seems highly unfair as each ecosystem and trout population varies throughout the entire coast.

With that being said, I personally don’t agree with the slot

size. My concern is that we are now putting pressure

e trips we can o er this season are still featuring plenty of personal best trout and red sh along with the occasional black drum trips. Let’s sh the known structures and shorelines that are indisputably harboring reasonable sizes and amounts of sh. Bait is working and becoming the choice on the south shore and out at the mouth of Ba n Bay. e back side of the creeks are still producing good drum numbers with red sh and the occasional trout

More consistent weather with calm mornings and slightly breezy a ernoons create lots of new opportunities for anglers in our shery. From deep water schools of big bull reds, to king sh ying out of the ocean and shallow water snook, to big

CAPT. GERAD MERRITT

Scan to Hear Audio Version

CAPT. BRIAN BARERRA

LOWER COAST

black drum, anglers can pick their poison on what they’d like to try to catch that day.

Big bull reds out to 45 inches can be found cruising the inlets or deeper waters like the Intracoastal Waterway, bridge channels and deep coves. e best way to get bit by one of these behemoths is surely a live or cut bait rigged drop shot style cast away from the boat towards structure or dropped directly o the side of the boat, if in deep enough water. Hold on tight and bring some bigger gear in the 4000-6000 size range with minimum 30 lb. braid and 30-40 lb. leader. If lures are your game, then try a big spoon or weighted prerigged swim bait such as a D.O.A. Lures Baitbuster.

King sh can be caught at Rapalas or free lining ribbon sh into the current, trolling RatLTraps and Rapalas, or chunking heavy spoons either o the boat or o the je ies. Look for these sh to be more aggressive and showing up in numbers during heavy incoming tides that provide clear water within casting distance.

Snook tend to hang out on the ats in number during these months. Don’t be afraid to throw a big topwater out with a 30-40lb leader line on it, if they’re being picky try bo om.

Try bouncing a heavy jig around them, and if they’re being really picky give the ‘ol cast net a toss and see what you can pull up to toss at ‘em. I suggest shing structure for snook, oysters, docks, grass beds, and channel edges.

Where are all my meat haulers? is is

MIDDLE COAST

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre

HOTSPOT: Boat Hole GPS: N 27 40.969, W 97 14.9989 (27.6828 -97.2500)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live Croaker or Live Shrimp

LOWER COAST HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Arroyo Colorado

HOTSPOT: Green Island

GPS: N 26 23.06, W 97 19.6 (26.3843 -97.3267)

the time to shine with easy limits of black drum. ey tend to gather in giant schools providing quite the fun shing experience for all anglers, especially for novice sherman or children. Cruising channel edges using sides can help you locate them quickly. Live or dead shrimp are generally what they like to eat best. ese kinds of schools can create a gathering of many boats, side by side (drum wars!) Try to enjoy the fun, so upsize your gear a li le bit so you can control your sh a li le be er and don’t get tangled up with other anglers around you.

Scan to Hear Audio Version

SPECIES: Redfish

BEST BAITS: Fresh ballyhoo

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Night best at full moon, drift slowly; dawn through midday, night.

LOCATION: Arroyo Colorado

HOTSPOT: Horse Island Flats

GPS: N 26 20.618, W 97 19.704 (26.3436 -97.3284)

SPECIES: Redfish

CONTACT CAPT. BARRERA: Email: CaptBrianBFishing@gmail.com Online: InshoreFishingSouthPadre.com

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Use a 4/0 Kale hook with a 1/8-ounce barrel weight. The more natural the presentation, the better.

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre

HOTSPOT: King Ranch Shoreline

GPS: N 27 29.134, W 97 21.1079 (27.4856 -97.3518)

BEST BAITS: Topwaters, gold spoons

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Fish potholes, look for tailing reds; dawn through afternoon.

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Topwaters early, soft plastics later in the day

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Throw topwaters early and then switch to soft plastics later. A favorite bait is the Norton Sand Eel in Watermelon/chartreuse.

LOCATION: Baffin Bay

HOTSPOT: Comitas Lake

GPS: N 27 21.597, W 97 30.771 (27.3600 -97.5129)

SPECIES: Redfish

BEST BAITS: Wade or drift targeting nervous water or bait moving; morning through midday.

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Wade or drift targeting nervous water or bait moving; morning through midday, dusk.

LOCATION: Baffin Bay

HOTSPOT: Tide Gauge Bar

GPS: N 27 18.248, W 97 27.593 (27.3041, -97.4599)

SPECIES: Redfish

BEST BAITS: Topwaters, spinnerbaits

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: At daylight use bone topwaters, later use gold weedless spinnerbaits; dawn through morning.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre

HOTSPOT: Airport Cove

GPS: N 26 10.226, W 97 18.012 (26.1704, -97.3002)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Red/black topwaters, live bait

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Wade the mouth on an outgoing tide; dawn through midday.

HOTSPOTLIGHT

CAYO DEL GRULLO

CAYO DEL GRULLO IS A WESTERN EXTENSION OF BAFFIN BAY, ITSELF AN EXTENsion of the Laguna Madre. It is a primary access point from land. Selected HOTSPOTS are shown in the table below, and on the map.

EAST TEXAS HOTSPOTS

Reported by TF&G STAFF

LOCATION: Lake Bob Sandlin

HOTSPOT: 21 Bridge

GPS: N 33 2.354, W 95 5.584 (33.0392, -95.0931)

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: Minnows, jigs

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Fish live minnows or red, chartreuse jigs on bottom rigs; dusk

LOCATION: Brandy Branch Reservoir

HOTSPOT: Dam Area

GPS: N 32 25.998, W 94 29.298 (32.4333, -94.4883)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Soft plastics, crankbaits

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Sit in 25 feet, cast plastics toward the dam… or move to 16 feet and cast crankbaits out toward the lake; dawn-morning.

LOCATION: Caddo Lake

HOTSPOT: Alligator Bayou

GPS: N 32 43.1699, W 94 5.424 (32.7195, -94.0904)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: 1/8 oz. Texas-rigged worms in Junebug or black/red colors, frogs and 1oz. weighted punch baits in black or green

SOURCE: Caddo Lake Guide Service/Paul Keith 318-455-3437

caddoguide@gmail.com www.caddolakefishing.com

TIPS: Fish the bayou edges with frogs and 1 oz.

CURRENT LAKE LEVELS EAST TEXAS

weighted punch baits in black or green colors. Watch for schooling or bunched fish in the creek bends. I like to throw 1/8 oz. Texas-rigged worms in Junebug or black/red colors on the bunched-up fish.

LOCATION: Lake Conroe

HOTSPOT: Catfish at the Dam GPS: N 30 21.564, W 95 33.914 (30.359397, -95.565241)

SPECIES: Catfish

BEST BAITS: Shrimp, cheese bait

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Fish vertically on bottom 18-25 feet; should produce catches all day.

LOCATION: Lake Cooper/Jim Chapman

HOTSPOT: Ridge in Boat Lane GPS: N 33 18.438, W 95 42.451 (33.3073, -95.7075)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Jigs

SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Office

903-593-5077

TIPS: Fish shad jigs. Cast from ridge to edge, and shallow to deep. Dawn through afternoon.

LOCATION: Lake Fork

HOTSPOT: Dam Hump

GPS: N 32 48.733, W 95 32.025 (32.8122, -95.5338)

LOWER COAST

 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 49

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre

HOTSPOT: Long Bar

GPS: N 26 8.902, W 97 14.352 (26.1484, -97.2392)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Shrimp, pinfish, plastics

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Drift the area with live shrimp, pinfish, red/ white plastics; dawn through dusk.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre

HOTSPOT: Spoils at Marker 97

GPS: N 26 9.242, W 97 14.573 (26.1540, -97.2429)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Topwaters, swimbaits

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Start with a topwater, then switch to Magic Shads; morning.

LOCATION: Lake Houston

HOTSPOT: Skier’s Cove

GPS: N 29 57.545, W 95 8.734 (29.9591, -95.1456)

SPECIES: White Bass

BEST BAITS: Minnows, spoons

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Cast under birds with live minnows or spoons.

LOCATION: Lake Livingston

HOTSPOT: Mill Creek

GPS: N 30 37.88, W 95 5.858 (30.6313, -95.0976)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Cut bait, live shrimp

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Anchor between spoils at night; dawn through midday, night.

LOCATION: Middle Ground

HOTSPOT: East Side of Graveyard

GPS: N 27 7.062, W 97 25.123 (27.1177, -97.4187)

SPECIES: Redfish

BEST BAITS: Gold spoons or live shrimp under a pop-n-cork; all day

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Gold spoons or live shrimp under a pop-ncork; all day; Aug-Nov, all day

LOCATION: Port Mansfield

HOTSPOT: The Boiler

GPS: N 26 28.722, W 97 21.027 (26.4787, -97.3505)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Artificial or live bait

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Drift shallow-to-deep with chartreuse artificials, live bait; All year, dawn thru midday.

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: Minnows

SOURCE: David S. Cox, Palmetto Guide Service 936-291-9602 www.palmettoguideservice.com

TIPS: Fish around the boat docks, stumps and cut bank with live minnows; dawn through night

LOCATION: Lake Murvaul

HOTSPOT: Holly Creek

GPS: N 32 01.476, W 94 25.489 (32.024608, -94.424811)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Crankbaits, buzzbaits

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Hit the steep bank with laydowns; dawn, morning, dusk

LOCATION: Lake Nacogdoches

HOTSPOT: Long Point

GPS: N 31 37.027, W 94 49.918 (31.6171, -94.8320)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Crankbaits

SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Office 409-698-9114

TIPS: Fish Carolina-rigged crankbaits. Hit the logs and brushpiles off the point. Best action is at dawn and dusk.

LOCATION: Lake O the Pines

HOTSPOT: Willow Flats

SURFACE AREA: 10,687 acres MAXIMUM DEPTH: 35 feet IMPOUNDED: 1951

IN THIS SHALLOW LAKE, AQUATIC vegetation is relatively high. Flooded timber and cypress trees provide additional cover.

LAKE BA STEINHAGEN

Above the reservoir, the Angelina and Neches rivers provide excellent habitat for spotted bass, crappie, and catfish.

Catfish are the most popular game fish at B.A. Steinhagen. Largemouth bass are also caught around the lake.

CENTRAL TEXAS HOTSPOTS

Reported by TF&G STAFF

LOCATION: Lake Austin

HOTSPOT: Main Lake Rocks, Shade Trees, and Shaded Docks

GPS: N 30 19.464, W 97 50.316 (30.3244, -97.8386)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: V&M Baby Swamp Hog, Pacemaker Jigs, Picasso Inviz-Wire Spinnerbait, Picasso Shock Blade, Gandy Crankbaits

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Bass will be searching for cover and ambush positions throughout the lake. I break my guide trips into 3 approaches, mornings, daytime, and evenings.

LOCATION: Bachman Lake

HOTSPOT: Main Lake

GPS: N 32 51.258, W 96 51.8459 (32.8543, -96.8641)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

EAST TEXAS

GPS: N 32 52.374, W 94 41.381 (32.8729, -94.6897)

SPECIES: Catfish

BEST BAITS: Cut bait

SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Office

903-938-1007

TIPS: Drift the bottom slowly on Carolina rig. Midday through afternoon.

LOCATION: Lake Sam Rayburn

HOTSPOT: Eagle Point

GPS: N 31 22.756, W 94 28.880 (31.3793, -94.4813)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Crankbaits, soft plastics

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Fish the back brush on the point and the creek’s ledge. Dawn to late morning, dusk.

LOCATION: Toledo Bend

HOTSPOT: Pendleton Bridge Pilings

GPS: N 31 28.564, W 93 43.8 (31.4761, -93.7300)

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, chatterbaits

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: In August the bass move out a little deeper in the middle of the lake. When it gets a little warmer and it’s super bright out, fish the bridges or the rip rap where there is access to deeper water.

LOCATION: Lake Belton

HOTSPOT: Frank’s Marina

GPS: N 31 06.369, W 97 29.121 (31.1062, -97.4854)

BEST BAITS: Minnows

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Fish live minnows under cork. Work pilings and brush; dawn, morning, dusk, night.

LOCATION: Lake Wright Patman

HOTSPOT: Charlie Plum Creek

GPS: N 33 13.882, W 94 16.047 (33.2314, -94.2675)

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: Live minnows, jigs

SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Office 903-938-1007

TIPS: Fish live minnows or white/chartreuse jigs. Troll the brush piles. Morning through afternoon.

CURRENT LAKE LEVELS

CENTRAL TEXAS

LAKE CAPACITY CURRENT %

As of 6/5/2024

Aquilla 43,243 43,243 100%

Arlington 40,157 40,157 100%

Athens 29,503 29,503 100%

Austin 23,972 22,818 95%

Bardwell 43,856 43,856 100%

Belton 432,631 432,631 100%

Benbrook 85,648 85,648 100%

Bois d’Arc 367,609 367,609 100%

Bonham 11,027 11,027 100%

Buchanan 822,207 619,711 75%

Canyon 378,781 218,209 58%

Cedar Creek 644,686 644,686 100%

Choke Canyon 662,820 148,186 22%

Coleto Creek 31,040 29,164 94%

Corpus Christi 256,062 94,665 37%

Eagle Mountain 185,087 185,087 100%

Georgetown 38,005 34,429 91%

Gibbons Creek 25,721 23,092 90%

Granger 51,822 51,822 100%

Grapevine 163,064 163,064 100%

Halbert 6,033 5,362 89%

Hubert H Moss 24,058 23,917 99%

Inks 13,729 13,037 95%

Joe Pool 149,629 149,629 100%

Lavon 409,757 409,757 100%

Lewisville 563,228 563,228 100%

Limestone 203,780 202,788 100%

Lyndon B Johnson 112,778 110,021 98%

Marble Falls 7,597 7,293 96%

Martin 75,726 75,726 100% Medina 254,823 6,486 3% Mountain Creek 22,850 22,850 100%

Navarro Mills 49,827 49,827 100%

New Terrell City 8,583 3,690 43%

Ray Hubbard 439,559 439,559 100%

Ray Roberts 788,167 788,167 100%

Richland-Chamb. 1,099,417 1,099,417 100%

Somerville 150,293 150,293 100%

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

SURFACE AREA: 3,635 acres

HOTSPOTLIGHT:

LAKE BENBROOK

HYBRID STRIPED BASS ARE STOCKED annually and there is

ery for them. Channel and blue catfish are abundant; white bass and crappie provide good angling opportunities. Most structure is in the form of dead trees and underwater ridges or humps.

CENTRAL TEXAS

BEST BAITS: Soft plastics

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Dark soft plastics, work rip rap, cove rocks with Carolina-rig

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan

HOTSPOT: Mid to Upper Lake Ridges and Humps

GPS: N 30 49.104, W 98 23.718 (30.8184, -98.3953)

SPECIES: Striped Bass and White Bass

BEST BAITS: Live Shad

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Fishing for Stripers and Whites is excellent as they are starting to move a little. Concentrate on upper to mid lake fishing ridges and humps in 30 to 40 feet of water. Drift or anchor live bait.

LOCATION: Canyon Lake

HOTSPOT: Turkey Creek

GPS: N 29 53.5439, W 98 16.986 (29.8924, -98.2831)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Drop Shot w/ motor oil worm, leader about a foot long, fluorocarbon Line, T-Rig w/ 1/8oz Tungsten weight

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Denali Rods makes the perfect Drop Shot rod. It’s their 7’ Spinning Rod in medium weight, Rosewood model. This is a must have in one’s arsenal for fishing Canyon Lake. Good colors for this time of year are Blue Flecks and June Bug, Red Bug and Motor Oil.

LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake

HOTSPOT: Main Lake Humps and Points

GPS: N 32 22.476, W 96 10.05 (32.3746, -96.1675)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Carolina and Texas Rigs

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Fish all main lake humps and points focusing in 8’ to 20’ near dropouts. Constantly be on the lookout for brush or debris.

LOCATION: Coleto Creek Lake

HOTSPOT: Dam Area

GPS: N 28 43.41, W 97 10.23 (28.7235, -97.1705)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits and buzzbaits

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: As always, go deeper and use bigger baits for bigger bass. Main lake by the dam holds probably most big bass this time of year. However, the back of most creeks will hold several 2-8 lb. class fish. Spinners are great this time of year especially on windy days. Hit stumps and hardwoods around 3 feet deep, throw past stumps about 10 feet then retrieve it so that it gets their attention.

LOCATION: Eagle Mountain Lake

HOTSPOT: Dam

GPS: N 32 52.693, W 97 28.006 (32.8782, -97.4668)

SPECIES: Hybrids, white bass

BEST BAITS: Hell Pet, or deep-running lures

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: This area just north of the dam is a series of humps with deep water all around them. As the water heats up the Hybrids that have come down from lake Bridgeport during a flood hang out in this area. An effective method is to troll a very deep running lure. A Hell pet rig with a bell sinker on the front of the hell bender to make it run deep.

LOCATION: Fayette County Res.

HOTSPOT: Third Boat Ramp Point

GPS: N 29 55.878, W 96 43.368 (29.9313, -96.7228)

SPECIES: Catfish

BEST BAITS: CJ’s punch Bait

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: There is a 20’ deep point here. Anchor on this point and chum straight down beside the boat. Tight line near the bottom and set the hook at slightest rod tip movement.

LOCATION: Granger Lake

HOTSPOT: Dam Area

GPS: N 30 41.502, W 97 20.2319 (30.6917, -97.3372)

SPECIES: White Bass and Catfish

BEST BAITS: Slabs, marabou jigs tipped with Berkley Crappie Nibbles

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Right now, the white bass are schooling on the humps and ridges out from the dam. They can

be found from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, during the hottest part of the day. Find the fish on your sonar and position your boat right on top of the hump or ridge. Use a slab spoon and work the spoon by bouncing or dragging it along the bottom. The largest fish are close to the bottom. The crappie are also very good now and are much fatter than they have been all summer. Use a marabou jig tipped with a Berkley Crappie Nibble. Hold the jig right above the structure and wait for the tap. Good luck and good fishing.

LOCATION: Lake Joe Pool

HOTSPOT: Main Lake Pond

GPS: N 32 37.686, W 97 00.483 (32.6281, -97.0081)

SPECIES: Largemouth

BEST BAITS: Soft plastics

SOURCE: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 whitebassfishingtexas.com

TIPS: Fish weightless plastics in shallow water early and hit the edges later in the day. Avoid midday.

LOCATION: Lake Lavon

HOTSPOT: Main Lake Brush and Standing Timber GPS: N 33 4.5839, W 96 27.7379 (33.0764, -96.4623)

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: 1/8 & 1/16 jigs with a painted pink head in black and chartreuse and white and chartreuse.

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Concentrate on fishing 7ft-15ft as that will be the target for brush and standing timber. Some fish are still spawning in the button willows and submerged green willows around 2ft-6 ft. Finding any slack areas in 1ft-5ft below the dam when the gates are open will hold crappie hiding from the turbulent water.

LOCATION: Lake LBJ

HOTSPOT: Honeymoon Hump Area

GPS: N 30 34.35, W 98 21.474 (30.5725, -98.3579)

SPECIES: Bass and Crappie

BEST BAITS: Bass: Top water lures, buzzbaits, soft plastics, umbrella rigs, and lipless crankbaits; Crappie: jigs and minnows under slip bobbers.

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishandgamegear

TIPS: Bass and crappie are settled into their summer patters of holding near the thermocline, along deep-water ledges and points. For bass, work topwaters, buzzbaits and lipless crankbaits before the sun comes up and just before dark. During the day, go deeper with soft plastics, umbrella rigs and spinnerbaits around grass edges. Find brush piles and you should find crappie. For this Hotspot there is plenty of vegetation in water less than 14’ plus it has fast break

CENTRAL TEXAS

lines off the hump. There is also deep water close by to hold some big bass during the hot days.

LOCATION: Lake Lewisville

HOTSPOT: Twin Trees Point

GPS: N 33 5.213, W 96 58.971 (33.0869, -96.9829)

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: Minnows, jigs

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Mark the bottom timber, drop live minnows or jigs to it; good all day.

LOCATION: Lake Limestone

HOTSPOT: Running Branch

GPS: N 31 20.111, W 96 20.085 (31.3352, -96.3348)

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: Minnows, jigs

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Hit large, isolated trees in 15-20 of water; dawn thru dusk

LOCATION: Lake Palestine

HOTSPOT: Kickapoo Creek

GPS: N 32 16.374, W 95 28.338 (32.2729, -95.4723)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Big Eye Jig in black/brown amber and chart/white spinnerbaits

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Fish the creek channel slow and fish the stumps and brush along the channel. Also, fish the islands with the big eye jig and a chartreuse/white spinner bait

LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard

HOTSPOT: North I-30 Woods

GPS: N 32 52.145, W 96 33.099 (32.8691, -96.5517)

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: Minnows or jigs, vertical jig trees up & down column

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Minnows or jigs, vertical jig trees up & down column; midday

LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts

HOTSPOT: Main Lake

GPS: N 33 22.5895, W 97 3.1718 (33.3765, -97.0529)

SPECIES: Largemouth bass

BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, worms, buzzbaits, jigs

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: August can be a tough time to get the largemouth bass to cooperate. However, with all the new flood cover, you should still be able to go out and consistently catch fish this summer. Main lake shallow willows and grass will be holding some fish. Double willow leaf white spinnerbaits, and Texas rigged Blue Fleck power worms, should work around the willow. Early morning is a good time to work a buzzbait and frog around the willows. Also look for fish to be holding on main lake ridges and pond dams in 12-18 feet of water. I like a 3/4 oz football head jig and Norman DD22 in Chartreuse/Shad.

LOCATION: Richland Chambers Res.

HOTSPOT: 309 Flats

GPS: N 31 58.716, W 96 6.87 (31.9786, -96.1145)

SPECIES: White Bass

BEST BAITS: Clear Tiny Torpedo or 1/4 oz. Blue/ Chrome Rat-L-Trap

SOURCE: Royce Simmons

903-389-4117

www.gonefishin.biz

TIPS: The White Bass Top Water Feeding Frenzy that began in July will really heat up in August and last all the way through September. Sometimes, the schooling fish will literally be chasing shad in 5-acre size schools. Head for the Hwy 309 Flats early in the morning! This is a thrill for kids

LOCATION: Lake Somerville

HOTSPOT: Rock Island Brush

GPS: N 30 18.486, W 96 31.4339 (30.3081, -96.5239)

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: Minnows, jigs

SOURCE: Weldon Kirk

979-229-3103

www.fishtales-guideservice.com

TIPS: Water is fairly deep here. Tight line minnows straight down or use a 1/16 oz jig in grey or black, chartreuse. Let jig free fall from time to time.

LOCATION: Lake Tawakoni

HOTSPOT: Cloud Point

GPS: N 32 53.329, W 95 57.39 (32.8888, -95.9565)

SPECIES: White Bass

BEST BAITS: Chartreuse slabs, fish on point

edges, look for birds

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Chartreuse slabs, fish on point edges, look for birds; April-July, morning, afternoon

LOCATION: Lake Texana

HOTSPOT: Mouth of Cove Point

GPS: N 29 2.244, W 96 34.247 (29.0374, -96.5708)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Crankbaits, topwaters work best

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Crankbaits, topwaters work best; all day

LOCATION: Lake Texoma

HOTSPOT: Alberta Creek

GPS: N 33 57.54, W 96 36.012 (33.9590, -96.6002)

SPECIES: Striped Bass

BEST BAITS: Slabs and topwater plugs

SOURCE: Bill Carey, Striper Express www.striperexpress.com

TIPS: Early morning, several large schools will surface around the lake. These schools can be a mile long and a half-mile wide. Cast topwater plugs for great action. After the surface action ends, locate the schools of fish with your electronics. Then, vertically drop slabs and use a fast retrieve.

LOCATION: Lake Waco

HOTSPOT: Texas Harbor North Shore

GPS: N 31 35.694, W 97 13.621 (31.5949, -97.2270)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Crankbaits

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Work perch crank bait slowly near trees and brush; late afternoon

LOCATION: Lake Whitney

HOTSPOT: Old Hwy 22 Roadbed & Mouth of Little Rocky Creek

GPS: N 31 52.038, W 97 23.1659 (31.8673, -97.3861)

SPECIES: Striped Bass

BEST BAITS: White buck tail jigs and white Snake worm trailers, white jigs with chartreuse, Snake worm trailers from Striper Sniper Tackle

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Down-rigging and trolling is still the ticket on Whitney during the summer months. This is a little later bite than the norm. The best bites down-rigging seem to be after 8:30 AM and last until mid-afternoon. Fishing like this is a great way to kick back enjoy the scenery and catch a lot of fish plus it keeps the boat moving and creates a breeze on these dog days of summer. The key is to note on your graph where the thermocline is and set your baits just above it. You can also target areas where the thermocline meets structure and pull white-on-white jigs and trailers or any combination of white and chartreuse at 19’ to 22’ in areas like along the roadbed at the State Park and around the mouth of Little Rocky creek.

WEST TEXAS HOTSPOTS

Reported by TJ RANFT

CONTACT TJ RANFT:

Email: TJRanft17@gmail.com

Online: RanftGuideService.com

LOCATION: Lake Alan Henry

HOTSPOT: Big Grape Creek

GPS: N 33 1.411, W 101 2.261 (33.0235, -101.0377)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Live bait, soft plastics

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Work the grass with shiners, waterdogs or soft plastics on a Texas rig; dawn through afternoon, night.

LOCATION: Lake Arrowhead

HOTSPOT: Dam

GPS: N 33 45.829, W 98 21.908 (33.7638, -98.3651)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Crankbaits

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Fish topwaters early and late, shad crankbaits in-between; dawn through dusk.

LOCATION: Lake Coleman

HOTSPOT: Rear Cove

GPS: N 32 2.3976, W 99 27.6871 (32.0400, -99.4615)

SPECIES: Largemouth bass

BEST BAITS: Live shad, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, slabs

SOURCE: TPWD District Office, Abeline 325-692-0921

TIPS: The coordinates listed mark an old concrete structure that is surrounded by flooded brush. Fishing that shoreline into the rear cove works best with spinner baits, whacky worms, Senkos, and trick worms to catch bass. Sunrise often produces a great top-water bite in the rear cove. Occasionally hybrid striped bass can be caught in this cove, which these fish will put up a nice fight. Anglers targeting hybrids may have the best luck using live shad for bait or spinner baits, chrome or white suspending jerk baits, or slabs.

LOCATION: Lake Granbury

HOTSPOT: Decordova Subdivision Area

GPS: N 32 22.518, W 97 41.472 (32.3753, -97.6912)

CURRENT LAKE LEVELS WEST TEXAS

SPECIES: White Bass:

BEST BAITS: Small minnows, chartreuse and white slabs, Mepps spinners, trolled pet spoons

SOURCE: Michael W. Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters (254) 396-4855

TIPS: Bounce slabs or spoons off the bottom. Look for nervous water or schooling fish. Trolling pet spoons and rattle traps above the thermocline. Water

Temperatures are in the 80’s to low 90’s in the back of the sloughs. Thermoclines are typically present around 15 to 25 feet. Best Times: Early morning and late evening due to the Texas heat. Look for feeding cranes in relatively shallow water; focus on areas where cranes are circling.

LOCATION: Hords Creek Reservoir

HOTSPOT: Deeper Water Near Dam GPS: N 31 49.9735, W 99 34.0852 (31.8329, -99.5681)

SPECIES: Largemouth bass

BEST BAITS: soft plastics, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits

SOURCE: TPWD District Office 325-692-0921

TIPS: Hords Creek is an excellent reservoir to bass fish in West Texas, despite its current low water level. Fishing with soft plastics such as trick worms, flukes, and Senkos should produce a bite. Water clarity is decent, so consider brighter colors. Spinner baits and jerk baits are other go-to lures for this reservoir.

LOCATION: Possum Kingdom Lake HOTSPOT: Lower end of the lake GPS: N 32 51.332, W 98 26.346 (32.855536, -98.439095)

SPECIES: Striped Bass

BEST BAITS: Live bait and downriggers, jigs, spoons

SOURCE: TJ Ranft, Ranft Guide Service 940-452-8439

TIPS: Water Temperature is 80-90° and stripers are following summer patterns. Best times to fish: Early morning and late afternoon; midday action will be slow. Use live bait and downriggers for best results, jigs with tails, large spoons. Ideal colors: Chartreuse, white, silver, and occasionally pink. Focus on points, ledges, and treetops. Look for surface action early in the morning and late evening; have a topwater lure ready.

FORT PHANTOM HILL

SURFACE AREA: 4,213 acres

MAXIMUM DEPTH: 66 feet

IMPOUNDED: 1938

FORT PHANTOM HILL IS A GOOD ALLaround fishing lake for several spe-

cies. Better areas for hybrid striped bass, white bass, and blue catfish are in the spillway, sailboat slough, Johnson Park, and the west bank humps. Brush piles are found at the dam. See this symbol... ...on the map.

Tides and Prime Times

The following pages contain TIDE and SOLUNAR predictions for our Base Point, Galveston Channel (N 29.317, W 94.88)

Tidal movement and daily phases of the moon have varying degrees of influence on many fish and game species.

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

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.

PEAK TIMES: Our Forecast Calendar uses both Tide and SoLunar projections to predict the best fishing times and days. Generally, if a SoLunar Period (Major/Minor) falls within an hour of sunrise or sunset, fishing conditions should be better. On certain days where Tidal Activity is stronger, the best fishing times may fall ouside the normal SoLunar range. While tides are not a direct factor in FRESHWATER FISHING, SoLunar Activity still accounts for increased feeding activity in freshwater species. It is also a prime factor in the movement and feeding habits of game species.

TIDE CONVERSION TABLE

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK

JULY/AUGUST 2024

USING THE PRIME TIMES CALENDAR

(See Instructions for reading the Graphs on the opposite page)

TIDE PREDICTIONS are located in the White Area at the top of the Calendar Pages. You can use the CONVERSION TABLE below to make adjustments. It is keyed to 23 other tide stations along the Texas Coast (see these map icons: T1 ). Adjust low and high tide times, plus or minus in minutes, from the times given for the Base Point at Galveston Channel.

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY is shown in the Green Boxes on the Calendar pages. Moon Overhead and Underfoot times are given in the SoLunar Box and illustrated on the Fishing Graph.

Use the SOLUNAR ADJUSTMENT SCALE on the map below to adjust times for points East and West of our Base Point at Galveston Channel.

Sunrise: 6:23a Set: 8:21a

Moonrise: 2:32a Set: 4:31p

AM Minor: 1:50a

AM Major: 8:04a

PM Minor: 2:17a

PM Major: 8:30a

Moon Overhead: 9:27a

Moon Underfoot: 9:54p

Sunrise: 6:23a Set: 8:21a Moonrise: 3:12a Set: 5:39p AM Minor: 2:38a AM Major: 8:51a PM Minor: 3:05a PM Major: 9:19a Moon Overhead: 10:22a Moon Underfoot: 10:50p

Sunrise: 6:23a Set: 8:21a Moonrise: 3:58a Set: 6:45p AM Minor: 3:28a AM Major: 9:42a PM Minor: 3:56a

PM Major: 10:11a Moon Overhead: 11:19a Moon Underfoot: 11:48p

Sunrise: 6:24a Set: 8:21a Moonrise: 4:50a Set: 7:46p AM Minor: 4:21a AM Major: 10:35a PM Minor: 4:50a PM Major: 11:04a Moon Overhead: 12:17p

Moon Underfoot: None

Sunrise: 6:24a Set: 8:21a Moonrise: 5:47a Set: 8:40p AM Minor: 5:16a AM Major: 11:31a PM Minor: 5:45a

PM Major: 11:59a

Moon Overhead: 1:15p

Moon Underfoot: 12:46a

PM Minor: 6:40a

PM Major: 12:26p

Sunrise: 6:25a Set: 8:21a Moonrise: 6:48a Set: 9:27p AM Minor: 6:13a AM Major: 11:55a

Moon Overhead: 2:10p

Moon Underfoot: 1:43a

Sunrise: 6:25a Set: 8:21a Moonrise: 7:50a Set: 10:06p AM Minor: 7:09a AM Major: 12:56p

REDFISH & TROUT

Upper Laguna Madre

Scarlet White and Bentley Egert had a stellar day with R&K Coastal Outfitters. They Limited out in a couple hours near Flour Bluff.

SHARK

Galveston

Brooklyn Polk caught this bonnethead shark by the Pelican Island Bridge in Galveston

GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOT!

SEND YOUR ACTION PHOTOS TO Photos@FishGame.com send HIGH quality JPEG digital files.

WILD TURKEY

Lee County

Erin Ryza with her first turkey, taken at 15 yards in a county with a one-gobbler limit. Her bird had a 10-1/4 in. beard, 1-1/8 in. spurs, and weighed 21 lbs. 6 oz.

Center

Point

LARGEMOUTH BASS

Six-year-old Blakely Kaiser caught this bass in a stock tank near Center Point.

LARGEMOUTH BASS

Bee Caves

Reid McKallip caught this bass in the pond at the Hill Country Galleria at Bee Caves.

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

Aging Out

IWAS FEELING PRETTY GOOD

that morning, si ing around the large corner table in Doreen’s 24 HR Eat Gas Now Café with Jerry Wayne and Wrong Willie. Woodrow came in and we shi ed over to allow him some room. “How’re you boys doing this morning?”

“Fair to middlin’,” Wrong Willie answered. “ at’s what my grandpa always said when people asked him that question, but he always had a list of complaints to go with it.”

“Doc used to say a er you turn y, something di erent hurts every morning.” Jerry Wayne held up his index nger and exed it.

“What does that mean?” Willie asked, performing the same maneuver. “Is that a trigger nger exercise?”

“No. Arthritis.” Jerry Wayne exed some more. “My doctor told me to do this at least seventy- ve times a day, twenty- ve each time, and to hold each bend for three seconds.”

I exed my own right index nger through the mug’s handle Doreen had just lled. I held up all the ngers on my le , knowing be er than to extend the middle one I was using as an example.

“A er I fell last June and landed on this nger while the War Department and I were hiking in Arizona, my doctor said I’d torn the ligament and had to ex it the same amount of times.”

“Did it help?”

“I don’t know. Maybe, but now the other two on each side are sti in the mornings, too. I have to keep it up or I’m afraid my joints’ll freeze.”

I noticed the guys around the table were all making sts. It looked like a table full of grown men were playing rock, paper, scissors.

Open SEASON

e nger discussion led me to another thought. “You know, here’s something strange.”

“You don’t get that in your shoulder,” I said. “Oh.”

Woodrow held up a nger and exed it everyone was doing the same thing. “Hold it.

Woodrow held up a nger and exed it to get my a ention. It didn’t work, because everyone was doing the same thing. “Hold it. Doreen, can you bring me some co ee?”

Behind the counter, her face reddened.

Behind the counter, her face reddened. “Don’t y’all dare crook your ngers at me to come over there. I swear, you’re all losing your manners the older you get.”

He tried to explain, but she wasn’t hearing it. She stomped over with a mug and lled it. She glared some more. “Are y’all just trying to make me mad?”

No one made eye contact while I sipped my co ee down an inch or so and she re lled it and le .

I continued. “So anyway, I had to see my dentist a few months ago and he said I’d worn down my teeth in front and wanted to put some bonding on them. I said okay, and it xed them. I can’t really tell the di erence, except the one Woodrow broke when he hit me with a paddle one day is now straight across.”

He held up a hand. “ at was an accident, and the statute of limitations ran out nearly thirty years ago.”

“Just relating the incident that happened while we were shing for smallmouth from my canoe.”

“ e one that got stolen from y’all’s place up in Oklahoma.”

“Yep, and I’m still mad about them thieves coming onto our property and taking that Grumman, but anyway, a couple of weeks ago we had the kids up at the Lamar County cabin and I tried to bite o the tag end of a line a er I’d tied on a hook, and these new bonded teeth wouldn’t cut through.”

“Lemme see.”

I bared my teeth for Willie, and Doreen shouted. “Y’all don’t be ge ing into it with one another over there, and Rev, if you break out one inch of dental oss, I’ll throw you all out.”

“Just showing him my pearlies.”

“Well…” she didn’t know how to answer that one.

Jerry Wayne exed his shoulder. “You know, I have this pinched nerve that’s giving me ts.”

“Plantar fasciitis,” Willie said. “My foot’s hurt for about two weeks.”

“I’m thinking the ngers on my right hand are ge ing sti , too.” I bent my ngers some more, to keep them limber. “You guys think that’s in sympathy for the other hand?”

Willie leaned forward. “What happened to your elbows Rev?”

“You won’t believe it. I was at a memorial for Larry Bozka, you remember, that’s the writer friend who passed away and really helped me get started in the outdoor writing business.” ey all nodded.

“Well, they asked everyone to come in casual gulf shing clothes, and of course my shirt was short sleeved, and I rested my elbows on a table for about two hours while we talked. at table wore blisters on both of them. Dangedest thing.”

I stood and turned around so they could see them both. Doreen shouted from the counter. “Why are y’all looking at his…!!!???”

“Elbows!” Woodrow cut her o .

“Oh.”

Jerry Wayne showed us the side of his arm. “I was wrestling with one of the grandkids and bruised this arm. Blood thinners.”

More nods around.

“Blood pressure meds for me.” Woodrow pointed at my jaw. “You have some skin cancers taken o ?”

“Yep, too much sunshine. ey biopsied this one.” ey all leaned in for a look.

“I’ll nd out about it next week.”

“All these years outside, hunting and shing, and biting o lines with worn teeth.” Woodrow sighed. “Wonder what’ll hurt in the morning.”

I took a sip of co ee and felt the burn in my stomach. I’d forgo en to take my antacid.

All of a sudden I realized we were all aging out and I wasn’t feeling nearly as good as I did when I rst came in.

Email Ravis Wortham at ContactUs@fishgame.com