Texas Fish & Game May/June 2024

ARDIA NEVES

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

DIRECT PHONE: ( 281) 869-5549

EMAIL: ANEVES@FISHGAME.COM

LARRY DALTON • OFFICE MANAGER 3431 RAYFORD RD. SUITE 200-408 SPRING, TX 77386 PHONE ( 281) 869-5511 • FAX (346) 348-2100

EMAIL: TFGOFFICE@FISHGAME.COM

TEXAS FISH & GAME (ISSN 0887-4174) is published bi-monthly by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC., 3431 Rayford Road, Suite 200-408, Spring, TX 77386. ©Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. All rights reserved. Content is not to be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission. The publication assumes no responsibility for unsolicited photographs and manuscripts. Subscription rates: 1 year $24.95; 2 years $42.95; 3 years $58.95. Address all subscription inquiries to Texas Fish & Game, 3431 Rayford Road, Suite 200-408, Spring, TX 77386. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for response. Give old and new address and enclose latest mailing address label when writing about your subscription. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: TEXAS FISH & GAME, 3431 Rayford Road, Suite 200-408, Spring, TX 77386. Address all subscription inquiries to TEXAS FISH & GAME, 3431 Rayford Road, Suite 200-408, Spring, TX 77386.

Email change of address: subscriptions@fishgame.com.

Email new orders: subscriptions@fishgame.com.

Email subscription inquries:

PHOTO: Robert Patterson caught this

inch red on Corpus Christi Bay. PHOTO: COURTESY DAVID BABINEAUX

WHEN

:: by ROY & ARDIA

Inside FISH GAME

NEVES

TF&G Owners/Publishers

One More Trip Into Our 1984 Time Capsule

OUR FIRST ISSUE

came out in May 1984, Ronald Reagan was still in his rst term.

Economists were celebrating in ation dropping below 5%, a er years of rates in double digits (de ja vu, anyone?).

Personal computers were still a relative novelty, and were super expensive. Mobile phones were just in the experimental stage and no one could possibly envision how the two devices would one day merge to become the center of life for most of Earth’s residents.

GPS technology was locked behind military barricades. High tech boat electronics consisted of sonar/ asher sh nders and tiller operated trolling motors. Hundred-horsepower outboards were a big deal, and ATVs were basically motorized tricycles.

wrist watches... and sh nders, which have become high-de nition chart plo ers that might put the electronics on a 1984 aircra carrier to shame. Likewise, today’s trolling motors are GPS piloted guidance systems capable of pu ing you on an exact squareyard of water, and keeping you on it.

In the eld, you can now drive an ATV that would be hard to distinguish from a SWAT armored vehicle. And while we’re still waiting for ying cars, ying drones are here, and can capture aerial video and photos on game scouting runs and even drop a bait in the surf.

Go back forty years from 1984, and it’s the height of World War II. In the four decades that followed, not much changed besides Television, Rock & Roll, and NASA.

But from ‘84 forward forty years, we’ve witnessed incredible advancements in almost every category of daily living. Granted, there are still no ying cars or technologies like arti cial gravity that those of us who grew up around Space City were led to expect, but plenty of other cool stu has been invented... and a lot of primitive tech has evolved by the force of engineering into new forms of use and function. Much of this innovation has been to the bene t of the outdoors sports.

GPS mustered out of the military, and was rapidly built into countless civilian devices— everything from cars (non- ying, of course) to

Meanwhile, here in the TF&G camp, the past forty years have been quite a ride for us. ere have been ups and downs, for sure. Most of the Downs have come from outside sources and forces that we couldn’t control. A few have been self-in icted.

Most of the Ups we’ve experienced have been thanks to the people who’ve shared the experience with us. We’ve tried to spotlight some of those relationships in previous columns—people associated with Fish & Game’s founding and history. But there have been many others, past and especially present, who’ve contributed to Fish & Game’s survival and longevity.

First among those who have kept TF&G alive and kicking is Chester Moore, our Editor-in-Chief. Chester has been a critical part of our team for three-quarters of our history. He joined our ranks in the mid-1990s as a contributor, quickly moving up to Saltwater Editor, then Executive Editor.

When Don Zaidle passed away suddenly

in 2013, we were fortunate that Chester was here, making the choice of Don’s successor a no-brainer. Chester grabbed the reins and immediately established his own brand of authority over the tone and breadth of our content. Since we were just beginning to expand into our various digital incarnations, his presence was all the more critical. Without Chester at the helm, our E-newsle er and digital editions would not have been possible.

Chester is a gi ed writer, a creative machine, and a dynamic speaker. His work plate is brimming with a wide range of ventures, from editorial duties here, to a weekly radio show and multiple podcasts. He and his wife Lisa have also devoted their personal lives to spiritual missions they’ve founded—Higher Calling Wildlife, the Wild Wishes Program and Kingdom Zoo Wildlife Center—all to serve the needs of children su ering illness and other disadvantages.

We have also been fortunate to have a racted some of the most talented writers in the business. Joe Dogge and Ma Williams have been with us from the beginning. Reavis Wortham joined us in the 1990s. Doug Pike, Lenny Rudow, and Lou Marullo have been on our masthead for more than twenty years. Dustin Ellermann and Larry Weishuhn are more recent additions, and have both helped boost our pro-quotient. Kelly Groce and Paul Fuzinski are our newest recruits and we’re already seeing great potential in their work.

We couldn’t leave this rumination on our past, present and future without mentioning our support sta . Larry Dalton has served as our o ce manager for 10 years, and in that time has helped us ride out the roughest challenges in the history of publishing. In the process, he has taken on responsibilities that entire departments (plural!) once handled. We’ve also had the accounting support of Rod Bou ard for more than 10 years, and the creative services of Melinda Buss for almost that long.

If we’ve learned anything in 40 years, it’s that we are engaged in a team sport, and have been blessed with a roster of exceptional team members.

Email Ardia at aneves@fishgame.com

Email Roy at rneves@fishgame.com

Hog Toxicant Concerns

uLETTERS to the EDITOR

:: by TF&G READERS

I AM WRITING TO EXPRESS MY opposition to the use of toxicants for feral hog control. While it may seem like a quick x to a pressing problem, the potential consequences far outweigh any short-term bene ts.

Using toxicants not only risks harming non-target species and contaminating the environment but also fails to address the root causes of feral hog overpopulation. Instead of simply killing these animals, we should focus on implementing comprehensive strategies that address habitat destruc-

promote harmony between humans and wildlife.

Lyle Strickland

I AM WRITING TO VOICE MY OPPOsition to the use of toxicants as a means of controlling feral hog populations. While I understand the challenges posed by feral hogs, using toxic substances is not a viable solution.

e potential risks associated with toxicants, including harm to non-target species and environmental contamination, outweigh any potential bene ts. Instead, we should focus on exploring alternative methods of feral hog management that are both

tion, food availability, and other factors contributing to their proliferation.

Furthermore, relying on toxicants sets a dangerous precedent and ignores the broader implications for wildlife management and conservation e orts.

We owe it to future generations to pursue sustainable and ethical solutions that

e ective and humane.

e whole idea of using poison on a landscape sucks. Period.

B. Jones

Email Your Comments to editor@fishgame.com

The Texas Dept. of Agriculture has approved the Kaput Feral Hog Bait for use by “licensed applicators” to poison feral hogs in the state.

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

Gulf Great Whites

LEEBETH” MIGHT SOUND

like the name of a girl who lived down the street in your youth.

e name certainly has an endearing quality with a twinge of Southern charm.

And that makes sense, considering she rst came to public awareness o the coast of South Carolina. In case you haven’t gured it out, “LeeBeth” isn’t the girl next door, but a 2,600 pound great white shark caught, ed with a satellite transmi er from the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy (AWSC), and released by Capt. Chip Michalove on December 8, 2023.

Over the next two months, her journey into Texas Gulf waters became a media sensation. She showed up on February 24, 2024, just 200 yards o the beach at South Padre Island, and then we broke the story of this huge shark showing up o the coast of Sabine Pass on March 7.

is shark has brought a ention to her kind and to an organization whose sole focus is to educate and inspire people about them.

AWSC, based on Cape Cod, aims to “support scienti c research, improve public safety, and educate the community to inspire white shark conservation.”

“LeeBeth” made thousands aware of the group’s App, “Sharktivity.”

According to AWSC o cials, the App was developed with input from the Massachuse s Division of Marine Fisheries, the Cape Cod National Seashore, and o cials from Cape Cod and South Shore towns to raise awareness of the presence of white sharks o their coast.

“ e App sightings are fed by researchers, safety o cials, and users who upload photos

EDITOR’S Notes

for con rmation. By enabling App users to report shark sightings and upload photos for con rmation, we are e ectively crowd-sourcing critical data points on where sharks are spo ed so as to reduce encounters and promote safety. Data from sharks with acoustic tags and Smart Position and Temperature Tags (SPOT) are also available on the App. Public sightings submi ed through Sharktivity will be veri ed by the New England Aquarium.”

called Ocearch.

“We still have much to learn about great whites and their movements, and what we’re seeing in the Gulf of Mexico has been interesting to so many people, myself included. It makes us want to do more to raise awareness of these truly amazing animals,” Winton said.

“LeeBeth” would most certainly be proud. is whole story has great personal importance to me since I have been a lifelong fan of the species since seeing “Jaws”, watching Jacques Cousteau ocean specials and reading a book from Time Life’s Wild, Wild World of Animals series called “Dangerous Sea Creatures” as a kid.

Additionally, through the AWSC and the Massachuse s Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), acoustic detection data for tagged white sharks o the coast of Massachuse s and a catalog of over 600 tagged and untagged individual Northwest Atlantic white sharks identi ed by AWSC can be explored through the White Shark Logbook.

AWSC also does educational outreach, special shark-centric eco tours and an important and o en (in my opinion) missing factor in shark awareness-safety.

Let’s face it. Great white sharks are the largest predatory sh on the planet, and they occasionally a ack humans. Making people aware of them is important for both the sake of people and sharks.

For example, I had no idea there are purple ags that identify great white presence in an area. I learned that from AWSC.

“We love interacting with the public to raise awareness of these amazing creatures,” said AWSC Senior Scientist Megan Winton.

“ ese are truly incredible animals, and we want to help raise their conservation pro le and to educate people about potential interactions.”

AWSC has been mostly involved on the East Coast, but they are already helping the cause along the Gulf Coast, where white shark sightings are on the rise. is is proven by AWSC’s tagged sharks along with that of another top research group

In 2005, I began researching whites in the Gulf thanks to my friend Capt. Ryan Warhola having an incredible encounter with one on an o shore charter out of Sabine Pass.

A er the story of the white pinging at Sabine hit, I got a text from him.

“And to think no one believed us back in the early 2000s.”

is is all about shark conservation and raising awareness of how important the Gulf of Mexico is from an ecological standpoint.

Great white sharks have always been in the Gulf but thanks to conservation measures (prohibiting harvest and net removal) we are seeing more. And the new tagging technology is making us far more aware the Gulf is currently part of some of the Atlantic great white’s range.

I remember standing on 61st St. Pier in Galveston when I was 12 asking my Dad if he thought there were any great whites out there.

“Maybe so, son.”

Now that I know for sure, I can’t help but feel more than a li le bit like that young boy, excited about what discoveries are headed for the Gulf of Mexico and its great white sharks.

Email Chester Moore at cmoore@fishgame.com

“LeeBeth”

Know Your Knots I

T’S BEEN AT LEAST 30 YEARS

since I’ve wri en a How-To-Tie-A-Knot column. Since the statute of limitations has long expired, I reckon it’s time to o er a fresh one.

First, a disclaimer: Detailing a “how to” is nigh on impossible without step-by-step illustrations. So, considering my short one-page column format, this is more about stressing the importance of using a properly tied knot for the circumstances.

Success or failure hangs on that tiny connection. e major elements — the planning, the travel, the e ort — all can unravel in a trice. e abrupt slack might be brutal on the nearest bass lake or trout bay, but u erly soul-deadening on a dream trip for a career sh on far- ung water.

e fact that a rst-class excursion to an exotic destination might cost well over $1,000 per shing day only adds to the anguish. e nest rod, the best reel and the nearest gold credit card don’t mean squat in the glare of a “piggy tail” of slipped line.

No — tying a proper knot is serious business. Trust any longtime angler on this sobering truth.

A book of shing knots is a wise investment. But a book detailing dozens and dozens of wraps and splices and hitches can be intimidating. e fact remains (and I base this on more than 50 years of sweating over numerous proclass knots) that a mere four or ve will cover most light-tackle situations.

Learn these, tie them with con dence, and you are good to go anywhere this side of a broadbill sword sh.

e line to line-eye connection to a hook or lure is most common, and the improved clinch knot remains the gold standard. e sheer tonnage of freshwater and saltwater sport sh caught annually by this one knot is impossible to fathom.

I learned the improved clinch in elementary school back at the Hermann Park Duck Pond in Houston during the mid-1950s and have used it with con dence around the angling world.

DOGGETT at Large

improved clinch is that it can be di cult to wrap

A

Another line to hook/lure connection may be favored in a speci c situation but the improved clinch will get you solidly in the game. It is easy to master, even under duress or a er a few ngers of aged dark rum. A drawback to the improved clinch is that it can be di cult to wrap with heavy mono or uoro.

A terminal loop knot allowing free range of motion can be an upgrade on a wobbling plug or spoon, even some ies (larger shrimp/crab/ bait sh saltwater pa erns, or freshwater streamers and poppers). e one I favor is a non-slip easy-to-wrap loop known as the Costa Rica knot. It was demonstrated to me by Fernando Gonzales, a Parismina River tarpon guide during the 1980s.

It does not have the best knot strength, as the wrap cuts into itself, but this is academic with the heavier leader material.

Other loop knots are used for connecting a line and leader. e surgeon’s loop with two overhand wraps is super easy to tie and works without fail. e perfection loop is the preferred choice for a aching the bu end of a mono leader to a y line, but for inexplicable reasons I keep forge ing how to tie one. A er one or two exasperating fumbles I usually say screw it and wrap a quick and e ortless surgeon’s loop. e sh don’t object.

A line-to-line connection is another mustknow. e surgeon’s knot (rather than the above-mentioned loop) is a bit bulky compared to a trim blood knot but much less hassle to wrap. If the connection is braid casting line to mono leader, avoid trying to crank the knot through the narrow level wind; if the connection is braid or mono casting line to a short shock leader, keep the fat surgeon’s knot from banging though the fragile tip guide.

A line-to-line knot that trumps the popular surgeon’s knot was shown to me about 15 years ago by Everglades snook guide, Ward Michaels. I believe he called it a double jam knot. It is like a uni-knot, but with only two overhand turns per line rather than four. It is trim and simple and o ers a low pro le in clear water.

A double line formed with two identical loops should be used to connect a thin casting line to a heavy leader. e double line is also used as a loop-to-loop connection for braided backing line to y line. Either way, it provides greater surface area to displace stress and friction.

e Bimini twist is the signature choice for big sh in saltwater, but it can be a bitch to wrap —very complicated, requiring several sweaty appendages working in concert.

e spider hitch is a great way to cheat. Using the thumbs and indexes of both hands to pinch and wrap, the average angler can whip out a trim double line in seconds. e books recommend six turns but in my experience three or four are bulletproof (and easier to weave).

Some critics argue that the proper Bimini has superior knot strength. It is an excellent knot, and scores well on the Style Meter, but it is over-engineered for average encounters. Based on several decades of use, I have no reason to fault the B-Team spider hitch.

A snell knot might be added to the short list. It allows straight-line contact on a hook with an upturned or downturned eye. It provides a clean look and probably helps when se ing the hook.

Regardless of knot, the key is to pull all ends smoothly and rmly, while making certain the wraps cinch without overlapping or bulging. With mono or uoro it helps to moisten the line with saliva before tightening.

All rigging demands well-lit conditions, and those of us in the Geezer Division should have a pair of reader glasses handy. And, always, if the nal e ort looks suspect, cut it o and re-tie.

Email Joe Doggett at ContactUs@fishgame.com

CCA S.T.A.R. Winning Strategies

THE STATE OF TEXAS ANGLERS

Rodeo (S.T.A.R.) kicks off Memorial Day and gives anglers a legit shot at winning huge prizes.

First on everyone’s minds is catching a tagged redfish.

This division has always been a centerpiece of the tournament but with flounder and trout divisions gone, catching a tagged red is an even more popular among S.T.A.R. anglers.

While the released tagged redfish may be scattered along the coast and tend to roam once released, one thing remains certain: to catch reds, you must locate where they congregate. Tagged fish are caught in every kind of habitat the species tends to roam, so the best game plan is just to find a good redfish hole.

Here are some insights on finding summer reds in Texas.

During the summer, redfish along

the mid-coast can be found feeding in seagrass beds within Aransas and Redfish Bays. While some areas are off-limits to boats with propellers, those open to anglers are prime spots for using live bait. Pitching live croaker or mullet into the sand holes between grass pockets is a reliable method for hooking reds.

In the Laguna Madre area, anglers target reds through fall along the edges of the Intracoastal Waterway and in var-

| Compiled by TF&G STAFF

ious inlets between Corpus Christi and Port Mansfield. Utilizing topwater lures such as the Top Dog Jr. and Skitter Walk proves effective for sight-casting to reds in the region’s crystal-clear waters.

For anglers with boats, the Sabine, north Galveston, and Surfside Jetties are teeming with reds. Look for deep holes alongside the rocks, as they tend to hold the most fish, while boating cuts serve as a secondary but productive option. Live

mullet reigns as the top bait for the jetties, although artificial lures also yield success.

Chunking a ½-ounce gold Rat-L-Trap or a large gold spoon tipped with squid or shrimp into the deep holes proves fruitful for jetty reds. However, anglers should exercise caution when using lighter tackle with lures, as reds may dart into the rocks, risking both the fish and expensive lures.

Sheepshead are legal game in the tournament as well.

Fishing live shrimp under popping corks with fluorocarbon leaders can attract sheepshead, especially in clear waters. Opt for sturdy hooks to handle their bite strength.

Live shrimp fished around any of the jetty systems can be killer but don’t overlook huge sheepshead around wrecks and buoys in the channel.

Scan to Hear Audio Version q

Tagged reds are just one of the big draws to the CCA S.T.A.R. tournament. Between youth, inshore and offshore divisions, S.T.A.R. has a total prize package of nearly $2 Million.

Di o for ga opsail cat sh.

Look for pockets of these sh, particularly around je y systems and nearshore oil and gas platforms. Use chum to a ract them and employ simple rigging techniques with circle hooks or sh- nder rigs.

A great place to catch them inland are around deep reefs on the southern end of

bays and deep holes in the ship channel.

Red Snapper inhabit reefs, wrecks, and other underwater structures in depths ranging from 30 to 150 feet.

Snapper are voracious eaters and readily strike various baits, including squid, cut bait, and live sh. Bo om shing with a Carolina rig or a sh nder rig is e ective in enticing

these bo om-dwelling predators. Patience is key, as red snapper o en take their time before commi ing to the bait.

Heavy tackle is recommended to handle the powerful runs of red snapper and prevent them from retreating into the structure. Use stout rods paired with braided line and a strong leader to withstand the sh’s

abrasive mouth and the rough underwater terrain.

Dorado (Dolphin, Mahi Mahi) are pelagic species found in offshore waters, particularly around floating debris, weed lines, and temperature breaks. They are often encountered in depths ranging from 100 to 500 feet.

Dorado are attracted to brightly colored trolling skirts and surface poppers. Live bait, such as ballyhoo or small fish, also entices strikes. Trolling at varying speeds near weed lines or floating objects is a popular method for targeting dorado.

Medium to heavy trolling rods paired with monofilament or fluorocarbon line are suitable for dorado fishing. A selection of artificial lures and rigged baits ensures versatility in enticing strikes.

King Mackerel are commonly found near offshore reefs, oil rigs, and bait schools in depths ranging from 20 to 100 feet. Pay attention to water temperature and currents, as these factors influence their movement. They like to be along current rips and they are also fond of feeding behind culling shrimp boats.

King Mackerel are aggressive predators that readily strike live baitfish, such as menhaden, mullet, and cigar minnows. Trolling with spoons, plugs, or rigged baits at varying depths is an effective method for targeting king mackerel. High-speed trolling can trigger reaction strikes from these fast-swimming fish.

Medium to heavy spinning or conventional rods paired with wire or heavy monofilament leaders are suitable for king mackerel fishing. A sturdy drag system is essential to handle the fish’s powerful runs and prevent line breakage.

Catching cobia (ling) in the Texas Gulf of Mexico requires strategic planning and precise execution. These powerful fish often congregate near structures such as buoys, wrecks, and oil rigs. Anglers typically target them in depths ranging from 20 to 200 feet with the fish typically hanging near the upper tier of the water column.

Successful cobia fishing relies on understanding their behavior and preferences. Live bait such as small fish, crabs, or eels, as well as artificial lures like bucktail jigs and swimbaits, are effective in enticing strikes.

Sight fishing is common, with anglers casting their bait or lure ahead of the fish and reeling it in to provoke a response.

Another great way to catch them is to rev your engine up around buoys or rigs. That may spook some fish, but cobia will often come up to see what’s going on.

Tackling cobia demands sturdy equipment. Medium to heavy spinning or baitcasting rods paired with strong braided line are recommended, along with a robust leader to withstand their abrasive mouths and potential encounters with structure.

And be careful when you have them in the boat. They flop like crazy and could easily break a leg.

Don’t let anything like that happen to ruin what should be an amazing summer of fishing in the S.T.A.R. tournament.

This tournament is CCA’s major member drive and helps connect tens of thousands to conservation of our fisheries. That makes it unique and a valuable asset to all Texas Gulf Coast anglers.

HE “INTERNET OF THINGS,” OR I-O-T AS it’s called, now includes everything from doorbells to dishwashers and is forecast to encompass over 20 billion connected devices by 2025. One of those many machines might be your boat. And though it may seem a bit overly complex and tech-heavy for someone who just wants to catch a few speckled trout or cast topwater lures for bass, having a communicative watercraft will make your boating life better. For better or for worse I was an early adopter of aquatic IoT, rigging my 22’ Glacier Bay with the original Siren Marine way back in the technological stone age of 2017. This initial system was limited to geofencing and a few alarms that pushed SMS messages to a smartphone. Since that boat lived in a wet slip and the marina’s security was less than perfect, I was mostly interested in the geofencing aspect of things. At any time, I could look at a map on my phone and see exactly where the boat was. And if it left the slip without my knowledge, I’d get an alert.

CHANGE

OF ATTITUDE

Late one rainy evening, a few months after the Siren system had been installed, my phone started blowing up. I grabbed it, swiped, and learned that a high-water alarm was ringing its bells. Knowing that the boat was well maintained and had multiple bilge pumps, I figured it had to be a false alarm, but grudgingly grabbed a raincoat and headed for the door. When I arrived at the marina, I discovered a badly listing boat and a cockpit ankle-deep under rainwater. The deck

Scan to Hear Audio Version q

scuppers were completely plugged on both sides, water was ooding the bilge via an overwhelmed deck hatch, and the pumps had run the ba eries out of juice trying to keep up with the ow.

I later discovered that the piles of brownish crud clogging the scuppers consisted of

sawdust and wood chips. A contractor had

Above: Siren 3 Pro Bundles offer sensor configurations for a variety of boat styles including bay, pontoon, bass and more.

geofencing service was great, having 24/7 remote alarms was downright boat-saving.

remote alarms was downright boat-saving.

the tech surrounding connected boats has evolved at warp speed and today is already in its third generation. Yamaha Marine purchased Siren in early 2022 and immediately began integrating it with their engine’s

remote digital switching. at means you can ip on a boat’s lights or re up the a.c. when you’re miles away. e latest iteration, Siren 3 Pro, was just announced early this year and includes a new app user interface, which works with Apple, Android, and even many smart-watches. It integrates with Yamaha’s Command Link Plus protocol, so it can remind you and/or your dealer when scheduled maintenance is due. It maintains maintenance records, can be personalized by boatbuilders, has the ability to share oat plans, and o ers NMEA2000 connectivity.

TECH TALK

many smart-watches. It integrates with the then gets into your hands via the app. You

So, how does this stu work? e Siren connects to the IoT and the wider world via 4G/5G cellular. For boaters who range far a eld and can’t depend on cell service there’s the optional SirenSat, an oshore-capable satellite antenna. Monitoring functions, which range from ba ery level to tank levels, to that critical high-water alarm, work via both wired and wireless sensors which communicate with the Siren 3 Pro Main Device. And remote control comes via direct integration with a CZone digital switching system or the addition of a 12-V DC Accessory Relay. All the data that’s collected and the ability for remote control then gets into your hands via the app. You can also set it up to deliver the engine data directly to your Yamaha dealer.

the

been making repairs to the dock, and carelessly ignored where all the refuse was blowing as they cut new boards. Where it was blowing was directly into my boat. When the rain began that evening the dust and chips washed to the scuppers, collected, and eventually stopped any water from owing down the drains. Had I not arrived when I did the result could have been disastrous — and the Siren system was solely responsible for triggering the alert. I realized that while

systems, and as Yamaha’s Director of Connectivity Andrew Cullen puts it, allows boat owners “to ‘be’ aboard their boat even when they can’t be in person, pu ing everything a customer needs to know about his or her boat at their ngertips.”

In addition to the security and monitoring features (which we should point out can net you a 5-to-10-percent insurance discount depending on your carrier and location), a Siren system can include

e value of having a connected boat has at this point been proven by the boat-saving experiences of many people, along with my own. And now, many top boatbuilders like Grady-White, Regulator, SunCatcher, and Skeeter have begun o ering Siren systems as standard equipment on some models. You can bet that as time goes on, more and more will. And as more and more boats get connected to the IoT, more and more boat owners will be glad for it.

Fishing the Flower Moon

IMAGES OF GIANT BULL REDS

and tarpon rolling along the surface are what dance in my mind when I think of May shing here on the Lower Laguna Madre. e full moon in May is known as the Flower Moon and represents the peak of spring and a renewal of nature. e

Flower Moon marks the transition into long summer days, and this is when anglers along the Gulf Coast can expect shing to really heat up.

Prior to May, sheepshead provided fun days of bent rods as giant clouds of these sh made their way through these water ways to spawn. Once the sheepshead action begins to slow and the water temperatures begin to climb, we can expect the arrival of big schools of red sh and our rst signs of the mighty tarpon. e biggest blessings of the Lower Laguna Madre are the diversity in sh species and structured areas like the je ies teaming with life. For the most part, May represents red sh and tarpon for me,

Going COASTAL

but there really is no telling what you can catch here during this time when nature is in full bloom. You may in fact walk to the end of the rocks, throw out your bo om rig or your favorite swimbait with all intent on catching a red sh and end up catching a snook. e Lower Laguna Madre has a beautiful way of keeping us on our toes.

On an outing with Capt. Brian Barrera, we made our way to the tip of the je ies before daybreak. We were marking sh fairly close to the bo om on the Humminbird Solix 12, so Brian threw out a bo om rig. I grabbed my con dence lure, the D.O.A. Baitbuster. is lure mimics a delicious sized mullet to a tee and with its heavy weight is ideal for casting at the je ies and

ge ing down to the desired depth quickly. I casted out with intent of le ing this lure get down to the bo om, but it didn’t stand a chance. As soon as it hit the water, I had a sh thump it. rough the darkness I couldn’t see what I had until it was by the boat and to my pleasant surprise it was the largest fat snook I had ever caught. I always like a visit from these sh who have paper thin mouths and usually come o once hooked. Relatives of the common snook, fat snook have more of a square body, yellowish lateral line and usually grow about 12” or so long. A er the release, I cast out again and caught another one. With a school of them hanging close to the rocks, the fat

snook party continued until they caught onto my lure.

Once the sun began to peek over the horizon and the tide began moving, those red sh we were marking along the bo om started to wake up. Fighting a brute bull red from depths of 30-50’ is quite exhilarating, especially when it’s one a er another. Using both bo om rigs and the D.O.A. Baitbuster, we caught reds one a er another until we couldn’t take it anymore.

With most of the action happening on the bo om, we always make sure to keep our eyes peeled for action on the surface. Tarpon roll right under people’s noses all the time without their knowledge. If you aren’t closely looking for it, you can most de nitely miss it. When it comes to tarpon shing, it is extremely di cult and relying on any visual sign of them can make or break your chances of hooking up to one. With the warming of May and June, this is when we begin seeing these signs of silver kings in the 30-100 lb. range hanging around the rocks. is summer is looking good for drag screaming fun under the sun and for anglers who continue the pursuit for one of the Lower Laguna Madre’s varieties of sh, are in for a real reward. Be prepared for anything and enjoy the awakening of summertime shing on the Gulf Coast.

Email Kelly Groce at contactus@fishgame.com

TF&G Contributing Editor

beautiful way of keeping us on our toes.

The Flower Moon marks the peak of spring and the heating up of Lower Laguna Madre fishing.

HERE IS MORE THAN one way to catch a fat cat.

Some anglers like to go after them the conventional way using a stout rod, heavy duty hook and a big slab of cut bait that might tempt a bear.

Passive crowds catch plenty on trotlines, jugs, limb lines and bank poles, as do adrenaline junkies like Justin White of Kaufman and Drew Moore of Chandler.

White and Moore are hardcore noodlers who get a charge out of sticking their appendages in dark places where the sun don’t shine. They routinely get their fix snatching big catfish from their spawning dens at Lake Tawakoni, a 38,000-acre reservoir near Greenville that ranks among the top lakes in the south for catching whopper blue, flathead and channel catfish.

Last June, the young men tag-teamed what may be the biggest flathead catch

Brayden Rogers

ever noodled and documented on certified scales. They found the 98.7 pound, 56 inch bruiser hiding inside an old concrete washout at the base of a bridge crossing in about 14 feet of water. Moore described the battle as intense. “All hell broke loose,” he said. “She met us at the edge of her spawning bed and went to work on us. She would ram us, suck our arms in up to the elbow, roll, shake loose and bite again. Imagine being locked in a dark closet with an MMA fighter you can’t see. It was complete chaos. We took a total butt whipping for about 2 minutes. She tore up the arms on our wet suits. I’ve had teeth in my arms like splinters.”

Michael Littlejohn and Noel Ibarra know all about Tawakoni’s famed trophy catfish fishery. Both are full-time fishing guides who have steered their clients to a passel of rod and reel bruisers.

The biggest fish hauled aboard

Littlejohn’s rig is the 87.5 pound lake record blue cat reeled in by Jody Jenkins in February 2014. The fish gobbled up a piece of fresh cut bait as Littlejohn made a drift across deep water.

Like Littlejohn, Ibarra has caught and released dozens of blues upwards of 40 pounds over the years. His biggest is an 80 pounder caught in February 2020 by Kansas angler Kenny Quiett.

In March 2019, Ibarra guided 13-yearold Brayden Rogers of Cisco to a 67 pounder. The fish was the junior angler state record and lake record until 12-yearold Cade Childress of Pickton cracked it in March 2021 with another Tawakoni giant. Childress’ 72.4 pounder was caught while fishing with guide James Evans.

If it sounds like Tawakoni is a pretty sweet spot to go hunting for heavyweight catfish, that’s because it is. The same could be said for a number of other Texas lakes.

Justin Wright & Drew Moore

The big girls may show up in lakes of all sizes, but as a rule whopper cats are most abundant in large, riverine water bodies that afford them plenty of food and solitude for growing old and fat.

Blue cats and flathead cats are the two sub-species most prone to develop serious weight problems in these parts. Females can attain weights in excess of 100 pounds, although it can take them a long time to get there.

Channel cat don’t grow near as large as blues and flatheads. The state rod and reel record channel cat dating way back to 1965 is 36.5 pounds from the Pedernales River. An even bigger one (37.70 pounds) was caught on a jug line at lake Bob Sandlin last October, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife’s water body records. Channels do exceptionally well in large river systems, but also can be found in quite a few reservoirs around the state.

Big ones upwards of 10 pounds are most common in water bodies where blue catfish populations are not well established, according to Jake Norman, a TPWD fisheries biologist based in Tyler.

Norman ranks lakes Fork, Pat Mayse and Tyler among the top lakes in the state for catching numbers of channel cats in the 8-10 pound range. “The size of the channel cat in those lakes might surprise you,” Norman said. “The common factor between them is they don’t have large numbers of blue cat. It’s kind of a strange dynamic.”

As heavyweight blue cats go, no one can deny Lake Texoma the title belt for quantities of fish weighing upwards of 50 pounds. The 89,000-acre Texas/Oklahoma border fishery has produced several state record blue cats, including an unrestricted 116 pounder caught on a trotline in April 1985 and a current state rod and reel record

Where to Find the Biggest Catfish in Texas story by Matt Williams

to Hear Audio Version q

of 121.5 pounds caught in 2004 by bank fisherman Cody Mullennex. The Mullennex blue ranked as the IGFA world record for several years but has since been broken.

Toledo Bend Reservoir is another border lake known for its heavyweight blues and flatheads, also known as “ops.” The lake record rod and reel flathead from 1985 is listed at 71 pounds, but I’ve seen much bigger. In the early 1990s, I photographed a giant caught on a jigging spoon and brought to shore by a couple of elderly men. The 92 pounder was weighed on an uncertified scale at Bill’s Landing. Interestingly, one of the men was a heart patient who was recovering from quadruple bypass surgery at the time. The other had been declared legally blind. Trotliner Thomas Allcorn

Scan

Cade Childress

Kenny Quiett

Texas Catfish Records

SAM RAYBURN

• Blue Cat: 53.00 pounds

• Flathead: 74.09 pounds

PALESTINE

• Blue Cat: 48.20 pounds

• Flathead: 98.50 pounds

RICHLAND CHAMBERS

• Blue Cat: 65.80 pounds

• Flathead: 80.25 pounds

RAY HUBBARD

• Blue Cat: 62.23 pounds

• Flathead: 65 pounds

• Channel Cat: 26.06 pounds

LEWISVILLE

• Blue Cat: 63.12 pounds

• Flathead: 98 pounds

• Channel Cat: 22.68 pounds

LIVINGSTON

• Blue Cat: 71 pounds

owns the T-Bend all tackle lake record with an 84-pound blue caught in 2007. The lake record blue by rod and reel is 67 pounds.

Lake Palestine is another lake that can’t be left out for catching giants on hook and

• Flathead: 82 pounds

CEDAR CREEK

• Blue Cat: 65.01 pounds

• Flathead: 64.75 pounds

LAKE WORTH

• Blue Cat: 75.50 pounds

• Flathead: 53.65 pounds

EAGLE MOUNTAIN

• Blue Cat: 53.07 pounds

• Flathead: 73 pounds

RAY ROBERTS

• Blue Cat: 59.99 pounds

• Flathead: 62.60 pounds

GRAPEVINE

• Blue Cat: 60.80 pounds

• Flathead: 73.50 pounds

line. The lake record rod and reel blue cat is 48.20 pounds; flathead, 98.5 pounds. The list of Texas lakes known for producing big bites goes on and on.

Sam Rayburn is certainly worth a

mention, as are lakes Palestine, Richland Chambers, Ray Hubbard, Lewisville, Livingston, Cedar Creek, Worth, Eagle Mountain, Ray Roberts, and Grapevine. Take your pick and hang on tight.

AGING A CAT

So, how old was the 98.7 bruiser Moore and White snatched at Lake Tawakoni? No one knows for certain. The only way to accurately estimate the age of a fish is to examine its otoliths, small bones inside the skull. Fish must be dead to do it.

TPWD fisheries/research biologist David Buckmeier has aged thousands of flathead and blue catfish over the years. He says growth rates are highly variable. Buckmeier has aged five-pound flatheads that were 3-30 years old and 100-pound blue cats as young as 13. The biologist has found that the biggest fish are typically not the oldest, and that they usually grow faster than most in the population. His best guess is the Tawakoni fish was likely in its late teens or early 20s.

NCats of a Different Color

OEL IBARRA HAS A RICH history for sni ng out fat cats. During winter of 2019, the 44-year-old Lake Tawakoni / Ray Hubbard shing guide steered 12-year-old Brayden Rogers of Cisco to a youth state record blue cat weighing 67 pounds. Rogers’ record from Tawakoni has since been broken by Cade Childress of Pickton. Childress’ 72.4 pounder also was caught at Tawakoni.

It’s hard to imagine tangling with such a big sh on a hook and line tipped with thick chunk of gizzard shad, but Ibarra guided Kenny Quie of Delia, Kansas to an even larger one in February 2020. Quie ’s sh weighed in at 80 pounds. at’s well o the Tawakoni lake record mark of 87.50 pounds, and a far cry from Lake Texoma’s state rod and reel record blue cat of 121.50 pounds, but it was a giant just the same.

Ibarra was up to his old tricks on February 4 when Lady Luck came calling again. He saw a bump of the rod tip, set the hook and handed the rod to one of his clients as he usually does.

e 32.06 pounder the angler reeled in from two feet of muddy water was less than half the size of some blues Ibarra has caught and released, but it was a trophy cat just the same.

e sh was colored up di erently than anyone on the boat had ever seen. Blue cat sh are typically slate blue to gray on the back, fading to a whitish hue on the belly.

e skin on Ibarra’s sh was a pale white with pinkish ns and tail. He called it an albino.

“I knew it the second I saw it break the surface — you could really see it once we worked it close to the boat,” Ibarra said. “It was a beautiful sh.”

It’s not the rst time Ibarra’s boat has accounted for a blue cat with peculiar markings. In 2022, he caught a sh that was mostly white with a few bluish-grey splotches mixed in. e technical name for the condition is “piebald.” It’s a natural pigmentation muta-

Texas FRESHWATER

tion that can occur in all sorts of animals, including white-tailed deer. TPWD sheries biologist Jake Norman evaluated a photograph of Ibarra’s piebald cat sh soon a er it was caught and released. He said it was the rst he’d seen documented in eastern Texas and one of a few he’s seen during his career. “I have seen both channel and blue cat sh display the piebald pigmentation trait, but it is still a very rare occurrence overall.” Norman added that the factors that cause the condition in cat sh and other wild animals are not fully understood.

:: by MATT WILLIAMS TF&G Freshwater Fishing Editor

an interesting sh for sure. And while it does have a very light overall appearance and some light pink edges around its ns, I believe this sh is simply light in color from the recent heavy rains and muddy water.”

Norman says several species of sh, including cat sh, have the ability to regulate pigment to be er blend in with their surroundings. Fish may lighten up in dirty water and turn darker in clear water.

Noel Ibarra displays the blue catfish he caught at Lake Ray Hubbard. Ibarra thinks the fish may have been albino. Fisheries experts say its pale color may be the result of being caught from muddy water.

“It is without question a genetic mutation that causes a variation in the natural pigmentation of the sh, but the base cause of the mutation is still unknown,” he said.

Albinism in the cat sh world may be even rarer than piebaldism, according to Norman. e biologist evaluated photos of Ibarra’s most recent catch. Knowing what he knows about sheries science, Norman was hesitant to con rm it as a true albino. Instead, he thinks the lighter coloration was likely the result of the muddy water environment from which it was caught. Another possibility is the sh was leucistic. Norman says leucism is partial albinism. e condition can’t be con rmed without genetics testing. Norman says a pure albino results from genetic abnormalities that cause a reduction or complete absence in the production of melanin — the pigment in the skin or hair that gives it color.

“A true albino cat sh would look almost glossy white and have more pink coloration expressed around thin-skinned areas, such as n tips and eyes,” he said. “Noel’s sh is

“Several species of sh have more pigment cell types than any other vertebrate on this planet,” he said. “ is chameleon-like e ect can be driven by several things, including hormone changes (aggression or stress) and photoreceptors in the eyes that detect changes in light around them. All of these result in less or more pigment expressed on the surface of the sh.”

Scan to Hear Audio Version 

Norman says anglers can observe these changes in pigmentation in short order by simply placing a sh caught from deep or muddy water in a livewell.

“Typically, that sh will be very grey or silver when rst caught, but will soon display darker colors in the livewell, and even display more pronounced bars, splotches, etc. depending on the species,” Norman said.

Norman has witnessed such changes rst hand with crappie. He said he and a friend once caught about 40 crappie from 30 feet of water Lake Tyler. Pale in color, the sh looked like white crappie when placed in the livewell.

“A er 10-15 minutes in the livewell, they had all colored up and were clearly black crappie,” he said.

Email Matt Williams at contactus@fishgame.com

A Look at Hogs That Maul and Sometimes Kill story by Chester Moore

DR. JACK MAYER HAS BEEN studying wild hogs since the 1970s and his research may shed light on our would-be attacker.

Of the 21 states reporting hog attacks Texas led the pack with 24 percent, Florida at 12 percent and South Carolin at 10. Interestingly when examining worldwide shark fatalities hogs beat them out as recently as 2013.

Obviously if hogs were bloodthirsty animals, bent on destroying humanity there would be many fatal attacks in Texas and that is just not the case but what is interesting is the profile of hogs that have attacked humans.

In his study, hogs that attack are described as solitary (82 percent), large (87 percent) and male (81 percent) and most attacks occurred when there was no hunting

involved.

This describes a lone, mature boar, likely territorial, powerful and much faster than a person can imagine. It is a different hog than the young boar that comes in with a bunch of other hogs to a deer feeder or the sow defending her young. She may be aggressive in defense, but Mayer’s findings show many of these hog attacks have the pig actually eating or attempting to eat the people.

A very unfortunate case was a woman killed by what was believed to be a group of hogs near Anahuac, TX in 2019.

While few attacks are fatal, they are downright terrifying at the very least.

While bowhunting for hogs in South Texas, I met a man with 83 stitches on his left leg due to a

hog getting hold of him in a cactus thicket while running it with dogs a few years previous. I have since lost track of the man, but I will never forget seeing his scars.

In 1998 Robert Burns of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service wrote of two verified attacks in Texas, including a 1996 fatality.

“In one instance, a boar attacked a woman on a Fort Worth jogging trail. Two years ago, a Cherokee County deer hunter died from a feral hog attack.”

The Benton County Daily Record chronicled a wild boar that, “attacked and flipped a utility vehicle on a job site in Waco… and severely injured a Gentry man.”

The story details that, “Greg Lemke, who designs chicken houses for Latco Inc. of Lincoln, was a passenger in a utility vehicle when

the wild boar struck the rear of the vehicle, causing it to flip with Lemke inside.”

“The accident left Lemke paralyzed from the breast bone down.”

The Pineville Town Talk tells the story of a Pineville, La. man who had a pig enter the house he was visiting.

“Boston Kyles, 20, of 497 Pelican Drive told deputies he was visiting his sister’s house at the time of the incident. He said he had gone there to clean fish and was sitting in the house’s front room when the pig entered through the

front door.

Kyles told deputies he stomped the floor to try to shoo the pig out of the room, but the pig charged him, Maj. Herman Walters said.”

“Walters had heard of pigs attacking people in the woods but said this was the first time he had heard of a pig going into a house and attacking someone.”

In my book “Hog Wild” I reference an Edgefield, South Carolina man who experienced one of the scariest hog attacks I could find occurring in the United States.

The Edgefield Advertiser reported, “A man was hospitalized recent-

ly after being attacked by a wild hog at his home on Gaston Road.

The hog, which eyewitnesses estimated to weigh upwards of 700 pounds, materialized in Fab Burt’s backyard while he was working in his garden.”

“It came out of nowhere and attacked me. It had me pinned on the ground and was mauling me.”

You can listen to a special edition of the TFG-sponsored Dark Outdoors podcast with Dr. Jack Mayer that goes into super detail about hogs and hog attacks on Apple Music, Spotify, IHeartRadio and all major podcasting platforms.

Scan to Hear Audio Version q

Fawns and Other Important Things

WHAT WAS THE FAWN

crop like 3, 4, 5 and 6 years ago?” I asked one of the hunters on the lease I was considering joining.

“We have plenty of deer! Some say too many! Why are you asking about fawn crops in those years”, replied he who was in charge of the lease I was inquiring about joining. It was mid-May, fawns were just beginning to “hit the ground”, bucks were showing antlers, but it was still too early to tell what kind of antler crop it would be. During the mid-morning drive through the property, I did notice the stock tanks were full and there was abundant browse, both woody and forbs, a fancy word for “weeds”.

“I personally like hunting mature bucks, those that are four years old or older. Up until that age body development always takes precedence to antler development. Once a buck’s long bones and muscles are fully developed the deer can then channel any nutrition not required for maintenance into antler development”. I continued, “And…If the fawn survival rate was rather low four plus years ago, chances are almost 100% there are not many old or mature bucks in the local herd. Of course, even if you had a large fawn crop during those years and hunting pressure was really high,

not many bucks were likely live long enough to get into those older age classes.”

“I’d really like to see the results of any deer or game surveys y’all have done in the past, as well as you’re harvest record for both bucks and does. at way I can see what y’all have been shooting as well as the numbers of bucks and does you’ve been taking each year”. In so saying I noticed a rather bewildered look on the lease master’s face, not a good sign.

At the time, it had been several years since I was on any kind of “deer hunting lease”. Not that I had not been doing a lot of deer hunting in Texas and other areas,

the fall. Does usually become somewhat solitary as they prepare for the birth of their fawns. Vegetation, with adequate rain is relatively tall making it di cult to see shed antlers. So, May and June truly are a bit boring for those of us who hunt deer.

During late spring and early summer, I do try to spend time calling predators, especially coyotes, using Burnham Brothers revolutionary new FREQ electronic call. e FREQ, unlike any other electronic call, duplicates the actual sounds and levels, measured in Hertz, made by distressed prey animals. e sounds from it sound real to predators, because essentially they are. No other electronic call can even come close in performance of the FREQ.

During this time, I also o en use a distressed fawn call. is o en a racts predators but can also bring in anxious whitetail does fearing it is her fawn being a acked by predators.

but most of the hunts I had been on, other than the ranches I managed had been “package hunts”. Even on those, I had asked to see fawn survival and harvest records, as I was asking of the lease I was considering joining.

When it comes to a time of the year when deer hunting is almost boring, it is May and June. Realize I said “deer hunting” not “deer shooting”. Personally I “hunt” deer year around, trying to continually learn as much as I possibly can about deer in speci c areas, such as those properties I hunt during the season, or those I am interested in hunting during the fall hunting seasons. During May and June bucks are generally not far enough along in antler development to really tell what they will look like later in

May and June too, are ideal times to purchase a new scope, ri e, muzzleloader, handgun, bow and or arrows and/or a crossbow. Doing so now, will give you adequate time and opportunities to go to your local ri e range to determine your new item’s capabilities and yours with whatever you decide to hunt with the coming fall.

I just got a new 6.5 PRC, Mossberg Patriot Predator (built in Eagle Pass, Texas) ri e topped with a Trijicon AccuPoint scope, through which I’ll be shooting Hornady’s Precision Hunter ammunition. Headed to the range later today to start shooting it in prep for the upcoming shooting deer season, only a few months away.

Editor’s Note: To listen to Larry’s weekly “DSC Camp res with Larry Weishuhn” podcast, purchase his newest deer hunting book, DEER ADDICTIONS, or watch the weekly digital tv show he co-hosts, please visit his new website, www.larryweishuhn.net.

Email Larry Weishuhn at ContactUs@fishgame.com

TF&G Whitetail Hunting Editor

Interested in mature bucks, ask what the fawn survival rates were like four years and more ago.

Tips for hitting the Beach with a Fly Rod | story by Chester Moore

SCI-FLY FISHING WAS A term I came up with to describe the sh-centric method I used for all of my shing, especially y and ultralight shing. It’s about understanding species and their habits, biology and response to environmental stimuli.

I’m new to surf shing when it comes to my y shing, but I will be doing a lot of that this summer. Here are some strategies I plan on trying. Email me at cmoore@ shgame.com if you have some suggestions.

SPECKLED TROUT

FLY SELECTION: Opt for vibrant, ashy ies like chartreuse and white Clouser Minnows. ese colors mimic the bait sh that speckled trout o en prey upon.

TECHNIQUE: Cast your line into the surf and allow the current to carry the y to where the trout are likely lurking. Retrieve the line with short, jerky movements to mimic the erratic behavior of injured bait sh, enticing the trout to strike.

BEST TIME TO FISH: Generally, dawn and dusk are prime times for speckled trout shing. e best shing will always be when the surf is clear. Murky water kills trout shing in the surf.

REDFISH

FLY SELECTION: Opt for realistic crab-pa erned ies. Red sh are known for their preference for crabs, making these ies an irresistible choice.

TECHNIQUE: Target deeper waters where redfish tend to congregate, such as around sandbars or near oyster beds. Cast your line and let the fly sink to the bottom before using a slow, steady retrieve to mimic the movement of a crab.

BEST TIME TO FISH: Redfish can be caught year-round but are particularly active during the warmer months. Fishing during incoming tides can also increase your chances of success.

SHEEPSHEAD

FLY SELECTION: Opt for shrimp-pattern flies, as sheepshead are fond of feeding on crustaceans like shrimp and crabs.

TECHNIQUE: Target rocky outcroppings

and structures where sheepshead like to feed like those in the surf around Galveston and Surfside. Cast your line near these structures and allow the fly to sink to the bottom. Use a subtle retrieve to mimic the movement of a shrimp, enticing the sheepshead to strike.

BEST TIME TO FISH: Fishing during the slack tide, when the current is minimal can be good for sheepshead. It stinks for other fish, but sometimes they bite on slack tides, especially if you chum.

POMPANO

FLY SELECTION: Opt for small, shiny flies. Pompano are attracted to bright, reflective colors.

TECHNIQUE: Look for sandy bottoms and troughs along the shoreline where pompano feed on crustaceans and small baitfish. Cast your line and use a slow, steady retrieve to mimic the movement of a fleeing shrimp or baitfish.

BEST TIME TO FISH: Pompano are most active during the warmer months, particularly in late spring and early summer. Fishing during the incoming tide, when food is washed towards the shore, can increase your chances of success. Pompano seem to be increasing in the Texas surf and are tons of fun to catch and great to eat.

Scan to Hear Audio Version q

UST LIKE WITH ANY SPECIES of sh, targeting the spectacularly large ones takes more time, skill and patience than reeling in the more naive and less experienced ones. is applies to bass, trout and yes, even sun sh.

ese trophy sized sh tend to be smarter in that they’ve seen just about every lure, live bait and cheap shing line known to man and have started to gure out that when they

bite it, it doesn’t end well. So how do you go about targeting the biggest, baddest sun sh in your body of water?

Firstly, the larger sun sh tend to be loners. Whereas smaller specimens of the species tend to gather in large schools near shelter such as docks, weeds and shallower water, the big ones tend to group up in smaller schools, stay in deeper water and o en take more time to look at a bait before deciding to bite it. Larger sun sh are also less inquisitive than the smaller ones and tend to back away from anything looking suspicious.

Sun sh tend to feed at all levels of the water column. ey

Targeting Trophy Sunfi

story by Paul Fuzinski

nd food in aquatic vegetation, eat insects o the surface and scavenge the bo om of a lake for sunken food. is can make it tricky to nd them at any given moment! For larger sh, search some of the deeper weed beds, timber, stump elds and brush piles in your favorite shing lake or reservoir.

As we all likely know, sun sh tend to be most active early in the morning and late in the a ernoon, but as we have all likely found, they can be active at any given moment of a day as well! While it can be frustrating, you’ll need to search the lake for structure and sh in the prime time as well as throughout the day to see when and where they are biting. As with all sh, sometimes they just aren’t feeding, which is a frustrating feeling.

Scan to Hear Audio Version

One of the be er strategies to reel in larger sun sh is to size down. Lighter hooks and lighter line tend to catch the bigger sh in most scenarios. An average six pound line will do ne all around but the clearer the water, the lighter you may want to go. As uorocarbon line is practically invisible underwater, it is never a bad option.

As far as hook size goes, we are all aware the mouth of a sun sh is not very large. Try #8 or #10 hooks but you may be able to go

as large as #6 for larger sun sh. Small jigs or even ice shing jigs with tiny so plastics may also entice larger sh. I have found that the smaller the hook, the more likely they are to swallow it if you aren’t able to set the hook quickly enough.

As sun sh rely heavily on scent to nd their food, it never hurts to use live bait, or scented so plastics. ese sh seem to prefer bait that wiggles and squirms, in turn enticing them to bite. You can never go

wrong with the classics of worms, crickets or tiny jigs. If the classics aren’t working, you can always try maggots, mealworms, hellgrammites and sometimes even small minnows!

In recent years, speci c so plastics for sun sh have come a long way from the standard stu you’ll nd in the large sportsman stores. Websites like pan shplastics.com have a wonderful assortment of so plastics speci cally for sun sh that can help land you some big suckers in your boat.

As far as rods go, light is the name of the game. Ultra-light rods not only make it easy to detect a bite, but also won’t wear you out while shing long days out on the water. You can use a short 4½ up to a longer 6 ultra-light rod depending on the application and your personal preference. You’ll also want a lighter and smaller reel for these sh. I like the 500 size spinning reel on my rods but you can play around and use what suits your shing style best.

If you’ve never tried y shing for bluegill, you’re missing out on one of the greatest joys of life. Not only do many ies imitate bugs that bluegill naturally eat in the water, but they also are very aggressive and make the ght exciting. I personally love my Purple Perch Plucker 3wt y rod built by Captain Steve “Scooby” Stubbe of Mud sh Adventures, made right in Hemphill, TX. If you want one for yourself or want to get out on the water to get some monster bluegill,

Faith Moore caught this beautiful longear sunfish. These guys don’t get too big but they pack a powerful punch.

Sinking y line with an ultra-light leader is a method used for bluegill shing that

has mostly been lost to time. Before all our fancy, high end, top of the line, space age technology existed, many anglers used y

rods to sh for sun sh and crappie because these rods are generally longer and more sensitive than the traditional rods used to be. I’ve experimented with it myself and it’s quite fun.

Sun sh aren’t just for kids. Trophy sized ones can be just as challenging to target as 10 lb largemouth. It’s all a ma er of how far you want to take the sport. At the end of the day, sun sh ght hard, taste great and are a wonderful and iconic sh that can be found pre y much everywhere in North America. Personally, they are one of my favorites to catch. It’s fun to travel the country reeling in sharks, amberjack, jack crevalle, goliath grouper, trout, bass, pike and anything else that will bite a hook, but I always enjoy returning home, lling a bucket with bluegill and throwing them in the deep fryer. ere is just something nostalgic and fun about the sun sh that cannot be beat. Whether you’re a seasoned angler or just ge ing started, don’t pass up one of the best sh this country has to o er! e lowly sun sh.

Captain Scooby is your man!

Trophy bluegill are a prize of panfish lovers.

A Life List for Texas Hunters and Fishermen

TEXANS HAVE ACCESS TO

many amazing hunting and shing opportunities.

And while pre y much everyone has hunted whitetails, shed for bass and caught red sh and speckled trout, there are some accessible things that many have not yet experienced.

Here’s a list that should help you make new goals or perhaps share them with your father or mother in these months we celebrate their roles in our life.

CATCH A SOUTH TEXAS SNOOK

For avid anglers, few experiences compare to the thrill of hooking a South Texas Snook.

Nestled in the warm, brackish waters of the lower Laguna Madre, these elusive predators o er a challenge like no other. With their sleek bodies and voracious appetite, Snook provide an adrenaline-pumping ght that tests even the most seasoned angler’s skills. To catch one, you’ll need patience, precision, and a good eye for spo ing their telltale ambush points whether you’re in South Bay or the Brownsville Ship Channel.

SEE DESERT BIGHORNS

Venture into the rugged terrain of West Texas, and you might just witness one of nature’s most awe-inspiring sights: the majestic Desert Bighorn Sheep. ese iconic

creatures, with their impressive curled horns and agile movements, roam the arid landscapes with an air of regal grace. Catching a glimpse of these elusive animals in their natural habitat is a privilege reserved for those willing to trek through remote canyons and rocky slopes, where every step is rewarded with breathtaking vistas and the chance to witness wildlife at its most untamed.

HUNT HOGS WITH THERMALS

In the vast expanse of Texas, wild hogs are both a nuisance and a prized game species. But hunting them under the cover of darkness, armed with nothing but a thermal scope and your wits, takes the thrill to a whole new level. As night falls, these invasive pests emerge from the shadows, rooting and rummaging through the underbrush with reckless abandon. With the aid of thermal imaging technology, hunters can track their movements with unparalleled precision, turning the tables on these cunning adversar-

ies and reclaiming the night as their own.

FISH FOR GUADALUPE BASS

For anglers seeking a true Texas adventure, few experiences rival the thrill of shing for Guadalupe Bass. Endemic to the clear, spring-fed streams of the Texas Hill Country, these feisty ghters are as beautiful as they are elusive. With their distinctive markings and spirited resistance, Guadalupe Bass o er a challenge that tests both skill and strategy.

Whether casting from the bank or wading knee-deep in crystal-clear waters, anglers can immerse themselves in the tranquil beauty of the Hill Country while pursuing these prized native game sh.

RUN A TROTLINE FOR CATFISH

For those who prefer a more laid-back approach to shing, running a trotline for cat sh is the epitome of Southern tradition. Stretching across lazy rivers and tranquil

lakes, these submerged lines baited with tempting morsels lure in hungry cat sh by the dozen. At sunset, shermen embark on a timeless ritual, checking each line as they reel in their bounty.

Whether you’re a seasoned angler or a novice, there’s nothing like the thrill of hauling in a fat cat sh from the depths below.

HUNT TURKEY

In the heart of Texas, amidst the rolling hills and sprawling elds, lies a hunter’s paradise. Here, the call of the wild beckons those who seek the thrill of the hunt. And there’s no greater thrill than turkey hunting in the Lone Star State. As dawn breaks over the horizon, the woods come alive with the sounds of gobblers echoing through the trees. Shotgun in hand and camou age a ire donned, hunters patiently await their chance to outwit these elusive birds, relying on stealth and strategy to bring home the prize.

Texans have access to everything from snook, striped bass, catfish and offshore fishing to big game and wild turkey.

FISH OFFSHORE

For those who yearn for adventure on the high seas, few experiences compare to offshore fishing in the Gulf of Mexico. Here,

the waters teem with life, from mighty king mackerel to dazzling dorado and everything in between. Set sail aboard a sturdy vessel, guided by seasoned captains who know

these waters like the back of their hand. With lines cast deep into the azure depths, anglers eagerly anticipate the electrifying strike of a pelagic predator, knowing that each catch holds the promise of an unforgettable battle against the elements.

HUNT AXIS, AOUDAD, OR NILGAI

Venture into the rugged wilds of Texas, and you’ll discover a land rich in diversity and opportunity for hunters with free-ranging exotics. From the graceful axis deer of the Hill Country to the formidable aoudad of the Trans-Pecos and elusive nilgai of South Texas, there’s no shortage of big game to pursue. Whether stalking through dense brush or traversing rocky terrain, hunters must rely on keen instincts and sharp marksmanship to outmaneuver their quarry. With each successful harvest, they forge a deeper connection to the land and the wildlife that call it home.

FISH FOR STRIPERS

Nestled amid the picturesque landscape of North Texas, Lake Texoma beckons anglers with its promise of trophy-sized

striped bass. As the sun sets over the shimmering waters, boats dot the horizon, each one manned by shermen eager to test their skills against these powerful predators. Armed with heavy tackle and a repertoire of proven techniques, anglers cast their lines into the depths below, where stripers lurk in search of their next meal. With each tug on the line, anticipation builds, culminating in the exhilarating moment when angler and sh come face to face in a ba le of strength and will.

BOWFISH FOR CARP

For a truly unique shing experience, look no further than the art of bow shing. Armed with a specialized bow and arrow, shermen take to the shallow waters of Texas’ rivers and lakes in pursuit of the elusive carp. With razor-sharp focus and lightning-fast re exes, they take aim at their quarry, releasing their arrow with precision and skill. As carp dart and weave through the murky depths, the thrill of the chase intensi es, culminating in a triumphant catch that showcases the true essence of bow shing.

For in Texas, the great outdoors o ers

endless opportunities for exploration, discovery, and unforge able experiences that will be cherished for a lifetime. So grab your gear, and embark on the ultimate Texas adven-

ture, where the thrill of the hunt and the serenity of the sherman’s life await.

—Compiled by TF&G Staff

Fishing is About to Bust Open SABINE

Reported by CAPT. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

THE WIDE OPEN FISHING OF summer is so close we can almost taste it. e months of May and June are the perfect prelude to the magical time of year we call summer. is is like a trial run of almost everything the summer months have to o er without having to worry about the triple digit temperatures. e water temperature will be above 70 degrees and on the ascent. e weather should be mostly stable, and the strong green tides will usher in tons of hyped-up bait sh. All of the ingredients are in place to make this the closest thing to summertime shing as possible except for the one thing we dread the most; the super intense heat. Summer does o cially begin on June 20, so we

could be even closer than some of us may have realized. Whatever the case may be, we have waited long enough and are eager to get this thing started. It’s time to put on some shorts and hook up the boat. It’s time to get in the summer mindset and start focusing on the pa erns and techniques that will consistently put sh in the boat for the next several months. It’s time to start thinking about the surf, the je ies, the lake, bayous and rivers.

topwaters. e ship channel, je ies and surf have the potential to produce some real monsters. e same holds true for both the north and south revetment walls on Pleasure Island and various points in the Sabine and Neches rivers.

On the Louisiana side of the lake, key on protected areas with pre y water and a nice mud/clam bo om. Moving water is always your ally and the presence of bait sh will up the odds in your favor. Super Spooks, She Dogs and Ski er Walks are all good for multiple blow ups. Proven color choices are bone, pearl, black/chartreuse and pink/silver. Once you feel the sun beginning to change the color of your neck, and the blow ups start becoming less frequent switch to so plastics bounced o the bo om on 1/8 oz lead heads or under a popping cork. D.O.A. C.A.L. Series Shad, Down South Lures and Zoom Super Flukes will de nitely get their a ention. Flounder also nd these hard to resist.

Join us in taking advantage of this prelude to summer before it gets too hot and hopefully, I’ll see you here on Sabine.

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

Before the Swelter

Here on Sabine, it’s time for us to start thinking about the entire ecosystem. With air and water temperatures on the rise we are becoming limitless as to where we can go and what we can do to catch sh. Plentiful bait sh and nice tidal movement are beginning to loosen the reins on trout, reds and ounder as they follow shrimp, shad and mullet from the Gulf of Mexico, up the Neches and Sabine rivers and everywhere in between. Nice stringers of he y trout and reds will be taken early on

GALVESTON

Reported by CAPT. DEREK YORK

WHAT A GREAT TIME TO be out on the water shing in early summer with still bearable temperatures during the day. With cooler mornings still and hopefully no 100-degree days, May and June can be prime months to catch sh here in Galveston Bay. is time of year, is the busiest for most

guides with schools ge ing out for their summer break and families looking to get out and spend some quality time with each other. ere’s nothing be er than making memories out on the water!

Scan to Hear Audio Version

Typically, this time of year, I am dri ing ats with sca ered shell or grass with so plastics and shrimp under popping corks targeting speckled trout and red sh. Marsh drains are always good spots to key in on as well. Water movement and bait are always key to being successful. Areas around Moses Lake, Dollar Point, Clear Lake, East Bay and Houston Point are all areas I cover on a regular basis. I like to spend the early part of my days shing inside the bay. Once we get to mid-morning, I like to run out to the je ies and nish up my trips out there usually. e je ies are always producing sh throughout the year. With the water heating up and lots of bait sh and shrimp, the trout like to stack up on the rocks out there. And normally until about the 2nd week of June, the sheepshead bite is very consistent. For trout, we are shing free-lined shrimp just under the surface. I place a small split shot weight about 15-18” above the hook to help keep the shrimp down in the water column where I want it to be. e trout are usually aggressive when shing this method and we have caught many nice sh this time of year at the je ies. For sheepshead, I am still shing along the bo om with a knocker rig and sometimes with a popping cork along the rocks. Both je ies in the Galveston entrance o er numerous places to catch sh, but there are always some that produce be er than others. Fishing near the ends of the je ies when the tide is not ripping can be highly productive. Also, shing near any wash throughs in the rocks where you have water

HOTSPOTLIGHT

SABINE PASS

SABINE PASS IS THE NATURAL OPENING WHERE SABINE LAKE, TEXAS’ EASTERN most major esturary, flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Despite heavy shipping traffic it is one of the most productive fishing locations on the Texas coast.

moving freely from one side to the other always produces. is allows bait to be pushed across and makes a great ambush spot for predators. e Galveston north je y is somewhat unique in having a dedicated boat cut which is one of the busiest spots to sh around with all the boat tra c moving through and the large number of boats usually anchored up on either side.

One thing to remember when shing near the je ies is always be on the lookout for waves coming from fast moving tankers. ese things can sneak up on you quickly and really catch people o guard if they aren’t paying a ention! So, get out and enjoy this part of the summer and remember, take a kid shing!

CONTACT CAPT. YORK:

Email: SportStalkerFishing@sbcglobal.com

Online: FishGalvestonBayTX.com

Summer’s Here MATAGORDA

Reported by CAPT. MARK TALASEK

SUMMERTIME PATTERNS

have arrived here in Matagorda. Water temperatures in excess of 70° replenish the base systems with much needed bait. Trout, red sh, and ounder depend on this in ux of bait to put on some weight a er a long winter. Glass minnows, shad, and a new crop of shrimp hide in the marshes. Once the bait matures, they migrate out into the gulf, but not before many falling prey to scores of game sh. I like shing the grass beds along the shoreline. Ge ing out of the boat and wade shing is one of the most productive means to take a trophy trout. Shrimp imitations rigged on a

(29.1062, -95.1741)

SPECIES: Redfish

BEST BAITS: Spoons, topwaters, mullet

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

TIPS: Gold spoons, plastics, Corkies, mullet.

LOCATION: Galveston Bay

HOTSPOT: April Fool Reef

light jig head work well. Top waters provide some excitement for those sherman who appreciate quality bites. Gold spoons have hooked more sh than probably any other arti cial lure. Nothing works be er than live baits for those willing to hassle with the extra equipment. Find di erent contours on the bo om or grass. Fan casting into di erent directions covers more area to nd the sh. Once you locate them have fun.

For those who want to stay in the boat, dri ing is an alternative method to catch sh. Find some structure on the bo om in deeper waters of the bay. Turn o your motor and turn the motor to one side. is will set your boat sideways for easier casting. Set out a dri sock if the wind blows too fast. Live shrimp under a popping cork works best during the summer months. Arti cial lures work great during the cooler months. When you nd some sh, dri until the bite quits then loop back around upwind and repeat. Be sure not to spook the sh by swinging wide.

GPS: N 29 29.077, W 94 54.773 (29.4846 -94.9129)

SPECIES: Flounder

BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, finger mullet, work top and reef edges

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

TIPS: Live shrimp, finger mullet, work top and reef edges; dawn through morning, dusk through night.

LOCATION: Galveston Bay

HOTSPOT: Pine Gully Fishing Pier

GPS: N 29 35.348, W 94 59.389 (29.5891 -94.9898)

SPECIES: Redfish

BEST BAITS: Shrimp, finger mullet

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

TIPS: Live shrimp, finger mullet, work pilings and shady area; avoid midday.

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay

HOTSPOT: Deep Reef

GPS: N 29 30.802, W 94 40.581 (29.5134 -94.6764)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Soft plastics

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

TIPS: Let soft plastics hit bottom, medium up & down retrieve; dawn through dusk.

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay

HOTSPOT: Moody’s Shoreline

e start of summer signals the end of cold fronts and light winds. Whenever the wind subsides be sure to check out the surf. It can be some of the best catching ever.

CONTACT CAPT. TALASEK: Email: MarkTalasek@sbcglobal.com Online: TalasekGuideService.com

UPPER COAST HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Christmas/Bastrop Bay

HOTSPOT: Bastrop Bay Shell GPS: N 29 6.373, W 95 10.447

GPS: N 29 32.861, W 94 38.589 (29.5477 -94.6432)

SPECIES: Flounder

BEST BAITS: Bass Assassins

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

TIPS: Work shallows around pier pilings; dawn through dusk.

LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay

HOTSPOT: Jack’s Pocket

GPS: N 29 44.077, W 94 45.852 (29.7346 -94.7642)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Soft plastics, silver spoons

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Scan to Hear Audio Version

Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Drift, look for mudboils; dawn through midday, dusk.

LOCATION: Galveston West Bay

HOTSPOT: Carancahua Reef

GPS: N 29 12.694, W 94 59.788 (29.2116 -94.9965)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Soft plastics, live bait

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

TIPS: Watch for birds, drift while working entire reef, freeline; dawn through morn, dusk.

LOCATION: Galveston West Bay

HOTSPOT: Chocolate Bayou

GPS: N 29 11.622, W 95 9.948 (29.1937 -95.1658)

SPECIES: Redfish

BEST BAITS: Topwaters, shrimp

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

TIPS: Use topwaters early, other times use shrimp with cork; dawn through morning, afternoon-dusk.

LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay

HOTSPOT: Boggy Cut

GPS: N 28 44.043, W 95 49.658 (28.7341 -95.8276)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Shrimp

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

TIPS: Fish cut edges with moving tide, using shrimp under a popping cork; morning through afternoon.

LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay

HOTSPOT: Boiler Bayou

GPS: N 28 38.685, W 95 54.067 (28.6448, -95.9011)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Topwaters

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

TIPS: Drift and fish different depths (6 inches can make a difference); midday-afternoon.

LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay

HOTSPOT: Culver’s Cut

GPS: N 28 39.349, W 96 0.509 (28.6558, -96.0085)

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: Matagorda West Bay

HOTSPOT: Gold Bayou

GPS: N 28 35.328, W 96 2.286 (28.5888 -96.0381)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Soft plastics

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

TIPS: Fish small plastics in a translucent color; early morning to noon.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake

HOTSPOT: Bridge Bayou

GPS: N 29 54.199, W 93 46.408 (29.9033 -93.7735)

SPECIES: Flounder

BEST BAITS: Shad, mud minnows, soft plastics

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

TIPS: Best on moving tides, use hook set count.

Topwater Fun PORT

O’CONNOR

Reported by CAPT. KIM GOULDEN

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR ON the Texas Gulf Coast when summertime and shing are like peanut bu er and jelly. From sun up to sun down, there’s something for every type of angler.

May and June o er inshore and nearshore shing opportunities for a variety of species. Trout, red sh, ounder, and black drum are joined by jack crevalle, tripletail, tarpon, ling, red snapper, mangrove snapper, and more. Massive schools of huge bull reds prowl the je ies and o er light tackle ba les that make forever memories.

Here are three tips for shing arti cial lures this time of year:

as the beginning of summertime shing in the Coastal Bend.

1. A topwater blowup is an exciting and unforgettable visual experience. A bone-colored topwater should be a staple in every tackle box. Use it dri ing sand pockets and grass or wading down a shoreline. Twitch-twitch

pause is a great cadence.

2. Downsize your o er. is time of year, natural bait sources are of a smaller size. Use a shorter so plastic or twitch bait to match the hatch to place the odds in your favor.

3. When targeting speckled trout, feeding sh will o en come up and get the lure while staged sh can set up low in the water column. Slow that lure down and place it close to the bo om, sometimes right on their nose, to entice a staged trout. ere’s something for everyone this time of year. Make time to get out on the water and enjoy the most beautiful natural scenery and diverse wildlife Texas has to o er.

CONTACT CAPT. GOULDEN: Email: KimGouldenFishing@gmail.com Online: PortOConnorFishingTrip.com

A Laguna Canvas ARANSAS TO UPPER LAGUNA

Reported by CAPT. RICHARD THOMPSON

IT’S 6:00 A.M., IT IS SO QUIET you can almost hear your own heartbeat, the sun begins to crest over the horizon, the water is glass, and it is so beautiful you can’t tell the water from the sky. We call this the Laguna Madre Canvas, be er known

Now that the spring erratic weather has shi ed and we get more of a consistent southeast wind and summertime tides, it allows us to focus on our typical summer strategies. Our methods can be several different techniques of shing depending on what we are targeting and on how our clients want to sh, dri or wade. One of the ways we target red sh is by dri ing shallow ats and casting to sand potholes and pulling our bait through to anticipate the awesome red sh ambush. Our second option, which is absolutely one of our favorites, is sight shing in the clearer water for reds. It is a huge adrenaline rush to watch the gills are up as they engulf your lure, then the ght is on. Our last option, which is our most popular method our clients prefer is wade shing the shallow ats early, throwing top waters and so plastics and then moving to the drop o edges as the temperature rises throughout the day because the targeted sh will drop o to the cooler water.

We have miles and miles of shorelines with these shallow ats to drop o s that go from Mustang Island, Bird Island and all the way down to the Lower Laguna Madre. You would be hard pressed not to nd bait anywhere between these landmarks.

Another area that is a big hot spot for us this time of year is Shamrock Cove and Mustang Island back bays. Why? Because, the back bay estuaries are the mecca for hatchlings of crab, shrimp, and all kinds of unique bait that reds and trout can’t resist.

A er a very long day of grinding and shing, I was sharing an adult beverage at the harbor with an old salt. We were cha ing about where I shed that day. He insisted on telling me about an old wives tale that an old salt told him about the creation of Shamrock Island. I’d thought I would share this interesting story with you all, how true it is, is another question. Many years ago, a hermit lived on Shamrock Island. It is said he was a botanist and he introduced many new spe-

Scan to Hear Audio Version

CAPT. RICHARD THOMPSON

CAPT. KIM GOULDEN

cies of plants to the Island, including those for which it is named. When he died in 1917, they discovered he was a member of the Russian Nobility. Rumors spread he had buried royal treasures on the Island, but nothing was ever found. Today the area around Shamrock Island and Shamrock Cove is a favorite among local shermen.

COPANO BAY WEST END

If you are looking for an adventure that surpasses any you have ever had, we promise that our local bay system in the Coastal Bend sets the standard for beauty, rich ecosystems and that every single cast can potentially produce your personal best record. ese waters put the Corpus area on the map as the premiere saltwater shing destination in the Lone Star State.

CONTACT CAPT. THOMPSON: Email: RandKCoastalOutfitters@gmail.com Online: RandKCoastalOutfitters.com

SCHRISTI

Reported by CAPT. JAKE WHEELIS

PRING IS HERE IN FULL force! And what a spring it’s been in the upper Laguna Madre and Corpus Christi Bay systems. As we move forward with the year, we will be keying on areas that have massive amounts of bait. is time of year, bait is unlike the winter when we key on just a li le bit, or one ip is good enough. is time of

MIDDLE COAST

year, we want to see ra s of mullet and nervous water. Fish will be moving their diet to a full range of n sh and shrimp. e baits we will be throwing trying to match the hatch of croaker, piggy perch, menhaden, and the ever frustrating hatch of glass minnows will be a variety of a strait tail baits. e rst bait that I want to mention is the 5” Saltwater Assassin Shad, second is the Coastal Brew Dart in the 5” version, third is the Lil John XL from MirrOlure, forth is the new Big Smooth from Down South, along with our top waters early in the morning. All these straight tailed baits we will work in a variety of ways from a very aggressive swimming action to a twitch pause waiting on a sh to hit it on the pause. Colors this time of year are the same lighter colors in clean and clear water, your darker colors in darker water and in the early morning hours. at being said, in this neck of the woods never leave the boat without pink or green in your arsenal.

Let’s talk about areas we will be combing in search of these big bites! is winter

If you see me out there, come introduce yourself!

CONTACT CAPT. WHEELIS:

Email: Wheelis85@gmail.com

Phone: (361) 575-9056

and spring the King Ranch Shoreline has been unreal, and it’s going to continue. Find the bait you are going to get bites, look for color changes and potholes to key on. e numerous spoils are going to start ge ing very productive as the water starts to heat up. Look for the sh to pull o into deeper water adjacent to the spoil and ats. Again, bait is key! On the other side of the bridge, Shamrock Island and ats, as well as the croaker hole, will start to hold numbers of sh with the bait migrating into the bay, as well as the oyster beds that encompass Nueces Bay.

In closing, I would like to remind everyone about the new limits that have been imposed on our trout shery. Make sure to study them! Nothing makes a good day bad more than a ticket from the ‘ol warden! at being said please only take what you need and practice CPR!

As always, tight lines and good times!

MIDDLE COAST HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Aransas Bay

HOTSPOT: St. Joseph Island

GPS: N 28 0.7285, W 96 58.365 (28.0121 -96.9728)

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Live croaker

SOURCE: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302

www.treble-j-charters.com

TIPS: Hook the croaker under the backbone and towards the back of the fish. You don’t want to hit the backbone, and if you hook toward the tail you won’t hit any vital organs. Capt. Jack McPartland

LOCATION: Aransas Bay

HOTSPOT: Traylor Island

GPS: N 27 56.688, W 97 4.4639 (27.9448 -97.0744)

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Touts or live bait

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

TIPS: May should be good fishing literally everywhere for reds, trout, whatever you want to fish for. You can fish all the way from the JFK Causeway to Carlos Bay.

LOCATION: Carlos Bay

HOTSPOT: Carlos Reef

GPS: N 28 6.8099, W 96 54.2029 (28.1135 -96.9034)

SPECIES: Speckled trout and redfish

BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics

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

TIPS: Artificial soft plastics will work in whatever color your prefer, whether wading or drifting.

LOCATION: Copano Bay

HOTSPOT: Lone Tree Reef

GPS: N 28 4.474, W 97 6.862 (28.0746 -97.1144)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Live croaker

Scan to Hear Audio Version 

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

TIPS: Drift and work the tops and edges of the reef; dawn through midday, dusk.

LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay

HOTSPOT: Shamrock Island

GPS: N 27 45.9679, W 97 9.7829 (27.7661 -97.1631)

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Live croaker

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

TIPS: You twitch the croaker to make it grunt and to keep it from burrowing down in the grass.

LOCATION: Espirito Santo Bay

HOTSPOT: Contee Lake

GPS: N 28 17.779, W 96 33.157 (28.2963 -96.5526)

SPECIES: Redfish

BEST BAITS: Live croaker, crab

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

TIPS: Anchor or wade along grass beds; this location is good all day.

LOCATION: Espirito Santo Bay

HOTSPOT: Josephine Reef

GPS: N 28 20.055, W 96 31.423 (28.3343 -96.5237)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Live croaker

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

TIPS: Anchor on reef edge and freeline croaker on the top; dawn through afternoon.

LOCATION: Port O’Connor

HOTSPOT: Army Cut

GPS: N 28 25.212, W 96 19.544 (28.4202, -96.3257)

SPECIES: Flounder

BEST BAITS: Live Shrimp, Croakers

CONTACT: Capt. Benny Judice

713-817-2471

TIPS: “Free line live shrimp, drifting down real slow, allowing the live shrimp to swim around.” Capt. Judice

LOCATION: Redfish Bay

HOTSPOT: Dagger Islands

GPS: N 27 50.1019, W 97 10.2659 (27.8350 -97.1711)

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Live croaker

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

TIPS: Pop the croaker a little bit with rod tip every 30-40 seconds. Do it by moving your wrist, not your arm.

LOCATION: Rockport

HOTSPOT: Spalding Reef

GPS: N 28 6.2689, W 96 54.4709 (28.1045 -96.9079)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Corkies or Soft Plastics

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

TIPS: Not all structure is visible above the water. Using your sonar locate well pads that the superstructure has been removed from.

The Alazan Alternative BAFFIN BAY

Reported by CAPT. GERAD MERRITT

WE HAD A FEW MONTHS with decent tidal uctuation in Ba n Bay during late winter and early spring. is is why we talked in the last article about di erent parts of our beautiful bay system. We had a few days where there was no water at our boat ramp to launch a boat. In the last issue, we talked about the Cayo del Grullo and Laguna Salada portions of the Ba n Bay system. is time, we are including Alazan Bay, along with the northern shoreline of the main “Ba n Bay” named portion of this big body of water. I normally do not sh north of the mouth of Ba n Bay. I tend to stay in Ba n Bay proper or between the mouth of the bay and south side of the land cut.

Alazan Bay can be an exciting and intriguing place to sh. It consists of somewhat deeper water in the center with a few deep, tall and wide rock structures. ese rock structures can be somewhat visible on low tide days, along with the same structure being nonvisible, but hi able for some boats on other days. It boasts a long shoreline that has some mud and a lot of sandy bo oms. e sand proves to be a nice hard bo om for wade shermen in some pockets to the east side shoreline and most of the west. ere are channels of “belly” mud that sh like to lay in when the water is skinny and hot. is is an ideal area for you to dri . ese days are a must for a sherman to pay a ention to water levels. What I mean by this is many times you can run these shallows on plane, but will not be able to get back up or simply cannot stop. ere are mud humps that will not allow you to. ese are just some things

to know about Alazan Bay that makes up a portion of Ba n.

ere is also the section that continues to

the east from Starvation Point to the most Northeastern edge of Ba n Bay. Starvation Point, East Kleberg Point, Tide Gauge, and Cat Head form this area before you reach the mouth where the Badlands meet the group. is shoreline consists of both a hard, sandy and small rock bo om to mud, and some very large rock piles that can sometimes be seen just inches above the water’s surface. Most notably, but absolutely not limited to, the rocks at east Kleberg point. And let’s not forget the big sand bar at the Tide Guage.

Big Snook and Bigger Redfish LOWER LAGUNA MADRE

Reported by CAPT. BRIAN BARRERA

MAY AND JUNE ARE good, really good, for more than one reason. Finally ge ing into some consistent warmer weather.

With this change and higher water temperatures we can count on the sh showing up to their local summer hunting grounds looking to eat, especially in low light conditions such as early morning and late evenings. Moving around before sunrise is key to ge ing big snook to chew during these months, unless you prefer to go under the moon and night sh, which tends to create some great opportunities if you’re willing to throw o your sleep schedule. I sh the coolest parts of the day, whether it be the break of dawn or the golden hours of the evening sunsets. It seems the big sh tend to be fooled most around those hours. It’s usually calmer around these times so moving in silence is suggested, rather than plowing into your spot and casting. Try to power o a hundred yards back, drop your trolling motor and sneak in while tying on your lure of choice for the situation (usually a topwater, slow sinking jerkbait, or a lighter swimbait) while trying to get larger than average snook to bite.

One of my favorite things about May is our initial bull red run. We usually get 2 throughout the year, one being in or around the time of the rst consistent warmth and Scan to Hear Audio Version

CAPT. GERAD MERRITT

CAPT. BRIAN BARERRA

the other is parallel in timing to the mullet run that usually comes around September or October. ese sh are usually in the 35-45” range and can be fooled with a D.O.A. baitbuster in the root beer color, a so plastic or live and dead baits. A fresh live nger mullet almost never gets turned down by these big brutes. ey’re not all too big like the ones we get mid-summer and fall so slot sized sh will also be brought to hand during these times.

May through June I do a lot of snook shing, early in the mornings targeting dock pilings and shallow submerged structure with top waters and light jigs hoping to entice a big one to eat. If that doesn’t, work we tend to spread the net and get some live bait for them to chew on. is time of year, we also get tarpon that tend to get slightly bigger than previous months (50-80lbs) as they are “migratory sh” rather than the local juveniles that stay year round, all depending on water temps and conditions. e sh won’t start to show up until we get a 70° consistent water temp. e best way to target these red sh, snook, and tarpon are early mornings, late evenings, and the rst and last 30 minutes of the tides using live and arti cial lures.

CONTACT CAPT. BARRERA:

Email: CaptBrianBFishing@gmail.com

Online: InshoreFishingSouthPadre.com

LOWER COAST HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Arroyo City

HOTSPOT: The Saucer GPS: N 26 28.134, W 97 23.677 (26.4689 -97.3946)

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Croaker

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

TIPS: Look for long, thin grass sticking up out of the water. The females when they lay their eggs, the eggs usually stick on that long grass.

LOCATION: Arroyo Colorado

HOTSPOTLIGHT

SOUTH OF PORT MANSFIELD

THE LAGUNA MADRE SOUTH OF PORT MANSFIELD INCLUDES A NUMBER OF inlets and islands rich in fishing opportunities, from speckled trout and redfish to flounder and black drum. Selected hotspots are shown on the map and table.

30.913, W

W

24.787 Bone, chartreuse topwaters, start south of the barge & drift to up to it; dawn through midday.

22.974 Topwaters, soft plastics or live shrimp, drift.

EAST TEXAS HOTSPOTS

Reported by TF&G STAFF

LOCATION: Lake Bob Sandlin

HOTSPOT: Barefoot Cove Dropoff

GPS: N 33 3.693, W 95 1.223 (33.0616, -95.0204)

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: Minnows, jigs

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

TIPS: Fish on contour drop with live minnows, jigs, bottom rigs; dusk

LOWER COAST

HOTSPOT: Fishing Shack N of Arroyo

GPS: N 26 23.932, W 97 20.591 (26.3989 -97.3432)

SPECIES: Flounder

BEST BAITS: Mud minnows

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

TIPS: Fish mud minnows with a slip shot rig, work the shack structure; dawn through midday.

LOCATION: Arroyo Colorado

HOTSPOT: West of Green Island

GPS: N 26 23.31, W 97 19.876 (26.3885 -97.3313)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Live bait, soft plastics

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

TIPS: Drift potholes between island & spoils, cast into potholes; dawn, dusk, night.

LOCATION: Brandy Branch Reservoir

HOTSPOT: Hydrilla Hump #8

GPS: N 32 32, W 94 29.344 (32.5333, -94.4891)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Jigs, crankbaits, soft plastics

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

TIPS: Fish the perimeter in 18 to 20 feet of water; dawn-morning.

LOCATION: Caddo Lake

HOTSPOT: Ames Spring Basin or Old Folks Playground

GPS: N 32 42.678, W 94 5.3399 (32.7113, -94.0890)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Plastic frogs, buzzbaits, flukes

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

www.caddolakefishing.com

TIPS: Fish the vegetation/cypress tree mix in these areas. Look for water that is 2-4 ft. deep that is in shady areas during the bright part of the day. I recommend heavy braid when fishing around all the cover

and because of the trophy sized bass that

Lake regularly serves up.

LOCATION: Lake Conroe

HOTSPOT: Main Lake

GPS: N 30 26.994, W 95 35.376

LOCATION: Baffin Bay

HOTSPOT: Los Coralles

GPS: N 27 14.869, W 97 30.22 (27.2478 -97.5037)

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Corky Fat Boy

SOURCE: Capt. Tommy Countz

281-450-4037

TIPS: Chartreuse Fat Boys also work quite well.

LOCATION: Baffin Bay

HOTSPOT: The Meadows Central

GPS: N 27 17.567, W 97 24.089 (27.2928, -97.4015)

SPECIES: Redfish

BEST BAITS: Shrimp, croaker

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

TIPS: Freeline shrimp with pop-n cork, freeline croakers; dawn.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre

HOTSPOT: Holly Beach

GPS: N 26 8.392, W 97 17.257 (26.1399, -97.2876)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Topwaters, soft plastics

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

TIPS: Fish topwaters early, Firetiger plastics later in the day, best after cold front, drift; dawn, afternoon.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre

HOTSPOT: Islands at Holly Beach

Caddo

CURRENT LAKE LEVELS EAST TEXAS

LAKE CAPACITY CURRENT %

As of 4/4/2024 AC. FT. AC. FT. FULL

Addicks -n.a.- -n.a.- -n.a.-

B A Steinhagen 69,186 62,537 90%

Barker -n.a.-

Bob Sandlin 192,417 192,417 100%

Bonham 11,027 11,027 100%

Caddo 29,898 29,898 100%

Conroe 417,577 417,577 100%

Crook 9,195 9,153 100%

Cypress Springs 66,756 66,756 100% Fork 605,061 605,061 100%

Houston 132,318 132,318 100%

Houston County 17,113 17,113 100%

Jacksonville 25,670 25,670 100%

Chapman 258,723

100%

(30.4499, -95.5896)

SPECIES: Hybrid Stripers

BEST BAITS: Live shad and Storm Swim shad

GPS: N 26 8.839, W 97 16.377 (26.1473, -97.2730)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Shrimp

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

TIPS: Drift live shrimp under cork, best after a cold front; dawn, midday, dusk.

LOCATION: Port Mansfield

HOTSPOT: Sand Bar N of Bennie’s Shack

GPS: N 26 29.85, W 97 23.5 (26.4975, -97.3917)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Topwaters, plastics

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

TIPS: Cast onto the sand and retrieve across the grass; dawn through morning.

HOTSPOTLIGHT:

LAKE WRIGHT PATMAN

SURFACE

WRIGHT PATMAN HAS A GOOD LARGEmouth bass fishery, but its mainstays are white bass and crappie fishing. Blue catfish angling is also excellent on the lake.

Fish attractors have been installed in several spots on the lake. (See this symbol... ...on the map).

CENTRAL TEXAS

SOURCE: Richard Tatsch

936)291-1277

www.fishdudetx.com

TIPS: The hybrid stripers are in full swing. They will be all around the lake on submerged points and humps. The use of electronics is a necessity! Find schools of shad and you will find the Hybrids. This time of year they will range in the water column from 16 foot to 28 feet. Find the depth the bait are in and you will find the fish. As the weather heats up the early morning bite will be best. Live shad will be the bait of choice but the swim shad will work if you can control the depth.

LOCATION: Lake Conroe

HOTSPOT: Bridge Cove Point

GPS: N 30 26.426, W 95 36.495 (30.4404, -95.6083)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Worms, crankbaits

SOURCE: Richard Tatsch

936)291-1277

www.fishdudetx.com

TIPS: Fish crankbaits outside docks, dark worms under docks; good action all day.

LOCATION: Lake Cooper/Jim Chapman

HOTSPOT: Cannon Creek

GPS: N 33 20.826, W 95 41.287 (33.3471, -95.6881)

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: Live minnows, jigs

SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Office 903-593-5077

TIPS: Fish live minnows or white/chartreuse jigs. Hit the timber and weeds. Morning through afternoon.

LOCATION: Lake Fork

HOTSPOT: Lake Fork Marina Area

GPS: N 32 52.107, W 95 37.364 (32.8685, -95.6227)

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: Jigs, minnows

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

TIPS: Fish the trees on the point with minnows or blue/gray jigs; dawn through afternoon.

LOCATION: Lake Fork

HOTSPOT: 515 Bridge

GPS: N 32 53.777, W 95 31.404 (32.8963, -95.5234)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Jigs, crankbaits

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Fish big eye jigs or crankbaits; good all day.

LOCATION: Lake Houston

HOTSPOT: East Fork

GPS: N 30 3.57, W 95 8.489 (30.0595, -95.1415)

SPECIES: White Bass

BEST BAITS: Shiners, spoons

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

TIPS: Use spider rigs with shiners or spoons.

LOCATION: Lake Livingston

HOTSPOT: The Cut

GPS: N 30 52.76, W 95 23.62 (30.8793, -95.3937)

SPECIES: Catfish

BEST BAITS: Shad

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

www.palmettoguideservice.com

TIPS: Anchor upstream with shad on a Carolina rig, let bait drift into the cut; dawn through dusk.

LOCATION: Lake Murvaul

HOTSPOT: Boy Scout Area

GPS: N 32 1.55, W 94 25.111 (32.0258, -94.4185)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Crankbaits, buzzbaits

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

TIPS: Crankbaits, buzzbaits, fish from Rock Point to spillway; dawn, morning, dusk, night.

LOCATION: Lake Nacogdoches

HOTSPOT: Loco Bend #1

GPS: N 31 38.116, W 94 48.262 (31.6353, -94.8044)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Soft plastics, jigs

SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Office 409-698-9114

TIPS: Drag your lure over the edges of the creek

bend. Avoid midday.

LOCATION: Lake O the Pines

HOTSPOT: Billy Bass Slough

GPS: N 32 52.850, W 94 42.759 (32.8808, -94.7127)

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: Jigs, minnows

SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Office 903-938-1007

TIPS: Fish an electric grape firetail jig or minnows under a cork. Avoid afternoon.

LOCATION: Lake Sam Rayburn

HOTSPOT: Mudd Creek

GPS: N 31 11.648, W 94 18.817 (31.1941, -94.3136)

SPECIES: Catfish

BEST BAITS: Chicken livers, cut bait.

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

TIPS: Fish chicken liver or cut bait on Carolina rig. Work the bushes.

LOCATION: Lake Sam Rayburn

HOTSPOT: Black Forest

GPS: N 31 11.445, W 94 16.888 (31.1908, -94.2815)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Soft plastics

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

TIPS: Fish humps, stumps and hydrilla patches. Avoid midday.

LOCATION: Toledo Bend

HOTSPOT: San Patrico Point

GPS: N 31 38.694, W 93 46.183 (31.6449, -93.769717)

SPECIES: Catfish

BEST BAITS: Minnows

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

TIPS: Fish live minnows, look for birds, if you find them, cast into them; dawn through morning, dusk.

LOCATION: Lake Wright Patman

HOTSPOT: Persimmon Cove

GPS: N 33 15.24, W 94 23.734 (33.2540, -94.3956)

SPECIES: Largemouth bass

BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits

SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Office 903-938-1007

TIPS: Fish shad spinnerbaits, medium to heavy. Work the cover; dawn thru midday.

CENTRAL TEXAS HOTSPOTS

Reported

by TF&G STAFF

LOCATION: Lake Austin

HOTSPOT: Turkey Creek

GPS: N 30 19.426, W 97 49.954 (30.3238, -97.8326)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Topwaters

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

TIPS: Topwaters work best; morning, dusk; all day; March-July, morning, dusk

LOCATION: Bachman Lake

HOTSPOT: Bridge

GPS: N 32 51.576, W 96 51.378 (32.8596, -96.8563)

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: 1/16th jig in white and chartreuse or black and chartreuse under a 2 inch pegged bobber

SOURCE: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210

whitebassfishingtexas.com

TIPS: Under the bridge, are all sorts of trees stuck on pylons sitting from 5 to 6 feet. West, against the bank is 6 to 9 feet ddep. The east side of the bridge is 2 to 4 feet. So the west side is best. Under the bridge is good all day, but nighttime from 8 pm-4 am is killer with a 1/16 oz. jig-head white/chartreuse or black/chartreuse, under a 2 inch pegged bobber (replace the peg with a glow stick).

LOCATION: Belton Lake

HOTSPOT: Tower Shore

GPS: N 31 06.395, W 97 28.544 (31.1066, -97.4757)

SPECIES: Smallmouth

BEST BAITS: Jigs, craws

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Fish 1/8-1/4 oz. black hair jig, pork eel, small plastic craws.

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan

HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points

GPS: N 30 48.738, W 98 25.968 (30.8123, -98.4328)

SPECIES: Striped Bass

BEST BAITS: Live shad or perch, topwater plugs, Long A Bombers and Red Fin lures

SOURCE: Ken Milam

325-379-2051

www.striperfever.com.com

TIPS: Stripers will still be hitting top water plugs on main lake points where you see thread fin shad running. You can also find them near back of creeks. Live shad or perch ALWAYS work well but artificial lures such as the Long A bombers and Red fin type baits are also serious considerations.

LOCATION: Canyon Lake

HOTSPOT: Canyon Park Point

GPS: N 29 53.2559, W 98 13.638 (29.8876, -98.2273)

SPECIES: Striped Bass

BEST BAITS: Hogie’s 4” Super Shad in Pearl with black back

SOURCE: Steve Nixon, Fishhooks Adventures

210-573-1230

www.sanantoniofishingguides.com

TIPS: Look for the Striped Bass to be shallow (2040 feet). They will be suspending over the river channel and feeding on the point in this area. Fishing the Super Shad close to the bottom will catch fish!

LOCATION: Coleto Creek Lake

HOTSPOT: Main Lake

GPS: N 28 43.4759, W 97 11.334 (28.7246, -97.1889)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Topwater lures, weightless watermelon lizards, pearl white or watermelon flukes, white spinnerbaits

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

TIPS: When the lake full, there are lots of hiding places for fry and insects are flying. Anything goes this time of year. Good lures are topwaters, spinnerbaits, flukes, and Texas rigs . Stay focused in back of creeks that have a lot of fry and fish top water early morning. Find clear water in the afternoon and pitch white spinners on windy days. If no wind, throw pearl white or watermelon flukes. Let it sink slow. Or try a watermelon red lizard, weightless.

LOCATION: Lake Eagle Mountain

HOTSPOT: Main Lake Humps

GPS: N 32 52.992, W 97 28.437 (32.883194, -97.473944)

SPECIES: White Bass

BEST BAITS: Slabs

SOURCE: Kolby Kuhn, Final Cast Guide Service 817-243-5858

kolbymkuhn@gmail.com

TIPS: The white bass are finishing up spawning and are aggressively feeding during the month of May. Look for them to be near the bottom in 20-30 feet of water. You can catch them by vertical jigging a slab on or right above the bottom.

LOCATION: Lake Eagle Mountain

HOTSPOT: Dam

GPS: N 32 52.546, W 97 28.073 (32.875759, -97.467886)

SPECIES: Channel Catfish

BEST BAITS: Punch bait

SOURCE: Kolby Kuhn, Final Cast Guide Service 817-243-5858

kolbymkuhn@gmail.com

TIPS: Channel catfish will be spawning in rocks around the lake such as the rocks along the dam. You can catch them by using a slip cork rig with punch bait. Keep your bait just above the rocks and try different depths until you start catching fish. Start fishing several feet deep and then move deeper.

LOCATION: Fayette County

HOTSPOT: Pekema Creek channel

GPS: N 29 55.95, W 96 42.87 (29.9325, -96.7145)

SPECIES: Catfish

BEST BAITS: CJ’s punch Bait

SOURCE: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103

www.fishtales-guideservice.com

TIPS: Fish are done spawning now. They will move deep as the water warms. Chum straight down by the boat or out from the bank if bank fishing. Fish right over the chum

LOCATION: Granger Lake

HOTSPOT: Main Lake Brush Piles

GPS: N 30 42.09, W 97 21.0839

CURRENT LAKE LEVELS

CENTRAL TEXAS

LAKE CAPACITY CURRENT %

As of 4/4/2024 AC. FT. AC. FT. FULL

Aquilla 43,243 43,243 100%

Arlington 40,157 40,157 100%

Athens 29,503 29,503 100%

Austin 23,972 23,019 96%

Bardwell 43,856 43,856 100%

Belton 432,631 305,231 71%

Benbrook 85,648 85,648 100%

Buchanan 866,694 402,688 47%

Canyon 378,781 226,157 60%

Cedar Creek 644,686 644,686 100%

Choke Canyon 662,820 156,994 24%

Coleto Creek 31,040 31,040 100%

Corpus Christi 256,062 112,115 44%

Eagle Mountain 185,087 147,755 80%

Georgetown 38,005 28,664 75%

Gibbons Creek 25,721 24,309 95%

Granger 51,822 51,822 100%

Grapevine 163,064 163,064 100%

Halbert 6,033 5,528 92%

Hubert H Moss 24,058 23,842 99%

Inks 13,729 13,029 95%

Joe Pool 149,629 149,629 100%

Lavon 409,757 409,757 100%

Lewisville 563,228 563,228 100%

Limestone 203,780 203,780 100%

Lyndon B Johnson 112,778 110,853 98%

Marble Falls 7,597 7,179 95% Martin 75,726 75,677 100% Medina 254,823 7,405 3%

Mountain Creek 22,850 22,850 100% Navarro Mills 49,827 49,827 100%

New Terrell City 8,583 4,002 47% Ray Hubbard 439,559 439,559 100%

Ray Roberts 788,167 778,561 99%

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

Somerville 150,293 150,293 100%

Stillhouse Hollow 229,796 139,464 61%

Tawakoni

100%

99%

95%

38%

100%

HOTSPOTLIGHT:

(30.7015, -97.3514)

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: Jigs and Minnows

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

TIPS: Granger is one of the best lakes in Texas to have a chance at a 3 pound crappie. If you can find brush piles with your sonar, you can catch the crappie. They are even biting up the river in the stumps. Use jigs tipped with Berkley Crappie Nibbles or minnows and you will load the boat. Dead minnows will usually catch the largest crappie. Fish vertically over

SURFACE AREA: 4,009 acres

MAXIMUM DEPTH: 50 feet

IMPOUNDED: 1980

THE TWO MAJOR GAMEFISH SOUGHT on Granger are crappie and catfish. White bass are also present and pro-

LAKE GRANGER

vide consistent action. Largemouth bass are there, but are only found in limited number.

Fish attractor structures have been placed around the lake. See this symbol... ...on the map).

CENTRAL TEXAS

brush and hold the bait very still.

LOCATION: Lake Joe Pool

HOTSPOT: Community Point

GPS: N 32 37.647, W 97 00.953 (32.6275, -97.0159)

SPECIES: Largemouth

BEST BAITS: RatLtraps

SOURCE: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210

whitebassfishingtexas.com

TIPS: Use green/pumpkin RatLtraps. Hit the top of the point early, then fish the deep channel later on..

LOCATION: Lake Lavon

HOTSPOT: Main Lake

GPS: N 33 2.9099, W 96 31.7099 (33.0485, -96.5285)

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: Minnows and black and chartreuse or white and chartreuse 1/16 ounce jigs

SOURCE: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210

whitebassfishingtexas.com

TIPS: If the gates are closed, look for Crappie anywhere from 1 to 10 feet of water. In 7 to 10 feet, you’ll find females. Males will be shallower. Fish minnows under a cork or long rod with black/chartreuse or white/chartreuse 1/16 ounce jig head.

LOCATION: Lake LBJ

HOTSPOT: Colorado River Arm

GPS: N 30 40.212, W 98 26.482 (30.6702, -98.4414)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Topwaters

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

TIPS: Work boat docks and brushpiles with black/ blue flake topwaters; avoid midday.

LOCATION: Lake Lewisville

HOTSPOT: Hackberry Point

GPS: N 33 7.203, W 96 57.528 (33.1201, -96.9588)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: RatLTraps

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

TIPS: Cast shad RatLTraps to the bank, vary retrieve; dawn, dusk

LOCATION: Lake Limestone

HOTSPOT: Dooley Creek

GPS: N 31 25.149, W 96 22.05

(31.4192, -96.3675)

SPECIES: Catfish

BEST BAITS: Trotine or jugline

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

TIPS: Trotine or jugline in 3-15 feet of water; all day

LOCATION: Lake Palestine

HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points

GPS: N 32 13.5, W 95 29.2499 (32.2250, -95.4875)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Deep diver crankbaits in shad pattern, Carolina rig in Watermelon Red and the Big Eye jig in Watermelon Red or candy color.

SOURCE: Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 or 903-530-2201 www.rickysguideservice.com

TIPS: Bass will be moving out from their spawning grounds and the male bass will be in the shallows with the fry that are left. Work main lake points for larger bass, fishing the first drop off from shore in 10 to 16 feet. Focus on points by the dam. Fish slow.

LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard

HOTSPOT: Robertson Park Flats

GPS: N 32 52.504, W 96 30.798 (32.8751, -96.5133)

SPECIES: Catfish

BEST BAITS: Cut shad or breem

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

TIPS: Use a 2-hook rig over 3/4 oz. weight; dusk-morning.

LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts

HOTSPOT: Culp Island

GPS: N 33 21.351, W 97 4.52 (33.3559, -97.0753)

SPECIES: White Bass

BEST BAITS: Small lures, swimbaits, slabs

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

TIPS: Early and again late in the day, fish will chase shad to the surface. A Tiny Torpedo will produce. Another good choice is a 2-3 inch paddle tail swimbait on a jig head. When fish are not surfacing, jig a 3/4 oz. slab on the bottom in 15-25 feet of water.

LOCATION: Richland Chambers Lake

HOTSPOT: 309 Flats

GPS: N 31 58.71, W 96 6.864 (31.9785, -96.1144)

SPECIES: White Bass and Hybrid Striper

BEST BAITS: Slabs

SOURCE: Royce Simmons 903-389-4117

www.gonefishin.biz

TIPS: Hybrid Stripers and White Bass will be feeding aggressively in the main lake all month. Silver RSR Slabs fished in 20’-30’ water off the 309 Flats will result in lots of White Bass action and the occasional LARGE Hybrid Striper. Look for gulls to help locate the baitfish that the whites are feeding on.

LOCATION: Lake Somerville

HOTSPOT: Yegua Park Shoreline

GPS: N 30 17.76, W 96 32.784 (30.2960, -96.5464)

SPECIES: Catfish

BEST BAITS: CJ’s punch bait or shad

SOURCE: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103

www.fishtales-guideservice.com

TIPS: Fish are still spawning. Fish shallows along the bank or structure. Use Kahle hook for Shad or a #6 treble hook for punch bait. Consider using a slip cork to prevent unwanted hookups.

LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow Lake

HOTSPOT: Main Lake

GPS: N 31 0.8579, W 97 36.402 (31.0143, -97.6067)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, Crankbaits and

Topwater Baits in natural colors

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

TIPS: Now is the time to fish early morning or late afternoon. Look for matted grass around flats and also timber around the back of the island. Work around timber and along the edges and through the grass.

LOCATION: Lake Tawakoni

HOTSPOT: Hickory Cove

GPS: N 32 56.541, W 96 1.832 (32.9424, -96.0305)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Most popular area on lake, many big fish, hit shallows

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

TIPS: Most popular area on lake, many big fish, hit shallows; dawn, morning, dusk.

LOCATION: Lake Texana

HOTSPOT: Point of River

GPS: N 29 1.671, W 96 33.278 (29.0279, -96.5546)

SPECIES: White Bass

BEST BAITS: Crankbaits

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Fish Rat-L-Traps or shallow crankbaits; good spot all day.

LOCATION: Lake Texoma

HOTSPOT: Little Mineral

GPS: N 33 49.711, W 96 40.026 (33.8285, -96.6671)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, soft plastics

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

TIPS: Fish points and dropoffs with spinnerbaits or soft plastics; dawn, dusk.

LOCATION: Lake Waco

HOTSPOT: Lakeshore Cove

GPS: N 31 34.384, W 97 11.657 (31.5731, -97.1943)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Worms, spinnerbaits

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

TIPS: Work motor oil worms slowly near trees and brush; late afternoon

WEST TEXAS HOTSPOTS

Reported by TJ RANFT

CONTACT TJ RANFT:

Email: TJRanft17@gmail.com

Online: RanftGuideService.com

LOCATION: Lake Alan Henry

HOTSPOT: Ince Cove

GPS: N 33 3.352, W 101 4.853 (33.0559, -101.0809)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Topwaters

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

TIPS: Work the points and grass with Zara Spooks or shad topwaters; morning-afternoon.

LOCATION: Lake Amistad

HOTSPOT: Bridge Pilings

GPS: N 29 29.124, W 101 01.984 (29.4854, -101.0331)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Worms

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

TIPS: In the afternoons, fish a 4-inch Roboworm. Dropshot vertically. Look for suspended fish.

LOCATION: Lake Arrowhead

HOTSPOT: Standing Timber

GPS: N 33 42.298, W 98 22.342 (33.7050, -98.3724)

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: Minnows, jigs

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

TIPS: Fish the group of standing timber near the

LOCATION: Lake Daniel

HOTSPOT: Main Lake

GPS: N 32 38.6027, W 98 51.8926 (32.6434, -98.8649)

CURRENT LAKE LEVELS WEST TEXAS

SPECIES: Largemouth bass, white crappie

BEST BAITS: soft plastics, jigs, spinnerbaits

SOURCE: TPWD District Office

325-692-0921

TIPS: Lake Daniel is an excellent fishery for decent largemouth bass and white Crappie. Historically, the reservoir has produced multiple largemouth bass over 8 pounds. Lake Daniel is also one of the Big Country’s best crappie fisheries, and May provides an excellent opportunity to land some quality-sized fish. When fishing for largemouth bass, consider throwing Texas-rigged soft plastics, swim jigs, and spinners. Sticking to brighter or natural colors may be optimal. For crappie, sticking to jigs or smaller spinners fished off structure may produce a bite.

LOCATION: Fort Phantom Hill Res.

HOTSPOT: Main Lake

GPS: N 32 35.307, W 99 41.676 (32.588458, -99.694599)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Senkos, worms, RatLTraps, crankbaits

SOURCE: TPWD District Office

325-692-0921

TIPS: Ft. Phantom Hill has had time for its bass fishery to recover after catching water and anglers have been catching some large fish. Recently, the lake record was broken by an angler that caught two fish larger than 11 pounds. Fishing shoreline vegetation and drop-offs should produce a good bite. Texas-rigged Senkos, darker-colored trick-worms, RatLTraps, and crank baits should work well for bass. This season is also great to catch schooling hybrid striped bass. For hybrids, consider chrome RatLTraps, chrome or white slabs, and blade baits.

LOCATION: Lake Granbury

HOTSPOT: Lower End Near Dam

GPS: N 32 22.659, W 97 42.009 (32.37765, -97.70015)

SPECIES: Striped Bass

BEST BAITS: Live shad, Willow shaped Slabs, bucktail jigs with a curly tail

SOURCE: Michael W. Acosta

Unfair Advantage Charters 254-396-4855

TIPS: Live shad worked near feeding flats. Downrigging jigs near channel ledges near baitfish

river channel with minnows or jigs; all day.

HOTSPOTLIGHT:

can help locate active fish. Live shad fished on a carolina rig fished 15 to 25 feet down is hard to beat. Granbury water temperatures are in the 70’s and 80’s and summer patterns are starting to dominate. Striped bass are returning to the main lake (lower ends).

LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom

HOTSPOT: Broadway

GPS: N 32 51.823, W 98 32.067 (32.863712,-98.534446)

SPECIES: Striped Bass

BEST BAITS: Live shad, bucktail jigs, spoons

SOURCE: T.J. Ranft

Ranft Guide Service

940-452-8439

Tjranft17@gmail.com

TIPS: The stripers are starting to transition into their summer patterns. They will start to feed heavily in the early mornings and late evenings. These will be the prime times to target them. Live shad is the go-to for fishing ledges near large feeding flats, but some fish can be caught using bucktail jigs trolled with downriggers in the river channel and along these ledges. Water temps will be in the 70s and low 80s and on the rise. As the sun gets higher, the feeding will slow down and the fish will start to move to deeper water. Don’t be afraid to spend time looking for schools of fish. If they don’t bite when you find them, move on to another school. Another great option for targeting them is with large spoons. Drop the spoon down to them and jig it up and down. This will be a hard reaction bite so be ready. Stick to looking for fish in 20-40 feet of water, but don’t be afraid to look a little shallower or deeper.

LAKE POSSUM KINGDOM

SURFACE AREA: 15,588 acres

MAXIMUM DEPTH: 145 feet IMPOUNDED: 1941

WHITE BASS, STRIPED BASS AND hybrid stripers are the big draw on PK.

Striper stockings occur most years and produce consistently healthy fish (lake record = 34.19 pounds).

Fish attractor structures have been installed around the lake (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

MAY/JUNE 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.

AM Minor: 10:42a

AM Major: 4:28a

PM Minor: 11:11a

PM Major: 4:57a

Sunrise: 6:38a Set: 7:53a

Moonrise: 12:50a Set: 10:52a

Moon Overhead: 5:50a

Moon Underfoot: 6:19p

Sunrise: 6:37a Set: 7:54a Moonrise: 1:41a Set: 11:58a AM Minor: 11:43a AM Major: 5:29a PM Minor: ----PM Major: 5:58a Moon Overhead: 6:47a Moon Underfoot: 7:16p

Sunrise: 6:36a Set: 7:54a Moonrise: 2:27a Set: 1:06p AM Minor: 12:17p AM Major: 6:27a PM Minor: 12:41p PM Major: 6:55a Moon Overhead: 7:44a Moon Underfoot: 8:11p

Sunrise: 6:36a Set: 7:55a Moonrise: 3:07a Set: 2:15p AM Minor: 1:07a AM Major: 7:20a PM Minor: 1:33a

PM Major: 7:47a Moon Overhead: 8:37a Moon Underfoot: 9:03p

Sunrise: 6:35a Set: 7:56a Moonrise: 3:43a Set: 3:22p AM Minor: 1:56a AM Major: 8:08a PM Minor: 2:21a PM Major: 8:34a

Moon Overhead: 9:29a Moon Underfoot: 9:54p

Sunrise: 6:34a Set: 7:56a Moonrise: 4:17a Set: 4:29p AM Minor: 2:40a AM Major: 8:53a PM Minor: 3:05a

PM Major: 9:17a

Moon Overhead: 10:19a

Moon Underfoot: 10:43p

Sunrise: 6:33a Set: 7:57a

Moonrise: 4:50a Set: 5:35p

AM Minor: 3:23a

AM Major: 9:36a PM Minor: 3:48a PM Major: 10:01a Moon Overhead: 11:08a Moon Underfoot: 11:33p

FLOUNDER

Port O’Connor

Lance Sockwell of Conroe caught this flounder as part of a Texas Slam (plus a speck and red) on his first wading trip at Port O’Connor.

BOWFIN

ALLIGATOR GAR

Brazos River

Crey Hammons of Montgomery holds a bowfin (grinnel), one of his favorite fish to eat, caught on the Sabine River. GIVE US YOUR

SHOT! SEND YOUR ACTION PHOTOS TO Photos@FishGame.com For best results, send HIGH quality JPEG digital files.

No guarantee can be made as to when, or if, a submitted photo will be published.

Sabine River

Bryce Bergeron caught and released this black gar while fishing on the Brazos River in southern Brazoria County with friends Jay Caster and Clay Ganze.

SPECKLED TROUT

Galveston

Nathan Hastings of Fort Worth shows off a nice Speck he caught while fishing in the Galveston Channel.

Lone Star Lake

Barnett of Hawkins, caught this 23.86-pound stringer of bass on Lone Star Lake. The big bass weighed 9.44 pounds.

APTITUDE Outdoors

A Look at An Overlooked Conservation Pioneer

WILLIAM T. HORNADAY

was a pioneering gure in natural history and conservation.

With an early passion for the natural world, he pursued education in this eld, eventually leading to a career that began with an association with Wards National Science Foundation in 1873. Hornaday’s numerous expeditions, including signi cant trips to the Bahamas, Cuba, Florida, the West Indies, South America, Ceylon, Malaya, and Borneo, underscored his dedication to collecting and studying natural specimens.

Hornaday’s appointment as Chief Taxidermist at the United States National Museum in 1882 allowed him to innovate in presenting animals within naturalistic se ings, laying the groundwork for modern taxidermy and museum displays. is position also played a crucial role in the creation of the National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C. Hornaday’s illustrious career was further highlighted by his 30-year tenure as the rst director of the New York Zoological Garden (Bronx Zoo), where his leadership emphasized wildlife conservation and advanced zoological practices, se ing new standards for zoos and animal conservation e orts worldwide.

One of Hornaday’s most notable achievements was his trailblazing work in saving the American bison from extinction. In 1886, he led an expedition to Montana, under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution, to collect bison specimens, realizing the imminent danger the species faced. is highlighted the drastic decline in bison populations, once numbering in the tens of millions, which had fallen to fewer than 1,000 by 1893. Hornaday’s ndings were published in his report “ e Extermination of the American Bison” in 1889, a seminal work that generated public support for bison conservation.

His advocacy in this area led to the founding of the American Bison Society in 1905, with Hornaday as its president and eodore Roosevelt as the honorary president. is society played a crucial role in establishing wildlife preserves and sourcing bison to repopulate

these areas. By 1929, the bison population had grown to over 3,000, a testament to the e ectiveness of Hornaday’s e orts.

In addition to his work with bison, Hornaday was a proli c author, having published almost two dozen books and numerous articles on wildlife conservation. His 1913 book “Our Vanishing Wildlife: Its Extermination and Preservation” was particularly in uential. Hornaday’s writing not only educated the public about the importance of preserving wildlife but also in uenced legislative actions for wildlife protection. His establishment of the Permanent Wild Life Protection Fund in 1913 further underscored his commitment to the cause, providing a platform for his extensive lobbying for wildlife protection laws at both state and federal levels.

Hornaday signi cantly impacted the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) by founding the Wild Life Protection Medal in 1914 through his Permanent Wild Life Protection Fund. Awarded to Scouts for substantial contributions to wildlife conservation, such as promoting animal protection, in uencing wildlife legislation, restocking native species, or establishing game preserves, the medal’s criteria were rigorous, leading to the rst award six years later in 1920. Renamed in Hornaday’s honor posthumously in 1937, this prestigious medal remains a key accolade within the BSA for notable e orts in conservation and ecology.

Hornaday’s death in 1937 marked the end of a remarkable life dedicated to wildlife conservation. He died in Stamford, Connecticut, and was laid to rest at Putnam Cemetery in Greenwich, Connecticut. A year a er his passing, in recognition of his substantial contributions to conservation, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt suggested that a peak in the Absaroka Range in Yellowstone National Park be named Mount Hornaday. is gesture was a ing tribute to Hornaday’s lasting impact on American wildlife conservation. Additionally, a street in the Bronx, New York, was named Hornaday Place, further commemorating his legacy.

Although Hornaday accomplished many

:: by PAUL FUZINSKI TF&G Contributing Editor

wonderful things in the world of wildlife conservation, criticisms arise particularly from his perspectives and actions that re ect the prejudices of his era, including instances of racial insensitivity and support for eugenics.

For example, his role in the display of Ota Benga, a Congolese Pygmy, at the Bronx Zoo in 1906, is a stark reminder of the era’s racial a itudes and a deeply troubling aspect of his career. Additionally, Hornaday’s advocacy for conservation was sometimes entangled with a rhetoric that prioritized certain species over others based on value judgments rooted in the same prejudiced worldview. ese aspects of his work highlight the importance of evaluating historical gures in the full context of their actions and beliefs, recognizing the complexities and the need for critical re ection on their legacies.

Re ecting on William T. Hornaday’s enduring legacy highlights the ongoing, critical importance of conservation. His life, although awed, exempli ed the powerful impact individuals can have on preserving wildlife, evident in the habitats and species he saved, and his in uence continues to resonate through ourishing natural environments and the people he inspired. Honoring Hornaday means adopting his conservation ethos as a personal and collective responsibility. Engaging in local and global e orts, and supporting environmental initiatives are ways we can follow in his footsteps.

You can nd a short documentary about Hornaday at www.aptitudeoutdoors.com

Email Paul Fuzinski at ContactUs@fishgame.com

Scan to Hear Audio Version