Texas Fish & Game May-June 2023

Inside FISH GAME

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

ROY AND ARDIA NEVES PUBLISHERS

CHESTER MOORE EDITOR IN CHIEF CONTRIBUTORS

JOE DOGGETT • SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

F YOU CHECK THE CONTENTS

Lordy, Lordy, Look Who’s... I

table for this issue (on page 4), you’ll see that we have begun Volume Number 40. e actual Fortieth Anniversary issue of Texas Fish & Game won’t be until next May/June 2024, but this issue is the beginning of our 40th year of publication. It’s like when you celebrate your 39th birthday, you begin your 40th year of life (young whipper-snapper).

Way, way, way back in May of 1984, we rolled Volume One, Issue One o a rickety newsprint press housed in a metal building on the outskirts of Marble Falls, Texas, beginning our rst year of publication as Texas Fish & Game. We—Ardia selling ads, and Roy helping with design and circulation—had no idea that this venture would turn into our life’s work. We also had not a clue what lay ahead of us and the path we would follow through the last two decades of the previous century (and millennium) and the rst twoand-almost-a-half decades of the current.

So here we are, beginning our fortieth year, our h decade, and our 425th issue. ( e math of issue counting gets a li le dense because the number of issues per year has varied).

We’ve experienced a lot during the past 39 years, and this fortieth year is certainly keeping us on our toes. As we move through these next twelve months, we’ll devote some of this space to recollections of our history. at history has been lled with challenges, successes and failures, and no shortage of interesting and rewarding relationships.

We’ve witnessed and covered dramatic changes in the worlds of shing and hunting, and in the business that we’re

in—both the narrow category of Outdoor Publications and the larger landscape of media in general. We’ll share some of the stories that got us—for be er or worse— where we are in this fortieth year of existence.

We hope you stay tuned...

Atlas Plugged

BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS, copies of the 2023 Edition of our Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas will be shipping out to your nearest newsstands and racks in many of the state’s Academy locations.

Lakes & Bays has been around for almost as long as Fish & Game It has evolved and grown over its long life and that evolution continues with the new edition.

e 2023 Texas Lakes & Bays includes four new lakes, pushing the total number of fresh and saltwater shing locations up to the nice, fat gure of 75. Another tweak is the addition of a lake level trend chart on most of the fresh water bodies.

Look for the new edition in stores soon, or go online to FishGame.com/FishGameGear and order your copy now.

Email Ardia at aneves@fishgame.com

Email Roy at rneves@fishgame.com

DOUG PIKE • SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

LENNY RUDOW • BOATING EDITOR

MATT WILLIAMS • FRESHWATER EDITOR

PETE ROBBINS • BASS FISHING EDITOR

KELLY GROCE • CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

LOU MARULLO • HUNTING EDITOR

LARRY WEISHUHN • WHITETAIL EDITOR

DUSTIN ELLERMANN • SHOOTING EDITOR

REAVIS WORTHAM • HUMOR EDITOR

GRANT GISEL • DIGITAL CONTRIBUTOR

MORIAH FORMICA • DIGITAL CONTRIBUTOR

STAN SKINNER • CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

LISA MOORE • CONTRIBUTING PHOTO EDITOR

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Turkey Coverage

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR your continuing coverage of the wild turkey. No one else is really covering all of the angles you are with these birds. I have been impressed to see work on Eastern turkeys, Merriam’s and even talk about Gould’s.

:: by TF&G READERS

NWTF banquet in Nacogdoches. I appreciate his stories about wild turkeys and turkey hunting and even appreciated his spending

Marlin in Texas Waters

I CAUGHT SOME OF THE STORIES you have published about marlins in the Gulf of Mexico. I appreciate it because I have always wanted to catch a bill sh. It would even be be er to do it in the Gulf instead of way out in the Paci c somewhere. I have a question—do we have striped marlin in the Gulf? I can nd no records of them.

Editor: No, striped marlin are a Paci c sh. We have blue marlin and white marlin in Texas Gulf waters. anks for your support!

Hog Poisoning

I’M DEAD SET AGAINST PLANS TO poison hogs using sodium nitrite, warfarin or whatever they come up with. It’s just a bad idea. Do you think we will see some poisoning of hogs here in Texas in the future?

Editor: Yes, I do. Wealthy landowners have a huge in uence on anything to do with wildlife in Texas due to the state being 97 percent privately owned and many of them are dealing with huge hog problems just like small landowners and leaseholders. ere is an outcry om this sector for some kind of hog poison. In my opinion, we will see this come to uition in the next couple of years. It’s a complex issue and there will be much debate.

ank you for your dedication to an important conservation topic.

James Burton

IT WAS GREAT MEETING TF&G

Editor-In-Chief Chester Moore at the

several minutes talking with me about these birds. He had a lot of people coming up to him and I thought it was great he took time with everyone, especially me.

Kevin Samuelson

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

Has the Age of the Super Trout Passed?

MASSIVE SPECKLED

trout are truly rare, elusive sh.

And when you consider the immense amount of angling pressure, predation and damage to their environment by everything from erosion to pollution, it makes you appreciate them even more.

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department biologists tell us a six-year-old sh will be between 23-27 inches. Fish in the 30-inch class are most likely 9-10 years old and have survived many trials during their lifetime. Fish that would beat Bud Rowland’s massive 15.6-pound state record would likely not only be older than that but also have superior genetics.

My last column pondered the question of will we ever see Texas state record sh again, particularly in the category of trout, ounder, red sh, largemouth bass and crappie. e response to that column inspired me to do some digging and I crossed paths with a story I did early in my career called “Age of the Super Trout”.

is was when genetic tinkering became a real thing for largemouth bass and research in private labs and in other states showed similar potential for speckled trout. I wondered if we might see a time when catching trout in the 13 plus pound category might be as common as Sharelunker-sized bass are in our state.

Of course that did not happen as TPWD Coastal Fisheries went the direction of a very natu-

ral approach to hatcheries product of trout, red sh and ounder. ey have even gone to the extent of only stocking sh from the bay in which their broodstock was caught. So, it has been Galveston trout from Galveston Bay, Corpus sh from that area, etc. But I discovered there was an era of “super trout” that has been all but forgo en. And it included a 20 pound plus sh.

From 1984-86 TPWD stocked speckled trout/ orangemouth corvina hybrids in Lake Calaveras.

Corvina are very close cousins of specks and from rst glance they can look virtually the same although some tend to look more like a sand trout, depending on catch location in their native Paci c range.

In 1984, 12,050 juveniles were stocked along with 2,518 adults. In 1985, they put in 25, 589 juveniles and 36, 485 in 1986. On top of that they stocked 3,150 pure juvenile corvina in Lake Braunig in 1985.

In 1986 they released 766,825 juveniles in Lake Calaveras along with six adults. And in 1987, 13 adults were released there.

What happened over the next few years was fascinating. e sh thrived and some impressive records were caught including Earl Tenpenny’s state record orangemouth corvina catch of 16.31 pounds on Calaveras.

Richard Alejandre caught Braunig’s water body record corvina in 1990 and it weighed 14.50 pounds.

e speckled trout/corvina catches were even more impressive. e lake record for Calaveras weighed 14.60 pounds and was caught by Harold Sinclair. e lake record for Braunig is also the state record and it weighed 20.80 pounds and it was caught in 1992 by Harold Sinclair.

Records show concern by scientists that the corvina stockings could cause issues in the genetic integrity of our native speckled trout populations if these sh somehow end up in our bay systems.

On a personal level, the conclusion I arrived at showed me the age of the super trout wasn’t to come but had already passed. ese hybrids not only beat our state record trout but also the world record 17 pound, 7 ounce speck from Florida.

Research shows there are some pre y serious di erences between Florida bass and native northern largemouth.

How wide a gap is this compared to corvina and speckled trout? at’s some-

thing I will dig into on an upcoming episode of the Higher Calling Wildlife podcast so make sure and subscribe wherever you nd podcasts (Itunes, Spotify, etc.)

On an additional note, TPWD once stocked pure speckled trout in freshwater. e rst trout stockings occurred in 1984 and saw 42,609 sh stocked in Matagorda Bay and 4,438 in Upper Laguna Madre. at same year they released 72,000 in Lake Braunig.

TPWD does an incredible jobbb with our hatcheries both on the inland and saltwater side of things. eir philosophies seem to be di erent from the past but you have to give them credit for a empting new things to boost angler opportunity.

A er all, there were even a few tarpon and Nile perch stocked in lakes in the past.

It’s fun to look back at the past and see a unique history of stockings and also to ponder our future.

I have recently learned of a group of y shermen who have the speci c goal of beating the Texas speckled trout record. And I have spoken with someone who has a pre y terri c past of catching big trout, and who has made a link between trout in the nearshore Gulf entering channels and bays.

In my opinion there is most likely a recordsized trout in the nearshore Gulf.

Will anyone ever catch it or do some of these sh move between the Gulf, our channels and perhaps even into bays?

We certainly need to do our best to conserve trout, but not only by catch-and-release. We need to make sure their habitats are healthy so that means, no rape and pillage of oyster reefs, destruction of seagrass beds and degradation of habitat.

e age of the super trout has come and gone in terms of hatchery tinkering but we could see a new renaissance in trophy trout shing if we manage our habitat and sheries correctly and learn more about those big trout in the Gulf.

ere could be a natural born super trout out there that would blow our minds.

(If you have photos of corvina or corvina/ trout hybrids caught back in the day, we would love to see and publish them. Email to chester@ chestermoore.com.)

The Top Gun of Lures

TOPWATERS ARE TOPS FOR saltwater plugging. e surface lure carries that light-tackle game to a higher level because two additional senses, sight and sound, are brought into play when a sh strikes.

e contact is abrupt and thrilling. ere is nothing timid about a jacked-up predator rising to snatch eeing prey from the surface. Some topwater strikes are more dramatic than others, but all are an eyeful, especially when the blast or boil occurs following several hours of empty casting.

And, as a bonus, surface lures o en a ract the larger sh that feed primarily on bait sh.

One of the largest catch-and-release speckled trout of my career crushed a topwater plug over a shell reef in Louisiana’s Lake Calcasieu. It scaled 9 lbs 4oz. And, moments later, a larger one pulled free. At least, it seemed larger. e blowup was bigger, and it made a longer run. It just pulled o underwater, soul-deadening slack!

Along the Texas coast, topwater plugs are most e ective on specks and almost as good on red sh, and by happy coincidence, our two top light-tackle game sh. Chunking oaters has great tradition and a cultlike following prevails among salty waders in all our primary bay systems.

ree basic types of “hard” (hollow plastic or wood) plugs are available, but the overwhelming favorite design is the so-called dogwalker. ese cigar-shaped lures with sets of dangling trebles were spawned by the original Heddon Zaragossa, a wooden lure introduced in the 1920s.

e Zaragossa was intended primarily for largemouth bass, but saltwater anglers in Florida soon discovered it was kick-ass for the usual inshore suspects.

During the 1950s, Heddon o ered the plastic Zara Spook (so named because the hollow body was ghostly opaque). Giving credit where due, the DNA of that version is responsible for proliferation of current dogwalkers on today’s tackle shelves.

Incidentally, “dogwalker” stems from the side-to-side cadence given by rod tip and reel crank during the retrieve. Proper coordination allows the buoyant plug to skate back and forth, creating a seductive wake that the nearest goggle-eyed sow speck nds hard to resist.

Learning proper dog walking technique requires practice, as does learning proper freespool casting technique, su cient reason that salty pluggers are justly proud of the stylized act they carry to the tide line.

But rigorously working a dogwalker is not for everyone. e constant jiving action can be fatiguing on wrists and forearms during a long day of steady casting. High-riding models are easier to coax, but sadly, easier to miss strikes on.

Despite the dominance of dogwalkers, another e ective and easier-to- sh option is available.

A favorite of mine is the slush-type plug. Most models are cigar-shaped, similar in pro le to the dogwalkers, but ed with small propellers. Some sport only a tail prop, others boast fore-and-a spinners. Either way, the straight retrieve (opposed to the zig-zag) is much easier to live with. And the lure is versatile.

You can rip it with occasional lusty yanks, or just chuckle and tinkle it along, or ideally, a combination of the two.

Side sweeps with the rod keep things spu ering, and here’s a trick worth remembering for tiring arms: Brace the bu of the two-handed stick against the o hip and simply twist in the direction of the next slush.

is simple motion rips the plug and takes strain away from the stable arms.

I learned this while chunking XXL slush baits all day for peacock bass in Brazil.

Slush plugs can excel over deeper depth or in o -color water or amid heavy chops. ey create taunting commotion, “Come on, hit me with your best shot!”

Conversely, so dogwalkers are strictly a nesse approach, most e ective across calm or ri ed shallows. ey tend to get lost under heavy-water circumstances. For this reason, having both types within easy reach is a solid plan during a long day.

A drawback to the slush bait is that it is more fragile than the no-frills dogwalker. e thin metal props can bend, especially a er ge ing mauled by a sow trout or a big

:: by JOE DOGGETT TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

red sh, you lucky rascal! If a blade doesn’t twirl properly, take a moment with needle nose pliers to reposition it.

Both plug types bouncing amid air and water can tangle the casting line in the trebles, but the slush baits sport the added interference of the jazzy propellers. A good way to minimize tangles is to rig a short mono “shock leader” of 20 to 30 pound test. e heavier line is sti er, less apt to ip over and snag.

A loop knot can improve the action, allowing either type of plug an easier range of motion. If you must, a small metal snap swivel will su ce, but make certain it is of top quality. An “el cheapo” snap might straighten on the very sh you so desperately want. Trust me on this. In fact, trust me it was several times before I learned how to tie a simple and bulletproof loop connection.

Frankly, an improved clinch knot snugged tight works. Assuming the rod tip is doing its job, the nearest trout or red probably could care less.

Popper-type surface plugs with dished-out faces are be er suited for popping and pausing, dallying in speci c ambush spots. For this reason, they are a mainstay among bass anglers casting to de ned targets, but not so e ective for covering open bay water. Exceptions might be working the sharp edge of a deep channel or chunking tight to je y rocks.

ese are the three primary types of topwater plugs. ey have di erent applications, but all share a common denominator: ey are horrifyingly easy to snatch away from a big sh with an open mouth doing its best to get caught.

Remember those two senses of sight and sound. When they overload, it takes a cool hand to hold re and “wait for weight” before yanking.

oly smokes! at ram is beautiful!”

SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD DUSTIN WOLFE SPOKE THOSE words as he looked through binoculars at a herd of desert bighorn ewes and lambs escorted by one big, impressive male.

rough the 400 mm lens of my camera, I could see the girth of his horns was massive and the herd didn’t seem bothered by our presence here on top of the namesake of Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area (WMA) near Alpine.

“We can get a li le closer,” said our escort Benny Benavidez with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD).

“As long as we don’t move too quickly, they shouldn’t spook.”

e aim was to get photos of Texas bighorns for upcoming stories and at the same time teach Dustin about wild sheep and other wildlife of the Trans-Pecos.

Our Higher Calling Wildlife outreach mentors teens, especially those facing special challenges, to get involved in conservation and this was our very rst outing.

DISEASE IN THE DESERT

at was November 2019 and the Texas desert bighorn population stood at an historical high of 1,500.

at was a er years of translocations of sheep from Utah, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico and very hard, innovative work creating viable sheep herds here.

As of the latest surveys conducted in Nov. 2022, the estimates were between 900 and 1,000 according to TPWD Desert Bighorn Program Leader Froylan Hernandez.

“A er years without major disease issues, there was a disease event south of Van Horn in the fall of 2019 and another at Black Gap WMA in the spring of 2020. And then the numbers in some of the other mountain ranges are lower than average,” he said.

Disease is the number one issue facing wild sheep in North America.

When Lewis and Clark set forth on their historic expedition, some estimate there were as many as two million bighorns. By 1950, there were around 25,000.

Domestic sheep and goats can carry Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (Movi), a pathogen that causes respiratory issues with wild sheep and can wipe out entire herds.

It is such a threat, in fact, Colorado has a policy that calls for killing any bighorns seen in contact with domestic sheep.

“Movi is particularly harsh on lambs and that is why disease-stricken areas will sometimes have zero lamb survival,” Hernandez said.

AOUDAD CHALLENGES

In the 1950s, a handful of aoudad (Barbary sheep) were released into the Palo Duro Canyon to create new hunting opportunities. In the following decades, thousands more were moved around Texas to stock on high-fenced hunting ranches.

Now, the free-ranging (outside of fences) population of aoudad is estimated at least 25,000 and the bulk of that is in desert bighorn territory. A 2018 survey showed 3,808 aoudads in three mountain ranges compared to 1,500 desert bighorns in seven.

PHOTO: CHESTER MOORE TEXAS FISH & GAME ®

Scan to Hear < Audio Version A herd of desert bighorns stands on the top of the namesake of Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area.

On top of that, recent research by Texas A&M University shows aoudad can transfer Movi to desert bighorns. ese African imports are also far more aggressive and can outcompete sheep, mule deer and other desert wildlife for food, water, and space.

“Texas is 97 percent privately owned and aoudad hunting is a way for landowners to make income. We don’t slight them for that,” Hernandez said.

“We will however continue strong aoudad control on public land where we have the ability to do that, work with private landowners interested in bighorns about the aoudad issue, and move forward with positive actions to help our native desert sheep.”

MOVING FORWARD

e Texas Bighorn Society, founded in the early 1980s, sole mission is to aid the

Banding Together for Wild Sheep

THE TEXAS BIGHORN SOCIETY’S sole purpose is to help conserve desert bighorn sheep in Texas.

The group has rich roots that include prominent members like the late, legendary Dr. “Red” Duke and a proven track-record of desert sheep-centric fundraising, work projects and cooperating with landowners and TPWD.

It is the first conservation group I ever joined at 19-years-old and I’m still

conservation of desert bighorn sheep in Texas.

A huge part of that is creating “guzzlers”, structures that trap rainwater and store them to bene t bighorns and other wildlife.

“When you have stresses on the herd as you have now, having access to water is even more crucial. We just completed two guzzlers on private land in the Eagle Mountains and did two last year there as well. Two years ago we also did two guzzlers in the Beach Mountains, again on private land. We are always working closely with TPWD and private landowners to improve things for desert bighorns,” said TBS President Dr. Sam

Cunningham.

TBS provides an on-ramp for individuals to get involved

to get involved directly with sheep conser-

vation in Texas.

“We certainly raise funds through ra es, our annual Roundup, and its auction, but we are still very much a boots-on-the-ground conservation group. If you want to put in sweat equity for the sheep, we have opportunities to get involved in guzzler construction projects. We are also about to initiate an “adopt a guzzler” opportunity to help maintain those structures,” Cunningham said.

TPWD is currently studying at least one range in West Texas devoid of bighorns (and aoudad) for possible translocation and is continuing to improve habitat, work with private landowners and research how to get the desert bighorn population back to former levels and perhaps even higher.

ert bighorn population back to former levels even

“ ere isn’t a state or province that has bighorns that have not dealt with this at some level. We’re going to put our best foot

some level. We’re going to put our best foot

very much proud to be a member.

You can learn more and join at www.texasbighornsociety.org.

I’m also a proud member of The Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF).

WSF’s mission is to put and keep wild sheep on the mountain.

Operating in the United States, Canada and Mexico as well as in Asia, the group raises millions of dollars annually for sheep conservation and works diligently on issues like disease, habitat loss, predation and regulatory issues that impact wild sheep.

You can learn more and join at www.wildsheepfoundation.org

Desert bighorns from Nevada (like the one pictured here), Utah, Arizona and New Mexico have at times been translocated to Texas.

Kat Hunter examines a Texas desert bighorn skull. Kat is a member of the Texas Bighorn Society, Wild Sheep Foundation and a 2022 graduate of Women Hunt.

forward and help keep the legacy of the desert bighorn strong in Texas,” said Froylan Hernandez.

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

In 2019, TPWD’s Trans Pecos sta generously allowed us to bring Reannah Hollaway to a desert bighorn capture.

As part of our Higher Calling Wildlife

outreach, she has cystic brosis and was wanting to nd a way to contribute to wildlife conservation.

She had the opportunity to put a GPS collar on a big ram that day.

“I still can’t believe I got to do that. ose TPWD guys were so nice to me and honestly, that day is a big part of what made me sure I wanted to get into wildlife conservation,”

Hollaway said.

Upon returning home, we realized the ram she collared was the same one me and Dustin photographed two weeks earlier. Amazing.

But what is more amazing is the trajectory Hollaway’s life has taken a er her sheep encounter.

is December she graduates from Texas Tech University with a Natural Resources Management Degree with a Conservation Science Concentration and is currently considering graduate school.

“A lot of great people have helped bighorn sheep in Texas and in a big way desert bighorn sheep helped inspire me. Now I hope to make a positive impact on wildlife,” she said. ere is no question Texas’ desert bighorn herd is facing a great challenge but TPWD, TBS, and others are working hard to get it back to those historical highs.

And there is a new generation of conservationists out there, ready to rise to the higher calling of wildlife and wild sheep conservation.

Reannah Hollaway’s participation in a bighorn capture in 2019 helped inspire her conservation career.

T’S AN AGE-OLD DEBATE among anglers but in many ways, it is a useless argument. Both have their advantages and in the bass world this is clearly understood.

Sometimes you simply need spinning gear to get the job done.

In saltwater, there are still diehards who prefer one or the other with a majority in the casting column on the Texas Coast. A growing number of anglers are however learning the advantage of using spinning equipment for specific tasks.

Here are seven ways it can give you an edge in catching fish along the coast.

COASTAL FINESSE FISHING: Spinning reels only need to pull the weight of the fishing line, so they are perfect for casting light lures.

Throwing a tiny curl tail with a 1/16ounce jig head is difficult on casting gear but works perfectly on spinning gear. There are numerous times when tiny lures get the job done when nothing else will for flounder, especially during spring months when their preferred baitfish is tiny menhaden.

A great choice for this is the 7-foot Light/Fast Mojo Inshore Spinning Rod from St. Croix. Standard flounder rods are medium/ heavy but when the bite is soft you need something that allows for working tiny lures and while you might lose some at the boat, you will get far more bites this way than staying with the typical approach that doesn’t work when the fish aren’t feeding aggressively.

WIND CASTING: Let’s face it, few anglers can throw in the heavy wind all day with casting gear and not get a backlash.

Spinning rigs make it easier to adjust drag, when a surprise monster bites.

at gives guides a very practical reason to keep them on the boat as they never know what preference their clients might have in that department.

And it’s also a reason for you to keep a few handy as guests on your dock or boat might be not only beginners but le ies that have a hard time with right-handed setup.

BIG FISH BATTLES: One of the beauties of saltwater shing is you never know what you might catch. Instead of a speckled trout at the je ies, you might end up with a king mackerel. And the slot-sized red you’re seeking might end up being a 40- incher.

e presence of strong wind does not mean the sh will not bite but it certainly makes things more di cult in the casting department.

Since backlashes are few and far between on spinning gear they are perfect for those prefrontal days when winds are blowing in the bay but the barometer is dropping and the sh are on a strong feed.

SKIPPING: Docks in bays and channels are great places to pick up on ounder, sheepshead, and snook (on the Lower Coast). Skipping lures under docks is a great way to pick up on sh that target in saltwater and there is no be er way to do this than with spinning gear.

e casting is more forgiving and keeps you in the action, instead of pulling out backlashes. Another advantage here is spinning reels typically have a slower gear ratio than casting rods. It’s best to work a few feet under a dock slowly than to pull out with a crank or two before the sh get a good look.

A 6’6 Medium/Fast Avid Series Inshore Spinning Rod from St. Croix is a great choice for skipping. You can technically skip with any but shorter is be er and having the action to work a bait while the backbone to get a strong hookset is paramount.

LEFT OR RIGHT DOESN’T MATTER: Nearly all spinning reels come with the ability to adjust for right or le -handed anglers.

Either one of those scenarios will require some drag adjustment. Drags are much easier to access and tweak on the spinning gear in the heat of ba le.

Many sh are lost because a drag adjustment could not be made quickly and with spinning reels, you can do it quickly and without fumbling around too much.

A 7-foot Medium-Heavy/Fast Mojo Inshore Spinning Rod is a great choice when you’re shing areas where the catch could be regular-sized or jumbo.

VERTICAL FISHING: Working a big jig for snapper around an oil rig or targeting a drum over a deep drop-o in the channel requires shing vertically.

is is a huge advantage for anglers shing spinning gear.

A Rod for Hard Core Surf Anglers

THE LATEST IN A LINEAGE OF LEGENDary surf rods from St. Croix, Seage delivers superior-level construction and technology to anglers demanding the longest casts, and the hardest hooksets, in the most adverse conditions.

• Constructed with newly engineered SCII carbon fiber that is both stronger in flexural strength and lighter than its previous formulation.

• Crafted strategically placing ART and Veil reinforcing technologies increasing strength and impact protection.

• Built with proprietary FRS technology.

• Off-set ferrules on two-piece models

deliver one-piece performance.

• Sea Guide® Hero Hi-Grade guides with slim aluminum-oxide rings and

SS316 stainless gun smoke frames.

• Sea Guide® NPS reel seat with integrated black hoods.

• X-Flock covered slim diameter handles.

• Winn® comfort-focused foregrips.

• Medium-light power models have 50/50 split grips, all other models have 70/30 Split Grips.

• Two coats of Flex-Coat slow cure finish.

• 15-year warranty backed by St. Croix Superstar Service.

• Designed in Park Falls and handcrafted in Fresnillo, Mexico.

Baitcasters have somewhat of a “pendulum e ect” when a lure encounters resistance from pulling against the round, rotating spool. e line on spinning reels falls freely and has much less resistance. is can make a di erence on spooky sh who want lures to fall straight down, or when shing

down certain kinds like the aforementioned rigs and drop-o s.

Fishing straight up and down is much easier with spinning gear and allows you to keep closer contact with your lure or bait in deeper water. at means you will “feel” the bite be er and have a be er chance of

hooking sh when they’re in the nicky mode.

e 6’ 6” Medium RIFT Jig Spinning

Rod is perfect for tackling snapper, grouper and other sh up to 35 pounds.”

Popping Corks: ere are more red sh and speckled trout caught on the Gulf Coast on popping corks than with any other method. Some use live shrimp while others prefer so plastics but either way popping corks are undeniably e ective.

e best popping cork shing is done with braided line and the last thing you want on a braid is a backlash. at usually means scissor time.

Braided line with a uorocarbon leader is a deadly combo for bay-dwelling species and the ability to deliver it con dently hundreds of times a day gives spinning the nod over casting tackle.

e St Croix Medium/Heavy Fast Legend Tournament Inshore Spinning is a perfect rod for this practice with both the backbone for hookset and action for working the cork.

Spinning gear makes casting in a heavy wind easier to control.

HE ANNUAL CCA-Texas State of Texas Anglers Rodeo (S.T.A.R.) tournament kicks off Memorial Day.

Anglers all along the coast take to the water with renewed fervor in hopes of catching a tagged redfish or a big black

drum, gafftop or sheepshead.

While it’s always advantageous to fish out of a boat, these species in particular are within easy reach of not only kayak anglers but those bound to the bank.

This year we thought we would draw up some strategies that might give those fishing from kayaks, shore or wading only an edge.

THE OLD GOLD SPOON: It’s certainly not a darling of the modern fishing social media world, but the gold spoon is hard to beat for redfish. Every serious angler should have one in their tackle bag.

Redfish love them and they are easy to cast long distances. If you’re in a kayak that means you might be able to reach that redfish school that is just beyond

your paddling ability. For landbound anglers and waders, it o ers the chance to cover much more ground than a standard so plastic.

SHOOTING DOCKS: For kayakers, this is an incredibly underrated strategy. You can get close to docks and even into zones other anglers can’t, so try using a spinning rod (works be er) to shoot a

¼-ounce jighead with a piece of shrimp under docks.

Why?

Sheepshead!

Big sheepshead love docks, especially old ones with lots of barnacles and you might be surprised with the size of the ones you catch.

SLIMER CITY: Ga ops have cred

among Texas anglers because of S.T.A.R. It’s certainly not for the layer of slime that crawls up your line when catching them.

Shorebound anglers should focus on areas of the ship channels where there are lots of oysters on the shore. Ga op love reef areas and when you have a shoreline reef, and it drops o quickly, there are usually plenty there in summer months.

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It should come as no surprise that a sh that can create a slick just by swimming, is a sucker for chum. Bring a sh basket and mash up shad (menhaden) or bring cans of jack mackerel to put in there. Punch holes in it

and see an Exxon Valdez-style oil slick appear. It’s amazing people eat that stu and it’s amazing how it works luring in slimers.

PARALLEL THE RIPRAP: A beautiful

thing about kayaks is, you can get them right on the edge of rocks, unlike when shing a berglass bay boat. Find some riprap in the channel on a high tide, get as close as you can to the rocks and shoot down them in parallel fashion. Reds run along the edge of those rocks to feed on crabs and mullet. A lipless crankbait is a great way to score but don’t overlook topwaters. ey can also produce.

BUOY DRUM: Kayakers can score on big, slot-sized black drum (and likely a few oversized monsters) by targeting buoys in the ship channel. e ones with the most barnacles are the best and if you nd one near a li le inlet or slough that’s even be er.

Fish a drop-shot rig on the bo om with a peeled, dead shrimp for best results, If you can get them, ddlers crabs are killer too.

TARGET SEAGRASS OPENINGS: Sandy spots in the middle of seagrass are great spots to score on slot reds.

Chunk a so plastic or a live shrimp in these spots and nd your rod bent with a spot-tailed freight train on the other end.

A kayak can get you to a lot of the areas you can reach by boat... and plenty where a boat can’t go.

On the Middle Coast, kayakers have more access to these locales due to no motor zones. And yes, there are lots of reds in these areas.

TIDAL RIPS: Tidal rips are a common place for offshore anglers to fish for pelagics like king mackerel and wahoo.

When you see a line of current that has dingy water on one side and clear on the other, you have found one of these rips. They are most common in the channels but can also be found in bays, especially on the southern end where the tidal pull is strongest.

Take a live mud minnow or finger mullet, rig it on a wide-gapped hook and put a 1/8-ounce split shot above it. Let it drift with the current and you have a great shot of catching reds as well as speckled trout.

Try both sides of the trip, as there are times when for whatever reason, fish will be on one side or the other. Reds don’t mind dirty water so don’t always think it will be on the clean side.

In a kayak, you can effectively troll these areas and that’s a great way of covering lots

Redfish and Black Drum Hybrids

WHEN DISCUSSING REDS AND DRUM it is a good opportunity to get into details on something we have been investigating.

Have you ever caught a fish that looked half redfish and half black drum?

They exist. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department actually stocked red/black drum hybrids into freshwater Lake Braunig back in 1983 and 1984. Did you catch one of these stocked fish?

Or did you catch a natural hybrid in the wild?

And while we’re at it, there were speckled trout/corvina hybrids stocked in Braunig and Calaveras

of ground in short order.

S.T.A.R. is a fun opportunity that can not only lead to great prizes for you, but scholarships for your children and grandchildren. The fact you do not have a motorboat does

in the mid to late 1980s, in addition to pure corvinas. The state record hybrid weighed over 20 pounds! Did you catch one of these?

If so, please email the photos and your story to cmoore@fishgame. com. We would love to highlight this in an upcoming edition of the TF&G Report e-newsletter.

You can hear programs about both of these topics on the TF&G-sponsored Higher Calling Wildlife podcast. Subscribe on your favorite podcasting platforms including Spotify, Apple, IHeartRadio and Amazon.

not disqualify you from having a legitimate shot at catching a winning fish. Follow these strategies and see your odds of success rise.

Going COASTAL

Mysteries on the Rocks

WINTER AND SPRING provided exceptional shing for us on the Lower Laguna Madre with quality speckled trout, red sh and snook being landed. During this transitional time of year, my eyes and thoughts shi from the gorgeous ats to the always mysterious je ies, where the possibility of hooking up to a big sh is just one cast away.

While dri ing or wading and throwing jigs with so plastics will continue to produce sh, the rst signs of migratory tarpon at the South Padre Island je ies fully encapsulate my brain. On the rst calm day of the summer last May, Capt. Brian Barrera and myself had a stellar day.

e perfect conditions allowed us to check out some nearshore wrecks and structure in the 24’ Skeeter and catch several

way back to the inlet and the Humminbird

state water red snapper. We then made our way back to the inlet and the Humminbird Solix 12 screen was covered in what we could tell were red sh. anks to Minn Kota’s Spot-Lock feature on Barrera’s Ulterra trolling motor, he positioned the boat perfectly so we could drop baits straight down to these sh. It was game on a er that.

My parents were onboard and having an absolute ball catching bull reds one a er another. During the red sh catching madness, I saw a tarpon roll on the surface. is tarpon was no baby either. About 80-90 pounds give or take. I quickly reached for the G. Loomis E6X extra heavy rod paired with a Shimano Saragosa 10,000 reel and casted a D.O.A. Lures Baitbuster in the color rootbeer towards the rocks.

I let my lure sink for just a few seconds and slowly began reeling when I felt the rst tarpon thump of the season. e sh went bonkers and jumped full-body out of the water basically on top of the rocks. As soon as the excitement began, it was over just as quick when I saw my Baitbuster eject from the beast’s mouth. I dropped to my knees with

:: by KELLY GROCE TF&G Contributing Editor

disappointment mixed with adrenaline. e highs, lows and heartbreak are all part of the deal when it comes to tarpon shing and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Days like this is why I enjoy shing the je ies as much as I do. You may have a game plan of pu ing out some bo om rigs or throwing a Baitbuster for bull reds and end up seeing snook bullying some baits on the surface, or see a 150-pound tarpon come looming across the GPS. You truly never know what you will see or end up having on the line. Just like that saying “don’t bring a gun to a knife ght”, we always make sure to bring a variety of rods and gear so we can be adequately equipped for whatever Mother Nature is throwing our way.

e recent Descend Act requires all commercial and recreational sherman to possess a venting tool on their boat while shing for reef species such as red snapper. With the water depth at the je ies being around 40 feet, several red sh would come to the surface with an everted stomach. Having this tool on deck made it possible to release gases in the sh’s abdomen, allowing them to swim safely back to their preferred depths.

With this winter and spring being relatively warm, I am con dent that the action at the je ies will start early this year. e lower coast is home to a unique shery o ering anglers plenty of species to chase a er from mangrove snapper to tarpon, and so much in-between. Enjoy the challenge and pursuit of big sh at the je ies this summer, just make sure you come prepared ready for anything.

T’S LATE SPRING IN Texas. Time for all you Texas bass junkies to shift gears and get into a post spawn frame of mind.

Many of us cut our fishing teeth hearing the old timers whine about bass falling into a sickly funk on the heels of the spawn. Some still regard it as one of bass fishing’s toughest times.

My ol’ friend Jim Tutt of Longview doesn’t buy it. Not anymore. Neither

does Wendell Ramsey of San Angelo.

Tutt has chased bass on lakes across Texas and far beyond during all seasons of the year. Fishing during the post spawn — that 30-45 day period sandwiched between the end of the spawn and when the bass settle into their summer patterns — ranks among his favorite times to be on the water.

“I grew up hearing that post spawn fishing is really tough,” Tutt said. “But I’ve since learned that isn’t true. The fish

are stressed from the spawn, and they’ve been beaten up on for the better part of two months. But they are hungry, and they need to eat. You just have to make some adjustments to catch them.”

The changes Tutt will make depend entirely on existing conditions on the lake up for discussion.

GRASS OR NO GRASS

Whether or not a lake has grass is a vital part of the equation.

“Grass is a huge deal, especially on our East Texas lakes like Toledo Bend, Sam Rayburn, Lake O’ the Pines and others,” Tu said. “Some of the sh may leave the grass and group up on o shore structures for a while a er the spawn, but many of them won’t. ey’ll still be hanging around it (the grass); they may just relocate from the li le pockets and other shallow areas where they spawned and move closer to deeper water.”

Tu says secondary points with grass

towards the mouths of spawning pockets are always good places to look. He also likes buck brush and willows, provided they are ooded by at least two feet of water.

e Longview pro says a similar situation occurs on lakes that are light on grass but heavy on boat docks. A few that come to mind are lakes Travis, Texoma, LBJ and Conroe. Both stationary and oating docks are prone to hold sh.

“ ey’ll leave those shallow spawning

coves and move to the next available cover,” Tu said. “Boat docks are sure to be a player. On stationary docks they’ll relate a lot to the walkway poles, whereas they’ll get right underneath those oating docks and relate a lot to the edges.”

BAITS OF CHOICE

Tu says post spawn bass can be caught using a variety of techniques and baits. rowing a Rebel Pop-R topwater (chrome/blue back) ranks among his

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favorite ways to fool them. Some other good choices include a buzz frog like the Stanley Ribbit, buzz bait, Zoom Fluke, swim jig, wake bait or weightless Senko.

“I also love twitching a floating worm especially around grass, flooded bushes or stick-ups,” he said. “For whatever reason they’ll clobber that thing. What’s really cool is you’ll actually see a lot of them eat it in clear water. It’s pretty exciting when it happens.”

Tutt’s favorite worm is a Zoom Trick worm in pink or bubblegum color. He prefers to throw it on a spinning rod in combination with 3/0 offset Gamakatsu round bend hook. He uses 15-pound test braid for main line and a 10-pound fluorocarbon leader.

The lines are connected using a SPRO drop shot barrel swivel. The swivel adds a little casting weight, but its main purpose is to eliminate line twist.

BREAM BEDS AND SHAD SPAWN

Bass love an easy meal, and the pickings don’t get any easier than when bream and threadfin shad move shallow to spawn in late spring and early summer.

Bream spawn in large colonies in shallow

water and post spawners will gravitate to the smorgasbord periodically over the course of the day to munch the tasty panfish. Prop style topwaters have a rich history around bream beds, as do frogs, shallowing diving crank baits, wacky worms and weightless stick baits. Wakes, boils and swirls are good signs bass are present and having their way with bluegills.

Unlike bream, shad don’t build beds for spawning. Instead, pods of the succulent bait fish move shallow at night to broadcast their eggs against grass beds, flooded bushes, rip rap, retaining walls, docks and other objects. The process typically ends shortly after daylight, so it’s best to be on the water at first light to capitalize on the blood bath that happens when bass move in to feed.

A good sign a shad spawn is underway is when shad are visibly popping the surface, blue herons gathered on shore and of course, feeding fish! Reel a spinnerbait, buzz bait, popper, small swim bait or chrome Rat-LTrap through the frenzy and hang on tight.

BIG OUT WEST

It’s no secret that Lake O.H. Ivie has been

on a big wintertime roll the last few years, but fishing guide Wendell Ramsey says the 19,000-acre reservoir also produces some whoppers after the spawn winds down. If you like to catch big ones on topwaters, ‘Ivie is worth a look.

“Last May and June was some of the best topwater fishing I’ve ever seen,” he said. “We saw quite a few fish in the 8-10 pound range and even a couple of 12s.”

Ramsey says some of the most explosive big fish action comes winding a Whopper Plopper over 8-12 foot flats bordering the deeper river channel that drops to 25-35 feet in the mid-lake stretch. He says a big 8-10 inch worm also is a good bet when flipped in old hardwoods mixed with salt cedars at the same depth range.

“Just about all of these fish will be suspended in or along the edges of the salt cedars,” Ramsey said. “I think they are in there feeding on bream that are moving shallow to spawn. A lot of the big ones will have bream tails sticking out their throats when we catch them.”

Crappie Sonar Concerns

IT’S NO SECRET THAT FORward-facing sonar is all the rage with crappie crowds these days. In fact, the technology has become so popular — and is so e ective — that some critics believe its use could potentially lead to harm of some of the state’s top-tier crappie sheries.

For those who may not know, FFS is built around a special transducer that mounts to the trolling motor or an independent pole. Anglers can slip quietly along as the transducer scans the water column well ahead of the boat. High resolution imagery relays to the electronics screen and allows anglers to see sh nning around in real time. You can even see a bait as it moves through the water column.

One of the main bene ts of FFS is it helps anglers make precise bait presentations to sh and see how they react to these baits. It also allows for moving with the sh and keeping a lure in their face 100 percent of the time. at’s all cool stu , but Lake Fork shing guide Gary Paris thinks the technology could pose as a double-edged sword for crappie on his home lake and others.

Paris is a self-proclaimed forward-sonar junkie himself. As useful as the technology has been in helping anglers step up their games, the guide thinks many crappie shermen are using it to single out and target larger females for harvest rather than se ling for a limit of 10-12 inch sh.

Crappie are proli c pan sh, highly sought for food. Most crappie shermen don’t practice catch and release. Fish that are legal to keep typically go under the knife. In Texas, the statewide limit is a liberal 25 sh per day with a 10 inch minimum length, per angler.

“You wouldn’t believe the number of big females that are being taken out of here now compared to the days before forward sonar,” Paris said. “ ere are a lot more sherman

a er them, too, and most of the them are using it (FFS). I know it’s happening. I’ve seen it on the water, at the cleaning tables and in pictures on social media. ese are the big females that produce a lot of eggs. I don’t know how that couldn’t be hurting the lake.”

Paris says a high percentage of the big sh are being plucked out of old standing timber that was le in the lake before it lled.

“You couldn’t sh the timber very e ectively before forward sonar,” Paris said. “Everybody shed the deep points, brush piles or bridges. ose sh in the timber were pre y much unmolested, but not now. Guys are out there with two seats in the front of the boat, long rods and they are trolling around looking for the big ones. ey aren’t just looking for a limit of crappie. ey are looking a limit of big crappie.”

Paris isn’t the only angler who feels that way. Inland sheries biologists with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department say they have heard similar concerns from numerous anglers.

Biologists out of the Tyler o ce are in the process of trying to learn more about the potential impacts of FFS use on crappie populations. eir main tool for assessing the situation are angler creel surveys, according to TPWD district leader Jake Norman. Norman says the surveys are currently underway at lakes Fork, Sam Rayburn, Lake O’ the Pines, Palestine, Tawakoni, Richland Chambers, Ray Hubbard and Oak Creek.

Angler creel surveys are conducted on the water and at boat ramps. On-the-water surveys are used on larger lakes. Fisheries biologists rove by boat and interact with anglers who are actively shing. Boat ramp surveys are routine on smaller lakes, where access is more limited.

TPWD sheries biologists approach anglers and ask them a series of questions regarding their home zip code, the species they are targeting, whether or not they are competing in a tournament, money spent on the trip, how many sh they have caught, what size and how many sh they harvested.

Beginning this year, biologists are now asking anglers on the aforementioned lakes whether or not they are using forward-facing sonar, Norman said.

MATT WILLIAMS

Norman is an avid angler himself. He is well accustomed to how e ective FFS can be when going a er crappie and is anxious to learn if use of the technology might be having an impact on their populations.

“At this point the department is more curious than concerned,” Norman said. “A year’s worth of data will give us a pre y good snap shot of a shery and what is going on between forward-facing sonar users and non-users. We’ll be able to look at catch rate comparisons, the size of the sh and size of the harvest between them. From there we could dive into some simulations of what types of impacts that could have.”

Citing the crappie’s proli c nature, Norman pointed out that he has no concerns as far as forward-sonar usage impacting the total abundance of crappie in any lake.

“But is there a chance that is could impact abundance of larger crappie? Truthfully, I think there is,” he said. “We should have some good insight on that once this angler creel project wraps up.”

e biologist said additional surveys could be needed if the angler creel surveys indicate that FFS usage is having a negative impact on the numbers of large crappie in some lakes.

“On some sheries, having trophy crappie is an important aspect of it — it’s not just about catching and harvesting any crappie,” Norman said. “In some cases there could be a need for a whole di erent angler a itude survey geared towards looking at angler satisfaction. From there we would have to determine whether or not it would be worth considering developing a trophy crappie regulation of some sort in certain situations.”

Time will tell on that one.

TF&G Freshwater Fishing Editor

HE FIRST TIME TF&G

Hunting Editor Lou Marullo hunted Texas with me, he said something I’ll never forget.

“I’ve hunted all over the place, but I’ve never seen a place that has more things that could bite, sting, and kill you than Texas. When you come up north to hunt with me, all you have to worry about is falling out of your treestand. Here it could be rattlesnakes, scorpions, or who knows what.”

We had a good laugh about that but in many ways it’s true. Texas has lots of critters, both on land and water, that can cause major issues if encountered without expectation. The following paragraphs contain a gallery of Texas’s major

offenders and provide common-sense steps to avoid problems in the field.

SNAKES

Let’s get this one out of the way because they are what strikes the most fear into outdoors lovers.

Texas is a very snakey state and all four varieties of venomous snakes found in the country are here. That’s right-we have cottonmouths, copperheads, coral snakes, and rattlesnakes.

Coral snakes are reclusive and rarely bite, but the other three bite plenty of people when stepped on or sat on.

The number one snake for biting is the copperhead due to their high abundance, even in suburban areas. More than a few squirrel hunters in the Pineywoods have sat on one, so watch where you sit, as their camouflage is next-level.

Cottonmouths can be found over much of the state but are

most abundant in the swamps of the eastern third and along the coast. While nonvenomous water snakes are more likely to crawl into your kayak, co onmouths have been known to want to get on anything that’s oating in a stream and also crawl into duck blinds.

Be especially careful in the early teal season when they are on the prowl.

Ra lesnakes are very abundant in many areas, especially the South Texas Plains, areas of the Rolling Plains, and along the coast.

Matagorda Island has lots of them and so do many of the small islands along the Intracoastal Canal. Keep this in mind when you’re wade shing these areas or se ing up to duck hunt along on the bay side of these li le islands.

SCORPIONS

Scorpion bites are typically not deadly but they sure can hurt and in the arid regions of the state they are everywhere.

Scorpions have no problem crawling into your sleeping bag or in your hunting boot and delivering a painful sting.

A great way to avoid bites is to carry a li le blacklight with you. Scorpions glow under black light so you can scan your tent or cabin before crawling into bed or look in your boots to nd out if there’s an unwelcome visitor.

JELLYFISH

Jelly sh are a common annoyance for surf anglers, especially some of the smaller ones that are hard to see.

Although the chance of encountering one is rare, Texas waters sometimes host one of the most dangerous of all sea creatures—the box jelly sh.

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They are famously abundant in Australian waters where fatalities are reported on an annual basis.

In the Gulf, we have the four-handed box jellyfish, a species I was made aware of by former Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) biologist Jerry Mambretti back in 2014.

“Our gulf sampling crew caught four-handed box jellyfish, Chiropsalmus quadrumanus, a member of the class Cubozoa, in 3 separate trawl samples about 2 miles off McFaddin NWR beach,” Mambretti said.

“Box jellyfish are known for the extremely potent venom produced by some species, including this species, which is normally found in the west Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific Ocean. Their sting is very venomous and dangerous to humans, especially children.”

If for some reason you see some of these while fishing get out of the water.

KILLER BEES

The last time I used the term “killer bees” I had someone write to me and say that I was spreading “bee bias.”

So, here it is again, “killer bees.”

I am talking about the Africanized bees that can be highly aggressive when agitated and are present throughout much of Texas and are very abundant in South Texas.

Bees of course are very important creatures and no one is recommending torching hives or anything ridiculous. If anyone gets ecologically important creatures, it’s yours truly.

However, there are fatalities. Last year, a landscape worker died from a bee attack near Austin and just before this article was published a dog was attacked and killed by a swarm of hundreds of bees.

If you see a bunch of bees coming out of a hole or old stump, get away quickly. And if bees show an interest in you out in the field, do the same.

The Scientific American recommends the following if you run into the wrong kind of bees.

“Try to get to an enclosed shelter (such as a car) or run until the bees stop following you. It may be necessary to get a quarter mile or more away from where the attack began. Cover your face with whatever is

handy, if you can do so without impairing your vision. Never jump into a body of water to escape bees.”

Unfortunately, many people do not know if they are allergic to some of these stingers and allergic reactions can result in death.

The Mayo Clinic recommends that if itching or swelling is bothersome, take an oral antihistamine that contains diphenhydramine (Benadryl) or chlorpheniramine.

“Avoid scratching the sting area. This will worsen itching and swelling and increase your risk of infection.”

Then of course get medical treatment.

The great outdoors is the most exciting place to be, but dangers do exist. And in Texas, of course, everything is bigger and that is the abundance and at times ferocity of our stingers.

Whitetail Fawns “S

AW THE FIRST FAWN

on May 6th, same day as last year.” Said my brother Glenn while we visited about what he had planted for spring food plots. For the past three years, we had estimated a 60 to 80% fawn crop on our adjoining properties in northern Colorado County. ose fawn crops had been re ected in the number of yearling bucks we had seen the past hunting seasons. We talked too about the several older bucks we had seen before the hunting season began, but then not again until post-season. is past hunting season it seemed deer simply and totally disappeared. Our properties are small, but we do much to encourage the production of natural deer browse species by fertilizing yaupon and green briar, as well as around the drip lines of persimmon and the ancient live and white oaks on our properties to encourage so and hard mast production. On my property I also spend much time planting trees; persimmon, oaks and bois-d-arc.

Our acorns, this past fall, started really slow, but then late fall, early winter the trees produced a tremendous crop; good for the deer and other wildlife, but not so good for hunting. My daughter and son-in-law who hunt my property told of corn piling up under feeders. “So many acorns, even the hogs are not coming to corn.”

Back when I was part owner of the Los Cazadores Hunting Headquarters and Deer Contest, research we conducted through Texas A&M Kingsville and ADM which owns Moorman Minerals, we learned energy is extremely important to a healthy deer. Acorns, while not high in protein, are high in fats and carbohydrates, high energy. e result of a good acorn crop is does are in good body condition going into the breeding season. When this happens does produce healthy and numerous fawns. Bucks quickly repair from the rigors of the rut and

grow good antlers the following fall. at happened in certain areas of Texas.

In other areas, range conditions were and are a bit more “trying”. Fall and winter moisture was lacking. In these areas fawn crops will likely be “light.” e same happened this past year in many areas of Texas resulting in very low fawn survival rates, 20% and considerably less. at means that we are essentially missing a cohort. Put another way, in ve years those low fawn survival areas will have very few ve-year old bucks!

In

:: by LARRY WEISHUHN TF&G Whitetail Hunting Editor

a pasture, it is important the water troughs remain active and available to wildlife, not just deer, but all wildlife on the property.

Realize much of Texas is essentially a desert, has been for ages and will likely

During dry periods, e orts should be made to reduce predators especially going into the spring/summer fawning times. It is

continue to be. Proper range and habitat management becomes paramount in dry years. Some hunters/managers have a year round feeding program to supplement the deer’s natural diet. is is certainly one way to insure deer have su cient feed on a daily and seasonal basis. However, whether there is supplemental feed or not, good range management practices should be followed to insure a healthy habitat. at means too, do not forget about water for drinking. If a rancher pulls ca le out of

also important to put pressure on wild hogs during dry times. ey compete directly with other wildlife for food and water, and can be predators on fawns.

Fawns? If we desire to have a healthy deer herd, one that is interesting in that it produces bucks with nice to impressive antlers, we need to insure, by whatever means, the survival of fawns!

A healthy deer herd requires management to insure survival of fawns.

The Abused, Misunderstood Javelina | by Steve LaMascus

THE JAVELINA, OR COLLARED

peccary, is a small pig-like animal that will weigh, at most, about 60 pounds. Javelinas do not hear well, see even less well, but scent very well. Because of their physical shortcomings, they are relatively easy to hunt with a high-powered ri e, but are great game animals if hunted with open-sighted handguns.

eir only real defense is to stay hidden and run like hell if they smell trouble. ey love the thorn brush that covers South Texas and generally abhor open spaces. I have shot exactly two javelinas in my 50 years of hunting and wandering in South Texas. I shot one that was caught in a coyote snare set in a fence with my Border Patrol .357 Magnum duty revolver and one I stalked and shot fairly with a Smith

& Wesson 6-inch Model 28. e la er occupies a place of honor over my replace.

Now, just because I have shot only two does not mean that is all I have seen. In wandering the Brush Country for 50 years, 22 of those in the Border Patrol, I have seen hundreds, maybe a thousand. I don’t know, really. But I have been within three feet of many and have never felt threatened. Javelina just want to be le alone.

e stories you may have heard of them treeing a person and then milling under the tree in a maniacal frenzy, trying to get to the person to turn him into humanburger, are either apocryphal, untrue, or misunderstood behavior.

PHOTO: ADOBE

On the other hand, they are equipped with the equipment to do tremendous damage if they are threatened too closely. As proof, I offer you the case of a herd that put an 80-pound mountain lion into a mesquite tree when the lion tried to snatch a young one from a herd of about 10.

The extremely unlucky lion was killed by a bow hunter who happened to be sitting in a tripod blind about 10 yards from the lion’s chosen tree. The lion had a cut on one hip that was as clean as though it had been made with a sharp knife! Javelinas also seem to hate dogs, probably because coyotes consider their young to be right tasty snacks.

Now for the sermon:

Javelina once were very common across most of the Southwest, but overhunting, primarily for their skins, which are soft, thin and pliant, almost sent them to extinction in many areas, and did so in a few.

Javelinas are a game animal in Texas. The problem is that the law says the limit is 2 per year, but there is no tag on the license. What does that mean? It means it is an unenforceable law! If a game warden stops

a hunter and he has 2 javelinas in his possession, the game warden has no idea how many he has previously killed. He could have killed a hundred, 2 at a time.

Also, many ranchers and lease hunters consider them pests and shoot them on sight because they eat the corn the hunters put out for the high-priced deer. Instead of simply fencing the feeder so the javelinas can’t get to the corn, they kill all the javelinas.

I once had an acquaintance tell me of finding a herd (10 javelinas as I remember it) in a canyon just off the Pecos River, He was immensely proud of the fact that he had killed all 10 before they could get out of the canyon. He considered them as no more than targets to be practiced on.

Think what you will, but I believe that such actions as above are reprehensible and that one of the responsible parties is the Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept., because of their unwillingness to give the javelina the same level of respect and protection as the wild turkey.

A few years ago, I officially petitioned TP&WD to place tags for Javelinas on the

state license, explaining in the petition the reasons I thought this necessary. Obviously, the petition was rejecteds.

It is not unusual to find entire javelinas in dumpsters or trash pits. Why? Well, they are not that good to eat unless handled promptly, properly, and carefully; they smell bad; and they are always infested with millions of fleas. It took me two weeks to eradicate the fleas in my back yard after caping the one I had mounted.

I wish we could do more to protect javelinas, but I guess, for the time being, all I can do is beg you hunters to treat them with the respect they deserve, and to obey the law, even though the chances of your being caught for shooting too many are slim to none. Maybe some day TP&WD will decide to do something, but until then you are on your honor. The big question is: what is your honor worth?

THE

LAST SIX YEARS

OF my life have been a black hole of hunting and shing. I wake up every day and think about conservation issues, talk to wildlife professionals and pound the ground and water as hard as humanly possible to play catch up on the experience I don’t yet have. One thing I’ve been most intimidated by is y shing.

From day one there was always an aura of not only expense, but advanced skill and knowledge that is needed to begin casting a y. Although not inherently untrue, I’ve found that the same argument could be made for any outdoors pursuit whether it be kayaking, trail running, hunting or bass shing.

A few weeks ago, my good friend Chester Moore hit me with

a proposition, “Come down to me and we will go y sh Beavers Bend State Park in Big Bend, OK for trout.”

I had bought a y rod six months ago, and as with most intimidating things, it seemed like an interesting and noble pursuit, which translates into the y rod si ing unopened in the case in my o ce. It was time to hit the pavement and gure out how to cast this thing.

At the same time, he said he needed something about easy access shing for families for the May/June Texas Fish & Game for the Mother and Father’s Day special section.

Without question, the greatest gi you can give someone is your time, and there is no be er time spent than on the water. Don’t

worry if you can’t a ord to take your father or mother marlin shing or to some big lodge. You can do it inexpensively and even do it with y gear.

Here’s my journey.

I went online and ordered a vintage torn up copy of Casting with Le y Kreh for six dollars and pounded the literature for weeks. “Keep your elbow on the shelf. Ten and two. You’re casting the line not the lure.” You get the idea.

Many days and hours later, I could get my line to shoot out in front of me without bunching up in a pile on the ground. Misery loves company and I decided to see if my good friend Seth Geib had any interest in learning to y sh as well. Ever since a ending the Hunt Fish Podcast Summit

A Journey of Discovery and Renewal with a Fly Rod

by Paul Fuzinski

36  CONSERVATION ON THE FLY

by Paul Fuzinski

40  FISH & GAME FORECAST CENTER SALTWATER

Reported by Capt. Eddie Hernandez, Capt. Derek York, Capt. Mark Talasek, Capt. Joey Farah, Capt. Richard Thompson, Capt. Gerad Meritt and Capt. Brian Barrera

50  FISH & GAME FORECAST CENTER FRESHWATER

with me last year to help with photographing and lming the event, he has shown a growing interest in hunting and shing.

I’ve been incredibly lucky to have the outdoors opportunities that have been made available to me through my podcast Aptitude Outdoors and my incessant curiosity about conservation and wildlife.

I have shed, hunted and been able to converse with some of arguably the best on earth in the outdoors arena, and I felt that it was my duty to share that experience and knowledge with someone who was just as interested and curious as myself.

Seth bought a rod, we casted together once and hit the Detroit Airport, bound for Dallas/Fort Worth.

Reported by TF&G Staff

58  SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK Tides and SoLunar Data

Story

Chester rolled up, we tossed our gear in the truck and headed straight for Broken Bow, new rods in hand, cheap waders in a bag and no idea what to expect.

Within minutes of arriving, the three of us were at the Beavers Bend Fly shop getting the intel we needed to catch some trout. “Grab a cup and follow me” said one of the owners as they pointed at flies, explained their purpose and cashed us out. I might as well have just attended a lecture on

advanced physics in French because I had no idea what they were talking about, but as with most things, I’ve learned it’s best to dive in headfirst and figure the rest out as it comes.

Chester, Seth and I practically ran down the steps of the fly shop to hit the water. We casted under bridges, near dams, got hung up in trees, lost flies, and hammered the water hard attempting to track down these supposedly plentiful rainbow trout.

As the next seven hours of nonstop fishing commenced, I felt more and more comfortable with my casting, pushing my distances and loving every moment, but still no fish. Chester asked every fisherman that walked back to their car, “Get anything?” And he was hit with a resounding “No.”

As the daylight faded, fish started to rise and still nobody had caught one. All the sudden I heard Chester shout, and we all know what that means, fish on. Seth was filming at the time and like a scene out of a movie, the clouds parted, and the sun spread across the ripples of the small river just as Chester got the fish in hand. We have video proof if it sounds too good to be true. Excited by finally having someone in our crew land one, we all casted hard the remaining 30 minutes of the day but it was one and done.

I’ve been through plenty of challenging endeavors in my life, Thru-hiking the Appalachian trail, kayaking long distances, hunting and fishing some highly pressured lands and waters so I knew better than to get discouraged on my first try. There was always tomorrow, and I improved my skill in the field. We packed up our gear and headed to the motel to get some sleep and to reset for the day to come.

None of us are purists, and for good reason. Chester and I wholeheartedly share the belief that if you want people to become interested in hunting or fishing, and by proxy concerned with conservation, it is incredibly important that newcomers are successful and have fun. The method of retrieval is irrelevant (as long as it is legal)

With this in mind, Chester had called

Seth Geib had not caught a fish since he was 16, until he landed this one at Beaver Bend State Park, Oklahoma, just over the Texas state line.

up a guide friend and set us up for a high chance of success. He and I have caught plenty of sh in our lives and wanted Seth to walk away successful. We headed out the door before rst light and met our guide at the banks of the Lower Mountain Fork River.

Within minutes of arrival, we were on the rocky banks of some fast-moving water and chucking power baits to see what we could catch. I reeled in my rst rainbow trout within een minutes and Chester not long a er. We had both limited out within 45 minutes and dropped our poles. Seth was still struggling a er not hooking one, so we gave him, as sherman do, our best advice. “Don’t hold the rod so high so you can get a be er hookset. Cast over there into the moving water and it will circle around in that small pool. Make sure as soon as you feel the bite to li that rod quickly.”

Whack, Seth had one on. He reeled it in, and Chester and I were both twice as excited as we had been catching our sh. Watching someone new experience the joy of the outdoors is hands down the best feeling I’ve ever experienced. Sure, I love catching sh as much as the next guy, but to see that light in someone else’s eye is in nitely more ful lling. At the end of the day that’s what it is all about. Taking people to beautiful places, to catch beautiful sh and to enjoy the magic of the great outdoors.

As we all grow as hunters and anglers, it is important that we give a li le of ourselves to share that experience that someone likely had shared with us. Not everyone has a dad or grandfather who took them hunting or shing growing up. Many outdoorsmen and

women nowadays are coming into these sports as adults and are chomping at the bit for someone to help show them the ropes.

I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for great friends, like Chester, who helped me, under no obligation, when I was most frustrated. If you have the time, maybe dedicate a few trips a year where you don’t bring a rod, a gun or a bow and allow others to experience that joy and share in your success. Conservation dollars and conservationists are needed now more than ever,

and it doesn’t take a lot to help them along to becoming the next person who will care about wildlife, wild places and the future of hunting and shing here in America.

And during the special days we honor our mothers and fathers, remember good shing is o en easy to access and the gi of time is the most precious gi you can give, especially when it’s on the water.

Bring on the Heat SABINE

Reported by CAPT. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

THINGS ARE HEATING UP rather nicely as the spring season is winding down and summer is lurking just around the corner. Coastal towns from Port Arthur to Port Isabel are coming to life as anglers and their respective ecosystems are eager to show o what they have to o er. Options are now limitless for anglers up and down the coast looking to consistently box the Big 3. Here on Sabine Lake the bite is on from the marsh and bayous, to the Gulf of Mexico. e months of May and June present a much welcomed span as anglers will reap the bene ts of the ever-increasing water temperatures and stable weather conditions that coincide with it.

With the wind nally beginning to se le somewhat, and the mercury continuing to climb, the shing just keeps ge ing

be er. e je y bite will heat up in a big way with nice boxes of trout and reds being taken on both the Texas and Louisiana sides. When the wind is predominantly east, we sh the more protected west (Texas) je y. If it is a westerly ow, we sh the east (Louisiana) side. Both the channel and the Gulf sides are productive, but the outside is usually more consistent, especially for trout. A Louisiana license is a must if you plan on shing anywhere on the east je y. Work the rocks thoroughly until you locate the sh. e reds will, more o en than not, be stacked up along the rock piles. e trout will usually be sca ered all along the wall with the most consistent action coming near the washouts.

Tidal movement is crucial with incoming and outgoing tides equally productive. Work both sides until you nd the sh, throwing topwaters and swim baits. Light colored so plastics rigged on 1/4 oz. lead heads are also hard to beat if you’ve got

pre y water. A DOA Shrimp or a Vudu Shrimp should also fool some nice trout, which will be holding close to the rocks.

e action should be equally as good in the lake. Both the North and South Revetments on Pleasure Island are great places to start. rowing topwaters early on calm mornings can result in some serious blowups. Incoming tides should be your best bet, but as long as you’ve got moving water you should be in business, especially if there’s bait present. Topwaters, so plastics and jerk baits are very hard for these he y trout to resist.

e serious ounder shermen will key on the mouths of the bayous and cuts on the Louisiana shoreline. Work these areas over well as you make your way down the bank. e stretch between Greens Bayou and Johnson Bayou is prime real estate for ounder during this time. Mud minnows or curl-tail grubs tipped with fresh shrimp should be all you need to entice these tasty at sh to bite.

CONTACT CAPT. HERNANDEZ:

Email: GHGS.Eddie@gmail.com

Online: GoldenHookGuide.com

Summer’s Here GALVESTON

Reported by CAPT. DEREK YORK

SUMMERTIME IS FINALLY here on the Texas coast and the shing is as hot as ever. e kids are ready to enjoy their summer break and what be er way to do it than get outside and go shing! May and June o er some great opportunities for anglers all

CAPT. DEREK YORK CAPT. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

HOTSPOTLIGHT

UPPER TRINITY BAY

THE UPPER END OF TRINITY BAY IS WHERE THE TRINITY RIVER JOINS THE GULF COAST. It is bounded on the east by the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. The many wells in this part of the bay provide ample structure for gamefish.

over the Galveston Bay complex, whether shing from the shore, surf or o of a boat.

e je ies and beach front can o er some great shing for speckled trout and red sh along with sheepshead and black drum. Fishing the reefs in the open bay is also producing some great catches of trout. And some of my favorite o shore pelagic species, including sharks, tripletail and cobia, are starting to show up in good numbers at the passes and in the bays.

Surf shing is a great way to get out early in the day to watch the sunrise over the Gulf and usually have some pre y good luck catching trout in between the sandbars just o the beach. Typical baits to use are so plastics, spoons and live shrimp or croaker. Locating active bait on the beach is a key to success when deciding where to sh. Look for mullet jumping or big schools of menhaden up on the surface to increase your odds.

e je ies are continuing to produce some great catches of just about everything this time of year, with a good number of sheepshead and some really great speckled trout shing along the rocks. For the trout, I prefer to use a very light setup of uoro-

carbon leader with a small treble hook and live shrimp, free lined up on the rocks. I will usually add a small split shot to keep the bait down a few feet from the surface. ese bites can be really aggressive, so don’t be surprised when a 6-8 pound trout slams your bait! For sheepshead, I’m using either a popping cork up on the rocks, or a ¼ oz weight above my uorocarbon leader and hook sh along the bo om edge of the rocks.

Inside the bay, I spend a lot of time driing shell in 5-10 feet of water with croaker or so plastics. Once you locate sh, make sure to utilize your electronics and keep track of your dri s so you can go right back to your bites and stay on them. I will try to mark the location of a couple bites to have as reference points on the map. is will help you stay on

active sh more and give you a be er understanding of how the sh are relating to the reef at that time. One of the best tools I’ve added recently to my electronics is the Reef Recon map overlay (h ps://troutsupport. com/products/oyster-reef-recon). is has drastically decreased my time in locating live reefs and gives you a much be er idea of where to be shing.

With all these opportunities, make sure to get out and make the best of this early part of summer.

CONTACT CAPT. YORK:

Email: SportStalkerFishing@sbcglobal.com

Online: FishGalvestonBayTX.com

Take a Kid Fishing! MATAGORDA

Reported by CAPT. MARK TALASEK

REMEMBER WHEN WE GOT our rst push bu on rod and reel?

I would tie a weight on the end and play cast all day long. Before the days of video gaming. at is what entertained me as a kid. Trying to cast into buckets set up in the yard. Practicing until we are ready for the real thing. Get a pound of dead shrimp. Put one on a circle hook with a weight and cast it o the pier. Dangling your feet in the water waiting for a hardhead to bite. e moment something tugged on the other end of your line it was on! It was fun even though most of the time there was a trash sh on the other end. ere’s something about never knowing what you are going to catch.

I was lucky enough to have a father who was a shing guide. I jumped in the boat every opportunity to go shing. Some kids don’t have that. If you get a chance,

pass that knowledge on to them youngsters. Something as simple as tying a knot. We take it for granted but someone else might not know. We all have to learn from someone.

I learned something from every shing trip. Countless times on the water, some good, some bad. Each trip was an experience. Where to go at certain times, where not to go. What bait to use. Hook size, line type, rod and reel, weather, moon, tide etc. ere are so many factors to catch sh. Someone had to teach us.

Basic navigation of a boat is something we take for granted. Pu ing the plugs in, loading/unloading, safety equipment, docking, submerged objects etc. I unloaded my boat for the morning trip and was waiting for my customers when someone came up and said that my boat was si ing low in the water. Sure enough I forgot to put the plugs in. Back on the trailer to let all the water out. Lol. Even the pros get complacent.

CONTACT CAPT. TALASEK:

Email: MarkTalasek@sbcglobal.com

Online: TalasekGuideService.com

UPPER COAST HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay

HOTSPOT: Deep Reef

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

BEST BAITS: Soft plastic shrimp tails

SOURCE: Capt. Paul Marcaccio

281-788-4041

TIPS: Attack the wells with a systematic drift over one side as well as the other side. If you don’t get a fish or a hookup, then move on to the next well.

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay

HOTSPOT: Fat Rat Pass

GPS: N 29 28.462, W 94 38.673 (29.4744, -94.6446)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Chrome/blue topwaters

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Fish pods of nervous mullet, wade; dawn-afternoon

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay

HOTSPOT: Hanna’s Reef

GPS: N 29 28.471, W 94 43.251 (29.4745, -94.7209)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Shrimp, topwaters

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Drift humps & gut, look for slicks; fish topwaters early/late

LOCATION: Galveston Bay/Texas City

HOTSPOT: Texas City Dike

GPS: N 29 23.0034, W 94 52.0064 (29.3834, -94.8668)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics, Corkies or Topwaters

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

CAPT. MARK TALASEK

PHOTO: MARK TALASEK

Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Fish soft plastics with shades of chartreuse and pearl with tones of gold. Pink is a good second choice, with tones of gold.

LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay

HOTSPOT: Channel Marker 72

GPS: N 29 46.171, W 94 45.232 (29.7695, -94.7539)

SPECIES: Redfish

BEST BAITS: Croakers, Kelly Wiggler soft plastics

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Watch out for ship wakes; fish early

LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay

HOTSPOT: Dollar Reef

GPS: N 29 26.339, W 94 52.356 (29.4390, -94.8726)

In the days before video gaming, this is what entertained a lot of coastal area kids.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, live croaker or live Piggy Perch

SOURCE: Capt. Mike Williams

713-256-9260

TIPS: Capt. Williams says the best fishing along the jetties is from boat cut out, along the Gulf side.

LOCATION: Galveston West Bay

HOTSPOT: San Luis Pass Flats

GPS: N 29 05.711, W 95 7.106 (29.095183, -95.118433)

LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay

HOTSPOT: New Half Moon Reef

GPS: N 28 43.374, W 95 46.2299 (28.7229, -95.7705)

GPS: N 28 30.45, W 96 12.384 (28.5075, -96.2064)

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Topwaters

SOURCE: Capt. Tommy Countz

281-450-4087

www.matagordafishing.com

TIPS: Usually in May you can drift and throw some topwaters in three or four feet of water over the top of the reefs.

LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay

HOTSPOT: Golds Bayou

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

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, live croaker or live Piggy Perch

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

TIPS: Fish a Bass Assassin soft plastics in pink/ pearl, chartreuse/pearl, or chartreuse/gold along with a 1/8 oz. jig head.

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Soft plastics or live shrimp under a popping cork

SOURCE: Capt. Tommy Countz

281-450-4087

www.matagordafishing.com

TIPS: Half Moon Reef usually produces fish. Drift with topwaters early or shrimp under a popping cork

LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay

HOTSPOT: Cottons Bayou

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Small soft plastics in a translucent color

SOURCE: Capt. Kendall Kersh

979-248-1871

TIPS: During the month of May Capt. Kersh is wading two to three feet of water looking for trout.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake

HOTSPOT: Jetty Tower

GPS: N 29 39.314, W 93 49.872 (29.6552, -93.8312)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, live croaker or live Piggy Perch

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

TIPS: Silver or gold Johnson Sprites and either the 51m704, 51m54 or 51mshp MirrOlures will take their share of trout in May.

Summer, Start Your Engine CORPUS

CHRISTI

Reported by CAPT. JOEY FARAH

MAY AND JUNE SIGNAL

the o cial start of Summertime Fishing! Weekends will be ooded with local and traveling shermen, most hustling for live bait from local marinas and bait camps. is is the rst time that live croaker are available.

the winds pick up, dri ing the shallow ats on the east side of Ba n Bay for shallow schools of red sh.

e Meadows and Nine Mile Hole are miles of ats waiting for you to dri . I like long casts with small topwaters when we have a sti wind and not a lot of oating grass. Whitewater blow ups from furious red sh will stop drag and run you around the boat several times. Classic Summer Colors are the Red/white, Texas Croaker, and Mole’ in the DOA 3” CAL SHAD. I like a ¼ ounce jig head for long casts and burn it at a pre y fast retrieve.

Another of my favorite summertime redsh baits is the DOA 5.5” JERK SHAD, with a light 1/16 ounce jig head. is bait will cast far and skip and dart across the shallow ats without diving into the bo om. It also mimics a ballyhoo, bait sh, or needle sh and sends red sh in a charge behind it, striking it in a ball of exploding water.

largest snappers hold up current of the platform or suspended half way up.

Follow all our hookups on Facebook and Instagram at Joey FA H’S Backwater Fishing.

CONTACT CAPT. FARAH:

Email: jfarah72@yahoo.com

By Phone: 361-442-8145

Fishing’s Favorite Months

PORT ARANSAS

Reported by CAPT. RICHARD THOMPSON

MAY AND JUNE ARE TWO of our favorite months. Which leads us into summertime in the Fishing Capital of Texas!

For the rst few weeks trout limits will come easy. A er a month, trout within the new slot limit will be hard to nd. When you nd an area that produces a few sh, bump downwind 50-100 yds looking for similar structure, instead of picking up and moving long distances.

I will be using lures all summer catching trout on topwaters and so plastics at dawn, then when

At dawns rst light, we will be using so plastics to bring to hand lots of slot to over slot trout from the edges of the ICW Canal, the Land Cut, and the large rock piles in Ba n Bay. Refrain from casting over the rocks, as most of the trout will be just beside them, chasing bait around the structure.

Topwater baits are very useful in the mornings in May and June, during the rst hour of the day. I always get more strikes on topwater with mono lament line, or braided line with a longer than 2’ leader. is gives a stretch to the line and creates a more natural ow of the topwater bait.

Surf shing will also heat up here along the southern Texas Coast. Snapper season will start in June and will be popular for smaller boats when the seas lay at. Close oil platforms to Port Aransas, Packery Channel, and Port Mans eld will all o er good near shore snapper shing. Fish the bo om with squid, shrimp, or live pin perch. O en, the

Our coastal waters during this time of year, from Port Aransas to the Upper Laguna Madre, are some of the richest and plentiful feeding grounds for our sh species. If you listen carefully, you can almost hear the sh lickin’ their lips as they devour their favorite bait.

Having two unique passes so close together, creating very strong tidal movement between Pakery Channel and Port Aransas Je ies, literally creates a sh highway for outstanding shing in the water ways surrounding Mustang Island, where limits of red sh, black drum, and trout are commonplace. is is a great opportunity for those who enjoy kayak shing and or walk-in wade shing to take advantage of easy accessibility to sh these areas.

CAPT. JOEY FARAH

CAPT. RICHARD THOMPSON

GulfofMexico

SAN ANTONIO BAY

THE SAN ANTONIO BAY system includes Espiritu Santo, San Antonio, Guadalupe, Hynes, Mesquite and Ayers Bays and Mission Lake. It is fed by the combined waters of the San Antonio and Guadalupe Rivers. The system covers some 136,240 acres. The main bay is separated from the Gulf by Matagorda Island. Average depth is about 6 ft. with a bottom mainly of mud, sand and shell.

With strong spring winds subsiding we will be able to start shing areas like the je ies and occasionally the beachfront when the wind conditions allow the surf to get right.

Being in the Coastal bend, the wind is typically always blowing, but May/June have more favorable days with calmer winds and give you the ability to sh more areas that will be holding sh.

However, on the other hand, when the wind is prominently blowing from the southeast, we use this to our advantage which allows us to target isolated schools of trout and red sh on and o of the protected south shorelines.

When the wind allows us to dri , the Mid Bay Humble Channel Flats produces limits of trout with some in the 5 lb range. We always enjoy catching and releasing these bigger trout. is conservative practice is allowing these larger 5-6 lb trout to continue to spawn, which is vital to replenish our bay systems.

is time of year will start the trend of the sh feeding early on shallower ats and dropping o the edges into the cooler water as the temperature rises into the a ernoon hours.

Typically Port Aransas, East Flats area produces solid trout along the edge of the drop o s, as the red sh are commonly found hanging around the shoreline and ats. In this area, so plastics is a go-to lure for trout. is area is a protected shoreline this time of year for clearer water for sight cast at red sh, or if you prefer live bait, we recommend a popping cork with live shrimp.

It’s that time to start watching for signs. Most sh are on the move, not staying in one area too long, but following the bait. Watch for bird action, slicks, nervous bait activity, and mud boils.

the cuts in the reef looking for jumping bait fish; AprNov; dawn thru midday

FLOUNDER

Good gigging at night under lights, work pts. & edges; AprJun; avoid midday, aftn

Work along dropoffs edges near shell reef, night gig; Apr-Jun; avoid midday, aftn

Pumpkinseed Bull Minnows, work bayou edge bottom; AprSep; morn, afternoon WADEFISHING 1

trout & a few flounder, croaker, perch; December thru September

Reds, trout & a few flounder, muddy water, use dark worms; December thru September SOURCE: TEXAS LAKES & BAYS FISHING ATLAS

Adjacent to East Flats, you have Dagger Island with the same topography. Target the drop o edges for trout and ats for red sh and black drum.

With the plethora of oyster reefs in Nueces Bay, shing this area is another great option because the southerly wind pushes the bait into this bay system. is means the bait will be congregating around these reefs bringing in the trout and red sh close behind.

We want to encourage you to check your tide tables and pay close a ention to your major and minor feeding times.

MIDDLE COAST

Come join us to kicko this summertime fun in the sun in the Coastal bend! We will hook YOU up!

CONTACT CAPT. THOMPSON:

Email: RandKCoastalOutfitters@gmail.com

Online: RandKCoastalOutfitters.com

MIDDLE COAST HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Aransas Bay

HOTSPOT: South Bay

GPS: N 27 54.282, W 97 3.254 (27.9047, -97.0542)

LOCATION: Copano Bay

HOTSPOT: 40 Acre Reef

GPS: N 28 4.543, W 97 11.209 (28.0757, -97.1868)

LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay

HOTSPOT: Shamrock Island

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

SPECIES: Speckled Trout and Redfish

BEST BAITS: Live Croaker or Cut Mullet

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

TIPS: If it’s not windy, fish deeper water areas going for trout, and redfish second.

LOCATION: Carlos Bay

HOTSPOT: Cedar Reef

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

SPECIES: Speckled Trout and Redfish

BEST BAITS: Live Croaker or Cut Mullet

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

TIPS: In early May, fish live shrimp in the potholes.

LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay

HOTSPOT: Corpus Christi Bay Wells

GPS: N 27 44.764, W 97 11.141 (27.7461, -97.1857)

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Live croaker

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

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

LOCATION: Port Aransas

HOTSPOT: East Flats

GPS: N 27 48.991, W 97 07.139 (27.816517, -97.118983)

SPECIES: Speckled trout and redfish

BEST BAITS: Touts or live bait

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

TIPS: Fish topwaters if conditions allow—otherwise, croaker. Live shrimp under a popping cork is iffy; the perch will steal the shrimp off the hook.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout and Redfish

BEST BAITS: Live Croaker or Cut Mullet

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

TIPS: Rig croaker or shrimp, consisting of a small sliding egg weight and a Kahle hook

SPECIES: Redfish

BEST BAITS: Freeline live pin perch or cut mullet

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

TIPS: Hook the pin perch under the anal fin, the same way as if you were using croaker for trout.

LOCATION: Port Aransas

HOTSPOT: Mud Island

GPS: N 27 56.380, W 97 00.763 (27.939667, -97.012717)

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Freeline live croaker

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

TIPS: Hook the croaker right above the anal fin so he can swim around naturally, won’t be upside down or sideways in the water.

LOCATION: Port Aransas

HOTSPOT: Outside Dagger

GPS: N 27 50.217, W 97 09.967 (27.83695, -97.166117)

LOCATION: Redfish Bay

HOTSPOT: Dagger Islands

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

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre

HOTSPOT: Intracoastal Spoil Banks

GPS: N 27 33.6839, W 97 16.759 (27.5614, -97.2793)

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Freeline live croaker

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

TIPS: A croaker should last 10-15 minutes before he becomes fatigued and needs to be replaced.

LOCATION: Port Aransas

HOTSPOT: Quarantine Shoreline

GPS: N 27 54.733, W 97 03.502 (27.912217, -97.058367)

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... by moving your wrist, not your arm.

LOCATION: Redfish Bay

HOTSPOT: Harbor Island Flats

GPS: N 27 52.035, W 97 04.749 (27.86725, -97.07915)

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Topwaters

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

TIPS: Wade here for spawning trout.

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre

HOTSPOT: King Ranch Shoreline

GPS: N 27 29.141, W 97 20.939 (27.485684, -97.348991)

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Freeline live croaker

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

TIPS: In June, Engel switches exclusively to live croaker as bait of choice for speckled trout. “Baitfish become so numerous as the water warms up, they will strip a live shrimp off a hook in 10 seconds.” –

Capt. Marvin Engel

LOCATION: Port Aransas

HOTSPOT: Super Flats

GPS: N 27 54.669, W 97 02.196 (27.91115, -97.0366)

SPECIES: Redfish

BEST BAITS: Freeline live pin perch or cut mullet

SOURCE:

Capt. Marvin Engel

361-658-6674

TIPS: Give a spot about 20-25 minutes to produce fish, giving enough time for the redfish to find the bai

LOCATION: San Antonio Bay

HOTSPOT: Cedar Point

GPS: N 28 14.184, W 96 39.659 (28.2364, -96.6610)

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Topwaters

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

TIPS: A bone/silver She Dog, with a Walk-the-Dog retrieve should produce results.

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre

HOTSPOT: Pita Flats

GPS: N 27 35.066, W 97 17.658 (27.5844, -97.2943)

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Freeline live croaker

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

TIPS: Pop your line about every 15-20 seconds, reel 2-3 cranks to get slack out of the line.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics

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

TIPS: Good soft plastic colors are strawberry wine and pumpkin seed, fished with a 1/8 oz. jig head. Vary the retrieve until you find what the fish want.

SPECIES: Black Drum

BEST BAITS: Cracked crab or frozen shrimp

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

TIPS: Drum can be found just about everywhere in the bays…from Carlos to Ingleside, around reefs, flats or deep drop offs.

The Go-To Bait for Summer BAFFIN

BAY

Reported by CAPT. GERAD MERRITT

IT’S THE BEGINNING OF SUMmer and our shing season is in full swing as we begin to see croaker arrive. is is our go to bait on guided trips and the trout and red sh love them.

When I am shing with croaker, I free line them with a #7 hook assuming the bait is large enough, but every now and then I have to move to a #6. When the bait is weak or beat up, I will use a split shot weight or a ra le/shaker weight to help it sink and keep the croaker o the top of the water. In the o chance we cannot nd croaker, we use live shrimp under a popping cork. When we are shing live bait this time of year, I am looking for structure grass lines and drop o s. e sh tend to try and ambush their food and structures almost always hold bait sh that are trying to hide. Although not every day is the same, there are de nitely di erent techniques that need to be used with croaker shing. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as throwing it out and waiting for a bite.

When shing around our unique rock systems, I am using thirty pound braided line. You can feel when a sh or your bait is a empting to hide in the rocks and you have to keep your bait over the top or o the edge, as to not get caught on the rocks. Inevitably you will get hung up on a rock a time or two. When this happens, I always allow at least two or three minutes to pass with a lot slack in the line. More times than not, the sh will swim o and you will be free.

On grass lines, I try and sh right on the edge or nd a big enough pot hole that can

be shed without ge ing caught up in the grass. e bait will do the same thing as on the rocks and try to burry itself in the grass to hide.

On our drop o s, I tend to sh the deep side and drag back towards the shallow side, assuming the wind will allow this. I’ve found over time that this isn’t always an option and you just have to work with what Mother Nature is giving you.

Monster Snook, Mini Tarpon LOWER LAGUNA MADRE

Reported by CAPT. BRIAN BARRERA

MAY AND JUNE ARE good, really good, for more than one reason. First o , we’re nally ge ing into some consistent weather, warm 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.

I make the transition myself, and rather than shing the warmest part of the day, as I do during the winter months, I start to sh the coolest parts of the day.

Ba n Bay is a rather large bay system, composed of several ngers that will almost always allow you to sh out of the big winds.

e downside to the bay system is that ge ing to these places can be a li le sporty, so you have to use your common sense and take your time in this bay when the winds are up. All in all, this time of year is one of the most enjoyable shing seasons. Get out, enjoy the sunshine and catch some sh!

CONTACT CAPT. MERRITT:

Email: GeradMerritt@gmail.com Online: ParadiseGuideServices.com

Whether it be the break of dawn or the golden hours of the evening sunsets, it seems that the big sh tend to be fooled most around those hours.

What am I shing for? I’m glad you asked. I’m always chasing red sh and speckled trout, that’s a year round thing. But I get excited about May because the smaller tarpon start to roll in, or the ones that are already here get a lot more active and start showing (rolling) more o en and consistently.

ese sh are usually in the 10-30 pound range and can be fooled with a DOA TerrorEyz in the rootbeer color, a so plastic or live shrimp, or a fresh live nger mullet. ey’re not too big, like the ones we get mid-summer and fall, but ghting them on your average trout tackle can be an absolute blast!

CAPT. GERAD MERRITT

CAPT. BRIAN BARERRA

Mid 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. Once the weather gets hot and sweaty out and I feel the sh are starting to go deep for the day, I enjoy spreading the cast net and le ing a few live baits y, the right live bait, in the right spot, can save the day really quick.

Early to late June you can always count on nding some solid bull reds at the inlet along with some juvenile tarpon on some mornings. ese tarpon tend to be slightly bigger (50-80 pounds) as they are “migratory sh” rather than the local juveniles that stay year round.

e best way to target these red sh and tarpon are with a DOA Bait Buster, in a glow or rootbeer color, or a skyline jig weighted circle hook with a live nger mullet.

CONTACT CAPT. BARRERA:

Email: CaptBrianBFishing@gmail.com

Online: InshoreFishingSouthPadre.com

LOWER COAST HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Arroyo City

HOTSPOT: Peyton Bay

GPS: N 26 26.122, W 97 22.3519 (26.4354, -97.3725)

HOTSPOTLIGHT

SOUTH BAY

SOUTH BAY IS THE SOUTHERNMOST BAY ON THE TEXAS COAST, AND IS AN extensiion of the Lower Laguna Madre. It is separated from the Gulf of Mexico by Brazos Island. It is accessed via South Bay Pass, off the Brownsville Ship Channel. Selected HOTSPOTS are shown in the table below, and on the map.

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Corkys and Croaker

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

TIPS: For big, sow trout, fish drop-offs and sand bars, old bellies and guts where mainly the big trout usually come through May to spawn.

LOCATION: Baffin Bay

HOTSPOT: Kieberg Point Rocks

GPS: N 27 17.337, W 97 35.202 (27.2890, -97.5867)

SOURCE: TEXAS LAKES & BAYS FISHING ATLAS

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Live Croaker or Live Shrimp

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

TIPS: Freeline the croaker using a chatter weight. Use a foot-long leader under the cork, if the depth of

LOWER COAST

the water will accommodate that length—You want just enough leader length to keep the bait off the bottom.

LOCATION: Baffin Bay

HOTSPOT: South Shore Rocks

GPS: N 27 14.436, W 97 33.568 (27.2406, 97.5595)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Live Croaker

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

TIPS: Berkley Gulp, white, under the popping cork will work if live shrimp are not available.

LOCATION: Baffin Bay

HOTSPOT: Center Reef

GPS: N 27 16.138, W 97 34.704 (27.2690, -97.5784)

Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Super Spooks, Skitter Walks, She Dogs…it just depends on the wind. On a high wind, use a She Dog because it’s real loud.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre

HOTSPOT: Rattlesnake Bay

GPS: N 26 18.613, W 97 19.453 (26.3102, -97.3242)

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre

HOTSPOT: Dunkin House

GPS: N 26 18.034, W 97 17.808 (26.3006, -97.2968)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Live Croaker

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

TIPS: Sometimes the trout will be hitting right as the sun is coming up. Other times it takes a little while till about 8:15, 8:30 a.m. Capt. Little

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre

HOTSPOT: Green Island

GPS: N 26 23.5379, W 97 19.465 (26.3923, -97.3244)

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Big topwater lures

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

TIPS: Good spot to wade. Color doesn’t really matters, but you can’t go wrong with pink, white, or any natural bait fish color.

LOCATION: Middle Ground

HOTSPOT: Dubb’s Island

GPS: N 26 43.48, W 97 25.642 (26.7247, -97.4274)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Gulp under a Popping Cork

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: A lot of fish are caught here using a popping cork with Gulp whenever the wind comes up.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre

HOTSPOT: North Cullen Bay

GPS: N 26 16.9939, W 97 19.5979 (26.2832, -97.3266)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Topwaters, red/white soft plastics on 101/8 oz. leadhead; all day

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Topwaters, red/white soft plastics on 1/8 oz. leadhead; produces all day.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

BEST BAITS: Kelley Wigglers or Gulp under a Popping Cork

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

TIPS: Freshwater runoff creates algae masses grow in different little back bays we have down here. All the fish will be around the algae feeding on it.

LOCATION: South Padre Island

HOTSPOT: Long Bar

GPS: N 26 8.592, W 97 14.2249 (26.1432, -97.2371)

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Croaker

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

TIPS: Free line, or use a chatter weight with the croaker. Kind of thump it every 5-8 seconds.

SPECIES: Speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Big topwater lures

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

EAST TEXAS HOTSPOTS

Reported by TF&G STAFF

LOCATION: Lake Bob Sandlin

HOTSPOT: Railroad Bridge

GPS: N 33 4.754, W 95 1.721 (33.0792, -95.0287)

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: Minnows, jigs

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

TIPS: Live minnows, red, chartreuse jigs, bottom rigs; dusk

LOCATION: Lake Conroe

HOTSPOT: Main Lake

GPS: N 30 22.974, W 95 34.9259 (30.3829, -95.5821)

www.fishdudetx.com

TIPS: Use electronics to find schools of shad and you will find the hybrid in the water column from 12 to 26 feet. Live shad or swimbaits and crankbaits work if you can control the depth.

LOCATION: Lake Cooper/Jim Chapman

HOTSPOT: John’s Creek

GPS: N 33 20.186, W 95 44.19 (33.3364, -95.7365)

LOCATION: Lake Fork

HOTSPOT: Little Caney Creek

GPS: N 32 50.112, W 95 33.6653 (32.8352, -95.5611)

SPECIES: Hybrid Stripers

BEST BAITS: Live shad, Swim Shad and crankbaits

SOURCE: Richard Tatsch 936-291-1277

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: 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.

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Crankbaits, topwater lures, Grande Bass Airtail Rattler, poppers and frogs

SOURCE: Lance Vick 903-312-0609

www.guideonlakefork.com

TIPS: Shad spawn early in the day, so use crankbaits and topwaters. Main lake points are best to find them feeding. When that is over, fish poppers and frogs in the creeks around flooded cover. If that’s not enough action, tie on a Carolina rig, put a Grande Bass Airtail Rattler on it and fish points and drop offs in 15 to 25 feet of water. Add a rattle in the tail.

LOCATION: Lake Livingston

HOTSPOT: 190 Road Bed

GPS: N 30 45.15, W 95 10.3206 (30.7525, -95.1720)

SPECIES: White Bass

BEST BAITS: Jigging slabs, spoons, troll pet spoon on down rigger, Tsunami Zombie Eyes (1 oz pink/silver glow)

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

www.palmettoguideservice.com

TIPS: Key on old bridge rails, road bed 11-15 foot. Jig slabs and Tsunami Zombie Eyes off the bottom.

LOCATION: Lake Murvaul

HOTSPOT: Jones Branch

GPS: N 32 2.593, W 94 26.136 (32.0432, -94.4356)

CURRENT LAKE LEVELS EAST TEXAS

HOTSPOTLIGHT:

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Jigs, crankbaits, plastics

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

TIPS: Fish the docks or look for brush; dawn, morning, dusk

LOCATION: Lake Nacogdoches

HOTSPOT: Westside Park

GPS: N 31 35.587, W 94 50.226 (31.5931, -94.8371)

SURFACE AREA: 11,854 acres

MAXIMUM DEPTH: 45 feet

1954

CATFISH ARE THE MAIN SPECIES, BUT white bass, largemouth and crappie

are also present in good numbers. Best structure is found in the upper areas, above FM 1960.

Selected HOTSPOTS are shown on the map above and table below.

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: Minnows, jigs

SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Office 409-698-9114

TIPS: Fish live minnows or red/chartreuse jigs. Use a slipcork. Avoid midday.

LOCATION: Lake O the Pines

HOTSPOT: Copeland Creek

EAST TEXAS

 CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

GPS: N 32 46.076, W 94 35.469 (32.7679, -94.5912)

SPECIES: Catfish

BEST BAITS: Frozen shad, shrimp, wigglers

SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Office 903-938-1007

TIPS: Carolina rig your bait and fish the bottom slowly. Afternoon and night.

LOCATION: Lake Sam Rayburn

HOTSPOT: Angelina River

GPS: N 31 26.110, W 94 33.619 (31.435164, -94.560309)

CENTRAL TEXAS HOTSPOTS

Reported

LOCATION: Lake Austin

HOTSPOT: Saratoga Point

GPS: N 30 21.217, W 97 51.199 (30.3536, -97.8533)

by TF&G STAFF

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Buzzbaits, crankbaits

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

TIPS: Look for guts & pockets. Buzzbaits are good because you want to irritate the water. Dawn to late morning, dusk.

LOCATION: Lake Toledo Bend

HOTSPOT: Bayou Seipe

GPS: N 31 43.602, W 93 49.4879 (31.7267, -93.8248)

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: Minnows (shiners) and jigs

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

TIPS: Crappie will be moving off beds and following creeks back to the main lake. Locate natural cover along creek channels—Crappie will hold in these areas before heading back to the main lake. Straight-line shiners or jigs over the cover.

LOCATION: Lake Wright Patman

HOTSPOT: Boogaloo

GPS: N 33 15.909, W 94 21.588 (33.2652, -94.3598)

(32.8531, -96.8669)

SPECIES: Largemouth bass

BEST BAITS: Junebugs, tubes, jigs

SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Office 903-938-1007

TIPS: Fish a Junebug, red tube jigs, or plum toadies. Work slowly; dawn thru midday.

ture baits (3-4 inches long)

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

TIPS: Bass are on fire shallow along the banks. Fish in 1-5 feet of water. Cast along the banks parallel; the fish are no more than five feet from the banks.

LOCATION: Lake Belton

HOTSPOT: Main Lake

GPS: N 31 12.3899, W 97 30.756 (31.2065, -97.5126)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, soft plastics

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

TIPS: Fishing is good all day on this spot.

LOCATION: Bachman Lake

HOTSPOT: Main Lake

GPS: N 32 51.1859, W 96 52.014

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Small rooster tails and small crea-

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, crankbaits and Bass jigs

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

TIPS: Bass will be in their summer pattern at this time of the year. The prime time to be on the lake is

CURRENT LAKE LEVELS CENTRAL TEXAS

early in the morning and in the evenings. Bass will move from deeper water into the shallows looking for baitfish in the evenings and you will catch them still cruising and feeding in the morning. As the sun gets high in the sky they will move back deep. During these times crankbaits and spinnerbaits matching the color and size of the baitfish the bass are feeding on will be key. This is not to say that that you cannot catch them in the heat of the day. Look for shaded areas or large weed beds. Jigs work great here for punching the grass bed. Keep a close eye on your

HOTSPOTLIGHT:

CANYON LAKE

SURFACE AREA: 8,308 acres MAXIMUM DEPTH: 125 feet

1964

CANYON LAKE HAS A WIDE OFFERING of fishing opportunities, including

largemouth, catfish, white and striped bass. Smallmouth have also been established in the rocky lake.

Artificial structure has been installed around the lake. See this symbol... ...on the map.

CENTRAL TEXAS

line while fishing grass beds—the Bass will often hit it as soon as it comes through the matted grass.

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan

HOTSPOT: Lower End of Main Lake

GPS: N 30 45.57, W 98 27.2699 (30.7595, -98.4545)

SPECIES: Striped Bass

BEST BAITS: Live Shad

SOURCE: Ken Miliam 325-379-2051 www.striperfever.com.com

TIPS: Stripers and Hybrid fishing should be really good on the lower end of the lake this time of year. Fish in front of the dam on the sand and on deep water humps south of the Black Rock Park area.

LOCATION: Canyon Lake

HOTSPOT: Sailboat Moorings & Jacobs Creek

GPS: N 29 52.83, W 98 13.512 (29.8805, -98.2252)

LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake

HOTSPOT: Main Lake

GPS: N 32 10.9379, W 96 4.8635 (32.1823, -96.0811)

LOCATION: Eagle Mountain

HOTSPOT: Main Lake Hump

GPS: N 32 52.777, W 97 28.272 (32.879617, -97.4712)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, Jewel jigs in 1/8oz with Net Paca chunks in Texas Craw color, Texas Rigged Trick Worms in Watermelon Red with a 1/8oz Tungston weight.

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

TIPS: As you approach the sailboat area, fish the point to the right and work your way to left to the marina. Fish in and around the end caps of the slots. Best colors for this time of year are Watermelon Candy, Blue Fleck, and Green Pumpkin.

SPECIES: Catfish

BEST BAITS: Punch bait

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

TIPS: Fish all rocks and rip-rap along ridges, dams, retaining walls etc. Punch bait of any kind will work in 2’ to 10’ of water on the bottom or under a float.

LOCATION: Lake Corpus Christi

HOTSPOT: Fiesta Marina Creek

GPS: N 28 3.807, W 97 54.136 (28.0635, -97.9023)

SPECIES: White Bass

BEST BAITS: Slabs

SOURCE: Kolby Kuhn, Final Cast Guide Service

817-243-5858

kolbymkuhn@gmail.com

TIPS: White bass are finishing up spawning on main lake points and humps. look for fish to be on the bottom throughout the month. The fish will hang around these same areas after the spawn for a while. You can catch them by bouncing slabs off of the bottom in 15-25 feet of water.

LOCATION: Eagle Mountain

HOTSPOT: Dam

GPS: N 32 52.496, W 97 27.830 (32.874932, -97.463831)

SPECIES: Catfish

BEST BAITS: Perch, Liver

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

TIPS: Perch, Liver, fish end of Bob’s Pier at creek channel; all day.

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 the rocks. Fish with a slip float rig with punch bait off of the bottom just a few inches. keep moving until you find a concentration of fish.

LOCATION: Fayette County

HOTSPOT: Park Cove

GPS: N 29 56.544, W 96 44.9639 (29.9424, -96.7494)

SPECIES: Catfish

BEST BAITS: CJ’s punch bait

SOURCE: Weldon Kirk

979-229-3103

www.fishtales-guideservice.com

TIPS: Spawn is mostly over by now. Fish will be shallow in the timber. Put chum around the trees and fish with a slip cork.

LOCATION: Granger Lake

HOTSPOT: Main Lake Brush Piles

GPS: N 30 42.1079, W 97 21.066 (30.7018, -97.3511)

mally in the smaller less obvious underwater cover. A few small sticks in 6 feet of water can produce some of the largest crappie of the year. There is no need to use minnows this time of year since the crappie are so hungry after spawning. I always use a Berkley Crappie Nibble on my jigs. It helps to make the fish hold the bait longer. Fish vertically over the cover and hold the jig still. Wait no longer than 5 seconds for a bite. Then move the jig a little to a new location and do the same. If you feel cover and do not catch a crappie within 5 minutes, you need to move on to the next spot. Good luck and good fishing.

LOCATION: Lake Joe Pool

HOTSPOT: Pratt’s Pond Dam

GPS: N 32 36.839, W 97 00.929 (32.6140, -97.0155)

469-528-0210

whitebassfishingtexas.com

TIPS: Fish live minnows. This spot has lots of bank access and plenty places fish. Avoid midday.

LOCATION: Lake Lavon

HOTSPOT: Main Lake Coves

GPS: N 33 2.2319, W 96 29.37 (33.0372, -96.4895)

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: 1/32 oz. Marabou jig

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: May is the beginning of the best crappie fishing at Granger Lake. The fish are biting in every spot that has brush. Concentrate on open brush piles in 6-12 feet of water. The key is finding the spots with the bigger fish. Those big slab sized crappie are nor-

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: Minnows

SOURCE: Carey Thorn

SPECIES: Crappie

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

SOURCE: Carey Thorn

469-528-0210

whitebassfishingtexas.com

TIPS: Crappie are finally in shallow water. Previously, Crappie started spawning in the button willows on Lavon and the cattails on Hubbard. Depth is 1-4 ft if wading. Try 7 to 18 ft if fishing deeper.

CENTRAL TEXAS

Find a firm ground with your back facing deep water and put the jig next to every stick up and the base of every willow. Also fish small rock piles. Try to find a cove if possible protected of the south and north wind.

LOCATION: Lake Lewisville

HOTSPOT: 121 Boat Ramps & Marina

GPS: N 33 4.517, W 96 55.465 (33.0753, -96.9244)

BEST BAITS: BD 7 Crankbait in shad color

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

Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Post spawn fish will be plentiful in this area in May. The fish will feed on shad on most main lake points. Fish various topwaters and small swimbaits rigged on a 1/8-ounce jig head in 2-15 feet of water.

LOCATION: Lake Tawakoni

HOTSPOT: Arm Point

GPS: N 32 52.981, W 95 59.951 (32.8830, -95.9992)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, worms

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

TIPS: When fishing a worm, use a Carolina-rig; fish rocks at boat ramps; all day

LOCATION: Lake Limestone

HOTSPOT: Bridge Rip Rap

GPS: N 31 26.438, W 96 22.947 (31.4406, -96.3825)

TIPS: Fishing south of the 155 bridge working points. Concentrate on 8 to 16 feet depths. Work the points for best results. Cobb creek has good points and I catch good numbers in this area. When fishing points I will fish the first point going into a creek and then move to the next inside the creek all the way to the back staying in the depths mentioned above. Try Carolina rigs as well.

LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard

HOTSPOT: Rush Creek

GPS: N 32 49.292, W 96 29.929 (32.8215, -96.4988)

SPECIES: Catfish

BEST BAITS: Cut shad

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Chum the area, drift flats slowly using Carolina or Texas rig; morning and afternoon are best times.

LOCATION: Lake Texana

HOTSPOT: Sandy Creek Tree

GPS: N 29 1.981, W 96 33.929 (29.0330, -96.5655)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Buzzbaits

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

TIPS: Find the rocks on the windy sides; dawn, morn, dusk

LOCATION: Lake Palestine

HOTSPOT: Cobb Creek

GPS: N 32 5.4539, W 95 27.8339 (32.0909, -95.4639)

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: Minnows, jigs

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

TIPS: Fish live minnows or chartreuse/black jigs. Vertical jig the trees; morning-midday

LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts

HOTSPOT: Cates Point

GPS: N 33 22.689, W 97 3.22 (33.3782, -97.0537)

SPECIES: Crappie

BEST BAITS: Minnows, jigs

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Live minnows under cork or free fall, chartreuse jigs; all day

LOCATION: Lake Texoma

HOTSPOT: The North End , Washita Point

GPS: N 33 52.068, W 96 41.67 (33.8678, -96.6945)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

SPECIES: Largemouth, White bass

BEST BAITS: Topwaters, small swimbaits

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

SPECIES: Striped Bass

BEST BAITS: Sassy Shad jigs, topwater plugs and

WEST TEXAS HOTSPOTS

Reported by TJ RANFT

CONTACT TJ RANFT:

Email: TJRanft17@gmail.com

Online: RanftGuideService.com

LOCATION: Lake Alan Henry

HOTSPOT: Dam Area

GPS: N 33 3.702, W 101 3.192 (33.0617, 101.0532)

LOCATION: Daniel Reservoir

HOTSPOT: South Shoreline

GPS: N 32 38.086, W 98 51.533 (32.634762, -98.858889)

rocks also hold decent panfish and bass.

LOCATION: Lake Cisco

HOTSPOT: Brush Pile Site 10

GPS: N 32 26.7564, W 98 59.0855 (32.4459, -98.9848)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: Bass jigs, worms (like Senkos), shakey head jigs rigged with a worm, top water lures

SOURCE: Norman Clayton’s Guide Services

806-792-9220

TIPS: May on Lake Alan Henry will find the bass in full spawn. These bass will hit a worm or jig while guarding the bed. Fish can be caught in the dingy water by just fishing with jigs or worms such as Senkos, shakey heads with a worm, and some will hit a topwaters.

SPECIES: Channel Catfish

SOURCE: Natalie Goldstrohm

Natural Resources Specialist

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

325- 692-0921

TIPS: Good numbers of channel catfish up to 24 inches can be found here. Channel cats should be spawning in June and can be found in shallower waters. Target shallow rocky shorelines or submerged logs. Bait your hooks with commercially prepared catfish bait or even a few corn kernels. Fish on the bottom or suspended a few inches from lake bottom.

LOCATION: Lake Brownwood

HOTSPOT: Rocky Point Across from Dam

GPS: N 31 50.4363, W 99 0.5875 (31.8406, -99.0098)

SPECIES: Largemouth bass, Crappie

BEST BAITS: Largemouth bass

SOURCE: Lance Benson

325-692-0921

tpwd.texas.gov

TIPS: This location features both a rock pile and a brush pile. The rocky and woody structure should aggregate prey fish and largemouth bass to this location and should increase angler catch rates.

LOCATION: Lake Granbury

HOTSPOT: Lower End

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

SPECIES: Flathead Catfish

BEST BAITS: Live sunfish, shad, cut bait

Contact: Natalie Goldstrohm, TPWD

325-692-0921

TIPS: This rocky point has a dropoff of large boulders that are home to some decent size flathead catfish. Live baits work best to land these fish, particularly sunfish, shad, and smaller carp. Cut carp and gizzard shad may also yield a good catch. These

SPECIES: Striped Bass

BEST BAITS: Live shad, willow shaped slabs, bucktail jigs with a curly tail

SOURCE: Michael W. Acosta, Unfair Advantage Guide Service

254-396-4855

UnfairAdvantageCharters.com

TIPS: Live shad worked near feeding flats. : Downrigging jigs near channel ledges near baitfish can help locate active fish. Live shad fished on a carolina rig fished 15 to 25 feet down is hard to beat. By May, Granbury water temperatures will be in the 70’s and 80’s and summer patterns will start to dominate. Striped bass are returning to the lower ends of the main lake. They are located next to structure and live bait and slabs are effective. Downrigging jigs with trailers are putting fish in the boat.

WEST TEXAS

LOCATION: Lake Granbury

HOTSPOT: Brazos River Above Granbury

GPS: N 32 34.559, W 97 49.295 (32.575983, -97.821583)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass

BEST BAITS: White Spinner baits, rattle traps and french fry/power bait soft plastics

SOURCE: Michael W. Acosta, Unfair Advantage Guide Service

254-396-4855

UnfairAdvantageCharters.com

TIPS: Work points and banks with submerged brush. Top water action is great early and late. Use crankbaits to locate fish. Soft plastics are great near points and dropoffs near creek channels and sloughs.

LOCATION: Hubbard Creek Reservoir

HOTSPOT: Big Sandy Creek Arm

GPS: N 32 46.762, W 98 59.955 (32.7793 -98.9992)

CENTRAL TEXAS

 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 60

live shad

SOURCE: Bill Carey

903-786-4477

www.striperexpress.com

TIPS: May is most fishermen’s favorite month of the year on Lake Texoma. Most of the stripers are finished with the spawn and are roaming the lake. Large schools of post spawn fish are hungry and will strike on artificial lures and live bait. Cast Pencil Poppers and big Chugbugs on the shallow banks early in the mornings. After the topwater bite, switch to 1oz white glo Sassy Shad jigs or live shad. Work the jigs on main lake ledges to 30’ depths. Drift or anchor with live shad on the same ledges. Limits of fish are common, and May is an exciting month on Lake Texoma.

LOCATION: Lake Waco

HOTSPOT: Old Highway 6 South

GPS: N 31 32.646, W 97 12.93 (31.5441, -97.2155)

SPECIES: White Bass

BEST BAITS: Topwaters, lipless crankbaits, spinnerbaits

SOURCE: Natalie Goldstrohm

Natural Resources Specialist

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

325- 692-0921

TIPS: May can be a great time to fish for schooling white bass. Try fishing for white bass on the

three humps along the Sandy Creek arm north of the bridge. If the white bass are schooling, throw a topwater like a popper and if the topwaters are not working change to a bladed bait or a lipless crank bait. Lures that look like shad should work well.

LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom

HOTSPOT: The Y

GPS: N 32 51.404, W 98 28.299 (32.856733, -98.471651)

SPECIES: White Bass

BEST BAITS: RatLTraps

SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

Fishgame.com/fishgamegear

TIPS: Work black/silver RatLTraps along the roadbed, watch for birds; morning-afternoon

LOCATION: Lake Whitney

HOTSPOT: Whitney Hump

GPS: N 31 54.612, W 97 20.754 (31.9102, -97.3459)

SPECIES: Striped Bass

BEST BAITS: Trolling and some live bait

SOURCE: TJ Ranft

940-452-8439

TJRanft17@gmail.com

RanftGuideService.com

TIPS: Fish will be in late spring early summer patterns. This is somewhat of a transition phase. Early morning and late evening will be the best times. Fishing live bait will produce some fish, but the fish should be starting to hit jigs predominantly. Look in 20-40 feet of water. You should start to see a ther-

SPECIES: Striped Bass

BEST BAITS: Live threadfin shad

SOURCE: Randy Routh

817-822-5539

www.teamredneck.net

TIPS: Stripers have reached maturity and, postspawn, are gorging and making for some awesome action. Live bait (threadfin shad) is working best. Rigging up on a Carolina rig and fishing straight down around 18’ just off ledges and edges at Whitney hump and other main lake points and humps is the key. Watch your graph along these edges and humps for big balls of bait.

CURRENT LAKE LEVELS WEST TEXAS

mocline on your fish finder around 30 feet. Fish will typically not be below that. It is possible to see some schooling action early in the morning and late in the day, so keep a topwater handy. Just about any white or chrome topwater will work when they do school. Jigs and spoons also work great when the fish are schooling.

Little Grape Creek

HOTSPOTLIGHT:

GrapeCreek

LAKE ALAN HENRY

SURFACE AREA: 2,880 acres

DEPTH: 100 feet

1993

ALAN HENRY IS ON THE DOUBLE Mountain Fork of the Brazos River.

Dominated by largemouth, it also has respectable spotted bass, catfish and crappie fishing.

This is a very narrow lake with a steep, rocky shoreline. Structure consists primarily of rock and timber.

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

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.

Combs Goes Super Shallow Post-Spawn B

ASSMASTER ELITE SERIES

pro Keith Combs of Huntington is known for his devotion to oshore angling and his deep water prowess, but he has a dirty li le secret to tell: When the bass throughout Texas are completely done spawning, he’s not exclusively plowing deepwater points, humps and drains with his favorite Strike King 6XD and 10XD crankbaits. Instead, he’s taking his boat as shallow as it will go and targeting bass where there’s barely enough water to cover their backs.

“It happens on just about every lake in Texas, but it’s especially good on grass lakes,” said Combs, who lives on Sam Rayburn, formerly guided on Amistad, and has won the Toyota Texas Bass Classic three times, including a record-se ing e ort on Lake Fork in 2014. “ ey’ll get shallower than you’d think. In fact, many times the reason that people don’t catch sh this way is because they’re not ge ing shallow enough. I want my boat in 2 to 3 feet of water and the sh may be in a foot to 18 inches. You should be able to see the bo om.”

It’s not necessarily limited to one part of the shery, either. While he tends to start o looking in more protected bays and pockets, some of his best days pursuing this pa ern have come on the shallowest portion of main lake at. Indeed, while those ats don’t always produce as many sh, o entimes they’ll give up bigger specimens. e really fun part is that his two best tools in this scenario are both surface lures, creating hellacious and violent strikes and solid hookup percentages. “ is is a time of year, when most of them get it,” he explained. “In June there are lots of bluegills and gizzard shad up shallow. ose bass are there to eat and when they strike they’re going to eat it. It’s not like those reaction strikes that come earlier and later where you may get an aggressive hit but they’ll fre-

quently miss it.”

He keeps both a walking bait, like a Strike King Sexy Dog, and a hollow-bodied frog, like the Sexy Frog on his deck – using the former where cover allows, and the latter as a follow up around ma ed or oating vegetation. Other moving lures, like buzzbaits and plopper-style topwaters, can generate strikes, but Combs feels that the walkthe-dog motion of the Sexy Dog is more versatile, particularly in the “Hard Knock” model that calls bass from a distance.

“Unlike a buzzbait, if you’re in a zone where you really feel you should get a bit, you can slow it down or even stop it without losing e ectiveness,” he explained. “I’ll slow down, make short, deliberate chops, and that keeps it in the strike zone longer. ey very seldom miss it.

:: by PETE ROBBINS TF&G Bass Fishing Editor

ey almost always get it.” He’ll use various shad pa erns in clear to lightly stained water, with black a good option in cloudy or stormy conditions. He’ll turn to a bone-colored topwater when the water is dirtier. He shes it on a Shimano Zodias 6’10” medium-heavy baitcasting rod, paired with a Shimano Curado 150 DC reel. He likes 40 or 50 pound Seaguar Smackdown braided line for it’s long casts and low stretch, which allows him to get solid hook sets at a distance, and then winch big bass away from cover.

When the frog is in the water, he’ll walk it slowly in heavy cover and then speed it through the holes to generate strikes and cover ground. While hydrilla is the dominant grass on many Texas lakes, even on sheries where it doesn’t exist, Combs will use the frog in various types of shoreline vegetation. Because he needs to move frog-biters quickly, he’ll throw it on a Shimano Zodias 175H, a 7’5” heavy-action stick that he pairs with a Curado 200 DC spooled with 50 or 65 pound Smackdown.

While many anglers are inclined to look shallow early, and then abandon the topwater bite as the sun gets up, Combs o en goes the opposite way. He’ll check out his o shore money holes rst thing, and then if he’s struggling, he’ll go up shallow mid-day.

“To be honest, it’s usually at its best in the middle of the day,” he said. “You can get some bites in the morning, but it just seems to get be er and be er later.”

Keith Combs

TEAL

Goliad County

William Andrew got his first teal on a hunt with his grandfather, Paddy Strauss, near Goliad during last year’s Youth Weekend. William also bagged a 10-point buck.

REDFISH

Trinity Bay

Jay McReynolds with his first redfish, ever. He caught and released the 37-inch beauty with a Johnson Sprite gold spoon, on Trinity Bay.

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BLACK DRUM

Sargent

Michael Minchich caught this massive, 46 pound black drum off his pier on Caney Creek in Sargent.

HAMMERHEAD SHARK

Galveston

Darren Pyfer of North Richland Hills shows off a small scalloped hammerhead shark he caught near the Pelican Island Bridge in Galveston.

WHITETAIL

Aransas NWR

Twelve-year-old Jonah Nelson of Kilgore shot his first deer, at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. He was hunting with his dad, Alex Nelson and younger brother, Caleb.