11 minute read
Texas Hunting
Bare Bones HUNTING
by LOU MARULLO :: TF&GHunting Editor
The Wait is Finally Over
FINALLY!
Finally, it’s here. A er all those months of waiting and waiting and dreaming about that big buck you will most assuredly take this fall, you will now make those dreams a reality. At least that’s the plan.
With so much to do to prepare for the season, I can only hope that you have already done your due diligence. Stands should already be in place, keeping in mind the prevailing winds in your area. If that wind does not blow in your face, you might have a problem.
If you haven’t already made a pathway to your stand that will keep the wind in your face and keep you o the deer trails, you might have a problem. If you haven’t already scouted out what food sources are available to the whitetails in your area, remembering to keep your scent down to a minimum, you might have a problem.
You might have already guessed what I am talking about — scent control.
I cannot stress enough how important scent control is, for hunting deer. Hunting with a ri e, it’s hard enough to hide from that whitetail nose. And hunting with a bow, it’s super hard to stay undetected by that deer. But the way I look at it, if it were easy, everyone would just do it.
In my audio book String eory for Bowhunting, I talk about scent control in detail. Let me just give you a few facts. A human nose carries about ve million olfactory receptors. Sounds like a lot, doesn’t it?
Consider a dog. A canine has about 220 million scent receptors. at explains why police use dogs regularly to sni out whatever the police are looking for. Now Let’s talk about a deer for a minute. A whitetail has about 297 million scent receptors. 297 MILLION!
How can we hide from that?!
You must respect the nose of a whitetail deer if you want to be successful in the eld. A deer can smell danger from several hundred yards away, and if the conditions are perfect, he can smell you from up to a half mile away. Now THAT is just crazy! Which brings me to my morning routine if I plan on hunting that day. Because many who know me think I’m crazy when it comes to scent control.
I have already washed my hunting clothes in a scent-free soap and have dried them with earth scent dryer sheets. ( e wife loves that). I keep those clothes in a clean plastic bin, and that is kept in my truck until I arrive at my hunting location.
I shower with a scent-free soap, and I do not change in my hunting clothes until just before I head into the woods. I spray my boots and hat with a scent neutralizer again once I get to my stand.
Many companies advertise that their product reduces human scent up to 99 percent. Hmmm. I’m not sure that really works, but I think it does, and I use it. Hey, it can’t hurt!
I use Wildlife Research Center products and have for years. One product that I swear by is Ozonics. at is one product that really does hide your human scent. I decided one day to give my Ozonics unit a test run early in deer season.
I picked a treestand that was absolutely horrible for wind direction. e wind was blowing directly behind me and in a clover eld. It was not too long before I saw three does come out in the eld. I just sat there and waited for them to pick up my scent.
Every once in a while, one by one they would raise their noses and go right back to eating. I think they smelled something, but did not distinguish it as a danger to them. In any event, the human element seemed to have vanished.
All were well within bow range. One actually walked directly under my stand and never knew I was there. Soon a er that, a buck entered the eld and never smelled me at all. I just sat there and smiled.
Wow! I had found something that really hides my scent. Now, I am not sure whether it was just that product — or a combination of all I had done to control my scent. All I know is I never hunt without my Ozonics unit. e company also has a garment bag that you can put your hunting clothes in and start the unit up so that it activates ozone on your clothes. I love it! e Ozonics people even came up with another product that I will use this season. It’s a mini unit that plugs into the cigare e lighter receptacle in your truck. You cannot use it while you’re in the vehicle, but I do use it the night before I leave to clear out any unwanted scents that might be lingering in the truck. Pre y cool.
One more thing I wanted to bring up. If you haven’t already decided on how to get to and from your stands, let me make a suggestion. Grab a rake and some clippers and make an easy, quiet path to your stand.
Use the clippers to keep any brush or tree limbs from rubbing against your pants. at will help to keep your scent undetected. If you really want to go a li le crazy, then rake away any leaves or sticks that might give you away. You want to be as quiet as possible. Sneak in and sneak out.
Hey! Hunting season is nally here and it’s time to get that big boy you saw on those eld cameras. If you go that extra mile and keep your scent down, your chances of success are much greater. Good luck to all this year.
Have fun and hunt safe.
Email Lou Marullo at ContactUs@fi shgame.com
HE ARRIVAL OF winter does not mean the end of quality fishing on the Texas Coast.
On the contrary, some of the best action of the year is during the winter. The key is adjusting to new patterns and enhanced opportunities to catch species more abundant and willing to bite when temperatures cool.
These six strategies along with their accompanying gear picks can lead you to impressive catches and productive time on the water even in winter. You also might just find some great Christmas gift options with our gear suggestions.
1JETTY READY Some of the best fishing during winter is on the jetty systems along the coast. From Sabine to Port Isabel, the Texas Coast has impres-
sive jetty systems that are essentially fish super highways from the Gulf to the bays.
Beginning in November, sheepshead fishing at the jetties keeps getting better into early spring as these fish gather in large numbers around the rocks.
A killer strategy is using a mediumheavy spinning rod, rigged with 20-pound braided line and a ¼-ounce jighead with a piece of dead shrimp.
A great jighead for this application is the Got-Cha Flat Back Live Eye Jighead available at Calcuttaoutdoors.com. These round jig heads are designed with a flat back for a snug fit which helps keep the shrimp on the hook better. Anyone who has fished for sheepshead much, knows they are master bait thieves. In addition, the eye design gives it realism.
When you feel a small tip, count to two and set the hook. There’s a good chance a sheepshead’s on the other end. Many times, they bite lightly, but when they’re hooked, they fight with ferocity.
PHOTO: CHESTER MOORE
Nathan Childress was excited to catch his fi rst whiting. Whiting are a great option for winter fi shing both in the bay and surf.
This Danielson Shrimp Fly Rig is great for catching sand trout. GIVE ’EM A SHRIMP FLY
2is might seem a bit unusual, but it can get the job done. If you’re into catching sand trout and get tired of messing with dead shrimp and cut bait, try the Shrimp Fly Rig combo from Danielson.
Rig this below a ¼-ounce split shot, then vertical sh at deep spots in the channel loaded with sandies. Jig it up and down slowly. Don’t be surprised if you come up with doubles.
3DRIFTING OYSTER REEFS
As winter wears on, anglers can nd action on highly overlooked oyster reefs that have nearby ship channel access. Trout like to dwell in deeper waters and move onto shallow reefs and mud ats to feed during warm a ernoons. Dri ing a sand eel imitation is a great way to get bi en. e Super-Scented Sand Worm from Sea Striker, not only has the right shape and action, but it also has a scent that helps make sh pursue and hold on. Rig it on an ⅓-ounce jighead, throw it out behind the boat and dri slowly. It’s not rocket science, but it works.
4TIDAL WALL WATCH
If you have the time, catching the last hour or so of an incoming tide and the rst dead shrimp and cut bait, try the Shrimp Fly couple of hours of the outgoing tide on a Rig combo from Danielson. seawall inlet or slough yield big results for
Super-Scented Sand Worms
A utility cart can give anglers an edge by making transport of all gear easy.
Visit the Gift Shop for Winter Fishing
ALL OF THE PRODUCTS LISTED IN this story are available at Calcuttaoutdoors.com They have numerous brands and hundreds of products ranging from surf fi shing to billfi shing appropriate.
Check out the site and get rigged up for awesome winter fi shing. Perhaps you can pick up some Christmas gifts for the fi shermen in your life.
And the great thing is many of these spots are available to landbound anglers.
A live nger mullet or croaker on a Carolina rig is the optimal bait choice. Either one of those choices works great. e key here is waiting it out, which is why a Deluxe Surf and Beach Cart from Calcu a Outdoors is a great choice. You can bring out everything, your bait, drinks, net, and rods in one trip. at saves time and doesn’t make you skimp on gear because you didn’t want to take another trip to the truck.
5CRAB AND DRUM CAST AND BLAST
Big black drums are present on the coast year-round, but during winter they begin to be more prevalent inshore and can be found in roadside canals, ship channel shorelines, and other easily accessible locations. eir favorite food is blue crab.
Why not do a black drum cast and blast combo? Go crabbing and use some of the crabs you catch as bait.
Calcu aoutdoors.com o ers an easy solution with pre-rigged crab throw-lines and a great two-ring crab net. is is also a great opportunity to take your kids with you as crabbing provides action.
Pop the shell o of a crab, hook it through the back paddle joint, throw it out on a Carolina rig, and wait. If a big drum swims by, it will take notice and the ght is on.
6SPOON FED SPECKS
Every time it seems as if silver spoons are out of fashion for speckled trout shing, until someone catches a monster on one.
Trout action under the birds will be good until at least mid-December depending on the temperatures on much of the coast.
Try chucking a ¼-ounce nickel-plated casting spoon from Sea Striker past the schools you see feeding under the birds. Work quickly toward the school. O en, the biggest trout will be on the bo om, and that’s where this spoon can help you. It cuts through the li le guys up top and puts you closer to where the bigger ones roam. If a fast retrieve doesn’t get it, slow down to a crawl, but don’t be surprised if a big skimp on gear because you didn’t want to red hits. ey don’t mind being spoon-fed either.
and other easily accessible locations.
Why not do a black drum cast and blast combo? Go crabbing and use some of silver spoons are out of fashion for speckled trout shing, until someone catches a monster on one.
ing on the temperatures on much of the coast. red hits. ey don’t mind being spoon-fed either.
Silver spoons like this one from Sea Striker are great for catching big trout.
