Texas Fish & Game November 2014 by Texas Fish & Game

THE Texas Outdoor Authority

www.FishGame.com Wild in Texas:

Waterfowl

November 2014 | VOL. 31 • NO. 7 | $3.95

Going Natural:

Deer Hunting

Why We Love

Ducks & Geese

When the Cat’s Away

The Crappie Will Play 1411-Nov-CoverDig.indd 1

Meat on the Hook

Mullet for Bass

Flycasting for

Sheepshead on the Flats 10/28/14 2:10 PM

Staffbox-Contents.indd 2

10/10/14 3:35 PM

Staffbox-Contents.indd 1

10/10/14 2:38 PM

www.FishGame.com Published by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. TEXAS FISH & GAME is the largest independent, family-owned outdoor publication in America. Owned by Ron & Stephanie Ward and Roy & Ardia Neves.

ROY NEVES PUBLISHER

CHESTER MOORE EDITOR IN CHIEF

C O N T R I B U T O R S JOE DOGGETT DOUG PIKE TED NUGENT LOU MARULLO MATT WILLIAMS CALIXTO GONZALES LENNY RUDOW STEVE LAMASCUS DUSTIN ELLERMANN KENDAL HEMPHILL WILL LESCHPER REAVIS WORTHAM TOM BEHRENS GREG BERLOCHER PAUL BRADSHAW CAPT. MIKE HOLMES DUSTIN WARNCKE STAN SKINNER LISA MOORE JOHN GISEL

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR EDITOR AT LARGE HUNTING EDITOR FRESHWATER EDITOR SALTWATER EDITOR BOATING EDITOR FIREARMS EDITOR SHOOTING EDITOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR CONSERVATION EDITOR HUMOR EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR COPY EDITOR CONTRIBUTING PHOTO EDITOR STRATEGIC ADVISOR

A D V E R T I S I N G ARDIA NEVES VICE PRESIDENT/ADVERTISING DIRECTOR DAVID BECKLER • NATIONAL ADVERTISING SALES LARRY DALTON • ADVERTISING COORDINATOR 1745 GREENS ROAD HOUSTON, TX 77032 PHONE: (281) 227-3001 • FAX (281) 227-3002

C R E A T I V E ELLIOTT DONNELLY DIGITAL PUBLISHER ANNA CAMPBELL MELINDA BUSS WENDY KIPFMILLER-O’BRIEN

• • •

GRAPHIC DESIGNER GRAPHIC DESIGNER DIGITAL ISSUES DESIGNER

SUBSCRIPTIONS 1745 GREENS ROAD, HOUSTON, TX 77032 PHONE (800) 725-1134

ACTION SUBSCRIPTION FULFILLMENT

DUANE HRUZEK PRESIDENT

TEXAS FISH & GAME (ISSN 0887-4174) is published monthly by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC., 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. ©Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. All rights reserved. Content is not to be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission. The publication assumes no responsibility for unsolicited photographs and manuscripts. Subscription rates: 1 year $19.00: 2 years $34.75; 3 years $48.50. Address all subscription inquiries to Texas Fish & Game, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for response. Give old and new address and enclose latest mailing address label when writing about your subscription. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Address all subscription inquiries to TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Email change of address to: dhruzek@fishgame. com Email new orders to: dhruzek@fishgame.com Email subscription questions to: dhruzek@fishgame.com. Periodical postage paid at Houston, TX 77267-9946 and at additional mailing offices.

Paid Distribution of over 90,000 Verified by Independent Audit

Staffbox-Contents.indd 2

10/13/14 6:59 PM

Staffbox-Contents.indd 3

10/10/14 2:38 PM

Table of

NOVEMBER 2014 Volume 31 • NO. 7

Contents Features

MEAT ON THE HOOK COVER: Organic Deer Hunting Let’s face it—there are two basic ways Texas deer hunters pursue the wary whitetail: baiting and playing on the sexual urges of rutting bucks. While entire industries have formed to provide artificial means of plying these tactics, there is also a cornucopia of natural alternatives available throughout the state.

Since bass and redfish have similar tastes in bait, it stands to reason that mullet would be a low-cost live bait alternative for budget-conscious bass anglers.

STORY:

by John N. Felsher FLYING SHEEP Sheepshead are top winter fishing targets, mainly around docks and jetties. What many anglers don’t realize is that they are great sport on the flats for flyrodders and sight-casters.

by Greg Berlocher

Story by Chester Moore Cover Photo ©Canstock

WHY WE LOVE WATERFOWL

ALSO IN NOVEMBER:

From the book, “Texas Waterfowl,” this story sums up the incredible draw that ducks and geese have on Texas sportsmen.

by Chester Moore Wild in Texas This month’s installment of our photo essay series takes a pictoral look at the variety of waterfowl species that grace the skies of Texas. by Chester Moore

STORY:

WHEN THE CAT’S AWAY... THE CRAPPIE WILL PLAY Don’t hang up your tackle—in favor of your hunting gear—just yet. You’ll miss some of the best crappie action of the year.

by Matt Williams

www.FishGame.com 4 |

N O V E M B E R

Staffbox-Contents.indd 4

2 0 1 4

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

10/10/14 2:44 PM

Staffbox-Contents.indd 5

10/10/14 2:38 PM

Contents (continued)

Inside Fish&Game

Columns

by Roy & Ardia Neves | TF&G Owners

Conservation SuperSTARs

Editor’s Notes

by CHESTER MOORE TF&G Editor in Chief

Doggett at Large

by JOE DOGGETT

TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

EXAS FISH & GAME HAS BEEN A part of the CCA Texas S.T.A.R. tournament since 1997, and at this year’s Awards ceremony in October, we were reminded once again just how incredible an event this tournament is. S.T.A.R. (State of Texas Angler’s Rodeo) is probably the biggest tournament of its kind on the planet. It covers the entire Texas Gulf Coast and runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day. One of its more interesting features is the Tagged Redﬁsh division in which tagged ﬁsh are released all along the Texas coastline. “The Texas coastline” sounds like it would produce astronomically unfavorable odds, but every year a dozen or more of these reds are caught by lucky (or the exact opposite of lucky if they are not registered) anglers. This year, four of the 13 tagged reds landed were caught by registered anglers who won truck and boat packages. There are also other divisions paying off with boats, ATVs and more big-ticket prizes for anglers topping various species leader boards. Then there are the scholarships. Three $50,000 scholarships and six $20,000 scholarships are awarded to kids and teens every year. With all of these incentives, it’s no wonder that participation in S.T.A.R. is so high—over 48,000 anglers this year. Think about that. It’s as if every man, woman and child in a city the size of Galveston signed up for this tournament. The beauty of it is that every man, woman, and child COULD enter—and win not only trucks, boats and ATVs, but also a college education. All for just $45 ($10 for kids joining as New Tide members), which also includes membership in CCA—the Texas-born, now national, force that has changed the course of history in saltwater conservation. It is hard to imagine why any saltwater angler in their right mind would not invest the pocketmoney entry fee to be a part of S.T.A.R. and CCA. The individuals responsible for all of this can never get the full recognition they deserve: Tournament Director Bill Kinney, Operations Director Gina Rice, Customer Service Manager Peggy McMillan, their Tournament Committee and a small army of volunteers. Their dedication is awe-inspiring. That inspiration is one reason Texas Fish & Game contributes everything we can to our partnership with S.T.A.R.—more than $300,000 in scholarship funding since 1997, plus free subscriptions to all interested participants. Next year, we will again offer free subscriptions—this time in an exciting new digital format —to all interested S.T.A.R anglers. We are still going to make the print edition available, for a nominal charge of just $8. Plus, this year we are going to also fund a special drawing package for all participants who opt in for either the free digital or $8 print subscription. This drawing will be for three $5,000 cash prizes. A special S.T.A.R. page on our website, FishGame.com/cca-texas-star, has more details.

Pike on the Edge by Doug Pike

TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

TexasWild

by Ted Nugent TF&G Editor At Large

Commentary

by Kendal Hemphill TF&G Politcal Commentator

Texas Saltwater by Calixto Gonzales TF&G Saltwater Editor

33 Bare Bones

Departments 8 LETTERS 10 TF&G REPORT 28 TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Hunting

by Lou Marullo

TF&G Hunting Editor

Freshwater 38 Texas by Matt Williams TF&G Freshwater Editor

Open Season by Matt Williams TF&G Freshwater Editor

Texas Boating by Lenny Rudow

34 TRUE GREEN 44 ALMANAC

FEATURE STORY

50 TEXAS TESTED 51 FISH AND GAME GEAR

52 INDUSTRY INSIDER

54 HOTSPOT FOCUS

TF&G Boating Editor

Texas Guns

by Steve LaMascus TF&G Firearms Editor

Texas Tasted by Bryan Slaven

62 TEXAS

HOTSPOTS

TIDES & PRIME TIMES

TF&G PHOTOS

The Texas Gourmet

E-mail Roy and Ardia Neves at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com 6 |

N O V E M B E R

Staffbox-Contents.indd 6

2 0 1 4

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

www.FishGame.com 10/13/14 6:59 PM

Staffbox-Contents.indd 7

10/10/14 2:38 PM

Letters to the Editor Giant Rattlesnake I SAW THAT PHOTOGRAPH FOR years in Freer at a gas station and always assumed it was killed around there. It seems like that is what I heard at some point. Wherever it came from. That’s a huge snake. Jarrod Anderson

From “Wild in Texas,” September, 2014

CHESTER, MY FRIEND, JIMMY Walker was reading the Texas Fish and Game mag and he says the snake on page 48 of the September issue is a puff adder, not a rattle snake Adolf Segura While I can see how someone at first glance would think it might be a puff adder, if you look close enough you can see the rattles. —CM I WAS READING YOUR ARTICLE IN Texas Fish & Game called “Wanted in Texas” and I have seen the picture of the big rattlesnake before at Johnny’s sports shop in Eagle Lake. If I am not mistaken I believe that photo said it was killed in Del Rio. Ed. (No last name given) Reader Westley Wright uncovered the 8 |

Letters.indd 8

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

source of the mystery and sent us a link to a newspaper in Georgia. As I suspected the snake was an eastern diamondback which grows larger than the western does, especially in the girth department. The man in the photo’s name is Lavon Grantham and the snake was killed in a cabbage patch in South Georgia. The photographer’s name was Jimmy Lamb of the Glennville-Sentinel according to the credit on the photograph Mr. Wright sent us to examine. To make things more interesting another reader-Norman Anthony, was familiar with the story and contacted the GlennvilleSentinel’s Editor Pam Waters Here is here reply to whether or not Mr. Grantham killed the snake Yes, he did, and the snake was killed Sept. 1, 1982, in a cabbage patch in Tattnall County. The snake was killed by “Root Man” Grantham. The length and weight were not taken, but from the photo taken one can see by the man’s bulging bicep that the snake was extremely heavy, with Mr. Grantham between 5 1/2 and 6 ft. tall, and the snake was shown doubled over on the stick. Jimmy Lamb was working for The Glennville Sentinel at that time, and I was thankful the photo was in focus, since we surely didn’t know anything about trick photography. I had bought the newspaper in 1981 and had never been in a newspaper office before, with no journalism or photography background whatsoever, just a desire to print a good local newspaper each week. —CM

Jaguar Pelt Mr. Anthony is a retired game warden and also had this information per our jaguar sightings request. There is an OLD jaguar hide hanging in an old cabin in Brooks County that was supposedly taken on that property back in the 1940s or maybe even earlier. I have seen this hide, and although the spots are faded, you can still make out what it was. This cabin is on the Barrera Ranch situ-

T E X A S

F I S H

ated inside the old Mills Bennett ranch in the North Central part of the county. I last saw this hide about four years ago. —CM

Bragging Rights I JUST GOT THROUGH READING Capt. Mac Gable’s article on “Bragging Rights” (October, 2014). Unfortunately I know a few people just like this man and, needlessly to say, I no longer fish with them. I enjoy fishing with a passion, learned with my dad (Baffin Bay) and then beating the waters near and around Port Aransas, often by myself. I have caught several nice fish, the biggest trout being about 27-3/4 inches several years ago. In the early days, it was about filling the ice chest. Now (after battling cancer the past two years), it’s about God’s creations and the fish is the bonus. Every day I get—especially on the water—is a blessed one. I will say you had better patience with this man than I would have. As I said in the beginning, I fished with people like this—always a competition and bragging rights—and, again, no longer fishing with them. I fish with a few special people right now and enjoy it very much. We drift and wade fish both with bait and artificial. The Good Lord is my guide and always will be, and He helps me tremendously on the water. My hat goes off to you for what you did and for your values. I know your job is hard, but that is your talent and what you chose to do. Good luck and God bless. I hope our paths cross one day. Mark Wayne Henke

Mail your comments to: Editor, Texas Fish & Game 1745 Greens Rd, Houston TX 77032 E-mail to: editor@gmail.com

G A M E ®

10/10/14 3:02 PM

Editor’s Editor’s Notes by Chester Moore | TF&G Editor in Chief

T’S TIME CERTAIN INFLUENTIAL MEMBERS of the outdoors community do one of two things: A. End the façade they care about getting kids actively interested in the outdoors or B. Change course and really do something about it. Don’t get me wrong, there are many like my friend T.J. Greaney and his Kidz Outdoors Zone, the Neighborhood Fishing Program of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department and other great programs they host, Ted Nugent’s Camp for Kids, Bill Blodgett of Majesty Outdoors along with scout leaders, ministries and other programs who are making positive strides Good people, pro-outdoor agencies and genuine compassion are out there. However there are some that need their cages rattled and that’s what I plan to do with the next 800 words or so. I’ll start right here at home. This magazine has been involved with wildlife and ag classes for 20 plus years, providing thousands of copies that are actually used for lessons and other educational purposes. Over the years, it has been nearly impossible to get sponsorships for this, despite industry-wide mantras of “take a kid fishing” and “if you take your kids hunting, one day you won’t have to hunt for your kids.” You can get bourbon companies to sponsor bass tournaments but you can’t get money to help underwrite pro-hunting, profishing outreach directly to high schoolers? Wow! I’ll never forget an extremely brief tenure I had with an organization back in the 1990s. Each month I would deliver information on animal rights attacks on the hunting industry and talk about targeting youth involvement at the meetings. I was only 23 at the time. After about six months, one of the lead-

AT THIS POINT, YOU MAY BE WONdering if I am talking about you. Well, let me give you a list of qualifiers. • If you have children who are of age to participate in the great outdoors but have never taken them with you;

“ You can be the catalyst for change at the highest levels.

“

Deeds, Not Words

ers pulled me aside and said, “Look kid, these people really don’t want to hear this. They want to do things like share stories and pictures from their Big Five hunt and plan safaris.” Such a good ole boy syndicate has created an entitlement mentality in sectors of the outdoor community that has resulted in horrible recruitment on both the hunting and fishing side of things.

• If you have killed more Boone & Crockett bucks or caught more 10-pound bass than the combined citizens of a small state but have yet to spend a dime on a prokids outdoor program or mentored a young person; • If you have ever said something to the effect of, “Who cares? It’ll be after I’m dead that they ban hunting” when confronted with the youth recruitment or the forces aligned against the sport. (I have actually heard this by the way); • If you have the time to do a show and tell with your Big Five photos but not for a few words about real outdoor issues. Yes, that one still irks me a bit. T E X A S

EdNotes.indd 9

F I S H

I have nothing against wealth or influence. I believe in prosperity and using influence for good but that’s the thing. We need everyone with means to get some skin in the game in this important fight. You can be the catalyst for change at the highest levels. But it’s not just “them” It is “us.” In the May edition, I spoke of my awakening to what’s really plaguing us, and when it comes to recruitment we must all help. You don’t have to be rich to support a pro-hunting organization or to spend time getting kids into the great outdoors. It’s within the power of all of us and is in my opinion our responsibility. The good ole boy syndicate isn’t just old money guys talking about their fifth elephant hunt at the country club while snubbing us “regular folks.” It’s the “regular folks” on deer leases who berate young hunters for killing perfectly legal deer that are too small for their clique (we’ve received numerous letters on those over the years) and those who slam anyone who would dare use live bait to catch speckled trout, etc. Rich isn’t the problem. Entitlement is the issue. I chose to hit on the “influential” side of the outdoor community because quite frankly no one else has. It has been a sacred cow of sorts, and it is time that sector was addressed. This message however is for all of us and it’s an important one. Everyone has the ability to mentor a child, support at least one good outdoor or conservation organization and to simply speak up on the issues. OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, I will be offering solutions to this dilemma and soliciting ideas from you, our readers. Together we can make a difference. It’s time for deeds, not words and for us to come together for an important cause.

G A M E ®

E-mail Chester Moore at cmoore@ﬁshgame.com. |

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

10/12/14 9:10 AM

The TF&G Report New Hope For Quail, Hunters

tion we’re exploring in these focus areas.” The three focus areas are:

AS BIRD HUNTERS LOOK TO QUAIL season across Texas, there is new hope for bobwhite quail, and for dozens of other birds and animals that share the same native grassland habitat. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has awarded grants to put $4 million worth of quail habitat conservation on the ground, using a special appropriation by the Texas Legislature to help bring back the quail. “We chose places where quail are gone, but they haven’t been gone long, kind of the front line in the battle to restore bobwhites,” said Robert Perez, TPWD upland game bird program leader. “It’s a first out, first back in concept. Can we bring quail back? That’s the ques-

SOUTHEAST TEXAS AREA – close to a dozen counties around Columbus, Sealy, Victoria I-35 CORRIDOR AREA in Navarro and Ellis County ROLLING PLAINS/CROSS TIMBERS AREA – counties around and south of Wichita Falls “We’re using the $4 million to concentrate efforts in certain counties, with partners, so that the funding goes on the ground, and you build up enough habitat to support viable quail populations that are visible in numbers,” Perez said. “The government will never be able to

pay enough to restore millions of acres for quail habitat. The goal is to demonstrate success in various areas of the state and show that quail habitat can be restored, to inspire and guide private landowners throughout the quail range.” Fifteen grants have been awarded and two more in process to various nonprofits, universities and others for grassland restoration in the three focus areas. The $4 million in grants comes from the sale of $7 upland game bird stamps purchased by hunters. Grant partners include organizations like the Wildlife Habitat Federation west of Houston, the Western Navarro Bobwhite Recovery Initiative south of Dallas, and the Grassland Restoration Incentive Program (GRIP) under the Oaks & Prairies Joint Venture, which has already delivered habitat restoration projects on more than 36,000 acres of grasslands in the

Big Bags&Catches

BASS

KINGFISH

Lake Fork

Freeport Thirteen-year-old Matthew Seymour caught and released this 50-plus-pound kingﬁsh out of Freeport while ﬁshing a tournament with his dad and friends.

Cooper Groves caught this 7-pound bass at Lake Fork while ﬁshing with fellow Baylor Bass Team members. His “headband” is a bandage from an incident that occurred earlier in the day: A 1-oz. Twin Spin treble hook caught him in the back of the head. He went to the house, stopped the bleeding, then got back on the water to catch this ﬁsh on a Texas-rigged Grand Bass Snake’O.

Visit FishGame.com to upload your Big Bags & Catches Photos and Vote for our next Winners 10 |

TFGReport.indd 10

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

PHOTO CREDIT

10/10/14 3:30 PM

three focus areas. In addition, Perez received a federal Wildlife Restoration Program grant for $200,000 over four years, to fund multi-year quail population monitoring to measure the impact that these combined restoration efforts are having on quail populations and other grassland birds in the focus areas. “What’s different here is the monitoring,” Perez said. “That scale and quality of monitoring is often left out because there isn’t enough staff or money to do it. But this time we are counting birds carefully in new ways, before and after restoration.” This year, although Texas remains gripped in a serious, long-term drought, and many reservoirs and rivers are still at critically low levels, much of the state received enough timely rain to promote population growth that will support what could be a better quail hunting season than in recent years. But even if things are looking better this season, such short-term population changes do not reflect the long-term downward trend of Texas quail. Since1980, bobwhite populations in Texas have declined at a rate of about 5.6

WHITETAIL Montgomery Co. Wyatt Ford killed this excellent buck while hunting in Montgomery County last Thanksgiving.

percent per year. Scaled quail populations in western Texas have declined at a rate of about 2.9 percent per year. These numbers add up – or down to be more correct – to a 75 percent loss in bobwhites and a 66 percent loss in scaled quail. Many reasons are cited for the declines, but evidence points to changes in the quantity and quality of habitat as the leading cause. Besides quail, at least 24 other grassland birds are all in serious decline. “Birds like the scissor-tailed flycatcher, even the meadowlark, a traditionally common bird that is now in decline—none of these birds are hunted, so hunting is not the issue,” Perez said. There was some good news for grassland birds in the national report, which went on to say their “…decline flattened out beginning in 1990. This recent stabilization noted in the 2009 report continues today, reflecting the significant investments made in grassland bird conservation.

Ship Serves as New Artificial Reef THE 155-FOOT KINTA S SLIPPED TO her watery grave back in September in the Gulf of Mexico off shore from Mustang Island, but the nearly 40-year-old freighter will foster new marine life for years to come. Scuttled in 75 feet of water eight miles out into the Gulf as part of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s artificial reef program, the Kinta S is the largest ship to be reefed since the 473-foot Texas Clipper was sunk off South Padre Island in 2006. Launched in Japan in 1976, the formerly Panama-flagged Kinta S will enhance an existing site known as the Corpus Christi Nearshore Reef. The 169-acre reef, composed of 470 concrete pyramids and several thousand tons of concrete culverts, was begun in the fall of 2013. Officially it is known as MU 775. “The Kinta S was just a rusty, outdated cargo vessel with no historical significance, but now she will live on as underwater habitat for marine life and an interesting destination for scuba divers,” said Dale Shively, director of the TPWD artificial reef program. Since it began in 1990, the Texas artificial reef program has grown into one of the largest such efforts in the nation, with 68 reef sites in the Gulf of Mexico ranging from T E X A S

TFGReport.indd 11

F I S H

40-to-360 acres in extent. The majority of the reefs are in federal water, which begins nine miles off the Texas coast. Some are up to 100 miles from shore, deepwater habitat for popular species like red snapper. The Kinta S, which once plied the Caribbean, was salvaged in Miami in June and towed to Orange Beach, Ala. where the Walter Marine Co. readied the ship for its voyage to Texas. That process included cutting holes in the hull and fitting them with marine plywood covers that when removed would cause the ship to take on water. Facing backward, the Kinta S was pushed to Port Aransas by the tugboat Walter Marine tugboat Maranatha. The vessel left Alabama on Sept. 10 and arrived in Texas ahead of schedule last weekend. Sinking the vessel had to be delayed until Wednesday due to rough seas. TPWD’s artificial reef program repurposes three types of materials: decommissioned drilling rigs in the Rigs-to-Reefs Program, highway bridge materials and other types of concrete and heavy-gauge steel in the Nearshore Reefing Program, and large marine vessels in the Ships-to-Reefs Program. In waters ranging from 50 to over 300 feet deep, petroleum production platforms (jackets), scrapped concrete culverts, barges and a variety of decommissioned water craft (including the Texas Clipper) become undersea oases for a wide range of marine species. The importance of the TPWD reefing program has to do with the undersea geography of the Gulf of Mexico. While its water supports thousands of different plants and marine life, species that for part of their life cycle need to be attached to a hard surface, the bottom of the Gulf is mostly barren. Man-made structures like artificial reefs provide invertebrates like barnacles, corals, and sponges the hard surfaces they need to thrive. Those species constitute the lower rung of the Gulf’s food chain, providing nutrients for snapper, grouper, mackerel, shark and other fish species. Texas’s artificial reef program is funded through donations from private and corporate partnerships and government grants, not from general tax revenue. SEA contributed $100,000 toward the preparation, towing and sinking of the Kinta S. —TPWD

G A M E ®

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

10/10/14 3:30 PM

Doggett at Large by Joe Doggett | TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

The BB King

PLASTIC CUP DRIFTED IN THE SLOW flow of the old Brays Bayou. The target was 60 or 70 feet away. I aimed, allowing for the sluggish current, and confidently pressed the trigger. The trusty Daisy Model 25 BB gun answered with a lackluster “Poof...” rather than a robust “Pffutt!” The copper-plated BB lobbed about 30 feet and fell with an impotent plop. I lowered the gun and gazed sadly. I literally had worn it out after pumping thousands and thousands of BBs across vacant lots and the wild bayou in urban Houston. If memory serves, I was 14 when the gun gave up. It was a Christmas present when I was 11. If you were a pre-teen boy during the late ’50s, three great gifts were an electric train (preferably a Lionel or one of the cool little HO gauges), a bicycle (Schwinn, with bell, headlight and handle bar tassels) and a Daisy BB gun (the pump-action Model 25, introduced in 1914, was the heavy hitter of the lineup). A .177 caliber BB gun was the big deal. It was a rite of passage, a parental recognition that you were trusted to carry yourself with responsibility. So-called “pellet guns” also were popular. They fired various conical lead pellets and hit with significantly more punch. They were a step up, but often a hassle to reload. Some required several pumps to attain maximum velocity; others used CO2 cartridges. Many were single shots. Conversely, the BB gun fired with each simple cock and the Model 25 held 50 rounds in a long tubular magazine. The lever-action carbine models could hold several hundred BBs but, to our thinking, they lacked the pop of the pump action. I remember that the Model 25 could break 12 |

Doggett.indd 12

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

a Coke bottle if you hit it just right, while the piddly lever models usually bounced with only a slight starring. The pump arm was long, extending almost to the end of the barrel, and it delivered a velocity of 350 feet per second. (Daisy states that carbines such as the Red Ryder also boast 350 fps. Maybe childhood memories get vague.) I recognize that shooting with no protective eyewear at glass bottles would be deemed reckless and irresponsible today, but remember this was back when neighborhood kids celebrated holidays by igniting sacks of Roman candles, skyrockets, and cherry bombs. Not to mention TNTs and the awesome M-80s. Most cars did not have seat belts and airline passengers could smoke cigarettes. Safety issues aside, we could stroll down the streets while proudly toting our air rifles and nobody thought anything about it; today, a SWAT team probably would be dispatched. The ability to shoot-shoot-shoot was the strong suit of the BB gun as a training tool. It was reasonably accurate from here to right over there and you could fine-tune your aim with repeated efforts. The Model 25 offered a flip-up rear sight, either open or peep. After several thousand shots, you got pretty good at close-range work. Also, recoil was meaningless. There basically was none as the compressed air fired the BB no excuse for flinching. And noise was nil, just the muted “Pffutt!” No reason to jerk. The absence of “Bang!” also suited our city environs. Nobody knew what “noise pollution” was during the Eisenhower administration but, whatever it was, the “Pffutt!” wasn’t it. The .22 rifle is touted as a great beginner’s gun and indeed it is. Most of us graduated to single-shot or bolt-action rimfires after wearing out our poor airguns. But you cannot legally shoot a .22 in the city. It’s too dangerous; the cartridge boxes usually offer a disclaimer to the effect of: “Warning, bullet can travel extreme distance.” You’ve got to go somewhere legitimate —a shooting range or a neighbor’s farm. Shooting a .22 requires a definite plan. Plus, as a kid,

T E X A S

F I S H

you need someone who can drive a car. We could shoot the BB guns simply by walking out the door. The amount of handson practice with the airgun compared to the .22 rifle is not even close. Oh, yes—and they were cheap. The Model 25 during the late ’50s was approximately $10, and you could buy a tube of 500 BB’s for pocket change. If times were tight you could skimp with a packet of 100. After school, you could watch the Mickey Mouse Club (mainly checking out young Annette or hoping for a “Spin and Marty” episode) then pedal to the bayou for a serious BB session and still have money left over for a new 10-cent Dell comic book. I have written this in the past tense but the airgun option is still available. I know this for fact. I recently went to Academy and bought a Daisy Model 25 for $40. A canister of 6,000 BBs (yes, 6,000) cost about $8 that’s a modest output for an awful lot of trigger pulling. But times have changed. Walking out the door to shoot is not so simple. The Model 25 box is plastered with various warnings: “Do not brandish or display this airgun in public. It may confuse people.” And: “For ages 10 years and older. This is not a toy. Adult supervision required.” And: “May cause serious injury particularly to the eye. May be dangerous up to 195 yards.” I must admit I don’t shoot the thing as well as I once did. Faltering eyes cannot focus crisply on the sights and target together. And the little metal keeper that holds down the tubular magazine spring still occasionally slips and whacks my thumb when I’m loading BBs. I don’t break bottles anymore, but it’s still fun to punch paper. Frankly, I consider the repeating BB gun to be one of the finest training tools for marksmanship and safe gun handling. And, of the bunch, the venerable Model 25 probably gives the best bang—make that “Pffutt!” —For the buck.

Email Joe Doggett at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

G A M E ®

10/10/14 3:31 PM

Pike on the Edge by Doug Pike | TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

Sharing a Savored Hunt

ANY JANUARYS PAST, JOE DOGGETT and I received invitation to hunt Bill Carter’s Sombrerito Ranch in South Texas. We accepted, of course, and made the drive on a Friday morning. Around the dining room table that afternoon, Carter said we’d have around 1,300 acres of the ranch’s expanse to ourselves. None of that ground had been hunted all season, and we could take any mature buck we liked off one of the nation’s premier whitetail ranches. We loved our chances and set out quickly to scout two square miles of unfamiliar ground. For Saturday morning, Doggett chose an old box blind that overlooked the intersection of two brushy draws. I opted for a ground stand we threw together late. It sat halfway up a hill and overlooked a broad pasture that, at 350 yards or so, abutted nearly impenetrable brush. We both saw deer on Saturday, morning and afternoon, but neither of us pulled a trigger. Doggett moved. I don’t recall where. I was sure that hillside would pay and would be there again for our final session the next morning. Fast-forward to Sunday around lunchtime. I returned from the hillside, parked the Jeep and walked boldly into the camp house. Half a dozen hours earlier, it had bustled with eager hunters, their guides, Doggett, and Carter. Now, it was silent. “Anybody here?” I hollered, walking through the empty quarters. “Doggett? Jerry? Mr. Carter?” I walked back outside, hoping a truck might turn the corner and deliver someone

with whom I could share good news. Nobody. “You’ll do,” I said softly, eyeing a fat, rust-colored cat walking up the sidewalk. I lifted her gently, carried her to a rocking chair on the porch, and placed her on my lap as I sat. A tall cigar (allegedly Cuban per the man who’d gifted it a season earlier) leaned lazily in my shirt pocket. I’d carried it for more than a year, to be enjoyed only after I’d taken a truly huge buck. I peeled away the cellophane wrapper, snipped its rounded tip properly, and lit the thing. It was understandably dry but sweet in the moment. There was, indeed, cause for celebration. Once a man hits a certain age, there are things that should not be ignored, even when alone. A good storytelling opportunity is one of them. And I wasn’t alone, not technically. That cat, plump and sated from a mouse or two left her by resident indigo snakes, was about to hear a pretty decent tale. The vantage on that hillside, I told the cat, stroking her back as we rocked, let me see much farther than I’d dare shoot. But if a big buck showed, I’d have the option either wait for it to close the distance or slip over the back of the hill and launch a stalk. There’d been deer on Saturday, early and late. Rutting bucks and ambivalent does. But no antlers that met my goal. When I’d exited the Jeep in the dark that morning in a secluded spot along the ranch’s north fence, the air was cool but not cold. Coyotes barked uncomfortably nearby, which I didn’t particularly like but couldn’t change. I walked the 150 yards or so to the hide and waited for light. As it came, does slipped from the cover and into the pasture. Bucks, their necks swollen and brains fogged, couldn’t be far. “Good kitty,” I muttered. Barely 15 minutes into the hunt, four does crested the hilltop just behind me and walked within 10 yards. The breeze betrayed me. They snorted and bolted, tails T E X A S

Pike.indd 13

F I S H

up, and every deer in the low pasture vanished into the mesquite. One doe returned, eventually, and then another. And a third, and then a fourth, off to herself and looking over a shoulder. Here we go… A scrawny six followed her into the open. “Sit still, cat,” I whispered. “It’s about to get good.” The little six spun its head back toward the mesquite and, without hesitation, ran. When the big buck stepped out, I reached immediately for the rifle. He’d need to be closer, at least another 50 yards. I counted on the doe to help with that. A rising sun bounced brightly off the tall, wide rack. He put his nose down and lumbered closer. She wanted no part. He persisted. She refused. He insisted. And she bolted south, across the pasture and up a high-line right-of-way. He followed, I watched those fine antlers run away for 400, 500, 600 yards before they both vanished into the thick growth. It was eternity and 45 minutes later when that same doe came back out that same original opening and was followed by that same, incredible buck. He kept a respectful distance, confident that patience would bring his reward, as she eased my way. Just inside 200 yards, with the rifle settled firmly in its bipod, I leveled the crosshairs and dropped him in his tracks. Short minutes later, I was admiring him up close. (I’m admiring him now, on a wall in my home, and recalling every moment as if it were yesterday.) “And that, dear cat,” I said, pushing a thick smoke ring into the air,” is how I got my best buck ever. The orange cat looked up, stood up, and poured itself back onto the porch. “Thanks for listening.”

G A M E ®

Email Doug Pike at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.c

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

10/10/14 2:52 PM

Ted’s TexasWild by Ted Nugent | TF&G Editor-at-Large

The Sixty-Fifth October of My Life

14 |

N O V E M B E R

Nugent 1411.indd 14

2 0 1 4

clock to wake me up a good forty to fifty minutes before I head to my morning ambush sites. It takes some serious stretching, a little longer in the bathroom, and more than just one quick slug of joe to kickstart the day this season.

“ God, family, country, career, hunting. I am sure that is how it is supposed to be.

“

AYBE IT WAS MY 6,514TH DYNAmo rock out concert I wrapped up this summer 2014. Maybe it was the pure animal dance-a-thon I immersed myself into each night, jamming like a predator unleashed to the ultimate soul music soundtrack of my American Dream. Maybe it was the scary energy of my bandmates, smiling like Cheshire cats, every song, every lick, every night, every gig, everywhere. Maybe it was the amazing audiences again this tour, with their astonishing positive spirit and undying love for what me and my boys have been doing every concert all these untamed years. Maybe it was the brutal body abusing double knee replacement surgery I succumbed to in February before I charged into the recording studio to record one of my best records, ShutUp&Jam! Of my nearly fifty year recording career. Whatever it was and is, I sure overdid it again, and now that my “nature as healer” sacred October, November, December, January fest hunting season is upon me, it sure is proving to be mighty difficult to get these old rock-n-roll legs a moving before the sun comes up each and every day like I used to just a few short years ago. Now, mind you, with my subscribing to the old adage that “pain is weakness leaving the body” keeping me going, I truly should qualify for the Superman gig pretty soon here. But it ain’t gonna happen. My 66 year old body just isn’t the athlete predator of yore, so improvising, adapting and overcoming is not going to be just a mindset this season, it will be the rule of the day, every day, whether I like it or not. But so far so good. Instead of being raring to go in a short fifteen to twenty minutes after the alarm goes off, I have to set the old

But dammit, I’m doing it and doing it nonstop, pain or no pain, aching bones or not. It is hunting season, and its allure is more powerful in my life in 2014 than it has ever been before. And I like it. Due to limited mobility from my double knee replacement surgery, I had to pass on some awfully fine early season elk and deer hunt invitations. I was able to celebrate some very pretty arrows on exotic critters on our SpiritWild Ranch in Texas, where handsome axis stags, blackbuck and Aoudad hit the ground running with perforated pump stations early on. One of my favorite hunts on earth, the grand opening day of Texas dove season

T E X A S

F I S H

made me and two uppity Labrador retrievers very, very happy with some limits of these very special dive bomber targets for the grill. I even got lucky on a coveted Michigan Upper Peninsula black bear tag, and along with my son and best hunting buddy Tobias running SpiritWild vidcam, I bowkilled a gorgeous North Country trophy bruin and enjoyed the very special company of true wilderness adventurers. Finding ourselves up in Michigan earlier than usual this year, the Nugent family was on our old homestead stomping grounds where some good arrows brought some big old swamp donkey she-deer to bag in early October. The backstraps were flowing! On our daily midday Polaris safaris through the forests and woodlands, Happy and Gonzo the wonder-labs about turned inside out treeing and fetching many bushytailed limbrats for a very exciting squirrel season take-off. And so it goes with the most exciting time of the season still ahead of us, we push ourselves hard to drag our weary bones out of the warm bed each day to celebrate what gives us the happiest times of our liveshunting, fishing and trapping in America. With waterfowl seasons and the whitetail rut coming up soon, I look to the heavens every day afield with joy and appreciation that I was born an American hunter. Each species of game means the world to me, and I wouldn’t miss a day of hunting for pretty much anything else on earth. God, family, country, career, hunting. I am sure that is how it is supposed to be. I am sure that is how it is going to be. Happy hunting season America. Aim small miss small, hunt like you mean it and celebrate it with all you got for the God given right that it is.

Contact Ted Nugent at TNugent@ﬁshgame.com

G A M E ®

10/10/14 2:50 PM

Commentary by Kendal Hemphill | TF&G Political Commentator

SAT IN MY JEEP AT AN EXXON STATION IN White Oak, Texas, watching people coming and going, gassing up at the pumps, and I waited. I was looking for a fellow named Chad, whom I’d met at the Academy store in Longview the night before. We had agreed, mostly by text message, to a clandestine meeting at this gas station, so I could slip him some cash and he could hand me a package containing one of the most sought-after commodities in the country today .22 ammo. This is what we’ve come to, I guess, in America. The most (supposedly) ubiquitous firearm food in the world is so difficult to find that I ended up feeling like a criminal, watching for a guy who had agreed to sell me three 225-round boxes of Remington Golden Bullet Hollowpoint .22 ammo for $20 each (from his 2,000 round stash), which is a bargain compared to what it sells for in stores these days. Only it isn’t in stores these days. It’s almost impossible to find .22s at any price, because of “The Shortage”. Shooters hate to say “The Shortage” out loud the way farmers and ranchers hate to say “The Drought” out loud, for fear it will make things even worse. Like a self-fulfilling prophesy, going around talking about how hard it is to find ammo might cause more people to hoard it. Then it will be even harder to find. But The Shortage is real, and it has engendered what you might call hysteria, or what passes for hysteria among gun owners. I’m probably representative of the group. Everywhere I go, I check to see if there are any .22 shells for sale. Everywhere.

“ It’s almost impossible to ﬁnd .22s at any price, because of The Shortage.

“

Catch .22

I always ask, because some places don’t even put it on the shelves anymore. The folks at gun stores, Wal-Mart, and Dairy Queen are getting tired of seeing me show up. A good source of ammo, sometimes, is an online site such as www.gunbot.net. You can search for many popular calibers and see whether the ammo is available, in real time. If it’s listed, it’s there, and if you call right now, you can buy it. Sites like that probably prompted the popular meme that shows a little girl, about nine years old, sitting at a computer with headphones on, with her mouth wide open in mid-shout. The caption says, “DAD! I found some 22 LR in stock!”

But why is there a shortage of .22 ammo? The iron law of supply and demand is obviously in effect, but the question of what caused all the demand is hard to answer. Some claim the U.S. Government is buying up way more than usual, but that’s not happening. Government ammo purchases are actually down from a few years ago. My theory is that, because of the steady increase in gun sales since late 2007, there are just more guns in America to feed, and that takes more ammo. Not only that, but a great many people are first-time gun owners, and they’re just learning to shoot, so they miss a lot. Which makes them want to T E X A S

Commentary.indd 15

F I S H

practice more, which helps with the missing, but the practicing eats up a lot of cartridges. It’s a vicious cycle. But that only accounts for some of The Shortage, and it doesn’t really explain why, although many popular calibers are showing up on shelves a lot more regularly lately, .22s are still conspicuously absent. I have a theory on that, too. I think its Chad’s fault. Well, not just Chad, but people like him, who are hoarding ammo. When people buy ammo to hoard, they buy the calibers they have guns for, and everyone has a .22. Or two. Or ten. Plus, .22 ammo is cheaper, even now, than your larger calibers, and it’s smaller, so a hoarder can buy more of it, carry it easier, and store it in less space. And even if the hoarder doesn’t actually own a .22, if such a person exists, .22 ammo can be sold or traded easier than any other caliber, because so many people have them. Chad is not really the problem, though, since a guy with 2,000 rounds of .22 ammo can hardly be called a hoarder. That’s what we refer to, in Mason County, Texas, as a “Sunday Afternoon Box”. A fellow would need at least 2,000 bricks (500 rounds in a brick) to get in at the bottom of the hoarding category. But there are plenty of those guys out there, too. The people who make ammo are turning it out just as fast as they can, 24/7. They’re even building new plants, but until folks quit buying all they can find, The Shortage will continue. One ATK plant, in Lewiston, Idaho, by itself, can roll out four million rounds of .22 long rifle ammo a day. And there are lots of big ammo plants. If you want my official opinion on The Shortage, here it is: Sooner or later the ammo supply will catch up with demand, and things will go back to normal. Or else they won’t. And you can take that to the bank.

G A M E ®

Email Kendal Hemphill at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com |

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

10/10/14 2:48 PM

Meat the Hook on

THE CONCENTRIC RIPPLES BARELY MOVED AWAY FROM THE ﬂoat after it landed next to a patch of weeds before it disappeared into the water almost as if a rock struck the river surface. “That didn’t take long,” reacted Steve Niemoeller as he set the hook on a 5-pound bass. “I’ve never fished for bass with mullets before, but I had some left over from a saltwater trip and decided to use them.” 16 |

Fea 5-Bass.indd 16

N O V E M B E R

T E X A S

F I S H

Many anglers use shiners or threadfin shad to tempt largemouths, but buying livies can run up a tab at the bait shop. In a good area, though, anglers can catch a boatload of free bait with just a few casts of a net.

G A M E ®

PHOTO CREDIT

10/10/14 2:18 PM

Mullet Provide a Low-Cost Live Bait Alternative for Bass Anglers Steve Niemoeller shows off a bass he caught on a live mullet.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY JOHN N. FELSHER T E X A S

Fea 5-Bass.indd 17

F I S H

G A M E 速

N O V E M B E R

10/10/14 2:18 PM

Along the Texas coast, many anglers use “finger” mullets about four to eight inches long to catch redfish, speckled trout and other salty species. What tempts a redfish would certainly also tempt a bass. “A bass eats the same thing as a redfish,” Niemoeller said. “I’m sure bass eat mullets in the wild, so I decided to try mullets for bass bait. Maybe bass hit mullets quicker because I offered them something different or the mullets struggled a little differently. Whatever, they work great!” In Texas, anglers usually see two common mullet species – white and striped. The two species look very similar, particularly juveniles. As the name implies, striped mullets exhibit more horizontal black lines. Both species live in brackish waters, but white mullets prefer more salt. Both species eat algae, plankton, tiny animals and organic matter they find in the water or on the bottom. “Most people are familiar with striped mullets,” explained Paul Hammerschmidt, a Texas Parks & Wildlife Department fisheries biologist. “A white mullet looks almost identical to a striped mullet, but it doesn’t have nearly as many stripes. It does have a gold patch on its gill cover.” Sportsmen probably don’t really care which mullet they use because both species make excellent live baits. Typically, anglers dangle live mullets under floats as if fishing with shad. Place the bait as close to cover as possible, such as a fallen tree, grass bed, dock or other ambush point and wait for the float to disappear beneath the water. Very hardy fish, mullets stay alive and remain active longer than threadfin shad. 18 |

Fea 5-Bass.indd 18

N O V E M B E R

T E X A S

They can even live in a live well for days. “If I come back from a saltwater trip with some mullets in the well, I’ll keep them for the next bass trip,” Niemoeller recommended. “I fish them about two to three feet under a float with a 2/0 or 3/0 weedless hook, just like when I’m shiner fishing. I use three- to six-inch mullets hooked through the lips or under the dorsal fin through the back.” For deeper presentations, free line live mullets without adding weights. Anglers can also fish them on Carolina rigs. Rig several rods with live mullets and toss them next to cover with easy access to both depths and shallow feeding flats. Place some baits shallow and some deep. Then, wait for swimming mullets to attract attention. Whether you’re fishing with a float, free lining or dropping a Carolina rig, don’t

PHOTO CREDIT

A school of mullets feeds on the surface. Live mullets make great bait for many ﬁsh species including largemouth bass.

react too quickly after a bass takes a live bait. Fish need time to swallow natural baits. Moreover, they won’t spit out something as delicious as a succulent mullet. When swallowing a finny baitfish, a bass must first position the morsel in its mouth so that it goes down head first with the fins folded. Extended fins sometimes lodge in a fish’s mouth, choking it. Unlike when fishing with artificials that often require a rapid response, after the float goes down or the line straightens, reel in the slack and feel for the fish on the line. Frequently, a bass hits a baitfish first to kill it before turning around to slurp and swallow its lunch. After feeling the fish, determine the direction it wants to go. Set the hook as it moves away to avoid jerking the bait from its mouth.

Matt Bergantino throws his cast net for bait on a river backwater.

F I S H

G A M E ®

10/10/14 2:18 PM

Dean Herdman lands a bass he caught while ﬁshing with live bait.

Fea 5-Bass.indd 19

Along the coast, bass frequently share the same waters with mullets, redfish and other salty species. In tidal deltas, conditions can change rapidly. Anglers anchored at a point catching bass all morning, may soon see redfish taking their baits as the tide shifts. Winds can also influence water movement. In addition, heavier salt water sinks to the bottom as fresh water “floats” over the top. Anglers fishing with floats might catch bass while bottom-bouncing baits might attract a speckled trout or flounder. Many rivers and bayous along the Texas coast make great places to tempt largemouth bass with live, wild mullets. Wherever a river enters a bay or other saline system, fresh water mixes with salty water. Mullets naturally thrive in such brackish estuaries, creating abundant natural forage for bass and other species. Fed by the Sabine and Neches rivers, the Sabine Estuary on the Louisiana-Texas border near Orange probably offers Lone Star anglers the best opportunity in the state to catch bass with mullets. The Trinity River delta in the upper Galveston Bay system near Baytown ranks a close second

for mullet fishing. The Brazos, Colorado, Guadalupe and San Bernard river deltas also create optimum conditions to catch fresh and salty species. “Mullets live in salt water, but they often go up rivers into fresh water,” Hammerschmidt advised. “I’ve seen them above Interstate 10 on the Brazos River. I highly recommend anglers NOT fish with mullets in freshwater impoundments. Mullets are not native to freshwater reservoirs and I’m not sure what effect they would have on that type of environment. In Texas, mullets spawn in the Gulf of Mexico during the winter. Anglers cannot keep mullets over 12 inches long from October to January because those are spawning fish and we want to protect those.” When bass refuse plastic, metal and wooden offerings, entice them with a piece of squirming meat. Not usually fussy, largemouth bass might gulp anything that looks too tempting to ignore, but nothing looks better to a bass than a crippled baitfish wiggling in front of its nose.

10/10/14 2:19 PM

Flying

Sheep 20 |

N O V E M B E R

Fea 2-Sheepshead.indd 20

2 0 1 4

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E 速

PHOTO: CAPT. SCOTT NULL

10/10/14 2:14 PM

Flycasting for Sheepshead on the Flats by Greg Berlocher

WINTER ANGLERS WHO TARGET SHEEPSHEAD usually frequent jetties, rock outcrops, and pilings, and soak bits of crabs and shrimp threaded onto tiny hooks. What most bay anglers don’t realize is that sheepshead are great sport on the ﬂats and are lots of fun to sight cast to. As autumn turns to winter, harsh cold fronts rake the Texas coast every week to ten days, dropping water temperatures and sucking marsh lakes dry. Fronts generally blow themselves out after two to three days; and the raw north wind eventually stands down, leaving bays smooth and docile without a hint of breeze. Game fish are cold blooded and seek out the warmest water they can during winter months. When a front is howling, game fish head to deeper water and the few precious degrees of extra warmth it provides. Once a front passes, bright bluebird skies allow maximum sunlight to penetrate the shallows, and game fish will slide up onto the flats to enjoy the sun-warmed water. When water temperatures drop enough,

T E X A S

Fea 2-Sheepshead.indd 21

F I S H

suspended algae and plankton die and drop to the bottom, leaving bay water swimming pool-clear. Sheepsheads are found on the flats year-round but their vivid black and white stripes make them conspicuous when they lounge in a foot of water over a bright sand bottom on winter days. Sheepsheads are challenging adversaries and are great sport on light tackle. Sheepsheads can be caught on flies and jigs, providing lots of action when spots and specks are sparse. Sheepsheads get their name from the incisor teeth, which look quite similar to the teeth of the farm animal of the same name. In additional to their visible dental work, sheepsheads feature rows of plates inside their throats which are used to crush crabs and pieces of shell. These plates are quite hard and hooks glance off of them, making it quite difficult to find solid purchase. Sheepsheads are so difficult to catch on flies that they have earned the appropriate nickname “Texas permit.” A number of years ago a friend, Les Lehman, Jr., noticed the large number of sheepsheads on the flats and was frustrated that he couldn’t get them to take a normal fly.

G A M E ®

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

10/10/14 2:15 PM

darts out and grabs the jig first. Bonefish jigs feature a flat, triangular head and the hook rides upright even though the jig head is skidding across the bottom. Buggs’s jigs are dressed with natural plumage, bucktail, and synthetic fibers, all of which undulate in the water, even if the lure is sitting at a standstill. My favorite is their Blue Crab pattern. Sheepsheads have incredibly sharp eyesight, and your offering must be presented the proper way or you will spook the fish. You need to land your fly or lure at least ten feet away from your target. The goal is to get the fish’s attention without spooking it when your lure touches down. On some days you might need to give wary fish a 15- or even 20-foot cushion. The proper leader is mandatory or the effort is all for naught. For fly fishermen, fifteen-foot leaders are the norm with the last five feet being fluorocarbon tippet to minimize visibility. If the leader is shorter than fifteen feet, the sheepshead will see the fly line and spook. Conventional anglers should add at least five feet of fluorocarbon leader to their main line. Last year I started adding 10 feet of leader to my main line with a blood knot and reeling the trim connecting knot up and through my rod eyes onto my reel. Les The extra-long leader allows me to Lehman’s Green clip and re-tie as many new jigs as Weenie I want without having to add more ﬂy. leader while I am on the water. Once you cast your fly ahead of a lounging sheepshead, let it fall to the bottom. The fly will get lost in grass beds so you must find the fish hanging over sand bottom. The sound of the fly plopping down should get the fish’s attention. If not, give it a few short strips and then stop. If the fish sees the fly it will rush to it. Once the sheepshead advances, stop all movement. If they get excited, a sheepshead will tail on the fly, often taking a minute or two before deciding to eat. Don’t be surprised if a sheepshead tails on your fly or jig five or six times. You can’t get too excited and set the hook before the fish has eaten the fly. Wait until the fish has turned and is swimming away before setting the hook. The sheepshead is a worth adversary on light tackle. Its oval body and forked tail will put a deep bend in your rod and a big smile on your face this winter. Let everyone know that you caught a Texas permit. bonefish jigs from Buggs Fishing are ideal for sheepsheads unless a trout or redfish Sheepsheads are such worthy adversaries for Lone Star ﬂyrodders that they are often referred to as “Texas Permit.”

22 |

N O V E M B E R

Fea 2-Sheepshead.indd 22

2 0 1 4

T E X A S

After some experimentation Lehman developed a fly called the Green Weenie. Funny name, effective fly. The Green Weenie imitates a benthic worm and seems to elicit strikes like no other feather and fur creation. Tied on a number 6 or 8 hook, the gap of the hook is bent outward a bit with a pair of needle nose pliers, which helps the hookup ratio. A pair of bead chain eyes is tied onto the shank equal distance between the eye and bend of the hook. The fly’s body is created from olive drab wool. Think of a small caterpillar with the eyes in the middle, rather on one end. Instructions for tying the Green Weenie can be found in my book, “Texas Salt Water Classics: Patterns for the Texas Gulf Coast” (available at FishandGameGear.com or at amazon.com). Fly fishermen should also pin a few bendback patterns tied with rabbit hair in their fly boxes. Olive drab, brown, and black are go-to colors. For anglers using conventional tackle,

F I S H

G A M E ®

PHOTOS: SHEEPSHEAD, CAPT. SCOTT NULL; FLY-TYING SEQUENCE, GREG BERLOCHER

10/10/14 2:15 PM

Texas Saltwater by Calixto Gonzales | TF&G Saltwater Editor

N UNAPOLOGETIC PISCATORIAL GEARhead such as me does not limit his esotericism to just fishing gear. Granted, I can spend hours at Joe’s Tackle mooning over new and old reels and all the different rods, lures, caps, shirts and so on. I can also spend an entire afternoon in a boat lot admiring the different hull designs and shapes of the vessels anglers call their babies. It seems that builders such as Dargel, Majek, and Blue Wave have come up with hull styles and types that are as varied as the anglers that fish them (and why not? No single boat can accommodate the needs of every fisherman on the Texas Coast). If you need a boat for a specific purpose, chances are you can find one among the many boat companies out there. So, imagine my surprise when I showed up one morning to fish with longtime reader 357th State District Judge Oscar Garcia and mutual friend Anibal Gorena and they were standing dockside to…a panga? I don’t mean a Pescador or an Explorer or similar hull design. I mean a narrowbeamed, 25-foot panga of the type usually seen with Mexican commercial fishermen. “That’s her,” Judge Garcia said proudly. “The best boat I’ve ever had.” I was a little confused. Judge Garcia was, well, a judge, and a very successful attorney before that. He can afford any boat he wants (in fact, a boat by a well-known maker was sitting in a boat sling alongside the big panga, clean and dry). Why would he take the time to acquire and customize a panga such as the beast hulking in the channel before us? Judge Garcia answered quickly: it’s the most versatile boat he’s ever had. “I can fish offshore or up on the flats the same day,” said Garcia. “This boat is stable

“ ‘That’s her,’ Judge Garcia said proudly, ‘The best boat I’ve ever had.’

“

Panga Express

enough to handle some serious seas, and it can run through some skinny stuff without kicking up a single blade of grass.” To underscore his claim, Garcia decided to run to the jetties on a morning when the winds were projected to start at 15 knots and build to 25 by noon. Anyone who has ever fished Brazos Santiago Pass will tell you that the seas stack up at the pass and make for some hairy rides on a windy day. Fortunately, the wind was down for the bulk of the morning, and the only issue we had to contend with were some very aggressive pelicans who had designs on our live mullet. Also, the biggest tarpon I have

ever seen came up and cherry picked Dave Rutledge’s bait right at boatside. The panga handled the swells easily and showed some effective maneuvering around the jetty points,which was impressive considering the boat’s somewhat clumsy appearance. In fact, the panga was remarkably agile for a large boat. A big part of that is due to the sharp angle of the bow. There is less hull surface forward, which distributes more weight aft and allows for the motor to sit lower in the water and maximize propulsion and steering. Helm response is enhanced, which translates to better maneuvering. T E X A S

Saltwater.indd 23

F I S H

“She turns on a dime,” said Garcia. “I can drift up on the rocks, or a buoy, or a shrimp boat closer than other boats can and turn off very easily.” The sharp bow also helps the panga run very shallow. Because the motor sits lower in the water, less of it needs to sit below the stern to propel the boat. Though it lacks the tunnel hull most flats boats have, it can run remarkably shallow because less of the lower unit hangs in the water. This was especially evident when we ran across the shallower parts of Lower Laguna Madre when the jetties proved a bust. The big boat ran through water that averaged 2 to 2 ½ feet without dragging bottom at all. The boat ran easily and nimbly. Of course, the true calling card of a panga hull is how well it runs through heavy seas. As the wind picked up during the day, the seas became rougher and rougher. The prospect of a difficult, kidney busting ride back to port stared us in our wind-blasted faces. The panga, however, ran through the rough Lower Laguna Madre into the very teeth of white-capped chop without soaking in spray or beating us to death. The combination of the sharp-angled hull, narrow beam, and overall length of the panga meant that we rode over the tops of the waves and didn’t flop down into the troughs between them. It was a pleasant surprise to get back to port with our insides still inside and our clothes dry. I intend to upgrade from my current hull, the stalwart Teacher’s Pet soon. I already know the boat I intend to pick out as the next Pet. Still, I would happily recommend anglers look at a panga if they are seeking a value-priced boat (Garcia’s panga, outfitted to his specs, cost him $15,000) that can fit a variety of fishing needs. It’s certainly worth a look.

G A M E ®

Contact Calixto Gonzales at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

10/10/14 2:59 PM

PHOTOS: STRIPER EXPRESS

by CHESTER MOORE (from his book, “Texas Waterfowl”) 24 |

N O V E M B E R

Fea 3-Waterfowl.indd 24

2 0 1 4

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

PHOTO CANSTOCK

10/10/14 2:15 PM

THE FAMILIAR SOUND OF WHISTLING WINGS SOUNDED overhead in the predawn darkness. Followed by a series of “splooshes,” that hinted at the soul-stirring action to come as a swollen, orange sun peeked over the horizon. A million thoughts raced through my head as I wondered exactly what ducks were

scouting the area the day before? Maybe

quished the darkness, my father and I could

they were widgeons, ringnecks, or pintails.

make out a few greenwings on the outer edge

lighting in the decoys. Were they the fast-

Intrigue hung thick in the air.

of the decoys, teasing me as shooting time

flying, green-winged teal I had seen while

As the sun’s brilliance steadily van-

was still a full five minutes away.

T E X A S

Fea 3-Waterfowl.indd 25

F I S H

G A M E ®

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

10/10/14 2:15 PM

I figured they would leave before we could legally click off our safety and be on our way to some prime gumbo ingredients, but I really did not care. Just being in their presence was enough for me. Even in dim light, their beauty was radiant. Almost as if they had read my mind, the cluster of teal rose off the water a minute before they would have met a barrage of steel shot, but I knew there would be more action to come. I could feel it. As the clock struck 6:53, I blew on my call, and we readied our guns as the game was officially on. High in the sky I spotted four gadwalls giving the spread a look-over. As I let out a couple of quacks, the quartet dove down from the heavens in a nosedive straight toward the decoys. I clicked my safety into the shoot position as my heart pounded in anticipation. The ducks continued their descent and a few yards before slamming headfirst into the water, they put on their brakes and turned into a landing position with wings cupped 26 |

N O V E M B E R

Fea 3-Waterfowl.indd 26

2 0 1 4

and legs out. Dad and I emptied our cartridges. All four of the ducks fell, and we were off to an absolutely perfect morning of duck hunting off a remote creek in Newton County, Texas. My friends know that besides coastal fishing, duck and goose hunting is tops in my book. In fact, from November through January, I get obsessed over it. Occasionally, someone will ask how I could be so fired up over getting up at a ridiculously early hour, lugging dozens of decoys through knee-deep mud and tangling with mosquitoes, snakes and alligators. And that is just in the early teal season in Texas. In California, I have walked through three feet of snow, half a mile across a field near the base of Mount Shasta to hunt Canada geese in seven-degree temperatures. In New York, I have faced chilling sub-zero winds off Lake Ontario to bag mallards and mergansers, been ravaged by deer flies in their early resident Canadian goose season and nearly

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ÂŽ

got frostbite hunting divers on Owasco Lake. In my home state of Texas (and my frequent destination, Louisiana), I have logged hundreds of hunts over the years, in every kind of condition imaginable, in the process pulling hamstrings while walking through gumbo mud, pulling my back out pushing my boat off of a tidal flat and generally wearing myself to a nub by seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s end. Why would an otherwise sane person do such things to themselves? It is all about the birds THE BEAUTY, MAJESTY AND intensity embodied in ducks and geese have captivated me since I was a youngster jumping wood ducks on creek beds in Jasper County. God reserved the finest strokes of his paintbrush of creation for the waterfowl of the world. Just look at a wood duck. Can you think of anything that we pursue as hunters more beautiful than that? Yes, whitetail deer are gorgeous as are elk PHOTO: CANSTOCK

10/10/14 2:15 PM

As if they had read my mind, the CLUSTER OF TEAL rose off the water a minute before they would have met a barrage of steel shot.

That is dedication. For me, it is a natural extension of my deep love for coastal fishing. In fact, it was while fishing as a kid that I first was hooked on ducks. Routinely seeing pintail, mottled ducks and scaup while fishing for reds, specks and flounders hooked me into this whole waterfowl hunting thing quicker than a lasersharp treble hook. One of the greatest things in the world is going duck hunting in the morning and catching redfish and trout in the afternoon.

Outfitters and outdoor writers call this “cast and blast”. I call it heaven on earth. To those on the outside, that might seem a bit strange, but I have a feeling anyone who has picked up this book understands it perfectly. They know that the pursuit of ducks and geese is something truly special and will do whatever it takes to be in their presence, preferably armed with a .12 gauge, some number 4 shot and a good retriever.

and just about every other game animal out there. I truly love them all, but in the looks department, woodies, pintail, widgeon and teal put them all to shame. Then there is the issue of flight. Anyone that has seen mallards navigate timber or a big pintail drake ride the wind currents over a coastal marsh has seen true majesty in action. Deer may be smarter but I would like to see one drop out of the sky from 100 yards and land gracefully. It is not going to happen, is it? Another part of this great quest is the camaraderie. In duck blinds you can talk, joke, eat and do all kinds of stuff that is a no-no in other outdoor pursuits. I laugh and smile more while duck hunting than when doing anything else that involves guns. Maybe best of all are the dogs. The various retrievers are the most loyal, hard working and amazing dogs on the planet and they are always happy to hunt. My Dad’s friend, the late Harold Staggs, had a dog that would throw decoys at the house at night when it heard geese flying over.

Fea 3-Waterfowl.indd 27

10/10/14 2:15 PM

Texas Department of Defense Long-Range Handguns

WICE DURING MY CAREER IN LAW enforcement I was pinned down by a person with a rifle when all I had to defend myself was my handgun. In both instances I had cover and was not greatly in danger. Just the knowledge that someone was shooting at me with a rifle was enough to make me a bit nervous, enough so that I took the time to learn to shoot my .357 at long range. I eventually became proficient enough that I could with a fair degree of regularity hit a man-sized target with my sidearm at up

Got Mags? THE AR15 IS ONE OF THE MOST popular firearms in America, and I believe that every responsible household should own one and be trained how to use it. But without a magazine, the rifle is handicapped and becomes only a fancy single shot. Magazines are plentiful at the moment, which means it’s a great time to make sure you have a good pile lying around just in case. Because every time the gun banners start their political banter threatening to further infringe upon our constitutional protected right to keep and bear arms supplies diminish from the scare, or prices skyrocket due to demand. I remember when I was a young 28 |

DoD.indd 28

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

to about 200 yards, and I could have made him keep his head down at 300. For the concealed carry civilian, this is not a very likely scenario, but it is something that you should know how to do and keep in the back of your mind. Even a small, concealed carry handgun can be accurate up to about a hundred yards if the shooter knows what he is doing and has done a bit of practice. In his wonderful tome on handguns, Sixguns, by Keith, Elmer Keith presents the best treatment of long-range handgunning that I have ever seen, much more in-depth than is possible in a short article such as this. It is interesting reading and is illustrated with photos that give the shooter the exact information he needs to shoot his handgun at almost any reasonable distance (reasonable for you and me, not for Elmer Keith).

If you want to know the hows and whys, this is a book you should have in your library. In it he says: “Many shooters of experience with rifles do not realize that only a very short barrel is necessary to stabilize and accurately start a slug on its way to a distant target. Trajectory is necessarily very high, but accuracy of a good six-gun or auto pistol and a good load is surprising.” I used to have an Ithaca 1911A1 .45 ACP that was an extremely accurate gun. I got it from a retired army colonel who had gotten it along with several others when he was on the military pistol team. When I got the gun it was still full of Cosmoline, never having been fired, but it must have had a trigger job, because the trigger was light and crisp. I used it in pistol matches and even won a few. I also made a few bucks at the rifle range with it.

teenager during the Clinton Assault Weapons Ban seeing prices for standard magazines worth $10 priced over $100. And the same happened recently at the end of 2012. So even if you don’t think you need more than a handful of magazines now, it could be too late when you decide otherwise.

ning lately. Good quality magazines are plentiful and run anywhere from $10-30. Although I usually prefer a standard 30-rounder, I’ll have a few 40s for those high round count Three-Gun matches, and when I’m in the backwoods on an ATV hunting hogs I like a more compact polymer 20 round so it doesn’t stab and scratch as much. And occasionally I’ll be sporting the solid XProducts 50-round drum mag. A little pricey if you are comparing it to a 40 round PMag, but it runs like a top and looks amazing.

Magazines

I ALWAYS RECOMMEND AT LEAST six magazines for every firearm you own. Many good AR mags are available to choose from these days. Magpul is one of the most popular, Brownell’s makes a great quality affordable steel magazine, Troy Industries offers a dependable version with different mag bases, Tango Down offers a polymer magazine with improvements, and Hera Arms has some in different colors with large windows. That’s just to name a few I’ve been run-

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

Accessories

MANY ACCESSORIES AND upgrades are available for your magazines. Taran Butler, the only USPSA Triple Crown Three-Gun champion, now offers the best magazine extensions out there. His milled aluminum extenPHOTO: DUSTIN ELLERMANN

10/10/14 3:08 PM

We used to have a silhouette of a javelina at the 100 yard line. I played with the .45 until I knew just how to hold the sights to hit the little pig, then, using a small threecornered file, I marked the back of the front sight. I would wait until someone was shooting their rifle at the silhouette and say: “Heck, I can hit that with my old .45.” A bet nearly always followed. I nearly always won the bet. I just put the top of the rear sight on the file mark, set the javelina on top of the front sight and squeezed one off. Long-range handgunning is not as hard as it may at first appear. If you have learned trigger control and sight alignment, then all you have to do is learn how to properly align the sights for hits at longer ranges. This is done by raising the front sight in relation to the rear sight, not by aiming above the target. The amount of front sight you must hold above the top of the rear sight is dependent on how far you are shooting and what caliber handgun you are using. For instance, the allowance with a long-barreled .357 Magnum at 100 yards, with the gun sighted

to hit at 25 yards, is very little. In this case I just take the normal sight picture and then place the front sight level with the shoulders. A .45 automatic, on the other hand, with its heavier bullets and lower velocity, will require much more allowance to get hits at 100 yards. To do truly good shooting at extended ranges with a handgun, you must have a front sight that is high enough to allow you to hold enough of it above the rear sight to allow for bullet drop. With a standard military-style .45 auto, for instance, the front sight is very short. To get hits on a man silhouette at 200 yards you would be holding up so high that the rear sight would be below the front sight, somewhere on the slide. That would not allow you to hold closely enough for good windage, much less precise elevation. Although it takes a lot of practice to learn to hit targets at ranges of 200 to 300 yards, it is fairly simple to learn to hit a man silhouette almost every time from 100 yards. The best gun to start with is a good .22, either a revolver or a target auto. Shooting from a benchrest at 100 yards,

Several of my AR mags I run on a regular basis. Notice the Springer Precision coupled magazines with the red baseplate coupler, the grey TTI enhanced capacity baseplate on the 40 round mag, the Caldwell Mag Charger (top right) and stripper clip loader (bottom).

sion bases add five or six rounds to the new Magpul magazines. I use them for competitions, and I’ve even seen law enforcement personnel with the added capacity on their duty guns. Springer Precision also offers my favorite mag base coupler that replaces the Magpul AR magazine bases in order to keep a second magazine at the ready. It can speed up a reload, or allow you to easily carry 60 to

80 extra rounds by pushing the coupled set into your pocket in a defensive situation.

Loaders

TIME SPENT LOADING MAGAzines is time lost shooting. To speed up this process I’ve used military 5.56 mm stripper clips and an NcStar loader that T E X A S

DoD.indd 29

F I S H

any reasonably competent shooter should learn to hit his target in short order (I have, on rare occasions, shot four-inch groups at 100 yards with a .44 Magnum revolver). Then, by backing up a little every day, he will quickly become competent at longer ranges. The best guns to use for long-range shooting are the magnum revolvers, .357 Magnum, .41 Magnum, and .44 Magnum. In days past we used to hold International Metallic Handgun Silhouette Association (IHMSA) matches each month at the gun club in Uvalde. I practiced a good bit with a Smith & Wesson Model 29 .44 Magnum with an 8 3/8 inch barrel. By the time I quit I had managed to acquire a class-A rating, shooting up to 200 meters. In this case, however, I didn’t have to change my sight picture, I could adjust the sights between relays and take the same sight picture at each distance. In my opinion, every person who carries a handgun should be skilled in all the possible uses of his handgun. This includes longrange shooting. It may not save your life, but it certainly will make you a better handgunner and by that, certainly could save your life. Just a thought. —Steve LaMascus

lets you load 10 round stripper clips into a magazine for every plunge. Of course this requires that your ammunition be placed in said clips, but since I reload my own cartridges it’s just a way for me to inspect every round. If you want to get really serious you can check out the new Caldwell Mag charger. Just dump 50 rounds into the mag charger bullet first, snap an AR15 magazine onto the side and press the plunger six times and you have a 30 round magazine completely loaded in seconds. You can check out a video of this contraption in action at www.fishgame.com. Whatever rifle or pistol you choose as your favorite defensive weapon, make sure you have plenty of good quality magazines while you can. Shoot straight and stay safe. —Dustin Ellermann

G A M E ®

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

10/12/14 9:12 AM

LET’S FACE IT, TEXAS DEER hunters pursue the wary whitetail in two basic ways―baiting and playing on the sexual urges of rutting bucks. Deer hunters, like deer, are creatures of habit and over the last 20 to 30 years, they seem to have gotten into a rut of putting out corn and doe-in-heat scents and leaving their hunting experience at that. The truth is, hunters can find more consistent success by focusing on natural food sources, but first that will require a little basic knowledge of how deer eat. 30 |

Fea 1-Deer.indd 30

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

PHOTO CANSTOCK

10/10/14 2:09 PM

Texas has a Cornucopia of Natural Alternatives to Corn and Other Enhanced Deer Attractors by chester moore T E X A S

Fea 1-Deer.indd 31

F I S H

G A M E 速

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

10/12/14 9:14 AM

PHOTOS: CANSTOCK

Acorns are rich in protein and carbs, while yaupon (right) is a ready staple for Texas deer, and honeysuckle (left) is one of their “ice cream” foods.

The Texas Agricultural Extension Service based out of Texas A&M University said it is important for hunters to know that white-tailed deer are ruminants like cows, but their diet selection is radically different. “Cattle are grass-roughage eaters, have a relatively large rumen relative to body size, and depend heavily on grasses for their diet. Grasses are relatively low in crude protein and digestibility when compared with legumes or forbs (broadleaf weeds). Because of these nutritive parameters, grasses have a longer residence time in the cow rumen. Longer residence time increases rumen microflora (bacteria and protozoa) degradation of the forage. Thus for grass-roughage eaters such as cattle and sheep, residence time is relatively long and rate of passage slow,” they said. White-tailed deer are concentrate selectors, which means their diet must be higher in nutritive value and more rapidly degraded in the rumen. Therefore, white-tailed deer rely primarily on forbs and browse (leaves and twigs of woody plants), which are usually higher in crude protein and digestibility than grasses. Grasses comprise only a very small part of the overall diet of the white-tailed deer. Only grasses that are rapidly degraded in the rumen, such as the small grains and ryegrass, are used to any extent by deer. “Other useful introduced forages include both warm- and cool-season legumes. Native plants used by white-tailed deer include browse, forbs, soft and hard mast (fruits, acorns), and mushrooms. Forbs and mast, while providing good nutrition, may not be available every year or at all times of the year. Browse is usually the most important source of deer nutrition because of year-round availability.” It is important to get that out of the way because even among deer hunters there is 32 |

Fea 1-Deer.indd 32

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

some confusion about what deer eat, particularly among younger hunters. I go to schools to talk about animals frequently and was surprised by some of the kids who think deer eat a lot of grass. This is most likely due to the fact as we stated earlier that most hunting in the region is done over bait and the need for guesswork is taken out of the equation. If you all you have to do is pour some corn on the ground (which I do use as part of my hunting strategy) then you do not really need much of a knowledge of natural food. TF&G Hunting Editor Lou Marullo said a prime example is hunters not taking advantage of the late growing season in the region and focusing on honeysuckle, which fruits in September and October and in some areas is considered an “ice cream food” for deer. “Ice cream foods are the sources the foods wildlife managers say that deer will eat before anything else. It’s not just a standard, it’s the top food. Talking to some of the guys who hunt public land where baiting is legal, it’s evident that honeysuckle is one such food for whitetails.” Indeed, in the archery season, I have focused heavily on honeysuckle in the areas I hunted for years in Newton County and occasionally find it in fair concentrations early in the gun season if cold fronts are few and the deer have not wiped it out. Another excellent source for deer is black gum, which Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) officials rank as “excellent” for deer and other game. It tends to grow along the edges of hardwood bottomlands. Yaupon (the bush that produces the pretty little red berries) is considered a nuisance plant by many landowners but the bushes grow closely together and create

T E X A S

F I S H

dense thickets. Deer however will eat yaupon with great fervor in certain areas. Yaupon thickets are decent places to hunt. If you can find yaupon on the edge of a field, you will see deer feeding on it fairly frequently. It’s something that is easy to key on for hunters and is more readily identifiable than many other plants in the field. Coralberry or “buck brush” is a great source of food for deer. The name should give it away but the thicket it creates along with the nutrition it provides makes it a favorite among deer hunters in the region. I’m not sure if buckbrush is more important as a food or cover during certain times of year, but in the areas around the reservoirs in Texas it is thick and is one of the places that some of the biggest bucks come from. Last but definitely not least are the mast crops, particularly acorns. They are a rich source of protein and carbohydrates for deer and when they begin falling, deer will flock to these spots and ignore other food sources. I have personally experienced having corn piling up under my feeder while deer were feeding less than 50 yards away under a big red oak. Deer know that the corn is going to be there because hunters always feed it, but acorn sources are fleeting and they must get it while they can. In terms of which kinds of mast crops are best to hunt over, that is going to depend on your location. Red oaks are the hot tickets in some areas although white oaks are like drugs for deer in others. Still others prefer pecans and various kinds of other nuts. This will take some scouting to determine. Deer may get the urge to procreate this month and have hundreds of pounds of corn at their disposal; but if they can get their mouths on a nice white oak acorn, they usually cannot resist. Wise hunters will be ready.

G A M E ®

10/12/14 9:15 AM

Bare Bones Hunting by Lou Marullo | TF&G Hunting Editor

Should We Hunt Rubs or Scrapes?

HEN I WORE A YOUNGER MAN’S clothes, the question of the best place to hunt for deer often came to my mind. I can remember hours spent pondering this very thought while waiting for a whitetail to magically appear. As the years passed and my knowledge of a whitetail’s behavior grew, I finally came to the conclusion that rubs as well as scrapes found in the woods can be a great place to hunt but at different times of the season. For those of you who are unfamiliar with a rub or a scrape, let me enlighten you. A rub is the place where a deer rubs his antlers on a tree or a sapling to remove the velvet. A scrape, on the other hand, is where a buck scrapes the ground clear of any debris and leaves his scent everywhere in and around it. Which is the better spot to be when hunting season comes around? Should we just abandon the thought of hunting near a rub or scrape and just try our luck near a well-used deer trail? The short answer is that all three spots that I just mentioned will offer plenty of opportunities for success on deer but is one spot better than another? If I were just looking to fill my freezer with venison, or if I simply wanted to better manage the deer herd in the area I was hunting, then the better choice would be to hunt a well-used deer trail. Chances are much better to see more deer and certainly more does working the trail both to and from the feeding grounds. If your decision is to hunt the bucks in your area and only the bucks, then a different approach might prove to be a better choice. Before I continue, let me explain that in order to keep a deer herd healthy, there are times when you need to take more does.

Remember that every time a doe gives birth, she usually will have a set of twins. On occasion, she will bear three fawns. With this in mind, you can see how it would not take too long before the herd is out of control. Soon there are too many deer for that area making it impossible for deer to survive on what little food they can find. An adult whitetail needs about five pounds of wet browse every day. It should be easy to understand why we, as ethical and responsible hunters, need to control the number of does in our hunting area. That being said, if we decide that today is the day you want to try your luck for a nice buck, then we should try different methods. Both a rub and a scrape are tell-tale signs that a buck is definitely in the area, and this is a good place to start if you want a buck. Rubs are usually made starting at the end of August and continuing throughout the hunting season. As I said earlier, bucks rub their antlers on trees and saplings to remove the itchy velvet from their antlers. It is not unusual to see more than one rub at a time. In fact, if you take the time, you should be able to locate exactly where the buck walks, by locating the rub line he made. Some say he makes that rub line to navigate through the woods. I do not believe that for a minute. His only purpose of making a rub line is to simply remove that velvet. What a rub line does tell us, however, is the fact that a certain buck prefers to walk that area to and from his feeding and bedding areas. Good to know; especially early in the season. You might have some good luck if you set your tree stand about 20 yards or so downwind from one of these rub lines. However, as the season progresses, the rubs are abandoned for scrapes. Scrapes, much like rubs, are made along a field’s edges at first. Soon they will be found in the woods, and these are the ones you need to pay close attention to. Scrapes are the calling card of the bucks. They are made to attract does that are ready to go into estrous, and the buck or bucks that made the scrape will often return to the scrape to see if a “hot” doe has been around. T E X A S

Hunting.indd 33

F I S H

It is particularly important if there is an overhanging branch that leans over the scrape. These are called primary scrapes and bucks will visit these more often than the others. They will leave their scent everywhere around that scrape to attract a receptive doe. It is this writer’s opinion that you should NEVER walk in a scrape or contaminate it in any way with your human scent. Nothing will drive a whitetail away from an area faster than the smell of a human. Some hunters might disagree with me, but that is my train of thought. I have decided long ago to respect the nose of a whitetail deer. The question remains as to how to hunt a scrape once you locate it. I have a friend, Cy Weichert who is the CEO of ScoutLook (an app that will determine the weather in your immediate hunting area as well as many other things) Cy is a very successful, world-renowned bow hunter. His trophy wall at his retreat house will humble any hunter I know. It is absolutely full of mature whitetail mounts. In short, the man knows how to hunt. In a recent conversation with him about scrape hunting, he revealed to me something I hadn’t considered before. When he sets his stand near a well-used scrape, he does not face the scrape. That’s right He DOES NOT face the scrape. He knows that a mature buck will circle the scrape to wind it from a distance instead of coming directly into the scrape. He waits to see the buck coming and takes his shot before the wind gives his location away. After that conversation I walked away knowing that I am never too old to learn something new. All I can tell you is that Cy has no problem at all filling his deer tags every year with HUGE whitetail bucks. So, if you are after a buck this season, plan on hunting the rub lines early and move to the scrapes later. Another friend of mine once told me to move to the movement, if you want to be successful in the whitetail woods. I believe him!

G A M E ®

Email Lou Marullo at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com |

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

10/10/14 3:32 PM

TRUE GREEN

Edited by Will Leschper

GOOSE HUNTING IN TEXAS HAS a long and storied history, but in recent seasons the Lone Star State has seen a huge decline in bird and hunter numbers, something that has biologists and wildlife officials seeking answers.

Chief among them is where all the birds have gone, and when if ever they might return. Kevin Kraai, waterfowl program leader for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, said that the face of Texas goose

hunting is drastically changing across the state. “Our mid-winter surveys have shown significant declines in recent years related to loss of rice acres and drought,” Kraai said. “Unfortunately there is little relief in sight with the continued water restrictions for rice farming. We at TPWD are partnering with DU (Ducks Unlimited) and private landowners to aggressively put more habitat and water on the landscape the next few years in hopes of reversing this trend.” Kraai noted that light geese continue to shift their flight paths across Texas, something that isn’t good at all for hunters along established corridors. “Snow geese are very adaptive and are settling in new areas farther inland in the Central Flyway and in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley where corn and rice acres continue to increase and little hunting pressure currently exists,” Kraai said. “Additionally, we are seeing increasing numbers of light geese farther inland in Texas along the Trinity, Sulphur and Brazos river valleys. There also appears to be a growing population of white-fronted geese southwest of San Antonio in the agricultural areas of Uvalde, Medina and Frio counties, which is good considering the very low numbers of white fronts visiting the Gulf Coast these days.” While some locales in North Texas and the eastern Rolling Plains historically have had solid numbers of birds, the goose hunting in places such as Knox and Haskell counties, north of Abilene, have seen better

Wetlands Project Going Strong

tat goals of the Gulf Coast Joint Venture since 1991. This year, the focus of the cost-share program has been as much on providing water as on the traditional work of constructing and providing infrastructure for managed wetland units. TPWP is as impressive for its collaboration as it is for its habitat delivery. Approximately 67,000 acres of wetland habitat has been enrolled in the 30-county focal area along the Texas Gulf Coast. Private landowner costs are offset by TPWP cost-share. Funding for this comes from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Futch Foundation, Trull Foundation, ConocoPhillips, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and North American Wetlands Conservation Act grants. Through the TPWP, DU, private landowners, and partners conserved 5,234 acres in Fiscal Year 2014 (July 1, 2013-June 30, 2014). Program highlights include 51 contracts (24 of which included wells), 114 units, and conservation work in 14 coastal counties. The private lands program relies on partnerships and the leveraging of matching federal grants. In FY14,

Answers Sought in Goose Hunting Declines

THE TEXAS PRAIRIE WETLANDS Project (TPWP) is a partnership of private landowners, DU, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. TPWP has been delivering the habi34 |

TrueGreen.indd 34

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

10/10/14 3:05 PM

TRUE GREEN times, which honestly is too bad for some of the best hunting country in the state. “The drought coupled with a dropping water table has crippled the goose hunting opportunity in this area,” Kraai said. “In recent years there has been very little surface water for roosting and the main attraction of peanut fields that are highly dependent on ground water irrigation, are becoming very scarce as well. “This area has held as much as 200,000 geese and was arguably the best small Canada goose hunting in the country,” Kraai said. “Recent inventories during our mid-winter waterfowl survey have resulted in counts below 5,000 total geese. Many of the outfitters in this area have either moved or gone out of business.” Like the Rolling Plains, the area farther to north has undergone a transition period when it comes to goose hunting, which has meant a shift in tactics. “The Texas Panhandle remains a great destination for goose hunting but it too is going through its own challenges and changes,” Kraai said. “Natural surface water associated with playa wetlands has essentially been nonexistent the last few years, and the birds have learned to adapt by utilizing more permanent water associated with feedlots, beef packing plants and even the urban lakes and effluent ponds throughout the Panhandle. Goose numbers, especially small Canada geese, remain strong and those

hunters that have learned to hunt near city limits have been very successful.” Kraai noted that the late conservation order season for light geese, featuring more liberal bag limits and hunting methods, isn’t being used as much as it previously was – for obvious reasons. “Declining numbers of snow geese coming to Texas, early springs and an aging, well-educated population has resulted in very low participation in the conservation order in Texas,” he said. “We have gone from an all-time high participation of near 28,000 conservation order hunters in 1999 to a little more than 1,000 hunters this past year.” Michael Rezsutek, a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologist for the upper coast, said that goose numbers and locales they previously frequented have continued to confound biologists for a variety of reasons. “The distribution of geese in Texas is in a state of flux right now,” Rezsutek said. “The recent drought, changes in habitat conditions to the north, changes in agricultural practices and in land use within the coastal prairies are all working to change the way geese make use of these areas.” When it comes to typical haunts, it’s the same story across the top portion of the Texas coast. “On the upper coast I haven’t seen any new hot spots developing,” Rezsutek said. “Geese have been using the same areas for the past 15 years or more. It’s more a matter of fewer geese using those

spots compared to the numbers seen in years past. “Some areas in the central coast that were once heavily used by geese have become suburban areas,” he said. “So we’ve lost some wintering habitat that way. They seem to be using the remaining areas when conditions are favorable, but because of drought the central coast has had significantly fewer geese spending the winter there than in past years.” Although the Texas wintering goose figure has dwindled from what once was an impressive population of birds, the overall number of geese actually is holding strong. “Continentally, the goose population is still high and climbing,” Rezsutek said. “We’re just not seeing as many in Texas in the winter as we used to. The reasons seem to be more grain production combined with milder winters and less hunting pressure in states to our north. “Any change in the trend in goose numbers in Texas over the short term is not likely, he said. “For the numbers to climb again we would need to see conditions to the north become less favorable so that geese would come down to the coast, and at the same time, conditions here become more favorable.”

contracts, with projected enrollment of more than 3,500 acres on 35 contracts. A recent grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation administered Environmental Benefit Funding from the National Fish and Wildlife FoundaFund has provided fundtion will add over 23,000 acres of waterfowl habiing for flooding additional tat to the Texas Coast this fall and winter. shallow water wetlands this fall. This money is part of the Deepwater Horizon settlement. TPWP invested $1.3 million to match August was a particularly busy participating landowner investments month for DU staff due to the incredof $4.4 million. DU staff and partners ible demand for this flooding program. are already hard at work on this year’s

The entire budget of $557,500 was obligated in 116 contracts during a brief three-week period. This effort will ensure shallow water habitat on 23,474 acres along the Texas Gulf Coast. DU will provide cost-share of $20 per acre for fall water (September 1 to October 31), $20 per acre for early winter water (November 1 to December 31), or $30 per acre for late season water (January 15 to March 31). Practice verification will occur late October through early April. —Andi Cooper TG

PHOTO: DUCKS UNLIMITED

TrueGreen.indd 35

T E X A S

F I S H

—by Will Leschper TG Will Leschper’s work has won state and national awards. Contact him at willleschperoutdoors@gmail.com

G A M E ®

N O V E M B E R

10/10/14 3:05 PM

UCK SEASON is here, and beginning this month, more than 100,000 waterfowlers in the Lone Star State will take to the marshes, prairies, lakes and river bottoms to hunt myriad ducks and geese. This month we want to take a look at what I consider to be the most beautiful and exciting game animals any hunter could pursue.

THE WOOD DUCK is the most beautiful of all American ducks with drakes sporting stunning colors and patterns. Hunters over the last few years have been able to take four wood ducks which is double the limit in earlier generations.

q THE GADWALL is the meat and potatoes duck for many hunters, and over the last few decades they have become one of the most populous species. Known for falling into a decoy spread from great heights, they are beautiful and fun to hunt.

36 |

Fea 4-Wild.indd 36

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

T E X A S

F I S H

PHOTO ESSAY BY CHESTER MOORE

G A M E 速

10/10/14 2:21 PM

CONCENTRATIONS of snow geese like this are becoming increasingly rare on the Texas coast. The birds here are highly pressured and the agricultural habitat that used to draw them has declined. Still, hunters score on big bunches of birds every year. It is all about being in the right place at the right time.

PHOTOS: GEESE, CANSTOCK; OTHERS, VARIOUS PUBLIC DOMAIN SOURCES

Fea 4-Wild.indd 37

THE NORTHERN SHOVELER is a duck of many names ranging from spoonbill, smiling mallard, Hollywood duck and some not suitable for print. What is rarely mentioned is the beauty of the males during the breeding period and the fact if these birds are feeding on rice their meat tastes just like any other duck. T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E 速

N O V E M B E R

THE MALLARD is the most populous duck in North America and are popular among hunters in the Panhandle and in Northeast Texas. Coastal hunters however take relatively few mallards, with gadwall, teal and shovelers making up the standard bag.

2 0 1 4

10/10/14 2:21 PM

Texas Freshwater by Matt Williams | TF&G Freshwater Editor

It’s Time to Shake, Rattle and Roll

T HAPPENS EVERY FALL, USUALLY ABOUT time department stores start rolling out the Christmas decorations and water temperatures on freshwater lakes begin taking a dive. The lipless crank bait bite heats up on bass lakes across eastern Texas. It is usually not one of those flash-in-the-pan deals, either. Like the Energizer bunny, the lipless crank bait is a long-distance performer. Once the fish start hammering it, they normally won’t back off until water temps start heating up again in late spring. Cold weather isn’t only thing that drives this rattling, clamoring, freshwater bonanza. Shallow hydrilla also plays a key role. Bass love to gang-up around the green stuff, even when water temperatures are so icy that textbook logic points to deep water. “That’s a big misconception a lot fishermen have,” says Longview bass pro Jim Tutt. “If a lake has grass, the fish won’t leave it regardless of how cold it gets. It’s not uncommon to catch fish out of two feet of water during the dead of winter so long as there is grass around.” For those who may not be familiar with the lipless crank, it is a flat-sided hard bait with a hollow body adorned by two treble hooks. The traditional model has a hollow body cavity that contains several small BBs. 38 |

N O V E M B E R

Freshwater-Williams.indd 38

2 0 1 4

This causes the lure to create a high pitched rattling noise as it zips through the water column with a nose down, super tight wiggle. At one time, the Bill Lewis Rat-LTrap was the dominant horse in the arena. Although many anglers continue to place their bets on the ‘Trap, now there are plenty of others that perform just as well the Strike King Red Eye, Yozuri Rattlin’ Vibe, Seblie Flat Shad, XCalibur One Knocker, Livingston Pro Ripper and Academy’s H20 Xpress, just to name a few. Enjoying success with a lipless crank bait is simply a matter of covering water until you find the find the right stuff. It works best in areas where the hydrilla is submerged two to five feet beneath the surface. The trick is to cast the bait over the grass and retrieve it

at a pace just fast enough to keep it ticking the top of the moss on the way back. Most “reaction” strikes occur when one of the treble hooks snags in the grass, then rips free. Most grass masters will agree that tossing lipless crankbaits around grass demands “specialty” tackle to get the best results. Line size, line type, rod action and reel gear ratio all play key roles in building the perfect lipless crankbait “system.” Many pros prefer a heavy-action, longhandle rod at least seven feet in length for lipless crankbait fishing. The heavy action

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

helps snap or pop the bait free when it collides with grass. Meanwhile, the long rod aids in casting. When it comes to line selection, most guys prefer fluorocarbon or braid because of the “stretch factor.” These lines have very limited or no stretch, which works simultaneously with the rod to help prevent the bait from burying up in the grass. As well as these lines perform across the board, there are times when monofilament may work even better. A good example might be when you need the lure to run super shallow. Monofilament line floats, so it may give the bait just enough lift to keep it from fouling in the weeds. Another essential ingredient to a lipless crankbait fishing system is the baitcasting reel. Most pros prefer a reel with a ratio of 6.4 to 1 or faster. The last number represents one revolution of the reel handle. The first two numbers represent the number of times the spool rotates each time the reel handle turns a full circle. On a reel with a 7 to 1 gear ratio, the spool will turn seven times for each revolution of the reel handle. That equates to blazing fast line recovery, which at times plays a major role being able to keep the bait on top of the grass instead of burying up in it. Lipless cranks aren’t magic, but at times they work so well on grass lakes that you might think they are. This holds especially true during late fall and winter, when water temps are chilly and big bass are hugged up tight I submerged vegetation just waiting for their next meal to swim dangerously close.

Email Matt Williams at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

PHOTO: BILL LEWIS LURES

10/10/14 2:55 PM

Also Available at Amazon.com

Fea 2-Deer-Digital.indd 28

9/24/14 5:41 PM

(don’t

stow your

tackle just yet) by Matt Williams 40 |

N O V E M B E R

Fea 6 Crappie.indd 40

2 0 1 4

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

GRAPHIC IMAGE: TF&G; CRAPPIE INSET, JACK BISSELL

10/10/14 2:21 PM

DURING THE FALL OF THE YEAR, WHEN TEXAS hunting seasons kick into high gear, many anglers swap their ultra-lights and flippin’ sticks for scatterguns and deer rifles and head to the woods instead of the water. It is not a bad decision. But it could certainly be a costly one, especially for fun-loving fishermen who fancy the rap-tap of a thick shouldered crappie thumping a small jig or gobbling up a live shiner. If there is one thing I’ve learned about crappie over the years, it is that these

T E X A S

Fea 6 Crappie.indd 41

tasty panfish are only where you find them. Like spring, fall is a transition time for crappie. In other words, it’s a time when they are prone to go on the move. One day they may be deep, shallow the next and scattered at mid-range depths the day after that.

F I S H

G A M E ®

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

10/10/14 2:21 PM

Not surprisingly, autumn can be a mentally taxing time for crappie fishermen, but it also can be pretty rewarding once you get zeroed in on the fish and figure out how to get them to play the game. Ask any savvy crappie fishermen and they’ll tell you there is no single “best” way to catch fall crappie from one lake to the next. That’s because every lake is different. Some reservoirs are deep, while others are relatively shallow. Some are fed by major rivers, others by small creeks. There are lakes with tons of rock and others that are brimming with timber, brush and other structure such as boat docks and bridge pilings that lure crappie like a magnet provided that’s where they want to be. “I think fall is sort of like the post-spawn and pre-spawn for crappie,” says Lake Fork fishing guide Gary Paris. “The water temperatures will have started to cool off by now, and the fish will be heading back out toward deeper water where they’ll spend the winter. They’ll be setting up at some of the same places they move to right before and after spawn.” The tricks to catching crappie on any lake are finding the sweet spots, being there when the fish are in a cooperative mood and presenting them with the proper bait in the right manner to close the deal over and over again. At Lake Fork, Paris says the best places to look during fall are the numerous highway bridge crossings and countless underwater brush piles placed at strategic locations by anglers for the sole purpose of attracting crappie. Select creeks also will be holding fish. Fork has several bridge crossings, but some have richer histories for producing slab crappie than others. According to Paris, the best ones are the FM 2946, FM 514, FM 515W and FM 154 bridges. “There are a lot of fish caught off those bridges during the fall,” Paris said. “They’ll be suspended, usually around the first cross member. Sometimes they’ll be on top of it and sometimes they’ll be out to the side of it.” Paris says anglers can catch fish around the concrete structures by employing a couple of tactics. Some prefer to tie off to the support pilings and fish straight up and down using a live 42 |

N O V E M B E R

Fea 6 Crappie.indd 42

2 0 1 4

shiner, while others like to stay on the move and cast with small jigs. Paris is a fan of the latter. He always lines up parallel with the bridge and casts ahead of the boat. The key is to make a lengthy cast, then count the bait down a few seconds before beginning a slow, steady retrieve that brings the bait alongside the underwater cross member, which is about 15 feet deep when the lake is at full pool. Paris’s jig rig is a medium-action spinning outfit. He likes to spool up with 20-pound braid, which has the diameter of eight-pound monofilament. He said the braid provides optimum sensitivity because it has no stretch. Plus, it provides excellent castability and is extremely durable, which could be a huge plus should one of Fork’s big bass come calling. “If there are crappie around there will be some big bass around, too,” he said. “Crappie fishermen get broke off by giants around the bridges all the time on this lake.” Cedar Creek fishing guide Jason Barber knows all about playing the bridge game at the FM 198 and FM 337 crossings, but says boat docks that offer the fish some shade in water as shallow as five to six feet, and brush piles down to about 16 feet deep will be holding fish, as well. When fishing minnows around brush piles, Barber pointed out that it is important to avoid disturbing the pile should you get hung up. “That can be a problem when you have to fish real tight to the cover,” he said. “If you do get hung, make sure you are directly on top before you try to work it loose—there can’t be any angle to the line. Once you’re on top of the pile you can bounce your rig up and down. The weight will pop the hook free most of the time.” Barber builds his shiner rigs around a six-

T E X A S

F I S H

foot medium action spinning rig matched with eight- to ten-pound test Berkley Solar Line. He likes the bright green line because it is easy to see, which helps him detect even the most subtle bites. His weight of choice is a 1/4 ounce split shot, which is placed three to four inches above the hook. “The split shot is easy to remove or you can add a second or third one quickly if you need to, depending on the wind and the depth of water you are fishing,” he said. Barber added that a slip cork can come in handy at times, especially when casting a shiner to underwater brush from a distance. “That last thing you want to do is cast a weighted minnow around a brush pile without a slip cork—you’ll get hung just about every time,” he said. “But with a slip cork you can fish a shiner just above the brush at a controlled depth. It can be very effective when the crappie are holding right on top of a brush pile.” Lake Palestine fishing guide Ricky Vandergriff says he’ll employ all the aforementioned tactics on his home lake when the leaves are turning. Among his favorite bridges are the State Highway 155 bridge where it crosses Ledbetter and Highsaw creeks and the FM 315 bridge where it crosses Flat Creek. Vandergriff says he’ll alternate between shiners and jigs until he determines which one is working best on a given day. Given the choice, he prefers to fish with a jig because it allows him to cover more water. “I’ll fish parallel to the bridges and work around one set of cross members at a time. Then I might fish vertical around the pilings before I move on to the next set,” he said. Vandergriff’s favorite jig set up is built around a 5 ½-foot light action rod and a micro spinning reel spooled with six-pound test Mason monofilament in a charcoal grey color. Depending on the situation, he may use a single 1/16-ounce jig or throw a tandem set up with a pair of 1/32-ounce jigs. Fall is hunting season in Texas, but don’t make swap your fishing gear for the scattergun just yet. You could miss out on some of the best crappie fishing of the year.

G A M E ®

10/10/14 2:28 PM

Open Season by Reavis Wortham | TF&G Humor Editor

Cowaphobia

OLD. Not just cold, seriously cold. Two weeks into deer season, I heard the weatherman say it was eighteen degrees, just before I left my nice warm truck to sit in the deer blind and feel my feet freeze into bricks. He was wrong. It was at least ten degrees colder where I sat. I know it had to be, because my feet couldn’t have gone numb so fast had it been the balmy eighteen degrees he announced. My fingers were beginning to feel like I’d been opening Mama’s old fashioned aluminum ice trays for the last hour. The icy wind sliced down my neck like liquid nitrogen. I was knocking and chattering so loud it sounded like Carmen Miranda was in the blind with me, clicking her castanets. I thought about Carmen’s castanets. It didn’t help me warm up, but it occupied my mind until all the feeling was completely gone in my aforementioned feet. The two-track pasture road leading right and left remained empty. I closed my eyes for a moment and wished a volcano fissure would open beneath my feet. A rock clattered down the hillside behind me. I didn’t move a muscle. Footsteps thudded behind my left shoulder and moved toward the road. My thumb found the safety and rested against the slide release. Another footstep. This had to be the biggest buck in the county. Carefully, with exquisite slowness, I turned my head millimeters to the left. A steer looked into my ground blind from two feet away. “Moo?” “Cows again!” I thrashed to my feet, cracking my head on the low ceiling above. “How can you see me!!!??? I’m in a deer blind, in full camo. You’re just a dumb cow animal!!! You can’t possibly know I’m here.” The steer mooed again, softly, and

stepped back, obviously waiting for a handful nice creep feed, or some mineral pellets. Then he looked the blind up and down, turned, and left a deposit as advice on camouflage and deer stands. I didn’t ask for his advice. I didn’t want it. In seconds, I was outside, picking up rocks and hurling them at the offending bovine. He snorted his disgust and loped away. Furious, I continued to throw rocks at his retreating rear end. One glove flew off, and landed in the fresh cow-landmine. “AAArrrggghhh!!!! Why do they do this to me?” “You all right?” Delbert P. Axelrod, my personal albatross, suddenly appear beside me. My heart stopped for a moment and I almost passed out. Delbert was supposed to be in his own stand, on the other side of our lease. “What!!!???” He looked hurt. “Why are you yelling at me?” “I’m tired of this cowography. They’re always following me around.” “Cowography?” “Cattle. It doesn’t matter where I am, or what I’m doing. They’re everywhere, screwing up my hunt.” Delbert took a step back and held his rifle closer. I raved on. “Just the other day, I was turkey hunting. I was a tree. No kiddin’. I was perfectly camouflaged, and there wasn’t an inch of skin showing. Birds wanted to nest in my ear. Then I saw an enormous gobbler heading in my direction, and I knew he was mine.” Doc walked up at that moment, attracted to all the yelling. “What’s the matter with him.” Delbert shrugged. “Says it’s cowaphobia, whatever that is.” T E X A S

Humor.indd 43

F I S H

“I see.” “No you don’t.” I continued my rant. “I wanted that turkey. He was mine. Then this huge, fat head emerged from a bush. It had horns, like the fluffy lady wears in the opera. Then it mooed at me and scared off the turkey. Until then I wasn’t what it was, until the moo. Then I knew it wasn’t the opera lady, because she would have probably produced some shriek in a strange language no one in this country understands…” “Rev,” Doc gently took my arm. “You’re not tracking. Do you need a candy bar to become yourself again?” He pried the rifle from my hands. I picked up more rocks and threw them in the direction of the now absent steer. Other members of the Hunting Club arrived. “What’s the yelling about?” Wrong Willie asked. “Cowaphobia,” Doc answered. Everyone nodded. It’s a phenomenon that’s rapidly gaining recognition in hunting circles everywhere. My glasses were crooked, but I didn’tcare. “No more! Look!” I pointed. “He made me throw my glove in that cow pie! Why do they do things like that?” The Membership scuffed the ground, shuffling in sympathy. “Rev,” Doc said softly. “What!” “Let’s go to Doreen’s and get some coffee. You’ll feel better after you make fun of her moustache for a little while.” “I spent hours in the freezing blind, so a cow could come along and scare my deer.” “I know. It’ll be all right.” Delbert stepped in a fresh cow pie and tracked it into Greenvan. That set me off again. “See what they do!” “I know.” Doc slammed the sliding door on Delbert’s foot. His shrieks helped, some, but not enough.

Email Reavis Wortham at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com G A M E ®

N O V E M B E R

10/10/14 2:56 PM

Winter Reds GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION: TEXAS FISH & GAME

When Other Gameﬁsh Give You the Cold Shoulder, You Can Always Find Texas Reds BY CHESTER MOORE 44 |

N O V E M B E R

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 44

2 0 1 4

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

10/28/14 1:58 PM

HE BEAUTIFUL thing about redfish is that anglers can catch them with relative ease throughout the year. The biggest segment of the flounder population leaves the bays during winter, and speckled trout simply get lockjaw. But it seems like redfish are always biting somewhere. I remember freezing my butt off while fishing off the side of the road with my dad during the winter, catching one redfish after another. People thought we were crazy, but winter is a great time to catch reds. Finding big concentrations of redfish in winter can be tough. Fish are cold-blooded and do not really like winter. They seek sanctuary from winter weather, which is why warm water outfall canals are such great fishing holes. Along the Texas coast, there are several warm water discharges from energy plants and refineries that can harbor incredible numbers of fish. I grew up fishing around the Entergy Plant near Bridge City. It is like several similar outfits along the Texas Gulf Coast in that it cools its turbines by pumping water from one canal and expelling it into another. In this case, the water is coming from a marsh bordering the Lower Neches Wildlife Management Area and is exiting into a canal that leads to the mouth of the Neches River. Both usually hold salty water during winter. Baitfishes congregate in such warm waters during cold spells, making a buffet for a host of large predators. They are great for human predators, too, since the cold-blooded fish become more active feeders in these warm spots. Warm-water discharges come in many forms. They can be a huge cooling plant that spews out thousands of gallons of warm water a minute, or they can be a small drainage pipe or culvert that has a very light flow. Chemical refineries often have small pump stations that produce warm water flow that diverts into underwater pipes. Any of these areas can hold a surprising number of fish. The more flow and the warmer the water compared to the surrounding waters, the more fish there will be. An interesting phenomenon in these areas is that different species favor various degrees of warmth or current. For example, redfish congregate next to the outflow pipes

and prefer areas where the water is warmest. The deeper holes in the canal may also hold many reds. Dead shrimp will catch a mess of small reds, but use cut mullet or crab if you are after big ones. I have found squid to be an effective alternative. It has the right smel, and its almost luminescent color adds visual appeal in dark water. Something to keep in mind is that even small flows from a single drainpipe can draw fish. They may not hold massive schools of fish for long periods, but even a slight change in water temperature can make a big difference in cold weather. It is very important to look for the little things in these spots, since very often that is all it takes to attract game fish. One of the outfall canals I fish does not even pump hot water anymore, but the fish still congregate there. Old timers in the area say the fish in the area are “programmed” to go there. If that is true, then Mother Nature must program bull redfish to hit the jetties during winter. I grew up believing they only came near shore during the fall, but found out there are plenty for anglers to find during winter at the jetties. The largest concentrations of redfish seem to be at the deep holes at the southern tip of the Gulf side of jetties. If for some reason the deeper holes are inaccessible, you should back off and look for dips in the rocks. These dips indicate deep holes, and that is where the redfish will be. Another sign is vegetation growing on the bottom of the rocks. These areas hold lots of small crabs, which make excellent redfish bait. Shrimp is good, too. The advantage of using shrimp is that it is readily available, whereas crabs can be tough to come by. Shrimp has one serious drawback though. Everything in the ocean eats it, so sometimes a redfish does not get a chance to get the bait. I generally put out several lines with a slip egg weight and swivel, finished off with a wide-gapped hook. This simple set up is ideal for catching reds, but knowing when to set the hook is another issue entirely. For some reason, bull redfish like to peck on bait during winter. Other times of year, they slam whatever you throw at them with great fury, but during winter, they peck for a while and then take off. The best setup is to place the rod in a holder and turn on the reel clicker. When the T E X A S

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 45

F I S H

clicker starts to sound, turn it off and reel in the slack. When it feels like your rod is water bound, set the hook. A few years ago, a letter from a reader led me to a spot at the Sabine Jetties where slot-size redfish were gathered around large concentrations of menhaden and suspended in 25 feet of water. By running my fishfinder, it did not take long to find the shad. There were millions of them as the entire middle section of the screen looked like a solid piece of structure. I put on a live menhaden, slowly lowered it to the desired depth, and immediately got a strike. My rod bent in half and I was battling a nice redfish. After landing that fish, I quickly hooked up with another and ended up catching 20 between 23 and 36 inches. Some might say I was a lunatic for being on the water that day—the air temperature was in the mid-30s and the wind chill had to be in the upper teens. Truly understanding jetties is crucial to being able to catch fish there. They might look like a simple pile of useless rocks, but there is more to it than that. To start with, the rocks are three times wider at the bottom than they are at the surface, which means you have more structure than meets the eye. The real structure is below the surface—pockets in the rocks and deep holes that create eddies and strong currents. It is crucial to move until you find fish. During winter months, I never give one spot more than 20 minutes if I have not caught a sheepshead or redfish. Fish are gregarious, especially during winter, and the angler who finds one fish should find many more where that one came from. When you fish jetties from a boat, anchoring technique is a major issue. Use lots of rope. About 125 feet should be enough. Between the rope and anchor there should be at least five feet of heavy chain. This helps keep the anchor on the bottom. Never shut off the engine while anchoring. You could easily drift into the rocks and cause severe damage to your boat and possibly to yourself. Keep the boat upcurrent from the intended fishing hole and then drop the anchor. I have been using an anchor called the Mighty-Mite and have found it to be the ultimate jetty anchor. It has specially designed teeth that provide a steady grip but still dislodge from just about any rocky crevice with relative ease.

G A M E ®

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

10/28/14 1:58 PM

Texas Boating by Lenny Rudow | TF&G Boating Editor

Idiocy Aﬂoat

EOPLE LOVE WATCHING REALITY shows mostly because it makes us feel better about ourselves. Who wouldn’t seem superior, after watching the characters in a few episodes of Honey Boo Boo, or Dance Moms? If these people are for real, then heck, the rest of us look pretty darn good in comparison. Never fear, boaters—this goes for you, too. Here are 10 shockingly stupid mistakes people make when boating. If you’ve never done any of these, well, you should feel really good about yourself. 1. STARTING THE OUTBOARD while it’s tilted up – This classic blunder can be made worse, if you don’t figure out right away why that engine is making so darn much noise. No, the engine won’t over-heat for several minutes, but every second that the water pump impeller spins without any water for lubrication, it does severe damage to the neoprene vanes. Rev the motor while it’s dry, and you get double-bonus booby-points. 2. UN-HITCHING THE TRAILER from the truck, instead of un-hitching the boat from the trailer – No, I am not making this up. Google it. Plenty of inbred boaters have made this maneuver, and in a few legendary cases, didn’t figure out they’d pulled a massive mistake even after running the boat with the trailer attached. Why won’t the boat get on plane? Duh….. 3. CLEANING LEXAN WINDshields or clear Isinglass curtains with Windex – If you like looking through a dense fog, give Windex (or any other ammoniabased cleaner) a shot. This stuff is great for destroying clear plastics. 46 |

N O V E M B E R

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 46

2 0 1 4

4. LAUNCHING THE BOAT IMMEDIately after re-seating a fitting with 3M 5200 – A true story: a local captain replaced a through-hull fitting and sealed it with 3M 5200, then launched his boat. Predictably, the 5200 melted away in seconds, and the boat began sinking. He made it back to the ramp, pulled the boat, wiped away the liquefied 5200, re-sealed the fitting, then launched the boat again. This time, he sunk a few yards short of the dock. 3M 5200 is great stuff, but it requires 24 hours to cure. Launch immediately after applying it, and you may as well have sealed the holes with Elmer’s glue. 5. PAINTING AN ALUMINUM BOAT with copper-based anti-fouling bottom paint – This has killed a lot more boats than one might think. Common inexpensive bottom paints are filled with copper, and copper and aluminum don’t do very well when combined with saltwater. In fact, they create one heck of an electrolytic reaction. In two or three short seasons, you can push a pencil—or your foot, or the butt of a fishing rod—right through the bottom of an aluminum boat painted with this stuff. 6. MIXING TWO-STROKE OIL INTO the fuel of a four-stroke outboard – This used to be a lot more common, when twostrokes first started being replaced by fourstroke outboards. But, it still happens today. Read the owner’s manual, people! 7. FAILING TO MIX OIL INTO THE fuel of a two-stroke – How could we not mention this one, too? A lack of oil probably accounts for the death of more two-stroke outboards than any other single blunder. And we also have folks who mix oil into the fuel without realizing that a remote oil tank is supposed to do the job, those who use four-stroke oil instead of the proper stuff, and those who try to “eyeball” the mixture with catastrophically bad results. Again, read the manual!

T E X A S

F I S H

8. FAILING TO PUT IN THE DRAIN plug – I almost feel bad listing this one, because just about everyone—myself included—has done it at one time or another. Still, that doesn’t make it any less stupid. Fortunately, after one forgetful incident, most of us remember from then on. 9. DRIVING A BOAT WITH A FOOT of draft into an area 13 inches deep during high tide, and staying there during an outgoing tide – Yeah, you know what happens next a long, long wait for the tide to come back in again. Always be aware of which way the tide is going when you push draft to the limit. Tip: a great way to ensure you can always escape shallow water is to leave your engine tilted down at least an inch or two below minimum tilt to make headway. That way, when you do run aground, you always have an inch or two of tilt as a back-up. If, however, you tilt as far as possible, you don’t have any leeway once you run aground. 10. CLEANING FIBERGLASS WITH bleach, on a regular basis – Yes, this will keep it looking nice and clean. At least, it will for a couple of seasons. But bleach takes a toll over time, and if you use it after every trip, a few seasons down the road your boat will look chalky and dull. You should reserve cleaners containing bleach for use no more than once or twice a year, at most, and always make sure you rinse it all away with a flood of fresh water. So, how many of these items do you recognize as something you’ve done before? If the answer is none, you’re a genius boating pro. If you’ve made two to four of these mistakes, don’t worry, you’re about on par with the average boater. But if you’re guilty of more than a handful of these blunders, you probably belong on a reality TV show. And when we watch it, the rest of us will all feel a lot better about our boating selves. Email Lenny Rudow at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

G A M E ®

10/28/14 1:58 PM

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 47

10/28/14 1:58 PM

Texas Guns by Steve LaMascus | TF&G Shooting Editor

Light or Heavy?

N AMERICA TODAY THERE IS A TREND toward rifles of lighter and lighter weight. I understand this in rifles of modest calibers that are to be carried in high mountains on death march hunts for such animals as Ovis Poli and Dall Sheep, or backpack hunts into the high country of Wyoming or Colorado. In such cases the gun is going to be carried a lot more than it is shot and it is going to

48 |

N O V E M B E R

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 48

2 0 1 4

be carried in country where every ounce feels like a ton at the end of the day. It does not make sense if it is going to be carried from the pickup to the deer blind and back. It does not make sense in a varmint rifle that is going to be shot a lot and, probably, carried little. However, the idea that a heavier gun is some kind of sin has carried over into almost every aspect of sport hunting, and I don’t like it. I just finished rereading an article written by Peter Hathaway Capstick for the Guns and Ammo Annual in 1976. It is called Use Just Enough Gun. In it he tells of his experience with some of the big calibers in Africa. His point ended up being that American guns for the dangerous game calibers such as .458 Winchester Magnum and the .460

T E X A S

F I S H

Weatherby were too light for anyone to shoot well; and that the average shooter would be much better off if he brought to Africa a .375 H&H Magnum that weighed 10 or 11 pounds, loaded with 300-grain bullets. Remember, this was written in 1976 and was before the lightweight kick really got started. He was talking about standard factory rifles made by Winchester and Weatherby. I wonder what he would think now. This same thing goes for the average once or twice a year deer hunter who was persuaded by the propaganda that he had to have a .300 magnum to hunt 150-pound deer. These days he probably ends up with a .300 Winchester Short Magnum (WSM) that weighs less than eight pounds. If he can shoot it well, it is a miracle of the first water. He would be much better off with a .270 that weighs eight pounds or a 7mm/08 that weighs 7 ½ pounds, both of which are great deer calibers. Over the years I have tested or owned a number of the lightweight guns. They are a pleasure to carry. But the truth of the matter is that eventually you have to shoot the thing, and a gun that has a bit more weight, especially out forward in the barrel, is easier to shoot well from field positions than a lightweight rifle that is short and whippy with a pencil-thin barrel. One of the guns that I owned was a little .25 Winchester Super Short Magnum (WSSM). It weighed right at six pounds, if memory serves. Off the bench it shot beautifully, so I took it on a deer and varmint hunt on the Devil’s River for a field test. First, I shot a couple of does with it. The shots weren’t all that tough about 200 yards, but the position was a bit rocky, and I had trouble getting the scope to stay on the animal. I killed one instantly, but the second deer I hit too far back and had to shoot it again. I thought I was just having a bad day. It does happen. Then we went varmint hunting. This ranch was crawling with gray foxes. We called in a bunch of them, but they wouldn’t stand still and the shots were quick

G A M E ®

10/28/14 1:58 PM

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 49

“ A gun that has a bit more weight is easier to shoot from ﬁeld positions.

“

and tough. I don’t believe I hit one that was more than about 50 yards away. When I switched guns and went to my old .25-06 with a heavier, longer barrel, I started to connect. The only difference was the weight and where it was on the gun. To test my theory I passed the gun around to the other hunters, all of whom were first class shots. Each one had trouble hitting with the little .25 WSSM. If we had plenty of time and a solid rest, the shots connected. If we had to shoot quickly from improvised positions, it was tough. I have heard that good wisdom generally comes from bad experience. This is true. Over the years I have had a lot of bad experiences and have, I think, learned a few things from them. These days I want a gun that is a bit front heavy. I have had three or four guns rebarreled in the last few years and in every instance they have ended up being a bit heavier than they were in the original factory configuration. The last one I had done was a gorgeous post-64 Winchester Model 70 XTR. It was originally a .243 Winchester and wore a 22-inch

barrel. When I had it rebarreled by Ted Borg in Weatherford, OK, I had him put on a 26-inch medium-heavy Hart barrel in .243 Winchester Ackley Improved. This is one of only two guns I own that will consistently put three rounds into a half-inch at 100 yards. It also allows me to make quick shots from awkward positions. Why? Because it is a bit front-end heavy and the crosshairs stay where I put them until the shot breaks.

The other guns are a Remington Model 700 in .222 Remington Magnum Ackley Improved that wears a 24-inch Pac-Nor match grade barrel; a .30-338 Winchester Magnum with a .25-inch Pac-Nor barrel and a muzzle brake by Active Tuning Solutions of Houston, TX; and a .25-06 on a post-64 Winchester Model 70 that wears a 24-inch Lothar-Walther barrel. I now wish I had asked for a 26-inch barrel on the .25-06. With two artificial knees, I don’t climb mountains anymore and seldom carry my rifle over my shoulder for mile after mile. I seldom walk more than a mile or two in a day of hunting. I don’t need a super-light rifle. I need a rifle that shoots well and that I can shoot well. If you fall into this category of hunter, physically disabled or not, you might be wise to follow suit. Wisdom or not? It is up to you to decide.

Email Steve LaMascus at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

10/28/14 1:59 PM

Texas Tested Yamaha Upgrades the F115 4-Stroke YOU KNOW THAT OLD SAYING, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?” Despite its valuable lesson, in the world of modern technology, that attitude can be a killer. Marine engines, for example, are constantly becoming more and more efficient, lighter, and more advanced. That’s why Yamaha didn’t sit on its laurels, when it came to the F115 four-stroke outboard. Yes, the F115 was a rock-solid motor, which has been in production for well over a decade. But this year’s F115 is an all-new motor, with a slew of design enhancements. Displacement gets a boost, increasing from 1,741cc to 1,832 cc. The compression ratio has also increased, from 9.7 to 1 to 10 to 1. And the wideopen throttle range grows as well, going from 5,000 – 6,000rpm to 5,300 – 6,300 rpm. All in all, it’s a more powerful package. Yamaha hasn’t said exactly how many horsepower it can hit, but it’s a fair guess that the 115 rating is an understatement.

Other design tweaks include larger intake and exhaust valves, a new and improved 60mm throttle body, and a more sensitive knock sensor. Plus, alternator output has grown to 35 amps. In addition to advancing the design of the engine itself, Yamaha also looked at the power plant as a package and came up with some good ways to increase its overall value. Now, for example, it can be coupled with the CommandLink digital system. An even bigger deal may be the propellers Yamaha pairs these engines with. They developed an all new three-blade Talon (aluminum) series, which includes Yamaha’s shift-dampening system. This incorporates a rubber dampener, which allows the prop to rotate a fraction of an inch before engaging. This absorbs the “thunk” we feel when shifting into gear, making the process a bit more comfortable. The final advance comes in weight— there’s less of it. Yamaha says the new F115

(20-inch version) tips the scales at 377 pounds, which shaves about 24 pounds off the old version. This is accomplished with a lighter tilt system, mounting bracket, and cowl. Although 24 pounds may not sound like a lot, note that this brings the F115 to within a couple of pounds of its two-stroke competitors, and makes it 20 pounds lighter than its four-stroke competitors. The bottom line? The F115 was a great motor, but the new F115 is even better. For more info visit www.yamahaoutboards.com. —Lenny Rudow

50 |

N O V E M B E R

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 50

2 0 1 4

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

10/28/14 1:59 PM

Fish and Game Gear Deer Calling is Now a Snap THINK BACK TO ALMOST EVERY buck encounter you have had in the woods. Like most buck sightings, it likely started with the sound of a snapping stick catching your attention. As you search for the

SnapStick source of the sound, a buck soon materializes. You know that when you hear this unmistakable “snap” that a deer is approaching. Well, a wise old buck is no different. Enter 2nd Valley. They found a convenient way to add this realism to your calling sequences. Their success with this technique has resulted in the creation of the SnapStick. This call perfectly mimics the snap of a breaking branch, and it works! A mature buck that has heard all the same old calling attempts of grunting and rattling will instantly respond when he hears the realism that the SnapStick adds. Bucks find this added realism irresistible. The Snapstick is truly a cutting edge calling technique that will increase your calling success. What can’t be overlooked is something else the SnapStick offers, convenience. This call reduces the movement required to break a real stick which helps you avoid the keen eyes of a wary buck. It also eliminates the added scent a hunter leaves by dropping broken branches. What is most convenient though is the fact that the SnapStick is always there and ready, eliminating the

need to reach out and find a dry branch to break. Simply attach the SnapStick to you finger, grunter or bow and put it to work. This call will help bring the bucks from the woods to your wall. Go to SnapStick.net to see the call in action and order yours today.

Deep Cranking Made Easy DEEP DIVING CRANKBAITS ARE the hot lure of choice right now and Mann’s just made going deeper a tad bit easier with the introduction of the E-Z Crank 30+. Being an innovator in deep diving hard baits, Smooth Body Mann’s has pro25+ duced a lure designed to reach the same extreme depth as our original 30+, but with over 30% less resistance during retrieval. The patented lip design

Mann’s EZ Crank 30+

has been modified to allow the lure to slice through the water with a tighter wiggle, which will allow anglers the chance to fish more without wearing down from the pull of other deep diving lures. Available in 10 fish catching colors (Texas Sunrise shown above) this lure should be a part of every serious angler’s arsenal. Suggested retail $10.99 Mann’s Bait Company, a leading manufacturer of all types of artificial lures, produces the industry’s most widely recognizable brands for fresh and saltwater fishing markets. All of our lures are manufactured right here in America, and distributed nationally, as well as in over 50 countries around the world. T E X A S

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 51

F I S H

For a complete selection of styles, colors and availability go to www.mannsbait.com.

Mann’s Brings Back a Legend THE ORIGINAL SMOOTH BODY Stretch25+ is back! Eufaula, AL, September 1, 2014– The classic lure that changed saltwater trolling forever is back, Mann’s Bait Company is once again manufacturing the Stretch 25+ series with the widely popular Smooth bodied finish. The Stretch 25+ series of baits will dive to a

depth of 25 feet with 150 feet of 30# mono at a boat speed of 3-5 mph. And they are easy to tune, although they are tested to run true out of the box with little need for tweaking. This bait is the top choice worldwide for grouper, striper, or any other big gamefish. Equipped with Super Strong 4x Eagle Claw hooks, this bait should be a part of every angler’s tacklebox. Available now in 10 popular colors. Mann’s Bait Company, a leading manufacturer of all types of artificial lures, produces the industry’s most widely recognized brands for fresh and saltwater fishing markets. All Mann’s baits are made right here in America, and distributed nationally, as well as in over 50 countries around the world. For a complete selection of colors, styles, and availability visit www.mannsbait.com.

ONLINE STORE Shop for innovative, new and hard-to-ﬁnd outdoor gear at

www.FishandGameGear.com

G A M E ®

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

10/28/14 1:59 PM

Industry Insider Epic Journey: USA to Zancudo Lodge, Costa Rica, in a 32-Foot Contender WHEN I FIRST CONCEIVED THIS idea, half of the people I told about it thought I was crazy— driving a 32-foot boat on its own bottom to Costa Rica from the States. The other half asked, “Can I go with you?” I knew that timing was important. I ordered the boat in April and was told 60 days, but you know how that goes. I had to finish my trip before September when hurricane season is in full swing. I took delivery on August 5 and spent five days fishing in the Keys, staying at a resort called Hawks Cay. My first impressions of the Contender 32ST is “WOW! the boat is like driving a Porsche on the water. Thirty-two feet with twin Yamaha 300-horsepower and stepped hull. Raymarine outfitted the boat with their top-of-the-line E series system, complete with a Super HD Radar capable of picking up birds for high speed tuna hunting. The boat is also outfitted with a topof-the-line Fusion audio system, Ocean LED under water lights and top-of-the-line Okuma Makaria reels. The boat is crazy fast and fuel efficient. It cruises at 45 mph while getting 1.5 miles per gallon and a top speed of 68 mph. The Yamaha electronic controls make shifting gears and maneuvering a breeze, while the Yamaha Command Link gauges give all the info you need to run your boat efficiently while constantly monitoring the engines. We left for Cancun on August 12. The seas were relatively calm for the 365 mile journey. We left the Keys at 6 a.m. and were pulling into Cancun at 6 p.m. We had an unbelievable fuel economy, burning just 230 gallons. 52 |

N O V E M B E R

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 52

2 0 1 4

This 32-foot Contender made the trip from the Florida Keys through the Panama Canal to the Paciﬁc side of Costa Rica.

A tropical storm was brewing and heading up the coast, and though the marine forecast was bad, we decided to head 50 miles south to the southern tip of Cozumel. The seas were big, with eight-foot waves coming in from our port side. It took us most of the morning, and we were so happy to arrive. We tried fishing in the afternoon as we heard from some locals about a good tuna and wahoo bite on the south of the island. We made our way there, but the weather was so bad that after a few hours we decided to pull the plug. On August 14 the ports were still closed but we checked the weather and felt as we moved south and as time progressed the weather would be getting better. It took most of the day to clear customs and file all of the necessary paperwork to depart Cozumel. It was raining on and off all day, but it was clearing, so we decided to go for it and made our way south, traveling at 18 mph in six-foot seas. It really was not too bad until nightfall. The seas got bigger and we were not able

T E X A S

F I S H

to see the big rollers coming in. After 19 hours at sea, we finally arrived at Rotan, a small island off the coast of Honduras. We spent a few days fishing and sightseeing, then continued on to a small Columbian island called San Andres, 120 miles off the coast of Nicaragua. This was going to be our longest part of the trip—a 450-mile run. We pulled away from the dock at 4 a.m. The seas were moderate, with a five-foot chop. It was slow going, so we decided to pull into Puerto Lempira for the night. The next morning, we were up at the crack of dawn, and by midday we were pulling into San Andres. We checked the weather forecast; and the next morning after doing all of the paper work, we finally left at 1 a.m. and we were off for 235 miles. We really wanted to get into port before dark, and these were the best seas we had experienced. We cruised at 42 mph and after 5-1/2 hours, we arrived at Colon, Panama, the Atlantic gateway to the Panama Canal.

G A M E ®

10/28/14 1:59 PM

Zancudo Lodge operates a ﬂeet of fast sportﬁshing boats, with two Contenders, including the new 32st.

We spent the next day detailing the boat. We were scheduled to make the crossing on the following day at 3 p.m. This was really the part of the trip I was looking forward to. In the first set of locks, a series of three separate chambers called the Gatun Locks, we were rafted together with two other boats, with the middle boat maneuvering the three of us through the

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 53

chambers. It took about one hour to complete the journey through the first set of locks. At this point, we separated from the group and ran the boat through Lake Gatun. We made it to the next set of locks after running the lake at high speed. As we pulled up to the Pedro Miguel Locks at “Panamax,” which is the term for

the size limit for ships traveling through the Panama Canal, we were told that we could not proceed behind the ship ahead of us, that it was too dangerous because of the prop wash of such a big ship. The lock on the left side was open, so we proceeded into it alone and the lock was raised up 90 feet. The next lock was very close to the final two Miraflores Locks. This time we waited 40 minutes for the Panamax to catch up to us and load into the same chamber we were in. Our Panama Canal crossing was completed in five hours—a record I think, but we were also probably the smallest boat to go through the canal this year. The rest of the trip was smooth, and although the fishing was not so good along the way, it was a fun adventure. I would like to thank all of the sponsors for the boat. —by Gregg Mufson

10/28/14 1:59 PM

Hotspots Focus: Upper Coast

by Capt. Eddie Hernandez | TF&G Contributor

Locate the Bait

marsh, if you want to have a real good day, you’ve got to find the bait.

“ Everything from baitﬁsh and shrimp to predators seem rejuvinated by every new cold front.

“

ALL FISHING HAS KICKED INTO HIGH gear with the arrival of November. The fronts are a little more intense and frequent as we make steady progress toward winter. Excitement is in the air as we give thanks this month to God, family, friends, freedom, hunting, fishing and football. That excitement seems to spill over into our bay systems as everything from baitfish and shrimp, to predators appear rejuvenated with every new cold front. That’s a great thing because keying on bait will be your ticket to success when fishing Sabine Lake in November. Whether it be hyped-up mullet deep in the bayous or the hordes of shrimp that will pour into the lake as each front continues to purge the

The gulls will give the shrimp and fish away in the bay as usual. So, solid stringers

shouldn’t be hard to get as trout and reds will binge and purge all day until they can’t stand it anymore. It’s not uncommon to encounter lots of shrimp in the bayous on good days either. However, at times your best bet will be to locate schools of mullet hanging around points and drop-offs, or to cruise the shoreline. We rarely fish these areas in the fall without bending the pole on some bruiser reds and nice flounders. As usual, a good moving tide either incoming or outgoing will help with finding the bait and getting the fish to bite. Dark plastics on 1/4 or 1/8 oz. lead heads are hard to beat. Work it real slow if you’re casting to the shallow water at the bank. If the big slots are there, it will get their attention and they will strike more aggressively if it’s not moving too fast. Blacks, Madame Johnson and the mouth of Bridge Bayou are all prime November honey holes on Sabine. (Bring your Louisiana fishing license if you plan on going into these places.) If it’s super-fast action you’re looking for and don’t mind a little competition, run the open bay and fish the birds. Some of these schoolies are on steroids and most schools will have some very nice reds mixed in as well. I hope to see you here on Sabine this month because the fishing is good and we have lot to be thankful for.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Dick Dowling Park (Sabine Pass) SPECIES: Flounder BAITS/LURES: Mud Minnows, GULP Swimming Mullet BEST TIMES: Moving Tides

Contact Eddie Hernandez at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com 54 |

N O V E M B E R

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 54

2 0 1 4

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

10/28/14 1:59 PM

Hotspots Focus: Galveston

by Capt. Mike Holmes | TF&G Contributor

Thanks Aplenty

HE NEWS FOR THOSE WHO LOVE TO fish for – and eat – red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico more than nine miles offshore – which is legally Federal water – is bad, very bad. The nine-day open season has been over for some time, drastically reducing offshore fishing options. In waters closer to shore, however, which are under the jurisdiction of the state of Texas, there is NO closed season, and the minimum size is 15 inches (fork length) with a much more generous daily bag limit of four fish per angler per day. Of course, there are generally more red snappers to be found in those deeper Federal waters, but the wrecks, rocks, oil production platforms, and bottom depressions in Texas waters might hold more snappers than many

anglers realize. This should especially be true as we see a very healthy snapper population in Federal waters which almost has to result in some overflow into suitable habitat closer to the beaches. The upper coast off Galveston and Freeport does not have the well-known rock formations that are found off Port Mansfield, or even the type of structure that yielded a potential state record red snapper five miles off Port O’Connor this past summer but there are snapper hotspots, and some of them might be just waiting for you to “discover”. Slow and careful exploration with a good “bottom machine” can reveal not only natural formations in the form of “dips” and “rises” that might not have even existed last year – and it does not take much of a change in bottom relief to attract and hold bottom feeders like snappers, even groupers, in depths as shallow as 50 feet or less. A shrimp boat wreck, of course, both provides more shelter for fish and bait species and is easier to locate, but a pipeline valve can be amazingly productive. Near shore rigs

T E X A S

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 55

F I S H

can also have an accumulation of debris from years of operation that also forms fish holding

G A M E ®

CONTINUED ON PAGE 57

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4



10/28/14 1:59 PM

Hotspots Focus: Matagorda

by Mike Price | TF&G Contributor

Flounder and Reds

HERE ARE NO GUARANTEES WHEN you go fishing, but if you were to choose a month in which the fish would most likely be hungry and easy to find, November would be that month. Some of my favorite fishing memories have taken place in November. Rosemary Tollett and I were wading in calf deep, clear water in a cove on the south side of West Matagorda Bay, when we saw birds working and quietly walked in that direction.

56 |

N O V E M B E R

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 56

2 0 1 4

Soon the backs of two dozen redfish were visible. We kept walking slowly until Rosemary tossed her gold Captain Mike’s spoon to them. One of the reds took it and ran while the rest of the school came straight toward us, and several hit us as they sped by. Rosemary handled her fish well, and I netted it and measured it. The redfish was a beautiful bronze color, but only 19 and 7/8 inches, so much to Rosemary’s disappointment, we returned it to the water. A spoon works well in clear water, but if you are selecting a soft plastic to use when the water is clear, choose a light color. I like to use a five-inch Salt Water Assassin in pearl/ chartreuse when the water is clear. Redfish will often cruise along the shoreline feeding, but when the water is shallow and clear, they spook easily. If you land a spoon or soft plastic close to them under these conditions, many times they become alarmed and dart into deeper water. A good way to get your lure in the right place without scaring the redfish is to land it in the sand well ahead of the fish, and leave it. When the fish approach your lure, swim it off the bottom. Fly fishing is a way to target redfish in a way that may not spook them. I was wade fishing in Cotton’s Bayou on the south side of West Matagorda Bay when I saw a school of reds weaving their way through the cord grass. I waited until they were headed for a patch of water that I could get my fly into without getting hung up in grass and dropped the fly, a Clouser Minnow, in front of them. Instantly one of them took off with the hook in its mouth. You can spook redfish however, using a fly fishing outfit if the fish see your line in the air, so make sure that only the leader and fly land near the fish. On the day that I fished with Rosemary, the water temperature was 69°F, the wind was 5 to 10 mph out of the south, and we had a strong incoming tide. Typically the water temperature at the beginning of November is about 75°F and it gradually goes down as the month progresses and northers blow cool air over the

T E X A S

F I S H

bays, to about 62°F. Falling water temperatures and shorter days stimulate the fish to feed in preparation for winter and, for redfish and flounders, for their migration offshore. Flounders like to move along the shoreline and feed in November, and like redfish, they will hit a Clouser Minnow fly. Many back bayous and coves in East and West Matagorda Bays have oyster reefs that are about two feet from the cord grass on the shorelines. This makes it difficult to work a lure over the oysters without getting hung up. The Clouser Minnow fly will move over the oysters without a problem and when a flounder hits the fly, it will have the hook in its mouth. Typically when a flounder hits a soft plastic, it bites the lure about half way between the tail and head, the fisherman sets the hook, but the fish may not have the hook in its mouth, so the fisherman misses the fish. Other than using a fly rod, you can solve the problem of a flounder not biting the hook by realizing that many times a flounder hits prey initially to stun it and then turn the fish’s head toward its gullet to eat it. So if you just let your soft plastic lure “die,” give the flounder time to eat it and only then set the hook, you will catch the fish. Of course, when you feel the hard smack of a hit go all the way up your arm, it is really hard not to set the hook. Another way to deal with this is to fish with Sparkle Beetles from H&H Lures. These short, soft plastics with split tails allow a jig head hook to come out near the tail, and the flounder is more likely to end up with the hook in its mouth when it lifts off the bottom and stuns its prey. If water visibility is poor, you may want to use a dark colored soft plastic. One cold November day, the wind was from the north at 10 to 20 mph so we fished a bayou off the Intracoastal Waterway where we had a bit of protection from the wind and waves. The tide was outgoing strong, creating a fast current and the water visibility was a murky 8 to 10 inches. The water was racing out of a large lake through a narrow four-foot-deep gut, lined with oyster reefs. Redfish were waiting on the

G A M E ®

10/28/14 1:59 PM

GALVESTON FOCUS bottom for shrimp, crabs, and bait fish to flow out of the lake with the current, so we let our dark-colored soft plastics fall into the trench, and they were hit nearly every cast. The weather in November can be anything from pleasant and sunny to miserably cold and rainy but if you get out on the water your chances of getting into the fish are very high.

THE BANK BITE A GOOD SPOT for kayakers and bank fishermen, County Road 256 goes east from Hwy 60 in Matagorda. You turn onto CR 256 at Cat Tails, a gift store and lodge, drive past the cemetery and continue until you come to a bridge. Kayakers can launch here and go north to McNabe and Gottschalk Lakes. Make sure the water is high, or you may have to pull your kayak through the mud. Redfish are in the lakes and bayous. BANK FISHERMEN can park at the same spot and walk to the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) and fish the spot where water exchanges between the ICW and the bayou leading to the lakes.

Contact Mike Price at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 57

 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 55 structure. It might seem to be a hit or miss method of fishing, but drifting or slow trolling a likely area while keeping one eye on the fish finder screen might result in worthwhile discoveries while actively fishing for king and Spanish mackerel and other surface feeders. On nice days with calm seas, venturing farther from shore can also be productive, even when red snappers are off the table. Many inshore bottom formations such as the Middle Banks out of Freeport will harbor populations of Gulf trout that provide a measure of sport and some table value. In the generally cooler water of the fall, schools of “chicken” dolphins can sometimes be found in the same area, along with ling (cobia) and both types of mackerel. For serious deep water trips, tuna, wahoo, and dolphin are not burdened with restrictive limits. There are also vermillion and lane snappers, but it is very difficult to target these species without a considerable bycatch of red

snappers. Bycatch mortality on red snapper is such that I do not think the number of these fish that would be killed while targeting “bee-liners” is worth the sacrifice.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: November on the Texas coast is usually warm enough for “wet” wading, but we have plenty of piers, jetties, docks, and rock groins to fish off of when the weather turns chilly. SPECIES: Reds, speckled trout and flounders are the “headliners, but croaker, sand trout, and other “pan fish” species are plentiful. BEST BAITS: Fall is natural bait time. Live bait can still be found – and is easier to keep lively than in hot weather, but “fresh dead” bait will stay fresh in cooler temperatures, and there should be fewer bait stealing crabs, hardheads, etc. BEST TIMES: Inshore saltwater fishing times are almost always determined by the tide, and fishing mid-day will be much more comfortable than in the heat of a Texas summer.

Contact Mike Holmes at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com.

10/28/14 1:59 PM

Hotspots Focus: Upper Mid Coast

by Capt. Chris Martin | TF&G Contributor

Coastal Cold Front Tactics

ALL IS TROUT SEASON AROUND HERE, and November is a prime time to run into healthy, hefty speckled trout in San Antonio Bay and the surrounding waters. It’s a time when anglers of all ages and all degrees of experience can boast equal opportunity to enjoy the “catching” part of the sport of coastal angling. Although there may be days here and there with tough winds and precipitation associated with the passage of the latest cold front, November is often a fairly mild month as the Texas coastal regions begin making preparations for some of the upcoming colder months.

When the winds subside and the sun is given a chance to warm the water, fishing for speckled trout can become nothing less than stellar. It might be cool and drizzling one day, and the next day there’s not a cloud in the sky with only a five-mph wind. It’s on these cool, dry, calm days when almost anything you offer the fish will be the absolute correct thing to offer them, regardless of whether it’s live bait or artificial bait there are days (believe it, or not) when almost anything you throw at them will do the trick. Naturally, everyone has their own opinion as to when the best time is to hunt for trout following the passage of a cold front. Rarely, however, will you be able to get anyone to agree that fishing is any good during the onset of the storm system, as the winds are horrendous, there’s often rain, and an open bay can become downright unsafe during the surge of a wintertime cold front. Some anglers prefer to fish on the day immediately following a frontal passage, claiming that things are generally back to

normal by then. But when I look back at logs from past years, I am quickly reminded of the fact that we have found that the second and the third days following a cold front turn out to be routinely better than the actual day of the cold front, or the day following the cold front. Why? Well, most of the days that directly follow the passage of a front still have strong, often piercing, winds associated with them which can often lead to water temperatures and air temperatures that remain somewhat on the cold side of the thermometer. It’s usually not until the second or third day that the winds subside and the water begins to clear once again. Once this happens, the trout tend to venture out from beneath the protective cover of deeper water and often cruise the flats in search of baitfish which are also taking advantage of the warming shallows. It is also on these overall calm days in November that we will begin experimenting with offering different types of baits in different places at different times of the day. Small or mid-size topwater lures can be presented early in the day and into the latter part of the morning when the sun begins to warm the water. Or, anglers taking advantage of the calm weather might wish to throw surface walkers all day, maybe going to places you generally aren’t able to work top water baits simply because the winds are normally too strong to do so in a particular location. IT MIGHT MEAN THAT YOU’RE ABLE to throw your slow-sinking or suspending bait up into shallow water atop a mid-bay reef so as to be able to actually see how it reacts to different motions you make with your rod and reel. Or, the calmness might just mean that you simply sit with your family and friends in your anchored boat above your favorite shell pad while making offering after offering of live bait to whatever happens along and notices the bait. CONTINUED ON PAGE 62 

58 |

N O V E M B E R

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 58

2 0 1 4

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

10/28/14 1:59 PM

Hotspots Focus: Rockport

by Capt. Mac Gable | TF&G Contributor

Here’s Your Sign

WAS ON A TRIP WITH A VERY GOOD CLIent; and as the day progressed, I began sharing some of my fishing and hunting stories. The client asked me if I, a professional fishing and hunting guide, had ever done any bone-head, stupid things. I chewed on his question for a few seconds and then decided to bare all. After several hours of me “fessing up” and him grabbing his side laughing, he said, “Capt. Mac, I can’t tell you how liberated I feel after listening to your misadventures and blunders. It’s good to know us occasional fishermen are not all alone when it comes to vacuous angling actions.” At the end of our trip, he said, “You know, it would be really great if you could put some of these stories in one of your articles. Not only would people enjoy them, they might even appreciate them like I do.” After considering this, I told him I’d think about it, then decided, “What the heck.” I am sorry to say some are not for a public forum but for the rest, well... Capt. Mac, Here’s Your Sign!

IT HAD RAINED ONE MORNING and my old boat deck drained into the bilge area under the deck, so at the bait stand I decided to drain the rain water by removing the lower plugs. Any minor distraction when one goes about this task can have catastrophic and often embarrassing consequences. My fly in the ointment was an overturned bucket of bait as my bait-buddy was dumping it into the live well (which can equal dead bait). I quickly assisted recovering my bait and, yes, my boat plugs were left lying neatly on the ground and, at dark-thirty a.m., I never noticed them.

My boat, now launched and sitting at the dock, began to take on what I affectionately call a low rider (low water) profile. Of course this couldn’t have happened while I was by myself, but rather when four other guides (all of whom love to harass one another) had to be there. I’d like to tell you that was the “Here’s Your Sign” part, but it gets way worse. Having realized my boat was slowly sinking I had two options: 1. Get the boat out of the water, drain it, and re-launch it; or 2. Hit my bilge pump and hope it could pump more water out than was coming in. Being a new guide (this was many years ago), I wasn’t about to admit my mistake, having determined that I would hear about it from my buddies for the rest of my natural life. I would wait for all of them to vacate the ramp and then do what I had to do. “Boy, your boat has a low, sleek profile,” one of them said. “Does she run shallow?” Well yeah, I thought, when not full of 300 gallons of water. “Doesn’t look like it would run shallow.” “Well, it takes on a different dynamic once up on plane. You know how this boat runs. You’ve fished with me before.” He said “Yeah, I know enough to know you are taking on water!!” I was had. Quietly, I said “I think my boat plugs are out.” He laughed, “Well, I’m thinkin’ that’s not something you need to be thinkin’ but rather knowin’,” and then he roared with laughter. “Hey,” he said, screaming at almost the top of his lungs, “The new kid on the dock has left his boat plugs out. What say you? Do we watch his boat sink or give him a hand?” “Are you dumb as a rock or what?” another asked. Then the Old Man Guide said “give me the plugs, I will try to get them in while you back your trailer.” “Uh, well, I don’t have any,” I said, now feeling lower than a snake’s belly in a T E X A S

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 59

F I S H

wagon rut. The Old Man Guide said “YOU DON’T HAVE ANY DAMN BOAT PLUGS???!!!” “Well yes sir, I do, I just don’t know where they are.” Ugh. I swallowed hard. “Jesus Mary and Joseph” the Old Man Guide said. “That boat is gonna make a good reef,” another “buddy” said. “Can I get the motor off before she goes down?” another roared laughing. “Get the rods and bait,” yet another added while he sipped his coffee. “I hope this is an isolated instance,” the Old Man Guide said, beginning to feel my pain. “Mac, what were you thinkin’?” “I hoped it wouldn’t be noticed,” I squeaked like a mouse in a trap. “Not notice a sinking boat at a guide’s boat ramp?” Here’s Your Sign! IT WAS COLD AND I HAD FISHED seven days in a row, so I was pretty much in the tired groove, as they say. My boat and motor get cleaned every day once off the water and made ready for the next day’s trip. I was still a new guide and had one of my first celebrity trips scheduled for the next day, so I was bit nervous and wanted to do well. The clients showed up right on time and I went through my mental checklist. Bait secured, plugs in, boat launched. I was ready. We eased away from the dock and I was thinking the weather forecast was as good as it gets: 10-13 mph from the southeast, high tide at noon for the day. As I pushed the throttle forward, within seconds I knew something was wrong, kinda like putting your underwear on with a scorpion in it—you just know. The boat felt sluggish, and the steering wheel seemed heavy (in those days there was no hydraulic steering, just good old cables). The boat was not tracking straight, but rather went every other direction, much like a Labrador tracking a rabbit.

G A M E ®

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

10/28/14 1:59 PM

Rockport Focus I looked at the gauges and all was good: PSI solid, engine temperature a little cold but good, water pump was pumping water. Not wanting to appear concerned, I was able to figure out how to drive the now cumbersome beast, but it was a challenge. After two stops, we had some good fish. I had gotten to know the celeb and his friend, so I asked if they owned a boat and both assured me they did. I tilted the motor up and asked them to see if anything was caught on my lower unit. “All looks good Capt. Mac—no ropes, no wire, no bags.” “Where we going now?” they then asked. I had another really good spot but it was a good haul, and with the boat acting weird, I hesitated. However, it is amazing what a new guide will do when wanting to make a good name for himself and his business. It’s equally surprising what the human brain compensates for, as I was now piloting my beast of a boat pretty well. I plowed the boat to the really good spot, and on high tide the reds were there and feeding. The third red was a good one in excess of 36 inches, and as luck would have it, the celebrity was on the fighting end of the pole. I was coaching him while his friend reeled up to get out of the way. The red circled the boat three times and the celebrity was in fishfighting heaven having a blast. “I’m mounting this fish” he said. “Let’s get him in the boat first” I said, “and please be careful or he will cut you off on the prop if he can.” Almost immediately, the red dove toward the back, going under the boat and out by the motor. I heard a thud and said, “@!#$%, he cut the line!” But to my amazement he was still on the rod, now bent almost double, like he had his second wind. Even the celebrity said “Man! He’s really fighting now.” I was fearful he might break the Falcon rod, but it held fast and the fight continued for 10 more minutes. Finally, the red was next to the boat, but not yet visible in the green water. I readied the net and could barely see the fish. He was just within reach, so quickly—in, 60 |

N O V E M B E R

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 60

2 0 1 4

under and up—I had a net full of 42 inches of redfish and a bonus: wrapped around the red’s nose were some motor muffs. (Motor Muffs are what we salties use to flush our motors with fresh water. Note: motor muffs should be removed from the boat after flushing). The celebrity shouted, “Oh my! What are the chances of that?” That closed the day, and as I readied the boat for the long trip back to the dock I thought, could it be? The boat jumped up on plane like old times and handled like the boat I had always known. Yep. My motor muffs. The day before, while I was cleaning my motor, my garden hose broke and, in my tired haste, I had failed to remove the motor muffs from my lower unit. As we made our way back, I thought, “At least I didn’t hurt my motor, and didn’t even lose my muffs. As I eased along, the celebrity looked over at me and said, “Capt. Mac, did you put the motor muffs in the fish box with my red?” “No sir” I said. “Well, please do, cuz they are getting mounted with my trophy red.” Here’s Your Sign! ••• NOVEMBER IS MUCH LIKE APRIL IN that it’s a transition month for most species of fish. By now the first cold front has hit and as water temperatures drop the fish tend to realign themselves and their metabolism for the colder months ahead. The fishing can be spotty. That said, one thing I recommend you do to improve one’s fishing chances is watch, watch, watch the water temperature. If water temperatures are dropping very quickly the bite can be fantastic. Action is best during these drastic water temperature changes (up or down). COPANO BAY - The Turtle Pen area is a good spot for reds using cut mullet either under a silent cork or on a light Carolina rig. The mouth of Mission Bay is a good place for black drum using live shrimp or squid. Bottom fishing is always best here with a light tackle if you can. Bottom fishing is always best here with a light tackle if you can.

T E X A S

F I S H

ST. CHARLES BAY- Drifts across Egg Point are good for reds using soft plastics in new penny and anchovy colors. I had good luck with Jerk shads here. The mouth of Cavasso Creek is good with a north wind, coupled with a falling tide for trout and reds using bubble corks and Berkley gulp shrimp. ARANSAS BAY - The back side of Mud Island is good for reds on cold days with a rising tide and a south wind. Fish close to the shoreline as there are cuts in this area. Cut menhaden or finger mullet on a light Carolina rig is the ticket. A quiet approach is a must! Drifts down Traylor Island are good for trout using free-ined live shrimp. The deeper transitions are best in this area, especially this time of year. CARLOS BAY - Cedar Reef is good for trout and reds using live shrimp under a rattle cork. On cold days focus on the shell that runs parallel to Carlos Dugout using deep running lures in blue and gold and bone and red colors. MESQUITE BAY - With the opening of Cedar Bayou this bay is a coin toss as to its prospects. Wade fishing close to the mouth of the Bayou using soft plastics is usually productive. Brays Cove is good for flounders. I like drift fishing here using live shrimp, free lined. AYERS BAY - Second Chain is good using cut bait such as cut mullet or menhaden. Sardines are productive here, as well, for reds. The west shoreline is good for some sheepshead and black drum using peeled shrimp on a light Carolina rig.

THE BANK BITE BEHIND THE AIRPORT is really good for wading with a stiff north wind that will pile bait up on the shoreline. The trick here is to wade out and get the wind at your back and cast into the shoreline. Use multiple-colored soft plastics with morning glory and nuclear chicken being some of my favorites.

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

G A M E ®

10/28/14 1:59 PM

Hotspots Focus: Lower Coast

by Calixto Gonzales | TF&G Saltwater Editor

Last Call Tarpon

OVEMBER MARKS THE BEGINNING of the fishing season for many South Texas anglers. Deer season is in full swing, so many sportsmen are hitting their leases looking for that gnarly-horned old boy for the wall. Others are more focused on football season, which is heating up; and if a favorite team is in the college or NFL playoff hunt, weekends become television and tailgating days. Fishing suddenly becomes secondary for a lot of sportsmen. The lack of fishing pressure doesn’t mean that the quality of fishing has tapered off. In fact, many an angler will tell you that November is a great time to get some good fishing in, especially for the elusive and coveted tarpon. The surf has more than a few pods of 30-60 ’poons prowling the surf. In fact, there are plenty of anglers who will drive up and down the beach, or take their boats north and south between the jetties on a calm day, looking for these silver-blinged thugs. Tarpon start cruising the surf along South Padre Island’s shoreline in late summer, when schools of mullet begin staging for their annual migration, and stay when baitballs form in late September. They hang around in the surf until the first major cold fronts come in and drop the water temperature below 70 degrees. On an incoming tide, they’ll often cross over the first bar and hunt in the three-foot wade gut, where any hapless baitfish, or late season trout hunter’s lure, get crunched. There really isn’t much to stalking these silver turkeys. A truck or SUV with four wheel drive will get you up and down the beach, although, at this time of year, the beach near the surf line is hard-packed enough that you might get away driving a

regular 2wd vehicle. A shovel, though, is a must, in case you hit a soft patch of sand and need to do a little digging. Ambitious boaters can take their flats boat—provided it’s at least 18 feet long— through Brazos Santiago Pass and north up and down the beach. Choose a calm, sunny day for best spotting conditions, and keep a sharp eye. Diving or hovering birds are a hint that a large predator is working the area, and it’s always worth a cast or two. Jumping baitfish is another giveaway to be on the watch for. Watch the waves as well. In clear water, you can actually see the silhouettes of tarpons zooming the waves or coming over the bar. The venerable MirrOlure 51M in green sardine (green back/silver sides) is a classic tarpon lure in these conditions. This twitchbait has caught thousands of tarpon over the years, and they still work after all these years. The color and smaller size of the plug best mimics the primary forage that these tarpon are feeding on, small mullet and scaled sardines. If you don’t want to take the retro approach to fishing, then a Catch 5, Catch 2000, or Bagley Jumpin’ Mullet in similar patterns should fit the bill quite well. Plastics should also be very effective in this situation. Colors that “match the hatch,” such as chartreuse, sour apple/metalflake or Cajun Pepper should work. You don’t need to a very large head due to the relatively shallow water, but ¼ ouncers tend to have larger hooks, which will maximize penetration into a tarpon’s bony mouth. Be sure to use at least 24 inches of 40 pound fluorocarbon as a leader to prevent abrasion break-offs. Joe Montemayor, owner/operator of Joe’s Tackle in McAllen, Texas is a devotee of throwing spoons at November tarpon. His standard choice is the one ounce Acme Kastmaster in gold or chrome/blue. The spoons can be punched into the wind and still reach out past the third bar, and they’re tough to beat. The only issue is that a tarpon can fling that chunk of stamped metal a long way when the hook isn’t sunk in, so set the hook hard. T E X A S

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 61

F I S H

To set that hook, standard trout and redfish tackle should do the trick, but a slightly longer (7 to 7 ½ foot) rod can give you more leverage, and a 40 sized spinning reel or 300-sized conventional reel—which are capable of holding up to 300 yards of 30 pound braid are recommended. A rig like this will give you hope if a tarpon goes over the bar and heads off to Campeche. Montemayor’s outfit of choice is an eight-foot G. Loomis Swimbait rod and Calcutta 400B loaded with 50-pound braided line. If tarpon chasing is a little intense for you, follow the lead of our visitors from up North and have a hand at surf fishing. November’s surf is just loaded with 12 to 20-inch whiting, pompanos, and the occasional redfish that crashes the party. Drive the beach until you locate a shell beach, and then set up shop. Most of the whiting can be found inside the wade gut, but larger whiting and pompanos are closer to where the waves are breaking on the sandbar. Flick your rig (usually a two-hook bottom rig) up against the suds and pull the line tight. Usually, you won’t even have a chance to put the rod in the holder before you get a startlingly hard strike from a bull whiting. This is easy fishing, and ideal for family outings. I’ve seen large families pull up onto the beach and turn the trip into a full-blown expedition complete with a barbecue pit, beach tent, and a fish fry at the end of the day (by the way, the clean white fillets of the whiting is delicious, with a delicate flavor with a hint of oyster). Whoever thought that the lowly whiting could be a socially significant creature?

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Mouth of South Bay via Brazos Island GPS: N26 03.12, W97 10.56 SPECIES: Speckled Trout, Redﬁsh BAITS: Live shrimp, ﬁnger mullet. Topwaters and soft plastics. Fish the tides.

G A M E ®

Contact Calixto Gonzales at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com |

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

10/28/14 1:59 PM

Texas Hotspots

UPPER TEXAS COAST

Christmas in November by TOM BEHRENS

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

LOCATION: Christmas Bay HOTSPOT: Drum Bay GPS: N 29 00 09, W 95 14 03 (29.0026, -95.2344) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Super Spook or She Dog topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Jimmy West 409-996-3054 CaptJimWest@yahoo.com www.boliverguideservice.com TIPS: “Don’t have a favorite color. I think it’s more location over everything else, being where they are at, being where they are feeding.” Capt. West LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Black Bayou GPS: N 29 59 51, W 93 45 10 (29.9978, -93.7530) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Super Spook or She Dog topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Adam Jaynes 409-988-3901 amjaynes@gmail.com www.justfishsabine.com TIPS: Black Bayoo is great spot to fish if the wind picks up, Birds work all up and down it. LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Coffee Ground Cove

TAP GPS TO VIEW HOTSPOT ON GOOGLE MAPS (Internet Connection required)

GPS: N 29 58 10, W 93 46 09 (29.9697, -93.7693) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: 1/8 oz jig head with a Killer Flats Minnow CONTACT: Capt. Adam Jaynes 409-988-3901 amjaynes@gmail.com www.justfishsabine.com TIPS: If you want to catch a bunch fish, switch to soft plastics. Jaynes’ favorite colors are Texas Roach or a glow/ chartreuse, depending on water clarity. LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: East Pass GPS: N 29 59 01, W 93 46 33 (29.9838, -93.7760) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Pink Corkies CONTACT: Capt. Jason Kuchera 903-780-8618 sabineadventures@yahoo.com www.sabineadventures.com TIPS: Kuchera prefers the big Corkies with double hooks… ”you get a better hook up.” Capt. Kuchera

LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Tabbs Bay GPS: N 29 41 38, W 94 56 32 (29.6939, -94.9424) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Super Spook, Skitter Walk and She Dogs CONTACT: Capt. Jimmy West 409-996-3054 CaptJimWest@yahoo.com www.boliverguideservice.com TIPS: “We will be ﬁshing the upper end of Trinity Bay in November as the trout are getting into their wintertime pattern.” Capt. West LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Scotts Bay GPS: N 29 44 37, W 95 02 21 (29.7438, -95.0394) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Super Spook, Skitter Walk and She Dogs CONTACT: Capt. Jimmy West 409-996-3054 CaptJimWest@yahoo.com www.boliverguideservice.com TIPS: “The ﬁsh move shallow as the water cools down, off the open water reefs where they are during the summer.” Capt. West

LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Mitchell Bay GPS: N 29 43 52, W 95 01 16 (29.7313, -95.0213) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: 1/4 or 1/8 oz. jig heads and soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Jimmy West 409-996-3054 CaptJimWest@yahoo.com www.boliverguideservice.com

FOCUS: UPPER MID COAST  CONTINUED FROM PAGE 58 But nonetheless, November is a perfect month to take advantage of all that the Texas coastal region has to offer anyone who loves to spend time out on the water. This time of year we give thanks for 62 |

N O V E M B E R

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 62

2 0 1 4

many, many things most of all the opportunities given to us to enjoy the great outdoors. It’s a time to reflect back on all the memorable days out on the water and express our true gratitude for all that has been given. Our team wishes you and yours a most safe and Happy Thanksgiving. May your

T E X A S

F I S H

boating be free of danger, and may all of your fishing be fun. Keep grindin’!

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

G A M E ®

10/28/14 1:59 PM

TIPS: “If the water is dirty, not real clear, real murky, I will throw a limetreuse or chartreuse colors.” Capt. West LOCATION: Galveston West Bay HOTSPOT: Greens Lake GPS: N 29 16 14, W 94 59 32 (29.2708, -94.9923) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Imitation shrimp flies CONTACT: Capt. Scott Null 281-450-2206 scott@tsfmag.com TIPS: Null fishes for redfish with flies. “Early in the month the fish will be schooled up in the back of marshes.” LOCATION: Galveston West Bay HOTSPOT: Carancaua Lake GPS: N 29 14 33, W 95 01 43 (29.2426, -95.0287) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Imitation shrimp flies CONTACT: Capt. Scott Null 281-450-2206 scott@tsfmag.com TIPS: “Anywhere you have good marsh in East and West Bay should provide good redfish action.” Capt. Null LOCATION: Galveston West Bay HOTSPOT: Snake Island Cove GPS: N 29 09 33, W 95 02 12 (29.1594, -95.0369) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: 1/4 or 1/8 oz. jig heads and soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. Jimmy West 409-996-3054 CaptJimWest@yahoo.com www.boliverguideservice.com TIPS: “There are just acres of mullet in the back of the bays, and the birds are working really good in November.” Capt. West LOCATION: Galveston West Bay HOTSPOT: Redfish Cove GPS: N 29 06 06, W 95 06 34 (29.1017, -95.1095) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Super Spook or She Dog topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Jimmy West 409-996-3054 CaptJimWest@yahoo.com www.boliverguideservice.com TIPS: West loves the big topwater lures…”I get a lot of distance, it has a lot of action and it makes a big slush. As the water gets real clear, I might switch off to a smaller one.” Capt. West LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Boiler Bayou GPS: N 28 38 41, W 95 54 04 (28.6445, -95.9011) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: 3/8 oz. jig heads with Norton Sand Shad

Junior and Norton Bull Minnows CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: Countz likes to throw some of the brighter cololrs, chartreuse, Limetreuse, and sometimes a pink LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Raymond Shoal GPS: N 28 33 01, W 96 18 04 (28.5505, -96.3014) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Norton Sand Shad Junior and Bull Minnows CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: Countz likes throwing a soft plastic paddle tails. “They have a little more movement.” Capt Countz LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: St. Mary’s Bayou GPS: N 28 39 37, W 95 56 40 (28.6604, -95.9445) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Norton Sand Shad Junior and Bull Minnows CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “I have been using the Sand Shad Junior more lately. I has more flexibility, a lot better movement than some of the other paddle tails, and they are durable.” Capt Countz LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Half Moon Shoal GPS: N 28 43 22, W 95 46 13 (28.7229, -95.7705) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Norton Sand Shad Junior and Bull Minnows CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “If we get any wind, it will stir up the water creating more off-color water than clear water. That’s why I go to some of the brighter colors to show up better in off-color water.” Capt Countz LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Bird Island GPS: N 28 43 43, W 95 45 55 (28.7288, -95.7653) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net T E X A S

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 63

F I S H

www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “We will throw topwaters if the water temperature is still fairly warm…60s-70s” Capt. Countz LOCATION: Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Oyster Lake GPS: N 28 36 53, W 96 10 59 (28.6150, -96.1833) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Norton Sand Shad Junior and Bull Minnows CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: Countz will be wade fishing, fishing the grass flats and some of the drains in West Bay. LOCATION: Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Crab Lake GPS: N 28 40 11, W 96 03 00 (28.6700, -96.0502) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Norton Sand Shad Junior and Bull Minnows CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: Countz’ favorite colors in soft plastic in West Bay Chicken-on-a-Chain and Black Magic, some of the darker colors. “I have lately been throwing a color we use to throw a lot in past years…a plum with a chartreuse tail.” Capt. Countz LOCATION: Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Lake Austin GPS: N 28 47 34, W 95 47 33 (28.7930, -95.7927) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Norton Sand Shad Junior and Bull Minnows CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “The white shrimp are moving out of the back marshes and we get better bird action in November.” Capt. Countz

MIDDLE TEXAS COAST

Port Aransas Reds See the Light by TOM BEHRENS

LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Lighthouse Lakes GPS: N 27 50 23, W 97 04 19 &

G A M E ®

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

10/28/14 1:59 PM

Texas Hotspots (27.8400, -97.0720) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Levi Price 830-613-1865 captlevi@tstar.net www.thefishtx.com TIPS: Price will be fishing drains with topwaters right after a frontal passage. LOCATION: Espiritu Santo Bay HOTSPOT: Pringle Shoreline GPS: N 28 19 35, W 96 30 51 (28.3266, -96.5142) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Royce Macha 979-429-0406 rlmamlm@live.com www.machasguideservice.com TIPS: “When the water starts cooling off and starts knocking the grass down, not so much floating grass, I have caught a lot of fish from around Pringle.” Capt. Macha LOCATION: Espiritu Santo Bay HOTSPOT: Big Pocket GPS: N 28 22 04, W 96 26 00 (28.3678, -96.4336) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Gold spinner baits CONTACT: Capt. Royce Macha 979-429-0406 rlmamlm@live.com www.machasguideservice.com TIPS: “In sunshiney weather I like to use a bait with a chartreuse/green skirt and a red jig head.” Capt. Macha LOCATION: Espiritu Santo Bay HOTSPOT: Fish Pond GPS: N 28 21 52, W 96 24 24 (28.3645, -96.4069) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Gold spinner baits CONTACT: Capt. Royce Macha 979-429-0406 rlmamlm@live.com www.machasguideservice.com TIPS: “I usually use lighter heads, like 1/8 ounce. They don’t sink as fast and don’t get caught down in the grass.” Capt. Macha LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: San Jose Island GPS: N 28 00 43, W 96 58 21 (28.0121, -96.9728) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: 4 inch saltwater Bass Assassin paddletail on a 1/16 oz. jig head

64 |

N O V E M B E R

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 64

2 0 1 4

CONTACT: Capt. Levi Price 830-613-1865 captlevi@tstar.net www.thefishtx.com TIPS: “On sunny days I scoot on into the back lakes around San Jose.” Capt. Price LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Allyn’s Lake GPS: N 27 59 10, W 96 58 51 (27.9861, -96.9811) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: 4 inch saltwater Bass Assassin paddletail on a 1/16 oz. jig head CONTACT: Capt. Levi Price 830-613-1865 captlevi@tstar.net www.thefishtx.com TIPS: “Fish the conditions. Adjust your fishing style for the wind conditions, wind velocity, and water clarity. The main thing is finding baitfish.” Capt. Price LOCATION: San Antonio Bay HOTSPOT: Half Moon Reef GPS: N 28 20 08, W 96 46 33 (28.3358, -96.7759) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Plum/chartreuse Texas Trout Killeres CONTACT: Capt. Chris Martin 361-785-2686 Chris@BayFlatsLodge.com www.bayflatslodge.com TIPS: Plastics over shell…”you just want to lighthly bump it to keep getting any snags or hookups on the shell.” Capt. Martin LOCATION: Seadrift HOTSPOT: Victoria Barge Canal GPS: N 28 32 30, W 96 48 40 (28.5419, -96.8114) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Plum/chartreuse Texas Trout Killeres CONTACT: Capt. Chris Martin 361-785-2686 Chris@BayFlatsLodge.com www.bayflatslodge.com TIPS: “On any of the reefs off the Victoria Barge Canal, on a calm day, use plum/chartreuse Texas Trout Killers.” Capt Martin LOCATION: Seadrift HOTSPOT: Chicken Foot Reef GPS: N 28 16 12, W 96 46 48 (28.2701, -96.7802) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Plum/chartreuse Texas Trout Killeres CONTACT: Capt. Chris Martin 361-785-2686

T E X A S

F I S H

Chris@BayFlatsLodge.com www.bayflatslodge.com TIPS: “If it’s real windy you probably want to wade the lakes.” Capt. Martin LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Packery Flats GPS: N 27 37 46, W 97 12 41 (27.6296, -97.2115) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Gold spinner baits CONTACT: Capt. Royce Macha 979-429-0406 rlmamlm@live.com www.machasguideservice.com TIPS: “Crank he spinner bait fast enough so they go across the top of the grass. From that point varry you retrieve to see what the fish prefer.” Capt. Macha LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Sulphur Flats GPS: N 27 37 35, W 97 15 44 (27.6264, -97.2625) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: 5000 series MirrOLure CONTACT: Capt. Royce Macha 979-429-0406 rlmamlm@live.com www.machasguideservice.com TIPS: “In November, start using some of the bigger baits. I find fish over muddy/shell bottoms.” Capt. Macha LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Demit Island Pass GPS: N 27 41 20, W 97 14 27 (27.6891, -97.2409) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Pumpkin/chartreuse saltwater Bass Assassins CONTACT: Capt. Royce Macha 979-429-0406 rlmamlm@live.com www.machasguideservice.com TIPS: Macha’s go-to bait in plastics: “salt water Assassins, pumpkin/chartreuse with a 1/8 oz. lead head…twitch it a couple of times, reel up your slack, keep twitching and reel until you feel that little thump.” Capt Moacha LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Nighthawk Bay GPS: N 27 30 10, W 97 17 52 (27.5029, -97.2978) SPECIES: Flounder BEST BAITS: Cocahoe Minnow or satlwater Bass Assassins CONTACT: Capt. Royce Macha 979-429-0406 rlmamlm@live.com

G A M E ®

10/28/14 1:59 PM

www.machasguideservice.com TIPS: “Usually you will ﬁnd ﬂounder on the outside of drains. Work it slowly across the bottom. Feel that little thump, wait a minute and set the hook.” Capt. Macha

LOWER TEXAS COAST

Big Speck Turnout in the Basin by CALIXTO GONZALES

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Port Isabel Turning Basin GPS: N 26 3.761, W 97 9.482 (26.0627, -97.1580) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live shirmp, soft plastics in Red/White, New Penny, Rootbeer/chartreuse CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Trout move to deeper water when weather starts cooling. Trout move to the warmer water in these areas because of the warmer water. Live shrimp or finger mullet can be fished on a split shot rig, or under a popping cork if trout are near the drop-off. Keep a finger on your line, because these trout will be picking up the bait very softly. LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Yarborough Pass GPS: N 27 12 14, W 97 21 57 (27.2039, -97.3661) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Shrimp imitation flies CONTACT: Capt. Randy Best 361-533-2058 Randhyb@yahoo.com www.lagunamadresightcasters.com TIPS: “We are sight fishing, using clouser and crab imitations, looking for sand pockets in the grass.” Capt. Best LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Holly Beach GPS: N 26 6.888, W 97 17.839 (26.1148, -97.2973) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp, finger mullet, ballyhoo; gold spoons, soft plastics in chartreuse, Firetiger CONTACT: Captain Layne Levins 281-705-5537 TIPS: Time your visit with an incoming tide. Drift and cast live shrimp/popping cork combinations or gold spoons for best results. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Drum Boats GPS: N 26 10.713, W 97 11.107 (26.1786, -97.1851)

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Live Shrimp, cut bait, gold spoons, sopft plastics in Tequila Gold, New Penny. CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez 956-551-9581 TIPS: Start with live or cut bait early, and then move on to soft plastics or gold spoons as the day goes longer. LOCATION: Arroyo Colorado HOTSPOT: Arroyo Colorado Piers GPS: N 26 20.061, W 97 26.375 (26.3344, -97.4396) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live shirmp, Speck Rigs, small topwaters. CONTACT: Arroyo City Market 956-748-3255 TIPS: Night fishing under the lights takes off on mild days. Use live shirmp freelined or Speck Rigs Some nice trout mix in with the schoolies. LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: Bennie’s Shack GPS: N 26 28.864, W 97 15.102 (26.4811, -97.2517) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Norton Sand Ell, Jr. in LSU, Topwaters in bone, redhead/white CONTACT: Captain Danny Neu 979-942-0165 danny.neu.39@facebook.com TIPS: West Bay is always good for numbers of fat trout. Drift with soft plastics. If there is little floating grass, then fish with a topwater such as the Heddon One Knocker. LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: South of East Cut GPS: N 26 32.814, W 97 23.089 (26.5469, -97.3848) SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plasitcs in LSU, topwaters. CONTACT: Captain Danny Neu 979-942-0164 danny.neu.39@facebook.com TIPS: Fish south of the platform remains in the deeper water close to the channel. Trout move in and out of the channel to feed, and spread out on warmer days. LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: Big Oaks GPS: N 26 41.468, W 97 27.791 (26.6911, -97.4632) SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Soft Plasitcs in LSU, topwaters, gold spoons. CONTACT: Captain Danny Neu 979-942-0165 danny.neu.39@facebook.com TIPS: Drift the deep grass beds in the area with soft plastics pinned on a 1/4-ounce jighead. Most of the fish will be holding closer to shore, but an outgoing tide will push them into deeper water. T E X A S

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 65

F I S H

PINEY WOODS

Wyndell’s Hot Hybrid Hole by DUSTIN WARNCKE

LOCATION: Lake Livingston HOTSPOT: Wyndell’s Hot Hole GPS: N 30 45.128, W 95 10.299 (30.752134, -95.171642) SPECIES: White Bass / Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Tsunami Zombie Eye Slabs and live shad CONTACT: David S Cox, Palmetto Guide Service (936) 291-9602 dave@palmettoguideservice.com www.palmettoguideservice.com TIPS: Jig slabs off the bottom. Look for water depths 11 14 feet. Keep line tension tight as the slab falls. Be ready for strikes on the falling bait. BANK ACCESS: Governor’s Point at Point Blank or the public ramp on west side of 190 Bridge. LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 25.462, W 95 35.934 (30.424361, -95.598898) SPECIES: Hybrid Stripers Best Bait’s: Live shad, Storm Swim shad CONTACT: Richard Tatsch (936) 291-1277 admin@fishdudetx.com, www.fishdudetx.com The hybrid stripers will begin to school along ledges along the river channel. Find the schools of shad and you will find the Hybrids. This time of year they will run shad up on these ridges during the day they will move deeper around the area. Find the depth the bait are in and you will find the fish. Live shad will be the bait of choice in deeper water but the swim shad will work as long as you can control your retrieve to keep the bait in the depth the fish are going to be in. The depths will vary from one day to the next, today they may be in 20 foot of water and tomorrow they may be in 40 foot. It all depends on the schools of shad. Good luck and good fishing! Bank access: Stowaway marina LOCATION: Toledo Bend North HOTSPOT: River Bends GPS: N 31 46.600, W 93 49.889 (31.776661, -93.831482) SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Shiners & Crappie Jigs CONTACT: Greg Crafts, Toledo Bend Guide Service and Lake Cottages (936) 368.7151 www.toledobendguide.com gregcrafts@yahoo.com,

G A M E ®

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

10/28/14 1:59 PM

Texas Hotspots TIPS: The days are getting shorter and the water is starting to cool down. The baitfish will be bunching up and the fish will start feeding heavy bulking up for the winter. Work the ledges of the old river channel. Use your electronics to find any natural cover and baitfish (the best solution is to drop your own brush). Fish vertically over the brush with live shiners or jigs. The daily creel is 25 per person with no minimum length.

PRAIRIES & LAKES

Cedar Creek Cats Yelling ‘Timber!’ by DUSTIN WARNCKE and DEAN HEFFNER LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake HOTSPOT: North Timber GPS: N 32 22.835, W 96 09.247 (32.380591, -96.154115) SPECIES: Blue catﬁsh BEST BAITS: Cut shad Contact information: Jason Barber (903) 887-7896 kingscreekadventures@yahoo.com www.kingscreekadventures.com TIPS: Anchor on tree lines in 3 to 8 ft and ﬁsh shad on the bottom. LOCATION: Lake Aquilla HOTSPOT: Deep Humps GPS: N 31 54.212, W 97 12.178 (31.903541, -97.202965) SPECIES: White bass BEST BAITS: 1 oz. Chartreuse slabs CONTACT: Randy Routh (817) 822-5539 teamredneck01@hotmail.com www.teamredneck.net TIPS: Watch graph along humps and you will see the White Bass stacked up on the edges of the humps. Drop slabs down and bounce off bottom making contact with bait as it falls. Carry binoculars and glass the lake occasionally watching for the birds to be diving on shad, the White Bass push the shad to the surface and quick limits are coming from under the birds. LOCATION: Belton Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 31 07.670, W 97 29.848 (31.127827, -97.497472) SPECIES: White bass and hybrid striped bass Recommended Baits: White TNT180 slabs, 3/4 oz.

66 |

N O V E M B E R

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 66

2 0 1 4

CONTACT: Holding the Line Guide Service (254) 368-7411 Bob@HoldingTheLineGuideService.com www.HoldingTheLineGuideService.com Fishing TIPS: Year after year, the November fishing on Belton is second only to the month of March for numbers of fish once turnover is complete. Work slabs in lower 1/3 of the water column and rely on your graph to locate bait before wetting a line. LOCATION: Lake Belton HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 31 08.609, W 97 29.773 (31.14349, -97.49622) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Crank bait, topwater lures, jigs, large U-Tail Worms, and Trick Worms CONTACT: Henry Niemiec 254-368-0294 surestrikeguideservice@yahoo.com www.surestrikeguideservice.com TIPS: Here in Central Texas fall has arrived. Weather is cooler, the water is cooler and the Bass have started feeding, preparing themselves for winter. Early morning and later in the evening are great times to be on the water. Bass are schooling and it’s every fish for himself. Pick your favorite crank bait or top water bait and hold on. And let’s not forget those Bass that have their heart set on cruising the shallows. Jigs and large U-Tail Worms or Trick Worms will do the trick. Lake levels here are still low, so as always care needs to be taken while on the water. LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 32 18.700, W 96 09.381 (32.311659, -96.156354) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Watermelon trick worms, Shakey Heads, small shad color crankbaits, Carolina-rigged watermelon trick worms. CONTACT: Rodney Stuart, Go Fish Guide Service (817) 675-8062 Fishingrod38@aol.com TIPS: Bass fishing is good under docks on main lake points with watermelon trick worms and Shakey Heads and on small shad color crankbaits at night. They are excellent around lighted boat docks on the main lake points. You can also Carolina rig watermelon trick worms 2 to 10 feet of water. LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake Bridges GPS: N 32 19.686, W 96 10.935 (32.328100, -96.182256) SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Chartrueuse and blue jigs CONTACT: Rodney Stuart, Go Fish Guide Service (817) 675-8062

T E X A S

F I S H

Fishingrod38@aol.com TIPS: Crappie fishing is good around any of the bridges on the lake in 15 to 22 foot of water. Suspend jigs mid-way down and hold on! LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Humps and Points by the Dam GPS: N 32 11.318, W 96 04.409 (32.188633, -96.073476) SPECIES: White Bass and Hybrids BEST BAITS: Slabs in Chartrueuse color, Slipping Image top water lures CONTACT: Rodney Stuart, Go Fish Guide Service (817) 675-8062 Fishingrod38@aol.com TIPS: White bass and hybrid fishing is excellent on the humps and points towards the dam. Slabs bouncing off the bottom in 15 to 20 feet of water and top water lures have been great on schooling fish. LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 32 11.039, W 96 04.362 (32.183982, -96.072692) SPECIES: Blue catfish BEST BAITS: Large perch and cut shad CONTACT: Rodney Stuart, Go Fish Guide Service (817) 675-8062 Fishingrod38@aol.com TIPS: Big blue cat fishing action is very good with many catches yielding up to 50 pounds. Drift the main lake in 27 to 33 ft of water. It’s been a steady good bite but you need a 10 to 15 mph wind. Even a 20 mph wind is not too strong. The fish are very active. Thank you and good fishing to all. LOCATION: Lake Dunlap HOTSPOT: Mid-Lake Area GPS: N 29 40.726, W 98 04.042 (29.678767, -98.067375) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Crankbaits CONTACT: Teach ‘Em to Fish Guide Service, Barry Dodd (210) 771-0123 barry@teachemtofish.net www.teachemtofish.net TIPS: With water temperature in fish comfort zones, the bass are actively feeding in preparation for winter. This is a great time of year to fish. Bass are aggressively hitting all kinds of lures in shallow water. These bass are chasing baitfish so crank baits work well. Look for areas along the channel drop off and edge breaks. This area had a large lake hump in the middle of the lake that is excellent for crank bait fishing. It has good break lines, flats and deep water and holds bass. I use a St Croix Legend Tournament Big Cranker casting rod, 7’8” medium power with moderate action. Attached is an Okuma Komodo 5.4:1 casting reel spooked with Izorline XXX 12# copolymer line. Using a moderate

G A M E ®

10/28/14 1:59 PM

action rod in conjunction with copolymer line allows the fish to get the bait inside its mouth and puts adequate pressure on the bait during the fight to hold it in the fish’s mouth when jumping. There are big bass in this lake so do not be afraid of throwing large crank baits. LOCATION: Fayette County Lake HOTSPOT: Cedar Creek Timber GPS: N 29 56.181, W 963 44.631 (29.9364, -361.7439) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Worms, Shad, Punch bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Water here is 40-50 foot deep. Put out marker, chum around marker, use trolling motor, or long anchor rope, to stay close to bouy. Best here when winds are moderate to light. LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Res. HOTSPOT: Hog Island GPS: N 30 37.992, W 96 3.502 (30.6332, -96.0584) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Punch Bait, Fresh Shad CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Fish deeper side of Hog Island, 7-15 foot deep. Fish on the bottom. Shad is good for Big Blue cats here. LOCATION: Lake Granbury HOTSPOT: Indian Harbor GPS: N 32 24.576, W 97 44.910 (32.409600, -97.748500) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics (black, blue fleck/Red Shad). Jigging slabs near schooling fish. CONTACT: Michael Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters (817) 578-0023 www.unfairadvantagecharters.com TIPS: Work the soft plastics near structure. Look for flooded weed beds and standing timber in shallow water. Granbury levels continue to be low, so call to make sure access is available. Currently access is only available at the Hilton/City Beach launch, Pecan Plantation and Rough Creek Park, but more could open with a large rainfall. Water temperatures are in the upper 60’s and falling and fall catching patterns are dominating. Winter is quickly approaching and passing cold fronts are the norm this time of the year. The wintering birds have returned and will point you right to active fish. Best reported action continues to be sandbass and small stripers on jigging slabs in silver and chartreuse and live bait. Look for most of the action near channel ledges from the area near town all the way to the dam. Some of the stripers are barely keeper size (18 inches) and your best choice for those keeper stripers is live shad fished on a Carolina Rig about 20 feet down. Black bass catches are good in numbers with

lots of smaller fish, but there are numerous fish in the 3 to 6lb range if you can locate them. The large mouth bass are schooling with the sandbass and small stripers across the lake at times. Try the Indian Harbor area for these blacks, though they can be caught all over. Channel catfish continue to be fair to good on cut shad and hot dogs fished under docks near mid lake. Crappie reports are slow, but hopefully we will get some good news as many of the winter anglers will start focusing on this species. LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 33 03.324, W 96 28.063 (33.055394, -96.467716) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Series 5 sexy shad KV D crank baits are all I’m using right now Luer wise. Otherwise I would start throwing creature Bates in motor oil chartreuse, watermelon pepper and watermelon green creature Bates or worms. CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo.com TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com TIPS: Fish 12 to 18 foot depths brush piles and ledges. There are brush piles surrounding the entire lake out of the south wind in 12 to 15 foot. Ones and twos should be hanging out in timber in 15 to 18 foot on the east side of the lake. LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Main Lake Brushpiles GPS: N 33 03.324, W 96 28.063 (33.055394, -96.467716) SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Black and chartreuse/white and Chartrueuse on a 1/16th to 18th ounce jig head with a pink head, medium-size minnows or 3”-4” live shad. CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo.com TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com TIPS: If you’re a diehard Crappie fishermen, come to Lake Lavon. Fish 15 to 18 foot depths brush piles and ledges. There are brush piles surrounding the entire lake out of the south wind in 12 to 15 foot. There should be ones and twos hanging out in timber in 15 to 18 foot on the east side of the lake. Catfish seem to be anywhere from 10 foot 20 foot. LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: North End of the River GPS: N 32 16.185, W 95 27.722 (32.269750, -95.462033) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: WhiteTop Shelf 1/2 oz spinnerbaits, Shimmy Shakers, and 3/8 oz Big Eye Jigs CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff (903) 561-7299 or (903) 530-2201 ricky@rickysguideservice.com www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Fish pockets around the islands next to the river and fish all lay downs South of Kickapoo creek. Fish slow and work the pockets and stumps along the creeks and main lake. Fish your Top Shelf Spinner bait and Shimmy T E X A S

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 67

F I S H

Shakers alongside the pads, around the grass or weed lines, and standing timber. Fish the Big Eye Jig, spinnerbaits and Shimmy Shaker alongside the pads and any stumps you can find in these areas. Best depths will be 3 to 5 feet. LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Highway 155 Bridge GPS: N 32 08.800, W 95 28.215 (32.146665, -95.470253) SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Mr. Twister lures, Mister Mino in white and gobby green colors CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff (903) 561-7299 or (903) 530-2201 ricky@rickysguideservice.com www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Fish lures around bridge pilings for good crappie action! LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 32 11.579, W 95 30.033 (32.192982, -95.500551) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: C J’s Punch Bait CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff (903) 561-7299 or (903) 530-2201 ricky@rickysguideservice.com www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Fish along the bulkheads in 4 to 6 foot of water. Anchor and fish punch bait stationary on the bottom. LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard HOTSPOT: East Fork GPS: N 32 54.747, W 96 29.247 (32.912448, -96.487458) SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Silver spoons, black jigs with trailers (in overcast conditions) CONTACT: The Cajun Guide/Johnny Procell (972) 814-8942 cajunguide@att.net www.johnnyprocell.com TIPS: Since this is “Turkey Day” month, many folks seem to forget that this is also the time of year when some of the best fishing occurs. Now I have never been one to subscribe to the notion that fish sense the oncoming colder months and put on the feed bag so that the extra layers of fat will keep them warm during the frigid temperatures and resulting colder water. The fact is that since the fish are cold blooded, they could not care less about the temperature. Their bodies simply adjust to the colder water by slowing down their metabolism until they hardly feed at all when a certain temperature is reached. They can become almost dormant until the water again warms in spring. The trick is in knowing at what point this happens. Luckily for us here in Texas and for the majority of the South this need not be a reason to stop fishing. One of the best days for catching fish that I can remember occurred the day after Thanksgiving last year. My clients limited on both species and then caught fish after fish for over two hours until their arms couldn’t stand the strain of pulling in these strong fish any longer. We were the only boat

G A M E ®

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

10/28/14 1:59 PM

Texas Hotspots on the lake that day so we had no competition. If you choose to fish this month that is what one will likely find. Add the cool weather and the flights of ducks and geese passing overhead and it is truly the time of year to be on the water. Black Bass will begin to seek deep holes and will relate to large trees along the East Fork of the Trinity river. Go north out of Harbor Bay Marina for about two hundred yards to the inundated railroad track roadway. Turn left and follow the old railroad bed for fifty yards. Turn North and fish every large tree along this stretch. The water will be about six to ten feet deeper in the old channel. My clients and I usually fish silver spoons vertically around each tree by lowering the lure to the bottom and then slowly lifting it a few inches at a time until we are five feet from the bottom. If we do not get a strike we move on to the next tree. There are literally hundreds of targets along this stretch. The strikes will often be a very slight twitch of the line so it is imperative to maintain contact with the lure at all times. Once one bass is caught there might be an entire school of hungry “big mouths’” in the same area. LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard HOTSPOT: East side of Robertson Park GPS: N 32 52.497, W 96 30.606 (32.874945, -96.510093 SPECIES: White Bass/Hybrids BEST BAITS: Lipless crankbait such as H2O or Rat-LTrap, Roostertail CONTACT: The Cajun Guide/Johnny Procell (972) 814-8942 cajunguide@att.net www.johnnyprocell.com TIPS: Hybrids and sandbass will have moved from the deep water towards the shallows and by shallow I am talking about water less than a foot deep. The bait of choice is the lipless crankbait and my clients and I seem to get more strikes on the H2O brand than any other although the venerable Rat-L-Trap is a close second. Cast the lure up on the bank and burn it back. The fish are accustomed to shad that have been forced upon the bank to flip back into the water and it is here that they do the most damage to the baitfish. I believe that is why the technique works. One need go no further than the east side of Robertson Park. Fish the outside of the marker bouys and be very careful of the shallow water inside the marked area. Should the hybrids and sandies start thrashing the baitfish then a Roostertail on light spinning gear will result in some heart stopping action as the fish go airin’ the shallow water LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard HOTSPOT: George Bush Turnpike bridge GPS: N 32 52.497, W 96 30.606 (32.868460, -96.553313) SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Small minnows, 1/16 oz. blue and white crappie jigs CONTACT: The Cajun Guide/Johnny Procell (972) 814-8942 cajunguide@att.net

68 |

N O V E M B E R

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 68

2 0 1 4

www.johnnyprocell.com TIPS: Crappie have moved to the deeper water under the bridges and can be caught on the three deeper water ones. The George bush Turnpike bridge is a sleeper and seldom fished though it is arguably the best bet during this period. Small minnows work just fine but my preference is a one sixteenth ounce blue and white crappie jig. Other patters work but this is just the best for my clients and I. LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard HOTSPOT: Lower End of the Lake GPS: N 32 49.333, W 96 31.071 (32.822219, -96.517848) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Punch bait CONTACT: The Cajun Guide/Johnny Procell (972) 814-8942 cajunguide@att.net www.johnnyprocell.com TIPS: Catfish are best targeted in the lower and deeper part of the lake. Draw a line from the Heath Park boat ramp straight across to the power plant on the west side of the lake. Right in the middle of the lake this line will intersect with two levees. The water should be from six to ten feet shallow on the tops of these levees. This is where the big blues and channel cats will cruise as they search for shad that use this formation as a highway. Throw out some soured corn or some range cubes, anchor the boat on both ends and wait a while. Sooner or later, usually soon, the cats will find the offerings and will begin to look for other things to eat. This is where your punch baited hook will get bitten and you will be in for a dandy fight, not to mention the fried catfish dinner. LOCATION: Lake Ray Robers HOTSPOT: Main Lake Humps & Ridges GPS: N 33 22.155, W 97 04.477 (33.369253, -97.074617) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Slabs, RatLTraps, square-bill crankbaits, Alabama rigs CONTACT: Dannie Golden, Get Bit Guide Service 817-228-5999 www.get-bit.com TIPS: November is a great time to stock up the freezer on some white bass fillets. The fish will be stacked up on main lake humps and ridges. Make sure you keep an eye out for the gulls. Even if the gulls are not actively hitting the water, make sure you go graph the area where they are sitting on the water. They are never very far from a meal. Check your graph for fish hanging on the drop offs of the ridges 25-30 feet of water. I still like a 1oz chartreuse/white slab. Also this time of year we catch a lot of big blue cats and an occasional flat head on the slabs, when trying for the whites. Lot of times when the gulls are actively hitting the water, you can catch them on a moving bait. Rattle traps, square bills, and Alabama rigs work great. The fish will still be in the deeper water, but shallower in the water column.

T E X A S

F I S H

LOCATION: Lake Ray Robers HOTSPOT: Walnut, Lick & Wolf Creeks GPS: N 33 25.893, W 97 01.285 (33.431548, -97.021412) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: frogs, buzzbaits, spinnerbaits CONTACT: Dannie Golden Get Bit Guide Service 817-228-5999 www.get-bit.com TIPS: November is a great month to catch some quality bass on Ray Roberts. The bass will be active in the backs of the creeks, and along creek edges. Look for the shallow vegetation. Milfoil and pondweed will be holding fish. Several baits will catch them this time of year. My favorite is a topwater frog. I like both a hollow body frog and a buzz type frog. White for the sunny days, and a darker frog for the cloudy days. Most of the bites we get are going to be around the edges of the grass. This is also a good time of year for a buzzbait and spinnerbait. I like fishing the spinnerbait fast, waking it just under the surface. When they aren’t hitting a moving bait, try a split shot rigged fluke fished around the outside edge of the grass. Anything watermelon will work. My favorite is watermelon/gold. I use a clam shot, and put it up about 18 inches above the bait. Work it very slow. If you feel you are fishing it slow enough, slow down. We mainly dead stick it. I always tell my customer to pretend they are trying to sneak it back to the boat, without a fish seeing it. Gives it more of a natural presentation. Watch your line though, they will just pick it up and swim off with it. If not familiar with the lake, watch the timber going into these creeks. LOCATION: Lake Richland Chambers HOTSPOT: Southeast Shoreline/Fisherman’s Point/ Windsock Point GPS: N 31 57.056, W 96 07.309 (31.950931, -96.121821) SPECIES: Hybrid Stripers & White Bass CONTACT: Royce Simmons, Gone Fishin’ Guide Service (903) 389-4117 www.gonefishin.biz BEST BAITS: 1 oz. Silver Glitter RSR Shad Slabs (www.rsrlures.com ) & !/4 oz. Blue Chrome Rat-L-Traps TIPS: Watch for the seagulls and pelicans dipping down to pick up shad off the surface. Concentrate on the sides of Windsock Point in depths ranging from 20-30 feet of water. Bounce the Slab off the bottom and when the strike occurs, HOLD ON! It might be a BIG Ol’ Hybrid! If surfacing action occurs, bring out the Rat-L-Traps. LOCATION: Lake Richland Chambers HOTSPOT: Heavy Timber in the Richland Creek Arm GPS: N 31 57.792, W 96 12.475 (31.963200, -96.207920) CONTACT: Royce Simmons, Gone Fishin’ Guide Serv. (903) 389-4117 www.gonefishin.biz

G A M E ®

10/28/14 1:59 PM

BEST BAITS: 1 oz. Silver Glitter RSR Shad Slabs (www.rsrlures.com ) & !/4 oz. Blue Chrome Rat-L-Traps SPECIES: Channel and Blue Catfish BEST BAITS: Danny Kings Punch Bait TIPS: Find any timbered areas where the commorants roost. Fish in 15-25 feet of water. Use a # 4 Treble Hook with Punch Bait. Keep a net handy as you’ll catch LOTS of 1 to 3 lb. fish, but you’re subject to hooking a MONSTER Blue Cat! LOCATION: Richland Chambers Lake HOTSPOT: Dam Area GPS: N 31 56.746, W 96 06.307 (31.945767, -96.105120) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Square bill crank baits in shad colors and crawfish colors, CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo.com TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com TIPS: Fishing anywhere there are rocks such as the damn protruding into the water. In the morning throw square bill crank baits and shad colors and crawfish colors. Stay in 3 to 12 feet of water right up against the rocks contract the crank bait back to the boat while you’re sitting in 18 foot. It drops rapidly so about 10 to 20 feet out from the rocks. You’re fishing dead water now. Use your depth finder to see where the rocks are. I would almost say the magic depth right now is 7 to 12 foot when the sun is it its highest. Every morning and evening they move up shallow, 6 inches to 4 foot of water. Motor oil Chartrueuse 7 inch Zoom baits, watermelon red worms, watermelon green worms , and creature baits -for Texas rigging and Carolina rigging. White and Chartrueuse spinner baits in the morning bumping into timber will produce a lot of 3 to 6 pound fish. Average size right now is 4 to 6 pounds. Recently we have landed a couple of 8 to 8 1/2 pound largemouths. I would consider an average day to be five fish would equal 18 pounds. A very good day I would expect 25 to 30 pound sacks. LOCATION: Richland Chambers Lake HOTSPOT: North Main Lake GPS: N 32 05.314, W 96 19.928 (32.088569, -96.332134) SPECIES: Spotted Gar BEST BAITS: Cut bait or frayed nylon CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo.com TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com TIPS: Travel way north into the shallows and bobber a piece of cut bait 1-3 ft under a cork in 2-5 ft of water. If sight casting: cast 3 ft I front of the cruising fish’s path. Or cast a 4-6 inch piece of frayed nylon rope on 8 lb line/ spinning tackle. Gar will strike at the rope and get tangled in their teeth. Dangerous fish but is an aerobatic fish and fight lasts a whole 15 seconds or less. 3-4 ft long gar LOCATION: Richland Chambers Lake HOTSPOT: Hybrid Point/Island GPS: N 32 01.616, W 96 13.632 (32.026932, -96.227204)

SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: ¼ oz. Chartrueuse or white slabs with a Jig tied 18” above it CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo.com TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com TIPS: White bass are very good as well. As soon as we get a thermocline, the shad cannot hide in deeper water and must go shallow to try to get away from the white bass feeding. As soon as that settles in, the whole lake will start to boil with white bass feeding every morning and evening and on rare occasions they will pop up in the middle of the day. Right now they start feeding right at about 7:15 AM in the morning till about eight to 8:30 AM. Throwing quarter ounce Chartrueuse or white slabs, with a Jig tied 18 inches above it will produce two fish every cast if they are feeding heavily on top. After they’re done feeding on top the fish migrate down to about 12 to 18 foot of water. Casting the jig and slab rig bouncing off the bottom will boat some fish. One of the schools stays at the tip of the island in that depth every day. Most mornings they push up on Hybrid point. LOCATION: Richland Chambers Lake HOTSPOT: Hybrid Point/Island GPS: N 32 01.616, W 96 13.632 (32.026932, -96.227204) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: ¼ oz. Chartrueuse or white slabs with a Jig tied 18” above it CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo.com TexasOklahomaFishingGuide.com TIPS: Fishing in timber and on the rocks at the damn and in 12 to 18 foot of water in the trees and timber, is producing limits. Baiting a hole with Maize will bring them in within 30 minutes. Blue cats are best caught by drifting cut shad in 10 to 20 feet of water. LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: Fat Point GPS: N 30 17.43, W 96 35.591 (30.2905, -96.5932) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Shrimp, Punch Bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: With Lkae full, few stumps visible, at this GPS site, stumps are all under the water. Chum here and cats will come. Fish near bottom LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: Five Creeks GPS: N 33 54.836, W 96 42.401 (33.913933, -96.706683) SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Sassy Shad jigs in white-glow and Chartrueuse fleck, live shad CONTACT: Bill Carey T E X A S

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 69

F I S H

(903) 786-4477 bigfish@striperexpress.com www.striperexpress.com TIPS: The stripers are running in large schools. Pay close attention to the seagulls. They will locate the stripers ambushing large bait balls. The favorite artificial are 4-inch Sassy Shad soft plastics on a 1-ounce jig heads. Live shad fishing is also a great way to catch stripers. LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: Whitney Hump GPS: N 31 54.463, W 97 21.971 (31.907725, -97.36618) SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Chartreuse 3 in. Swim baits and lead heads from RSRLURES.COM, White 1/2 oz Bucktail Jigs and Chartreuse snake tail trailers. CONTACT: Randy Routh (817) 822-5539 teamredneck01@hotmail.com www.teamredneck.net TIPS: Cast out 30 feet behind boat and turn trolling motor on medium speed and drag baits behind boat along the edge of the point in 25 to 30’ of water, also cast up on the point and make med to fast retrieve back to boat, stripers and white bass are gorging on shad all along the point. Watch for gulls diving on shad the stripers have pushed to the surface.

PANHANDLE

Possum Stripers Strike Oil by DUSTIN WARNCKE and DEAN HEFFNER LOCATION: Possum Kingdom Lake HOTSPOT: Oil Well Slough GPS: N 32 55.322, W 98 27.857 (32.922033, -98.464283) SPECIES: Striped Bass, Hybrids BEST BAITS: Live shad, minnows, slabs, spoons, jigs, crankbaits CONTACT: Dean Heffner (940) 329-0036 fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: November is a great month for jigging and slabbing. Try to ﬁsh right in front of the cold fronts, as the barometric pressure is always on the rise and it’s a guaranteed bite at PK. When the weatherman draws the front line right on the Texas/Oklahoma border is best. If the lake caught water in September/October, then the hotspot will be just north of Oil Well Slough around Bird Island and Sky Camp. If not, then the ﬁsh will stay around Oil Well Slough and further south due to the shallow water north of there. Live bait shad if possible but minnows also will work is best but jigs and slabs are top producers this time of year and you can also start trolling

G A M E ®

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

10/28/14 1:59 PM

Texas Hotspots cranks and rattletraps on the prettier days, otherwise the fish are on bottom. Spoons and sassy shads work also. Jig the spoons and troll with the sassy shads in the rod holders. When nothing else works on a flat-wind day, the sassy shad in a rod holder can be great. Otherwise, jig that spoon, fast up with a ripping action and follow slow back down. If you have slack in the line then you’re not following it back down slow enough. Most of your hits are on the fall. Watch the birds and drift the 10-20 foot sand flats or find them stacked on the break-line usually at 20-25 feet. LOCATION: Hubbard Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Midwest Lake GPS: N 32 49.544, W 99 00.435 (32.825726, -99.007244) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: frozen shad, perch CONTACT: Jason and Lorie Rohloff, Brush Creek Bait 6882 US Hwy 180 West, Breckenridge (254) 559-0605 TIPS: The bite is still strong for catfish along the deep holes and the drop offs. LOCATION: Hubbard Creek Lake HOTSPOT: NW of Dam Bouy GPS: N 32 49.241, W 98 57.947 (32.820677, -98.965788) SPECIES: White bass BEST BAITS: Spider rigs CONTACT: Jason and Lorie Rohloff, Brush Creek Bait 6882 US Hwy 180 W., Breckenridge (254) 559-0605 TIPS: Spider rigging is fun on Hubbard Creek and if you really want a challenge, fishing with all those double rigged poles at once and the schools of white bass, you really will work up a sweat no matter the time.

HILL COUNTRY

Fish Under the Elm for LBJ Bass by DUSTIN WARNCKE

LOCATION: Lake LBJ HOTSPOT: Elm Creek Area GPS: N 30 34.699, W 98 21.825 (30.578318, -98.363750) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Topwater lures CONTACT: Teach ‘Em to Fish Guide Serv., Barry Dodd (210) 771-0123 barry@teachemtoﬁsh.net www.teachemtoﬁsh.net

70 |

N O V E M B E R

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 70

2 0 1 4

TIPS: With water temperature in fish comfort zones, bass and crappie are actively feeding in preparation for winter. This is a great time of year to fish. Bass are aggressively hitting all kinds of lures in shallow water. For some real exciting action, throw some top water baits over vegetation and around docks. The bass have moved back into coves so it’s easier to find spots out of the wind. Look for areas along the edge breaks and shade when the sun is bright. Elm Creek is a good spot this time of year. There are lots of flats and edges to fish and good structure to hold the bass there all day long. My top water equipment consist of a St Croix Legend Tournament Top Water casting rod (6’’8” medium power with extra fast tip), Okuma Helios Air reel spooled with Izorline 20# braid line and Izorline XXX 20# copolymer leader. You want to use a heavy copolymer so the line will lay on top of the water and not sink like fluorocarbon. The best knot for tying leader to braid is the Dodd Knot, which I developed a couple years ago. LOCATION: Lake Austin HOTSPOT: Highway 360 Bridge GPS: N 30 21.035, W 97 47.826 (30.350588, -97.797101) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Picasso spinnerbaits, Double Underspins, V&M Delta Bug, Wild Thang, CONTACT: Brian Parker, Lake Austin Fishing 817-808-2227 lakeaustinfishing@yahoo.com www.LakeAustinFishing.com TIPS: November at Lake Austin can be somewhat tricky because of feeding patterns of the bass. Some days they will bite just about anything they find and some days it’s hard to get them to eat. With that in mind, I will start with Picasso spinnerbaits and Double Underspins around the docks and shallow flats. If the moving baits aren’t successful I switch over to a V&M Delta Bug or Wild Thang. I like to pay attention to how the bass eat. If they crush the bait, I know they are in a good feeding mode so I can cover water. You can purchase the above baits at Fisherman’s Corner (texasbasstackle.com) in San Marcos, McBride’s in Austin, Marine Outlet in Temple, and Tightlines in Killeen. LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Main Lake Humps and Ridges GPS: N 30 45.297, W 98 25.726 (30.754951, -98.428766) SPECIES: Hybrids and Stripers BEST BAITS: Zara spooks and pencil poppers for top water action, slabs and jigs for deeper fish. CONTACT: Ken Miliam (325) 379-2051 kmilam@verizon.net www.striperfever.com.com TIPS: Hybrids and Striper are on the humps along the river channel and along the tree lines. The stripers are feeding early in the mornings on the humps and over the trees. In the month of November there will be some AWESOME top water

T E X A S

F I S H

fishing in the main body of the lake. Throw anything that will stay on top and will make a splash! Fishing top water stripers is like feeding half starved Alligators! Watch for seagulls working and watch tree lines and deep water humps. LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 45.297, W 98 25.726 (30.754951, -98.428766) SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Fresh shrimp, cut shad or cut carp CONTACT: Ken Miliam (325) 379-2051 kmilam@verizon.net www.striperfever.com.com TIPS: Catfish fishing reports are good along the slopes of the ridges in 20 to 36 feet of water. They will be along the sides of points and humps near trees as well. Fish on the bottom or a few feet off the bottom for best results. Use any thing that is bloody for bait such as cut shad or perch as well as carp. LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Shaw Island GPS: N 30 45.297, W 98 25.726 (30.821015, -98.427477) SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Medium diving baits that mimic shad CONTACT: Ken Miliam (325) 379-2051 kmilam@verizon.net www.striperfever.com.com TIPS: White bass will be on the upper end of the lake around Garrett Islands. Troll medium diving baits that look like shad for the best fishing action. LOCATION: Granger Lake HOTSPOT: Main lake flats GPS: N 30 41.484, W 97 21.265 (30.691408, -97.354418) SPECIES: Blue catfish BEST BAITS: Shad, cut bait CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell (512) 365-7761 crappie1@hotmail.com www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: Now is a good time to fish for blue catfish that roam the main lake. They can be caught in 5 to 25 feet of water. A good technique is to drift fish shad using a drift sock if the wind is too high. Position the bait about a foot or two off the bottom and let the wind move you. This covers lots of ground and locates the fish better. Another technique is to use jug lines and either let them drift or have them stationary. If you leave them over night, you will have a better chance of catching the larger fish. Cut bait will also work on the jug lines. Good luck and good fishing. LOCATION: Canyon Lake

G A M E ®

10/28/14 1:59 PM

HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 29 54.413, W 98 15.076 (29.906887, -98.251268) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Drop Shot use Picasso Tungsten Wt, Carolina Rig w/ ¾ wt. by Picasso Tungsten Wt. (“Rig it with Reaction Innovation swim bait) , ¾ oz Jewel Jig w/fluke trailer in Texas Craw color. CONTACT: KC’S Bassin’ Guide Service (210) 823-2153 kandie@gvtc.com www.kcbassinguide.com TIPS: KC Rodz makes the perfect Drop Shot rod. It’s the new Microwave spinning rod”. Line twists are no more! It casts a country mile and paired up with the Lews’ LFS TS series spinning reels and you are a “happy camper”! It’s a must have in ones arsenal for fishing Canyon Lake. Good colors for this time of year are your blue flecks, June Bug and Watermelon Candy if the sun is high and bright and Green Pumpkin green if overcast. LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Tom Creek Area GPS: N 29 52.028, W 98 16.295 (29.867136, -98.271588) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass and Crappie BEST BAITS: Plastic worms rigged wacky style for bass, minnows and jigs for Crappie CONTACT: Teach ‘Em to Fish Guide Service, Barry Dodd (210) 771-0123 barry@teachemtofish.net www.teachemtofish.net TIPS: With water temperature in fish comfort zones, bass and crappie are actively feeding in preparation for winter. This is a great time of year to fish. Bass are aggressively hitting all kinds of lures in shallow water. Bass tend to move back into coves so it’s easier to find spots out of the wind. Look for areas along the channel drop off and edge breaks. Tom Creek is a good spot this time of year for bass and crappie. It has a defined channel with flats and edges to fish. This structure will hold these fish all day long. Because the lake water is clear, I gravitate to lighter tackle with smaller size baits. The slower decent allows you to fish the shallow flats as well as the deeper channels effectively. My equipment choice is a St Croix Legend Tournament Wacky spinning rod (6’8” medium power with extra fast tip), Okuma Helios 2500 spinning reel spooled with Izorline 12# white braid and 10# Izorline fluorocarbon leader using my Dodd Knot to connect the braid and leader. Pro Angler Tackle crappie rods in lengths of 8’ to 12’ in conjunction with Okuma Avenger reels spooled with Izorline 12# white braid and 8-10# fluorocarbon leader tied with my Dodd Knot is my choice equipment. These crappie rods are extremely sensitive and have lots of backbone to haul out the big ones. I use the red Matzo #2 sickle hooks for minnows and my jigs have the same hooks. They are strong but will bend with enough pressure so you don’t break off when (not if) you get hung. LOCATION: Lake LBJ HOTSPOT: Llano – Colorado confluence GPS: N 30 39.262, W 98 25.745

(30.654370, -98.429089) SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Jigs and minnows CONTACT: Teach ‘Em to Fish Guide Service, Barry Dodd (210) 771-0123 barry@teachemtofish.net www.teachemtofish.net TIPS: This is a good location for crappie. There are numerous areas to find them. There are bridge pilings, brush piles, docks and channels all around this area. Minnows are always the mainstay but jigging generally produces some dandy slabs. I use Pro Angler Tackle crappie rods in lengths of 8’ to 12’ and Bee Ready Rod Holders. These crappie rods are extremely sensitive and have lots of backbone to haul out the big ones. The rod holders are adjustable one handed quick draw style. I use the red Matzo #2 sickle hooks for minnows and my jigs have the same hooks. They are strong but will bend with enough pressure so you don’t break off when (not if) you get hung. Remember, if you’re not hanging, you’re not fishing!

SOUTH TEXAS PLAINS

Coleto Caters to Creeky Bass by DUSTIN WARNCKE

LOCATION: Coleto Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: Perdido and Fifteen Mile Creek GPS: N 28 43.706, W 97 10.088 (28.728437, -97.168132) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Weightless Zoom fluke, Zoom Baby Brush Hog CONTACT: Rocky’s Guide Service 361-250-3959 www.coletocreekguidefishing.com TIPS: As a rule I throw a Zoom fluke. I always rig it weightless and also use any 3-5 ought hook, preferably an Owner 4/0. I believe when the sun is up it really helps to dip it in chartreuse. It just seems to trigger the bite a little better. My choice of color is pearl, however watermelon red can be as productive. There is no doubt that Coleto Creek is a watermelon red lake. As a rule dipping your lure can make all the difference between catching and fishing! Right now the pattern has been throwing a Zoom baby brush hog dipped in chartreuse. There are two creeks that feed the lake, Perdido and Fifteen Mile Creek. I refer to them as upper and lower creeks, Perdido being the lower. It seems that most of the fish are usually up in these creeks or other small creeks. It has been a very hot year and has pushed the fish deeper. However early morning or very late evening you can find all the top water action you’re trying to find. After the sun comes up is the time to back out deeper along the grass lines 6-15 feet of water. No doubt Coleto is a lake to fish the grass not the trees. All the fry are in the grass and the fish know it. Like T E X A S

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 71

F I S H

all the southern lakes, if you’re throwing anything less than 20 lb test your asking to get broke off. I prefer Berkeley Big Game 20lb test. Until next time, may your bites be big and your prayers be sincere! LOCATION: Calaveras Lake GPS: N 29 17.876, W 98 19.851 (29.297937, -98.330842) HOTSPOT: Picnic Point SPECIES: Blue Catfish BEST BAITS: Shad CONTACT: Capt. Steve Nixon, Fishhooks Adventures (210) 573-1230 steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com www.sanantoniofishingguides.com TIPS: Drift fishing shad close to the bottom at a depth of 15 to 25 feet. This area has been known to produce some good catches of Blue Cats. LOCATION: Lake Falcon HOTSPOT: Marker 7 to Marker 9 GPS: N 26 50.917, W 99 16.055 (26.848624, -99.267577) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Jigs or Rage Craws, half ounce spinnerbait, dark colored plastics Contact information: Jim Behnken (210) 414-8048 jimbehnken@hotmail.com www.fishlakefalcon.com TIPS: Best area for quality fish has been from marker seven to Marker nine. Fish are relating to hardcover in 4 to 10 feet of water. Slow presentations with jigs or Rage craws producing the most quality fish. On cloudy windy days, and a half ounce spinnerbait small rolled also producing excellent quality largemouth. The water is slightly stained so darker colored Plastics produce best. LOCATION: Lake Falcon HOTSPOT: Dam Area GPS: N 26 33.649, W 99 09.740 (26.560812, -99.162331) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Flukes, Senkos in any watermelon color CONTACT: Bassin’ Billy’s Guide Service and Lodging, Billy Tompkins (281) 928-1133 billy34@gmail.com www.LakeFalconFishing.com TIPS: Rocks are holding fish. Approach them with a Texas or Carolina rig and fish very slow over the rocks. Hold on because the action should be good!

G A M E ®

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

10/28/14 1:59 PM

Sportsman’s Daybook NOVEMBER 2014

Tides and Prime Times

USING THE PRIME TIMES CALENDAR

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

T12

T11

T10

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

T9 T8 T7

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

T15 T16

T6 T17

T3 T2 T1

TIDE PREDICTIONS are shown in graph form, with High and Low tide predictions in text immediately below. SOLUNAR ACTIVITY data is provided to indicate major and minor feeding periods for each day, as the daily phases of the moon have varying degrees of inﬂuence on many wildlife species.

T13 T5

T14

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

T18

AM & PM MAJOR phases occur when the moon reaches its highest point overhead as well as when it is “underfoot” or at its highest point on the exact opposite side of the earth from your positoin (or literally under your feet). Most days have two Major Feeding Phases, each lasting about 2 hours.

T19

T20

PEAK DAYS: The closer the moon is to your location, the stronger the inﬂuence. FULL or NEW MOONS provide the strongest inﬂunce of the month. PEAK TIMES: When a Solunar Period falls within 30 minutes to an hour of sunrise or sunset, anticipate increased action. A moon rise or moon set during one of these periods will cause even greater action. If a FULL or NEW MOON occurs during a Solunar Period, expect the best action of the season.

T21

TIDE CORRECTION TABLE

KEY T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6

Add or subtract the time shown at the rightof the Tide Stations on this table (and map) to determine the adjustment from the time shown for GALVESTON CHANNEL in the calendars.

PLACE Sabine Bank Lighthouse Sabine Pass Jetty Sabine Pass Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass Galveston Bay, S. Jetty Port Bolivar

HIGH -1:46 -1:26 -1:00 -0:04 -0:39 +0:14

LOW -1:31 -1:31 -1:15 -0:25 -1:05 -0:06

KEY PLACE HIGH Galveston Channel/Bays T7 Texas City Turning Basin +0:33 +3:54 T8 Eagle Point +6:05 T9 Clear Lake +10:21 T10 Morgans Point T11 Round Pt, Trinity Bay +10:39

LOW +0:41 +4:15 +6:40 +5:19 +5:15

KEY T12 T13 T14 T15 T16 T17

PLACE Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay Gilchrist, East Bay Jamaica Beach, W. Bay Alligator Point, W. Bay Christmas Pt Galveston Pleasure Pier

HIGH +5:48 +3:16 +2:38 +2:39 +2:32 -1:06

LOW +4:43 +4:18 +3:31 +2:33 +2:31 -1:06

KEY T18 T19 T20 T21 T22 T23

PLACE San Luis Pass Freeport Harbor Pass Cavallo Aransas Pass Padre Island (So. End) Port Isabel

HIGH -0.09 -0:44 0:00 -0:03 -0:24 +1:02

LOW -0.09 -1:02 -1:20 -1:31 -1:45 -0:42

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION T22 T23

TAP HERE For

CUSTOMIZED TIDE CHARTS from the TF&G TIDE FORECASTER

72 |

N O V E M B E R

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 72

2 0 1 4

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

10/28/14 1:59 PM

SYMBOL KEY

= Peak Fishing Period

BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

Fishing Day’s Best 2nd Score Graph Score Best

MONDAY

Sunrise: 7:27a Set: 6:38p Moonrise: 10:56a Set: 9:52p

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Sunrise: 7:28a Set: 6:37p Sunrise: 7:28a Set: 6:36p Sunrise: 7:29a Moonrise: 11:51a Set: 10:49p Moonrise: 12:44p Set: 11:50p Moonrise: 1:33p

Set: 6:35p Set: None

FRIDAY

31 

Sunrise: 7:30a Moonrise: 2:19p

SATURDAY

Nov 1

Set: 6:34p Sunrise: 7:31a Set: 12:52a Moonrise: 3:02p

Set: 6:33p Set: 1:56a

Sunrise: 7:31a Moonrise: 3:45p

Set: 6:33p Set: 2:59a

AM Minor: 8:40a

PM Minor: 9:07p

AM Minor: 9:41a

PM Minor: 10:08p

AM Minor: 10:41a

PM Minor: 11:09p

AM Minor: 11:40a

PM Minor: -----

AM Minor: 12:11a

PM Minor: 12:35p

AM Minor: 1:00a

PM Minor: 1:27p

AM Minor: 1:49a

PM Minor: 2:15p

AM Major: 2:26a

PM Major: 2:53p

AM Major: 3:27a

PM Major: 3:55p

AM Major: 4:27a

PM Major: 4:55p

AM Major: 5:26a

PM Major: 5:54p

AM Major: 6:22a

PM Major: 6:49p

AM Major: 7:13a

PM Major: 7:40p

AM Major: 8:02a

PM Major: 8:28p

Moon Overhead: 4:24p

12a

Tides and Prime Times for NOVEMBER 2014

12p

Moon Overhead: 6:15p

Moon Overhead: 5:20p 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 7:11p 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 8:58p

Moon Overhead: 8:05p 12a

12p

12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

= FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS

 = New Moon  = First Quarter  = Full Moon  = Last Quarter  = Good Day  = Best Day SUNDAY 2 End DST

DIGITAL EXTRA Tap for Customized Tide Charts

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

Moon Overhead: 9:51p 12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 3:57a

+2.0

-1.0

TIDE LEVELS

BEST:

3:30 — 5:30 PM

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

12:36 AM 4:10 AM 12:48 PM 9:26 PM

BEST:

9:00 — 11:00 AM

1.55ft. 1.64ft. 0.16ft. 1.78ft.

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

1:31 AM 4:12 AM 1:39 PM 10:32 PM

Moon Underfoot: 5:48a

BEST:

10:00A — 12:00P

1.61ft. 1.65ft. 0.16ft. 1.78ft.

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

3:10 AM 3:51 AM 2:37 PM 11:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 6:43a

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 73

0.29ft.

F I S H

High Tide: 12:16 AM Low Tide: 4:52 PM

Moon Underfoot: 9:25a

BEST:

12:00 — 2:00 PM

Low Tide: 3:42 PM

T E X A S

Moon Underfoot: 8:32a

BEST:

11:00A — 1:00P

1.63ft. 1.63ft. 0.21ft. 1.76ft.

Moon Underfoot: 7:38a

1.72ft. 0.41ft.

G A M E ®

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

12:51 AM 7:18 AM 11:29 AM 6:05 PM

1.66ft. 1.18ft. 1.34ft. 0.56ft.

+2.0

BEST:

1:00 — 3:00 PM

9:00 — 11:00 PM

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

N O V E M B E R

1:20 AM 6:41 AM 12:12 PM 6:15 PM

2 0 1 4

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 4:52a

1.61ft. 0.92ft. 1.41ft. 0.72ft.

+1.0 0 -1.0

10/28/14 1:59 PM

Sportsman’s Daybook

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

Fishing Day’s Best 2nd Score Graph Score Best

MONDAY

Sunrise: 6:32a Moonrise: 3:26p

TUESDAY

Set: 5:32p Set: 3:02a

Tides and Prime Times for NOVEMBER 2014

Sunrise: 6:33a Moonrise: 4:08p

WEDNESDAY

5

Set: 5:31p Set: 4:06a

Sunrise: 6:34a Moonrise: 4:52p

THURSDAY

6

Set: 5:30p Set: 5:09a

Sunrise: 6:35a Moonrise: 5:37p

FRIDAY

7

Set: 5:30p Set: 6:11a

Sunrise: 6:35a Moonrise: 6:24p

SATURDAY

8

Set: 5:29p Set: 7:13a

Sunrise: 6:36a Moonrise: 7:14p

9

Set: 5:28p Set: 8:12a

Sunrise: 6:37a Moonrise: 8:05p

Set: 5:28p Set: 9:07a

AM Minor: 1:35a

PM Minor: 2:01p

AM Minor: 2:21a

PM Minor: 2:48p

AM Minor: 3:09a

PM Minor: 3:36p

AM Minor: 4:00a

PM Minor: 4:26p

AM Minor: 4:53a

PM Minor: 5:20p

AM Minor: 5:50a

PM Minor: 6:16p

AM Minor: 6:48a

PM Minor: 7:14p

AM Major: 7:48a

PM Major: 8:14p

AM Major: 8:34a

PM Major: 9:01p

AM Major: 9:22a

PM Major: 9:49p

AM Major: 10:13a

PM Major: 10:40p

AM Major: 11:07a

PM Major: 11:34p

AM Major: -----

PM Major: 12:03p

AM Major: 12:34a

PM Major: 1:01p

Moon Overhead: 9:43p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 11:29p

Moon Overhead: 10:36p 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: None

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 1:17a

Moon Overhead: 12:23a

12a

12p

12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

= FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS

 = New Moon  = First Quarter  = Full Moon  = Last Quarter  = Good Day  = Best Day SUNDAY

Tap for Customized Tide Charts

= Peak Fishing Period

BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

SYMBOL KEY

Moon Overhead: 2:10a

12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 9:17a

+2.0

-1.0

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

12:46 AM 7:14 AM 1:34 PM 7:20 PM

1.56ft. 0.65ft. 1.51ft. 0.89ft.

MONDAY

Sunrise: 6:38a Moonrise: 8:57p

Set: 5:27p Set: 9:59a

1:11 AM 7:51 AM 2:45 PM 8:19 PM

1.54ft. 0.39ft. 1.62ft. 1.05ft.

1:35 AM 8:31 AM 3:49 PM 9:13 PM

1.53ft. 0.16ft. 1.70ft. 1.19ft.

BEST:

2:00 AM 9:12 AM 4:49 PM 10:03 PM

1.54ft. 0.00ft. 1.75ft. 1.31ft.

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

THURSDAY

Moon Underfoot: 1:44p

2:25 AM 9:54 AM 5:46 PM 10:52 PM

1.54ft. -0.08ft. 1.75ft. 1.40ft.

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

14 

Set: 5:26p Sunrise: 6:40a Set: 5:26p Sunrise: 6:40a Set: 5:25p Sunrise: 6:41a Set: 10:46a Moonrise: 10:42p Set: 11:28a Moonrise: 11:34p Set: 12:07p Moonrise: None

1:30 — 3:30 AM

2:49 AM 10:36 AM 6:43 PM 11:42 PM

1.54ft. High Tide: 3:11 AM -0.10ft. Low Tide: 11:20 AM 1.73ft. High Tide: 7:41 PM 1.45ft.

SATURDAY

Set: 5:25p Sunrise: 6:42a Set: 5:24p Set: 12:44p Moonrise: 12:26a Set: 1:19p

Sunrise: 6:43a Moonrise: 1:17a

Set: 5:24p Set: 1:53p

AM Minor: 8:41a

PM Minor: 9:05p

AM Minor: 9:34a

PM Minor: 9:57p

AM Minor: 10:23a

PM Minor: 10:46p

AM Minor: 11:09a

PM Minor: 11:31p

AM Minor: 11:51a

PM Minor: -----

AM Minor: 12:10a

PM Minor: 12:32p

AM Major: 1:32a

PM Major: 1:58p

AM Major: 2:29a

PM Major: 2:53p

AM Major: 3:22a

PM Major: 3:45p

AM Major: 4:12a

PM Major: 4:34p

AM Major: 4:58a

PM Major: 5:20p

AM Major: 5:41a

PM Major: 6:02p

AM Major: 6:21a

PM Major: 6:42p

12p

12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 5:27a

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 6:55a

Moon Overhead: 6:11a

12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 7:37a 12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 3:28p

+2.0

-1.0

TIDE LEVELS

BEST:

12:46 AM 3:20 AM 12:05 PM 8:39 PM

Moon Underfoot: 5:04p

BEST:

7:00 — 9:00 AM

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

Moon Underfoot: 4:17p

BEST:

8:00 — 10:00 AM

1.47ft. 1.49ft. 0.04ft. 1.62ft.

KEY

Add or subtract the time shown at the rightof the Tide Stations on this table (and map) to determine the adjustment from the time shown for GALVESTON CHANNEL in the calendars.

0.16ft. 1.56ft.

0.30ft. 1.51ft.

HIGH

LOW

KEY

Sabine Bank Lighthouse -1:46

-1:31

Galveston Channel/Bays

Sabine Pass Jetty

-1:26

-1:31

Sabine Pass

-1:00

-1:15

Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass -0:04

-0:25

Galveston Bay, S. Jetty -0:39

Port Bolivar

+0:14

PLACE

0.44ft. 1.47ft.

HIGH

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

LOW

7:00 AM 8:19 AM 3:32 PM 11:28 PM

1.12ft. 1.13ft. 0.58ft. 1.43ft.

Moon Underfoot: 7:59p

BEST:

7:00 — 9:00 PM

Low Tide: 2:35 PM High Tide: 10:59 PM

Moon Underfoot: 7:16p

BEST:

9:30 — 11:30 AM

Low Tide: 1:41 PM High Tide: 10:22 PM

PLACE

Moon Underfoot: 6:33p

BEST:

8:30 — 10:30 AM

Low Tide: 12:52 PM High Tide: 9:34 PM

TIDE CORRECTION TABLE

Moon Underfoot: 5:49p

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

6:49 AM 10:27 AM 4:31 PM 11:51 PM

1.00ft. 1.11ft. 0.72ft. 1.40ft.

8:00 — 10:00 PM

Low Tide: 6:56 AM High Tide: 11:59 AM Low Tide: 5:29 PM

KEY

PLACE

HIGH

LOW

KEY

PLACE

HIGH

T12

Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay +5:48

+4:43

T18

San Luis Pass

-0.09

Texas City Turning Basin+0:33 +0:41

T13

Gilchrist, East Bay

+4:18

T19

Freeport Harbor

-0:44

-1:02

Eagle Point

+3:54

+4:15

T14

Jamaica Beach, W. Bay +2:38

+3:31

T20

Pass Cavallo

0:00

-1:20

Clear Lake

+6:05

+6:40

T15

Alligator Point, W. Bay +2:39

+2:33

T21

Aransas Pass

-0:03

-1:31

-1:05

T10

Morgans Point

+10:21 +5:19

T16

Christmas Pt

+2:32

+2:31

T22

Padre Island (So. End) -0:24

-1:45

-0:06

T11

Round Pt, Trinity Bay +10:39 +5:15

T17

Galveston Pleasure Pier -1:06

-1:06

T23

Port Isabel

-0:42

+3:16

+2.0

BEST:

7:30 — 9:30 PM

+1:02

0.86ft. 1.15ft. 0.84ft.

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

SUNDAY

PM Minor: 8:11p

Moon Overhead: 4:41a

+1.0

-1.0

1.53ft. -0.06ft. 1.68ft.

AM Minor: 7:45a

Moon Overhead: 3:52a

+2.0

BEST:

1:00 — 3:00 AM

FRIDAY

Moon Underfoot: 2:36p

BEST:

11:30P — 1:30A 12:00 — 2:00 AM

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

WEDNESDAY

Moon Underfoot: 12:50p

BEST:

11:00P — 1:00A

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

TUESDAY

Sunrise: 6:39a Moonrise: 9:50p

Moon Overhead: 3:02a

12a

BEST:

11:00A — 1:00P

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

Moon Underfoot: 11:56a

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

BEST:

9:30 — 11:30 PM

TIDE LEVELS

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 11:02a

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 10:09a

+1.0 0 -1.0

LOW

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION 74 |

N O V E M B E R

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 74

2 0 1 4

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

10/28/14 1:59 PM

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 75

10/28/14 1:59 PM

Sportsman’s Daybook

SYMBOL KEY

 = New Moon  = First Quarter  = Full Moon  = Last Quarter  = Good Day  = Best Day SUNDAY

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION = Peak Fishing Period

BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

Fishing Day’s Best 2nd Score Graph Score Best

MONDAY

Sunrise: 6:44a Moonrise: 2:09a

Set: 5:23p Set: 2:27p

TUESDAY

Sunrise: 6:45a Moonrise: 3:02a

WEDNESDAY

Set: 5:23p Set: 3:02p

Sunrise: 6:45a Moonrise: 3:56a

THURSDAY

20 

Set: 5:23p Set: 3:39p

Sunrise: 6:46a Moonrise: 4:52a

FRIDAY

21 

Set: 5:22p Set: 4:20p

Sunrise: 6:47a Moonrise: 5:49a

SATURDAY

22 

Set: 5:22p Set: 5:04p

Sunrise: 6:48a Moonrise: 6:48a

23 

Set: 5:22p Set: 5:52p

Sunrise: 6:49a Moonrise: 7:47a

Set: 5:21p Set: 6:45p

AM Minor: 12:49a

PM Minor: 1:10p

AM Minor: 1:27a

PM Minor: 1:49p

AM Minor: 2:06a

PM Minor: 2:30p

AM Minor: 2:48a

PM Minor: 3:13p

AM Minor: 3:34a

PM Minor: 4:00p

AM Minor: 4:24a

PM Minor: 4:51p

AM Minor: 5:20a

PM Minor: 5:48p

AM Major: 7:00a

PM Major: 7:21p

AM Major: 7:38a

PM Major: 8:00p

AM Major: 8:18a

PM Major: 8:41p

AM Major: 9:00a

PM Major: 9:25p

AM Major: 9:47a

PM Major: 10:12p

AM Major: 10:38a

PM Major: 11:05p

AM Major: 11:02a

PM Major: -----

Moon Overhead: 8:20a

12a

Tides and Prime Times for NOVEMBER 2014

12p

Moon Overhead: 9:50a

Moon Overhead: 9:04a 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 10:37a 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 12:21p

Moon Overhead: 11:28a 12a

12p

12a

12p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

= FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS

Moon Overhead: 1:16p 12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 8:42p

+2.0 TIDE LEVELS

0 -1.0

BEST:

9:00 — 11:00 AM

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

12:11 AM 7:07 AM 1:12 PM 6:22 PM

1.38ft. 0.70ft. 1.23ft. 0.94ft.

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Sunrise: 6:50a Moonrise: 8:45a

Set: 5:21p Set: 7:42p

BEST:

3:00 — 5:00 AM

12:30 AM 7:24 AM 2:11 PM 7:09 PM

1.37ft. 0.53ft. 1.32ft. 1.04ft.

TUESDAY

Sunrise: 6:50a Moonrise: 9:39a

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

1.38ft. 0.36ft. 1.41ft. 1.12ft.

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

WEDNESDAY

Set: 5:21p Set: 8:43p

BEST:

3:30 — 5:30 AM

12:47 AM 7:47 AM 3:03 PM 7:53 PM

1:04 AM 8:15 AM 3:51 PM 8:35 PM

1.39ft. 0.19ft. 1.50ft. 1.20ft.

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

Moon Underfoot: None

Moon Underfoot: 12:49a

BEST:

4:30 — 6:30 AM

THURSDAY

Sunrise: 6:51a Set: 5:21p Moonrise: 10:30a Set: 9:45p

Moon Underfoot: 11:54p

1:21 AM 8:47 AM 4:39 PM 9:18 PM

1.41ft. 0.03ft. 1.57ft. 1.27ft.

FRIDAY

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

12:30 — 2:30 PM

1:38 AM 9:24 AM 5:29 PM 10:01 PM

1.43ft. -0.10ft. 1.62ft. 1.33ft.

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

SATURDAY

29 

Sunrise: 6:52a Set: 5:20p Sunrise: 6:53a Set: 5:20p Sunrise: 6:54a Set: 5:20p Moonrise: 11:18a Set: 10:49p Moonrise: 12:02p Set: 11:52p Moonrise: 12:44p Set: None

1:57 AM 10:04 AM 6:20 PM 10:47 PM

Sunrise: 6:54a Moonrise: 1:25p

Set: 5:20p Set: 12:55a

AM Minor: 7:21a

PM Minor: 7:50p

AM Minor: 8:24a

PM Minor: 8:52p

AM Minor: 9:26a

PM Minor: 9:53p

AM Minor: 10:24a

PM Minor: 10:51p

AM Minor: 11:18a

PM Minor: 11:45p

AM Minor: -----

PM Minor: 12:09p

AM Major: 12:05a

PM Major: 12:33p

AM Major: 1:07a

PM Major: 1:36p

AM Major: 2:10a

PM Major: 2:38p

AM Major: 3:12a

PM Major: 3:40p

AM Major: 4:11a

PM Major: 4:37p

AM Major: 5:05a

PM Major: 5:31p

AM Major: 5:56a

PM Major: 6:22p

12p

Moon Overhead: 4:06p

12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 5:01p 12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 6:47p

Moon Overhead: 5:55p 12a

12p

12a

12p

Moon Overhead: 7:38p 12a

12p

12a

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 1:45a

+2.0

-1.0

TIDE LEVELS

BEST:

2:19 AM 10:47 AM 7:12 PM 11:39 PM

Moon Underfoot: 3:38a

BEST:

1:00 — 3:00 PM

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

Moon Underfoot: 2:41a

BEST:

2:00 — 4:00 PM

1.46ft. High Tide: 2:45 AM -0.26ft. Low Tide: 11:34 AM 1.63ft. High Tide: 8:04 PM 1.38ft.

BEST:

3:00 — 5:00 PM

1.44ft. Low Tide: 12:47 AM -0.25ft. High Tide: 3:16 AM 1.60ft. Low Tide: 12:24 PM High Tide: 8:53 PM

Moon Underfoot: 4:34a

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

Moon Underfoot: 6:21a

BEST:

8:30 — 10:30 AM

1.35ft. 1.38ft. -0.18ft. 1.55ft.

Moon Underfoot: 5:28a

BEST:

10:00A — 12:00P

2:28 AM 3:58 AM 1:17 PM 9:36 PM

1.26ft. 1.26ft. -0.05ft. 1.48ft.

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

4:10 AM 6:32 AM 2:16 PM 10:14 PM

Moon Underfoot: 7:13a

1.08ft. 1.09ft. 0.14ft. 1.40ft.

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

4:54 AM 9:08 AM 3:21 PM 10:46 PM

0.84ft. 0.99ft. 0.36ft. 1.33ft.

+2.0

BEST:

6:00 — 8:00 PM

6:30 — 8:30 PM

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

5:35 AM 11:09 AM 4:35 PM 11:14 PM

0.57ft. 1.02ft. 0.59ft. 1.28ft.

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

SUNDAY

PM Minor: 6:48p

Moon Overhead: 3:10p

+1.0

-1.0

1.45ft. -0.20ft. 1.64ft. 1.37ft.

AM Minor: 6:19a

Moon Overhead: 2:13p

+2.0

BEST:

5:30 — 7:30 AM

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

24 

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

Moon Underfoot: 11:02p

BEST:

2:00 — 4:00 AM

MONDAY

12a

Moon Underfoot: 10:13p

TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 9:26p

+1.0 0 -1.0

SOLUNAR ADJUSTMENT SCALE

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

76 |

N O V E M B E R

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 76

2 0 1 4

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

10/28/14 1:59 PM

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 77

10/28/14 1:59 PM

Texas Tasted by Bryan Slaven | The Texas Gourmet PHOTO: BRYAN SLAVEN

Cajun Fried Turkey Salad

RIED TURKEY HAS BECOME A TRADItion in many homes over the last several years and our home is no exception. The crispy and spicy flavor of this treat

is equally as tasty the day after Thanksgiving when you make it into a salad.

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2-3 lbs. fried turkey meat, skinned, boned and chopped 3 stalks celery, rinsed, and chopped fine 2 apples, skinned, cored and chopped fine 1/2 lb pecan halves, roasted in oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, cooled, then coarsely chopped 1 C Mayonnaise 1 T Texas Gourmet “Sweet Chipotle Season All” 2 Green onions, rinsed and diced

PREPARATION

Mix mayonnaise & Sweet Chipotle Season All together in a bowl, then place in refrigerator. In a large bowl combine turkey meat, celery, green onions, apples and pecans. Stir to mix. Add Chipotle mayonnaise mixture, and stir until well blended together. Chill, serve as a sandwich or over lettuce as a salad! Bon appétit!

Email Bryan Slaven, “The Texas Gourmet,” at bryan@thetexasgourmet.com 78 |

N O V E M B E R

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 78

2 0 1 4

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

10/28/14 2:00 PM

TEXAS FRESHWATER

TEXAS SALTWATER

HUNTING

LAKE AMISTAD

SABINE LAKE

SOUTH TEXAS

SEADRIFT/SAN ANTONIO BAY

OUTDOOR SHOPPER

DFW METROPLEX ROCKPORT / BAFFIN BAY

NEW 2015 EDITION

LAKE TEXOMA

320 pages with over 2500 Fishing Spots (with GPS) Courtesy: on 56 Texas Fresh and Redﬁsh Charters Saltwater Destinations

ORDER NOW

www.FishandGameGear.com T E X A S

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 79

F I S H

G A M E ®

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

10/28/14 2:00 PM

CARP Martin Lake Eight-year-old Jonathan Holland killed his ﬁrst carp on at night bow hunt on Martin Lake. He was guided by Kit Maddox of Henderson.

MULE DEER & TURKEY Northﬁeld Brenda Garner Arnold of Bristol was able to check two animals off her bucket list when she took both a mule deer AND a turkey from the same stand on the same morning with her Mathews Jewel. She was hunting in Northﬁeld.

SIKA Kimble County Tucker Mathews with his ﬁrst exotic, a sika deer he took in Kimble County.

CATFISH Lake Limestone Doug Hollister and his grandson Kayden caught these blue catﬁsh at Lake Limestone.

WHITETAIL Uvalde Ten-year-old Will Davis of Heath made quick work of this eight-point buck while hunting at Uvalde, with his Remington youth 700 BDL .243.

WHITE BASS Lake Livingston Joshua Cramer caught this white bass off the bank at Riverside off the bank of Lake Livingston.

80 |

N O V E M B E R

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 80

BASS Cedar Creek Lake Trever Dykema caught this nice largemouth bass while ﬁshing at Cedar Creek Lake.

2 0 1 4

T E X A S

F I S H

G A M E ®

10/28/14 2:00 PM

MAIL TO: TFG PHOTOS 1745 Greens Rd, Houston TX 77032 NOTE: Print photos can not be returned.

EMAIL: photos@FishGame.com

For best results, send MED to HIGH quality JPEG digital ﬁles only, please.

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

JAVELINA Alice Ten-year-old Christian Kahl shot his ﬁrst javelina with a 300 Blackout while hunting near Alice.

RAINBOW TROUT Denton Eight-year-old Maddy Rompf caught this 21 -nch rainbow trout while ﬁshing at Denton’s South Lake Park with her dad and grandfather.

BASS Lake Austin Colby Powell caught these two big girls while ﬁshing on Lake Austin.

SPECKLED TROUT East Galveston Bay Evan Butler shows off a 22-1/2 inch speckled trout he caught while ﬁshing on East Galveston Bay. His sister Emma looks on approvingly.

MIXED STRINGER Galveston Jetties Mike Blank, Jake Blank, Matt Blank, Ty Stricklin, Dave Reeves and Todd Reeves caught this mixed stringer of reds and specks on sardines while chumming in dirty water and rough seas at the Galveston Jetties.

REDFISH Port Mansfield Adre Garza with a 27-1/2 inch redfish caught while kayak fishing south of Port Mansfield.

T E X A S

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 81

F I S H

G A M E ®

N O V E M B E R

2 0 1 4

10/28/14 2:00 PM

ALMANAC-1411-NovDig.indd 82

10/28/14 2:00 PM

C3_ALL.indd 3

10/10/14 3:10 PM

C4_ALL.indd 4

10/10/14 3:11 PM