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UPDATE ON THE

RGV REEF MISSION SKEET & TRAP CLUB n SIGHT n THETROPHY THE SHACKWITH CASTING IN THE GRAVEYARD JAGUAR RETURNS COOKING DURIVAGE TROUT ELUSIVE WATUSI YOUR

WE’RE GOING TO PUT MORE FISH BACK INTO THE GULF -- BOB GLICK

Community Support = RGV Reef Success With permitting almost completed on the groundbreaking 1,600-acre RGV Reef, located 13 miles north of the South Padre Island Jetties, it's founding group, Friends of RGV Reef is well along in finding money and materials to populate the Reef. “The big question now is whether we ourselves will be able to get anything out for the 2016 season” says Bob Glick, one of the first proponents of the project. “We have CCA money and grant money coming through Texas Parks and Wildlife Artificial reefing program for fall 2016, but we would like to get some boats or concrete down this spring.” Friends of RGV Reef has placed deposits on a shrimp boat and an oceangoing tug hull, and is navigating the requirements to get them certified seaworthy and clean enough to be taken out and sunk. This home grown project, overseen by TPWD and the U.S. Coast Guard will be facilitated by Bryant Industrial Services, who is cleaning and will tow and sink the vessels. Favorable (extremely favorable) lease

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their food into body mass rather than burning it fighting the current. “That low relief reef is the magic of this project. We’re going to put more fish back into the Gulf.” Bob said. “We are following the best marine research on material size, and layout and density. I realized that the very large diffuse mixed relief patch reefs that we are laying out match the most productive of the naturally occuring reefs, like Steamer Rock and Seabree.” “Where we go from here depends on how lucky we are, and how hard we and the folks who help us work the project. We could walk away right now and slowly but surely a decent reef would be forthcoming. And that's tempting, because this is a hell of a lot of work. Or we can continue to root around for funding sources like starving feral hogs, hire or finagle grant writers, continue to work the concrete folks and transportation folks and the scrap yards, foster and maintain working partnerships with our multitude of stakeholders and allies, pester and cajole the governmental

MISSION SKEET & TRAP CLUB n SIGHT n THETROPHY THE SHACKWITH CASTING IN THE GRAVEYARD JAGUAR RETURNS COOKING DURIVAGE TROUT ELUSIVE WATUSI YOUR

ON THE COVER The RGV Reef is closing in on completion. Here’s your update - and how you can help.

STAFF Henry Miller Publisher henry.texassportsman @gmail.com (956) 607-9210

April and May have some of the best long-awaited days as late spring turns to early summer fishing action. This time of year is exciting with the warmer temperatures and more stable weather. What, where, when and how are the questions you may be asking. What fish do you want to target is one of the main questions. Some of the best jetty action is firing up. Outside of the jetties, in the surf, king mackerel are feeding about all of the time. The offshore action is also in full swing. Some of the species you can get at this time of the year include kings, jacks, mahi-mahi and cobia lings. I have immensely enjoyed a lot of offshore fishing, but I am going to talk about the bay species speckled trout, redfish, and flounder. This is also some of the best action and what I specialize in catching. The bay is coming alive with flooding currents and rising water. Freshwater is intensely pushing in from the gulf and shifting the bay system into overdrive. Temperatures on the flats are warming up and maintaining 70-plus degrees, which attracts different species from bait to

sport fish. With all of the rain in the past year, the warmer winter we had and the best fishing I have seen in the winter, the bay is set to explode. It is going to be the best fishing we have seen in years! Just imagine on a semi-overcast day, the sun just over the horizon, tight schools of mullet balled up in front of you, waist deep of water getting blown up by fish just having a feeding frenzy, trout slicks popping up like bubble gum on the surface of the water and that sweet watermelon aroma in the air. It’s enough to get your heart pumping so fast from all of the excitement and anticipation on getting that first bite. You make that first cast of the day and throw your favourite top water plug out and as soon as it hits the water “BOOM” Big Suzy monster trout or a feisty red blows it up! There are so many positive changes happening and it all adds up to great fishing. Top waters prove to be some awesome action, especially now while the trout are spawning and eating lots of mullet. Their metabolism is rising from the warmer and more stable water tempera-

The RGV Reef is quickly turning from just a dream to almost complete.However, Friends of RGV Reef can still use plenty of help.

WHO ARE FRIENDS OF RGV REEF? Friends of Rio Grande Valley Reef is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to assisting on permitting and funding an artificial reef north of the South Padre Island jetties in State waters. RGV Reef was founded in 2015, out of growing concern for the Gulf of Mexico’ marine life decline. Our Gulf’s ecosystem is threatened by a variety of events such as overfishing, red tide, pollution, and debris that result in habitat loss. Visit our website at www. rgvreef.com

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Great news for fishermen on South Padre Island

tures. Mother Nature in is in full swing. Throwing jerk baits can and will pick up trout, reds and flounder. Bass Assassins are some of my favourites. Shrimp under a popping cork work great as well. With some windy days still in April, redfish action is awesome on leeward shorelines. They are feeding on shrimp and crabs pushed up by the hard winds. Wade fishing is the best way to target them. Use shrimp under a popping cork, jerk baits or top water lures to wrangle them in. Spring flounder should be moving on the edge of channels and points. Use jerk baits on the bottom and work them slowly. The ticket here is patience. It will get you in the ballpark. All of these tactics will work in May as well. This month is by far the green light month for your limit of fish - all day every day. Croaker will start working initializing those big sow trout to eat. Try Ballyhoo and shad baits for these big fish. Have a great day and time on the water! Be safe and enjoy what Mother Nature has given us.

Catering to the fishermen on the island is a very important task. This is something that has been lacking here on the island for years….until now. There is good news on the rise on the bay coming this summer. Remember Jim’s Pier from years past? Back then you could get everything you needed to go fishing, come back in with your catch and everyone and their dogs were there to see what you caught, while everyone sat around drinkning a beer and swapping stories. Osprey Cruises, which is located behind KOA campgrounds and Black Dragon Cruises in Port Isabel has formulated this very strategic location on the island and will have a first-class fishing and tours center. They will have everything a fisherman needs for a great day out on the water. They have encompassed about 50 slips you can rent for the day or whatever and they will become first class after they are done with them. It will be located at the old Fishermans Wharf with lots of the Jim’s Pier patina surrounding the premise. He is trying not to forget the memorabilia from the historic Jim’s from years past. “It will be first class all the way with all new equipment” Phil Calo said from

To book a guided fishing trip contact Captain Allen Sifford at fishonpro.com or 361244-2747

Osprey Cruises. They have taken over the old 202 Restaurant as well and this will complete the idea. Imagine coming in with a couple of big reds and having the in-house restaurant cooking it for ya. That’s what it’s all about. This wonderful concept will be opening soon, so keep your eyes peeled for this. Did I say they will have gas? They will have gas.. Until next time. Be safe out there.

Tex Mex Tours Inc / Osprey Cruises is pleased to announce that we are now the operators of the New Jim's Pier. The doors will open May 1, 2016. Live bait, frozen bait, sundries, assorted fishing tackle, beer, soda, fishing attire, T-Shirts, gift items etc. etc. will be available. We will sell fuel in the near future and slips are available for rent. We are excited to be part of the continued operation and tradition of Jim’s Pier on South Padre Island. The future has never looked brighter for this amazing piece of waterfront property. Please call us at 956-761-6655 or 956-761-5467...stay tuned!

Master Captain Alan Stewart owns and operates Stewart Training Center and holds a Master license with the U.S.C.G. Stewart Training Center is located at 39572 Loop Road, Bayview, Tx., 78566.

Fred Rodriguez The Texas Sportsman fredrsportsman@yahoo.com (956) 776-4623

Joey Dowden Advertising Director joey.texassportsman @gmail.com (956) 607-0853

Bob Glick Contributing Editor myglicktwins.com (956) 787-4291

WANT A BOAT Lots of responsibilities come as a boat owner.

Hunts to Remember Tito The Stalker

NOW IS THE TIME These are perfect days for amazing days in the bay.

SAY CHEESE! You sent your catches and kills to us and we printed them!

Alberto Santos is the owner of Santos Ranch LLC and Las Lomas Ranch. Visit the website www.santosranch.com for more information.

Where did he learn to stalk? Is his stalking skill based on instinct or is it something he saw on television ?

A Journal Entry From Alberto Santos By Alberto Santos

Bird Hunting

randkids grow up way too fast. If you want them to be hunters and fishermen you have to start them early. Invest time in them and they will amaze you.

SHOOTING THE CAN One weekend while at the ranch, Tito, my grandson, asked if he could shoot my BB gun. He was only about 8 years old so I told him he could only shoot the BB gun when I was supervising. At first we practiced shooting a tin can target. The more he shot, the more accurate he got. Every time he hit the can he got a big grin on his face. There was no need for me to tell him when he hit the can. There is something very satisfying about that little “ding” sound that confirms your good shot. The more times he shot, the better he got. After a while he was hitting the can almost every time he shot. Then he asked if he could try to shoot a bird. I said OK. The only instructions I gave him were “Be careful, don’t shoot me, and don’t shoot your brother, Nico. THE HUNT I wanted to see what he would do without any specific instructions so I turned him loose on my back patio and I watched. The hunt was really a safety check on the boy because I wanted to see how he handled the rifle. Tito did great on safety but what amazed me was what he was able to do as far a stalking.

419 W. US Highway 83, Pharr, TX 78577

(956) 787-4291

him the more I was amazed. I went inside and got my camera. His techniques were actually pretty good and I wanted to get some pictures. Where did he learn to stalk? Is his stalking skill based on instinct or is it something he saw on television ? THE HUNTER INSIDE I believe hunting is an instinct we are all born with. Those who are in touch with our inner feelings tend to become better hunters. I believe stalking is in our DNA just like it is in every cat. When a cat is by a window and it sees a little bird outside, he goes into stalking mode, not because his owner does not feed him enough but because he is a born hunter. Something in the cat turns on a switch and every cell in the cat focuses on his prey. In the wild its a matter of life and death for a cat. If

he does not eat he does not live. He has to eat so he has to hunt. “Buck fever” is evidence that hunting is in our DNA. Why is it that a hunter’s heart starts beating faster and his breathing steps up just when he decides to shoot a deer? What triggers buck fever ? Where does it come from ? And its not just beginners that get buck fever. (I’m an old hunter and I still get it.) I think its in our DNA. When ancient man was hunting a wooly mammoth they needed a burst of energy to put on the final charge to bring down their prey. Just like cats, we are born hunters.

VISIT THE GRAVEYARD

THE HUNT WILL CONTINUE In the end, Tito did not get a bird. He shot once and missed. It was a good hunt in my book. I know this boy will hunt again and with more practice he will harvest game like our early ancestors did. In the mean time I will enjoy seeing the hunter inside as he develops.

STALKING THE BIRD Once he spotted a bird, Tito stood still and focused. He watched and watched until he thought he had an opportunity to get close. If the situation did not look good, he walked off and kept on looking for another bird. When he thought he had an opportunity, he tried to sneak in a little closer to take a shot. I was sitting watching him and realized he was putting a stalk. As he approached the bird he slowed down his movements. He used trees and other objects to hide his approach. He crouched to lessen his profile. The more I watched

It’s the Mecca of sight casting in Texas

By JOEY FARAH

A map of where The Graveyard is located.

As we slipped into the water, ripples echoed across the endless acres of water. Pink and yellow reflections made it difficult to tell the sky from the water. Only the sight of tails and backs broke the mirrored surface. As I melted into my own world and came face to face with the first redfish of the day, I turned before I casted and realized I was only a few yards from the boat. "Let's see if this one will bite!" The D.O.A Shrimp fell lightly just past the digging redfish and drifted down in front of his nose. As he rose up out of the grass I twitched the bait and he exploded in a sandy boil and streaked off, sending mullet skirting in his escape. Screaming drag sounded like an alarm without a snooze button as I lifted the Waterloo rod high and let the grass fall from the line. He circled and splashed and finally came to hand beside me. As I removed the hook and looked out to the next tail bobbing in the distance, I tossed him back without even touching my stringer. There were going to be plenty. Halfway between Corpus Christi and Port Mansfield is an area that we call Nine Mile Hole. This is not the best days of wade fishing the famous Nine Mile Hole, or The Graveyard, but the normal morning here is the best sight casting place in Texas. Hurricanes blew through this region of the Texas Coast centuries ago, depositing sand

A NEW LOOK Osprey cruises has huge plans for the former Jim’s Pier - great plans!

area got its name as The Graveyard. As you enter the main cut into the flats there is the tail section of a crashed air plane called "the tail section." Don't expect to find any water deeper than two feet after that channel. The area behind the spoils seems to stretch farther than the eyes can see and pristine grass flats are waiting for shallow water drifters and wade fishermen to explore. Much of this area is even too shallow for the best tunnel boats so waders can wander into virgin water without worrying about burn boats and traffic. Schools of relish and black drum hunt these flats all year, but during the spring and summer months packs of redfish pour in to feast on shrimp and mullet in less than knee-deep water. This is the fly fisherman and sight casters heaven. I have two ultra shallow boats that we use on our sight casting trips so you don't have to wade to be able to pitch and cast to tailing reds. Many times it's hard to pick which redfish to cast at. We arrive at sunrise and enjoy the tails fluttering above the surface for the first hour of the day. As the sun rises, shadows from morning bird traffic usually spook the redfish into staying below the surface until 10 a.m.. When the sun is high that is when the best visibility occurs. Slowly drifting or walking with the wind and scanning the

bottom for signs of fish is like stalking big game. Tackle suited for shallow water fishing is slightly different than that of regular bay fishing. Hanging your lure in the grass can be a problem without the right tackle. Weedless rigged D.O.A Jerk-Baits, and D.O.A Shrimp are by far the best choice for anglers pitching to tailing reds. I keep a tube of Pro Cure shrimp gel in my pocket to spice up the bait when I see a black drum. The D.O.A Shrimp is my top choice for sight casting. The hook is on top, eliminating catching grass from the bottom and it enters the water with a realistic sound rather than a “plop.” The way it glides is natural and never spooks skittish redfish. The shrimp comes in many colors. I prefer to have a few natural, bright, and dark in my bag. The right color will vary from day to day, hour to hour, and even from fish to fish. The chances are high that you will walk up upon a giant trophy trout here in this unspoiled water. Their eyes will be on alert for anything out of place or unfamiliar. Big mature trout in skinny water is the biggest challenge in the sight casting world. I walked slowly against the strong winds hoping to catch a glimpse of the tip of a big black tail. There in the distance I spotted a black triangle beside a stand of dead grass. I crept up and took a cast. Nothing moved, so I adjusted my position and pitched the

TIDES Nothing better than knowing what times are the best for fishing.

26 RANCHES AND LODGES Book a hunt, plan a stay - enjoy what Texas has to offer.

Tiki Tillman Photographer tikitillmanphotos.com (956)572-6132

WHAT’S INSIDE

Amazing Days in the Bay UPDATE ON THE

RGV REEF

So you are thinking about buying a new or used boat. Knowing what boat you want is only the beginning when it comes to owning a boat. Let’s say you have gone boating for a few years with friends and now you want to buy a boat. Where do you begin? Like I said earlier, you have gone many times before and you kind of think you know what you want. Besides going with friends I highly recommend you go with a fishing guide who has experience so you can learn and ask questions. Actually, I would go with at least four different Fred Rodriguez is the Texas Sportsguides so you can obtain real good knowledge man and has decades of experience and knowledge regarding hunting of where to fish and, more importantly, how to and fishing. You can watch his show, fish. The Texas Sportsman, on FOX in the Fishing is not just about fishing. Just like in Rio Grande Valley at 11:30 a.m on golf, it is critical to understand the sport’s rules Saturdays. of etiquette - starting at the boat ramp. We have all been there early in the morning and there is at least one truck and boat that breaks etiquette rule No. 1 when it’s their turn to launch. It’s not until then that they begin taking out their rods and reels, tackle boxes, ice chest, lunch bags and more. You don’t want do that. What you want to do while you are waiting in line is to get out of your truck and start putting your gear in the boat. Now, when it’s your turn to launch you are ready. Don’t forget to put in your boat plugs! Now you are on you way to one of your favorite fishing spots. Always be looking ahead and for your sake and your passengers don’t text and drive, even on a boat. You reach your destination and you are fishing away behind three islands and king some drifts and catching fish. When you are finished with your drift, you want to go back. Don’t go directly back to where you started on a straight line. Instead, loop around to return to your starting destination. Most likely you will have had boats starting to follow you, especially if they saw you catching fish. Another thing to mention about boat etiquette - do not cross another boat. If you see someone fishing and making a drift don’t pull up within 50 yards of him and motor by. You are going to mess up his fishing area. With boat manners and etiquette you always want to treat a fellow boater as you would like to be treated. Most of all you want to be safe on the water, have fun and catch fish. The last thing to cover (like I said earlier there are a lot of things to do and remember) is the Weather. Make sure you get your forecast and plan accordingly. So get ready to go fishing in a safe and proper manner . Gotta Have It !!

Volume 3, Isssue 2. April 2016. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of the publisher. Views and opinions expressed in this publication are strictly those of the writers, photographers and contributors, and are not necessarily those of Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors or its publisher. Every effort has been taken to ensure the correctness and accuracy in the material published in this magazine. Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors reserves the right to edit, rewrite and refuse editorial materials and assumes no responsibility for accuracy, errors, omissions or consequence arising from it. Texas

terms from the Port of Brownsville have allowed Friends of RGV Reef to establish a holding site for concrete rip rap, and the site is slowly filling as local contractors like Erasmo Lopez and L & G Transport bring in materials for donation. “We’re accredited by the IRS to write donation receipts which adds a little whipped cream topping to that good feeling folks get for going out of their way to give a little something back to the Gulf,” Gary Glick said. The concrete is just one component of the reef. Friends of RGV Reef instantly understood the importance of Dr. Richard Kline’s observation that he never saw baby snapper on the big high relief natural or artificial reefs in the area. They convinced TPWD artificial Reefing to permit RGV reef at 20 times the size of the other reefs for the small widely spread rocks needed to boost juvenile snapper survival. The little fish need a place to get in out of the current, ambush their plankton prey, dodge their predators around a tight corner, and rest so they can convert

entities for permitting and funding, and seek those happy coincidental encounters with folks who can help the process along by their unique contacts and knowledge.” The prize, however seems worth it. A 2.6-square-mile reef complex with multiple patches keying on sunken boats, gravel railcars and commercial reefing pyramids, each tall item surrounded by limestone rip rap or concrete rubble, a reef so large and complex that it can't be easily fished off. A reef that almost anybody can almost always go and catch some fish on. Stretching out across the remaining bottom, a giant nursery, thousands of scattered small rocks, each one the home and homing beacon for dozens of baby snappers, escaping from the current, ambushing their prey, dodging around the corner to escape their predators, and loafing in the dead water behind their rock converting food into body mass instead of energy needed to fight the current. We think that's all worth working toward, but we could sure use some help. Right now we desperately need help with the Texas General Land Office. Most reefs are 80 acres; ours is 1,650 acres. The GLO usually doesn't charge for bottom leases for reefs. They sent us our permit April 1, along with a 20-year pay up front lease at $65/ acre. Thats $99,000. We need to find folks with connections/power in the upper levels of the Texas General Land Office to convince them not to spank us for trying to make the Gulf a better place. We are also looking for material and transportation help. Connections into trucking companies, barge firms, demolition companies, offshore crew and work boat and tug and barge companies, and scrap companies who might like either to make tax deductible contributions, or advise us on how to best move large heavy reefing materials from their point of origin to the reef. And become our paid contractors when the grants finally fund in late 2016 and beyond. If you would like to help, go to our website www.rgvreef. com, or our Facebook page, Friends of RGV Reef. We've found that we can leverage donations into quick action, and into required match for grants. Every contribution, money or expertise, makes a difference. Thanks, Friends of RGV Reef

Above and right are a shrimp boat and a tug that will be sunk as part of the 1,600-acre RGV Reef, located 13 miles north of the South Padre Island Jetties.

INSIDE

38 BUSTED You won’t believe what people try to get away with in our Game Warden notebook.

bait again just past what I believed to be a giant trout sitting along the Grass pile. After five casts Cody asked what I was casting at. I replied "it's a trout or a stick, I don't know yet." My sixth cast plowed into the object and a monster trout boiled up and exploded in a big circle. She came around and settled in the small muddy spot at my feet. I felt her throat softly sit on my boot and her body stretched out from my foot like a spotted log. I caught myself holding my breath as she hid in the muddy puff like an ostrich with her head in the sand. I yelled at Cody to watch - I was going to snag her then decided to just lift and kick her out of the water. I flicked my foot and her massive body flew up three feet in the air. She landed with a splash and bolted off into The Graveyard. I will never forget that contact; it brings me back over and over again to the sight casting Mecca of Texas. I'd like to invite you on an adventure to The Graveyard this year and learn how to see the fish before you cast. Watch them eat your lure and experience hunting fish like you've never done. Come take a ride into one of the last true wild places and fish Nine Mile Hole.

THE SHACK

You can always follow our hookups on Facebook at Joey Farah’s Backwater Fishing Adventure, or call 361-442-8145.

across the inland lagoon. A vast shallow area was formed with miles upon miles of flats only a foot or two deep. These fertile grass flats were the breeding grounds for so many forms of life. The government built a shipping channel in the 1930s, connecting the northern part of the Laguna Madre to the southern end. This channel is known as the land cut. The land cut is a 22-mile long cut through this very shallow expanse of skinny water. During the spring and fall this channel is like a super highway for bait and gamefish. Some of the best fishing on the Texas Coast is here as well as a protected area from high winds. Getting to the land cut is the tricky part. From Corpus it is 37 miles to the north end and from Port Mansfield it is about 16 miles to the south end. Being so secluded is part of the lure to anglers, it is an adventure every time. Before the corps of engineers dug relief channels between the main canal and the shallow flats the water in the open areas behind the spoil dumps would bake in the summer sun. The lack of flow and high evaporation rates led to extremely salinity levels that would make fish trapped in the back reaches of this area go blind and eventually die in great numbers. Locals would travel down to net and spear blind fish before they would die ad waste. These are the years the

By BRENT JOHNSON

no hurry in this life as it demands nothing more than a timely bowel movement from a high dive outhouse with a seat fit for a king. After all the business is taken care of we are ready to go fishing. Our boat was a 1986, 17’ 9” Shallow Sport. As an experimental model it was the first of the “Sport” series. It was like a 15’ classic with sides and added length from the back sponsons which helped it track skinny on the flats. This feature gave up some squat on the hole shot and required a little lean on the turns, but at that time it outperformed anything as far as reaching previously untouchable water. The ice chest on the bow gave it some balance and a spot to stand or sit while fishing. Cruising the flats we noticed bait flipping under some gulls. As we throttled down upwind of the action slicks began to pop up. Throwing a red & white cocaho under a popping cork toward the front of the slick produces the first bite. The line tightens and the tug ensues. The fish takes the bait at a cruising speed to the right side and peels drag every time any gain is made. Cranking back on the rod I resume control of the fight and four minutes later

a 29” bull redfish swims into the net. Two casts later the cork plunges again to a furious strike. This time the fish does a massive headshake in attempt to spit the hook. Keeping the rod tip up and a slow steady crank on the reel the tension is maintained only speeding up when the fish makes a run for the boat. Color is soon seen when the fish darts to the stern and proceeds to walk me around the boat. It is a respectable trout of some 24-25” range and it thinks it is a redfish as it tries to escape with an occasional drag peel. Soon we have success and the fish is landed. Nowadays I catch, photo and release fish of this caliber, but back then we tended to keep 'em. Bringing 30 fish to the cleaning table was common. In those days the limit was 10 trout, 5 red, and as many flounder as you could catch. I can even remember trout limits being 20 and then 15. A lot has changed for the better. More demand on the resource means more management of the supply in order to maintain sustainability. The old shack was the backdrop for many good fishing trips, and a lot of happy memories, but it was also home to some sad moments. Harvey Bruins was an

TOP PHOTO: Back in the day with our Shallow Sport. MIDDLE PHOTO: The shack’s fish box, which local raccoons seemed to think they had rights to the contents. BOTTOM PHOTO: A serious April trout run

y first trip to the shack was when I was 17. I had fished in the bay as far back as I could remember, but this was the first time I would sleep in the loving arms of the Laguna Madre. My buddy Smith’s dad, along with his good buddies, built this pier and beam along the Inter Coastal Waterway back in the early 80s. Many stories of epic adventure, life and death occurred here. This one was my introduction. Seventeen years was the first time either of us were allowed to navigate and camp overnight. Both of us had operated boats on our own, but not for a threeday excursion as this. As the sun started its dissent we headed out. Twenty minutes into our journey we noticed the waves had increased to ocean size. It was then we realized we were in the Gulf of Mexico! No problem I know this place is around here somewhere. After a good laugh, we regathered our bearings and 45 minutes later reached our port o’ call. We kill the engine in front of the neighboring shack and pull out the rods to get a few casts in before we dock. The neighboring shack was a two-story behemoth about the size of Duncan’s cabin. It was taken out by a hurricane some years later. Drifting in front of it I cast a live shrimp under a popping cork about a foot in front of a barnacle covered pile on. Moments later I feel a big thump! The cork goes under and the battle begins. Then Smitty gets a bite while mine continues to fight. Reeling in reveals a huge flounder on mine and a nice red comes in on his. My first impression of this place was like arriving to the promise land. It remained that for many years to come. Pulling up to the timbers we tied off and unload-

ed the gear. Opening the door to the inside was like walking into Captain Quint’s boathouse. It was a bunk bed, a kitchen and a table. There were all sorts of camp implements from crab traps, bait buckets, rusty old lanterns, flounder gigs and fishing poles. On the wall in the kitchen were tools, a spice rack, and 10 cases of Meister Brau. To drink this beer, you had to be a man (feeling like men we may have tried a few). As night neared we cranked the generator and its purr was the background noise for the next 10 hours. Soon the lights shine down on trout so thick you could walk on water. It's April and it seems a serious trout run is at hand. From January to the present trout have been fattening up on mullet in preparation for the spawn. Throwing speck rigs out past the edge of the light we reeled in more than our limits, throwing many fish back. The ones we did keep were thrown in a hang basket that the local raccoons seemed to have a lease on, but luckily they left us a few. With the Eagles “It’s Another Tequila Sunrise” playing on the radio and our quota filled, the cool gulf breeze has us catching some Z’s. The next morning we wake up reborn and the smell of bacon, eggs and refried beans fill the air. There is

TITO THE STALKER

THE GRAVEYARD

THE OLD SHACK

Alberto Santos ponders the thought “are we all natural-born stalkers?”

Joey Farah says it’s the Mecca of sight casting in Texas.

The Shack is filled with many memories and many more stories. Some stories are great, some are just sad.

Looking for big buck country?

Amazing Days in the Bay April and May have some of the best long-awaited days as late spring turns to early summer fishing action. This time of year is exciting with the warmer temperatures and more stable weather. What, where, when and how are the questions you may be asking. What fish do you want to target is one of the main questions. Some of the best jetty action is firing up. Outside of the jetties, in the surf, king mackerel are feeding about all of the time. The offshore action is also in full swing. Some of the species you can get at this time of the year include kings, jacks, mahi-mahi and cobia lings. I have immensely enjoyed a lot of offshore fishing, but I am going to talk about the bay species speckled trout, redfish, and flounder. This is also some of the best action and what I specialize in catching. The bay is coming alive with flooding currents and rising water. Freshwater is intensely pushing in from the gulf and shifting the bay system into overdrive. Temperatures on the flats are warming up and maintaining 70-plus degrees, which attracts different species from bait to

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L A R G E S T

R U R A L

L E N D E R

Want a boat? You must have manners

UPDATE ON THE

RGV REEF

So you are thinking about buying a new or used boat. Knowing what boat you want is only the beginning when it comes to owning a boat. Let’s say you have gone boating for a few years with friends and now you want to buy a boat. Where do you begin? Like I said earlier, you have gone many times before and you kind of think you know what you want. Besides going with friends, I highly recommend you go with a fishing guide who has experience so you can learn and ask questions. Actually, I would go with at least four different Fred Rodriguez is the Texas Sportsguides so you can obtain real good knowledge man and has decades of experience and knowledge regarding hunting of where to fish and, more importantly, how to and fishing. You can watch his show, fish. The Texas Sportsman, on FOX in the Fishing is not just about fishing. Just like in Rio Grande Valley at 11:30 a.m on golf, it is critical to understand the sport’s rules Saturdays. of etiquette - starting at the boat ramp. We have all been there early in the morning and there is at least one truck and boat that breaks etiquette rule No. 1 when it’s their turn to launch. It’s not until then that they begin taking out their rods and reels, tackle boxes, ice chest, lunch bags and more. You don’t want do that. What you want to do while you are waiting in line is to get out of your truck and start putting your gear in the boat. Now, when it’s your turn to launch you are ready. Don’t forget to put in your boat plugs! Now you are on your way to one of your favorite fishing spots. Always be looking ahead and for your sake and your passengers, don’t text and drive, even on a boat. You reach your destination and you are fishing away, behind three islands and catching fish. When you are finished with your drift, you want to go back. Don’t go directly back to where you started on a straight line. Instead, loop around to return to your starting destination. Most likely you will have had boats starting to follow you, especially if they saw you catching fish. Another thing to mention about boat etiquette - do not cross another boat. If you see someone fishing and making a drift, don’t pull up within 50 yards of him and motor by. You are going to mess up his fishing area. With boat manners and etiquette, always treat a fellow boater as you would like to be treated. Most of all you want to be safe on the water, have fun and catch fish. The last thing to cover (like I said earlier there are a lot of things to do and remember) is the Weather. Make sure you get your forecast and plan accordingly. So get ready to go fishing in a safe and proper manner. Gotta Have It !!

Sportsman Tracking Outdoors shall be held harmless and indemnified against any third-party claims. Advertisements appearing in Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors present only the viewpoint of the advertisers. Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors is printed in the U.S.A. All correspondence to the publication become the property of Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors. Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors is published by H&J Publications. Copyright 2014. To advertise in Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors call (956) 607-0853 or email joey.texassportsman@gmail.com

MISSION SKEET & TRAP CLUB n SIGHT n THETROPHY THE SHACKWITH CASTING IN THE GRAVEYARD JAGUAR RETURNS COOKING DURIVAGE TROUT ELUSIVE WATUSI YOUR

ON THE COVER Dr. Richard Kline is making a major impact with his expertise for the RGV Reef.

STAFF Henry Miller Publisher henry.texassportsman @gmail.com (956) 607-9210

Fred Rodriguez The Texas Sportsman fredrsportsman@yahoo.com (956) 776-4623

Joey Dowden Advertising Director joey.texassportsman @gmail.com (956) 607-0853

Tiki Tillman Photographer tikitillmanphotos.com (956)572-6132 Bob Glick Contributing Editor myglicktwins.com (956) 787-4291

Hunts to Remember Tito The Stalker

A Journal Entry From Alberto Santos Bird Hunting

419 W. US Highway 83, Pharr, TX 78577

(956) 787-4291

Where did he learn to stalk? Is his stalking skill based on instinct or is it something he saw on television ?

Alberto Santos is the owner of Santos Ranch LLC and Las Lomas Ranch. Visit the website www.santosranch.com for more information.

By Alberto Santos

randkids grow up way too fast. If you want them to be hunters and fishermen you have to start them early. Invest time in them and they will amaze you.

the more I was amazed. I went inside and got my camera. His techniques were actually pretty good and I wanted to get some pictures. Where did he learn to stalk? Is his stalking skill based on instinct or is it something he saw on television ? THE HUNTER INSIDE I believe hunting is an instinct we are all born with. Those who are in touch with our inner feelings tend to become better hunters. I believe stalking is in our DNA just like it is in every cat. When a cat is by a window and it sees a little bird outside, he goes into stalking mode, not because his owner does not feed him enough but because he is a born hunter. Something in the cat turns on a switch and every cell in the cat focuses on his prey. In the wild

its a matter of life and death for a cat. If he does not eat he does not live. He has to eat so he has to hunt. “Buck fever” is evidence that hunting is in our DNA. Why is it that a hunter’s heart starts beating faster and his breathing steps up just when he decides to shoot a deer? What triggers buck fever ? Where does it come from ? And its not just beginners that get buck fever. (I’m an old hunter and I still get it.) I think its in our DNA. When ancient man was hunting a wooly mammoth they needed a burst of energy to put on the final charge to bring down their prey. Just like cats, we are born hunters. THE HUNT WILL CONTINUE In the end, Tito did not get a bird. He shot once and missed. It was a good hunt in my book. I know this boy will hunt again and with more practice he will harvest game like our early ancestors did. In the mean time I will enjoy seeing the hunter inside as he develops.

THE HUNT I wanted to see what he would do without any specific instructions so I turned him loose on my back patio and I watched. The hunt was really a safety check on the boy because I wanted to see how he handled the rifle. Tito did great on safety but what amazed me was what he was able to do as far a stalking. STALKING THE BIRD Once he spotted a bird, Tito stood still and focused. He watched and watched until he thought he had an opportunity to get close. If the situation did not look good, he walked off and kept on looking for another bird. When he thought he had an opportunity, he tried to sneak in a little closer to take a shot. I was sitting watching him and realized he was putting a stalk. As he approached the bird he slowed down his movements. He used trees and other objects to hide his approach. He crouched to lessen his profile. The more I watched him

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Women

Children

Caps

Men

MAY 2016 LUNAR TRANSIT TIMES

APR. 2016 LUNAR TRANSIT TIMES DAY

MOON

COMMENTS

A.M.

BEST

P.M.

BEST

DAY

MOON

COMMENTS

A.M.

BEST

P.M.

8:29

8:54

8:58

9:23

9:22

9:47

9:50

10:15

10:40

10:43

11:08

11:09

11:34

11:38

12:04

12:29

12:59

1:24

1:56

2:21

2:53

3:18

3:51

4:16

4:50

11 M 12 T

5:15

13 W 14 T

NEW MOON/PERIGEE

FIRST QUARTER

12:03

12:34

12:59

1:32

1:57

2:32

2:57

3:32

3:57

4:31

4:56

5:28

5:48

11 W

5:53

6:22

6:13

6:44

6:45

7:12

7:09

7:38

7:37

8:00

8:03

8:29

8:25

8:46

9:11

9:29

16 M

9:54

10:12

8:54

9:17

9:42

10:06

S 18 M 19 T

10:31

10:47

11:12

11:30

18 W 19

12:38

11:55

20 W 21 T

APOGEE

FULL MOON

12:13 12:55

1:20

1:38

2:03

2:22

2:47

3:08

3:33

25 M 26 T

3:55

4:20

4:43

5:08

27 W 28 T

5:33

5:58

6:23

6:48

7:14

7:39

8:06

8:31

BEST MORNINGS OR AFTERNOONS Visit us online: www.osoteloskincancer.com WHAT ARE LUNAR TRANSIT TIMES?

NEW MOON/PERIGEE MOTHER’S DAY

FIRST QUARTER

T APOGEE

10:54 11:37

12:02 12:20

12:45

1:05

1:30

1:52

2:17

23 M

2:40

3:05

3:30

3:55

25 W

4:20

4:45

5:11

5:36

6:02

6:27

6:53

7:18

LAST QUARTER

7:44

8:09

MEMORIAL DAY

8:35

9:00

9:27

9:52

30 M 31

FULL MOON

BEST MORNINGS OR AFTERNOONS Visit us online: www.osoteloskincancer.com

Did you know that skin cancer is the most common of all types of cancers? Nearly two million new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. every year.

Hunters, fishermen and farmers since ancient times have known of a certain relationship between the moon and nature. They knew that at certain times of the day the world of the animal kingdom came alive with activity. This knowledge had been passed on from generation to generation and used for their basic needs: planting, hunting and fishing. Today we have come to understand the scientific basis for the moon’s biological effect on all wildlife and marine life. Very simply, it is peak gravitation of the moon that stimulates animal activity. That’s why deer, cattle and marine life feed at the same time of the day or night. This gravitational stimulus is at its greatest when the moon is directly overhead or on the opposite side of the Earth. A law of physics states that for every pull there is an equal and opposite push. In other words, as the Earth rotates on its axis, any location on Earth will each day pass under two peak gravitational forces occurring 12 ½ hours apart. These peak forces coincide with lunar transit times. The following lunar transit times coincide with high tide and increased game and fish activity. Just like at high tide, animal activity increases, peaks, then decreases around transit times. This “window” of activity usually lasts 2-4 hours. What this all means is that the best hunting and fishing occurs when gravitation is greatest at transit times of the moon.

Dr. Sotelo has more than 30 years of experience and has treated more than 50,000 skin cancers. If you have questions or concerns about your skin, call R. Sotelo now - don’t wait!

From Dr. Oscar Sotelo’s Lunar Transit Times, 23rd edition

10:37 11:19

BEST

OSCAR SOTELO, M.D. Board Certified Dermatologist

6900 N. 10th St. Ste 3 McAllen, TX 78504 (956) 682-1591 osoteloskincancer.com

Texas, Padre Island, Port Isabel

April 2016

N 26° 03.6' / W 97° 12.9' Date

Day

1:26p

High Tide 1.4

High Tide

1:57p

1.4

2:23p

1.3

2:42p

1.2

1:30a

1.2

2:56p

2:53a

1.3

4:09a

Low Tide

Sunrise

Sunset

Moonrise

Moonset

7:19a

7:46p

2:49a

2:02p

7:18a

7:46p

3:37a

3:00p

7:17a

7:47p

4:24a

4:01p

0.8

7:16a

7:47p

5:10a

5:03p

8:53p

0.6

7:15a

7:48p

5:56a

6:08p

0.5

9:26p

0.3

7:14a

7:48p

6:41a

7:14p

10:46a

0.6

10:06p

0.0

7:13a

7:49p

7:27a

8:20p

0.9

11:51a

0.8

10:50p

-0.2

7:12a

7:49p

8:15a

9:27p

0.9

1:06p

0.9

11:39p

-0.4

7:11a

7:50p

9:05a

10:32p

7:10a

7:50p

9:58a

11:36p

4:09a

0.1

5:20a

0.1

6:30a

0.1

8:22p

1.0

7:37a

0.2

8:29p

1.1

8:41a

0.3

3:05p

0.9

9:44a

1.3

3:09p

0.9

5:25a

1.4

3:10p 3:00p

11:50p

1.1

6:42a

1.4

8:02a

1.5

9:26a

1.5

12:32a

-0.5

7:09a

7:50p

10:52a

10:45a

1.5

1:28a

-0.4

7:08a

7:51p

11:48a

12:36a

11:51a

1.5

2:30a

-0.3

7:07a

7:51p

12:44p

1:31a

12:39p

1.4

3:38a

-0.1

7:06a

7:52p

1:40p

2:21a

1:15p

1.4

4:49a

0.1

7:05a

7:52p

2:34p

3:06a

1:41p

1.3

6:02a

0.3

7:56p

1.0

7:04a

7:53p

3:27p

3:48a

12:03a

1.1

2:00p

1.2

7:12a

0.5

8:12p

0.8

7:03a

7:53p

4:19p

4:26a

1:36a

1.1

2:13p

1.1

8:16a

0.7

8:34p

0.7

7:02a

7:54p

5:10p

5:03a

2:47a

1.2

2:20p

1.1

9:14a

0.8

8:59p

0.5

7:01a

7:54p

6:00p

5:38a

3:47a

1.3

2:20p

1.0

10:08a

0.9

9:24p

0.4

7:00a

7:55p

6:50p

6:12a

4:41a

1.3

2:11p

1.0

11:01a

1.0

9:50p

0.3

6:59a

7:55p

7:41p

6:48a

5:32a

1.3

1:48p

1.0

12:00p

1.0

10:15p

0.1

6:58a

7:56p

8:31p

7:24a

6:22a

1.3

10:43p

0.1

6:58a

7:56p

9:22p

8:02a

7:14a

1.3

11:13p

0.0

6:57a

7:57p

10:13p

8:42a

8:09a

1.4

11:47p

0.0

6:56a

7:57p

11:05p

9:26a

9:07a

1.4

6:55a

7:58p

11:55p

10:12a

10:04a

1.5

12:28a

0.0

6:54a

7:58p

10:54a

1.5

1:15a

0.0

6:53a

7:59p

12:44a

11:54a

11:36a

1.5

2:12a

0.1

6:53a

7:59p

1:32a

12:50p

12:10p

1.5

3:20a

0.2

6:52a

8:00p

2:18a

1:48p

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Texas, Padre Island, Port Isabel

May 2016

N 26° 03.6' / W 97° 12.9' Date

Day

12:35p

High Tide 1.4

High Tide

Sunrise

Sunset

Moonrise

Moonset

4:36a

0.3

7:32p

0.9

6:51a

8:01p

3:03a

2:47p

12:53p

1.2

12:53a

5:56a

0.4

7:30p

0.7

6:50a

8:01p

3:47a

3:49p

7:16a

0.6

7:51p

0.4

6:50a

8:02p

4:31a

4:52p

1.0

8:33a

0.7

8:24p

0.1

6:49a

8:02p

5:15a

5:57p

1:12p

0.9

9:50a

0.9

9:02p

-0.3

6:48a

8:03p

6:01a

7:03p

1:03p

1.0

11:13a

1.0

9:45p

-0.5

6:47a

8:03p

6:50a

8:10p

1.5

10:31p

-0.7

6:47a

8:04p

7:42a

9:16p

7:11a

1.6

11:19p

-0.7

6:46a

8:04p

8:36a

10:20p

8:17a

1.6

6:46a

8:05p

9:33a

11:19p

9:19a

1.5

12:09a

-0.6

6:45a

8:05p

10:32a

10:12a

1.5

1:01a

-0.5

6:44a

8:06p

11:30a

12:13a

10:56a

1.4

1:57a

-0.2

6:44a

8:06p

12:26p

1:02a

11:29a

1.4

2:57a

0.1

6:43a

8:07p

1:21p

1:46a

11:54a

1.3

4:03a

0.3

7:01p

0.8

6:43a

8:08p

2:14p

2:26a

12:12p

1.2

12:55a

10:48p

0.9

1.0

1:05p

1.1

2:23a

1.2

1:11p

3:41a

1.3

4:53a

1.5

6:03a

Low Tide

10:48p

0.9

5:16a

0.6

7:14p

0.7

6:42a

8:08p

3:06p

3:04a

1.0

12:24p

1.1

6:33a

0.8

7:38p

0.5

6:42a

8:09p

3:56p

3:39a

2:22a

1.1

12:28p

1.1

7:49a

0.9

8:04p

0.3

6:41a

8:09p

4:46p

4:14a

3:29a

1.2

12:22p

1.0

9:03a

1.0

8:31p

0.2

6:41a

8:10p

5:36p

4:49a

4:26a

1.2

8:57p

0.0

6:40a

8:10p

6:27p

5:24a

5:16a

1.3

9:24p

-0.1

6:40a

8:11p

7:18p

6:02a

1.3

9:50p

-0.2

6:39a

8:11p

8:10p

6:41a

6:45a

1.3

10:19p

-0.3

6:39a

8:12p

9:01p

7:24a

7:27a

1.4

10:50p

-0.4

6:39a

8:12p

9:52p

8:09a

1.4

11:25p

-0.4

6:38a

8:13p

10:42p

8:58a

8:50a

1.5

6:38a

8:13p

11:31p

9:29a

1.5

12:05a

-0.3

6:38a

8:14p

10:04a

1.4

12:50a

-0.2

6:38a

8:14p

12:17a

11:41a

10:33a

1.4

1:43a

0.0

6:37a

8:15p

1:01a

12:39p

10:55a

1.3

2:45a

0.1

6:38p

0.7

6:37a

8:15p

1:44a

1:38p

11:10a

1.1

3:58a

0.4

6:27p

0.5

6:37a

8:16p

2:27a

2:38p

12:00a

0.8

5:24a

0.6

6:49p

0.1

6:37a

8:16p

3:09a

3:40p

9:05p 11:19a

0.7 1.0

Phase

New

1st

Full

9:50a 10:45a

3rd

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Above and right are a tug boat and shrimp boat, respectively, that will be sunk as part of the 1,600-acre RGV Reef, located 13 miles north of the South Padre Island Jetties.

their food into body mass rather than burning it fighting the current. “That low relief reef is the magic of this project. We’re going to put more fish back into the Gulf.” Bob said. “We are following the best marine research on material size, layout and density. I realized that the very large diffuse mixed relief patch reefs that we are laying out match the most productive of the naturally occuring reefs, like Steamer Rock and Seabree.” “Where we go from here depends on how lucky we are, and how hard we and the folks who help us work the project. We could walk away right now and slowly but surely a decent reef would be forthcoming. And that's tempting, because this is a hell of a lot of work. Or we can continue to root around for funding sources like starving feral hogs, hire or finagle grant writers, continue to work the concrete folks and transportation folks and the scrap yards, foster and maintain working partnerships with our multitude of stakeholders and allies, pester and cajole the governmental

WE’RE GOING TO PUT MORE FISH BACK INTO THE GULF -- BOB GLICK

entities for permitting and funding, and seek those happy coincidental encounters with folks who can help the process along by their unique contacts and knowledge.” The prize, however seems worth it. A 2.6-square-mile reef complex with multiple patches keying on sunken boats, gravel railcars and commercial reefing pyramids, each tall item surrounded by limestone rip rap or concrete rubble, a reef so large and complex that it can't be easily fished off. A reef that almost anybody can almost always go and catch some fish on. Stretching out across the remaining bottom, a giant nursery, thousands of scattered small rocks, each one the home and homing beacon for dozens of baby snappers, escaping from the current, ambushing their prey, dodging around the corner to escape their predators and loafing in the dead water behind their rock converting food into body mass instead of energy needed to fight the current. We think that's all worth working toward, but we could sure use some help. Right now we desperately need help with the Texas General Land Office. Most reefs are 80 acres; ours is 1,650 acres. The GLO usually doesn't charge for bottom leases for reefs. They sent us our permit April 1, along with a 20-year pay up front lease at $65/acre. Thats $99,000. We need to find folks with connections/power in the upper levels of the Texas General Land Office to convince them not to spank us for trying to make the Gulf a better place. We are also looking for material and transportation help. Connections into trucking companies, barge firms, demolition companies, offshore crew, work boats and tug and barge companies, and scrap companies who might like either to make tax deductible contributions, or advise us on how to best move large heavy reefing materials from their point of origin to the reef, thus becoming our paid contractors when the grants finally fund in late 2016 and beyond. If you would like to help, go to our website www.rgvreef. com, or our Facebook page, Friends of RGV Reef. We've found that we can leverage donations into quick action and into required match for grants. Every contribution, money or expertise, makes a difference. Thanks, Friends of RGV Reef

WHO ARE FRIENDS OF RGV REEF? Friends of Rio Grande Valley Reef is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to assisting on permitting and funding an artificial reef north of the South Padre Island jetties in State waters. RGV Reef was founded in 2015, out of growing concern for the Gulf of Mexico’s marine life decline. Our Gulf’s ecosystem is threatened by a variety of events such as overfishing, red tide, pollution and debris that result in habitat loss. Visit our website at www. rgvreef.com

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RANCH AND LODGE LISTINGS Double Shot Outfitters: Harlingen, Tx. 956-792-6460 956-367-5778 doubleshotoutfitters.com El Canelo Ranch: Raymondville, Tx. 78580 956-607-7200 www.huntelcanelo.com El Sauz Ranch: Raymondville, Tx. 78580 956-248-5593 www.elsauzranch.com Gravick Ranch: 4985 FM-1017 San Isidro, Tx. 78588 956-481-3273 www.gravickranch.com Horn, Fin and Feather: 32369 State Highway 186 E Raymondville, Tx. 78580 956-428-7006 hornfinandfeather.com

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WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Adreana & Julie of course M

aybe a lot of teams were forming the concept that Adreana Garza and Julie Jasso were nothing more than weekend warriors when they showed up for the annual Coyote Arms 24-hour Predator Challenge. Most teams probably thought little, if anything, of the female tandem. When it was over, everyone realized that the only female team to ever enter the competition were nothing short of Ultimate Warriors. While Jason Breeden and his partner cleaned up the competition, winning first place with the two heaviest coyotes (they also cleaned house with 10 bobcats, two foxes and two raccoons), it was Garza and her teammate Julie Jasso who turned heads. The dynamic duo finished second in the event, based on the two heaviest coyotes they brought back for weigh-ins. They finished the event with four coyotes and two bobcats. “Some of the men teams were a little disappointed,” said Adreana, who lives in Harlingen. “It was an amazing tournament but everyone was surprised that a couple of women did so well.” The team was sponsored by Brian Guerra and his store Armas de Guerra, of Harlingen. When the 24-hour event kicked off, however Garza and Jasso weren't too sure they were going to have a good day. Landowners anywhere in the state grant permission to the teams (usually friends or acquaintances) to hunt for the predators on their land. Adreana and Julie's met for the shotgun start at 11 a.m. In Edinburg. Then it was of to the first property to hunt, in Arroyo City. “We had to cross the Arroyo in a 10-foot Jon Boat with all of our gear,” Garza said. “Then we had to hunt this 1,000 acre ranch carrying all our gear and the wind was just bad throughout. We didn't get anything there.” Their luck changed however around 5 p.m. on a different property. Teams would run together in pairs for safety and efficiency – plus it adds to the competition. Suddenly, after six hours of seeing nothing, out jumped a large coyote. “One of the guys on the team we were running with shot and missed,” Adreana said. “I got on the the coyote and he shot again and missed. My shot took him down. It was really intense. “After that we changed our call to a distress coyote and out came his partner –

stay in one place more than 15-20 minutes if they don't see anything.” Bailey added that the (three-time) championship team's Breeden is a Border Patrol agent who is known on his off time as being an elite predator eradicator. He definitely doesn't disappoint when he makes his appearance. Adreana and Julie, who lives in Mission, met on Facebook through mutual friends after realizing they had many of the same passions – saltwater fishing, freshwater fishing, hunting, archery, bowhunting, bow fishing – you name it, if it includes a rifle or rod you'll probably catch their attention. After collecting their first coyote, Adreana said since they didn't have a vehicle on the property, she had to zip tie the coyote and carry him (“the flea-infested, tic-infested 27.4-pound coyote”) back to where their vehicle was parked. It was no easy task considering she also had her gear. The repercussions also were long-lasting. “I had to bathe in flea and tic shampoo for two weeks – they were everywhere,” she said. “But it was worth it all.” The female team created a Facebook Page entitled Hooks, Strings, & Triggers where people can keep up to date on their adventures, hunts, fishing events and contests they enter. They also have contests and have giveaways with hunting or fishing gear and fun prizes for children. It's also a place where they can pick up sponsors like they did with Guerra (Armas de Guerra LLC on Facebook).

Above: First, second and third place finishers, respectively, in the annual Coyote Arms Predator Challenge. but the other team shot him first.” Rick Bailey, owner of Coyote Arms Shooting Range, said he was impressed with the women and their performance. They met the “hardcore” moniker without a doubt.” “I hadn't seen them before but they are for sure hardcore,” he said. “They are outdoor girls who definitely can compete with anyone. The hunters come using night vision, set up their blinds several days in advance and take it real serious. Many don't go to sleep and a lot of them won't

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THE SHACK By BRENT JOHNSON

Seventeen years was the first time either of us were allowed to navigate and camp overnight. Both of us had operated boats on our own, but not for a threeday excursion as this. As the sun started its dissent we headed out. Twenty minutes into our journey we noticed the waves had increased to ocean size. It was then we realized we were in the Gulf of Mexico! No problem I know this place is around here somewhere. After a good laugh, we regathered our bearings and 45 minutes later reached our port o’ call. We kill the engine in front of the neighboring shack and pull out the rods to get a few casts in before we dock. The neighboring shack was a two-story behemoth about the size of Duncan’s cabin. It was taken out by a hurricane some years later. Drifting in front of it I cast a live shrimp under a popping cork about a foot in front of a barnacle covered pile on. Moments later I feel a big thump! The cork goes under and the battle begins. Then Smitty gets a bite while mine continues to fight. Reeling in reveals a huge flounder on mine and a nice red comes in on his. My first impression of this place was like arriving to the promise land. It remained that for many years to come. Pulling up to the timbers we tied off and unload-

TOP PHOTO: Back in the day with our Shallow Sport. MIDDLE PHOTO: The shack’s fish box, which local raccoons seemed to think they had rights to the contents. BOTTOM PHOTO: A serious April trout run

All-American lineman at S.W.T. who later owned a large flea market in Pharr. He was part owner of the shack and helped build it. One evening while throwing a cast net he experienced severe chest pain. It’s possible old Harvey saw how many fish his buddy brought him to clean, or maybe one too many slices of bacon had caught up to him, but it was determined a heart attack. He died in the boat on the way back to port. Then there was the time the boat dealer was bringing out a hovercraft for the owners to test drive as a shallow water option. When the salesman didn’t show the guys went to look for him. They figured the man forgot to top off the tank, or was having mechanical malfunctions. They saw the hovercraft on the western shoreline stalled out, but the salesman was nowhere to be seen. As they walked around the vessel they found him pinned underneath it. Seemed the chop picked up on the water and the man chose to hug the shoreline for a smoother ride. Unfortunately for him there was a concrete hazard that caused the vessel to flip pinning him face down in 6” of mud where he drowned. As beautiful as this bay is, it can also be dangerous. One late night in 1997 a barge went off course and crashed into

the shack, totally demolishing it. A few feet were all that separated those asleep from certain death. Lucky enough nobody had picked the bunk bed in the front of the room. That was the end for that shack, but a year later there would be a new shack. This time it would be built on land near the water’s edge. The new building was bigger and better in that hurricane straps were used on every joice. More windows opened up to the breeze, and a roof was built high to see the horizon and outer

space. Rarely did we see other boats in the area so it was only us and the fish. Being out in nature in this manner is something special. Sights, sounds, smells, taste and touch are all amplified. It is no wonder why a man, or a woman who has experienced the natural phenomena that is la Bahia madre would be so obsessed to want to return again and again. I know I do. See you on the water my friends!

Above, Julio Acosta, Belinda Acosta, Jennifer Monroe, Rolando Rodriguez and Edmunto Iturbe, stand with samples of the care packages they deliver to the homeless, to shelters and to veterans in need.

Texas Sportsman and South Texas Golf partner with

SANDBOX ANGLERS RIFLES TO REELS For the Second Annual Fish & Chip Classic

When Julio Acosta returned from his third combat duty in Iraq he knew immediately he was missing two things. First was the adrenaline rush from being in combat. In fact, it's partially why he returned for that third time. Second was not having his brothers, his fellow army friends, with him. Like so many veterans he tried to make due, but it wasn't working. “We've hit rock bottom – he hit rock bottom,” said Julio's wife Belinda. “There were some tough times. But it's exciting to see where he is now. To see that he is able to help others means more than anything. We know what it's like to be at the bottom, but it's far worse for so many others.” Julio, an Army Sgt. E-5, began an organization named “Sandbox Anglers – Rifles to Reels” along with the help of Edmundo Iturbe, Rolando Rodriguez and Dave Estes. Its purpose is multi-faceted. It helps veterans return to society and it delivers care packages to the homeless and homeless

shelters. Its work is unique and its group is quickly growing. “The idea was to create a group of people that would actually be hands on – that would go out and help our active veterans, facing PTSD, or having medical issues or being homeless,” said Julio, who created a Facebook page where the response has been enormous. “Every veteran has a bond, then you come home and that bond is not there. Your friends are in Minnesota, New York, Canada; you have them through that phone but you still want that bond. “I did three combat tours in Iraq and I was looking for that adrenaline rush. You get hooked through that adrenaline – then you come back and there's the lack of the bond, you're not understood by family members, what you are going through and the rush is not there anymore.” Upon returning from his final tour is when he met Belinda. Through love, patience and much work she, as he puts it, “settled him down.”

“So many vets go through a vicious cycle. They come home to a broken home, they are bankrupt or maybe have a drug or alcohol addiction or are homeless with no place to go,” Julio said. “I went through nobody wanting to employ me because we are (labeled as) 'all crazy' and being homeless. Thank God for my wife. I started reaching out on Facebook and decided to start fishing again. I tried to get on a team and they all said sure we'll take you fishing but nobody did.” That's when he met Edmundo, Dave and Rolando. Rolando, an avid angler who has spent a few years bringing other veterans fishing, told Julio he would take him fishing. Then he confirmed it – be ready at 4 a.m. “I had one veteran I would take out fishing and he would trigger real quick on any word you tell him,” Rolando said. “Now he's much more calm. We started going shark fishing and he has changed a lot. He can relax, he can enjoy being outside and he doesn't have to feel alone or empty.”

Continued on Page 36

It didn't take long before Julio found the adrenaline rush he needed – and the brotherhood he longed for. “Fishing has filled that void,” Julio said. “I had a closet full of fishing poles but hadn't fished in years and told my wife I was going to start again. We started gar fishing and I just got hooked.” The group has since delivered hundreds of boxes and care packages to shelters for the homeless and abused, handing them to the homeless and bringing a message to veterans that they can enjoy life again. “We started talking about how we wanted to help out. We don't want credit; we understand where we come from and we all have different experiences. We came back and things were different,” said Edmundo, who still serves in the National Guard. “We have met a lot of veterans who are going through worse times. It's not supposed to be 'you're a veteran stay home.' No, go out there. You can still enjoy life. You can enjoy different things. You don't have to be anti-social and you can still get an adrenaline rush and you can still share that brotherhood.” Texas Sportsman and South Texas Golf magazines have partnered this year with the Sandbox Anglers Rifles to Reels for the second annual Fish & Chip Classic. The fishing portion of the two-sport event will be held Sunday, July 10 at White Sands Marina in Port Isabel. The golf portion of the event will be held the following Sunday, July 17 at Tierra del Sol in Pharr. (See the inset story and back cover for more information). “Our veterans don't get what they give,” said Joey Dowden, a Navy veteran and co-owner of both Texas Sportsman and South Texas Golf magazines. “With Sandbox Anglers Rifles to Reels it's credit earned, credit deserved.” “There's always been a special part in my life and heart for the veterans who have served our country,” said Fred Rodriguez, co-owner of Texas Sportsman Magazine and the Texas Sportsman on TV. “With us partnering up with them and to see what they can do helping veterans who need it, I'm extremely happy we found this organization.” The group has a perfect picture in their minds of where they would like to see the organization reach. “It would be able to have homeless veterans or those with families in need to have a care package for them every month,” Julio said. “I would like to create a pipeline from here to as far north as I can of supporters where I can call and say 'hey I've got a veteran who needs blankets, or clothes or shampoo or baby wipes and powdered milk – whatever he or she needs – and say here.” For more information, follow “Sandbox Anglers Rifles to Reels” on Facebook.

HOW THE FISH & CHIP CLASSIC WORKS Anglers will go out looking to catch trout, flounder and redfish. When they come in, their heaviest of each fish will be weighed. They will begin the golf tournament the following week that many strokes under par. For example, if someone’s three biggest fish add up to weigh 11.3 pounds, they will begin the golf tournament 11.3 strokes under par. But you don’t have to compete in both. Each division has its own prizes. So if you shoot 16-under par and didn’t fish, but you have the lowest score, you are the golf champion. The team with the most points (or most strokes under par after both events) will be named the second annual Fish & Chip Classic grand champion. For more information on how to enter the Classic, see the back cover of this magazine.

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GAME WARDEN NOTES

A Turkey Vulture Is NOT Totem Pole Material W

hile searching for an armed robbery suspect’s campsite, the Mount Pleasant Police SWAT team entered a ranch on which the suspect was believed to be hiding. The SWAT team discovered the hidden campsite and found drug paraphernalia and a dead turkey vulture staked to the ground with its wings spread apart like a totem pole figure. The SWAT team didn’t find the suspect at the campsite, but they later found him at his girlfriend’s apartment. The girlfriend was arrested for harboring a felon. The following day, a Titus County game warden went to the campsite to seize the vulture as evidence. The warden researched the suspect, who did not have a hunting license, and found he had posted three photos of dead white-tailed deer on his Facebook account. The warden interviewed the suspect at the jail and identified two more suspects. After taking statements from the other suspects, the warden issued citations for hunting under the license of another, allowing another to hunt under his license, no hunter education and untagged white-tailed deer.

Caught In the Act Bowie County game wardens apprehended an individual for trespassing and deer poaching after the landowner captured evidence on game trail cameras he had placed on his property last November after multiple trespassing incidents. The landowner forwarded photos of the suspect, his vehicle and a harvested whitetailed deer to game wardens. The landowner also had pictures of the suspect with a gun and deer stand walking on his property and of the suspect loading a deer into a truck.

Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right A Red River County game warden got a call from a Clarksville police officer about a man with a deer in the bed of his truck. During the investigation, the warden discovered the young suspect had unintentionally hit the deer with his vehicle, circled back to pick it up and then taken it down the road and disposed of it illegally. The suspect then used the gearshift from his manual transmission to strike the deer over its head to kill it. After discussing what the young man should have done if he was worried about the deer suffering or the meat going to waste, the warden issued citations and warnings for possessing white-tailed deer parts taken from a public roadway, illegal means and methods for taking game, possessing deer in closed season and untagged deer. The meat from the deer was salvaged and donated.

Aggravated Carjacking An Atascosa County game warden was

returning from patrol when he heard a BOLO (be on the lookout) warning broadcast over the radio about an aggravated carjacking nearby. Dispatch told officers to be on the lookout for a suspect driving a beige vehicle allegedly headed toward Houston. About 20 minutes after the BOLO was broadcast, the vehicle was found in East Bexar County parked on the side of the road. The warden made contact with three individuals who had stopped to help untie a woman near the car. The warden took the female victim to safety and broadcast a description of the suspect, as told to him by the woman. The victim said she was told at gunpoint to drive the suspect to Houston. When the suspect realized she did not have enough gas to get all the way there, he made her pull over and was then picked up by someone else. The suspect tied the female up with nylon rope and bound a jacket around her head. Several local, state and federal agencies are assisting with this ongoing investigation.

Somerville after dark. At the spillway, they saw two different groups keeping game fish they had caught with cast nets. After making contact with both groups, the wardens seized 13 fish and wrote multiple citations.

This Game Warden Isn’t Going Anywhere

A San Patricio County game warden, with help from Judge Duncan Neblett Jr. of Port Aransas and a TPWD coastal fisheries biologist, picked up 74 crab traps from the Light House Lakes and Kayak Trails near Port Aransas in Redfish Bay. Cases on the illegal traps are currently being investigated.

A game warden was contacted by a local business owner about a mule deer doe carcass that was dumped with the hindquarters and back straps removed near his property. The warden responded to the dumpsite but did not find any incriminating evidence. He patrolled through a trailer park a few blocks away and found a back leg and some hide from the hindquarters of a doe outside one of the trailers. After inspecting the bed of the pickup truck parked outside the trailer, in which he found blood and deer hair, the warden tried to make contact with the truck’s owner, but no one answered the door of the trailer. The warden parked his patrol truck beside the trailer and waiting about 10 minutes for the suspect, who, after realizing the warden wasn’t going anywhere, finally came outside. After a short interview, the warden determined the man was responsible for killing and dumping the mule deer. The case has been filed and restitution has been paid.

Wardens Lend a Helping Hand Two Llano County game wardens put together a food drive for a family in need after a family member contacted one of the wardens. The family member said they needed meat to feed their family of 15. Within days, the wardens delivered processed deer hamburger and steaks, cooked pulled pork, sausage, fish and other items to stock the family’s freezer.

Caught In the Dark A Lee County game warden and a Burleson County warden checked on a tip they had received about people catching fish with nets at the spillway of Lake

Missing Boaters Found Safe A Lee County game warden got a call about a missing boat that was last seen operating on Lake Somerville. The boat’s occupants were already two hours late getting home. The wind was blowing more than 30 miles an hour that day, and the waves were more than four feet. Working with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Burton Police Department, the warden found the missing boaters. The high waves had caused the boat to take on water and sink, forcing the occupants to swim to shore. One of the occupants was taken to the hospital for hypothermia, but they were otherwise okay.

Clean Up, Clean Up, Everybody Clean Up

Catch and Release Four Aransas County game wardens apprehended two commercial oyster boats in Aransas Bay with 30 percent and 21 percent undersized loads of oysters, respectively. They found another commercial oyster boat in Copano Bay with a 26 percent undersized haul of oysters. The wardens issued the captains of each boat a citation and returned 43 sacks of oysters to the water.

Darting through Traffic After nearly a year of investigation, Texas game wardens filed charges against a Comal County man for hunting an exotic animal from a public roadway without the landowner’s consent. The man allegedly shot a blackbuck antelope with a tranquilizer dart containing a controlled substance — Telazol — while purportedly attempting to steal the antelope from the Las Lomas gated community in Hays County. Several charges were filed against the individual, including three Class A misdemeanors (hunting an exotic animal from a public roadway, hunting an exotic animal without the expressed consent of the landowner, and possession of controlled substance penalty group 3) and one Class B misdemeanor (attempted theft of the blackbuck antelope). Charges are pending in Hays County District Attorney.

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RETURN OF A BIG CAT

Rare Jaguar sighted in Arizona; others in New Mexico - none in Texas so far Story by Mike Cox Photos Courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife

ooking down a mesquite-lined South Texas sendero waiting for a trophy buck to show, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sitting in an elevated blind, rifle in hand. Suddenly something else saunters into view -- a big, buff-colored cat with black spots. If that ever happens, put down the rifle.

Don't even think about pulling the trigger unless you've always wanted to spend time in federal prison and pay the government a bunch of money to boot. Instead, grab your smart phone in case the animal gets close enough for you to get a picture. Better yet, have a camera with a big lens handy. Oh, and best stay in the blind until the cat wanders off. It's been a long time since anyone has seen a jaguar in Texas, but one of the endangered cats -- so designated since 1977 -- showed up in Arizona last year. In fact, it got photographed seven different times in five locations over a nine-month period. Lost for the most part in all the news media coverage during the two-week run

up to Super Bowl 50, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released video footage of a jaguar wandering around in the Santa Rita mountains just 25 miles from downtown Tucson. That desert city lies only 300 miles and change west of El Paso, about the same distance as it is from Austin to South Padre. The multiple sightings of the large and extremely rare (at least on this side of the Rio Grande) critter are the first reported in the U.S. since a monitored jaguar known as Macho B died in Arizona in 2009. In neighboring New Mexico in 1996, a mountain lion hunter with six cat-tracking dogs cornered a jaguar in the southwestern part of that state long enough

to take 15 photographs of it. And game camera photos of jaguars have been made in New Mexico since then. Last time one of the big cats -- in South Texas many called it "El Tigre," Spanish for tiger -- is known to have been killed in the Lone Star State was 1947, but even four decades before then, the animals were getting scarce in these parts. The reason is that they had a bad reputation, whether deserved or not. Given that most Texans considered the cats a threat to livestock and humans alike, jaguars had a figurative target on their hides just like bear, wolves and mountain lions. Of course, those hides were pretty, too. The 1870s South Texas outlaw King Fisher often wore a jaguar-skin vest. (It wasn't bullet proof, but that's another story.) “It stirs the imagination to recall that this terrible jaguar once roamed plentifully throughout Texas,” wrote Will Tucker in 1929 for the annual report of the old Game and Fish Commission, now Texas Parks and Wildlife. “This tropical beast, though receding before the advance of civilization, may at any time cross into Texas from Mexico, where it persists in considerable numbers.” Whether jaguars are truly terrible is debatable, but they do grow larger than any other North American cat, including the much more common mountain lion. It's own kind of cat, the jaguar is the

only member of the tiger family in North American. Scientifically known as Felis onca hernandezi, an adult male jaguar can weigh 200 pounds and stretch eight feet long from nose to tail. They usually stay within a 3 to 15 mile radius and operate alone except during breeding season. A female will care for two to four kittens for up to two years. Their average lifespan is 11 years. Historically, the only North American cat that actually roars could be found from

Louisiana to Arizona. Today, its range has contracted to the tropics of mid-America upward through remote areas of northern Mexico. Occasionally, however, one of the cats will move up a riparian corridor and cross the border into the Southwestern United States. Whether a breeding population exists in the remote high country of southern Arizona is not known, but considered possible though not likely. Still, wildlife sometimes restores itself. Despite having been hunted out in West Texas,

“To be perfectly fair, we must admire the good judgment of the six [dogs] that retired to safety from an unequal combat with a beast so terribly weaponed – the greatest of North American cats.”

--John Tucker, 1929 Game And Commission

black bear coming out of Mexico have reestablished themselves in the mountains of the Big Bend. Not surprisingly, the appearance of the jaguar in Arizona has exposed some philosophical differences between state and federal wildlife officials. U.S. Fish and Wildlife is considering creation of a 1,300-acre critical habitat area for jaguar in parts of Cochise, Pima and Santa Cruz counties in Arizona and Hidalgo County in New Mexico. The Arizona Game and Fish Department, on the other hand, said it does not think that regulatory step is necessary. So far, this is a non-issue in Texas. But once upon the time, Texas had big, spotted cats even in the heart of the state. The Depression-era Texas Game and Fish Commission report features a photograph of one of the big tigers killed near the Central Texas town of Goldthwaite in 1903 – the last of the species ever reported in the interior of the state. The image shows the dead jaguar and two of the men who tracked it down and killed it. Also in the photograph are two of the dogs that were

in on the chase. One of the men in on the hunt was Homer Brown, who described the event in a letter to Julia Kemp. Tucker excerpted the missive in his report. Whether Brown and his buddy had any intentionality of finding a jaguar is not explained in the letter. All Brown said by way of explanation was that one Henry Morris came to his place to go hunting, which they did on the night of Sept. 3, 1903. With a boy named Johnnie Walton, the three had supper at Brown’s place and then “started for the mountains three miles southwest of Center City.” At dusk, their dogs took up the cat’s trail. “We ran him about three miles and treed him in a small Spanish oak,” Brown wrote. “I shot him in the body with a Colt .45. He fell out of the tree and the hounds ran him about half a mile and bayed him.” The .45 round, despite its man-killing punch, must not have hit the cat in a vital area because Brown dispatched Morris to hurry to Center City for “[more] guns and ammunition.” Ninety minutes later, Morris returned leading a small posse of well-

armed Mills County men. “We commenced the fight with 10 hounds, but when we got him killed there were three dogs with him, and one of them wounded. He killed one dog and very nearly killed several others. He got hold of Bill Morris’ horse and bit it so bad it died from its wounds.” The battle ended with the cat’s death about midnight. The animal measured 6 feet, 6 inches from nose to the end of its tail and weighed 140 pounds. Apparently not bothered that a species was coming close to extinction in Texas, Tucker in the 1929 document seemed more interested in how the hounds fared against that Mills County jaguar. “One must admire the courage of the 10 hounds that brought the animal to bay and especially the three that remained to the end of the battle and the one that gave up his life,” Tucker wrote. “To be perfectly fair, we must admire the good judgment of the six [dogs] that retired to safety from an unequal combat with a beast so terribly weaponed – the greatest of North American cats.”

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Great news for fishermen on South Padre Island Catering to the fishermen on the island is a very important task. This is something that has been lacking here on the island for years….until now. There is good news on the rise on the bay coming this summer. Remember Jim’s Pier from years past? Back then you could get everything you needed to go fishing, come back in with your catch and everyone and their dogs were there to see what you caught, while everyone sat around drinkning a beer and swapping stories. Osprey Cruises, which is located behind KOA campgrounds and Black Dragon Cruises in Port Isabel has formulated this very strategic location on the island and will have a first-class fishing and tours center. They will have everything a fisherman needs for a great day out on the water. They have encompassed about 50 slips you can rent for the day or whatever and they will become first class after they are done with them. It will be located at the old Fishermans Wharf with lots of the Jim’s Pier patina surrounding the premise. He is trying not to forget the memorabilia from the historic Jim’s from years past. “It will be first class all the way with all new equipment” Phil Calo said from

Master Captain Alan Stewart owns and operates Stewart Training Center and holds a Master license with the U.S.C.G. Stewart Training Center is located at 39572 Loop Road, Bayview, Tx., 78566.

Eddie Ruiz 956-648-8467 Owner / Taxidermist

Exotic Game N. American Game

5115 S. US 281 Suite H Edinburg Tx. 78539

Salt and Fresh Water Fish Fiberglass and Skin Mounts

“Fast Turnaround Time”

The Texas Sportsman & South Texas Golf Present The Second Annual

South Texas Fish & Chip Classic FISHING

SUNDAY, July 10, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. WHITE SANDS MARINA, PORT ISABEL -- 3 persons per boat -- MUST be in line AT 3 p.m. for weigh-in -- Payouts 1st, 2nd, 3rd for Redfish, Flounder and Trout -- Receive 1 point per pound of fish for grand fish & chip title.

GOLF

SUNDAY, July 17 8:30 a.m. SHOTGUN START TIERRA DEL SOL, PHARR

$500 PER TEAM (covers fishing & golf) RECEIVE A CRUISE FOR TWO WITH EACH SPONSORSHIP OF $1,000 OR MORE!!

-- 3 person team (can be same as fish team or exchange players! -- Prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd -- 1 point per stroke under par for grand fish & chip title

CALL (956) 776-4623 or (956) 607-0853 TO SPONSOR OR REGISTER A TEAM TODAY!!!

PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT SANDBOX ANGLER’S “RIFLES TO REELS”