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about the Cover

Contents

January 2018 VOL 27 NO 9

Eighth trip is the charm!

Dedicated seatrout aficionado Patrick Martino of Mississippi has been making the 13-hour trek to Texas eight years, seeking a lifetime speck. Setting a goal of nine pounds and thirty-inches, the quest was finally fulfilled at 4:00 PM on the last of three days booked with Capt. Wayne Davis at Port Mansfield in late-winter 2017.

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

10 Reflections of 2017 16 Prepare, Plan, Persist 22 Bodie Goes to England: Part 6 26 Reality Check 32 Partyboat Time

38 42 46 50 54 58 60 64 67 68

Steve Hillman Kevin Cochran Martin Strarup Chuck Uzzle Joe Richard

10

Let’s Ask The Pro Jay Watkins Shallow Water Fishing Scott Null TPWD Field Notes Zachary Olsen & Emma Clarkson Fly Fishing Scott Sommerlatte Kayak Fishing Chronicles Dave Roberts TSFMag Conservation News CCA Texas Fishy Facts Stephanie Boyd Inshore | Nearshore | Jetties | Passes Curtiss Cash Science & the Sea UT Marine Science Institute Extreme Kayak Fishing & Sharks...

Eric Ozolins

42

WHAT OUR GUIDES

HAVE TO SAy

72 74 76 78 80 82 84

Dickie Colburn’s Sabine Scene The Buzz on Galveston Bay The View from Matagorda Mid-Coast Bays with the Grays Hooked up with Rowsey Wayne’s Port Mansfield Report South Padre Fishing Scene

Dickie Colburn Caleb Harp Bink Grimes Shellie Gray David Rowsey Wayne Davis Ernest Cisneros

REGULARS

76

8 Editorial 70 New Tackle & Gear 86 Fishing Reports and Forecasts 90 Catch of the Month 92 Gulf Coast Kitchen

92 6 | January 2018

HULL STAINS? Editor and Publisher Everett Johnson Everett@tsfmag.com VICE PRESIDENT PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Pam Johnson Pam@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-550-9918 National sales representative Bart Manganiello Bartalm@optonline.net regional sales representative Patti Elkins Patti@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-649-2265 PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Donna Boyd Donna@tsfmag.com

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Email store@tsfmag.com for all address changes or please call 361-785-3420 from 8am - 4:30pm. The U.S. Postal Service does not guarantee magazines will be forwarded. how to contact tsfmag: Phone: 361-785-3420 fax: 361-785-2844 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, Texas 77983 Physical Address: 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, TX 77983 Web: www.TSFMAG.com photo gallery: photos@tsfmag.com Printed in the USA. Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine (ISSN 1935-9586) is published monthly by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, Texas 77983 l P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 © Copyright 1990 All rights reserved. Positively nothing in this publication may be reprinted or reproduced. *Views expressed by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine contributors do not necessarily express the views of Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine.

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EDITORIAL

Here We Go Again!

Hello 2018! I trust everyone enjoyed a wonderful Christmas holiday as we set our sights on the dawning of what promises to be another great year of fishing along the Texas coast. Despite Harvey having ravaged coastal communities, we certainly still have a lot going for us on the water.

Jay Watkins might have said it best describing recent fishing success in the Rockport region. “It’s better than good,” he relates in this month’s column. “Better actually than I really care to report,” no doubt hoping to avoid a jinx. Jay went on to reflect upon the regenerative surge, so typical of what major tropical storms create within inshore ecosystems. Anglers who frequent the Matagorda and Port O’Connor bays have been sending equally glowing reports.

Down on the Lower Laguna Madre, Ernest Cisneros says that though trophy-size specks were very stubborn in showing during early-winter last year, his charters have already been providing encouraging action for larger-than-average fish.

In this month’s Conservation Section we have a piece from CCA Texas Advocacy Director, Shane Bonnot, highlighting the contribution of State Rep. Dennis Bonnen of the 25th Legislative District to the future of the Texas oyster fishery. Rep. Bonnen skillfully championed HB 51 through the legislative process, adding critical amendments along the way to further insure the beleaguered fishery can make a swift recovery. Bonnen also worked alongside TPWD Commissioners after the bill became law to help craft oyster harvest regulations that took effect September 1, 2017.

While oysters are a valuable commodity and provide economic opportunity for commercial harvesters and seafood dealers, they also play a vital role in filtering enormous quantities of water as they feed upon suspended organic matter, thus improving water clarity that allows sunlight to penetrate to the bay floor and enrich seagrasses, among other things.

Oyster reefs help stabilize shorelines and also provide critical habitat for a long list of marine species that includes spotted seatrout and red drum.

Recent research places oysters above even seagrass as a contributor to overall estuarian productivity.

In recognition of his role in achieving the passage of HB 51 and his work with TPWD, CCA Texas recently presented Bonnen with its Conservation Hero Award.

Bonnot writes; “Sometimes you need a champion. Sometimes you need a hero…for all of his efforts this past year, CCA Texas would like to recognize Rep. Dennis Bonnen as our Conservation Hero.

Apart from great wintertime fishing, another January highlight will be the boat and sport shows. Serious boat shopping will be on the agenda of some while others simply enjoy tire-kicking and learning about new brands and models. Tackle shopping and meeting guides and outfitters is another great reason to attend, not to mention the benefit of escaping cabin fever.

If Ol’ Man Winter sends a chill down your neck and cancels fishing plans, but you still yearn for fishing-related entertainment, pack up the family and spend a fun and informative day indoors instead.

Happy New Year and Great Fishing in 2018!

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STORY BY STEVE HILLMAN

A

s I sit in my deer blind here in South Texas, I can’t help but reflect upon all the events of 2017 and how quickly the year seems to have passed. I’m watching two young bucks sparring playfully as I listen to coyotes howling in the distance on this calm evening. I must say, I feel like I’m in Heaven, but my mind drifts elsewhere.

2017 has been a rollercoaster ride but my little South Texas respite these past few days is allowing me to finally kick back and exhale for what seems a very long time.

I’m the kind of guy who thinks about things in minute detail and then has a bad (or good) habit of overanalyzing. I remember just about everything, then try to figure out why things played out the way they did. I go a step further in my thought process to determine if there was anything I could or should have done to affect the outcomes. The hurricane-induced changes up and down the coast were completely out of our control. The effects on our fishery were good for some and maybe not so good for others. There was nothing any of us could do to change the result. However, we should all come away wiser for the experience.

Looking Back The year began with another mild winter. Fishing started out rather average across the Galveston Bay Complex, so I found myself fishing the Matagorda area for the better part of three months until I was satisfied with the quality of fish here at home. My trips to Matagorda were all productive – sans that little Corky-in-the-ear incident. Here’s a little sound advice – Always remember to wrap your line around the guides on your rod when traveling across the bay. Generally speaking, nothing

Brian Castille and his dad, Gerry, caught trout then spent over an hour doubling up on reds! Great times with long-time clients / friends!

good can be expected when a lure flies off of the hook-keeper while doing 40.

Wrapping the line also helps protect your rod from swivels or jig heads nicking your rod blank in the wind.

It also helps keep all your rods from sticking together like Velcro when you unload them from your truck.

April on Galveston Bay was by far my best big trout month of the year with several over 7-pounds and one very close to the 8-pound mark. Our run of big trout seemed short-lived however. Catching numbers of trout was not necessarily a problem but we caught them in fewer areas than in years past and they were much smaller than usual. My concerns, along with many others, prompted me to get further entrenched in advocating a reduction in the daily bag limit to five trout for Galveston Bay. This involved extensive dialogue with the Coastal Fisheries Division of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, as well as segments on Captain Mickey Eastman’s 610 AM Outdoor Show, and CCA Advocacy Director Shane Bonnot’s podcasts. Hopefully, we will see some positive changes Joey Cibulski caught this leading up to September 1, beautiful red in between taking 2018 that will greatly benefit jabs at me and his brothers. our Upper Coast trout fishery.

We were on a solid pattern in a few locales right up until the record floods from Harvey. Fishing then played second fiddle to helping friends and relatives whose lives had been turned upside down. This was a depressing time for me, witnessing the hardships of others, but it was also a prideful period seeing everyone standing steadfast together and lending a helping hand. I would occasionally take a break from tearing out soggy sheetrock and venture out to find fishable waters, all the while wondering when I could get back to work. What we witnessed in the first couple of weeks had quite a few of us worried about the future of our Upper Coast fishery. Our salinity levels eventually increased to suitable levels and fishing was good again. It took Brian Castille with a monster me awhile to mentally 45-inch red from a late fall open rebound from all that water school. I’ve seen more happened but things big schools of giant redfish in 12 | January 2018

the bay in the last two years than I’ve ever seen in my life!

I’ve known Taylor and Tyler Harding since they were born. I first took them fishing when they were 9 or 10 years old. Now at age 23, they are accomplished anglers and successful young men. Very gratifying.

eventually fell back into place.

Fall fishing was pretty good with increased numbers of keeper trout showing with every cool front. Some larger trout up to 6-pounds started to show at the time of this article and we seemed to be headed toward a productive winter season. Some live oysters were spared, much to our surprise, albeit in mainly 9- to 10-foot depths where salinities remained more suitable during the floods. West Galveston Bay was Don Williams, Dave Pierce and Mike spared enough habitat in the Williams have been fishing with me for form of shoal grass and oysters over a decade. They like to give me a because of its closer proximity to hard time but I enjoy giving it back too! the Gulf. Things are not as bad as they could have been, but they could certainly be better.

Highlights of 2017 I’ve been fortunate to fish with many of the same clients year after year.

As a result, many friendships have evolved. I take pride in teaching them the patterns and strategies over a twelve month period to enable them to get the most out of their fishing experience. These friendships now run even deeper because many of them have children that they’ve begun to introduce to fishing. Despite all the men and women that have fished with me, watching these youngsters grow up before my eyes and seeing what they’ve learned gives me more satisfaction than anything. This has been the highlight of my year without a doubt.

As a professional fishing guide, I witness kids of all ages with varying degrees of angling skills. Most have learned just enough from their dad to make them dangerous, while others are a little green because of the cyber generation in which they were born.

Many of them have not been exposed to the outdoors until now as young teenagers. It’s not necessarily their fault and kudos to mom and dad trying to get them involved but, for Pete’s sake, make them put their cell phone in the leaning post storage compartment!

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Fishing with the Cibulski brothers (Joey, Rusty, Jack and Ray [not pictured]) was a nice pick-me-up after dealing with the aftermath of Harvey.

Biblical flooding from Harvey.

I hope I never have to witness this again in my lifetime.

Deputy Division Director Lance Robinson of TPWD Coastal Fisheries fielding questions from callers about the fishery impacts of Harvey on Captain Mickey’s outdoor show.

2017 was the best year for flounder the bay. However, all hope is that I can remember! Harris Hanson not lost. Whether they were with his first ever flatty! raised on BB guns or video games, developing a solid skill set can still be achieved through practice and good listening. I witness it every year and I have some kids who really aren’t “kids” anymore who can fish circles around most adults. They’ve discovered a whole new world and I’ve been blessed to play a role.

So 2018 finds us embarking on another new and hopefully prosperous year. We’ve weathered the hard times to get to the good times. While it’s true that changes have taken place that are out of our control, as conscientious stewards, we should become wiser as we witness all such changes, good and bad. We need to do everything in our power to assure “good times” for all who follow in our footsteps.

It’s not just about us.

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen.” Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)

Contact

Steve Hillman

14 | January 2018

Steve Hillman is a full-time fishing guide on his home waters of Galveston Bay. Steve fishes the entire Galveston Bay Complex, wading and drifting for trout, redfish, and flounder using artificial lures.

Phone 409-256-7937 Email captsteve@hillmanguideservice.com Web www.hillmanguideservice.com

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STORY BY KEVIN COCHRAN

Winter sunset on the Laguna Madre. Fishing for trophy speckled trout is better than average during the gloaming when it is cold.

I

n the dead of winter, when Jack Frost’s fingers rip the last brittle leaves off deciduous trees, some anglers clean and stow their fishing gear, to wait for warmer weather before venturing out again. Others perceive ripe opportunity in the frigid months, when chilled water temperatures force inshore species into predictable behavior patterns. Those who choose to make forays onto the bays this time of year should do so after preparing themselves carefully and making thoughtful plans.

Navigating across our coastal waterways in a center console boat presents inherent dangers and risks. Cold weather accentuates these negative aspects of the endeavor. To properly acknowledge and potentially cope with these perils, wise captains monitor and maintain their rigs thoroughly and carry all legally-required and optional safety equipment and devices, including signal flares and a fully-stocked first aid kit. These and other items should remain at the ready in all seasons, but in the coldest months, adding a cache of warm clothing and a stockpile of extra food and water to the list can provide necessary comfort and nourishment if and when accidents occur.

The safety of a situation can deteriorate rapidly when any angler gets wet, whether through contact with soaking winter rains or immersion in the bay waters. Wading anglers face the risk of stumbling and filling their waders, also the possibility of rips in the fabrics causing leaks.

Boat-bound anglers can fall off the craft accidentally, and brisk winds can drive rainwater through the shields of most any protective clothing. In any of these cases, replacing wet clothes with dry ones can salvage a trip at the least, and stave off the deadly risks of hypothermia in

On a cold morning in early February, Jeremy Rhodes used a sinking Paul Brown Lure to coax this thirty-inch trout to bite. Tweaking presentations with lures of this type regularly leads to catching big trout when water temperatures dip into the low-fifties.

Buffering one’s head and ears from brisk winter winds helps wading anglers stay warm in winter. On this day, Captain Kev used a beanie, a fleece hoodie and a Gore-Tex jacket to accomplish the task.

worst-case scenarios.

Of course, properly dressing oneself to cope with the elements prior to launching the boat plays a critical role in preparedness on winter outings.

One should layer clothing adequately, starting with thin, tight-fitting, moisture-resistant garments next to the skin, moving through thicker layers in the middle, and working up to water-shedding fabrics on the outside. Using a belt to cinch the waders tight around the waist will prevent water from penetrating them easily in an emergency, and wearing a waterproof jacket on the outside of the waders provides a buffer against the trickling effects of rogue waves which splash against an angler’s back.

Wearing waders while riding in the boat from place to place does carry a risk. If thrown from the boat, an angler covered in such garb will potentially have a hard time treading water and staying afloat. For this reason, some people choose not to travel long distances in the boat wearing the gear. Other folks relish the warmth and comforts provided by waders during windy boat rides and don life jackets over them for added safety while moving around. In fact, wearing personal flotation devices while whizzing across the water always makes good sense, regardless of what other clothing one chooses to wear.

Colder weather makes all these issues more significant. Accordingly, in order to remain truly prepared, one should pay close attention to prevailing conditions and weather predictions before heading out onto the water this time of year. Like water temperatures, tides usually fall to low levels after the December solstice, exposing hazards for oblivious captains who don’t monitor the situation closely. Using the weather forecast and tidal predictions to generate a safe float plan enhances the safety of all winter trips.

The same environmental elements additionally affect the decisions of where and how to fish. For instance, when cold fronts roar across the coast, leaving whistling north winds in their wakes, fishing along protected, leeward shorelines makes good sense, both from a safety 18 | January 2018

standpoint and a productivity potential perspective.

Cold-stunned fish tend to hunker down in areas with the warmest water available, which in most cases means spots lying close to deep holes and basins sheltered from the influence of the bitter winds. Like the fish, anglers benefit from spending ample time in the same kinds of places. In order to do so, they should consider which launching points and navigation paths will allow them to access these coordinates safely. Finding oneself on the windward side of a deep bay pummeled by the fists of post-front winds defies the rules of common sense.

Fishing through frontal passages can provide epic results in some cases, and savvy coastal anglers appreciate this fact. Wise ones also acknowledge the risks involved with braving such weather events, and position themselves to safely return to the dock once the ugly downturn in elements dictates such a move. These same anglers also recognize the need to make a basic choice while making a winter excursion—whether to wade or fish from the boat. Generally, prefront conditions, onshore winds, warmer weather and higher tide levels favor wading, while post-front conditions, offshore winds, colder temperatures and lower tide levels favor fishing from the boat.

In some specific locations, cold conditions and low tides can create the perfect scenario for wading close to shallow structures lying adjacent to deep channels and basins near wind-buffering shorelines, so generalizations don’t always apply, especially for anglers who choose to target trophy speckled trout. In addition to making a basic choice of how to fish before leaving the dock, an angler should clarify the specific goal of a winter outing, because fishing for small keeper trout and slot redfish this time of year often means fishing deeper water than fishing for trophy specks dictates.

Regardless of whether one chooses to fish for monster trout or limits of smaller trout and reds, a mindset centered on persistence and patience will increase the odds for success. Cold-blooded creatures feel the effects of harsh winter weather profoundly, feeding less frequently as a result. When they do eat, they sometimes gorge

20 | January 2018

Over-sized redfish sometimes surprise trophy trout anglers who brave the elements to fish on the coldest days of the year. This bruiser battled Ari Schwartz bravely before losing. Ari rewarded the bronze bully by releasing it. to the bottom and experimenting with the speed and intensity of the presentation.

Most of the time, lures moving slowly through the lower parts of the water column produce more strikes in winter than lures moving faster near the surface, particularly when fish become negative and stop feeding actively. Urging reaction strikes from finicky, cold fish requires super slow presentations. On the other hand, when warm spells occur during Jack Frost’s months, trout and redfish can and will attack floating plugs with reckless abandon for short periods of time. Anglers who realize this remain ready to offer them what they want.

One common theme connects all these concepts—locating fish and earning strikes in winter can prove challenging.

Folks who display patience in the right places and who make a persistent effort at subtly refining their strategies have the best chances for consistent success. In this basic way, fishing in winter resembles fishing in the other three seasons. But in the coldest months, when Mother Nature wags her finger most sternly, preparation, planning, persistence and patience play more dramatic roles than they do when the all-mighty matriarch displays a kinder, gentler mood.

Fishing early, in the hours prior to sunrise, can reward trophy trout hunters like Beau Blackard, who tricked this photogenic nine-pound specimen before daylight on an outing at the end of the month of January.

Kevin Cochran Contact

voraciously, snapping at whatever sources of food they can find, including members of their own species in some cases. These facts dictate more than a need for a patient mind-set in the anglers who target them; they also require a willingness to factor in impending changes in weather and other celestial events.

Smart anglers plan cold-weather outings to coincide with predictably high levels of activity in the fish they seek.

Sometimes, this means fishing through a frontal passage, as mentioned above. It might also favor leaving the dock late in the morning and fishing through dusk and into the early hours of night, particularly when a strong incoming tide movement occurs in the gloaming. At other times, wise anglers arrive at their spots before dawn to take advantage of the enhanced potential created by a setting moon, especially those targeting trophy trout in ultra-clear waters.

Planning outings to coincide with events which generally elevate the likelihood of encountering actively feeding fish hedges the bet favorably, but does not eliminate the critical roles played by persistence and patience in improving productivity. For wading anglers, persistence often means planting one’s feet and remaining relatively still in small places known to hold the kind(s) of fish targeted. Tinkering with lure choices and presentations within a narrow range of variability typically leads to a desired outcome. Maintaining a vigil to verify the presence of forage species plays a part in the plan. Normally, finding a few mullet in the area proves valuable in winter, especially on the coldest days, whether wading or fishing from the boat.

On the other hand, locating a cove or similar shallow area loaded with mullet can become important during warm spells between fronts. An angler wishing to wade areas of those types on a mild winter afternoon might first display persistence in the search for a concentration of the forage species, before stopping and getting out of the boat. Similarly, a boatbound angler attempting to catch fish in an open basin during winter might devote ample time to a search for muddy streaks in the water before starting a drift and making the first cast.

Once a boating angler locates some fishy looking streaks, the focus of their effort likely shifts to identifying the subtle elements of lure choice and presentation which will produce bites, much the same way a wading angler would. In the case of a boating angler, this normally involves adjusting jighead size to keep a soft plastic in close proximity

Kevin Cochran is a full-time fishing guide at Corpus Christi (Padre Island), TX. Kevin is a speckled trout fanatic and has created several books and dvds on the subject.

Kevin’s home waters stretch from Corpus Christi Bay to the Land Cut.

Trout Tracker Guide Service Phone Email Web

361-688-3714 kevxlr8@mygrande.net www.FishBaffinBay.com www.captainkevblogs.com

Part VI STORY BY MARTIN STRARUP

B

odie bolted upright at the sound of Tommy’s voice and whacked his head on the ceiling panel. The impact knocked him back into his seat but undaunted, he stood again more carefully, staring agape at his friend.

“Surprise!” Tommy yelled.

Flabbergasted, Bodie looked at Doug, his jaw still on his chest. Doug quickly said, “Tommy wanted to surprise you and keep you company in England. Of course, this was before you invited Red to come along.”

“Turn this airplane around or give me a parachute because I need to get off,” Red stated gruffly.

Bodie chimed in, “Okay, everyone just calm down and stop scaring the lovely lady here, whom I believe was about to serve us some breakfast.”

Quickly gathering his thoughts, Bodie then said, “It’s a nice surprise Tommy, and you sure got me. I also think that it was most generous of our host to have me and my two best friends accompany him on this trip to England…don’t you both agree?”

Along with the announcement, Bodie gave Tommy and Red “the look.” And with that they both settled into their seats like scolded school children as an icy stillness came over the group.

Doug spoke first. “Boys, boys, we are going to be on this plane together for a good while and we should be celebrating, not arguing. So, let’s have a nice breakfast, a Bloody Mary or two, and settle down to enjoy the flight.”

TSFMAG.com | 23

24 | January 2018

you suggested and finding out that I can’t afford the meal.”

Doug reached for a portfolio that was lying on the table next to them and removed an envelope. “Bodie, inside this envelope is a corporate credit card with your name on it. The billing zip code is also in the envelope in case you are asked for it. I want you to use this to pay for anything that the three of you might want to eat, see or do outside of your hotel. Everything at the hotel should be charged to your suite, of course.”

“It’s not often that I’m speechless, Doug, but you sure do have me this time,” Bodie said appreciatively, accepting the envelope.

“Bodie, you saved my daughter’s life and have become a very close friend. Believe me when I say it is my entire pleasure to accommodate you, Tommy, and Red, on this trip.”

Bodie had just closed his eyes when Pamela came to inquire whether they might be ready for lunch.

“Nap or lunch, Bodie? I guess we talked longer than I had planned,” Doug smiled to his friend.

Bodie took a quick look at Red and Tommy still snoozing and said, “Nap sounds good to me.”

“And to me as well,” Doug agreed. “So, Pamela, a late lunch would be much better. Thank you.”

Bodie was going over all the things Doug had told him about London and soon drifted off to sleep. Doug did the same.

Tommy woke up hungry, got up to stretch his legs, and drifted back to the galley to see what Pamela might have to snack on. “I’m hungry enough to eat raw fish,” he announced to the lovely lady.

“Well, I did not plan for sushi, but I am going to serve shrimp cocktails and baked halibut for lunch,” Pamela replied.

“Man, I just love me some shrimp,” Tommy exclaimed. “Could you put me about a dozen of them in my cocktail, please?”

Pamela looked surprised and politely told Tommy, “Why certainly, but they are really large shrimp. Perhaps you would like to start with eight, and if you want more I can bring them to you.”

“Well, eight skate and donate those shrimp to me, Miss Pam,” Tommy giggled loudly, and returned to his seat.

Pamela didn’t know exactly what Tommy meant, but he was going to get eight of the jumbo shrimp in his cocktail.

To be continued...

Martin Strarup

Contact

Breakfast was huevos rancheros with a great sauce, smoked ham, refried beans, fried potatoes and some of the best corn tortillas the boys had eaten in quite some time. The Bloody Mary was spicy and delicious. Tommy asked Pamela for another Bloody Mary and Red asked for a glass of milk.

“Why on earth do you want to drink milk when everybody’s having Bloody Marys?” Tommy asked, very puzzled.

“Because my stomach suddenly became upset…,” Red growled.

“Maybe you shouldn’t fly if it upsets your stomach,” Tommy shot back, completely missing Red’s sarcasm.

“Flying’s not what upsets my stomach, you ignor----!” Red stopped mid-sentence as he felt the toe of Bodie’s boot digging into his shin.

Pamela returned with a Bloody Mary for Tommy and milk for Red. Doug and Bodie both took refills of coffee and struck up a conversation of England. Doug began filling them in on things to do, what to visit and areas of interest, and such.

“I will have dinner commitments the first two evenings of our stay but after that I will be able to join you all and I have some favorite restaurants I want you to experience. And, of course, there’s Holland & Holland and James Purdy & Sons, both very famous gunmakers in London, as well as paying a visit to Birmingham to see the Westley Richards gun factory,” Doug informed the group. “It’s a couple of hours from London proper but it would be a nice drive and a good way to spend a day.”

“I have a feeling that anything any of those gun stores have for sale is going to be more than I can afford,” Bodie chuckled.

“Goes for me, too, but I would like to be able to say I’ve at least been there and held one of their rifles or shotguns,” Red offered.

“I ain’t driving anywhere with the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car and people driving on the wrong side of the road.”

Tommy huffed.

“Not to worry,” Doug assured him. “There will be a car and a driver at your disposal twenty-four hours a day, and I do hope you will keep him busy showing you the sites.”

“Uh, Doug, I mean Mr. Sellers, I really don’t want to share a room with Red,” Tommy whined sheepishly.

“Not to look a gift horse in the mouth Doug, but that goes double for me,” Red added.

Doug spoke before Bodie could say a word, “I have arranged a suite for each of you at the Savoy Hotel, overlooking the River Thames. I stay there every trip to London and believe me, you will want for nothing.”

“I stayed in a suite once at a La Quinta in San Antonio,” Tommy blurted proudly.

“Maybe so, Tommy Boy. But I do not believe it will compare with the Savoy,” Bodie grinned.

At Doug’s suggestion, the group decided to nap until lunch and soon Tommy and Red were snoring peacefully. Doug and Bodie chatted quietly about London and the trip in general.

Bodie was asking Doug dozens of questions about London, who answered each in turn when he could and, also offering detail on sites of interest and where they might want to take lunch.

“I have to be honest with you, Doug,” Bodie spoke sincerely. “I don’t want to be embarrassed after going in to eat at one of the restaurants

Martin Strarup is a lifelong saltwater enthusiast and outdoorsman.

Martin is also a collector and dealer of vintage fishing tackle and lures, especially those made in Texas.

Email

Trouthunter@swbell.net

Warm afternoons can be magic for dedicated fishermen, even during the winter months.

STORY BY CHUCK UZZLE

F

or whatever strange reason it seems that the older I get the faster the months and seasons tend to slip by. At times I would swear the pages on the calendar flip by two months at a time instead of only one. I recently renewed my United States Coast Guard license for the fourth or fifth time and I started thinking about the span of time this represented, especially knowing that its five years between renewals. As I stood next to the island in my kitchen opening my new set of Coast Guard documents, I couldn’t help but take a short trip down memory lane. As a guide you remember lots things about a lot of different trips and eventually they all feel as if they have run together.

There are however some things that always stand out; some of the bigger fish that have been caught and some of the crazier characters you encounter because they always come with a great story. Perhaps some of my favorite memories are when someone on my boat catches their first fish. I truly cherish opportunities like that because they are indeed special.

Just recently I was fortunate to have such a trip and it was like a shot in the arm for me, a reminder of why I enjoy guiding as much as I do.

I was approached by a friend inquiring about taking his family on a fishing trip. His eightyear-old son had recently become hopelessly infected with fishing fever. It seems that during a Cub Scout exercise the young man was introduced briefly to fishing and wanted to pursue it as much and as soon as possible. My friend knew very little about the sport but wanted to give his son every opportunity to enjoy it. Being unable to render aid himself he did the next best thing by seeking professional help.

The goal was simple, take the young man out, catch a few fish, and teach him some basics that will enable him to not only learn more about the sport but develop skill at the same time.

I’m not sure who was more excited the day of the trip; the boy, the dad, or me.

Our day started off with perfect conditions, flat calm seas and crisp temperatures. We couldn’t have asked for better. The bonus for me was the entire family decided to come along.

Both mom and dad, and three youngsters (2 boys and 1 girl) ages 8, 5, and 4. Even though it TSFMAG.com | 27

Quality breathable waders are essential gear for duck hunting and wintertime wade fishing. Ten years now I have relied on the Gulf Coast Wader brand to stay dry and warm.

takes some extra patience to deal with the youngsters I generally enjoy each opportunity to take kids fishing and this would be no exception.

Getting everybody squared away with life jackets and basic safety rules, we made a run out into the lake to look for working birds and schooling trout. It took us a few stops to finally figure out what was going on but eventually figured out the pattern. It was perfect as each child ended up with an adult being able to supervise them.

The equipment included spinning rods and rattling corks with soft plastics tied beneath them - a setup the schoolie specks and sand trout found irresistible. The first fish for each child was met with great excitement and celebration by all in attendance.

Easily the highlight of the day came towards the end of the afternoon as a hefty twenty-eight-inch redfish dunked the popping cork and proceeded to make a rather long run, before staging a very dogged tug of war. At this point each of the kids took turns battling the bruiser while the others cheered enthusiastically.

The first glimpse of the fish next to the boat in the clear water was met with gasps of excitement and general wonder. After we finally subdued the fish and led it into the landing net you would’ve thought we had just won the World Series. I was as happy for them as they were to catch such a great fish. The genuine excitement and wonder on all their faces was priceless and I was certainly proud to be a part of it.

A lengthy photo session followed with each youngster posing with “their” trophy before we headed north and called it day. As the family drove off I could see the smiles on all the kids faces, as well 28 | January 2018

Eight-year-old Mohammed Abdel Halim and his dad celebrate his first-ever redfish.

the looks on each parent’s face as they had just made a memory the whole family would enjoy for years to come. I was extremely proud to have been a part of that.

In the days following that family trip I slipped back into the mode of routine trips with experienced fishermen and that brought on a whole new set of circumstances and things to be considered. I have often written about fishing in winter and some of the things that should be on each angler’s mind and the top of the list should be keeping yourself safe in the harsher elements. Cold water is unforgiving so the proper clothing and personal floatation device is a must. If you have never fallen in the water during these colder months, all I can tell you is be prepared for what those temps will do to your body. The instant shock will render you all but useless in short amount of time so a PFD is an absolute essential piece of gear. I have a close friend who owes his life to a PFD after his boat capsized during a December outing several years ago. Without that PFD there is no way he could’ve sustained himself for as long as he did until he was plucked out of the water by another fisherman. Wear that PFD! Speaking of being properly equipped, a quality pair of waders is essential for all the big trout fishermen who will be slipping out of the boat in favor of a silent stalk on a big fish. For nearly 10 years now I have been using the breathable waders from Gulf Coast Waders and I have truly been impressed. I fish and duck hunt with the same waders and they hold up extremely well. The sizes are generous so layering up for cold temps is easy. Jason Chapman and the folks at GCW are great to deal with and their waders offer a lot of bang for your buck.

Reds can feed aggressively on warm days between January’s blue northers.

Almost as important as the waders you wear is the type of clothing you choose for warmth. There are several brands of highly technical thermal garments which won’t cause you to feel bulky or uncomfortable. Under Armour Cold Gear is my personal go-to base layer, followed by fleece pants and pullovers. Quality socks cannot be overlooked either because there is no substitute for warm dry feet on those long cold winter wades. Cover all that up with a quality waterproof jacket with Velcro cuffs and you should be set for a day on the water.

One word of caution would be to always pack an extra set of dry clothes because you never know when you might need them due to leaking waders or a fisherman falling overboard. It’s like the old saying goes – Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

Here’s wishing everybody a happy and prosperous New Year.

See ya on the water!

Contact

Chuck Uzzle

30 | January 2018

Chuck fishes Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes from his home in Orange, TX. His specialties are light tackle and fly fishing for trout, reds, and flounder.

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STORY BY JOE RICHARD

Angler at dawn on a glassy Gulf. On the long partyboat trips, there is always more room at the rail.

A

fter fishing aboard twelve partyboats from Port Aransas to Islamorada over the many years, it gets in your blood and I’ve been missing those long trips offshore. We started in the tenth grade out of Sabine Pass and I still haven’t shaken the habit.

Then and today, these extended trips offer time to visit with other fishermen, learn techniques, and generally have an adventure. It’s a nice change; on the big boats you don’t worry about navigation, finding the fish or getting home.

In our early years that job fell to a salty old veteran captain named Leo “Champ” Fairchild on a slow 60-footer named Blue Water out of Sabine Pass. Those wooden, underpowered boats were tough by today’s standards. No AC, lots of cigarette smoke, with late-night card-playing and whiskey-sipping by the old timers. We young rookies could only squirm in our bench seats under the lights, praying it wouldn’t get rough, and try to sleep. Fishing began at 4 or 5 a.m. if Champ found the snapper rock without Loran or GPS, which wasn’t easy. There was only one deckhand, and he fished the entire time unless someone needed a big fish gaffed. Our snapper went into burlap sacks tied to the rail even in summer heat, until it was time to head home, at which time the sacks were dumped into an overworked freezer. Tired on the way home, below decks we could stretch out on eight canvas bunks if we could stand the heat.

(It wasn’t bad in winter). During one August trip I have this distinct memory of laying in my sweaty bunk in a delirium on the ride home,

muttering the verse to Sky Pilot by The Animals, a popular tune at the time. Up above, the old-timers once again played cards and passed the paper bag. It was all great fun. But perhaps I’m dating myself.

Fast forward to 2017, which was a tough year for the Texas coast. Some boat owners are considering going back to partyboats after losing their own vessels, thanks to Hurricane Harvey. One of them is Dale Fontenot from Vidor. His almostnew center console was totaled after it floated up through the roof of his boat storage barn at Beaumont Yacht Club. It eventually came back down a week later, missing the trailer.

Seventy years old, he’s done with owning boats. But as a partyboat veteran, he may return offshore this winter. Dale favors the overnight trips into deep water for big grouper and tuna. When the going gets tough, the tough go fishing.

One can learn a lot about offshore fishing from time spent on a partyboat during those formative years. The big boats offer lots of time in blue water; allow one to get the lay of the land out there (so to speak) while learning fishing long before actually buying an expensive offshore boat.

By the time we were 30-years-old we were catching big kings up to 51-pounds aboard the Big Mama with Capt.

Mickey Nash, also out of Sabine. Inspired by the fish we were catching, we entered our first kingfish tournament in Galveston and somehow won $20K the following weekend.

And pulled off a repeat the following summer. In more recent years a STAR tournament king was won by a young angler fishing from the stern of a Galveston partyboat, probably the Texsun II. And this was back when the tournament still awarded a new boat for first prize.

We learned quickly that it’s best to bring personal tackle, versus rental gear. Keep a stiff, eight-foot rod handy with a 2-ounce bucktail jig, in case a cobia or mahi-mahi cruises around the boat, ignoring the rental gear. We’ve seen steady action from kings, amberjack and even 10-pound mangrove snappers, if one is prepared with an assortment of jigs, hooks and proper leaders. Back then we used Ambassador 7000 reels, which could cast a considerable distance without backlashing, and were sturdy enough to land big kings. If we were up on the bow, we had room to cast. If stationed on a more crowded stern, we could let out line with the current, perhaps a weightless cigar minnow down a dozen feet and astern where the big kings bite. If the boat tied off from the bow to a Gulf platform, we’d ease up there and amberjack repeatedly attacked our two-ounce jigs.

Making Plans: Partyboat web sites today advise booking in advance, but I can’t imagine paying a week before the trip. If tomorrow’s forecast looks good, then go. But a week? What if seas are six feet and people are sick left and right? The captain is obviously under pressure to make the trip. Over the years I’ve hung over the rail with the best of them, and so try to avoid the rougher trips. Today, I wouldn’t leave the dock without taking Bonine unless the Gulf was two- or three-foot seas or better. Caution advised, however. Taking two of these pills will turn a fisherman into a sleepy zombie.

Friend Dale is fond of fishing aboard the Capt. John with Williams Partyboats in Galveston. It’s a big modern aluminum 34 | January 2018

Bonus Lane snapper caught from a partyboat. There is no season on this species.

Keeper amberjack with happy angler and deckhand. It’s about to go into the icechest.

Amberjack and the metal jig used to catch it. They’re lowered deep and yanked up and down energetically.

Angler at the bow struggles with a big fish. Those purple, Penn Senator 4/0 reels are tough enough for partyboat use.

catamaran that runs at 25 mph. This boat takes trips up to 40 hours for deepwater tuna and bottom fish. Once clearing the jetties, they can be in tuna water in four hours. Meticulous records of their catches (made this past fall) can be viewed at https://charterfishinggalveston.com/fishing-report/ Battling tuna at the deepwater rigs is a kick. They school thickly around those deep rigs each winter. I know this after jumping overboard one sunny February day for underwater photos. Below me in amazing blue water swam thousands of tuna. They looked like minnows, but they were 20-pound blackfins. Much bigger yellowfin tuna are out there; the blackfins are often chunked and used for chum. The Capt.

John also stops along the way in shallower water for grouper and amberjack.

In case red snapper are caught during closed season, the mate should have a deflator, a hypodermic steel of about 1/8 inch diameter, mounted on a wood handle. Any fish to be released should immediately have this steel or even a clean, thin fillet knife inserted deep under a scale, where the tip of the fish’s pectoral fin folds down to the body. Unhook the fish first, because it may wiggle hard when the gas is removed. Never deflate a fish’s stomach protruding from its mouth—that causes peritonitis and can be fatal, according to biologists. Work fast before the pressured gas harms the fish internally. In waters 200 feet or more, bottom fish likely won’t survive a trip to the surface.

Warsaw grouper lurking 100 feet down on a sunken wreck.

This older photo was taken in Port Aransas. Warsaw grouper today are limited to one per vessel.

What to Bring

36 | January 2018

Favorite tackle: A long, stiff rod is ideal for casting and jigging AJs and tuna. Short, thicker rods are for going deep with bait.

Ice chest: They’ll make you leave it in the car, but you do have to haul fish home.

Sleeping bag: If you can score a bunk or long empty seat on the boat, a mummy bag is nice in winter. Or summer, if the AC is working well.

Joe Richard

Joe Richard has fished the Gulf since 1967, starting out of Port Arthur, but his adventures have taken him up and down the entire coast.

He was the editor of Tide magazine for eight years, and later Florida Sportsman’s book and assistant magazine editor. He began guiding out of Port O’Connor in 1994. His specialty is big kingfish, and his latest book is The Kingfish Bible, New Revelations. Available at Seafavorites.com

Contact

Sharp, sturdy fillet knife: Not some flimsy little blade, but a real commercial fishing knife or a Bubba Blade. Many anglers forget to bring a knife.

Small cutting board: Where else to cut bait? The fillet of a blue runner, sent down 500-900 feet, is candy for a variety of grouper. And it will stay on the hook. Catch them with an Ambassador 6500 reel filled with new 20-pound line, and a handful of 3/4-ounce bucktail jigs. While tied to a Gulf platform yanking these fish over the rail, you may be the most popular angler on the boat. Getting hard-fighting two-pound runners aboard before a barracuda attacks is hard work.

Six to eight pound “window sash” weights if you really fish deep.

Small bucket for storing weights and spool of 200-pound mono leader.

And 16/0 to 20/0 circle hooks for those deep drops.

Rough towel: Great for keeping hands clean and dry.

Knit cap (in winter): Pull it over your eyes to sleep. They also stay on your head in blowing wind while on deck.

Light Jacket: It can get chilly 20 or 30 miles offshore, especially at night in a breeze.

Small pillow: Catch up on sleep during the ride.

Sunglasses: Wear them on sunny days or to grab sleep in the cabin when the lights are left on.

Ginger snaps and ginger ale: Good for nausea. For the happy hour guys, it’s pretty much Bud Lite only, sold on most partyboats.

Ear plugs: Cuts the diesel engine noise and nearby chit-chat while you nap. I favor the blue plugs with ribs, attached together with a string.

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TSFMAG.com | 37

Yours truly with bucket list snook – CPR.

J AY WAT K I N S

ASK THE PRO

Better Than Good!

Life is slowly returning to normal in Rockport. Some of you may have already grown tired of me continuing to mention the hurricane, but my hometown and its people are all I have, and the community’s progress is important to me.

On the fishing scene, it is better than good. Better than I really want to report to be honest, which is typical in most any bay system following major storm events.

So much is still being discovered on each trip, structural changes along shorelines and such in the numerous bays that I fish. Water temperatures and tide levels change with each frontal passage as the transition to winter continues and game plans change accordingly.

Winter is definitely my favorite season. Fish just seem to bite better, probably due to the general scarcity of forage compared to warmer months. Back bays and drains will have plenty of large mullet that trout and redfish will definitely eat, or try to eat, if nothing else is available. Many are the times I have seen larger trout and reds choking on mullet so big that you have to wonder why they even tried. My take is that they attempt the impossible when there’s nothing else available.

38 | January 2018

Purely my opinion, but I believe this is why suspending baits such as Custom Corkys and Paul Brown Corkys work so well in winter. Years back, before many reading this weren’t even born, my father and I waded the muddy backwaters of Port Bay and St. Charles, throwing 52M MirrOlures. My favorite was the 52M51 and Dad’s was the 52M19. I treasure the memories of he and I sinking almost to our knees, plugging away, in clumsy rubber waders that were a far cry from the Simms I wear today. I remember not being able to feel my feet all day.

I suspect my dad couldn’t feel his either, but he never complained, nor did I. We spoke little in fact, Dad was a man of few words. I know it’s hard to imagine Jay Watkins barely talking for any length of time but that’s how we fished together. Our fish back then are big in my memory but probably not as big on average as what we catch today.

My dad would take the eyelet out of the top of the 52M and screw it into the nose, then paint over the old hole and around the eyelet with clear fingernail polish.

This made the lure run shallower with more wobble and flash. I remember a day when the water was so clear we

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TSFMAG.com | 39

40 | January 2018

Roland Toscano with a solid winter trout – CPR.

hope to see a bunch of you around the docks this winter, enjoying the excellent opportunities I believe await us along the Middle and Lower Coast.

Before I go, I want to slip in a snippet of a recent trip to Tampa, FL where I visited 13 Fishing, the folks that bring us the Concept reels.

The offices of 13 Fishing put me in mind of a busy think tank more than a manufacturer’s headquarters. Masterminds of rod and reel design at work in small offices and cubicles – great intensity in a relaxed atmosphere – if that makes any sense. These guys are intent on rewriting the way saltwater reels have been made for a long time. They took time to make an old fishing guide feel pretty special and for that I will be forever grateful.

I also visited L&S MirrOlure in Largo, FL but it was brief affair as we also had a snook trip that afternoon. Both 13 Fishing and MirrOlure have great operations with friendly and accommodating employees.

Snook! Oh man, what a fish! Big, fast, and angry is what I saw. Very particular in what they’ll take but I did finally trick one that taped 34-inches. A bucket list fish for me, for sure. Thanks to Captain T.J. Stewart for a great afternoon on the water. My only regret was that my boys were not there to experience this moment with me. Guess I will have to plan a return visit and bring them with me.

May your fishing always be catching! -Guide Jay Watkins

C ontact

could actually see the gills flare on the fish a split John Massengale with fat winter second before we felt speck – CPR. the strike. Seeing it today takes me back fifty years to that first experience.

Back to wintertime and the lack of smaller baitfish. We should always be aware of the size of the bait in the area we are fishing. More often than not they will be larger in winter but there are areas, closer to deep water, where smaller mullet and pinfish will be seen. Noting the size of bait your fish regurgitate during fighting and landing can be a valuable clue. So, does size of the bait really matter?

Bet the farm on it!

First and foremost, I seek areas with bottom grass that consistently hold an abundant and reliable food source for gamefish. It is important to note that while some of these areas might remain viable year over year and through the seasons, they are also subject to change from weather and other influences. Maintaining a running mental log of current information is absolutely critical to achieving consistent fishing success.

The first thing I do when I get to Port Mansfield each winter is running and marking areas of prevalent submerged grassbeds along shorelines and on the flats as they are known to be some of the most reliable haunts of baitfish. Abundant and reliable is huge. Find this and then plan your days in the area to match up with solunar feeding events and the weather forecast and you’ve increased your odds tremendously. I call it fishing smart and I have been preaching it for years.

My wintertime lures will again be the tried and true favorites.

Heavy on Lowell and Dee-Dee Odom’s Custom Corkys that begin life as standard MirrOlure-Paul Brown products, and also their Custom MirrOlure Soft-Dines. I love the flash of their gold-sided baits in murky water and also on days with heavy overcast.

Winter brings frequently strong NE wind to the Middle Coast.

Seasonally low tides in windward locations will mean murky water many days. Murky is good if you have patience and a lure they can see.

In clear water I like clear baits with silver hologram. I am not much on tons of glitter, just give me a gold flash and a silver flash and I’m good.

Ask me to pick one and I’ll take gold. This preference stems from my experience with soft plastics over the years.

My 5” Bass Assassins, 5” MirrOlure Provokers, and Lil Johns will also flat get the job done on tough winter days. In fact, they’re also my year-round go-to plastics. I always feel that if I can’t catch ‘em on soft plastic they can’t be caught – by me anyway.

What I have seen thus far through November and December has me super excited for the winter season ahead. Our trout fishery is in exceptionally good shape and the redfish might be even better. I

Jay Watkins has been a full-time fishing guide at Rockport, TX, for more than 20 years. Jay specializes in wading yearround for trout and redfish with artificial lures. Jay covers the Texas coast from San Antonio Bay to Corpus Christi Bay. Telephone Email Website

361-729-9596 Jay@jaywatkins.com www.jaywatkins.com

TSFMAG.com | 41

So, what do you think of the view from my office?

C A P T. S COT T N U L L

S H A L L O W W AT E R F I S H I N G

Seeing is believing!

As I went out to the truck, the predawn air was dead still and just cool enough for a jacket. The rip-snorting front that hung around for a couple days had finally blown itself out. This one had been the full deal with a couple days of crazy strong southeast winds, some heavy thunderstorms, and then two days of tough north wind. As I drove down to the ramp I was up in the air as to which direction I’d head. Prior to the front I had been on some good numbers but the deck had been completely reshuffled.

Arriving at the dock, I found my customer already there and ready to roll. Mike is a great stick to have on the bow under any conditions and a real joy to share the boat with. He travels all over the world chasing a wide variety of species on the fly and fully understands that the fish don’t necessarily work on our schedule. We had talked it over the night before and I was straight up honest that we might have to do some hunting.

His response was perfect, “I’m happy to just be on the water. Fish are a bonus.”

42 | January 2018

The open bay was mirror-slick as we ran wide open towards Matagorda Island. The front had dropped the tide a good bit, so my initial thought was that the reds might have pulled out of the marsh lakes to the outer shorelines. About an hour’s worth of poling the grass flats, bayou openings and a few scattered reefs proved me wrong. All that we found were two little wayward redfish that wanted nothing to do with us.

Prior to the front I had been on them in some of the larger lakes way back on the island. Maybe the water hadn’t dropped enough to pull them out. We picked up and made a move, but instead of running all the way into the back lake I shut down outside the entrance. The winding bayou leading back there is several hundred yards long with some little flats along the edges that might hold some fish if they had bailed on the lakes but not as far as the bay front.

My hunch was confirmed as soon as I got up on the platform. “There’s one at 2 o’clock moving away, two more at 11 o’clock coming to us. Take your pick.” Seeing

TSFMAG.com | 43

C ontact

fish was no problem, getting those suckers to eat proved a bit more challenging. As I said, he’s a great stick to have on the bow so hitting the target wasn’t an issue. I knew the reds were seeing his fly.

We caught a few but, given the number of shots, our batting average wasn’t all that great. Several reds rushed the fly only to slam on the brakes inches shy of eating.

Others made half-hearted swipes, barely even rippling the water that barely covered their backs. Some even nonchalantly changed course to avoid the fly altogether.

The few that ate were barely hooked with several shaking loose for long distance releases. So, we have clear water, dead calm and plenty of fish, but not much bait and no discernible feeding taking place. Time to switch it up a bit.

A fly of slightly lighter color and a size smaller was tied on. The next fish jumped all over it and I had to pull out the pliers to extricate the fly from his crushers. I won’t say every redfish ate with reckless abandon, but the pliers were needed on the regular and a pretty good day turned spectacular.

Later on, the preferred flies had all been lost so we went with an even smaller bonefish style fly. There were no refusals.

Size really does matter.

Throughout the day I never did observe any actual feeding activity. Most of the reds were just slowly cruising or even sitting nearly motionless. Toward the end of the day a school of spooked mullet ran through some flooded cord grass sending out a shower of tiny shrimp. Apparently, that’s what those reds had been keyed on and anything larger just wouldn’t do. My guess is the cooler water behind the front had the shrimp buried up and the reds were just hanging out waiting for them to show.

This is what I love about sight-fishing.

Had we been blind casting and unable to observe the reactions of the fish to the fly we would have likely concluded there weren’t many fish in the area and relocated. Seeing fish provided the confidence to stick with them while a slight tweak in tactics led to success.

44 | January 2018

Mirror-slick conditions just after sunrise, two days after a strong norther

Mike with a December beauty – after we figured out what they wanted.

Capt. Scott Null is a devout shallow water fisherman offering guided adventues via kayak, poled skiff, and wading.

Telephone Email Website

281-450-2206 captscottnull@gmail.com www.captainscottnull.com

TSFMAG.com | 45

Figure 1. Acoustic returns from a single beam echosounder. Note the bottom line indicated by the first bottom echo of the acoustic pings. Subsequent bottom echoes (i.e., a “beard” like return) are produced when substrate is hard as with oyster reef or firm packed sand.

B y Z a c h a r y O l s e n & E m m a C l a r k s o n | H a b i t a t A s s e s s m e n t Te a m

F I E L D NOT E S

Keeping Your Ear to the Ground: How SONAR is used to Monitor Aquatic Habitat in Texas Bays The fishfinder has become standard instrumentation on even not-so-modern fishing boats. Colorful displays steadily advance across the LCD consoles of our vessels taunting us with an array of brightly hued blobs that just might be that bait ball we’ve been cruising for; or possibly that deep water structure holding unfished schools of snapper. The name “fishfinder” is actually quite misleading, considering the suite of information that can actually be gleaned from these instruments including depth and bottom characteristics (though this “additional” information does, no doubt, help you to find fish).

This same technology is part of a broader class of acoustic instrumentation called Sound Navigation and Ranging, or SONAR. For the first part of the twentieth century, early forms of SONAR were pioneered by military vessels hunting submarines and underwater mines in the open oceans of World War II. It’s an oft repeated pattern that wartime drives the advancement of technology; this technology then enters the civilian realm when things begin to calm down. Such was the case with SONAR technology, first with primitive depth sounders and fishfinders and then with highly precise bottom mapping units, all available at your local marine dealer and tackle shop.

This technology can further be split into two common applications in the fishing realm. Echosounders generally refer to instruments used to measure specific characteristics, such as depth or individual fish, and 46 | January 2018

are the technology most associated with the phrase “fishfinder.” These units usually consist of a single beam of sound that is produced in a cone with a fairly small area of coverage directly under your boat (although there are other types of echosounders with different types of cones.) Side-scan SONAR units are primarily concerned with producing a bottom image using a wide “swath” of sound. These swaths cover a much larger area than the echosounder cone, and can “see” out to the side for up to 300 feet or more.

But how can sound be used to create images of life underwater? At the most basic level, SONAR units rapidly emit pulses of sound (called “pings”) through the water column and then “listen” for the signals return to the sensor. Specifically, the two units of information that are used to create these SONAR pictures are the timing of the return echo and its intensity. This pulse of sound can have quite an adventure on its journey through the water column and the variations in its path give us the information that allows us to identify bottom characteristics or fish in the water. If the bay bottom is rough (like on an oyster reef ), it will bounce around and lose energy before returning to the transducer. If the bay bottom is hard (like in packed sand), it will be reflected back with almost the same energy it started with, and it will bounce back and forth between the transducer and the bottom several times before eventually losing energy and fading away. This results in a “beard” like image as seen in see Figure 1.

An acoustic ping may also The use of echosounder encounter fish or other aquatic technology allows for differentiation life as it travels through the water of sediment types including mud, column. Interestingly, a sound sand, and shell hash. Even seagrass pulse actually travels straight can be identified in the acoustic through much of the scale, bone, data set. Most recently, TPWD muscle, and blood that makes up biologists have been working to an unknowing fish in the path of map habitats in San Antonio Bay a fishfinder. It’s actually the swim on the central Texas coast. This bladder that returns the echo to information will be used to assess inform the angler of its presence. changes in oyster reef extent The swim bladder is a gas filled sac and distribution throughout the along the dorsal region of most bay (compared to past mapping fish that is used to maintain and exercises of the 1990’s) and used in alter buoyance as they navigate conjunction with oyster abundance the underwater world (similar and size data already being to a SCUBA diver’s buoyance collected with dredge surveys by control device). Certain acoustic other TPWD personnel. technologies can also be used to Knowing where these reefs are assess movement direction and can improve our ability to manage speed of ensonified fish. In fact, very them. It allows us to identify areas high frequency SONAR (often called in need of restoration and to imaging SONAR) can produce videorefine site selection for our oyster quality returns. monitoring program. Information This technology has certainly concerning the distribution of other not gone unnoticed by those benthic habitats is also important that study the underwater world. for maintaining the mosaic of Biologists at NOAA’s National Marine bottom types that fish such as Fisheries Service have been using Figure 2. Acoustic returns from a side scan SONAR survey conducted by TPWD spotted seatrout and red drum echosounder data to inform their require to complete their lifecycles biologists in East Galveston Bay. Note that the image like returns of the side scan SONAR system allow for distinct edges to be observed along the reef. fisheries stock assessments for within the bay system. decades. Closer to home, biologists Monitoring and maintaining at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) have been using these aquatic habitats is key to assuring sustainable populations of SONAR technology to map oyster reefs in Texas bays for more than fish and other marine organisms, now and for future generations. a decade (Figure 2). Both side-scan SONAR (producing a bottom So, the next time you switch on your fishfinder to locate that depth picture) and echosounders (producing more specific data as to what contour just off the channel or to find the haunt of schooling trout the bottom consists of ) are used side-by-side to collect acoustic just below a slick, remember that this same technology is being used information. While biologists tend to use aerial imagery to capture to catalogue, map, and conserve the suite of aquatic habitat types information on aquatic habitats of the clear, shallow lower coast found here in our Texas bays.

Texas bays (see July issues “Of drones and datasets: Glimpsing the underwater world from the sky”), SONAR is the name of the game in the deeper and often turbid central and upper coast bays. But it’s not just oyster reefs that can be mapped with this instrumentation.

Check the TPWD Outdoor Annual, your local TPWD Law Enforcement office, or tpwd.texas.gov for more info.

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STORY BY Amy Sharp

I

f you do, have you visited Fishing Tackle Unlimited—Texas’ fishermen’s oasis? Founders Joe and Danny Meyer know a thing or two about fishing...they’ve been doing it all their life. “Our dad Johnnie was an avid fisherman,” says Joe. “I was fishing by age five. I’ve fished much of the Texas Gulf Coast.”

The Meyer brothers began their fishing careers at Heights Tackle House in the early 1960’s. Joe eventually went to the University of Houston to study Business, and later served as a Regional Sporting Goods Manager for K-Mart. Danny joined the Air Force. After his service, Danny became a sales representative for various tackle manufacturers. Their experience and passion for fishing, business, and retail lead them to the idea of opening their own retail store. Joe says, “In 1979, we got a 1,250 square foot store on Telephone Road, stocked some quality inventory that was a good fit for local fishing, put up a ‘Cut Rate’ sign, and we’re in business.”

Thirty-eight years later and now called Fishing Tackle Unlimited, the brothers operate three locations. Our very own Katy location is moving this month. “We’ll be four miles down the road,” says Joe. “We will close our doors at 8723 Katy Freeway on the 18th of November, and reopen on December 7th at 10303 Katy Freeway... just in time for holiday shopping!”

This isn’t your big-box sports store. Fishing Tackle Unlimited remains independently owned and specializes in being the best.

The store is beautiful and the products are topnotch—including Shimano, Simms, Columbia, Costa Del Mar, Daiwa, Jackson, and many more. The staff is courteous, competent and knowledgeable.

If you have a question, they have an answer. “We are just fishing,

48 | January 2018

nothing else,” says Joe. “We have the best assortment of rod and reels out there, and one of the largest rod and reel building and repair departments in the South. We’re a #1 dealer for Shimano and Diawa, and the Simms waders are the best on the market. We recently had a fisherwoman complain the waders never fit her right. Come to us... we’ll order you a custom pair!”

Fishing Tackle Unlimited has a complete fly department with experienced fly fishermen on staff. Their pro anglers spend most of their days on the water, from Louisiana to South Padre. FTU also has complete departments for Blue Water, trolling motors sales, service and installation, rod building, kayak sales and rigging, and fishing apparel and gear. If it’s about fishing, they’ve got you covered!

A long-time supporter of the Coastal Conservation Association, you can catch the Fishing Tackle Unlimited fishermen and fisherwomen each year at the Houston Fishing Show. As for Joe and Danny? They still love to fish! Joe says, “Somebody has to test these products and make sure we’re only providing the best for our customers. Might as well be me!”

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TSFMAG.com | 49

S C O T T S O M M E R L AT T E

F LY F IS H IN G

Passion, Dedication, & Respect Safe to say that after 21 years of guiding fly anglers on the Texas coast, quite a few people have crossed the gunwales of my skiff. Some of these individuals and I did not exactly “click” and they moved on to fish with other guides. Others have not only become great customers, but great friends as well. Usually, the common denominator that bridges the gap from great customer to great friend is a shared level of passion for the sport and dedication to it.

One of my customers, Gonzalo Vargas, who happens to be one of the most gracious people I know, asked me this question. “Do you know the difference between an appetite and a passion?” He continued on, “If there is one thing that I have learned from fishing the flats for tarpon and redfish is that an appetite for anything can be fulfilled.

Not so with passion – you always want more.”

This attitude is what keeps him coming back, whether on the bow of one my skiffs or on the poling platform of one of his skiffs. But this is only one reason that I consider him a friend. Another reason comes from the respect he gives me. You see, as mentioned above, he owns two poling skiffs (and happens to be my neighbor down at 50 | January 2018

the fish camp) and despite the fact that he has caught hundreds and hundreds, maybe even thousands of fish with me, never once in 20 years of fishing together have I ever seen him fishing a spot that I took him to. I wish I could say the same about everyone that has hired me.

Some of my past customers are now guides, and yes, I have seen them poking around aplenty. But I digress….

Now let me get to the real reason for this particular piece.

I have another great customer that truly is one of the most passionate fly anglers I have ever met. His name is John Brandon and I can assure you, he is stupidpassionate about fly fishing on a level I have seen in very few individuals.

Anyway, last summer we were poling around and he started telling me about a custom fly rod and reel combo he was having made to honor some friends that made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. You see, John served in the United States Marine Corps, several tours in the Middle East, and will probably be upset that I mention it but he also is a Purple Heart recipient. Anyway, like so many combat veterans, John lost friends on the battlefield.

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52 | January 2018

a weapon to not only stand guard over us, but also fight to make the world a better place.

While fishing, I asked John, knowing that I was about write this piece, to tell me the motivation behind his idea. And he said, “In all my life there are three things that have made me happy and that I truly love; my time in the Corps, fly fishing, and my family.” He then continued, “This rod and reel allows me to combine my passion of fly fishing with my love of the United States Marine Corps and dedication to my country, while honoring fallen friends. Who knows?

Some day one of my girls might catch a fish on it and everything will have come full circle.”

Thanks to each and every person who, at one point in their life, has written that famous blank check, payable to the United States of America, for an amount “up to, and including that person’s life.”

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Now, I cannot actually tell you how or where the conversation went from there but, I received a phone call from him right before Thanksgiving and he told me the rod was done and he wanted to take his friends fishing. As you can see from the pics, I had an open day and we were able to share a beautiful autumn outing with them.

So, before I run out of space, let me tell you about the rod. John informed good friend and custom rod builder, Richard Underbrink, of his plan and they selected a Sage Salt 7-weight blank because its color is almost a perfect match for the blue of the USMC dress uniform. John had the guides and other wrappings done in crimson red to represent the “blood stripes” of that uniform, and the names of his friends, Matthew Conley, Samuel Tapia and Almar Fitzgerald, added to the butt section. John also said there could have been so many more names.

The rod only had so much room so he would honor ALL of the men and women lost in the reel he chose. Needless to say, Richard built a beautiful piece of fly fishing weaponry to honor these men.

As for the reel, he made a wonderful and very appropriate choice in a Tibor Everglades, not only because of the quality but because of the man that created it. If you read and follow me, you will know that I am a diehard Tibor reel fan and I have great admiration for Ted Juracsik for his love and dedication to this country. If you do not know Ted’s story I encourage you to go my website www.mangrovefly.com and read Made in the U.S.A in the blogs section. This reel truly represents what is great about our county, especially the men and women who pick up

Scott Sommerlatte is a full time fly fishing and light tackle guide, freelance writer and photographer.

Telephone Email Website

979-415-4379 vssommerlatte@hotmail.com www.mangrovefly.com

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TSFMAG.com | 53

DAV E R O B E R T S

K AYA K F IS H IN G C H R ONIC L ES

STARTING THE YEAR OFF RIGHT Well another year has come and gone and without a doubt, 2017 was a year to remember. Some moments were highly memorable, and some others I'm hoping to eventually forget. However, I am still here and healthy enough to be able to do what I love. Without a doubt, Hurricane Harvey was the lowest of

54 | January 2018

the low points and worst experience we had to endure.

I am sure we all know at least one person or family that was affected by it. Nearly everyone that lives on the Texas coast suffered to some extent and there are countless families that lost everything. But we are Texans and we don’t fall that easily; I pray that everyone has a speedy recovery and hope that we can bounce back stronger than ever from that devastating event.

On a brighter note, 2017 gave us some spectacular fishing. I had several monumental days of chasing redfish in the shallows of the marsh (perhaps my best ever).

I also made several trips to the coast during a light north wind to plug the evening away at hungry trout. Fishing on the Upper Coast this year has been one for the books, filled with memories I will long treasure.

On top of fishing, I was blessed to be able to

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56 | January 2018

to get a fresh start for the year.

This is also a time of year where a kayaker can take advantage of the low tides and north winds that come across the coast. When the water starts to drop, I highly recommend anglers to make a trip out to their favorite marsh. The reason being is because when it’s low like this, you can see where the channels run through the flats and it shows exactly how the water flows. Once you get a visual of it and the water levels return to normal, this is when you can fish it more effectively. You can go back to the flats and fish the guts and channels that run through it and, in turn, catch more fish. Also if there is not enough water to make it to or through the desired pond, the fish should be stacked up in the channel leading there which will make for a fun day of fishing!

Like I had said earlier, 2017 will be a year that I will always remember. It also has been filled with learning a variety of lessons – several that came the hard way. Overall, though, it has been a great year and I am truly blessed to be in the situation that I am in. I hope that everyone has a wonderful and safe New Year filled with great memories, great friends and even better fish.

Let’s start 2018 out right by getting on the water. Cheers!

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accomplish a majority, if not all, of the goals I had set for the year. I wanted to travel more and catch a few different species that are not readily accessible in my home waters. I was lucky to check six species from my Bucket List. I was fortunate to be able to catch rainbow trout on the Colorado River in Arizona. On a side note, angler or not, if you go and see the Grand Canyon, make plans to take a trip down the river. It is a completely different aspect of the canyon experience, looking up from the river. There is no better way to appreciate the enormity of the gorge. On the angling side, just north of the Canyon, Mick Lovett at Lee’s Ferry offers Colorado River fly fishing that I highly recommend. For the most part, 2017 has been a fun and exciting year and I can only hope 2018 will be half as good.

So on to the New Year and let’s start it out right. As I am sitting here writing this, my new Coosa FD is on a truck leaving the Jackson Kayak factory and heading to Fishing Tackle Unlimited where I will take delivery. I am really looking forward to trying out the new peddle system design and I believe that having the “Flex Drive” is going to be a real game changer in the kayak fishing world. I know Jackson Kayak has invested great effort and ample time in the R&D stages and they are finally rolling it out. Now all I need is for the fine folks at FTU to install an anchor trolley and I’ll be ready to hit the water!

January is usually the time of year when I restring all my reels, take inventory of my lures and other gear, deciding what needs to be repaired and replaced. And, since I will be making a trip to FTU for my new kayak, I might as well take advantage of the opportunity and get everything else I need. That’s another reason why I love this store; they have everything you could possibly need. I will lay in a new supply of braid, plenty of hooks and split rings, topwaters, Corkys, and will likely clear the rack of 1/4-ounce Johnson weedless gold spoons. These are just a few of the essentials every angler needs

Dave Roberts is an avid kayak-fishing enthusiast fishing primarily the inshore Upper Coast region with occasional adventures to surf and nearshore Gulf of Mexico.

Email: TexasKayakChronicles@yahoo.com Website: www.TexasKayakChronicles.com

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Rep. Bonnen greeting a Sea Center Texas volunteer at Sea Center Texas, located in Lake Jackson.

S t o r y b y S h a n e B o n n o t | A d v o c a c y D i r e c t o r, C C A Te x a s

TS F M a g C o n s e r v a t i o n N e w s

Representative Dennis Bonnen Receives CCA Texas Conservation Hero Award In 1981, the Texas Legislature passed the Redfish Bill, designating redfish and spotted seatrout as “game fish” to provide protection from commercial harvest. The bill, coupled with sound fisheries management practices that include a robust hatchery program and conservative bag/slot limits, resulted in the recovery of those species and helped create a world class fishery in our coastal waters. The Redfish Bill also paved the way for decades of effective legislative measures, such as the crab trap removal program and the inshore shrimp license buyback program. Members of our Texas legislature have long understood the need to conserve our present and future availability of coastal resources for the benefit and enjoyment of the general public; and Rep. Dennis Bonnen (R) of the 25th Legislative District has been one of the biggest advocates of Texas coastal conservation.

Rep. Bonnen’s district encompasses southern Brazoria County and all of Matagorda County. He serves as Speaker Pro Tempore and Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. He is also a member of the House Culture, Recreation & Tourism Committee.

He has been a force in the Texas legislature for over 20 58 | January 2018

years, and in this past legislative session, Rep. Bonnen demonstrated his prowess by championing effective legislation that will have long-lasting positive impacts on our bays and estuaries.

On March 28, 2017, the aforementioned committee on Culture, Recreation & Tourism convened with a full agenda, ranging from the placement of sound producing devices on vessels to the designation of the Bowie knife as the official State Knife of Texas. About 1 hour 25 minutes into the meeting, the subject of House Bill 51 (HB 51), relating to the management of commercial oyster boats, was introduced by that bill’s author, Rep. Ryan Guillen (D) of the 31st Legislative District. As presented in this committee hearing, HB 51 was a bill that simply allowed the state to establish a commercial oyster license buyback program and gave the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission the authority to require the use of vessel monitoring devices on oyster boats. Recognizing that the oyster fishery was in need of a lifeline, 16 individuals from the oyster industry and conservation organizations, including CCA Texas, voted and/or testified in favor of the bill. What should have been a relatively short showing

of support for HB 51 turned into a rather lengthy and at times heated exchange between committee members and witnesses. Leading much of the discussion was Rep. Bonnen.

Just a few weeks prior to this committee hearing the commercial oyster harvest in Christmas Bay (Brazoria County) was a fiasco. Pristine coastal habitat was destroyed, leaving elected officials wanting answers and conservationists demanding that our state do more to protect our public oyster reefs. Needless to say, Rep. Bonnen was keenly aware of the trends in the oyster fishery and was determined to fix it.

Early on in the hearing on HB 51, in response to controversial testimony, Rep. Bonnen said, “You have made a massive mistake. You have disrespected me and disrespected the chairman of this committee. I am offended that you think me wanting to represent my constituents from Brazoria and Matagorda County is somehow not acceptable to you.” Later in the hearing he echoed that sentiment to another witness by adding, “I will continue to represent my constituents. I will continue to listen to my constituents. It is my job, it is what I have been elected to do.”

Rep. Bonnen takes his job seriously and expects a clear answer to a simple question. When trying to get clarification as to who was responsible for the Rep. Dennis Bonnen recently received the CCA Texas Hero of Conservation Award. reckless oyster harvest practices in Christmas Bay, he clearly was not satisfied with the response. “This is the June 12, 2017, Gov. Greg Abbott signed HB 51 into law. problem with the game you guys play,” he said. “You want to pretend Rep. Bonnen’s amendments to HB 51 will result in transformative you have no role in the overfishing of the oyster reefs. You want to changes to the oyster fishery and will go a long way in the recovery pretend you’re above it all, and that you don’t have anything to do of public oyster reefs. They will force players in the oyster industry to with it. You are the single greatest problem.” either abide by the regulations or get out of the fishery. Perhaps most Towards the end of public testimony, Rep. Bonnen summed up his importantly, returning 30% of the shell back into the water will have thoughts on the industry’s actions prior to, and behavior during, the monumental impacts as our bays are currently experiencing a scarcity testimony by stating, “Here’s the problem: You all do thuggery and intimidation. This [legislative] process is based on people being able to of hard substrate for oyster larvae to set upon.

Even though HB 51 was a great victory for our public reefs, Rep. represent their positions.”

Bonnen wanted to do more. Knowing that TPWD was considering HB 51 was left pending for two weeks before being voted out of establishing oyster sanctuaries (closing some minor bays and creating committee and moving to the House floor for a vote. Rep. Bonnen shoreline buffers) and decreasing the undersize tolerance from 15% proceeded to take a good bill and turn it into an outstanding bill. down to 5%, he scribed a poignant letter to TPWD this past summer, Recognizing that public oyster reefs needed additional protections, asking them to do more to conserve oyster resources. His words were he masterfully added amendments that would enhance the read aloud by Vice Chairman Ralph Duggins to the entire Texas Parks penalties for possession of undersized oysters, hold seafood dealers and Wildlife Commission, and there is no doubt that they resonated accountable for the possession of undersized oysters (previously with those in attendance, as the Commission promptly adopted a a loophole in enforcement) and require that shellfish certificate suite of changes in regulations for the oyster fishery. holders/purchasers (oyster dealers) return oyster shell (or approved Conservation efforts are not always easy. They can be complicated. cultch material) back into waters approved by Texas Parks and They can be tricky, particularly in our current political climate. It Wildlife Department (TPWD) at an amount equal to 30% of the takes fortitude, tenacity and grit to navigate a contentious bill total volume of oysters purchased. (Alternatively, oyster dealers can through the legislative process. pay TPWD an amount calculated equal to the current cost of shell Sometimes you need a champion. Sometimes you need a hero. acquisition and deposition at the same 30% level).

We had heroes in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s who effectively passed After passing in the House of Representatives, HB 51 moved to the legislation, saving the redfish and speckled trout. We have one now Senate where it was sponsored by Sen. Chuy Hinojosa (D) of the 20th who is saving our oysters. For all of his efforts this past year, CCA Texas Legislative District. The bill was amended on the Senate floor, making some minor changes to the penalties for undersized violations, and on would like to recognize Rep. Dennis Bonnen as our Conservation Hero.

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Microplastics on the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Photo by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

STEPHANIE BOYD

F IS H Y F ACTS

The Plasticene Era: Part 1 The invention of plastic in 1907 changed our lives forever – for better and for worse. Plastic is one of the most versatile materials ever produced and revolutionized everyday life. Cheap, durable, lightweight, and malleable, plastics have practically unlimited numbers of possible applications. The term ‘plastic’ is comprehensive for synthetic polymers, most often created from oil or gas, but sometimes manufactured from coal, natural gasses, cellulose, or latex from trees.

The molecular backbone of a plastic is typically a compound of hydrogen and carbon. Other chemicals are also infused to enhance desirable properties, such as plasticizers, which are added to improve the malleability of certain polymers. It seems like almost everything surrounding us is made of plastic, and it’s hard to imagine a world without.

However, the plastic revolution came at a cost. The pollution from plastics is as prevalent as the useful plastic items in our lives. We see it every day – in our yards, in the ditches, in parks, on the beach… But what about the discarded plastics we don’t see all the time?

Plastic pollution in our marine environment is taking place on a staggering scale. Several million tons of plastic waste flows into the ocean each year, and now there’s a relatively new threat: microplastics. Most people are aware and have seen the impacts of litter pollution on beaches. It’s a familiar sight to many on the coast, and plastic-covered beach scenes are often used to promote conservation. What you don’t see – literally – is 60 | January 2018

plastic in the form of very small particles, many of which are not visible to the naked eye. According to criteria developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), microplastics are microscopic particles less than 5 millimeters in length. Though many studies use this definition, there is no accepted standard measurement, as yet, to define microplastics, making some study results difficult to compare. However, it is clear this pervasive contamination of oceans by microplastics is becoming a major concern. Given the magnitude and uniqueness of this global ocean contamination, some have described the world’s ocean as a plastic soup. Future historians may come to call our era, the Plasticene.

A History of Microplastics Microplastics have been accumulating in the oceans for at least over the last four decades. In the early 1970s, the first reports of plastic litter in the oceans drew minimal attention from the scientific community, but after a few decades of data accumulation on the ecological consequences of such debris, the topic began to receive an increasing amount of interest.

Most studies focused on the entanglement of marine mammals, sea turtles, and other species in net fragments and on ghost fishing by derelict gear on the sea floor. Ingestion of plastics by birds and turtles is extensively documented worldwide, with verified accounts of species such as the black-footed albatross

feeding plastic granules to its chicks. Reports of the unexpectedly high incidence of plastic debris in the North Pacific Gyre, now known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, established the topic as a high-priority research area in marine biology.

Several broad classes of plastics are used in packaging: polyethyelene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyvinyl chloride. They are high-volume usage plastics and consequently, these in particular have high likelihoods of ending up in the ocean environment. However, only about half of these plastics float; the rest sink. So estimating the amount of plastics in the oceans through surface debris collection seriously underestimates the total extent. Even though plastic is the primary ingredient of marine debris, microplastics are under-researched due to difficulties in assessing their distribution and abundance.

Microplastics tend to accumulate close to cities or regions of relatively high human use, as you would expect. However, there are also detectable levels present in very remote areas, such as Arctic Sea ice, a mountain lake in Mongolia, and deep-sea sediments. Because physical factors like wind, salinity, temperature, precipitation, etc. can influence distribution, the density of human populations alone can’t be used to predict the abundance of microplastics within a region. Nor can the amount of litter on shorelines. One study observed relatively consistent distribution of plastic litter across a 1600-foot stretch of North Sea shoreline and found that microplastic accumulation did not correspond significantly with the visible plastic debris along the shore.

Microplastic Origins In general, microplastics fall into one of two categories. Primary microplastics are produced intentionally, like microbeads or plastic production pellets. Secondary microplastics are small pieces degraded from larger plastics. Globally, primary microplastics have been added to a variety of personal care products – including toothpastes, shampoos, facial cleansers and moisturizers, cosmetics, and shaving products – for reasons such as emulsion stabilization (preventing oil and water from separating), viscosity regulation (adjusting a fluid’s resistance to flow), and skin conditioning.

Microplastics are also added to industrial cleaning products, such as scrubbers for removal of rust or paint, and pellets are used in production of plastic consumer goods. Some surprising yet common sources of microplastics include synthetic textiles, tires, road markings, and marine coatings. Washing synthetic textiles creates microplastics through abrasion and shedding of fibers.

Those fibers are then discharged in sewage water and potentially end up in the ocean. Significant amounts of these textile fibers have been observed in many sampling studies, both in open water and marine sediments. They are typically polyester, polyethylene, acrylic, or elastane. Tires erode during normal use as they abrade against pavement, concrete, etc. The particles are formed from the outer parts of the tire and consist of a matrix of synthetic polymers, mixed with natural rubber (and many other additives). Tire “dust” can be spread by the wind or washed off the road by rain. Road markings are applied during the development of road infrastructure and its maintenance. We’ve all been on that new road still missing the center stripe. These markings can be made of paint, thermoplastic,

preformed polymer tape, and/or epoxy and are mostly reduced to microplastics from tire abrasion. Marine coatings, like anticorrosive or antifouling paint, are applied to all parts of vessels for protection.

Several types of plastics are used for these coatings, including polyurethane, epoxy, vinyl, and lacquers. Microplastics escape from boats during building, maintenance/repair, and just regular use.

These are all accidental releases of microplastics, ones most people never think of, much less stop to consider. Personal care products are probably the only intentional release of microplastics into wastewater streams. Yes, you did purposefully wash that toothpaste down the sink. Some of these products contain as much plastic in the products themselves as in their plastic packaging. There can be several thousand microbeads in one gram of facewash!

Littering and mismanaged wastes are often labeled as the main source of plastic pollution in the ocean. However, primary microplastics are sneaking up from behind to become another major source of concern. The global release of just primary microplastics corresponds to an average of one plastic grocery bag per person per week thrown into the world ocean. This number varies widely across regions, going from 22 equivalent grocery bags per person per year in Africa and the Middle East to 150 bags per person per year in North America.

Another large source of microplastics is the degradation of plastics on beaches, resulting in microcracking and creating microparticles that are carried into water by wind or wave action.

Plastic can undergo a number of different types of degradation, and understanding those processes is important to understanding the mechanisms responsible for generation of microplastics. Degradation is generally classified according to the agency causing it. (a) Biodegradation – action of living organisms, usually microbes. (b) Photodegradation – action of light, usually sunlight in outdoor exposure. (c) Thermo-oxidative degradation – slow oxidative breakdown at moderate temperatures. (d) Thermal degradation – action of high temperatures (not an environmental degradation mechanism). (e) Hydrolysis – reaction with water.

For common polymers and nylons exposed to the marine environment, it is primarily the UV-B radiation in sunlight that initiates photodegradation. Once initiated, the degradation can also proceed thermo-oxidatively for some time without the need for further exposure to UV radiation, as long as oxygen is available to the system. Plastics can degrade into micro-sized, or potentially even nano-sized, particles. Even these fragments can then undergo further degradation where carbon in the matrix is converted to carbon dioxide and incorporated into biomass. However, reduction in particle size is no guarantee of subsequent biodegradability of fragments.

High molecular weight plastics used in common applications do not biodegrade at a discernible rate since microbial species that can metabolize polymers are rare in nature. This is particularly true of the marine environment, with the exception of biopolymers such as cellulose and chitin. The time required to completely mineralize plastics is estimated to be on the order of hundreds to thousands of years. In other words, despite what you read on the web, don’t count on Ideonella sakaiensis to clean up your mess.

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Other types of degradation processes are significantly slower than photodegradation. Hydrolysis isn’t usually a significant mechanism in seawater. Degradation by UV radiation is a very efficient mechanism in plastics exposed in air or lying on a beach surface, but when the same plastic is exposed to sunlight while floating in seawater, degradation is severely impeded. The lessening of degradation in plastics exposed to the elements while floating in seawater is primarily the result of the relatively lower temperatures and lower oxygen concentration. Knowing that microparticles are commonly generated on beaches highlights the importance of beach cleaning as an effective mitigation strategy. The removal of larger pieces of plastic debris from beaches before they degrade much can considerably reduce the microplastics that end up in the ocean. Beach cleanup, therefore, can have an ecological benefit far beyond improving beach aesthetics.

Microplastics lighter than seawater will float and disperse widely across the oceans. Ocean gyres are noteworthy areas of debris accumulation, the rotational currents capturing high concentrations of plastics. Microplastics denser than seawater accumulate on the ocean floor, which means a significant amount of microplastics make their way to the deep sea. Turbulence and storm activity can cause resuspension and redistribution of high-density microplastics throughout the water column, so density of the parent material alone does not dictate the location of the particle within the water column.

The colonization of organisms on a polymer will also influence the ability of a light plastic material to float. Called biofouling, this colonization increases the weight of the plastic, sometimes enough to cause the plastic to sink to pelagic or benthic zones.

Deep-sea sediments have only been sampled a few times, so data is fairly preliminary at this point. In 2012, sediments and coral were collected from deep-sea locations at depths up to two miles in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, and Southwest Indian Ocean. Microplastics were identified in all samples, at an average abundance of 13.4 pieces per 1.7 ounces of sediment. Given the extent of deep-sea regions and how little we’ve explored them thus far, these sediments might hold one piece of the puzzle of the “missing plastics,” unaccounted for tons of microplastic waste that we haven’t found but that should be in the world’s oceans.

Only a few studies have undertaken quantifying microplastics in surface waters of freshwater lakes and rivers. In 2012, surface waters in the heavily urbanized region of the Great Lakes were sampled, as these represent a potential source of microplastics to the St. Lawrence River and, ultimately, the North Atlantic. The average abundance in Lake Superior, Lake Huron, and Lake Erie was 68,800 pieces per square mile, and the microplastics sampled matched the shape, size, color, and elemental composition of polyethylene beads used in two national brands of facial cleanser.

Tune in next month for the exciting... er, educational conclusion!

62 | January 2018

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CURTISS CASH

INS H O R E | NEA R S H O R E | J ETTIES | P ASSES

Fishing the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway—ICW With over 400 miles of the ICW running through Texas, most coastal ports lie within close proximity. Many have literally grown along its banks. Often overlooked, but always nearby, the ICW is a major corridor for more than the maritime commerce it was built to accommodate.

The fish we often aim to catch seek these waters while gaining access to other bay systems as well as to find seasonal stability. Tidal and wind-driven currents almost always exist and are exaggerated on the slopes of the deep channel. With water depths of 12-18 feet, for the most part, the ICW has a large volume of water.

The wintertime angler deals with many changing conditions such as tide level, wind direction and water temperature. When fishing the ICW the effects of these variables are less restricting. With greater depth than nearly all surrounding bays, the water temperature is more consistent and water (tide) levels have less

effect. On the inland ICW sections the relatively narrow channel width offers some protection from the wind.

Most sections of the ICW have various types of structure to fish, either manmade or natural. The most pronounced and consistent throughout the entire water way is the channel drop-off. To illustrate I’ll share some of my experiences, techniques and describe structure in this area. The mid-coast has a 20 mile stretch of inland waterway located between San Antonio and West Matagorda Bays. I’ll admit we have it good here in the POC/Seadrift area with ease of access.

The ICW channel ledge The drop-off to the maintained depths of the 125’ wide channel is significant. The ledge’s depth and pitch of descent varies from area to area. Areas with a significant drop on the channel’s edge (rather than a gradual taper) usually hold warmer water because there is less mixing from the shallows. Areas with a Shoreline “pushup” formed from a gradual taper generally have better tugboat making up or changing the aeration due to the effects of tide, tow. Many times there will be a large wind and large boat traffic. Fishing washout on the opposite shoreline from the tugboats prop wash. here can be as simple or complex as you make it. Working the edge with a trolling motor casting soft plastics or, anchoring and fishing live shrimp are both very effective.

Docks or piers make great targets for casting live shrimp to predators. Schools of black drum and redfish often linger nearby down-current waiting for food to be flushed by a towboat.

64 | January 2018

Geotubes Geotubes are sediment filled sacks placed along banks and shorelines to control erosion caused by tugboat wakes and they make excellent fish-holding structure.

Spaces between tubes allow boats and fish to pass through while tidal and tug wash current carves holes where fish congregate. Anchoring near the geotubes is a common tactic but caution is advised as anchors can hang in the fabric, potentially causing damage to the tube, and tug wakes can sometimes swing the boat against them.

Anchoring on the channels edge and casting back into the passage is very effective and safer.

Revetment blocks These interlocking or alternatively spaced bricks are commonly used in areas that have a quick descent from shoreline to the channels depths. A good place to target in cold weather. Coincidently these are placed to control embankment erosion to hold the bank in place. The formation typically forms a washout directly parallel to the lower bricks. This washout, several feet wide and 6-18 inches deeper than the closest water on the ledge makes a great pathway for traveling bait and feeding fish.

Intersecting channels Channel intersections are always worthy of investigation. Target species use the mouths of these channels to ambush baitfish while moving through. Bulkheads and pilings that obstruct the water flow are excellent targets. Be sure to fish the deeper depression near the ICW channel drop, this can be a flounder hangout.

Pilings Piers and docks from residential development may hold multiple species. Sheepshead encircle the pilings and posts nipping on barnacles. Black drum pick up small crabs and shrimp burrowed on the lee side of the posts. Trout and redfish do the same, but also prowl the edges of sunken green lights near piers at night.

Tidal flats Natural tidal flats adjacent to the ICW hold bait and gamefish. On many flats a shallow ridge will form on the edge toward the channel drop-off. The barrier forms from the waters flooding and draining effects of tugboat traffic. This shallow barrier grows and holds sea grass and/or oysters often, this new structure acts as a filter for the tidal flat. Baitfish congregate near this filtering area for protection and to feed. Gamefish are certainly nearby waiting for the bait to be flushed out.

Washouts and pushups These formations happen often when a tugboat has to make up or change the tow. To move barges into a required sequence end to end or to double-up side by side for better steerage. The tow is unhooked and the lead barge will be pushed up onto the bank while the tugboat swings the other barges into position. The grounded barge regularly makes indentions into the embankment or revetment bricks. On the opposite side of the channel’s edge the wash from the tugboats thrusting can gouge out the shelf making a large hole. These washouts as they are known are excellent ambush and feeding areas for fish.

What to do and use Fishing here can be as complex or as simple as you

desire. Working the channel drop with a trolling motor or waiting on anchor for the fish to find you can be equally effective. I like to use a Bomber Paradise Popper Xtreme float with soft plastics or live shrimp. This float is very effective with the bait suspended 24 inches below. The gurgling and popping sound of the Paradise Popper will attract fish from afar. It can be cast perpendicular to the channel as well as parallel presenting your offering on the drop-off. Soft plastics excel on a 1/4 ounce jigs, this weight gets the soft plastic into the strike zone near the bottom and keeps it there longer.

Anchoring on the channel edge and fishing live shrimp will net the most variety. Try all three methods, under the float, free lined or cast onto the drop with a lightly weighted Carolina rig.

This Bomber Paradise Popper combined with a 4" Yum Mud Minnow makes for a deadly fish catching combination in the ICW.

Any channel intersection should be investigated, bulkheads can be fish magnets.

Note the bottlenose dolphin in the channel entrance; they know good spots!

Good example of a side by side tow. These guys need lots of room, especially when passing another barge tow. Note the birds working in the wake.

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Safety Boaters need to keep a vigilant watch for approaching boats or tugs. To manage the effects of the wakes an anchor may need to be released at a moment’s notice. Many times it is much quicker to untie the rope and toss the line with a anchor buoy attached while idling bow first into the oncoming swell. Many boats get tossed about, spun around and possibly pulled under while on anchor. The attached buoy makes anchor retrieval or returning to your exact fishing spot simpler.

66 | January 2018

Barge Facts • While a tugboat is attached to barges, the whole unit is known as a tow.

• Most common barges are 295’ long x 52’ wide • A light tow travels at 8-11 mph, while a heavy load moves at 4-7 mph.

• Heavily loaded barges may take two or more times the overall tow length to stop. Example; three loaded barges fastened end to end (900+ feet in length) can take 1/2 mile to come to a complete stop.

Head to the ICW this winter for variety and a change of scenery.

Keep an eye on your surroundings, play it safe and box a few fish close to port.

C ontact

Dangers Being that the ICW was constructed for commercial maritime traffic, there are safety issues to consider. Wakes from cruising workboats or pleasure boats can push large waves of water when passing. These wakes travel at speed, compounding their energy when crashing upon the channel ledges. These wakes can swamp a boat quickly and possibly founder while putting passengers and equipment in the water.

Barges are another danger that all boaters need to be concerned with. Barges that are loaded heavy and are sitting low in the water displace a large volume of water. The tugboats pushing or pulling the barges have an enormous amount of thrust that pulls water from ahead of the tow and then forces it aft propelling the load.

Both factors of water displacement can pull water off edges of the channel rapidly ahead of the tow and push the same water back with increased force flooding the water’s edge.

Capt. Curtiss Cash offers charters in the Port O’Connor area; specializing in fishing the bays, passes, jetties, surf and nearshore waters. Species targeted include speckled trout, redfish, flounder, tripletail, black drum, bull reds, sharks, snapper, kingfish, ling and tarpon, when seasonally available.

Phone

361-564-7032

Science and the

Sea

TM

The Faceless Fish of the Deep, Deep Sea They didn’t know what they would find when they set off for a month at sea on May 15, 2017. But when 40 scientists returned from trawling the deepest waters off the coast of Australia, they had a haul that would make Charles Darwin, the adventurous explorer of the Galapagos Islands, envious. Among meat-eating sponges, flesh-eating crustaceans, zombie worms, blind sea spiders and a toothy dragonfish to haunt your nightmares, scientists found a fish without a face.

Line drawing of a Faceless Cusk, Typhlonus nasus, drawn in 1886 by Albert Gunther. Credit: Public domain.

The scientists called their mission Sampling the Abyss, and that’s exactly what they did. They pulled up whatever they could from 2.5 miles below the surface, using sleds, grabs, and nets. The unusual fish they found didn’t seem to have eyes or any other facial features. Closer investigation revealed that it had tiny eyes on the underside of its head, where its mouth was, but they were buried under the skin. The expedition’s chief scientist, Tim O’Hara from Australia’s Museums Victoria, expects it has very poor eyesight and relies instead on sensory organs in its jelly-like head to survey its environment.

The team sent tissue samples to experts for analysis and learned their faceless swimmer was discovered during the Voyage of HMS Challenger, the first global oceanographic expedition, in the Coral Sea in 1874, just 9 years before Darwin died. Its scientific name, Typhlonus nasus, means “blind hake,” but it’s actually a type of cusk eel. The Australian scientists have named it the Faceless Cusk. Remarkably, these fish live across a wide range of the deep, deep sea, including Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Japan, Hawaii and the Arabian Sea. Scientists don’t know much more about it—or their other catches—yet. But they have plenty of time to learn more about all these new mysteries of the deep.

www.ScienceAndTheSea.org © The University of Texas Marine Science Institute

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Al Bommer showing off a beautiful fly-caught jetty red.

E X T R E M E K AYA K F I S H I N G & S H A R K S F R O M T H E S A N D

E R IC O Z O L INS

Winter Rock Hopping A life of dangerous shark fishing solidifies your soul into a salty crystal of adrenaline and late-season fish frenzies are definitely my kryptonite. When baitfish migrate and predators follow, there is no place like the action-packed surf of South Texas beaches. The final month of 2017 has thus far been one for the books.

As December rolled in we had record high water temperatures keeping things very active. The mullet migration we feared might never happen following the hurricane eventually became a lingering trickle that produced a protracted aggregation of predators staging near passes and channels leading to the Gulf of Mexico.

Spanish mackerel, bluefish, and skipjack were raiding Unexpected and the shallows by the millions. greatly appreciated Juvenile blacktips, more typical jetty snook for Oz. of October, were on the warpath eating anything and everything in sight. Even more amazing was a very unusual abundance of common snook, an anomaly that may well prove to be an enigma for the ages.

A more typical scenario would have the mullet migration starting in late-September and early-October along the Upper Texas Coast. Tarpon tag along with the abundant forage species of mullet and menhaden and “ride” the cold 68 | January 2018

fronts south toward warmer climes. Come November, the tarpon and jackfish are usually camped around the Port Mansfield East Cut and Boca Chica jetties, partaking of the bounty until arctic fronts push them on down into Mexican waters for a few months.

However, due to the extreme Indian Summer conditions, it was difficult to target large sharks from the surf with the abundance of pup sharks hanging around, messing with our baits in the nursery-like water conditions. Jack crevalle made a rather lackluster showing in the surf, never showing in full force, stalling near the passes instead where the bait was most prevalent.

Yet another wacky development involved the sandbar sharks.

While these robust, bigger cousins of the blacktips are our staple wintertime shark species, they showed up nearly two months early in late-October. Federally protected, sandbars feed heavily on drum, sheepshead, pompano, and whiting in the surf. Perhaps they were drawn in early via the large array of bait and predators present, with many staging uncharacteristically near passes.

Landing common snook AND sandbars in the same day is something you just don’t hear of... and we did this on multiple occasions!

over each other fighting and landing fish. While I have witnessed some intense feeding frenzies, this display beat all I’ve ever seen.

The carnage that played at our feet was indelibly burned into our memories. What a way to close out 2017!

Alexis Anthony adds another jack to our shark bait inventory.

Oz and Scott Nelson doubled on jetty reds.

Walter Doss poses with one of four tarpon landed from the rocks in a single session. Awesome!

C ontact

While the surf held an extraordinary abundance of smaller gamefish, it was just really tough to target the larger specimens and we changed our game plan. In late-November, I relocated my focus to the various jetties.

Jetty fishing is often more of an art than a science and can be stressful at times. It is often recommended that you have ninja-like agility to take full advantage of fishing the obtuse granite blocks and hazards they present. We started at Packery Channel where the fish were already stacked up. Oversized red drum were thick and feeding on mullet headed to the gulf. Swimbaits and other lures worked well while spoons drew Spanish mackerel strikes and the occasional rogue king mackerel.

Despite the steady action with the species mentioned at Packery, tarpon and other large gamefish were simply not present. After a couple days I decided to relocate further south to the Port Mansfield East Cut jetties. This remote and very isolated structure is a fish haven at times and, when things are really going off, you can witness National Geographic quality material in its rawest form.

A few local groups of fine fishermen had also taken note of the Mansfield jetty action and we worked together, sharing information several times during the course of a few weeks. There were days when the jack crevalle were pounding anything you threw in the water, while other times behemoth red drum and tarpon would fight over your bait. The snook action was uncanny. Over the past sixteen years of living and fishing the Texas coast, I have never seen our snook fishery so healthy and dominant. Some days I would catch as many as 15 solid snook from both the surf and jetties. My personal theory on the great presence of snook is that they may have been relocated out of the bays and filtered into the gulf during Hurricane Harvey and the subsequent flooding. It is hard to say if this anomaly will repeat and stick around for the future but, regardless, it was amazing to experience it while it lasted.

Approaching mid-December we have yet to experience any really significant cold fronts. Tarpon would become very active during and right after any front while the north winds ravaged the surf. You could see them rolling in the channel and chasing anything they could swallow. Walter, a rock-hopping buddy, managed to land four quality tarpon in a single outing duking it out right after a cold front in less than comfortable weather conditions. As soon as the wind would die and switch back from the south, the jackfish would dominate aggressively, again. Since the surf could not provide consistent jack action, the jetties allowed me to stock up on these prime shark baits.

Several days I lugged as many as ten jacks the length of the jetties. It was a lot of work but quite worth it when trying to obtain and stock up on the best big-shark bait on the planet.

Of all the chaotic outings I conducted on the rocks recently, several will resonate forever. Perhaps the most surreal was that of a mindblowing feeding frenzy that developed just before sunset of a calm evening. I and a couple others were throwing lures while three fly anglers stood by vigilantly, awaiting a casting opportunity.

A couple hundred yards off the end of the jetties we saw a mass of boiling water pushing toward the rocks. Large splashes amid the melee foretold of sizeable fish. As the mayhem grew closer, it also grew in size and scale, covering several acres at the base of the jetty.

Thousands of oversized red drum, jack crevalle, tarpon, and sharks were destroying anything that moved. An unorganized display of teamwork showed as six “jetty goats” maneuvered around and

For the past decade Eric ‘Oz’ Ozolins has been promoting shark catch and release and assisting various shark research programs. Eric offers guided shark fishing on Padre Island National Seashore. Also renowned for extreme kayak big game fishing, Eric is the owner of Catch Sharks Tackle Company.

Email Websites

oz@oceanepics.com oceanepics.com | catchsharks.com

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NEW

Wet Sounds MC-1 – Includes MC-BB Black Box & MC-MD Main Display FEATURES INCLUDE: • AM/FM/Weather Band tuner with RDS • Bluetooth Streaming, Auxiliary, USB, Pandora® • Simple & Secure Bluetooth Pairing for Android & IOS (A2DP/AVRCP 1.4) • 5” Ultra Bright full-color TFT display – displays album art via connected devices • Playlist & folder browsing via BT or USB Connection • 4 Zones of Independently Controllable Audio Output with 4V Signal Output • Internal Power Amplifier 4x50W @ 2 Ohm This is part of the black box mentioned above • Adjustable Input Gains • Day/Night Illumination & Dimming • Accepts the optional MC-TR transom remote • Fully upgradeable operating system software via USB port • 4 Zone lighting control (with Optional WS-4Z-RGB-BB) This media source unit can also support a wired remote as well as control your RGB LEDs (options controller needed) right from the main control display! Add an A-link and transmit the tunes to other boats. www.WetSounds.com

Beck & Masten Head for the coast, with a new 2018 GMC Sierra 1500 from Beck and Masten Buick GMC. With a towing capacity of 11,700 lbs, 355 horsepower, and 383 foot-pounds torque, getting your boat on the water has never been easier. Plus, state-of-the-art safety features, and storage to fit all your equipment. Beck and Masten has hundreds of brand new 2018 trucks that are perfect for today’s outdoorsman. Right now, get the new 2018 Sierra 1500 with $13,500 off the MSRP. So, whatever you want to pull, boat, camper, or trailer, Beck and Masten Buick GMC has you covered. www.BeckMastenNorth.com

70 | January 2018

New Excel F4 Pro Hull Series The new F4 Pro Hull is the lightest and quickest F4 in the lineup. It’s the ideal rig for accessing extreme shallows whether chasing redfish or mallards. An open floor plan design provide tons of room for gear and passengers.

Standard features include the F4 step deck, grab bar and driver’s seat box. The Pro Hull is available in a low or high front deck model. Options include extremely tough .125 gauge, 5086 aluminum alloy, Orca cooler seat, gun box and built-in fuel tank and exclusive OPTIFADE camo. The slippery, smooth bottom and triple-taper chine glides over shallows and turns on a dime. Especially when outfitted with a surface drive motor; such as the Mud Buddy HDR. The Pro Hull is one mean hunting and fishing machine. www.Excel-Marine.com

products

Gulf Coast Boat Manufacturing|Saber Cat Gulf Coast Boat manufacturing company of Houston has been working on the design the all new Saber Cat more than three years. Gulf Coast Boats is proud of its 25-year reputation for building smooth-riding boats that are stable and very dry.

Built to last, Gulf Coast Boats have one of the BEST RESALE values of any boat built!

SABER CAT is 25' long with 8'6" beam but, because it is a Cat, it is much more stable than other boats. Fully-Molded liner deck includes molded, flush hatches and lockable rod storage. Sixty-gallon fuel capacity is standard. Shallow 9.5" draft gets into the shallowest water yet crosses rough bays with ease. Ask about a test ride with one of the many guides that have already taken delivery.

GCMboats.com

SCB – Stringer and Fuel Cell Design Upgrades Frio Ice Chests

SCB Boats, now a division of Shallow Sport Boats, has

The Frio Retro with Splatter Black Powder coating is an advanced decoration method that provides a decorative and protective finish creating a beautiful, textured surface treatment on your Stainless Steel Retro.

- Holds 18 cans or 12 bottles w/plenty of ice - Includes steel bottle opener - Made of stainless steel

www.FrioIceChests.com

- Resembles the retro coolers of days past

made significant design improvements to the Recon and Stingray models. A composite closed-cell foam stringer system has been incorporated to both hulls to provide greater rigidity and floatation!

Molded fuel cells extend the life of your boat and reduce weight. With these improvements, we are pleased to offer a 10-year hull warranty! www.SCBBoats.com

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Dickie Colburn

DICKIE COLBURN’S Sabine Scene

Sabine

Dickie Colburn is a full time guide out of Orange, Texas. Dickie has 37 years experience guiding on Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes.

Telephone 409-883-0723 Website www.sabineconnection.com

Since the beginning of November, we couldn’t have ordered more user-friendly weather for both fishing and hauling soggy sheetrock to the curb. The run of dry weather and lower temperatures have combined to revive the “catching” on Sabine lake much quicker than expected.

In fact, I have seen the water clarity this good possibly one other time over the past twenty years. I had forgotten how much tougher it is to sneak up on fish in gin-clear water. That is not a problem we are used to on Sabine Lake!

Lighter winds thus far have also enabled us to fish where we want to rather than where we have to, and virtually every pattern is in play. Water movement will always be the ultimate key, but the ability to run to the south end of the lake if things are going poorly on the north end grants us far more options.

Magnum trout have been little more than a fond memory for most of us, but the average size of the trout both under the gulls and roaming the shallow flats has really improved. Schooling reds can temporarily shut every other bite down in a small area, but they have also been co-existing with solid trout when feeding on the surface under the gulls.

I am very serious when I say that there is no one program significantly better than another as of this writing. It is truly dealer’s choice and the blessing in that uncommon phenomenon is that it tends to keep anglers off the top of one another. Even the folks dedicated to chasing birds are now steering wide of occupied flocks to locate and exploit a group of their own.

Basically, the only choice you are forced to make each morning depends on your favorite way to catch trout. If your goal is a fish fry and catching as many fish as you can in a short period of time…join the bird chasers. It eliminates time spent hunting fish that you cannot see and you only need the discipline to move to the next flock when your first few fish are undersized.

I prefer to fish an 1/8-ounce head so that my plastic will sink slower, but a 1/4-ounce head is obviously easier to cast further and will catch fish faster when they are on a feeding binge. When we are hunting fish with the cork I will add a VuDu shrimp to the starting list, but I am also partial to both the 4-inch paddletail Assassin Sea Shad and MirrOlure’s Lil John when the fish are just going nuts.

“We contracted the construction of the TSFMag office building with Farrell Jackson. Jackson also built my son’s bay house here in Seadrift. We were completely satisfied with both projects…a professional and trustworthy contractor.” ~ Everett Johnson Editor/Publisher, Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine

361-576-3825 Office | 361-576-3828 Fax 36 Hunters Circle, Victoria, TX 77905

Barndominiums • Metal Buildings • Boat and Mini Storage • Metal Frame Homes • Commercial Buildings 72 | January 2018

www.RafterJConstruction.com A previous owner of Circle J Enterprises, Inc.

Mike Alexander released this beautiful red!

I still have no idea why the fish will hit a plastic that looks more like a suppository than anything alive, but they do – and the Lil John is tough as nails. On the other hand, someone that has never fished a day in their life can hold a Sea Shad in their hand and understand why a fish would eat it. The texture and a kazillion colors that cover all the bases keep it at the head of the pack.

I can’t tell that the longer five-inch plastics consistently dupe the larger trout in a school, but they do drastically minimize the sand trout activity. The five-inch Assassin is also the go-to lure for me when hunting fish or when the schooling activity suddenly ceases.

The slower fall with a 1/16-ounce head and the larger profile also render it very competitive when the Corky and other suspending mullet type baits are at their best. When a rabid bite under the birds slows down or I am simply hunting fish, the 5-inch tail fished under a cork can be lethal.

I have always added a small rubber-core sinker to the wire shaft of any cork that doesn’t already have one so that casting distance is not dependent on the weight of the lure alone. That minor change enables me to rig the 5-inch Assassin on nothing more than a 4/0 worm hook. The slower descent can attract strikes from finicky fish when nothing else will!

By the time you read this, the Corky, Catch 5 and larger topwaters like the Super Spook will be doing their thing on the largest trout available. I am in charge of the kids tomorrow while their moms shop, and that means three girls between the ages of nine and twelve are going fishing for the first time. No cell phones allowed…I can’t wait!

TSFMAG.com | 73

Capt. Caleb Harp

The Buzz on Galveston Bay

Galveston

Capt. Caleb Harp has fished the Galveston Bay System since childhood and, now a charter captain and fishing guide, he uses his knowledge to enable clients to enjoy the excellent fishing the area offers. His specialty is the yeararound pursuit for trophy trout and redfish with artificial lures

Telephone 281-753-3378 Website harpsguideservice.com

January is usually our coldest month, according to weather statistics, and therefore a difficult month to pattern and target fish. Mother Nature throws some wicked curves and, naturally, the stars do not align as often as we’d like. Gusting cold fronts roll in from the northwest, blasting nearly all the water out of the bay and the barometer begins to soar as soon as the front passes. Veteran guides and professional anglers have battled these conditions and tried to find a way to catch big trout during a front with little success. Sure, prior to the front can be phenomenal, but during and immediately after can brutal.

First of all, gale force winds as the front crosses are just too dangerous to be on the water. Navigation remains hazardous for a day or so with all the water pushed out. The first day or two following a front can deliver chamber of commerce weather but with the barometer peaking we find another problem – the fish will have lockjaw and are not likely to feed.

Generally, long about afternoon of the second day, definitely the third day, the barometer starts to fall and the fish will start to chew again.

When discussing wintertime fishing, the fish will go into what I like to call “survival mode” and drop

into “deep water getaways” hiding from the icy blast.

You almost have to picture this process like an animal going deep into its burrow for the winter. Fish seem to be programmed to gorge feed when they sense the approach of the front, as though they know they won’t be eating for a few days. But we know they have no such reasoning ability – it’s instinct.

The disappearing act during the front, pulling down into deeper water, is another response to survival instinct. They seek warmth mostly, and safety from ripping currents, as water is raked from shallow areas by wind.

The pre-frontal feeding frenzy is what makes wintertime fishing so good; you just have to time it right. Several hours before the front arrives, you need to be on a flat adjacent to deeper water with lots of visible bait. Post-front, your best bet is to be on the edge of that or a similar flat as the tides slowly return and sunshine brings warmth back to the shallows.

Just so we’re clear on location, a “deep water getaway” can be anything from the channel of a bayou or inlet, a shipping channel or barge canal. Typically, whenever the water comes back after a front, the fish will follow the rising tide. You have to give these

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fish time to settle in and start hunting again, though. A good rule of thumb is that whenever you see bait returning to the flats, the predators are there as well.

I’m pickier with lure selection in January than any other month. I try Two days after not to use the word lethargic because a front - Jason Kramer with a nice people take it wrong, but when it’s red on a MirrOlure freezing cold they do become more Marsh Minnow. selective in their feeding. Always remember that fish have to eat to survive, they do not hibernate. Even though they slow down they’re still burning energy.

The Corky family of lures are famous favorites for winter fishing and rightfully so. Each model has its niche but the common denominator is the slowsinking, almost suspending characteristic they exhibit – easy targets that can fill a belly with little effort expended.

But this is Texas and it doesn’t stay 40⁰ forever. As soon as the water temperature rises to about 58⁰ I will start throwing topwaters again, if bait is present. Don’t get discouraged by the bad weather. Any day you go out and learn something is a successful day of fishing.

West Bay West has produced some great catches behind cold snaps. South shoreline coves have turned on. On colder days with off-color water, waders have reported trout running 4-to 6-pounds. Size diminishes to 2-pound average on prettier weather days. This should continue through January.

East Bay East has been giving up good numbers of keeper-size trout. Occasional heavy stringers are coming for waders at the back of the bay near Oyster Bayou and Anahuac Wildlife Refuge – typical this time of year.

Upper Galveston Bay The Upper Galveston Bay has the most deep water getaways due to the Houston Ship Channel running through the middle. Tabbs, Scott, Crystal and Burnett bays can be some of the most consistent in January.

Stay Safe! -Capt Caleb Harp (Instagram@ captcalebharp)

TSFMAG.com | 75

Bink Grimes

The View from Matagorda

Matagorda

Bink Grimes is a full-time fishing and hunting guide, freelance writer and photographer, and owner of Sunrise Lodge on Matagorda Bay.

Telephone 979-241-1705 Email binkgrimes@sbcglobal.net Website matagordasunriselodge.com

76 | January 2018

A foggy day on a January shoreline with a Corky or 51MR MirrOlure can be epic. Problem is, few will give it a whirl, citing too little time available or unwilling to burn vacation days so early in the year, to roll the dice for a big trout. The opportunity will be there, you just have to be ready to go when the weather dictates.

Expect to deal with low tides and use them to your advantage.

Sometimes waters are so low it is tough to find water to float duck decoys. So where do fish go when the wind has blown 20 and more from the north and oyster reefs are sticking three feet above the surface?

Head to deep bayous and drains!

Everything in those back lakes has to flow through these locales when the tide falls. Many times the fish are still pretty warm, even though the water is chilly.

That means most of the fish are lying on the bottom of deeper holes, in the mud.

Find the silver lining in your day even if you don’t find your fish. Bars and reefs that normally hold fish are exposed, most out of the water, a perfect time to mark these fish magnets in your GPS. I find new reefs and guts every winter and use those spots in the spring when tides swell.

There are some guts I wade in January that are over my head during the summer. Keep all that info logged in the back of the brain and use it when tides fall to seasonal lows. The spots that have water now when everything else is dry is a good spot to start on the next cold blast.

Most of our trout hang close to the Intracoastal on cold January days and move back and forth from the shallows to the deep

according to the thermometer and barometer. With that being said, the north shoreline is the closest intercept point. Waders who want a good shot at a big speck on a moving tide should find a piece of shell from Boggy Cut all the way east to Bird Island and camp out with their favorite mullet-imitator.

I have become quite fond of a pink MirrOlure Soft-Dine the past two winters. It seems if large trout are in the area, they can’t turn it down - thumping it hard like a safety does a wide receiver catching a ball across the middle.

Be patient.

Big trout may not feed every day. If they did, everyone would have one on the wall. Well, probably not, since the elusiveness and mystery of large trout is what prompts us to buy $500 waders and another $500 or more of accessories.

If 180-class whitetails were ordinary, there would be fewer high fences, Polaris Rangers and protein feeders.

Arm-length specks are like a heavy-horned buck, a six-foot tarpon, a banded greenhead or a dirt-dragging Rio Grande beard. The beauty is you can’t fire up the smartphone and order one, with free shipping.

Follow my reports @matagordasunriselodge on Instagram and Facebook.

TSFMAG.com | 77

Capt. Shellie Gray

MID-COAST BAYS With the Grays

Port O'Connor Seadrift

Captain Shellie Gray was born in Port Lavaca and has been guiding in the Seadrift/Port O’Connor area full time for the past 14 years. Shellie specializes in wading for trout and redfish year round with artificial lures.

Telephone 361-785-6708 Email bayrats@tisd.net Website www.bayrat.com

78 | January 2018

Another year has come and gone and what a wonderful year we had fishing here on the Middle Coast. We enjoyed some of the most “consistently good” fishing I have experienced in quite some time.

Even though we endured one of the most devastating hurricanes on record, the weather (for the most part) was favorable. We were blessed with plentiful rainfall throughout the year, but not too much, thank God. And we were not hit with red tide. I’m praying that our winter is normal with no major freezes.

Speaking of good weather, this past fall and earlywinter we have enjoyed generally calm winds that allowed us to fish the open waters of San Antonio Bay more often than years past. January will bring more blustery northers but hopefully we will manage to target the mid-bay reefs on calmer days.

The other day during dinner, Gary and I were discussing how similar our summer and wintertime techniques are when it comes to fishing San Antonio Bay reefs. During each season, when temperatures are at their extremes, whether it be hot or cold, we fish it the same way. When it’s hot we go deep, and when it’s cold we go deep. During all these conditions we almost always find the fish on the deepest dropoffs. We also fish our lures the same way - low and

Kean Tonetti enjoying steady reef action.

Keaton, all the way from Oklahoma, was happy to land a Texas Slam that included an early-December flounder limit.

slow. It turns out, whether it’s really hot or really cold, the fish prefer deeper water and slower presentations yield the most bites on average.

Also, when fish are holding deeper due to temperature extremes, they not only prefer a slower moving bait that is easy to catch but they prefer smaller baits as well. I find that when fish are not feeding aggressively they tend to “short strike” longer plastics, usually biting off the tail of the lure rather than taking the whole bait. Recognizing this, my lure selection favors shorter baits like Bass Assassins’ 4-inch Sea Shad, preferably in a lighter natural color like Mama’s Chicken. Natural lure colors really shine when the colder water temps reduce the abundance of suspended algae. In winter we can sometimes and see bottom in five-foot depths.

When the winds are not favorable for fishing mid-bay reefs, we shift focus to shorelines that adjoin marshy areas dotted with narrow drains and sloughs that connect to back lakes on Matagorda Island.

Why these areas? When a strong norther reaches the coast, bay waters are initially driven southward and inundate the marshes and back lakes of the Island. Then, as the norther plays out and tides recede, water than has become warmer in the lakes drains back into the bay. The plumes of warm water spilling back into the bay become magnets that not only transport bait in the currents formed but attract bait and gamefish species from the surrounding, colder, bay water as well. It’s not uncommon to find a mix of trout, reds, and flounder taking advantage of the feeding opportunity. Carry a wading net. Flatfish are notoriously difficult to grab with bare hands.

Patience is the byword in drain fishing. Take your time and move forward very slowly. Fan your casts methodically to cover everything you can reach, especially the points and coves.

The best bite location varies daily with current strength and water temperature. If the water is draining swiftly, most bites will typically come from just outside the drain. If the water is barely moving, I often get them just inside of the drain itself. Always try to position yourself so that your presentation will follow the direction of the flow.

Reef hopping on San Antonio Bay and fishing the drains of Matagorda Island are just a few areas to get in on good wintertime action. The muddy-bottomed back lakes will likely hold the larger trout specimens, but that is a whole other article.

Remember that our water levels are much lower in January and February. If you are not familiar with the Port O’Connor/Seadrift area, don’t be shy or embarrassed to seek advice from fellow anglers or local guides before heading out. Many of our back lakes are shallow and can be tricky to navigate. It’s better to know before you go.

Gary and I want to wish everyone a New Year filled with prosperity, joy, contentment and lots of laughter. Happy New Year!

TSFMAG.com | 79

david rowsey

HOOKED UP WITH Rowsey

Upper Laguna/ Baffin

David Rowsey has over 25 years in Baffin and Upper Laguna Madre; trophy trout with artificial lures is his specialty.

David has a great passion for conservation and encourages catch and release of trophy fish.

Telephone 361-960-0340 Website www.DavidRowsey.com Email david.rowsey@yahoo.com @captdavidrowsey

I would like to thank all of you that have already booked charters with me throughout the winter, spring, and on into the summer. Your confidence in what I do is humbling and your business is appreciated more than I can express. For those of you who are considering a trip to Baffin, there are still some great dates available and I would be honored to take you for the chance at a monster trout with artificial lures.

Big trout fishing was, let’s say, hit and miss throughout November and December. As far as I am concerned, it has everything to do with warmer than average water temperatures. The fish just never went into full-on winter mode, but everyday gets them closer, and I expect it to be outstanding by the time this article reaches your Corky-stained fingers.

We have been fortunate and picked off some healthy “scout” trout that are leading the way towards winter patterns for the masses, but the biggest push will start in January. When it happens, you can expect some big days on the salty old bay. Pre-front, and a few days after the fronts have come through, will be my favorite days to be on the water. In some cases, depending on the air and water temperature, we may find ourselves leaving at midmorning and fishing

until dark. This is something that I like to do when the coldest fronts make their presence felt. The afternoon bite of a sunny post-front day can be unbelievable if you are willing to change up the routine a bit.

Seriously, who doesn’t want to sleep in on a super cold morning? I know the trout and I do.

We have all heard the stories and theories about fishing the softer, muddy bay bottoms during the coldest parts of the year. Unlike so many fishing myths, this one is true, although not perfect. When I head out daily during cooler weather, you can bet there is some mud in my game plan, but I am typically not hitting it until the sun gets well up.

We are blessed with mile after mile of undeveloped shoreline that has knee-deep water right up the bank; some of it is soft, but the majority is firm. That bank has been absorbing the sun’s rays all day, and as the night cools off it is radiating that warmth back into the water, or at least not letting the water cool off so fast.

Early morning shallow water wades in the cold of the winter seem implausible and go against mythical wisdom; however, it is no longer myth if you have proven it to yourself and clients again, and again, and again. Just to make sure we understand each

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80 | January 2018

other, I am not saying that this is the only way to pull a giant from under the surface in cooler water temperatures, but it is one that is greatly overlooked by the masses. The greatest attribute of this strategy is enjoyed by those of us who have no desire to fish within casting distance of a stranger on some community hole that has been made instantly famous via social media.

I am back to using my slow-sinkers and mullet imitations this month. The MirrOlure Paul Brown Original Series (Corkys here in Texas) gets top dibs out of my wading box. I am especially fond of the Fat Boy when fishing shallow to crotch-deep. The old original Corky moves into first position as the water gets a little deeper in front of me. The original also prevails during windier conditions (faster sink rate).

My number one “find ‘em and catch ‘em big and quick” lure is my trusty 5” Bass Assassin, rigged on a light, short-shank jighead. Others might disagree but, my opinion is that if you can’t catch them on this nothing short of an explosion is going to work any better. Topwater enthusiasts need not waste too much space in their box with surface plugs. One big and one small will be plenty. Carry more Corkys!

There are a lot more of us utilizing the bay in 2018 than 1998, or even 2008, for that matter. Please take all precautions when running in the dark of the morning and be alert to fishermen that may be out on a shoreline, already wading. And a note to the “dark waders,” don’t be out there in the dark without a light clipped to your hat to warn an approaching boat. Much of this could be eliminated if all boaters just stayed a couple hundred yards off the shoreline while running, but that is a whole other article in itself.

Remember the buffalo! -Capt David Rowsey

Donald Smith getting us kicked off into Corky season.

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TSFMAG.com | 81

Wayne Davis

WAYNE’S Mansfield Report

Port Mansfield

Captain Wayne Davis has been fishing the Lower Laguna-Port Mansfield for over 20 years. He specializes in wade fishing with lures.

Telephone 210-287-3877 Email captwayne@kwigglers.com

82 | January 2018

Howdy from Port Mansfield! As you are reading this we are only days away from the beginning of a new year. Another year in the books and what a year it has been. WOW! I am so looking forward to this new year and I firmly believe it has many offerings and opportunities. For me, as a fisherman and guide, I look to this new year as one to improve and try and step up my game and focus on “dialing into” fishing and putting folks on the best fish I can.

The theme of this article will be about just that, dialing into what the fish are telling you, or not telling you. It will help if you are with a group, such as I am on many trips. Before we get too far into that let me say the weather has been very fishable, for the most part – a few hard northers recently.

Quick side note on northers – I recently was able to fish one, with winds gusting around the 30 to 35 mph mark. I set up near a large drain that led to a depression and the drain was surrounded by a large flat. As the water fell off the flat the fish staged in that depression. If you know of an area like this, consider it if you are fishing during or on the tail

end of a norther.

We are now basically in the dead of winter, a time when we must mentally work on how we approach our fishing tactics. I must concentrate more, I must move slower, work my bait slower and “dial into” what fish are telling me. That can be challenging, especially if you are used to working tops and tails quickly, as we do in the spring, summer and fall. Is there bait present? Is it active? If yes; how are they acting? Rolling? Flipping? Scattering? You must piece these things together and then “dial” yourself into the scene.

First, the easiest way to address all of this is to catch a fish. Next, try to replicate the presentation you were running when it happened. There are outliers and anomalies; i.e. a fish hits your lure the very second it hits the water or as you are reeling your lure up to your rod tip. Those things cannot be replicated by skill.

One approach to winter fishing is work the lure as slowly as possible without catching grass. Many of my clients have heard this time and time again

David Norris hefting a healthy Lower Laguna six-pounder.

The owner of Diamond J, James Rosalis, was a partner in Circle J Enterprises at the time our office and son’s home were built by Circle J. Workmanship and attention to detail were both excellent!

– Everett Johnson, Editor/Publisher, Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine

Mike McDaniel with a chunky wintertime red.

no matter what season we are fishing. I always start off fishing as slow as possible without getting grass on my lure. Here is why. If a fish is active and hungry it will hit a lure whether it is moving fast or slow. However, if a fish is less aggressive or nearly inactive you have an opportunity to catch that fish if you start slow. If you always work your baits fast you will miss that slow fish – especially in winter.

The biggest indicator that you are really dialed in is catching fish consistently. You have found that niche, that zone you end up in when all things are working, basically you are dialed in to your fishing environment. You have mastered when to slow your retrieve, speed up your retrieve, how to move your rod tip whether it’s up, down, sideways, rolling, etc. It’s a beautiful thing to bear witness when a fisherman is in this zone.

We continue to use the KWigglers Willow Tail Shad in shallow water, it has just flat out been producing big fish. Flo Mingo, Mansfield Margarita and Red Shad Pro seem to be the best colors as of this writing. We have not been fishing deeper than waist (at most) but when we do go out over thigh-deep water we switch over to the Ball Tail Shad in the same color combos as the Willow Tails. The topwater bite has not been as consistent as the soft plastics; right now soft plastics have been ruling the water.

Our Empty Stringers Catch and Release Program is still in full force and it looks like I will meet my goal of 1000 successful releases for 2017. Although I have not tallied the count, early indication is we might even surpass the 1000 release mark. Now that is awesome!

In closing I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year and look forward to seeing you at the upcoming shows in 2018. Remember to practice conservation and be courteous on the water.

TSFMAG.com | 83

Capt. Ernest cisneros

SOUTH PADRE Fishing Scene A rr oyo C olorado t o Port I sabel

A Brownsville-area native, Capt. Ernest Cisneros fishes the Lower Laguna Madre from Port Mansfield to Port Isabel.

Ernest specializes in wading and poled skiff adventures for snook, trout, and redfish.

Cell 956-266-6454 Website www.tightlinescharters.com

84 | January 2018

Happy New Year! Looking back, 2017 year gave us great fishing. Here’s hoping that 2018 might be even better.

I mention often in this column that fishing on the Lower Laguna has changed quite a bit the last decade or so. Finding and catching fish on a consistent basis used to be much easier – fewer boats on the water and less fishing pressure. Recognizing these facts, I have come to the conclusion that timing is now more critical than ever.

What I’m saying is that waiting for the fish to feed has become an increasing critical component in turning a slow day into a productive one. Catching fish from an undisturbed school is one thing, catching fish that are frequently disturbed by boat traffic is quite another. I use the popcorn analogy to help explain this to my clients.

Let’s say you are lying on the sofa and someone puts popcorn in the microwave. It smells great but you’re not especially hungry. If they happen to walk within arm’s reach you might grab a handful from the bowl.

On the other hand, let’s say you’re hungry. The first whiff of buttered popcorn will draw you to the kitchen, waiting hungrily as it pops, even without an invitation.

I believe fish behave the same way. A lure dangled

right in their face might draw a strike when they’re not feeding – a lure worked anywhere close gets scarfed immediately when Mother Nature tells them it’s time to eat. Timing is everything!

The more factors that influence feeding, that we can understand and apply to the fishing equation, the greater the chance you will catch them. I call it homework and it includes referencing tide and current predictions, solunar feeding times, wind direction, wind velocity, and general atmospheric conditions. These factors should all be included when deciding where to be, when to be there and, most importantly, how long we should be willing to wait for the bite to turn on.

Fishing on the Lower Laguna Madre has improved considerably with the arrival of cooler weather, including the redfish bite. I reported last month that the greatest number of redfish are staged near or north of Mansfield’s East Cut and this is still true. The further south you run the more scattered they become.

Grass flats near the ICW on post-front days can be productive as reds leave deeper water and invade the flats to feed. Focus on potholes. Reds hang on potholes to feed and also when resting between feeds, times

when they might still react instinctively to a well-placed lure. Keep in mind that bait tends to hold along edges of prominent grassbeds.

Working a soft plastic right on the edge will draw more strikes than Great day on the water for Jason Shook with his personal-best speck. Hopefully we will be making many more photos like this in the coming months.

over solid grass bottom, on average. Ridges and other undulations in the bay floor also attract predators looking to ambush bait. On colder days expect them to favor the deeper side of the structure.

Last winter, the big trout we wait all year for were very late in showing. This year we have noticed a stronger showing through late-fall and early winter. If this pattern continues we could be in for a banner season.

Our primary key has been mullet concentrations in knee to waistdeep water and the ideal water temperature has been running 65- to 74-degrees. Overcast has given us more big trout than sunny skies.

Back to that timing thing, it is almost always a requirement to fish patiently, waiting for the solunar major or minor to trigger feeding. On warmer days, like the reds, the trout are favoring potholes. On colder days they favor guts and gradually sloping drop-offs.

Come January, we will begin working softer bottoms as the water temperature continues to decline. Topwaters will give way to slowsinkers and my favorite soft plastic for big trout – the K-Wiggler Willow Tail Shad. Working lower and slower is when the fluttering action of the Willow Tail really begins to pay off. Even the slightest twitch of the rod tip imparts enticing lure action.

I’m really excited dreaming about the possibilities and opportunities that the colder weather will bring. I am sure there will be lots of smiling faces this month and the next three months to come as clients pose for photos with their personal-best trout.

The Houston Boat Show will be held at the NRG Center this month, January 5-14. I will be helping out at the Fishing Tackle Unlimited booth. Come by, say hello, and let me know if I can help you with your fishing needs.

TSFMAG.com | 85

FISHING REPORTS

ORECASTS F from Big Lake to Boca Chica

AND

Lake Calcasieu Louisiana Jeff and Mary Poe - Big Lake Guide Service - 337.598.3268 January can be a great month to catch a giant trout. Weather, however, can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Warmer water temperatures will produce more consistent action. When water temperatures fall, trout will become somewhat lethargic. Super slow-sinking lures will be very effective at this time due to the way they hover in the strike zone. MirrOdines, SoftDines, Paul Brown Lures and Catch 2000s are excellent choices for big trout in January. Look for the cleanest water you can find and make extremely long casts. Being stealthy and using the wind and current to your advantage are extremely important when drift-fishing for big trout. If trout aren’t your thing, head south. Redfish will be lurking at all the weirs and the banks adjacent to them. Pretty water isn’t a necessity, but is nice to have.

A Gulp! Swimming Mullet rigged on a quarter-ounce jighead is usually all that’s needed, but sometimes tipping your Gulp! with a piece of dead shrimp can be the difference between a limit of slot reds and none.

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag Silver King Adventures - silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 The cold weather arriving in early-December has James thinking patterns in his home waters will change by January. “This should bring an end to the shrimp migration, and birds working to take advantage of that. We will still find fish in open-bay areas, but we'll use different techniques to locate

them. Normally, in West Bay, finding muddy streaks in the clear water will lead to catching some fish, mostly trout. Out there, soft plastics on jigheads which allow for keeping the lure in touch with the bottom on a slow retrieve work well, as do 52M MirrOlures reeled in slowly, with the rodtip held down toward the water. During warm spells, when onshore winds blow tides higher and flood the coves, wading for big trout can be a good option this month, too. Best bite occurs in the afternoon in the shallows, lingering into the early parts of night at times. If the water warms up enough, the fish will blow up on topwaters, but slow-sinking twitch baits and soft plastics on light jigheads work on a more consistent basis, especially in cooler water.”

Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054 Jim submitted his report on a cold, windy, rainy day. “I should be duck hunting right now. It's perfect weather for that, and we've got plenty of ducks. We'll keep on huntin' 'em through the end of January. Fishing has been good, with generally light crowds on the water. We've been targeting trout and redfish in backwater areas and on shorelines, using the trolling motor to move around. When we're throwing into shallow water, we've been having good luck on topwaters, and when we're throwing into a little deeper water in holes and drains, we're doing better with soft plastics.

Mostly, we're catching slot redfish and keeper trout ranging from a couple pounds up to about four pounds. I've been pretty much ignoring the working birds, since most of the fish under 'em are tiny speckled trout

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and sand trout. If we get some more cold weather, wading for big trout will improve, especially in the afternoons. I'll be running trips which put a priority on catching a few big ones. We'll throw slow-sinking lures like Paul Brown Lures and Catch 2000s those days.”

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323 Randall expects the patterns to change after the strong cold fronts which came roaring through early in December. “These strong fronts will push most of the shrimp out of the bay for good. So, we won't have working birds any more, and the fish will move back to the structures, and into the deeper holes, depending on the water temperature. We'll catch fish in January by working dirty streaks in the water which have mergansers, pelicans and cormorants in them. Out there, we'll throw mostly soft plastics on quarterounce heads. We'll also wade some, targeting bigger trout on shorelines and reefs. If we can find a few jumping mullet it's a really good sign this time of year. On the wades, we throw soft plastics on lighter heads and slow-sinking twitch baits. We'll also find trout and redfish schooled up in deep holes in the bayous and creeks if it's cold, especially if tides are low. Low tides will also allow us to sight-cast at redfish in the back lakes on warmer days. A Norton Bull Minnow rigged on a quarter-ounce head works great for that.”

Matagorda | Charlie Paradoski Bay Guide Service - 713.725.2401 Anglers in the Matagorda area have multiple options in January, like they do in all the other months. “One of the main reasons to fish in this area is to catch big trout. January is a great month to catch 'em. Some of the best days to catch big trout are not the nicest days to fish. You want to be on the water wading the shallower parts of East Bay right before the front hits, or before the high pressure settles in. People willing to fish during

the passages of the fronts will have shots at some monster trout. When we're not wading, we find the drifting productive in both ends of East Bay, over muddy bottom with shell scattered around.

Fishing for trout in the Colorado River can be outstanding in January too, especially if we get some really cold weather to push more of the fish into the depths. People who care more about catching redfish usually focus their efforts on West Bay this time of year. Low tides tend to concentrate the schools of reds in the guts and drains on the south shoreline of that bay this month.”

Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 I cannot remember fishing being this good. Solid speckled trout and huge sand trout are working under birds in South/East/Turtle Bays.

Three-eighths ounce jigheads work better than heavier ones to catch keepers. Pumpkinseed/pearl and chicken on chain paddletails have been the best lures, and on some days, Spook Juniors have tricked a handful of fish. Redfish have been thick at the mouths of bayous and drains on falling tides. Black/gold/orange She Pups and quarter-ounce gold spoons have been productive. Flounder fishing continues to be good as well; we've been catching a few every trip. Gulp! shrimp rigged under popping corks or slowly dragged along ledges have accounted for the most bites. January is always a good month to fish the local rivers when it's cold and the fish head into them for protection against dropping water temperatures. In those places, I like fishing three-eighths ounce jigheads and casting parallel to shorelines and letting the lures flutter off the ledge and down the face of the drop-off, into deeper water.

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Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith Back Bay Guide Service - 361.983.4434 During the cold month of January, Lynn expects to adjust his efforts to coincide with the recent weather patterns.

“We'll be dodging the fronts this month, fishing when the winds calm down some after the frontal passages. For the most part, we'll stick to wading, since we are usually out trying to catch some of the biggest trout of the year.

Normally, we like to focus our efforts on flats with shallow water covering a soft, muddy bottom and a mix of scattered shell. We do best on flats which lie adjacent to deeper water, either a channel, bayou or an open basin.

Places where currents are relatively light seem to hold more of the big trout when the weather is coldest. We will use slow-sinking twitch baits to target the fish on some days, lures like Catch 2000s and Paul Brown Fat Boys. We work them low and slow, since the fish aren't really aggressive with the cold water temperatures. Of course, soft plastics rigged on light jigheads also produce well this time of year, particularly when the fish are sitting on the bottom with their eyes looking down.”

Rockport | Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 or 361.441.3894 Cast and blast season will still be going on during January, and Blake will be taking advantage of the opportunity to do some hunting and fishing on the same outing. “We have lots of ducks this year, so the shooting is fast and furious most days, and the fishing has been good too, especially for the trout. I think Hurricane Harvey helped make the bays healthier. We are catching plenty of solid trout in the eighteen to twenty-three inch class, more than normal. During January, I tend to focus on areas along shorelines with a softer bottom than in warmer months. We'll throw topwaters when the fish are willing to bite 'em, which typically means when the weather is warm this time of year. When the fish aren't as aggressive, we switch over to soft plastics like my old favorite Norton Sand Eels in dark colors with

88 | January 2018

chartreuse tails. On most days, those are all we need to catch plenty of fish.

On the toughest days, we sometimes have better luck throwing Gulp! lures.

My favorite is the split-tail shad in pearl/chartreuse.

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 It has been very quiet out on the Laguna Madre, with very little boat traffic. The water in much of the Laguna is clear. In the early morning hours, I’m fishing in water between three to five feet deep or along the edges of the deeper channels like the Intracoastal Waterway. I’m rigging dark Texas Assassins in colors like Texas roach or pumpkinseed/chartreuse on quarter-ounce Spring Lock jigheads. As the sun gets higher in the sky and warms up the shallows, I will switch to Die Dappers in colors like sand trout, chicken on a chain or salt & pepper silver phantom/chartreuse on a sixteenth-ounce jighead and look for pot holes that have a mix of mud and gravel on the bottom in water three feet or less in depth. Popping a Bass Assassin Kwik Kork rigged with about twenty inches of twenty-pound test fluorocarbon line and the same soft plastics can be a good way to catch good trout and reds too. Wading will be the most successful way to fish for trout and reds this month, but don’t forget your ForEverlast Ray Guards to protect against sting rays.

Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361.937.5961 January can be a great month to target big trout in the Upper Laguna Madre, Joe says. “This is one of the months when people in the know catch some of the biggest trout of the year. The key is to time and tailor your outings to coincide with the right kind of weather. When the wind is blowing out of the north at thirty knots, fishing isn't productive, of course.

But if the weather's cold, fishing for big trout can be productive soon after post-front winds subside enough to allow us to get on the water and make a decent effort. Areas protected from the winds on the west and

north shorelines of the local bays usually hold more fish when the water temperatures are in the fifties. Fishing by wading and throwing soft plastics on light jigheads or slow-sinking twitch baits will be the preferred methods in situations like that. If the weather warms up, and southeast winds return, targeting big trout and redfish on shallow flats in the ULM and Baffin can produce outstanding results too. When we're working that pattern, we like to make long, controlled drifts and look for the fish, so we can sight-cast 'em, normally using paddletails to do so.”

P.I.N.S. Fishing Forecast | Eric Ozolins Winter has made it to the South Texas surf. It took a while, but water temps have finally dropped to more seasonal levels. Luckily, the dirty water plague seems to have passed. The Indian Summer that lingered longer than usual has prolonged the mullet migration, as they continue to trickle to the surf zone. The pompano bite has been running on par, if not better than normal. Best times have been two to three days after fronts, when the surf settles. Shrimp and Fishbites are both working well. Target areas with plentiful coquina clams for best results, making long casts to sandbars. Red drum will be in the surf all winter, fresh dead and live baits work better than lures when it gets really cold. January is a great month for sandbar sharks! Sandbars resemble blacktips but are larger and stronger, with attitude to match. Pompano and whiting are on the sandbar’s menu, so target areas where the prey is abundant. Extra caution is advised when driving and fishing during periods when thick fog blankets the beach, obscuring the view.

Port Mansfield | Ruben Garza Snookdudecharters.com – 832.385.1431 Getaway Adventures Lodge – 956.944.4000 Highly changeable weather can wreak havoc with fishing plans. In January, we might have one day with north winds and temps in the fifties followed

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by two days with high-seventies and winds blowing southeast. Days with north winds can be epic north of Port; areas from the King Ranch pier to Gladys can all be productive. The fish sometimes prefer the murkiest looking water. East wind sends us to the east side, from East Cut all the way to the game warden shack. Finding bait is always the key. I personally prefer seeing lots of smaller bait flipping, but even a solo mullet jumping can be a good sign. Color streaks are always worth a try. On calm days between fronts, try the ICW spoils, where we often find solid trout and occasional bull reds. Start with small topwaters or a Fat Boy, varying the speed of presentation. My next choice is soft plastic with a light jighead, retrieved slowly. I sometimes use a quarter-ounce head to probe deeper. The bite is often light with small trout, but varying depth and speed of retrieve can lead to catching big trout.

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Janie and Fred Petty | www.fishingwithpettys.com – 956.943.2747 It’s that time of year again, time to slow everything down and be patient in order to catch fish that move slowly when the water temperatures drop rapidly in the Lower Laguna Madre. We are always looking for muddy drains or groups of deeper potholes that hold fish, but we still catch some in shallow water, especially when the sun is higher. Mostly we’re boating slot reds and some nice tout, with the best fishing definitely during the week when traffic is light. Using the FP3 cork is working best, with eighthounce screw-tight jigheads and Berkley Gulp! Live three-inch shrimp or DOA shrimp on a sixteen-inch leader. Freddy says, “When you get your FP3 in the pothole, pop hard once, then let the lure drop, allowing the cork to stand up, then tighten the line and repeat at least twice. If you’re in the right spot, that’s all it takes to call up a strike! Always fish hard at the end of your cast, as far from the boat as possible, then about fifteen feet out, reel in fast to tighten your line on the spool for the next cast.” Let’s stop open bay dredge disposal!

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Deidra Clark West Matagorda Bay - 23.5” first redfish!

Payton Davies San Luis Pass - speck, first fish! CPR

Matthew Grant Port Aransas - 24 lb red snapper

Lillian Garza Mike Mullenix​ South Padre - 28.5” 6.9 lb trout Upper Laguna Madre - 28” speck

Caleb Shaver Portland - first keeper flounder!

90 | January 2018

Casey Shaver (and dad) Portland - first keeper flounder!

Ryan Ehler Port Aransas - 48” tarpon CPR

Myrna Rodriguez redfish

Matt Vannoy Baffin Bay - 7 lb trout

Ardon Lewis Port O’Connor - 37” bull red

Bill Davis Texas City - 45” black drum CPR

Jason Miller Surfside - 24” 4lb seatrout

Isabella Castillo Bastrop Bayou - first fish! CPR

Christopher Pierron Seadrift - 23” redfish

Grandpa Mike & Reagan Galveston - 40” first redfish! CPR

Bronson Taylor Texas City - 40" personal best red drum!

David Robertson South Padre - first bonnethead!

Christopher Travis Freeport - 31 lb red snapper

Annabelle Simmons South Padre - 20” trout

Lilly Simmons South Padre - 21” trout

Brent Helton Port O’Connor - first tile fish!

Aubrey Jones Galveston Bay - 22” trout

Melanie Miller East Galveston Bay - 25” personal best trout!

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Pam Johnson

Gulf Coast

Got ideas, hints or recipes you’d like to share?

Email them to pam@tsfmag.com or send by fax: 361-785-2844

Wild Duck Crostini Many coastal fishermen are also avid waterfowl hunters. Wild duck, mallard, pintail, gadwall, wigeon, and teal, can be highly delectable when prepared well and this recipe is a gem. The trick lies in avoiding overcooking, medium-rare gives best flavor and texture. I have prepared this an appetizer for dinner guests several times and received rave reviews. They probably will not know it’s duck – unless you tell them.

Thank you, Dawn Larson, for creating such a wonder recipe to use up all that duck meat!

INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

6 to 8 duck breasts

Mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, horseradish, lemon juice and half the dill.

Bag of crostini or loaf of French bread

Set aside.

4 oz room temp cream cheese

Season breast fillets with salt n pepper, pan fry in butter until medium-rare.

Tbsp. mayonnaise Tbsp. prepared horseradish tsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp dill finely chopped (reserve half for garnish) Capers for garnish

92 | January 2018

Don't overcook. Let meat rest three minutes before dicing into small cubes.

French bread or prepared crostini. I like the garlic and butter crostini from HEB bakery section.

If using French bread, spread olive oil and bake till golden. Top with cream cheese mixture and diced duck. Garnish with capers and reserved dill.

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