Texas Fish & Game November/December 2023 by Texas Fish & Game

November/December 2023 | $4.99

Fly Specks: Chasing Trout with Topwater Poppers Pronghorns: The Forgotten Texas Game Animal Mount Up! 5 Steps to a Proper Trophy Mount

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Water Foul? Duck Numbers Down, But Hope Remains

Staying Alive: Communication Tech That Can Save Your Life 10/16/23 9:27 AM

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

November/December 2023 Vol. 40 • No. 4

PUBLISHERS

CHESTER MOORE EDITOR IN CHIEF

C O N T R I B U T O R S

FEATURE ARTICLES

DOUG PIKE

Secrets of True Texas Pronghorns: Texas’ 10 22 Trophy Hunters Forgotten Game Animal  Cover Story

Tips from hunters who have bagged big free-range bucks.

The fastest land mammal in the U.S. still roams the Texas Plains.

by Matt Williams

by Chester Moore

14 Communication Breakdown

Fly 26 Specks

How modern electronics tech can save your life.

Chasing speckled trout with poppers, on the fly.

by Chester Moore

18 Waterfowl... by the Numbers

Mount 30 Up!

Duck numbers are down, but hope is still alive.

PHONE

COLUMNS

by ROY & ARDIA NEVES by CHESTER MOORE by DOUG PIKE

28 Texas Boating 60 Texas Tactical 64 Open Season

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Saltwater

by DUSTIN ELLERMANN by REAVIS Z. WORTHAM

Fish & Game 50 Forecast Center: Freshwater

Sportsman’s 56 Daybook:

Tides & Prime Times

DEPARTMENTS

6 Letters

from TF&G Readers

Fish & Game 62 Photos

by TF&G Readers

61 Outdoor Directory

: (281) 869-5549 @FISHGAME.COM

DIRECT PHONE

TEXAS OUTDOOR NATION

Fish & Game 38 Forecast Center:

FRAUD HOTLINE: (281) 869-5511 Call this number if you receive a suspicious offer in the mail or by phone

ARDIA NEVES

by LENNY RUDOW

by TF&G STAFF

FISHGAME.COM/MY-ACCOUNT

A D V E R T I S I N G

by LOU MARULLO

Perfect Gift... 34 aTheHoliday Quest

(800) 725-1134

ONLINE SUBSCRIBER SERVICE

by Matt Williams

4 Inside Fish & Game 8 Editor’s Notes 9 Pike on the Edge 25 Texas Hunting

SUBSCRIPTIONS 3431 RAYFORD RD. SUITE 200-408 SPRING, TX 77386

Five steps to ensuring a proper trophy mount.

by TF&G Staff

• SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR • SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR LENNY RUDOW • BOATING EDITOR MATT WILLIAMS • FRESHWATER EDITOR PAUL FUZINSKI • CONTRIBUTING EDITOR KELLY GROCE • CONTRIBUTING EDITOR LOU MARULLO • HUNTING EDITOR LARRY WEISHUHN • WHITETAIL EDITOR DUSTIN ELLERMANN • SHOOTING EDITOR REAVIS WORTHAM • HUMOR EDITOR MORIAH FORMICA • DIGITAL CONTRIBUTOR LISA MOORE • CONTRIBUTING PHOTO EDITOR JOE DOGGETT

EMAIL: ANEVES

LARRY DALTON • OFFICE MANAGER 3431 RAYFORD RD. SUITE 200-408 SPRING, TX 77386 PHONE ( 281) 869-5511 • FAX (346) 348-2100 EMAIL: TFGOFFICE @ FISHGAME . COM

TEXAS FISH & GAME (ISSN 0887-4174) is published bi-monthly by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC., 3431 Rayford Road, Suite 200-408, Spring, TX 77386. ©Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. All rights reserved. Content is not to be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission. The publication assumes no responsibility for unsolicited photographs and manuscripts. Subscription rates: 1 year $24.95; 2 years $42.95; 3 years $58.95. Address all subscription inquiries to Texas Fish & Game, 3431 Rayford Road, Suite 200-408, Spring, TX 77386. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for response. Give old and new address and enclose latest mailing address label when writing about your subscription. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: TEXAS FISH & GAME, 3431 Rayford Road, Suite 200-408, Spring, TX 77386. Address all subscription inquiries to TEXAS FISH & GAME, 3431 Rayford Road, Suite 200-408, Spring, TX 77386. Email change of address to: subscriptions@fishgame.com. Email new orders to: subscriptions@fishgame.com. Email subscription questions to: subscriptions@fishgame. com. Periodical postage paid at Houston, TX 77267-9946 and at additional mailing offices.

Guides, Outfitters & More

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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Inside FISH GAME :: by ROY & ARDIA NEVES

TF&G Owners/Publishers

Ghosts of Issues Past

most skeptical doubters. Alvey was instrumental in launching Fish & Game, and guided its efforts to build our statewide audience. One of his more interesting achievements was using the Texas Open Records Act to obtain the list of all registered boat owners in the state. We used that list in our first successful direct mail promotion. Alvey left the publishing company just a couple of years after Fish & Game’s launch, and spent the next three decades building his own successful media empire. He died in December 2018 after an accident on a charter fishing boat he operated with his son in Alaska.

E’VE BEEN TRIPPING through our memories lately as we count down the issues left before next May and the 40th anniversary of Texas Fish & Game. And with the holidays almost upon us, we’ve become even more nostalgic. Forty years is enough of a lifetime that many of our memories include people who have passed on. The masthead, or staff list, of Fish & Game has contained way north of a hundred names over the magazine’s long history. Some of those names were prominent members of our team who are no longer on the list because they are no longer among the living. These Ghosts of Issues Past make up a Hall of Fame of outdoor and publishing professionals. Some of them were there on day one, some joined along the way. They all made important contributions that helped make TF&G what it is today.

RUSSELL TINSLEY: Russ Tinsley was an outdoor icon long before TF&G got its first taste of ink on paper. He was the outdoors editor for the Austin American Statesman and a regular contributor to just about every national fishing and hunting magazine in America. We were a bit shocked and a little star-struck when founding editor Marvin Spivey casually announced that Tinsley was coming on board, not just as Russell Tinsley a writer, but as a regular columnist and as Fish & Game’s “Editorat-Large.” From the very first issue—on which Russell graced the cover—he not only wrote for TF&G, he helped mold the editorial philosophy that continues to this very issue. Russell kept writing for TF&G even after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He passed away in 2004.

DAN ALVEY: We mentioned Alvey in our most recent column, recalling our days under the leadership of Bill Bray, the bombastic founding owner of Fish & Game. Alvey was the president and marketing brains behind the publishing company that spawned this magazine. He had a gift for envisioning successful enterprises and an infectious (if somewhat exasperating) personality that, more often than not, won over even his

BOB HOOD: Like Tinsley, Bob Hood was already a household name in Texas, and beyond, before joining our ranks during our first year of publication. He was the longstanding outdoors editor of the Fort Worth Star Telegram, a peer and contemporary of Tinsley and other legendary writers at a time

Dan Alvey

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when the state’s major newspapers still dominated the information universe, and the outdoors were covered with entire broadsheet sections. Bob wrote Bob Hood countless feature articles and hundreds of columns as TF&G’s Hunting Editor. He passed away in early 2014 after a battle with cancer. LARRY BOZKA: Bozka’s history with us dated back to before Fish & Game. He almost hired on as outdoors editor of The Highlander, the newspaper in Marble Falls where TF&G began as a quarterly insert. Right before Larry started the job, Marvin Spivey, then editor of Texas Fisherman in Houston, called him and pitched the idea of a job switch. Marvin, sick of the Houston rat race, wanted a slower pace in God’s Country. Larry, young and ambitious, couldn’t resist Marvin’s propLarry Bozka osition. He went on to edit the state’s then-largest outdoor magazine, and Marvin took the outdoors job at The Highlander, which of course, led us all to Fish & Game. A couple of years after we merged with Fisherman, and moved the magazine to Houston, Marvin returned to the Hill Country, and Bozka became our editor. Larry stayed four years and, as he won a slew of editorial awards, he also inaugurated our book division. He died in early 2023, another of our cadre to fall to cancer. DON ZAIDLE: Zaidle began writing freelance stories for us in the late nineties, and quickly worked his way up the Fish & Game editorial ladder, eventually replacing Bozka as editor in 2001. He served in that position until his untimely death in 2013. Don was a word smith who held his Don Zaidle

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own with the best of them. He was also a oneof-a-kind personality who cultivated an air of mystery and intrigue. We worked with Don for 15 years, yet we never really knew his full background and were constantly surprised every time an occasion presented the opportunity for a new revelation. Such was the case when one of many in a long line of problems arose with the website we were forever striving to perfect. “Well, I used to do a lot of coding,” he said, out of the blue, and proceeded to take over the role as webmaster. We don’t think Don had any advanced formal education, but he was highly intelligent and articulate. He radiated knowledge and could converse with authority on virtually any subject. At the same time, he affected a gruff, backwoods manner that contrasted starkly with his otherwise scholarly approach and interests. He fought fires on his personal time, and always seemed eager to court danger. He kept pitching—and we kept rejecting—one story idea where he wanted to put on a bullet proof vest and let someone fire different caliber rounds into it.

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That, ladies and gentlemen, was Don Zaidle. CAL GONZALES: Eduardo Calixto Gonzales was another contributor who came on board as a freelancer and quickly became a masthead regular. He started out as our Hotspot reporter for the Lower Laguna Madre, the bay he’d fished his entire life, growing up near Port Isabel. Cal’s primary career was teaching. His experience as an educator, his degree in English from UT, and a masters’ degree in creative writing, plus his lifelong passion for fishing, all combined to make him the ideal candidate to take the reins as Fish & Game’s Saltwater Editor in 2007. Cal wrote more Scan to Hear than 300 columns Audio Version and features for q our pages, the last appearing a month after his death in late 2020. Cal was a gifted writer who required little structural edit-

ing. He did require a weapons grade spell checker, as his zest for getting the words into each sentence often left a wake of hilariously creative misspellings. But the end product was always a tribute to his craft.

Calixto Gonzales

On this long and winding journey, we’ve lived a lot of adventure, both in the fields and streams of Texas and in the office trenches of the modern media business. Our adventures have been richer for the people we’ve shared them with, those still around and ready for more adventures, and especially those whose adventures have ended, only to live on in some of our best memories.

Email Ardia at aneves@fishgame.com Email Roy at rneves@fishgame.com

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LETTERS to the EDITOR Newsletter Kudos

:: by TF&G READERS

I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THE very diverse and timely coverage in the Fish & Game Report. I look forward to getting it every week and always learn something new. Thank you for working hard. It shows.

missing back home, the to-do list to check off, or anxiety over everyday stressors. I was simply thankful. Thankful to be among this sweet child. Thankful to be a small part of a reason she had ‘the best day ever.’ The encounter was meant to bring happiness to a hurting child, to show her that she is loved, that there are good people, and to plant the seed for a love of wildlife and conservation. By the time the day was over, we felt like family. The kind of warm and

Jason Ellison

Mother and Daughter Make a Stand for Conservation IN JUNE 2023, MY DAUGHTER, Delilah and I, along with my fiancé Jesse Woolley, had the opportunity to be part of a Higher Calling Wildlife expedition spearheaded by Texas Fish & Game Editor-InChief Chester Moore and his wife Lisa. We set out for Colorado Springs, Colorado on a trip titled “A Voice in The Wilderness.” As I planned for the trip months in advance, my mind was fogged with thoughts of missing work, worried about missed pay, muddled with what to pack, logistics, and the stress of being away from home for nearly a week. All of these things were heavy burdens, but the tug on my heart to support and be a part of this mission was stronger. After we landed in Colorado Springs, we caravanned to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo to meet the first kid we worked with through the Moore’s outreach. A girl of only 13. A girl the same age as my youngest daughter. A girl who has experienced things a teen, or anyone of any age, should never have to experience. When we met, we were strangers, nine of us eager to meet this sweet child, her mother and youngest sister. We walked the zoo, experienced feeding giraffes and an elephant. Each exhibit along the way provided awe and excitement for the Lord’s spectacular creatures, both big and small, from the tiny tenrec to the majestic mountain goat. It was small talk without mention of dark days. Conversations consisted of favorite animals, trending TikTok videos, and teenage girl giggles. There was no thought on my end of bills sitting to be paid, the work that I was 6

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forthcoming media work. When I left Texas at 4:30am I could never have imagined that the upcoming trip would impact me so directly. That I would have a hand in planting a seed or being an influential “voice in the wilderness”. My connection to all of this came through being part of the 2022 class of the Wild Sheep Foundation’s (WSF) Women Hunt program where Chester was there to cover the program for Texas Fish & Game and visit with his WSF friends. I’m super grateful for that and for this chance to work with kids and wildlife in Colorado. It is the belief of the Higher Calling

Kat Hunter, her daughter Delilah Hunter, and Amber Borel were part of the Higher Calling Wildlife expedition to Colorado in June. They will use content they gathered from the trip to inspire others to take up the cause of wildlife conservation. Look for some of this content in our e-newsletter, The Fish & Game Report.

loving family you can count on. She openly offered hugs to the Wild Wishes crew and was so thankful. My heart ached and I felt such love all at the same time. It is so easy to get caught up in your own ’bubble’ and problems and issues, and forget there is someone, somewhere hurting in a dark place with much bigger problems of their own. We wrapped up the day successfully, all knowing we planted a little seed. We were that ‘voice in the wilderness.’ We spent the next few days at Mount Evans and in Estes Park doing conservation mentorship with my daughter Delilah, Chester’s daughter Faith and a sweet, spunky girl in the Wild Wishes program named Juno. We also worked with Amber Borel, a forestry student at Stephen F. Austin who came along to help and gather content for her |

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Wildlife and the Wild Wishes program, that no one understands wildlife perils more than a young person dealing with struggles. The program is designed to ‘create a NOW generation of conservationists’ while providing a hands-on approach to wildlife encounters and while providing reasons to smile, feel loved and escape what perils may be present in the child’s life if even for a moment. As a mother it was great to make a stand for hurting children and to make a stand for conservation through the photos and video Delilah gathered. Kat Hunter

u Email Your Comments to editor@ﬁshgame.com

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EDITOR’S Notes The thing we have to keep in mind about trout (and all bay dwellers) is that there is no way we’re going to keep producing the same amount of fish with far less habitat. Oh, the water is still there but it’s what lies under the water that counts. U.S. Geological Survey estimates show that in the northern Gulf of Mexico, seagrass loss in bay systems is between 20 and 100 percent in the last 50 years. That means in the best scenario 20 percent has been lost. In places like Sabine Lake, it’s 100 percent.Seagrass produces trout. Less seagrass means less potential for trout to flourish. A report by The Nature Conservancy shows that between 50-85 percent of original oyster reefs have been destroyed by a variety of factors ranging from hurricanes, droughts, flood events and development. Less oyster habitat means less potential for trout and other bay dwellers like redfish and flounder to flourish.

:: by CHESTER MOORE, JR.

TF&G Editor-in-Chief

Hard Facts for Rapidly Changing Times

WATERFOWL: These stats also impact our coastal fisheries but have already proven devastating to waterfowl. According to the Texas Center for Policy Study, we have lost more than 50 percent of our original 1.2 million acres of coastal wetlands. Thirty-five percent of losses have occurred since 1950. Almost half of Texas estuarine areas are closed, or conditionally closed, to shellfish harvest because of pollution. Of the 12.6 million acres of the Blackland Prairie, fewer than 100,000 acres (less than 10 percent) of native sod exist today. A million acres of Coastal Prairie have been urbanized by Houston. Endangered species such as the Attwater’s prairie chicken are on the edge of extinction because of such losses. An estimated 16 million acres of riparian (river/stream associated) habitat existed in early Texas. Status: More than 60 percent has been lost to agricultural conversion, timber production, urban/industrial development and reservoir construction. Add to that the loss of much of the rice agriculture in parts of the state and it’s easy to see why wintering waterfowl populations (especially geese) are not like they used to be.

“Time flies on wings that just get stronger.”

HAT LINE FROM RONNIE James Dio’s epic song “My Eyes” always stuck with me but now it has an entirely new meaning. The changes taking place socially, politically, environmentally and technologically are moving faster than anyone could have imagined. And in the realm of what we address here at Texas Fish & Game, these changes are occurring at such a rapid pace that it’s easy to be confused about what’s really going on with our wildlife and fisheries. And the number one issue that few are connecting to the problems we face is habitat loss and degradation. I’ve addressed this in this column and in numerous articles and have now seen it in a way that should concern us and inspire us to take action. Here are a few key points. SPECKLED TROUT: Since the freeze of 2021 hammered trout numbers in the lower half of the Texas Coast, much concern has been raised about the species. Emergency regulations were put in place that went back to the long-standing 5 fish limit Sept. 1. Many were not happy with this. Others were elated. 8

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INVASIVE EXOTICS: Without even giving the staggering stats for habitat loss in the Edwards Plateau, Cross Timbers and even the Trans Pecos, we have the problem of invasive |

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exotics impacting our available habitat. On the plant front we have common and giant salvinia massively harming our wetlands. Then we have Chinese tallow on the prairies and zebra mussels in many waterways. Feral hogs are at a minimum of three million in Texas and show no signs of slowing down. Aoudad are at a low estimate of 30,000 beyond the bounds of high fences in the Trans Pecos and Panhandle and impacting natives like mule deer and bighorn sheep. I give you all of these sobering numbers to inspire you to take action. When we publish an article about seagrass conservation almost no one responds. When we mention trout regulation changes, the response is gigantic. We have come to a point where if we don’t start addressing the quality of habitat and the outright loss, in 20 years we will have a radically different Gulf Coast from a fishing perspective. And with waterfowl, turkeys and all species that utilize hardwood bottoms or wetlands, things are not looking good. There is great work being done. Groups like Ducks Unlimited and Delta Waterfowl are making strides with duck habitat and management. The National Wild Turkey Federation is overseeing great research and habitat enhancement. The Coastal Conservation Association is hitting habitat loss head on, especially in the area of oysters and making a difference. And the biologists and technicians with Texas Parks and Wildlife are putting serious work and dedication into all of these issues. But they need us to get skin in the game and if we already have Scan to Hear some we need to Audio Version put more.  Time is flying like the Millennium Falcon with Han Solo as its pilot, and we need to get as serious about the loss of habitat and its quality as we are changes in size and bag limits. If we don’t, then we’re at a point where not only will our children pay but so will we.

u Email Chester Moore at cmoore@ﬁshgame.com

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PIKE on the Edge Trout Conservation, as Easy as Riding a Cycle

E’VE HEARD MUCH lately about cycles. Climate cycles, financial cycles, bicycles (which are awesome for deer hunting; maybe another time). For this space, though, let’s address the speckled trout conservation cycle. I’m honestly not sure exactly where we are at present in its ebb and flow, and neither can I call with certainty which way this one’s headed. The only two certainties are that trout fishing has changed dramatically of late and that it’s going to keep right on changing. But how? And why? Where we are depends greatly on who you ask. Riding high? Low? Maybe somewhere near the middle? If I were to ask 100 Texas coastal fishermen where we are now, I’d get as many different, “but-qualified” answers. “It’s pretty good, but…” “It’s not so good, but…” Those are entirely non-committal responses but actually good in that they indicate thought and consideration. On the hard-facts side, extreme freeze did kill a bunch of fish a few years ago. We went into famine mode then to protect the breeding stock that remained, because it’s hard not to presume the worst when belly-up trout are all over social media. Sidebar: Curious, isn’t it, that four or five short videos and snapshots on social media can be taken as proof-positive of something either extremely grand or equally cataclysmic. Remember moving forward that not every picture on social media is current and, thanks to AI, should be considered unconditionally accurate. The fish weren’t all dead when we emerged from that deep freeze, as we learned when more social media users on the same platforms resumed their galleries of dead-on-the-deck photos. And the minute Texas’ trout fishery showed a pulse, armchair fisheries biologists proclaimed

TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

that we no longer needed conservative measures. Our state’s professional fisheries managers felt otherwise and adjusted limits accordingly. Some anglers cheered, and some moaned. Why would some parts of Texas – with its 700-plus miles of shoreline – have looser limits than others? And why should “they” get five and we get three? And on and on, ad nauseum until the summer of 2023, when that freeze was long forgotten and even the handful of imported camels on some South Texas ranches plopped down in the shade and begged for rain. Fall has since fallen now, and I’ll presume with confidence that its rained at least a bit behind September’s resumption of the statewide, five-trout daily bag limit…which had to and does include an asterisk to allow retention on that stringer of one trout longer than 25 inches. That keeps the recordbook open, which is only fair as regards the entire state’s most popular coastal gamefish. Whatever and whenever the next change happens, I’ve learned through 40 years on this beat, some will applaud it, and some will despise it. And on both sides, much of their logic relies on localized analyses of the fishery. So back to the initial question about which way the pendulum swings at present. My gut tells me it leans favorably toward the conservative side. That is based not only on confirming, reassuring opinions of professional guides with whom I visit regularly but also on interaction with calls and emails into the radio station at which I work. In favor of conservation: Most bay fishermen are keeping fewer fish than in the past regardless of how many they actually catch. And that deliberate decision to conserve rather than boast to strangers on social media bodes well. Also, through times of feast and famine, people who have the highest skills and best equipment for taking fish are setting aside

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:: by DOUG PIKE

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their stringers and filling their ice chests with drinks and sandwiches. They could catch five-fish limits, easily, but they’re opting instead to keep – if any – only one or two trout for that evening’s supper. I still have no quarrel with licensed, law-abiding fishermen who keep limits. They are well within their right to do so, and nobody can argue that speckled trout are not delicious. To those who can eat more than most or have extra mouths to feed at home, catch your fish and enjoy every bite. The long-term future of our trout fishery, it seems, is bright. With much help from the forward-thinking conservationists who founded what is now the Coastal Conservation Association, we’ve recovered redfish from the brink of disastrous collapse to a point of abundance where some people fear they may start crawling onto dry land eat mice and lizards. Regularly now, I hear and have conversations among anglers who have educated themselves into better understandings of the trout’s life cycle and what’s at stake if we ignore it. Social media Scan to Hear crawls with inforAudio Version mation written  and presented by people who study seatrout every day. The more of us who consume that content and the fewer of us who get distracted by “shiny object” photos of dead fish, the brighter the future is for Texas’ favorite gamefish.

Email Doug Pike at contactus@ﬁshgame.com |

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The bad thin g about silv er bullets in de er hunting is they don’t really exist. Just ca ll them figments of the imagin ation, wishfu l thoughts th at keep us hunt ing year afte r year in hope s that someth ing

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TEXAS DEER HU NTERS ARE CO Nstantly look ing for that si lver bullet -- a fool-proof ga me plan to boos t their odds and ultimately pu t themselves in position to bag a whitet ai l buck worthy of a trip to the taxidermist.

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magical migh

t happen on e day. AJ Downs of Conroe has ne ver been much on silver bullet s, but he’s a firm believer in doing everyt hing he can to make his own luck .

Downs knows a thing or two about deer hu nting. The ve teran archer ha s taken a nu mb er of outstandin g bucks over th e years.

In 2012, he arrowed a remarkable 27 pointer in Sa n Jacinto Coun ty that nets 25 6 7/8 Boone an d Crockett in ches.

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AJ Downs of Conroe with the 27-point, 256-7/8 Boone & Crockett scoring buck he took with a bow back in 2012.

• SCENT CONTROL: Deer have an incredible sense of smell. Downs does everything possible to beat it. “I definitely play the wind and I always pay attention to my clothes. I take scent free showers, use scent free laundry detergent and I always store my hunting clothes in scent free totes. If the wind isn’t right for a particular stand, I won’t hunt it.” • SCOUT: “Use your game cameras and glass all you can. Cameras don’t always tell you the whole story, but if you run enough of them, they can tell you a lot. If you know a good deer is in the area, try to pattern him the best you can and do every12

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• CHOOSE WISELY: “If you are targeting a particular buck, be selective when you hunt. Put the odds in your favor and let the data tell you the best time to go. It could be trail camera pictures or the moon. If the moon is full and you know the deer are moving mostly in the middle of the day, don’t blow your chances by going in before daylight and leaving at 9 a.m.”

core bowhunter who is a stickler for detail. According to Bartlett, hunters can improve their chances by spending as much time in the woods as possible when the rut is at its peak. “Being in the woods when the rut is going strong puts you at a big advantage,” he said. “That’s when a good buck is most apt to screw up and make mistakes. That’s not to say you can’t kill a good buck later in the season. But the longer the season drags on, the more your chances are going to diminish.” Bartlett offered several other useful pieces of advice:

• THE RIGHT SET-UP: “It is critical with bow hunting. I hunt mostly from brush blinds on the ground, and we keep them up year round. That way the deer get used to them. They grow up around them. I also try to hunt where the girls are.” Ben Bartlett of Lufkin is another hard-

GOING NATURAL: Plenty of solid bucks are shot with their noses in corn piles every year, but some years hunting around corn just won’t cut it. Bartlett always feels better about his chances when hunting in relation to natural food sources. This is especially true when

thing possible to make him get comfortable. Your chances are always best when hunting a stand for the first time. He’s not educated yet. Of course, there are plenty of them where it doesn’t work out that way.”

It’s the biggest free-ranging buck ever taken by an archer in Texas and the sixth largest Texas buck ever reported to B&C. Downs offered a few tips to help hunters improve their chances of tagging a wall hanger this fall:

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acorns and other goodies are available in abundance. “Deer will always prefer natural mast over corn, so that corn feeder that was their No. 1 food source will become a distant second when the acorns hit the ground. Figure out what they are eating and hunt there.” WATCH THE WIND: Bartlett says a buck’s eyes and ears are always elements to contend with, but it is his nose that hunters really need to be worried about. “I honestly believe there are some bucks out there that could survive if they were deaf and blind,” he said. “Even if deer couldn’t see or hear, they still would be difficult to hunt.” Bartlett says one of the best ways to shrink the odds of getting busted is to avoid hunting or approaching a stand situated in a spot where the wind will carry your scent directly to the deer. “When I’m in the woods, I’m hunting a mature animal and I absolutely won’t hunt a stand if the wind isn’t right,” says Bartlett. “The wind is the simplest thing there is to overcome -- just pay attention to it. The

WILLING TO RELOCATE: Available food sources can change over the course of the season, and deer movements will change right along with them. Bartlett says you should be willing to relocate with the deer. Often times this will put you in spots which may not have been visited by other hunters. “Deer patterns change from year to year and throughout the season,” he said. “They’ll go from a browse pattern, to a mast pattern and back to a browse pattern. I’ll move my stands regularly so I can follow these patterns. Trails leading to and from food plots can be productive as well.” Bartlett added that he believes the most opportune time to take a big buck is the first time you hunt a stand. “Every time you hunt a stand your chances of taking a resident buck diminish because the chances of that buck detecting your presence increase,” he said. Here are some more solid tips gleaned

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from other successful buck slayers over the years: Waylon Harvey, Longview on Post Rut Bucks: Hunt smart before and during the rut. “How much pressure you put on a good buck early in the season can make a big difference as to whether he stays there or not,” Harvey said. “One of the biggest mistakes hunters make if they suspect a buck is hanging out in an area is hunting the spot too hard. Put too much pressure on a big buck and he’ll go nocturnal on you. Worse yet, he may leave the area altogether.” Kevin Smithhart, Lufkin on Game Cameras: On more than one occasion Smithhart has allowed mature “shooters” to walk, because his game cameras had found bigger deer in the vicinity. “Game cameras cause me to stay in the stand longer and hunt more carefully,” Smithhart said. “It’s much easier to do that when you know there is a big buck in the area. I’ll always keep 4-5 cameras in the woods during the fall.”

wind can kill a stand. I might walk 1/4 mile out of the way in order to enter an area on the downwind side.”

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ETTING LOST IN THE WILDERNESS is one of the most frightening things a person can experience. Exposure to the elements, accidents and encounters with dangerous wildlife causes much loss of life annually. Getting stranded in the ocean is even more frightening. Conditions change quickly and when there are 10 foot waves and lightning popping all around there is no place to seek refuge.

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We consulted NOAA’s SARSAT, (Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking) program and got some great information on how you can use tech to make it back home if the unexpected occurs. ‘No one expects to have an accident, get lost or experience some other distress situation when they set sail, fly or head into the wilderness for adventure. But it does happen,’ according to NOAA officials.

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“Mobile phones do not always work in remote areas. Multi-tasking navigation assistance devices require charging. A 406 MHz distress beacon is your best bet. It only has one function – to alert Search and rescue (SAR) authorities directly within minutes of activation that you are in trouble and need help.” NOAA officials said there are three types of 406 emergency beacons used to transmit distress signals, EPIRBs (for maritime use), ELTs (for aviation use), and PLBs (handheld personal, portable units for remote-environment use). “406 MHz Emergency beacons are digitally coded and transmit distress signals immediately upon activation. 406 refers to the proprietary radio wavelength these beacons transmit on. This means that even a brief inadvertent signal can generate a false alert. To avoid getting a call from the Coast Guard or Air Force, make sure that, when you test your 406 beacon, you follow the manufacturer’s recommendations carefully. Or follow these guidelines for general instructions on proper inspection and testing procedures.” It is important that you register your 406 beacon. “If for some reason your beacon does activate inadvertently and it is registered, the call you receive from the Coast Guard or Air Force will be a friendly one.” NOAA officials said if it is not registered and a SAR team is called out to respond to what turns out to be a false alert, it may not be quite so friendly. “More importantly, registration will help rescue forces find you faster in an emergency because they know who and what they are looking for. Activating a 406 beacon in a non-distress situation needlessly diverts SAR resources that may be needed in an actual emergency. The information provides a quick and easy way for the SAR agencies to check and eliminate false alarms.” On their official SARSAT website, NOAA explained 406 PLB beacons are portable units designed to be carried by an individual person. Most PLBs are as small as a cell phone. “Because of their compact size, PLBs are ideal for wilderness hikers, cross country or mountain bikers, kayakers, canoeists, mountaineers, backcountry skiers and snowmobilers – generally, anyone traveling in remote wilderness areas any time of year.” 16

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When activated, EPIRBs and PLBs send a unique distress signal on the 406 MHz frequency to the Search and Rescue Satellites.

These devices can only be activated manually and operate exclusively on 406 MHz. Some PLBs have GNSS chips integrated into the distress signal. This GPS-encoded position dramatically improves the location accuracy down to the 100-meter level… that’s roughly the size of a football field! Operational battery life once activated is 24 hours minimum. They noted EPIRBS are designed for maritime applications. The 406 MHz EPIRBs are divided into two categories. Category I EPIRBs are activated either manually or automatically. The automatic activation is triggered when the EPIRB is released from its bracket. “If you own a Category I EPIRB, it’s very important that you mount it outside your vessel’s cabin where it will be able to “float free” of the sinking vessel.” “Category II EPIRBs are manual activation only units. If you own one of these, it should be stored in the most accessible location on board where it can be quickly accessed in an emergency. Both types include a built-in strobe light and are designed to float. EPIRBs transmit for at least 48 hours once activated.” In Texas, these types of devices are used more in the Gulf of Mexico, yet few seem to use them when hunting.

are many areas where that fails. Your phone could also die. And do not assume that your mobile service provider works in a new area you wish to hunt, fish or explore. Vast areas of the Trans Pecos in Texas have shoddy cell coverage under certain plans. Even the southwest corner of Louisiana has bad coverage under one major provider, so locals use another. Don’t assume. Carry some kind of beacon or transponder that can get a signal out no matter what. It’s easy to get lost in the dark, especially when hunting new territory like some of our national forests or coastal wildlife refuges. On top of having the correct communication let several loved ones know where you will be and what time you plan to return so they can send help if you don’t come back. The great outdoors is a place of beauty and excitement, but it can turn deadly. Proper communication is a major key in making sure you return home safely.

In Texas, most hunting is done on private leases with cell phone access but there

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REGISTER YOUR DEVICE You can register a 406 MHz beacon, online at beaconregistration.noaa.gov, or you may download a beacon registration form at sarsat.noaa.gov and then fax the form to (301) 817-4565. For any other registration questions, call (888) 212-SAVE (7283).

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...by the Numbers Duck Counts are Down, But Hope Is Still Alive TF&G Staff Report

HE BREEDING POPULATION OF DUCKS declined 7 percent this spring, while pond counts dropped by 9% compared to last year, according to the 2023 Waterfowl Population Status report released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. According to officials with Delta Waterfowl, those numbers resulted from the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey, which has been conducted annually by the USFWS and Canadian Wildlife Service since 1955, except for 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19 concerns. The survey, which is used to set hunting regulations throughout North America, estimated a breeding duck population of 32.3 million ducks in the traditional survey area, which is 7% less than 2022 and 9% below the long-term average. Importantly, the May pond count, a key indicator of duck habitat and potential production, showed 4.98 million ponds, a 9% decrease and 5% below the long-term average.

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The number of breeding ducks doesn’t necessarily translate to how good a season hunters will experience. There are many factors.

Drought: The X-Factor

The numbers might seem discouraging on the surface, but Dr. Frank Rohwer, president and chief scientist of Delta Waterfowl puts forth an important reminder: “We don’t hunt the breeding population. We hunt the fall flight, which is made of the breeding population plus this year’s duck production. Duck production is the key to the upcoming hunting season.” Rohwer and other waterfowl managers see plenty of reasons for optimism. Timely rains after the survey was conducted should boost duck production in key areas of the prairie pothole region, including the Dakotas and southern Saskatchewan. “I think duck production is going to be a much better picture than what we’re seeing in these survey numbers,” Rohwer said. “The Dakotas got rain in late May after the pond count data was assessed, and then we’ve had intermittent rain throughout the summer. Many areas of the key PPR breeding grounds stayed relatively wet, and that’s really good for renesting and duckling survival—two of the big drivers of duck production. Saskatchewan started the spring with better water conditions than in 2022, and summer rains helped keep that water later in the nesting season than we have seen in recent years. I was impressed by the number of blue-winged teal broods I saw in southern Saskatchewan in July.” While water is the key driver of duck nesting and renesting efforts, predation is the key determinant of whether duck eggs hatch or fail. According to Mike Buxton, waterfowl programs director for Delta 20

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AT THE TIME OF THIS WRITING, Texas was in the middle of the early teal season with many ponds on the coast and prairie dried up and major drought along coastal Texas into East Texas and the Edwards Plateau. Some rain is in the forecast but there’s no telling what will happen by the time this publication hits subscribers. Right now, it’s not looking good for many areas but a couple of weeks of rain could change that. Subscribe to our Fish & Game report e-newsletter for three times weekly updates, including on drought conditions as it pertains to waterfowl hunting.

Waterfowl, the extreme winter that socked the Dakotas and southern Manitoba helped knock back the populations of duck-nest predators such as raccoons and skunks. Buxton runs Delta’s Predator Management Program. “The Dakotas got a lot of snow in early November, and winter never let up until mid-April,” Buxton said. “We never had that winter thaw. It was a long, hard, cold winter. Any animal that wasn’t in tip-top shape going into the winter probably had it rough.” Fewer predators on the landscape always |

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helps nest success, and in turn, duck production. Looking at breeding survey estimates for individual species, mallards came in at 6.1 million in the traditional survey area, an 18% drop from last year. The estimate puts mallards 23% below the long-term average—the lowest index since 1993. Regionally, mallard numbers declined by 36% in the eastern Dakotas and 50% in southern Saskatchewan, while increasing 8% in southern Alberta. Blue-winged teal, the second most abundant duck in North America, declined a shocking 19% from last year. At 5.25 million, bluewings are still 2% above the species’ long-term average. The Eastern Dakotas, which were exceptionally wet in 2022, still had fairly good spring water this year. According to the survey, the region attracted just over 2 million breeding bluewings, which is down a whopping 39% from the previous year. “Bluewings are the big surprise for me,” Rohwer said. “I thought they had pretty good production last year in the prairies, especially in the eastern Dakotas, yet the number went down. This spring, some of those teal kept going past the 49th parallel and settled in southern Saskatchewan, where their numbers jumped by 16% this year. However, the total breeding population dropped more than I would have predicted.” Pintails, a favorite duck for many, bounced back nicely from a record low in 2022. The pintail estimate is 2.22 million, PHOTO: USFWS

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Pintail numbers are up 24 percent but are still way down from the long-term average.

up 24% year over year, but still a troubling 43% below the long-term average. Of interest, pintail numbers jumped 54% in the eastern Dakotas, 203% in southern Saskatchewan, and 126% in southern Alberta. “Pintails made a big improvement,” Rohwer said. “They’re an early nesting species. The pintails arrived in the Dakotas right when the huge winter snows melted, so they settled in to take advantage of the good early water conditions.” Green-winged teal breeding populations also climbed. Greenwings are estimated at 2.5 million, up 16% from last year and 15% above the long-term average. Greenwings nest predominately in boreal forest regions such as northern Alberta, British Columbia, and the Northwest Territories. Among other puddle ducks in the survey, gadwalls declined 5% but remained a healthy 25% above the long-term average. Similarly, shovelers declined 6% but stand 8% above the long-term average. Wigeon are not doing as well—they dropped 14% and sit 28% below the long-term average. Dr. Chris Nicolai, who oversees the Delta research program, said production from prairie nesting puddle ducks—particularly blue-winged teal, gadwalls, and shovelers—appears to be good to excellent across the Dakotas and eastern prairie Canada. “My observation from field work and driving around is that duck production was really good in the Dakotas,” Nicolai said. “I’ve been seeing broods of puddle ducks all over.” Results are mixed for diving ducks. PHOTO: ADOBE

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are now 6% above the long-term average. Green-winged teal increased by 17%, while goldeneyes were up 28%. Ring-necked ducks declined by 3% and mergansers fell by 1%. Populations of wood ducks, one of the species in the formula used to determine season lengths and bag limits in the east, held steady at a robust 1 million in the Atlantic Flyway. Overall, this year’s duck production— and hunting during the upcoming season— is likely to be a mixed bag.

Canvasbacks increased to 619,000, up 6% and 5% above the long-term average. Redheads declined to 931,000, down 13% but still 27% above the long-term average. Scaup continued to trend downward, dropping 4% in 2023, which puts them 29% below the long-term average. Duck numbers in the eastern survey area—birds most likely to migrate down the Atlantic Flyway—are strong. Although mallards declined 4%, they held above 1.2 million, which should keep a four-mallard daily limit in place for the 2024-2025 season. Black ducks, at 732,000, rose 8% and

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“I had no idea Texas had pronghorns.”

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HAT EMAIL ARRIVED IN MY INBOX after an edition of my Higher Calling Wildlife podcast dropped last summer. Focusing on the biodiversity of the TransPecos, I mentioned pronghorns along with bighorn sheep as Texas’ least known game animals. According to officials with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) pronghorns are animals of the prairie and once roamed the plains along with the American bison. “Now found in Texas only in the deserts of the Trans-Pecos and the high plains of the Panhandle, the pronghorn is a unique animal in many ways.” “The pronghorn is considered the fastest land mammal in North America, clocked at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour and can maintain a relatively high speed for hours. They have excellent vision which helps them to see vast distances of wide-open prairie. Though they run very fast, and can jump small obstacles, they tend to resist jumping even low fences, preferring to climb between or under them.” This habit has contributed to reductions in their numbers although drought is by far their biggest challenge. On several occasions, pronghorns have found themselves victims of egregious poaching activity such as the one that occurred in September 2021 when five pronghorns were killed, and only their horns and skulls were taken. The bodies were discovered PHOTO: Pronghorns one mile north of Interstate Highway may be the most under appreciated 40, just east of Adrian. The carcasses game animal in were dumped on private land with Texas. Very few the skulls and horns missing. Texans see them, so they are usually Pronghorn were once widely dis“out of sight, and tributed in Texas but a variety of facout of mind.” tors including development of their G A M E ®

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habitat and chiefly drought have greatly harmed their numbers. In 2011 the population had dipped down to about 3,000 but has since increased. Part of the increase comes from TPWD restocking efforts. Pronghorns captured from public and private lands around Dalhart have been transplanted to a restoration site south of Valentine, Texas. Since 2011, about 780 pronghorns have been translocated from the Texas Panhandle to supplement populations around Marfa and Marathon. Permits are issued for landowners after careful surveys are conducted to best manage the available herd. The public can draw for a pronghorn tag as part of the Big Time Texas Hunts drawing. Look for an in-depth feature on the current state of pronghorns in an upcoming edition.

Pronghorns may be the most under appreciated game animal in Texas. Very few Texans see them so they’re out of sight out of mind. Texas does however have a population that has struggled. PHOTO: CHESTER MOORE

PHOTO: USFWS

Pronghorn recruitment rates can vary greatly with drought and predation having a big impact.

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Texas Parks & Wildlife Department ofﬁcials have done successful reintroductions of pronghorn in depleted areas.

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Bare Bones HUNTING The Season of Dreams has Arrived for Hunters

T WAS A BEAUTIFUL MORNING, and this young hunter was with some of the most experienced bow hunters he knew. His mentors guided him to a location on a hillside overlooking a deer trail. No tree stand for this newbie. He used the lay of the land to put his scent above the nose of any deer. An hour passed when the young man finally saw movement heading his way. The spike buck worked across a small stream and onto the trail. Finally, after what seemed like another hour (actually only 5 minutes), the buck decided to head down the trail and towards the young hunter. The 14-year-old felt like his heart was going to beat right out of his chest. He drew his bow, and the arrow found its target. 30 minutes later one of the mentors gave that young lad a lesson on field dressing. It was a first hunt that he would never forget. And I see every detail because that young hunter was me! November is the month all hunters dream about. The months of scouting, the weeks of searching for the best place for tree stands and the hours and hours of practice will hopefully pay off. This is the month for the peak of the rut to take place and believe me, you want to be in the woods when that happens. Bucks will be chasing does and you will surely see more buck activity during the daylight hours when they have their nose to the ground in search of a receptive doe. The recent heat that we have been experiencing this summer although extreme, should not affect the deer movement when the rut kicks in. As a matter of fact, there are some old timers that believe the weather controls the rut. This just is not true. It actually is the amount of daylight that starts the deer frenzy off. As the sunlight gets less and less every day, the does will eventually go into estrous, and the bucks will go crazy looking for them. Have you ever noticed that the rut activity seems to happen at the

TF&G Hunting Editor

same time of year every year? It is amazing to me that not only does rut activity increase at the same time year after year, but where I come from, the peak is almost always on the same day! Many hunters take vacation time so they can pursue these beautiful animals as much as possible. I have even noticed the amount of people that get sick and just can’t go into work at this time! Hmmm, makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Buck fever? I think not. More like whitetail fever. The peak of the rut will not be the same everywhere. But it will be close. In my area, the second week of November is the best time to be out in the woods. I know that this is not for everyone, but if you can, you should stay in your stand all day long. Pack a lunch, bring a magazine, do whatever you need to do to pass the day away. It is a hard thing to do, but bucks will be traveling all day in search of a doe. I tried it once and found that it is very tough. Uncomfortable at times. But it did pay off for me. I saw many small bucks walk by my stand and finally at 1:30, a nice buck came by and had a bad day! Now since this is a November/ December issue, Let’s talk about Christmas. More importantly, what to get your hunter for a nice gift. One that he would love to have and would use every hunting season. I love this time of year and I put a lot of thought into getting a beautiful gift for my wife. One year I bought her a nice camo jacket. Now I bought this on sale so it could not be returned. I must have grabbed Scan to Hear Audio Version the wrong size. I  had a men’s large. She said thank you for the thoughtful gift but told me that I should go ahead and use it! And if that will

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make her a happy wife, then I will do as she asks. That same year, I purchased a nice gift for my 4-year-old. It was a water proof pair of boots (size 9). I wanted to make sure they did not leak so I wore them the entire season. Perfect! I know he will love them once he grows a little. I also bought a nice ladder tree stand for my 6-year-old daughter. I put a lot of thought as to what I should get her from Dad and I think I got it perfect last year. She is afraid of heights, and I think that during the summer months, she can climb up and down until she loses her fear of heights. Every hunting season, I check the stand out to make sure it is safe for her to use back home. It seems to work well in the woods! And if a Dad can’t get a gift to help his daughter, then I ask you, what has this world come to? I could tell by the look on their faces that they loved the gifts. I am pretty sure they did anyway. There are so many gifts to choose from. Arrows, broad heads, a new bow, new knife, range finder, binoculars, decoys and much, much more. You really cannot go wrong if it pertains to the wild and the outdoor world. Hey, I just thought of something! With all those gifts to choose from, I’m all set for my kids Christmas, birthdays, or any occasion. And I am sure they would love them! As a matter of fact, I cannot wait to see the expression on my wife’s face when she opens this year’s Christmas gift! It’s a brand new 30-06 rifle! I am…I mean she is going to love it. Good luck this season and Happy Holidays and remember to Have fun and hunt safe.

u Email Lou Marullo at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com |

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Chasing Trout with Poppers on the Fly

HERE ARE FEW THINGS more exciting than catching a speckled trout on a topwater. Seeing the big, beautiful yellow mouth open to strike a plug is what leads many anglers to spend countless hours making thousands of casts along the coast. Since the pandemic, I have gotten heavily involved with flyfishing and have caught everything from largemouth bass to Yellowstone cutthroats to peacock bass on the fly from Montana 26

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to Oklahoma, throughout Texas and Florida. My next quest is to spend some serious time in the fall of 2023 and throughout 2024 seeking speckled trout on the fly, and I believe I can catch big ones on poppers. Poppers are one of my go-tos for largemouth bass and big bluegill. There are lots of similarities in how a largemouth and speck approach a topwater so I am confident it can be done. I’ve caught specks and sand trout on clousers

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and shrimp patterns but need your help in expanding information on using poppers for specks. Have you been successful using poppers on the fly for trout? If so, did you use standard small poppers or larger ones? What colors worked best? Shoot me any information you have to cmoore@fishgame.com. I want to include it in an upcoming story, and I’m also working on creating my own poppers for personal use—it would be fun to use some of the tips you have given me.

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At the time of this writing, I am literally about to leave my office and head out to try some of this on Sabine Lake. Here’s my game plan. When I bass fish with poppers, I make my cast and let the popper sit at least 10 seconds before moving it. My best fish often hit while its sitting. I can see active feeding trout hitting this way. When fishing for rainbows or any true trout, anglers often fish a “dry fly”, which is a fancy name for a topwater or surface lure. Usually it mimics a grasshopper, COMPOSITE PHOTO: TF&G

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moth or some other bug and they have a tiny fly like a midge eight to twelve inches behind it. Capt. Jim Onderdonk showed me years ago how he would rig a soft plastic behind a chugger for inexperienced topwater anglers and it produced. I have a feeling this will work for specks on the fly as well. I’ll start with one of my red/ white poppers and then experiment with different colors and eventually trailers. I’m no fly expert but have managed to T E X A S

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catch good fish in eight states in four years. I now always travel with fly gear and fish roadside ditches, canals and anywhere I can find. It’s rejuvenated my love of fishing in a big way. Reach out to me if you have anything about using poppers for trout or any flyfishing trout strategies and we will share so others can enjoy.

u |

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Texas BOATING Throwing Out the Boat Building Rule Books

SSUME MAKES AN... There was a time when boats were simple. Go back far enough in time and hulls were no more than a burned or carved-out tree trunk. Then we progressed to planks and hull forms became more complex. Next came keels, bilges, daggerboards, and more. Fast forward a thousand years or so and we swapped out wood for fiberglass. It didn’t take long before the deep-V showed up and established a fairly straightforward “rule” about hull design: All other things being equal, the more V a hull has, the smoother it will ride through rough seas. We’ve lived under this assumption for decades. But in recent years boat designers and manufacturers have managed to change the game yet again. You think that boat “X” will ride smoother than boat “Y” just because it has twice the deadrise? Don’t be so sure. Modern hybrid bay boats are the perfect example. Most have a transom deadrise somewhere between 12 and 18 degrees, which doesn’t qualify as a deep-V (generally considered 21 or more degrees of deadrise) and is more properly called a semi-V. Yet many of today’s semi-V models can handle rough seas as though they had far sharper hulls. How can a hybrid bay boat with a semi-V in its hull run so smoothly? Steps can aerate the water under the hull, creating a cushioning effect. Tunnels can do the same. Stronger hulls and stringers that weigh substantially less than they used to can help a boat get up over the waves rather than trying to punch through them. Better balance thanks to CAD and modern engineering allows some boats to run flatter, keeping a sharper entry low where it will meet the waves. Boats built today simply tend to be better boats. Of course, this isn’t true across the board — there are still plenty of hybrids with 18 degrees of deadrise that will rattle your fillings out in a one-foot chop. And on the flip side of 28

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the coin, there are plenty of deep-Vs that will, too. But what seemed impossible a few years back is, today, a common reality.

A WHOLE NEW HORSE RACE

Another old rule that boats now violate on a regular basis: “X” horsepower gets you “Y” performance. Before all those steps and new-fangled construction techniques, you could look at a boat’s LOA and how powerful the engine on the transom was and make a fairly good guestimate of what speeds it would run at. Today? Forgeddaboudit. And while we’re on the subject of outboards, let’s note that they don’t break down all the time anymore. (Ummm, we’re talking about new boats here, people, not the junker listed on Craigslist). Modern fishing boats with modern four-stroke outboards start when you turn the key, have lengthy warranties, and when a gremlin pops up it’s more likely to be a bad sensor or a software glitch than a blown powerhead or a stripped gear. Sure, lemons still exist (particularly when it comes to “covid motors” produced during the parts and labor shortages), and some models are more reliable than Scan to Hear others. But the old Audio Version timers among us  will remember the days when every fishing trip began by crossing your fingers that the motor would start. Today? If the motor doesn’t fire right up and run like a top it’s a serious surprise.

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TF&G Boating Editor learning curve. Between touchscreen MFDs and digital switching, you can now sit down at the helm and with a few swipes figure out how to run every system on the boat. Heck, in most cases you can rearrange the touchscreen’s display to match your own preferences. If you can use a cell phone, you can figure out how to use a boat. Speaking of that cell phone, in most modern boats you can place it in the wireless charger at the helm, Bluetooth it to the stereo system, and link up with the engine’s diagnostics to beam an alert to your dealer if a fault code pops up. Boats came a long way in 1,000 years. But in the last 15 or 20 they’ve undergone evolution on an epic scale. Those old rules we all used to go by? Toss ‘em right out the window, because today they are virtually meaningless. Don’t try to make any judgements about how a boat handles the waves until you’ve gone for a sea trial. Don’t make any assumptions about the relationship between horsepower and performance until you nail the throttle and look at speed on the GPS. Don’t think you’ll reach for a wrench when something goes wrong, because what you more likely need is to reach for your app. Don’t think those outboards are too tightly spaced to effectively oppose because the computer brain in that joystick will do it for you. Assume nothing. Because a fishing boat built in 2023 will break all the old rules.

u Email Lenny Rudow at contactus@ﬁshgame.com

HIGH TECH, LOW LEARNING CURVE

Then, there’s the tech to consider. Joysticks have squashed the how-to-dock |

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Preserving the Memory: 5 Steps to

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Scan to Hear Audio Version q

HERE IS AN ARMY OF DEER HUNTERS in Texas. Most will be out in force in the coming weeks with high hopes of tagging a buck worthy of a trip to their favorite taxidermy shop. Sadly, some of them will botch their trophies long before it sees the fleshing table. As busy as deer hunters are these days, it may be an even busier time of year for the guys like David Clifton. Clifton is a Cherokee County taxidermist who takes a lot of pride in his work. He has mounted all sorts of critters. Whitetail bucks are his specialty. Clifton has stretched more than 1,000 whitetail capes since he began mounting deer 24 years ago. He averages about 60-70 per year. Admittedly, he hates it when a hunter comes calling expecting him to work miracles on a freezer-burned hide or a cape that has been hacked up so badly with a skinning knife that it can’t be salvaged. Like most taxidermists, Clifton agreed that some

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mistakes can be corrected, but others can’t. He says hunters can at times be their own worst enemies when it comes to turning a once-in-a-lifetime trophy into a work of art they can enjoy for many years down the road. I asked Clifton to share some tips for hunters to follow to help eliminate the possibility of hearing bad news when they drop off their trophy for mounting, and how to keep the finished product looking showroom new for seasons to come:

MAKE THE RIGHT SHOT: Many high caliber rifles used for deer hunting will leave a bullet entry wound small enough to poke a pinky in, but the exit wound may be as large as a baseball. Clifton says it is always best to shoot a trophy deer behind the shoulder so there won’t be any bullet holes to deal with once the cape has been transferred to the mannequin.

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“It is not a good idea to shoot a deer in the neck,” Clifton said. “Even if the bullet doesn’t make an exit wound, it could displace a bunch of hair and potentially ruin the hide” CAPE IT OUT: The cape is the portion of the deer hide that covers the shoulders, neck and head. On shoulder mounts, it must be removed and transferred onto the form of your choice. Clifton said it is easy to damage a cape by getting sloppy with a skinning knife. One of the most common mistakes is cutting down the side of a deer’s front legs and into the white brisket area. Another is not leaving enough hide behind the shoulders to cover a shoulder mount form. “You can ruin the cape really quick with a knife,” he said. “If you don’t feel comfortable doing it, it might be wise to let a taxidermist do it. There may be a fee, but it will be worth it in the long haul.” Clifton said a lot of hunters still cut the throats on deer or cut the capes too short behind the shoulders. Both are big mistakes.

The Trophy Cooler might be a good investment for the care of trophies from ﬁeld to ﬁnish. The cooler features a lid designed so the antlers protrude through the top.

Do so and you run the risk of ruining the cape, especially if it is warm outside. “If it’s really warm you need to get it on ice or in a cooler as soon as possible,” Clifton said. Another frequent field care mistake is

CARE IN THE FIELD: Caring for a deer cape and head that is destined for the taxidermist is no different than caring for meat that is headed for the skillet. It’s best to keep it clean and place it in a cool environment as quickly as possible. If there is not a walk-in cooler available, Clifton recommends putting the cape and head in a plastic bag and placing it in an ice chest with fresh ice. Be sure to place the deer on top of the ice so the hair doesn’t get wet. Place the cooler at an angle so water will drain out of the plug as ice melts. There are several good coolers on the market designed to help hunters care for their trophies from the field to the taxidermist. A popular one is the Trophy Cooler by TimeOff Products. The cooler has a special lid designed so the antlers protrude through the top. The lid seals itself around the base of the horns. Use for whitetail deer, mule deer, antelope or exotics.

A damp Q-Tip works well for cleaning around the eyes.

SHOW AND TELL: Lots of hunters are inclined to drive around with a big buck in the back of their pick-up for hours showing their trophy to anyone willing to look.

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dragging the deer through the woods with its shoulder in contact with the ground or placing it in a pick-up bed with its shoulder or neck rubbing against something. “This can cause some of the hair to fall

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PHOTOS: MATT WILLIAMS

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Caring for a trophy mount begins in the ﬁeld. It is never a good idea to drag a deer through the woods as this can cause hair removal or bruising that may cause the hair to release after tanning.

out,” Clifton said. “If it rubs long enough, it could leave a bare spot.”

CLEAN IT UP: Clifton recommends giving it a good

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cleaning once a year. The first order of business is blowing dust and dirt out of the hair using an air compressor. Always blow with the hair, not against it. Follow up by wiping lightly with a damp rag. A wood polish will

add some color to the antlers. Use a damp rag on the nose and a Q-Tip to clean around the eyes.

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T E X A S F I S H & G A M E ® T E X A S F I S H & G A M E ®

10/16/23 9:15 AM

HE GREATEST GIFT THE WORLD HAS ever been given is celebrated as carolers sing beautiful songs like “Silent Night” about the arrival of hope on the planet. It’s truly a special time of year And not just from a holiday perspective but in the outdoors. In the South Texas Brush Country, bucks are heavily on the trail of willing does and harassing the unwilling. The senderos cutting through the thick thorn and cactus are alive with activity as deer crisscross them in their annual display of mating. South Texas has the latest rutting period in the United States with activity verified into the first week of February. The heaviest activity happens in mid to late December with some areas peaking in early January. In the Hill Country and Pineywoods the rutting period is winding down. Virtually all of East Texas does are bred while a small percentage in the Hill Country will come into estrus. For free-ranging exotic deer in Texas, like the large axis herd in the southeastern corner of the Edwards Plateau, some does will be heavily pregnant. The peak of rut for axis is summer although these exotic deer can potentially breed throughout the year. Texas’ large Rio Grande turkey population is enjoying kernels of corn from the tens of thousands of feeders scattered throughout their range. More turkeys are killed in Texas during deer season than Scan to Hear during the spring breeding periods Audio Version so the birds are feeling the pressure.  The creek and river bottoms are their hideaways as they roost in small to large concentrations to maximize their security. With incredible vision and hearing

PERFECT GIFT.. A 34  THE HOLIDAY QUEST Reported by TF&G Staff

& GAME 38  FISH FORECAST CENTER SALTWATER

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

& GAME 48  FISH FORECAST CENTER FRESHWATER

Reported by TF&G Staff

56  SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK Tides and SoLunar Data

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE 

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they are able to locate predators from extremely long distances. Over in East Texas, the remnant eastern turkey population is enjoying a peaceful time. No hunting is allowed during fall so the birds respond to hunting pressure in the woods by slipping into remote areas and staying out of sight. Our easterns are extremely elusive. The marshes, bottomlands and lakes across the state are loaded with large numbers of ducks and geese. The playa lake country in the Panhandle has concentrations of Canada geese, snows, specklebellies and huge sandhill cranes. Along the coast rafts of redheads, scaup and canvasbacks sit on the open water of the bays. Boats crisscrossing the bays push them from location to location with scattered pockets of hunters benefit-

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ting from the pressure. In the coastal marshes and rice fields gadwall, green-winged teal and pintails feed on abundant forage left behind by agriculture and that remaining in the natural wetlands. The creek and river bottoms of East Texas are home to large numbers of migrant mallards mixed with native wood ducks and scattered hooded mergansers. Beneath the water’s surface there is plenty of interesting activity as well. Gigantic bull black drum begin beating their ways into the bays right about now. With a chin full of barbels and a face that is not exactly what most anglers would consider attractive, they look as much sea monster as sportfish. From the jetties and surf and in deep channels, these beasts await anglers looking for something that pulls extremely hard.

Most flounder have made their way into the Gulf of Mexico to spawn in deep waters but not all of them. With a healthier flounder population than we have had in years, there are a good portion of fish that stay behind throughout winter. They dwell in the deep water channels and move onto nearby flats to feed. On the lakes across the state the biggest bass in the state are starting to bite. The Toyota Sharelunker Program opens Oct. 1 and for good reason. A fair portion of the 13-pound plus fish are caught during December and January. Cool waters and low fishing pressure seem to get monster bass active Crappie are congregating in deep river channels across the state. Suspending in deep water, they thrill thousands of anglers who spend much time on lakes like Toledo Bend and Lake Fork in their

10/16/23 9:16 AM

pursuit. It’s a truly great time in the great outdoors. Every year we challenge you to spend more time with those you love in the outdoors and this year we have a few new challenges we would like to send your way.

to them and using a stealth approach.

This is a great way to mentor young people to take up the cause of conservation. Be creative in your Christmas outdoors excursions and consider some of these quests to keep your love of the outdoors burning strong.

FAMILY WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY SOCIAL: Would you like to raise awareness of wildlife conservation? Start a social media account for your family’s wildlife photography and share your photos, videos and experiences and link it to great conservation work and wildlife facts.

LIFE LIST: Make a life list of fish. Start this with your family and make it a fun competition. Write down every species you’ve caught and make goals. Maybe you go out for a steak dinner when you hit 50 species or go to someplace special to fish for that 100th. Birders sort of started the life list thing but anglers are really into it now. It’s a fun way and will keep kids engaged in fishing as it’s a never-ending quest. FERAL HOG SLAM: Hog hunting is not only fun but it’s a necessary component of wildlife conservation. A fun way to make a great pursuit of hogs is to create a quest. Seek to get a black, red, blonde and spotted hog. We can call that the Texas Hog Slam. Add a white one to the mix and we’ll hereby dub that the American Hog Slam. We called it first. FLY FISHING: Fly Fishing is increasing greatly in popularity since covid and many young people are taking up the pursuit. Consider getting an inexpensive fly fishing combo and start going to your local streams and ponds. It’s so much fun to catch bluegill and largemouth bass, much less go to places like the stream below Canyon Lake to pursue rainbow trout. Fly Fishing is kind of like bowhunting. You learn a lot about fish by getting closer

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they will strike it more frequently than if it’s moving too fast. Madame Johnson, Johnson and the mouth of Bridge Bayou are all prime, cool water honey holes on Sabine. If super-fast action is what you’re looking for and you don’t mind a little Scan to Hear competition, run Audio Version the open bay and  fish the birds. Some of these schooling trout are on steroids and most of the schools will have some impressive reds mixed in as well. It’s hard to beat soft plastics in virtually any color when fishing schooling fish in the cool water. There are lots of fish to be caught right now on Sabine, so I hope to see you here soon. The best part about it is we are not in triple digits and the water temperature is below 90º.

Fishing is Cool Again SABINE

CONTACT CAPT. HERNANDEZ: Email: GHGS.Eddie@gmail.com Online: GoldenHookGuide.com

Reported by CAPT. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

• • •

OOLER WATER FISHING has made its way to Sabine. During the months of November and December we will notice the fronts becoming more intense and frequent. We are making steady progress toward winter and that has us, the baitfish, shrimp and predators all equally excited. Fishing in triple digit temperatures and water temps above 90º seems almost like a dream, even though it was only a couple of months ago. We all just keep getting rejuvenated with each new cold front. Fall is officially here, and winter starts on December 21st. With the air and water temperatures steadily decreasing, keying on bait will be your ticket to success. Whether it be hyped-up mullet deep in the bayous or the massive hordes of shrimp that will pour CAPT. EDDIE into the lake HERNANDEZ as each new

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front continues to purge the marsh, if you want to have a successful trip, you’ve got to find the bait. With the gulls giving the shrimp and fish away in the bay as usual, solid stringers shouldn’t be hard to come by as trout and reds will binge and purge all day until they can’t stand it anymore. It’s not uncommon to encounter birds working into the bayous on good days either. However, at times your best bet will be to locate mullet hanging around small cuts and drains, or to simply fish the shoreline. We rarely fish these areas in the cool water without doing battle with some bruiser reds and an occasional nice flounder or two. As usual, a good moving tide in either direction will help with finding the bait and enticing the fish to bite. Dark plastics on 1/4 or 1/8 oz. lead heads are hard to beat. Work it real slow while casting to the shallow water on the bank. If the big slots are there, it will get their attention and |

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Season of Holiday Cheer GALVESTON

Reported by CAPT. DEREK YORK

ARD TO BELIEVE IT’S already the Holiday season and looking back on this year it’s

been full of some great times on the water and in the woods with family, friends and clients. Another long hot summer with record heat

CAPT. DEREK YORK

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and no rain caused some scattered fish at times this year but fall and winter always seem to get everything going again with the fish feeding heavy on these tide dumps this time of year. Depending on weather conditions, there are a lot of great areas to fish in different situations. From the jetties to the open bays and deep channels to marsh drains, you can target redfish, trout, flounder, sheepshead and black drum in most all these locations. I’m typically throwing live shrimp under a popping cork or soft plastics on my boat to target most species. Working schools of birds can provide some great and fast action on trout and reds across the bay system. And sometimes the best time to fish is later in the day when the sun gets up and the bait gets going on the surface. I see a lot of surface activity in East Bay in Fall/early Winter. The jetties can also provide some big pulls from those bull reds when fishing with cut bait on Scan to Hear the bottom. I’ll Audio Version switch from men haden to mullet and even crab to see what they want. Sometimes they want all three! This is almost a guarantee if you can get out on the water or when fishing from the shoreline where you have close access to deeper drop-offs, like the end of the Texas City Dike. Flounder are another fall/winter staple and are readily caught fishing soft plastics on the bottom or live finger mullet and mud minnows. Most people are targeting these fish along channel edges or around deep structures in areas like the Galveston harbor and the Bolivar ferry landings. Just remember that flounder must be 15 inches to keep with a bag limit of five except during the closure from November 1 to December 14 every year. Sheepshead are always one of my favorites and we boat most of our largest fish this time of year. Last year was one for the record books on my boat with multiple fish over eight pounds and two going over 10 pounds. These fish are terrific fighters on lighter tackle, taste great and look cool. What more could you ask for! I’m typically fishing tight to shoreline bulkheads and pilings with a popping cork and live shrimp.

HOTSPOTLIGHT 7

3 2

4 8

1 9

MATAGORDA PENINSULA MATAGORDA PENINSULA EXTENDS ALONG THE GULF COAST AND SEPARATES THE Gulf from East and West Matagorda Bays. It is divided by the mouth of the Colorado River where it empties into the Gulf. Below the Coilorado, on the shores of West Matagorda Bay, a number of bayous and coves provide excellent year-round ﬁshing opportunities. SPECKLED TROUT KEY

HOTSPOT NAME

Cottons Bayou Shoreline

Middle Ground

Cottons Bayou

Green Island

Greens Bayou

Peninsula Shoreline

REDFISH

Cotton’s Bayou Shoreline

Hilbert’s Bayou

Greens Bayou

Peninsula Shoreline

WADEFISHING

Greens Bayou

Middle Ground

Cotton’s Bayou

GPS

BEST BAIT & TACTIC

N 28 31.342, W 96 12.489 N 28 30.692, W 96 13.611 N 28 30.552, W 96 12.453 N 28 29.805, W 96 14.265 N 28 29.738, W 96 13.565 N 28 28.801, W 96 15.753

Live shrimp with or without popping cork, wade the area; dawn through morning, dusk

N 28 31.342, W 96 12.489 N 28 29.977, W 96 13.250 N 28 29.738, W 96 13.565 N 28 28.801, W 96 15.753

Topowaters, soft plastics, wade or anchor, ﬁsh column; dawn through dusk

Topwaters, live croaker, soft plastics, work shallow; dawn through morning, dusk 10W40 Trout Killers, wade the area shallow to deep; dawn through morning, dusk Silver/blue She Dog topwaters, wade the area; dawn through morning, dusk Red shad soft plastics, best color is Morning Glory, good wading; dawn throught morning , dusk Silver/Blue She Dog topwaters, wade the shoreline; dawn through morning, dusk

Gold spoons, june bug plastics, wade or anchor; dawn through dusk Gold spoons, june bug plastics, wade or anchor; dawn through dusk Live shrimp under popping cork, cast and wait; avoid midday

N 28 29.738, Trout, redfish, Corky’s, Trout Killers, shallow early; dawn W 96 13.565 through morning, afternoon through dusk N 28 30.742, Trout, redfish, bone tops, Corky’s, fish shallow warm; through W 96 13.488 morning, afternoon through dusk N 28 31.094, Trout, redfish, Corky’s, Trout Killers, shallow early; through W 96 12.617 morning, afternoon through dusk SOURCE: TEXAS LAKES & BAYS FISHING ATLAS

Several spots last year we fished produced multiple large fish out of the exact same location. So, make sure you fish an area repeatedly if you catch one before moving on.

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Hopefully you can get out and enjoy some time on Galveston Bay to close out 2023. Just remember to be weather aware and keep some extra towels and clothes |

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on board in case anything goes wrong, and someone gets wet. And remember, take a kid fishing!

TIPS: Mud minnows, 1/4 oz. red/white jigs anchor on outgoing tide. LOCATION: Freeport HOTSPOT: San Bernard River GPS: N 29 6.7207, W 95 40.5332 (29.1120 -95.6756)

CONTACT CAPT. YORK: Email: SportStalkerFishing@sbcglobal.com Online: FishGalvestonBayTX.com

• • •

A Long, Hot Wait for Relief

too fast. Have patience. The reward is worth the wait. A red snapper run is another fun fall adventure when the gulf waters calm down after a cold front. Scan to Hear State waters remain Audio Version open when the fed eral waters close. There are plenty of man-made structures within the nine mile boundary that hold scores of red snapper. Your tackle should include a little heavier pole than inshore and enough weight to reach the bottom in a current. Squid or cut bait dropped to the bottom will always work best. The brisk temperatures make being in God’s great outdoors much more enjoyable. Drop me a line and let’s go fishing.

MATAGORDA

Reported by CAPT. MARK TALASEK

CORCHING SUMMERTIME temperatures have given way to brisk fall northers. Three mile lake in east bay literally boiled some fish over the summer. Temperatures in triple digits and low tides didn’t let the fish escape. The lakes hold 6 feet of water and good numbers of fish. Weeks of heat raised the water temperature and killed scores of fish. I’m grateful for the cooler temperatures and so are the fish. Traffic on the water thins out at the end of CAPT. MARK the year. Kids TALASEK are in school. Deer hunters are in the woods. Most people don’t like to go fishing if they have to wear a jacket. I love it. Some of the best fishing of the year. I like to put my breathable waders on and hop out on a midbay reef armed with a top water. Casting as far away from the reef as possible and twitching the imitation back to me. Nothing better for a fisherman than seeing the explosion of water right in front of your eyes. Be careful not to crunch the shell, it will scare off the fish. My favorite lure is black with a chartreuse head. Work it slowly. Imitate a wounded mullet. Some people reel

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CONTACT CAPT. TALASEK: Email: MarkTalasek@sbcglobal.com Online: TalasekGuideService.com

• • •

UPPER COAST HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Christmas/Bastrop Bay HOTSPOT: Cold Pass GPS: N 29 4.901, W 95 8.136 (29.0817, -95.1356)

SPECIES: Flounder BEST BAITS: Live bait, jigs SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear |

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SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Small Flies SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: For a challenge, try a flyrod for redfish. Flashy small flies work best. LOCATION: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Red Bluff GPS: N 29 36.193, W 94 58.061 (29.6032 -94.9677)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Topwaters, shrimp SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: Work chrome/blue topwaters early, bait late; dawn-midday. LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Red Bluff Flats GPS: N 29 35.953, W 94 58.801 (29.5992 -94.9800)

SPECIES: Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Pumpkinseed Soft plastics, gold spoon SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: Troll/wade/drift close to bank; dawn-morning

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LOCATION: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: Redfish Island North GPS: N 29 30.49, W 94 53.144 (29.5082 -94.8857)

LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: C Lease GPS: N 29 40.446, W 94 45.5819 (29.6741 -94.7597)

LOCATION: Galveston West Bay HOTSPOT: Jones Bay Shoreline GPS: N 29 18.634, W 94 55.265 (29.310569, -94.921087)

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Croakers, Kelly Wiggler soft plastics SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: Watch for ship wakes; fish this spot early.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft plastic shrimp tails SOURCE: Capt. Paul Marcaccio 281-788-4041 www.gofishgalveston.com TIPS: Drift around a well, cast all sides. If you get hit or catch a fish, go back around.

SPECIES: Flounder BEST BAITS: Live bait SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: Work grass and points with live mud minnows; dawn through dusk.

LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Marsh Point GPS: N 29 31.834, W 94 34.339 (29.5306 -94.5723)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Crankbaits SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: Fish outflows with outgoing tide, cast to current, bounce; avoid afternoon, night LOCATION: Galveston East Bay HOTSPOT: Moody’s Shoreline GPS: N 29 32.861, W 94 38.589 (29.5477 -94.6432)

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Bone topwaters, soft plastics SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: Work drop-offs and pilings; dawn through morning, dusk

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LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Spillway Flats (San Leon GPS: N 29 30.501, W 94 57.002 (29.5084, -94.9500)

SPECIES: Flounder BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, finger mullet SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: Best with moving tide; dawn through morning, dusk, and night LOCATION: Galveston West Bay HOTSPOT: Confederate Reef GPS: N 29 15.755, W 94 55.177 (29.2626, -94.9196)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live bait SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: Fish croaker or, shrimp under cork, drift reef edge; avoid midday

LOCATION: Galveston West Bay HOTSPOT: North Shoreline GPS: N 29 14.315, W 95 0.677 (29.2386 -95.0113)

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Shrimp SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: Anchor on the points, use live shrimp under cork; dawn through morning, afternoon through dusk LOCATION: Matagorda HOTSPOT: Colorado River GPS: N 28 39.018, W 95 59.3039 (28.6503 -95.9884)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft plastic baits with a 1/4 or 3/8 ounce lead head SOURCE: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: If November brings in cold weather, don’t forget the Colorado River. The trout gang up in the river because of the deeper depths.

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UPPER COAST

(28.695194, -95.792306)

 CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay HOTSPOT: Cedar Lakes GPS: N 28 49.245, W 95 31.557 (28.820743, -95.525951)

SPECIES: Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Topwater lures SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear

The Four Signs of Big Trout

TIPS: November is a good time for schooling redﬁsh as the ﬁsh are migrating out of marshes.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Norton Juniors under popping cork SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: In colder months it’s strictly East Matagorda Bay, especially if you’re after the big trout.

LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay HOTSPOT: Eidelbach Flats GPS: N 28 41.712, W 95 47.538

LOCATION: Matagorda West Bay HOTSPOT: Intracoastal Waterway Cut GPS: N 28 39.9529, W 96 0.6739

dream whitetail buck during this time of year. We saltwater anglers are preparing our quest and journey to find and search for our personal best Trout.

to Winter patterns. One year I was lucky enough that I had clients with me during this event and we truly hit the lottery. Everything lined up perfectly. As we had numerous double and triple hook ups, we literally lost count of fivepound trout that we caught, and a few that were pushing the eight-pound range. The few hours of catching these fish were epic, but being prepared to drop everything when these conditions line up is nearly impossible. However, it’s not an “old wives’ tale” but it is a real event and worth every sacrifice you have to make for this adrenaline packed couple of hours. This is the beginning of the transition to wintertime patterns. As these fronts start rolling in more frequently, and water temperatures start dropping, your shrimp and pinfish move out of the bay system and it’s time to start keying on your critical signs and patterns. For us there are four main signs that we look for during this time of year for catching a personal best trout, and they are the following: The first sign is one of the most important, which will line up the remaining three signs: The bottom. The presence of shells in the mud and grass is the ideal bottom, as it warms up quicker when the sun comes out and it holds warmer water where your bait fish will congregate. The second sign is mullet, as it they are the prime food source this time of the year. As the water temperature cools the mullet are not nearly as active. Just one flip of a

ARANSAS, CORPUS & UPPER LAGUNA Reported by CAPT. RICHARD THOMPSON

WANT YOU TO PICTURE THIS, sitting back and remembering some of the biggest trout you’ve ever seen, scrolling on your phone on some of your favorite fishing groups on social media, magazines, and on the bulletin boards at the marinas. What you will find is that most of the time the fisherman is wearing waders, jackets, beanies, and a huge smile on his/ her face. This is because this time of the year is the best time to catch a huge Trout along the Texas Gulf Coast. Most of your outdoorsmen are CAPT. RICHARD chasing their THOMPSON

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All summer long you have had shrimp, shad, crab, and all your bait fish hanging out, living it up in the back bays and marshes. Finally, the day has arrived, when the first big cold front blows through, that will pull all of this bait out of the back bays as your trout and redfish are staging an ambush to feast and take advantage of the “big drain.” Under these conditions, the back waters and marshes can lose a couple of feet of water in a few hours. Think about the amount of bait that is being funneled out at the mouth of these drains, literally setting up a feeding frenzy. You want to make sure you clear your calendar for this day as it kicks off your Fall |

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(28.6659 -96.0112)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft plastics SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: Best colors for Bass Assassin—roach, plum/chartreuse and pumpkin seed/green tail; MirrOlure—#808, #21, #28. LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Old River Cove

mullet is a good sign that you have mullet in the area and, most likely, trout are not that far behind. The third sign you have to key in on are your major and minor feeding times which will tie into your tidal movement. Trout typically will feed during these hours of the day,

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GPS: N 29 59.036, W 93 50.909 (29.9839 -93.8485)

SPECIES: Flounder BEST BAITS: Shad, mud minnows SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: Fish mud minnows or red/white jigs on an outgoing tide.

••

•••

more so during a summer pattern where they will feed the entire day. The final sign is deeper water access for these fish to seek refuge as the temperature drops during a front rolling through. In the Port Aransas area, a great Wintertime Trout location that has all four

of these signs is Scan to Hear Estes Flats. We Audio Version have pulled some q beautiful Trout out of this area as the front has blown through and the fish are seeking the warmer water and looking into getting a great meal much like us during the much-desired Thanksgiving Turkey. Come bundle up with us this Winter and let’s go chase that personal best Trout you’ve always wanted. We will hook you up! CONTACT CAPT. THOMPSON: Email: RandKCoastalOutfitters@gmail.com Online: RandKCoastalOutfitters.com

• • •

MIDDLE COAST HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Port Aransas Jetties GPS: N 27 51.1099, W 97 3.28

10/16/23 9:18 AM

St .C h Ba arl y es

MIDDLE COAST (27.8518 -97.0547)

SPECIES: Bull Redfish BEST BAITS: Live finger mullet SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: Go with a live mullet using a 3/8 oz. weight, Caroline rigged.

1 2

Aransas Bay

LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Shamrock Cove GPS: N 27 44.017, W 97 9.747 (27.7336 -97.1625)

HOTSPOTLIGHT

BLACKJACK PENINSULA BLACKJACK PENINSULA IS AT THE NORTH END OF ARANSAS BAY, BETWEEN CARlos and St. Charles Bays. Several reefs offer a diversity of ﬁshing opportunities. SPECKLED TROUT

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Spoons and soft plastics SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: Use a copper spoon if you can find it. It’s not really the size and color of spoons, but more the area where they are going to be used. Super grassy, a lighter spoon so it doesn’t sink as fast. Sand pocket and less grass, go with a little heavier spoon.

KEY

HOTSPOT NAME

Blackjack Point

Blackjack Shoreline

Spalding Reef

REDFISH

St. Charles Bay

Live Oak Point

Dunham Shoreline

FLOUNDER

LOCATION: Espiritu Santo Bay HOTSPOT: Long Lake GPS: N 28 16.912, W 96 35.776 (28.2819 -96.5963)

St. Charles Bay Cut

St. Charles Bay

BLACK DRUM

East Pocket

ICW at Dunham’s Island

SHEEPSHEAD Thompson’s Towhead

WADEFISHING

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Shrimp under a popping cork SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: Use a Popping Cork because that makes a lot of noise.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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Blackjack Shoreline

Dunham Bay

FACILITIES KEY

A B

FACILITY NAME

GPS

BEST BAIT & TACTIC

N 28 07.308, W 96 57.951 N 28 07.273, W 96 57.320 N 28 06.269, W 96 54.471

Chartreuse plastics, freeline live bait, best in SE wind; dawn through afternoon

N 28 08.446, W 96 57.200 N 28 06.207, W 97 01.105 N 28 07.603, W 96 55.635

Gold spoons, live shrimp, croakers, freeline from boat; morning and afternoon

N 28 07.511, W 96 57.941 N 28 08.228, W 96 57.333

Mud minnows, cut mullet, bottom ﬁsh the falling tide; dawn through dusk

N 28 07.675, W 96 57.809 N 28 07.278, W 96 55.314

Live shrimp under poping cork, sight ﬁsh, look for tailing ﬁsh; midday through afternoon

N 28 06.593, W 96 57.033

Live shrimp under popping cork, grubs, ﬁsh structure; morning through dusk

N 28 07.290, W 96 56.818 N 28 07.520, W 96 55.707

Trout, redﬁsh, work down the shoreline to sandy spots; all day

GPS

LOCATION

Fish outside sandbar edge, ﬁsh parallel to bank; all day Shrimp, croaker, ﬁsh reef edges, look for moving bait; morning and afternoon

Live mullet or piggy perch on drop rig, shrimp w cork; dawn through dusk Chartreuse topwaters, plum/yellow tail plastics, sight ﬁsh shore; all day

Mud minnows, 72/4-72/2 oz. jig heads, ﬁsh reefs and shorelines; morning through dusk

Live shrimp, crab, fish finder rig, fish channel bottom; morning through afternoon

Redfish, trout, fish live baits, fish grasslines and pocket; dawn through midday

N 28 07.711, Goose Island State Park 202 S. Palmetto St. W 96 59.138 N 28 08.519, Lamar Peninsula Ramp Lamar Beach Rd W 96 58.574 SOURCE: TEXAS LAKES & BAYS FISHING ATLAS

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PHONE

361-729-2858 361-729-6661

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LOCATION: Espiritu Santo Bay HOTSPOT: South Pass Lake GPS: N 28 17.5339, W 96 35.365 (28.2922 -96.5894)

Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: If you get a sunny day and can do a lot of sight casting, the redﬁsh will come up and lay on the sand. Use a salt/pepper color. LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: North Shoreline GPS: N 27 56.1799, W 97 4.471 (27.9363, -97.0745)

SPECIES: Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Cut Crab SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: Free line the crab using a #6 Eagle Claw Circle Hook, with no weight.

LOCATION: Port Aransas HOTSPOT: Morris & Cummins Cut GPS: N 27 53.2851, W 97 6.661 (27.8881, -97.1110)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: Don’t forget the ﬂounder that should still be in the bay system.

SPECIES: Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Berkley Gulp shrimp SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

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10/16/23 9:18 AM

LOCATION: Redﬁsh Bay HOTSPOT: Outside Dagger GPS: N 27 50.664, W 97 9.149 (27.8444, -97.1525)

LOCATION: San Antonio Bay HOTSPOT: Half Moon Reef GPS: N 28 20.274, W 96 46.347 (28.3379, -96.7725)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout and Redfish BEST BAITS: Cut or live mullet SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: Always target the grass and sand pockets. The only time not to is on flats with real short grass,

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Shrimp under a popping cork SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: In November, be on the lookout for shell structure.

LOCATION: Rockport HOTSPOT: Newcomb Shoreline GPS: N 28 8.793, W 97 1.446 (28.1466, -97.0241)

LOCATION: Redﬁsh Bay HOTSPOT: Inside Ransom GPS: N 27 52.468, W 97 8.5 (27.8745, -97.1417)

LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Emmords Hole GPS: N 27 30.186, W 97 19.733 (27.5031, -97.3289)

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Cut Mullet or crab SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: Look for isolated sand pockets in the grass. SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Topwaters or soft plastics SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: Fish a Jumping Minnow in chartreuse or a Skitter Walk in chartreuse/silver. In soft plastics, Down South Lures in chartreuse glitter or Candy Apple with a 1/16 oz. lead head jig.

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics on a 1/8 oz. jig head SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: The King Ranch shoreline will keep you out of the high north winds. You will be able to work areas and cast a little bit easier without the north wind in your face.

LOCATION: Rockport HOTSPOT: Spaulding Reef GPS: N 28 6.2689, W 96 54.4709 (28.1045, -96.9079)

LOCATION: Redﬁsh Bay HOTSPOT: Morris & Cummins Cut GPS: N 27 52.624, W 97 6.866 (27.8771, -97.1144)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: Free line the shrimp with the lightest weight that will keep the bait where it should be.

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Soft Plastic shrimp tails SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: A good place for redfish… the deep water with a muddy bottom holds a good strip of warm water. The fish on low tides will stack up along the sides of the edges.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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LOCATION: Upper Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Pure Oil Channel GPS: N 27 31.839, W 97 18.449 (27.5307, -97.3075)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics on a 1/8 oz. jig head SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: Stand in knee deep water and ﬁsh the rocks and sand pockets.

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HOTSPOTLIGHT

Alazan Bay

BAFFIN BAY Reported by CAPT. GERAD MERRITT

INTER IS NEARING AND the waters of Baffin Bay are finally dropping in temperature. After a very hot summer and water temperatures in the high eighties, this cooler water is bringing more life back in to the bay. Fish this time of year enjoy both the shallow waters and rock structures of the bay. Which one you choose to fish depends on the CAPT. GERAD method you MERRITT prefer. A lot of our bigger fish like hiding in the shallow grass early in the morning, then move out once the sun starts to rise. You still find average size fish mixed in with larger ones. Moving from the grass to rock structures, you will find that they hold solid fish with the looming of a few larger speckled trout. Our live bait of choice would normally be live croaker, but it is very rare this time of year to find croaker in numbers for a guided

Baffin Bay

6 3

ALAZAN BAY Alazan Bay is the northern extension of Baffin Bay. It is the largest and easternmost of Baffin’s three extensions. Alazan’s east shoreline from Starvation Point north comprises a series of points, cuts and tidal lakes where anglers can catch speckled trout, redfish and black drum. The west shoreline has several small inlets, or “cayos” that offer excellent wadefishing opportunities. SPECKLED TROUT KEY

HOTSPOT NAME

Sloughs Rocks

Kleberg Point Rocks, South

REDFISH

East Kleberg

Comitas Lake

FLOUNDER

Starvation Point Bar

BLACK DRUM

6 7 8 9

GPS

BEST BAIT & TACTIC

N 27 18.651, W 97 33.465 N 27 16.371, W 97 36.636

Anchor on rocks’ outer edge w live bait, tops in shallows; dawn through morning, dusk

N 27 16.413, W 97 30.479 N 27 21.597, W 97 30.771

Shrimp under cork, bone topwaters, Drift cautiously, rocks; morning through midday

N 27 17.566, W 97 32.867

Outstanding nighttime gigging spot when using lights; dawn through morning, dusk through night

Drift live shrimp under cork very slowy of top of rocks; dawn through morning, dusk

Wade or Drift targeting nervous water or bait moving; dawn through morning, dusk

N 27 16.526, Live shrimp under pop-n cork, anchor & work rocks; dawn W 97 30.973 through midday N 27 18.408, Live shrimp under pop-n cork, drift the area; dawn East Shore Alazon Bay W 97 31.064 N 27 17.072, Live shrimp under pop-n cork, drift the area; dawn through Starvation Point W 97 33.135 morning N 27 20.284, Live shrimp under pop-n cork, drift the area; dawn West Shore Alazon Bay W 97 32.084 SOURCE: TEXAS LAKES & BAYS FISHING ATLAS East Starvation Point

er waters that hold the large rock systems famous to Baffin Bay alone. Our big red fish have moved into the bay’s cooling waters and have been plentiful this fall. Wade fishing with lures can be exciting this time of year. With the high summer winds behind us, the water has started to clear up and sight casting can be a fun time.

trip. This is when we get into fishing with live shrimp under a popping cork. Personally, I try to either buy or make corks that will have a loud rattle or bead hitting a hard surface to achieve the sound I want. Fishing the flats with the popping corks, I try to have a shorter leader so the shrimp will just dangle right above the top of the grass flats. I allow for a longer leader in the deep-

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Bafﬁn Gets a Breath of Fresh Air

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of year is that the Scan to Hear fish tend to feed Audio Version during the warmest  part of the day, almost the exact opposite as during the summer when you’re trying to avoid the middle of the day. I’m actually more excited about it. I tend to do most of my fishing from 11-4 or 12-5. Who doesn’t like to sleep in and still catch the bite?

Remember to keep in mind that as you can see these fish while wading the shallows, these fish can see or sense you are there as well. Move slowly Scan to Hear and pick a color Audio Version choice that has  some flash or sparkle to it that you are comfortable throwing. When you know fish are present, try to follow with your retrieve at the speed the natural bait is moving and give the fish every opportunity to eat. Patience and confidence are key in these shallows. It is time to take friends and family out to enjoy the cooler weather and make memories on the water!

of our cold fronts, usually around the end of October, it means that by early November lots of fish will be residing in deeper waters, or staging up to do so, especially snook. I feel that first cold front puts the fish on notice, they know something is happening, the inevitable is coming…. By the second or third small front, these fish are beginning to (if not already) stage up together in big groups getting ready for a push to deeper waters that provide consistency within the thermocline. By the end of the third front, or the first real big one, you can bet on the fish already being in the deepest water they can find. And in very big schools. This can provide anglers with amazing days on the water catching snook after snook if you’re fishing in the right areas. This time of year, myself and my clients are using 100% artificial lures on all trips, mostly bottom bouncing jigs and heavy shaky heads with our favorite soft plastics on them. During these cooler months we can still get lots of very warm days with big temperature changes, days when the ride out is cold but by 10am you’re peeling layers off because you’re hot. These tend to be the days when the fish are most active. These warmer days during November/December can have some very good opportunities at mangrove snapper using one of my favorite methods for them, topwaters! These fish tend to get very aggressive toward topwater lures that are run parallel along sea walls and parked barges this time of year. Flats fishing for redfish and trout picks up for me as well around this time. With the cooling water temps in the shallow waters, redfish and trout are more likely to attack artificial lures throughout the day. Potholes in margarita colored water is the ticket this time of year (did someone say margarita?). Perhaps one of my favorite parts this time

CONTACT CAPT. MERRITT: Email: GeradMerritt@gmail.com Online: ParadiseGuideServices.com

• • •

Snook, Snapper & Sleeping In LOWER LAGUNA MADRE Reported by CAPT. BRIAN BARRERA

OVEMBER AND DECEMber… it’s time to put the big gear down (for the most part) and start

using our 2500-4000 size reels and give our arms a break… They’ve been working hard all summer throwing 10,000’s at big silver things. With the start

CAPT. BRIAN BARERRA

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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T E X A S

F I S H

CONTACT CAPT. BARRERA: Email: CaptBrianBFishing@gmail.com Online: InshoreFishingSouthPadre.com

• • •

LOWER COAST HOTSPOTS

LOCATION: Bafﬁn Bay HOTSPOT: Cat Head GPS: N 27 18.382, W 97 26.263 (27.3064, -97.4377)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: Use live shrimp under a popping cork if you are drifting. LOCATION: Bafﬁn Bay HOTSPOT: Tide Gauge Bar GPS: N 27 18.248, W 97 27.593 (27.3041, -97.4599)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastics on a 1/8 oz. jig head SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: For clear water use a clear or natural colored tail. For dark or murkier water, use a bright or darker color. If it’s really over cast, use a darker presenta-

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HOTSPOTLIGHT

tion, like a red/black or pink.

LOCATION: Gulf of Mexico HOTSPOT: Port Isabel Reef GPS: N 25 57.736, W 97 3.577 (25.9623, -97.0596)

Alazan Bay

SPECIES: Mangrove Snapper BEST BAITS: Live bait, cut squid, white bucktails. SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: Sharpshoot potholes with the bait or shrimptail under a Mauler or rattle cork. Try fan casting with soft plastics during low-light conditions. LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Long Bar GPS: N 26 12.164, W 97 15.957 (26.2027, -97.2660)

Baffin Bay

ALAZAN BAY

KEY

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: South Bay GPS: N 26 1.694, W 97 10.327 (26.0282, -97.1721)

Alazan Bay is the northern extension of Baffin Bay. It is the largest and easternmost of Baffin’s three extensions. Alazan’s east shoreline from Starvation Point north comprises a series of points, cuts and tidal lakes where anglers can catch speckled trout, redfish and black drum. The west shoreline has several small inlets, or “cayos” that offer excellent wadefishing opportunities. SPECKLED TROUT

SPECIES: Speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, Shrimp tail/popping cork, soft plastics in red/white, Tequila Gold. SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: Low tide or cooler weather, fish edges and deeper water. The slower, more methodical retrieve keeps the bait in the fish’s face longer.

8 2

HOTSPOT NAME

Sloughs Rocks

Kleberg Point Rocks, South

REDFISH

East Kleberg

Comitas Lake

FLOUNDER

Starvation Point Bar

BLACK DRUM

6 7 8 9

GPS

BEST BAIT & TACTIC

N 27 18.651, W 97 33.465 N 27 16.371, W 97 36.636

Anchor on rocks’ outer edge w live bait, tops in shallows; dawn through morning, dusk

N 27 16.413, W 97 30.479 N 27 21.597, W 97 30.771

Shrimp under cork, bone topwaters, Drift cautiously, rocks; morning through midday

N 27 17.566, W 97 32.867

Outstanding nighttime gigging spot when using lights; dawn through morning, dusk through night

Drift live shrimp under cork very slowy of top of rocks; dawn through morning, dusk

Wade or Drift targeting nervous water or bait moving; dawn through morning, dusk

fresh bait. A split shot helps the bait descend slowly. If the current is running, you may need a bottom rig.

SPECIES: Black Drum BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, fresh shrimp. SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: Fish the edge of the channels with live or

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Three Islands GPS: N 26 16.95, W 97 14.194 (26.2825, -97.2366) SPECIES: Redﬁsh CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE 

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TIPS: Chum and ﬁsh stumps with liver or worms on a Carolina rig; morning, night. LOCATION: Caddo Lake HOTSPOT: Twin Island Area GPS: N 32 41.7719, W 94 5.604 (32.6962, -94.0934)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Flukes, umbrella rigs SOURCE: Caddo Lake Guide Service/Paul Keith 318-455-3437 www.caddolakeﬁshing.com TIPS: The larger bass are schooling this time of year as the water cools. Stay near the main channel and other creeks. Shad travel up and down these deeper creeks and adjacent shallow ﬂats. Most any shad imitating baits work well this time of the year.

EAST TEXAS HOTSPOTS Reported by TF&G STAFF LOCATION: Lake Bob Sandlin HOTSPOT: Cypress Dam GPS: N 33 3.467, W 95 8.281 (33.0578, -95.1380)

LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 25.083, W 95 35.55 (30.4181, -95.5925)

BEST BAITS: Liver, worms SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear

SPECIES: Catﬁsh

LOWER COAST LOCATION: Port Mansﬁeld HOTSPOT: Marker 151 GPS: N 26 31.89, W 97 23.26 (26.5315, -97.3877)

 CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE BEST BAITS: Live bait, gold spoons, soft plastics. SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: Fish soft plastics on 1/8 ounce or 1/16 once jigs. In ﬂoating grass, try a weedless gold spoon. LOCATION: Middle Ground HOTSPOT: Mouth of Gladys’ Hole GPS: N 26 48.62, W 97 28.561 (26.8103, -97.4760)

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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SPECIES: Flounder BEST BAITS: Soft plastics, finger mullet, shrimp SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: Fish the gut; good fishing all day.

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SPECIES: Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: Gold Spoons, soft plastics in LSU SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: Wade or drift the deep potholes in the area with topwaters, soft plastics, spoons.

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CURRENT LAKE LEVELS LAKE

 SEE

HOTSPOTLIGHT

INSET

EAST TEXAS

CAPACITY CURRENT % AC. FT. AC. FT. FULL Addicks -n.a.-n.a.-n.a.B A Steinhagen 69,186 67,764 98% Barker -n.a.-n.a.-n.a.Bob Sandlin 192,417 180,165 94% Bonham 11,027 8,861 80% Caddo 29,898 29,898 100% Conroe 417,577 389,873 93% Crook 9,195 8,122 88% Cypress Springs 66,756 63,181 95% Fork 605,061 546,071 90% Houston 132,318 128,340 97% Houston County 17,113 14,449 84% Jacksonville 25,670 23,509 92% Jim Chapman 260,332 223,476 86% Lake O’ the Pines 241,363 241,363 100% Livingston 1,603,504 1,323,046 83% Monticello 34,740 27,162 78% Murvaul 38,285 32,750 86% Nacogdoches 39,522 33,081 84% Palestine 367,303 316,933 86% Pat Mayse 113,683 106,665 94% Sam Rayburn 2,857,077 2,281,982 80% Striker 16,934 13,503 80% Sulphur Springs 17,747 16,416 93% Toledo Bend 2,236,450 1,896,432 85% Wright Patman 135,069 135,069 100% As of 10/10/2023

INSET

Lake Lone Star

•

SPECIES: Hybrid Stripers BEST BAITS: Live shad, Storm Swim shad SOURCE: Richard Tatsch 936-661-7920 www.ﬁshdudetx.com TIPS: The hybrid stripers are schooling around

LAKE LONE STAR

LOCATION: On the west side of the City of Lone Star, in Morris County. SURFACE AREA: 1,516 acres MAXIMUM DEPTH: 40 feet

largemouth and catﬁsh action. White bass, hybrid striped bass, crappie and sunﬁsh are also present in the lake. Inundated timber, brush and rip rap make up the sparse structure, with some aquatic vegetation.

LONE STAR MAINLY OFFERS GOOD LARGEMOUTH BASS KEY

HOTSPOT NAME

Rocky Point

Barnes Creek

CATFISH

SPECIES: Redﬁsh BEST BAITS: K Wigglers and Gold Spoons SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: Besides Kelley Wiggler and gold spoons, cut bait freelined, or under a popping cork.

••

•••

Back of Barnes Creek

Dam

FACILITIES KEY

FACILITY NAME

Lone Star City Park

Public Ramp

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LOCATION: Port Mansﬁeld HOTSPOT: North Jetty GPS: N 26 33.93, W 97 16.303 (26.5655, -97.2717)

Off US 259 in the City of Lone Star

F I S H

GPS

BEST BAIT & TACTIC

N 32 56.630, W 94 43.008 N 32 55.861, W 94 43.180

Carolina rig black neon french fry toward the bank, ﬁsh topwaters early

N 32 55.950, W 94 42.649 N 32 55.116, W 94 43.549

Frozen shad, shrimp, wigglers, Carolina-rig ﬁshed on bottom slowly; afternoon-night

GPS

LOCATION

Black/blue or red/black jigs, pitch and ﬂip visible cover; morning through midday

Bloodbait or shad stinkbait, Carolina-rig ﬁshed on bottom slowly; dusk through night

N 32 56.809, Off US 259 W 94 42.902 N 32 57.781, FM 997, South of US 259 W 94 43.328 SOURCE: TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE DEPT.

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903-656-2311 903-645-3691

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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ledges along the river channel. Find the schools of shad and you will find the hybrids. During the day they will move deeper around the area. Find the depth the bait are in and you will find the fish. As the water temperatures drop, they will be at 30 to 40 feet. Live shad will be the bait of choice in deeper water, but the swim shad will work as long as you can control your retrieve to keep the bait in the depth the fish are going to be in. The depths will vary from day to day.

LOCATION: Lake Murvaul HOTSPOT: Docks GPS: N 32 2.545, W 94 26.406 (32.0424, -94.4401)

LOCATION: Lake Cooper/Jim Chapman HOTSPOT: Hump by South Sulphur GPS: N 33 17.502, W 95 42.772 (33.2917, -95.7129)

SPECIES: Catﬁsh BEST BAITS: Worms, liver, cheesebait SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: Freeline worms, liver or cheesebait.

LOCATION: Lake Nacogdoches HOTSPOT: Loco Intersection GPS: N 31 38.500, W 94 48.199 (31.6417, -94.8033)

LOCATION: Lake Livingston HOTSPOT: Lake Cove GPS: N 30 54.684, W 95 16.432 (30.9114, -95.2739)

SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Live shad, minnows SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Ofﬁce 903-593-5077 TIPS: Fish live shad or minnows on a split shot rig. Watch for schooling ﬁsh here. Dawn through dusk. LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Chaney Creek Timberline GPS: N 32 47.951, W 95 33.21 (32.7992, -95.5535)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: Good Spawning area. Fish white spinnerbaits on a slow roll; dawn through afternoon.

LOCATION: Lake Houston HOTSPOT: Skier’s Cove GPS: N 29 57.842, W 95 8.323 (29.9640, -95.1387)

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

OutdoorNation-2311-DIG.indd 52

SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Slabs, spoons SOURCE: David S. Cox, Palmetto Guide Service 936-291-9602 www.palmettoguideservice.com TIPS: Troll using a downrigger with silver/white slabs or spoons; dawn through dusk.

T E X A S

F I S H

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Soft plastics SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Ofﬁce 409-698-9114 TIPS: Work the intersections, hitting the hydrilla and lily pads. Avoid midday. LOCATION: Lake O the Pines HOTSPOT: Lonestar North Shore GPS: N 32 53.438, W 94 42.476 (32.8906, -94.7079)

LOCATION: Lake Livingston HOTSPOT: Old Creek Cut GPS: N 30 45.408, W 95 5.002 (30.7568, -95.0834)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Jigs, crankbaits, swimbaits SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: If big eye jigs and Bomber crankbaits don’t produce, switch to swimbaits; good action all day.

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Jigs, crankbaits, plastics SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: Fish the docks, look for brush; dawn, morning, dusk, night.

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Ofﬁce 903-938-1007 TIPS: Dropshot minnows along the grasslines. Avoid afternoon.

G A M E ®

10/16/23 9:19 AM

LOCATION: Lake Sam Rayburn HOTSPOT: South Needmore Point GPS: N 31 08.285, W 94 02.780 (31.1381, -94.0463)

Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: Work vegetation with minnows or jigs. Use green lights at night; dawn, morning, dusk, night. LOCATION: Lake Wright Patman HOTSPOT: McGuthrie Slough GPS: N 33 18.885, W 94 11.137 (33.3148, -94.1856)

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows, jigs SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: Fish live minnows, or slow roll crappie jigs over grass.

LOCATION: Toledo Bend HOTSPOT: Chicken Coop GPS: N 31 31.558, W 93 47.092 (31.5260, -93.7849)

SPECIES: Catﬁsh BEST BAITS: Cut bait SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Ofﬁce 903-938-1007 TIPS: Fish cut bait on a split shot and Kahle hook. Drift channel edges. Action best from midday through night.

••

•••

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows, jigs SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas

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10/16/23 9:19 AM

210-573-1230 TIPS: Fish from the point back to the swim beach casting out the spoon and try to maintain a depth of 20 to 40 feet. The striped bass and white bass like to school in this area this time of year. LOCATION: Cedar Creek Res. HOTSPOT: Docks and Secondary Points GPS: N 32 18.5279, W 96 8.862 (32.3088, -96.1477)

HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 51.582, W 98 25.4519 (30.8597, -98.4242)

CENTRAL TEXAS HOTSPOTS Reported by TF&G STAFF LOCATION: Lake Austin HOTSPOT: University Club GPS: N 30 20.506, W 97 53.828 (30.3418, -97.8971)

SPECIES: Striped Bass and White Bass BEST BAITS: Striper: Live shad, 1 oz. Roadrunner jigs with flirt tails in white and yellow/chartreuse-any combination | White Bass: white and chartreuse slabs for jigging and small spinners and Rat-L-Traps for top water SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: Stripers should be improving with cooler water on the way. Cold water holds oxygen better than warm or hot water. These fish should be gathering together to make their migration up the lake but will be concentrated in the channel with feeding times on the deep ridges near the channels and over the tops of the trees. Drifting live bait or trolling 1 oz. Roadrunners with flirt tail seems to yield the best results. Fish mid-lake up towards Rocky Point. Whites should gather and move up the lake and can be found on ridges and humps from mid-lake to Garrett Island.

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Crankbaits SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: Crankbaits are your best bet on this spot and the action should be good all day. LOCATION: Lake Belton HOTSPOT: Dam Rip Rap GPS: N 31 06.596, W 97 28.412 (31.1099, -97.4735)

LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Potters Creek Park GPS: N 29 54.1799, W 98 16.134 (29.9030, -98.2689)

SPECIES: Smallmouth BEST BAITS: Jigs, craws SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: Fish 1/8-1/4 oz. black hair jig, pork eel, small plastic craws.

SPECIES: Striped Bass & White Bass BEST BAITS: 5/8 oz. Red Hoginar SOURCE: Capt. Steve Nixon, Fishhooks Adventures

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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T E X A S

F I S H

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: 1/16th to 1/8th oz. crappie jigs SOURCE: Jason Barber (903) 603-2047 www.kingscreekadventures.com TIPS: Fish all docks with 6’ or more of water. Depth and plenty of shade near main lake or secondary points throughout the lake should produce well. Medium action spinning tackle with 6 pound line and 1/16th to 1/8th oz. jigs works best. LOCATION: Coleto Creek Res. HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 28 45.792, W 97 11.3219 (28.7632, -97.1887)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Zoom pearl white or watermelon fluke using a 4/0 worm hook rigged weedless SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: Fish will be shallow around hydrilla. Both ends of the lake will be good. The north end is the best this time of year. Twitch your lure slowly, letting it sink a little, then twitch it here and there. The big ones can’t resist it. It’s not uncommon to catch from 30 to 50 fish a day. On sunny days, try dipping your lures in chartreuse. LOCATION: Lake Corpus Christi HOTSPOT: Railroad Bridge GPS: N 28 13.473, W 97 56.66 (28.2246, -97.9443)

G A M E ®

10/16/23 9:19 AM

10 SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Live minnows, crappie jigs SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: Work pilings and rip rap with live minnows or crappie jigs; should be productive all day.

Lake Braunig

6 11

A LOCATION: Eagle Mountain Lake HOTSPOT: Dam GPS: N 32 52.558, W 97 28.088 (32.875972, -97.468139)

8 17 miles south of San Antonio

7 1

HOTSPOTLIGHT:

12 9

LAKE BRAUNIG

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Crankbaits SOURCE: Kolby Kuhn, Final Cast Guide Service 817-243-5858 kolbymkuhn@gmail.com TIPS: Largemouth bass will be feeding up on shad this time of the year. Look for rocky areas such as the dam and ﬁsh a medium or shallow diving crankbait. LOCATION: Eagle Mountain Lake HOTSPOT: River Channel GPS: N 32 52.776, W 97 28.100 (32.879608, -97.468334)

SURFACE AREA: 1,350 acres MAXIMUM DEPTH: 50 feet IMPOUNDED: 1964

LAKE BRAUNIG IS UNIQUE BECAUSE of its healthy population of redﬁsh (red drum). These reds display similar LARGEMOUTH BASS KEY

GPS

Boat Ramp Cove

White Shacks Coves

Jetty End, Deep Rocks

CATFISH

BEST BAIT & TACTIC

N 29 14.844, W 98 23.574 N 29 15.936, W 98 21.783 N 29 14.534, W 98 22.356

Gold/green soft plastics, work reed beds and channel Gold/green soft plastics, work reed beds and channel Live shad, soft plastics, work rip rap, vary depths

N 29 15.037, W 98 22.587 N 29 15.613, Water Pipe Corner 5 W 98 21.829 N 29 15.277, Hot Water Outlets 6 W 98 23.202 REDFISH (FRESHWATER STOCKED) N 29 14.844, Dead Tree Point 7 W 98 23.093 N 29 15.516, Double Break 8 W 98 22.546 N 29 14.567, Island Deep Hole 9 W 98 22.253 HYBRID/STRIPED BASS N 29 15.394, West Outlet Cove 10 W 98 23.158 N 29 15.015, West Bay 11 W 98 22.963 N 29 14.664, Spillway Area 12 W 98 22.048 FACILITIES KEY

LOCATION: Fayette County T E X A S

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HOTSPOT NAME

SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: cut bait SOURCE: Kolby Kuhn, Final Cast Guide Service 817-243-5858 kolbymkuhn@gmail.com TIPS: Look for big scools of bait in the river channel. Catfish will be under them feeding and can be caught with cut bait such as shad or any other native baitfish from the lake. Fish vertically on anchor or drift through them to get them to bite.

characteristics in freshwater as they do on the coast. But this time of year, they tend to congregate near Braunig’s heated discharges. The lake also features excellent ﬁshing for hybrid striped bass and good catﬁsh action.

East Side Jetty

FACILITY NAME

Shad, perch, ﬁsh the bottom, use chicken blood Cheesebait, worms, spring hooks or single w spong Shad, perch, ﬁsh the bottom, use chicken blood

Shad, perch, talapia, crawfish, use live bait on bottom Shad, perch, talapia, crawfish, use live bait on bottom Shad, perch, talapia, crawfish, use live bait on bottom

Shad, chicken liver, Rat-L-Traps, drift, troll, jig Drift with shad, troll spoons in deep water Drift with shad, troll spoons in deep water

GPS

LOCATION

N 29 14.892, Off I-37 Lake Braunig Rec. Area W 98 23.620 SOURCE: TEXAS LAKES & BAYS FISHING ATLAS

F I S H

G A M E ®

PHONE

210-635-8289

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

10/16/23 9:19 AM

TIPS: Fish silver or white slabs with a bumping action, live shad, or yellow topwaters; good all day.

CENTRAL TEXAS

LOCATION: Lake Limestone HOTSPOT: Running Branch GPS: N 31 20.481, W 96 20.686 (31.3414, -96.3448)

HOTSPOT: Pond at End of Discharge GPS: N 29 55.662, W 96 45.054 (29.9277, -96.7509)

BEST BAITS: Minnows SOURCE: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 whitebassﬁshingtexas.com TIPS: Fish live minnows. This spot has lots of bank access and plenty places ﬁsh. Avoid midday.

SPECIES: Catﬁsh BEST BAITS: CJ’s Punch Bait SOURCE: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 www.ﬁshtales-guideservice.com TIPS: This pond is just right of discharge. Water is cooling here now. Rocks are close by and there is a sand bottom near rocks. Fish tight line here. Fish shallow at night and 10’ deep in daytime.

LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 33 5.5079, W 96 28.6799 (33.0918, -96.4780)

LOCATION: Granger Lake HOTSPOT: Open Lake Flats GPS: N 30 42.216, W 97 21.324 (30.7036, -97.3554)

LOCATION: Lake Lewisville HOTSPOT: Deadman’s GPS: N 33 7.464, W 96 58.869 (33.1244, -96.9812)

LOCATION: Lake Joe Pool HOTSPOT: Walnut Creek Banks GPS: N 32 35.562, W 97 04.492 (32.5927, -97.0749)

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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T E X A S

F I S H

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: 3/8 oz big eye jig in black/brown/ amber and black/blue/red ﬂake, Texas Spinnerbait Lake Fork 430 special in chartreuse/white, Texas rigged Mr. Twister Pocket Craw in black/blue SOURCE: Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 or 903-530-2201 www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Fish the islands and concentrate on grass along the banks and any brush or stumps you can see. Fish 2-6 foot as this will be your best depth range. Fish slow, covering all your key spots. LOCATION: Lake Ray Hubbard HOTSPOT: Robertson West Side GPS: N 32 51.961, W 96 31.236 (32.8660, -96.5206)

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Slabs, shad, topwaters SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear

SPECIES: Crappie |

LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Kickapoo Creek GPS: N 32 16.992, W 95 29.9639 (32.2832, -95.4994)

SPECIES: White Bass & Crappie BEST BAITS: Flukes SOURCE: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 whitebassﬁshingtexas.com TIPS: Both white bass and crappie will be suspended in about 18-25 feet this time of year. Tapping on the boat with a rubber mallet or a broom stick will usually call them in as they will come to investigate the noise. Dead sticking ﬂukes is usually the best bet.

SPECIES: Blue Catﬁsh BEST BAITS: Shad, cut bait SOURCE: Tommy Tidwell (512) 365-7761 www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: Depth of water really doesn’t matter. Some places to start would be windy sides of the lake. Shad are blown into these areas and thus concentrate the hungry blues. I like to use #11/0 Mustad circle hooks with no more than two hooks on each jug line.

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: Use chartreuse/white spinnerbaits along shore & move to back; dawn through dusk.

SPECIES: Hybrid Striped Bass

G A M E ®

10/16/23 9:19 AM

CURRENT LAKE LEVELS

CENTRAL TEXAS

LAKE

CAPACITY AC. FT. Aquilla 43,243 Arlington 40,157 Athens 29,503 Austin 23,972 Bardwell 43,856 Belton 432,631 Benbrook 85,648 Buchanan 822,207 Canyon 378,781 Cedar Creek 644,686 Choke Canyon 662,820 Coleto Creek 31,040 Corpus Christi 256,062 Eagle Mountain 179,880 Georgetown 38,005 Gibbons Creek 25,721 Granger 51,822 Grapevine 163,064 Halbert 6,033 Hubert H Moss 24,058 Inks 13,729 Joe Pool 149,629 Lavon 409,757 Lewisville 563,228 Limestone 203,780 Lyndon B Johnson 112,778 Marble Falls 7,597 Martin 75,726 Medina 254,823 Mountain Creek 22,850 Navarro Mills 49,827 New Terrell City 8,583 Ray Hubbard 439,559 Ray Roberts 788,167 Richland-Chamb 1,087,839 Somerville 150,293 Stillhouse Hollow 229,796 Tawakoni 871,685 Texana 158,975 Texoma 1,243,801 Travis 1,098,044 Tyler 72,073 Waco 189,418 Waxahachie 11,060 Weatherford 17,812 Whitney 564,808 Worth 24,419 As of 10/10/2023

CURRENT AC. FT. 27,245 32,224 26,379 22,880 39,311 238,225 44,156 366,481 244,526 529,278 175,140 23,631 136,372 111,553 17,065 18,700 38,743 132,877 4,343 21,485 13,029 136,607 306,644 433,549 158,672 111,301 7,167 58,599 10,008 22,850 39,919 1,528 357,472 728,090 973,027 96,941 130,691 810,995 119,463 1,124,386 388,974 60,550 105,963 6,757 9,609 405,314 14,110

% FULL 63% 80% 89% 95% 90% 55% 52% 45% 65% 82% 26% 76% 53% 62% 45% 73% 75% 82% 72% 89% 95% 91% 75% 77% 78% 99% 94% 77% 4% 100% 80% 18% 81% 92% 89% 65% 57% 93% 75% 90% 35% 84% 56% 61% 54% 72% 58%

LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: Rocky Creek Road Bed GPS: N 30 18.522, W 96 33.39 (30.3087, -96.5565)

SPECIES: Crappie/White Bass BEST BAITS: Minnows, 3/4-1oz slabs SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: Look for big schools of white bass stacking up on points and flats close to creek channels in 20-30 feet of water. Slabs off the bottom are usually the best with bucktail teasers tied on as well. The crappie bite should be picking up. Look for these fish holding close to brush piles in 20-30 feet of water. Jigs work well, but the quality of fish tend to be better on minnows. Bridge pylons and other concrete/rock structure should be good as well.

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Cut shad SOURCE: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Fish Carolina rig with shad using a 3/4 ounce egg sinker and tight line. Water is 18 feet deep here. LOCATION: Lake Tawakoni HOTSPOT: Cedar Hump GPS: N 32 52.570, W 95 54.961 (32.876163, -95.916013)

LOCATION: Richland Chambers Lake HOTSPOT: Windsock Point GPS: N 31 56.586, W 96 7.452 (31.9431, -96.1242) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Soft plastics, crankbaits, spinnerbaits SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: Circle the hump, locate a school and look for current in saddle; dawn, morning, dusk.

•

BEST BAITS: Slabs SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: Fish 2 oz. slabs, look on graph for fish close to the bottom; morning, afternoon.

LOCATION: Ray Roberts Lake HOTSPOT: Johnson Branch GPS: N 33 24.084, W 97 2.812 (33.4014, -97.0469)

SPECIES: Hybrid Stripers BEST BAITS: 1 oz. Silver Glitter RSR Shad slabs (www.rsrlures.com) SOURCE: Royce Simmons 903-389-4117 www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: As long as we have the normal pleasant December temperatures, you can fish the Windsock Point in the far Southeast corner of the lake near the dam and the Hwy 309 Flats. Fish will relate to the deeper sides (30-35-foot depths) of the Windsock Point and will be on or near the bottom. Try a 1 oz. RSR Silver Glitter slab and jig it slowly off the bottom. Keep the drag set loosely on your reel as this is a prime time to hook into a large hybrid striper. The initial “hit and run” is when most folks lose large fish!

LOCATION: Lake Texana HOTSPOT: Navidad River GPS: N 29 1.176, W 96 35.048 (29.0196, -96.5841)

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Jigs, minnows SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: Free fall either live minnows or crappie jigs; catch fish here all day. LOCATION: Lake Waco continued on next page u

T E X A S

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10/16/23 9:19 AM

baits and jigs, especially shaky head jigs. Depending on the amount of cool down, the bass will still be fairly shallow. Any of the steep banks close to deep water will be the place to start looking. If the water is still 50 degrees or above, bass can still be caught up the creeks on shad and bluegill colored crankbaits. LOCATION: Lake Amistad HOTSPOT: US 90 Bridge Pilings GPS: N 29 29.124, W 101 01.984 (29.4854, -101.033067) SPECIES: Rainbow Trout BEST BAITS: Small spinnerbaits, corn, cheese SOURCE: Natalie Goldstrohm, TPWD 325-692-0921 TIPS: Fish for Rainbow Trout in the one-acre pond at Abilene State Park. During winter months, Rainbow Trout are stocked throughout Texas. Use light tackle since they have excellent eyesight. Try small white inline spinners or a small cricket hook with a sinker.

WEST TEXAS HOTSPOTS Reported by TJ RANFT

LOCATION: Lake Alan Henry HOTSPOT: Main Lake Creeks GPS: N 33 1.6679, W 101 6.5459 (33.0278, -101.1091)

CONTACT TJ RANFT: Email: TJRanft17@gmail.com Online: RanftGuideService.com

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Soft plastics SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/fishgamegear TIPS: Find suspended fish with a Roboworm on a dropshot rig, fished vertically; afternoon. LOCATION: Lake Arrowhead HOTSPOT: State Park Piers GPS: N 33 45.298, W 98 23.080 (33.754967, -98.384667)

LOCATION: Lake Abilene HOTSPOT: Elm Creek, Abilene State Park GPS: N 32 14.140, W 99 53.412 (32.235664, -99.890207)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Shaky head jigs, crankbaits, jigs SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: In December the bass will be hitting crank-

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Minnows

morning, dusk through night.

817-822-5539

CENTRAL TEXAS  CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 31 54.8279, W 97 21.1019 (31.9138, -97.3517)

HOTSPOT: Speegleville Bay GPS: N 31 33.373, W 97 14.878 (31.5562, -97.2480)

SPECIES: Catﬁsh BEST BAITS: Stinkbait, shad SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: Fish the bottom with cut shad or stinkbait;

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

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SPECIES: Striped Bass & White Bass BEST BAITS: 1/2 oz. jigs with 4” chartreuse swim baits, 1 oz. slabs SOURCE: Randy Routh

T E X A S

F I S H

TIPS: Colder water pushes bait from the creeks and they gang up in the main lake. Schools of stripers trap bait to the surface and up in the cuts, along the shoreline and in the mouths of creeks. With the 3/4 oz. lead head and swim bait, make long casts and count your bait down about a foot per second, then make a medium to slow retrieve. On days the ﬁsh aren’t pushing bait to the surface, make long casts with swim baits and troll with the trolling motor set on medium slow speed. The shad are lethargic. When you think you’re ﬁshing slow enough, slow down a little more. Fish 1 oz. chartreuse slabs for white bass. Find schools on ledges and edges and drop the slab to the bottom, bounce it up and down slowly and try different depths.

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G A M E ®

10/16/23 9:19 AM

 SEE

HOTSPOTLIGHT:

INSET

2 1

INSET

15 miles south of Seymour

LAKE KEMP

LARGEMOUTH BASS

SURFACE AREA: 15,590 acres MAXIMUM DEPTH: 53 feet IMPOUNDED: 1923

LAKE KEMP IS PRIMARILY A LARGEMOUTH bass lake, with good action throughout the lake. White bass are abundant and provide good seasonal action. The lake has good striped bass fishing, with stripers found in deeper water. Crappie and catfish populations have improved, but remain fair. Structure is mainly found around the lake’s rocky shoreline, with an abundance of flooded vegetation throughout. SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Office 325-692-0921 TIPS: Fish live minnows on a bobber, 1-2 feet off bottom near brush; dawn through morning, dusk. LOCATION: Lake Brownwood HOTSPOT: 279 Bridge GPS: N 31 50.060, W 99 05.985 (31.834333, -99.099750)

KEY

HOTSPOT NAME

East Coffee Creek

Flippin Creek

Pelican Point

Dam

Pony Creek

Little Moonshine

FACILITIES KEY

FACILITY NAME

Flippin Creek Gate

Moonshine Gate

GPS

BEST BAIT & TACTIC

N 33 47.324, W 99 12.180 N 33 47.290, W 99 10.193 N 33 45.961, W 99 11.366 N 33 45.422, W 99 09.082 N 33 44.062, W 99 13.593 N 33 45.141, W 99 10.580

Concentrate on the ﬂooded brush with Texas-rigged soft plastics

GPS

LOCATION

Concentrate on the flooded brush with Texas-rigged soft plastics Use crankbaits around the rocky point; topwaters work early and late Topwaters early, work crankbaits later along dam Concentrate on the flooded brush with Texas-rigged soft plastics Concentrate on the flooded brush with Texas-rigged soft plastics

N29 59.094, Off US 183, 8 miles north of US 277 W93 50.400 N29 59.094, Off US 183, 5 miles north of US 277 W93 50.400 SOURCE: TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE DEPT.

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Jigs, minnows SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Ofﬁce 325-692-0921 TIPS: Work the rip rap and bridge pilings with live minnows or crappie jigs; dawn through morning, dusk.

PHONE

940-357-2264 940-357-2346

LOCATION: Fort Phantom Hill Res. HOTSPOT: Main Body GPS: N 32 35.505, W 99 41.493 (32.591745, -99.691549)

SPECIES: White Crappie BEST BAITS: Jigs SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Ofﬁce 325-692-0921 TIPS: In December, crappie can be ﬁshed off the T E X A S

OutdoorNation-2311-DIG.indd 59

F I S H

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10/16/23 9:19 AM

CURRENT LAKE LEVELS LAKE

WEST TEXAS

CAPACITY AC. FT. Abilene 7,900 Alan Henry 96,207 Amistad 1,840,849 Amon G Carter 19,266 Arrowhead 230,359 Brady Creek 28,808 Bridgeport 372,183 Brownwood 130,868 Champion Creek 41,580 Cherokee 40,094 Cisco 29,003 Coleman 38,075 Colorado City 30,758 E V Spence 517,272 Elephant Butte 1,985,900 Falcon 1,551,007 Fort Phantom Hill 70,030 Graham 45,288 Granbury 132,949 Greenbelt 59,968 Hords Creek 8,109 Hubbard Creek 313,298 J B Thomas 199,931 Kemp 245,307 Kickapoo 86,345 Leon 27,762 Lost Creek 11,950 Mackenzie 46,450 Meredith 500,000 Millers Creek 26,768 Mineral Wells 5,273 Nasworthy 39,522 Natural Dam 9,615 Nocona 21,444 N. Fork Buffalo Cr. 15,400 O C Fisher 115,742 O H Ivie 554,340 Oak Creek 39,210 Palo Duro 61,066 Palo Pinto 26,766 Pat Cleburne 26,008 Possum Kingdom 538,139 Proctor 54,762 Red Bluff 151,110 Squaw Creek 151,250 Stamford 51,570 Sweetwater 12,267 Twin Buttes 182,454 White River 29,880 As of 10/10/2023

TIPS: Fish chartreuse or silver jigs, or live minnows, occasionally jerk the bait and let it fall; late evening. LOCATION: Lake O.H. Ivie HOTSPOT: North Island Channel Edge GPS: N 31 32.584, W 99 40.663 (31.543067, -99.677717)

bottom with 1/8-14 oz. jigs. This same location has produced great crappie catches throughout the year. LOCATION: Lake Granbury HOTSPOT: Blue Water Shores GPS: N 32 23.014, W 97 42.550 (32.383567, -97.709167)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Crankbaits SOURCE: Texas Lakes & Bays Fishing Atlas Fishgame.com/ﬁshgamegear TIPS: Work the steep channel with deep diving crankbaits. Note the water is much shallower here.

SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Little Georges, Mepps spinnerbaits, Roadrunners, RatLTraps, holographic slabs in silver and chartreuse SOURCE: Michael W. Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters 254-396-4855 TIPS: Jig slabs off the bottom in 20 to 30 feet of water where baitﬁsh are located. Look for hovering birds and use the Little Georges, rattle traps and Spinners on schooling ﬁsh. Bring your binoculars.

LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Broadway GPS: N 32 51.924, W 98 32.070 (32.8654031, -98.5345061)

LOCATION: Hubbard Creek Res. HOTSPOT: Sink Creek Timber GPS: N 32 49.812, W 99 0.018 (32.8302, -99.0003)

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Live shad, deadstick baits, topwaters SOURCE: TJ Ranft TJRanft17@gmail.com RanftGuideService.com TIPS: The stripers will be moving out of the fall pattern and into their winter patterns. Water temps will be falling from the mid 60’s to the low 50’s with cold fronts moving through almost weekly. This will affect the ﬁsh dramatically—sometimes just sitting on ﬁsh waiting them out will be the best option. There will still be schools that are feeding, so look for the birds. If there are birds around, there will most likely be

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Jigs, minnows SOURCE: TPWD District Fisheries Ofﬁce 325-692-0921

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

OutdoorNation-2311-DIG.indd 60

T E X A S

F I S H

CURRENT AC. FT. 1,519 84,944 590,004 15,835 127,420 10,558 216,414 80,739 24,560 31,780 18,175 24,221 15,360 84,790 335,988 128,600 48,184 32,301 120,721 6,675 1,896 166,890 41,054 151,471 44,949 13,991 10,682 4,518 227,636 12,199 3,312 33,081 8,859 14,938 4,424 2,455 165,973 13,849 4,017 7,772 17,171 480,401 13,559 68,655 149,705 37,809 5,976 30,605 7,333

% FULL 19% 88% 32% 82% 55% 37% 58% 62% 59% 79% 63% 64% 50% 16% 17% 8% 69% 71% 91% 11% 23% 53% 21% 62% 52% 50% 89% 10% 46% 46% 63% 84% 92% 70% 29% 2% 30% 35% 7% 29% 66% 89% 25% 45% 99% 73% 49% 17% 25%

•

feeding ﬁsh around. Live shad is the ticket, but they can also be caught using deadstick techniques closer to the end of December. Look for the ﬁsh in the river channel and ledges in 20-30 feet of water. They will be on the move, so don’t be afraid to just sit in an area for a little while. Also, keep a topwaters handy as the stripers could surface at any time.

••

•••

G A M E ®

10/16/23 9:19 AM

OutdoorNation-2311-DIG.indd 61

10/16/23 9:19 AM

DAYBOOK

Sportsman’s

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

Tides and Prime Times The following pages contain TIDE and SOLUNAR predictions for our Base Point, Galveston Channel (N 29.317, W 94.88) Tidal movement and daily phases of the moon have varying degrees of inﬂuence on many ﬁsh and game species. AM & PM MINOR phases occur when the moon rises and sets. These phases last 1 to 2 hours.

TIDE PREDICTIONS are located in the White Area at the top of the Calendar Pages. You can use the CONVERSION TABLE below to make adjustments. It is keyed to 23 other tide stations along the Texas Coast (see these map icons: T1 ). Adjust low and high tide times, plus or minus in minutes, from the times given for the Base Point at Galveston Channel.

While tides are not a direct factor in FRESHWATER FISHING, SoLunar Activity still accounts for increased feeding activity in freshwater species. It is also a prime factor in the movement and feeding habits of game species.

TIDE CONVERSION TABLE HIGH

LOW

KEY

Lubbock

SOLUNAR ADJUSTMENT SCALE

PEAK TIMES: Our Forecast Calendar uses both Tide and SoLunar projections to predict the best fishing times and days. Generally, if a SoLunar Period (Major/Minor) falls within an hour of sunrise or sunset, fishing conditions should be better. On certain days where Tidal Activity is stronger, the best fishing times may fall ouside the normal SoLunar range.

PLACE

Use the SOLUNAR ADJUSTMENT SCALE on the map below to adjust times for points East and West of our Base Point at Galveston Channel.

Amarillo

(See Instructions for reading the Graphs on the opposite page)

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

KEY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY is shown in the Green Boxes on the Calendar pages. Moon Overhead and Underfoot times are given in the SoLunar Box and illustrated on the Fishing Graph.

USING THE PRIME TIMES CALENDAR

PLACE

HIGH

LOW

KEY

San Antonio

PLACE

HIGH

Eagle Point

+3:54 +4:15

T17

Galveston Pleasure Pier

-1:06 -1:06

Clear Lake

+6:05 +6:40

T18

San Luis Pass

-0.09 -0.09

Sabine Pass Jetty

-1:26 -1:31

T10

Morgans Point

+10:21 +5:19

Sabine Pass

-1:00 -1:15

T11

Round Pt, Trinity Bay

+10:39 +5:15

T12

Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay

+5:48 +4:43

T20

Pass Cavallo

0:00

-0:04 -0:25

T13

Gilchrist, East Bay

+3:16 +4:18

T21

Aransas Pass

-0:03 -1:31

LOWER COAST T22 Padre Island (So. End)

-0:24 -1:45

Port Isabel

+1:02 -0:42

Galveston Bay, S. Jetty

-0:39 -1:05

T14

Jamaica Beach, W. Bay

+2:38 +3:31

Port Bolivar

+0:14 -0:06

T15

Alligator Point, W. Bay

+2:39 +2:33

Texas City Turning Basin

+0:33 +0:41

T16

Christmas Pt

+2:32 +2:31

MONDAY

TUESDAY

UPPER MIDDLE COAST T19 Freeport Harbor

T23

WEDNESDAY

Galveston Port O’Connor

LOW

Port Arthur

Houston

-1:46 -1:31

Dallas

Austin

SABINE AREA T1 Sabine Bank Lighthouse

GALVESTON BAY AREA T4 Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass

Fort Worth

Aransas Pass



Corpus Christi

BASE POINT: GALVESTON CHANNEL (N 29.317, W 94.880)

-0:44 -1:02

THURSDAY

Freeport

-1:20 Port Isabel

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

PRIME TIME

2 ft. — 1:00 3:00 AM

7:30 — 9:30 AM

8:00 — 10:00 AM

9:00 — 11:00 AM

10:00A — 12:00P

11:00A — 1:00P

12:00 — 2:00 PM

2 ft.

1 ft.

0 ft.

-1ft.

12a

12p

Oct 30 «

12a

12p

Oct 31 «

Low Tide: 12:08a 1.52 ft. High Tide: 3:26a 1.61 ft. Low Tide: 11:33a -0.15 ft. High Tide: 8:03p 1.91 ft.

Low Tide: 1:32a 1.66 ft. High Tide: 2:47a 1.66 ft. Low Tide: 12:19p -0.16 ft. High Tide: 9:20p 1.88 ft.

Sunrise: 7:29a Set: 6:35p Moonrise: 7:55p Set: 6:49a AM Minor: 12:35a AM Major: 4:17a PM Minor: 7:17p PM Major: 1:03p Moon Overhead: 2:15a Moon Underfoot: 2:43p

Sunrise: 7:29a Set: 6:34p Moonrise: 8:44p Set: 7:49a AM Minor: 1:35a AM Major: 5:23a PM Minor: 8:17p PM Major: 2:03p Moon Overhead: 3:11a Moon Underfoot: 3:39p

MONDAY

TUESDAY

12a

Nov 1

12p

Low Tide: 1:09p -0.09 ft. High Tide: 10:50p 1.84 ft.

Sunrise: 7:30a Set: 6:33p Moonrise: 9:36p Set: 8:51a AM Minor: 2:37a AM Major: 6:24a PM Minor: 9:19p PM Major: 3:05p Moon Overhead: 4:07a Moon Underfoot: 4:35p

WEDNESDAY

12a

Nov 2

12p

Low Tide: 2:04p

12a

0.02 ft.

Sunrise: 7:31a Set: 6:32p Moonrise: 10:33p Set: 9:52a AM Minor: 3:39a AM Major: 7:18a PM Minor: 10:20p PM Major: 4:06p Moon Overhead: 5:03a Moon Underfoot: 5:30p

THURSDAY

Nov 3

12p

High Tide: 12:33a Low Tide: 3:05p

1.80 ft. 0.15 ft.

Sunrise: 7:32a Set: 6:32p Moonrise: 11:31p Set: 10:50a AM Minor: 4:37a AM Major: 8:05a PM Minor: 11:16p PM Major: 5:03p Moon Overhead: 5:56a Moon Underfoot: 6:22p

FRIDAY

12a

Nov 4

12p

High Tide: 1:34a Low Tide: 4:13p

1.75 ft. 0.28 ft.

12a

12p

High Tide: 1:57a Low Tide: 4:21p

12a

1.68 ft. 0.40 ft.

Sunrise: 7:33a Set: 6:31p Moonrise: None Set: 11:44a AM Minor: 5:31a AM Major: 8:47a PM Minor: ----PM Major: 5:56p Moon Overhead: 6:47a Moon Underfoot: 7:11p

Sunrise: 7:33a Set: 6:30p Moonrise: 12:29a Set: 12:08a AM Minor: 6:20a AM Major: 9:27a PM Minor: 12:32p PM Major: 6:43p Moon Overhead: 7:35a Moon Underfoot: 7:57p

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

PRIME TIME

1:00 — 3:00 PM

7:00 — 9:00 AM

7:30 — 9:30 AM

8:30 — 10:30 AM

9:00 — 11:00 AM

10:00A — 12:00P

10:30A — 12:30P

2 ft.

Nov 5 » End CDT

2 ft.

1 ft.

0 ft.

-1ft.

12a

Nov 6

12p

High Tide: 1:06a Low Tide: 5:22p

12a

1.61 ft. 0.52 ft.

Sunrise: 6:34a Set: 5:29p Moonrise: 12:26a Set: ----AM Minor: 6:04a AM Major: 10:07a PM Minor: 12:15p PM Major: 6:26p Moon Overhead: 7:19a Moon Underfoot: 7:40p

Nov 7

12p

High Tide: 1:10a Low Tide: 7:51a High Tide: 11:22a Low Tide: 6:12p

1.53 ft. 1.15 ft. 1.26 ft. 0.66 ft.

Sunrise: 6:35a Set: 5:29p Moonrise: 1:21a Set: 12:34a AM Minor: 6:44a AM Major: 9:49a PM Minor: 12:54p PM Major: 7:04p Moon Overhead: 8:01a Moon Underfoot: 8:21p

12a

12p

High Tide: 1:15a Low Tide: 7:43a High Tide: 12:47p Low Tide: 6:55p

1.48 ft. 0.99 ft. 1.31 ft. 0.80 ft.

Sunrise: 6:36a Set: 5:28p Moonrise: 2:15a Set: 1:10a AM Minor: 7:20a AM Major: 10:34a PM Minor: 1:30p PM Major: 7:40p Moon Overhead: 8:41a Moon Underfoot: 9:01p

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

OutdoorNation-2311-DIG.indd 62

Nov 8

12a

Nov 9

12p

High Tide: 1:21a Low Tide: 7:47a High Tide: 1:56p Low Tide: 7:35p

12a

1.44 ft. 0.79 ft. 1.39 ft. 0.94 ft.

Sunrise: 6:37a Set: 5:27p Moonrise: 3:08a Set: 1:45a AM Minor: 7:55a AM Major: 11:24a PM Minor: 2:05p PM Major: 8:14p Moon Overhead: 9:21a Moon Underfoot: 9:41p

T E X A S

F I S H

Nov 10

12p

High Tide: 1:27a Low Tide: 8:01a High Tide: 2:56p Low Tide: 8:13p

1.42 ft. 0.58 ft. 1.48 ft. 1.09 ft.

Sunrise: 6:37a Set: 5:27p Moonrise: 4:01a Set: 2:19a AM Minor: 8:30a AM Major: ----PM Minor: 2:40p PM Major: 8:50p Moon Overhead: 10:01a Moon Underfoot: 10:22p

12a

12p

Nov 11 «

High Tide: 1:32a Low Tide: 8:23a High Tide: 3:51p Low Tide: 8:53p

1.42 ft. 0.37 ft. 1.58 ft. 1.22 ft.

Sunrise: 6:38a Set: 5:26p Moonrise: 4:57a Set: 2:56a AM Minor: 9:07a AM Major: 12:47a PM Minor: 3:18p PM Major: 9:29p Moon Overhead: 10:43a Moon Underfoot: 11:06p

12a

12p

Nov 12 «

High Tide: 1:34a Low Tide: 8:51a High Tide: 4:45p Low Tide: 9:35p

12a

1.43 ft. 0.18 ft. 1.67 ft. 1.36 ft

Sunrise: 6:39a Set: 5:26p Moonrise: 5:56a Set: 3:37a AM Minor: 9:49a AM Major: 1:44a PM Minor: 4:01p PM Major: 10:12p Moon Overhead: 11:29a Moon Underfoot: 11:54p

G A M E ®

10/16/23 9:19 AM

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

READING THE GRAPH MONDAY

TUESDAY

Moon Overhead

Fishing Score Graph

Moon Underfoot

10:30A — 12:30P

Best Day Overall

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

MOON PHASES

PRIME TIME

Prime Fishing

l = New Moon º = First Quarter

l = Full Moon » = Last Quarter

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

« = Good Day by Moon Phase

FRIDAY

PRIME TIME

5:00 — 7:00 AM

5:30 — 7:30 AM

6:00 — 8:00 AM

7:00 — 9:00 AM

8:00 — 10:00 AM

9:00 — 11:00 AM

10:00A — 12:00P

2 ft.

1 ft.

0 ft.

-1ft.

12a

12p

Nov 13 l

High Tide: 1:28a Low Tide: 9:23a High Tide: 5:41p Low Tide: 10:19p

12a

12p

Nov 14 «

1.47 ft. 0.01 ft. 1.74 ft. 1.48 ft.

12a

High Tide: 1:14a 1.53 ft. Low Tide: 10:01a -0.13 ft. High Tide: 6:42p 1.78 ft. Low Tide: 11:06p 1.59 ft.

Sunrise: 6:40a Set: 5:25p Moonrise: 6:58a Set: 4:24a AM Minor: 10:37a AM Major: 2:40a PM Minor: 4:49p PM Major: 11:02p Moon Overhead: 12:19p Moon Underfoot: None

12p

12a

12p

12a

Sunrise: 6:42a Set: 5:24p Moonrise: 10:10a Set: 7:21a AM Minor: 1:06a AM Major: 5:13a PM Minor: 7:51p PM Major: 1:36p Moon Overhead: 3:11p Moon Underfoot: 2:41a

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Nov 17

Low Tide: 12:09a 1.68 ft. High Tide: 12:35a 1.68 ft. Low Tide: 11:32a -0.28 ft. High Tide: 9:06p 1.81 ft.

Sunrise: 6:41a Set: 5:24p Moonrise: 9:08a Set: 6:17a AM Minor: 12:02a AM Major: 4:26a PM Minor: 6:46p PM Major: 12:31p Moon Overhead: 2:11p Moon Underfoot: 1:42a

TUESDAY

Nov 16

High Tide: 12:58a 1.60 ft. Low Tide: 10:43a -0.22 ft. High Tide: 7:50p 1.80 ft.

Sunrise: 6:41a Set: 5:24p Moonrise: 8:03a Set: 5:17a AM Minor: 11:00a AM Major: 3:35a PM Minor: 5:45p PM Major: ----Moon Overhead: 1:13p Moon Underfoot: 12:46a

MONDAY

Nov 15 «

12p

12a

Low Tide: 12:26p -0.27 ft. High Tide: 10:18p 1.79 ft.

Sunrise: 6:43a Set: 5:23p Moonrise: 11:07a Set: 8:27a AM Minor: 2:12a AM Major: 5:57a PM Minor: 8:57p PM Major: 2:42p Moon Overhead: 4:11p Moon Underfoot: 3:41a

FRIDAY

Nov 18

12p

12a

Nov 19

Low Tide: 1:25p -0.21 ft. High Tide: 11:08p 1.74 ft.

12p

12a

Low Tide: 2:29p -0.08 ft. High Tide: 11:37p 1.65 ft.

Sunrise: 6:44a Set: 5:23p Moonrise: 11:57a Set: 9:32a AM Minor: 3:17a AM Major: 6:37a PM Minor: 10:01p PM Major: 3:47p Moon Overhead: 5:09p Moon Underfoot: 4:40a

Sunrise: 6:45a Set: 5:22p Moonrise: 12:41p Set: 10:33a AM Minor: 4:19a AM Major: 7:15a PM Minor: 11:01p PM Major: 4:47p Moon Overhead: 6:05p Moon Underfoot: 5:38a

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

PRIME TIME

11:00A — 1:00P

6:30 — 8:30 PM

7:30 — 9:30 PM

8:30 — 10:30 PM

9:00 — 11:00 PM

10:00P — 12:00A

4:30 — 6:30 AM

2 ft.

1 ft.

0 ft.

-1ft.

12a

12p

Nov 20 º

Low Tide: 3:37p High Tide: 11:56p

12a

Nov 21

12p

Low Tide: 6:48a High Tide: 9:50a Low Tide: 4:47p

0.11 ft. 1.54 ft.

Sunrise: 6:46a Set: 5:22p Moonrise: 1:19p Set: 11:29a AM Minor: 5:16a AM Major: 7:53a PM Minor: 11:55p PM Major: 5:42p Moon Overhead: 6:57p Moon Underfoot: 6:32a

1.07 ft. 1.13 ft. 0.34 ft.

Sunrise: 6:46a Set: 5:22p Moonrise: 1:53p Set: ----AM Minor: 6:06a AM Major: 8:33a PM Minor: 12:18p PM Major: 6:31p Moon Overhead: 7:47p Moon Underfoot: 7:22a

MONDAY

TUESDAY

12a

Nov 22

12p

High Tide: 12:11a Low Tide: 6:40a High Tide: 12:03p Low Tide: 5:59p

1.43 ft. 0.75 ft. 1.18 ft. 0.60 ft.

Sunrise: 6:47a Set: 5:21p Moonrise: 2:25p Set: 12:39a AM Minor: 6:51a AM Major: 9:17a PM Minor: 1:03p PM Major: 7:15p Moon Overhead: 8:34p Moon Underfoot: 8:11a

WEDNESDAY

12a

Nov 23

12p

High Tide: 12:23a Low Tide: 7:04a High Tide: 1:41p Low Tide: 7:10p

1.35 ft. 0.39 ft. 1.32 ft. 0.86 ft.

Sunrise: 6:48a Set: 5:21p Moonrise: 2:57p Set: 1:21a AM Minor: 7:33a AM Major: 10:08a PM Minor: 1:45p PM Major: 7:57p Moon Overhead: 9:22p Moon Underfoot: 8:58a

THURSDAY

12a

Nov 24

12p

High Tide: 12:33a Low Tide: 7:36a High Tide: 3:02p Low Tide: 8:21p

12a

1.31 ft. 0.06 ft. 1.48 ft. 1.10 ft.

Sunrise: 6:49a Set: 5:21p Moonrise: 3:30p Set: 2:02a AM Minor: 8:15a AM Major: 11:07a PM Minor: 2:27p PM Major: 8:39p Moon Overhead: 10:11p Moon Underfoot: 9:46a

FRIDAY

Nov 25

12p

High Tide: 12:42a 1.32 ft. Low Tide: 8:14a -0.22 ft. High Tide: 4:13p 1.61 ft. Low Tide: 9:33p 1.28 ft.

Sunrise: 6:50a Set: 5:20p Moonrise: 4:06p Set: 2:46a AM Minor: 8:59a AM Major: 11:36a PM Minor: 3:12p PM Major: 9:25p Moon Overhead: 11:03p Moon Underfoot: 10:37a

SATURDAY

12a

12p

Nov 26 «

12a

High Tide: 12:47a 1.36 ft. Low Tide: 8:53a -0.41 ft. High Tide: 5:16p 1.68 ft. Low Tide: 10:53p 1.40 ft..

Sunrise: 6:51a Set: 5:20p Moonrise: 4:47p Set: 3:34a AM Minor: 9:48a AM Major: 12:50a PM Minor: 4:01p PM Major: 10:14p Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 11:30a

SUNDAY

PRIME TIME

5:00 — 7:00 AM

6:00 — 8:00 AM

6:30 — 8:30 AM

7:00 — 9:00 AM

8:00 — 10:00 AM

8:30 — 10:30 AM

9:30 — 11:30 AM

2 ft.

1 ft.

0 ft.

-1ft.

12a

12p

Nov 27 «

12a

High Tide: 12:39a 1.41 ft. Low Tide: 9:34a -0.51 ft. High Tide: 6:17p 1.70 ft.

12p

Low Tide: 10:17a -0.53 ft. High Tide: 7:17p 1.66 ft.

Sunrise: 6:51a Set: 5:20p Moonrise: 5:32p Set: 4:27a AM Minor: 10:41a AM Major: 2:01a PM Minor: 4:55p PM Major: 11:09p Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 12:25p

Sunrise: 6:52a Set: 5:20p Moonrise: 6:23p Set: 5:24a AM Minor: 11:39a AM Major: 3:09a PM Minor: 5:53p PM Major: ----Moon Overhead: 12:53a Moon Underfoot: 1:21p

MONDAY

2 ft.

Nov 28 l

TUESDAY

12a

12p

Nov 29 «

Low Tide: 11:02a -0.47 ft. High Tide: 8:20p 1.60 ft.

Sunrise: 6:53a Set: 5:20p Moonrise: 7:19p Set: 6:24a AM Minor: 12:10a AM Major: 4:12a PM Minor: 6:52p PM Major: 12:38p Moon Overhead: 1:49a Moon Underfoot: 2:17p

WEDNESDAY

12a

12p

Nov 30 «

Low Tide: 11:48a -0.37 ft. High Tide: 9:25p 1.53 ft.

Sunrise: 6:54a Set: 5:20p Moonrise: 8:17p Set: 7:24a AM Minor: 1:11a AM Major: 5:08a PM Minor: 7:51p PM Major: 1:38p Moon Overhead: 2:45a Moon Underfoot: 3:11p

THURSDAY

12a

Dec 1

12p

12a

Low Tide: 12:36p -0.24 ft. High Tide: 10:21p 1.45 ft.

Sunrise: 6:55a Set: 5:20p Moonrise: 9:16p Set: 8:23a AM Minor: 2:10a AM Major: 5:57a PM Minor: 8:48p PM Major: 2:35p Moon Overhead: 3:37a Moon Underfoot: 4:03p

FRIDAY

Dec 2

12p

Low Tide: 1:24p -0.10 ft. High Tide: 10:54p 1.37 ft.

Sunrise: 6:55a Set: 5:20p Moonrise: 10:14p Set: 9:17a AM Minor: 3:05a AM Major: 6:39a PM Minor: 9:41p PM Major: 3:29p Moon Overhead: 4:27a Moon Underfoot: 4:50p

SATURDAY

12a

Dec 3

12p

Low Tide: 2:13p High Tide: 11:12p

12a

0.07 ft. 1.30 ft.

Sunrise: 6:56a Set: 5:20p Moonrise: 11:11p Set: 10:07a AM Minor: 3:56a AM Major: 7:19a PM Minor: 10:30p PM Major: 4:19p Moon Overhead: 5:13a Moon Underfoot: 5:35p

SUNDAY

PRIME TIME

10:30A — 12:30P

11:30A — 1:30P

6:00 — 8:00 AM

7:00 — 9:00 AM

7:30 — 9:30 AM

8:30 — 10:30 AM

9:00 — 11:00 AM

2 ft.

1 ft.

0 ft.

-1ft.

12a

Dec 4

12p

Low Tide: 3:02p High Tide: 11:24p

12a

0.24 ft. 1.23 ft.

Sunrise: 6:57a Set: 5:20p Moonrise: None Set: 10:53a AM Minor: 4:42a AM Major: 7:57a PM Minor: 11:14p PM Major: 5:03p Moon Overhead: 5:56a Moon Underfoot: 6:16p

Dec 5 »

12p

Low Tide: 7:12a High Tide: 9:16a Low Tide: 3:51p High Tide: 11:33p

0.85 ft. 0.86 ft. 0.43 ft. 1.17 ft.

Sunrise: 6:58a Set: 5:20p Moonrise: 12:05a Set: 11:34a AM Minor: 5:24a AM Major: 8:37a PM Minor: 11:54p PM Major: 5:44p Moon Overhead: 6:36a Moon Underfoot: 6:56p

12a

Dec 6

12p

Low Tide: 6:45a High Tide: 11:28a Low Tide: 4:42p High Tide: 11:41p

0.67 ft. 0.88 ft. 0.61 ft. 1.13 ft.

Sunrise: 6:59a Set: 5:20p Moonrise: 12:58a Set: ----AM Minor: 6:02a AM Major: 9:20a PM Minor: 12:12p PM Major: 6:22p Moon Overhead: 7:16a Moon Underfoot: 7:35p

T E X A S

OutdoorNation-2311-DIG.indd 63

12a

Dec 7

12p

Low Tide: 6:44a High Tide: 1:03p Low Tide: 5:39p High Tide: 11:47p

0.46 ft. 0.97 ft. 0.78 ft. 1.11 ft.

Sunrise: 6:59a Set: 5:20p Moonrise: 1:50a Set: 12:28a AM Minor: 6:38a AM Major: 10:07a PM Minor: 12:48p PM Major: 6:58p Moon Overhead: 7:55a Moon Underfoot: 8:15p

F I S H

12a

Dec 8

12p

Low Tide: 6:58a High Tide: 2:16p Low Tide: 6:42p High Tide: 11:48p

12a

0.23 ft. 1.10 ft. 0.94 ft. 1.12 ft.

Sunrise: 7:00a Set: 5:20p Moonrise: 2:44a Set: 1:04a AM Minor: 7:14a AM Major: 10:57a PM Minor: 1:25p PM Major: 7:35p Moon Overhead: 8:36a Moon Underfoot: 8:58p

G A M E ®

Dec 9

12p

Low Tide: 7:20a High Tide: 3:16p Low Tide: 7:47p High Tide: 11:44p

0.01 ft. 1.24 ft. 1.07 ft. 1.15 ft.

Sunrise: 7:01a Set: 5:20p Moonrise: 3:41a Set: 1:41a AM Minor: 7:52a AM Major: 11:50a PM Minor: 2:03p PM Major: 8:15p Moon Overhead: 9:20a Moon Underfoot: 9:44p

12a

Dec 10

12p

12a

Low Tide: 7:49a -0.20 ft. High Tide: 4:09p 1.36 ft. Low Tide: 8:50p 1.18 ft. High Tide: 11:32p 1.20 ft.

Sunrise: 7:01a Set: 5:20p Moonrise: 4:42a Set: 2:21a AM Minor: 8:34a AM Major: 12:19a PM Minor: 2:46p PM Major: 8:59p Moon Overhead: 10:08a Moon Underfoot: 10:34p

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

10/16/23 9:19 AM

DAYBOOK

Sportsman’s

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023

Tides and Prime Times MONDAY

TUESDAY

PRIME TIME 2 ft.4:00 —

6:00 AM

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

PRIME TIME

5:00 — 7:00 AM

5:30 — 7:30 AM

6:00 — 8:00 AM

7:00 — 9:00 AM

7:30 — 9:30 AM

8:00 — 10:00 AM

2 ft.

1 ft.

0 ft.

-1ft.

12a

12p

Dec 11 «

12a

Low Tide: 8:24a -0.40 ft. High Tide: 5:01p 1.46 ft. Low Tide: 9:48p 1.27 ft. High Tide: 11:22p 1.28 ft.

12p

Low Tide: 9:04a -0.57 ft. High Tide: 5:53p 1.52 ft. Low Tide: 10:39p 1.35 ft. High Tide: 11:28p 1.35 ft.

Sunrise: 7:02a Set: 5:20p Moonrise: 5:47a Set: 3:07a AM Minor: 9:21a AM Major: 1:15a PM Minor: 3:34p PM Major: 9:48p Moon Overhead: 11:01a Moon Underfoot: 11:29p

Sunrise: 7:03a Set: 5:21p Moonrise: 6:53a Set: 4:00a AM Minor: 10:14a AM Major: 2:09a PM Minor: 4:29p PM Major: 10:44p Moon Overhead: 11:58a Moon Underfoot: None

MONDAY

2 ft.

Dec 12 l

TUESDAY

12a

12p

Dec 13 «

12a

12p

Dec 14 «

Low Tide: 9:48a -0.69 ft. High Tide: 6:49p 1.55 ft. Low Tide: 11:23p 1.40 ft. High Tide: 11:52p 1.40 ft.

12a

Low Tide: 10:36a -0.76 ft. High Tide: 7:45p 1.53 ft.

Sunrise: 7:03a Set: 5:21p Moonrise: 7:58a Set: 4:59a AM Minor: 11:14a AM Major: 3:01a PM Minor: 5:29p PM Major: 11:44p Moon Overhead: 12:59p Moon Underfoot: 12:28a

12p

12a

12p

Low Tide: 12:18p -0.66 ft. High Tide: 9:18p 1.40 ft.

Sunrise: 7:05a Set: 5:21p Moonrise: 9:53a Set: 7:09a AM Minor: 12:54a AM Major: 4:35a PM Minor: 7:39p PM Major: 1:24p Moon Overhead: 3:02p Moon Underfoot: 2:31a

THURSDAY

Dec 16

Low Tide: 11:26a -0.75 ft. High Tide: 8:36p 1.48 ft.

Sunrise: 7:04a Set: 5:21p Moonrise: 8:59a Set: 6:03a AM Minor: 11:43a AM Major: 3:50a PM Minor: 6:33p PM Major: 12:18p Moon Overhead: 2:01p Moon Underfoot: 1:30a

WEDNESDAY

Dec 15 «

Sunrise: 7:05a Set: 5:22p Moonrise: 10:39a Set: 8:15a AM Minor: 2:00a AM Major: 5:18a PM Minor: 8:43p PM Major: 2:29p Moon Overhead: 4:00p Moon Underfoot: 3:31a

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

12a

Dec 17

12p

Low Tide: 1:11p High Tide: 9:49p

12a

-0.47 ft. 1.29 ft.

Sunrise: 7:06a Set: 5:22p Moonrise: 11:20a Set: 9:17a AM Minor: 3:03a AM Major: 5:58a PM Minor: 9:44p PM Major: 3:30p Moon Overhead: 4:54p Moon Underfoot: 4:27a

SUNDAY

PRIME TIME

8:30 — 10:30 AM

5:30 — 7:30 PM

6:00 — 8:00 PM

7:00 — 9:00 PM

8:00 — 10:00 PM

10:30A — 12:30P

3:00 — 5:00 AM

2 ft.

1 ft.

0 ft.

-1ft.

12a

Dec 18

12p

12a

12p

Dec 19 º

Low Tide: 2:07p -0.21 ft. High Tide: 10:11p 1.17 ft.

Low Tide: 4:45a High Tide: 8:35a Low Tide: 3:07p High Tide: 10:29p

0.67 ft. 0.78 ft. 0.11 ft. 1.07 ft.

12a

Dec 20

12p

Low Tide: 5:16a High Tide: 11:01a Low Tide: 4:16p High Tide: 10:43p

0.33 ft. 0.79 ft. 0.44 ft. 1.01 ft.

Dec 21

12p

12a

Low Tide: 5:55a -0.02 ft. High Tide: 1:02p 0.93 ft. Low Tide: 5:46p 0.73 ft. High Tide: 10:53p 0.99 ft.

12p

Low Tide: 6:35a -0.33 ft. High Tide: 2:40p 1.12 ft. Low Tide: 7:42p 0.95 ft. High Tide: 10:58p 1.02 ft.

Dec 23

12p

Low Tide: 7:17a -0.58 ft. High Tide: 3:54p 1.27 ft. Low Tide: 10:00p 1.07 ft. High Tide: 10:35p 1.07 ft.

Dec 24

12p

Low Tide: 8:00a High Tide: 4:54p

PRIME TIME

4:30 — 6:30 AM

5:00 — 7:00 AM

6:00 — 8:00 AM

6:30 — 8:30 AM

7:30 — 9:30 AM

8:00 — 10:00 AM

2 ft. 4:00 —

6:00 AM

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Sunrise: 7:09a Set: 5:25p Moonrise: 2:43p Set: 1:39a AM Minor: 7:52a AM Major: 10:54a PM Minor: 2:05p PM Major: 8:18p Moon Overhead: 9:48p Moon Underfoot: 9:22a

12a

PRIME TIME

WEDNESDAY

Sunrise: 7:09a Set: 5:24p Moonrise: 2:05p Set: 12:56a AM Minor: 7:08a AM Major: 9:51a PM Minor: 1:20p PM Major: 7:33p Moon Overhead: 8:56p Moon Underfoot: 8:31a

12a

Sunrise: 7:07a Set: 5:23p Moonrise: 12:28p Set: 11:06a AM Minor: 4:54a AM Major: 7:19a PM Minor: 11:30p PM Major: 5:18p Moon Overhead: 6:32p Moon Underfoot: 6:08a

TUESDAY

Sunrise: 7:08a Set: 5:24p Moonrise: 1:31p Set: 12:13a AM Minor: 6:25a AM Major: 8:54a PM Minor: 12:37p PM Major: 6:49p Moon Overhead: 8:07p Moon Underfoot: 7:43a

Dec 22

Sunrise: 7:06a Set: 5:22p Moonrise: 11:55a Set: 10:14a AM Minor: 4:01a AM Major: 6:38a PM Minor: 10:39p PM Major: 4:27p Moon Overhead: 5:44p Moon Underfoot: 5:19a

MONDAY

Sunrise: 7:07a Set: 5:23p Moonrise: 12:59p Set: 11:53a AM Minor: 5:41a AM Major: 8:04a PM Minor: ----PM Major: 6:04p Moon Overhead: 7:19p Moon Underfoot: 6:56a

12a

SATURDAY

12a

-0.74 ft. 1.35 ft.

Sunrise: 7:09a Set: 5:25p Moonrise: 3:26p Set: 2:26a AM Minor: 8:39a AM Major: 11:24a PM Minor: 2:53p PM Major: 9:06p Moon Overhead: 10:43p Moon Underfoot: 10:15a

SUNDAY

2 ft.

1 ft.

0 ft.

-1ft.

12a

12p

Dec 25 «

Low Tide: 8:43a High Tide: 5:45p

12a

12p

Dec 26 «

-0.83 ft. 1.37 ft.

Low Tide: 9:27a High Tide: 6:31p Full Moon 6:33p

Sunrise: 7:10a Set: 5:26p Moonrise: 4:14p Set: 3:16a AM Minor: 9:29a AM Major: 12:38a PM Minor: 3:43p PM Major: 9:57p Moon Overhead: 11:38p Moon Underfoot: 11:11a

-0.85 ft. 1.33 ft.

Sunrise: 7:10a Set: 5:26p Moonrise: 5:07p Set: 4:09a AM Minor: 10:23a AM Major: 1:47a PM Minor: 4:36p PM Major: 10:50p Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 12:06p

MONDAY

TUESDAY

12a

12p

Dec 27 l

Low Tide: 10:09a -0.81 ft. High Tide: 7:15p 1.27 ft.

Sunrise: 7:11a Set: 5:27p Moonrise: 6:04p Set: 5:04a AM Minor: 11:17a AM Major: 2:51a PM Minor: 5:31p PM Major: 11:47p Moon Overhead: 12:34a Moon Underfoot: 1:01p

WEDNESDAY

12a

12p

Dec 28 «

12a

Low Tide: 10:51a -0.73 ft. High Tide: 7:54p 1.19 ft.

Sunrise: 7:11a Set: 5:27p Moonrise: 7:03p Set: 6:00a AM Minor: ----AM Major: 3:49a PM Minor: 6:26p PM Major: 12:13p Moon Overhead: 1:28a Moon Underfoot: 1:54p

THURSDAY

12p

Dec 29 «

Low Tide: 11:31a -0.62 ft. High Tide: 8:26p 1.11 ft.

Sunrise: 7:11a Set: 5:28p Moonrise: 8:02p Set: 6:55a AM Minor: 12:42a AM Major: 4:41a PM Minor: 7:19p PM Major: 1:07p Moon Overhead: 2:19a Moon Underfoot: 2:43p

FRIDAY

12a

Dec 30

12p

Low Tide: 12:08p -0.48 ft. High Tide: 8:52p 1.04 ft.

Sunrise: 7:12a Set: 5:29p Moonrise: 9:00p Set: 7:47a AM Minor: 1:36a AM Major: 5:27a PM Minor: 8:10p PM Major: 1:59p Moon Overhead: 3:07a Moon Underfoot: 3:29p

SATURDAY

12a

Dec 31

12a

Sunrise: 7:12a Set: 5:29p Moonrise: 9:55p Set: 8:37a AM Minor: 2:27a AM Major: 6:09a PM Minor: 8:59p PM Major: 2:48p Moon Overhead: 3:51a Moon Underfoot: 4:12p

SUNDAY

PRIME TIME

9:30 — 11:30 AM

4:00 — 6:00 AM

5:30 — 7:30 AM

5:00 — 7:00 AM

6:00 — 8:00 AM

1:00 — 3:00 AM

2:00 — 4:00 AM

2 ft.

12p

Low Tide: 12:44p -0.31 ft. High Tide: 9:05p 0.93 ft.

2 ft.

1 ft.

0 ft.

-1ft.

12a

12p

Jan 1 2024 Low Tide: 2:47a High Tide: 4:23a Low Tide: 1:16p High Tide: 9:19p

12a

0.75 ft. 0.76 ft. -0.07 ft. 0.87 ft.

Sunrise: 7:12a Set: 5:30a Moonrise: 10:48p Set: 11:02a AM Minor: 9:24a AM Major: 3:14a PM Minor: 9:44a PM Major: 3:34a Moon Overhead: 4:32a Moon Underfoot: 4:52p

Jan 2

12p

Low Tide: 3:44a High Tide: 7:17a Low Tide: 1:46p High Tide: 9:30p

0.58 ft. 0.61 ft. 0.14 ft. 0.82 ft.

Sunrise: 7:12a Set: 5:31a Moonrise: 11:41p Set: 11:29a AM Minor: 10:07a AM Major: 3:57a PM Minor: 10:27a PM Major: 4:17a Moon Overhead: 5:12a Moon Underfoot: 5:31p

12a

12p

Low Tide: 4:16a High Tide: 9:41a Low Tide: 2:16p High Tide: 9:35p

0.38 ft. 0.56 ft. 0.36 ft. 0.79 ft.

Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:31a Moonrise: None Set: 11:54a AM Minor: 10:48a AM Major: 4:38a PM Minor: 11:08a PM Major: 4:58a Moon Overhead: 5:51a Moon Underfoot: 6:10p

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

OutdoorNation-2311-DIG.indd 64

Jan 3 »

12a

Jan 4

12p

Low Tide: 4:47a High Tide: 11:53a Low Tide: 2:50p High Tide: 9:28p

12a

0.17 ft. 0.63 ft. 0.58 ft. 0.79 ft.

Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:32a Moonrise: 12:33a Set: 12:21p AM Minor: 11:28a AM Major: 5:18a PM Minor: 11:48a PM Major: 5:38a Moon Overhead: 6:30a Moon Underfoot: 6:51p

T E X A S

F I S H

Jan 5

12p

Low Tide: 5:19a High Tide: 1:51p Low Tide: 3:43p High Tide: 8:45p

-0.05 ft. 0.78 ft. 0.77 ft. 0.83 ft.

Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:33a Moonrise: 1:28a Set: 12:50p AM Minor: ----AM Major: 5:57a PM Minor: 12:08p PM Major: 6:19a Moon Overhead: 7:12a Moon Underfoot: 7:34p

12a

Jan 6

12p

Low Tide: 5:55a High Tide: 3:06p

-0.26 ft. 0.95 ft.

Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:34a Moonrise: 2:26a Set: 1:23p AM Minor: 12:26p AM Major: 6:38a PM Minor: 12:50p PM Major: 7:02a Moon Overhead: 7:57a Moon Underfoot: 8:21p

12a

Jan 7

12p

Low Tide: 6:35a High Tide: 3:52p

12a

-0.48 ft. 1.10 ft.

Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:34a Moonrise: 3:28a Set: 2:01p AM Minor: 1:09a AM Major: 7:22a PM Minor: 1:35a PM Major: 7:48a Moon Overhead: 8:47a Moon Underfoot: 9:14p

G A M E ®

10/16/23 9:20 AM

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

PRIME TIME

2 ft. 3:00 —

4:00 — 6:00 AM

4:30 — 6:30 AM

5:00 — 7:00 AM

5:30 — 7:30 AM

1:30 — 3:30 PM

2:30 — 4:30 PM

5:00 AM

1 ft.

2 ft. 1 ft.

0 ft.

-1ft.

12a

Jan 8

12p

Low Tide: 7:19a High Tide: 4:33p

12a

Jan 9 «

-0.68 ft. 1.21 ft.

12p

Low Tide: 8:05a High Tide: 5:14p

-0.86 ft. 1.28 ft.

12a

12p

Jan 10 «

Low Tide: 8:52a -1.01 ft. High Tide: 5:55p 1.30 ft. Low Tide: 10:46p 1.17 ft. High Tide: 11:02p 1.17 ft.

12p

Jan 11 l

12a

12p

Jan 12 «

High Tide: 1:05a 1.16 ft. Low Tide: 10:29a -1.07 ft. High Tide: 7:06p 1.21 ft. Low Tide: 11:14p 1.02 ft.

Low Tide: 9:41a -1.08 ft. High Tide: 6:32p 1.28 ft. Low Tide: 10:36p 1.13 ft.

12p

High Tide: 2:32a 1.09 ft. Low Tide: 11:17a -0.95 ft. High Tide: 7:34p 1.11 ft.

Jan 14

PRIME TIME

3:30 — 5:30 PM

4:00 — 6:00 PM

5:00 — 7:00 PM

6:00 — 8:00 PM

8:00 — 10:00 AM

1:00 — 3:00 AM

2:00 — 4:00 AM

2 ft.

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

12p

12a

Low Tide: 12:05a 0.84 ft. High Tide: 4:00a 0.96 ft. Low Tide: 12:04p -0.72 ft. High Tide: 7:57p 1.00 ft.

PRIME TIME

THURSDAY

Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:39a Moonrise: 9:16a Set: 8:21p AM Minor: 6:52a AM Major: 12:37p PM Minor: 7:20a PM Major: 1:06a Moon Overhead: 2:45p Moon Underfoot: 2:17a

12a

PRIME TIME

WEDNESDAY

Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:38a Moonrise: 8:32a Set: 7:08p AM Minor: 5:48a AM Major: 11:29a PM Minor: 6:18a PM Major: 12:03p Moon Overhead: 1:47p Moon Underfoot: 1:17a

Jan 13 «

Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:36a Moonrise: 5:39a Set: 3:42p AM Minor: 2:47a AM Major: 9:02a PM Minor: 3:17a PM Major: 9:32a Moon Overhead: 10:41a Moon Underfoot: 11:12p

TUESDAY

Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:37a Moonrise: 7:41a Set: 5:55p AM Minor: 4:45a AM Major: 11:00a PM Minor: 5:16a PM Major: 11:32a Moon Overhead: 12:46p Moon Underfoot: 12:15a

12a

Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:35a Moonrise: 4:33a Set: 2:47p AM Minor: 1:55a AM Major: 8:09a PM Minor: 2:24a PM Major: 8:38a Moon Overhead: 9:42a Moon Underfoot: 10:11p

MONDAY

Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:37a Moonrise: 6:43a Set: 4:45p AM Minor: 3:44a AM Major: 9:59a PM Minor: 4:15a PM Major: 10:31a Moon Overhead: 11:43a Moon Underfoot: None

12a

Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:40a Moonrise: 9:54a Set: 9:30p AM Minor: 7:53a AM Major: 1:40a PM Minor: 8:20a PM Major: 2:06a Moon Overhead: 3:38p Moon Underfoot: 3:12a

SUNDAY

2 ft.

1 ft.

0 ft.

-1ft.

12a

Jan 15

12p

12a

Low Tide: 1:04a 0.58 ft. High Tide: 5:40a 0.80 ft. Low Tide: 12:51p -0.40 ft. High Tide: 8:17p 0.90 ft.

Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:41a Moonrise: 10:29a Set: 10:36p AM Minor: 8:51a AM Major: 2:39a PM Minor: 9:16a PM Major: 3:04a Moon Overhead: 4:28p Moon Underfoot: 4:04a

OutdoorNation-2311-DIG.indd 65

Jan 16

12p

Low Tide: 2:07a High Tide: 7:35a Low Tide: 1:39p High Tide: 8:33p

0.29 ft. 0.66 ft. -0.03 ft. 0.82 ft.

Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:42a Moonrise: 11:01a Set: 11:40p AM Minor: 9:46a AM Major: 3:34a PM Minor: 10:10a PM Major: 3:58a Moon Overhead: 5:16p Moon Underfoot: 4:53a

12a

Jan 17

12p

Low Tide: 3:10a High Tide: 9:43a Low Tide: 2:28p High Tide: 8:45p

-0.03 ft. 0.63 ft. 0.34 ft. 0.80 ft.

Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:42a Moonrise: 11:33a Set: None AM Minor: 10:37a AM Major: 4:25a PM Minor: 11:01a PM Major: 4:49a Moon Overhead: 6:04p Moon Underfoot: 5:40a

12a

12p

Jan 18 º

Low Tide: 4:12a -0.32 ft. High Tide: 12:06p 0.73 ft. Low Tide: 3:32p 0.66 ft. High Tide: 8:47p 0.81 ft.

Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:43a Moonrise: 12:07p Set: 12:44a AM Minor: 11:27a AM Major: 5:14a PM Minor: 11:51a PM Major: 5:39a Moon Overhead: 6:54p Moon Underfoot: 6:29a

12a

Jan 19

12p

Low Tide: 5:12a High Tide: 2:37p

-0.56 ft. 0.93 ft.

Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 5:44a Moonrise: 12:43p Set: 1:49a AM Minor: ----AM Major: 6:02a PM Minor: 12:15p PM Major: 6:27a Moon Overhead: 7:45p Moon Underfoot: 7:19a

12a

Jan 20

12p

Low Tide: 6:09a High Tide: 3:56p

-0.74 ft. 1.08 ft.

Sunrise: 7:12a Set: 5:45a Moonrise: 1:24p Set: 2:54a AM Minor: 12:36p AM Major: 6:49a PM Minor: 1:03a PM Major: 7:16a Moon Overhead: 8:38p Moon Underfoot: 8:11a

12a

Jan 21

12p

Low Tide: 7:04a High Tide: 4:44p

12a

-0.86 ft. 1.15 ft.

Sunrise: 7:12a Set: 5:46a Moonrise: 2:10p Set: 3:58a AM Minor: 1:24a AM Major: 7:37a PM Minor: 1:51a PM Major: 8:04a Moon Overhead: 9:32p Moon Underfoot: 9:05a

10/16/23 9:20 AM

Texas TACTICAL Tippmann’s .22LR AR is a Blast to Train With

R STYLE RIFLES ARE EASIly the #1 best selling model rifle in America. Of course, these are most often chambered in 5.56x45mm or .223 Remington for obvious reasons. Luckily, around 40 cents per round is an affordable enough caliber to train in moderately. However, rimfire is still much more affordable for training purposes and an AR15 chambered in .22LR can be quite fun as well.

actually used to manufacture miniature 22LR machine guns back in the 1980’s until congress outlawed full autos. After that they decided to move into manufacturing paintball guns, but the same family also manufactures reproduction Gatling Guns (see this on my YouTube channel) as well as the M4-22s. Upon my first handling of the M4-22 I took the bolt out of the receiver and was instantly pleased. It’s solid. It’s not finicky

Tactical-2311.indd 60

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

TF&G Shooting Editor

is still compatible, so we updated our triggers with the LaRue MBT-2S models. This gives a nice crisp break for the marksman. After an initial break in period, we have had amazing reliability with the M4-22s. And the initial failures were just trigger related on packed full magazines. Sometimes lower power 22LR loads, such as the CCI Standard The Tippmann M4-22 looks and handles we use in order to stay just like a full sized AR. The 25 round subsonic while being proprietary magazines are easy to load suppressed, don’t have by just sliding (or removing) the outer sleeve as shown here) the energy to recock the hammer before break in is complete. As for accuracy, our M4-22 fluted barrels produced sub 1” ten round groups from 50 yards. While that might not be super match grade, it’s definitely practical accuracy grade at 0.93” giving you plenty of accuracy for training with a lighter and more affordable ammunition. I’ve raised my kids on AR rimfire riding on rails, but an actual full sized lightplatforms which in turn allows for easy weight bolt that should never break on you. Simplicity means strength and reliability. The transition to hunting. My kids hardly realrifle itself is lightweight with its polymer hand ized I swapped rifles on them until after the successful shot was fired. This led to guard and the models we use for camp also them making more accurate shots, so they boast of fluted barrels which helps reduce weren’t scared by larger calibers and slopweight as well. py on the trigger. If you want a Tippmann Much of the rifle Scan to Hear M4-22 in your collection, find out more at Audio Version is still a dedicated  tippmannarms.com. .22LR, so you won’t be putting a mil-spec centerfire upper on this lower Email Dustin Ellermann at since it’s all propriContactUs@ﬁshgame.com etary. However, the fire control group

In running a Youth Marksmanship Camp, we give many models of rifles an intense test of durability. We started off with a couple of Smith and Wesson M&P 15-22 models a few years ago. We ended up breaking them both in a few short seasons. They had to be re-barreled as well as internal parts replaced such as broken firing pins. Next, we tried CMMG Banshees. These are actual AR15 receivers with dedicated 22LR barrels. However, the internals are the same as the conversion bolts and could be finicky at times with hard use. This past season we converted to Tippmann Arms M4-22s. While the Tippmann family name is most commonly identified as a paintball company, they 66

:: by DUSTIN ELLERMANN

T E X A S

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PHOTO: DUSTIN ELLERMANN

10/10/23 6:07 PM

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023

10/10/23 6:08 PM

JACK CREVALLE Padre Island National Seashore Nina Garrett caught and released this jack crevalle in the surf at the Padre Island National Seashore. The ﬁsh gave a 20 minute ﬁght, then swam away strong after posing for a few quick photos.

LARGEMOUTH BASS Lake Bob Sandlin Yandel Tirado of Henderson caught these bass on Lake Bob Sandlin while ﬁshing a tournament with

BLACK DRUM Rockport Nine-year old Jake Pye caught and released this big black drum at a well in Aransas Bay out of Rockport.

CATFISH Sabine River Pat Stewart and Crey Hammons of Montgomery caught this 27.5 pound ﬂathead while ﬁshing the Sabine River.

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WHITETAIL Victoria County

SNOOK

Nine-year-old Aiden Matey took this 9-point buck while hunting with his crossbow on a ranch in Victoria County.

Lower Laguna Madre Fifteen-year-old Robert Ramirez caught and released this 38-inch snook while ﬁshing from a kayak in the Lower Laguna Madre.

LARGEMOUTH BASS Conroe Chase Wyatt caught this bass while ﬁshing with his brother and sister at Conroe.

RED SNAPPER Gulf of Mexico Kenny Bohuslav caught this red snapper while ﬁshing in the Gulf of Mexico. The ﬁsh weighed 26 pounds.

REDFISH West Galveston Bay Brody Svec caught his ﬁrst slot redﬁsh at Terramar Beach on West Galveston Bay.

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Open SEASON “You talking about the ground stand that looked like an outhouse?” “I think it was an old outhouse someone moved and turned into a deer stand. Remember, we had to share that plank seat neither of us wanted to investigate and then all of a sudden, a rattlesnake was right there?” We both shivered at the recollection of a two-foot rattler that slithered through a crack in under our seat and crawled around while we could do nothing but hold our breath until it left of its own accord. “I don’t know which was worse, the original use, or the snake. At least they left half a Sears Christmas catalog nailed to the wall.” Willie nodded as if I’d made a profound statement. “Gave me something to look at when there weren’t any deer around. Hard to believe what a Davy Crockett camping tent cost in 1955.” To keep from frosting up, I fired up a little heater and blessed warmth flowed out. A thump beside me vibrated the stand. “Now what’re you doing?” “This chair is too low for me to see out the window.” He worked at the lever on the side like a man jacking up a car, thumping the wall with his elbow with every pump. The chair and both his knees creaked as he adjusted the height. I thought he was finished making noise until he reached out and slid open the aluminum windows directly in front of where we sat. Still not through, he opened the window to his side and adjusted his position. Cold air flowed in and neutralized my heater as he pulled on a pair of wool gloves. Fascinated by the antics of someone I’ve hunted with for over forty years, I watched as he produced a thermos from his daypack and positioned it and two insulated cups on the shelf in front of us. It was light enough by then to see the wintery mix falling outside, and the barrel feeder a hundred yards away. He poured two cups of coffee, handed me one, and swiveled to the right to peer out the window. Seeing nothing, he added cream, sugar, and some kind of fooScan to Hear foo flavoring to his Audio Version steaming coffee.  He took a sip. “You want a bagel?” “No. I’ll just drink this.” He unwrapped the baked good, separated the two pieces

:: by REAVIS Z. WORTHAM

TF&G Humor Editor

The Cold and Wet

HESE STEPS DON’T LOOK safe.” Dawn was half an hour away as I peered through the darkness at Wrong Willie, standing on the wooden steps a few feet below the door to my three-person deer stand. Sleet and rain rattled off the tin roof. “They’re fine. I used five-inch screws through the side to make sure they’re stable.” He squinted upward, painting the homemade stand with his flashlight beam. “Looks like you patched a hole in the side.” “Had to. Pterodactyls were flying in and out. You’re pretty observant this time of the morning.” Willie sounded like a Shetland pony stomping up the steps. He slammed the door and banged the wall with the butt of his rifle. I squeezed to the side to give him more room. “Are you trying to make noise?” “I’m trying to get in out of this cold.” “It isn’t much warmer in here.” I settled into an old office chair acquiredyears earlier. Willie snapped on his flashlight and waved the beam like Darth Vader’s light saber. “Dang. Is this new carpet on the floor?” “Yessir. Had some in the attic.” “Man, this is uptown.” He paused, probing the interior with his light. “It’s so cold in here though all the wasps froze to death.” “That’s for sure. A couple of days ago I brought out a generator and the War Department’s vacuum cleaner. Filled up half of the container. I bet there were a thousand dead bugs. A couple of freeze-dried animal carcasses, too.” Ignoring my satire, he settled into the other chair and flicked off his landing light. “This is nicer than that lease out in Hamlin.” 70

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and dug around in his pack. “I have butter and cream cheese.” “I bet you do.” Finished with his comforts, he took a bite and gave me a grin. “I think I’m ready.” “For someone to serve bacon and eggs?” Completely missing my sarcasm, he sat the thermos closer to me. “No, ready to see a deer or hog come walking out. Do you realize this is the first time we’ve hunted on land that one of us owns? We’ve been on leases for decades, but now we can fix this stand of yours up the way we want.” Instead of making the obvious crack about having to buy the place, I took a sip of black coffee. “You thinking about adding pictures to the walls?” He raised an eyebrow. “Maybe. I have a couple of old hunting prints somewhere.” He jerked a thumb. “We could hang ‘em there. It’d be kinda homey.” Silence filled the air as we looked across the frosty landscape. Willie turned up the heat. “The one thing we could use in here is electricity. Then we could make a pot of Folgers that’d stay hot and have an electric heater that’s nice and quiet.” Again, I held my tongue about his nesting habits. “Feel free to run a power line out here.” Missing the sarcasm, he grunted as sleet rattled on the stand’s corrugated tin roof. “Yep, here we are all dry, toasty and warm.” I shivered as the ground turned white with sleet. “I have an idea for tomorrow morning.” “What’s that?” “About daylight, we go out to the shop beside the cabin, plug in a coffee pot and turn on the heat. I set up a feeder a hundred yards away.” “You didn’t tell me about that.” He frowned. “So why are we out in this weather?” “Old times sake. It’s called tradition.” “The heck with tradition. We can walk sixty seconds from the house to the shop with heat and electricity.” Willie paused. “And a bathroom. That was one benefit of the Hamlin stand.” “Really?” He sighed. “All this coffee. I’ll be right back.” I sat back and grinned as he stepped out into the cold. “Jeeze!” He’d found the rubber snake I’d left out there.

Email Ravis Wortham at ContactUs@ﬁshgame.com

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Texas Fish & Game November/December 2023

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