Texas Sportsman Aug. 2016 by Texas Sportsman

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LIVING THE DREAM ALL THE TIME Omar Espericuetaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bucket list similar at work and in life

n SIGHT n THETROPHY THE SHACKFISHING CASTING IN THEWITH GRAVEYARD JAGUAR RETURNS COOKING DURIVAGE YOUR TROUT ELUSIVE WATUSI INSIDE: WITH IN LOUISIANA SOUTHERN INLAND EXPOSURE

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INSIDE

“IT’S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT THE BIG BUCK OR THE BIG FISH.” -- OMAR ESPERICUETA Many anglers’ bucket list may include dreamy items like a swordfish or an exotic and rare species. For hunters, it’s the same thing – maybe a safari is atop their goals list. Likewise in business, owners have their goals - maybe a 50 or more percent profit margin is waiting at the mountain top. But the obvious – the cliché – is not always the case. While it may seem to many people that these items are obvious, sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest impacts, and that are the most enjoyable. Take Riverside Pharmacy owner Omar Espericueta for example. “For me it truly is the experience that stands out the most,” said Espericueta, an avid angler and hunter. “I enjoy the South Texas wildlife and we are so fortunate to have the opportunity for great hunting and fishing in our back yards.” Espericueta opened what was known as Penitas Family Pharmacy in 2005. A 2003 graduate of Texas Tech, he said he knew as a young boy that he wanted to be a pharmacist. He saw Penitas as an area not only growing but realized he could help serve an underserved area and be an active part of its community. “There was a medical plaza being built at the time and that’s where we are today,” Espericueta said. “We are completing the 10-year mark.” Completing that 10 year mark includes opening a second pharmacy in South McAllen, scheduled to open in the fall, and changing the name to Riverside Pharmacy. “We have expanded services since we first opened,” Espericueta said. “We deliver all over Hidalgo and Starr County, and parts of Cameron County.” Still, serving those in Penitas and its close knit community is something Espericueta insists is the driving force behind the pharmacy – and what he enjoys the most. “People here have become like family,” he said. “I probably know most of them on a first-name basis. It’s really a down to earth business and it’s humbling to help people in need of medicine. “People think that we (pharmacists) just count tails but there’s more than that. We analyze prescriptions for one thing. A lot of

LIVING THE DREAM ALL THE TIME For Omar Espericueta, the finer things in life aren’t necessarily the ones with all the glitz and glamour

times we contact doctors to talk about better options – sometimes insurance doesn’t always pay for the first choice so we offer expertise for other options.” It’s those type of statements that can make you continue believing (or restore your faith) in human kindness. Espericueta lives his outdoor sporting life the same way, moving aside the glitter or glitz of huge racks or once-in-a-lifetime catches for simpler – and much more important – ideals. “I’ve been taking my son out hunting and fishing since he was 6,” said Espericueta, whose youngest son Alec is now 11 (his other child in 21-year-old Lamar). “He loves being at the ranch hunting and those experiences are what matters most to me – like showing him what I’ve been taught on rifle awareness, how to hook a lure and how to cast it. It’s not always about the big buck or the big fish.” Don’t get him wrong, Espericueta has a few items in bucket, including a trip to the Yucatan to experience the full deep sea experience, going after a swordfish or sail fish. He’s also like to check off an elk hunt in Colorado. But those future memories will always pale in comparison to those quiet, cramped moments with his son. “There’s something that will always stick out, sharing a small blind with you son, absorbing the quietness and looking for movement,” he said. “Teaching him to understand how to age a deer by site and choosing the right deer – it’s not just shooting what’s in front of you, that’s not always what you want to shoot.” One of Espericueta’s fondest moments was watching his son haul in a large red fish at the age of 6 where “our hearts were pumping from the excitement.” “A lot of our time is spent sharing stories, remembering and laughing about past experiences,” Espericueta said. “Like when he (Alec) figured out firsthand that when you’re in the water you don’t have all the facilities you have at home – there’s no electronics, no iPad – and you make the best of it and absorb the environment. Being outside, enjoying nature, sharing and teaching a loved one might be the hunter’s and angler’s best bucket list item of all.

Omar Espericueta has his priorities set in life. Sure, a big buck is nice, but spending time with his son is important. At work, yes it’s great to be successful financially, but it’s significant to play a positive role in the community.

WHAT’S INSIDE

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It’s Cast And Blast Time Schedule Yours Right Now It’s getting close to cast and blast time. One of the great things about living in South Texas is the diversity we have in the great outdoors. Running wild the past five months fishing, and fishing some more, throwing in some hog hunts or an exotic hunt. My friends and fans always ask me: What do you like to do most? Hunt or fish? I always chuckle and say both. As white wing season approaches, make sure you clean your shotgun and get ready. Double check everything and head over to the local range and practice your shots. After the annual whitewing hunt is over, you get back home and you start preparing your harvest of your birds. Well, there are so many different Fred Rodriguez is the Texas Sportsman and has decades of ways to cook them up. experience and knowledge regarding hunting and fishing. One of my favorites is You can watch his show, The Texas Sportsman, on FOX in getting the dove breast the Rio Grande Valley at 11:30 a.m on Saturdays. and stuffing them with some breakfast sausage, a slither of Serrano pepper and a slither of block pepper jack cheese. Then wrap it in bacon and drizzle it with some zesty Italian dressing. I like to put them in a basket with some tomatoes and onions and green and red peppers, and put them on the pit. I’ll cook them for 30-40 minutes, flipping every five minutes. While they are grilling, I will prepare my special seasoning. Mix to taste some sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and a little bit of Dijon mustard. Then comes the side order of my wife’s delicious Mexican style rice. I gotta have it. Ok shift gears for this reminder. If you still have venison in the freezer, now is a good time to clean it out and have yourself a wild game dinner. Invite some friends over, have a great time and get ready to schedule your cast and blast outing. Give me a call for more details. Don’t know what a cast and blast weekend is? It’s when you go fishing for Redfish in the morning and then go shoot some doves in the afternoon. Get outdoors – gotta have it!

Volume 3, Isssue 4. August 2016. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of the publisher. Views and opinions expressed in this publication are strictly those of the writers, photographers and contributors, and are not necessarily those of Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors or its publisher. Every effort has been taken to ensure the correctness and accuracy in the material published in this magazine. Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors reserves the right to edit, rewrite and refuse editorial materials and assumes no responsibility for accuracy, errors, omissions or consequence arising from it. Texas

Sportsman Tracking Outdoors shall be held harmless and indemnified against any third-party claims. Advertisements appearing in Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors present only the viewpoint of the advertisers. Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors is printed in the U.S.A. All correspondence to the publication become the property of Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors.

FREE! TAKE ONE!

LIVING THE DREAM ALL THE TIME Omar Espericueta’s bucket list similar at work and in life

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

8 IT’S TIME Go ahead and schedule your cast and blast weekend.

Hunts to Remember Basics of Shotgun Safety

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If the Earth, moon and sun were observed from a distance, the moon would appear to be the size of a tennis ball, the Earth a basketball and the sun a huge fireball 100 feet across. Looking at the sun and moon from the Earth, however, both appear exactly the same size (a total solar eclipse is proof of this). Although the sun is 400 times larger than the moon, it is also 400 times farther away. We know that our universe is delicately balanced between gravitational forces and orbital speeds.These forces and movements are measurable, predictable and accurate with today’s space age technologies. For example, the gravitational force of the moon is 16% greater at transit time of the moon than at moonrise or moonset. At the new and full phases of the moon, the gravitational force is 3 times greater than at the quarter phases. When the moon is at perigee (closest to the earth) once a month, the effect is 38% greater than at apogee (farthest from the earth). Finally, the gravitational force of the sun is 10% greater at perihelion (in July) than at aphelion (in January). PERIGEE: HIGHEST TIDES

HISTORICAL Whitetail antlers have an amazing history.

King Ranch: 2205 Highway 141 West PO Box 1090 Kingsville, Texas 78364 361-592-8055 www.king-ranch.com Lomas Chicas Outfitters: Sarita, Tx. 956-232-0107 lomaschicasoutfitters.com Lonesome Bull Ranch: 203 Lang Road Portland, Texas 78374 361-683-9744 361-547-3840 lonesomebullranch.com Los Encinos Ranch: Kingsville, Tx. 78364 956-207-9154 www.losencinosranch.com Mariposa Ranch: 906 CR Road 225

Falfurrias, Tx. 78355 361-325-5827 www.mariposaranch.net McAllen Ranch: 33820 FM 1017 Linn, Tx. 78563 956-383-1960 www.mcallenranch.com Pair-O-Dice Ranch: Rio Hondo, Tx. 956-605-8097 www.pairodiceranch.com White Wing Ranch: 827 South Oklahoma Brownsville, Tx. 78521 956-838-5222 whitewingranch.com Santos Ranch /Las Lomas: Frio County, Tx. 210-844-3637 www.santosranch.com

To have your ranch/lodge listed in Texas Sportsman Magazine, email joey.texassportsman@gmail.com

APOGEE: LOWEST TIDES

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

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Visit us online: www.osoteloskincancer.com WHAT ARE LUNAR TRANSIT TIMES?

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

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ASTRONOMICAL FACTS...

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

Gravick Ranch: 4985 FM-1017 San Isidro, Tx. 78588 956-481-3273 www.gravickranch.com

Transit times, listed in this publication, from September 2015 to August 2016, are applicable to the coordinates of McAllen, Texas (98.2 degrees west longitude, 26.2 degrees north latitude). To find the best time to fish or hunt in your area, begin by choosing the longitude line that corresponds to your area. If you hunt or fish east of McAllen, add 4 minutes from the listed time for every degree (approximately 65 miles) you move east. If you hunt west of McAllen, subtract 4 minutes for every degree you move west.

BEST MORNINGS OR AFTERNOONS

When you leave home to go hunting don’t leave your good manners at home.

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13 S 15 M

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5:06 5:50 6:33 FIRST QUARTER/APOGEE

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Archeologist Carolyn Boyd, who directs the Shumla rock art research and education program in Val Verde County, believes this creation myth, originally ascribed to the Huichol culture of Northern Mexico but now thought to be much earlier than that, is recorded in ancient rock art near the Rio Grande. Paintings found in the high rock canyons of the lower Pecos River often depict deer and human-like figures wearing headgear supporting a pair of antlers. If not every culture's view of cosmology, the roughly 4,000-year-old painting at the White Shaman site nevertheless represents the emergence of deer antlers as a cultural icon in the Southwest. While most hunters today primarily view whitetail deer as a source of lean meat and trophy racks, the antlers grown and shed every year from the foreheads of bucks are more than symmetrical (or non-typical) calcium formations intended by nature for self-defense and as a symbol of genetic quality. Since before recorded history, antlers—either taken from harvested deer or picked up after being shed—have comforted and benefited man as spiritual symbols

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

COMMENTS

NEW MOON

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ollowing the sacred deer, the first people emerge from the serpent-filled underwater world in the west. Lighting their way with torches, they walk east toward what they came to call Dawn Mountain. Once they reach the high ground, the deer that willingly led them from the abyss beneficently sacrifices tself. When the deer falls, its carcass suddenly blooms with peyote buttons. The vision-producing plant even grows from the tips of the deer's antlers. Eating the deer, the people become gods, and the world begins.

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

MOON

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

10 W

BY MIKE COX

STAFF

3 W

They are much more than just hard calcium

n SIGHT n THETROPHY THE SHACKWITH CASTING IN THE GRAVEYARD JAGUAR RETURNS COOKING DURIVAGE TROUT ELUSIVE WATUSI YOUR INSIDE: FISHING IN LOUISIANA WITH SOUTHERN INLAND EXPOSURE

ON THE COVER Omar Espericueta has big dreams making a difference in the lives of others, both at home and work, top that list.

DAY

1 2

RANCH AND LODGE LISTINGS

CONVERSION MAP

AUG. 2016 LUNAR TRANSIT TIMES

WHITETAIL ANTLERS

LUNAR TIMES BOOK IT The best times for Don’t wait any hunting and fishing. longer to book a ranch or lodge!

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

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

A Journal Entry From Alberto Santos Bird Hunting

By Alberto Santos This is the time of the year when the doves start flying and a bird hunter gathers up some friends to go dove hunting. Here are some of the basics of shot gun safety and etiquette when hunting with friends. Be safe. Have fun and don’t forget to lead those birds. Safety and etiquette are always a good idea but they are most important when you are hunting with a friend becasue it is always bad when you shoot and kill your friend. It is also bad when you just wing him or scare the hell out of him. Please follow these simple rules and you and your friends can all have an enjoyable hunt.

SAFETY FIRST

The cosequences of not putting safety first are just not acceptable. An unintentional discharge of your gun could be fatal even when your shotgun is only loaded with birdshot. Even if no one is hurt, it will be embarasing for you but it could be terrifying to your friend. If you shoot too close to your guest you could blow out his eardrum and cause permanent lose of hearing. Blow your friend’s eardrum and you will never hear from him again. And if you shoot your foot off you could ruin the hunt for everyone. The old saying to always treat your gun as if its loaded is always true but there is more.

a. Over/Unders and Side by Sides should be broken b. Automatics and Pumps with open chamber 3. While hunting, you should always know where the other hunters in your party are and let them know where you will be. 4. Never shoot towards (or over) another hunter or person. 5. Wear glasses to prevent stray pellets hitting your eyes. 6. When standing near or with another hunter never fire your gun unless they are standing behind you. 7. Wear hearing protection. 8. Unload your gun when entering a building or vehicle or when crossing over

(or under) a fence. 9. If another hunter is not hunting and you can not see clearly that his gun is not loaded, you may ask if his gun is loaded. Respond politely if someone asks you if your gun is loaded. Open the chamber, and keep it open if your are not hunting. 10. Encourage other hunters to practice all the safety rules.

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DOVE HUNTING ETUQUETTE

When you leave home to go hunting don’t leave your good manners at home.

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SHOTGUN SAFETY BASICS

1. Be very familiar with your gun and its operation. You should be so familiar with your hunting gun that you can perform the following functions with your eyes closed. a. load and unload the gun b. check if the gun is loaded c. check if the gun has the safety “on” You should be carfull with your gun but never be afraid of it. You need to have the confidence that you are always in control of what it does. 2. When you are not hunting, your gun should be unloaded and open (to show others that it is not loaded)

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SHOTGUN ETIQUETTE TRUE PARADISE It’s dove season time - here are some reminders on being safe, and friendly.

Fred Rodriguez takes to the water in Buras, La. for a great time with Southern Inland Exposure.

34 WERE YOU THERE? Check out our photos from the 26th annual Texas Hunters & Sportsman Expo.

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L A R G E S T

R U R A L

L E N D E R

It’s Cast And Blast Time Schedule Yours Right Now It’s getting close to cast and blast time. One of the great things about living in South Texas is the diversity we have in the great outdoors. Running wild the past five months fishing, and fishing some more, throwing in some hog hunts or an exotic hunt. My friends and fans always ask me: What do you like to do most? Hunt or fish? I always chuckle and say both. As white wing season approaches, make sure you clean your shotgun and get ready. Double check everything and head over to the local range and practice your shots. After the annual whitewing hunt is over, you get back home and you start preparing your harvest of birds. Well, there are so many different ways to Fred Rodriguez is the Texas Sportsman and has decades of cook them up. One of my experience and knowledge regarding hunting and fishing. favorites is getting the You can watch his show, The Texas Sportsman, on FOX in dove breast and stuffing the Rio Grande Valley at 11:30 a.m on Saturdays. them with some breakfast sausage, a slither of Serrano pepper and a slither of block pepper jack cheese. Then wrap it in bacon and drizzle it with some zesty Italian dressing. I like to put them in a basket with some tomatoes and onions and green and red peppers, and put them on the pit. I’ll cook them for 30-40 minutes, flipping every five minutes. While they are grilling, I will prepare my special seasoning. Mix to taste some sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and a little bit of Dijon mustard. Then comes the side order of my wife’s delicious Mexican style rice. I gotta have it. Ok shift gears for this reminder. If you still have venison in the freezer, now is a good time to clean it out and have yourself a wild game dinner. Invite some friends over, have a great time and get ready to schedule your cast and blast outing. Give me a call for more details. Don’t know what a cast and blast weekend is? It’s when you go fishing for Redfish in the morning and then go shoot some doves in the afternoon. Get outdoors – gotta have it!

FREE! TAKE ONE!

LIVING THE DREAM ALL THE TIME Omar Espericueta’s bucket list similar at work and in life

n SIGHT n THETROPHY THE SHACKWITH CASTING IN THE GRAVEYARD JAGUAR RETURNS COOKING DURIVAGE TROUT ELUSIVE WATUSI YOUR INSIDE: FISHING IN LOUISIANA WITH SOUTHERN INLAND EXPOSURE

ON THE COVER Omar Espericueta has big dreams making a difference in the lives of others, both at home and work, top that list. (tikitillmanphotos.com)

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

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

Joey Dowden Ad Sales joey.texassportsman @gmail.com (956) 607-0853

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

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Hunts to Remember Basics of Shotgun Safety A Journal Entry From Alberto Santos Bird Hunting

When you leave home to go hunting don’t leave your good manners at home.

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

SAFETY FIRST

DOVE HUNTING ETUQUETTE

When you leave home to go hunting don’t leave your good manners at home.

SHOTGUN SAFETY BASICS

1. Don’t shoot at birds that are in another hunter’s primary hunting space. If you kill a bird over someone elses hunting space, you look like a greedy-hog and if you miss you look like a stupid-greedy- hog. 2. “Call” incoming birds for nearby hunters to make sure they see them in time to take a shot. 3. If you know the flight patterns, give your guest(s) the best shooting spot. 4. If out of sheer luck you get a better shooting spot, call your friend/guest over. 5. If another hunter’s bird falls in your hunting zone, pick it up for the other hunter. 6. While it is ok to ask another hunter how they are doing you should not ask how many birds he has killed. If he feels he is doing well he may tell you how many birds he has taken. Similarly you should not lead with how many birds you have killed in hopes that they will have to tell how many they have. 7. It is good practice to compliment a shooter on his good form or in making a clean kill or a difficult shot. It is not good etiquette to point out shooting flaws, provide unsolicited pointers or to say “Man, you should have had that one…. it was an easy shot. Even I would have killed that one.” 8. Don’t be a “sky blaster.” Occationally the birds will be flying a bit high and it may take a few shots to get your timing down but if the birds are out of your effective shooting range, don’t shoot. Let them pass. Maybe they will be lower for the next hunter. Sky blasting only makes the birds fly higher and faster. Follow these simple rules and you will have a safe hunt and your friend will feel comfortable knowing you care about his safety.

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THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE TEXAS RANGERS!

WHITETAIL ANTLERS They are much more than just hard calcium

BY MIKE COX ollowing the sacred deer, the first people emerge from the serpent-filled underwater world in the west. Lighting their way with torches, they walk east toward what they came to call Dawn Mountain. Once they reach the high ground, the deer that willingly led them from the abyss beneficently sacrifices tself. When the deer falls, its carcass suddenly blooms with peyote buttons. The vision-producing plant even grows from the tips of the deer's antlers. Eating the deer, the people become gods, and the world begins. Archeologist Carolyn Boyd, who directs the Shumla rock art research and education program in Val Verde County, believes this creation myth, originally ascribed to the Huichol culture of Northern Mexico but now thought to be much earlier than that, is recorded in ancient rock art near the Rio Grande. Paintings found in the high rock canyons of the lower Pecos River often depict deer and human-like figures wearing headgear supporting a pair of antlers. If not every culture's view of cosmology, the roughly 4,000-year-old painting at the White Shaman site nevertheless represents the emergence of deer antlers as a cultural icon in the Southwest. While most hunters today primarily view whitetail deer as a source of lean meat and trophy racks, the antlers grown and shed every year from the foreheads of bucks are more than symmetrical (or non-typical) calcium formations intended by nature for self-defense and as a symbol of genetic quality. Since before recorded history, antlersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;either taken from harvested deer or picked up after being shedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;have comforted and benefited man as spiritual symbols

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and cultural artifacts ranging from tools to art. But in the beginning, stood the fundamental human need of food. When a pre-Texas Texan thrust his forearm forward to unleash a flint-pointed dart in the direction of a white-tailed deer, the size of the buck's antlers did not mean nearly as much to him as it does to a modern hunter. Back then what mattered most was providing nutrition for his people, be it immediate family or all the other hunter-gatherers in his band. As scientists later calculated, a 100-pound whitetail roughly equals 30,684 calories of edible meat. Based on an average human caloric intake of 2,500 a day, one deer could have fed 12 people for one day. And in some parts of what would become Texas, deer were not as plentiful as most would think. For example, archeological research has shown that in the lower Trans-Pecos, plants constituted 80 percent of the Paleo man's diet. Of the 20 percent protein portion, small mammals were what's for dinner much more often than venison. Beyond the protein and fat a deer provided, the deer's antlers amounted to the Home Depot raw material section of the day. The heavy end of a deer antler made a good knife handle and the sharp tines could be used as awls. Pieces of

antler also came in handy for digging and flint-knapping. Given the value of a whitetail as both a food and tool source, the larger the deer (and its antlers if it was a buck) the more impressive the kill in the eyes of other hunter-gatherers. Even though a doe or young buck is better eating than a big, older buck, taking a white-tail with a big set of antlers came to be seen as evidence of power. A successful hunter possessed good medicine. Even before Paleo-era people found practical uses for antlers, across the Pacific the Chinese came to believe that ground velvet reindeer antlers amounted to good medicine in the pharmaceutical sense. Asian herbal healers still view ingesting ground deer antler as a way to lower blood pressure, relieve arthritis pain and just about anything else that might ail you. When the first Europeans began trekking across Texas, they did not see a deer as a four-legged deity or walking tool box. But early explorers did come to appreciate how venison tasted, especially with seasoning. In the fresh meat department, Spanish priests and soldiers, along with French interlopers, found white-tail deer and other game animals abundant. With the coming of the industrial revolution, the utilitarian use of deer began to decrease, though its value as a menu item

did not. Somewhere between the take-adeer-or-go-hungry days and the taming of the Texas frontier in the final quarter of the 19th century, the size of a buck's rack became a matter of hunter pride and bragging rights. Who knows who the first hunter was who decided to keep a nice rack hanging over his fireplace along with his favorite rifle, but a big set of antlers became increasingly popular as a trophy. The formation of the Boone and Crockett Club in 1887 by avid hunter and future big stick President Theodore Roosevelt, likely came about the time that hunting began its transition toward being considered more of a sporting activity than strictly a means to acquire meat on the cloven hoof. The club developed the numerical antler scoring system still used today. Slowly, antlers also attained an economic value. An early instance of that occurred in San Antonio. There, in 1881, German-Texan Albert Friedrich tired of working for someone else as a bartender and bellhop and decided to go into business for himself. With adult-like promotional acumen, the 17-year-old Alamo City teenager opened a saloon on Main Plaza. He named it the Buckhorn. At some point early in that venerable establishment's history (it's still in business), young Friedrich had a great marketing

idea. Since many of the cowpokes and others who came to town had little more than a change of shirts in their saddlebags and even less in their pockets, Friedrich came up with the notion of offering a free drink to anyone who brought in a set of antlers he could hang on the walls of his saloon. As word spread of this arrangement, the watering hole acquired a Texas-size collection of horns that not only drew customers who did have cash for drinks, it attracted the growing tourist trade. When national Prohibition put most saloons out of business starting in 1922, deer antlers helped keep the Buckhorn from closing. Friedrich continued to use his still-growing collection of antlers to entice visitors. Instead of topping off beer mugs, the entrepreneurially minded San Antonioan sold lunches and non-alcoholic drinks. He also opened one of Texas' first curio shops, a big draw being his hall of horns. Expanding on her husband's concept, Emilie Friedrich started swapping free drinks for rattlesnake rattlesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;minus the snake, of course. She then transformed rattles into souvenirs out-of-state visitors could hardly resist taking home to show how wild Texas was. Though clearly a sharp businessman, in naming his saloon Friedrich could have used a little help with nomenclature.

Though "horn" and "antler" tend to be used as synonyms, they are not the same. Only bovines have horns and only deer sport antlers. Horns consist of material similar to fingernails and grow on both male and females; antlers, with rare exception, are particular only to bucks. That said, Buckhorn Saloon does have a better ring to it than Buckantler Saloon. The Buckhorn no longer trades adult beverages for antlers, but deer antlers are big business in Texas today. Shed antlers can be purchased on line for use in a wide variety of ways, or a hunter can spend thousands to harvest a potential Boone and Crockett record-shattering South Texas buck on a high-fenced ranch. Hundreds of thousands of Texans will be taking whitetail and mule deer this year, but deer hunting has long since ceased to be a matter of survival. While venison tastes as good today as it did before the beginning of recorded history, antlers have evolved into cultural artifacts. One aspect of that is folk art. In 1968, the Kimble [County] Business and Professional Women's Club took it upon themselves to build a conical deer antler "tree" in Junction that decorated nicely during the holidays and attracted tourists with cameras year-round. The antler tree idea caught on. The web site

Pinterest.com has numerous pins illustrating various antler Christmas trees. The practical uses of deer antlers, though now mostly ornamental, include using antlers or cut antlers for just about anything a creative type can imagine. One hunter's blog lists 51 things than can be done with antlers, the last being nothing but looking at them and remembering a great hunt. Other of many uses include jewelry, wall hooks, drawer pulls, knife handles, candle holders, lamp bases, buttons, letter openers, writing pens and black powder flasks. Deer antler casket sprays are even available to solace the grief of those who lose avid hunters. Antlers even play a role in what the more practical-minded outdoor enthusiastic might call the supply chain. During the rut, many hunters use a set of antlers to "rattle" up another buck. Hearing the brittle clacking of bone-on-bone, a buck thinks another buck is fighting a rival for the favor of a nearby doe. Against what should be his better judgment, the opportunist buck lopes to the scene expecting to win over the fair lady only to be felled by a waiting hunter who has set down his rattling horns and picked up his rifle. And then another set of antlers either goes up on the wall or gets turned into some other form of cultural artifact.

LIVING THE DREAM ALL THE TIME For Omar Espericueta, the finer things in life arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily the ones with all the glitz and glamour 18

“IT’S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT THE BIG BUCK OR THE BIG FISH.” -- OMAR ESPERICUETA Many anglers’ bucket list may include dreamy items like a swordfish or an exotic and rare species. For hunters, it’s the same thing – maybe a safari is atop their goals list. Likewise in business, owners have their goals - maybe a 50 or more percent profit margin is waiting at the mountain top. But the obvious – the cliché – is not always the case. While it may seem to many people that these items are obvious, sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest impacts, and that are the most enjoyable. Take Riverside Pharmacy owner Omar Espericueta for example. “For me it truly is the experience that stands out the most,” said Espericueta, an avid angler and hunter. “I enjoy the South Texas wildlife and we are so fortunate to have the opportunity for great hunting and fishing in our back yards.” Espericueta opened what was known as Penitas Family Pharmacy in 2005. A 2003 graduate of Texas Tech, he said he knew as a young boy that he wanted to be a pharmacist. He saw Penitas as an area not only growing but realized he could help serve an underserved area and be an active part of its community. “There was a medical plaza being built at the time and that’s where we are today,” Espericueta said. “We are completing the 10-year mark.” Completing that 10 year mark includes opening a second pharmacy in South McAllen, scheduled to open in the fall, and changing the name to Riverside Pharmacy. “We have expanded services since we first opened,” Espericueta said. “We deliver all over Hidalgo and Starr County, and parts of Cameron County.” Still, serving those in Penitas and its close knit community is something Espericueta insists is the driving force behind the pharmacy – and what he enjoys the most. “People here have become like family,” he said. “I probably know most of them on a first-name basis. It’s really a down to earth business and it’s humbling to help people in need of medicine. “People think that we (pharmacists) just count heads, but there’s more than that. We analyze prescriptions for one thing.

A lot of times we contact doctors to talk about better options – sometimes insurance doesn’t always pay for the first choice so we offer expertise for other options.” It’s those type of statements that can make you continue believing (or restore your faith) in human kindness. Espericueta lives his outdoor sporting life the same way, moving aside the glitter or glitz of huge racks or once-in-a-lifetime catches for simpler – and much more important – ideals. “I’ve been taking my son out hunting and fishing since he was 6,” said Espericueta, whose youngest son Alec is now 11 (his other child in 21-year-old Lamar). “He loves being at the ranch hunting and those experiences are what matters most to me – like showing him what I’ve been taught on rifle awareness, how to hook a lure and how to cast it. It’s not always about the big buck or the big fish.” Don’t get him wrong, Espericueta has a few items in bucket, including a trip to the Yucatan to experience the full deep sea experience, going after a swordfish or sail fish. He’d also like to check off an elk hunt in Colorado. But those future memories will always pale in comparison to those quiet, cramped moments with his son. “There’s something that will always stick out, sharing a small blind with your son, absorbing the quietness and looking for movement,” he said. “Teaching him to understand how to age a deer by site and choosing the right deer – it’s not just shooting what’s in front of you, that’s not always what you want to shoot.” One of Espericueta’s fondest moments was watching his son haul in a large red fish at the age of 6 where “our hearts were pumping from the excitement.” “A lot of our time is spent sharing stories, remembering and laughing about past experiences,” Espericueta said. “Like when he (Alec) figured out firsthand that when you’re in the water you don’t have all the facilities you have at home – there’s no electronics, no iPad – and you make the best of it and absorb the environment. Being outside, enjoying nature, sharing and teaching a loved one might be the hunter’s and angler’s best bucket list item of all.

CONVERSION MAP

AUG. 2016 LUNAR TRANSIT TIMES DAY

MOON

COMMENTS

A.M.

BEST

P.M.

1:56

2:22

2:47

3:11

3:36

3:57

4:22

4:41

5:06

5:25

5:50

6:08

6:33

6:51

10 W

NEW MOON

12:38

1:03

1:31

7:16

7:35

8:00

8:21

8:46

9:09

9:34

9:58

10:23

10:50

15 M

11:15

11:42

FIRST QUARTER/APOGEE

12:07

17 W 18

FULL MOON

12:35

1:00

1:28

1:53

2:21

2:46

3:14

3:39

4:06

4:31

22 M 23

PERIGEE

24 W 25

27 28

LAST QUARTER

4:59

5:24

5:53

6:18

6:48

7:13

7:43

8:08

8:39

9:04

9:36

10:01

10:31

10:56

29 M

11:24

31 W

BEST

11:49 12:15

12:40

1:04

BEST MORNINGS OR AFTERNOONS

ASTRONOMICAL FACTS... If the Earth, moon and sun were observed from a distance, the moon would appear to be the size of a tennis ball, the Earth a basketball and the sun a huge fireball 100 feet across. Looking at the sun and moon from the Earth, however, both appear exactly the same size (a total solar eclipse is proof of this). Although the sun is 400 times larger than the moon, it is also 400 times farther away. We know that our universe is delicately balanced between gravitational forces and orbital speeds.These forces and movements are measurable, predictable and accurate with today’s space age technologies. For example, the gravitational force of the moon is 16% greater at transit time of the moon than at moonrise or moonset. At the new and full phases of the moon, the gravitational force is 3 times greater than at the quarter phases. When the moon is at perigee (closest to the earth) once a month, the effect is 38% greater than at apogee (farthest from the earth). Finally, the gravitational force of the sun is 10% greater at perihelion (in July) than at aphelion (in January). PERIGEE: HIGHEST TIDES

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APOGEE: LOWEST TIDES

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Texas, Padre Island, Port Isabel

August 2016

N 26° 03.6' / W 97° 12.9' Date

Day

5:30a

High Tide 1.3

High Tide

6:00a

1.3

6:26a

1.2

1:57p

1.1

6:47a

1.2

3:14p

7:03a

1.1

4:27p

7:16a

1.0

7:24a

1.0

7:26a

10 11

Low Tide

Sunrise

Sunset

Moonrise

Moonset

6:55a

8:15p

5:43a

7:21p

6:55a

8:14p

6:41a

8:09p

6:56a

8:13p

7:39a

8:53p

6:56a

8:13p

8:36a

9:33p

6:57a

8:12p

9:30a

10:10p

0.8

6:57a

8:11p

10:23a

10:47p

0.7

6:58a

8:10p

11:14a

11:22p

2:31p

0.5

6:58a

8:10p

12:05p

11:57p

0.8

3:23p

0.4

6:59a

8:09p

12:56p

2:03a

0.9

4:16p

0.3

6:59a

8:08p

1:46p

12:34a

5:07p

0.2

7:00a

8:07p

2:37p

1:13a

1.2

5:56p

0.1

7:00a

8:07p

3:29p

1:54a

1.3

6:41p

0.0

7:01a

8:06p

4:20p

2:39a

4:12a

1.3

7:25p

-0.1

7:01a

8:05p

5:12p

3:27a

4:33a

1.4

8:08p

-0.1

7:02a

8:04p

6:02p

4:19a

4:54a

1.4

8:51p

-0.2

7:02a

8:03p

6:50p

5:15a

5:16a

1.4

12:32p

1.2

10:39a

1.2

9:36p

-0.1

7:02a

8:02p

7:37p

6:13a

5:36a

1.4

2:02p

1.2

10:46a

1.2

10:21p

0.0

7:03a

8:01p

8:23p

7:14a

5:53a

1.3

3:22p

1.2

11:07a

1.0

11:08p

0.1

7:03a

8:00p

9:06p

8:15a

6:06a

1.2

4:44p

1.2

11:39a

0.8

11:56p

0.3

7:04a

7:59p

9:50p

9:17a

6:15a

1.1

6:13p

1.1

12:20p

0.6

7:04a

7:59p

10:33p

10:19a

6:20a

1.0

7:55p

1.1

12:47a

0.6

1:08p

0.4

7:05a

7:58p

11:17p

11:22a

6:21a

1.0

9:57p

1.2

1:41a

0.9

2:03p

0.2

7:05a

7:57p

6:14a

1.1

2:47a

1.1

3:05p

0.0

7:06a

7:56p

12:04a

1:26p

12:10a

1.3

4:10p

-0.2

7:06a

7:55p

12:53a

2:28p

1:52a

1.4

5:16p

-0.2

7:06a

7:54p

1:44a

3:27p

2:53a

1.5

6:20p

-0.2

7:07a

7:53p

2:39a

4:23p

3:35a

1.6

7:21p

-0.2

7:07a

7:52p

3:35a

5:15p

4:08a

1.6

8:17p

-0.1

7:08a

7:51p

4:32a

6:04p

4:35a

1.5

12:33p

1.4

9:36a

1.4

9:09p

0.1

7:08a

7:50p

5:29a

6:48p

4:56a

1.4

1:58p

1.4

9:52a

1.3

9:58p

0.3

7:08a

7:48p

6:26a

7:29p

9:16p

-0.7

10:03p

-0.5

11:22a

1.1

10:47p

-0.3

1.0

11:47a

1.0

11:30p

-0.1

1.0

12:20p

0.9

5:42p

0.9

12:10a

0.2

12:59p

7:08p

0.9

12:47a

0.4

1:43p

1.0

8:58p

0.8

1:21a

0.6

7:23a

1.0

11:44p

0.9

1:51a

7:13a

1.0

6:45a

1.1

3:47a

3:54a

Phase New

1st

Full

12:24p 3rd

Two Rail

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*20% down, 0% A.P.R. financing for up to 84 months on new Kubota BX, B (excluding B26), L (excluding L39/L45/L47) & MX tractors is available to qualified purchasers from participating dealers’ in-stock inventory through 9/30/2016. Dealer Participation Required. Example: An 84-month monthly installment repayment term at 0% A.P.R. requires 84 payments of $11.90 per $1,000 financed. 0% A.P.R. interest is available to customers if no dealer documentation preparation fee is charged. Dealer charge for document preparation fee shall be in accordance with state laws. Inclusion of ineligible equipment may result in a higher blended A.P.R. 0% A.P.R. and low-rate financing may not be available with customer instant rebate offers. Financing is available through Kubota Credit Corporation, U.S.A., 3401 Del Amo Blvd., Torrance, CA 90503; subject to credit approval. Some exceptions apply. Offer expires 9/30/2016. See us for details on these and other low-rate options or go to www.kubota.com for more information. **Six year or 2,000 hour (whichever occurs first) limited powertrain warranty on new B, BX, L (excluding B26/L35/ L45/L47 models) and six year or 3,000 hours (whichever occurs first) on new MX tractors. For non-commercial, home and residential use only. Eligible units must be purchased and registered beginning June 1, 2016. Available to customers in 48 contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii. Only terms and conditions of Kubota’s standard Limited Warranty apply. For warranty terms, see Kubota’s Limited Warranty at www.kubota.com or authorized Kubota Dealers. Optional equipment may be shown. © Kubota Tractor Corporation, 2016.

Texas, Padre Island, Port Isabel

September 2016

N 26° 03.6' / W 97° 12.9' Date

Day

Sunrise

Sunset

Moonrise

Moonset

Phase

5:13a

High Tide 1.3

3:08p

High Tide 1.4

10:17a

Low Tide 1.2

10:43p

Low Tide 0.5

7:09a

7:47p

7:20a

8:08p

New

5:25a

1.3

4:13p

1.4

10:46a

1.0

11:25p

0.6

7:09a

7:46p

8:14a

8:44p

5:34a

1.2

5:15p

1.4

11:17a

0.9

7:10a

7:45p

9:06a

9:20p

5:37a

1.2

6:20p

1.3

12:05a

0.8

11:51a

0.8

7:10a

7:44p

9:57a

9:56p

5:35a

1.2

7:32p

1.3

12:42a

1.0

12:28p

0.7

7:11a

7:43p

10:48a

10:32p

5:26a

1.2

9:03p

1.3

1:19a

1.2

1:09p

0.6

7:11a

7:42p

11:38a

11:09p

5:07a

1.3

11:05p

1.4

2:00a

1.3

1:55p

0.6

7:11a

7:41p

12:29p

11:49p

2:47p

0.6

7:12a

7:40p

1:20p

1:02a

1.5

3:45p

0.5

7:12a

7:39p

2:10p

12:32a

1:54a

1.6

4:46p

0.5

7:13a

7:38p

3:01p

1:18a

2:26a

1.7

5:46p

0.4

7:13a

7:37p

3:51p

2:07a

2:51a

1.7

6:43p

0.4

7:13a

7:35p

4:39p

3:01a

3:15a

1.7

7:38p

0.4

7:14a

7:34p

5:27p

3:57a

3:36a

1.7

12:23p

1.5

9:08a

1.5

8:32p

0.5

7:14a

7:33p

6:13p

4:56a

3:55a

1.6

1:51p

1.5

9:18a

1.3

9:26p

0.5

7:15a

7:32p

6:58p

5:57a

4:09a

1.5

3:08p

1.6

9:41a

1.1

10:19p

0.7

7:15a

7:31p

7:42p

7:00a

4:20a

1.4

4:23p

1.6

10:13a

0.9

11:14p

0.9

7:15a

7:30p

8:26p

8:04a

4:27a

1.3

5:41p

1.7

10:52a

0.6

7:16a

7:29p

9:12p

9:08a

4:29a

1.3

7:05p

1.7

12:11a

1.1

11:37a

0.4

7:16a

7:28p

9:59p

10:13a

8:38p

1.7

12:28p

0.2

4:25a

1.3

1:14a

1.3

7:17a

7:27p

10:48p

11:17a

10:19p

1.8

1:24p

0.1

7:17a

7:25p

11:40p

12:21p

11:54p

1.8

2:26p

0.1

7:17a

7:24p

3:34p

0.1

7:18a

7:23p

12:35a

2:19p

1:04a

1.8

4:45p

0.2

7:18a

7:22p

1:31a

3:13p

1:53a

1.8

5:56p

0.4

7:19a

7:21p

2:27a

4:02p

2:27a

1.8

7:03p

0.6

7:19a

7:20p

3:24a

4:47p

2:53a

1.8

12:19p

1.6

8:31a

1.5

8:05p

0.7

7:19a

7:19p

4:20a

5:28p

3:13a

1.7

1:47p

1.6

8:48a

1.4

9:02p

0.9

7:20a

7:18p

5:14a

6:07p

3:27a

1.6

2:58p

1.7

9:12a

1.2

9:54p

1.0

7:20a

7:17p

6:07a

6:44p

3:38a

1.5

4:00p

1.7

9:39a

1.1

10:43p

1.2

7:21a

7:16p

6:59a

7:19p

1st

Full

1:22p 3rd

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Bode’s Bay Fishing

Families, Amateurs and Pros Welcome Capt. Walter Bode (956) 832-3761 Port Isabel /

South Padre Island

- Family owned/operated - 800 acres of wildlife habitat/ hunting grounds - Bird watching and other ecotourism explorations - Whitetail Deer, Axis Deer, Black Buck, South Texas Antelope (Nilgai), Wild Turkey, Javelina, Texas Bison, Alligator, Wild hogs, Bobcats, Quail and other native animals

Congratulations Wyatt Bode, winner of the longest red fish in the Dargel tournament 43 inches.

www.bodesbayfishing.com

PAIR-O-DICE RANCH n RIO HONDO, TEXAS CONTACT LANCE SWANBERG (956) 605-8097

Specializing in Complete Fishing Rod & Reel Repair

JOE’S TACKLE SHOP Parts l Sales l Service

607 W. Int. 2, Ste A, Pharr, TX, 78577 (956) 630-0180 l www.joestackleshop.com JOE’S TACKLE SHOP

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

777 Ranch: 5420 County Road 531 Hondo, TX 78861 830-426-3476 www.777ranch.com South Texas Ranch: San Isidro,Tx. 956-467-9057 southtexasranch.com Texas Hunt Lodge: 120 Lakehouse Trail Ingram, Tx. 78025 830-367-7611 texashuntlodge.com Y.O. Ranch: 1736 Y.O. Ranch Road Mountain Home, Texas 78058 800-967-2624 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Main No. 830-640-3222 www.yoranch.com

To have your ranch/lodge listed in Texas Sportsman Magazine, email joey.texassportsman@gmail.com

BURAS, LA. The place to be in Summer and Fall By Captain Creighton Ward Southern Inland Exposure

Southern Exposure Fishing n 142 Hue Lane, Buras, LA 70041 Telephone: (504) 250-9887 or (504) 834-6209 n FAX: (504) 835-3976 E-mail: fish@southernexposurefishing.com

f you are looking for the finest coastal fishing and the BEST in southern hospitality, then BOOK NOW with Southern Exposure Inland Fishing Charters! Centrally located in the heart of the best fishing destinations in SE Louisiana, (Buras, Venice, and Empire), Southern Exposure will provide you with Top Rated guides that will expose you to the best coastal fishing this country has to offer. The fertile waters of the Mississippi River's Delta have created an absolute paradise for the coastal angler and outdoor enthusiast. Speckled Trout, Redfish, Flounder, and Largemouth Bass thrive in the coastal waters that overflow in the Gulf of Mexico. This area is the destination of choice for outdoor media and numerous professional Redfish, Bass, and Big Game Offshore Fishing tournaments. No other estuary in the country offers as diverse and productive of a resource as the Mississippi River Delta.

One trip to the Delta and you will be "hooked"!

giants. The small school Trout are in the bays and are plentiful. You might have to catch 30 in order to keep ten 12 inch Speckled Trout, but it is still a lot of fun. If you can handle the warm temperatures, it's a great time to be down south in Buras, Louisiana. The way to fish the Bull Reds is to locate a fleeing school of Mullets. Put the trolling motor down and pay attention to the bait. Make long cast out in front, using a popping cork with the Vodoo Shrimp Artificial Bait, as well as top water baits. Seeing a 15 pound Red Fish blow up on a top water bait is one heck of an experience. Reeling one in, is another: It's a battle! The Flounder is the fish that gets me most excited when a client or myself hooks one. It is by far the best table fare. This unique fish is a true predator. It hangs out on ledges and points where the water is moving bait by. They hit hard and fight pretty well, sometimes launching out of the water shaking their head fiercely. We target Flounder on points and ledges using Carolina Rigs with live shrimp, working up the ledges. We also use plastic minnows under the cork to work the points. Chasing the “Big Bruiser Trout” takes good weather, good tide movement and some good luck. Working the rigs right off the shore on the east and west side of the Mississippi River. We like to use sliding corks to get at a depth of 12 feet. The rigs are usually in 15 to 18 feet of water. Using live Croakers, shrimp, and Pogies seem to be the best option. We might have to jump around and fish a few different rigs to the the big ones, but when we do, it's game on! Filling up a large cooler in no time at all with one to five pound Trout, with a few studs mixed in, is the norm. Then, if the weather is right, we can move out a litter farther with the same set up and catch Mangrove Snapper in the 2 to 4 pound range. These fish are good eating. Unfortunately, everything has to be right , especially the unpredictable weather. When it all comes together, it's a great experience. Southern Exposure Inland Fishing Charters is located right in the middle of some great fishing areas. Great accommodations, great food, and experienced captains make for a better than average experience. Remember, “One trip with us, and you're HOOKED”!

FISHING WITH THE TEXAS SPORTSMAN By Captain Nick Lapre Southern Inland Exposure

The Louisiana outdoors has run through my blood since I was a child. I caught my first redfish at a very young age and things never changed. You will not find better hospitality than you will with the good people around Southeast Louisiana. Louisiana is known for its cuisine and some of its best can be found around the Mississippi River. From the boat straight to the stove its a smorgasbord of mouth watering delights like gumbo, crawfish fettuccine, redfish on the half shell or some good ole jambalaya. Nothing compares to that rich, spicy Louisiana-style flavor combined with the morning's fresh catch. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting with Fred Rodriguez of Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors and his friends and family. I took them from the lodge in Buras, La. and headed out along with Capt. Creighton Ward, owner and Mike Lane and Wanda Stewart from www.rodnreel.com in Louisiana. Even though it was hot and the winds were out of the Southwest, the captains put on their game faces and we did what we do! We headed out to fish! Capt. Creighton had Cindy Rodriguez and Iris Montemayor in the boat while I fished with Fred and John Montemayor. We began the morning hitting the islands on the east side of the Mississippi River known as Black Bay, picking up a few fish. We both began hitting points and shorelines looking for redfish and trout. The guys began catching trout, but many just below the legal length in Louisiana of 12 inches. We decided to move out toward Drum Island, only to find the women on Capt. Creighton’s boat putting a whipping on them and catching redfish one after another. After moving around, we were able to get in the action also. As the day passed, the two boats were able to add to the ice chest on both boats to put a nice mess of fish together. The women did win the war that trip and took home the prize. But the best of their stay was yet to come. While it’s all about friends and family, it is also about the experience of spending time with good friends at the lodge. With an unbelievable meal and stay, from the five-course meal to the cold air conditioned rooms of the great stay cabins, to fishing in of the most fantastic fishing estuary in the world! Come to Southern Exposure and let us help you “Experience the Delta”!

2016-2017 Season

Gotta Have It?

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THE BIRDS AND THE BEES (and the one that got away) A Fishing Story BY BRENT JOHNSON

ell it is time for the talk. Let me tell you about this girl that made me weak in the knees. She was long and curvaceous, and I knew from the instant I seen her I wanted her to stay. From the moment we locked eyes my heart started pounding and my knees started buckling. She was the girl my momma warned me about, the kind that move fast and play dirty, the kind of cachetona that takes all your money and makes you useless at work because you can’t stop thinking about her. Yep that’s right, a beautiful Lower Laguna Madre trophy speckled trout. This is a true story she didn’t want to have nothin’ to do with me.

It was one of those windy summer days where bites were hard to come by. My sister Shelby Johnson and my friends Chase and Lori Smith were fishing the Texas Invitational Trout Showdown, aka. (T.I.T.S), fishing tournament. Our first stop yielded an hour of not one bite between the four of us. Normally this spot could be counted on for tournament caliber fish, but not today so we headed to another area we thought might produce. After some time and effort my buddy Chase broke the ice with the first trout of the day. Then my sister landed a keeper red and soon after that Lori hooked into the beast we were looking for. The trout exploded on the top water and danced all the way to the net. We all breathed a sigh of relief the moment she put the fish on the stringer.

To this point I have not had a bite. Never do I give up hope because I know good and well it can happen any moment. As I walk the chrome chartreuse plug on top of the windy surface I see a big speckled trout swim horizontally behind the bait with its back out of the water much like a shark coming in to investigate. I continue working the bait and even pause a few seconds thinking the trout will come for another attempt as they often do, but no luck. About 15 casts later I’m working the same lure when all of a sudden I see the head of the fish grab my topwater 20 yards away and shake as if it were a pit bull on a rope swing. Immediately I know this is the moment I have been waiting for. The fish fights unlike any I have caught in a long time. As I concentrate

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on bringing it in I do not say a word to any of my teammates because I am nervous seeing how this fish took the hook in fairly close proximity and despite my efforts to work it in slow, I am taking in as much line as the fish is giving. Before I know it the trout has flanked to my left back shoulder and I’m turning to adjust. By this time Lori sees I have a good fish on and shouts out, but I try to block out any distraction. Seeing it pass I guess the fish to be exactly 25” which is the slot size for this tournament. Staring me in the eye as it passes it is as if this fish is strategizing its next move by what it reads on my face. The fish then stalls causing me to react with an angle adjustment and part of me knows I have just made a mistake as the fish changes direction and hook position swimming back the way it came parallel of me. Still shaking its head with just as much steam as it had in the initial attack my emotions can only be described as buck fever. No pun intended, it is obvious to me that I am in a catch 22 type situation. On one hand I may need to get a net on it soon because I know the hook is about to come out, but on the other hand trying to net a fish this soon is like trying to put socks on a rooster. As I take one hand off the reel to ready the net the fish makes a charge at me. I quickly reel 3 rotations and transfer

my left hand midway up the rod dropping my right hand back to the net. The trout right in front of me staring eye to eye throws her fins up hitting the brakes, turns a 180 and immediately does a head shake sending the hook into the air and swims away. The disappointment that ensues is predictable. It is now I realize how Tony

Romo feels after a Dallas Cowboys game. A few cuss words and back to work. It only makes matters worse when I reel in a 19” red fish and it ends up being the only fish I catch all day. Despite my poor contribution we are still in the competition thanks to my teammates. We jump in the boat and speed back to the dock for the weigh in. As we pass

Jrs Fast & Fair

“Bird Island” the heat gauge goes off. We shut off the engine to let it cool and resume our run. Once again the heat sensor sounds the alarm. The 175 Yamaha barely has 20 hours on it and we cannot figure out what is causing the problem, but one problem it causes is a disqualification as we end up 3 minutes late to weigh in. A week later it was discovered a bird had built a nest on top of the engine just under the cowling and surprisingly the eggs were still in it. We were very lucky the nest didn’t catch on fire. If this wasn’t crazy enough a swarm of killer bees decided to colonize inside the raised console while the boat was being serviced. The only thing I can say about the one that got away is by allowing the fish to change directions up close instead of circling the fish I made a huge mistake that was the difference in winning and losing. I only share this bit of information so that you may learn from my mistake to avoid learning from your own. So there you have it the birds and the bees. I guess it was only awkward for me. See you on the water my friends.

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Some maritime terms cleared up for you net that just sagged out there. The crew would go out on the It seems the maritime world has their own kind of net and relieve themselves as the waves would surge through language. At least that is the way it seems. Turn the boat to the net bindings. At the same time, they the leeward side before you run the would bathe while they were completerode through the bollard before tying ly soaked. Since this is done at the the sheepshank and dip the eye before front or head of the boat, that is how it looping it over the cleat. Yep that makes got its name. sense to any old salt. RED RIGHT RETURN. Heard that There are a few terms that everyone one before? This basically means that knows, but don’t know why they are. when you are returning into a port Well I am here to clear a couple of channel, it will be marked with red those up. There are many that we all markers on the right side and green use everyday and don’t even know how ones on the left. This one is pretty they arrived into the dictionary. One of simple as it should be so that there is those is the HEAD. “Can you pull over? I no confusion. need to go to the head”. We’ve all heard Just another note. When you pull that one before. Well that means someup on the spoil banks to watch the one has to go to the bathroom, but how Master Captain Alan Stewart owns and fireworks, you need to turn off your did it become the head? operates Stewart Training Center and holds navigation lights and leave the 360* As most know, guys usually relieve a Master license with the U.S.C.G. Stewart themselves over the side of the boat. Training Center is located at 39572 Loop Road, all-round white light on. If not, that tells everyone that you are still moving But if they have to do the 2, they need to Bayview, Tx., 78566. through the water and you’re not. This is take care of business somewhere else. a ticketable infraction. This is where the head comes in. As always, be safe and see you on the water. At the front of every old sailing vessel, there used to be a

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The Texas Sportsman Presents The Second Annual

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