August 2011

SNOOK

IN TEXAS?

You bet…right at the southern tip!

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Contents AUGUST 2011 Volume 21 No. 4

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER

FeatUres

Everett@tsfmag.com

8

Everett Johnson

08 Little Johnny Needs Bait; or Does He? 14 Inshore Angler’s Blueprint for Success 20 Offshore Wind Farms and Other Stuff 24 Captain Wayne Stark 28 Some Like it HOT 32 We Were Jetty Rats Once…and Young 38 Another Tip-of-Texas Snook Adventure

24

Mike McBride Kevin Cochran Billy Sandifer Martin Strarup Chuck Uzzle Joe Richards Everett Johnson

70 72 74 76 78 80 82

38

Dickie Colburn’s Sabine Scene Mickey on Galveston Capt. Bill’s Fish Talk Mid-Coast Bays with the Grays Hooked up with Rowsey Capt. Tricia’s Port Mansfield Report South Padre Fishing Scene

NATIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE Bart Manganiello Bartalm@optonline.net

Patti@tsfmag.com Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-649-2265 BUSINESS / ACCOUNTING MANAGER Shirley Elliott Shirley@tsfmag.com CIRCULATION SUBSCRIPTION – PRODUCT SALES Linda Curry Cir@tsfmag.com ADDRESS CHANGED? Email Store@tsfmag.com DESIGN & LAYOUT Stephanie Boyd Office: 361-785-4282 stephanie@tsfmag.com

Dickie Colburn Mickey Eastman Bill Pustejovsky ??? Gray David Rowsey Capt. Tricia Ernest Cisneros

reGULars

92

Office: 361-785-3420 Cell: 361-550-9918

Patti Elkins

Coastal Birding Billy Sandifer Let’s Ask The Pro Jay Watkins Fly Fishing Casey Smartt TPWD Field Notes William E. Thompson & Mark Lingo Conservation CCA Texas Kayak Fishing Scott Null According to Scott Scott Sommerlatte Youth Fishing Jake Haddock Texas Nearshore and Offshore Mike Jennings Fishy Facts Stephanie Boyd

What oUr GUIDes haVe to saY

32

Pam Johnson Pam@tsfmag.com

REGIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVE

DepartMents 23 42 44 48 50 52 56 58 60 64

VICE PRESIDENT PRODUCTION & ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine is published monthly.

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Order on-line: WWW.TSFMAG.COM MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine Attn: Subscriptions P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, Texas 77983 * Subscribers are responsible for submitting all address changes and renewals by the 10th of the prior month’s issue. Email store@tsfmag.com for all address changes or please call 361-785-3420 from 8am - 4:30pm. The U.S. Postal Service does not guarantee magazines will be forwarded .

06 Editorial 68 New Tackle & Gear 84 Fishing Reports and Forecasts 88, 90 Catch of the Month 92 Gulf Coast Kitchen

HOW TO CONTACT TSFMAG: PHONE: 361-785-3420 FAX: 361-785-2844 MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, Texas 77983 PHYSICAL ADDRESS: 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, TX 77983 WEB: www.TSFMAG.com PHOTO GALLERY: photos@tsfmag.com

SNOOK IN TEXAS?

You bet…righ the southern t at tip!

aBoUt the CoVer Wade fishing for snook in Texas? Joe Meyer says it is a blast. Check out the story on page 38.

Periodical class permit (USPS# 024353) paid at Victoria, TX

Only $3.95 www.tsfm

77901 and additional offices.

ag.com

August 2011

TIDE PREDICTIO NS

4 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 5

Texas Saltwater Fishing

PRINTED IN THE USA. Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine (ISSN 1935-9586) is published monthly by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., 58 Fisherman’s Lane, Seadrift, Texas 77983 l P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 © Copyright 1990 All rights reserved. Positively nothing in this publication may be reprinted or reproduced. *Views expressed by Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine contributors do not necessarily express the views of Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine.

& SOLUNAR FEED TIMES INSIDE!

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, Inc., P. O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983.

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

A Family TRADITION

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EDITORIAL texas economy Contributes to Great Fishing Tune to any news channel and if you are not greeted by some report or comment concerning the U.S. economy the topic will likely pop within a few minutes. That the national economy continues to sag and some regions of the country are just flat caught between a rock and an economic hard place is no secret. Political pundits and pollsters are already betting the 2012 elections will hinge on the economy more than any other issue.

Here in Texas, hubris aside, things truly are bigger and better and our state economy is definitely one of them. A recent Wall Street Journal survey of private sector job creation (since the recession supposedly ended in June 2009) cited Texas as being so far ahead of the rest of the nation that only two states can even sniff of our trail.

Texas, the report said, has created 265,000 jobs. New York is second with 98,000 and Pennsylvania trails at 93,000. The other forty-seven have contributed a combined total of 266,000. Obviously, job creation is not the full measure of the economy but it is a very powerful one and Texas (no surprise to us) is leading the nation. Back to that hubris thing - It ain’t bragging if you can back it up.

So how does all this economy stuff relate to fishing? If you boil it all down it means Texas saltwater anglers can afford to fish more days than their counterparts in other coastal states. It also means saltwater license sales should be pretty strong this year, which in turn means TPWD Coastal Fisheries Division (license dollars are the sole funding source) will be able to continue their outstanding work in managing in our fisheries. So a strong economy is good for fishing in more ways than you might think.

Take for example this recent Fourth of July weekend. Coastal communities were jam-packed. I never saw so many people in Matagorda, Port O’Connor and Rockport where I had occasion to visit.

These people came with money in their pockets and pumped it into the local economies.

By contrast, Pam and I recently made a trip through Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and there was no bloom in evidence. In fact, a great portion of the tourism and recreational fishing-related infrastructure has yet to be built since 2005 when Rita and Katrina devastated the coasts there. Throw in the economic blow Deepwater Horizon dealt the recreational fishing industry in those states and the picture is bleak.

No doubt we all tend to gripe when three boats beat us to our favorite fishing holes but we shouldn’t dwell on this as a total negative.

Our Texas coastal economy may not be on the blistering roll we saw in 2008 before the economy hit the skids, but the things we need when we go fishing are readily available, i.e. marinas, motels, tackle and bait shops, restaurants, boat repair services, etc.

So for all that we enjoy, especially discretionary income and excellent fishing, I say Texans are blessed.

6 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 7

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Story

by

Mike McBride

I hear this often during summer. “Hey Mike, I’d sure like to pull little Johnny down to fish with us, but he’s only eleven so he will need some live bait to keep him interested. Can ya take care of it?”

Well, certainly I can take care of it, and nothing against using bait, but…uh….Can we talk?

A fishing trip can mean many things to a youngster, and a lot depends upon the host at the helm. If we just want a little quality time on the water with some fillets thrown in for justification, sure, let’s get to chunkin’ some organic material and get Johnny bit before he misses his favorite video gaming session. However, for the more progressive in us, there is so much more on that fishing table than simply some family bonding with family-sized baggies.

We should never discount a kid’s desire and ability to both learn and do things well. Young Just a bunch of kids brains are basically dry sponges ready to soak who can’t do anything. up anything that inspires them, and aside from common assumptions, fishing with lures can inspire quite a lot if we do it right. That’s the whole key though, doing it right. It is summer, they’re out of That’s big in my book. Most dads can probably admit to leaving school and it’s their turn, so let’s use the Duncan clan as a great the kids at home far too often because they might interfere with example of what else might tug on a kid while he’s in the water. the “man thing” or perhaps just wouldn’t enjoy themselves. Robert, Robert Duncan is a hero dad in that he usually totes six boys though, routinely brings his, and they’ve done a lot of things with around with him on various and assorted outdoor adventures.

8 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 9

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

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a lot of guides. Interestingly, the Duncan boys echoed similar experiences whether hunting or fishing – “They always think we are just a bunch of kids and can’t do anything, so the guide does everything for us.”

While they have always loved tackling the next great adventure together, their passion for the trip often wasn’t always far above that. Also interesting was that as far as fishing went, most knew little more besides reeling despite many sessions. They usually boxed fish, but they really didn’t catch anything, their bait did. So it really should be no surprise that fishing gets boring when there is nothing to reel in. We can do better; especially if positive, long-term results are part of the original plan.

I had this same bunch two years ago when James, the youngest, was seven. This time though, the emphasis and enthusiasm was all about the how and why, not the prepackaged “what” at the dock. We didn’t catch anything big, but size is not always important. It was not the matter of the meat, but rather the meat of the matter, which was learning how to catch fish plus a whole lot more.

They were all fired-up and ready with some basic working gear, i.e., wading booties, belts, stringers and such. We spent the first hour learning how to evaluate water, rigging our rods, and building some exciting goals for the day. When we throttled into an area literally

Basic working gear is essential, and having their own builds ownership.

Whoever said, “Johnny needs bait,” never fished with the Duncans.

10 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 11

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

teaming with mullet we bailed out shin deep, just hoping for the best and excited to try ours. It worked, and for two hours they all cheered each other into getting hit repeatedly by willing and playful trout. It was interactively awesome. They enjoyed many personal successes by applying what they were learning as they went. Like most everything else in this world, we all enjoy what we are good at, and they were getting good quick. Instead of being bored, they were eagerly earning ownership in their own efforts and achievements, which can lend positive impact down the road.

There are many transferable skills between interactive fishing like this and the real world that they will soon face as adults. First is simply encouraging the love of learning.

A child with a quest for knowledge has a better chance to go far. And earning even simple rewards, as in another bite and another thrashing trout, can encourage the process.

There were many lessons this day, (like figuring how to screw a plastic lure onto a jig so it will work correctly), and then enjoying the results. Experimenting with retrieves to make a fish bite can build confidence as well, encouraging creativity in other pursuits. Things of this sort lend ownership and desire for more because they did the work; not the guide, not a circle hook, and more importantly, not a frisky bait fish.

Teamwork also plays into this and these Duncan boys championed each other into things like catching, fighting, and stringing fish while in the water, each excited for the other’s smallest step toward learning to become a fisherman.

It’s not always the matter of the meat, but rather, the meat of the matter.

A spinning reel with braided line and a paddle tail can’t help but catch fish.

12 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 13

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Several lessons in self-reliance were also learned; as in the disappointment of dropping a hard-earned fish, and how to handle a little pain from a jellyfish. As far as that lost fish goes, it’s another great opportunity to encourage confidence. Rather than adults getting angry or lending unnecessary sympathy, something like “Well, now that you know you can catch them, get in there and do it again!” – will usually accomplish a lot more.

And let’s not overlook opportunity to encourage responsibility and work ethic - helping with the anchor, gathering and stowing trash, loading and unloading the boat, scrubbing the deck, all sorts of stuff. Healthy competition and sibling rivalry can be woven into this with great result. And then there’s respect; like respecting other’s accomplishments and respecting the wonders of nature being experienced.

Sure, taking young ones can be frustrating, but there are little things we can do to encourage a positive atmosphere. The trip should be all about building excitement levels expectations, setting reasonable goals in ways they can understand, and then leading them to achieve. Indeed, wading a long way between bites can become boring but these guys are also hunters – so something like, “Let’s go find another covey boys,” worked well on them. Instead of simply taking a stroll in the water they became bird dogs on point.

There are many ways to keep it interesting; we just have to creative.

Proper gear is always essential for success, but it’s really pretty simple. A decent, properly-sized spinning reel spooled with braided line tied to a paddle tail can’t help but catch fish, but don’t ever think Little Johnny can’t fling a baitcaster. A youngster’s eye-hand coordination is usually better than most adults and they can get it down pretty fast. (Another accomplishment!) A Mann’s Baby OneMinus swimming plug is also a no-brainer, and having their own box with lures builds ownership, as in their own stringers, belts and pliers. They can also learn to take care of their gear, and they will because they want to.

August is a great time to get those kids bit. If we teach them to be good at this they will probably be good at other stuff too. Not saying that Johnny can’t accomplish similar goals by using bait, but whatever, just let them enjoy experiencing success by their own effort. Each has their own, but these particular guys compared it all to the difference between sitting in a feeder-facing blind and stalking with a bow. Yes, Johnny may need some bait alright - baited right into success through his own good efforts. We just need to encourage him to do it.

Contact

Mike Mcbride Mike McBride is a full time fishing guide based in Port Mansfield, TX, specializing in wadefishing with artificial lures.

Contact Skinny Water Adventures Telephone 956-746-6041

Email McTrout@Granderiver.net Website Skinnywateradventures.com/ Three_MudSkateers.wmv

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2011 13

Some people like to catch redfish more than trout! Those folks should find these documents useful too.

Story

by

Kevin Cochran

I’ve recently released a new book/DVD combo which attempts to create a model, or blueprint, for coastal anglers to follow in their quest for improvement. Inshore Angler’s Blueprint for Success is a 50,000 word text/88 minute DVD set absolutely loaded with details related to the purchase and use of all kinds of equipment and accessories. The documents also include discussion and description of preferred rods, reels, lines and lures.

Perhaps more significantly, they also reveal many of the basic strategies and complex philosophies by which I make decisions on 14 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 15

Texas Saltwater Fishing

where and how to fish on a daily basis, partly through the inclusion of several relevant articles previously published in this magazine.

Both the book and movie are produced thoughtfully and artfully, but I’ve made a conscious attempt to stay focused on direction and instruction without making unnecessary forays into the realm of the aesthetic.

The preface of the book is quoted below: “Most saltwater anglers experience an evolution in their fishing lives. When first introduced to coastal fishing, natural

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

curiosity allows them to enjoy catching fish of all kinds.

Over time, they begin to covet and target fewer species.

In Texas, the spotted seatrout is the fish most often sought by inshore saltwater anglers, with the red drum a close second on the list. In reality, most Texans target ‘trout and redfish’. Smaller numbers of people fish for flounder and/or black drum exclusively.

Once they‘ve identified the fish they want to catch, many anglers start moving along a second evolutionary path. In the beginning, they simply want to catch the target fish; after landing one a few times, the bar rises, and they want more. Eventually, catching limits becomes a priority.

For some, the process of change does not end with an obsession for catching multiple limits. Trophy enthusiasts, having satisfied their urge to catch numbers, develop a passion for pursuing the largest members of their target species.

The development of an interest in one or a few species often occurs in conjunction with an evolutionary progression in terms of preferred method. Coastal anglers almost invariably start off using bait, dead or live or both, since bait attracts the greatest variety of fish.

Large numbers of fledgling coastal fisherman can be sighted behind trucks and cars parked close to famous fishing holes.

Armed with long, thick, fiberglass rods coupled with reels capable of holding several hundred yards of twenty pound test line, they either buy some bait on the way or cast a net to catch their own once they arrive at the water.

They then skewer the baits on pairs of treble or Kahle hooks hanging from ready-made, beaded leaders and fling them as far from shore as they can. The baits are pinned close to the bottom with large lead weights, some adorned with prongs made for digging into the sand.

The rods are placed in holders or held in the hands with the line pulled tight. If and when something swims by and bites, the event is easily detected and the hook set.

The legions of beginners catch fish this way, and I’m sure they have fun doing so. Many, though, come to 16 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 17

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Ideally, Inshore Angler’s Blueprint for Success will help its viewers and readers catch more big trout!

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

As usual, I’ve tried to encourage catch and release in the book and movie. After all, a dead fish cannot be caught again on a lure!

believe this is not the best way to enjoy the sport. In fact, it’s a stretch to describe fishing with bait as a sport, whether the bait is dead or alive, or the fishing is done from the bank or a boat. I’m not suggesting that using bait is wrong or claiming people who prefer to use bait are inferior to

The MOST

those who choose to use lures exclusively. I’m merely saying soaking bait is more of a leisure activity than a sport.

Some saltwater anglers stop evolving once they discover a method of using bait which consistently achieves the results they desire when they head to the coast. And that’s fine for them, I know.

This manual is not intended specifically for those folks. It’s offered primarily to others who have developed a genuine interest in lure fishing, particularly those who wish to accelerate the

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Leaning post CoVeRs

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www.TSFMAG.com / August 2011 17

Some lures are famous because they are profoundly productive. One such lure is a plain white topwater!

18 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 19

procedures, and thought processes.

Creating a precise picture of a working model dictates the discussion of abundant details. I hope the minutia included herein don‘t become tedious and trivial; ideally, they illuminate a clear and direct pathway to excellence.”

A trailer of the DVD may be viewed on the homepage of my website at fishbaffinbay.com. The set may be purchased there with a credit card through use of a Paypal button at the bottom of the page, or with a check by calling 361 688 3714. Additionally, the book may be purchased separately in the same ways.

Kevin Cochran

Contact

learning curve while they work to master the sport. Mastering the sport of inshore saltwater lure fishing is in one way exactly the same as becoming highly proficient at any other activity or avocation.

Motivational speaker Tony Robbins said it most eloquently.

‘In order to have what you want, you must first clearly identify what you want. Once you truly know what you want, the next step is to find someone who has it, determine how they got it, then imitate their method or process as closely as you can.’

The models for coastal anglers are out there. Tournaments and the guiding industry have identified them. Much like famous BASS pros, master inshore anglers make catching fish look easy, operating with a smooth, enviable efficiency. Their productivity is built upon a foundation of supreme confidence and maintained through reliance on proven equipment, methods and systems.

A curious beginner can easily learn to recognize the names of the lure-chunking pros and can even watch them bring fish to the scales at prominent tournaments. Figuring out what separates them from lesser anglers is more difficult. The aim of this manual is to help the average angler more quickly determine how to emulate the top pros in the sport.

Consistently catching trout and redfish with artificial lures isn’t easy; the difficulty is part of what draws people to the

sport. Neither a single, profound pearl of wisdom, the recommendation of a specific rod and reel, nor the mention of a secret lure with the perfect hue can instantly transform a beginner into an accomplished pro. The magic bullet is a myth.

Making the transition from beginner (or novice) to expert requires astute analysis, careful choices, purposeful practice and the proper application of sound principles.

Proficiency in this sport is certainly attainable, and requires neither the wisdom of a shaman nor the skill of a surgeon. Still, learning how to fish like a pro can take years of trial and error, if the task is undertaken without a clear picture of a legitimate model in mind. What follows is a sincere attempt to shorten the motivated reader’s maturation process, through the provision of a detailed and thorough analysis of one pro’s equipment arsenal,

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Kevin Cochran is a full-time fishing guide at Corpus Christi (Padre Island), TX. Kevin is a speckled trout fanatic and has authored two books on the subject. Kevin’s home waters stretch from Corpus Christi Bay to the Land Cut. Trout Tracker Guide Service Telephone 361-688-3714

Email KCochran@stx.rr.com Website www.FishBaffinBay.com

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Story

by

When I finished seven years-five months-eighteen days of active military service I thought my time of fighting wars was over. I figured two tours on the ground in South Vietnam and four and a half years at Guantanamo Bay should be enough for just about anyone. Urban society made no sense to me so I have spent my life fishing and shrimping with as much time in the middle of nowhere as I could accomplish. For the past twenty-two years I have been the only licensed fishing guide on PINS. But all too quickly I learned that if you are a person who is genuinely concerned with our natural resources and their continued well-being, you can’t help but be involved in one battle behind another over resource management decisions and the long term effects they will have. The words of an old country song keep going through my head - “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”

I imagine everyone has by now seen inland wind farms in various places but the offshore wind farms now being proposed make my skin crawl. I simply can’t be Billy and not share my thoughts and concerns about them with you because the people proposing to construct them are on one heck of a slippery slope – with lots of smoke and mirrors – that could very well have some long term negative impacts on the natural world as we know it.

Baryonyx Corporation has made public permit notice to place five hundred turbines in three lease areas in the Gulf of Mexico. The leases are located five to ten miles offshore, between Corpus Christi and Brownsville. An area directly offshore from the PINS beach is listed as an alternate site should problems with radar interference develop with the site closest to the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station.

Most wind turbines you see on land are three hundred to three hundred fifty feet tall. I am told that the turbines Baryonyx plans to install in the Gulf will be seven hundred feet tall.

I am also told the power they generate will be more expensive than what we have now and only 12% of the money to build them will be coming from the company. The remainder of the funds necessary will be coming from government subsidies - AKA your tax dollar. Large shoals of small fish of various species will be attracted to the sub-surface structure of these turbines as they will provide protection from predators. And then naturally, untold numbers of fish-eating birds of various species will congregate there to feed on 20 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 21

billy SandiFer

the fish. These turbines will kill more birds than anyone would ever believe.

The PINS region has the official designation of Most Important Route for all North American birds. Why in the name of God would anyone who cares anything about the environment whatsoever, possibly pick this location for such gigantic wind farms? There will be no way to keep track of how many birds are being killed as its happening five to ten miles offshore.

Several anglers have mentioned how great the wind farms will be for snapper fishing. I do not know whether this will actually turn out to be true. My personal guess is that it might spread them out; kind of like we see when we encounter an area with too many holes too close together on the beach, or a bull tide pushing too much water into the bays.

The initial deadline for public comment will have passed when this magazine is published but there are many other phases to this before it is actually allowed to happen. I will be constantly updating my website at www. billysandifer.com concerning the wind farms and concerned individuals can keep up with status and what actions they personally can take if they are not

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Fat and frisky trout have been available in the PINS surf when the conditions get right.

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2011 21

Six and a half foot bull shark caught by Chris Golla on light tackle in Aransas Bay; fishing at night for trout!

Hooked while wading, the two hour battle included chasing the shark for several miles in the boat.

in favor of them.

A friend recently retired and since he will be able to fish more often, I told him I was going to make a lure fisherman out of him because there was no point in him becoming a babysitter to a bucket of croakers every day for the rest of his life. Many folks are like that; they learn to fish at an early age with bait, and it works, so they never experiment with lure fishing. To each his own, but I learned long ago that the more diverse techniques I learned to fish, the better I became as an overall angler. And that has always been my ultimate goal; to continuously become a better fisherman regardless of method or species.

Been a whole lot going on around here and few charters, so a few days later when we got a small weather window and both of us had time to go, we jumped at the chance. My goal was not only to teach him to fish with lures but to teach him to “walk the dog” correctly with a surface plug. Guides know all too well how genuinely difficult a task that can be. I pulled a couple of nice trout while he remained without a strike, and then I got tickled as I noticed his sideways glance concentrating on my every move and lure speed and all the things I knew would make him a winner. What a thrill it was watching him when he hooked up on his first topwater trout. Holding that fish for a picture he looked like he was ten years younger. My efforts must have been successful because he ended up catching more than I did.

22 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 23

A couple of days ago I received an e-mail from him signed “Future Topwater King.” What a hoot.

I received word from Sport Fishing Magazine that I have been selected as one of the five finalists in their “Making a Difference” conservation award. Presentations will be made in Las Vegas on 1315 July, 2011 at the American Sportfishing Association’s ICAST Show.

There are so many things going on I do not know if I’ll attend or not, BUT I want to thank all of y’all who voted for me.

My brother still clings to life by a thread in his battle with cancer. Between trying to do a few charters when rare and appropriate weather windows appear and dealing with the Veterans Administration regularly, things have been crazier than usual. Then last Thursday I received a call from the Director of the Texas Veterans Commission in Houston to advise that it had been decided by the VA to award me 100% disability due to health problems that have arisen from my years of military service. Talk about Christmas in July. I will continue guiding but I will probably do fewer trips for hire and more for me and a pal or two. I’d like to catch a few more twelve foot tigers before I croak and this may allow me to do that. And of course I’ll have to take the “Future Top Water King” down island and teach him to work with other types of lures and spank him now and then so his head doesn’t get too big for his hat. And of course I’ll still be fighting that never ending battle for the future of our marine fisheries and

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Arnold Reagan shows off a pair of surf specks – first time with topwaters.

everything that goes with it.

The Environmental Assessment concerning the possible changing of speed limits on PINS has been completed and it appears the National Park Service is leaning towards 15 mph on the entire beach from March 1 through Labor Day, and then 25 mph the remainder of the year. This is only the first step in this process. You may have noticed I’ve kinda laid low on this speed limit deal although I will certainly say it is going to make life harder on everyone traveling any distance down-island.

It will also greatly diminish the time available to pick up trash on the annual Big Shell Cleanup and I’m hoping they’ll give us a one day waiver on that. If they don’t, traveling in and out of the work area will use up about half the time allotted for the cleanup. But things are rapidly changing and my real concern is for the day we have to fight tooth and nail just for the privilege of driving on the beach. So, I’ll keep my powder dry waiting on that one.

If we don’t leave any there won’t be any. -Capt. Billy L. Sandifer

Contact

Capt. Billy Sandifer Billy Sandifer operates Padre Island Safaris offering surf fishing for sharks to specks and nature tours of the Padre Island National Seashore. Billy also offers bay and near-shore fishing adventures in his 25 foot Panga for many big game and gamefish species.

Telephone 361-937-8446

Website www.billysandifer.com

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Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica Originally Sterna nilotica, recently reclassified as Gelochelidon nilotica. Colonial breeder, nests in ground scrapes laying two to five eggs. Large and powerful like Sandwich Tern but with gull-like bill. The broad wings, long legs and robust body are distinctive. Adult summer plumage has grey upperparts, white underparts, with black crown and nape. Bill, legs and feet are black. Call is a characteristic ker-wik. Hovers and drops quickly to catch insects but also feeds on other small creatures. Does not plunge-dive for fish. Nests along U.S. coast from mid-Atlantic through Mexico. Plume hunters and egg collectors decimated the population at the turn of the 20th century and the species has never fully recovered.

Length: 14 inches Wingspan: 34 inches

Jimmy Jackson photo

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2011 23

Capt. Wayne Stark in usual form; advising a visiting fisherman where he should go to find the big ones.

STORY As we get older we lose people we care about and people we love.

It’s a sad part of life and there isn’t a thing that any of us can do about it. If you have faith then there is comfort in knowing that the person you have lost is in a better place and that someday you will meet again. I don’t know how people with no faith can cope with the loss of a friend or a loved one.

I lost a friend on June 16, 2011 when Captain Wayne Stark passed away all too soon at the young age of 62. Actually, anyone who had the pleasure of knowing Wayne lost a friend and even those of you who never met him, well you had a friend waiting on you in Port Mansfield should you have found yourself there and in need of one.

Wayne was one of those people who you like the moment you meet them. I remember quite well the first time that I met him years ago and how I could tell by the look in his eye that he was sizing me up as we shook hands. I liked him right away and since he put up with me for many years I guess I was okay with him as well. I could ask Wayne where he would advise a man to fish on a given day and without missing a beat he was pointing me in the right direction and only once did I fail to produce at

“

BY

MARTIN STRARUP

catching fish in an area he suggested. Now that wasn’t because the fish weren’t there, but rather because Wayne was using a Shallow Sport to get to the spot and I wasn’t and the water became way too skinny for the boat I was running and I made a quick exit. When I told Wayne about that his reply was “Take my boat next time; it will make it.” But that was just typical Wayne being Wayne.

For quite some time I would rent the boat sling across from Wayne’s when I was in Port and he would let me use his cleaning table. One day I was in a hurry and I didn’t clean the table very well; okay I left some guts and scales on it and the mess had dried up by the time Wayne came in to clean his party’s fish. The next morning when we stepped into our boat there was a little bundle lying on top of the leaning post, wrapped up neatly in a paper towel. I got the message immediately. The little lesson was never mentioned by either of us but you can bet I left his cleaning table spotless thereafter. That was his way.

I don’t remember the size of the boat but Wayne had bought or traded for a huge Mako offshore boat one day. He had it at the

Anyone who had the pleasure of knowing Wayne lost a friend and even those of you who never met him, well you had a friend waiting on you in Port Mansfield should you have found yourself there and in need of one.

24 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 25

Texas Saltwater Fishing

”

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south side car wash in Port and was cleaning it up. That Mako was so big and the gunwales so high; when it was on the trailer Wayne had to use a ladder to get into the thing. When we pulled in behind the boat to say hello, Wayne was sitting on the port gunwale just biding his time. We got out of the truck, said hello and made the usual small talk and I congratulated him on the boat then told him we were going to the house to unpack and would see him later. Calmly Wayne asked, “Would you do me a favor before you leave please?” Well of course I answered in the affirmative thinking he needed some soap or something and replied, “Absolutely what can I do for you?” Wayne replied, “You can walk around to the other side and stand that stupid ladder up for me so I can get out of this damned boat! I’ve been in here for thirty minutes and every time I wave at someone for help, all they do is wave back and keep on driving!”

Wayne’s family and friends held a memorial service for him on June 22 in the East Cut at Marker 19, known to many as Wayne’s Hole. They scattered his ashes there where he caught the largest trout of his fishing career. Wade fishing the next morning we all said that we were just wading with Wayne again and though we were all quite sad and down about the whole thing it made us feel a little better.

Wayne left our world much too soon but for those who knew him and whose lives he touched, we are better people for having known him. I will think of him often and I will smile.

Wayne’s son Captain Chris Stark hopes to keep his dad’s legacy moving forward and is going to continue to operate the guide service and the lodging at Wayne’s home. I don’t think anyone who fished with Wayne will be disappointed in fishing with Chris. After all, Wayne taught him almost everything he knew.

Wayne’s daughter Sheila wrote a nice history of Wayne’s life and she printed it out to give to those who attended the service. I have copied portions of that history below and think it important because it tells you where Wayne came from and how he got to Port Mansfield. *

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Captain William Wayne Stark was born May 18, 1949 in Austin to Walter and Ruby Stark.

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“

He found joy in coaching baseball, softball and football, and he loved to play golf. He used to enjoy bowling until his wife beat him at the game, so that was it for bowling. Then one day he got a taste of saltwater fishing and he was hooked.

”

Wayne was self-motivated and a hard worker. He began at the Painter’s Local Union in Houston as a green apprentice and received the Apprentice of the Year award. After many years of hard work and learning from his peers he started his own painting business. He operated that company until he got the saltwater fishing bug and decided to move to Port Mansfield and become a fishing guide. He

26 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 27

operated as Captain Wayne Stark Charters for the fifteen years.

Wayne loved life and he always tried to make the most of everything, always leaving a lasting impression upon those he met.

He was a wonderful husband and father and did everything that he could for his family.

He found joy in coaching baseball, softball and football and he loved to play golf. He used to enjoy bowling until his wife beat him at the game so that was it for bowling. In his younger days Wayne was a member of the Houston Bass Club Association and fished bass tournaments. Then one day he got a taste of saltwater fishing and he was hooked. He got his Coast Guard License and headed to Port Mansfield to live his dream.

A wonderful person was taken from us much too soon and we are left to walk this Earth with a piece missing. We will miss you and love you always.

Contact

He had three siblings, brothers Gene and Glenn and a sister Janice.

Wayne grew up playing baseball and golf and moved to Houston when he was seventeen. There he met the love of his life, Marie Louise Pawlik, and they were married on February 17, 1968. They were blessed with two children, Christopher Wayne and Sheila Marie.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Martin Strarup Martin Strarup is a lifelong

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

Email - Trouthunter@swbell.net

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TM

With its unique rattler chamber, the Rockport Rattler ™ jig acts just like a dinner bell.

The light reflecting eyes work well in both clear and muddy water.

The Ultra-Point hook from Mustad ® is corrosion resistant and attenuates the sound out of the soft plastic bait body resulting in a much louder rattle sound that can be heard by fish from further distances.

Just add water to your favorite soft plastic bait and call’em in!

www.rockportrattler.com US Patent # US 7,614,178 B2

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

Chicky Tackle Company, LLC Home of the Rockport Rattler ™ - 877-514-8252

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2011 27

some Like it Story

by

Chuck Uzzle

Jack Dallas with his first ever redfish.

28 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 29

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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“Cool as the other side of the pillow” and “Made in the shade” are phrases that convey instant images of comfort and relaxation that we can all relate to in one way or another. For coastal fishermen, words like “August” and “Texas Summer” also convey instant images – and while fishing can be relaxing in any month – the comfort connotation can be argued. For most of us it’s all about thermometer busting temperatures we have already endured as well as what is to come in the next few weeks. We got so spoiled this year as winter hung around longer than normal and spring seemed like it would last forever. Then it happened, almost overnight the temperatures soared from perfect to brutal in the blink of an eye. The daily wind and temperature readings seemed locked in a headlong race for the record book; leaving anglers to wonder every morning as they climbed out of bed…“Am I still dreaming?” Now that the wind has backed off all we have left to deal with is the traditional summer heat. Hopefully the fishing will be as hot as the midday sun.

Fishing during the summer months is really special to me for a variety of reasons and they are all good. Perhaps the most special is the fact that I get to take a lot of kids fishing, and that has to be the

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tops on the list. Sharing a day on the water with a young angler who may or may not be skilled is always a huge treat. Seeing them get wide-eyed at simple things that I take for granted is both humbling and much needed from time to time to help me realize how fortunate I am to be able to do what I do. Every now and again I get to share those days with young people I know well, kids that I have known for quite some time like the Dallas boys, Jack and Chad. I have known these two guys for a while and they have been after their dad to take them fishing for quite some time, but due to extremely hectic schedules just couldn’t seem to pull it off.

Well thanks to summer vacation from school, the boys finally got their wish.

Twelve-year-old Jack and ten-year-old Chad climbed in my little skiff along with my son Hunter for a day in the back lakes and marshes chasing redfish. Both of these young men are polite, well behaved, and enthusiastic, so I knew we were going to have a blast. Each of them took turns on the front deck with Hunter as we pointed out all manner of creatures that live in the marsh. With one brother on the front deck I took the other one to the back deck and taught them how to cast a spinning reel. Each boy picked up the technique quickly and soon was able to cover water with the best of them. The day was a huge success as both Jack and Chad caught their first redfish and actually caught them on topwater plugs - no less. Watching these two get excited over seeing fish and watching the reds blow up on those topwater offerings was a blast for both Hunter and me. An absolutely perfect way to spend a summer vacation day.

Now along with spending time in the marsh, the summer months allow for a host of other patterns to come into play and that is a great problem for a fisherman to have. The super hot days with little or no breeze allow anglers to probe water that is often inaccessible in other seasons, especially to smaller boats. It’s almost funny to see how empty Sabine Lake can get on calm summer mornings as everything

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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from fourteen foot aluminums to big offshore cruisers are splitting the jetties, headed for the Gulf of Mexico. For those that stay behind and patrol Sabine Lake, you can often be rewarded with some of the most fantastic fishing imaginable as acres upon acres of shad begin slicing the surface to escape the schools of hungry redfish and speckled trout. Almost like clockwork you can bet that during the middle of the day when it gets just “brain melting” hot, these fish will be terrorizing forage species from shad to shrimp and everything in between. The surface show Chad Dallas with put on by a school of big an absolute stud 10.5 pound 32 redfish as they blow pogies inch redfish, not out of the water and eat bad for a rookie! more shrimp than Roseanne or Oprah at a buffet dinner is just jaw dropping. Once you locate a feeding school it’s not uncommon for the carnage to last an hour or more, it’s just stupid! I once had a couple from North Texas in the boat with me lose two rods to big redfish as they carelessly left their baits in the water when they put their rods down to sip a cold drink. Those redfish start eating and it looks like nothing is safe. It’s really an incredible sight and the summer months are without a doubt the best times to witness this.

I know in an earlier column I mentioned the fact that Sabine is ultra-salty right now and getting saltier by the day as we continue to have no rain and very little if any runoff arriving from the big reservoirs to the north. On an almost daily basis I am seeing things that I have never encountered before on Sabine or at least never encountered in certain places. Perhaps the weirdest and most out of the ordinary here lately is the presence of bottlenose dolphins several miles up the Sabine River. I ran into a pack of them recently and couldn’t believe my eyes, they were just cruising along like they belonged there. Another recent encounter with a group of eight to ten dolphins was a real eye opener as I watched them work a flat over with military precision. They absolutely destroyed some fish, I’m talking about first class carnage.

30 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 31

Chad Dallas with his first ever redfish.

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lines around like that scene from Jaws with the barrels. Plenty of rays and truckloads of jellyfish have now become the norm. I know for anglers farther down the coast most of this is nothing new but for a place like Sabine; it’s way out of the ordinary. For me personally, I can’t wait to see what else shows up and where. In the meantime we will continue to enjoy the fabulous fishing that is going on right now and hope we don’t just melt down in the process.

Please be safe and take precautions in the heat because it’s no joke out there.

Enjoy your time on the water.

Nothing ruins a good trip like being hooked; keeping good pliers around assures safety and gets you back to fishing quickly.

Really awesome to watch up close and personal.

All of these encounters with fish or other creatures in places they don’t normally inhabit should make for an incredibly interesting summer to say the least. We have already had several sharks either caught by anglers on the north end of the lake or pulling jug

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Contact

Chuck Uzzle

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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

Phone Email Website

409-697-6111 cuzzle@gt.rr.com www.chucksguideservice.net

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2011 31

Story

32 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

by

Joe Richards

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Galveston jetty on a winter’s day with a north wind calming the surf.

Sticking a sow trout at the jetties this past June was like visiting an old friend. If you’ve ever spent a summer’s day on a Texas jetty you know them well, with their elemental forces and prowling redfish, mackerel and trout. Scarred by the rocks and more wary now, we no longer prowl them on foot, however. Instead we use an electric motor to ease up and down the long wall, firing casts.

My big sow lathered the water and fought like a redfish but was soon landed, weighing seven pounds, twelve ounces. Behind her the same green rocks from our youth sloshed and sighed in clean water, full of memories going back to the summer we graduated from high school to become jetty rats. June marked our 40th year of fishing these jetties---we skipped the high school reunion, which was probably a scary event anyway, convening instead where little has changed from our glory days.

A true jetty rat has scars earned from years of traversing clean granite boulders that have grown treacherous with marine growth from countless tides. No other fisherman flirts with disaster at every step; one wrong move and the rat’s day is done. While scarred surfers are among the ranks in some jetty venues such as Padre Island, it is jetty anglers we deal with here.

In our youth, we spent perhaps a thousand sun-struck days walking, wading and plugging the jetties, casting for six or eight hours at a session, dragging stringers of fish, all of us suffering wounds on occasion. We walked the rocks and covered ground, Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

bailing out of perfectly good boats left anchored and empty.

Anchoring meant judging the wind to a fine degree: If it exactly paralleled the jetties, I delivered the guys and their gear to a prominent green rock, backed the boat off, anchored and then bailed out, swimming in 30 feet of water. Close in, you sort of felt your way to solid footing---not with the hands, but by probing ahead with high-top Converse shoes; it was easy. The only problem was returning at sunset. After sharks had tugged on our stringers, there was never a volunteer to retrieve my anchored boat. Sometimes we could snag the boat with a plug, and coax it within reach. Other times I had to swim 40 feet or so in record time, vaulting into the boat before startled sharks could figure out the program and cause more serious mischief.

Walking the boulders meant seeing things anchored boaters couldn’t, like eight-pound sow trout swimming through rocks in a leisurely fashion right under our rod tips, with a half-dozen small male trout following closely. We were free to roam for hundreds of yards, pivot and cast on either side as the current or water color suited us. Sometimes we fought big trout for hours with topwater chugger lures, while anchored boaters glumly watched. There was a 10-trout limit on fly rod, using surface poppers. And nine tarpon in one evening without, I assured the Chronicle sports desk, an airplane ticket involved…

Our tools were simple enough. Gold spoons were the favorite,

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2011 33

with an occasional MirrOlure thrown in. Today’s full tackleboxes and wide selection of artificials would have shocked us back then. We were wary of Spanish mackerel taking our few plugs, and only used them in mackerel-free water. In a good summer I used up a dozen or 15 cards of spoons, each with a stronger treble hook added. Some days, the MirrOlure just worked better. One Memorial Day the spoons drew countless follows by sizeable trout during a green afternoon tide. When I switched to a pink Mirro I was amazed at the solid, wallowing hookups. Somehow I had two pinks and my buddy was happy to borrow. For an hour we were bowed up on three-pounders, with others following every hooked trout. It was a serious lesson that color and plug design could make a big difference.

Our red reels held no-nonsense, 20-pound Ande line that could survive a glancing blow from marine growth. Or jiggle a spoon loose from a snag below. And maybe survive a toothy mackerel hit.

The only time we used light wire leaders (which trout disdain) was August/September when mackerel were a threat on every cast. One Labor Day before limits, Amy and I packed a four-foot Igloo with big macks while anchored at the tip of the jetty. Another August while walking, we had exactly 25 Spanish on the stringer, which didn’t have a float. A newbie fisherman with us couldn’t lift it into the boat and dropped it, the entire load sinking like a stone. I dove repeatedly without a mask in the rocks, but couldn’t find it.

Was it worth it? A thousand trips would indicate that

yes, our healed scars were a badge of honor. I wonder how many anglers would trade countless safe trips, walking, climbing and wading through tides and waves, landing thousands of gamefish, without worrying about stingrays or submerged (sea nettle) jellyfish, for maybe a single trip to the hospital? We also burned very little boat fuel and somehow never had problems with Vibrio bacteria, though we were wet every trip. Shannon Tompkins would agree: In the early ‘80s I had some of the best trout fishing of my life walking those rocks. One May 1, Pete Churton and I stood on the very tip of the jetty, on that flat part on the Gulf side of the tower on the end, and smote the huge trout. They fell in heaps. I caught a nine-pounder and several over six. Waves surged around us and we were soaked. The climb down from the tower to the little apron, and the climb back up were treacherous and dangerous and something only young men with little understanding of their mortality would do. But, Lord! did we smite the trout. Huge fish, silver and lavender with ice-pick fangs poking from yellow lips. They wallowed like chrome 2x6s in that margarita-green water.... And we had it all to ourselves. Most people had better sense.

Boat crew fishing Sabine’s west jetty, that has slowly subsided underwater over the years. Walking here is almost impossible.

Galveston’s south jetty. Walking is s difficult from the car, and distraction abound for the serious jetty plugger.

34 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 35

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Sabine jett y in the days when the east wall wer e frequently awash. This was prime walking and wad ing, but a number of friends were injured here. All it took was one bad step. Thousands of trout were dragged ont o this wall and a number of red fish, often with the help of a timely wave. Accessible only by boat. Today, occasio nal stacks of granite boulde rs on top of the wall make it much easier to see in high tide .

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boat-FiShinG

the

JettieS

It is of course far safer to anchor a boat and fish the jetties, anchoring within easy casting distance of the rocks. Or better yet, use an electric motor and ease up and down the wall, covering more ground, keeping 10 feet or more from the cruel rocks, which have a bad effect on expensive fiberglass. It requires a steady hand when waves are crashing into granite; some guides won’t even fish the jetties. Aluminum jonboats are more forgiving when bumping rocks, though the ride out can get bumpy.

In our jetty rat days we didn’t hesitate to toss an anchor on dry rocks where it couldn’t get snagged underwater, pull in close, unload our gear, then kick the jonboat into deeper water. We never looked back, unless the wind direction was sketchy.

Things to remember when boating here: >Schools of fish move up and down the rock wall, and angler mobility can be important. That’s why the guys on the rocks scored so big in the past. Without a bay boat and electric motor, try drifting if the wind parallels the rocks. If not, pick a spot and anchor with a small chain and good rope. >Watch other boats for action, and learn. Avoid crowding in on another boat enjoying action, unless invited. If you see boats anchored within six or eight feet, they’re probably friends. Bring a selection of small weights and hooks when using live bait; jetty fish roam the entire water column from top to bottom. A weightless shrimp might work one day on sow trout, while the next day you would ideally have two-ounce bank sinkers to hammer a redfish school prowling bottom in 20 feet, a popular depth for these fish.

Pyramid and egg weights will only snag rocky bottom. >Live shrimp is good insurance. In the old days we were badly burned when visiting the Galveston and Port Aransas jetties, which held cleaner water. The fish wouldn’t touch our killer lures from East Texas, but anglers employing live shrimp, either free-swimming or weighted and down deeper, caught ponderous redfish and trout. It wasn’t fun, sucking hind tit and slinking back to the dock with maybe one fish. We’ve all been there, done that. >August is prime time for tarpon and if you see someone in the next boat posing one of these precious fish for too many pictures, dropping it with a thump every time it thrashes, encourage them to release it pronto. (A pet peeve of mine from the POC jetties).

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Trout weighing 7 pounds, 12 ounces caught recently by the author and held by young Will Mulligan of Beaumont.

inJury rePort The jetties guarantee that falling is bad news. One develops fine footing and balance, or moves slowly without taking rash steps, not even for trophy fish. Tough blue jeans and high-top tennis shoes are tools of the trade here. Today I wouldn’t walk the rocks without padded Aftco fishing gloves. Fingers remain exposed for tying knots, but you really want to protect those palms that hit first, if you stumble and fall.

Borrowed track shoes on an impromptu trip in May, 1978 resulted in a bad slip while jumping from wet boat to jetty wall, and my day was done without ever standing on the rocks. I lay stunned on

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2011 35

the concrete apron, legs in deep water. An oyster shell the size of a quarter was broke off, hidden inside my palm. In a hospital room they snatched it out, and the wound took more than a month to close and heal. It was my worst injury ever. In those days the jetty rats called me the King of Pain.

Shannon Tompkins, whom we introduced to the Sabine jetty, has a similar tale. Bowed up on something huge, perhaps the sow trout of a lifetime, he followed it quickly down the lumpy concrete apron grown thick with cruel marine growth. I can say without the slightest embellishment that he tripped, flew through the air in a moment of true jetty rat glory, and landed hard. Bam! His rod broke and the palm of his hand was ripped to the bone, among other injuries.…The only remedy was to bundle him off to the nearest Doc-in-the-Box for treatment and Keflex, the antibiotic of choice for jetty rats.

Shannon’s account: The end of the POC jetties in a highenergy environment. Not for the weak of heart. Tarpon practically live in these jetty rocks from July through September.

“I didn’t do a belly flop, but I knew I was in horrible trouble going down. As I fell, I kept the rod in my left hand and used the reel to take the brunt of the force to that hand. Sadly, I had nothing to protect my right hand. My hands took the force of the fall. A three-inch cut diagonal across my palm was the worst of it.

“Pete drove me to Beaumont, where Dr. Gupta acted like I was bothering him, what with dripping blood all over the place. The nurse put my hand in a bowl of Betadine and cleaned the shell fragments and algae out of my palm. [I dug shell and green stuff out of my knees and legs for weeks]. Then the good doctor gave me a single injection of anesthetic near the cut, waited two minutes and began sewing me up. Internal and external stitches. I was on my back on a table with arm extended to side. The anesthetic was all but useless. I was writhing in pain, but not moving my hand. Trying to be tough. Pete left the room first, then the nurse. Pete said later the nurse was upset because the doctor wouldn’t give me more anesthetic.

The whole time, Dr. Gupta repeated ad nauseum: ‘Mr. Tompkins! You are being most uncooperative!’ At least I got a neat scar out of the deal…”

The author even raised a pair of jetty rats. That ’s Ian Richard at an early age, dealing with a keep er trout. Behind him is Bill Wilson and his sons from Rockport.

Tompkins and Richard both fell on this same flat struc ture, same stretch, in fact.

36 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 37

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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Chris Mapp’s e Tips c n a n e t in a M Over the Fourth of July weekend we experienced a very heavy volume of water in fuel systems. Accommodating everybody on a drop-in basis is difficult but we succeeded and were very happy to do so. The point of this article is that gasoline containing ethanol is no friend to your boat’s fuel system and problems can be expensive to fix if the system is not cared for properly.

All boats should be equipped with fuel-water separator filters between the fuel tank and engine and changed every three months.

This includes Mercury outboards which has been the subject of debate. I called Mercury to verify and the answer is, “definitely.”

Lots of good filters on the market - we prefer any brand with a high flow rate (90gph) and 10 micron rating. Filters under the engine cowling should be changed annually or every 100 hours of operation. Spare filters should be onboard at all times along with a filter wrench.

Fuel treatment should be added every time fuel is put in the tank.

Every manufacture has treatments; my favorite is PRI-G from Power Research Inc. One quart treats 512 gallons and it is very effective.

Fuel line and primer bulb should be replaced every three to five years – 3/8 hose is recommended for 140hp and up. Fuel lines with cracks visible on the surface should be replaced immediately.

Most fuel tanks are in the deck nowadays but some are installed under the console. Plastic tanks under the console should be covered/shielded to keep UV light from chemically breaking down the fuel.

Run your boat in the water every chance, not just on the garden hose. Engine RPM should include speeds to upper-midrange. Certain carbureted outboards are more likely to get carburetors replaced today than cleaned. Ultrasonic cleaners are the only way to open tiny internal passages and this is not always a guarantee.

I cannot stress enough that all service to your boat’s fuel system and engine should include a test run with repair shop personnel. This is a good safety net for the owner as well as the repair shop. It gives assurance that the work was done correctly and also that the boat has no fuel-water issues at that time. We never allow a boat to leave without following this procedure – no exceptions.

The reason we are such sticklers is that ethanol is subversive to all marine products. We found three stations in Corpus Christi that carry non-ethanol gasoline and one of my customers that operates a large fuel business checked to see if we could have it here in POC. The response was “not east of Hwy 35” as this region is a containment zone and sale of non-ethanol gasoline is prohibited. Everybody should write their state legislators to request exemption for marinegrade fuels.

Have a safe summer!

Coastal Bend Marine – Port O’Connor, Texas 361 983 4841 – coastalbendmarine.com Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2011 37

Story by Everett Johnson Photos by Ernest Cisneros

38 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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In the mind of your average Texas angler, the mention of angling for trophy snook will almost invariably conjure images of exotic destinations and neo-tropic waters. Rightfully so, snook thrive in warm water - not to mention reaching outsized proportions requires a long and happy life in rich habitat - a requirement that is not-socommon on coastlines where icy blasts can drive shallow seawater to near freezing whenever Old Man Winter takes the notion. Even in Florida’s Everglades National Park wintery blasts will occasionally carve a deep notch in snook populations.

Yet - way down at the southernmost tip of our coast - we have a population of common snook that not only clings to life, but over the past decade seems to thrive.

The Lower Laguna Madre is blessed with a variety of habitat that snook can utilize year round. The deep waters of Brazos Santiago Pass and the Brownsville Ship Channel offer snook and other species safe haven during even the worst of winter freezes while the nutrient-rich Laguna itself, especially tiny South Bay, provides a great summer home.

We made our fourth annual summer trek to Port Isabel for a “snook fix” back in early June. The dates had been set for nearly a year and anticipation ran high in the days proceeding as our dear friend and fishing guide, Capt. Ernest Cisneros, emailed grip-and-grin shots of clients posing with outstanding specimens. We were pumped.

We pick our dates very carefully to coincide with the new moon, hopeful of daylong feeds and lots of opportunity. Each year we have succeeded in beating our previous best catches and, naturally, we all had visions of eleven and twelve pounders. The record snook in all Ernest’s guiding is a seventeen pounder several years ago for Richie Hominga that taped an honest thirty-nine and a half. Maybe not enough to make headlines in Everglade City, but certainly enough to make this Seadrifter’s blood run hot.

So – with nervous anticipation, dressed in full wade fishing garb ready to step off the boat, reels filled with brand new braid, 40lb flourocarbon leaders already tied, wade boxes bulging with single-

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hooked topwaters and soft plastics (Ernest’s recommendations) – we boarded his Shallow Sport at 0500 to begin our great adventure.

Munching breakfast tacos and sipping coffee to strains of Red Hot Chili Peppers via Ernest’s XM (very inspirational for fishing), we idled slowly out of the harbor.

Setting the Power Pole, Ernest gave us the rundown on the spot we were about to test. The instruction included his usual “snook can be stubborn” speech that includes admonition to fish slowly and thoroughly, punctuated with “if the blowup sounds like a snook, throw to the same spot at least ten more times.” With their elongated snout and large mouth snook make a distinctive racket when they attack a surface lure.

Off into the still-dark morning, trudging slowly through ankledeep goo in water that was barely at your knee one step and belly-deep the next, we launched tentative casts into the inky abyss praying to avoid backlashes. As Ernest predicted, we were fishing an area filled with mullet and exploding with occasional bursts of shad. In the distance all around we could hear the sounds of baitfish becoming breakfast.

There is nothing like a blowup in the dark (I don’t care who you are), and the unmistakable “pop” of the six pounder inhaling my Skitter Walk was like a stick of dynamite. None of us mistook it for anything but what it was. Being dark and all, the fish pulling drag and jumping like crazy, I about wet myself believing it could be at least a ten. The wetting wouldn’t have mattered, I was already wet.

Wading a few yards to my right Joe connected with one a bit heavier before I could apply the Boga Grip to mine. Pam was shrieking about her sixth blowup on as many casts and Norma was in a tug-of-war with a brute of a redfish. Pam’s next cast produced a sleek five pound trout while Joe and I took turns with the waterproof camera. Norma was still hung up. I couldn’t see Ernest’s face but he had to be grinning. Such is snook fishing in the Lower Laguna Madre.

The key to all this was Ernest’s six sense. The man must have been a snook in a former life is all I can figure. There we were in an

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2011 39

improbable dead-end gut, literally treading mud while barely inching forward (stopping your feet will get you hopelessly stuck), catching quality fish after fish. Snook count at that spot was four, trout two, and Norma’s bulldozer.

The next spot afforded plenty of daylight so the blindfolds were off. Now we see the bait and the essential current that snook love to feed in. Drifting in and dropping the Power Pole our jaws dropped collectively as a solid snook rolled less than fifty yards ahead. I teased Ernest by telling him even I could have picked this one. Floating grass cancelled the topwater opportunity, even with single hooks, but Norma’s “plumkin” Trout Killer raked up a feisty four pound snook before another beastly red put her in time-out. Pam snagged a four pound snook that could have applied for a pilot’s

40 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 41

license it spent so much time above the water. Joe and I found a honey-hole of three pound trout.

Ernest says that over the years he has found daybreak to be the undisputed best time to catch big snook. He follows that quickly by saying the noon hour should never be overlooked, though, especially when the moon-over major coincides with the sun being directly overhead, (as it is during new moon). And then he stresses current.

“Too many anglers give up in the middle of the day,” he says, “but the beginning of a strong incoming current can really turn them on.”

Again I say he must have been a snook. Delaying lunch to cash in on the tide - each of us hooked and lost at least one trophy snook (several ballistic tail-walkers), while landing a couple each in the four-five class.

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Ernest has taught us his lure preferences. White, white with chartreuse and woodpecker are his favorite plug colors (evidently snook dig white). Super Spook Jr. and Skitter Walks are his most trusted surface lures, single-hooked for added strength and to avoid floating grass. Kelley Wiggler Ball Tail Shads on 1/8 ounce jigs are his preferred plastics.

Flourocarbon leaders of at least 30lb test are a must as snook have sandpaper lips that can shred a leader in record time. Leaders of three feet and longer are recommended as snook have a habit of rolling. A short leader wrapped around a big snook will put light monofilament and thin braided line in contact with razor-sharp gill covers during the struggle and it more than likely will not hold.

Even though TPWD allows the harvest of one snook per day in a 24-28 inch slot, Ernest is all about catch and release for this species. This is made clear during booking – no snook will be retained on his charters. “I grew up fishing here and the last nine years the snook population has grown so that I can target them steadily on my charters. I feel the snook deserve a chance, maybe some day we’ll have more.”

Perhaps the greatest thrill of fishing for snook, at least for me, is their stubbornness and unpredictability. No expert by any means, I am constantly amazed how they seem to bite out of nowhere. How they can blowup on your first cast and then refuse twenty, only to crash the last one made in desperation just blows my mind. How can you ever be sure it is safe to give up?

This is where hiring a knowledgeable guide comes into the picture. And without a doubt, a guide that targets them day after day over many years is worth his weight in gold to an angler on a tight time budget.

For all our three day effort, even with Ernest’s insistence to fish split days going out morning and evening, this was not our trip to claim a personal best. We each landed several solid snook every day, we hooked some genuine beauties on tops and also on tails, but the hooks never held.

The snook gods wouldn’t allow it. But that’s okay; all any guide can guarantee is to put you among the species you’re chasing. We’re already booked for next year and we might get a chance to slip back down there in August or early September.

Capt Ernest Cisneros A Brownsville-area native, Capt. Ernest Cisneros fishes the Lower Laguna Madre from Port Mansfield to Port Isabel. Ernest specializes in wading and poled skiff adventures for snook, trout, and redfish.

Cell Website

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956-266-6454 www.tightlinescharters.com

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By Jay Watk in s

Every once in a while something special happens while fishing that excites me to a level I find hard to avoid talking about. I know what you’re thinking, when it comes to fishing, Jay talks about everything to everyone. I just can’t help the fact that fishing has been so fulfilling to me as both a sport and a career.

It is hot along the Texas coast this time of year. Tides are approaching summertime lows and water temperatures the highest of the season. Wind is a steady companion of drought or near drought conditions and the summer of 2011 has lived up to this so far. Higher winds along with lower tides and higher water temperatures create a very unique opportunity for anglers willing to work a little. For too long I forced my people to fish for trout all day, even when conditions would have warranted switching into redfish mode, so over the past several years I have incorporated some changes due the lack of a quality trout bite this time of year. I should have picked up on it earlier.

Given the many years of conservative redfish regulations and a strong restocking program, reds have become the go-to fish for

Early morning topwater trout from potholes on windblown flat.

42 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 43

many. I have rediscovered them myself and have to say they still bring a big smile to my face when running hard against the drag.

My summer days now begin with early morning wades for trout and then mid-morning to mid-day searches for redfish. The black drum population in Rockport is unbelievable, so they too have become another fish that even lure enthusiasts can target right alongside their red cousins, and drum are pretty hard to beat on the plate.

Over the past four to five seasons I have become very confident fishing water changes and just downright dirty water during the summer months. What has excited me the most about this pattern is the numbers of big trout I catch and even more than that, the numbers I see. This pattern is at its best on what I call water changes.

The water change; where dirty, moving water meets clean water, provides a camouflage for both bait and predator. I like to locate areas where the water change comes in and covers up the preferred bottom structure for the area that I am fishing. Scattered shell or submerged grass along with a mix of potholes are all productive when the dirty water and clear water meet and these bottom structures exist. Of course bait activity is as important as water movement, but typically the water change cannot exist without some type of water movement. Wind is normally one of my best partners when it comes to pulling dirty water into the clear stuff. I insist on lining my people up on the clean edge of the water change, having them cast into the dirty water and then work the lure back into the line where the dirty water meets the clean. More often than not the best fish, both trout and reds, come out of the dirty water. For sure, the bait stays in the dirty water, probably feeling safer there.

This style of fishing requires a lot of patience from even the most seasoned anglers. Slow and deliberate is the key to locating and catching the best of the best.

I personally prefer to stand close enough to the water change to search for surface cruising trout and reds. The boys and I refer to them as floaters because they appear to be floating just below the surface when spotted. It seems to me that we see very few small fish when working this pattern. Just so you know, I have seen this many time on the flats around Rockport as well as the larger grass flats of the Upper Laguna near Corpus Christi. On blustery afternoons when the clouds are few and the sun high, it is very common to see small pods of redfish and occasional larger trout floating near the surface along a wind-created water change. It is sight-casting at its best for me. I think sometimes it might be all I would want to do if I had the clientele to still fish enough to make a decent living.

On a recent trip in San Antonio Bay I made the comment to my guys that if they paid attention they would notice that the majority of the boats we would see running the shoreline would end up starting their wades where the dirty water stopped and the clear water began.

Boat after boat of anglers cruised past our bent rods to wade the pristine waters that waited just to the south of our location. On this morning we caught and released redfish and trout for over five hours, all along a water change that the wind had pushed in over the top of the preferred structure. I released a trout just over seven and a half

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a sk the p ro

Healthy summertime redfish caught on water change over scattered shell and grass.

C o n ta c t

pounds as well as a couple of solid five pounders. Two of these trout I saw as they slid briefly out of the dirty water as though to take a peek into the clear, and both fell for the offering I presented very quickly. This scene has been played and replayed many times this year due to our higher than normal wind velocities.

On many days the best feed comes from the noon hour to the late afternoon hours. This is mostly due to a combination of falling tide along with rising water temperatures. The heat actually drives the bigger fish to the deeper, cooler water which most times happens to be right where the water change begins. Local knowledge of the area comes into play here; knowing the line that the grass beds, potholes and guts are located on gives one a very distinct advantage. I like to bounce a jig along the bottom, actually jerking it through the short grass for the best results on both big redfish and trout that would impress most any summertime trout angler. I caught one two days prior to this writing on a windward water change over a grassbed that I could barely make out with this tactic that weighed over seven pounds on my Boga.

So the next time you are running down the shoreline searching for clean water to fish, you might want to consider trying your luck in the area where the dirty water meets the cleaner water. I am almost positive that what you find will please you. This pattern and the confidence I have gained with it has certainly given me a new outlook when it comes to the effects of the wind and heat this time of year.

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

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

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F L Y F I S H I N G D E P A R T M E N T: By C a sey S m ar t t Each time I head out on the water, whether in fresh or salt, I am reminded of how many snags there are out there just waiting to tangle or steal my flies. Be it cord grass, turtle grass, jetty rocks, or oyster reefs, we often throw our flies into cover. Fish like cover. Because of this, I have grown to accept that there is simply no reason not to add weed guards to almost every fly I tie.

A good weed guard should do several things. First, it should offer reliable protection against snags. That’s pretty obvious. But, it should also be easy to add to a fly; durable, and unobtrusive. No weed guard is perfect, but if you are going to take the time to add one to your flies make sure it is designed to offer as much protection as possible against snags while not interfering with the action or weight of the fly and the flow of the materials.

There are several different materials used to make weed guards on flies. The two most common are Mason Hard Mono and fine stainless steel wire. Mason Hard Mono is a stiff nylon monofilament line with a lot of inherent “spring.” Most large tackle shops carry Mason Hard Mono in small spools for leader building. For weed guards; 12 lb and 16 lb are the most versatile sizes and can be used to make weed guards on a variety of shrimp flies, crab flies, and small baitfish patterns.

For large flies or flies tied on long shank hooks, stainless steel wire is often used. Stainless steel wire makes a rigid hook guard, stiff enough to offer resistance to heavy snags, rocks, shell, and solid obstructions. Though not as durable or as easy to work with

as nylon monofilament, stainless steel wire has its place. The key to working with stainless steel weed guards is to match the thickness and stiffness of the wire to the fly. That way you don’t wind up with a guard that is too limp or too rigid. Here are a few proven weed guard designs, built from both nylon mono and stainless steel wire.

Single Strand Mono

Single Strand Mono The single strand mono weed guard is probably the most basic and widely used style of weed guard. This is an easy style of weed guard to tie and it offers fair protection against light weeds, rocks, and snags. Single strand mono weed guards are run through the eye of the hook and lashed to the hook shank before materials are tied to the body of the fly. The exposed weed guard is allowed to point forward as materials are added, and when the fly is complete the protruding mono strand is pulled downward and lashed in position. A short flat bend is often placed at the tip of the guard to further protect the hook from drifting debris.

There are many snags out there just waiting to tangle or steal my flies.

video

Double Strand Mono Double Strand Mono weed guards offer considerably more protection against snags than single strand versions. The double strand mono weed guard is one of my favorite styles because it is a good combination of durability, simplicity, and effectiveness. Double strand weed guards are commonly used on shrimp patterns, inverted crab patterns, and EP style baitfish flies.

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44 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 45

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Wire Spring Loop

To tie a double strand weed guard, a single strand of Mason Hard Mono is bent in half and lashed to the hook shank using zigzag wraps. The wraps are then liberally coated with cement to hold the two strands in place.

Wire Spring Loop The wire spring loop is perhaps the most effective of all the weed guard designs. So called because the wire is locked against the point of the hook by spring-like tension, the wire spring loop is a good choice for flies that are expected to encounter large rocks, stumps, oysters, and other substantial obstacles. Although wire spring weed guards are good at protecting the hook, they are moderately difficult to tie and not particularly durable. The thin

wire often fails after being bent back and forth a few times. Wire spring loop weed guard are often used on spoonflies, leeches, large baitfish flies, and crawling type patterns.

Mono Spring Loop An alternative to the wire spring loop is the mono spring loop.

This weed guard was shown to me by Corpus Christi guide Capt.

Steve Utley. Steve forms this weed guard from a thick (30 lb) section of Mason Hard Mono. He forms a loop of mono and ties it to the belly of the hook shank. The loop is then bent backwards and anchored below the point of the hook. The spring tension of the thick mono holds the loop firmly in position and is far more durable than stainless wire. When not in use, the weed guard is

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

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FLY FIsh I nG Depa rtMen t

Double Strand Mono

Mono Spring Loop

Double Strand Wire

If you aren’t adding weed guards to your flies, you should be.

They are an extra step in the fly tying process, but I believe they are worth the time. Weed guards will cut down the number of flies you lose, and hopefully increase the amount of fish you catch.

Double Strand Wire The double strand wire weed guard is one of the oldest styles of weed guard. First used on heavy spoons and spinners, this weed guard forms two wire prongs that protect the hook from all sorts of obstacles and snags. The double strand wire weed guard works well, but like the wire spring loop, it suffers from the problem of breakage after the prongs are bent back and forth a few times. Also, the wire tips of this weed guard will tattoo unsuspecting fingers.

46 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 47

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Contact

released from the point of the hook and flies are stored with the loop in the relaxed position, pointing forward from the eye of the hook.

Steve uses this weed guard on his shrimp and crab flies, but it clearly has many other applications.

Casey Smartt has been fly fishing and tying flies for 30 years. When he cannot make it to the coast he is happy chasing fish on Texas inland lakes and rivers.

Phone Email Website

830-237-6886 caseysmartt@att.net www.caseysmartt.com

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Science and the Sea

quantumfishing.com

© 2010 Quantum, a W.C. Bradley Co.

TM

Tougher aluminum alloy body and an added 7th layer of SaltGuard™ II corrosion protection

Fearsome Fossils Imagine a Komodo dragon the size of a large whale and you’ve got a rough picture of the mosasaur, one of the most fearsome predators in the oceans’ history.

Top ocean predators of their time, mosasaurs were a group of carnivorous marine reptiles that lived during the Cretaceous period, roughly 90 million to 65 million years ago. Mosasaurs are thought to be related to present-day monitor lizards, and their fossilized remains have been found in many parts of the world.

Scientists believe these real-life sea monsters evolved from less imposing land-dwelling reptiles. As Earth experienced warming temperatures and rising sea levels during the Cretaceous, some reptiles moved back into the ocean.

Dallasaurus, a creature whose remains were found in North Texas, was one of the first mosasaurs to make the move. This diminutive, three-feet-long reptile was amphibious – it swam in shallow waters but had fingers and claws that allowed it to move about on land.

As mosasaurs continued to evolve, later species adapted to a completely aquatic lifestyle. They developed streamlined bodies, and their fingers were replaced with paddle-like limbs. They also grew in size, with later species reaching monstrous proportions.

One of the most advanced species, Mosasaurus hoffmannii, is thought to have been the largest marine reptile that ever lived, reaching 57 feet in length!

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Mosasaurs died out in a mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous, along with land-dwelling dinosaurs.

However, scientists still have much to learn from mosasaur fossils about how evolution equips animals for life at sea.

The new Cabo PT.

The University of Texas

Marine Science Institute

Frankly, we’re running out of things to upgrade.

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By William E. Thompson, Natural Resource Specialist & Mark Lingo, Ecosystem Leader Brownsville, TX

F I E L D

N O T E S

Does the following scenario sound familiar to you? It is one of those picture perfect days. The sun is just coming over the horizon. It isn’t too hot or too cold.

Your boat is up on plane and you’re headed for your favorite shallow water fishing spot. You make a fine drift across your favorite shallow flat and catch a few good size redfish. As your drift comes Poling is a to an end you start your engine, and try to get back recommended up on plane. But alas, you find that the water is too method to shallow for a normal escape from the shallows. Not travel through to worry - you have a trick up your sleeve. You gun the shallow sea grass areas the throttle, cut the helm hard to one side, and do a without making doughnut. There, you’re up on plane again and you prop scars. head back to make another drift. What a beautiful day.

Sure, you may have plowed up little seagrass with Knowing the draft the maneuver, but that’s no big deal, right? of your vessel, Wrong! While each individual little scar may not the depth of the be of much concern, if you look at the sum of these motor shaft and scars the picture changes. This especially holds true the depth of the water can help for areas with limited deepwater access and unique prevent you from habitat such as South Bay in the lower Laguna making prop Madre. Located at the southern tip of Texas; South scars in the sea grass meadows.

Bay comes to within a mile of the Rio Grande at its

The time required to heal a prop scar varies with the composition of the bay floor, the type of seagrass, and of course – the depth to which it was cut.

48 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 49

southern end and connects to the Brownsville Ship Channel at the northern end. In 1988 South Bay’s approximately 3500 surface acres was leased to TPWD by the General Land Office (GLO) to manage as a Coastal Preserve. This is due in part to its unique ecological characteristics. The bay has extensive areas of submerged aquatic vegetation (seagrass), oyster reefs, and other important aquatic habitats. With an average depth of two feet, and some of the clearest waters in Texas, South Bay is prime seagrass habitat.

Seagrass beds like those found in South Bay play a critical role in the coastal environment including: use as nursery, breeding habitat, and a source of food. They also play a critical role in stabilizing coastal erosion and sedimentation. And of particular interest to the readers of this magazine, seagrass beds are ideal areas for recreational anglers to target when seeking spotted seatrout, red drum, and snook. In fact, South Bay is home to approximately 90 finfish species and 25 invertebrate species. Nearly all of which depend on the seagrass beds for at least part of their life cycle.

Seagrasses also play an important role in the lives of a variety of other wildlife species including: migratory waterfowl, sea turtles, manatees, and numerous wading and diving birds. Although some of these animals consume seagrasses directly (i.e. redhead ducks that feed on seagrass rhizomes and sea turtles that eat the leaves), the seagrass beds also harbor a host of prey items such as shrimps and crabs that wading birds feed on.

Given the shallowness of South Bay, and many other areas of the lower Laguna Madre, one of the greatest threats to seagrasses is physical damage from human disturbances.

Recreational boating activity in these areas can cause extensive damage to seagrasses through the uprooting of seagrass by boat propellers, like the example given at the beginning of this article. The time necessary for the seagrasses to

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South Bay. Notice the limited tracks of deep water, and the vast amount of shallow water covered with sea grass.

recover from this type of damage is highly variable. The recovery time depends on the size and depth of the cut and also the type of seagrass and can take multiple years to heal completely.

Boaters can minimize seagrass

Remember: Run TO the flats, NOT THROUGH the flats.

Check the TPWD Outdoor Annual, your local TPWD Law Enforcement office, or www.tpwd.state.tx.us for more information.

Drifting, rather than motoring, across sensitive seagrass areas are highly recommended. Electric trolling motors are useful in reaching deeper running lanes for takeoff with the outboard engine.

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FIeL D notes

destruction by lifting their motors and drifting, poling, or trolling through shallow areas. Other measures boaters should consider include: • When possible, avoid running your boat through shallow areas • Consider wind speed and direction; • Check tide charts and weather forecast and create a float plan accordingly • Use deeper water or existing marked channels as preferred access whenever possible • Know your boat’s limitations for running and takeoff depths.

Boaters should regularly check their wake, if the water is muddy then the propeller may be cutting into the bay bottom and causing damage. It is the boater’s responsibility to know the depth of the area they are running in and to avoid areas too shallow for their boat.

CONSERVATION PAGE CCa texas Continues Commitment to habitat restoration in

Dickinson Bayou restoration project With a string of marsh restoration and artificial reefing projects already underway, the CCA Texas Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow program has announced that its next project will help restore ten acres of marsh in Dickinson Bayou within the Galveston Bay system. The CCA Texas Executive Board recently approved $25,000 funding for the project, which will be done in partnership with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD).

“CCA Texas has a unique ability to work with other organizations and state agencies on these types of habitat projects, and that is completely due to our strong volunteer base,” said Jay Gardner, chairman of the CCA Texas HTFT committee. “Anglers have to be the driving force in the restoration of this critical habitat up and down the entire Texas Coast, and our guys are not afraid to step up to the challenge. This is just another step in the efforts of many to restore this important part of our marine ecosystems.”

In addition to the ten acres of marsh that will be restored from materials dredged from the bayou, the project will also provide protection for forty additional acres of marsh that currently exists along adjacent shoreline and within two tidal tributaries. These ecosystem components will provide improved fish and wildlife habitat, and increased productivity of nursery fish and benthic species, as well as improved water quality and storm water filtration.

The project will also provide increased natural resource education opportunities and boating access to Dickinson Bayou.

“Habitat is critical to healthy marine systems, and unfortunately we have lost a staggering amount of productive habitat all up and down the Texas coast. CCA Texas is committed to the restoration of these habitats,” said Robby Byers, executive director of CCA Texas.

“We have a strong working partnership with TPWD and we look forward to working with them and other organizations in the effort to conserve and restore the great marine resources of Texas.”

Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow is the habitat restoration and creation program of CCA Texas. HTFT was launched in November of 2008 and to date the program has funded more than $420,000 in habitat restoration along the Texas coast. For more information about HTFT, please contact John Blaha at (800) 626-4222.

Fort Bend Chapter takes first place in annual Inter Chapter Challenge CCA Texas hosted its annual (ICC) Inter Chapter Challenge June 10 and 11, 2011 in Aransas Pass. This year’s event drew twenty-eight volunteer chapter teams and guests, bringing the total attendance to over 250 people. ICC is an annual event hosted by CCA Texas for the organization’s local chapter boards and brings them together for a one-day fun fishing tournament, meals for Friday and Saturday night, and chances to walk away with some great door prizes.

This year’s tournament was won by the Fort Bend Chapter with a weight of 24 lbs – 1 oz for three trout and one redfish. The North East Houston Chapter finished in second place with 21 lbs – 12 oz and Guadalupe Valley rounded out the top three with 21 lbs even. Top individual award winners included Matt Meyer from the Fort Bend Chapter with an 8 lb 11 oz trout and Fearn Mastin from the Fort Worth Chapter with a 7 lb 12 oz redfish.

Fort Bend Chapter’s Inter Chapter Challenge fishing team garnered top honors at Port Aransas.

50 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 51

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Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

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My new East Cape Fury, first splash, Panama City Florida.

K A Y A K F I S H I N G : By Capt. Scott Null Alright now, hang with me and I’ll get this thing turned towards kayak fishing; but for the moment I have to talk about my new boat…er, ah, kayak, with a motor. Yeah… that’s what it is.

I recently made the leap to full-time guiding and with that decision came the need for a new boat. I’ve owned boats pretty much since I got my driver’s license. Some were picked up used and some were straight off the showroom floor.

They all did their jobs admirably, but none of them were ever built exactly the way I wanted.

I did the oversized jonboat thing, the big center Joel Berry landing console, and then the Texas flats boat. Many years a sight-casted red on the Fury. ago I was stuck, really stuck, out on the white sand along the east side of the Lower Laguna Madre in my very heavy 21’ Texas-style flats boat when a guy came poling by on a skiff unlike any I’d seen in our waters. Of course I’d seen them on TV poling through the Keys and Everglades, but for some reason hadn’t given them much thought. At the 52 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 53

end of eight hours pushing that beast off the sand I vowed to look further into the idea. Incidentally, this fun little exercise was also what prompted me to buy my first kayak. Eventually I ended up owning two Florida-style poling skiffs over the last eight years. Both were cool and I’m now hopelessly addicted to poling the flats from the high perch of my platform. But as in the past, they were stock boats and neither was built specifically for my needs.

Enter East Cape Skiffs. I first met co-owner Kevin Fenn back during the days of the Extreme Edge Kayak Tournaments in Florida. He and his partner were just starting the company by building a cool little poling skiff that they could use in their no-motor zones.

I’ve kept in touch and watched as their company grew and gained respect in the shallow water fishing community.

They became known for building custom boats to suit the customer’s

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kaYak FIshI nG

needs and their line-up had grown from the original Gladesman to include three larger models. I had always thought about getting them to build me one, but just hadn’t laid my money on the table.

A few months ago while having dinner with my lovely wife we got to talking about things. I had grown weary of being on the road as a tackle sales rep covering three states. She asked what I really wanted to do.

I’ve guided part-time for seven years and really enjoy taking folks fishing. There’s no greater high than putting a rookie on their first sight-casted red. And watching the look on the face of a fly fisherman as his first-ever red burns into the backing will never get old.

I told her that I just wanted to be out on the water taking people fishing, writing about it and capturing the things I see through the lens of my camera. My lovely wife’s response, “I’ve been waiting years to hear you say this.” Huh? I sure wish she would’ve said something sooner, ‘cause I sure was nervous dropping that one on her.

So, the green light from the wife led to a phone call to Kevin.

We talked over the current models and what I was looking for.

The conversation turned to a new project they were working on.

It was a combination of the best features of three of their current

My wife landed the first fish on our new rig.

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2011 53

models and sounded like a winner to me. Over the next few months he kept me updated with secret pictures and information on the R&D they were doing. The final result was dubbed the Fury, and it was good.

All of this waiting was killing me, but it was actually a good thing in that it gave me time to wrap up my rep business. More importantly; it allowed me to put a lot of thought into how I wanted the new boat set up and rigged. My basic needs were for a boat that floats shallow, poles quietly, has plenty of storage to keep gear off the deck, and the ability to cross open bays in less than perfect conditions.

One of the biggest downsides to running the Florida-style skiffs is that most are designed to drive while seated. I often have First mud bath; to navigate through minefields of oysters or compliments of make my way through narrow channels that Charley, our Lab. snake through the marsh lakes and steering from a low vantage point inhibits the ability to see what’s ahead. Kevin and I discussed this and the raised console position that you see in the photos was the result. Along the way I also went with powder coated aluminum, locking storage compartments, custom removable push pole holders and a few other goodies.

A few weeks ago I finally got the call that she was nearly ready and the next day I was

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on the road to Orlando. They’ll arrange delivery, but I couldn’t wait. Along the way I took several calls from Adam, the shop foreman, asking where I wanted the gauges, trim tab switches, jack plate controls, etc. I was so pumped I drove straight through.

Unfortunately the shop was long closed by the time I got there. I met up with Kevin for dinner and he says, “Let’s go look at your boat.” That says a lot about the kind of business these guys run.

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He was willing to drive across town at 10:00 pm to open up the shop knowing how bad I wanted to see my new toy.

I had been getting regular photos throughout the build, but seeing it in person was way cool.

The next day was spent hanging around the shop watching the crew finish the rigging and a few other details. It was interesting to watch how meticulous these guy were. “Close enough” is not in their vocabulary. The wiring is the cleanest I’ve ever seen. And if you’ve ever had to work on your boat a couple years down the line; you’ll understand how nice it is not to be dealing with a rat’s nest of wires. She was almost ready, but a mix-up at the trailer factory had me with a trailer needing a removable tongue. I had to have that in order to make the fit in my garage. Kevin says, “No problem, they’ll have it ready by noon and I’ll take you fishing while we wait.” Awesome, well the fishing wasn’t so awesome that day, but the offer certainly was.

I’ve had her home for a couple weeks now and have logged ten trips thus far. I couldn’t be happier. She runs through the chop with ease, poles shallower than I’d expected and, the E-Tec just

ContaCt

barely sips gas.

You guys don’t The elevated worry though, I’m still console affords out there kayaking too. ability to read I’ve got a few places water and see what’s ahead. where even my kayak with a motor can’t reach. I’ll be offering guided kayak fishing trips along with trips on the new skiff. And as for the kayak part of this article, I’m afraid that in my excitement to tell you about my new toy I’ve run out of space. Next month I’ll run through some reasons kayak anglers might want to consider a guided skiff trip to improve their success on the water and when a dedicated kayak trip would be the better option.

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

Phone 281-450-2206 Website www.captainscottnull.com Email scott@tsfmag.com

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A C C O R D I N G T O S C O T T : By Scott Sommerlatte We have all heard the saying, “I was in the right place at the right time.” Well, more often than not, that is how most success stories come to be. Whether you are talking about financial or career successes or success at the local fishing hole. And, whether you have ever been able to say it or not, I will be the first to admit that it has been the story of my life…today not to be excluded.

I have always said, “I am the richest poor kid you will ever meet.” This is because I have the best family and friends that any man could ever hope to have and because my customers have faith in my better qualities and treat me much better than I deserve. As far as my family goes, well they are just stuck with me. My friends and customers on the other hand, well they chose me. You see, I was in the right place at the right time to meet each and everyone of them and because of the way the events have unfolded over time, they have chosen to stick by my side despite all of my flaws. I guess you are wondering how this all fits into fishing. Well, I am getting to that.

Just take a look at the most skilled anglers out on the bay… they dedicate a great deal of time to being on the water learning all that they can about the tides, the surrounding environment and most importantly, the species they pursue. Over the years they have amassed the knowledge to guide them to the right spots at the right time ultimately resulting in nice catches.

Now let me digress. Over the years, I have been lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time when I have met my friends and I have been lucky enough to be by the telephone or email maker when 56 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 57

new customers have tried to contact me. In regards to my customers returning time and time again, well that falls back into that right place at the right time scenario in that I have been able to consistently put them on fish over the years. I would like to say that this is and always has been a result of my skill and knowledge but I would be a liar to try to tell you that. There are times that the success I have been able to share with others is a result of nothing more than pure damn luck. A fine example of this happened to us today.

It is the 4th of July (hope you all had a great one) and it just so happens to be one of the only days in months that I have had the chance to get together with a friend to just go fishing. Keep in mind that I normally avoid the bay like the plague on weekends much less holiday weekends, but I have had a hankering to catch a red on a fly for weeks now and called my buddy Brandon Smith to join me. He arrived the night before and we came up with a plan - big fish or bust.

Having spent little time fishing the big water as of late all I had to go on was that we had a pretty decent tide and there should be some schools of jacks active at the jetties. So we got up ridiculously early, launched the boat and pointed it in that direction. Running across the bay we started to make out several large concentrations of birds working and altered our course to intercept them.

Immediately upon arrival Brandon made the first cast and was instantly hooked up to his first jack on fly. After a short photo op it was my turn and it did not take long before I was hooked up with a nice crevalle. My knowledge of the tides had paid off. But that was where it ended. From this point forward Lady Luck was our navigator.

While I was fighting my jack, we noticed that several bull reds had

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Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Contact

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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

Telephone 979-415-4379 Email vssommerlatte@hotmail.com Website www.scottsommerlatte.com

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2011 57

According to Scott

made an appearance amongst the ravaging jacks so Brandon broke out the spinning rod and made several casts resulting in a hook-up and his largest redfish landed to date. “Wow, wasn’t expecting to run into any redfish out here today,” was all I could say.

By the time we were done with the photo ops we had drifted quite a ways from the action so it was time to start the motor and get up current of the fish. By this time numerous other boats had moved in and were dropping cut bait down below the jacks and doing a pretty good number on the over-sized reds making it difficult to get back into position to throw a fly into the surface blitzing fish. So we made a decision to go way up current and just drift hoping that some fish

would surface in our path providing more opportunity.

After several unsuccessful drifts we were ready to pull the plug and head for the house and that is when it happened. A few fish surfaced near the boat and I made a cast. No sooner did the fly fall to the surface, the water began to boil 360 degrees around the boat as a large school of redfish came to the surface. I was of course hooked up immediately but what made it even more exciting is that the fish were actually slamming into the boat from every direction. Talk about being in the right place at the right time; it was one of the most spectacular experiences of my life.

Sure I have seen plenty of large schools of bull reds, but to be right smack in the middle of it? Oh my goodness!

Now here is one more saying for you; “I would rather be lucky than good.” I do not agree with that one. I take a great deal of pride in the knowledge I have accumulated over the years and how I have been able to put that knowledge to work for my customers and me. However, only a fool would refuse the chance to welcome Lady Luck aboard.

See you in a month! Be gude and stuff like that…

Y O U T H F I S H I N G : By Jake Haddock I woke up one morning to a strange sound coming from the roof. It was something I haven’t heard in some time, rain. Looking on my phone, I could see that the radar was showing scattered showers throughout the day. Unprepared for the situation, I managed to find an old rain jacket in the RV. Walking out of Speedy Stop, I tucked my taco deep into my jacket to keep the pouring rain out of my breakfast. It was still dark outside as we made our way to Charlie‘s Bait Camp and boat launch. It wasn’t raining when I slipped the boat off of the trailer and into the Intracoastal Waterway, but as my Uncle Mitchell pointed out, “Looks like more is on its way.” Just as Mitchell predicted, a light drizzle began to fall on the water.

While Mitchell and his nine year old daughter, Skylar, sat on the shoreline waiting for the rain to pass, Dylan and I made the first wade of the day. We were hard set on catching some trout before the day grew on. Unfortunately, all that was caught was one undersized red. After the next wade, being just about as productive as the first, we needed a change of pace. The showers were letting up, so we decided to make a run to a reef out in the deeper water for some “easy” trout fishing. Unable to pinpoint 58 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 59

the fish on the reef, we began to fish a group of birds that had just started to congregate. Everyone caught multiple undersized trout and ladyfish, or “skip jack” as some say. Also, I managed to get my line wrapped around the wing of a seagull while making a cast. Then, right when the lure hit the water, a giant ladyfish hit. Next thing you know, I’m fighting a seagull and the ladyfish at the same time. It was

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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quite a sight. Whenever the ladyfish would try to make a run for it, the seagull was like a live popping cork. After a few moments of a heated battle, they both escaped unharmed.

As we unwillingly pulled away from the fast action, another rain shower approached which made the boat ride to the back lakes a little rough, even for a Flats Cat. When Mitchell finally got where he thought we should be the sun was back out. With not a lot of

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YoUth fiShing

confidence in the chosen spot, I stayed in the boat with Skylar, and watched a group of hungry dolphins put on an acrobatic feeding frenzy. My sixth sense was right because neither Dylan nor Mitchell caught anything. However, I did manage to catch a decent red at the next spot, and put him in the box to eat for dinner upon returning home. Without a whole lot of success on the south end of the bay, we ran to the north side to finish out the day.

We stopped on a grassy flat that had some mullet rafting across it. About my third cast after getting out of the boat, Mitchell and I simultaneously hooked up. Maybe our luck is starting to turn around, so I thought. Then the next cast, Mitchell’s reel had a major malfunction in the casting process and ruined a whole spool of line, so he went back to the boat to grab his other rod. When he got there, he decided to just drift with Skylar and Dylan instead of wading. I’m glad he did because on that drift, Skylar successfully caught and landed her first keeper redfish! This really made the whole trip. However, it did make Dylan frustrated because he didn’t catch much all day. I think he was just off his game because he hasn’t been fishing with us the past few months. After Skylar’s big catch, we were unable to get them to bite a piece of plastic and decided to end the day on the water. The outing started with rain showers, but ended with clear skies and a bright orange sun setting on the horizon.

T E X A S N E A R S H O R E & O F F S H O R E : B y M i k e J e nnings For the first time in history, recreational anglers have been very anxiously awaiting the reopening of the greater amberjack season that has been closed June 1 through July 31, 2011. According to the data used by the regulatory agencies, recreational anglers overfished the greater amberjack quota back in 2009 and it is now payback time to allow the species to recover. Some salts, though, are having trouble understanding this year’s closure as the Deepwater Horizon incident and the resulting fishing closures certainly kept us from overfishing them in 2010.

The Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council presented a couple of options for public comment; one being to simply allow the season to run until the 2011 quota was fulfilled and then close it for the balance of the year. This we are told would have likely forced a closure of the greater amberjack fishery long about late July or sometime in early August. The premise of the other proposal called for closing the season during the two months of peak harvest - June and July - projecting that the season could then be kept continuously open for the remainder of the year without worry of overfishing the quota.

The proposal to close the greater amberjack season during June and July evidently appealed to many survey respondents who liked the idea of having at least one of the most popular bottom species (red snapper scheduled to run 48 days beginning June 1 through

July 18) open all but a few days throughout the year. Basically if the amberjack season had remained open, we would have lost the opportunity to retain both red snapper and amberjack by the first of August. The public comment via email, letter and open testimony at council meetings largely favored the June-July closure. Thus, in the opinion of many, staggering the two seasons would allow extended opportunity and likely favorable economic impact to our coastal communities and local fishing related businesses.

Now that we have our amberjack back its time to go put a few on the deck. I am often asked to explain my strategies and tactics for targeting various species but the “when-where-how” of amberjack fishing probably tops the list. Greater amberjack are known to be almost suicidal one day and as finicky as you can find the next, and this adds to the confusion and mystery in targeting them. Many factors come into play such as fishing pressure, available forage, water clarity and current just to mention a few.

Many of these factors can be overcome with the simple approach of using tackle as light as possible for any given situation.

I often fish live bottom areas with leaders as light as 80lb and sometimes as heavy as 500lb when pulling them away from deep water platforms and cut-off rigs. If they seem to be a little reluctant to bite, I will simply downsize until I get them to cooperate, using as little weight as I can get away with while still sufficient to overcome the pull of live bait being used and current.

Amberjack will congregate over and around just about any

Blue runner – AKA hard tail – rigged and ready to be lowered.

60 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 61

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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consider them as Plan B and almost always begin my day with live bait.

Rigging for amberjack leans more toward personal preference that any one method proving more successful than the other. I will use a variety of leader configurations with what I call a “sow rig” on lighter tackle over live bottom. The sow rig consists of a leader about six feet long with one or two egg sinkers located just off center and the hook on the trailing end.

The weights, if placed just slightly closer to the hook rather than the swivel, will cause the bait to be less likely to wrap around the leader or main line if it spins or spirals on its way down. With larger leader material used for fishing heavy structure such as standing rigs, I prefer a leader with a large single drop loop, placing the bait in the center, and a suitable bank sinker at the bottom. I will often attach the weight with a short piece of lighter line of about 40lb test. This lighter line will allow the weight to easily break away from the main leader if it becomes entangled in the structure.

Amberjack didn’t earn their nickname of rig or reef donkeys by being pushovers, hence the common approach of trying

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Texas Nearshore & offshore

structure that will hold suitable forage, and although I have caught them as shallow as about 60 feet, I rarely see consistent success in less that about 160. They also seem to have a fondness for structure made of steel.

Over years of fishing known wrecks, the steel-hulled boats seem to just hold them better as do platforms and cutoffs, with areas of live bottom running a close second.

When thinking about an area to target amberjack, it has been my experience that their Achilles’ Heel seems to be beeliners (vermillion snapper). Any place that holds beeliners will almost always have amberjack and, before it became illegal to use reef fish for bait, beeliners were hands down the best live bait for a hungry jack. Second to live beeliners would be blue runners and pin fish (piggy perch). Recently growing in popularity is the knife or butterfly jig. The jigs seem to work fairly consistently and with a high-speed retrieve they will spur a bite on occasion when the fish seem to be a little reluctant to cooperate, or in a location that has seen a lot of fishing pressure. My reservations on the jigs are twofold. They are expensive and they don’t seem to consistently catch the larger jacks. I usually

to entice them to come to you rather than dropping all the way down to them. Begin your drop as high in the water column and as far off the structure as you can and then slowly work your way closer until you get the fish to cooperate. This method will afford you a little extra time to get his head turned and coming your way before he has you tangled in his nest.

Success with these brutes is sometimes every bit as much a product of blind luck as it is skill. As much as I like to believe that I

contact

know what I’m doing, there is simply no single definitive method or tactic for consistently putting them on the deck. I take every opportunity to try new approaches and refine what the fish have taught me.

The undeniable fact of fishing for large amberjack is that you win some and you lose some. Most important is to keep trying new approaches and keep sending those baits down.

Your success rate will increase with every lesson and every whipping the truly big ones put on you. I look forward to this month’s reopening of the greater amberjack season and hope that we all enjoy many safe and successful days on the water – with lots of jacks landed!

Captain Mike Jennings is a professional charter captain with more than 25 years offshore experience. Mike is the owner/ operator of Cowboy Charters in Freeport TX and is known locally for running further and fishing harder for his clients.

Telephone Email Website

979-864-9439 texassportfishing@gmail.com www.cowboycharters.com

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SUB 0811

Southern flounder B y S te p h a n i e B o y d

flounder: to struggle clumsily or helplessly. southern flounder: a species of laterally compressed fish ranging along the Gulf of Mexico from northern Florida southward into Mexico and along the Atlantic coast from North Carolina to northern Florida.1

estuaries soon after spawning. However, the yearly migration does reshuffle the deck to some extent; some flounder elope to territories different from where they originated.3 The spring homecoming is gradual, unlike the large concentrations characteristic of the fall emigration.2

Growth Larval flounder feed on zooplankton in offshore waters for thirty to sixty days before they are washed through inlets into bays and estuaries and seek shallow grassy areas near Gulf passes. At this time, they look like other fish, with eyes on either side of the head and swimming with a side-to-side motion. During metamorphosis, which begins after that 30-60 day post-hatch interval, the right eye slowly migrates to the left side of the head, the jaw twists slightly, the left side darkens to brown while the right lightens to white, and the fish changes to an up-and-down swimming motion. Metamorphosis is complete in about two to three weeks, when a body length of about one-half inch is reached.1 As with other flat fish, the flounder’s sex is not determined until after metamorphosis. Once that’s resolved, it’s as if male and female southern flounder are two different species. Females grow approximately three times faster than males, though both are sexually mature at two years of age.1 Males usually don’t live longer than three years, or reach a length over fourteen inches. Females live about six years and often reach twenty-five inches, by comparison.2 Juvenile flounder feed mainly on crustaceans, but include more fish in their diet than anything else as they grow (though brown shrimp are a favorite of both juvies and adults in Galveston Bay). Unlike most predatory fish which eat larger fish as they grow larger themselves, flounder just eat higher numbers of the same ol’ small fish.3 In addition to their elders’ ambushing tactics, young flounder will also feed aggressively at the surface.

Maybe this is the safer method when you’re small in size since the extended family (i.e. other southern flounder) are sometimes cannibalistic.1 As young flounder are no doubt told when they hatch, “you’ll see things my way once Highly sought as excellent table fare, your eyes come together.” flounder are notoriously tough to hold onto.

Flounder will eat four to eight -Joe Richard photo percent of their body weight every

Do you wonder what the relation is? So do I. The southern flounder, Paralichtys lethostigma, is the largest of more than twenty-five species of flatfishes found in Texas coastal waters. It is commercially and recreationally sought after and accounts for more than ninetyfive percent of the state’s flounder harvest. During the migration from October to December, hundreds of lanterns can often be seen lighting the way for fisherman in search of this favorite catch.2 Flounder, as well as many other flat fish, have an established market worldwide, and there is considerable interest in southern flounder culture because of the high market value and ability to grow in fresh or brackish water. The commercial catch of flounder in the U.S. has declined from 20,000 metric tons (MT) in the mid 1980s to a “mandated quota” of about 5,000 MT in 1998.1 The decline isn’t due to a loss in popularity. The numbers, at least of southern flounder, are decreasing.

Though we know quite a lot about southern flounder, compared to some other fish on conservation watch, such as spotted seatrout, we know relatively little. Here is some of the stuff we do know, though.

Spawning Mature southern flounder begin migrating out of rivers, estuaries, and bays between mid October and mid November to spawn in the warmer offshore water of the Gulf stream. Some elect to stay behind, but most will move out into the Gulf for the winter.

Once offshore, spawning takes place between November and February.

Females spawn every three to seven days, releasing between 44,000 and 63,000 eggs per spawn. Although this per-spawn number is comparatively low to other species of fish with the same weight, total egg production is similar if all the egg batches are tallied up. Each egg is about one millimeter in diameter, nearly transparent with a single oil droplet, and very buoyant.1 Adults return to their original bays and 64 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 65

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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Management As shown by Texas Parks & Wildlife Department’s fisheryindependent monitoring program, southern flounder populations have been steadily declining statewide over the last twenty-five years. The Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission has also expressed concern regarding this decline. The main causes for the depleted populations are thought to be overfishing, bycatch,

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

temperature increases, and nursery habitat destruction.5 Spotted seatrout and red drum sale was banned in 1981.

Comparatively, flounder regulations weren’t instituted until 1988, but flounder fishing mortality has still increased steadily since 1989. Much of the fishing pressure comes during the emigration to offshore waters before many flounder are able to spawn for the first time. The buyback program for commercial shrimping license holders, instituted in 1999, has retired fifty-seven percent of bay/ bait licenses and decreased the overall yearly bycatch significantly.

Even so, bycatch historically condemns up to 9.7 million individuals per year. Higher winter temperatures hinder egg hatching and increase predation on larvae and early juveniles, besides having an effect on sex determination.6 Regulations up to this point have favored southern flounder populations but haven’t reversed the overall decline: 1988: Trammel and gill nets banned. Recreational bag limit 20/day (40 in possession); minimum length 12 inches.

1990: Fifty percent composition rule for shrimp nets (shrimpers can only keep non-shrimp catch up to fifty percent of the weight of the shrimp caught).

1996: Bag limits: 10/day recreational, 20/possession (formerly 20/ day and 40/possession), 60/day commercial (formerly 100/day).

Minimum length increased to 14 inches. Recreational bag limit applied to shrimping vessels.

1999: Limited entry/buyback program implemented for commercial finfish license holders.

2000: Bycatch Reduction Device requirement implemented (a device to reduce finfish capture in shrimp nets). Elimination of

· · · · ·

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2011 65

fiShY fActS

twenty-four hours. Feeding activity is highest during water temperatures of 61-77°F and during the three-day periods following a first quarter moon and before a new moon.3 Metamorphosed flounder feed by partly burying themselves in the sand and ambushing prey in a rapid upward lunge. This, accompanied by a vacuuming mouth, leads to a swift demise for the unlucky passerby.

Flounder have excellent camouflage because, like many other fish, they can change color and skin pattern to mimic the surrounding environment. Pigment-containing cells in the flounder’s skin react to light levels around the body and adjust accordingly; blending in with whatever rocks, shells, sand, mud, etc. is around it.1 A small body cavity and the absence of an air bladder help the flounder sit on bottom, and large optic lobes in the brain aid in vision. Southern flounders’ ability to bury themselves is also an evolutionary specialty. A flounder can bend its dorsal and anal fins, which creates a depression. All of these adaptations allow the flounder to occupy its specialized niche in the ecosystem. Southern flounder in particular are considered a near-top predator in the food web; they possess bigger mouths and larger curved teeth than other species of flounder.4

commercial fishing in nursery areas.

2006: Recreational possession limit reduced to 10 fish (same as daily bag limit).

2009: Recreational limit reduced to 5/day, 5 in possession, except November 2/day (2 possession) rod and reel only, no gigging. Commercial bag limit reduced to 30/day, except month of November closed to all commercial harvest.6

Development Center in Corpus Christi, Perry R. Bass Marine Fisheries Research Station in Palacios, and Sea Center Texas in Lake Jackson, in conjunction with the University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI), began development of a stock enhancement program for southern flounder in 2004. These research centers, together, have already developed successful stock enhancement programs for red drum and spotted seatrout, and while the southern flounder program is still in its infancy, it’s made significant Hatchery Programs progress since its beginning.7 The requirements for successfully spawning and raising flounder Here is where conservationists are trying to tip the scales back are almost completely opposite those of red drum and seatrout. into the flounders’ favor. Three facilities, the CCA/AEP Marine They spawn for only a short season in winter, require three Sample fish from a pond males for every female, and hatchlings grow twice as slow. This that was harvested; the is a tough species to work with. Plus, Sea Center and the other southern flounder were then stocked.7 facilities are hampered by the fact that everything is set up for red drum and seatrout, so along with developing completely different techniques for flounder stock enhancement, they also have to create completely different infrastructure and acquire completely different resources.7 In the first year, UTMSI provided Sea Center with 2.4 million eggs. Twelve fish were the result, and the brood stock produced only a single round of (unfertilized) spawning. It’s come a long way since then. Since 2004, the program has stocked 20,000 fish between Aransas, Galveston, and Sabine Lake. Sea Center has about 600 brood stock on site, and this year marked the first naturally fertilized spawning, a BIG step. In conjunction with successfully developed strip spawning techniques, the team hopes to expand to three successful spawns per year.7

· ·

66 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 67

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

For concerned flounder lovers, the best way to help this species rebound is to obey the limits set out by Texas Parks & Wildlife, especially during the shut down time (November) as it is a very critical time for spawning.7 The current bag limits for flounder are 5/2: daily bag is five fish except for the period of November 1-30 when the daily bag is two fish and flounder may be taken only by pole and line; possession limit is equal to the daily bag. Gigging limits are the most important limits on flounder harvest. They are currently 5 fish/day for recreational and 30 fish/day for commercial fishers during all months except November when no gigging and no commercial sale is allowed. Current limits can always be found on the Texas Parks & Wildlife website.

Southern flounder, and flounder in general, are an interesting,

appetizing, and important recreational and commercial fish that we don’t know nearly enough about. We know they’re disappearing, and that’s enough to do something, right? Hopefully, conscientious anglers will feel the same need for action to conserve the southern flounder as they have for the spotted seatrout and redfish. Undoubtedly, those who have already worked for flounder conservation could sure use a few more lifelines.

Footnotes 1 H.V. Daniels, “Species Profiles: Southern Flounder” (Southern Regional Aquaculture Center: 2000) 1-4.

2

“Southern Flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma),” Texas Parks & Wildlife, 26 June 2011 <http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/flounder/>.

3

“Biological Info: Southern Flounder,” Lousiana Fisheries, 26 June 2011 <http://www.seagrantfish.lsu.edu/biological/misc/southernflounder. htm>.

4

“Week 3 - Southern Flounder,” Dans Island Ecology, 26 June 2011, <https://sites.google.com/site/dansislandecology/summary-3/week-3-2>.

5 Suraida Nanez-James, Gregory Stunz, Scott Holt, “Habitat Use Patterns of Newly Settled Southern Flounder, Paralichthys lethostigma, in AransasCopano Bay, Texas” (Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation: 2008) 1-10.

6 “Status of the Southern Flounder Population in Texas” (presentation

by Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, Coastal Fisheries Division, during a flounder workgroup) <www.ccatexas.org/files/2009/03/ tpwdflounderwgpresentationfinal.pdf>.

7 David Abrego, Facility Director of Sea Center Texas, Phone interview, 6 July 2011.

Flounder cultured at Sea Center Texas. They were stocked into ponds shortly thereafter.7

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68 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 69

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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Few things lend themselves to a frustrating day as much as dropping must-have tools into the water. Whether it’s the knife needed for prepping bait, the pliers necessary for removing hooks or a line cutter needed for trimming heavy leaders, being without the necessary equipment can make catching and landing fish an even bigger challenge than it already is.

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

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www.TSFMAG.com / August 2011 69

dicKie coLBUrn’S Sabine Scene Mother Nature has done us no favors recently with more wind and no rain but the bite has been exceptional anytime we can fish dicKie coLBUrn the open lake. As expected, both rivers, the bayous on the east side, Dickie Colburn is a full time guide and the lake itself are absolutely out of Orange, Texas. Dickie has packed with schools of shad and 37 years experience guiding on the fish are right behind them.

Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes.

An “over the top” flounder bite has been drawing lots of attention Telephone – reminiscent of the early 80s. No 409-883-0723 Website need to wait at anchor or drag a www.sabineconnection.com mud minnow along the bottom waiting for a flatfish to eat; this is action-packed fishing at bayou mouths and shoreline points, tossing GULP shrimp on 1/4 ounce jigs, Assassin Sea Shad or Flats Minnows tipped with shrimp, or a three-inch shad-colored River 2 Sea Swim Bait. Simply hold your cast until you see the endless parade of juvenile shad getting busted into the overhanging reeds and it is game on! Of course there are usually lots of slot redfish crashing the party which only adds to the excitement.

Because they can easily locate their next meal, the gulls and terns have been of little value in locating schools of feeding fish in the open lake.

When you find shrimp skipping across the surface, however, you are in business. As a rule, if the first few trout you catch are small, it is time to search elsewhere.

The most consistent schooling action is taking place right now in the northern part of the lake from Johnson’s Bayou to the tip of Pleasure Island. Sea Shads rigged under a Kwik Cork are hard to beat, but we will also swim longer plastics like the Assassin Texas Shad, TTF Trout Killer and Tidal Surge Mullet on 1/4 ounce Pro Elite heads a little deeper before writing a school off.

Quite often we will ferret out the largest fish in these schools with a topwater or a Crazy Croaker. Thus far this summer we have done much better with the smaller She Pup in a bone or chrome pattern than the She Dog, but have had to fish it a little slower than usual. The Crazy Croaker is more versatile in that it is a slow sinker and casts well. Tiger Gleaux and pearl-pink have really been good colors.

We have had just enough of those dead-calm scorchers to ignite the much anticipated redfish extravaganza which usually kicks off in the open lake about the middle of the day. Catching them is simply a matter of reaching them with a cast, but just watching them plow the surface is a memorable experience.

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

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SABine We have not caught many big trout thus far, no doubt due to losing so many days to wind in May, June and early July - typically big fish months. We are just now starting to catch more trout in the six to seven pound class with most coming before the sun clears the horizon.

Old River Cove and Hickory Cove located on the west side of the ICW get little pressure this time of the year and they are shallow water magnets for big trout. Both coves are extremely shallow with numerous clam shell reefs that dump into the deeper ICW. Predawn wades or quiet drifts on these overlooked flats often produce our largest trout of the day.

Black She Dogs and TTF Gun Dogs are my first choice until the sun comes up. As the fish move toward deeper water I usually switch to a Corky Fat Boy or swim

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Flounder are stealing the show on Sabine!

a Die Dapper on a 1/16 ounce head.

This bite seldom lasts very long, but we are generally looking for only a few really big bites anyway. The deeper Entergy intake ditch runs right through the heart of Old River Cove and it is not unusual to find trout stacked in the cooler water later in the morning.

Staying on the water any length of time means dealing with the heat. There is no substitute for quality sunscreen, hats and proper clothing, but while these protect the skin they don’t enhance the comfort level. Aside from ice cold water, my newest best friend is a Frogg Togg Chilly Pad. I don’t understand how you can dip it in hot lake water and it still continues to cool you down as the water evaporates, but it does, and for a surprisingly long time. Once it stops cooling just dunk it again and wring it out. I knew the first time I saw an entire Little League All Star team with Chilly Pads on their heads they had to work.

I’ve given up waiting for rain to cool things down!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2011 71

MicKeY On Galveston Capt. Mickey here to give you my version of what’s happening in the Galveston Bay region.

Let me tell you that we have it going on right now. The wind MicKeY eAStMAn is down and the fishing is up.

The whole bay system is in good Mickey Eastman is a full-time fishing guide out of Baytown, shape and folks are catching fish TX. Mickey has 26 years guiding all over the place. experience on the Galveston I probably sound like a broken area bays and is the founder record but the key to good of Gulf Coast Troutmasters, trout fishing in Trinity Bay is the largest speckled trout still shad and slicks with the tournament series of all time preferred structure being some amount of shell. Never pass up Contact Mickey Eastman’s bait concentrations in deeper Guide Service water or away from areas known Telephone to have shell bottom though 281-383-2032 - we’ve had some good days recently in mixed schools of trout, reds, drum and even gafftop over mud bottom. For whatever reason it seems they all just lay up in that mud together out there in the middle of nowhere. The only constant in the equation seems to be shad.

We are throwing the Big Nasty Voodoo Shad quite a bit and also

72 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 73

the new MirrOlure plastic bait I mentioned in an earlier article called the Lil John. When the fish are getting deep and you don’t want to put on a big gumball jighead to get down to them, all you have to do is put on a Lil John on a 1/4 ounce head. It sinks real fast and has an amazing darting action the fish love. It is also scented and the fish love that too. Both of these lures are good for teasing finicky trout as their darting and fluttering draws lots of follow-up strikes if you miss the first one.

Some of the wells in Trinity Bay are beginning to hold good numbers of trout. Not all the wells are real hot just yet but a few of the Sugar Wells, the Exxon C2 lease and some of the wells around the old Yellow Separator midway in the bay are holding fish. Some of the well pads in the channel like the A Lease are holding some fish and some of the old pads along the outer reaches of the ship channel are also producing trout. They don’t have any structures on them but if you find a good pad between Marker 52 and 56 in that area there is a good chance you will find fish.

Like Trinity, East Bay is producing lots of fish in the Bull Shoals area, Hanna Reef, and Lady’s Pass. Hanna is a huge reef so you can spend the whole day if you plan to fish all of it. Dredging activity and dirty water have been affecting much of Hanna this year. Strong incoming tides are carrying all that mess into East Bay so it is probably best to hit that area when the tide is going out. All your reefs along the north shoreline and out in the middle all the way to the back are holding

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

gALVeSton nice trout and some reds, we call it Moody’s Triangle (Moody’s Reef, Windmill and Frenchie’s.)

The jetties and surf are also holding nice fish. When the surf is flat and green, San Luis Pass, Rollover and High Island, all the spots the Dawn Patrol guys love to fish, are producing good catches on Super Spooks, soft plastics and spoons.

I have been getting lots of questions from folks wanting to know where all these trout came from all of a sudden all across the Galveston area so here’s my take on it. Obviously they were there all along, but with that hideous wind we had all through spring and part of early summer we just couldn’t get on them. The population is very good for this time of year and sizes are good too, so I think my theory is good. As we head into August, unless we get some severe tropical weather coming through, I look for the deeper structure to continue to hold more trout. Let’s just hope the wind stays down and we’re able to continue working them.

A few tips on fishing wells and related deep structure. I see people motoring right to the well or deep reef with their outboard when they should be riding the troll motor. Hull slap is another problem, especially when anchored. Sometimes it is better to drift through and then use the troll motor to get back in position or make a really wide loop with the outboard rather than anchoring right over top of them.

Another common mistake is giving up too soon. I see folks pulling up to a well and fishing only a few minutes. Give them a chance to settle

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

down for a few minutes and react to the baits. You might get a surprise, or then again you might have chosen a well with no fish or maybe somebody was there ahead of you and spooked them up real bad.

Whatever the case might be, don’t get in a hurry to leave. It has been my experience that trout action will be best on the north end of a well pad in Trinity on incoming current and the south end when it is going out. Another trick that works for me is moving away from the well and targeting the muddy edge of the shell pad.

One thing is certain, you’ll never know what’s there if you don’t work it correctly.

We are currently enjoying a great summertime fishing pattern; about as good as it gets. Our salinity and water clarity are good everywhere with the exception of the dredge activity that is messing up the eastern waters of East Bay. Soon the redfish will start roaming the flats. I expect the trout to remain strongly oriented to deep structure all through August. The trout I’ve been cleaning have been full of eggs since early May and that is a good sign for the future.

Lots of folks are releasing larger trout, keeping fryer-size, and that too should be good for the future of the fishery. Lots of folks are praying for rain, but for the sake of the fishing, I doubt anybody wants a deluge. It’s looking good for late summer and fall, let’s just hope it holds.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2011 73

cAPt. BiLL’S Fish Talk Hello fellow anglers, it looks as though summer’s dog days showed up a tad early this year. Hopefully by the time cAPt. BiLL PUSteJoVSKY this story hits the newsstand we will have received some Bill Pustejovsky is a full-time much needed rain. Recently, guide at Matagorda, TX. our local parched lands Bill fishes year-round for trout and redfish in all the collected only about 3/4 of Matagorda Bays. Wading and an inch while neighboring drifting for trophy trout and areas just a hop, skip, and reds are his specialty. jump around the corner got nearly twice or three times Telephone that amount. Overall, our 979-863-7353 Matagorda Bays are holding Email up well despite the lack of CaptBill@GoldTipGuideService.com Website rainfall although steadily www.goldtipguideservice.com increasing salinity is evident.

Shad and mullet have been the most visible bait in both East and West Matagorda systems.

Missing are the shrimp which is the food source for most all swimming creatures lurking in our waters. I’m sure most of our shrimp population high-tailed it deep into marshes and back

lakes searching for the right salinity levels and I hope they found it.

Normally, this time of year, we are seeing a lot of shrimp mainly on the mud bottoms of East Matagorda Bay while wading. My point is that the lack of shrimp could have a negative effect on the ability of our speckled trout fishery to thrive.

Shrimp productivity not only directly affects your average fisherman; it is also a mainstay for local bait camps. Matagorda has two bait camps — Rawlings on Beach Road and Russell’s Bait & Tackle at the Matagorda Harbor.

Russell and Brandy Hicks operate one of the finest bait camps on the Texas Gulf coast. When you walk in, expect to find the place clean and well-stocked with tackle, drinks, ice, offshore bait, shrimp, mullet, croaker, etc. The daily hours are long and they are Ken Schneider typically open seven days a week. with a beautiful Owning and operating a bait camp 34” red caught requires a unique individual. Most on live shrimp drifting East fishermen fail to realize what goes Matagorda Bay. on behind the scenes for a bait

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

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MAtAgordA camp to run efficiently. spot to spot until For instance, as I was rolling you locate a few fish.

My best bet will be to into the harbor after a long day of wade the reefs and drift the fishing last month and the shrimp deepest waters over mud and shell boat was just pulling up. The parking lot was filled with trucks in East Matagorda Bay. and trailers. Russell was trying August fishing is normally a little more his darndest to bring in some live challenging than other months because of the shrimp for his customers. I walked heat and slower tides. We typically see a lot of over as he was dipping what slack tide days in August. I have already checked Ron Angst and daughter Hailey shrimp he had been able to catch and am preparing to spend time fishing around team up to land a nice speck. from the boat tanks. His face told cuts, passes, spoil banks, and off the Intracoastal the story as he subtly remarked, “Where’s the shrimp?” I replied, “They Waterway (ICW). Moving water should be the key. That’s why I will come, we just need some rain. We’re in a bad cycle right now.” As mentioned the cuts and passes along the ICW. Those desiring to beat I spoke those words, my heart began to sink understanding full well the heat might try fishing at night—the choice of more and more that no one knows what the future holds. What comforts me is the anglers each summer. Remember, fish have no concept of day or fact I know who holds the future. night—their seers and smellers work just fine either way. Maybe Plan So, the next time all you fishermen are hurrying to get on the B or C might read surf fishing—who knows. water, standing in line for bait, etc., be patient, wait your turn, and take My go-to baits will not change much. Bass Assassins in Roach, into consideration all that goes on behind the scenes to provide your Bone Diamond, Chicken-on-a-Chain, Hot Chicken, and Fire Tiger will fishing products. Running a bait camp is nearly a 24/7 undertaking be the frontrunners. When I throw topwaters they will be MirrOlure and the focus is on providing for the needs of you the fisherman.

She Dogs and She Pups in various colors. Remember whatever you As far as area fishing goes, finding a stable pattern has been use in the bays will carry over into the surf when fishing conditions somewhat challenging lately. Where you caught fish the day before get right out there. Hope to see you there. may not be where they are today. You just need to keep moving from Until next time; God Bless. Capt. Bill

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Mid-coASt BAYS With the Grays The fishing in the Port O’Connor/ topwater but when they see the Swimming Shiner producing they Seadrift area has been “off the are usually quick to ask for one. hook” as they say. Espiritu Santo The Swimming Shiner is a large-bodied paddletail bait and shoreline wading has been very available at most tackle stores although the online store at www. cAPt. gArY grAY productive and most of the bassassassin.com offers a better color selection than most retailers. I Captain Gary and Captain Shellie deeper shell structure in this have mentioned them before in my articles and they are a constant Gray fish year-round for trout bay is also holding lots of solid in my arsenal of plastic baits and they work exceptionally well along and redfish in the Port O’Connor/ trout.

There are lots of trout on shoreline ledges and dropoffs. Being a heavier-bodied lure they are Seadrift area. Gary started his Bay the mid-bay reefs in San Antonio easy to cast into the wind.

Rat Guide Service 20 years ago.

The Grays specialize in wade and Bay but we have not been For the customers that prefer to remain in the boat we have drift fishing with artificial lures. working them as much as been working deeper shell Gary and Shellie also team up to we normally do this time structure in ESB and SAB, fish many tournaments. of year. It’s just not in my increasing our jig weight nature to gamble success from the usual 1/16 to 1/4 Telephone on a so-so wind forecast ounce to reach down to the 361-785-6708 when we have such good bite. Drifting the back lakes Email opportunity closer to home in search of reds, we have Gary@BayRat.com in protected water. been relying on topwaters Website www.bayratguideservice.com Our top producing lure or Texas-rigging the new Cindy Cluck so far this summer has been Die Dapper from Bass with a nice trout the Bass Assassin Swimming Shiner in the clown color. Most of Assassin. This is another caught in ESB. my customers start out throwing their favorite soft plastic or lure I have been using a lot

76 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 77

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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Port o’connor / SeAdrift lately, especially when grass Okay - I am through with the is a problem or the fish are rant. Wade Hicks and I started My team at Slam & Jam, and my new hanging really shallow. the day fishing deeper grass Shallow Sport. beds hoping for quality trout while I received my 2011 Zachariah and Chad Starr fished the shoreline Shallow Sport on June 17 and I tell you, it is a fine rig. I in hope of some good reds, (weigh-string was basically rigged it the same as three trout over eighteen inches and two reds.) As Wade and my 2010 with the only major I slid away from the shiny new Shallow Sport we hadn’t gone change being that I added a twenty feet when I lucked into a twenty-eight inch red. I told TRP lower unit to the already Wade it was on - actually I told him I thought I had a shark awesome Yamaha 225 SHO because it came right to the surface and then took all kinds of four-stroke. Now if you want drag. The day moved along well and we had our weigh-string to talk about putting power to the water…WOW! by 10:00 a.m. which took all the pressure off and we just enjoyed the The guys from Coastline Marine did another fine job rigging this rest of day fishing for fun and relaxing. boat and we decided to break it in fishing the POC Slam and Jam So far in July the trout fishing has been excellent. I have had a tournament. We finished fourth in the artificial division and look few trips where we stayed in the boat and caught good numbers forward to better results in 2012. If you missed this tournament you of quality trout on the deeper reefs in all three local bay systems. If need to make plans for next year. Between the concerts and the the wind will stay down like it has been lately we may be hitting the tourney itself it was the best organized event I have ever fished and surf soon. Earlier in June some of my guide buddies hit the surf and we had a ton of fun. Jay Soulé and crew put on a great event. were greeted with some twenty-two to twenty-four inch speckled During the Slam and Jam we shifted focus to the south shoreline of beasts. I can’t wait.

West Matagorda Bay to avoid the army of anglers seeking shelter from I would like to give a big thanks to Tommy Austin of Seaworthy the wind on the shorelines of San Antonio and Espiritu Santo Bay and Marine in Rockport. I had trouble with my new MinnKota trolling the discourteous behavior they were exhibiting. I can only put up with motor and he jumped right on it and repaired it while I waited. That is so much idling through my wade. Leaving was the best choice by far. what I call service. Fish hard, fish smart!

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www.TSFMAG.com / August 2011 77

hooKed UP With Rowsey “Boy, you better watch your mouth and mind your manners or Daddy is going to whip your butt!” dAVid roWSeY My generation and older heard David Rowsey has 20 years that often and we knew they experience in the Laguna/Baffin meant it. Manners is still a big region; trophy trout with artificial deal around my house and I only lures is his specialty. David has a hope that it all sinks in perfectly great passion for conservation by adulthood for my stepson, and encourages catch and but this isn’t about Colton, (he release of trophy fish. is doing great so far.) This is Telephone about boat operators that have 361-960-0340 Website been tagged as burners. If you www.DavidRowsey.com are not familiar with the term Email “burner” - it is guy that runs david.rowsey@yahoo.com around in a shallow draft boat attempting to find fish by sight versus actually fishing for them. The problem is that other people are using the same water and it really screws up the fishing. Unfortunately, the number of burners has increased dramatically – zigzagging like an army of cutter ants across flats and along the shorelines.

We were fishing the King Ranch Shoreline the other day when a

burner came by and swooped in close, barely beyond the area we were wading. I let out an expletive and my clients asked, “You don’t like those burn boats much, do you?” I shook my head and tried to lower my core temperature. “No problem with the boat,” I replied.

“But the idiot driving it really pisses me off. His parents never taught him anything about manners. If they did it never sunk in.”

Some days it seems that everybody loses their mind when they launch a boat. The lack of courtesy and respect for others is the main reason I avoid fishing on Saturday. Jay Watkins mentioned the mindset of entitlement in his July article and he hit it right on the money. It affects many aspects of our daily lives and scares the Hell out of me – and when this entitlement attitude comes to the water it makes me fighting mad. Just to be clear, this is not a boat problem, it is a people problem; and these people evidently do not understand there are groups out there already trying to limit our boating/fishing access rights. Personally, I do not want anyone telling me where I can and cannot run my boat, but at the same time I have enough sense to respect the fish, environment, and other fishermen. Handing them free ammo will only get us shot in the back. Use some common sense.

This has been one of the prettiest and most productive summers we have had in recent years. Although it gets downright hot, a bowed rod has a way of taking your mind off it. Some tropical

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UPPer LAgUnA/ BAffin activity has allowed for good days of bait fishermen. We cloud cover, amplifying the comfort don’t get back to the level. August should allow for more dock as early, but lure fishermen rarely do. My of this with the prediction of a busy clients appreciate a full day and I do hurricane season ahead. As the rest of the state can testify, we do not need not mind giving it to them. the damaging wind of tropical storms My fishing pattern and technique has not varied but will gladly accept all the rain they much since my July article. Starting in the shallows can muster. early, whether in Baffin or the Upper Laguna, and One of fishing’s greatest myths then moving to deeper potholes, rock piles, or says you cannot catch big numbers ledges as the sun comes up. Some days I utilize the during the heat of summer (with a mix deck of the boat, trolling motor, and Power-Pole for of quality trout) unless you use live the best results. No matter where we are fishing, the croaker or piggy perch. Well, I’ll be the morning starts with finding a good bait supply and one to let you in on a little secret; it’s slicks to get started. Trout will not always be in the only folklore. As an artificial-only guide same place we left them, and it may take a 200-500 it is easy to judge our catch alongside yard adjustment to get back on the previous day’s other guide’s results. It is kind of a pattern. Fishing with your brain, eyes, and nose Craig Brown with a big deal around the marinas to check before you ever make the first cast will pay huge summertime pig - Bass out the other guides “box”. My box is dividends for a successful day.

Assassin - released. always small as I practice lots of catch and release (we keep a small amount for a fresh dinner). But I am no “A man’s manners are a mirror in which he shows his portrait.” – different in checking out what others have caught just to see how Johann Wolfgang von Goethe our day measured up. This summer has been good to me and I can “Set ‘em loose,” – Capt. David Rowsey honestly say that we are doing just as well, if not better, than the

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triciA’S Mansfield Report All indicators appear on track for another great late-summer season for Lower Laguna anglers. As of this writing the cAPt. triciA winds have slacked, the water remains mostly clear, and the Capt. Tricia’s Skinny Water fish have been cooperating. Of Adventures operates out of course all of this is based on Port Mansfield, specializing in remaining lucky in the tropical wadefishing with artificial lures. weather department.

Trout action still rules most of Telephone the dock talk. Except for those 956-642-7298 strange and unexplainable Email shell@granderiver.net no-bite days, limits have been Website fairly easy. Nice eating-class www.SkinnyWaterAdventures.com fish running 18 to 20 inches have been common most everywhere from shallow sandy shorelines to grassy flats and also along deeper breaks. Much of the Laguna is awash with large rafts of mullet, find them and you will likely also find the trout.

Although most of our average trout have been hanging near large concentrations of bait, the majority of the highly-coveted above-average specimens have been found away from all of that

flipping commotion. While summer does not typically produce the heavyweights we see during cooler months, long fish are still trophies as can be seen in the accompanying photo of Lisa’s near-thirty that weighed close to eight pounds. I must say that I have never seen so many good trout cruising the shallow sand. Sightcasting to heartstopping trout has been very do-able lately, nearly every day in fact when the conditions are right. August should even be better.

Redfish action in the shallows has been spotty but schools are beginning to show out deeper. “Deep” is relative, and down here it means anything beyond normal wading depth; say three to four feet.

That should change soon and we look forward to better shallow water opportunity in the coming weeks.

As you may have already heard, flounder numbers seem to definitely be on the rebound and lately we have found them

Rafts of mullet are easy to find and the trout are right there with them.

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www.coastalbackwatermarine.com 80 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 81

Texas Saltwater Fishing

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Port MAnSfieLd consistently enough to warrant targeting them holding in waist to shirt specifically. The steadiest action has come from pocket depths. cleaner bottoms where you can drag a tail; oilfield Early mornings are cuts, edges of the East Cut and ICW, spoil banks, and generally considered best, but sandy bottoms near current-swept shorelines. They never discount late afternoon and are getting larger on average with some running evening when most fishermen have already returned close to twenty inches; fat and healthy. to the dock. Afternoon wind often creates streaks and Another bonus has been the schools of black color changes, especially along ledges and breaks where drum. They can often be found creating murky spots trout retreat to find cooler water in the middle of the in otherwise clear water during the afternoons and day. Offering a mixture of plastics and surface plugs to Lisa was thrilled with this neartoward evening. Scented baits such as Berkley’s Gulp! these laid-up fish will be necessary to discover what they pulled slowly across the bottom or fished under corks 30-incher that was released want and how they want it. Expect them to slide back up immediately after photos. will be taken readily when they are feeding. We have toward the shallows and feed more aggressively as the been seeing family groups putting their kids on them, just having a sun dips to the horizon. ball, and black drum offer excellent table fare. Do not be surprised A tidbit of local news – Folks coming to Port Mansfield should be when your cast is met by a solid trout or redfish while targeting drum aware that here lately, gasoline is not always available at the marinas. as these guys sometimes all ride together.

We all wish it was better but for now I wouldn’t count on being able August, despite the heat, can be an intriguing month. Overall water to fill my boat in the harbor every morning. Trailering to the filling levels should be at seasonal lows in the early weeks, and then building station at the edge of town is often necessary. This situation could steadily through September. I expect to see redfish dominating the be very disappointing for anglers coming to Port Mansfield by water flats with frequent tailing activity and lots of wakes in the shallows. and also those hoping to make a re-fueling stop while en route to With continued calm wind, redfish should be easy to spot during early other destinations. morning boat rides across the flats. Trout action should remain steady.

August looks to be another great fishing month so come on down Smaller, more subtle topwaters and tails will get it done in the shallows to Port and getcha some! while larger and larger offerings will be blast to throw to trout that are

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SoUth PAdre Fishing Scene Some folks say August marks and clarity have improved with the lighter wind, being crystal clear in the end of summer but they the shallows to trout green in our deeper water. must not live or fish in South Redfish have been abundant on the flats north and south of the Texas. Depending how many Arroyo Colorado and the amount of baitfish alongside is impressive. cAPt. erneSt ciSneroS tropical depressions and Early in the morning we are finding large concentrations of mullet A Brownsville-area native, storms come our way, we’ll along shallow grass lines near the sand on the east side. Schools and Capt. Ernest Cisneros fishes probably have blistering pods of finger-size mullet are being chased by slurping trout. If your the Lower Laguna Madre from sun and continued high desire is to chase skinny water redfish in calm conditions, now is the Port Mansfield to Port Isabel. temperatures every day right time. A stealthy approach is enormously important on calm days.

Ernest specializes in wading through September.

Remember, even though they do not and poled skiff adventures for Currently, even with appear to spook, too much noise will snook, trout, and redfish. the mid-summer heat, “push” them out of casting range.

Cell July’s fishing has been The Super Spook Jr. has been 956-266-6454 as hot as the Texas sun. our best surface bait since the Website The winds have finally slick-off but even a small plug isn’t www.tightlinescharters.com laid down and our early always the answer on a flat surface. morning waters are slick-calm. Staying hydrated, wearing Sometimes a fast retrieve excites good sun protection, and belly deep wade fishing have their predator instinct and other enabled us to withstand the scorching temperatures. times it spooks them completely Finding concentrations of fish early in the morning has away. I tend to experiment with been fairly easy as wakes and swirls are easy to spot when different retrieves and always ask Tommy Rice Jr. scored his personal the surface is slick. We are currently finding good numbers of my clients that are getting the most best – just shy of 34 inches. both trout and redfish east and west of the ICW. Water color hookups to share their technique

82 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 83

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ArroYo coLorAdo to Port iSABeL with the others. As in any season, lots of blow-ups and only a few hook-ups means somebody needs to try a soft plastic.

On a recent calm morning the trout were just slapping at our topwaters; redfish were following, coming close enough for us to see them.

The few fish we did hook Victor Gomez got a few and land were only barely jumps from this 29 incher. hooked, and from the look of the followers we were only getting the small ones. The mullet were very active on top and all the signs were there for the fish to eat.

Yet, one important thing was missing. There was no current; the tide was at a standstill till mid-morning, and by this time my clients were frustrated. Like clockwork though, as soon as the tide began to push into our area the lunch bell rang. Everything went from blow-ups to hook-ups. If it had been up to my clients we would have moved to another location an hour too soon. Patience is so often the key. Fish will eat when they are ready no matter what you throw at them especially the bigger fish.

Our trout have definitely been favoring the potholes. Early in the morning they are usually calf to thigh deep and they’ll take

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topwaters. By mid-day they are waist to belly deep and we’re throwing dark Kelley Wigglers at them.

Catching a limit of nice keepers has been fairly easy but we are also landing lots of small trout. Remember when removing hooks and releasing these little guys to handle them as gently as possible.

They can only become trophies if they survive.

The new moon bite has been incredible, lasting through most of the day these past few months. And as expected, the daytime bite during the full moon phase has been pretty tough. I like to schedule my trips (whenever possible) to take advantage of the late evening feed period when the moon is brightest. Quite often that evening bite will be your best shot of the whole day.

What to expect in August? Think freshwater and lots of it. The weathermen are predicting lots of activity in the tropics. The trout action will probably be a bit slower but the redfish will more than make up for it. Look for tarpon fishing at the jetties to really turn on.

Boat traffic will diminish toward the end of the month as schools reopen and that will make all the hardcores happy. Don’t be fooled into believing summer fishing is almost over because there’s going to be lots of catching in August.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2011 83

FISHING REPORTS

AND

from Big Lake to Boca Chica

Lake Calcasieu Louisiana Jeff and Mary Poe - Big Lake Guide Service - 337.598.3268 In August, look for trout in deeper water and on deeper reefs in the lake.

Dropoffs in the Calcasieu Ship Channel are excellent places to fish. Don’t always run to the south end of the channel; the northern drop-offs will be good too. Stick with quarter ounce jigheads until you can no longer get them down to the depth that you want to fish. Be sure to fish the entire dropoff all the way out to as deep as fifteen feet. Use shrimp imitations like Norton Sand Eels and the entire MirrOlure line of soft plastics. We have been catching equally well on both brands. Also H&H Salty Grubs and Cocahoes are old standbys that you can’t leave home without. What color you throw depends on water clarity. Throw darker colors like motor oil, avocado and black in dirty water and lighter colors like glow, opening night, and clear in clean water. Redfish will be behind the weirs in the southeast corner of Calcasieu. Try spinnerbaits and spoons against the grass. Chunk soft plastics and topwaters in the ponds. Also look for reds slicking in the middle of the lake.

Trinity Bay - East Bay - Galveston Bay | James Plaag Silver King Adventures - www.silverkingadventures.com - 409.935.7242 Typical summer patterns were producing nicely for James when he called. “We’re catching plenty of trout, especially when the winds are light. Some of the schools are holding some good ones, from the upper

84 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 85

FORECASTS

five pound class to the low sevens. Mostly, it’s just fish, two pounders or so, but limits have been easy a lot of the time. We are fishing pretty deep water, up to six or eight feet and throwing mostly soft plastics. Today, we were using chicken on a chain Bass Assassins, but color really hasn’t been that important once the fish are located. We are finding our fish by looking for slicks and balled-up shad. There aren’t many shrimp in the bays since it’s so salty, but there are lots of shad. The white shrimp are out in the surf and the fishing’s been good out there too, with a little better topwater bite. All of this should continue into August. We might have to move a little deeper when fishing the bays, up to like nine to twelve feet of water. And we should be able to get after the tarpon on a regular basis.

I expect a great season on the silver kings!”

Jimmy West - Bolivar Guide Service - 409.996.3054 Jim was just finished loading the boat after a good day of fishing when he called. “Put the biggest trout I’ve caught in some time in the boat today. It was just over 29 inches long and weighed eight and a quarter pounds. Didn’t catch our limit, but we have on lots of days recently.

Fished a pretty big tournament last week, with nearly 60 boats, some bait fishermen, some lure fishermen. We had second place and beat all the bait fishermen. Fishing was outstanding that day; the fish bit up until nearly noon. On days with better tide movement, that tends to be the case; when tides are weaker, the bite shuts down earlier and it gets tough.

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It is, of course, tough when the wind blows, because we’re fishing shell reefs in the middle, targeting depths of five to about eight feet. I’ve been throwing bright lures like glow and pearl in the morning when the light is low and the water has color. When the sun gets bright, the tide slows and the water clears, I switch over to dark colors like pumpkinseed and plum.”

West Galveston - Bastrop - Christmas - Chocolate Bays Randall Groves - Groves Guide Service - 979.849.7019 - 979.864.9323 Randall says various things have been working in his area this summer, and August shapes up nicely. “We’re catching lots of trout, using a variety of methods. There’s been some good topwater action at times, especially in the surf. We are also using live bait and having great success that way.

Other times, the soft plastics have been the ticket. I’ve been catching real good on the full-sized Norton Sand Eel in tequila gold. Offshore fishing has kicked off too. Today, we caught a limit of kingfish and snapper without too much effort. I did put about 90 miles on my Etec today. It’s amazing how fuel efficient that motor is; I got over four miles to the gallon! As far as redfish go, we’ve been catching some big ones, mostly in the upper part of the slot, but the numbers aren’t real good. All this should carry right on through August as long as we don’t get any storms.

The surf and the offshore stuff should be great and the deeper parts of the bays will be good too. Mostly, it just depends on what you want to catch and how you want to catch ’em.”

Matagorda | Tommy Countz Bay Guide Service - 979.863.7553 cell 281.450.4037 According to Tommy, August patterns should be similar to the ones currently working around Matagorda at the time of this report. “We’ve had more options open up since the strong winds quit blowing. There

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are plenty of reds to be caught on the shorelines of West Bay. We like to throw topwaters early around the shallow grass beds, then move out to the edges of the deeper guts as the day warms up and switch to soft plastics.

In fact, the hotter it gets, the better soft plastics seem to work. They should be rigged on light jigheads and fished slowly. The same kind of drill works pretty good in East Bay too, especially around drains and cuts in the shoreline. Most of the trout seem to have moved deep, so fishing for them out of the boat is better. The only really good wading option for trout in August is on the mid-bay reefs in East Bay. Light winds are necessary to make that productive. Of course, light winds also green up the surf. We’ll probably have our best days on trout out there. Calm days allow us to effectively target tripletails too.”

Palacios | Capt. Aaron Wollam www.palaciosguideservice.com - 979.240.8204 The winds this past month have determined our fishing success. When the winds have been quiet, we have had some outstanding days, and when it has blown we have struggled. The deep wells in West Matagorda and deep bayous of Tres Palacios Bayou have held solid keeper trout when we have been able to go after them. Live shrimp or croaker freelined in ten to twelve feet of water over shell have produced fish most consistently. Redfish have been staging over a mix of sand and grassbeds in one to three feet of water and have been biting steadily on small topwaters in bone, black/gold/orange and pink. The tripletail bite has been good as well, when winds have allowed us to target them. Fish have been averaging around twelve pounds, with a few over twenty pounds in the mix. Live shrimp rigged about four to six

Texas Saltwater Fishing

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2011 85

feet under popping corks are the best bet. This month the surf should settle and give us a chance at some better trout. By the time this report is printed, the dog days should be well under way.

Port O’Connor | Lynn Smith - Back Bay Guide Service - 361.983.4434 Fishing in the surf has been good at times already and Lynn expects that to continue into August. “We’ll be heading out to the beachfront as much as the wind will allow. Usually, the better trout from mid-summer through late-summer come out of the surf or from the deeper areas of the bay. When fishing the surf, we’ll throw topwaters quite a bit, but when fishing deeper areas of the bay, we’ll throw soft plastics more of the time. Some of the best fishing in the bays this time of year is in the deeper channels of the bay, in water at least eight to ten feet deep, sometimes a little deeper. Using heavier jigheads is sometimes necessary to get the lures down to where the fish are, particularly when currents are strong. If we do get some cooler weather, we’ll be more likely to target some of the grassy flats adjacent to the deep channels, especially early in the morning, but that doesn’t really seem likely given the hot weather we are already having on a daily basis. August is typically a time for the surf and the channels.”

Rockport | Blake Muirhead Gator Trout Guide Service - 361.790.5203 - 361.441.3894 “I’ll be fishing the mainstay summer patterns throughout August,” Blake reports. “They’ve been working great lately. We’ve got trout in all the Rockport-area bays lately, mostly relating to oyster reefs out in the middle where there’s deep water fairly close by. When it’s calm, the fishing around the reefs can be easy with lures and, of course, with live croakers. The croakers are working well lately, but we’ve also had some decent action on topwaters at times, particularly in the surf, when we can get out there.

Recently, we’ve had some calm weather and the seaweed has kind of thinned out, so that’s been great. Norton Sand Eels have also worked well for the trout at times. In August, in addition to targeting the trout, I’ll be looking for schooling reds. Over the last few weeks, they’ve been schooling in various places around town, but as we get farther into August and move

86 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 87

toward the end of summer, the schools tend to be concentrated closer and closer to the pass areas. As long as the crowds aren’t too bad, the schools can be easy to find.”

Upper Laguna Madre - Baffin Bay - Land Cut Robert Zapata – rz1528@grandecom.net - 361.563.1160 I am really excited about how good the fishing has been this season! We have had difficulty dealing with strong winds, but despite the winds I have been able to find fishable waters and very good numbers of both trout and redfish. I have also been catching good numbers of flounder on my charters. Baffin Bay continues to produce many trout between twenty and twenty three inches. It has also been easy to find schools of redfish on the flats on calm mornings, so this is shaping up into one of the best fishing seasons in my twenty five years of guiding. This month, I will start my days by running slowly across the flats, looking for the reds to move and disrupt the natural wave action, getting upwind of them, then catching up to them with my trolling motor. I’ll be casting the five inch saltwater Die Dappers rigged on eighth ounce jigheads or half ounce gold weedless spoons. Around mid-morning, I will fish for trout along grass lines, in pot holes, on dropoffs and around rocks with Die Dappers or free-lined croakers in two to four feet of water.

Corpus Christi | Joe Mendez – www.sightcast1.com - 361.937.5961 Water quality continues to be outstanding in the Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay, and the fishing is accordingly good. “We have really clear water lately, no brown tide at all. Since that is true, sightcasting is consistently an option. The redfish and drum are easiest to locate because they tend to school in large groups. When it’s calm, it’s easiest to locate them by watching for bulges, or wakes on the water. The herds make these when they move. It can be hard to see into the water when it’s calm though, and floating grass can make using some lures difficult. Sightcasting is

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easiest to do when winds are in the medium range, breaking the glare on the surface of the water. Then it’s possible to see the schools as orange or brownish spots against the bottom. Trout fishing is more of a deep structure thing in the hot summer. I like to drift the dropoffs of the spoil banks or along rocky shorelines, where there is deep water next to shallow structures. Because of the clear water, it’s possible to throw close to the rocks without snagging up a lot.”

Padre Island National Seashore Billy Sandifer - Padre Island Safaris - 361.937.8446 Fishing in August is typically determined by the presence or lack of tropical weather in the Gulf of Mexico. Typically, tides are minimal, the water is green, and the wind moderate. Almost any species is possible from giant tiger sharks on kayaked baits through tarpon, redfish, jack crevalle and king mackerel. Spanish mackerel and ladyfish are sometimes present in large numbers. Speckled trout will remain good on topwaters, Bass Assassins and spoons throughout the month. The kingpin in all of this action will be the presence or absence of large shoals of dusky and bay anchovies. Anglers should target areas with lots of bird activity and visible shoals of baitfish. Blacktipped and bull sharks are often observed cruising immediately along the shoreline – great opportunity for sightcasting. Keep a rod and reel rigged with leader and a fresh skipjack ready for bait. Whiting will be thick; fresh, peeled, dead shrimp and “Fishbites” being the baits of choice. A tropical storm or hurricane anywhere in the Gulf will affect fishing success very dramatically and planned trips are better rescheduled.

Port Mansfield | Terry Neal www.terrynealcharters.com – 956.944.2559 In my June report I wrote, “Summer time and fishing is easy.” It’s still true. As the tides continue to push Caribbean-green water into the

Laguna Madre the fishing continues to improve. Huge schools of mullet continue to inundate the bay. These two factors are responsible for some of the best trout fishing that anyone can remember in many years - trout fishing has been fantastic. There are also reports of limits of good snapper coming off the new reef that was created a few years ago. If my information is corrected, this structure is about six miles off the jetties and covers a fairly extensive area and is well marked. Ling and king are showing around the Gulf side of the Port Mansfield jetties hammering the schools of mullet. At the time of this report there is no fuel available in the Port Mansfield harbor. The Exxon station at the edge of town is our only source. Bring jerry cans or plan to pull your boat to refuel. Keep only what you can eat; release the rest.

Lower Laguna Madre - South Padre - Port Isabel Janie and Fred Petty – www.fishingwithpettys.com – 956.943.2747 Floating grass is a huge problem at the time of this writing. The feeder bands from tropical storm Arlene reached the Rio Grande Valley, dumping much needed rain and filling the southwest corner of the LLM with floating turtle grass, making fishing difficult. They’re out there, but between boat traffic and slow tides, it can be tough to limit on redfish.

We’re not having any trouble filling up on decent trout, with a really good one or two caught on every trip. Now that the water is clearing, we’re throwing some half to three quarter ounce gold weedless Precision spoons and when the grass allows, the Cajun Thunder cigar cork with a Berkley Gulp! three inch shrimp. Freddy says, “Experiment with the color of your Gulps, but keep the glow and new penny handy. When the water gets that ‘trout green’ look, fish usually are attracted to more colorful baits, but you will find that different depths can change their preferences.”

Summer crowds drive fish into deeper water, so head out a little further from shore and let them run ‘em to you.

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Mario Tobias South Padre - 27” red

Ruben Barron Boathole - 30” speckled trout Gabriel Comeaux Galveston - 30” redfish

Mario Martinez Port O’Connor - 41” redfish

Rusty Trask Port Isabel - 60” first wahoo!

88 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com

Gina York Laguna Madre - 28” red

Cliff ’s granddaughter, “Preslie” first keeper redfish

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Phil Dikeman Port Aransas - 42” 26lb red

Elizabeth Rodriguez 21” biggest trout! CPR Quinten Ulrich Port O’Connor - red minus a shark’s snack

Aaron Garcia Matagorda - 43” 24lb cobia

Jeffrey Muenker Gulf - 20lb red snapper

Kirby Pennock Oyster Creek - 24” red

Don Reilly West Bay - 45” 26lb black drum

Please do not write on the back of photos.

Jennifer Eskina-Fields Port Aransas - first fishing trip!

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Joyce Elliott Port A - 44” redfish

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Email photos with a description of your Catch of the Month to: Photos@tsfmag.com Mail photos to: TSFMag P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983 www.TSFMAG.com / August 2011 89

Happy Birthday Ralph Hanson!

Pleasure Island - 28” redfish

Corey Shepard redfish

Lane Guest redfish

Cameron Casanova Laguna Madre - 25” redfishbiggest fish to date!

90 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com

Miguel Barajas Arroyo City - 29.5” redfish

Justus Barker Crystal Beach - 36lb black drum

Steven Casanova Laguna Madre - 27” speckled trout

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Spencer Scheps Selkirk Island - flounder

Bill Bourke Galveston Harbor 44” 50lb black drum

Charlie Gantenbein Laguna Madre - 26.5” trout

Tim Gibson Arroya City - 32” redfish

Zane Drews E Matagorda Bay - 19” first trout!

Celia Garcia Port Aransas - 52” black drum

Skye Hudson LLM - 16” trout

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Roberto de Leon Arroyo City - 28” redfish

Capt Randall Groves redfish

Dianne Klam Port Mansfield - 27” trout-personal best!

Stephen “Gus” Gustafson Trouser Hole - 27” “trouser” trout

Judy Johnstone Rockport - red

Alexander Huerta Arroyo City - trout

Jim Baffin Bay - trout CPR

Ed Leandro Laguna Madre/South Padre - 28” trout

Josh McMillan Arroyo City - red Doree Osmun Rockport - 28” red

Please do not write on the back of photos.

Dennis Migi Aransas Pass - over 42” 50lb black drum

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

Cecil Allen Pyles Hilabrandt Bayou - first redfish!

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Email photos with a description of your Catch of the Month to: Photos@tsfmag.com Mail photos to: TSFMag P.O. Box 429, Seadrift, TX 77983

www.TSFMAG.com / August 2011 91

gULf coASt Kitchen Crab Bites 2 loafs baguette bread or 3 packages English Muffins (each package makes 12) 3 sticks butter 2 Tablespoons mayo or ranch Dressing 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoon garlic powder (or fresh garlic) 3-4 green onions chopped 1 Tablespoon dried onion (or fresh onion) 3 jars Kraft Old English Cheese cayenne pepper to taste 1 pint fresh crab or 3 six ounce cans lump crab meat

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

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

Spicy Baked Crab Dip 1 ½ tsp olive oil ½ cup chopped red bell pepper 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped 1 cup mayonnaise 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese ¼ cup sliced green onions 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 Tbsp finely chopped jalapeno peppers 1 teaspoon celery salt ½ pound crabmeat 1 ½ tsp lemon juice 1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds

Cream butter and other ingredients until blended.

Add crab.

Spread mixture on baguette slices or muffin halves.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and paprika Bake at 375 for 15 to 20 minutes.

Can be frozen.

Preheat oven to 375° Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the red bell pepper. Cook 5 minutes, or until tender.

In a medium bowl, mix together red bell pepper, artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, green onions, Worcestershire sauce, jalapeno peppers, celery salt, crabmeat and lemon juice.

Transfer the mixture to an 8x8 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Serve with tortilla chips or garlic toast

Shrimp Paté 3 cups bay shrimp 3/4 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion 2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill, or 2 tsp dried dill 1 lb. (2 cups) clarified, unsalted butter Kosher salt Lemon wedges for garnish 92 August 2011 / www.TSFMAG.com 93

Drain the shrimp and squeeze to eliminate any excess moisture.

In a food processor, combine shrimp, mayonnaise, onion, and dill. Process until barely pureed. Fold in the clarified butter and add salt to taste.

Line a 4-cup loaf pan with plastic wrap. Pour the shrimp mixture into it.

Texas Saltwater Fishing

Cover and chill overnight.

Remove the pate from the pan by inverting the mold on a flat plate. Discard the plastic wrap. Slice and serve with lemon wedges. Great with thinly sliced sourdough bread or Baguette Bread.

Serves 12

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Texas Saltwater Fishing

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GALVESTON TIDES & SOLUNAR TABLE Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine AUGUST 2011

The BEST Choiceâ&#x20AC;Ś Any Place, Anytime!

To find a location near you, please visit us at www.speedystop.com

Tidal Corrections Location Calcasieu Pass, La. Sabine Bank Lighthouse Sabine Pass (jetty) Sabine Pass Mesquite Point Galveston Bay (S. jetty) Port Bolivar Texas City, Turning Basin Eagle Point Clear Lake Morgans Point Round Point, Trinity Bay Point Barrow, Trinity Bay Gilchrist, East Bay Jamaica Beach, Trinity Bay Christmas Point Galveston Pleasure Pier San Luis Pass Freeport Harbor

High -2:14 -1:46 -1:26 -1:00 -0:04 -0:39 +0:14 +0:33 +3:54 +6:05 +10:21 +10:39 +5:48 +3:16 +2:38 +2:39 +2:32 -0:09 -0:44

Low -1:24 -1:31 -1:31 -1:15 -0:25 -1:05 -0:06 +0:41 +4:15 +6:40 +5:19 +5:15 +4:43 +4:18 +3:31 +2:38 +2:33 +2:31 -0:09

For other locations, i.e. Port Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor, Port Aransas, Corpus Christi and Port Isabel please refer to the charts displayed below.

Please note that the tides listed in this table are for the Galveston Channel. The Tidal Corrections can be applied to the areas affected by the Galveston tide.

Minor Feeding Periods are in green, coinciding with the moon on the horizon, and the last from 1.0 to 1.5 hrs after the moon rise or before moon set.

Major Feeding Periods are in orange, about 1.0 to 1.5 hrs either side of the moon directly overhead or underfoot.

Many variables encourage active feeding current flow (whether wind or tidal driven), changes in water temp & weather, moon phases, etc. Combine as many as possible for a better chance at an exceptional day. Find concentrations of bait set up during a good time frame, and enjoy the results.

Te x a s S a l t w a t e r F i s h i n g M a g a z i n e l

w w w. t e x a s s a l t w a t e r f i s h i n g m a g a z i n e . c o m