Texas Fish & Game October 2019

Chasing

Revved-Up Reds

OCTOBER 2019 | $3.95

Fishing for Wolf Packs Mystery of the Black Longtail The Eyes Have it: Sight Fishing

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

by ROY and ARDIA NEVES TF&G Owners

ROY AND ARDIA NEVES

Bull**** Control

PUBLISHERS

CHESTER MOORE EDITOR IN CHIEF

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ET’S FACE IT. THERE IS, AND PROBABLY ALWAYS WILL BE, A GUN PROBLEM IN the United States. The wrong people get their hands on high-powered weapons—either by legal or illegal means, or under circumstances that are not governable by any authority—and go on killing sprees.

When these horrific events happen, we are shocked, grief-stricken, angry, resolved to do something about it, and then we’re sucked into protracted debates that inevitably disintegrate into partisan sermons that go nowhere toward finding answers to the root problems.

Those answers, unfortunately, are probably unattainable.

There are too many positions, too many angles, too many interests and, regrettably, too little brain power to figure out how to really, effectively, control the violent urges of individuals who are either mentally deranged, susceptible to the goading of extremists, or just plain evil.

Legislation to control the weapons themselves will never realistically prevent the violence that boils in the hearts of these rabid curs. Law-abiding citizens obey laws. Criminals don’t. People who snap and go on violent rampages aren’t likely to stop and consider the legal consequences. If a lunatic with a grudge wants to kill a bunch of innocent people and is somehow legally blocked from obtaining a semi-automatic rifle and high-capacity magazine, he is not going to admit defeat and give up. Whatever is driving his intentions will still likely succeed at some level in ruining too many lives.

Our society has evolved from the Constitutional blueprint given to us by what seems like the last generation to have had both the brains and the moral courage to produce greatness, to a point where its most powerful strength—freedom—has actually created an atmosphere of chaotic tension. Hostility, resentment, confrontation, hate, discrimination, agitation, intimidation, greed. The freedoms we enjoy allow for the expression of these and other destructive tendencies, impulses and actions.

Freedoms require responsibility and, unfortunately, the track record of humans—individually or collectively—taking responsibility is not great. We are free to express or do many things that add to the mounting weight of tension pulling our society lower, and we have been ingenious in developing tools to share and magnify those expressions and actions. The growing discord is carried across the airwaves and onto the ever-present screens that now dominate our worlds. It’s easy to see how the weakest among us, the most unstable, the angriest, could be drawn or pushed into lashing out violently amid the never-ending stream of destructive consciousness that flows freely in the Land of the Free.

Meanwhile, whatever our fearless leaders come up with, to address the upswing in public acts of violence, will most likely be ineffective, at best. They will water down the common sense proposals that could make it harder for the wrong people to purchase weapons, and will focus too much on the sensational details—silencers, military-looking rifles—that will result in further burdens on law abiding gun owners. In other words, bulls**t will be the main accomplishment.

Nobody from Washington is going to ride in to the rescue. Elected officials are not cowboys, after all. They’re more like rodeo clowns. (Wait... that’s not fair... rodeo clowns—bullfighters—are actually the life guards of the rodeo arena ... bad analogy, and our apologies. Besides, Washington is more like a circus, anyway... ). As citizens of the freest land on earth, we’re pretty much on our own. The police generally act in response to crimes rather than to prevent them. Laws generally work the same way. So it would be foolish to take comfort in any new legislation that results from the mounting wave of political outrage, especially anything produced in the current atmosphere of bickering and partisan arse covering by the slapstick occupants of the D.C. clown car. (better analogy?)

Bad people are going to do bad things. For sure, let’s take every precaution possible to keep them from getting better tools with which to do their evil. But we shouldn’t let down our guard. Expect trouble.

Don’t expect the political system to make it go away.

Until we find the collective will to calm the hostile voices steadily fighting to invade our minds, they will just keep getting louder and meaner, and continue feeding the rage of those with evil intent.

« E-mail Roy at rneves@fishgame.com and Ardia at aneves@fishgame.com

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C O N T R I B U T O R S DUSTIN WARNCKE JOE DOGGETT DOUG PIKE TED NUGENT LOU MARULLO MATT WILLIAMS CALIXTO GONZALES LENNY RUDOW STEVE LAMASCUS DUSTIN ELLERMANN REAVIS WORTHAM KENDAL HEMPHILL TOM BEHRENS GREG BERLOCHER RAZOR DOBBS CAPT. MIKE HOLMES STAN SKINNER NICOLE BECKA LISA MOORE

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ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR EDITOR AT LARGE HUNTING EDITOR FRESHWATER EDITOR SALTWATER EDITOR BOATING EDITOR FIREARMS EDITOR SHOOTING EDITOR HUMOR EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR DIGITAL CONTRIBUTOR CONTRIBUTING PHOTO EDITOR

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TEXAS FISH & GAME (ISSN 0887-4174) is published monthly by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC., 247 Airtex Dr. Houston, TX 77090. ©Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. All rights reserved. Content is not to be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission.

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Contents October 2019 | Vol. 36 • No. 6

FEATURE ARTICLES

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DEER VS. CROSSBOW

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by DOUG PIKE

Bass University Texas Boating

SPEED TROLLING High powered trolling motors for chasing revvedup redfish.

by Lenny Rudow TF&G Report • 30 The News of the Nation

by LENNY RUDOW

Bare Bones Hunting

by LOU MARULLO

Texas Tactical

by DUSTIN ELLERMANN

Open Season

by REAVIS Z. WORTHAM

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Sightfishing for bass makes for exciting sport.

But make sure your most important tool in this game—your eyes—get proper support.

by Matt Williams

MYSTERY OF THE BLACK LONGTAIL Strange tales of black panthers in North America—and even Texas—persist, but probably have a more simple and logical explanation.

TEXAS OUTDOOR NATION

Pike on the Edge

by PETE ROBBINS

CASTING SHADE

by Chester Moore

COLUMNS

by CHESTER MOORE

by Chester Moore

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Combining the stealth of a bow and the mechanics of a gun, a crossbow can be a useful tool for hunters looking to score big in the archery-only whitetail season.

story by TF&G Staff

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Five fall strategies for going after speckled trout, redfish and flounder in the cooling months ahead.

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COVER STORY

Editor’s Notes

FISHING FOR WOLF PACKS

Letters

by TFG Readers

Hotshots 30 Texas Action Photos Focus 32 Coastal Columns 41 Texas Hotspots 48 Sportsman’s Daybook Tides & Prime Fishing Times

DEPARTMENTS Texas Tasted

67 69 70

Special Section

by TFG Staff

Texas Tested

by TF&G Staff

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by Bryan Slaven

Outdoor Directory Fish & Game Photos

by TFG Readers

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LETTERS to the Editor Bullish On Bighorn Story

Thanks for your kind words and thanks for the incredible feedback on this story.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR story on bighorns in the August edition. A friend of mine shared their magazine with me to see this story, and it was absolutely amazing. The way you tied in your personal dream of encountering a bighorn and then tied in the conservation of these great wild sheep was wonderful. I appreciate someone who obviously would like to hunt them put as much excitement into photographing them. This is an important story for American conservation, and I appreciate Texas Fish & Game running it.

Content EXCELLENT COLUMN ON THE subject of Content (Inside Fish & Game, September 2019 issue).

Personally, I find little of value in the product manufacturer’s “marketing hype” style of content. To me it’s automatically a conflict of interest. I’m supposed to spend my time (or money) reading the details on their wonderful product performance that is, well, always wonderful because they sell the product and want me to buy it. You don’t learn much. You don’t get the good, the bad, and the ugly. That is a waste of my time.

Better for them to offer a half-page ad.

I get just as much, or as little, out of it and takes just a moment to scan. I would never buy a full magazine on a single product line for the reasons stated above. Therefore, any advertising dollars invested in that kind of content are wasted.

Please keep up the great work at TF&G. Now THAT is high-value content!

Hal Lewis THE BIGHORN HEROES STORY WAS killer! I loved seeing the story of how hunters helped these animals and I was happy to know about the return of the desert bighorn to Texas. Keep up the great work!

Mae Phelps I READ TEXAS FISH & GAME because of your dedication to conservation, and the bighorn sheep story may be the best yet. I am impressed when I see publications pushing the envelope and telling stories that are not just how to catch the next redfish.

Martin Smith Native Texan 66 years Pineland, Texas

Sea Snake Stories

Roger Carter

I READ YOUR ARTICLE AND thought I’d tell you about my encounter. I’m staying at a hotel called Paradisus in Holguin, Cuba. My partner and I were snorkeling yesterday when I saw a snake that looked very similar to the snake in the sketch of your article.

My partner and I were snorkeling in shallow waters close to the shore when I stopped snorkeling to talk to him. When I put my head back in the water to start snorkeling again there was a snake about two feet away from me on the ocean floor — the

THE AUGUST STORY ON BIGHORNS was great but the photography was amazing.

Kudos to Chester Moore on those shots.

Did he also get the cover shot?

Alise Dewberry Editor: Yes I did shoot that photo. Being able to have the encounter that my wife and I were blessed to have back in June in the mountains of Colorado was great. Being able to have a bighorn cover story was a dream come true.

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snake wasn’t moving. I was terrified, and we ran back to the shore.

I googled snakes in the Caribbean and found your article because I thought there aren’t supposed to be snakes in this area.

I love snorkeling and tried snorkeling in another beach in the area today, but I think I’m still traumatized by my experience yesterday and couldn’t snorkel for more than ten minutes today.

Your article said you’d like to know about other people’s experiences so I thought I’d share.

Amna A FRIEND AND I WERE WALKING IN very shallow water @ about 3:30 p.m. a couple weeks ago on the west end of the Gulf at Galveston, Texas. We both saw a black snake swimming out toward deeper water.

It was not very large in width or length. The weather was very hot and humid. Any ideas?

Christy Klein Editor: The sea snake story from last year keeps generation questions and reports. There are definitely people seeing snake-like creatures in the Gulf and Caribbean despite there being no native population of sea snakes. I believe most are eels which people are not used to seeing, but there are some reports that are hard to ignore and could possibly be snakes. Per the Galveston report, a black snake swimming in the Galveston area could possibly be a water snake like a yellowbelly water snake, which are present on the island. They are rare swimming around beaches, but it does happen from time to time. I appreciate all of these reports because it gives a great platform to educate people about the Gulf’s wildlife as well as investigate an issue that interests many people.

« Email your comments to: editor@fishgame.com

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EDITOR’S Notes

by CHESTER MOORE :: TF&G Editor-in-Chief

In Search Of Mule Deer/ Whitetail Hybrids

S

O, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN whitetail and mule deer meet up?

It’s a question that has intrigued me since I heard stories of mysterious whitetail/mule deer hybrids years ago.

While on a mission to photograph Merriam’s turkey in Colorado for my Turkey Revolution project, my wife Lisa and I stopped at a beautiful location to look for mule deer. We found a big bachelor group with some large males feeding in a meadow.

Then from a distance, came more deer.

I assumed they were muleys too, but after glassing, I realized they were whitetails.

Eventually, they made their way to the mule deer. Most passed by, but a couple merged with them and began to feed. This is what you see in the included photo.

It was interesting to see this interaction.

I plan on returning in the fall when the rut is on. Bucks might get along now, but how about when their antlers are hard, and testosterone is jacked up?

The whitetails will be fighting one another, and the muleys will be battling it out as well. But will they fight one another? Who will win?

Even more intriguing is the possibility of whitetail and mule deer mating.

Longstanding studies by Texas Parks & Wildlife Department officials show some interesting dynamics, including hybridization.

“Where mule deer and white-tailed deer coexist, interbreeding does occur,” TPWD reported. “The long-term effects are unknown, and for most areas, the extent of hybridization is not known. The highest incidence of hybridization in the Trans-Pecos occurs in the eastern part of the region where high populations of mule deer and whitetailed deer coexist. Biologists say up to 15

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percent of deer may be hybrids where both species occupy the same range.”

“DNA sequencing techniques were used to determine the extent of hybridization in the Panhandle (Donley County) where the ranges of both species overlap. Results indicated a hybridization frequency of eight percent.”

TPWD reported antler characteristics, tail coloration, and ear length are not reliable in recognizing hybrids. They said hunters could identify hybrids by the metatarsal gland located on the outside of the rear leg between the hock and the hoof. It typically will measure about 3 /4-inches long in whitetails and about four-inches long in mule deer.”

“The metatarsal gland of hybrids is intermediate in length, measuring about two inches long. It has been theorized that whitetailed bucks initiate occurrences of hybridization, but interbreeding also can occur between mule deer bucks and white-tailed does.

Hybrids appear to have at least a limited degree of fertility. Hybridization is a concern to managers who see it as a threat to their mule deer herd.

Whitetail numbers have reached historic highs in most of their range. They are healthy virtually everywhere, whereas mule deer are on the decline in many areas.

They are indeed an animal that requires conservation action now. Whitetails aren’t going away soon, but mule deer are definitely on the downswing.

If you’re like me and have an interest in mule deer, you might want to check out the Mule Deer Foundation, which has a Texas chapter.

Their goals are as follows:

deer habitat (including land and easement acquisitions) resulting in self-sustaining, healthy, free-ranging and huntable deer populations.

• To encourage and support responsible wildlife management with government agencies, private organizations, and landowners.

• To promote public education and scientific research related to mule deer and wildlife management.

• To support and encourage responsible and ethical behavior and awareness of issues among those whose actions affect mule deer.

• To support regulated hunting as a viable component of mule deer and black-tailed deer conservation.

• To develop programs that focus on recruitment and retention of youth into the shooting sports and conservation.

We will be dedicating an increasing amount of content on mule deer at fishgame. com in our Wilderness Wednesday newsletter and also doing some investigations on the species in Texas here in Texas Fish & Game.

For now, I am seeking photos of whitetail/mule deer hybrids.

If you have seen or shot any or deer you suspect might be hybrids, send photos to cmoore@fishgame.com.

I am also seeking out photos of big mule deer killed both in the Trans Pecos and Panhandle. We will be doing an exclusive photo gallery of Texas muleys and would love for you to participate.

I believe this is a topic that needs more coverage. I look forward to seeing what other outdoor lovers are seeing and taking.

« Email Chester Moore at cmoore@fishgame.com

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9/10/19 11:21 AM

PIKE on the Edge

by DOUG PIKE :: TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

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HIS PAST SUMMER, DURING a Grade 2 strain of my right groin muscle, I thought I heard a “snaptwang” as though someone had squeezed wire cutters through the top string on a guitar.

As it turned out, the sound hadn’t emanated from my groin muscle. In fact, there was no real sound. It was just the imaginary sound of my brain slapping the back of my head for doing something stupid.

Without going into detail, I was trying to teach my son to dive rather than jump into a swimming pool. (Details on request.)

As soon as it happened, the intersection of thigh and hip caught fire. The pain came swiftly, and it was intense.

My deep-rooted “nesting” instinct said to gather our gear, jump in the truck and head home. If I was going to wind up in the Emergency Room later, I would arrive in comfortable clothes and carrying my own toothbrush.

The injury settled enough that evening to keep me from dialing 9-1-1, but it took significant time—weeks—to heal. I should have known better than to do anything potentially “physical” without stretching in advance, but in the moment, I chose to act without measuring the possible consequences.

Which brings me to a laundry list of activities we “seasoned” outdoorsmen presume, as we have for decades, pose no threat. In the presence of peers, even if we thought our way halfway toward a logical conclusion, we certainly call a timeout for a quick stretch.

However, we should, beginning the day after we feel any ache or pain caused by something that never caused pain in the past,

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The injury settled enough that evening to keep me from dialing 9-1-1, but it took weeks to heal.

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Aches and Pains for the Ages

before stepping into the muck. The other side, which is winning more internal arguments than it’s losing these days, knows the risks and is increasingly afraid of the pain that now so often rides with stupid decisions.

If you’re in your 30s, maybe even into your 40s, you’re probably snickering now.

It’ll never be you who pulls or tears a muscle because that next 50-pound sack of corn you sling up toward your shoulder suddenly feels like it weighs 100 pounds.

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bulges a disk or two in your lower back. (That one never goes away; it just sits quietly, long enough to let you believe it’s actually healed, then jumps out and stabs that same spot when you forget and try to lift a case of water the same way.)

It’ll never be you whose boot slips off the box-blind ladder and causes you to twist violently, awkwardly sideways. That one can run up a heavy tab of discomfort. Back, knee, hip, shoulder—they all are critical in the moment to keep you from actually falling off the ladder and possibly causing worse and permanent damage. And they’ll all hurt—for a long time.

It’ll never be you who swings into the saddle for a three-hour horseback ride into a high-elevation elk camp and thinks 180 minutes on a horse when you’re older is the same as when you’re younger.

Navigating rocky, rain-soaked terrain, toting bags of gear or corn, winching boats onto trailers, slinging a loaded ice chest into a boat. Any and all of that (and so much more) becomes increasingly difficult and in need of forethought as we continue to have birthdays.

There will come a time, guaranteed, on which you can’t do today what you could do yesterday. It won’t be marked on a calendar, so you might prepare for the change or exercise enough to postpone it. It’ll just pass without even being noticed.

You’ll wake up after a fun day of fishing or hunting, after a day of working in the yard or filling feeders, and something will hurt.

If you’re at all like me, you’ll acknowledge the pain, take something for it if necessary, and then just keep plowing forward.

It hurts now, sometimes more than others, to enjoy the outdoors at the level I choose. To stop enjoying the outdoors, however, would be far more painful.

because that day marks the turning of a corner. Ignoring that turn could lead to a more serious injury, one that might keep us off the water or out of the woods indefinitely—or longer.

How embarrassing, it can seem, to concede among a group of equally grayed hunters or fishermen that we’re not as good at pushing or pulling or dragging or carrying as we once were. But truth is truth, and time eventually plays the same dirty trick on us all.

One side of me, if asked to help unstick a stuck ATV minutes before shooting time at the duck lease, can’t imagine pausing to stretch my back and quads and shoulders

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ROSSBOWS OFFER A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE FOR ARCHERY hunters. Combining the stealth of a bow and the basic mechanics of a gun they can be a useful tool for hunters seeking to score on whitetails in the archery-only season.

Here are some tips that will help hunters not only to get more from a crossbow, but to get closer to wary whitetail.

• SCOPES: While there are specific scope rigs for compound bows they are not very popular.

Scopes on a crossbow allow hunters to get a better look at the kill zone and also give them a better chance of taking a deer early and late. Plenty of hunters have passed on deer during the waning minutes of legal shooting light because they couldn’t make a clean shot with their pins.

A scope can give you a better look while gathering enough light to get that last-minute, clean and safe shot.

• GROUND BLINDS: The most challenging task for bowhunters who use traditional or compound bows is drawing back on deer. If the scent of the hunter didn’t tip off the deer, the sounds and sights caused by drawing back often do.

Drawing back in ground blinds is even more challenging because of eyeto-eye contact.

Drawing back is not an issue with a crossbow (at least on the first shot), so hunters can use ground blinds more effectively. Shoot-through ground blinds and even natural blinds formed from limbs and bushes can camouflage anglers and allow up-close shots.

Many of Texas’s best deer haunts do not have trees tall enough to set up a blind. Although tripods can be useful, they often stick out like sore thumbs in places such as cactus thickets.

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Brush can deflect crossbow bolts, so shooting lanes are a good idea.

tion of what 20 yards is and so on,” he said.

“Invest in a rangefinder. You will not regret it. Use it all year, wherever you go.

How far is that sign or fencepost? You will soon realize that your best guess is pretty accurate.”

A ground blind well camouflaged by natural vegetation is a great way to score on whitetails with a crossbow.

• SHOOTING LANES: Crossbow bolts can be deflected by brush no matter that some might dispute this point.

Clip a proper shooting lane whether you are in a tree or on the ground. A good pruning shear can greatly improve your crossbow hunting success, yet it’s often overlooked as part of a hunter’s equipment.

• QUIET! If there is one challenge, crossbow hunters face, it’s that a crossbow tends to be a little louder than a compound.

Don’t just take your bow out of the box and start hunting. Use one of various soundmuffling devices that will help you experience a double-lung shot instead of a string jump.

• RANGEFINDER: Hunting in the woods compared to hunting along a field’s edge pose completely different challenges when judging distance according to TF&G Hunting Editor Lou Marullo.

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• REALISTIC RANGE: Some hunters get the idea that crossbows will allow them to take the game at rifle-like ranges. That is just not true.

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hunters are best advised to keep shots within 50 yards. Certainly, if you plan on shooting any farther don’t guess. Practice at whatever range you plan to shoot, so you can make quick, clean kills.

• DRESS TO KILL: According to Marullo, those cold mornings when we wear something a little heavier than usual, raises the need to shoot a few more arrows.

“You do not want to wait until that big buck heads your way, then find out that you cannot draw your bow back to your anchor point because of all that heavy clothing getting in the way,” he said.

“I can attest to one thing. The older I get, the colder I get. I need to really bundle up some mornings.”

That means hunters should practice with the clothes they will wear on the hunt and get an idea about how cumbersome it will be.

Marullo said if you have confidence in PHOTO: CANSTOCK

9/10/19 11:59 AM

your shooting ability with various kinds of hunting clothes, you will have confidence in your shot in the woods as well.

“I sit in my stand and visualize which way I expect the deer to approach. When I finally do see a whitetail coming my way, he has no idea that I’ve already shot him in my mind two hours earlier,” he said.

Archery hunting for whitetails, whether it is with a crossbow or traditional archery equipment is one of the most rewarding

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challenges and thrills a hunter can experience.

Hunters will often have one elk in their trophy room and perhaps a pronghorn or bear, but will have many whitetails.

Why? White-tailed deer are the most challenging game animals readily available to hunters in North America. We should embrace the challenge and be grateful for it.

Let’s show our gratitude by using the meat. What we don’t eat should be given to

the less fortunate through programs such as Hunters For The Hungry or local church feeding programs.

We should always remember to do our best to make a clean kill. Practice is not only important for a successful killing shot, but it shows our respect for the country’s most celebrated game animal.

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ALL IS HERE, BUT WE HAVEN’T quite felt the full effects yet. The forecast will be in the 80s for much of the state. Could record-setting summer temperatures be a harbinger of an extra warm autumn?

No matter how the weather breaks down, a cool

down will begin at some point this month and create a transition mode on the coastal fishing end of things.

There are five things on the Texas coast you need to keep in mind that is happening right now with reds, specks, and flounder. Some of these are contingent upon that very weather transition and catching the exact moment things begin to shift.

• WOLF PACKS: That’s what I call them anyway. These are the small schools of big trout that hunt for shrimp close to the shorelines. I first noticed them on the Louisiana shoreline on the eastern shore of Sabine Lake back in the early 2000s.

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PHOTO: JOHN FELSHER

Fall flounder stack up in marshes and canals.

Most of the shad will be in the Gulf by the end of the month so try this strategy early.

Trout fishing can be spotty in the early part of the month, but if you look hard, you can find the biggest ones in small groups feeding close to the shorelines.

Ignore birds on the main lake for big fish and look for shrimp scurrying along the banks and out to 50 yards from the shore.

Rig up a topwater or an extra-large shrimp imitation to score on these bigger trout.

Look for one or two birds feeding or maybe none at all.

However, if you find some nervous shrimp chances are you will find these smaller schools of large trout.

A DOA shrimp rigged under a popping cork is a surefire way to get bit. I like to take that same lure and skip it across the surface.

This is especially effective when you’re tight to the shore and need a method of delivering a lure without the loud “sploosh’ of a popping cork hitting the water.

For anglers preferring live bait, you might want to consider an alternative that will be available in the early part of October.

If you want to catch lots of speckled trout and redfish but can’t afford live shrimp, invest in a cast net, and use shad (menhaden).

Capt. Robert Vail turned me onto live shad under a popping cork about 20 years ago. Free-lining it into a feeding school also works great. Other than live shrimp, nothing works better than shad.

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BAYOU PURGE The first big cold front we get will dump much water from local marshes and with it lots of flounder.

Flounders stack up in areas where there are many back bays, marshes, and canals.

Look for them stacked up in some of the bigger feeder cuts and along shorelines with heavy bait concentrations.

Before you head out for flounder, let me share with you a tip I can guarantee will increase your hook-to-land ratio.

The first step is to get a spinning rod that’s as stiff as you can find. It’s hard to find an adequately stern stick without fishing with something you could use for yellowfin tuna.

What I do is take a seven-foot, mediumheavy action rod and cut off the first foot.

You want the action to be like a pool cue, virtually no give.

Next, rig your reel with braided or fusion line such as Berkley Fireline or Spiderwire.

Use something with at least a 3 to 1 ratio, such as six-pound diameter to 20-poundtest. Then, screw the drag down tight.

A flounder has a very bony mouth, and the reason most anglers lose them is they

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never get a good hookset. This rig puts a lot of pressure on the flounder and will dramatically increase the number of fish you bring to the landing net.

The best thing about this setup with an artificial lure is that it takes only a couple of seconds to make a hookset. With mud minnows, most anglers wait at least 10 seconds before setting the hook. I use this rig for flounder. When the fish strikes aggressively, I wait for a second or so, then yank like there’s no tomorrow.

WADING TROUT Wade fishermen will be catching some larger fish on the flats adjacent to ship channels this month.

Most of these trout are quality fish.

Look for falling high tides for the first couple of hours and then again on the last couple of a rising tide for the best action.

Topwaters will produce the biggest fish.

Since the walking the dog craze hit the Texas coast in the 1990s, many anglers forgot about chugging topwater plugs such as the Chug Bug and Pop-R or my personal favorite-the Sebile Splasher.

I fish chuggers using two different techniques: popping and ripping. Chugging involves slowly popping the lure every few seconds and letting it sit, then lather, rinse, and repeat.

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Bigger trout will haunt the channels and dropoffs near flats.

Ripping is far more aggressive. It involves putting the rod tip down and forcefully pulling the lure through the water. This works great when the fish are feeding on top, but not responding to typical topwater tactics.

MONSTER REDS The redfish spawn still has some steam.

So, some massive spawns occur at the jetties

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and the southern end ecosystems along the coast. Soaking a cut mullet or a live croaker over points in the channel and deep holes at the jetties will get your rod bent, maybe broke.

If the seas are too rough, don’t ignore deep holes in the southern end of the bays.

As the redfish population matures along the coast, you’ll find more big ones in the bays

themselves.

In fact, in some areas, it’s getting hard to catch reds that are not over the slot limit. In my opinion, that is a great problem to have.

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UR EYES ARE THE MOST VALUABLE TOOLS WE HAVE. As fishermen, take away our ability to see and we couldn’t drive ourselves to the lake. We couldn’t tie a snell knot, much less spot a bass on a bed, a red fish cruising a grass flat or a mountain trout hiding in the shadows of a still-water eddy.

It seems silly not to provide such a valuable piece of equipment with the best protection we can afford. That’s where good polarized sunglasses come in.

Not only will sunglasses help protect your eyes from stray bullet weights, bugs and other projectiles, they filter out damaging ultraviolet radiation and eliminate glare off the water. They help you to better detect fish and other underwater targets such as stumps, isolated glass clumps/edges and lay downs.

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Texas bass pro Russell Cecil of Willis is a consummate angler who is just as particular about his sunglasses as the fluorocarbon he spools on his baitcasters. No eight dollar convenience store shades for Cecil. He’s a Costa Del Mar guy.

Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, Costa builds some of the very best sunglasses you can put on your face. They are high-quality and comfortable to wear. Costas also feature advanced lens technologies intended to enhance colors and manage light while providing superior clarity, comfort, durability and scratch resistance.

Costas sunglasses come in assorted frame styles designed for everyday wear to high performance events.

For sight fishing, Cecil prefers a lens color that maximizes light transmission and heightens contrast. His personal favorite is Costa’s 580G (G stands for glass) in a Sunrise Silver Mirror color, which was introduced in 2018.

“The light transmission is more than double as compared to copper, which was my favorite for years,” Cecil said. “Copper is still a great lens for sight fishing, but The

Russell Cecil is a believer in quality eye protection on the water.

Sunrise Silver Mirror is noticeably brighter.

It doesn’t matter that much if the water is really clear with good sunlight. However, in deeper water with more color, the brighter

lens helps you see a little bit better.”

Another benefit of the lens is color definition, Cecil said. “I feel like they help me see shadows, grass, dark spots and light spots

9/10/19 1:05 PM

PHOTO: CANSTOCK

Polarized lenses provide a clearer picture of structure below the surface.

better in varying light conditions, or when the water has some color to it. A contrasting base color really makes colors such as red, green and blue pop,” he said. “The green on a bass and the orange on a red fish stand out much better with a contrasting lens as compared to a gray-based lens.”

As frame style goes, Cecil says the best ones for sight fishing are wrap-around styles that closely follow the contour lines of the

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face. This allows limited peripheral light to enter while blocking out wind and dust.

“There is no one best frame style for everyone,” he said. “Sunglasses are like a shirt or pair of shoes. What works best for one person may not be the best for others.

Generally, frames with a wider temple block out the most light from the sides, but they should also fit fairly close to your cheeks to block out reflection from underneath.”

When choosing fishing glasses, look for something lightweight that fits comfortably around the nose, temples and ears with limited slippage. Try them on before you buy.

Glasses that feel awkward the moment you slip them on, are almost certain to become increasingly uncomfortable over the course of the day.

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9/10/19 1:05 PM

The BASS University

by PETE ROBBINS :: for TF&G and Bass University

Feider Walks the Dog in Fall

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N HIS HOME STATE OF MINNEsota, it’s not all that unusual for Seth Feider to see snow on the ground or a little bit of ice on the lakes as October progresses. However, he knows that it’s a different story in Texas. Down here, many fish are just now leaving their summertime haunts and heading out on a big fall feed.

He’s a big fan of flipping deep grass in warm temperatures. Yet, when there’s wind and overcast conditions, or during low light hours, he thinks there’s no better lure for catching big fish than a walk-the-dog style topwater.

Up north he’d be more likely to start with a buzzbait. Although some anglers like a popper, he said that style is “too time consuming and too limited on casting distance.” A walking bait, however, can be thrown at bass 10 feet from the boat, or those blowing up on shad 50 yards away.

His favorite is the Storm Arashi Top Walker.

Although the 4¼-inch version is a mouthful, in the Lone Star State he tends to start with the 5 1/8-inch model. It weighs more than an ounce, displaces a lot of water, and rattles to call fish from a distance.

Perhaps most important, it offers three treble hooks and hangers that allow the hooks to rotate away from one another. He’s usually not picky about colors, as long as they represent shad.

Indeed, shad are primary forage that determine where and how he’ll fish. “They’ve been deep all summer, and now they’re moving up,” he said. “Maybe not to the backs of creeks yet, but to points on the main lake and shallow humps. I don’t mean humps that come up to 20 feet of water. More like high spots, places where you might hit your motor.”

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Threadfin shad can attract big schools, including quality fish. However, Feider said, throughout the South, you’re more likely to catch a monster school if you can dial in the gizzard shad locations.

“That’s where the big fish will be. The threadfins often have a lot of pound and a half to two pounders.”

He starts with a relatively fast retrieve, in order to cover water and to get fish to give away their locations. If he experiences multiple missed strikes he’s likely to alter his cadence before he switches colors, sizes or lure shapes.

The three ultra-sharp factory treble hooks minimize short strikes and fruitless blowups, but he’s also careful to make sure that the points don’t get rolled over or dulled. Because fish will often slash at these lures, the best way to maximize your landing percentage is to make sure that your hooks are always brutally sharp.

Feider fishes the Top Walker on a sevenfoot, medium-heavy Daiwa Tatula Elite rod paired up with a Tatula SV reel with an 8.1 |

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to 1 gear ratio. That fast retrieve speed allows him to get the lure back in and then out after traversing a key strike zone.

It also enables him to catch up on fish that smoke his walking bait and then charge directly at the boat. At only 7.2 ounces, it’s comfortable to fish all day. He spools it up with 30-pound Sufix 832 braid, to which he affixes about 18 inches of 20-pound test Sufix Advance Monofilament, which disguises his lure slightly and provides a bit of a shock buffer.

The beauty of this presentation is that it excels in low light conditions, when bass are feasting on shad. Yet, it can provide all-day action.

The visual thrill is what bass anglers live for, but the big catches it produces precludes them from picking up another rod during the brief lulls.

« Email Pete Robbins at ContactUs@fishgame.com PHOTO: COURTESY SETH FEIDER

9/10/19 1:08 PM

Texas BOATING

by LENNY RUDOW :: TF&G Boating Editor

Tech Run Amok

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HE LEVEL OF TECHNOLOGY found in modern boats is in some ways beginning to border on the absurd. The last time you blinked, your electronics became obsolete.

If you bought a new boat this past spring, it probably lacks several digital features found on the 2020 models. By the time a new boat goes through the supply chain, makes it to a dealership, and gets sold, it’s in need of a halfdozen different software updates.

This is a horrible thing – and it’s totally awesome.

The Cons It’s really, really easy for old salts to hate all this tech in their boats. First off, it raises the already-substantial cost of a new boat.

Secondly, all things techy have glitches, gremlins, and failures. When they happen in your home entertainment system or your wireless printer it’s usually not the end of the world. However, on a boat, it can be a much bigger deal.

Thirdly, delicate electronics do not always mix well with the intense vibrations, moisture, and general all-around abuse equipment gets on a boat, especially in saltwater.

Finally, it takes a lot of time to learn how all this stuff works. Sure, in the long run tech can save you time, effort, or even money. But there’s an initial investment in all of these categories, too.

The Pros Tech makes any average Joe a better boater. We now have numerous joystick control systems to choose from that allow us to spin a boat in its own length, walk it sideways, or weave it through danger-tight close quarters.

The Bottom Line When you boil down all the plusses and minuses, two things become clear. First, for people tech-savvy enough to understand and use it, having a high-tech boat brings a lot of significant advantages to the table. Second, having a high-tech boat is far more trouble than it’s worth for many other people.

The bottom line is that it’s a personal decision. A high-tech boat that’s great for one person may be utterly horrible for another.

The Mixed Blessing Tech can also be a double-edged sword. A great benefit one day can turn into a problem the next. One example: a friend of mine had a remote monitoring system installed in his boat, that communicated by sending text messages to his phone.

He felt the expense was more than vindicated when, after storm dropped several inches of rain in a few hours, he received a bilge high water alert. He drove to his boat and discovered that just before the storm hit, T E X A S

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the marina had been replacing some boards on the docks.

A good bit of sawdust had blown into his boat, and rainwater washed it into the bilges.

Then, clumps of sawdust clogged the pumps.

Fortunately, he was able to get them running again and de-water the boat before any significant damage occurred.

A few months later, he was at home when the high-water alarm again went off, this time in the middle of the night. He raced down to the boat, but discovered nothing amiss.

Chalking it up to a glitch, he didn’t think about it until a few nights later. Then it went off again—and again, and again, and again.

The monitoring system blew up his phone with text after text. Yet nothing was wrong.

Eventually, he figured out that the highwater sensor was becoming beaded with moisture and triggering itself intermittently.

Shifting the probe solved the issue, but only after several midnight drives to the boat over the course of two weeks and more than 100 false-alarm texts.

Yes, the system had proved to be a blessing. Then it proved to be a curse.

We have systems that integrate robotic cameras with the boat’s controls so you can’t slam into a dock, boat, or piling while trying to back into the slip (Raymarine’s DockSense assisted docking technology, just introduced earlier this year). We can literally press a button and “freeze” our boats in place regardless of the wind or current.

Tech also provides a huge boost to anglers. You can now effectively spot fish beneath the water’s surface hundreds of feet in any direction, look at 3-D views of the bottom or structure, and enjoy underwater chartography that provides stellar data. You can even create your own, if an area you fish hasn’t been covered.

Tech can also be used to better maintain your boat and diagnose issues with it. Suzuki now has an app that allows you to take a picture of a QR code displayed on your engine monitor. You can then email it to your dealer, so they can “plug in” to the engine’s onboard computer remotely from anywhere.

If you have a remote monitoring system such as Siren Marine installed, You can eyeball bilge pump cycles and bilge water levels, and tank levels.It also monitors interior temperatures, and just about anything else you’d like from your living room couch.

Now, with remote monitoring and control being wrapped into some MFD units (Simrad has an entire “Connected Vessel” system) it probably won’t be long before this type of functionality becomes downright common.

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Y HEART pounded as I saw the silhouette of a black cat move through the tall grass. Headed toward a clearing on the edge of a bayou, it would only be seconds before it stepped into the open.

The fact I was on an expedition to investigate “black panther” sightings in the area added to the excitement.

What was I about to see?

As its head peeked out of the grass at a distance of about 70 yards, I thought it might be a jaguarundi. When the entire body came out, it was apparent that was not the case.

I estimated this cat to be around 42-45 inches in length, stocky, with a tail longer than the body and sporting a solid, dark coat.

The cat quickly shot into a thin line of cattails that intersected a marsh, and I never saw it again.

This was the fall of 2007, and I knew I had not seen a jaguarundi or a jaguar or a black cougar. It was a domestic cat or some hybrid, and it was bigger than average. Somehow I knew that when an untrained eye saw this cat, the name “black panther” would get bestowed upon it quickly.

About two years after that, game camera prices

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plummeted and smartphones began featuring quality cameras. So, I started receiving numerous cat photos from readers. Most of them inquired whether the cat they captured an image of was a “black panther.”

A couple asked whether it might be a jaguarundi. All but two of them have been some feral house cat.

I believe they are the source of the vast majority of black panther sightings. I believe this for three key reasons.

People Cannot Judge Size: I have received dozens of photos of bobcats people sent to me insisting they were cougars.

I have now come to the conclusion many cougar sightings in nontraditional habitat are bobcats. I have personally identified dozens of black panther sightings as house cats or some hybrid. We’ll get to that in a minute.

Distribution: Feral house cats dwell throughout North America, have large populations in many forested areas and are the only known black cat to dwell continent-wide. I have received multiple photos of readers wondering what kind of wildcat they captured on their game camera. It turned out they were white, tabby and other colored feral house cats.

People are not prepared to see a wild cat in the woods, but they are abundant. When they see a black one, they often label it “panther.”

New research in Australia, which has a massive feral cat problem, suggests these

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cats are growing to much bigger sizes than anyone would expect. Recent statistics attributed to Oklahoma wildlife officials state sizes of up to 35 pounds for feral cats.

As you can see, a photo accompanying the Oklahoma statistics (below) features a large black cat with a long tail. The cat has a build somewhat like a domestic cat, but it has a very long tail.

Judging by the size of the cinder blocks, it is larger than the average house cat.

I have officially dubbed these “Black Longtails.”

Texas-based researcher Jeff Stewart who captured a similar cat on a game camera in Panola County has an interesting idea.

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An oversized feral cat caught by a game camera.

“One theory I have been working on to explain the sightings of large black cats in the South is that interbreeding could happen between a large cat with no black gene (such as a cougar) and another, which has the gene, then the offspring have the ability to be black or even produce black kittens themselves,” Stewart said.

Hybridization is rampant in cats, and stranger things have happened in nature.

These black longtails could simply be feral domestic house cats that are adapting to a wild life. Or maybe there has been some sort of hybridization going on that science has not discovered.

Feral house cats are the key to understanding the bulk of the black panther phenomenon in America.

My research has shown me jaguarundis play a part in this as well. There is a slight chance of melanistic jaguars and bobcats in the mix. We can scratch black cougars off the

list as there is no evidence they exist. There has never been a single black cougar examined by a scientist, although, thousands are killed annually and thousands more in zoos around the world.

The corporate wildlife media have perpetuated the black panther hoax for ratings and web traffic. Most researchers, including myself, have overlooked the obvious as a solution because so many credible witnesses have great panther stories.

On this end, the research will continue in the field by communicating with people throughout the country who hunt, fish, ranch, farm, and spend time in nature.

The black longtail is out there. Whether it is an evolving house cat or something else, it’s a mystery worth pursuing despite its domestic roots.

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PHOTOS: TOP, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS; BOTTOM, CANSTOCK

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9/10/19 1:10 PM

Bare Bones HUNTING

by LOU MARULLO :: TF&G Hunting Editor

The Buck of Your Dreams

I realize that hunting television episodes will show a hunter scouting, waiting in his tree stand. They’ll even even take time to turn and talk to the cameraman about their hunt so far. Lo and behold, they score on a huge whitetail that would make us all drool with envy.

All of this is completed in 30 minutes, but that is not the way it happens in real life.

Can it ever happen? The answer is yes— even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then. Can you win the lottery? Sure, but the odds are against you. That’s exactly why most hunters settle for that smaller buck.

Let me make one thing perfectly clear.

Any whitetail you take, either with a bow or a gun is a trophy—your trophy.

Anyone who tries to tell you differently is not the one who spent hours in the woods with you, scouting—has not placed any game cameras out—has not put up any tree stands.

They have not spent the days and weeks it might take to finally see your trophy headed your way. The only thing they should say to you is ”Congratulations!”

If a young hunter bags a spike horn during his or her first year of hunting, is that not a trophy? Should they wait for that big buck to appear and pass up the excitement of taking their first deer? My answer is no.

Whenever we have a “newbie” join our hunting party, we try to make sure he or she is in the best spot to at least see some action.

They might not get the shot they dreamed about. Or they might get that shot and miss because they were excited.

The point is that he or she will remember that first hunt, as being filled with action— and that is important.

If a young person gets up at oh-dark-thirty, takes a long hike in the woods, sits in a tree stand and sees nothing, I can guarantee that hunter will lose interest in this sport quickly.

I think hunter participation is down in numbers now because of the need for instant gratification that’s abundant in our society today. Young people are used to seeing action on their computer games all the time.

The only way this might happen in real life

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ORNING COULD NOT come quick enough.

It seemed like I had already been settled in my tree stand for hours, but when I checked my watch, I saw that it had only been 20 minutes. The light layer of fog that moments ago was hovering just above the ground, was now starting to lift —just a little.

There he stood. I never heard him, never saw any movement. Yet there he was, looking more majestic than my game camera indicated. However, I am sure it’s the same buck.

His drop tines were unmistakable and set him apart from any other beast in the forest.

He took a few more steps in my direction, and I could finally see his massive frame. My heart beat faster as the monster buck cautiously stepped closer and closer. Just a few more yards would place him in my shooting lane.

Now I ask you, isn’t that what every deer hunter wishes for?

A four or five-year-old whitetail buck might look like the one depicted above— and you might see one like that on your lease.

However, in the real world, most hunters will end up taking a nice two or three-year-old deer.

Free-range whitetails that get that huge rack we all love to see, don’t get big being stupid. They know how to stay hidden during the day and like to travel under the blanket of darkness.

As a matter of fact, the only time you might see a monster like this is during the rut, when big bucks have one thing on their mind—and safety is not at the top of their list.

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is if the hunter and other experienced hunters in your immediate area agree to practice QDM (Quality Deer Management).

In any deer hunting game, you can shoot at a nice buck every five seconds. It makes it sound as if it might be easy to find a monster buck. However, boredom is not limited only to the young hunter. Many grizzled veteran hunters have also been duped into thinking that a monster buck will soon appear.

The entire outdoor experience is lost— what a shame!

If a hunter has spent hours and hours in tree stands, morning after morning with little sleep and long days in the heat or the rain, after a while, a hunter might just say “Enough is enough, and the first whitetail deer that makes the mistake of coming into my range is going down!”

That’s exactly why even a seasoned hunter will settle for a two or three-year-old buck and be thrilled to take it.

More and more we hear the familiar phrases that come as the season nears its end.

“If it’s brown, it’s down” —or “you can’t eat the antlers anyway” — or “The younger deer meat is as tender as a mother’s kiss” Whatever the reason you choose to take any whitetail of any size is a personal choice.

You are the hunter. You are the one putting all those hours into practice. You are the person who exercised patience for weeks waiting for the buck of your dreams. You, and only you, should decide whether the deer you see is your “trophy” —or not. Despite what you may have heard size does not matter.

The only thing that really matters is that you have fun and hunt safe.

« Email Lou Marullo at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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Texas TACTICAL

by DUSTIN ELLERMANN :: TF&G Contributing Editor

Canik TP9 Elite Combat

could have been a touch longer, butt it still shoots well.

It comes with two magazines. Both have the same 15-round body but one holds 18 rounds

others that use the same footprints.

The precise SRO red dot optic and the crisp 4.5-pound trigger *(which also has an incredibly short reset) enabled me to shoot sub 1.5-

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ANDGUNS HAVE COME A long way in just the past decade.

It’s not uncommon to upgrade a handgun with a red dot optic, threaded barrel, flared magazine well, and custom trigger. This will easily double the price of the original investment.

So when Century Arms came out with the Canik TP9 Elite Combat I was intrigued. The first time I saw a Canik pistol, I thought it was a Walther P99 because it looks very similar, especially with the striker indicator. It had an excellent trigger as well, but I was especially drawn to the low price tag.

Canik partnered with Salient Arms International to create the Elite Combat series with all the extras that one would desire from a custom handgun. SAI designed the barrel, sights, and magazine funnel.

The 9mm barrel is threaded, fluted, and nitride coated. The hex-shaped thread protector is a nice touch. But like many foreign guns, it is threaded to 13.5 x 1mm. The downside of this is that while you might have saved money on purchasing an aftermarket-threaded barrel, you might need to purchase a different piston for your suppressor.

The sights look nice, but always hit a touch high for me and are only adjustable for windage. However the lack of sight adjustment didn’t bother me much because a pistol like this is best suited for a red dot optic.

I tested the Canik Elite Combat with the Trijicon RMR and new SRO, both. However, the Canik will also accept several other kinds of optics.

It includes four mounting plates for several different dots to include Leupold, Vortex, C-More, Doctor, Shield and a maybe a few

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The Canik TP9 Elite Combat boasts of several upgrades such as optics mounting plates, Salient Arms International designed parts including the barrel that produced this sub 1.5-inch group from 15 yards with Black Hills Honey Badger ammunition.

with its +3 extension. The magazine release buttons are reversible and come with two sizes in case you want a larger button.

All in all, for the price the Canik is a winner.

With the extras that are included right out of the box you could hit an open competition right away.

I’ve seen it as low as $650 from some retailers. Considering the included extras it’s a great value. If you don’t need all those bells and whistles, just check out the more basic models such as the TP9SA for under $400.

inch groups freestanding from 15 yards with Black Hills 125-grain Honey Badger ammo.

When an optic is mounted on the slide it removes the rear sight so co-witnessing is not an option. However using an optics plate gives you the option of adding a slide-charging handle to the side.

At first I thought this was kind of weird and might be cumbersome. But after I installed it, I found I really liked using it. Yes, it would be terribly uncomfortable to try to carry concealed, but for competition and range plinking it sure is handy.

The magazine funnel crowds my hands just a touch on the grip, but it also gives them a stopping point that might lead to more recoil control. Either way, this isn’t really going to be a concealed carry handgun. So, the grip area T E X A S

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OU CAN SEE A SCHOOL OF REDS TAILing just beyond casting range, but they’re on the move. You crank the electric trolling motor up to full-tilt, but even then, you can’t keep pace.

You watch as those revved-up reds just keep going and going, creeping ever farther beyond your grasp—the horror! If you want to avoid this tragic situation—and we know you do—you’ll need to make sure you have a trolling motor potent enough to muscle your boat around even in a breeze.

As a general rule of thumb, most experts recommend you have at least one pound of thrust per 40 pounds of boat. Unless you’re fishing from a micro-skiff, that means you need to forget about 12v models. Even 24v electrics top out at around 70-pounds of thrust, and simply don’t have the juice you need for larger boats.

Motors with 36v can get more than 100-pounds of thrust, which puts you in the one- to two-horsepower range.

Remember, however, that there’s no direct equivalency between pounds of thrust and horsepower thanks to things such as propeller pitch and slip. However, if you multiply amp draw times voltage and divide the result by 746, you have a pretty good approximation.

On top of that, electric trolling motors are usually propped for top acceleration and the ability to hold a boat in a breeze, not to maximize top-end. In fact, most electric trolling motors are designed to take their payload up into the five-mph range and no faster.

Getting a more potent motor doesn’t necessarily result in more speed, if a smaller motor already had enough oomph to take the boat up into that range. This being the case, owners of larger, heavier boats which top out in the three to four mph range are those most likely to benefit the most by upgrading to a larger, more potent motor.

You do have the option of experimenting with an aftermarket prop; there are several to choose from which may get you a bit more speed. But don’t expect dramatic differences. Picking up a half-mph is a big win.

You also run the risk of slower acceleration and potentially a loss of holding power in a breeze, especially if the engine wasn’t already providing more than enough power for your boat.

The bottom line? All boats are different, and they all act a bit differently in different conditions, so the only way to be sure you’re maximizing speed is to experiment a bit with different props and different motors.

REPORT: NEWS 30 u TF&G OF THE NATION Reported by TF&G Staff

HOT 30 u TEXAS SHOTS Trophy Photos from TF&G Readers

32 u TEXAS COASTAL FORECAST

by Capt. Eddie Hernandez, Capt. Mike Holmes, Mike Price, Capt. Chris Martin, Capt. Mac Gable, Tom Behrens, Capt. Sally Black and Calixto Gonzales

41 u TEXAS FISHING HOTSPOTS

by Tom Behrens, Dustin Warncke and Dean Heffner

48 u SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK Tides and SoLunar Data

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The NATIONAL

Stark Museum Exhibiting Special Duck Stamp Art Collection

News of TEXAS

Stamp program links hunting with conservation. Sales of stamps support wildlife habitat. Choosing artists to design the stamps added visual drama. Artists’ prints increased the impact of the program.

With this exhibition, the Stark Museum of Art traces the history of the Federal Duck Stamp. The United States government created the stamp to address a problem. In the 1930s, the numbers of ducks and geese had fallen to dangerously low levels.

Loss of habitat and over-hunting contributed to the decline. Hunters and conservationists sought remedies. To raise funds for waterfowl habitat, the government required hunters to buy a Migratory Bird stamp. The U.S. uses the revenue to purchase and maintain wildlife refuges.

Every year the government selects an artist to create the image and issues a new

THE STARK MUSEUM OF ART IS bringing the great outdoors inside with Conservation Art: Federal Duck Stamps & Prints.

The exhibition opens July 13 and continues through January 4, 2020. This exhibition celebrates the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, popularly known as the Duck Stamp.

A set of stamps and prints, from the beginning in 1934-1935 through 2000-2001, is on view. In addition to viewing the stamps and prints, visitors can go on a virtual Duck Hunt and enjoy other activities.

Started in 1934, the Federal Duck

stamp. They depict ducks, geese, and swans.

The beauty of the stamps has inspired collecting. It has also prompted the artists to make prints from their stamp art.

The exhibition begins with the 1934-35 Stamp and its accompanying print by Jay N. “Ding” Darling. Darling was a Pulitzer Prizewinning political cartoonist, a hunter, and a conservationist.

Franklin Roosevelt appointed him as Chief of the Biological Survey. Darling drew two mallards flying onto the water for the first stamp, and then made an etching based on his design.

The exhibition includes etchings, lithographs, and photolithographs by fifty-two artists, including Frank W. Benson, Maynard Reece, and the Hautman brothers.

SPECKLED TROUT

BASS

Laguna Madre

Lake Tyler

Luis Briones caught this speckled trout, officially 30-inches and weighing 6 pounds, 14 ounces, while fishing with Captain Aaron Cisneros in the Lower Laguna Madre last May.

Jonathan Holland caught this 6.54-pound largemouth on Lake Tyler. It is his personal best!

Visit FishGame.com to upload your own TEXAS HOT SHOTS action trophy photos 30

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Junior Duck Stamp in Texas program.

The exhibition includes a number of hands-on learning opportunities. The interactives include viewing recent years’ duck stamps up closely using magnifying tools, drawing and displaying a duck stamp, and playing the Nintendo Entertainment System pop culture classic Duck Hunt.

Adjacent to the main exhibition will be Waterfowl Art with the flourishing images of ducks and geese as seen in Steuben glass, Limoges plates, Boehm porcelain, and other forms.

A special event will be held Saturday Oct. 5 featuring renown wildlife artist Calvin Carter as well as other special guests.

Admission is free.

For more information call 409-886-2787 or visit starkculturalvenues.org.

PHOTO: STARK MUSEUM

Jay N. Darling’s 1934-35 Federal Duck Stamp.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to view a digital exhibit of the 2018-19 Federal Junior Duck Stamp in Texas winners. The Federal Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design program began in 1993. Each state holds a contest.

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A best of show for the state is selected.

These works advance to the national contest. The digital exhibit features the top twelve Texas artists in Kindergarten through twelfth grades in the 2018-19 contest. It is presented in cooperation with the Federal

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9/16/19 9:46 AM

Coastal Focus: SABINE :: by Capt.

EDDIE HERNANDEZ

October Brings Fish Back to School

ber has finally made its way to the Texas Coast.

I’ve said before that I’m not going to complain about the summer heat, so I hope this is not interpreted that way. I would much rather sweat than freeze.

It seems as though the older I get, the more the frigid winter air stings anyway.

I will, however, welcome this wonderful month with open arms. I’ll also bid a polite tip of the hat to the sweltering summer temperatures that I will be longing for in a few short months.

The big tides of spring and summer have pushed shrimp deep into the marsh. This gives coastal anglers high hopes for what is gearing up to be another action-packed fall fishing season on Sabine.

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FTER WHAT SEEMS LIKE AN eternity of waiting as patiently as possible for the arrival of some cool fronts with somewhat of an attitude, I’m happy to announce that Octo-

The ever-increasing cool fronts will begin to intensify this month. This will slowly start to bring lower than normal tides that will pull water from the back lakes and purge the marsh and bayous of shrimp and baitfish. The bite should blast off from there.

The shrimp will finally have the green light to begin riding the current out of the marsh and venture out into the open waters of the bay. Once there, they will be happily greeted by hungry trout, reds and flounders.

This is a continuing process that gains momentum with each new front. As a result, the mouths of the bayous, shorelines and open bay are all excellent places to locate fish.

Birds working over schools of hungry predator fish will be telltale signs that some of the shrimp have indeed decided to relocate from the marsh and set their sights on the big water.

Although chasing birds is not the only option for success in October, it is by far the most popular. We are usually blessed here on Sabine to be able to fish birds virtually year-round.

With the exception of January and February, most months are fairly consistent, and we definitely take advantage of it when we can. The real fronts, however, typically begin to show up sometime in October.

That tends to raise the bird-chasing bar up a few notches. It’s the amount of bait in the bay in in October that allows predators such as the Big Three to really showcase their dominance in the food chain.

We have our share of shrimp and ribbon fish in the lake during the spring and summer months as well as an influx of shad in late summer. However, it pales in comparison with the number of shrimp and baitfish that pour out of the marsh with the low tides that come with the stronger fronts.

It’s the amount of shrimp in the bay during the fall months that makes the difference.

During the hot summer months not nearly as many shrimp are concentrated in any particular area. Sometimes we’re lucky to just catch a few out of a school before it’s over.

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Coastal Focus: GALVESTON :: by Capt.

MIKE HOLMES

Early Fall Can Be Better than Late Summer

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ITH THE ARRIVAL OF October, “fall” has officially “fell.”

Although the upper Texas coast might still feel like summer, somewhat cooler weather is certainly on its way. This means more pleasant and more productive fishing weather should be ours to enjoy.

Bay waters will still be temperate, so warm weather tactics will still be productive. Night fishing may well still be more comfortable and see more fishing action, but early mornings and late evenings tend to be a bit cooler and definitely more productive.

Reefs and bars in the bays will begin to hold more fish, and the need to search for deep holes will not be as great, although those spots should not be totally ignored.

Wading should still be comfortable without protective gear, and the peak feeding periods should last longer than in hot summer water.

Live bait is still a top option, and also should be easier to catch and keep alive than a few months ago. More shrimp will be found in the bays, with more fish seeking them out.

Top water action should be better in the cooler water.

Passes opening into the Gulf are even more productive now, as well as spots where coastal streams enter the Gulf. Speckled trout redfish, and flounders—the inshore “big three” —will all be found in these prime waters, as well as along the Gulf beachfront.

The surf zone—whether fished from a boat, by wading, or casting from the beach— will not only yield lots of these prime inshore targets, but fall visitors will include the fabulous “Bull” redfish, hard fighting jack crevalle, tough and tasty Spanish mackerel, and a wide variety of various sizes of sharks. Always possible, too, is an encounter with a true trophy—a beachfront tarpon.

Big reds, jacks, sharks, and tarpons are best sought with true “surf” rods mounting reels spooled with several hundred yards of 30- to 40-pound mono. Single strand wire leaders are most often used, for several reasons, and circle hooks have become increasingly popular.

It is common to see anglers with multiple rods resting in sand spike holders to increase the odds of a hookup. Other creatures that might come acalling include heavy stingrays—which are VERY sporty adversaries on a tight line.

Anglers who venture past the surf in a boat can find action with anything from sharks to tarpons to offshore game such as king mackerel, ling (cobia), or bottom species such as red snapper to offer frantic fish-

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ing from top water trolling to bottom fishing.

Chumming and drifting baits in these areas can also be very productive.

These “inshore” waters of the Gulf of Mexico can provide fishing action to satisfy the most demanding of anglers, most of the time.

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THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Bay fishing can be VERY good in the fall, and the surf is a top spot to visit. “Nearshore” waters just off the beach can also be very productive. Of course, true offshore fishing for many species at many distances from land can be magical for those with the boats to reach them.

SPECIES: Pretty much any “sport” or “food” species that makes an appearance in bay and Gulf waters will do so during the fall. This list is long and “storied”, and includes croaker, sand trout, speckled trout, redfish, mackerel, shark, cobia, and tarpon.

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Coastal Focus: MATAGORDA :: by Contributing Editor MIKE PRICE

Find the Action

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N OCTOBER FISH ARE MOTIVATed to feed up by signs of winter: shorter, cooler days and dropping water temperatures.

The average air temperatures at the beginning of October are 67°F to 85°F, and at the end of the month, 59°F to 78°F. Moving tide further encourages predator fish to attack bait.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts lower than normal rain, and lower than normal temperatures for the Texas coast this October. If we really get less rain and lower air and water temperatures, it will be good for fishing. You will not have to factor in high inflows of fresh water from heavy rains, and the fish will be more active in the cooler water.

To have a good fishing day in October, select a day with moving tide and winds that you can handle. Then do the hard part; find

Oyster Lake at low tide.

the fish.

On the 18th of October when the air temperature was 60°F and the sky was overcast, I went drift fishing with Eddie Vacek on the northeast side of East Matagorda Bay. We had an outgoing tide and just tolerable winds from the northeast at 20 mph. We drift fished and covered a lot of water over four hours, and only managed two brief hook ups.

Even though we fished all that water, we

Focus: SABINE t CONTINUED FROM PAGE

SPECIES: Redfish, speckled trout, flounder, croaker.

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In the fall it is very common to stay with a school for long periods of time, getting bit on almost every cast. There are also usually several different groups to choose from, so there is plenty of room for everyone. Come say hi if you make it down to Sabine this fall. We’ll be somewhere in the birds.

BAITS/LURES: Fresh dead shrimp, cut bait, mud minnows.

BEST TIMES: All Day.

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Email Eddie Hernandez at ContactUs@fishgame.com

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Concrete steps at Pleasure Island.

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did not “find em.” Eddie and I have fished the northeast side of east Matagorda Bay near Bird Island on other days and found action, but not on this day. A wise old fisherman once said, “The fish are in five percent of the water.”

One way to “find em” is to fish structure.

When you drift fish in the bay, you are fishing the structure of oyster patches, holes, and other patterns of bottom terrain. But when this kind of structure does not pay off, try another kind of structure.

On October 13th, Pat Tollett and I loaded kayaks on my boat and went to the southeast shore of West Matagorda Bay. The wind was from the south 18 to 25 mph, stronger than I will usually go out on, but Pat was my guest and that was the only day he had to fish, so we went.

I selected a place where we had wind protection on the south shoreline, but it was too windy to kayak, so we wade fished with the wind at our backs. Another reason I selected that spot was an oyster reef 35 yards from shore.

Pat tossed a yellow Sparkle Beetle soft plastic from H&H Lure Company to the reef and found willing takers. He caught four undersized redfish, two keeper reds at 28 and 22 inches, a 21-inch trout, and two keepersized black drum. I was fishing the same reef PHOTO: MIKE PRICE

9/16/19 9:46 AM

system close by and did almost as well as Pat. Moving tide is an important factor when you decide to go fishing. To see tide predictions, go to www.tidesandcurrents.gov.

On a sunny late October day when the water temperature was 73°F, Bob Turner and I went to a cove on the south side of East Matagorda Bay. We were kayak fishing and fished the mouths of several bayous. We hoped to find predators feeding on bait flowing into the bay with the outgoing tide. But I only managed to catch one 23-inch redfish at the point where the bayous and the bay intersected, so I decided to change tactics.

I reasoned that with tide pushing water into the large cove on the bay side of multiple bayous, the fish might be feeding where the cove met the bay.

The wind was from the southwest, so I set up a drift in my kayak west to east across the large expanse of the cove opening. Soon I caught a 21-inch trout, and I thought, “Maybe I found em,” Then I caught another 21-inch trout, followed by a 19-inch trout and a 21-inch redfish.

In October, you have the advantage of fish

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BAIT: Baitfish species from shad, various sizes of mullet, and croaker will mix with shrimp, squid, and various small crabs to keep every fish “fed.”

BEST TIME: Early and late in the day and even

seeking prey. Add moving tide and a fishing spot with structure and hope these decisions find the action.

THE BANK BITE OYSTER LAKE: You can fish Oyster Lake from the bank or from a kayak. One morning I met kayak fisherman Efren Cardoza at Oyster Lake. He had just come in from fishing. He said, “I caught my limit, 26, 27, and 25-inch redfish.” And he showed me the fish in his cooler.

Then he said, “I went out a few days ago when it was really foggy. I always go well before it gets

after dark will still be prime times, but cooler weather will extend daytime feeding periods making this time of year good for just about anyone’s favorite schedule!

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Email Mike Holmes at ContactUs@fishgame.com light because the redfish are most active at sunrise.

I was fishing a spot where the marsh drains and the redfish would come out and then go back in. Today they came out and left, but a couple days ago they would come out and go back. I caught so many that it wore me out.”

To get to Oyster Lake take FM 521, go south on FM 1095, left (south) on CR 378, west on CR 373, and south on CR 365. It takes 25 minutes to get there from the intersection of FM 521 and FM 1095.

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Email Mike Price at ContactUs@fishgame.com

9/16/19 9:46 AM

Coastal Focus: MID COAST :: by Capt.

CHRIS MARTIN

Goodbye, Summer

for when things turn much colder over the course of the next few months.

Finding a meal shouldn’t prove to be too difficult for the fish this month. Area bays and marshes are full of mullet, shrimp, crab, mud minnows, and shad, all of which the trout and redfish absolutely love. They’ll need to eat all they can now, because the baitfish will start exiting the marsh and surrounding shallows as temperatures continue to drop.

October is well-known as being a time of much higher tides, especially along our stretch of the middle Texas coast. This means a lot more water than usual will be pushed into the back marsh country and up against outlying shorelines.

Grass that is usually sticking out of dry land may now be covered by higher tides, which means the trout and the redfish will suddenly have a lot of new real estate to hunt food over.

If you’re a wading enthusiast, this is a great time of the year to walk tight against the grass along shorelines consisting of mud and grass or mud and shell. It’s not uncommon to see redfish foraging through the grass itself in search of small crabs and shrimp. Keep a keen eye on any water movement you may notice right at the edge of the bank.

In San Antonio Bay and Espiritu Santo Bay, are some nice wading areas to look for trout and reds this month at times of higher tides. This includes the windward shorelines of most any of the back lakes such as Pringle, Contee, Long, Pat’s, Twins, and Panther.

If you fish in either of these two major bay systems prior to an approaching frontal system this month, you’ll more than likely be met with a substantial south wind. When this happens, look for the bite in places such as Lighthouse Cove, the outside shorelines of Pringle Lake, South Pass Lake, and the many, many miles of protected shoreline all the way down to Ayres Point in the southwestern most region of San Antonio Bay. You should be able to catch your October trout and redfish on artificial lures or live bait.

If you’re targeting redfish while throwing lures, try the Berkley Gulp three-inch shrimp

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S WE GET INTO OCTOBER, the summertime heat is behind us.

The fall transition should be well underway now that September has passed and things are starting to cool down a bit.

Falling air and water temperatures will signal to the trout and the redfish that winter’s approaching. They’ll automatically know that it’s now time to start fattening up. They’ll start eating heavily to adequately prepare

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in the New Penny color. These baits have produced numbers of redfish bounced across the bay bottom on a jig head, or while fished beneath a popping cork in the shallows.

Try the same three-inch Gulp Shrimp in Pearle with a Chartreuse tail beneath a popping cork for the trout. They love them!

Berkley makes the Gulp baits in a lot of different colors. So you might just need to try different ones until you find the one that produces the best results for you.

If you’re a top water aficionado, then get out on the water at every opportunity during October. Historically, this is one of the most fun months of the year for catching trout and redfish on the water’s surface.

As we discussed earlier, the fish are feeding in preparation for the change in seasons, so just about any mullet-imitation top water can be most effective right now. Periods of calm, low-light conditions are your best bet for success with top waters, so shoot for working your surface walkers early in the morning or later in the evening before sunset.

A lot of anglers prefer throwing smaller baits in calm and light wind conditions, saving the bigger bait models for high-wind days or choppy conditions.

If you’re able to fit any immediate postfrontal days into your October fishing schedule, the Matagorda Island surf remains a highly productive option. It’s worth investigating while there’s still a north or northeasterly wind blowing following a cool front.

As water temps continue to drop slowly, you can sometimes find large groups of mullet holding tight to the shoreline along the beach. If possible, take a boat ride along the beach. If you see mullet taking to the air in an attempt to escape their sealed fate, stop and fish the area with either live or artificial baits. Until next time, good luck out there, and be careful!

« Contact Capt. Chris Martin at bayflatslodge@gmail.com or visit bayflatslodge.com

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Coastal Focus: ROCKPORT :: by Capt.

MAC GABLE

Lone Star Fishing

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N A RARE VISIT TO THE local car wash to wash my boat after a trip (I normally use a power washer at my house), I noticed a small aluminum boat/trailer parked out of the way with a missing trailer tire.

The boat looked fondly familiar, so I walked over to inspect. It was, in fact, almost an exact replica of my first boat. It had been well cared for—probably restored because Lone Star stopped manufacturing sometime in the 70s.

This boat looked like a late 50s to early 60s model, but I couldn’t be certain. It was the same hull where I spent many hours in my younger years, acquiring an intimate knowledge of the Texas bays.

I heard a horn and an impatient friend waiting to wash his boat hollered “Are you taking up residence here or are you gonna wash your boat?” After some affectionate hand signals pointed at him, I walked back to my truck.

The other guide, now out of his truck, met me with an ice-cold Coke and offered it to me.

“You look rode hard and put up wet” he said, “I’m afraid of looking like you when I get your age.”

“Anybody who looks like the north end of a south-bound mule can’t do anything but improve, even with age,” I replied, then thanked him for to Coke.

“Did you catch any fish?” he asked.

I shook my head,”No.” “Then why is it I saw you cleaning fish at your cleaning station?” he asked. “Every time I ask you about catching fish you always say no, but yet you always clean fish.”

“You asked if ‘I’ caught fish, which I never do, I never said my clients didn’t catch fish.”

He just laughed as I walked to move my boat and truck out of his way.

By now the owner of the small Lone Star had returned with a good tire, so I pulled up

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and cast, then traded positions.

The live well was a five-gallon bucket. The fish box was a small ice chest that doubled for an eats and drinks cold box, everything easily removed for cleaning.

Shifting the weight of the ice chests and tackle box and/or your fishing buddy around was your tilt and trimmer and trim tabs. I learned to run the motor once a week no matter what, or to be good at rebuilding the carburetor.

A pack of patches and glue and a can of WD40 meant no need for a spare tire, which I couldn’t afford anyway. From the look of things this young man couldn’t either.

Call it nostalgia, but I just wanted to hop in this boat, grab the tiller and take off. When I looked up from the old aluminum boat, the young man was standing behind the console of my Haynie.

“One day,” he said, “I am gonna have one of these!”

“Wanna go for a ride?” I asked.

“Oh man that would be GREAT!” he replied.

“Okay,” I said, “but here’s the deal—we ride in mine first, then go for a ride in yours.”

“You wanna ride in that?” he asked surprised, pointing at the old Lone Star.

“Oh no,” I said, “I wanna drive!”

October has turned into the month of change here on the Texas coast for anglers.

Drastic temperature changes and limited bait can prove challenging for weekenders looking for some rod action. Plan ahead and keep extended forecasts at hand.

• • • COPANO BAY: The mouth of Copano Creek is a good spot for reds using new penny colored jerk shad. A quiet approach is essential. The old fishing pier adjacent to the LBJ causeway is a good spot for sheepshead using cut squid and frozen shrimp. Use the smallest kahle hook you can find.

beside him and asked if he needed any help. “I hope maybe one day,” he said.

“Excuse me?” I replied.

“Maybe one day I’ll own a nice boat like your Haynie.”

“Well, it took me a lot of years to get this,” I told him, “but you’ve got a pretty good start,” motioning toward his boat.

“This was my grandfather’s,” he said with some feeling. “We fished a lot together before he passed.”

“Lucky you,” I said, “it’s a great boat to learn these bays in. Mind if I take a look?”

The boat had a 15 hp Evinrude, perfect for this boat, I thought.

The anchor was a small Super Hooker because the boat is so light. High backed fishing seat replaced the old flat wood seats. The young man didn’t have a jack under the trailer, but rather had it propped up on a block of wood after lifting it himself.

Nothing about this rig was hard: trailering was a breeze, it could be pulled with the smallest of trucks and most midsized cars.

Launching and loading could be done with just a pull rope although the trailer had a winch.

I never used mine, mostly because it was broke and I didn’t have a winch strap. It’s a wade fisherman’s dream, easy to get in and out of.

Most ran a 15-inch shaft and could run as shallow as most high-tech bay boats. I seldom anchored but rather would run my Lone Star right up on a sand flat, high and dry.

Even as a youngster I could push the light rig off any reef or sand flat by myself. After a while the rivets would leak some, but two brass hammers and a willing friend could tighten them up—one working from the inside the other from the outside when things were slow.

I washed mine with a garden hose and parked it under an old pecan tree. Drift fishing was a dream in it as well. A pair of jeans with the legs tied off was the only drift sock I needed.

Standing and casting was a challenge, but one learned after a few dunks overboard it’s best to have a friend, one sat while one stood F I S H

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Coastal Focus: ARANSAS/CORPUS :: by Contributing Editor TOM BEHRENS

Popping Good Time

There are weighted and unweighted popping corks. Weighted corks have lead or metal weights in the bottom. The un-weighted variety are lighter, but they do not cast well and do not sit upright.

The hook can be a treble or a single long shank. When the action is hot and heavy, you will thank yourself if you tied on a long-shank, single hook.

Guide David Dillman likes the Attract a Fish popping cork made by former Galveston fishing guide, Wendy Marshall. “It has a colored sinker and rattlers in the cork,” says Dillman.

“It comes pre-rigged, and it’s adjustable for a leader of up to seven to eight feet deep. That’s what makes it so good. It’s not a fixed leader.”

Dillman uses live shrimp. “A lot of times I will hook the shrimp toward the back of the tail because they will stay alive longer. When I locate the fish and the fish start to eat, I will hook the shrimp in the horn.”

Corpus Christi, Port Aransas, Rockport and Upper Laguna Madre: Middle coast offers several places where you can try out the popping cork way of catching fish:

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HE EASIEST TIME, THE BEST month of the year to have a successful fishing trip is October.

“A lot of white shrimp are coming into the bays,” said fishing guide, Tommy Countz. “The trout are herding the shrimp into large pods, and the birds are on a feeding frenzy, pointing the way to consistent catching.

Easiest fishing in the world.”

They could be feeding anywhere in the bays; along the banks, but mostly you see the diving birds out in open water. “There are usually 20 piles of birds working,” said guide, Peyton Arrison, describing the action.

From a boat, the accepted method of fishing the birds is to use your trolling motor to move up on the birds, on the sides of the action, not right in the middle. Many times, the feeding action can be accessible to an angler wading or fishing from piers, jetties and rock groins sticking out into a bay.

You could cast a soft plastic shrimp tail into the melee and probably catch trout, but the tried and proven method is a popping cork dangling shrimp under it. The popping cork is meant to draw attention to the bait.

“I pop it pretty much every two or three seconds,” continued Arrison said. “They are listening to the pop. As soon as the cork hits the water, you could have a trout taking the shrimp.”

There’s a big variety of corks to choose from, pre-rigged or with everything needed to make up your own rig. Arrison likes the Reef Hopper, which features a stainless-steel sound chamber, combined with brass beads that “offers a sound no fish can turn down. It is the loudest sound around,” according to Reef Hopper website.

Arrison likes a three- to four-foot leader under the cork, and a white/pink or white/chartreuse Berkley Gulp tail instead of a live shrimp on the hook.

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BOB HALL PIER: If the surf is green, anglers usually catch fish with live shrimp under a popping cork. In a murky tide, use live/ dead shrimp combined with Fishbites fishing strips on the bottom for drum and redfish.

FISH PASS JETTY: Near Mustang Island State Park, this remote, short jetty gives surefooted anglers a high and dry perch to fish the Gulf surf. Fish live shrimp under a popping cork.

INDIAN POINT/SUNSET PARK: If you don’t mind getting wet...This is a traditional wading spot in Portland for either Corpus Christi Bay or Nueces Bay. There’s a hard bottom with deep guts and oyster shell.

PACKERY CHANNEL NATURE PARK: This is an easy-access spot on north Padre Island providing about 200 yards of shoreline for bank fishing or wading. These waters are fairly well protected from prevailing southeast winds.

SHAMROCK COVE/WILSON’S CUT: There are several dirt/sand roads westbound along Highway 361 on Mustang Island that lead to Corpus Christi Bay, which has many wadable seagrass flats, spoil islands, and bottom contours.

CLEM’S MARINA & FISHING PIER: This popular bait house has the area’s only submerged green lights along its pier to attract fish at night. It’s within casting distance of the Intracoastal Waterway.

NUECES BAY MARSH RESTORATION AREA: This spot is along the west side of Texas Highway 181 in Portland, across the highway from Sunset Lake. You’ll notice a series of grassy berms extended from the surface. The depth between these berms can reach five to six feet, providing dramatic bottom contours that attract fish.

Outside a perimeter rock barrier is a six-footdeep trench. Beyond there, into the bay, are platforms and shell reefs that can hold good numbers of trout.

If the birds and shrimp move, don’t sweat it.

There will be more locations that will pop up.

Let the birds point the way.

NORTH JETTY: The north jetty in Port Aransas is accessible by taking the Jetty Boat out of Fisherman’s Wharf, in Port Aransas.

Email Tom Behrens at ContactUs@fishgame.com

RED DOT, COS WAY PIERS: Red Dot Fishing Pier is on the east side of the Humble Channel and Cos Way Fishing Pier Bait & Tackle is on the other side. Both are lighted for night fishing. Both are on the JFK Causeway, which spans the Upper Laguna Madre. Night fishing can be excellent for trout year-round.

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Rent a jetty cart at Fisherman’s Wharf to carry equipment. Adjust the leader length under your popping cork to keep from getting snagged on the rocks.

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Coastal Focus: BAFFIN BAY :: by Capt.

SALLY BLACK

Epic Fall Fishing

S

UBTLE SIGNALS THAT THE summer is winding down begin to appear to those of us who spend their lives outside.

The sun sets a little lower on the horizon, and the colors along the shorelines are more vibrant and deeper. The sounds of sandhill cranes calling overhead or the honking of a flock of geese flying high in the sky are some of the hallmarks of the arrival of fall.

For fishermen, the most important signal from Mother Nature is the drop in water temperatures. Cooler nights and mornings begin to drop water temperatures from the summer norm, and that one thing begins a completely new cycle of events.

The pressure to eat for survival is just not present during the long summer months. The water temperatures stay the same, and there’s plenty of food to eat everywhere.

However, when the water temperatures begin to drop, fish start to get the message that there’s a change coming. Fish begin to feed and feed hard as they begin to prepare for tough winter conditions that could mean life or death.

For anglers, this new zest for food means the fishing is seriously good. Also a fall trout spawn gives trophy seekers another shot at their personal best.

Fly fishermen have lots of shots at super skinny water reds, black drum and even big trout. The drop in water temperatures is the reason that fall fishing is known as “epic.”

There’s so much more besides fishing that’s “epic” at this change of season. Fall migratory species begin to arrive and for bird hunters this is huge.

Doves arrive on the north winds that come through every 10 days or so replenishing the fields for the dove hunters. Flocks of ducks begin to arrive and stage on the Bay for the

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Contact Capt. Sally Black at 361-205-0624 Email: Sally@CaptainSally.com Web: www.BaffinBayRodandGun.com Facebook: Baffin Bay Rod and Gun

Focus: ROCKPORT t CONTINUED FROM PAGE

Trout and reds frequent this area. Finger mullet on a medium weight Carolina rig works well. The reefs around Brays Cove are good spots for flounder and black drum using live shrimp jigged across the bottom.

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is a good spot when the north wind causes water levels to drop. Reds and trout can be caught here on croaker and live shrimp.

AYERS BAY: Ayres Point is a good spot for trout using croaker. This is a good wade area. Some reds can be caught close to the grass lines. The pocket between Ayers Island and Ayres Reef is a good spot for reds using free-lined mud minnows.

ST. CHARLES BAY: Big Devil Bayou, East Pocket and Little Devil Bayou are good spots to set up for reds, especially on a falling tide. Finger mullet on a light Carolina rig works well. The Twin Creek area is a good spot for black drum using fresh dead shrimp on a light Carolina rig.

THE BANK BITE

CARLOS BAY: If water temperatures drop, Cape Carlos Dugout is a good spot for trout using free-lined croaker. The current can be strong here so some weight might be needed, like on a fish finder rig.

The shoreline of Bludworth Island is a good wade for trout, reds and flounder.

LIVE OAK POINT: It’s at the south end of LBJ causeway and can be a bit tricky to get to if you are physically challenged. Wades just off the point with gold and red spoons can produce some large trout.

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Contact Capt. Mac Gable at captmac@macattackguideservice.com

MESQUITE BAY: Belden Dug Out is a good spot when water levels are dropping.

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ers, not to mention all of the species that visit or reside there.

Baffin Bay Rod and Gun is a private and comfortable place to stay, relax and eat, with Dave, our private chef, who creates some unbelievable dinners and desserts. Our guides are second to none, and the staff members are attentive and friendly.

Come join us in experiencing all of the beauty and serenity that Baffin Bay has to offer.

You will love it!

beginning of duck season.

Birdwatchers enjoy all of the above, plus lots of new shoreline species and beautiful orioles, buntings, grosbeaks and warblers in the mesquites and huisache trees. The hawks and falcons, kites and other birds of prey are plentiful and fun to watch and photograph.

Living along the shores of the King Ranch and the Kenedy Ranch is astounding. The vast areas of land and its extreme remoteness is breathtaking and allows all manner of life to coexist in peace, without the interruptions of people or traffic. These places are the same as they were 500 years ago. To say these ranch shorelines are a treasure is a total understatement.

Baffin Bay is an incredible resource for fishermen, dove and duck hunters and birdwatch-

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Coastal Focus: LOWER COAST :: by Saltwater Editor CALIXTO GONZALES

Red Storm Rising

The east side of Laguna Madre is just full of redfish. If there is a little wind and some moving water, you can drift into them over and over again.

Gaswells Flats is an excellent starting point when looking for October reds. This broad flat on the south side is deep enough for drifting, but still shallow and clear enough for sight fishing.

Look for tailing reds, or when the tide is in, for disturbed water and skipping bait. The water is sometimes clear enough you might actually be able to spot the fish themselves.

You’ll often see fishermen standing on their center console, or in a fish tower looking for these brutes.

Lure selection for these fish is pretty straightforward. The Pettys stick to the venerable gold spoon for their reds. A ¼-ounce gold weedless spoon is an effective classic lure for redfish.

Topwaters such as the Top Dog, Skitterwalk, or Producers Ghost are also good choices. The three most popular patterns for these are bone, Halloween (black back/gold sides/orange belly), and chrome/ blue.

Swimbaits such as the DOA Airhead and Berkley Power Swim Bait have also started to develop a following among LLM fishermen.

The wobbling, throbbing action of these baits throws off an incredible amount of vibration.

I’ve had redfish come from a good ways off to kill these baits.

If you prefer bait, live shrimp under a popping cork is always tough to beat, but cut ballyhoo is a solid close second. Take the front half of a six-to-eight inch ‘hoo, break off the beak, and run a 3/0 Kahle hook up through the chin. Cast the bait out in front of a school of reds, and work the lure back as you would a topwater. Redfish will not ignore it.

Fishermen who prefer staying close to Port Isabel or South Padre Island would do well fishing the Pasture, which is just north of the Queen Isabella Causeway, Mexequita Flats and South Bay. All produce excellent numbers of redfish in the fall. It’s important

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OST ANGLERS KNOW October for hurricane season winging into its annual groove and for the dog days that follow a tropical system that goes inland anywhere east of the South Texas Coast Here’s hoping that if there is any tropical cyclone out there that it stays small and makes landfall in a remote, unpopulated part of Texas—Even better, here’s hoping it doesn’t happen at all.

Any fisherman on Lower Laguna Madre will add that August is the advent of some of the most intense redfish action you could ever see. Mature (mostly over 26 inches, and quite a few over the 28 inch slot) redfish are schooling up or “herding,” as many locals say.

Perhaps it’s a tip of the cap to some of the bull reds they encounter in August.

Redfish are foraging heavily in anticipation of their fall migration into the Gulf of Mexico to spawn. Smaller fish, 18 to 24 inchers, are also schooling up and partaking of the annual mullet run that occurs in the fall.

It isn’t uncommon to find schools of redfish chasing hapless schools of finger mullet against either the spoil banks shorelines immediately west of the IntraCoastal Waterway or the Padre Island shoreline.

These aren’t small pods of redfish, either.

On more than one occasion, I have seen schools of large redfish numbering hundreds of fish. A strawberry field of that size is something to behold. However, some fishermen who still remember Laguna Madre before Hurricane Beulah, remember schools three times that size.

Schools that size, however, are more than enough for the modern fishermen with aspirations of latching onto the sort of line-peeling action these fish can provide.

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though, that you need to pay attention to the tides, otherwise you’ll be waiting a while for high tide.

Anglers looking for something bigger than the typical slot redfish should consider surfing. Some of the real giants of the species start roaming the surf up and down the Texas Coast.

Local fishermen interested in tangling with a real bull more than 40 inches should look to Boca Chica Beach, across Brazos Santiago Pass. It is a bit of a drive to get there, but it is well worth the drive.

Take US 77 to Brownsville, take the Boca Chica exit, and continue until it turns into SH 4, and ends at the beach., Be aware that access might be restricted, depending on whether there is a rocket launch at the space center.

Most anglers prefer using large spinning outfits. I prefer a Shimano 8 Terrez paired with a Stradic 8000 FJ loaded with 50 pound Power Pro. Use a fish finder rig with a one- to two- ounce pyramid or flat sinker and a 5/0 Khale or Circle Hook.

Cut bait works well, but live mullet or pinfish works best. Some fishermen will drive down to the mouth of the Rio Grande to castnet baits, but you can also find some finger mullet in the first gut along the beach.

Cast your rig into the second gut right up against the third bar.

It may take some work to find and land a true Boca Chica bull, but many will consider it well worth the effort.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: North Brazos Jetties SPECIES: Speckled Trout TIPS: Fish live shrimp under a popping cork near the rocks. Soft plastics work too.

« Email Cal Gonzales at ContactUs@fishgame.com

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FISHING HOTSPOTS Saltwater: n Upper Coast n Mid Coast n Lower Coast Freshwater: n Piney Woods

Freshwater: n Prairies & Lakes n Panhandle n Big Bend n Hill Country n South Texas

SALTWATER Have an October Fools Day on Trinity

GPS COORDINATES are provided in two formats: “Decimal Degrees” (degrees.degrees) and “Degrees and Minutes” sometimes called “GPS Format” (degrees minutes.minutes).

Examples (for Downtown Austin): Decimal Degrees: N30.2777, W97.7379; Degrees and Minutes: N30 16.6662, W97 44.2739. Consult your manual for information specific to your GPS device.

by Tom Behrens

• • • SPOTLIGHT • LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: April Fool Reef GPS: N 29 29.077, W 94 54.773 (29.4846, -94.9129)

TIPS: “An outgoing tide seem to be better than an incoming tide…gets the bait washing out of the marshes; the fish ambush them as they come into the bay.” Capt. Dillman

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork or soft plastic shrimp tails CONTACT: Capt. David Dillman 832-228-8012 www.galvestonbaycharterfishing.com TIPS: There is bird action in the middle of the bay, diving for the popping shrimp as the trout drive the shrimp to the surface. Use a popping cork with live shrimp.

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LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Red Bluff GPS: N 29 36.193, W 94 58.061 (29.6032, -94.9677)

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SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Skitter topwater CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “One of my favorite things in October is fishing for schooling redfish. If I have a light wind, or a north wind, I will be fishing the north side of East Matagorda Bay.” Capt. Countz LOCATION: Matagorda HOTSPOT: Diversion Channel GPS: N 28 39.018, W 95 59.301 (28.6503, -95.9884)

LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: Morgan’s Point GPS: N 29 40.509, W 94 58.861 (29.6752, -94.9810)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork or soft plastic shrimp tails CONTACT: Capt. David Dillman 832-228-8012 www.galvestonbaycharterfishing.com |

LOCATION: Matagorda East Bay HOTSPOT: Raymond Shoal GPS: N 28 40.449, W 95 53.898 (28.6742, -95.8983)

LOCATION: Galveston Trinity Bay HOTSPOT: The North Flats GPS: N 29 42.146, W 94 51.242 (29.7024, -94.8540)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork or soft plastic shrimp tails CONTACT: Capt. David Dillman 832-228-8012 www.galvestonbaycharterfishing.com TIPS: Capt. Dillman prefers the paddle tail type of soft plastic shrimp tails with a 1/8 or 1/4 oz jig head.

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CONTACT: Capt. David Dillman 832-228-8012 www.galvestonbaycharterfishing.com TIPS: Capt. Dillman likes the Wendy Marshall Attract a Fish Popping Cork. “It comes pre-rigged with hook, cork, colored sinker and leader line that can be adjusted to the depth you want the shrimp.” Capt. Dillman

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp under a popping cork or soft plastic shrimp tails |

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SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Skitter topwater CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “I watch the shoreline for shore birds. They will be hopping along ahead of the redfish, trying to catch

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FISHING HOTSPOTS the shrimp jumping out of the water trying to escape the redfish.” Capt. Countz LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Black’s Bayou GPS: N 29 59.866, W 93 45.182 (29.9978, -93.7530)

••• LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Mud Island Shoreline GPS: N 27 56.38, W 97 0.763 (27.9397, -97.0127)

SPECIES: Speckled Trout

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastic tails on jig heads CONTACT: Capt. Eddie Hernandez 409-673-3100 www.goldenhookguide.com TIPS: The birds will be working popping shrimp.

“Any of the bigger bayous are good places to try in October.” Capt. Hernandez

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South Rises for Aransas Reds

by Tom Behrens

• • • SPOTLIGHT LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: South Bay GPS: N 27 53.459, W 97 5.789 (27.8910, -97.0965)

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SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Spoons, Soft Plastic tails or Finger Mullet CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: Finger mullet can be fished Carolina style

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FISHING HOTSPOTS BEST BAITS: Soft Plastic tails in Spicy Pumpkin/ Chartreuse Tail CONTACT: Capt. Jack McParland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: Capt. McPartland’s favorite soft plastic colors is Spicy Pumpkin/Chartreuse tail SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Piggy Perch or Shrimp CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: “I use a two-foot leader so I can keep tying my hook on several times before I have to redo the entire rig.” Capt. McPartland

LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Upper Estes Flats GPS: N 27 57.058, W 97 5.058 (27.9510, -97.0843)

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Baffin Specks Spoiling for Action

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: Spoons, Soft Plastic tails or Finger Mullet CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: “For the redfish, I chunk spoons, soft plastics and cut bait into potholes in the grass.” Capt.

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastic tails & topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “The high tides in October will actually put water over some of the rocks. I will fish a topwater over the top of rocks, getting fish hiding in the rocks to strike.” Capt. Countz LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: ICW/Compuerta Pass GPS: N 27 19.762, W 97 23.944 (27.3294, -97.3991)

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LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: North of Los Carrales GPS: N 27 15.162, W 97 29.177 (27.2527, -97.4863)

LOCATION: Corpus Christi Bay HOTSPOT: Corpus Christi Wells GPS: N 27 44.764, W 97 11.141 (27.7461, -97.1857) O C T O B E R

by Tom Behrens

SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastic tails & topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: Wind plays a big factor as to where to fish in October. “Wind out of the north, I’ll fish King Ranch side of the bay.” Capt. Countz

SPECIES: Redfish & Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Cut Mullet or cut Shad CONTACT: Capt. Jack McPartland 361-290-6302 treblejcharters@yahoo.com www.treble-j-charters.com TIPS: Carolina Rig: 6/0 Circle hook with 25 lb. monofilament for leader. “I use monofilament because I can break it off if I get hung up and not lose everything.”

Capt. McPartland

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LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: Black Bluff Shoreline GPS: N 27 13.972, W 97 31.112 (27.2329, -97.5185)

• • • SPOTLIGHT • LOCATION: Baffin Bay HOTSPOT: ICW Spoils GPS: N 27 16.674, W 97 23.821 (27.2779, -97.3970)

LOCATION: Aransas Bay HOTSPOT: Traylor Island GPS: N 27 56.841, W 97 4.263 (27.9474, -97.0711)

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SPECIES: Speckled Trout BEST BAITS: Soft Plastic tails & topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz 281-450-4037 tcountz@sbcglobal.net www.matagordafishing.com TIPS: “The Laguna Madre has so much grass that the wind can blow, and the water is still clear.” Capt.

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FISHING HOTSPOTS TIPS: Capt. Countz choice in a topwater lure is pink and silver Skitter Walk LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: Marker 2 GPS: N 27 5.898, W 97 26.604 (27.0983, -97.4434)

•• SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: 1/16 oz. Knotty Head jig and DOA soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. T.J. Reyna 956-331-5966 TJBoomFishing@yahoo.com TIPS: “Fish the flats and along the Intercoastal for redfish. Normally there will be pods of fish everywhere.

Sight cast for them.” Capt. Reyna LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: Rincon de San Jose Shoreline GPS: N 26 47.384, W 97 28.459 (26.7897, -97.4743)

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: 1/16 oz. Knotty Head jig and DOA soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. T.J. Reyna 956-331-5966 TJBoomFishing@yahoo.com TIPS: Capt. Reyna likes the gold/purple DOA Texas Croaker soft plastic with a split tail. “Bounce it off the bottom; it gets the attention of the fish.”

LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: Southeast Pocket GPS: N 26 32.927, W 27 22.545 (26.5488, -97.3758)

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LOCATION: Caddo Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake Flats (Texas side) GPS: N 32 42.102, W 94 4.47 (32.7017, -94.0745)

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FRESHWATER Sticky Business on Lake Fork

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Spinnerbaits, top water lures, flukes CONTACT: Caddo Lake Guide Service/Paul Keith 318-455-3437 caddoguide1@att.net www.caddolakefishing.com TIPS: This month you are going to start seeing the bass pushing and schooling on large schools of shad on the 3- to 4-foot deep flats that are near the main channel. I usually look to the flats that have some type of vegetation like pads or hydrilla mats. Top water lures like buzzbaits, pop r’s, and spooks work well on the schools here. I keep a watermelon or white colored weightless Texas rigged fluke handy for fishing some of the thicker grasses in these areas. A white or shad colored 3/8 oz. spinnerbait with nickel colored tandem willow blades is a great way to cover lots of water fast on the flats.

by Dustin Warncke

• • • SPOTLIGHT • LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Sticky Branch Point GPS: N 32 54.348, W 95 39.1679 (32.9058, -95.6528)

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LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 26.76, W 95 36.3599 (30.4460, -95.6060)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: “Spoons, Carolina rigs with a Grandebass Air Tail Flash in sexy shad color or a Victory Jig by Finch Nasty Jigs in peanut butter jelly color with a Grandebass Mega Claw trailer in trophy hunter color, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, small crankbaits” CONTACT: Lance Vick 903-312-0609 lance@lakeforkbass.com www.guideonlakefork.com TIPS: October is start of the fall feeding frenzy. The shorter days and winter coming on seems to trigger fish to eat. The fall turnover is done, making the water good for all depths of fishing. Shallow fish are good on spinnerbaits, swimbaits, and small crankbaits. Look for grass beds, creek channels and points. Deep fish can be found in points and humps that are loaded with shad. Catch them on spoons, Carolina rigs with a T E X A S

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Grandebass Air Tail Flash in sexy shad or a Victory Jig

by Finch Nasty jigs in peanut butter jelly color with a Grandebass Mega Claw trailer in trophy hunter color.

Best bite pattern is shallow early, then deeper later in the day. Good fishing to all!

SPECIES: Redfish BEST BAITS: 1/16 oz. Knotty Head jig and DOA soft plastics CONTACT: Capt. T.J. Reyna 956-331-5966 TJBoomFishing@yahoo.com TIPS: “If the water is really clear I will go with the Texas Trophy with the gold belly. The reds will hit it like they would hit a gold spoon. If the water is dark, I’ll go with a Margarita Mansfield from Kelly Wiggler.”

Capt. Reyna

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SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Stink bait and cut shad CONTACT: Richard Tatsch 936-661-7920 admin@fishdudetx.com www.fishdudetx.com TIPS: “The bigger blue catfish will start biting pretty good with the water temperature coming down. The deeper ledges will hold some bigger fish. I’ll Carolina rig a piece of cut bait along the ledge with a 1 oz. |

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FISHING HOTSPOTS weight and some stink bait with a #8 treble hook. Start off around 12 feet deep and go to 30 feet! Good luck and good fishing! Bank Access: Stowaway Marina” LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Coffee Creek GPS: N 32 56.214, W 95 30.4259 (32.9369, -95.5071) SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Texas-rigged Baby Brush Hog in watermelon red, Zara spooks, frogs, swimbaits, RatL-Traps CONTACT: Doug Shampine 940-902-3855 doug@lakeforktrophybass.com www.lakeforktrophybass.com TIPS: October is an outstanding month to fish on Lake Fork! Bass are feeding aggressively getting ready for winter. The water temperature is cooling, and the bass will move back to the shallow areas, chasing shad, especially along the vegetation you can find in Burch, Glade Running and Coffee creeks. My favorite bait to throw this time of the year is a Texas rigged baby brush hog in watermelon red. Target grass or vegetation along the outside edges. Other baits that will produce will be the frog early, 3” white swimbaits and chrome Rat-L-Traps. If you like fishing the lower end of the lake look for schooling bass in the mouth of Chaney, spooks, swimbaits and Rat-L-Traps will catch these bass as well.

LOCATION: Lake Livingston HOTSPOT: Trinity River near Riverside GPS: N 30 50.874, W 95 22.536 (30.8479, -95.3756)

SPECIES: White Bass, Hybrid Striper BEST BAITS: Strike King Sexy Shad lipped crankbait, live or fresh shad dead shad / trolled pet spoons CONTACT: David S. Cox, Palmetto Guide Service 936-291-9602 dave@palmettoguideservice.com www.palmettoguideservice.com TIPS: “Without question, the most under-utilized fantastic fishing action in October is fishing for white bass and monster hybrids on the Trinity River near Bethy Creek Resort on Lake Livingston. Typically, in the fall the river level here is low and “green.” Under these conditions great fishing will be happening from White Rock to north of Harmon Creeks. For several years now I have been putting customers consistently on monster hybrids mixed in with good numbers of whites in this

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region of Lake Livingston in October. This is the area the Lake Livingston Jr. Division Lake record Hybrid was caught by Hunter Henry of Huntsville, Texas while fishing with Palmetto Guide Service. Key in on throwing the crankbaits in the major cuts early morning. Also, you can fish live shad about 4ft. down under a Legend popping cork. Keep an eye out for schooling fish. Later, when the sun gets high, troll the pet spoon behind a medium diving crankbait. You will catch the big hybrids on the spoon or the crankbait. It is common to catch hybrids 17” to 24”” here. Remember a hybrid white has to be 18”” or more to be legal. This pattern is by far the most underused fantastic fishing on Lake Livingston. Lake Livingston consists of over 90,000 surface acres of water and 450 miles of shoreline.”

LOCATION: Lake Sam Rayburn HOTSPOT: Farmer’s Cove GPS: N 31 7.032, W 94 5.532 (31.1172, -94.0922)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Shallow crankbaits, spinnerbaits, swim baits.

CONTACT: Mike Knight (936-635-2427 notechmike@hotmail.com www.easttxfishingguide.com TIPS: Temperatures are falling, and shad are migrating. Lots of bass will move shallow and start following the shad. Vegetation in shallow pockets from the middle to the back of all the creeks will hold lots of bass.

There are no bad creeks to fish on Rayburn in the fall.

LOCATION: Toledo Bend Lake HOTSPOT: Lanan Creek Area GPS: N 31 31.35, W 93 39.7019 (31.5225, -93.6617)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, small swimbaits CONTACT: Mike Knight (936-635-2427 notechmike@hotmail.com

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FISHING HOTSPOTS www.easttxfishingguide.com TIPS: Water temperatures are finally starting to drop.

Shad schools are starting to migrate toward the backs of major creeks. The bass will follow them. Use your electronics to find the bait and you will be on the fish. “ Match the hatch” with shad type lures: crankbaits, spinnerbaits and small swimbaits. San Miguel, San Patricio and Lanan creeks are a good bet.

LOCATION: Toledo Bend North HOTSPOT: Upper Main Lake GPS: N 31 46.938, W 93 52.2059 (31.7823, -93.8701)

SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: Slab spoons, tail spinners, Rat-LTraps CONTACT: Greg Crafts, Toledo Bend Guide Service and Lake Cottages 936-368-7151 gregcrafts@yahoo.com www.toledobendguide.com TIPS: The days are getting shorter and the water temperature is starting to fall. When this happens, it triggers a natural instinct in the fish to start feeding heavy and bulking up for the coming winter. The white bass will start migrating to the north end of the lake, holding on the main river channel sandbars. The whites will be stacked up and it’s not unusual to limit out in no time at all. The limit is 25 per person. You’ll see a lot of schooling activity. Look for the seagulls diving on the bait fish that the whites push to the surface. Keep a top water plug or Rat-L-Trap handy when they’re schooling as well as this is an incredible time to catch white bass!

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•••

Richland Whites & Hybrids Fall Flat

LOCATION: Cedar Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake Docks GPS: N 32 18.534, W 96 7.194 (32.3089, -96.1199)

SPECIES: White Bass and Hybrid Striper BEST BAITS: 1 oz. silver or chartreuse slab CONTACT: Royce Simmons 903-389-4117 simmonsroyce@hotmail.com www.gonefishin.biz TIPS: October is one of my favorite months as the long hot Texas summer comes to an end and most all species of fish go on an aggressive fall bite. The white bass and hybrid striper bite is sometimes one of the best of the year as the fish are feeding up for the cooler months ahead! Check out the main lake points and the 309 Flats for the Whites. The Long Arm Branch point can be especially good on both on morning and afternoon bites. A 1 oz. silver or chartreuse slab is hard to beat and can be bounced off the bottom or ripped across the surface depending on when, where and how the fish are feeding.

LOCATION: Eagle Mountain Lake HOTSPOT: Fifty to 300 Yards North of Dam GPS: N 32 52.709, W 97 28.044 (32.8785, -97.4674)

•••

LOCATION: Bachman Lake HOTSPOT: Webb Chapel Road Bridge GPS: N 32 51.5699, W 96 51.3899 (32.8595, -96.8565)

SPECIES: White bass BEST BAITS: Slab with a fly 12-in. above it CONTACT: Johnny Stevens 817-597-6598 johnlu1313@gmail.com johnnysguideservice.com TIPS: This area just north of the dam is a series of humps and ridges and ditches. Use your electronics to look on top of these ridges and along the slopes. When you locate fish anchor over them and use a vertical jigging method on them. If you prefer to cast to them.

Use a slab and fly combo and let it go to the bottom and hop it back to the boat.

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass and Crappie BEST BAITS: Bass: spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Traps | Crappie: minnows and jigs CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 thorn_alex@yahoo.com www.whitebassfishingtexas.com TIPS: For bass, throw spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Traps along the weed lines. Crappie are under the bridge this time of year. Minnows and jigs are your best bet right now.

by Dustin Warncke & Dean Heffner

• • • SPOTLIGHT • • LOCATION: Richland Chambers Lake HOTSPOT: 309 Flats GPS: N 31 59.04, W 96 7.9836 (31.9840, -96.1331)

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SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: 1/16th oz. crappie jigs CONTACT: Jason Barber (903-603-2047 kingscreekadventures@yahoo.com www.kingscreekadventures.com TIPS: This month we are “dock shooting” for crappie! Fish all deeper shady docks in 5’ to 12’ of water by shooting 1/16th oz. crappie jigs under the shadecovered areas.

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FISHING HOTSPOTS LOCATION: Lake Fayette HOTSPOT: South East Trees GPS: N 29 56.5679, W 96 43.4039 (29.9428, -96.7234)

LOCATION: Lake Granbury HOTSPOT: Hump Near Blue Water Shores GPS: N 32 23.189, W 97 42.441 (32.3865, -97.7074)

LOCATION: Lake Lavon HOTSPOT: Main Lake Points GPS: N 33 3.0659, W 96 28.332 (33.0511, -96.4722)

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: CJ’s punch bait, shad CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Water depths here range from 1-12 feet here and this hot spot has lots of underwater stumps. Chum around the boat and fish straight down with tight lines.

Set hook with least movement of rod tip as the bite can be on the lighter side.

SPECIES: Largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Spinner baits, rattle traps, top water spooks, white frogs and power worms later in the A.M. CONTACT: Michael W. Acosta, Unfair Advantage Charters 817-578-0023 TIPS: Largemouth bass are schooling with white bass on many areas of the lake. Work points with stick ups and look for bird action.

SPECIES: White Bass BEST BAITS: 1 oz. white slabs, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, plastic worms CONTACT: Carey Thorn 469-528-0210 Whitebassfishingtexas@gmail.com www.whitebassfishingtexas.com TIPS: Largemouth Bass: Throw white and chartreuse spinnerbaits early in the morning. Later in the day, switch to crankbaits and worms, concentrating on fishing 15- to 25-foot depths. White Bass: Fish with white slabs in the 10- to 20-foot range on main lake points.

LOCATION: Granger Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 30 42.09, W 97 21.042 (30.7015, -97.3507)

LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: Employee dock area GPS: N 30 37.602, W 96 4.5899 (30.6267, -96.0765)

SPECIES: Crappie BEST BAITS: Crappie jigs tipped with Berkley Crappie Nibbles CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell (512-365-7761 crappie1@hotmail.com www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: This month is the last month to catch crappie until the spring spawn. They shut off at the end of the month. Right now, the crappie are very fat and feeding heavily. They can be found in shallow water from 4 feet deep to deeper water in the 14-foot range. Use jigs tipped with Berkley Crappie Nibbles. The largest fish will be on shallow structure of any kind. Find the clearest water and they will be there. Don’t worry about fishing early morning. They will bite all day this time of year. Good luck and good fishing.

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: CJ’s punch bait, shad CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: Larger cats hang out at this hot spot at night looking for perch around the lily pads. Using perch or shad, drift a cork by the lily pads and hang on! During the day, fish with punch bait about a foot off the bottom.

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LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Kickapoo Creek GPS: N 32 16.7939, W 95 29.0219 (32.2799, -95.4837)

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Mr. Twister Hawg Frogs, Big Eye Swim Jigs, Big Eye Bass Jigs in black/blue and black/ brown/ amber CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff 903-561-7299 or 903-530-2201 ricky@rickysguideservice.com www. rickysguideservice.com TIPS: Bass fishing is really good this time of year on Mr. Twister Hawg Frogs in the pads and Big Eye swim jigs in other areas in this hot spot. Along the creek, fish with Big Eye jigs in blk/blue and blk/brown amber.

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FISHING HOTSPOTS LOCATION: Lake Ray Roberts HOTSPOT: State Park Cove GPS: N 33 22.295, W 97 1.941 (33.3716, -97.0324)

SPECIES: Crappie, white bass BEST BAITS: Minnows, 3/4 to 1-oz. slabs CONTACT: Justin Wilson 214-538-2780 Justinwilson371@yahoo.com TIPS: Most of the summer weather is starting to move out and the lowering temperatures and great fishing make October one of the best times of the entire year to be on the lake. The white bass are excellent on main lake points in 25 to 40 feet of water. I like to use a 1 oz, white and chartreuse slab jigged off the bottom where there is a school of feeding fish waiting to eat.

The crappie can be found on structure at the same depths as the whites. The bigger crappie are starting to feed better than they have the past few summer months, making it a lot easier to fill the cooler. Jigs are working well, but minnows will be your most consistent bait. When you find a brush pile holding fish you can usually catch quite a few in one spot as long as you fish it diligently and work all around the pile including the edges and different depths of higher or lower brush.

LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: Brushy Creek GPS: N 30 20.94, W 96 33.2039 (30.3490, -96.5534)

SPECIES: Catfish BEST BAITS: Shad, liver, CJ’s punch bait CONTACT: Weldon Kirk 979-229-3103 weldon_edna@hotmail.com www.fishtales-guideservice.com TIPS: The lake level is back to near normal now so look for 8- to 10-foot water at this hot spot. Fish on the shallower side if lily pads are showing. In any case, fish near the lily pads with corks and rig to set bait about a foot off the bottom.

LOCATION: Lake Texoma

••

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Top water plugs and Sassy Shad jigs CONTACT: Bill Carey 903-786-4477 bigfishlaketexoma@gmail.com www.striperexpress.com TIPS: “The big fish are on the banks early mornings in October. Cast Pencil Poppers and big Chug Bugs for vicious top water strikes in shallow water. Midmorning, change your lures to 4-in. Sassy Shad on a 1 oz. jig head. Our favorite colors are white glow and chartreuse fleck. Always keep your eyes on the seagulls as they can locate schools of stripers roaming open water.

Live shad fishing is also an excellent way to catch stripers. Locate the fish on the ledges, anchor up and place your bait 3 turns off the bottom. The best depth will an average 30 feet deep. Bank Access: Washita Point and Platter Flats”

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by Dustin Warncke & Dean Heffner

• • • SPOTLIGHT • LOCATION: Lake Possum Kingdom HOTSPOT: Peanut Patch GPS: N 32 53.627, W 98 30.998 (32.8938, -98.5166)

••

SPECIES: Striped bass BEST BAITS: Live shad, jigs, slabs CONTACT: Dean Heffner 970-329-0036 fav7734@aceweb.com TIPS: Fall is my favorite time of the year. Fish are bulking up for migration and the winter months ahead.

This time of year, you could catch a fish of a lifetime.

Watch the birds—they can tell you a lot. But the best bait is live shad, taken right from the lake. Next best is downrigging and trolling, jigging and slabbing. Stick to basic colors such as white, silver, chartreuse, yellow, etc.

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Cut bait and live shad CONTACT: Randy Routh 817-822-5539 teamredneck01@hotmail.com www.teamredneck.net TIPS: “With the lake turning over and the fish being a little scattered, cut bait is the ticket right now! Not a fast and furious fight but steady and producing some big fish. Striper Point and other main lake points are great target areas. For this style of fishing it is best to use your real anchor and not try this with Spot Lock on your trolling motor. I use cut gizzard shad, cut the head off at the gut line and the tail off at the gut line, hook the middle section on top and make a long cast, fanning your lines out. Turn your clicker on and free spool F I S H

•••

No Peanut Allergies for PK Stripers

LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: Striper Point GPS: N 31 54.966, W 97 23.0579 (31.9161, -97.3843)

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with a lot of slack in your line. You can use the head and tail also but you’ll have to change them out sooner if you’re not getting bit on them. The stripers will come by and pick up the bait and make a drag screaming run. Let them run and then engage your reel. When the rod loads up, stick them! Not a bad idea to have a few live threadfins and drop the down over the side of the boat and reel about 2 turns off the bottom in 24’ of water. Don’t go if you have a weak heart as this tends to get exciting!”

HOTSPOT: North Island and Tabletop GPS: N 33 52.068, W 96 41.67 (33.8678, -96.6945)

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FISHING HOTSPOTS LOCATION: Lake Alan Henry HOTSPOT: Little Grape Creek GPS: N 33 2.634, W 101 3.7379 (33.0439, -101.0623)

by Dustin Warncke

SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Live shad CONTACT: Clancy Terrill 512-633-6742 centraltexasfishing@gmail.com www.centraltexasfishing.com TIPS: “Fish drifting or anchored with live shad from mid-lake to the dam.

Fish 40 to 50 foot of water with baits at 30-foot depth.

The lake should still be turning over but will soon stop and, once it does, move to deeper water later in the morning and mid-day to fish the tops of the trees.”

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: buzzbaits, frogs CONTACT: Stan Gerzsenyl 830-768-3648 stan@amistadbass.com www.amistadbass.com TIPS: Fish peppergrass with white buzzbaits or slow frogs. Action best dawn through mid-morning.

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SPECIES: Striped Bass and White Bass BEST BAITS: Live shad, slabs, top water lures CONTACT: Ken Milam 325-379-2051 kmilam@verizon.net www.striperfever.com.com TIPS: Stripers will be in the main lake area. Look to fish from the dam up to Shaw Island. Early morning there might be some top water action so be sure to come prepared and start the day there. White bass will be anywhere on the lake. Be sure to watch for top water action on them too. Later in the day, fish live shad on humps and ridges for stripers or slabs for whites.

LOCATION: Lake LBJ HOTSPOT: Contour Hump GPS: N 30 34.59, W 98 22.6259 (30.5765, -98.3771)

•••

LOCATION: Lake Buchanan HOTSPOT: Lower Main Lake GPS: N 30 46.7639, W 98 27 (30.7794, -98.4500)

LOCATION: Lake Amistad HOTSPOT: East Bank of Zorro GPS: N 29 27.674, W 101 02.411 (29.4612, -101.0402)

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SPECIES: Striped Bass BEST BAITS: Zara Spook CONTACT: Capt. Steve Nixon, Fishhooks Adventures (210-573-1230 steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com http://www.sanantoniofishingguides.com TIPS: October is top water time on Canyon Lake. Fish the point from 20- to 50-foot deep and look for schools surface-feeding in this area. The Zara Spook is the bait of choice for top water action! Tight lines and fish on!

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Amistad Bass Wear the Mask of Zorro

by Dustin Warncke

• • • SPOTLIGHT • LOCATION: Canyon Lake HOTSPOT: Diver’s Point GPS: N 29 51.8879, W 98 12.8399 (29.8648, -98.2140)

SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: Shad colored crankbaits, shaky heads, spinnerbaits, plastic worms CONTACT: Norman Clayton’s Guide Services 806-792-9220 nclayton42@sbcglobal.net www.lakealanhenry.com/fishing-guides.html TIPS: “I love the bass fishing in October because the bass start moving into the shallow water and moving up all the creeks. Move from on creek to the other until you find the bass using the lures above. They will hit nearly anything at this time of the year.”

••

HOTSPOT: Main Lake Dam Area to Shaw Island GPS: N 30 46.3199, W 98 25.1399 (30.7720, -98.4190)

Canyon Stripers Take a Dive

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SPECIES: Bass and Crappie BEST BAITS: Crankbaits and spinnerbaits CONTACT: Barry Dodd 210-771-0123 barry@teachemtofish.net www.teachemtofish.net TIPS: October is the month that the water temperature finally falls into the 70’s and marks the beginning of the fall fishing season. Bass and crappie begin moving from the depths of the lake into shallower water and the catching percentages start improving. It is also the time for cool fronts, which are blessings for moderating temperatures but can also produce dangerous winds and storms. Generally, just before a front arrives and as the front is pushing in, fish become more active and feed much more aggressively. This area is a hump defined with several small points and valleys, plenty of vegetation and next to the main river channel. It has enough shallower water, mid depths and deeper water to hold fish for long periods of time.

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FISHING HOTSPOTS Grubby Bass on Coleto Creek

by Dustin Warncke

• • • SPOTLIGHT • LOCATION: Coleto Creek Lake HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N 28 44.328, W 97 10.326 (28.7388, -97.1721)

••

CONTACT: Rocky’s Guide Service 361-960-0566 TIPS: I love the cooler months for fishing! October can be a great month for fishing and catching. Bass are still feeding hard preparing for winter and fry are getting scarcer. Shad will most likely be their biggest diet so anything shad colored should do the job.

Sometimes I take a 1/2 oz. jig head and put on a 4-in. pearl grub dipped slightly in chartreuse. Don’t discount big bites on smaller baits this time of year. Focus on main lake grass or up either river. Coleto is just a great little bass lake and it seems like you can catch fish almost anywhere you go. Not as many pleasure boats this time of year so most places will be peaceful and quiet, just the way we like it!

LOCATION: Calaveras Lake HOTSPOT: Crappie Wall Flats GPS: N 29 17.286, W98 18.396 (29.2881, -98.3066)

SPECIES: Freshwater Redfish BEST BAITS: Pet Spoon CONTACT: Steve Nixon, Fishhooks Adventures 210-573-1230 steve@sanantoniofishingguides.com www.sanantoniofishingguides.com TIPS: “Trolling with downriggers set at 10 to 15 foot deep will produce some good catches of Redfish in this area. Tight lines and Fish On!”

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SPECIES: Largemouth Bass BEST BAITS: 4-in. pearl grub dipped slightly in chartreuse rigged on a 1/2 oz. jig head

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Sportsman’s DAYBOOK OCTOBER 2019

Tides and Prime Times

USING THE PRIME TIMES CALENDAR

The following pages contain TIDE and SOLUNAR predictions for Galveston Channel (29.3166° N, 94.88° W).

T12

T4

T11

T10 T9

TIDE PREDICTIONS are located in the upper white boxes on the Calendar Pages. Use the Correction Table below, which is keyed to 23 other tide stations, to adjust low and high tide times.

T8 T17

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY is shown in the lower color boxes of the Calendar pages. Use the SOLUNAR ADJUSTMENT SCALE below to adjust times for points East and West of Galveston Channel.

T15 T16

TIDE PREDICTIONS are shown in graph form, with High and Low tide predictions in text immediately below.

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY data is provided to indicate major and minor feeding periods for each day, as the daily phases of the moon have varying degrees of influence on many wildlife species.

T13 T6

T7

T3 T2 T1

T5

T14

AM & PM MINOR phases occur when the moon rises and sets. These phases last 1 to 2 hours.

T18

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

T19

T20

PEAK DAYS: The closer the moon is to your location, the stronger the influence. FULL or NEW MOONS provide the strongest influnce of the month.

PEAK TIMES: When a Solunar Period falls within 30 minutes to an hour of sunrise or sunset, anticipate increased action. A moon rise or moon set during one of these periods will cause even greater action. If a FULL or NEW MOON occurs during a Solunar Period, expect the best action of the season.

T21

TIDE CORRECTION TABLE

Add or subtract the time shown at the rightof the Tide Stations on this table (and map) to determine the adjustment from the time shown for GALVESTON CHANNEL in the calendars.

KEY T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6

PLACE Sabine Bank Lighthouse Sabine Pass Jetty Sabine Pass Mesquite Pt, Sab. Pass Galveston Bay, S. Jetty Port Bolivar

HIGH -1:46 -1:26 -1:00 -0:04 -0:39 +0:14

LOW -1:31 -1:31 -1:15 -0:25 -1:05 -0:06

KEY PLACE HIGH Galveston Channel/Bays T7 Texas City Turning Basin +0:33 +3:54 T8 Eagle Point +6:05 T9 Clear Lake +10:21 T10 Morgans Point T11 Round Pt, Trinity Bay +10:39

LOW +0:41 +4:15 +6:40 +5:19 +5:15

KEY T12 T13 T14 T15 T16 T17

PLACE Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay Gilchrist, East Bay Jamaica Beach, W. Bay Alligator Point, W. Bay Christmas Pt Galveston Pleasure Pier

HIGH +5:48 +3:16 +2:38 +2:39 +2:32 -1:06

LOW +4:43 +4:18 +3:31 +2:33 +2:31 -1:06

KEY T18 T19 T20 T21 T22 T23

PLACE HIGH San Luis Pass -0.09 Freeport Harbor -0:44 Pass Cavallo 0:00 Aransas Pass -0:03 Padre Island (So. End) -0:24 Port Isabel +1:02

LOW -0.09 -1:02 -1:20 -1:31 -1:45 -0:42

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION T22 T23

READING THE GRAPH

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

Moon Overhead

Fishing Score Graph

Moon Underfoot

Day’s Best Day’s 2nd Score Best Score

n

Best Day Overall

MOON PHASES

l = New Moon l = Full Moon = First Quarter º » = Last Quarter «= Good Day by Moon Phase 52

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OCTOBER 2019

Tides and Prime Times MONDAY

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High Tide: 5:29a Low Tide: 11:49a High Tide: 6:57p

1.58ft.

0.40ft.

1.80ft.

FEET

TUESDAY

Oct 1 « Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

12:32a 5:48a 12:38p 8:16p

1.11ft.

1.57ft.

0.24ft.

1.79ft.

WEDNESDAY

2

Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

1:29a 6:02a 1:31p 9:43p

1.35ft.

1.56ft.

0.17ft.

1.78ft.

THURSDAY

3

Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

2:53a 5:57a 2:29p 11:21p

1.54ft.

1.57ft.

0.16ft.

1.79ft.

FRIDAY

4

Low Tide:

3:35p

0.21ft.

SATURDAY

5

High Tide: 1:00a Low Tide: 4:48p

1.81ft.

0.27ft.

SUNDAY

6º

High Tide: 2:10a Low Tide: 6:02p

1.81ft.

0.34ft FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

2:00 — 4:00 PM Sunrise: 7:10a Sunset: 7:07p Moonrise: 9:09a Moon Set: 8:51p

AM Minor: 7:11a AM Major: 12:57a PM Minor: 7:37p PM Major: 1:24p Moon Overhead: 3:03p Moon Underfoot: 2:36a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

3:00 — 5:00 PM Sunrise: 7:10a Sunset: 7:05p Moonrise: 10:15a Moon Set: 9:33p

AM Minor: 8:09a AM Major: 1:56a PM Minor: 8:36p PM Major: 2:23p

Moon Overhead: 3:56p Moon Underfoot: 3:30a

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12a

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

4:00 — 6:00 PM Sunrise: 7:11a Sunset: 7:04p Moonrise: 11:20a Moon Set: 10:17p

AM Minor: 9:10a AM Major: 2:56a PM Minor: 9:37p PM Major: 3:23p

Moon Overhead: 4:50p Moon Underfoot: 4:23a

12a

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

4:30 — 6:30 PM Sunrise: 7:11a Sunset: 7:03p Moonrise: 12:22p Moon Set: 11:05p

AM Minor: 10:10a AM Major: 3:56a PM Minor: 10:37p PM Major: 4:23p

Moon Overhead: 5:45p Moon Underfoot: 5:18a

12a

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

11:00A — 1:00P Sunrise: 7:12a Sunset: 7:02p Moonrise: 1:21p Moon Set: 11:55p

AM Minor: 11:08a AM Major: 4:54a PM Minor: 11:35p PM Major: 5:21p

Moon Overhead: 6:39p Moon Underfoot: 6:12a

12a

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

12:00 — 2:00 PM Sunrise: 7:13a Sunset: 7:01p Moonrise: 2:16p Moon Set: None

AM Minor: ----AM Major: 5:50a PM Minor: 12:03p PM Major: 6:16p Moon Overhead: 7:31p Moon Underfoot: 7:05a

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

1:00 — 3:00 PM Sunrise: 7:13a Sunset: 6:59p Moonrise: 3:05p Moon Set: 12:48a

AM Minor: 12:28a AM Major: 6:41a PM Minor: 12:54p PM Major: 7:07p

Moon Overhead: 8:22p Moon Underfoot: 7:57a

9/16/19 9:47 AM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MONDAY

7

High Tide: 2:52a Low Tide: 7:08p

TUESDAY

8

1.79ft.

0.41ft.

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

FEET

3:18a 9:39a 12:16p 8:02p

1.73ft.

1.39ft.

1.44ft.

0.48ft.

WEDNESDAY

9

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

3:36a 9:38a 1:32p 8:45p

THURSDAY

10

1.68ft.

1.31ft.

1.49ft.

0.57ft.

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

3:49a 9:41a 2:33p 9:21p

FRIDAY

11

1.63ft.

1.21ft.

1.54ft.

0.67ft.

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

4:02a 9:49a 3:27p 9:52p

SATURDAY

12 «

1.59ft.

1.08ft.

1.58ft.

0.79ft.

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

4:14a 10:05a 4:19p 10:20p

SUNDAY

13 «

1.57ft.

0.94ft.

1.62ft.

0.92ft.

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

4:28a 10:28a 5:09p 10:49p

1.56ft.

0.81ft.

1.65ft.

1.04ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

2:00 — 4:00 PM

AM Minor: 2:01a AM Major: 8:13a PM Minor: 2:24p PM Major: 8:36p

Moon Overhead: 9:11p Moon Underfoot: 8:47a

6a

12p

6p

14 « l

4:00 — 6:00 PM

15 « High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

4:48a 11:25a 6:56p 11:52p

1.55ft.

0.57ft.

1.70ft.

1.31ft.

12a

6a

1.55ft.

0.47ft.

1.72ft.

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

5:30 — 7:30 AM

6p

12a

6a

11:00P — 1:00A

6p

12a

12:00 — 2:00 AM Sunrise: 7:17a Sunset: 6:51p Moonrise: 7:10p Moon Set: 7:00a

AM Minor: 4:38a AM Major: 10:48a PM Minor: 4:59p PM Major: 11:09p

Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 11:45a

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:17a Sunset: 6:53p Moonrise: 6:40p Moon Set: 6:08a

AM Minor: 4:00a AM Major: 10:10a PM Minor: 4:21p PM Major: 10:31p

Moon Overhead: 11:25p Moon Underfoot: 11:03a

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:16a Sunset: 6:54p Moonrise: 6:09p Moon Set: 5:16a

AM Minor: 3:22a AM Major: 9:33a PM Minor: 3:43p PM Major: 9:54p

AM Minor: 5:18a AM Major: 11:28a PM Minor: 5:38p PM Major: 11:49p

Moon Overhead: 12:06a Moon Underfoot: 12:27p

Moon Overhead: 12:47a Moon Underfoot: 1:08p

MOON PHASES

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY High Tide: 4:48a Low Tide: 11:59a High Tide: 7:57p

6p

5:00 — 7:00 AM

Moon Overhead: 10:42p Moon Underfoot: 10:20a

16 «

12p

Sunrise: 7:15a Sunset: 6:55p Moonrise: 5:38p Moon Set: 4:23a

AM Minor: 2:43a AM Major: 8:54a PM Minor: 3:05p PM Major: 9:16p

TUESDAY

1.56ft.

0.68ft.

1.68ft.

1.18ft.

6a

BEST TIME

= FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS Fishing Score Moon Moon Graph Overhead Underfoot

MONDAY

12a

Sunrise: 7:15a Sunset: 6:56p Moonrise: 5:05p Moon Set: 3:30a

Moon Overhead: 9:57p Moon Underfoot: 9:35a

READING THE GRAPH

FEET

12a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:14a Sunset: 6:57p Moonrise: 4:29p Moon Set: 2:36a

AM Minor: 1:17a AM Major: 7:29a PM Minor: 1:41p PM Major: 7:53p

4:40a 10:55a 6:01p 11:19p

6p

3:00 — 5:00 PM

Sunrise: 7:14a Sunset: 6:58p Moonrise: 3:49p Moon Set: 1:42a

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

12p

BEST TIME

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

17

Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

n

12:28a 4:32a 12:37p 9:08p

1.45ft.

1.57ft.

0.38ft.

1.75ft.

l = New Moon l = Full Moon = First Quarter º » = Last Quarter « = Good Day by Moon Phase

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

18

Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

1:10a 4:08a 1:22p 10:30p

1.58ft.

1.63ft.

0.32ft.

1.78ft.

SATURDAY

19

Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

2:08a 3:43a 2:15p 11:54p

1.69ft.

1.70ft.

0.28ft.

1.83ft.

SUNDAY

20

Low Tide:

3:18p

0.26ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

12:30 — 2:30 AM Sunrise: 7:18a Sunset: 6:50p Moonrise: 7:41p Moon Set: 7:53a

AM Minor: 5:59a AM Major: ----PM Minor: 6:21p PM Major: 12:10p Moon Overhead: 1:29a Moon Underfoot: 1:50p

54

|

12p

6p

BEST TIME

1:00 — 3:00 AM Sunrise: 7:18a Sunset: 6:49p Moonrise: 8:15p Moon Set: 8:47a

AM Minor: 6:44a AM Major: 12:33a PM Minor: 7:06p PM Major: 12:55p Moon Overhead: 2:11a Moon Underfoot: 2:34p

O C T O B E R

TexasOutdoorNation-1910-DIG.indd 54

2 0 1 9

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

2:00 — 4:00 AM Sunrise: 7:19a Sunset: 6:48p Moonrise: 8:52p Moon Set: 9:43a

AM Minor: 7:33a AM Major: 1:22a PM Minor: 7:56p PM Major: 1:45p

6p

12a

8:00 — 10:00 AM

AM Minor: 8:26a AM Major: 2:14a PM Minor: 8:50p PM Major: 2:38p

T E X A S

Moon Overhead: 3:44a Moon Underfoot: 4:08p

F I S H

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:20a Sunset: 6:47p Moonrise: 9:33p Moon Set: 10:40a

Moon Overhead: 2:56a Moon Underfoot: 3:20p

|

12p

BEST TIME

&

9:00 — 11:00 AM Sunrise: 7:20a Sunset: 6:46p Moonrise: 10:20p Moon Set: 11:38a

AM Minor: 9:22a AM Major: 3:09a PM Minor: 9:48p PM Major: 3:35p

Moon Overhead: 4:34a Moon Underfoot: 5:00p

12a

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

10:00A — 12:00P Sunrise: 7:21a Sunset: 6:45p Moonrise: 11:13p Moon Set: 12:36p

AM Minor: 10:20a AM Major: 4:06a PM Minor: 10:47p PM Major: 4:34p

Moon Overhead: 5:27a Moon Underfoot: 5:55p

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

11:00A — 12:00P Sunrise: 7:22a Sunset: 6:44p Moonrise: None Moon Set: 1:33p

AM Minor: 11:19a AM Major: 5:05a PM Minor: 11:47p PM Major: 5:33p Moon Overhead: 6:23a Moon Underfoot: 6:51p

G A M E ®

9/16/19 9:47 AM

TexasOutdoorNation-1910-DIG.indd 55

9/16/19 9:47 AM

Sportsman’s DAYBOOK MONDAY

21 »

High Tide: 1:00a Low Tide: 4:28p

TUESDAY

22

1.86ft.

0.26ft.

High Tide: 1:42a Low Tide: 5:40p

1.86ft.

0.28ft.

FEET

WEDNESDAY

23

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

2:12a 9:06a 10:58a 6:49p

1.82ft.

1.44ft.

1.45ft.

0.35ft.

THURSDAY

24

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

2:36a 8:29a 1:06p 7:53p

FRIDAY

25

1.76ft.

1.25ft.

1.51ft.

0.46ft.

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

2:57a 8:48a 2:33p 8:52p

SATURDAY

26 «

1.68ft.

0.97ft.

1.60ft.

0.63ft.

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

3:17a 9:21a 3:49p 9:47p

SUNDAY

27 «

1.62ft.

0.67ft.

1.71ft.

0.83ft.

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

3:37a 10:00a 5:00p 10:41p

1.59ft.

0.39ft.

1.79ft.

1.05ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

12:00 — 2:00 PM Sunrise: 7:22a Sunset: 6:43p Moonrise: 12:11a Moon Set: 2:26p

AM Minor: ----AM Major: 6:03a PM Minor: 12:17p PM Major: 6:32p

6a

12p

6p

28 « l

1.57ft.

0.16ft.

1.85ft.

1.26ft.

AM Minor: 12:45a AM Major: 6:59a PM Minor: 1:14p PM Major: 7:28p

3:00 — 5:00 PM

AM Minor: 1:38a AM Major: 7:52a PM Minor: 2:06p PM Major: 8:20p

1.57ft.

-0.00ft.

1.87ft.

Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

12:32a 4:26a 12:12p 8:28p

6p

12a

6a

1.44ft.

1.58ft.

-0.07ft.

1.86ft.

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

9:00 — 11:00 AM

10:00A — 12:00P

6p

12a

6a

11:00A — 1:00P

6p

12a

12:00 — 2:00 PM Sunrise: 7:26a Sunset: 6:37p Moonrise: 6:46a Moon Set: 6:42p

AM Minor: 4:04a AM Major: 10:17a PM Minor: 4:30p PM Major: 10:43p

Moon Overhead: 11:03a Moon Underfoot: 11:29p

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:26a Sunset: 6:38p Moonrise: 5:40a Moon Set: 6:03p

AM Minor: 3:16a AM Major: 9:30a PM Minor: 3:43p PM Major: 9:56p

Moon Overhead: 10:09a Moon Underfoot: 10:36p

12p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:25a Sunset: 6:39p Moonrise: 4:34a Moon Set: 5:25p

AM Minor: 2:29a AM Major: 8:42a PM Minor: 2:56p PM Major: 9:10p

AM Minor: 4:52a AM Major: 11:05a PM Minor: 5:18p PM Major: 11:31p

Moon Overhead: 11:55a Moon Underfoot: None

Moon Overhead: 12:47p Moon Underfoot: 12:21a

MOON PHASES

Day’s Best Score

WEDNESDAY

30

12p

Sunrise: 7:24a Sunset: 6:40p Moonrise: 3:26a Moon Set: 4:45p

Moon Overhead: 9:14a Moon Underfoot: 9:42p

TUESDAY High Tide: 4:12a Low Tide: 11:26a High Tide: 7:17p

6a

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:24a Sunset: 6:41p Moonrise: 2:19a Moon Set: 4:02p

Moon Overhead: 8:17a Moon Underfoot: 8:46p

29 «

12a

BEST TIME

1:00 — 3:00PM

MONDAY

FEET

12a

= FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS Fishing Score Moon Moon Graph Overhead Underfoot

READING THE GRAPH

3:55a 10:42a 6:08p 11:34p

6p

Sunrise: 7:23a Sunset: 6:42p Moonrise: 1:13a Moon Set: 3:16p

Moon Overhead: 7:20a Moon Underfoot: 7:49p

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

12p

BEST TIME

Day’s 2nd Best Score

THURSDAY

31

Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

n

1:48a 4:20a 1:01p 9:44p

1.56ft.

1.59ft.

-0.06ft.

1.82ft.

l = New Moon l = Full Moon = First Quarter º » = Last Quarter « = Good Day by Moon Phase

Best Day Overall

FRIDAY

Nov 1

Low Tide: 1:54p High Tide: 11:04p

0.02ft.

1.79ft.

SATURDAY

2

Low Tide:

2:53p

0.14ft.

SUNDAY

3 End DST

High Tide: 12:18a Low Tide: 3:00p

1.75ft.

0.27ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

12:30 — 2:30 PM Sunrise: 7:27a Sunset: 6:36p Moonrise: 7:53a Moon Set: 7:23p

AM Minor: 5:44a AM Major: 11:57a PM Minor: 6:11p PM Major: 12:24p Moon Overhead: 1:40p Moon Underfoot: 1:14a

56

|

12p

6p

BEST TIME

1:30 — 3:30 PM Sunrise: 7:28a Sunset: 6:36p Moonrise: 8:59a Moon Set: 8:06p

AM Minor: 6:40a AM Major: 12:26a PM Minor: 7:07p PM Major: 12:54p Moon Overhead: 2:35p Moon Underfoot: 2:08a

O C T O B E R

TexasOutdoorNation-1910-DIG.indd 56

2 0 1 9

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

2:30 — 4:30 PM Sunrise: 7:29a Sunset: 6:35p Moonrise: 10:04a Moon Set: 8:53p

AM Minor: 7:40a AM Major: 1:26a PM Minor: 8:07p PM Major: 1:53p

6p

12a

8:00 — 10:00 AM

AM Minor: 8:41a AM Major: 2:27a PM Minor: 9:09p PM Major: 2:55p

T E X A S

Moon Overhead: 4:26p Moon Underfoot: 3:58a

F I S H

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

Sunrise: 7:29a Sunset: 6:34p Moonrise: 11:07a Moon Set: 9:44p

Moon Overhead: 3:30p Moon Underfoot: 3:03a

|

12p

BEST TIME

&

9:00 — 11:00 AM Sunrise: 7:30a Sunset: 6:33p Moonrise: 12:05p Moon Set: 10:37p

AM Minor: 9:42a AM Major: 3:29a PM Minor: 10:10p PM Major: 3:56p

Moon Overhead: 5:21p Moon Underfoot: 4:54a

12a

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

10:00A — 12:00P Sunrise: 7:31a Sunset: 6:32p Moonrise: 12:58p Moon Set: 11:32p

AM Minor: 10:41a AM Major: 4:28a PM Minor: 11:08p PM Major: 4:55p

Moon Overhead: 6:14p Moon Underfoot: 5:48a

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

11:00A — 1:00P Sunrise: 7:32a Sunset: 6:32p Moonrise: 1:45p Moon Set: None

AM Minor: 11:36a AM Major: 5:24a PM Minor: ----PM Major: 5:49p Moon Overhead: 7:05p Moon Underfoot: 6:40a

G A M E ®

9/16/19 9:48 AM

OCTOBER 2019

Tides and Prime Times MONDAY

4º

High Tide: 12:10a Low Tide: 4:10p

TUESDAY

5

1.70ft.

0.39ft.

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

FEET

12:43a 8:17a 9:20a 5:17p

1.63ft.

1.24ft.

1.24ft.

0.51ft.

WEDNESDAY

6

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

1:04a 7:54a 11:20a 6:14p

1.57ft.

1.14ft.

1.25ft.

0.62ft.

THURSDAY

7

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

1:20a 7:55a 12:40p 7:01p

1.51ft.

1.01ft.

1.30ft.

0.74ft.

FRIDAY

8

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

1:33a 8:02a 1:44p 7:41p

1.47ft.

0.85ft.

1.37ft.

0.86ft.

SATURDAY

9

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

1:46a 8:14a 2:40p 8:16p

SUNDAY

10 «

1.45ft.

0.69ft.

1.44ft.

0.98ft.

High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide: Low Tide:

1:59a 8:33a 3:32p 8:50p

1.44ft.

0.53ft.

1.51ft.

1.09ft.

FEET

+3.0

+3.0

+2.0

+2.0

+1.0

+1.0 0

0

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

BEST TIME

12:00 — 2:00 PM Sunrise: 6:33a Sunset: 5:31p Moonrise: 1:27p Moon Set: None

AM Minor: 11:27a AM Major: 5:15a PM Minor: 11:51p PM Major: 5:39p Moon Overhead: 6:53p Moon Underfoot: 6:29a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

1:00 — 3:00 PM Sunrise: 6:33a Sunset: 5:30p Moonrise: 2:05p Moon Set: 12:22a

AM Minor: ----AM Major: 6:01a PM Minor: 12:12p PM Major: 6:24p

Moon Overhead: 7:38p Moon Underfoot: 7:16a

TexasOutdoorNation-1910-DIG.indd 57

12a

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

2:00 — 4:00 PM Sunrise: 6:34a Sunset: 5:29p Moonrise: 2:39p Moon Set: 1:16a

AM Minor: 12:32a AM Major: 6:43a PM Minor: 12:54p PM Major: 7:04p Moon Overhead: 8:22p Moon Underfoot: 8:00a

12a

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

3:00 — 5:00 PM Sunrise: 6:35a Sunset: 5:29p Moonrise: 3:11p Moon Set: 2:09a

AM Minor: 1:11a AM Major: 7:21a PM Minor: 1:32p PM Major: 7:42p

Moon Overhead: 9:03p Moon Underfoot: 8:43a

12a

6a

12p

6p

BEST TIME

11:00A — 1:00P Sunrise: 6:36a Sunset: 5:28p Moonrise: 3:41p Moon Set: 3:01a

AM Minor: 1:48a AM Major: 7:58a PM Minor: 2:08p PM Major: 8:18p

Moon Overhead: 9:44p Moon Underfoot: 9:24a

12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

12:00 — 2:00 PM Sunrise: 6:37a Sunset: 5:27p Moonrise: 4:11p Moon Set: 3:53a

AM Minor: 2:23a AM Major: 8:34a PM Minor: 2:44p PM Major: 8:54p

Moon Overhead: 10:26p Moon Underfoot: 10:05a

6a

12p

6p

12a

BEST TIME

11:30P — 1:30A Sunrise: 6:37a Sunset: 5:27p Moonrise: 4:42p Moon Set: 4:46a

AM Minor: 3:00a AM Major: 9:11a PM Minor: 3:21p PM Major: 9:32p

Moon Overhead: 11:08p Moon Underfoot: 10:47a

9/16/19 9:48 AM

S

CHOOLING REDFISH, RUTting bucks, and whistling widgeon are things that inspire hunters to hit the field in the fall.

Fall is not only the best time of year for hunting, but it also offers the best overall fishing for many species.

The following are key things to watch

58

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1910-Spec Section.indd 54

O C T O B E R

2 0 1 9

for when in the woods and on the water that can make your Texas outdoor adventures more successful. |1| FAVORITE ACORNS During the early fall acorns are a top food item for whitetails, turkey, and hogs. Not all acorns are |

T E X A S

F I S H

created equal. The game will have their favorites. By learning preferred local mast, you can have a much better chance of scoring. In some areas, it’s pin oaks and in others it’s white or red oaks.

Scout and ask questions of veteran hunters in the

TF&G Staff Report &

G A M E ®

ILLUSTRATION: TF&G

9/10/19 1:22 PM

1910-Spec Section.indd 55

9/10/19 1:22 PM

PHOTO: TF&G

Acorns are a deer favorite.

area. Even corn feeders can’t draw deer away from their favorite acorns.

your given hunting area since the bigger the hog, the higher the tusk mark will be.

Some hunters like to target big boars by searching out these hog rubs. The best way to find them is to focus your efforts on aromatic trees such as cedars. Hogs, much like whitetail deer prefer rubbing on

PHOTO: CANSTOCK

|2| TUSK MARKS Boars will often rub trees to sharpen their tusks and mark territory. This is a great way to tell how big the hogs are in

Boar hogs will often rub trees to sharpen their tusks.

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1910-Spec Section.indd 56

O C T O B E R

2 0 1 9

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ÂŽ

9/10/19 1:22 PM

1910-Spec Section.indd 57

9/10/19 1:22 PM

PHOTO: CANSTOCK

Freshwater habitat is prime hunting territory for duck hunters.

|6| PREVAILING WINDS Hunters pursuing deer and hogs on public land should be especially mindful

them. It’s not an exact science, but it is an excellent guide for beginning your trophy hog scouting.

62

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1910-Spec Section.indd 58

O C T O B E R

2 0 1 9

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

of the prevailing winds in the area.

Baiting is illegal on public land, which makes getting the game even harder than

G A M E ÂŽ

9/10/19 1:22 PM

1910-Spec Section.indd 59

9/10/19 1:22 PM

on private property. Losing a shot because a deer or pig winded you could spoil your season.

Keep an eye on the prevailing winds in the area and use various weather apps to monitor wind direction the day you plan to hunt. You might need to adjust where you plan to pursue—or abandon a hunt altogether if it means spooking deer.

On public land scouting is everything, and scouting the wind is rarely given any attention. |3| FRESHWATER FOR DUCKS Duck hunters along the coast will want to focus their efforts on freshwater close to the bays if they are seeking puddle ducks such as gadwall, green-winged teal,

and widgeons.

Public land hunters who can find those

often hidden freshwater ponds full of vegetation will find ducks when others fail. |4| CRAPPIE CATCH Few anglers pursue crappie on brush piles in October, but it can be an incredLook for fall crappie on brush piles in Texas lakes.

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1910-Spec Section.indd 60

O C T O B E R

2 0 1 9

|

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

PHOTOS: TOP, TERRY UPTON; BELOW, STEVEOEHLENSCHLAGER

9/10/19 1:22 PM

|5| EMERGING SLICKS One of the telltale signs of trout feeding action is slicks.

Slicks are oil slicks on the water’s surface caused by the feeding of predatory fish. Fish, especially speckled trout, regurgitate while on an aggressive feeding pattern. So, when the prey is something

oily such as menhaden, a “slick” may form.

Slicks can lead you to speckled trout, but you have to pay strict attention to detail, or you are wasting your time, especially in the Sabine area.

The first obstacle to overcome is crab traps which are common, especially the closer you to get to shore. The Louisiana side of the lake has plenty of them.

Find an oil slick on the water, and you’ll likely find speckled trout.

ible month for fishing action. Most of the action this time of year has shifted to deer hunting, and fall bass.

The crappie bite, however, is on for anglers fishing brush piles on the open water of Texas reservoirs.

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Crabbers bait these traps with menhaden, which is very oily and produces slicks

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migrations always start slowly. We need a “blue norther” to blow through and kick it into high gear.

I have uncovered some tips for catching really big flounder that has paid off well and this week I would like to share them with you.

Think Small: Big flounder can eat bigger fish than smaller ones but they often

do not. Unlike speckled trout, which start seeking out bigger baitfish than their smaller counterparts do, flounder are opportunists that eat what is presented them and typically just keeping eating more of the same size prey.

Go Deep: The biggest flounder tend to hang out in close proximity to deep water. Target a large percentage of efforts

The flounder run is in full force by October.

as soon as they put it in the water. Running across the bay and blindly looking for slicks can drive an angler crazy.

Thousands of crab traps are out there, and they all are prone to producing slicks.

The most obvious way to tell if a slick comes from a crab trap or feeding fish is to see whether a crab trap is nearby. If it is coming directly from a trap, do not bother fishing there. Chances are you are not going to catch anything.

Another way to tell whether a slick is coming from feeding fish is to see it as it is emerging. Emerging slicks are small and usually round. If you see one about the size of a garbage can lid, it probably just formed, and your chances of connecting with big fish there are excellent. |7| RUN WITH THE FLATFISH The fall flounder run is set to kick into high gear in the latter part of October.

Flounder are already starting to trickle from the marsh down into the channel and out toward the Gulf of Mexico. There has not been any big movements but PHOTO: JOHN FELSHER

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toward deep-water access points in ship channels and in areas where passes and channels intersect with bays. This is true year-round.

Territory: Tagging studies have shown

flounder are at least semi territorial and this author believes they stay in a small area throughout their tenure in the bays.

Before that big norther hit keep this in mind. If you have lost a big flounder in

a certain spot keeping going back there.

Chances are the fish is still close by.

When the run begins this changes but keep this in mind.. If you miss a flounder at the boat throw right back to where you last saw it. That fish has probably not moved very far. I have done this on numerous occasions.

Line Shy: All flounder are line shy when the water is clear but big flounder are super line shy. Always use fluorocarbon leaders or pure fluorocarbon line is you can see more than about 18 inches in the water when in pursuit of monster flatfish.

Chumming: If you are fishing deep water where you have shallow flowing to deep or into a tidal marsh pool you cannot reach consider chumming. It is possible to bring flounder to you and in areas where their numbers are not necessarily high this can be an advantage. Flounder have large olfactory glands that allow them to smell so give chumming a try and see if you can 68

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bring in the big ones. |8| LOOKING FOR ‘HAY’ Large Texas reservoirs have many coves, fingers, and shorelines. In any given area the best cover will be the area that draws in the bass, particularly during the summer and early fall period according to Texas bass pro Russell Cecil.

“I love punching the ‘hay’ or the thick grass that will grow up in mats sometimes in the middle of the lake on little islands or humps and shorelines,” Cecil said.

“When that kind of cover is prevalent in an area you can bet there will be bass there. One of the keys is to have a good pair of polarized shades with superior lenses such as the new Sunrise from

etrable area. Most bites are a few seconds after the rig has hit bottom showing the fish are hearing or feeling the lure and then responding.

“You want to pay attention to anything that feels different whether it is a pulling sensation or any sudden stop,” Cecil said.

A hard hookset and is required to penetrate through the “hay,” and quite often the rewards are bigger than average bass.

Be observant in the field and remember small details can make a big difference in the field and on the water.

«

Heavy grass along shorelines are great fall bass targets.

Costa to look down in the pockets for fish and movement.”

Then it’s time to “punch.”

That means rigging up a soft plastic, usually some creature bait, on a heavy weight.

Cecil’s favorite rig utilizes a snell knot with an Owner Jungle Flipping Hook rigged on 80-pound Ande braid. Flip this rig into pockets in the grass or any penPHOTO: CHESTER MOORE

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Texas TESTED Ranger XP 1000 Back Country Delivers I HAVE SPENT MORE TIME IN THE woods this year than at any point in recent memory. It has truly been a year of exploration in the forests of my home state of Texas and beyond. This is because of a couple of projects I am working on. One involves turkeys, and the other involves hogs.

A vital part of this exploration has been the Polaris Ranger XP 1000 Back Country Edition. I have had the opportunity to test one out, and it has made these pursuits vastly easier and more enjoyable.

Not all ATVs are smooth riding, but I found this one to be as smooth as possible and surprisingly good on gas. Some of the hilly terrain where I have been tends to eat up fuel pretty quickly, but with this unit that has not been an issue. With an 11.5-gallon fuel tank, there is plenty of get up and go here.

For the kind of habitat I was in, clearance is a huge issue. The Polaris Ranger XP 1000 Back Country Edition has a class leading 13 inches of ground clearance that is maximized with arched A-arms to devour unforgiving terrain.

In addition, it has highmount air intakes to ensure clean air reaches the engine and clutches when navigating water crossings or wet terrain.

These traits alone make this a worthy acquisition for someone in need of an ATV for hunting.

I was impressed that the 82 horsepower ProStar 1000 engine is paired with a reduced 70

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gear ratio transmission that includes a geared reverse for increased durability and strength. That is crucial when you find yourself in a mudhole in the marsh for example.

Towing ability is another plus for this unit.

I found myself having to move thousands of pounds of storm-damaged goods on my property. I hooked up a trailer, and it made my life much easier. The payload for the XP 1000 itself is 1,500 pounds, which is more than adequate even if you’re carrying back a few big wild boars from the woods.

Hunters who navigate remote forests know that fallen trees often block access to trails and roadways. The XP 1000 comes with a Polaris Pro 4,500pound HD

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winch mounted to the industry’s largest stock front bumper. That gives you the ability to pull with confidence.

I’m not a mechanic or a deeply knowledgeable auto tech guy, but I am a hunter who knows what he needs to confidently get into country that most people avoid.

The Polaris Ranger XP 1000 Back Country Edition does that and more. I highly recommend it for those in the market for an ATV. Several different limited editions are available that are designed to suit the specific needs of outdoor lovers.

For more information go to ranger. polaris.com.

—by CHESTER MOORE

« Polaris Ranger XP 1000 Back Country Edition

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9/10/19 1:23 PM

Texas TASTED

by BRYAN SLAVEN :: The Texas Gourmet

Snapper Pontchartrain

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FFSHORE FISHING HAS always been a cherished adventure for me. Cruising in beautiful deep blue water while trolling around a rock pile or an oil rig and waiting with anticipation for that strike. Red snapper has been a rare treat with the strict limits placed on them over the last several years, but when we can go, we enjoy this delicacy to the max. This is a great recipe; I hope you love it as we have.

Serves six.

Ingredients 24 Medium fresh shrimp, peeled & deveined (reserve shells) 1 tsp Tabasco sauce ½ cup chopped onion 1/3 cup Madeira wine ½ cup chopped celery 1 Tbsp sale ½ cup chopped carrots 1 ½ tsp. Paprika 5 cups water 1 tsp garlic powder 1 1/8 cups unsalted butter 1 tsp. cayenne pepper 4 Tbsp flour 8 oz. fresh snapper fillets (or other whitefleshed fish) 2 cups flour 1½ Tbsp chopped fresh garlic Lemon juice ¼ cup chopped yellow onion 6 oz crab claws or 6 oz of jumbo lump crab meat 1 chicken bouillon cube

Instructions Combine reserved shrimp shells, chopped vegetables and water in a large stockpot: simmer over medium heat until PHOTO: BRYAN SLAVEN

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Whisk in Madeira until incorporated.

Set sauce aside and keep warm while the fish fillets are cooking.

Mix salt, paprika, garlic powder and cayenne into remaining 2 cups flour.

Dip fish fillets in lemon juice, then into seasoned flour to coat.

Melt 1 Tbsp butter in large heated skillet over medium heat.

Place fillets in skillet and cook until golden brown and completely cooked, about 4 minutes per side.

While the fish is cooking, sauté the peeled shrimp in 1 Tbsp butter just until

liquid is reduced to 3 cups, about 30 minutes; strain and set aside.

Make a roux in a heavy saucepan by melting 4 Tbsps of butter until it begins to turn brown.

Slowly whisk in 4 Tbsp flour until mixture thickens to a paste; cook until it turns a light golden brown.

Remove from heat and set aside.

Melt 1 Tbsp butter in another saucepan.

Mouth-watering Snapper Pontchartrain... so delicious!

they turn pink (do not overcook).

Add shrimp and crab to Madeira sauce.

Spoon 4 shrimp and a couple ounces of heated sauce over fillets and serve.

Bon Appetit!

Add garlic and onion and sauté over medium heat 2 minutes.

Add crushed bouillon cube, pepper sauce and shrimp stock. Stir and simmer.

While the stock is simmering, melt 1 stick plus 1 1/3 Tbsp butter in a separate saucepan, stirring until it turns golden brown; set aside.

Add roux to stock mixture and stir to incorporate, then simmer 3 to 5 minutes.

Add brown butter to stock and whisk until incorporated and emulsified.

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Open SEASON

by REAVIS Z. WORTHAM :: TF&G Humor Editor

Watering Hole

Willie said.

I looked over my shoulder at the tire tracks through the dry, crushed grass. “Nope, they’ll find us all right.”

Half an hour later we finally coasted to a stop near the creek bed. The boys scattered to walk the country and get a feel for the lease. I joined Willie after a while, and we ran across Jerry Wayne sitting on a rocky outcrop overlooking the creek bed about half a mile from the truck.

“What do you think?” Willie asked, stopping under a live oak.

Jerry Wayne shook his head. “I’ve found a lot of game trails that lead down to this creek bed. But I haven’t seen a drop of water. It’s scary for this time of the year. It doesn’t look good for the hot months.”

A hen turkey couldn’t stand hiding anymore and she burst from the cover of a small shin oak grove. We watched her run down the creek bed and disappear into the distance.

“That was cool,” Jerry Wayne said and stood up. He carefully picked his way around the rocks and followed the tiny trail to the bottom. “This looks a little damp right here,” he said. “Maybe the deer can paw a little water in the dry months.”

Willie snorted. “They’ll more than likely just wander into someone else’s lease. Let’s get out of here.”

He turned to leave and Jerry Wayne stepped onto the carpet of fallen leaves covering the damp ground. In a slow-motion move that reminded me of a Jack Woo movie, Jerry Wayne’s lower extremities disappeared into a foul smelling muck reminiscent of a pig pen.

Not a tiny person, Jerry Wayne’s considerable bulk propelled him forward and he splatted face-first into the mud with a splat so satisfying, the only thing I could think to do was clap.

He flopped over on his side, covering still more of his body; and by the time we grabbed his hands and hauled his stinking, muddy carcass out of the morass, the only thing not muddy was the back of his head.

Sympathy isn’t one of the Hunting Club’s greatest attributes, so Willie and I laughed

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HE ONLY PROBLEM WITH this lease is a distinct lack of water,” Doc observed, standing on the edge of a sheer ridge. Below us, cactus, salt cedars and grass spread down to a very, very dry wash. In our continuing search for a deer lease, we’ve examined dozens of potential candidates. They’ve all failed in some way.

It was an unusually cool spring day, but we knew that it would be soon be hot and dry. I drained a plastic water bottle and pitched it into the back of the truck.

“Mr. Tom Mills said that draw down here had water most of the time,” Woodrow recalled.

“It must be underground,” I said.

“Let’s hike down there and take a look at it,” the Cap’n suggested.

“Can’t we drive down there instead?” Jerry Wayne asked. He doesn’t like to walk when he can ride.

This eleven-hundred-acre lease had potential, as Doc said, water was an issue. Animals need a continuous drinking source, or they won’t hang around an area. Without stock tanks to provide water, I wasn’t sure we’d see much game at the end of a long, hot summer.

Woodrow found the lease in the newspaper, and set up the tour after a long telephone visit in which he expressed our desire for a quality lease and continuous water. The Hunting Club members all lean toward what we call “wet” leases, or those with a creek or stream.

To avoid a crisis with Jerry Wayne, we climbed in the truck and made our slow, fourwheel way through the rocky country.

“Mr. Mills said he’d meet us here in a little while,” Woodrow said as we bounced over a particularly rough section. “He and his wife wanted to visit with us after the checked the cows over on that section beyond those trees.”

“He’ll have trouble finding us,” Wrong 72

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the whole way back to the truck, while Jerry Wayne grumbled, stank and squished.

“Thought there wasn’t any water on this lease,” Doc deadpanned when we arrived at the truck.

“There isn’t,” I said. “Only mud.”

“How am I gonna get this off?” Jerry Wayne asked miserably. His sinuses had closed up from the stench, and he sounded like Don Meredith with a head cold.

“You can ride home in the back,” the Cap’n suggested.

“Won’t work,” Jerry Wayne complained.

“I’m already getting cold.”

Struck with an idea, I opened our cooler full of bottled water and twisted the top off. “Peel down, boy. We’ll rinse you off best we can.”

He looked at the cooler full of ice and water.

“I’ll freeze.”

“Better than stinking,” Doc said.

While Jerry Wayne peeled down to his skivvies, we uncapped bottles and began to rinse him off. He was right, the cold water made him scream like a little girl. He jumped, wriggled and shrieked, and before you know it, we were all laughing insanely while pouring water on him at a ferocious rate.

The whole thing stopped when an old pickup rattled around our grove of trees. Mr. Mills and his wife stopped in shock at the sight of Jerry Wayne, wearing nothing but tightywhities and goosebumps. I walked up to the open driver’s window.

“I know you boys said water was important to you, but I didn’t realize y’all did something ... special with it.”

Before I could answer, he shifted into reverse. “I’ll find somebody else,” he called and gunned the motor.

“Give me an unopened bottle,” I told Doc. “What for?”

“Have you ever seen them launch a ship?”

I asked, and advanced, intending to christen Jerry Wayne in a good, old-fashioned way.

« Email Reavis Wortham at ContactUs@fishgame.com

G A M E ®

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REDFISH Rockport Chase Tilly caught this 41.5-inch red while fishing with his dad, Stephen, at Rockport.

SPECKLED TROUT Galveston Gage Fowlkes caught this preSeptember 1, 2019 limit of trout while wading the surf at West Beach in Galveston

CATFISH Martin Creek Lake Johnny Hays caught this 29-pound Opelousas catfish on a small crappie rig with live Minnow while crappie fishing at Martin Creek Lake.

Johnny finally netted him after being drug around the lake for 25 minutes.

CRAPPIE Lake Granger Cody Deboard caught these nice crappie while learning to crappie fish with his Grandfather on Lake Granger.

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9/10/19 1:31 PM

SEND YOUR PHOTOS TO photos@FishGame.com For best results, send MED to HIGH quality JPEG digital files only, please.

Also Enter our PHOTO CONTEST: FishGame.com/HotShots No guarantee can be made as to when, or if, a submitted photo will be published.

GAR Lake Tyler Seven-yearold Grayson Holland caught this garfish all by himself on Lake Tyler.

SPECKLED TROUT Florida Thirteen-year-old Stephanie Collins from Austin was vacationing on the Space Coast in Florida and had the opportunity to catch this healthy looking spotted sea trout on Captain Jim Ross’s boat.

RED SNAPPER

SPECKLED TROUT

Matagorda

Port Aransas

Chris Maust and Stephanie Dobos caught these red snapper while fishing offshore out of Matagorda.

Mia Torres caught a 16-inch and a 17-inch speckled trout while fishing with her Grandpa, Charlie Torres, in the Aransas Channel.

CATFISH Lake Somerville Ava Rivera and her sister Gabriela caught catfish on Lake Somerville with their grandfather, Patrick Bailey, and guide Weldon Kirk.

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