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www.FishGame.com Published by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. TEXAS FISH & GAME is the largest independent, family-owned outdoor publication in America.

Owned by Ron & Stephanie Ward and Roy & Ardia Neves.

ROY NEVES PUBLISHER

DON ZAIDLE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

CHESTER MOORE EXECUTIVE EDITOR

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

JOE DOGGETT DOUG PIKE TED NUGENT BOB HOOD MATT WILLIAMS CALIXTO GONZALES LENNY RUDOW STEVE LAMASCUS LOU MARULLO KENDAL HEMPHILL TOM BEHRENS GREG BERLOCHER PAUL BRADSHAW HERMAN BRUNE CAPT. MIKE HOLMES REAVIS WORTHAM JOHN GISEL

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR EDITOR AT LARGE HUNTING EDITOR FRESHWATER EDITOR SALTWATER EDITOR BOATING EDITOR FIREARMS EDITOR BOWHUNTING EDITOR POLITICAL EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR HUMOR EDITOR WEBSITE CONTENT MANAGER

A D V E R T I S I N G

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DENNISE CHAVEZ ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR TEXAS FISH & GAME (ISSN 0887-4174) is published monthly by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC., 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. ©Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission. The publication assumes no responsibility for unsolicited photographs and manuscripts. Subscription rates: 1 year $19.00: 2 years $34.75; 3 years $48.50. Address all subscription inquiries to Texas Fish & Game, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for response. Give old and new address and enclose latest mailing address label when writing about your subscription. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Address all subscription inquiries to TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Email change of address to: dhruzek@fishgame.com Email new orders to: dhruzek@fishgame.com Email subscription questions to: dhruzek@fishgame.com.

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FEATURES APRIL 2010 • Volume XXV • NO. 12

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VANDAM TALKS TEXAS The Bassmaster Classic Three-Peater spent the day with Texas Fish & Game on Lake Conroe last fall and shared a great deal of howto wisdom, as well as some candid observations on bass fishing in Texas, which he considers the best in the country.

by Chester Moore ON THE COVER:

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WALK-A-BOAT The fourth installment in our year-long WALKABOUT ANGLER series looks at the many portable boating options available to the frugal angler.

by Calixto Gonzales

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THE MYTH AND MYTHOS OF THE TEXAS SAWFISH These prehistoric-looking monsters once prowled the coastal Texas waters in great numbers, with a Texas specimen even holding the world record until the 1960s.

by Calixto Gonzales

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SECRETS OF THE CRAPPIE BITE What really happens when a crappie takes a bite of your bait, and how you should react if you want to turn that bite into a catch.

Two years and two months ago, appearing on the February cover of this magazine proved prognosticative and lucky for Texas pro angler Alton Jones, who in that same month won his first Bassmaster Classic.

Lightning struck again when we selected BASS pro Kevin Van Dam for this issue’s cover—and he racked up his third Classic win.

We plan our covers well in advance of actual publication dates. The cover story featuring VanDam was planned and the photos taken last fall. This cover was in our pre-printing design and production process the very day Van Dam won the Classic.

We are not claiming mystical powers (Zaidle’s machinations notwithstanding), but think we deserve some credit for our sense of timing and obviously positive bass pro-ward karma. ( see KVD story, page 22 ).

Photo by Chester Moore

by Chester Moore

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HIGH-TECH TURKEY Turkey hunters can strut there stuff with more hunting equipment than our forefathers imagined... gear that modern day turkey fanatics can’t seem to do without. www.twitter.com/FishandGame

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COLUMNS and DEPARTMENTS APRIL 2010 • Volume XXV • NO. 12

COLUMNS 10 Editor’s Notes Tales of the Night Gollum

20 TexasWild Black Gun Bonanza

by DON ZAIDLE TF&G Editor-in-Chief

14 Chester’s Notes The Coyote Ugly Truth

by TED NUGENT TF&G Editor at Large

21 Commentary Get Over It

by CHESTER MOORE, JR. TF&G Executive Editor

16 Doggett at Large Perch Jerking

by KENDAL HEMPHILL TF&G Political Editor

36 Texas Freshwater

The Pig Bomb

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YOUR LETTERS

12

TF&G REPORT

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BIG BAGS & CATCHES

The Top-50 Bass That Almost Was

by JOE DOGGETT TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

18 Pike On the Edge

DEPARTMENTS

by MATT WILLIAMS TF&G Freshwater Editor

38 Texas Saltwater Slow and Steady

by DOUG PIKE TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

by CALIXTO GONZALES TF&G Saltwater Editor

41 TROPHY QUEST

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TRUE GREEN

40 Hunt Texas Eastern Saga

by BOB HOOD TF&G Hunting Editor

www.facebook.com/pages/Texas-Fish-Game-Magazine/86524948620

54 Open Season How to Hunt Hogs

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Letters Snow Geese Fading Away I loved your article in the February issue on the scarcity of snow geese in the Texas plain. I am sad to inform you that it has spread eastward as far as Lafayette, Louisiana.

In the very middle of January, my wife and I drove to Austin to visit my youngest daughter and her husband and four grandkids. For more years than I can remember, the drive from Lafayette to just west of Houston has been filled to boredom with sights of huge numbers of geese and ducks along both sides of I-10.

We drove to Austin on January 12 and returned on January 21. While in Austin, I

drove out into the country in all directions, not specifically looking for geese and ducks, but just sight-seeing. On the way over to Austin, I might have been distracted by my wife’s recital of the “honey-do-list” when we returned home to Lafayette, and by my grands in our escapes from Austin into God’s country. But on our return, I paid particular attention to spotting flights of geese, gaggles of geese in plowed fields, and any form of geese/ducks anywhere.

I did not see a goose in the air or on the ground from Lafayette to Austin nor on return--not one!

Rocke Roy Lafayette, LA

No-Fish Zone Backlash I grew up on the coast and have lived in the Hill Country for many years. I go salty as often as possible for more reasons than the love of the coastal fishing.

One reason is, as I have expressed to many, is that I see the coastal areas as a last frontier. I can typically explore vast areas on foot and by boat/kayak. The loss of access is reaching out to so many areas. Due to fear or underlying reasons, chain link fences and similar restrictions have cut me off from many points of entry/access. I fail to see any of these as useful anti-terrorist controls.

The areas referenced in Chester Moore’s January 2010 column do not affect where I

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usually go, but very likely might affect me at some time, and I could even be fishing in a “No Fishing Zone” and not even realize it, particularly in using back-entry access via a kayak.

Another reason I frequent the four-hour drive and spend over $100 in fuel to fish the coast is that I have been cut off from a massive number of areas on the Highland Lakes and other locations nearby. I used to have multiple places I could back up to a lake and then boat or bank-fish with limited restrictions. Samples of widespread closures equaling “no fishing zones” include: - Nearly all dams are out of reach via fencing, serious consequences if one enters the tailrace area, and buoys holding back boaters hundreds of yards. Fishing the tailrace for stripers is gone for the bank-fisherman, and very limited for boaters.

Interestingly, this occurs mostly at Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) impoundments. Many Federal Corps of Engineers lakes do not have these restrictions, or have much more flexible restrictions. I do not see how a fence with open woods surrounding the dam tailrace would stop a sincere “bad guy.” Maybe someone can explain this to me. Bottom line: the taxpaying honest fisherman has been fenced out.

- What I consider the main boat ramp to Lake Buchannan by the dam I assume via a lease is now a private RV park and the operator collects fees to use the ramp or day use to fish the banks. This has been open public land for decades. I understand some fees etc. for operations, but this one is very disturbing and only a sample of loss of once open access.

- Travis County now has taken even the most remote and minimally maintained access to Lake Travis and either closed or limited access, and of course charges a fee to use. Nearly 100 percent of these points are LCRA land that for decades was public access. Many have not received any notable upgrades, only rules and restrictions and fees.

I used to stop in and eat lunch in my work routine at several of these stops, but now would have to pay $10 to sit for 30 minutes at a picnic table. No, these samples are not loss of access/use/fishing but rather examples of increasing difficulty to access the water, and equate to much less frequency of most people visiting the areas.

The upset is how LCRA property can suddenly become a revenue source. I believe in control because, as much as I hate to say it, some people require control to keep an area safe and clean. But the vast majority of fishing access seekers are not the culprits, in my opinion.

Randy Pitman Via email

Send Your Comments to: Letters to the Editor 1745 Greens Road Houston TX 77032 E-mail: letters@fishgame.com

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Editor’s Notes

by Don Zaidle| TF&G Editor-in-Chief

Tales of the Night Gollum Back in April 2003, we published my expose on an esoteric Texas insect fauna. In response to recent renewed interest and numerous requests, I decided to republish said scientific article in this issue. I therefore re-present, The Texas Night Gollum: OST OUTDOORSMEN PAY CLOSE ATTENtion to the habits and habitats of the fish and animals they pursue, but know little about less visible nongame fauna. That is a shame, because some of the most interesting creatures are all but invisible unless you know where and when to look for them—and their behavior is fascinating to observe. One such creature is the Texas Night Gollum.

The night gollum, as the name implies, is a nocturnal ankospod of the Pseudomagnus genus, texanus species. Pseudomagnus texanus occurs throughout the Southwest, but is most prominent in Texas.

The gollum is similar to the arthropods in that it has an exoskeleton. However, unlike arthropods, the gollum’s legs are not jointed, but move in a manner reminiscent of a snake by means of fluids pumped through an intricate arrangement of channels and

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valves. The end of each leg sports a hard fibrous hook used when feeding.

The gollum is also similar to the Triatoma subfamily in that it feeds only on the blood of vertebrates, including man. It is among the largest Pseudomagnus in the world, measuring up to 8 inches long with widely spaced 6-inch legs.

The night gollum begins life on a unicorn plant, Proboscidea louisianica, as a drupaceous capsule, from which it emerges after incubation as a fully developed adult. It begins to search for a blood host immediately after hatching, which always occurs at night. Hosts include cattle and humans, and occasionally dogs with thick wooly coats.

(Due to the gollum’s size and wide leg spacing, it usually cannot attach directly to smaller hosts such as canids and felids.)

Once the gollum locates a host, it attaches to the ankle or lower leg and inserts two fang-like stylets through the skin to begin its blood meal. (The common name “gollum” derives from old-timers describing the behav-

ior as “golluming” onto the host’s leg.) The host is rarely aware of the feeding due to the swiftness with which the stylets penetrate. In fact, gollums are the fastest of their kind, moving with great swiftness unmatched by any insect. Speed combined with shyness, natural camouflage, and nocturnal behavior means few people have seen a live gollum, although many have no doubt picked up and wondered at the exoskeleton of a dead one.

Observing gollums in their natural environment is difficult, and photographing them almost impossible. Ergo, I am most proud of this photo—the only one in the world, so far as I know.

So, the next time you are walking back from your blind after sundown and feel something “gollum” onto your ankle, look down quickly and you just might get a glimpse of the elusive Texas Night Gollum.

E-mail Don Zaidle at editor@fishgame.com.

Gollums are difficult to observe, and nearly impossible to photograph, making this possibly the only known photo of one in the world.

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PHOTO BY DON ZAIDLE

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TF&G Report

ERRY DEAN, ONE OF TEXAS’ MOST WELLknown television personalities, bass tournament organizers, and fishing magazine publishers, recently passed away after a long battle with cancer. He was 63.

A former fishing guide on Lake Monticello, Dean founded Honey Hole Magazine in 1985. He billed the publication as the “Trophy Bass Magazine of Texas” and garnered a near cult-like following

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Honey Hole founder Jerry Dean

PHOTO COURTESY DRBRA DEAN

Honey Hole’s Jerry Dean Dies

among anglers at all levels.

Dean eventually expanded the trademark name to include Honey Hole TV Magazine and the Honey Hole Tournament Trail, which was affiliated with more than 130 bass clubs across Texas. At one time, it was the largest tournament organization of its kind statewide.

Dean and his wife of 34 years, Debra, ran the three companies out of their suburban home in Ft. Worth. They worked tirelessly as a team. Jerry hustled advertisers, made story assignments, and filmed television segments while Debra held down the office, fielded phone calls, and performed layout of a monthly magazine that was in circulation for more than two decades.

Anyone who followed Honey Hole knows Dean was all about Texas. He always strived to provide the freshest content possi-

ble and worked long hours to get it done.

Through the years, Dean soaked his baits in hundreds of lakes across the state. He was especially proud of the fact his television program aired more consecutive weekly shows with no reruns than any other before it.

PRESENTS

B IG B AGS AND C ATCHES

SPECKLED TROUT—UPPER LAGUNA MADRE

WHITETAIL BUCK—KARNES COUNTY

LARGEMOUTH BASS—LAKE CONROE

Ari Schwartz caught and released this 8-1/4pound, 29-inch trout in 2 feet of water over mud and grass in the Upper Laguna Madre. The trout was caught at sunset on a He Dog topwater.

Dylan Scott Pennell, age 7, of Floresville, shot his first deer on his family’s Smith Ranch in Karnes County, just outside of Kenedy, Texas. The whitetail was taken at 90 yards with a Remington .243, and dressed out at 165 pounds.

Dylan Murrell, age 11, caught this 11-pound, 3ounce largemouth bass on Lake Conroe in Texas.

Photo submitted by his grandmother Shirley Murrell.

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Word of Dean’s death spread quickly over the Internet, where well-wishers offered condolences and shared brief stories about past dealings with the rugged-looking guy who always sported a Honey Hole cap and gray beard.

“He was a real dumplin’,” said Debra Dean. “He wasn’t always perfect, but he was pretty dang close. I’m not mourning Jerry’s death. Right now, I’m celebrating his life and giving thanks that I was fortunate enough to be part of it for as long as I was.”

—Matt Williams

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HSUS also campaigns to abolish hunting.

In 2008 alone, HSUS put more than $2.5 million into pension plans--money that its own advertising suggested would be put toward the direct care of animals. HSUS neither operates nor is legally affiliated with, any pet shelters anywhere.

“Even the best charities can run off the rails, so it’s no surprise the professional dogwatchers need their own watchdog,”

Martosko continued. “Donors to the Humane Society of the United States deserve to know exactly how their money is being spent. HumaneWatch will create an open dialogue for farmers, scientists, fashion designers, entertainers, and countless Americans who love both their pets and their chicken sandwiches.”

—Staff Report

Consumer Watchdog Monitors Animal Rights Extremists The Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) has announced HumaneWatch.org, a watchdog project dedicated to monitoring and analyzing the activities of the animal rights group Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). HumaneWatch will include a blog written by CCF’s Director of Research, a growing document library, and a database capable of tracking the dozens of nonprofit (and for-profit) organizations that make up HSUS’s sprawling financial empire.

HSUS is the animal rights extremists’ most powerful player, but it has avoided serious public scrutiny for years. HSUS raises nearly $100 million annually from Americans who largely believe their donations filter down to local pet shelters and improve the lives of dogs and cats. But in 2008, less than 1/2 of 1 percent of HSUS’ budget consisted of grants to actual hands-on “humane societies” that deal with sheltering unwanted pets.

“Someone has to ask the hard questions about the Humane Society of the United States, and HumaneWatch will be a relentless source of useful information,” said CCF Director of Research David Martosko. “Nearly 1 million Americans donate money to HSUS every year, and most are completely unaware that they’re bankrolling PETA-style propaganda, farreaching anti-meat campaigns, a huge staff of lawyers, and bloated pension plans for HSUS executives.”

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Chester’s Notes

by Chester Moore | TF&G Executive Editor

The Coyote Ugly Truth “I saw a coyote in my yard…”

“I had a pair of coyotes follow me while jogging…”

“I watched a coyote carry away my dachshund.”

HOSE QUOTES AND OTHERS LIKE THEM HAVE come my way over the last several months in surprising frequency and are almost always followed by this question.

“Are coyotes dangerous?”

The popular answer is “no,” since in the fantasyland of political correctness, no animals are threats. They are just misunderstood creatures that are somehow the victims of man’s evil actions toward the environment.

The reality is that coyotes are, indeed, a potential threat to humans, and although the odds of being attacked are not high, they are increasing.

Last October, 19-year-old Canadian folk singer Taylor Mitchell was attacked and killed by a pack of coyotes in a national park in Nova Scotia. In an article at cnn.com, Chip Bird, Parks Canada’s field superintendent for that region said the attack was, “unprecedented and a totally isolated incident.” In the same story he is quoted as saying, “We’ve had coyotes approach people too closely and about six years ago one nipped a person.”

Somehow, that does not equate with “unprecedented” and “totally isolated.”

Unfortunately, it is right out of the playbook of wildlife agencies that are sticking their heads in the sand about coyotes. In states like California, for example, there have been hundreds of coyote attacks recorded, including at least one death, and attacks on pets while their owners walked them on leashes.

I had a wildlife “expert” explain how a recent incident in a Texas urban area of a coyote biting someone was not really an attack

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because the animal was drawn to the smell of grilling meat.

Do you see the pattern of denial here?

Coyotes are opportunistic predators. When in an environment that poses no threats and where humans provide food sources as our cities do, these animals lose their fear. At some point, they start looking to humans for food and in some cases as food.

Five years ago, Texas Fish & Game was first to bring you information about changes in coyote behavior in Texas, with an account of Duval County landowner Tom Stone who said his son had to kill a coyote in self defense while turkey hunting on his property.

We also noted a study by Jan Loven, District Supervisor, Texas Animal Damage Control Service in Ft. Worth, who said coyotes in the Dallas/Forth Worth area are becoming increasingly aggressive: “Damages from coyotes range from fear of rabies, to fear of being in close proximity to carnivores, to property, pet, and livestock damage. Several complaints have been received from joggers who are amazed at the boldness of these animals.”

Loven also gave a chilling warning: “While coyote attacks on humans have been documented in California, no incidents are known in Texas. But with increasing coyote-human interaction in urban areas, an attack would not be surprising, especially on children.”

Should you be scared because you have noticed coyotes in your neighborhood or on your property?

No. The probability of being assaulted by the crafty canines is low. However, you should be informed about the reality of the situation so that you do not expose you or your family to danger. The reality is coyote attacks occur every year in America, and we are seeing the signs California experienced before a large upsurge in attacks began there.

For example, there are so many coyotes in urban areas of Austin that there is a special coyote hotline. Dial 311 and someone from a coyote task force will show up to deal with them.

I am serious.

The group has a set of guidelines to help citizens deal with animals seen as a growing threat.

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Most are basic common sense while a few are a little silly but they are worth examining: 1. Do not feed coyotes, deer, or other wildlife!

2. Eliminate sources of water.

3. Position bird feeders so coyotes can’t get the feed. Coyotes are attracted by bread, table scraps, and even seed. They may also be attracted by birds and rodents that come to the feeders. They are also attracted to deer feed.

4. Do not discard edible garbage where coyotes can get to it.

5. Secure garbage containers and eliminate garbage odors.

6. Feed pets indoors if possible. Store pet food where it is not accessible to wildlife.

7. Trim and clean, near ground level, any shrubbery that provides hiding cover for coyotes or prey.

8. Don’t leave small children unattended outside if coyotes have been seen in the area.

9. Keep pets safely confined and provide secure nighttime housing for them. Walk your dog on a leash and accompany your pet outside, especially at night.

10. If you see coyotes around your home or property, chase them away by shouting, making loud noises or throwing rocks. Carry a stick, baseball bat, or a golf club to scare them away.

In conclusion, I would much rather change people’s distorted views of coyotes than I would withhold information that could possibly save life or limb.

We should respect the coyotes for being the amazingly adaptable animals they are. Part of the respect involves treating them like wild animals, not pets, and realizing they are not the comically unskilled predator as depicted in the old Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote cartoons.

In real life, the coyote usually gets its prey, whether it is a roadrunner or bigger game.

Note: More detailed information about coyote and other animal attack behavior is available in a book, American Man-Killers, written by TF&G editor-in-chief Don Zaidle, available from Amazon.com and other booksellers.

Email Chester Moore at cmoore@fishgame.com

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Doggett At Large

by Joe Doggett | TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

Perch Jerking REENING WILLOWS AND PLEASURES OF perch go together. I basically stole that sentiment from my mentor, the late Bob Brister.

He often reflected on his boyhood days of simple fishing in rural East Texas, and it remains true that the balmy days of early spring are prime time for dabbling along the banks of ponds and rivers. The main objective—other than getting muddy while dodging workaday responsibilities—is to catch a few perch.

“Perch” is the common catchall term for the various panfishes found in local freshwater drainages; sadly, the designation is not particularly accurate. True perch, which include yellow perch and walleye, are not native to Texas. I hate to say it, with family roots scattered across Dixie, but these are northern species.

What we have nosing into the warming shallows are sunfishes, and primary among the pan-sized issues is the crappie or “white perch.”

No matter. By whatever name, it looks just right, with the greens and silvers and blacks reflecting the delicate colors of the spring shorelines, and the bold, bristling fins highlighting the wide profile. The gaping mouth and large eyes suggest a predatory nature somehow lacking in the smaller, rounder bluegill sunfish.

Unlike the lesser sunfishes (notwithstanding the largemouth bass, which is also a sunfish), the typical crappie is big enough to bend a fillet knife over. A typical 10- to 13-inch keeper weighs between 1/2 and 1 pound, and “slabs” pushing an honest 2 pounds are not terribly uncommon.

The fresh fillets rolled in cornmeal and dropped into a hot skillet rank among the finest fish—maybe the finest, and I’m tossing

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red snapper, small speckled trout, and flounder into the pot. The sweet, delicate meat is in a class by itself.

This matter of table quality is huge. “Perch jerking” has little to do with catch-andrelease; never has, never will. Prolific perch were intended to be caught and kept—and fried. The statewide daily bag of 25 crappie, with a minimum length of 10 inches, allows ample opportunity to exercise this option.

The best way to go perch jerking for prespawning crappie moving into the shallows is with simple tackle. A spinning or spin cast rig works fine when the drill is lobbing a small cork and a live shiner minnow against the shoreline stickups. Small twist-tail jigs and tail spinner-type lures also are effective, especially when the water clarity offers a foot or two of visibility.

Also effective, and frequently lost amid the rows a high-tech tackle, is the basic cane pole—or, better, a telescopic fiberglass pole.

A 10- or 12-foot pole fitted with a short length of line and the cork-minnow or jig offering can be poked into tight openings of brush and limbs and dabbled with killing efficiency.

No cast is required and—most important amid the tangled cover that crappie prefer— the drop into the desired spot is straight up and down.

This vertical presentation minimizes subsurface snags. A long-shank, thin-wire hook with a wide gap is the choice for dunking live shiners; the light hook allows a frisky two-inch minnow to dance, and the wide bite helps hold in the crappie’s fragile mouth.

Traditional wisdom favors a gold hook in murky water. The added flash helps attract nearby perch—and nobody accused crappie of being particularly spooky or “leader shy.”

For this reason, a line testing 8 to 12 pounds is a wise idea. Certainly, the average crappie can be an ultralight candidate, but when the inevitable hang-up occurs, the heavier line can be used to open the bend of the thin-wire hook, thus saving the hassle of having to re-rig. Well, most of the time.

The crappie is an aggressive feeder but an indifferent fighter, and given the thin mouth and rough-and-tumble “jerking” tactics, per-

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haps this is just as well. Even with lackluster resistance, crappie often pull free. Remember that fragile mouth.

Losing crappie is part of the game, but the high-volume action along a prime spring shoreline makes the occasional loss acceptable. In other words, plumbering a splashing perch is not as catastrophic as ham-handing a permit or snapping off an Atlantic salmon.

You don’t need to seek professional counseling or resort to heavy sedation after the line springs slack. Simply re-bait and move to the next promising brush pile.

The stakes may not be so high, but smooth perching jerking, as with any angling, requires savvy and “touch.” The difference between rookie and veteran usually becomes evident within an hour or so of work along a green bank.

For example, last spring I teamed with expert crappie angler Doug McLeod for a morning session on a southeast Texas reservoir with official “mud hole” status. Never have I seen it offer more than a foot of sub-surface visibility, and the clarity often is measured in scant inches. But the drab banks hold flourishing numbers of crappie.

We outfitted with long fiberglass poles rigged with small corks and plastic-tail jigs and walked the bank, dabbling the short lines and slushing the shallow corks around rocks and brush.

McLeod put 21 crappie in his bucket and I caught 10. We fished the same water, leapfrogging each other, so I cannot claim that he “Bogarted” the best stretch. No, he had a better touch, a finer sense of where to place the jig, and how to coax the cork.

But I’m content to concede to a superior game of perch jerking. I still had a fine mess for the fillet knife. More important, I got muddy and saw water snakes and bullfrogs and blue herons—and felt the warm sun amid the greening willows of a new year.

The session was a reminder that bountiful crappie is the perfect excuse for shoreline wanderings in search of lost youth.

E-mail Joe Doggett at doggett@fishgame.com PHOTO BY JOE DOGGETT

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Pike on the Edge

by Doug Pike | TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

The Pig Bomb Feral hogs are winning almost every battle in our war against them. Either we fight harder, or the next generation might be speaking pig Latin.

FEW WEEKS AGO ON THE DISCOVERY Channel (or one of those other educational rest stops along the satellite-dish highway), I stumbled upon “Pig Bomb,” a documentary about wild hogs.

What a treat.

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None of its content came as a surprise to any Texas hunter who watched, but I could imagine the slack-jawed reactions of viewers elsewhere than throughout the Deep South.

We have lived with the beasts for a couple of centuries and, recently, developed an entire recreational hunting industry around them.

Beyond that traditional range, unpenned hogs were unknown until recent years.

Pig Bomb’s narrator read with grand emotion a script that offered a suitable history of feral swine, how they got here, and how they can spread like fire ants at Sunday picnics and multiply like rabbits fed raw oysters. Texans knew that.

He noted also that runaway domestic pigs are interbreeding with imported and escaped European boars, their offspring mutating into a race of “super pigs” that are increasingly

large and aggressive. Texans knew that, too. Pigs weighing 200 pounds once were exceptional.

Now they are “pretty good.” Pigs used to run when we caught them off guard in tight quarters. They still run, but sometimes it’s right at you.

And, the “voice talent” continued in dramatic tone, wild hogs do grand-scale damage to farm fields and even suburban and rural landscapes. Thanks, kind sir, but we sort of knew that, too.

If you are among the rare few Texans who

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have never seen a wild hog, you need only spend the least bit more time outdoors to make the acquaintance. And chances are good that if you see one, you will see more unless your eyes fall first on a big boar off to itself.

Rather than a specific number, count on seeing, say, 200 or more pounds of hogs per sighting; maybe a sow and two generations of offspring, or maybe one long-toothed buck.

Either is a virtual wrecking ball whether turned loose on a farm field or flower garden.

The softer the ground, the greater the ease with which damage is inflicted. Make no mistake, however, that in hard times, a pack of wild pigs likely could upturn a concrete sidewalk to pick out the weeds rising between the cracks.

Texas imposes no law regulating the harvest or control of wild pigs except that you must have a hunting license. Other than that, horseshoes, hand grenades, and Howitzers (if you have a federal stamp and paid the tax) are fair game for hogs. Day or night. Rain or shine. In states where pig traffic has only recently begun, wildlife officials (after consulting Texans) encourage their citizenry to shoot those swine on sight. The trouble with that theory, though, is that once a few guns go off, pigs go undercover.

I have done my best to control the hog population, but my personal effort hasn’t made any real dent. The numbers of hogs I take with rifles, handguns, and arrows pales alongside those removed by more aggressive hunters.

The internet, specifically youtube.com, is loaded with hog-hunting videos. If someone with nothing better to do added up all the hogs dispatched on video at this one site, I suspect the number would be in the tens of thousands.

Yet even if we repeated that effort every year, we would still not swing that porky pendulum in our favor.

Just to keep pace with average reproduction, you have to remove about 70 percent of the pigs from a given population. That’s a lot of bullets and a lot of bacon. Most hunters eat what they can, and smaller pigs are quite tasty, but after a while, even the buzzards get tired of eating those things.

In addition to being prolific breeders, pigs can be comfortable just about anywhere. They are voracious omnivores and will run most anything but a bear or mountain lion off something edible. They are oblivious to the South’s swelter and developing a tolerance for extreme cold.

Property owners who cannot or will not PHOTO BY ERIC ISSELÉE

hunt their hog numbers down often hire trappers to remove the pigs. That’s a sweet deal for the trappers, because there is someone on the other end who will pay to have live hogs delivered and released to support recreational hunting operations. Great work if you can stand the smell and accept the risk of taking a sharp, ivory tusk to the shin—or someplace higher.

Feral hogs have planted their little piggy flags within the habitats of native wildlife (and

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no small number of suburbanites) across much of this continent, and they continue to scuttle and snort onto new fronts. We are not, despite honest effort, affecting their retreat.

In that way, wild pigs truly are a ticking bomb; and if you are downwind, you will realize it is a stink bomb with a short, curly fuse.

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E-mail Doug Pike at dpike@fishgame.com

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Ted Nugent’s TexasWild

by Ted Nugent | TF&G Editor-at-Large

Black Gun Bonanza Y WONDERFUL SON ROCCO WINCHESTER Nugent slithered silently alongside his old man, back in the wild again.

We carefully peeked above the early fall wheat for a stealthy look-see, then ducked back down as we crawled toward the thick forest ahead. Like a GI Joe infantryman, 8year-old Rocco pushed his little .223 Remington 788 ahead of him and remained focused like a pro, intent on killing the gnarly swine we had seen a half-hour ago.

All riflemen know that the little 5.56 round is a bare minimum caliber for any medium sized big game, but with the 60grain Black Hills soft point in the magazine, a well place shot will indeed do the trick.

Watching Rocco practice at the range made me proud. He was Sgt. York-dead-on at 100 yards every shot, and I knew if he had a crack at this 100-pound boar, the pork chops were as good as grilled. Aim small, miss small.

And that he did. Young Rocco took a solid rest on his upright knees in a sitting position, the handsome hog paused as it emerged from the wood line, and in a fluid ballet of sniper proficiency, my son snicked off the safety, settled into his sling, slowly exhaled, and pow-whoomp! Pork chops, baby!

The little slug hit perfectly in the crease behind the boar’s shoulder and tipped over the pig like it was pole-axed by an ‘06. It was beautiful.

Now, 10 years later, my son and I occasionally put down our bows and grab one of our many AR-15 variants from a plethora of quality arms manufacturers, and go afield with supreme confidence that a disciplined .223 round of the proper design will cleanly kill any big game animal up to large deersized critters. Sportsmen across America are getting educated out of the fabled “Zumbo

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syndrome” of old to realize that these specialized black rifles are the cat’s ass for nearly every shooting scenario.

Of course, my good friend Jim Zumbo, the new and improved Mr. Black Rifle himself, has led the charge in this regard, educating millions about this positive AR promotional reality, having emerged from his own stupor about “evil black rifles” into the light of truth. Was that a fun chapter in American Second Amendment Rights or what!

Just recently, I guided my friend Charlie Moore of Mad Fisherman legend on NESPN sports TV. Crazy Charlie is a master angler, but not a dedicated hunter or rifleman by any stretch of the imagination. Compounded by his geographical home base, the insidious anti-gun wallpaper carpet-bombing by ultra leftist media in Ted Kennedy country had tainted old Charlie’s perspective on “good guns” versus “bad guns.” As usual, I fixed that pronto, Tonto. A bullet is a bullet, a gun is a gun. Period.

For our fun midsummer pig hunt at Sunrize Acres in Michigan, Charlie and I chose a beautiful DPMS zebra-striped EBR from my swelling arsenal. We prolonged our hardware fondling as long as possible, giddy to be surrounded by so many lovely “assault weapons.” I know they are not “assault weapons” at all, but I just like calling them so to further confuse the loony anti-gun left.

Think of it as a bonus to just another self-evident, truth-based, God-given individual right.

This little custom beauty was not in the traditional .223 caliber, but rather one of my all-time favorites, the mighty .243 Winchester. Topped with a state of the art Trijicon AccuPoint tactical scope and loaded with deadly Winchester 95-grain Ballistic Tip ammo, I believe we had as fine a big game semi-auto a hunter could ever dream of.

At the range, Charlie commented how negligible recoil was, even for the mid-powered .243, and that the rifle was much more enjoyable to shoot than he had expected.

That is the beauty of a well-designed semiauto, as energy is channeled into functioning the action instead of the shooter’s shoulder.

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Beautiful. With confidence glowing, we headed for the pig woods.

Charlie settled nicely into the predator groove after a while, and as we were about to wrap up a long, patience-testing day, we finally had a crack at a fine boar as it made its way through the dense forest toward the waterhole at dusk.

Taking advantage of an old oak stump for a solid rest, Charlie made like a seasoned pro and drilled that nasty old stinky hog square through the shoulders at about 80 yards.

With a terminal last kick and a squeal, the mud-soaked hog clearly didn’t like the 95grain hot lead pill that blew its pump station to smithereens. I, on the other hand, was rather pleased; Charlie, ripped with delight.

I went on later that evening to a lucky rendezvous with a dandy Rusky swine, where the mighty DPMS .243 double-tapped a gorgeous boar trotting along at about 90 yards. This bad boy weighed more than 300 pounds with all the handsome features a pig lover admires: long silver, toothy, snout; heavy chest; narrow hips; rangy tail; and nasty attitude. My spirit pork chops runneth over.

As I prepare for what I believe to be the ultimate black rifle hunt, where I will employ my full-auto M4 with American legend and U.S. Navy SEAL hero, Marcus Lutrell, from a swooping helicopter, where we will attempt to reduce the dangerous wild pig over-population of South Texas, I believe we have the definitive full circle of the original M16 design—lightweight, hi-capacity, super accurate, reliable, and easy handling. Evil black rifles are terrific for warriors defending freedom anywhere on the globe, perfect for home and self-defense, ideal for small and big game hunting, and absolutely spectacular for machine-gunning destructive porkers from the air. I feel a nostalgic, emotional tear quelling up in my eyes, but I’m sure I will get over it.

E-mail Ted Nugent at tnugent@fishgame.com

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Commentary

by Kendal Hemphill | TF&G Commentator

N JANUARY 18 ABC NEWS REPORTED, what sensationally, that gunsight manufacturer Trijicon puts references to bible scriptures on all its sights. It would seem this is not news to any sensible person, but ABC made a big deal of it.

Trijicon is based in Wixom, Michigan, where the company has been building top quality sights for a long time. Their ACOG (Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight) is a marvel of technology, incorporating tritium, fiber optics, and battery power to create an excellent sight for a battle rifle. My only complaint is that they haven’t sent me one yet to put on my Smith & Wesson M&P-15.

Our military, in one of its more brilliant moves, decided some time back to start buying these sights and providing them to many American special forces units. I don’t believe it’s a stretch to say those sights have saved American lives and given some of our troops an easier and safer tour of duty in the sandbox. Evidence of this would seem to be that our military recently gave Trijicon a $660 million contract for a whole bunch more of these great optics over the next few years.

Trijicon began putting the references to bible verses on its sights about 30 years ago.

The company didn’t change that policy when the U.S. military started using the optics, and for a long time it’s been no big deal. And it would still be no big deal if ABC News hadn’t started squawking about it like a chicken in a dog pen.

The verses referenced are John 8:12 and II Corinthians 4:6. At the end of an identifying number on the base of each gunsight, one of these verses is referenced by either “JN8:12” or “2COR4:6.” I would imagine some people, who were unfamiliar with the bible, didn’t even realize they were indica-

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I don’t believe it is a stretch to say Trijicon sights have saved American Lives, and given our troops a safer tour of duty.

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Get Over It

tions of scriptures, if they happened to find the tiny raised characters at all.

Both of these scriptures have to do with light, which is what the Trijicon sights are all about. They are, as compared to a lot of bible verses, pretty inoffensive. But we all know that being inoffensive doesn’t mean someone won’t take offense.

The complaints about this situation are, as you might expect, ridiculous and contrived, and they come not from our enemies or our allies, but from Americans with way

too much time on their hands and way too little reason in their heads.

One charge is that our enemies will find out about this (which they will, if the U.S. media has its way) and be offended. These enemies, who have declared the current conflict a “holy war,” will think we’ve decided it’s a “holy war.” I fail to see how that would make a difference. Will they want to kill our troops any more than they already do? If you’re getting shot at, it would seem irritation of the opposition has already been achieved.

Another imagined problem arises because these American sights are mounted on American guns used to train foreign troops, many of whom happen to adhere to the Muslim faith. None of those folks have complained, of course, but there you go.

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ence to a bible verse is going to cause a problem there, we definitely should stop giving away American money, which has ‘In God we trust’ written on it.” If our allies were complaining, which they are not, that would solve the problem, pronto.

Another complaint, the excuse used by the military to force Trijicon’s hand on this, is that the references violate General Order 1, which forbids our troops from, among other things, proselytizing (trying to convert the locals to Christianity).

The irrefutable fact is that the verses don’t violate that order, in any way, shape, form, or fashion. If it did, then taking a bible over there, or a prayer book, or a Christian hymnbook would also violate the order.

Those things are not in question.

One of the biggest problems the whiners have with this is that they see it as inconsistent that a weapon, used to kill people, would be adorned with scripture. If that’s a problem, then no Christian person of any faith should be allowed to go over there and fight for our side.

But I don’t think this should ever have become an issue at all, and I think it’s sad that Trijicon was forced to quit putting the references on their products. It’s admirable that they did it at all.

What’s inexcusable is that our military has thrown out Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death,” and replaced it with “Give me non-offensive, politically correct weapons components or give America’s troops death.”

Our fighters deserve the best gear we can provide, no matter what’s written on it. Trijicon is the best. If the chair warmers decide to replace the Trijicon sights with something inferior, the chair warmers should walk point with it.

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E-mail Kendal Hemphill at commentary@fishgame.com

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by Chester Moore THERE ARE PROFESSIONAL bass fishermen, and then there’s Kevin Van Dam. A three-time Bassmaster Classic champ (his third win this February in Birmingham), five-time Angler of the Year, and legitimate living fishing legend, Van Dam—or “KVD” as his fans call him—is one of a kind.

I had the awesome pleasure of fishing with Van Dam last fall and hoped to glean some nuggets of wisdom I could pass on to TF&G readers.

He did not disappoint.

“Proper casting is the most important thing an angler can do to up his game,” Van Dam said. “Being able to make long casts with soft landings and with pinpoint accuracy is crucial to making a strong presentation to bass, especially the really big ones which are shy to begin with.”

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As he said this, Van Dam was pitching 25-pound fluorocarbon line extremely long distances by flipping standards into nooks and crannies along Lake Conroe’s developed shorelines.

Fluorocarbon is not easy to cast, flip, or do just about anything with, much less with line the size of Weed Eater string. However, watching him work it left me amazed and realizing my flipping skills need serious help.

Most of Conroe’s shoreline is lined with boat docks, riprap, and other manmade structure, which can make it difficult for anglers used to fishing grassy lakes.

“On lakes like this, a lot of the fish are going to be way in the Kevin VanDam thinks back of boat Texas lakes offer the best bass fishing in the docks and in country. spots where it is difficult to reach them, which is why

precision is so important,” Van Dam said.

He is known as the fastest of the bass pros. By “fast” I mean covering water in short order, and I got to witness this firsthand. I fish pretty fast myself when chasing bass, and by the time I had made one cast, he was halfway done with his second and moving along at a breakneck speed.

“It’s important to eliminate water and find a pattern that works quickly when you’re a tournament angler,” he said.

A big part of his tournament strategy these days involves the new side scan sonar by Hummingbird that shows super clear images out to 100 feet on each side of the boat. Van Dam took me into a cove he had fished during the 2009 Texas Toyota Bass Classic, and from a distance of over 60 feet, he showed me a super clear image of a sunken boat that looked like it had fish on top of it.

“This tool will allow anglers to get a whole new perspective on their fishing and help them find out just what kind of structure is holding the fish,” he said.

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Besides eliminating water, it is important for tournament pros to know which spots are worth focusing their extra energies on, especially in relation to catching the lunkers that can put them over the top.

“There have been times I have used the side scan and got an entirely new perspective on spots I have fished a number of times. I will grind it out over a spot if I know there are the kind of fish I need to catch, and this technology gives me confidence in those areas,” Van Dam said.

He noted that many of the largest bass are away from the shoreline on offshore structure, and tend to get ignored by many anglers.

“So many anglers fish the shorelines

because they hold so many fish, and they can see the structure they are fishing somewhat.

However, by using tools like side scan sonar and focusing on some of the deeper fish, an angler increases their chance of catching their biggest bass ever,” he said.

And what would he recommend an angler use to catch those super-sized bass?

“If you really want to get after big fish and are willing to dedicate yourself to it, a jig is hard to beat,” Van Dam said. “Jig fishing can be tedious, but they produce many big bass so they are certainly something an angler will want to consider.”

No matter what kind of top end gear an angler has or which heralded trophy lake he fishes, Van Dam said confidence is key: “You have to believe every cast is going to produce the fish you are looking for, so you pay atten-

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PHOTO BY CHESTER MOORE

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tion to your cast, the action of your lure, and your surroundings.”

Van Dam, a Michigan native, said when it comes to trophy bass production and overall management of the species, Texas is tops.

On the Web WATCH Chester Moore’s full video interview series with KEVIN VANDAM at www.FishGame.com/video Keyword: VanDam

KVD on Texas Bass Fishing

KVD on Taking it to the Next Level

KVD on Fishing “New” Water

KVD on Fishing High-pressure lakes ...and more—7 Segments in all.

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“Texas is the top bass fishing state. The amount of quality lakes like Falcon, Amistad, Conroe, Fork, Rayburn, and others and the management the state puts into the fishery is special,” Van Dam said. “I love fishing for bass in Texas.”

I have been blessed to fish with many pro anglers over the years, but none of them impressed me as much as Van Dam. I am not easily impressed by angling skills because my focus is more on the fun side of fishing than tedious technique, but Van Dam impressed

me in a big way. Watching him work was amazing and showed that someone who is disciplined, focused, and sticks to their dream can accomplish great things in the world of fishing.

Now, let’s see if he can earn that sixth Angler of the Year title in 2010. There is no question he has the skills to do it, and, thankfully for us, he doesn’t mind sharing his tips, tactics, and, more important, his philosophy.

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Portable boats and the frugal angler

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MANY AN ANGLER has a dream boat. Whether a tournament-ready 22-foot bass boat with a Batmobile cockpit and free racing helmet, a shallow-running bay/flats hybris with modified tunnel-vee hull, or go-fast offshore boat with a cigarette hull and triple 350 outboards, there is a vision of the boat.

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“Sure, the bass I find aren’t going to break records, but the action is pretty good, and I’m fishing. There’s nothing wrong with that,” McGuilry said.

DEAR JOHN According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the state has 3700 named waterways, 15 major rivers, and 212 reservoirs.

The majority of these are accessible with a johnboat, the venerable green aluminum watercraft that is as much a part of Texana as a Guadalupe bass or redear sunfish. It also seems to play a big part in many family stories.

Recent versions of the johnboat are big, roomy numbers with center consoles and

great boat. Every Spring Break, my boy and I portage that boat up to Choke Canyon and catch crappie and catfish for a week.”

Johnboat versatility suits them for extreme shallows, small waters, and riverine drifting with the bonus of powered upstream runs back to a campsite.

YAKKING IT UP Loiselle looked at a display of kayaks at the Boat Show.

“My son is getting older, and he’s bugging me to get him a kayak that he can load into the old truck I gave him and take off on his own,” he said. “I guess I’m gonna have to give it some thought.”

Both the kayak and its cousin, the canoe,

Fishermen kill entire afternoons at boat shows, leave pamphlets on coffee tables and bathroom counters for spouses to examine (and ultimately reject), and squirrel away extra cash every month hoping to bankroll the dream (only to learn that the only time the transmission breaks or the air conditioner needs a very expensive part is when your cache has just the right amount to pay for it).

Kismet is fond of throwing deadfalls between the angler and the boat of boats. But all hope isn’t lost. Cost-effective and, often, more versatile options abound.

AWAY WE GO Any boat that fits on a trailer is technically “portable,” but some are obviously more portable than others. A small johnboat, kayak, canoe, or bellyboat is easy to pack in the bed of a truck or roof of your SUV and portage to your favorite fishing hole. These setups are easily one- and two-man deployable.

“I like my bass boat,” said longtime bass angler Billy McGuilry at the Corpus Christi Boat Show. “You can’t beat it when running Choke or Falcon. Sometimes, I can’t find a partner to help me with the boat and split the costs, or sometimes I just want to fish alone.”

For those situations, McGuilry sticks his 12-foot johnboat and 9.9-horsepower tiller outboard in the back of his truck, and off he goes. The destination is usually Lake Corpus Christi or a put-in spot on the Nueces River upstream from the lake.

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Kayaks provide the versatility to fish any water—from deep river holes to bay flats.

large, fuel-injected outboards. The 12- to 14foot “duck boat” is the classic watercraft so many anglers have drifted down the Frio, Blanco, and San Marcos. Dozens of the roomy, stable hulls dot lakes such as Falcon, Livingston, and Caddo.

Drive down to the water’s edge with the boat sticking out of the bed of your truck, clamp a tiller-steer outboard to the transom, prime the fuel bulb, pull the ripcord, and you’re away at a decent enough clip to get you to a far-off hole in relatively little time.

Nothing to it.

“I have a banged-up johnboat rigged with an old Evinrude my Grandfather left me,” said CC Boat Show attendee Robert Loiselle. “I’ve soldered that hull plenty of times, rebuilt the engine twice, and it’s still a

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provide the independent portability to fish mysterious waters. Kayaks have sprung up on every navigable waterway in Texas, and many boys and girls have learned how to use a paddle by sculling a canoe at summer camp.

“Kayaks are as versatile as any other boat, and sometimes even more,” said longtime kayak aficionado Bobby Soto. “I can take my ‘yak anywhere and still fish. I can fish the deep holes in a river, or I can fish the shallow runs. If the water gets too shallow, I don’t drag a boat. I can pick up my ‘yak and walk.”

Kayaks and canoes not only offer maximum portability for the walkabout angler, but also provide a dimension of stealth whereby to sneak up on spooky fish. The paddler’s lower positioning in relation to the water surface reduces shadows and reflections that off fish PHOTO BY JASON TORMO

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TACKLEBOX WALKABOUT

Johnboat Car-topper johnboat by Tracker Boats

www.trackerboats.com

Portable 9HP tillersteered outboard by Yamaha www.yamaha-motor.com/outboard

Portable Outboard

GEAR

Trolling Motor Minn Kota lightweight electric troller www.minnkotamotors.com

White River Fly Shop Float Tube www.basspro.com

Belly Boat

off to an angler’s presence.

“It’s ninja fishing,” said Soto. “The fish don’t even know you’re there.”

BELLY UP Along with the over 200 impoundments that dot the Texas landscape, there are countless small ponds and stock tanks filled with fishes. The angler without a johnboat, kayak, or canoe can still have a shot at covering a lot of water with a bellyboat.

Originally, the bellyboat was an innertube modified for angling with a seat or harness (and in some versions, suspenders) that allowed fishermen to kick out Belly boats have evolved from to deeper water. harness rigged inner-tubes into Over the years, personal pontoon boats. the bellyboat has evolved into a seat with pontoons on either side. The angler sits in the middle and the pontoons provide ing, head back to shore, shuck your bellyboat, flotation. The bellyboat is very popular with pick it up, and walk the shoreline to the next bass and trout anglers alike, and have found a spot.

It doesn’t get any easier than that for the spot in the arsenals of crappie fishermen who fish snug up to timber and stickups in large Walkabout Angler. impoundments.

The bellyboat provides a stable, light, effective platform for fishermen, and is the most portable of all. If your spot isn’t producPHOTO BY GREG BOIARSKY

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merheads with their funky cephalic morI WAS EIGHT YEARS phology, and tigers with huge blunt snouts and black stripes that stood out even in OLD the first time I saw a black and white photos.

One particular photo caught and held sawfish. I was in my Tio my attention: There was my Tio, a much man, standing on a dock, flanked (Uncle) Bob’s tackle shop, younger by two giants hung by their tails. One was a tiger shark easily 12 feet long, its head Gulf Sporting Goods in sporting a huge bullet hole. That beast must have weighed close to 1200 pounds.

Corpus Christi, just off But the tiger held far less interest than the second fish. It was as long as the tiger, Leopard. While my dad but broader across the back. What drew attention most was the long snout bristalked to his brother-in-law, my tling from base to tip with horizontal teeth.

“That’s a sawfish we caught off Padre I marveled at the myriad Island,” Tio Bob told me. “There used to be a lot of them in Nueces and Corpus photographs pinned onto Christi Bay. Now, you don’t see them anymore.” the walls of the shop. I Legend scanned from picture to pic- A Texas The sawfishes that once haunted the Texas Gulf Coast (smalltooth sawfish, ture: giant trout, bull redPristis pectinata, and largetooth sawfish, Pristis perotteti) are as much part of fish, jumbo black drum, Coastal Texana as the tarpon and redfish.

Sawfishes are big, tough customers sportstringers of fish literally ing their own serrated cutlery that set them apart from fellow elasmobranchs, the yards long. subclass it shares with sharks and rays.

And the sharks! There were big toothy beasts of all shapes and sizes in those pictures. There were bulls and lemons with jaws filled with serrated triangles, ham-

Sawfishes reach impressive size. The long-standing Texas state record measured 14 feet, 7 inches, and weighed 736 pounds, caught at the Galveston jetties on T E X A S

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January 1,1939, by Gus Pangarakis (see the lead photo of this article).

The Texas record stood as the world record until at least 1960, when according to old IGFA records an 890.5-pound sawfish succumbed to the hook at Fort Amador, Panama. However, there is room to gainsay since the Panama fish’s species was not specified, merely listed as “sawfish.” Considering the location and weight, odds are it was probably a largetooth. The Texas record is listed as a largetooth, but some sources say smalltooth. That even fisheries scientists are unsure of the number of sawfish species worldwide compounds the confusion.

Back in Texas, while preparing the outer wall of a Rockport barbershop for a fresh coat of paint, workers uncovered a mural depicting a sawfish claimed 17 feet long and weighing nearly a ton. Locals say two Palacios fishermen caught the beast in a shrimp trawl on Matagorda Bay in the summer of 1927 or 1928.

A photograph sent to the Penn Reel Company depicts angler Ernie Reed of Houston with a sawfish caught in 1940 near Galveston, purported to weigh 1300 pounds and measure 17 feet. The fish hangs from the mast of a shrimp trawler.

Is it the same fish depicted in the Rockport wall mural? Nobody knows.

Back in the day, sawfish were quite plentiful along the entire coast from Mexico, around the Gulf, and up the Eastern Seaboard to the Carolinas.

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“My dad and uncle used to catch hundreds of them around Mexequita Flats and South Bay back in the 1950s and 1960s,” said longtime Lower Laguna Madre guide and resident Captain Jimmy Martinez.

“They were all over the place in the

revered sawfishes; they symbolized strength.

The rostrum of a big saw served as a handy weapon—imagine getting raked across the torso or brained with a war club fashioned from one of those things.

“Like shark’s teeth, the rostral teeth would be fastened to a handle to serve as a weapon or a tool,” Wiley said.

Modern cultures, including American culture, still consider the sawfish a formidable image, according to M.T. McDavitt’s article “Cultural Importance of Sawfish” (Shark, 2002). Images of sawfishes were emblazoned on World War II-era U-boats, naval ships, and American submarines. The U.S. Navy even christened a submarine USS Sawfish, a craft that went on to earn eight Battle Stars while serving in the Pacific theatre.

The oil from the sawfish’s liver was often used for tanning leather, and the flesh is considered quite tasty, especially the white meat from the large dorsal and pectoral fins. Its hulking size and relative abundance also made it a popular sport fish among recreational anglers of the early-to-mid twentieth century. The sawfish was a respected and prized fish.

The sawfish was especially abundant from the Coastal Two giant sawfish taken off the Galveston north jetty in 1940.

Bend up to the Galveston area, and a sport fishery spring, starting with the full moon of March. thrived. Monsters in the 14- to 17-foot range Dad and my uncle were fishing for trout and were pulled from around the Galveston Jetties, redfish with cut bait, and they would catch a Mustang Island, and Padre Island, especiallot of little sawfish right next to them.” ly from Bob Hall Pier all the way to Big Shell.

Martinez’s elders, like many shrimpers and The Corpus Christi Caller, Houston Post, commercial fishermen, were not wealthy men. Houston Chronicle, and Galveston County DaiIf they caught it, they filleted it. Martinez’s ly News sported periodic photos of these big grandmother would sell the rostrum (the boys and the fishermen who caught them. proper term for the sawfish’s namesake bill) to Sawfish were en vogue. tourists as a curio. The sawfish was just another fish.

To others, however, the sawfishes meant much, much more.

The sawfish began its decline in the latter “[The sawfish] was really a cool thing to part of the twentieth century. The populations catch,” said TPWD Fisheries Outreach Spe- of both largetooth and smalltooth fell dramatcialist Tonya Wiley, a leading authority on saw- ically throughout their natural range. Since fishes who headed the Mote Marine Labora- 1979, there have been only two confirmed tory’s sawfish project before coming home to sightings of smalltooth sawfish in Texas, the first Texas last summer. Sawfishes were also impor- in 1979 and the second in 1984; TPWD emtant cultural and religious icons to different peo- ployees conducting surveys made both. ples throughout their range.

There was a third, unconfirmed sighting in Coastal tribes such as the Karankawas 2003 by some fishermen in the Land Cut of

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Lower Laguna Madre, who spotted what Wiley believes was a smalltooth swimming around their fishing cabin. “No photo was taken, so we can’t call it a confirmed sighting,” she said.

Wiley said she talked at length with the three witnesses, and is confident of the validity of their claim that they saw P. Pectinata.

Unfortunately, the largetooth sawfish appears to be extinct over the majority of its historic range, and the Florida Everglades is the only area left with a decent population of both species. Both are listed as critically endangered by the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Like many other Texas species whose numbers have dwindled over the past century, no single factor is responsible.

“It was a combination of factors that led to the drop in sawfish numbers,” Wiley said.

“The mass development of the coast was part of it.”

Sawfishes give birth to about a dozen live young, and prefer to whelp in shallow back bays where the young can find food and cover in the sea grasses. Wiley pointed out that dredging, seawall construction, and development of waterfront condominium complexes eliminated substantial percentages of this habitat along the

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Texas coast. Consequently, traditional breeding grounds that sawfishes used for millennia disappeared. At the same time that these nurseries were disappearing, the adult sawfishes were facing pressure from both recreational and commercial fishermen.

“They were just hammered there for a while,” said Wiley. “The recreational fishermen killed thousands of them.” But most were essentially by-catch victims of the commercial industry.

Since sawfishes were bottom swimmers, they were easily caught in shrimp trawls. Shrimpers, in order to preserve their equipment and protect crewmembers from a giant, angry, thrashing beast with a dangerous weapon attached to its face, would simply kill the animal and then clear the net, the rostrum cut off and sold.

Sawfish biology didn’t help matters. Both species are slow-growing, late-maturing animals that have limited reproductive potential. In short, it took a long time for saws to reach sexual maturity, and when they did, they did not produce enough offspring to mitigate population losses.

End of the Trail Realistically, largetooth sawfish are no longer part of the biological tapestry of the Texas coast. The Sawfish Project’s ultimate goal is to expand the P. perotteti range to as far as the Mississippi River. The Big Muddy is a substantial natural barrier to cross, though, and that might limit the range of restoration.

If the 2003 sighting is any indication, smalltooth sawfish still have some kind of fin-hold on the Texas coast. They might never reach any sort of numbers that makes them a viable target species, but maybe, just maybe, there are a few out there that will make occasional appearances before unsuspecting fishermen just to keep things interesting.

Editor’s note: Report any sawfish sightings to sawfish@flmnh.ufl.edu, or call National Sawfish Encounter Database at 352-3922360. If possible, take a photo or two of the fish for identity confirmation. Be aware that both species of sawfish are endangered, and any captured fish should be promptly released unharmed.

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Texas Freshwater

by Matt Williams| TF&G Freshwater Editor

The Top-50 Bass That Almost Was ALTER “JUNIOR” THOMAS OF ALBA reeled in a whale of largemouth bass at Lake Fork last Thanksgiving Day. The angler checked the fish against an uncertified Rapala digital scale and snapped a few photos before setting it free. Unofficial weight: 15.69 pounds.

Had the bass been measured on a certi-

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fied scale, it would have ranked among the Top 50 heaviest ever caught in Texas.

Regardless, it is the largest bass reported from Lake Fork since 2002.

Interestingly, Thomas had plenty of opportunity to find a certified scale and document the catch for the record books, but a legal hitch prevented him from following through. According to Texas law, the fish was not caught in a legal manner because it was caught on a game fish. A crappie, to be exact.

Here’s what went down: Thomas said he was crappie fishing around a bridge crossing in 35 feet of water at about 8:30 a.m. when he felt the subtle thump of a crappie eating his 1/16-ounce jig.

As he was reeling the crappie toward the surface, something much bigger grabbed it

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and took off.

Realizing his 4-1/2-foot ultralight outfit was outmatched, Thomas kicked his trolling motor on “High” so he could follow the fish in open water and hopefully play it down before it broke the 8-pound-test line. He worked the fish close to the surface three times and finally managed to get a net under it roughly 40 minutes later. Amazingly, the bass was not even hooked.

“Once they grab these crappie, they don’t want to let go,” Thomas said. “Sometimes they’ll spit it out, but this one didn’t.

She wanted it bad.”

Obviously, this was not Thomas’ first rodeo. A lakeside resident, he has been crappie fishing on the popular reservoir for more than a decade. He learned early on that Lake Fork lunkers have developed a sweet

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tooth for succulent papermouths.

“It is well known around here that big bass love crappie,” Thomas said. “You hear about fishermen getting crappie ripped off their hooks or getting their lines broke by big bass pretty frequently. If you spend much time fishing for crappie around the bridges, sooner or later it is going to happen.”

Thomas has had crappie robbed off his hook multiple times over the years. He has also been lucky enough to catch and release a number of the piscatorial thieves, including a couple of 10-pounders he caught during a magical, three-week stretch last October.

Thomas said catching the pair of 10-

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pounders is what prompted him to email the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department headquarters and inquire how game wardens might interpret the unique set of circumstances.

“I was curious to learn what the ruling would be if a sure ‘nuff ShareLunker size bass grabbed hold of one these crappie and you were lucky enough to get it in,” he said.

“Would it be a legal fish?”

Thomas received a reply from TPWD’s law enforcement division in early November explaining that it is not legal to retain any fish that is caught using game fish for bait.

True. One might argue in Thomas’ case that the jig was the actual bait and that the initial goal was to target crappie, not to target crappie with the intent of hooking one and then feeding it to a big bass. However, the argument would not hold water in front of a game warden, or a records committee, according to Robert Goodrich, TPWD assistant chief of fisheries enforcement.

“The bottom line is you can’t use game fish for bait,” Goodrich said. “It was ultimately a crappie that attracted that fish, not

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the artificial jig. When the crappie ate the jig, [the crappie] became the bait.”

While Thomas is thankful he checked on the ruling ahead of time, he said it didn’t ease the pain of turning a fish loose that ultimately would have won him $10,000 in cash had it been caught legally.

Thomas was pre-registered in the 200910 Lake Fork Bounty Bonanza. The promotional program run by the Lake Fork Area Chamber of Commerce offers cash rewards up to $100,000 for big bass caught from Lake Fork. A Top 50 fish is worth $10,000.

“I guess you could say this was one of those bittersweet deals,” he said. “It’s one thing to conquer a 10-pound bass and put it back in the water, but to catch a Top 50 fish worth $10,000 and kiss it goodbye, now that will put a knot in your stomach,” Thomas said. “I was sick about it, but I really didn’t have a choice.”

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Texas Saltwater

by Calixto Gonzales | TF&G Saltwater Editor

Slow and Steady OU’VE GOT TO LOVE SPRINGTIME ON THE Coast. It isn’t because the fishing is better in the spring; as you have seen in the pages of this magazine, fishing is always good on the coast for the fisherman in the know.

Spring is special more because of the sense of renewal that seems to permeate the air. The sun feels truly warm again, and blue skies dominate. There might still be a wind, but it is out of the southeast. Even the water

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seems better, with emerald green replacing the sandy, dun colors of winter. Fishing in the winter can be good, even great, but spring just feels better.

It should be no surprise, then, that fishing styles become more aggressive. I have shared many a boat with fishermen who wing out long casts and start working a lure (especially soft plastics) with an almost frantic fast retrieve. The rod tip is up and whipping and the jig darts along. If fishing topwaters, they snap them along in tight wiggles that make internal rattles sound off, tick-tick-tick-ticktick.

These fast, pedal to the metal strategies catch lots of fish. Trout and redfish are starting to work the winter kinks out of their bodies and focusing on young and emerging baits. Game fishes are hungry and very

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aggressive, and anglers box a lot of them.

Larger fish usually pass this extended Chinese fire drill relatively unscathed. I remember a particular trip last April with South Texas Sportsman host Fred Rodriguez, and Dargel Boats and custom rod designer Roland Marroquin. We had dialed into some good numbers of speckled trout along the Color Change north of the Long Bar. They were good, fat trout in the 16-inch range, and they were busting our quick-worked Gulp! Jerk Shads. Wind was light, and the clarity along the transition zone was good enough to sometimes see the fish strike. I was passing my lure over a sand bar and a saw a larger trout of about 22 inches come up and follow my bait.

In a moment of panic, I sped my bait up just a bit, and the 3-pound fish turned off

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and disappeared. On spec, I shot another cast into the same pothole and worked the bait back at a winter-slow pace. This time I felt a solid thump. After a brief struggle, I flipped the bigger trout into the boat, and after a brief discussion with Rodriguez for the sake of the camera, released it.

How many comparable or better fish have I missed like that during spring trips?

“Bigger trout don’t like chasing down their food,” said Captain Mike Hart. “They prefer to ambush slower-moving wounded or dying baitfish. Even in spring and summer, the bigger trout don’t like moving too much.”

So, the key to maximizing opportunities for larger trout is to slow presentation.

Hart likes to outfit clients with lures and baits under an Old Bayside Paradise Popper. The float offers an added element of sound to the setup; more importantly, it forces an angler to slow down the presentation. The bait stays in a bigger fish’s strike zone much longer, and Ol’ Mustardmouth doesn’t have to go chasing dinner.

Another favored technique among guides and veteran trout hunters is lighter jigheads, as little as 1/16- and even 1/32-ounce.

Smaller jigheads allow baits to descend in the water column more slowly, thus allowing for slower presentation. This technique is especially lethal along color changes and potholes on grass flats.

I have also been experimenting with rigging my swimbaits with the un-weighted version of the LazerSharp L11118G Swimbait hook. A swimbaits’ buoyancy is enough to allow the heavy wire hooks to create a slow sink. This setup was very successful on snook and large speckled trout in South Bay and Mexequita Flats on Lower Laguna Madre. The slow presentation even goaded a 3-foot tarpon into striking. The experience was brief and intense, but enough to convince me that a slow presentation could be very successful.

If you are a topwater aficionado, a slow, steady presentation is worth a try. Unlike a quick retrieve, which creates the familiar walk-the-dog wiggle and clack-clack rattle, working your Top Dog or Badonk-a-Donk slowly creates a wider, gliding, side-to-side action and louder clack. The slower dance also simulates a wounded baitfish, which stimulates a more aggressive strike.

Sometimes the best slow retrieve is no retrieve at all. Captain Larry Corbett once

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taught me a technique with jointed minnows called “the Houma Hustle” (or as I term it, the Big Wiggle). After a cast, rather than starting a retrieve, point your rod directly at your bait and start shaking your rod tip. The vibrations telegraph down the line and into the bait, setting up a stationary vibration.

Though the lure wiggles back and forth, it stays in one spot. I have had many a trout and snook blast a plug while it was doing the Hustle.

A slow presentation doesn’t necessarily require Job-like patience. Big predators might not like to chase, but they still have to eat.

E-mail Calixto Gonzales cgonzales@fishgame.com

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Hunt Texas

by Bob Hood | TF&G Hunting Editor

Eastern Saga T PRE-DAWN ONE CHILLY MORNING LAST spring, I shuffled to find a more comfortable seat in a woodpile at the edge of a Northeast Texas clear-cut. The clearing bordered a turkey roost about 200 yards away, and the thunder of two eastern gobblers minutes earlier had assured me that rancher Mike Ford’s suggestions about where I should set up were right on the money.

As daybreak began to spread across this area of Ford’s Rio Rojo Rancho in Red River County, it was refreshing to hear the chorus of bird songs that began with cardinals and soon was joined by wrens, chickadees, woodpeckers, and an owl; only later to be overcome by loud, squawking crows that entered the scene like a heavy metal band spoiling an opera.

The two toms gobbled twice more and then hushed. I listened as closely as I could for the wingbeats that would signal a flydown, but the crows made it difficult to hear anything but them as they bullied for attention. Finally, the sun began to creep through, spreading light slowly across the open ground and onto my two hen decoys 20 yards away.

Another 20 minutes passed and I wondered if the gobblers were still in the trees or had slipped down and were on the move.

There was a good chance they still clung to the limbs, because that’s one big difference I have found between eastern and Rio Grande turkey: Easterns often stay on their roosts longer than Rios, and if you try charging in to set up on a vocal gobbler just after sunup, there is a good chance you will get busted from its bird’s eye view high in the trees.

After about 40 years of hunting turkey, I have found that patience has killed more birds than just about anything. I sat silent for a few more minutes, then picked up my slate

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call and scratched out a few soft clucks. I felt a slight breeze across my face and turned slowly toward my decoys. Just as I had hoped, the breeze put a little life in the pair. I scratched out a few more clucks and purrs then searched my surroundings. I saw movement between a pair of brush piles as a jake stepped into full view.

The gobbler never made a sound, but continued straight toward me. I checked the decoys and realized they were not in the bird’s line of sight. Even though I was after a longbeard, I still wanted to draw the turkey in close enough to photograph. A few more soft clucks and purrs was all it took to keep him coming, and once he did get around a mound of dirt that had blocked the view of the decoys, I had him on a string.

To me, tricking a gobbler to come in close is the real excitement of spring turkey hunting. I certainly will shoot my share of them before the season is over, but I have learned a lot from gobblers I didn’t shoot. This one stayed around for the photo shoot for several minutes, and then wandered off. Minutes later, two more jakes came in, checked out both decoys, then left disappointed. None of them gobbled or strutted before coming in or while circling the decoys. Their beards were barely past their breast feathers.

The following morning, I hunted from a blind Ford had made with a hay ring normally used for feeding round bales of hay to cattle. Ford bends and wires hog fence panels around and over the hay ring, and then covers it with a plastic camouflage tarp. The inside of the blind is lined with black plastic tarp. A hunter sitting inside with a black shirt, jacket, or other dark clothing becomes almost invisible to any bird or animal that looks through one of the small “black hole” openings or shooting ports in the camo siding.

The blind was close to a trail just inside a line of timber in a creek bottom. The decoys were set out in a small opening near the trail.

The morning awoke to more sounds of birds but without those of the crows or any gobbling activity. I picked up the slate call and tried a few soft hen clucks, purrs, and yelps,

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but increased the volume with a box call when it appeared no gobblers were close. I then went back to softer calls with the slate. Minutes later, the dark body of an eastern gobbler moved along the trail, stopping cautiously every few steps.

When the gobbler stopped and stretched its head upward, I knew it had spotted one or both of the decoys. Lowering its head, it moved forward, went into a strut, and slowly worked toward the closest decoy. Fortunately for it but unfortunately for me, it, too, was a jake. I laid my M66 Ithaca 12-gauge aside and once again picked up my camera. The gobbler continued strutting, going from one decoy to the other before moving on down the trail.

The hunt ended with no turkey to clean but certainly with great memories of calling in a species known to be less aggressive than Rio Grandes, but also with an appreciation of the impact that all of us hunters have on wildlife populations and hunting opportunities.

Eastern turkey virtually disappeared from Texas 100 years ago due to unregulated commercial hunting and changing land use practices. Attempts in the 1930s and 1970s to restock them failed mainly because the state could not obtain enough birds from other states in a species-to-species trading agreement. However, when the state turkey stamp required for hunters came into play in the 1980s, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department was able to use the stamp money to buy, not trade for, eastern turkey from other states.

Block or saturation stockings in various counties have resulted in huntable populations now in 42 of 57 East Texas counties.

Red River County was the first stocked and the first to open a spring turkey season.

Hunters should be proud that the return of eastern turkey to Texas is the result of their monies and their concerns. Where were the anti-hunter’s monies or concerns during all that time?

E-mail Bob Hood at hunting@fishgame.com.

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Sabine’s Shocking Truths EXAS’ LARGEST REDFISH EVER CAUGHT BY rod and reel hailed from the Sabine Lake area. Artie Longron caught the 59.50-pound monster in 2000 in the near-shore Gulf, an area known to house monster schools of monster reds.

The state rod and reel record for flounder also came from Sabine. Caught by Herbert Endicott, this 13-pound behemoth has been the standard-bearer for Texas flounder since 1976.

Add to that a water-body record trout weighing 11.50 pounds caught by angler Kelly Rising, and a reputation for producing numerous specks over 10 pounds each season, and you can see why the truth about Sabine Lake might be shocking to some.

Once called the “forgotten bay,” Sabine Lake has become a popular destination for anglers looking for a different experience than what they will find anywhere else in Texas. Despite the fact its stock has risen along the coast in recent years, there are still mysteries about this unique ecosystem ranging from its habitat to its laws.

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Truth 1: Sabine Lake is not a freshwater lake. It is indeed a bay system that is fed by two rivers, the Sabine and Neches and that connects to the Gulf of Mexico through

Sabine Pass. And while it often has a fresher component more than any other bay in the Lone Star State, it’s definitely considered saltwater. Don’t let the “lake” in the name fool you.

Truth 2: Despite rumors to the contrary, Sabine Lake does indeed have structure. In fact, it has the largest virgin oyster reef in the United States on the south end that is somewhere in the neighborhood of

by Chester Moore three miles long. Ironically, another rumor is that Sabine is so shallow and has so many oysters it is not safe to navigate. This is definitely wrong since once you hit the main body of Sabine Lake there is little chance of running aground since the depth averages around six feet.

Truth 3: Sabine Lake is co-owned by Texas and Louisiana. The most commonly asked question about Sabine Lake is whether an angler needs a Louisiana license. The answer is no and yes.

There is a reciprocal agreement between Texas and Louisiana that allows anglers to fish the Louisiana side (eastern shoreline)

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without a Louisiana license as long as they do not venture beyond the mouths of the bayous. In other words, you can fish the shorelines and mouths of cuts but not enter them with a Texas license. I would advise giving yourself a fair distance from the mouths of cuts because it is at a game warden’s opinion as to where the cut ends and the lake begins.

This agreement used to extend down to the jetties but it now ends at Texas and Louisiana Points. This means if you fish the Sabine Jetties on the Louisiana side, even on the ship channel portion of the jetties you will need a Louisiana fishing license.

Truth 4: Some estimate this estuary is surrounded by more marsh than exists on the rest of the Texas coast, which makes it an excellent producer of redfish.

Most of the winter action for redfish centers on the north end of the ecosystem from a few miles up the Neches and Sabine Rivers down toward a system of islands on the upper reaches of the lake itself. Probably the very best spot borders the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge on the Louisiana side: Blacks Bayou. This deep, winding

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In This Issue

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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: ROCKPORT • Water Temps Set the Tempo |

BY CAPT. MAC GABLE

C38

C24

HOTSPOTS FOCUS: LOWER COAST • Upper Laguna Under-Looked for Flounder |

BY CHESTER MOORE

INSIDER • C40 INDUSTRY Fish-N-Hunt, Ranger Boats, Humminbird, Mercury, EHP, Sportlock |

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SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK • Tides, Solunar Table, Best Hunting/Fishing Times |

BY TF&G STAFF

BY TF&G STAFF

OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE SECTION

HOW-TO SECTION

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COVER STORY • Sabine’s Shocking Truths |

BY CHESTER MOORE

HOTSPOTS & TIDES SECTION

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TEXAS HOTSPOTS • Texas’ Hottest Fishing Spots |

BY TOM BEHRENS, CALIXTO GONZALES, & BOB HOOD

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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: UPPER COAST • Sabine Spring Strategies |

BY CAPT. EDDIE HERNANDEZ

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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: GALVESTON • COMPLEX • No April Showers, Please |

BY CAPT. MIKE HOLMES

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HOTSPOTS FOCUS: MATAGORDA • Catch Redfish Over Matagorda Shell |

BY CHESTER MOORE

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BOWHUNTING TECH • Teeing Off Turkey Season | BY LOU MARULLO

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FRESHWATER TALES • Anticipating the Post-Spawn |

BY DON ZAIDLE

NEW PRODUCTS • What’s New from Top Outdoor Manufacturers |

BY TF&G STAFF

TEXAS GUNS & GEAR • Shooting from the Bench | BY STEVE LAMASCUS TEXAS BOATING • Brain Waves |

BY LENNY RUDOW

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OUTDOOR CLASSIFIED DIRECTORY • Classifieds | BY TF&G STAFF

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PHOTO ALBUM • Your Action Photos |

TEXAS TASTED • Cowhound Chicken Tenders |

BY BRYAN SLAVEN

BY TF&G READERS

TEXAS KAYAKING • Reptiles I Have Known |

BY GREG BERLOCHER BAITS & RIGS • Spinning a Jig |

BY PAUL BRADSHAW

GEARING UP SECTION

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TEXAS TESTED • Stanley Lights, Thompson/Center, Avery |

BY TFG STAFF

www.FishGame.com Sabine Lake is estimated to be surrounded by more marsh than the rest of the Texas coast — making it an excellent redfish producer.

PHOTO BY CHESTER MOORE

bayou reaches from the Sabine to Hackberry, La. and holds large numbers of redfish in the winter.

The key is to look for shorelines lined with clams and shell middens (areas where Native Americans prepared and fed on clams, oysters, and mussels) are present in good numbers here. Watch for the high, outgoing tidal movements or the last hour or so of a rising tides for the best action.

Strips of mullet fished on a fish-finder (Carolina) rig are the best bait for this technique. Crab is another good choice but there is a lot of sheepshead here and unless you want them to steal your bait, you are best advised to stick with mullet.

“I like to fish these areas for 15 or 20 minutes or move on. It’s one of those kinds of deals where either the reds are there or they aren’t,” said. Capt. Albert Bates.

Over on the Neches, the Entergy outfall canal is a good option for reds this month, particularly during extreme cold snaps. It is the only warm water discharge on the north Continued on Page C4 C2 |

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Color-Coordinated Trout LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Willow Bayou GPS: N29 51.727, W93 46.907 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: plastic Glow-colored bait in clear water; Red Shad or Morning Glory/chartreuse tail in stained CONTACT: Capt. Chris Phillips, 409719-7166 TIPS: Where to fish depends on how much rainfall we have received. Drift-fish from the Louisiana shoreline out into seven or eight feet of water; should be a good spot for the whole month of April.

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SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: 4inch Gulp Swimming Minnow in white, chartreuse on a 3/8-ounce jighead CONTACT: Capt. Chris Phillips, 409719-7166 TIPS: At the beginning of the month, it will be the best time to catch some redfish.

Drift along the rocks, casting into the rocks while bumping the lure along the bottom.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Jetties GPS: N29 40.287, W93 49 49.720

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Lighthouse Cove GPS: N29 43.616, W93 51.308 SPECIES: flounder BEST BAITS: soft plastics in Glow chartreuse or purple/chartreuse CONTACT: Capt. Chris Phillips, 409719-7166 TIPS: Concentrate your fishing efforts on the reefs around Lighthouse Cove.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Madame Johnson Bayou GPS: N29 50.839, W93 50.839 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: plastic Glow-colored bait in clear water; Red Shad or Morning Glory/chartreuse tail in stained CONTACT: Capt. Chris Phillips, 409719-7166 TIPS: Drift from the Louisiana shoreline out into 7-8 feet of water; should be a good spot for the whole month of April. Fish with lightest jighead you can get away with.

COVER STORY Continued from Page C2

Sabine Lake is one of the finest flounder fisheries on the Gulf Coast.

end of the system and it can hold plenty of redfish, which gladly take cut mullet and gold spoons fished slowly along the bottom.

For anglers wanting to catch supersized redfish, the extreme southern end of this system at the Sabine Jetties can be red hot. The official bull redfish run takes place in the fall, but there are oversized redfish at the Sabine Jetties year-round.

Truth 5: Sabine Lake, despite its reputation for super muddy bottoms, offers some excellent wade-fishing action for speckled trout.

Trout action can be good along the mud flats adjacent to the Intracoastal Canal just north of Pleasure Island, where C4 |

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wade fishing is the way to go.

On warm afternoons when the tides are running high, baitfish like mullet will move onto the shallow flats to take advantage of the warmer water that results from the black bottom retaining heat from the sun.

Anglers should think to fish slowly this time of year and fish lures like the Mir-

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rOlure Catch 2000, Catch 5 or the Corky.

Worked at a snail’s pace along these flats, they are quite effective at intercepting big trout. The late Capt. Daniel Pyle introduced me to this spot and he routinely caught trout in seven to eight pound range here when most anglers were at home staying warm. It can be a killer spot.

Other good spots to wade are the islands along the extreme north end like Sydney Island and Stewt’s. The south sides of these islands both have wadeable bottoms and can hold fair to good numbers of big trout.

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PHOTO BY CHESTER MOORE

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LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Pleasure Island GPS: N29 55.777, W93 51.949 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: soft plastics or topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Chris Phillips, 409719-7166

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TIPS: Look for bait action along toward the end of month.

BANK ACCESS: At Ellison/Hwy. 82 intersection in Port Arthur, turn right and travel approximately 4-1/2 miles to developed resort area on Pleasure Pier Boulevard.

Along Ellison Parkway, free fishing piers

and stone revetment walls can be found on the south side of the island.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: South Causeway Reef GPS: N29 47.221, W93 55.919 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: 1/4-ounce jighead and soft plastics in chartreuse, Limetreuse, white, white/chartreuse tail CONTACT: Capt. Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, 409-673-9211 TIPS: April brings bull spring tides. The young of the year shrimp, croaker, and sand eels coming out of the Gulf with a warm bull tide will flush into the bay. If there has been a lot of freshwater influx into the lake, the fish will all be jammed into the south one-fourth part of the lake.

There will even be some birds working in April.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Blue Buck Point GPS: N29 47 780, W93 54.439 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: 1/4-ounce jighead with clear, sparkle-type soft plastic baits with chartreuse tails CONTACT: Capt. Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, 409-673-9211 TIPS: The key to fishing the lake is knowing how much freshwater is coming in, the salinity level, and how the wind affects it. Freshwater influx moves the fish south. If the wind is from the south or east, clear water should be on the Louisiana shoreline. Drift-fishing is the best approach.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Revetment Walls/Pleasure Island GPS: N29 55.777, W93 51.949 BEST BAITS: 1/4-ounce jighead with clear, sparkle-type soft plastic baits with chartreuse tails SPECIES: speckled trout CONTACT: Capt. Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, 409-673-9211 TIPS: Revetment walls on west side should hold clear water when a north, northwest wind blows.

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LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Blue Buck Point GPS: N29 47.780, W93 54.439 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Brown’s Glow/chartreuse Devil’s Eye on a 3/8-ounce CONTACT: Capt. Randy Foreman, 409985-7619 TIPS: Look for bird action on the south end of the lake on incoming tides.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Johnson’s Bayou GPS: N29 50.839, W29 50.839 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: Flounder Pounder CT Red Shad on 1/4-ounce jighead, tipped with Fish Bites Shrimp Strips CONTACT: Capt. Randy Foreman, 409985-7619 TIPS: Fish the deep drops, some dropping as much as 4 feet.

LOCATION: Christmas Bay HOTSPOT: South Shoreline

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GPS: N29 02.681, W95 10.384 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Baits and lures will depend on the water conditions. Artificial lures should resemble the primary live bait at this time of the year—young menhaden or live shrimp.

CONTACT: Bill Balboa, TPWD Galveston Bay Ecosystem Leader, 281-5340110 TIPS: Good wade-fishing location.

BANK ACCESS: There are places where anglers can park and walk to shoreline of Christmas Bay readily available off CR 257, the Bluewater Highway.

LOCATION: Galveston Bay/West Bay HOTSPOT: San Luis Pass Flats GPS: N29 05.673, W95 06.880 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp fished under a popping cork CONTACT: Bill Balboa, TPWD Galveston Bay Ecosystem Leader, 281-5340110 TIPS: Wade-fishing is the best technique.

BANK ACCESS: There are unimproved roads off to the side of CR 257, Bluewater Highway, that allow access to the pass from the Galveston Island side before you enter the bridge. On the Brazoria side of the Pass, park in the parking lot and walk down to the Pass.

LOCATION: Galveston Bay/West Bay HOTSPOT: San Louis Pass Bridge GPS: N29 04.957, W95 07.425 SPECIES: black drum BEST BAITS: quartered crab CONTACT: Bill Balboa, TPWD Galveston Bay Ecosystem Leader, 281-5340110 TIPS: Be prepared with a variety of different baits. Assess the water conditions and choose from what you bring.

BANK ACCESS: There are unimproved roads off to the side of CR 257, Bluewater Highway, that allow access to the pass from the Galveston Island side, before you enter the bridge. On the Brazoria side of the Pass, park in the parking log and walk down to the Pass.

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LOCATION: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: North Jetty GPS: N29 21.352, W94 43.150 SPECIES: black drum BEST BAITS: quartered crab CONTACT: Bill Balboa, TPWD Galveston Bay Ecosystem Leader, 281-5340110 TIPS: This is prime time for black drum along the Jetties as the fish are in their spawning run. Be ready to hook up with some big fish. Fish either the channel or the backside of the rocks, the surf side.

BANK ACCESS: Take State Hwy 87 to the North Jetty Road, 1.7 miles from the Ferry Landing. North Jetty Road is unmarked except for a large sign on the inland side of the highway. The road dead-ends into the North Jetty.

GPS: N29 32,785, W94 69.274 SPECIES: sheepshead BEST BAITS: shrimp fished right along the rocks CONTACT: Bill Balboa, TPWD Galveston Bay Ecosystem Leader, 281-5340110 TIPS: This is prime-time sheepshead action along the jetties. Fish either the channel or the backside of the rocks, the surf side.

BANK ACCESS: Take State Highway 87 to the eastern end of Galveston and continue on Seawall Boulevard. After roughly a mile, take a right on East Beach Drive and follow it to the large parking lot at the beach. The jetty is located at the eastern end of the parking lot.

LOCATION: Galveston/West Bay HOTSPOT: San Luis Pass GPS: N29 05.673, W95 06.880

LOCATION: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: South Jetties

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SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Super Spooks in blue/chrome and Bone; pink SkitterWalk CONTACT: Capt. Steve Hillman, 409256-7937 TIPS: April is probably one of the best times of the year to catch a big trout at the pass. Wade-fishing is the best method.

Work the guts; on warm days they will move up on the flats.

LOCATION: Galveston/West Bay HOTSPOT: Snake Island Cove GPS: N29 09.565, W95 02.215 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: topwaters and soft plastic baits CONTACT: Capt. Steve Hillman, 409256-7937 TIPS: Fish the tides going from high to low because all the fish are stacked up in the back. When the tide starts moving out

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it pulls all the fish and the baits out through the mouths of the drains—good ambush points for trout and reds.

Early Risers for Trout LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Pipeline GPS: N28 32.024, W96 10.367 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: topwater baits early; 1/8- or 1/16-ounce jighead with a Norton Black Magic or Chicken on a Chain CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz, 281450-4037 TIPS: Wade-fish the grass beds for trout or fish the shorelines for redfish.

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Snook Queen LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Queen Isabella Causeway GPS: N26 02.961, W97 11.921 SPECIES: snook BEST BAITS: large live shrimp or mullet, SPI Tandems and other soft plastics in Pearl, Smoke CONTACT: Captain Allen Salinas, 956943-3474 TIPS: snook start returning to their old haunts when water temperatures start creeping up to over 70 degrees. Fish around the pilings with live bait or un-weighted, Texas-rigged stickbaits.

Watch for fish chas-

ing bait early in the morning. Be careful!

Jackfish will sometimes crash the party, and they like the same baits snook do.

LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Raymond’s Shoal GPS: N28 39.790, W95 54.482 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: 3/8-ounce leadhead worked down on the bottom CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz, 281450-4037 TIPS: Drift the scattered shell on the west end of the bay.

LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Long Reef GPS: N28 40.007, W95 53.243 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: topwater lures or Corkies early CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz, 281450-4037 TIPS: On days with light winds, wade the mid-bay reefs.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Brownsville Ship Channel GPS: N26 2.124, W97 13.108 SPECIES: Mangrove Snapper BEST BAITS: live shrimp, live finger mullet CONTACT: Captain Allen Salinas, 956943-3474 TIPS: Use your electronics to locate structure such as sunken rocks or concrete slabs off the drop-offs. Motor upcurrent, drop anchor, and feed out line until you are directly over the structure. Send down a live shrimp or (even better) finger mullet on split shot rig and a 1/0 Kahle hook.

Use 12- to 15-pound tackle to keep the fish from breaking you off.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Brownsville Ship Channel GPS: N26 2.124, W97 13.108 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp, soft plastics in Mullet, Smoke/glitter

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CONTACT: Captain Allen Salinas, 956943-3474 TIPS: Trout will be moving along the shoreline and chasing bait early in the morning and late in the afternoon. The most effective technique is a live shrimp or plastic shrimp tail underneath a popping cork such as a Grand Slam Popper or Cajun Thunder. In either case, use the lightest possible weight you can get away with to allow as much action from the bait or lure. Shad tails are also effective. Fish them slowly.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: The Y GPS: N26 2.860, W97 12.430 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live bait; topwaters in Bone, gold/chartreuse, SPI Lures Tandems in New Penny, Rootbeer, Smoke CONTACT: Captain Allen Salinas, 956943-3471

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TIPS: Drift the length of the shoreline of either the mainland or the small island that splits the channel. The tree lines draw mullet, and the mullet draw redfish. Fish shallow on a flood tide, and back off when the tide falls. When that happens, swim live bait or soft plastics around drains and depth breaks. Pay attention, because a big mangrove snapper will snatch the rod out of your hand.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Long Bar GPS: N26 8.349, W97 14.194 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp, cut bait, Mauler/shrimp-tail in New Penny, chartreuse patterns CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Trout gravitate toward the deeper water that flanks the Long Bar. Watch for

a color change between the bar and the ICW. Drift-fishermen use drift socks to control their drifts along the edge. A Gulp! or DOA shrimp under a Mansfield Mauler or similar noisemaker is your best bet. This is a high-traffic area, so wade fishermen should practice common sense.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Holly Beach (Bank Access) GPS: N26 08.190, W97 17.507 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live bait, ballyhoo, topwaters in Bone, gold/chartreuse, soft plastics in New Penny, Rootbeer, Smoke CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Southeast winds beginning pushing bait into northern coves, and speckled trout-big ones-move in to feed. Work the old channel that runs down the middle of the flats. Drift or wade with natural bait or artificials. Usually you will find the trout on the channel edges, but some of the bigger ones will be cruising all over the flats.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Cullen Bay GPS: N26 15.183, W97 17.398 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp, cut bait/bottom rig, shrimp tails in New Penny, chartreuse, Strawberry, Rootbeer’ topwaters in blue/orange, gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: When the wind picks up, follow the higher tides into the usually shallow Cullen. Fish near the shoreline on a flood tide, and more toward the middle of the bay when water is lower. Use a live shrimp or plastic tail under a popping cork or Alameda cork. The front section of a 4- to 6-inch ballyhoo under the same cork can be even more effective at times. Don’t eschew the topwaters early in the morning.

LOCATION: Arroyo Colorado HOTSPOT: Marker 69 GPS: N26 13.256, W97 16.180 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, Gulp! Shrimp in Nuclear Chicken, Pearl

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CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: If the water clears (there have been reports of brown tide in the area since January), a color change will form between the grass flats and the sand bottom near the ICW. Fish inside the color change with either live shrimp or cut bait on a bottom rig. Soft baits should be bright and gaudy.

If the brown tide persists, scented baits such as Gulp! are good options.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Gaswell Flats GPS: N26 13.811, W97 15.422 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp, cut bait, gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Redfish start coming back into their old haunts in serious numbers starting in April. Watch for tails or mud boils to tip you off to their locations. Don’t motor directly after them, but set up an intercept vector. Fish with live shrimp under a popping cork or fresh ballyhoo skipped under the surface. Gold spoons are also good choices.

LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: The Saucer GPS: N26 26.782, W97 22.757 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: topwaters early, plastics in Bone/clear, Bone/Diamond, Salt & Pepper, gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Steve Devries, 956289-3631 TIPS: The Saucer comes alive in spring, with fish spreading across the expansive flat. Topwaters work well early. As the wind picks up and the sun gets higher, switch to eel-style plastics rigged Texasstyle or on a light (1/8th ounce) jighead.

Redfish will also pounce on a gold spoon.

LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: The Saucer GPS: N26 26.782, W97 22.757 SPECIES: speckled trout Best Baits Topwaters early, plastics in Bone/clear, Bone/diamond, salt and pepper. Gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Steve Devries, 956289-3631 TIPS: Seek out weedlines that speckled

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trout will use as thoroughfares and ambush points. Try topwaters early on spec.

Switchover to soft plastics such as a Gulp!

Jerk Shad on a 1/8th ounce jighead as the day progresses.

LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: King Ranch W. of Marker 46 GPS: N26 46.306, W97 28.352 SPECIES: speckled trout.

Baits: Topwaters. Soft plastics in red/white CONTACT: Captain Steve Devries, 956289-3631.

TIPS: Spring tides will push trout closer to the shoreline as they attack emergent baitfish. Try topwaters early in the morning and soft plastics later. Look for patches of clear water, especially near weedlines. If the water is stained, use scented baits such as Gulp!, and move to brighter colors that will stand out.

Rapping for Bass LOCATION: Lake Waco HOTSPOT: Riprap along Dam GPS: N31 34.961, W97 12.038 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: shallow silver/black or blue crankbaits, Plum Texas- and Carolinarigged worms

CONTACT: Jimmy D. Moore, rayado@earthlink.net, 254-744-2104 TIPS: Cast crankbaits parallel to the riprap 5 to 10 feet out. If this doesn’t work, fish Texas-rig worms the same way.

As last resort, fish a Carolina-rigged worm parallel 20 to 25 feet off riprap BANK ACCESS: Reynolds Creek Park public fishing area for largemouth bass, crappie, and white bass

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LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: North Birch Creek GPS: N32 56 45.10, W95 30 20.22 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: white tube, Baby Brush Hog, Wave Worm Shadiks, crankbait CONTACT: Michael Rogue, www.lakefork-guides.com, microg@texascellnet.com TIPS: When sight-fishing, use a white Tube, Wave Worm Shadik, or lizard.

When fishing for staging fish, use a watermelon Shadik on a Texas rig with 1/8ounce weight. Also try a medium-diving shad-patterned crankbait or Watermelon Red Carolina-rigged Baby Brush Hog over secondary points leading to spawning areas.

LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Northwest Bay GPS: N32 50 18.09, W95 30 47.91

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SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: white tube, Baby Brush Hog, Wave Worm Shadiks, crankbait CONTACT: Michael Rogue, www.lakefork-guides.com, microg@texascellnet.com TIPS: When sight-fishing, use a white Tube, Wave Worm Shadik, or lizard.

When fishing for staging fish, use a watermelon Shadik on a Texas rig with 1/8ounce weight. Also try a medium-diving shad-patterned crankbait or Watermelon Red Carolina-rigged Baby Brush Hog over secondary points leading to spawning areas.

CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, 903-5617299, www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: bass will be in the shallows. Work the lures slowly along the grass and brush.

LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Chimney Creek GPS: N32 04.876, W95 25.458 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: chartreuse/white Texas Spinnerbait 430 Special, Mr. Twister Comeda soft plastics

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LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Ledbedder Bay GPS: N32 07.30, W95 30.00 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Chartreuse/white Texas Spinnerbait 430 Special, Mr. Twister Comeda soft plastics CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, 903-5617299, www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: bass will be in the shallows. Work the lures slowly along the grass and brush.

LOCATION: Tradinghouse Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: Spawning Flats GPS: N31 34.741, W96 55.866 SPECIES: largemouth bass

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BEST BAITS: Plum jerkbait and soft SlugGo type bait CONTACT: Jimmy D. Moore, 254-7442104, rayado@earthlink.net, 254-7442104 TIPS: Float jerkbaits and Slug-Go type soft baits slowly over beds. Male bass protecting their nests from predators often will take the lure and move it away from the beds BANK ACCESS: Any shoreline along the three boat ramps. Walk the shore while casting spinnerbaits and buzzbaits into weeds and open pockets.

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GPS: N31 9.21, W96 16 45.86 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Watermelon and Watermelon red Kicker Fish Bait Company Bird Dogs, Zoom Brush Hawgs CONTACT: Steve Schmidt, 817-9290675, www.schmidtsbigbass.com TIPS: Fish in 1-4 feet of water in the creeks. Also target boat docks close to spawning flats and secondary points. Use a push pole to access extremely shallow.

Sight fishermen should remember that some of these usually clear areas turn muddy after a rain.

LOCATION: Richland-Chambers HOTSPOT: Coffee Creek

LOCATION: Richland-Chambers HOTSPOT: Grape Creek

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GPS: N31 57.54, W96 21 13.62 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Watermelon and Watermelon red Kicker Fish Bait Company Bird Dogs, Zoom Brush Hawgs CONTACT: Steve Schmidt, 817-9290675, www.schmidtsbigbass.com TIPS: Fish in 1-4 feet of water in the creeks. Also target boat docks close to spawning flats and secondary points. Use a push pole to access extremely shallow.

Sight fishermen should remember that some of these usually clear areas turn muddy after a rain.

LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir HOTSPOT: River Timber South

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GPS: N30 59.626, W97 38.838 SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: medium shiners and black jigs with orange tails on slip bobbers during day; medium shiners on slip bobbers under lights at night CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-368-

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7411, HoldingTheLineGuideService.com TIPS: Use green lights and keep boat noise to a minimum. Also fish the timbered draws that join the river channel.

LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: Whitney Hump

GPS: N31 54.672, W97 20.873 SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: gizzard shad, Pencil Poppers, Redfins CONTACT: Randy Routh, 817-822-5539, www.teamredneck.net TIPS: Start by working the shoreline and point with Pencil Poppers and Redfins making long casts. Gizzard shad are spawning and the big female stripers are moving shallow and gorging on them.

When they blow up on the bait, wait until the rod loads up and you feel the fish before setting the hook. After the topwater bite slows, move out, and anchor in 32 feet of water on the point and fish live and cut gizzard shad while fan-casting lures toward the top of the hump.

LOCATION: Lake Aquilla HOTSPOT: Snake Island GPS: N31 55.215, W97 12.891 SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Little George, Tail Hummer CONTACT: Randy Routh, 817-822-5539, www.teamredneck.net TIPS: The main lake spawn is on and the white bass are spawning just off the island. Fish the windward side and use Little Georges and Tail Hummers, casting toward the island. Also fish the spillway area if water is being released because the white bass will gather at the mouth of the spillway to feed on shad.

LOCATION: Lake Aquilla HOTSPOT: Spillway GPS: Spillway: N31 53.860, W97 12.408 SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Little George, Tail Hummer CONTACT: Randy Routh, 817-822-5539, www.teamredneck.net TIPS: The main lake spawn is on and the white bass are spawning just off the island. Fish the windward side and use Little Georges and Tail Hummers, casting toward the island. Also fish the spillway area if water is being released because the white bass will gather at the mouth of the spillway to feed on shad.

LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Reservoir

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HOTSPOT: Beaver Islands GPS: N30 37.130, W96 03.421 SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: stinkbait, worms, shad CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, 979-229-3103, www.FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: Use a Carolina-rig with 3/4-ounce weight and No. 4 treble hook. Tie to a stump or anchor and cast bait toward stumps in two to four feet of water along the shoreline. If the backside of the island has lily pads, fish the outside edges of them for feeding catfish.

LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: East side of boat ramp GPS: N30 37.240, W96 03.060 SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: minnows, jigs CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, 979-229-3103, www.FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: Look for a large cedar tree in this area and tie up to it. Fish with a slip cork or tight line and split shot weight. Start and the bottom and work up to find the depth the fish are holding in. At night, lower a green light into the tops of the underwater limbs.

LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: Deer Island GPS: N30 1.900, W96 35.310 SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: minnows, chartreuse jigs CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, 979-229-3103, www.FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: Look for spawning crappie around brush piles close to trees near the island in 2-12 feet of water. Use your sonar to locate the brush or tie to a tree and fish with a cork close in to the tree trunks. If using a jig, hold it at one depth and wait for a slight thump.

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been feeding on by checking its stomach contents. Match the size of lure you use with the size of bait the fish are feeding on.

LOCATION: Lake Palo Pinto HOTSPOT: Power Plant SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Roadrunners, Sassy Shads, small jigs CONTACT: Dean Heffner, fav7734@aceweb.com, 940-329-0036 TIPS: Start at the power plant water outlet and work out from it, casting Roadrunners, jigs, and small soft plastic minnow imitations. Then go to the main upper feeder creeks. Once you establish a pattern stick with it to catch large numbers of fish.

SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: Coho Minnows, Sassy Shad jigs CONTACT: Bill Carey, 877-786-4477, www.striperexpress.com TIPS: Large schools of stripers are roaming the lake during April. You can locate them on the flats and main lake points in five to 30-feet depths. Cast 3/4- to 1-ounce Coho Minnows and Sassy Shad jigs in white Glow and chartreuse colors. At mid-

LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: The Islands GPS: N32 50.232, W96 44.552 SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: Coho Minnows, Sassy Shad jigs CONTACT: Bill Carey, 877-786-4477, www.striperexpress.com TIPS: Large schools of stripers are roaming the lake during April. You can locate them on the flats and main lake points in five to 30-feet depths. Cast 3/4- to 1-ounce Coho Minnows and Sassy Shad jigs in white Glow and chartreuse colors. At midmonth, try casting topwater lures and stickbaits for great topwater action. You can land some egg-laden sows that will tip the scales at 20 pounds. April is the beginning of great spring fishing at Texoma.

LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: Willafa Woods GPS: N33 53.996, W96 34.558

LOCATION: Lakes Graham-Eddleman HOTSPOT: Power Plant SPECIES: white & hybrid striped bass BEST BAITS: jigs, slabs, live shad CONTACT: Dean Heffner, fav7734@aceweb.com, 940-329-0036 TIPS: Start at the warm-water discharge area and work your way to the canal that connects lakes Eddleman and Graham.

Fish the humps as you enter Lake Graham using a sonar unit to find them. Once you catch a fish, study what size bait it has A L M A N A C

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month, try casting topwater lures and stickbaits for great topwater action. You can land some egg-laden sows that will tip the scales at 20 pounds. April is the beginning of great spring fishing at Texoma.

Bobbin’ for Crappie LOCATION: Granger Lake HOTSPOT: Coves next to Taylor Park and Fox Park SPECIES: largemouth bass, crappie BEST BAITS: chartreuse 1/16-ounce jigs for crappie, spinnerbaits for largemouth bass CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell, 512-3657761, www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: For shallow crappie, use a slip

bobber set at one foot and fishing along the banks in the thickest brush you can find.

For open water crappie, fish brush piles in four to 12 feet of water using chartreuse jigs. Largemouth bass can be caught on spinnerbaits fished slowly along the river channel and in the coves.

GPS: N30 45.37, W95 57.35 SPECIES: hybrid stripers BEST BAITS: live shad, Storm Swim Shad CONTACT: Richard Tatsch, 936-2911277, www.fishdudetx.com TIPS: Look for schooling hybrid stripers chasing shad to the surface around main lake points that have sandy bottoms early and late using the Storm Swim Shad.

The swimbait will catch larger fish shallow. Fish with

Hybrids on Top LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake live shad during mid-day when the fish are deeper.

BANK ACCESS: Stowaway Marina LOCATION: Sam Rayburn Reservoir HOTSPOT: Stanley Creek GPS: N31 18.160, W94 25.490 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: spinnerbaits, topwaters (frogs and Spooks), Texas-rigged creature baits, 10 inch worms CONTACT: Don Mattern, Sr. 903-4782633, www.matternguideservice.fghp.com TIPS: Stanley Creek is located on the North end of the lake and can be easily accessed by boat lanes and then turning left into the creek system. The Stanley Creek area is a major spawning ground consisting of willows and buck brush along the bank with hydrilla patches scattered throughout.

The spawn is about over and the bass are in a feeding mood to replace the weight they lost during the spawn. In the morning use spinnerbaits and topwater plastic frogs and Zara Spooks, Flip weightless 10 inch worms and creature baits around the brush along the banks. This will get you some larger bass.

BANK ACCESS: Powell Park Marina Fishing Pier, catfish, largemouth, white and striped bass

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Suspended Bass LOCATION: Falcon Reservoir HOTSPOT: Government Cove GPS: N 26 34.015 W 099 09.077 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: white/chartreuse 1/2- to 1ounce spinnerbaits, Watermelon Red Mag Flukes CONTACT: Robert’s Fish N Tackle, 956765-1442, www.robertsfishntackle.com TIPS: Begin drifting the north bank of the main lake point in or near the creek channel in

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to fish this lake and a convenient place to get one is at the automated machine on the Sam’s Dock boat launch

12-20 feet of water, targeting brush. Bass will be suspended in the treetops targeting spawning bluegills. Fish a Mag Fluke pegged with a 1/8-ounce weight and 6/0 hook, slow over treetops. Slow roll a spinnerbait until you contact brush, jerk it free, and let it flutter about a foot or so before continuing the retrieve.

Birds Play Possum LOCATION: Possum Kingdom Lake HOTSPOT: Costello Island SPECIES: white & striped bass BEST BAITS: Rat-L-Trap, gizzard shad CONTACT: Dean Heffner, fav7734@aceweb.com, 940-329-0036 TIPS: This is the month for a major shad spawn. Key on the Costello Island area and look for blue and white herons that will be feeding on the shad. The stripers and white bass will be stacked up just off the banks feeding on the shad. You will need a Brazos River Authority lake permit

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site just across from Costello Island.

On the Web www.FishGame.com/hotspots

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Sabine Spring Strategies EATHER PATTERNS AND CONDITIONS become more stable and predictable in April, and on Sabine Lake that translates into plenty of opportunity.

With the exception of the intense winds (which will occasionally give you a break) and the possibility of a few severe storms, it marks the beginning of some much-awaited consistency for catching the Big Three.

Young of the year baitfishes and shrimp ride the big tides and begin to stack up as they invade the entire system. The odds of

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having a successful trip are pretty high from the north end of the lake to south of the Causeway. Anglers shouldn’t have to work very hard to catch fish in the ship channel.

A good starting point is the LNG plant about a mile south of the Causeway. Bumping plastics off the bottom in about 4-7 feet usually works well. Trout, reds, and flounder will hang out on this bank because of the abundance of bait and the makeup of the bottom structure. The best trout bite, however, should be on the reef, just north of the Causeway bridge. This is where the biggest numbers of specks typically show up first every spring. This oyster superstructure is like a magnet for baitfishes of all kinds.

From sand eel to crab, it offers a safe-haven that gives them some comfort as the hungry predator is lurking nearby.

Let the wind and current determine where you start your drift and drag soft plastics over the shell. Use 1/4- or 3/8-ounce leadheads depending on the speed of the drift to ensure your lure gets down to the

shell. Longer baits like 8-inch Gillraker worms work well, as the trout rely heavily on sand eel as a major part of their diet.

Firetiger, Tomato, and Pumpkin/chartreuse are good color choices. Other good bait choices are Norton Bull Minnow, Sand Eel, Jr., and H & H Cocahoe Minnows in Glow/chartreuse and Limetreuse.

If you’re looking for some serious redfish action, work the eastern bank between Madame Johnson’s Bayou and Coffee Ground Cove. Red/white or Limetreuse soft plastics rigged with 1/4-ounce leadheads really do a number on these reds.

Topwaters like SkitterWalks and She-Dogs are very good locators, and when you find them, you can work them over by bumping plastics off the bottom or rigging a soft plastic on a 1/8-ounce leadhead under a popping cork. Three-inch Gulf shrimp are hard to beat.

Look for the best flounder bite to be early on high tides. Work the mouths of the bayous, drains, and cuts on the Louisiana shoreline. Drag Glow, chartreuse, and Smoke/chartreuse curl tail grubs tipped with fresh peeled shrimp. If these areas are not producing, move down the shoreline and look for roseau cane. For some reason, these flatties tend to pile up where the roseau and saltgrass come together.

Put these strategies to work and you should be able to consistently catch the Big Three on Sabine in April.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Keith Lake Fish Pass (Hwy 87 south of Port Arthur) SPECIES: trout, redfish, flounder, drum BEST BAITS: Gulp! Shrimp, mud minnows, fresh dead shrimp BEST TIMES: Incoming tides in the morning.

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let. Live or fresh-dead bait drifted deep under a cork can help determine and stay at the correct depth, and a slowly worked sinking lure can do the same.

No April Showers, Please

THE BANK BITE

VEN THOUGH AS THIS IS WRITTEN IT appears cold weather has not receded into the dim memory of those of us who do not whole-heartedly accept the theory of Global Warming, we will have to admit that having drought conditions for half the year and flooding the other half is certainly “climate change” of a sort. I wish I knew who to talk to about requesting some of the rain that ushered in the winter of 2009 be scattered over the summer of 2010.

At any rate, April should bring weather warm enough to enjoy a day on the bay or the beach. Should the rain continue through the winter, back bays will probably be “washed out” (literally as well as figuratively) and the best bet for trout and even redfish will be found nearer the passes, off the surf side of jetties, and in the surf itself when conditions are right.

Something to remember about freshwater influx is that the sweet stuff is less dense than saltwater. Often, this can present a condition where off-colored freshwater rests on the surface, yet clearer, salty water lies under it. This salt wedge could be only a few feet down, or hugging the bottom, and unless an angler has a water test lab sampler or an instrument that can reliably determine salinity or turbidity, the only way to really check is to drop a bait or lure down to various depths and give it a try.

The best spots to check for this phenomena are in coastal rivers and bayous when the current is not overpowering (especially on an incoming tide) or in deeper spots in the bays away from a major freshwater out-

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LOCATION: On those treasured warm mornings with green surf and a light breeze, hit the beach anywhere along Galveston or Follett’s Island. The Bolivar surf tends to run less clear, but is a viable option. Those who do not wish to wade can try the old dependables-- piers and rock groins.

ALTERNATE SPOT: If the rains have let up and salinities are close to normal, the back side of the islands and wadeable reefs can be worth a sunny afternoon, and the bank at Seawolf Park or on the deep side of the Texas City Dike (provided it is accessible) are always worth a stop.

SPECIES: The “Big Three” of reds, trout,

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and flounder will be more available, along with the usual panfishes and maybe a late run of big black drum.

BEST BAITS: Live bait is always best, but still not as necessary in these cool waters, and mud minnows are as good as anything.

Cut finger mullet or other small baitfish might lure just about anything, and even squid will work surprisingly well at times.

BEST TIMES: Be a fair weather fisherman, or a storm chaser, to your own liking, but watch the tides and plan to fish during moving water.

Capt. Mike Holmes runs tarpon, shark, and bluewater trips on a classic 31 Bertram.

To book a trip, call 979-415-0535.

Email him at mholmes@fishgame.com.

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Catch Redfish Over Matagorda Shell PRIL IS A GREAT MONTH TO CATCH REDFISH over shell in both East and West Matagorda Bays.

Oyster reefs are loaded with sand eels, which are a key component of their diet this time of year. The general practice while fishing reefs is to make long drifts with the current. A good tip is to use a wind or drift sock to slow down boat movement. A slow-

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er drift will make for less hang-ups and greater bite detection Keep in mind that not all oyster reefs are created equal and not all parts of an oyster reef are the same. It is important to look for the structure within structure. An oyster reef is a structure all by itself, but there is structure on top of that structure. A big clump of oysters rising up on a slight ridge

on a reef with an average depth of 10 feet is structure on structure. A sunken boat on a reef is structure on structure.

Norton Sand Eels, Bass Assassins or other eel-imitating lures are obvious choices for lures on these reefs.

I like to use a No-Snagg Slip Sinker by Lindy, which works great on any oyster reef. Its unique shape allows it to twist itself free from obstructions where other sinkers cannot. When fishing with it on reefs slowly raise and lower the rod tip to give the rig a hopping action. It works well with lures, but also is an excellent way of rigging live bait.

April can be an extremely windy month causing some anglers to stay home

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with frustration but that is not necessary. If you want reds in wind protected areas look no further than the Intracoastal Canal.

There are thousands of marker buoys and barnacle encrusted channel marker poles in the Intracoastal and they are good spots to find reds this time of year. These poles make up their own mini ecosystems in much the same way oil and gas platforms do offshore. They are obviously not a pronounced as rigs, but they do draw in fish.

The first thing you need to do is check to see if the poles have many barnacles on them. Those spots are good ones to fish because they are likely to draw in lots of baitfish and crustaceans, which reds of course dine on.

In addition, the ones located near shorelines with shell are great places to fish.

The markers typically designate where the channel and shallows meet, so setting up between the shell along the shore and the marker puts an angler in a great position.

Chunk one line in the shallows and another in the deep and there is a very good chance will score on redfish. Live bait like

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mud minnows or finger mullet works good in the spring, but so do lipless crankbaits like the Rat-L-Trap.

The general rule is to stay at one buoy no more than 10 minutes. If you have not been bitten by then, move on and find another. There are plenty of them around and on windy days fishing them beats getting beat up going across the bay.

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THE BANK BITE LOCATION: Oyster Lake Bridge SPECIES: Flounder, Redfish BAITS/LURES: Shrimp, finger mullet, mud minnows BEST TIME: Incoming Tides and first hour of outgoing tide —by Chester Moore

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Water Temps Set the Tempo MUST ADMIT I AM A BIT OF A RESEARCH NUT and I ask a lot of questions about issues.

I don’t shy away from politically incorrect statements, and I don’t mind making them if I believe they are relevant and correct. The questions I get about topics not fishing related are amazing, and I must admit, fun to answer.

I write a fishing article and it’s in this vein that Texas Fish & Game magazine supports me, and I them. In light of that, let me say that I write in the shadow of some really great outdoor writers like Chester Moore,

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Don Zaidle, and others who support this magazine. These guys and gals are true outdoorsmen and women, and conservationists at a core level; they won’t write what you want to hear, but the truth to the best of their ability, and to my knowledge, they have allowed me to do the same over the years.

They have tackled the tough issues like the flounder decline and cutting through political grey areas to make sense out of legislation that could benefit or be disastrous for us as outdoor folks.

I read this magazine before I wrote for it, and will continue for the very reasons I just stated. Shouldn’t we prefer this type of candid in-your-face type of journalism and repel the smooth-talking nice-to-hear type that is so prevalent in today’s society and politics?

I think so. This guide resembles the character of those who write for this magazine.

With that out of the way, let’s get down to fishing.

As water temperatures start to rise this time of year, it sets in motion a whole chain

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of natural phenomena tailor made for anglers. The vernal equinox is behind us and longer days are in our future. As the tilt of Earth on its axis compliments a more direct path for sunlight to reach the surface, it brings warmer temperatures, and warmer ambient temperatures mean warmer water temperatures.

Predator fishes such as trout and reds head for shallower water, so the flats are the place to be. The fishes ain’t there to sunbathe, but to await the arrival of hordes of baitfishes that frequent the warmer waters: glass minnows, mud minnows, sundry larvae, shrimp, and a whole list of plankton blooms.

I watch my temperature gauge at all times of year in April, and pay particular attention when water temperatures warm and the exact time of day it occurs. About an hour past the warming phase is the key to some slam-dunk fish action. Big trout lethargic in February and March become active feeders during this warming phase.

Live bait is always a good bet, but don’t count out soft plastics and crankbaits. If you hear a popping noise close to shell reefs, get your topwaters out and hang on. I catch big trout more consistently this time of year than in any other time.

Water clarity is mixed, as plankton bloom and gin-clear water from the winter begin to mix. Spring tides assist in this churning action of our bays. Spring tides are not always predictable or certain, by the way, but rather are triggered when a perigee (the closest approach of the moon to the earth) coincides with the new moon or full moon. The closest alignment of the earth, sun, and moon creates stronger tidal flows.

Catch the transition of this mix when all these elements align and the place to be is with your line in the water where you see a defined line where the mixing action is taking place. It’s like a moving structure to predator fishes, a place for them to hide in ambush of bait.

This mix line is something I search for

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every year. It does not occur in the same places year to year, but if you find it, the rewards are some line-breaking trout and reds.

Copano Bay: Work topwaters as the bay waters heat up. Good areas for this are Turtle Pin Point and Newcomb Point. Freelined live shrimp is good for keeper trout and a few reds on Little Lap Reef. The transition to deeper water just off Lone Tree Point is a good place for black drum using peeled shrimp on a Carolina rig.

Aransas Bay: On a falling tide, the Back Lakes on the southeast shoreline will be holding bait that will be moving with the exiting tide. Working the mouths of those lakes will produce some hot action. Soft plastics in New Penny and Smoke are good choices. The pocket around Big Island is a good place to wade using live shrimp, freelined or under a rattle cork for reds. A few nice flounder frequent this area as well, but require a delayed hookset.

St Charles Bay: The black drum bite is still on close to Cavasso Creek using peeled shrimp on a fish-finder rig. The multiple shell reefs in the center of the bay are good places for some hot trout action using free-lined piggies or mud minnows. The flat around Hail Point holds some flounder and a slow retrieved white/chartreuse grub is a good bet for these flatties.

Carlos Bay: I still like the deeper water in Carlos this time of year, so focus on Cedar Dugout using Berkley Gulp! sand eels in Morning Glory and Glow patterns.

As the day heats up, transition to the top of the shell reefs using live shrimp or mud minnows. A drift across Carlos Lake is usually good for some keeper reds or trout using topwaters in Bone and red/white colors.

Mesquite Bay: The west pocket close to Blood Worth Island is good for reds using cut mullet and sardines. The small islands at the mouth of Cedar Dugout is a good place for trout, reds and a few sheepies using a popping cork and live shrimp.

Ayres Bay: Fish the cuts in Ayres Reef using a popping cork and shrimp. This is hang-up city, so try to keep your bait off the shell. Cut mullet or menhaden work well here. East Pocket will be good for trout using piggies and mud minnows, with a few keeper reds thrown in. The flats close to Rattlesnake Island are a good choice for waders, especially on a rising tide Sea lice or

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live shrimp free-lined will produce some nice reds and black drum.

better: menhaden, cracked crab. Cut or partially filleted mullet is best under a silent cork for reds and black drum.

THE BANK BITE FLY-FISHERMEN ARE FINDING the flats behind the airport on Copano Bay a nice place to whip their lines. This area offers deeper water transitions that are reachable by waders. This is cut-bait city, the fresher the

Contact Capt. Mac Gable at Mac Attack Guide Service, 512-809-2681, 361-790-9601

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Upper Laguna UnderLooked for Flounder HE UPPER LAGUNA MADRE IS AN UNDERrated destination for flounder in the spring. That is because it is located near Baffin Bay, which for many anglers is the Promised Land of trout fishing. That does not mean the Upper Laguna Madre does not offer up some tremendous fishing opportunities.

A surprisingly good method for flounder fishing in the area is to drift the shoreline and fish a live shrimp either free-lined or under an Alameda Rattling Float or under a Mansfield Mauler rig. Most of the time this is used for trout but it can yield quite a few flounder as well. Hand recommends anglers key in on this area when the water is very clear.

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The area around the JFK Causeway is a good spot when the flatfish are making their migration in (and out) of the Gulf. A live mud minnow or finger mullet slowly dragged across the bottom is a sure way to hang into one of the area’s “saddle blanket”sized fish.

Whether seeking flounder or any other denizen of Upper Laguna Madre remember tides All tidal movements are not equal and deserve special attention for this area. Many anglers complain of tide charts printed in publications or on television not being accurate so be mindful of that when you go fishing. Talk to local guides and bait camp own-

The Upper Laguna Madre can produce solid flounder action for anglers who know where and when to look for them. ers before you venture Generally speaking, locating spring flounder is easy in terms of finding location.

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water on tidal movements. Try the first couple of major points, eddies and the first “S” turn inside tributaries with moving water.

Flounder typically haunt the edge line of such areas.

Baitfish like juvenile menhaden, which are not yet strong enough, this time of year to fight the currents tend to rest in the slack water.

It is very important not to overlook this predator/prey relationship during spring.

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Many anglers make the mistake of looking for larger baitfish like mullet and larger menhaden to find flounder, but that is not the way to go in the spring. During this time of year, they are after the menhaden.

Why is this so?

Because flounder are opportunists and they will go after the easiest thing to catch and during spring, which is menhaden.

Tides dictate how flounder will be feeding. On a fast falling tide, they move in close to the drainage in tight schools. When it is falling slowly, they might scatter out around the mouth of a specific drainage or up into the marsh. They will do the same thing during the first hour or so of an incoming tide.

Then they will usually move into the cuts.

Another good area to look for spring flounder in this region is along the main shorelines of bays on the edges of seagrass. Attacking vast shorelines would be a waste of time and end up in dogged frustration so you have to have a strategy. Instead of looking over eight miles of shoreline, narrow your search down to an eighth of a mile. You must eliminate water to successfully bag spring flounder.

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Spring is a great time to catch flounder in this region whether you fish the back bays or the beach and anglers aware of the techniques and hot spots listed above will find themselves armed with enough information to bring home a limit of these challenging and tasty fish.

THE BANK BITE LOCATION: JFK Causeway Area SPECIES: Flounder, Black Drum BAITS: Shrimp, mud minnows BEST TIME: Incoming Tides

On the Web www.FishGame.com/video Keyword: flounder

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Tides and Prime Times

APRIL 2010 USING THE PRIME TIMES CALENDAR

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

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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SOLAR & LUNAR ACTIVITY: Sunrise: 6:34a Sunset: 7:51p

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.

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AM Minor: 9:11a AM Major: 2:57a PM Minor: 9:40p PM Major: 3:25p

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.

Moonrise:9:27a Moon Set: None Moon Overhead:

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

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 a wide variety of wildlife species.

T9 T8

T3 T2 T1

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 PLACE T12 Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay T13 Gilchrist, East Bay T14 Jamaica Beach, W. Bay T15 Alligator Point, W. Bay T16 Christmas Pt T17 Galveston Pleasure Pier

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

T22 T23

KEYS TO USING THE TIDE AND SOLUNAR GRAPHS TIDE LE VEL GRAPH: 12a

Tab: Peak Fishing Period

6a

12p

6p

AM/PM Timeline

12a

Light Blue: Nighttime

BEST:

7:05-9:40 PM

Green: Falling Tide

Gold Fish: Best Time

Blue: Rising Tide Red Graph: Fishing Score

Blue Fish: Good Time

SOLUNAR AC TIVIT Y: MINOR Feeding Periods (+/- 1.5 Hrs.) Time Moon is at its Highest Point in the Sky 12a

AM Minor: 1:20a

PM Minor: 1:45p

AM Major: 7:32a

PM Major: 7:57p

MAJOR Feeding Periods (+/- 2 Hrs.)

Moon Overhead: 8:50a 6a

12p

6p

12a

AM/PM Timeline

Moon Underfoot: 9:15p

C26 |

A P R I L

Time Moon is Directly Underfoot (at its peak on opposite side of the earth)

2 0 1 0

KEY T18 T19 T20 T21 T22 T23

PLACE San Luis Pass Freeport Harbor Pass Cavallo Aransas Pass Padre Island (So. End) Port Isabel

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

Yellow: Daylight

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

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

A L M A N A C

HIGH -0.09 -0:44 0:00 -0:03 -0:24 +1:02

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

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NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

= New Moon = First Quarter = Full Moon = Last Quarter = Best Day

BEST:

= Peak Fishing 7:45-9:40 AM Period = FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

MONDAY

TUESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Sunrise: 7:08a Set: 7:36p Moonrise: 10:50p Set: 8:34a

Sunrise: 7:07a Set: 7:37p Moonrise: 11:52p Set: 9:21a

APR 1

31

SATURDAY

2

SUNDAY

3

4

Sunrise: 7:12a Moonrise: 7:31p

Set: 7:34p Set: 6:35a

Sunrise: 7:11a Moonrise: 8:38p

Set: 7:35p Set: 7:12a

Sunrise: 7:09a Moonrise: 9:45p

Set: 7:36p Set: 7:51a

AM Minor: 5:05a

PM Minor: 5:30p

AM Minor: 5:55a

PM Minor: 6:22p

AM Minor: 6:51a

PM Minor: 7:17p

AM Minor: 7:49a

PM Minor: 8:17p

AM Minor: 8:51a

PM Minor: 9:18p

AM Minor: 9:52a

PM Minor: 10:19p

AM Minor: 10:50a

PM Minor: 11:17p

AM Major: 11:17a

PM Major: 11:43p

AM Major: ——-

PM Major: 12:08p

AM Major: 12:37a

PM Major: 1:04p

AM Major: 1:36a

PM Major: 2:03p

AM Major: 2:37a

PM Major: 3:04p

AM Major: 3:38a

PM Major: 4:05p

AM Major: 4:37a

PM Major: 5:04p

Moon Overhead: 12:34a 6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 2:18a

Moon Overhead: 1:25a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 3:12a 12a

6a

12p

6p

Sunrise: 7:06a Moonrise: None

Moon Overhead: 5:02a

Moon Overhead: 4:07a 12a

6a

12p

6p

Set: 7:37p Sunrise: 7:05a Set: 7:38p Set: 10:12a Moonrise: 12:48a Set: 11:06a

12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

WEDNESDAY

30

29

12a

Tides and Prime Times for APRIL 2010

Moon Overhead: 5:57a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 12:59p +2.0

BEST:

BEST:

-1.0

BEST:

7:00 — 9:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 3:39p BEST:

7:30 — 9:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 4:35p

Moon Underfoot: 5:30p

BEST:

8:00 — 10:00 PM

BEST:

8:30 — 11:00 PM

9:00 — 11:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 6:23p +2.0

BEST:

10:30P — 12:00A TIDE LEVELS

0

Moon Underfoot: 2:45p

TIDE LEVELS

11:00A — 2:00P

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 1:51p

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

4:26 am 10:38 am 4:13 pm 10:29 pm

1.42 ft 0.45 ft 1.13 ft -0.00 ft

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

5:36 am 11:28 am 4:30 pm 11:13 pm

1.48 ft High Tide: 6:44 am 1.50 ft 0.69 ft Low Tide: 12:17 pm 0.91 ft 1.15 ft High Tide: 4:47 pm 1.18 ft -0.19 ft

A L M A N A C

High Tide: 7:54 am Low Tide: 1:06 pm High Tide: 4:59 pm

T E X A S

1.48 ft 1.09 ft 1.22 ft

F I S H

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

&

12:49 am 9:09 am 2:00 pm 4:57 pm

-0.31 ft Low Tide: 1:42 am -0.26 ft Low Tide: 2:42 am -0.15 ft 1.44 ft High Tide: 10:35 am 1.39 ft High Tide: 12:25 pm 1.36 ft 1.22 ft 1.26 ft

G A M E ®

A P R I L

2 0 1 0

|

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+1.0

0

-1.0

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NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

MONDAY

TUESDAY

7

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

8

9

SUNDAY

10

11

Set: 7:39p Sunrise: 7:01a Set: 12:57p Moonrise: 3:03a

Set: 7:39p Set: 1:52p

Sunrise: 7:00a Moonrise: 3:38a

Set: 7:40p Set: 2:47p

Sunrise: 6:59a Moonrise: 4:09a

Set: 7:41p Set: 3:40p

Sunrise: 6:58a Moonrise: 4:39a

Set: 7:41p Set: 4:33p

Sunrise: 6:57a Moonrise: 5:08a

Set: 7:42p Set: 5:26p

AM Minor: 11:46a

PM Minor: ——-

AM Minor: 12:12a

PM Minor: 12:36p

AM Minor: 12:59a

PM Minor: 1:22p

AM Minor: 1:41a

PM Minor: 2:03p

AM Minor: 2:20a

PM Minor: 2:41p

AM Minor: 2:57a

PM Minor: 3:17p

AM Minor: 3:32a

PM Minor: 3:53p

AM Major: 5:33a

PM Major: 5:58p

AM Major: 6:24a

PM Major: 6:48p

AM Major: 7:10a

PM Major: 7:33p

AM Major: 7:52a

PM Major: 8:14p

AM Major: 8:31a

PM Major: 8:52p

AM Major: 9:07a

PM Major: 9:27p

AM Major: 9:42a

PM Major: 10:03p

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 8:26a

Moon Overhead: 7:39a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 9:10a 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 10:33a

Moon Overhead: 9:52a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 11:14a 12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

THURSDAY

Set: 7:38p Sunrise: 7:02a Set: 12:01p Moonrise: 2:24a

Moon Overhead: 6:49a

12a

WEDNESDAY

6

5 Sunrise: 7:04a Moonrise: 1:39a

Tides and Prime Times for APRIL 2010

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 7:14p +2.0

BEST:

-1.0

BEST:

12:00 — 2:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 9:31p BEST:

1:00 — 3:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 10:13p BEST:

2:00 — 4:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 10:53p BEST:

3:00 — 5:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 11:34p +2.0

BEST:

10:00A — 2:00P

5:00 — 7:00 AM TIDE LEVELS

0

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 8:48p

TIDE LEVELS

5:00 — 7:00 AM

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 8:02p

Low Tide: 3:52 am High Tide: 2:13 pm

C28 |

-0.03 ft Low Tide: 5:10 am 1.34 ft High Tide: 2:44 pm

A P R I L

2 0 1 0

0.08 ft 1.30 ft

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

6:24 am 2:51 pm 8:47 pm 11:25 pm

T E X A S

0.18 ft 1.25 ft 1.08 ft 1.12 ft

Low Tide: 7:26 am High Tide: 2:55 pm Low Tide: 8:39 pm

F I S H

&

0.27 ft 1.20 ft 0.97 ft

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

G A M E ®

12:56 am 8:15 am 3:00 pm 8:43 pm

1.16 ft 0.38 ft 1.16 ft 0.83 ft

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

A L M A N A C

2:07 am 8:56 am 3:08 pm 8:55 pm

1.22 ft 0.50 ft 1.15 ft 0.68 ft

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

3:07 am 9:31 am 3:18 pm 9:16 pm

1.29 ft 0.62 ft 1.15 ft 0.51 ft

+1.0

0

-1.0

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Page C30

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

= Peak Fishing Period

7:45-9:40 AM

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

13

THURSDAY

14

FRIDAY

15

16

Sunrise: 6:56a Moonrise: 5:36a

Set: 7:42p Set: 6:20p

Sunrise: 6:55a Moonrise: 6:06a

Set: 7:43p Set: 7:16p

Sunrise: 6:54a Moonrise: 6:39a

Set: 7:43p Set: 8:14p

Sunrise: 6:52a Moonrise: 7:15a

Set: 7:44p Set: 9:15p

Sunrise: 6:51a Moonrise: 7:57a

AM Minor: 4:09a

PM Minor: 4:29p

AM Minor: 4:47a

PM Minor: 5:09p

AM Minor: 5:30a

PM Minor: 5:54p

AM Minor: 6:19a

PM Minor: 6:44p

AM Major: 10:19a

PM Major: 10:40p

AM Major: 10:58a

PM Major: 11:20p

AM Major: 11:42a

PM Major: 12:05p

AM Major: 12:06a

PM Major: 12:31p

Moon Overhead: 11:55a 6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 1:23p

Moon Overhead: 12:38p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 2:12p 12a

6a

12p

6p

SATURDAY

17

18

Set: 7:45p Sunrise: 6:50a Set: 10:16p Moonrise: 8:45a

Set: 7:45p Sunrise: 6:49a Set: 11:17p Moonrise: 9:40a

Set: 7:46p Set: None

AM Minor: 7:13a

PM Minor: 7:39p

AM Minor: 8:12a

PM Minor: 8:39p

AM Minor: 9:14a

PM Minor: 9:43p

AM Major: 12:59a

PM Major: 1:26p

AM Major: 1:58a

PM Major: 2:25p

AM Major: 2:59a

PM Major: 3:28p

Moon Overhead: 4:00p

Moon Overhead: 3:05p 12a

SUNDAY

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 4:58p 12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

12

12a

Tides and Prime Times for APRIL 2010

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: None +2.0

BEST:

BEST:

-1.0

BEST:

12:00 — 2:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 1:47a BEST:

1:00 — 3:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 2:38a BEST:

2:00 — 4:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 3:32a BEST:

7:00 — 9:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 4:29a +2.0

BEST:

8:00 — 10:00 PM

9:00 — 11:00 PM TIDE LEVELS

0

Moon Underfoot: 1:00a

TIDE LEVELS

11:30A — 1:30P

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 12:16a

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

4:02 am 10:04 am 3:28 pm 9:42 pm

C30 |

1.36 ft 0.75 ft 1.16 ft 0.35 ft

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

A P R I L

4:53 am 10:37 am 3:37 pm 10:11 pm

2 0 1 0

1.43 ft 0.88 ft 1.18 ft 0.20 ft

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

5:44 am 11:12 am 3:43 pm 10:44 pm

T E X A S

1.50 ft 1.01 ft 1.21 ft 0.07 ft

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

F I S H

6:37 am 11:48 am 3:40 pm 11:21 pm

&

1.55 ft High Tide: 7:34 am 1.58 ft 1.14 ft Low Tide: 12:26 pm 1.26 ft 1.25 ft High Tide: 3:30 pm 1.32 ft -0.04 ft

G A M E ®

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

A L M A N A C

12:02 am 8:38 am 1:07 pm 3:20 pm

-0.12 ft 1.59 ft 1.38 ft 1.40 ft

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

12:50 am 9:51 am 1:56 pm 3:14 pm

-0.16 ft 1.59 ft 1.47 ft 1.47 ft

+1.0

0

-1.0

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= New Moon = First Quarter = Full Moon = Last Quarter = Best Day

Tides and Prime Times for APRIL 2010 MONDAY

TUESDAY

19

WEDNESDAY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SATURDAY

22

23

SUNDAY

24

25

Sunrise: 6:45a Moonrise: 1:58p

Set: 7:48p Set: 2:41a

Sunrise: 6:44a Moonrise: 3:04p

Set: 7:49p Set: 3:20a

Sunrise: 6:43a Moonrise: 4:09p

Set: 7:50p Set: 3:56a

Sunrise: 6:42a Moonrise: 5:13p

Set: 7:50p Set: 4:31a

PM Minor: 10:47p

AM Minor: 11:20a

PM Minor: 11:49p

AM Minor: ——-

PM Minor: 12:19p

AM Minor: 12:46a

PM Minor: 1:13p

AM Minor: 1:36a

PM Minor: 2:02p

AM Minor: 2:22a

PM Minor: 2:47p

AM Minor: 3:05a

PM Minor: 3:30p

AM Major: 4:03a

PM Major: 4:32p

AM Major: 5:06a

PM Major: 5:34p

AM Major: 6:05a

PM Major: 6:33p

AM Major: 7:00a

PM Major: 7:26p

AM Major: 7:49a

PM Major: 8:15p

AM Major: 8:34a

PM Major: 8:59p

AM Major: 9:18a

PM Major: 9:43p

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 7:49p

Moon Overhead: 6:54p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 8:43p 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 10:23p

Moon Overhead: 9:34p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Sunrise: 6:46a Set: 7:48p Moonrise: 12:51p Set: 1:57a

FRIDAY

AM Minor: 10:18a

Moon Overhead: 5:56p

12a

21

20

Sunrise: 6:48a Set: 7:46p Sunrise: 6:47a Set: 7:47p Moonrise: 10:40a Set: 12:15a Moonrise: 11:44a Set: 1:09a

THURSDAY

Moon Overhead: 11:13p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 5:27a +2.0

BEST:

0

-1.0

BEST:

12:00 — 2:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 8:16a BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 9:08a

Moon Underfoot: 9:59a

BEST:

12:30 — 2:30 AM

BEST:

1:00 — 3:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 10:48a +2.0

BEST:

2:00 — 4:00 AM

4:00 — 6:00 AM TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST:

5:00 — 7:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 7:22a

TIDE LEVELS

10:00P — 12:00A

Moon Underfoot: 6:25a

Low Tide: 1:44 am -0.16 ft Low Tide: 2:45 am -0.12 ft Low Tide: 3:53 am -0.03 ft Low Tide: High Tide: 11:08 am 1.59 ft High Tide: 12:13 pm 1.57 ft High Tide: 12:55 pm 1.52 ft High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

A L M A N A C

T E X A S

5:06 am 1:22 pm 7:33 pm 11:06 pm

0.10 ft 1.45 ft 1.10 ft 1.19 ft

F I S H

Low Tide: 6:20 am High Tide: 1:43 pm Low Tide: 7:40 pm

&

0.27 ft 1.36 ft 0.83 ft

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

G A M E ®

1:06 am 7:31 am 2:01 pm 8:10 pm

1.25 ft 0.47 ft 1.30 ft 0.53 ft

A P R I L

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

2 0 1 0

2:36 am 8:38 am 2:17 pm 8:47 pm

1.38 ft 0.68 ft 1.27 ft 0.22 ft

|

C31

+1.0

0

-1.0

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NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

= Peak Fishing Period

7:45-9:40 AM

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

MONDAY

TUESDAY

THURSDAY

28

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

30 MAY 1

29

Sunrise: 6:41a Moonrise: 6:18p

Set: 7:51p Set: 5:07a

Sunrise: 6:41a Moonrise: 7:24p

Set: 7:51p Set: 5:44a

Sunrise: 6:40a Moonrise: 8:30p

Set: 7:52p Set: 6:25a

Sunrise: 6:39a Moonrise: 9:34p

Set: 7:53p Set: 7:10a

AM Minor: 3:49a

PM Minor: 4:15p

AM Minor: 4:36a

PM Minor: 5:02p

AM Minor: 5:27a

PM Minor: 5:54p

AM Minor: 6:23a

PM Minor: 6:51p

AM Minor: 7:23a

PM Minor: 7:51p

AM Minor: 8:23a

AM Major: 10:02a

PM Major: 10:27p

AM Major: 10:49a

PM Major: 11:15p

AM Major: 11:41a

PM Major: ——-

AM Major: 12:09a

PM Major: 12:37p

AM Major: 1:09a

PM Major: 1:37p

AM Major: 2:10a

Moon Overhead: None 6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 12:57a

Moon Overhead: 12:04a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Sunrise: 6:38a Set: 7:53p Moonrise: 10:34p Set: 7:59a

Moon Overhead: 1:52a 12a

6a

12p

6p

SUNDAY

Sunrise: 6:37a Set: 7:54p Moonrise: 11:28p Set: 8:53a

6a

12p

6p

Set: 7:55p Set: 9:49a

PM Minor: 8:51p

AM Minor: 9:23a

PM Minor: 9:50p

PM Major: 2:37p

AM Major: 3:10a

PM Major: 3:37p

Moon Overhead: 3:44a

Moon Overhead: 2:48a 12a

2 Sunrise: 6:36a Moonrise: None

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 4:38a 12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

WEDNESDAY

27

26

12a

Tides and Prime Times for APRIL 2010

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 11:39a +2.0

BEST:

BEST:

-1.0

BEST:

12:00 — 2:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 2:20p BEST:

12:30 — 2:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 3:16p BEST:

7:00 — 9:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 4:11p BEST:

8:00 — 10:00 PM

8:30 — 10:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 5:04p +2.0

BEST:

9:00 — 11:00 PM TIDE LEVELS

0

Moon Underfoot: 1:24p

TIDE LEVELS

5:30 — 7:30 AM

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 12:30p

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

3:52 am 9:41 am 2:33 pm 9:27 pm

C32 |

1.52 ft 0.90 ft 1.28 ft -0.04 ft

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

A P R I L

5:01 am 10:41 am 2:49 pm 10:09 pm

2 0 1 0

1.63 ft 1.09 ft 1.31 ft -0.23 ft

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

6:04 am 11:39 am 3:05 pm 10:52 pm

T E X A S

1.70 ft 1.24 ft 1.35 ft -0.33 ft

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

F I S H

7:04 am 12:38 pm 3:16 pm 11:37 pm

&

1.71 ft High Tide: 8:05 am 1.35 ft Low Tide: 1:50 pm 1.39 ft High Tide: 3:09 pm -0.34 ft

G A M E ®

1.68 ft 1.42 ft 1.42 ft

Low Tide: 12:24 am -0.28 ft Low Tide: 1:13 am -0.16 ft High Tide: 9:08 am 1.62 ft High Tide: 10:13 am 1.55 ft

A L M A N A C

+1.0

0

-1.0

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Page C34

Anticipating the Post-Spawn W HILE MOST BASS-HAPPY ANGLERS swill the mead of the spawn, some have the foresight to anticipate that it will end in a few weeks and degrade into the dreaded postspawn.

The horrors are myriad: whipped the water to froth...made so many casts I got blisters...threw everything I had at ‘em...etc. ad nauseam, all with nary a strike. In other words, post-spawn bassing is tough...isn’t it?

It all depends on where you are talking about, how you go about it, and who you ask. Fact is, arranging a post-honeymoon tryst with a cooperative largemouth mistress or two is not as difficult as most people seem to think.

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hint that maybe not all silver clouds have dark linings. I was fishing along the banks of a small creek that emptied into Possum Kingdom Lake, well into May and long after the spawn was supposed to be over.

I was at a spot a few hundred feet from the lake, where the creek narrowed into a

by Don Zaidle bottleneck before fanning out into a wide cove. The stricture was made up of two small, rocky bluffs, sort of a miniature Hell’s Gate, with a tangle of logs and brush on the downstream side.

Not expecting much, I tossed what I seem to recall was a Hula Popper up against one of the bluffs, and got an immediate explosion of a strike. That first fish, at 5 pounds and change, was the best of the 6

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total I landed from that same spot over the next hour; the smallest one went about 3 pounds.

Not noted for my perceptiveness, I wrote the incident off to the caprice of outrageous fortune and went merrily on my way, all the while bemoaning the state of post-spawn man-bass relations. And, much to my later chagrin, I even forgot exactly where the spot was located.

A few years later, I stumbled across a similar situation at a little rock pile located on the edge of a creek channel, where I was dabbling minnows for crappie. I didn’t think much about it until after I caught the second 3-pound largemouth. Rigging up a casting rod with a Texas worm setup, I vertically jigged three more spawned-out blacks from among the rocks.

Years later, in one of my more lucid

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moments, I came to realize that over the years I had caught a lot of bass at times and locations where traditional wisdom said I shouldn’t have been catching anything.

What, I wondered, had I been doing wrong? Or perhaps more to the point, what had I been doing right?

Further musing revealed that my sporadic successes at traditionally “bad” times of the year had all come on lakes that shared a common trait—a rich diversity of structure types connected by a labyrinth of channels.

Could catching post-spawn bass in good numbers really be as simple as choosing the right lake?

Well, there is a bit more to it than that, but being in the right kind of water does place you on the downhill side of the equation. And I can think of no two places as being more “right” than lakes Ray Roberts and Possum Kingdom. A cursory glance at a map of either reveals a smorgasbord of structure and cover types strung together by stream and roadbeds, breaklines, and long point contours. Ideal post-spawn bass waters.

The trick to successful post-spawn bassing is being at the right place at the right time.

“A lot of people think bass head straight out to deep water after spawning,” a seasoned guide whose name I do not remember once told me. “But that’s not the case. It’s almost like a pre-spawn pattern. They’ll stage up along the channel breaks and points near deep water, and hold there for quite a while before they head deep and move into summer patterns.”

If you keep in mind that bass are in a state of transition, locating them in fairly dense concentrations is not too difficult.

Remember that the trip from spawning grounds to summer haunts is not made in a rush, but in gradual stages that might take up to a week.

With this concept in mind, a strategy highly productive for larger, individual fish is ambushing them along the routes they travel between spawning waters and home ranges. Bass don’t like open water, and typically follow what are sometimes circuitous routes to take advantage of the security blanket of cover and structure they afford. Success, therefore, is largely a question of finding the preferred transit paths.

Post-spawn travel routes are actually nothing more than the same structures we

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fish all the time anyway, such as channels, points, and contour lines that link other structure with shallow-water spawning grounds.

For instance, a bass whose “home” structure is a deep-water tank dam located adjacent to a creek channel, will follow the channel to shallow water to spawn and take the reverse route home. Likewise, a bass that lives beneath a submerged bridge will follow the roadbed, lending authenticity to the term “bass highway.”

Like any good highway, bass interstates are marked with plenty of rest stops. And it is here that you find bass in numbers.

That little bottleneck mentioned at the beginning examples the ideal bass rest stop: plenty of cover, and a structure contour adjacent or leading to deep water.

Bait choices are pretty much up to individual tastes, but many aficionados rely heavily on spinnerbaits and worms for their versatility and ease of use in heavy cover.

Spinnerbaits and Texas-rigged worms are a lot easier to work among snaggy structure elements. Sometimes, though, you can’t beat a crankbait, especially if the fish are being finicky.

Begin your assault up in the creeks or other prime spawning areas, for depending on the weather, there might be bass on the beds well into May. On some lakes, such as Ray Roberts, feature a great diversity of

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shoreline and bottom structure that produces widely varying temperature skews between different areas of the lake. It is not uncommon to find spawning activity continuing well into May and sometimes even early June on Ray Bob. Brush- or grass-covered humps or tank dams in deep water are the year-round homes of bass, sometimes in surprising numbers. Comfortable temperatures or depth ranges are just a fin-flutter away up or down the slope of the hump. If the hump’s top extends into water sufficiently shallow to attain appropriate temperatures, spawning can occur on-the-spot, even if the hump is in the middle of the lake.

Unfortunately, there’s not room in a short article like this to detail all the postspawn hotspots on even one of the many superb bass Texas bass factories. Some worthy of meritorious mention include Neeley’s Slough, Costello Island, and the Stump Patch on Lake Possum Kingdom. On previously-mentioned Ray Roberts, the knobby bottom contours around Cates Point and the brushy slopes of Wolf Island bring to mind a few more post-spawn memories.

Incidentally, if happen across a spot on PK where a creek narrows into a bottleneck before fanning out into a wide cove, let me know where it is. I think I lost a thermos bottle there.

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It’s really designed for working under the hood of a vehicle, and that’s certainly the task I found it best suited for.

Stanley Lights are Right

—Lenny Rudow ONE THING OUTDOORSMEN ALWAYS NEED IS a good flashlight; or maybe a spotlight or worklight. When Stanley introduced its new line of rechargeable lights, it seemed like a perfect time for some Texas Testing.

The first light I put through the ringer was the Squidbrite. This is a 20LED light encased in a round plastic head, THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE THOMPSON mounted on top Center line-up is another bolt-action. This of a flexible Stanley one is called the Venture and is, apparentthree-legged Squidbrite ly, a plain version of the Icon. It does not gripper have all the bells and whistles, like a highstand. You grade wood stock or mirror-bright bluing. can bend has a dimmer What it does have is astounding quality the legs switch, battery staand accuracy for the price. into any My test model is a blued synthetic position to hold the light in place. It proved tus indicator, trigger lock, and comes with .270. T/C guarantees 1-inch, 3-shot perfect for attaching the top of a hatch both 120-volt AC and groups at 100 yards. Them’s when I needed to clean out the fish box on 12-volt DC chargers. mighty big words, pilgrim, for an offmy boat after dark, and for wrapping the-shelf deer rifle. I am always a bit leery around the frame of my layout blind while The final new of a gun that sells for less than $500 that setting goose decoys in the pre-dawn hours. light in the line-up is a bar makes such claims. I decided to test the The head pops off of the base and has light called the Bar Flex.

Venture before I wrote it up as a suba magnet built-in, which will hold it on Like the Squidbrite, it’s bendminute-of-angle gun. metal surfaces. I wish it were a bit stronger, able to provide flexibility in I mounted a Weaver Super Slam scope however, because the magnet broke free how and where you use it. It’s on the gun, loaded a box of 130-grain easily when holding the light horizontally. rechargeable as well, and has a Speer bullets over 56 grains of Reloader Stanley also has a new rechargeable magnetic base (which has plenty of 19, and headed to the range with my spotlight, the HID High Intensity Dispull to hold the light in place, even upsideshooting buddy, Todd charge Spotlight. This one has a potent down), which, like most 35-watt bulb along with an LED “area bar light.” It’s hefty, too; after 10 minutes shining it around the yard, you’ll want to set it Tate. I let Todd back down. But that weight, which did most of the shootis mostly from the maintenance-free ing while I kibitzed and sealed 12-volt leadVenture with watched through the spotting scope. acid battery, is K4 Scope The final word is: If the Venture necessary to get fails to meet the 1-inch mark, it is this kind of by bloody little. Three-shot groups ranged oomph out of a lights, is fairly small and will tip from a bit less than an inch to just a tiny rechargeable light. over easily when not on a magnetic surface. fraction over. I was impressed.

The HID also

Thompson/Center Venture and Kruger K4 Scope

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The T/C Venture that I have has a consistently, so I will know if any problems roughly blued finish and synthetic stock. arise with the scope. So far, I am very The 3-round in-line magazine is some kind impressed with the quality and workmanof plastic, as is the trigger guard. The bolt ship of this scope. This is, I believe, what handle is a plain knob, but is replaceable if the American shooter has been needing—a you want something else. The bolt appears superior quality scope at an entry-level the same as that of the Icon, but with a price. plainer finish.

The scopes are available immediately The Venture has the same 60-degree from Amazon.com and Optics Planet, and bolt lift and adjustable (for pull) trigger of Kruger is working to get their products into the more expensive Icon. The barrel is the your local gun shop.

5R match-grade offering. The only negaExpect a more complete write-up in my tive I found is the plastic, 3-round, singleGuns & Gear column after I have completstack magazine. It is very easy to remove ed precision and durability tests. and replace—too easy. It will be equally easy to lose as the rifle is carried through —Steve LaMascus the brush on a sling. This rifle—and the Icon, as well—deserves a better feeding system. I would prefer a staggered box magazine with a hinged floor plate to hold four or five rounds. Still, altogether, this is a classy, high-quality rifle, and don’t let my comments about the magazine scare you MY BOYS HIT NINE THIS YEAR, GOT THEIR off. That is a minor glitch in a fine rifle. hunting licenses, and were ready to start The Venture comes in a wide selection the season with a goose hunt. Just one of calibers, from .204, through problem: they needed layout blinds .22/250, 7mm-08, and on to that were extremely lightweight 7mm Remington Magnum and simple to set up. Avery’s and .300 Winchester new Power Hunters seemed Magnum. perfect, so we gave With an MSRP of them a try. less than $500, this is At 11 pounds, a steal. the There is a new scope on the market that I find very interesting, K4 Model by Kruger Optical. Introduced at this year’s SHOT show, the K4 seems to be Avery Power a lot of scope for a modest price.

Hunter Layout MSRP is about $180, but the Blind scope has qualities normally found Power on scopes that cost several times Hunter is lightthat. weight enough to wear on your back on the The glass is clear and crisp. The eye built-in shoulder straps, which leaves your relief, often a problem on less expensive hands free for decoys and other gear. And, scopes, is 3.75 inches (anything approachyes, even a nine year old can handle this ing 4 inches is great) and is as non-critical 32x33x48-inch (when folded) load. But as most of the scopes costing thee times lightweight doesn’t mean wimpy in this more. It has a quick-adjust focus ring, case. The blind is constructed with 900D 50mm objective, and finger-adjustable, PVC-backed polyester, which has proven return-to-zero, 1/4-inch click adjustment plenty tough and waterproof whether lying knobs. in a damp field or on recently cut soyMy test scope is a 3-12x50. I have it beans. mounted on my pet .22-250 for testing.

Brushing straps line the top and sides, That gun will shoot around a half-inch

Blind Power from Avery

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so it’s easy to add plenty of cover that stays put when you get into and out of the blind.

Your choice of Mossy Oak or Shadow Grass prints ensure that any uncovered parts of the blind go unseen when the birds cup up and get ready to join your dekes.

Velcro edges on the top tend to cling quite tightly, which is great once you’re inside the blind, but can make entering it a little tough.

When it’s time to shoot, you can spot the birds through the mesh cover on the flip-top, which covers your head and upper chest area, and swings back easily with one hand. When you pop up and get ready to pull the trigger, the top stays upright and out of your way on the aluminum frame.

More about that frame: Setting it up takes all of 30 seconds, and once it’s in place, it supports a headrest that keeps your noggin a foot off the ground and is comfortable to lay back on.

Once inside, there’s plenty of room to stretch as long as you’re not taller than the blind’s 6-foot, 7-inch LOA. It is not quite as comfortable as those Cadillac blinds that have fully supported backrests and support frames, but when you consider the light weight, portability, and other features, there’s no doubt that this blind is a winner.

My boys think so, too, especially after they took a pair of Canadas on their very first morning in the Power Hunters.

—LR

On the Web www.StanleyTools.com www.TCarms.com www.AveryOutdoors.com

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fish Tarpon Trust’s permit fish tagging program.

Costa’s Bomba is built for adventure.

The large nylon frame features co-molded injection technology and integral hinges, combining a “forget-they’re-on fit” with YETI COOLERS, MANUFACTURERS OF ULTRAnearly indestructible construction. durable, super-insulated premium coolers Refreshed styling showcases built-in for serious outdoor enthusiasts, introduces temple lenses to enhance periphera new 50 quart model to its al vision. The frame interior popular Tundra Series. boasts no-slip HydroliteT The new 50 quart lining so the sunglasses stay Yeti Tundra is a bit difcomfortably in place all ferent from other Tundra day, no matter the condimodels in that it has a tions. deeper, cube-shaped design Bomba is available in as opposed to the more either tortoise or black traditional longer frame colors, with Costa’s design. The resultpatented 580T glass lens ing smaller footprint technology, dubbed “the takes up less valuclearest lens on the planet” able deck space and by anglers. Costa makes for an ideal offers lens colors like casting platform, seat gray or copper, and and food and drink blue, green and silver mircooler. rors, to give anglers the edge Every Sunday on ESPN2 this Yeti Tundra they need on the water. spring, be looking to see how Jose In addition to Costa’s 580 lens Wejebe, host of Spanish Fly, uses options, Bomba can be customized his 50qt Yeti. with lightweight, scratch-resistant gray, The new Yeti Tundra 50 quart cooler copper or amber polycarbonate lenses, measures 24 ¼“L x 17 ½ “W x 18”H featuring a backside anti-reflective coatand is available in white and desert Tan ing that shields eyes from the sun’s danwith an MSRP of $299.99. For more gerous UV rays. information on the entire line of Yeti CoolBomba retails from $149 to $249, ers and to find a Yeti dealer near you visit depending on lens selection. www.yeticoolers.com.

Contact: Costa Del Mar, 2361 Mason Yeti Coolers – Wildly stronger. Keep Avenue, Suite 100, Daytona Beach, FL ice longer.

32117 Toll Free: (800) 447-3700

Yeti’s New 50qt Tundra

Costa Drops a Bomba

Costa del Mar Bomba

COSTA DEL MAR IS DROPPING THIER Bomba sunglasses into the lineup as the first style for 2010. A portion of proceeds will benefit the BoneC38 |

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Protect Your Kids’ Hearing NEW EHP RANGER JR. MUFFS ARE A PERFECT fit for younger shooters hearing protection.

Hearing protection and outdoor marketing specialist Denny Snyder recently announced the formation of a new hearing protection company for the hunting and shooting industry- EHP - Electronic Hearing Protection. The first product from EHP will be the Ranger Jr. quad muffs with adjustable frequency tuning(AFT).

The Ranger Jr. quad muffs are designed specifically for younger shooters and shooters requiring a smaller style muff to provide proper fit and maximum hearing protection for the user.

The Ranger Jr. muffs have two-channel digital circuitry using state-ofthe-art technology providing unsurpassed sound quality and speech

EHP Ranger Jr. clarity that only digital technology can produce.

Ranger Jr. muffs increase the user’s hearing up to nine times with 50 dB of power, one of the highest ratings in the industry. By using Sound Activated Compression ( SAC) circuitry and DSP(digital signal processing) in each ear cup, this style of shooting muff helps protect hearing from harmful effects of muzzle blasts by reducing the amplification

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of loud sounds to a safe level. Ranger Jr. muffs have a noise reduction rating of 24 dB- among the highest in the industry.

Two volume controls and adjustable frequency tuning controls allow users to focus on specific sound frequencies to fit their individual needs. Because of this, many users are calling the Ranger Jr. muffs “binoculars for your ears.”

All EHP muffs are made with a space-age polymer plastic for strength, durability and feather-light design. All units are padded and have an adjustable headband, providing the user extreme comfort for all-day use. EHP will offer not only the Ranger Jr. muffs but also the adult Ranger HD model and a full line of junior and senior(adult) series of shooting muffs.

For more information on EHP-Electronic Hearing Protection , call (317)5027942 or visit on the web at www.ehphearing.com.

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100% synthetic, medium viscosity solventfree lubricant packaged in a handy needle point oiler pen for use in those hard-toreach places.

For more information and to order, go to www.jjfishook.com.

Super Max Satchel, the Great Divide EVER SEEN A TACKLE BOX WITH 118 COMPARTments? You have now.

Flambeau attacks hard tackle storage with a new unique design… The Super Max Satchel (Model 9030).

With overall dimensions of 17¼ x 16 ¾ x 5 inches (43.815 x 42.545 x 12.700 cm), the Super Max Satchel fits more tackle per square

JJ Fishook’s Lubri-Scent JJ LUBRI-SCENT TECHNOLOGY IS A SPECIALLY formulated scented fish attractant lubrication system designed for the serious angler.

Use it on your reels, rods and lures to provide maximum protection against wear and corrosion. It is salt and fresh water resistant and will not harm monofilament, fluorocarbon or braided line.

Lubri-Scent comes in 2-forms: LubriScent Grease and Lubri-Scent Pinpoint Lubricant. The Grease is 100% synthetic grease that contains PTFE for use on all reels, bale transfers, arm screws, handle knobs, antireverse levers, line rollers, spool shaft assemblies, click springs, and all other metallic surfaces.

The Lubri-Scent Pin Point is a Lubri-Scent

Super Max inch than Satchel any box ever available.

The Super Max Satchel is specifically design to be the complete tackle storage system. Flambeau paid attention to detail and designed this box to specific lure sizes and specifications.

The Super Max Satchel features (3) areas of storage; top lid, base, and side storage. The top lid delivers (11) fixed compartments and includes (36) Zerust dividers to customize your lure storage. A crank bait lover’s best friend.

Next, the base was designed to hold just about anything and everything necessary for fishing. With (8) fixed compartments and (9) Zerust dividers, compartments can be mixed and matched as needed. The base area is the perfect storage area for anglers who prefer to stow their plastics’ in the original package.

It’s also a great place to store extra reels, line, or oversized items.

Last, the Super Max Satchel’s side storage is composed of (2) 3009 Tuff Tainers which can easily be removed for

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quick access to frequently used tackle. The 3009 Tuff Tainer contains (3) fixed compartments and (9) Zerust dividers.

So, there you have it. (118) compartments for all of your tackle storage needs.

The Super Max Satchel has you covered, with MSRP $29.99.

For more information on Flambeau’s Super Max Satchel and Flambeau Outdoors products, please visit www.flambeauoutdoors.com, call: 800457-5252, or e-mail: outdoors@flambeauoutdoors.com.

EZ Tom Lanyard DROP YOUR TOM, NOT YOUR CALLS, THIS SEAson with this handy and innovative new system. Keep your calls organized and within hands reach at all times.

Calls stay attached but can be quickly changed out as desired. The striker lanyards can be worn separately or clipped to the main lanyard, clothing, or equipment strapping.

Made in the USA from soft lightweight, yet durable polyester webbing for comfort and years of use.

Works great for pot calls, mouth reeds, strikers, mouth calls, box calls, and other essentials.

Included: 1 lanyard with quick detach buckle, 2 striker lanyards, 1 slide adjuster with buckle, 2 sets of clips to attach and adjust the strikers, 2 key rings and cord assemblies to change out your calls.

EZ Tom Lanyard Take advantage of this handy new system and make it an essential part of your turkey hunting gear this season. Available in Mossy Oak Break-up and Realtree APG HD at www.ezaccessgear.com , www.sportsmansguide.com, select Scheels stores, and www.midwestturkeycall.com.

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A DEDICATION TO EXCELLENCE AND UPGRADE. That is the philosophy of Fish-N-Hunt, the company founded by wadefishing legend Paul Perrin and now owned by a group of passionate, forward thinking outdoors lovers.

“You’ll never see us totally copying another product. We only put out things that are innovative or that are significantly better than what is on the market and that is what sets us apart,” said owner Mac DeLaup.

One trip to their retail location at 5829 West Sam Houston Parkway North in Houston shows this philosophy in living color as it serves as a showcase for their ingenuity.

Take the Walk-N-Wade Professional Net that not only floats behind as you wade by comes with a retractable tether and comfortable ribbed foam handle.

Retailing at only $19.99 it represents Fish-N-Hunt’s passion for affordable pricing.

“We’re in business to make money like everyone else but we want to do by providing products the average angler can afford and that they know will be a part of their fishing arsenal for a long time. A lot of people can make the same kinds of products but they can’t do at our price point and with our quality,” DeLaup said.

“Because of our business model we can put out products that are higher quality and that have a much lower price point.”

This year DeLaup said the company is coming out with a pair of fishing pliers based on the offshore fishing community’s standards.

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Fish-N-Hunt: Dedicated to Excellence

are no Academy Fish-N-Hunt retails its creations, along with a “There is a big difSports & Outdoors wide selection of other outdoor gear and artwork, ference in the to get a replace- in a new storefront location at 5829 West Sam demands put on ment, so you want Houston Parkway South in Houston. products by people something made to who might fish every the highest standards.” weekend or every other weekend compared These pliers will be priced within reach to the pros who fish every day. We err on the of the angler who is on a budget but wants side of the pros because we want our prodsomething that performs at another level. ucts to perform the best they can and last as long as possible.”

Take their new cork top stringer set to debut in the first quarter of 2010. It came at the recommendation of fishing guide Bubba Ray who prefers bringing out lures on a cork instead of in a box. www.FishandHunt.com “This product is super high quality and “We’ll still have have our standard pliers will allow anglers to put have a bunch of on our wadefishing belt but quite frankly we their lures in an easy to access spot. Without know some of the pros will take it off and feedback from pros like Bubba we would put in their own. While those pliers are good never have been able to come up with all of and will last if taken care of we’re want to the right ingredients for something like this offer something that is a step up and will be which is why we keep in touch with the best something an angler can be confident with of the best,” DeLaup said. whether they are in the bay fishing for reds Sometimes products are not born out of and trout or in the bluewater seeking big necessity but from preference that fits certain game.” fishing styles.

DeLaup said a big part of the compa“We’re very responsive to things that can ny’s success is working directly with the pros upgrade our products or put a new spin on that are out in the field every day. them that allows people to use it for their

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personal favorite style of fishing.”

Like most products in the fishing industry, Fish-N-Hunt’s are made in China and while that was a difficult decision considering the company’s long history of being American made, the tradeoff has been lower prices and equal quality.

“We work with a really good group of people over there who are dedicated to quality. We refused to sacrifice on the integrity of the products and had to respond to the fact we could not get these made in America this way. We’re very proud to be an American company that hires American workers but the fact they are manufactured overseas allows us to be able to give people affordable, quality products.”

While many companies are retracting in the down economy, Fish-N-Hunt is expanding along with its partner Academy Sports & Outdoors.

“They are gaining a lot of ground along the east coast and Florida and we are growing right along with them. We have a great partnership with them that is allowing not only our company to grow but us to be able to deliver products we believe will greatly help the outdoors lovers out there enjoy their time in the field with confidence,” DeLaup said.

Also offering a line of hunting products including shotgun shell carriers and bird bags, Fish-N-Hunt looks forward to servicing outdoors lovers in Texas and beyond who seek high quality and affordable pricing.

“We want to continue the legacy that Paul Perrin began and be there to make people’s outdoors experience more enjoyable.”

—Chester Moore

Ranger Boats Gets New Owner WOOD MANUFACTURING, INC., HOME TO THE legendary Ranger boat brand, today embraced new ownership as the previously announced acquisition by Platinum Equity was finalized. The transaction, which was approved January 13 by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in St. Paul, Minnesota, also gives Platinum Equity ownership of several other leading boat brands previously under the Genmar umbrella. Wood Manufactur-

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ing — the nation’s Ranger Boats has a new owner, but the company unique opportunilargest manufacturer will continue to be run independently by the ties. The Ranger of premium fiber- existing local managment.

Family is full of glass fishing boats wonderful, talented — will be operated independently from the folks and Nina and I are so proud to be a other divisions and will continue on under part of it all. We look forward to continuing the leadership of the existing local manage- the programs that have served Ranger well ment which boasts more than four decades for more than 40 years. Building the best of experience. Both initiatives are designed product and encouraging increased particito maintain the company’s focus on quality pation in a sport for all ages have always products and longstanding commitment to been our goals, and we all look forward to a the sport of fishing. In addition, the same thriving relationship with our new partner.” management team will also continue to be According to Hopper, Ranger Boats responsible for Stratos Boats as well as the enters 2010 with the strongest model lineup Champion brand. in its 40-plus year history. In an economy Ranger has always been the leader in its where many manufacturers are choosing to marketplace, with an established brand, scale back their efforts and offerings, broad product line and extremely loyal cus- Ranger is being recognized by several tomers. Itπ s an extraordinary company and industry leaders, including Trailer Boats weπ re excited and privileged to partner with magazine, for aggressively developing new this outstanding management team. We are models. totally committed to help our new partners continue to thrive and ensure their leadership position well into the future,≤ said Louis Samson, the Platinum Equity principal who led the transaction. ≥ Their focus www.RangerBoats.com on bringing quality products and services to www.PlatinumEquity.com their dealers and family of owners will only intensify through our partnership.≤ Platinum Equity is a global firm specialRanger Boats President Randy Hop- izing in the merger, acquisition and operaper, along with legendary company founder tion of companies that provide services and Forrest L. Wood, spoke about the excite- solutions to customers in a broad range of ment stemming from the new partnership. business markets, including information “We couldn’t be more pleased,” said Hop- technology, telecommunications, logistics, per. “Our capital structure going forward metals services, manufacturing and distribuwill allow us to keep our focus where it tion. Since its founding in 1995 by Tom should be — building the most sought after Gores, Platinum Equity has completed fishing boats in the world.” nearly 100 acquisitions with more than Echoing Hopper’s comments, Wood $27.5 billion in aggregate annual revenue at emphasized his staunch support and contin- the time of acquisition. ued affiliation with the company. “It’s great to see this partnership promoting so many

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Patent Approved for Humminbird's Side Imaging THE U.S. PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE HAS granted U.S. Patent No. 7,652,952 to Johnson Outdoors Inc. for the Humminbird Side ImagingR technology. The approved patent protects Humminbird's Side Imaging sonar systems from unauthorized copying.

"Our Side Imaging sonar technology is one of the most heralded innovationsin the marine electronics industry in decades," said Kelly Grindle, GroupVice President of Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics & Watercraft. "It isa game changer for anglers who demand the best equipment available to helplocate and catch more fish."

Humminbird first introduced Side Imaging sonar in 2005 in two of its900-Series fishfinder models. Spurred by consumer demand, Humminbirdexpanded its offering of Side Imaging models to its 700-, 800-, and1100-SeriesT product lines.

Side Imaging sonar produces dramatically detailed and recognizable images ofunderwater objects and the bottom. These images allow anglers to pinpoint habitat, structure and drop-offs, which are prime holding areas for fish. With a coverage area of up to 480 feet side-to-side, anglers can search more water in less time to find the most promising areas to fish.

"Humminbird has created an entirely new sonar category in Side Imaging technology, and we have been thorough in our product development and patent process to assure that our technology is sound," said Grindle. "We continue our efforts to enhance Side Imaging technology and will offer more features in the near future."

For more information visit humminbird.com, contact Humminbird, 678Humminbird Lane, Eufaula, AL 36027, or call 800-633-1468.

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On the Web www.Humminbird.com units, chartplotters, marine radios and digital depth gauges. Geonav is a manufacturer of high-quality, easy-to-use marine electronics products. Minn Kota is the world’s leading manufacturer of electric trolling motors, as well as offering a complete line of battery chargers, Trim Tabs and marine accessories. Cannon is the leader in controlled-depth fishing and includes full line of downrigger products and accessories.

Mercury Improves Acceleration on Bravo Three Props MERCURY MARINE HAS RELEASED NEW VERsions of the 20, 21 and 22.5 pitch front propellers in Mercury's Bravo Three propeller lineup.

These new propellers provide improved performance, including a significant reduction in time to plane. The three-blade rear propeller continues in production unchanged.

"The lower-pitch front propellers in the Bravo Three line-up have been redesigned from top to bottom," said product manager Dirk Bjornstad. "These changes result in better acceleration across the board with light and heavy loads.

"The differences are most pronounced on boats with slower acceleration times.

We've seen up to 8 percent faster acceleration with the new four-blade front propeller in heavier applications."

On the Web www.MercuryMarine.com A Bravo Three propeller set consists of two counter-rotating propellers on the same drive. The Generation II Bravo Three pro-

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pellers feature a four-blade front and a three-blade rear while the Generation I Bravo Three propellers used a three-blade front and rear.

"Our engineers have made refinements to the rake profile to provide the kind of holding customers expect with a four-blade front propeller," said Bjornstad. "The new low pitch propellers ensure the complete line of Generation II models will accelerate and hold better than their predecessors."

Production of the latest revision of the 20, 21 and 22.5 Brave Three series began Jan 22.

Mercury Marine is the world's leading manufacturer of recreational marine propulsion engines. A division of Brunswick Corporation, Mercury's industry-leading brand portfolio includes Mercury and Mariner outboard engines; Mercury MerCruiser sterndrive and inboard packages; MotorGuide trolling motors; Mercury propellers; Mercury inflatable boats; Mercury SmartCraft electronics; and Mercury and Quicksilver parts and oils.

Max Michel Teams with EHP EHP ELECTRONIC HEARING PROTECTION founder Denny Snyder has announced that world champion speed shooter Max Michel has joined EHP as their first official pro staffer. Michel will represent EHP in competition shoots as well as trade shows all across the country. EHP will be introducing the new line of electronic hearing protection during the Bass Pro Shops Media Day on January 18th, 2010 held in conjunction with the annual NSSF SHOT Show in Las Vegas.

In 2009, Max Michel won seven titles and one second place. He titled in the Area 6 2009 USPSA Championship; had the Overall High Score for the 2009 NRA Bianchi Cup Pro-Am Shooting Event; won the Gold Medal in the Level IV sanctioned 2009 IPSC Pan American Championship; received first place Overall in the Limited10 Division in the Area 1 National Cham-

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pionship; was a 3rd time Champion in the Steel Challenge World Speed Championships; won the 2009 Infinity Area 4 Championship and was the 100% Match Winner in the Open/Production Class in the USPSA Practical Shooting Association Handgun National for the 5th time.

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medals. Michel is also the Pro Shooter for Sig Saur arms and also assists with R & D, trade shows and dealer events.

“The EHP goal is to promote hearing protection for the twenty million hunters and all those folks that participate in the shooting sports.“ Snyder adds, “Max is as AllAmerican as they come and a true professional. With Max being one of the top shooters in the world — having him represent EHP to help give our company a jumpstart is absolutely huge.”

MSE Worldwide manufactures Life Jacket for Firearms safety cases and Seeker Security Metal Detectors. “Our product lines are very complementary and we are very excited about being able to market them together” said representatives from the two companies.

SportLock and MSE Worldwide Join Forces

Bob Kufahl, General Manager at SportLock will spearhead the marketing of both company’s products to the Outdoor market, and Alan Teichelman & Clyde Caceres of MSE Worldwide will lead the marketing effort for the Law Enforcement, Military, and Security markets.

www.EHPhearing.com Recruited for the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, Michel competed for the (USAMU) from 1999 to 2009 and he was the Military Coach of the Action Pistol Team. He began claiming championships starting in 2004 and won 3 World Speed Shooting Championships in 2005, 2007, and 2009. He has completed over 30 USPSA Area Championships, and while representing the United States, he has competed in the last 3 International Practical Shooting Confederation® (IPSC) World Shoots, each time returning with team gold

On the Web www.SportLockLLC.com www.MSEworldwide.com

SportLock LLC and MSE Worldwide LLC are very pleased and excited to announce a Joint Venture between the two companies.

SportLock LLC manufactures hard gun & bow cases and mall electronic safes.

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Teeing Off Turkey Season PRING TURKEY SEASON IS FINALLY HERE, and taking a gobbler with a bow brings its own challenges. It is just not the same as going out with a gun and harvesting a bird. More equipment is needed— especially if you try to film your hunt, something I highly recommend.

Not only do you have to bring your bow and arrows, but in order to be successful with that bow, you should bring a portable blind as well. The blind allows you to move and draw your bow while staying concealed from the wary eyes of turkey.

I have spent many turkey seasons with my cousin. We enjoy hunting together and having some hilarious conversations in our portable blind. I would bring my bow and he would bring his gun. We both agreed that if it looked like the bird would come into bow range, he would let me take the shot and then back me up if needed. However, if the bird hung up outside of bow range, he would grab his gun and try to harvest the turkey.

We would also carry an HD camera, tripod, and film each time we went afield. The footage was later used for a DVD that I made with Chester Moore called “Wild Life and Wild Times.”

Imagine the amount of gear we carried in the field. A large camera, tripod, decoys, blind, bow, gun, and some snacks along with the coffee (I need my coffee). To say we were a little overloaded would be a huge understatement. It did not take too long before we both agreed that something needed to be done if we wanted to keep from having a heart attack lugging all that gear.

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Our first idea was A golf pullcart pretty ingenious. We works perfectly as bought a large green a gear hauler. plastic trash bin, drilled two holes on either side of the bottom, and slid a metal bar through the holes. Our homemade axle worked to perfection. I borrowed some bicycle wheels from my son’s bike (I don’t think he ever liked that bike anyway) and attached them to the axle. It worked great—as long as the bin stayed empty. Unfortunately, when we added all the weight of our turkey hunting gear, the plastic near the axle cracked when we ventured into our first bumpy hay lot. Oh, well; it was a good idea, it just needed a bit of refinement.

My good hunting friend, Tom, came up with the idea of using a wheeled golf bag/cart.

At first I thought, This man has been spending way too much time in the woods. Did he ever prove me wrong. Not only was it a good idea, it also proved “the” answer we were looking for.

He spray painted a 5-gallon bucket with camo colors and then strapped it to the bottom of the golf cart. The bucket was large enough to hold everything we needed in the woods, except for a few items. He also strapped on a fanny pack containing ammo, a ThermaCELL unit (another must-have item), and a variety of turkey calls. We would have to carry a bow and a backpack with the snacks and coffee, but all in all, this really was answer to our turkey-hunting dilemma.

The aluminum frame made the cart much more durable than its plastic predecessor. It also was very quiet as we maneuvered it through the fields. A little spray of lubricant near the wheels every few weeks was insurance against squeaks developing.

I saw only one change that would improve this mobile turkey-hunting unit: camo paint on the aluminum frame to help hide the cart and keep it from reflecting sunlight. A small piece of camo material to drape over the frame would work just as well, maybe even better.

Tom said it never affected his hunting, but I am a believer in Murphy’s Law. I have always

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said that Murphy was an optimist, and whatever can go wrong definitely will go wrong.

That is why I try to look for any potential problems and fix them before the hunt begins.

After seeing the finished product, I reminded Tom that his gun should be strapped with the barrel pointing down in the bucket. He looked at the picture and immediately agreed. It would be much safer to strap the gun in place with the business end facing away from the hunter during transport at all times.

A few trips to the turkey woods with the new and improved turkey travel kit worked like a charm. It was easy to carry in and out of the woods with little effort, and actually made hunting turkey with a bow more enjoyable than ever. It even came complete with a place to keep your score....

Hunting with a friend makes your hunt memorable. When the birds have stopped talking and you know you have a few hours to kill before the toms resume searching for hens, it makes the wait a lot more fun when you have someone to joke around with. Hunt with a friend and film your hunt if you can. You will not regret it.

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E-mail Lou Marullo at lmarullo@fishgame.com PHOTO BY LOU MARULLO

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Shooting from the Bench F YOU ARE LIKE ME, YOU READ ALL THE INTERnet forum swill about super-accurate rifles with wide and uncomprehending eyes. Often the mentioned rifle is an inexpensive model, sometimes a breakaction single-shot, and usually with a bargain basement scope on it. The proud owner claims it shoots groups that average some unbelievably tiny fraction of an inch, usually stated in the jargon of the modern firearms illuminati, “it shoots in the threes.”

Sadly, the vast majority of these accuracy phenoms are pure flights of fancy on the part of the owner.

Besides the fact that a rifle that truly does “shoot in the threes,” meaning less than 4/10 of an inch, is a rare and precious commodity that requires a perfect barrel, a perfect scope, and perfect ammunition. It also requires perfect technique on the bench.

I have what some would consider “a bunch” of fine rifles. No brag, just fact. Various gunsmiths and custom gun makers who specialize in making super-accurate rifles made several of them for me. I have not even one, however, that will truly “shoot in the threes.” Several of them shoot groups that average an inch or a bit less; all of them will shoot less than 2 inches or I wouldn’t still have them. One of them, a wildcat .222 Remington Magnum Ackley Improved built for me by gunsmith Jason Bowman, will shoot around a half-inch. However, in addition to having those very accurate rifles with super-precise scopes, I have to hold them right or they will not do their tricks.

The first thing you need is a good bench.

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If the bench itself wobbles around in the breeze, it is all but impossible to shoot decent groups off it. Second, the target backstop must be solid. If the target flops around, the bullets cannot strike it in the same spot several times in a row. Next are sandbags, a shooting rest, or both. I want a solid but adjustable front rest, preferably a tripod topped with a small, properly shaped sandbag that cradles the front of the stock; and I want a rear sandbag formed and shaped for the purpose, or several sandbags that I can use to support the butt of the gun.

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The vast majority of these accuracy phenoms are pure flights of fancy.

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The front end of the gun must be supported in as nearly the same way each time as possible. I have found that placing the front rest midway between the recoil lug and the forward end of the stock is the best compromise between accuracy and controllability. The rear bags should be placed so the shooter can still acquire solid cheek and shoulder contact with the stock, reach the trigger, and control the rear bag with the left hand.

With all except the biggest, hardest kicking boomers, the gun is controlled with the left hand on the rear sandbag. With cannons like the .375, the left hand might be needed to keep the gun from jumping off the front rest and hitting the bench, but this is not as precise.

The gun should be placed on the sandbags so that it rests with the crosshairs a few inches above the bull’s-eye. It should be

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solidly supported, so that when the shooter moves away from the gun, the crosshairs stay in position. Then the gun is lightly gripped with the right hand, while the left hand grips the rear sandbag. Now, by squeezing or releasing the sandbag, the sights can be raised or lowered; by pushing or pulling the rear sandbag the gun can be moved right or left. The right hand, the shoulder, and the cheek are used for absolutely nothing related to moving the gun. The right hand is used only for squeezing the trigger.

If you move your head or hands after the shot is fired, the shot might not be in the group. Stay with the shot for a second or two after the gun goes off. This prevents, or should prevent, a flinch. If the trigger is so stiff or creepy that you cannot make the gun go off without undue strain, if the gun moves at all when the trigger is released in dry-firing, get the trigger fixed or replaced. If the gun kicks so much that you cannot shoot it without flinching, get a sissy bag. That is a bag that goes between the gun and shoulder to keep the gun from bruising the shoulder.

I sometimes use a strap-on shoulder pad for the really big guns, especially if the gun doesn’t have a nice, soft recoil pad.

If you have everything properly adjusted, all you have to do each time is look through the scope, place the crosshairs on the target, and squeeze the trigger until you get a surprise break of the sear. Then, all you have to learn is how to read wind, judge mirage, breathe, and other esoteric skills. Nothing to it.

If your gun will not shoot those tiny groups, don’t feel bad; the guy in the internet forum in all likelihood doesn’t have one either. You would be wise to not believe about 99.9999 percent of what you see on the internet, and about 98 percent of what you read in magazines—except this one, of course.

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Hemispheric What?

Brain Waves RYING TO FIGURE OUT A NEW FISH-FINDER, GPS/chart plotter, or any other marine electronics unit is often akin to banging your head against a brick wall until it bleeds. The wall, I mean. Your head will be bleeding long before you can figure out how to make that errant waypoint go away, or change from 200 to 50 kHz. Then again, other times you get a new unit and it just seems to mesh perfectly with your brain. Menu navigation seems completely intuitive, and getting from point A to point B is a piece of cake. Yet the same unit could confound your best buddy, while the one he finds so simple to use sends you right back to that brick wall. The bottom line: Everyone is different, every unit is different, and some units simply don’t match up with some people’s brain patterns.

Most of us try to avoid this problem by asking as many people as we can about different units prior to purchasing one. We spend hours at marine supply stores, staring at screens while the salesman explains why a unit is the “best” or most popular (and coincidentally, happens to have the fattest profit margin). We read articles, go to boat shows, and Google until our fingers bleed. Then we make a choice... and pray it was the right good one.

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Does choosing marine electronics really have to be such guesswork? If only we had some way to test ourselves, and find out which menu systems and key pad layouts worked the best for us, as individuals. To find out if it was possible I mounted five different chart plotters side-by-side and timed 15 boaters as they tried to figure out how to use each one. Then our test subjects subjected themselves to a braintype test, we matched up the results, and looked for a pattern.

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There is a brain type theory called “Hemispheric Dominance,” which is accepted by most scientists, professors, and researchers.

Hemispheric dominance describes how people think things through, and individuals tend to process information differently if their brain is dominated by the left hemisphere, or the right one. Some people are “whole-brained” because neither hemisphere dominates over the other; but overall, most people go through the day without consciously considering leftversus right-dominated thought.

Left-brained people focus on logical thinking, analysis, and accuracy. Right-brainers tend to lean more towards aesthetics, feelings, and creativity. Most scientists break down left and right into six different thinking traits, shown here: TABLE 1 Left Brain Dominant

Right Brain Dominant

Logical - Processes information in a logical, sequential manner.

Intuitive - Processes information with gut feelings, instinct, and meaning.

Linear - Sees the parts, put them in an order, then draws a conclusion.

More sequential in thought.

Holistic - Sees the big picture first, then breaks it down into parts. More random in thought.

Symbolic - Understands symbols and can draw concepts and meaning from them.

Concrete - Wants to see/touch the real item understands hands-on activities.

To determine how each test subject’s brain would interact with different types of chart plotters, I listed a series of simple tasks for each individual to try with each unit. First, they would set a new waypoint. Then they would navigate to it. Third, they would erase the waypoint. Next, they would change into a different screen mode. And finally, they would change back to the original screen. The series of tasks would require each individual to work

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through the menu navigation of each unit, and they were timed with a stopwatch as they performed each function. A limit of one minute for each task was observed in case someone had a particularly difficult time with one specific function, or became so confused they started looking around for that brick wall.

To keep the playing field level our test units were chosen according to the same standard you and I would use if we were purchasing a new chart plotter or fish-finder: cost. In order to be included in this test they had to be priced between $500 and $1500. This was the field: 1. Garmin GPSMAP 640, $1199; includes both marine and on-the-road navigational data; is waterproof to IPX7 standards, has a 5.2-inch WVGA, and is NMEA 0183 compliant 2. Interphase ChartMaster iPro, $999; has a built-in sounder, is expandable with radar and/or AIS, features a 7-inch LCD screen with a wide-ratio (16:9) format, and includes built-in satellite imagery with a world base map, and expandable with C-Map chartography 3. Lowrance HDS 7, $950 and up depending on options; has chart plotting/fishfinding capabilities on a 480x640 pixel, 6.4inch super VGA screen, optional Insight mapping expandable with Navionics chartography, NMEA 2000/0183 compatible, and can be Ethernet networked 4. Raymarine A50D, $999; has a 640x480 pixel 5-inch hi-res VGA color display, waterproof to IPX6 standards, can be upgraded with Navionics cards, is NMEA 0183/SeaTalk compatible, and can overlay AIS information 5. Standard Horizon CPF300i, $849; includes an on-board fish-finder, 7-inch 480x800 hi-res LCD screen with wide-screen 16:9 aspect ratio, a built-in expandable base map, and AIS/radar/video expandable Our test pool of 15 subjects came from a wide variety of people representing a cross-

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section of boaters: men, women, carpenters, lawyers, salesmen, and people from all walks of life. In a couple of cases, they owned a unit from one of the manufacturers in the test, and we skipped that manufacturer’s unit to keep from skewing the results due to familiarity.

(Scores for the skipped units were replaced with the overall averages for that unit.) Each participant was given a 54-question Brain Type Test to determine if they were left or right brain dominant. The test is free and available to anyone online, at www.testcafe.com. Once brain dominance was established, I crunched the numbers and came up with these results, given in total average number of seconds needed to complete the five functions: TABLE 2

Manufacturer

Left Brain Dominant Average Time*

Right Brain Dominant Total Average Average Time* Time*

Garmin

107

84

96

Interphase

119

102

116

Lowrance

90

76

83

Raymarine

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138

142

Std. Horizon

133

118

126

*In seconds

The first surprise: without exception rightbrainers were faster then left-brainers at figuring out all of the units. The Lowrance was clearly the most intuitive system to our test pool, while our participants found Raymarine the most time-consuming to deal with. But Raymarine also showed the smallest spread between left and right brain thinkers, with just 8 seconds separating the two groups. The next-nearest spread was two-thirds as large again, at 14 seconds for the Lowrance.

Another surprise: three of our participants found the Garmin easiest to use largely because of the touch-screen-in fact, they poked at the other unit’s screens in an attempt to use them as touch-screens, before resorting to the buttons. One of the three was a left-brainer, two were righties. One trait tied them all together: these were the youngest people in the test, all in their 20s or early 30s. Youthful boaters clearly found the touch-screen interface more intuitive.

So, can you take one of these brain tests, and know which unit will be most intuitive based on the results? Nope. But the other interesting discoveries about how our brains

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interact with chart plotters surely teach us a few things. Plus, we were able to figure out which of these units was the most intuitive use regardless of brain type-just look at the chart and it becomes pretty obvious. We also discovered that left brain dominant people will have a tougher time figuring these things out then right brained people will, period. If you are a leftie, the scientists say you can give that right lobe some exercise by singing, painting, writing poetry, drawing, and playing strategy

games that force you to think out multiple tasks simultaneously. Once the right side of your brain is performing like a champ, you will have an easier time using your electronics no matter who manufactured it. Then, finally, your head and your head unit can work together in harmony... no brick walls required.

E-mail Lenny Rudow at boating@fishgame.com

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Reptiles I Have Known N UNPLANNED, CLOSE-UP ENCOUNTER with a reptile tends to unnerve most outdoorsmen like no other experience. Simply put, it gives most of us the “willies.”

Most of us don’t mind observing snakes and alligators from a distance, but when one suddenly materializes up-close and personal out of nowhere, it can make you jump out of your skin—or kayak.

Kayakers enter the reptile’s world whenever we go for a paddle. Reptile attacks are rare, and a little understanding of their nature and habits will help diminish phobias.

Of the four venomous snakes in Texas, copperheads, rattlesnakes, and coral snakes are fairly easy to recognize by their noisy tails or distinct coloration. The Cottonmouth’s coloration varies from black to brown to having dark crossbands on a lighter shaded body.

The genus Nerodia includes what we commonly refer to as water snakes. In Texas, we enjoy four species, including diamondback, yellow belly, blotched, and broad banded water snakes. Many water snakes are “heavily bodied,” like the cottonmouth, making it hard for the casual outdoorsman to tell them apart. “Water snakes are harmless and are much more common to see than venomous snakes,” said Hewlett, Assistant Director of Jesse Jones Park & Nature Center, just outside Houston. Hewlett is a herpetologist and provided great insight into dealing with snakes of all types when afield and afloat.

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“All snakes will defend themselves if threatened, but snakes in the Nerodia genus tend to be a bit more defensive than others.

They don’t chase people, but will definitely defend themselves. People incorrectly view this behavior as aggressive or attacking.

“Everyone has an uncle or grandfather who claims to have been attacked or chased by a cottonmouth. I hear the same old stories every year, but I haven’t ever found anyone that was actually bitten. You just don’t see it happen that often.”

James Graham, co-owner of Southwest Paddlesports in The Woodlands, echoed Hewlett’s comments, adding: “If you are in their home space, they are going to challenge you. When you get a Nerodia riled up, it will definitely defend its territory.”

Graham noted that paddlers seeking succor from the sun’s scorching rays sometimes seek the shade of on overhanging tree.

Shade-seekers often find snakes draped on low branches. Having a snake drop into your kayak or canoe generally gets one’s attention quickly.

“You have to understand that the first thing a snake tries to do is to make a getaway,” Graham continued. “The first place they go is straight down; dropping off a tree limb is the quickest method of escape.”

If snakes scare you, avoid paddling under trees lining the river’s or lake’s edge, especially low growth. If a rushing current sweeps you unwillingly beneath a low canopy, hold your paddle in front of your face to avoid being hit by a branch. If there is time, hit the foliage with your paddle to warn any lounging snakes of your imminent arrival. They won’t take long to evacuate their perches.

Trees aren’t the only place to see snakes.

It is common for a kayaker to encounter a snake while paddling in the middle of a lake or stream. Don’t be surprised if the snake makes a beeline for your boat.

“A swimming snake is just trying to make it to shore,” Graham said. “You just happen to be the closest dry land. They

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aren’t attacking you; they just want to climb up on your island.”

It has been my experience that swimming snakes are easily discouraged. A brisk sweep of the paddle will shoo many away. I have had a few persist on making my acquaintance and a sharp downward slap of the paddle convinced them that I wasn’t in the mood to exchange pleasantries.

Alligators are found just about everywhere on the Gulf Coast in fresh, brackish, and salt waters. “It is now fairly common to see alligators when you are paddling,” Graham said. “I have never heard of an alligator attack on anyone kayaking or canoeing.”

Graham ticked off a handful known alligator haunts, including the San Jacinto River, Huntsville State Park, and Sheldon Reservoir. “There is a gator between 10 and 15 feet long that likes to shadow paddlers at the park. I have heard this from countless people. It never bothers folks in their kayaks, but it sure does freak them out.

“If you really want to see alligators, head to Anahuac Wildlife Refuge. There are some really big ones there. I personally won’t paddle there, but I sold kayaks to five rangers who work at the refuge. They don’t seem to have an issue with the gators.”

Graham relayed some no-nonsense safety tips if you are going to paddle in the presence of alligators. First, don’t trail a stringer of fish. That is tempting fate. Graham has had customers loose stringers to gators; fortunately, no one was hurt. Second, leave your small pets on land. While it might look stylish to have your Jack Russell terrier or Chihuahua as your first mate, you are inadvertently trolling for big prey.

Every time you hit the water, you enter the reptile world. Give them a little distance and respect, and you can both enjoy your time in and on the water.

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Email Greg Berlocher at kayak@fishgame.com

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Spinning a Jig EXAS IS THE LAND OF ANGLING OPPORTUNIty in both salt- and freshwater. I realize this with crystal clarity as I sit here searching on-line for a new tackle bag.

It seems that my old one is bursting at the seams with all the junk...I mean, necessary fishing tackle I carry with me on any given trip. Sadly, I rarely go into the tackle bag after the day has started (that’s a whole different article), but today we’re going to look at one way to lighten your bag just a little by using the same baits for both fresh- and saltwater species instead of doubling up with redundancies.

This is not a new revelation, but I have to share it anyway. Most fish we commonly chase are predators. No matter what type of water they swim in, big fishes eat little fishes, so it stands to reason that the same baits that mimic little baitfishes and attract big game fishes in one type of water will attract big fishes in another type of water.

Bass anglers have been using spinnerbaits for the better part of the past century to entice wall-hangers, but saltwater fishermen have joined in the fun for only the past decade or so. It makes a lot of sense to arm yourself with a spinnerbait when fishing the salt.

Ask just about any saltwater angler to name their favorite artificial baits for redfish, and without a doubt the gold spoon and jig will top most lists. Now, if you look at a spinnerbait, it is basically a combination of these two baits, aggregating the best attributes of both in a single bait. The flash and flutter of the spoon is replaced by the flash and thump of the spinner. The baitfish appearance and swimming pattern of the jig is now replaced by, well, the same thing with the spinnerbait body. In fact, the same jigs you use for reds

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can be used as part of a spinnerbait with great effectiveness for both bass and reds.

Getting a spinnerbait is easy: just walk into any sporting goods store in the state and buy one. The problem with this is that a single spinnerbait does not fit all angling situations. The color of the body along with size and design of the blade all play a part in the bait’s attractiveness under varying water conditions. A one-size-fits-all approach to spinnerbaits does not work, so in order to match the spinnerbait to the conditions every time would require a sack full of store-bought baits.

To get around having the spend next

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month’s mortgage on spinnerbaits, simply toss a few jig spinners into your tackle bag, and you can instantly turn any jig into a spinnerbait. Multiple companies make jig spinners, and the lures are available in just about any shape or size you can think of.

However, for simplicity’s sake, start with a few Colorado blades (egg shaped) and a handful of willow leaf blades (long and slender), both in gold color. Use the Colorado blades in murky water since the slow wobble gives off more vibration. Use the willow leaf in clearer water since the quicker spin gives o f f more flash.

Now, these jig spinners won’t catch fish on their own; you have to hook them to a jig or they are useless. Some anglers swear by high quality, pow-

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Whale Shark Coastal Bend Outdoors

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ROCKPORT

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For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.

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For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.

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COLLECTORS WELCOME!

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FOR SALE Golden Lure $5,000 Value See Ad Below

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For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.

SPOTLIGHT: WADE-AID For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.

TEXAS HUNTING

In 1995, my brother-in-law, Matthew Gregory, and I, George Calhoun, started developing the Wade Aid belt. The Wade Aid belt went on the market in 1996.

Wade Aid Enterprises prides itself in making the finest wade belt available.

Whether you’re fishing for redfish or trout in the bays and surfs of the gulf coast, fighting striper in the Atlantic surfs or fishing for trout and salmon in cool mountain rivers, the Wade Aid belt is for you.

The Wade Aid is the most functional and comfortable wade belt available today.

It is constructed of closed cell foam incased in neoprene with nylon webbing and hardware. The closed cell foam provides a unique lumbar support system. The rods and accessory holders are conveniently located for quick and easy access.

The Wade Aid is clearly in a class by itself.

Please visit our website www.wadeaid.com or call us at 1-888-WADE AID (1888-923-3243).

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Chowhound Chicken Tenders (Serves 3 to 4 regular eaters or a couple of chow hounds) HAVE A COUPLE OF BOTTOMLESS PIT chowhound teenagers at home that are good for a cook’s ego, but hard to fill up at the dinner table. I am trying to cook healthy, but also cooking things they enjoy.

This chicken tender recipe is quick, easy to make, and won’t break the bank. It’s also an easy meal for the fishing or hunting camp.

I

2 lbs. fresh chicken tenderloins 2 eggs, beaten with 2 Tbs. Texas Gourmet’s Cajun Hot Sauce (or your favorite brand of hot sauce); combine well 1-1/2 cups flour in a bowl 1 cup corn meal, seasoned with 1/3 tsp. black pepper, 3/4 tsp. garlic salt, and 1/2 tsp. lemon pepper; place in a shallow, wide bowl or a 1-gallon plastic zipper bag 1/2 to 3/4 gallon peanut oil deep fryer with a fitted basket, or a slotted spoon large platter with paper towels for straining Line the bowls up in a row, flour first, then the eggs with hot sauce combined, then the corn meal. Preheat the deep fryer to 350 degrees. Drop each tenderloin into the flour C52 |

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and cover well, then dip into the egg mixture and then into the cornmeal; coat well and then place on a large platter. Place only as many tenders into the oil so as to not crowd the pot, maybe 6 to 8. Fry until golden brown, about 4-6 minutes, being careful not to burn them.

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Pecan Barbeque and Dipping Sauce, Jalapeno Kiwi Jelly, or other favorite sauce.

These are awesome. Hope you enjoy!

Remove from the oil and strain on paper towels. Serve hot or warm with Texas Gourmet’s Pineapple Chipotle Grilling and Dipping Sauce, or Texas Gourmet’s Honey

On the Web www.FishGame.com (keyword: Texas Tasted)

Contact Bryan Slaven, "The Texas Gourmet," at 888-234-7883, www.thetexasgourmet.com; or by email at texas-tasted@fishgame.com

www.thetexasgourmet.com

BAITS & RIGS Continued from Page C49 der coated, lifelike jigheads, but I’m not one of them. A basic unpainted leadhead works just fine in this application. Use something in the 1/4- to 1/2-ounce range, but, unlike standard bass jigs, don’t put on a plastic skirt. Instead, put a grub body on the jig.

The type of body used is usually a matter of angler preference, but I like something

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with a curly or paddle tail. When chasing bass, I like to use a simple color like Watermelon (including any of the multiple versions with glitter in them). When in saltwater, I change up a little and use a dark body (reds, greens) with a chartreuse tail.

With a simple jig and jig spinner, you can use one basic rig to chase both fresh- and saltwater species without ever having to change anything other than the grub body

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on the bait. This is especially an advantage when fishing brackish water where you never know what you might catch.

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E-mail Paul Bradshaw at freshrigs@fishgame.com

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ught of Frisco, ca ssell, age 3, was Christian Ru Palestine. He ke La on e pi le to po n ee his first crap Qu n Lightning Mc r. using his ow de -inch, 2-poun reel in this 14

Joey Pivarnik , age 4, of Mc Kinney, caug this 18-inch, ht 3.5-pound la rgemouth ba a nite crawle ss on r at Towne La ke in McKinn This was his ey. largest fish to date.

r of Sadler, ld Wyatt Mahe s Eleven-year-o 8-point buck at 111 yard this County. ho nc Texas, shot Co in mington with a 6mm Re

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Ariel Sanche z, age 5, caug ht while fishing with her brot her first fish he Lake Granbu ry. She reeled r and Pa on in the 2-1/2pound bass with her Barb ie fishing po le.

this xas, caught of Dayton, Te hing Brandon Kotz ch redfish while surf fis -in s 16+-pound, 36 r Pass. He wa ve llo Ro ar , ne at High Island for bait. let using cut mul

Jon Waters ca ught this 12-p private lake ound bass on in Oakmont, a Texas. The ba was 28 inches ss long and 20 inches around .

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rpus Christi, , 4-1/2, of Co over Rhian Ponton st bass, just fir r he ed leas ng caught and re ock pond. She was fishi a st 2 pounds, at . worm with a purple

Sammy Pend leton, 8, of Ro und Rock, sh his first deer ot wh Circle R Ranc ile hunting with his dad at h near Harper , Texas. He to the 8-pointer ok with one shot at 95 yards.

ught this 4.12 Bay Deer Park, ca ut in Burnett Allen Huff of tro ed kl ec ch sp pound, 24-in Texas. in Baytown,

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ars-Tomplait ld Dalton Me Twelve-year-o ound, 23-inch largemouth -p caught this 10 m Rayburn.

Sa bass on Lake

Nicole Chris tesson of Ro shar 18-inch trout at Bastrop Ba on, caught this you. It was th biggest catc h of the day. e

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Shane Carriza le first deer at a s, age 8, of Katy, shot hi s blind in Rung e, Texas, wh hunting with ile his Jr., and his gr father, Juan S. Carrizale s, andfather.

Texas City, on, age 7, of Claire Thomps ound, 35-inch redfish.

-p caught this 15

, City, Kansas rcia of Kansas redfish, a 12Mari Lynn Ga st fir r he leased h caught and re e King Ranc ile fishing th n Antonio.

Sa pounder, wh of ey ck Jim Mi shoreline with

Casey Hicks of buck with a .2 Dayton, shot this 6-point 43 WSSM fro m 160 yards lease in Sout on a h Texas.

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ught Cotile, LA, ca am, age 9, of th his grandwi Jacob Ingrah ng hi fis nd bass s this 9.48-pou brother on Lake Fork. Hi d father, dad an catch of the weekend. big fish was the

Ryan Ruiz of Br this 8-pound, enham, caught 21-inch largem bass on a $0 .99 black and outh yellow beetlespin at Lake Limesto ne.

o, of San Antoni son, age 11, Kevin Steven near Packery h is df re ch th -in caught this 22 us Christi while fishing wi rp as.

Channel in Co e, Dave Thom cl un d an tt, ya his father, W

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Lane Warnken , age 7, took his first buck 8-pointer, wi th a Remingt , on youth mod an .243 while hu el nting the 3rd and Long Ra in Mason, Te nch xas.

int took this 8-po . ebb, age 10, before school Samantha W d da r he th nt wi buck on a hu

Jessi Knight , age 11, of Sa n Antonio, ca this 22-inch ught trout in Ceda r Bayou while ing with her fishfather.

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bass is 7.2-pound s an caught th Texas. She wa Tammy Usch in ke La w Hollo g a finesse in on Stillhouse us r, te wa feet of fishing in 14 worm.

Jan and Herb Owens of Su gar Land, ca these bull re ught dfis breakers at Hi h while kayaking beyond the gh Island.

off port, shows nzalez of Free ile fishwh ht ug Armando Go ca redfish that he yak in 6 inches this 27-inch s ka nows from hi incoming tide. ing with min ring du rt, po ee of water in Fr

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PHOTO BY STEPHEN VANHORN

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Anticipating the Post-Spawn W HILE MOST BASS-HAPPY ANGLERS swill the mead of the spawn, some have the foresight to anticipate that it will end in a few weeks and degrade into the dreaded postspawn.

The horrors are myriad: whipped the water to froth...made so many casts I got blisters...threw everything I had at ‘em...etc. ad nauseam, all with nary a strike. In other words, post-spawn bassing is tough...isn’t it?

It all depends on where you are talking about, how you go about it, and who you ask. Fact is, arranging a post-honeymoon tryst with a cooperative largemouth mistress or two is not as difficult as most people seem to think.

I remember most vividly a bright spring morning some years ago, when I got the first hint that maybe not all silver clouds have dark linings. I was fishing along the banks of a small creek that emptied into Possum Kingdom Lake, well into May and long after the spawn was supposed to be over.

I was at a spot a few hundred feet from the lake, where the creek narrowed into a bottleneck before fanning out into a wide cove. The stricture was made up of two small, rocky bluffs, sort of a miniature Hell’s

Gate, with a tangle of logs and brush on the downstream side.

Not expecting much, I tossed what I seem to recall was a Hula Popper up against one of the bluffs, and got an immediate explosion of a strike. That first fish, at 5 pounds and change, was the best of the 6 total I landed from that same spot over the next hour; the smallest one went about 3 pounds.

by Don Zaidle Not noted for my perceptiveness, I wrote the incident off to the caprice of outrageous fortune and went merrily on my way, all the while bemoaning the state of post-spawn man-bass relations. And, much to my later chagrin, I even forgot exactly where the spot was located.

A few years later, I stumbled across a similar situation at a little rock pile located on the edge of a creek channel, where I was dabbling minnows for crappie. I didn’t think much about it until after I caught the second 3-pound largemouth. Rigging up a casting rod with a Texas worm setup, I vertically jigged three more spawned-out blacks from among the rocks.

Years later, in one of my more lucid

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moments, I came to realize that over the years I had caught a lot of bass at times and locations where traditional wisdom said I shouldn’t have been catching anything.

What, I wondered, had I been doing wrong? Or perhaps more to the point, what had I been doing right?

Further musing revealed that my sporadic successes at traditionally “bad” times of the year had all come on lakes that shared a common trait—a rich diversity of structure types connected by a labyrinth of channels.

Could catching post-spawn bass in good numbers really be as simple as choosing the right lake?

Well, there is a bit more to it than that, but being in the right kind of water does place you on the downhill side of the equation. And I can think of no two places as being more “right” than lakes Ray Roberts and Possum Kingdom. A cursory glance at a map of either reveals a smorgasbord of structure and cover types strung together by stream and roadbeds, breaklines, and long point contours. Ideal post-spawn bass waters.

The trick to successful post-spawn bassing is being at the right place at the right

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In This Issue

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HOW-TO SECTION

I1

COVER STORY • Anticipating the Post Spawn |

BY DON ZAIDLE

HOTSPOTS & TIDES SECTION

I36

BOWHUNTING TECH • Teeing Off Turkey Season | BY LOU MARULLO

I37

TEXAS GUNS & GEAR • Shooting from the Bench | BY STEVE LAMASCUS

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OUTDOOR CLASSIFIED DIRECTORY • Classifieds | BY TF&G STAFF

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TEXAS BOATING • Brain Waves |

BY LENNY RUDOW

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TEXAS TASTED • Cowhound Chicken Tenders | BY BRYAN SLAVEN

I40

TEXAS KAYAKING • Reptiles I Have Known |

BY GREG BERLOCHER

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PHOTO ALBUM • Your Action Photos |

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BAITS & RIGS • Spinning a Jig |

BY PAUL BRADSHAW

I26

SALTWATER TALES • Sabine’s Shocking Truths | BY CHESTER MOORE

OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE SECTION

BY TF&G READERS

GEARING UP SECTION

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TEXAS HOTSPOTS • Texas’ Hottest Fishing Spots |

BY TOM BEHRENS, CALIXTO GONZALES & BOB HOOD

I28

TEXAS TESTED • Stanley Lights, Thompson/Center, Avery |

BY TFG STAFF

I18

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK • Tides, Solunar Table, Best Hunting/Fishing Times |

BY TF&G STAFF

I30

NEW PRODUCTS • What’s New from Top Outdoor Manufacturers |

BY TF&G STAFF

time.

“A lot of people think bass head straight out to deep water after spawning,” a seasoned guide whose name I do not remember once told me. “But that’s not the case. It’s almost like a pre-spawn pattern. They’ll stage up along the channel breaks and

INDUSTRY INSIDER • Fish-N-Hunt, Ranger Boats, Humminbird, Mercury, EHP, Sportlock | BY TF&G STAFF

points near deep water, and hold there for quite a while before they head deep and move into summer patterns.”

If you keep in mind that bass are in a state of transition, locating them in fairly dense concentrations is not too difficult.

Remember that the trip from spawning

www.FishGame.com grounds to summer haunts is not made in a rush, but in gradual stages that might take up to a week.

With this concept in mind, a strategy highly productive for larger, individual fish is ambushing them along the routes they travel between spawning waters and home ranges. Bass don’t like open water, and typically follow what are sometimes circuitous routes to take advantage of the security blanket of cover and structure they afford. Success, therefore, is largely a question of finding the preferred transit paths.

Post-spawn travel routes are actually nothing more than the same structures we fish all the time anyway, such as channels, points, and contour lines that link other structure with shallow-water spawning grounds.

For instance, a bass whose “home” structure is a deep-water tank dam located adjacent to a creek channel, will follow the channel to shallow water to spawn and take the reverse route home. Likewise, a bass that lives beneath a submerged bridge will follow the roadbed, lending authenticity to the term “bass highway.”

Like any good highway, bass interstates Continued on Page I4

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Color-Coordinated Trout LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Willow Bayou GPS: N29 51.727, W93 46.907 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: plastic Glow-colored bait in clear water; Red Shad or Morning Glory/chartreuse tail in stained CONTACT: Capt. Chris Phillips, 409719-7166 TIPS: Where to fish depends on how much rainfall we have received. Drift-fish from the Louisiana shoreline out into seven or eight feet of water; should be a good spot for the whole month of April.

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SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: 4inch Gulp Swimming Minnow in white, chartreuse on a 3/8-ounce jighead CONTACT: Capt. Chris Phillips, 409719-7166 TIPS: At the beginning of the month, it will be the best time to catch some redfish. Drift along the rocks, casting into the rocks while bumping the lure along the bottom.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Jetties GPS: N29 40.287, W93 49 49.720

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Lighthouse Cove GPS: N29 43.616, W93 51.308 SPECIES: flounder BEST BAITS: soft plastics in Glow chartreuse or purple/chartreuse CONTACT: Capt. Chris Phillips, 409719-7166 TIPS: Concentrate your fishing efforts on the reefs around Lighthouse Cove.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Madame Johnson Bayou GPS: N29 50.839, W29 50.839 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: plastic Glow-colored bait in clear water; Red Shad or Morning Glory/chartreuse tail in stained CONTACT: Capt. Chris Phillips, 409719-7166 TIPS: Drift from the Louisiana shoreline out into 7-8 feet of water; should be a good

COVER STORY Continued from Page I2 are marked with plenty of rest stops. And it is here that you find bass in numbers.

That little bottleneck mentioned at the beginning examples the ideal bass rest stop: plenty of cover, and a structure contour adjacent or leading to deep water.

Bait choices are pretty much up to individual tastes, but many aficionados rely heavily on spinnerbaits and worms for their versatility and ease of use in heavy cover.

Spinnerbaits and Texas-rigged worms are a lot easier to work among snaggy structure elements. Sometimes, though, you can’t beat a crankbait, especially if the fish are being finicky.

Begin your assault up in the creeks or other prime spawning areas, for depending I4 |

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on the weather, there might be bass on the beds well into May. On some lakes, such as Ray Roberts, feature a great diversity of shoreline and bottom structure that produces widely varying temperature skews between different areas of the lake. It is not uncommon to find spawning activity continuing well into May and sometimes even early June on Ray Bob. Brush- or grass-covered humps or tank dams in deep water are the year-round homes of bass, sometimes in surprising numbers. Comfortable temperatures or depth ranges are just a fin-flutter away up or down the slope of the hump. If the hump’s top extends into water sufficiently shallow to attain appropriate temperatures, spawning can occur on-the-spot, even if the hump is in the middle of the lake.

Unfortunately, there’s not room in a

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short article like this to detail all the postspawn hotspots on even one of the many superb bass Texas bass factories. Some worthy of meritorious mention include Neeley’s Slough, Costello Island, and the Stump Patch on Lake Possum Kingdom.

On previously-mentioned Ray Roberts, the knobby bottom contours around Cates Point and the brushy slopes of Wolf Island bring to mind a few more post-spawn memories.

Incidentally, if happen across a spot on PK where a creek narrows into a bottleneck before fanning out into a wide cove, let me know where it is. I think I lost a thermos bottle there.

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spot for the whole month of April. Fish with lightest jighead you can get away with.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Pleasure Island GPS: N29 55.777, W93 51.949 SPECIES: speckled trout

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BEST BAITS: soft plastics or topwaters CONTACT: Capt. Chris Phillips, 409719-7166 TIPS: Look for bait action along toward the end of month.

BANK ACCESS: At Ellison/Hwy. 82 intersection in Port Arthur, turn right and travel approximately 4-1/2 miles to developed resort area on Pleasure Pier Boulevard.

Along Ellison Parkway, free fishing piers and stone revetment walls can be found on the south side of the island.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: South Causeway Reef GPS: N29 47.221, W93 55.919 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: 1/4-ounce jighead and soft plastics in chartreuse, Limetreuse, white, white/chartreuse tail CONTACT: Capt. Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, 409-673-9211 TIPS: April brings bull spring tides. The young of the year shrimp, croaker, and sand eels coming out of the Gulf with a warm bull tide will flush into the bay. If there has been a lot of freshwater influx into the lake, the fish will all be jammed into the south one-fourth part of the lake.

Some birds will even be working in April.

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LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Blue Buck Point GPS: N29 47 780, W93 54.439 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: 1/4-ounce jighead with clear, sparkle-type soft plastic baits with chartreuse tails CONTACT: Capt. Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, 409-673-9211 TIPS: The key to fishing the lake is knowing how much freshwater is coming in, the salinity level, and how the wind affects it. Freshwater influx moves the fish south. If the wind is from the south or east, clear water should be on the Louisiana shoreline. Drift-fishing is the best approach.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Revetment Walls/Pleasure Island GPS: N29 55.777, W93 51.949 BEST BAITS: 1/4-ounce jighead with clear, sparkle-type soft plastic baits with chartreuse tails SPECIES: speckled trout CONTACT: Capt. Bill Watkins, 409-7862018, 409-673-9211 TIPS: Revetment walls on west side

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should hold clear water when a north, northwest wind blows.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Blue Buck Point GPS: N29 47.780, W93 54.439’ SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Brown’s Glow/chartreuse Devil’s Eye on a 3/8-ounce CONTACT: Capt. Randy Foreman, 409985-7619 TIPS: Look for bird action on the south end of the lake on incoming tides.

LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Johnson’s Bayou GPS: N29 50.839, W29 50.839’ SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: Flounder Pounder CT Red Shad on 1/4-ounce jighead, tipped with Fish Bites Shrimp Strips CONTACT: Capt. Randy Foreman, 409985-7619 TIPS: Fish the deep drops, some dropping as much as 4 feet.

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LOCATION: Christmas Bay HOTSPOT: South Shoreline GPS: N29 02.681, W95 10.384 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Baits and lures will depend on the water conditions. Artificial lures should resemble the primary live bait at this time of the year—young menhaden or live shrimp.

CONTACT: Bill Balboa, TPWD Galveston Bay Ecosystem Leader, 281-5340110 TIPS: Good wade-fishing location.

BANK ACCESS: There are places where anglers can park and walk to shoreline of Christmas Bay readily available off CR 257, the Bluewater Highway.

LOCATION: Galveston Bay/West Bay HOTSPOT: San Luis Pass Flats GPS: N29 05.673, W95 06.880 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp fished under a popping cork CONTACT: Bill Balboa, TPWD Galveston Bay Ecosystem Leader, 281-534-0110

TIPS: Wade-fishing is the best technique.

BANK ACCESS: There are unimproved roads off to the side of CR 257, Bluewater Highway, that allow access to the pass from the Galveston Island side before you enter the bridge. On the Brazoria side of the Pass, park in the parking lot and walk down to the Pass.

LOCATION: Galveston Bay/West Bay HOTSPOT: San Louis Pass Bridge GPS: N29 04.957, W95 07.425 SPECIES: black drum BEST BAITS: quartered crab CONTACT: Bill Balboa, TPWD Galveston Bay Ecosystem Leader, 281-5340110 TIPS: Be prepared with a variety of different baits. Assess the water conditions and choose from what you bring.

BANK ACCESS: There are unimproved roads off to the side of CR 257, Bluewater Highway, that allow access to the pass from the Galveston Island side, before you enter the bridge. On the Brazoria side, park in the lot and walk to the Pass.

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LOCATION: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: North Jetty GPS: N29 21.352, W94 43.150 SPECIES: black drum BEST BAITS: quartered crab CONTACT: Bill Balboa, TPWD Galveston Bay Ecosystem Leader, 281-5340110 TIPS: This is prime time for black drum along the Jetties as the fish are in their spawning run. Be ready to hook up with some big fish. Fish either the channel or the backside of the rocks, the surf side.

BANK ACCESS: Take State Hwy 87 to the North Jetty Road, 1.7 miles from the Ferry Landing. North Jetty Road is unmarked except for a large sign on the inland side of the highway. The road dead-ends into the North Jetty.

LOCATION: Galveston Bay HOTSPOT: South Jetties

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GPS: N29 32,785, W94 69.274 SPECIES: sheepshead BEST BAITS: shrimp fished right along the rocks CONTACT: Bill Balboa, TPWD Galveston Bay Ecosystem Leader, 281-5340110 TIPS: This is prime-time sheepshead action along the jetties. Fish either the channel or the backside of the rocks, the surf side.

BANK ACCESS: Take State Highway 87 to the eastern end of Galveston and continue on Seawall Boulevard. After roughly a mile, take a right on East Beach Drive and follow it to the large parking lot at the beach. The jetty is located at the eastern end of the parking lot.

LOCATION: Galveston/West Bay HOTSPOT: San Luis Pass GPS: N29 05.673, W95 06.880 SPECIES: speckled trout

BEST BAITS: Super Spooks in blue/chrome and Bone; pink SkitterWalk CONTACT: Capt. Steve Hillman, 409256-7937 TIPS: April is probably one of the best times of the year to catch a big trout at the pass. Wade-fishing is the best method.

Work the guts; on warm days they will move up on the flats.

LOCATION: Galveston/West Bay HOTSPOT: Snake Island Cove GPS: N29 09.565, W95 02.215 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: topwaters and soft plastic baits CONTACT: Capt. Steve Hillman, 409256-7937 TIPS: Fish the tides going from high to low because all the fish are stacked up in the back. When the tide starts moving out it pulls all the fish and the baits out through the mouths of the drains—good ambush points for trout and reds.

Early Risers for Trout LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Pipeline GPS: N28 32.024, W96 10.367 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: topwater baits early; 1/8- or 1/16-ounce jighead with a Norton Black Magic or Chicken on a Chain CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz, 281450-4037 TIPS: Wade-fish the grass beds for trout or fish the shorelines for redfish.

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LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Raymond’s Shoal GPS: N28 39.790, W95 54.482 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: 3/8-ounce leadhead worked down on the bottom CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz, 281450-4037 TIPS: Drift the scattered shell on the west end of the bay.

LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Long Reef GPS: N28 40.007, W95 53.243 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: topwater lures or Corkies early CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz, 281450-4037 TIPS: On days with light winds, wade the mid-bay reefs.

Queen of the Snook LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Queen Isabella Causeway GPS: N26 02.961, W97 11.921 SPECIES: snook BEST BAITS: large live shrimp or mullet, SPI Tandems and other soft plastics in Pearl, Smoke CONTACT: Captain Allen Salinas, 956943-3474 TIPS: snook start returning to their old haunts when water temperatures start creeping up to over 70 degrees. Fish around the pilings with live bait or un-weighted, Texas-rigged stickbaits.

Watch for fish chas-

ing bait early in the morning. Be careful!

Jackfish will sometimes crash the party, and they like the same baits snook do.

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LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Brownsville Ship Channel GPS: N26 2.124, W97 13.108 SPECIES: Mangrove Snapper BEST BAITS: live shrimp, live finger mullet CONTACT: Captain Allen Salinas, 956943-3474 TIPS: Use your electronics to locate structure such as sunken rocks or concrete slabs off the drop-offs. Motor upcurrent, drop anchor, and feed out line until you are directly over the structure. Send down a live shrimp or (even better) finger mullet on split shot rig and a 1/0 Kahle hook.

Use 12- to 15-pound tackle to keep the fish from breaking you off.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Brownsville Ship Channel GPS: N26 2.124, W97 13.108 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp, soft plastics in Mullet, Smoke/glitter CONTACT: Captain Allen Salinas, 956943-3474 TIPS: Trout will be moving along the shoreline and chasing bait early in the morning and late in the afternoon. The most effective technique is a live shrimp or plastic shrimp tail underneath a popping cork such as a Grand Slam Popper or Cajun Thunder. In either case, use the lightest possible weight you can get away with to allow as much action from the bait or lure. Shad tails are also effective. Fish them slowly.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: The Y GPS: N26 2.860, W97 12.430 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live bait; topwaters in Bone, gold/chartreuse, SPI Lures Tandems in New Penny, Rootbeer, Smoke CONTACT: Captain Allen Salinas, 956943-3471 TIPS: Drift the length of the shoreline of either the mainland or the small island that splits the channel. The tree lines draw mullet, and the mullet draw redfish. Fish shallow on a flood tide, and back off when the tide falls. When that happens, swim live bait or soft plastics around drains and depth breaks. Pay attention, because a big mangrove snapper will snatch the rod out of your hand.

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LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Long Bar GPS: N26 8.349, W97 14.194 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp, cut bait, Mauler/shrimp-tail in New Penny, chartreuse patterns CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Trout gravitate toward the deeper water that flanks the Long Bar. Watch for a color change between the bar and the ICW. Drift-fishermen use drift socks to control their drifts along the edge. A Gulp! or DOA shrimp under a Mansfield Mauler or similar noisemaker is your best bet. This is a high-traffic area, so wade fishermen should practice common sense.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Holly Beach (Bank Access) GPS: N26 08.190, W97 17.507 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live bait, ballyhoo, topwaters in Bone, gold/chartreuse, soft plastics in New Penny, Rootbeer, Smoke CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Southeast winds beginning pushing bait into northern coves, and speckled

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trout-big ones-move in to feed. Work the old channel that runs down the middle of the flats. Drift or wade with natural bait or artificials. Usually you will find the trout on the channel edges, but some of the bigger ones will be cruising all over the flats.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Cullen Bay GPS: N26 15.183, W97 17.398 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp, cut bait/bottom rig, shrimp tails in New Penny, chartreuse, Strawberry, Rootbeer’ topwaters in blue/orange, gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: When the wind picks up, follow the higher tides into the usually shallow Cullen. Fish near the shoreline on a flood tide, and more toward the middle of the bay when water is lower. Use a live shrimp or plastic tail under a popping cork or Alameda cork. The front section of a 4- to 6-inch ballyhoo under the same cork can be even more effective at times. Don’t eschew the topwaters early in the morning.

LOCATION: Arroyo Colorado HOTSPOT: Marker 69

GPS: N26 13.256, W97 16.180 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: Live shrimp, Gulp! Shrimp in Nuclear Chicken, Pearl CONTACT: Captain Ruben Garcia, 956459-3286 TIPS: If the water clears (there have been reports of brown tide in the area since January), a color change will form between the grass flats and the sand bottom near the ICW. Fish inside the color change with either live shrimp or cut bait on a bottom rig. Soft baits should be bright and gaudy.

If the brown tide persists, scented baits such as Gulp! are good options.

LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Gaswell Flats GPS: N26 13.811, W97 15.422 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: live shrimp, cut bait, gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Jimmy Martinez, 956551-9581 TIPS: Redfish start coming back into their old haunts in serious numbers starting in April. Watch for tails or mud boils to tip you off to their locations. Don’t motor directly after them, but set up an intercept vector. Fish with live shrimp under a popping cork or fresh ballyhoo skipped under the surface. Gold spoons are also good choices.

LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: The Saucer GPS: N26 26.782 W97 22.757 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: topwaters early, plastics in Bone/clear, Bone/Diamond, Salt & Pepper, gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Steve Devries, 956289-3631 TIPS: The Saucer comes alive in spring, with fish spreading across the expansive flat. Topwaters work well early. As the wind picks up and the sun gets higher, switch to eel-style plastics rigged Texasstyle or on a light (1/8th ounce) jighead.

Redfish will also pounce on a gold spoon.

LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: The Saucer

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GPS: N26 26.782 W97 22.757 SPECIES: speckled trout Best Baits Topwaters early, plastics in Bone/clear, Bone/diamond, salt and pepper. Gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Steve Devries, 956289-3631 TIPS: Seek out weedlines that speckled trout will use as thoroughfares and ambush points. Try topwaters early on spec.

Switchover to soft plastics such as a Gulp!

Jerk Shad on a 1/8th ounce jighead as the day progresses.

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clear water, especially near weedlines. If the water is stained, use scented baits such as Gulp!, and move to brighter colors that will stand out.

Rapping for Bass LOCATION: Lake Waco HOTSPOT: Riprap along Dam GPS: N31 34.961, W97 12.038 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: shallow silver/black or blue

LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: King Ranch W. of Marker 46 GPS: N26 46.306, W97 28.352 SPECIES: speckled trout.

Baits: Topwaters. Soft plastics in red/white CONTACT: Captain Steve Devries, 956289-3631.

TIPS: Spring tides will push trout closer to the shoreline as they attack emergent baitfish. Try topwaters early in the morning and soft plastics later. Look for patches of

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crankbaits, Plum Texas- and Carolinarigged worms CONTACT: Jimmy D. Moore, rayado@earthlink.net, 254-744-2104 TIPS: Cast crankbaits parallel to the riprap 5 to 10 feet out. If this doesn’t work, fish Texas-rig worms the same way.

As last resort, fish a Carolina-rigged worm parallel 20 to 25 feet off riprap BANK ACCESS: Reynolds Creek Park public fishing area for largemouth bass, crappie, and white bass LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: North Birch Creek GPS: N32 56 45.10, W95 30 20.22 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: white tube, Baby Brush Hog, Wave Worm Shadiks, crankbait CONTACT: Michael Rogue, www.lakefork-guides.com, microg@texascellnet.com TIPS: When sight-fishing, use a white Tube, Wave Worm Shadik, or lizard.

When fishing for staging fish, use a watermelon Shadik on a Texas rig with 1/8ounce weight. Also try a medium-diving shad-patterned crankbait or Watermelon Red Carolina-rigged Baby Brush Hog over secondary points leading to spawning areas.

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LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Northwest Bay GPS: N32 50 18.09, W95 30 47.91 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: white tube, Baby Brush Hog, Wave Worm Shadiks, crankbait CONTACT: Michael Rogue, www.lakefork-guides.com, microg@texascellnet.com TIPS: When sight-fishing, use a white Tube, Wave Worm Shadik, or lizard.

When fishing for staging fish, use a watermelon Shadik on a Texas rig with 1/8ounce weight. Also try a medium-diving shad-patterned crankbait or Watermelon Red Carolina-rigged Baby Brush Hog over secondary points leading to spawning areas.

LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Chimney Creek GPS: N32 05, W95 25.00 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: chartreuse/white Texas Spinnerbait 430 Special, Mr. Twister Comeda soft plastics CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, 903-5617299, www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: bass will be in the shallows. Work the lures slowly along the grass and brush.

LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOTS: Ledbedder Bay GPS: N32 07.30, W95 30.00 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Chartreuse/white Texas Spinnerbait 430 Special, Mr. Twister Comeda soft plastics CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, 903-5617299, www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: bass will be in the shallows. Work the lures slowly along the grass and brush.

LOCATION: Tradinghouse Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: Spawning Flats GPS: N31 34.741, W96 55.866 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Plum jerkbait and soft SlugGo type bait CONTACT: Jimmy D. Moore, 254-7442104, rayado@earthlink.net, 254-7442104 TIPS: Float jerkbaits and Slug-Go type soft baits slowly over beds. Male bass protecting their nests from predators often will take the lure and move it away from the beds BANK ACCESS: Any shoreline along the three boat ramps. Walk the shore while casting spinnerbaits and buzzbaits into weeds and open pockets.

LOCATION: Richland-Chambers HOTSPOT: Coffee Creek GPS: N31 9.21, W96 16 45.86 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Watermelon and Watermel-

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on red Kicker Fish Bait Company Bird Dogs, Zoom Brush Hawgs CONTACT: Steve Schmidt, 817-9290675, www.schmidtsbigbass.com TIPS: Fish in 1-4 feet of water in the creeks. Also target boat docks close to spawning flats and secondary points. Use a push pole to access extremely shallow.

Sight fishermen should remember that some of these usually clear areas turn muddy after a rain.

LOCATION: Richland-Chambers HOTSPOT: Grape Creek GPS: N31 57.54, W96 21 13.62 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Watermelon and Watermelon red Kicker Fish Bait Company Bird Dogs, Zoom Brush Hawgs CONTACT: Steve Schmidt, 817-9290675, www.schmidtsbigbass.com TIPS: Fish in 1-4 feet of water in the creeks. Also target boat docks close to spawning flats and secondary points. Use a push pole to access extremely shallow.

Sight fishermen should remember that some of these usually clear areas turn muddy after a rain.

LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir HOTSPOT: River Timber South GPS: N30 59.626, W97 38.838 SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: medium shiners and black jigs with orange tails on slip bobbers during day; medium shiners on slip bobbers under lights at night CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-3687411, HoldingTheLineGuideService.com TIPS: Use green lights and keep boat noise to a minimum. Also fish the timbered draws that join the river channel.

LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: Whitney Hump GPS: N31 54.672, W97 20.873 SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: gizzard shad, Pencil Poppers, Redfins CONTACT: Randy Routh, 817-822-5539, www.teamredneck.net TIPS: Start by working the shoreline and point with Pencil Poppers and Redfins making long casts. Gizzard shad are spawning and the big female stripers are moving shallow and gorging on them.

When they blow up on the bait, wait until

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the rod loads up and you feel the fish before setting the hook. After the topwater bite slows, move out, and anchor in 32 feet of water on the point and fish live and cut gizzard shad while fan-casting lures toward the top of the hump.

LOCATION: Lake Aquilla HOTSPOT: Snake Island GPS: N31 55.215, W97 12.891 SPECIES: white bass

BEST BAITS: Little George, Tail Hummer CONTACT: Randy Routh, 817-822-5539, www.teamredneck.net TIPS: The main lake spawn is on and the white bass are spawning just off the island. Fish the windward side and use Little Georges and Tail Hummers, casting toward the island. Also fish the spillway area if water is being released because the white bass will gather at the mouth of the spillway to feed on shad.

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LOCATION: Lake Aquilla HOTSPOT: Spillway GPS: N31 53.860, W97 12.408 SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Little George, Tail Hummer CONTACT: Randy Routh, 817-822-5539, www.teamredneck.net

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TIPS: The main lake spawn is on and the white bass are spawning just off the island. Fish the windward side and use Little Georges and Tail Hummers, casting toward the island. Also fish the spillway area if water is being released. White bass gather there to feed on shad.

LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: Beaver Islands GPS: N30 37.130, W96 03.421 SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: stinkbait, worms, shad CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, 979-229-3103, www.FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: Use a Carolina-rig with 3/4-ounce weight and No. 4 treble hook. Tie to a stump or anchor and cast bait toward stumps in two to four feet of water along the shoreline. If the backside of the island has lily pads, fish the outside edges of them for feeding catfish.

LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: East side of boat ramp GPS: N30 37.240, W96 03.060 SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: minnows, jigs CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, 979-229-3103, www.FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: Look for a large cedar tree in this area and tie up to it. Fish with a slip cork or tight line and split shot weight.

Start and the bottom and work up to find the depth the fish are holding in. At night, lower a green light into the tops of the underwater limbs.

LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: Deer Island GPS: N30 1.900, W96 35.310 SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: minnows, chartreuse jigs CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, 979-229-3103, www.FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: Look for spawning crappie around brush piles close to trees near the island in 2-12 feet of water. Use your sonar to locate the brush or tie to a tree and fish with a cork close in to the tree trunks. If using a jig, hold it at one depth and wait for a slight thump.

LOCATION: Lakes Graham-Eddleman HOTSPOT: Power Plant SPECIES: white & hybrid striped bass BEST BAITS: jigs, slabs, live shad CONTACT: Dean Heffner, fav7734@aceweb.com, 940-329-0036 TIPS: Start at the warm-water discharge area and work your way to the canal that

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connects lakes Eddleman and Graham.

Fish the humps as you enter Lake Graham using a sonar unit to find them. Once you catch a fish, study what size bait it has been feeding on by checking its stomach contents. Match the size of lure you use with the size of bait the fish are feeding on.

LOCATION: Lake Palo Pinto HOTSPOT: Power Plant SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Roadrunners, Sassy Shads, small jigs CONTACT: Dean Heffner, fav7734@aceweb.com, 940-329-0036 TIPS: Start at the power plant water outlet and work out from it, casting Roadrunners, jigs, and small soft plastic minnow imitations. Then go to the main upper feeder creeks. Once you establish a pattern stick with it to catch large numbers of fish.

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BEST BAITS: Coho Minnows, Sassy Shad jigs CONTACT: Bill Carey, 877-786-4477, www.striperexpress.com TIPS: Large schools of stripers are roaming the lake during April. You can locate them on the flats and main lake points in five to 30-feet depths. Cast 3/4- to 1-ounce Coho Minnows and Sassy Shad jigs in white Glow and chartreuse colors. At midmonth, try casting topwater lures and stickbaits for great topwater action. You can land some egg-laden sows that will tip the scales at 20 pounds. April is the beginning of great spring fishing at Texoma.

them on the flats and main lake points in five to 30-feet depths. Cast 3/4- to 1-ounce Coho Minnows and Sassy Shad jigs in white Glow and chartreuse colors. At midmonth, try casting topwater lures and stickbaits for great topwater action. You can land some egg-laden sows that will tip the scales at 20 pounds. April is the beginning of great spring fishing at Texoma.

LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: Willafa Woods GPS: N33 53.996, W96 34.558 SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: Coho Minnows, Sassy Shad jigs

LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: The Islands GPS: N32 50.232, W96 44.552 SPECIES: striped bass

CONTACT: Bill Carey, 877-786-4477, www.striperexpress.com TIPS: Large schools of stripers are roaming the lake during April. You can locate

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Bob for Crappie LOCATION: Granger Lake HOTSPOT: Coves next to Taylor Park and Fox Park SPECIES: crappie, largemouth bass

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BEST BAITS: chartreuse 1/16-ounce jigs for crappie, spinnerbaits for largemouth bass CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell, 512-3657761, www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: For shallow crappie, use a slip bobber set at one foot and fishing along the

banks in the thickest brush you can find.

For open water crappie, fish brush piles in four to 12 feet of water using chartreuse jigs. Largemouth bass can be caught on spinnerbaits fished slowly along the river channel and in the coves.

Hybrids on Topwaters LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N30 45.37, W95 57.35 SPECIES: hybrid stripers BEST BAITS: live shad, Storm Swim Shad CONTACT: Richard Tatsch, 936-2911277, www.fishdudetx.com TIPS: Look for schooling hybrid stripers chasing shad to the surface around main lake points that have sandy bottoms early and late using the Storm Swim Shad.

The swimbait will catch larger fish shallow. Fish with live shad during mid-day when

the fish are deeper.

BANK ACCESS: Stowaway Marina

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Falcon Bass Suspended LOCATION: Falcon Reservoir HOTSPOT: Government Cove GPS: N 26 34.015 W 099 09.077 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: white/chartreuse 1/2- to 1ounce spinnerbaits, Watermelon Red Mag Flukes CONTACT: Robert’s Fish N Tackle, 956765-1442, www.robertsfishntackle.com TIPS: Begin drifting the north bank of the main lake point in or near the creek channel in 12-20 feet of water, targeting brush. Bass will be suspended in the treetops targeting spawning bluegills. Fish a Mag Fluke pegged with a 1/8-ounce weight

On the Web Sam’s Dock boat launch site just across from Costello Island.

www.FishGame.com/hotspots

and 6/0 hook, slow over treetops. Slow roll a spinnerbait until you contact brush, jerk it free, and let it flutter about a foot or so before continuing the retrieve.

Birds Play Possum LOCATION: Possum Kingdom Lake HOTSPOT: Costello Island SPECIES: white & striped bass BEST BAITS: Rat-L-Trap, gizzard shad CONTACT: Dean Heffner, fav7734@aceweb.com, 940-329-0036 TIPS: This is the month for a major shad spawn. Key on the Costello Island area and look for blue and white herons that will be feeding on the shad. The stripers and white bass will be stacked up just off the banks feeding on the shad. You will need a Brazos River Authority lake permit to fish this lake and a convenient place to get one is at the automated machine on the A L M A N A C

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Tides and Prime Times

APRIL 2010 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

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.

T13 T7

T6 T5 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

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

T14 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

SOLAR & LUNAR ACTIVITY: Sunrise: 6:34a Sunset: 7:51p

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.

T20

AM Minor: 9:11a AM Major: 2:57a PM Minor: 9:40p PM Major: 3:25p

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.

Moonrise:9:27a Moon Set: None Moon Overhead:

T21

4:55p

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

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 a wide variety of wildlife species.

T9 T8

T3 T2 T1

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 PLACE T12 Pt Barrow, Trinity Bay T13 Gilchrist, East Bay T14 Jamaica Beach, W. Bay T15 Alligator Point, W. Bay T16 Christmas Pt T17 Galveston Pleasure Pier

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

T22 T23

KEYS TO USING THE TIDE AND SOLUNAR GRAPHS TIDE LE VEL GRAPH: 12a

Tab: Peak Fishing Period

6a

12p

6p

12a

Green: Falling Tide

AM/PM Timeline Light Blue: Nighttime

BEST:

7:05-9:40 PM

Gold Fish: Best Time

Blue: Rising Tide Red Graph: Fishing Score

Blue Fish: Good Time

SOLUNAR AC TIVIT Y: MINOR Feeding Periods (+/- 1.5 Hrs.) Time Moon is at its Highest Point in the Sky 12a

AM/PM Timeline

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AM Minor: 1:20a

PM Minor: 1:45p

AM Major: 7:32a

PM Major: 7:57p

MAJOR Feeding Periods (+/- 2 Hrs.)

Moon Overhead: 8:50a 6a

12p

6p

12a

Time Moon is Directly Underfoot (at its peak on opposite side of the earth)

Moon Underfoot: 9:15p A P R I L

2 0 1 0

KEY T18 T19 T20 T21 T22 T23

PLACE San Luis Pass Freeport Harbor Pass Cavallo Aransas Pass Padre Island (So. End) Port Isabel

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK IS SPONSORED BY:

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

Yellow: Daylight

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

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

A L M A N A C

HIGH -0.09 -0:44 0:00 -0:03 -0:24 +1:02

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

ALMANAC I.qxd:1002 Coastal

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Page I19

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION

= New Moon = First Quarter = Full Moon = Last Quarter = Best Day

BEST:

= Peak Fishing 7:45-9:40 AM Period = FALLING TIDE = RISING TIDE = DAYLIGHT HOURS = NIGHTTIME HOURS

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

MONDAY

TUESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Sunrise: 7:08a Set: 7:36p Moonrise: 10:50p Set: 8:34a

Sunrise: 7:07a Set: 7:37p Moonrise: 11:52p Set: 9:21a

APR 1

31

SATURDAY

2

SUNDAY

3

4

Sunrise: 7:12a Moonrise: 7:31p

Set: 7:34p Set: 6:35a

Sunrise: 7:11a Moonrise: 8:38p

Set: 7:35p Set: 7:12a

Sunrise: 7:09a Moonrise: 9:45p

Set: 7:36p Set: 7:51a

AM Minor: 5:05a

PM Minor: 5:30p

AM Minor: 5:55a

PM Minor: 6:22p

AM Minor: 6:51a

PM Minor: 7:17p

AM Minor: 7:49a

PM Minor: 8:17p

AM Minor: 8:51a

PM Minor: 9:18p

AM Minor: 9:52a

PM Minor: 10:19p

AM Minor: 10:50a

PM Minor: 11:17p

AM Major: 11:17a

PM Major: 11:43p

AM Major: ——-

PM Major: 12:08p

AM Major: 12:37a

PM Major: 1:04p

AM Major: 1:36a

PM Major: 2:03p

AM Major: 2:37a

PM Major: 3:04p

AM Major: 3:38a

PM Major: 4:05p

AM Major: 4:37a

PM Major: 5:04p

Moon Overhead: 12:34a 6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 2:18a

Moon Overhead: 1:25a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 3:12a 12a

6a

12p

6p

Sunrise: 7:06a Moonrise: None

Moon Overhead: 5:02a

Moon Overhead: 4:07a 12a

6a

12p

6p

Set: 7:37p Sunrise: 7:05a Set: 7:38p Set: 10:12a Moonrise: 12:48a Set: 11:06a

12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

WEDNESDAY

30

29

12a

Tides and Prime Times for APRIL 2010

Moon Overhead: 5:57a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 12:59p +2.0

BEST:

BEST:

-1.0

BEST:

7:00 — 9:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 3:39p

Moon Underfoot: 4:35p

BEST:

7:30 — 9:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 5:30p

BEST:

8:00 — 10:00 PM

BEST:

8:30 — 11:00 PM

9:00 — 11:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 6:23p +2.0

BEST:

10:30P — 12:00A TIDE LEVELS

0

Moon Underfoot: 2:45p

TIDE LEVELS

11:00A — 2:00P

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 1:51p

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

4:26 am 10:38 am 4:13 pm 10:29 pm

1.42 ft 0.45 ft 1.13 ft -0.00 ft

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

5:36 am 11:28 am 4:30 pm 11:13 pm

1.48 ft High Tide: 6:44 am 1.50 ft 0.69 ft Low Tide: 12:17 pm 0.91 ft 1.15 ft High Tide: 4:47 pm 1.18 ft -0.19 ft

A L M A N A C

High Tide: 7:54 am Low Tide: 1:06 pm High Tide: 4:59 pm

T E X A S

1.48 ft 1.09 ft 1.22 ft

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

F I S H

&

12:49 am 9:09 am 2:00 pm 4:57 pm

-0.31 ft Low Tide: 1:42 am -0.26 ft Low Tide: 2:42 am -0.15 ft 1.44 ft High Tide: 10:35 am 1.39 ft High Tide: 12:25 pm 1.36 ft 1.22 ft 1.26 ft

G A M E ®

A P R I L

2 0 1 0

|

I19

+1.0

0

-1.0

ALMANAC I.qxd:1002 Coastal

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Page I20

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

7:45-9:40 AM

= Peak Fishing Period

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

MONDAY

TUESDAY

7

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

8

9

SUNDAY

10

11

Set: 7:39p Sunrise: 7:01a Set: 12:57p Moonrise: 3:03a

Set: 7:39p Set: 1:52p

Sunrise: 7:00a Moonrise: 3:38a

Set: 7:40p Set: 2:47p

Sunrise: 6:59a Moonrise: 4:09a

Set: 7:41p Set: 3:40p

Sunrise: 6:58a Moonrise: 4:39a

Set: 7:41p Set: 4:33p

Sunrise: 6:57a Moonrise: 5:08a

Set: 7:42p Set: 5:26p

AM Minor: 11:46a

PM Minor: ——-

AM Minor: 12:12a

PM Minor: 12:36p

AM Minor: 12:59a

PM Minor: 1:22p

AM Minor: 1:41a

PM Minor: 2:03p

AM Minor: 2:20a

PM Minor: 2:41p

AM Minor: 2:57a

PM Minor: 3:17p

AM Minor: 3:32a

PM Minor: 3:53p

AM Major: 5:33a

PM Major: 5:58p

AM Major: 6:24a

PM Major: 6:48p

AM Major: 7:10a

PM Major: 7:33p

AM Major: 7:52a

PM Major: 8:14p

AM Major: 8:31a

PM Major: 8:52p

AM Major: 9:07a

PM Major: 9:27p

AM Major: 9:42a

PM Major: 10:03p

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 8:26a

Moon Overhead: 7:39a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 9:10a 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 10:33a

Moon Overhead: 9:52a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 11:14a 12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

THURSDAY

Set: 7:38p Sunrise: 7:02a Set: 12:01p Moonrise: 2:24a

Moon Overhead: 6:49a

12a

WEDNESDAY

6

5 Sunrise: 7:04a Moonrise: 1:39a

Tides and Prime Times for APRIL 2010

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 7:14p +2.0

BEST:

0

-1.0

BEST:

12:00 — 2:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 9:31p BEST:

1:00 — 3:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 10:13p BEST:

2:00 — 4:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 10:53p BEST:

3:00 — 5:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 11:34p +2.0

BEST:

10:00A — 2:00P

5:00 — 7:00 AM TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 8:48p

TIDE LEVELS

5:00 — 7:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 8:02p

Low Tide: 3:52 am High Tide: 2:13 pm

-0.03 ft Low Tide: 5:10 am 1.34 ft High Tide: 2:44 pm

0.08 ft 1.30 ft

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

6:24 am 2:51 pm 8:47 pm 11:25 pm

0.18 ft 1.25 ft 1.08 ft 1.12 ft

Low Tide: 7:26 am High Tide: 2:55 pm Low Tide: 8:39 pm

0.27 ft 1.20 ft 0.97 ft

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

12:56 am 8:15 am 3:00 pm 8:43 pm

1.16 ft 0.38 ft 1.16 ft 0.83 ft

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

2:07 am 8:56 am 3:08 pm 8:55 pm

1.22 ft 0.50 ft 1.15 ft 0.68 ft

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

3:07 am 9:31 am 3:18 pm 9:16 pm

1.29 ft 0.62 ft 1.15 ft 0.51 ft

+1.0

0

-1.0

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Page I21

ALMANAC I.qxd:1002 Coastal

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Page I22

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

= Peak Fishing Period

7:45-9:40 AM

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

13

THURSDAY

14

FRIDAY

15

16

Sunrise: 6:56a Moonrise: 5:36a

Set: 7:42p Set: 6:20p

Sunrise: 6:55a Moonrise: 6:06a

Set: 7:43p Set: 7:16p

Sunrise: 6:54a Moonrise: 6:39a

Set: 7:43p Set: 8:14p

Sunrise: 6:52a Moonrise: 7:15a

Set: 7:44p Set: 9:15p

Sunrise: 6:51a Moonrise: 7:57a

AM Minor: 4:09a

PM Minor: 4:29p

AM Minor: 4:47a

PM Minor: 5:09p

AM Minor: 5:30a

PM Minor: 5:54p

AM Minor: 6:19a

PM Minor: 6:44p

AM Major: 10:19a

PM Major: 10:40p

AM Major: 10:58a

PM Major: 11:20p

AM Major: 11:42a

PM Major: 12:05p

AM Major: 12:06a

PM Major: 12:31p

Moon Overhead: 11:55a 6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 1:23p

Moon Overhead: 12:38p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 2:12p 12a

6a

12p

6p

SATURDAY

17

18

Set: 7:45p Sunrise: 6:50a Set: 10:16p Moonrise: 8:45a

Set: 7:45p Sunrise: 6:49a Set: 11:17p Moonrise: 9:40a

Set: 7:46p Set: None

AM Minor: 7:13a

PM Minor: 7:39p

AM Minor: 8:12a

PM Minor: 8:39p

AM Minor: 9:14a

PM Minor: 9:43p

AM Major: 12:59a

PM Major: 1:26p

AM Major: 1:58a

PM Major: 2:25p

AM Major: 2:59a

PM Major: 3:28p

Moon Overhead: 4:00p

Moon Overhead: 3:05p 12a

SUNDAY

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 4:58p 12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

12

12a

Tides and Prime Times for APRIL 2010

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: None +2.0

BEST:

-1.0

Moon Underfoot: 1:47a

BEST:

BEST:

1:00 — 3:00 PM

BEST:

2:00 — 4:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 3:32a BEST:

7:00 — 9:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 4:29a +2.0

BEST:

8:00 — 10:00 PM

9:00 — 11:00 PM

TIDE LEVELS

12:00 — 2:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 2:38a

TIDE LEVELS

0

Moon Underfoot: 1:00a

BEST:

11:30A — 1:30P

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 12:16a

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

4:02 am 10:04 am 3:28 pm 9:42 pm

I22 |

1.36 ft 0.75 ft 1.16 ft 0.35 ft

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

A P R I L

4:53 am 10:37 am 3:37 pm 10:11 pm

2 0 1 0

1.43 ft 0.88 ft 1.18 ft 0.20 ft

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

5:44 am 11:12 am 3:43 pm 10:44 pm

T E X A S

1.50 ft 1.01 ft 1.21 ft 0.07 ft

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

F I S H

6:37 am 11:48 am 3:40 pm 11:21 pm

&

1.55 ft High Tide: 7:34 am 1.58 ft 1.14 ft Low Tide: 12:26 pm 1.26 ft 1.25 ft High Tide: 3:30 pm 1.32 ft -0.04 ft

G A M E ®

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

A L M A N A C

12:02 am 8:38 am 1:07 pm 3:20 pm

-0.12 ft 1.59 ft 1.38 ft 1.40 ft

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

12:50 am 9:51 am 1:56 pm 3:14 pm

-0.16 ft 1.59 ft 1.47 ft 1.47 ft

+1.0

0

-1.0

ALMANAC I.qxd:1002 Coastal

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Page I23

= New Moon = First Quarter = Full Moon = Last Quarter = Best Day

Tides and Prime Times for APRIL 2010 MONDAY

TUESDAY

19

WEDNESDAY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SATURDAY

22

23

SUNDAY

24

25

Sunrise: 6:45a Moonrise: 1:58p

Set: 7:48p Set: 2:41a

Sunrise: 6:44a Moonrise: 3:04p

Set: 7:49p Set: 3:20a

Sunrise: 6:43a Moonrise: 4:09p

Set: 7:50p Set: 3:56a

Sunrise: 6:42a Moonrise: 5:13p

Set: 7:50p Set: 4:31a

PM Minor: 10:47p

AM Minor: 11:20a

PM Minor: 11:49p

AM Minor: ——-

PM Minor: 12:19p

AM Minor: 12:46a

PM Minor: 1:13p

AM Minor: 1:36a

PM Minor: 2:02p

AM Minor: 2:22a

PM Minor: 2:47p

AM Minor: 3:05a

PM Minor: 3:30p

AM Major: 4:03a

PM Major: 4:32p

AM Major: 5:06a

PM Major: 5:34p

AM Major: 6:05a

PM Major: 6:33p

AM Major: 7:00a

PM Major: 7:26p

AM Major: 7:49a

PM Major: 8:15p

AM Major: 8:34a

PM Major: 8:59p

AM Major: 9:18a

PM Major: 9:43p

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 7:49p

Moon Overhead: 6:54p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 8:43p 12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 10:23p

Moon Overhead: 9:34p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

Sunrise: 6:46a Set: 7:48p Moonrise: 12:51p Set: 1:57a

FRIDAY

AM Minor: 10:18a

Moon Overhead: 5:56p

12a

21

20

Sunrise: 6:48a Set: 7:46p Sunrise: 6:47a Set: 7:47p Moonrise: 10:40a Set: 12:15a Moonrise: 11:44a Set: 1:09a

THURSDAY

Moon Overhead: 11:13p 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 5:27a +2.0

BEST:

0

-1.0

BEST:

12:00 — 2:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 8:16a

Moon Underfoot: 9:08a

BEST:

Moon Underfoot: 9:59a

BEST:

12:30 — 2:30 AM

BEST:

1:00 — 3:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 10:48a +2.0

BEST:

2:00 — 4:00 AM

4:00 — 6:00 AM TIDE LEVELS

+1.0

BEST:

5:00 — 7:00 AM

Moon Underfoot: 7:22a

TIDE LEVELS

10:00P — 12:00A

Moon Underfoot: 6:25a

Low Tide: 1:44 am -0.16 ft Low Tide: 2:45 am -0.12 ft Low Tide: 3:53 am -0.03 ft Low Tide: High Tide: 11:08 am 1.59 ft High Tide: 12:13 pm 1.57 ft High Tide: 12:55 pm 1.52 ft High Tide: Low Tide: High Tide:

A L M A N A C

5:06 am 1:22 pm 7:33 pm 11:06 pm

T E X A S

0.10 ft 1.45 ft 1.10 ft 1.19 ft

Low Tide: 6:20 am High Tide: 1:43 pm Low Tide: 7:40 pm

F I S H

&

0.27 ft 1.36 ft 0.83 ft

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

G A M E ®

1:06 am 7:31 am 2:01 pm 8:10 pm

1.25 ft 0.47 ft 1.30 ft 0.53 ft

A P R I L

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

2:36 am 8:38 am 2:17 pm 8:47 pm

1.38 ft 0.68 ft 1.27 ft 0.22 ft

2 0 1 0

|

I23

+1.0

0

-1.0

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Page I24

NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION BEST:

= Peak Fishing Period

7:45-9:40 AM

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

Fishing Day’s Best Good Score Graph Score Score

MONDAY

TUESDAY

THURSDAY

28

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

30 MAY 1

29

Sunrise: 6:41a Moonrise: 6:18p

Set: 7:51p Set: 5:07a

Sunrise: 6:41a Moonrise: 7:24p

Set: 7:51p Set: 5:44a

Sunrise: 6:40a Moonrise: 8:30p

Set: 7:52p Set: 6:25a

Sunrise: 6:39a Moonrise: 9:34p

Set: 7:53p Set: 7:10a

AM Minor: 3:49a

PM Minor: 4:15p

AM Minor: 4:36a

PM Minor: 5:02p

AM Minor: 5:27a

PM Minor: 5:54p

AM Minor: 6:23a

PM Minor: 6:51p

AM Minor: 7:23a

PM Minor: 7:51p

AM Minor: 8:23a

AM Major: 10:02a

PM Major: 10:27p

AM Major: 10:49a

PM Major: 11:15p

AM Major: 11:41a

PM Major: ——-

AM Major: 12:09a

PM Major: 12:37p

AM Major: 1:09a

PM Major: 1:37p

AM Major: 2:10a

Moon Overhead: None 6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 12:57a

Moon Overhead: 12:04a 12a

6a

12p

6p

12a

6a

12p

6p

Sunrise: 6:38a Set: 7:53p Moonrise: 10:34p Set: 7:59a

Moon Overhead: 1:52a 12a

6a

12p

6p

SUNDAY

Sunrise: 6:37a Set: 7:54p Moonrise: 11:28p Set: 8:53a

6a

12p

6p

Set: 7:55p Set: 9:49a

PM Minor: 8:51p

AM Minor: 9:23a

PM Minor: 9:50p

PM Major: 2:37p

AM Major: 3:10a

PM Major: 3:37p

Moon Overhead: 3:44a

Moon Overhead: 2:48a 12a

2 Sunrise: 6:36a Moonrise: None

12a

6a

12p

6p

Moon Overhead: 4:38a 12a

6a

12p

6p

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

SOLUNAR ACTIVITY

WEDNESDAY

27

26

12a

Tides and Prime Times for APRIL 2010

12a

FEET

FEET

Moon Underfoot: 11:39a +2.0

BEST:

BEST:

-1.0

BEST:

12:00 — 2:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 2:20p BEST:

12:30 — 2:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 3:16p BEST:

7:00 — 9:00 PM

Moon Underfoot: 4:11p BEST:

8:00 — 10:00 PM

8:30 — 10:30 PM

Moon Underfoot: 5:04p +2.0

BEST:

9:00 — 11:00 PM TIDE LEVELS

0

Moon Underfoot: 1:24p

TIDE LEVELS

5:30 — 7:30 AM

+1.0

Moon Underfoot: 12:30p

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

3:52 am 9:41 am 2:33 pm 9:27 pm

1.52 ft 0.90 ft 1.28 ft -0.04 ft

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

5:01 am 10:41 am 2:49 pm 10:09 pm

1.63 ft 1.09 ft 1.31 ft -0.23 ft

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

6:04 am 11:39 am 3:05 pm 10:52 pm

1.70 ft 1.24 ft 1.35 ft -0.33 ft

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

7:04 am 12:38 pm 3:16 pm 11:37 pm

1.71 ft High Tide: 8:05 am 1.35 ft Low Tide: 1:50 pm 1.39 ft High Tide: 3:09 pm -0.34 ft

1.68 ft 1.42 ft 1.42 ft

Low Tide: 12:24 am -0.28 ft Low Tide: 1:13 am -0.16 ft High Tide: 9:08 am 1.62 ft High Tide: 10:13 am 1.55 ft

+1.0

0

-1.0

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Page I26

PHOTO AND ILLUSTRATION BY TF&G

Sabine’s Shocking Truths

EXAS’ LARGEST REDFISH EVER CAUGHT BY rod and reel hailed from the Sabine Lake area. Artie Longron caught the 59.50-pound monster in 2000 in the near-shore Gulf, an area known to house monster schools of monster reds.

The state rod and reel record for flounder also came from Sabine. Caught by Herbert Endicott, this behemoth has been the standard-bearer for Texas flounder since 1976.

Add to that a water-body record trout weighing 11.50 pounds caught by angler Kelly Rising, and a reputation for producing numerous specks over 10 pounds each season, and you can see why the truth about Sabine Lake might be shocking to some.

Once called the “forgotten bay,” Sabine Lake has become a popular destination for anglers looking for a different experience than what they will find anywhere else in Texas. Despite the fact its stock has risen along the coast in recent years, there are still mysteries about this unique ecosystem ranging from its habitat to its laws.

T

I26 |

A P R I L

2 0 1 0

Truth 1: Sabine Lake is not a freshwater lake. It is indeed a bay system that is fed by two rivers, the Sabine and Neches and that connects to the Gulf of Mexico through Sabine Pass. And while it often has a fresher component than any other bay in the Lone Star State is can definitely be considered saltwater. Don’t let the “lake” in the name fool you.

by Chester Moore Truth 2: Despite rumors to the contrary, Sabine Lake does indeed have structure. In fact, it has the largest virgin oyster reef in the United States on the south end that is somewhere in the neighborhood of three miles long. Ironically, another rumor is that Sabine is so shallow and has so many oysters it is not safe to navigate. This is definitely wrong since once you hit the main body of Sabine Lake there is little choice of running aground since the depth averages around six feet.

T E X A S

F I S H

&

G A M E ®

Truth 3: Sabine Lake is co-owned by Texas and Louisiana. The most commonly asked question about Sabine Lake is whether an angler needs a Louisiana license. The answer is no and yes.

There is a reciprocal agreement between Texas and Louisiana that allows anglers to fish the Louisiana side (eastern shoreline) without a Louisiana license as long as they do not venture beyond the mouths of the bayous. In other words, you can fish the shorelines and mouths of cuts but not enter them with a Texas license. I would advise giving yourself a fair distance from the mouths of cuts because it is at a game warden’s opinion as to where the cut ends and the lake begins.

This agreement used to extend down to the jetties but it now ends at Texas and Louisiana Points. This means if you fish the Sabine Jetties on the Louisiana side, even on the ship channel portion of the jetties you will need a Louisiana fishing license.

Truth 4: Some estimate this estuary is

A L M A N A C

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surrounded by more marsh than exists on the rest of the Texas coast, which makes it an excellent producer of redfish.

Most of the winter action for redfish centers on the north end of the ecosystem from a few miles up the Neches and Sabine Rivers down toward a system of islands on the upper reaches of the lake itself. Probably the very best spot borders the Sabine National Wildlife Refuge on the Louisiana side: Blacks Bayou. This deep, winding bayou reaches from the Sabine to Hackberry, La. and holds large numbers of redfish in the winter.

The key is to look for shorelines lined with clams and shell middens (areas where Native Americans prepared and fed on clams, oysters, and mussels) are present in good numbers here. Watch for the high, outgoing tidal movements or the last hour or so of a rising tides for the best action.

Strips of mullet fished on a fish-finder (Carolina) rig are the best bait for this technique. Crab is another good choice but there is a lot of sheepshead here and unless you want them to steal your bait, you are best advised to stick with mullet.

“I like to fish these areas for 15 or 20 minutes or move on. It’s one of those kinds of deals where either the reds are they or they aren’t,” said. Capt. Albert Bates.

Over on the Neches, the Entergy outfall canal is a good option for reds this month, particularly during extreme cold snaps. It is the only warm water discharge on the north end of the system and it can hold plenty of redfish, which gladly take cut mullet and gold spoons fished slowly along the bottom.

For anglers wanting to catch super-sized redfish, the extreme southern end of this system at the Sabine Jetties can be red hot. The official bull redfish run takes place in the fall, but there are oversized redfish at the Sabine Jetties year-round.

Truth 5: Sabine Lake, despite its reputation for super muddy bottoms, offers some excellent wade-fishing action for speckled trout.

Trout action can be good along the mud flats adjacent to the Intracoastal Canal just north of Pleasure Island, where wade fishing is the way to go.

On warm afternoons when the tides are running high, baitfish like mullet will move onto the shallow flats to take advantage of the warmer water that results from the black

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bottom retaining heat from the sun. Anglers should think to fish slowly this time of year and fish lures like the MirrOlure Catch 2000, Catch 5 or the Corky. Worked at a snail pace along these flats, they are quite effective at intercepting big trout. The late Capt. Daniel Pyle introduced me to this spot and he routinely caught trout in seven to eight pound range here when most anglers were at home staying warm. It can be a killer spot.

Other good spots to wade are the islands along the extreme north end like Sydney Island and Stewt’s. The south sides of these islands both have wadeable bottoms and can hold fair to good numbers of big trout.

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It’s really designed for working under the hood of a vehicle, and that’s certainly the task I found it best suited for.

Stanley Lights are Right

—Lenny Rudow ONE THING OUTDOORSMEN ALWAYS NEED IS a good flashlight; or maybe a spotlight or worklight. When Stanley introduced its new line of rechargeable lights, it seemed like a perfect time for some Texas Testing.

The first light I put through the ringer was the Squidbrite. This is a 20LED light encased in a round plastic head, THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE THOMPSON mounted on top Center line-up is another bolt-action. This of a flexible Stanley one is called the Venture and is, apparentthree-legged Squidbrite ly, a plain version of the Icon. It does not gripper have all the bells and whistles, like a highstand. You grade wood stock or mirror-bright bluing. can bend has a dimmer What it does have is astounding quality the legs switch, battery staand accuracy for the price. into any My test model is a blued synthetic position to hold the light in place. It proved tus indicator, trigger lock, and comes with .270. T/C guarantees 1-inch, 3-shot perfect for attaching the top of a hatch both 120-volt AC and groups at 100 yards. Them’s when I needed to clean out the fish box on 12-volt DC chargers. mighty big words, pilgrim, for an offmy boat after dark, and for wrapping the-shelf deer rifle. I am always a bit leery around the frame of my layout blind while The final new of a gun that sells for less than $500 that setting goose decoys in the pre-dawn hours. light in the line-up is a bar makes such claims. I decided to test the The head pops off of the base and has light called the Bar Flex.

Venture before I wrote it up as a suba magnet built-in, which will hold it on Like the Squidbrite, it’s bendminute-of-angle gun. metal surfaces. I wish it were a bit stronger, able to provide flexibility in I mounted a Weaver Super Slam scope however, because the magnet broke free how and where you use it. It’s on the gun, loaded a box of 130-grain easily when holding the light horizontally. rechargeable as well, and has a Speer bullets over 56 grains of Reloader Stanley also has a new rechargeable magnetic base (which has plenty of 19, and headed to the range with my spotlight, the HID High Intensity Dispull to hold the light in place, even upsideshooting buddy, Todd charge Spotlight. This one has a potent down), which, like most 35-watt bulb along with an LED “area bar light.” It’s hefty, too; after 10 minutes shining it around the yard, you’ll want to set it Tate. I let Todd back down. But that weight, which did most of the shootis mostly from the maintenance-free ing while I kibitzed and sealed 12-volt leadVenture with watched through the spotting scope. acid battery, is K4 Scope The final word is: If the Venture necessary to get fails to meet the 1-inch mark, it is this kind of by bloody little. Three-shot groups ranged oomph out of a lights, is fairly small and will tip from a bit less than an inch to just a tiny rechargeable light. over easily when not on a magnetic surface. fraction over. I was impressed.

The HID also

Thompson/Center Venture and Kruger K4 Scope

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The T/C Venture that I have has a consistently, so I will know if any problems roughly blued finish and synthetic stock. arise with the scope. So far, I am very The 3-round in-line magazine is some kind impressed with the quality and workmanof plastic, as is the trigger guard. The bolt ship of this scope. This is, I believe, what handle is a plain knob, but is replaceable if the American shooter has been needing—a you want something else. The bolt appears superior quality scope at an entry-level the same as that of the Icon, but with a price. plainer finish.

The scopes are available immediately The Venture has the same 60-degree from Amazon.com and Optics Planet, and bolt lift and adjustable (for pull) trigger of Kruger is working to get their products into the more expensive Icon. The barrel is the your local gun shop.

5R match-grade offering. The only negaExpect a more complete write-up in my tive I found is the plastic, 3-round, singleGuns & Gear column after I have completstack magazine. It is very easy to remove ed precision and durability tests. and replace—too easy. It will be equally easy to lose as the rifle is carried through —Steve LaMascus the brush on a sling. This rifle—and the Icon, as well—deserves a better feeding system. I would prefer a staggered box magazine with a hinged floor plate to hold four or five rounds. Still, altogether, this is a classy, high-quality rifle, and don’t let my comments about the magazine scare you MY BOYS HIT NINE THIS YEAR, GOT THEIR off. That is a minor glitch in a fine rifle. hunting licenses, and were ready to start The Venture comes in a wide selection the season with a goose hunt. Just one of calibers, from .204, through problem: they needed layout blinds .22/250, 7mm-08, and on to that were extremely lightweight 7mm Remington Magnum and simple to set up. Avery’s and .300 Winchester new Power Hunters seemed Magnum. perfect, so we gave With an MSRP of them a try. less than $500, this is At 11 pounds, a steal. the There is a new scope on the market that I find very interesting, K4 Model by Kruger Optical. Introduced at this year’s SHOT show, the K4 seems to be Avery Power a lot of scope for a modest price.

Hunter Layout MSRP is about $180, but the Blind scope has qualities normally found Power on scopes that cost several times Hunter is lightthat. weight enough to wear on your back on the The glass is clear and crisp. The eye built-in shoulder straps, which leaves your relief, often a problem on less expensive hands free for decoys and other gear. And, scopes, is 3.75 inches (anything approachyes, even a nine year old can handle this ing 4 inches is great) and is as non-critical 32x33x48-inch (when folded) load. But as most of the scopes costing thee times lightweight doesn’t mean wimpy in this more. It has a quick-adjust focus ring, case. The blind is constructed with 900D 50mm objective, and finger-adjustable, PVC-backed polyester, which has proven return-to-zero, 1/4-inch click adjustment plenty tough and waterproof whether lying knobs. in a damp field or on recently cut soyMy test scope is a 3-12x50. I have it beans. mounted on my pet .22-250 for testing.

Brushing straps line the top and sides, That gun will shoot around a half-inch

Blind Power from Avery

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so it’s easy to add plenty of cover that stays put when you get into and out of the blind.

Your choice of Mossy Oak or Shadow Grass prints ensure that any uncovered parts of the blind go unseen when the birds cup up and get ready to join your dekes.

Velcro edges on the top tend to cling quite tightly, which is great once you’re inside the blind, but can make entering it a little tough.

When it’s time to shoot, you can spot the birds through the mesh cover on the flip-top, which covers your head and upper chest area, and swings back easily with one hand. When you pop up and get ready to pull the trigger, the top stays upright and out of your way on the aluminum frame.

More about that frame: Setting it up takes all of 30 seconds, and once it’s in place, it supports a headrest that keeps your noggin a foot off the ground and is comfortable to lay back on.

Once inside, there’s plenty of room to stretch as long as you’re not taller than the blind’s 6-foot, 7-inch LOA. It is not quite as comfortable as those Cadillac blinds that have fully supported backrests and support frames, but when you consider the light weight, portability, and other features, there’s no doubt that this blind is a winner.

My boys think so, too, especially after they took a pair of Canadas on their very first morning in the Power Hunters.

—LR

On the Web www.StanleyTools.com www.TCarms.com www.AveryOutdoors.com

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fish Tarpon Trust’s permit fish tagging program.

Costa’s Bomba is built for adventure.

The large nylon frame features co-molded injection technology and integral hinges, combining a “forget-they’re-on fit” with YETI COOLERS, MANUFACTURERS OF ULTRAnearly indestructible construction. durable, super-insulated premium coolers Refreshed styling showcases built-in for serious outdoor enthusiasts, introduces temple lenses to enhance periphera new 50 quart model to its al vision. The frame interior popular Tundra Series. boasts no-slip HydroliteT The new 50 quart lining so the sunglasses stay Yeti Tundra is a bit difcomfortably in place all ferent from other Tundra day, no matter the condimodels in that it has a tions. deeper, cube-shaped design Bomba is available in as opposed to the more either tortoise or black traditional longer frame colors, with Costa’s design. The resultpatented 580T glass lens ing smaller footprint technology, dubbed “the takes up less valuclearest lens on the planet” able deck space and by anglers. Costa makes for an ideal offers lens colors like casting platform, seat gray or copper, and and food and drink blue, green and silver mircooler. rors, to give anglers the edge Every Sunday on ESPN2 this Yeti Tundra they need on the water. spring, be looking to see how Jose In addition to Costa’s 580 lens Wejebe, host of Spanish Fly, uses options, Bomba can be customized his 50qt Yeti. with lightweight, scratch-resistant gray, The new Yeti Tundra 50 quart cooler copper or amber polycarbonate lenses, measures 24 ¼“L x 17 ½ “W x 18”H featuring a backside anti-reflective coatand is available in white and desert Tan ing that shields eyes from the sun’s danwith an MSRP of $299.99. For more gerous UV rays. information on the entire line of Yeti CoolBomba retails from $149 to $249, ers and to find a Yeti dealer near you visit depending on lens selection. www.yeticoolers.com.

Contact: Costa Del Mar, 2361 Mason Yeti Coolers – Wildly stronger. Keep Avenue, Suite 100, Daytona Beach, FL ice longer.

32117 Toll Free: (800) 447-3700

Yeti’s New 50qt Tundra

Costa Drops a Bomba

Costa del Mar Bomba

COSTA DEL MAR IS DROPPING THIER Bomba sunglasses into the lineup as the first style for 2010. A portion of proceeds will benefit the BoneI30 |

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Protect Your Kids’ Hearing NEW EHP RANGER JR. MUFFS ARE A PERFECT fit for younger shooters hearing protection.

Hearing protection and outdoor marketing specialist Denny Snyder recently announced the formation of a new hearing protection company for the hunting and shooting industry- EHP - Electronic Hearing Protection. The first product from EHP will be the Ranger Jr. quad muffs with adjustable frequency tuning(AFT).

The Ranger Jr. quad muffs are designed specifically for younger shooters and shooters requiring a smaller style muff to provide proper fit and maximum hearing protection for the user.

The Ranger Jr. muffs have two-channel digital circuitry using state-ofthe-art technology providing unsurpassed sound quality and speech

EHP Ranger Jr. clarity that only digital technology can produce.

Ranger Jr. muffs increase the user’s hearing up to nine times with 50 dB of power, one of the highest ratings in the industry. By using Sound Activated Compression ( SAC) circuitry and DSP(digital signal processing) in each ear cup, this style of shooting muff helps protect hearing from harmful effects of muzzle blasts by reducing the amplification

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of loud sounds to a safe level. Ranger Jr. muffs have a noise reduction rating of 24 dB- among the highest in the industry.

Two volume controls and adjustable frequency tuning controls allow users to focus on specific sound frequencies to fit their individual needs. Because of this, many users are calling the Ranger Jr. muffs “binoculars for your ears.”

All EHP muffs are made with a space-age polymer plastic for strength, durability and feather-light design. All units are padded and have an adjustable headband, providing the user extreme comfort for all-day use. EHP will offer not only the Ranger Jr. muffs but also the adult Ranger HD model and a full line of junior and senior(adult) series of shooting muffs.

For more information on EHP-Electronic Hearing Protection , call (317)5027942 or visit on the web at www.ehphearing.com.

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100% synthetic, medium viscosity solventfree lubricant packaged in a handy needle point oiler pen for use in those hard-toreach places.

For more information and to order, go to www.jjfishook.com.

Super Max Satchel, the Great Divide EVER SEEN A TACKLE BOX WITH 118 COMPARTments? You have now.

Flambeau attacks hard tackle storage with a new unique design… The Super Max Satchel (Model 9030).

With overall dimensions of 17¼ x 16 ¾ x 5 inches (43.815 x 42.545 x 12.700 cm), the Super Max Satchel fits more tackle per square

JJ Fishook’s Lubri-Scent JJ LUBRI-SCENT TECHNOLOGY IS A SPECIALLY formulated scented fish attractant lubrication system designed for the serious angler.

Use it on your reels, rods and lures to provide maximum protection against wear and corrosion. It is salt and fresh water resistant and will not harm monofilament, fluorocarbon or braided line.

Lubri-Scent comes in 2-forms: LubriScent Grease and Lubri-Scent Pinpoint Lubricant. The Grease is 100% synthetic grease that contains PTFE for use on all reels, bale transfers, arm screws, handle knobs, antireverse levers, line rollers, spool shaft assemblies, click springs, and all other metallic surfaces.

The Lubri-Scent Pin Point is a Lubri-Scent

Super Max inch than Satchel any box ever available.

The Super Max Satchel is specifically design to be the complete tackle storage system. Flambeau paid attention to detail and designed this box to specific lure sizes and specifications.

The Super Max Satchel features (3) areas of storage; top lid, base, and side storage. The top lid delivers (11) fixed compartments and includes (36) Zerust dividers to customize your lure storage. A crank bait lover’s best friend.

Next, the base was designed to hold just about anything and everything necessary for fishing. With (8) fixed compartments and (9) Zerust dividers, compartments can be mixed and matched as needed. The base area is the perfect storage area for anglers who prefer to stow their plastics’ in the original package.

It’s also a great place to store extra reels, line, or oversized items.

Last, the Super Max Satchel’s side storage is composed of (2) 3009 Tuff Tainers which can easily be removed for

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quick access to frequently used tackle. The 3009 Tuff Tainer contains (3) fixed compartments and (9) Zerust dividers.

So, there you have it. (118) compartments for all of your tackle storage needs.

The Super Max Satchel has you covered, with MSRP $29.99.

For more information on Flambeau’s Super Max Satchel and Flambeau Outdoors products, please visit www.flambeauoutdoors.com, call: 800457-5252, or e-mail: outdoors@flambeauoutdoors.com.

EZ Tom Lanyard DROP YOUR TOM, NOT YOUR CALLS, THIS SEAson with this handy and innovative new system. Keep your calls organized and within hands reach at all times.

Calls stay attached but can be quickly changed out as desired. The striker lanyards can be worn separately or clipped to the main lanyard, clothing, or equipment strapping.

Made in the USA from soft lightweight, yet durable polyester webbing for comfort and years of use.

Works great for pot calls, mouth reeds, strikers, mouth calls, box calls, and other essentials.

Included: 1 lanyard with quick detach buckle, 2 striker lanyards, 1 slide adjuster with buckle, 2 sets of clips to attach and adjust the strikers, 2 key rings and cord assemblies to change out your calls.

EZ Tom Lanyard Take advantage of this handy new system and make it an essential part of your turkey hunting gear this season. Available in Mossy Oak Break-up and Realtree APG HD at www.ezaccessgear.com , www.sportsmansguide.com, select Scheels stores, and www.midwestturkeycall.com.

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A DEDICATION TO EXCELLENCE AND UPGRADE. That is the philosophy of Fish-N-Hunt, the company founded by wadefishing legend Paul Perrin and now owned by a group of passionate, forward thinking outdoors lovers.

“You’ll never see us totally copying another product. We only put out things that are innovative or that are significantly better than what is on the market and that is what sets us apart,” said owner Mac DeLaup.

One trip to their retail location at 5829 West Sam Houston Parkway North in Houston shows this philosophy in living color as it serves as a showcase for their ingenuity.

Take the Walk-N-Wade Professional Net that not only floats behind as you wade by comes with a retractable tether and comfortable ribbed foam handle.

Retailing at only $19.99 it represents Fish-N-Hunt’s passion for affordable pricing.

“We’re in business to make money like everyone else but we want to do by providing products the average angler can afford and that they know will be a part of their fishing arsenal for a long time. A lot of people can make the same kinds of products but they can’t do at our price point and with our quality,” DeLaup said.

“Because of our business model we can put out products that are higher quality and that have a much lower price point.”

This year DeLaup said the company is coming out with a pair of fishing pliers based on the offshore fishing community’s standards.

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Fish-N-Hunt: Dedicated to Excellence

are no Academy Fish-N-Hunt’s new storefront location at 5829 might fish every Sports & Outdoors West Sam Houston Parkway South in Houston. weekend or every to get a replaceother weekend comment, so you want something made to the pared to the pros who fish every day. We err highest standards.” on the side of the pros because we want our These pliers will be priced within reach products to perform the best they can and of the angler who is on a budget but wants last as long as possible.” something that performs at another level.

Take their new cork top stringer set to “We’ll still have have our standard pliers debut in the first quarter of 2010. It came at on our wadefishing belt but quite frankly we the recommendation of fishing guide Bubba know some of the pros will take it off and Ray who prefers bringing out lures on a cork instead of in a box.

“This product is super high quality and will allow anglers to put have a bunch of their lures in an easy to access spot. Without feedback from pros like Bubba we would www.FishandHunt.com never have been able to come up with all of the right ingredients for something like this put in their own. While those pliers are good which is why we keep in touch with the best and will last if taken care of we’re want to of the best,” DeLaup said. offer something that is a step up and will be Sometimes products are not born out of something an angler can be confident with necessity but from preference that fits certain whether they are in the bay fishing for reds fishing styles. and trout or in the bluewater seeking big “We’re very responsive to things that can game.” upgrade our products or put a new spin on DeLaup said a big part of the compa- them that allows people to use it for their ny’s success is working directly with the pros personal favorite style of fishing.” that are out in the field every day.

Like most products in the fishing indus“There is a big difference in the try, Fish-N-Hunt’s are made in China and demands put on products by people who while that was a difficult decision consider-

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ing the company’s long history Ranger Boats has a new owner, but the comof being American made, the pany will continue to be run independently by tradeoff has been lower prices the existing local managment. and equal quality.

“We work with a really good group of people over there who are dedicated to quality. We refused to sacrifice on the integrity of the products and had to respond to the fact we could not get these made in America this way. We’re very premium fiberglass fishing boats — will be proud to be an American company that operated independently from the other divihires American workers but the fact they are sions and will continue on under the leadermanufactured overseas allows us to be able ship of the existing local management which to give people affordable, quality products.” boasts more than four decades of experiWhile many companies are retracting in ence. Both initiatives are designed to mainthe down economy, Fish-N-Hunt is expandtain the company’s focus on quality proding along with its partner Academy Sports ucts and longstanding commitment to the & Outdoors. sport of fishing. In addition, the same man“They are gaining a lot of ground along agement team will also continue to be the east coast and Florida and we are growresponsible for Stratos Boats as well as the ing right along with them. We have a great Champion brand. partnership with them that is allowing not Ranger has always been the leader in its only our company to grow but us to be able marketplace, with an established brand, to deliver products we believe will greatly broad product line and extremely loyal cushelp the outdoors lovers out there enjoy their tomers. Itπ s an extraordinary company and time in the field with confidence,” DeLaup weπ re excited and privileged to partner with said. this outstanding management team. We are Also offering a line of hunting products totally committed to help our new partners including shotgun shell carriers and bird continue to thrive and ensure their leaderbags, Fish-N-Hunt looks forward to servicship position well into the future,≤ said ing outdoors lovers in Texas and beyond Louis Samson, the Platinum Equity princiwho seek high quality and affordable pricpal who led the transaction. ≥ Their focus ing. on bringing quality products and services to “We want to continue the legacy that Paul Perrin began and be there to make people’s outdoors experience more enjoyable.”

—Chester Moore

On the Web

Ranger Boats Gets New Owner WOOD MANUFACTURING, INC., HOME TO THE legendary Ranger boat brand, today embraced new ownership as the previously announced acquisition by Platinum Equity was finalized. The transaction, which was approved January 13 by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in St. Paul, Minnesota, also gives Platinum Equity ownership of several other leading boat brands previously under the Genmar umbrella. Wood Manufacturing — the nation’s largest manufacturer of PHOTO COURTESY RANGER BOATS

www.RangerBoats.com www.PlatinumEquity.com their dealers and family of owners will only intensify through our partnership.≤ Ranger Boats President Randy Hopper, along with legendary company founder Forrest L. Wood, spoke about the excitement stemming from the new partnership.

“We couldn’t be more pleased,” said Hopper. “Our capital structure going forward will allow us to keep our focus where it should be — building the most sought after fishing boats in the world.”

Echoing Hopper’s comments, Wood emphasized his staunch support and contin-

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ued affiliation with the company. “It’s great to see this partnership promoting so many unique opportunities. The Ranger Family is full of wonderful, talented folks and Nina and I are so proud to be a part of it all. We look forward to continuing the programs that have served Ranger well for more than 40 years. Building the best product and encouraging increased participation in a sport for all ages have always been our goals, and we all look forward to a thriving relationship with our new partner.”

According to Hopper, Ranger Boats enters 2010 with the strongest model lineup in its 40-plus year history. In an economy where many manufacturers are choosing to scale back their efforts and offerings, Ranger is being recognized by several industry leaders, including Trailer Boats magazine, for aggressively developing new models.

Platinum Equity is a global firm specializing in the merger, acquisition and operation of companies that provide services and solutions to customers in a broad range of business markets, including information technology, telecommunications, logistics, metals services, manufacturing and distribution. Since its founding in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity has completed nearly 100 acquisitions with more than $27.5 billion in aggregate annual revenue at the time of acquisition.

Patent Approved for Humminbird's Side Imaging THE U.S. PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE HAS granted U.S. Patent No. 7,652,952 to Johnson Outdoors Inc. for the Humminbird Side ImagingR technology. The approved patent protects Humminbird's Side Imaging

On the Web www.Humminbird.com

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sonar systems from unauthorized copying.

"Our Side Imaging sonar technology is one of the most heralded innovationsin the marine electronics industry in decades," said Kelly Grindle, GroupVice President of Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics & Watercraft. "It isa game changer for anglers who demand the best equipment available to helplocate and catch more fish."

Humminbird first introduced Side Imaging sonar in 2005 in two of its900-Series fishfinder models. Spurred by consumer demand, Humminbirdexpanded its offering of Side Imaging models to its 700-, 800-, and1100-SeriesT product lines.

Side Imaging sonar produces dramatically detailed and recognizable images ofunderwater objects and the bottom. These images allow anglers to pinpoint habitat, structure and drop-offs, which are prime holding areas for fish. With a coverage area of up to 480 feet side-to-side, anglers can search more water in less time to find the most promising areas to fish.

"Humminbird has created an entirely new sonar category in Side Imaging technology, and we have been thorough in our product development and patent process to assure that our technology is sound," said Grindle. "We continue our efforts to enhance Side Imaging technology and will offer more features in the near future."

For more information visit humminbird.com, contact Humminbird, 678Humminbird Lane, Eufaula, AL 36027, or call 800-633-1468.

Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics, Inc. consists of the Humminbird, Geonav, Minn Kota and Cannon brands. Humminbird is a leading innovator and manufacturer of fishfinders, fishfinder/GPS combo units, chartplotters, marine radios and digital depth gauges. Geonav is a manufacturer of high-quality, easy-to-use marine electronics products. Minn Kota is the world’s leading manufacturer of electric trolling motors, as well as offering a complete line of battery chargers, Trim Tabs and marine accessories. Cannon is the leader in controlled-depth fishing and includes full line of downrigger products and accessories.

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Mercury Improves Prop Acceleration MERCURY MARINE HAS RELEASED NEW VERsions of the 20, 21 and 22.5 pitch front propellers in Mercury's Bravo Three propeller lineup.

These new propellers provide improved performance, including a significant reduction in time to plane. The three-blade rear propeller continues in production unchanged.

"The lower-pitch front propellers in the Bravo Three line-up have been redesigned from top to bottom," said product manager Dirk Bjornstad. "These changes result in better acceleration across the board with light and heavy loads.

"The differences are most pronounced on boats with slower acceleration times.

We've seen up to 8 percent faster accelera-

On the Web www.MercuryMarine.com tion with the new four-blade front propeller in heavier applications."

A Bravo Three propeller set consists of two counter-rotating propellers on the same drive. The Generation II Bravo Three propellers feature a four-blade front and a three-blade rear while the Generation I Bravo Three propellers used a three-blade front and rear.

"Our engineers have made refinements to the rake profile to provide the kind of holding customers expect with a four-blade front propeller," said Bjornstad. "The new low pitch propellers ensure the complete line of Generation II models will accelerate and hold better than their predecessors."

Production of the latest revision of the 20, 21 and 22.5 Brave Three series began Jan 22.

Mercury Marine is the world's leading manufacturer of recreational marine propulsion engines. A division of Brunswick Corporation, Mercury's industry-leading brand

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portfolio includes Mercury and Mariner outboard engines; Mercury MerCruiser sterndrive and inboard packages; MotorGuide trolling motors; Mercury propellers; Mercury inflatable boats; Mercury SmartCraft electronics; and Mercury and Quicksilver parts and oils.

Max Michel Teams with EHP EHP ELECTRONIC HEARING PROTECTION founder Denny Snyder has announced that world champion speed shooter Max Michel has joined EHP as their first official pro staffer. Michel will represent EHP in competition shoots as well as trade shows all across the country. EHP will be introducing the new line of electronic hearing protection during the Bass Pro Shops Media Day on January 18th, 2010 held in conjunction with the annual NSSF SHOT Show in Las Vegas.

In 2009, Max Michel won seven titles and one second place. He titled in the Area 6 2009 USPSA Championship; had the Overall High Score for the 2009 NRA Bianchi Cup Pro-Am Shooting Event; won the Gold Medal in the Level IV sanctioned

On the Web www.EHPhearing.com 2009 IPSC Pan American Championship; received first place Overall in the Limited10 Division in the Area 1 National Championship; was a 3rd time Champion in the Steel Challenge World Speed Championships; won the 2009 Infinity Area 4 Championship and was the 100% Match Winner in the Open/Production Class in the USPSA Practical Shooting Association Handgun National for the 5th time.

Recruited for the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, Michel competed for the (USAMU) from 1999 to 2009 and he was the Military Coach of the Action Pistol Team. He began claiming championships

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starting in 2004 and won 3 World Speed Shooting Championships in 2005, 2007, and 2009. He has completed over 30 USPSA Area Championships, and while representing the United States, he has competed in the last 3 International Practical Shooting Confederation® (IPSC) World Shoots, each time returning with team gold medals. Michel is also the Pro Shooter for Sig Saur arms and also assists with R & D, trade shows and dealer events.

“The EHP goal is to promote hearing protection for the twenty million hunters and all those folks that participate in the shooting sports.“ Snyder adds, “Max is as AllAmerican as they come and a true professional. With Max being one of the top

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shooters in the world — having him represent EHP to help give our company a jumpstart is absolutely huge.”

SportLock and MSE Join Forces SportLock LLC and MSE Worldwide LLC are very pleased and excited to announce a Joint Venture between the two companies.

SportLock LLC manufactures hard gun & bow cases and mall electronic safes.

MSE Worldwide manufactures Life Jacket for Firearms safety cases and Seeker Security Metal Detectors. “Our product lines are

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On the Web www.SportLockLLC.com www.MSEworldwide.com very complementary and we are very excited about being able to market them together” said representatives from the two companies.

Bob Kufahl, General Manager at SportLock will spearhead the marketing of both company’s products to the Outdoor market, and Alan Teichelman & Clyde Caceres of MSE Worldwide will lead the marketing effort for the Law Enforcement, Military, and Security markets.

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Teeing Off Turkey Season PRING TURKEY SEASON IS FINALLY HERE, and taking a gobbler with a bow brings its own challenges. It is just not the same as going out with a gun and harvesting a bird. More equipment is needed— especially if you try to film your hunt, something I highly recommend.

Not only do you have to bring your bow and arrows, but in order to be successful with that bow, you should bring a portable blind as well. The blind allows you to move and draw your bow while staying concealed from the wary eyes of turkey.

I have spent many turkey seasons with my cousin. We enjoy hunting together and having some hilarious conversations in our portable blind. I would bring my bow and he would bring his gun. We both agreed that if it looked like the bird would come into bow range, he would let me take the shot and then back me up if needed. However, if the bird hung up outside of bow range, he would grab his gun and try to harvest the turkey.

We would also carry an HD camera, tripod, and film each time we went afield. The footage was later used for a DVD that I made with Chester Moore called “Wild Life and Wild Times.”

Imagine the amount of gear we carried in the field. A large camera, tripod, decoys, blind, bow, gun, and some snacks along with the coffee (I need my coffee). To say we were a little overloaded would be a huge understatement. It did not take too long before we both agreed that something needed to be done if we wanted to keep from having a heart attack lugging all that gear.

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Our first idea was A golf pullcart pretty ingenious. We works perfectly as bought a large green a gear hauler. plastic trash bin, drilled two holes on either side of the bottom, and slid a metal bar through the holes. Our homemade axle worked to perfection. I borrowed some bicycle wheels from my son’s bike (I don’t think he ever liked that bike anyway) and attached them to the axle. It worked great—as long as the bin stayed empty. Unfortunately, when we added all the weight of our turkey hunting gear, the plastic near the axle cracked when we ventured into our first bumpy hay lot. Oh, well; it was a good idea, it just needed a bit of refinement.

My good hunting friend, Tom, came up with the idea of using a wheeled golf bag/cart.

At first I thought, This man has been spending way too much time in the woods. Did he ever prove me wrong. Not only was it a good idea, it also proved “the” answer we were looking for.

He spray painted a 5-gallon bucket with camo colors and then strapped it to the bottom of the golf cart. The bucket was large enough to hold everything we needed in the woods, except for a few items. He also strapped on a fanny pack containing ammo, a ThermaCELL unit (another must-have item), and a variety of turkey calls. We would have to carry a bow and a backpack with the snacks and coffee, but all in all, this really was answer to our turkey-hunting dilemma.

The aluminum frame made the cart much more durable than its plastic predecessor. It also was very quiet as we maneuvered it through the fields. A little spray of lubricant near the wheels every few weeks was insurance against squeaks developing.

I saw only one change that would improve this mobile turkey-hunting unit: camo paint on the aluminum frame to help hide the cart and keep it from reflecting sunlight. A small piece of camo material to drape over the frame would work just as well, maybe even better.

Tom said it never affected his hunting, but I am a believer in Murphy’s Law. I have always

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said that Murphy was an optimist, and whatever can go wrong definitely will go wrong.

That is why I try to look for any potential problems and fix them before the hunt begins.

After seeing the finished product, I reminded Tom that his gun should be strapped with the barrel pointing down in the bucket. He looked at the picture and immediately agreed. It would be much safer to strap the gun in place with the business end facing away from the hunter during transport at all times.

A few trips to the turkey woods with the new and improved turkey travel kit worked like a charm. It was easy to carry in and out of the woods with little effort, and actually made hunting turkey with a bow more enjoyable than ever. It even came complete with a place to keep your score....

Hunting with a friend makes your hunt memorable. When the birds have stopped talking and you know you have a few hours to kill before the toms resume searching for hens, it makes the wait a lot more fun when you have someone to joke around with. Hunt with a friend and film your hunt if you can. You will not regret it.

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E-mail Lou Marullo at lmarullo@fishgame.com PHOTO BY LOU MARULLO

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Shooting from the Bench F YOU ARE LIKE ME, YOU READ ALL THE INTERnet forum swill about super-accurate rifles with wide and uncomprehending eyes. Often the mentioned rifle is an inexpensive model, sometimes a breakaction single-shot, and usually with a bargain basement scope on it. The proud owner claims it shoots groups that average some unbelievably tiny fraction of an inch, usually stated in the jargon of the modern firearms illuminati, “it shoots in the threes.”

Sadly, the vast majority of these accuracy phenoms are pure flights of fancy on the part of the owner.

Besides the fact that a rifle that truly does “shoot in the threes,” meaning less than 4/10 of an inch, is a rare and precious commodity that requires a perfect barrel, a perfect scope, and perfect ammunition. It also requires perfect technique on the bench.

I have what some would consider “a bunch” of fine rifles. No brag, just fact. Various gunsmiths and custom gun makers who specialize in making super-accurate rifles made several of them for me. I have not even one, however, that will truly “shoot in the threes.” Several of them shoot groups that average an inch or a bit less; all of them will shoot less than 2 inches or I wouldn’t still have them. One of them, a wildcat .222 Remington Magnum Ackley Improved built for me by gunsmith Jason Bowman, will shoot around a half-inch. However, in addition to having those very accurate rifles with super-precise scopes, I have to hold them right or they will not do their tricks.

The first thing you need is a good bench.

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If the bench itself wobbles around in the breeze, it is all but impossible to shoot decent groups off it. Second, the target backstop must be solid. If the target flops around, the bullets cannot strike it in the same spot several times in a row. Next are sandbags, a shooting rest, or both. I want a solid but adjustable front rest, preferably a tripod topped with a small, properly shaped sandbag that cradles the front of the stock; and I want a rear sandbag formed and shaped for the purpose, or several sandbags that I can use to support the butt of the gun.

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The vast majority of these accuracy phenoms are pure flights of fancy.

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The front end of the gun must be supported in as nearly the same way each time as possible. I have found that placing the front rest midway between the recoil lug and the forward end of the stock is the best compromise between accuracy and controllability. The rear bags should be placed so the shooter can still acquire solid cheek and shoulder contact with the stock, reach the trigger, and control the rear bag with the left hand.

With all except the biggest, hardest kicking boomers, the gun is controlled with the left hand on the rear sandbag. With cannons like the .375, the left hand might be needed to keep the gun from jumping off the front rest and hitting the bench, but this is not as precise.

The gun should be placed on the sandbags so that it rests with the crosshairs a few inches above the bull’s-eye. It should be

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solidly supported, so that when the shooter moves away from the gun, the crosshairs stay in position. Then the gun is lightly gripped with the right hand, while the left hand grips the rear sandbag. Now, by squeezing or releasing the sandbag, the sights can be raised or lowered; by pushing or pulling the rear sandbag the gun can be moved right or left. The right hand, the shoulder, and the cheek are used for absolutely nothing related to moving the gun. The right hand is used only for squeezing the trigger.

If you move your head or hands after the shot is fired, the shot might not be in the group. Stay with the shot for a second or two after the gun goes off. This prevents, or should prevent, a flinch. If the trigger is so stiff or creepy that you cannot make the gun go off without undue strain, if the gun moves at all when the trigger is released in dry-firing, get the trigger fixed or replaced. If the gun kicks so much that you cannot shoot it without flinching, get a sissy bag. That is a bag that goes between the gun and shoulder to keep the gun from bruising the shoulder.

I sometimes use a strap-on shoulder pad for the really big guns, especially if the gun doesn’t have a nice, soft recoil pad.

If you have everything properly adjusted, all you have to do each time is look through the scope, place the crosshairs on the target, and squeeze the trigger until you get a surprise break of the sear. Then, all you have to learn is how to read wind, judge mirage, breathe, and other esoteric skills. Nothing to it.

If your gun will not shoot those tiny groups, don’t feel bad; the guy in the internet forum in all likelihood doesn’t have one either. You would be wise to not believe about 99.9999 percent of what you see on the internet, and about 98 percent of what you read in magazines—except this one, of course.

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Hemispheric What?

Brain Waves RYING TO FIGURE OUT A NEW FISH-FINDER, GPS/chart plotter, or any other marine electronics unit is often akin to banging your head against a brick wall until it bleeds. The wall, I mean. Your head will be bleeding long before you can figure out how to make that errant waypoint go away, or change from 200 to 50 kHz. Then again, other times you get a new unit and it just seems to mesh perfectly with your brain. Menu navigation seems completely intuitive, and getting from point A to point B is a piece of cake. Yet the same unit could confound your best buddy, while the one he finds so simple to use sends you right back to that brick wall. The bottom line: Everyone is different, every unit is different, and some units simply don’t match up with some people’s brain patterns.

Most of us try to avoid this problem by asking as many people as we can about different units prior to purchasing one. We spend hours at marine supply stores, staring at screens while the salesman explains why a unit is the “best” or most popular (and coincidentally, happens to have the fattest profit margin). We read articles, go to boat shows, and Google until our fingers bleed. Then we make a choice... and pray it was the right good one.

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Does choosing marine electronics really have to be such guesswork? If only we had some way to test ourselves, and find out which menu systems and key pad layouts worked the best for us, as individuals. To find out if it was possible I mounted five different chart plotters side-by-side and timed 15 boaters as they tried to figure out how to use each one. Then our test subjects subjected themselves to a braintype test, we matched up the results, and looked for a pattern.

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There is a brain type theory called “Hemispheric Dominance,” which is accepted by most scientists, professors, and researchers.

Hemispheric dominance describes how people think things through, and individuals tend to process information differently if their brain is dominated by the left hemisphere, or the right one. Some people are “whole-brained” because neither hemisphere dominates over the other; but overall, most people go through the day without consciously considering leftversus right-dominated thought.

Left-brained people focus on logical thinking, analysis, and accuracy. Right-brainers tend to lean more towards aesthetics, feelings, and creativity. Most scientists break down left and right into six different thinking traits, shown here (Table 1): TABLE 1 Left Brain Dominant

Right Brain Dominant

Logical - Processes information in a logical, sequential manner.

Intuitive - Processes information with gut feelings, instinct, and meaning.

Linear - Sees the parts, put them in an order, then draws a conclusion.

More sequential in thought.

Holistic - Sees the big picture first, then breaks it down into parts. More random in thought.

Symbolic - Understands symbols and can draw concepts and meaning from them.

Concrete - Wants to see/touch the real item understands hands-on activities.

To determine how each test subject’s brain would interact with different types of chart plotters, I listed a series of simple tasks for each individual to try with each unit. First, they would set a new waypoint. Then they would navigate to it. Third, they would erase the waypoint. Next, they would change into a different screen mode. And finally, they would change back to the original screen. The series of tasks would require each individual to work

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through the menu navigation of each unit, and they were timed with a stopwatch as they performed each function. A limit of one minute for each task was observed in case someone had a particularly difficult time with one specific function, or became so confused they started looking around for that brick wall.

To keep the playing field level our test units were chosen according to the same standard you and I would use if we were purchasing a new chart plotter or fish-finder: cost. In order to be included in this test they had to be priced between $500 and $1500. This was the field: 1. Garmin GPSMAP 640, $1199; includes both marine and on-the-road navigational data; is waterproof to IPX7 standards, has a 5.2-inch WVGA, and is NMEA 0183 compliant 2. Interphase ChartMaster iPro, $999; has a built-in sounder, is expandable with radar and/or AIS, features a 7-inch LCD screen with a wide-ratio (16:9) format, and includes built-in satellite imagery with a world base map, and expandable with C-Map chartography 3. Lowrance HDS 7, $950 and up depending on options; has chart plotting/fishfinding capabilities on a 480x640 pixel, 6.4inch super VGA screen, optional Insight mapping expandable with Navionics chartography, NMEA 2000/0183 compatible, and can be Ethernet networked 4. Raymarine A50D, $999; has a 640x480 pixel 5-inch hi-res VGA color display, waterproof to IPX6 standards, can be upgraded with Navionics cards, is NMEA 0183/SeaTalk compatible, and can overlay AIS information 5. Standard Horizon CPF300i, $849; includes an on-board fish-finder, 7-inch 480x800 hi-res LCD screen with wide-screen 16:9 aspect ratio, a built-in expandable base map, and AIS/radar/video expandable Our test pool of 15 subjects came from a wide variety of people representing a cross-

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section of boaters: men, women, carpenters, lawyers, salesmen, and people from all walks of life. In a couple of cases, they owned a unit from one of the manufacturers in the test, and we skipped that manufacturer’s unit to keep from skewing the results due to familiarity.

(Scores for the skipped units were replaced with the overall averages for that unit.) Each participant was given a 54-question Brain Type Test to determine if they were left or right brain dominant. The test is free and available to anyone online, at www.testcafe.com. Once brain dominance was established, I crunched the numbers and came up with these results, given in total average number of seconds needed to complete the five functions (Table 2).

The first surprise: without exception rightbrainers were faster then left-brainers at figuring out all of the units. The Lowrance was clearly the most intuitive system to our test pool, while our participants found Raymarine the most time-consuming to deal with. But Raymarine also showed the smallest spread between left and right brain thinkers, with just 8 seconds separating the two groups. The

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TABLE 2

Manufacturer

Left Brain Dominant Average Time*

Right Brain Dominant Total Average Average Time* Time*

Garmin

107

84

96

Interphase

119

102

116

Lowrance

90

76

83

Raymarine

146

138

142

Std. Horizon

133

118

126

*In seconds

next-nearest spread was two-thirds as large again, at 14 seconds for the Lowrance.

Another surprise: three of our participants found the Garmin easiest to use largely because of the touch-screen-in fact, they poked at the other unit’s screens in an attempt to use them as touch-screens, before resorting to the buttons. One of the three was a left-brainer, two were righties. One trait tied them all together: these were the youngest people in the test, all in their 20s or early 30s. Youthful boaters clearly found the touch-screen interface more intuitive.

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So, can you take one of these brain tests, and know which unit will be most intuitive based on the results? Nope. But the other interesting discoveries about how our brains interact with chart plotters surely teach us a few things. Plus, we were able to figure out which of these units was the most intuitive use regardless of brain type-just look at the chart and it becomes pretty obvious. We also discovered that left brain dominant people will have a tougher time figuring these things out then right brained people will, period. If you are a leftie, the scientists say you can give that right lobe some exercise by singing, painting, writing poetry, drawing, and playing strategy games that force you to think out multiple tasks simultaneously. Once the right side of your brain is performing like a champ, you will have an easier time using your electronics no matter who manufactured it. Then, finally, your head and your head unit can work together in harmony... no brick walls required.

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E-mail Lenny Rudow at boating@fishgame.com

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Reptiles I Have Known N UNPLANNED, CLOSE-UP ENCOUNTER with a reptile tends to unnerve most outdoorsmen like no other experience. Simply put, it gives most of us the “willies.”

Most of us don’t mind observing snakes and alligators from a distance, but when one suddenly materializes up-close and personal out of nowhere, it can make you jump out of your skin—or kayak.

Kayakers enter the reptile’s world whenever we go for a paddle. Reptile attacks are rare, and a little understanding of their nature and habits will help diminish phobias.

Of the four venomous snakes in Texas, copperheads, rattlesnakes, and coral snakes are fairly easy to recognize by their noisy tails or distinct coloration. The Cottonmouth’s coloration varies from black to brown to having dark crossbands on a lighter shaded body.

The genus Nerodia includes what we commonly refer to as water snakes. In Texas, we enjoy four species, including diamondback, yellow belly, blotched, and broad banded water snakes. Many water snakes are “heavily bodied,” like the cottonmouth, making it hard for the casual outdoorsman to tell them apart. “Water snakes are harmless and are much more common to see than venomous snakes,” said Hewlett, Assistant Director of Jesse Jones Park & Nature Center, just outside Houston. Hewlett is a herpetologist and provided great insight into dealing with snakes of all types when afield and afloat.

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“All snakes will defend themselves if threatened, but snakes in the Nerodia genus tend to be a bit more defensive than others.

They don’t chase people, but will definitely defend themselves. People incorrectly view this behavior as aggressive or attacking.

“Everyone has an uncle or grandfather who claims to have been attacked or chased by a cottonmouth. I hear the same old stories every year, but I haven’t ever found anyone that was actually bitten. You just don’t see it happen that often.”

James Graham, co-owner of Southwest Paddlesports in The Woodlands, echoed Hewlett’s comments, adding: “If you are in their home space, they are going to challenge you. When you get a Nerodia riled up, it will definitely defend its territory.”

Graham noted that paddlers seeking succor from the sun’s scorching rays sometimes seek the shade of on overhanging tree.

Shade-seekers often find snakes draped on low branches. Having a snake drop into your kayak or canoe generally gets one’s attention quickly.

“You have to understand that the first thing a snake tries to do is to make a getaway,” Graham continued. “The first place they go is straight down; dropping off a tree limb is the quickest method of escape.”

If snakes scare you, avoid paddling under trees lining the river’s or lake’s edge, especially low growth. If a rushing current sweeps you unwillingly beneath a low canopy, hold your paddle in front of your face to avoid being hit by a branch. If there is time, hit the foliage with your paddle to warn any lounging snakes of your imminent arrival. They won’t take long to evacuate their perches.

Trees aren’t the only place to see snakes.

It is common for a kayaker to encounter a snake while paddling in the middle of a lake or stream. Don’t be surprised if the snake makes a beeline for your boat.

“A swimming snake is just trying to make it to shore,” Graham said. “You just happen to be the closest dry land. They

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aren’t attacking you; they just want to climb up on your island.”

It has been my experience that swimming snakes are easily discouraged. A brisk sweep of the paddle will shoo many away. I have had a few persist on making my acquaintance and a sharp downward slap of the paddle convinced them that I wasn’t in the mood to exchange pleasantries.

Alligators are found just about everywhere on the Gulf Coast in fresh, brackish, and salt waters. “It is now fairly common to see alligators when you are paddling,” Graham said. “I have never heard of an alligator attack on anyone kayaking or canoeing.”

Graham ticked off a handful known alligator haunts, including the San Jacinto River, Huntsville State Park, and Sheldon Reservoir. “There is a gator between 10 and 15 feet long that likes to shadow paddlers at the park. I have heard this from countless people. It never bothers folks in their kayaks, but it sure does freak them out.

“If you really want to see alligators, head to Anahuac Wildlife Refuge. There are some really big ones there. I personally won’t paddle there, but I sold kayaks to five rangers who work at the refuge. They don’t seem to have an issue with the gators.”

Graham relayed some no-nonsense safety tips if you are going to paddle in the presence of alligators. First, don’t trail a stringer of fish. That is tempting fate. Graham has had customers loose stringers to gators; fortunately, no one was hurt. Second, leave your small pets on land. While it might look stylish to have your Jack Russell terrier or Chihuahua as your first mate, you are inadvertently trolling for big prey.

Every time you hit the water, you enter the reptile world. Give them a little distance and respect, and you can both enjoy your time in and on the water.

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Email Greg Berlocher at kayak@fishgame.com

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Spinning a Jig EXAS IS THE LAND OF ANGLING OPPORTUNIty in both salt- and freshwater. I realize this with crystal clarity as I sit here searching on-line for a new tackle bag.

It seems that my old one is bursting at the seams with all the junk...I mean, necessary fishing tackle I carry with me on any given trip. Sadly, I rarely go into the tackle bag after the day has started (that’s a whole different article), but today we’re going to look at one way to lighten your bag just a little by using the same baits for both fresh- and saltwater species instead of doubling up with redundancies.

This is not a new revelation, but I have to share it anyway. Most fish we commonly chase are predators. No matter what type of water they swim in, big fishes eat little fishes, so it stands to reason that the same baits that mimic little baitfishes and attract big game fishes in one type of water will attract big fishes in another type of water.

Bass anglers have been using spinnerbaits for the better part of the past century to entice wall-hangers, but saltwater fishermen have joined in the fun for only the past decade or so. It makes a lot of sense to arm yourself with a spinnerbait when fishing the salt.

Ask just about any saltwater angler to name their favorite artificial baits for redfish, and without a doubt the gold spoon and jig will top most lists. Now, if you look at a spinnerbait, it is basically a combination of these two baits, aggregating the best attributes of both in a single bait. The flash and flutter of the spoon is replaced by the flash and thump of the spinner. The baitfish appearance and swimming pattern of the jig is now replaced by, well, the same thing with the spinnerbait body. In fact, the same jigs you use for reds

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can be used as part of a spinnerbait with great effectiveness for both bass and reds.

Getting a spinnerbait is easy: just walk into any sporting goods store in the state and buy one. The problem with this is that a single spinnerbait does not fit all angling situations. The color of the body along with size and design of the blade all play a part in the bait’s attractiveness under varying water conditions. A one-size-fits-all approach to spinnerbaits does not work, so in order to match the spinnerbait to the conditions every time would require a sack full of store-bought baits.

To get around having the spend next

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month’s mortgage on spinnerbaits, simply toss a few jig spinners into your tackle bag, and you can instantly turn any jig into a spinnerbait. Multiple companies make jig spinners, and the lures are available in just about any shape or size you can think of.

However, for simplicity’s sake, start with a few Colorado blades (egg shaped) and a handful of willow leaf blades (long and slender), both in gold color. Use the Colorado blades in murky water since the slow wobble gives off more vibration. Use the willow leaf in clearer water since the quicker spin gives o f f more flash.

Now, these jig spinners won’t catch fish on their own; you have to hook them to a jig or they are useless. Some anglers swear by high quality, pow-

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Whale Shark Coastal Bend Outdoors

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For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.

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COLLECTORS WELCOME!

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FOR SALE Golden Lure $5,000 Value See Ad Below

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In 1995, my brother-in-law, Matthew Gregory, and I, George Calhoun, started developing the Wade Aid belt. The Wade Aid belt went on the market in 1996.

Wade Aid Enterprises prides itself in making the finest wade belt available.

Whether you’re fishing for redfish or trout in the bays and surfs of the gulf coast, fighting striper in the Atlantic surfs or fishing for trout and salmon in cool mountain rivers, the Wade Aid belt is for you.

The Wade Aid is the most functional and comfortable wade belt available today.

It is constructed of closed cell foam incased in neoprene with nylon webbing and hardware. The closed cell foam provides a unique lumbar support system. The rods and accessory holders are conveniently located for quick and easy access.

The Wade Aid is clearly in a class by itself.

Please visit our website www.wadeaid.com or call us at 1-888-WADE AID (1888-923-3243).

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Chowhound Chicken Tenders (Serves 3 to 4 regular eaters or a couple of chow hounds) HAVE A COUPLE OF BOTTOMLESS PIT chowhound teenagers at home that are good for a cook’s ego, but hard to fill up at the dinner table. I am trying to cook healthy, but also cooking things they enjoy.

This chicken tender recipe is quick, easy to make, and won’t break the bank. It’s also an easy meal for the fishing or hunting camp.

I

2 lbs. fresh chicken tenderloins 2 eggs, beaten with 2 Tbs. Texas Gourmet’s Cajun Hot Sauce (or your favorite brand of hot sauce); combine well 1-1/2 cups flour in a bowl 1 cup corn meal, seasoned with 1/3 tsp. black pepper, 3/4 tsp. garlic salt, and 1/2 tsp. lemon pepper; place in a shallow, wide bowl or a 1-gallon plastic zipper bag 1/2 to 3/4 gallon peanut oil deep fryer with a fitted basket, or a slotted spoon large platter with paper towels for straining Line the bowls up in a row, flour first, then the eggs with hot sauce combined, then the corn meal. Preheat the deep fryer to 350 degrees. Drop each tenderloin into the flour I44 |

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and cover well, then dip into the egg mixture and then into the cornmeal; coat well and then place on a large platter. Place only as many tenders into the oil so as to not crowd the pot, maybe 6 to 8. Fry until golden brown, about 4-6 minutes, being careful not to burn them.

Remove from the oil and strain on paper towels. Serve hot or warm with Texas Gourmet’s Pineapple Chipotle Grilling and Dipping Sauce, or Texas Gourmet’s Honey

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Pecan Barbeque and Dipping Sauce, Jalapeno Kiwi Jelly, or other favorite sauce.

These are awesome. Hope you enjoy!

On the Web www.FishGame.com (keyword: Texas Tasted)

Contact Bryan Slaven, "The Texas Gourmet," at 888-234-7883, www.thetexasgourmet.com; or by email at texas-tasted@fishgame.com

www.thetexasgourmet.com

BAITS & RIGS Continued from Page I-41 der coated, lifelike jigheads, but I’m not one of them. A basic unpainted leadhead works just fine in this application. Use something in the 1/4- to 1/2-ounce range, but, unlike standard bass jigs, don’t put on a plastic skirt. Instead, put a grub body on the jig.

The type of body used is usually a matter of angler preference, but I like something

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with a curly or paddle tail. When chasing bass, I like to use a simple color like Watermelon (including any of the multiple versions with glitter in them). When in saltwater, I change up a little and use a dark body (reds, greens) with a chartreuse tail.

With a simple jig and jig spinner, you can use one basic rig to chase both fresh- and saltwater species without ever having to change anything other than the grub body

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on the bait. This is especially an advantage when fishing brackish water where you never know what you might catch.

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E-mail Paul Bradshaw at freshrigs@fishgame.com

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ught of Frisco, ca ssell, age 3, was Christian Ru Palestine. He ke La on e pi le to po n ee his first crap Qu n Lightning Mc r. using his ow de -inch, 2-poun reel in this 14

Joey Pivarnik , age 4, of Mc Kinney, caug this 18-inch, ht 3.5-pound la rgemouth ba a nite crawle ss on r at Towne La ke in McKinn This was his ey. largest fish to date.

r of Sadler, ld Wyatt Mahe s Eleven-year-o 8-point buck at 111 yard this County. ho nc Texas, shot Co in mington with a 6mm Re

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Ariel Sanche z, age 5, caug ht while fishing with her brot her first fish he Lake Granbu ry. She reeled r and Pa on in the 2-1/2pound bass with her Barb ie fishing po le.

this xas, caught of Dayton, Te hing Brandon Kotz ch redfish while surf fis -in s 16+-pound, 36 r Pass. He wa ve llo Ro ar , ne at High Island for bait. let using cut mul

Jon Waters caught this 12-pound bass on a private lake in Oakmont, Texas. The bass was 28 inches long and 20 inches around.

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rpus Christi, , 4-1/2, of Co over Rhian Ponton st bass, just fir r he ed leas ng caught and re ock pond. She was fishi a st 2 pounds, at . worm with a purple

Sammy Pend leton, 8, of Ro und Rock, sh his first deer ot wh Circle R Ranc ile hunting with his dad at h near Harper , Texas. He to the 8-pointer ok with one shot at 95 yards.

ught this 4.12 Bay Deer Park, ca ut in Burnett Allen Huff of tro ed kl ec ch sp pound, 24-in Texas. in Baytown,

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ars-Tomplait ld Dalton Me Twelve-year-o ound, 23-inch largemouth -p caught this 10 m Rayburn.

Sa bass on Lake

Nicole Chris tesson of Ro shar 18-inch trout at Bastrop Ba on, caught this you. It was th biggest catc h of the day. e

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Shane Carriza le first deer at a s, age 8, of Katy, shot hi s blind in Rung e, Texas, wh hunting with ile his Jr., and his gr father, Juan S. Carrizale s, andfather.

Texas City, on, age 7, of Claire Thomps ound, 35-inch redfish.

-p caught this 15

, City, Kansas rcia of Kansas redfish, a 12Mari Lynn Ga st fir r he leased h caught and re e King Ranc ile fishing th n Antonio.

Sa pounder, wh of ey ck Jim Mi shoreline with

Casey Hicks of buck with a .2 Dayton, shot this 6-point 43 WSSM fro m 160 yards lease in Sout on a h Texas.

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ught Cotile, LA, ca am, age 9, of th his grandwi Jacob Ingrah ng hi fis nd bass s this 9.48-pou brother on Lake Fork. Hi d father, dad an catch of the weekend. big fish was the

Ryan Ruiz of Br this 8-pound, enham, caught 21-inch largem bass on a $0 .99 black and outh yellow beetlespin at Lake Limesto ne.

o, of San Antoni son, age 11, Kevin Steven near Packery h is df re ch th -in caught this 22 us Christi while fishing wi rp as.

Channel in Co e, Dave Thom cl un d an tt, ya his father, W

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Lane Warnken , age 7, took his first buck 8-pointer, wi th a Remingt , on youth mod an .243 while hu el nting the 3rd and Long Ra in Mason, Te nch xas.

int took this 8-po . ebb, age 10, before school Samantha W d da r he th nt wi buck on a hu

Jessi Knight , age 11, of Sa n Antonio, ca this 22-inch ught trout in Ceda r Bayou while ing with her fishfather.

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bass is 7.2-pound s an caught th Texas. She wa Tammy Usch in ke La w Hollo g a finesse in on Stillhouse us r, te wa feet of fishing in 14 worm.

Jan and Herb Owens of Su gar Land, ca these bull re ught dfis breakers at Hi h while kayaking beyond the gh Island.

off port, shows nzalez of Free ile fishwh ht ug Armando Go ca redfish that he yak in 6 inches this 27-inch s ka nows from hi incoming tide. ing with min ring du rt, po ee of water in Fr

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PHOTO BY STEPHEN VANHORN

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Anticipating the Post-Spawn W HILE MOST BASS-HAPPY ANGLERS swill the mead of the spawn, some have the foresight to anticipate that it will end in a few weeks and degrade into the dreaded postspawn.

The horrors are myriad: whipped the water to froth...made so many casts I got blisters...threw everything I had at ‘em...etc. ad nauseam, all with nary a strike. In other words, post-spawn bassing is tough...isn’t it?

It all depends on where you are talking about, how you go about it, and who you ask. Fact is, arranging a post-honeymoon tryst with a cooperative largemouth mistress or two is not as difficult as most people seem to think.

I remember most vividly a bright spring morning some years ago, when I got the first hint that maybe not all silver clouds have dark linings. I was fishing along the banks of a small creek that emptied into Possum Kingdom Lake, well into May and long after the spawn was supposed to be over.

I was at a spot a few hundred feet from the lake, where the creek narrowed into a bottleneck before fanning out into a wide cove. The stricture was made up of two small, rocky bluffs, sort of a miniature Hell’s

Gate, with a tangle of logs and brush on the downstream side.

Not expecting much, I tossed what I seem to recall was a Hula Popper up against one of the bluffs, and got an immediate explosion of a strike. That first fish, at 5 pounds and change, was the best of the 6 total I landed from that same spot over the next hour; the smallest one went about 3 pounds.

by Don Zaidle Not noted for my perceptiveness, I wrote the incident off to the caprice of outrageous fortune and went merrily on my way, all the while bemoaning the state of post-spawn man-bass relations. And, much to my later chagrin, I even forgot exactly where the spot was located.

A few years later, I stumbled across a similar situation at a little rock pile located on the edge of a creek channel, where I was dabbling minnows for crappie. I didn’t think much about it until after I caught the second 3-pound largemouth. Rigging up a casting rod with a Texas worm setup, I vertically jigged three more spawned-out blacks from among the rocks.

Years later, in one of my more lucid

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moments, I came to realize that over the years I had caught a lot of bass at times and locations where traditional wisdom said I shouldn’t have been catching anything.

What, I wondered, had I been doing wrong? Or perhaps more to the point, what had I been doing right?

Further musing revealed that my sporadic successes at traditionally “bad” times of the year had all come on lakes that shared a common trait—a rich diversity of structure types connected by a labyrinth of channels.

Could catching post-spawn bass in good numbers really be as simple as choosing the right lake?

Well, there is a bit more to it than that, but being in the right kind of water does place you on the downhill side of the equation. And I can think of no two places as being more “right” than lakes Ray Roberts and Possum Kingdom. A cursory glance at a map of either reveals a smorgasbord of structure and cover types strung together by stream and roadbeds, breaklines, and long point contours. Ideal post-spawn bass waters.

The trick to successful post-spawn bassing is being at the right place at the right

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In This Issue HOW-TO SECTION

OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE SECTION

N21

BOWHUNTING TECH • Teeing Off Turkey Season | BY LOU MARULLO

CLASSIFIED DIRECTORY • N26 OUTDOOR Classifieds | TF&G S

N22

TEXAS BOATING • Brain Waves |

BY LENNY RUDOW

TASTED • N28 TEXAS Cowhound Chicken Tenders | S

BY

TAFF

BY BRYAN

LAVEN

N1

COVER STORY • Anticipating the Post Spawn |

BY DON ZAIDLE

N24

TEXAS KAYAKING • Reptiles I Have Known |

BY GREG BERLOCHER

N25

TEXAS GUNS & GEAR • Shooting from the Bench | BY STEVE LAMASCUS

N29

BAITS & RIGS • Spinning a Jig |

BY PAUL BRADSHAW

ALBUM • N30 PHOTO Your Action Photos |

BY TF&G READERS

GEARING UP SECTION

HOTSPOTS & TIDES SECTION

N14

TEXAS TESTED • Stanley Lights, Thompson/Center, Avery |

BY TFG STAFF

N4

TEXAS HOTSPOTS • Texas’ Hottest Fishing Spots |

BY TOM BEHRENS, CALIXTO GONZALES, & BOB HOOD

N16

NEW PRODUCTS • What’s New from Top Outdoor Manufacturers |

BY TF&G STAFF

N6

SPORTSMAN’S DAYBOOK • Tides, Solunar Table, Best Hunting/Fishing Times |

BY TF&G STAFF

N18

INDUSTRY INSIDER • Fish-N-Hunt, Ranger Boats, Humminbird, Mercury, EHP, Sportlock | BY TF&G STAFF

time.

“A lot of people think bass head straight out to deep water after spawning,” a seasoned guide whose name I do not remember once told me. “But that’s not the case. It’s almost like a pre-spawn pattern. They’ll stage up along the channel breaks and

points near deep water, and hold there for quite a while before they head deep and move into summer patterns.”

If you keep in mind that bass are in a state of transition, locating them in fairly dense concentrations is not too difficult.

Remember that the trip from spawning

www.FishGame.com grounds to summer haunts is not made in a rush, but in gradual stages that might take up to a week.

With this concept in mind, a strategy highly productive for larger, individual fish is ambushing them along the routes they travel between spawning waters and home ranges. Bass don’t like open water, and typically follow what are sometimes circuitous routes to take advantage of the security blanket of cover and structure they afford. Success, therefore, is largely a question of finding the preferred transit paths.

Post-spawn travel routes are actually nothing more than the same structures we fish all the time anyway, such as channels, points, and contour lines that link other structure with shallow-water spawning grounds.

For instance, a bass whose “home” structure is a deep-water tank dam located adjacent to a creek channel, will follow the channel to shallow water to spawn and take the reverse route home. Likewise, a bass that lives beneath a submerged bridge will follow the roadbed, lending authenticity to the term “bass highway.”

Like any good highway, bass interstates CONTINUED on Page N6

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Tides and Prime Times

APRIL 2010

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

1

SYMBOL KEY

New Moon

5

First Quarter

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 3:52 am High Tide: 2:13 pm

-0.03 ft 1.34 ft

8:30 — 11:00 PM

Sunrise: 7:21a Set: 7:58p Moonrise: 2:03a Set: 12:15p AM Minor: ----Set: 5:51a PM Minor: 12:04p Set: 6:17p Moon Overhead: 7:08a Moon Underfoot: 7:33p

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

PRIME TIME

4:02 am 10:04 am 3:28 pm 9:42 pm

1.36 ft 0.75 ft 1.16 ft 0.35 ft

3:00 — 5:00 AM

Full Moon

6

Low Tide: 5:10 am High Tide: 2:44 pm

Last Quarter

0.08 ft 1.30 ft

7

9:00 — 11:30 PM

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

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

PRIME TIME 4:53 am 10:37 am 3:37 pm 10:11 pm

1.43 ft 0.88 ft 1.18 ft 0.20 ft

10:00A — 2:00P

Sunrise: 7:11a Set: 8:03p Moonrise: 6:24a Set: 7:37p AM Minor: 5:06a Set: 11:17a PM Minor: 5:28p Set: 11:38p Moon Overhead: 12:57p Moon Underfoot: 12:35a

19

20

PRIME TIME 7:00 — 9:00 PM

Sunrise: 7:05a Set: 8:07p Moonrise: 10:54a Set: 12:39a AM Minor: 10:36a Set: 4:21a PM Minor: 11:05p Set: 4:50p Moon Overhead: 6:15p Moon Underfoot: 5:46a

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

PRIME TIME 3:52 am 9:41 am 2:33 pm 9:27 pm

1.52 ft 0.90 ft 1.28 ft -0.04 ft

1:00 — 3:00 AM

Sunrise: 6:57a Set: 8:11p Moonrise: 6:39p Set: 5:24a AM Minor: 4:08a Set: 10:20a PM Minor: 4:33p Set: 10:46p Moon Overhead: None Moon Underfoot: 11:58a

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

5:01 am 10:41 am 2:49 pm 10:09 pm

PRIME TIME 1.63 ft 1.09 ft 1.31 ft -0.23 ft

2:00 — 4:00 AM

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PRIME TIME

8

10:30P — 12:00A

Low Tide: 7:26 am High Tide: 2:55 pm Low Tide: 8:39 pm

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

5:44 am 11:12 am 3:43 pm 10:44 pm

PRIME TIME 1.50 ft 1.01 ft 1.21 ft 0.07 ft

5:00 — 7:00 AM

21

Low Tide: 3:53 am -0.03 ft High Tide: 12:55 pm 1.52 ft

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

6:04 am 11:39 am 3:05 pm 10:52 pm

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

9:00 — 11:00 PM

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

4:00 — 6:00 AM

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5:00 — 7:00 AM

6:37 am 11:48 am 3:40 pm 11:21 pm

PRIME TIME 1.55 ft 1.14 ft 1.25 ft -0.04 ft

11:30A — 1:30P

Sunrise: 7:09a Set: 8:04p Moonrise: 7:31a Set: 9:38p AM Minor: 6:37a Set: 12:25a PM Minor: 7:02p Set: 12:50p Moon Overhead: 2:31p Moon Underfoot: 2:06a

22

PRIME TIME 1.70 ft 1.24 ft 1.35 ft -0.33 ft

PRIME TIME 0.27 ft 1.20 ft 0.97 ft

Sunrise: 7:17a Set: 8:00p Moonrise: 4:00a Set: 3:03p AM Minor: 2:00a Set: 8:11a PM Minor: 2:22p Set: 8:32p Moon Overhead: 9:29a Moon Underfoot: 9:50p

PRIME TIME

Sunrise: 6:55a Set: 8:13p Moonrise: 8:53p Set: 6:40a AM Minor: 5:46a Set: 11:59a PM Minor: 6:13p Set: ----Moon Overhead: 1:16a Moon Underfoot: 1:43p

Sunrise: 6:56a Set: 8:12p Moonrise: 7:47p Set: 6:00a AM Minor: 4:54a Set: 11:08a PM Minor: 5:21p Set: 11:34p Moon Overhead: 12:23a Moon Underfoot: 12:49p

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0.18 ft 1.25 ft 1.08 ft 1.12 ft

Sunrise: 7:03a Set: 8:08p Moonrise: 1:07p Set: 2:20a AM Minor: 12:13a Set: 6:23a PM Minor: 12:37p Set: 6:51p Moon Overhead: 8:08p Moon Underfoot: 7:41a

Sunrise: 7:04a Set: 8:07p Moonrise: 11:59a Set: 1:32a AM Minor: 11:38a Set: 5:24a PM Minor: ----Set: 5:53p Moon Overhead: 7:13p Moon Underfoot: 6:44a

27

6:24 am 2:51 pm 8:47 pm 11:25 pm

1.48 ft 1.09 ft 1.22 ft

Sunrise: 7:26a Set: 7:55p Moonrise: 11:14p Set: 8:49a AM Minor: 8:08a Set: 1:54a PM Minor: 8:35p Set: 2:22p Moon Overhead: 3:31a Moon Underfoot: 3:58p

Sunrise: 7:10a Set: 8:03p Moonrise: 6:55a Set: 8:36p AM Minor: 5:49a Set: ----PM Minor: 6:12p Set: 12:24p Moon Overhead: 1:42p Moon Underfoot: 1:19a

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 2:45 am -0.12 ft High Tide: 12:13 pm 1.57 ft

BEST DAYS

Sunrise: 7:19a Set: 7:59p Moonrise: 3:25a Set: 2:08p AM Minor: 1:17a Set: 7:29a PM Minor: 1:40p Set: 7:52p Moon Overhead: 8:45a Moon Underfoot: 9:07p

Sunrise: 7:20a Set: 7:58p Moonrise: 2:47a Set: 1:12p AM Minor: 12:30a Set: 6:42a PM Minor: 12:54p Set: 7:06p Moon Overhead: 7:58a Moon Underfoot: 8:21p

13

High Tide: 7:54 am Low Tide: 1:06 pm High Tide: 4:59 pm

PRIME TIME

Good Day

PRIME TIME

Sunrise: 7:13a Set: 8:02p Moonrise: 5:54a Set: 6:40p AM Minor: 4:27a Set: 10:37a PM Minor: 4:48p Set: 10:58p Moon Overhead: 12:14p Moon Underfoot: None Low Tide: 1:44 am -0.16 ft High Tide: 11:08 am 1.59 ft

PRIME TIME

PRIME TIME 5:06 am 1:22 pm 7:33 pm 11:06 pm

0.10 ft 1.45 ft 1.10 ft 1.19 ft

10:00P — 12:00A

Sunrise: 7:02a Set: 8:09p Moonrise: 2:15p Set: 3:02a AM Minor: 1:05a Set: 7:18a PM Minor: 1:31p Set: 7:45p Moon Overhead: 9:02p Moon Underfoot: 8:35a

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

7:04 am 12:38 pm 3:16 pm 11:37 pm

PRIME TIME 1.71 ft 1.35 ft 1.39 ft -0.34 ft

5:30 — 7:30 AM

Sunrise: 6:55a Set: 8:14p Moonrise: 9:58p Set: 7:24a AM Minor: 6:42a Set: 12:28a PM Minor: 7:10p Set: 12:56p Moon Overhead: 2:11a Moon Underfoot: 2:39p

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Tides and Prime Times

FRIDAY

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

SATURDAY PRIME TIME

12:49 am 9:09 am 2:00 pm 4:57 pm

-0.31 ft 1.44 ft 1.22 ft 1.26 ft

APRIL 2010

7:00 — 9:00 PM

3

SUNDAY PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 1:42 am -0.26 ft High Tide: 10:35 am 1.39 ft

7:30 — 9:30 PM

4

PRIME TIME

Low Tide: 2:42 am -0.15 ft High Tide: 12:25 pm 1.36 ft

8:00 — 10:00 PM

Sunrise: 7:25a Set: 7:56p Moonrise: None Set: 9:35a AM Minor: 9:09a Set: 2:55a PM Minor: 9:37p Set: 3:23p Moon Overhead: 4:26a Moon Underfoot: 4:54p

Sunrise: 7:23a Set: 7:56p Moonrise: 12:16a Set: 10:26a AM Minor: 10:10a Set: 3:56a PM Minor: 10:37p Set: 4:24p Moon Overhead: 5:22a Moon Underfoot: 5:49p

Sunrise: 7:22a Set: 7:57p Moonrise: 1:12a Set: 11:20a AM Minor: 11:09a Set: 4:55a PM Minor: 11:35p Set: 5:22p Moon Overhead: 6:16a Moon Underfoot: 6:42p

9

10

11

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

PRIME TIME 12:56 am 8:15 am 3:00 pm 8:43 pm

1.16 ft 0.38 ft 1.16 ft 0.83 ft

12:00 — 2:00 AM

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

PRIME TIME 2:07 am 8:56 am 3:08 pm 8:55 pm

1.22 ft 0.50 ft 1.15 ft 0.68 ft

1:00 — 3:00 AM

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

PRIME TIME 3:07 am 9:31 am 3:18 pm 9:16 pm

1.29 ft 0.62 ft 1.15 ft 0.51 ft

2:00 — 4:00 AM

Sunrise: 7:16a Set: 8:00p Moonrise: 4:30a Set: 3:58p AM Minor: 2:39a Set: 8:49a PM Minor: 3:00p Set: 9:10p Moon Overhead: 10:11a Moon Underfoot: 10:32p

Sunrise: 7:15a Set: 8:01p Moonrise: 4:59a Set: 4:51p AM Minor: 3:15a Set: 9:25a PM Minor: 3:35p Set: 9:46p Moon Overhead: 10:52a Moon Underfoot: 11:12p

Sunrise: 7:14a Set: 8:01p Moonrise: 5:27a Set: 5:45p AM Minor: 3:51a Set: 10:01a PM Minor: 4:11p Set: 10:21p Moon Overhead: 11:33a Moon Underfoot: 11:53p

16

17

18

PRIME TIME

High Tide: 7:34 am 1.58 ft Low Tide: 12:26 pm 1.26 ft High Tide: 3:30 pm 1.32 ft

12:00 — 2:00 PM

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

PRIME TIME 12:02 am 8:38 am 1:07 pm 3:20 pm

-0.12 ft 1.59 ft 1.38 ft 1.40 ft

1:00 — 3:00 PM

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

PRIME TIME 12:50 am 9:51 am 1:56 pm 3:14 pm

-0.16 ft 1.59 ft 1.47 ft 1.47 ft

2:00 — 4:00 PM

Sunrise: 7:08a Set: 8:05p Moonrise: 8:12a Set: 10:40p AM Minor: 7:31a Set: 1:18a PM Minor: 7:58p Set: 1:44p Moon Overhead: 3:24p Moon Underfoot: 2:57a

Sunrise: 7:07a Set: 8:05p Moonrise: 9:00a Set: 11:41p AM Minor: 8:30a Set: 2:16a PM Minor: 8:58p Set: 2:44p Moon Overhead: 4:19p Moon Underfoot: 3:51a

Sunrise: 7:06a Set: 8:06p Moonrise: 9:54a Set: None AM Minor: 9:32a Set: 3:18a PM Minor: 10:01p Set: 3:47p Moon Overhead: 5:17p Moon Underfoot: 4:48a

23

24

25

Low Tide: 6:20 am High Tide: 1:43 pm Low Tide: 7:40 pm

PRIME TIME 0.27 ft 1.36 ft 0.83 ft

5:00 — 7:00 AM

Sunrise: 7:00a Set: 8:09p Moonrise: 3:22p Set: 3:40a AM Minor: 1:55a Set: 8:07a PM Minor: 2:20p Set: 8:33p Moon Overhead: 9:53p Moon Underfoot: 9:28a

30

High Tide: 8:05 am Low Tide: 1:50 pm High Tide: 3:09 pm

1.68 ft 1.42 ft 1.42 ft

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

PRIME TIME 1:06 am 7:31 am 2:01 pm 8:10 pm

1.25 ft 0.47 ft 1.30 ft 0.53 ft

12:00 — 2:00 AM

Sunrise: 6:59a Set: 8:10p Moonrise: 4:28p Set: 4:16a AM Minor: 2:40a Set: 8:53a PM Minor: 3:05p Set: 9:18p Moon Overhead: 10:43p Moon Underfoot: 10:18a

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

PRIME TIME 2:36 am 8:38 am 2:17 pm 8:47 pm

1.38 ft 0.68 ft 1.27 ft 0.22 ft

12:30 — 2:30 AM

Sunrise: 6:58a Set: 8:11p Moonrise: 5:33p Set: 4:50a AM Minor: 3:24a Set: 9:36a PM Minor: 3:49p Set: 10:01p Moon Overhead: 11:32p Moon Underfoot: 11:07a

PRIME TIME

PRIME TIME

PRIME TIME

12:00 — 2:00 PM

12:30 — 2:30 PM

7:00 — 9:00 PM

Sunrise: 6:54a Set: 8:14p Moonrise: 10:58p Set: 8:14a AM Minor: 7:41a Set: 1:27a PM Minor: 8:09p Set: 1:55p Moon Overhead: 3:07a Moon Underfoot: 3:35p

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NOT FOR NAVIGATION PLACE SABINE BANK LIGHTHOUSE (29.47° N, 93.72° W) SABINE PASS JETTY (29.65° N, 93.83° W) SABINE PASS (29.73° N, 93.87°W) MESQUITE PT, SABINE PASS (29.77° N, 93.9° W) GALV. BAY, SO. JETTY (29.34° N, 94.7° W) PORT BOLIVAR (29.36° N, 94.77° W) TX CITY TURNING BASIN (29.38° N, 94.88° W) EAGLE POINT (29.5° N, 94.91° W) CLEAR LAKE (29.56° N, 95.06° W) MORGANS POINT (29.68° N, 94.98° W) ROUND PT, TRINITY BAY (29.71° N, 94.69° W) PT. BARROW, TRIN. BAY (29.74° N, 94.83° W) GILCHRIST, E. BAY (29.52° N, 94.48° W) JAMAICA BCH., W. BAY (29.2° N, 94.98° W) ALLIGATOR PT., W. BAY (29.17° N, 94.13° W) CHRISTMAS PT, CHR. BAY (29.08° N, 94.17° W) GALV. PLEASURE PIER (29.29° N, 94.79° W) SAN LUIS PASS (29.08° N, 95.12° W) FREEPORT HARBOR (28.95° N, 95.31° W) PASS CAVALLO (28.37° N, 96.4° W) ARANSAS PASS (27.84° N, 97.05° W) PADRE ISL.(SO. END) (26.07° N, 97.16° W) PORT ISABEL (26.06° N, 97.22° W)

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Rapping for Bass LOCATION: Lake Waco HOTSPOT: Riprap along Dam GPS: N31 34.961, W97 12.038 SPECIES: largemouth bass

BY BOB HOOD

BEST BAITS: shallow silver/black or blue crankbaits, Plum Texas- and Carolinarigged worms CONTACT: Jimmy D. Moore, rayado@earthlink.net, 254-744-2104 TIPS: Cast crankbaits parallel to the riprap 5 to 10 feet out. If this doesn’t work, fish Texas-rig worms the same way.

As last resort, fish a Carolina-rigged worm parallel 20 to 25 feet off riprap BANK ACCESS: Reynolds Creek Park public fishing area for largemouth bass, crap-

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pie, and white bass LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: North Birch Creek GPS: N32 56 45.10, W95 30 20.22 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: white tube, Baby Brush Hog, Wave Worm Shadiks, crankbait CONTACT: Michael Rogue, www.lakefork-guides.com, microg@texascellnet.com TIPS: When sight-fishing, use a white Tube, Wave Worm Shadik, or lizard.

When fishing for staging fish, use a watermelon Shadik on a Texas rig with 1/8ounce weight. Also try a medium-diving shad-patterned crankbait or Watermelon Red Carolina-rigged Baby Brush Hog over secondary points leading to spawning areas.

LOCATION: Lake Fork HOTSPOT: Northwest Bay GPS: N32 50 18.09, W95 30 47.91 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: white tube, Baby Brush Hog, Wave Worm Shadiks, crankbait CONTACT: Michael Rogue, www.lakefork-guides.com, microg@texascellnet.com TIPS: When sight-fishing, use a white Tube, Wave Worm Shadik, or lizard.

When fishing for staging fish, use a watermelon Shadik on a Texas rig with 1/8-oz. weight. Also try a medium-diving shad-patterned crankbait or Watermelon Red Carolina-rigged Baby Brush Hog over secondary points leading to spawning areas.

LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOT: Chimney Creek GPS: N32 04.876, W95 25.458 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: chartreuse/white Texas Spinnerbait 430 Special, Mr. Twister Comeda soft plastics

COVER STORY Continued from Page N2 are marked with plenty of rest stops. And it is here that you find bass in numbers.

That little bottleneck mentioned at the beginning examples the ideal bass rest stop: plenty of cover, and a structure contour adjacent or leading to deep water.

Bait choices are pretty much up to individual tastes, but many aficionados rely heavily on spinnerbaits and worms for their versatility and ease of use in heavy cover.

Spinnerbaits and Texas-rigged worms are a lot easier to work among snaggy structure elements. Sometimes, though, you can’t beat a crankbait, especially if the fish are being finicky.

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on the weather, there might be bass on the beds well into May. On some lakes, such as Ray Roberts, feature a great diversity of shoreline and bottom structure that produces widely varying temperature skews between different areas of the lake. It is not uncommon to find spawning activity continuing well into May and sometimes even early June on Ray Bob. Brush- or grass-covered humps or tank dams in deep water are the year-round homes of bass, sometimes in surprising numbers. Comfortable temperatures or depth ranges are just a fin-flutter away up or down the slope of the hump. If the hump’s top extends into water sufficiently shallow to attain appropriate temperatures, spawning can occur on-the-spot, even if the hump is in the middle of the lake.

Unfortunately, there’s not room in a

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short article like this to detail all the postspawn hotspots on even one of the many superb bass Texas bass factories. Some worthy of meritorious mention include Neeley’s Slough, Costello Island, and the Stump Patch on Lake Possum Kingdom.

On previously-mentioned Ray Roberts, the knobby bottom contours around Cates Point and the brushy slopes of Wolf Island bring to mind a few more post-spawn memories.

Incidentally, if happen across a spot on PK where a creek narrows into a bottleneck before fanning out into a wide cove, let me know where it is. I think I lost a thermos bottle there.

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CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, 903-5617299, www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: bass will be in the shallows. Work the lures slowly along the grass and brush.

LOCATION: Lake Palestine HOTSPOTS: Ledbedder Bay GPS: N32 07.30, W95 30.00 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Chartreuse/white Texas Spinnerbait 430 Special, Mr. Twister Comeda soft plastics CONTACT: Ricky Vandergriff, 903-5617299, www.rickysguideservice.com TIPS: bass will be in the shallows. Work the lures slowly along the grass and brush.

LOCATION: Tradinghouse Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: Spawning Flats GPS: N31 34.741, W96 55.866 SPECIES: largemouth bass

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BEST BAITS: Plum jerkbait and soft SlugGo type bait CONTACT: Jimmy D. Moore, 254-7442104, rayado@earthlink.net, 254-7442104 TIPS: Float jerkbaits and Slug-Go type soft baits slowly over beds. Male bass protecting their nests from predators often will take the lure and move it away from the beds BANK ACCESS: Any shoreline along the three boat ramps. Walk the shore while casting spinnerbaits and buzzbaits into weeds and open pockets.

LOCATION: Richland-Chambers HOTSPOT: Coffee Creek GPS: N31 9.21, W96 16 45.86 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Watermelon and Watermelon red Kicker Fish Bait Company Bird Dogs, Zoom Brush Hawgs

CONTACT: Steve Schmidt, 817-9290675, www.schmidtsbigbass.com TIPS: Fish in 1-4 feet of water in the creeks. Also target boat docks close to spawning flats and secondary points. Use a push pole to access extremely shallow.

Sight fishermen should remember that some of these usually clear areas turn muddy after a rain.

LOCATION: Richland-Chambers HOTSPOT: Grape Creek GPS: N31 57.54, W96 21 13.62 SPECIES: largemouth bass BEST BAITS: Watermelon and Watermelon red Kicker Fish Bait Company Bird Dogs, Zoom Brush Hawgs CONTACT: Steve Schmidt, 817-9290675, www.schmidtsbigbass.com TIPS: Fish in 1-4 feet of water in the creeks. Also target boat docks close to spawning flats and secondary points. Use a push pole to access extremely shallow.

Sight fishermen should remember that some of these usually clear areas turn muddy after a rain.

LOCATION: Stillhouse Hollow Reservoir HOTSPOT: River Timber South GPS: N30 59.626, W97 38.838 SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: medium shiners and black jigs with orange tails on slip bobbers during day; medium shiners on slip bobbers under lights at night CONTACT: Bob Maindelle, 254-3687411, HoldingTheLineGuideService.com TIPS: Use green lights and keep boat noise to a minimum. Also fish the timbered draws that join the river channel.

LOCATION: Lake Whitney HOTSPOT: Whitney Hump GPS: N31 54.672, W97 20.873 SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: gizzard shad, Pencil Poppers, Redfins CONTACT: Randy Routh, 817-822-5539, www.teamredneck.net TIPS: Start by working the shoreline and point with Pencil Poppers and Redfins making long casts. Gizzard shad are spawning and the big female stripers are

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moving shallow and gorging on them.

When they blow up on the bait, wait until the rod loads up and you feel the fish before setting the hook. After the topwater bite slows, move out, and anchor in 32 feet of water on the point and fish live and cut gizzard shad while fan-casting lures toward the top of the hump.

LOCATION: Lake Aquilla HOTSPOT: Snake Island GPS: N31 55.215, W97 12.891 SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Little George, Tail Hummer CONTACT: Randy Routh, 817-822-5539, www.teamredneck.net TIPS: The main lake spawn is on and the white bass are spawning just off the island. Fish the windward side and use Little Georges and Tail Hummers, casting toward the island. Also fish the spillway area if water is being released because the white bass will gather at the mouth of the spillway to feed on shad.

LOCATION: Lake Aquilla HOTSPOT: Spillway GPS: Spillway: N31 53.860, W97 12.408 SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Little George, Tail Hummer CONTACT: Randy Routh, 817-822-5539, www.teamredneck.net TIPS: The main lake spawn is on and the white bass are spawning just off the island. Fish the windward side and use Little Georges and Tail Hummers, casting toward the island. Also fish the spillway area if water is being released because the white bass will gather at the mouth of the spillway to feed on shad.

LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: Beaver Islands GPS: N30 37.130, W96 03.421 SPECIES: catfish BEST BAITS: stinkbait, worms, shad CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, 979-229-3103, www.FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: Use a Carolina-rig with 3/4-ounce weight and No. 4 treble hook. Tie to a stump or anchor and cast bait toward stumps in two to four feet of water along the shoreline. If the backside of the island has lily pads, fish the outside edges of them for feeding catfish.

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LOCATION: Gibbons Creek Reservoir HOTSPOT: East side of boat ramp GPS: N30 37.240, W96 03.060 SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: minnows, jigs CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, 979-229-3103, www.FishTales-GuideService.com TIPS: Look for a large cedar tree in this area and tie up to it. Fish with a slip cork or tight line and split shot weight.

Start and the bottom and work up to find

the depth the fish are holding in. At night, lower a green light into the tops of the underwater limbs.

LOCATION: Lake Somerville HOTSPOT: Deer Island GPS: N30 1.900, W96 35.310 SPECIES: crappie BEST BAITS: minnows, chartreuse jigs CONTACT: Weldon Kirk, 979-229-3103, www.FishTales-GuideService.com

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TIPS: Look for spawning crappie around brush piles close to trees near the island in 2-12 feet of water. Use your sonar to locate the brush or tie to a tree and fish with a cork close in to the tree trunks. If using a jig, hold it at one depth and wait for a slight thump.

LOCATION: Lakes Graham-Eddleman HOTSPOT: Power Plant SPECIES: white & hybrid striped bass BEST BAITS: jigs, slabs, live shad CONTACT: Dean Heffner, fav7734@aceweb.com, 940-329-0036 TIPS: Start at the warm-water discharge area and work your way to the canal that connects lakes Eddleman and Graham.

Fish the humps as you enter Lake Graham using a sonar unit to find them. Once you catch a fish, study what size bait it has been feeding on by checking its stomach contents. Match the size of lure you use

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with the size of bait the fish are feeding on.

LOCATION: Lake Palo Pinto HOTSPOT: Power Plant SPECIES: white bass BEST BAITS: Roadrunners, Sassy Shads, small jigs CONTACT: Dean Heffner, fav7734@aceweb.com, 940-329-0036 TIPS: Start at the power plant water outlet and work out from it, casting Roadrunners, jigs, and small soft plastic minnow imitations. Then go to the main upper feeder creeks. Once you establish a pattern stick with it to catch large numbers of fish.

LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: The Islands GPS: N32 50.232, W96 44.552 SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: Coho Minnows, Sassy Shad jigs

CONTACT: Bill Carey, 877-786-4477, www.striperexpress.com TIPS: Large schools of stripers are roaming the lake during April. You can locate them on the flats and main lake points in five to 30-feet depths. Cast 3/4- to 1-ounce Coho Minnows and Sassy Shad jigs in white Glow and chartreuse colors. At midmonth, try casting topwater lures and stickbaits for great topwater action. You can land some egg-laden sows that will tip the scales at 20 pounds. April is the beginning of great spring fishing at Texoma.

LOCATION: Lake Texoma HOTSPOT: Willafa Woods GPS: N33 53.996, W96 34.558 SPECIES: striped bass BEST BAITS: Coho Minnows, Sassy Shad jigs CONTACT: Bill Carey, 877-786-4477, www.striperexpress.com

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TIPS: Large schools of stripers are roaming the lake during April. You can locate them on the flats and main lake points in five to 30-feet depths. Cast 3/4- to 1-ounce Coho Minnows and Sassy Shad jigs in white Glow and chartreuse colors. At midmonth, try casting topwater lures and stickbaits for great topwater action. You can land some egg-laden sows that will tip the scales at 20 pounds. April is the beginning of great spring fishing at Texoma.

Bob for Crappie

CONTACT: Tommy Tidwell, 512-3657761, www.gotcrappie.com TIPS: For shallow crappie, use a slip bobber set at one foot and fishing along the banks in the thickest brush you can find.

For open water crappie, fish brush piles in four to 12 feet of water using chartreuse jigs. Largemouth bass can be caught on spinnerbaits fished slowly along the river channel and in the coves.

Hybrids on Top LOCATION: Lake Conroe HOTSPOT: Main Lake GPS: N30 45.37, W95 57.35 SPECIES: hybrid stripers

LOCATION: Granger Lake HOTSPOT: Coves next to Taylor Park and Fox Park SPECIES: largemouth bass, crappie

BY BOB HOOD

BEST BAITS: chartreuse 1/16-ounce jigs for crappie, spinnerbaits for largemouth

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TIPS: Look for schooling hybrid stripers chasing shad to the surface around main lake points that have sandy bottoms early and late using the Storm Swim Shad. The swimbait will catch larger fish shallow. Fish with live shad during mid-day when the fish are deeper.

BANK ACCESS: Stowaway Marina

Falcon Bass Suspended LOCATION: Falcon Reservoir HOTSPOT: Government Cove GPS: N 26 34.015, W 099 09.077 SPECIES: largemouth bass

BY BOB HOOD

BY BOB HOOD

BEST BAITS: live shad, Storm Swim Shad CONTACT: Richard Tatsch, 936-2911277, www.fishdudetx.com

BEST BAITS: white/chartreuse 1/2- to 1ounce spinnerbaits, Watermelon Red Mag Flukes

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CONTACT: Robert’s Fish N Tackle, 956765-1442, www.robertsfishntackle.com TIPS: Begin drifting the north bank of the main lake point in or near the creek channel in 12-20 feet of water, targeting brush. Bass will be suspended in the treetops targeting spawning bluegills. Fish a Mag Fluke pegged with a 1/8-ounce weight and 6/0 hook, slow over treetops.

Slow roll a spinnerbait until you contact brush, jerk it free, and let it flutter about a foot or so before continuing the retrieve.

Birds Play Possum LOCATION: Possum Kingdom Lake HOTSPOT: Costello Island SPECIES: white & striped bass BEST BAITS: Rat-L-Trap, gizzard shad CONTACT: Dean Heffner, fav7734@aceweb.com, 940-329-0036

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BY BOB HOOD TIPS: This is the month for a major shad spawn. Key on the Costello Island area and look for blue and white herons that will be feeding on the shad. The stripers and white bass will be stacked up just off the banks feeding on the shad. You will need a Brazos River Authority lake permit to fish this lake and a convenient place to get one is at the automated machine on the Sam’s Dock boat launch site just across from Costello Island.

Glow for Trout LOCATION: Sabine Lake HOTSPOT: Willow Bayou GPS: N29 51.727, W93 46.907

SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: plastic Glow-colored bait in clear water; Red Shad or Morning Glory/chartreuse tail in stained

BY TOM BEHRENS

CONTACT: Capt. Chris Phillips, 409719-7166 TIPS: Where to fish depends on how much rainfall we have received. Drift-fish from the Louisiana shoreline out into seven or eight feet of water; should be a good spot for the whole month of April.

LOCATION: Galveston Bay/West Bay HOTSPOT: San Luis Pass Flats GPS: N29 05.673, W95 06.880 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: live shrimp fished under a popping cork CONTACT: Bill Balboa, TPWD Galveston Bay Ecosystem Leader, 281-5340110 TIPS: Wade-fishing is the best technique.

BANK ACCESS: There are unimproved roads off to the side of CR 257, Bluewater Highway, that allow access to the pass from the Galveston Island side before you enter the bridge. On the Brazoria side of the Pass, park in the parking lot and walk down to the Pass.

LOCATION: Galveston Bay/West Bay HOTSPOT: San Louis Pass Bridge GPS: N29 04.957, W95 07.425 SPECIES: black drum BEST BAITS: quartered crab CONTACT: Bill Balboa, TPWD Galveston Bay Ecosystem Leader, 281-5340110 TIPS: Be prepared with a variety of different baits. Assess the water conditions and choose from what you bring.

BANK ACCESS: There are unimproved roads off to the side of CR 257, Bluewater Highway, that allow access to the pass from the Galveston Island side, before you enter the bridge. On the Brazoria side, park in the lot and walk to the Pass.

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Trout Early Risers LOCATION: West Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Pipeline GPS: N28 32.024, W96 10.367 SPECIES: speckled trout

BY TOM BEHRENS

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LOCATION: Port Mansfield HOTSPOT: The Saucer GPS: N26 26.782 W97 22.757 SPECIES: redfish BEST BAITS: topwaters early, plastics in Bone/clear, Bone/Diamond, Salt & Pepper, gold spoons CONTACT: Captain Steve Devries, 956289-3631 TIPS: The Saucer comes alive in spring, with fish spreading across the expansive

flat. Topwaters work well early. As the wind picks up and the sun gets higher, switch to eel-style plastics rigged Texasstyle or on a light (1/8th ounce) jighead.

Redfish will also pounce on a gold spoon.

BEST BAITS: topwater baits early; 1/8- or 1/16-ounce jighead with a Norton Black Magic or Chicken on a Chain CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz, 281450-4037 TIPS: Wade-fish the grass beds for trout or fish the shorelines for redfish.

LOCATION: East Matagorda Bay HOTSPOT: Raymond’s Shoal GPS: N28 39.790, W95 54.482 SPECIES: speckled trout BEST BAITS: 3/8-ounce leadhead worked down on the bottom CONTACT: Capt. Tommy Countz, 281450-4037 TIPS: Drift the scattered shell on the west end of the bay.

Snook Queen LOCATION: Lower Laguna Madre HOTSPOT: Queen Isabella Causeway GPS: N26 02.961, W97 11.921 SPECIES: snook

BY CALIXTO GONZALES

BEST BAITS: large live shrimp or mullet, SPI Tandems and other soft plastics in Pearl, Smoke CONTACT: Captain Allen Salinas, 956943-3474 TIPS: snook start returning to their old haunts when water temperatures start creeping up to over 70 degrees. Fish around the pilings with live bait or unweighted, Texas-rigged stickbaits. Watch for fish chasing bait early in the morning.

Be careful! Jackfish will sometimes crash the party, and they like the same baits snook do.

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Stanley Lights are Right ONE THING OUTDOORSMEN ALWAYS NEED IS a good flashlight; or maybe a spotlight or worklight. When Stanley introduced its new line of rechargeable lights, it seemed like a perfect time for some Texas Testing.

The first light I put through the ringer was the Squidbrite. This is a 20-LED light encased in a round plastic head, mounted on top of a flexible three-legged gripper stand. You can bend the legs into any position to hold the light in place. It proved perfect for attaching the top of a hatch when I needed to clean out the fish box on my boat after dark, and for wrapping around the frame of my layout blind while setting goose decoys in the pre-dawn hours.

The head pops off of the base and has a magnet built-in, which will hold it on metal surfaces. I wish it were a bit stronger, however, because the magnet broke free easily when holding the light horizontally.

Stanley Stanley also has a Squidbrite new rechargeable spotlight, the HID High Intensity Discharge Spotlight. This one has a potent 35-watt bulb along with an LED “area light.” It’s hefty, too; after 10 minutes shining it around the yard, you’ll want to set it back down. But that weight, which is mostly from the maintenance-free sealed 12-volt lead-acid battery, is necessary to get this kind of oomph out of a rechargeable light.

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battery status indicator, trigger lock, and comes with both 120-volt AC and 12-volt DC chargers.

The final new light in the line-up is a bar light called the Bar Flex. Like the Squidbrite, it’s bendable to provide flexibility in how and where you use it. It’s rechargeable as well, and has a magnetic base (which has plenty of pull to hold the light in place, even upside-down), which, like most bar lights, is fairly small and will tip over easily when not on a magnetic surface. It’s really designed for working under the hood of a vehicle, and that’s certainly the task I found it best suited for.

—Lenny Rudow

Thompson/Center Venture

19, and headed to the range with my shooting buddy, Todd Tate. I let Todd did most of the shooting while I kibitzed and watched through the spotting scope. The final word is: If the Venture fails to meet the 1-inch mark, it is by bloody little.

Three-shot groups ranged from a bit less than an inch to just a tiny fraction over. I was impressed.

The T/C Venture that I have has a roughly blued finish and synthetic stock.

The 3-round in-line magazine is some kind of plastic, as is the trigger guard. The bolt handle is a plain knob, but is replaceable if you want something else. The bolt appears the same as that of the Icon, but with a plainer finish.

The Venture has the same 60-degree bolt lift and adjustable (for pull) trigger of the more expensive Icon. The barrel is the 5R match-grade offering. The only negative I found is the plastic, 3-round, singlestack magazine. It is very easy to remove and replace—too easy. It will be equally easy to lose as the rifle is carried through the brush on a sling. This rifle—and the Icon, as well—deserves a better feeding system. I would prefer a staggered box magazine with a hinged floor plate to hold four or five rounds. Still, altogether, this is a classy, high-quality rifle, and don’t let my com-

THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE THOMPSON Center line-up is another bolt-action. This one is called the Venture and is, apparently, a plain version of the Icon. It does not have all the bells and whistles, like a highgrade wood stock or mirror-bright bluing.

What it does have is astounding quality and accuracy for the price.

My test model is a blued synthetic .270. T/C guarantees 1-inch, 3-shot groups at 100 yards. Them’s mighty ments big words, pilgrim, for an off-theabout the magashelf deer rifle. I am always a zine scare you off. That bit leery of a gun that sells is a minor glitch in a fine rifle. for less than $500 The Venture comes in a wide that makes such selection of calibers, from claims. I decided .204, through .22/250, 7mm-08, Venture with to test the Venture and on to 7mm Remington MagK4 Scope before I wrote it up num and .300 Winchester Magas a sub-minute-ofnum. angle gun.

With an MSRP of less than $500, this I mounted a Weaver Super Slam scope is a steal. on the gun, loaded a box of 130-grain There is a new scope on the market that Speer bullets over 56 grains of Reloader I find very interesting, K4 Model by

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Kruger Optical. Introduced at this year’s in this case. The blind is constructed with SHOT show, the K4 seems to be a lot of 900D PVC-backed polyester, which has scope for a modest price. MSRP is about proven plenty tough and waterproof $180, but the scope has qualities normally whether lying in a damp field or on recentfound on scopes that cost several times ly cut soybeans. that.

Brushing straps line the top and sides, The glass is clear and crisp. The eye so it’s easy to add plenty of cover that stays relief, often a problem on less expensive put when you get into and out of the blind. scopes, is 3.75 inches (anything approachYour choice of Mossy Oak or Shadow ing 4 inches is great) and is as non-critical Grass prints ensure that any uncovered as most of the scopes costing thee times parts of the blind go unseen when the birds more. It has a quick-adjust focus ring, cup up and get ready to join your dekes.

50mm objective, and finger-adjustable, Velcro edges on the top tend to cling return-to-zero, 1/4-inch click adjustment quite tightly, which is great once you’re knobs. inside the blind, but can make entering it a My test scope is a 3-12x50. I have it little tough. mounted on my pet .22-250 for testing.

When it’s time to shoot, you can spot That gun will shoot around a half-inch the birds through the mesh cover on the consistently, so I will know if any problems flip-top, which covers your head and upper arise with the scope. So far, I am chest area, and swings back easily very impressed with the quality and with one hand. When you pop up Avery Power and get ready to pull the trigger, the workmanship of this scope. This is, I believe, what the American shoot- Hunter Layout top stays upright and out of your Blind er has been needing—a superior way on the aluminum frame. quality scope at an entry-level More about that frame: Setting it price. up takes all of 30 seconds, and The scopes are available once it’s in place, it supports immediately from Amazon.com a headrest that and Optics Planet, and Kruger is working to get their products into your local gun shop.

Expect a more complete write-up in my Guns & Gear column after I have completkeeps ed precision and durability tests. your noggin a foot off the ground and is comfortable to lay back on.

—Steve LaMascus Once inside, there’s plenty of room to stretch as long as you’re not taller than the blind’s 6-foot, 7-inch LOA. It is not quite as comfortable as those Cadillac blinds that have fully supported backrests and support frames, but when you consider the light weight, portability, and other features, there’s no doubt that this blind is a winner.

MY BOYS HIT NINE THIS YEAR, GOT THEIR My boys think so, too, especially after they hunting licenses, and were ready to start took a pair of Canadas on their very first the season with a goose hunt. Just one morning in the Power Hunters. problem: they needed layout blinds that —LR were extremely lightweight and simple to set up. Avery’s new Power Hunters seemed perfect, so we gave them a try.

At 11 pounds, the Power Hunter is lightweight enough to wear on your back on the built-in shoulder straps, which leaves your hands free for decoys and other gear. And, yes, even a nine year old can www.StanleyTools.com handle this 32x33x48-inch (when folded) www.TCarms.com load. But lightweight doesn’t mean wimpy www.AveryOutdoors.com

Blind Power from Avery

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fish Tarpon Trust’s permit fish tagging program.

Costa’s Bomba is built for adventure.

The large nylon frame features co-molded injection technology and integral hinges, combining a “forget-they’re-on fit” with YETI COOLERS, MANUFACTURERS OF ULTRAnearly indestructible construction. durable, super-insulated premium coolers Refreshed styling showcases built-in for serious outdoor enthusiasts, introduces temple lenses to enhance periphera new 50 quart model to its al vision. The frame interior popular Tundra Series. boasts no-slip HydroliteT The new 50 quart lining so the sunglasses stay Yeti Tundra is a bit difcomfortably in place all ferent from other Tundra day, no matter the condimodels in that it has a tions. deeper, cube-shaped design Bomba is available in as opposed to the more either tortoise or black traditional longer frame colors, with Costa’s design. The resultpatented 580T glass lens ing smaller footprint technology, dubbed “the takes up less valuclearest lens on the planet” able deck space and by anglers. Costa makes for an ideal offers lens colors like casting platform, seat gray or copper, and and food and drink blue, green and silver mircooler. rors, to give anglers the edge Every Sunday on ESPN2 this Yeti Tundra they need on the water. spring, be looking to see how Jose In addition to Costa’s 580 lens Wejebe, host of Spanish Fly, uses options, Bomba can be customized his 50qt Yeti. with lightweight, scratch-resistant gray, The new Yeti Tundra 50 quart cooler copper or amber polycarbonate lenses, measures 24 ¼“L x 17 ½ “W x 18”H featuring a backside anti-reflective coatand is available in white and desert Tan ing that shields eyes from the sun’s danwith an MSRP of $299.99. For more gerous UV rays. information on the entire line of Yeti CoolBomba retails from $149 to $249, ers and to find a Yeti dealer near you visit depending on lens selection. www.yeticoolers.com.

Contact: Costa Del Mar, 2361 Mason Yeti Coolers – Wildly stronger. Keep Avenue, Suite 100, Daytona Beach, FL ice longer.

32117 Toll Free: (800) 447-3700

Yeti’s New 50qt Tundra

Costa Drops a Bomba

Costa del Mar Bomba

COSTA DEL MAR IS DROPPING THIER Bomba sunglasses into the lineup as the first style for 2010. A portion of proceeds will benefit the BoneN16 |

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Protect Your Kids’ Hearing NEW EHP RANGER JR. MUFFS ARE A PERFECT fit for younger shooters hearing protection.

Hearing protection and outdoor marketing specialist Denny Snyder recently announced the formation of a new hearing protection company for the hunting and shooting industry- EHP - Electronic Hearing Protection. The first product from EHP will be the Ranger Jr. quad muffs with adjustable frequency tuning(AFT).

The Ranger Jr. quad muffs are designed specifically for younger shooters and shooters requiring a smaller style muff to provide proper fit and maximum hearing protection for the user.

The Ranger Jr. muffs have two-channel digital circuitry using state-ofthe-art technology providing unsurpassed sound quality and speech

EHP Ranger Jr. clarity that only digital technology can produce.

Ranger Jr. muffs increase the user’s hearing up to nine times with 50 dB of power, one of the highest ratings in the industry. By using Sound Activated Compression ( SAC) circuitry and DSP(digital signal processing) in each ear cup, this style of shooting muff helps protect hearing from harmful effects of muzzle blasts by reducing the amplification

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of loud sounds to a safe level. Ranger Jr. muffs have a noise reduction rating of 24 dB- among the highest in the industry.

Two volume controls and adjustable frequency tuning controls allow users to focus on specific sound frequencies to fit their individual needs. Because of this, many users are calling the Ranger Jr. muffs “binoculars for your ears.”

All EHP muffs are made with a space-age polymer plastic for strength, durability and feather-light design. All units are padded and have an adjustable headband, providing the user extreme comfort for all-day use. EHP will offer not only the Ranger Jr. muffs but also the adult Ranger HD model and a full line of junior and senior(adult) series of shooting muffs.

For more information on EHP-Electronic Hearing Protection , call (317)5027942 or visit on the web at www.ehphearing.com.

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100% synthetic, medium viscosity solventfree lubricant packaged in a handy needle point oiler pen for use in those hard-toreach places.

For more information and to order, go to www.jjfishook.com.

Super Max Satchel, the Great Divide EVER SEEN A TACKLE BOX WITH 118 COMPARTments? You have now.

Flambeau attacks hard tackle storage with a new unique design… The Super Max Satchel (Model 9030).

With overall dimensions of 17¼ x 16 ¾ x 5 inches (43.815 x 42.545 x 12.700 cm), the Super Max Satchel fits more tackle per square

JJ Fishook’s Lubri-Scent JJ LUBRI-SCENT TECHNOLOGY IS A SPECIALLY formulated scented fish attractant lubrication system designed for the serious angler.

Use it on your reels, rods and lures to provide maximum protection against wear and corrosion. It is salt and fresh water resistant and will not harm monofilament, fluorocarbon or braided line.

Lubri-Scent comes in 2-forms: LubriScent Grease and Lubri-Scent Pinpoint Lubricant. The Grease is 100% synthetic grease that contains PTFE for use on all reels, bale transfers, arm screws, handle knobs, antireverse levers, line rollers, spool shaft assemblies, click springs, and all other metallic surfaces.

The Lubri-Scent Pin Point is a Lubri-Scent

Super Max inch than Satchel any box ever available.

The Super Max Satchel is specifically design to be the complete tackle storage system. Flambeau paid attention to detail and designed this box to specific lure sizes and specifications.

The Super Max Satchel features (3) areas of storage; top lid, base, and side storage. The top lid delivers (11) fixed compartments and includes (36) Zerust dividers to customize your lure storage. A crank bait lover’s best friend.

Next, the base was designed to hold just about anything and everything necessary for fishing. With (8) fixed compartments and (9) Zerust dividers, compartments can be mixed and matched as needed. The base area is the perfect storage area for anglers who prefer to stow their plastics’ in the original package.

It’s also a great place to store extra reels, line, or oversized items.

Last, the Super Max Satchel’s side storage is composed of (2) 3009 Tuff Tainers which can easily be removed for

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quick access to frequently used tackle. The 3009 Tuff Tainer contains (3) fixed compartments and (9) Zerust dividers.

So, there you have it. (118) compartments for all of your tackle storage needs.

The Super Max Satchel has you covered, with MSRP $29.99.

For more information on Flambeau’s Super Max Satchel and Flambeau Outdoors products, please visit www.flambeauoutdoors.com, call: 800457-5252, or e-mail: outdoors@flambeauoutdoors.com.

EZ Tom Lanyard DROP YOUR TOM, NOT YOUR CALLS, THIS SEAson with this handy and innovative new system. Keep your calls organized and within hands reach at all times.

Calls stay attached but can be quickly changed out as desired. The striker lanyards can be worn separately or clipped to the main lanyard, clothing, or equipment strapping.

Made in the USA from soft lightweight, yet durable polyester webbing for comfort and years of use.

Works great for pot calls, mouth reeds, strikers, mouth calls, box calls, and other essentials.

Included: 1 lanyard with quick detach buckle, 2 striker lanyards, 1 slide adjuster with buckle, 2 sets of clips to attach and adjust the strikers, 2 key rings and cord assemblies to change out your calls.

EZ Tom Lanyard Take advantage of this handy new system and make it an essential part of your turkey hunting gear this season. Available in Mossy Oak Break-up and Realtree APG HD at www.ezaccessgear.com , www.sportsmansguide.com, select Scheels stores, and www.midwestturkeycall.com.

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Fish-N-Hunt: Dedicated to Excellence A DEDICATION TO EXCELLENCE AND UPGRADE. That is the philosophy of Fish-N-Hunt, the company founded by wadefishing legend Paul Perrin and now owned by a group of passionate, forward thinking outdoors lovers.

“You’ll never see us totally copying another product. We only put out things that are innovative or that are significantly better than what is on the market and that is what sets us apart,” said owner Mac DeLaup.

One trip to their retail location at 5829 West Sam Houston Parkway North in Houston shows this philosophy in living color as it serves as a showcase for their ingenuity.

Take the Walk-N-Wade Professional Net that not only floats behind as you wade by comes with a retractable tether and comfortable ribbed foam handle.

Retailing at only $19.99 it represents Fish-N-Hunt’s passion for affordable pricing.

“We’re in business to make money like everyone else but we want to do by providing products the average angler can afford and that they know will be a part of their fishing arsenal for a long time. A lot of people can make the same kinds of products but they can’t do at our price point and with our quality,” DeLaup said.

“Because of our business model we can put out products that are higher quality and that have a much lower price point.”

This year DeLaup said the company is coming out with a pair of fishing pliers based on the offshore fishing community’s standards.

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are no Academy Sports & Outdoors to get a replacement, so you want something made to the highest standards.”

These pliers will be priced within reach of the angler who is on a budget but wants something that performs at another level.

“We’ll still have have our standard pliers on our wadefishing belt but quite frankly we know some of the pros will take it off and put in their own. While those pliers are good and will last if taken care of we’re want to offer something that is a step up and will be something an angler can be confident with whether they are in the bay fishing for reds and trout or in the bluewater seeking big game.”

DeLaup said a big part of the company’s success is working directly with the pros that are out in the field every day.

“There is a big difference in the demands put on products by people who might fish every weekend or every other weekend compared to the pros who fish every day. We err on the side of the pros because we want our products to perform the best they can and last as long as possible.”

Take their new cork top stringer set to debut in the first quarter of 2010. It came at the recommendation of fishing guide Bubba Ray who prefers bringing out lures on a cork instead of in a box.

“This product is super high quality and will allow anglers to put have a bunch of their lures in an easy to access spot. Without feedback from pros like Bubba we would never have been able to come up with all of the right ingredients for something like this which is why we keep in touch with the best of the best,” DeLaup said.

Sometimes products are not born out of necessity but from preference that fits certain fishing styles.

“We’re very responsive to things that can upgrade our products or put a new spin on them that allows people to use it for their personal favorite style of fishing.”

Like most products in the fishing indus-

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try, Fish-N-Hunt’s are made in China and while that was a difficult decision considering the company’s long history of being American made, the tradeoff has been lower prices and equal quality.

“We work with a really good group of people over there who are dedicated to quality. We refused to sacrifice on the integrity of the products and had to respond to the fact we could not get these made in America this way. We’re very proud to be an American company that hires American workers but the fact they are manufactured overseas allows us to be able to give people affordable, quality products.”

While many companies are retracting in the down economy, Fish-N-Hunt is expanding along with its partner Academy Sports & Outdoors.

“They are gaining a lot of ground along the east coast and Florida and we are growing right along with them. We have a great partnership with them that is allowing not only our company to grow but us to be able to deliver products we believe will greatly help the outdoors lovers out there enjoy their time in the field with confidence,” DeLaup said.

Also offering a line of hunting products including shotgun shell carriers and bird bags, Fish-N-Hunt looks forward to servicing outdoors lovers in Texas and beyond who seek high quality and affordable pricing.

“We want to continue the legacy that Paul Perrin began and be there to make people’s outdoors experience more enjoyable.”

—Chester Moore

Ranger Boats Gets New Owner WOOD MANUFACTURING, INC., HOME TO THE legendary Ranger boat brand, today embraced new ownership as the previously

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announced acquisition by Platinum Equity was finalized. The transaction, which was approved January 13 by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in St. Paul, Minnesota, also gives Platinum Equity ownership of several other leading boat brands previously under the Genmar umbrella. Wood Manufacturing — the nation’s largest manufacturer of premium fiberglass fishing boats — will be operated independently from the other divisions and will continue on under the leadership of the existing local management which boasts more than four decades of experience. Both initiatives are designed to maintain the company’s focus on quality products and longstanding commitment to the sport of fishing. In addition, the same management team will also continue to be responsible for Stratos Boats as well as the Champion brand.

Ranger has always been the leader in its marketplace, with an established brand, broad product line and extremely loyal customers. Itπ s an extraordinary company and weπ re excited and privileged to partner with this outstanding management team. We are totally committed to help our new partners continue to thrive and ensure their leadership position well into the future,≤ said Louis Samson, the Platinum Equity principal who led the transaction. ≥ Their focus on bringing quality products and services to their dealers and family of owners will only intensify through our partnership.≤ Ranger Boats President Randy Hopper, along with legendary company founder Forrest L. Wood, spoke about the excitement stemming from the new partnership.

“We couldn’t be more pleased,” said Hopper. “Our capital structure going forward will allow us to keep our focus where it should be — building the most sought after fishing boats in the world.”

Echoing Hopper’s comments, Wood emphasized his staunch support and continued affiliation with the company. “It’s great to see this partnership promoting so many unique opportunities. The Ranger Family is full of wonderful, talented folks and Nina and I are so proud to be a part of it all. We look forward to continuing the programs that have served Ranger well for more than 40 years. Building the best product and encouraging increased participation in a sport for all ages have always been our goals, and we all look forward to a thriving relationship with our new partner.”

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According to Hopper, Ranger Boats enters 2010 with the strongest model lineup in its 40-plus year history. In an economy where many manufacturers are choosing to scale back their efforts and offerings, Ranger is being recognized by several industry leaders, including Trailer Boats magazine, for aggressively developing new models.

Platinum Equity is a global firm specializing in the merger, acquisition and operation of companies that provide services and solutions to customers in a broad range of business markets, including information technology, telecommunications, logistics, metals services, manufacturing and distribution. Since its founding in 1995 by Tom Gores, Platinum Equity has completed nearly 100 acquisitions with more than $27.5 billion in aggregate annual revenue at the time of acquisition.

"Humminbird has created an entirely new sonar category in Side Imaging technology, and we have been thorough in our product development and patent process to assure that our technology is sound," said Grindle. "We continue our efforts to enhance Side Imaging technology and will offer more features in the near future."

For more information visit humminbird.com, contact Humminbird, 678Humminbird Lane, Eufaula, AL 36027, or call

Humminbird Gets Side Image Patent THE U.S. PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE HAS granted U.S. Patent No. 7,652,952 to Johnson Outdoors Inc. for the Humminbird Side ImagingR technology. The approved patent protects Humminbird's Side Imaging sonar systems from unauthorized copying.

"Our Side Imaging sonar technology is one of the most heralded innovationsin the marine electronics industry in decades," said Kelly Grindle, GroupVice President of Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics & Watercraft. "It isa game changer for anglers who demand the best equipment available to helplocate and catch more fish."

Humminbird first introduced Side Imaging sonar in 2005 in two of its900-Series fishfinder models. Spurred by consumer demand, Humminbirdexpanded its offering of Side Imaging models to its 700-, 800-, and1100-SeriesT product lines.

Side Imaging sonar produces dramatically detailed and recognizable images ofunderwater objects and the bottom. These images allow anglers to pinpoint habitat, structure and drop-offs, which are prime holding areas for fish. With a coverage area of up to 480 feet side-to-side, anglers can search more water in less time to find the most promising areas to fish.

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800-633-1468.

Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics, Inc. consists of the Humminbird, Geonav, Minn Kota and Cannon brands.

Mercury Improves Acceleration on Bravo Three Props MERCURY MARINE HAS RELEASED NEW VERsions of the 20, 21 and 22.5 pitch front propellers in Mercury's Bravo Three propeller lineup.

These new propellers provide improved performance, including a significant reduction in time to plane. The three-blade rear propeller continues in production unchanged.

"The lower-pitch front propellers in the Bravo Three line-up have been redesigned from top to bottom," said product manager Dirk Bjornstad. "These changes result in better acceleration across the board with light and heavy loads.

"The differences are most pronounced on boats with slower acceleration times.

We've seen up to 8 percent faster acceleration with the new four-blade front propeller in heavier applications."

A Bravo Three propeller set consists of two counter-rotating propellers on the same drive. The Generation II Bravo Three propellers feature a four-blade front and a three-blade rear while the Generation I Bravo Three propellers used a three-blade front and rear.

"Our engineers have made refinements to the rake profile to provide the kind of holding customers expect with a four-blade front propeller," said Bjornstad. "The new low pitch propellers ensure the complete line of Generation II models will accelerate and hold better than their predecessors."

Production of the latest revision of the 20, 21 and 22.5 Brave Three series began Jan 22.

Mercury Marine is the world's leading manufacturer of recreational marine propulsion engines.

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sports.“ Snyder adds, “Max is as AllAmerican as they come and a true professional. With Max being one of the top shooters in the world — having him represent EHP to help give our company a jumpstart is absolutely huge.”

Max Michel Teams with EHP EHP ELECTRONIC HEARING PROTECTION founder Denny Snyder has announced that world champion speed shooter Max Michel has joined EHP as their first official pro staffer. Michel will represent EHP in competition shoots as well as trade shows all across the country. EHP will be introducing the new line of electronic hearing protection during the Bass Pro Shops Media Day on January 18th, 2010 held in conjunction with the annual NSSF SHOT Show in Las Vegas.

In 2009, Max Michel won seven titles and one second place. He titled in the Area 6 2009 USPSA Championship; had the Overall High Score for the 2009 NRA Bianchi Cup Pro-Am Shooting Event; won the Gold Medal in the Level IV sanctioned 2009 IPSC Pan American Championship; received first place Overall in the Limited10 Division in the Area 1 National Championship; was a 3rd time Champion in the Steel Challenge World Speed Championships; won the 2009 Infinity Area 4 Championship and was the 100% Match Winner in the Open/Production Class in the USPSA Practical Shooting Association Handgun National for the 5th time.

Recruited for the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit, Michel competed for the (USAMU) from 1999 to 2009 and he was the Military Coach of the Action Pistol Team. He began claiming championships starting in 2004 and won 3 World Speed Shooting Championships in 2005, 2007, and 2009. He has completed over 30 USPSA Area Championships, and while representing the United States, he has competed in the last 3 International Practical Shooting Confederation® (IPSC) World Shoots, each time returning with team gold medals. Michel is also the Pro Shooter for Sig Saur arms and also assists with R & D, trade shows and dealer events.

“The EHP goal is to promote hearing protection for the twenty million hunters and all those folks that participate in the shooting

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SportLock and MSE Worldwide Join Forces SportLock LLC and MSE Worldwide LLC are very pleased and excited to announce a Joint Venture between the two companies.

SportLock LLC manufactures hard gun & bow cases and mall electronic safes.

MSE Worldwide manufactures Life Jacket for Firearms safety cases and Seeker Security Metal Detectors. “Our product lines are very complementary and we are very excited about being able to market them together” said representatives from the two companies.

Bob Kufahl, General Manager at SportLock will spearhead the marketing of both company’s products to the Outdoor market, and Alan Teichelman & Clyde Caceres of MSE Worldwide will lead the marketing effort for the Law Enforcement, Military, and Security markets.

On the Web www.FishandHunt.com www.RangerBoats.com www.PlatinumEquity.com www.Humminbird.com www.MercuryMarine.com www.EHPhearing.com www.SportLockLLC.com www.MSEworldwide.com

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Teeing Off Turkey Season PRING TURKEY SEASON IS FINALLY HERE, and taking a gobbler with a bow brings its own challenges. It is just not the same as going out with a gun and harvesting a bird. More equipment is needed— especially if you try to film your hunt, something I highly recommend.

Not only do you have to bring your bow and arrows, but in order to be successful with that bow, you should bring a portable blind as well. The blind allows you to move and draw your bow while staying concealed from the wary eyes of turkey.

I have spent many turkey seasons with my cousin. We enjoy hunting together and having some hilarious conversations in our portable blind. I would bring my bow and he would bring his gun. We both agreed that if it looked like the bird would come into bow range, he would let me take the shot and then back me up if needed. However, if the bird hung up outside of bow range, he would grab his gun and try to harvest the turkey.

We would also carry an HD camera, tripod, and film each time we went afield. The footage was later used for a DVD that I made with Chester Moore called “Wild Life and Wild Times.”

Imagine the amount of gear we carried in the field. A large camera, tripod, decoys, blind, bow, gun, and some snacks along with the coffee (I need my coffee). To say we were a little overloaded would be a huge understatement. It did not take too long before we both agreed that something needed to be done if we wanted to keep from having a heart attack lugging all that gear.

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Our first idea was A golf pullcart pretty ingenious. We works perfectly as bought a large green a gear hauler. plastic trash bin, drilled two holes on either side of the bottom, and slid a metal bar through the holes. Our homemade axle worked to perfection. I borrowed some bicycle wheels from my son’s bike (I don’t think he ever liked that bike anyway) and attached them to the axle. It worked great—as long as the bin stayed empty. Unfortunately, when we added all the weight of our turkey hunting gear, the plastic near the axle cracked when we ventured into our first bumpy hay lot. Oh, well; it was a good idea, it just needed a bit of refinement.

My good hunting friend, Tom, came up with the idea of using a wheeled golf bag/cart.

At first I thought, This man has been spending way too much time in the woods. Did he ever prove me wrong. Not only was it a good idea, it also proved “the” answer we were looking for.

He spray painted a 5-gallon bucket with camo colors and then strapped it to the bottom of the golf cart. The bucket was large enough to hold everything we needed in the woods, except for a few items. He also strapped on a fanny pack containing ammo, a ThermaCELL unit (another must-have item), and a variety of turkey calls. We would have to carry a bow and a backpack with the snacks and coffee, but all in all, this really was answer to our turkey-hunting dilemma.

The aluminum frame made the cart much more durable than its plastic predecessor. It also was very quiet as we maneuvered it through the fields. A little spray of lubricant near the wheels every few weeks was insurance against squeaks developing.

I saw only one change that would improve this mobile turkey-hunting unit: camo paint on the aluminum frame to help hide the cart and keep it from reflecting sunlight. A small piece of camo material to drape over the frame would work just as well, maybe even better.

Tom said it never affected his hunting, but I am a believer in Murphy’s Law. I have always

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said that Murphy was an optimist, and whatever can go wrong definitely will go wrong.

That is why I try to look for any potential problems and fix them before the hunt begins.

After seeing the finished product, I reminded Tom that his gun should be strapped with the barrel pointing down in the bucket. He looked at the picture and immediately agreed. It would be much safer to strap the gun in place with the business end facing away from the hunter during transport at all times.

A few trips to the turkey woods with the new and improved turkey travel kit worked like a charm. It was easy to carry in and out of the woods with little effort, and actually made hunting turkey with a bow more enjoyable than ever. It even came complete with a place to keep your score....

Hunting with a friend makes your hunt memorable. When the birds have stopped talking and you know you have a few hours to kill before the toms resume searching for hens, it makes the wait a lot more fun when you have someone to joke around with. Hunt with a friend and film your hunt if you can. You will not regret it.

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Hemispheric What?

Brain Waves RYING TO FIGURE OUT A NEW FISH-FINDER, GPS/chart plotter, or any other marine electronics unit is often akin to banging your head against a brick wall until it bleeds. The wall, I mean. Your head will be bleeding long before you can figure out how to make that errant waypoint go away, or change from 200 to 50 kHz. Then again, other times you get a new unit and it just seems to mesh perfectly with your brain. Menu navigation seems completely intuitive, and getting from point A to point B is a piece of cake. Yet the same unit could confound your best buddy, while the one he finds so simple to use sends you right back to that brick wall. The bottom line: Everyone is different, every unit is different, and some units simply don’t match up with some people’s brain patterns.

Most of us try to avoid this problem by asking as many people as we can about different units prior to purchasing one. We spend hours at marine supply stores, staring at screens while the salesman explains why a unit is the “best” or most popular (and coincidentally, happens to have the fattest profit margin). We read articles, go to boat shows, and Google until our fingers bleed. Then we make a choice... and pray it was the right good one.

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Does choosing marine electronics really have to be such guesswork? If only we had some way to test ourselves, and find out which menu systems and key pad layouts worked the best for us, as individuals. To find out if it was possible I mounted five different chart plotters side-by-side and timed 15 boaters as they tried to figure out how to use each one. Then our test subjects subjected themselves to a braintype test, we matched up the results, and looked for a pattern.

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There is a brain type theory called “Hemispheric Dominance,” which is accepted by most scientists, professors, and researchers.

Hemispheric dominance describes how people think things through, and individuals tend to process information differently if their brain is dominated by the left hemisphere, or the right one. Some people are “whole-brained” because neither hemisphere dominates over the other; but overall, most people go through the day without consciously considering leftversus right-dominated thought.

Left-brained people focus on logical thinking, analysis, and accuracy. Right-brainers tend to lean more towards aesthetics, feelings, and creativity. Most scientists break down left and right into six different thinking traits, shown here (Table 1): TABLE 1 Left Brain Dominant

Right Brain Dominant

Logical - Processes information in a logical, sequential manner.

Intuitive - Processes information with gut feelings, instinct, and meaning.

Linear - Sees the parts, put them in an order, then draws a conclusion.

More sequential in thought.

Holistic - Sees the big picture first, then breaks it down into parts. More random in thought.

Symbolic - Understands symbols and can draw concepts and meaning from them.

Concrete - Wants to see/touch the real item understands hands-on activities.

To determine how each test subject’s brain would interact with different types of chart plotters, I listed a series of simple tasks for each individual to try with each unit. First, they would set a new waypoint. Then they would navigate to it. Third, they would erase the waypoint. Next, they would change into a different screen mode. And finally, they would change back to the original screen. The series of tasks would require each individual to work

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through the menu navigation of each unit, and they were timed with a stopwatch as they performed each function. A limit of one minute for each task was observed in case someone had a particularly difficult time with one specific function, or became so confused they started looking around for that brick wall.

To keep the playing field level our test units were chosen according to the same standard you and I would use if we were purchasing a new chart plotter or fish-finder: cost. In order to be included in this test they had to be priced between $500 and $1500. This was the field: 1. Garmin GPSMAP 640, $1199; includes both marine and on-the-road navigational data; is waterproof to IPX7 standards, has a 5.2-inch WVGA, and is NMEA 0183 compliant 2. Interphase ChartMaster iPro, $999; has a built-in sounder, is expandable with radar and/or AIS, features a 7-inch LCD screen with a wide-ratio (16:9) format, and includes built-in satellite imagery with a world base map, and expandable with C-Map chartography 3. Lowrance HDS 7, $950 and up depending on options; has chart plotting/fishfinding capabilities on a 480x640 pixel, 6.4inch super VGA screen, optional Insight mapping expandable with Navionics chartography, NMEA 2000/0183 compatible, and can be Ethernet networked 4. Raymarine A50D, $999; has a 640x480 pixel 5-inch hi-res VGA color display, waterproof to IPX6 standards, can be upgraded with Navionics cards, is NMEA 0183/SeaTalk compatible, and can overlay AIS information 5. Standard Horizon CPF300i, $849; includes an on-board fish-finder, 7-inch 480x800 hi-res LCD screen with wide-screen 16:9 aspect ratio, a built-in expandable base map, and AIS/radar/video expandable Our test pool of 15 subjects came from a wide variety of people representing a cross-

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section of boaters: men, women, carpenters, lawyers, salesmen, and people from all walks of life. In a couple of cases, they owned a unit from one of the manufacturers in the test, and we skipped that manufacturer’s unit to keep from skewing the results due to familiarity.

(Scores for the skipped units were replaced with the overall averages for that unit.) Each participant was given a 54-question Brain Type Test to determine if they were left or right brain dominant. The test is free and available to anyone online, at www.testcafe.com. Once brain dominance was established, I crunched the numbers and came up with these results, given in total average number of seconds needed to complete the five functions (Table 2).

The first surprise: without exception rightbrainers were faster then left-brainers at figuring out all of the units. The Lowrance was clearly the most intuitive system to our test pool, while our participants found Raymarine the most time-consuming to deal with. But Raymarine also showed the smallest spread between left and right brain thinkers, with just 8 seconds separating the two groups. The

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TABLE 2

Manufacturer

Left Brain Dominant Average Time*

Right Brain Dominant Total Average Average Time* Time*

Garmin

107

84

96

Interphase

119

102

116

Lowrance

90

76

83

Raymarine

146

138

142

Std. Horizon

133

118

126

*In seconds

next-nearest spread was two-thirds as large again, at 14 seconds for the Lowrance.

Another surprise: three of our participants found the Garmin easiest to use largely because of the touch-screen-in fact, they poked at the other unit’s screens in an attempt to use them as touch-screens, before resorting to the buttons. One of the three was a left-brainer, two were righties. One trait tied them all together: these were the youngest people in the test, all in their 20s or early 30s. Youthful boaters clearly found the touch-screen interface more intuitive.

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So, can you take one of these brain tests, and know which unit will be most intuitive based on the results? Nope. But the other interesting discoveries about how our brains interact with chart plotters surely teach us a few things. Plus, we were able to figure out which of these units was the most intuitive use regardless of brain type-just look at the chart and it becomes pretty obvious. We also discovered that left brain dominant people will have a tougher time figuring these things out then right brained people will, period. If you are a leftie, the scientists say you can give that right lobe some exercise by singing, painting, writing poetry, drawing, and playing strategy games that force you to think out multiple tasks simultaneously. Once the right side of your brain is performing like a champ, you will have an easier time using your electronics no matter who manufactured it. Then, finally, your head and your head unit can work together in harmony... no brick walls required.

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E-mail Lenny Rudow at boating@fishgame.com

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Reptiles I Have Known N UNPLANNED, CLOSE-UP ENCOUNTER with a reptile tends to unnerve most outdoorsmen like no other experience. Simply put, it gives most of us the “willies.”

Most of us don’t mind observing snakes and alligators from a distance, but when one suddenly materializes up-close and personal out of nowhere, it can make you jump out of your skin—or kayak.

Kayakers enter the reptile’s world whenever we go for a paddle. Reptile attacks are rare, and a little understanding of their nature and habits will help diminish phobias.

Of the four venomous snakes in Texas, copperheads, rattlesnakes, and coral snakes are fairly easy to recognize by their noisy tails or distinct coloration. The Cottonmouth’s coloration varies from black to brown to having dark crossbands on a lighter shaded body.

The genus Nerodia includes what we commonly refer to as water snakes. In Texas, we enjoy four species, including diamondback, yellow belly, blotched, and broad banded water snakes. Many water snakes are “heavily bodied,” like the cottonmouth, making it hard for the casual outdoorsman to tell them apart. “Water snakes are harmless and are much more common to see than venomous snakes,” said Hewlett, Assistant Director of Jesse Jones Park & Nature Center, just outside Houston. Hewlett is a herpetologist and provided great insight into dealing with snakes of all types when afield and afloat.

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“All snakes will defend themselves if threatened, but snakes in the Nerodia genus tend to be a bit more defensive than others.

They don’t chase people, but will definitely defend themselves. People incorrectly view this behavior as aggressive or attacking.

“Everyone has an uncle or grandfather who claims to have been attacked or chased by a cottonmouth. I hear the same old stories every year, but I haven’t ever found anyone that was actually bitten. You just don’t see it happen that often.”

James Graham, co-owner of Southwest Paddlesports in The Woodlands, echoed Hewlett’s comments, adding: “If you are in their home space, they are going to challenge you. When you get a Nerodia riled up, it will definitely defend its territory.”

Graham noted that paddlers seeking succor from the sun’s scorching rays sometimes seek the shade of on overhanging tree.

Shade-seekers often find snakes draped on low branches. Having a snake drop into your kayak or canoe generally gets one’s attention quickly.

“You have to understand that the first thing a snake tries to do is to make a getaway,” Graham continued. “The first place they go is straight down; dropping off a tree limb is the quickest method of escape.”

If snakes scare you, avoid paddling under trees lining the river’s or lake’s edge, especially low growth. If a rushing current sweeps you unwillingly beneath a low canopy, hold your paddle in front of your face to avoid being hit by a branch. If there is time, hit the foliage with your paddle to warn any lounging snakes of your imminent arrival. They won’t take long to evacuate their perches.

Trees aren’t the only place to see snakes.

It is common for a kayaker to encounter a snake while paddling in the middle of a lake or stream. Don’t be surprised if the snake makes a beeline for your boat.

“A swimming snake is just trying to make it to shore,” Graham said. “You just happen to be the closest dry land. They

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aren’t attacking you; they just want to climb up on your island.”

It has been my experience that swimming snakes are easily discouraged. A brisk sweep of the paddle will shoo many away. I have had a few persist on making my acquaintance and a sharp downward slap of the paddle convinced them that I wasn’t in the mood to exchange pleasantries.

Alligators are found just about everywhere on the Gulf Coast in fresh, brackish, and salt waters. “It is now fairly common to see alligators when you are paddling,” Graham said. “I have never heard of an alligator attack on anyone kayaking or canoeing.”

Graham ticked off a handful known alligator haunts, including the San Jacinto River, Huntsville State Park, and Sheldon Reservoir. “There is a gator between 10 and 15 feet long that likes to shadow paddlers at the park. I have heard this from countless people. It never bothers folks in their kayaks, but it sure does freak them out.

“If you really want to see alligators, head to Anahuac Wildlife Refuge. There are some really big ones there. I personally won’t paddle there, but I sold kayaks to five rangers who work at the refuge. They don’t seem to have an issue with the gators.”

Graham relayed some no-nonsense safety tips if you are going to paddle in the presence of alligators. First, don’t trail a stringer of fish. That is tempting fate. Graham has had customers loose stringers to gators; fortunately, no one was hurt. Second, leave your small pets on land. While it might look stylish to have your Jack Russell terrier or Chihuahua as your first mate, you are inadvertently trolling for big prey.

Every time you hit the water, you enter the reptile world. Give them a little distance and respect, and you can both enjoy your time in and on the water.

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Email Greg Berlocher at kayak@fishgame.com

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Shooting from the Bench F YOU ARE LIKE ME, YOU READ ALL THE INTERnet forum swill about super-accurate rifles with wide and uncomprehending eyes. Often the mentioned rifle is an inexpensive model, sometimes a breakaction single-shot, and usually with a bargain basement scope on it. The proud owner claims it shoots groups that average some unbelievably tiny fraction of an inch, usually stated in the jargon of the modern firearms illuminati, “it shoots in the threes.”

Sadly, the vast majority of these accuracy phenoms are pure flights of fancy on the part of the owner.

Besides the fact that a rifle that truly does “shoot in the threes,” meaning less than 4/10 of an inch, is a rare and precious commodity that requires a perfect barrel, a perfect scope, and perfect ammunition. It also requires perfect technique on the bench.

I have what some would consider “a bunch” of fine rifles. No brag, just fact. Various gunsmiths and custom gun makers who specialize in making super-accurate rifles made several of them for me. I have not even one, however, that will truly “shoot in the threes.” Several of them shoot groups that average an inch or a bit less; all of them will shoot less than 2 inches or I wouldn’t still have them. One of them, a wildcat .222 Remington Magnum Ackley Improved built for me by gunsmith Jason Bowman, will shoot around a half-inch. However, in addition to having those very accurate rifles with super-precise scopes, I have to hold them right or they will not do their tricks.

The first thing you need is a good bench.

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If the bench itself wobbles around in the breeze, it is all but impossible to shoot decent groups off it. Second, the target backstop must be solid. If the target flops around, the bullets cannot strike it in the same spot several times in a row. Next are sandbags, a shooting rest, or both. I want a solid but adjustable front rest, preferably a tripod topped with a small, properly shaped sandbag that cradles the front of the stock; and I want a rear sandbag formed and shaped for the purpose, or several sandbags that I can use to support the butt of the gun.

“

The vast majority of these accuracy phenoms are pure flights of fancy.

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The front end of the gun must be supported in as nearly the same way each time as possible. I have found that placing the front rest midway between the recoil lug and the forward end of the stock is the best compromise between accuracy and controllability. The rear bags should be placed so the shooter can still acquire solid cheek and shoulder contact with the stock, reach the trigger, and control the rear bag with the left hand.

With all except the biggest, hardest kicking boomers, the gun is controlled with the left hand on the rear sandbag. With cannons like the .375, the left hand might be needed to keep the gun from jumping off the front rest and hitting the bench, but this is not as precise.

The gun should be placed on the sandbags so that it rests with the crosshairs a few inches above the bull’s-eye. It should be

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solidly supported, so that when the shooter moves away from the gun, the crosshairs stay in position. Then the gun is lightly gripped with the right hand, while the left hand grips the rear sandbag. Now, by squeezing or releasing the sandbag, the sights can be raised or lowered; by pushing or pulling the rear sandbag the gun can be moved right or left. The right hand, the shoulder, and the cheek are used for absolutely nothing related to moving the gun. The right hand is used only for squeezing the trigger.

If you move your head or hands after the shot is fired, the shot might not be in the group. Stay with the shot for a second or two after the gun goes off. This prevents, or should prevent, a flinch. If the trigger is so stiff or creepy that you cannot make the gun go off without undue strain, if the gun moves at all when the trigger is released in dry-firing, get the trigger fixed or replaced. If the gun kicks so much that you cannot shoot it without flinching, get a sissy bag. That is a bag that goes between the gun and shoulder to keep the gun from bruising the shoulder.

I sometimes use a strap-on shoulder pad for the really big guns, especially if the gun doesn’t have a nice, soft recoil pad.

If you have everything properly adjusted, all you have to do each time is look through the scope, place the crosshairs on the target, and squeeze the trigger until you get a surprise break of the sear. Then, all you have to learn is how to read wind, judge mirage, breathe, and other esoteric skills. Nothing to it.

If your gun will not shoot those tiny groups, don’t feel bad; the guy in the internet forum in all likelihood doesn’t have one either. You would be wise to not believe about 99.9999 percent of what you see on the internet, and about 98 percent of what you read in magazines—except this one, of course.

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Whale Shark Coastal Bend Outdoors

ROCKPORT

BAFFIN BAY

Hugo Ford Guide Service

For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.

GALVESTON Rockport Red Runner

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EAST TEXAS

For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.

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COLLECTORS WELCOME!

Robert Piling’s Striper Striper Express Guide Service

The Wisconsin Gang White Oak Outfitters

FOR SALE Golden Lure $5,000 Value See Ad Below

TEXAS FRESHWATER

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OUTDOOR SHOPPER

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For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.

SPOTLIGHT: WADE-AID For Classified Rates and Information call Dennise at 1-800-750-4678, ext. 5579.

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In 1995, my brother-in-law, Matthew Gregory, and I, George Calhoun, started developing the Wade Aid belt. The Wade Aid belt went on the market in 1996.

Wade Aid Enterprises prides itself in making the finest wade belt available.

Whether you’re fishing for redfish or trout in the bays and surfs of the gulf coast, fighting striper in the Atlantic surfs or fishing for trout and salmon in cool mountain rivers, the Wade Aid belt is for you.

The Wade Aid is the most functional and comfortable wade belt available today.

It is constructed of closed cell foam incased in neoprene with nylon webbing and hardware. The closed cell foam provides a unique lumbar support system. The rods and accessory holders are conveniently located for quick and easy access.

The Wade Aid is clearly in a class by itself.

Please visit our website www.wadeaid.com or call us at 1-888-WADE AID (1888-923-3243).

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Chowhound Chicken Tenders (Serves 3 to 4 regular eaters or a couple of chow hounds) HAVE A COUPLE OF BOTTOMLESS PIT chowhound teenagers at home that are good for a cook’s ego, but hard to fill up at the dinner table. I am trying to cook healthy, but also cooking things they enjoy.

This chicken tender recipe is quick, easy to make, and won’t break the bank. It’s also an easy meal for the fishing or hunting camp.

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2 lbs. fresh chicken tenderloins 2 eggs, beaten with 2 Tbs. Texas

Gourmet’s Cajun Hot Sauce (or your favorite brand of hot sauce); combine well 1-1/2 cups flour in a bowl 1 cup corn meal, seasoned with 1/3 tsp. black pepper, 3/4 tsp. garlic salt, and 1/2 tsp. lemon pepper; place in a shallow, wide bowl or a 1-gallon plastic zipper bag

1/2 to 3/4 gallon peanut oil deep fryer with a fitted basket, or a slotted spoon large platter with paper towels for straining Line the bowls up in a row, flour first, then the eggs with hot sauce combined, then the corn meal. Preheat the deep fryer to 350 degrees. Drop each tenderloin into the flour and cover well, then dip into the egg mixture and then into the cornmeal; coat well and then place on a large platter. Place only as many tenders into the oil so as to not crowd the pot, maybe 6 to 8. Fry until golden brown, about 4-6 minutes, being careful not to burn them.

Remove from the oil and strain on paper towels. Serve hot or warm with Texas Gourmet’s Pineapple Chipotle Grilling and Dipping Sauce, or Texas Gourmet’s Honey Pecan Barbeque and Dipping Sauce, Jalapeno Kiwi Jelly, or other favorite sauce.

These are awesome. Hope you enjoy!

Contact Bryan Slaven, "The Texas Gourmet," at 888-234-7883, www.thetexasgourmet.com; or by email at texas-tasted@fishgame.com N28 |

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PHOTO BY BRYAN SLAVEN

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Spinning a Jig EXAS IS THE LAND OF ANGLING OPPORTUNIty in both salt- and freshwater. I realize this with crystal clarity as I sit here searching on-line for a new tackle bag. It seems that my old one is bursting at the seams with all the junk...I mean, necessary fishing tackle I carry with me on any given trip. Sadly, I rarely go into the tackle bag after the day has started (that’s a whole different article), but today we’re going to look at one way to lighten your bag just a little by using the same baits for both fresh- and saltwater species instead of doubling up with redundancies.

This is not a new revelation, but I have to share it anyway. Most fish we commonly chase are predators. No matter what type of water they swim in, big fishes eat little fishes, so it stands to reason that the same baits that mimic little baitfishes and attract big game fishes in one type of water will attract big fishes in another type of water.

Bass anglers have been using spinnerbaits for the better part of the past century to entice wall-hangers, but saltwater fishermen have joined in the fun for only the past decade or so. It makes a lot of sense to arm yourself with a spinnerbait when fishing the salt.

Ask just about any saltwater angler to name their favorite artificial baits for redfish,

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and without a doubt the gold spoon and jig will top most lists. Now, if you look at a spinnerbait, it is basically a combination of these two baits, aggregating the best attributes of both in a single bait. The flash and flutter of the spoon is replaced by the flash and thump of the spinner. The baitfish appearance and swimming pattern of the jig is now replaced by, well, the same thing with the spinnerbait body. In fact, the same jigs you use for reds can be used as part of a spinnerbait with great effectiveness for both

bass and reds.

Getting a spinnerbait is easy: just walk into any sporting goods store in the state and buy one. The problem with this is that a single spinnerbait does not fit all angling situations. The color of the body along with size and design of the blade all play a part in the bait’s attractiveness under vary-

ing water conditions. A one-size-fits-all approach to spinnerbaits does not work, so in order to match the spinnerbait to the conditions every time would require a sack full of store-bought baits.

To get around having the spend next month’s mortgage on spinnerbaits, simply toss a few jig spinners into your tackle bag, and you can instantly turn any jig into a spinnerbait. Multiple companies make jig spinners, and the lures are available in just

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about any shape or size you can think of.

However, for simplicity’s sake, start with a few Colorado blades (egg shaped) and a handful of willow leaf blades (long and slender), both in gold color. Use the Colorado blades in murky water since the slow wobble gives off more vibration. Use the willow leaf in clearer water since the quicker spin gives off more flash.

Now, these jig spinners won’t catch fish on their own; you have to hook them to a jig or they are useless. Some anglers swear by high quality, powder coated, lifelike jigheads, but I’m not one of them. A basic unpainted leadhead works just fine in this application. Use something in the 1/4- to 1/2-ounce range, but, unlike standard bass jigs, don’t put on a plastic skirt. Instead, put a grub body on the jig.

The type of body used is usually a matter of angler preference, but I like something with a curly or paddle tail. When chasing bass, I like to use a simple color like Watermelon (including any of the multiple versions with glitter in them). When in saltwater, I change up a little and use a dark body (reds, greens) with a chartreuse tail.

With a simple jig and jig spinner, you can use one basic rig to chase both freshand saltwater species without ever having to change anything other than the grub body on the bait.

This is especially an advantage when fishing brackish water where you never know what you might catch.

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E-mail Paul Bradshaw at freshrigs@fishgame.com

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ught of Frisco, ca ssell, age 3, was Christian Ru Palestine. He ke La on e pi le to po n ee his first crap Qu n Lightning Mc r. using his ow de -inch, 2-poun reel in this 14

Joey Pivarnik , age 4, of Mc Kinney, caug this 18-inch, ht 3.5-pound la rgemouth ba a nite crawle ss on r at Towne La ke in McKinn This was his ey. largest fish to date.

r of Sadler, ld Wyatt Mahe s Eleven-year-o 8-point buck at 111 yard this County. ho nc Texas, shot Co in mington with a 6mm Re

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Ariel Sanche z, age 5, caug ht while fishing with her brot her first fish he Lake Granbu ry. She reeled r and Pa on in the 2-1/2pound bass with her Barb ie fishing po le.

this xas, caught of Dayton, Te hing Brandon Kotz ch redfish while surf fis -in s 16+-pound, 36 r Pass. He wa ve llo Ro ar , ne at High Island for bait. let using cut mul

Jon Waters caught this 12-pound bass on a private lake in Oakmont, Texas. The bass was 28 inches long and 20 inches around.

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rpus Christi, , 4-1/2, of Co over Rhian Ponton st bass, just fir r he ed leas ng caught and re ock pond. She was fishi a st 2 pounds, at . worm with a purple

Sammy Pend leton, 8, of Ro und Rock, sh his first deer ot wh Circle R Ranc ile hunting with his dad at h near Harper , Texas. He to the 8-pointer ok with one shot at 95 yards.

ught this 4.12 Bay Deer Park, ca ut in Burnett Allen Huff of tro ed kl ec ch sp pound, 24-in Texas. in Baytown,

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ars-Tomplait ld Dalton Me Twelve-year-o ound, 23-inch largemouth -p caught this 10 m Rayburn.

Sa bass on Lake

Nicole Chris tesson of Ro shar 18-inch trout at Bastrop Ba on, caught this you. It was th biggest catc h of the day. e

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Shane Carriza le first deer at a s, age 8, of Katy, shot hi s blind in Rung e, Texas, wh hunting with ile his Jr., and his gr father, Juan S. Carrizale s, andfather.

Texas City, on, age 7, of Claire Thomps ound, 35-inch redfish.

-p caught this 15

, City, Kansas rcia of Kansas redfish, a 12Mari Lynn Ga st fir r he leased h caught and re e King Ranc ile fishing th n Antonio.

Sa pounder, wh of ey ck Jim Mi shoreline with

Casey Hicks of buck with a .2 Dayton, shot this 6-point 43 WSSM fro m 160 yards lease in Sout on a h Texas.

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ught Cotile, LA, ca am, age 9, of th his grandwi Jacob Ingrah ng hi fis nd bass s this 9.48-pou brother on Lake Fork. Hi d father, dad an catch of the weekend. big fish was the

Ryan Ruiz of Br this 8-pound, enham, caught 21-inch largem bass on a $0 .99 black and outh yellow beetlespin at Lake Limesto ne.

o, of San Antoni son, age 11, Kevin Steven near Packery h is df re ch th -in caught this 22 us Christi while fishing wi rp as.

Channel in Co e, Dave Thom cl un d an tt, ya his father, W

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Lane Warnken , age 7, took his first buck 8-pointer, wi th a Remingt , on youth mod an .243 while hu el nting the 3rd and Long Ra in Mason, Te nch xas.

int took this 8-po . ebb, age 10, before school Samantha W d da r he th nt wi buck on a hu

Jessi Knight , age 11, of Sa n Antonio, ca this 22-inch ught trout in Ceda r Bayou while ing with her fishfather.

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bass is 7.2-pound s an caught th Texas. She wa Tammy Usch in ke La w Hollo g a finesse in on Stillhouse us r, te wa feet of fishing in 14 worm.

Jan and Herb Owens of Su gar Land, ca these bull re ught dfis breakers at Hi h while kayaking beyond the gh Island.

off port, shows nzalez of Free ile fishwh ht ug Armando Go ca redfish that he yak in 6 inches this 27-inch s ka nows from hi incoming tide. ing with min ring du rt, po ee of water in Fr

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Light Bite = 26 Catfish HEN FISHING IN THE FEBRUARY, TRYing to catch the weather right is probably harder than catching fish. Tim Boatright of Georgetown and his son, Ben were fishing on Lake Somerville, west of College Station. The duo were fishing with guide Weldon Kirk. The Boatrights spent the night before at the American Best Value Inn in Somerville, ready to get on the lake early.

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by Tom Behrens The weather was a bit on the chilly side with a steady breeze blowing and the fish weren’t very aggressive in taking the baited hooks, but Tim and Ben boated 26 channel catfish. Average size of the fish ranged from 2 ½ to 3 pounds. Ben caught most of the fish, plus had the biggest fish, four pounds.

“The fish would take the cork and just kind of move a little left, take the cork half way down and let go of it,” said Kirk.

“Other times the fish would just take the cork down in slow motion and take it out of sight, instead of jerking it real fast when they are aggressive.”

The channel catfish seemed to like the bait moving a little bit instead of just laying on the bottom. Kirk describes the fishing

HOW YOU CAN WIN! TEXAS FISH & GAME HAS GIVEN AWAY OVER 200 TROPHY QUEST TRIPS. TROPHY QUEST is free guided hunting or fishing trips within the state of PHOTO COURTESY WELDON KIRK

Tim and Ben Boatright technique the trio used.

“If the wind is not too strong you can use a cork, keeping the bait just off the bottom,” advises Kirk. “Cast up from where you want to fish and let it drift back across the area.”

They were fishing in timber, about 7-9 feet of water in the Deer Island area, south side of Lake Somerville.

“We really enjoyed our trip with Weldon, nothing but praise,” said Tim. “He (Kirk) is really client friendly. We were doing nothing but reeling…catching fish. It was a lot of fun. He furnished rods, reels and some kind of stink bait. That bait stinks, but catches fish. I think I was still smelling it at the Super Bowl party.”

Kirk was using SureShot and CJ’S punch baits.

“My son out fished me by a long shot,”

Texas. The package includes a guided trip for two people, one night's lodging and all food and beverage (non-alcohol). Winners are responsible for all travel expenses getting to and from the destination point.

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continued Boatright. “We would have probably both caught limits if the fish weren’t biting so light. We probably missed 12 to 14 fish. We lost several at the boat just because the fish were barely hooked.

“We would come up on a place and I would land the first fish. Then I would go dead and everybody else would get with it.”

Kirk said that Tim Boatright was not only excited about how many catfish fillets they were taking home, but that he really enjoyed the informative part of the trip— how to find fish, why they are there at this time of the year, and techniques for getting them into the boat.

“If you don’t have a dip net bring the fish to the side of the boat,” explains Kirk.

“Don’t lift it into the boat. Let is sit there and let it swim around a bit. When it quits flopping, then lift it into the boat. Also don’t grab the middle of a rod to lift it into the boat or you will break your rod. A rod is made to bend.”

“We had fried catfish last night and everybody had a smile on their face,” said Tim Boatright. “Weldon also gave me some great recipes that I am looking forward to trying.”

WHAT: Channel Catfish WHERE: Lake Somerville GUIDE: Weldon Kirk, 979-229-3103, Weldon_edna@hotmail.com ACCOMMODATIONS: American Best Value Inn, 18018 SH 36 South, Somerville, TX, 979-596-3884

your name entered 15 more times in our next monthly drawing, simply send us an email with your name, address and phone number* to trophyquest@fishgame.com.

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month. The winner must be available to go on one of two previously scheduled dates. If the winner is unable to attend on either date scheduled for the TROPHY QUEST TRIP, the winner's name will be returned to the pool for future drawings and another winner will be drawn. *Phone numbers will ONLY be used to contact the winners and will not be used for any other purpose. |

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Gulf Council Rejects Fish Traps PHOTO BY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Bird Noses Lead Migration NEW RESEARCH REVEALS BIRDS LARGELY RELY ON THEIR SENSE OF SMELL TO NAVIGATE DURING LONG MIGRATIONS, AND THAT SCENT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ORIENTATION BASED ON THE SUN AND EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD. Fledglings of many bird species use an inherited species-specific compass point to reach wintering grounds on their first migratory journey. First-time migrators moved a significant distance from their starting point get “lost” and fail to reach their destination.

Adult migratory birds remember routes flown just once and can correct for displacement, evidencing real navigation performance.

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LIKE A BAD PENNY, A PROPOSAL TO RE-INTRODUCE FISH TRAPS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO LONGLINE GEAR IN THE GULF GROUPER FISHERY TURNED UP BEFORE THE GULF OF MEXICO FISHERY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL IN DECEMBER, OUTRAGING CONSERVATIONISTS AND FISHERIES MANAGEMENT VETERANS WHO HAD FOUGHT TO BANISH THE DESTRUCTIVE GEAR FROM THE GULF BACK IN THE 1990S. Fortunately for the fish and the anglers who care about them, the proposal died a quick death this week when the Council voted unanimously to remove the proposal from Amendment 32 to the gag/red grouper management plan that is going forward this year.

“This was truly an alarming detour into the scrap heap of failed fishery management schemes, but thankfully there are enough people who remember how much time, effort and money it took to finally get fish traps out of the Gulf to make sure they are never used again,” said Jeff Allen, chairman of CCA Florida.

“However, if the environmental community is working with longliners to propose fish traps, we all need to remain vigilant because there is no telling what might come next.”

—Staff Report TG

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Historic Galveston Flounder Stocking THE TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT MADE FISHERIES HISTORY IN FEBRUARY WHEN BIOLOGISTS FROM SEA CENTER TEXAS (SCT) MADE THE FIRST-EVER STOCKING OF SOUTHERN FLOUNDER INTO THE GALVESTON BAY COMPLEX, RELEASING NEARLY 3500 BABY FLOUNDER INTO A MARSH NEAR JAMAICA BEACH. “It’s a good time to be a flounder angler,” said David Abrego, SCT hatchery director. “A lot of things we have been working on and hoping for a long are coming true. We’re proud to be able to use our state of the art hatcheries to aid this important fishery.”

Angler Bryan Treadway, who helped spearhead Galveston area flounder roundups, was on hand to help with the stocking and said this is a moment anglers should cherish.

“This is big and shows that TPWD has a real commitment to our flounder fishery,” Treadway said.

Later the same week, SCT officials did a second stocking of southern flounder at Sabine Lake, following the historic first stocking in May 2009 of 700 fingerlings in Old River Bayou. The latest effort was 6300 young flounder, a nine-fold increase evidencing the viability of TPWD’s fledgling flounder enhancement program.

“We’re proud to be able to come back and stock Sabine Lake and to be able to bring so many more fish than last year.

We’re going to put a lot more focus on flounder stocking and hope to be able to make another big leap in numbers next

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year,” Abrego said.

A little smaller in size than the flounder stocked in 2009, some of the fish were still in the translucent stage while others had already turned into miniature versions of adults.

Flounder stocked into key estuaries get a jump-start on life, avoiding the rigors of migration from the Gulf of Mexico for many predator-ridden miles before reaching the safety of cover in marshes.

—Chester Moore TG

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GREEN

Yankee Animals Grow Bigger

PHOTO COURTESY TPWD

Texas River Otters Increase SIGHTINGS OF THE ELUSIVE TEXAS RIVER OTTER

RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT ANIMALS LIVING AT HIGH LATITUDES GROW BETTER BECAUSE HIGHER-LATITUDE VEGETATION IS MORE NUTRITIOUS. The study, published in the February issue of The American Naturalist, presents a novel explanation for Bergmann's Rule, the observation that animals tend to be bigger at higher latitudes.

The traditional explanation is that larger animals have less surface area compared to overall body mass, so don't lose heat as readily as smaller animals, providing an advantage at colder high latitudes.

Chuan-Kai Ho of Texas A&M discovered the more plausible explanation that plants at higher latitudes are more nutritious, enabling animals that eat those plants to grow bigger.

—Staff Report TG

Continued from page 42 tured birds and magnetoreception capacity in another group, then compared performance against an unimpaired control group.

When released to join the migration, birds in the scent impaired group selected a different flight route than the control and magnetoreception impaired groups.

Non-scenting birds could not find their bearings and flew in the opposite direction from their target destination.

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HAVE INCREASED, SOME IN UNEXPECTED PLACES, ACCORDING TO TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT BIOLOGIST GARY CALKINS. Otters have been spotted much farther west than expected, and even as far north as Wichita Falls.

“There were sightings in Gonzales, that was kind of a surprise,” said Calkins, who leads TPWD’s tri-annual effort to survey rivers and monitor otter population trends.

“But the real westerly sightings, those stick out in my mind.”

Calkins said river otters are an indicator of how healthy the surrounding environment is. Otters feed on aquatic organisms that are very sensitive to pollutants.

Historical range maps show otters occurring from East to Central Texas in the past, and reports now show the animals returning to historic ranges.

—Staff Report TG

All Animals Sound Alike COMPILING DATA FROM NEARLY 500 SPECIES, SCIENTISTS WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA AND OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY HAVE FOUND THE CALLS OF CRICKETS, WHALES, AND A HOST OF OTHER CREATURES ARE ULTIMATELY CONTROLLED

BY THEIR METABOLIC RATES (UPTAKE AND USE OF ENERGY).

“Very few people have compared cricket chirps to codfish sounds to the sounds Magnetoreception-impaired birds did not suffer displacement disorientation. So, it appears birds really do follow their noses between migration points.

“Nevertheless, we do not assume ... magnetoreception does not play any role in the migration of birds,”said Richard Holland of the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology.

—Staff Report TG

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made by whales and monkeys to see if there were commonalities in the key features of acoustic signals, including the frequency, power and duration of signals,” said James Gillooly, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the department of biology at UF’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and a member of the UF Genetics Institute. “Our results indicate that, for all species, basic features of acoustic communication are primarily controlled by individual metabolism, which in turn varies predictably with body size and temperature.

So, when the calls are adjusted for an animal’s size and temperature, they even sound alike.”

The finding, reported in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, will help scientists understand how acoustic communication evolved across species, uniting a field of study that has long focused on the calls of particular groups of animals, such as birds —Staff Report TG

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IN LATE JANUARY, AN OIL SPILL OCCURRED IN THE SABINE-NECHES WATERWAY WHEN A BARGE COLLIDED WITH THE MALAYSIAN OIL TANKER EAGLE OTOME, SPILLING MORE THAN 400,000 GALLONS OF CRUDE. Emergency response teams were quick to contain the spill, which occurred at the Port of Port Arthur several miles from the mouth of Sabine Lake, but some oil got into the Keith Lake system.

“The north shoreline of Keith Lake and the Keith Lake Fish Pass for a total distance of roughly 2.5 miles were moderately oiled,” said Jim Sutherlin, manager of the J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area.

“The North shoreline of Keith Lake was

treated with a ‘peatsorb’ absorbent material to reduce the likelihood that wildlife would come in contact with sticky oil.

“Several propane scare cannons were placed along the shoreline to scare away birds for two or three days. The best things that happened after the oil spill were lots of rain, high tides, and north winds to wash the oil back off the shoreline, and out with the tide.”

It is too early to determine the long-term ramifications of the spill, but the Sabine area did dodge a bullet.

Teams made some clean-up efforts, but at press time TPWD had adopted a “wait and see” strategy. “If it’s not too serious, the oil will degrade naturally,” said TPWD wet-

PHOTO COURTESY TPWD

Sabine Dodges Oil Spill

land specialist Mike Rezsutek. Sometimes trying to clean-up oil in areas such as this causes more damage.”

—Chester Moore TG

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What really happens when a crappie takes a bite of your bait, and “BUMP!” A SUPER HARD STRIKE

how you

on my line vibrated up the line down

should react

through the handle, tickling my palms

if you want

and telling me it was time to set the

to turn

hook. Or Was it? When I reeled up, there was nothing on the other

that bite into a

end... well ... except for a shiner

catch

smashed by some kind of fish hunting the brush pile we were fishing.

BY CHESTER MOORE

“That’s probably a really big white crappie. The bigger ones have been hitting us on this pile really hard and then backing off.

Let them hit, wait a few seconds and then set the hook,” said my friend and expert Sam Rayburn guide, Roger Bacon.

After hooking another shine, I lowered it over the exact same spot and it didn’t take long for get another “bump” although this one was even harder.

One-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one-thousand….set!

Roger’s trick worked and instead of a mashed minnow, I had a two plus pound white crappie, the kind that makes anglers like myself obsess over the species and salivate at the dining prospects.

For the rest of our trip, we used the method for the hard strikes and caught numerous monster crappie on this spot and others on the lake.

My wife Lisa and I brought home a nice mess of fish to fry but T E X A S

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On the Web Watch underwater video of crappie and other panfish as they take the bait. www.FishGame.com/video Keyword: Underwater Crappie Bite

I also brought home something else: a revelation on the intricacies of trophy-sized crappie strikes.

Back in 2005, I had the amazing oppor-

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tunity to dive with and hand feed “Splash”, the 121-pound blue catfish caught by angler Cody Mullenix on Lake Texoma. The fish was brought in alive and housed at the Texas

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Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens. My goal for the dive was to establish the perspective of a diver encountering a catfish of record proportions for an article I was doing about the legends of giant catfish below dams.

Before the dive, the divemaster handed me a mesh bag with a few koi and a rainbow trout to feed “Splash” and another full of shiners and crickets to feed the bass and perch. After achieving the goal of hand feeding the giant catfish and having someone photograph to show the scale of such a huge catfish and a grown man, I took a few minutes to feed the other fish.

My eyes were immediately drawn to a massive crappie in the tank. The fish had to be every bit of three pounds and as soon as I broke out the food it started my direction.

I held out a shiner toward it and was amazed as the fish slowly swam up to it, stopped and then blew a hard jet of water over my shiner (and my fingers) a second or two before lunging forward and inhaling it.

The fish repeated this process every time as I observed with astonishment. It was extremely cautious on the approach then came the blast of water followed by the attack.

After catching of few of these super-sized slabs on Rayburn, it did not take long to connect the dots between my diving experience and the bites of these big fish. These trophy crappie in my opinion were either testing or shocking the bait before the strike.

I know that might be a controversial statement but over the last year I have began to notice traits that separate the truly big fish from the smaller ones in virtually every species, crappie included. There are several key traits that would require an entire series of articles it discuss at the proper length but for this story we’ll deal with caution.

For a fish to reach its maximum potential size requires age above every other factor.

Genetics are certainly at play and so is nutrition. However, if a fish with the genetic coding to become a world record in waters loaded with nutrients gets put in an ice chest when it barely reaches legal size you have no record fish. Either chance, conditioning or perhaps something in the DNA itself causes certain fish to be extra cautious and avoid biting anything that appears unusual without some sort of test or closer examination.

When observing the fish feed from outside the tank, I never noticed the crappie doing anything other than gobbling it up,

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however when a six foot tall guy with a pony tail and a great white shark tattoo entered the tank and offered it a fish, the huge crappie acted with caution.

Have I caught big crappie that bit differently than the ones we caught at Rayburn?

You bet I have but after thinking about it, the majority of really big ones were more finicky than the smaller ones. There is no guarantee with a fish bite but I can just about guarantee that all truly big specimens are more cautious about what the inhale than their smaller counterparts. I have if you could observe a brush pile you would see all kinds of crappie, some that strike with great fury, huge ones that sit back and watch along with younger ones that inherently sense something is not right. Those are the ones destined to be super slabs.

I am approaching crappie fishing in a whole different manner now and purposely seeking those finicky fish that simply do not bite like the others. When I feel a “bump” I wait a couple of seconds and then set the hook so I don’t lose an opportunity at the crappie of my dreams. I have caught lots of big ones but never one over the three pound

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Crappie Anglers of Texas For years crappie were simply thought of as just another panfish. In recent years that has changed with many anglers realizing the sporting (and eating) qualities of these beautiful, abundant fish.

Anglers interested in fellowship with other crappie fans should consider joining the Crappie Anglers of Texas. Hosting tournaments and hosting regular meetings they are looking to forward the cause of crappie fishing in the Lone Star State.

For more information, go to www.crappieclub.org

mark and that is one of my goals in 2010.

Crappie fishing is increasingly fascinating to me and after connecting the dots between an unrelated diving encounter and a trip to Rayburn last year, I will go to any length to learn more.

Maybe it’s time to break out the wet suit again and do some observation or use some of the underwater filming technology to

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When it comes to learning more about crappie, I say by any means necessary.

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Using the latest technology to score on spring gobblers

by BOB HOOD

RADAR SCREEN BY ARGUS; INSET PHOTO BY BRUCE MACQUEEN; STARFIELD ©MM-FOTOLIA

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TURKEY HUNTERS today can strut their stuff with more hunting equipment than our forefathers imagined—special-choked and camouflaged guns, scopes, decoys, blinds, calls, special shotshell, loads, and other gear many avid turkey fanatics just can’t seem to do without.

Take a trip with me back in time to 1969 when the first experimental spring turkeyhunting season was set by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department in just one county— Kerr County in the Hill Country. I remember

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it well and recall many hunters’ reactions to the new season. Since they never had been allowed to hunt at a time when gobblers actually could be called in (it was a fall-only thing back then, when most turkey were shot from flocks by deer hunters), not many Kerr County hunters knew how to use a call.

Those not so sure of their calling skills hunted with rifles. Others, more confident, hunted with shotguns choked for dove, quail, or waterfowl. There were no “specialty” turkey guns back then, just whatever type shotgun you used for rabbit, dove, quail, and other small game.

Some hunters hid close to corn feeders, and others tried calling from box blinds.

Nevertheless, the first season went well for many hunters and TPWD soon expanded the spring season to three counties, adding more counties as the years passed. Spring fever infected hunters statewide. Today, virtually every county in the state with a turkey population has a spring season.

Spring forward to 2010, the 42nd spring turkey season in Texas. What we have now that we did not have then are 3-1/2-inch magnum 12-gauge turkey loads for a wide array of

lightweight, camouflage-patterned autoloader and pump guns mated with specialized turkey scopes, such as red dot scopes with wide fields of view, and much more.

Of the many battery-powered dot-reticle turkey scopes on the market, the TruGlow Gobbler Stopper has emerged as one of the most popular. Unlike many dot scopes designed for crossbows, handguns, and rifles, the TruGlo Gobbler Stopper is specific to turkey. It has red and green reticles with adjustable brightness, and an inner ring that represents a 24-inch circle at 30 yards.

Other scope manufacturers have jumped on the spring turkey wagon, including Bushnell with its HOLOsight for handguns, muzzleloaders, rifles and slug shotguns, which many turkey hunters have adopted.

The Leupold VX-1 Turkey Plex shotgun scope is another popular entry. Find these and other turkey-centric scopes at most major hunting retailers and on the internet.

Turkey guns are almost as numerous as scopes. When I look at my single-shot, leverbreak Ithaca M66 12-gauge with its 30-inch barrel that I have been hunting with for more than 40 years, I doubt any modern serious

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turkey hunter would make it their gun of choice. Especially considering that the choices available among the semi-auto and pump guns have short barrels with specially designed chokes for super-tight patterns.

Most are 12-gauge and handsomely covered with the latest Realtree or Mossy Oak camouflage designs, and some have pistol grip stocks that are becoming more popular because they offer one-hand control for quick changes in aiming position and, of course, to operate a call.

Benelli has one of the hottest turkey guns available—the Super Black Eagle II with ergonomic SteadyGrip pistol grip stock.

Other turkey-specific guns include the Franchi 1-12 with a state-of-the-art gas-operating system and recoil-reducing gel butt pad; Browning NWTF (National Wild Turkey Federation) Gold Unlimited Turkey semiauto with fiber-optic sights; and Mossberg Grand Slam Turkey Series pump and semiauto shotguns.

The list goes on with the Remington 870 SPS Super Mag Max Gobbler with pistol grip stock and 23-inch barrel and fiber-optic sights; Winchester Super X3 NWTF

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Cantilever Extreme Turkey semi-auto and Super X2 Turkey; and Harrington and Richardson Excell Auto Turkey semi-auto and Pardner Turkey single-shot 10- and 12gauge models.

Add pop hunting blinds to the mix along with turkey vests that hold a wide assortment of friction, box, diaphragm, push-button, and wingbone calls; as well as shotshells, binoculars, face masks, flashlights, and just about anything else a turkey hunter thinks he might need while afield; and you probably could fill a pickup bed with turkey gear.

Not all this gear is confined to the hunt itself. Many gadgets and gear apply prior to the hunt, including inflatable turkey targets with replaceable centers; heavy-duty turkey targets for archers, including those tough enough for crossbow enthusiasts; full-size turkey targets to pattern various loads; illuminated replacement beads; and extra long choke tubes to enhance long-range patterns and accuracy. And don’t forget GPS units whereby to pinpoint and record roosting and feeding sites, plus the available library of instructional turkey hunting and calling videos.

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Of course, no gear list is complete without mentioning the variety of remote control electronic calls, which are legal in Texas. Many hunters eschew the gadgets and consider proficiency with a mouth- or hand-operated call endemic to the hunt, but it remains an option for those more interested in succulent deepfried or smoked turkey than in aesthetics.

Indeed, the year 1969 was a memorable one for many of us who were there, but it also should be of great importance for future generations. It was the year Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to step onto the moon; 400,000 people attended the Woodstock Musical and Art Festival at a dairy farm in Bethel, New York; the average household income was $8389; and first class postage stamp cost six cents. And it was the year that marked the beginning of a burst of hunting innovations in a growing, highly technical world, which helped fuel this fascinating thing we call spring turkey hunting.

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Open Season

by Reavis Wortham | TF&G Humor Editor

How to Hunt Hogs HILE AN UNUSUALLY COLD APRIL WIND rattled the windows of Doreen’s 24 HR Gas Now Cafe, the Hunting Club membership sipped steaming coffee in the large corner booth and planned the next hunt.

“Rick said his aunt has hogs,” the Cap’n announced.

That misguided sentence contained so many potential one-line jokes that for a moment we all found ourselves stunned by

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the possibilities.

“She needs to bathe more regul...” Doc began.

“Don’t,” Doreen warned from behind the counter.

“How about, ‘in which place does she have swine...’ ” I tried.

“You too,” Doreen warned.

“Maybe she should get shots for it...”

Wrong Willie attempted.

“You guys are gonna get cold standing out there in the parking lot,” Doreen warned with a frown.

We thought about it for a long moment.

“Maybe ‘hogs’ is a reference for some type of social disease...” Woodrow tried anyway.

Rick, who we blamed for the entire event, took that moment to drive up just as we were

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forcefully ejected from the cafe. “You guys want to go hunting at my aunt’s place in East Texas this evening?” he asked through his open truck window, surrounded by the warmth of a hard-blowing heater.

“Might as well,” I said. “We’ve already gotten in trouble for it.”

The club members seem to always have hunting gear in our trucks. We made the appropriate cell phone calls for permission from home, and then piled into Doc’s Suburban. “Head for the store,” I said. “We’re gonna need supplies.”

“My aunt has plenty of food,” Rick said.

“Not those kinds of supplies,” Doc interjected and turned into the nearest convenience store.

As we finished putting ice in the coolers, Jerry Wayne made the next suggestion, “Drug store.”

“She has plenty of that too,” Rick said.

“Need my blood pressure medicine,” Jerry Wayne said.

It was already dark, so it didn’t make any difference. After the drugstore, we went to the supermarket, because Wrong Willie wanted steaks the next night.

“She doesn’t have a grill,” Rick said.

The next stop was the mega-hardware store. We purchased an unassembled grill and threw it into the back.

“Can we go now?” Rick asked.

“Of course,” Woodrow answered.

“Nope, we need gas,” Doc said.

While he filled the tank, we made several more purchases in the food market. Once back in the Suburban, we opened steaming containers of coffee, Willie ate a hot dog from the roller thing by the register, and Woodrow gnawed on what appeared twoday-old fried chicken from behind the greasy glass counter.

We were off.

In the next town an hour later, Doc pulled into a superstore. “I forgot I don’t have any bullets for my 7mm mag.”

It was nearly midnight by the time we arrived at Rick’s aunt’s house. Doc drove past the driveway. “Where are you going?”

Rick asked.

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Open Season “It’s too late to wake that old woman up,” I replied, knowing Doc’s intentions.

“He’s driving to the next town and we’ll get a cheap motel room for the night.”

Sighing, Rick settled back. He didn’t bother to tell Doc that the next motel was 45 minutes away. That didn’t matter to us, though. We were in Road Trip Mode listening to the radio, telling lies, and generally having a great time.

We were in our motel beds by two o’clock in the morning, and after a nightcap, everyone went to sleep. Unfortunately, we forgot to bring an alarm clock so it was nearly eight o’clock by the time we woke up.

We took our leisurely time showering and getting dressed while Rick called his aunt and explained our hunting procedure. He seemed to do a lot of whispering into the phone, which was unusual because older folks are often hard of hearing.

After a late lunch in the nearby café, we

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discovered a giant second-hand store and browsed for two hours. Then Willie saw a feed store on the way back to Auntie’s house. We stopped to visit, to smell the feed, and to see if they had anything we needed to buy. They didn’t.

Five miles down the road, a tire blew out and the spare was down, so it was nearly suppertime when we arrived at Auntie’s house. Once there, we assembled the grill, dipped dripping bottles from the cooler, and cooked steaks.

Auntie was a hoot. After she drained three tall gin and tonics, we spent the rest of the evening laughing and having a great time with the old girl, who told great stories.

The next morning, she insisted on cooking breakfast, and then because it was so cold, no one wanted to hunt. We arrived back at Doreen’s after lunch. She met us in the parking lot and looked like she was sorry for kicking us out, probably because we left

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our trucks parked in the slots closest to the door. But all was forgiven.

“How was the hog hunt?” she asked, by way of apology.

“Great!” the Club members said in unison.

Rick looked aghast. “But we didn’t hunt at all! In fact, it was only a road trip to an old woman’s house!”

“You’re mean,” Doc said. “She was a great old lady, and if you don’t like the way we hunt, you don’t need to go with us anymore. We’ve already been invited back to her house, anyway.”

Rick left, muttering, and we wondered what was wrong with that young fellow. He apparently just didn’t know how to hunt.

E-mail Reavis Wortham at humor@fishgame.com

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