Cashing in with GOLD — Spoons
Transcription
Cashing in with GOLD — Spoons
Cashing in with GOLD — Spoons TEXAS OUTDOORS or xas !) o d e ion t Ou e in Tinformat 1 # in ore z m ga5, #1 for a 7 M (see e pag “Texas’ Most Comprehensive Outdoors Publication” Journal Deer Season Prep - Now | South Padre Spring Break Texas Bass Clubs | Extended Season - Varmints What was HOT at S.H.O.T. | Versatile Center Consoles texasoutdoorsjournal.com Traveling Texans Fishing Broken Bow, OK | Time to Get Skinny March 2015 / $3.99 coastal & lake forecasts | tide & solunar tables FINANCING HOMES AND L AND TEXAS OUTDOORS “Texas’ Most Comprehensive Outdoors Publication” Journal For Hunters . . . 16 Just Hunting —Tom Claycomb III Varmint Hunting —Extended the Hunting Season 30Just Shooting —Kerry O’Day Varmint Hunting Time Saltwater For Anglers . . . Freshwater 12 Cashing in with GOLD-Spoons- One lure that has endured decades of use and has caught millions of fish is a gold spoon. —Robert Sloan 38Guns N’ Stuff —Harold Gunn What was HOT at S.H.O.T 2015 40Preparing for Deer Season - Now! Serious decisions combined with some effort help to enhance the chance at an outstanding buck. —Bob Zaiglin 18Just Boating —Nate Skinner Bay Boats: Versatility in Big Open Water 26 Saltwater Journal —Mark Sosin Determining Where to Fish oastWatch – Danno Wise C 32 Upper Forecast 34 Louisiana Forecast 58 Lower Forecast 60 Middle Forecast NMLS493828 Grow with us. 70Field Tips & Techniques— Bill L. Olson & Danno Wise Turkey Hunting Basics Let us finance your front porch view FINANCING Purchase Refinance Home Equity Second Home Construction Investment FHA SERVICES Large Acreage Fixed-Rate Conforming & Adjustable Rate Products Appraisal Services 877.944.5500 | CapitalFarmCredit.com proud member of the Farm Credit System 50 Spring Break on South Padre- Low boat traffic and active fish plus a variety of historic and natu- ral attractions make this a diverse spring destination. —Danno Wise 10 Just Fishing —Brian Hughes Texas Bass Clubs 22Time to Get Skinny- Rock solid advice bass anglers can take straight to the bank during the spring of the year. —Matt Williams Lake Roundups — Pros Forecasts 28 Central – John Jefferson 44 East – Matt Williams 48 North – Brian Hughes 62 South - Danno Wise 64 West – TOJ Staff 64 High Plains – TOJ Staff 36 Bassology —Matt Williams Former State Record Holder Gets Hall of Fame Status 54Breaking the Mold in Broken Bow, OK- In the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains in southeast Oklahoma lies a paradise of breath 66 Tackle Tips & Techniques taking scenery and one of the finest —Danno Wise trout fisheries west of Arkansas. Fishing Off-Colored Water —Nate Skinner For Everyone . . . On the Cover . . . 6Editor’s Insight – Bill L. Olson 8 TOJ Notebook – TOJ Staff 67, 69, 71 Guides, Gear & Getaways 72 Outdoors Calendar 74 Fishing & Hunting Times 75 Subscription Information “Feeding Frenzy” march 2015 March 2015 By artist Donald Dunn. For more information on “Feeding Frenzy” and other works of art by Donald Dunn visit www.donalddunnart.com, or call (830) 583-0030. TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 68 Tackle Tips & Techniques —Danno Wise Lures That Draw Strikes from Shallow Water 3 THE FIRST AND ONLY PICKUP WITH A HIGH - STRE NGTH, MILITARY- GR ADE , ALUMINUM ALLOY BODY. Up to 700 lbs. lighter so you can haul even more /// Best-In-Class Towing: 12,200 lbs.* Best-In-Class Payload: 3,300 lbs.**/// Best-In-Class EPA-Est. Gas MPG: 26 HWY† /// LED Spotlights†† 360-Degree Camera†† /// Remote Tailgate Release†† /// THIS IS THE FUTURE OF TOUGH. THE ALL-NEW F-150 /// FORD.COM Class is Full-Size Pickups under 8,500 lbs. GVWR. *When properly equipped with 3.5L EcoBoost® V6, 4x2. **When properly equipped with 5.0L V8, 4x2. †EPA-estimated 19 city/26 hwy/22 combined mpg, 2.7L EcoBoost V6, 4x2. Actual mileage will vary. ††Available features. Try to avoid water higher than the bottom of the hubs and proceed slowly. Refer to your owner’s manual for detailed information regarding driving through water. Editor’s Insight Bill L. Olson INSPIRED INSIGHT For 24 years this is typically the last column that is written and laid down. The reason is fairly simply, I want to offer our readers a thought or idea of value for that particular month. After having read and edited the stories submitted, and after having seen the pages laid out, it isn’t too hard to be inspired. I can tell you I work with some of the most talented and passionate individuals in the outdoor world. As long time readers know many of our contributing editors have been with this publication since it was conceived. The first issue of TEXAS OUTDOORS JOURNAL was the October 1992 issue. Those contributing editors that have joined us along the way did so after much scrutiny and discussion. There is a very high standard this team has set to be a contributor to this magazine. I consider our team of writers to be the best, and they have become friends as well— and I mean good friends that can be called upon, and who I know will respond. That provides a great deal of strength when we take our messages to our readers. In recent years I have sought younger and equally passionate contributors. I want our look and ideas to remain fresh, and not just the same old stories repeated time and again. With that being said I also don’t want what we have collectedly learned to be lost and not past on. As a team we share and learn from each other. Then there is you — the person reading this column — our articles — this magazine. You are a source of great inspiration. Each year TOJ exhibits or participates in about 29 outdoor shows and events each year. As the third month of this year arrives my travel schedule is starting to slow down a bit. The first two months I have been at a show somewhere in the Lone Star State each week and visited with thousands of readers and new readers. Those of you that know us have been most gracious and complimentary. You compliment our efforts in general terms as well as specifically. You name names of those that inspire your outdoor interests and passions while also asking for more. To me that is high praise I share with the entire TOJ Team. Many of us are native born, others got here as quickly as they could, and there are more on the way. While learning of where some have come from, we are quick to enlighten the way things are done here in Texas, and of the opportunities available to recreate outdoors. I hear comments that represent maturity gained over years in the field and on the water. Hunters tell of how they counted coup this past hunting season knowing they could have taken a trophy less than what they already possess, but passed up that opportunity to wait for another day. Anglers go through a similar type of maturation process and that has been evident for years on inland lakes with the success of catch-and-release. That same practice is gaining an ever growing following on our coastal waters. It certainly has with big game anglers offshore. So to all I work with, and to those that read, listen, or watch what I do in the outdoor world I say thank you — you truly inspire me. It is a passion we share and I hope you will share our message to those within your circle of friends. Until next month: Pursue all of your outdoor activities in a safe and ethical manner. CAUTION: All technical data in this publication, especially for handloading, reflect the limited experience of individuals using specific tools, products, equipment and components under specific conditions and circumstances not necessarily reported in the article and over which Texas Outdoors Journal has no control. The data have not otherwise been tested or verified by Texas Outdoors Journal. Texas Outdoors Journal, its agents, officers and employees accept no responsibility for the results obtained by persons using such data and disclaim all liability for any consequential injuries or damages. 6 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal “Texas’ Most Comprehensive Outdoors Publication” Publisher/Editor CONSERVATION EDUCATION PROTECTING HUNTER’S RIGHTS Bill L. Olson Administrative Assistant Adala Ruhge Contributing Outdoors Editors Tom Claycomb III Harold Gunn Brian Hughes Mike Holmes John Jefferson Cody Koehler Kerry O’Day Billy Olson Nate Skinner Robert Sloan Mark Sosin Matt Williams Danno Wise Whitetail Deer Editor Bob Zaiglin Art/Production Editor Sunni Gonzales Advertising Sales 713/957-3997, 713/957-3996 (fax) Subscription Information Call 1-800-222-4TOJ (4865); In Houston, 713/957-3997 to charge your subscription by phone. Subscription prices: one year $18.95, two years $29.95, three years $39.95. Mail inquiries/changes of address to: TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 1706 West Sam Houston Parkway North Houston, Texas 77043 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal (ISSN 1082-5940) is a publication of Texas Outdoors Journal, Inc. Editorial and advertising offices are located at 1706 West Sam Houston Parkway North, Houston TX 77043. Phone (713) 957-3997. Fax (713) 957-3996. E-MAIL ADDRESS: [email protected] TOJ On-Line: www.texasoutdoorsjournal.com TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal is published monthly. Photographs and manuscripts for publication consideration are welcomed, but the publisher assumes no responsibility for such material while in transit or in the office of the publication. Copyright 2015 with all rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial or graphic content in any manner without permission is prohibited. Views expressed by TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal contributors do not necessarily express the views of Texas Outdoors Journal, Inc. Publication of advertising in TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal does not constitute endorsement of products or services advertised. Volume 24, Number 3 march 2015 It’s who we are. It’s what we do. JOIN Greatest Hunters Convention on the Planet™ January 7-10, 2016 For more information, go to www.bigggame.org TOJ Notebook Ducks Unlimited Celebrates More Than 5 Million Acres Conserved in USA Ducks Unlimited has announce the successful conservation of more than 5 million acres of vital waterfowl habitat in the United States. It’s a conservation milestone 30 years in the making. In 1984, Ducks Unlimited launched its U.S. habitat program, which was a logical extension of DU’s longstanding mission to conserve and enhance North America’s most important wetlands to waterfowl. Thanks to decades of abiding by that single mission, Ducks Unlimited is now the world’s largest and most effective private, nonprofit waterfowl and wetlands conservation organization. DU is able to deliver its work through partnerships with private individuals, landowners, agencies, scientific communities and other entities. Conserved acres are habitat Ducks Unlimited, with its thousands of partners, has protected, restored, enhanced or managed for waterfowl. DU considers habitat conserved if it is under an agreement that lasts at least 10 years or is owned by a public agency that assures its long-term dedication to wildlife. DU restores or enhances habitat using direct management practices such as improving water control and hydrology or establishing native vegetation. Although DU often protects and restores or enhances the same land multiple times, those acres are only counted once. “This monumental conservation milestone would not have been possible without the continued help and support of our state and federal agency, corporate and volunteer partners in the United States, Canada and Mexico,” said DU CEO Dale Hall. Continentally, more than 13 million acres have been conserved in the United States, Canada and Mexico, thanks to the contributions of Ducks Unlimited’s millions of supporters. Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Soars to Sixth Consecutive Year of Record Membership For the sixth year in a row, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation surpassed its record membership level from the previous year, now totaling 205,249 members. “This growth indicates that more and more conservation-minded people recognize the good work that RMEF is carrying out and want to be a part of it,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “We are grateful to each of them for their support and especially to our diligent volunteers who work tirelessly conducting membership drives, banquet activities and other fundraising events.” Capping its 30th year as a conservation organization, RMEF’s membership is up 27 percent since its 20th anniversary in 2004 and 57 percent since its 10th anniversary in 1994. “Our goal has never been to be the largest conservation organization but it is of paramount importance that we remain accountable to our membership for our actions and on-the-ground efforts,” added Allen. “Looking at the bigger picture, we appreciate hunters and recognize the role they play in providing the lion’s share of funding for North America’s wildlife conservation efforts. In a nut shell, Hunting Is Conservation and RMEF will surge forward to the best of our ability in carrying out our mission to ensure the future of elk, elk country and our hunting heritage.” Deer Breeders, Privatizing Wildlife Draw Criticism from Boone & Crockett Club Once a wild game animal, now a product of commercialism and chemistry. Today’s upward trend in deer and elk breeding and shooting operations is reaching critical mass, compromising traditional hunting and conservation, and fueling a strong new response from America’s first conservation and hunter advocacy organization, the Boone and Crockett Club.The Club today published Cover Art Longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures have anglers and fish eager for opportunities that await in the days and weeks ahead. During the month when spring officially arrives there are those days when winter is almost forgotten, water temperatures along shallow shorelines and flats soar and speckled trout go into a feeding frenzie. Texas artist Donald Dunn has captured and painted a scene entitled “Feeding Frenzy.” It embodies what everyone knows this time of year — when trout are feeding, coastal anglers are fishing hard to catch those specks. The best way to catch feeding fish is to “match the hatch.” Specks feed on finger mullet so slow sinking baits or topwater lures are offerings gamefish can’t resist. With each passing day conditions improve and fishing gets better as speckled trout go into a “Feeding Frenzy.” For more information on “Feeding Frenzy” and other works of art by Donald Dunn visit www.donalddunnart.com, or call (830) 583-0030. 8 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal “Feeding Frenzy” march 2015 a new position statement outlining its concerns. “We encourage every hunter to read this position in its entirety,” said Morrie Stevens Sr., president of the Club. “The core topic - privatizing a public resource for individual profits - has the power to change the foundations of hunting and its historic ties to conservation. And crossing the line from wildlife to agricultural commodity represents a fundamental shift in American culture. We think the ramifications are worth considering carefully.” The position statement also addresses: • Selective breeding , ar tificial insemination, regimented feeding and pharmaceutical drugs to achieve unnaturally large antlers in deer and elk. • Commercial values based on artificial trophy size. • Ethics of altering native wildlife and then shooting these animals in escapeproof, fenced enclosures. • Breeding operations’ potential for transmitting diseases to wild herds. • Risk of weakened public support for hunting. In a democracy, hunting exists only at the pleasure of voters. Hunting’s public image matters more than ever. To read the Boone and Crockett Club’s full position statement, visit www. boonecrockett.org. Dallas Safari Club Convention Goers Raise $1 Million in 1 Minute Responding to a heartfelt appeal for youth outdoor education, Dallas Safari Club goers raised $1 million in about 60 seconds at the final dinner banquet to cap off a record setting Convention. The fast flurry of fundraising was a highlight of the 2015 DSC convention and expo, which wrapped up its annual four-day run on January 18. Attendance and conservation funding totals will take several days to tally, but all signs on the show’s final day were trending toward new records. “It’s been a tremendous convention, with sold-out banquets, lively auctions and heavy traffic in the expo hall,” said Ben Carter, DSC executive director. “But everyone is buzzing about the spontaneous $1 million outpouring of support from DSC members who are passionate about getting kids involved in the outdoors and conservation.” Following a brief but inspirational ask from a banquet-hall stage, 10 people from the audience stepped up and pledged $100,000 each, said Carter. Their cumulat ive donat ion is march 2015 e a r m a r ke d t o s u p p o r t O u t d o o r Adventures, a Texas-borne program that introduces students and their parents to a wide range of outdoor activities. The curriculum is now being taught in more than 170 secondary schools - many of them public - across Texas and in a growing number of other states. DSC is a longtime sponsor of the program, administered by the Dallas Ecological Foundation. First Successful Vaccine Against “Mad Cow”-like Wasting Disease in Deer Researchers at New York University’s Langone Medical Center and elsewhere say that a vaccination they have developed to fight a brain-based, wasting syndrome among deer and other animals may hold promise on two additional fronts: Protecting U.S. livestock from contracting the disease, and preventing similar brain infections in humans. The study, was published in Vaccine online Dec. 21, 2014, documents a scientific milestone: The first successful vaccination of deer against chronic wasting disease, a fatal brain disorder caused by unusual infectious proteins known as prions. Prions propagate by converting otherwise healthy proteins into a disease state. “Now that we have found that preventing prion infection is possible in animals, it’s likely feasible in humans as well,” says senior study investigator and neurologist Thomas Wisniewski, MD, a professor at NYU Langone. CWD afflicts as much as 100 percent of North America’s captive deer population, as well as large numbers of other cervids that populate the plains and forests of the Northern Hemishpere, including wild deer, elk, caribou and moose. There is growing concern among scientists that CWD could possibly spread to livestock in the same regions, especially cattle, a major life stream for the U.S. economy, in much the same manner that bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or Mad Cow Disease, another prion-based infection, spread through the United Kingdom almost two decades ago. According to Dr. Wisniewski and his research team, if further vaccine experiments prove successful, a relatively small number of animals (as few as 10 percent) could be inoculated to induce herd immunity, in which disease transmission is essentially stopped in a much larger group. TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 9 Just FISHING | Brian Hughes Texas Bass Clubs At one time bass clubs in Texas numMany anglers join not for the competiclub is the boats. You see, most club tourbered well over 500 across the state. All tion necessarily, but to meet other fishernaments use the team format. Two anglers manner of bass clubs were represented. men. One member told me he didn’t give in one boat form a team. They compete Company clubs where the membership a hoot about tournaments as such, but he against the other teams for the heaviest was made up of the employees, municijoined a bass club because now he always limit of bass on a given lake, in a given palities with residents as their members, has someone to fish with, And as he put amount of time. and so forth. The peak was probably in it, “Between tournament practice sessions Many clubs have a non-boater roster the nineties, which was really the peak for and actual tournament fishing, I go more of anglers that are paired up with boat bass fishing in general. often now than I ever did!” owners to fish the event. As a team they Bass clubs today are a simple affair. Speaking of meeting new people, split entry fees, gas for the tow vehicle and A group of fishermen get together on a membership always has a certain amount boat, hotel rooms if needed, and someset day or date each month. It may be of turnover bringing fresh faces to the club times even food and drinks. For an angler the second Tuesday of the month or the meetings. “Some of the people I met at the without a boat this is one way to fish more third Thursday or some such. The two club have become good friends outside of water than possible from the bank, and at main functions of a bass club are generally the fishing scene,” McWhorter said. “We a very reasonable cost. to hold a monthly tournament for the may have dinners with our families, share Bass clubs are also a great place for members, and to share fishing fellowship. vacations, or go to the movies.” father and son/daughter to fish together Many anglers want to test their skills in Monthly meetings usually consist of as a way of sharing the outdoors and competition but are not prepared to jump a roll call or sign-in, sometimes followed spending quality time together. There is into the big leagues, or even the minors. by a prayer or pledge of allegiance, or something about a peaceful day on the Entry fees can also be an issue. The higher not. Club business, old and new, will be water that lends itself to discussion and the payout for any given tournament discussed. Motions will be made and sincere sharing. circuit, the higher the fees to enter. The seconded, and tournament sites will be For all the attractive benefits of bass bass club is a place to compete at a local selected, jokes will be told and lies will club membership, the overall state of bass level, with anglers of similar skill levels at be swapped and everyone in general has clubs in Texas has been in a bit of a funk a reasonable price. lately. Many clubs Mike McWhor ter, have ceased to exist, president of the Forney members either just Bass Club says he joined going their separate a club to push him into ways or consolidating fishing new lakes. “I used the remaining memto be stuck in a rut fishing bers into another Lake Tawakoni, which is a club. Some clubs great lake,” he confessed. have gone from 100+ “But when I joined the members in the salad bass club I was forced days, to only eight or to go to go to new lakes 10 now. Less membecause the club tournabers means less comments are held at a differpetition and lower ent lake each month.” payouts. That in turn I asked Mike for any means lost interest other benefits he has seen and lost members. from being a club memBass clubs must stop ber, “Learning from other the cycle, and reward anglers,” he said. “Fishing the average guy. with different partners Bass Clubs in Texas are about like minded anglers getting together for the social as well Ed Parten, vice as friendly competitive aspects that goes with catching fish. each year, or even each president of the Texas event, gives you a broad spectrum of ina good time. These meetings typically take Association of Bass Clubs sees several reafluences to draw from. Every angler brings place the week of the tournament. Any sons for the decline, “I feel that the three something different to the tournament grievances, issues, suggestions or requests main factors in play would be first, the table, and each will fish a piece of water in will be brought up, voted on if need be, cost of bass boats. At $70,000 and more, it a different way. Seeing that gives me more and settled before the next event. is getting entirely too expensive for many techniques to work with.” Another good reason to join a bass average families to afford. Also, gas was a 10 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal march 2015 Bass Clubs in Texas come in all sizes and skill levels. Some fish a particular lake or region of the state while others travel and fish some of the best waters available. factor for a long time. It has come down a bit, but for how long? Additionally, many club fishermen now would rather fish for bigger prizes on bigger circuits. The days of fishing for a trophy and braggin’ rights are behind us I’m afraid. And finally the media focus is all on the big sticks, the KVDs. Not much press is devoted to the local scene anymore.” But he sees hope in the future, “I believe anglers are looking for tournaments in which they and their club can be competitive. And they want to travel less, and fish more locally” Some wonder if we’ve lost the younger generation to video games and social media. Not Monte Reagan at Fun N Sun Boats in Hurst, “Technology may actually revive bass clubs. Between Facebook, Twitter and Youtube, anglers can “share the catch” faster than ever before. Gone are the days of snapping a photo and waiting a week for the pictures to come back to the store. Now kids can snap a pic and have it online before they get back to the ramp,” Reagan said. Furthermore, he believes that this is exactly the kind of grass roots movement it will take to revive the bass club scene in our state. “We need the kids of today as the fishermen of tomorrow,” he stated. “We need the hard working average guy back in the boat. We need to see attention paid to him by the companies that profit from his dollar. It’s time for these companies to take a little time and money from the big tournament circuits, and give back to the guys that are actually buying the boats.” And they are helping to do something about the issue as well. “Our Bass Clubs of Texas Top 6 tournament was put together with the working man in mind, to give him an outlet in which he could compete,” Reagan confessed. To find a club in your area you may want to use the web, Facebook, or a fishing forum and search “bass club” and your area, or check with Fun N Sun Boats. Largest Selection of BLUE WAVE BOATS Powered by YAMAHA in North Texas Bringing Families Together for 60 Years! East HWY 82 | Gainesville 940-665-9331 march 2015 www.northtexasmarine.com 1100 NE Loop 820 | Fort Worth 817-246-2100 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 11 Cashing In GOLD with Story and photography by Robert Sloan I can’t remember a day that lures fish on gold spoons from Galveston to East tied on 1/8-ounce gold spoons, ambled didn’t fascinate me. Not too long Africa. In fact, while fishing a reef off the out of the boat and waded across a flat ago I wrote about soft plastic jigs as coast of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean I that was loaded with hungry reds. It was being the ultimate lures. That’s probably hooked and landed a yellowfin tuna that an all-time wade with good friends, gold true, but one lure that has endured ate a ¼-ounce gold spoon tipped with a spoons and more redfish than you could decades of use and has caught millions yellow bucktail teaser. shake a stick at. of fish is a gold spoon. And one of the all Gold spoons will fool largemouth What makes gold spoons so unique? time best is the Johnson Silver Minnow. bass and white bass, as well. Back in the The main reason is that redfish love the This is truly a go anywhere, catch anything 60’s we didn’t leave the house without a flash and will hit them all day long. Plus, lure. The reason why is simple – it’s idiot a red is the number one target fish for selection of gold spoons. Talk about fun, proof. To catch a fish with this lure you tie try fishing a weedless spoon with an Uncle thousands of anglers. But other fish will it on, cast, reel and sooner or later you’ll Josh pork frog trailer over lily pads. That eat them as well. catch a fish just about anywhere on Earth. was a go-to pattern for taking numbers Over the past five decades I’ve caught One of my very best of largemouths on Sam days of fishing was about Rayburn and Toledo 10 years ago out of Port Bend. O’Connor. I was fishing If you really want to with outdoor writer make a haul try fishing Joe Doggett, Forrest a gold spoon with a West who owned and white or yellow curltail operated Los Patos grub trailer. This is Lodge for years on an absolute killer on Bolivar Peninsula and white bass during the Dave Kveton a veteran spring spawn on the guide who also owns Sabine, Angelina and and builds El Pescador Guadalupe rivers. Fish boats. All longtime this combination on friends we had gathered the down current side at Kveton’s lodge for a of sand bars in March few days of fishing. and Apr il and you The second had better start calling afternoon we hit the family and friends for honey hole. It was off of the fish fry. a point on a place called Vertically fishing What makes gold spoons so unique? The main reason is that redfish love the flash and City Slicker Flats. We slab type jigging spoons will hit them all day long. 12 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal march 2015 “One lure that has endured decades of use and has caught millions of fish is a gold spoon.” is an excellent way to catch white bass on lakes like Livingston, Toledo Bend and Fork. A gold slab spoon with a yellow or white bucktail or feather teaser is a white bass killer. They will also fool largemouth bass too. There is no telling how many big bass have been caught on gold spoons jigged deep beside the base of a big tree on Fork and Rayburn. One of the old-time favorite spoons for fishing on both salt and fresh water is the Kastmaster. When it comes to versatility this spoon rules. It can be fished in just about any situation anywhere on Earth. In the 60’s and 70’s this lure was an absolute killer on trout and reds in the surf. In fact it was rare to find a person wading the surf without at least one gold Kastmaster spoon ready to fish. They are perfect for fishing the surf because we could cast them from here to the moon. The ¼ and 3/8 ounce Kastmaster spoons were the most popular. The man behind the Kastmaster spoon is Art Lavallee. In 1949, Lavallee took some jewelry and bent and changed their shapes to create metal fishing lures. He opened the Acme Tackle Company in 1952. Then Art learned about a lure called the EDA Splune. This metal lure was the forerunner of the Kastmaster. The Kastmaster can be cast, trolled, or vertically jigged. It casts like a bullet, and its unique side-to-side darting action resembles a baitfish without line twist. The Kastmaster is machined from solid brass. It won’t break, bend or corrode and it retains its luster even after repeated exposure to salt water. Another gold spoon that I came across a few years back is the Bomber Who Dat. I first used one while fishing a shallow flat on Calcasieu Lake. This weedless spoon is made to run shallow and comes with a built in rattle. Another version is built with a gold spinner. I’ve used them to catch a ton of reds on Sabine Lake and at East Matagorda Bay. In murky water the Who Dat spinner spoon creates a lot of vibration and draws strikes when other spoons won’t even get noticed. Without a doubt a gold spoon is best known for catching reds. Of course a silver spoon will catch ‘em as well. But one sure fire way to catch reds on any given day is to use a spoon with gold flash. Fantastic Fishing See what Rockport-Fulton has to offer you. www.rockport-fulton.org @ visitrockportfulton 1-800-242-0071 Photo by Phil Stranahan 14 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal With friends and with clients I do a lot of wade fishing out of Port O’Connor. Nine times out of 10 my customers want to catch a limit of reds ASAP. Because of that I live and die with gold spoons on the flats. My favorite spoon fishing rig is a baitcasting rod and reel spooled with 12 pound test Silver Thread AN40 line. This particular line is designed with a small diameter and is very limp and supple. It’s perfect for long casts and has low underwater visibility. That translates into more strikes per cast, especially when I’m fishing clear water flats for visible fish. With that rig I’ll tie on a small black barrel swivel connected to an 18 inch length of Silver Thread Fluorocarbon leader. That’s a good leader because it’s abrasion resistant which is important when targeting a red with a big ‘ol tough mouth. When fishing a clear water flat for reds my go-to lure is a weedless 1/8-ounce gold Johnson spoon. This is a lure with lots of flash, covers a lot of water and will catch reds like there ain’t no tomorrow. You can reel them in on a slow, medium or fast retrieve. If I’m fishing in murky water, like on Sabine Lake, the spoon of choice is a Bomber Who Dat spinner spoon. It’s built in rattle chamber and spinner make lots of commotion that can quickly turn into more reds in the box. The last thing you want to do is fish a spoon without some sort of teaser. A small pink plastic teaser, about the shape and size of a pinto bean, was the favorite for years. Another favorite has been a small bucktail teaser in white or yellow. For more action you might want to slip a small plastic curl tail jig on the bend of the hook. One of the best rigs for fishing the flats is a combination of a 1/8 ounce gold weedless spoon and rattle float. This is a combo that I use a lot while fishing the backwater lakes of Port O’Connor. It’s easy for my clients to use and drives redfish wild. It’s easy to put together. First I’ll tie on a Bomber Paradise Popper X-Treme. These are made with a cupped face, or in an egg shape. In choppy water it’s best to use the cupped face popper. On calm flats I’ll go with an oval shaped float. These rattle floats create a tremendous of noise. Plus they are made to last with titanium wire that won’t kink. One end of the float is tied to 12 march 2015 pound test line; the other is connected to an 18inch fluorocarbon leader. I like to use improved clinch knots for line to float connections, and a loop knot at the spoon. By the way you’ll get more action out of the spoon by using a loop knot. Lots of reds run the surf and will charge a gold spoon on any given day. This is when I’ll move up to a large gold Who Dat 1/2 -ounce metal spoon that has a wide swing and lots of flash. It gets down fast and can be cast darn near out of sight. That’s the perfect combination in the surf. The bottom line is this – a gold spoon with lots of flash is worth its weight in gold just about anywhere you can find hungry fish. march 2015 Want to catch some redfish ASAP — then tie on a gold spoon. TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 15 JUST HUNTING | Tom Claycomb III Varmint Hunting —Extended The Hunting Season shooter would get ready and the light would be dropped. You’d have about one to two seconds to shoot before they scattered. Wow how things have changed. Today I use a Johnny Stewart “Gallows” electronic call. So where should you hunt? At a food source or near cover when varmints are bedded down. Where is their food source? For a coyote, anyThe author downed this average size Texas coyote with his where that food is found. Let shotgun while using a Johnny Stewart Gallows caller and me explain what I mean by masking his scent with Tink’s Predator Mist. that statement. Last winter Just because deer season is over doesn’t I was going to my local Cabela’s store to mean that you have to put away your rifle. conduct a varmint hunting seminar. As I If you do then you’re missing out on some was about to get on the freeway I looked of the most high speed, heart pumping off to my right and there was a coyote hunting that Texas has to offer — varmint working a fence line. Another time I saw hunting. Here’s a little of my varmint one before daylight walking down Main hunting history. Street. So the real question is where do I remember my daddy buying an old you have access to hunt, because coyotes wood Thomas Varmint call some 53 years are everywhere. ago. They recommended calling a few secThere are a number of ways to set up onds then waiting five minutes. Years later to hunt coyotes and other varmints. You Johnny Stewart came out with a cassette can hunt out of a pop-up blind but most of tape that we’d plug in and then jump in the the time I just hide behind brush. I carry a back of the truck. After a few minutes of piece of camo burlap and usually throw it letting the tape play we’d run a spotlight on over two bushes and hide behind it. the ground out in front of us 15 feet or up When hunting hilly terrain you never in the sky. If we saw any eyes glistening the want to be skylined on a hilltop. If possible 16 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal it’s best to have an open pasture downwind of you. When a coyote or other predator come in, 99.9999 percent of the time they’re going to circle downwind so if it’s open you can see them but if it’s brushy he may wind you and scatter — you’ll never even know that he was there. I varmint hunt a lot with a buddy that puts a roll of toilet paper in a coffee can and pours skunk scent over it. When we set up he’ll set the can downwind and pop off the top. You for sure want to be upwind of it. I prefer Tink’s Predator Mist. I spray grass out by my decoy and the limbs of brush/trees downwind of me. When it comes to camo you want to be camo’d to the max and wear a mesh face net. Remember, your hands will be the source of most of your movement, so wear gloves as well. My camo buddies will kill me but I don’t wear all one pattern. I wear a mix-match of clothing. That way I’m broke up. Since I like to “run & gun” a heavy 3-D decoy won’t work for me therefore I like Montana Decoys. I favor their coyote and rabbit decoys but their fawn is a good choice in deer country — which is almost everywhere in Texas. I’m sure in West Texas an antelope decoy would work fine. You may want to pin a rag on their tail which will flutter in the wind. I’ve talked to MD about making an aftermarket one. march 2015 This is a large coyote the author said he could barely hold up for this photo. The coyote was taken in North Texas. Then of course an attractant decoy is nice. They like and expect to see some movement. I use a Cass Creek Waggler. I’ve also tied a turkey feather two to three inches from the top of a metal rod and stuck it in the ground at an angle which flutters in the breeze and works fine. It seems that everyone except maybe your grandmom uses an AR platform rifle nowadays. They’re nice since you can get off multiple shots when two or three coyotes come in at once. Although the other day five came in and a buddy dropped three with his bolt action. That was impressive. Anymore though, if there’s two of us hunting together I carry a shotgun. I kept track and last year 40 percent of our coyotes were within shotgun range. If you’ve coyote hunted much you know how many times you look around and there’s a coyote coming in at Mach 1 speed with his tail on fire at close range. Last January we set up out in a pasture and a coyote came in like a barrel racer. I was with a buddy and didn’t want to hog the first shot but after the coyote zipped in, ran within 10 feet of our decoy and swapped ends and shot off. My partner said, “why didn’t you shoot?” I said, “Well, I didn’t want to hog the first shot.” My buddy said, “He was going 30 mph.” And I countered with, “No, actually it was about 40 mph.” The bottom line is to have a game plane, know who is going to shoot or areas to be covered by march 2015 whom before you start calling. A while back I was calling for a buddy and his son that had never shot a coyote. They both had AR’s so I packed along a shotgun. He was hiding behind a brush pile and looked up to see a coyote looking at him from about three paces away. I’m telling you, shotguns are fun. I use Hornaday Varmint loads in my .223 and Hevi-Shot Dead Coyote loads in my shotgun. A few years ago I was talking to Kelly Sorensen at the S.H.O.T. Show and she said, “Tom, you have to try our new Dead Coyote loads. I rolled one DOA at 70 yards the other day.” At first I couldn’t believe it but now after shooting them I do believe it. Although, I was coyote hunting last week and shot a possum three times! But that’s like shooting a zombie so that’s not really a fair test. There are a number of ways to call coyotes. I usually start out with a howl. I’ll do that for two or three seconds and then switch to a rabbit cry of some kind. If you’re in jackrabbit country use that, if in cottontail country then use that. If nothing is working I might even crank on a crow call for a minute to make them think that something is going on over here. Don’t start out calling too loud. There could be a critter only 150 yards away and you don’t want to blow him out of bed. If nothing comes in then you can crank it up a little more after a minute or two. About 90 percent of your coyotes will show up within the first five minutes so I don’t set in one spot for over 15-20 minutes unless I’m calling cats. If you’re after cats usually 30 minutes is a fast response. If I’m calling on a big ranch and have plenty of spots to hunt then I’d rather hit 20 places for 10-20 minutes than to set in 8-10 spots and call for 30-60 minutes. If you run and gun you will call in a lot more coyotes. Make sense? But if you only have a small place to hunt then call longer and softer and milk out each set-up to the max. If it’s windy it’s always tougher to call and have critters hear the call. Recently I was up in Kansas calling and it was really cold and windy. I didn’t get in one coyote that day. Sometimes that happens too. Just because deer season is over, a new season begins. Grab a call and go shoot a few coyotes. Plus, the more coyotes you shoot the more deer and small game you’ll have. Plus it’s a lot of fun. TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 17 JUST BOATING | Nate Skinner Open water bay boats can take anglers to the near shore short rigs and the beach front during the right conditions. Bay Boats: Versatility in Big Open Water A sharp v-entry on the bow of a boat helps it cut through heavy chop. Everything’s bigger in Texas, and when God created the Lone Star State, he didn’t skimp on the estuaries or man’s will power to create massive open water lakes, not to mention the vast and salty blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Large bodies of water mean more areas to fish and play aboard some of today’s finest watercrafts — these aren’t your grandpa’s jon-boats. No matter where anglers are fishing or boating in Texas, whether the water is shallow or deep, there’s a good chance a significant amount of open water lies somewhere between the dock and a desired destination. Big water brings BIG elements and obstacles in all forms — big weather, big winds, and even bigger waves. Fortunately, the different lines of bay boats on the market today, specifically in the 20 to 25 foot range, are built to navigate rough chop and large seas while still encompassing some shallow water capabilities. From the near-shore waters of the Gulf, to open bays and estuaries, as well as big inland lakes across the state, the versatility of these crafts is phenomenal. They will take anglers where they want to go safely and in a timely fashion. Among the leading brands in center console bay boats, those that handle open water well all possess similar specifications. Although unique in their own design these open water machines have the following attributes: A sharp v-hull entry at the bow, a wide beam, reverse chines from the bow to mid ship, a transitional deadrise that flattens to a 12 to 15 degree angle at the rear, and a self bailing deck that keeps the cockpit dry and prevents water from holding on the deck. “A sharp v-hull entry is what enables a bay boat to cut large waves and handle a lot of chop,” says Bill Kenner, owner of K2 Marine and designer of Frontier and BlackJack boats. “There are many hulls on the market today, but nothing cuts through a heavy chop better than a traditional v-style hull.” The sharp entry of the V-hull on both Kenner’s Frontier and BlackJack boats, possesses a 40 degree recurve in the forward section, which for the most part is out of the water when the boat is on So much more than a push pole! STIFFY SHAW WING CAVITATION PLATE STIFFY FLOUDER GIG STIFFY PUSH POLES STIFFY FISHING RODS STIFFY RAM-RODS STIFFY FLOUDER LED LIGHT Stiffy Hotline (888) 273-7077 | www.stiffypushpoles.com PREMIER FIBERGLASS SHOP - We can repair anything made of fiberglass material. 18 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal march 2015 plane, except in heavy chop. “The sharp angled entry slices through waves, giving the boats optimum performance in rough water,” explains Kenner. Fred Lester of Red Wing Boat Company, a Houston dealer for Frontier and BlackJack boats, says the boats on the market today that are specialized for shallow water, lack the necessary hull design to handle comfortably conditions in excessive chop. “A boat with a v-hull is necessary for a comfortable ride in rough water,” says Lester. “Today’s v-style hulls like the Frontier or the BlackJack can still float relatively shallow, but will ride extremely well in big, open water.” The Blue Wave Pure Bay is another boat with a deep vee entry point. Brian Wallace, general manager of North Texas Marine in Gainsville, Texas, which happens to be the largest Blue Wave dealer in the north Texas region, says his customers “double up” and are using the Pure Bay on both area lakes such as Lake Texoma, and on Texas bays around Port Aransas and Rockport. “The sharp entry on the bow of the Pure Bay make it a great boat for open water lakes, as well as the wide open, windy bays of the coast,” explains Wallace. “The typical bass fishing boat became so specialized, only reaching a specific niche market, that when the Pure Bay came out and north Texas residents realized it was a boat capable of running both on Lake Texoma and on the coast, they began to start using these versatile, center console march 2015 bay boats,” he says. Other leading lines of bay boats on the market that boast a TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 19 boats possess a lot of “Carolina onto the deck of the vessel. All open water Flair,” meaning the sides of the bay boats must have a self-bailing, dryboat are concave and curve deck system that allows water on the deck outward at the top, while others to flow out of the boat. A combination have more a hard, reverse chine, of both scuppers and a floor bilge pump meaning their sides make a system rules the boating world today, as straight angle from the water these bay boats allow for water on the line to the gunwale. deck to flow out through holes near the A w i de b e a m a n d water line at the stern of the boat, and reverse chine makes the water to also be pumped out by a bilge pump break lower, and further back through a drain in the floor of the deck. on the hull of the boat as it cuts This combination keeps the deck dry and through the waves, preventing safe in extreme conditions. w i n d b l o w n s p r ay f r o m Another great aspect of these large reaching the cockpit. Again, bay boats is that most offer plenty of this is extremely effective when storage. From rod holders and rod navigating a quartering sea, lockers, to dry boxes and several different meaning the wind is blowing hatches, anglers don’t have to worry about at an angle from one side of leaving anything behind. the bow or the other. Although Just because these bay boats won’t A reverse chine prevents spray from blowing into the boat these open water capable boats run in inches of water, doesn’t mean they when navigating a quartering wind. have a deep vee bow, they can’t be used to fish shallow water. Jack also encompass a transitional deadrise, plates can be installed to vertically lift sharp v-entry enabling them to navigate meaning their hulls flatten and taper outboard motors allowing the boat to go rough, open waters include Nautic Star off in the rear. “A transitional deadrise in as shallow of water as it will float. With Bay Boats, the latest line of Carolina Skiff’s allows a boat to float shallower, while still the addition of a trolling motor an angler DLV series boats, Gulf Coast Boats, and keeping a deep V-entry for rough water can then navigate around shallow flats. Ranger Bay Boats to name a few. capabilities at the bow,” explains Wallace. When it’s time to leave, use the trolling According to Blake Anthony, General “This concept is what makes the Blue motor to ease out to deeper water, fire up Manager of Ron Hoover RV and Marine Wave Pure Bay an excellent boat on both the big motor, jump on plane and run to in Rockport, the v-hull of the Nautic Star big north Texas lakes and the coast. The the next fishing hot spot. is unlike any other bay boat out there. boat handles rough water well, and can Imagine owning a boat that could fish “Nautic Star hulls boast a one-piece still put anglers in shallow enough water the flats and the jetties and Gulf waters in stringer system, which is the support to stalk fish on the flats.” he says. the same day. Today’s 20 to 24 foot bay system or framing structure throughout The transitional deadrise is what boats make that a reality. These boats the interior of the hull of a boat,” says makes the Carolina Skiff ’s DLV series a sport the specifications necessary to keep Anthony. “Most boats stringers are laid great open water boat, but also a boat anglers and boaters safe, while enjoying one piece at a time, but the Nautic Star’s capable of running or fishing shallow the sport they love. Forget limitations stringer system is one solid piece, making water as well. “This is not your Daddy’s and experience diversity behind the helm it virtually impossible to crack a stringer. Carolina Skiff,” says Anthony of Ron of one of these versatile bay boats that will This also prevents any twisting or jerking Hoover in Rockport. “These boats have seemingly do it all. of the stringer system in rough water, a deep vee bow making the Nautic Star one stable, roughwhich makes water-capable boat,” he says. them perfect for Of all these boats mentioned, a wide navigating the beam combined with a reverse chine j e t t i e s , b e a ch helps to create a dry ride when they are front, and even running through excessive chop, even offshore, while when the wind is quartering from either the y can also side and during a straight, cross wind. A float in less than wide beam would be considered at least a foot of water.” one third of the boat’s overall length, so No matter anything eight feet and over is a desirable what boat is beam for an open water bay boat. being used, A reverse chine is characterized as a eventually side of a boat that sticks further out on rough enough either side at the top of the gunwale, than water will send it does at the water line. In other words, some spray into the boat is wider at its top edge than it Today’s bay boats have plenty of storage so anglers don’t have to leave the cockpit, and is where the hull enters the water. Some any of their favorite gear behind, including a variety of rods and reels. 20 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal march 2015 Rock solid advice bass anglers can take straight to the bank during the spring of the year. Story and photography by Matt Williams F TIME TO GET 22 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal SKINNY march 2015 ish skinny and sooner or later you’re going to get bit. Trust me. I’ve been doing it for years. So have hundreds of thousands of other anglers who call themselves bass fishermen. What gives with the call to shallows? Like flies are lured to honey, bass are always beckoned to skinny water when spring rolls around. That’s because days are getting longer, water temperatures are climbing and the bass’ biological tickers are telling them it’s time to perpetuate the species by spawning. While some fish will spawn in deeper water, most will carry out the process in water depths in the 1-6 foot range, often times in water clear enough that you can easily depict the beds — and the fish — with the aid of a good pair of polarized sunglasses. Targeting bass that can be visibly seen in spawning beds is fun, but it is not always the most productive way to fish during the springtime. That’s because bedding bass can at times pose way too much of a challenge for the average angler to catch. Furthermore, not all of the bass in a given lake will rush to the bank and do their thing at exactly the same time. Instead, bass spawn in waves. For every bass you spot around a shallow spawning bed, there may be a half dozen pre-spawners — possibly even more than that — finning around within casting range over your shoulder. Besides the increased opportunity to catch large fish, one of the best things about springtime fishing is there are so many different techniques and literally dozens of baits that anglers can use to fool them. Naturally, some baits will produce consistently better results than others will. Lipless baits will catch ‘em year-round, but are heavily Here’s a starting line-up of 10 favored during spring on lakes with abundance of good artificial baits to have handy submerged grass. when you head to your favorite rounded like other styles of crankbaits. bass lake over the next 60 days: They work well when fishing over Senko: The Senko is a highly versatile submerged grass beds, but where these soft plastic jerk bait shaped similar to a Bic baits really shine is around stumps, logs, pen — plump in the middle skinny at both dock pilings and brush. ends. It can be rigged Texas style with a The bait’s square bill helps it deflect light slip sinker, Texas-style weightless or or ricochet off of hard objects, causing wacky rigged through the egg sac. It’s a it to briefly “flutter” or “hunt” erratically great bait to use when blind casting over before righting itself in the water column. shallow spawning flats, along shorelines Often times this is when bass will hammer or around bushes. it. Some square bills are short and fat and The Senko is simple produce a wide wobble. Others have flat to fish. Just cast it out, sides and produce a tight wobble. Many let it fall and twitch it anglers prefer a tighter wobble in cold every now and then. water and wider wobble in warmer water. Rigged weightless, Lizard: Soft plastic lizards will catch the bait darts around bass year-round, but they are heavily erratically with favored during spring because they are every twitch. It’s also believed to be the best imitation of a impregnated with sea salamander trying to slip in to steal some salt, which gives it eggs off a bass’ nest. some extra weight and Lizards are a good choice for fishing makes it easy to cast. Square Bill Texas style with a light slip sinker around Crankbait: These are bushes, brush and grass, or you can fish shallow diving plugs them Carolina-style to check inside grass so named because the lines or flats with scattered cover. wide bill is squared off Spinnerbait: Another year-round at the front instead of producer that shines especially bright in Fish skinny and sooner or later you’re going to get bit. march 2015 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 23 Square billed crankbaits really shine when fished around stumps, logs, dock pilings and brush. shallow situations. Spinnerbaits come with assorted blade combinations. Double willowleaf or willow/Colorado combinations are ideal during the spring months, especially when the water is clear to slightly stained. Willowleaf blades provide gobs of flash. Plus, they tend to give the bait some “lift”, which naturally makes it easier to keep the bait elevated in the water column with a slower retrieve. Colorado blades are often preferred in muddy or off-color water, because they produce more thump or vibration. Big isn’t always better when it comes to springtime spinnerbait selection. Baits weighing 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 ounce models rule in the shallows. Use white or white/ chartreuse in clear water, chartreuse in dirty water. Wacky Worm: Actually, the wacky worm isn’t a bait. It’s a do-nothing worm rig that works great when bass aren’t in the mood to chase. Stiff bodied finesse worms about 5-6 inches long work best. To build one, hook the worm through the egg sac in the middle of the worm, leaving the head and tail dangling. Fishing a wacky worm is simple repetition. Cast it out, let it sink for a few seconds, twitch it a couple of times and left it fall again. Most strikes will feel like a “tick” will occur as the bait is falling. 24 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal It is a good idea to use a weedless hook designed head and line tie that helps it when fishing around heavy cover. You can come through heavy grass and brush extremely well. Most anglers like to modify the fall rate by inserting a small work it with a steady retrieve just like a finishing nail into the head. Jerkbait: Hard body jerk baits like spinnerbait, or you can stop it occasionally the Rogue or Long A are designed to to allow it to fall alongside clumps of grass simulate a wounded or disoriented bait or bushes. Most strikes are violent and fish. The jerk bait has a short bill on the usually require no hookset, because the jig nose that causes it to dive when put in is typically moving when the fish slam it. motion. Shallow models will dive one to Outfitting the swim jig with a craw three feet, then float back to the surface with fluttering-style claws will increase when paused. Suspending models dive the action, make the jig appear bulkier a little deeper and maintain that depth and slow the fall rate. when paused. Soft Swim Baits: There are a ton of Work the jerk bait with a twitchswim baits out there, but those equipped twitch-pause, twitch-twitch-pause with a paddle-style tail that thumps cadence. It’s a great choice when fishing side-to-side as the bait moves through above submerged grass, around bushes or the water column are a favorite among over open flats. springtime bass anglers. Chatterbait: A popular bass lure that They work best with a specially will catch the big ones and numbers, alike. designed hook that has a wide gap for It combines the weedless characteristics the best penetration. Some anglers prefer of a jig with the flash of a spinnerbait. A hooks that are equipped with a built-in specially-designed blade rides in front of weight on the shank to help the lure stay the jig head and catches water, causing the down in the water column. Others prefer lure to vibrate erratically when in motion. a nose weight, especially when fishing The bait comes stock with a silicone skirt around thick vegetation. and split tail trailer. Swim baits work best when there Some anglers like to modify the bait is some wind to put some chop on the surface and in water that is fairly clear. by trimming the skirt about an inch long and replacing the split tail trailer with a four-inch swim bait like a Lake Fork Tackle Magic Shad. This makes the bait appear larger while enhancing the action. Lipless Crankbait: The lipless crankbait needs no introduction. Pros and novices have for years been giving bass plenty of lip and reaping of loads of finny rewards in return. Lipless baits will catch ‘em year-round, but are heavily favored during spring on lakes with abundance of submerged grass. Fishing the bait is simple. Just chunk it and wind it. On grass lakes, the key is to fish it just fast enough so it occasionally ticks the top of the grass. Most strikes occur when the hooks tear free of the grass. Baits weighing 1/2 and 3/4 are best suited for most situations. Crawfish and shad color imitations get lots of play during the spring months. Swim Jig: The swim jig look similar to a traditional casting or A wacky worm is a do-nothing worm rig that works great when bass aren’t in the mood to chase. flipping jig, except for a specially march 2015 SALTWATER JOURNAL | Mark Sosin Determining Where to Fish Every search pattern begins with a starting point. If you are able to find out where fish were caught yesterday, that’s a good place to look first. Even if you simply learn the water depth in which fish were caught, that’s an important clue. Fish often prefer a given water depth over a wide area at a specific time. On inshore waters, you also need to calculate that the tides are about 50 minutes later today than they were yesterday. Po k i n g a r o u n d a t random seldom leads to success and fails to provide a basis for logical research. Rig ht or w rong , ever y decision you make should This trout was caught tight to some old pilings. The pilings were the structure that broke the flow of water, and be part of a plan that can be the trout used this to lay and wait for its next meal to come along. reviewed frequently during the day. Suppose you don’t have access channels as well as runs where water still They are always facing into the flow of to the latest information and you don’t remains at the bottom of the tide. water regardless if it is the main flow or a keep a detailed log from year to year that One way to deal with tides and back eddy. Cruising fish usually work into will help you determine where fish might currents centers on locating narrow spots the current or at an angle across it. They be under today’s conditions and at this where the water flows. I like to refer to expect their food to be carried toward part of the season. If you are working these places as the neck of a funnel where them by the tide. Experts also talk about the offshore grounds, start at a reasonable a wider area drains through a smaller “seats in a restaurant.” These are spots depth that the fish you seek often inhabit tube. An inlet that drains a bay is a perfect where a fish can hold comfortably while and then probe deeper and shallower from example, but there are many more subtle facing into the current. If you can locate there. funnel necks anywhere there are tidal these “seats,” you can return time after Probing around bottom structure currents. Picture a pair of shallow flats time and fish will be there. such as reefs, wrecks, rocks, and so forth on either side of a deeper cut. In the surf, During the days leading up to the could produce results. And if you see there are channels that take water back full and new moons, high tides are higher other boats working an area, watch them into the sea. Fish instinctively know this than normal and low tides are lower. closely to see if they are catching fish. and they tend to stake out spots knowing These are called spring tides. That means Experienced trollers sometimes make that prey will be carried to them by the that a greater volume of water is being an occasional swing from one side to the flow of water. This is a natural spot to transferred during the same six hours of other. That causes the baits or lures on look for fish. a tide. Higher incoming water enables fish the inside tack to sink. When the boat Every animal, including fish, relates to push farther up in the shallows. When goes back to the original course, those to edges and frequently orients to them. the water falls, these fish ease off the flat offerings rise quickly back to the surface, An edge, by definition, is a transitional and take up residence in a shouldering often enticing a fish in the process. zone where a change takes place. It might channel where they can wait for forage For many of the near shore and be the border between a swift current and species to abandon the shallows. The inshore species, tidal stage looms as a vital more placid water or it could be a current bottom of a spring tide when the water is factor to consider. Stationary fish find running in the ocean. On a flat, deeper lowest provides the best opportunity for some form of structure where the force of pockets form an edge with surrounding shallow water anglers and surf fishermen the current is reduced, but where they can shallows. A change of water color is to search for new spots. Structure tends dart out and grab an unsuspecting prey. considered an edge whether it is murky to jut out and it is much easier to detect 26 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal march 2015 In the spring, higher incoming water enables fish to push farther up in the shallows. When the water falls, these fish ease off the flat and take up residence in a shouldering channel where they can wait for forage species to abandon the shallows. to clear, green to blue, or anything else. Weed lines also form an edge as does any type of structure. The bottom may go from sand to grass or rock or mud or one thing to another. All these are edges that hold fish. Keep in mind that fish could be on one side of the edge or the other, so you have to work both sides until you get a hookup. Any type of structure offers another area to start the search for fish. Consider structure to be anything different from the surrounding area that holds or attracts fish. Under offshore conditions it could be a weed line, flotsam of some type, or a rise in the sea floor. Reefs, both natural or artificial, are structure along with rocks or other debris on the bottom. A buoy or pilings are structure. Trees lying in the water along a shore line are also structure. If something breaks the flow of water (including bridges and jetties), think of it as structure. Many of these things cause dead spots in the current that allow predators to lie in wait with a minimum of effort. If you’re searching for fish at random, check out all the structure and edges you can find and fish them systematically. Water temperature ranks as one of the most critical factors in determining where fish will be. Each species has a preference and a tolerance to a temperature range. Beyond the tolerance level, it cannot survive very long. If you’re having trouble finding fish, check the water temperature. And if you don’t have a thermometer or temperature gauge, stick your hand in the water to see if it is exceptionally cold or warm. Most fish can detect temperature changes as minor as a fraction of a degree. If water temperature is not conducive to the primary bait supply, gamefish probably won’t be in the area. Remember to make every move with a purpose and a reason. If you do, you will enjoy better than an average day. A PLACE FOR ALL SEASONS Relax, we’ll take care of the details! GIVE US A CALL! march 2015 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 27 For information on guides mentioned, see Guides, Gear & Getaways on pages 67, 69, & 71 Lake Roundup By John Jefferson A few years ago, my friend, Herbert Marion, caught what he thought was a ShareLunker – a largemouth 13 pounds or over. He called the ShareLunker hotline number, as was the procedure at the time, and Dave Campbell drove from Athens to weigh the fish. It was over 12 pounds, but under13. Heckuva fish; but no cigar. And it took staff time and gasoline to determine that. Doubt has now been removed – at least on Lake Austin. A new weigh and holding station has been erected at the boat ramp under the Loop 360 Bridge. Anglers can now weigh their fish on certified scales 24-hours a day during the ShareLunker season, October 1 – April 30, by calling (903) 681-0550. The number is on the outside of the station. The angler will be given the cabinet’s combination and weighing instructions. If the bass is 13 pounds or over, the angler can use a net enclosed in the cabinet to hold the fish in the lake until TPW personnel arrive from San Marcos. The net keeps the bass healthier than being in a live well. This is the first such weigh station on Texas lakes. It’s somewhat surprising that Lake Austin was the first chosen despite ShareLunker bass having become scarcer in the past three years since abundant grass carp were placed in the lake. Austin was hot a few years ago, but few ShareLunkers have been caught since carp stocking. Fisheries staff insists that 28 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal spawn. It could run later than usual. I large bass are still there, but catches don’t promise you I’ll still be looking for flow support it since the hydrilla became kale this month. for carp. The next lake to receive a weight I checked a few places in mid-January station will be Purtis Creek. and was disappointed. Floyd Clearman, Duke Kinley fishes Austin every week who, lives on the Pedernales River, and guides there. He acknowledges the hydrilla is gone, but he manages to catch has always been my resource on river large bass, though none over ten pounds. conditions in the spring. Floyd said there It’s uncertain just what effect the had been a small, short-lived rise on the loss of hydrilla habitat will have on the river, but still not enough to allow him largemouth population. It’s a good bet to get his boat in the water. He lamented that it won’t be good. Bass habitat and that unless we had more good rains in pleasure boat habitat seem to be in inverse February and early March that he would proportion. Kinley reports seeing large miss out on another season of chasing the schools of large grass carp eating the base whites upstream to the Reimers’ Ranch. of reeds in the lake, which indicates that Whites congregate there, and in past years they are eating themselves out of house have provided legendary fishing. It’s a and home – at least the hydrilla home of special place. Clearman said the river is bass and many of the baitfish species upon nothing but a creek in front of his place which they survive. this year. The good news is that white bass and If the river is but a creek, Sandy Creek near Jonestown was little more stripers are open water fish, and should not be affected by the lack of hydrilla. Kinley has seen large schools of whites and caught several large stripers in January. That’s little consolation, however, for the legion of largemouth fishermen who flock to the lake each spring in hopes of hauling in a largemouth ShareLunker and winning loot, including a lifetime fishing license if their catch is the largest in the state that year. But, speaking of white bass, the spring spawn of the whites is still going on –if you can find enough running water for them to swim up. They prefer moving water in which to release and fertilize their eggs. By the time you read this, some of the spawn will be over, but I’m Photo by John Jefferson also guessing the extreme A new station to weigh bass potentially qualifying for the cold weather in December TPWD Toyota ShareLunker Program has been erected near the and January retarded the boat ramp below the Loop 360 Bridge over Lake Austin. march 2015 than a ditch. One area upstream from the Jonestown Park boat ramp, however, had a fair amount of water coming over a low water crossing. I followed the creek on back down to the park, though, and it was just little more than a ditch. A couple walking their dog in the dry creek bed, formerly a deep staging area for whites in years past, told me they had only had about an inch of rain this year. Sad. At the same time they had received only an inch, my rain gauge about 15 miles east of there had recorded 3.5 inches that week. That’s the story of Central Texas rainfall. If it doesn’t stop at I-35, as it usually does, it at least peters out before it gets to the upper Colorado River watershed. Another good rain event after that did bring water to the shed, however. Mason and Llano, both on the Llano River, which flows into Lake Travis, received decent rains. Menard, west of Mason and on the San Saba River, had not only rain, but even a little snow. Most of the Hill Country received adequate moisture from that wet front. No, that wasn’t enough to break the drought, according to the weathermen march 2015 well. Tom has posted a “NO FISHING” and the Austin American-Statesman, but sign, there, but has made up for it by firing it could have helped stream flow. And up the grill on Sunday afternoons and that spawns white bass fishing. We later hosting an open mike session on the patio followed Cypress Creek downstream from beneath the pecan trees, which soothes where it passes under Bullick Hollow the anguished fisherman who have driven Road and were surprised at the flow. around all afternoon looking for a place Several families were fishing in a wide hole to launch! between the two county parks, but no one So keep praying for rain! seemed to be catching anything. F u r t h e r downstream, the creek widened and dashed over a fourfoot waterfall, creating another hole. We didn’t go any further, but feel one more decent rain could provide a passageway for fish, at least as far upstream as that waterfall. On the way home, we stopped at Twin Creeks Hall, formerly the uniquely enchanting Enchanted Photo by John Jefferson Tavern, and the creek Sandy Creek is flowing above Jonestown, but needs more rain to enable white bass to come upstream to the traditional spring alongside it was flowing spawning grounds. TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 29 Just Shooting | Kerry O’Day Varmint Hunting Time If you are long shots or someone who is trying to going to drive get into the 1,000 yard club (10 hits at up close and 1,000 yards in a row) you might need a shoot from a specialized caliber. A 6mm-284, a 224 truck, a good TTH or a 6.5-284 are a few of the hunters’ 22, 22 Mag, or favorites. After you pick the right caliber you will 17 HMR make need the right barrel, stock, and trigger. If great guns. you are going to shoot lots of rounds in These calibers a row then you need a barrel that won’t will make good heat up too quickly. A bull barrel is a must kills out to and a fluted bull barrel is even better. The about 75 yards flutes add more surface area for cooling and you can so you can shoot a few more times before make hits out your shots start to go off target. A custom to about 120 barrel is expensive but will be worth it yards. in the long run and it will give you the If you are accuracy for making the long shots. The going to shoot stock should be bigger in the forend area much farther to support the bull barrel and to make it than 100 yards, easier to shoot off a rest or a bi-pod. you need a rifle A good light trigger is a must. When in a caliber you are shooting at a 12 inch target at c a p a b l e o f Photo by Bill L. Olson 600 or 1,000 yards any kind of movement making kills at The right combination of rifle, trigger, ammunition and scope allows this will make you miss. A two pound or longer ranges. hunter to make long range shots on prairie dogs in West Texas. lighter trigger will keep you on target at A go o d b o l t Deer season is over and you are putting the longer range. Many shooters even action gun in 222 Rem, 223 Rem, or 17 away your big game rifle until the fall use benchrest triggers set as light as four Remington are great for shots out to 250 season returns. Now is the time to pull ounces. yards. out your small caliber rifle and start After you have your rifle ready you Beyond 250 yards a rifle which can hunting varmints. You don’t need any now need to address the scope. If you shoot a little flatter and buck the wind special equipment to have great fun and are going to be serious about shooting better will help greatly. A 204 Ruger, keep your shooting skills sharp during the prairie dogs at long range, a 3 x 9 scope 22-250, 243 Rem, or a 220 Swift work “off-season.” just isn’t going to cut it. You will need a wonders. For the person who gets serious about good scope with a higher power. Some of For the shooter who makes the really shooting prairie dogs, there are a few items that will make it easier and more fun. The right caliber will also make the weekend one that you will never forget. You can shoot over 1,000 rounds in a weekend so having the right gun, ammunition, scope, and spotting scope will make your shooting more productive and your hit ratio go through the roof. The right gun will make shooting long range at small targets much easier. You can take out your 7 Mag hunting rifle and shoot varmints, but after about 100 shots your shoulder will be very sore. Your ears will hurt from the extra noise and percussion. Plus your checkbook will be a bit smaller from paying the price for Every bullet manufacturer makes bullets for varmint hunting. Here are just a few in 22 caliber. expensive ammo. my favorite scopes are a Leupold Vari-X III 6.5 x 20, Night Force NXS 8 x 32, and Swarovski Z5 5 x 25. I have been using the Swarovski 5 x 25 scope quite a bit lately and really like it. The clarity is the best of any scope I have ever used and the click adjustment is right on. I also recommend using a ballistic turret on your scope. By using a turret you can make your adjustments to the exact quarter of an inch. If you are shooting at a large deer sized animal, a quarter of an inch doesn’t matter, but on an eight inch size target, a quarter of an inch could mean the difference between a hit or a miss. Most scope manufacturers build custom turrets for their long range scopes. If they don’t or if you have an older scope, Kenton Industries builds custom turrets for many different scopes on the market. You can have the Kenton turrets set up perfect for the bullet and velocity which you are shooting. Leupold Custom Shop or Swarovski can do a similar turret for your scope but dealing with a smaller company like Kenton is very easy. Now that you have your rifle set up, you need to know which bullet you are going to shoot. In most cases, I like to shoot a very fragile bullet which will blow up on contact. I have been using Sierra Blitz-Kings, Nosler Ballistic-Tips, and Swift Scirocco bullets. I also use the lightest bullet that my rifle will shoot well. If you use a 100 grain bullet in your 243 for hunting deer try 30 march 2015 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal march 2015 Any number of calibers can be used to hunt varmints, but here the author considers to be the best: (left to right) 17 HMR, 22 Mag, 22 Hornet, 204 Ruger, 22-250, 243 Improved, and 6.5-284. such a problem in many parts of Texas that ranchers want them shot on sight. A sow can have about eight piglets twice a year and if left uncontrolled, in four years you will have more than 10,000 pigs on your property. These wild porkers can root up and destroy acres of crops or the greens of a golf course in a single night. Any of your favorite varmint rifles or big game hunting rifles will work on pigs, but I like using a heavier and betterconstructed bullet. Nosler Partition, Barnes Triple Shock and Swift A-frame bullets are some of the best. One other nice thing about hog hunting is you end up with some very tasty meat. There is not much better eating than a small sow or a young male pig. A really big boar makes a great trophy mount and I grind up the meat for the dogs to eat. So there is no reason to stop hunting just because deer seasons have ended. Just pick up a different gun, with different bullets and find a friendly farmer who wants you to take out a few varmints for him. a 70 or 85 grain bullet for varmints. In my 220 Swift, I use the 50 grain Nosler Ballistic-Tips. In my 6mm-284, I shoot the 85 grain Sierra and in my 223 I use the 52 grain Sierra JHP. All of these bullets will provide clean and explosive kills on both prairie dogs and coyotes. If you are going to keep the hides of the coyotes you will need a different bullet. Some shooters use a very explosive bullet and hope that the bullet will stay inside the body and not ruin the hide on the far side. I prefer to use a solid or full metal jacket bullet which will just pass through the body and leave a small hole on both sides. If you use a FMJ bullet, I think a shoulder shot works better than a behind the shoulder shot. I like to break a leg so the coyote won’t go anywhere and is dead right where I hit him. One more animal Photo by Bill L. Olson I consider a varmint Hunters have a broad range of light-weight AR platform or bolt action rifles to choose from when hunting varmints. These two is a wild hog. Wild custom rifles are from M-G Arms in Houston. swine have become TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 31 For information on guides mentioned, see Guides, Gear & Getaways on pages 67, 69, & 71 CoastWatch Danno Wise Drifting the mussel flats on Sabine Lake is a prime way to catch trout and redfish in March. March will see warmer weather and more active fish and fishermen as winter yields to spring. March is usually a good time to catch trophy trout, but it also signals the start of ‘numbers season.’ In fact, often times trout fishermen must choose between chasing big fish or going after a cooler full of keepers. March is also the time when the bay traffic transitions from a relatively few hardcore pluggers to growing masses of casual fishermen. But, since there will be more fish, more active in more parts of the bays, the swelling number of anglers will go virtually unnoticed. What won’t go unnoticed, though, is the increasing wind velocity. Throughout the w inter, high w inds prevailed immediately before and during frontal passages. However, anglers were typically afforded a few calm days between fronts. As March gets going calm days will become much more rare. But, a little extra wind is a small price to pay for warm weather and better fishing. Matagorda guide Capt. Tommy Countz says March means good fishing will be had in both East and West Matagorda bays. “I’ll spend a lot of March in West Matagorda Bay,” said Countz. “I’ll start out throwing topwaters in the shallows. Then once the sun starts getting up high, I’ll back out to the grass beds and the guts outside the bars. When I’m fishing the beds, I’ll switch over to Norton Sand Eels and will mostly be targeting trout. “But, we also get a lot of redfish in West Bay in March. If we get a late northern that knocks all the water out of the bay, we’ll have some really good redfish action. But, we usually have good redfish action in West Bay during March regardless.” “I will also be fishing in East Matagorda Bay at times. Most of the time when I’m fishing East Bay, I’m drifting those midbay reefs. You can pick up a lot of good fish drifting East Bay in the spring. If you want UPPER COAST Photo by Nate Skinner In March the sheepshead bite will begin. Sheepshead are often overlooked by anglers but put up a nice fight and are excellent to eat. 32 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal march 2015 to try and catch a little bigger fish, you can wade those reefs as well. If you’re wading those reefs, you need to be throwing Corkys or topwaters. If you do that, it’s possible to catch a really big trout.” Freeport guide Capt. Mike Segal of Reel Threel Charters says March signals the time when he begins to switch his focus to offshore action. “In March, we start getting all those Spring Break trips going,” said Segal. “We’ll do some state water snapper around the reefs and rocks - and let me tell you, there are snapper everywhere. And, if we get the right weather, we might run out looking for kingfish. I’ll also be doing some bay fishing trips in March. “But, most of my stuff will be beachfront or nearshore. We’ll do some bull red trips along the beachfront, near the mouth of Brazos River and around the mouth of the jetties. This time of year, you’ll find those bull reds in 28 to 40 feet of water. We just fish for them with sardines on bottom. When we’re fishing for bull reds, we usually pick up a few sharks as well. During March, most of the sharks are sharpnose and blacktip. “People really don’t think about fishing those bull reds much during spring, but we’ll have some really good bull red action this month. Those fish are there - big fish. You just have to go after them.” In Galveston, Capt. Greg Verm says variety will be the spice of angling life during the month of March. “The month of March marks the beginning of our spectacular sheepshead bite,” said Verm. “Each year, more and more people are realizing the awesome fun that these fish bring as well as their much overlooked table fare quality. I, personally, would rather have a fried sheepshead filet than trout or redfish. The trick is in how to properly filet the fish. “We have already begun catching nice size sheepshead and the bite will get better and better as water temps rise. In the bays, where we are already seeing an increase in sheepshead, we are catching them along oyster reefs using live shrimp under a popping cork. “The bite along the jetties has began to increase, and live shrimp free lined along the rocks is a sure bet. We will adjust the amount weight depending on the strength of currents and also the depth the fish are staging. “Also, March will be a great month to march 2015 hook into giant black drum. Fresh blue crab, live crawfish or cut mullet will be the baits of choice fished in depths from 10 to 26 foot deep. These fish will put up an awesome battle and are great fun for kids. We will once again be donating boats to the annual Turning Point Drum Tournament. “This is a great event for those physically challenged to get out on the water and catch some of these brutes! We usually enter the youth division and it is a great experience. I have actually placed in the Top Three the last two years. Great times indeed. “Flounder gigging will be very good when conditions allow. Conditions are usually unfavorable during March, but when conditions allow - results can be outstanding. “Reds and trout will also be on the hit list in the bayous and marsh. Live shrimp and mullet will usually do the trick.” Sabine Lake guide Capt. Randy Foreman says March fishing is fairly easy so long as you have two things — mullet TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 33 Photo courtesy Trey Prye There will still be some trophy sized trout caught in March on Texas upper coast and in southwest Louisiana. and moving water. “March is a good month for us,” said Foreman. “But, you’ve got to find mullet and you have to fish on an incoming tide. “For the most part, I’ll be drifting the flats on the Louisiana side, fishing two to four feet of water over mussel flats. And, I’ll still be throwing Down South Southern Shad. I’ll be throwing Red Shad for the most part. “ Bu t , i f t h e shrimp move in, I’ll switch to glow/ chartreuse. March is when we start seeing the shrimp come back into the lake. When they’re here, glow is the color you want to throw.” “As everything starts warming up in March, those shrimp will start coming back in. If we have a good, strong incoming tide, it will push those shrimp in. On the south end of the bay, we’ll start seeing some good bird activity over the shrimp. Early in the month, it will mostly be small fish under the birds. But, by the middle of March you can catch some pretty good fish under the birds.” “The reds will still be on the banks in March. Just like February, the reds will be on the drops against the shorelines over shell. Plus, those big redfish will start showing up around the jetties. There won’t be many days you can fish out there in March because of the weather, but you can catch plenty of big reds out there when you can fish it. “And, we’ll start seeing some good flounder fishing during March. I’ll be working the points and eddies and bayous along the Louisiana shore and flippin’ glow/chatreuse Southern Shad covered with ProCure Gel. I’ll also be using that same bait, fishing the drops along the Sabine channel. I’ll find areas where 4 feet drops to 10 feet and fish there for both flounder and trout.” soft-plastics and shrimp are the ‘go-tos.’ But, even though trout will be the number one target, there will also be good numbers of redfish found throughout the south end of Calcasieu during March. The majority of the redfish will be found along the shorelines in knee to waist deep water. However, there will also be plenty of spottails around the weirs. A variety of soft-plastic lures and natural baits will tempt redfish during March. Tuna will be the main focus in March for anglers leaving out of Venice. Fishermen making the run can expect to find tuna over the offshore lumps. March is the month when most of Louisiana’s record fish are caught, so anglers can expect to tangle with big bruiser tuna. In fact, most of the fish on the lumps in March are over 100 pounds, with 200 pounders being a real possibility. March is also a great month for wahoo, which will also be thick around the lumps. Like the tuna, the wahoo run big in March, averaging around 50 pounds with 95 to 100 pound fish being common catches. Inshore fishing in the Venice area is mostly influenced by the condition of the Mississippi River in March. The water level, salinity and temperature of the river water is most affected by the amount of snow melt and runoff up north. If the river is in good condition, anglers can expect good trout fishing with solid specks. Anglers wishing to play it safe should target areas like the oyster bars around Hopedale which won’t be affected by the river and will likely produce good catches all month regardless. There will be some redfish moving into the marshes in March, but that, too, will be influenced by the condition of the river. The most consistent redfish action will be on the outside of the cane breaks during March. LOUISIANA COAST Photo courtesy Capt. Greg Verm March is the month when anglers can tangle with big black drum. 34 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal Spring is trout time on Lake Calcasieu. Big Lake fishermen will have plenty of options during March. The third month is still prime big trout time on Big Lake. Fishermen looking for sow specks should concentrate on the shorelines, throwing slow-sinking baits like the MirrOlure Catch 2000. On warm days, topwater plugs can produce good results as well. Fishermen looking to box numbers of keeper specks should concentrate on the reefs. When seeking school-size specks, march 2015 Photo by Nate Skinner Capt. Nick Poe of Big Lake Guide Service shows off a quality of trout available in March on Lake Calcasieu in southwest Louisiana. A slow sinking Corky that caught this fish will remain a good option this month. march 2015 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 35 BASSOLOGY | Matt Williams Former State Record Holder Gets Hall of Fame Status The guy who caught what is arguably the most famous fish ever caught in the history of Texas freshwater fishing is finally in line to reel in the recognition he deserves. Mark Stevenson of Alba will be inducted to the Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame during the annual Toyota ShareLunker banquet set for June 6 at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens. The angler was nominated by Frank Ray Johnston, Jr., of Quitman. The main focus of the banquet is usually placed on a small army of taxidermy replicas representing all the heavyweight bass turned over to the ShareLunker program during the pre v ious season. T his year the spotlight will be shining especially bright Photo courtesy Mark Stevenson on Stevenson, or at least it Fishing guide Mark Stevenson of Alba is best known for his catch of the first entry into TPWD’s ShareLunker should be. program in 1986. The 17.67-pound largemouth bass from Lake Fork, known as Ethel, was the state record Anyone who knows at the time and achieved international fame during her subsequent residence at the Bass Pro Shops store in the history of Texas bass Springfield, Mo. Stevenson will be inducted into the Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in June. fishing knows Stevenson’s induction to the HOF is over due. Long over as its first entry didn’t necessarily spurred the construction of numerous overdue. spell instant success for the program, marinas and other businesses while at Stevenson is a Lake Fork fishing guide but it certainly gave organizers the jump the same time driving real estate sales who caught a 17.67 pound largemouth start they needed to help sell the concept through the roof. A 1996 economic survey bass from the 27,000-acre reservoir on to fishermen at a time when “catch and indicated the lake generated about $26 Nov. 26, 1986. The fish ranked as the release” was just beginning to get a toemillion annually for local economies. Texas state record until 1992, when Barry hold in Texas fishing circles. Stevenson didn’t have to loan the fat St. Clair reeled in an 18.18 pounder that Obviously, the sales pitch worked. fish he nicknamed “Ethel” to the state, but gobbled up a live shiner as he fished for The program has since taken in nearly he did. It was his willingness to do so for crappie near the dam. 560 entries. which he is now finally being rewarded Twenty-eight years later, Stevenson’s Furthermore, word of Stevenson’s with a HOF induction. bass still ranks as the heaviest bass ever catch spread like wildfire and helped The HOF was created 17 years ago caught by an angler in Texas using an lure millions of visitors to a lake that to enshrine people or organizations that artificial lure. He caught it on a Stanley Jig. eventually became known as the best have made meaningful contributions to What makes the fish even more special in America for outsized bass. Today, Texas freshwater fishing. In my book, is it was the inaugural entry to Texas Fork is responsible for nearly half of the Stevenson’s contribution was a heck of Parks and Wildlife’s Operation Lone Star ShareLunker program total and more a lot more meaningful than many of the Lunker Program (currently called Toyota than half of Top 50 heaviest bass ever inductees before him. However, for some ShareLunker). caught in Texas. The big bass explosion at reason there has been a lengthy delay Having a new state record handed Fork resulted in an economic boom that in recognizing him for it. He has been 36 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal march 2015 nominated before, but was rejected. Some have speculated that Stevenson’s HOF induction may have come long before now had it not been for a decision he made in early 1987. That decision was to remove Ethel from the display tank at the now defunct TPWD Tyler Fish Hatchery just a few months after it was caught and send her to Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, Mo., as part of a lease agreement. I don’t know about all of that. What I do know is the guy certainly shouldn’t be faulted for jumping at the opportunity to make a few bucks off of his own fish. Stevenson is a hard working fishing guide. It’s a tough occupation where every little bit helps. Stevenson said he signed an initial lease for $15,000 and received $300 per month from Bass Pro Shops during the eight years Ethel was finning around in a giant, state-of-the art display tank for millions of people to see. The fish finally died at the age of 19 and weighed in at about 20 pounds. The guide said he had two other initial offers on the table that would have paid him significantly more money than the deal with Bass Pro Shops did. One was with a fish tank exhibit that traveled to boat shows all around the country. The other was with a private fish breeding operation. Stevenson said the chose the less valuable of the three offers in Ethel’s best interest. “I don’t think she would have lasted a year being hauled all over the country,” he said. “She had the best of everything at Bass Pro Shops. They had a full time biologist looking after her. There wasn’t any stress and no changes in the climate. It was the best possible environment for longevity. In looking back it all worked out for the best.” In more ways than one. During her eight years at Bass Pro Shops headquarters, an estimated 20 million visitors came to see the fat fish from Lake Fork, Texas. Not all of those people came to soak their baits at Lake Fork, but you can bet a bunch of them did. Ethel was so popular with visitors that Bass Pro felt compelled to give her a memorial service when she died there in 1994. Hundreds of people attended, including company founder Johnny Morris and dozens of members of the press. Morris’ appreciation for the big bass extended well beyond the 1994 memorial service. In 2004, he provided a $650,000 challenge grant to aid in the construction of a $2 million classroom/conservation center at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens. He dedicated the contribution in Ethel’s name. In addition to his close association with Texas most famous bass, Stevenson is being recognized for organizing fishing trips for various charity organizations and for his involvement with the Lake Fork Sportsman’s Association. Joining Stevenson at the induction podium will be members of the Guadalupe River Trout Unlimited organization. With more than 5,000 members, GFTU is the largest Trout Unlimited organization in the nation and has played a key role in the development of a year-round trout fishery on the Guadalupe River in Central Texas. The organization also funds scientific studies of the fishery and contributes to a variety of conservation programs aimed at promoting premium water quality essential for maintaining good trout fisheries. Check back often for the latest outdoor news from across Texas, the United States, and around the world. • • • • • • • • Stay informed in between issues Latest outdoor updates and news Links to all your favorite resources Information for hunters and anglers Tide Tables Hunting & Fishing times Read issues online for subscribers And much, much more! Stay OUTDOORS informed! Follow us on Facebook! Texas Outdoors Journal Updates, News, Giveaways and More, delivered straight to your newsfeed! march 2015 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 37 GUNS ‘N STUFF | Harold Gunn What Was HOT at S.H.O.T 2015 The Browning Citori 725 Sporting 28 Gauge. This year’s Shooting Hunting Outdoor Trade Show in Las Vegas, plus the annual Media Day at the Range at Boulder City showed off some outstanding new products. Since Winchester last introduced a new bolt-action rifle design a half-century ago many advances have been made in metallurgy, materials and manufacturing processes. Due to the legend of the pre64 Model 70 they had to come up with something that would pass muster. The result is the innovative all new XPR boltaction rifle. The new XPR features the Winchester M.O.A. Trigger System that is adjustable and is set at the factory at a crisp 3 ½ pounds. The trigger housing and all internal components in the XPR rifle’s M.O.A. trigger are constructed of polished and hardened carbon steel, with a blued finish for added durability and corrosion resistance. The receiver is constructed from chromoly steel barstock that is precision machined and throughhardened during heat-treating to create a strong, stiff and solid receiver. The ejection port has been opened for more reliable ejection and easier access when loading single cartridges. The bolt has a short 60-degree lift for improved scope clearance when cycling. The bolt body is coated with Nickel Teflon for smoother operation and corrosion resistance. The chromoly steel barrel is button-rifled for accuracy and is freefloating to eliminate pressure points and has a recessed target crown. The Advanced Polymer Stock features textured The CRKT “No Time Off.” panels to help improve wet weather grip and flattened fore-end profile that improves stability. Other features include a two-position thumb safety and cocking indicator, bolt unlock button that allows the chamber to be unloaded with the thumb safety in the on-safe position and a polymer detachable box magazine. The all-new Winchester XPR Rifle. 38 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal The new XPR is currently offered in 270 Win and 30-06 calibers with 24” barrel and 300 Win Mag and 338 Win Mag with 26” barrel length. Metal surfaces are matte blued to minimize. Weight is 7 -7 ¼ lbs and the sticker price is a pleasant $549.99. Browning introduced the Citori 725 in 28 gauge and .410 bore variations. Built on the 20 gauge frame, these sub-gauges feature the Fire Lite Mechanical Trigger System, hammer ejectors, beautiful gloss oil stocks and steel receivers with silver nitride finishes. Both come in Field and Sporting models, with Field models featuring high relief engraving with 26” or 28” barrels, while the Sporting models feature gold accented Sporting engraving with 30” or 32” barrels. These beautiful guns are quick to the shoulder and rapid on target, but not too light. They swing smooth and are a delight to shoot. Browning hit such a home run with their 1911-.22 they let it march 2015 Winchester’s Train and Defend ammunition. grow into the 1911-380. Based on an 85% scale of the original 1911 design as they did with the .22, the 1911-380 is the right size, weight and fit, with the features and performance of the original 1911 45ACP. This makes for a carry gun that is familiar and comfortable to shoot and so flat it is easy to conceal. Using dramatically larger limbs, leaves, bark, branches and other digitally enhanced natural elements, the new Break-Up COUNTRY pattern from Mosey Oak takes sneaky to a new level. Extensive field testing has resulted in the development of a revolutionary pattern that can truly be effective no matter where, or when, we hunt. The digitally enhanced pattern features elements found throughout North America with depth and shadowing, which make the pattern adaptable to a number of hunting situations and light periods throughout the day. Perryton, Texas is home to Republic Forge, who are manufacturing top of the heap American made Model 1911 pistols. Their website, www.republicforge. com, allows users to customize their own pistols. This technology offers dealers and consumers the opportunity to pick and choose their preferred 1911 model, frame and slide colors, sights, grips and more. They currently offer 10 models in 5 calibers with awesome choices in finishes, grips and more. These handguns are perfection and a more in depth article is in the near future. Winchester Ammunition’s Train & Defend system is designed to provide threat-stopping power with less recoil to march 2015 the shooter. The system pairs its rangeready Train rounds with technologydriven Defend rounds, both designed to limit the recoil felt by the shooter. This system provides a perfect solution for new shooters, but a much desired system for old hands. The Train rounds have a “T” on the package. With reduced recoil characteristics and lead-free primers they are range ready. In 50-count boxes, they feature brass shell cases and full metal jacket bullets. The ballistically-matched Defend rounds are marked with a “D” in a 20-count package. They are developed for threat stopping power featuring jacketed hollow point bullets and nickel-plated shellcases. The W Train and Defend system includes the following offerings: 380 ACP, 9mm, 40 S&W and 38 Sp. Rejoice because they just announced production of .45 ACP. Again, whether it is Train or Defend, the bullet weights and velocities are the same. Columbia River Knife and Tool introduced the “No Time Off ” featuring an IKBS ball bearing pivot system with a flipper that is both fast and smooth. The blade is a very beefy modified drop point. The new innovative ILS safety sets a pin between the frame and locking liner that makes all solid and safe. The waffle iron traction handle makes for a sure grip. Designer Flavio Ikoma of Presidente Prudente, Brazil, initially designed the “No Time Off ” to be a mechanic’s folder. Super strong at www.crkt.com. TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 39 Preparing for Deer Season ...NOW! Serious decisions combined with some effort help to enhance the chance at an outstanding buck. Story and photography by Bob Zaiglin 40 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal march 2015 N ow that the 2014 deer hunting is whether the landholding they hunt on one’s lease for another that has a proven season is over, sportsmen is capable of yielding the caliber of buck track record, it more than likely will be enamored by the pursuit of they are after, and if not, what can be done one that has been well managed over a this iconic species will experience some to improve it. long period of time and invariably more withdrawal symptoms. For some, it’s The one characteristic that is exuded expensive. a time to revisit the grand memories by all big buck hunters is to hunt where There are no silver bullets when it developed over the season. It might be big deer occur. Obviously, the big buck comes to optimal antler development. It that particular night at camp with the producing regions such as the ‘golden is a time consuming and most generally grandchildren roasting marshmallows triangle’ of South Texas and portions expensive endeavor that is more of a over the amber-red mesquite coals, or of the Panhandle are well known, thus passion than a job. the achievement of taking that buck of it’s not difficult to decide if your piece So before you bail ship, ask yourself a lifetime. of deer turf is within big buck hotspots. first am I where big deer should exist? For others it might be the realization The problem is even within those fabled And if the answer is yes, figure out what that their season was like all others, regions there exists some parcels of land is missing. promising much, yet relinquishing little. that fail to relinquish the quality of antlers The basic ingredient that must be March is the time of harboring all the region is known for. present is quality habitat. Establish it and the pleasantries that they will come, but not go along with one’s immediately as it takes hunting adventures, time. but if those Basic habitat memories are less management practices than desirable, now is can be employed on the time period to do large or small parcels of something about it. land, and small parcels Quality time of land, say less than spent with friends 1,000 acres, can actually and family at camp is be manipulated more always memorable as effectively than larger they are a big part of tracts. the holistic hunting The regulated ex p er i en ce . But grazing by cattle not only these activities can be reduces grass turf which entertained outside relinquishes room for the sometimes cold, forb development, but dank days of winter. by hoof action, soil Most seasoned disturbance generates sportsmen measure even more forage for their hunting season deer. The benefit of by what is harvested. cattle is only realized But they also take into when they are regulated The impact of expensive heavy equipment can be duplicated on smaller areas with an ax, account what caliber on a timely and saw, or weed whacker. of deer they allowed numeric basis, thus the to walk. In other words, a management For example, your lease or landholding management of domestic stock must be oriented hunter may categorize a season may be contiguous to a huge landholding considered. as successful if there were several young renowned for big deer yet seldom if ever If cattle are non existent, then it’s bucks observed that should develop into is an outstanding deer observed on your up to man to disturb the soil and its outstanding deer in the future. They piece of turf. The answer to this question, vegetative component. Whenever a plant simply don’t have to kill a buck in order based on the thousands of acres I survey community is disturbed, it reverts to an to enjoy a successful year. on an annual basis, is the fact that not all earlier successional stage, promoting Howe ver, if those promising land is created equal, and some areas even palatable vegetation for deer. youngsters were not seen, the desire to within big buck country fail to contain Most everyone involved in deer return to the same area the following the right genetic components or the vital management either as a professional season diminishes. habitat. or amateur have heard of the positive Now is the time to prepare for next The question then reverts to should impact roller chopping and aerating have year, and it may require some serious I relinquish my lease or is there a way to on various plant communities but they decisions if not some effort to enhance make it better? are also aware of how expensive these those most cherished memories of at least Improving one’s landholding is time implements are. getting a chance at an outstanding buck. consuming and sometimes expensive. To circumvent this expense, one can The first question one must address However, if the choice is to relinquish employ a shredder, a lawn mower, or march 2015 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 41 Prescribed fire is the most economical tool employed to curtail the spread of invasive species while stimulating the development of succulents palatable to deer. 42 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal weed whacker on smaller entities and realize the same effect. By employing a weed whacker, one can knock back the successfional stage of small strips of vegetation and enjoy the same benefits the larger, expensive tools have on larger properties. One’s objective is to enhance the habitat to benefit resident deer as well as attract others onto the property, and in some cases increase the retention of deer. Water distribution is also vital. Not only vital to deer survival, if distributed correctly, it can disperse browsing pressure, benefitting both deer and overall health of the plant community. Another beneficial technique is to develop a sanctuary on the property where habitat manipulation techniques are concentrated and enhanced by providing additional water sources along with a supplement. Much of the management on a particular deer herd remains dependent on harvest. An inadequate harvest can negate the benefits of habitat enhancement. Every landholding has a set carrying capacity that cannot be surpassed without negatively impacting deer quality. Thus it’s wise to inventory the population on an annual basis and remove excess numbers. By accomplishing an adequate harvest, not only is more vegetation made available to deer, it alleviates stress between deer, which can impact herd health. When it comes to harvest, one problem most hunters face is the decision as to which bucks should be removed. Initially, the sex ratio should be balanced by removing surplus doe while allowing bucks to mature, particularly on low or conventionally fenced properties. Sportsmen often fall prey to the concept that culling bucks is required to improve a deer herd, but there is no scientific evidence that it works. In reality, a high percentage of what most hunters remove as culls would develop racks at maturity that would satisfy 85% of the hunters in the field. Letting young deer enter the older age classes is the only bonafide method of developing larger-racked bucks. Culling bucks comes into play once the sex ratio is balanced and minimally 45% of the bucks are mature (four plus years of age). And even then the removal of bucks exhibiting less than desirable antler traits is no guarantee that largerracked males will develop. The fact is we, and I include myself, are poor judges as to what should be removed. In reality, the benefit of culling is actually a result of relinquishing more food for the survivors. Another option to be considered is supplemental feeding. No doubt time consuming and expensive, it can be the difference in developing above average racked bucks. But it impacts deer populations initially by augmenting reproduction, which means that more effort will be required to reduce deer numbers. However, if the population is maintained at or below carrying capacity, it will augment antler growth. The major concern with a pelleted supplement is the speed in which it passes through the rumen. The rapid passage relinquishes little time to absorb all the essential elements the feed contains. Roughage in the form of the brush requires much more time to pass through the rumen, thus more of its nutrients are absorbed. Based on the fact that the rumen is a muscle, it benefits more from digesting march 2015 Culling bucks is no silver bullet in augmenting antler size, particularly when most culls, if allowed to mature, could represent trophy deer to most hunters. brush than it does from a pellet. It’s the roughage component that helps sustain a healthy rumen, making cottonseed a more march 2015 desirable supplement. Cottonseed is also seldom utilized by hogs, which eliminates the construction of additional fencing. Whole cottonseed contains high amounts of digestible energy and protein and moderate amounts of fiber. More importantly, it does not degrade in moist conditions and is not readily sought after by non-target animals. One potential concern of providing deer whole cottonseed is the presence of a natural chemical called gossypol that has been shown in livestock to decrease reproductive capability in males. However, with a diversified food source on open range, this is not apt to occur. It remains prudent, however, to curtail cottonseed distribution minimally five weeks before the breeding season. Regardless of one’s effort to improve the habitat, the ultimate factor in the development of exceptional-racked bucks is the age of the animal. Thus before any management is implemented, the question as to how many bucks are harvested on an annual basis and how old they are must be addressed. Like I mentioned earlier, nothing impacts antler size more than age, and it takes time to develop those outstanding racks, and the more bucks harvested generally the longer it takes. TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 43 For information on guides mentioned, see Guides, Gear & Getaways on pages 67, 69, & 71 Lake Roundup EAST TEXAS By Matt Williams PALESTINE — If you are a bass angler and have been pondering thoughts of visiting this East Texas gem, but have yet to make the trip, now would be a good time to pull the trigger. According to fishing guide Ricky Vandergriff, the shallows are going to be a war zone. “The spawn is going to be on big time,” Vandergriff said. “There are going to be a lot of fish up shallow doing their thing. It’s a great month for big fish, and the numbers can be good, too.” Early in the month, Vandergriff will spend the majority of his time fishing up north in the Cade’s Lake, Kickapoo, Old Folks Playground and Flat Creek areas. The water is shallower and more protected from chilly north winds than the deeper south end, so water temperatures will warm quicker and attract bass sooner. Vandergriff says any number of baits will produce fish throughout the month. His favorites in descending order are the Mister Twister Comida, spinnerbait and a Shimmy Shaker, which is a bladed swim jig he makes. “There will be a lot of pre-spawners still hanging around in the drainages, but there will also be some fish making beds on the banks and in the back waters,” Vandergriff said. “Whether or not you’ll be able to see them will depend a lot on the weather. If we get a bunch of rain, it’ll dirty the water and you’ll pretty much have to blind cast and cover water.” Vandergriff said the same patterns 44 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal will apply down south during the latter part of the month. He suggests targeting the backs of major and secondary feeder creeks. Boathouses will also be a player. The guide says crappie should be occupying many of the same areas as the bass. He suggests going after them using a slip cork rig matched with a live shiner or casting a small jig on light tackle. March also marks the time when the meat of the white bass will be in progress up the Neches River. Anglers can access some sweet spots from the lake, but most use the ramp off of Highway 31 near Chandler. Flatbottoms, kayaks and other small boats are advised. While the whites will hit assorted baits, small jigs, Roadrunners and crankbaits rule. The daily limit is 25 fish, 10 inches, per angler. SAM RAYBURN — We saw some big rains in deep East Texas in January and the wet weather put lots of water where it hasn’t been in years. As of this writing the big lake east of Lufkin had climbed to nearly half a foot above normal, flooding buck brush and willow bushes with as much as three feet of water in places. “We haven’t seen that in a long time,” said local pro and fishing guide Stephen Johnston. “If the rains keep coming there could be water around the pine trees by the time March gets here.” According to Johnston, high water during the spring will put water so far back into the bushes that it will enable the bass to access backwaters so thick with brush that it will make it next to impossible to get to them in a bass boat. This will afford the fish the opportunity to spawn with very little fishing pressure.” “This could wind up being one of those years that is real good for the fish, but not so good for the fishermen,” he said. “We’ll just have to see what happens.” Fishing for bass in or around flooded bushes is fun, but it also can be challenging. That’s because it is tight quarters fishing where accuracy with bait placement is a virtue. Flipping with weedless creatures or jigs is good way to fish the bushes. The trick is to cover lots of water and to get baits in tight around the bases of large willows or in thick clumps of buck brush. Bushes that are situated on points or along side a channel break are a good bet. Johnston says anglers also will be able to catch fish casting lipless crankbaits, spinnerbaits, Senkos and jerk baits around submerged grass beds on flats well as main lake and secondary points. There also will be groups of pre-spawners staged along creeks and drainages at mid-range depths waiting to make their moves towards the shallows around the next full moon on April 4. If you like fun fishing, now is a good time to head up the Angelina River. The white bass run should be going full swing as we speak. If you are not familiar the backwoods access points off FM 1275, the best spot to launch is the Angelina River bridge crossing on U.S. 59 between Lufkin and Nacogdoches. This is close quarters fishing with lots of brush and log jams in places, so leave the bass rig at home and stick with a flatbottom boat or canoe. TOLEDO BEND — If this March is like most, there will be armies of bass finning around in skinny water or setting up in staging areas along channels and ditches getting ready to go skinny as the spawning season approaches. According to fishing guide Stephen Johnston, there should be bass to be caught in water as shallow as six inches or as deep as 10 feet. Anglers can look for a big wave of fish to move shallow up north around the next full moon, which falls on March 5. Farther south, the first major move may not occur until the April 4 full moon. Keep in mind, this is taking into consideration normal weather conditions. If February turned off abnormally cold it could push things back a bit. If it was warm, things could start happening sooner. Johnston says anglers should be able to catch fish using a wide variety of techniques and baits. For shallow fish, he recommends throwing a wacky worm, Senko or Texas rigged lizard around flooded hay grass and other shallow cover. Sight fishing also could come into march 2015 WANNA GET SKINNY? Would you like the ability to access those hard to reach fishing holes that are beyond the shallows? SeaArk Tunnel Hulls and Jet Tunnel Hulls can get you there in the skinniest of waters. Find a dealer near you by visiting our website: www.seaarkboats.com play in some areas provided there has Assorted lures will work, but some will probably get you a whole lot more. been enough sunshine to warm water produce consistently better results than If the water is clear, sight fishing also temperatures sufficiently to coax fish others. In early March, when the fish are in could come into play. But as a rule it is not onto beds. a pre-spawn mode, it is hard to go wrong a very promising tactic day in and day out. For staging fish, Johnston suggests with a sub-surface bait that penetrates the Just about any shoreline will hold bass throwing a suspending jerk bait, jig, a water column two to four feet beneath this month, but some of the better areas Strike King crankbait or Strike Pro Big the surface. will be found towards the rear of major Bubba or slow-rolling a spinnerbait. One of the best to evolve in recent and secondary creeks such as Big Loco, He pointed out that pre-spawn bass are times is the umbrella rig matched with Little Loco and Yellow Bank. prone to stage in groups. Where Anglers should you catch one, there are likely to remember Lake be others. Na c o g d o c h e s h a s a On a different note, the restrictive 16 inch white bass run should still be maximum length limit going strong when March rolls on largemouth bass. You around. Anglers can launch at can retain five fish per day any number of places, but ramps under 16 inches but all at Deadwood and River Ridge others must be released, will put you right in the middle unless it is a potential of the fish. ShareLunker candidate. The white bass fishing on CO NR O E — L a k e the Sabine is world class. The Conroe was at pool level river produces plenty of thickand in good shape as of shouldered whites weighing this writing. According to upwards of three pounds and fishing guide Butch Terpe, they will hit an assortment of things are setting up nicely baits including small spinners, for some outstanding Roadrunners and crankbaits. springtime fishing. Live crawfish fished on open “March is a great time to come to Conroe,” Terpe sandbars using a bell weight also said. “There’s going to be a can be killer. bunch of bass holding in Cr a p p i e ? Acco rd i n g to shallow water, and there Johnston, there should be plenty will be some big ones up of fish gravitating towards the there, too.” shallows to spawn. He suggests Early in the month, looking for them in the backs of Terpe suggests targeting creeks in water ranging one to bridge rock and other four feet deep using Roadrunners hard stuff around the and small jigs. bank using plastics, square “Just remember the water bill crankbaits and lipless needs to be clear,” he said. Photo courtesy Richard Jue crankbaits. He says rock “Muddy water will screw the Look for Conroe to give up steady limits of one to three pound catfish in soaks up sunlight and crappie fishing up big time.” March. displaces heat that can NACOGDOCHES — If lakes warm water temperatures a degree or could burn, Lake Nacogdoches would series of small swim baits. For best two. That can be super attractive to bass likely be on fire this month. Translation: results work it over shallow grass flats, in spring, especially early on when the fish If you wanna’ get bit, there may not be a on main lake and secondary points and first start moving up. better place to wet a hook. along channel breaks in four to eight feet Once the spawn gets underway, the The water level jumped as high as of water. Other good choices include a 18 inches above normal in late January. guide will look to the backs of secondary lipless crankbait, square bill crankbait, Depending on what weather did in late and major creeks where he will fan cast suspending jerk bait, swim jig, spinnerbait February, anglers can expect to see a around shoreline cover using a Senko, and Chatterbait. normal-or-slightly-above water level and Fluke or Texas rigged lizard or craw Once the fish lock on beds is when stained-to-muddy conditions in early matched with a light sinker. He says the you’ll need to use some discipline and March. lake’s upper reaches will warm up faster slow things down. Moving baits might still Regardless, bass are likely to be in a than the lower end, because the water is produce a few bites, but Senkos, Flukes, spawning mode or real close to it. For that shallower and more protected. Texas rig lizards and other baits designed reason anglers are sure to find the most to be bumped across bottom or creeped Terpe said there are several areas in takers in water ranging 0-10 feet in depth. through water column at a turtle’s pace the vicinity of the National Forest that should be holding good numbers of bass early in the month. He suggests probing the shallows around old brush, bushes and weeds that sprouted back when the lake was low. As the month progresses, spawning activity will slowly move southward. Follow the same approach and you should stand a good chance catching fish out of skinny water all month long. If the water is clear enough, Terpe suggests giving sight fishing a try. “I really enjoy it — it’s a fun way to fish,” he said. “Even if you don’t catch every fish you see, it’s still fun watching how they react when you bring the bait around their nest. Every one of them is different. The guide said March also produces steady limits of one to three pound channel cat with an occasional blue cat. He likes to target whiskered fish around baited holes using punch bait or dips baits placed on a sponge hook. The FM 1097 bridge always produces good results, as does the San Jacinto River channel. Best depth range is 20 feet. LIVINGSTON — Lake Livingston jumped to about 10 inches above full pool in late January and the water clarity up north was poor. Depending on what happens in February, bass anglers could be looking at a off-color fishing situation by the time March rolls around. According to fishing guide Randy Dearman of Onalaska, dirty water on Livingston is never a good thing in early spring. Keep that in mind when planning a trip. If Livingston is a muddy mess, Dearman says it might be a wise move to look elsewhere for a place to soak your baits. According to Dearman, the best place to find clear water is in the backs creeks, ditches and small cuts that are located in areas that are somewhat protected from heavy runoff that flows down the Trinity River after a major downpour.. “The Trinity can mud things up in hurry after a big rain,” Dearman said. “But there are isolated pockets and canals that usually clear up ahead of everything else. Those are the types of places I look for this time of year.” Some of the best spawning areas will be shallower than two feet. Dearman suggests moving into these areas as quietly as possible to avoid spooking the fish. He uses a push pole a lot this time of year. 46 march 2015 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal march 2015 “It’s work, but it allows you stay off of the trolling motor,” he explained. “This helps prevent spooking the fish before you realize they are there.” Dearman says the earliest spawning activity on the lake always gets underway in creeks and wind protected pockets north of the Highway 190 bridge. White Rock and Harmon are two of Dearman’s longtime favorites. He also likes Carolina, Caney and Palmetto. “Just about any creek up and down the lake can be good, but the water always warms up the soonest on the lake’s north end,” Dearman said. “It’s shallower up there, and shallow water always warms the quickest.” March also is a great time to get a taste of some of the best white bass fishing on the Trinity River upstream for Livingston. That’s where armies of white bass go to partake in their annual spawning run every February and March. You can get up-to-date reports on river flows, and the fishing, by contacting Lock-n-Dam Marina and bait shop at (936) 536-2248 or lockndam.com. ALUMINUM BOAT SPECIALISTS For All Your Fishing & Hunting Needs Excel 2172 Viper Centerconsole Pro Drive Duck Hunter Special Excel Bay 203 Centerconsole COASTAL BOAT & DOCK SPECIALISTS Models from 1860 to 2420 Professional Accommodating Any Design and Need 12525 I-10 East | Baytown, TX www.genespowersports.com | 281-385-5888 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 47 LAKE FORK — I am starting with Lake Fork this month for a couple of reasons. First, all of us would like to congratulate our regular source for Lake Fork information, guide Mark Stevenson, on his induction into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. This honor is long overdue in my opinion, and you can read more about his induction in the issue. Congratulations Mark. You deserve it! Second, Lake Fork will be one of the top two or three (if not the number one) destinations for the bass fisherman, as it is every spring. Fishermen from around the country, and the world, descend on Fork every year in March looking for that elusive trophy bass of a lifetime. And many will succeed in their quest. We asked Mark Stevenson to help us help anglers achieve their goal this spring. Red ‘traps in the spring are a staple at Fork, “Early March is pre-spawn on Fork,” said Stevenson. “Use a medium to medium heavy rod with a fast tip, a 6:1 reel spooled with 20 pound fluorocarbon line. “Tie on a ’Trap or Cordell Spot and work the points back into the little cuts and the creeks,” he explained. “You are trying to cover a lot of water. The trap is the finest search bait made.” During the pre-spawn period, little fish will go Here are a few springtime lipless crankbaits in various shades of red — (clockwise from upper left) —Rat-L-Trap back first then the bigger mini, Bass Pro Shops XTS Rattle Shad, Livingston Lures Pro Ripper, Rat-L-Trap standard size and in the center a ones show up. In addition Rat-L-Trap Magnum. submerged vegetation to provide cover for baitfish and bass alike. Vegetation that can be fished on a reliable basis, a stable pattern if you will. So what is the angler to do at Purtis Creek? Well, the big fish are still there and they still come shallow to spawn in the spring. Look to deeper structure as the key holding area for bass before they move up shallow. For reference here, deep is over eight feet and shallow is less than four feet. The area where the boat ramp is located has a fishing pier. Between the pier and the dam is a cove containing an old brood pond. The water in the main lake at this area, given normal lake levels, is about 20 feet deep. The pond dam comes up to eight feet or so, then drops again to about 10 or 12 feet. This is a great place to throw Carolina rigs, ‘Traps, diving crankbaits and jigs. The Carolina rig can be thrown over the dam into the main lake. Put your boat on the shallow side of the dam, make a long cast and retrieve your bait to the base of the dam, up the face and into the pond. Jig fishermen can do the same. The ‘Trap can be used along the banks inside the pond itself, while the diving crankbaits can be used parallel to the dam face, on the deep side. This cove is also one of the first places to warm in the spring and one of the first places you will see cruising bass and beds being made. Spinnerbaits will work along with the ‘Trap for aggressive fish, while a jig or Texas-rigged lizard will catch those fish in the two to four foot range. Spinnerbait colors for me are white, chartreuse or a combination of the two, and red/black. Jigs will be black/blue, white on white, or green pumpkin and chartreuse. ‘Traps can be blue/chrome, black/chrome or red. If this area is not working go to the northwest corner of the lake and work the same baits around the creeks leading into the little coves there. CEDAR CREEK — Crappie guide Chuck Rollins has been on this lake for many years, and he really knows the crappie habits. For March fishing he recommends going shallow. “We spend most of our time in March fishing between one and four to six feet of water,” he began. “We rarely fish over 8 feet deep. Our go-to bait is a 1/16oz. or 1/8 oz. jighead with a soft plastic body by Constant Pursuit Outfitters, or a Slab Bandit from Crazy Angler online. The 48 march 2015 NORTH TEXAS By Brian Hughes TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal to the lipless crankbaits, try the jerkbait, spinnerbait, Senko, Texas rigged lizard and then a jig in that order. Marks’ favorite way to catch big fish is with a 3/8 jig, with a bulky trailer to slow the fall, hopping and swimming the bait. “You may not get as many bites but they will be quality,” he said. If you don’t like fishing slow, keep working the ‘trap. “It’s still a magic bait on this lake,” says Stevenson. “Back up the ‘trap with a spinnerbait, they’ll both catch big fish!” Another big fish tactic for bright calm days is the Senko or Hyper Stik, rigged weightless. Fish it on 20 pound line minimum. “They’ll bite, and swim away before you know it, headed for cover,” he stated. “You need that strong line to turn ‘em back to the boat.” Mark uses a 4/0 or 5/0 hook for this tactic. Colors include black/blue laminate and green pumpkin with cotton candy flake. One of his everyday rigs is a miniCarolina rigged Kreature on an 18 inch leader and ¼ -5/16 oz. weight. And just to be different, every now and then try bubble gum and Merthiolate colors. “On the days they are working these colors are pure dynamite on bass at Lake Fork.” PURTIS CREEK — I first started fishing Purtis about four months after it opened. It looked for all the world like a miniature Lake Fork. Lots of timber and hydrilla everywhere, and very clear water. The first few times I fished the lake you could throw just about anything and catch fish. I would bet you could put a hook on a church key and catch a five-pound bass on it in no time. That was the other draw, four to six pound bass were easy to catch, and if you put in the time, a 10 pounder was a reasonable ask. Things have changed in the 30 years since those days. Gone is much of the timber above the waterline. Gone is all of the grass. Texas Parks & Wildlife Department put in grass carp several years ago to control the spread of hydrilla and other invasive water weeds. This the carp did in smart fashion. Now you’ll see some flooded brush and grasses if the water level is up but not much else. TPWD has begun a project to plant native grasses into the lake but that will take several years to provide the results fishermen are looking for, namely enough march 2015 best colors are greens, yellows and whites.” Sandies and hybrids will be a popular choice during March, especially with the spring break crowd. “We have a lot of folks with summer homes on the lake and they usually show up for the first time each season at spring break,” said Rollins. “The sand bass and hybrid stripers are fairly easy to catch, even if you’re not an experienced angler.” That said, there are some tricks to know. “The birds will locate schools of fish for you, but the fish will be 15-25 feet deep in 20-40 foot of water,” he explained. “The most common mistake is for people to see the gulls working and throw lipless crankbaits, or even topwaters thinking the fish will be on top.” But the guys at bigcrappie.com know better and they will go deeper to catch the fish. “There are really two choices,” advises Rollins. “Either vertical fishing straight down from directly above the school, or casting a Sassy Shad.” They rig the plastic body on a ¾ ounce jighead, make a long cast and count down the bait to the middle of the school. A slow retrieve through the school catches the fish. Obviously we rely on our electronics to determine the depth we will fish.” Catfish begin to move up onto points in late March. Use cut shad and work the points from two to three feet deep on out until you locate the fish. This will also catch some hybrids and sandies as well. One final note. Cedar Creek is a very shallow lake overall. As of this writing the lake was six feet low and many ramps are unusable. The Log Cabin ramp will be your best bet. CADDO — Guide Paul Keith on Caddo has a unique situation for Texas lakes right now, Caddo is full and the fishing should be excellent. “We will look to the Cypress trees in March,” said Keith. “One to three feet of water in the trees, with underwater hydrilla is perfect.” To catch the Caddo bass he’ll use a Senko or V&M Pork Shad, Texas rigged and weightless. Another approach is a light weight with a V&M 6 ½” Lizzie lizard. For those that like to pitch and flip, the 1/2 ounde jig or a 3/8 ounce Kreature will do the trick. “My favorite colors include watermelon/red, black/blue and June Bug,” he says. “Another good plan is to cover a lot of water with ½ ounce Lightnin’ Blade and a ½ ounce V&M SWIM JIG around the tress at creek edges,” suggested Paul. “You can also use a spinnerbait as a search bait. When you catch a few, slow down and go back over the area with soft plastics.” It is Texas, and it is spring so some anglers will go to open water and throw red traps over the grass and old pad stems. Be sure you have adequate line for this approach. RAY HUBBARD — Guide Johnny Procell predicts March could be fantastic. “It’s been the best winter I’ve seen in a long time,” he said. “If this holds, and it should, bass will move up to the railroad tracks in the Miller arm of the lake. Fish a Senko or jerkbait that sinks slowly, about a foot per second.” This area is protected on two sides from the wind and if the rest of the lake is 52 to 54 degrees this area will be 56 to 58 and that’s the magic number. “The bass really begin to move at 58 degrees,” said Procell. “It is shallow here, only five to six feet deep, and the fish will be in one to two feet of water. Fish the riprap with a ¼ ounce white double willow-leaf bladed spinnerbait.” His second location choice for bass would be as far north as you can go on the Highway 66 side of the lake. “Fish the levee at the old bridge, marked by a rock outcropping, with those same baits,” he said. Hybrids and sandies will be found at Rowlett Creek, at the Chaha Road/ Bass Pro Drive area, moving up the creek if they can. Because of this, bank fishing will also be good here. “Fish right in front of Bass Pro to Robertson Park,” said Johnny, “As shallow as five feet, and as deep as 25 feet, depending on temperature.” The big cove below Chandlers Landing is protected from south wind and fish will be chasing shad and maybe spawning there by the end of the month. Use shallow running cranks and look for the birds. Catfish will also be active at Miller road. “Use prepared baits and a quill float, because the bite is light and the fish are sensitive, they’ll feel other kind of floats and release the bait,” says the seasoned guide Crappie will be on boat sheds in Harbor Bay area. Standard baits apply, such as minnows, grubs and jigs. Near the very end of the month try Yankee creek. It has brush and logs as cover. Use a Roadrunner on six pound test line. TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 49 Spring Break on SOUTH PADRE Story and photography by Danno Wise F or most people, March means one thing on South Padre Island — Spring Break. This tiny sliver of sand just north of the Mexico border has long drawn college students from across the nation to celebrate this annual spring rite. But, while people pile to capacity on top of this well developed sand bar, 50 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal the year. Throughout March and April, anglers can expect regular limits of fish over 20-inches, with plenty of two-footplus trout sprinkled in to keep things interested. It is, undoubtedly, some of the best action to be had on “solid” specks. And, although true trophy trout aren’t mixed in all that often, there is always the possibility. Most of the trout action is located in an area on the west side of the Intracoastal Waterway. Basically, the area runs from just above the Queen Isabella Memorial Bridge, along the ICW to the south end of Long Bar. From there, it cuts across the open bay to the western shore and back down to the town of Port Isabel. Within this section of the Lower Laguna Madre is a number of bars, channels, guts and drop-offs, all of which have the potential to hold fish during the spring. Of the fish-holding features in this area, the ICW spoils are probably the best known and are certainly the easiest to locate. Community Bar and Long Bar have long been popular spots. But, there are dozens of unnamed spoils on both the channel side, as well as on the backside Sub-tropical weather means conditions warm more quickly and that triggers flounder to make their spring run back in to the Laguna Madre. Low boat traffic and active fish plus a variety of historic and natural attractions make this a diverse spring destination. the waters of the Lower Laguna Madre, which separate South Padre Island from the mainland, are nearly devoid of traffic. During March, spring fishing in the Lower Laguna Madre is beginning to explode. This combination of low boat traffic and plenty of active fish make South Padre Island and neighboring Port Isabel the ideal Spring Break destination for serious inshore fishermen. EASY FISHING Spring Break falls right during the time when trout begin to cover up the bars and fill the potholes in the portion of water in front of the town of Port Isabel – a period locals usually refer to as when the trout are “out front.” This is actually one of the best periods of speckled trout fishing of march 2015 From the bars and spoil islands of the Lower Laguna Madre, spring is a great time to catch numbers of over 20 inch speckled trout with some even bigger fish mixed in. march 2015 (west) of the main spoil banks, which can be just as productive and don’t generally draw much attention. The spoils which are submerged two to four feet below the water may be holding fish on top or alongside. The main spoil line slopes toward deeper water to the west. These grass covered flats step or drop one to two feet every few hundred yards until a maximum depth of around eight feet is reached. Fish will move up and down these grass covered flats and drops based on weather conditions and water temperatures. Another bonus — especially during spring — is the water behind the spoils is usually somewhat protected on windy days. Submarine Bar, a shallow, grass covered bar abruptly rises in the middle of this deep water flat. Submarine Bar generally offers excellent speckled trout fishing during spring. However, since it is located quite literally in the middle of the bay, it gets quite rough when the wind kicks up. But, on those relatively rare spring days when the wind is light to moderate, Submarine Bar is usually the place to be for quick limits of thick-sided specks. TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 51 To the south of Submarine, the PI Small Boat Channel, which extends directly out into the bay from Port Isabel, is lined with a number of grassy bars. Many of these bars have steep faces, dropping suddenly into deep water. On cooler days, anglers can do really well deadsticking baits along the face of these bars. For fishermen leaving out of South Padre Island, they can find pretty hot action right behind the city of SPI. These flats behind, which include the area known as The Pasture, as well as The Convention Center Flats, the flats behind The Shores Subdivision and the area south of Gas Well Flats provide anglers good buildings on South Padre Island provide a wind break from the prevailing southeast spring winds, giving anglers somewhat protected waters on some of the spring’s windiest days. For fishermen leaving out of South Padre Island, they can find pretty hot action right behind the city. 52 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal fishing for both speckled trout and redfish without the inconvenience of a long boat ride. Additionally, the high dunes and WHAT ELSE TO DO WHILE VISITING Of course, most people on a Spring Break vacation want something to do in the off-water hours. While there will be plenty of clubs and concerts to keep the younger spring break crowd occupied in the evenings, most fishermen and their families prefer to take in some of the areas more subdued attractions. On the mainland side is the area’s most iconic attraction — the Point Isabel Lighthouse. Originally built in 1852 to help guide ships from the Gulf of Mexico through the Brazos Santiago Pass to the shores of Port Isabel, the Point Isabel Light went into service in 1853. Although the structure itself is only 57 feet, it sits atop a 25-foot high bluff, giving the light a total height of over 80 feet. Adjacent to the Lighthouse are the Museums of Port Isabel. The two museums that, along with the Point Isabel Lighthouse, comprise the Museums of Port Isabel are the Historic Port Isabel Museum and the Treasures of the Gulf Museum. The Historic Port Isabel Museum showcases the area’s history from Native American times to modern day and is housed in the Champion Building, which was originally built as a dry goods store in 1899. A unique feature of the Champion Building is its “fish mural facade” which has been fully restored. The Treasures of the Gulf Museum features the three Spanish shipwrecks of 1554, which occurred in the nearshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Relics from these shipwrecks and other “Gulf treasures” are on display at the Treasures of the Gulf Museum. The Lighthouse is surrounded by a group of refurbished old buildings housing a variety of shops and restaurants known as the “Lighthouse Square.” The SPI Nature Center is also located in this old town square. For those wanting to spend some nonfishing time on the water, they can take a cruise on the Black Dragon, a replica pirate ship that sails daily on the Lower march 2015 Laguna with a crew full of “pirates” that perform for visitors during the tour. Other birding, dolphin watch and sightseeing tours are available from a variety of locations throughout Port Isabel as well. Across the bay, South Padre’s iconic beach draws plenty of attention from visitors of all ages. And, even with the Spring Break commotion, there is no shortage of activities for beachgoers — take a stroll, collect seashells, watch dolphins swim in the surf, walk out on jetties, go boogie boarding, view sea turtle nests or just lie down and read a book. Since SPI is such a narrow island, every condo and hotel is within walking distance to the beach. But, during Spring Break, if one wants to avoid the crowds, it is best to drive up to the beaches north of town. Also on the north end of the Island is the SPI Birding and Nature Center. With over 4,800 linear feet of boardwalk and nature trail feet of boardwalk that skirts the shallow estuary and tidal flats, the SPIBNC offers a great place to view the diverse wildlife that lives along the shores of the Lower Laguna Madre. The center also features seven bird blinds, a five-story viewing tower, an auditorium showing a short film about the flora and fauna of the South Padre Island and a nature gift shop. The anchor location for World Birding Center’s network of nine birding sites in the Rio Grande Valley, the SPI Birding and Nature Center offers visitors 50-acres from which to view dozens of bird species, including Roseate Spoonbill, Peregrine Falcon, Osprey and Ruddy Turnstone. Just down the road from the SPI Birding and Nature Center is Sea Turtle Inc. Founded in 1977 by the legendary “Sea Turtle Lady” Ila Loetscher to aid in the recovery of the endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle, Sea Turtle Inc now assists in the rescue and rehabilitation of all species of sea turtle and offers educational programs and tours at their turtle rehabilitation facility. In addition, there are several services offering dolphin watches, parasailing, sunset cruises, jet ski rentals and more along the length of South Padre Island. book a place on bay with a slip – that more or less takes vehicle traffic out of the equation for much of the visit. But, be warned, sound is an issue as music is usually pumping from noon through the early morning hours. If staying in Port Isabel, you’ll usually be okay if you avoid Hwy 100 during busy periods. Again, renting a place with a slip makes it easy, but it is possible to make it to the ramp and back without much traffic by making an early morning entrance and midday exit from the water. Overall, the Spring Break crowd is really deceptive in that it does not affect fishing one bit. Actually, if anything, it helps fishing because the reputation of Spring Break causes so many fishermen to stay away that fishing pressure on the Lower Laguna Madre during March is minimal. Those who are willing to deal with the onshore crowds — and pay the Spring break room rates — will be rewarded with a bay full of active fish and devoid of fishermen. DEALING WITH THE CROWD Spring Break crowds are not evenly distributed. Texas Week is undoubtedly the busiest time. But, even then, there usually is bad traffic during the morning hours. If staying on the Island, try to march 2015 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 53 fish its name. The scene was euphoric as beauty surrounded rushing, white water that foamed as it weathered away at the stones it flowed over, winding itself through the trees and hills of the Ouachita Mountains. As if this weren’t enough for a person to take in, hungry rainbow trout were everywhere. For the next three days the Lower Mountain Fork River in Beavers Bend State Resort Park, just six miles north of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, began to feel more and more like home. Back in January of 2014 when my wife and I were asked to go to Broken Bow with some friends, I honestly knew nothing about the destination other than that it was about six hour drive from our southeast Houston residence. Doing a little research we found that there was plenty to do and see, most of which revolved around the outdoors. Hiking, fishing, and scenic drives were all in store. We rented a log-style cabin with luxurious amenities just north of town, and spent three days trout fishing and taking in all that this unique location had to offer in and around Beavers Bend State Resort Park. Three days proved to be too short, TRAVELING TEXANS BREAK THE MOLD IN as this is definitely a place to visit for the travelling outdoor Texan. Planning a Broken Bow Adventure Broken Bow is 337 miles from Houston and right around 200 miles from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, making it a premier and convenient Texan destination. Spring is an excellent time to venture here. Fishing can be good year round, but the peak trout fishing season runs from about mid February through April and into the beginning of May. During this time, air temperatures are fairly mild with highs into the 60s and low 70s, and water temperatures in the river have warmed some making fish less lethargic. Broken Bow sees summer temperatures soar into the 90s which would make for some steamy, uncomfortable hikes through the hills. Spring is definitely the time to go. When it comes to finding a place to stay, there are several rental options in the Broken Bow area, most of which are log-cabin style properties with the finest amenities, including full kitchens, barbecue pits, outdoor fire pits and fire places, and outdoor hot tubs to name a few. Cabins are available within Beavers Bend State Resort Park, and In the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains in southeast Oklahoma lies a paradise of breathtaking scenery and one of the finest trout fisheries west of Arkansas. Story and photography by Nate Skinner T he cool air rising from the rushing water was a new feeling that felt almost as foreign as the light spinning tackle I toted along on the hike. Winding trails through the trees made for a leisurely walk down to the riverbank, as we scouted for an eddy or pool amidst the flowing river that might be holding a few trout. Approaching an area just past a bend that held some calm water, I couldn’t help but laugh as I prepared to fish this stretch of the river. Here I was donning the same gear as I would back home at this time of year—breathable waders, a lightweight 54 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal wading jacket, and polarized sunglasses. However, I was a long, long way from saltwater — nearly four hundred miles away from Galveston Bay and my Texas home to be exact. A flick of the wrist sent a pink and green rooster tail with a gold spinner into the pool near the opposite bank, where I could already see several rainbows lurking in the break from rushing water. The small spinner had caught my eye at the local fly shop, it just looked good to me, not to mention the added, “oh yea, that’s a good choice,” from the shop’s clerk, sold me on the small bait. I remember thinking, “How am I going to cast something this tiny?” Later I would thank God for the invention of light spinning gear. The trout apparently liked the rooster tail too, as one turned and engulfed the tiny offering on my third cast. The fish couldn’t have been more than thirteen inches in length, but quickly proved to be every bit worthy of the eight pound test that now pulled against it, as several runs of the drag in the swift water made for a sporting fight before the colorful creature finally came to hand. The reds, silvers, and greens that radiated and shimmered from the sides of the bow rightfully earned the march 2015 Light spinning tackle or flyrods are a perfect match for the rainbow and brown trout that inhabit these waters. march 2015 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 55 outside the park just a few miles north of Broken Bow. We rented a cabin through Brokenbowcabinlodging.com. The city of Broken Bow has a Walmart, as well as other local grocery and convenience stores. Packing food for a stay at one of the area’s cabins is a great idea, but there are several area restaurant options for dining out as well. Oklahoma License and River Zone Regulations A non-resident Oklahoma fishing license can be purchased online through the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation at www.wildlifedepartment.com/license.htm. A three-dollar convenience fee is charged. Purchasing a license from the Walmart in Broken Bow is another option. The store is open 24 hours and can process the request in a timely fashion. Licenses can also be purchase directly from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation by calling (405) 521-3852. A non-resident Oklahoma fishing license costs $15.00 per day, or a six-day license is available for $35.00. An annual non-resident fishing license costs $55.00 and expires at the end of the calendar year it is issued. Zone Regulations on the River The 12 mile stretch of the Lower Mountain Fork River is divided into three zones. These zones are categorized as either blue or red areas, and are clearly marked by signs along their entrance, and maps of these zones can be found on-line at: www.beaversbend.com/fishing.html or beaversbendflyshop.com/ river.html. In a blue zone use of bait and barbed hooks is permitted. The daily bag limit for rainbow trout is six per person with no size limit in a blue zone. In a red zone the use of bait or barbed hooks is prohibited, and fishing is restricted to barbless hooks on artificial flies and lures only. The daily bag limit for rainbow trout is one per person, with a size minimum requirement of 20 inches. The bag limit for brown trout along the entire length of the Lower Mountain For River is one per person with a size minimum requirement of 20 inches. 56 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal A pink and green Rooster tail with a gold spinner proved to be a hot bait as evident by this nice trout caught by the author on a trip to Broken Bow. Fishing the Lower Mountain Fork Rivers Fly Shop is located on the northern River edge of Broken Bow, and Beavers Bend Fly The Lower Mountain Fork River Shop is located inside Beavers Bend State is a 12 mile designated trout stream in Resort Park. Oklahoma that flows below the dam at Light spinning or fly tackle are the the spillway on the south end of Broken preferred means of targeting trout within Bow Lake, which was created by the the Lower Mountain Fork River. Small United States Army Corps of Engineers jigs and spinners work well with six to 10 through the damming of the Mountain pound test line on spinning tackle, and Fork River. According to the Oklahoma fly imitations matching the latest hatch Department of Wildlife Conservation, the along the river paired with a nine foot, Lower Mountain Fork River is restocked five-weight fly rod will also do the trick. every two weeks on Thursdays, and Clerks in one of the two local fly shops will thousands of rainbow and brown trout have plenty of advice as to the hot baits inhabit the river each year. Of this 12 and flies per the time of year. Natural mile stretch of trout stream, about five baits like night crawlers and Power Bait miles lie within Beavers Bend State Resort dough or chunks rigged under a clear float Park. Entrance to Beavers Bend is free and unlimited access to the Lower Mountain Fork River is available within the park, however, nonresidents must purchase a nonresident fishing license in order to fish the river. Visiting one of the two local fly shops north of Broken Bow is a great way to find out the latest trends as to what fish are biting, a n d a re g re a t places to pick The Lower Mountain Fork River is divided into Red and Blue Zones. The Red Zone prohibits bait or barbed hooks while the Blue Zone allows bait up tackle, flies, and barbed hooks. and lures. Three march 2015 The author and his wife Emily found some relatively “close-to-home” mountain magic while fishing the Lower Mountain Fork River in southeast Oklahoma. or bobber is another proven method for catching a few trout in the river. Some other gear items to remember when preparing to fish the Lower Mountain Fork River include waders, felt bottomed wading boots, and a light wading jacket. Although the river can be fished from the bank, waders allow for anglers to get into the water to land fish and helps to increase coverage of the river. Being confined to the bank limits the amount of water than can be fished. Wading boots with felt soles make walking over the smooth, wet rocks along the riverbank and bottom much easier and safer. A light jacket also protects anglers in case they do accidently stumble by preventing them from getting soaking wet, and also makes fishing amongst the cool mountain breezes more comfortable. The saying “Freshwater is for drinking, saltwater is for fishing,” has been a long time favorite of mine. Growing up on the Upper Texas Coast I’ve had little desire to venture into the world of freshwater march 2015 angling. Broken Bow changed that for me, and it wasn’t just the fish that did it. To say this place is beautiful is a sheer understatement. It’s breathtaking and magical, and is a paradise for any lover of things outdoors. Take the trip, make the adventure, and break the mold in a place Texans are finding as a fun and exciting getaway—experience Broken Bow, Oklahoma. Trails wind their way through the foothills to the trout-teeming rivers edge. TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 57 For information on guides mentioned, see Guides, Gear & Getaways on pages 67, 69, & 71 CoastWatch Danno Wise the casual crowd stays onshore. T h e ke y to being successful under windy co n d i t i o n s i n March is having a plan to work around the wind — or even use it to your advantage. For many anglers, that game plan involves getting out of the boat and wading for big trout. By getting in the Photo by Capt. Gencho Buitureira water, fishermen Around lower coast bridge pilings sheepshead will be caught this month. can pretty much negate the March is quite a mixed bag along the negative effects of the wind. Unlike a lower and middle Texas coast. Warmer drifting boat that’s at the mercy of the weather, warmer water and the possibility wind, a wading angler has the ability of landing a trophy trout are mixed to stop and thoroughly fish an area as in with brutal early spring winds and necessary. And, as veteran big trout growing crowds. Most of the crowds are hunters know, that’s often the only way to made up of casual weekend anglers and draw a strike from wallhanger fish. limited to the fair weather, mild-wind Despite the fact a number of sow days during spring. But, seasoned anglers specks will be landed this month, March have come to accept that some of the best isn’t all about trophy trout. Good numbers fishing can occur under some of the worst of both “keeper” specks and reds are also conditions during March and are more available this month. On most bay systems than willing to head out on the bay when anglers can find areas protected from the 58 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal wind that also produce decent numbers of keeper-size fish. Flounder will also be moving back into the bays during March. However for the most part they will be incidental catches. Sheepshead are another species that will start being caught on a more regular basis during March. In many areas, March is the best month of the year to pick up sheepshead, with the best action often concentrated around Gulf jetties. LOWER COAST “For starters, March is need calm wind to fish up really, really windy,” said there. Garza. “But, a lot of times “Usually when it gets we’ve been successful working windy, we’ll fish the color ICW between the Y and the changes south of Gas Well East Cut and around sunken Flats. When we’re fishing the barge, fishing for black drum. color changes, we’ll use both There are usually a lot of shrimp under a popping cork drum there that time of year, and soft-plastics. If the color especially oversize drum. As changes on the east side are long as it is not too rough to producing, you can usually do fish out there, you can usually just as well on the west side, do pretty good. We just fish south of Cullen’s. But, I save frozen shrimp on the bottom. that spot for when it’s really “The best condition for windy. black drum trips in this area “Around the second or is when the tide is moving out third week of March, we’ll start but not ripping. There are a lot catching fish right out front Photo by Capt. Gencho Buitureira of holes and washouts around (of Port Isabel). When the Flounder will start to make their way back into the lower and middle the marker posts. When the trout show up out front, we’ll coast bay systems in March. tide is moving out, the black start out throwing topwaters for really big trout. Then, we’ll drum will congregate in those Another option, he says. is to fish for holes. This is a good option when you are back out to a little deeper water and fish snook and mangrove snapper up the fishing with kids or, really, anyone who for numbers using either a popping cork Brownsville Ship Channel. just wants to have the rod bent. When you and shrimp or soft-plastics.” Capt Roy Garza of Get-A-Way hook into one of those big, oversize black Buitureira says Port Isabel area anglers Adventures Lodge says March presents drum, they’re going to pull for awhile. In can also expect to find good numbers of two distinctly different options for him. March, the kids are out for Spring Break sheepshead around the jetties in March. Port Isabel guide Capt. Gencho “JR” Buitureira says the warming weather brought on by March will result in a variety of target species and locations coming into play “A lot of what I do in March depends on the wind,” said Buitureria. “If we have calm winds, I’ll be doing some fishing along the ICW up north. We can usually catch quite a few trout there, especially during the early part of March, but you march 2015 march 2015 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 59 and a lot of families go fishing. This is a perfect trip for them to have fun and catch some big fish. “Otherwise, we’ll be finding protected areas to fish because wind is strong. Of course, we always have last minute cold fronts that blow in with rain and dropping temperatures. But, in between the lat fronts, we’ll be looking for trout along shorelines of West Bay. We’ll mostly be throwing soft-plastics. We’ll still be using smaller soft-plastics. I like the 3.5-inch Bass Assassin in Chicken-on-a-Chain with a 1/16 ounce jig head.” Corpus Christi guide Capt. Alan Sifford of Fish On Guide Service says wind will determine when, where and how to fish in March. “March is a windy month,” said Sifford. “The wind is really going to dictate where and how we fish. Really, I look at two main options in March. Most often, I’ll probably be wading the King Ranch shoreline. But, depending on what wind is doing I’ll also fish the Land Cut for trout, redfish, flounder and drum. When I’m wading, I’ll be throwing Bass Assassins and Corkies. Photo by Capt. Gencho Buitureira Quality speckled trout are available to anglers fishing the Lower Laguna Madre this month. For the most part, we’ll be catching trout - and some pretty good ones. But, there will also be some small bunches of redfish working along the shoreline - not a lot, but we will get some from time to time. When I’m in the Land Cut, I’ll be using shrimp for the most part. March is an excellent month to go to the Land Cut for full boxes of redfish, trout and flounder. Plus, you can pick up quite a few black drum down there. When we’re really in the fish, I’ll use a tandem rig. On one hook I’ll put a Bass Assassin, on the other I’ll put a live shrimp. At times, we’ll catch ‘em two at a time. Again, you can catch a lot of fish that time of year in the Land Cut. If you’re just looking to pick up a box fish to eat, that’s Photo by Bill L. Olson probably your best Capt. Roy Garza of Getaway Adventures Lodge says numbers of good bet.” eating speckled trout are available for anglers to catch this month. 60 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal MIDDLE COAST March presents Aransas area anglers with several options. Early in March will be the end of the black drum run. There will still be a lot of oversize drum up in the Corpus Christi ship channel. Those fish will be in 30-40 feet of water. The best way to catch them is using live shrimp and a 1/2-ounce slip sinker. There will also be some black drum on the flats. The fish found on the flats are much more likely to be in the keeper class than those found in the ship channel. Mud patches are usually a dead give-a-way that a school of drum is in the area. When they are located, the best bet for tempting black drum is live shrimp either free-lined or fished under a popping cork. In addition to black drum, the bays surrounding Aransas Pass and Port Aransas will also have a lot of redfish around. Like the keeper size black drum, the redfish will be scattered on the flats. So, to increase your chances drifting is march 2015 a better bet than anchoring. Although they will hit plastics and spoons, most fishermen will be throwing live shrimp under a cork for reds on the flats during the early part of March. Later in the month, schools of shad will start showing up and many fishermen will switch to cut shad as opposed to shrimp. Trout fishing will be fair in early March, but should get better as the month goes on. Early in March, live shrimp under a cork will be the offering of choice for most trout fishermen. As the water starts warming up, croaker will start moving in. Once the croaker reach 2 3/4 to 3 ½ inches in size, many middle coast trout fishermen will switch to live croaker as their bait of choice. Rockport guide Capt Ray Burdette says he is anxiously anticipating spring fishing. “March is one of my favorite times for bay fishing in the Coastal Bend area,” said Burdette. “If weather cooperates the warming water will allow fish to start feeding aggressively. Water temperature is the key. As days get longer, the fish will move onto the flats once the sun has warmed the water. “If the wind is cooperating as well, some great site fishing is available for big speckled trout and redfish. Look for flats adjacent to deep water. Shallow flats along a channel will produce some good late morning and afternoon fishing on sunny days. Check the water temperature. On the flats it will be from 5 to 15 degrees warmer than the adjacent deeper water. “In March, you can use artificial baits, live bait or dead bait — it all will work. Artificial and natural baits both work. Live finger mullet or mud minnows will work great. “Also try scented soft-plastics. They are a killer when worked slowly this time of year. Bottom fishing along the edge of a flat with shrimp or cut bait can also work. “Another key is to look for bait or bird action. It will lead you to fish. Moving tides will encourage the fish to bite as the water warms. Plan you fishing during tide movement if possible.” Port O’ Connor area anglers will start seeing fish move up onto the shallows and shorelines as the water warms during March. Espiritu Santo and Mesquite bays will begin to turn on as the weather and water gets warmer. march 2015 Most of the trout will be found in knee- to waist-deep water where they can be targeted with topwater and slowsinking plugs, soft-plastics and live shrimp under a popping cork. Redfish will also be found on the flats, along the shorelines and in potholes during March. Topwaters, soft-plastics and weedless spoons, as well as cut mullet will produce plenty of redfish. Photo by Bill L. Olson On days the wind blows Capt. Allen Sifford will fish Bass Assassins under a rattling float in the Land Cut TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 61 For information on guides mentioned, see Guides, Gear & Getaways on pages 67, 69, & 71 Lake Roundup Texans Are “Talking” . . . SOUTH TEXAS About Photo by Bill L. Olson While the majority of the black bass spawn on Choke Canyon will be over by March, anglers will still find some bass spawning along shorelines of the main lake, or post spawn fish nearby. By Danno Wise March usually means warming temperatures, more active fish and fishermen across South Texas. As the spring season gets underway, there is a variety of freshwater fishing action to be had throughout the region. While the black bass spawn is over or winding down on most South Texas lakes, there is still plenty of good fishing to be had. White bass remain active in the rivers and creeks that feed into the main lakes. Additionally, many of these lakes will see crappie begin moving into the shallows in preparation of their spawning rituals. Plus catfish, especially channel and blue cats, will start becoming much more active as March wears on and spring draws near. Of course, this isn’t to say there aren’t plenty of black bass possibilities as well. There will still be remnants of the spawn during March. Most South Texas lakes will still have pockets of fish on beds. But, even the post-spawn fish won’t be too deep this time of year. Anglers concentrating on shallow structure can usually find success with post-spawn and late-spawning fish during the first few weeks of spring. COLETO CREEK — According to longtime bass pro Dennis Lala, there will be plenty of shallow water action on Coleto Creek during March. “We should have some good shallow water fishing in March,” said Lala. “Those fish will be getting ready to spawn, so they’ll be up shallow. Coleto spawns a little earlier than some other lakes, so a lot of the fish will have already spawned 62 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal by March, but there will still be some big ones on the beds that haven’t spawned yet. “A Power Jerkshad will be my number one bait in March. Usually I’ll be throwing a watermelon/red or Baby Bass. Those are colors like that always work well on this lake. Most often, I’ll use it rigged Carolinastyle — especially if fish are a little deeper. When the fish are shallow I’ll use either a real light Carolina rig or use it weightless, with just a weedless hook. “You can also drag chartreuse and white spinnerbaits across beds and do real well. I like throwing one with double gold willowleaf blades. Spinnerbaits can also work well on the outside edges, if you just let them fall off the grass beds. And, we’ll have some topwater action in March. It won’t be real strong – because the water’s still warming up – but there will be some fish caught on topwaters. “Usually, the real shallow bite won’t last all day. In the afternoon, I’ll fish on the outside edges of the grass. There, I’ll use a Carolina-rigged Power Jerkshad or a Shaky Worm. By the end of March, just about all of our fish will have spawned. After those fish spawn, they back off those beds. Right off the bat, post-spawn fish can be a little finicky but, they will eat just about anything once they get straightened out. This time of year, you can do real well with a Rattling Frenzy. You can also do real well by slow-rolling a spinnerbait.” “If they’re generating on the lake, there will be plenty of fish around the hot water discharge. The main lake temperature still won’t be too warm, so the discharge will still be holding a lot of fish. You never know what that’ll catch - could be a striper, a hybrid, a black bass or a big catfish – who knows. You can throw Rattlin’ Frenzies, spoons and crankbaits for black bass and white bass. Jigs and minnows work well for crappie and white bass. And, of course, nightcrawlers and shrimp are good for catfish.” MEDINA — March is the beginning of a two-month stretch of “easy” fishing on Medina, according to Jim Gallagher of Jim’s Rebait Tackle. Unlike other South Texas lakes, anglers heading to Medina can expect to find spawning largemouth bass throughout the month of March. “March and April are our best fishing months on Medina,” says Gallagher. “March is an excellent month and that generally carries on into April. Fishing’s pretty easy for us this time of year. “Our fish (black bass) spawn a little later than they do on other South Texas lakes. Our lake is deeper and clearer than most other South Texas lakes and the water tends to be a little cooler. So, it usually takes until March for the water temperature to get right. If we get any strong, late fronts, it can set the spawn back even later. But, usually by midMarch, the fish on the upper end should begin to spawn. A week later they should be spawning in the mid-lake and a week after that the fish in the lower end of the lake should start. That is our typically pattern - the spawn begins on the top end and moves down week-by-week. “Worms, lizards and spinnerbaits will be the top choices for spawning bass. But, again, this lake is a little different than other South Texas lakes. There will be a few fish spawning shallow. But, the march 2015 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal “Hunting AND Fishing every month! That’s great!” “I love the new look of your covers.” “I read TOJ from cover to cover every month.” “Finally, a magazine that “I like it because it’s about “Best saltwater coverage covers Texas like it should Texas.” of any magazine around.” be covered.” “Your Lake Roundup “It’s the best – and most “I’ve cancelled all my useful – gift I’ve ever received. other magazines except TOJ. Keep up the good work. even talks about some of the smaller East Texas lakes I fish. “Glad TOJ knows how to count to 12!! LOL!” “Love the new look.” “TOJ just keeps getting better, and better.” ” ” ” Isn’t it time YOU found out what all the talk is about? To subscribe, call 1-800-222-4865 (4TOJ) or go online at www.texasoutdoorsjournal.com majority of the fish — and especially the bigger fish — will be spawning in deeper water, because the lake level tends to fluctuate. If all you’re catching are little males off the bank, then the females are deeper. “Once the black bass move onto the beds, they tend to stay there unless we get some extreme weather. But, we’ll also be waiting for our white bass spawn to start. And, these fish are a little more sensitive to having the right conditions. Hard rain will certainly affect the white bass spawn. For the whites to run, we need a water temperature above 62 degrees. Then we just need clear water and good flow. That is where a heavy rain could set them back. They need clear water to spawn. If it gets muddy, they will hold off until it clears. “We will also have some decent crappie activity in March. But, you have to be fishing on brush to catch crappie. There are some brush piles on this lake, but most of them are hard to find. If you happen to know where one is, you can do pretty good on crappie this month.” CHOKE CANYON — Choke Canyon is one of those lakes that usually see its bass population spawn a bit earlier than other Texas lakes. This is certainly the case during years with warm winters such as the winter of 2014-15. So, while anglers may find the occasional spawning bass on Choke Canyon this month, the majority of spawning activity will be over by the time March begins. Any fish that have yet to spawn will be located on the lower end of the main lake. Anglers seeking late season spawners should look for bedded fish along sandy shorelines or behind hydrilla beds. In the river and upper portion of the lake, the fish will already be in a postspawn pattern by the beginning of March. When the fish transition to post-spawn mode, they’ll be concentrated around mid-depth structure (10 to 12 feet). Look for deep grass beds, points and channel edges to be holding plenty of fish. Again, water levels are running low, so anglers will need to adjust accordingly when seeking structure at the proper depth — what was once deep structure will now be mid-depth and what was once mid-depth will now be shallow. One species that will be spawning on Choke Canyon during March will be crappie. Most spawning crappie will be holding tight to shorelines in flooded brush. Minnows, as well as small jigs and 64 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal downsized crankbaits, will produce plenty of slabs this month. FALCON — March will see a mixture of spawning and post-spawn fish on Falcon. Although much of the lake has already experienced the spawn, fishermen on Falcon will still find some bedding fish in the lower portion of the lake. Anglers looking for spawning fish should push back as far as possible into the flooded brush along the shorelines, as most of the bass use this brushy cover for protection of their spawning homes. Though some of these flooded brushlines have an overwhelming amount of cover, anglers should work each area as thoroughly as possible. Anglers should also use as heavy of tackle as is practical to ensure they are able to drag bass out from the dense cover. Along the upper and middle portions of the lake, post-spawn fish will be the norm this month. Since the upper end of the lake is first to experience spawning fish, it is also the first area to see fish enter the post-spawn cycle. And, just as the spawning pattern marches down the lake in succession, so too does the post-spawn pattern. By month’s end, fish throughout the lake will be located on the secondary points, as well as along the outside edges of the flooded timber. These fish should be much easier for anglers to reach and will usually attack crankbaits and spinnerbaits drug along the edge of the brush line. WEST TEXAS continue the impact should not be as great. Look for black bass to be staging in advance of their annual spawn. Fish spinnerbaits to find the buck bass and then fish the adjacent deeper water to find the females. Jigs and Texas rigged worms are good options as fish move on to beds. Stripers will have started their way back down the river. Look for bird activity or bait balls on your electronics. Catfish will be in water 40-70 feet deep. O.H. IVIE — As of early February Ivie was a few feet higher than it was one year earlier. Look for black bass to start to move toward and up the rivers in advance of the spawn.With lower water levels the past several years local anglers should know where the flats are that fish will spawn. Use Rat-L-Traps and spinnerbaits to find the nest building males with the females to be nearby in deeper water. BROWNWOOD — Two feet less water than a year ago at the start of February, however the prospects for this popular lake to catch some runoff from late winter rains remains good. Water temperature at the start of March should be either side of 60 degrees. Spinnerbaits and Rat-L-Traps should find black bass in deeper waters off of the flats to start March. As temperatures rise look for fish to move up to start to spawn. Jigs and Texas rigged lizards will be best. HIGH PLAINS By TOJ Staff By TOJ Staff AMISTAD — At the start of February “Big Friendly” was about 29 feet low and continues to slowly rise. With Pacific moisture continuing to move across Mexico and West Texas look for the lake to have even more water by the start of March. With the onset of spring the annual draw-down will occur for agricultural needs, however if rains ALAN HENRY — With spring on the horizon look for this lake to receive lots of attention from area anglers. As of February the lake was over five feet higher than one year ago. Look for black bass to still be holding in deeper water near flats on which they will spawn as temperatures rise. Spinner ba it s, R a t - L- Tr a p s a n d crankbaits will cover water for anglers. Jigs and Texas rigs will thoroughly fish an area once fish are found. march 2015 Guides, Gear & Getaways TACKLE TIPS & TECHNIQUES | Danno Wise Fishing Off-Colored Water SALTWater UPPER COAST | SABINE MIDDLE COAST | ROCKPORT Bay Fishing Seadrift to Rockport Texas! UPPER COAST | MATAGORDA Captain Jim Garrison USCG/TP & W Licensed P: 512-393-9305 | E: [email protected] www.RedfishRoperCharters.com OFFSHORE | FREEPORT Texas by Design Embroidered Apparel with Texas Flair! Specializing in artist designs of the great outdoors. • Fishing Shirts & Caps • Wildlife to Wildflower Apparel • Coastal Bird Creations UPPER COAST | GALVESTON For all shapes and sizes of Women and Men. (361) 729-8995 www.texasbydesignembroidery.com 205 S. Austin St., Rockport, TX 78382 MIDDLE COAST | PORT O’CONNOR FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK! News, Updates, Giveaways and more, delivered straight to your newsfeed! 66 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal march 2015 march 2015 TEXAS OUTDOORS JOURNAL TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 67 Guides, Gear & Getaways TACKLE TIPS & TECHNIQUES | Danno Wise Lures That Draw Strikes from Shallow Water middle coast | port aransas MIDDLE COAST | CORPUS CHRISTI-NORTH PADRE ISLAND “Professional Property Management and Sales” Serving North Padre Island since 1988 Luxury Vacation Rentals by Gulf Beachfront or on Canals leading to Upper Laguna Madre & your favorite fishing spot. Many with private boat docks. Book online or call our rental specialist today! 361.949.9050 OFFICE 361.949.9070 FAX 14613 S. PADRE ISLAND DRIVE, CORPUS CHRISTI, TX 78418 www.rentalmgmt.com LOWER COAST | PORT ISABEL & SOUTH PADRE ISLAND LOWER COAST | BAFFIN BAY HAVE YOUR OUTDOOR EVENT INCLUDED IN TOJ’s OUTDOOR CALENDAR! Mail your Outdoor Calendar items to: 1706 W. Sam Houston Pkwy North, Houston, TX 77043 or fax to: 713.957.3996 or email: [email protected] 68 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal march 2015 march 2015 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 69 FIELD TIPS & TECHNIQUES | Bill L. Olson & Danno Wise Guides, Gear & Getaways Turkey Hunting Basics LOWER COAST | PORT MANSFIELD HUNTING A PLACE FOR ALL SEASONS Relax, we’ll take care of the details! TEXAS World Class Fishing Dove & Waterfowl Cast & Blast Inshore & Offshore Private & Corporate Events & Meetings GIVE US A CALL! LOUISIANA | LAKE CALCASIEU YOUR AD SHOULD BE HERE! WATERFOWL HUNTING CALL 713-957-3997 for GUIDES, GEAR & GETAWAY ADS CALL 713-957-3997 to find out how to get YOUR AD on our GUIDES, GEAR & GETAWAY pages! COLORADO COLORADO ROCKIES Texas Fresh Water SOUTH TEXAS LAKES | MEDINA TROPHY ELK-DEER-BEAR Archery, Rifle, Muzzleloader HUNT thousands of acres from secluded cabins on our private High Country ranch, directly bordering National Forest & BLM. Now booking 2014 bow & rifle. SUMMER VACATIONS: explore ranch and wilderness by horse and 4-wheel drive. Fish 7 trout-stocked lakes. Breathtaking scenery. EARLY RESERVATION DISCOUNTS. GR Bar Ranch Paonia, Colorado www.grbarranch.com 800-523-6832 GREAT HUNTING - Pagosa Springs, CO For Sale By Owner 1998 sq ft home. 3BD/2BA/3 Car on 40 wooded acres. Mountain views, barn with workshop/tack room, National Forest/BLM two sides, abundant wildlife, owner access to stocked trout lake and much more $30,000 below appraisal at $499,900 Full description with photos available at www.forsalebyowner.com/23994657 Owner contact: 970-264-3890 MISCELLANEOUS Be sure to check out texasoutdoorsjournal.com before your next hunting or fishing trip 70 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal march 2015 march 2015 YOUR AD SHOULD BE HERE! CALL 713-957-3997 for GUIDES, GEAR & GETAWAY ADS TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 71 Deadline for the April calendar is February 25, 2015 Center. Program Fees: Adults $10, Children 12 and Under: $6. Registration required. For more information call (956) 350-2920. Outdoor Calendar THROUGH MARCH 22, Light Goose Conservation Season, East Zone (123 counties). For more information consult the Texas Outdoors Annual, or call (800) 792-1112. THROUGH MARCH 22, Light Goose Conservation Season, West Zone (151 counties). For more information consult the Texas Outdoors Annual, or call (800) 792-1112. FEBRUARY 28 – MARCH 1, Texas Independence Day Celebration, Washington on the Brazos State Historic Site, Washington. Celebrate the 179th anniversary of the birth of the Republic of Texas. This annual two-day celebration commemorates the 17-day convention that led to the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence and her eternal political separation from Mexico in 1836. The event features live music, food, traditional crafts, living history presentations, firing demonstrations, historical encampments and commemorative programs—all with no park entrance or parking fees. Step back into history to experience life in Texas in 1836 by visit-ing with reenactors and witnessing musket and cannon firing demonstrations. For more information call (936) 8782214, x224. MARCH 1, Cowhill Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation fundraiser banquet, Fairlie. For more information call (903) 886-8880. MARCH 5, Alamo Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation fundraiser banquet, San Antonio. For more information call (210) 789-4853. MARCH 6, Red River Valley Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation fundraiser banquet, Paris. For more information call (903) 715-2461. 72 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal MARCH 7, Greater Texas Hill Country Chapter Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation fundraiser banquet, Fredericksburg. For more information call (830) 8645400. MARCH 7, Highland Lakes Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation fundraiser banquet, Marble Falls. For more information call (830) 693-9515. MARCH 7, Northeast Texas Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation fundraiser banquet, Mt. Pleasant. For more information call (903) 717-8670. MARCH 7, Parker County Chapter Mule Deer Foundation fundraiser banquet, Weatherford. For more information call (817) 475-9702. MARCH 7, Kaufman County Double Beard Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation fundraiser banquet, Terrell. For more information call (214) 558-9348. MARCH 7, 14, Learn to Tie a Fly, Cabela’s on Highway 75, Allen. TPWD volunteers from the Dallas Flyfishers Club will be on hand to show you how easy and fun it is to tie a fly. This free demonstration is open to beginners and novice fly fishers. Equipment and materials provided, or bring your fly tying tools if you have them. For more information call (972) 618-6714. MARCH 7, 14, 19, 21, 26, 28, Angler Academy, Garner State Park, Concan. Like fishing? Take this beginner’s course to learn the basics (ages 7 and up). Whether you’re a child or an adult, beginning anglers can learn how to assemble basic tackle, tie fishing knots, and cast safely with a spin-cast rod and reel combo. PLUS! Borrow equipment through our FREE Tackle Loaner program and try fishing on your own. For more information call (830) 232-6132, x236 MARCH 10, Angler Education Instructor Training Workshop, Joseph A Caroll Building, 401 W. Hickory St., Denton. Become a TPWD certified Angler Education Instructor. This free workshop is open to anyone 18 or older interested in teaching fishing skills in their communities. The program provides the curriculum, equipment, materials and support to help volunteers successfully introduce youth and their families to fishing. SBEC credit available for teachers. The workshop is free, but preregistration is required, please call 940-637-2702. MARCH 12, Williamson County Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation fundraiser banquet, Georgetown. For more information call (512) 818-0415. MARCH 14, Angler Education Instructor Training Workshop, Bass Pro Shop, Pearland. Become a TPWD certified Angler Education Instructor. This Free workshop is open to anyone 18 or older interested in teaching fishing skills in their communities. The program provides the curriculum, equipment, materials and support to help volunteers successfully introduce youth and their families to fishing. SBEC credits available for teachers. The Workshop is free, but preregistration is required, please call (281) 534-0123. MARCH 20, Pioneer Chapter of Northeast Texas National Wild Turkey Federation fundraiser ban-quet, Clarksville. For more information call (903) 2192692. MARCH 20, Texoma Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation fundraiser banquet, Pottsboro. For more information call (903) 870-8780. MARCH 21, Canadian River Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation fundraiser banquet, Canadian. For more information, visit www.nwtf.org. MARCH 21-MAY 3, South Zone Spring Turkey Season, 54 counties. For more information consult the TPWD Outdoor Annual, or call (800) 792-1112. MARCH 26, Tri-County Longbeards Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation fundraiser banquet, Temple. For more information, visit www.nwtf.org. MARCH 26, Palo Pinto Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation fundraiser banquet, Mineral Wells. For more information call (940) 452-8430. MARCH 28, Pecos County Chapter Mule Deer Foundation fundraiser banquet, Fort Stockton. For more information call (432) 290-4563. MARCH 28, Red River Longbeards Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation fund- raiser banquet, Burkburnett. For information call (940) 704-3643. MARCH 29, Native and Non-Native Texas Wildlife, Choke Canyon State Park, Calliham. Come learn about native and non-native wildlife found at Choke Canyon State Park and other areas of Texas with one of our park rangers! Join one of our park rangers for a presentation on Texas wildlife. This is a guide to game birds, game animals, fur-bearers, and other wildlife of Texas. This event is free to attend for campers and day users. Park entrance fees are $5 per person (13 years and up). 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. For more information call (361) 786-3868. HAVE YOUR OUTDOOR EVENT INCLUDED IN TOJ’s OUTDOOR CALENDAR. Mail your Outdoor Calendar items to: 1706 W. Sam Houston Pkwy North, Houston TX 77043 or fax to: 713.957.3996 or email: [email protected] MARCH 14, Perryton Stutters Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation fundraiser banquet, Perryton. For more information call (806) 435-3164. MARCH 14, Flyfish Texas, Freshwater Fisheries Center, Athens. Fly fishing clubs and anglers from across Texas come to TFFC to share fly fishing tips and techniques and teach them to others. Aimed at the novice fly fisher, Fly Fish Texas is designed to teach you how to tie a fly, cast it and catch a fish with it—all in the same day. 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. For more information call (903) 670-2266. MARCH 14, Archery 101, Resaca de la Palma State Park, Brownsville. Learn the basics of archery. Bows and arrows will be provided. Recommended for children 8 and up. Meet at the Visitor march 2015 You can make a difference by r eporting illegal hunting and fishing activity! Up to $1,000 may be paid for information leading to arrest and conviction of poachers Reward Hotline 800-792-GAME Support anti-poaching efforts by becoming a member of the Operation Game Thief Program (call 512-389-4381 for membership information) or by sending your tax deductible contribution to Operation Game Thief, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744 march 2015 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal 73 Tide Tables TOP TEN REASONS TO SUBSCRIBE TO TEXAS OUTDOORS JOURNAL Fishing & Hunting Times US TIME ZONES MARCH 2015 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI H3:15A1.0 L9:59A0.1 H4:44P0.9 L10:03P0.5 H4:04A1.0 L10:26A0.2 H5:02P0.9 L10:35P0.4 H4:55A1.0 L10:54A0.3 H5:21P0.9 L11:09P0.3 H6:50A1.0 L12:46A0.2 L1:26A0.1 L2:11A0.1 L12:24P0.4 H7:51A1.0 H8:59A1.0 H10:17A1.0 H6:38P0.9 L12:57P0.6 L1:33P0.7 L2:14P0.9 H6:51P0.9 H6:56P0.9 H6:58P1.0 L3:04A0.0 H11:43A1.1 L3:05P0.9 H6:38P1.0 L4:04A0.0 H1:04P1.1 L4:22P0.9 H6:44P1.1 13 L5:12A-0.1 H2:06P1.2 H L 14 H L6:21A-0.1 L7:27A-0.2 H1:00A1.2 H2:21A1.3 H3:35A1.4 H2:49P1.2 H3:23P1.2 L8:28A-0.1 L9:25A-0.1 L10:19A0.1 L7:29P1.0 L8:06P1.0 H3:52P1.2 H4:20P1.2 H4:47P1.2 H11:18P1.1 L8:48P0.8 L9:32P0.6 L10:19P0.4 H4:45A1.4 L11:11A0.2 H5:14P1.1 L11:07P0.2 H5:54A1.1 L12:04P0.5 H5:42P1.1 L11:57P0.0 8 15 2 9 16 3 4 10 11 17 5 12 18 19 MOUNTAIN CENTRAL EASTERN < (+) (-) > < (+) (-) > < (+) (-) > < (+) (-) > 1. In March 2014, named #1 in major outdoor publication category. For 15 consecutive years named one of the top fishing, hunting & outdoors magazines in Texas. SAT L7:49A-0.3 H12:44A1.0 H1:37A1.0 H2:27A1.0 H3:38P1.0 L8:30A-0.2 L9:04A-0.1 L9:33A0.0 L8:58P0.8 H3:57P1.0 H4:12P1.0 H4:27P0.9 L9:09P0.8 L9:19P0.7 L9:37P0.6 1 PACIFIC 6 20 7 2. A year’s subscription has 12 issues, not something less. 3. Both fishing and hunting coverage in every issue. 4. Covers Texas like it should be covered with timely reports from the field and on the water. 21 H7:04A1.5 L12:49A-0.1 L1:44A-0.1 L2:43A-0.1 L3:50A0.0 L5:04A0.1 L6:21A0.1 L12:58P0.7 H8:16A1.4 H9:33A1.4 H10:55A1.4 H12:22P1.3 H1:40P1.3 H2:35P1.3 H6:10P1.1 L1:57P0.9 L3:11P1.0 L5:12P1.0 L8:54P1.0 H6:39P1.1 H7:08P1.1 H7:36P1.1 H11:31P1.1 22 23 24 25 26 27 29 30 5. Proven solunar table of major and minor feeding periods of the day.. 28 120° L7:29A0.2 H12:53A1.1 H2:00A1.1 H3:10P1.3 L8:24A0.3 L9:09A0.4 L9:13P1.0 H3:32P1.2 H3:38P1.2 L9:28P0.9 L9:40P0..8 115° 110° 105° 100° 95° 90° 85° 80° 75° 6. Tide table with adjustments for the entire Texas coast. MARCH 2015 31 7. Written by top writers that have etched their names in the record books. APRIL 2015 SUN MON TUE WED H2:57A1.2 L9:45A0.4 H4:02P1.1 L9:53P0.7 1 THU FRI H4:39A1.2 L10:16A0.5 H4:17P1.2 L10:12P0.6 2 SAT H4:38A1.3 L10:44A0.6 H4:33P1.2 L10:37P0.4 3 8. TOJ tells you where to go, what to expect when you get there and how to do it a little bit better. H5:26A1.3 L11:12A0.7 H4:50P1.2 L11:05P0.3 4 9. Covers the Texas outdoors and outdoors interests of Texans. H6:14A1.4 H7:03A1.4 L12:09A0.2 L12:47A0.1 L1:29A0.1 L2:19A0.1 L3:19A0.1 L11:43A0.8 L12:17P0.9 H7:56A1.4 H8:54A1.4 H9:59A1.4 H11:09A1.4 H12:15P1.4 H5:05P1.2 H5:15P1.2 L12:53P1.1 L1:33P1.1 L2:19P1.2 H5:19P1.2 H5:14P1.2 H5:10P1.3 L11:35P0.2 5 6 7 8 9 10 10. Every cover is a work of art. 11 18 Times are for Galveston, Galveston Channel TIME DIFFERENCES Calcasieu Pass, Louisiana Sabine Pass Lighthouse Sabine Pass Jetty Sabine Pass Mesquite Point, Sabine Pass Galveston Bay ent. south jetty Port Bolivar Galveston Bay Texas City, Turning Basin Eagle Point (1) Clear Lake(1) Morgan Point (1) Round Pt.,Trinity Bay (1) Point Barrow, Trinity Bay Gilchrist, East Bay Jamaica Beach, West Bay Alligator Point, West Bay Christmas Point, Christmas Bay Galveston Pleasure Pier San Luis Pass Freeport Harbor Pass Cavallo Aransas Pass Padre Island (South End) Port Isabel +0:33 +3:54 +6:05 +10:21 +10:39 +5:48 +3:16 +2:38 +2:39 +2:32 -1:06 -0:09 -0:44 0:00 -0:03 -0:24 +1:02 +0:41 +4:15 +6:40 +5:19 +5:15 +4:43 +4:18 +3:31 +2:33 +2:31 -1:06 -0:09 -1:02 -1:20 -1:31 -1:45 -0:42 Tidal adjustments are not predictable for Port O’Connor, Matagorda Bay; Port Lavaca, Matagorda Bay; and Riviera Beach, Baffin Bay since they are driven by wind and weather. — NOAA 74 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal $ HighLow -2:14 -1:24 -1:46 -1:31 -1:26 -1:31 -1:00 -1:15 -0:04 -0:25 -0:39 -1:05 +0:14 -0:06 95 ONE YEAR SUBSCRIPTION Yes, I want to receive TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal. APRIL 2015 one year $1895 12 issues ($47.88 on newsstands) two years $2995 24 issues ($95.76 on newsstands) Sign me up for: three years $3995 36 issues ($143.64 on newsstands) 18 $ 12 MONTHS OF TEXAS OUTDOORS JOURNAL DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR & AVAILABLE ONLINE NEW RENEWAL GIFT From both print and online versions are included With these subscriptions NAME Fish, game and all wildlife move in search of food in cycles relative to the moon’s location to the earth. The time spans listed above are the prime times to start each day at and along each time zone meridian of longitude 75 degrees (Eastern) 90 degrees (Central) 105 degrees (Mountain) and 120 degrees (Pacific) during Standard time and Daylight Saving during the time it is in effect. To determine the feeding cycle time for best fishing and hunting in the area you plan to fish or hunt advance the sum of 4 minutes for each degree west and back up 4 minutes for each degree east. The next prime feeding cycle (not listed on the calendar) will be approximately twelve and one-half hours later. There are minor periods that occur between the prime or major periods. The minor periods are typically fair periods and last only about half as long as the prime periods. Feeding Times by Dan Barnett have been proven by analysis of 124 – 3 day bass tournaments between 1967 through 1983 to be reliable and accurate in predicting wildlife feeding activity. The Feeding Times are not a cure-all. Weather and other environmental conditions affect wildlife feeding activity. Annual vest pocket books, which show all the major and minor periods, can be ordered by sending a check or money order for $15.00 per book. For S&H, please add $4.00 to an order of 1 to 4 books. Make check or money order payable to: Feeding Times. Send to: Feeding Times, P.O. Box 2240, Covington, GA 30015. After Oct. 1, please indicate book year. For questions or comments, you can call 404-373-7151. Over 60 Years in Print Feeding Times by Dan Barnett 17 Years Test Proven march 2015 ADDRESS CITY PHONE STATE EMAIL ADDRESS ZIP teXas outdoors Journal does not rent or sell its mailing list, nor release any information about subscribers. Payment: Account # Check/MO Enclosed Visa MasterCard American Express 95 Discover Exp. Date CW2 (3-digit code on back of MC, Visa & Discover; 4-digit code on front of AmEx) Signature Mail this completed form to: TEXAS OUTDOORS JOURNAL, 1706 W. Sam Houston Parkway North, Houston TX 77043 Or call 1-800-222-4TOJ (4865) In Houston call 713-957-3997 to charge your subscription by phone. Or order SECURELY online at www.texasoutdoorsjournal.com. Please allow 6-8 weeks for your subscription to begin. Managing Comfort in Port Aransas, TX For Over 30 Years