May 2015 - PDF - Texas Outdoors Journal

Transcription

TEXAS OUTDOORS
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Right Set Up to Stay Hooked Up
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“Texas’ Most Comprehensive Outdoors Publication”
May 2015 / $3.99
texasoutdoorsjournal.com
Journal
Baffled by Baffin Bay | Prescribed Fire & Supplemental Feeding
Proper Care of Trophy Bass | Late Spring Coastal Fishing
Practically Perfect Cartridge | Texas Blue Chip Wade Fishing
Fishing - Before & After the Drought | “DIY” Euro Hog Mount
coastal & lake forecasts | tide & solunar tables
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TEXAS OUTDOORS
“Texas’ Most Comprehensive Outdoors Publication”
Journal
For Hunters . . .
16 Guns N’ Stuff
—Harold Gunn
The Practically Perfect Cartridge
22Prescribed Fire & Supplemental
Feeding- A variety of spring techniques can be performed to enhance
deer quality.—Bob Zaiglin
Just Shooting
34
—Kerry O’Day
Barrel Break-In Does Work
60
Just Hunting
—Mike Holmes
Euro Mounts for Euro Hogs?
70Field Tips & Techniques—
Bill L. Olson & Danno Wise
Spring Squirrel Hunting Tips
Freshwater
For Anglers . . .
Saltwater
14
Bassology 10 Late Spring Coastal Fishing- —Matt Williams
Unraveling the mystery behind Bills and Bass
where to go and what to throw dur-
ing the last full month of spring.
30
Getting a Grip- Big bass require
—Danno Wise
special care to help ensure their
survival. —Matt Williams
Lake Roundups — Pros Forecasts
40 East – Matt Williams 42 North – Brian Hughes 54 Central – John Jefferson 62 South - Danno Wise 64 West – TOJ Staff
64 High Plains – TOJ Staff
18
Just Fishing
—Nate Skinner
CoastWatch – Danno Wise
26 Upper Forecast
28 Louisiana Forecast 56 Lower Forecast
57 Middle Forecast 36 Baffled by Baffin Bay?- Recent poor public perception of this fabled bay’s trout output is dispelled when compared to the latest scientific data. —David Sikes
48
Just Fishing
—Brian Hughes
New Water Provides New Opportu-
46 Saltwater Journal
nities
—Mark Sosin
68 Tackle Tips & Techniques
Fish Have Ears
—Danno Wise
50Texas Blue-Chip Wade Fishing Surface to Subsurface - Fishing Sabine Lake to Port Mansfield
Through the Day
offers a variety of productive fishing
areas —Robert Sloan
For Everyone . . .
On the Cover . . .
4Editor’s Insight – Bill L. Olson
6 TOJ Notebook – TOJ Staff
67, 69, 71 G
uides, Gear & Getaways
72 Outdoors Calendar
74 Fishing & Hunting Times
75 Subscription Information
“Sunset School”
april 2015
May 2015
By artist Calvin Carter. For more
information on “Sunset School” and
other works of art by Calvin Carter
visit www.calvincarterart, or call (409)
201-6685.
TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal
66 Tackle Tips & Techniques —Danno Wise
More Than One Way to Rig a Bait
3
Editor’s Insight
Bill L. Olson
THOSE WE FISH WITH
The title of this month’s clip could just have easily been “Those We Hunt With.”
However since May is such a prime month for fishing this afforded the opportunity
to share some experiences from a lifetime on the water.
There have been times when I have spent time fishing alone. There were plenty
of afternoons on Lake Waco catching bass while friends took advantage of other
activities or studied. There have been forays on other lakes and coastal bays when
I was my only companion. While that is not a bad thing, in almost every instance
I experienced or observed something that made me long for someone to share the
moment. Maybe it was simply a desire to have someone validate what had been seen.
There have been special destinations or times of success when the thought of,
“I know who would have loved this,” or “I need to come back and bring (fill in
the name).
There are fishing buddies that have provided the companionship when fish hit
anything cast their way, provided the friendly banter to fill in the time when the
bite was slow, or just to share insignificant moments that only those close can fill.
Plus new acquaintances become lifelong friends. From the ranks of the fishing
guide community angling tips have been learned and shared while close friendships
established.
While mentoring a spouse or children it is not about one’s own success, it is about
seeing to their success. Insignificant events like catching, observing, or learning
about bait can be a fun diversion. Then there are times when the action explodes
with everyone’s rod bowed that you leave your rod stowed and pick up a camera
or simply assist with the landing of one fish after another.
Over time those you are responsible for introducing to the sport may become
as consumed with researching any information available. They read, question,
and experiment as their knowledge grows. In time they may become the skilled
reliable companion or even teacher. Having raised a son on the water I can say when
offshore he is my first choice to run the cockpit while I handle duties at the helm.
Fishing buddies can also be worthy competitors or teammates. How many times
are numbers of fish, or length and weight of fish compared? The sole purpose is to
see who has “bragging rights” for the moment or for that particular trip.
Anyone that thinks lady anglers are less competitive should hang around some
of the growing number of female only fishing tournaments. Regardless of skill
level it is not long before competitive juices start to flow and individual or team
honors become a potential goal. Even when goals are not achieved the laughter
and banter about events on the water are well worth the adventure.
With lower fuel prices many may spend time “running and gunning.” This type
of time shared can be memorable on slow days, or test a pattern to stay on or find
fish. It is on-the-water recon that may payoff sometime in the future.
The bottom line is May is one of the best months to fish and share that experience.
In life there are plenty of things we keep personal and unshared as it relates to work,
problems and frustrations. However, being on the water with special people help
put aside those issues for another today. On this day it is about time shared with
those we fish.
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.
4
“Texas’ Most Comprehensive
Outdoors Publication”
Publisher/Editor
Bill L. Olson
Administrative Assistant
Adala Ruhge
Contributing Outdoors Editors
Harold Gunn
Brian Hughes
Mike Holmes
John Jefferson
Cody Koehler
Kerry O’Day
Billy Olson
David Sikes
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:
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 Online: 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 5
may 2015
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TOJ Notebook
TPW Commission Adopts Changes in Fishing Regulations
Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission
approved at its March 26 public hearing
adjustments to bass length limits on several lakes, a change in alligator gar bag
limit on Falcon Lake and clarifications to
commercial crab and finfish rules.
The adopted changes to the 2015-16
Statewide Recreational and Commercial
Fishing regulations, which take effect Sept.
1, include:
Braunig and Calaveras Reservoirs — The largemouth bass length limit will
revert back to the statewide 14-inch minimum limit. Daily bag limit would remain
at five fish.
O. H. Ivie Reservoir — The length limit
for smallmouth bass will revert back to the
statewide 14-inch minimum limit and five
fish daily bag.
Lake Nasworthy —The length limit
for largemouth bass will change to a 14to 18-inch slot limit (no harvest between
14 and 18 inches). Daily bag limit would
remain at five fish.
Falcon Lake — The current daily bag
limit of one alligator gar will change to five
fish per day. The increased bag limit will
be in effect in the all impounded waters of
the Rio Grande from the Falcon Dam upstream to the Zapata/Webb County line.
Spring Shrimp Rules — Legal har-
vesting hours will be extended from the
current closure time of 2p.m. until 30
minutes after sunset, and the daily bag
limit for bay shrimping will increase from
600 pounds to 800 pounds.
TPW Commission Adopts Turkey
Hunting Regulation Changes
On March 26 Texas Parks and Wildlife
Commission, at its public hearing,
approved closing spring eastern turkey
hunting in 11 East Texas counties effective
next year, while restructuring the season
in two other counties.
Hunting season for eastern turkey will
be closed in 2016 in Angelina, Brazoria,
Camp, Fort Bend, Franklin, Harrison,
Hopkins, Morris, Titus, Trinity, and Wood
counties and on National Forest lands
in Jasper County. While closed, Texas
Parks and Wildlife Department wildlife
biologists will evaluate the prospects
for future eastern turkey restoration
compatibility and restocking efforts. The
department’s goal is to reopen hunting
should the eastern turkey populations in
the affected counties become capable of
sustaining harvest.
TPWD is also restructuring the
existing spring turkey hunting season
in Wharton and Matagorda counties.
The new regulations, which take effect
for the 2016 season, will continue to
allow for a 30-day spring only, one
gobbler season and eliminate mandatory
harvest reporting. In an effort to expand
hunting opportunity for youth and reduce
regulatory complexity, the Commission
also adopted a 14-day extension of the
late youth-only season in counties having
an open Rio Grande fall turkey season, to
run concurrent with the late youth-only
season for white-tailed deer.
Mule Deer Relocated in West
Texas to Help Boost Population
In an effort to boost a struggling mule
deer population in and around the Black
Gap Wildlife Management Area, 40 mule
deer does were relocated from Elephant
Mountain Wildlife Management Area in
early February. The mule deer population
within Black Gap WMA and surrounding
area has struggled to rebound from the
drought of the late 1990’s.
“This relocation is the first in a multiyear project aimed at restoring mule deer
at Black Gap WMA and the El Carmen
Land and Conservation Co. property,” says
Mitch Lockwood, director of the Texas
Parks and Wildlife Department’s big game
program. “Despite the excellent mule
Cover Art
May is a special month along Texas’s Gulf coast. Waters have
warmed so coastal anglers start wading “wet” as they pursue
voraciously feeding speckled trout. As the light fads on the
distant horizon quality trout are hooked while birds feed over
bait pushed to the surface by other fish. It’s been a great day and
time to catch some fish.
Popular Texas artist Calvin Carter’s gouache painting entitled
“Sunset School“ has captured so many elements of fishing Texas
inshore waters in late spring. As the day wanes there is crispness
to the air that allows for a colorful backdrop to the end of what
has be an awesome day.
For more information on “Sunset School” and other works
of art by Calvin Carter visit www.calvincarterart, or call (409)
201-6685.
6
“Sunset School”
may 2015
deer habitat at the El Carmen Land and
Conservation Co. property and Black Gap
WMA, mule deer numbers have remained
very low over the past 35 years. These
partners aim to help boost populations
while researching why the region has seen
limited growth in the population.”
After surveying the herd numbers of
locations near Black Gap WMA, Elephant
Mountain WMA was chosen to be where
the first deer would be captured.
“ The population on Elephant
Mountain is doing quite well,” says Mark
Garrett, Trans-Pecos WMA Project Leader
with TPWD. “The surplus deer that were
removed will benefit habitat conditions
for the vast array of other wildlife species
living at this location.”
TPWD, along with the ECLCC —
CEMEX-USA and Cuenca Los Ojos,
Borderlands Research Institute at Sul
Ross State University, U.S. Department
of Agriculture-Wildlife Services, Mule
Deer Foundation, and Houston Safari
Club have partnered together to help
mule deer populations grow at Black Gap
WMA/ECLCC.
“We are truly grateful for the generous
contributions and tireless efforts of these
dedicated partners,” says Lockwood. “They
are no strangers to wildlife restoration in
Texas, and we appreciate their steadfast
support.”
The ECLCC property joins TPWD’s
Black Gap WMA to comprise 135,000
contiguous acres dedicated to wildlife
and habitat conservation. This diverse site
of Chihuahuan desert scrub and desert
grasslands climbs from the Rio Grande
River to the Sierra del Carmen Mountain
Range. TPWD and their partners plan to
translocate an additional 100 mule deer
to the Black Gap WMA/ECLCC area in
2016, and will continue to monitor their
movements, habitat utilization, survival,
and causes of mortality through 2017.
To view video from this relocation,
visit https://youtu.be/XywYkHNQ4Kc.
For information about the Texas
Conservation Action Plan, visit tpwd.
texas.gov/landwater/land/tcap.
investigation by state game wardens into
a series of illegal hunting incidents.
Logan B. Smith, 21, and Aaron T.
Mclarey, 21, both of Whitehouse, TX,
were arrested by game wardens on
charges ranging in severity from Class C
misdemeanor to state jail felony. Among
the charges include: hunting white-tailed
deer at night and hunting white-tailed
deer with a light. A rifle alleged to have
been used in the crimes has been seized
pending the outcome of the cases.
The investigation included several
hours of surveillance, multiple interviews,
and search warrants. Wardens believe
these two individuals were responsible for
illegally hunting three deer from a Smith
County road at night during deer season
on more than one occasion. The pair is
also suspected of illegally killing a hog
on a Lake Tyler property and dumping
the carcass into the lake, in addition to
killing a goose by intentionally running
it over with a boat.
Smith has been released on bond and
Mclarey remains in the Smith County jail
on an unrelated charge.
A special thank you to the Smith
County Sheriff ’s Office, Whitehouse
Police Department and Texas Department
of Public Safety for assistance with this
case.
Please report any illegal hunting
activity to your local Game Warden or
call the Operation Game Thief hotline
1-800-792-GAME (4263).
One New Positive Found in 2014–
2015 Trans Pecos CWD Surveillance
Chronic wasting disease (CWD)
was detected in only one of 222 tissue
samples that were collected from hunter
harvested deer and elk from the Trans
Pecos ecoregion during the 2014–15
season as part of a CWD surveillance
effort. This sample was collected from a
mule deer buck harvested in the Hueco
Mountain area of far West Texas.
“Without the hunter check stations
and the strong cooperation of hunters
and landowners, we would know very
little about the prevalence of the disease or
where it exists,” said Mitch Lockwood, Big
Game Program Director with the Texas
Parks and Wildlife Department.
Also included in the sampling effort
Smith County Duo Facing More
Than 30 Charges for Illegal Hunting
Activity
Two Smith County men have been
arrested and face more than 30 charges
after a random tip sparked a two-month
may 2015
7
last season, 143 deer and elk brought
to check stations were tested for bovine
tuberculosis as part of a cooperative effort
between TPWD and Texas Animal Health
Commission to monitor for bovine
tuberculosis. No positives were found.
To date, 839 deer and elk have been
tested through the CWD check stations
and strategic sampling that occurred
during the summer of 2012; 282 were
in the Containment Zone, 205 were in
the adjacent High Risk Zone, 117 were
in the Buffer Zone, and 235 were outside
of the CWD zones. The disease has been
detected in only 7 animals, all within the
Hueco Mountain area, indicating a disease
prevalence of 10–15 percent within that
population.
“Additional sampling is necessary
to develop more confidence in the
geographic extent and prevalence of the
disease, but the fact that CWD has not
been detected in Texas outside of the
Hueco Mountain area of northern El Paso
and Hudspeth counties is encouraging,”
said Lockwood.
CWD is a member of the group of
diseases called transmissible spongiform
8
encephalopathies (TSEs). Other diseases
in this group include scrapie in sheep,
bovine spongiform encephalopathy
(BSE or mad cow disease) in cattle, and
Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans.
CWD among cervids is a progressive,
fatal disease that commonly results in
altered behavior as a result of microscopic
changes made to the brain of affected
animals.
An animal may carry the disease for
years without outward indication, but
in the latter stages, signs may include
listlessness, lowering of the head, weight
loss, repetitive walking in set patterns,
and a lack of responsiveness. CWD is not
known to affect humans or livestock.
There is no vaccine or cure for CWD,
but steps have been taken to minimize
the risk of the disease spreading from
beyond the area where it currently exists.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife and Texas
Animal Health commissions adopted
rules to restrict movement of deer, elk,
and other susceptible species within or
from the CWD Zones as well increase
surveillance efforts.
More details about CWD and the
2014-15 findings can be found online at
https://tpwd.texas.gov/wildlife/diseases/
chronic-wasting-disease/test-results
Toyota Texas Bass Classic Preview
Memorial Day weekend event to mix
music, outdoor activities and big bass
The Toyota Texas Bass Classic will
return to Lake Fork on Memorial Day
weekend, May 23 – 25, 2015. The top 35
professional bass anglers will compete for
the world championship in a tournament
benefitting Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department fishing programs. So far the
TTBC has raised more than $2 million for
such programs as Neighborhood Fishin’
and the Texas State-Fish Art Contest.
While the pros are battling it out on
the water, attendees can enjoy a variety
of games and activities at the TPWD
Outdoor Adventures Area, dine on food
from a number of vendors, and shop for
fishing gear and accessories.
A feature attraction of TTBC is a starstudded lineup of daytime and evening
concerts. Concerts will be headlined by
Billy Currington on Saturday, May 23;
Lee Brice on Sunday, May 24; and Rodney
Atkins and Joe Nichols on Monday, May
25.
“It is an exciting musical lineup this
year,” said Lenny Francoeur, tournament
director. “Combining country music’s
biggest stars, the best bass anglers in
the world, a large outdoor expo and
fan-friendly activities, the ninth year of
TTBC promises to be one of the most
exciting yet.”
Tickets are now on sale and are available
online at ToyotaTexasBassClassic.com or
at your local Toyota dealership, Academy
Sports + Outdoors, Brookshire’s Grocery
Stores and Kim’s Convenience Stores
throughout East Texas.
TTBC sponsors include Toyota, Bass
Pro Shops, NITRO Boats, Wood County
Industrial Commission, Leer Truck Caps,
GoPro, Holt CAT, Republic Services,
Tellespen, Geico, Lamar Advertising,
The Links at Land’s End, Brookshires,
Kim’s, TLC Radio, KYKX 105.7, KMMO
99.9, 104.1 The Ranch, the Coca-Cola
Company and the Sabine River Authority.
For additional information or to
volunteer at the tournament, visit
ToyotaTexasBassClassic.com or call (866)
907-0143.
may 2015
CONSERVATION
EDUCATION
PROTECTING HUNTER’S RIGHTS
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
LATE SPRING
COASTAL
FISHING
Unraveling the mystery behind where to go and what to throw during
the last full month of spring.
Story and photography by Danno Wise
F
irst things first — May is a spring
month. Temperatures in the
Lone Star State will undoubtedly
have a summer feel by the end of the fifth
month of the year, but spring won’t end
until mid-June.
So, fishermen should still approach
May as part of the spring season, which
almost always means “transition” in the
angling realm. Over the next few weeks,
speckled trout and redfish will be making their final “spring transition,” as by
month’s end, they will have established
a pattern of behavior they will follow
through summer and into early fall.
During the final full month of spring,
although the temperatures will be rising, the water will still be pleasantly
10
cool enough for fish to stay up shallow
throughout most of the day. And, as the
water warms, fish will be found over
sand rather than muddy bottom areas of
the bay.
This makes wade fishing an outstanding option during late spring, as the hard
bottom, shallow water areas that make
for easy wading are also holding plenty of
fish this time of year. As an added bonus,
fishing shallow water makes for a great
way to avoid the spring winds, which will
still be blowing a substantial portion of the
time during May.
However, knowing what to throw in
shallow water during spring is a little
trickier than when fish are found on the
flats during fall or in the early morning
hours of summer. That is because, again,
spring weather changes from day-to-day
while summer and fall weather tends to
be more stable.
The ever-changing weather, of course,
affects the water conditions. While one
day may find the water over the shallow
flats clear and calm, the next day may see it
roiled and muddy. The fish won’t leave just
because the water turns dirty, but anglers
will need to adjust their lure choices and
presentations.
Regardless of water conditions, when
fishing during May, anglers will generally
do better using small baits, as most of the
prey items are still in their juvenile stage
following the spring hatch. Of course,
clear water is certainly a bonus when using
may 2015
“junior”-sized baits, but it’s not a necessity.
If, however, the water is clear and the wind
is at least reasonably calm, anglers can
experience some excellent sight-casting
opportunities during May.
SEE YOUR TARGET
Clear, calm conditions and plenty of
active fish on the flats equates to excellent
sight-casting. Whether wading, drifting or
poling, if they are fishing over shallow flats
inshore anglers can expect plenty of sightcasting opportunities for both speckled
trout and redfish over the next month.
Both conventional tackle anglers and fly
fishermen can get in on the sight-casting
action during May.
As is always the case when sight-casting, using smaller, soft landing lures and
flies is the best bet. But, since fish are quite
a bit more active during May — meaning
they will swim a greater distance to attack
a bait — anglers often don’t need to “put
it right on their nose” to get a strike. In
fact, when fish are active, it is often better
to cast beyond the sighted
fish and reel back in front
of them to prevent them
from spooking. Spoons are
outstanding for this type
of duty, while anglers using
the traditional sight-casting
approach of placing a lure
close to a feeding fish will do
well with DOA Shrimp or 3
1/2 inch soft-plastics on 1/16
ounce jig heads.
One method anglers use
to “psuedo sight-cast” when
fish aren’t regularly being
sighted, is to cast into sand
pockets or “potholes” over
grass flats. Often times, fish
will lurk in the grass ringing
these bare spots and ambush
prey swimming through the
pothole. Anglers can take
advantage of this behavior
by placing lures and baits in
the potholes and tempting
fish to strike.
and techniques. Blind casting over shallow flats can produce plenty of fish. Often
times anglers will resort to live bait when
the water becomes stained or dirty.
But, while natural baits can result in
good catches under these conditions,
so can artificial lures. Anglers simply
need to use lures that emit sound and/
or vibration. Noisy topwater plugs and
paddle-tail soft-plastics are generally the
best options. Whether throwing natural
or artificial baits, when the water is windblown or otherwise dirty, pinning baits
under a popping cork can help attract
more attention.
MAY MEANS POWER
Another bonus for coastal fishermen
in May is that late spring’s mild to moderate water temperatures usually results
in more active fish. This means a greater
variety of species will be in play and all of
those species will be much more actively
feeding than they were in winter or early
spring. Depending on which area of the
Texas coast anglers are fishing, they can
expect to find flounder, speckled trout,
redfish, snook, black drum, sheepshead,
mangrove snapper, tarpon and more. And,
again, because the water temperature is
generally “comfortable” for the fish, they
are feeding more actively. This allows
fishermen to use more “power” fishing
techniques, which allows them to fish
faster and cover water at an increased clip.
With that in mind, spoons can be used
to cover water quickly and will draw fish
from a great distance, especially with
decent visibility and sunlight. When the
water is too stained for using spoons,
paddle-tail plastics, either fished straightlined or under a popping cork, will produce good results.
FULL BUFFET
Something else to keep in mind during
May is that late spring generally means
a varied diet for speckled trout, redfish,
flounder and other predator fish. During
this time, fish will be feeding not just on
FISHING BLIND
When the wind or tides
kick up or when the notoriously copious amount of
water moved by spring tides
serve to dirty the water on
shallow flats, anglers can still
experience good fishing by
adjusting their lure choices
may 2015
Artificial shrimp lures fished on a light jighead or under a popping cork is a good option in late spring.
11
the masses of shrimp moving out of the
bay, but also on finger mullet, pinfish,
shad, marine worms, sand eels, crabs and
glass minnows. The key to finding success
on many days is figuring out the preferred
meal of the day.
Although it may seem as if fish are
enjoying a never-ending smorgasbord
during late spring and gorging on anything that swims, the target prey is actually
usually very specific at any given time. For
instance, when glass minnows are freshly
hatched and covering the bay surface, it is
often hard to get fish to strike a shrimp or
mullet imitating lure. They tend to key in
on whatever is the dominate bait source at
that moment. During late spring, that can
vary widely and change often. Fishermen
should make observations of active bait
from day to day and even from area to
area within the same bay.
When sight-casting, using smaller, soft landing lures is best as most of the prey items are still in
their juvenile stage following the spring hatch.
fishermen, but in spring this impact is
usually most extreme. The majority of
inshore anglers associate spring with
extremely high tides. While it is true the
SPRING TIDES AFFECT FISHING
spring months see unusually high tides,
Tides are always a factor for coastal
the spring season also sees some extreme
low tides.
As a rule, spring tides
have higher highs and
lower lows. With such water level extremes, anglers
must remain flexible in
order to find fish.
When a huge flood
tide rolls into the bay,
areas that had been too
shallow or in some cases,
high and dry during low
tide, will be in play.
Fish will take advantage of this new real estate
and spread out over the
newly flooded bars and
flats. Often times, these
fresh patches of water
also benefit anglers in that
they are in areas that are
somewhat protected by
the wind, giving fishermen more options when
the wind is really howling.
Conversely, some of the
mid-depth and deeper
areas of the bay will become too deep - and at
times too rough - to fish
on high tide.
Low tide fishing during spring can be reminiscent of fishing low
On the lower Texas coast snook can be caught right alongside
tides during winter, after a
speckled trout and redfish.
north wind has blown all
12 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal
the water out of the bay. Those flats that
held schools of fish on high tide are often
dry or too shallow to fish on low tide.
But, although an extremely low tide may
eliminate some shallow water areas, it also
serves to concentrate fish in channels,
holes and around mid-bay structures.
Additionally, some mid-bay structure is
easier and more productive to fish on a
low tide.
The other factor, which is often overlooked, dealing with spring tides is the
velocity of current during periods of tidal
movement. It only stands to reason that
when more water is moving in and out of
the bay, the current will be stronger and,
often, longer. Stronger current doesn’t
always mean better fishing. In fact, some
areas close to major passes may become
unfishable during periods of peak tide
movement as the current may be rushing
through too fast. Those areas are better
fish as the tide first begins moving or
as it slows right after peak movement.
Conversely, some of the back bay areas
that rarely see a noticeable tidal flow will
often benefit from a strong, sustained flow
during spring.
Spring tides have other impacts on
the bay as well. Large amounts of water
moving in and out of bay often cause the
water to be murky, especially in areas
with heavy current flow. Coupled with
the previously mentioned effects of the
high wind on water clarity, anglers can
certainly expect at least portions of the bay
to be “off-color” more often than not. But,
again, as noted above, anglers need not
fret fishing in murky water. Instead, they
just need to be prepared for it and make
good choices in regards to lure selection
and retrieve.
may 2015
BASSOLOGY | Matt Williams
Bills and Bass
It is rarely perceived as good business
when state politicians start nosing around
in Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
affairs. Especially when it results in
attempts to bend state regulatory laws
in order to benefit a few rather than the
majority.
TPWD has a trained staff of biologists
who get paid to make decisions on
fisheries and wildlife regulations. These
experts spend gobs of time conducting
research and collecting significant
amounts of data that is used for making
sound management calls regarding game
and fish laws.
Implementing changes in these
laws typically means going through a
lengthy regulatory process. If a change
is warranted, scientists pitch the idea to
the department’s regulations committee
and discuss it with law enforcement. If
given the green light, the idea becomes
a formal proposal that is opened for
discussion at scheduled public hearings.
The TPW Commission then takes all the
information into consideration before
making the final decision on a proposed
change at its annual regulatory hearing,
usually during the spring.
State Rep. Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont,
of Jefferson County, apparently thinks
there is room for TPWD to do some
tweaking to bass limits on select waters
in deep southeast Texas. And he is looking
to bypass TPWD’s regulatory process and
get the change done pronto.
In February, Phelan filed a bill (HB
1979) in the 84th Texas Legislative session
calling for TPWD to issue a bag limit
exemption on largemouth bass on the
southern stretches of the Sabine or Neches
rivers, in the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway,
or in the Gulf of Mexico as those bodies of
water lie within or adjacent to a six county
area including Chambers, Jefferson,
Galveston, Hardin, Newton and Orange
counties.
Interestingly, the bill applies only to
anglers who are participating in high
school and college fishing tournaments
held on the aforementioned waters. Those
waters, some of which are managed under
reciprocal agreements with Louisiana, are
14
currently governed by the Texas statewide
limit of five fish, 14 inches.
If passed, the bill would exempt
participants in high school or college
fishing derbies held on those waters from
abiding by the statewide limit. Instead,
anglers would be allowed to bring five fish
as short as 12 inches to the scales. The fish
would be released after being weighed.
The way the bill is written, the
exemption would take effect immediately
if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the
members elected to each house. If the
bill does not receive the vote necessary
for immediate effect, it would take effect
on Sept. 1, 2015. On March 12, the bill
was referred to the House Committee
on Culture , Recreation and Tourism for
review.
Shopping for Favors
When a politician takes the lead in
making changes to TPWD game and
fish laws it is often times the result of an
outside source with friends in high places
going shopping for a favor.
In this particular case the shopper is a
group of citizens from around the Orange
area who believe a more lenient limit
on largemouths would bring more bass
tournaments to town, thus providing a
boost to the local economy through angler
and spectator dollars spent on gas, food,
lodging, etc……
The group is headed up by John
Gothia of Bridge City. Gothia, who says
he was heavily involved with negotiations
to bring the Bassmaster Elite Series events
to Orange in 2013 and 2015, believes
reducing the length limit on bass from 14
inches to 12 inches would make the rivers
and bayous in the area more attractive to
fishing organizations because it would
make it easier for anglers catch a legal limit
they could bring to weigh-in.
Gothia says he his pushing for the
exemption because the waters in question
have a long history of producing tough
fishing. So tough, he says, that many
anglers who fish there routinely struggle
to catch legal limits under the 5-14 rule.
To wit:
During the 2013 Elite Series Sabine
River Challenge, 100 of the country’s
best bass pros were able to wrangle
only 35 limits during the first two days
of competition. Jasper’s Todd Faircloth
ultimately won the four-day tournament
with a total of 49 pounds, six ounces on
19 fish. Gothia says he and dozens of
locals regularly compete in Tuesday night
tournaments on the river, during which
competitors are allowed to weigh no more
than three fish. He pointed out that many
of those events are won with two fish.
“The water here is brackish and
the river system just doesn’t grow the
numbers of bigger fish like a lot of the
other waters in Texas do,” Gothia said. “I
know that because I live here and fish here
all the time. TPWD fisheries biologists
have told me the same thing. These fish
grow slow and they just don’t get very big.”
Gothia says he has consulted with
numerous tournament organizations
about bringing events to the Sabine but
hasn’t had much success in finding takers.
“They don’t feel like they can catch
enough keeper fish under the 14-inch
limit, so they don’t feel comfortable about
bringing a tournament here,” he said.
“The first things they ask are what the size
limit is and what the catch rate is. When
you tell them it’s about about 40 percent,
they’re out.”
An Economic Cash Cow?
Gothia said he thinks lowering the
length limit to 12 inches would enable
the lower Sabine River area to be more
competitive as a tournament destination
and help the area reap some of the
financial rewards enjoyed by other venues.
How much revenue does tournament
fishing generate? That typically depends
on the caliber and number of anglers
involved. Gothia said the 2013 Elite
Series Sabine River Challenge pumped
an estimated $2.6 million into the local
economy and drew as many as 35,000
spectators over the course of the event.
It would be reaching to think that a
school boy or collegiate event with a few
hundred fishermen might leave behind
that much dough or attract an Elite size
crowd interested in seeing a bunch of pintsize bass. But when considering how the
sport has exploded at those levels in recent
may 2015
times, Gothia thinks the gains would be
significant just the same.
“Tournament fishing is big business
and we’re just trying to do what we can to
get a piece of the pie,” he said. “I ran this
past our state representative (Phelan) and
he thought it was a good idea. That’s how
this bill came about.”
Zach Johnston, the legislative director
for Phelan’s office, agreed that the main
purposes of the bill are to make the
river system more attractive to bass
tournaments and to bolster the local
economy. Johnson says the legislator’s
office was originally approached with the
exemption idea by members of the local
chamber of commerce.
“To get some of these lower end
tournaments to come - for people to
want to come - they want to be able to
catch a bag limit,” Johnson said. “Being a
brackish water system, we don’t have the
bass that Lake Fork or Sam Rayburn have.
It’s definitely not an area where there are
a lot of big bass.”
“Our role is to provide information
to policy makers,” Bonds said. “Primarily
that means providing info within our area
of expertise, based on the best available
science.”
TPWD has experimented with issuing
tournament exemptions at Lake Fork in
the past. When asked if any issues were
encountered during that process, Bonds
indicated that things didn’t run very
smoothly. However, the experience did
lead to the creation of some innovative
methods for conducting tournaments
on that lake without tampering with the
regulations.
“A previous experiment to test the
impact of an exemption to a slot length
limit for largemouth bass on Lake Fork
Reservoir in Texas resulted in substantial
conflicts among angling groups in the local
area, and the effort to create a permanent
exemption was abandoned,” Bonds said.
“Following that experiment, TPWD
worked with the Professional Anglers
Association and other partners to develop
the catch-weigh-and-immediate-release
procedures used in the Toyota Texas
Bass Classic tournament. By adopting
technology and procedures to weigh fish
onboard the boat, this method negated the
need for a size limit exemption in this case
and alleviated any concerns over mortality
and displacement of fish transported to
weigh-in activities.”
Problems on the Horizon
What nobody chose to address with
this deal are the potential sociological,
biological and law enforcement problems
that might surface if such an exemption
were put in place. Socially, it would be
a terrible idea, mainly because it would
create two different regulations for two
different angler groups on the same body
of water. Not only could that stir some
animosity among anglers, it also could
create some challenging law enforcement
issues for game wardens.
Biologically, a tournament exemption
probably wouldn’t be detrimental to
the overall health of the fishery, but it
certainly wouldn’t help it, either. Previous
research studies have shown there is a
percentage of mortality that occurs in
tournament-caught bass that are retained
in livewells and hauled to weigh-ins. As
a result, a size exemption could result in
the mortality of some smaller fish that
would otherwise be protected by the more
restrictive statewide limit.
Still another problem that could arise
if the bill were to pass is it would set a
very bad precedent that could spur other
special interest groups to seek out similar
actions on other lakes by buzzing their
local politician. TPWD inland fisheries
director Craig Bonds says the department
typically steers clear of weighing in for or
against legislative proposals.
may 2015
15
GUNS ‘N STUFF | Harold Gunn
The Practically Perfect Cartridge
The beautiful Winchester 1885 Single Shot.
The perfect all around cartridge is the
.22 Long Rifle…period. Since its introduction in 1887 by the J. Stevens Arms
& Tool Co. nothing has come close to
the versatility of this little gem. Training,
practice, plinking, target shooting, small
game hunting, it does it all. Though not
the recommended round, in the hands of
a trained shooter the .22LR can be used
for self defense and the hunting of larger
game where legal. I have dropped a 250
lb. feral hog like a rock with one .22LR
hollow point through the ear. Economical
and readily available, it is the world’s most
popular cartridge with over five billion
rounds produced each year.
Another thing in our
favor is the unlimited and
ever increasing choices
of firearms chambered
for this little gem. Great
satisfaction is to be had
by using an old favorite.
Every once in a while I
plink or hunt with the
16
first gun my Dad gave me nearly 60 years
ago. It is a Winchester Model 67 Boys Rifle
built from 1934 to 1963. A classic bolt
action single shot with which I learned
to shoot and hunt. Lord what memories
it stirs in my old brain. There is no more
perfect training tool for the young shooter
than a single shot .22.
Why not “go back to the future” with
a modern version of one of the all time
greats. In 1885 competitive shooting was
a major sport the world over and that was
the year John Moses Browning created
his first and to many finest firearms, the
1885 Single Shot. Also, this was the gun
that started Browning’s relationship with
Winchester Repeating Arms Company.
The modern built Model 1885 is true to
the original with minor differences mainly
due to improvements in metallurgy and
manufacturing to tighter tolerances. The
built for stout falling-block action mated
to a precision tapered octagon barrel
make this rifle super accurate and drop
dead gorgeous.
The exposed hammer is the traditional
three-position design of dropped, half
cock and full cock. This is outstanding
for training and shooting. The trigger is
crisp, clean and adjustable. If you must,
the barrel is drilled and tapped for scope
mounting, but I’m tickled I can still use
open sights. Shoot one of these and you
feel the history. The 1885 Single Shot and
other designs are found at www.winchesterguns.com.
Fans of repeaters should take a look at
Browning’s upgrade of their T-Bolt action
rifle. The straight “T” bolt design lets you
load and eject with a simple pull back and
push forward. This system is faster than
The Browning T-Bolt Micro Midas.
may 2015
Ruger 10/22 Briley Mfg. custom.
a standard bolt action while retaining
the accuracy of the bolt action design.
Their new Double Helix 10-round rotary
box magazine is easy to load, operates
smoothly, and extras are easy to carry. The
three-lever trigger design is slick. The new
Browning T-Bolt Micro Midas puts all of
the above in a fast handling package with
a free floating 16 ¼ inch sporter barrel all
set in a walnut stock. www.browning.com.
One of the most popular .22 rifles on
the planet is the Ruger 10/22. Not only
available from Sturm, Ruger & Co. in
configurations like carbine, target, tactical, sporter and takedown with stocks of
wood, composite or laminate and finishes
of blue or stainless the design has created
an entire industry of aftermarket bolt-on,
screw-on, drop-in accessories. This is like
the AR world with cheaper bullets. I have
Birchwood Casey’s Sidewinder Spinner.
may 2015
a 10/22 customized by Briley Manufacturing in Houston that has such features as a
free floating Lothar Walther match chambered, target crowned, hammer forged
stainless steel fluted barrel; Kidd trigger
and extended magazine release with all
nestled in a laminated target stock. This
gun is an honest 150 yard tack driver and
responsible for the demise of thousands
of Wyoming ground squirrels and prairie
dogs. To shoot it is to love it. Begin your
search with www.ruger.com, move over
to www.briley.com and then surf Google
for more options.
Practice and plinking have a great
deal to do with space. Most of us can’t
blaze away in our back yard and indoor
ranges demand paper targets. The real
joy of .22 shooting is in the open where
you can safely bounce cans as far as your
eye can see or ding steel targets. Here we
insert the usual reminder to be sure to
wear proper hearing and eye protection.
Fun dinger targets are available from
the likes of Birchwood Casey who have
introduced two new targets into their
World of Targets line. The Little Rattler
and Sidewinder Spinner are both designed to provide training while offering
the satisfaction of movement and noise
when hit. The Little Rattler has a heavy
duty frame that suspends a gong between
two swivels. Shooting the target makes it
spin and rattle to provide instant gratification to keep the shooter interested. The
Sidewinder Spinner features a swiveling
double paddle target mounted on a tough,
heavy duty stake. The target spins when
shot and the self-correcting paddles always return to face the shooter, so there’s
no need to go down range to reset. These
target and others are available at www.
birchwoodcasey.com.
To me the most practical use of this
perfect cartridge is in the pursuit of our
state’s abundant squirrel population. Some
northern states advocate the use of shotguns when squirrel hunting, but that is for
amateurs, when a real sportsman will go
for a head shot with a .22LR to preserve
the tasty torso for chicken frying (see
sidebar). While some may think squirrel
hunting is an excellent way to learn how
to hunt, I feel it affords a lifetime hunting
experience.
Chicken Fried - Squirrel
Chicken fried squirrel does not have
to be complicated.
• Soak the skinned, gutted, beheaded squirrel(s) in a bowl of
milk whipped with two eggs for
30 minutes.
• Put a skillet with enough olive
oil to cover at least half the
squirrel on a max high burner.
• Heat the skillet till the oil pops
when you fling a drop of milk
in it.
• Fill a baggie with enough flour
to coat the squirrel.
• Pull the squirrel out of the milk
mixture and shake off excess
milk.
• Put in baggie and shake till
coated then fling in the skillet.
• When brown on one side flip
over and repeat.
• Let guests spice to taste.
Mashed potatoes and cream gravy
are a must. You’re on your own here.
17
Just FISHING | Nate Skinner
Choosing the right rod and reel depends more on situation and application than “off-thewater” looks and feel.
The saying, “Ten percent of fishermen
catch ninety percent of the fish,” is one
that carries some weight. Exceptional
anglers along the Texas Coast don’t just
wake up one day knowing when, where,
and how to catch fish — the skills they
possess run much deeper than having a
little bit of luck. These best of the best
fishermen (and women) also have an
uncanny ability to make whatever kind of
bait that is tied to the end of their line look
and move naturally in the water, enticing
even lethargic fish to strike. Two tools
make this connection between angler and
fish, and when held by experienced hands,
seem to become just an extension of the
arm, wrist, and hand. The rod and reel
has been bringing fish to the surface for
decades, and more so for those that are
not only proficient with using them, but
are good at choosing the right ones for the
right situation.
With the newest and latest innovations
and technology anglers are busting at the
seams to get their hands on a rod and reel
combination that not only “feel” good,
but will get them hooked up more often.
Choosing the right rod and reel depends
18
more on situation and application than
“off-the-water” looks and feel. With a
variety of options on the market today
there’s plenty of rods and reels to choose
from. When paired correctly with the
right presentation, these tools will help
anglers catch more fish.
The Rods
Inshore anglers fishing from the boat
should make at least three rods a staple in
their arsenal at all times. These include
a rod for throwing large topwater plugs,
one for casting tails and soft plastic jigs,
and a rod for Rat-L-Traps, crankbaits,
and suspending and twitch-bait plug
presentations.
Rod actions are classified anywhere
from slow to extra fast and refer to how
much the rod bends when pressure is
applied to the tip. A fast action rod
will bend in only the top third or less of
the blank, giving the rod a stiff, steady
backbone towards the handle. A slower
action rod will exhibit more bend down
the length of the blank, providing more
of a whip action when casting, increasing
casting distance. Fast action rods provide
more sensitivity with less bend in their
length giving more direct action to a
presentation, while a slower action adds
more fluid movement to a presentation as
it has more play and bend down its length.
A topwater rod will have the heaviest
action of the three rods, and also the
shortest length. Something in the medium
to medium-heavy range from six feet to
six and half feet in length with a fast action
tip will work best. American Rodsmiths’
Predator PR-C-66M-MF is an excellent
choice for casting topwater plugs. The
medium power of this rod will help to
support the weight of the large plug it is
casting — too light of a rod would bend
under the weight of the lure.
The fast tip allows anglers to stay in
direct contact with the lure at all times,
enabling them to give the bait the “walkthe-dog” action it needs through short,
quick twitches from the rod tip on a slack
line. A rod with a slower action would
flex too much due to the size of the plug,
requiring the angler to put forth more
effort by twitching the rod harder with
more force, to give the lure the same
action.
Topwaters are typically retrieved while
standing in a boat either from the bow,
deck, or casting platform, and the shorter
length topwater rod makes presenting this
lure much easier.
As the bait gets closer to the boat
during the retrieve anglers will drop the
rod tip, pointing the rod down towards the
water’s surface to prevent from jerking the
plug out of the water. A longer rod may
mean the rod tip is touching or entering
the water when the angler has it pointed
downwards, making it more difficult to
work the bait. A shorter rod eliminates
this issue.
The rod used for casting tails and soft
plastic jigs should be longer and lighter
with a more moderate action. A medium
light, medium-fast action rod in six foot
nine inches to seven feet in length will
work best. The Troutmaster Lite TMLC-69ML-MF by American Rodsmiths is
an excellent choice for jig presentations.
The longer length and moderate action
gives the rod a whip-like motion when
casting, enabling anglers to cast light jigs
may 2015
longer distances. The length and softer
through the water when retrieved.
lightweight, smooth, and come in a variety
tip also increases the effectiveness of the
The Reels
of gear ratios.
presentation, allowing jigs to be hopped
Low profile, baitcasting reels rule
Shimano’s Curado, Chronarch,
through the water column in a fluid
the world of inshore fishing. Brands like
and Citica have been a staple amongst
motion.
Shimano, Diawa, and Lew’s dominate
inshore anglers’ arsenals for years. These
R a t - L - Tr a p s , c r a n k b a i t s , a n d
the market with lines of reels that are
reels are tried and true with rugged
sinking/suspending twitch
baits require a rod that is
somewhere in between the
topwater and tails rods. This
rod can be anywhere from six
and half to seven feet in length
and should be a medium
weig ht w ith a me dium
to medium-fast action.
American Rodsmiths Cobra
CB-C-66M-MF is a great rod
for these presentations.
These baits are heavier
than most jig presentations
but not as heavy as a floating
plug, and they require some
finesse when working them
properly. The flexible action
allows for maximum casting
distance, and the medium
to medium-fast action helps
American Rodsmiths’ Cobra line of rods are excellent for fishing ‘Traps, crankbaits and suspending lures.
these baits move naturally
may 2015
19
components that handle the abuse of
saltwater, enabling them to cast long
distances and spin smoothly trip after trip
on the water.
New innovations and technology in
the reel industry are making other lines
of reels a great option for anglers as well.
Diawa’s Zillion and Tatula reels feature a
new level wind system that is making these
reels some of the farthest casting tools on
the inshore scene. This new level-wind
technology is called the “T-wing system”
and solves an age-old issue with friction
against line as it flows off the spool and
through the level wind guide during a cast.
Brad Downey, Daiwa sales rep, says
the T-wing system provides 50% of spool
coverage while the reel is in free spool,
decreasing friction and increasing casting
distance. “The level wind guide is shaped
like a capitol T,” he says.
“While reeling, the line stays in the
narrow column of the T as it is guided
onto the spool. When the free spool
clutch is engaged, the T-shaped guide
clicks forward, and the line is now in
the wide-open T part of the guide. This
eliminates friction by using larger guide
that represents half of the width of the
spool--even if the line is situated on the
far right or far left of the spool, the wide
part of the T-shaped guide decreases the
angle at which the line is coming off the
spool and out of the level-wind. Basically
the line is not rubbing against the edge of
a level wind guide as it exits the spool, so
there is virtually no friction, creating a
much longer cast.”
A slower retrieve reel matched to a shorter rod in a medium to medium heavy action is the
perfect combination to fish larger topwater lures.
The Lew’s BB1 and BB2 inshore
speed spool series also incorporate
new technology that reduces friction
through the level-wind and increases
casting distance. Lew’s representative and
professional angler, Andrew Upshaw, says
these lines of reels cast further than any
other reel he’s ever fished with.
“The level wind on the BB1 and BB2
inshore speed spools features an over-sized
guide that is positioned further forward
and farther away from the spool,” Upshaw
explains. “This
decreases the
angle at which
the line is
coming off the
reel and through
the guide during
free spool,
decreasing
the amount
of friction
and increases
casting distance
tremendously.”
Gear ratios on
reels are fairly
straight forward
— the higher
Lew’s Speed Spool Inshore incorporates new technology that reduces friction
the ratio, the
through the level-wind and increases casting distance.
faster the line
20
intake is per handle turn. For example,
Diawa’s Tatula R in the 8:1 ratio reels
in over thirty three inches of line per
handle turn, while the Tatula R in a 6.3:1
ratio reels in just a hair over twenty six
inches per handle turn. This is something
to consider when pairing a reel with a
particular presentation.
A slower gear ratio works better
for topwater lures, allowing for the bait
to move side to side with less forward
motion, keeping it in the strike zone
longer. A faster ratio is more effective for
jigs and twitch baits that sink, as they are
often retrieved over structure or in open
water.
With all the options out there today,
it’s easy to get locked in on a rod and/
or reel that is extremely lightweight and
has a “sleek, cool” look. Regardless of
looks, rods and reels are tools that when
used correctly, will catch a bunch of fish.
Before mindlessly grabbing a rod and
hitting the water, anglers should examine
what presentations they are going to be
fishing, and pair them with the right rod
and reels accordingly. The right set-ups
will produce more hook ups.
Introducing the new
American Rodsmiths
American Rodsmiths has once again
reemerged as the leader of premiere
fishing rods. In November 2013 the
may 2015
company was purchased by Houston
resident, John F. Angelina, and is currently
producing four excellent rod series.
According to Jake Brewer, rod builder at
the ARS shop in Houston, these rod series
incorporate different features to fit the
preferences of a variety of anglers.
“Our goal has been to make the
most indestructible rods on the market,”
explains Brewer, “and each rod series
sports the highest of quality components
that are built to last.”
The four ARS series include the
Predator, Cobra, Troutmaster Lite, and
Lady Rodsmiths. These lines of rods come
in a variety of weights and actions suitable
for any lure or bait presentation, and each
series has a set of unique components to
fit individual angler’s needs.
When wading, toting several rods
is pretty much impossible; however,
anglers that prefer to wadefish can choose
a rod that will handle a variety of bait
presentations.
A decent wading rod should be a
medium six and half feet to six foot nine
inches in length with a medium-fast
action. American Rodsmiths Predator PR-
Diawa’s Zillion and Tatula reels feature
new level wind technology called the
“T-wing system” and solves an age-old
issue with friction against line as it flows
off the spool and through the level wind
guide during a cast.
C-66M-MF is a lightweight rod
that will effectively cast and work
several types of presentations. The
medium weight and medium-fast
action will support heavy topwater
lures while still encompassing
enough finesse to give other baits
the right action.
For more information on the
American Rodsmiths line of rods
visit www.americanrodsmiths.
com, call (713) 466-7849, or see
them at better tackle retailers.
A PLACE FOR ALL SEASONS
Relax, we’ll take care of the details!
GIVE US A CALL!
may 2015
21
A
s I scanned openings in
the bush from behind my
African trackers methodically
analyzing every crumpled straw of grass
trampled upon by a group of dagga boys
we had been spooring for most of the
afternoon, my anticipation to catch up
to the old bulls began to fade as the sun
dropped below the tall marula trees. As
light faded, an amber-red skyline appeared
on the Zimbabwean horizon. It was a fire,
a big one, stretching uncontrollably for
nearly a mile and rapidly heading our
way. The stolid look on my trackers’ faces
insured me that we were not in harm’s
way, and when I looked at my professional
hunter, he simply smiled. This was my
first introduction to fire in Africa, and like
Native Americans, fire in the Zimbabwean
bush is employed to increase visibility and
reduce old growth, making room for new
plants extremely attractive to the animals
they pursued.
Early American settlers used fire to
clear farmland and establish homesteads
as well as to attract animals upon which
they depended upon for sustenance.
Prescribed fire in the U.S. today is
applied by trained professionals in a
methodical fashion to a vast amount
of our southern forests, primarily to
achieve various silvicultural objectives,
particularly the enhancement of pine
production. In some cases it is used
to reduce litter build-up, reducing the
possibility of wild fires.
On Texas private lands fire is
employed for a variety of reasons, but
remains an integral part of improving
habitat. The basic consensus regarding fire
ecology is that it is neither destructive nor
constructive as it simply causes change,
and dependent on weather conditions,
the end result can be controlled.
Prescribed fire is defined as fire
applied in a knowledgeable manner
to naturally occurring vegetation on
a specific area under select weather
conditions in order to accomplish well
thought out management objectives.
For example, if enhanced forb
production is desirable, the area is
subjected to what is referred to as a cool
season burn. Such fires are conducted
in the colder months of December and
January to remove lignified grasses prior
to the germination period of forbs. If
grass production is one’s principal goal,
a warm season burn is conducted during
the later, warmer months of February
through March.
Simply lighting up an area and letting
Supplemental feeding not
only benefits bucks, but more
importantly the lactating does.
22
may 2015
Prescribed
&
FEEDING
FIRE
Supplemental
A variety of spring techniques can be performed to enhance deer quality.
Story and photography by Bob Zaiglin
it burn like I experienced in Zimbabwe
is not only dangerous; it is illegal in the
U.S. Thus the planned out application of
fire with a specific objective is imperative.
Why? Because fire is difficult to control,
and in some cases, life threatening.
As part of their extensive field
experience, I introduce my wildlife
management students at Southwest
Texas Junior College each winter to the
proper application of fire in my wildlife
techniques class. They not only learn how
to develop a burn plan, but how to apply
it safely to a preselected area.
One of the first things they learn
is that fire is dangerous. The wildfires
may 2015
we have viewed on TV throughout the
western U.S. fortify the fact that wild fire
can be devastating. But like many things
in life, the less we know about something,
the more it is feared. However, for
experienced individuals knowledgeable
of fire behavior, controlled fire is an
integral management tool in rangeland
management.
One of the principal commandments
to prescribed fire is that it is not initiated
unless the required conditions are
met. Even when those fire lines on
the prevailing wind side of the area
to be burned are completed, the fire
boss must confirm the current weather
conditions with a portable weather kit to
verify that the fire will not only be safe,
but meet the management objective.
Prescribed weather conditions for a head
fire include a relative humidity of 25-40%;
a temperature ranging between 70 to 80
degrees; and a wind speed of 8-15 mph.
Weather conditions lying outside these
parameters put a halt to ignition.
A burn can also be postponed when
one of what is referred to as “red flag
conditions” exist such as wind gusts greater
than 20 mph, a relative humidity below
20%, an air temperature greater than 80
degrees Fahrenheit, or a predictable cold
front is to pass within 12 hours. These
23
Controlled burning where allowed not only augments the presence of desirable forage; it also
increases visibility and reduces the probability of wildfire.
are scientifically based requirements
determined by my friend, the late Dr.
Henry Wright, and his associates at Texas
Tech University back in the 1980s.
Prescribed fire is a viable habitat
management technique that achieves
multiple objectives with a single treatment.
It can control invader species like cedar,
increase utilization, make forage more
24
available, improve wildlife habitat, and
even control various diseases. In the hill
country, for example, fire is the most
economical method of controlling the
encroachment of cedar.
Since plant regeneration following
fire does not materialize until spring, it is
often conducted during late winter when
the grass and brush are in a dormant
stage, and the susceptible forbs have yet
to germinate.
Although fire is considered the
most economic tool in managing our
rangelands, it does take time, much
planning, and adequate personnel
to conduct it. Other spring deer
management techniques are much more
easily employed such as providing deer a
nutritional supplement.
During spring those calcified
appendages referred to as antlers are
jettisoned. But once those antlers separate
from their oil-derrick-like pedicels located
on top of the deer’s skull, regeneration of
a new set initiates almost immediately.
Antlerogenesis, which is considered the
most rapid bone growth in a mammal,
places a significant nutritional burden on
those bucks.
Not only are deer nutritionally
strapped as a result of a strenuous
breeding season, losing at times 20% of
their body weight, they also must shed
their winter coat to one more suitable
for the summer period. All of these
biological functions are nutritionally
demanding, and how deer handle these
changes depends on the availability of
nutritionally strong vegetation.
More importantly, only surplus crude
protein from a deer’s diet is available
for antler growth, thus, optimal antler
size is often sacrificed for the health and
survival of the animal, making it even
more difficult to develop those larger
antlers we all cherish. A supplemental
source of nutrition can also assuage the
acute demand deer place on the habitat,
potentially augmenting the development,
in turn frequency, of those highly desirable
forage species.
All deer benefit from a supplement,
especially lactating does which require
significantly higher amounts of crude
protein in their diet to sustain quality milk
production.
Supplementing a deer’s diet is
applicable as long as it remains just that —
a supplement. The attempt to artificially
inflate the carrying capacity of the land by
feeding deer can be done, but only at the
expense of the habitat.
It’s also important to note that not all
deer will use a supplement, and even those
that consume it will often revert back to
native plants of choice. By allowing a deer
population to mushroom out of control,
some highly preferred plant species will
may 2015
be suppressed if not eliminated. The fact
is, supplemental feed is not a cure-all.
Another for m of nut r it ional
supplement is the distribution of a mineral
for deer. This can be accomplished by
purchasing a fifty-pound sack of mineral
and pouring its contents into several
manmade depressions approximately six
inches deep and several feet in diameter.
In actuality, all one attempts to establish
is a natural-like mineral lick.
Another method of nutritionally
benefitting a deer’s diet is to fertilize
native habitat. The fertilizer should be
distributed experimentally on small
parcels at first to let the deer dictate
whether it is desirable or not. By having an
unfertilized control area for comparison,
the visits by deer on the two areas will
demonstrate its preference by deer.
Disking, roller chopping, and aerating
are beneficial habitat management
techniques and should be implemented
prior to spring greenup. Like fire, these
techniques open up the understory and
relinquish life-enriching sunlight to the
ground layer in order to augment the
germination of plant life.
In the climatically favorable portions
of Texas, early spring is the optimal time
to prepare seed beds for warm season
food plots. Farming for deer is effective,
but remains totally dependent on rainfall.
For example, summer food plots west of
Interstate 35 and south of San Antonio
are not practical unless a pivot system or
some form of irrigation is available.
In the drier portions of the state, fall
season food plots represent a potential
source of nutrition for deer throughout
the spring, even early summer. This is
particularly evident when fall plots are
fertilized yet fail to develop due to drought
conditions. Following spring showers, the
disturbed sites will be inundated by highly
desirable, succulent plants required by
deer.
A variety of spring techniques can
be performed to enhance deer quality,
but paramount to success is to maintain
the deer population within the carrying
capacity of the land, which should be
accomplished by removing surplus deer
during the hunting season.
The fact is, the deer hunter is the
ultimate management tool because each
time that trigger is pulled, and the herd
and the habitat upon which it depends
are being managed.
may 2015
Large antlers are a byproduct of nutrition, which can be elevated by manipulating the habitat,
and fire is often considered the most economical method of improving the vegetation upon
which they depend.
25
For information on guides mentioned, see Guides, Gear & Getaways on pages 67, 69, & 71
CoastWatch
Danno Wise
warmer climes
have returned.
In short, May is
a slightly cooler
version of June
or July along the
Texas coast.
Most years,
spring feels
l i ke s u m m e r
long before
the official
start on June
21 or even the
unofficial start
when Memorial
Day weekend
rolls around.
These rising
temperatures
will always lead
to increased
inshore action
up and down
the coast – not
to mention the
first month of
true offshore
activity.
On the
inshore side
of things, May
combines the
b est of b oth
worlds. Across
Texas bays, May
Photo courtesy Capt. Tommy Countz
tends to be one
of those special
This angler shows off a nice redfish he caught while fishing with Capt.
months when
Tommy Countz. Countz says he will spend a lot of his time in May fishing
temperatures
West Matagorda Bay.
are high enough
for the fish to be
Spring is the season of transition and
plenty active, but not so overbearingly hot
May is the ultimate transition month.
as to cause fish and fishermen to become
Spring’s final full month sees fish, and
lethargic.
fishermen, fully transition into summer.
As a bonus, May generally sees a
Cold fronts — event freakishly late
reduction in the winds which have
arriving fronts — are in the past. Spring’s
plagued coastal anglers the past few
notorious winds have begun to lessen in
months, allowing fishermen to fish pretty
velocity.
much when and where they please and for
Temperatures have risen enough to stir
a greater variety of species.
fish from their lethargic winter ways. And,
The warm, but not oppressively hot,
many species which spent the winter in
temperatures and lighter winds make
for a comfortable day on the water.
For the same reasons anglers are more
comfortable on the water in May, the fish
are more comfortable and aggressive on
the shallow flats up and down the coast.
Unlike during the chill of winter or
the heat of summer, fish will be feeding
in relatively shallow water throughout the
majority of the day.
Since they will be inhabiting shallower
water and feeding more aggressively, fish
will be susceptible to a variety of lures,
baits and techniques, making May one of
the few times of the year when fishermen
can target fish on the flats throughout
the entire day. May is also the first month
when the beachfront and offshore action
becomes a realistic possibility along the
Texas coast. Tarpon, kingfish, and snapper
are just a few of the big water species that
Texas anglers will target starting in May.
As great as the weather and fishing
is during May, anglers will still have the
water mostly to themselves — especially
on weekdays. Texas public schools will still
be in session, so most fishing familes are
still limited to weekend outings.
However, by the month’s end, school
will be out and summer will be in full
swing So, for anglers hoping to avoid
summer crowds, May represents their
last chance at quality fishing without the
crowds.
UPPER COAST
Matagorda guide Capt. Tommy
Countz of Tommy’s Guide Service says
May is usually a good month in the
Matagorda area. He sees no reason this
year will be any different.
“I like to fish West Matagorda Bay in
may 2015
May,” said Countz. “ I like fishing the east
side of West Bay. The main thing I like
to do in May is wadefish for trout. I like
to start with topwaters in May. Once the
topwater bite cools off, then I’ll move to
plastics.
“But, there’s some days in May when
you can catch fish on topwaters all day
long. May is also a good time for guys who
want to fish with bait. It’s a good time
to go into the lakes off the Intracoastal
Waterway and fish for redfish with bait.
And, we have some good reefs on the
north end of West Matagorda Bay that also
have some good fish on them during May.
“Most of my fishing will be in West
Bay, but you can do pretty well in East Bay
during May as well. You can catch some
good fish drifting over the reefs in East Bay
or wading along the shorelines.”
Galveston guide Capt. Greg Verm of
Fishing Galveston TX Guide Service says
he’s looking forward to lighter winds in
May.
“May is a good month for us,” said
Verm. “The weather will become more
stable. Most importantly we’ll have more
light wind days in May than we have been
having. There will still be some days with
high wind, but we’ll have fewer high wind
days and more light wind days, which
allows us to fish in more areas. Starting
in May speckled trout along the jetties
will be really good. Slot-size redfish will
be showing up around the jetteis. Freeling
live shrimp and live croakers will be the
best way to catch nice specks in May.
“During May, the back lakes will be
loaded with reds and flounder along with
some specks, as well. Live shrimp under
popping corks will be the ticket there.
Flounder gigging on oyster reefs will also
be getting good in May as well. We’ll have
a lot of options in May,” Verm concluded.
“The key will be those lighter winds,
which will allow the water clear up a little
and let us fish some areas we haven’t been
able to fish early in the spring.”
Along the Texas/Louisiana border May
means good fishing according to Sabine
Lake guide Capt. Randy Foreman.
“May is the start of the shrimp
migration,” said Foreman. “That means
the birds will start working. Most of the
bird activity will be on the lower end —
from the south end to mid-lake. Usually,
the fishing will be best on a falling tide
during May.
“If I don’t find active birds, I’ll be
fishing over mussel beds and shell flats.
If we have moving water, we’ll be looking
Photo courtesy Capt. Greg Verm
Want to put a smile on a youngster’s face, let
‘em tangle with a redfish at the Galveston
jetties. Capt. Greg Verm says fishing will heat
up in May with lots of fish around the jetties.
may 2015
27
for eddies along the
shoreline. This time of
year, I find a lot of fish
holding in those eddies.
“During May, I mostly
throw glow/chartreuse
Down South Southern
Shad. This is almost all
I use on sunny days. If
it’s cloudy, I’ll switch to
a Red Shad.”
“Trout fishing will
be the main thing in
May, but it won’t be the
only thing. There will
be redfish under the
trout under the birds.
But, if you want to catch
redfish, you have to get
beneath the trout. So, if
I’m targeting redfish, I
use a 1/2 or 3/4-ounce
Terry V-Dog spoon with
a yellow bucktail. I let it
sink to the bottom then
slow-roll it, keeping it
just above the bottom.
“A n d , f l o u n d e r
Photo by Nate Skinner
fishing should be good
Capt. Nick Poe of Big Lake Guide Service shows off a quality Lake Calcasieu speckled trout. May is a month where
in May. The last couple
numbers of quality trout are caught on Big Lake.
weeks of April and first
couple of weeks of May are always good
Canal, Redfish Bay and Blind Bay.
solid specks in May.
for flounder on Sabine. When I’m fishing
Trout will also be found around the
“I hope we’re catching a bunch of
for flounder, I’ll concentrate on the points
shallow water rigs beginning in May. The
‘em in May,” laughed Capt. Jeff Poe.
and humps along the Sabine Channel or
rigs in 8 to 15 feet of water are the best
“May is usualy one of our better months
the points and bayous along the Louisiana
bet for trout. Once the trout show at the
for fishing in the lake. In fact, almost
Shoreline. And again, I’ll focus on the
rigs, they usually remain there through
everything we do is in the lake during
eddies when I can find them. The best
summer.
May. There really isn’t too much going on
fishing will be on an incoming tide. I’ll
During May fishermen can expect to
in the Gulf just yet.
still be using Down South Southern Shad,
find redfish mixed in with the trout. But,
“Most of our fishing will be in fourbut I always coat them with Pro-Cure Gel
those targeting redfish specifically will
to six-feet of water over oyster. For the
when fishing for flounder.”
find good concentrations of redfish in the
most part, we’ll be targeting trout with
marshes and back lakes, as well as in areas
soft-plastics, but we’ll be catching some
like Yankee Pond and the Wagon Wheel.
reds as well. Sometimes, we’ll find reds
Offshore fishermen will have a few
in the same generally areas where we are
options as well. First and foremost, May
catching trout. But, most of the time,
means tuna off the Louisiana coast and
we’ll find the redfish along the shorelines
the first option for most offshore anglers
in a foot or two of water. That is actually
heading out of Venice will be chasing
where will be finding some of our better
tuna around the deep water floating oil
trout, too. And, we do catch some good
platforms. Tuna up to 50 pounds will be
trout during May.”
common catches around the “floaters”
Anyone fishing out of Venice in May
during May. Later in the month, once
will have a variety of inshore and offshore
the water temperature warms above 80
angling options from which to choose. For
degrees, blue marlin will begin showing
inshore fishermen, the key will be warmer
up as well.
water temperatures. By May, the water will
Across the state line on Lake Calcasieu,
May is also one of the year’s best
be warm enough to see speckled trout
guides Jeff, Mary and Nick Poe of Big Lake
months for targeting swordfish in the Gulf
and redfish getting much more active.
Guide Service will be plenty busy catching
of Mexico.
Trout will be found in areas like the Burias
LOUISIANA COAST
28
may 2015
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GETTING
A
GRIP
Big bass require
special care to help
ensure their survival.
Story and photography by Matt Williams
T
exas big bass junkies got an
unfortunate wake up call
regarding big fish care earlier
this spring when word surfaced that a
14.30-pound bass caught from a private
lake in Zapata County and a new Ray
Roberts lake record weighing 15.18
pounds died at the Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department’s ShareLunker
headquarters in Athens.
The 14.30 pounder was caught on
February 19 by Blair Schwarz of McAllen
and the 15.18 pounder was reeled in on
March 7 by Shannon Elvington of Pilot
Point. Both fish were subsequently turned
over to the Toyota ShareLunker program
30
for spawning and genetics research.
Genetics testing confirmed the two fish
carried pure Florida genes, making both
ideal candidates for spawning under the
program’s restrictive criteria.
Sadly, the two bass died shortly after
arriving at the program headquarters at
the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center. A
post-mortem examination showed the
14.30 pounder had developed a bacterial
infection that resulted from a broken
jaw. According to ShareLunker caretaker
Juan Martinez, the bacterial infection
likely compounded the rigors of being
transported and a combination of other
stress factors that ultimately caused the
bass to die.
Martinez said the Elvington bass
also had a broken jaw and that the fish
appeared to be stressed when it was picked
up for transport to hatchery.
While nobody knows for certain what
caused the broken jaws, it is known that
the angler who caught the 14.30 pounder
spent some time getting his picture
made holding the fish before the TPWD
hatchery truck arrived to retrieve it. Some
of the pictures on the La Perla ranch
website show the angler holding the big
bass by the lower lip in a vertical position.
I learned about the bad news after
TPWD posted a blurb about it on its
may 2015
More than 25 years ago TPWD began
advertising through news releases that the
most widely accepted method for holding
or displaying a bass for photographs is not
necessarily the best way. The effort has
since been ramped up through various
postings on the Internet. TPWD has a
video link on its ShareLunker Facebook
page that shows the proper way to handle
a big bass. You can see it at www.facebook.
com/video/video.php?v=1230248924140.
Anglers need to be particularly careful
about the way they handle heavyweight
bass weighing upwards of 10 pounds,
according to Martinez.
Martinez says holding a big fish
vertically by the lower lip with one hand
places a significant amount of stress on
the jaw bone. The amount of pressure
increases exponentially if the lower lip is
folded downward.
ShareLunker Facebook
page. The news segment
was accompanied by a
TPWD poster that
illustrates the right way
and the wrong way to hold
a big bass.
The lip-and-grip manner in which
Schwarz held the bass for some of the
photos is no different than those you
see in countless outdoors magazines
every month and on television everyday.
Some bass pros do the same thing as they
parade across the stage showing off their
catches at tournament venues all across
the country.
may 2015
The ShareLunker program was still
in its infancy stages back then, and much
of what is now known about handling
big fish was still a mystery. Not knowing
any better, I instructed the angler to hold
the fish by the lower jaw while I fired
away with the camera before former
ShareLunker program manager David
Campbell arrived.
Campbell (now retired) took the fish
back to the Tyler Fish Hatchery, where
it died about a week later. He said the
bass’ jaw was broken. In looking back it
is logical to assume that stress from the
ordeal probably played a role as well.
I felt terrible about what happened.
I still do. On a more positive note, the
incident taught me and a whole lot of
others a huge lesson about big bass care
and handling.
Soon thereafter, TPWD labeled the
Shannon Elvington with his 15.18 pound big bass.
You might get away with holding a
big bass improperly for one photo, but
doing it repeatedly for extended periods
of time can cause irreparable damage to
a bass’ jaw and a host of other problems. I
learned that lesson way back in 1989 when
I got the opportunity to photograph a
13.3 pounder that was caught from Lake
Nacogdoches in eastern Texas.
one-handed lip grip as a no-no when
it comes handling large bass. Instead,
biologists now recommend holding large
fish with two hands — one in the bass’
mouth and one under the anal fin. That
way the fish is supported from both ends.
This prevents excessive pressure on the
jaw of the fish.
Martinez used a human analogy to
31
Tips for Big Bass Care
Courtesy of BroFrog
1. Land the fish as quickly as possible. Playing a fish to exhaustion diminishes
its chance of survival.
2. If possible, refrain from using a
dip net that has a mesh larger than ¼ inch
and/or is not a smooth mesh. When using
a net, always make sure it is wet before it
touches the fish.
3. Avoid excessive handling or
dropping of the fish while removing the
hook. The fish will benefit from remaining
in water (boat livewell or a large cooler
filled with water) while the hook is removed with needlenosed pliers. Hold the
fish vertically by the lower lip while it is in
the water so that the total weight of the fish
doesn’t rest on the lower jaw.
4. Take the fish to a marina or
closest certified scales as soon as possible.
Transport the fish in a properly aerated
livewell or a large cooler equipped with an
aerator.
5. Before removing the fish from
the transport container, have the certified
scales ready for weighing. Try to arrange
to hold the fish in the marina’s minnow vat
after it is weighed.
6. To reduce stress when removing
the fish from the transport container for
weighing, move the fish as close as possible
to the scales and holding vat before removal. If everything is ready before the fish
32
is removed from the transport container,
weighing time can be less than one minute.
7. It is best to sedate the fish in the
transport container before weighing or
taking pictures. Marinas and bait shops
can supply the recommended chemicals.
Wet your hands before handling the fish.
Lift the fish from the water vertically by
clamping your thumb on the bottom lip.
To raise the fish into a horizontal position,
support the fish’s weight by placing
your off-hand under the fish just
behind the anal fin. This method
should also be used if the fish is not
sedated. Don’t roll back the lip in an
effort to paralyze the fish. This can
damage the lower jaw and hinder or
prevent the fish from feeding after
being released. The fish should not
be out of the water longer than 30
seconds. Persons taking pictures
should have their cameras ready
before the fish is removed from
the holding container. Holding the
fish out of the water two to three
minutes, or holding it in a plastic
bag without proper aeration, causes
stress that can damage the eyes or
cause a bacterial and/or fungal infection. Such damage could cause
mortality even several weeks later.
Note that stress is increased by
extremes in temperatures and/or windy
weather conditions.
8. Ideal water temperature for holding fish is 55 to 75 degrees, and the water
temperature should not be changed more
than five or six degrees per hour. If water
is aerated and treated with bacterial/fungal
retardant, low water temperature may not
be crucial.
Source: TPWD
may 2015
illustrate the point.
“I’m an above average size guy,” he
said. “I can just imagine what it would be
like if someone were to hold me up by the
jaw. It would be good if anglers held every
fish with two hands, but it is especially
critical with these big, trophy class fish.”
The biologist says be believes how and
where the fish is hooked during the fight
also can play a role in jaw stress. If the jaw
is already stressed from the fight, holding
the fish improperly could complicate
things even more.
“It’s like a broken leg or any other
bone that breaks,” Martinez said. “You
can only apply so much pressure before
something gives.”
Just as important as holding the fish
properly is making sure your hands
are wet before you do it. Martinez says
holding or gripping any bass with dry
hands can remove the protective slime
coating from the body of the fish. This
can allow bacteria to attack the skin and
cause fungal infections to form.
Biologists are sometimes able to use
salt treatments to reverse the process. Left
untreated, however, fungal infections can
lead to delayed mortality days or weeks
after a fish is released.
Something else to remember when
handling big fish is to do so as little as
possible. If you catch a solid bass and want
to get photos or document the weight,
do it quickly and get it back in the water.
Some tournament organizations are now
encouraging anglers to weigh in large
fish early in the day so they aren’t carted
around in a livewell all day long.
When taking photos, never keep a fish
out of the water for longer than 30 seconds
at a time. Not only does this deprive the
fish of oxygen and cause stress, but it also
can cause the bass’ eyes to dry out. This
is especially true in windy conditions or
when it is extremely hot outside.
How a big bass is cared for after it is
caught plays a critical role in its chances
of survival once released. Anglers can do
their part by handling the heavyweights
with kid gloves.
Big they are. Tough they are not.
Avoid cocking or bending lower lip to prevent
damaging jaw bones.
may 2015
33
Just Shooting | Kerry O’Day
Barrel Break In Does Work
When I deliver a new custom rifle I
will explain to the owner how to break
in the barrel. Most shooters have heard
that you need to break in your rifle barrel.
However, most shooters have no idea
“why” you need to break in your rifle
barrel. If you buy a custom rifle from
any reputable maker it will come with
instructions on how to break in the barrel.
However, I have never seen any large rifle
manufacturer give instructions or even
recommend how to break in a rifle barrel.
I asked several custom barrel makers
if they thought it was important to break
in their custom barrel. They both told me
yes. Their barrels are smother and lapped
finer than any factory barrel, but for the
best accuracy and life of the barrel break
in is important. They also so said to never
shoot the barrel dry when the barrel is
new. They also agreed that factory barrels
will be helped by break in.
Most shooters are so excited to go out
and shoot their new rifle; they won’t even
clean the barrel before they take it out to
shoot it for the first time. All rifles should
be cleaned before shooting. Rifles are
shipped with packing oil or grease which
needs to be removed before you start
shooting. You won’t damage your rifle if
you don’t but you will wonder why you are
not hitting any thing the first few shots.
Why would you have to clean or break
in a new rifle barrel? The first few shots
fired from your rifle are some of the most
important shots that you will ever fire.
When a rifle barrel is made, the riflings
are cut, as well as the chamber. All the
cuttings in a rifle barrel are done with
buttons or reamers as well as chamber
reamers. All of these tools will leave small
burrs or cut marks inside the barrel. The
last thing you want is for these cut marks
to get worse and turn into small holes.
If you end up with small holes in the
barrel, these holes will start to strip brass
or copper from the bullets. The holes will
also fill up with carbon from the burned
powder. The carbon will start rust or
corrosion in the barrel. The corrosion
will make the holes bigger which will
strip more brass from the bullets and so
on. What you end up with is a nasty cycle
which leads to an inaccurate rifle or one
that will have a shortened life.
I just worked on a Kimber rifle which
would not shoot any more. The barrel had
never been cleaned let alone had proper
break in. The rifle was ruined and needs
a new barrel. I have broken in hundreds
of rifle barrels in my lifetime, but I have
never given one a true test just to see how
much a properly broken in barrel would
help its accuracy.
I grabbed a new Remington 700 in
30-06 caliber off the shelf and did a quick
trigger adjustment, setting the pull at
three pounds. Then I loaded my favorite
30-06 load of 165gr. Hornady boattail
bullets and 57 grains of IMR 4350. I
packed my cleaning equipment, two boxes
of factory ammo and headed to the range.
My normal break in procedure is to
shoot the rifle, clean it and shoot it again
and clean it again. This is done for the first
10 shots. Then I will clean the barrel after
every three shots for the next 20 rounds.
For this exercise I wanted to see how
much difference breaking in a barrel on a
factory rifle could really make. The first
thing I did was to shoot a three shot group
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34
may 2015
with my handload for both accuracy and
velocity. The group surprised me, a .910
group from a factory rifle with nothing
done to it but a trigger adjustment. The
velocity was where I figured it should be
at 2784 feet per second with an extreme
spread of 55 FPS.
I then cleaned the rifle. I used the
same cleaning routine from then on.
First, I would run a solvent covered brush
through the barrel five times, then I would
run five Sweets soaked patches through
the barrel and follow up with three
patches soaked with Gum-Out carburetor
cleaner to remove the Sweets.
For the last step, run one dry patch
through the gun to dry everything out.
I would then shoot one round of factory
ammo. I did the same shoot and clean,
shoot and clean process until I had 10
rounds fired through the rifle.
Then, I went to a three shot routine of
shooting three shots and clean and shoot
three shots and clean. I used the same
cleaning program for the three shots as I
did for the one shot. Some shooters think
Sweets is too harsh on the barrel, but I
have had great luck with it. I just don’t
let the Sweets sit in the barrel for a long
period of time. Once I start a cleaning job
I try to finish it. I use Gum-Out because
it is inexpensive and works as well as any
gun solvent I have found.
By the time 16 rounds had been fired
through the rifle the cleaning became
easier. There was a lot less copper fowling
and blue color on the patches than when
I started. Maybe it was just me, but it
seemed easier to push the patch through
the barrel which made me think that the
barrel was starting to smooth out.
By the time I had fired and cleaned 31
times, the rifle cleaned very easily with
very little blue on the patch. My last
cleaning was very thorough. I spent more
time cleaning the barrel so I could see
what kind of group the rifle was capable
of with a properly broken in barrel. I
set up the chronograph and fired three
shots. The results amazed me. The group
was under ½ inch and the velocity had
picked up more than 70 feet per second.
The extreme spread was less than 40 feet
per second with an average velocity of
2856 FPS.
The entire process took just over
two hours and by the time I paid range
fees, for two boxes of factory ammo, the
components to load a box of custom
may 2015
ammo I spent just over $150.00. Now,
that is about the most inexpensive way
I know of to make a rifle accurate. The
rifle was very accurate to start with, but
the cleaning and shooting just made
everything better. Picking up 70 feet
per second is great, but the rifle might
have done this on its own after some
shooting time anyway. But maybe not.
The rifle could have gone the other way
and ended up shooting worse than when
I started.
The author at the range with all of the clean components he needs to properly break in a new
rifle barrel.
35
Recent poor public perception of
this fabled bay’s trout output is
dispelled when compared to the
latest scientific data.
Story and photography by
David Sikes
BAFFLED BY
A
BAFFIN BAY?
ny Texan who targets speckled
program leader, tried to put it all into
which sparked a movement to research
trout is aware of Baffin Bay’s
perspective. TPW records for 2013 showed
the problem.
elite status as an angling
a modern day high for salt content in
To set the stage, by 2014 the 63destination. Rarely is this high ranking
Baffin Bay, but a remarkably healthy
mile Upper Laguna Madre system from
disputed. And recent biological surveys
fishery. Keep in mind, the salinity of
Corpus Christi Bay to the south end of
indicate the title is not in jeopardy, despite
the Gulf of Mexico is about 35 parts per
the Landcut had endured three years
rumors.
thousand. The salt content in Alazan Bay,
of drought, accompanied by extreme
Folks who accept these as facts would
an offshoot of Baffin Bay, in July 2013
heat and high salinity levels. A couple
most likely be familiar with Captains Sally
reached 92.5 ppt. Extreme salinity levels
of minor fish kills followed by a cold
and Aubrey Black, a pair of fishing and
can blind fish and negatively impact
snap that stunned sea turtles added to
hunting guides who operate Baffin Bay
spawning. But larger fish simply seek
the concerns. In this atmosphere came
Rod and Gun Club in Riviera. Anglers
more hospitable conditions if they can.
dubious reports of poor fishing from a
within this enterprising couple’s social
Three years earlier those same waters
handful of individuals, which received
media reach are aware the lodge, which
had become completely fresh after several
more media attention than the 307 trout
also was their home, was destroyed by fire
tropical storms hit the Rio Grande Valley.
greater than 25 inches caught in 2013 by
last year while they plied home waters.
Such extremes remain unprecedented.
the Blacks and their clients.
During the Blacks’ struggle to recover
Black drum have been known to
Above the fray, Texas Parks & Wildlife’s
from this personal setback, they also
survive in salinity levels from 0-80
Faye Grubbs, the Upper Laguna Madre
w e re b a t t l i n g a
ppt. Redfish in the
well-meaning but
lagoon have been
double-edged
found in salinity
campaign with
levels from 20-40
short-term negative
ppt and trout have
consequences for
been observed in
the Blacks but
salinities ranging
long term positives
from zero to
for their beloved
77 ppt. So the
bay. A poor public
lagoon, however
perception of Baffin
inhospitable, is
Bay’s trout output
highly resilient to
was emerging,
extremes, as are its
driven by concerns
inhabitants. But,
over water quality.
it seems, there is
This unscientific
a breaking point.
v iew threatened
A nasty bloom of
to damage the
brown tide from
bay’s trophy trout
2012, generally
reputation, if only
considered
temporarily.
nontoxic, returned
Further cause
i n Ma rch 2 0 1 3 .
for concern came
New evidence
from a persistent
may indicate
brown algae bloom
high densities of
and a 2012 diethe microscopic
Sally, Aubrey, and their clients are starting to fill a new “glory board” with multiple 10 pound
off of black drum,
organism can kill or
and larger trout already caught in 2015.
may 2015
37
Aubrey Black shows off a big bull red drum. Redfish numbers in Baffin Bay are stable and continue a long term upward trend. Juvenile redfish
numbers from the 2014 state survey are the fifth highest on record.
inhibit growth in larval fish and mollusks
such as clams by choking out other
microbes at the base of the food chain.
Something was killing the lagoon’s
surf clams, which is a primary food source
for black drum. The emaciated drum
from 2012 was a call to action by a group
of anglers and scientists who created
the Baffin Bay Water Quality Study. No
significant reports of starving drum
came in 2013 or 2014. And the overall
population of black drum in the lagoon,
which peaked in 2013, did not suffer,
according to Grubbs. Typically, catch rates
for drum based on gillnet sampling in the
lagoon are four to five times higher than
catch rates in other Texas bays. Perhaps
the die-off was the result of an overtaxed
bay with too many drum. Even with the
die-off, the latest figures show the drum
population nearly 50 percent above the
35-year average.
Likewise the lagoon’s trout population,
based on the latest gillnet catch rates,
is the second highest on record. And
the number of big trout caught by
Aubrey, Sally and their clients was nearly
unchanged in 2014. They caught 301 trout
that measured at least 25 inches that year.
38
And their records show an increase in the
average trout size compared to the catch
length of fish caught in 2013, Aubrey said.
No bad news there.
State biologists say they are not
surprised by these Laguna Madre trout
numbers. They saw it coming, based on
particularly successful trout spawns in
2007 and 2008. By 2011 these newborns
had grown to a size large enough to be
captured in state gillnets. The gillnet
numbers that year remain the highest on
record. Trout generally live about nine
years. The survivors from the 2007 and
2008 spawn are 7 and 8 years old today.
Keep in mind that only 0.04 percent of
adult trout statewide reach the 30-inch
mark. About 10 percent of Laguna Madre
trout caught in gillnet surveys reach 25
inches, Grubbs said.
Average salinity levels for 2014 in
the lagoon have dropped somewhat, but
remain higher than normal. The average
for 2013 was 52.8 ppt and 45.4 ppt in
2014. Typically the salt content is 35-40
ppt, Grubbs said. Officially she said there
were no reports of discolored water in
2014, but the brown tide cells are always
present in the system.
Of some concern, the juvenile trout
numbers in 2014 were below the long term
average following a record high in 2011.
Redfish numbers are stable and continue
a long term upward trend. Juvenile redfish
numbers from the 2014 state survey are
the fifth highest on record. Flounder
numbers for 2014 climbed higher than
the lowest point in 2005 but still were the
fifth lowest on record.
The Laguna Madre’s brown shrimp
population reached an all-time high in
2014. Blue crab harvest numbers climbed
slightly last year but recruitment remains
below average and declining over the long
term.
The water quality study continues
with particular focus on testing terrestrial
runoff into the bay following rainfall.
Brown tide blooms can be triggered by a
variety of sources, such as nutrients from
fish kills and agricultural runoff. The
trigger for Baffin Bay’s brown tide remains
a mystery. Volunteers such as angler Scott
Murray are assisting scientists and other
researchers with the Coastal Bend Bays
& Estuaries Program, the Center for
Coastal Studies at Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
may 2015
Service, TPW, the Harte Research Institute
for Gulf of Mexico Studies and high
school students in Riviera. The study is
funded through 2016, thanks to Celanese.
Previous funding came from Texas Sea
Grant, Kleberg County Commissioners
Court and the bays and estuaries program.
As the fishery rebuilds and the bay
system recovers from what most anglers
hope was a cyclical episode, Sally and
Aubrey Black also are about to complete
a circle with the construction of a bigger
better lodge atop the ashes of their old
homestead. Among those ashes are the
remains of the club’s wall of fame, a
list of anglers and friends who caught
at least a 25-inch trout since 2003, with
special notations for personal bests and,
of course, highlighting members of the
30-inch club. They’ve started a new glory
board. The tally for 2014 included 15 fish
that measured 30 inches, six that stretched
31 inches and three that tickled or covered
the 32-inch mark.
“We’ve already got multiple 10-pound
trout in 2015,” Sally said. “Looks like it’s
only going to get better.”
Regarding those complaints about
poor fishing success, TPW’s director of
science for Coastal Fisheries offered this
simple explanation in March.
“ It’s m i d - Ma rch a n d o u r b ay
temperatures are still in the mid- to
upper-50s,” said Mark Fisher. “We’ve never
seen water this cold for Spring Break. Last
year anglers were not very successful in
late spring and early summer because
of an extended winter. They assumed it
was because of a lack of fish. Everything
will be delayed about a month, which
means anglers who fish their usual
summer patterns in June may not be as
successful. Last year things got back to
normal around July. I expect the same
this year.”
The Blacks — Baffin’s Enterprising Couple
When Aubrey met Sally each was a well-established professional in their respective disciplines in separate regions of
the Texas coast.
Sally burst onto the Rockport fishing scene 1998 as Sally
Moffett, the first woman fly-fishing guide on the Texas coast.
Soon, this pioneer entrepreneur became a high-profile promoter of coastal kayak fishing. Sally grew up in Erie, Michigan, fishing since the age of 4 with her dad, who she likes to
say treated her as the son he never had. Sally purchased her
first boat in Rockport in 1985, while working as a paralegal
for a law firm. She never looked back.
As a child Aubrey spent time bass fishing in the rivers and
reservoirs within reach of his West Texas birth town of Sanderson. Later, the freshwater tournament circuit held some
appeal for Aubrey until he discovered Baffin Bay in 2002. The
lure and challenge of big speckled trout was enough to revive
this burnt-out bass competitor. Aubrey learned quickly and
wasted no time establishing himself as a professional trophy
trout specialist, with a particular penchant for wade fishing
In 2010, the romance was brief for this driven couple,
who had a history of grabbing what they wanted from life
and forging ahead with gusto. On Aug. 28, 2010, several
dozen onlookers with wet legs witnessed Sally and Aubrey
exchange vows during a sunrise wedding ceremony. The
bride and groom, along with most guests stood waist deep
along a section of the south shore of Baffin Bay known as
Los Corralos.
After Sally spent two years commuting from Baffin Bay to
Rockport, the couple decided to marry their businesses into
one. Baffin Bay Rod and Gun was born in early 2012. Two
years later, in the spring of 2014, fire destroyed their home
and lodge near Sunrise Beach. Clients and friends rallied
to help, allowing them to continue offering charters while
putting up guests in nearby rented quarters and planning to
rebuild a bigger and better facility.
Construction of the 5,300-square-foot Baffin Bay Rod and
Gun lodge, with accommodations for 20 guests, is underway,
and should be completed in the fall of 2015.
may 2015
Captains Sally and Aubrey Black
39
Lake Roundup
EAST TEXAS
By Matt Williams
The bulk of the spawn should be
winding down by the time this issue of
TOJ gets on the streets, but shallow is still
a good way to go throughout the month
of May. So long as there is grass in Lake
Nacogdoches, the bass aren’t going to
leave it.
Grass isn’t the only thing that will
attract bass to shallow water. If this May
is like most, there will be good numbers of
fish in skinny water guarding and feeding
on fry hatched earlier in the spring. Bream
will also be funneling into the shallows to
build their spawning beds.
Translation: It’s going to be like a
dinner buffet up there. The bass will be
aggressive, too. That means you should
be able to draw strikes on any number of
moving baits such as Chatterbaits, square
bills and spinnerbaits. Just remember to
match the hatch. Baby bass, bream and
shad pattern baits are hard to beat this
time of year.
Now is also a prime time to test the
water with surface plug. Chugger style
lures, prop baits and buzz baits all can be
effective. It would also be smart to keep a
buzz frog and a hollow body frog handy.
Stanley’s Top Toad covers both bases
simultaneously. The frog floats. Twitch
it and it performs like a hollow body.
Reel it and its boot shaped feet kick up a
commotion like a Ribbit frog.
Frogs will draw some explosive strikes.
For best results, fish it around new growth
lily pads and over hydrilla beds in 2-4 feet
40
of water.
as willows, weeds and other terrestrial
Other good bait choices for May are
vegetation growth that sprouted several
a wacky worm, Texas-rigged Senko or
years ago when the lake was low.
Stanley Mud Puppy. These baits are super
“The areas around Caney Creek and
effective when the fish are less aggressive
up around the national forest can be
or in a finicky mood. They work great
especially hot,” Terpe said. “That’s where
when tossed along outside grass lines
I’ll spend a lot of my time.”
or scattered clumps of vegetation in the
Any number of baits and techniques
shallows.
will work. Terpe’s go-to bait choices
Crappie should be in transition from
include a Senko, spinnerbait, Texas-rig
shallow water to deep this month. Good
worm and Stanley Ribbit frog. He says
spots to look will be outside grass lines or
the frog bite is generally best during the
any brush piles in the mouths of spawning
first 90 minutes of daylight. However, it
pockets at mid-range depths of 8-14 feet.
can last for extended periods when there
Small hair jigs, Roadrunners and a Mini
is some cloud cover.
Wedgetail Runner tipped with a small
“You’ll also have a pretty decent bite
Wedgetail minnow or one of Stanley’s
offshore around old pond dams, points
new Ribbit Runts
are g reat bait
choices.
CONROE —
Lake Conroe
guide Butch
Terpe says his
home lake offers
a mixed bag of
opportunity
when May rolls
around. Here are
some viable plans
of attack for what
he considers to
be Conroe’s Big
3 — largemouth
bass, channel cat
and hybrid bass:
Largemouth
Bass: Terpe says
the fish will be
in a post spawn
mode and feeding
aggressively in
the shallows.
Water depths of
two to four feet
are ideal. He will
target points
and shorelines
Photo courtesy Chase Grey
a t t h e l a k e ’s
northern reaches,
On March 24, while fishing out of Stow-A-way Marina, Kathleen Costine
especially those
caught this Kentucky spotted bass from Lake Conroe. According to the
angler the fish measured 19” in length and weighed right at four pounds
that offer some
on a handheld scaled before the fish was released back into the lake.
sort of cover such
may 2015
and roadbeds in 8-15 feet of water,” Terpe
said. “It’s all according to what you want
to do. I’m more of a shallow water guy.”
Channel Catfish: Terpe says the best
way to catch a limit of channel cat for the
freezer is to set over a baited hole along
the edges of the San Jacinto river channel
or a major creek in 15-22 feet of water and
soak any number of baits on or close to
the bottom. His favorite is cheese bait on
a sponge hook. However, night crawlers,
punch bait, shrimp, liver and cut shad
also will work.
The guide baits his holes with range
cubes, but you also can use soured milo
or other grains. The key is to not use
too much. It’s also a good idea to secure
the boat at both ends to prevent it from
drifting and moving you off the sweet
spot.
“Anglers who don’t have electronics
can also have pretty good luck around the
bridge pilings at the FM 1097 crossing,”
Terpe said. “There are a lot of catfish that
prowl around there. When you bait them
it will put them right under the boat.”
Hybrid Bass: Hybrid bass have been
finning around in Conroe for years and
Terpe says May is a good time to catch
some solid fish in the 5-7 pound range.
“What I like to do is fish for catfish or
bass early, then go offshore for the hybrids
in the middle of the day,” he said. “If you
can find them, they will usually bite.”
Terpe will tempt the fish using one of
two techniques, depending on how they
are positioned on the water column. If the
fish are suspended he likes to troll a deep
diving crankbait trailed by a pet spoon. If
they are on bottom he likes a slab spoon.
SAM RAYBURN — When Sam Rayburn
guide Stephen Johnston heads out for a
day of bass fishing on the 114,000-acre
lake near Lufkin during May, you will
rarely see his boat in water deeper than 12
feet. In fact, 12 feet might be on the deep
side of Johnston’s comfort zone.
“Everything is going to be shallow this
month,” Johnston said. “There will still be
some fish on beds down south and there
will be plenty of others up there feeding
on and guarding fry. Plus, the bream will
be beginning to bed. There will be quite
a few big fish up there, too.”
One of Johnston’s favorite things to
do in late spring is throw a buzz frog or
hollow body frog around pepper grass
beds and new growth lily pads in water
that’s one to six feet deep. There is plenty
may 2015
of it all around the reservoir, but the midlake area can be especially good.
“A swim jig or a shad pattern swim
bait can be real good in the same areas,”
Johnston said. “These baits come through
cover exceptionally well and they produce
a lot of big bites.”
Johnston says May also kicks off a
strong topwater bite that will typically
carry on through June and on up into
the summer. Yellow Magics and other
chugger style baits are heavy favorites,
as are larger surface plugs like the Super
Spook or Sammy. These baits work best
along outside grass edges and over the
tops of grass beds on main lake flats.
Another pattern worth checking out
is flipping jigs and creatures into flooded
willows and buck brush. With big rains
we had in February and March, chances
are good there will be plenty of water in
the bushes to hold fish.
Johnston says May also can be an
outstanding month for crappie fishing.
The fish will be setting up in brush piles,
but perhaps the most enjoyable way to
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41
fish is casting or strolling small jigs or
Roadrunners along outside grass edges in
water ranging 8-14 feet deep. The better
grass will be along secondary and main
lake points in the mouths of major creeks
and coves where the fish spawned earlier
in the spring.
TOLEDO BEND — T-Bend bass fishing
has been on fire all year long, and things
aren’t likely to cool off anytime soon.
According to fishing guide Stephen
Johnston, there are a variety of ways to
catch fish over the next 30 days.
“You have to remember that Toledo
Bend is a huge lake, so the fish are going
to be doing different things,” Johnston
explained. “Up north, the spawn has been
over for a while now because the water is
shallower and warms up faster. There’s
not much grass up there, either. So a lot
of those fish will have already moved
offshore onto ridges and underwater
points.”
Down south, it’s an altogether different
story, Johnston said.
“There’s a lot of grass down south
and there are still going to be a lot of fish
shallow,” he said. “There could even be a
few that are still on beds down around
some of the bigger creeks close to the dam.
The water is much deeper down south
than it is up north, so it doesn’t warm up
near as quick.”
When fishing above the Pendleton
bridge, Johnston suggests targeting
offshore structure like ridges and points in
water depths of 10-18 feet using Carolina
rigs and deep diving cranks like a Strike
King 5XD or 6XD. Texas rig plastics and
football jigs also will produce some strikes.
Farther south, the guide said he will
key on water ranging one to six feet deep
using frogs, swim jigs and swim baits
around pepper grass, new growth lily
pads and hydrilla in any number of major
creeks. Secondary points will be a major
draw. Some the better areas he pointed out
include Toro Bay, Hausen Bay, Six Mile
Creek and Indian Mounds.
“You’ll also have some fish holding
along the outer edges of the grass that you
can catch on a Senko or a wacky worm,”
Johnston said.
T-Bend always produces some
outstanding crappie fishing in May. One
of the most reliable ways to catch a limit
down south is to stroll a jig along outside
grass edges in water ranging 8-14 feet.
Strolling is simple to do. Just cast the
42
jig 20-30 feet behind the boat and use the
trolling motor to bump it along at a slow
pace. Once you catch one or two fish out
of the same area, hold the boat steady and
work it over thoroughly by fan casting.
“The crappie are going to be grouped
up pretty good,” Johnston said. “Where
you catch one, there are probably going
to be others.”
LIVINGSTON — May bass fishing
prospects on Livingston can be a hit or
miss proposition, according to former
fishing guide Randy Dearman. Dearman
says the fish will be making the transition
from traditional spawning areas and
setting up along points and channel
swings.
“The fish are going to be on the
move,” says Dearman. “They’ll be pretty
aggressive and they’ll bite once you find
them.”
Dearman says the fish will hit assorted
baits ranging from moving lures such
as spinnerbaits, cranks and bladed jigs.
If they don’t seem willing to chase, he’ll
switch to a Texas rig Rage Craw or a jig,
especially when fishing cover around
channel swings or points.
“The main thing to remember on
Livingston is we don’t have any grass to
speak of,” Dearman said. “These fish relate
primarily to wood — stumps, lay downs,
brush and stuff like that.”
Dearman says late spring also produces
a pretty decent topwater bite from time to
time. A white Strike King buzz bait ranks
among his favorites.
Another pattern the guide pointed to
is fishing around boat docks. He said the
better docks will almost always be situated
near deeper water such as a creek channel
or a drop off. Best baits are square bill
cranks, spinnerbaits and jig/craw combos.
The white bass spring spawning run
is history and big numbers of fish will be
filtering back into Lake Livingston this
month. A school fish by nature, the whites
should be setting up camp in large groups
on deep main lake points in the mouths
of major feeder creeks as well as along the
banks of the Trinity River.
“You can catch them all over the lake
from the north end all the way to the dam,
but my guess is the larger schools are still
going to be up north,” Dearman said.
“Spoons are the best bet when they are on
bottom and moving baits like a ‘Trap or
topwater are tickets when they come up
schooling on the surface.”
PALESTINE — Lake Palestine fishing
guide Ricky Vandergriff says May ranks
among his favorite months of the year
to chase largemouths on his home lake,
mainly because the fish will are typically in
a head hunting mood and ready to munch
after the spawn.
“They’ll be aggressive and ready to
chase,” Vandergriff said. “That’s why I’ll
be throwing quite a few moving baits —
things like a spinnerbait, Shimmy Shaker
and crankbait. They be setting up fairly
shallow, mostly around docks, points
and in the backs of creeks around any
available cover.”
Vandergriff also thinks there will be
a reliable bite on main lake points and
old road beds towards the south end of
the lake. He says he’ll throw a Carolina
rigged Brush Hog or Senko on points 4-10
feet deep and a deep diving crankbait on
roadbeds in the 10-15 foot range.
If you are looking to box a few crappie
this month, Vandergriff suggests targeting
brush piles in water 10-15 feet deep. Live
shiners are always a good choice, while
small jigs and Roadrunners are ideal
when the fish are in an aggressive mood.
Baits weighing 1/16 to 1/8 ounce are his
favorites. White is the best color.
Good as crappie are to eat, channel
cat aren’t very far behind. Lake Palestine
harbors a healthy population of channels,
blues and flatheads, but channel cat rank
as the most reliable option when it comes
to rod and reel prospects.
Vandergriff says the fishing is always
best around areas that are pre-baited using
soured maize or range cubes. Best depth
range along the edges of the Neches are
about 14 feet. There also will be shallower
bait around boat docks.
NORTH TEXAS
By Brian Hughes
may 2015
May in Texas is a great month for
fishing. Not just bass fishing, but ALL
fishing. As the last group to spawn, catfish
are in the shallows this month and are
easily accessible.
Crappie have spawned and are
returning to deeper water to set up on
cover near structure. Hybrids and sand
bass are also finished and will be chasing
the shad that are moving in for their
spawn. Bass will still be hitting topwaters
early and late, and feeding on and off
throughout the day in the shallows. All
in all, most fish species will be active
throughout the day, and active fish are
much easier to catch.
Add to that the fact that May brings
some of our best weather of the season,
and planning a trip for this month is
almost bulletproof. Of course they call it
fishing, and not catching, for a reason. No
trip is guaranteed to produce fish on the
line. But May could very well be the best
shot you’ll have.
CEDAR CREEK — I talked about Cedar
Creek last month, and I usually skip a
month or two before covering a lake again
in these reports. There are so many lakes
I try to rotate them to cover as much area
as possible.
Having said that, Cedar Creek is
included again simply because May
should be a bust-out month. The water
level returned to full pool after some
three years of extremely low levels. The
northern end of the lake saw levels so
low you could walk out to “islands” that
should have had water four to eight feet
deep surrounding them. These are now
islands again, and the vegetation that grew
during the low water offers a veritable
playground for the fish.
All species will benefit with hatched fry
having plenty of cover, as well as sunfish,
spawning baitfish and catfish, and the
predator fish. Throwing topwaters like
a frog or buzzbait should keep the bass
fisherman busy for hours. Crickets and
worms under a cork, strategically placed
will catch plenty of bluegill, and prepared
baits will have the catmen on fish in no
time.
The frog fishermen have three choices,
a popping frog (these have a concave face,
much like a hard popper bait), a buzz-frog
(these are the solid-body, soft plastic baits
with the legs that putter across the surface
when retrieved) and the hollow-body
frogs like a Snag-Proof or Scum Frog. All
of these will work on different days, just
throw them and let the fish tell you which
one they want on a particular day. Try to
stay with standard colors, your greens,
blacks, whites and spotted frog types.
Sometimes I’ll add a little chartreuse dye
to the legs of a watermelon/red buzz frog
for contrast.
Many boat docks that were highand-dry are now back in the water and
the flippin’/pitchin’ fan will have literally
hundreds of docks to work with a jig and
pig, or Texas rigged Yamamoto Kreature
bait. Your standard Texas colors work here,
black/blue, watermelon/red, chartreuse/
pepper and June Bug.
Crappie on Cedar Creek will also take
advantage of the higher water, hanging
out below docks that now have water
beneath them. Depending on the level,
you may be able to “shoot” these docks
with a crappie jig on a spinning rod.
“Shooting” docks is a technique whereby
you open the reels bail, grasp the jig in one
hand, and pull back on the lure, bending
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the rod. Then release the jig, “shooting”
it underneath the dock. It takes time and
practice to master, but is well worth the
effort as you can launch a jig well back
under the dock where no traditional
casting method will reach.
COOPER — Cooper is another success
story regarding lake levels. After being
closed to boat traffic twice in the last
three years, Cooper has seen an eight foot
rise with the spring rains and is poised
to provide some of the hottest action in
Texas for hybrid stripers.
Guide Tony Parker has been on the
lake for many years and says this may be
one of the best ever, “I’m looking for a real
hot season on Cooper. Having the lake
down and seeing so few anglers the fish
have relaxed a little. And even though the
lake was down they are still here, better
than ever.”
One tip that Tony passed on was
something new to me, “I don’t use my
electronics to find these May fish.”
Now, I’ve fished with a lot of striper
guides, hybrid striper guides, sand bass
guides and more, and the ALL used the
electronics to search out their fish. So
44
when Tony said that I had to make him
go back and explain it to me, “On Cooper
there are a lot of shallow humps the
hybrids and sandies will gather around.
These humps top out anywhere from
eight to less than two feet deep. If you try
to “chart” them you’ll spook them off the
hump. The only thing I use is the GPS to
locate the hump itself. Then we throw a
½ ounce or ¾ ounce jighead, rigged with
a Sassy Shad at ‘em. If there are fish there
you’ll know it.”
Since you may not have all of the data
Tony has collected over the years on your
unit, many of today’s navigational aids are
available to plug into your unit, or you can
download them onto your phone. These
usually have the GPS coordinates for
things like the humps. With all of the new
water, bass fishermen can expect the bass
to be scattered. The best approach will be
moving baits. Try the buzzbait early in
the morning and spinnerbaits and ‘Traps
later. If the buzzbait produces fish in an
area, you may want to go back over that
area with a Spook, popper or frog.
The same idea applies to the spinnerbait
and trap. If you catch a couple, turn back
and cover that area again with a Senko or
Texas rig to thoroughly plumb the area.
White in your buzzbait, white chartreuse,
(or both), red and orange are good
spinnerbait colors, while watermelon/
red or bubblegum (depending on water
clarity) work for the Senko and Texas rigs.
Catfish will also be found in the new
growth, in the shallows. Use your standard
prepared, cut, or live baits.
FORK — Guide Mark Stevenson
also likes Lake Fork in May. “One of
my favorite times of the year, without a
doubt,” said Mark. “We’ll start the day
on top with a Yellow Magic, ‘Spook or
buzzbait, working any kind of shallow
cover. Hydrilla, timber, pondweed or
pads if they are present.” (Remember to
use the type of bait that is suited to the
cover. For example, you wouldn’t want to
throw the Spook in heavy timber unless
you are really good at working one, and
don’t mind spending a lot of time getting
your bait off the trees!)
There will still be spawning bass this
time of year and they will generally be off
the main lake points in five to six feet of
water. “I like to throw a mini-Carolina rig
may 2015
at these fish, along with a Texas rig, jig or
square-billed crankbait,” said Stevenson.
“These are the last of the spawning fish
and you’re not really sight fishing, you
just kinda know they are around. Some of
these fish will be the nine and ten pound
fish everybody wants to catch.”
May also signals the beginning of
the deep water patterns. Off the shore
structure will begin to see a lot of bass
visiting for the daily meal and they can
be caught on a variety of baits.
“Starting early in the month and
lasting ‘til the water starts getting hot we’ll
use a Carolina rig with a 10 inch worm,
ribbed worm, or fluke on these fish. I
even like to tip a ½ oz. or ¾ oz. jig with
the 10 inch worm occasionally,” suggests
Mark. “I like a lot of flake for these deeper
approaches, colors like Red Bug, June Bug,
Watermelon Magic, Watermelon Candy
and Tequila Sunrise.”
The first two or three weeks of the
month will also see deep-diving crankbaits
come into play. “We use the DD22, XD6
and XD10 a lot this time of year, along
with a swimbait on a heavy jighead.” Mark
suggests chartreuse/blue and shad colors
on the crankbaits and the LFT Magic
Shad in watermelon/shad laminate for
the swimbait.
Crappie fishermen at Fork should
look for the papermouths returning to
deeper water on points, at channels and
brushpiles, and don’t forget the bridges,
“We always do very well at the bridges in
May, using crappie jigs and minnows.”
RAY ROBERTS — Ray Bob got a lot of
attention back in March with a new lake
record bass and ShareLunker entry. At
15.18 it was a monster and well deserved
the attention. Ray Roberts also deserves
more attention than it usually gets as it
is a fantastic lake for all types of fishing.
Guide Dannie Golden was the captain
when the record was caught and he has
nothing but rave reviews for the lake.
“What most people don’t know about
that record fish is that it was the second
double-digit fish we caught that day,” he
confessed. “We had also had several other
big fish that week, and the week after.”
Early in May the bass will still be
spawning on the south end of the lake,
while the north end will be in a postspawn pattern. Dannie likes to use frogs
around the main lake grass. “We use all
three types of frogs,” says Golden. “We
catch bigger fish using that bait so it’s one
of my favorites.”
He also likes a Spook around the areas
where the shad spawn, “I also use the
Vixen by Reaction Innovations quite a
bit. It has a little different something that
the fish seem to like more on some days.”
On the flats, adjacent to channels and
main lake points Dannie uses the Carolina
rig and will flip a Kreature bait or Mag
Fluke. “It’s really important to be accurate
in your lure placement when flippin’ on
Ray Roberts,” he cautions. Baits for the
Carolina rig include the Larew Salt Flik’R
and the Kicker Fish Bubble Fry. Colors
are chartreuse/pepper in the fry, and
Sooner Run (a laminate) in the Flik’R.
Watermelon/gold flake is another favorite
Ray Bob color. Crappie will be back on the
Corps of Engineers brushpiles (marked on
almost all lake maps) or the timber, and
sand bass will be on almost every windy
point. “Look for a heron on the points,”
suggested Golden, “If the heron is there,
the sandies will be too!”
May is a great month to fish in north
Texas. Get your frogs and topwaters out,
get out early, take a youngster with you,
and GO FISHING.
Check back often for the latest outdoor news
from across Texas, the United States, and
around the world.
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may 2015
45
SALTWATER JOURNAL | Mark Sosin
Fish Have Ears
highly developed
and sensitive
that it can hear
a worm wiggling
in the bottom.
Even when vision
is obscured as the
turbidity of the
water changes,
day turns into
night, or clean
water flows into
a muddy or
polluted stretch,
a fish’s hearing
remains acute.
S o u n d s
transmitted
into the water
will either repel
or attract fish.
The key for an
angler is to avoid
driving fish away
with the wrong
Photo by Bill L. Olson
kind of sound.
The lateral line starts at the head as a network of tiny canals running
Instead, you want
just under the surface of the skin. Right behind the head, the canals join
to arouse their
together forming the lateral line proper, which extends down each side
curiosity or gain
of the fish to the tail. The most vivid example occurs on snook.
their attention
with the right kind of sound. We know
Although fish don’t have protruding
that sound travels five times faster in
earflaps like those of humans or other
water than it does in air and we also
mammals, they do have ears and good
know that fish are alert to a wide range of
ones. The hearing apparatus of a fish is so
frequencies. You’ll seldom see a fish make
a mistake and swim toward an alarming
sound. As an example if you drop a bait
or lure too close to a fish, it will spook no
matter how small the offering seems to be
or how big the fish is.
A fish’s ears are buried on either
side of the head in roughly the same
position as our own inner ears, but they
are much closer together. Unlike us, fish
do not have eardrums and the ears are
not open directly to the water. Sounds
are transmitted directly from the water
through the skin, flesh, and bone of the
fish’s head to the ear. Those species that
inhabit turbulent water or a crashing
surf don’t have as sophisticated hearing
as those critters that cruise around in
calmer waters. Fish anatomists tell us that
one clue to extremely sensitive hearing is
the internal connection in some species
of the ear to the swim bladder. The swim
bladder is a gas filled chamber enclosed
by an elastic membrane. It serves as an
underwater microphone, resonating
chamber, and amplifier all rolled into
one. The bladder picks up vibrations in
the water and transmits them to the ear.
High-sensitivity hearing is a valuable asset
to the hunted as well as the hunter.
In addition to their ears, fish have
a second sound-detecting organ known
as the lateral line which is unique in
the animal kingdom. This organ senses
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may 2015
the strong, low-frequency vibrations in
the water and is important to a fish in
pinpointing the source of a sound. The
lateral line starts at the head as a network
of tiny canals running just under the
surface of the skin. Right behind the
head, the canals join together forming the
lateral line proper, which extends down
each side of the fish to the tail. The most
vivid example occurs on snook. You can
identify it as a dark, black line on a lighter
body running from the head to the tail.
Sound sensors called neuromasts are
attached at intervals within the lateral line
canals and are especially sensitive to lowfrequency sounds. They are composed
of tiny pods with sensory hairs inside.
Each pod connects to a nerve fiber which
carries the signal to the brain. When the
sound wave reaches the neuromasts, it will
push them in one direction or the other.
If the neuromasts are moved rearward,
the electrical charges increase and if they
move forward, the charges decrease. Some
scientists refer to the lateral line as “the
sense of distant touch.” It’s almost as if a
fish could reach out and feel.
Sound plays a vital role in the daily
activities of fish. Through the combined
may 2015
use of the ears and the lateral line, they
can detect any disturbance in the water.
Nothing can trigger a response in fish
faster than the vibrations given off by an
injured fish or one with a hook in it. The
sounds produced when a fish is injured
are totally different than those given off
by a fish swimming normally.
Since the lateral line is directional, a
predator can detect the precise location
of a natural bait or a lure within 10 to 20
feet. At distances of two to five feet, a fish
can precisely pinpoint another fish or lure
without using its eyes at all and can whirl
around and strike with total accuracy.
A numb er of t ips are wor th
remembering when you are on the
water. If you fish at night and are using
a topwater plug, the retrieve should be
steady and constant because its easier
for a fish to home in on it. Fish exhibit a
negative reaction to unusual noises such
as those coming from a boat. Particularly
in shallow water, anything that scrapes
the hull either in the boat or against the
boat such as a pushpole, oar, or paddle
will send fish packing. For those who fish
bridges, working a dead bait on the surface
with action from the rod will produce
strikes. If you simply walk along working
the bait (known as bridge trolling), the
results should impress you.
Aboard a boat, the sound of an
outboard, particularly in shallow water,
can alert fish a considerable distance
away. It’s best to putt-putt toward the
area you want to fish and then shut the
engine down some distance away. Too
many of us look at habitat where a fish is
likely to be and then we pride ourselves
on dropping a bait or lure on top of that
spot. That’s enough to put any critter on
the alert. And, if you’re trolling a live bait
near a school of forage species, work the
outside edges. That makes it easier for the
fish you want to catch to find your bait.
Fishing from the bank or wading
can be much more effective if you move
slowly. Bank fishermen need to stay some
distance from the water’s edge because
the sound of each step is transmitted into
the water. And, if you are wading, any
splashing or pushing water ahead of you
telegraphs a danger sign to the fish you
want to catch. Just remember that fish
have excellent hearing and react to sound.
Make sure the only sound you create are
ones that signal an easy meal.
47
Just FISHING | Brian Hughes
New Water Provides New Opportunities
BEFORE
(Left) Anglers that shot photos of structure
and cover when lake levels were down...
...will benefit now that lakes are starting to
refill. (Below)
AFTER
The old saying, “It takes a flood to
break a drought” is based on solid logic. A
lake that is 10 feet low cannot be expected
to see much improvement in lake level
with just three or four inches of rain.
During a drought, the ground will become
parched. It will then soak up an enormous
amount of rainfall before allowing the
needed run-off that fills our lakes.
It is no secret that Texas has been in a
record busting drought for several years
now. But, that said, Texas also covers
an incredible amount of real estate.
Dividing the state from east to west into
three vertical regions, the easternmost
region has fared the best. On a recent
trip through east Texas I saw streams
and rivers out of their banks, flooding
thousands of acres of bordering lowlands.
The western section has fared the worst.
Some lakes like in the panhandle are, for
all practical purposes, non-existent.
In the middle of these extremes is the
north Texas region and my “beat” so to
speak. This portion of the state has seen
both ends of the spectrum. While all of
the lakes have been affected, some lakes
fared worse than others. Boat docks,
boat houses and boat ramps have been
left high and dry, with the lake hundreds
of feet away. Some lakes have simply
been inconvenienced with temporary
unavailability of some facilities.
But late winter ice and snow saturated
the ground, paving the way for early spring
48
rains to run directly
into our reservoirs
and replenish the
water supplies to at
least near-normal.
As of this writing
Tawakoni, once 10
feet low, recovered
seven feet of pool level. Lake Fork went
from almost eight feet low but has
recovered to just two feet low as of early
April. Ray Hubbard gained five feet in just
a weeks time, and Cedar Creek gained over
five feet to return to full pool. Other lakes
in the region have seen similar gains.
This is very good news for the
municipalities that depend on these
sources for water, as well as the
homeowners with docks and boathouses.
The fishermen can benefit from this
higher lake level too, but there are a few
things you’ll need to know.
Heavy, late winter rains are usually
cold. Cold water running into a lake will
naturally drop the water temperature in
the area of the run-off. In addition, these
rains will usually bring a lot of mud, silt
and debris with them, turning the water
color into a chocolate milk affair. Cold,
muddy water is not a fishermans friend.
The good news is that by the time this
issue is published the water will have
warmed and the sediment will have settled
so that shouldn’t be a factor.
What will be a factor is the new cover,
and structure, that will be available. As
a quick tutorial, structure is defined a
change in the bottom of the lake. Humps,
channels, old pond dams, roadbeds and
the like are all structure. Cover is a place
a fish can hide. Brush, grasses, boat docks,
submerged logs and such are cover. And
another note, all species will use the new
cover that’s available — from baitfish to
bass.
When the water was down, many
advised you to take photographs of your
favorite fishing waters to use as a reference
when the water level returned. If you did
so you now have an idea what is below the
surface as you enter an area to fish. The
cover that was exposed then will be clearly
visible in your photos, and can be readily
located with little effort. This will be your
little “secret” fishing hole.
However, many never took the time
(and in some cases couldn’t get close
enough due to the low water) to take
these pictures on all the lakes we fish. In
that case a good topographical map can
help. Look to the previous water level,
where channels enter the area in question.
may 2015
are present.
the docks. Do
As you pass each dock you can cast
a slow run past
alongside both sides to find the brush
a line of docks
there. If you’re able, sling that weight
and note the
underneath the dock as far back as you
ones that show
can to plumb for brush underneath. Be
c o v e r, t h e n
aware that many times brush is hung
come back
from a dock support on a line or string,
and fish those
so keep an eye out for these as it is a dead
thoroughly.
giveaway that brush is present. Once
If
you
located use your Texas rigged lizards,
a re w i t h o u t
worms, Kreatures, and crawfish imitations
electronics
on the shallower stuff, and Carolina rigs
y o u’ l l h a v e
on the deeper brush. Be sure to “paint”
to find the
all sides of a brushpile in order to cover it
brush the old
completely. If deep enough, you may use a
fashioned way,
deep diving crankbait, spinnerbait, spoon
by “dredging”.
or tail-spinner to come across the top and
Use a ½ oz.
sides of the brush.
to
one
ounce
Shoreline brush that grew up when lakes were low will be areas baitfish and
Finally, keep in mind that this kind of
w
e
i
g
h
t
(
n
o
gamefish will use for cover.
fishing will be hard on your line. Braided
hook) on the
line or heavy mono or flouro is a good
end of your line and make a long cast
These channels will have funneled logs
idea, as is repeatedly checking your line
parallel to, and in front of, a line of docks.
and brush, carried by the rains, into the
for abrasions. You could very well catch a
Cast as far as you can to cover as many
area. It is now a matter of checking the
big ‘un in this thick cover and you don’t
docks as possible with each cast. Now
bends with your electronics for cover
want to lose it because of a line failure.
simply reel in your weight slowly, paying
that couldn’t make the corner so to speak,
Remember, new water will provide
attention to what you feel as it comes back
and was caught up on the channel bend.
new opportunities for catching fish.
to the boat. You’ll feel the brush piles that
Depending on the depth and thickness
of this cover, some type of soft plastic
is in order. Texas and Carolina rigs are a
The Latest Freshwater and Coastal Reports
good choice, although you may be able
from around the Region
to slip some moving baits through this
cover as well.
The most common and easiest new
cover to find will be shoreline grasses and
trees. In an extended drought such as the
one we have been in, grasses, bushes and
trees will grow along the exposed bank,
only to be inundated when the lake level
comes back up.
TEXAS * LOUISIANA * OKLAHOMA * ARKANSAS
This will be the first new cover fish
will explore. You’ll want to fish the
With Host Barry Stokes
outside edges first using spinnerbaits,
Weekly Reports Including:
‘Traps, Senkos and the like. Next you
Lone Star Lakes - Brian Hughes,
"On The Coast" - (Texas) Capt. Bill L. Olson,
can penetrate the cover slipping a Texas
Cajun Bites - Cajun Phil & Capt. Kevin Broussard,
rig down into openings, or a frog across
Sooner Beat - Gary Dollahon
the top, being sure to look for breaks and
edges where fish will wait to ambush prey.
Another source of underwater cover
no longer visible will be at boat docks.
Many owners will have taken advantage
of the low water to place, or refresh, brush
piles below their docks. Docks that were
out of the water for a long period of time
may have natural growth below, and
THURSDAYS 10:30 P.M. CST SATURDAYS 7:30 A.M. CST (NEW TIME)
beside, them. Again, your electronics will
show which docks have brush in front of
Watch Last Week's Show In Full HD NOW At FoxSportsOutdoors.com
them, and the side-scan units will show
brush underneath and to the sides of
may 2015
49
Texas
Blue-Chip
Wade Fishing
Sabine Lake to Port Mansfield offers a variety of productive fishing areas.
Story and photography by Robert Sloan
O
n the topic of wade fishing
Rudy Grigar, a.k.a. The
Plugger once told me that it
was his only escape from the world.
“When I’m out there in waist deep
water with a rod and reel and silver spoon
the only thing that I’m thinking about
is that next bite,”said Grigar. “It’s that
50
simple. It’s me and the fish.”
Actually the only thing that Grigar
had to worry about was avoiding other
fishermen. He started out in Galveston.
But with the influx of more and more
fishermen, he moved down the coast to
Port O’Connor. And when he couldn’t
escape pesky waders there, he packed
up for his final escape and headed to the
Chandeleur Islands.
These days there is no such thing as
escaping fishermen along the Gulf Coast
— regardless of where you go. But it’s a
fact that wade fishing for reds and trout
is one sure fire way to drain the brain of
the daily grind. And it’s also a fact that
may 2015
going to be a real short
bite at first light. After
that you’ll do best
with a 5-inch Yum
Money Minnow in
pearl/chartreuse back
or herring. Rig this
on a white 1/4 ounce
jig head and work
it fast along bottom
on a steady retrieve.
Another option is to
use a Yum Houdini
Shad in camo/pearl or
watermelon/red flake
rigged on a 1/8-ounce
Bomber jig head in
white or chartreuse.
With this lighter jig
head you can work
the shallow shoreline
in two to three feet of
water for feeding reds.
When fishing
East Galveston Bay
don’t ever pass up
the option of wading
the shallow edge of
Gin clear water awaits anglers along Texas coast. Speckled trout, redfish, and flounder can be caught in water that is
the guts on outgoing
relatively unpressured if you know where and when to go.
tides. That’s a great
situation to work
I
like
to
wade
Sabine
in
about
thigh
plastics
on
bottom
for reds, trout and
there is no shortage of great wade fishing
deep
water.
Best
lures
will
be
a
black/
flounder.
Some
of
the
best cuts are off Big
water along the Texas coast. It’s simply a
chartreuse
Heddon
Super
Spook
or
a
Pasture
Bayou,
Yates
Bayous, Elmgrove
matter of knowing where to go and when
Super
Spook
Jr.
in
spectrum.
You’ll
do
best
Point
and
Pepper
Point.
to be there.
with the Spook Jr. in very calm water at
East Matagorda Bay is a hot spot
On the upper Texas coast is Sabine
dawn
and
dusk.
The
5-inch
Super
Spook
for
wading. It used to be known for
Lake, and this is where you can pretty
draws
more
strikes
in
windy
conditions
consistently
pumping out numbers of big
much find blue-chip water to wade on
and
slightly
stained
water.
trout.
That’s
not the case anymore. But
any given day — even on the weekends.
During
the
heat
of
the
day,
and
it’s
still
a
great
wade fishing destination
For some reason wade fishing on Sabine
bright
sunlight,
Capt.
Jerry
Norris
highly
for
numbers
of
solid trout, and lots of
has never been all that popular. But it’s
recommends
using
a
red/shad
Assassin
slot
reds.
definitely a go-to destination for anglers
on a ¼ ounce jig head sprayed with Yum
The best thing going for fishermen on
in the know. Sabine Lake gets very little
shrimp
scent.
East
Matagorda Bay is Matagorda Harbor.
fishing pressure, in comparison to other
Fishing
anywhere
on
the
Galveston
This
is a first class operation with good
bays. I’ve been fishing this place for over
Bay
system,
during
the
summer
months,
boat
ramps, on-the-water gas pumps, a
20 years. The numbers of reds here, big
can
be
a
crowded
experience
on
just
about
tackle
shop, the best fish cleaning area
reds, are incredible. If I had to pick a top
any
given
day.
That’s
why
it’s
always
best
that
I’ve
ever seen, great restrooms and
wade fishing spot for quality reds and
to
fish
this
popular
spot
on
weekdays.
My
a
restaurant.
When it comes to a bay side
trout it would be Sabine.
personnel
favorite
is
East
Galveston
Bay.
marina
this
one
is tough to beat.
At Sabine you can put in at the
The
best
option
is
to
launch
at
Stingaree
You
can
put
in at the harbor, enter
Causeway boat ramp, head north towards
Marina,
cross
the
Intracoastal
Waterway
the
Intracoastal
Waterway and head
Blue Buck Point along the Louisiana
and
enter
the
bay.
From
there
you
can
fish
east
to
the
Old
Gulf
Cut opening to East
shoreline, and from there you can wade
west
or
east.
Another
option
is
to
put
in
Matagorda
Bay.
From
there you want to
until their ain’t no tomorrow. Some of
on
the
northeast
corner
of
East
Bay
at
the
head
to
the
south
shoreline
where you’ll
the best topwater action you’ll have for
Anahuac
National
Wildlife
Refuge.
find
miles
of
primo
wade
fishing
water.
redfish will be about a mile up from Blue
Early
in
the
morning
a
3-1/2-inch
While
traveling
on
this
bay
definitely
be
Buck Point. What you want to do is anchor
Bomber
Badonk-A-Donk
in
Mardi
Gras
aware
of
shallow
oyster
reefs
—
they
are
your boat up near the shoreline, get out
or bone colors will work for trout. That’s
everywhere and will wreck a hull and
and fish.
may 2015
51
the pass. On many days the water along
escape the world and find some excellent
injure boaters. My best advice is to get a
this area of Matagorda surf is so clear you
wade fishing is out of Port Mansfield,
good chart that shows a lot of bay detail,
can see sand dollars in two feet of water.
located at about the middle of the Laguna
or hire a guide like Charlie Paradoski or
But better than that you can actually walk
Madre. I’ve been fishing there for years
Tommy Alexander.
on dry sand while sight casting to trout
and never get tired of it. The Laguna
Guide Charlie Paradoski, has been
and reds in the first gut. That, my friends,
Madre is right at 130 miles long. That’s
wading this bay for decades. His advice
is awesome wade fishing. What you don’t
a lot of water. You could actually fish
is to locate mullet, stake out the boat and
want do here is wade too far out. There
the Laguna flats and never fish the same
start wading.
are strong currents and some mighty big
water twice.
“I like to wade in waste to chest deep
sharks.
“It’s some of the most incredible wade
water,” says Paradoski. “At sunlight I’ll fish
T he unique thing ab out Por t
fishing on the entire Gulf Coast,” says Mike
Super Spooks for about an hour. After that
O’Connor are the many islands. Dewberry
Sutton, who owns and operates Getaway
I’ll switch over to soft plastics in junebug,
and Blackberry islands are very popular
Adventures Lodge in Port Mansfield.
chartreuse or watermelon/shad colors
among wade fishermen. They cover
“Once you leave the Mansfield harbor you
rigged on a ¼ ounce jig heads.”
miles of clear water flats. You can wade
can head east or west and find shallow and
The main
grassy flats for
thing is to
miles and miles.”
fish where
The west
you see lots of
s h o re l i n e o u t
mullet. Other
of Mansfield
than that
i s w h e r e I ’ ve
you might
had
some
t r y wa ding
outstanding
the many
wade fishing for
reefs. Some
big trout over the
of the good
past few years.
ones include
This particular
Cleveland,
shoreline covers
L o n g ,
over 20 miles
3-Beacon,
of primo wade
Raymond,
fishing flats.
Oyster Farm
The shallow
and Half
flats along the
Moon. These
shoreline-side of
reefs have
the Intracoastal
been favorites
Wa te r w ay
of waders for
offer excellent
years.
topwater action
P o r t
for big trout right
O ’ C o n n o r,
about now. Last
located on the
May I fished that
middle Texas
shoreline about
coast between
five miles out of
Matagorda
All along the Texas coast there are hot spots where anglers can “get-in-amongst ‘em” and enjoy some
the Mansfield
a
n
d
awesome wadefishing.
harbor. We had
Rockport, is
up close to the island in a foot of water
trout to 7 pounds on bone and chartreuse/
one of the most scenic places you’ll ever
and sightcast to reds, or back off into
silver flash Bomber Badonk-A-Donks.
wade. This is where the water is often gin
waist deep water and fish soft plastics for
Another option is to wade the flats
clear. There are numerous islands with the
trout and reds. One of the best tactics,
on the south side of the Intracoastal
main one being Matagorda. This barrier
when wading the deeper water, is to tie
Waterway. This is where you can find guts
island stretches for 38 miles and offers
on a Paradise Popper with a Yum Mud
between sand bars that hold lots of trout
some of the prettiest wade fishing water
Minnow or Houdini Shad. This particular
and reds on any given tide.
you’ll ever see. The bay side of the island
rattle float attracts the fish and they eat the
Guide Ted Springer says one of his
offers shallow flats and guts that are drop
soft plastic falling beneath the popper. It’s
go-to lures for catching big trout along
dead perfect for attracting reds and trout.
a simple but deadly combination. Don’t
the ICW flats is a saltwater Super Spook
If you get tired of the bay, head out
forget to use some sort of scent attractant.
Jr. in red/white or silver/blue.
through the jetties or Pass Cavallo and fish
One of my favorites is the Yum shrimp or
“Those flats offer drops and holes along
the surf. One of my favorite options, on a
garlic scent.
the grass line that attract some pretty big
light southeast breeze, is to wade the surf
One of my favorite places to totally
trout,” says Springer. “It’s good topwater
anywhere from one to three miles west of
52
may 2015
fishing all day. But
a go-to option is to
fish soft plastics in
watermelon/red or
red/white on a 1/8
ounce jig head.”
Wa d e f i s h i n g
is a year round inthe-water escape
for thousands of
fishermen along
the Gulf Coast. But,
for sure, the Texas
coast offers the most
diversified wade
fishing adventures
on Earth, and it’s
happening r ig ht
now.
For more
information on
w a d i n g Te x a s
bays email Capt.
Rober t Sloan at
sloan288@aol.
com or visit www.
luckystrikeguide.
com.
may 2015
Photo by Bill L. Olson
North and south of Port Mansfield are miles of shoreline flats for anglers to wade fish for speckled trout and redfish.
53
Lake Roundup
By John Jefferson
Spring finally sprung, although a little
later this year than usual. The late, cold
and rainy winter seemed to retard the bass
spawn, and it certainly kept fishermen
home in front of fireplaces and off the
water.
As of late March, right at TOJ’s
deadline time, there had only been five
ShareLunkers (bass 13-pounds or over)
entered: two from Sam Rayburn, one each
from Fork and Ray Roberts, and one from
a private lake. The one from Ray Roberts
scaled 15.18 pounds. Really nice fish.
By this time each year, there have
usually been several more on the list. As
the temperature is warming each day and
more and more good weather is upon us,
I expect additional entries will explode
like an over-inflated balloon through the
end of the competition. The ShareLunker
competition ends on April 30, so there’s
still time if you receive TOJ by mail. If you
don’t subscribe, you should.
As a reminder, there is a new weigh
station for ShareLunker entries by the
boat ramp on Lake Austin, beneath the
Loop 360 Bridge. Directions on opening
the scale cabinet will be provided to
anyone calling on their cell phone. Your
fish doesn’t have to be caught on Lake
Austin if that site is the quickest and most
convenient certified scale to you. If you
aren’t close enough to use that scale, the
number for the ShareLunker program is
(903) 681-0550. Check the ShareLunker
rules at the website http://tpwd.texas.
gov/spdest/visitorcenters/tffc/sl, though,
before calling to make sure your fish is a
possible entry.
And speaking of Lake Austin, you
probably noticed that it was absent from
the list of this year’s five ShareLunkers.
Most veteran fishermen feel the drastic
removal of hydrilla has contributed to
the recent decline of lunkers on the lake.
A sort of a grassroots movement by
fishermen was scheduled to help rebuild
fish habitat on April 12 and 13. With
permission and assistance from Texas
Parks & Wildlife personnel, their plan was
to sink cedar trees in the lake. The group
also says if they have more donations than
needed for purchase of cinder blocks,
they will discuss with TPWD the idea
of donating the surplus to TPWD for
restocking bluegills, since the baitfish
suffered from loss of habitat. If you are
inclined to contribute, contact John Ward
at (512) 825-0626.
There are still some good fish in
Austin, however, as the bass being held
by Duke Kinley illustrates. Duke, a retired
Austin policeman caught it on March 22.
He acknowledges that hydrilla is gone
from the lake, but it hasn’t affected his fish
catching. Duke sent me pictures all winter
of him bundled up like an Eskimo and
holding nice bass, catfish and even a large
striper. His largest winter largemouth
weighed over 12 pounds.
About 15 minutes from downtown
Austin out MLK (formerly 19th St.), after
it becomes FM 969, is the Webberville
community. There’s a convenience store
and a grocery store.
Behind the convenience store is an old
house that the ferryman built when there
used to be a ferry across the Colorado
River. Neal Cook lives there, now. He
himself could probably pass for an old
ferryman.
Cook, who was editor of the highly
acclaimed Texas Parks and Wildlife
magazine in the ‘60s and ‘70s, operates a
canoe livery there.
He has canoes and a few kayaks for
rent for a five mile trip down the river.
He charges $40/boat, a reasonable enough
price. For another $20, he’ll pick you up
at the take-out point and shuttle you back
to your car at his livery in Webberville.
He operates by reservation only at (512)
276-7767.
“The river is in great shape right
Photo courtesy Duke Kinley.
Although Lake Austin has produced few bass 13 pounds or over the past few years, there are still
good fish in the lake. Duke Kinley holds a trophy he caught on March 22 in Austin.
may 2015
Day in and day
out, it is arguably
some of the most
predictable bass
fishing water in
C e n t r a l Te x a s .
Lake Austin can
sometimes skunk
even the best guides
and fishermen
a n d Travis c a n
be a hard lake to
fish during the
on-going drought
since it’s difficult
to find a place to
launch a boat. And
then you have to
find the fish.
Remember, too,
that the Colorado
is the venue
where Dr. Bryce
Townsend set the
new state record
f o r Gu a d a l u p e
Photo courtesy Brandon Bray
bass with a 3.71,
17.25-inch trophy
Brandon Bray, a Lake LBJ fishing guide, holding a 9.51 pound bass
caught last September.
while fly-fishing
with guide, Shea
McClanahan on February 1, 2014. The
now,” Cook says. “The moss and other
largemouth record for the river is a
vegetation that choked the river last
summer are gone
due to the rains that
we’ve steadily had
since October.”
Those of us
who complain
incessantly about
the heavy rains
stopping at or a
little east of I-35,
just short of the
Lake Travis and
respectable 10.4 pounds, 17 inches, caught
by Jorge Guerra on April 9, 2013.
If you haven’t savored a leisurely float
down a calm and very scenic and pastoral
stream, May just may be the time to do it –
before it gets too hot. Boat traffic is much
less than on the lakes, too. Most of the bass
will be off the beds since the spawn usually
ends around the end of April, but their
appetites will be in gluttony mode in May.
Minnows and crawfish will work well
for those who prefer live bait instead of
artificial lures. And a can of worms or a
sack full of crickets will put a couple of
skillets-full of sunfish and maybe a catfish
or two on your stringer. Largemouth and
Guadalupe bass have gotten the lion’s
share of printers’ ink through the years
and a lot has been written about catchand-release for the bass, but nobody is
going to sneer at you for taking home a
mess of perch.
And in case you’ve never dined on
sunfish, you’ve missed a platter full of pure
pleasure. We filet all of ours regardless
the size and, although I accuse my wife
of creating potato chip filets out of the
small fries, I stow the sarcasm when it’s
time to eat.
Dust ‘em with corn meal or Bisquick
and ease ‘em into a skillet of hot grease or
olive oil. Yuuummm!
Lake Buchanan
watersheds, can at
least find a little
solace in the fact
that those same
rains clean out the
river downstream
f ro m Austin,
making for a more
enjoyable float trip
… and much better
fishing.
And the fishing
is some of the
best around here.
may 2015
Photo by John Jefferson
May and June are good months for fishing for panfish. There is plenty of bank fishing throughout Central Texas, especially
along Lady Bird Lake.
55
CoastWatch
May is one of the best months to be
fishing on the Texas coast. Lighter winds,
warmer weather, more active fish - these
are just a few of the elements that make
May an excellent month for inshore
anglers. Speckled trout, redfish, flounder
and snook will all be realistic possibilities
for fishermen along the bottom half of
the Texas coast.
Plus it won’t just be inshore action
that’s heating up. Offshore anglers will
start getting more opportunities as well
during May. Kingfish and tarpon will
begin showing up off the beachfront along
the southern portion of the Texas coast.
Best of all, May is the last month without
huge summer crowds, so fishermen should
enjoy the relative light traffic while it lasts
and spend every possible day on the way
this month.
LOWER COAST
Port Isabel guide Capt. Gencho “JR”
Buitureira says fishing in the Lower
56
Danno Wise
Billy Olson lands another fish while driftfishing with Capt. Gencho Buitureira Jr. Gencho says
lots of good options will be available for anglers fishing the Lower Laguna Madre in May.
Laguna Madre is almost too easy during
May.
“In May, we’ll have good fishing all
over the bay. It is really just up to you
as to how long of a boat ride you want
to take,” said Buitureira. “We’ll still have
lots of trout right out front of Port Isabel
in May, so it is really a continuation of
April in that sense. As long as the wind
is not too heavy, we’ll start out throwing
topwaters for big trout on top of the bars.
If there is no wind or a really light wind,
I’ll head further up north and fish along
the Intracoastal Waterway. The trout will
be thick along the edges of the channel.
And, although almost everyone fishing
along the ICW will be focused on trout,
there will also be flounder and black drum
up there.
“Another thing you can do is hit the
shacks up north for drum and trout. If
you’ve got a slow moving tide and little
wind, you can also fish the old causeway.
You want to have some water moving if
you fish around there, but you don’t want
the current to be too strong.
“Usually during May, I’ll save some
skipjack if we catch them or take some
may 2015
fresh mullet and fish potholes on Gas Wells
for redfish after we get our trout or after
the wind picks up. You can also jump to
west side and fish south of Cullen and do
the same thing.
“And, we also fish the color changes a
lot in May. If you are bait fishing along the
color change, go to the dirty water side. If
you are lure fishing go to the clean water
side or fish right on the color line.”
The guides at Port Mansfield’s Get-AWay Adventures will be offering a wide
array of trips in May. Anglers making the
trip to Port Mansfield can expect a variety
of good fishing options this month.
To begin with, the speckled trout bite
will still be hot. Anglers can expect a good
shallow water bite early, then will be able
to find fish throughout the balance of the
day hanging in three to four feet of water.
Beginning in May, grass will be the key
structure for trout, so potholes and the
outside edges of grass beds will be the areas
anglers need to key on.
Redfish will also be active this month,
with schools of spottails moving up onto
the sand flats over the next few weeks.
There will also be plenty of reds around
may 2015
the ICW spoils north of town. May is also
the time when Spanish mackerel, kingfish
and tarpon begin showing up around the
jetties lining the East Cut, giving anglers
an additional nearshore option.
Corpus Christi guide Capt. Allen
Sifford of Fish On Guide Service says he’ll
have plenty of options during May.
“We’ll kind of be doing a little bit of
everything in May,” said Sifford. “Once
our croaker get big enough, I’ll switch
over to croaker for bait. But, that’s usually
not until the second week or so of May.
So, early in the month, I’ll be wading and
throwing topwaters, mostly around the
reefs in Nueces. But, if it’s windy, I’ll fish
the grass lines and drop offs. Later in the
month, I’ll start concentrating on the
backside of Baffin.
“Another option in the early part of
May is the Land Cut. We can usually catch
some really good trout in the Land Cut
until after the full moon in May. When
I’m fishing the Land Cut, I fish the west
bank. I start out throwing topwaters.
Then, later in the morning I start fishing
deeper with Bass Assassins. The redfish
will be schooled up on the flats in the
Upper Laguna. If we have a lot of big
tournaments or busy weekends, those fish
will either move off the flats or be very
skittish. In that case, you need to look for
them along the drops or along part of the
shoreline where boats can’t run. If you
find an area like a fence line or a point,
you’ll find redfish holding real tight to it.
Also, if you go onto the flats later in the
afternoon after things have settled down a
little, you’ll find a lot more fish on the flats.
“Overall, I’m looking forward to some
excellent trout fishing in Nueces and
Baffin and some great redfishing in the
Upper Laguna. I think May’s going to be
a good month.”
MIDDLE COAST
57
Aransas area anglers will certainly be
in transition this month, as May usually
signals the start of “croaker season.” Early
in the month, most fishermen looking for
speckled trout will be using plugs, plastics
and live shrimp. Once croaker reach “bait
size,” the vast majority of trout fishermen
in the Coastal Bend region will switch
from shrimp and plastics to croaker as
their bait of choice.
Most of the waters around Aransas
Pass and Port Aransas will be holding
good numbers of trout during May.
Nueces, Aransas, and Corpus Christi bays
will all have plenty of fish this month.
For the most part, trout will be holding
over mid-depth flats and along the
drops. Later in the month, the fish will be
found around the deeper structure. But,
throughout the month of May, fishermen
can expect a good shallow water trout
bite early in the day. Redfish will also be
a viable option for Aransas area anglers
this month. There will be plenty of reds
on the flats and along the shorelines where
they can be taken with topwaters, spoons
or cut bait.
Trout fishing will also be at the
58
Back lakes and channels will afford protection on windy days, as well as some excellent
sightfishing when the winds are light along Texas mid-coast in May.
forefront in the Rockport area during
May.
“In May, our water will be quite a bit
warmer and we’ll have plenty of active
fish,” said Capt. Ray Burdette of Rockport
Guides. “May will be a good month for
trout. There will still be some big fish
caught in May. Most of the bigger fish will
still be up on the flats, just like they were
in April. But, we’ll also have some good
bird activity and plenty of keeper fish
holding in a little bit deeper water. There
will also be plenty of redfish up on the
flats, as well as along the edges of the flats
and over the drops. Soft-plastics, GULP!,
live shrimp, crabs and cut mullet will be
top redfish baits this month. Will also see
some black drum schooling on the flats
this month. Shrimp are always the best
bait for black drum.”
Rockport guide Capt. Jay Nichols
of Just Add Water Guide Service is also
looking forward to some good trout
fishing in May.
“The month of May comes with
great sense of anticipation,” said Nichols.
“With the opening of Cedar Bayou in
late September last year, the hopes of
regenerating our bay complex along the
central Texas coastline are high. I will be
spending as much time possible wading
along the shoreline between Mud Island
and Carlos Bay, and even further into San
Antonio Bay when time permits. If I’m
using bait, live croaker, piggy perch, and
finger mullet will be in my live well, but I
will be using more artificial baits this year
due to clientele request. My lures of choice
are D.O.A 5.5 inch jerk baits in glow/holo
flake belly, purple/chartreuse tail, Pink
Ice, and watermelon/clear Holo. While
searching for trout, I use them rigged like a
plastic worm with no weight and also with
may 2015
a 1/16 ounce jig head unless the current is
strong, then I will go a little heavier to keep
it in the water column just above the grass.
“If I am concentrating on redfish I
like the D.O.A. CAL swim bait. This is a
fairly new product that I have great success
with. My choice of colors include Golden
Shiner, Rainbow Trout, and Morning
Glory. I generally will use a 1/16 to 1/8
ounce shank weighted 5/O hook and
slowly reel it in while pausing occasionally
to let it drop. It can also be used like a
jerk bait to resemble a wounded baitfish.
“Fishing should be excellent in May.
There are large schools of fish heading in
from the surf with every tidal surge. Be
careful out there and good luck.”
According to Capt. Jim Garrison of
Redfish Roper Charters May is a good
time to fish for trout in San Antonio Bay.
“In May, I’ll spend most of my time
fishing reefs in San Antonio Bay for
trout,” said Garrison. “I’ll be out on the
reefs every day the wind allows. There are
still some high wind days in May when I
won’t be able to work the reefs, but every
time the conditions are right, that’s where
I’ll be.
“When I’m fishing the reefs in San
Antonio Bay, I’ll be working with the
current. I’ll work all around each of the
reefs until I find a fish. Once I find the
fish, I’ll sit there with a popping cork
and with either live shrimp or plastics
shrimp underneath. If I’m using plastics
it’s usually going to be a curly tail GULP!
Grub in either chartreuse, lime green or
pink. When we’re fishing with shrimp
around the reefs, we’ll also pick up quite
a few drum and even some sheepshead
every now and then.
“If it’s windy, or if we’re chasing
reds, we’ll get in the back lakes or along
protected shorelines in the bay. If I’m
fishing for trout, I’ll use the same baits —
either plastics or shrimp under a popping
cork. If I’m fishing for reds, I’ll use cut
mullet or crabs with a slip sinker.
“Although I’ll be fishing mostly in San
Antonio Bay in May, the whole Seadrift
area can be productive. I’ll spend some
time in Shoalwater and other bays in the
area. Usually, May is a real good month,
especially if we have light winds.”
Port O’Connor bow fishing guide
Capt. Craig Carter of Outlaw Guide
Service says May is when he starts seeing
a greater variety of species.
“Because of our style of fishing, we are
may 2015
in the same areas most of
the year,” said Carter. “But,
the species we see change
with the seasons. We are
always targeting sheepshead
and black drum. And, May
is a good month for both
of those species. But, in
May, we’ll start seeing a lot
more flounder along the
shorelines in the back bays.
And, there will be lots and
lots of stingrays. So, we’ll
start shooting a lot more
flounder and stingray in
May.
“The other thing we’ll
see in May is the big gar
start moving out of the
rivers and into the shallows.
So, we’ll be targeting gar
a little more in May. We’ll
be seeing lots of different
species in May, but the
highlight will be getting a
shot at some of those six to
eight foot gar.”
Bass pro Dennis Lala of Victoria shows off a nice speck he
caught this spring while wadefishing out of Rockport. Look for
good fishing to occur this month along the shorelines of St. Jo
Island in May.
More Fish. More Fun.
More food, festivals & fun.
www.rockport-fulton.org
Call 1-800-242-0071
@ visitrockportfulton
Photo by Dawn Huff
59
JUST HUNTING | Mike Holmes
Euro Mounts For Euro Hogs?
A big feral boar with a lot of European blood can be very impressive, with a larger head and
massive shoulders compared to a domestic hog, slender hips with a pronounced slope towards
the rear, longer mane of hair on the neck, straight tail, shoulder “shield”, and larger tusks.
Folks sometimes give me strange
looks when I talk about a “good looking”
hog outside of the context of a livestock
show. Of course, hogs are sort of ugly
– especially when compared to “pretty”
game animals like a nice whitetail buck, a
majestic elk, or a trim pronghorn.
A big boar, however, whether of
European descent or even a feral hog
whose ancestors have been on their own
in the wild for many generations, does
have attributes that make it worthy of
notice – and consideration as a trophy
animal. Sheer size alone makes a big hog
impressive, since they can reach weights
approaching and sometimes exceeding
300 pounds on the hoof – and even more
on the internet. Their physical makeup is
very different than even a domestic swine
raised for judging especially when some
“Euro” breeding is present.
Interestingly the Eurasian
characteristics show up more frequently
in feral hogs than many people realize.
This is because of the cross-breeding of
domestic hogs gone wild with escaped
hogs of pure European bloodlines from
game ranches and private breeding
programs over the years.
The Euro traits are noticeable with
more massive shoulders, trimmer hips, a
longer mane of hair on the neck – and the
outsized tusks that mark a hog in the wild.
Those big shoulders also are armored by
60
above fireplaces than full head mounts,
and in more recent times the European
style of skull mount has become popular.
The cleaned and bleached skull of a boar
also makes a memorable mount that can
be had for less expense than a full head
mount from a taxidermist – and for even
more savings, a hunter can prepare his
own.
The first step in a do-it-yourself
Euro boar mount is the most fun part
– collecting the boar. Once a trophy
specimen has been harvested more than
a little work is involved in getting your
prize ready for exhibiting.
The boar whose skull was used to
illustrate this article was not huge by feral
boar standards, but he was impressive
enough for me to want to preserve his
memory in some way. I did not get to
weigh him, but from how difficult he was
to move I think a weight of well over 200
pounds is very reasonable.
The primary, or cutter, tusks were 2
½ inches in length – again, not a record,
but worthy of consideration. Unlike with
a deer head, where most hunters will
do little more than cape the head and
neck before turning the project over to
the boar’s trademark “shield” of thick
skin and tissue which protects it in fights
with other boars or from a hunter’s bullet.
The old adage that a big boar exists only
to breed, feed, and fight is very true. Of
course, though, to hog hunters and the
general public alike, the tusks are what a
“trophy” boar is measured.
It appears that more mounted boar
heads are showing up on hunters’ walls
e v e r y y e a r, a n d
this trend should
continue as hog
hunting becomes
even more popular.
Such full head
mounts are eyecatchers, but some
might question if
they are worth the
expense?
Men have been
collecting trophies
of some sort from
the animals they
hunt for as long as
thet have hunted
– long before
modern methods
of taxidermy were
de ve l op e d . Even
w ith de er, there
Boiling the skinned skull in a peroxide solution helps to remove
are still more sets
remaining flesh.
of antlers hanging
may 2015
Several coats of white marine epoxy give the skull a more “polished” look, and also help to
preserve it. At this point, the tusks are the original length.
a professional, the boar’s head must be
completely skinned out if you intend to
prepare it yourself, and then all traces of
meat and other tissue must be trimmed
and scraped away.
For further cleaning, boiling in a large
pot or other container with a hydrogen
peroxide solution will help remove, or
at least loosen any remaining tissue and
also begin the whitening process. This is
not a procedure to be carried out on the
kitchen stove, at least, not if you intend
to keep living in that home. Checking the
progress periodically will help determine
just how long this step is going to take,
and the final cleaning will likely still need
to be done with some sort of hand tool.
An alternate method of preparing
a skull consists of leaving it “in the
woods”, where insects and the elements
will reduce it to only bone. Sometimes
this will result in damage from animals,
or the complete loss of the skull, but it
everything goes well, all that would be
left is to bleach the bone. There is also a
breed of commercially reared beetles that
will eat all the flesh and cartilage from a
skull. Some taxidermists use these, and
they can be purchased from the internet.
When the skull is as “clean” as you
can get it, it should be rinsed and allowed
to thoroughly dry. This will reveal which
spots require the most attention in the
bleaching step.
A chlorine based bleach can be used
but I recommend a peroxide solution.
Clean the teeth well, and be aware that
may 2015
they may have loosened during the boiling
and bleaching. It is best to reposition them
and glue them in place properly.
An interesting development is that the
main tusks can become very loose, even to
the point of being fairly easy to completely
remove from the jaw. If you do this, you
will discover that a 2 ½ inch “cutter” is
actually as much as 6 inches in length –
with most of that length protected inside
the jaw. This is part of what makes the
tusks so formidable, along with being
kept sharp by honing against the upper
tusks, they have a very solid foundation
– allowing the boar to make effective use
of them as tools or weapons.
The lower jaw will normally separate
from the upper during this preparation,
but when it is re-positioned for the
final mount, the lower and upper tusks
– “cutters” and “whetters” – should be
back in their natural complimentary
relationships. The almost constant working
of the these two is a self-sharpening effect
not often found in nature, and not unlike
using a stone to “whet” an edge on a knife.
Of course, at this point it might be decided
to just remove the tusks from the skull
permanently and use them as stand-alone
fixtures, either mounted on a board or
hung on a necklace.
With time, bleaching can be pretty
effective, but for my own use painting the
dried skull with several coats of marine
epoxy gave it the bright white pigment and
shine I desired. This paint will also help
to preserve your trophy for much longer
than if it were left uncoated.
The norm for Euro mounts is probably
to leave the skull in it’s natural state, with
the eye sockets empty and unadorned. On
the skull pictured with this story, I was
so impressive with the size of the boar
as we saw it in the dim red glow from
my shooting lights that I aimed for the
sure kill spot at the juncture of the spine
and skull. Although it did drop the boar
literally in his tracks – he almost crushed a
couple of piglets feeding nearby - The 180
gr soft nose bullet from my .300 Savage
made a bit of a mess of the rear portion of
the skull, so I elected to fill the eye sockets
with some eyes sold for the amusement
of children at Halloween – which were
the perfect size. Possibly a shoulder shot
would be best when the head might end
up being mounted.
The sad state of my skull also was a
factor in the type of display I ended up
with. Without all that damage to the rear
portion, the skull simply could be placed
on a shelf or in a bookcase – even possibly
on a living room or den coffee table.
There are also mounting frames used by
professional taxidermists to hang such
a mount directly from a wall, or with a
stylish wooden plaque behind the skull.
I elected to fashion a backdrop plaque of
wood, with a shelf base forming an “L” to
sit the skull on, and then hang this fixture
on a wall. Earlier I mentioned that the
tusks can be pulled out of the skull after
boiling. When I discovered this, I thought
I might have found the answer to several
mounts of boars with exceptionally long
tusks I had seen exhibited! Without
intending to deceive, merely as a way of
letting my trophy show the full potential
of those remarkable teeth, I pulled mine
out to something approaching an African
wart hog’s dental gear in length in relation
to skull size and then glued them in place.
With his out-sized tusks and those
frightening Halloween eyes, Boris – as
I call him in deference to his Russian
heritage – is, I think, to the shoulder
mount of the nice eight point buck I
harvested off my property not far from
where this hog went down. Worthy
of respect and admiration in perhaps
different ways, yet worthy all the same.
Some day I may have a taxidermist do a
full head mount of an exceptional boar,
but in the meantime I hope to collect
several of Boris’s cousins to join him in
my collection.
61
Lake Roundup
SOUTH TEXAS
By Danno Wise
For anglers on lakes across South
Texas, May is the final month before
reservoirs across the region will be
covered with boats. With temperatures
now consistently balmy, it is only a matter
of time before South Texas lakes become
overrun with jet skis, ski boats, and
swimmers. But, thanks largely to Texas
public schools running through the end
of May, this month gives fishermen a rare
warm weather month with relatively little
traffic on the water.
Most South Texas anglers have learned
to get out on the water as often as
possible during May. Not only is it the
last opportunity for fishing without
crowds, May also represents one of the
final chances for fishermen to find fish
relatively shallow.
Although fish will be transitioning to
deeper water as the month goes on, there
should still be plenty of bass along the
shorelines and shallow structure. Once
summer gets in full swing, most of these
fish will more than likely be deep for good.
So, the combination of good fishing and
relatively light crowds means fishermen
should spend every possible day on the
water in May.
COLETO CREEK — According to
Victoria bass pro Dennis Lala, May will
signal the beginning of bass being in a
warm water pattern on Coleto Creek.
“May will see us getting into our
warm water pattern,” said Lala. “We will
have some topwater action, but it will be
early. Baits like the Frenzy Popper should
62
produce good early in the morning
around the points. However, that topwater
bite usually doesn’t last long once the sun
comes up. If you get an overcast day or
something like that, they may stay on the
topwaters a little longer, but usually it’s
over pretty early.
“Any fish that are still hanging around
the points later in the day might whack a
spinnerbait. But, I usually start working
the outside edge of the grass once the sun
is up good. Most of the time, your best bet
is usually a Carolina-rigged worm, lizard
or soft-plastic jerk bait on the outside
edge of the grass. The worms you can rig
straight or wacky style. I prefer throwing
a Power Jerkshad.
“I usually like fishing a pretty short
leader on my Carolina rigs. I’ll typically
use a ¼ or 7/16 ounce weight. You can also
use a Texas rig, if you prefer. When I do
use a Texas rig, I use a 3/16 ounce sinker
and throw it right up against the grass and
let it fall off the edge.
“This time of year, our fish are really
concentrated. If you catch one in a grass
bed, there is probably at least one more in
there with them. So, I make plenty of casts
along the edge of the grass when I do find
fish. And, make sure you don’t waste any
time. If you catch one, cast back in there
as quick as you can. Sometimes you can
catch several from one hole.
“We should also have some good
crappie fishing in May. Most of the crappie
will be stacked up and suspended around
deep structure. You can do pretty well
with small jigs and plugs but, you just
absolutely can’t beat a live minnow for
crappie.
“Catfish will also be pretty good in
May. Most of them will be caught along
the deep channels. There will be some rod
and reel caught cats, but most of those fish
will be coming off jug lines.”
MEDINA — According to Jim Gallagher
of Jim’s ReBait Tackle, May is generally
the final month of “easy fishing” before
fish move into their summer pattern on
Medina.
“May is usually a pretty good month
on this lake,” said Gallagher. “A lot of that
has to do with the weather. May is a pretty
stable weather month - no more late fronts
like in March and April. It is also a warmer
month, but not quite so hot that it makes
the fish go deep like what happens in the
summer. So, we usually have a little bit
more ‘easy fishing’ in May. That is to say,
our fish are a little shallower and a little
more aggressive.
“We tend to have a pretty good
topwater bite in May. And, it lasts for a
good part of the day. Again, it’s not like
summer when the topwater bite is over
at first light.
In May, you might have a topwater bite
that lasts all morning. But, you still need
to throw small plugs. The fish on this lake
just don’t hit big baits. So, stick with the
downsized lures, even though the fish are
more aggressive.
“When the topwater bite stops, start
focusing on the main lake and secondary
points. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, worms this time of year, it really doesn’t matter.
You can pretty much throw whatever
you want, so long as it’s small, and catch
plenty of bass.
“That’s really what makes May so good
on this lake. You can fish however you
want and still do alright. We’ve got a lot of
fish up shallow, around visible structure,
so they’re easy to find. May is probably
the best month to fish Medina, especially
if you’re unfamiliar with the lake. You
can catch fish on Medina year around if
you know what you’re doing, but May is
a time that anybody can come over here
and do real well.”
CHOKE CANYON — May is generally
when Choke Canyon first starts seeing its
hydrilla beds reaching the surface. Having
experienced a relatively warm winter and
early spring, this year the hydrilla beds are
fairly well formed as May begins.
While the grass beds still aren’t as
dense as they will be later in summer,
there will plenty of visible grass at or near
the surface. And, the edges of the beds
are well defined. This means it is time for
fishermen to start focusing on the grass
beds for big bass.
Early in the day, anglers will be able to
experience an excellent topwater bite over
the grass beds. Choke Canyon bass usually
may 2015
prefer noisy topwater lures like buzzbaits
and Pop Rs. Stanley Ribbit Frogs are also
effective and, when rigged weedless, can
be worked directly over the beds without
fouling.
This is particularly effective as grass
beds reach the surface. These soft-plastic
frogs can also be weighted to dive into
pockets and holes in the grass beds if fish
are hesitant to rise to the surface.
For most of May, anglers should see
the topwater bite last well into midmorning. But, as the month wears on and
the temperature continues to climb, the
effective time for topwater baits will be
shorter and shorter.
Many fishermen mistakenly believe
that when the topwater bite slows the fish
have left the grass beds. In fact, they spend
the entire day on the hydrilla beds, they
will simply relocate elsewhere on the bed,
moving deeper as the temperature rises.
As the fish transition to depth, anglers can
work the outside edges will spinnerbaits
and crankbaits. Later, jigs and Texas rigs
will be the best bets. They can also use
punch jigs to drop straight through the
canopy of hydrilla to reach the bass hiding
beneath.
While the grass beds will be the
primary structure for bass during May
and into summer, humps, tank dams and
points will also be holding plenty of fish.
Texas rigged plastics, crankbaits and jigs
are the most effective baits for fishing
points and offshore structure.
FALCON — Falcon Lake’s resident
largemouth bass will also be working
shallow during much of May. But, unlike
other South Texas lakes, which see
largemouth bass relating to grass beds,
anglers on this border lake will find most
of the bass hanging around flooded brush.
Anglers can catch bass by picking their
way back through the densest of flooded
brush or by fishing along the outside edge
of the brushline.
And, although most of the biggest bass
will be holed up in hard to reach areas,
there will be plenty of easy-to-access areas
holding solid bass as well.
Early in the day, fishermen can expect
a steady topwater bite. When the surface
bite subsides, fishermen should continue
working around the flooded brush.
Spinnerbaits and crankbaits are effective
when worked along the outside face of
the flooded brush. Jigs and Texas rigged
plastics can be worked back into some of
64
the denser portions of brush. Later in the
month, anglers should spend more time
concentrating on points, ledges and deep
structure.
Deep cranks, jigs, lipless cranks,
creature baits and jumbo soft-plastics
all produce plenty of big bass over deep
structure in Falcon.
WEST TEXAS
By TOJ Staff
AMISTAD — As of early April “Big
Friendly” was just under 29 feet low and
on a slow rise. Recent rains in March
along with some downstream flow out
of New Mexico was offsetting the spring
drawdown for agricultural purposes.
Based on records, last May this popular
big bass producer was about 45 feet low
so there is a lot more lake, and cover for
anglers to fish.
Even with conditions having run a bit
late, look for bass to be catching up at the
start of the fifth month of the year. There
will still be a few spawning fish in the main
lake and over deep flats.
Up the rivers and creeks post-spawn
fish will be eager to take most offerings.
‘Traps, spinnerbaits, as well as Texas rigs
are good options to work around flooded
grass and brush.
Stripers will be in the deep water
in front of the dam. Look for surface
commotion as well as bait balls and fish
on your electronics. These fish will be in
this general area all summer long.
Catfish will be spawning or just
starting to move out to slightly deeper
water. Look for catfish in water five to
15 feet deep.
O.H. IVIE — Anglers fishing this big
bass producer can only hope for a repeat
of 2014. At the start of May last year the
lake was about 44 feet low. By the end
of the month the lake had caught some
runoff and was only 37 feet low. Just for
the record, at the start of April this year,
Ivie was 43 feet low.
Regardless of lake levels, this is the time
to chase post spawn bass up the rivers and
on the north end of the lake.
In the main lake everyone will be doing
the “Ivie Drift.” That is where reference
markers are set out and 10 inch Power
Worms are dredged behind a drifting boat
over deep flats in water at least 25 feet
deep. Once a drift is finished just set over
and do it again.
BROWNWOOD — Conditions on this
popular lake are within a couple of feet to
where they were last year.
At the beginning of April Lake
Brownwood was a little over 12 feet low.
At the start of May 2014 the lake was right
at 11 feet below pool.
Look for some bass to still be on beds as
the spawn runs a little lake. There will also
be some post spawn bass as well. Anglers
should concentrate on water from the
bank out to about six feet deep. The fish
will tell you where they are and the what
stage of the spawn is underway through
the month.
Jigs, crankbaits, and spinnerbaits are
a good trio to catch some good fish this
month.
HIGH PLAINS
By TOJ Staff
ALAN HENRY — Look for bass to be in
all phases of the spawn. A few pre-spawn
bass will be in deeper water with buck bass
active along shorelines and shallow ledges.
Those same areas will also have females
that have moved up to deposit their eggs.
And there will be a few post-spawn bass for
those that spawned early. Lipless rattling
crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jigs, and Texas
rigs are good go-to baits.
may 2015
TACKLE TIPS & TECHNIQUES | Danno Wise
More Than One Way To Rig a Bait
66
may 2015
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TACKLE TIPS & TECHNIQUES | Danno Wise
Surface to Subsurface - Fishing Through the Day
68
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69
FIELD TIPS & TECHNIQUES | Bill L. Olson & Danno Wise
Spring Squirrel Hunting Tips
70
may 2015
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Deadline for the June calendar is April 25, 2015
Outdoor Calendar
THROUGH MAY 3,
Spring Turkey Season — South Zone,
54 counties. For more information
consult the TPWD Outdoor Annual,
or call (800) 792-1112.
THROUGH MAY 17,
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101 counties. For more information
consult the TPWD Outdoor Annual,
or call (800) 792-1112.
THROUGH MAY 14,
Eastern Turkey Season, available
counties. For more information consult the TPWD Out-door Annual, or
call (800) 792-1112.
MAY 1-3,
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MAY 1 – 31,
Spring squirrel season, 51 counties.
For more information consult the
TPWD Outdoor An-nual, or call (800)
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Angler Academy, Garner State Park,
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on your own. For more information
call (830) 232-6132, x236
MAY 2,
Angler Education Instructor Training
72
Workshop, Bass Pro Shop, San Antonio. 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.
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The workshop is
free, but preregistration is required,
please call (512) 389-4472.
MAY 2, 6, 9, 13, 16, 20, 23, 27, 30,
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
provid-ed, or bring your fly tying
tools if you have them. For more
information call (972) 618-6714.
MAY 2, 30,
Kayak Basic Course, Purtis Creek
State Park, Eustace. Instructional and
hands-on training program to learn
proper safety, functionality and paddling of kayaks. Play games and get
familiar with the use of our kayaks or
bring your own. Wear clothing you
can get wet in. Reservations are required since the class size is lim-ited.
Please contact the headquarters at
903-425-2332 for reservations.
MAY 2, 9, 16, 23, 30,
Angler Academy, Garner State Park,
Concan. 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.
Explore Texas freshwater species,
aquatic habitats, and fish ecology.
PLUS! Borrow equipment through
our FREE Tackle Loaner program and
try fishing on your own. For more
information call (830) 232-6132, x236
MAY 5,
Islander Chapter Ducks Unlimited
Fundraiser Banquet, Corpus Christi.
For tickets and reservations call (361)
207-1770.
MAY 6,
West Houston Chapter Ducks Unlimited Fundraiser Banquet, Houston.
724-2237.
MAY 7,
Cottonwood Creek Chapter National
Wild Turkey Federation Fundraiser
Banquet, Frisco. For tickets and reservations call (972) 436-4179.
MAY 8,
Brush Country Chapter Ducks Unlimited Fundraiser Banquet, Floresville.
487-1665.
MAY 9,
19TH Annual Open House/Outdoor
Education, Lake Brownwood State
Park, Brownwood. Join us for numerous activities and programs: Kid Fish
Tank, Archery Intro, Angler Ed, Buffalo Soldiers, Wildland Firefighting,
Texas Wildlife, Civilian Conservation
Corps in Texas State Parks, Venomous
Snakes in Texas, and more. For more
information and reservations call
(325) 784-5223
MAY 9,
Go Fish! Learn-To-Fish Event, Eisenhower State Park, Denison. Equipment and bait provided or bring your
own. No license necessary. Adults
must accompany children. Bring sun
protection and water. Regis-tration is
9:00 a.m. For more information and
reservations call (903) 421-4984.
MAY 14,
Comal County Chapter Ducks Unlimited Fundraiser Banquet, New
Braunfels. For tickets and reservations
may 2015
call (830) 609-8172.
MAY 14,
Lone Star Longbeards Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation Fundraiser Banquet, Bryan. For tickets and
MAY 15,
Corpus Christi Chapter National
Banquet, Robstown. For tickets and
MAY 16,
Hopkins County Longbeards Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation
Fundraiser Banquet, Sulphur Springs.
885-627.
MAY 16,
Four Hour Guided Kayak Trip, Martin Dies Jr. State Park, Jasper. Join a
ranger for a four-hour, six-mile long
guided kayak trip through the park’s
back country sloughs and the Neches
River. While paddling, we will be on
the lookout for wildlife such as bald
eagles, belted kingfishers, herons,
turtles and alligators. This trip is from
8:30 am to 12:30 pm in the afternoon
and costs $30 per kayak; which can
fit one adult. For this trip kayak experience preferred, but participation
is available to anyone capable of
the moderate exertion of paddling
for half a day. Space is limited so
please call our headquarters office
in advance to make your reservation.
(409) 384-5231
MAY 16,
Go Fish! Learn-To-Fish Event, Galveston Island State Park, Galveston. Take
away a fishing fun pack and enter
the drawing for prizes. Equipment
and bait provided or bring your
protection and water. Registration is
MAY 16,
Texas Outdoor Family, Brazos Bend
State Park, Needville, Come for a funfilled weekend designed to help your
family discover the joys of camping
may 2015
and Texas State Parks. All camping
gear and equipment required for
an overnight stay at the park are
included with each reservation. For
more information and specific details
(512) 389-8903.
MAY 16,
Texas Outdoor Family, Guadalupe
River State Park, Spring Branch, Come
for a fun-filled weekend designed to
help your family discover the joys
of camping and Texas State Parks.
All camping gear and equipment
required for an overnight stay at the
park are included with each reservation. For more information and
specific details (512) 389-8903.
MAY 21,
Plano Chapter Ducks Unlimited
Fundraiser Banquet, Plano. For tickets
and reservations call (940) 230-6054.
MAY 21,
Greater Houston Area – Fort Bend
Chapter Chapter Mule Deer Foundation Fundraiser Banquet. For tickets
and reservations call (713) 412-3067.
MAY 23,
Houston Chapter Rocky Mountain
Elk Foundation Big Game Banquet,
J.W. Marriott – Westchase, Houston.
607-6522.
MAY 23,
Go Fish! Learn-To-Fish Event, McKinney Falls State Park, Austin. Take
away a fishing fun pack and enter
the drawing for prizes. Equipment
and bait provided or bring your
protection and water. Regis-tration is
MAY 23-25,
Toyota Texas Bass Classic, Lake Fork.
The top 35 professional bass anglers
will compete for the world championship. Attendees can enjoy a
variety of games and activities, dine
on food, shop for fishing gear and
accessories. Concerts headlined by
Billy Currington on Saturday, May
23; Lee Brice on Sunday, May 24; and
Rodney Atkins and Joe Nichols on
Monday, May 25. Tickets are available
online at ToyotaTexasBassClassic.
com or at your local Toyota dealership, Academy Sports + Outdoors,
Brookshire’s Grocery Stores and Kim’s
Convenience Stores throughout East
Texas. Tournament proceeds benefit
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
fishing programs. For information
call (512) 389-4855.
MAY 28,
DU Houston Chapter Ducks Unlimited Spring Fundraiser Banquet,
Houston. For tickets and reservations
call (713) 685-5835.
MAY 28,
Permian Basin Upland Game Bird
Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation Fundraiser Banquet, Stanton. For
tickets and reservations visit www.
nwtf.org.
MAY 29,
Texas Fly Fishing Expo 2015, New
Braunfels Civic Center, New Braunfels. “Destination Texas – All Fish All
Waters”. Adult and youth activities
to learn more about fly fishing. The
Texas Council hosts a fly fishing expo
for the novice or experienced fly
fisher. Youth activities, Women’s Fly
Fishing Breakfast and Programs, Casting Clinics, IF4 Film Show, demonstrations, workshops, presentations,
exhibits, shopping and more! Visit
www.txflyfishexpo.com for more
details call (972) 567-4155.
MAY 30,
Dripping Springs Chapter Ducks Unlimited Spring Fundraiser Banquet,
Dripping Springs. For tickets and reservations call (512) 496-8333.
MAY 30,
Panola Coounty Chapter National
Banquet, Carthage. For tickets and
Mail your Outdoor Calendar
items to: 1706 W. Sam Houston
Pkwy North, Houston TX 77043
Fax: 713.957.3996
Email: [email protected]
73
Tide Tables
Fishing & Hunting Times
US TIME ZONES
MAY 2015
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
H5:01A1.4 L10:16A1.1 H1:58P1.2
L9:39P-0.1
H4:08A1.4
L9:55A0.9
H3:02P1.3
L9:44P0.4
31
H5:38A1.5
L11:03A1.1
H3:31P1.3
L10:36P0.1
3
1
H6:22A1.6
L11:37A1.2
H3:42P1.3
L11:07P0.0
4
10
11
H5:30A1.7
L11:12A1.2
H3:07P1.4
L10:32P-0.3
H6:24A1.8
L12:09P1.3
H3:36P1.4
L11:14P-.03
5
12
6
H12:40A1.2
L6:34A0.6
H1:15P1.4
L7:49P0.6
13
7
8
H2:13A1.3
L7:55A0.8
H1:44P1.4
L8:28P0.3
H3:28A1.5
L9:08A0.9
H2:11P1.4
L9:08P0.0
14
15
19
20
21
22
H1:12A1.0
L6:19A0.8
H12:51P1.2
L8:13P0.5
H2:33A1.1
L7:37A0.9
H1:10P1.2
L8:30P0.3
L3:32A1.2H
L8:41A1.0
H1:28P1.2
L8:49P0.2
25
MOUNTAIN
CENTRAL
EASTERN
< (+) (-) >
< (+) (-) >
< (+) (-) >
< (+) (-) >
H4:54A1.5
L10:30A1.0
H3:17P1.3
L10:08P0.2
2
9
H4:32A1.6
L10:13A1.1
H2:39P1.4
L9:50P-0.1
16
H7:177A1.8 H8:09A1.7 L12:40A-0.2 L1:24A0.0 L2:09A0.1
L1:07P1.3 L2:17P1.2 H9:01A1.6 H9:53A1.5 H10:43A1.5
H4:02P1.4 H4:22P1.3
L11:67P-0.3
L2:58A0.3 L3:52A0.5 L4:59A0.7
H11:26A1.4 H12:01P1.3 H12:28P1.3
L7:48P0.8 L7:59P0.7
H11:22P0.9
24
18
PACIFIC
H7:07A1.6 H7:54A1.6 L12:19A0.0 L1:03A0.0 L1:52A0.0
L12:13P1.2 L12:51P1.3 H8:46A1.6 H9:41A1.6 H10:36A1.6
H3:48P1.3 H3:52P1.4 L11:35P1.3
H3:58P1.4
L11:41P0.0
L2:48A0.2 L3:54A0.3 L5:10A0.5
H11:27A1.5 H12:10P1.5 H12:45P1.4
L6:53P1.0 L7:14P0.8
H10:33P1.1
17
SAT
26
27
28
29
23
H4:19A1.3
L9:33A1.1
H1:43P1.2
L9:12P0.0
120°
115°
30
110°
105°
100°
95°
90°
85°
80°
75°
MAY 2015
JUNE 2015
SUN
MON
H5:40A1.5
L10:52A1.2
H2:11P1.3
L10:09P-0.2
1
TUE
WED
H6:20A1.6
L11:24A1.2
H2:26P1.3
L10:43P-0.3
2
THU
FRI
SAT
H7:01A1.6 H7:45A1.6 L12:02A-0.3 L12:46A-0.2
L11:57A1.2 L12:34P1.2 H8:30A1.5 H9:14A1.5
H2:45P1.3 H3:12P1.3 L1:22P1.2
L11:21P-0.3
H3:46P1.3
3
4
5
6
L1:34A-0.1 L2:27A0.1 L3:28A0.3 L4:41A0.6 H1:23A1.1 H2:50A1.2 H3:57A1.4
H9:57A1.4 H10:36A1.4 H11:10A1.3 H11:42A1.3 L6:14A0.8 L7:51A1.0 L9:14A1.1
L5:21P0.8 L6:07P0.6 L6:50P0.3 H12:12P1.3 H12:42P1.3 H1:12P1.3
L7:32P0.1 L8:14P-0.2 L8:56P-0.3
H9:06P0.9 H11:30P0.9
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
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
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
+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
JUNE 2015
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
may 2015
Managing Comfort in Port Aransas, TX
For Over 30 Years

May 2015 - PDF - Texas Outdoors Journal

Transcription

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