Tripletail - Inside and Outside

Transcription

TEXAS OUTDOORS
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Tripletail - Inside and Outside
(see
“Texas’ Most Comprehensive Outdoors Publication”
October 2015 / $3.99
texasoutdoorsjournal.com
Journal
Annual Statewide Hunting Forecast | An Angler’s Memories
Snook, Snapper & Speckled Trout | A Couple’s Covey
Preparing for Deer Hunting Success | Moving Time for Bass
Sabine’s Hottest Fall Bite | What’s In Your Daypack?
coastal & lake forecasts | tide & solunar tables
FINANCING L AND OWNER SHIP
TEXAS OUTDOORS
“Texas’ Most Comprehensive Outdoors Publication”
Journal
For Hunters . . .
14 A Couple’s Covey - Special memo-
ries are made while partaking in a classic upland bird hunt for two.
—Nate Skinner
Freshwater
October 2015
For Anglers . . .
Saltwater
12 Bassology 8 Snook, Snapper & Speckled —Matt Williams
Trout- Besides the red drum run, Pondering Buoyancy Factors in Soft Texas coastal anglers have three Plastics
other reliable species to pursue.
24 Just Fishing —Danno Wise
—Brian Hughes
18 Saltwater Journal
Moving Time
—Mark Sosin
34
Memories- Outdoor writer recollects neat places, unique people, and
prize interviews. —Matt Williams
20 Preparing for Success - If it’s a bet-
ter-than-average buck you’re after, some preparation is necessary.
—Bob Zaiglin
NMLS493828
Let us finance your piece of mind
2015 Texas Statewide Hunting Forecast - TOJ’s Annual Forecast of Whitetail, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, Quail and other Game Animals along with the latest from-the-field information.—Bill L. Olson
Rural Land
Homes
Farms & Ranches
Livestock & Equipment
Operating Capital
Improvements
Agribusiness
40 Sabine’s Hottest Fall Bite - Chase
birds over reds and trout, but go after ‘em the right way. —Robert Sloan
64 Texas Offshore
—Mike Holmes
A New Look At An “Old” Fish
66 Tackle Tips & Techniques —Danno Wise
Time to Catch Mangrove Snapper
56
Guns N Stuff
—Harold Gunn
Pack Right, Pack Light
SERVICES
Real Estate Appraisal
Crop Insurance
Leasing
877.944.5500 | CapitalFarmCredit.com
Lake Roundups — Pros Forecasts
44 Central – John Jefferson 52 North – Brian Hughes 54 East – Matt Williams 62 South - Danno Wise 63 West – TOJ Staff
63 High Plains – TOJ Staff
68 Tackle Tips & Techniques
—Danno Wise
Catching Fall’s Striped Bass
FINANCING
CoastWatch – Danno Wise
27 Upper Forecast
28 Louisiana Forecast 58 Lower Forecast
60 Middle Forecast
30 Just Fishing
—Nate Skinner
Upper Coast Triple Tail — Inside and Out
38 Just Shooting
—Kerry O’Day
What Makes the 38 Special So Special?
46
The High Surf
70 F
ield Tips & Techniques—
Nate Skinner & Danno Wise
Geared Up Bowhunter
proud member of the Farm Credit System
october 2015
For Everyone . . .
On the Cover . . .
4Editor’s Insight – Bill L. Olson
6 TOJ Notebook – TOJ Staff
67, 69, 71 Guides, Gear & Getaways
72 Outdoors Calendar
74 Fishing & Hunting Times
75 Subscription Information
“Autumn Encounter”
TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal
By artist Pat Pauley. For more information on “Autumn Encounter” and other
works of art by Pat Pauley visit www.patpauleyart.com, or call (402) 312-3031.
3
Editor’s Insight
Bill L. Olson
A TIME TO SMILE
Take a deep breath, step outside, embrace the surroundings and smile — fall has
arrived. The indicators of its arrival have been small but frequent over the past few
weeks. Some early signs arrived back in August — but now it is official. What farmers
have looked forward too for centuries as a time of harvest is also the time hunters and
anglers partake in what stirs their instinctive passions and of the critters they help
preserve with their support.
In Texas we have much to smile about this time of year. Temperatures have cooled
and continue to fall much like the changing leaves of autumn, that go from adorning
limbs to coloring the ground.
Cooler temperatures also impact the atmosphere over this special part of our planet.
An artist pallet is hard pressed to duplicate all of the hues that God naturally paints as
a morning greeting or at the end of day across a Texas sky. Many a talented artist has
come close to duplicating this colorful spectacle but fail when compared to the enormity
of the real thing.
On area lakes as well as on the coast anglers shun the gun to take advantage of the
awesome fishing that awaits. It is no wonder the ShareLunker season begins on October 1
of each year. The prospects of catching an over 13 pound black bass awaits on numerous
lakes across our state.
While the prime-time for the redfish run has passed, there are still plenty of these
copper-colored spot tails to color the water and present some big tugs. Anglers second
chance at some egg laden speckled trout occurs in the fall as a secondary spawn occurs.
And the third specie of Texas “Big 3,” flounder are slowly making their way out of the
marsh on their way to staging flats near passes and jetties connecting to the Gulf.
Hunters, particularly bow hunters are smiling as they have the woods to themselves.
Those that rifle hunt may flash an envious smile at those that have taken the time to
become proficient enough to quickly and cleanly harvest what they shoot with bow and
arrow. There is something special about being so close to the hunted prey.
Shotgunners and those that shoot long rifles may have gotten an early taste of hunting
somewhere else, or during an abbreviated early season. However, smiles will be all
around the campfire the night before the general season opener for deer in Texas in
November. Each day that passes this month means that celebrated event is ever closer.
Some have their sights on mule deer in the Trans-Pecos region or up on the High
Plains. One report says this year’s development is as good as they could possibly be.
That should put a smile on anyone’s face as the significance of that statement sinks in.
When it comes to whitetail deer there is no finer place to hunt these beautiful creatures
than Texas. It will be interesting to see which part of the state smiles the biggest when
the final tally of the trophies are counted.
Will the Brush Country of South Texas continue its dominance or will some old
mossyhorn once again come from the creek bottoms of East Texas? Don’t count out
North Texas or even the Hill Country. Plus there are always those surprises of something
special coming from an unexpected place that will keep people talking for months, if
not years to come.
Texans are truly blessed with an abundance of outdoors activities. So much so that
this is the time to smile and give thanks.
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
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,
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inquiries/changes of address to:
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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.
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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 10
october 2015
TOJ Notebook
Texas Sets Waterfowl Seasons for 2015-16
In preparation for what is shaping up
to be a banner year for duck hunting, the
Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission has
approved the 2015-16 waterfowl seasons
for Texas.
For the first time in several years, Texas
should have some higher water level marks
to greet record populations of wintering
waterfowl.
Good news of record-setting waterfowl
populations, with nearly all species numbering above the long term goals identified
in the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, sets the table for the 2015-16
hunting season in Texas. Most species of
ducks important to Texas waterfowlers
are well above long term averages, with
mallards and green-winged teal reaching
new all-time highs.
A staggered opener this season in
the North and South Zones along with a
concurrent split will allow duck hunters
who wish to hunt across zones in essence
an additional two weeks of opportunity.
The only change to the daily bag limit on
ducks this season is an increase to two
canvasbacks.
Changes to this season’s goose regulations include an increase in the number
of hunting days for white-fronted geese in
the Eastern Zone from 72 to 86, with those
additional days added to the end of the
season framework. Also, the bag limit for
Canada geese in the Eastern Zone increases
this season from three to five daily, including during the early Canada goose season.
The daily aggregate bag limit of no more
than two white-fronted geese remains in
effect. In the Western Zone, the daily bag
limit on white-fronted geese also increases
this season to two.
Following are the adopted season dates
and limits for the 2015-16 migratory game
bird seasons:
Ducks
•High Plains Mallard Management
Unit: Youth: Oct. 24-25; Regular: Oct. 31
— Nov. 1 and Nov. 6 — Jan. 31; “Dusky”
Duck: Nov. 9 — Jan. 31.
•North Zone: Youth: Oct. 31 – Nov.
1; Regular: Nov. 7-29 and Dec. 12 — Jan.
31; “Dusky” Duck: Nov. 12-29 and Dec.
12 — Jan. 31.
•South Zone: Youth: Oct. 24-25; Regular: Oct. 31 – Nov. 29 and Dec. 12 — Jan.
24; “Dusky” Duck: Nov. 5-29 and Dec.
12 — Jan. 24.
•Bag Limit: 6/day in the aggregate to include no more than 3 wood ducks, 3 scaup,
5 mallards, of which only 2 may be hens, 2
redheads, 2 pintail , 2 canvasback, 1 “dusky
duck” (mottled, black or Mexican-like) after the first 5 days. Mergansers: 5/day with
no more than 2 hooded merganser. Coots:
15/day. Possession limit is three times the
daily bag limit.
Geese
•East Zone: Nov. 7 - Jan. 31; Light Geese
Conservation Order Feb. 1 - Mar. 20.
•Bag Limit: 5 dark geese, to include no
more than 2 white-fronted geese, 20 light
geese (no possession limit).
•West Zone: Oct. 31 - Jan. 31; Light
Geese Conservation Order Feb. 1 - Mar. 20.
Bag Limit: 5 dark geese, to include no
more than 2 white-fronted geese, 20 light
geese (no possession limit).
Sandhill Crane
•Zone A: Oct. 31 - Jan. 31.Bag Limit: 3.
•Zone B: Nov. 20 - Jan. 31. Bag Limit: 3.
•Zone C: Dec. 19 - Jan. 24. Bag Limit: 2.
Falconry
•Statewide: Feb. 1-14.
Hunters should note that Congress this
year increased the price of the federal duck
stamp for the first time since 1991, to $25,
plus state and federal administrative fees.
Editor’s Note: Beginning this fall,
TPWD will be altering the timeline and
process by which migratory game bird sea-
Cover Art
Award-winning wildlife and sporting artist Pat Pauley has built
a substantial reputation with the way he illuminates or shades game
animals he paints. Pauley has been named “Artist of the Year” by most
every conservation organization in North America.
This month’s cover art, “Autumn Encounter” captures a scene that
may be a prelude to what deer hunters will experience in the Hill
Country, North Texas, or other parts of the Lone Star State blessed
with rivers and creeks that are once again flowing, as well as rolling
hills. “Autumn Encounter” also has that special cross lighting that is
so prominent in many of Pauley’s paintings.
Texas deer seasons for archery hunters opens Oct. 3 with the
general season opener on Nov. 7. Hunters will certainly enjoy the
change in fall foliage, hearing the sound of flowing water, and the best
prospects for a trophy buck in years.
For more information on “Autumn Encounter” and other works
of art by Pat Pauley visit www.patpauleyart.com, or call (402) 3123031.
6
“Autumn Encounter”
october 2015
sons are set. A change in federal guidelines
will allow TPWD staff to propose changes
to migratory bird seasons to the commission for the following year’s duck season
nearly an entire year prior to the beginning
of that season. As a result of this change,
Texas hunters will have an opportunity to
review and comment on proposed changes
to the 2016-17 seasons next spring, with
final approval by the TPW Commission
in March 2016.
New Artificial Reefs To Provide
Enhanced Fishing off Texas Coast
One project to create a new artificial
reef and another to enhance an existing
reef site are both moving closer to reality
with the selection of Callan Marine LTD
as contractor. Using funding from the
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Natural
Resource Damage Assessment, both sites
will deploy concrete pyramids to create
artificial reefs in nearshore waters 10 miles
or less from the Texas coast.
In early August the Texas Artificial
Reef Program, managed by the Texas
Parks and Wildlife Department, awarded
the contract to construct the two reefs
to Callan Marine, a civil and marine
contractor based in Galveston, following
the standard, extensive state bidding and
purchasing process. The project will deploy
three-sided concrete pyramids, 8-feet tall
with ten-foot bases, at both reef sites.
“This will be the largest deployment
of reef material in nearshore waters off
Texas in the history of the Texas Artificial
Reef Program,” said Dale Shively, director
of the TPWD artificial reef program. “The
project calls for 2,400 concrete pyramids to
be reefed, which will provide much-needed
habitat for all types of marine life as well
as provide increased recreational fishing
opportunities.”
The Matagorda Artificial Reef Project
will create a new artificial reef site (BA439) within Texas state waters in the Gulf
of Mexico, approximately 10 miles (8.7
nautical miles) offshore of Matagorda
County. The project will create 160 acres
of artificial reef through deployment of
concrete pyramids onto sandy substrate
at a water depth of 60 feet. The total
estimated cost of the project is $3,552,398.
The Freeport Artificial Reef Project
will increase the amount of reef materials
in a currently permitted artificial reef site
(BA 336), the George Vancouver (Liberty
october 2015
Ship) Artificial Reef, located about six
miles offshore from Freeport. The current
site is permitted for 160 acres, but only
has materials in 40 acres. The project will
place predesigned concrete pyramids in
the remainder of the 160-acre permitted
area onto sandy substrate at a water
depth of 55 feet. This is a legacy reef
originally created in 1976 with the sinking
of the George Vancouver Liberty Ship.
The TPWD Coastal Resources Advisory
Committee, composed of agency and
industry representatives, provided input
on reef expansion. The reef is utilized by
numerous recreational fishermen and the
ship has attracted divers over the years.
Commercial fishermen avoid the reef site
as it is a well-known “wreck” marked with
a navigational buoy and on NOAA charts.
The total estimated cost of the project is
$2,155,365.
The two reefs are among five Texasbased projects totaling about $18 million
that were approved in 2014 to begin to
compensate Texas for lost human use
of natural resources resulting from the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill. A third
artificial reef project is still in the planning
phase, which would sink a ship to create
an artificial reef approximately 67 miles
offshore of Galveston, if a suitable ship
can be found.
For more information about the
Texas Artificial Reef Program, see the
artificial reefs website and its companion
interactive mapping application online at
tpwd.texas.gov/landwater/water/habitats/
artificial_reef.
State Parks Recovering After
Torrential Memorial Day Floods
After flooding left more than 50 Texas
state parks drenched over the Memorial
Day weekend, communities and park
staff statewide have banded together to
clean up, restore, and reopen most of the
damaged sites. Thanks to their efforts, as of
late August only four parks remain closed;
Cedar Hill State Park, Lake Somerville
State Park (all units), Lake Whitney State
Park, and Ray Roberts Lake State Park
(all units).
As of late August, state park recovery
projects are estimated to cost about
$16 million dollars. To date, the most
costly known infrastructure damage was
sustained at Bastrop State Park with the
loss of the park lake dam, said Jessica
Davisson, Director of the Infrastructure
Division at TPWD. A section of Park Road
1A was also washed away when the dam
breached and preliminary estimates for
reconstruction at Bastrop are in excess of
$6 million.
Recovery would not have occurred as
quickly as it has at many locations without
the help of more than 300 volunteers who
dedicated about 6,500 hours towards
cleanup efforts. Others even loaned
equipment to park staff to help with debris.
For more information about the current
status of parks, visit www.texasstateparks.
org.
Children Are a Big Part of the
Outdoor Experience
Many sportsmen have fond memories
of special times outdoors hunting and
shooting with a parent or grandparent.
And it seems as adults, many are only
too happy to provide those same great
experiences for the younger generations.
In a recent joint survey by ShooterSurvey.
com and HunterSurvey.com, researchers
learned as many as 50 percent of those
sportsmen surveyed had taken a child
shooting in the past 12 months, while 37
percent had taken a child hunting.
As one might expect, the majority of
those children taken outdoors were the
sons and daughters of those surveyed
with 47 percent of those taken shooting
being a son or daughter and 54 percent
of those taken hunting a child of the
respondent. Seventeen percent of hunters
took more than one child out in the past
12 months and 24 percent of recreational
shooters took a kid shooting. Interestingly,
as many as 19 percent of hunters shared
hunting with a young person not related
to them, while 21 percent of shooters did.
The remainder were grandchildren, nieces
and nephews.
“Passing a love for hunting and
shooting along to the next generation is a
vital part of the total outdoor experience.
Everyone has special memories of time
spent in the woods or at the range with
their parents or other mentors as a young
person, and it is clear today’s adults want
to keep that tradition alive for their
kids,” says Rob Southwick, president of
Southwick Associates, which designs and
conducts the surveys at HunterSurvey.com,
ShooterSurvey.com and AnglerSurvey.
com.
7
SNOOK, SNAPPER
and
SPECKLED TROUT
Besides the red drum run, Texas coastal
anglers have three other reliable species
to pursue.
Story and photography by Danno Wise
U
p and down the Texas Coast,
redfish are all the rage in
October. The Lower Laguna
Madre region is no different – there are
plenty of light-tackle inshore anglers
blinded by the excellent red drum action
during early autumn. However, this semitropical region also offers outstanding
autumn action for three other popular
inshore species – snook, mangrove
snapper and speckled trout. This is not to
say redfish aren’t a worth autumn foe, but
8
snook, snapper and specks provide plenty
of inshore action to provide anglers many
memorable outings without hooking a
single spottail.
Most Lower Laguna Madre area
regulars are certainly familiar with snook,
snapper and speckled trout. Many of these
fishermen routinely target one or more of
these species in spring, summer or winter.
However, they tend to get tunnel vision
and forget all about them in the fall. So,
here’s a bit of background information
on how each of these species behaves in
autumn:
Snook - Personally, snook are my
favorite fall fish. While upcoming winter
snook fishing can be very good, by that
point snook are pretty much concentrated
around deep water structure. Fall
represents the final chance to find snook
in a variety of settings before the colder
winter weather sets in.
During October, anglers have several
options when it comes to choosing snook
october 2015
fishing grounds. There are always some
snook in the local ports - Brownsville and
Port Isabel - although during late summer
and early fall, there are better options.
Anglers will have all winter to chase snook
in the ports. During fall, fishermen should
spend time enjoy catching snook from two
of their more common seasonal haunts –
the jetties and shallow flats.
Until the year’s first truly hard front
pushes through, the jetties lining the
Brazos Santiago Pass will still be holding
lots of linesiders. October is also one of
the best times to find snook prowling the
shallow flats. As a rule, the majority of
these fish will be found over flats on the
southern end of the bay. Areas such as
Mexiquita Flats, South Bay, Coast Guard
Station Flats and Children’s Beach hold
good numbers of snook during the fall.
Unlike redfish and trout, which can
usually be tempted throughout the
day, snook are very particular about
their feeding times. South Texas snook
feed early and late or when there is tide
movement - period. However, in the fall,
snook are much more likely to extend
their feeding throughout a tidal period
until the water movement absolutely
stops, unlike other periods of the year
when they only feed during portions of
the tidal movement.
Beyond when to fish for snook, anglers
also need to know where to look for
them. Snook are easily patterned fish in
the Lower Laguna. From winter through
early spring, snook will be concentrated
near deepwater structure in areas such as
the Brownsville Ship Channel and Port
of Port Isabel. From late spring through
fall, the majority of fish will be found
either around the jetties or on the flats
at the lower end of the bay and in South
Bay. During fall, anglers can easy move
between the jetties and the south end flats
looking for linesiders.
Regardless of when and where they’re
found, snook absolutely love shrimp.
Of course, fall is a time when shrimp
are generally plentiful in Texas bays.
Fishermen looking to have consistent
action on snook during October can
hardly go wrong throwing either live or
artificial shrimp. Linesiders are quite
prone to topwater plugs. During fall,
smaller topwater baits such as Super
Spook Jrs usually work best on the flats.
Around the jetties and other deep water
structure, swimbaits and jigs also produce
october 2015
Between the end of September and Halloween, all the structure on the southern end of the
Lower Laguna Madre will be holding swarms of mangroves.
good results.
Snapper – Over the past few years,
the mangrove snapper population has
expanded and contracted along the Texas
coast. When a few warm winters have been
experienced, mangrove snapper have been
found as far north as Galveston. However,
any harsh winter weather tends to cull
them back to their traditional area – the
sub-tropical Lower Laguna Madre. LLM
area anglers have enjoyed good mangrove
snapper fishing year around for several
years. But, as good as mangrove snapper
fishing can be at other times of the year,
October is the time when the mangrove
action really gets hot.
Between the end of September and
Halloween, all the structure on the
southern end of the Lower Laguna Madre
will be holding swarms of mangroves.
Both causeways, the range markers on
Mexiquita Flats, the rock pile on Coast
Guard Flats and the swing bridge will all
have plenty of mangrove snapper during
October. But, the jetties will be literally
blanketed with these hard-fighting, greattasting fish.
Mangroves can be taken on softplastics, slow-sinking plugs and swimbaits.
Chunks of shrimp will take smaller
mangroves by the dozen. But, the best
way to catch big mangroves is to freeline
jumbo shrimp or finger mullet close to
structure. Just make sure you’re using
heavy line and have your drag tightened
down, as this fish tend to bull their way
back into dense cover immediately upon
taking the bait. And, as anyone who has
ever tangled with mangrove snapper can
attest, the fighting ability of these fish far
exceeds their size.
Speckled trout - The Lower Laguna
is known for its trophy speckled trout.
However, fall is perhaps the most
overlooked time to fish for specks. Both
school-size keepers and wallhanger
specks can be caught during October.
And, there are plenty of areas to look
for keeper trout on the south end of the
Lower Laguna, very near the snook and
mangrove snapper fishing locations,
making it easy to target multiple species
in a single outing.
Although they don’t migrate like reds
9
Fall is perhaps the most overlooked time to fish for specks as both school-size keepers and wall
hanger sows can be caught during October.
and flounder, trout will also be moving
during October. For the most part, they
will be vacating their deeper summer
homes for the shallow flats and shorelines.
Quite often, they will occupy
flats within close proximity
to a Gulf pass, putting them
in close quarters with redfish
and flounder. During October,
trout will also slowly start
easing off hard bottom areas
and working their way to
more mucky bottom flats. This
transition will continue as fall
turns to winter later in the year.
As long as the weather stays
warm, the majority of specks in
the Lower Laguna will still be in
a summer pattern. This means
they’ll be hanging out along
the channel edges and over
the deeper flats. As the water
begins to cool toward the end
of the month, they’ll gradually
begin to transition back onto
10
the shallow flats. From mid-October until
the water turns cold, there will be plenty
of specks – especially bigger fish - in kneedeep water over mud-sand mixed bottom.
For fishermen looking to box a keeper,
the deeper flats and channel edges around
Mexiquita Flats or just north of the
causeway are almost always good for
a few fish. A live shrimp or 3-inch
artificial shrimp under a popping cork will
typically produce the desired results in
short order. Soft-plastic jigs also produce
plenty of schoolies.
Anglers aiming for larger trout should
look shallow. Areas such as the flats in
South Bay or near the spoils in front of
Port Isabel. If you choose to run further
north, areas such as Gas Well Flats, Three
Island and South Cullen Bay hold plenty
of big specks. These bigger specks will
remain on the flats until the water chills
later in the winter.
When fishing the flats for use topwaters
such as Super Spooks Jrs, twitch baits like
Bomber 14A and 15As or Cordell Redfins,
and shallow running subsurface baits
such as the DOA Baitbuster. Sight-casting
is best accomplished by using lightly
weighted soft-plastics, DOA Shrimp or
flies. Anglers who prefer using natural
baits are best served by soaking cut
ballyhoo on a Carolina rig or free-lining
pinfish in the potholes.
Another great thing about autumn
angling in the Lower Laguna Madre is
the ability to target a variety of species.
In October, anglers can generally expect
to find at least two of three species
mentioned above wherever they look.
Trout and snook will often be feeding on
the same flats and will take similar baits –
topwaters, plastics, live shrimp. Snook and
mangrove snapper will
usually be found together
on the jetties. Both will
be holding tight to the
rocks and will attack
similar lures and baits. In
each instance, the third
species (specks on the
rocks and snapper on
the flats) will certainly be
caught from time to time
in those areas, but not
near as consistently as the
other two. Anglers should
make their decision on
where and how to fish
based on which species
they are most interested
in targeting on a given
day and consider their
second species a nice
compliment and the third
species should be viewed
When fishing the flats, use topwaters such as Super Spooks Jrs, twitch baits like Bomber 14A and 15As or Cordell
as a bonus
Redfins.
But, as exciting as
autumn fishing is, it doesn’t last forever.
patterns, which are quite different than
on the Lower Laguna Madre can expect
Usually by the end of November, fish
their fall patterns, to say the least. But,
consistently great fishing, with or without
have begun transitioning to their winter
throughout the month of October, anglers
redfish.
Artificial shrimp are a good choice to catch all three species in the fall.
october 2015
october 2015
11
BASSOLOGY | Matt Williams
buoyancy can be during the spawn, Bird
says it will also pay off when Texas rigging
or Carolina rigging on main lake stuff.
“It’s just another tool to have in your
toolbox, but I won’t hardly throw anything
else,” he said. “I’ve gone behind guys who
weren’t getting bit and caught fish on our
11-inch ribbontail more than once.”
Damiki is another bait company that
incorporates the air concept into some
of its plastics including the Knockout
creature, Air Craw, Air Pocket Worm and
the Air Frog. The creature and craws have
enclosed air pockets in the claws, while
the worm has a small air pocket at the tip
of the tail. The air pockets act as flotation
chambers, which cause the baits stand
erect indefinitely while on the bottom.
Like Bird, Damiki pro staffer Brian
Thrift of Shelby, N.C. say he is a big favorite of catching some air whenever bass are
on beds. He says the additional buoyancy
also can pay off when flipping in heavy
cover at times.
“There are definitely times when it
(air) helps,” Thrift said. “The air pockets
cause the bait to rise up and stand out to
the side instead of just hanging under the
Pondering Buoyancy Factors in Soft Plastics
weight -- it makes it more visible. Plus,
it has a different profile and an enticing
action.
A regular craw will just lay flat when
you pull it, whereas the tail end of the Air
Craw rises slowly for about three seconds
after you stop it. I think that little bit of
extra movement sometimes triggers the
strike.”
Air pockets and chambers aren’t the
only ways manufacturers are beefing up
the buoyancy in their baits. The materials
used in the molding process also can make
a difference, as evidenced by soft plastics
manufactured by ZMan.
ZMan uses a super buoyant material
called ElaZtech in their soft plastic
line-ups. Not only is the plastic buoyant
enough to float a worm hook with no
weight, but it is much more durable than
conventional soft plastic.
One of the oldest and most common
ways to boost buoyancy in soft plastics
is to build them with wings, rings and
other appendages off the body cavity. The
appendages catch water and create some
resistance as the bait moves through the
water column, which in turn slows the rate
at which it falls.
As earlier mentioned, there are times
when too much buoyancy isn’t necessarily
a good thing in soft plastics. Many companies are molding salt granules to certain
styles of plastics in order to decrease
buoyancy and increase the fall rate. Gene
Larew introduced the process decades
ago and it has since been duplicated by a
number of companies.
Not surprisingly, developing the right
blend of plastic and salt to create a fairly
durable bait that falls at satisfactory rate
without compromising the action can be
a tedious process.
Yamamoto Custom Bait has been
doing it for years and has the salt impregnation process down pat. Yamamoto
makes all sorts of soft plastics, but is
without a doubt the most famous for its
salt-impregnated Senko.
“A lot of the plastics out there come
pre-mixed, but we have the ability to mix
our own plastics along with salt to get
right consistency to give us the softness,
sinking rate and just the right action that
we want,” said company founder Gary
Yamamoto of Palestine.
Toyota 30th ShareLunker Season Begins October 1
When less buoyancy is desired, a Senko is a good option. It has perfected the right amout of salt granules molded to a certain style of plastics in
order to decrease buoyancy and increase the fall rate.
Buoyancy, or a lack of it, is a huge deal
in soft plastic baits like worms, craws,
creatures, fries and soft jerk baits. That’s
because the amount of buoyancy a bait
has dictates the speed at which it falls to
bottom (if it falls at all) and what type of
posture it displays once it gets there.
Some plastic baits are manufactured
to be extremely buoyant so they fall
through the water column very slowly. In
some cases hess baits also have a tendency
to float up or stand erect on bottom, thus
simulating a crawfish or some of type of
creature in a defensive posture as it creeps
along.
Other plastics aren’t buoyant at all.
These baits will get a little life when moved
through the water column, but have the
tendency to lay down on bottom when
allowed to sit idle.
Both bait styles have their place in bass
fishing arenas. Not surprisingly opinions
vary as to how or when a buoyant plastic
12
will outshine those that fall at a faster rate.
I’ve talked with a number hardcore
anglers over the years and many of them
think soft plastic buoyancy can be a huge
factor during the spring of the year. This
is when large numbers of bass are milling around in skinny water and actively
spawning on beds.
Spawning bass tend to be very protective around their beds, so any bait that
simulates some sort of critter that might
be perceived as a threat to their space is
apt to get destroyed in short order.
Cody Bird is one angler who prefers
some buoyancy in his baits at times. Bird is
a sight fishing ace from Granbury. He says
how a bait postures around a bed can at
times make a big difference in how quickly
a bass reacts to it -- or if it reacts at all.
“I’ve seen it happen a bunch of times,
especially with bedding fish,” Bird said.
“You might throw a regular lizard or worm
on a bed and the fish might not even look
at it, whereas when you pitch something
like a Hightail Holeshot in there and you
can catch it in a matter of seconds. The bait
stands tail up in the bed and really dances
when you shake it. It drives them nuts.”
The Hightail Hole Shot is straight
tail finesse worm. It is one in a series
of Hightail soft plastics manufactured
by the Kicker Fish Bait Co. in Houston.
Other members of family include a 4 3/4
inch finesse worm, 6 and 8-inch lizards,
a 11-inch ribbon tail worm and a 4-inch
Bubble Fry.
The baits are unique from other plastics because they are designed with small
air chambers that catch and trap air in
the body cavity with each cast. This forces
the baits to take a “tail-up” stance when
rigged Texas style or on a shaky head. The
air chambers also release tiny air bubbles
periodically, creating even more visual
appeal.
As deadly as using a bait with some
october 2015
The 30th season of the Texas Parks
and Wildlife Department Toyota ShareLunker program will begin October 1.
Anyone legally catching a 13-pound or
bigger largemouth bass from Texas waters,
public or private, between October 1 and
April 30 may submit the fish to the Toyota
ShareLunker program. Fish will be picked
up by TPWD personnel within 12 hours.
The twenty-ninth season for the Toyota
ShareLunker season (October 1, 2014 –
April 30, 2015) resulted in a total of six
fish entered.
During last season Toyota ShareLunker
560 came from Lake Ray Roberts and was
caught by Shannon Lee Elvington of Pilot
Point on March 7. The 15.18-pound bass
took a jerkbait. The fish was 26.25 inches
long and 21.5 inches in girth. It is the
current lake record for Lake Ray Roberts
and is just over 3 ounces shy of making
the list of 50 biggest largemouth bass ever
caught in Texas.
The fish qualified Elvington for Toyota
ShareLunker Angler of the Year honors
as the angler catching the biggest fish of
october 2015
the season. Elvington received a prize
package from G. Loomis and a lifetime
fishing license.
ShareLunker entries that genetic testing shows are pure Florida largemouth bass
are used in a selective breeding program at
the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in
Athens. Offspring from ShareLunkers that
spawn are stocked into each waterbody
that produces and entry during the season.
Some offspring may be used for research,
while others may be retained by the hatchery system for use as future brooders.
The angler catching each fish decides
what will happen to it following its use by
TPWD. Most anglers choose to return the
fish to the waterbody where it was caught.
Some donate the fish to TPWD for display
at TFFC.
Fish that are intergrades, or hybrids of
Florida and northern largemouth bass, are
not used for spawning and are returned
to the waterbody where caught as soon as
possible. Genetic testing of ShareLunker
entries shows that pure Florida largemouth
bass have as much as 18 times greater
chance of producing a 13-pound offspring
as intergrades do. Limited capacity at
TPWD hatcheries requires using all available pond space for the offspring of pure
Florida fish.
Anglers entering fish into the Toyota
ShareLunker program receive a free replica
of their fish, a certificate and ShareLunker
clothing and are recognized at a banquet
at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center
in Athens.
The person who catches the season’s
largest entry will be named Angler of the
Year and will receive a G. Loomis rod,
Shimano reel and PowerPro line combination. If the Angler of the Year is a Texas
resident, that person also receives a lifetime
Texas fishing license.
ShareLunker catches can be reported
24 hours a day, seven days a week during
the season, by calling (903) 681-0550. If
poor cellphone service prevents use of the
voice number, anglers can leave a phone
number (including area code) at (888)
784-0600. That number is also monitored
24/7 during the season.
13
as she made her very first wing shot
while harvesting a bobwhite quail. At
that moment we both became kids again,
jumping around with the excitement and
innocence of a child. We were partaking
in a classic sport full of tradition, that
was as seemingly as old as the ground
we walked. I couldn’t have been a more
proud husband. On this day I took my
wife hunting.
Now before the men chime in with
a short grunt or sarcastic chuckle, and
before the women give a head shake or
a negative sigh this was an experience
that has led, and will continue to lead to
more “couple outdoor adventures” in the
Skinner household. More than the birds
that we harvested or the great shots made,
the best part of the trip was the fact we
experienced it together. That afternoon
spent in the fields at Topflight Hunting
Preserve near Columbus, Texas is one we
will both cherish for years to come.
Located less than 80 miles west of
downtown Houston, just over 120 miles
east of downtown San Antonio, and less
than 100 miles from Austin the upland
game bird laden fields of Topflight
Hunting Preserve are an easy less-thantwo-hour-drive from many populated
areas of the Lone Star State. Owned and
operated by veteran hunting guide and
outfitter Leon Randermann, the facility
A Couple’s Covey
Special memories are made while partaking in a classic upland bird hunt for two.
Story and photography by Nate Skinner
T
he pointer did his job well. His
name was “J.J.” and he was “on
point.”
With his nose aimed towards the
ground at a tall clump of grass, his rear leg
trembled with pent up excitement, almost
as if it were being shocked. There was no
doubt a covey of game birds were hidden
— hunkered before him. The locked-up
dog took everything about being “birdy”
14
to a whole new level.
On command, a black lab was next
on the scene as he barged into the tall
bunch grass like a bull in a china cabinet.
Immediately a small covey of three quail
flushed from the ground seemingly from
right under our noses. Their wings cut
the cool moist air as a pair flew to the
right in my direction giving a textbook
shot opportunity, while a single flushed
to the left much more quickly, however I
did not shoulder my shotgun. Instead I
was captivated by a unique scene in which
my hunting companion swung perfectly
on the escaping bird and brought it to the
ground with her first pull of the trigger. It
was a beautiful sight, almost surreal, not to
mention she was pretty easy on the eyes.
An uproar of cheers immediately
followed from both my mouth and hers
october 2015
functions as a
premier upland
game bird
preser ve and
release game
bird hunting
operation that
can facilitate
hunts for hunters
of all ages, gender,
and experience
level. It also
makes the perfect
destination for
any couple’s next
outdoors date.
The fields
a t To p f l i g h t
span 400 acres
and range from
prairie land to
clumps of rose
hedges and
s c a t te re d o a k
trees with bunch
grasses mixed
Emily Skinner flashes a big smile after proper pre-hunt practice and
in. This diverse preparation resulted in her first bobwhite quail while hunting in Colorado
cover gives the
County.
game birds the
chukar, pheasant, and partridge, all of
natural habitat they need to thrive, while
which originate from different parts of the
providing hunters with a variety of
world creating a memorable and unique
exciting shooting scenarios. Here hunters
experience for any wing shooter.
have the opportunity to harvest quail,
While traversing the fields at Topflight,
upland game bird hunting truly becomes
an art and science. Pointers scour every
inch of vegetation in front of shooters as
each section of a field is dissected with no
leaf left unturned. These dogs are welldisciplined, trained four-legged hunters
that basically make the hunt. The mere
sight of them working is worth the time
spent outdoors.
Once a bird or a covey of birds is
located, the light-footed and excited
attitude of these dogs completely changes.
It’s almost as if they feel the same
anticipation as those holding a shotgun
— they wear their emotions right on their
sleeve as they get “birdy” when the scent
of a game bird is winded nearby.
Then comes the flush — possibly
the most dramatic and intense fraction
of seconds during the entire adventure.
Usually, a flush dog like a Labrador is sent
in by the guide to jump the birds out of the
vegetation they’re holding in. On the rise
there’s no telling which direction the birds
The action is fast and so are a variety of game birds — combined with great dog work makes for
will flee as they try and evade showers of
a special day afield.
october 2015
15
7 ½ shot. This is then repeated until the
entire field has been thoroughly hunted.
During our outing at Topflight, my
wife Emily and I harvested bobwhite quail,
chukar, and ring-necked pheasant. Some
preparation prior to our trip made the
entire experience much more enjoyable.
Emily is fairly new to the sport of
wingshooting and shotgunning so above
all I wanted her to be both familiar and
comfortable with her shotgun. The first
step was getting her a gun that was “hers,”
and one that fit her stature. We settled on
a Remington 870 Express 20 gauge, with
a 26 inch barrel. The gun is lightweight,
easy for her to handle, plus she thought the
wood grain stock gave it a “classy,” look.
The “look” is apparently a big priority to
the discerning eyes of the female hunter.
Taking my wife hunting also meant
she got to “accessorize” with gear. She
picked out her own bird vest, a camo shirt
and some hunting boots that had just the
right “chick” feel while still encompassing
the much needed functionality.
Some gun handling and shooting
prep also helped our hunting trip to
go smoothly. We shot several rounds
of skeet together in the days prior to
the hunt. Varying the flight path of the
target help simulate in-field situations.
We practiced shooting while taking
some steps forward, trying to mimic
a bird flushing while walking. Other
There’s nothing like watching a good pointer work.
practice setups gave her several shots
where she had to wait until the target
was launched before shouldering the gun.
Understanding shooting lanes, safe areas
of fire and directions not to shoot were
discussed and practiced, so Emily would
be comfortable while shooting around a
guide and working dogs.
All of the practice and prep revolved
around safe handling of the gun, keeping
Upland Birds, Dove or Waterfowl for Two
A number of upland bird species from
around the world now call Texas and other
parts of the United States home.
Ring-necked Pheasants are colorful
and strong flying game birds with wild
populations found in Kansas, Nebraska,
the Dakotas, and other areas in the Midwestern United States along with the Texas
Panhandle. These birds were introduced
from China and parts of East Asia to the
United States in the 1880s.
Partridge are Eurasian natives with
various sub-species found throughout
Europe. The chukar is a partridge that
was originally imported into the United
States from Pakistan to Illinois and Georgia with poor results. Despite this, these
birds found their way to the arid, open
and rocky terrain of the western United
States where they now thrive. There are
long and liberal hunting seasons for wild
16
populations of chukar in Oregon, Idaho,
Nevada, Utah, and Washington.
In Texas the outdoors experiences are
not limited to just upland game bird hunting. Dove and waterfowl hunting provide
additional wing shooting challenges for
the outdoors couple.
The Colorado County area is a convenient place for outdoorsmen and women
to enjoy both dove hunting and waterfowl
hunting. The thousands of acres of cut rice
fields provide food for tons of dove each
fall and are winter habitat for countless
numbers of ducks and geese each year
year.
Topflight Hunting Preserve offers
dove, duck, and goose hunts in addition
to their upland bird hunts. For more information on Topflight Hunting Preserve
visit www.topflighthunting.com or call
(979) 732-9196.
the muzzle pointed in a safe direction,
loading or unloading, and keeping the
safety on except when firing at a target
flying through the air.
The repetitious practice allowed Emily
to not only be comfortable in the field, but
also instilled confidence in her ability as a
hunter and wing shooter. It allowed me to
be able to enjoy the time afield knowing
she was going to be a safe and effective
hunting companion.
The results were unbelievably special
— something words cannot really
describe. Watching the most important
person in my life take the skills I had
taught her, and apply them in a real
hunting situation along my side, and then
do it well was incredible.
If you ever happen to meet her and
ask about this day make sure you have
plenty of time – you will hear and see
her excitement as she vividly recalls this
hunt. Sharing a passion for hunting
while experiencing the outdoors with a
lifelong companion is something every
outdoorsman or woman should do. The
appreciation for those moments will be
significantly greater than any memories
made alone, plus there is an opportunity
for both to learn something new.
An upland bird hunt at Topflight
Hunting Preserve presents a perfect
adventure for a couple to share and is
sure to result in many more forays to
follow.
october 2015
SALTWATER JOURNAL | Mark Sosin
The High Surf
My friend looked out of place.
Everyone around him was using the long
surf rod characteristic of most coasts. The
fact that he was using a one-handed bait
casting outfit armed with a small plug
that resembled a mullet didn’t seem to
bother him in the least. A group of us
were fishing together along Texas’s Padre
Island National Seashore and he seemed
to be having more fun than any of us.
During the fall of the year, vast hordes
of mullet begin to move out of the inshore
waters and work their way south along
the Texas coast. Big redfish, jack crevalle,
mackerel, and countless other critters
move in to attack the endless parade of
bait. Like any natural barrier beach, this
section of coastline has a series of bars and
deeper sloughs that run like ribbons for
miles and miles. The inner trough is often
so close to the sand that one can keep his
feet dry and still cross it with a cast.
Having fished these waters many
times, my friend knew that he could easily
cast a plug into the schools of bait with a
one-handed rod and he was just spoiling
to do battle with a heavyweight using
his choice of weapons. During the days
we fished the surf, he did well with his
light rod, although a few battles left the
outcome in doubt.
The high surf (even when seas are
calm) has to be considered the stronghold
18
A growing number of anglers are willing to use lighter gear in the surf in the fall for bigger
available fish because of the challenge and the ultimate enjoyment they get.
of long rods and the last bastion of lines
heavy enough to be considered cable.
The hardened breed of fishermen who
muscle up to cascading white water and
battle the elements wants plenty of power
when he does hook a fish. Strikes can
sometimes be few and far between and
beaching one’s quarry can become the
single most important thing in the world
at that moment.
Still, there are a growing number of
reel. The length of the rod doesn’t enter
the equation as long as it is designed for
the line you select. Graphite and other
Space Age materials have made it possible
for rod builders to fashion longer rods
tailored for lighter lines. One argument
against lightness is the need in some places
to make long casts with a heavy sinker or
oversized lure for great distances.
First, the lighter the line, the lighter
the sinker you have to use in the same
situation. If you do have to use a large
lure or extra heavy sinker, you can rig a
long shock leader for casting, which many
regulars do anyway. The heavier shock
leader should be long enough to cover
the entire length of the rod, leave enough
overhang past the tip, and still put two or
three turns on the reel. Once that is rigged
with knots that will pass easily through
the guides, you can put all the power you
want into the cast and you still won’t snap
off the terminal tackle.
If you choose your spots carefully,
you won’t need the overly long meat sticks
that are part of the scenery along any
beachfront. The time to scout the surf is at
dead low tide. Do it on a new or full moon
when spring tides are in effect. This will
show you rather vividly where the deeper
holes, sloughs, and cuts lay in relation to
the bars. Take the time to draw a rough
map or make notes (in pencil so it won’t
run if it gets wet) so you’ll remember what
it looks like. You can even photograph
some spots with a cell phone.
Surf fishing is often better on
incoming water, but as the water rises, it
becomes increasingly difficult to decipher
the bottom contour and the best places to
fish.
Consider, too, that many large
predators venture much closer to the
beach and in shallower water than many
anglers realize. For the novice, surf fishing
means long casts seaward and then stick
the rod in a sand spike on the beach. The
more experienced angler works an area for
almost 180 degrees from the sand to the
left of him to the sand on his right. Water
often moves parallel to the beach as well
as in and out.
Too many surf fishermen and jetty
jockeys keep believing that their quarry is
as far away from where they are standing
as they can possibly cast. If you’re fishing
a jetty, don’t you think the baitfish are
going to hang around the rocks? The
same thinking applies to lone rocks in
the water or scattered rocks. Structure
provides safety and concealment for prey
and that’s where predators are going to
look for food.
Along many coasts, there are currents
that flow parallel to the beach plus a back
eddy in the surf that takes water seaward.
If you look closely you can identify this
moving water. The key with a parallel
current is to cast so your bait or lure
moves with the flow. Predators usually
work into the current looking for prey
that is being carried by the moving water.
When you see sharks in very shallow
water along the beach, you know they are
searching for dinner and that means that
the fish you want to catch are also close
to the sand.
Surf fishing offers an unparalleled
challenge. Even if you haven’t done much
surf fishing before, this is the time of year
to try it. School after school of baitfish
are moving along the Texas coast and
there is no better time to have a successful
adventure on the beach.
anglers who are willing to use lighter gear
in the surf because of the challenge and
the ultimate enjoyment they get. It’s not
really as risky as some would have you
believe. Lighter lines frequently increase
the number of strikes and that can be an
impressive incentive along the beachfront
where fishing can be tough even when it’s
good.
The breaking strength of the line
determines the lightness of the rod and
october 2015
october 2015
19
PREPARING
for
SUCCESS
If it’s a better-than-average buck you’re after, some preparation
is necessary.
Story and photography by Bob Zaiglin
W
ith close to four million
deer in Texas, harvesting
one is not that big of a
challenge, but if it’s a better than average
buck you’re after, some preparation is
necessary.
One of the most important elements
to successfully taking a quality buck is
one’s knowledge of the deer on their
favorite piece of deer turf. With this
information, one has an idea as to what
to expect. Deer hunters often arrive at
camp with a Boone and Crockett or bust
attitude, which generally sets them up
for a disappointing experience. Bucks
supporting racks in the 170-inch range
are extremely rare, even on the best of
landholdings. And even where they exist,
such animals are no pushovers. After
all, they had to survive the unforgiving
gauntlet of Mother Nature, along with
deer hunting sportsmen, for five or more
years before developing a rack of such
proportions and have learned much about
avoiding their principal predator, man the
hunter.
It’s important to be realistic because
if not, you may find yourself pursuing
an animal that is nonexistent. One way
of finding out the caliber of deer on a
particular landholding is to review harvest
data collected over previous years; this
includes pictures of harvested bucks.
By doing so, one can at least set their
standards appropriately.
It’s also important to understand that
20
a buck doesn’t have to display a minimum
example, I learned a long time ago that
of 170 inches of antler to be recognized
the rack on a buck walking away appears
as a trophy. For example, a buck may
much wider than it actually is; thus if one
only score 140 points, but exhibit a
hesitates to shoot a buck that faces them,
breathtakingly wide spread or perhaps a
it would be good advice to pass up the
narrow spread with extremely tall tines.
animal.
All racks are different, which makes
This is only one example; there are
whitetails so unique. Everyone would
others, but experience is the ultimate
like to take a Boone and Crockett buck,
teacher. We learn by making mistakes,
but it’s comforting to know that a number
but hopefully don’t repeat those errors,
of bucks exists that exhibit various
which is easy to do when staring at a buck
features of Boone
and Crockett
proportions.
One’s ability
to score a buck
on the hoof
is extremely
important and
can be enhanced
by practicing on
mounted heads.
It’s a skill set
that is acquired
over time, but
even when
one becomes
relatively good at
scoring deer they
must recognize
the impact a
deer’s position
can have on a
hunter’s attempt
to visually score Hunters can circumvent the lack of deer movement by employing the use
the animal. For
of portable tripods in and around active deer zones.
october 2015
exhibiting a surreal set of antlers.
One of the traps that many hunters
fall into is their reliance on hunting at
feeders. Not that there is anything wrong
with hunting near a feeder, but in a year
like this one deer will be less dependent on
such sites, particularly those older, reticent
bucks that seldom show up outside the
rut.
On the bright side, however, some
doe will remain dependent on the free
handout. As a result, those older bucks
october 2015
will stage nearby during the breeding
season, hoping to intersect receptive does
going to and coming from the feeders.
In order to benefit from this behavior,
hunters should position a portable tripod
near the most recently and intensively
used travel lanes outside the sight of the
feeder in order to see those bucks that
refuse to enter the open area around the
feeder.
Position is key when it comes to
intercepting a mature buck, making wind
direction a principal concern. Deer may
have poor eyesight, but their keen sense
of smell more than makes up for any lack
of visual acuity. Permanent blinds should
be established based on the prevailing
wind, while portable tripods can be
employed when wind detection varies.
Another pitfall hunters must avoid is the
belief that wind direction has little to no
impact on deer movement because they
sometimes witness deer moving about in
an undisturbed state downwind of their
21
The ultimate time to get close to those antler-clad mature bucks will be in the rut when they
often let their guard down.
position. We have all witnessed deer
feeding before us when the brisk breeze
hitting us squarely in the back should
have alarmed the animals. But it’s not
22
the deer we see that really counts because
they are normally young to middle aged.
It’s the bucks that go unobserved that are
important.
Those older, antler-laden bucks are
characteristically reclusive anyway, and
human scent would only force them to
slink off into the sea of brush without
being seen.
The most effective if not most
enjoyable method of viewing those
wraiths this winter will be by rattling them
up during the peak rut. Mature bucks
may not move much early in the season,
but a spike in big buck activity can be
expected during the rut, and sportsmen
familiar with the rattling technique will
be able to take advantage of those older,
larger-racked bucks when they are most
vulnerable.
Rattling techniques are as diverse as the
personalities of the hunters employing the
tool. The objective is simply to generate
the sound of two aggressive bucks in a
serious head-to-head confrontation. At
peak activity periods, bucks of all ages
will rush in to check out all the noise, but
more often than not those older bucks
approach much more cautiously, thus
additional time is often required to lure in
those older, hunter-savvy males. Hunters
should remain somewhat hidden for
upwards of three quarters of an hour. And
while ensconced in the thorn scrub, use
it to their advantage by raking the antlers
over the brush as well as periodically
driving those antlers intermittently into
the ground.
These activities should be quite
intense at first followed by lower volume
activity in order to lure those reticent yet
characteristically curious bucks up close.
Those mature bucks do not reach the
older age classes because they are dumb,
thus the most effective attributes a horn
rattler can possess are patience and more
importantly confidence in the technique.
Preseason scouting is often recognized
as the key component to successfully
taking a big deer, but the location of a
mature buck in early fall is no guarantee
that it will be there in the winter.
Over the last 40 years, I have
researched, observed, and filmed many
outstanding bucks during the late summer
months, and seldom have I found those
deer during the winter period. Deer
concentrate around water in the hot
summer months, but they change core
areas during the cooler fall months in
preparation of the breeding season.
One particular non-typical scoring
195 drove this point home back in 1992
october 2015
and 1993. It staged approximately one
mile from its breeding area in the summer,
but by mid-December it drifted southward
over one mile to its breeding ground.
Once it reached this particular area each
winter, it remained there throughout the
rut. This particular buck could be seen
daily once it took up residence at its winter
core area in both ’92 and ’93 when he was
harvested. The fact is locating a desirable
buck at any time add impetus to one’s
hunt. Knowing that a great buck lives in
the area one hunts forces them to hunt
longer and harder, increasing the chances
of seeing that animal again.
One’s ability to quickly and accurately
shoot when that dream buck appears is
paramount to success. All deer hunters
get excited when preparing to shoot a deer
they have dreamed about for years. But
the difference between an average and an
exceptional marksman is one’s ability to
mentally block out the situation, at least
until the shot is made.
Buck fever is a real and hard to shake
disease. I have witnessed some individuals
jacking one shell in after the other without
ever firing a shot. Its symptoms have
affected us all some time in our hunting
career, but the good news is that it is
curable.
The ultimate method of eliminating
the impacts of buck fever is to shoot often
and more importantly with small calibers,
which help eliminate flinching while
encouraging focus or follow through
with the shot. By shooting frequently,
the mechanics of correctly shooting a rifle
become instinctive, thus when that buck
of a lifetime shows up and one’s stomach
turns to mush, the shooter’s instincts take
over, insuring a well-placed shot.
Proficient shooters prefer to shoot
from a rest whether it’s a bipod, off sticks,
or the branch of a Hill Country live oak.
The bottom line is shooting from a rest
makes average shooters good and talented
marksmen great.
The whitetail deer is not only the
most abundant, but most sought after
antlered game animal on the North
American continent. Taking a trophy
whitetail is considered by many as the
ultimate trophy and harvesting such
an animal is often a byproduct of luck.
However, by practicing the five p’s (prior
planning prevents poor performance),
one can definitely place the odds in their
favor.
october 2015
The only surprise to hunters this winter will not be if, but when that premier buck shows itself.
23
Just FISHING | Brian Hughes
Moving Time
clipping it to a fan at home
and letting it rotate until it
is worn enough to produce
the squeak as it rotates. And
remember, don’t set the hook
on a buzzbait bite when the
fish first strikes. Wait until you
feel the pull of the fish, then hit
him hard.
Poppers can be twitched
at a surprisingly fast pace and
feeding bass will absolutely
smash ‘em when they have to
chase the bait.
Of course, if you notice
a slower pace catches fish by
all means slow down a bit.
Poppers all have a different
sound and sometimes it makes
a difference in catching fish.
Take a few different brands
and models with you and
experiment with them to see
which the bass prefer.
When it comes to colors
In October, the author likes moving baits like buzz baits, frogs, ’Trap-type baits, spinnerbaits as well as soft
I
stay
pretty much in the
plastic swim baits.
middle-of-the-road. Shad
If you’ve followed this column for
buzzbaits, Torpedos, poppers, “Spooks”,
colors, blue or black top with a white belly,
any amount of time you already know
‘Trap-style baits all fall into the genre of
that sort of thing. I also prefer shorter,
October is one of my top two or three
moving baits. And some of the soft plastics
quicker “pops” in the fall than I do in
choices of fishing months.
like Ribbit Frogs, Senkos, swim baits, and
the spring. Spring fish are coming out of
It may even be Number One. Summer
others also qualify as moving.
cold winter water and are just warming
finally makes way for fall and the daytime
Starting with the topwater baits, I like
up so to speak and seem to react better to
temperatures are pleasant throughout
a buzzbait to begin my day. Some other
slower popping baits. Fall fish however are
most of the month.
anglers will prefer poppers or Spooks and
rejoicing in the break from the summer
In addition to being a wonderful
that is fine.
heat and will chase a faster bait.
time for the fisherman to be out on the
On an overcast day in October you
Fishing faster also allows me to cover
water, it is also a great month for the fish.
may be able to fish topwaters all day.
more water in the course of a day. I like
They respond to the cooler temperature
There are countless reference articles to
to fish both buzzbaits and poppers (and
changes by feeding longer and moving
instruct how to fish each bait, but suffice
‘Traps) on a 6’6” medium or medium light
shallower, making them easier to catch.
it to say that each one will be fished in a
rod as the flex helps prevent pulling the
That means anglers can use “moving”
brisk manner.
bait away from the fish.
baits to catch them.
A buzzbait should be retrieved just fast
The Zara Spook is a famous bassMoving baits are just as the name
enough to keep it on the surface, unless
catcher, and is especially known for
implies, baits that are in constant motion,
fishing for smallmouth bass, in which
producing big bass. The “walk-the-dog”
as opposed to baits that must be hopped,
case burn it as fast as you can across the
technique can take a little time to master
dragged or left to sit for long periods.
surface. I’ve mentioned before that I like
but is well worth learning. I could give a
Moving baits are cast out and retrieved
a buzzbait blade that emits a “squeak” as
tutorial here but I think the best way to
according to the action of the bait, not
it is retrieved. That seems to drive the bass
learn is to see it in action and then try it
the slow mood of the fish.
crazy and I believe it triggers more strikes.
yourself.
I like moving baits. Spinnerbaits,
You can make a blade squeak by simply
To that end, hire a guide experienced
24 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal
october 2015
with the technique or look to the world
wide web. There are a zillion (give or take
a few) videos on the proper method for
“Spooking”.
Flooded grasses, timber, and thick
cover are not treble hook friendly, and
can be difficult to fish with multiple hooks
ready to snag the first thing they contact.
That’s when the plastics come into play.
Start with the Ribbit or similar frog and
retrieve it like the buzzbait — just fast
enough to keep it on top with the feet
burbling across the surface. You may want
to stop your retrieve and drop the frog
into likely looking holes in vegetation,
or next to a particularly attractive piece
of timber.
If you want the frog to stay on top at
slower retrieve speeds, or when stopped,
fish a hollow-body bait like the Snag
Proof frog.
While fall fish are active, they won’t
keep after topwaters all day, all the time.
You will have to adjust your approach to
keep up with the changes the fish make
throughout any given day.
When the topwater bite dies, transition
to the baits that will fish in the next
shallowest water. In other words use ‘Trapstyle baits and Senko or Bass Assassin type
lures. Again, make long casts and fairly
rapid retrieves.
Fish these baits across points, fairly
shallow first, and the move just a bit
deeper. Sometimes a stop-and-go retrieve
will trigger ‘Trap bites, but just pause the
retrieve for a moment before continuing.
The swimbait lures can be fished
Texas-rigged and weightless, or on a
jighead. I like the weightless approach as
it is a weedless presentation that can be
thrown into almost any cover without
fear of getting up.
Fished though vegetation, around
boat docks, and in thick timber the Texas
rigged plastic will catch a lot of fish. Use
a 6’6” or 7’ rod with some backbone to
help with the hook set, and with pulling
these fish out of cover.
On lakes like Texoma or Possum
Kingdom, for example, rocks are the
primary cover and a jighead approach
will work in that environment. Since the
jighead has an exposed hook you can use
a little lighter actioned rod to enhance the
feel of the bait and not have to worry so
much about the hook sets.
The spinnerbait is probably my
october 2015
favorite fall bait. Spinnerbaits come in
countless variations of color, size and
blade combinations.
Keep it simple. Get a couple of baits
each in the quarter and half ounce range,
in colors like shad, white, chartreuse and
orange. Scale pattern skirts are one of my
favorites.
For fall fishing I like nickel willow leaf
blades in clear water, and gold blades in
stained water. If the lake is terribly muddy
I’ll use Colorado blades, usually nickel. As
you work the shoreline, make long casts in
front of the boat and use a medium-fast
retrieve speed. Once the bait is back to
the boat, look for thicker vegetation or
cover into which you can pitch the bait.
Keep alternating as you move, thoroughly
covering the water.
One last tip. For shorelines devoid
of vegetation or cover, rocky banks and
extremely clear water try the Zoom Trick
Worm. It can be fished relatively fast, while
still maintaining a “finesse” approach. I
like Blue Glimmer if in clear water, and
Merthiolate or chartreuse in stained water.
October is a great time to go fishing
and the fishing can be great.
25
For information on guides mentioned, see Guides, Gear & Getaways on pages 67, 69, & 71
CoastWatch
After a long, hot summer, October has
finally arrived. Following the high heat
and high angling pressure of summer,
September offered some relief from the
summer crowds but the temperatures
were still sweltering.
October, on the other hand, sees
anglers enjoying both light crowds
and lower temperatures. And, most
importantly, there are plenty of active fish
in every bay system in Texas.
Because the daylight hours have waned,
anglers will enjoy cooler temperatures in
October even before the season’s first
cool fronts push through the Texas coast.
The cooling temperatures serve to make
fish much more active. Speckled trout
and redfish will be found more often
on shallow flats this month. And, when
they’re found, they are also much more
likely to eat.
All in all, October is just a more
pleasant and productive time on the water
the bay this month and make sure they are
able to stay all day once they are there.
Danno Wise
UPPER COAST
for fishermen. October is also a time when
anglers are able to spend more time on the
water each day.
Unlike summer months w hen
smothering temperatures and a blistering
sun force most anglers off the water by
midday, October’s mild temperatures
allow fishermen to comfortably fish all
day. Of course, having steady action
from a variety of species also encourages
fishermen to remain on the water longer.
The one downside to October is the
total number of days most fishermen
spend on the water usually decreases. This
is usually due to the increasing number of
time demands that fishermen face during
early fall.
Football season, hunting season, kids’
school activities and a list of other events
and activities combine to limit most
fishermen’s ability to get to their favorite
bay very often in October.
This results in an even further
reduction of fishing pressure on bays
across the Texas coastal curve – yet
another bonus for those who are able to
find a way to spend time on the water in
the weeks before Halloween.
So, anglers looking to reward themselves
should make sure to spend a few days on
Photos courtesy Capt. Greg Verm.
In October, the Galveston jetties give up some good speckled
trout and redfish.
26
october 2015
Matagorda guide Capt. Tommy
Countz says birds will be pointing the
way to fast action in both East and West
Matagorda bays in the weeks leading up
to Halloween.
“We’ll mainly be chasing birds in East
Matagorda Bay,” said Countz. “We have
a pretty good batch of shrimp in the bay
and have already seen some bird activity.
By October, that will pretty much be our
focus.
“We have a pretty heavy concentration
of bird activity in both bays. However,
traditionally, East Matagorda Bay
produces a little better fish. In West Bay,
the bird activity is mostly in the east and
north side, but most of the fish will be
small. You can catch a couple hundred of
them, but only a handful will be keepers.
East Bay puts out some good fish under
the birds.
“East Bay is also unique in that when
you pull up under a bunch of birds, you
may catch a bunch of reds, or it may be
trout, or they may be mixed together.
That’s especially true over shell. When
you find that happening, if you let your
bait fall a little deeper you’ll pick up reds.
If you work it back pretty fast and closer
to the surface you’ll get trout.
“We mostly throw soft-plastics under
the birds. By and large, I prefer Norton
Sand Eel Jrs in Black Magic. But, I always
tell people when they find birds, they
need to pull out those lures they just had
to have, but never use because it’s kind of
a weird color, and use them because you
can catch ‘em on just about anything. Save
your good baits and your favorite baits for
another time.
“Occasionally we’ll throw topwaters
under the birds. That’s something a lot
of people don’t take advantage of, but
october 2015
we catch some pretty good fish using
topwaters under the birds. But, I only
advise experienced fishermen to do it
because it is a lot more dangerous with
all those treble hooks hanging around,
especially when it’s really fast action.”
“You know, we get some pretty good
crowds here in October. When we get
really crowded, I’ll usually head west and
wade fish the flats around Green’s and
areas like that. We’ll throw topwaters like
She Dogs and Skitterwalkers and softplastics like Sand Eel Jrs. and pick up a lot
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of good reds and a few good trout as well.
“We may see some flounder action by
mid-to-late-October, but that’s all weather
related – it depends on when those fronts
start coming through. But, once the fronts
start pushing through, we’ll also see the
night fishing get going up the Colorado
River. There will be trout and reds all the
way up to Selkirk Island.”
Galveston guide Capt Greg Verm says
October is an excellent time to be fishing
the Galveston Bay Complex.
“Our flounder gigging will be going
180, 200, 220, Veriside 23’ & Highside 200
draw only 9 1/2” of water. 10-year transferable
hull warranty.
Still building legends, one at a time. 22’ - 25’
models availble. We also carry saltwater
bass boats by Ranger.
27
and more birds,” said
Foreman. “The birds
will start working on
the north end of the
lake and then follow
the shrimp as they
move out of the lake.
What happens is
when those fronts
move through, they
help blow the water
out of the marsh.
When the water in
the marsh drops, the
shrimp move out of
Fishermen on Lake Calcasieu have
the marsh and into
plenty to look forward to in October. In
the lake.
fact, fishermen can practically choose
The lower the
what they want to do this month. Anglers
water, the more bird
looking for easy limits of keeper-size
activity you can
specks and reds should concentrate on
expect. When we have
following the birds as both species will
a northwest wind, it
be found in abundance below flocks of
completely drains the
working gulls. Soft-plastics and spoons
marsh and the shrimp
will produce good results when fishing
just pour out.
under flocks of gulls.
“We’ll have both
There will also be good numbers of
specks and reds
solid specks found around the reefs this
underneath the birds.
month. Slot-size reds will also be mixed in
But, you have to fish
around the reefs and along the shorelines.
deep.
I’ll
use
a
Down
Flounder will be found around the marsh
In October Sabine Lake will give up some nice trout along the
South
Southern
Shad
drains as they prepare to leave the lake.
shorelines as well as under the birds.
in glow/
chartreuse on a heavy head
strong in October,” said Verm. “We see the
or a 3/4-ounce Terry V-Dog
flounder start moving in late August and
spoon and slow-roll it on the
begin our gigging trips in September. By
bottom. If you’re catching a
October, we should have some really good
lot of ladyfish, you’re fishing to
gigging trips. Tides will play a big part in
high. You need to be near the
our planning as high tides often make me
bottom to get into the trout
change the areas to target.
and reds.
“We will still have some redfish out
“Our flounder will start
around the jetties. And, we will be seeing
staging, getting ready to run,
some good catches of specks during
in October. They don’t leave
October. A lot of these fish will be coming
until November, but they’ll be
from under the birds. We’ll also have
moving up and feeding, getting
good bird activity during October. At
themselves ready to go.
times, we’ll also have some redfish under
“These fish will be staging on
the birds.
the points and eddies along the
“I’ll also spend a lot of time in the
Louisiana shoreline and near the
marsh and back lakes. We will have plenty
ship channel. They be feeding
of redfish and specks in the back lakes and
on shrimp, mullet and pogies.
marshes. There will also be quite a few
A lot of people think flounder
flounder in the back lakes and bayous. As
don’t like sand.
the weather cools, those flounder will start
“But, when they are staging
filtering out.”
in the shallows, they’re there to
Sabine Lake guide Capt. Randy
feed and they will stage on sandy
Foreman says fish will be easy to find on
bottoms. I catch a lot of my
Sabine in October thanks largely to flocks
Anglers on Lake Calctsieu in southwest Louisiana as well
as the upper Texas coast will “stand-on” their trolling
flounder out of the sand holes
of active seagulls.
motors to keep up with birds over moving, feeding fish.
along the edges.”
“October is all about birds, birds, birds
Anglers making the run out to the
jetties can expect to find plenty of bull
reds over the next few weeks. Heavy jigs
or live bait are the best bets for targeting
bull reds at the jetties.
Fishermen leaving out of Venice
will have a tough choice to make, as
both inshore and offshore action will
be outstanding in October. Fishermen
working the inshore waters around
Venice will find plenty of big trout off the
marshes and passes along the Mississippi
River. With water temperatures beginning
to fall, fishermen can expect most of the
bigger fish to be holding in areas that
feature a combination of shallow and
deep water. The Mississippi River and all
of the Gulf passes will be full of redfish
during October. Both redfish and trout
will be easily fooled by soft-plastics under
popping corks.
However, the top draw in October
in the Venice area will belong to tuna.
There will be plenty of tuna within an
easy boat ride of Gulf passes throughout
the southern Louisiana area. Around the
oil platforms and rigs off the Louisiana
coast, tuna will be joined by amberjack
and cobia, giving anglers heading offshore
a trio of appealing options.
28
october 2015
LOUISIANA COAST
october 2015
Photo by Bill L. Olson
Big tugs from big redfish will be the norm on Lake Calctsieu this fall.
29
Just FISHING | Nate Skinner
Upper Coast Triple Tail — Inside and Out
downright excellent to eat.
Like a sort of crappie on steroids with
some extra, souped-up fins, tripletail can
provide anglers with a sporting fight in a
variety of locations and scenarios. Luckily
for Texans, it seems the range of habitat
and wide variety of locations in which
tripletail thrive during certain times of
the year is almost as large as the list of
different ways to target and catch them.
Just a few days after sightcasting to
tripletail along the upper coast beachfront
I was able to fish for them using an entirely
different tactic and approach inside West
Matagorda Bay.
Veteran Matagorda Bay guide Captain
Tommy Countz has been catching
tripletail along pilings, well heads, and
other structure inside West Matagorda
Bay for decades and I was fortunate
enough to join him along with a couple
from Houston for a day of chasing these
Captain Tim Young with a nice beach front tripletail.
The conditions couldn’t have been
any better for what we were doing. The
beachfront was as flat as a pancake, almost
as if it were a massive saltwater lake. We
were cruising along at a moderate pace
and scanning the water for signs of fish,
when the boat settled to an abrupt halt.
After quickly shutting down long-time
upper coast guide Captain Tim Young
scrambled to the bow, rod in hand, and
deployed the trolling motor into the
water. A fellow angler and I stood staring
at the water’s surface, our eyes constantly
moving, scouring the Gulf around us.
Young whipped the boat to the right
and said, “There it is,” as he pointed to
something that looked like a shining
grocery bag, floating in the water.
Slowly approaching the floating
object, it became clear that this was not
just some piece of debris. At about 10
yards away, a massive tripletail lay floating
on its side. Young pitched a small, shrimp
30
imitation soft plastic
right in front of its
nose.
Coined the “Fish
of a thousand casts,”
tripletail like this one
were up and down
the beach front near
Sabine Pass during
that trip as we sight
casted to nearly 30
fish. Some were
finicky, some spooked,
and thankfully a few
fell victim to our soft
plastic offerings.
The unique
behaviors and almost
prehistoric look of
tripletail make them
such a mysterious, yet
interesting fish, not
to mention they are
Becky Dykes with a 15 pound class tripletail caught while fishing
with Captain Tommy Countz.
october 2015
T P W D ’s g i l l n e t
surveys dating back to
1978 have seen the largest
amount of individual
tripletail caught in West
Matagorda Bay, compared
to the rest of the Texas
Coast. Galveston Bay
ranks second on the list.
Harper says tripletail
are continuously caught
during gill net surveys
in Matagorda Bay in the
spring months of April
through June, and also
into the fall months from
September to November.
“We’ve seen these
fish start entering our
system as early as mid
March, and some will
stick around through mid
November,” says Harper.
“We also catch a number
Shrimp imitation soft plastics like Z-man’s scented shrimp work great for sight casting to tripletail.
of juveniles, some as small
as a few inches in length, in our spring and
incredible fish. During our excursion we
and outside” pattern that I experienced
early summer gill net surveys.”
landed several solid tripletail with two
to be the staple for most tripletail on the
Although gill net surveys and other
weighing in around fifteen pounds.
Texas coast. studies have helped TPWD biologists
Other than the fact that we were
“Data from surveys and studies from
learn about the distribution of tripletail
targeting and catching tripletail the
the early 2000s to present day, show that
in our coastal waters, there is a lot left
Matagorda trip was completely different
West Matagorda Bay has the highest
to unknown about the species. Many
from my previous tripletail adventure in
tripletail landings that occur within the
important biological facts about these fish
the Gulf. While fishing with Countz we
bay or estuary, while the Sabine area has
are a mystery, as they seemingly disappear
caught all of our fish tight to structure,
the highest tripletail landings within the
from Texas bays and nearshore waters
and not a single one of them was found
Gulf.” explains Harper
up on top where we could see them.
We used a slip cork rigged with
a live shrimp to fool many triple
tail that other boats passed right
on by. All of the fish came from
within the estuarine waters of West
Matagorda Bay rather than on the
outside from the Gulf.
In two different days I was
apart of fishing trips in which
numerous triple tail were caught
using a variety of techniques
in stretches of water that are
separated by nearly 180 miles. If
that doesn’t attest to the tripletail’s
vast distribution both within the
bays and along the beach front
of the upper Texas Coast, I don’t
know what does.
According Texas Parks and
Wildlife Fisheries Biologist for the
Matagorda Bay Ecosystem Josh
Harper, data from recreational
Triple tail can be found floating on their sides near the water’s surface.
catch rate studies prove the “inside
october 2015
31
during the winter months.
Senior Research Scientist Jim Franks
of the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory at
the University of Southern Mississippi
has been studying tripletail for 15 years
and is well known amongst Gulf Coast
fishery biologists as an authority on
the mysterious and intriguing fish.
According to Franks the reason there is
so much biological information lacking
on tripletail is because they are not
commonly found along the Gulf Coast
during the cold months of the year.
“There is little to no documented
information about tripletail and their
behavior from mid November to early
March,” explains Franks, “which leads
us to believe that they venture to deep
offshore waters.”
There are not near the amount of
recreational anglers roaming the Gulf of
Mexico during the winter months, so it
makes sense that encounters with tripletail
during this period of the year are quite
low.
“The first influx of juveniles as small
as an inch or so long into Gulf Coast
estuaries are seen from mid to late March,
which has helped us to develop the theory
that most tripletail spawn offshore.” says
Franks. “We have also never documented
catching a fully ripe female within an
estuary that even appeared to be close
to spawning, nor have we encountered
one that seemed to have just recently
spawned.”
Similar to the lifestyle of red drum,
which spawn offshore and produce
juveniles that enter estuaries to take in
nutrients and grow, Franks believes the
juvenile crop of tripletail along with the
adults that seem to funnel into coastal
areas are doing so because they are in
search of food and nutrients.
“Estuaries are productive ecosystems,
with lots to offer to marine and pelagic
fish, like the tripletail, and above all, I
think they are entering our bays and
coastal areas of the Gulf to find food.”
says Franks.
As far as the life cycle of tripletail is
concerned, Franks says the life expectancy
of the fish has been difficult to gauge.
Franks has examined ear bones from
tripletail and taken crosscut sections
from these bones to estimate the age of
individual fish.
“This is a process similar to examining
the rings or bands of a tree. The bands
seen inside the ear bone of a tripletail can
help us estimate how old the fish is,” says
Franks.
Using data from studying ear bones,
Franks estimates the life expectancy of
tripletail to be around seven to eight years,
with some living even longer.
“The growth rate of these fish is very
rapid too,” says Franks. “One may grow to
four or five pounds in it’s first year of life.”
When it comes to targeting tripletail,
structure is key, whether looking for them
inside the bay or out along the beach. On
the beachfront, fish will be found around
any sort of floating debris or weed lines,
as well as current lines and color changes
seen on the water’s surface. Once a fish is
found floating near the surface, it’s a good
bet that there are several more within the
area of a mile radius.
In this situation, there’s nothing more
exciting or addicting than to sight cast for
them. Small shrimp imitation soft plastics
rigged on a light 1/16 ounce jig head work
the best. Casting flies that mimic small
crustaceans, shrimp, or minnows also
would work well with a fly rod.
Inside bays, any sort of structure
that extends vertically through the
water column could be
holding tripletail. This
includes channel markers
and buoys, wellheads and
platforms, as well as any
other type of piling or
structure. A live shrimp
rigged under a slip cork
that allows the bait to hang
five to six feet below the
surface, while the cork is
allowed to float up the line
to be a strike indicator is
the best set-up.
October presents the
perfect month for anglers
to chase tripletail on the
upper coast. The weather
is mild, and the boating
traffic and fishing pressure
is significantly reduced
now that summer is over.
Whether it’s in Sabine or
Matagorda, or somewhere
in between, get out on the
water and have an exciting
and sporting encounter
with the wildly mysterious
tripletail.
Targeting structure that extends down vertically in the water
column will keep anglers hooked up on tripletail inside West
Matagorda Bay.
Tripletail Behavior
Tripletail often float motionless in
the water on their side, and can commonly be mistaken as a piece of trash or
floating debris. Although the fish looks
to be lazily soaking in the sun they are
often extremely aggressive when seen
exhibiting this behavior.
Some theories say this is the triple
tail’s way of undergoing some sort of
thermal regulation as it exposes a full
side of its body towards the sun, while
many biologists believe the fish is imitating a piece of debris as a way to create
shade and draw in bait fish to feed on.
TPWD Biologist Josh Harper says
he has seen tripletail being studied in
tanks that tried to take on the shape
of the debris floating around them. “If
whatever was floating in the tank with
them was larger than their body, then the
fish would fan out its fins and try to take
on a similar shape.” explains Harper.
32
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Tim Dykes caught this, his largest tripletail to date, with Captain Tommy Countz in West
Matagorda.
october 2015
october 2015
33
Memories
Story and photography by Matt Williams
Outdoor writer recollects neat places, unique people and prize interviews.
I
have always heard the older you get
the faster time races by. As much as
I hate to admit it, I’m beginning to
think the old saying holds a little water.
I turned 54 in August, yet it doesn’t
seem like it was that long ago when I was
a rowdy senior at Stephen F. Austin State
University with big aspirations of making
a living with a hook, a bullet, a camera
and a computer.
Actually, my career got started
long before I walked across the stage
at the William R. Johnson Coliseum
on University Drive. I worked for the
college newspaper, The Pine Log, during
my junior and senior years, first as a
photographer and then as Sports Editor.
While the photographer gig took
me to traditional places like the college
gym and baseball diamond, it also lead
34
to wilder venues that had never before
been explored by the college newspaper.
To my knowledge, no one has gone there
since, either.
In Fall 1985 I started “The Game
Hunter’s Hotline.” The title sounds kind
of corny now, but I thought it was cool
at the time.
I posted a 2X6 ad in the school paper
each week, complete line art and phone
number. The ad solicited college students
who caught a big fish or killed a big deer
to contact me day or night, 24/7. Large or
small, I would run out and take a picture
of it, then get it in the paper the following
week.
The hotline got all sorts of hits. I
visited apartment complexes, dorm
rooms and rental houses took photos
of everything from deer to bass, crappie
and hogs.
Overall, the concept was well received
across campus. But not everyone liked
it. There was one chick in particular
who worked for the paper who despised
hunting and thought there was no place in
The Pine Log for pictures of dead animals.
The topic was so hot the editor
thought it would be a good one for point/
counterpoint columns asking for input
from the student body. I won the debate
and The Game Hunter’s Hotline lived on.
The newspaper job also spurred the
berth of Tales from The Trail, a weekly
outdoor column that ran beneath my
mugshot and byline during my final
semester at SFA in spring of 1986.
In looking back, one of the highlights
from that semester was the day I heard
a new state record largemouth bass had
october 2015
been caught from Lake Pinkston, just
his opinion, the only dilemma I had was
a half dozen term papers every week —
15-20 miles down the road. A friend who
deciding where to gas up my pick-up
for minimal pay — they might want to
worked at a local convenience store where
before I left for Center the next morning.
explore a different field.
we always bought beer shared the news the
“I don’t care if you get a D in that class
As demanding as this job has been, it
second I walked in the door.
or not — you go get that story!” he barked.
has been rewarding in the sense that it has
“Heard about the new state record
“Do you want to learn about death and
taken me to some cool places and brought
bass that was caught yesterday at Lake
dying or be an outdoor writer?”
me in touch with some unique individuals
Pinkston?” he asked. “Nope. What’s the
The rest is history. Nearly three decades
like August “Tigre” Hansch.
story?”
have passed since I snatched my diploma
Actually, I never got the opportunity
“Don’t know,” he said. “Just heard
and embarked on what a lot of people
to meet Hansch before he died in 1997,
it was caught by a guy who runs a
perceive as some sort of “dream job.”
but I have visited his final resting place
lumberyard over in Center.”
No doubt there are worse ways to make
at Lake El Salto in Mexico several times
My first inclination was to hop in
a living than going fishing or hunting and
over the years.
my truck and drive, but I had to make a
getting paid to write about it, but calling
Hansch was a successful financial
phone call and pay visits to a couple of
this a dream job is hardly a fair description
planner from southern California
my teachers first.
unless you don’t mind working long,
who loved to bass fish, especially at
The phone call was to Gordon
odd hours - often in strange places El Salto, a 22,000-acre impoundment
Whittington, who at the
located roughly 700 miles
time was editor of Texas
southwest of the Texas
Sportsman Magazine. I
border in the Mexican state
called to inquire about
of Sinaloa.
writing a story on the big
Hansch died in 1997
fish if the rumor panned
after an eight-year battle
out.
with emphysema. He was
Whittington didn’t
76. He made his last trip
know me but he could tell I
to El Salto in 1996. Word
was hungry. He offered me
is he fished all day with an
a crack at the assignment
oxygen bottle at his side.
and told me he would use
Following his death,
it provided I did a good job
H a n s c h ’s b o d y w a s
and sent him some decent
cremated. He requested
photos of the lucky angler
in his will that his ashes
holding his prize catch.
be flown to El Salto and
My next stop was the
scattered about the shallow
office of Dr. Jim Towns.
pocket where he caught the
For some I reason I decided
9 1/2 pound fly rod lake
to take his “Death and
record largemouth in 1995.
Dying” class to fill a void
His son, Tom, and other
in my degree plan; I was
family members completed
working on a low C for
the task in 1999.
the semester. Towns had
Shortly thereafter, some
scheduled a major exam for
of Hansch’s close friends
the following day and he
erected a concrete cross on
had a strict policy against
a rocky ridge overlooking
make-ups without a good
the lake. At the base of the
excuse.
cross there is a small plaque
The professor was well
inscribed with Hansch’s
Spending the afternoon with former NFL superstar Terry Bradshaw was a
aware of my ambition, but
name and life span, along
highlight interview that ended with the author taking an embarrassing tumble
made it clear that going
with a saying that reads “At
off Bradshaw’s fishing pier.
hunting for a 16-pound
Peace at El Salto.”
largemouth bass didn’t rank very high on
facing an eternal stream of deadlines
Billy Chapman, Jr. knew Hansch well.
his list of acceptable excuses. Sorry — miss
and scrambling to get everything done
He knows El Salto even better.
the test and you’ll get an F, he said.
in advance just to make little time to
Chapman, 58, is a globetrotting
Frustrated, I rushed over to the office
do something that won’t earn you a pay
outfitter from New Jersey who lives to
of my journalism teacher, Mr. Ben Hobbs.
check.
have fun and make money doing it. He
Hobbs was a big man with equally
On occasion I am invited to talk
has been blazing trails and guiding gringo
hardcore ways. Difference is, he was a
to college students about the freelance
anglers to some of Mexico’s finest bass
journalist at heart and he could smell
business. The first thing I always tell them
lakes for going on 40 years.
a good story from 1,000 miles away. In
is if they don’t like the idea of banging out
He has built lodges on lakes Mateos,
october 2015
35
The gateway to Bradshaw’s “12 Ranch.”
Comedero, Huites, Baccarac, Picachos and
host of other south-of-the-border bass
lakes, but his name is most synonymous
with El Salto. The big bass factory has been
grabbing national fame for his lakefront
Angler’s Inn Lodge since the mid-1990s,
and it continues to do so today.
Chapman also is largely responsible
for putting peacock bass fishing on the
map in the 1980s, when he set-up camp
on rivers all over Brazil and built lodges
in southern Venezuela - all in the name of
finding the best spots to turn anglers on to
tucunaré - a bruiser-of-a-fish known for
explosive topwater strikes, fighting with
the tenacity of a bulldog, destroying the
best tackle money can buy and crushing
the tallest of egos.
I’ve fished with Chapman several
occasions, but perhaps the most
memorable experience came in 2012.
Tim Boatman, Ebb Flynt and I hooked up
with the veteran outfitter deep in the heart
of Amazon Rainforest following 48-hour
journey that began in a jet and ended with
a two-hour ride down the Branco and
Omero rivers in flatbottom boats.
I was the first journalist to visit
Chapman’s new Angler’s Inn Mobile
Suites - a series of five floating cabins and
a dining area fully equipped with all the
creature comforts of home.
The cabins link together for towing
like a train. This allows the outfit to
make quick moves to stay close to the
best fishing and keep clients comfortable
without sacrificing the many sights,
sounds and smells that define the true
36 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal
Amazon jungle fishing experience.
Together our group boated more
than 1,150 peacocks during the 6 1/2 day
expedition. We dined 10 feet from black
caiman crocodiles, swam with piranhas,
heard jaguars, saw pink dolphins roiling
the shallows, monkeys scampering across
the treetops and napped in the cool shade
offered by the dense canopy of a towering
rainforest that is believed to more than a
100 million years old.
To call the Amazon wild and vastly
unspoiled would be an understatement.
This is the real deal. When you are there,
you are in the midst of all that is the
jungle.
I’m not sure if Terry Bradshaw has ever
visited the Amazon, but my guess is he
would like it. I met the former Pittsburg
Steeler quarterback in 2005 while on
assignment for a magazine client. Not
surprisingly, it turned in one of the most
colorful interviews of my career. It also
was the most embarrassing.
What many folks probably don’t
know about the NFL Hall of Famer and
four-time Super Bowl winner is that he
loves to fish.
He told me so as we fished for bass
and catfish in one of the private lakes at
his ranchette in West Lake, an upscale
community located north of Dallas.
Fittingly, he named the property the “12
Ranch” in recollection of the number he
wore for 13 years as the Steelers QB.
“I grew up doing it,” said Bradshaw, a
native of Shreveport, La. “When I was a
kid, my mom never had to worry when she
got up on Saturday mornings and found
me already gone. I was usually at a place
called Sevats Pond. I remember raking
the pine needles away from the trees and
finding giant earthworms and using them
to catch some of the biggest bluegill you
have ever seen.”
Interestingly, Bradshaw said he cut his
fishing teeth with a fly rod he bought with
money earned cutting yards and doing
other chores. His first rod and reel was a
spin-cast outfit. He paid for it by peddling
Christmas cards door-to-door.
Although Bradshaw eventually shifted
his focus to other sports like track,
baseball and football, he continued to fish
through it all.
In fact, when he signed with Steelers as
the NFL’s No. 1 draft pick in 1970, the first
thing he bought with his bonus money
was a bass boat. The 14-foot Tidecraft was
powered by a 25-horsepower Evinrude.
“I spent every spare minute during the
off season in that boat,” Bradshaw said.
“I loved it.” All went well with my prize
interview until the very end. That’s when
I overlooked a step on Bradshaw’s lakeside
pier and took a serious tumble, face first
into the well-manicured turf. My Nikon
slammed to the ground so hard it must
have bounced a foot in the air.
Frantically, Bradshaw rushed to my
side to make sure I was alright. “What the
heck are you doing!” he said.
Lost for words and feeling pretty lame,
I stuck with the truth and dusted off my
clothes. In looking back, I wish I had said
I was shagging a few more grasshoppers
for bait.
It would have sounded better,
anyway.
Taking a refreshing dip in the Omero River in the Amazon River basin was an afternoon ritual for
the author, Tim Boatman (left) Billy Chapman, Jr. (center) and Ebb Flynt (right) until a group of
black caiman crocodiles moved in and took up residence around their floating camp.
Billy Chapman, Jr. has been a fixture in the Mexico/Brazil outfitting business for going on 40
years. Sharing the casting deck with personable angler is always a pleasure.
october 2015
october 2015
37
Just Shooting | Kerry O’Day
What Makes the 38 Special So Special?
There have always been 38 caliber
cartridges in the shooting world. The
first ones were the 38-40 Win, 38 Colt,
and 38 S&W. All of these calibers were
introduced in the 1860’s and 1870’s. The
newer and more powerful 38 Special was
introduced in 1902 by Smith & Wesson.
The 38 Special was first loaded with black
powder and a soft lead round nose bullet
to a velocity of 850 feet per second. It
didn’t take long for ammo manufacturers
to change to smokeless powder and to find
better bullets like semi-wad cutters (swc)
or even full wad cutters. Most shooters
used the full wad cutter bullet for target
shooting because it cut nice round holes
in the paper.
By the 1930’s gun manufacturers
were making better stronger quality
handguns. The 38 Special was loaded
to a higher velocity of about 1000 feet
per second. The hotter load had higher
pressure and was stamped HS or HV.
This led to problems with shooters using
the higher pressure (HV) load in the
lighter break-top revolvers. Even with
the problems, it wasn’t until 1974 before
SAMMI instituted the +P designator (plus
pressure).
With to day’s mo der n lo a ding
techniques and powders, a shooter can
load a 38 Special +P to well over 1000 feet
per second. I have loaded AA#5 powder
with a 125 grain Jacketed Hollow-Point
bullet to just over 1100 feet per second
in my 6” S&W Model 686. Now at this
velocity I know I will get good expansion
and deep penetration on game animals,
as well as a personal protection round.
The 38 Special is the most handloaded caliber there is and have personally
loaded over a million rounds of this
caliber. I truly enjoy shooting the 38
Special and carry one most of the time
for self-protection. The recoil is very
manageable even in lightweight revolvers.
The accuracy is better than most of my
semi-auto handguns. And best of all, it is
cheaper to shoot because I can’t shoot a
revolver as fast as I can a semi-auto pistol.
That is a good thing. It makes me slow up
and shoot for quality, not just to have fun.
Every ammo company in the world
loads 38 Special, so it is normally less
expensive than let’s say a 380 ACP or 45
Colt. The 38 Special has been used as a
target handgun forever. Colt made a 1911
semi auto in 38 Special which was one of
the most accurate 1911’s ever made. The
Colt 1911 would only shoot wad cutter
ammunition which was loaded to target
velocity with a 148 grain bullet at 800 feet
per second.
This load will shoot same hole groups
on paper and if you load the hollow base
wad cutter bullet upside down, you have
one of the best personal defense rounds
in the world.
If I am asked what type of handgun
someone should buy for their wife or
loved one to use for self-defense, my
answer is always the same, a 38 Special
revolver.
They are easy to use, accurate to shoot,
light on recoil, and reliable. I have heard
how reliable everyone’s semi-auto pistol
is and how they never miss feed. Well, I
can make one mess up any time just by
holding it too loose and if the ammo is
loaded too hot or too light, then a semiauto is going to have a problem.
A revolver on the other hand is going
to shoot any ammo you put in it. If the
ammo will fit in the cylinder then it
will shoot down the barrel. I know that
revolvers only have five or six rounds of
ammunition, but the first shot is the most
important. Also, if I am in a situation
where I need ten to fourteen rounds of
ammo, then I should know better than to
be in that situation to start with.
Now I have been loading 38 Special
ammunition for most of my life and it is
true that I have loaded over a million of
these rounds. I used to load ammunition
for sale and had an automatic loading
machine that could load more than 5000
rounds an hour. I bought used brass from
police departments and the military to
Chimera revolver and my old 3 inch Colt
revolver. All shooting was done at 20 feet
and to my surprise all the groups were
very different.
The HPR ammo shot best in both guns
and the Lelliers & Bellot was all over the
target. Now, in shooting at the bottles
full of homemade ballistic jell, all of the
bullets went completely through the 6
inches of jell.
The Critical Defense did the most
internal damage to the jell but the 158
grain Flat nose FMJ caused the biggest
entrance hole and largest frontal splatter
of the red goo. The HPR Jacketed Hollow
Point went through and left the largest exit
hole. So which one would I carry? I would
say the one which was most accurate and
did the second worst damage - the HPR
158 grain JHP.
So the 38 Special is cheap to buy or
handload, light on recoil and has proven
accuracy. It is deadly enough to stop any
intruder or can be used for small game
hunting.
That all sounds like a pretty Special
caliber to me.
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In the author’s testing of various 38 Special loads the least expensive ammo shot the tightest groups.
38
reload for sale.
One day I decided to find out how
many times I could reload a piece of
factory 38 Special brass before it would
fail. I used 5 different types of brass,
loaded and fired and loaded and fired
the brass until it failed. I had loaded a
standard load with a 158 grain SWC bullet
using 5 grains of Unique powder. I was
able to load a piece of Remington brass
more than 100 times before the neck split.
I’m always looking for the perfect
bullet to shoot and carry in my guns. So
in my quest to find the perfect 38 Special
ammunition, I bought two different types
of ammunition.
One was a box of +P Hollow Point
self-defense ammo and the other type was
a standard velocity 158 grain Flat Nose
FMJ. I was curious about their accuracy
and how they would perform in my home
made ballistic jell.
I shot Hornady Critical Defense
110 grain JHP, HPR 158 grain JHP and
Lelliers & Bellot 158 grain FMJ flat point
ammunition. I shot the groups with my
2 inch custom light weight MG Arms
october 2015
october 2015
39
SABINE’S
HOTTEST FALL BITE
Story and photography by Robert Sloan
I
’ve been fishing on Sabine Lake for
over two decades and can guarantee you that fishing under the
birds for trout and reds during October
and November is some of, if not the best,
that you’ll find anywhere along the entire
Gulf Coast.
And yes, that does include Lake Calcasieu and East Galveston Bay. When it
comes to numbers of fish, solid keepers,
Sabine is tough to beat. However, there is
always a glitch when it comes to chasing
birds anywhere you can find them – idiot
anglers.
Last fall I was on Sabine with two
buddies and the fishing was incredible.
Huge flocks of birds were everywhere,
and big time numbers of trout and reds
were feeding under them like there was
no tomorrow. What’s even better is that
it was the middle of the week – which
translates into very little boat traffic. So
there we were boxing big fish and having
a blast - then it happened. There were
probably a dozen boats on the water that
day. And mixed in with them was one
complete idiot.
We lost our fish on one flock of gulls
and had just set up on another bunch
and all three of us stuck solid trout – fish
in the 3 to 4 pound class. We were high
fiving and having a blast when out of
nowhere here comes a moron, with his
son and grandson. He comes plowing
40
right through the middle of the birds, in
a blue and white boat, cuts the engine,
jumps up and starts fishing. I just about
blew a gasket.
“Hey, do you not see us fishing!” I
yelled in amazement. “Out of all the birds
on this lake you have to barge in here and
screw up everything.”
He bowed up, looked me square in the
eye and dropped the F bomb. His son and
grandson never lifted their heads. They
were embarrassed and rightfully so. Sadly
that’s not an isolated incident. It happens
just about every day, throughout the year
on Texas bays. But it’s especially common
when anglers get all pumped up about
catching fish under the birds.
I can understand getting excited, but
being dumber than a rock is, well, inexcusable.
There is a right way and a wrong way
to approach a flock of gulls feeding on
shad and shrimp pushed to the surface by
marauding reds and specks. Doing it the
right way is definitely not rocket science.
The best tool you can use to chase
birds is a trolling motor. It allows you to
shut the outboard down well away from
the action. Then you can use the trolling
motor to ease within casting distance. It’s
that simple. But even with a trolling motor
there are four other factors to consider.
They are current, wind, the direction the
fish are feeding and other boats in the area.
Chase birds over reds and trout, but go after ‘em the right way.
The best thing you can do is slow down
to a crawl about 50 to 75 yards out from
the action. That will allow you to assess the
situation and approach the flock of birds
without going directly through them and
causing calamity, as in spooking the birds
and the fish.
One thing to keep in mind is that
trout are extremely spooky when feeding
under the birds. You don’t want to make
too much noise, and yes, that includes
playing loud music, slamming lids and
stomping on the deck. All of those things
will spook the fish.
Here’s one very important thing to
remember when running the birds – stay
just within casting distance. Move too
close and the whole deal can dissolve
into nothing.
october 2015
Many boats don’t have trolling motors
and I totally understand that. But I will
say this – these days a trolling motor is
about as handy and useful as a fishing
pole. If you’re a serious angler a trolling
motor is mandatory. Get the most powerful motor you can afford. For example
I run a 112 pound thrust Minn Kota with
an extra-long shaft on my 23 foot boat.
That extra power allows me to move fast
with very little noise. The long shaft does
not pop out of the water between waves
on a windy day. A trolling motor that
is constantly popping out of the water
makes a ton of noise and will definitely
spook the fish.
The best thing to do is to use a bump
trolling tactic. That means using the
motor to stay in position, while turning
october 2015
it on and off.
There are a few unspoken rules that
apply when you are moving in on feeding
gulls, when other boats are on the scene.
The number one rule is to bring the boat
down to idle speed about 75 to 100 yards
out. That seems like a long way, but by doing that you can see what’s going on, make
adjustments and get into fishing position
without causing any hard feelings.
One very good option is to get behind
one of the boats and follow their drift,
which will usually be along the edge of the
action. When you’re moving in on a flock
of birds without a trolling motor simply
idle up wind of the action and drift into
the fish. You can maintain position with
the outboard. But once you are within
casting distance be sure and shut down
the big engine. If you find that you are
drifting to close to the action, simply start
the outboard and idle away. The last thing
you want to do is drift right in on top of
the fish. That’s definitely going to draw
some ill attention.
There are a few simple little tricks that
will put you on more fish under the birds.
There are days when you’ll get on the
lake or bay and see many flocks of gulls.
That’s when you can run from one group
of birds to another. If you’re there on a
crowded day with lots of boats here’s a
very good trick you might want to keep
up your sleeve. Take along a good pair
of binoculars and scan the open water.
Once you see one or two gulls dipping
and diving crank up the boat and be the
first on the scene. Box a few fish, and by
41
Casting distance is big time important when fishing under the birds.
the time other boats zoom in, take off and
find another bunch of birds.
Gulls resting on the water are a sure
fire sign that fish are nearby. When scanning the water for gulls you might want
to lock up on birds simply resting on the
water. That’s a very good sign that bait is
there as well as trout and reds.
Here’s a trick I learned years ago. Once
you’re fishing a flock of gulls, and other
boats move in, you’ll quickly notice that
the bite will slow significantly. That’s when
other anglers lose interest and leave. The
right move in that situation is to hold
tight. Quite often the fish will still be there.
As all the other anglers clear out the fish
will start feeding again.
Most of the time there are three types
of birds you’ll see chasing shrimp and
shad. They are gulls, terns and pelicans.
During the fall gulls are the most reliable
birds to follow. Terns, much smaller than
gulls, are called liar birds because they will
more often than not be holding over fish
other than trout and reds. When you see
pelican’s diving go to them ASAP. That’s
true just about any time of year. They are
normally over baitfish that big trout and
reds are feeding on.
Use lures that you can cast a long way.
Casting distance is big time important
when fishing under the birds. For example
42
you might be catching small specks and
all of a sudden see shrimp being blasted
on the surface 20 to 30 yards out. The first
lure that drops on those fish is apt to get
whacked like right now. It’s a good way to
put a few more fish in the box before your
buddies know what’s going on. Best long
range lures include Traps, ½ to 1 ounce
silver spoons, Spooks and swimbaits like
an Egret Wedgetail rigged on a ¼ or ½
ounce jig head.
Remember this – once the fish stop
hitting on the surface, they are probably
still there and feeding deep. That’s when
you can go deep with a jig or Trap and
catch the bigger trout and reds almost
every single time.
One other thing to keep in mind is
that during November you can catch some
pretty good numbers of big trout under
the birds, when most other fishermen are
deer or duck hunting. Also, November
is a month when reds will actually be
schooling on the surface while gorging on
shad and shrimp. That’s some fine fishing
right there!
The author with a nice redfish caught while fishing the birds in the fall on Sabine Lake.
october 2015
For information on guides mentioned, see Guides, Gear & Getaways on pages 67, 69 & 71
Lake Roundup
The first picture accompanying this
column is a welcomed one. It not only
shows an almost full Lake Travis from
the Sandy Creek Park boat ramp near
Jonestown, it also pictures clear water.
There was so much debris in the lake when
it first re-filled that the water resembled
a turbid East Texas lake more than one
on the Colorado River chain of Highland
Lakes.
Travis was a mess after the May-June
monsoons. There were huge floating
islands of brush and logs in many of the
coves and creeks. No doubt you could have
found a few snakes had you been brave
By John Jefferson
(or fool) enough to go poking around in
the piles of floating
habitat. Mind you, I
didn’t see any there
myself, but I talked to
a fisherman named
Scott at the Cypress
Creek boat ramp
earlier who was one
of the first fishermen
to walk to the rising
water in that creek
arm of the lake. The
rise hadn’t reached
the boat ramp, yet,
but Scott and his
fishing buddy had
trudged a quarter
mile or so to meet the
new oncoming water.
They caught a few
small bass and Scott
lost a nice one in all
the shoreline brush.
“But w hat we
saw were a lot of
gars and about ten
snakes. They were
everywhere!” Scott
told me.
News accounts
warned of snakes and
I saw two that week
along Old Lampasas
Trail as it snakes
Photo by John Jefferson
a l o n g Bull Creek
Lake Travis is finally blessed with adequate water, and good water
clarity.
between Loop 360
44
and Spicewood. They were the first snakes
I have seen there in 30 years of driving it,
so presumably they had been displaced
by rising water.
At any rate, Travis has cleared up and
the fish have moved back into what had
been dried up canyons and ravines until
late May. Look at a map of Travis and
you’ll see many little outgrowths from
the main lake channel. All of these went
dry, including Sandy Creek and Cypress
Creek. The picture shows Sandy Creek to
now be over a quarter mile wide.
I know it’s that wide since I kayaked
across it in August. That was a pretty good
paddle. My wife Vicky and I fished it in
early August and knew we had to be at the
boat ramp at daylight. By sun-up, it begins
to get hot, and fishing becomes more of an
endurance contest than recreation.
I started by working the east bank that
morning, still looking for a big one that
got away one December evening years ago
as we were returning to the boat ramp. In
sight of the ramp that long ago but never
to be forgotten time, I made my final last
cast toward the last point before crossing
the narrow mouth of Lime Creek to the
boat ramp at Sandy Creek Park.
We had our first Labrador with us
that sunny December afternoon, which
dates the event. Her ashes have since been
covered by several floods on the shore of
Travis and we’ve also laid down two other
beloved Labs. All three lived long, full lives.
The sun had set, and in the twilight
as I made that last cast, Choco caught
sight of my arm motion and detected the
whirr of something passing overhead. To
a Lab, that must have meant her master
had thrown something – maybe a training
dummy or perhaps even a stick or tennis
ball. After having been a good dog as we
fished for several hours in the pleasant
warmth of that December afternoon, she
was ready for sport.
I still remember my lure. It was a
quarter ounce silver Rat-L-Trap. I had
had good luck with it. It was the only
Trap I had. When the lure hit the water
about 18 inches from the shore, two things
happened. Three actually. The lure made a
october 2015
Photo by Phil English
Aaron English, a student at Texas State, caught this
largemouth on a Senko in Sandy Creek off Lake Travis on a
hot August day when catches were rarer than cool weather
in a Texas summer.
slight splash as it entered the water. That
was followed almost simultaneously by
two more larger splashes, one considerably
larger. As the lure struck the water, a good
sized bass came out of the lake after it.
I immediately set the hook, almost not
noticing in my excitement the much larger
splash as a 70-pound Labrador retriever
launched off the bow and into the water
to do what Labs are bred for — retrieve!
I yelled “NO!” as the dog swam
frantically toward the concentric circles
made by the other splashes. Obedience, at
that moment, was not a consideration for
an otherwise adequately-obedient animal.
I felt the frantic thrashing of the bass
for a second or two, easily the largest bass
I’d ever had on the line on Travis. Then the
line became heavy as it pulled away slowly,
somewhat like a turtle pulls when hooked,
yet pulsating. I yelled again, more agitated
than before, and in context inappropriate
in a family oriented publication. My
best friend had become ensnarled in my
experienced eight-pound test line.
The affray lasted but several seconds.
The line went limp. I was aflame for
an instant, then went limp, myself. The
october 2015
only sounds in the twilight
were those of a dog paddling
toward shore, panting as she
swam.
I collected myself as much
as possible and told Choco in
less than gentile terms that
she could just %#@&*%#
well swim the rest of the way
to the boat ramp.
Vicky was silent. As we
drew near the ramp, I noticed
a father with a young daughter
sitting on the shore enjoying
the afterglow of the sunset. I
looked at him, shrugged and
muttered a feeble apology for
my outburst which probably
carried across the still water
for maybe a mile or more.
He looked a little amused
and just shook his head.
Try as I might, the big one
didn’t strike again this past
August. In fact, nothing did.
I made a new friend at
the Cypress Creek ramp,
though. Phil English shared
the picture of his son with
a bass he caught on a Senko
in Lime Creek in August. He also shared
another picture of his son with four bass
he had caught on Lake Austin on another
trip. Those fish are more like what anglers
are apt to land this October.
The lake is ready, the weather is
perfect most days between fronts, and
the October bite is one of the year’s best.
Central Texas guide, Mike Hastings, calls
October “Tackle box month.” Hastings
says throw anything in your tackle box
and chances are you’ll get a strike.
The bass will have moved up into
coves and creeks and closer to shore. I’ll
start with a topwater lure like a Sébile Flat
Belly Walker, working close to the new
vegetation.
Due to all the new growth that sprang
up when the Travis and Buchanan were
down during the drought, I’ll rig as
weedless as possible with Ribbits, jigs and
other soft plastics. Spinnerbaits are on the
menu too, and when on those two newlyfilled lakes, I may even be cavalier enough
to employ crankbaits when electronics
show lanes clear of obstructions.
And I may even toss a Rat-L-Trap at
that last shoreline point before crossing
Lime Creek to the ramp. He just might
be there this time.
Photo by Phil English
Aaron English with four nice Lake Austin bass caught in October, 2014 on a green pumpkin
Senko, fished weightless and wacky. This quality catch is possible this October.
45
2015
Texas Statewide
Hunting Forecast
Story by Bill L. Olson
TOJ’s Annual Forecast of Whitetail, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, Quail and other
Game Animals along with the latest from-the-field information.
I
n a year of plenty even novice
wildlife managers look good.
When veteran Texas Parks &
Wildlife District Leaders and their teams
of biologists get excited you know the
upcoming hunting season could be one
for the record books.
When it comes to whitetail deer many
hunters will hold out for that buck of a
lifetime. However, good management
strategies should continue with surplus
doe, and exotics where available, taken
early in the season.
Quail hunters are also rejoicing with
several years of good hatches now having
been strung together. Look for larger
numbers of bobs and blues across the
Lone Star State to startle more hunters
on a covey rise.
Plus the stage is set for waterfowl
hunters. There is plenty of water and
46
available forage awaiting migrating ducks
and geese. If the predicted cold weather
hits the nesting areas in the mid-west of
the country look for an excellent year to
hunt ducks and geese.
Here is our district by district update.
REGION 1, DISTRICT 1, Trans-Pecos (West
Texas)
Phillip Dickerson, District Leader for
the Trans-Pecos region said, “Conditions
are pretty good. Ever since the drought
(2011) things have been improving each
year. While they are not great, they are
good. We’ve received above average
rainfall and at the end of August we are
probably at least 50 percent better than
we normally are at this time.
With better than average conditions
both whitetail and mule deer look good.
“The quality of animals available for both
species this fall is as good as it can be
based on the conditions. We had good
reproduction and expect fawn survival to
also be good when surveys are completed.”
Dickerson said there has been good
carry over of older age class animals.
However from a biological standpoint
there is a void in that age class born in
2011. “That is something most hunters
won’t realize or notice,” he said. He
expects this to be an above average year
for both antler development as well as
body weight.
When it comes to pronghorns in
west Texas Dickerson says there is a
huge connection between nutrition and
weather. “We are moving in the right
direction,” he began. “The adult numbers
are up and we have had good fawn crop
so things are much improved.”
As of late August no decision has
been made to any additional pronghorn
october 2015
transplants. That decision will be made
later in the fall and based on how well
the Panhandle pronghorn herd has done.
Hunters looking to “bust-some-brush”
in pursuit of blue quail should find lots of
birds to chase. Dickerson says conditions
are excellent with lots of reports from
biologist and landowners on the number
of birds seen and heard. With another
year of favorable weather and conditions
he looks for 2016 to be even better.
There is not a large number turkey in
the Trans-Pecos with most of the birds
holding in or around riparian areas.
However, favorable weather and cover
should result in a good
poult crop and enough
adult birds for those
wanting to hunt them.
As of late August
sur veys were being
flown for big horn
sheep. While data is
incomplete, Dickerson
expects the extremely
successful conservation
story to continue for
these reintroduced
animals.
“Preliminary
reports indicate
good numbers on
one mountain range
while lighter numbers
on another,” he said.
“This could also be a
function of abundant
cover and not seeing all
of the animals. Overall
the new release sights
are doing well and the
sheep are doing exactly
what we would hope
they would do. I would not be surprised
to see numbers increase slightly once the
surveys are completed.”
Waterfowl hunters will want to take
advantage of Red Bluff Reservoir that
was about 71 percent of capacity in early
September. This lake attracts lots of ducks
as well as geese and is a public hunting
location available through the $48 Annual
Public Hunting Permit.
REGION 1, DISTRICT 2, High Plains
(Panhandle)
“On the heels of an average rainfall
year in 2014, which seemed almost
“tropical” after the record-breaking
drought in 2011-13, 2015 is exceeding
october 2015
the greatest of expectations,” District
Leader Calvin Richardson began. “The
Panhandle experienced welcome moisture
this winter with frequent and abundant
snow. That was followed by 10+’’ of
rainfall in May. As of August, most areas
of the Panhandle have not only surpassed
their average annual precipitation but
have received about double that amount.
We haven’t seen this much moisture in a
long time. Grasses and forbs are covering
the landscape and the playas are holding
water again.
“After showing reduced production
over the past 3 years, pronghorn fawn
crops (fawns/doe) finally improved to
just better than 30 percent,” Richardson
explained. “Overall numbers are down
in the northwest Panhandle (-12%) but
have remained stable in the northeast
Panhandle. We observed a healthy
standing crop of bucks of 2.7 does per
buck in the northeast and 2.1 does per
buck in the northwest. So, hunters lucky
enough to obtain a permit always have
a chance of seeing an 80”+ Boone &
Crockett buck.
White-tailed deer spotlight surveys
were underway in late August and will
continue through September or October.
Richardson reported, “We anticipate that
overall numbers will be similar to last year
but probably elevated with a healthy fawn
survival this year. There should be plenty
of adult deer, and many of the bucks will
be supporting quality antlers this year,
given the abundant moisture this spring
and summer, and the high quality forage
that comes with it. Antler mass should
be excellent, as influenced by the great
nutritional start bucks experienced this
spring and early summer.
“Mule deer fawn crops should mirror
that of white-tailed deer at above average,”
he continued. The number of middleage bucks might be down slightly from
the effects of low fawn
crops in 2011-13, but
the population is on
the increase again with
a decent number of
bucks in the 5-7 year
age classes.”
Waterfowl numbers
in the fall and winter
are heavily influenced
by the condition of the
numerous playas in the
Panhandle. “All playas
are now holding water,
and under the current
weather pattern, we
anticipate a lot of water
on the landscape this
fall,” Richardson said.
“We are set for record
numbers of ducks in the
Panhandle this fall, as
the US Fish & Wildlife
Ser v ice repor ted in
May the highest duck
numbers ever since the
start of the breeding
duck survey in 1955.
The Panhandle should be covered up with
mallards and green-winged teal. And the
abundance of water should bode well for
sandhill crane hunting and the early teal
season.”
Quail surveys in the Panhandle that
were conducted in August, indicated a
modest increase in 2014 but showed an
extraordinary rebound in 2015. “After
one of the most severe droughts on record,
we received one year of average rainfall
(2014) followed by an above average
year and boom — biologists observed
approximately 40 birds per route,”
Richardson stated. “Some of the higher
counts were recorded in Fisher, Stonewall,
47
Ken t , G a r z a , Fo a rd ,
Hardeman, Childress,
Collingsworth, and Bailey
Counties. Landowners
and biologists are seeing
and hearing birds in
areas that have not “seen
a quail” in many years.”
Richardson reports
that panhandle biologists
and landowners have
seen quite a few turkey
poults over the summer.
“Nesting cover is more
abundant than it has
been in years. With
the spring and summer
rainfall, nutrition for hens should
have been excellent, providing for a
productive nesting season. Although poult
production was down during the past few
years, 2014 was respectable and this year
is even better. Hunters should expect to
find plenty of mature gobblers, especially
among the river and creek drainages in the
Rolling Plains.
“The quality and duration of our dove
season in the Panhandle is often dictated
by the timing of the first cool front that
sends many of the birds further south,” he
said. “The wet conditions in 2015 could
be a challenge for dove hunters this year
with abundant food and water sources will
have the birds scattered. But reproduction
appears to be well above average this
year—lots of young birds--- especially
high numbers of doves on the High Plains.
“Due to the 2011-13 drought, pheasant
Numbers of both bobwhite and
scaled (blue) quail have increased
across the Lone Star State.
Photos by John Frankson
numbers throughout
t h e Pa n h a n d l e a re
generally low. However,
numbers rebounded
slightly in 2014 and
should experience another increase this
year. A few more birds have been seen
this summer, including some localized
concentrations. Pheasant hunters could
find some decent hunting opportunities
this year, especially in areas with irrigated
grain crops adjacent to good cover such
as playas or CRP that has not been
hayed or grazed. As usual, some of the
better pheasant numbers will be found
in Dallam, Hartley, Hansford, Sherman,
Ochiltree, Deaf Smith, Moore, Carson,
and Roberts Counties. Although a little
more spotty in distribution, Swisher,
Briscoe, Castro, and Parmer Counties
will be supporting a few birds in localized
situations.
lots of forbs look for deer not to have to
move much, but those animals seen will
have above average antlers as well as body
weight.”
Ground nesting birds have also
benefitted from good conditions. “On
our quail lines we are seeing birds in
areas we have not seen quail in many
moons,” he said. “In recent years we may
have seen one or two birds and this year
we are seeing lots of quail — both bobs
and blues.”
Last year saw a good hatch of Rio
Grande turkey in this region. Mote says
there are lots of poults this year. “We have
a good mix of older birds as well as young
birds from this year’s hatch.”
“We are good wildlife managers this
year,” Veteran District Leader Kevin Mote
of Brownwood chuckled when he assessed
his region. “This is the first year we can’t
help but smile as we are in so much better
shape than we have been the past 13 years.
There are quail behind every bush, good
numbers of turkey with lots of poults, and
a good fawn crop of whitetail deer with
lots of doe with twins as well as triplets.
Mote said the whitetail over most of
the district got off to a great start coming
out of last winter and through the spring
and early summer. “It has been five years
since the drought of 2011 and there will
be a void of 4 ½ year old deer,” he said.
“However, starting with 2012 and 2013
each year things have improved. With
In Kerrville, District Leader Rufus
Stevens said, “In August it turned dry and
we had some pretty significant wildfires
in the western part of the district. There
was a 20,000 acre burn southwest of
Rocksprings and some smaller fires
consuming 1,000 to 4,000 acres in Sutton
County.
“However, the rest of the district is
in great shape for antler development as
well as fawn recruitment,” he continued.
“With a bumper crop of fawns, the biggest
challenge will be the taking of enough
doe and exotics to remove some of the
pressure on the rangelands. A lot of
hunters don’t realize the impact exotics
have on the available forage and this is a
resource with no limit and can be hunted
REGION 2, DISTRICT 3, Cross Timbers,
Rolling Plains
Photo by John Frankson
Most regions of the state had a good turkey
poult hatch with plenty of older birds also
being carried over.
48
REGION 2, DISTRICT 4, Edwards Plateau
(Hill Country)
october 2015
deer and research
has been realized from birds recently
indicates a slow but
reintroduced to the area.
steady population
“Good dove hunting opportunities
increase since
in the district will be scattered with the
2008,” he stated. “As
best hunts located where food, water and
the deer population
cover are located in close proximity,” he
continues to
suggested. “Sunflower fields, harvested
increase hunter
corn, milo, and fallow farm fields are
participation and
always a good early season bet. With late
total harvest have
season action heating up on goat/dove
a l s o i n c re a s e d .
weed patches.
Individual
“The Blackland Prairie counties
par ticipation is
in the northern part of the district
now over 110,000
have traditionally offered better dove
Photo by Bill L Olson
individuals
with
hunting. Hunters should purchase a $48
Pronghorn herds in the Panhandle and Trans-Pecos region have
a
total
harvest
of
Annual Public Hunting Permit and take
increased their population and show signs of continued recovery.
more than 75,000
advantage of the numerous dove hunting
d
e
e
r
.
H
u
n
t
e
r
opportunities available in that program.”
at night with spotlights.”
success
averages
slightly
better
than
50
Squirrel hunting for the 2015-16
Stevens suggest that hunting for
percent.
seasons
should be good to excellent;
whitetail deer may be harder early in the
“Through
the
utilization
of
antler
primarily
due to the fact enough rainfall
season. However, once frost and freezes
restrictions
the
harvest
of
1.5
year
old
has
fallen
to indicate a good acorn crop
have taken out some of the forbs and
bucks
has
decreased
nearly
50
percent.
should
be
produced
in most of the district.
vegetation he thinks deer may move more.
Harvest
data
from
the
past
few
years
“Generally
we
saw
good conditions
The turkey hatch this year was also
suggests
a
trend
of
increasing
numbers
of
throughout
the
Post
Oak
and late spring
very good in the eastern part of the
older
bucks
in
the
annual
harvest.
Bucks
rains
have
fallen
in
many
areas which
Plateau and a little less out west. The
make
up
more
than
50
percent
of
the
should
produce
some
mast,”
he shared.
eastern part of the district also had a good
total
harvest
and
nearly
half
of
those
are
“Years
with
good
mast
production
are
carry over of older birds that are available
4.5
years
old.
typically
followed
by
years
with
good
for hunters this fall, as well as during next
Although the above average rainfall
squirrel reproduction.”
spring’s season.
received
this
spring
may
affect
fawn
Silvosky is a waterfowl enthusiast and
Most of the quail country in the Hill
survival
in
the
river
bottoms
the
rainfall
says,
“This truly is the good ol’ days of
Country is to the west and to the south.
stimulates
a
good
forbs
response,
and
waterfowl
hunting. Waterfowl production
Val Verde, Edwards and Crockett counties
expected
good
mast
crops
will
provide
of
most
species
of interest to East Texas
should see some of the best hunting they
abundant
forage
resources
for
whitehunters
continues
to be significantly
have had in years.
tailed
deer
during
the
hunting
season.
above
long
term
averages
and have set yet
“We are also getting reports of quail
These
readily
available
forage
resources
another
record
for
many
species.
However,
in areas we normally don’t hear about
may
affect
deer
movements
and
reduce
as
always,
an
abundance
of
ducks
in East
quail, or have not heard of quail in years,”
the
effectiveness
of
feeders
and
food
plots.
Texas
is
dependent
on
having
water
at
Stevens said. “You have to wonder where
These
same
resources
should
improve
the
right
time
with
an
adequate
supply
these birds came from, particularly
fawn survival, antler growth and overall
of preferred foods such as acorns and
enough to produce these kinds of results.
deer
health.
aquatic plants.
At Mason Mountain they are giddy about
Silovsky
said
the
best
eastern
turkey
“Habitat conditions are fair due to
the quail numbers observed.”
populations
are
predominately
located
in
the
late spring rains on abundant mud
REGION 3, DISTRICT 5, Northern Post
Oak Savannah, Blackland Prairies
the northern counties
District Leader John Silovsky reported
o f t h e Po s t O a k
from his Tyler office that the Post Oak
Savannah along the
Savannah region received average to
Red River. Research
slightly below average rainfall for the past
and restoration efforts
year and for 2015 is currently more than
continue for these
11 inches above normal. “These plentiful
birds. Researchers
rains have provided higher quality habitat
believe the lack of
conditions as we head into the heat
quality nesting,
of the summer. With any additional
brood habitat and
summer rains habitat conditions in the
connectivity between
uplands should be good to excellent as we
suitable habitats are
approach fall hunting seasons.
limiting the success
Photo by Bill L. Olson
“The estimated deer population
of these birds. Some
Even during a lush like like 2015 excess doe should be taken early in
the season
in the Post Oak Savannah is 400,000
nesting success
october 2015
49
Top
FlighT
Hunting
Preserve
since 1989
Pheasant
Chukar
Quail
Dove
Waterfowl
Day Hunts
Guided and
Unguided Hunts
Sporting Clays
Tower Shoots
Annual Memberships
Full Service Facility
Corporate Events
www.topflighthunting.com
Columbus TX
(979) 732-9196
50
flats. When fall/winter rains fill our East
Texas bottomland forests and wetlands,
duck hunting opportunities can be
significant, but it will also require colder
weather and snow cover to the north. East
Texas waterfowl hunters would certainly
be ahead of the game by indulging in
some pre-season scouting to locate those
wetlands with good food and water
combinations.”
REGION 3, DISTRICT 6, Pineywoods
Jasper based District Leader Gary
Calkikns said last year his office received
numerous calls of a deer die-off due to so
few deer being seen. “The reality is we had
an unexpected bumper acorn crop that
meant the deer didn’t have to move much.
This resulted in a big carryover of animals.
“This spring our spotlight lines show a
good fawn crop with some awesome bucks
being photographed on game-cams,” he
continued. “Look for both antler and
body weights to be well above average all
across the district, from north to south.”
Calkins says this makes the third
year of good conditions for whitetails.
Even though there may be a shortage of
4 ½ year old animals born in the 2011
drought year there are still some excellent
animals available. “This is the year when
an unbranched antler is observed, you
should probably take it out of the herd,”
he said. “With conditions this good, deer
should develop close to their maximum
potential.”
Hunters may have to contend with
another good mast crop when hunting
whitetails. That may mean the deer don’t
move as much during the first part of the
season. However that should also bode
well for the squirrel population.
Wildlife co-ops in East Texas continue
to thrive and move away from harvest
management to habitat enhancement
practices. The key ingredient is the
restocking of Eastern turkey. Calkins
says three new co-ops with a minimum
of 10,000 acres were formed this year.
Given good conditions through the spring
look for Eastern turkeys to continue
to reestablish a solid foothold in the
Pineywoods.
As a side note quail also have done
well in East Texas. Reports of bobwhites
in areas that have not seen birds in years
have been reported.
Waterfowl hunters will see plenty of
water and groceries for arriving ducks.
The biggest challenge may be that even
with a good flight of birds heading south
the ducks could be scattered. “Every
low spot in East Texas that holds water
should see ducks, providing some cold
weather up north pushes them south,”
Calkins said.
DISTRICT 4, REGION 7, Southern Post
Oak Savannah, Coastal Prairies and
Marsh
“This is the kind of year that makes
every wildlife biologist look good,” veteran
District Leader David Forrester quipped.
“Coming out of last winter, through the
spring and into the end of June the entire
district has been in great shape. It turned
off dry through mid-August, but should
be get some fall rains we will be in good
shape.
“We have had some areas reporting
fewer fawns observed, but this could be
because of the abundant cover,” he said.
“Some areas reported fawns found along
fence lines after water receded from spring
floods, but I don’t
think that is a major
contributing factor.”
In 2002 this was
the “trial district” for
the antler restriction.
Now 14 years later
Forrester says it looks
like that was a good
decision.
“Our goal was to
protect the 1 ½ and
2 ½ year old bucks
and get them to 3
½ years of age,” he
Photo by Photo by John Frankson.
explained. “It use
to be that 70 percent
With lush conditions bucks and doe may not have to move as much
to forage, particularly during the early part of the hunting seasons.
of our harvest was 1
october 2015
½ year old bucks and now 70 percent of
the harvest is 3 ½ year old and older deer.
With conditions we have had this year
I expect district wide antlers and body
weight to be above average and on some
of the older wildlife co-ops some really
good deer to be taken.”
Turkey in this region seemed to have
done well. Even birds have been reported
in areas that normally don’t see turkey.
Similar reports have come in on
bobwhite quail. “We are seeing pairs and
broods across the district,” Forrester said.
REGION 4, DISTRICT 8, South Texas
(Brush Country)
District Leader David Veale said slow
improvement since 2011 has been the
result of increased rainfall each year. “This
year when we got to the critical antler
growth period the “bottom fell out” with
lots of rainfall,” he said. “Rivers and creeks
are once again flowing, there is good cover
for all wildlife, and things are excellent. I
believe this is going to be a historic year
for antler development, fawn recruitment
as well as ground nesting birds.”
Veale said he expects this season will
see well above antler development as well
as body weight. “The hunting pendulum
Public Hunting Permit. Properties in Frio
probably favors the deer due to favorable
County, out of Kingsville, and in Bexar
conditions,” he said. “However, this is
County were noted as good places to hunt.
CONCLUSION
an region where hunters and managers
The short assessment to the upcoming
should not get too cocky. Conditions can
hunting season is that if you don’t get out
go dry and head south just as quickly as a
early and often to hunt a variety of game
rebound can occur.
animals that is your own fault. Look
As excited as deer hunters are about the
for the final account of the 2015-2016
upcoming season there is an abundance of
hunting season to be one talked about for
bird hunters that are hoping to see quail
years to come.
coveys that rival those of a few decades ago.
“We had a good quail crop
last year and that gave us
something to grow on,” he
assessed. “With this year’s
hatch hunters can set aside
their fears that hunting
and harvesting birds will
have a negative impact on
the bobwhite and scaled
quail populations.
Dove have also had a
great nesting season. Veale
reminds hunters that there
are a number of good
properties to hunt dove
Photo by Photo by John Frankson.
available in his district Good nesting conditions resulted in a good hatch for mourning
through the $48 Annual
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1
october
2015
5/29/15
51
1:35 PM
Lake Roundup
NORTH TEXAS
By Brian Hughes
October will see a lot of anglers
transition their thinking to the deer camp
or other hunting pursuits such as wild
hogs. While the weather will probably
be very conducive to these pursuits there
is still lots of good fishing to be had on
Texas lakes. And with so many sportsman
focused on the woods, there will be a lot
more room on the water.
MONTICELLO — Many people wait ‘til
deep winter to fish Monticello due to the
hot-water discharge that warms the water.
Recent events have made Monticello fish
more like other lakes and there are fewer
fishermen using the lake. October should
be a banner month, with little pressure.
I would also suggest fishing the
submerged roads just west of, and across
from the outlet cove. Horseshoe Cove and
the powerline cove are also a good bet,
depending on the current water level of
the lake. Timber Creek and the shoreline
to the west will hold bass early in the
morning. Try your topwaters and moving
baits. Shades of white and chartreuse
are good for the buzzbait fisherman,
as well as the poppers and frogs. Shad
colored spinnerbaits, and crawfish reds or
firetigers work well for lipless crankbaits.
Also fish back toward the 127 Bridge
along that same bank. Fishing the
submerged roads just west of, and across
from the outlet cove will yield a good
catch. Horseshoe Cove and the powerline
cove are also good choices. Catfishing can
be good around Lakeview Point where
the shallow water drops rapidly into the
52
deeper channels.
Cypress Spring, next to Bob Sandlin
and Monticello, has a number of docks.
That’s where to start your day around the
docks. For bass, work the back or shallow
sections with topwaters and such early in
the morning. Then move out toward the
deeper sections with crankbaits and black/
blue 3/8 oz. jigs. Umbrella rigs will work
over the deeper structure as bass form
schools to herd baitfish. These schools
probably won’t surface like the summer
schools do so good electronics and the
knowledge to use them will be important.
FORK — Deepwater grass fishing
should be good on the humps around the
main lake on deep-diving crankbaits and
also flutterspoons. These will be a staple
of fall fishing that will continue through
the winter months. Of course it is hard
to find much grass right now and you’ll
be looking at your electronics as much as
the water.
Shallow water patterns will also work
for bass. For example, jig fishing should be
excellent. Using ¼ or ½ oz. jigs in black/
blue and pumpkin/watermelon around
the timber, especially in or near grass
beds will be a great pattern throughout
October. Spinnerbaits in shad colors,
and Texas-rigged soft plastics will also be
effective around the edges of the grass.
The Share-Lunker program opens
on October 1st and Lake Fork always
represents itself well. Around the middle
of the month we will see the deep water
flutter-spoon pattern develop. Find your
deep water structure and drop six to nine
inch flutter spoons over the top. While the
weather can’t be predicted, if everything
goes as normal for this time of year some
really big fish should come on this pattern.
Another good technique will be the
drop-shot rig with finesse worms or small
swim/shad type bait in 15-30 feet. Look
for main-lake humps, points and ledges
with grass for the best results. For those
anglers lucky enough to land a bass 13
pounds or larger call the TPWD ShareLunker Program at (888) 784-0600.
As for sand bass, jigging spoons in
those same areas will pay off throughout
the winter months. You can also use the
smaller swimbaits and Alabama-rigs, off
the edges of the grass. Crappie fishing at
Fork will move away from the deep water
locations towards the creeks, to shallower
areas in five to 15 feet of water. They’ll live
there until the next move to even deeper
haunts in the winter around the dam area.
Catch them on the bridges using crappie
jigs and minnows on crappie rigs.
WHITNEY — Stripers on Whitney will
hit Redfins in white/red and chrome/white
if you fish ‘em right. Be sure you wake the
bait. It’s not a walk-the-dog really but you
need to make a wake. Always let the rod
load up before you set the hook. You don’t
want to take the bait away from them.
Sandies will fall prey to various
topwaters such as Torpedos, Zara Spooks
and the Yellow Magic in shad colors. When
the fish move up from the deeper ledges
to feed, you should look for them around
the Willow Island and Bird Island areas,
on the shallow flats. Later in the day, you’ll
want to move off to the deeper points and
humps and use cut bait on a Carolina rig
type set-up for the stripers. You can try a
slack-line approach and let them run and
stop before you set the hook. They’ll lip a
bait for quite a while before really latching
on. Catfish should be back in the creeks
and will hit cut bait readily. Toss a bait
onto a ledge and wait, it really is that easy.
Crappie fishermen might want to
consider nearby Lake Aquilla. A small lake
just a few miles away, the governing bodies
just added over 100 new brushpiles. Maps
of the drops are readily available from the
Corps of Engineers office. Just tossing jigs
under a cork, or live minnows should
catch all the crappie you’re allowed.
CADDO — October will see a transfer
from summer to fall patterns especially
if we get the cold, wet weather that is
predicted. Fishing the intersections of
creeks and rivers and cuts will put you
where the bass are waiting in ambush. Fish
topwaters first, like Spooks, poppers and
buzzbaits in shad colors. When that plays
out switch over to shad colored flukes,
spinner baits and Senkos.
You may also want to look to the
deeper sections of the lake with Alabama
(umbrella) rigs. You should also fish the
main lake around the pads. Late in the
month schools of four and five pounders
october 2015
will gather there if it gets cold enough.
Catfishermen on Caddo will want to
focus on the creek channels/mouths of
the creeks with cut baits and prepared
catfish formulas.
EAGLE MOUNTAIN — Eagle Mountain
Lake, just north of Ft. Worth has been
through a roller coaster ride over the last
year. Like many Texas lakes it suffered
terribly through the drought, only to be
ravaged by floodwaters this past spring.
The good news is that as of this writing
the lake is in great shape and fishing has
returned to what would be considered
normal. After being scattered all over the
lake by high water, bass, sand bass and
crappie have begun to act in a fashion that
can be predicted.
Bass are using docks and will roam
a bit in the early morning. Shad or
chartreuse buzzbaits and Zara Spooks will
work early, with spinnerbaits in white/
shad scale or chartreuse, and watermelon/
red Senkos being next in line. As the day
progresses bass will begin to seek the cover
of the docks (unless it is an overcast day,
in which case the topwater bite may last
quite a while) and a Texas-rigged lizard
in black/blue or watermelon/red should
be pitched around the edges. For getting
under the docks I like a ¼ ounce jig and
plastic craw. Green brown jigs with a blue
plastic really gets their attention.
Another popular species on Eagle
Mountain is Blue Catfish. While the true
trophy season is still a few months away
there are plenty of cats still to be caught.
They will be a little shallower than most
people would think, probably six feet
of water or less. Fish where creeks and
ditches join the main lake, and off the
sides of the main lake points with fresh
cut or live bait.
LAVON — Lavon is another lake that
saw drastic water level fluctuation this
year. As with Eagle Mountain the fish have
finally adjusted and are in good shape.
Sand bass are probably the number
one species fished for at Lavon, with
crappie a close second. Man-made brush
piles are not allowed at Lavon so you need
to look for natural brush. Fortunately,
during the drought a lot of “junk” grew
up on the exposed lake bottom and is now
underwater and will hold fish. Crappie
rigs and jigs in about 8-10 feet of water
will locate some fish.
Sandies are running the main lake
points, especially those with wind blowing
across them. You won’t see a lot of surface
october 2015
schooling this time of year but the fish
will be running in large schools below the
surface. Jigging spoons in chartreuse or
chrome, chrome/blue and red will catch
a lot of fish once you locate the schools.
Catfish on Lavon are often overlooked
but the population is strong with both
a lot of fish and large, trophy-sized cats
too. Look to the areas around the 380 and
“T” Bridge, and fish the rocks. As winter
progresses the bigger blues will show up.
October is really more about the numbers
of quality keepers you can catch. Use cut
bait or live bait about two to three feet off
the bottom.
TAWAKONI — Lake Tawakoni will
see lots of good hybrid-striper fishing in
October. Run the humps with your big
motor idling and look for baitfish. Don’t
stop right away when you see them, but
rather mark the hump and keep going for
100 yards or so. Shut off the big motor
and troll back to the hump in order to
prevent spooking the fish. Drop a ¼ to
½ ounce jighead with a Bass Assassin or
similar soft plastic to the bottom and give
the reel handle a couple of turns. Then
begin to gently pump and reel a little at
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53
a time. If this approach fails to hook a
fish in a reasonable amount of time try
casting out and letting the bait sink to the
bottom. Pop the slack line to get the bait
up, just off the bottom, and reel steadily
at a medium pace.
While many Texas outdoorsmen will
be thinking of bow season for deer or
getting ready for the rifle season I think
I’ll get out and go fishing.
EAST TEXAS
By Matt Williams
NACOGDOCHES — Whew….. summer
is finally behind us and a cool change is in
the air. If this October is like most, water
temperatures should have already chilled
down into upper 70s or low 80s. Combine
the cooler temperatures with shorter days
and longer nights it’s a feel good time of
the year and a great time to get out on
the water.
Bass should be active in shallow and
mid-range depths, alike. There won’t be
a lot of hydrilla to speak of due to the
extended periods of high and dirty water
we had last spring and summer, but there
could some new growth stuff beginning
to pop up here and there. If you stumble
across some patches of grass lining the
Loco or Yellow Bank Creek channel it
could be a potential gold mine for a
couple of reasons. Bass love hydrilla. It
provides them great cover they can use for
lounging. Plus, it’s a great spot to hide and
stage ambushes on shad and other baitfish
that swim dangerously close.
Shad always find their way up creeks
during fall, usually in big numbers. Find
the shad and the bass probably won’t
be very far away. Any number of baits
will produce this month. Topwaters,
buzz baits and frogs are always good
choices to try over flats bordering the
channel breaks and along shoreline cover,
especially during the low light hours.
54
Spinnerbaits, square bill crankbaits and
lipless crankbaits also are good bets. Shad
pattern baits in chrome or white are ideal.
School bass are another good option.
The fish will be popping up periodically
throughout the day on the main lake and
in the mouths of the creeks. Topwaters
and Rat-L-Traps are the tickets. In deeper
water, try Texas rigged redbug worms,
deep cranks or jigs along main lake points,
channel breaks, the hump or the old
pipeline crossing just north of the dam.
CONROE — Lake Conroe fishing guide
Butch Terpe says October typically brings
cooler weather to southeast Texas, which
naturally translates to much improved
fishing, especially for bass and crappie.
“It’s my favorite month of the
year,” Terpe said. “October is a lot like
November. Water temperatures are going
to be cooling off and the fish can sense the
changing seasons. They’ll be feeding up
pretty strong at times.”
Terpe often begins his fall bass fishing
trips at the north end of the lake, usually
around the national forest. He targets
skinny water 2-4 feet deep using assorted
popper style topwaters, buzz baits and
buzz frogs. “There is a lot brush and
bushes in the water that grew several years
ago when the lake got real low,” he said.
“It’s been a good pattern all summer long
during early morning hours and it should
be good right on through fall.”
Terpe also pointed to boat docks and
rock structure down south as another
good early morning option. Breakwaters
around Walden, The Palms and Seven
Coves marinas also will be holding some
fish under low light conditions. During
midday, Terpe suggests throwing deep
cranks, Carolina rigs and Texas rigs on old
pond dams and points with brush in 8-12
feet of water. Terpe says the cooling water
temperatures also spurs channel cat into
a feeding frenzy. On occasion, the action
can last all day.
He likes to target the cats along the old
San Jacinto River channel in about 20 feet
of water. The guide uses range cubes to
concentrate the fish and tempts them with
cheese baits. Night crawlers, punch bait
and liver can work equally well at times.
Conroe also supports a pretty decent
hybrid fishery with good numbers of fish
in the 3-6 pound range, but Terpe says the
striped fish can be hit or miss at times. He
suggests trolling for the hybrids on main
lake points and humps with deep cranks
or working slabs on bottom, depending
on how deep the fish are holding.
PALESTINE — When fall settles in
across eastern Texas, the bass fishing tends
to heat up on Lake Palestine. According to
fishing guide Ricky Vandergriff, the bite
can be especially good up north in the
vicinity of Kickapoo Creek.
“The old islands can be real good
during the early part of the day,”
Vandergriff said. “There should be quite
a few fish cruising the shallows around
weedbeds and they’ll bust a topwater, buzz
bait or frog.” Once the surface bite wanes,
Vandergriff will move slightly deeper in
the same areas and probe stumps and
old sloughs with a Texas rig, spinnerbait
or jig. During midday he’ll move to the
creek channel itself and flip brush and
isolated stumps found right along the
channel break. Farther south, Vandergriff
suggests duplicating the frog/topwater
pattern around shoreline vegetation, then
targeting boat docks with brush using a
worm or jig. Main lake points also will
be holding some fish to be caught on
crankbaits and Carolina rigs.
Like Vandergriff, Palestine channel
catfish are fall guys prone to go on the
prowl with the changing weather. “The
channel cat fishing will be good, real
good,” he said. “If you’re after a mess to
eat, Palestine is hard to beat.” Vandergriff
relies heavily on baited holes using range
cubes to fill his limit. Best depth range is
around 12-16 feet. Night crawlers, shrimp
and punch bait are his preferred baits.
Crappie? The guide suggests targeting
brush piles on points in 12-15 feet or
soaking shiners tight to bridge pilings at
the Highway 155 crossing.
TOLEDO BEND — In a normal year,
flipping jigs and heavy creature baits in
matted hydrilla lining channel breaks
would be major player on the southern
reaches of Toledo Bend, but that won’t be
the case this fall, according to fishing guide
Stephen Johnston. Johnston says the high,
off color water did a number on the lush
grass beds last spring and summer because
it restricted the critical sunlight the grass
needs to grow. As a result, he will direct a
high percentage of his attention early in
the month to offshore structure in water
ranging 10-20 feet deep.
“The main lake ridges are going to be a
big deal,” Johnston said. “I’ll be doing a lot
of cranking with DD22 and 6XD’s, but can
also catch them on a Texas rig or Carolina
rig. Redbug and junebug are always good
plastic colors this time of year.”
Johnston added that school bass
should still be pretty active early in the
october 2015
month, mostly over main lake ridges and
a few in the creeks. The majority of the
fish will be small, but you will occasionally
stumble across a wolf pack with some
solid keepers in the mix. Assorted baits
will fool the schoolies. Topwaters and
chrome ‘Traps work well when they are
on the surface; crankbaits, Texas rigs and
spoons once they go down.
The shad should begin working their
way towards the backs of the creeks by the
end of the month. That’s when Johnston
will reach for his spinnerbait, Chatterbait
or Texas rig. He says he will key on welldefined channel swings, particularly
those with brush, stumps or some type
of aquatic vegetation.
Like the bass, T-Bend crappie will
likely to go on the move when fall rolls
around, but Johnston says the popular
panfish won’t be near as easy to find.
“The crappie over here can be really
touchy,” says Johnston. “They’ll stay on
the brush piles and you can catch them
pretty good until we get a strong front or
two with some big wind. The wind and the
falling water temperatures will push the
shad off the brush piles. When the shad
leave the brush, so do the bass.”
SAM RAYBURN — If you enjoy
catching bass on topwater plugs, fishing
guide Stephen Johnston of Hemphill
says this is one lake you should put on
your hit list this fall. “Sam Rayburn is
one of the best topwater lakes around,”
Johnston said. “There are a ton of these
fish that live shallow year-round. With
the cooling water temperatures they’ll be
pretty aggressive and they’ll really bust a
topwater at times.” Johnston says he will
key on any shallow vegetation he can find
in water ranging 1-8 feet. Pepper grass is
likely to be a big player this fall.
“There is a bunch of it coming up,” he
said. “There’s also some stalks of hydrilla
beginning to show up in shallow water,
and that’s a real good thing. It looks like
the grass is going to bounce back after all
the high water, but it will take it awhile to
get right again.” Johnston says assorted
topwaters will produce this month. The
Yellow Magic and Rebel Pop-R are always
good. The same goes for frogs and buzz
baits. The main key will be covering a lot
of water,” he said. “It would also be a real
good idea to keep an eye out for any of
that new growth hydrilla. They love that
stuff. If you don’t get bit on a topwater, you
might want to throw a swim jig or a swim
bait in the same areas. Both of those baits
can be killers on ‘Rayburn during the fall.”
october 2015
As good as the fall bass fishing can be
on ‘Rayburn, Johnston says the crappie
fishing has a history of taking a turn for
the worst. “For some reason it seems like
it always drops way off during the fall
months,” he said. “You can still catch a few
around the brush piles and at the Highway
147 crossing, but they probably won’t be
stacked,” he said.
LIVINGSTON — Lake Livingston came
into September in great shape with water
levels about six inches above pool level
and pretty decent water clarity compared
to months past. Fishing guide Randy
Dearman says things are setting up for
some good fall fishing and that faster
action should bust loose once a cold front
or two pushes through eastern Texas to
put water temperatures on a downhill
slide.
“Fall can be really good on Livingston,”
Dearman said. “The water temps are going
to be cooling off and the fish are going to
be feeling pretty aggressive. You can bust
‘em good if you stumble across the right
areas. As always, it will be a shallow deal.”
Dearman says he will divide his time
between fishing creek channel breaks,
river channel breaks, main lake points
and boat docks throughout the month.
He might fish as shallow as two feet, but
no deeper than eight.
“The ideal depth range will be around
3-6 feet,” he said. “Livingston doesn’t
have much vegetation to speak of, but it’s
got a lot stumps and lay downs. When
I’m fishing creeks, points and the river,
putting baits tight against wood will be
the main key. These fish are going to be
really relating to the edges — right where
shallow water meets with deep. They’ll use
the wood to ambush bait fish.”
When Dearman talks about fishing
the river, he’s talking about the Trinity.
The upper reaches above the Highway 190
Bridge is always best in fall.
He loves to key on lay down logs
up there, especially those hanging over
the river ledge. Places where the river
intersects with old sloughs and ditch can
be excellent locations to find bass as well.
Dearman says anglers won’t need a box
full of baits to catch this month. His top
choices include a square bill crankbait,
Texas rig craw, spinnerbait and a buzz
bait.
55
GUNS ‘N STUFF | Harold Gunn
Pack Right, Pack Light
Even if our favorite deer
stand is only a couple of
hundred yards from the
cabin, inevitably the minute
we sit down we discover we
forgot something we wanted
or might need. It is best to
remember the Boy Scout’s
Motto, “Be Prepared.”
Begin with a proper
pack. Going to a nearby
stand for the morning/
evening or out for the day
does not require a 30-quart,
triple belted, “Big Kahuna
World Explorer” model.
My personal preference is
the Maxpedition Jumbo
Versipack. It is purpose
designed with a quick
buckle release flap main
co m p a r t m e n t , s e ve r a l
zippered pouches for stuff
you need quickly, a cinch
pouch for a 32oz bottle, and a quick
release single over the shoulder pouch
which is darn convenient and leaves your
other shoulder free to sling your rifle.
www.maxpedition.com.
Up first is to fill up that 32oz water
bottle. Whether the weather is hot or
cold, hydration is always a concern. In the
morning you can put a small insulated
56
A properly supplied pack.
container of coffee in your pack, but
remember it will make you have to pee.
On that subject, I do not adhere to the old
school of no peeing near your stand. On
many occasions I have had whitetail step
up and sniff my expended bodily fluids
right before I dropped the hammer.
We always have our favorite hunting
knife on our hip, but it is good to have a
backup. As a secondary or our primary
skinner, the Steve Jernigan designed
Torreya from Columbia River Knife and
Tool is superb.
This liner lock folder locks up tight as
a drum with no side wiggle. The 3.6 inch
drop point, flat ground blade is razor
sharp and with beautifully shaped, hand
filling, resin infused fiber grips it was born
october 2015
to skin. It packs neatly in a nylon sheath
that will attach to your belt or find room
in your pack. www.crkt.com.
On the subject of tools, a multi-tool
from the likes of Leatherman, Gerber,
SOG, etc. is a must. These come in
handy for unexpected chores, firearm
maintenance, or something to play with
while waiting for a deer to make an
entrance. Additional tools like a folding
limb saw and small shears are just the
ticket when foliage is blocking our line
of fire.
Since stand time is often lengthy some
light reading matter can help us pass the
time. When hunger hits we’ll be happy we
packed those granola bars. Also, since we
never leave home without our cell phone
there are several apps that can help us
pass the time. One neat new app is the
complete SAS Survival Guide for only $
3.99 at our app store.
We may not need its help in a not too
distant stand, but it is great reading and
preparation for that hunting trip in the
far off. Pack a cheap backup charger for
the phone. They are available everywhere
and even the least expensive will provide
one full charge.
We can never have enough flashlights.
At dawn and dusk I prefer a headlight.
Several on the market give a choice of
white, red and blue light. Red is good
for looking for
stuff we drop
inside the stand
as it preserves our
night vision. Blue
comes in handy
when looking for
blood trails in dark
situations as blood
appears black on
the ground. Since
we need a pen to
fill out our deer
t a g s , w hy n o t
have a pen with
a backup light.
Browning’s “4 in
ONE Survivor Pen
Light” has an LED
high-intensity
flashlight with a
twist switch in the
cap. An extra is
that we can pull
off the cap and clip
it on to our hat for
october 2015
hands free lighting. The tough aluminum
body has a hardened tungsten-carbide
glass breaker on one end should the need
arise. The black Schmidt cartridge writes
on most surfaces.
There will always be a need for rope.
We may not know what that need is, but
it will come up. Para-Cord, 550 and 650 is
always useful. Hunters Specialties has gone
one better with their Reflective Treestand
Rope. It is 30 feet of large diameter braded
nylon cord with a heavy-duty carabineer
clip on each end. The rope has reflective
glow in the dark fibers woven in, making
it easy to spot in the dark. This rope is
not meant for rappelling, but is plenty
strong for lashing stuff or dragging/
hanging game. It is only $ 9.99 at www.
hunterspec.com.
Surely we have packed our eye and
ear protection and extra ammunition,
but what about items for emergencies,
prevention, protection and treatment? A
good deet based bug spray can save the
day. I stick with deet because I have had
some sprays with various chemicals in
them that got me higher than a kite. If
a no-seeum does bite, the best product
on the planet is AfterBite. It is a pen or
tube type dauber that stops the ouch
immediately and is available at most
drug stores and while you are at CVS or
wherever pick up a packet of WoundSeal.
This stuff was born out of combat to seal
off badly bleeding wounds. I once ripped
a gash in my calf that required twenty
stitches. I was bleeding like a stuck pig
and applying the WoundSeal powder
stopped the bleeding almost instantly.
Learn about this at www.woundseal.com.
Also, a small first aid kit is a smart item
to have and various sizes can be found at
www.firstaidonly.com.
Weather can sneak up on us so a
compact shiny space blanket can come
in handy to keep dry and warm. Every
pack should have an emergency whistle
attached. I have one that combines the
whistle with a compass, thermometer, and
magnifying glass. All of this and more is at
your favorite sporting goods store or on
the web.
Finally pack some toilet paper
because it happens. Also, pack some twist
tie plastic bags. We don’t need to poop in
the bag, but we sure need to carry out our
used paper products.
So now when we see the buck of a
lifetime and feel a severe tightness in our
chest or fall out of our stand we can take
two aspirins from our med kit, wash them
down with water from our bottle, dial
911 on our cell phone, and start blowing
our emergency whistle all because we are
“prepared.”
Safe hunting!
The Browning 4 in One Survivor Pen Light and CRKT Torreya.
57
For information on guides mentioned, see Guides, Gear & Getaways on pages 67, 69, & 71
CoastWatch
Lower and Middle Coast fishermen
anxiously await October each and every
year. The reason is simple — increased
fish activity, cooling temperatures and less
crowded conditions add up to make days
on the water more productive as well as
more pleasant.
As usual, redfish and speckled trout
will be the main targets for inshore anglers
throughout October however, fishing for
each species will be a bit different than it
was earlier in the year. Many bays see a
secondary spawn of speckled trout during
the fall, thus offering anglers another shot
at landing egg-laden sows.
The redfish spawn will also be
underway during October. Because of
their biological need to mate, big bull reds
(which are actually giant female redfish)
move within reach of inshore anglers.
Beachfronts and Gulf passes up and down
the Texas coast will serve as seasonal
homes to these big spawning class fish.
As a result, October is generally the best
time for Texas saltwater fishermen to land
a true trophy redfish.
In South Texas, anglers know October
is one of the finest months to chase some
of Texas’ more ‘exotic’ inshore species –
tarpon and snook. Both species will be
common in South Padre’s Brazos Santiago
Pass and Port Mansfield’s East Cut.
As far as tarpon go, the bigger fish
should be making their appearance
blackfin and yellowfin tuna will begin to
cruise closer to shore than at other times
of year.
Again, despite the vast variety of species
available, angling pressure is expected to
be fairly low during October. This, of
course, is due to a variety of factors such
as school, hunting and football seasons,
and other time-consuming pursuits.
However, all this does is serve to make
fishing expeditions even more enjoyable
for those who are able to find the time to
get out on the water this month.
Danno Wise
back in the South
Texas channels as the
weather cools. South
Texas is home to a
number of smaller
tarpon year around,
but the biggest fish
are typically found
during spring and
fall. The greatest
concentration of
big tarpon along
the Lower Coast is
typically found in
October, although
the fish will remain
until the first hard
cold front – whether
that be in October,
November or
December.
Offshore anglers
will also have
plenty to do this
month. Although
the weather w ill
be turning cooler,
offshore action will
still be hot. Kingfish
should still be within
range of ang lers
along most of the
Texas coastal curve.
More impressively,
LOWER COAST
Port Isabel guide Capt. Gencho
Buitureira, Jr. says October is a prime
month to fish in the Lower Laguna Madre
area.
“During October, Gas Well Flats and
Mexiquito Flats are always good for reds,”
said Buitureira. “If we get some early
fronts, you can get up on the bars around
Gas Wells you can catch some good reds
as well as some trout. Mexiquito Flats will
be good pretty much all month for redfish
and even some trout. And there will be a
lot of mangrove snapper around the old
causeway and the swing bridge.
“We’ll still have some snook in the
bay during October, but once we start
seeing some fronts move through, we’ll
see the snook starting to get back in the
Brownsville Ship Channel. So, I’ll make a
few trips up the ship channel this month.
But, we’ll be catching more than snook up
the channel. We’ll also be catching black
drum, mangrove snapper and redfish.
“If we do have some strong fronts in
October, I’ll be fishing for reds on top of
the bars during high winds. If we have a
north wind, I’ll start on top of the bars
for reds and work my way down to deep
water for trout.
“If we have a south wind, I’ll do the
opposite - start deep for trout and drift up
to the bar for reds. This usually happens
more in November, but it can happen in
October.
“When fronts start hitting more
consistently, start looking for birds
working along Intracoastal. Usually,
they’ll be working between Markers 67
to 75. I like to get on the edges and throw
right on top of bars. There’s some nice
mud flats along the ICW, so you’ll have
a lot of trout holding there when it starts
cooling off. The birds will be gone by
8:30 or 9 a.m. so hit them early if you can
find them.
“Overall, October should be really
good. No matter what the weather does,
we’ll have plenty of options.”
According to the veteran Por t
Mansfield guide Captain Pete Martinez,
who fishes out of Get-A-Way Adventures
Lodge, October is one of the most exciting
months of the year.
“The month of October is a very
exciting month for us,” said Martinez. “
The bull run for red fish is in full swing.
We will be able to catch our 40-plus inch
reds in the East Cut using live finger
mullet. The Port Mansfield jetties will
As cooler weather settles in over Texas lower coast the Brownsville
Ship Channel will be a place that produces a variety of fish. Each cast
could bring a different specie.
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58
october 2015
october 2015
59
also be on fire. Schools of finger mullet by
the thousands will be going up and down
the rocks, so it will be easy picking for reds,
Spanish mackerels and kings.
“The flounder will also be getting
ready to head out of the bay system.
Fishing inside the East Cut in little guts
should produce some good number of
flounder. Fishing for flounder during
this time of the year, I like to use the New
Penny Gulp Shrimp with a 1/8 oz jig head.
The red fish should be holding in water
of 1 to 1 1/2 feet of water in schools. The
Hot Spots would be on the North side
of the East Cut and on the King Ranch
Shoreline. Using a weedless spoon is your
best bet. The trout will be holding in
deeper water. Fishing in chest deep water
next to a grass line is a good place to start.
Don’t forget ‘Cast Far and Fish Hard’.”
Corpus Christi based guide Capt.
Allen Sifford says October sees a shift in
fishing patterns in the Upper Laguna and
Baffin Bay.
“In the beginning of October, I’ll still
be fishing the Upper Laguna and Baffin.
I’ll still be throwing piggies as long as
we’ve got them the right size. But, we’ll
also start throwing some topwaters a little
bit more.
“Later in the month, when it starts
cooling down, we’ll see our fish starting
to move into the ICW. They won’t be
real deep yet and you can have real good
action on the flats along the edges of the
ICW. You can get a good topwater bite
early. Sometimes that topwater bite will
last all day, but usually later in the day I’ll
be throwing Bass Assassins. I like dark
colors like pumpkinseed/chartreuse and
plum/chartreuse. But, at times I’ll throw
something bright, like Electric Chicken.
“When I’m throwing topwaters, I like
throwing Top Dog Jrs and Super Spooks.
The reason I throw them is they are the
easiest topwater baits to work. So even
somebody who’s not real good at working
a topwater plug can work a Top Dog or a
Super Spook and get strikes.”
“I’ll be fishing the shell in Nueces Bay
as well. We’ll have some good bird activity
in Nueces and some good fishing as well.
We should have some real good fishing in
Nueces this fall.
“And, that will actually get better in
November. The cooler it gets, the better
Nueces gets. So really from mid-October
through November the fishing should be
really good in Nueces.”
60
MIDDLE COAST
Aransas area anglers have a lot to
look forward to in October. The first
few weeks of October usually represent a
great shot at “inshore big game fishing.”
Big bull reds and schools of tarpon will
be hanging around the jetties. And,
fishermen can usually count on relatively
calm conditions more often than not,
making October an ideal time to fish
around the rocks.
Although tarpon will be around the
jetties during October, their presence
can be fleeting, as they will only hang
around until the first truly hard front
pushes through. So, anglers should take
advantage of this opportunity early in
the month.
Fishermen staying inside the Coastal
Bend bays will see plenty of action as
well. As the water temperatures begin to
cool Nueces Bay will become much more
prominent in fishermen’s plans. However,
Redfish Bay and Aransas Bay will also
produce good results, with anglers able
to enjoy good topwater action most
Photo by Nate Skinner
In October and through the fall the bow fishing action heats up for flounder as well as black
drum like this one shown by Capt. Craig Carter of Outlaw Guide Service.
october 2015
mornings. During the balance of the day,
trout will be found around the reefs, while
redfish will be covering up the shallow
flats.
Fishermen leaving out of Rockport
will also head to the jetties quite often
in October. However, there will also be
plenty of reasons to stay in the bay this
month. Redfish will be working the flats
throughout the bays in the Rockport area.
The shorelines of San Jose Island and
Matagorda Island, as well the traditional
hot spots such as Estes Flats and Dagger
will be among the best bets for schools of
reds over the next few weeks.
There will also be plenty of redfish
in all of the back lakes – at least until a
few good hard fronts push through. But,
given the fact that often doesn’t happen
until November, fishermen can expect
good action in the back lakes most of the
month.
Fishermen hoping to hook trout need
only to look at the nearest oyster reefs.
Every bay within a reasonable boat ride of
Rockport will have plenty of trout stacked
up over the reefs.
Live shrimp is hard to beat when it
comes to tempting specks in October.
But, anglers can also expect good topwater
action early as well.
Port O’Connor bow fishing guide
Capt. Craig Carter of Outlaw Guide
Service says October is the start of good
flounder trips as the weather cools and
flatfish begin moving out of the bays.
“We bow fish year around and are
usually in pretty much the same areas
because there are only certain areas that
are good for bow fishing,” said Carter.
“But, October is usually a pretty good
month. There are always drum and
sheepshead around, but in October we’ll
be seeing a lot more flounder. We usually
have pretty good flounder trips during
October and November.”
Rod and reel fishermen in the POC
area will have plenty of options as well.
Herds of redfish will be found on the flats
throughout the bay. Later in the month,
most of these schools will be closer to the
passes.
There will also be schools of bull
reds around the jetties throughout the
month. Trout will be found over the
grass flats. Anglers should concentrate on
flats with plenty of potholes. Sheepshead
and flounder will also be found in good
numbers during October.
october 2015
The back lakes of St. Jo, Matagorda, and Mustang Islands are good options for trout and redfish
in the fall.
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61
Lake Roundup
SOUTH TEXAS
By Danno Wise
Most South Texas fishermen believe
October is the best month to fish on their
home waters. In fact, virtually every South
Texas bass fishing guide claims October is
“the time” to be on their respective lakes.
With so many lakes having hot fishing this
month, bass fishermen will have plenty of
options.
Cooler air and water temperatures,
combined with reduced fishing pressure,
usually results in above average bass
activities on impoundments across the
region.
The bonus for fishermen this year is
each and every lake in the region has more
water than it has in several years. In fact,
some lakes, such as Medina, experience a
point when they were virtually unfishable
before this year’s heavy early summer
rains. But, this fall, every lake in the region
has plenty of water, plenty of access and
outstanding fishing.
And, although black bass will be getting
most of the attention during October,
there will plenty of other species available
on South Texas lakes during the first
month of fall. Channel catfish, crappie,
white bass, hybrid bass and a variety of
panfish will be just as active as bass this
month.
So, despite the fact there will be a
variety of other activities – i.e. football,
hunting, school, etc. – during October,
finding time to wet a line on a South Texas
lake or pond this month can be well worth
the effort.
COLETO CREEK – According to Victoria
bass pro Dennis Lala, October is a time
62
when anglers can experience fast action
with a variety of fishing methods.
“October should be really good,” said
Lala. “We’ll have a lot of fish up shallow
and should have a really good topwater
bite. It’s usually a really fun time to fish
on Coleto Creek.
“It also starts to get a little cooler in
October, which makes it more comfortable
for everybody – both fish and fishermen.
As the water cools off, the fish will get really
active in the shallow water. In October, I
usually start off throwing a Frenzy Popper
right up against the bank. I’ll also throw
some buzzbaits. The topwater bite is
usually pretty strong for the first couple
hours of the day. It won’t last all day, but
I’ll stick with it as long as they’re hitting it.
“When the topwater bite dies down,
I’ll usually switch to a spinnerbait. I
like chartreuse or chartreuse/white
spinnerbaits. You can actually fish a
spinnerbait all day long in October. But,
I’ll still start with a topwater, then switch
to a spinnerbait.
“After that, I’ll work the edges of the
grass with a weightless or lightly weighted
Power Jerk Shad. Again, you can keep
fishing a spinnerbait, but I feel like in the
middle of the day a Power Jerk Shad will
produce a few more big fish - especially
early in the month when it’s still pretty
warm.
“Once the water gets pretty cool,
stripers will start moving into the hot
water discharge,” Lala suggested. “And,
you can also catch black bass and catfish
around the discharge once the water on the
main lake gets really cool. That can happen
at anytime once October gets going. But,
usually by the end of October or beginning
of November, the fishing’s pretty good
around the discharge.”
MEDINA – Even though the lake level
has dipped ever so slightly following the
rapid rise during early summer, Medina
is still over 70 percent full. So fall 2015
represents the first autumn in several years
in which Medina will have a fully fishable
amount of water
“We are in real good shape, waterwise, right now,” said Jim Gallagher of
Jim’s Rebait Tackle. “After going from
three percent to around 75 percent full
during early summer, we held pretty steady
through the late summer even though the
rains stopped.
“So, everybody’s pretty excited heading
into fall. October is always a good month
on Medina and for the first time in a few
years, we have enough water so that the
entire lake is in play.
“Late-September into October, the
fishing patterns start to change. That time,
through mid-November, is really some of
the best fishing we have on this lake.
“The fishing dramatically improves
once the water cools. That usually happens
with the second front. The first front
really doesn’t do much. But, once we get
a couple that make it all the way through
South Texas, the water starts cooling off.
When that happens, the fish will be more
active and move a little shallower – not
springtime shallow, but shallower than
they’ve been all summer.
“October is a good transition month,”
Gallagher continued. “We start seeing
a little bit better topwater bite. Spook,
Bomber As, and PopRs will all work. On
this lake, the Bomber 14A actually works
better than the 15A because this is still
basically a ‘downsize’ lake.”
“There will also be a pretty good
spinnerbait bite so long as you aren’t using
anything bigger than a ½ ounce. On this
lake you’ll do much better using a ¼ ounce
or 3/8 ounce spinnerbait.”
“Although the fish will stay shallow
quote, ‘a little longer,’ our water is usually
pretty clear, so the sun will still be a factor.
Because our lake filled so fast this summer,
it has taken a while for the water to clear
to our normal visibility.
“But, that can be a good thing. I mean,
our water is still a lot clearer than it is on
most South Texas lakes. But, since it is
a little less clear than it usually is, I can
maybe find fish a little shallower longer in
the day. And, I think the fish will be a little
easier to catch.
“Even though our water isn’t as clear as
it usually is, you are still better off using
natural colors in this lake. Chrome/blue,
chrome/black and bone are good colors.
Red and Firetiger rarely work on this lake.
Chartreuse/blue back will work at times
because it really resembles a small perch.
october 2015
Norman Bumble-Bees, as well as Deep
Little N and Deep Baby N in chartreuse/
blue always work well.”
“The best places to fish crankbaits are
along drop-offs, in the creek channels and
along ledges. Creek channels are always
productive on this lake. But, you have
to fish parallel to the creek channel, not
across it.
“Most everybody will be focused on
black bass during October, but there will
still be some hybrids and whites schooling
on the lake. If you come across them when
they are up top, you catch all you want on
just about any bait you want to throw.”
CHOKE CANYON - Heading into fall,
Choke Canyon has seen a significant rise
in water level and should yield its share of
giant largemouth bass over the next few
months. As most serious bass fishermen
know, Choke produces quality fish year
around. But, October is definitely the best
time to fish this storied South Texas lake.
One of the best things about fishing on
Choke Canyon in October is the manner
in which many of these lunker largemouth
are caught. Not only are plenty of big bass
caught during October, many of them are
caught on surface lures, which only adds
to the excitement.
Hydrilla beds will be the primary
structure for Choke Canyon bass during
October. Stanley Ribbit Frogs can be pulled
across the densest hydrilla beds without
fouling and will draw some vicious
strikes. Fishermen working the edges of
the beds and shorelines can also do well
with noisy topwater lures such as Pop
Rs and buzzbaits. October usually sees a
prolonged topwater bite on Choke, with
surface action often stretching well into
the afternoon. Once the topwater bite dies
down, shallow water baits such as jerkbaits
and spinnerbaits will produce well. If the
fish move down a little deeper, it’s hard to
beat a Texas rigged lizard.
FALCON – Now that lake levels have
risen once again, Falcon has miles and
miles of shallow flooded brush. October
will see plenty of largemouths hanging
around these flooded brush shorelines.
Early in the day, the topwater bite will be
strong. Dog-walking baits like the Heddon
Zara Spook will produce good results, as
will buzzbaits and ‘sputterbaits’ like the
Creme FishFrog and Stanley Ribbit.
There will be plenty of solid bass taken
from the flooded brush, along with a few
big ones. However, the vast majority of
Falcon’s lunker largemouth will still be
october 2015
hanging on the main lake and secondary
points. Anglers targeting fish in these areas
should use jumbo-sized worms, creature
baits and crankbaits.
Hybrid bass will be active on the surface
down by the dam. Fish will routinely be
found schooling on the surface during
October. Easily cast vibrating baits like the
RattleTraps or Bomber Slab Spoons are
ideal for targeting hybrids when they’re
actively schooling.
And, as usually, catfish will be more
than willing to bite, with the best action
taking place in the river channel and up
the river itself.
WEST TEXAS
made little headway in reducing its deficit.
With less water there are few secrets as to
where fish are holding.
This is the month to throw any topwater
lure in the tackle box. Fish coves or pockets
as bass heard shad into these areas. Also
look for mixed bag schooling activity early
and late in the day.
BROWNWOOD — Anglers have been
fishing a full, or inches low lake for the first
time since 2007. In October 2014 the late
was 12.5 feet low.
Topwater lures will take the headlines
and most any type of surface scratcher will
get bit. Zara Spooks, Pop ‘Rs, buzzbaits,
and frogs are all good choices depending
up the cover being fished.
Crappie anglers will do well over brush
piles in water 10-20 feet deep and around
lighted docks at night.
HIGH PLAINS
By TOJ Staff
With many lakes in the region holding
fairly steady after early summer gains, what
happens this fall will tell the tale about
prospects through the winter and into
next spring.
If a wetter than normal fall and winter
occurs look for deficits to continue to
decline, more vegetation to be flooded,
excellent fishing this winter, and an
awesome spring.
Here is the forecast for October.
AMISTAD — “Big Friendly” has been
holding a fairly consistent water level this
year. As of early September the lake was
28 feet low compared to about 36 feet low
and on the rise at the start of October 2014.
Whether it was last year or this October,
this is the month to fish topwaters,
buzzbaits, and frogs around flooded
vegetation. If the topwater bite slows then
fish jigs or Senkos around standing timber.
The Rio Grande, Pecos, and Devils
Rivers will see stripers making their annual
run up the rivers. Typically the best action
in October is between Markers 12-26.
O.H. IVIE — As of early September Ivie
was just less than 43 feet low as it continues
to struggle to hold on to water and has
By TOJ Staff
On the High Plains progress comes
slowly to area lakes. With the exception
of Lake Alan Henry that refilled in early
summer, other lakes have quietly made
some inroads to reducing their lake deficit.
White River Reservoir has gone from
about 30 feet low at the start of this year
to about 15 feet low at the beginning
of September. As of early September
Mackenzie Reservoir has risen over 20
feet and was at about 70 feet low. Lake
Meredith has gone from 79 feet low at the
start of 2015 to 62 feet low the beginning
of September.
Should addition runoff occur on any
lakes the pattern is fairly simple, follow the
rising water. It is fall so fish topwater lures
around newly flooded vegetation.
On Lake Alan Henry fish topwaters
until the bite slows, then switch to Texas
rigged worms or Senkos. Fish around any
rocky of woody structure available.
63
TEXAS OFFSHORE | Mike Holmes
A New Look At An “Old” Fish
Even smaller jacks are worthy adversaries on light tackle and should be released to fight another
day.
With all the new fishing regulations
affecting salt water – especially in the
offshore waters of the Gulf, an angler
“new” to this type of sport might well
be scratching his head asking, “So, is
there anything I can fish for anymore?”
This question would be regarding fish
species that can be “kept” for some reason
or another – not those that will need
immediate and fairly expert attention
soon after being hooked to make sure they
can be “released” successfully after the
fishing adventure reaches its conclusion.
Here is exactly where fishing differs, or
can differ from other pursuit and capturebased outdoor sports. There is not yet a
“catch-and-release” method of hunting
other than photography.
Different techniques can offer more
challenge, such as using shortrange
handguns or shot guns, muzzle loaders
that are slow to operate and normally
offer only one shot at your game, or
archery equipment. Even when pursuing
game with pointed sticks, success is often
measured by the kill — no matter how
much we may stress that we most enjoy
the chase. Fishing stands alone in allowing
the game to be hooked, “fought”, and
captured with still a chance to successfully
64
let it go alive.
Of course, the days when all fish – or
any other type of game – is killed without
thought of another outcome should now
be ancient history. There is no reason not
to keep fish for the table – and many are so
good to eat it is tempting to put as many
in the freezer as we can for later use.
There are other species considered
of most value as trophies – usually
exceptionally large specimens of
varieties noted for strength, appearance,
endurance, speed, or jumping abilities.
Local traditions pay a part in which
category some species should be placed.
Fish that “fry well” have always been more
popular in the south than those that lend
themselves better to other methods of
cooking or even those that “fight” harder.
What this is leading up to is my long
advocacy for certain fish that are not
much good to eat, no matter how they are
prepared – and how they are looked at by
Gulf anglers. Some come out OK – billfish
and tarpon are maybe the best examples and they are held in such esteem that they
are very seldom killed anymore unless
intended for special preservation as a
mounted trophy.
Taking this even further, you may now
have a fiberglass mount made to represent
your prize catch from good measurements
and photos – and let the actual fish swim
away.
There are other species that are not
as large and spectacular as marlin and
tarpon, but are very sporty adversaries.
In Florida, Jack Crevalle are thought of as
great light tackle sport fish – and in truth,
not much else in their size and weight class
will fight as long or as hard.
Except for two small qualities the poor
“jackfish” finds himself lacking, he could
be one of the superstars of the fishing
world, with tournaments held in its honor,
boats given away for his capture, and
legions of adoring fans. Those qualities?
He doesn’t jump and is terrible to eat.
In other respects, jacks “measure
up” pretty well against the competition.
Their coloration is attractive, they reach
respectable sizes, and like all members of
the jack species they pull very hard against
a fishing line.
The Crevalle jack is also a common
species in the Gulf, found inside the
Continental shelf to just off the beaches
and sometimes in bays, inlets, and brackish
coastal streams. Aggressive feeders, to say
the least, they are often the first predators
to show up behind culling shrimp boats
– or in an angler’s chum line.
Jacks are found around oil rigs, weed
lines, and over bottom structure as well
as following schools of bait across open
water. They mostly feed on baitfish like
shad and mullet, and can be hooked using
live or dead bait, or using many types of
artificial offerings.
The average “yellow jack” of Texas
Gulf waters will run between 20 and 30
pounds – and many will be right at the
25 pound mark. I base this on not only
catching a large number of jacks over the
years, but also weighing them. My old surf
fishing buddy, Dave Schaeffer, always said
he hated to weigh a jack because they were
never as heavy as they felt they should
have been. The largest I ever weighed
might have been 27 pounds, and one of
the toughest I ever fought only went 19.
I was so proud of the first large jack
october 2015
I caught I had it mounted. It still hangs
on our living room wall near a 24 pound
bull red I had mounted because it bore
24 spots on one side and 26 on the other
(rather than the one or two they usually
come with).
Jacks are hard to release successfully
because they are often near death before
they allow themselves to be captured.
Even on heavier tackle they are a tough
fish to over-power. The meat of a jack is
deep red and bloody and I never found
anyone who thought the taste was even
tolerable — even me and I’ll eat fish other
folks don’t think are edible.
The flesh is very useful as bait, however
mostly for sharks, but also as cut bait for
bottom fish like red snapper. Strip baits
cut from jackfish can also be sewn into
“Panama” type strip trolling baits, or
simply cut to shape with meat on one side,
skin the other.
Jackfish skin is very tough, and the
same piece of jack can often be used to
catch several snapper – and even then
the remaining skin might have to be cut
from the hook, as the hole the hook passes
through will not stretch under pressure
or strain. I suspect that jackfish chunks
might do very well as trotline bait for
freshwater catfish.
Having caught most of my jacks
in the surf when targeting bull reds or
when trolling or drifting primarily for
king mackerel a little further offshore, I
enjoy them because they are such a strong
adversary. The tackle that has always
seemed about perfect for jacks is 30 pound
class, certainly not over-powering yet
strong enough to really “lean into” the fish.
The broad, flat shape of a jack coupled
with all that red meat strength gives them
a mechanical advantage in the water they
Battling big jacks on light trout tackle can be a daunting task as these anglers used all of their
angling and boating skills to subdue the fish.
use very well, and they tend to slug it
out more than try to run away from the
pressure of the rod, even though they do
have the speed to peel a lot of line off a
reel – and they don’t yield it back willingly.
If wanting to release a jack, cutting the
leader would be the easiest method, but
a tail rope of some type might work. It is
unfortunate that gaffing a jack is the surest
way to get control over one.
Besides being a great sportfish there
are – of course – no limits as far as closed
seasons or catch numbers levied on jacks.
They are warm weather species, so after
fall has left for the cold water of winter,
so do the jacks.
I once watched a fellow who had been
working under birds for trout behind San
Luis Pass when he hooked a good-sized
jack instead. Some folks would purposely
break off such a fish, but this one was a
man after my own heart, and fought it
Big jacks are determined fighters and many times are near exhausted when brought to the side
of the boat.
october 2015
long and hard. When he finally had the
big jack exhausted at boat side – no mean
feat with trout tackle, even in such shallow
water – I think he would have strongly
disagreed with anyone who might have
called his prize a “trash” fish.
My own most memorable experience
with a jack occurred a long time ago when
I was trolling alone just off the beach on
the Galveston side of San Luis Pass. I was
heading towards where obviously large
and aggressive fish were playing hell with
schools of mullet just over the sandbar,
and pulling gold colored King Getter lures
when I had simultaneous hits.
As both reels seemed in danger of
being “spooled,” I was really hoping I
had encountered a small school of big
tarpon. I cut one line to concentrate my
best efforts on the other.
I was fishing with 20 pound test
line from a “dead” boat, and needed to
eliminate distractions. After a long and
hard battle in which I never saw the fish
break water until finally at boat-side, I
was able to gaff and swing aboard a jack
that later weighed all of 19 pounds, but
was foul hooked just above the tail. If
serious about actually catching jacks, I
strongly recommend hooking them in or
near the mouth.
Next time you want to feel a strong
fish pull hard against a tight line do what
I have done many times and go looking
for a jack crevalle on purpose. If you work
up a big appetite getting one in, turn him
into cut bait and catch a few snapper for
the table.
65
Guides, Gear & Getaways
TACKLE TIPS & TECHNIQUES | Danno Wise
Time to Catch Mangrove Snapper
SALTWater
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66
october 2015
october 2015
67
TACKLE TIPS & TECHNIQUES | Danno Wise
Catching Fall’s Striped Bass
middle coast | port aransas
MIDDLE COAST | CORPUS CHRISTI-NORTH PADRE ISLAND
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Luxury Vacation Rentals by Gulf Beachfront or on Canals leading to
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HAVE YOUR OUTDOOR EVENT INCLUDED IN
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Mail your Outdoor Calendar items to:
1706 W. Sam Houston Pkwy North,
Houston, TX 77043
or fax to: 713.957.3996
or email: [email protected]
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october 2015
october 2015
69
FIELD TIPS & TECHNIQUES | Nate Skinner & Danno Wise
Geared Up Bowhunter
LOWER COAST | PORT MANSFIELD
HUNTING
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800-523-6832
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70
october 2015
october 2015
YOUR AD SHOULD
BE HERE!
CALL 713-957-3997
for GUIDES, GEAR & GETAWAY ADS
71
Deadline for the November calendar is September 25, 2015
call (512) 365-3520.
Outdoor Calendar
THROUGH OCTOBER 21,
Dove Season, South Zone. For more
information refer to TPWD Outdoor
Annual, or call (800) 792-1112.
THROUGH OCTOBER 21,
Dove Season, Special White-winged
Dove Area. Legal shooting hours are
noon to sunset. For more information
refer to TPWD Outdoor Annual, or call
(800) 792-1112.
THROUGH OCTOBER 25,
Dove Season, North Zone. For more
Annual, or call (800) 792-1112.
THROUGH OCTOBER 25,
Dove Season, Central Zone. For more
Annual, or call (800) 792-1112.
OCTOBER 1,
The Woodlands Chapter Ducks Unlimited Fundraiser Banquet, The Woodlands. Call (713) 444-3961.
OCTOBER 1,
Lubbock Chapter Ducks Unlimited
Fundraiser Banquet, Lubbock. Call (806)
790-0709.
OCTOBER 1,
Brazos Longbeards Chapter National
Wild Turkey Federation Fundraiser
Banquet, Rosenberg. Visit nwtf.org.
OCTOBER 1 – FEBRUARY 28, 2016,
Javelina season, North Zone. For more
information consult the TPWD Outdoor
Annual, website, or call (800) 792-1112.
OCTOBER 1 – FEBRUARY 28,
Squirrel Season, 51 East Texas counties. For more information consult the
TPWD Outdoor Annual, website, or call
(800) 792-1112.
OCTOBER 2, 16,
Fishing with the Ranger, Martin Dies
Jr. State Park, Jasper, Join a Ranger to
learn how to fish. Discover the essen-
72
tials of fishing, how to tie basic knots,
place a bobber, and enjoy the sport of
fishing. Bring your own bait. A limited
amount of fishing poles are available
for this event. Meet at the Walnut
Ridge fishing pier in the shelter loop.
7 p.m. – 8 p.m. For more information
and reservations call (409) 384-5231.
OCTOBER 3,
Mentored Waterfowl Workshop and
Hunts, Texas Freshwater Fisheries
Center, Athens. Did you ever want to
learn “How To” or “What Duck Hunting
is all about”? If so, come and spend a
day learning and a morning hunting
with us and we can help you decide if
this sport is something you want to try
on your own. The workshop begins at
8 AM at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries
Center and provides instruction and
hands-on application for basic waterfowl and wetland biology, hunting
equipment, laws and ethics, firearm
safety and field dressing. After lunch
provided on-site, we travel to Purtis
Creek State Park where the instruction
continues with shotgun pattern and
distance estimation, skeet shooting
practice, decoy spread and waterfowl
identification. The class will end with a
drawing for the hunts between 4 and
5 PM. The class is limited to 40 participants, (36 hunters and four standby
hunters). Participation in the waterfowl workshop is mandatory for you
to be drawn for one of two mentored
hunts in January at Purtis Creek State
Park. The hunt dates are Jan. 3 and 16,
you must be able to arrive at the park
by 4:45 AM on the date of your hunt
to participate. Previous participants
will not be eligible for this workshop
or hunt opportunity. For more information and registration call (903)
425-8072.
OCTOBER 3, 10, 17, 24, 31,
Fly Tying Demonstration, Allen. TPWD
volunteers from the Dallas Flyfishers
Club will be on hand to show you how
easy and fun it is to tie a fly. This free
demonstration is open to beginners
and novice fly fishers. Equipment and
materials provided, or bring your fly
tying tools if you have them. Held at
Cabela’s on Highway 75. 6:00 p.m.- 9:00
p.m. For more information call (972)
618-6714.
OCTOBER 3-11,
Pronghorn antelope regular season,
by permit only. For more information
(800) 792-1112.
OCTOBER 3 – NOVEMBER 6,
Whitetail deer season archery only,
Statewide. For more information refer
to TPWD Outdoor Annual, or call (800)
792-1112.
Mule deer season archery only, in
counties that have an archery only
season for that specie. For more infor-
mation refer to TPWD Outdoor Annual,
or call (800) 792-1112.
Rio Grande turkey archery only season,
in counties that have an archery only
season for that specie. For more information refer to TPWD Outdoor Annual,
or call (800) 792-1112
OCTOBER 8,
San Marcos Chapter Ducks Unlimited
Fundraiser Banquet, San Marcos. Call
(512) 665-3324.
OCTOBER 8,
Grapevine Chapter Ducks Unlimited
Fundraiser Banquet, Grapevine. Call
(214) 675-0550.
OCTOBER 8,
Lubbock Chapter Mule Deer Foundation Fundraiser Banquet, Lubbock. Call
(307) 421-5692.
OCTOBER 8,
Taylor Chapter Ducks Unlimited Fundraiser Banquet, Taylor. For reservations,
october 2015
OCTOBER 10, 17,
Two Hour – Ranger Guided Canoe Trip,
Martin Dies Jr. State Park, Jasper. Join
a ranger for a fun paddling adventure.
Sign up for the $15 Ranger guided
two-hour canoe trip. This trip includes
basic canoeing instruction, and allows
you to discover one of the great paddling trails that the park offers. We will
be meeting on the Walnut Ridge Unit
where our canoes are located. 9:00
a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Call ahead to sign up
at our park’s headquarters’ building at
(409) 384-5231.
OCTOBER 15,
Killeen/Fort Hood Chapter Ducks Unlimited Fundraiser Banquet, Fort Hood.
Call (254) 258-2655.
OCTOBER 15,
Baytown Chapter Ducks Unlimited
Fundraiser Banquet, Baytown . Call
(832) 514-9010.
OCTOBER 15,
Burnet County Chapter Mule Deer
Foundation Fundraiser Banquet, Marble Falls. Call (214) 449-5824.
OCTOBER 16,
SFA Gobbling Jakes Chapter National
Wild Turkey Federation Fundraiser
Banquet, Nacogdockes. Call (512)
734-1259.
OCTOBER 16,
Arlington Chapter Ducks Unlimited
Fundraiser Banquet, Arlington. Call
(214) 641-8097.
OCTOBER 17,
Go FISH! Learn to Fish Event, Cedar
Hills State Park, Jasper. Youth and
adults can learn the basics of fishing.
Families can learn the basics of fishing
through fun, hands-on activities. Do
some art with Fish Prints, learn to cast
and how to assemble fishing tackle,
take away a fishing fun pack and enter
the drawing for door prizes. Equipment
and bait provided or bring your own.
No license necessary. Adults must
accompany children. Bring sun protection and water. Registration and start
time is 9:00 A.M. For more information
call (972) 900-1296
october 2015
OCTOBER 17,
Rockport-Fulton Chapter Ducks Unlimited Fundraiser Banquet, Rockport. Call
(361) 463-6934.
OCTOBER 20,
Hunters Seminar, Mt. Pleasant. Free
Annual Event Call (903) 285-0081.
OCTOBER 22,
Rio Grande Valley Chapter Ducks Unlimited Fundraiser Banquet, Harlingen.
Call (956) 792-6342.
OCTOBER 22,
Fort Bend County Chapter Ducks
Unlimited Fundraiser Banquet, Rosenberg. Call (832) 309-5234.
OCTOBER 22,
Odessa Chapter Mule Deer Foundation
Fundraiser Banquet, Lubbock. Call
(970) 846-5489.
OCTOBER 24-25,
South Zone Duck: Youth season. For
more information refer to TPWD Outdoor Annual, or call (800) 792-1112.
OCTOBER 24-25,
High Plains Mallard Management Unit:
Youth season. For more information
(800) 792-1112.
OCTOBER 29,
Falls County Chapter Ducks Unlimited
Fundraiser Banquet, Marlin. Call (254)
366-3511.
Special Youth Only Whitetail Deer Season, Counties where a whitetail deer
season occurs, Statewide. For more
Special Youth Only Rio Grande Turkey
Season, Counties where a Rio Grande
turkey season occurs, Statewide. For
more information consult the TPWD
Outdoor Annual, web-site, or call (800)
792-1112
OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 1,
North Zone Duck: Youth season. For
more information refer to TPWD Outdoor Annual, or call (800) 792-1112.
OCTOBER 31-NOVEMBER 1,
High Plains Mallard Management Unit:
Regular season, first split. For more
Annual, or call (800) 792-1112
OCTOBER 31- JANUARY 31 1, 2016,
Light and Dark Geese season, West
Zone, 151 counties. For more information consult the TPWD Outdoor
OCTOBER 31- JANUARY 31 1, 2016,
Sandhill Crane season, Zone A. 103
counties. For more information consult
the TPWD Outdoor Annual, website, or
call (800) 792-1112.
Quail season, Statewide. For more information consult the TPWD Outdoor
Annual, website, or you can call (800)
792-1112.
Chacalaca season, Cameron, Hidalgo,
Starr, and Willacy counties. For more
Annual, website, or you can call (800)
792-1112.
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
US TIME ZONES
OCTOBER 2015
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
4
5
6
H3:56A1.6
L10:12A0.9
H4:31P1.6
L10:21P1.1
H4:10A1.6
L10:33A0.8
H5:18P1.6
L10:47P1.2
H4:25A1.6
L10:58A0.6
H6:06P1.7
L11:15P1.3
11
12
13
7
SAT
L1:16A1.4
H6:02A1.7
L1:17P0.2
H9:10P1.9
L2:24A1.5
H6:29A1.6
L2:16P0.2
H10:33P1.8
L4:19A1.5
H6:54A1.6
L3:22P0.3
H11:59P1.8
H3:11A1.7
L9:23A1.3
H1:45P1.5
L8:46P0.7
H3:28A1.6
L9:40A1.1
H2:47P1.5
L9:24P0.8
H3:42A1.6
L9:55A1.0
H3:41P1.6
L9:55P1.0
1
L4:35P0.4 H1:15A1.8 H2:11A1.8 H2:47A1.7
L5:50P0.5 L8:41A1.4 L9:03A1.4
H10:59A1.5 H12:31P1.5
L7:00P0.5 L7:59P0.6
TOP TEN REASONS TO SUBSCRIBE
TO TEXAS OUTDOORS JOURNAL
Fishing & Hunting Times
8
2
9
PACIFIC
MOUNTAIN
CENTRAL
EASTERN
< (+) (-) >
< (+) (-) >
< (+) (-) >
< (+) (-) >
1. On February 28, 2015, TOJ was named for the 17th consecutive year
named one of the top fishing, hunting & outdoor magazines in Texas. No
other major outdoor publication in Texas can equal this level of sustained
excellence and recognition.
3
10
2. A year’s subscription has 12 issues, not something less.
H4:40A1.6 H4:51A1.6 L12:19A1.4 L12:55A1.5
L11:27A0.6 L11:59A0.5 H4:55A1.6 H4:49A1.6
H6:55P1.7 H7:47P1.7 L12:34P0.4 L1:14P0.4
H8:44P1.7 H9:49P1.7
L11:45P1.3
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15
16
3. Both fishing and hunting coverage in every issue.
17
L1:38A1.5 L2:36A1.5 H12:05A1.7 H12:54A1.7 H1:30A1.7 H1:58A1.7 H2:23A1.6
H4:41A1.6 H4:49A1.6 L3:58P0.5 L5:08P0.5 L7:43A1.4 L7:47A1.2 L8:19A1.0
L2:00P0.4 L2:54P0.4
H11:03A1.5 H12:59P1.5 H2:24P1.6
H10:59P1.7
L6:21P0.6 L7:30P0.7 L8:34P0.8
18
19
H2:47A1.6
L8:58A0.7
H3:38P1.8
L9:33P1.0
H3:12A1.6
L9:40A0.4
H4:45P1.9
L10:28P1.1
25
26
20
21
22
23
24
H3:38A1.6 H4:05A1.7 L12:17A1.4 L1:16A1.5 L2:34A1.5
L10:24A0.2 L11:11A0.1 H4:33A1.7 H5:01A1.6 H5:25A1.6
H5:49P2.0 H6:51P2.0 L11:59A0.0 L12:49P0.0 L1:43P0.1
L11:22P1.3
H7:55P2.0 H9:01P1.9 H10:10P1.8
27
28
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4. Covers Texas like it should be covered with timely reports from
the field and on the water.
30
120°
115°
31
110°
105°
100°
95°
90°
85°
80°
5. Proven solunar table of major and minor feeding periods of the day..
75°
OCTOBER 2015
6. Tide table with adjustments for the entire Texas coast.
NOVEMBER 2015
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
H12:37A1.6
L7:33A1.1
H11:44A1.3
L6:22P0.8
H12:58A1.5
L7:51A0.9
H1:05P1.3
L7:15P0.9
H1:15A1.5
L8:07A0.8
H2:09P1.4
L7:59P1.0
H2:28A1.5
L9:58A0.1
H5:55P1.6
L10:31P1.3
H2:38A1.5
L10:30A0.1
H6:41P1.6
L11:04P1.4
H2:43A1.5
L11:06A0.0
H7:31P1.6
L11:42P1.4
1
2
3
4
H1:30A1.5
L8:24A0.6
H3:01P1.5
L8:34P1.1
H1:45A1.5
L8:42A0.5
H3:47P1.5
L9:03P1.3
H2:01A1.5
L9:04A0.3
H4:29P1.6
L9:31P1.2
H2:15A1.5
L9:30A0.2
H5:11P1.6
L10:00P1.3
8
9
10
11
5
12
7. Written by top writers that have etched their names in the record books.
SAT
L1:41P0.2 L2:47P0.4 L4:00P0.5 H12:07A1.6
L7:17A1.2
H10:20P1.8 H11:22P1.7
H9:59A1.3
L5:15P0.7
6
13
8. TOJ tells you where to go, what to expect when you get there and
how to do it a little bit better.
7
9. Covers the Texas outdoors and outdoors interests of Texans.
14
10. Every cover is a work of art.
18
Times are for Galveston, Galveston Channel
TIME DIFFERENCES
Calcasieu Pass, Louisiana
Sabine Pass Lighthouse
Sabine Pass Jetty
Sabine Pass
Mesquite Point, Sabine Pass
Galveston Bay ent. south jetty
Port Bolivar
Galveston Bay
Texas City, Turning Basin
Eagle Point (1)
Clear Lake(1)
Morgan Point (1)
Round Pt.,Trinity Bay (1)
Point Barrow, Trinity Bay
Gilchrist, East Bay
Jamaica Beach, West Bay
Alligator Point, West Bay
Christmas Point, Christmas Bay
Galveston Pleasure Pier
San Luis Pass
Freeport Harbor
Pass Cavallo
Aransas Pass
Padre Island (South End)
Port Isabel
+0:33
+3:54
+6:05
+10:21
+10:39
+5:48
+3:16
+2:38
+2:39
+2:32
-1:06
-0:09
-0:44
0:00
-0:03
-0:24
+1:02
+0:41
+4:15
+6:40
+5:19
+5:15
+4:43
+4:18
+3:31
+2:33
+2:31
-1:06
-0:09
-1:02
-1:20
-1:31
-1:45
-0:42
Tidal adjustments are not predictable for Port O’Connor, Matagorda Bay; Port
Lavaca, Matagorda Bay; and Riviera Beach, Baffin Bay since they are driven by wind
and weather. — NOAA
74
$
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
NOVEMBER 2015
95
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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.
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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.
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Feeding Times by Dan Barnett
17 Years Test Proven
october 2015
Exp. Date
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Tripletail - Inside and Outside

Transcription

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