Fall Flounder — Stick `em or Catch `

Transcription

TEXAS OUTDOORS
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Fall Flounder — Stick ‘em or Catch ‘em
(see
“Texas’ Most Comprehensive Outdoors Publication”
September 2015 / $3.99
Journal
Getting Over The Hump | Cast ’N Blast or Blast ’N Cast
Lower Coast “Pick of Plenty” | First Time Dove Hunters
Best Caliber to Carry | Birds, Baits, & Big Bite Patterns
texasoutdoorsjournal.com
coastal & lake forecasts | tide & solunar tables
FINANCING L AND OWNER SHIP
TEXAS OUTDOORS
“Texas’ Most Comprehensive Outdoors Publication”
Journal
For Hunters . . .
14 A New Beginning - First time
hunters and those with years of experience celebrate special times afield when dove seasons open.—
Bob Zaiglin
Freshwater
For Anglers . . .
Saltwater
18
Bassology 10 Just Fishing —Matt Williams
—Robert Sloan
Texas Lakes Earn Top Billing in Stick ‘em and Catch ‘em Popular Fishing Magazine
20
Just Fishing
30Getting Over the Hump- Anglers
contend with a variety of changing
factors as summer begins to transition to fall.—Matt Williams
24 Just Shooting
—Kerry O’Day
The Best Caliber to Carry
Let us finance your hunting retreat
Lake Roundups — Pros Forecasts
36 East – Matt Williams 38 North – Brian Hughes 44 Central – John Jefferson 56 South - Danno Wise 57 West – TOJ Staff
57 High Plains – TOJ Staff
FINANCING
Rural Land
Homes
Farms & Ranches
Livestock & Equipment
Operating Capital
Improvements
Agribusiness
60 Tackle Tips & Techniques
—Danno Wise
Fall Transition to Shallow Water Fishing
62Field Tips & Techniques—
Nate Skinner & Danno Wise
Early Season Teal Tips
SERVICES
Real Estate Appraisal
Crop Insurance
Leasing
877.944.5500 | CapitalFarmCredit.com
54
Guns N Stuff
—Harold Gunn
Dove Season Guns and Gear
proud member of the Farm Credit System
For Everyone . . .
On the Cover . . .
4Editor’s Insight – Bill L. Olson
6 TOJ Notebook – TOJ Staff
59, 61, 63 Guides, Gear & Getaways
64 Outdoors Calendar
66 Fishing & Hunting Times
67 Subscription Information
“Windmill Wingshoot”
september 2015
—Nate Skinner
Upper Coast — Fall’s Birds, Baits, and Big Bite Patterns
CoastWatch – Danno Wise
26 Lower Forecast
28 Middle Forecast 50 Upper Forecast
52 Louisiana Forecast
34 Saltwater Journal
—Mark Sosin
Looks Are Deceiving
46 Cast -N- Blast or Blast -N- Cast - It’s a South Texas thing — inshore and offshore fishing, with a choice of dove or duck hunting.
—Nate Skinner
NMLS493828
September 2015
40 Pick of Plenty- Whether inshore or nearshore, anglers have a variety of available species to target in the fall.—Danno Wise
58 Tackle Tips & Techniques —Danno Wise
Catching September’s Spanish
Mackerel
By artist Chance Yarbrough. For
more information on “Windmill
Wingshoot” or other fine works of
art by Chance Yarbrough visit www.
chanceyarbroughart.com or call (254)
424.3171.
TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal
3
Editor’s Insight
Bill L. Olson
BE A KNOWLEDGEABLE HUNTER
The first day of September marks the beginning of traditional fall regulated hunting
seasons that will last through the winter months and into the spring before ending for
the summer respite on May 31 when the East Texas spring squirrel season concludes.
In Texas we know we can hunt a number of exotic or non-regulated species year round.
It is also a time when hunters play a valuable role by buying license, specie specific
stamps, firearms, ammunition, plus harvesting surplus animals as they assume their
role as the supreme predator. Add to this the fellowship/camaraderie, passing on our
hunting heritage to youth/newcomers, nutritious tablefare, support of thousands that
look to food pantries for their next meal, and the shear relaxation of being outdoors.
However, this year hunting has again been under attack by the liberal media and
exaserbated in some instances by less experienced or knowledgeable hunters. Here are
some examples.
At the start of the year, a permit to hunt black rhino was auctioned at the Dallas
Safari Club’s annual convention. The permit was to kill a rouge black rhino that has
been threatening and endangering a local village. The animal was going to be put down
as a nuisance whether the permit was sold or not. The sale of the permit would provide
needed funds to support the management of these endangered animals. At the auction
the total raised was $365,000. That proved to be a win-win situation that removed a
dangerous older animal, raised funds for the specie, and provided a once-in-a-lifetime
hunting experience for the winning bidder and hunter.
This summer the media pounced on a Minnesota dentist for taking a lion with a
bow in Zimbabwe. As of this writing all of the details have not been revealed and an
investigation is ongoing. Preliminary reports that this hunt may have been purchased
by an unsuspecting hunter from an unethical outfitter.
The real issue is that this is not about a single lion, but an all out attack on hunting.
The issue earlier in the year was not about a single rouge black rhino, but an opportunity
by the liberal media to twist the facts, or omit all of the details of the story to misinform
the general public. It stems from the “humanization” of wild animals.
When “Cecil” the lion story broke, local media in Houston converged on a popular
Hunting Extravaganza to ask attendees their opinion on the developing story. Men and
women were interviewed that identified themselves as “deer hunters.” The comments
aired showed these “hunters” categorically supporting deer hunting but rejected the
harvesting of lions. Why?
One would have to assume (which is always dangerous) that hunting African game
was beyond what they understood. Hunters go through a maturation process over time
and this not only includes their skill sets, but also their knowledge of all facets of hunting
including conservation, management and new worldwide opportunities.
History has proven that as long as a specie retains its economic value that species
continues to survive. In the instance of African lion, where populations allow the
harvesting of lion, their numbers have increased 11 percent. Where their population
does not allow the harvest of animals, any taking of an animal is poaching — a criminal
offense.
There are more reasons to support hunting: the preservation of wildlife habitat and
responses to those less informed. Even within the ranks of hunters, be careful of what
is said, and make sure what is stated is fact based, not hearsay that is simply passed on.
When that happens, less knowledgeable or informed hunters contribute to the attack
on a time-honored heritage we so dearly love.
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
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TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal (ISSN 1082-5940) is a publication of Texas Outdoors Journal, Inc. Editorial and
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Parkway North, Houston TX 77043. Phone (713) 957-3997.
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Copyright 2015 with all rights reserved. Reproduction or
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Volume 24, Number 9
september 2015
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TOJ Notebook
Prospects Bright for Dove and Early Teal Seasons
Dove hunters will have more opportunity earlier in the season with dates and
bag limits finalized recently by the Texas
Parks and Wildlife Department.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has
approved the 2015-2016 Texas dove season, including a 70-day season and 15-bird
daily bag statewide, and a 16-day early teal
and Canada goose season.
The traditional September 1 dove season opening day in the North and Central
Zones remains. The first segment in those
zones will be five days longer than last
season, closing on Sunday, Oct. 25. The
season will reopen Friday, Dec. 18 and run
through Friday, Jan. 1, 2016 in the North
and Central Zones.
In the South Zone, the first segment
will be longer by two days compared to last
year. The South Zone opens Friday, Sept.
18 and runs through Wednesday, Oct. 21.
The second segment will run Friday, Dec.
18 through Friday, Jan. 22, 2016.
The daily bag limit for doves statewide
is 15 and the possession limit is 45.
The Special White-winged Dove Area
will be restricted to afternoon only (noon
to sunset) hunting the first two full September weekends on Sept. 5-6 and 12-13.
Hunting in this area will reopen Friday,
Sept. 18 and continue through Wednesday,
Oct. 21, and then reopen Friday, Dec. 18
through Monday, Jan. 18, 2016. During
the early two weekends, the daily bag limit
is 15 birds, to include not more than two
mourning doves and two white-tipped
doves. Once the general season opens, the
aggregate bag limit will be 15 with no more
than two white-tipped doves.
“Age-ratios (juveniles versus adults)
from last season indicated very strong
production in mourning doves across
Texas last year; we expect similar or slightly
increased production this year with the
improved habitat conditions across nearly
all of Texas,” said Shaun Oldenburger,
TPWD’s dove program leader. “However,
improved habitat conditions equal more
food and water on the landscape, which
means hunters may need to spend more
time patterning mourning doves prior to
opening day in their area.”
Duck hunters can anticipate improved
conditions for the September early teal season as abundant rains have filled lakes and
marshes for the first time in several years.
With record numbers of teal expected to
make their way into Texas during the upcoming months, prospects should be good.
A 16-day statewide early teal and
Eastern Zone Canada goose season will
run Saturday, Sept. 12 through Sunday,
Sept. 27. The daily bag on teal remains six,
with a possession limit of 18. Bag limit for
Canada geese will be three and a possession
limit of six in the Eastern Zone only.
“Blue-winged teal numbers (8.5 million) are way above the minimum of 4.7
million needed for a 16-day season,” said
Kevin Kraai, TPWD waterfowl program
leader. “Conditions for teal across the state
are excellent and hunters are urged to have
their fingers crossed for a timely migration
in the middle of September.”
Hunters are reminded that licenses
went on sale August 15 for the 2015-16
hunting seasons and can now be purchased
through the agency’s 28 field offices, more
than 50 state parks and at over 1,700 retailers across the state.
Licenses may also be purchased online through the TPWD website at www.
tpwd.state.tx.us/buy or by phone at (800)
895-4248. Call center hours are Monday
through Friday, 8 p.m. to 5 p.m. and there
is a required $5 administrative fee for each
phone or online transaction. The online
transaction system is available 24/7. For
online and phone orders, a physical license
will be mailed within three business days.
During that time period, a transaction
receipt will be provided via email that will
be sufficient proof of hunting license and
required endorsements that can be used
for dove hunting, though it will not be
allowed for the take of fish or wildlife that
require a tag. Hunting and fishing regulations for the new season can be found in
the 2015-2016 Outdoor Annual and are
available at license retailers and are online
at www.txoutdoorannual.com, or via the
free Outdoor Annual mobile app available
for Apple and Android devices.
In addition to a hunting license, anyone
born after Sept. 1, 1971, must successfully
complete a hunter education training
course or purchase a one-time deferral
good for one license year in order to hunt
legally in Texas. The certification is valid
for life and is honored in all other states
and provinces. More information on
hunter education certification is available
online at www.tpwd.state.tx.us/outdoor-learning/hunter-education.
A Migratory Game Bird endorsement
and Harvest Information Program (HIP)
certification are also required to hunt dove
or teal in September. HIP certification
involves a brief survey of previous year’s
migratory bird hunting success and is conducted at the time licenses are purchased.
Duck hunters also need to purchase a
Federal Duck Stamp.
Rains Boost Lakes, Fish Stocking
Widespread rains in May and June
did more than end the drought and raise
lakes to levels not seen in years. Many
lakes that had been scheduled for stocking
contingent on significant spring rains were
able to be stocked to take advantage of
improved habitat.
Fortunately, TPWD freshwater fish
hatcheries had a better-than-expected
production year for such popular species
as Florida largemouth bass, blue catfish,
striped bass and palmetto bass (hybrid
striped bass), making more fish available.
TPWD has five inland fish hatcheries.
One is currently closed because of water
supply problems caused by drought.
In 2015 TPWD hatcheries produced
and stocked almost 500,000 channel
catfish fingerlings; 800,000 blue catfish
fingerlings; 4.8 million striped bass and
hybrid striped bass fingerlings and 4.7
million fry; 157,000 Guadalupe bass
fingerlings; 55,000 smallmouth bass
fingerlings; 129,000 bluegill fingerlings and
7.5 million largemouth bass fingerlings.
The good news doesn’t stop there.
Spring rains brought many reservoirs
to levels not seen in several years, so the
hatchery fish were stocked into great
habitat. When reservoir levels go down
for several years, vegetation grows up in
the dry lake bottom. When levels rise, the
flooded vegetation gives little fish a place
to hide from predators and, as it decays,
releases nutrients into the water that
jumpstart the food chain.
Water level rises came to many lakes
in time for spawns from resident fish to
enjoy good habitat conditions, adding to
the bounty.
Those water level rises benefit all
species of fish, which means that fishing
should see significant improvement in the
next several years, and predator species like
bass, striped bass and hybrid striped bass
will have plenty to eat and grow quickly.
Information on where and how many
fish were stocked can be found at tpwd.
texas.gov/fishboat/fish/management/
stocking.
If you have questions about a particular
lake, contact information for biologists in
charge of each public reservoir managed
by TPWD can be found at tpwd.texas.gov/
fishboat/fish/management/biologist.
Cover Art
On the heels of a very successful “One Man Show” this summer at the Rockport Art Center, Texas artist Chance Yarbrough
has his second cover on TEXAS OUTDOORS JOURNAL. Entitled “Windmill Wingshoot” it is the traditional windmill, stock
tank and hot shooting action for morning and white-winged dove
so many Texas hunters will enjoy.
Yarbrough captures some subtle elements so many dove
hunters experience — each hunter selecting the hunting spot they
think is best, being close enough to harass a missed shot but still
provide the safety and active shooting. Plus there are the birds
being shot, while other palomas zip by serving as a distraction
or another shot opportunity. Plus while scanning the sky for the
next inbound bird there is always that Texas sunset to contend.
For more information on “Windmill Wingshoot” or other fine
works of art by Chance Yarbrough visit www.chanceyarbroughart.
com or call (254) 424.3171.
6
“Windmill Wingshoot”
september 2015
september 2015
7
TPWD Graduates 23 Texas Game
Wardens and State Park Police
Officers
After seven months of training, the
59th Texas game warden cadet class
graduated on July 28 with a new twist. This
year marks the first time game wardens
and state park police officers trained and
graduated together in the same cadet class.
“The entire staff at the Game Warden
Training Center is very proud of this next
generation of Texas game wardens and
state park police,” said Game Warden Tracy
Davis, Major at the Game Warden Training
Center. “We are confident that each officer
will carry out their duties professionally
and with the deepest level of commitment
and service to the people of Texas, and
their natural resources.”
Following their preparation at the Texas
Parks and Wildlife Department Game
Warden Training Center in Hamilton
County, the 23 newly-commissioned peace
officers were recognized Tuesday, during a
special ceremony at the Texas State Capitol.
“Since 1895, game wardens have
played an integral part in public safety
and conservation law enforcement in
Texas,” said Colonel Craig Hunter, Law
Enforcement Director for TPWD. “We
are excited that this graduation marks the
first academy where Texas game wardens
trained with state park police officers,
and congratulate these officers as they
embark in the most rewarding careers in
law enforcement.”
The graduates will begin their new
careers stationed in counties and state
parks throughout the state.
The duties of a Texas game warden
include the enforcement of all state laws,
primarily hunting, fishing, and water safety
regulations. As fully commissioned peace
officers, they respond to emergencies,
assist other law enforcement agencies,
and work to educate the public about
conservation issues. State park police, also
commissioned peace officers, provide law
enforcement services to the visitors and
users of state parks, and help enforce laws
within their local jurisdictions.
“It is a distinct honor and a historic
milestone for this first group of Texas State
Park Police cadets to graduate from the
Texas Game Warden Academy,” said Brent
Leisure, Director of the State Park Division.
“This academy is widely recognized as
one of the very best conservation law
enforcement academies in the country.
We are exceptionally proud of the men
8
and women in this cadet class and we
have complete confidence in their future
success.” All graduates met the statemandated requirements for peace officer
certification, including criminal and
constitutional law, firearms, self-defense,
use of force, defensive driving, arrest,
search and seizure, ethics, and first aid.
The new wardens and park police are
joining the 532 game wardens and 180
park police officers currently in the field,
and will help enforce TPWD regulations
and carry the department’s high standards
to every corner of the state.
These are the new game wardens and
park police, their hometowns, and the
counties or parks in which they will be
stationed:
59th Cadet Class
•James L. Adcock – Elm Mott, TX –
Maverick County
•Gerry M. Amundson – Temple, TX –
Hudspeth County
•Brent M. Biggs – Kerrville, TX –
Zapata County
•Kevin C. Blackwell – Sweetwater, TX
– Kent/Dickens County
•Mark E. Braddock – Alto, TX –
Hudspeth County
•Joshua T. Bulger – Sanger, TX – Zapata
County
•Brent C. Deen – Huffman, TX – Val
Verde County
•Anthony R. DeLuzio – San Antonio,
TX – Lamb/Bailey/Cochran Counties
•Benjamin Echelson – Austin, TX –
Webb County
•Joshua Espinoza – Graham, TX –
Zapata County
•Jordan S. Favreau – Coppell, TX –
Starr County
•James R. Kilty – Damon, TX – Terrell
County
•Angeline M. Miller – Keller, TX – Val
Verde County
•Shawna M. Poole – Rusk, TX – Webb
County
•Jeffrey J. Putnam – Pearland, TX –
Webb County
•Joseph S. Quintero – Leander, TX –
Maverick County
•Cameron G. Ramsey – Brady, TX –
Brewster County
•Krystal R. Thompson – Olmito, TX –
Zapata County
•Robert J. Zerr – Hondo, TX – Jeff
Davis County
State Park Police Officers
•Dawson J. Enloe – Quitaque, TX –
Caprock Canyon State Park
•Chase M. Harper – Llano, TX –
Enchanted Rock State Park
•Grant A. Klein – Nederland, TX – Sea
Rim State Park
•Mark A. Musumarra – Canyon, TX –
Palo Duro Canyon State Park
Blanco State Park Re-Opened
Over the Memorial Day holiday
weekend, more than 12 inches of rain led
the Blanco River to crest at 40 feet, causing
significant flooding and damage to Blanco
State Park. After more than two months
of closure for cleanup and repairs, the
popular site reopened portions of the park
to visitors on Aug. 1.
Park guests will now be allowed to
camp and use the south side of the park
for day use activities such as picnicking,
fishing, hiking and biking. All other parts
of the park, including the north side dayuse area near the dam, will remain closed
to the public until the grounds can be
made safe for visitors. Due to damage to
the dam the water level is very low, and
is not flowing over the dam at this time.
Due to damaged check valves in the
dam, which resulted in water loss in the
swimming area, Belicek cautioned visitors
to call the park to check water levels prior
to arrival. “We hope to make that repair
within the next few weeks, which will allow
the swimming area to resume normal
levels,” he said. Meanwhile, looking at
the statewide picture, only four Texas
state parks remain closed out of more
than 50 that were impacted during May
flooding events; Cedar Hill State Park,
Lake Somerville State Park (all units), Lake
Whitney State Park, and Ray Roberts Lake
State Park (all units). Damage assessments
and repairs continue at those sites. The
latest updates on these parks can be found
online at tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/parkinformation/park-alert-status.
“While several of our flagship parks
have been impacted for most of the
summer, other nearby parks have been
open and offer a variety of recreational and
outdoor activities to enjoy,” said Russell
Fishbeck, TPWD State Parks Division
deputy director. “For those parks impacted
by the floods, our Infrastructure Division
team has been conducting assessments
and are now in the process of trying to
determine actual impacts, estimated costs
and timeline to repair and make ready.”
More information about Blanco State
Park is available online at tpwd.texas.gov/
state-parks/blanco. .
september 2015
Just FISHING | Robert Sloan
Stick ‘em and Catch ‘em
the lights under water,
sort of like you would
do with a metal detector. It’s a lightweight
pole and is easy to
handle.”
It didn’t take us
long to find flounder,
and lots of them in
about three inches of
gin clear water. Once
you find one, you
spear it in the head,
and while it’s pinned
down you stick it with
the stringer and continue on. It’s easy, and
definitely a wild night
on the water.
Another option
is to flounder gig
from a boat. Flounder boats are usually
Through the fall anglers can harvest flounder by gigging them while wading shallow water or by rod and reel.
lightweight aluminum
November 1-30 gigging is not allowed and anglers are restricted to taking flounder with rod and reel only.
rigs with a battery of
lights on the bow. An
outboard is used to run the boat from one
STICK ‘EM
Matagorda Island.
spot to another. A fan motor mounted
What do you get with rattlesnakes,
“I had an older couple out here awhile
over the outboard pushes the boat along
raccoons and coyotes? How about flounback and they had a blast,” says Larson.
the shallows.
der? That’s definitely an odd mix, but one
“We gigged a lot of flounder. They had
“I run a flounder boat, too,” says Larthat’s not totally unexpected along the
never been on a gigging trip. It was someson. “You can cover a lot of water that way.
many islands out of Port O’Connor and
thing they had on their bucket list. Just
And when you’re in the right spot, on the
Seadrift, located on Texas’ middle coast.
about everybody I bring out here says they
right tide you can rack up easy limits.”
“I’ve seen just about everything you
have never seen anything like it.”
One bit of advice from Larson is to
can imagine out here,” said Capt. Jeff LarFlounder gigging is definitely way out
do your gigging when there is very little
son, as we hooked up the flounder fishing
there in the world of adventure. It’s done
moonlight. All that light will make them
gear. “I run fishing charters and duck
in the dark at remote places. And the way
skittish and keep the flatties from moving
hunting trips out here, but nothing is quite
Larson runs many of his gigging trips is
up in clear, shallow water.
as wild as a night of gigging flounder. Evin the water – as in wading.
For more information on the portaerything seems to come out at night. I’ve
The drill is simple. You anchor the
ble flounder gigging lights, or a gigging
even seen alligators out here. Aside from
boat, gear up and head out. It’s mostly easy
trip, contact Capt. Jeff Larson at (281)
looking for flounder, you’ve got to watch
wading in water that’s 6 inches to a foot
217-0399, or email him at Limitlarson@
out for what might be watching you.”
deep. But the way Larson gigs his flounder
yahoo.com.
On this particular night of gigging
is unique. He uses a submersible light on
CATCH ‘EM
we had put in at Larson’s Lodge, located
the end of an aluminum pole. Just below
Flounder are interesting fish. They are
next to Charlie’s Bait Camp that’s located
the light is a two pronged gig. The light is
not that difficult to catch, and are one of
between Port O’Connor and Seadrift. It’s
powered with a small battery about half
the tastiest fish you’ll find along the Gulf
truly in the middle of nowhere. But if
the size of a brick. It fits in a pouch that is
Coast. Many adult southern flounder
you’re looking for some raw adventure
strapped around your waist. The battery
leave the bays during the fall for spawning
after the sun sets you need to check this
is good for about 14 hours.
in the Gulf of Mexico. Although most of
place out. We made an 18 mile run south
“What I like to do is pull up along
the adults leave the bays and enter the
of the boat ramp, in his 25 foot Mowdy,
a shoreline and spread everybody out,”
Gulf for spawning during the winter,
and ended up near Twin Lakes along
says Larson. “Then we’ll ease along, with
10
september 2015
flounder were sitting
in those wash outs and
ambushing bait fish
and shrimp when they
moved along with the
current.
One of the best
flounder fishermen
I’ve ever met was Skip
James. He had a way of
finding and catching
flounder like nobody I
have ever seen. His go
to lure was a ¼ ounce
jig head with a white,
yellow or chartreuse
curl tail body. The trick
was to fish them with
a dime-sized piece of
fresh dead shrimp on
the tip of the hook.
There is no way
you can talk about the
fall flounder run without giving Sabine Pass
Jeff Larson uses a submersible light on a pole with a gig underneath to go after flounder.
and Rollover Pass a
little ink. Over the past
few
years
I’ve
never
seen a place produce
some remain behind and spend winter
is the way you go about catching flounder.
flounder
like
Sabine
Pass.
in the bays. Those in the Gulf will reenter
On one of the best flounder fishing trips
Last
fall
was
crazy.
It wasn’t unusual
the bays in the spring. The spring influx
I’ve ever had three of us caught well over
to
fish
this
pass
and
catch
a box full of
is gradual and does not occur with large
30 flounder to about 4 pounds. On that
flounder.
Many
were
caught
along the
concentrations like the fall run.
particular day we were in a bayou on the
Louisiana
side
of
the
pass
in
the coves
The young fish enter the bays during
upper end of the lake. The trick was to ease
and
at
the
LNG
port.
The
key
to
catching
late winter and early spring. At this time
along with a trolling motor while pitchflounder
at
this
hot
spot
is
to
fish the
they are about one-half inch in length and
ing curl tail jigs into small washed out
points
of
coves
on
outgoing
tides.
Best
seek shallow grassy areas near the Gulf
pockets along the shoreline. It was very
lures
are
1/8
ounce
Road
Runners
or
Egret
passes. As growth continues, some will
similar to fishing for largemouth bass. The
move farther into bays. Some will enter
coastal rivers and bayous. Adult flounder
enter shallow water at night where they
lie, often partially buried, and wait for
prey. That’s why gigging them at night is
so popular.
September, October and November
are three of the best months of the year
to go after tasty flounder. Gigging is one
option, fishing with lures and live baits
is another.
One of the best places to catch big time
numbers of flounder along the Texas coast
is Sabine Lake. I’ve chased flounder from
one end of the Texas coast to the other
and can say for sure that Sabine is king
when it comes to producing numbers of
big flounder. In fact, this is where the state
record flounder was caught on Feb. 18,
1976. It weighed an incredible 13 pounds
and was 28 inches long.
The best water depth for gigging flounder is from six inches to just over a foot in depth.
The odd thing about fishing on Sabine
11
september 2015
Flounder Bag and Length Limit
Daily Bag: 5/2 (see below)
Length in Inches (Minimum - Maximum) 14 - No limit
Daily bag is 5 fish except from
Nov. 1-30, when the daily bag limit is
2 fish and flounder may be taken only
by pole-and-line; and from December
1-14, when the daily bag limit is 2 fish
and flounder may be taken by any legal
means.
Possession limit is equal to the daily
bag.
THE LEADER OF
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Anglers can also catch flounder by fishing a wedge tail along the bottom of gradual drop-offs.
From November 1-30 taking flounder by rod and reel is the only legal method allowed.
3-1/2 inch Wedge Tails in either black/
chartreuse or chartreuse/pepper.
When fishing the Wedge Tails cast
them out and reel them in along the
bottom just like you would a spinnerbait.
When you feel a thump, set the hook.
There is one big island in the pass and it’s
a flounder magnet. This is where you want
to use 1/8 ounce pink/silver Road Runner
right up against the bank.
Probably the best place to rack up a
few fall flounder, if you don’t have a boat,
is at Rollover Pass on Bolivar Peninsula.
12
During the fall, when the word is out on
the flounder run Rollover is a circus with
lots of fishermen and campers. The unique
thing about this place is that it’s free to fish,
camp and park.
On the back side of the Rollover is East
Galveston Bay. It’s a top spot for flounder.
What you want to do is put in at Stingaree Marina, head thorough the cut and
you’ll be in the bay. The key to catching
flounder here is to fish the mouths of the
cuts on falling tides. Flounder will stack
up in these areas. You can catch them on
Carolina rigs with live mullet and mud
minnows.
Another good lure here is a three-inch
Heddon Swim’n Image. This is a crankbait
that will run about 2 to 3 feet deep. The
speckled trout and striped mullet color
patterns are flounder killers. Fish them
on a slow to steady retrieve along bottom.
Another really fine fall fishing destination is the Colorado River leading up
to the Matagorda jetties. The south shoreline of the river is prime flounder water.
What I like to do is fish the river with my
trolling motor, just like you would while
bass fishing. The key is to fish Wedgetails
along bottom. The wash out areas will
hold some big flounder. I’ve caught them
up to about 6 pounds along that stretch of
shoreline. Some of the best water is along
Tiger Island.
Got questions? Contact Capt. Robert
Sloan at [email protected] or go to www.
luckystrikeguide.com.
september 2015
A portion of the proceeds from each
Lady Rodsmiths sold is donated to
the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
www.americanrodsmiths.com (713) 466-7849
7449 Wright Road, Houston TX 77041
september 2015
Available at better tackle retailers. Dealer inquiries welcomed.
13
A
NEW
BEGINNING
First time hunters and those with years of experience celebrate special
times afield when dove seasons open.
Story and photography by Bob Zaiglin
A
s Texas scatter gunners entera fair amount of water in a small earthen
Mac would have a chance to shoot a dove
tain another dove season, they
tank near my daughter Beth’s house, I was
before the birds get disturbed.
can’t help but generate new
confident we would enjoy some excepAs we approached the tank early
memories while recalling those very spetional shooting.
that evening, several mourning doves
cial ones made in years past. It’s a special
Arriving right after lunch on the first
obtaining grit along the tank dam extime when we exit our controlled internal
afternoon, I visited with Mac to see if she
ploded skyward. With safety of principal
environments and enter the wilds of Texas
wanted to try and shoot a dove. As she
concern, my intent was to set on the tank
where heat and mosquitoes take over.
responded with a quick yes, the excitedam, get somewhat concealed, and catch
As far as the Zaiglin clan is concerned,
ment in her voice and facial expression
a bird or two on the ground, which didn’t
hunting is one way
take long. Birds
our families get towere abundant, but
gether and enjoy
Mac had difficulty
what my daughters
shouldering the
and granddaughters
.410 single shot, allike best. An evelowing the nervous
ning of wing shootbirds ample time
ing ranks at the top
to fly off. After
of their list.
she took a couple
I can’t think of
of shots at singles
a bad dove season
without success,
as they all have
I had to come up
been outstanding,
with a better game
but the 2014 seaplan. This time I
son was especially
told Mac we would
memorable for me
wait until four or
because I assisted
five birds were on
my seven-year-old
the ground feeding
With no down time, dove shooting is especially enjoyable to those youngsters accompanying
granddaughter Mctogether before she
mom or dad into the field.
Kenzie collect her
would shoot and
first dove on her family ranch north of
was energizing, so we went over some last
it worked. Within a few minutes, four
Uvalde.
minute safety instructions and informed
mourning dove were collecting grit on
Like all dove season openers, there’s
her mom that we would make our way
the tank dam when I slowly slid a long,
usually some dove hanging around, but
down to the tank thirty minutes or so
narrow .410 shell into the short barreled
with a large sunflower field nearby and
earlier than the rest of the group so that
shotgun, cocked it, and handed it to Mac,
whom with a little assistance from grandpap squeezed the trigger, interrupting the
quiescent early evening only to see one
of the bluish-gray birds flopping on the
dusty ground.
With her first bird in her hand, she was
one happy youngster, and as far as she was
concerned that was her limit. Watching
her older sister celebrate, younger sister
Madison asked me when it would be her
turn, but I had to inform her that the 2015
season opener belongs to her, because
we will need to perform some practice
shooting during the summer.
Not long after McKenzie enjoyed success, my daughters Nan and Beth arrived
along with their husbands Paul and Justin.
And within a couple of hours, we had
dropped enough birds for a meal, which
14
september 2015
september 2015
With one bird down and smiles on both girls’ faces, the 2014 dove season opener was one to remember.
is always a highlight if not a ritual for the
season opener. I personally may not have
collected many birds that day, but assisting
both granddaughters that evening created
a warehouse of memories, which dove
shooting is all about.
Our experience, however, is not unique
as some 350,000 Texas sportsmen spend
1.5 million hunter days shooting dove.
Each September they exit the cities and
gravitate to their favorite fields and stock
tanks to harvest some five million dove.
And with an estimated 40 million resident
mourning doves, along with a substantial
number of the estimated 300 million
living in the U.S. migrating through the
Lone Star State, Texas sportsmen enjoy a
target-rich environment which will only
get better this coming season.
With record setting rainfall throughout May and into June, particularly in
the central and southern zones, nesting
success has been extremely high. The
same can be said for birds in the north
zone, but destructive winds throughout
the nesting season could have destroyed
many of the poorly built nests doves characteristically build. But even bad weather
can’t prevent dove from renesting, which
they did following the surreal weather
pattern, and based on the number of birds
presently being seen, sportsmen will enjoy
a bumper crop of birds this season.
Mourning doves may be heralded as
the most abundant game bird in the Lone
Star State, but that’s not necessarily the
case for those who hunt in the central zone
where whitewing dove are ubiquitous,
15
Seven-year-old McKenzie, armed with a single shot .410,
eagerly awaits an opportunity to collect her first dove.
16
particularly along the Edwards Aquifer corridor,
which extends from San
Antonio to Uvalde. This
80-mile-long stretch of
agricultural land, planted
in dove delicacies such as
sesame seed, milo, and
corn, not only provides
these plump birds nourishment but ample space
for shotgunners. It’s no
secret that the majority
of whitewings in South
Texas can be found in this
region, attracting wing
shooters from around the
state.
As a bonus, scatter
gunners will also see a
significant number of
Eurasian dove which are
presently considered an
invasive nonresident dove
which is not under the
jurisdiction of the state
game department, thus
can be hunted year round
without any harvest re-
strictions.
This exotic bird, originally from the
Indian subcontinent, is larger, more
aggressive and prolific than our native
dove. First recorded in Texas in 1995,
they can now be found throughout the
state. They are particularly abundant in
urban areas, but in rural areas they can
be found around grain bins or any place
where grain is freely available.
The Eurasian dove may be an invasive
species, but to wing shooters they represent additional birds in the bag. They
are exceptionally good eating, and they
are not that difficult to hit.
The reason dove hunting is so popular
amongst sportsmen is the fact that it is an
affordable activity and birds are extremely
abundant, particularly around many of
our major cities, thus sportsmen are not
required to travel great distances to enjoy
an afternoon shoot.
For the youngster, it’s nonstop action,
and there’s normally enough opportunity
to drop at least a few birds regardless one’s
shotgunning skill. Unlike hunting deer,
there is no down time, thus the entire
experience is enjoyed and anticipated to
be repeated.
For some sportsmen, it’s simply a great
way to enjoy the cooler part of evening
underneath the shade of a mesquite tree.
And unlike deer hunting, every bird that
drops is a trophy memory, and with a bag
limit of 15, that’s a bunch of memories,
and the misses are often as unique as the
hits. Above all else, dove shooting is an
inexpensive way to enjoy quality time with
family and friends in the outdoors.
To the serious deer hunter, the dove
season opener represents the advent of
another deer hunting season. It’s time to
begin weekend visits to their favorite piece
of deer turf either to perform maintenance
or attempt to locate that buck of a lifetime.
And if there was ever a year for those premier bucks to show up, this is it.
Like the doves and quail, whitetail deer
benefitted from the preponderance of rain
that saturated Texas this past spring and
early summer. As whitetails nibbled away
at succulent regrowth, the only thing that
could have prevented them from getting a
belly full was more rain, which occurred
in excessive amounts throughout Texas.
The superfluous spring rainfall freed
the Lone Star State from the debilitating
effects of drought which persisted over
the last five years. As a result, the resilient
september 2015
plant community responded by providing an abundance of nutritiously stout
regeneration that represented both food
and cover. Whitetails in the first phase of
antlerogenesis, or what some refer to as
growing bone, did so under highly nutritional conditions. And as most deer advocates know, a quality diet means larger
antlers. So for those who have allowed
several young deer to walk in hopes of
seeing them with a larger set of headgear,
this is the year for that to happen.
The surplus of herbivory developed
this past spring also provided fawns ample escape cover, forcing sportsmen to
consider an increase in antlerless harvest
to compensate for what is expected to be
a significant increase in deer numbers.
And as deer nibbled away at a copious
amount of nutritious vegetation, male
bobwhites could be heard calling from
high on their select perches. A surplus of
seed-bearing grasses littered the ground
layer maintained these birds in optimal
breeding condition, and as a result, quail
should provide wing shooters some additional shooting opportunities.
Mother Nature remains the ultimate
manager, and she was extremely generous
this past spring, thus Texas sportsmen can
expect some extreme wing shooting and
a superb deer hunting season to go along
with it!
Quail populations, paralleling spring rainfall, thus additional quail hunting opportunities will be
available this fall.
Eurasian dove are not only getting more
abundant, they are not afforded protection
by the state, representing additional tasty
birds in the bag.
september 2015
17
BASSOLOGY | Matt Williams
Texas Lakes Earn Top Billing in Popular Magazine
They say the older the violin is the
sweeter the music it plays.
I’ve being saying the same thing about
Toledo Bend’s bass fishery for quite some
time now. Evidently, so have a bunch of
other folks.
In case you haven’t heard, Bassmaster
Magazine named the sprawling 185,000
acre reservoir as the best place in the nation
to wet a hook for burly largemouths these
days. The official announcement came
when the Alabama-based organization
released its annual Top 100 Bass Lakes in
America list the July/August 2015 issue.
That’s a huge honor bestowed on the
Texas/Louisiana border lake, particularly
when you consider its age. T-Bend turns
48 years old this year. However, it is hardly
showing any signs of slowing down. Like
the Energizer bunny, the lake just keeps
going and going and going.
That’s evidenced largely by banner
sacks filled with plump bass that are
consistently hauled to tournament weighins, and the tall numbers of outsize fish
that anglers have reeled in there in recent
times. The lake routinely produces limits
of fish weighing upwards of 20-25 pounds.
Occasionally, someone pops a dream bag
that is much heavier.
A good example is the 40.45 pound
limit (five bass) that George Herr of Many,
La., single-handedly caught during Many
Bass Club tournament held on the lake last
November. Herr had an extraordinary day
in that he caught five bass weighing 10.97
pounds, 9.15 pounds 8.13 pounds, 6.39
pounds and 5.81 pounds — all in about
50 minutes — all from the same spot.
Just a few months earlier, Tim Reneau
of Del Rio and Phil Marks of Dallas,
teamed on T-Bend and had back-toback dream days of their own. Reneau
and Marks won the Texas Team Trail
Championship in June 2014 with twoday weight of 63.28 pounds. That’s a 6.3
pound average on 10 bass!
Amazingly, Reneau struck bass gold
again on Toledo Bend four months
later, this time with his wife, Judy, riding
shotgun during the two-day Bud Light
18
Team Championship in Oct. 2014.
The Reneaus smoked the 63-team
field with 10 bass weighing 56.68 pounds.
That’s almost a 5 1/2 pound average —
pretty salty on any lake during the fall of
the year. All of the Top 5 teams topped the
40-pound mark and only one team in the
Top 20 finished with less than 30 pounds.
Several factors have contributed to
T-Bend’s fountain of youth. Fisheries
biologist Todd Driscoll believes one of
the more noteworthy is great habitat
comprised largely of hydrilla and
other aquatic plants as well as plentiful
terrestrial vegetation, all of which serve
as a nursery and a playground for bass
and forage species while at the same
time providing anglers with a seemingly
unlimited number of sweet-looking spots
to soak their baits.
The lake also maintains outstanding
water quality and receives regular
stockings of Florida bass from two state
agencies. Plus, it is a huge expanse of water
located in a relatively rural area, so the
fishing pressure is very well distributed.
Some T-Bend veterans are convinced
there are still schools of bass finning
around out there that have never seen a
fishing lure.
Bassmaster Magazine brass says the
ranking process for the Top 100 lakes
was an extensive one that involved
gathering data from dozens state agencies,
consulting with thousands of avid anglers,
polling nearly 650,000 Facebook fans,
tournament anglers and crunching
tournament data supplied by hundreds
of bass clubs and other event organizers.
The final rankings were decided by, what
Bassmaster called a “15-member blueribbon panel from the fishing industry.”
While some of the lakes and how
they ranked on the list may come as a
surprise, Toledo Bend’s No. 1 ranking
probably didn’t shock a whole lot of folks.
Bassmaster says the scoring panel looked
hard at tournament catch rates as well as
increasing reports of whopper bass, as
reflected by annual data compiled by the
Toledo Bend Lunker Program.
Run by the Toledo Bend Lake
Association, the program awards free
fiberglass replicas to anglers who bring
bass weighing 10 pounds or more to
one of several official weigh stations for
documentation before releasing the fish.
The program documented 81 bass over
10 pounds that were caught and released
at the big lake between May 2014 and
May 2015. It is worth noting that T-Bend
has never ranked lower than No. 15 since
Bassmaster began compiling its Top 100
rankings in 2012.
The high ranking has no doubt been
good for the guide business. Veteran
fishing guide Tommy Martin of Hemphill
said he booked four guide trips while he
was practicing for the FLW Tour event on
the Potomac River in late June, not long
after the list came out in print.
“Toledo Bend has always been a great
lake and it has been especially good the
last couple of years,” Martin said. “In early
and mid-summer it was fishing kind of
tough lately due to all the high water, but
it’ll get better. A lot of people are saying
the grass is gone, but that’s not what I’m
seeing. It’s not as abundant or growing as
deep as it was last year, but there is still
quite a bit of it out there. It’s definitely
going to bounce back fast. My guess is
there will be all kinds of grass to fish by
the end of August.”
Eight more Texas lakes are included
on the Top 100 list, two of which made
the Top 15 cut. Sam Rayburn ranked No.
5 and Lake Fork came in at No. 15.
Some pundits are sure to question
Fork’s No. 15 ranking, which is five spots
lower than it was in 2014 — the same year
Huntington bass pro Keith Combs on the
Toyota Texas Bass Classic was there with a
three day catch of 110 pounds that ranks
as a world record for three day events.
The remaining Texas lakes on the list
include Lake Ray Roberts (31), Falcon
(42), Conroe (50), Fayette County (62),
Texoma (73) and Squaw Creek (86).
To see the full list, go to www.
bassmaster.com/bassmasters-100-bestbass-lakes-2015.
september 2015
Just FISHING | Nate Skinner
Upper Coast — Fall’s Birds, Baits, & Big Bite Patterns
Experienced anglers will shut their big motor down well away from feeding birds and use their
trolling motor to pass by the edge of the action rather than drifting through the middle of the
feeding fish.
After the spring and summer of 2015
a one syllable word pretty much sums
up the past few months on Texas’ Upper
Coast and that is WOW. Torrential rains
and flooding along with a tropical storm
provided an abundance of fresh water
inflows to Matagorda, Galveston, and
the Sabine Lake estuaries, leaving these
bays resembling more like brackish to
freshwater lakes with stained waters and
plenty of floating debris and vegetation
for most of the summer. In fact the
running joke during the summer on
my home waters of the Galveston Bay
complex was that everyone was fishing
“Lake Galveston,” not Galveston Bay.
Despite the massive amounts of
freshwater that constantly infused these
bays for months, the entire Upper Coast
has bounced back from the significant rain
events, which may in turn have increased
the overall health of these estuaries. These
waters and the fish that reside here seem to
be able to handle more diverse conditions
than we might give them credit for, and
all this freshwater has brought these bays
back to a true and highly productive level.
20
sustain a habitat for a number of species
to thrive and grow, including finfish and
crustaceans that rely on this mixing of
fresh and saltwater to complete their life
cycle.
In drought years these regulated
salinity areas within Upper Coast Bays
have been confined to waters near the
mouths of bayous and rivers dumping
into them. This year however, with all
of the freshwater entering the bays from
rivers like the Colorado, Trinity, Neches,
and Sabine, this highly productive mixing
of waters spanned a much larger area,
facilitating vast production of both
baitfish and crustaceans. This mass
amount of forage has turned Upper Coast
Bays into a fish factory, setting up some
of the best fall fishing the Texas Coast has
seen in many years, and it all starts now.
From September to December, anglers
can expect upper coast bays to be full of
swarms of baitfish, shad, and shrimp, with
trout and redfish hot on their trail, as the
transition into fall takes place. Weather
changes and cooler temperatures will
trigger their migration towards the Gulf,
The author with a quality speckled trout caught from underneath working birds.
and flocks of terns and sea gulls will be
found hovering over these giant schools
of bait, and the fish that are chasing them
to the surface. The bird action will be at
its best, presenting anglers with some of
the easiest and most exciting fishing of
the year.
Most of the birds will be found
working over schools of balled up shad
or menhaden, or droves of shrimp darting
at the surface. TPWD Galveston Bay
Ecosystem Leader, Glen Sutton, explains
why shrimp and menhaden will be so
prevalent in Upper Coast bays this fall.
“The amount of freshwater our bays
received this spring and early summer had
both short and long term effects that have
impacted the estuaries in a very positive
way,” he says. “The immediate short term
effect of this decrease in salinity in the
upper reaches of the bay systems, was for
salinity dependent species like speckled
trout, to migrate to lower bay waters,
further away from mouths of rivers and
bayous. This gave juvenile shrimp, blue
crabs, and baitfish a better chance at
survival, as many of their predators left
the area,” explains Sutton.
An estuary as defined by Texas Parks
and Wildlife Department (TPWD)
Coastal Fisheries
Biologist, Jim
Tolan, is a mixing
zone where rivers
meet the sea and
dilute the sea water,
creating a critical
ecosystem where a
number of species
will spend at least
part of their lives.
“The freshwater
influx from rivers
serves to regulate
salinit y, deliver
nutrients and
sediments into the
bay, and induce the
physical mixing of
bay waters,” says
Tolan.
According
to To l a n , t h e s e The freshwater inflows this past spring and summer have increased the
amount of forage and the overall health of the Upper Coast Fisheries
three func tions
as seen by this fat speckled trout caught in Galveston Bay.
help facilitate and
september 2015
september 2015
21
Capt. Billy Penick uses a paddle tail or a
heavy silver spoon with a straight, horizontal
retrieve to stay hooked up during the fall.
“Combine this with the massive
amounts of nutrients and sediment
that was constantly being delivered into
the estuaries, and we ended up with a
snowball effect with the result being
a mass production of crustaceans and
menhaden. Tons of shrimp, shad, and
blue crabs are going to be migrating across
the bays towards the Gulf of Mexico as
temperatures begin to drop this fall.” he
says.
When it comes to fishing the birds,
there’s more to it than speeding right into
the middle of the action and casting out.
This method typically only allows for a
few fish to be caught because the school
ends up getting spooked after being run
over.
When approached correctly, many
fish can be caught from one small group
of working birds, and can continue to be
caught even after the birds break up.
Starting up wind or up current and
easing toward the edge of the school and
group of birds with a trolling motor is the
best approach. The trolling motor can
then be used to turn the bow of the boat
into the wind, preventing the boat from
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22
drifting over the school of feeding fish
and spooking them. Soft plastics rigged
on a 3/8th ounce jig head are the most
effective baits and help anglers make quick
long casts to the group of birds they are
approaching.
Captain Tommy Countz says the west
end of East Matagorda Bay should have
lots of bird action this fall. Countz says
one of the most important things he has
learned over the years is to never pass up
sitting birds on the water.
“Some really nice fish can come from
a stretch of water where birds are just
sitting on the surface,” he says. “In this
situation I’ll make a long drift and work
a soft plastic near the bottom. The fish
are there, they have just gone down, and
the birds are waiting for them to push bait
and shrimp back to the top,” he explains.
On Galveston Bay, Captain Billy
Penick of Gypsy Guide Service says he
changes his presentation when starting
to fish the birds and schools of shad in
the fall.
“My presentation switches from a
vertical one with lots of twitches and hops,
to a more horizontal, straight retrieve,”
he says. “I’ll throw a lot of paddle tails
and heavy 2.5 to 3 ounce silver spoons to
mimic the shad in the water.”
Penick says his main focus will be
finding balls and rivers of shad schooled
up on the water’s surface, that are being
busted by feeding fish, and small groups
of birds with just a few diving gulls. “If I
don’t see bait on the surface, I’m not going
to fish the area,” he says.
On Trinity Bay, Captain Tim Young
will hop around from different groups of
working birds, looking for a school large
trout. “Sometimes it takes a couple of
groups before you find a school holding
better fish.” he says.
Young will throw a topwater plug,
like a large Skitterwalk, under the birds
to draw strikes from larger trout. “The
topwater action up in Jack’s pocket and
near the mouth of the Trinity River
channel can be outstanding during the
fall,” he says.
In Sabine, Captain Randy Foreman
uses a great strategy to stay on fish once
the birds break up. “I’ll line up my boat
with a landmark on the shore when we are
catching fish under the birds, and then I’ll
stay lined up with it, even when the birds
leave.” he says. “Then I will begin dragging
or pulling softs plastics slowly behind the
september 2015
boat, as I cover the area with the trolling
motor. Typically, the fish will bite on the
bottom, and eventually come back up to
feed on top again,” he explains.
As summer ends and bay salinities
begin to creep back up on the Upper
Coast, look for fall to bust wide open in
epic proportions. The rains of spring and
summer have created a feeding frenzy that
starts now, and will last for the next few
months. It’s going to be a fall to remember.
Don’t miss it!
Fall Opportunities on Big Lake
Just across the Texas/Louisiana Border
in Southwest Louisiana, Lake Calcasieu is
often considered an extension of the Upper Texas Coast. Similar to Upper Texas
Coast estuaries, Calcasieu received plenty
of freshwater inflows during the spring
and summer as well. As a result, the same
fall patterns will be taking place on its
open waters.
Captain Nick Poe of Big Lake Guide
Service says their main focus from September to December will be targeting aggressive trout and redfish under birds picking
at the water’s surface. When approaching
a group of birds, Poe says he tries to find
areas where fish are busting.
“The fish busting on top are typically
your better fish in the school,” he says.
Poe will throw topwaters to these
actively feeding schools of fish to try and
september 2015
draw strikes from the
larger ones present.
He says he will keep
fishing the area even
when the birds leave,
and switch to a jig
because the fish have
moved down in the
water column.
“I tell people all the
time, I’m fishing for
fish, not birds,” he says.
“The birds can key you
in on the general area
of the fish, but looking
around at what’s going on at the surface
will help anglers find
the better fish,” he explains.
Captain Nick Poe caught this trout on a topwater under
some birds where he found fish aggressively busting at the
surface.
23
Just Shooting | Kerry O’Day
The Best Caliber to Carry
I was about 16 when I heard an
unbelievable shoot’em up story from a
detective friend of my older brother. Leon
Jones told us about a previous case in
which four guys were playing a late night
game of cards when a fight broke out.
It started over everyone accusing each
other of cheating. One guy pulled a 25
Auto and shot two of the players. Another
player pulled a 32 Auto and shot the other
two. The third guy with two bullets in him
pulled a 380 ACP and killed the other two
guys who he was convinced had cheated
him. The fourth player lived to tell the
story.
The detective told us that the 25 and
32 Autos did very little damage to those
who were shot but the 380 ACP was fatal,
it had penetrated the body and mixed
everything up like a blender. That story
left a big impression on my young mind.
The next time I saw a 380 ACP was in a
The legend of James Bond “007” — The Walther PPK, Omega Watch, and quality 380 ammo.
24
movie when James Bond used the Walther
PPK in 380 ACP. I was sold, if it was good
enough for 007, then it would be good
enough for me!
As soon as I was old enough to
purchase a handgun, the first one I bought
was a 22 LR revolver and the second was
a Walther PPKS in 380 ACP. I started
collecting Walthers and at last count I
own six of them.
The original Walther was called a PP
which stood for “Police Pistol”. They were
made for the German police before WWII.
Next came the PPK which was slightly
smaller and easy to hide. The barrel was
a ½” shorter and the grip was a ½” shorter
holding one less round in the magazine.
This was the pistol that Bond used, so I
wanted one.
Unfortunately, the Gun Control Act
of 1968 made the Walther PPK and the
so-called Saturday Night Special illegal
because they were too small. So Walther
then made a hybrid by using a PPK top
and a PP lower making what was called a
PPKS. Being larger in proportion made
it legal in the U.S.
What makes the 380 ACP such a good
carry caliber?
First, it is small enough to be
chambered in any small handgun suitable
for a 32 ACP. The first 380 ACP made in
America was the Colt Pocket Auto which
was a well-built handgun of the John
september 2015
Browning design. In Europe, the same
caliber was called the 9mm Browning or
9mm Kurtz.
The 380 was a huge improvement over
the 32 Auto in terms of stopping power,
penetration and expansion. At the time,
the 32 Auto velocity had less than 150
foot pounds of energy shooting an 80
grain bullet at 800 feet per second. The
380 ACP factory load developed was a 90
grain bullet leaving a 2” handgun barrel
at 950 feet per second. This gave the 380
ACP about 180 foot pounds of energy
which is close to the 38 Special velocity
and well over the 32 Auto velocity and
delivered energy.
I find it interesting that in 1970 there
were no U.S. gun companies building
a 380 ACP, yet several of them built the
32 Auto. Now, fast forward to 2015, it
is common to find the 380 ACP in every
gun shop while the 32’s have to be special
ordered, if you can find one at all.
I have never felt that 950 feet per
second of velocity was enough to make
a hollow point bullet expand. I have
always carried Winchester Silver Tips in
my Walther PP handguns and they have
always shot well and fed reliably. With
modern day use of softer materials for the
jackets and using lighter weight bullets
to get a higher velocity, the 380 ACP will
expand very reliably.
This year at the NRA show, I was
looking at all of the new ammunition
and a few caught my eye. One was the
Hornady Zombie load and the other was
HPR ammunition.
In looking at each round side-by-side
you could say they are the same, but they
do have differences. Both use a 90 grain
hollow-point Hornady bullet, but the
Zombie load has a little green plastic ball
inserted into the hollow point to help
make it feed reliably and to just make it
look special.
The HPR ammo is loaded to very high
spec’s and is made for reduced recoil. The
Zombie ammo will set you back $22+/for 25 rounds where the HPR ammo sells
for $23 +/- for 50 rounds.
So how well will they shoot and how
will they compare to the Silver Tips that I
carry in my handguns? First, in shooting
just over a box of both ammunition
types, nothing failed to feed or eject and
shooting at 25 feet, the point of aim was
right on. I did find as advertised that the
HPR ammo did seem to have less recoil.
september 2015
Left Target using Winchester Silver Tips, Center Target Hornady Zombie Ammo, and the Right
Target produced the best group was shot with HPR 90 gr JHP ammo.
However, there was a huge difference
in accuracy. The less expensive HPR
ammo shot the best group and my
Winchester Silver Tips shot the worst
groups. Now the Zombie ammo is unique
but is it worth nearly a $1 per round to
have a little green dot on the front of a
hollow point bullet, you tell me. The only
problem I found with the HPR ammo was
not being available in the local Academy
or Carter’s Country where I shop. I had
to go online to Midway or Cheaper Than
Dirt to find it.
I want to do a few more tests on the
ammo and shoot several more boxes
before I say this is the ammo I want to
carry. At the time of this article I am
waiting for the 2nd shipment to shoot in
my Walthers to find out.
I can only imagine how well 007 would
have shot if he had had quality ammo like
this. No bad guy or evil world dictator
would have been able to “Die Another
Day.”
30 Years experience in TrophY Deer ManagMenT
Whether you enjoy an
established program or
are just starting out,
contact Bob Zaiglin,
one of the most
repected names in the
wildlife industry at
Zaiglin’s Wildlife &
Resource Managment.
Bob Zaiglin, Certified Wildlife Biologist
830.278.8815
25
For information on guides mentioned, see Guides, Gear & Getaways on pages 59, 61 & 63
CoastWatch
September is a transition month for
weather, crowds and fishing patterns along
the Texas coast. Although the mid-day
temperatures can still soar in September,
the days will become progressively shorter.
The reduced amount of daylight will
begin the downward trend of water
temperatures. As the year’s first few fronts
push through, that will serve to hasten the
dropping of air and water temperatures.
The shorter days and slightly cooler water
temperatures generally kick fishing action
into high gear.
September’s temperatures are often
the right blend of cooler, but not too cool.
The water will be cool enough to increase
fish activity, but not so cool as to decrease
the available species. September will still
see all the major players available along
the Texas coast, including speckled trout,
redfish, flounder, snook, tarpon, kingfish,
shark, Spanish mackerel and mangrove
snapper.
An added bonus for fishermen in
September is the drastic reduction in
crowd size. The beach-going and water
sport crowds are almost nonexistent in
September. And, although the fishing is
often as good as it gets, there are a lot
fewer fishermen on the water as well.
Simply put, there are too many things
competing for time in September, with
school back in session, football season
underway and both teal and dove seasons
Danno Wise
going on. But, those
who find time to
spend time on the
water in September
are usually richly
rewarded.
September is
a month w hich
sees temperatures
slowly and slightly
begin to wane
with fishing action
heating up along the
Lower Coast. But,
despite the typically
outstanding fishing
Photo courtesy Captain Gencho Buitureira Jr.
action, it is also Even though in September school has started again, some lucky young
a month that
angers will get to go fishing with their Dad like Adrian and Freddy
generally finds
Gonzales. The reward is a great day on the water and some nice
speckled trout
fewer anglers on
the bay and nearshore waters of Texas.
Offshore action should still be
This is a simple matter of too many
consistent as well and, barring any major
options. Many fishermen are torn between
storms, seas should be accommodating
football, hunting and working off their
for most of the month.
summer vacation to be able to spend
many days on the water in September. As
the old saying goes, “That just leaves more
for the rest of us.”
And, without a doubt, there is plenty
to go around in summer’s final stanza.
Shorter days, slightly cooler temperature
and the biological clock of thousands of
redfish combine to ensure action on the
September flats.
LOWER COAST
Photo by Bill L. Olson
As temperatures start to slip, fishing action along shorelines
will begin to heat up all along the Lower Laguna Madre.
Po r t I s a b e l g u i d e
Capt. Gencho Buitureira,
Jr., says while September
is a transition month, it
certainly starts out as a
summer month on the
Lower Laguna Madre.
“Our fishing patterns
will begin to change this
month,” said Buitureira.
“But, early in September,
it will be pretty much like
fishing in July and August
- I mean, it is still summer.
For me, that means mostly
fishing bridges, channels,
and other deep water
structure. If it’s calm like it is a lot of times in
September - I’ll start out
around the bridges. Again,
it’s pretty much like August.
I’ll also be fishing along the
Intracoastal quite a bit.
“Wind is also a factor in
September. I mean, it can be
flat calm or it can be pretty
windy if we get an early
front. If we do get some
wind, I’ll move up on the
flats and fish for redfish. We’ll have a lot
of redfish up on Gas Well Flats. If we get
some early fronts, you can get up on the
bars around Gas Wells and can catch some
good reds as well as some trout. There will
also still be some reds in South Bay and
over Mexiquito Flats.
“For the most part, I’ll be freeshrimping, especially when I’m fishing
for trout. But, I will also be fishing some
cut bait. I’ll use cut mullet, ballyhoo and
skipjack when I’m fishing for reds.
“The other things I like to do is fish
on a slow-moving tide. You need some
moving water, but if it is moving too hard
it can make it tough. If you get a nice, slow
moving tide you’ll usually catch more fish.
“I’ll also start making some trips up
the ship channel for snook in September.
You can catch some snook in South Bay
on topwaters, but we’ll start getting some
real consistent action up the ship channel
starting in September. When I’m fishing
up there, I’ll be free-shrimping. Another
good thing about fishing up the channel
- if the snook aren’t biting, you can always
catch some mangrove snapper, puppy
drum, or trout.
“September should also be great for
mangrove snapper. When I’m fishing for
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26
september 2015
september 2015
27
Photo courtesy Captain Gencho Buitureira Jr.
Flounder activity and catches will increase as fall progresses. Rod and Zach of Sweetwater Texas
experienced first-hand the improved flounder fishing on Texas lower coast.
mangroves, I’m fishing around the bridges
and using shrimp or cut mullet.
“We’ve got a lot of different things that
we can do in September. You just need to
remember that it’s still summer. Later in
the month, things will start changing, but
at the beginning of September you need to
fish the same way you would fish in July
and August.”
In Port Mansfield, the guides at Get-AWay Adventures Lodge say there will be a
variety of angling options in September.
During the beginning of September, trout
will still be found along the outside edges
of the grass. As the water cools, the trout
will move shallower. By the end of the
month, there should be good numbers
of specks on the flats throughout most
of the day. There will also be a pretty
good topwater bite during the early
morning hours over the last few weeks
of September.
Redfish will be found pretty much
everywhere in September. Inside the bay,
the most consistent redfish action will be
on the sand flats north of town, behind
the island.
“There will also be schools of reds
along the beachfront and in the East Cut.
September is typically when some of the
year’s biggest redfish are landed.
September is also the final – and
perhaps best – month for nearshore “big
game” action. There will still be plenty
of tarpon and kingfish hanging around
the East Cut and running along the
28
beachfront. Spanish mackerel, snook and
mangrove snapper will also be hanging
around the rocks this month.
In addition to the outstanding angling
action, September will also see the guides
at Get-A-Way Lodge running cast and
blast trips for dove and teal. Later in the
winter, they will also be running blast and
cast trips for ducks.
Corpus Christi guide Capt. Allen
Sifford says September will find him
fishing both Baffin and the Upper Laguna.
“My plan in September is to be
throwing either topwaters or piggies,
looking for trout and reds,” said Sifford.
“By September, all the croaker will be too
big to use. So, if we’re throwing bait, it will
be piggies. But, we usually have a good
topwater bite early, so most days I’ll start
out throwing topwaters.
“I’ll be fishing in Baffin, as well as the
Upper Laguna and Yarborough during
September. No matter where I am fishing,
I’ll be doing pretty much the same thing
the same thing. I’ll start out fishing a little
deeper for trout first thing in the morning,
then I’ll move up on the flats for reds.
“Again, unless we’re throw ing
topwaters, we’ll usually be fishing live
bait. Most of the time, we will free-line
the piggies. But, every now and then I’ll
throw one out with an Almeda rattler and
about 3 feet of leader. If they hit that one
before the others, I’ll switch everyone to
corks. But, rarely do we need to do that.
We usually just free-line them.
Also fishing in Baffin Bay and the
Upper Laguna Madre during September
will be Capt. Judson Cooper of Capt.
Carl’s Fishing Adventures.
“In September, we’ll still have hot
weather,” said Cooper. “So, will still be
fishing deeper water, at least early in the
month. Usually, I’m looking for three
to five feet of water along King Ranch
shoreline. I’ll be fishing the deeper holes,
drop offs and channels. The Land Cut will
be turned on in September, so I will run
down there every so often.
“The main thing I will be doing
differently in September is I will be
switching over from croaker to shrimp.
In September, most of the croaker are
too big to use as bait. So, I’ll usually be
throwing shrimp under a popping cork.
Using shrimp also allows us to catch a
greater variety of fish.
“We will mostly be catching trout,
but we’ll also catch a lot of reds and even
some flounder. In fact, this year has been
a really good year for flounder. We have
been catching a couple almost every trip
in the summer while fishing for trout and
reds. I think it will only get better as we
get closer to fall.
“Also starting in September, we will
be running cast and blast trips for teal
during teal season. Then, we’ll get the
blast and cast trips going again for ducks
over winter. Usually, we’ll be hunting the
spoils islands around the Land Cut.”
MIDDLE COAST
Like fishermen in many portions of
the Texas coast, Aransas Pass anglers will
slowly start shifting their focus from trout
to redfish during September. Big schools
of bull reds will be getting ready to leave
the bay and are easily spotted on the grass
flats. Spoons, topwaters and soft-plastics
can all be used to sight-cast to schools
of reds.
Those wishing to anchor down can
september 2015
also consistently get good action throwing
either cut piggy perch or live finger mullet.
Redfish will certainly be the focus of
September, particularly as the month
wears on.
But, there will still be decent trout
fishing to be had. Early in September,
anglers can expect a continuation of
the summer trout pattern experienced
in August — specks will be holding on
the outside edges and channels, as well
as over the reefs in Aransas Bay. As the
month wears on and the year’s first few
fronts push through, expect more trout
to show up along the shorelines and over
the shallow flats.
Rockport guide Capt. Jay Nichols of
Just Add Water Guide Service says this
September may have some surprises in
store.
“The patterns have been a lot different
this year,” said Nichols. “The tides are a lot
lower than usual. Which, I don’t know if
that is because the Cedar Bayou opening
or what has caused that. And, of course, we
had a lot of fresh water come down earlier
in the summer. So, to some extent, it will
pretty much be day-by-day.
“But, if things return to normal, I will
be fishing in the flats looking for reds
targeting sand pockets with live or cut
finger mullet. If we’re using artificials,
we’ll drift the flats and work jerkbaits.
Usually I throw darker colors. A new one
I’m using right now is the Mississippi
Hippie Bass Assassin. just rig it with 5/0
Kahle hook and either sight-cast to fish or
work it through the potholes. Sometimes
I’ll throw silver or gold spoons if we’re
drifting, but most of the time it will be
soft-plastic jerkbaits.
“We will still have some decent trout
fishing in September. But for, what my
clients like to do, is spend most of August
and September hunting for redfish.”
Port O’Connor guide Capt. John
Frankson says September is a fairly diverse
month when it comes to fishing in the
POC area.
“In September, if the conditions are
right, I’ll usually start out at the jetties,”
said Frankson. “We’ll have a lot of bull
redfish around the jetties in September.
Usually, I’ll use live shrimp. A lot of folks
use mullet or cut shad for these bull reds,
but I just stick with shrimp.
“The reason is, I may not stay at the
jetties all day. I can usually catch plenty of
bull reds on shrimp and then, if I move
september 2015
into the bay, I can
use those same
shrimp for trout
or reds in the bay.
So, basically, it just
makes things a lot
simpler.
“I will still be
fishing the wells
over near Palacios
for trout in
September. And,
I’ll fish around
Half Moon Reef
quite a bit. You’ll
actually pick up a
pretty good mix
of trout and reds
around Half Moon
Reef that time of
year.
“We’ll also still
be doing some
wadefishing, so
we’ l l b e d o i n g
a little bit of
ever ything in
September.”
TOJ’s Upper Coast Editor Captain Nate Skinner experienced some of
the good topwater action near the Land Cut while fishing with Captain
Allen Sifford.
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29
I
Some experts believe it’s a feel good
thing. Others contend the aggressive
behavior occurs because the fish can sense
the changing seasons. With winter just
around the corner, they say fall triggers
bass to gorge themselves to stack on a
little extra body fat before the colder and
nastier weather of winter arrives.
That’s all encouraging stuff to think
about. But until it happens, Texas bassers
will face what some anglers consider to
be some of the toughest, most brutal
conditions of the year.
“September can be a pretty tough
time, especially on a lot of the East Texas
lakes,” says Longview bass pro Jim Tutt.
“The fishing can be really good up north
this time of year, but it’s the tail end of
summer in Texas and the weather is still
going to be really hot in most places with
not much happening to trigger a change.”
Toledo Bend fishing guide Stephen
Johnston agreed with that assessment.
“September can be a really tough
month,” he said. “The water temperatures
are going to be just as hot as they are in
August, sometimes
well into the mid-toupper 90s. With the
water being that hot
the oxygen levels are
going to be low and
the fish just aren’t
g o i n g to b e ve r y
aggressive until we get
a good front with a big
north wind to move
the water around and
start dropping the
water temperature a
few degrees. Once that
happens it’ll gradually
start changing
everything for the
good.”
The Highs of Lows
If there is an upside
to late summer/early
fall bass fishing in
Texas, it is that water
levels on most lakes
are generally at their
lowest points of the
year. In a normal
year, this comes as
the result of limited
Longview bass pro Jim Tutt says the hydrilla should be matted in
amounts of summer
about six feet of water on Lake O’ the Pines by the time September
rainfall to replenish
rolls around. He says that’s plenty deep for flipping’ on his home
lake.
water that gradually
t’s September in Texas. But don’t
break out the hoodies and other
cool weather duds just yet, bass
busters. Summer is still with us, and that
means water temperatures will likely
continue to soar into the 90s on many
lakes before more favorable weather
finally comes rolling our way during the
months ahead.
Fall, which officially gets underway on
Sept. 23 this year, is the harbinger of much
welcomed cool fronts. The fronts usually
start out mild and gradually increase
with frequency and intensity as winter
approaches.
This factor, coupled with shorter days
and longer nights brought about as the
earth rotates on its axis causes a gradual
decrease in water temperatures on lakes
across Texas.
The changes always bring out the
mean streak in Micropterus salmoides
and likewise makes them more willing
to play when they detect something that
looks to be an easy meal racing through
the water column.
30
GETTING OVER THE
HUMP
Anglers contend with a variety of changing
factors as summer begins to transition to fall.
Story and photography by Matt Williams
disappears with day-to-day evaporation.
Low water also means clear water.
Furthermore, it reduces the size of playing
field, which provides the fish with less
room to roam and makes them easier
to find because it forces them off of
flats towards creek channels, drains and
ditches.
Low water can be par ticularly
beneficial to bass fishing on lakes with an
abundance of emergent vegetation such
as hydrilla, because it often results in large
surface “mats” with distinctive outside
edges in plain view. In many cases this
optimizes conditions for flipping heavy
jigs and plastics to get at fish that are using
the dense canopies for shade and cover to
wage war on suspecting bait fish.
Anything But Normal
Everyone knows this year has been
september 2015
anything but normal across much of the
state. Many areas received record amounts
of rainfall in May and June, causing some
reservoirs to climb several feet above
normal at a time of year when water levels
usually begin to plummet. In many cases
the high water meant muddy water, which
in turn prevented the critical sunlight that
spurs hydrilla growth from penetrating
the water column sufficiently.
The high water stunted the summer
growth of hydrilla on two of East Texas’
most famous grass lakes in Toledo Bend
and Sam Rayburn so badly that some
experts don’t believe vertical fishing will
be much of a player on either lake this fall.
“I haven’t seen a stitch of hydrilla on
Toledo Bend since early June,” fishing
guide Stephen Johnston said in a late July
interview. “There is plenty of milfoil out
september 2015
there, but these Florida strain bass just
don’t like it like they do hydrilla. I just
don’t look for flipping to be much of a
factor over here this fall.”
The hydrilla also took a hit on Sam
Rayburn, Nacogdoches and a number
of other East Texas lakes where it has a
history of matting in water depths beyond
10 feet deep. One East Texas lake where the
grass still appears to be in decent shape is
Lake O’ the Pines near Longview.
“It should be matted in about six
feet of water by the time September rolls
around,” Tutt said. “That’s not that deep,
but it’s plenty deep to have a good flippin’
bite on ‘Pines.”
Tutt pointed out that September also
can be good time to scratch the surface
around shallow vegetation as big summer
bass often gravitate to shoreline cover to
seek shelter during the blazing Texas heat.
Two of his favorite baits around
scattered patches of hydrilla, torpedo
grass, pond weed and lily pads are a
Stanley Ribbit and Heddon Zara Spook.
A hollow body frog like the Spro Bronzeye
gets the call around dense slip of thick
stands of lily pads where a stop and go
retrieve is the order of the day.
Current Issues
Current is almost always a factor
during the summer months on Tennessee
River impoundments like Kentucky Lake,
Pickwick and a host of others. When
controlling authorities open flood gates
to allow water to pass to control water
levels or generate electricity it creates
a current in the water that tells bass to
move to points, underwater ridges and
other structure to feed. They typically
31
The Stanley Ribbit Frog can be deadly medicine on bass holed up around shallow weed beds
and lily pads.
set up downstream from the current —
sometimes behind a lone stump, rock or
something else that breaks the flow — to
wait for baitfish caught up in the flow to
be swept by.
Current rarely plays a big role on Texas
lakes in September, but Johnston thinks
this year is going to be exception on big
lakes that caught a lot of water earlier in
the year.
“My guess is the controlling authorities
are going to be pulling a lot of water in
September to try to get these lakes down
to winter pool,” Johnston said. “It hasn’t
happened in a long time. But with the
grass gone on Toledo Bend I think the
current is going to be a big factor. It’ll
be happening on Texoma and any other
lake they are trying to pull down. The
fish will just roam around with the bait
and the fishing will be pretty darned
tough until they start pulling current.
Once that happens the bass will group
up and position themselves so they are
easier to catch. You need to keep tabs on
the generation schedule and be out there
when it is happening.”
One of Johnston’s favorite baits to
throw when fishing current is a deep
diving crankbait like a shad pattern
Norman DD22 or a Strike King 6XD, 8XD
or 10XD, depending the depth at which
the fish are positioned. He also likes a 3/4
or 1-ounce football jig and a Texas rig
32
worm that is plum or red bug in color.
Checking Thermocline
No matter what lake you are fishing
during the summer months, Johnston
says it is important to keep close check
on the thermocline. The thermocline is
basically the dividing line in the water
column where oxygen content goes from
rich to poor. Well tuned electronics will
usually distinguish the thermocline as a
faint black line on the screen.
“You always need to start at water
depths that are above the thermocline,”
Johnston said. “Anything below the
thermocline is void of sufficient oxygen.
It’s like the dead zone down there.”
The guide pointed out that the depth
of the thermocline can vary from one
lake to the next. It’s also possible to have
more than one thermocline on the same
body of water.
“On a big lake like Toledo Bend it is
not uncommon to find the thermocline
at several different depths, depending on
the area of lake you are in,” Johnston said.
“It might be at 17 feet up north, 22 feet at
mid-lake and 26 feet down south. Always
keep an eye on the thermocline anytime
you are moving around and always fish
above it.”
Back to School
School bass are usually a pretty reliable
option this time of year. The fish are
generally small in size, but they have huge
attitudes and aggressive tendencies as they
herd and chase hapless groups of shad to
the surface to feed on them at will. Toss
a chrome topwater bait or small Rat-LTrap amongst a group feeding schoolies
and there is a pretty good chance it will
get hammered.
Late summer/early fall schooling
activity is triggered largely by dwindling
oxygen levels in deep water. As oxygen
levels decline, the shad move into the
upper water column, often times creating
dimples on the surface that can be seen
with the naked eye on a windless summer
day.
Most schooling activity occurs
intermittently during the course of the
day, often in relation to some sort of
structure such as a creek channel, hump
or underwater ridge. The killing sprees
can last anywhere from a few seconds to
several minutes.
Proper boat positioning is of the
essence to score when school fish are
active. One of the most common mistakes
anglers make when going after school bass
is moving too close with the outboard
engine running which invariably spooks
the fish. If you spot an active school, kill
the big engine 75-100 yards out and close
the gap with the trolling motor. The idea
is to move just close enough that you can
reach the action with a long cast, not to
move right in on top of the fish.
Don’t fret it if the surface commotion
wanes before you get into position. The
action will often resume in a short time,
usually in the same general vicinity. Stay
patient, be quiet and wait them out. It
might be a good idea to fan cast the area
with a Texas rig or deep diving crankbait.
“In a normal year there isn’t any
Just hang on tight if you do.
current, so the shad are just out there
Two of the biggest bass I’ve ever reeled
swimming around in tight groups,”
in were caught less than 15 minutes apart
Johnston said. “But when current starts
while fishing beneath a semi-active school
moving my guess is it will make the shad
of fish at Lake Baccarac in Mexico. The
act different. That could could definitely
first weighed upwards of 11 pounds; it
have an effect on the schooling activity
ate a six inch Optimum swim bait. The
on some lakes. We’ll just have to wait and
second fish, a 10 pounder, jumped on a
see.”
Rapala DT16
crankbait. A
few casts later
I lost an even
larger bass
r ig ht at the
boat on the
crankbait.
Johnston
says it will be
interesting
to see if or
how the fall
schooling
activ ity w ill
be impacted
on those lakes
where current
becomes a
The Rebel Pop has a history of bringing out the mean streak in fall school
factor.
bass.
Check back often for the latest outdoor news
from across Texas, the United States, and
around the world.
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Toledo Bend fishing guide Stephen Johnston says deep diving cranks dredged on offshore
structure will be a big player on Toledo Bend this September.
september 2015
september 2015
33
SALTWATER JOURNAL | Mark Sosin
Looks Are Deceiving
In the underwater world of fish there
is little margin for error. Every fish must
cope with enemies lurking below and
above the surface, and every fish must feed
successfully if it is to survive. Coloration
and camouflage protect fish from their
enemies and give them an advantage in
ambushing prey.
Look down on a body of water from
above and it appears dark no matter how
clear it is. From the depths, however,
the water appears bright against the sky.
That’s the reason for countershading
and why just about every species of
fish is dark on top and light on the
bottom. Countershading also removes
any appearance of dimension, causing the
fish to look flat rather than solid.
Many species use color patterning for
concealment. This type of camouflage is
often called disruptive coloration because
the pattern disrupts an observer’s view of
the fish. Species that live around structure
such as groupers have a camouflage
system that simply breaks up the body
image, since the background is laced with
broken forms, irregular shadings, and
shifting shadows.
Some saltwater species have evolved
striking patterns of color on their upper
sides. Ripples on the surface of the water
break up the sun’s rays and transform
them into patterns of shimmering light
34
and shadow.
For deceptive
camouflage,
these patterns are
matched by the
various rippled
bars, spots, or
stripes on such
species as Spanish
mackerel, little
tuna, bonito,
and wahoo. The
prize for the most
rippled design
Photo by Bill L. Olson
goes to the Atlantic
If you’ve stalked the tackle-busting tarpon on the shallow flats, no
mackerel.
one need tell you how effective a silver body can be when it comes to
T h e m o s t camouflage. The reflection from the bottom on the silver simply makes
the fish vanish.
bizarre and striking
home grounds against threats from their
color patterns are found on tropical reef
own species. They will also drive off
fishes. Most reef fish feed by browsing
similarly colored fish of a different species,
on plant life, gulping fry, or attacking
but seldom bother with fish of different
small shellfish, so they don’t really need
color patterns that happen to stray in
camouflage for ambush purposes. The
their territory.
reef is a patchwork of caves and niches.
The majority of open water fish are
During the daylight hours, small fish find
silver colored beneath a dark upper surface.
protection in these places and don’t need
The dark top is certainly understandable
the benefit of coloration for concealment.
as protection from predators above, but
The water is so clear that these fish can
the silver sides would seem a poor defense.
see predators coming far enough away to
Actually, the silver pigment cells (called
run for cover.
iridocytes) reflect the surrounding colors
The bright colors on reef species are
of the water and the bottom. It’s almost
used primarily for identification. They
like hiding behind a mirror, because what
are territorial by nature and guard their
september 2015
you see is a reflection of the water. If
you’ve stalked the glamorous bonefish or
the tackle-busting tarpon on the shallow
flats, no one need tell you how effective
a silver body can be when it comes to
camouflage. The reflection from the
bottom on the silver simply makes the
fish vanish.
Concealment is only one benefit of
color patterning. Another is advertisement
either as a warning or for signaling. What
better way to recognize their own kind
for schooling and breeding than through
recognizable color patterns? Even if
concealment is the primary reason for
color patterns, there is usually a bright
colored signal marking somewhere on the
body. The cleverest arrangement is to have
these markings on the fins so that they can
be retracted for concealment.
In addition to their permanent color
patterns, most species exhibit momentary
intensities of color that can be highly
significant to the fisherman skilled in
recognizing these signs. For example,
excitement causes the sides of billfish
to brighten as if a neon sign had been
turned on. Tease a billfish or pull a bait
by it and you are likely to see this color
change. Anglers refer to it as “lighting
up.” Other species exhibit different signs
of excitement. Amberjack have a short
fuse when it comes to chasing a bait or
lure. If you tease the fish for a moment
or two, a dark stripe will run through the
eye of the fish. The more excited it gets,
the darker the stripe will be.
There is a correlation between depth
and a fish’s color. Open water fish that
live near the surface are blue or green with
silver sides fading into a light bottom. A
mid-depth species tends to be silver, gray,
or brown, while deep water critters are
either red or black. Yellow and orange
are poor colors for concealment, but the
dolphin seems to be the exception with
plenty of yellow in its body. The reason
is simple. Dolphin tend to lurk around
floating debris, weed lines, and brown
logs.
Solidly colored fish are by far the
exception. Most species are countershaded
to some degree, being dark on top and
light underneath. Almost all have some
color markings no matter how faint or
small. Spotting a fish that is underwater
takes practice and experience. The more
you do it, the better you become. Like
anything else, the skill doesn’t come
september 2015
naturally and must be learned.
Ver y few ang lers can see fish
underwater without the benefit of
polarized sunglasses. They will help to
eliminate the glare even on cloudy and
overcast days and when it is raining.
My Costas hang around my neck from
daybreak to dark.
If possible you should have the sun
at your back so you can benefit from the
penetrating rays. Think of the water’s
surface as a windowpane and look right
through it as if it weren’t there. It’s like
driving a car. You don’t see the car’s
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windshield because you are focusing on
the road ahead. Altitude is also important.
The higher you are above the water, the
better you can see into it. An angler
standing on the bow of a skiff can see
much better than someone sitting down.
Your eyes should scan the water
constantly even if it is too deep or too
dark to see very far into it. There are also
surface signs that could indicate fish.
Constantly searching for fish, watching
trolled baits, or scanning the water
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35
Lake Roundup
EAST TEXAS
By Matt Williams
NACOGDOCHES — Lake Nacogdoches
came into August in great shape with a
water level only six inches off the full mark
and fairly decent water clarity after staying
high and stained-to-muddy throughout
spring and much of the summer. The
only downside is the hydrilla took a hit as
the result of the high, muddy water. That
pretty much erased the offshore flipping
bite bass anglers had enjoyed here over the
last few summers.
Barring any big time August rains,
the lake will probably be about a foot
low by the time September rolls around.
But don’t look for there to be any drastic
changes in the fishing patterns anytime
soon. The dog days of summer are still
very much with us.
Bass anglers should still be able to
pick up some fish early and late throwing
light Texas rigs, swim baits, wacky worms,
Senkos and spinnerbaits in relation
to shoreline torpedo grass and other
vegetation found growing in the shallows.
For best results stick with stuff situated on
main lake or secondary points that offer
easy, fast to deeper water provided by a
drop off or creek channel.
With the grass knocked so far back,
midday fishing will probably be best
around any brush piles, log jams and
hard bottom structure you can find in
water ranging 12-25 feet, depending on
the depth of the thermocline. Crankbaits,
Texas rigs, drop shots and Carolina rigs
will be the tickets in these types of places.
There also should be some school bass
36
beginning to pop up from time to time.
As a rule these fish won’t be big, but they
are fun to catch.
Topwaters and lipless cranks are
among the best baits to throw when the
schoolies are having their way with roving
pods of shad. Another good bait is a 1/2
ounce jigging spoon. The bait casts a long
way and closely resembles a fleeing shad
when reeled through the upper water
column at a steady pace.
Summer crappie fishing is usually
best at water depths of 18-25 feet, often
at night. Most night fishing is done in
relation to some sort of structure, such as
the powerline crossing poles, underwater
brush, or both. Try using some sort of
submersible lighting system around the
boat. Light attracts baitfish, which in turn
lures in the crappie.
SAM RAYBURN — Weird things were
happening on Big Sam as of this writing
in late July. Bass anglers were catching
eight pounders out of flooded willow
bushes in eight feet of water and the Corp
of Engineers was pulling water 24/7 in an
effort to restore the water level to some
degree of normalcy after big rains and
ensuing runoff pushed the lake to 9 1/2
feet above normal just ahead of the July
4 holiday.
The lake was still about 4 1/2 feet
high as of July 22. Provided there was no
torrential flooding in August, the water
level should be back to pool level, or real
close to it, by the time September rolls
around.
What will that mean for early fall
fishing prospects?
With the status of the hydrilla still
questionable after the extended period
of high water, local fisheries biologist
and tournament angler Todd Driscoll
of Brookeland is anticipating a strong
offshore bite around hard bottom
structure such as main lake points, ledges,
humps and ridges in 18-25 feet of water.
The biologist added that brush piles also
could be major players in the game this
September.
“It’s still too early to tell about the
hydrilla,” Driscoll said. “It’ll rebound, but
how long it will take remains to be seen.”
Driscoll recommends using your
electronics to search for offshore sweet
spots littered with bait. He’ll probe around
the bait using deep diving cranks, Carolina
rigs and football jigs.
The biologist says there also will be
some fish to be caught in the shallows
around flooded torpedo grass, pond weed
and lily pads situated on points, channels
or near drops that offer easy access to
deeper water.
His go-to baits will be some sort of
topwater early in the day, then switching
to a crankbait, spinnerbait or a light
Texas rig to be fished the outer rims of
the vegetation.
“There also will be times when a frog
will work all day long,” Driscoll said.
PALESTINE — Lake Palestine fishing
guide Ricky Vandergriff is a multi-species
guide who loves bass fish, but also keeps
up with the catfish, white bass and crappie
on his home lake. Vandergriff offered up
the following plans of attack for Palestine’s
Big 4:
Bass: The guide says September has
a history of producing good numbers of
bass, but not much on size. He generally
looks for the best bite to be up north
around grass flats in the vicinity of
Kickapoo creek, the Neches River and
Cade’s Lake.
“That’s where I’ll be early in the day,”
Vandergriff said. “There should be a
decent bite on topwaters, buzzbaits and
frogs during the first couple of hours of
daylight. After that, I’ll move to channels
and fish a jig around stumps and lay
downs lining the channel. The channels
will be in about 6-10 feet of water and the
wood will be about three feet deep. That’s
generally where I catch my bigger fish this
time of year.”
White Bass: Vandergriff says the
whites will be active on the surface at first
light before moving out to the first or
second drop on main lake points around
the dam and Cobb Creek. There also will
be some fish hanging around the old
Highway 155 bridge.
The guide says he will go after the
schooling fish with a topwater or RatL-Trap, then switch to a spoon or slab
september 2015
when they go down. He said trolling with
a Hellbender and pet spoon rig produces
good numbers of fish.
Crappie: No secrets here. Vandergriff
says community holes around the
Highway 155 bridge crossing always give
up good numbers of keepers, as do brush
piles in 12-13 feet of water.
Channel Cat: This is Vandergriff ’s
bread and butter when he’s on a meat
run. He targets the fish over baited holes
along the Neches River channel south of
The Villages. His preferred baits include
night crawlers, liver, shrimp and punch
bait. “Most of the fish will range in size
from 9-15 inches,” he said. “If you like ‘em
fried whole there isn’t anything better.”
TOLEDO BEND — T- B en d w a s
about two inches low and falling in late
July. Barring any hurricanes or heavy
downpours to screw things up, veteran
fishing guide Tommy Martin is forecasting
a pretty decent outlook for a guy who
wants to chase bass in September.
“Once the water level drops a couple
of feet it’s going to start getting right,”
Martin said. “In July, there were still a lot
fish scattered in shallow water because
the lake was a lot higher than normal.
But once the level drops it’s going to push
them off the flats and position them where
they are supposed to be.”
Martin looks for there to be a strong
bite along creek channels and old timber
lines at the north end of the lake. Channel
swings will be particularly good. Best
depth range will be 10-20 feet.
Martin’s go-to bait for probing along
channel breaks is a Texas rig worm. His
two favorite plastics include a Zoom
Trick Worm and a Zoom Ol’ Monster.
Redbug and junebug are the preferred
color choices.
“There should also be quite a bit of
schooling activity in September as well,”
Martin said. “The schoolies usually aren’t
that big, but they are a lot of fun to catch
when they are busting topwaters.”
Some anglers are saying the flipping
bite won’t materialize around the hydrilla
this fall because the growth of the grass
was stunted by all the high water over the
summer. But Martin doesn’t think that’s
the case.
“I think we’ll have some of it,” he said.
“It won’t be as deep as in the past, but I
think there will definitely be some to flip
with a big jig in 12-13 feet at the south
end of the lake.”
september 2015
As always, September’s crappie fishing
prospects will be strictly structure and
brush related. Anglers should be able to
find some keepers along the banks of
Sabine River up north, while deep brush
piles situated on points or near drops in
30-35 feet of water will be the ticket down
south. Fishing guide Stephen Johnston
says the fish will likely be suspended
around 18-25 feet, so it will be important
to use your electronics to determine the
most productive depth before dropping
a shiner or jig.
CONROE — While some anglers dread
fishing during summer’s final month,
Lake Conroe fishing guide Butch Terpe
says he kind of likes it.
“September is one of my favorite
months,” he said. “The bass can sense the
changing seasons and they’ll start feeding
up strong, especially towards the end of
the month after we get a cold front or two
to start cooling the water down a little.”
Terpe says he will begin the day
targeting flooded terrestrial vegetation
and weed beds at the north end of the
lake using assorted topwaters, Ribbit frogs,
Chatterbaits and Texas rig plastics. He is
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37
especially fond of the area from Caney
Creek north to the national forest. Best
depth range will be 2-4 feet.
“That’ll be the deal for about the first
hour or so of daylight, maybe a little
longer if we get some cloud cover,” Terpe
said. “After that I’ll move offshore.”
Terpe suggests targeting main lake
points, ledges, old road beds and pond
dams in water ranging 8-15 feet under big
sun. For best results, use your electronics
to pinpoint underwater brush piles and
work them thoroughly using a crankbait,
jig or Texas rig. Carolina rigs also can be
effective in some areas.
Anybody who keeps up with Terpe’s
reports knows a big part of his guide
business hinges on Conroe’s abundant
channel catfish population. Not only are
the fish easy to catch, but limits are lenient
and they are great in the skillet.
Terpe says the channel cat bite is always
best this time of year around baited holes
along the old San Jacinto River channel.
The best depth is around 20 feet.
The guide baits his holes during cattle
range cubes. Assorted baits will catch fish,
but Terpe is big fan of cheese bait balled
onto a sponge hook. Next in line are night
crawlers, liver, shrimp and hearts.
L I V I N G S TO N — Ve t e r a n L a ke
Livingston salt Randy Dearman says the
90,000-acre lake fished tough all summer
due to high, muddy water. Barring any
tropical blasts, he says the lake should be
coming into fall in great shape for fishing.
“It should be clearing up real good by
now,” Dearman said. “That’s always good
for the fishing on Livingston. September
isn’t one of my favorite months, but you
can still have some decent days if you get
in the right areas and do the right things
when you get there.”
Dearman says he will spend a
considerable amount of time south of
the Highway 190 bridge this month. He’ll
be targeting main lake points in water
ranging 6-10 feet deep using crankbaits,
spinnerbaits and a Texas rigged craw.
Fishing around any available wood cover
will be the key.
“The Kickapoo and Indian Creek arms
will be especially good,” Dearman said.
“Jennings Creek also is worth a look.”
Dearman pointed to main lake boat
docks as another good option. He says
those docks that are located in close
proximity to a channel swing or drop off
are always the best. Brush piles around a
38
dock are always a bonus.
The guide says bass anglers also should
be able to find some good fishing up
north along the Trinity River bottleneck.
Laydowns and log jams found along old
sloughs that stem from the channel are
always potential sweet spots. Best depth
range will be 6-8 feet.
“The shad like to bunch up in those
kinds of places,” Dearman said. “Find the
shad and you’ll find the bass.”
Dearman added that white bass are
a reliable fun fishing option this month.
He’ll be looking for the fish on top and
bottom over main lake points, roadbeds
and bridges in water ranging 6-25 feet
deep.
NORTH TEXAS
By Brian Hughes
September is a promise of things to
come. It’s almost a tease. Like a post-dated
check, it hints at what lies ahead, while
remaining firmly rooted in the present.
Dove season opens and the hunting
year officially begins, but the coolness of
fall is still a good bit down the road. Early
September can be blazing hot while the
end of the month usually starts to show
moderation in temperature.
The fishing will follow a similar
pattern in that early in the month bass,
sandies and hybrids will still be schooling
and keeping above the thermocline, while
near the end of the month many lakes will
experience the “turnover” phenomenon
and it’ll slow the action a bit. Of course,
that all depends on the temperatures in
the later part of the month. It could still be
quite hot well into October, which pushes
back the timeline.
Early in the month fishing should be
very much like August. Start early for bass,
fish on top, then move to the depth of
the thermocline and fish points and deep
structure. Hybrids, stripers and sandies
will be following schools of baitfish on
deeper structure as well.
Night fishing will still be in full swing
for the many species and is still a good
way to beat the late-summer heat. I sure
will be glad when that check for fall can
be cashed!
BOB SANDLIN — Bob Sandlin, is one
of the “Tri-Lakes” (Bob Sandlin, Cypress
Springs and Monticello). It is the largest of
the three lakes, and has everything a bass
fisherman needs. Grass, creeks, points
and structure are all in abundance on Bob
Sandlin, in additition to plenty of boat
docks for flippin’ and pitchin’.
For bass start the day shallow with
buzzbaits (white) and plastic frogs
(whits/chart), around these docks or the
vegetation. In more open water poppers
and clear Baby Torpedo’s are the ticket.
Look around Thunderbird Point, working
toward the western main lake, and the
points between Monticello cove and
Radio Tower cove. The Cherokee Point/
Charlies Ridge area should also produce
fish. Be sure to go back over these same
areas with a Texas rig or jig, and fish just
a shade deeper.
As the day progresses, move out onto
the points into 15-22 feet and work
drop-shots and Carolina rigs. Boat docks
will hold fish all day, but as the sun gets
higher they will retreat to the safety and
coolness of the far reaches where it is hard
to present a lure. This will test your casting
ability, but if you can get a bait in front of
them they will bite.
FORK — September on Fork offers
a lot of options in a day of fishing. So
says Mark Stevenson, Texas Freshwater
Fishing Hall of Fame inductee and longtime guide on Lake Fork. “Start the day
with topwaters across the top of the grass
then work the edges with drop-shots and
Carolina rigs.”
Mark will also start moving back
into the creeks as we get farther into the
month. “Shad will begin to move into the
creeks for the late spawn and the bass will
follow,” he suggested. “You follow them
and start throwing ‘Traps, deep-diving
crankbaits like the DD22 and plastics, all
along the creek channel edges.”
Of course, that’s not the only way to
catch Fork bass. “As we begin the month
the daytime temps can still be in the
hundreds, so we may spend the first few
days fishing at night,” he continued. “Big
september 2015
12” worms, jigs and Kreature baits will
make up the majority of this fishing.”
Dark colors fished anywhere from 12-18
feet and worked slowly will put his clients
in range of really big bass, which is what
Fork is known for.
If you can’t stand to work a slow bait
Stevenson advises, “There is nothing
wrong with covering a lot of water with a
buzzbait or spinnerbait at night.”
Once temps cool a bit the plan changes
yet again. “We’ll start fishing more during
the day and looking for grassbeds to work
over,” said Mark. Any of your weedless
baits such as frogs, spinnerbaits, and
Texas-rigged plastics will work around
the grass. Watermelon/red is hard to beat,
with black/blue and junebug close behind.
Deep structure fishermen will want to
drag a Carolina-rigged worm across the
points, and on Fork you should look at a
10 inch worm as opposed to the smaller
baits usually associated with that rig.
Drop-shotting will also work throughout
September.
Still too early for the annual up-lake
migration, Lake Fork crappie will still
be on the bridges and deeper brush.
Minnows and crappie jigs are the ticket.
Be sure to keep a clear Torpedo, slab
or ‘trap handy for the schooling sandies
that can pop up on the surface anywhere
and at anytime.
RICHLAND CHAMBERS — September
will fish like August early in the month at
R-C. For sandies, use a glitter slab with
a crappie jig tied above it. You’ll tie the
crappie jig one or two feet above the slab.
Use white or yellow jigs. Take this bait rig
to the Pelican Island area and on to the
dam. Watch for schooling action to tell
you where the fish are, as there is no real
structure or pattern to the method.
Hybrids will be deep over structure
anywhere from 25-38 feet. A ½ or 1oz
jig, and large gizzard shad are the choices
in baits.
Bass fishermen need to look for grass
in the Harbor Inn Marina area, and in
some of the coves. Topwaters and frogs
will work if there is grass present. Dropshots, Alabama rigs and Carolina rigged
fries fished on the Oil Field points on the
main lake will also find some bass. St.
Elmo, Winkler and the old pond dams
are other good places to fish these baits.
ATHENS — I was fortunate enough to
spend a few days on the water just before
writing this and was on several different
september 2015
lakes. The most interesting was probably
Lake Athens.
For years Athens was devoid of any
shoreline grasses. A few wisps here and
there sure, but mostly a gently sloping,
sandy bank was all you would find. Now
you will have a hard time finding an area
that isn’t covered up in pondweed and
other grasses. I found that out while nightfishing the lake.
After a fruitless search for some clear
bank where I could throw buzzbaits and
spinnerbaits, it became apparent that I
would have to change my tactics. Slowrolling a spinnerbait past the outside edges
of the emergent vegetation helped, as we
caught a few fish along the deeper edges.
The best approach for the shallow
fish was a frog in watermelon/red fished
across the top. Strikes were explosive and
frequent, although the hook-up rate was
about 60-40. Deeper fish were caught on
a drop-shot and 4” ribworm in red shad.
Docks were holding fish at the deeper
edges and flipping a jig in black/blue also
produced a few fish, but the frog got the
most action throughout the night.
CEDAR CREEK — Athens may have
been the most interesting lake recently
visited but the most pleasant was Cedar
Creek. After several years of drought Cedar
Creek is at full pool and is a joy to fish.
There is so much flooded vegetation it is
hard to decide where to start. Fortunately
it doesn’t seem to matter.
In two days and nights of fishing
we went to several different creeks and
started about halfway back in each one.
Spinnerbaits and Texas-rigged plastics
fished along the edges of the vegetation
produced fish consistently, day or night.
White/shad sparkle spinnerbaits during
the light hours and black/blue baits at
night, with red shad and black/blue being
the colors for plastics. In addition, the
docks on Cedar Creek are perfectly set up
for flipping jigs and Kreature baits. Again,
dark colors at night and watermelon/red
during the day payed off again and again
for dock bass.
We didn’t fish for catfish, but others
staying at our lodge did, and they were
catching limits on cut bait and prepared
baits, fishing the shallow cuts in the creeks.
Many of these cats were what I would
consider trophy fish, well over twenty
pounds. Most of those were thrown back,
with the anglers keeping the smaller fish
for the pan.
PURTIS CREEK — While Athens was
the most interesting, and Cedar Creek was
the most pleasant, without a doubt the
most productive lake was Purtis Creek. A
365 acre, catch-and-release bass factory,
Purtis has undergone a dramatic change
since the introduction of grass carp to
control the hydrilla several years ago. I am
not a fan of this control method.
I have fished the lake since it opened
and have seen it go through several
changes over the last 20+ years. As the
vegetation was denuded by the carp, bass
started moving to timber and deeper
structure, making it harder for the average
fisherman to connect with the fish.
However, at night bass will still move
shallow to feed. Fishing during the darkest
moon phase we were able to catch bass on
several baits. First was the buzzbait. Not
a single fish actually took the bait, but
many would blow up on it and give away
their presence. Following up with a 10
inch Powerworm in red shad, or 10 inch
ribworm in red/black laminate, always
picked up those bass, as they returned
to look for whatever it was they had just
hit. Alternating between a black/blue
spinnerbait and the worm caught fish all
night, up to about 6 pounds.
While the buzzbat never actually
caught a fish, one good bass was caught
on a Hula Popper! I would imagine that
a Jitterbug would work as well, or even
better, but we didn’t have one to try.
The reason I think it would be more
productive is because it can be fished at
a steady pace, instead of a pop-and-go
retrieve like the Popper.
We fished all around the island,
submerged pond and along the dam
and bass were present and active at each
location. The only place we didn’t get
much response was the west bank in the
timber, and I think that was because we
fished that early in the evening before
the sun went down. About an hour after
sunset the bass started biting and I’m sure
had we doubled back along that bank we
would have found feeding fish.
Sandies on Purtis will show up at the
dam during the day. Look for them with
your electronics or simply wait for the
schools to surface. Slabs, ‘Traps and clear
Tiny Torpedos will all work on the fish, as
will the new, smaller ‘Bama rigs.
Yes, September is a post-dated check—
but better post-dated than no check at
all.
39
PICK
of
PLENTY
may push through, September is usually
too early for any really strong front.
And, September is far less crowded than
summer months, offering fishermen their
pick of productive stretches of water.
But, enough about the conditions
anglers experience during September.
The fish are the main attraction and in
September, inshore and nearshore anglers
have their pick of plenty of available
species.
As mentioned early, bull redfish will
be thick around the jetties, in Gulf passes
and up and down the beachfronts. Anglers
fishing the surf zone should concentrate
on stretches of surf adjacent to a Gulf pass
in order to enhance their chances.
During September, the vast majority
of redfish found “on the outside” will be
oversized, with many truly monstrous
specimens being caught every year. Later
in the month, these “bulls” will be joined
by upper slot sized fish leaving the bays.
But, for the first few weeks of September,
most slot size redfish will still be “on the
inside.”
Over the days and weeks following
Labor Day, redfish that have spent their
entire life maturing in the back bays and
lakes will be preparing to move on to the
next stage of their lives. These fish will
be stacking up
on flats and
b e g i n n i n g to
m ove tow a rd
exit signs – i.e.
Gulf passes.
Generally likesized reds will
gather in groups.
Those groups
will merge into
larger schools as
they make their
way out of the
b a y. F i n d i n g
large numbers
of redfish on
the flats is one
of the more
exciting angling
experiences
d u r i n g
S e p te m b e r.
O n ce a n g l ers Schools of redfish in the bays or oversized fish that have migrated to Gulf
find a school, passes and the beachfront, redfish are just one of the options for anglers in
September.
they can usually
the bay until they find a school.
follow them day after day as they move
Savvy saltwater anglers know fall
ever closer to exiting the bay. When in
fishing isn’t all about redfish. And, neither
doubt as to where to find fish, anglers
is the month immediately preceding fall,
should begin looking for reds on the flats
as speckled trout action is generally hot
nearest Gulf passes, then work further into
in September. Over the next few weeks,
speckled trout will be fattening up for
secondary spawn that takes place in early
fall. During September, trout fishermen
will actually have a choice to make - they
can choose to selectively fish for trophy
fish or focus on getting full boxes of solid
keeper size specks. Most often, larger fish
will usually be found along the shorelines
or on shallow flats. Out a little bit deeper,
just about any mid-depth structure – grass
beds, shell pads, oyster reefs, etc. – will
be jam packed with keeper-size speckled
trout in September. So, anglers simply
need to adjust their target areas based on
whether they want trophy fish or good
numbers of keeper-size trout.
Down on the southernmost reaches of
the Texas coast, the less heralded, but very
exciting mangrove snapper run will be in
its early stages. The mangrove snapper run
will be going full blast in October, but it
usually begins in September, with myriads
of mangrove snapper will congregate
around jetty rocks on Boca Chica Beach,
South Padre Island and Padre Island
National Seashore.
Numbers or quality speckled trout, that is the question in the fall.
Although they are not as well-known
Whether inshore or nearshore, anglers have variety of available
species to target in the fall.
Story and photography by Danno Wise
S
eptember is still summer –
make no mistake about it. And,
anyone who has spent any time
on the Texas coast during September
can certainly attest to the sweltering
temperatures usually felt during the ninth
month of the year. However, even though
both the calendar and thermometer
confirm September is a summer month,
there are unmistakable signs of fall in the
air in the weeks immediately following
40
Labor Day. Public schools are back in
session. Hunters have uncased their
shotguns. Football season has kicked
off. Days are getting shorter and, along
the Texas coast, the table is being set for
outstanding autumn angling action.
One of the most popular fall fishing
activities is looking for bull reds along
the beachfront. However, many fishermen
don’t realize the majority of the spawning
size red drum have already made their way
in from the open Gulf by September and
are hanging out in the passes and along
the beachfront awaiting the migration of
mature fish from inside the back bays. In
fact, the stage for this frenzy of fish fishing
activity is usually set in August when
oversize fish begin showing up around the
jetties, passes and beachfronts.
September also offers the often calm
conditions of summer. Though fall is on
the horizon and one or two weak fronts
september 2015
september 2015
41
shallow flats as
action during September. Sure, the
well. These fish
middle of the day is still hot, but the days
w i l l co n t i n u e
are much shorter so water temperatures
to feed on the
begin dropping fairly rapidly.
flats until the
As a result, fish will be much more
first few fronts
active in shallower water through a longer
p u s h t h ro u g h
portion of the day. Fishermen can expect
in October or
a much longer window for topwater
November. So,
action. And, once the surface bite subsides,
inshore anglers
anglers can still experience several hours
can expect
of sight-casting with subsurface lures on
to have a full
the flats.
month of good
While the topwater bite can be hot,
snook fishing in
it is something of a stealthy surface bite.
September.
Due to the typically calm conditions
One last “fall”
during September, “Jr” size plugs and
species that will
other relatively “silent” plugs like Cordell
be getting frisky
Redfins are often more productive than
in September is
large, loud surface plugs. On the flip side,
flounder. While
since the fish are more active, anglers
the true flatfish
can usually retrieve their baits at a fairly
run is still a
quick clip, allowing them to cover a bit
couple months
more water than they normally can with
away (usual ly
topwater lures.
starts after
When the fish quit hitting topwaters, it
Thanksgiving),
doesn’t mean they quit hitting. Through
f l o u n d e r
the balance of the day, fish found in the
will begin to
bay will hit both hard and soft-plastic
concentrate
jerkbaits, such as the Bomber 14A and
around marsh
Down South Southern Shad. Now is
drains, etc. These
also the time to break out the venerable
fish are usually
weedless spoons in the back bays. And,
easily caught
plenty of fish will still fall for soft-plastic
once they are
jigs.
located
by
slowly
Of course, popping corks rigs will
Around just about any mid-depth structure – grass beds, shell pads,
oyster reefs, etc. – will be jam packed with keeper-size speckled trout in
dragging a live
still produce, especially when fishermen
September.
or artificial bait
are looking for numbers around midacross
the
bay
floor.
Since
they
are
usually
depth breaks and structure. Both live
or widely distributed as redfish and
in
fairly
shallow
water
during
September,
and artificial shrimp under corks are very
speckled trout, mangrove snapper are
it
is
much
easier
to
target
flounder
productive, as shrimp are usually found in
hard-fighting and great tasting. They are
than
it
is
earlier
considered outstanding light-tackle fare
in the summer.
wherever they occur, which thanks to
Like redfish,
recent warm winters is an ever-expanding
flounder will
swath of the Texas coast.
be joining everThe mangrove snapper run in
growing schools
September and October not only allows
throughout
anglers to catch more mangrove snapper,
September,
but also larger specimens as fish up to
meaning once the
10 pounds can be found lurking around
fish are located,
deeper jetty rocks during this time of year.
anglers can
Another subtropical species which has
usually expect to
spread across the entire Lower Coast with
catch more than
the recently warm winters is snook. Like
one.
mangrove snapper, snook fishing’s zenith
Regardless of
is October. However, there will be a lot of
species,
anglers
linesider action in September. There will
can
expect
a bit
Photo courtesy Capt. Gencho Buitureira
still be a good number of snook hanging
more
surface
and Another true Texas trophy available in the fall is snook. This young angler
around the jetties. But, September sees
has every right to be proud to catch a Texas linesider.
shallow water
a good population of snook on the
42 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal
september 2015
abundance in September.
In the surf zone, a variety of live and
natural baits will produce good results
this month. Many anglers choose to leave
a large natural bait soaking on a big rod in
a rod holder while they ply the surf with
plugs, spoons and jigs. These natural bait
are likely to attract bull reds, sharks, etc,
while the plugs are cast to redfish, specks,
Spanish mackerel, ladyfish, jack crevalle
and other species that are active in the
first and second guts.
As is the case in the bay, light-tackle
fishermen can usually expect a pretty
good topwater bite early and late. Spoons
like the Johnson Sprite, a traditional surf
favorite, will produce good results during
bright light hours, as well jigs and sinking
plugs.
In essence, September really does
bridge the gap between summer and
fall. And, beyond the outstanding
angling action, another great thing about
September is fishermen generally only
share the water with other fishermen,
meaning everyone has plenty of room
to spread out and enjoy the bounty of
inshore angling action.
september 2015
Down on the southernmost reaches of the Texas coast the less heralded, but very exciting,
mangrove snapper run begins in September.
43
Lake Roundup
in history as I pen
this. Prayer might
be in order.
The rain
brought about
r i s e s i n L ake
Buchanan and
Lake Travis, for
sure. But with the
rises came debris.
Tons of it. Boat
ramps began
opening, and all
are now open,
but the Cypress
Creek ramp
on Lake Travis
remained closed
for several weeks
after the lake had
risen above the
666 elevation
point threshold.
©John and Vicky Jefferson Photography
I asked why.
Lake Travis rose from the death to within ten feet of capacity, flooding vegetation that sprung up during the drought. That
“ D e br i s ,” I
will provide new habitat for fish, and be a boon to fishing.
was told. The
ramp was finally opened on June 25. We
with the passing of the first cool front. The
got there as quickly as we could. There
key word there is “usually” since 2015 has
was a floating island of cedar and assorted
been anything but usual so far.
brush about 70 yards out from the
Last month, I wrote that all the rain in
ramp. Miscellaneous piles were scattered
late May and June was welcome and was
throughout the cove. Water was up into
filling our lakes. Then I added this:
what had been shoreline brush. A debris
“And what has it done for the fishing?
line of small sticks leaves and unidentified
It’s a little too early to tell, but a lot – read
trash along the shore extended about six
that a heckuva lot — of vegetation got
feet out into the cove. It was thick enough
flooded creating a whale of a lot of habitat
to be impenetrable to small rocks tossed
for bait fish and the predators that live off
onto it.
them. That bodes well for fish welfare as
We fished until it got hot – the weather,
we get into the hottest part of the summer.
that is, not the fishing. Nothing was biting.
More shade from el sol. Cover where a
And it wasn’t just us. We talked to several
desert once stood.”
By John Jefferson
other boats and they said the same. They
At least I hedged my bets by saying that
were just there for a boat ride on the new
This is my favorite column of the year
it was too early to tell what the Biblical rain
lake. We ventured as far up Cypress Creek
to write. It’s September. The first month
bomb had done for the fishing. And I at
as the sludge line would permit. As the
after April that has an “R” in it. And in my
least said there would be more protective
lake rose, the debris was pushed up into
dictionary, that spells the end of summer,
cover from the sun. That much happened.
all sloughs and creeks. There appeared to
the beginning of cooler weather and
The old saying comes to mind: “Be
be otherwise navigable water further up
hopefulness for fall fishing. We’re on the
careful what you pray for; it just might
Cypress Creek, but the Sargasso Sea of
down side of summer as I write this.
come to pass.” Now, before anybody jumps
the same stuff in front of the boat ramp
Unless you’re new to Texas, you
the gun – or in this case, the paragraph –
stopped us.
probably know that we’ll have plenty of
let me quickly say that I’m not telling you
It looked like Port Aransas during a
hot days in September. Toward the middle
to not pray for rain. Heck, we just might be
seaweed deluge, only much thicker. It
of the month, it usually cools off some
in the first 30 days of the longest drought
44 TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal
september 2015
reminded me of how State Senator Babe
Schwartz once described Buffalo Bayou
in Houston before it was cleaned up: “It’s
way to thick to drink, and barely too thin
to plow!”
Then, just when I should have
been working on this column, my
granddaughter and I decided to fish the
upper end of Lady Bird Lake. When the
sun goes behind that big hill on the west
bank, it can get really pleasant, even in
105 degree temperature. That somewhat
worked, at least after about six p.m. What
surprised me, though, was the condition
of the water.
Lady Bird Lake often is almost clear
enough to make you want to take a drink.
(But DON’T!) In late July, it was still
very much off color and had an alarming
amount of small debris in it. That made it
frustrating to try to cast, and at least every
other cast harvested weeds or various
breeds of flotsam. It wasn’t as tangled as
Lake Travis had been several weeks earlier,
but enough so that I devoted the rest of the
afternoon to baiting the hook for Nicole
Jefferson. She caught a few fish, enough,
I hope, to keep her coming back. And she
pitched a shutout against her grandfather.
It wasn’t the first time.
Craig Bonds is the Inland Fisheries
director at TPWD, and says that there was
so much vegetation washed into the lakes
when the rain hit that it might take a while
longer for it to settle and decompose. He
did point out that the matter in the lakes
will lead to increased fish production, but
it’s impossible to predict how long it will
take. As Bonds put it, “Green water grows
fish.” I’m hoping that by Labor Day, the
lakes will have cleared up.
And speaking of Labor Day, be aware
that all law enforcement agencies will be
on the lakes trying to protect us from
careless and often incapacitated boat
operators.
September will find the bass still in
a summer pattern for the first couple
of weeks. The best bet will be to chase
schooling bass racking up shad near
the surface. You’ll see it happen on all
the lakes, but Bastrop, Walter E. Long,
Fayette, Travis, Buchanan, Georgetown
and Granger are excellent waters to get in
on this excitement.
Look for the splashing frenzy during
the morning hours, preferably around
sunrise. It can sometimes last most of
the morning and into the afternoon,
september 2015
©John and Vicky Jefferson Photography
Late afternoon on the upper end of Lady Bird Lake makes for a relaxing time of fishing... and
catching!
however. Throw anything that resembles
a shad. Bomber slab spoons or any other
jigging spoon will reach out to distant
schools and have harvested a lot of bass,
both largemouths and white bass. Tiny
Torpedoes, white Marabou jigs, and
Renosky Darting Shads are excellent.
I’ll also try a Bait Ball this year. It has
a life-like look of two shads swimming
together, and should be a killer when
casting near schooling bass ravaging
schools of shad. Jay McBride at McBride’s
Guns has them in stock, as well as a stock
of stories from fishermen who have
bought them.
Happy Fall Fishing!
45
I
CA
T
S
A
L
B
N
T
S
OR
BL
T
S
A
C
N
AST
It’s a South Texas thing — inshore and offshore fishing,
with a choice of dove or duck hunting.
Story and photography by Nate Skinner
t was hot, I mean scorching hot,
summer during the month of June after
the comfort of Getaway Adventures Lodge
when we arrived in the field.
the strong storms and rain events ended,
in Port Mansfield for a hot, tasty meal and
Tucked up against the Rio Grande
and these hatches continued to take place
a good night’s rest before round two of a
River, I’m pretty sure I saw steam rising
throughout July as well.” he says.
South Texas Cast-n-Blast adventure. And
from the ground as the sun glared off
Oldenburger says that rural surveys
to think tomorrow afternoon could be a
sunflower stalks and the windshields
show populations of white winged dove
repeat — after catching a few state water
of border patrol vehicles far off in the
in south Texas to be up to 890,000 birds,
red snapper in the morning of course.
distance. We were about as “south” as we
compared to last years 600,000.
September in and around the Lower
could get in South Texas.
“These surveys take place on major
Laguna Madre not only continues to be
Taking our time, we spread out on the
roads with most around the US 90
a time for excellent inshore and offshore
edge of the field as shadows began to grow
corridor between Del Rio and San
angling opportunities but it also kicks
and the evening breeze cooled the air, as
Antonio, and then heading south along
off some excellent wing shooting options
the sun began to sink. About every fifth
the IH 37 corridor to Corpus Christi,”
for hunters. With the number of white
row of sunflowers there was a sendero,
Oldenburger explained. “So in fact, there’s
winged and mourning doves that nest
maybe 15 feet wide
a lot of unpaved,
w h e re t h e s e e d
untapped land
bearing weeds had
in between these
been shredded the
m a j o r h i g hw a y
length of the field.
systems that do not
With the amount
fall into the survey,
of seeds crunching
so there’s a chance
under my boots
there could be even
the afternoon was
a significant more
looking good.
amount of white
Loading up the
winged dove within
games began. It
the south Texas
was slow at first,
region, especially
with one bird here
in the Lower Rio
or a single there.
Grande Valley.”
“From the left,”
Rural mourning
some one cal le d
dove populations
out. “To the right,”
have been sustained
came another
over the past few
command. Soon,
years in south
the traditional
Texas at about 2.9
c a l l o f “O ve r ! ”
million birds, and
c a m e re g u l a r ly.
Oldenburger says
White wings and
these numbers
mourning doves
have substantially
poured into the
increased this year
field, diving over
due to excellent
the trees and
production from
hitting the deck
m o u r n i n g dove
Pristine waters of the Lower Laguna Madre are teeming with redfish plus the best catch ratio for
fast in hopes of a
hatcheries last year
speckled trout on the Texas’ coast.
quick evening feast.
and again during
When the dust finally settled it was hard
the recently passed summer months.
in, or migrate to this region each year,
not to smile.
With the amount of doves present
outdoorsmen and women are presented
There’s just something special about
in this area, taking advantage of these
with the thrill of both fishing and hunting
the nonchalant, relaxing sport of hunting
hunting opportunities after a morning of
in a single day. Coined the term, “Castdove. When the birds are present, it’s hard
fishing seems like a no brainer, and Port
n-Blast,” these adventures start with
to not kick back and enjoy a relaxing shoot
Mansfield in Willacy County serves as a
morning of fishing, followed by an
with a few antics and jokes amongst good
great base to center a Cast-n-Blast around.
afternoon spent in the field hunting dove.
company. Combine an afternoon like this
Wade fishing for speckled trout and
According to Texas Parks and Wildlife
with a morning fishing trip before hand
redfish in the area with artificial lures
Department Dove Program Leader, Shaun
in the pristine, salty waters of the Lower
is world class, as the clear waters of the
Oldenburger, bird populations for both
Laguna Madre and a sportsman’s fantasy
Lower Laguna are littered with grass beds
white wings and mourning doves in south
is quickly in the making.
and potholes that might hold any anglers
Texas are on the rise.
At the end of this hunt, that’s exactly
next personal best.
“As far as white wings are concerned,
where I found myself — heading back to
TPWD’s Lower Laguna Madre Natural
we saw tons of hatchery birds over the
september 2015
47
There is nothing like watching a good retriever work, and there is plenty of opportunities during
duck season on the Lower Laguna Madre.
Port Mansfield and Willacy County
along with the surrounding counties that
make up the Lower Rio Grande Valley
all fall within the Special White-Winged
Dove Area. This allows hunters to begin
hunting white wings earlier, the first two
weekend in September, before the regular
dove season begins. The special white
wing season dates are September 5th and
6th, and September 12th and 13th from
noon to sunset only. The regular fall dove
season in this area runs from September
18th, through October 21st.
As fall wears on the buck doesn’t stop
with the end of dove season for Cast-nBlast trips in the Lower Laguna Madre.
In fact, the only thing that changes is the
order in which activities are pursued.
When big duck season opens the
beginning of November, Cast-n-Blast
trips quickly become Blast-n-Cast trips, in
which the morning is spent duck hunting
over decoys, and then the afternoons are
spent fishing when the water temperatures
have warmed and fish are less lethargic.
“Duck hunting out of Port Mansfield
is one of the Lower Laguna’s best kept
secrets,” says Getaway Adventures Lodge
Guide, Captain Ruben Garza. “We shoot
a ton of ducks, and there is little pressure
on them. In fact, sometimes we don’t even
see any other hunters while we are out.”
Duck straps on these hunts typically fill
out with red heads, widgeon, pintails and
scaup, with the occasional green winged
Resource Specialist, Jason Ferguson, says
Blast better than the folks at Getaway
the Lower Laguna has the highest catch
Adventures Lodge in Port Mansfield.
per unit of effort rate for speckled trout
Owned by Houston resident, Mike Sutton,
on the entire Texas Coast.
the lodge’s name speaks for itself — it
“Recreational anglers catch more trout
is a true Getaway. From hearty meals
here, than anywhere else in the state,” he
to knowledgeable and friendly guides, a
explains.
Cast-n-Blast any other way would just be
Ferguson also states that the Lower
“roughing it.”
Laguna Madre has seen
an increase in the average
size of trout since 2007,
when the limit was cut
from 10, to five fish, per
day, per person.
“In the spring of
2014, gill net surveys
showed that 20% of all
trout caught were 25
inches in length or larger.
These are phenomenal
results,” says Ferguson.
The nearshore and
offshore waters near the
Lower Laguna Madre are
accessible through Port
Mansfield’s East Cut.
Kingfish, ling, snapper,
and mahi mahi are
within a few miles reach
of the jetties here.
Not many outfitters
Getaway Adventures Lodge is a South Texas oasis for anglers and hunters alike — a perfect place to slow down,
relax and enjoy the fall bounty that is available on the Lower Laguna Madre.
put together a Cast-n48
september 2015
teal or gadwall mixed in. According to
get their fill and then some in south Texas
Ducks Unlimited, the 2015 duck breeding
along the Lower Laguna Madre. Booking
populations report released by the U.S.
a trip with Getaway Adventures lodge is
Fish and Wildlife Service, shows overall
a must, and the memories made will be
duck populations to have increased by
priceless. I’m not sure what’s better —
at least one percent from last year. Total
pan fried, freshly caught red snapper or
populations were estimated to be at 49.5
speckled trout, or a dove or duck breast
million breeding ducks compared to last
wrapped in bacon, sizzling over some
years 49.2 million. This is 43 percent
hot coals.
higher than the 1955-2014 average.
Try a Cast-n-Blast or a Blast-n-Cast to
This increase in the population for
decide for yourself.
ducks combined
with the lack of
hunting pressure
on the Lower
Laguna Madre will
see thousands of
ducks flocking to
the Port Mansfield
area this winter.
Half way
through duck
season, the winter
dove season kicks
back up reopening
on December 18th
and runs through
Januar y 18th.
Winter dove hunts
can be just as good
as those in the fall
in south Texas, as
many birds will
have migrated
to the area after
several cool
weather events up
north.
Whether it’s a
Cast-n-Blast or a
Blast-n-Cast that
is desired, anglers When through fishing in the morning, grab a shotgun, some shells, and
a stool for an afternoon of dove hunting over sunflower fields.
and hunters can
Special White-Winged Dove Area
The Special White-Winged Dove Area
and its early seasons were created by the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as a way for
hunters to take advantage of white wing
dove populations that may not be around
during the regular season. The area originally consisted of a small region that made
up the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Over
the years, it has since expanded due to
increased populations in white wings, as
well as their increased range, as they continued to thrive further and further north.
september 2015
According to TPWD Dove Program
Leader, Shaun Oldenburger, three years
ago, the area doubled in size, and is now
represented as the portion of the state that
is south of the US90 corridor from San
Antonio to Del Rio and west of the IH37
corridor running south from San Antonio
to Corpus Christi.
A map of the region, along with a
detailed description, daily bag limits and
season dates can be found at tpwd.texas.
gov.
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
49
CoastWatch
September marks the official end
of summer – at least from a recreation
standpoint. With school back in session
and football season underway, it seems
as if summer’s already a distant memory.
But, the first few weeks of September are
still summer and, at times, it definitely
feels that way as September retains Texas’
summer heat.
The fishing along the Texas upper
coast as well as southwest Louisiana can
be just as hot. And, as the month wears
on, shorter, cooler days will also make for
more comfortable time on the water and
allow anglers to fish more hours without
the draining effects of the stifling summer
heat. And, with more activities competing
for fishermen’s time – football, hunting,
school, etc. – there promises to be a sharp
reduction in the amount of boat traffic on
Texas and Louisiana bays this month.
UPPER COAST
Matagorda guide Capt. Tommy
Countz says that says that September is an
outstanding, albeit often overlooked, time
to fish both East and West Matagorda Bay.
“September is one of my favorite
months in Matagorda,” said Countz.
“It’s when summer is coming to an end
and fall is within sight. It also marks the
beginning of schooling redfish. I spend a
lot of my time in September working the
shorelines on East and West Matagorda
Bays, looking for pods of redfish feeding
along the grasses and reefs. For this type
of fishing, you should arm yourself with
a topwater plug and, as the fish approach,
cast just in front of them. When a redfish
is within a few feet of your bait, twitch it
gently and get ready for a battle.
50
Danno Wise
“ I a l s o l i ke
working the back
lakes along the
north side of the
ICW using the
same technique as
in the bays. With
the higher tides
that come around
the fall equinox
this can be an
explosive method
of fishing.
“I also spend
time wading the
south shore of
West Matagorda
Bay starting the
morning off with
topwaters and
later moving to the
grass beds tossing
Mirrolure Marsh
Minnows or Soft
Shad rigged on
1/16 or 1/8-ounce
lead heads. My go
to colors are Glo/
Photo by Nate Skinner
Chartreuse and
Hannah’s
Reef
in
East
Galveston
Bay
has
been
productive
all summer
Morning Glory.
and
will
continue
to
give
up
some
big
trout
like
this
one
caught
by Nick
These baits are
Dancsak.
impregnated with
scent and have a lot of swimming action.
more flounder along the shorelines and
“When fishing from the boat I often
we usually can do pretty good if we have
drift deep shell reefs in East Matagorda
the right conditions.
throwing dark baits rigged with heavier
“Redfish will also be a prime target in
lead heads which allow the baits to get
September. A lot of days we will be looking
down deeper.
for redfish around the jetties and passes.
Galveston guide Capt Greg Verm
I’ll use live croaker for slot-size reds and
of FishingGalvestonTx.com says that
fresh cut shad for bull redfish. If we are
as September wears on, his focus will
fishing for bulls reds, that is mostly just
shift from speckled trout to redfish and
catch and release. If we are wanting to take
flounder.
some fish home, we’ll target some smaller,
“We’ll still have some good trout
slot-size reds.
fishing in September, especially early on,”
“The marshes will begin to really turn
said Verm. “Actually, the start of September
on for slot reds and flounder as well in
is just like August. But, September is when
September. Usually, the marshes get going
everything starts to change. We really start
once we get our first front or two. By the
doing some heavy flounder gigging in
end of September, the bay as well as the
September. Tides will play a big part in
areas where the marshes drain into the bay
our planning during September, as high
will be really good.”
tides often make me change the areas to
Sabine Lake guide Capt. Randy
target. But, in September, there are a lot
Foreman expects big things in September.
september 2015
“The beachfront will be real
good in September and so will
the short rigs,” said Foreman.
“We’ll still have plenty of trout
out there and the big redfish will
start showing up at the jetties as
well. September is also when we
start doing a lot of tripletail and
ling fishing around the buoys,
range markers and short rigs.
The tripletail will be in an area 6
to 12 miles on either side of the
state line and up to 12 miles out.
“We had a lot of rain and
runoff earlier in the summer.
But by September, the water
should be plenty salty. So if we
don’t get any more rain, the
whole lake will be good. The
birds will start working around
the second or third week of
Photo courtesy Captain Randy Foreman
September. Usually, it’s around
the second week of September Out of Sabine the beachfront will be real good in September with lots of big redfish caught at the jetties like
the brute this angler caught while fishing with Captain Randy Foreman.
that we get our first front. Once
that happens, the bait starts
ounce Terry’s V-Dog spoon and slow roll
the birds. You can throw pretty much any
moving out of the marsh and the birds
it along the bottom.”
soft-plastic under the birds and catch
start working.
“We will usually have some reds mixed
fish. But, if you want bigger fish, use a 3/4
“We’ll mostly be catching trout under
september 2015
51
in with the trout under the birds. The
Sabine Ship Channel will still be good
along all the points and drops for reds
and flounder. The flounder will also start
staging around all the bayous. When the
bait starts moving out of the marsh, those
flounder will start feeding on shad and
shrimp.
“As usual for late summer, this all
depends on the weather. If we were to
have a hurricane or tropical system or,
really, anything that dumps a bunch of
water, things could change. But, so far it
looks like we should have a really good
late summer and early fall.”
LOUISIANA COAST
Look for redfish to be coming out of the marshes in September along Texas upper coast as well
as in southwest Louisiana.
According to Capt. Nick Poe of Big
Lake Guide Service, September is a month
of changing fishing patterns.
“Things will really get going for us
around middle of September,” said Poe.
Courtesy photo
Join in on the excitement this month of those
catching redfish on Lake Calctsieu like this
solid red caught by Tara Williams.
52
september 2015
“Around mid-month will start fishing
birds again. That is really when our fall
bird fishing will kick off. Once that gets
started, you almost always have good
action under the birds.
“Until then, we will be fishing just like
we were in August. We will be fishing in
the ship channel, rigs and beachfront. But,
the fish will begin moving back up the lake
in September. As this happens, the pattern
will be more like a spring pattern than a
summer pattern.
“Usually by the end of the month
most of the action will be seen north of
Long Point and Commissary Point all
the way up the Calcasieu River. By then,
it will pretty much be all under the birds.
The biggest difference between fall and
spring for us is that fall is more of a mix
than spring. There will usually be a mix
of redfish and trout under the birds in
the fall, while it is almost all trout in the
spring.
“If you are looking to specifically
target reds, look behind weirs in the
marsh ponds. This will basically all be
sight-fishing, so whatever you want to
throw will usually work. Again, look for
birds working or for shrimp jumping.
When they are feeding back there, it
really doesn’t matter what you throw,
they will eat.
“In September, we’ll mostly be
throwing ¼ ounce jig heads and MirrOlure
Lil’ Johns. It will pretty much be the same
thing lure wise - ¼ ounce heads and Lil’
Johns - no matter where we’re fishing
in September. In clear water I’ll usually
throw something that’s fairly translucent,
like Opening Night or Chartreuse Ice. If
the water gets dirty, I will usually throw
glow or something dark like Plum Haze.
“Mid-September is also our teal
season. So, will also start running some
cast and blast trips during teal season.”
Summer fishing will still be in full
swing in the waters around Venice.
September will see both inshore and
offshore fish still going strong. The river
and the tributaries feeding into the river
will be holding plenty of flounder and
redfish, with most of the fish concentrated
around the various points and drains.
While the river will be good for reds
and flounder, specks will still be “on the
outside.” In September, they will still
be found along the outside beaches, as
well as the nearshore structures. When
the surf bite isn’t hot, the key to finding
september 2015
specks will be
locating structure
such as productive
platforms in 10 to
20 feet of water.
Offshore,
there will still be
tuna and dorado
around the floating
rigs between 30
and 50 miles out.
Amberjack will be
hanging around the
deep water rigs in
300 to 500 feet of
water.
The closer rigs
w il l b e holding
plenty of mangrove
snapper and cobia,
while tarpon will
still be found
cruising a couple
miles off the
b e a c h f ro n t a n d
hanging around the
major passes.
Captain Nick Poe of Big Lake Guide Service says when fishing the
birds in the fall on Lake Calccasieu big redfish as well as trout will be
caught. Topwater lures are a good go-to bait.
53
GUNS ‘N STUFF | Harold Gunn
Dove Season Guns and Gear
The beautiful Browning 725 Feather 20 gauge shotgun.
Dove season has arrived in Texas,
but it is never too late to grab on to the
appropriate gear for the task ahead.
Dove do not need a lot of killing so
it is not necessary to go afield with a 10
gauge automatic. However, they are quick
critters so we need a gun that is rapid to
the shoulder and smooth on the swing.
Browning provides just the ticket by
adding the new lightweight Feather 20
gauge model to the Citori 725 line-up. The
Citori 725 Feather combines a lightweight
alloy receiver with a durable steel breech
face and hinge pin for added strength.
The new lightweight model weighs only
6 lbs. 6 oz. and is offered with 26” or 28”
barrel lengths.
The low-profile receiver has a silver
nitride finish highlighted with relief
engraving. The Fire Lite mechanical
trigger system provides a light pull and,
unlike an inertia trigger, does not need
recoil to set up the next shot. The stock
and forearm are made from Grade II/III
walnut with a slim pistol grip and a rich
gloss oil finish.
The Citori 725 Feather features Vector
Pro lengthened forcing cones and the
Invector-DS choke tube system. For
more reduced felt recoil, it is fitted with
an Inflex Technology recoil pad. I have
had range time with this gun and it is
sweetly smooth. This is a fine successor
Compact is offered with 24”,
26” and 28” barrel lengths.
Suggested retail for both
versions is a most reasonable
$429.99. The new SXP Black
Shadow has a synthetic stock
and forearm with textured
gripping surfaces in black
matte finish in 26” and 28”
barrel lengths. M.S.R.P. is a budget saving
$399.99. Winchester Firearms may be
viewed at www.winchesterguns.com.
There are many good choices for dove
shells and I’m sure everyone has done
to the Browning Superposed legacy and
an heirloom keeper with a suggested retail
of $2,549.99. For those that love even
lighter, coming soon will be the 725 in 28
and .410 gauges. Visit the website at www.
browning.com.
For those that like
to play the t romb one
Winchester Repeating Arms
now offers the SXP pump
shotgun in 20 gauge models.
These shotguns are built
on a smaller and lighter
20 gauge-specific receiver.
Four oversize rotary bolt
lug s prov ide supp or t,
strength and solid lock-up
to the barrel. A hard chrome
chamber and bore make
surfaces highly resistant to
wear and corrosion.
As with the 725 an Inflex
Technolog y recoil pad
reduces felt recoil and the
Invector-Plus Choke Tube
System provides consistent
shot patterns with your
Cool and comfortable Trapper Creek Mesh Shooting Vest.
choice of choke. The SXP
plenty of practice. But, just in case you are
Field and SXP Field Compact have a satin
not dead on there is a product that is just
finished stock and forearm with an alloy
right for training and lessons in the field.
receiver in matte black finish.
Winchester AA shells have long been
The SXP Field is offered with 26”
the
gold standard for target shooters.
or 28” barrel lengths and the Field
Their AA TrAAcker
s h e l l s co m e w i t h
colored wads that stay
centered in the pattern
all the way to the
target. The Shot-trap
core design captures
a portion of the shot
to stabilize the wad.
Winchester’s new SXP Black Shadow 20 gauge shotgun
Dove-tail petals allow
54
september 2015
the wad to spin-stabilize and track in
the center of the pattern. The wads are
bright orange for low light conditions and
black for bright light conditions. Both are
available in 12 and 20 gauge and 7/12, 8
and 9 shot sizes. Now you have visual
proof of what went wrong.
A shooting vest is a must and
while practical you might as well be
stylish. Browning’s new Trapper Creek
Mesh Shooting Vest features Realtree
Xtra camouflage and tan mesh for a
comfortable, lightweight vest at a modest
price. Features include a full-length 100%
garment washed cotton twill shooting
patch, four large shell pockets and large
rear pocket for hulls, gear and birds. There
is a sewn-in REACTAR G2 recoil pad
pocket, but the pad is a separate purchase.
The Trapper Creek Mesh Shooting Vest
is available in sizes S-3XL and sells for
around $70.00.
If you are fortunate to have a good
bird dog then he or she needs special
treatment. After all, they are doing most
of the work. Gunner Kennels has a
portable U.S. made Taj Mahal named the
G1 Intermediate Dog Kennel. It is built
with double-walled rotomolded plastic
to keep your hunting partner safe and
comfortable when on the road. It has a
wide base to prevent tipping and rubber
feet to prevent sliding. There are four
tie-down pins on the corners where the
Gunner Kennels tie-down straps can be
attached. The lockable Paw-Proof heavy
duty piano hinged door prevents dogs
from pawing their way out. Kayak grade
handles help with loading/unloading and
a removable drain plug aids in cleaning. It
can accommodate most dogs up to 75 lbs.
The kennel and accessories may be found
at www.gunnerkennels.com.
Dove hunting is even more fun when
you have a stool or chair upon which to sit.
I prefer seats with back support. Whether
you go for the inexpensive models made
from a five gallon bucket or go upscale
with ones that feature storage or a cooler
one thing is required. Make sure your
perch swivels.
Good hunting.
The Gunner Kennel.
You can make a difference by
r eporting illegal hunting and fishing activity!
Up to $1,000 may be paid for information leading
to arrest and conviction of poachers
Reward Hotline 800-792-GAME
Support anti-poaching efforts by becoming a
member of the Operation Game Thief Program
(call 512-389-4381 for membership information) or by
sending your tax deductible contribution to Operation
Game Thief, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744
september 2015
55
Lake Roundup
SOUTH TEXAS
By Danno Wise
As summer starts its homestretch and
fall is beginning to appear on the horizon,
the main topic on most South Texas lakes
is as usual, water levels. However, with
summer beginning to fade in the rearview
mirror, for once anglers are talking about
the water they have, rather than the water
they are lacking. On some lakes, the new
water has presented a bit of a puzzle as
anglers unaccustomed to fishing full or
nearly full lakes are still feeling out the
fishing pattern.
But, regardless of how much water
is in your local lake, September is still
a bridge between seasons. The first few
weeks of September are always hot and
still – summer at its peak. However, late
September usually ushers in the first few
fronts of the fall, kicking off a transition
from deep to shallow water for black bass.
The cooling water will also cause virtually
every freshwater species to become more
active than they were during the dog days
of summer.
With school back in session, football
season underway and dove and teal seasons
getting started, fewer fishermen will be
spending time on the water starting this
month. Of course, this means more fun
and freedom for those who do hit the lake.
So, in the weeks following Labor Day,
more water and smaller crowds will be
plenty enticement for most South Texas
fishermen looking for a reason to hit the
lake.
COLETO CREEK – Even with all the
recent rains, Coleto Creek is one of the
few South Texas lakes that can boast
56
sitting at 100 percent capacity. In fact,
although Coleto had dropped to around
65 percent capacity in early spring, but
mid-April it was full and remained full
throughout the summer. So, by September,
anglers are pretty much locked into the
summer fishing pattern. But, most years
that pattern begins to change as summer
fades to fall.
“The first few weeks of September will
still be really hot,” said bass pro Dennis
Lala. “But the days will be a little shorter
and by the end of the month we’ll start
seeing a few early fronts. So, the water will
actually be getting a little cooler and the
fish will be moving up a little shallower.
“Early in the morning, we’ll have good
topwater bite right up next to the bank
and on the points – mostly the points. The
topwater bite still won’t be an all day thing,
but it will last a little longer in September.
“Now if it’s cloudy or real overcast,
you can have a pretty good shallow water
bite all day. They might not keep hitting a
topwater, but you can usually catch plenty
of fish on a spinnerbait. The first few weeks
of September the shallow water bite will
only last a few hours. After that, you need
a Carolina-rig or Texas-rig. The fish will
be moving back out to the outside edges
and onto the deeper structure. I like using
a Berkley Power Jerkshad on a Carolinarig. You can also do real well with a Berkley
Power Swimbait.
“We’ll still see some schooling bass in
September. Just like in August, when those
fish are schooling, they’ll hit pretty much
anything. It can be a lot of fun when you
find a school feeding on the surface.
“You’ll be able to catch plenty of
channel cats and blue cats on shrimp,
worms or cut bait. These fish will mostly
be up the creek channels. You’ll also have
some crappie along the channels. Small
minnows or little jigs always work good
for crappie.”
MEDINA – The biggest comeback
story of the year – at least as far as South
Texas lakes are concerned – Medina enters
late summer with more water than it has
in quite some time. The month of June
more or less resurrected the lake. Medina
went from 3 percent full, covering just 700
surface acres in May to 75 percent full and
covering over 5,000 surface acres by July.
While anglers are undoubtedly ecstatic
about the rebirth of their lake, many are
still having to re-learn the newly refilled
Medina.
“I always talk about fishermen needing
to mark exposed lake features when the
water level is down,” said Jim Gallagher of
Jim’s Rebait Tackle. “Well, we were so low
that almost every inch of lake bottom was
exposed. But, it’s was low so long, a lot of
people forgot how to fish the lake when it
has water in it. So, everybody is still kind
of feeling their way along and learning the
lake all over again.
“Right now, the lake’s still low, but
definitely fishable. It is a whole lot better
than it was last summer. It has been
holding steady the last couple months. By
September, it could possibly drop a little
bit, but we’re still working with a pretty
full lake. Traditional this time of year,
most of our fish will be on main lake and
secondary points. The best way to catch
them is vertical fishing – jigging spoons,
drop shot rigs – that sort of stuff. Really,
right now the key is finding them. We really
haven’t had the water back long enough to
establish a good pattern.
“Once it starts cooling off a little, the
fish will be quote ‘a little shallower.’ That
means you may see that topwater, or at
least shallow water, bite get going. If you
find them shallow and you can’t get them
on top, you might want to throw stick baits,
soft jerkbaits, or shallow water crankbaits.
Again, you should be able to pick up a few
fish that way early, but I wouldn’t stick
with it all day. By mid-day, those fish will
be back out on the points.
“October is usually one of our best
months, but as we get near the end of
September, we should start getting some
of that fall-like action. Again, we need to
establish a pattern now that we’ve gotten
our water back. But, regardless of how
fishing is, we are just happy we have a
lake again.”
CHOKE CANYON - September usually
sees the start of good topwater action
on Choke Canyon. This year should be
no different – especially considering the
new influx of water that entered during
the early summer. Although there is
september 2015
more water in the lake than there was last
summer, the areas to look for big bass
remain the same – hydrilla beds. Many
of these beds are in fairly deep water, but
bass will be feeding at or near the surface
early in the day. Pop Rs, buzzbaits and
artificial frogs – all baits that make plenty
of noise – are among the favorite topwater
offerings on Choke Canyon. Frogs hold
a bit of an advantage when the hydrilla
is matted on the surface in that they can
be rigged weedless. But, anglers using
traditional treble-hook topwater plugs
can still do well casting around the edges
as well as holes and trenches that are
found in the hydrilla. Although plenty
of fish will be caught on top this month,
September is still a summer month and
the water will still be plenty warm. Once
the topwater action begins to die down
during the day, fishermen should move to
the outside edges of the grass beds. During
the midday hours, there will also still be
plenty of bass on deep structure where
they can be targeted with jigs, Texas rigged
lizards and deep-running crankbaits.
Anglers can also use punch jigs or heavily
weighted soft-plastics to punch through
the hydrilla canopy and reach fish hiding
out in the grass.
FALCON – By September, fish will
begin moving shallower on Falcon. The
recent rise in lake level has increased
the amount of flooded brush along the
shoreline. Per usually, this flooded brush
will be holding plenty of fish. And, at least
the last few weeks of September, fishermen
will begin experiencing a pretty decent
topwater bite. Top surface plugs on Falcon
include Pop Rs, Devil’s Horses, Torpedoes,
Chug Bugs, and Frenzy Poppers.
In September, good numbers of solid
fish can be found pretty much all over
the lake. But, most of the bigger bass
continue to be caught on the lower end of
Falcon. Anglers looking strictly for big bass
during September should go big with their
offerings - jumbo worms, big crankbaits
and jigs. September should also be an
excellent month for catfish. The catfish
action will be just the opposite of bass
fishing. Like bass, catfish can be caught
along the full length of the lake during
September, but most of the fish tend to
be found in the upper reaches and in the
river itself.
Hybrid bass should also be active near
the dam. As the weather cools, hybrids
should spend more time on the surface,
where they can be easily located.
september 2015
WEST TEXAS
By TOJ Staff
The news of lakes reducing their deficit
may be overshadowed if the forecast of an
strong El Nino that will result in a wetter
and colder fall and winter occurs. Plus the
forecast says instead of the eastern half of
the Lone Star State being the beneficiary
it will be the western portion.
As we begin the last third of this year
anglers will need to modify their tactics
because water temperatures, while hot,
are not nearly as warm as the same time
in recent years. That could mean black
bass will move more quickly from deeper
depths to shallower water with less time
suspending while conditions cool.
Stay tuned as time will tell.
AMISTAD — “Big Friendly” could
benefit from the predicted strong El Nino.
Rains fall up the Rio Grande watershed of
New Mexico, the mountains of old Mexico,
as well as in Texas could result in a full lake
later this year.
Even if water is released downstream,
an abundance could further set the stage
for continued good fishing on this lake.
Look for bass to still be deep, but starting to
transition to shallower depths as the ninth
month progresses. Stripers will continue
to be active on the surface and below out
in fron of the dam. Plus catfish will remain
deep for the majority of the month.
O.H. IVIE — Back when veteran Ivie
guide Kevin Burleson spent all of his
time on the lake rather than outfitting for
bowhunters he would say September was
the month he like the least. The reason was
because as water temperatures cool the first
move black bass make is a vertical one and
that means suspended fish, which are the
hardest to catch.
Here is the dilemma and it comes with
a big IF, should rains fall and Ivie begins
to rise the pattern will be pretty simple,
follow the rising water. Until that occurs,
look for schooling bass busting the surface
of open waters, particularly in any coves
where gamefish can hem up baitfish.
Topwater lures early and late with
Rat-L-Traps or crankbaits worked on the
outside edge will garner some attention.
As the temperature drops look for that
topwater bite to last longer into the day.
BROWNWOOD — One year ago this
popular lake was almost 13 feet low. Now
it has been either side of full through most
of the summer. Some excellent fishing has
occurred with Rat-L-Traps fished over the
tops of grass beds.
Spinnerbaits are another good
option. Boat docks or around any vertical
woody structure will hold fish until the
temperature sends them on the prowl.
Look for crappie activity to increase as
temperature drop.
HIGH PLAINS
By TOJ Staff
Will the High Plains finally get what
other parts of Texas has received? The
question relates to rain to refill reservoirs
that are mire mud holes of their former
self. A few reservoirs like White River and
even Meredith or Mackenzie have come
up but much more is needed.
ALAN HENRY — This canyon country
lake rebounded nicely back in May when it
rose over 10 feet in just a matter of a week’s
time. Plus it has held on to that water
during a time when evaporation normally
takes a toll. Look for cooler temperatures
to stimulate black bass to move up in the
water column.
Check out mid-to-shallow rock slides,
any vertical timber or other structure fish
can relate. Baitfish will use these areas and
the bass will be close by.
With a full lake anglers may need to
cover water to find fish. A spinnerbait
or topwater lure are a good one-two
combination. Fish on top early and late
and use a spinnerbait as the morning
warms.
57
Guides, Gear & Getaways
TACKLE TIPS & TECHNIQUES | Danno Wise
Catching September’s Spanish Mackerel
SALTWater
UPPER COAST | SABINE
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58
september 2015
september 2015
59
TACKLE TIPS & TECHNIQUES | Danno Wise
Fall Transition to Shallow Water Fishing
middle coast | port aransas
MIDDLE COAST | CORPUS CHRISTI-NORTH PADRE ISLAND
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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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september 2015
september 2015
61
FIELD TIPS & TECHNIQUES | Nate Skinner & Danno Wise
Early Season Teal Tips
LOWER COAST | PORT MANSFIELD
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september 2015
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YOUR AD SHOULD
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CALL 713-957-3997
for GUIDES, GEAR & GETAWAY ADS
63
Deadline for the October calendar is August 25, 2015
Outdoor Calendar
THROUGH SEPTEBMER 7,
C.C.A. S.T.A.R. Tournament, statewide.
For more information call (713) 6864222 or visit www.ccatexas.org.
SEPTEMBER 1 – OCTOBER 25,
Dove Season, North Zone. For more
information refer to TPWD Outdoor
Annual, or call (800) 792-1112.
SEPTEMBER 1 – OCTOBER 25
Dove Season, Central Zone. For more
Annual, or call (800) 792-1112.
SEPTEMBER 2, 5, 12, 19, 26,
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 in-formation call (972)
618-6714.
SEPTEMBER 3,
Southeast Texas Rocky Mountain
Elk Foundation Big Game banquet,
Beaumont. For more information and
reservations call (409) 673-2771.
SEPTEMBER 4, 11,
Fishing with a Ranger, Martin Dies Jr.
State Park, Jasper. Join a Ranger to
learn how to fish. Join Ranger Amy to
discover the essentials 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. 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. For
more information call (409) 384-5231.
SEPTEMBR 5, 6, 12, 13, 18 – OCTOBER
21,
Dove Season, Special White-winged
Dove Area. Legal shooting hours are
noon to sunset. For more information
64
refer to TPWD Outdoor Annual, or call
(800) 792-1112.
SEPTEMBER 5,
Angler Education Instructor Training
Workshop, Austin. Become a TPWD
Certified Angler Education Instructor.
This free workshop is open to anyone
18 or older interested in teaching
fishing skills in their communities.
The program provides the curriculum,
equip-ment, materials and support
to help volunteers successfully introduce youth and their fami-lies to
fishing. Ideal for teachers, youth group
leaders, afterschool or camp staff and
commu-nity volunteers. SBEC credit
available for teachers. Held at Ed
Werland Training Room 1340 Airport
Commerce Drive - Building 6 Suite
600a Austin, TX 78741. 9:00 a.m. – 3:00
p.m. Preregistration is required, please
call Caleb Harris (512) 389-4472.
SEPTEMBER 5,
Go Fish! Learn-To-Fish Event, Cedar Hill
State Park, Cedar Hill. Take away a fishing fun pack and enter the drawing for
prizes. Equipment and bait provided or
bring your own. No license necessary.
Adults must accompany children. Bring
sun protection and water. Registration
is 9:00 a.m. For more information and
SEPTEMBER 10,
Heart of Texas Chapter Ducks Unlimited fundraiser, Pflugerville. For more
information and reservations call (512)
680-5745.
SEPTEMBER 10-30,
Alligator season, 22 counties and
special properties (by permit only). For
more information refer to TPWD Outdoor Annual, or call (800) 792-1112..
SEPTEMBER 11-13,
Master Outdoor Leadership Training
– Texas Outdoor Family, Lake Mineral
Wells State Park, Mineral Wells. Master Outdoor Leadership training is
designed to provide you with hands
on experiences and scenarios to build
outdoor leadership skills. By attending the Master Outdoor Leadership
Training in the Dallas/Fort Worth area
followed by 30 hours of volunteer work
in state parks you will be certified as a
Master Outdoor Leader. Topics covered
include: Safety and Risk Management,
Working effectively with park staff,
Outdoor Cooking, Setting up Camp,
Fishing instruction, Campfire building, Time management, Interpretive
themes and hikes, Liability and youth
protection, Gear maintenance, Leave
No Trace, and much more! This training
is free but space is very limited. MOLT
training will be hosted as a partial
classroom and partial in-field experience. Attendance of all dates and a
continuation of 30 volunteer hours
is mandatory for certification. First
classroom portion: September 9th,
6:30pm - 9:30pm @ To Be Determined
in the DFW Area. Two Overnight infield portions: Friday, September 11th,
6:30pm - 2:00 pm Sunday September
13th, @ Lake Mineral Wells State Park
(campsite and entry fees are in-cluded
in the training, please provide your
own camping gear) Meals will not be
provided. Participants are encouraged
to eat before arriving at classroom
sessions and provide their own meals
during the in-field portion of the training. For more information call (512)
389-8757.
SEPTEMBER 11-13,
Master Outdoor Leadership Training –
Texas Outdoor Family, Huntsville State
Park, Huntsville. Master Outdoor Leadership training is designed to provide
you with hands on experiences and
scenarios to build outdoor leadership
skills. By attending the Master Outdoor Leadership Training in the Houston area followed by 30 hours of volunteer work in state parks you will be
certified as a Master Outdoor Leader.
Topics covered include: Safety and Risk
Management, Working effectively with
september 2015
park staff, Outdoor Cooking, Setting up
Camp, Fishing instruction, Campfire
building, Time management, Interpretive themes and hikes, Liability and
youth protection, Gear maintenance,
Leave No Trace, and much more! This
training is free but space is very limited.
MOLT training will be hosted as a
partial classroom and partial in-field
experience. Attendance of all dates and
a continuation of 30 volunteer hours is
mandatory for certification. First classroom portion: Wednesday, September
9th, 6:30pm - 9:30pm @ Sheldon Lake
State Park. Two Overnight in-field portions: Friday, September 11th, 6:00pm
- 2:00 pm Sunday September 13th, @
Huntsville State Park (campsite and
entry fees are included in the training, please provide your own camping
gear). Meals will not be provided.
Participants are encouraged to eat
before arriving at classroom sessions
and provide their own meals during
the in-field portion of the training. For
more information call (512) 800-4324.
SEPTEMBER 12,
Go Fish! Learn-To-Fish Event, Galveston
State Park, Galveston. Take away a fishing fun pack and enter the drawing for
prizes. Equipment and bait provided or
bring your own. No license necessary.
Adults must accompany children. Bring
sun protection and water. Registration
is 9:00 a.m. For more information and
SEPTEMBER 12-27,
September Teal Only Season, Statewide. For more information refer to
TPWD Outdoor Annual, or call (800)
792-1112.
SEPTEMBER 12-27,
Canada Goose Only Season, Eastern
Zone. For more information refer to
TPWD Outdoor Annual, or call (800)
792-1112.
SEPTEMBER 17,
Katy - Brookshire Chapter Ducks
Unlimited fundraiser, Katy. For more
information and reservations call (832)
577-6888.
SEPTEMBER 18 – OCTOBER 21,
Dove Season, South Zone. For more
september 2015
Annual, or call (800) 792-1112.
SEPTEMBER 19,
Two Hour Kayak Trip, Martin Dies Jr.
State Park, Jasper. Want to explore our
sloughs on canoe but not alone? Join a
ranger for a two-hour, three mile long
guided kayak trip through the park’s
swampy sloughs and the Neches River.
While paddling, be on the lookout for
wildlife such as bald eagles, belted
kingfishers, herons, turtles and alligators. This trip is from 9:00 am to 11:00
am in the morning and costs $15 per
kayak; which can fit one adult. Participation is available to anyone capable
of the moderate exertion of paddling
for a couple of hours. Space is limited
so please call our headquarters office
in advance to make your reservation.
(409) 384-5231.
SEPTEMBER 19,
Go Fish! Texoma on the Fly, Eisenhower
State Park, Denison. Youth and adults
can learn the basics of fly fishing. Families can learn the basics of FLY fishing
through fun, hands-on activities. 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 in-formation
call (903) 421-4984.
SEPTEMBER 24,
Midland Chapter Ducks Unlimited
fundraiser, Midland. For more information and reservations call (432)
664-9559.
SEPTEMBER 24,
Corpus Christi Chapter National Wild
Turkey Federation fundraiser, Corpus
Christi. For more information and reservations call (512) 966-9539.
SEPTEMBER 26,
Uvalde Chapter Ducks Unlimited fundraiser, Uvalde. For more information
and reservations call (210) 844-9306.
SEPTEMBER 26,
Northeast Chapter National Wild
Turkey Federation fundraiser, Mount
Pleasant. For more information and
SEPTEMBER 26 – 27,
Squirrel season, Special Youth Season.
In all counties that have an October
1-February 22, and May 1-31 open
squirrel season. For more information
refer to TPWD Outdoor Annual, or call
(800) 792-1112.
SEPTEMBER 26,
3rd Annual West End Anglers KID’S
TOURNAMENT, West End Restaurant &
Sand Bar – Sea Isle, Galveston. Youth
Division (12 & Under), and Teen Division (13-15) for various species. For
registration information visit www.fishwestend.com, or call (713) 594-4252.
SEPTEMBER 26,
Bluegill Family Fishing Tournament &
Outdoor Expo, Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, Athens. Fun-filled day of
trying to catch the biggest bluegill on
Lake Athens. Also stop by the Outdoor
Expo to learn a variety of outdoor
skills and engage in activities such as
archery, fishing and kayaking. The tournament awards prizes for the heaviest
stringers of sunfish, but the event is
really about adults and children having
fun fishing together. 9:00 a.m. to 4:00
p.m. Call for details or to pre-register
call (903) 670-2266.
SEPTEMBER 26,
Fishing for Beginners, Bentsen-Rio
Grande Valley State Park, Mission .
Beginning anglers learn how to assemble basic tackle, tie fishing knots,
and cast safely during this hands-on
in-structor training course. Parents
are encouraged to participate. Pin and
certification at end of program. For
ages 7 and up. For more information
call (956) 584-9156.
Mail your Outdoor Calendar
items to:
1706 W. Sam Houston Pkwy North,
Houston TX 77043
Fax: 713.957.3996
Email: [email protected]
65
Tide Tables
US TIME ZONES
SEPTEMBER 2015
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
L12:22A0.6
H6:39A1.4
L12:49P0.5
H7:38P1.5
L1:14A0.9
H7:07A1.4
L1:49P0.3
H9:06P1.5
L2:12A1.1 L3:30A1.3 H12:24A1.6
H7:36A1.5 H8:08A1.5 L5:52A1.4
L2:53P0.2 L4:03P0.1 H8:45A1.5
L5:14P0.1
H10:43P1.5
3
4
H1:53A1.6 H2:57A1.6 H3:41A1.6
L6:24P0.1 L8:52A1.3 L9:26A1.3
H10:59A1.4 H12:16P1.4
L7:27P0.2 L8:21P0.2
H4:12A1.6
L9:50A1.3
H1:23P1.4
L9:06P0.3
H4:34A1.6
L10:09A1.2
H2:22P1.5
L9:43P0.4
H4:51A1.5
L10:25A1.2
H3:16P1.5
L10:14P0.5
H5:05A1.5
L10:41A1.1
H4:07P1.5
L10:40P0.6
H5:37A1.5 H5:55A1.5 L12:00A1.0 L12:32A1.1 L1:06A1.3
L11:31A0.8 L12:03P0.7 H6:11A1.5 H6:24A1.5 H6:28A1.5
H5:50P1.5 H6:46P1.5 L12:38P0.7 L1:16P0.6 L1:59P0.5
H7:46P1.5 H8:55P1.5 H10:12P1.5
L11:31P0.9
L1:44A1.4
H6:15A1.5
L2:48P0.5
H11:28P1.5
L2:31A1.3 H12:58A1.6 H1:56A1.7 H2:33A1.7 H3:02A1.7 H3:28A1.7
H5:55A1.5 L4:47P0.4 L5:52P0.4 L6:56P0.4 L8:01A1.5 L8:32A1.3
L3:44P0.4
H12:23P1.6 H1:51P1.7
L7:55P0.4 L8:50P0.4
H3:52A1.7
L9:11A1.1
H3:07P1.7
L9:43P0.6
1
6
H5:21A1.5
L11:03A0.9
H4:58P1.5
L11:05P0.7
13
20
H4:16A1.6
L9:55A0.9
H4:19P1.8
L10:35P0.7
27
7
14
21
8
2
15
22
9
10
16
17
23
24
11
18
25
29
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.
5
12
2. A year’s subscription has 12 issues, not something less.
3. Both fishing and hunting coverage in every issue.
19
4. Covers Texas like it should be covered with timely reports from
the field and on the water.
26
H4:41A1.6 H5:07A1.6 L12:19A1.2
L10:42A0.6 L11:30A0.4 H5:34A1.6
H5:29P1.9 H6:40P1.9 L12:22P0.3
H7:53P1.9
L11:27P0.9
28
TOP TEN REASONS TO SUBSCRIBE
TO TEXAS OUTDOORS JOURNAL
Fishing & Hunting Times
120°
115°
30
110°
105°
100°
95°
90°
85°
80°
5. Proven solunar table of major and minor feeding periods of the day..
75°
SEPTEMBER 2015
6. Tide table with adjustments for the entire Texas coast.
OCTOBER 2015
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
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
H2:27P1.5
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
4
5
6
7
8
7. Written by top writers that have etched their names in the record books.
SAT
L1:16A1.4
H6:02A1.7
L1:17P0.2
H9:10P1.9
2
9
8. TOJ tells you where to go, what to expect when you get there and
how to do it a little bit better.
3
9. Covers the Texas outdoors and outdoors interests of Texans.
10
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
66
$
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
OCTOBER 2015
95
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NAME
Fish, game and all wildlife move in search of food in cycles relative to the moon’s location to the earth.
The time spans listed above are the prime times to start each day at and along each time zone meridian
of longitude 75 degrees (Eastern) 90 degrees (Central) 105 degrees (Mountain) and 120 degrees (Pacific)
during Standard time and Daylight Saving during the time it is in effect. To determine the feeding cycle
time for best fishing and hunting in the area you plan to fish or hunt advance the sum of 4 minutes for
each degree west and back up 4 minutes for each degree east. The next prime feeding cycle (not listed on
the calendar) will be approximately twelve and one-half hours later. There are minor periods that occur
between the prime or major periods. The minor periods are typically fair periods and last only about half
as long as the prime periods.
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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.
1, please indicate book year. For questions or comments, you can call 404-373-7151.
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Or order SECURELY online at www.texasoutdoorsjournal.com. Please allow 6-8 weeks for your subscription to begin.
Feeding Times by Dan Barnett
17 Years Test Proven
september 2015
Exp. Date
CW2 (3-digit code on back of MC, Visa & Discover; 4-digit code on front of AmEx)
Billing Zip Code:
95
Signature:
Managing Comfort in Port Aransas, TX
For Over 30 Years

Fall Flounder — Stick `em or Catch `

Transcription

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