December2010

08 Got any threes? Mike McBride12 Two Calendars Kevin Cochran 16 The Passing of a Brother and Concern... Billy Sandifer 20 Changing Your Retrieve Martin Strarup 22 Whats It Gonna Be? Chuck Uzzle28 Serena Residences - Dream Comes... Shirley Elliot 18 Coastal Birding Billy Sandifer26 Science and the Sea UT-Marine Science Institute30 Lets Ask The Pro Jay Watkins32 Fly Fishing Casey Smartt34 TPWD Field Notes Allison Hatten36 Conservation CCA Texas38 Kayak Fishing Scott Null42 According to Scott Scott Sommerlatte 44 Youth Fishing Jake Haddock46 Texas Nearshore and Offshore Mike Jennings

52 Dickie Colburns Sabine Scene Dickie Colburn54 Mickey on Galveston Mickey Eastman 56 Capt. Bills Fish Talk Bill Pustejovsky 58 Mid-Coast Bays with the Grays Gary Gray 60 Hooked up with Rowsey David Rowsey62 Capt. Tricias Port Mansfield Report Capt. Tricia 64 South Padre Fishing Scene Ernest Cisneros 06 Editorial 50 New Tackle & Gear 66 Fishing Reports and Forecasts 68, 78 Catch of the Month 74 Gulf Coast Kitchen80 Index of Advertisers

Phil Dalrymple of Houston made the trek to the Lower Laguna Madre to catch this beautiful 29-inch speck that weighed close to eight and a half pounds. Phil was fishing with Capt. Tricia-Skinny Water Adventures using a Texas Trout Killer soft plastic bait. Phil earns TSFMag conservation kudos for releasing his trophy. Capt. Tricia snapped the photo.

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4 December 2010 / www.TSFMAG.com Texas Saltwater Fishing Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely!

I do not often use this column to discuss this magazine but, given that our Art and Graphics team dreamed up a new masthead image, I thought I should at least give them credit for the new look were sporting on the cover. Experts say you have but a few seconds to grab attention on the newsstand and we are hoping it will be a winner. The team has also been busy between the covers with what they assure me is a more professional look and better organization in the layout. I promise the quality of the content has not changed, so dont waste time worrying about that. Now for fishier business; if you have been reading here for a while you have probably endured my rants and reviews vis--vis the state of the spotted seatrout fishery in mid-coast bays. TPWD Coastal Fisheries population surveys have identified a twelve year decline in San Antonio Bay and nine years in Aransas Bay. Neighboring West Matagorda and Corpus Christi bays are only slightly better. Ask any speck angler who has plied mid-coast waters for a dozen years or longer and you will likely get an earful. Here lately, fishing has been toughest since the big freezes of the eighties in the eyes of many seasoned anglers. Well, the managers have been studying the data and a change could be in the works. Coastal Fisheries Division is planning a series of scoping meetings to seek public comment as regards seatrout regulations. There are a limited number of tools managers can employ and these will be explained in their presentations. Changing bag limits is an obvious tool to promote propagation of the species. A five fish bag limit was enacted in the Lower Laguna Madre back in September 2007 and many anglers will attest to an abundance of eighteen to twenty-four inch fish since the regs took effect fish that were conspicuously absent there for more than a few years prior. Increasing the minimum legal length would be the quickest boost to spawning biomass but tough to sell to fishermen who perceive the bays to be already brimming with sub-legal specimens theyd be happy to take home and fry. Assuring the fishermen that the population is not growth-stunted as is sometimes seen in smaller freshwater fisheries will not be easy but, suffice to say, none of our bays are currently supporting capacity populations. According to Robin Riechers, Director of Coastal Fisheries, the intent of the public scoping will be to advise recreational users of the status of the fishery and then seek comment to shape the Divisions recovery and management plans. Interestingly, both San Antonio and Aransas Bays have shown record crops of fingerling trout in recent bag seine surveys. Recruiting this year-class to become the backbone of the fishery will be a primary objective. I would like to encourage all coastal anglers to attend the scoping meetings and participate in the discussion. Meeting venues and schedules will be released soon. This is our fishery and this is our chance to be heard. TPWD is seeking your input and support. Think of the quality of fishing we had ten years ago. Think of future generations of Texans. I will be encouraging a rebuilding plan for our mid-coast seatrout fisheries. It will be up to the resource managers to take us there. Merry Christmas and great fishing in 2011!ristmas and great fishing in 2011!

!"!# #$!##%"#%&'!


My first topwater experiences werent even with a real topwater, it was a Cotton Cordell Broken Back Redfin. The shock and awe was certainly real enough, though. With almost no clue how to work the thing at first, we soon discovered that by keeping it on the surface our fish tended to be larger, not to mention larger than life. Instead of just feeling a strike, we got to actually see and hear the violence dangerous stuff that can lead to compulsive behavior and even addiction in extreme cases. Some call it Surface Junkie Syndrome, and while there is yet no proven cure, fishing often and for long periods is often prescribed for temporary relief of symptoms.

A lot has changed since those early learning years. Topwater fishing is now

much easier and we sometimes even have a bit of

a clue what we are doing these days. What hasnt changed is how stiff your neck hairs still get when your plug gets broadsided by a large and angry fish. Now if we could only decide which one to throw and when and how to work it.

Back to that old Redfin, all we really knew in the beginning was to just chunk it as far as we could and then jerk it around until something hit it. Something eventually would and, when it did, the explosion itself was worth all the punishment your shoulders

and elbows took from flogging those old seven and a half foot blunderbuss rods all day with stretchy rubber band line. We didnt know whether to keep the lure on top, pull it down hard or slow or do a combination of it all, but whatever we tried commanded a lot of effort and often many hours of nothingness. The learning was as fun as the catching though, and soon enough the fish got consistently bigger and so did those addictive explosions. Things kept getting better. When the stick-type baits finally made their way into our boxes we thought we had won the big fish lottery but the physical punishment became even worse trying to walk the dog all day as all the supposed expertly-written articles of that era demanded we should. Those old popping rods were much better suited for a rod holder, but

somehow we still got it done. Manns Dancer was a great plug, but it was soon forced aside to make way for the Rebel Jumpin Minnow, and thats about all we used all year round except during the most brutal winter sessions. At first it was either black or blue on back with silver sides, and then somebody figured out that a plug chewed down to plain bone was the best thing to ever happen at the end of a rod. Who would ever need another lure? Enter modern times. With shorter and ridiculously lighter rods,

!

Got any threes? Heres three sets of three plugs to match a wide variety of conditions and fish feeding attitudes. Note that colors are arranged from lighter to natural to higher-contrast. For calm-shallow and when the fish show preference for smaller forage: SS Jr. in bone, Skitter Walk SW08 (known to many as a Baby Skitter Walk) in Shad Translucent, SS Jr. in Black Shore Shad. In-between in size and voice: Rapala Skitter Walk SSW11 in bone (white) fitted with single hooks, SS One Knocker in Okie Shad, MirrOlure Top Dog Jr. in 808, black-gold-orange. The big and nasty for choppy and deeper water: MirrOlure She Dog in bone/chrome, SS in Okie shad, SS in black shore shad. The author believes strongly in bright red gill flares and that middle trebles are desperately not needed. Single hooks are less dangerous to anglers hands and do not snag as much floating grass.

The Cotton Cordell Jointed Redfin or Broken Back as it is commonly called has been around a long time; Mikes first proven topwater lure.


plus braided line and a plethora of good surface lures to choose from, topwater fishing has now become near effortless. What used to take rabid arm flailing is now reduced to mere flicks of the wrist. The new problem most beginners face today is deciding which plug to use, when to use it, which color and why, and how to work the darn thing in the first place. In trying to keep things simple I am remorsefully reduced to a little dock joke that has ended up as a sort of go-to phrase around our camp lately.

Meet the Super Spook family. Top: SS Jr. (3-1/2 inches-1/2 ounce) in bone color pattern, fitted with single hooks. Center: SS One Knocker (4-1/2 inches-3/4 ounce) in Okie Shad. Bottom: Super Spook (5-inches-7/8 ounce) in Black Shore Shad pattern. The Super Spook comes from the factory with three treble hooks. The author prefers to remove the middle hook in belief that a pair of #1 trebles improves landing ratio.

Please use our Texas spotted seatrout resource wisely! Texas Saltwater Fishing www.TSFMAG.com / December 2010 9

A while back At El Jefes Cantina and Marina here in Port Mansfield, one of the more colorful locals swaggered up (quite happy with his physical and mental condition at the time I might add), and asked, You got any threes?

Naturally I had to inquire what the Hell he meant; which then prompted his punch line, Ha-HaThats what I figuredGo Fish!

OK, it was funny at the time, especially with the generously imbibed inflection, but these days Got any threes? simply means its time to go fishing. Now, as for how all of this relates to topwaters, and in trying to keep things simple, we really only need about three classes of them to cover most all situations on the water. Lets go there, but with the agreement that most lure discussions are individually owned and that your results may certainly vary.

To me (and with thousands of additional man hours watching others), what matters most about topwater fishing besides getting on fish is simply the level of presentation. If we have three basic plugs with us we can usually come close to what it takes for the moment. We basically just need something delicate, something strong, and then something in between. We also need about three basic color schemes out of everything available; something light, something dark, and something consistent with the more natural baitfish patterns. There is a huge difference between fishing and fishing well, so lets try, and lets start small.

Depending on available forage and water conditions, a smaller presentation can wreck shop on even bigger fish. If theyre on shrimp for example, and in shallow and calm water, large and loud plugs can often run them off instead of calling them up. Please understand there is a very fine line between being enticing and threatening. The junior-sized Super Spook and Skitter Walk (SW08) do very well here. A lighter-colored plug such as bone, plus a more natural-colored bait like Okie Shad or speckled trout, and perhaps a darker or louder-

colored version such as black or chartreuse will do just about everything we need to do. As a general rule; lighter-colored and flashier baits do well on sunnier days, darker or louder-colored baits during cloudier periods, and more natural/neutral lures in clean water. You really cant go wrong with intermediate-sized lures for most applications. These would be the Skitter Walk (SSW11), Top Dog Jr, and our most recent froth-at-the-mouth favoritethe Heddon One Knocker. The One Knocker is right between a Super Spook Jr. and a full-sized Super Spook. Again though, something light, something dark, and something more natural leaves little left but your own twitching skill. There are times when we need a more grandiose presentation, such as in high chop or in nasty water clarity. Here we need something that draws lots of attention, so bring the big guns out. The full-sized Super Spook is standard here, as are the obnoxious and loud-mouthed She Dog and He Dog from MirrOlure that sound more like angry spray paint cans than fishing lures when worked aggressively. One of the most common questions I get from new topwater guys is, How do I work it? Im sorry, but thats like asking Leonardo De Vinci how to work a paintbrush. You do what you need to do to make them hit it, and that can vary from hour to hour. Many people subscribe to a monotonous retrieve akin to a chugging single-cylindered

Briggs&Stratton. Dont get me wrong, there are times for that, but again, there is a big difference between fishing and fishing well. Let the fish tell you and be prepared for the accidental and unexpected. Just last week for example, Tricia and I with our clients were on a great topwater bite; lots of blowups at first but few hookups. Somebody stopped their plug to wipe their glasses and seconds later almost had their rod jerked from under their arm. We found out, by accident, they wanted long pausesalmost dead-sticking, and we all had a tremendous day. Winter is here but never place too much stock in that old adage that says, early and late spring and fall, for fishing up top. There is no one right way to work them, we just need to have about three basic sizes and then be intuitive about how strong (or soft) our presentation needs to be. There will be some extreme fish caught on the surface this month, so I gotta askGot any threes?

! ! Mike McBride is a full

time fishing guide based in Port Mansfield, TX, specializing in wadefishing with artificial lures.

ContactSkinny Water AdventuresTelephone956-746-6041

[email protected]/Three_MudSkateers.wmv

Mike Mcbride


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All around the globe, calendars are set according to celestial realities. The timing of the earths rotation on its axis and the duration of its orbit around the sun set up the grid of days that compile each year. Any studious ninth-grader can identify the points on the calendar which mark the beginnings and endings of the four seasons.

Spring begins on the vernal equinox, when the earths equator lies on the same plane as the center of the sun. This date normally falls on March 20 or 21 in the northern hemisphere.

Summer starts when the earth is tilted most sharply toward the sun. In our half of the world, north of the equator, that event most often occurs on June 21.

Once the axes of the earth and sun align again, the autumnal equinox arrives, and fall begins, on or about the 22nd of September.

After that day, the tilt of the earths axis dictates that the upper half of the globe moves steadily farther away from the bright star at the center of the solar system. Until December 21 or thereabouts, when the maximum angle is reached, and winter solstice happens, signaling the beginning of Jack Frosts season.

These well-known facts shape the calendars we buy at bookstores; officially and scientifically, the seasons are thus defined. But in our culture, we operate under the influence of an unofficial, second calendar too.

In our informal, secondary-calendar world, the seasons start and end with the timing of other culturally significant events. Thanksgiving is often thought of as the end of autumn in this alternate universe, so the entire month of December is part of winter in the minds of many.

The timing of Spring Break in public schools and universities signals winters end. Bust out the Speedos and bikinis and head to the beach, spring is here! So goes the thought process, even though many of the week-long breaks end before the vernal equinox.

Summer starts, we all learned in our childhood, when the last school bell rings, sometime around Memorial Day. June is, for many, a singularly summer month, one for getting a part-time job, or just basking in the glow of freedom from the pencil pushers.

Similarly, Labor Day is seen as summers end. Numerous news programs and television ads describe the holiday in exactly that way. School buses roll into the neighborhoods, and summer fun screeches

to a halt, but technically, Labor Day occurs more than two weeks prior to the onset of autumn. None of this qualifies as news to the readers of this magazine, Im sure. I have taken the time to point it all out because I believe the existence of two calendars potentially creates confusion about how the changing seasons affect fishing tactics. For decades, the stereotypical saltwater fishing season was thought to run from Memorial Day to Labor Day, (summer on the secondary calendar) because bait houses had plenty of live and dead shrimp available, and multiple species could then be caught in the bays. More recently, many have recognized that good coastal fishing is available throughout the year. Still, benchmarks are regularly cited as having relevance in saltwater fishing. A surf temperature which stays at or above 70F has long been said to serve as a kind of kickoff for the years speckled trout fishing. Flounder migrate most urgently when the water dips down to about 65 F and stays there. These are reliable, well-known truths. There are others of significance. Trophy trout nuts like me have identified more subtle, less recognized trends, which we consider when deciding where and how to fish. I notice a tendency for big trout to move shallow, and by that I mean knee-deep or shallower, in great numbers, usually around the middle of February. Many stay in those depths until sometime in mid-May. In other words, plenty of jumbo trout are available in super skinny water in the last month or more of winter. This hints at what I mean when I say the secondary, imaginary calendar has the potential to create confusion. Most people think catching trout in winter means, You gotta get em deep. In early December, (when its still autumn) I often hear people say, Now that winters here, the trout have moved deep and theyll stay deep until spring. The smart strategy will be to fish the edges of the channels until it warms up. Many trout, especially the schoolies, do move deep sometime in late-fall and stay there until spring. Accomplished trophy hunters know this isnt true of the ol big ones, though. I find that large trout prefer water from waist to belly-deep from Thanksgiving through mid-February, though they will periodically go shallower during this time frame, when the shallowest water is the warmest

2010 has been one of the wettest years ever in the Corpus Christi area. Fishing is

historically good during rainy periods.


water. Those who believe they gotta get em deep will likely catch plenty for the frying pan, but few for the wall. Basically, thats the bone I have to pick with the two-calendar system; it potentially misleads one about fishing facts. Ill accept that fifty is the new thirty, especially for actresses with access to Botox. I might even buy the idea that HD televisions which cost thousands of dollars are supposed to last half as long as the cheap sets we had back in the 70s. But I just cant wrap my mind around the premise that winter is the new spring. It pays to have one and only one calendar in mind when talking and/or writing about fishing patterns. If I write that trout are often found shallow in late-winter, Im referring to the month or six weeks prior to the vernal equinox. If I post a picture in the magazine and say a productive summer pattern led to catching the featured fish, readers can rest assured that the fish was caught after June 21, during the real season, not during a mythical one muddling the minds of daydreaming schoolboys. Many out there will undoubtedly suggest Im ranting and raving about something of minor importance. I plead guilty; having done that before, Im likely doing it here and will undoubtedly do it again! I dont just sweat the small stuff, I exercise it to utter


exhaustion. Seriously, I do believe details are important in fishing. Keeping track of details accurately is helpful; doing the opposite is potentially harmful.

If a guy tells me he likes to fish a particular spot in the spring, I want to know that he means the period from March 20 to June 20, not February. I know, I know, temperatures can be balmy in South Texas in the second half of February,

but a fish caught then is not a spring-caught fish, even

if its 89 degrees.

All seasons resemble others at times. Conditions like water temperature change slowly, and the effects of one season can linger into the next. After a cold winter, the water may warm slowly, and patterns in early spring may be decidedly winter-like. More commonly, hot daytime temperatures persist into October, causing early-fall fishing to remain disappointingly summery. Conversely, the coldest weather of the year often occurs in December, in the last gasps of autumn, especially in South Texas. If a hard freeze causes all the trout and reds to go belly up two weeks before Christmas, it will have been a deadly FALL front that took them out, not a winter one! Thats my story, and Ive got ancient and reliable charts of the solar system to prove it.

Kevin Cochran

Trout Tracker Guide ServiceTelephone361-688-3714

[email protected]

Kevin Cochran is a full-time fishing guide at Corpus Christi (Padre Island), TX. Kevin is a speckled trout fanatic and has authored two books on the subject. Kevins home waters stretch from Corpus Christi Bay to the Land Cut.

Cold weather like we had in the winter of 2009-10 can help savvy trophy trout hunters land more big fish, like the pretty 8 1/4 pounder shown here.


On Saturday, 09 October, my shark fishing mentor and brother in spirit of thirty-four years, Karl Boardman, passed on at the age of 75. Karl was a part of that family Ive written about, the one we collect on our journey through life that ends up closer than being blood kin. Seems like we might have been blood brothers though because I have a vague recollection of him and me performing that ceremony while under the influence years ago. I attended a small outdoor memorial service for him at Roys Bait and Tackle Outfitters for him on Thursday the 14 October. Many thanks to the Guerra family for doing that. Beach fishermen have always been family and the shark fishermen are the tightest family of all. The grandson of a full blooded Brule Lakota, Karls church was under the open skies and his religion centered around Mother Earth and Mother Ocean as does mine.

Karl was larger than life in many ways and played a major role in the very beginning of surf fishing for sharks, but most of you will not have heard of him because he kept to himself and he sought neither

publicity nor acclaim. To the contrary; he didnt want anyone to know what he was catching or where or by what methods. He and the handful of others who started the sport locally would load large sharks and take them all the way up to Bob Hall Pier so people would think they had been caught there instead of down the beach. They got away with this for years.

He knew that to publicize the availability of such a fishery would bring countless droves of disrespectful newcomers to this place (PINS; before it was PINS) that he and I and others considered sacred and we knew they would not all share our spirituality that considered all living things equal. We felt humbled to be the children of this place where the sea meets the shore and treated it as our church. But we knew that as more and more people began to visit PINS far too many of them would not have the slightest conception of how we felt towards PINS and Mother Ocean. Karl quit going down island long ago. It broke his heart to see what PINS and shark fishing had become. Selfish? Certainly. Ive been thinking about it the past few days and of all the many things he was, Karl Boardman was a shark fisherman above all else. And as I thought those things about Karl I heard a rough voice deep inside of me say, Yeah, and so are you. You always have been. You do lots of things and fish for lots of fish but what you ARE is a shark fisherman. I have no choice but to stand guilty as charged. Boardman used to say, I dont care how much money youve got or how big your boat is. MY FISH EATS YOUR FISH. It caused me to recall decades of pain and strain; of danger and anguish and often unrealistically heroic efforts and I realized I would have had it no other way.

Author with fly-caught jack.

Chuck Evetts and Sam Fugate with a nice PINS jack


And for several days now Ive been mulling it around in my mind and asking myself if the spirituality is gone from the sport and the place we considered sacred. Im pleased that the answer to that is no; it isnt gone. It lives on just as always. Trust me there are plenty of folks down there who dont have a clue and probably never will but there are also many who do. Im grateful and pleased. Some things are being lost along the way but at the same time some of the first negative practices are likewise going away and it was imperative that they do so. For years we killed every big shark we caught and used pups for bait. We didnt know any better. We thought the sea was a boundless resource and that we couldnt possibly damage fish populations. So much for that. Now catch and release is the norm among sport fishermen and I thank the Creator that it is, but I am deeply concerned about the continuing mass destruction of shark species by commercial fishermen for the Oriental shark fin market. And its not half way around the world. Mexican shark boats out of Playa Bagdad are illegally fishing the waters off PINS and have been for years. Ive been studying up on it a bit and noticed the Mexicans were complaining that the average size of sharks they catch in Texas waters are getting smaller. Thats scary. Lots of small fish and few big ones is a sign of a

fishery in big trouble. And we see the same situation developing in our speckled trout fishery, by the way. I did a little film shoot with National Geographic and Harte Institute recently. National Geographic is doing a special on bull sharks. Of very special interest is why there are so very few attacks on humans by bull sharks in Texas and certain other places, even though there are goodly numbers of bulls present, while other coastlines have many more attacks for no conspicuous reasons. Availability of food source, salinity and all kinds of things to consider as potential reasons and it should sure make for an interesting study and show. Gulf shrimpers used to say that sharks feeding on their by-catch was the reason more people dont get bit. They would always say, Just put us out of business and watch them sharks start hitting people on the beach. BUT Gulf shrimper numbers and Gulf shrimping effort are way down and attacks havent increased. Driving in the Big Shell Beach area began to deteriorate following our string of September tropical weather events and on the first morning of the Sharkathon Tournament, 01 October, I believe I saw in the neighborhood of 40 vehicles broken down or stuck in the Big Shell. The beach took three days of heavy pounding by tournament

Please dont block the road...

There is a right way and a wrong way to park and set up camp on the beach. When driving conditions deteriorate, the best route is at the waters edge. Note vehicle in foreground is not blocking the road. Please display the same courtesies you would like to enjoy.

Bars and points form in mysterious ways on the Gulf beach. This greatly extended point formed

recently at the PINS 30-mile beach; only the second the author has ever observed.


traffic followed the next weekend by the Surf Cats tournament. I have broken leaf springs on two occasions lately but last Sunday it got me real good when both sets of rear springs gave up the ghost. A $740 repair bill along with a lost charter makes it tough on a beach guide. Organizing a tournament is a huge undertaking, no doubt, but to tell you the truth I think organizers might want to consider the reality that the beach can only handle so much traffic before it is seriously and negatively impacted. A good two-inch rain to pack that loose sand down would help more than anything else right now.

Although Ive had few shark charters in October there are really some high numbers of bull sharks being caught and released. I believe the total I heard concerning Sharkathon was eighty sharks caught with thirty-seven being bull sharks. Later in the month several camps have landed six or more bulls on one trip. Strangely, the biggest Ive heard of was 7-2. These are sub-adults; not mature breeders. Adult female bulls ranging between eight and nine feet have been present in varying degrees every summer of my life and I remember one year we landed sixteen over eight feet in a two-and-a-half week span. The last few years there are one or two landed at best and I am concerned about the adult population. The 8-6 bull I pictured in a recent article getting outfitted with a satellite tag (and the only one I know of being caught this year) quit transmitting in the area of Playa Bagdad. I fear that says a whole lot. Enjoy the Holidays and remember lifes a hoot if you let it. If we dont leave any there wont be any! -Capt. Billy L. Sandifer

Length: 15 inchesWingspan: 34 inches

Weight: 7 ounces

Photo by Jimmy Jackson

BILLY SANDIFERS

Sandwich Tern-Sterna Sandvicensis-

Medium-sized member of tern family; adult plumage is pale gray upper with white underparts, shaggy black crest

that is less extensive in winter with white crown. A vocal bird with long, slender, black bill tipped with yellow. Has deeply forked white tail and black legs and feet. Feeds by

plunge diving for fish. Courtship displays include males offering fish to females. Present along Texas beaches and bays March through November, migrates south for winter.

Breeds April through July on coastal islands. Nests in ground scrapes, lays one to three eggs. Young birds have

grey and brown scalloped plumage.

Capt. Billy Sandifer

Billy Sandifer operates Padre Island Safaris offering surf fishing for sharks to specks and nature tours of the Padre Island National Seashore. Billy also offers bay and near-shore fishing adventures in his 25 foot Panga for many big game and gamefish species.

Telephone361-937-8446

Websitewww.billysandifer.com

Ball of dusky anchovies getting hammered in the surf.


Years ago when my friend Sammy Wigginton and I used to haunt the Land Cut often I learned something about working soft plastic baits. I was working my bait as I always did and wasnt getting much return out of my efforts.

I was fishing a familiar bottom; sandy potholes, grass, no shellpretty much what I was used to fishing in that area but even though I knew that there were fish present, none was giving my lure so much as a tap to see what it was. I changed color, I changed lead head weight I sped up and slowed down my retrieve but with no good results.

About two hundred yards from me were two men fishing and I almost gave up when I saw both of their rods bent and trout splashing out in front of them. Arrgghhh!!! What was I doing wrong? I was going to change the color and type of bait that I was using for the umpteenth time when I saw one of the men cast back out into the water.

So I watched him.I couldnt see at that distance how fast he was reeling but I could

see how he was working his bait. He wasnt hopping the bait as I usually do, imitating a live shrimp; he was dragging the bait across the bottom and rarely twitched his rod but dang it if he didnt hook up again.

I put my go-to colored soft plastic back on and made my cast. I let the bait settle to the bottom and I slowly raised my rod tip, dragging the lure along the bottom. When my rod reached its apex I lowered my rod, gave it a twitch then resumed dragging the bait back to me. Two more casts and working the bait the same way yielded my first trout of the morning and from that moment, it was on.

Yes, I did try working the bait the way I usually do but the fish ignored what I had to offer them. When I went back to sliding the bait back, they got interested again.

I didnt get it at the time, I only knew then that by sliding the bait across the bottom I got results and when I worked the bait as I normally did I didnt. But I was curious and I mentioned my findings to an old salt later on.

Sand eels, he said. Sand eels? I asked, puzzled. Yup, sand eels, he said. And he went on to explain, Sand eels

bury up in the sand and when they come up out of the sand it doesnt take long for trout to find them. What you were into were sand eels leaving the protection of the sand that they were buried in to feed and the trout were on the bottom eating them. When you were working your bait like a live shrimp you were out of the zone but when you started sliding it across the bottom the trout found your bait.

Okay that made sense even if at that time I knew absolutely nothing about sand eels except that it was sort of like the old matching the hatch type of thinking except not in color or bait design but in movement of the bait. Prior to the sand eel lesson, the

only time that I slid my bait across the bottom was when I was after flounder. Dont get me wrong, I had slowed my retrieve depending on the circumstances often, but Id never fished for trout that way. In my mind I thought that I had to work the bait in that manner while I was fishing down there in order to catch fish; sand eels and all that stuff. But that wasnt the case at all. In fact I caught more trout fishing my usual rhythm than by sliding the bait on trips after that particular day, especially in my home waters, and the sand eel concept sort of vanished into the recesses of my mind. Well until a couple of weeks ago anyway. I was fishing a favorite stretch of water down south and while the water looked like pond water and was almost fresh on top there were fish below making bait come up and break the surface and there were some nice small slicks popping up here and there. The problem was that none of the toothy fish were cooperating with me. Then just as I was about to change bait colors, again, I realized what type of bait I was throwing. Yup, a Norton sand eel. So remembering that day so many years ago I cast out, let the lure go to the bottom then raised my rod tip, took up the slack with my reel as I lowered the rod back down toward the water then did it again and was rewarded with that familiar thump that we so love to feel resonating up our expensive graphite sticks. It went on that way all morning and that afternoon as well. Go figure. The next morning was different though as I started out as I had ended the previous day, sliding the bait across the bottom but I had no takers. I started working the bait as I usually do and thump there she was. I guess the sand eels were milling about and werent hanging on the bottom, heck I dont know. But I do know that when Im not getting any action from my usual retrieve, in addition to trying other baits, different weight lead heads, topwaters, tails of every brand and style, and slowing or speeding my retrieve Ill remember what the old man said about sand eels and sliding my bait across the bottom.

Maybe youll remember too.

Be Safe.

Martin Strarup

[email protected]

Martin Strarup is a lifelong saltwater enthusiast and outdoorsman.Martin is also a collector and dealer of vintage fishing tackle and lures, especially those made in Texas.


In the fishing vernacular, marine creatures often get lumped into categories by their appearance more than by proper biological classification. Thats the way we are. If a fish resembles a perch we call it a perch. If it is eel-like or worm-like in appearance, we call them eels or worms. Dr. Mark Fisher of TPWDs Coastal Fisheries Division says, On the East coast, when an angler says sand eel they are referring to a sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus), which really isnt an eel; none-the-less they are highly-favored as bait by striped bass anglers. Here on the Texas coast; when an angler sees sand eels inside the stomach of a red drum or speckled trout, they are most likely seeing shrimp eels (Ophichthus gomesi). In his book Fishes of the Texas Laguna Madre, Dr. David McKee professor of marine biology at Texas A&M Corpus Christi describes the speckled worm eel and also the shrimp eel. Both species are common on muddy and sandy bottoms of Texas bays and the nearshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The juveniles of both species would make excellent forage for reds and trout. Fully mature adults can reach two feet and more in length and migrate to the Gulf of Mexico to spawn. Juveniles are most commonly seen in Texas bays December through May. It is widely understood that red drum and speckled trout are opportunistic predators and therefore apt to eat just about anything they can catch and swallow. If we find something in a fishs stomach at the cleaning table, we know he ate it. If we have a lure that might imitate it, we try it. And, sometimes we get lucky. That a plethora of soft plastic baits are created to replicate various forms of marine life is neither a secret nor surprise. Learning to use them in ways to trick the predator is no doubt one of the greatest thrills in angling.

~Martin Strarup

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Photo Credit: Brenda Bowling, TPWD


This is the time of year when boats are stored for a season. What you have to spend in the spring can depend on what you do today. The critical part of winterizing your boat is knowing what to do and when to do it. If you fish year round and duck hunt during winter and the boat does not sit for more than 45 to 60 days you do not need to winterize, only stabilize.

Winterizing should be performed as soon as the last trip is done. What to do? Stabilize fuel system and fog engine. Spray CorrosionX Red on steering components, powerhead, pumps, jackplate and batteries. Lube all grease fittings on engine and jackplate as well as trailer wheel bearings.

Stabilizing and fogging: I do not recommend filling tank prior to storing. Treat the fuel in your tank with the proper amount of fuel stabilizer based on gallons in your tank and stabilizer package recommendation. Change fuel/water separator filter. Pour one ounce of stabilizer into new filter, pump fuel bulb, start and run engine on hose for 20 minutes at 1500 rpm. (The goal is to have treated fuel in the tank, fuel/water separator, fuel lines and engine fuel system.) Most additives need to be agitated, not just poured in, so drive around on the trailer a few minutes.

If you have been running a fuel additive every tank, read your product label to see if stabilization is part of the fuel additive formula; no need to double dose. Use engine fogging oil directly

into intake during the last three to four minutes of engine operation and reduce RPM to idle. (Removing air box is usually recommended.) Packets of rat poison in storage hatches are highly recommend if pets and children are not going to be a factor. Leave hatches open, pull drain plugs, turn battery switch off. Sample lower unit fluid for water. Tilt engine all the way under and jack trailer up as high as possible. (The goal is to make sure all water is drained from bearing carrier/exhaust cavity in case we get a real Texas winter, dont want to be at home and cant remember). Disconnect fuel line at engine if so equipped, (usually standard on smaller hp engines). This service will cost around $125.00 at service facility if time is not your friend. Inboards should change oil and follow procedures above.

Have a great winter!

Coastal Bend Marine & Auto PO Box 301/1808 W. Adams Port OConnor, TX 77982Phone: 361-983-4841 Fax: 361-983-4676Email: [email protected]

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Anyone who has spent their fair share of winters in Texas knows that it can go from Bermuda shorts to thermals and back again in the blink of an eye. I know dang good and well just as soon as I write this column and push send it will all go down the toilet but Im going to do it anyway here goes. For the past several weeks the entire Gulf coast has basically put bad weather on hold and hit pause on perfection. The coastal forecast on any weather website appears to be stuck, the temperatures and wind forecasts change so little that many

folks have almost grown complacent. Instead of taking advantage of light and

variable or smooth winds, many just opt out and go the

next day because the forecast never seems to change. Talk about spoiled; its been incredible. Now perhaps the most unique

condition that Upper Coast folks are blessed with right now has

been the lack of rain and runoff from heavy rains. Anglers on Sabine have

been especially fortunate in that area since we have probably the largest water shed

area in the state with both the big rivers, Sabine and Neches, dumping into our bay. To our north both Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend are below pool and sending minimal amounts downstream which means Sabine Lake has stayed saltier than normal for most of the summer. In fact Toledo Bend is at near record low pool due to some maintenance

work being done on the dam. The ultra-low lake level will also help cushion the blow for Sabine anglers from any big rains in the near future since the lake will need to fill before all

that water is released and heads this way. The biggest reason for this little weather talk and update on the conditions is to make folks aware of just how good the fishing is and how good it may get in the very near future. Conditions like what we have now on Sabine dont happen every year like many other bay systems because we just have way too many variables to deal with that others dont. Runoff from the big lakes upriver being the biggest, this has a major impact on salinity levels which in turn impacts the fishing patterns. An incredibly vicious cycle that will make you pull your hair out from time to time. The conditions we have at the moment are some of the best you will ever see and it may be years before we see it again. For these reasons I am very excited about the fishing possibilities for the fall and winter seasons. Almost every saltwater angler knows how incredible the fishing can be during the fall, flocks of gulls hovering over hungry schools of trout and redfish as far as the eye can see. A fish on every cast and the feeling that there is no way fishing could ever get any better. That program will be the main focus for many anglers, just look at the launches around the lake. There will be an extra sprinkling of freshwater anglers who snowbird on Sabine Lake just to take advantage of the lights-out fishing weve been enjoying so far this fall. The crowds will descend on the lake until the weather finally runs everyone except the most diehard anglers back to the comfort of a warm couch and football on TV. That program is obvious but definitely not the only game in town. One of the mainstay methods of fishing in the fall and winter months actually has nothing to do with the lake, it happens in the deeper water of the Sabine River. Patient anglers probe the deep points and bends in the river with live shad during this time of the year and they often produce some eye-popping catches. Plenty of redfish and good flounder are caught as well as some really huge trout by the folks draggin shad. I have seen trout well over nine pounds taken miles up the river on a live shad dangled from a Carolina rig, trust me it works. Quite often big trout show up in the middle of a school of good redfish, so dont discount that thump on


the end of your line, it could be the trout youve been waiting for your whole life. Another really cool opportunity that seems to come around only when we have these conditions is the phenomenal run of good sand trout. Just about any main river point has these fish stacked on them and they are ready and willing to bite. This is the best game in town for the kids since the there is basically no technique involved and a variety of baits can be used. Fresh dead shrimp, shad, squid, and just about any small soft plastic will do the trick. Once the depth of the school is determined its almost automatic; just drop your bait over the side and fish vertical. Dont be afraid to move around and find another school, there are some really good sand trout in the river and the better fish tend to run together. The big bonus that comes with catching sand trout is when a school of redfish or trout come in and start feeding on them, you can get your line stretched in a hurry. Now with all this focus on the winter months many will concentrate on hunting, especially waterfowl hunting along the coast. The only problem with this plan is what are you going to do with all the redfish in the marsh? There is absolutely


nothing better in my mind right now than chasing some stud redfish, watching ducks work a pond, and listening to geese overhead as the make their way into our part of the world. Talk about an absolute sensory overload! The marshes all along the coast have been chockfull of redfish and they are not bashful about eating during this time of the year. The great thing has been the size of some these fish, redfish up to fifteen pounds tailing or cruising with their back out of the water is a sight to behold. My son Hunter refers to the current conditions as back to the glory days. Indeed they have been

glorious and will soon come to an end when all the water leaves on the first really good norther, but until then it will remain an absolute paradise for those willing to do a little work. I know that during the first split of duck season I will not go to the blind without a fishing rod stashed somewhere. The thought of ducks committed to land in a pond with redfish bouncing around in the decoys is what pleasant dreams are made of and I plan to get all of that I can stand. I hope that the fall and winter months are kind to all of you and that your fishing and hunting exploits make you great memories that will last a lifetime. If the current conditions will hold up or perhaps get even better, I cant see any reason why these next few weeks wont be some of the best weve seen in a quite a while. Enjoy your time on the water and by all means be safe.

Chuck Uzzle

Phone 409-697-6111Email [email protected] www.chucksguideservice.net

Chuck fishes Sabine and Calcasieu Lakes from his home in Orange, TX. His specialties are light tackle and fly fishing for trout, reds, and flounder.


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The University of TexasMarine Science Institute

www.ScienceAndTheSea.org The University of Texas Marine Science Institute


Ever since I was a little girl growing up on the Texas Coast near Matagorda, I have dreamed of one day going out to sea and catching a big fish. Well, that dream finally became reality at the ripe old age of sixty! After seeing the advertisement in our magazine for Serena Residences in Mazatlan, Mexico, I mentioned to my boss (Everett) that I sure would like to catch a blue marlin one day. Well, he and Pam talked it over and, lo and behold, they hooked me up. The first week of October 2010, husband Ron and I went to Mazatlan to visit Serena Residences and what a trip it was. After arriving on the airplane and going through customs, which can be frustrating and even intimidating for folks who dont make international flights very often, a very friendly face was waiting in the lobby and the man was holding a sign with my name on it. Let me tell you; that made my day right there and made me feel important. He loaded us into his Jeep and away we went to the resort. Arriving at the resort, we were checked into our three bedroom - two bath condo which was immaculate and well-stocked with everything anyone could need. The personnel at the resort had asked us upon arrival if we would

like lunch so they could prepare it for us. We opted out, but I wonder what it would have been after eating the fine meals prepared for us in the evenings. We took the liberty of roaming around the facility and checking out the swimming pool and hot tub for the afternoon until we decided to sit on our patio and have a few cervezas left in our room for us (at a nominal fee of course). We then walked over to the restaurant for dinner. The menu is rather limited but the food at Serena Residences is excellent. The first night, my husband had grilled mahi-mahi with grilled vegetables and a salad and I had a rib eye steak with grilled vegetables and salad also and then came brownies with ice cream on top. While we were waiting on this fine meal, Jonathan Alarcorn the Serena general manager came

over to visit with us and fill us in on the next days fishing activities. He informed us that we should arrive at the restaurant around 6:00 am for breakfast. We questioned him about things to do in Mazatlan and were told that they could arrange any type of activity that we would like to do; going to the beach, old downtown for shopping where the cruise boats come in, along with other attractions. Unfortunately, we did not have much time for these things as our focus was fishing but there are plenty of activities


available for the curious and non-fishing members of any group. The next morning, we went to have our breakfast and there was toast, cereal, muffins, and fresh fruit all laid out for us. Shortly the boat captain came in and retrieved us for the days fishing. Our boat crew was Captain Luis and Chato and what entertainers they were. You never got bored, even when the fishing was slow. The boat we were assigned was a 26 Glacier Bay and we enjoyed the speed, comfort and stability it provided. We trolled all day and ran into a school of dorado and caught quite a few but my mission was to catch a marlin so we changed up and began exploring. Luis and Chato explained how the marlin often push bait to the surface. We found lots of surface activity, major splashing and small fish leaping in many places, and naturally wed all be on pins and needles as we cruised closer, but it was only dolphins acres and acres of dolphins. Now we have lots of dolphins in Texas but I have never seen so many in one area in my whole life. We did run into a small school of tuna in the middle of one of these schools of dolphin and were lucky enough to catch one but no luck with the marlin for the first day. Arriving back at the resort dock, Captain Luis and Chato cleaned our fish and the chef came down to the dock and took some fillets back to the kitchen to prepare for our evening meal. Our meal that evening was also amazing. We were first brought some fresh ceviche that had been prepared from our mahi-mahi and the next course was sashimi prepared from our tuna. This was my first time for sashimi and I must say I was pleasantly surprised, it was very good. Our main course for the evening was garlic grilled mahi-mahi along with and array of grilled veggies and again an excellent dessert of crme brule with bananas and Baileys Irish Cream.

The next morning we went out again and this was the day. By 9:30 I had my first blue marlin and was absolutely thrilled. When this fish hit the line, I was sent to the back of the boat to fight it and only lasted about ten minutes before I was worn out. All these years I thought I was fit and in shape for my age doing lots of yard work and gardening chores but boy did I find out otherwise. Chato took over for about ten minutes while I rested and then it was my turn again. This went on for about an hour with Chato giving me short breaks until we finally landed the fish. I was ecstatic. The dream I had carried all through my years growing up on the coast and fishing so many years had finally come true. Ron and I were all smiles and so proud that I was able to accomplish this even though I had to have some help in getting the fish to the boat. With our marlin in the boat, we trolled around looking for another school of tuna or maybe more dorado. We never found any but it never dampened our spirits. The thrill and memory of that blue marlin is something I will always cherish. To sum it up, our trip was a very pleasant experience and I would recommend anyone wanting to go sport fishing in the Mexican Pacific to try Serena Residences at Mazatlan. It is first class all the way and the boat captain is wonderful and speaks our language so there is no barrier in communicating. This resort is very secure and also very accommodating. The staff is very polite and quick to deliver anything you could want or need. The meals were excellent and included in the price of the trip. I know there is currently a lot of concern with security and personal safety in some parts of Mexico but I would never have a problem with recommending Mazatlan and this resort to anyone wanting to vacation in Mexico. The area is just gorgeous!


I have been asked countless times why I prefer wade fishing versus drifting and fishing on the trolling motor. My answer has always been the same I believe wading

gives the angler a distinct advantage in finding and staying with fish for longer periods as well as greater freedom in casting. As a guide, I believe wading provides the best opportunity for clients to learn technique as well as catch fish. Expectations rise among diehard trophy trout anglers with the passage of each northerly front. Given the ample rainfall received in 2010 I expect 2011 should be better than average for fish pushing the eight pound mark along the Middle and Lower Texas coast. There is some concern over the fish-kill that occurred in Baffin in early September but bad as some of the photos looked my sources assure me that it was localized and did not affect the entire bay system or other areas surrounding Baffin. I saw very few dead gamefish from the Kennedy Causeway through the Land Cut. Alazan, Laguna Salada and Cayo Del Grullo were hardest hit as far as trout and reds go but even here I am told the kills were highly localized. Corpus Christi and Aransas Bays were unaffected. I am an optimist looking on the bright side; I think we are in for a good winter and early-spring trophy season. A few issues back I walked you through a morning of summer trophy trout hunting and received more e-mails about that article than ever before. So in this issue Ill take you on a winter trophy run. I hope you enjoy the trip. Its 5:00am. The temperature is a damp 50F as I stow my Simms wading bag in my already warming truck. What I carry in the bag are some of the most important items for the day. Simms G-4 waders, Simms Freestone wading jacket and my very comfortable Simms Flats Sneakers are all that separate me from the harsh conditions of winter fishing. I am already wearing

my Simms WaderWick undergarments, wading socks and Simms Guide Top. I have the boat hooked up and my rods are in the seat next to me. It is Thursday, so I listen to Mickey Eastman on 610 Sports Radio. Maybe Ill call in and talk as I drive the forty-plus miles to Bluffs Landing. I get the boat in the water and grab a quick cup of hot coffee from the marina. My guys are getting into waders on the tailgate of their truck. We are all anxious to get on the water knowing that nighttime lows near 50 along with daytime warming could produce a very special day. After small talk and a few lies about trips past we get serious and settle in for a chilly run to the fishing grounds.NE wind at 15mph and water temperatures in the low-50s send me past the shoreline potholes of the King Ranch. Id prefer to sink a little with each step this morning with water temperatures just above the 50 mark. Forty-five minutes later I am standing in mud to my calf. Ten pounds of Thanksgiving and Christmas feasting bog my wade somewhat today. Not to worry, a week of this and the extra weight will be gone. I have my guys fifteen to twenty yards either side and have instructed them to move slow and cast to any and every mullet we might see. Bait is slow to wake but in the distance I see an area where a few mullet are flipping nervously. Over the years Ive learned that flips are better than jumps. As the sun rises higher we begin to see darker patches in the water; these are grassbeds, our structure for the day. My tackle selection is pared to bare essentials (several MirrOlure/Paul Brown Corkys, 5 Bass Assassins and a few 1/16 ounce jigs) and fits in a small box wedged between my wading belt and lower back. In the soft stuff you need to be able to move quietly so less is better. No net or stringer trailing behind, only my Boga attached to the clip on my belt. My camera is in my jacket pocket along with lip balm and lens cleaner. The water is stained but clear enough to make out the dark grassbeds. A mullet rolls over the top of a grassbed just within my casting range. A cast to the area is met on the initial fall with a solid Ka-Thump! Quick reel down, then set, and were on! Good fish. A frantic surface act and then she runs right at me before

looping back out and loading the rod and pulling a little drag. If it takes drag on my reel, she is a five pound class

fish. Say what you want about a tight drag but my history reflects that a stiff drag, small hook,

and a rod with some backbone works. This fish is a trophy in waiting;

five pounds on the Boga but barely twenty-four inches

so the potential for this fish is tremendous. Good genetics and age often result in the production

of a true trophy fish. As the day warms the bait

becomes more active and

JAY

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Heavy winter trout on Corky from back bay over shallow grass.


bites more frequent but most are not the fish we are searching for. A few nice fish escape our hooksets and one lost at hand looked to be a seven. With the amount of bait and the bottom structure in the area I ease back and move the boat down about a quarter of a mile while my guys continue fishing. A little more bait along the outside of the flat begins to appear. A drink of water and a Power Bar and I am back in the water heading towards the bait and my guys. BAIT IS EVERYTHING IN WINTER TROUT FISHING so when you find good bottom structure and a food source STAY PUT! Outside the bait line we start picking up solid trout to near five pounds. Not the fish we are looking for but it is likely that a big fish could be mixed in with this age class. The action is not fast but it is

steady and each hookset brings anticipation. As we approach the end of the major (feeding period) our flat slowly goes dead as if on cue. An hour and a half of chunking without out a bite sends us back to the boat. By now our legs are tired of trudging through the mud and the photos on the camera will show a pretty darn good day of trout fishing. No we did not get that trout of a lifetime but we did enjoy catching some better-than-average fish. When targeting a select class of fish we often encounter fish much better than the average but it is still no guarantee that a real trophy will be caught. It is days like we just had that make that one day so very special. I bet you thought the story would end with someone catching a ten pounder. It certainly would have made a great ending but in all honesty those endings are rare and rarity you see is what makes the quest so exciting. Wade slow, see everything around you and dream in double digits.

May your fishing always be catching. -Guide Jay Watkins

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PhoneEmailWebsite

[email protected]

Jay Watkins has been a full-time fishing guide at Rockport, TX, for more than 20 years. Jay specializes in wading year-round for trout and redfish with artificial lures. Jay covers the Texas coast from San Antonio Bay to Corpus Christi Bay.

Solid cold-water trout caught over grassbeds.


During cold-weather months, fish frequently seek the comfort and shelter of deep water. They may do this for long periods of time during extreme conditions, or for short periods when the shallows have not yet been warmed by sunlight or an influx of warm water. Predatory fish also venture into deep water during tidal movements, where they lurk near structural features and wait to ambush prey. Anglers who are accustomed to fishing shallow water sometimes feel helpless when fish move deep because delivering a fly to depths of 10, 15, or even 20 feet is challenging. But it can be done, and with the right tackle it can be done quite effectively.

When going after deepwater fish, the most important component of fly tackle is the line. Although it is resourceful, trying to reach deep targets by simply adding heavy flies and long leaders to traditional floating fly lines is not enough. At best its inefficient and clumsy. Swapping out the floating line for a sinking line is a much better choice.

I have spent many hours throwing sinking lines. In fact, targeting fish in deep water has slowly evolved into one of my favorite styles of fly fishing. This month well take a look at sinking fly lines and several factors to consider when selecting a sinking line for deepwater fishing scenarios.

Sink RateWhen choosing a sinking fly line, the first question you should ask yourself is, How deep do I need to go? It sounds elementary, but it is an important question to answer because sinking fly lines are designed to drop at defined rates. For example, slow sinking intermediate lines drop at about 1-2 inches per second. This is quite slow about like a waterlogged floating line. Fast sinking lines however, fall anywhere from 6-8 inches per second. Thats quick about like dropping a Clouser overboard.

The sink rate of a fly line will be labeled on the box, usually in inches

per second (i.p.s.).

Simple multiplication will tell you how long a particular line will take to carry your fly to a certain depth. Keep in mind that listed sink rates do not account for factors like current, a flys drag, and a drifting boat. These will slow down the sink rate of the line. When considering sink rate, select a line that reaches your target depth as quickly as possible. In general, dont plan on having the patience to wait more than 45 seconds or so for your line to sink. This is a long time to stare at a fly line and it becomes not-so-fun after a few casts even less fun if youre not catching anything. If you dont believe me, make a cast and wait an honest 45 seconds. Its a long time. My advice is to be bold with your selection. Dont try to fine tune it. If you are targeting fish deeper than 10 feet, go straight to the fast-sinkers, and choose the quickest sinking line your fly rod can handle. In the 8wt. varieties, these lines sink from 6-8 i.p.s. and have head weights of 250-300 grains.

Full Sink vs. Sink TipOnce you have established your target depth, the next question you should ask is, Where will I be standing when I cast? If you plan to be fishing from a boat it is likely your target depth is nearly the same as the depth below your feet. You wont be concerned with dragging your fly line over shallow snags. A full sink line is a good choice for this situation. Full sink lines are designed for casting either from

a boat or from shorelines with very steep drops or ledges. Because the entire length of a full sink line falls at a steady rate, anglers can make retrieves that keep flies as deep as possible for as long as possible. Full sinking lines are generally quite thin and dense. This makes them easy to cast in the

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wind and less affected by current and drift than other lines. But their narrow diameters also make them prone to tangles and difficult to manage in the hand, especially with cold fingers. If you plan to fish from shore, or from the jetties, youll be forced to retrieve the submerged line back over an area of shallow water in front of you. Full sink lines will drag over this shallow water, embed in the sand or rocks, and almost certainly become snagged near the end of the retrieve. For this reason, choose a sink tip line instead. Sink tip lines are basically modified shooting lines that cleanly integrate sinking heads to floating or intermediate running lines. While the head of the line sinks, the floating or slow sinking bellies hover over shallow obstructions and enable anglers to make retrieves without getting snagged on them. Theyre pretty nifty lines. For jetty fishing, a sink tip line with a floating belly is a good choice. These lines deliver flies to deep water and still allow anglers to make clean retrieves in spite of line-eating barnacles and rocks. Learning to cast them efficiently takes practice, but defeating those jetty-snags makes it worthwhile. One disadvantage to sink tip lines with floating bellies is the inherent bow formed in the line between the floating running line and

the sinking head. This bow creates slack and makes it difficult to quickly detect strikes. For those standing on the sand and mud at the edge of a steep channel, a line with a sinking tip and intermediate belly is a good choice. These lines sink quickly but they still allow anglers to retrieve across shallow mud or grass areas at their feet. They maintain a fairly straight line connection between the rod and the fly and are reasonably easy to handle. Do not get discouraged if you

find sinking lines difficult to handle at first everyone does. Make sure you use a stripping basket or bucket to help manage and shoot these lines, aim high with your casts, and keep practicing. When the fish move deep youll be ready.

Casey Smartt has been fly fishing and tying flies for

30 years. When he cannot make it to the coast he is happy chasing fish on Texas inland lakes and rivers.

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830-237-6886 [email protected] www.caseysmartt.com

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By Allison Hatten | Coastal Fisheries Division | Sabine Lake Marine Lab | Port Arthur, Texas

When I interviewed for the internship with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Coastal Fisheries Division last summer, I was informed that there would be work days when I would watch the sun rise and set in the same day. I did not realize this would be true on the first three days. When I reported for duty on Monday, I didnt expect to be doing much more than paperwork, but within an hour I was going out into the field to collect three bag seine samples. We ended the day setting two gill nets in Mud Lake. This was just before sunset. Forty-five gill nets are set in 10-week periods during the spring and fall of each year and are used to monitor adult fish and crab populations. Each net is 600 feet in length made of 150-feet sections of 3-inch, 4-inch, 5-inch, and 6-inch monofilament mesh. The bottom line is filled with lead to weigh it down and the top looks like a green ski rope lined with floats. These are called the leadline and floatline, respectively. Anchors at each end of the net hold it perpendicular to the shore.

I returned at 5:30 a.m. (before sunrise!) to start my second work day with Craig LeBlanc and Kirk Blood. I watched as they fell into their typical routine of filling ice chests, hooking up the

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boat, and loading it with gill net necessities. Baskets, knives, gloves, measuring boards, rubber boots, bright yellow slickers, and clipboards with lots of data sheets are a few of the items. After a quick weather check, we were off. At the first net site, I watched Craig and Kirk start the process of collecting water samples, setting up baskets for each mesh size, preparing data sheets, and laying out the tarp in preparation of pulling in the net. After retrieving the nets offshore anchor, we began pulling in the net, stopping frequently to extract fish and crabs. All organisms were measured and data recorded. Craig and Kirk rolled their eyes as my excitement grew with each new type of fish that was pulled from the net. As the gill net season progressed, I learned to dread encountering many of the same fish I was so ecstatic about seeing on that first pickup day. Toward the middle of the net, Kirk pulled out a beautifully copper-colored fish with an interesting spot located a few centimeters from its tail. I asked what it was. I definitely saw Kirks look of disbelief as he said Sciaenops ocellatus, or redfish (red drum) as I am sure you have heard. Yes, I had heard of them and seen a few pictures, but I had

never thought much of them until now. I had never seen a photo that captured this fishs resplendence. As the weeks progressed into gill net season, I found myself experiencing wonderful field activities I had never imagined. I have to hand it to the Coastal Fisheries guys; they are a tough and knowledgeable crew that gets the job done. I learned a lot about numerousspecies and their habitats. I also found the gill net catch rates very interesting. During this spring 2010 gill net season, new seasonal catch rate records for Sabine Lake were set by total finfish (7.70 fish/hour) and alligator gar (0.54 fish/hour). The previous records for total finfish (2006) and gar (2009) were 6.82 fish/hour and 0.51 fish/hour, respectively. Spotted sea trout tied their seasonal catch rate (0.65 fish/hour) set in 1998. This spring gill net catches rates of red drum set a new seasonal catch rate record (3.43 fish/hour). This

new record more than doubles the previous record set during the spring of 2007 (1.63 fish/hour). In fact, three of the last four years have produced record numbers for red drum since gill nets were first sampled in the Sabine Lake ecosystem in 1986. The increase in red drum in the Sabine Lake area could be due to many factors. It could be the increase in red drum occurred after the intense flooding associated with Hurricane Ike. Marsh lands leading to many freshwater ponds and low lands were opened to salt water lakes and bayous creating more shoreline microhabitat for small shrimp, crustaceans and other types of foods red drum consume. My summer with TPWD is one I will never forget. This is definitely an experience I would recommend to those interested in this profession. You cant put a price on true hands on experience and working with the finest fisheries managers in the field, even if you work from sunrise to sunset!

Check the TPWD Outdoor Annual, your local TPWD Law Enforcement

office, or www.tpwd.state.tx.us for more information.


CCA Texas entered 2010 with guarded optimism and, like many other non-profit organizations and businesses in general, a watchful eye on the economy. A strong effort by dedicated local chapters and volunteers, communities and supporters helped CCA Texas make 2010 another successful year for the organization. Chapter boards and CCA Texas staff worked tirelessly to find areas where the organization could provide the same great local banquets and at the same time cut unnecessary expenses and frills. This effort, both locally and at the CCA Texas office, proved to be the right medicine for 2010. While some chapters operated at 2009 levels, some had a down year and others set new banquet records for both attendance and money raised for the conservation of Texass coastal resources.

CCA Texas Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow (HTFT) initiative continued to move forward in its mission to enhance and restore the coastal marine habitat of Texas. Projects that have been on the table were completed, new projects were approved and long standing projects such as the crab trap cleanup were continued. CCA Texas volunteers once again heeded the call of duty and participated in the 9th Annual Texas Abandoned Crap Trap Removal program. Volunteers up and down the entire Texas coast turned out to once again remove old and derelict traps left in the bays, and at the end of the day many gathered to eat and swap fishing stories of the present and past year.

CCA Texas volunteers participated in a marsh grass planting day at the Goose Island Marsh restoration project in the fall of 2009. In January of 2010, CCA Texas and Texas Parks Wildlife Department (TPWD) contracted Belaire Environmental to professionally plant the remaining marsh mounds in phase one of this project. CCA Texas contributed $25,000 to this phase and facilitated the volunteer day. In August, CCA Texas approved an additional amount of $25,000 to fund Phase II of this project. $20,000 of these funds was secured from a private foundation in Austin, Texas and $5,000 was secured from H-E-B. These funds will be used to plant the last twelve acres of marsh of this project. Once completed, CCA Texas will have provided the necessary funding to plant all marsh mounds in the twenty-four acre restoration project. Another volunteer planting day is scheduled for the spring of 2011, so please watch the CCA Texas calendar and your email for notifications.

CCA Texas/HTFT contributed $23,000 to the 160 acre Nueces Bay marsh restoration project, lead by Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program (CBBEP). This project is currently in the construction phase of work and will eventually restore approximately 160 acres of lost marsh along the Portland Causeway. CCA Texas has contributed $10,000, and through the efforts of the HTFT initiative, has secured another $10,000 from the Fish America Foundation and $3,000 from West Marines Marine Conservation Grant process. This contribution will go directly to the planting of marsh grasses in Phase I of the project and will have been completed by the end of November 2010. At the time of writing this article, a joint volunteer grass planting day is being planned by CCA Texas and CBBEP.

On the Upper Texas coast, $20,000 in funding was approved for the Snake Island Cove Habitat and Seagrass Protection Project lead by the Galveston Bay Foundation (GBF). These funds will go directly to Phase II of the project which is extending the existing 4,100 feet

of geotextile tube breakwater by 1,000 feet. This project once fully completed will create 75 acres of protected and calm shallow water habitat and protect 200 acres of existing estuarine intertidal marsh.

CCA Texas and TPWD deployed in excess of 250 tons of materials at the nearshore Vancouver reefing site off of the coast of Freeport, Texas. The first of three major nearshore reefing projects, this reef site is located within Texas state waters and this joint effort is the single largest deployment to the site to date. CCA Texas/HTFT was able to secure partnerships with Dorsett Brothers Concrete, who provided storage and docking facilities; Old Castle Pre-Cast, who provided one-hundred-fifteen concrete catch basins for reefing material; Texas A&M Galveston, who provided 23 granite blocks ranging in size from 2.5 to 13 tons; and helped arrange local transportation of materials as well as provided $50,000 in funding to the project. This project will be followed by projects in Port Mansfield and Matagorda. Materials are currently being staged in Port Mansfield for deployment. This material, concrete culverts, is being provided by Alamo Concrete Products and once all material is on hand, will be deployed with a target date of spring 2011. CCA Texas has committed $50,000 to this project. The new Matagorda project is currently waiting for permitting by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Once permitted, reefing will begin in this new site. With $35,000 committed to the Matagorda site, CCA Texas will have a total commitment to date of $135,000 to nearshore reefing in Texas waters.

CCA Texas has partnered with many like organizations in habitat projects. One of the most recent and newest partners is Texas Ducks Unlimited. CCA Texas recently contributed $50,000 in funds to the shoreline stabilization project at the J. D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area in Jefferson County. These funds include $30,000 from a private foundation in Austin and $5,000 from the DuPont Foundation. This project will restore up to 3,000 acres of freshwater and coastal wetlands. These CCA Texas funds will go directly to the construction of a 2,500 linear-foot rock breakwater. This breakwater will protect critical marshes that are a vital nursery grounds for many fishery species important to commercial and recreational fisheries.

The Deep Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico brought the future of coastal habitat to the forefront of all anglers minds. CCA, and in particular CCA Louisiana, was at the forefront of this tragic event. CCA Louisiana Executive Director David Cresson was invited to testify before the House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife on the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. His testimony spoke of the loses and closures following the spill and the effects they had on the local economies, people and ultimately the richness of the Gulf coast ecosystems. In closing Mr. Cresson spoke of the immediate needs for habitat creation and restoration in the areas impacted and the need for a state of the art hatchery and research facility to help as the Gulf coast recovers.

In closing, CCA Texas is thankful for a successful year in 2010. This success would not be possible without the dedicated support and tireless energy of some of the finest volunteers in the state of Texas. CCA Texas leadership and staff wish all of our members, volunteers and supporters a Merry Christmas and a prosperous and healthy New Year in 2011.

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Dont look now but Christmas is right around the corner. It is truly odd how the years seem to pass

so much quicker. The best explanation might be that as 10-year-olds a year was one tenth of our life. As we age, a year is still the same amount of time but an increasing smaller percentage of our life. Makes sense to me. This has been an odd year in the fishing biz. It got a slow start with old man winter overstaying his welcome and then came the BP oil spill and the uncertainty it cast over everybody and everything along the entire rim of the Gulf of Mexico. Throw in the sluggish economy and lets just say Ill shed no tear over the exit of 2010.

On to bigger and better things in 2011 and what better way to start it off with than unwrapping some new fishing and kayaking gear on Christmas morning. Outdoorsmen are predisposed to be gadget junkies. I open every outdoors catalog that arrives only to find something I really need. Okay, I dont really need it, but I want it. Like you, Ive got eno

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