November 2015 - PDF - Texas Outdoors Journal

Transcription

TEXAS OUTDOORS
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Continue Scouting into Deer Season
(see
“Texas’ Most Comprehensive Outdoors Publication”
November 2015 / $3.99
texasoutdoorsjournal.com
Journal
Code Red: San Bernard Marshes | Duck Blinds & Set Ups
Pick Your Terrain - Pick Your Fowl | Fishing Around Fronts
Fall Tranquility on Inland Lakes | 10 MM Handgun Hunting
Binoculars — Right Size for the Job | The Worm Master
coastal & lake forecasts | tide & solunar tables
TEXAS OUTDOORS
“Texas’ Most Comprehensive Outdoors Publication”
Journal
For Hunters . . .
16 Just Shooting
—Kerry O’Day
10mm for Hunting?
24
Continue Scouting into the Season - Preseason scouting in South Texas continues into the early part of the season with information gathered employed later during the rut when mature bucks are most ac
tive. —Bob Zaiglin
Freshwater
14
November 2015
For Anglers . . .
Saltwater
Just Fishng 10 Just Fishing
—Brian Hughes
—Danno Wise
Good Fall Fishing & Tranquility on Fishing Around Fronts
the Lakes
18 Code Red: San Bernard Marshes- 32
The Worm Master- Legendary
T-Bend guide, tournament pro
offers 10 tips for Texas rigging —Matt Williams
The marshes and back lakes near the San Bernard River are teeming with redfish, trout and flounder that see very little fishing pressure
plus there’s public waterfowl hunt-
ing too. —Nate Skinner
Guns N Stuff
36
—Harold Gunn
When Size Matters
42 Just Hunting
—Nate Skinner
Pick Your Terrain- Pick Your Fowl
52 D
uck Blinds & Set Ups-
When it comes to duck blinds, there
are types available for a variety of
hunting situations. —Robert Sloan
62 F
ield Tips & Techniques—
Nate Skinner & Danno Wise
Hunting Secondary Water Pockets,
Holes, & Sloughs
november 2015
50 Bassology
—Matt Williams
CoastWatch – Danno Wise
Testing the Limit
28 Lower Forecast
Lake Roundups — Pros Forecasts
30 Middle Forecast 22 Central – John Jefferson 46 Upper Forecast
38 East – Matt Williams 48 Louisiana Forecast 40 North – Brian Hughes 56 South - Danno Wise 57 West – TOJ Staff
57 High Plains – TOJ Staff
60 Tackle Tips & Techniques
—Danno Wise
Bass’ Autumn Move from Shallow to Deep
58 Tackle Tips & Techniques —Danno Wise
Patterning Coastal Fish in Late Fall
For Everyone . . .
On the Cover . . .
4Editor’s Insight – Bill L. Olson
6 TOJ Notebook – TOJ Staff
8 Art, Books & Collectibles – Bill L. Olson
35 Subscription Information
59, 61, 63 Guides, Gear & Getaways
64 Outdoors Calendar
66 Fishing & Hunting Times
“Hunkered Down”
TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal
By artist Dallen Lambson. For more
information on “Hunkered Down” and
other works of art by Dallen Lambson
visit www.lambsonart.com, or call (208)
234-2422
3
Editor’s Insight
Bill L. Olson
THANKFUL & BLESSED
Anyone that has taken a hunters safety course will remember that one of the planks
in the maturation process of a hunter is simply enjoying the hunt, the experience and
surroundings. I believe over time anglers mature in a similar manner.
Time and experience are key components to move from inexperienced novice to one
that can embrace the time spent afield, or on the water as a true blessing. Time, and
that can be read as age, naturally takes care of itself. The experience comes from being
out and participating on a regular basis. Without time, and without regular experience,
skill-sets are not refined and each outdoor outing is similar to that “very first time.”
At the onset of fall I start thinking of the changes taking place and upcoming holidays.
I’ve always been rather sentimental and as the years have passed I cherish even more what
has been experienced and the opportunity to continue pursuing my outdoor passions.
It’s pretty easy to look back and vividly recall shooting lessons with his old 300 Savage
my Dad provided. Sharing time on the water on one of his boats, first fish, or simply
enjoying cruising Texas bays or offshore waters all provided a solid outdoor foundation.
My mother is not a hunter or angler, but helped me cultivate an “eye” for the subtleties
of nature. It may have been in the clouds, a colorful sunrise or sunset, some formation
carved by wind and rain from a rocky outcropping, and even the ever changing colors
of the seasons. Her influence broadened outdoor experiences.
Friends have played a major role as I matured. Peers have a way of challenging you,
particularly if they are a little older, maybe a little more experienced, but most importantly
likeminded. Bass fishing on Lake Waco while in college or crappie fishing on Livingston
and Conroe unknowingly at the time added to my coastal angling skill set. It’s funny
how similar things are regardless of the water body when it comes to understanding the
predator/prey relationship of fish or how gamefish relate to available structure.
So too have the more social aspect of hunting influenced my life. Dove, quail, ducks,
and geese tend to occur as a group event rather than the solitary nature of hunting deer
and other big game, or calling turkey and varmints. Certainly the time at campfires or
dinners before and after a day afield further cultivated special relationships.
As time passed and the next generation came along a teach and nurture also arrived.
Bonding during limited time with a daughter in the High Country and Gulf coast, or
watching a son excel as he became a responsible hunter, angler, and Captain are priceless.
In time grandkids and special young friends offer new opportunities to share and
teach, but also affords the opportunity to see new firsts through a different set of eyes.
If you want to be uplifted try mentoring an enthusiastic youngster that has been smitten
with the desire to learn about camping and woodsmanship skills. Whether it is an
instructional book, a daypack, or simply a roll of copper wire for making snares, the
young “sponge” is absorbing all of your knowledge and more. If attention is paid in time
he will return the favor with teachings of his own.
Then just sharing answers with friendly “strangers” to question of how, why, or simply
what do you think? As a young adult no one could have told me the outdoors would
have taken me down this path. However, if this was a part of God’s plan for me I am
forever thankful and blessed.
Until next month: Pursue all of your outdoor activities in a safe and ethical manner.
CAUTION: All technical data in this publication, especially for handloading, reflect the limited experience of individuals using specific
tools, products, equipment and components under specific conditions and circumstances not necessarily reported in the article and
over which Texas Outdoors Journal has no control. The data have not otherwise been tested or verified by Texas Outdoors Journal. Texas
Outdoors Journal, its agents, officers and employees accept no responsibility for the results obtained by persons using such data and
disclaim all liability for any consequential injuries or damages.
4
“Texas’ Most Comprehensive
Outdoors Publication”
Publisher/Editor
Bill L. Olson
Administrative Assistant
Adala Ruhge
Contributing Outdoors Editors
Harold Gunn
Brian Hughes
Mike Holmes
John Jefferson
Cody Koehler
Kerry O’Day
Billy Olson
Nate Skinner
Robert Sloan
Mark Sosin
Matt Williams
Danno Wise
Whitetail Deer Editor
Bob Zaiglin
Art/Production Editor
Sunni Gonzales
Advertising Sales
713/957-3997, 713/957-3996 (fax)
Subscription Information
Call 1-800-222-4TOJ (4865); In Houston,
713/957-3997 to charge your subscription by
phone. Subscription prices: one year $18.95,
two years $29.95, three years $39.95. Mail
inquiries/changes of address to:
1706 West Sam Houston Parkway North
Houston, Texas 77043
TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal (ISSN 1082-5940) is a publication of Texas Outdoors Journal, Inc. Editorial and
advertising offices are located at 1706 West Sam Houston
Parkway North, Houston TX 77043. Phone (713) 957-3997.
Fax (713) 957-3996.
E-MAIL ADDRESS: toj@airmail.net
TOJ Online: www.texasoutdoorsjournal.com
TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal is published monthly. Photographs and manuscripts for publication consideration are
welcomed, but the publisher assumes no responsibility
for such material while in transit or in the office of the
publication.
Copyright 2015 with all rights reserved. Reproduction or
use of editorial or graphic content in any manner without
permission is prohibited. Views expressed by TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal contributors do not necessarily express
the views of Texas Outdoors Journal, Inc. Publication of
advertising in TEXAS OUTDOORS Journal does not constitute endorsement of products or services advertised.
Volume 24, Number 11
november 2015
TOJ Notebook
Hunters Asked to Submit Samples for CWD Testing
With the recent discovery of Chronic
Wasting Disease (CWD) in two captive
deer breeding facilities in south-central
Texas, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will be stepping up efforts to
strategically sample hunter harvested
deer at a greater level during the 2015-16
hunting season.
Hunters are encouraged to assist with
this statewide monitoring effort by voluntarily submitting samples this fall. TPWD
biologists will collect and submit samples
to the Texas A&M Veterinary Diagnostic
Lab at no cost to the hunter.
Tissue samples from the heads of
harvested deer must be collected within
24 hours of harvest, up to 48 hours if kept
chilled. It is very important that the deer
head not be frozen.
Since 2003, TPWD biologists have
been monitoring the state’s free-ranging
deer population for CWD. Using statistical sampling tables commonly used by
animal disease experts, biologists set a
sampling goal that would detect the disease with 95 percent confidence if at least
one out of every 100 deer was infected.
Thus far, biologists have collected nearly
30,000 samples from hunter-harvested
deer across Texas’ eight ecological regions,
in most cases surpassing 95 percent confidence standards. To date, CWD has not
been found in Texas free-ranging whitetailed deer.
The sampling strategy for the 2015-16
hunting season is being refined to target
disease risk levels within the state’s 33
unique Resource Management Units
(RMU); wildlife conservation areas that
TPWD uses for all other deer management decisions. Criteria for establishing
risk levels include factors such as deer
density, susceptible species importation
history, proximity to a CWD-positive
site, etc.
Sampling goals will rely upon hunter
harvest submissions ranging from 60
to 433 (lowest to highest risk) deer for
each RMU, and if biologists can achieve
these goals, will result in excess of 7,000
samples.
TPWD will also specifically target
sampling efforts within a 5-mile radius
around the CWD index facility in Medina
County to determine the prevalence and
geographic extent of the disease in that
specific area.
“In the wake of our increased concern about CWD we are ramping up our
sampling effort state wide,” said Mitch
Lockwood, TPWD Big Game Program Director. “We will be collecting samples from
deer and elk, and other cervid species, in
every county where deer hunting occurs.”
Hunters wishing to submit samples
can go online to find their local TPWD
biologist, listed by county at http://tpwd.
texas.gov/landwater/land/technical_guidance/biologists/ .
Cover Art
The 2015-2016 whitetail deer season in Texas is always a much
anticipated event. With several years of decent rainfall since the
drought of 2011, and the abundance of rain in 2015 this year’s expectations of exceptional antler growth across the Lone Star State is
at an all time high.
However, with the abundance of forbs, a good mast crop and
cover, hunting these animals may be more difficult as the deer will
not have to move nearly as much. This will be particularly true in the
hardwood creek and river bottoms of East Texas.
Popular wildlife artist Dallen Lambsen’s “Hunkered Down”
displays one of these grand monarchs as this heavy horned, droptined buck simply holds tight in a secluded hardwood bottom area
of abundance. However, the one advantage hunters can anticipate is
when these bucks are chasing doe during the rut which occurs in East
Texas and other parts of Texas in November. Then the opportunity
to harvest a buck of a lifetime exists.
For more information on “Hunkered Down” and other works
of art by Dallen Lambson visit www.lambsonart.com, or call (208)
234-2422.
6
“Hunkered Down”
november 2015
The biologist will provide a sample
receipt hunters can use to track test
results online. TPWD anticipates test
results could take 3-4 weeks to process.
In some cases, biologists may request to
retain the entire deer head for later sample collection; a resource document will
be given to the hunter as proof of sex in
those instances.
More information about CWD, including safe carcass handling tips and
precautions, can be found online at
tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/diseases/
cwd.
Steady Overall Participation Levels
Conceal High Annual Rate of Churn
Among Anglers
While the total number of anglers who
enjoy fishing remains fairly consistent
year-in and year-out, the number of
anglers who actually bought a license in
ten consecutive years remains amazingly
small — four percent of the approximate
33 million anglers in the United States to
be exact. This was the startlingly discovery
revealed by a recent study conducted for
the American Sportfishing Association
(ASA) by Southwick Associates.
“ The fact that over all fishing
participation numbers are quite stable
from year to year could lead to the
erroneous conclusion that anglers
consistently renew their licenses,” stated
Tom Allen, Vice President of Research at
Southwick Associates. “
This is the first in a series of reports
to be released on the topic. Upcoming
reports will show which types of anglers
are at greatest risk of not coming back,
how to keep them engaged and lifestyles
of various angler segments.”
In the study, Southwick Associates,
the nation’s leading researcher in outdoor
economics and recreational market
statistics, examined fishing license data
over a 10-year period, from 2004 to 2013,
from 12 states. Those states included
Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Maine,
Mississippi, Minnesota, Mississippi,
Montana, New Hampshire, New York,
Utah, and Wisconsin. The goal was to
determine how many anglers transition
in and out of the sport from year to year,
a phenomenon also known as “churn” or
churn rate.
november 2015
Key findings of the report, titled “U.S.
Angler Population, Who Comes and Who
Goes,” included:
•The largest portion of anglers, 49
percent, purchased a license only one out
of 10 years.
•Only four percent bought a license in
each of the ten years.
•In any given year, close to half of
anglers do not renew their fishing licenses.
•The “typical” angler buys a fishing
license just 2.9 out of every 10 years.
•When looking at 5-year periods, that
number drops to most anglers buying a
license just every 2.1 years out of 5.
•Those groups of anglers most likely
to lapse each year include female anglers,
urban residents and those people between
the ages of 18 and 24.
•Forty-four to 48 percent of anglers
each year represent a group that had not
bought a fishing license the previous year.
So what does this high rate of churn
mean for state and federal fishing agencies?
Or even the fishing industry as a whole?
For most, it translates into lost
dollars as people who would otherwise
be considered prime candidates for
participating in fishing step away from the
sport. These lost dollars not only impact
the companies that make boats, tackle,
rods and other fishing gear, but also guide
services, hotels and local communities
that cater to anglers.
“ Per h a p s t h e bi g g e s t i m p a c t s
are realized by state game and fish
departments who directly lose revenue
from lost license sales, along with the lost
excise taxes collected in the sale of fishing
gear and boat fuels,” says Rob Southwick,
president of Southwick Associates. “These
monies are used to support fisheries and
habitat work, as well as build and maintain
sportfishing infrastructure such as of
public piers and boat ramps.”
Ultimately, by realizing the reasons
to which anglers step away from fishing
each year, the ASA hopes to help agencies
and other stakeholders develop strategies
that will improve fishing interest and
access among those groups-young people,
women and urban residents-and keep
them participating in angling every
year.
7
ART, BOOKS, & COLLECTIBLES | Bill L. Olson
The Next Chapter of Wildlife & Sporting Art
auction. Ironically these two originals are
also a dove scene and a quail scene, but
they are even more unique.
“The dove scene is entitled “Fogging
In” and the quail scene is entitled “Wrong
Side,” Wood stated. “There are several
interesting things about these two paintings — both are “elephant sheets,” which
means these are painted on larger water
color paper and measure 27” x 40” (1,080
square inches) compared to the standard
size of most Cowan’s large originals that
measure 22” x 30 (660 square inches).”
Plus Jack only painted 25-30 of these elephant sheet paintings, and these are two
of that limited total number.
“Other interesting facets of these
paintings include the fact that the bird
hunter in the red hat shooting quail in
“Wrong Side” is legendary crooner/singer,
Bing Crosby,” Wood revealed. “In Cowan’s art journal he noted “Wrong Side is
piece #918 and was painted in 1972 while
“Fogging In” is piece #971 and was painted
in August 1973. These are two very, very
special pieces of artwork from the artist
everyone refers to as a “Texas Treasure.”
For more information, and to receive
a bid packet to be registered as an invited
participant to the 2015 Annual Miniature
Art Sale at Collectors Covey in Dallas
Texas, call Bubba Wood (214) 505-2484
or visit www.collectorscovey.com.
tured, Bubba Wood picked up
on and has continued — the
promotion of wildlife and
sporting art, as well as the
talented individuals that paint,
sculpt, photograph and write
about special times afield or
on the water.
When it comes to paintings the original is the most
treasured. Wood observed first
hand the discovery of Cowan,
Booth, Barnes and other artist
as well as the emerging and
expanding sporting segment
of the art market. “I was in
law school back in 1965 when
I went to an art show at Preston North Gallery in Dallas
that was put on by Houston
art dealer Meredith Long,”
he said. “The show featured
artwork by David Hager“Fogging In” by John P. Cowan, an original water color, is one of two featured paintings that will be sold via
baumer and John P. Cowan of
silent auction on November 13
Texas. Hagerbaumer lived in
the northwest but painted a wide variety
“When Meredith Long left law school in
The wildlife and sporting art market
of locales from Texas, Georgia and the
1954 to open an art gallery in Houston, no
in Texas should acknowledge the connorthwestern United States.
one could have predicted that his decision
tribution of two men — one that help
“Back then, Long was helping these
would have on the sportsman of Texas and
launch the careers of some artists that
artist launch their careers, so they would
one young commercial artist who became
today are considered legends while the
have a foothold in the sporting art world,”
a Texas icon. As Meredith established
other has helped sustain their legacy. The
he reminisced. “At that time originals by
himself as a major player in 19th and
man behind the artists was Houston art
either of these two artist would sell for
20th Century American art, he pursued
dealer Meredith Long. The man that has
$350 each — and that’s originals.”
a parallel interest in hunting and fishing.
continued to support the legacy of many
As the reputation of the artists grew
It was that interest in the outdoors that
noted Texas wildlife and sporting artist is
so did the demand for their work. The
caused him to cut the track in 1958 of a
Bubba Wood, owner of Collectors Covey
originals were quickly bought by those
young illustrator dabbling in hunting and
in Dallas.
that shared similar outdoor passions.
fishing paintings. With his background in
Wood recognized Long’s leadership
“Meredith Long was instrumental in
American art, he understood the place and
and immense contribution to the careers
the promotion of Jack Cowan during
importance of sporting art in our history
of John P. Cowan, Herb Booth, Al Barhis early years,” Wood said. “You need
and recognized what was appropriate
nes amongst others in the Forward he
to remember that according to the log
subject matter for Homer, Tait, Tracy and
penned in the widely popular book “Texas
Cowan kept of every painting he painted,
Benson would surely be good enough for
Brushstrokes.” The book celebrated the
his career started in the early 1960s and
a talented artist named Jack Cowan.
compelling work of 14 individuals that
his last painting entry in the journal was
“Out of this mutual interest in the
left their mark on the world of wildlife
1994. That was when he announced his
sporting life grew not only a business reand sporting art.
retirement. Jack passed away in 2008.
lationship and a personal friendship that
Wood acknowledges Long’s rightful
“Today those first generation owners
has lasted well over four decades, but also
position as the “Godfather” of wildlife
are an aging group and like the revered
a booming Texas industry — an industry
and sporting art in Texas, as well as the
artist many have passed away,” Wood
of wildlife and sporting artist, dealers, and
major contributing influence that exposed
continued. “Estate sales and heirs are bemost important, collectors…”
the talents of these artists to the sporting
ginning to occasionally sell those originals
What Meredith Long started and nurpublic. An excerpt from the Forward state,
standard size of 22” x 30.”
and that is creating a special niche market
“Upwind, Downwind” had a miniplus redefining the value of those pieces
mum bid of $33,000 and “Hot Tank” had
of art. It is truly like the ‘second coming’
a reserve bid of $48,000,” he recalled. “We
of these original paintings.”
didn’t know what these pieces would sell
Wood is a superb promoter of wildlife
for but anticipated each painting would
and sporting art in his own right and
bring at least $60,000 each.
back in the mid-1980s started his Annual
“When the bids were opened “Hot
Miniature Shows. “The Collectors Covey
Tank” sold for $90,000 and “Upwind,
Miniature Show’s goal is to have available
Downwind” sold for over $70,000,” Wood
smaller more affordable original pieces
revealed.
painted by some of the most famous artist
“Now at the 2015 Annual Miniature
available,” he said. “At the show, beside
Show to be held on Friday, November 13,
each original miniature, a box is placed
we have two more Cowan originals as feaand an interested buyer places their name
tured paintings that will be sold by silent
in the box. If your name is drawn from the
box from a specific piece of
art you have the right to buy
that particular piece of art.
These miniature paintings
will range in value from $500
to $8,000 each.
“In recent years, as special
pieces of art or originals have
become available we use them
as featured offerings at our
Annual Miniature Show,”
Wood said. “These special
offerings are done as a silent
auction with sealed bids being
taken in advance, and during
the exhibition cocktail party
that begins at 6:30 p.m. with
bids opened at 8:00 p.m.
“Three years ago two of
Jack Cowan’s original’s, “Hot
Tank,” probably his most famous painting, and “Upwind,
Downwind,” a quail scene
became available and were
featured,” he stated. “Both of
“Wrong Side” by John P. Cowan is one of two original water colors painted on large 27” x 40” elephant sheet
these originals were the large
paper that will be sold at Collectors Covey’s Annual Miniature Show this month.
8
november 2015
november 2015
A miniature original acrylic painting entitled “Rabbits — Quiet Morning” by Ken Carlson will be
available at the Collectors Covey Annual Miniature Show in Dallas on November 13.
9
Just FISHING | Danno
Matt Williams
Wise
Fishing Around Fronts
Anglers looking for specks should target soft-bottom flats with easy access to deepwater holes
and channels.
November is the time when the seasons
truly begin to change. From year to year,
it is amazing how quick and drastic that
change will occur. What is a certainty is
that throughout the month of November,
there will be several frontal systems of
varying strengths passing through the
Texas Gulf Coast. As a result, fishermen
wanting consistently good results as fall
turns to winter must be proficient fishing
under a wide variety of conditions.
BEFORE, DURING & AFTER FRONTS
Pre-front
Pre-frontal fishing often results in
some of the year’s most memorable
fishing trips. The best pre-frontal fishing
usually occurs prior to a fairly strong
front. But, other factors beyond storm
strength influence the fishing quality.
One factor is the length of time since
the previous front. The more warm days
leading up to a front, the more fish will be
found in the shallows prior to the arrival
10
of the oncoming front.
Second is the weather conditions prior
to the fronts arrival. At times, fronts are
preceded by extremely strong south winds
or heavy thunderstorms that make fishing
the immediate pre-frontal time period
difficult.
The best pre-frontal setup is a warm,
calm day prior to a strong northern that
dramatically drops the temperature.
Under these conditions the majority of
fish will be shallow and looking to feed
heavy ahead of the weather change.
As a rule, anglers should concentrate
on shallow flats near deep water access
prior to a frontal passage. Once cold fronts
start moving through the coastal region,
fish don’t stray far from the safety of deep
water. How far they stray from deep water
depends on how many warm days there
are between fronts.
The longer the warm spell, the further
up on the flats they’ll move. But, usually
they won’t be more than a couple hundred
yards from the nearest channel or deep
drop.
Frontal Passing
Most fishermen avoid fishing while a
front is pushing through. But, depending
on the strength of the front, fishing can
remain decent so long as anglers can find
protected water. This is particularly true
for redfish, which will often be in midst
of a shallow water feeding frenzy during
a front.
Trout will generally already be stacked
in channels and deep holes once a front
hits. These fish can be tempted into biting,
although the water they are in is often
unreachable as the strong frontal winds
typically make open bay waters choppy
and rough.
Post-front
A common misconception is that fish
won’t bite following a cold front. While
post-frontal fishing may not offer the
non-stop action pre-frontal conditions
do, fish will bite in the days following a
cold front.
The first few days following a front,
fish will be hunkered down in deep water.
Anglers should look for deep water with
shallow water nearby. Areas with both
deep and shallow water features will be
productive through this time period, as
fish prefer areas that they have been within
a short swim so they can transition back
and forth as fronts pass through.
When reds and specks are in deep
channels and holes, they are usually
densely packed. So, if you catch one, you
most likely with be able to catch many
more without moving. After a few warm
days fishing will begin resuming a more
“normal” pattern. Fish will start moving
back onto flats, redfish first, trout a little
later, and the whole cycle starts over again.
ADJUSTING TO CONSTANTLY CHANGING
CONDITIONS
Thanks to the ever-changing strength
and direction of winds before, during and
after fronts, late fall is full of contrasting
and constantly changing conditions.
High Winds
When drifting flats or mid-depth
water during high wind, you need to use
november 2015
drift sock to slow the drift and
stabilize the boat.
This is especially true
when working slow-sinking,
suspending or finesse baits. At
times, especially when fishing
over deeper structure, it is
probably best to set an anchor
(assuming it’s safe enough to
fish the open water, remember
fronts can make the open bay
dangerous in a hurry).
Calm Winds
A lack a wind usually means
less ability to cover water.
When fishing on the flats, it is
necessary to cover water. If the
wind isn’t sufficient enough to
push the boat, anglers should
Once the fall flounder migration begins anglers should look to intercept these flatfish along shorelines,
pole, wade or utilize a trolling
channel edges or lines of spoils leading out of the bay.
motor. When fishing over deep
water structure, calmer winds
less spooky than they are in clear water.
unnecessary noises and make longer casts
can be great because you don’t need to
Clear Water
— even in mid-depth water — as fish will
anchor. Instead, you can slowly drift over
As water cools, the bay water becomes
stay a good distance away from any large
deep structure and still work the area
clearer as there are less blooms and algae.
object they can see.
thoroughly.
So, even though the water may be stirred
HOW FISH ARE AFFECTED
Water
and muddy during and immediately after
Trout
As is always the case when fishing offfronts, it will clear quickly. When fishing
Most fishermen are aware that trout
color water, dark colors are best. Scents
clear water, light or natural colors work
are the most temperature sensitive of
can also make a difference. Bigger baits
best. It is also best to go with smaller baits
the Big 3. So, they will usually be the first
will cast a larger profile. Vibrating baits
and flies.
of the species to change location and
are also good choices, as the vibration
Stealth is also key to success in clear
behavior based on weather changes. They
helps fish find the bait in low visibility.
water. Anglers need to avoid making
are also the species which tends to make
One bonus to dirty water is fish will be far
the most drastic transitions.
As long as the weather is mild, trout
will stay on the shallow flats. However,
they will begin transitioning to flats with
muddy or mixed (mud and sand) bottom.
And, they will be increasingly closer to the
safety of deep water. So, anglers looking
for specks should target soft-bottom flats
with easy access to deepwater holes and
channels.
When fronts begin pushing through,
trout will be found in these deeper
channels and holes. Depending the
depth of the water and the severity of the
temperature drop, they may be hugging
the bottom or suspended in a thermocline.
On the backside of fronts, as the
weather begins to warm, look for trout
to be relating to the edges where the deep
and shallow water meet. Plus fish will feed
on shallow shelves adjacent to deep water.
As fronts become more frequent and
the average temperature continues to
drop, look for trout to begin spending
During long stretches of mild or warm weather redfish can be found high up on the flats, far
more time in the deep holes and much
away from deep water channels or guts.
november 2015
11
less time on the flats.
Once this occurs — which can be
anytime between the second week of
November and the end of the year based
on the prevailing weather conditions —
trout will have fully transitioned into their
winter pattern.
This means they spend the vast
Depending upon the depth of the water and the severity of the temperature drop, speckled
trout may be found hugging the bottom or suspended in a thermocline.
majority of their time in deeper water,
over muddy bottom. Once they are in a
winter pattern, they rarely venture onto
the flats unless there is a stretch of days
with warm weather and bright sunshine.
When this happens, trout will begin to
venture onto the flats during the midday
hours.
Redfish
Redfish are not as affected by the
up-and-down temperatures of late fall.
During November, redfish will be found
in one of two areas — Gulf passes or
shallow flats. Later in the month, many
of the fish that had been in the passes
during the fall spawn will begin moving
back into the bay.
Throughout the month, redfish in the
bay will usually be on the shallow flats.
Like trout, redfish will begin to spend
more time on flats far away from the deep
water. But during long stretches of mild
or warm weather, redfish can be found
high up on the flats, way away from deep
water channels or guts.
When a front passes through, redfish
will move into the nearby channels.
However, this is often due more to a drop
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in water level within the bay than a drop
in temperature.
While experiencing super-low tidal
conditions following a cold front,
fishermen will often find redfish stacked
in a channel or deep hole. Usually, these
fish will be feeding aggressively despite
the cooler temperatures. Once the water
returns to normal levels, redfish will
usually move back onto the flats.
Flounder
By November, many flounder have
already begun moving out of back lakes
and marshes up and down the Texas
coast. With every frontal passage, more
and more flounder will exit the back lakes
and marshes.
Throughout the month of November,
the mouths and drains entering main bays
from these backwater areas will be likely
spots to find flounder, as will be adjacent
stretches of shoreline.
But, it is usually late November when
flounder run really kicks into high gear.
The largest movement of flatfish
usually occurs following the second
significant front of November, which
normally happens around Thanksgiving.
november 2015
fishing over the next month or so.
However, for anglers in tune with the
fishing patterns throughout the frontal
cycle, angling action can remain hot even
while the weather and water cools.
When a front passes through the coast, redfish will move into nearby channels, however,
this is often due more to a drop in the water level within the bay than because of a drop in
temperature.
ONE TOUGH
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12
Once the full migration begins, anglers
should look to intercept the migration
along shorelines, channel edges or lines
of spoils leading out of the bay.
Without a doubt, fronts will impact
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november 2015
13
Just FISHING | Brian Hughes
or deeper vertically along the piling as
conditions warrant without having to
travel any great distance to do so.
Crappie jigs and multi-hook crappie
rigs are the standard bait set up, but many
anglers will rig two, or even three crappie
jigs on a single line. By staging the jigs at
different points along the line they can
quickly determine what the preferred
depth is at the given moment. This is
helpful because crappie can change their
mind about depth at any time, one day
preferring eight feet and the next day 12.
You can’t really cast this rig. It needs to
be dropped straight down onto brush, or
alongside a bridge piling.
Largemouth bass will also move
deeper throughout the month. Early on,
the shallow bite should be much as it is
in October. Buzzbaits and poppers, as
well as a Zara Spook, should work early
in the morning. Spinnerbaits and Senkos
should trigger a response later in the day.
However, everything will depend on what
Mother Nature brings to the table.
By late in the month bass will probably
be suspended over humps and the edges
of creek channels anywhere from 15 to 25
feet deep. Jigging spoons are an efficient
way to test the waters, as is the umbrella
rig, Carolina rig, and the jig-and-pig.
The amount of cover present will often
dictate the proper choice as the spoons
Good Fall Fishing & Tranquility On The Lakes
November has special qualities. Not
only has the weather turned to a bit of a
wintry feel by the eleventh month of the
year, but general deer season opens on the
first Saturday for riflemen.
Additionally, the promise of Thanksgiving and the holiday season abounds.
All of this is relevant to the fisherman
because it means fewer boats and anglers
on the lakes. More space to fish, more
solitude on the water.
November will also bring a change to
the way we fish, as the bigger catfish begin
to move shallow, and crappie and bass
begin to move deeper. This transition can
take the entire month, or happen almost
overnight, depending on the weather we
see during the month.
Once the really cold stuff gets here
and the water temps begin to drop below
about 62, you’ll see movement from the
fish. Usually this is a slow progression
from shallow to deep, with a few stops
along the way.
The first move will be to the nearest
breakline close to the shallows, that has
cover. That is, a place to hide.
Creek channels are one of the choices
available, as are points with a ledge or
distinct drop. Each species will adapt a
bit differently to the changing conditions.
Food, meaning baitfish, will also be a
determining factor in when, where and
how the game fish will move. A late shad
spawn will see more fish in the shallows
for a longer period. Conversely, an early
fall spawn will see the shad AND the game
fish moving deeper earlier in the month.
Winter is trophy time for big blue
catfish. They like to ease into shallow water and are vulnerable to the anglers out
searching for them. In Texas this usually
occurs from December into February,
but the move to the shallows can begin
in November.
Coming out of deeper water, blues
will usually follow a channel or ditch, or
the contours of a point, until they find
the comfort zone for that particular time
of year. Somewhere around the 10 to
12 foot mark is a good starting point in
November.
14
and umbrella rig will be hard to work in
thick brush or timber. That’s where the
jig-and-pig will shine. Isolated humps
and old stock pond dams will be prime
for the jigging spoon, while the points
and channel bends can be plumbed with
the umbrella rig.
Winter fish can be lethargic on some
days so I’d try a couple of methods in any
one location before giving up and moving
on. The venerable rattling lipless crankbait
and dep diving crankbaits will also fill
more than a few livewells with bass in
November.
The lipless bait can be worked out to
about 10 feet, and anything deeper can
be covered by a diving bait that matches
the depth you’re fishing. With a good lure
retriever on board you can fish surprising
thick cover, secure in the knowledge that
you should be able to retrieve any bait that
gets hung up.
Smallmouth bass differ from largemouths in that they are much more
tolerant of the colder water. They can
become quite active in colder water and
November is a great time to try to catch
smallies on Texoma.
Fish like you would for largemouths in
October, with your topwater baits in the
morning, spinnerbaits and Senkos after
that, and jigs to finish.
Small diving crankbaits will catch
smallies off the rocks out to about 12
feet deep. Be sure to get a couple of extra
baits as you will knock the paint off ‘em
if you’re fishing the right way. Reel down
until the bat hits the rocks and use a quick
stop-and-go retrieve, repeatedly banging
the bait into the rocks and letting it float
back up away from them. You’ll usually
get a strike as the bait floats up.
Jigs are primarily smaller in size and
the old hair jigs still produce a lot of bites
for those that have them or make their
own. You also need to keep in mind that
a smallmouth is a vicious predator. They
like a bait that is moving fast most days.
Largemouth fishing guides always tell
clients to fish as slow as you think you can
then slow down. The exact opposite has
been true of smallmouths. Use a retrieve
that you think is fast enough — then speed
up a little.
You may also want to arrive at the
lake early and net your own threadfin
shad to use as live bait. If so, choose the
larger baits from your catch to use on
the line. Five inches or better will get the
attention of the biggest bronzebacks. And
remember, there is a difference between a
live bait, and a LIVELY bait. Guess which
one you want to use?
I’m looking forward to having the lake
all to myself this November, will I see you
out there?
Jigging spoons for bass include (left to right): Jiggy Twitch It HD from Bass Pro Shops, 1/2oz.
-Tennessee Shad, 5/8oz. - Blue Shad, 1oz. - Black Shad.
Look for timber along the channel
edges or even boat docks that have a channel swing nearby. As the month progresses
you may see a move to even more shallow
water depending on the severity of the
cold fronts we experience.
Live baits and fresh cut baits will be
the preferred method of taking big blues,
and I like to rig my baits on a Carolina
rig-type leader system. I’ll often use a 1
oz. slip-sinker instead of the traditional
Carolina method of pegging the sinker or
using a barrel swivel. When using a slipsinker I keep a finger on the line so I know
immediately when a fish picks up the bait.
While catfish are moving into the
shallower water, crappie will begin their
journey to the deeper depths. On many
lakes like Lake Fork winter will see crappie
by the zillions hanging out in the deepest
water available near the dam. Texas Parks
and Wildlife has even put into place special regulations for winter crappie as they
rarely survive being caught and brought to
the surface from such deep depths.
November is just the beginning of
this annual pilgrimage, and generally,
they won’t be quite so deep yet. Points
with brush, deep docks with brush and
channels will be the haunts of November
crappie. Again, depending on the weather,
anywhere from 8-15 feet should be about
right.
Bridge pilings will also offer the cover
crappie are looking for, with the added
advantage of being able to move shallower
november 2015
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Support anti-poaching efforts by becoming a
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sending your tax deductible contribution to Operation
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november 2015
15
Just Shooting | Kerry O’Day
10mm for Hunting?
Recently I was visiting with some
friends about using a handgun for hunting
deer. We covered the gauntlet of single
shot pistols as well as revolvers and the
preferred calibers used.
During the conversation the question
of any semi-automatic pistols that were
accurate and powerful enough to hunt
deer with? Personally the only semi-autos I have used to hunt with have been
a 1911 in 45 ACP for shooting hogs, a
Walther 380 to finish off an elk which I
had shot with a 35 Whelen and twice I
killed whitetail deer with a Desert Eagle
chambered in 50AE.
The Desert Eagle is a great handgun
except it weighs nearly four pounds and is
hard to keep a scope mounted on it. The
recoil of the 50 AE was not bad for such
a heavy pistol and the accuracy was great.
I just have never liked carrying around a
pistol that weighs as much as a rifle.
So the question remained, “is there
16
a semi-automatic handgun that fills the
bill of being able to easily carry, shoot
accurately, and have enough energy to
cleanly kill a 200 pound deer. There are
two that come to mind — the Grizzly
semi-auto chambered in 357 Mag. and a
good quality 10 mm.
Now the 357 Mag is a great caliber
and I have shot several deer with it but in
a semi-auto handgun there are only two
guns made in this caliber — the Desert
Eagle and the Grizzly.
Now the Desert Eagle is fine but you
have a lot of weight with it. They look
good on TV and in movies like Robo Cop
or the Matrix, but carrying one in the field
takes some doing. I have never shot a
Grizzly, in fact, I have never even worked
on one. I have seen them at the Shooting
Hunting Outdoor Trade show (S.H.O.T.
Show) and been able to pick them up and
play with them.
They seem to be a nice handling pistol
in a really great caliber. I would like to
shoot one sometime but I don’t think I
would ever own one. So that leaves us
with the 10 mm ACP.
The 10 mm was introduced by Colt
in the 1911 Delta Elite in 1987. The first
ammo made in this caliber would shoot a
.400 diameter bullet weighing 180 grains
at nearly 1200 feet per second. This almost
matches the 41 Mag. and out performs
the 357 Mag. by quite a bit. Within 18
months nearly every pistol company was
making 10 mm pistols and the ammo
companies were making both full metal
jacket and jacketed hollow point ammo
for this powerful caliber.
The FBI was looking for a gun to replace the 9 mm and 38 Special caliber guns
they were carrying. They found the recoil
was a little too much for the average agent
to control, so they tested light loaded 10
mm ammo and guns. This resulted in
the making of the 40 caliber which is a
huge success.
Looking at the Speer Handloading
book, it says I can load the 10 mm with
155 grain bullet to a velocity over 1300
feet per second.
A 180 grain bullet can be loaded to
1250 feet per second and a 200 grain
bullet can leave the barrel just over 1200
feet per second. The energy produced
ranges from 580 foot pounds to 650 foot
pounds of energy. If you compare this
to a 357 Mag. or the 44 Mag., the 10 mm
falls between the 357 Mag. which has 590
foot pounds and the 44 Mag. which has
900 foot pounds of energy.
Now the 10 mm has a larger diameter
bullet so the frontal area will be bigger
which makes the bullet smash more
bone and create a bigger wound canal
as it passes through the body of a deer.
Looking at the velocity, energy and bullet
weight the 10 mm should work much
better on deer than a 357 Mag. will. The
10 mm should work as well as a 41 Mag.
does and almost as well as my favorite
handgun caliber the 44 Mag.
Many handgun hunters think they
need a super big caliber to kill deer with.
The 454 Casull, 460 Smith and 500 Smith
have become very popular for handgun
november 2015
(left to right) The 10 mm cartridge looks small when compared left to the 357 Magnum , 357 Maximum, 45 colt, 454 Casull, and 460 Smith.
hunting. Now the 454 Casull is a great
caliber being a longer higher pressure 45
Colt and is built in a revolver that is lighter
and easier to carry.
The big Smiths are great calibers but I
can’t stand the size or weight of the guns.
Smith says they need toe size and weight
so you can handle the recoil of the guns.
Well, I guess that Smith forgot that you
have to get up close to the game animal
first before you shoot it. My wife, Carol,
can handle the recoil from a big caliber
in a light-weight handgun. With a little
practice or training anyone interested in
hunting big game with a handgun could
learn to shoot the right caliber in the easy
to carry handgun.
Now mounting a scope on a semi-auto
handgun is always a challenge. It can be
done with a grip mount or an over the
slide mount, but it is best to learn how
to shoot open sights or use a speed bead
type sight.
You should limit your shots to however far you can shoot accurately, which
in my case is about 75 yards. I have made
shots longer than that but my reason for
being a handgun hunter is to get up close
to the game animal so 50 to 75 yards is
about right.
The 10 mm has enough energy and
accuracy at 75 yards to cleanly kill a deer.
Now would I use a 10 mm on bigger
game? I would have to limit myself to
november 2015
deer sized animals and keep the gun in
Texas for whitetail and axis. For larger
game animals such as elk, nilgai and
African game will be shot with my bigger
calibers like 454 Casull and 500 Linebaugh
revolvers.
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
17
CODE RED:
San Bernard Marshes
The marshes and back lakes near the San Bernard River are teeming
with redfish, trout and flounder that see very little fishing pressure
plus there’s public waterfowl hunting too.
Story and photography by Nate Skinner
T
he sun peeked through the
clouds, as quacks from gadwalls
and mottled ducks in the marsh
rode on a light easterly breeze.
The mild weather was a pleasant
change and it just felt good to put on a
light jacket with the cooler temperatures.
For some reason fall mornings have always
seemed to hold something special in my
opinion.
The sunrises are more brilliant, the air
feels crisper and more welcoming, plus all
things outdoors are in a rapid preparation
mode for the approaching winter months.
This particular morning held true and
did not disappoint. Schools of redfish
were feasting on shrimp and mullet all
18
over the marsh and it was the kind of day
where a topwater plug stayed tied to the
end of my braided line for the duration
of the fishing trip.
“Power pole down,” was the name of
the game as Captain Kendal Kersh and
I casted to numerous frenzies of redfish
inside Cowtrap Lake, the Cedar Lakes
and other marsh areas in and around
the San Bernard Wildlife Refuge and
the Intracoastal Waterway near the San
Bernard River.
This area sports acres of shallow water
back lakes and marshes that receive very
little fishing pressure. During the summer
months, moderate to high tides fill these
lakes and tidal marshes full of salty water
along with bait fish and crustaceans,
flooding the salt grasses and giving redfish
tons of water to spread out and roam for
forage in hard to reach, remote areas.
When fall cool fronts push waters out
of these marshes, reds are forced to exit
these far removed areas and stack up in
main lakes off the Intracoastal Waterway.
Here they will be found schooling in large
numbers in shallow water as they feed on
shrimp and mullet that were funneled
out into these lakes with outgoing tides,
setting up some of the best redfish action
along the entire Texas Coast. Topwater
plugs and shallow water lure or bait
presentations are all that’s needed, as
the San Bernard Marsh and back lakes
november 2015
Birds hovering over the water chasing shrimp can clue anglers in as to where schools of redfish
are feeding.
provide anglers with some phenomenal
fall opportunities.
Sargent area fishing guide Captain
Kendal Kersh of Pure Salt Adventures
grew up fishing the marshes along the San
Bernard National Wildlife Refuge. He says
some of the best fishing action of the year
is kicks off in these areas in the fall.
“The later we get into the fall, the
better the redfish schooling action gets,”
he explained. “Higher tides and more
water in these lakes just gives the fish more
areas to hide, making them harder to find.
With more and more fronts pushing tides
out of the marsh, redfish are more likely
to be found tailing and gorging on bait in
shallow water in the main lake areas of the
Cedar Lakes and Cowtrap Lake.
Perhaps the most unique attribute of
these small bodies of water is the massive
amounts of live oyster shell reefs and
chains that litter the soft muddy bottoms.
Many of these reefs are uncharted and
might be as small as an average sized
living room of a three-bedroom home,
with some are even smaller.
In fact, Kersh said he’s caught numbers
of redfish off tiny reefs that seemed to be
about as small as the 21 foot aluminum
boat he fishes from.
“Some people might be surprised
at how many fish can be caught around
november 2015
a small piece of shell,” he commented.
“These fish use these shell structures to
feed on shrimp and baitfish, often times
stacking up on the down current edge
of them. They will sit here and wait to
ambush prey that comes floating by in
the tide or wind driven current.”
The shallow depths of the marsh and
back lakes in the San Bernard River area
combined with the amount of shell reefs
make areas like Cowtrap Lake and the
Cedar Lakes somewhat treacherous and
difficult to navigate. Extreme caution
should be used when exploring these
waters in a boat. Anglers taking their
time and moving around slowly will
find themselves in a much better place
than those that wind up aground on
shallow shell or stranded with damaged
equipment.
“Many of the reefs in these areas are
only covered with eight to twelve inches
of water during most conditions, so a boat
that drafts less than a foot of water is a
must for these waters,” Kersh cautioned.
A good starting point when learning
to navigate these areas is to pick up a
Hook-N-Line chart # F127 of the Freeport
area. Hook-N-Line charts can be found at
most tackle and sporting goods retailers.
In addition to using a chart, Kersh
suggests taking a look at Google Earth’s
satellite images of the area to make note
of where deeper channels and troughs
are located, along with many of the small
reefs.
“Growing up in Brazoria, I was able
to fish these lakes quite a bit and one of
the most important things I learned to
do was find navigation hazards like reefs
on Google Earth, and then chart out safe
paths that would avoid these structures,”
explains Kersh.
The satellite images on Google
Earth show viewers where many of
Captain Kendal Kersh fooled this solid redfish on a DawgWalker by Unfair Lures while fishing
near the edge of a reef in Cowtrap Lake.
19
Windblown shorelines present a great ambush area for anglers to
target redfish in the back lakes and marshes.
the shallow reefs
lie in these lakes
as they appear as
dark, almost black
splotches littered in
sandy, green shallow
water. Channels
and deeper troughs
appear as darker
green colored water
on these images.
Longitude and
latitude coordinates
can then be taken
from Google
Earth and applied
to creating some
safe tracks around
shallow obstacles.
The best way to
learn these waters
and how to fish
them as well as gain
some experience on
operating a boat in
the area, would be
to hire a guide like
Kersh and make
a full day fishing
trip running many
of the lakes and
marshes in the area.
When it comes to fishing these marshes
and lakes, structure is the key. Similar to
bass, redfish in these areas are often found
feeding on particular ambush points and
areas. These are locations adjacent to
structure like a reef or shoreline where
fish stack up constantly, as they wait for
shrimp and baitfish to pass by for an easy
meal.
According to Kersh, who is a former
professional bass tournament angler,
successfully targeting redfish in the lakes
is very similar to bass fishing. “Just like
when bass fishing, finding these reds when
they are not up schooling is all about
location and structure,” he stated. “This
structure might be the edge of a reef, a
point on a shoreline, or a windblown
bank where there’s lots of bait stacked
up. In order to catch fish, precise casts
around these ambush points have to be
made, and many times the same cast in
the same area can yield several fish. That’s
why I always use a power pole to stop my
boat and fish an area thoroughly. If I just
drifted through these areas, I would only
catch one fish as opposed to several.”
Aside from focusing on ambush
points, bass fishing lure presentations
work great for the reds in the San Bernard
area marshes and lakes. Topwater baits,
spinnerbaits, and shallow running crank
Captain Kendal Kersh releases a slot red to fight again another
day.
baits are all great crossover applications here.
When the redfish are
schooling in these areas
finding them is a visual
thing . Sea gulls and
terns will often be found
hovering over schools of
reds and this can be both
in the middle of these lakes
in open water, or right up
against the shoreline. Mud
boils, shrimp jumping out
of the water, and busting
and swirling at the surface
are also signs of redfish
feeding.
With some of the best
fishing action of the year
taking place in November,
why not do it in a place
that holds tons of fish
that see less pressure when
compared to main bays
along the Texas Coast?
It might take a little
trial and error along with
some well thought out
exploring, but the results of hard work are
hard to beat, especially when they yield
something as rewarding as drag peeling
redfish. The marshes and back lakes of
the San Bernard River area along the
Intracoastal Waterway await.
Trout, Flounder, and Ducks Too!
The marshes and lakes near the San
Bernard National Wildlife refuge hold
good number of speckled trout and
flounder during the fall as well. The best
places to target them are along the edges
of the channels and cuts leading into the
lakes and marshes.
These same areas also winter plenty
of ducks each year as well. Teal, pintails,
shovelers, gadwalls, mottled ducks, and
other duck species can be found buzzing around the marsh in the morning
hours. Much of this area is available
as public hunting land, and some great
shoots await those willing to put out a
spread of decoys and hunt a few hours
before going after some fish with a rod
and reel.
Redfish Biology
This brightly colored red was caught from a school feeding on shrimp and fell victim to an
Unfair Lures Floating Shrimp.
20
The red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) is
known for its fall run to the passes and
nearshore waters of the Gulf to spawn
during the fall months. This migration
is not made by all members of the redfish
population. According to Texas Parks
and Wildlife Biologists, a red drum
does not reach sexual maturity until
around three to four years of age when
the fish has grown to about 30 inches in
length. The peak spawning period for
these adult red drum occurs between
the months of August and November,
with each fish spawning 200,000 to two
million eggs per spawn every two to
four days.
Red drum that have not reached
sexual maturity continue to thrive in
estuaries and marshes and back lakes
throughout the year, which is why they
can be found in large numbers in these
areas during November and the months
to follow. .
november 2015
november 2015
21
For information on guides mentioned, see Guides, Gear & Getaways on pages 59, 61, & 63
Lake Roundup
By John Jefferson
cold front blew in. His boat apparently
capsized and he drowned. When found,
he was not wearing a life jacket. Statistics
show that most drowning victims were
not wearing one.
This is also the last pleasant month
to take young ‘uns fishing. But kids don’t
share our patience and perseverance when
it comes to fishing when the weather is on
the unpleasant side. Their attention span
wanes when they get cold. So take ‘em
when the Indian Summer days of warm
autumn weather occur.
Something I have spent far too little
ink on is a program Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department (TPWD) has
initiated to assist parents, grandparents
or uncles in taking kids fishing. The inland
fisheries division at TPWD has developed
17 Neighborhood Fishing Lakes near 11
metropolitan areas. There’s an article
in the current TPW Outdoor Annual
by veteran outdoor writer and current
grandson-fishing guide, John Gill, about
the program. You can also find out about
it online at neighborhoodfishing.org.
The program is aimed at urban
residents and first-time anglers, especially
kids. Local governments and sponsors
have pitched in, too, helping to assure that
the program is successful.
TPWD Inland Fisheries Director,
Craig Bonds says the goal of the program
is simple: “Expose children and first-time
participants to an economical outdoor
experience and the results will lead to
other outside adventures.”
It’s sometimes distressing when
someone who hasn’t fished before — or
has kids who haven’t — tunes in to a
fishing show on TV and there’s a $50,000
truck backing down a ramp toward the
lake with a $40,000 fishing boat. And then
there’s all the fisherman’s tackle – often
enough to stock a small store. He’s sure
not using a cane pole and a cork. And the
water body he’s fishing is some far-away
lake with a romantic sounding, but hard
to pronounce, Indian name. Change that
to Native American if you must.
These Neighborhood Lakes are usually
stocked twice a month with catchablesize fish – rainbow trout during the cold
months and catfish the rest of the year.
Anglers may keep five of each species
of any size, and only those 17 and over
need a license. The lakes are capable of
being fished from the bank, so no boat
is necessary. And here’s the real kicker:
for those just getting started, loaner
equipment is possible. Check the website
above for details.
Unless El Niño finally hits, as they’ve
been saying he was going to, November is
just an extension of October, except with
more weather changes, and some of them
will bring colder temperatures.
This is probably the last really pleasant
month to fish until the early warm days of
February and March. So don’t waste ‘em.
But not wanting to sound like a sissy, let
me say that weather doesn’t have to be
pleasant to provide good fishing. Pleasant
fishing refers to creature comfort, not to
quality fishing. Our autumn in Central
Texas extends into December on a stopand-go pattern. There’ll
be cold fronts that hit
with a blast, but they’re
usually followed by a
warming trend before
the next one arrives. My
preference is to fish just
prior to the next front.
If you can’t do that,
then bundle up and fish
when you want to fish.
One caveat, though:
watch the weather and
be prepared for strong
wind and cold rain. I
don’t intend to let any
of my readers forget
the State Hig hway
Patrolman who went
Photo by John Jefferson
out in a small boat A shocking number of tire kickers showed up at the Quarry Lake kayak demo day in September. The most unique craft
to run his trotline a
was a double rig by Diablo (center, right) powered by a trolling motor attached to the transom that joined the two
kayaks together, offering catamaran-style stability.
few years ago just as a
22
november 2015
I was recently re-introduced to a lake
in a neighborhood that goes unnoticed
and relatively un-fished, although it’s not
one of the TPWD Neighborhood Lakes.
Commerce and housing have built up
around it, making it a unique pocket
of lush water in a populated northwest
Austin neighborhood. It’ s called Quarry
Lake.
Actually there are two such former
quarries that I’m told struck springs
maybe 50 years ago and filled with water.
I’m talking about the one owned by Hyde
Park Baptist Church, not the one behind
the Roaring Fork restaurant. So far, I
haven’t been able to discover access to that
one. The two are only a few miles apart,
as the crow flies.
The one owned by the church, however
is accessible for a $30/family annual fee.
The lake is on the site of the Hyde Park
school, with its fine athletic facilities. It’s
a small lake, said to be about 13 acres. It
looks to be larger, however. Paddling from
one end to the other during a recent kayak
demonstration day sure made it feel closer
to 20 acres.
When I first heard about the lake back
november 2015
during the last century, there were tales
of big fish coming out of it. I’ve fished it
once for a short time since the demo day
and didn’t land anything worth keeping,
although catch-and-release is encouraged.
It was hot and the sun was broiling down.
I talked to two other kayak anglers,
Nathan Trafford and Jonathan Smith, who
were leaving the lake about 11:00 a.m.
They had caught about 10 bass on wacky
worms, with the biggest bass being about
three pounds.
All, Nathan said, were caught in the
shade of overhanging trees on the deep
south side of the lake. Jonathan said he
has previously caught a seven. A post on
austinbassfishing.com claimed an 8.2.
Not bad.
A source with the church says the lake
is about 45 feet deep. Another account said
100 feet. There is plenty of lakeshore on
the north and east for bank fishing, and I’d
bet the fall perch fishing could be exciting.
No gasoline motors are permitted,
so trolling motors or paddle-power are
required. The gate doesn’t open until 8
a.m., and closes around 6 p.m. Better
verify that.
The grounds are accessible by taking
the north bound MoPac service road from
Braker Lane and curving under MoPac
when it ends. The entrance is right there
on the west side.
The Toyota ShareLunker season
opened October 1. So far, there have
been no entries. But just wait. Lake
Austin is producing some good fish,
now, but nothing close to the 13 pound
ShareLunker size it was famous for before
the grass carp habitat-debacle. The bass
being boated are long enough – around
27 inches -- but Twiggy-skinny. Best bet
would be to fish the brush piles placed
by TPWD. Find coordinates at tpwd.
texas.gov/fishboat/fish/recreational/lakes/
austin/structure.phtml . If you don’t
score on Austin and want a big, bass,
maybe try Lake Bastrop this month.
Lake Travis is coming back with good
numbers, although the lake level is slowly
falling. The cooler weather has extended
the fishing day there – for the fish as well
as the fishermen.
Both last longer into the day and
afternoon. Move into creeks and coves.
They’ll be shallower.
23
Continue Scouting
INTO THE SEASON
I
n spite of the discovery of chronic
wasting disease in a deer breeding
facility located in Medina County
and a trace of anthrax in Uvalde County,
deer hunters remain excited about what
appears to be a banner hunting season.
The jury is still out, but based
on the abundance of spring rain that
saturated Texas and the copious amount
of vegetation left in its wake, there should
be some outstanding bucks show up in
the harvest. But in order to realize that
ultimate hunting experience, a hunter
must be prepared.
Since most sportsmen are extremely
busy making a living, time is extremely
limited when it comes to preseason
scouting. But to circumvent this minor
glitch, hunters must conduct their
scouting activity throughout the first
few weeks of the season. That’s right,
preseason scouting in South Texas can be
performed during November, even early
December, and the information can be
employed later in the rut when mature
bucks are most active.
More importantly, bucks observed
early on in the fall remain somewhat
predictable. Thus if a desirable buck is
located early in the season, there is a good
chance that it can be patterned and seen
again. This is often not the case during the
rut when buck movements are substantial
yet unpredictable.
According to a team of scientists
from the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research
Institute, daily movements of bucks
in November average slightly less than
three miles per day. But in December,
buck movements escalate to over five
miles per day and in
excess of six miles
p er d ay du r i n g
peak rut when they
aggressively search
for receptive doe.
Un d e r t h e
direction of Dr.
David Hewitt,
state-of-the-ar t
g p s te ch n o l o g y
was employed
to investigate
buck movements
from November
through February,
which included the
peak rut in South
Texas. Following
the analysis of 33
of the 60 bucks
Selecting the right buck may be a challenge as many less than mature
they collared,
bucks will be demonstrating larger than average antlers.
24
a considerably large home range for
bucks over the four-month period was
recognized, with an average of 2,967 acres
covered. But more important than the
large home range was the variation in
area utilized by individual bucks, which
ranged from 332 to 13,648 acres, or 21
square miles. They also discovered that
home range decreased as deer aged from
yearling to three years of age, while the
home range of mature bucks increased.
The scientists also reported that
short-term movements or excursions
outside the animals’ home range peaked in
December, and that all 33 bucks analyzed
made at least one excursion outside of
their home range in December, yet only
half of them did so outside of December.
Some of the short-term movements were
extensive, with one buck making an 18mile round trip followed by an 11-mile
excursion ten days later.
Based on their findings, it becomes
obvious why most of the largest bucks
annually harvested in Texas are shot
during the breeding season. They not only
move more often, they cover more area,
which makes them more vulnerable to the
hunter. But on the other side of the coin,
their movements become increasingly
more difficult to predict. In other words,
a hunter must be able to capitalize when
that outstanding buck appears out of
nowhere in December; because if they
don’t, they may never see the animal
again simply because it may have only
been passing through while searching for
a receptive doe. Hunting during the early
part of November is quite different. Deer
movement is less, which reduces sightings,
but if a desirable buck is observed, it’s
highly probable that it will show up again
november 2015
Preseason scouting in South Texas continues into the
early part of the season with information gathered
employed later during the rut when mature bucks
are most active.
Story and photography by Bob Zaiglin
Complemented by a wet spring, the nutritional status of whitetails was strong when needed most, indicating a significant increase in antler size
this season.
in the same vicinity, sometimes on a daily
basis.
Science has provided us a glimpse of
the hidden world of whitetail deer, but
even though whitetails remain the most
extensively studied animal on the planet,
the more we learn about deer, the more
we learn that we don’t know about these
denizens of our wild lands.
The secret to taking big deer is
actually no secret at all. It’s simply the
opportunity afforded to those who hunt
where big deer exist. Because if mature
bucks don’t occur on the area you hunt,
it’s irrelevant how much you know about
november 2015
deer, or how hard one hunts, it’s just not
going to pan out. True, some folks are
lucky and find themselves on a buck-rich
piece of real estate, but for most of us it
takes time to locate prime deer turf, alone
acquire access to hunt it.
Deer hunters like to talk so there is no
big secret as to where the largest antlered
deer occur. But one can refine their search
by investigating the Boone and Crockett
record book by Texas counties and find
out which ones have the highest number
of entries. Once that information is
determined, time can be spent with the
Texas Parks and Wildlife biologist or
game warden in that particular county in
order to find out just who owns the best
deer real estate. Once a ranch owner is
determined, a visit should be scheduled.
Remember, ranchers don’t choose to live
in places like Dimmit and Webb counties
because they enjoy people. And although
most landowners are amicable, they relish
their privacy, so getting to visit them is
often a challenge that takes time and a lot
of patience.
More importantly, ranchers know
what they have when it comes to deer,
thus they are cognizant as to why they
become so popular in the fall. So you may
25
than just knowledge
about the animal
being pursued.
The one factor that
impacts hunting
success more than
any other remains
to be one’s ability to
shoot precisely.
Sure, there
are variable factors
l i ke w i n d , e ve n
temperature, that
can affect the
Mature buck movement escalates during peak rut as those often
ballistics of a bullet,
reticent wraiths of the monte search for receptive does.
but one’s familiarity
with
their
firearm
can
often overcome
want to search for that special place in the
such
obstacles.
That’s
why
it requires time
spring or summer months when one can
on
the
bench
practicing
to
become adept
sometimes offer their assistance when it
with
a
rifle.
And
if
there
is
one aspect of
comes to ranch work. The bottom line is
deer
hunting
that
hunters
take
for granted,
one must develop a relationship with the
especially
those
hunting
with
a rifle,
landowner or their manager, but it must
it’s
the
self
confidence
in
their
shooting
be genuine and not watered down with
ability, particularly those who practice the
the intent of hunting as the only reason
least. There are some who actually believe
to start one in the first place.
that they can’t miss, and this mind set will
Even on well managed quality habitat,
only insure them lost opportunities.
the chances of harvesting an outstanding
The point is practicing with one’s
deer remains minimal, thus sportsmen
rifle
is just as important as locating that
must be prepared, which involves more
26
exceptional piece of deer turf. And it’s the
responsibility of all hunters to dispatch
an animal as swiftly and painlessly as
possible. Wounding a deer should
always be avoided and the chances of
this happening is inversely related to
the amount of time one spends getting
familiar with their weapon. In other
words, the more time one spends shooting
their favorite rifle, the less chance they
have of wounding or losing an animal.
Possibly the best advice I can offer
deer hunters this coming season is to
enjoy the collateral benefits of the hunt.
Remember, we may hunt to kill a deer, but
we don’t have to take an animal in order
to enjoy the experience.
Although taking a nice buck is
always desirable, there are a number
of other aspects related to the event
that should be cherished, like those
panoramic early morning sunrises to
those evening silhouette vistas which few
folks witness outside of a photograph or
on the internet, watching a mature buck
appear like an apparition in the predawn
light, bobwhite quail scampering down
a sendero to get their share of corn
distributed for deer, listening to the
orchestrated communication of coyotes
howling at dawn and dusk, and enjoying
therapeutic time around the campfire
watching red ambers rise skyward like
fireflies only to fade in the cold, dank
winter air.
And if one’s truly fortunate, they
get to see the gleaming eyes of their
grandchildren as they abruptly approach
our beds in the early, dark morning hours
to see if grandpap’s ready to go hunting.
The outdoor experience enjoyed by
the avid outdoorsman is a privilege few
others will ever realize, and those against
the sport of hunting will never understand
the relationship hunters share with family
and friends while outdoors in the element
that brings out the best in everyone. Thus
it is critically important to recognize and
relish those privileges because some are
working diligently to take them away from
us.
So as we enter this hunting season,
let us take some time to savor the holistic
experience emanating from the hunt,
and if we get lucky, the experience can
be extended even further over some
finger-licking good backstrap grilled to
perfection over the red-hot ambers of
mesquite.
november 2015
november 2015
27
CoastWatch
November is firmly a fall month. But,
then again, sometimes wintery weather
hits by month’s end. And, sometimes it
still feels like summer – especially along
the Lower Texas Coast. This radical swing
in weather can make patterning fish
somewhat difficult during November. As
a rule, November begins as an extension
of October, with fish following traditional
fall patterns. However, any early cold
fronts can also push into an early winter
pattern. Therefore, November usually
brings a wait and see attitude when it
comes to planning a fishing trip. Anglers
need to be ready to adjust their strategy
from day-to-day.
One thing that simplifies the equation
in November is the reduced number of
target species. Most of the warm water
species such as Spanish mackerel and
tarpon have left the Texas coast, leaving
late fall fishermen chasing reds, specks
and flounder. But, fishing for each of
these species can be outstanding during
November. And, Texans still wanting to
get another shot at an “exotic” species
can always head to Port Isabel and South
Padre where snook will be plentiful and
a few migrating tarpon will be on hand
until the first truly hard cold front moves
through the area.
Like most months after Labor Day
(and certainly a month falling during
hunting seasons), November finds the
28
Danno Wise
bays nearly empty of
traffic. This allows
anglers to cover more
water, if necessary,
to find fish. As the
temperatures begin
to drop, the ability to
move freely from one
stretch of uncrowded
water to another is
i n c re a s i n g l y e a s y.
With fish spending
mornings in deeper,
more insulated water
then moving up onto
Photo courtesy Cap. Gencho Buitureira.
the flats when the
Teresa Nieto and her husband Ralph from Mercedes Texas recently
sun is high overhead,
teamed up with Capt. Gencho Buitureira to catch this nice red.
f i s h e r m e n f i n d Captain Gencho says for reds in November to get on top of the bars
themselves having to
when the north winds blow.
follow the fish to make
a full trip. Knowing wherever they move,
Port Isabel guide Capt. Gencho
they won’t be surrounded by other boats
Buitureira, Jr. says November is a time of
makes that all the easier.
transition in the Lower Laguna Madre.
“Ever ything starts changing in
November,” said Buitureira. “The weather
is changing and the areas where we are
finding fish begin to change, too.
“November is when I start making a
lot of trips down the Brownsville Ship
Channel looking for snook. We’ll actually
be catching a pretty good variety up the
ship channel. By mid-November, we’ll be
catching snook, drum, mangrove snapper
and redfish. A little later in November,
we’ll start catching quite a few good trout
up there, too.
“But, in November, I actually fish all
over the bay, not just up the ship channel.
When I’m not up the ship channel, I may
be fishing the side channels near Three
Isands, Mexiquito, South Bay, Gas Wells,
or south of Cullen - all popping cork and
shrimp.
“If we have high wind, I’ll get on top
on bars for reds. If we have a north wind,
I’ll start on top of the bars for reds and
work my way down to deep water for
trout. If we have a south wind, I’ll do the
opposite - start deep for trout and drift
up to the bar for reds.
“Generally, the wind dictates where I’ll
go in November. If we have a north wind,
I’ll go north. If we have a south wind, I’ll
go south. Even though I fish out of Port
Isabel, when there is a north wind I’ll run
through the north wind to work a north
side flat behind the Island. When you’re
over there, look for mud boils or mullet
jumping while you’re running. That will
tell you where the fish are.
“When fronts start hitting more
consistently, start looking for birds
working along Intracoastal. Usually,
they’ll be working between Markers 67
to 75. I like to get on the edges and throw
right on top of bars. There’s some nice
mud flats along the ICW, so you’ll have
a lot of trout holding there when it starts
cooling off. The birds will be gone by
8:30 or 9 a.m., so hit them early if you
can find them.”
The guides at Get-A-Way Adventures
Lodge in Port Mansfield say speckled
trout action is always good in November,
regardless of what happens with the
weather. As long as the November weather
stays mild, the fish – especially big trout –
will remain on the flats. This far south, this
is almost always the case for the first few
weeks of November. As a result, topwater
trout action can be outstanding on the
flats surrounding Port Mansfield in the
weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.
After a couple strong fronts push
through, trout will begin moving to the
channel edges and deeper flats with mud
or mud/sand mix bottoms. The spoils and
muddy bottom flats along the ICW can
be provide excellent speckled trout action
once the temperatures drop.
Good topwater action can still be had
during warmer periods between fronts,
when trout are hanging on the shallow
shelves along the channels. One thing
anglers should keep in mind in regards to
surface baits is the size needs to increase as
the water temperature decreases. Whereas
“Jr” size plugs were most productive in
September and October, once winter sets
in, full-sized topwater baits will produce
better results. Additionally, once the water
cools enough to kick off winter fishing
patterns, anglers will need to slow their
retrieves in order to consistently draw
strikes.
Fishermen looking to hook into reds
in the Lower Laguna Madre can expect
to find fish hanging on the flats all
month long. The only real exception will
be if an extreme front pushes through.
Immediately after the front, reds will be
in channels adjacent to the flats, but will
get back on the flats as soon as the water
warms.
Finally, the flounder run should kick
off around Thanksgiving or shortly
thereafter. Once the flatfish start heading
out of the bay, anglers can count on
consistent flounder catches along the
edges of the East Cut.
Corpus Christi guide Capt. Allen
LOWER COAST
november 2015
november 2015
29
Sifford says trout in the Upper Laguna
Madre will be transitioning from the
shallow flats to the channel edges during
November.
“We’ll see our fish starting to move
into the ICW,” said Sifford. “I’ll be
throwing Bass Assassins on 1/2 or 5/8
ounce heads in 8 to 12-feet of water.
For the most part, I’ll be throwing dark
colors like pumpkinseed/chartreuse and
plum/chartreuse. But, at times I’ll throw
something bright, like Electric Chicken.
“During the first part of November,
before the fish move deep, we’ll have some
good topwater action along the edges
of the ICW and on the flats adjacent to
the ICW. What you want to do is key on
mullet. I’ll find big schools of mullet and
throw topwaters around them.
“When I’m throwing topwaters, I like
throwing Top Dog Jrs and Super Spooks.
The reason I throw them is they are the
easiest topwater baits to work. So, even
somebody who’s not real good at working
a topwater plug can work a Top Dog or a
Super Spook and get strikes.
“I’ll also be fishing the shell in Nueces
Bay as well. We got a lot of freshwater in
Capt. Allen Sifford says trout in the Upper Laguna Madre will be transitioning from the shallow
flats to the channel edges during November.
Nueces this summer, which really helped
our shrimp and crab hatch. We’ve got a
good deal of shrimp and crab in Nueces.
So, we should have some good bird
activity in Nueces and some good fishing
as well.”
MIDDLE COAST
run begin in earnest.
Rockport fishermen will also have
plenty of options during November.
Redfish should be plentiful in the shallows.
Anglers should look for good numbers of
reds to be stacked in front of the drains
and back lakes, especially on a falling tide.
Good numbers of specks should be
hanging around the reefs in San Antonio
Bay. Some large specks will also be
cruising the shallows in areas with muddy
bottom and scattered shell. The area’s
smaller bays, such as Copano, Mesquite,
and St. Charles, will also be holding plenty
of specks and reds this month. Once the
first few cold fronts push through, look for
flounder to start making their way out of
the back lakes.
Port O’Connor anglers can expect
trout to still be holding over sand and
grass flats during the early portion of
November. Topwater action will still
be hot, with junior size walking plugs
producing good results. Soft-plastic jigs
and jerkbaits will also tempt trout in
potholes.
As the weather and water cools, fish
will begin transitioning to their winter
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homes – which means flats over muddy
or mud and sand mix bottoms that are
located close to channels. Topwater baits
will still produce good results – especially
Once the first few cold fronts push through Texas middle coast look for flounder to start making
their way out of the back lakes.
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Aransas area fishermen will have
good fishing for both reds and specks
during November. Fishermen looking for
speckled trout would do well to head into
Nueces Bay over the next few months, as
beginning in November the mud and shell
in Nueces will be holding plenty of specks.
As the weather continues to cool over
the second half of November, good catches
of specks will also be taken from the wells
in Corpus Christi Bay. The deep water
surrounding the wells will be holding
plenty of fish. Generally, as it gets cooler,
the fishing around the wells gets hotter.
The only limiting factor is rough water
during periods of high wind.
Fishermen looking for redfish will
generally find plenty of fish on the flats
of Aransas Bay as well as Redfish Bay –
especially until the first few hard fronts
push through. There will be plenty of bull
redfish hanging around the jetties until
around Thanksgiving. The last week or so
of November should also see the flounder
november 2015
for larger trout and reds – once the cool
weather moves in, but larger versions of
the surface plugs will work better once the
temperature drops.
Enjoy this costal getaway while
letting your investment work
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VIEW FROM BALCONY
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november 2015
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31
THE
WORM MASTER
Legendary T-Bend guide,
tournament pro offers 10
tips for Texas rigging.
Story by Matt Williams
A
Photo Courtesy of Glen Freeman
Glen Freeman with one of the many Toledo Bend heavyweights he has caught far from shore on
a Texas rig.
32
nyone who dabbles in Texas
tournament fishing, particular
in the eastern half of the state,
has likely heard of Glen Freeman. He’s
probably taken your money a time or two.
Freeman’s name is legendary where
I’m from. Not because he has a knack for
catching big bass, but because he has the
uncanny ability to reel in the fat girls when
there is money on the line.
The 65-year-old angler from Converse,
Louisiana, is a good stick on any lake. But
he is a hammer on Toledo Bend, a 181,000
reservoir located along the winding,
watery Texas/Louisiana borderline that
is the Sabine River. He has fished the big
lake since the early 1980s and has been
working there as a full-time fishing guide
for the better part of two decades.
If there is a bass tournament coming to
town and Freeman’s name is on the roster,
only a fool would hedge a bet against him.
This is especially true during the summer
and fall months, when water levels dip
and big bass are prone to set up around
primo underwater humps, ridges, points,
old roadbeds, channel swings and isolated
sweet spots far from shore.
Widely known as one of the best
structure fishermen around, Freeman
also is considered by many to be one of
the most deadly anglers around with a
plastic worm dangling from the end of his
fishing line. Not surprisingly, he was quick
to admit that the worm is at the heart of
november 2015
his tournament fishing success.
“It plays a huge part in my fishing,”
he said. “Big bass love a worm. It doesn’t
have to be a big worm, either. I’ve caught
a lot of big fish on a seven-inch worm
over the years.”
Freeman likes to fish his worms a
variety of ways, but his favorite by far
is the Texas rig. The set-up consists of a
bullet-shaped sinker, hook and worm. The
slip sinker slides on the line, ahead of the
hook and worm.
The sinker can be held in place at the
head of the worm using a rubber peg or
allowed to glide freely. The mechanics
of the bait make it snag free, so it can
be tossed into the thickest of cover and
crawled slowly back to the boat with little
concern of getting hung up.
Anyone can learn to fish a Texas rig
and achieve some degree of success with
a little bit of practice and the right gear to
fish with. I asked Freeman to offer up 10
tips to help anglers improve their worm
fishing skills. Here they are in random
order:
1.) Choose the Right Rod:
When bass bite a plastic worm the
angler must take up the slack line and
rear back on the rod with enough force
to drive the hook through the worm and
into the bass’ jaw.
Freeman says it is important to choose
a rod with some good backbone for
solid hooksets and good leverage in
water ranging 2-20 feet deep. The rod
also should be lightweight for optimum
comfort and super sensitive so you can
detect subtle strikes.
“I like a 7 foot, medium/heavy with
a fast tip action,” he said. “I’m a Lew’s
guy. The Custom Lite Speed Stick is my
personal preference. It’s got the Winn
split golf grip and its a real pleasure to
fish with.”
3.) Lining Up:
The line used for worm fishing
should be strong enough to hold big
fish and tough enough resist abrasion
on wood, rock and other obstructions.
Plus, it should be extremely sensitive so
you can stay in contact with the bait at
all times. Freeman prefers Seaguar InvizX
fluorocarbon, 15-20 pound test.
“With fluorocarbon you can detect
strikes 100 percent better than you can
with monofilament,” he said. “Braid is
sensitive, too. But you’ll get way more
bites with fluorocarbon. The bass can’t
see it near as well.”
4.) Hook Choice:
The best hook for worm fishing is
one that allows for easy penetration with
optimum holding power. Freeman prefers
a straight shank hook over offset hooks.
“I have used offset hooks, but over time
I’ve found that the hook-up/catch ratio
is much higher with the straight shank.
That’s what works best for me.”
5.) Go Tungsten:
Tungsten weights are all the rage these
days. Tungsten is significantly heavier
than lead. That means a weight made
from tungsten will be smaller than a lead
weight of equal size. Tungsten also is
much harder than lead, which translates
to better sensitivity.
“Feel is everything in worm fishing,”
Freeman said. “You can detect strikes
much better with tungsten, plus you can
feel your way across bottom, through
timber and over rock. Matched with
fluorocarbon the amount of sensitivity
you get is incredible.”
6.) Straight Tail Worm:
Some worms have straight tails. Others
have curly or ribbon tails that flutter as the
bait falls or crawls across bottom. Freeman
prefers a straight tail, because he thinks
it produces a more consistent bite. There
are lots of good ones out there. Freeman’s
preferred worm brand is Yum.
7.) Good Electronics:
Electronics are your eyes beneath the
water. Not only do they display water
depth, but they will show you cover and
structure that can’t be seen with the naked
eye. Plus, they will show you fish if they
are present.
“Electronics are a must,” Freeman said.
“We’re losing all the visible timber in a
lot of our lakes now, so you need quality
electronics to find and see a lot of the
offshore structure. With good electronics
like Lowrance Structure Scan, you can
not only see what is down there as far as
stump, rocks and brush tops, but you can
also see the fish.”
8.) Look for Bottom Structure:
Freeman says places that provide good
structure are much more conducive to
worm fishing than a featureless bottom.
“Having good bottom structure is
essential for good worm fishing,” he said.
“When I’m talking about structure, I’m
2.) The Proper Reel:
Freeman prefers a le vel w ind
baitcasting reel with a fairly fast gear
ratio so he can gather slack line and set
the hook quickly after a bass grabs the bait.
The fast reel also helps him keep up with
fish that might run towards the boat after
the hookset. “Even though you are fishing
the worm slow, the high-speed reel comes
in handy when it comes to controlling the
fish after you get it hooked,” he said.
Freeman’s preferred reel for Texas
rigging is a Lew’s Pro Magnesium Speed
Spool with a 7.5:1 gear ratio.
november 2015
Photo by Matt Williams
Freeman’s preferred Texas rig always includes a tungsten sinker, straight shank hook and a
seven inch straight tail worm.
33
TOP TEN REASONS TO SUBSCRIBE
TO TEXAS OUTDOORS JOURNAL
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.
2. A year’s subscription has 12 issues, not something less.
3. Both fishing and hunting coverage in every issue.
4. Covers Texas like it should be covered with timely reports from
the field and on the water.
5. Proven solunar table of major and minor feeding periods of the day..
6. Tide table with adjustments for the entire Texas coast.
7. Written by top writers that have etched their names in the record books.
8. TOJ tells you where to go, what to expect when you get there and
how to do it a little bit better.
Photo by Matt Williams
One of the key attributes of a Texas rig is its weedless nature. Toss it into heavy cover and there is a good chance you’ll get it back.
not talking about stumps and brush tops.
I’m talking about the changes in contour
of the bottom — things like humps,
ridges, points, slopes and drop offs.”
9.) The Right Presentation:
Worms can be fished a variety of ways.
When Texas rigging, the most common
presentations are hopping, bumping or
dragging.
“The best presentation is dictated
strictly by the mood of the bass,” Freeman
said. “It can change daily. One day they
might want it dragged slowly across
bottom and the next day they might want
it hopped two feet off the bottom or just
bumped along.
“The right presentation is something
you have to experiment with and figure
out once you get out there.”
10.) Too Much Power:
Freeman says making the proper
hookset with a worm is critical to
ultimately putting fish in the boat.
However, it is important to remember you
are dealing with a bass, not Moby Dick.
“One of biggest mistakes you can make
with worm fishing is overpowering the
fish with too much rod or too hard of a
hookset,” Freeman said.
34
“That just tears a
big hole in its mouth
and rips the hook
out. All you need
is a sharp, crisp
hookset. If for some
reason I feel like I
didn’t get the fish
stuck good on the
initial hookset I’ll
occasionally follow
up with a second
hookset, but that’s
the only time.”
Fishing a Texas
r i g w o r m i s n’ t
rocket science, but
it does take some
experience and
practice to get the
hang of it. Follow
Freeman’s advice
and you are sure
to become a better
worm fisherman
and catch more big
bass in the process,
no matter where you
fish.
9. Covers the Texas outdoors and outdoors interests of Texans.
10. Every cover is a work of art.
18
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Glen Freeman is a tournament ace on Toledo Bend with a number
of weekend and Triple A trophies on his mantle. During July and
August he and his team partner won two of three Bass-N-Bucks
events running way and averaged 30 pounds on five fish in each
tournament. In September, Freeman single handedly won the WalMart BFL Super Tournament. The keys to his success are his skill and
confidence in a Texas rigged worm.
november 2015
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GUNS ‘N STUFF | Harold Gunn
When Size Matters
Depending on the hunting situation
having bigger binoculars than your buddy
may just lead to fatigue, neck strain, they
can get hung up on stuff, and your buddy is
not impressed. More magnification is not
always better. High magnification can be
a problem. The greater the magnification,
the smaller the field of view which is the
width of area visible through scopes and
binoculars. Also, high magnification in
small, unsupported binoculars hinders
viewing with every wiggle.
Before getting to size and magnification
let us get into the checkbook. Always
buy the best optics you can afford. It
is all about the glass so invest in optics
with the highest quality anti-reflective
lens coatings you can afford. The use
of anti-reflective lens coatings makes a
big difference in image color, resolution,
and contrast. Each time light strikes an
uncoated glass surface, 4 to 5 percent of
the light is reflected away. The type and
number of coatings applied to binocular
or scope lenses is significant to light
transmission and how clear the views are
that hit your eyes. Anti-reflective coatings
terms can be confusing so let us run down
the list:
COATED LENSES:
Increase light transmission with a single
anti-reflective coating on at least one
lens surface.
MULTI-COATED LENSES:
Increase light transmission with multiple
anti-reflective coatings on at least one
lens surface.
FULLY COATED LENSES:
Increase light transmission with a single
anti-reflective coating on all air-to-glass
lens surfaces.
FULLY MULTI-COATED LENSES:
Increase light transmission with multiple
anti-reflective coatings on all air-to-glass
surfaces.
Remember if the product does not
offer fully multi-coated lenses don’t buy
it. The bigger the objective lens the more
increase the light gathering. The objective
lens is the end of the binocular pointing
36
The compact Swarovski 8 x 30 and big Steiner 8 x 56.
The Steiner Miniscope 8 x 22 and mid-size Bushnell 10 x 42.
toward wherever you are looking. The
ocular lens is nearest your eyeball. Now
let us look at size.
Most of the optics pictured in this
article have been in my possession for
some time. All are still made by these
manufacturers in one version or another
though some may be covered in a camo
pattern. On the big end is the Steiner
Nighthunter. This German made whopper
is 8 power with a 56 mm objective and
weighs close to three pounds. It is the
brightest and clearest binocular I have
ever used.
Since so much animal activity and
movement occurs at dawn and dusk the
great light gathering quality cuts through
the shadows. In bright light it peaks
deeper into the woods. A great feature on
these Steiner’s and some other high-end
optics are the individual dials on each
eyepiece that allow you to focus each
eyepiece to your vision. Once that is done
the view is sharp from about 50 feet to
infinity. This speeds up viewing when no
more focusing is necessary.
Optics this size are best used in a stand
or a vehicle due to the size and weight.
If you need to walk with something
this large, we all owe a debt of thanks
to whoever dreamed up suspenders for
carrying binoculars.
Bushnell delivers great quality and
value across their product line. My
Bushnell 10 by 42 binoculars have been
upgraded in their Legend Series with
what they call ED Prime Glass. Still
fully multi-coated and featuring their
RainGuard HD water-repellant coatings.
Built on a very light magnesium chassis
their construction and coatings make for
a completely waterproof and fogproof
product. The twist up eye-cups and long
eye-relief are handy with or without
glasses. This mid-size binocular is
excellent for most hunting needs. Bushnell
is so proud of these they back them up
with their “Bulletproof Guarantee” that
states “if you don’t love them in every way”
they will buy them back.
There is certainly a place for compact
binoculars when you want to pack
light for the hunt or based on travel
needs. Performance does not have to be
greatly sacrificed if you stick with quality.
My Swarovski 8 x 30 binoculars are a
testament to the fame of this Austrian
company. Images are crystal clear and the
field of view is surprising. The current
version is called the CL Companion
Africa. Having been fortunate to hunt
in Africa the 17-ounce weight of these
november 2015
binoculars was greatly appreciated when
my five-foot-five self spent days trudging
through the bush trying to keep up with
my six-foot-four professional hunter.
I would not recommend a binocular
smaller than this size.
That being said, I am a big fan of
backup. The new Steiner Miniscope is an
8 x 22 mm monocular that offers excellent
clarity and bright images in a pocketsized design that is only two inches high
and two inches wide and weights only
2.8 ounces. This little gem carries the
before mentioned feature of focusing the
eyepiece once and then your set from 10
feet to infinity. With the Miniscope you
can take a quick peak while your other
hand is on your firearm. Just pop this in
your pocket for backup in the field or a
night at the opera.
The last words on size. When it comes
to spotting scopes, the bigger the better.
These are used looking for game in wide
open spaces. We are searching for elk
across the valley or prairie dogs at 500
yards. It is given that we will mount
the scope on a tripod or clamp it to the
partially rolled up truck door window.
Bushnell appears again with some
good choices. First is their Legend Ultra
HD 15 to 45 power with a 60mm objective.
This is a lot of power in a handy size
featuring their ED Prime Extra-Low
Dispersion glass, fully multi-coated optics,
their outstanding RainGuard HD waterrepellent lens coating, and the works is
100% waterproof/fogproof. Extras are
2-speed dual focus controls, long eye relief
with a close focusing zoom eyepiece, and
a soft case, scope glove and tripod are
.included. The Elite 20 to 60 by 80mm
is their finest straight-thru style spotting
scope featuring all of the above, plus a
retractable sunshade and camera adaptor.
There are several models in between these
two.
Visit each of these company’s websites
to view their full product lineup and
pick the right size and magnification for
your needs. While you’re at it include a
good lens pen and cleaning cloth in your
purchases.
Good viewing.
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november
2015
MGA-QuestAd-Horz-TOJ.indd
1
5/29/15
37
1:35 PM
Lake Roundup
EAST TEXAS
By Matt Williams
PALESTINE — Lake Palestine fishing
guide Ricky Vandergriff says water
temperatures will have chilled down
significantly by the time November rolls
around in eastern Texas and wide variety
of piscatorial critters finning around
out there are going to be in the mood to
chomp. Here’s his plans for largemouths,
white bass, catfish and crappie.
Largemouth Bass: Vandergriff says
he will spend a high percentage of his
time fishing down south throughout the
month.
“Boat houses and docks will be major
players,” he said “I’ll key mostly on those
docks that have at least six feet of water
in front of them. Shallower docks can
be good, too, but the deeper docks are
consistently better.”
Another key ingredient around docks
are brush piles. The underwater hotels
attract bait fish, which in turn brings in
the bass.
Vandergriff likes assorted baits around
docks. His favorites are a Shimmy Shaker
bladed jig, white spinnerbait and a jig/
craw combo (black/blue or watermelon
candy). In additional to the dock pattern,
Vandergriff will spend some time targeting
secondary points using square bill cranks
and Carolina rigs.
White Bass: Main lake points are
the ticket. “There should be quite a bit
of schooling activity going on now,”
Vandergriff said. “You can catch these fish
on topwaters and Rat-L-Traps when they
38
are on the surface, switching to spoon
when they go down. They normally won’t
go very far when they go down; they’ll just
move to the first drop.”
Channel Cat: Palestine is full of them.
The best way to run up the score is fishing
over baited holes doctored with range
cubes or soured maize. “The catfishing
on this lake is excellent,” he said. “The best
depth range is 13-16 feet.”
Crappie: Crappie are structure/cover
lovers that spend a high percentage of
their lives finning around in a suspended
state. Vandergriff says the best places to
look are the bridge pilings at the Highway
155 crossing and brush piles situated on
points and other structure away from
shore. Best depth range is 20-24 feet.
The top baits are pink/white jigs and live
shiners.
NACOGDOCHES — Lake Nacogdoches
has undergone some big changes over the
last year in terms of aquatic vegetation,
namely hydrilla.
The lake has a rich history as a grass
lake, but this year there isn’t much of the
green stuff to speak of. That’s because the
lake got high and muddy last winter and
stayed that way through spring and much
of summer. The stained water blocked
critical sunlight, which in turn stunted
the hydrilla’s growth.
Grass or no grass, water temperatures
are going to be on the decline and the bass
are going to be in an aggressive mood.
Surface temps will be in the 70s by now
and there should be plenty of fish holding
at mid-range and shallow depths.
With the grass gone, native aquatic
vegetation like lily pads and reeds could
be a big draw. Any isolated patches of new
growth hydrilla will be worth a look as
well. Some of the better areas will be where
shallow water meets with deeper drops.
Creek channels and distinctive channel
swings can be especially good.
Topwater fishing with a Yellow Magic
or Pop R will definitely be worth a try
this month. The best bite will likely be
on shallow flats adjacent the Big Loco
Creek and Yellow Bank creek channels,
but you should also check out main lake
and secondary points, particularly in areas
where a channel winds conveniently close.
Topwaters also will be killer on school bass
that might surface, so keep an eye peeled.
Other good bait choices throughout
the month will be weightless Flukes
or Senkos, a spinnerbait, square bill
crank and maybe even a Rat-L-Trap.
It also would be good idea to keep an
umbrella rig handy from now right on
into December.
CONROE — Lake Conroe fishing
guide Butch Terpe said November always
presents good fishing conditions in
that the weather is typically cooler and
water temperatures more moderate as
compared to a 30-45 days ago. These two
things, combined with the fact the fish
can sense winter is just around the corner,
should add up to some good fishing for
black bass, hybrids and channel cat.
Probably the most reliable fish in the
lake for fast fall action are channel cat.
Conroe has a bountiful population of
whiskered fish and they will be on the
prowl in water ranging 18-22 feet.
“You can catch them at the FM 1097
bridge, but the old San Jacinto River
channel and major creeks are always best,”
Terpe said. “Average size will be one to two
pounds, but you will occasionally catch a
four pounder. The good thing about fall is
you usually don’t have many throw backs.”
Terpe said assorted soured grains like
maize, corn or chicken scratch work well
for concentrating the fish, but there is no
sense in making a big mess when you don’t
have to. “I like cattle range cubes right out
of the bag,” Terpe said. “They’re a whole
lot cleaner and they work just as good.”
Terpe’s preferred bait is cheese bait
caked on a sponge hook, but you can
also have good results on various punch
baits, cut bait or night crawlers. The
guide said black bass will be on the prowl
around shallow cover, boat docks and
rock structure all month long, but you can
also pick up some quality fish out deeper
around old pond dams, creeks and points.
“I’ll spend a lot of time shallow,” Terpe
said. “Rocks at bridge crossings and the
break waters at Walden and The Palms
are always real good in fall. Between those
two things and deeper boat docks, you can
november 2015
pretty much pick your poison and have a
good chance of catching bass.”
Terpe predicts hybrid bass will be
grouped up and getting back into a strong
feed this month, as well. He’ll look for the
fish on main lake points in water ranging
18-20 feet. Slabs work best when the fish
are stacked on bottom; trolling is the ticket
when they are roving or suspended.
TOLEDO BEND — The water level on
T-Bend was approaching four feet below
full pool and still falling as of this writing.
Where it will be come November depends
entirely on the Sabine River Authority’s
generation schedule and the amount of
rainfall received along the Sabine River
watershed during October.
Veteran bass fishing guide Tommy
Martin of Hemphill predicts there will
be a number of patterns working this
month in deep, mid-range and shallow
water alike.
“Once we get a few cold fronts we’re
going to have a real strong bite out there
in that 20-25 feet range,” Martin said.
“They’ll be holding on points, ridges and
other structure where you can catch them
on football jigs and Carolina rigs.”
Martin added that mid-fall through
winter is also when there big numbers of
fish to be caught on spoons in deep water.
He said the best bite will be along creek
channels in water ranging 18-25 feet deep.
At mid-range depths, Martin likes
to throw a medium-diving crankbait
that will run six to eight feet deep. Shad
patterns and even some crawfish colors
should be good choices when targeting
main lake and secondary points.
“You’ll also have real a strong bite
going around creek channels in water as
shallow as two feet and as deep as 10,”
Martin said. “This will be a good case for
square bills. The keys here are to cover a
lot of water and to really concentrate on
the edges of the channels and any available
cover you come across.” If the low water
level stays intact, catfishermen are going to
be in for an outstanding fall season. This
holds especially true for stump hookers
on the lake’s upper reaches.
“It’s especially good when the water
level is low,” says Charlie Shively at Bill’s
Landing.” The low water confines fish to
the creek channels. The best sets in that
situation are almost always right along the
edge of creek or slough.”
SAM RAYBURN — The high water last
winter and summer did a number on Sam
november 2015
Rayburn’s hydrilla beds, but it certainly
didn’t hurt the torpedo grass.
Commonly referred to around the
lake as “hay grass,” torpedo grass closely
resembles the coastal bermuda you see in
hay pastures — thus the name, “hay grass.”
It can be found growing on shorelines
in two to four feet of water, sometimes
deeper or shallower, depending on the
lake level.
With very little hydrilla to relate to,
the torpedo grass provided a great form
of secondary cover for holding bass
throughout much of the summer. Once
the water fell out of the willows, they
flocked to it like bees to honey.
Fishing guide Tommy Martin thinks
the shoreline weed beds will continue
to hold fish throughout the fall months,
provided the water doesn’t completely
drop out.
“The big fish love it,” Martin said.
“I had one day in mid-September with
a guide client and our heaviest five
weighed 32 pounds — the big one was
9.2. We caught those fish casting Zoom Ol’
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39
Monster worms around the outside edges
where there was a little bit of new-growth
hydrilla mixed in.”
In addition to Texas rigs, Martins says
he will fish the hay grass with buzz baits
and spinnerbaits. “The buzz bait bite can
be hit or miss, but it’s a blast to fish when
they are really on it,” Martin said. “It’s
definitely a bait I’ll check them with when
the conditions are right.”
Martin says there will also be big
numbers of fish grouped along the outer
edges of main lake flats in the vicinity of
Coleman, Caney and the Black Forest.
The key depth will be where the water
drops from 18 in around 35 feet. He’ll
fish for them vertical using a drop shot
rig. Spoons also can be effective at times.
“Good electronics are a must out
there,” he said. “You won’t catch many
big ones — it’ll be mostly 1-3 pounders
— good guide fish. And you can catch a
bunch of them at times.”
LIVINGSTON — Lake Livingston was
still three inches above normal and in
great shape as far as water clarity as of this
writing. According to fishing guide Randy
Dearman, the lake is set up for some great
fall bass fishing.
“It’s going to be good for numbers as
well as big fish,” Dearman said. “The big
females are going to start developing their
eggs and all of the fish are going to be
feeding up strong before winter. Plus, the
lake is going to be less crowded because
hunting season is getting started. It’s a
great time of year to be on the water.”
With the lake now full, Dearman
thinks it will fish somewhat different than
it does during a normal fall.
“It’s usually a foot or two low, so
the bass usually stick pretty close to the
channel edges, especially around the
stumps and lay downs,” he said. “Those
kinds of places are still going to be good
bets, but the shore lines in the pockets and
creeks will have enough water to hold fish,
too. Any piece of cover along the bank will
be worth a shot. I caught a lot of fish like
that in September. It’s only going to get
better as the water cools off.”
Dearman’s go-to baits in fall are
a square bill crank bait, spinnerbait,
3/8-ounce jig and a Texas rig craw. He will
also check with fish with a white buzz bait.
“Any creek or pocket from the dam all
the way up the river will potentially hold
fish,” he said. “You just have to cover water
to find them.”
40
White bass should be on the move and
feeding up this month as well. Dearman
says the fish will be ganged up along the
edges of the Trinity River and major creeks
where they will be waging war on shad.
Translation: Find the shad and the whites
won’t be far away.
“The fish are more than likely going to
be suspended, so you’ll have to fish them
that way,” he said.
“Some guys troll, but you can also
catch them casting a crankbait or a small
jig like a Roadrunner.”
NORTH TEXAS
By Brian Hughes
As we approach the winter months,
November is usually a buffer month.
We acclimate to the colder temps as
the month goes along before winter
truly arrives later. I’m hoping for a mild
November this year, but all the almanacs
and predictions say colder and wetter this
year. That makes it tough for my guides
and me to predict what the fishing will be
like since it will depend so much on what
we get from above.
So many lakes enter the month in great
shape from the spring rains it is hard to
imagine it won’t be a good November
to be fishing. And sometimes the nasty
weather will actually help an angler if he
or she can put aside the negative thoughts
and maintain a positive mental attitude.
That can be tough, but for Texas
Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame inductee
Mark Stevenson, that is exactly what he
had to do back on that day in November
1986 when he literally changed the world
of bass fishing in Texas. Ethel was the
largest bass ever caught in the Lone Star
State at the time and was the first Share-ALunker. He had to battle cold, drizzle and
wind to catch her. Sometimes the nastiest
days are the best for fishing.
FORK — You might catch anything on
Fork in November, including yellow bass,
whites, largemouth or catfish. To get bites
from all species, you’ll want to fish deep
structure in 18-25 feet with a tailspinner,
slab, spoon or flutter spoon bait.
Or you can use the approach Mark
Stevenson favors and target bigger fish on
ledge breaks. “Look for ledges or a drop
off,” he began. “These are all around the
lake, away from the bank, you just have to
look for them. Find one with timber or a
point or brush and that’s a plus.”
“I use a jig and pig in ½ oz. so you can
feel the cover in the 12-18 foot range,”
he suggested. “I don’t know why, maybe
it’s where the yellow bass are and the
largemouth feed on them, but I’ll catch a
lot of my biggest fish in that range.”
It’s impossible to know which ones,
but once a week or so the bass will school.
Often you will find really large fish in the
schools, sometimes nine, ten, even eleven
pounders. Use an umbrella rig, cast it out,
let it sink, and then reel up through the
school.
Crappie on Fork will be at, or moving
to the dam. It just depends on November’s
weather. If it’s mild the crappie will
probably be on timbered points and
around the channels in the mouths of the
creeks. They will stage and hang around
while waiting to migrate to the deeper
water. Use crappie jigs and minnows at
fifteen to twenty feet.
TAWAKONI — November can be
fantastic month to fish on Tawakoni.
Guide Joe Read advises, “Until the water
temperature gets down into the fifties we’ll
have good fishing for everything. Look
for schoolies and birds in the mornings
and on cloudy days. Topwater fishing for
hybrids and whites should be good all
month, fish over the tops and edges of
the humps and ridges you see on your
electronics.”
Wedgehead jigs in ¾ oz. with a sassy
shad in glow or chartreuse will work, as
will a slab in the same colors. “You’ll also
want to keep a tailspinner or ‘trap style
bait handy,” said Read, “They’ll run up
shallow chasing bait some days and the
action is hot and heavy while there up.”
Cloudy, drizzly and a bit cold is just
what the doctor ordered for Tawakoni
hybrids and sandies. Topwater action is
possible, but even if you don’t see them on
top, they could be schooling and feeding
november 2015
like crazy underneath the surface. Look
to the humps and bumps on the main in
front of Wolf Cove, around Sun Point, and
the rocks at the dam. Be very careful as
some of these areas have very shallow bars
and obstructions. You’ll probably also find
schooling fish in the open water, following
baitfish. Blue catfish will be moving
shallow and feeding on shad so cut bait or
live shad should be adorning your hooks.
Look to the area from the Chicken Coop,
north of Rabbit Cove, all the way down
past Arm, Wrist and Finger points and on
to Spring and Autumn points.
Bass fishermen can look to Waco Bay
as having everything a bass needs year
‘round. Bass are much the same with a
topwater bite early using a Yellow Magic or
buzzbait, then switching to a watermelon/
red Senko and then a worm or jig and
pig on a sunny day while spinnerbaits
and firetigers crankbaits will work on an
overcast day. Throw spinnerbaits and
‘traps in shad colors like chrome/blue or
black and chartreuse/white or if you like,
try the Carolina rig on the submerged
roadbeds.
RAY HUBBARD — When asked about
November fishing guide Johnny Procell
responded, “I’d throw lipless crankbaits.
You’ll catch bass, whites and hybrids.
Sandies will be staying around the first
breakline away from the bank and the
hybrids will be just a bit past the sandies.”
During the last week of November you’ll
usually find schooling fish at Roberson
Park, and the jetty.
AQUILLA — Aquilla had a great
comeback from the drought and the
sand bassers should be watching the birds
around the dam in November says Randy
Routh. “The cranes are really the tell-tale
birds for Aquilla. They’ll show you where
the baitfish are running and the whites
will be right with the baitfish.” Routh
recommends areas like Triplett Point
where shallow water is near the deeper
stuff. Lures for November include the
‘Trap style baits, slabs and tail spinners.
“Whatever you like. If you find ‘em they
will bite,” says Routh.
Crappie should be moving back
toward the brushpiles. “We usually see
movement that time of year,” he suggested.
“Crappie return from the deepest water
to the mid-shallow brushpiles and feed
before the real winter arrives. Depending
on the weather they may stay there
all month. Or, if we get hit with some
november 2015
really cold spells they’ll drop back to the
channels and edges again.” There are over
100 new brushpiles on the lake now so
there is plenty to choose from.
He said bass will be found around
the hump that is between the island and
the mouth of Old School Boat Ramp.”
Dragging Carolina-rigs and drop-shots
across the hump should produce good
bass, as will a jig and pig flipped around
cover.
LEWISVILLE — This is a lake I would
only fish from October through about
March. Once the water warms enough
for the ski and jet-ski crowd there is just
too much traffic on the lake for my liking.
But in November all of those buzzing
recreational crafts are gone and you can
fish in peace.
Start your day looking for hybrid
stripers and sand bass at Hickory Creek,
working the west side and north around
the main cut. You’ll be fishing fairly deep
in 25-40 feet of water looking for fish
following the bait. Look for schools of
baitfish on your electronics and drop Sassy
Shad swimbaits on a ¼ -1/2 oz. head to
the fish, remembering to keep your bait
above the school. This is important as
these fish feed up in the water column.
Chartreuse and Glow-In-the-Dark are
your best colors. Windy points like the
Twin Poles area will produce topwater
fish on Mag-Spooks for Hybrids and Tiny
Torpedos for Sand Bass.
Crappie anglers should look to the
brushpiles and the old dam with their
minnows and crappie jigs in Chartreuse.
CEDAR CREEK — There are very few
guides out there dedicated to crappie
fishing. One of the best is Chuck Rollins
at bigcrappie.com. He has some hard
earned advice for the crappie anglers
visiting Cedar Creek, “More advanced
anglers will want to use their electronics
to scan the main lake channels for brush
piles in the 18-25 foot depths, where jigs
in chartreuse will produce. Deeper boat
docks will be a last resort and you’ll want
to find the ones with some brush if you’re
to have any chance of finding crappie
there in November.”
He also suggests line no larger than sixpound test. You should be aware that the
occasional 5-7 pound hybrid may come
along and steal your bait.
For a beginner to start the day the
three bridges on highway 198 are the
ticket. “Dropping crappie rigged minnows
or jigs down to about eighteen to twentytwo feet will catch the fish on these
bridges,” says Rollins.
Sand bass fishermen will need to look
for humps and channel sides in the same
range, maybe a little deeper. “Look for fish
marking on bottom, he said. “If you don’t
see these telltale signs keep moving. You’ll
want to be deadsticking ¾-1oz slabs just
off the bottom. Hybrid striper anglers will
need to look over the main lake channel
at the 30-45 foot mark, but the fish will
be suspended at 15-25 feet relating to
big swarms of shad. Fish big slabs — just
dropped down and hold at depth will get
the attention of the fish.
Cedar Creek bass fishing will probably
still be a shallow water game, at least early
in the month. There are plenty of flooded
trees and grasses from the spring fill-up
and this is where you should start with
the standard topwater/Senko/spinnerbait
formula for fishing the first three to five
feet of the water column.
Jigs on boat docks will be the next
step. Of course, ‘traps and shallow diving
crankbaits will produce as well, if you
don’t mind the challenge of fishing cover
with such baits. Jig colors include black/
blue and brown/orange, spinnerbaits
in white, chartreuse and black/blue will
work, and a black buzzbait is a good
alternative to the standard white that
everyone throws. Clown colors and citrus
shad-type colors will work in the diving
baits and a red ‘trap is a good choice
anywhere in Texas.
RICHLAND CHAMBERS — I’m told the
best locations for the whites and hybrids
will be the Windsock Point, the Hwy 309
Flats, and the Old Hwy 287 Roadbed.
Guide Royce Simmons and son Adam
both name that as the place to start. “Fish
will be hugging the bottom most days and
a silver or chartreuse slab, worked slowly
off the bottom will produce both quantity,
and quality of fish,” they suggested.
They advise fishing the 25 foot range
and deeper. “The birds will save you a
lot of time finding the fish. They are
searching for the shad being pushed up
to the surface by the feeding fish. When
you see them you know fish are nearby.”
All in all you can’t ask much more
of November than we already get. Deer,
ducks, football, food (Thanksgiving) and
good fishing. Even with the chance of
dicey weather, can it really get any better
than that?
41
JUST HUNTING | Nate Skinner
Pick Your Terrain — Pick Your Fowl
The “Great Migration.” It’s something
waterfowl hunters anxiously anticipate
for nine months out of the year, and it’s
the reason they are red-eyed and camo
clad for the other three. From the first
flights of blue winged teal that sweep the
rice prairies and coastal marshes of our
state in mid-September to the first yelps
of speckled bellies and snow geese heard
overhead on a clear cold night with a full
moon, the migration of ducks and geese
is held dearly in the hearts of Texans who
crave the early morning scene of birds
locked into a decoy spread.
With November comes the commencement of both duck and goose seasons across the Lone Star State, and luckily
for us the migration is now in full force.
The anticipation of the arrival of these
seasons is enough to get excited about and
it might leave hunters with a sort of tunnel
vision, locked in on a specific location,
hunting ground, or duck hole.
Having a solid game plan on an area to
pursue waterfowl when the season kicks
off is great, but perhaps even greater is the
migration of ducks and geese that takes
place within our state as the season wears
on. Just because it’s time to start shooting
steel shot doesn’t mean waterfowl have
made it to their final wintering grounds—
in fact their migration is far from over.
The vastness of Texas and the variety
42
Large decoy spreads are necessary to draw ducks in range on large open bays.
of landscapes it sports, combined with
this “migration within the migration,”
distributes different species of waterfowl
in various geographical areas and wintering habitats across the state. This gives
duck and goose hunters in November
the opportunity to choose their terrain
and hunting location according to their
preferred waterfowl specie of harvest.
One of the largest wintering grounds
for waterfowl is the Texas Gulf Coast.
According to Ducks Unlimited’s Kirby
Brown, the Gulf Coast Region of North
America winters 1.5 million geese and
14 million ducks, representing about 22
percent of the breeding population. The
Texas portion of North America’s Gulf
Coast provides a winter home to a large
percent of these birds, many of which will
take refuge somewhere on the Mid-Coast
november 2015
Rice Prairie Complex. This
is the last intact rice prairie
and wetlands complex of
its size in the state and it is
mostly composed of rice
prairies within Wharton,
Matagorda, and Colorado
Counties. Brown says these
rice-lands provide 66 percent
of the dietary demands for all
waterfowl that winter along
the Texas Mid-Coast.
During November, these
coastal rice prairies will see
large concentration of specific ducks. They include,
green winged teal, pintails,
mottled ducks, and shovelers. According to Brown
these prairies winter 14 percent of the entire North
Mallards like this beautiful drake shot by Jeremy Kauffman
American population of
will be found along sloughs and flooded timber in East
pintails, and 16 percent of the
Texas.
North American population
a pond created by a hole that has been
of green winged teal. In addition, nearly
plowed in the rice and then filled with
a quarter of the North American populawater. November is arguably the best
tion of mottled ducks winter on these rice
time of year to hunt these areas, and the
prairies as well.
early morning hunts can provide memDuck hunts on the rice prairies take
orable shoots that end with limits being
place over a flooded rice stubble field, or
filled in a hurry.
Veteran hunting
guide and operator
of Red Bluff Prairie
Hunting Club, Mike
Lanier, hunts ducks
over the rice on the
G ar wo o d Pr ai r i e
using “baseball dug
-out” style ground
blinds placed at the
base of a levee and
facing a pond created
from plowed rice.
“Our hunts in November are usually
fast and furious,” he
says. “A lot of green
winged teal, along
with a few pintails
and shovelers fill the
straps.”
Near the Colorado and San Bernard Rivers on the
rice prairies, there
are some sloughs and
ponds
surrounded by
The start of November means it’s time for retrievers to go back to
oak trees. These areas
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The dry agricultural fields of Haskell County provide hunters with some of the best goose
hunting action in the state.
will hold the standard prairie ducks, along
with a few wood ducks and the occasional
mallard.
Leon Randermann, operator of Top
Flight Hunting Preserve in Columbus says
some of the sloughs and ponds they hunt
just off the San Bernard River give hunters
a flooded timber feel, even though they
are located on the edge of the rice prairies.
“Some of the areas we hunt near the
river will make you forget you’re on the
prairie,” says Randermann. “We shoot a
lot of teal, gadwall and some wood ducks
in these areas, and it makes for a fun and
challenging hunt as the ducks often coming pouring in over the oak trees.”
Speckledbelly geese and snow geese
can also be found over the rice prairies in
November, and large concentrations of
these birds are usually found in full force
on the prairies by the week of Thanksgiving. Goose hunts take place over cut
rice fields with large white spreads of sillo
socks and full body goose decoys. Hunters
will lay in the middle of the decoy spreads,
44
flat on the stubble as they conceal themselves with camouflage blankets or coffin
style lay-out blinds. Goose hunts in late
November can be outstanding as many of
these birds have just arrived on the prairie
and are not yet “educated” to the art of
decoy spreads.
The bays, estuaries, and marshes on
the Texas Gulf Coast provide duck hunters
with an almost completely different set
of species to pursue during the eleventh
month of the year. In addition to the teal,
widgeon and pintails that will be flying
over these coastal areas, large groups of
diver ducks will be found swarming open
bays and marshes. These include red
heads, and both lesser and greater scaup.
Open bay waters along with back lakes
and marshes provide hunters with public
land opportunities to harvest these diver
ducks. When hunting the open bays,
large decoys spreads of twelve dozen or
more are necessary to draw in birds from
a long distance.
Within the marshes and back lakes,
hunters can get away with smaller decoy
spreads. This is also where the better
opportunity for puddle ducks like teal,
widgeon and pintails will be, in addition
to the red heads and scaup.
In the eastern portion of the state from
Lake Livingston all the way up to the
Red River and the Oklahoma state line,
hunters can expect to find wood ducks
and mallards willing to drop into sloughs,
oxbows, and flooded timber along rivers
and lakes. A few widgeon and gadwalls
will be flying around here too. These
ducks will respond well to a call early in
the season, providing hunters with some
breath taking decoying action.
In the central part of the state in and
around Lake Waco and Lake Limestone,
mallards and gadwalls will fill the straps
with some widgeon and a few wood ducks
and teal mixed in.
Smaller ponds and cattle tanks on
farming properties from central Texas on
down to areas south of San Antonio will
also hold a variety of ducks. Teal, gadwall,
a few mallards, pintails, shovelers, and
some mottled ducks can all be found on
small bodies off water with seed or vegetation present.
Arguably some of the best goose
hunting during the month of November
will be found over the massive peanut and
maize fields in the northern part of the
state. These large agricultural fields will
be covered up with lesser Canada geese
The wooded sloughs of east Texas are a great place to
hunt mallards and wood ducks.
and speckledbellies, along with a
some time in a variety of places, experifew snow geese.
encing all the Texas waterfowling has to
A great area to target these
offer? Duck and Goose seasons are finally
geese are the peanut and maize
here. Now is the time for hunters to pick
fields within Haskell county.
their terrain, to pick their fowl.
These fields provide hunters with
a dr y ter rain to
enjoy some world
class goose decoying action. Lay out
blinds camouflaged
in the dry stubble
conceal hunters as
geese pile in on top
of them amongst a
spread of full body
goose decoys. These
hunts bring the term
“in-your-face” to a
whole new level.
With all the different options to
hunt ducks and geese
this month, it’s hard
to pick one single location to fling some
Red heads will be found swarming Coastal bays and
steel. Why not spend
marshes.
Waterfowl Options in Southwest
Louisiana
The freshwater marshes that surround Lake Calcasieu in southwest
Louisiana are an excellent November
destination for Texan waterfowl hunters
wanting to experience a hunt outside of
the norm. Captain Nick Poe of Big Lake
Guide Service say their hunts on the east
side of Lake Calcasieu take place in pit
blinds. Here, Poe says hunters will have
the opportunity to shoot green winged
teal, mallards, and gadwall along with a
few speckledbellies.
“We shoot a lot of teal in November,”
says Poe, “and they are usually buzzing
around our marsh in really large groups
right at first light.”
Poe says later in the morning the big
ducks start decoying, and this is when
the geese will show up as well.
november 2015
november 2015
45
CoastWatch
As November gets going, the weather
is typically noticeably cooler on a daily
basis and there is a very real possibility of
getting a ‘strong front’ before the end of
the month. This change in temperature
generally results in a change in fish
behavior. A few species, most notably
flounder, even use the changing weather
as a trigger for their annual migration. As
most anglers are aware, the ‘flounder run’
usually starts in earnest after the first hard
front pushes through the coast. It’s rare for
Texas to get through November without a
flounder-run spurring front.
Although flounder tend to be what
most Upper Coast anglers think of when
they think about fall fishing, several
options are available as the year begins to
wind down. Schools of bull redfish will
still be working their way up and down
the beachfront for the first few weeks of
November. At the same time, herds of
slot-size reds will be plentiful in the back
lakes and bays. The cooler November
weather will also result in more active
speckled trout.
In addition to plenty of active fish, the
other great thing about late fall fishing
is the lack of crowds. With hunting and
football seasons well underway, most
Texas bays are void of boating traffic
throughout the week and even on some
weekends. Having the bays virtually to
Danno Wise
themselves can make trips both more
productive and enjoyable for those
fishermen who are able to spend a day on
the bay during November.
UPPER COAST
Matagorda guide Capt. Tommy
Countz says both bays and the Colorado
River will be in play in November for
Matagorda area anglers.
“We usually have several options in
November,” said Countz. “Most days we
can pretty much pick what we want to do.
“My first choice in November is to
work the birds in East Matagorda Bay.
We have lots of shrimp and lots of birds.
When the birds are on in East Matagorda,
there’s no better place to be. That’s pretty
much our mainstay during November. We
catch both reds and specks under the birds
in East Matagorda during November.
Sometimes we’ll pull up under a bunch
of birds and it will be nothing but redfish.
Sometimes it will be just trout. And,
sometimes they’ll be mixed in together.
“When the birds aren’t working, I’ll
fish along the west side of East Bay. That
whole west side is scattered shell. I’ll put
on a 3/8-ounce jig head and let it sink
into the shell to catch redfish. Actually, I’ll
do the same thing if I’m trying to catch
reds under the birds. I’ll throw a little bit
heavier jig head and let it sink. The reds
will usually be working a little deeper
than the trout, so that heavier head will
let it get down faster to where the redfish
are holding.
“I’ll also be doing some wade fishing
in November. When I do wade, I usually
head over to West Matagorda Bay. If we
have some good tides, I’ll start fishing
a lot shallower. I’ll move up close to the
grass, key on bait and throw topwaters
early. Later I’ll move out to the outside
edges and throw plastics. We actually
can pick up a good mixed bag wading in
November.
“Later in November, if we get a couple
cold spells, it’s not too early to look in
Colorado River. Night fishing in Colorado
River is really good in November. We had
some rain early in the summer and fall,
but as long as the river isn’t too fresh,
the fish will move up there once the
temperatures start dropping.
“So, really, we cover pretty much
everywhere in November - East Bay, West
Bay and the Colorado River. We’ll have
good fishing in all three areas. And, again,
most days you can pretty much pick how
and where you want to fish.”
Capt. Billy Pencik says the smaller
crowds and more active fish make
November an excellent time to fish the
Galveston Bay Complex.
“November fishing is always a blast,”
said Pencik. “I like having the water
to yourself while everyone else is deer
hunting.
“The main focus for November will
be fishing the flats that are closest to the
main channels. I prefer to fish in two to
five feet of water over a mix of mud and
shell. I have found that once you find the
key spot on the flats where fish are holding
they will stay there until a drastic change
in weather makes them move.
“I may fish 10 flats and move areas
often in order to find bait and fish. Then
I’ll focus on that area hard until I figure
out exactly where they are holding. This
time of year you can’t be afraid to ‘runand-gun’ fish. You’ve got to keep moving
until you find where the fish are holding.
“Also the fishing under the birds is
really good with tons of trout to be caught.
When fishing birds you want to stay in
front of the school to catch the bigger fish.
“As far as baits, I primarily use artificial
lures in November and December. Baits
such as the Sebile Flat Belly Walkers in
various colors, Berkley Havoc soft plastics
and Corky-style suspending baits are the
key lures this time of the year. For the
redfish
“I mainly throw GULP! under a
popping cork to catch the suspended fish
hanging on the edges of the flats. You
should ‘match the hatch’ on colors for
the water color and the bait that you are
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Galveston guide Capt. Greg Verm says
there will be a variety of active inshore
species in the Galveston Bay Complex
during November.
“We have a lot going on in November,”
said Verm. “We will still be seeing good
catches of specks during November. A
lot of these fish will be coming from
under the birds. We’ve been having good
bird activity and that should continue
through at least the first couple weeks of
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november 2015
Bull redfish will be around upper coast jetties
and along the beachfront in November.
november 2015
47
November should be a really good month.
blows, those marshes will
We will be able to catch plenty of redfish,
drain and those reds have
flounder and trout.”
to get out of the marsh.
There will also still be
some shrimp leaving the
marsh. So, we should
have some bird activity.
“For the most part,
I’ll still be fishing my
3/4-ounce Terry’s V-Dog
spoon. I usually pick up
some pretty good fish
this time of year by slowrolling the spoon on the
bottom. But, I’ll also be
throwing some Down
South Southern Shad.
We’ll be catching mostly
November fishing should be good on
reds like that, but we will
Lake Calcasieu in southwest Louisiana.
have some trout mixed
The best way to find fast action on
in with the reds. For the
Big Lake in the weeks leading up to
most part, those will be
Thanksgiving will be fishing under flocks
smaller trout. They will
of working gulls.
be keepers, but not real
Fishermen looking for quick limits of
big.
specks should follow the flocks of gulls
Photo courtesy Captain Tommy Countz
“I’ll also be fishing
and throw jigs and spoons into the frenzy.
Good slot sized redfish will be caught from under the birds and
in
Keith
Lake quite a bit.
Redfish and bigger trout will often be
shorelines in East and West Matagroda Bays in November.
There are always lots of
hanging outside or below the fanatically
find redfish working under the birds.
redfish in Keith Lake during November. I
feeding school trout. So, anglers wanting
“I’ll also spend a lot of time in the
like fishing back up in there with a Down
reds or larger specks should use heavier
marsh and back lakes during November.
South Southern Shad
We will have plenty redfish in the marsh
under a cork.
and lots of specks in the back lakes and
“Flounder fishing
bayous. There will also be quite a few
will also be picking
flounder in the back lakes and bayous.
up during November.
As the weather cools, those flounder will
The fish will start
start filtering out. Usually by the end
migrating out to the
of November the flounder run will be
Gulf the first two weeks
underway.
of November. That’s
“Once the flounder run gets going,
when I’ll start setting
we can have some outstanding flounder
up on points and cuts
fishing. At other times of the year, we
and sand flats. I’ll be
will gig for flounder. But, we can’t gig in
keying on mullet and
November (due to state closure on gigging
pinfish and looking
during month of November). But, I still go
for areas with good
out at night with lights for flounder. Only,
water flow.
instead of gigging them, I like to sightcast
“I’ll also fish the
to them. It is a really exciting way to fish.
grass banks that drop
We use our halogen lights and set up just
into a deep trough and
like we do for gigging, but we just use a
have good water flow.
rod-and-reel and sightcast.”
I’ll go along fishing
Sabine Lake guide Capt. Randy
all of the eddies that
Foreman says November can be one of
are formed by the
the best months of the year to fish this
current. Usually, I’ll
border bay.
be fishing a Southern
“November is usually about the same
Shad in either red shad
Photo courtesy Captain Greg Verm.
as October,” said Foreman. “The redfish
or morning glor y/
In November Captain Greg Verm will use his flounder gigging boat
action will pick up tremendously over the
chartreuse.
and lights and sight cast to flounder. Gigging is not allowed during
next few weeks. When the northwest wind
“ O v e r a l l ,
the month of November.
jigs and allow them to fall through the
smaller fish feeding higher in the water
column.
November is also a good time to
look for big trout on Big Lake. During
November big trout will be found working
over the shallow flats and along the
shorelines. Topwater and suspending
plugs are the best choices for fishermen
targeting big trout during November.
When not fishing under birds or along
the shorelines, fishermen can count on
finding a mix of big trout, keeper specks
and redfish around the lake’s numerous
reefs.
Flounder will be another fish attracting
the attention of anglers on Lake Calcasieu
during November. The first few hard cold
fronts should get the flounder moving out
of the lake. Anglers can typically intercept
them during their migration along the
edges of the ship channel.
Venice area anglers will still have some
offshore tuna action early in November.
The best of the tuna action will die down
once the mullet migration ends, but that
usually isn’t until mid-November. So, tuna
fishermen should take every opportunity
48
november 2015
LOUISIANA COAST
november 2015
to run offshore during the first couple
by the local weather. The Mississippi
weeks of the month.
River drains the entire Midwest. An early
There will also be plenty of inshore
winter up north means dropping water
action in the waters surrounding Venice
temperatures along the southern stretch
during November. Early in the month,
of the Mississippi River.
redfish will still
be in the marshes.
As the water
temperatures
d r o p, t h e r e d s
will start moving
to the passes and
outside beaches.
Ditto for trout.
Early in the month,
expect to find good
concentrations of
speckled trout in
the river. However,
once the water
temperature begins
to dip, the specks
will move to the
outside beaches.
Photo by Bill L. Olson
Keep in mind the
water temperature
Plenty of redfish will be available on Texas upper coast and in
in the Venice area
southwest Louisiana in November. This thick shouldered 27” redfish
isn’t only affected was caught by Buck Payne of The Woodlands while fishing Sabine Lake.
Texans Are “Talking”about
Texas Outdoors Journal
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every month!
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your covers.”
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to cover every month.”
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should be covered.”
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about Texas.”
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of any magazine
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To subscribe, call 1-800-222-4865 (4TOJ)
or go online at www.texasoutdoorsjournal.com
49
BASSOLOGY | Matt Williams
Testing the Limit
A new limit on largemouth bass may
soon be coming down the pike on select
waters in deep southeast Texas following
an extensive research study that was
conducted last summer by Texas Parks
Parks and Wildlife Department fisheries
scientists. The waters in question include
the lower reaches of the Sabine and
Neches rivers and adjacent bayou systems
located in or in close proximity to a sixcounty area including Orange, Jefferson,
Galveston, Liberty, Hardin and Newton
counties.
I’ve never visited these waters, but
I’ve been told it’s a winding, twisting
complex of freshwater creeks, bayous,
marshes and secluded oxbows down
there - a place where the water becomes
increasingly brackish as it creeps along on
a southerly flow before ultimately mixing
with the saltwater bays that flank the Gulf
of Mexico.
I’ve also been told the waters are full
of feisty, hard-hitting largemouths that are
quick to pounce on spinnerbait carefully
placed against a cypress knee or shoreline
lay down. Problem is, the fish just don’t get
very big. In fact, catching enough bass to
fill out a legal limit of five keepers under
the current 14-inch minimum length limit
is often times much easier said than done.
Bassmaster Elite Series pros have
visited these waters twice in the last three
years and many of them have struggled to
wrangle enough keepers to make a decent
showing at the weigh-in back in Orange.
Often times, local jackpot tourneys are
won with sacks weighing 10 pounds or
less. Fishy as it looks, the remote, riverine
waters in and around the coastal counties
where they flow don’t provide the best of
settings for a bass to grow up in.
That’s the word from Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department fisheries biologist
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from around the Region
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With Host Barry Stokes
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50
Todd Driscoll of Brookeland.
Driscoll and his staff recently
completed a lengthy research study on the
aforementioned waters aimed at learning
more about the population dynamics of
the bass that live there. In addition to
assessing the size and age structures, they
wanted to gather information on annual
mortality rates.
The results from the study - which
involved using electro-fishing gear to
collect 600 bass waters from the lower
Sabine and Neches rivers as well as Taylor,
Big Hill and Hillebrandt bayous - shed
some interesting light on some issues that
could very well justify a reduced length
limit for largemouth bass on these waters
if the local support is strong enough.
Chances are there is plenty of backing
to shore up a change. That’s because
there is contingent of citizens around
the area who want to attract more
bass tournaments in order to reap the
economic boost they bring.
However, the belief is the tournaments
won’t come if competitors consistently
struggle to catch a legal limit under
current regs. Earlier this year, State Rep.
Dade Phelan of Jefferson County filed
a bill in the Texas Legislature aimed at
making anglers associated with high and
college fishing tournaments exempt from
the statewide 5-14 rule, and allowing
them to retain bass 12 inches or longer
for weighing and release. The bill was
designated only for the waters in question.
The bill got nixed, but it got the ball
rolling in terms of getting somebody to
take a closer look at the bass population
finning around in the remote backwaters
of southeast Texas that not a lot of people
know much about.
Driscoll said some interesting findings
were made during the study.
“One thing we learned is the population
down there suffers from very high annual
mortality,” said Driscoll. “The annual
mortality (70-75 percent) is double what
we see on some of our larger reservoirs like
Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend.
“Although we don’t know for certain,
we highly suspect that very little of the
annual mortality is driven by the anglers,”
Driscoll added. “Instead, we believe it
november 2015
is attributed to the harsh conditions
in which fish live down there, mainly
as the result of the variable salinity
influence. Another big stressor is the lack
of availability of high quality forage.”
Driscoll says the bass population in the
study area is very unique when compared
to those of inland reservoirs, yet it is
virtually identical to the bass populations
found in other coastal complexes like the
Atchafalaya Basin and Mobile Tensaw/
Delta. “The common threads are that
all of these coastal bass populations are
moderately to highly abundant, have slow
growth rates and experience high annual
mortality, yet the fish have great body
condition.”
Driscoll said a meager seven percent
of the 600 bass collected during the study
were legal keepers under the current
statewide 14-inch limit Texas currently
shares with Louisiana. In contrast, the
biologist said 35-40 percent of the bass
electrofishing crews collect during fall
surveys on Toledo Bend and Sam Rayburn
bump the 14-inch mark.The biologist
said the study also showed a significant
difference in growth rates between coastal
bass and reservoir bass.
“The bass on ‘Rayburn and Toledo
Bend normally reach 14 inches at about
2 1/2 years old,” he said. “Growth rates of
coastal bass are much slower, about 3.9
years to reach 14 inches.”
In lieu of these findings, TPWD
created an online survey in September
to solicit angler input in regards to the
current limit, and the possibility of
relaxing it. Driscoll says there are three
options on the table: No change at all;
a 5-fish, 12-inch rule; or a five fish, no
minimum length limit rule.
“We’ve got the biology done,” he said.
“We’ll combine that with angler opinions
and other sociological data, then figure
out what we want to propose in moving
forward.”
The biologist said a change to the
minimum length limit for southeast Texas
bayou bass fishermen is not a 100 percent
done deal at this point, but one is “more
than likely” coming. Any changes will
be proposed to the TPW Commission
in January 2016 before going to public
hearings later in the spring.
The soonest a new limit could go into
effect is Sept. 1, 2016. The survey data
will likely be complete by the time this
issue of TOJ hits the streets, but you still
contact Driscoll directly at 409-698-9114,
ext. 229.
november 2015
51
DUCK BLINDS
& Set Ups
When it comes to duck blinds, there are types available for a
variety of hunting situations.
Story and photography by Robert Sloan
O
n a backwater slough off the
Angelina River Tim Aarons
and I had just set up our boat
blind in a small opening. We had about
two dozen decoys out. The water was
dark, mosquitoes were buzzing in our
ears and there was not a sound among
the tall cypress, oaks and pines standing
motionless on this calm morning.
Then it happened. We heard that
unmistakable, deep throated quack,
quack, quack of mallards circling low over
the trees. I hit ‘em with a couple of slow
quacks, and that’s all it took. A hen and
a drake dropped down through the tree
limbs, then about a dozen more came
rocking in on cupped wings. It was as
good as duck hunting gets. We put down
five “greeners” less than 15 minutes into
legal shooting time.
“Man they never knew we were here,”
52
said Aarons.
He was right. We were in the perfect
place at the perfect time, with the perfect
blind. We had come in early, well before
daylight in the 16 foot jon boat pushed
by a 25 horsepower Mercury. Once we
located the right spot we tossed out the
decoys, tied the boat off between two
cypress trees and began setting up the
blind. It was easy.
We pushed three PVC pipes in the
mud on each side of the boat. After that
we bolted on side rails. Next we draped
sheets of camouflage 3-D leaf-like netting
over and around the boat. To that we
added some brown and tan blind grass,
the type that unfolds and can be easily
tied onto the PVC pipes. To complete the
blind we pulled grass mats between us to
cover our movement in the boat. It was
a killer set up; one that had the mallards
falling into the decoys with bright orange
webs reaching for the surface of the water.
There’s a ton of gear and know how
that goes into to putting together a
successful duck hunt. Most of the time
it’s location, location, location. But even if
you have blue chip real estate if you’re not
in some sort of a blind it’s all for naught.
That’s why a blind is so important.
Last season I spent a lot of time on
the middle Texas coast with Jeff Larson,
a guide and good friend out of Port
O’Connor, home to thousands of ducks
each season. Most are redheads, but many
more are pintails, widgeon, gadwalls and
scaup. The one thing that has put Larson
on the map as one of the best guides in
this area is that he runs an airboat to pit
blinds that are so well camouflaged other
hunters can’t even see them.
“One big time problem we have
november 2015
around here are blind poachers,” says
Larson. “They are lazy people that would
rather set up in another man’s blind,
rather than build their own. That’s why I
use fiberglass pit blinds. I can sink them
in remote backwater lakes, cover them
with brush and they are rarely poached
by other hunters.”
The great thing about a pit blind is
that your head is level with the ground.
It’s a waterfowl hunting ploy that has been
used for decades. A pit is without a doubt
the most advantageous way to fool ducks,
not to mention geese. The only drawback
when hunting your own pit blinds is that
you have to buy them, transport them and
install them, which involves a lot of work.
But once they are in place you can hunt
‘em for many seasons.
Over the years I’ve hunted ducks in all
sorts of pit blinds. Larson, like so many
november 2015
other duck hunting guides along the
Texas coast, prefers to use single person
pits. That way they can be spread out, like
maybe three feet between each one.
“I like the single pits because they
break up the big blind situation,” says
Larson. “I can stack brush between each
pit, and it gives us extra arm room for
swinging a shotgun on ducks coming
from just about any direction.”
Several years back, while on an
Arkansas mallard hunt, a group of us
were in a pit that could hold 10 hunters.
It was massive. Bayou De View Outfitters
has been making pit blinds for 14 years
in Arkansas. They are made of steel and
will last upwards of 15 years. One of their
most popular blinds, the Bayou Special, is
5 feet at the bottom, and comes in 10 to
20 foot lengths. That’s the type of blind
we used in Arkansas. And just recently I
hunted in a similar type blind along the
Bolivar Peninsula.
Pit blinds vary in size and shape. For
example, Bayou Rapides Fiberglass with
Critter Getter Pirogue and Pit Blinds
has been in the duck blind business
in Alexandria, La., since 1979. They
specialize in making one to four man
fiberglass waterfowl pit blinds.
They are perfect for hunting in the
marsh or rice fields. Plus, compared to a
steel or aluminum blind, with fiberglass
there are no worries about rust or rot.
Critter Getter Blinds are made of handlaid fiberglass and will last a lifetime.
Another unique thing about pit blinds
is that you can plant vegetation around
them. That’s what guide Forrest West did
for decades while hunting his pit blinds
at the old Los Patos waterfowl hunting
club on Bolivar Peninsula. He planted
oleanders around the pits, along with
native grasses from the prairie. Once you
climbed into one of his pits the hunter
was absolutely invisible. We had ducks
actually land within feet of the pits, and
swim around in the decoys.
One of the best innovations for duck
hunting blinds is the fabric-like camo or
the knotted sheets of real grass. Another
material that’s tough to beat is the Ghillie
grass mat. I like these materials because
they can be combined with surrounding
brush, or mixed in with other camo
patterns. They are lightweight, easy to set
up and cheap.
I’ve used the Ultra-Lite Netting from
Camo Unlimited for a good while. It
works for duck and deer blinds. It’s made
of heavy rip-stop UV-treated fabric. It’s
treated to eliminated shine and glare and
waterproof to resist rot and mold. The
netting’s 3D leaf-like foliage is lightweight,
strong, quiet, and rustle-free. It’s available
in sheets up to 3’ 10” x 9’ 10”.
Another type of camo netting to
consider is the Camo Systems Camouflage
Hunting Blind Netting. It’s lightweight,
easy to transport and is ideal for any camo
application such as blinds, pits and duck
boats. This netting has UV protection, is
rot and mold resistant and 100 percent
waterproof.
The tangle-free knotted blind grass is
perfect for concealing hunters from wary
waterfowl. It’s made from day palm leaves
and knotted so it won’t unravel.
Some of the best camouflage you’ll buy
is the Ghillie Grass Mat from Beavertail.
A pit is without a doubt the most advantageous and comfortable way to fool ducks .
53
This flexible mat can conform to the shape
of any blind and consists of a rugged
net backing with over 1,200 individual
strands of natural raffia grass hand-tied
to it, ensuring its durability and natural
look. It can also be dyed or painted for use
in various conditions. I think that’s very
important. A little bit of green, brown and
tan color patterns help to break up the
shape of a blind. The Ghillie Grass Mat
Features three clip-on hooks for easy setup
and covers about 20 square feet. This is
an excellent camo to spread out and over
your duck hunting blind or boat.
The Avery Real Grass blind material
is a woven grass mat material that’s great
for concealing your boat, pit top and duck
blinds. Each mat is hand woven from
palm leaves using a knotted weave that
can be cut without unraveling. Each mat
is woven 4 feet x 4 feet and the additional
loose grass gives an overall height of 5 feet.
A layout blind is a contraption a lot
of duck hunters are not familiar with.
However, it’s one heck of a way to take
lots of ducks when hunting in a rice field
or along the shoreline of a pond, lake or
river. The concept of a layout blind is
simple. When it’s done right you can be
completely invisible to wary waterfowl.
Most are made of a mix of tubing and
cloth-like material. When assembled you
slip into the blind, pull the camo sides
This layout blind set up easily, had a waterproof bottom and could be place right on the edge of
the water in mud.
over your body and get ready to shoot.
The layouts that I’ve used had built in
headrests for maximum comfort. In fact,
a well-padded layout blind is perfect for
a nap.
Several years back I was invited to
hunt ducks on a farm up in Central Texas.
When I got there we took off in fourwheelers and when we reached our duck
hunting pond I was less than impressed. It
was a cattle tank about 40 yards long, and
30 yards wide. There was no surrounding
cover.
Duck Blind Poachers
Along the coast and on many inland
lakes a duck blind built on public water
is considered to be abandoned property,
according to Texas game wardens that I’ve
talked with.
What does that mean? Simply put, you
can build a duck blind on some public
water, but it’s not exclusively yours to hunt.
In fact, it’s first come, first serve.
Sadly there are a growing number of
duck blind poachers that don’t hesitate to
mooch a blind. Most know the law. If you
harass them for hunting in your blind,
they can call the game warden and you
might get in trouble.
The next to last day of the season last
year I pulled up to one of my best blinds
out of Port O’Connor. I found a man and
his wife sitting all comfy, with a big spread
of decoys set out. I politely informed them
that I was a duck hunting guide and had
built that blind to earn a living.
54
The lady stood up and said, “Oh, we
just got lazy today, and thought we would
use somebody else’s blind. Ya’ll are welcome to hunt with us.”
They had no intention of moving.
On another day, I showed up for an
afternoon hunt and found several dozen
decoys set up around my best blind. But
nobody was there. I called the game warden and he explained that the decoys were
considered to be abandoned property, just
like the blind. “They are yours, if you want
them,” he explained. “But you might have
a burned out blind in the morning.”
Game wardens have told me that blind
poaching is a growing problem along
the middle Texas coast. They also say it’s
a gentleman’s agreement not to poach
another hunter’s blind. But I’ve also been
told that if they are in my blind, it’s best
to just turn around and leave without a
confrontation.
Steve Andrews, who was setting up the
hunt, saw the look on my face.
“Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered,”
he said with a sly grin. “We’re going to
use layout blinds covered in hay. Let’s get
set up and if all goes as planned the birds
should be coming into this pond within
an hour or so.”
The blinds were easily set up, and I
quickly noticed that they had waterproof
bottoms. That was nice because we were
right up on the edge of the water in mud.
The ducks showed up right on
schedule, well before sunset. There was
a mix of widgeon, pintails and mallards.
Whenever Andrews called the shot we
flipped the sides of the layout open and
commenced to shooting.
We used Redhead Deluxe layout blinds
that day. They were easy to assemble,
comfortable, dry and provided excellent
cover along a shoreline that was devoid
of vegetation.
When selecting a layout blind you want
to look for one that’s light and has a sturdy
aluminum frame that deploys and breaks
down quickly. Other features you might
want to include are an insulated, padded
back and headrest; 100% waterproof
bottom for comfortable hunting; and
zippered boot sock for easy cleaning.
Plus, get one that is compact and includes
backpack straps.
Of course there are duck hunts when
you only need to lean up against a tree, or
maybe lay back in some brush. One thing
is certain, when it comes to duck hunting
blinds there are many options to consider
on any given day.
november 2015
november 2015
55
holding on.”
Lake Roundup
SOUTH TEXAS
By Danno Wise
As most Texas fishermen are aware,
Texas weather – particularly precipitation
– is cyclical. Luckily, 2015 seems to part of
a “wet cycle.” As a result, lakes across South
Texas are in much better shape water levelwise than they have been in several years.
From a fishing standpoint, the longterm relief of rising water has been
moderated with the short-term issues of
anglers having to pattern fish in newly
flooded portions of their favorite lake.
As fall turns to winter this month, most
fishermen will still be feeling out the
patterns while also trying to predict how
fish will react to the new lake levels once
they transition into a winter pattern. But,
with a little legwork, bass fishermen on
South Texas lakes will undoubtedly unlock
the next new pattern.
Water levels aside, water temperatures
will still be holding a bit above normal
as November rolls around. The extended
warm weather throughout early fall can
help anglers continue to have a little
more shallow water activity a little longer
into November. However, inevitably,
by Thanksgiving the water has been
sufficiently cooled to begin changing
water patterns. So, regardless of how warm
November begins, anglers should expect to
begin seeing fish transition to their typical
winter patterns by month’s end.
COLETO CREEK – According to bass
pro Dennis Lala, the key for Coleto Creek
fishermen this year has been adjusting to
different types of shallow water structure
than they are accustomed to fishing. He
56
says, by month’s end that may not matter
much as fish will begin heading either to
deep water structure or to Coleto’s warm
water discharge, where they will ride out
the winter months.
“November means the water will be
cooling off and the fish will be coming
up,” said Lala. “The biggest difference is,
we don’t have any grass left in the lake.
None. We haven’t had hydrilla for a while,
but we still had plenty of coontail moss.
But, now even that’s gone. So, the bass are
relating to different things since we don’t
have any grass beds.
“A lot of times, as long as they are up
shallow, the bass will be working right up
against the bank. We also will see the fish
relating to hardwoods – stickups, stumps,
trees. And, we do have a lot of flooded
pepper grass that will be holding fish and a
few areas of the lake have some cattails. So,
without any grass beds, all of those areas
will be attracting bass.
“There will be a lot of fish caught
on topwaters and spinnerbaits. But, the
number one way to fish will be a weightless
Power Jerk Shad in watermelon/pearl. You
can work that bait through the flooded
cattails or pepper grass or you can throw
it around the stickups and stumps.
“Once the water really starts cooling,
I’ll start throwing spinnerbaits a lot more.
Once that first good cold front hits and the
water temperature starts going the other
way, that spinnerbait will be the ticket. I
like a chartreuse/white spinnerbait with
double gold willowleaf blades and a white
trailer. I’ll throw that bait at the bank or
along the edges of the pepper grass. I also
like working spinnerbaits around flooded
brush or around stickups and stumps.
“By that time we should have the power
plant turned on and be getting a good
circulation in the lake. But, we’re going
to be looking at the tributaries and other
areas that are out of that circulation to
start cooling down and producing some
more fish.
“Also, once the discharge gets going,
you’ll be able to catch a lot of different
species up there. Besides black bass, we’ll
have crappie, hybrids and catfish around
the discharge. That’s part of the fun when
CHOKE CANYON – Like other lakes
you’re fishing by the discharge – you
never know what you’re gonna catch. The
fishing usually gets good near the discharge
around Thanksgiving. And, that fishing
just gets better as it gets colder.
“But, no matter, what, the good news
is the lake is full. And, even without the
grass, the water is clear thanks to the solid
sand bottom in Coleto. And, fishing’s been
good – there’s been a lot of five and six
pound bass caught this fall.”
MEDINA – Jim Gallagher of Jim’s Rebait
Tackle says November is always one of the
better months to fish Medina. And, since
the lake is holding a decent amount of
water for the first time in several years, he
expects this November to be even better.
“Typically November is a real good
month for us,” said Gallagher. “It tends to
be a little cooler, which allows us to start
getting a decent topwater bite and, if it is
overcast or cool, we have a little longer bite
than normal. We can even get a pretty good
all day bite when we have a cloudy day.
“This time of year, small topwaters and
stick baits – soft or hard – are really the best
bet. One of my favorite baits is the Bomber
14A. That’s a great little bait. It casts well
and is just about the right size for this lake.
“Those first few weeks of November,
the fish are in a good, consistent fall
pattern. After Thanksgiving, it all depends
on the fronts. They may stay in a fall
pattern into December if we don’t get too
many hard fronts. But, once we get a few
good fronts, that will push the fish deep
again.
“Once they get in that winter pattern,
for us that means fishing deep and slow.
Fishing patterns will be similar to summer,
except the fish won’t be quite as deep.
However, they also won’t feed as often in
winter. So, you really have to be patient
and willing to keep working the main and
secondary lake points until you find fish
willing to bite.
“The biggest difference this year will
be patterning the fish. Because the lake
had been so low for so long, now that we
have more water it is almost like fishing
a new lake. But, you know the fish will
be around deep structure, so it is just a
matter of finding which structure they are
november 2015
across South Texas, Choke Canyon has
received plenty of new water this summer
and early fall. With the lake in good shape
in regards to lake level, fishermen can
expect a more traditional late fall pattern
than they’ve seen in recent years on Choke.
The first few weeks of November will be
more or less an extension of October. That
is to say fishermen should expect bass to
be feeding fairly shallow. Pop Rs, Stanley
Ribbit Frogs and buzzbaits will be among
the most productive lures, especially early
and late. During the balance of the day,
spinnerbaits, Texas-rigged lizards and softplastic jerkbaits will do the trick.
Starting in the middle of November,
fishermen should start looking out
for a pattern-shifting front. As long as
the weather and water stays relatively
warm, fish will continue in their fall
feeding patterns. However, once the
first few hard fronts hit, expect fish to
start dropping off into deeper water and
resuming their winter pattern. This usually
happens sometime after Thanksgiving,
but can occur much earlier in the month
depending on the fronts. Once the water
cools enough to push the fish off the
shallows and shorelines, look for them in
15 to 20 feet of water over humps, tank
dams and other offshore structure. When
they’re on this deep structure, Texas-rigged
lizards, jigs and deep-diving crankbaits are
the best options.
FALCON – Bass on Falcon Lake should
remain in a fall pattern for most of
November. That means fishermen can
expect to have a good topwater bite this
month. Buzzbaits, Spooks, Pop Rs and
artificial frogs will all produce fish around
the flooded brush. Many days the topwater
bite will last throughout the day, especially
on cloudy or overcast days.
When the topwater bite slows, anglers
can generally do well with other shallow
water techniques. Spinnerbaits and shallow
running crankbaits will produce well on
the outside edge of the flooded brush.
Jigs and Texas-rigged plastics can also be
worked in and around the flooded brush.
Later in the month, as the temperatures
begin to drop, expect fish to start moving
toward the points and, later, to the
offshore structure. As the fish work deeper,
Carolina- and Texas-rigged soft-plastics
and deep diving cranks will be the best
choices.
november 2015
Throughout the month of November,
fishermen on Falcon can expect decent
schooling activity from both black and
hybrid bass. Casting spoons and lipless
cranks are among the best baits for
targeting schooling fish.
WEST TEXAS
By TOJ Staff
AMISTAD — For most of 2015 “Big
Friendly” has been fluctuating within a
foot of the 28 feet low mark. Compared
to a year earlier in early October 2014 the
lake was over 36 feet low, however, it was
about to start a slow rise that increased the
lake level by eight feet by the end of 2014.
If a similar rise occurs this fall look for
even more vegetation to be flooded and
for fish to relate to this new habitat until
really cold weather pushes them out into
deeper channels and holes. Topwaters
will continue to be a go too bait. So too
will be diving crankbaits, spinnerbaits, or
other lures that cover water. Texas rigged
worms and football jigs will allow an
angler thoroughly fish an area.
Striper anglers will find the best action
around Markers 19-25 on the Rio Grande
River. Also sea gulls will point the way
to bait, pushed to the surface of actively
feeding fish.
Catfish anglers should concentrate on
water 10-15 feet through November. Live,
cut, and prepared baits are good offerings.
O.H. IVIE — This popular big bass
producer continues to hover about 43 feet
low. However fishing as been fairly static
throughout 2015. Ask cooler weather
descends on this region look for black
bass to start to slowly slip from the shallow
water to transition corridors and areas to
finally deep water. During this transition
fish spinnerbaits and topwater lures to find
fish. Texas rigs are good choices to fish all
available structure.
Use your notes of travel corridors
used to move from deep water to shallow
spawning areas. Fish will reverse this
course as fall gives way to winter.
BROWNWOOD — What a difference a
year makes. Last November this popular
lake was about 12 ½ to 13 feet low. As
this report is compiled in early October
Lake Brownwood is just a foot low of the
conservation pool mark.
With a full lake and the forecast of more
rains through the balance of fall and into
winter, look for a lot of flooded vegetation,
creek and river channels, and deeper
pockets that were out of play last year to
provide places for a variety of gamefish to
congregate. Early in November look for
black bass to start to make their way off
of the shallow shorelines toward corridors
that will eventually take them to deeper
water for winter.
Medium diving crankbaits, spinnerbaits
and lipless crankbaits are good options.
Around the brush and woody structure
flip Texas rigs or jigs. Senkos are another
good option to fish in these areas. Look for
crappie to continue to be caught around
lighted boat docks and brush piles. Best
depth will be 10-20 feet deep.
HIGH PLAINS
By TOJ Staff
Lake Alan Henry continues to be the
lake of choice for most anglers on the
High Plains simply due to the fact the lake
refilled back in May and has remained
within a foot or two of conservation pool
since. Good fishing has been reported
through the summer and into early fall
around flooded woody structure and rocky
slide areas and outcroppings.
Look for this pattern to continue
until cold weather pushes black bass to
deeper channels and holes as temperatures
drop. Cover water with topwater lures or
spinnerbaits. Then use jigs and Texas rigs
to thoroughly fish an area once fish have
been found.
57
Guides, Gear & Getaways
TACKLE TIPS & TECHNIQUES | Danno Wise
Patterning Coastal Fish in Late Fall
SALTWater
UPPER COAST | SABINE
UPPER COAST | GALVESTON
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Bay Fishing
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USCG/TP & W Licensed
P: 512-393-9305 | E: jrg_fish@yahoo.com
www.RedfishRoperCharters.com
OFFSHORE | FREEPORT
UPPER COAST | SARGENT
UPPER COAST | MATAGORDA
MIDDLE COAST | PORT O’CONNOR
58
november 2015
november 2015
59
TACKLE TIPS & TECHNIQUES | Danno Wise
Bass’ Autumn Move from Shallow to Deep
middle coast | port aransas
MIDDLE COAST | CORPUS CHRISTI-NORTH PADRE ISLAND
“Professional Property Management and Sales”
Serving North Padre Island since 1988
Luxury Vacation Rentals by Gulf Beachfront or on Canals leading to
Upper Laguna Madre & your favorite fishing spot. Many with private boat docks.
Book online or call our rental specialist today!
361.949.9050 OFFICE 361.949.9070 FAX
14613 S. PADRE ISLAND DRIVE, CORPUS CHRISTI, TX 78418
www.rentalmgmt.com
LOWER COAST | PORT ISABEL & SOUTH PADRE ISLAND
LOWER COAST | BAFFIN BAY
HAVE YOUR OUTDOOR EVENT INCLUDED IN
TOJ’s OUTDOOR CALENDAR!
Mail your Outdoor Calendar items to:
1706 W. Sam Houston Pkwy North,
Houston, TX 77043
or fax to: 713.957.3996
or email: toj@airmail.net
60
november 2015
november 2015
61
FIELD TIPS & TECHNIQUES | Nate Skinner & Danno Wise
Hunting Secondary Water Pockets, Holes, & Sloughs
LOWER COAST | PORT MANSFIELD
HUNTING
A PLACE FOR ALL SEASONS
Relax, we’ll take care of the details!
TEXAS
World Class Fishing
Dove & Waterfowl
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Inshore & Offshore
Private & Corporate
Events & Meetings
GIVE US A CALL!
LOUISIANA | LAKE CALCASIEU
YOUR AD SHOULD
BE HERE!
WATERFOWL HUNTING
CALL 713-957-3997
for GUIDES, GEAR & GETAWAY ADS
CALL 713-957-3997
to find out how to get
YOUR AD on our
GUIDES, GEAR & GETAWAY pages!
COLORADO
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Texas Fresh Water
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High Country ranch, directly bordering National Forest &
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SUMMER VACATIONS: explore ranch and wilderness by
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Breathtaking scenery. EARLY RESERVATION DISCOUNTS.
GR Bar Ranch
Paonia, Colorado
www.grbarranch.com
800-523-6832
GREAT HUNTING - Pagosa Springs, CO
For Sale By Owner
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Full description with photos available at
www.forsalebyowner.com/23994657
Owner contact: 970-264-3890
MISCELLANEOUS
Be sure to check out
texasoutdoorsjournal.com
before your next
hunting or fishing trip
62
november 2015
november 2015
YOUR AD SHOULD
BE HERE!
CALL 713-957-3997
for GUIDES, GEAR & GETAWAY ADS
63
Deadline for the December calendar is October 25, 2015
Outdoor Calendar
THROUGH NOVEMBER 1,
Special Youth Only Whitetail Deer
Season, Counties where a whitetail
deer season occurs, Statewide. For
more information consult the TPWD
Outdoor Annual, website, or call (800)
792-1112.
THROUGH NOVEMBER 1,
Special Youth Only Rio Grande Turkey
Season, Counties where a Rio Grande
turkey season occurs, Statewide. For
Outdoor Annual, website, or call (800)
792-1112.
THROUGH NOVEMBER 1,
North Zone Duck: Youth season. For
more information refer to TPWD Outdoor Annual, or call (800) 792-1112.
THROUGH NOVEMBER 1,
High Plains Mallard Management
Unit: Regular duck season. First
Split. For more information refer to
TPWD Outdoor Annual, or call (800)
792-1112.
THROUGH NOVEMBER 29,
Duck regular season, first split, South
Zone, 59 counties. For more information consult the TPWD Outdoor Annual, website, or call (800) 792-1112.
THROUGH JANUARY 31, 2016,
Light and Dark Geese season, West
Zone, 151 counties. For more information consult the TPWD Outdoor Annual, website, or call (800) 792-1112.
THROUGH JANUARY 31, 2016,
Sandhill Crane season, Zone A.
103 counties. For more information
consult the TPWD Outdoor Annual,
website, or call (800) 792-1112.
THROUGH FEBRUARY 14, 2016,
Wilson’s Snipe (Common snipe or
Jacksnipe) season, Statewide. For
more information you can consult
the TPWD Outdoor Annual, website,
64
or call (800) 792-1112.
Squirrel Season, 51 East Texas counties. For more information consult
or call (800) 792-1112.
NOVEMBER 7 — JANUARY 3, 2016,
Whitetail Deer general season, North
Texas, 212 counties. For more information consult the TPWD Outdoor
Annual, website, or call (800) 7921112.
Quail season, Statewide. For more
information consult the TPWD Outdoor Annual, website, or call (800)
792-1112.
Rio Grande Turkey fall season, North
Texas, 123 counties. For more information consult the TPWD Outdoor
Chacalaca season, four Rio Grande
Valley counties. For more information
Rio Grande Turkey fall season, South
Texas, 26 counties. For more information consult the TPWD Outdoor Annual, website, or call (800) 792-1112.
Javelina season, Statewide. For more
information consult the TPWD Outdoor Annual, website, or call (800)
792-1112.
Whitetail Deer general season, South
Texas, 30 counties. For more information consult the TPWD Outdoor Annual, website, or call (800) 792-1112.
NOVEMBER 4,
Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission Meeting, TPWD Headquarters,
Austin. For more information call
(800) 792-1112.
Light and Dark Geese season, East
Zone, 123 counties. For more information you can consult the TPWD
Outdoor Annual, website, or call
(800) 792-1112.
NOVEMBER 5 – 29,
“Dusky Duck season, first split. South
Zone. 54 counties. For more information consult the TPWD Outdoor Annual, website, or call (800) 792-1112.
NOVEMBER 6 – JANUARY 31, 2016,
High Plains Mallard Management
Unit: Regular duck season. Second
Split. For more information refer to
TPWD Outdoor Annual, or call (800)
792-1112.
NOVEMBER 7 — 29,
Duck regular season, first split, North
Zone. 139 counties. For more information you can consult the TPWD
(800) 792-1112.
(800) 792-1112.
Unlimited fundraiser banquet, Columbus. Call (361) 815-1150.
NOVEMBER 12,
Aggieland Chapter Ducks Unlimited
fundraiser banquet, College Station.
Call (903) 967-4235.
NOVEMBER 20,
Golden Spread Gobblers Chapter
National Wild Turkey Federation
fundraiser banquet, Borger. Call (806)
857-0428.
NOVEMBER 12,
Dallas Chapter Ducks Unlimited
fundraiser banquet, Dallas. Call (214)
673-9636.
NOVEMBER 12,
Victoria Chapter Ducks Unlimited
fundraiser banquet, Victoria. Call
(361) 571-0796.
NOVEMBER 19,
Colorado County Chapter Ducks
Sandhill Crane season, Zone B.
63 counties. For more information
NOVEMBER 21,
Panhandle Feathered Forces Upland
Game Chapter National Wild Turkey
Federation fundraiser banquet,
Happy. Call (806) 336-4826.
NOVEMBER 21 — 29,
Mule Deer general season, Southwestern Panhandle, 11 counties. For
(800) 792-1112.
NOVEMBER 21 — DECEMBER 6,
Mule Deer general season, Panhandle, 39 counties. For more information you can consult the TPWD
(800) 792-1112.
NOVEMBER 27 — DECEMBER 13,
Mule Deer general season, Trans-Pecos, 19 counties. For more information consult the TPWD Outdoor
Mail your Outdoor Calendar items to:
1706 W. Sam Houston Pkwy North, Houston TX 77043
Fax: 713.957.3996
Email: toj@airmail.net
NOVEMBER 7 — FEBRUARY 28, 2016,
Rio Grande Turkey fall season, Brooks,
Kenedy, Kleberg, Willacy counties.
For more information consult the
TPWD Outdoor Annual, website, or
call (800) 792-1112.
“Dusky” Duck season, High Plains
Mallard Management Unit. 92 counties. For more information consult
or call (800) 792-1112.
NOVEMBER 12 – NOVEMBER 29,
“Dusky Duck season, first split. North
Zone. 139 counties. For more information you can consult the TPWD
november 2015
november 2015
65
Tide Tables
Fishing & Hunting Times
US TIME ZONES
NOVEMBER 2015
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
L1:41P0.2 L2:47P0.4 L4:00P0.5 H12:07A1.6
H10:20P1.8 H11:22P1.7
L7:17A1.2
H9:59A1.3
L5:15P0.7
1
2
3
H12:37A1.6
L7:33A1.1
H11:44A1.3
L6:22P0.8
H12:58A1.5
L7:51A0.9
H1:05P1.3
L7:15P0.9
H1:15A1.5
L8:07A0.8
H2:09P1.4
L7:59P1.0
H1:30A1.5
L8:24A0.6
H3:01P1.5
L8:34P1.1
H1:45A1.5
L8:42A0.5
H3:47P1.5
L9:03P1.2
H2:01A1.5
L9:04A0.3
H4:29P1.6
L9:31P1.2
H2:28A1.5
L9:58A0.1
H5:55P1.6
L10:31P1.3
H2:38A1.5
L10:30A0.1
H6:41P1.6
L11:04P1.4
H2:43A1.5
L11:06A0.0
H7:31P1.6
L11:42P1.4
8
9
10
4
H2:15A1.5
L9:30A0.2
H5:11P1.6
L10:00P1.3
11
5
12
6
13
PACIFIC
MOUNTAIN
CENTRAL
EASTERN
< (+) (-) >
< (+) (-) >
< (+) (-) >
< (+) (-) >
7
14
H2:49A1.5 L12:30A1.4 L1:21P0.2 L2:20P0.3 L3:29P0.4 L5:59A0.9 L6:27A0.6
L11:45A0.1 H2:59A1.5 H10:11P1.5 H10:51A1.5 H11:23P1.4 H10:54A1.1 H12:37P1.3
H8:26P1.6 L12:30P0.1
L4:48P0.6 L6:09P0.8
H11:51P1.4
H9:21P1.6
15
16
17
H12:18A1.4
L7:04A0.3
H1:57P1.4
L7:23P0.9
H12:44A1.4
L7:44A0.1
H3:04P1.6
L8:27P1.1
H1:13A1.4
L8:27A-0.2
H4:04P1.7
L9:25P1.2
22
23
24
18
19
H1:43A1.4
L9:10A-0.3
H5:00P1.7
L10:18P1.2
25
20
21
H2:14A1.4 H2:47A1.4 L12:03A1.3
L9:55A-0.4 L10:40A-0.4 H3:19A1.4
H4:54P1.7 H6:48P1.6 L11:26A-0.3
L11:09P1.3
H7:42P1.6
26
27
28
L1:15A1.2 L1:02P0.0
H3:45A1.3 H9:30P1.4
L12:13P-0.2
H8:37P1.5
29
120°
115°
30
110°
105°
100°
95°
90°
85°
80°
75°
NOVEMBER 2015
DECEMBER 2015
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
L1:52P0.2 L2:49P0.3 L6:33A0.7
H10:16P1.3 H10:52P1.2 H9:56A0.8
L3:56P0.5
H11:19P1.2
H12:01A1.1
L7:29A0.2
H2:25P1.1
L7:26P0.9
6
H12:19A1.1
L7:49A0.1
H3:12P1.1
L8:11P1.0
7
1
2
H12:37A1.1
L8:11A-0.1
H3:52P1.2
L8:45P1.0
H12:55A1.1
L8:36A-0.2
H4:30P1.3
L9:13P1.0
8
9
3
H1:14A1.2
L9:04A-0.3
H5:07P1.3
L9:39P1.1
10
SAT
L6:51A0.6 L7:10A0.4
H11:53A0.9 H1:22P1.0
L5:14P0.7 L6:28P0.8
H11:42P1.1
4
H1:32A1.2
L9:36A-0.4
H5:46P1.3
L10:08P1.1
11
5
H1:52A1.2
L10:10A-0.4
H6:28P1.3
L10:41P1.1
12
Times are for Galveston, Galveston Channel
TIME DIFFERENCES
Calcasieu Pass, Louisiana
Sabine Pass Lighthouse
Sabine Pass Jetty
Sabine Pass
Mesquite Point, Sabine Pass
Galveston Bay ent. south jetty
Port Bolivar
Galveston Bay
Texas City, Turning Basin
Eagle Point (1)
Clear Lake(1)
Morgan Point (1)
Round Pt.,Trinity Bay (1)
Point Barrow, Trinity Bay
Gilchrist, East Bay
Jamaica Beach, West Bay
Alligator Point, West Bay
Christmas Point, Christmas Bay
Galveston Pleasure Pier
San Luis Pass
Freeport Harbor
Pass Cavallo
Aransas Pass
Padre Island (South End)
Port Isabel
HighLow
-2:14
-1:24
-1:46
-1:31
-1:26
-1:31
-1:00
-1:15
-0:04
-0:25
-0:39
-1:05
+0:14
-0:06
+0:33
+3:54
+6:05
+10:21
+10:39
+5:48
+3:16
+2:38
+2:39
+2:32
-1:06
-0:09
-0:44
0:00
-0:03
-0:24
+1:02
+0:41
+4:15
+6:40
+5:19
+5:15
+4:43
+4:18
+3:31
+2:33
+2:31
-1:06
-0:09
-1:02
-1:20
-1:31
-1:45
-0:42
Tidal adjustments are not predictable for Port O’Connor, Matagorda Bay; Port
Lavaca, Matagorda Bay; and Riviera Beach, Baffin Bay since they are driven by wind
and weather. — NOAA
66
DECEMBER 2015
Fish, game and all wildlife move in search of food in cycles relative to the moon’s location to the earth.
The time spans listed above are the prime times to start each day at and along each time zone meridian
of longitude 75 degrees (Eastern) 90 degrees (Central) 105 degrees (Mountain) and 120 degrees (Pacific)
during Standard time and Daylight Saving during the time it is in effect. To determine the feeding cycle
time for best fishing and hunting in the area you plan to fish or hunt advance the sum of 4 minutes for
each degree west and back up 4 minutes for each degree east. The next prime feeding cycle (not listed on
the calendar) will be approximately twelve and one-half hours later. There are minor periods that occur
between the prime or major periods. The minor periods are typically fair periods and last only about half
as long as the prime periods.
Feeding Times by Dan Barnett have been proven by analysis of 124 – 3 day bass tournaments between
1967 through 1983 to be reliable and accurate in predicting wildlife feeding activity. The Feeding Times
are not a cure-all. Weather and other environmental conditions affect wildlife feeding activity. Annual vest
pocket books, which show all the major and minor periods, can be ordered by sending a check or money
order for $15.00 per book. For S&H, please add $4.00 to an order of 1 to 4 books. Make check or money
order payable to: Feeding Times. Send to: Feeding Times, P.O. Box 2240, Covington, GA 30015. After Oct.
1, please indicate book year. For questions or comments, you can call 404-373-7151.
Over 60 Years in Print
Feeding Times by Dan Barnett
17 Years Test Proven
november 2015

November 2015 - PDF - Texas Outdoors Journal

Transcription

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