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TOP LURE CHOICES * TIDE CHARTS * CAPT. WALTER BODE

MONSTER GAR

CAUGHTBy Mission’s Nikki Alanis

COVER STORY:

By Henry Miller

The hairs on Bob Glick's arms were standing straight up as he realized where he was – and that his life could be very much in danger.

A mammoth and violent lion, a prolific killer that had already proven he wasn't scared of humans, was in the vicinity. It could easily be within 8-10 feet of where Glick was standing, hiding in the palm leaves and waiting to strike.

The hunting group Glick was in had worked for days trying to hunt this lion that had been terrorizing a local African village, killing four donkeys over a two-day span. The lion, which had left its reserve, had been targeting donkeys that happened to have bells around their necks. The group decided to use four donkeys as bait with bells and waited to capture this deadly nemesis.

“We could hear him coming the first night,” said Glick, owner of Glick Twins on Business 83 in Pharr (read “In His Words) on page 14). “We could hear that low, gut-tural-like soft growl. It came within probably 200 yards and figured out what was happening and took off.”

For the next nine days of the 12-day hunt there was not a single sign of the beast. On the 11th day, however, they found baboon tracks that had crossed their trucks' tire tracks from coming in that morning. There were also lion tracks. Since baboon's sleep at night and they had crossed the truck's tracks, they knew the tracks were fresh and the lion was in the vicinity. The tracking began.

The group tracked the lion for the next three hours, ending up in the dry bed of a perennial river, with its edges dense with palm trees other covering. Just on the other side of the river was a brand new fence for the wildlife preserve was supposed to be the lion's home.

“The tracks had gotten really fresh were still on top of the baboon tracks,” Glick said. “Then you could see the baboons a couple hundred years away – that's when I started think-ing 'that lion has to be in the palm trees right around here.'”

Instead, as the team moved from palm tree to palm tree, the lion came out of the brush and crawled under an open-

COVER STORY PROFILE

BOB GLICKGlick Twins owner enjoys life, thrilled with work & excited for the next hunt

ing in the reserve fence and disappeared.“Lots of natives saw him and expressed

he was very old and very large with a huge mane,” Glick said. “Knowing he could be right there was terrifying but when he went into the preserve he was no longer a nuisance. He was back to where he was supposed to be.”

Glick can't remember an age where he didn't have a gun or a rod and reel in his hand. His first successful hunt came at the age of 6, shooting his first turkey with a .410.

“The blind was in a hole they had dug in the ground and put boards around and made a floor,” Glick said. “It as about 8-10 inches above ground and gave a real low profile. My dad was so excited and was really proud of me.”

Then Hidalgo County Sheriff Claudio Castaneda was on the hunting lease and cooked the turkey as part of a celebration that night.

“He liked jalapenos,” Glick said. “It was so hot I couldn't even eat it.”

Glick also loved fishing, often times grabbing a stick, tying a string to it and putting the string into the water.

“If you put a string in water you're

supposed to catch a fish – I swear I could believe fish onto that string.”

Glick has never tired of the outdoors and still holds the same passion for hunting, fishing and shooting sports as he always has. It's also about nature and getting out-doors – even once having a shot at close to two dozen black bears on a hunt in British Columbia. He passed on all of them, well almost all of them.

“I was having a great time whether a bear died or not,” Glick said. “The guide was disappointed. He told me he had a 100-percent success rate over 20 years and I was going to ruin it. I told him I don't need to shoot one and I will tell everyone that I saw 21 suitable bears but didn't shoot one.

“I saw one on the last day and shot him, mainly for the guide. We saw so much wildlife, lots of eagles, salmon jumping, glaciers and trees so big they were beyond my comprehension.”

Each hunt brings a different challenge but the hunt is the most exciting – wheth-er chasing after a bear or hunting and tracking an elephant on foot for 26 miles in a million-acre area, only to watch that ele-phant walk back into its protected society.

Even preparing for a future hunt has its

challenges. Glick remembers practicing archery hunting as he readied himself for an upcoming African archery hunt.

“I snuck up on this very large pig and shot him with my bow,” Glick said. “He ran into the brush which happened to be the brush I was in. I shot him a second time and he watched me shoot him a second time.

“With all of his being he wanted to eat me.”

The two were about 20 yards apart when the pig charged Glick. About 20 yards later the pig was on his heels and Glick feared there was no escape.”

“He was gaining on me rapidly and then he just collapsed, right at my feet,” Glick said. “The first shot had killed him. That was pretty spooky.”

Glick plans on continuing his hunts, those faraway trips coinciding with months where it's not hunting season in South Texas so he can be here for those. In the meantime, you can see him at his store – photos along the walls showing some of his hunting prizes.

But don't worry, there won't be any lions hiding in the aisles. And if they are, you'll be in good, experienced hands.

At left, photos from some of Bob Glick’s big-game hunts over the years. Above, Bob at his store on Business 83 in Pharr. (Above photo by Tiki Tillman / tikitillmanphotos.com)

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10 11

GAR-GANTUAN CATCH

DID YOU KNOW?

DESCRIPTIONGars are easily distinguished from other fresh-water species by their long, slender, cylindrical bodies, long snouts, and diamond-shaped inter-locking (ganoid) scales. The tail fin is rounded. Dorsal and anal fins are placed well back on the body and nearly opposite each other. Alligator gar is the largest of the gar species. It can grow up to 8 feet long and weigh more than 300 pounds. Adults have two rows of large teeth on either side of the upper jaw. Coloration is gen-

erally brown or olive above and lighter underneath. The species name spatula is Latin for “spoon”, referring to the creature’s broad snout.

LIFE HISTORYAlligator gar can live for many decades. They grow very fast when young, but growth slows with age. In general, for every additional foot the fish grows, its age doubles. A 3-foot gar is typically about 2.5 years old; a 4-foot gar about 5, and a 7-foot trophy catch might be 40 years old. The world record, caught in Mississippi

in 2011, weighed 327 pounds and was probably at least 95. Alligator

gar are slow to mature; they usually don’t spawn until they are about 10 years old. Spawning typically takes place in shallow areas of flooded vegetation when springtime water temperatures exceed 68 degrees. In Texas, this generally occurs in April and May. Eggs hatch within a couple of days. Young fish feed on lar-val fishes and insects. Adults will eat whatever they can catch, consuming primarily fish, but occasionally taking birds, mammals and other animals.

BY HENRY MILLER

The day certainly wasn’t starting out the way it had been planned and Nikki Alan’s was a little upset.

It was a beautiful Saturday morning in late January and Nikki and her friend Felix should’ve already been casting lines at Bentsen State Park. The other partner in the trio, Felix’s girlfriend Maria, had already decided not to go on this trip – then changed her mind at the last minute and the “delay” clock started ticking.

And when you’re passion is fishing, tim-ing is everything.

Maria got ready and the group picked up another couple of friends and, finally, off they were.

However, after four hours on the water with no luck, Nikki wasn’t any happier.

“It was an epic failure,” Nikki recalled. “So I switched gear and we started toward the deep water on the way back in. I pulled out my Shakespeare Ugly Skit and a new lure I just bought for bass and thought I’d cast it a few times.”

The first time – nothing.

The second time – more of the same.The third time – it got stuck on some-

thing. Or, rather, in something.“I thought I had just lost my brand new

lure and the day was getting worse,” Nikki said. “Then ‘vroom’ the line took off. It was fish on.”

Nikki knew she had a good catch, but it wasn’t until the 6-foot, 140-pound alligator gar came up to the side of the boat that she realized she was in for a battle.

While Felix tried to keep the canoe still and Maria screamed that they were going to die, Nikki prayed that her rod and the undersized 60-pound braided line would be enough to haul in the giant fish. For 15 minutes the two waged a war against each other. Nikki would haul it in and then the fish would pull the canoe out farther. Back and forth the two fought, trying to gain that final advantage.

Nikki, however, an former athlete at Mission High School, hadn’t lost any of her competitive vigor. She wasn’t going to let this one get away – unless she lost her rod or line. And, by all measurable standards, she very easily could have lost both.

“At first the fish was pretty calm,” Nikki said. “Then after it came up to the side of the canoe it seemed to realize we were the ones who hooked him and he got angry.”

Nikki has been fishing for a little more than two years and it has become more than a hobby. Prior to her gar-gantuan

Mission’s Nikki Alanishauls in 6-foot, 140-lb gar at Bentsen Park

catch, her biggest catch was a 4-foot gar. As far as the battle goes, there was no comparison.

“I was not prepared to catch a fish like that,” Nikki said. “But I didn’t want to lose my lure – it was brand new.

“I told Felix to start bringing the canoe ashore so we could land him. We got to the shore and there were these guys there and I yelled out to them to throw their net on it, and it took three guys to carry that thing.”

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, “the Lower Rio Grande watershed is one of the last places in the United States where anglers can still find

these large gar. Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spatula) is a protected species in Texas with a bag limit of one gar per person, per day and no minimum length limit.”

Nikki and friends enjoyed some gar steaks, wrapped in foil and thrown on the grill with some lemon pepper, garlic pepper and lime. They celebrated during Super Bowl weekend and Nikki said she was so caught up in the celebration that the “big game” took a back seat to the “big fish.”

“We could’ve literally fed a village with that fish,” Nikki said.

“You know, it’s all about timing and in the end I’m glad Maria delayed us and decided to go on the trip. If that didn’t hap-pen, I probably wouldn’t have been in that spot and in that position.”

Now Nikki wants to go after something bigger – she wanted to tackle some deep-water fishing.

“I love it and I’m even more motivated now. I feel real lucky to be able to catch that fish. I never should have caught it but now that I know the possibilities I’m excit-

ed for the next one.”

12

10

WORK & PLAY

MONSTER CATCH

Bob Glick enjoys his time at his Glick Twins store, which has been around since 1950. He has as fun when he’s out of the office tracking down some big game - and he’s tracked down a bunch.

6FISHING WITH DAD:Publisher Henry Miller remem-bers fishing with his dad - or playing while his dad fished.

16TIDE TABLES:April and May Tide Tables to keep you one step ahead.

Mission’s Nikki Alanis gets a battle she never expected and will always remem-ber.

WHAT’S INSIDE

8 20 27 30FRED SAYS: Nice weather, nice time to do some topwater fishing.

KIDS CORNER:Read awesome hunting and fish-ing stories written by our juniors .

BOAT SHOW:Check out the photos from the All-Valley Boat Show.

CAPTAIN SAYS:When he’s not fishing for work, Walter Bode is fishing for fun

The sound of a topwater lure touching the water early in the morning as you are in pursuit of your trophy trout. It’s music to an angler’s ear.

We made it through our Winter while trying to balance family and deer hunting. Now it’s Spring and time to balance family and now fishing

There is just so much to do when you live in deep South Texas. Did I mention duck hunting, quail hunting, winter dove sea-son? There are so many outdoor activities going on.

But as the water starts to warm up through Spring you transition from rifles, shotguns and bows and start reaching for your rods and reels. The first thing you need to do is change your line on your reels, clean out your tackle box, and make sure you have the right gear.

Head on over to Joe’s Tackle Shop in McAllen for the stuff you are going to need. If you live in the Upper Valley and if you are around in the Harlingen area, go see Hook Line and Sinker.

So you are all set to go fishing, but the fishing I have in mind is topwater fishing. Working your Top Dog Jr. (“bone color” be-ing my favorite), cast out and start “walk-ing the dog” as they say. I have worked topwater lures in two to six feet of water.

The trick to being successful when using a Zara Spook or Top Dog Jr. is patience. When that fish strikes, allow a second or two to go by. A big mistake a lot of Anglers make is tying to set the hook too fast and losing the fish.

Another rule of thumb is always try your favorite spot at least three times allow a drift three times, if they don’t hit move on to your next stop. My favorite Lil’ Honey Hole is North Cullen Bay.

Fishing with Top Water Lures is just so much fun. Yes, I know you probably casted 300 times to catch four fish, but just remember how good it feels when you are hooked up.

You know how it is - Gotta have it!

Fred Rodriguez has been fishing and hunting since 1977 and has been enjoying the great outdoors ever since. As his say-ing goes “Gotta Have It”.

From Winter Hunting to Spring FishingFROM THE TEXAS SPORTSMAN

Not talking any fishing. We’re talking topwater

8

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Above, Hannah Rodriguez, daughter of Fred and ________ Rodriguez, does some target practice before shooting her first hog at the Gravick Ranch. Does your son or daughter have a fishing/hunting story to share? Send it to henry.texassportsman@gmail.com with a photo and it may make an upcoming edition of Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors Magazine!

28WHAT TO CHOOSE?Calixto Gonzalez makes some sense when it comes time to choosing some Redfish lures.

BY CALIXTO GONZALEZ

Any pitching ace you ask, whether fireballer Nolan Ryan or knucklers like brothers Phil and Joe Neikro, will respond that versatility is key to success. Anglers, like skilled pitchers, have more than one pitch in their arsenal. In the case of the redfish stalker, those pitches come in a variety of lures they rely on when chasing the blunt-nosed, bronze fish with the spot on his tail.

Granted, for most anglers the old Number One is live bait, and for good reason. It catches redfish, and lots of them. Sooner or later, however, whether on a whim or in a deliberate attempt to expand skill sets, just about everyone who targets redfish will try lures. When that day comes (mine was on a spring morning in 1990 when the cord on my cast net

snapped and sent my bait supplier to the bottom of a boat channel), and that stal-wart angler walks into a big box store or a favorite tackle shop with money in hand, the culture shock may be staggering.

Even so, Texas anglers eventually gravitate toward a selection of lures that seem to always produce. Fishermen from Sabine Pass to South Padre Island never leave port without a healthy stock of arti-ficials nestled in the trays and pouches of their tackle carriers. The variety of lures in these boxes can be as staggering as in the aisles. They come in every shape, color, and size an angler can imagine. Through practice and experimentation, however, ev-ery angler comes up with his own personal Ol’ Number 1.

Perhaps the most venerable of the

piscatorial Number 1’s is the gold spoon. Gold spoons cover a lot of water in a short amount of time, and are very easy to use: Simply cast and reel. They provide their own action and flash, which redfish will hammer when they won’t strike anything else. Gold spoons also mimic the flash and movement of popular forage species such as scaled sardines and pinfish. The size, shape, and action of a ¼ ounce gold spoon does an effective job of imitating a small pinfish, which redfish crunch on all the time.

That ability to incite reaction makes the spoon a versatile year-round lure. But, gold spoons become most effective when redfish feed aggressively, such as during summer and fall. On the Texas coast, when redfish school for their autumn migration, a wobbling gold spoon (especially one rigged with a red bucktail or plastic grub trailer) definitely jumpstarts the action.

The gold spoon has earned its niche,

but it’s not the only popular lure for Sci-aenops ocellatus.

Soft plastics have slain the reds for decades. The classic soft baits such as the lines of Kelly Wigglers, H&H Cocahoe Minnow and Mister Twister Sassy Shad still draw followers on the western Gulf Coast, as do the new market entries such as Down South Lures. Many anglers won’t use anything else but soft plastics.

H&H Tackle makes the Cocahoe Min-now, or rather the 4-inch Queen Cocahoe, a streamlined baitfish look-alike consid-ered an absolute staple throughout Texas. Kelly Wigglers makes a shorter (3-inch), stouter shad with a larger, boot-shaped tail, as well as the Ball Shad, which is 6” tail that is growing in popularity.

The Cocahoe has more wiggle with a rolling action while the Ball Shad puts out more vibration because of that ball on the end of its tail. I prefer to use the cocahoe on the flats when I have to cover a lot of

Texas Sportsman Saltwater Fishing Editor Calixto Gonzales has been an outdoor writer for 15 years, and a school teacher for 20. The fish he doesn’t catch are left very intimidated.

PLASTICS NOT JUST FOR REDSJaime Quiroga landed this 26-inch speckled trout in the waters of Arroyo CitySpeckled trout landed by Jaime Quiroga in the waters of Arroyo City measuring in at 26” on soft plastics.

DECISIONS, DECISIONSA look at some of the most popular Redfish lures on the Texas Coast

water, and the Ball Shad in deeper water.Color preferences have evolved as well. For

years, anglers chose red-and-white as the go-to color pattern (which led some wag to coin the idiom, “red and white will treat you right”). In recent years, however, chartreuse and gold patterns have become more popular. Anything with chartreuse seems to sell quite well.

Scented lures such as Berkley’s Gulp! have spawned the latest redfish rage throughout the Texas Gulf Coast, but particularly in areas with poor water clarity. Anglers fish these versatile lures along the bottom on a jig head, under a popping cork, or free-lined in current, much like a real shrimp. A new trend is to Texas-Rig a Gulp! Shrimp on a screw-lock hook such as the Daichii ButtDragger and hop it thorough grass.

As with other soft baits, color becomes the main geographical distinction: Gulf anglers prefer new penny and pearl, although Glow has more than its share of adherents.

No article on top-selling redfish lures by region could neglect the effectiveness and popularity of topwater plugs. Most popular choices along the Texas Gulf Coast included topwater plugs such as MirrOlure’s Top Dog family (including the Pop-A-Dog, He Dog, She Dog, Top Dog Jr., and Top Pup), Storm’s Chug Bug and Rapa-la’s Skitter Walk.

A redfish’s underslung mouth works better for feeding along the bottom but topwaters prove especially effective when fished in the skinny shallows along shorelines, where redfish chase bait. It’s pretty cool to watch a redfish literally roll itself sideways to inhale your Super Spook, Jr. Even a miss can get your blood

pumping and ears ringing.When redfish feed aggressively, they readily take topwaters. However, when they’re less hungry,

anglers switch to suspending plugs. Such lures linger in front of a wary fish, which

gives it time to decide whether to take a kill shot. A slowly-worked jerkbait im-parts the same action. I’ve had a great deal of success with Smithwick’s Rat-tling Rogue and any of the Catch Series by Mirrolure. Another great option is the Mirrodine, another Mirrolure prod-

uct. The smaller baits match the hatch early in the season (such as right now),

when young-of-the-year bait are especially prevalent.The main key for any angler is to have confi-

dence in the weapons he has in his tacklebox. Believing that what you are using will work means you will throw it more ag-gressively. As an angler dials in his weapons and approach, these strategies become well-worn and trusted, like a fastball pitcher’s favorite throw. When the curveball won’t break, he can always turn to the old No. 1.

PLENTY OF CHOICESThere are plenty of Redfish lures choose from. Mir-rolure’s Top Dog famiy (top three lures) include the Pop-A-Dog, She Dog and She Pup lures. H&H Tackles makes the Cocahoe minnows (middle three lures) and discountflies.com have a variety of gold spooons. (pho-tos courtesy www.mirrolure.com, www.hhlure.com and www.discountflies.com)

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28

32FLY FISHINGPaul Trevino says it’s totally possible - and a lot of fun - to fly fish for flounder on the Laguna Madre.

BY PAUL TREVINO

The art of fishing takes many forms, most of which local fish-erman understand - baitcasting, spincasting, and so forth. But, a truly unique form that few expe-rience is fly-fishing.

Most fishermen, in my experience, find fly-fishing to be an enigma. Simply, how does one catch any fish with a fly? Most people imagine Brad Pitt river fishing in the movie “A River Runs Through It” or point to thoughts of fishing in the rivers of Colorado or Montana.

Our majestic Laguna Madre is prime for fly-fishing. Most of the bay averages 18 inches in depth and provides a great opportunity to sight cast to many fish types. There's nothing more exhilarating than stalking your prey in 18 inches of water, sight casting to a redfish about 20 to 25 feet away, and watching the fish accept your fly, swallow it gracefully and provide a challenging fight.

In this this article, we are going one step further - fly fishing for flounder.

Fishing for flounder has many challeng-es. Why? Most fishermen focus on the big

boys - reds and trout. Plus, flounder are scarce and finding flounder hot spots as compared to reds, trout, and even black drum can be difficult. In the open waters of the bay, reds and trout roam freely in between spots. However, flounder are fans of drop offs, run offs, mouths, inlets and the flat bottoms between sea grass and potholes. While fishing for reds and trout a more direct approach, fishing for flounder is best made when casting in a parallel course. I have found success in catching flounder when casting parallel to the drop offs of the Intra Coastal Waterway (ICW) rather than fishing perpendicular to it.

The bony, mouthy anatomy of a floun-der also provides a particularly difficult challenge. This is where a stiff rod and tough line, such as Spider wire, come into play. You have to be able to penetrate the flounder’s hard mouthy structure. Floun-der attack at awkward horizontal angles having to bend in order to swim or “mouth” their catch and at times smothering their prey prior to ingestion. So, successful flounder fishermen prefer to utilize a slow retrieve by bumping off the bottom with their choice of bait. When setting the hook, it’s best to give ample time for the flounder to ingest the bait and then set the hook. When you are out in the bay and suddenly feel a sharp tug but quickly set a hook to

find there’s no fish on the other end, you likely lost a flounder!

The dynamics of fly-fishing are much different. With a regular rod and reel, the weight of the hook and bait at the end of the line is used to propel it to its destina-tion. However, fly-fishing is much different. The fly at the end of the line has little to no weight at all! So, how is the fly propelled? The comparison I offer is similar to a bow and arrow. You load the bow to propel the arrow. In this case, the rod is loaded in or-der to propel the line and fly forward. This is the art of fly casting - which takes time to master. However, one big advantage fly fisherman have over regular spin or baitcasters is avoiding a huge splashdown exhibited by weights, plastics, hooks, and bait.

Effective fly fisherman can cast to their desired point right above water level and gently land their fly on the water, causing little disruption and initiating their retrieve by bumping their fly on the bottom - simi-lar to that mentioned above using conven-tional fishing gear.

By adjusting your technique, flounder can be caught on fly.

If you search online for “Fly fishing for flounder in South Texas,” you won’t find much information. While most think fly-fishing for flounder is something

Fly Fishing For FlounderDespite the challenges, it can be done

relatively new, it isn’t. You can see a YouTube with local fishing legend, Bud Rowland, catching flounder on a fly in our bay system back in the 1980s! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTlNPJ5vaYE) There you will actually see first hand how to catch a flounder on a fly.

The Laguna Madre is a fantastic place to fly fish. And, fly fishing can add a very powerful weapon to your fishing arsenal and make you a much more effective fisherman.

For those interested in learning how to fly fish or if you have any questions, please feel free to email me at paul.texassportsman@gmail.com .

In future installments will be focus-ing on other fly-fishing tactics and tips.

The Laguna Madre is a fantastic place to fly fish. And, fly fishing can add a very powerful weapon to your fishing arsenal and make you a much more effective fisherman.

PAUL TREVINO

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34KNOW THE RULES:Planning and practice are two key rules to keeping your passengers, your boat - and yourself - safe.

FREE!

BOB GLICKAN OUTDOORS ICON

TOP LURE CHOICES * TIDE CHARTS * CAPT. WALTER BODE

MONSTER GAR

CAUGHTBy Mission’s Nikki Alanis

COVER STORY:My dad loved to go fishing. He “knew” all the hot spots and he could fish all day.

When I say all day, the day used to end in argu-ments between him and my mom.

“Henry (that’s his name too), it’s time to go,” my mom would say.

“Almost, I’ve got one big fish here teasing me,” he would respond, or something like that.

The scenario would repeat itself over and over, and the voices would escalate - not into a real argument, but more like a Marge/Homer Simpson debacle.

“You just have to stay until the last fish is caught, don’t you?” she would say as the sun dipped down beyond the horizon.

“Yeah, sure...” he would reply.It didn’t matter to me - I had it made. I would

fish when I wanted (dad would put the worms on the hook - he never ever believed in anything but live bait) and let me cast away.

One day I finally caught something. It wasn’t big, just what my parents called a sunfish - but not only did I catch one, I caught a million (for a 7-year-old who didn’t fish alot, it felt like a million).

But even after that I wouldn’t be what you considered a fishing guru. In fact, I usually played in the dirt or with our dogs or other kids while my line was in the water... probably even lost a couple of cheap rods doing it.

But it was great family time. As we prepared this edition of Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors Magazine, I noticed something that is amazing - families. There are a lot of them in here.

There are fathers and sons fishing and hunting everywhere. There’s a kids corner where Hannah Rodriguez (daughter of our own Texas Sportsman Fred Rodriguez) writes about hog hunting - and she was with mom and dad that fine day.

Our Cover Story is on Bob Glick. He remembers that wonderful day that he shot his first turkey - he was out hunting with his dad. He recalls how excited his dad was. (Too bad he couldn’t eat the turkey... read why beginning on Page 12).

Captain Walter Bode beams when he talks about how his son (now 7 years old) has won his age division twice AND finished second twice in the TIFT tournaments. The All-Valley Boat Show (photos on pages 20 and 22) at the McAllen Convention Center was inundated with parents and kids.

The last edition I talked about my daugther Camilla (age 9) and her first experience in the outdoors as we scouted hogs.

After seeing and reading about all the great times parents have with their children hunting and fishing at all ages (Capt. Bode’s dad is still a guide and they still all fish together), I can’t wait to get out there and bring Camilla for her first shot at a redfish our trout.

But I won’t stay out there until the last fish has been caught... that’s gonna take too long.

Henry MillerPublisherhenry.texassportsman@gmail.com(956) 607-9210

Fred RodriguezThe Texas Sportsmanfredrsportsman@yahoo.com(956) 776-4623

Joey DowdenAdvertising Directorjoey.texassportsman@gmail.com(956) 607-0853

Tiki TillmanPhotographertikitillmanphotos.com(956)572-6132

David DeLeonHenry MillerDesigners

Volume 1, Isssue 2. April 2014. No part of this publica-tion may be reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of the publisher. Views and opinions expressed in this publication are strictly those of the writers, photographers and contributors, and are not necessarily those of Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors or its publisher. Every effort has been taken to ensure the correctness and accuracy in the material published in this magazine. Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors reserves the right to edit, rewrite and refuse editorial materials and assumes no responsibility for accuracy, errors, omissions or consequence arising from it. Texas

Sportsman Tracking Outdoors shall be held harmless and indemnified against any third-party claims. Advertise-ments appearing in Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors present only the viewpoint of the advertisers. Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors is printed in the U.S.A. All correspondence to the publication become the property of Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors.

Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors is published by H&J Publications. Copyright 2013. To advertise in Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors call (956) 607-0853 or email joey.texassportsman@gmail.com

STAFF

FISHING WITH MY DAD (OR PLAYING WHILE HE FISHED)

Henry Miller is Publisher of Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors. He has more than 25 years of publishing experience, has written sports for more than 150 newspapers, covered the Olympics, NASCAR, Major League Baseball and other sports. He has been syndicated on radio in more than 70 markets. His 9-year-old daughter Camilla enjoys hog hunting, volleyball and fashion (and is an A student). They live in McAllen, Texas.

ON THE COVERBob Glick enjoys working and playing - and does a phenomenal job at both.(tikitillmanphotos.com)

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The sound of a topwater lure touching the water early in the morning as you are in pursuit of your trophy trout. It’s music to an angler’s ear.

We made it through our Winter while trying to balance family and deer hunting. Now it’s Spring and time to balance family and now fishing

There is just so much to do when you live in deep South Texas. Did I mention duck hunting, quail hunting, winter dove sea-son? There are so many outdoor activities going on.

But as the water starts to warm up through Spring you transition from rifles, shotguns and bows and start reaching for your rods and reels. The first thing you need to do is change your line on your reels, clean out your tackle box, and make sure you have the right gear.

Head on over to Joe’s Tackle Shop in McAllen for the stuff you are going to need. If you live in the Upper Valley and if you are around in the Harlingen area, go see Hook Line and Sinker.

So you are all set to go fishing, but the fishing I have in mind is topwater fishing. Working your Top Dog Jr. (“bone color” be-ing my favorite), cast out and start “walk-ing the dog” as they say. I have worked topwater lures in two to six feet of water.

The trick to being successful when using a Zara Spook or Top Dog Jr. is patience. When that fish strikes, allow a second or two to go by. A big mistake a lot of Anglers make is tying to set the hook too fast and losing the fish.

Another rule of thumb is always try your favorite spot at least three times allow a drift three times, if they don’t hit move on to your next stop. My favorite Lil’ Honey Hole is North Cullen Bay.

Fishing with Top Water Lures is just so much fun. Yes, I know you probably casted 300 times to catch four fish, but just remember how good it feels when you are hooked up.

You know how it is - Gotta have it!

Fred Rodriguez has been fishing and hunting since 1977 and has been enjoying the great outdoors ever since. As his say-ing goes “Gotta Have It”.

From Winter Hunting to Spring FishingFROM THE TEXAS SPORTSMAN

Not talking any fishing. We’re talking topwater.

8

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GAR-GANTUAN CATCH

BY HENRY MILLER

The day certainly wasn’t starting out the way it had been planned and Nikki Alanis was a little upset.

It was a beautiful Saturday morning in late January and Nikki and her friend Felix should’ve already been casting lines at Bentsen State Park. The other partner in the trio, Felix’s girlfriend Maria, had already decided not to go on this trip – then changed her mind at the last minute and the “delay” clock started ticking.

And when youur passion is fishing, tim-ing is everything.

Maria got ready and the group picked up another couple of friends and, finally, off they were.

However, after four hours on the water with no luck, Nikki wasn’t any happier.

“It was an epic failure,” Nikki recalled. “So I switched gear and we started toward the deep water on the way back in. I pulled out my Shakespeare Ugly Stik and a new lure I just bought for bass and thought I’d cast it a few times.”

The first time – nothing.

The second time – more of the same.The third time – it got stuck on some-

thing. Or, rather, in something.“I thought I had just lost my brand new

lure and the day was getting worse,” Nikki said. “Then ‘vroom’ the line took off. It was fish on.”

Nikki knew she had a good catch, but it wasn’t until the 6-foot, 140-pound alligator gar came up to the side of the boat that she realized she was in for a battle.

While Felix tried to keep the canoe still and Maria screamed that they were going to die, Nikki prayed that her rod and the undersized 60-pound braided line would be enough to haul in the giant fish. For 15 minutes the two waged a war against each other. Nikki would haul it in and then the fish would pull the canoe out farther. Back and forth the two fought, trying to gain that final advantage.

Nikki, however, a former athlete at Mission High School, hadn’t lost any of her competitive vigor. She wasn’t going to let this one get away – unless she lost her rod or line. And, by all measurable standards, she very easily could have lost both.

“At first the fish was pretty calm,” Nikki said. “Then after it came up to the side of the canoe it seemed to realize we were the ones who hooked him and he got angry.”

Nikki has been fishing for a little more than two years and it has become more than a hobby. Prior to her gar-gantuan

Mission’s Nikki Alanishauls in 6-foot, 140-lb gar at Bentsen Park

DID YOU KNOW?

DESCRIPTIONGars are easily distinguished from other fresh-water species by their long, slender, cylindrical bodies, long snouts, and diamond-shaped inter-locking (ganoid) scales. The tail fin is rounded. Dorsal and anal fins are placed well back on the body and nearly opposite each other. Alligator gar is the largest of the gar species. It can grow up to 8 feet long and weigh more than 300 pounds. Adults have two rows of large teeth on either side of the upper jaw. Coloration is gen-

erally brown or olive above and lighter underneath. The species name spatula is Latin for “spoon”, referring to the creature’s broad snout.

LIFE HISTORYAlligator gar can live for many decades. They grow very fast when young, but growth slows with age. In general, for every additional foot the fish grows, its age doubles. A 3-foot gar is typically about 2.5 years old; a 4-foot gar about 5, and a 7-foot trophy catch might be 40 years old. The world record, caught in Mississippi in

2011, weighed 327 pounds and was probably at least 95. Alligator gar are

slow to mature; they usually don’t spawn until they are about 10 years old. Spawning typically takes place in shallow areas of flooded vegetation when springtime water tempera-tures exceed 68 degrees. In Texas, this general-ly occurs in April and May. Eggs hatch within a couple of days. Young fish feed on larval fishes and insects. Adults will eat whatever they can catch, consuming primarily fish, but occasional-ly taking birds, mammals and other animals.

catch, her biggest catch was a 4-foot gar. As far as the battle goes, there was no comparison.

“I was not prepared to catch a fish like that,” Nikki said. “But I didn’t want to lose my lure – it was brand new.

“I told Felix to start bringing the canoe ashore so we could land him. We got to the shore and there were these guys there and I yelled out to them to throw their net on it, and it took three guys to carry that thing.”

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, “the Lower Rio Grande watershed is one of the last places in the United States where anglers can still find these large

gar. Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spatula) is a protected species in Texas with a bag limit of one gar per person, per day and no minimum length limit.”

Nikki and friends enjoyed some gar steaks, wrapped in foil and thrown on the grill with some lemon pepper, garlic pepper and lime. They celebrated during Super Bowl weekend and Nikki said she was so caught up in the celebration that the “big game” took a back seat to the “big fish.”

“We could’ve literally fed a village with that fish,” Nikki said.

“You know, it’s all about timing and

in the end I’m glad Maria delayed us and decided to go on the trip. If that didn’t hap-pen, I probably wouldn’t have been in that spot and in that position.”

Now Nikki wants to go after something bigger – she wants to tackle some deep-water fishing.

“I love it and I’m even more motivated now. I feel real lucky to be able to catch that fish. I never should have caught it but now that I know the possibilities, I’m excit-ed for the next one.”

BY HENRY MILLER

The hairs on Bob Glick's arms were standing straight up as he realized where he was – and that his life could be very much in danger.

A mammoth and violent lion, a prolific killer that had already proven he wasn't scared of humans, was in the vicinity. It could easily be within 8-10 yards of where Glick was standing, hiding in the palm leaves and waiting to strike.

The hunting group Glick was in had worked for days trying to hunt this lion that had been terrorizing a local African village, killing four donkeys over a two-day span. The lion, which had left its reserve, had been targeting donkeys that happened to have bells around their necks. The group decided to use four donkeys as bait with bells and waited to capture this deadly nemesis.

“We could hear him coming the first night,” said Glick, owner of Glick Twins on Business 83 in Pharr (read “In His Words) on page 14). “We could hear that low, gut-tural-like soft growl. It came within probably 200 yards and figured out what was happening and took off.”

For the next nine days of the 12-day hunt there was not a single sign of the beast. On the 11th day, however, they found baboon tracks that had crossed their trucks' tire tracks from coming in that morning. There were also lion tracks. Since baboon's sleep at night and they had crossed the truck's tracks, they knew the tracks were fresh and the lion was in the vicinity. The tracking began.

The group tracked the lion for the next three hours, ending up in the dry bed of a perennial river, with its edges dense with palm trees and other covering. Just on the other side of the river was a new fence for the wildlife preserve that was supposed to be the lion's home.

“The tracks had gotten really fresh and were still on top of the baboon tracks,” Glick said. “Then you could see the ba-boons a couple hundred yards away – that's when I started thinking 'that lion has to be in the palm trees right around here.'”

Instead, as the team moved from palm tree to palm tree,

COVER STORY

BOB GLICKGlick Twins owner enjoys life, thrilled with work & excited for the next hunt

12

the lion came out of the brush and crawled under an opening in the reserve fence and disappeared.

“Lots of natives saw him and expressed he was very old and very large with a huge mane,” Glick said. “Knowing he could be right there was terrifying but when he went into the preserve he was no longer a nuisance. He was back to where he was supposed to be.”

Glick can't remember an age where he didn't have a gun or a rod and reel in his hand. His first successful hunt came at the age of 6, shooting his first turkey with a .410.

“The blind was in a hole they had dug in the ground and put boards around and made a floor,” Glick said. “It was about 8-10 inches above ground and gave a real low profile. My dad was so excited and was really proud of me.”

Then Hidalgo County Sheriff Claudio Castaneda was on the hunting lease and cooked the turkey as part of a celebration that night.

“He liked jalapenos,” Glick said. “It was so hot I couldn't even eat it.”

Glick also loved fishing, often times grabbing a stick, tying a string to it and putting the string into the water.

“If you put a string in water you're supposed to catch a fish – I swear I could believe fish onto that string.”

Glick has never tired of the outdoors and still holds the same passion for hunting, fishing and shooting sports as he always has. It's also about nature and getting out-doors – even once having a shot at close to two dozen black bears on a hunt in British Columbia. He passed on all of them, well almost all of them.

“I was having a great time whether a bear died or not,” Glick said. “The guide was disappointed. He told me he had a 100-percent success rate over 20 years and I was going to ruin it. I told him I don't need to shoot one and I will tell everyone that I saw 21 suitable bears but didn't shoot one.

“I saw one on the last day and shot him, mainly for the guide. We saw so much wildlife, lots of eagles, salmon jumping, glaciers and trees so big they were beyond my comprehension.”

Each hunt brings a different challenge but the hunt is the most exciting – wheth-er chasing after a bear or hunting and tracking an elephant on foot for 26 miles in a million-acre area, only to watch that ele-phant walk back into its protected society.

Even preparing for a future hunt has its

challenges. Glick remembers practicing archery hunting as he readied himself for an upcoming African archery hunt.

“I snuck up on this very large pig and shot him with my bow,” Glick said. “He ran into the brush which happened to be the brush I was in. I shot him a second time and he watched me shoot him a second time.

“With all of his being he wanted to eat me.”

The two were about 20 yards apart when the pig charged Glick. About 20 yards later the pig was on his heels and Glick feared there was no escape.”

“He was gaining on me rapidly and then he just collapsed, right at my feet,” Glick said. “The first shot had killed him. That was pretty spooky.”

Glick plans on continuing his hunts, those faraway trips coinciding with months where it's not hunting season in South Texas so he can be here for those. In the meantime, you can see him at his store – photos along the walls showing some of his hunting prizes.

But don't worry, there won't be any lions hiding in the aisles. And if there are, you'll be in good, experienced hands.

At left, photos from some of Bob Glick’s big-game hunts over the years. Above, Bob at his store on Business 83 in Pharr. (Above photo by Tiki Tillman / tikitillmanphotos.com)

IN HIS WORDSCOMMENTS ON VARIOUS TOPICS FROM GLICK TWINS OWNER BOB GLICK

ABOUT THE STOREWe’ve been in this location since 1950. It used to be mostly Army Surplus.

COMPETITIONI have an odd concept of running the store. It’s not what my competition does – it's what I do. We want to be as friendly and as fairly priced as can be. We don’t have to be the cheapest but we have to be fairly priced and knowledgeable.

STORE EMPLOYEESThat’s where we are extrememly blessed. My store manager has been here 33 years, my tarp shop manager 40 years, my gun shop manager pushing 20. My employ-ees stay with me. We demand they have a knowledgeable and friendly demeanor. Sure, we’ve lost emplyess but never for those reasons that dishearten you. Never had a significant employee caught stealing or going to work for my competitors. My biggest blessing is my labor force and that should be in this story.

FUTURE OF GLICK TWINSI’m keeping it smooth and steady. I don’t want to grow and there’s no heir apparent

and I don’t want to retire. I considered sell-ing a few years ago. It looked like it would bring plenty of money but I’m pretty happy going to work.

GLICK TWINS NAMEMy father and uncle were twins. Kenneth and Kemper, started this together. I bought it in October 1989 from my mom and aunt.

KIDSI have two daughters - Mallory 21, Sable

9. They’re great. Sable loves to go to the ranch. She’s not fond of going fishing. She goes because I like it. She’s been driving a golf cart on the ranch since she was 4. I mean, she hops in and leaves and comes back two hours later!

WHAT ELSE THE STORE OFFERSPersonal defense is a huge area for us. We have more variety than about anybody else.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU LIKE?I love shooting sporting clays. It’s not big in the Valley and it really should be. Mission Skeet and Trap Club is terrific. It’s easy to get to and it’s not expensive. It floors me how small the shotgun shooting sports are in the Valley. We've always had a ton of dove hunting and people have a hard time making the transition from birds to targets.I didnt shoot targets until I was 50. I want-ed something to do that wasn't as time consuming as dove hunting. Such a short season – clay target season is all year. You can go shoot for an hour and it's done. Lot of people are trying to improve their wing shooting. You can only shoot birds or targets to get better.

Visit Glick Twins online at www.myglicktwins.com. Glick Twins is located at 419 W US Highway 83, Pharr, Texas 78577Phone: (956) 787-4291

Texas, Padre Island April 2014N 26° 04.1' / W 97° 09.4'

Date Day High Tide High Tide Low Tide Low Tide Sunrise Sunset Moonrise Moonset Phase1 Tu 601am 1.4 303pm 1.0 1155am 0.9 1053pm -0.2 720am 746pm 835am 955pm

2 We 714am 1.4 1140pm -0.2 719am 746pm 920am 1053pm

3 Th 832am 1.4 718am 746pm 1007am 1147pm

4 Fr 956am 1.4 1228am -0.2 717am 747pm 1055am

5 Sa 1115am 1.4 120am -0.1 715am 747pm 1144am 1239am

6 Su 1217pm 1.5 217am 0.1 714am 748pm 1235pm 127am

7 Mo 1259pm 1.5 320am 0.2 713am 748pm 125pm 211am 1st

8 Tu 126pm 1.4 427am 0.4 712am 749pm 216pm 253am

9 We 142pm 1.4 1118pm 1.2 533am 0.5 742pm 1.1 711am 749pm 307pm 332am

10 Th 152pm 1.3 633am 0.6 740pm 1.0 710am 750pm 358pm 409am

11 Fr 1250am 1.2 157pm 1.2 728am 0.7 753pm 0.8 709am 750pm 450pm 445am

12 Sa 159am 1.3 200pm 1.2 818am 0.8 813pm 0.6 708am 751pm 543pm 521am

13 Su 257am 1.3 202pm 1.1 907am 0.8 837pm 0.4 707am 751pm 637pm 557am

14 Mo 353am 1.4 201pm 1.0 958am 0.9 906pm 0.2 706am 752pm 732pm 635am

15 Tu 451am 1.4 156pm 1.0 1055am 0.9 939pm 0.0 705am 752pm 830pm 715am Full

16 We 551am 1.5 1017pm -0.2 704am 753pm 929pm 759am

17 Th 657am 1.5 1059pm -0.3 703am 753pm 1028pm 846am

18 Fr 807am 1.6 1147pm -0.4 703am 754pm 1127pm 938am

19 Sa 919am 1.6 702am 754pm 1034am

20 Su 1025am 1.7 1240am -0.3 701am 755pm 1224am 1133am

21 Mo 1118am 1.6 140am -0.2 700am 755pm 118am 1235pm

22 Tu 1156am 1.6 248am -0.1 659am 756pm 208am 137pm 3rd

23 We 1223pm 1.5 1008pm 1.1 402am 0.2 645pm 1.0 658am 756pm 255am 239pm

24 Th 1240pm 1.3 521am 0.4 650pm 0.8 657am 757pm 340am 340pm

25 Fr 1225am 1.2 1251pm 1.2 640am 0.6 716pm 0.5 656am 757pm 422am 441pm

26 Sa 200am 1.3 1258pm 1.1 755am 0.8 750pm 0.2 655am 758pm 503am 542pm

27 Su 318am 1.4 101pm 1.1 907am 0.9 828pm -0.1 655am 758pm 545am 642pm

28 Mo 427am 1.5 1258pm 1.1 1020am 1.0 907pm -0.3 654am 759pm 628am 741pm

29 Tu 532am 1.6 948pm -0.4 653am 759pm 712am 839pm New

30 We 634am 1.6 1028pm -0.4 652am 800pm 757am 935pm

©2014 FreeTideTables.com - For comparison only - Times are local - Tides in feet from MLLW

Texas, Padre Island May 2014N 26° 04.1' / W 97° 09.4'

Date Day High Tide High Tide Low Tide Low Tide Sunrise Sunset Moonrise Moonset Phase1 Th 735am 1.6 1109pm -0.3 651am 800pm 845am 1028pm

2 Fr 836am 1.6 1151pm -0.2 651am 801pm 935am 1118pm

3 Sa 933am 1.6 650am 801pm 1025am

4 Su 1022am 1.5 1233am 0.0 649am 802pm 1116am 1205am

5 Mo 1100am 1.5 118am 0.2 649am 802pm 1207pm 1248am

6 Tu 1126am 1.5 208am 0.4 648am 803pm 1258pm 128am

7 We 1142am 1.4 304am 0.5 647am 803pm 149pm 206am 1st

8 Th 1152am 1.3 1154pm 1.0 409am 0.7 649pm 0.9 646am 804pm 240pm 242am

9 Fr 1157am 1.3 521am 0.8 654pm 0.7 646am 805pm 332pm 318am

10 Sa 125am 1.1 1200pm 1.2 634am 0.9 712pm 0.4 645am 805pm 425pm 354am

11 Su 233am 1.2 1201pm 1.1 747am 1.0 737pm 0.2 645am 806pm 519pm 430am

12 Mo 331am 1.3 1156am 1.1 902am 1.0 806pm -0.1 644am 806pm 616pm 509am

13 Tu 426am 1.4 840pm -0.3 643am 807pm 715pm 552am

14 We 522am 1.5 918pm -0.5 643am 807pm 816pm 638am Full

15 Th 618am 1.6 959pm -0.6 642am 808pm 917pm 729am

16 Fr 715am 1.7 1044pm -0.7 642am 808pm 1017pm 825am

17 Sa 811am 1.7 1132pm -0.6 641am 809pm 1113pm 925am

18 Su 901am 1.7 641am 809pm 1027am

19 Mo 944am 1.6 1224am -0.5 640am 810pm 1206am 1130am

20 Tu 1016am 1.5 120am -0.2 640am 810pm 1255am 1233pm

21 We 1039am 1.4 853pm 0.9 222am 0.1 534pm 0.8 640am 811pm 140am 135pm 3rd

22 Th 1053am 1.3 1141pm 0.9 332am 0.4 545pm 0.5 639am 812pm 222am 235pm

23 Fr 1102am 1.2 453am 0.7 616pm 0.2 639am 812pm 303am 334pm

24 Sa 137am 1.1 1106am 1.1 623am 0.9 653pm -0.1 639am 813pm 344am 433pm

25 Su 303am 1.3 1103am 1.1 758am 1.0 733pm -0.3 638am 813pm 425am 531pm

26 Mo 412am 1.4 813pm -0.5 638am 814pm 507am 629pm

27 Tu 511am 1.5 853pm -0.6 638am 814pm 551am 725pm

28 We 605am 1.5 932pm -0.6 637am 815pm 638am 819pm New

29 Th 655am 1.5 1010pm -0.6 637am 815pm 726am 911pm

30 Fr 741am 1.5 1046pm -0.5 637am 816pm 817am 959pm

31 Sa 823am 1.5 1122pm -0.3 637am 816pm 908am 1044pm

©2014 FreeTideTables.com - For comparison only - Times are local - Tides in feet from MLLW

2821 Michaelangelo Dr., Suite #201Edinburg, TX 78539

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With PSALM® Balloon Sinuplasty, ENT doctors open inflamed sinuses in the same way that heart surgeons open up blocked arteries during balloon angioplasty. The procedure is less invasive than traditional sinus surgery, and effective at relieving symptoms of chronic sinusitis. PSALM® Balloon Sinuplasty allows patients to return to normal activities quickly. Unlike conventional sinus surgery, it does not include removal of bone or tissue from the nose. South Texas Sinus Institute is the only institute to perform the Balloon Sinuplasty using Dr. Honrubia’s patented PSALM® technique.

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SEND US YOUR PHOTOS!We want to see your latest catch! Send them to henry.texassportsman @gmail.com and like us on Facebook and follow us on Pinterest!

Above, Hannah Rodriguez, daughter of Fred and Cindy Rodriguez, does some target practice before shooting her first hog at the Gravick Ranch. Does your son or daughter have a fishing/hunting story to share? Send it to henry.texassportsman@gmail.com with a photo and it may make an upcoming edition of Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors Magazine!

BY CALIXTO GONZALES

Any pitching ace you ask, whether fireballer Nolan Ryan or knucklers like brothers Phil and Joe Neikro, will respond that versatility is key to success. Anglers, like skilled pitchers, have more than one pitch in their arsenal. In the case of the redfish stalker, those pitches come in a variety of lures they rely on when chasing the blunt-nosed, bronze fish with the spot on his tail.

Granted, for most anglers the old Number One is live bait, and for good reason. It catches redfish, and lots of them. Sooner or later, however, whether on a whim or in a deliberate attempt to expand skill sets, just about everyone who targets redfish will try lures. When that day comes (mine was on a spring morning in 1990 when the cord on my cast net

snapped and sent my bait supplier to the bottom of a boat channel), and that stal-wart angler walks into a big box store or a favorite tackle shop with money in hand, the culture shock may be staggering.

Even so, Texas anglers eventually gravitate toward a selection of lures that seem to always produce. Fishermen from Sabine Pass to South Padre Island never leave port without a healthy stock of arti-ficials nestled in the trays and pouches of their tackle carriers. The variety of lures in these boxes can be as staggering as in the aisles. They come in every shape, color, and size an angler can imagine. Through practice and experimentation, however, ev-ery angler comes up with his own personal Ol’ Number 1.

Perhaps the most venerable of the

piscatorial Number 1’s is the gold spoon. Gold spoons cover a lot of water in a short amount of time, and are very easy to use: Simply cast and reel. They provide their own action and flash, which redfish will hammer when they won’t strike anything else. Gold spoons also mimic the flash and movement of popular forage species such as scaled sardines and pinfish. The size, shape, and action of a ¼ ounce gold spoon does an effective job of imitating a small pinfish, which redfish crunch on all the time.

That ability to incite reaction makes the spoon a versatile year-round lure. But, gold spoons become most effective when redfish feed aggressively, such as during summer and fall. On the Texas coast, when redfish school for their autumn migration, a wobbling gold spoon (especially one rigged with a red bucktail or plastic grub trailer) definitely jumpstarts the action.

The gold spoon has earned its niche,

but it’s not the only popular lure for Sci-aenops ocellatus.

Soft plastics have slain the reds for decades. The classic soft baits such as the lines of Kelly Wigglers, H&H Cocahoe Minnow and Mister Twister Sassy Shad still draw followers on the western Gulf Coast, as do the new market entries such as Down South Lures. Many anglers won’t use anything else but soft plastics.

H&H Tackle makes the Cocahoe Min-now, or rather the 4-inch Queen Cocahoe, a streamlined baitfish look-alike consid-ered an absolute staple throughout Texas. Kelly Wigglers makes a shorter (3-inch), stouter shad with a larger, boot-shaped tail, as well as the Ball Shad, which is 6” tail that is growing in popularity.

The Cocahoe has more wiggle with a rolling action while the Ball Shad puts out more vibration because of that ball on the end of its tail. I prefer to use the cocahoe on the flats when I have to cover a lot of

Texas Sportsman Saltwater Fishing Editor Calixto Gonzales has been an outdoor writer for 15 years, and a school teacher for 20. The fish he doesn’t catch are left very intimidated.

PLASTICS NOT JUST FOR REDSJaime Quiroga landed this 26-inch speckled trout in the waters of Arroyo City on soft plastics.

DECISIONS, DECISIONSA look at some of the most popular Redfish lures on the Texas Coast

28

water, and the Ball Shad in deeper water.Color preferences have evolved as well. For

years, anglers chose red-and-white as the go-to color pattern (which led some wag to coin the idiom, “red and white will treat you right”). In recent years, however, chartreuse and gold patterns have become more popular. Anything with chartreuse seems to sell quite well.

Scented lures such as Berkley’s Gulp! have spawned the latest redfish rage throughout the Texas Gulf Coast, but particularly in areas with poor water clarity. Anglers fish these versatile lures along the bottom on a jig head, under a popping cork, or free-lined in current, much like a real shrimp. A new trend is to Texas-Rig a Gulp! Shrimp on a screw-lock hook such as the Daichii ButtDragger and hop it thorough grass.

As with other soft baits, color becomes the main geographical distinction: Gulf anglers prefer new penny and pearl, although Glow has more than its share of adherents.

No article on top-selling redfish lures by region could neglect the effectiveness and popularity of topwater plugs. Most popular choices along the Texas Gulf Coast included topwater plugs such as MirrOlure’s Top Dog family (including the Pop-A-Dog, He Dog, She Dog, Top Dog Jr., and Top Pup), Storm’s Chug Bug and Rapa-la’s Skitter Walk.

A redfish’s underslung mouth works better for feeding along the bottom but topwaters prove especially effective when fished in the skinny shallows along shorelines, where redfish chase bait. It’s pretty cool to watch a redfish literally roll itself sideways to inhale your Super Spook, Jr. Even a miss can get your blood

pumping and ears ringing.When redfish feed aggressively, they readily take topwaters. However, when they’re less hungry,

anglers switch to suspending plugs. Such lures linger in front of a wary fish, which

gives it time to decide whether to take a kill shot. A slowly-worked jerkbait im-parts the same action. I’ve had a great deal of success with Smithwick’s Rat-tling Rogue and any of the Catch Series by Mirrolure. Another great option is the Mirrodine, another Mirrolure prod-

uct. The smaller baits match the hatch early in the season (such as right now),

when young-of-the-year bait are especially prevalent.The main key for any angler is to have confi-

dence in the weapons he has in his tacklebox. Believing that what you are using will work means you will throw it more ag-gressively. As an angler dials in his weapons and approach, these strategies become well-worn and trusted, like a fastball pitcher’s favorite throw. When the curveball won’t break, he can always turn to the old No. 1.

PLENTY OF CHOICESThere are plenty of Redfish lures to choose from. Mirrolure’s Top Dog family (top three lures) include the Pop-A-Dog, She Dog and She Pup lures. H&H Tackles makes the Cocahoe minnows (middle three lures) and discountflies.com have a variety of gold spoons. (pho-tos courtesy www.mirrolure.com, www.hhlure.com and www.discountflies.com)

FIRST AID/CPR CLASSESFORMING EVERY WEEK

ALAN STEWART CALL 956-639-8697

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30

BY HENRY MILLER

Walter Bode has a simple goal for his future.

Fish every day.To take it a step further, it may sound like

this – get paid to fish every day.Bode is a guide working out of Island

Outfitters on South Padre Island. He's been a full-time guide for five years and when he's not fishing for pay, he's fishing for fun.

“I've been fishing all my life,” said Bode, who runs Bode's Bay Fishing. “I used to be a farmer all my life too until about five years ago. Now for the past five years guiding is my life. I put 100 percent into it.”

Bode's dad started him out fishing when Bode was a child. His dad – now 74 – is still an avid fisherman.

“He can barely walk but he sure can get in that boat and fish,” said Bode, who uses a 22-foot Dargel Skout series boat with a 200 Suzuki on it. “He fishes about as much as I do.”

Bode also had a 7-year-old son, Wyatt, who is falling right in the footsteps of his dad and grandfather when it comes to love for fishing and the water. He has fished in several tournaments and has won first place twice in his age group in TIFT (Texas Inter-national Fishing Tournament) and second in two others. This year's 75th annual event will be held July 30-Aug. 30 (check out tift.org for more information)

“One year he fell asleep and was getting cranky and didn't want to cast – and he missed first by like six ounces,” Bode said. “He knew why he didn't win – because he

didn't do his job.“I tell him that you never know how these

things will turn out and when you get a chance to win, you have to go for it. He un-derstands – he's very competitive.”

Wyatt also has a keen knack for the water, remembering spots where he hauled in large trout or reds years prior.

“We'll talk about fishing and every day he'll ask if I have any trips plan or what I caught,” Bode said. “It's just such a joy to fish with him and be able to spend so much time with him.”

Now that warmer weather has arrived Bode is expecting to be running at full speed ahead, doing all he can do to please his customer, who range from groups of people who have never fished to executives who are just excited to be away from the office and keeping their minds away from the day-to-day worries, to families wanting a memora-ble adventure together.

“I'll bust my butt to make my customers happy,” Bode said. “I'll bait, bait, bait, then cast, cast, cast for them over and over again. Our goal is to catch those fish and make everyone happy where they want to come back.”

In fact, Bode may be the only guide who offers a money back guarantee. You don't get a fish, you don't have to pay.

“I guarantee fish or the customer doesn't pay,” Bode said. “That's how confident I am – and need to be – and how much I believe it's important to please the customer.”

But don't count on that happening. In fact, the group Bode works with – Island Out-

fitters – often works together to help one another and their customers come back with some great catches.

“Look, the last thing you want to do is come back in with just a few fish and here's the other guy with an ice chest loaded down with them,” Bode said. “You want to help the other guy out. It works both ways and I've been on both ends of it.”

The big thing today is going after redfish. They provide quite the memorable fight once they're hooked. But Bode says they'll go after trout or kingfish or several other types of fish. He remembers one time where he had a group of three catch their limits of both redfish and trout and then they went to the jetties to go after some kingfish – and all that was done by noon.

“We started at 7 and it was just none-stop,” Bode said. “That was something else. The thing is, you could go back to those same spots the next day and not get a thing. That's why it helps working at Island Outfitters with those other guys.”

Bode said he hopes his body can last as long as his dad's has. Bode is 52 and at one time was a avid motocross racer. He says he can't do that anymore – especially taking the risk of getting injured.

“I love what I do and I'm blessed to be able to do it all the time and have the flexibility to spend a lot of time with Wyatt,” Bode said. “This is what I want to do – I want to fish and when I'm not fishing, I want to fish some more.”

For more information on Bode's Bay Fish-ing, call (956) 832-3761.

FISHING AS WORKFISHING FOR FUNWhether guiding a group or with his son, on the water is where Capt. Walter Bode loves to be

w w w . g o 4 x 4 s h o p . c o m9 5 6 - 3 5 1 - 5 3 7 35 0 1 N B o r d e r A v e W e s l a c o T x , 7 8 5 9 6

TIRES & RIMS GENERAL MECHANIC CUSTOM MODIFICATIONS ACCESSORIESLIFT KITS DROP KITS LEVELING KITS SUSPENSION TRANSMISSION REPAIR

( 9 5 6 ) 5 3 2 - 5 6 1 6

BY PAUL TREVINO

The art of fishing takes many forms, most of which local fish-erman understand - baitcasting, spincasting and so forth. But a truly unique form that few expe-rience is fly-fishing.

Most fishermen, in my experience, find fly-fishing to be an enigma. Simply, how does one catch any fish with a fly? Most people imagine Brad Pitt river fishing in the movie “A River Runs Through It” or point to thoughts of fishing in the rivers of Colorado or Montana.

Our majestic Laguna Madre is prime for fly-fishing. Most of the bay averages 18 inches in depth and provides a great opportunity to sight cast to many fish types. There's nothing more exhilarating than stalking your prey in 18 inches of water, sight casting to a redfish about 20 to 25 feet away, and watching the fish accept your fly, swallow it gracefully and provide a challenging fight.

In this this article, we are going one step further - fly fishing for flounder.

Fishing for flounder has many challeng-es. Why? Most fishermen focus on the big

boys - reds and trout. Plus, flounder are scarce and finding flounder hot spots as compared to reds, trout and even black drum can be difficult. In the open waters of the bay, reds and trout roam freely in between spots. However, flounder are fans of drop offs, run offs, mouths, inlets and the flat bottoms between sea grass and potholes. While fishing for reds and trout a more direct approach, fishing for flounder is best made when casting in a parallel course. I have found success in catching flounder when casting parallel to the drop offs of the Intra Coastal Waterway (ICW) rather than fishing perpendicular to it.

The bony, mouthy anatomy of a floun-der also provides a particularly difficult challenge. This is where a stiff rod and tough line, such as Spider wire, come into play. You have to be able to penetrate the flounder’s hard mouthy structure. Floun-der attack at awkward horizontal angles having to bend in order to swim or “mouth” their catch and at times smothering their prey prior to ingestion. So, successful flounder fishermen prefer to utilize a slow retrieve by bumping off the bottom with their choice of bait. When setting the hook, it’s best to give ample time for the flounder to ingest the bait and then set the hook. When you are out in the bay and suddenly feel a sharp tug but quickly set a hook to

find there’s no fish on the other end, you likely lost a flounder!

The dynamics of fly-fishing are much different. With a regular rod and reel, the weight of the hook and bait at the end of the line is used to propel it to its destina-tion. However, fly-fishing is much different. The fly at the end of the line has little to no weight at all! So, how is the fly propelled? The comparison I offer is similar to a bow and arrow. You load the bow to propel the arrow. In this case, the rod is loaded in order to propel the line and fly forward. This is the art of fly casting - which takes time to master. However, one big advan-tage fly fisherman have over regular spin or baitcasters is avoiding a huge splash-down exhibited by weights, plastics, hooks and bait.

Effective fly fishermen can cast to their desired point right above water level and gently land their fly on the water, causing little disruption and initiating their retrieve by bumping their fly on the bottom - simi-lar to that mentioned above using conven-tional fishing gear.

By adjusting your technique, flounder can be caught on fly.

If you search online for “Fly fishing for flounder in South Texas,” you won’t find much information. While most think fly-fishing for flounder is something

Fly Fishing For FlounderDespite the challenges, it can be done

relatively new, it isn’t. You can see a YouTube with local fishing legend, Bud Rowland, catching flounder on a fly in our bay system back in the 1980s! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTlNPJ5vaYE) There you will actually see first hand how to catch a flounder on a fly.

The Laguna Madre is a fantastic place to fly fish. Fly fishing can add a very powerful weapon to your fishing arsenal and make you a much more effective fisherman.

For those interested in learning how to fly fish or if you have any questions, please feel free to email me at paul.texassportsman@gmail.com .

In future installments we will be focusing on other fly-fishing tactics and tips.

The Laguna Madre is a fantastic place to fly fish. Fly fish-ing can add a very powerful weapon to your fishing arse-nal and make you a much more effective fisherman.

PAUL TREVINO

34

Hey, everyone. I am proud to be a new staff writer for The Texas Sportsman Tracking Outdoors Magazine. I have been teaching the Coast Guard Captains training classes since 2002 here in the bay area. It has been an incredible ride and a promis-ing future.

I hope my article will be a help while fishing, boating or just plain having fun on the water.

Sit back and let’s take a ride.Have you been over at a dock and

watched some fishermen take off their boat from the trailer? Sometimes it’s better than an episode of The Lucy Show. Lucy, grab that rope, NO, Not that one!! THAT ONE!! NOW WRAP IT AROUN….NO WRAP, DON’T THROW… FORGET IT!!I’LL DO IT… GO SIT IN THE CAR, ^&#*&+@&.

It’s inevitable that when conditions are at their worst, you’ll have an audience.

Prior planning and practice will not only keep you and your passengers safe and protect your boat; it will also help you avoid serious personal humiliation.

Prior to getting under way, you should implement an undocking plan with the

help of your passengers. Your passengers are your guests and may not have much experience in a boat - so be gentle.

You should consider traffic in the area, direction of wind and current, and depth of the water.

Don’t assume your passengers have the same experience you have or think

they can read your mind. Be specific and give clear and specific direction if you ask for their help. This not only protects their safety but their pride as well.

When the wind or current is pushing your boat away from the dock the proper procedure is simple:

1. Cast off the lines and pull in fenders as the wind blows you away.

2. When clear and safely away from the dock and other boats, shift to forward and depart at idle speed.

Be careful to make sure you have been pushed safely away and that the stern will not hit the dock as you motor forward and turn. Remember: A boat does not steer like a car; it pivots on its axis.

As always, be safe and know the rules.

Captain Alan Stewart owns and oper-ates Stewart Training Center and holds a Master license with the U.S.C.G. Stewart Training Center is located at 5009 Padre Blvd. Ste. 12, South Padre Island.

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