May 2014

Coastal Edition

May 2014 | VOL. 31 NO. 1 | $3.95

Gear Up andThick it Outfor Bass

An Honest Look atThe Coyotes

A Guide toSaltwater BankFishing

FroggingRed sh

Texas Best-KeptWildlifeSecret

30th Anniversary Issue

COASTAL COVER

FroggingRed shRed shforFroggingforFroggingforRed shforRed shRed shforRed shRed shRed shRed sh

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Digital Edition

May 2014 | VOL. 31 NO. 1 | $3.95

Froggingfor Reds

An HonestLook at

Coyotes

A Guide toCoastal Bank

Fishing

Thick it Out

BassTexas Best-KeptWildlifeSecret

30th Anniversary Issue

INLAND COVER

Thick it Out

BassforforThick it Out

forThick it Out

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www.FishGame.comPublished by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC.

Texas Fish & Game is the largest independent, family-owned outdoor publication in America.

Owned by Ron & Stephanie Ward and Roy & Ardia Neves.

roy nevesPUBLISHER

chester mooreEDITOR IN CHIEF

C O N T R I B U T O R S

Joe Doggett SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Doug Pike SENIOR CONTRIBUTING EDITOR teD NugeNt EDITOR AT LARGE Lou MaruLLo HUNTING EDITOR Matt WiLLiaMs FRESHWATER EDITOR CaLixto goNzaLes SALTWATER EDITOR LeNNy ruDoW BOATING EDITOR steve LaMasCus FIREARMS EDITOR DustiN eLLerMaNN SHOOTING EDITOR keNDaL HeMPHiLL POLITICAL COMMENTATOR WiLL LesCHPer CONSERVATION EDITOR reavis WortHaM HUMOR EDITOR toM BeHreNs CONTRIBUTING EDITOR greg BerLoCHer CONTRIBUTING EDITOR PauL BraDsHaW CONTRIBUTING EDITOR CaPt. Mike HoLMes CONTRIBUTING EDITOR DustiN WarNCke CONTRIBUTING EDITOR staN skiNNer COPY EDITOR Lisa Moore CONTRIBUTING PHOTO EDITOR JoHN giseL STRATEGIC ADVISOR

A D V E R T I S I N G

ardia nevesVICE PRESIDENT/ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

viga HaLL NATIONAL ADVERTISING SALES toNisHa sHieLDs ADVERTISING COORDINATOR 1745 Greens road Houston, tX 77032 Phone: 281/227-3001 Fax 281/227-3002

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ACTION SUBSCRIPTION FULFILLMENT

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TEXAS FISH & GAME (ISSN 0887-4174) is published monthly by Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC., 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. Texas Fish & Game Publishing Co., LLC. All rights reserved. Content is not to be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission. The publication assumes no responsibility for unsolicited photographs and manuscripts. Subscription rates: 1 year $19.00: 2 years $34.75; 3 years $48.50. Address all subscription inquiries to Texas Fish & Game, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, Texas 77032. Allow 4 to 6 weeks for response. Give old and new address and enclose latest mail-ing address label when writing about your subscription. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Address all subscription inquiries to TEXAS FISH & GAME, 1745 Greens Road, Houston, TX 77032. Email change of address to: [email protected] Email new orders to: [email protected] Email subscription questions to: [email protected].

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MAY 2014Volume 31 NO. 1

INLAND/NORTH COVER:Gear Up & Thick it Out

The mention of Big Bass in Texas conjures thoughts of heavy cover

hydrilla, lily pads, underwater brushand the need to bulk up your tackle before rumbling in that jungle.Story and Cover Photo by

Matt Williams

www.FishGame.com

STORY:

22

Features

4 | M A Y 2 0 1 4 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E

THIRTY YEARS OF TF&GAn inside look at the first 30 years of this magazineits genesis, the char-acters behind it, and the major events that culminated in what you now hold in your hands.

by Roy Neves

WALK-UP SALTWATERNot every fisherman owns a boat. For those who dont, here are some shore-line access points for great saltwater bank fishingfrom Sabine Lake to South Padre Island.

by Chester Moore

THE BEST KEPT WILDLIFE SECRET IN TEXASOur Wild in Texas photo essay series makes a stop at a Central Texas land-mark (and wildlife jewel), the Snake Farm on IH-35 in New Braunfels.

by Chester Moore

40

52

60

AN HONEST LOOK AT COYOTES Coyote attacks on humans in urban areas are on the rise. How serious is the threat and what canand shouldbe done about it?

by Chester Moore

32

Table ofContents

COASTAL COVER:FROGGING FOR REDS

Redfish and frogs live in different worlds. That doesnt mean a

buzzy soft plastic frog lure wont tempt an opportunistic redespecially when other baits dont even register.

Story by John Felsher Cover Photo: Bigstock

STORY:

26


InsideFish&Game

by Roy & Ardia Neves | TF&G Owners

Contents (continued) Columns

10 Editors Notes The Awakening by CHESTER MOORE TF&G Editor in Chief

14 Doggett at Large Collateral Contacts by JOE DOGGETT TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

18 Pike on the Edge When Oil and Water Do Mix by DOUG PIKE TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

20 TexasWild The Ultimate Texas Bonedemonium Safari by TED NUGENT TF&G Editor At Large

21 Commentary Dumb and Dumber by KENDAL HEMPHILL TF&G Politcal Commentator

39 Bare Bones Hunting The First Deer is the Hardest by LOU MARULLO TF&G Hunting Editor

58 Texas Saltwater Slow and Steady by CALIXTO GONZALES TF&G Saltwater Editor

46 Texas Freshwater Electronics Reel in Big Tournament Wins by MATT WILLIAMS TF&G Freshwater Editor

64 Open Season Cold Nosed by REAVIS WORTHAM TF&G Humor Editor

8 LETTERS12 TF&G REPORT12 BIG BAGS & CATCHES

36 TEXAS DEPT. OF DEFENSE

48 TRUE GREEN

Departments

Texas Fish & Game is a family-owned business, and theowners welcome your comments and questions. E-mail Roy and

Ardia Neves or Ron Ward at [email protected]

www.FishGame.com6 | M A Y 2 0 1 4 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E

uThe Definition of Legacy

DAVID MENDEZ WAS A GUY YOU COULDNT help but like the instant you met him. He had a winning per-sonalityfriendly, outgoing, always smiling. But there was more there. Much more.

He had a way of making you want to join him and help make whatever he was engaged in successful. He put this

quality to good use when he decided several years ago to create an event that would introduce fishing to new generations of South Texas kids.

We first met David in May 2012 when he asked us to help promote the third annual Hooked for Life, Kids Gone Fishn tournament in Brownsville.

The inaugural event in 2010 had been more successful than he could have hoped: over 550 children signed up to fish, most of them for the first time. This inspired David to go all out for the second year, and he was so successful at recruiting young anglers that the Guinness Book of World Records sent a judge down and declared the event the largest fishing tourna-ment in the world. More than 2200 children showed up that year and fished for stocked catfish in the the Brownsville Event Center

Resaca (canal)lining the banks for more than a mile on each side.As last years fourth annual event approached, David was battling a

lymphoma diagnosis. Weakened by chemotherapy, he found the strength to lead the 2013 tournament. He passed away on January 19 of this year.

And so his leadership of the Hooked for Life Foundation now takes spiritual form. Davids passion for fishing and strong leadership have inspired his community to carry his vision forward, beginning with the Fifth Annual Hooked for Life, Kids Gone Fishn tournament this May 17 at the Brownsville Event Center (visit hooked4life.org for information).

There is plenty of talk in our industry about the urgent need to bring young people into fishing and hunting. But few people have the vision, the drive, and the will to give enough of themselves and to actually take action on a scale that makes a difference.

David Mendez was such a person. He is gone, but he left a mark. His lasting impact will be seen in the radiant faces of children catching their very first fish, and in the lifetime of outdoors enjoyment the gift of that first experience will bring to many of them. That is a legacy.

David Mendez


8 LETTERS12 TF&G REPORT12 BIG BAGS & CATCHES

36 TEXAS DEPT. OF DEFENSE

48 TRUE GREEN

Departments


WILD IN TEXAS APPRECIATIONTHANK YOU FOR THE SERIES WILD in Texas. It has been great seeing all of the photos and learning so much about the wildlife in the state. I was particularly inter-ested in the wolf article. It was so good to see something like that in a hunting and fi shing publication.

Dan Schmidt

I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE VARIETY of wolves that inhabited the Lone Star State until I saw the wolf article in your magazine. I loved the photos and the obscure informa-tion. Good stuff!

Leslie Dean

TIME TO BE A TEXANWELL-SAID CHESTER! I, TOO, WAS once an environmentalist, and became a conservationist, but Ill always be a Texan.

Bill Hobson

BEAR ATTACKS ON THE RISEI RECALL A FEW YEARS AGO THAT someone did some statistical breakdowns, and a black bear attack was far more likely to be fatal than that of a grizzly, because black bears will press the attack, whereas grizzlies more often make their point and leave. That being said, Id far prefer to take on a 300

lb. black than an 800 lb. grizzly. When you are in bear country, youd best be prepared for an encounter that goes bad, regardless how rare it is.

Kevin Calogne

Lingerie on the BayTHE ENCLOSED PHOTO SHOWS THE stringer our team caught wade fi shing in East Matagorda Bay while competing in the Lingerie on the Bay tournament. The catch was good for fi rst place in the tournament.

Pictured left to right are: Sammie Alford, Jeri Hickl, Elida DeWitt, Lupe Villanueva

We all had a blast!

Elida DeWitt


Letters to the Editor

Send your Comments to:

Editor, Texas Fish & Game1745 Greens RdHouston TX 77032Email: editor@fi shgame.com

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Editors Notes

The Awakening

CHANGE IS IN THE AIR.

I dont know if you can feel it but I certainly can and judging from events taking place in our communities,

throughout the state and yes worldwide, we are living in transformative times.

Decisions made now will have tremen-dous impact on future generations, more so than in many previous eras due to a number of historically significant factors. I could fill this magazine with my thoughts on the various affairs taking place, but our duty is to inform you on the outdoor side of things, especially those that impact the Lone Star State.

I would like to start with an apology.You see I, along with many members

of the outdoors industry, have missed it. Although we have dedicated untold amounts of space and time to the alleged threats of animal rights protesters, much bigger prob-lems have been slowly rising to the surface with little attention paid to them.

Sure, the protestors are annoying and have in certain ways impacted our lifestyle, but the real boogeyman is much more frightening.

This boogeymans name is indifference, and most, if not all of us who love consump-tive outdoors practices have been a part of it.

In the early 2000s, I dedicated four columns in a two-year span to the speckled trout controversy of the day. I was fired up about the push to ban croaker as a live bait and an elitist attitude that seemed to drive sectors of that fishery. I still feel the same way today but cant make that a big priority when there are enough PCBs (polychlori-nated biphenyls) and dioxins in Galveston Bay to cause the Texas Department of Health to issue warnings on consuming trout. Similar warnings exist for gafftops in Sabine Lake and various species both in salt water and in fresh water around the state.

Isnt there time and room enough to cover potential cancer-causing agents in our water and fishing regulation changes?

You see though, it is not just me. It is us.When we did run a brief news story on

the Galveston trout advisory we had a grand total of three emails. One trout/croaker story I did in 2002 generated nearly 100.

When an oil spill impacted Galveston Bay last March, the breaking story on it generated 300 page views on our website. Two days later, a story about a man getting busted after posting a picture of illegal red-fish he took generated 14,000 in the same time span. We are glad to get that traffic and

will continue to post the most interesting, unique and entertaining outdoors stories out there, but we feel the big issues also deserve coverage.

As much as I disagree with the minimum 13-inch spread rule that has taken over all of East Texas and other parts of the state, it really means nothing in comparison to the habitat loss we are facing with development and will face with the numerous gigantic reservoirs on tap for the Pineywoods. These factors are already causing deer leases to literally disappear; lease prices to skyrocket and wildlife to decline, but people seem indifferent.

Why is that the outdoors community has seemingly unlimited energy for fighting antler restrictions and fish bag limits but virtually none for the reservoir expansion, water pollution and loss of habitat?

Is it that we as outdoor media have

not done a good enough job informing you? That is probably part of it, and it has changed at Texas Fish & Game and Fishgame.com. We are digging deeper than ever to get you this important information and will continue to do so.

Perhaps part of it is what I described in the March edition as an issue of generally conservative-minded people being afraid to have any affiliation with issues (such as pol-lution) that are attached to the radical envi-ronmental movement. We need to get over that because there is nothing radical about wanting to eat fish without cancer concerns.

As gloomy as all of this sounds we have an opportunity to make a real difference. If we can figure out our priorities and put habi-tat and clean water at the forefront while still keeping a watchful eye on rights issues, we can make the future of Texass great outdoor lovers a bright one. Through decisive and consistent communication and by redirecting some of our energies we can make a real stand against the problems facing Texas.

We have done a great job on gun issues here, but we have frankly slipped on some true conservation concerns. The good news is there is an awakening taking place. I have had one over the last two years and judging from communications I have had face to face at various Texas Fish & Game, so have many of you.

As we enter our 30th year of publica-tion, it is wise to reflect on what got us here. This has always been a forward thinking publication that upheld the rich outdoors traditions while taking a hard, honest look at the future.

That is what we are doing and although it will probably challenge all of us, great strides can be made only by taking bold steps.

Here we go.

E-mail Chester Moore [email protected].

You can watch him Saturdays onGETV/GETV.org at 10 a.m. on Gods

Outdoors with Chester Moore and hear him on Moore Outdoors Fridays from

6-7 p.m. on Newstalk AM 560 KLVI.

by Chester Moore | TF&G Editor in Chief


Editors Notes

Decisions made now will impact

future generations.

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Potential World Record Guadalupe Bass Caught in Colorado RiverA 3.71-POUND, 17-INCH GUADALUPE Bass caught from the Colorado River below Austin appears to qualify as a new state and world record in several categories.

Dr. Bryan Townsend of Austin was fl y-fi shing with guide Shea McClanahan on Saturday, February 1, when he landed the largest specimen of the state fi sh of Texas reported caught.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Inland Fisheries biologist Marcos De Jesus met the party at the river and assist-

ed in transporting the fi sh to the Cabelas in Buda, where it was weighed on a certifi ed scale.

DNA testing confi rmed the fi sh is pure Guadalupe bass.

Townsend elected to donate the fi sh to TPWD for display at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens. The fi sh can be seen in the dive tank in the theater.

The Colorado River below Austin, from Longhorn Dam to La Grange, has been a special bass fi shery for many years, said De Jesus. Productive waters and excellent habitat have helped support a healthy black bass population composed of largemouth bass and Guadalupe bass. Recently, with reduced pulses due to drought, aquatic vegetation exploded all over this river

segment. Flood events in October fl ushed a lot of it downstream, making it easier to fi sh.

De Jesus noted that many large Guadalupe and largemouth bass are caught by anglers every year from this stretch of river. Guadalupe bass in the two- to three-pound range are frequently reported and documented by fi shing guides in their web pages. Reports of 50- to 100-fi sh trips are not uncommon.

Spring and fall are good times to catch large numbers of fi sh, De Jesus said. TPWD has been working with local govern-ments and private landowners to develop pub-lic river access in this stretch to allow paddlers to enjoy this resource. There are a number of public access points available, including the Bastrop paddling trail.

For information on access points, visit tpwd.state.tx.us/fi shboat/boat/paddlingtrails.

Townsends fish qualifi es as the new

PHOTO CREDIT 12 | M A Y 2 0 1 4 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E

The TF G ReportThe TF G Report&

Thomas Mullenix caught this nice Wahoo while shing offshore from Packery Channel aboard the Reelax with Capt Jerry Bravenec.

Sean Kohlmeyer caught this monster striper42 inches, 25-inch girth, 33.1 poundswhile shing a crankbait for bass in Lake Austin.

Noah Dimick, age 9, of San Antonio, shot a late season 9-pointer with a .270 on The Cactus Ranch, south of George West, while hunting with his dad and granddad. He wanted to thank guide Perry Neichoy of Fauna Lodge Out tters.

Big Bags CatchesBig Bags Catches&

Visit FishGame.com to upload your Big Bags & Catches Photos and Vote for our next Winners

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Inland Fisheries biologist Marcos De Jesus met the party at the river and assist-

and Guadalupe bass. Recently, with reduced pulses due to drought, aquatic vegetation exploded all over this river

to enjoy this resource. There are a number of public access points available, including the Bastrop paddling trail.

For information on access points, visit

Big Bags Catches

For information on access points, visit tpwd.state.tx.us/fi shboat/boat/paddlingtrails.


For information on access points, visit tpwd.state.tx.us/fi shboat/boat/paddlingtrails


STRIPED BASS

Lake Austin

WHITETAIL

George West

WAHOO

Packery Channel

1405_Depts_TFGRep.indd 12 4/10/14 1:42 PM

state and water body weight and water body and state fl y-fi shing records. It may qualify for International Game Fish Association (IGFA) world records as well.

Flexibility Given in Gator ManagementLANDOWNERS ARE NOW ABLE TO contract directly with nuisance alligator hunters under new rules adopted by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.

The new protocol will authorize a permit-ted control hunter to contract directly with a landowner or landowners agent (including a political subdivision, governmental entity, or property owners association) for a fee or other compensation for the removal of nui-sance alligators.

By allowing control hunters to contract directly with landowners, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department hopes to simplify the process and allow permittees to retain captured alligators and process or sell them. The new protocol would allow alligators to be released in suitable habitat with the approval of the department and the landowner of the property where the release would take place.

During the past 20 years, once imperiled alligator populations in Texas have rebound-ed spectacularly. Increased suburban, exur-ban, an industrial development in an adjacent to coastal counties, particularly along the mid- and upper coast, has resulted in increas-ing number of nuisance alligator complaints, especially in areas biologically characterized

by diminishing or little to no habitat.

Each nuisance alligator con-trol hunter must complete a certi-fi cation process that includes (1)

an application to TPWD, (2) a department administered nui-sance alligator control course, (3) a written exam on nuisance

alligator control, and (4) a live alligator han-dling exam. Additionally, an annual permit fee of $252 is required. No one in Texas is excluded from having a valid nuisance control permit issued by TPWD Alligator Program for the capture and release of American alli-gators, including local animal control offi cers.

Persons interested in the nuisance alli-gator control hunter program can request

information by email at [email protected]. Prospective permittees can also contact Amos Cooper at (409) 726-3625 (offi ce) or (409) 293-2836 (cell) to receive an application in the mail. All applications must be returned by June 30 to the Alligator Program, 10 Parks and Wildlife Drive, Port Arthur, Texas 77640.

The next scheduled classes are set for August 15-16 depending on the number of applicants. For information on the rules

and regulations governing alligator go to www.tpwd.state.tx.us/regulations click on Alligators In Texas and a 32-page booklet will appear. For information on Alligator Farming and all PWD form associated with the Alligator Program go to www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/permits/ click on Alligator Permits and all forms will be displayed.

Go to fi shgame.com for up to the minute coverage.

captured alligators and process or sell them. The new protocol would allow alligators to be released in suitable habitat with the approval of the department and the landowner of the property where the release would take place.

During the past 20 years, once imperiled alligator populations in Texas have rebound-ed spectacularly. Increased suburban, exur-ban, an industrial development in an adjacent to coastal counties, particularly along the mid- and upper coast, has resulted in increas-ing number of nuisance alligator complaints, especially in areas biologically characterized

by diminishing or little to no habitat.

trol hunter must complete a certi-fi cation process that includes (1)

an application to TPWD, (2) a department administered nui-sance alligator control course, (3) a written exam on nuisance

alligator control, and (4) a live alligator han-

1405_Depts_TFGRep.indd 13 4/10/14 1:42 PM

Collateral Contacts

ONE OF THE FEW ABSOLUTES IN ANGLING is this: When you go fi shing you are trying to catch a fi sh. Regardless of tackle or technique or location, the

goal of casting a lure or bait is to hook some-thing with fi ns and scales. Or at least gills.

This does not always happen. Fish long enough and you can bend the rod on a vari-ety of collateral contacts. These hook-ups might be unintended but, well, here are a few examples:

I was fl y fi shing for Atlantic salmon on the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec. Fishing

during the four-day trip was tough as it usually is with the King of Fish. I really wanted a big pull to end the trip.

I was sharing a good pool on a great river

with another angler. The dark mound of a beaver house was against the far bank and the logs and branches helped defi ne the deep holding water for resting salmon. I made a long cast just below the mound and allowed the slowly sinking fl y to start swinging.

A heavy boil and a great splash yanked the line tight. Ive got one! A big one! I yelled as line jetted smoothly from the reel. I followed, wallowing and splashing along the gravel bank. Moments later, the rod sprang back.

I stripped the slack line in, devastated. I grabbed the leader and inspected the Orange Francis fl y. The small double hook was impaled in a sodden mass of wet fur. During the fi shy sweep, I had snagged the resident beaver.

The hairy rodent surfaced against the far bank, glaring at me with beady eyes and

long whiskers and yellow buckteeth. It was, indeed, it was a big one. Counting the outrageous tail, at least 30 pounds.

On the subject of big ones, a similar inci-

dent occurred while wade fi shing for snook in the Florida Everglades. We were shuffl ing waist deep and casting lead-head jigs on the outgoing tide near the mouth of a river.

I made a smooth cast across the tannin-stained current and began a snappy stop-and-go. The two-handed 7-foot casting rod doubled against a no-nonsense surge and line buzzed from the reel. The weight was unrelenting.

This is a monster! I shouted.I put serious thumb heat on the spool. A

homely wrinkled head and incredible brown bulk breached the surface. I had snagged a passing manatee. The ponderous sea cow lumbered off, stirring a sandy cloud, and the puny jig hook pulled free from the rubbery hide.

I dont know how much the standard-issue manatee weighs but it was a lot bigger than me. Most shocking, I had no idea a creature that large was so close.

Air space is far-removed from a stream-bed or bay bottom, so you would think a cast across open sky would be free of interfer-ence. Not always so.

Christmas Island is an atoll in the central Pacifi c Ocean, premier fl y-fi shing destina-tions for bonefi sh. I was wading a pristine white fl at, maybe a mile of sparkling, shim-mering nothingness. The fl at terminated in a crescent of dry sand studded with scrubby vegetation. The nub of high ground was a rookery for dozens of seabirds, mainly boobies and frigates. These are big birds with severe beaks and long wings and wide webbed feet, awkward on land but graceful in the air.

As I neared the island, many of the residents took fl ight, sailing and soaring and squawking displeasure at the encroachment.

Just ahead, a big bonefi sh tail popped up, waggling and fl uttering and fl ashing in the shin-deep water. The inverted fi sh was rooting and feeding on bottom.

The setup was classic. I could drop the No. 8 Christmas Island Special right next to the preoccupied fi sh and the hookup would be automatic. I shuffl ed quietly to the right, improving the wind angle, and made

Doggett at Large

by Joe Doggett | TF&G Senior Contributing Editor


Curious seabirds such as this booby

can get tangled in a cast. Pay attention when birds are working close.

PHOTO: JOE DOGGETT

1405_MainCol_Doggett.indd 14 4/10/14 1:46 PM

my play at 60 feet. Ice cream, I thought. It doesnt get any better.

I put a tight loop in the air. The line sailed behind while I focused on the gleam-ing tail and waited for the telltale tug of the straightening loop. No tug occurred. The weight of the torpedo taper vanished as if the line had been cut in midair.

I turned and looked up.A booby was tangled in the loop. The

wide-eyed gannet flapped for altitude then, as the fly line pulled tight, began a slanting descent.

Theres no way this is going to end well, I thought.

The tethered booby splashed onto the flat about 10 yards from the previously happy bonefish. The bird shook free and launched amid a thrashing of wings and webs. The odds of catching a bonefish while using a live booby for bait are not real good and I never saw that fish again.

On the subject of bonefish, I once hooked a dandy near the edge of a dropoff. The six-pounder raced across the knee-deep flat and into the green channel. I followed frantically with the 9-foot rod held high, hoping to keep the line from cutting against coral rubble along the abrupt dropoff.

As I neared the edge, the line angled up, not down, an unusual tactic for a non-jump-ing bonefish. A large sea turtle surfaced. A heavy flipper was wrapped in the fly line. The turtle eyed me uncertainly and plodded glumly along while the juiced-up bonefish continued to rip line from the reel.

The sea turtle rocked back and forth, being pulled between despairing angler and determined fish.

Theres no way this is going towell, youve heard it before.

The bonefish made a redoubled rush and snapped the leader. The wallowing turtle dove for safety and slack line trailed back.

These are examples of collateral contact. I have others. I could tell you about a bear and an alligator and a black-and-white cow, but dont want to be accused of being an outright liar.

The record should note that, to the best of my knowledge, none of these creatures was significantly injured. They were either too furry or too big, or they simply got tangled in the line.

These encounters also underline another worldwide absolute in angling: When a cast is made, you never know for certain what might happen.

Contact Joe Doggettl at [email protected]

Doggett at Large


Pike on the Edge

by Doug Pike | TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

When Oil and Water Do Mix

ON A FOGGY DAY THIS PAST MARCH, A ship and barge collided in the Galveston Ship Channel, spilling tens of thousands of gallons of fuel oil

into the bay. The outcome should have been better and could have been worse.

First things fi rst. How a modern ship and barge couldnt manage to avoid each other in relatively open water will be determinednot soon enough for some, and perhaps a little too soon for others.

Given the amount of electronic navigation equipment that should have been in place and operable on both vessels, it seems either that the gear failed or someone in charge of watching it did. I dont know which, and I wouldnt fathom a guess. Thats someone elses issue to resolve, likely in the form of a 40- or 50-page (if not longer) report.

Bottom line: Somehow, a ship hit a barge, and lots of oil hit the water.

Not that theres ever a good time for an ecological disaster, but this particular one might have garnered slightly less attention had it not occurred at nearly the peak of the spring migration and nesting seasons for many, many, many shorebirds and song-birds.

Dozens of birds were oiled. Critical habi-tat was cloaked in goo. It was a mess.

At least one local television network affi liate ricocheted off the plights of oily birds and narrowed focus to something it believed would be of greater concern to Houstonians: the cost of gasoline.

Will the catastrophic, cataclysmic oil spill in Galveston Bay impact gas prices? Tune in at six. Im paraphrasing, but the implication was that the dumped contents of one barge potentially could rock Houstons

commuters onto their collective heels.I never saw that same question asked on

air after the fi rst day of coverage. Even third graders knew the answer, and the answer was No. That much oil, if it were convert-ed to regular unleaded gasoline, is probably burned every half hour on Loop 610.

The anchor may as well have asked if we thought Galvestons beaches were near collapse because a toddler hauled away a pail of sand.

Darn that spill. Just when Galveston Bay was really cleaning up, too. We hated to see it happen, and we were glad that so many trained responders were on the scene

so quickly. It seemed in so many live shots from the scene as if the right people were in charge and the right things were being doneand they were.

There was immediate reaction also from environmentalists and birders, not all of whom had as much sympathy for the ship and barge operators as they did for the birds, beaches and sea life impacted by the spill. Those people are important to cleanup efforts in these situations, as well. Industry responders see the oil, and environmentalists see the oily feathers. Both must be addressed quickly to minimize long-term impact.

We need that oil. Have since the fi rst time an internal-combustion engine chugged to life. And well need it for a long time to come.

Having grown up in Houston on the paychecks of a father who was in the oil industry, I greatly appreciate the value of oil and gas and the things they can provide for a family.

Id beat a tambourine for alternatives to gasoline if they made more sense, but I dont see a long future for ethanol and its kin. Other than political or fi nancial gain, why would anyone champion the production of a fuel (heavily subsidized to offset losses) that costs more to produce than the fuel its intended to replace? Hats off to corn farm-ers who are reaping great reward from this experiment, but I wonder how many of their combines run on ethanolor electricity.

The truth is, our environment always has been and always will be a fragile place where we, as top-of-the-chain occupants, are never more than a blink from gumming it up.

The better we get at tapping, gathering and transporting the planets remaining resources to end users, the greater the chance that one thing loaded with another thing will hit yet a third thing loaded with something else. And something will spill out into the water or air or onto the land.

When that happens, as the worlds most intelligent animals and de facto stewards of everything, our primary mission is to clean up.

If I hear a jelly jar drop in the kitchen, I dont spend an hour trying to fi gure out who dropped it, how it happened, or whether the red of the raspberry is going to stain the tile. Instead, I grab a new roll of paper towels, a broom and a dust pan, and I make sure every shard of glass and sticky bit of jelly is off the fl oor before anyone takes another step. Then we sort out the details.

Some folks tend to forget the order in which things should happen when an acci-dent occurs. They get caught up in fi nger-pointing and blame-laying and things, generally, that dont really get the jelly off the fl oor.

Ultimately, what is said of us in history books that wont be written for another hun-dred years wont look so much at the messes we made as at how well, or not, we cleaned them up.

Contact Doug Pike at ContactUs@ shgame.com


Pike on the Edge

by Doug Pike | TF&G Senior Contributing Editor

Darn that spill.

1405_MainCol_Pike.indd 18 4/10/14 1:48 PM

1405_MainCol_Pike.indd 19 4/10/14 1:48 PM

The Ultimate Texas Bonedemonium Safari

LUCKY, LUCKY ME. HUNT, HUNT, HUNT, rock, rock, rock, and hunt and rock some more. I do believe The Dream has me in a doggone stranglehold, baby!

Well praise the Lord, I believe Ive earned it and He certainly knows how much I dearly appreciate such a blessed life.

You see, my double-edged, two-pronged American Dream erupted spontaneously by the time I could walk, way back in 1949. In the primal glow of Chuck Berrys soul-throttling music and Fred Bears reinvigo-rated mystical flight of the arrow, there was simply no question what I wanted out of life. Gung-ho hunting and over the top rock-n-roll called my name from day one, and I havent looked back since.

The maniacal intensity of my music is the perfect soundboard counterbalance to the silent spirituality of my hunting lifestyle. Though my hunting is also wildly intense and my music deeply spiritual, they are mostly such opposites as to ultimately comple-ment and enhance the other. Loud, quiet, slow, fast, athletic, stealthy and everything in betweenand beyond. Who could ask for more?

Not me.And so the fall equinox churned on in the

glorious hunt season 2013, with me in my favorite ambush tree every morning and after-noon, following the greatest musical adven-ture of my life. It started rather slow in hot conditions in New Mexicos elk mountains, and continued frustratingly in the greenest, acorn carpeted whitetail acres ever.

It remained hit and miss well into November, but then with the always wel-come rutting activity building steam, critter encounters and well-placed arrows kicked my backstrap dreams well into high gear.

Many very handsome does were bagged, tagged and dragged in Michigan and Texas,

and some very impressive bucks made enough mistakes to make this old bowhunter very, very happy. The ultimate dream of backstraps and massive headbone was materializing rath-er nicely, along with a fixed smile on my face.

As with all the hunters I know, those magical moments when things go right, totally wipe out the many frustrating days afield when everything seems to go wrong. If youre not the eternal optimist, I dont think deer hunting is for you. I dont know exactly what the percentage is between kills and getting skunked, but I am confident it is not encour-aging on paper. Hence, the immeasurable invigoration we experience each and every hunt, no matter the outcome. When the straps do eventually come, the joy overshadows any and all frustration beforehand.

It is the hunters adage that the joys of suc-cess are directly linked to the effort applied. Speaking as a road warrior musician and bowhunter, no truer words have been spoken.

And then something miraculous happened in South Texas.

A rare opportunity to accept kind invita-tions to hunt some friends ranches in this famed whitetail country, Spirit of the Wild VidCamDude Kris Helms and I loaded up the TundraOffRoad.com pickup and pointed her south toward Carrizzo Springs, Texas, first stop the beautiful Eslabon Ranch.

Blood brother and avid whitetail hunter Greg Genitempo, along with ace ranch hands and guides Travis and Ryan had been diligently monitoring animal activity with trailcams and ever-watchful eyes, and had things set up perfectly for our arrival. With welcomed cold weather, confidence ran high as Kris and I climbed into our ladder stand for the first afternoon hunt.

Eslabon Ranch is a whitetail dream come true for Greg and his family, and the quality of deer we saw this evening was a testament

to the quality deer management pioneered in Texas for so many years.

Passing on truly phenomenal, giant, two and three year old bucks was about driving me crazy, but a specific old, non-typical buck was our target animal, so we waited patiently.

With dusk approaching, the three-hour vigil was coming to an end when the deer before us jerked their heads to attention and turned their gaze to the north. A stunning, mature old South Texas monarch strolled in like he owned the place. As Kris steadied the SpiritWild vidcam, I took a deep breath in a feeble attempt to control my wildly pulsating runaway heartbeat.

Intent on the does to our left, the old stud walked boldly in front of us, and as he slightly passed our ambush, my Mathews came back like butter. In an instant the glow-ing Lumenok disappeared square into the magic pump station crease as if stabbed by the hand of God.

I swear, the simultaneous whooshed breath of relief from Kris and me broke the silence, and much joyous knuckle punching celebra-tion erupted in our tall mesquite tree in the lap of God.

I knew the buck was done with such a perfect arrow, and we took up the substan-tial bloodtrail within minutes, recovering the dream buck after a short trail.

Greg and the ranch hands joined us for happy photos and the reliving of every minute of this very exciting hunt. The celebration continued around the dinner table that eve-ning with Texas Representative Sid Miller and guests, as nonstop exhilarating stories of Texas deer hunting went on late into the night.

Well, at least thats what all my friends told me, for I hit the sack right after dinner, knowing that we would head for the world famous Perlitz Ranch and amazing Rancho Encantado the next few days for what would turn out to be more of the most exciting big buck deer hunting a guy could ever dream of.

Backstraps and big antlers go together in Texas like guns and freedom. I had the feel-ing we werent even warmed up yet.


Teds TexasWild

by Ted Nugent | TF&G Editor-at-Large

1405_MainCol_Nugent.indd 20 4/8/14 3:26 PM

T E X A S F I S H & G A M E | M A Y 2 0 1 4 | 21

Dumb and Dumber

A FREE MARKET, NATURALLY DRIVEN BY the laws of supply and demand, allows attractive products to prolifer-ate, and quickly weeds out the trash

no one wants. Every commodity offered for sale in such an environment is judged by consumers, and either accepted or rejected on its merits, and the needs and desires of the buyers. Guns are no exception.

The free market still rules in most of America in relation to most products. Build a better mousetrap, its said, and the world will beat a path to your door. But if the government restricts mousetrap sales to only those with certain features, the market is no longer free, capitalism is dead, and the consumers no longer determine the value of goods. This is what has happened in California, and is being considered in other states. Not with mousetraps, but with regard to guns.

California passed a law several years ago to require all new guns sold in the state to imprint a unique code onto each cartridge casing fired. The idea is to help police identify guns used in crimes, and aid in apprehending the criminals responsible.

This is called micro-stamping, and its a fantastic ideain theory. Unfortunately there are more holes in the application than in Swiss cheese. A few obvious reasons why this concept will not work come immediately to mind.

One, people who want to commit crimes dont have to use a gun that micro-stamps its primers. There are plenty of other guns available. Pick oneor a thousand. Plus, revolvers are exempt from the law, so theres that.

Two, criminals dont have to leave their fired casings lying around on the ground. They can pick them up and carry them off.

Its easy. Ive picked up spent brass myself, lots of times.

Also, criminals are not smart, but theyre smarter than guns. A clever bad guy could pick up some brass fired from someone elses gun at a range, and then leave it at the scene of his crime, thereby making it look like a gun that was never there was involved.

Three, criminals can easily get firing pins from out of state, and replace the coded ones. Or just shoot a few hundred rounds, and the code is worn off. Or use a file for one minute. No more micro-stamp. Or they can swipe someone elses gun, use it in a crime, and then put it back, thereby mislead-ing police.

Even if criminals dont do any of that, and police find spent brass with the code still readable on the primers, so they know which gun was used, and even if they know who bought the gun, that does not prove the guy who bought the gun committed a crime. They still have to find the gun, or have a witness, or some kind of hard evidence.

So micro stamping is a fine idea in the-ory, but in practice its about as dumb as a submarine with screen doors. Even so, micro stamping is akin to rocket science compared to the concept of the smart gun.

A smart gun is a gun that works just like a regular gun, as long as its in close proximity to an electronic device that acti-vates it. The common device is a wristwatch. Unless the gun and the watch are within, say, ten inches of one another, the gun goes clickif that.

This is beyond ridiculous, despite what you may have heard from brilliant idi-ots. Brilliant because the system works at all. Idiots because it has more flaws than Obamacare. Well, almost.

One, batteries power the system. Nuff said there.

Two, if someone steals the gun, they can easily get the watch at the same time, thereby negating the idea of keeping guns out of the wrong hands.

Three, even if the rightful owner retains possession, his or her life may depend on computerized technology, which never, ever,

fails. Right? Especially when you need it most. Right? Yeah.

Four, the cost of smart guns is prohibi-tive, which serves those who want to disarm us, not make us safe. I cant afford one. Not that Id buy one, but still.

And if the watch is damaged in any way, bumped against a doorway, say, or the ground, or a head as hard as mine, it can quit.

Thats a biggie, since records of incidents where people shoot at one another will tell you a lot of folks get shot in the hands during a gunfight. This is because we have a natural tendency to shoot where were looking, and when someone is pointing a gun at you, its hard not to look at that gun, whether theyre shooting or not. So a watch in a gunfight is in the line of fire, and when the watch is hit, youre basically holding a rock. And its not a good idea to bring a rock to a gunfight.

Another little factor to consider is the fact that, if police can use an electronic jammer to interrupt cell service, and they can, then they can do the same thing to smart guns at their leisure. Thats fine if theyre just after the bad guys, but if I happen to be in the process of getting mugged a street over at the time, it might not be so great for me.

The best way to make this incredibly stupid idea go away is for all of us to just say no. A product that doesnt sell wont be on the market for long. Dont buy a smart gun. As Jackie Gleeson said in Smokey and the Bandit, You can think about it, but dont do it.

Because the only thing dumber than a smart gun is the guy holding it.

Contact Kendal Hemphill at [email protected]

Commentary

by Kendal Hemphill | TF&G Political Commentator

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22 | M A Y 2 0 1 4 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E PHOTO CREDIT

Thick It OutGear Up and

WHEN I THINK OF BIG TEXAS BASS, MY MIND NATURALLY conjures up thoughts of some sort of cover hydrilla beds, lily pads, cattail stands, pepper grass, underwater brush piles, flooded bushes or anything else where a big fish might seek out security or take refuge to wait for an unsus-pecting bait fish to swim dangerously close.

Dont Go Into the Big BassJungle Under-Gunned

Fea 3-Bass.indd 22 4/8/14 6:32 PM


Thick It OutStory and photos byMatt Williams

Fea 3-Bass.indd 23 4/8/14 6:32 PM

It also takes me back to some meaningful words Charlie Haralson once shared as we crawled our baits through underwater jun-gles of huisache and mesquite bushes along the banks of Salinas Creek on the Mexico side of Lake Falcon. Haralson is a former Falcon guide from Laredo who has logged countless hours on the popular South Texas fishery and boated more 10-pound bass than most anglers could catch in 50 lifetimes. He has also lost his share of big fish, but know-ing Haralson like I know him, you can bet it wasnt for lack of preparation.

When you hook a fish that you can do absolutely nothing with one that breaks you down, wraps you up and leaves you wondering if it was even a bass now thats frustrating, Haralson said. A lot of guys cant comprehend the feeling because they have never experienced it. But it happens at places like Falcon and Sugar Lake (in Mexico) pretty often. These lakes are dif-ferent than most; there is no telling what the next bite will be. You need to be prepared so that when the opportunity presents itself you can capitalize on it the best you can.

So it goes with any lake known for producing big bass around jungles of thick cover. Go at it unprepared and sooner or later you are going to get whipped.

What follows is a bass anglers gear guide for targeting thick-shouldered green fish in places where the sun doesnt shine very often. Follow it and you will increase the odds of winning the battle in tight places when the big bite comes:

LINE MANAGEMENT: Fishing line is the critical link between you and the fish. If there is a weak spot in the link, a big bass in heavy cover will help you find it.

Two words of advice, here. Think heavy. Braided line like Sufix 832 with a breaking strength of 50 pounds or more is heavily preferred for tossing jigs, plastics and frogs around aquatic vegetation like hydrilla, lily pads, pepper grass, etc

One of the main reasons is this line is super strong, and, like many other braids, is very small diameter with zero stretch. Matched with the proper rod, braid allows for turning a big fish quickly and horsing it in before it can wrap up in the muck. Another benefit is braid will actually slice through vegetation like a knife, which helps prevent big wads of grass from balling around the line.

Good as braid works around grass, plenty

of guys prefer not to use it when fishing around wood cover. I use fluorocarbon for everything else, whether Im flipping around docks, brush or rock, said Florida bass pro Randall Tharp. Braid makes a sawing noise when it comes over limbs. Plus, it will actually dig into wood and cause you to lose fish.

ROD CHOICES: It wouldnt be wise to go to a gunfight with pocketknife, sort of like it wouldnt be smart to dabble a bait around heavy cover using a rod with the flex of a flyswatter. Long handle rods that are at least 6 1/2-feet long with a medium/heavy or heavy action are the preferred choices when casting or punchin in heavy cover. Matched with big line and a quality bait-casting reel, a proper rod will provide critical backbone for horsing bass out of thick vegetation, bushes or brush.

HIGH SPEED REEL: Reels with a high-speed gear ratio get the nod over slow speed reels, especially for tight quarters tactics like pitching and flipping. A 7.0:1 or faster reel will allow you to gather line and set the hook quickly when a bite is detected. Plus, the higher speed cuts down on wasted time spent retrieving the bait once it is out the strike zone. This adds up to more flips or pitches over the course of the day.

TUNGSTEN VS. LEAD: Most hard-core anglers opt for tungsten slip sinkers over lead these days, especially for close range techniques like flipping in bushes or lily pads or punching creature baits through dense mats of hydrilla or water hyacinth. Tungsten is considerably heavier than lead, which equals a weight that is much smaller in pro-file than a lead weight of the equal size. The smaller weight passes through cover easier and is less visible to bass.

California bass pro Ish Monroe pointed out that he likes prefers tungsten over lead for another reason, as well. Tungsten is also louder than lead, he said. It makes a thunk when it hits hard bottom, rock or a limb. That will sometimes trigger those reaction strikes.

PEG IT: When fishing with plastics in heavy cover, it is best use some sort of bob-ber stop or piece of rubber band to hold the slip sinker snug against the head of the bait. This promotes better efficiency, because it prevents the sinker and bait from separating

on the fall; when the weight penetrates the cover, it takes the bait right along with it.

MAGNUM HOOKS: Short range flip-ping and pitching with plastics and jigs is usually synonymous with big line, a stout rod and a star drag that is locked down tight to prevent slippage to prevent fish from getting the upper hand. Another key part of this power system is a stout hook.

Steer clear of thin-wire finesse style hooks and go with a heavy wire hook that wont flex or bend on a violent hookset. When using braid, be sure to use a Superline hook with the line tie welded shut to prevent slippage.

Perhaps the best way to prepare for a trip to big bass nirvana is by doing a serious tackle check. Hook, line, rod, reel every-thing needs be geared for bear when gunning for bass on lakes with reputations known for producing the big bite.

When you hook a big bass down here it is usually going to be in a bush or no less than five feet from one, Haralson said. The idea is to get the fish coming your way and to keep applying heat so it hopefully wont wrap you up. There is nothing finesse about it.

24 | M A Y 2 0 1 4 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E PHOTO: MATT WILLIAMS

Loaded for Jungle Bass: Heavy line, a stiff long handled rod and fast reel.

u

Fea 3-Bass.indd 24 4/8/14 6:32 PM

26 | M A Y 2 0 1 4 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E PHOTO CREDIT

Use buzzing plastics to tempt fishothers cant reach

Story and Photos by John N. Felsher

Fea 5 Frogging for Redfish.indd 26 4/8/14 6:35 PM

HUNKERED DOWN IN THICK

cover, a large pot-bellied fish tracked the silhouette of a frog flitting across matted grass just two feet above its head as it waited for the opportune time to strike.

The creature briefly paused atop the grass and

then hopped gently into a tiny pocket of open water.

It remained motionless for a moment before slowly

sinking. Quivering as it descended about a foot, it

regained its composure and climbed over another grass

clump.

Finally, the hungry predator could stand it no lon-

ger. The fish opened its mouth and lunged at the frog

still sitting on the matted grass. As if a bomb exploded

beneath the surface, water erupted and spewed frothy

weeds across the shallow flat. The 15-pound beast

gulped the frog and part of the vegetation in the

process. However, instead of slurping succulent frog

steaks, the surprised redfish sucked down a mouthful

of plastic punctured by a steel hook.

REDFISH LIVE IN BRACKISH TO SALTY

water and frogs typically prefer sweeter envi-

ronments. The two species rarely meet

in nature. Although redfish seldom

intentionally target frogs, a hungry

redfish might eat just about any-

thing. Buzzing soft-plastic frogs

can entice hard-to-catch spot-

tailed marsh marauders that few

other lures even tempt.



A redfish is an oppor-tunistic feeder, explained Jimmie Dooms, a redfish pro from Portland, Texas. Redfish are not necessarily targeting frogs. They just see something in the water that looks good to eat and attack it. Up the Sabine River and the marshes around Sabine Lake, there are lots of frogs. Ive also used frogs successfully around Matagorda Island and Port OConnor. The Colorado and Guadalupe river deltas are good areas to use frogs.

River deltas nourish brackish wetlands, encouraging abundant aquatic plant growth. As water warms in the spring, big redfish often move into grassy flats to feed. When redfish burrow into thick weeds, few lures can reach them. Rigged weedless with a

3/0 to 5/0 wide gap hook inserted into the body, a soft

plastic frog can go through the thickest vegetation without fouling.

Frequently, redfish erupt through the grass to attack these baits.

The beauty of a frog is that it can get into areas that other lures cannot reach, advised Shane Dubose, a professional red-fish angler from Tomball. Redfish like to hide in thick grass and ambush baitfish. I can throw a frog over the top of any cover that I want to fish and not worry about it hanging up. I have used frogs to catch red-fish in the marshes around Sabine Lake and in the East Bay of the Trinity-Galveston Bay area.

Anglers can fish frogs in several ways. Some frogs slowly sink and others float. In

very shallow water or extremely thick weeds, a steady buzzing retrieve across the surface makes a great way to search for redfish. Even if a fish doesnt explode on the bait, it might move and give away its position. Then, anglers can follow up with equally deadly Texas-rigged soft plastics that slither slowly across the surface.

One time, I saw a redfish within casting range, recalled Mike Gallo, a professional redfish angler. The other angler with me cast behind it and brought the frog steadily toward it. I could see the redfish lower himself in the water so it could tilt its head upward and look behind him because it could hear the lure coming. A frog puts off great vibrations. The redfish waited for the frog to pass over it and then attacked it from behind.


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A hookedredfish fights for

freedom at the side of the boat after striking a

soft-plasticfrog.

q


The hop and pop method also works, particularly with floating frogs. With this method, move the bait a few feet and then stop. Let it crawl over vegetation and pause briefly. This technique works best when fished in broken, patchy vegetation.

I like to fish floating frogs, Dubose said. Its like fishing a topwater bait, but it can go way back in the thickest cover. I work it just fast enough to get the legs flapping or causing little bubbles. I also like the start and stop retrieve. I work a floating frog into

the openings in the grass and stop it. Ill let it sit over the openings for a while and then pull it out. When a big redfish explodes on a frog, its one of the most exciting things in fishing.

When fishing sinking frogs, anglers may use the stop, sink and go approach. Pop the bait or pull it several feet across the surface. At open water pock-ets, let the bait sink. As the frog slowly sinks, its appendages may twitch

or quiver, driving redfish nuts. Seeing the opportunity to strike, a big red might rush in to gulp the temptation.

When targeting fish not feeding aggres-sively, work a buzzing frog almost like a conventional topwater bait. Let it sit on the surface for a few moments and then pop it

PHOTO: JOHN N FELSHER

Weedlesssoft plastic frogs

make excellent tempta-tions for redfish that

are hunkered down in thick grassy cover.

q


vigorously. Let it sit again until the concen-tric rings clear and then pop it again. The commotion simulates a live frog splashing across the surface.

I like the floaters best, Dooms advised. I pop it along almost like a topwater bait, but I let it sit still more often. When Im

working a frog, I like to pull it toward me two to five times and then stop. Then, Ill just twitch it. That imitates how a frog actu-ally swims. When Im sight fishing, I dont like to throw at the fish. I throw it about 10 to 15 feet ahead of it.

Most anglers fish buzzing frogs without weights so the baits naturally hop across veg-etation. However, windy days in the marsh could make casting difficult. Some people attach small split-shots to the line. Others use keel-weighted hooks to add casting heft.

In addition, use braided lines to yank big fish out of thick, entangling cover.

Nearly impenetrable canopies of grass could intimidate many anglers, but these vegetative thickets frequently hold the biggest fish. Catch the buzz this spring to put more lunkers in the boat where others cant even tempt fish.



CoyotesAn Honest

Look at

Story by Chester Moore

PHOTO: BIGSTOCK

Fea 4-Coyotes.indd 32 4/8/14 6:33 PM

A RECENT TELEVISION DOCUMENTARY

featured the sad story of Canadian folk

singer Taylor Mitchell who was killed by

coyotes in a park in her native country.

The 19-year-olds tragic death in 2009

via the recent program has spawned lots

of questions about the potential danger of

coyotes to humans.This is an issue we first tackled on these pages in the May 2005

edition in an article entitled, Coyote Attacks on the Rise. Dozens of

attacks in California and on the East Coast mainly on children show that

the coyote is an animal we should respect as a possible but not necessar-

ily probable predator of us.

In Texas largest urban centers there are huge coyote populations. I

have personally seen them in the city limits of San Antonio, Houston

and Dallas. The closer coyotes get to the cities, the harder it is to con-

trol their numbers. Hunting is illegal within most city limits and most

areas on the outskirts of major metropolitan areas are closed to hunting.

This gives coyotes an area to flourish with no mechanism to keep their

populations in check.

Most people mistake them for dogs on the rare occasion someone sees

one during daylight hours in the city and others welcome coyotes into

their backyards with open arms. I have had letters from people who were

feeding them dog food and scraps.

In a paper entitled Coyote Attacks: An Increasing Urban Problem,

written by a group of California researchers, it is revealed there have

been numerous attacks in the Golden State.


Coyotes


Coyote attacks on humans, once thought to be rare, have increased in frequency over the past decade, the authors said.

In the course of the study, they que-ried representatives of various federal, state, county, and city agencies and private wildlife control companies about coyote attacks on humans since 1978.

From the information gathered, we now list 89 coyote attacks in California (incidents when one or more coyotes made physical contact with a child or adult, or attacked a pet while in close proximity to its owner. In 56 of these attacks, one or more persons suf-fered an injury. In 77 additional encounters, coyotes stalked children, chased individuals, or aggressively threatened adults.

In 35 incidents, where coyotes stalked or attacked small children, the possibility of serious or fatal injury seems likely if the child had not been rescued. Because no single agency maintains data on such attacks, and some agencies and organizations are reluc-tant to discuss such incidents, we recognize that we do not have data on all attacks that have occurred.

The kind of activity that took place in California in the 1970s, prior to the rash of attacks reported above is taking place now here in the Lone Star State.

In the paper, Coyotes in Urban Areas: A Status Report by Jan E. Loven, District Supervisor, Texas Animal Damage Control Service in Ft. Worth, the author gives a thorough overview of the coyote problems in the area.

Damages from coyotes range from fear of rabies, to fear of being in close proxim-ity to carnivores, to property, pet, and live-stock damage. Several complaints have been received from joggers who are amazed at the boldness of these animals and are fearful of attack, he said.

As with the original article I wrote on this topic, it is not meant to scare anyone. It is meant however to get people thinking about what they are doing that might lead to coyote attacks in the future. The main thing is people should not feed these animals under any circumstances. Feeding any predatory animal is a very bad idea because it condi-tions them to consider humans for food and makes them lose their fear of us.

Coyotes are magnifi cent animals that are much, much more adaptable than their closely related cousins the red and gray wolf. I have encountered red wolf-type animals and coyotes at near point blank range in Southeast Texas and elsewhere. Every time I was near one of the wolf-type animals, I could tell they were scared of me.

The coyotes I have been around near the cities, however, were not always scared. Their body language showed they just viewed my presence as an annoyance. City coyotes tend to be very bold and will raid garbage cans, steal your dogs food and might even steal (eat) your dog.

In Los Angeles, an estimated

5,000 coyotes live in the city limits. There are no offi cial estimates in Texass largest cities but I would not doubt some of our urban centers rival that.

Informed people are better off, which is why we always try to give the latest in infor-mation about all wildlife. For those living near wooded areas or around marshes and fi elds, do not be afraid; but certainly give

coyotes some distance if you see them; and do not contribute to the possibil-ity of them being naughty by giving them free meals.

The statistics show that is a very bad idea.

Coyotes are beautiful, intel-ligent animals with a serious pen-

chant for surviving in just about any situation. Where hunting is not an option (city limits) we should let

them survive without any help from us, because in the end it is not worth it for man or beast.

(Editors Note: If you have had any aggressive coyote encounters, email me at cmoore@fi shame.com.)

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A Status Report by Jan E. Loven, District Supervisor, Texas Animal Damage Control Service in Ft. Worth, the author gives a thorough overview of the coyote problems

Damages from coyotes range from fear of rabies, to fear of being in close proxim-ity to carnivores, to property, pet, and live-stock damage. Several complaints have been received from joggers who are amazed at the boldness of these animals and are fearful of

As with the original article I wrote on this topic, it is not meant to scare anyone. It is meant however to get people thinking about what they are doing that might lead to coyote attacks in the future. The main thing is people should not feed these animals under any circumstances. Feeding any predatory animal is a very bad idea because it condi-tions them to consider humans for food and makes them lose their

Southeast Texas and elsewhere. Every time I was near one of the wolf-type animals, I could tell they were scared of me.

The coyotes I have been around near the cities, however, were not always scared. Their body language showed they just viewed my presence as an annoyance. City coyotes tend to be very bold and will raid garbage cans, steal your dogs food and might even steal (eat) your dog.

In Los Angeles, an estimated

why we always try to give the latest in infor-mation about all wildlife. For those living near wooded areas or around marshes and fi elds, do not be afraid; but certainly give

coyotes some distance if you see them; and do not contribute to the possibil-ity of them being naughty by giving them free meals.

The statistics show that is a very bad idea.

Coyotes are beautiful, intel-ligent animals with a serious pen-

chant for surviving in just about any situation. Where hunting is not an option (city limits) we should let

them survive without any help from us, because in the end it is not worth it for man or beast.

(Editors Note: If you have had any (Editors Note: If you have had any (aggressive coyote encounters, email me at cmoore@fi shame.com



| Self Defense |

| Concealed Carry |

| Tactical |

by Steve LaMascus& Dustin Ellermann

Distance is Life

IT WAS A HOT SUMMER DAY NEAR NOON when Joe Martinez and I pulled up to the high chain link fence around the backside of the orphanage on the south side of

Laredo. We were there because the area of the fence provided a good view of a couple of miles of the Rio Grande River, and we used it often for watching for illegal aliens or dope smugglers entering the U.S.

This time when we pulled up to the fence the fi rst thing we saw was a rubber raft on the Mexican side of the river, being loaded with suitcases. Thinking that it was a group of illegal aliens about to cross the river, we split

up to cover different parts of the trail that ran up and down the riverbank for many miles. This time I went downstream while Joe went upstream. The high fence around the orphan-age and the open grounds of the orphanage itself would prevent the aliens from coming that way and if we covered the trail above and below the ends of the fence, one of us should encounter the aliens.

I found a cut in the bank a couple of hundred yards downstream from where we expected the aliens to land and hid to await either the illegal entrants or a call from Joe on his walkie talkie telling me he had them in custody.

About fi ve minutes after I had hidden I heard the scuffl ing sound of feet on the soft sand of the riverbank. When the people I could hear got to my hiding place I very non-chalantly stepped out and told them to stop, that I was a federal

offi cer, and they were under arrest. That was when I noticed the evil looking cholo in the lead had a nickel plated semi-auto handgun in his belt, carried butt to the front in the com-mon Mexican carry. Thats when I made the mistake that should have cost me my life.

Instead of stepping back, drawing my handgun, and yelling for them to all put up their hands, I foolishly reacted by reaching out with my right hand (my shooting hand) and grasping the butt of the leaders handgun. When I did that the leader grabbed my hand and reached out and grabbed the butt of my .357. Suddenly I went from being in charge to being 100 percent defensive. I grabbed the thumb break on my holster with my left hand to keep him from getting my gun, and sud-denly found myself in a teeth, head-butting, knees and feet fi ght. We rolled around on the ground, each trying to get the others gun, for, oh, about a year or two. Then I managed to

Every-Day-Carry (EDC)WE ALL HAVE AN EDC KIT, AND we all have made different decisions of what we carry and why. We all have dif-ferent lifestyles that also make an impres-sion of what we stuff in our pockets and it can even change from day to day. But its always a good idea to rethink what we lug around, why, and how we could bet-ter improve our setup.

Of course we have the bare necessities that wont bear much mention. We all have a wallet, keys, phone and hopefully a writing instrument of some sort. But beyond that the possibilities are endless. My fi rst suggestion is to have a knife.

We all need a cutting tool of some sort on a daily basis. I still remember a horrible story of a car accident in California where bystanders tried their hardest to free a young child in a burn-ing vehicle but couldnt because the belts were jammed and no one had a knife. Whenever Im out of the house, even if Im in running shorts or a swimsuit, I will have a folding knife clipped on me somewhere. While Im still on my quest for the perfect folder, I currently carry a Cold Steel Recon that has a rather large blade, very strong lock-ing mechanism, yet has a small discreet profi le while clipped in your pocket, and

a clip that allows it to be carried pointed downwards.

Next I recommend always carrying a fl ashlight. I used to only carry one after dark, but found that I used a fl ashlight several times a day looking into dark places, power outages, dark theaters, working underneath vehicles, signaling

TexasDepartmentof Defense

PHOTO CREDIT36 | M A Y 2 0 1 4 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E PHOTO: DUSTIN ELLERMANPHOTO CREDITPHOTO: DUSTIN ELLERMANPHOTO CREDITPHOTO: DUSTIN ELLERMANPHOTO CREDIT

Continued on page 38

| Self Defense |

| Concealed Carry |

| Tactical |

by Steve LaMascus& Dustin Ellermann

still remember a horrible story of a car

that I was a federal

The authors EDC Kit features a 5.11

Belt, Streamlight Tac Light, Leatherman

OHT Multitool, Dark Angel Medical Kit

and more.

1405_Depts_DoD.indd 36 4/10/14 1:50 PM

1405_Depts_DoD.indd 37 4/10/14 1:51 PM

Continued from page xxStory Jump

pull the cholos gun out of his belt and end the fi ght.

The only reason that I am alive today is that the other two men with the one I was fi ghting ran away instead of shooting me in the head as I wrestled with their leader. Come to fi nd out, they werent simple illegal aliens. The suitcases were all stuffed with marijuana, and all three of the mules were armed. Only divine intervention and the fact that I was big-ger and stronger than the cholo I was fi ghting kept me alive that day. As I write this I am shaking, and my pulse is racing just from the memory of it. Thank you God.

The bad guy doesnt have to have a gun to kill you. I have always been told that a man with a knife that is within seven yards of you is almost certainly going to cut you with his knife before you can draw and shoot him. I dont know if this is true or not, since I have never had to put it to the test, but I live by the rule that if he has a knife I am going to shoot him if he does not immediately drop it. I have seen the terrible wounds infl icted by a sharp knife and dont want to be a victim.

The moral of the above is this: the only way to stay safe in this evil, old ball of mud is to be aware of your surroundings, be prepared for any eventuality, and keep some distance between you and any threat. In the above story I was in control until I reacted stupidly and reached out for the bad guys gun. I had both distance and cover and failed to use either. From that day on I kept my distance as much as the job allowed, and met each possible threat with my hand on my gun. That is not possible for the concealed carry licensee. You simply cannot draw your gun at each perceived threat. Thus you must keep distance and cover between you and a threat.

If you are leaving the mall after dark and see someone purposely walking toward you, especially if he has his hands in his pockets, keep a car between you. If he goes on by and gets in another car, all well and good, you can then go get in yours. If he really does have evil intentions, you have the car between you to keep him at a distance and to use for cover.

If you are on a deserted street and see someone walking toward you and get that

strange feeling in your gut that all is not right, change sides of the street. If he, too, changes sides, then tell him, clearly and loudly, that you are armed and for him to stay away or you will shoot, then start yelling for help. If he continues, draw your gun. A .45 caliber muzzle tends to suck the water out of most evildoers. If he is one that is not frightened by the sight of a gun, you must be ready to shoot him. The real trick is knowing when to shoot and when not to. That is something I cannot tell you, because each incident is different. And to shoot an innocent, unarmed citizen is something too horrible to contemplate.

As I said in the title of this piece, distance is life. Never let a threat get within arms reach of you. Back up, side step, run like hell, whatever you need to do. If all else fails, draw your weapon and be prepared to repel board-ers. Just remember distance and cover, and try to never be alone on a deserted streetor the bank of a river.

Steve LaMascus

Texas Department of Defense

to get someones attention or even while crossing a busy highway while aiding in a roadside accident. An EDC light needs to be lightweight, dependable, and small enough to carry comfortably. Lately Ive enjoyed using the Streamlight ProTac 2L. Its all the above and then some.

The belt clip makes it easy to stick in my pocket, the 2-123 lithium batteries keep it powered for a long time. Its high beam of 260 lumens help scan and blind when needed, the strobe is great for sig-naling or disorienting, and the low beam is what I use for fi nding my way around.

The next thing you can always fi nd on my belt is a multitool. Ever since I was a young Royal Ranger I adopted their motto to always be Ready for Anything. A multitool can save you much time dur-ing the day as you roam around searching for the correct tool for the job. Recently Ive used the new Leatherman OHT

(One Hand Operable Tool) that allows me to open the pliers with a fl ick of the wrist. It has all the standard Leatherman goodies, a few cutting blades, screwdriv-ers, and wirecutters to keep me working more effi ciently. And best of all, with the 25-year warranty I dont have to worry about breaking the tool, because they will replace it for free.

Then for my defensive gear I like to carry a Walther PPS as my primary con-cealed handgun. This in turn is holstered in a Crossbreed Supertuck formed out of leather and kydex. This holster com-bined with a single stack slim pistol gives me a comfortable and secure package. Since it only holds around 7 rounds I also have a spare magazines in a Comp-Tac carrier beside my Leatherman.

Occasionally I also like to tuck a non-lethal defensive spray in my pocket. The Kimber Pepper Blaster in case of a defensive situation where I wouldnt need to use deadly force, or for those instances where a clueless property owner fi nds the need to disarm law abiding citizens with

a no CHL carriers allowed 30.06 sign.Finally, at times when I have an

empty cargo pocket I like to stuff a Dark Angel Medical D.A.R.K. (Direct Action Response Kit) in it. This kit contains a vacuum packed tourniquet, wound clot-ting agent, duct tape, and medical gloves. These few items could save a life by keeping an injured person breathing and beating.

Of course this gear has to go some-where, and Ive always been a fan of 5.11 Tactical Tac-lite pants. They have just the right amount of pockets to carry everything I need and a strong reinforced belt is also a necessity to secure more weighty items. The belt I chose is a 5.11 Tactical Trainer belt with a 6,000 lb. rated buckle that also can be used as an emergency harness. And like I stated earlier, everyones EDC will vary due to their lifestyle, but I encourage you to always be ready for anything.

Dustin Ellermann


to get someones attention or even while

Continued from page 36Every-Day-Carry

1405_Depts_DoD.indd 38 4/10/14 1:51 PM


The First Deer is the Hardest

THIS MONTH, I PLAN ON WRITING ABOUT something a little different. I ask your indulgence while I stick my chest out and boast just a little about a recent

hunt I had with my grandchild.Justin and I have been shooting our

bows together since he was able to draw a bowstring back. I have tried to instill in him the love of hunting with a bow and arrow and I think I have succeeded. He really does love the whole concept of taking an animal with a bow. As a matter of fact, he now comes to some of my bow safety classes and teaches the blood trailing section as a Junior Instructor. However, so far, the only luck he has had while hunting whitetails with his bow has been bad luck. This past year, unfortunately, would not be any differentat least with the bow.

In the area we hunt, he had his choice to hunt with a rifl e or slugged shotgun (from my collection) and he chose the latter. He explained to me that he liked the idea of being closer to the animal for the shot. With a 20 gauge youth model pump shotgun, his furthest shot could be no longer than 100 yards, but he limited himself to shots much closer than that. Much closer.

Prior to the opening day of gun season, there was a weekend dedicated to youth gun hunting. Of course we planned to be out there trying our luck. He could not hunt alone and needed an experienced adult with him and I was his wing man.

We made sure that we arrived at out hunting location long before sunrise so that we could be fully prepared for the hunt. 30 minutes into daylight and the fi rst deer appeared. 35 yards to our left but was turned away offering us no decent shot.

Even though I watched as he shook with adrenaline, he let her go and it was the right, ethical thing to do. I was proud of him for not taking the shot.

As we watched a group of does over 100 yards away heading in our direction, Justin tapped my leg and gestured that a deer was just in front of our blind. She was looking at Miss November, a decoy from Tinks, and had no idea that a gun barrel was starring at her. Justin took the shot at 13 yards away and I smiled as he tagged his fi rst deer.

Anticipation of opening day was at an all time high now and it could not come fast enough for either of us. Again, he chose his 20 gauge shotgun and I brought along my 12 gauge Remington. I am not sure why I even brought it with me because I had no intention of using it. This was Justins hunt and I was just there for the smiles.

The alarm sounded and I woke Justin (although, am not sure he had ever even gone to sleep). The excitement was like Christmas morning. We arrived at our hunt-ing location and I introduced him to the rest of our hunting party. All of the grizzled veteran hunters welcomed Justin and wished him luck as we headed for our spot.

We settled ourselves in the stand long before the sun decided to peek through the morning clouds. I reminded Justin about muzzle control and to always be safe fi rst as we waited for any action. That fact has been drilled into his head for years now and I have no worries with him at all.

It had been almost two hours with no deer sightings at all. Finally, I saw a four-pointer in the swail fi eld in front of us. He was about 150 yards awayand that is about where he stayed for 30 more minutes. We tried grunting him in closer, but he wanted no part of us. Then I noticed movement next to him and there, in the tall grass, was a doe. He was not about to leave her side for love or money! At least I thought they would pro-vide some entertainment for us. It was better than not seeing anything at all.

Suddenly, I heard a shot from one of the guys in our hunting party a few fi elds to the north. Not long after that I heard

another rifl e blast from a stand in the next fi eld from us and I heard a voice come over the radio: going to Lou and Justin. That is all I heard. I had no idea what it was, but my eyes were glued to the north edge of a thicket.

There he was! A magnifi cent eight-pointer stepped into the clearing 150 yards away and stopped to check for any danger. Immediately I tapped Justins leg and he told me he already saw it. The big buck stood there what seemed to be an eternity. Then as fate would have it, he started to walk in our direction. I whispered to Justin muzzle controlget your gun ready. The big bruiser stopped in a clearing quartering towards us at 35 yards. As quietly as I could I told the lad to shoot. He responded with not yet. I said to myselfself it is his hunt, his call.

The big whitetail was headed towards another thicket just 30 yards from us when all of a sudden he picked up his nose and sniffed the air. He caught wind of the Trails End 307 from Wildlife Research Center that I had put out when we fi rst arrived. He walked in toward that scent wick like a fi sh on a line and never knew he was about to have a bad day. Finally, the 20 gauge blasted the slug toward the buck and he went down. Amazingly, it was in the exact same spot where Justin took his doe a few weeks earlier13 yards away.

After a few congratulatory handshakes and pats on his back, the tag was fi lled, fi eld dressing was done, and all that was left was to show the veterans what they shot at and missed! (smiles)and a trip to the taxidermist.

All in all, it was a great opening day and one that both of us will never forget. A prouder moment I cannot remember. I am just glad that I was able to share that special moment with my grandson. The deer season is now over, but Justin wanted to know when turkey season opened. Soon Justin, very soon now.

Email Lou Marullo at ContactUs@ shgame.com

Bare Bones Hunting

by Lou Marullo | TF&G Hunting Editor

1405_MainCol_BBHunting.indd 39 4/10/14 1:52 PM

40 | M A Y 2 0 1 4 | T E X A S F I S H & G A M E GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION: TF&G

We are now 30 years beyond that once-distant futurethe year itself is almost as far back in our past as it was ahead in Orwells future when his dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty Four was published in 1949.

Looking back, the year wasnt dark or dystopian. The raging infl ation of the late 1970s had been whipped. Reagan was pres-ident and he had the Soviets quaking in their American-made boots. NASA was launch-ing space shuttles like they were Southwest fl ights. Ghostbusters and Beverly Hills Cop were the blockbuster movies (and Blockbuster was as big as Netfl ix is today).

Mark Zuckerberg, who would engineer a twist on the big brother theme of Orwells novel by creating Facebook, was born that year. It was also the year Chrysler intro-duced the mini-van and Apple Computer introduced the Macintosh.

And in Marble Falls, Texas, an out-door magazine called Texas Fish & Game published its fi rst issue. Or, rather, a group of people at the areas weekly newspaper published it. I was one of them, and so was my wife, Ardia.

Like the birth of a child, the launch of Fish & Game forever altered our futures and

has been a driving force in our lives. And like our actual children, the magazine has been a source of both breathtaking anxiety and immense pride.

The magazine would not exist if not for the almost impulsive actions of three men: Marvin Spivey, Dan Alvey, and Bill Bray.

IN LATE 1980 MARVIN WAS THE editor the states then-leading outdoor maga-zine, Texas Fisherman, which was headquar-tered in Houston. Marvins wife, Nancy, a talented artist who contributed regularly to that magazine, and would also contribute

THE YEAR 1984, LIKE THE YEAR 2000, WAS ONCE USED AS A SORT

of symbolic shorthand to describe the world of a distant future.

In the case of 1984, that world was always dark and foreboding,

thanks to the pessimist writer George Orwell.

THIRTY YEARS OF

Fea 6-TFG30.indd 40 4/10/14 1:53 PM

later to Fish & Game, suffered with severe asthma and was miserable in the humid southeast Tex

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