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Saltwater Fishing News You Can Use by Larry Bozka - Where to Go and What to Throw:Tides, Tackle, Techniques, Terminal Rigging and Knots, Lures and Natural Baits, Tournaments, Fundraisers, Angler Profiles, Weather, Fishing Forecasts and much more.

One development, and one usage tip regarding CoastalAnglers.com …

We have added the Texas Parks & Wildife Department’s Weekly Fishing Reports to our links. These reports do not go into great detail as a rule; however, they do give you a quick and up-front look at coastal (and freshwater) angling developments and trends as they occur.

Secondly, a lot of folks are missing a lot of the photos available via the CoastalAnglers.com photo gallery. The trick to seeing the entire lot is to check the bottom-right-hand side of the page, where you will see “2″ and “3,” (and soon, “4,” “5,” and so on) indicating the availability of many more images on these additional pages. Click on these numbers after viewing a chosen page, and you’ll be able to check out the latest photos posted to the site.

Now is the time to safety-check your boat, motor and trailer.

It’s raining like the dickens outside the office window here in Seabrook, and has shaped up to be … well, to put it bluntly, a lousy weekend for fishing, weather-wise. Rain is forecast to virtually go away by tomorrow, and possibly, this evening. Still, weekend winds are going to set the scene for rough and dirty waters, especially on the Upper Texas Coast. Now is a great time to take care of the boat-related ”gotta-dos” that you have been putting off all spring.

Some things are very easily overlooked. Not the least are related to trailer … a device that doesn’t seem too important until it causes problems. First of all, check the air level in your trailer tires. It’s amazing how much pressure they can lose just sitting in place. If you haven’t added grease to the trailer hubs in a while, get it done for that extra measure of insurance while pulling your boat down the highway. Also, check the power levels in your trolling motors and charge as needed. Ditto for

Read: TPWD Fishing Reports Added; Photo Gallery Viewing Note; Spring Boating Reminders »

This just in from veteran Gulf charterboat skipper Capt. Charles Foster of Blue Chip Charter Services of Sargent, Texas. Capt. Foster has been running Gulf trips for 27 years, and for the past 15 has been headquartered out of Sargent.

Capt. Foster and his wife (and, for all practical purposes, “co-captain,” seeing as how she can out-fish most of the guys I know in the blue-water arena) are extremely knowledgeable. Like many Gulf of Mexico regulars who operate out of Texas, the Fosters are extremely concerned with the current situation regarding red snapper management in Texas offshore waters.

I spent a good deal of time interviewing Dr. Larry McKinney, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Director of Aquatic Resources, about the ongoing controversy during the recently-held Texas Outdoor Writers Association annual meeting in College Station.

It’s a complex story … one that, as I collect more information, I will share with you and everyone at CoastalAnglers.com. Meanwhile, in a nutshell, the federal government’s assessment of Gulf of Mexico red snapper stocks out of Texas, and TPWD’s own carefully-compiled data, are, to put it mildly, “at odds.”

The federal data is largely gleaned from information garnered via snapper population surveys conducted on the Eastern Gulf waters of Alabama and Florida. It’s a whole different region with, according to TPWD, a wholly different situation in terms of snapper abundance. TPWD, I am proud to report, is holding firm in its stance against the feds’ questionable data and regulations. McKinney is currently in meetings with federal representatives, and again, as I gather more information on this controversial and complex scenario, I will pass it on.

Read: Red Snapper Town Hall Meeting Slated for April 25 at UH Clear Lake »

This just in from Rob McCorkle of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. For those who maintain (and usually, correctly) that “nothing is free,” TPWD’s no-charge state park fishing is a wonderful exception to the rule.

Free Fishing, Events and More

AUSTIN, Texas — In Texas, fishing and warmer weather go together like chips and salsa. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department wants those already “hooked” on fishing and newcomers to the sport to keep in mind that Texas state park waters offer ideal and economical spots for pursuing the family-friendly sport.
This year marks the fifth year of the Free Fishing in State Parks program that waives fishing license and stamp requirements within more than 50 Texas state parks. To capitalize on the program, which has been extended through Aug. 31, 2008, a dozen state parks are hosting “Free Fishing in State Parks” events where participants learn fishing skills, angling rules and regulations, have a chance to hook a fish and perhaps win door prizes such as rods and reels.
“Allowing free fishing in our state parks serves the dual purpose of reaching out to people who are not traditional fishing license holders by removing barriers to the sport and providing another incentive to visit a state park,” says state parks promotions coordinator Bryan Frazier.
“We’re getting good feedback from the parks and participants that this has become a popular program and something park visitors truly appreciate because it encourages a family activity like fishing,” Frazier says. “We’re happy to offer the opportunity that goes to the mission of state parks and our agency to connect people to outdoor activities, such as fishing, that brings families together.”
Statistics gathered last year by TPWD show that 44 Free Fishing in State Parks events reached more than 1,500 adults and youth. Of that number, 28 percent of the youngsters surveyed had never fished before and 43 percent of the adults noted they had never been to the host park before. TPWD hopes that will translate into future fishing licenses and equipment sales.
Thanks to various sponsors such as Gander Mountain, fishing event participants walk away not only with newly acquired fishing skills, such as learning how to tie and bait a hook, but also with freshwater and saltwater fishing guides, water bottles, lures, fishing photo magnets, visors, fishing rods and other giveaways.
Choke Canyon State Park fishing event coordinator Darwin Klontz tallied 34 kids and 21 adults at the park’s March “Reel Family Fishing Fun” event that he publicized locally through promotional flyers and a radio public service announcement. Three similar events are scheduled at Choke Canyon for April 19, May 31 and June 12.

Read: No-Charge Angling Privileges at Select Texas State Parks »

 They run in schools, but they don’t get nearly as large as their speckled cousins. They’re aggressive feeders, prone to feeding binges that will help an angler of any skill level collect a fair-sized freezer bag of fillets in very short order. Like speckled trout, they have onion-skin-thin mouths, and are pretty adept at throwing jigheads free when too much pressure is applied.
 People compare sand trout to speckled trout all the time, but there is really no reason to do so. The silvery little carnivores hold their own just fine; thank you.
 My brothers and I grew up fishing the Pelican Island and Galveston Jetty area with my dad, the late Bill Bozka, Sr. of Pearland. Dad knew what it took to keep kids interested in fishing … action, and lots of it.
 In turn, the hordes of sandies that occasionally roamed beneath the pilings of the Pelican Island obliged by providing us countless catches.
 What Cynoscion arenarius lacks in size, it makes up in quantity. (Just in case taxonomy is your thing, the speckled trout goes by the Latin moniker Cynoscion nebulosus.)
 The current state record stands at 6.25 pounds. I have seen, at the largest, sand trout that weighed almost half that much. Again, though, catching these prolific speedsters is not a matter of trophy-seeking, but instead one of sheer, productive fun.
 Sand trout fillets do not hold up well in the freezer, even when vacuum-packed. But for a family or neighborly fish fry, I’ll put fresh sand trout up against any fish that swims, especially when fried with a light coat of corn meal in a searing pan of peanut oil.
 On occasion… and when I am feeling particularly health-minded … I’ll take the fresh fillets, dredge them in olive oil, apply a moderate sprinkling of the ever-versatile Tony Cachere seasoning and drop them into a hot frying pan, leaving them on the stove just long enough to turn one side white, flip the fillet, and do the same with the other.
 That recipe, by the way, works equally well with not only speckled trout fillets, but also the fillets of virtually any edible fish. Using that process, I can have a trout cleaned, with an electric knife, in all of a minute (the sand trout is very easy to fillet, as like the speck, it does not have the large and much stouter bones of redfish, snapper and other like species).
 I rinse off the fillets, apply the olive oil, put them in the lightly-oiled pan … again, lightly seasoned (use whatever spice mix you prefer) … and have the fisherman’s version of

Read: The Feisty, Tasty Sand Trout is Well Worth a Cast »

This just in from Texas Parks & Wildlife Department staffer Tom Harvey … news on an event that over the years has gained tremendous, not to mention, international attention.

With the currently soaring popularity of bird watching, the Great Texas Birding Classic is now among the premier birding-related events on the planet. I recall being on an airplane around five years ago when I met a young man who was on his way to Houston from his home in Toronto.

The sole purpose of his journey? To compete in this hard-core conservation-conscious fundraising competition … and make no mistake, it is indeed a competition.

Throughout the past decade, and particularly during the past five years, I’ve literally focused a great deal of attention on photographing Gulf Coast shorebird species. I’ve carried my Nikkor 400mm into some pretty funky places to capture high-quality shorebird images, everywhere from national wildlife refuge marshlands to bay bottoms that hold nothing but mud for the first six inches. It’s always an adventure, albeit an exhausting one.

Anyone who considers birding a “girly” sport really needs to spend a few days hard on the trail of the Texas Coast’s avian residents. In terms of dedication and endurance, the pastime shares a great deal in common with duck hunting on coastal marshes.

If you’ve ever done that one, you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, trust me when I say that the typical coastal wetland habitat doesn’t exactly roll out a red carpet and crank up the air conditioning when you arrive. Nor does it automatically generate mosquito repellent.

If nothing else, an awareness of coastal shorebirds opens the eyes, and in a big way, to the myriad life forms that we so often ignore when our attention is solely focused on a shallow-water reef that promises to be quality speckled trout or redfish habitat.

Stop now and then to see the roses … well, actually, roseate spoonbills …. and you’ll quickly discover that our favorite shallow-water fishing haunts hold far, far more than the potential for bent trout rods and heavy stringers.

And then, if you are really serious, check out the following information on this year’s Great Texas Birding Classic
Close Encounters of the Bird Kind
Birding for conservation attracts the hard-core

AUSTIN, Texas — Spring is in the air, and so are birds migrating along the Texas coast. For 12 years, the Great Texas Birding Classic has capitalized on this natural phenomenon and turned it into a healthy competition to raise funds for avian habitat conservation projects.
For an entire week, people travel to Texas from across the U.S. to test their birding skills. Winning teams get to choose how prize money is spent, directing dollars to protect or restore coastal habitat that sustains birds and ecotourism. The Gulf Coast Bird Observatory partners with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and local communities to host the event.
“There is always something new, and this year we added an ‘Energy Saver’ category,” says Carol Jones with the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, tournament coordinator for the past four years. The new category rewards teams who can count the most bird species per mile, requiring they travel at least 50 miles.
The annual event involves adult and youth teams traveling through 41 Texas counties along the coast, spotting and recording as many bird species as they can. The winning teams in several tournament categories decide which pre-approved conservation projects will receive grant money. Last year, $73,000 was divided among seven projects for land acquisition, land restoration, or enhancements for birdwatchers.
“We attract hard-core birders, who travel extensively to see a single species, as well as casual birders who just want to have a good time with their friends while conserving nature,” says Shelly Plante, TPWD nature tourism coordinator.
No expertise is required to compete in the various tournaments, and there are special events for children and teenagers, the “conservationists of the future.” There is even an event called the “Big Sit,” a kind of tailgating party for birders, where teams see who can count the most birds in one location.
Jones expects nearly 350 participants this year, coming from all across the United States and Canada. This makes sense as Texas has “four of the top birding sites in the nation, three of them along the coast,” according to Plante.
To register for the 2008 Birding Classic, contact Jones at the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory or visit the event Web site. Birding visitors can also visit the Great Texas Wildlife Trails map section for more information on the types of birds in Texas and where to see them.

On the Net:
http://www.birdingclassic.org/
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/wildlife_trails/
 

Read: Great Texas Birding Classic Returns April 27-May 4 »