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- Grand Isle, LA by Al Rogers
Made
to Wade... & Walk
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- For many anglers, rituals have
become closely associated with their fishing trips. It may be as formal
as a group prayer or safety meeting in the helm, or something as casual
as a routine stop at the same bait, coffee shop or gas station. One of
my biggest rituals takes place each spring.
I start by filling my tackle bins with lightly colored baits to replace
the darker, winter colors. I know there are different schools of thought
on this, but I just feel the lighter colors (i.e. clear and chartreuse)
are better suited as cleaner water conditions prevail in the spring.
After cleaning and oiling my best reels and fixing any broken eyes on
my rods, I'll replace the hooks on my favorite topwater plugs. Then I'll
make live bait rigs with new popping corks and fluorocarbon leader.
And, I'll call Greg Jack, my go-to man in Grand Isle, Louisiana.
- Touring Texas by
Capt. Danno Wise
- Top Spots for Trophy Spring Specks
Texas' coastal curve was once a playground
for plundering pirates, anxious to grab the treasure aboard passing Spanish
galleons.
Today, it is fishermen who flock to the over 300 mile long coastline
of the Lone Star State. However, like the pirates before them, they have
treasure in mind, only today it is in the form of giant speckled trout.
From South Padre Island to Sabine Lake, Texas saltwater fishermen have
a variety of venues capable of producing an over 30-inch speckled trout.
Mark these spots on your map and you'll drastically increase your odds of
striking it rich on your next trophy trout treasure hunt.
- SABINE LAKE
- Location: Upper Texas Coast
- Primary Feature: Mud and mussel shell
- Top Baits: MirrOlure Top Dog, Texas Tackle Factory Big Mino
- Top Spot: Louisiana Shoreline, Coffee Ground Cove
- Tips & Tricks: Most of the fish will be taken over shell
beds in 2 to 4 feet of water. It is best to stand, or anchor if fishing
from a boat, at some distance away and cast to the shell beds. A shell
bed over muddy bottom near a marsh drain deserves extra special attention,
especially during a falling tide. Also, think dark when fishing Sabine.
Since the lake's water is often off-color, Morning Glory and Red Shad are
often the best colors. In topwater baits, black/chartreuse or black/red
work well....
- Mississippi Barrier Islands -
- Pompano Paradise by Capt. Robert Brodie
Starting in April and running well into
October in-the-know anglers in south Mississippi have the opportunity to
fish one of the best Florida pompano runs in southern waters. Yes, that's
right, and these fish aren't dinks with most specimens well over a pound
with many over three pounds.
Pompano are a light tackle anglers dream come true, a lightning fast
swimmer capable of making incredible runs mixed with frantic leaps. These
small exotics, a mini version of a permit, prowl the shallow flats of Mississippi's
barrier islands sandy bottoms looking for tiny morsels of food including
coquina clams, sand fleas, and various small crabs.
All of the barrier isles including Petit Bois, Sand Island, Horn Island,
East and West Ship Island, as well as Cat Island have miles and miles of
crystal clear shallow flats and bars that lure in the silver beauties. Besides
their great fighting ability, Florida pompano are considered one of the
finest eating fish on the planet.
Many anglers locate pompano while cruising the shallows waiting for fish
to start jumping in their wake, and then back track and begin fishing. It's
possible to drift for them, but anchoring up and setting out the proper
rigs seems to be the most effective method.
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- Gulf Coast Closeup - by Nate Skinner
- Texas City, Texas... A diamond in the rough
If you ever find yourself on south Highway 146 heading toward Galveston
Island from the Kemah/Bacliff area of Texas and look towards the east, the
unmistakable site of industrial smoke stacks can be seen miles away, as
their flares burn bright in the smoky haze. Below this layer of atmospheric
smog, lies a seaport town right smack dab in the middle of Galveston Bay,
known as Texas City, Texas.
My hometown of 21 years, Texas City is commonly seen by outsiders, as
the "arm pit" of the world, with little to offer other than "blue-collar"
jobs and health concerns for residents. However, from an angler's point
of view, I think visitors, as well as locals, would argue that this seaport
location puts fishermen on an ideal spot in Galveston Bay for something
incredible to happen.
Lying about 40 miles southeast of Houston, Texas City traces its roots
back to several small settlements along Galveston Bay as early as the 1830's,
including the very first settlement of Campbell's Bayou near Virginia Point,
both of which can still be seen on current maps of the bay system. Texas
City has for the most part, lent itself to the shipping industry serving
as one of the main ports in the state, as well as one of the largest until
the development of the Port of Houston.
In the past century, the petroleum industry has taken over much of the
labor force within the town and surrounding cities and counties, as it is
home to one of the largest petroleum/chemical plant centers in the state.
With all the commotion from petroleum companies, it is difficult at times
to see the beauty of what Texas City's coastal access to the Galveston Bay
Complex has to offer. As the largest estuary in the state, it stretches
some 610 square miles and is composed of five bays: Trinity Bay, Upper Galveston
Bay, Lower Galveston Bay, West Bay, and East Bay...
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- This issue in OUR DEPARTMENTS...
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- Paddling Out - Bragging
Rights - by Jeff Herman
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- Rod & Reel'n Offshore - Flash Weights - by
Patrick Lemire
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- Equipment Notebook
- Install
a Boat Compass - by David Ayers
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- The Bay Naturalist
- Oyster Defense System - by
John Hook
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- The Fly Guy -
Refined Surf Tactics
- by Pete Cooper, Jr.
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- Tackle Time
- My Aching Feet - Latest in Wading Shoes
- by Colby Sorrells
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- Bait Hook
- Jumping to Conclusions - by Jim Martin
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- From the Publisher...
- Besides all these great articles and departments, Gulf Coast Fisherman
is the only source for the Wells Daily Fishing Forecast.
Each issue carries three months of the Wells Daily
Fishing Forecast - with Monthly Fishing Calendars. Also, don't forget
about the Advance Planning Calendars in each issue that takes you out three
months past the current issue. This will provide what you need to intelligently
plan your fishing trips - hours, weeks, and up to six months in advance!
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- Top saltwater guides and fishermen use the Wells Daily Fishing Forecast - shouldn't you be using it ,too?...
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- "The fisherman that knows what the currents
are doing has the advantage - over fish and fishermen!"
- And remember - "Fish feed everyday, somewhere
" - Harold Wells
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- Gary Ralston
- Publisher
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- Home
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