Nothing like a Full Moon to bring out the “need to feel it and reel it”. We’ve been going for the big pull here lately and drag burning Reds have been in the crosshairs and answered the call. Trout fishing has been a go to as winds come down and more than a spot or two becomes fishable. We’re finding ourselves on super low water levels at present and that has made for really challenging conditions. Not everything comes up roses but we can’t complain, just have to keep plugging away.

Mud/grass environs have seen strong schooling action on pods of Redfish in the slot to 27.75” while Trout numbers continue coming off of mid depth shell. There isn’t anything quite as rewarding as seeing young and old alike battling Texas Redfish in 12” of water or bowed up on aggressively feeding Trout. I had a youngster yesterday that got tangled up with a 23” Trout that just about took him out of the boat on the initial strike! That’s building the next generation of Texas fisherman for sure.

Caution:
Switching to Fireline Radial Braid sometime ago, I was concerned about folks that think they have to touch or keep a finger on the line when terminal fishing. Sure enough, that’s not a good idea especially fishing with braid. I had a client that kept putting his finger on the line despite my warnings. When a Redfish tried to tear the rod out of his hand he came up looking for a Band Aid. So don’t do it.

Capt. Kris Kelley
Castaway Lodge
1-888-618-4868
www.seadriftbayfishing.com

Fishing with Castawy Lodge

Will Hunt, 9 years old, of Friendswood, Texas, caught this 21 -1/2 inch trout in Port O’Connor over the 4th of July weekend while fishing with his grandparents.

Ken Harter, Edna, TX, Don Larsen, Cedar Park, TX, Danny Murphy and Willard Ulbricht, Edna, TX caught a nice box of fish at the jetties including trout to 26”, fishing with Capt. Bob Hill.

Conditions have been pretty good of late. The wind has been much more manageable and the tides have been OK. Of course its been hot and dry but of course it is July. Some of the forecasts are beginning to predict some precipitation over the next week or so but we’ll just keep our fingers crossed and hope they’re right. Fishing has been pretty good lately.

Most of the bays have been giving up some trout. The oyster shell from here to Panther (and beyond for those who can afford the gas) has been real good for artificials and live bait. I’ve heard that there are trout at Greens but I haven’t been there lately.

The surf was good for a few days but for the last week it has been a bit rough to fish safely.

The jetties have been good for reds and drum and lately there have been some hog trout out there as well. The tarpon are showing up when the water is clear and I saw a 40 pound kingfish on Capt. Bill’s boat today.

All in all I’d say the Summer pattern is here. Be sure to protect yourself from this heat and stay hydrated. A little sunscreen can go a long way toward keeping you comfortable.

Capt. Bob Hill Port O’Connor Charters
(361) 983-4325 www.fishportoconnor.com

Joseph Williams of Cleveland, TX, fishes the Trinity River below Lake Livingston dam about 30 weekends a year, trying to catch big alligator gar and release them alive. In April he landed a 200-pound-plus monster that did not survive and became the rod and reel record for the Trinity, but he had a higher goal in mind: the state catch-and-release record, which requires that fish be photographed, measured and released alive.

On July 4 Williams succeeded, landing and releasing an 88-inch-long gar that he will submit for recognition as the new state catch-and-release record. Williams is passionate about conserving these trophy fish, using a circle hook or small treble hook to hook them in the mouth. He fishes from a small, 14-foot boat that lets the fish tow him around without straightening the hook. Williams’s fish topped the previous catch-and-release record of 80 inches caught by Leo Flores from Choke Canyon Reservoir in March 2011.

Voice Your Opinion: Comment Period Closes July 30

ALEXANDRIA, Va., July 13, 2011 – As a result of a proposal by a private company to use radio frequency bandwidth right next to the existing GPS radio bandwidth, the future reliability of the GPS system across the United States is now in question. The nation’s largest recreational boaters group, BoatUS, says boaters could have a hard time avoiding treacherous shoals or simply finding their way home if GPS signals are interfered with, and is urging boaters to speak out during a 30-day comment period.

“This is a remarkably short comment period for an issue that has such dire consequences for America’s boaters and every other GPS user in the country,” said BoatUS Vice President of Government Affairs Margaret Podlich.

At issue is an unusual conditional waiver granted in January by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to a broadband wireless communications provider, LightSquared, to permit the dramatic expansion of land-based use of mobile satellite spectrum. This spectrum, or frequency bandwidth, is directly adjacent to the frequencies used for Global Positioning System (GPS) communications.

The company has proposed to build 40,000 ground stations. LightSquared’s high-powered ground-based transmissions from these stations have shown to cause interference in hundreds of millions of GPS receivers across a wide range of uses, including aviation, marine, emergency response and industrial users such as delivery and trucking companies. A new report requested by the FCC says, “all phases of the LightSquared deployment plan will result in widespread harmful interference to GPS signals and service and that mitigation is not possible.”

Recreational boaters lost their only other viable navigation system, LORAN, when the Department of Homeland Security shut the system down last year. At that time the US Coast Guard urged mariners to shift to GPS-based navigation systems. Boaters rely on GPS-enabled chart-plotters to steer clear of navigation hazards, keep them in the safety of deep-water channels, or even get them home when storms shut down visibility. “They are a critical piece of safety gear,” said Podlich. “What will boaters do if they are unreliable, and how will the US Coast Guard’s new emergency search and rescue system that stands watch over 36,985 miles of coastline, Rescue 21, remain effective, since it relies on GPS?”

Boaters and other GPS users are urged to speak up now by going to www.BoatUS.com/gov to send their comments to the FCC and their members of Congress.

BoatUS is a member of the Coalition to Save Our GPS, which works to resolve this serious threat to the GPS system.

About BoatUS:
BoatUS – Boat Owners Association of The United States – is the nation’s leading advocate for recreational boaters providing over half a million members with government representation, programs and money-saving services. For membership information visit www.BoatUS.com or call 800-395-2628.