Republican Club will meet Monday, September 7, at the Red Barn, 3187 Hwy 35 South between the 4-way at SH2433 and Buccee’s. Dinner ($11 by reservation only) from 5-5:45 p.m.., meeting to begin 6:00 p.m. County Judge Richard Meyer will speak on the ‘State of the County’.

Public is invited. Complimentary coffee and tea. For dinner reservations, call Connie (552-0917) or Lisa (552-6313).

Download the iSeaTurtle app on Google Play or Apple App Store and help Texas A&M University Scientists study Sea Turtles in the Matagorda Bay Ecosystem. The Matagorda Bay Ecosytem Assessment is a cooperative project between Texas Sea Grant, The Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, the Texas Comptrollers Office and the Plotkin Lab.

Part of the Ecosystem Assesment will study Sea Turtles in Matagorda Bay. There are 3 different species of Sea Turtles that live in this area. Scientists at Texas A&M University have developed the iSeaTurtle app which will allow the public to report Sea Turtles that they see when they are in the bay. Several of the local fishing guides have assisted Texas Sea Grant by field testing the app so modifications could be made before it was released to the general public.

The iSeaTurtle app is availible for both iphone and Andriod devices. The app is free to download and easy to use. Once the user has downloaded the app to their phone all they have to do is open the app and click the “Send Location” button when they observe a sea turtle. Once this is done the app will open a map showing the users location and allow the user to hit the “Submit” button. The location will be sent anonamously to a website that will show the reported location. If you want to see the map showing the locations of the sea turtle sightings go to tx.ag/iSeaTurtle.

When you mark your first sea turtle sighting get someone on your boat to take a picture of you doing it or take a selfie and email it to me at rj.shelly@tamu.edu. We will post it on Texas Sea Grant social media.

Thanks for helping us out. RJ Shelly, Calhoun County Extension Agent – Coastal and Marine Resources

It has been hard to beat the heat lately! Even when you get up before the crack of dawn. You walk outside you immediately start sweating. It’s tough when your not used to it. Hopefully every one has been staying hydrated. If you don’t you are likely to pass out and awake to people pouring cold water on ya. I find myself getting cramps in my calves if I don’t drink enough liquid. How about you? For what its worth, drink pickle juice. The other day I threw a cramp in both legs and I about jumped out of my skin. Luckily, I was at Bubba’s Seafood in Seadrift. They had some pickle juice that saved the day. I wonder if we could make pickle popsicles. Hey don’t knock it til you try it.

It has been a steady South Southwest wind lately which has dropped the tide as if it was a winter low tide. We have been getting plenty of tows for the NOT so shallow running boats. Those sand bars are doozies. The fishing strategies of late have been getting on the Mid Bay Reefs. The deep sides have been producing numbers of keeper trout. The middle of West Bay and San Antonio Bay are easy targets in the mornings before the wind kicks up. Limits of Trout using Croakers have been the norm. Wade Fishing has also been producing trout along both the North and South Shorelines. Tops and tails will do the trick if you like to chunk and wind. Obviously using croaks while wading is almost a guarantee.

Hey, how about those days when we got to get into the surf. Those few days were epic. You couldn’t do NO wrong on the flat days. Which brings up a point I would like to share. Please remember if you are just seeing pictures and reports on fishing the surf you are too late. You have to be here when those slow northers are passing through. If you are lucky you get about 3 perfect days in the surf. The 4th starts getting sketchy and boats start sinking. Don’t take it personal, I push the limit every chance I get to fish the surf. There has been numerous boats that have capsized and sank because they heard the reports the fish are in the surf. Here’s another one. The reds are in the 1st gut. This is true, like right off the beach. We caught some hum dingers within feet of the sand and sea. To be able to get that close, you only get 2 days to get that close.

Over the years, I have noticed these above observations that have gotten many fishermen in a bind. I am talking brand new nice bay boats flipped over because the driver of the rig heard the fish are in the surf. Look, I have had my close calls, all guides have, but we know when to blow the popsicle stand and stay in the bay. Hey, Err on the side of caution.

Tarpon are starting to migrate along the beach front plus in the Pass and also in the bay. The Tarpon Guides are in full swing. That’s an awesome trophy fish that always comes with exciting stories. So now is the time to hook up with a local Tarpon Guide. Oh, I have the gear and minimal know-how but I prefer to find you a salty’r guide who targets them on a regular basis. Give me a call if you need some guidance. And while I am admitting to my guiding species weakness, I will gladly tell you that Triple Tails are in the Bay. This fish is another trophy that takes a talented cast master and good boat driver. It’s a team effort. Once you get the hang of it catching these powerful creatures and landing them you will have the best table fare in the Bay. This is another fish I don’t target and would gladly help you find a triple tail guide.

Before I sign off, Airboat Redfishing has been as hot as the temperature. We had a few misses early the other morning which I thought we missed the daily bite because it was already a scorcher at 9:30 am or 10:00 am. I’m telling you reds and drum were spitting the hooks like a grown man chewing tobacco. Hooks were good, take downs on the rods were textbook but the last little bit to the net was a bust. We were super frustrated. But at 11 AM when it was closing in on 100 degrees tbe Reds started feeding and we started connecting. We got our 3 limits of reds in about an hour. Memorable day for sure.

Hey, Teal Season is about to kick off so holler at me for some weekdays we have open. It’s a change of pace. Fast Pace for sure but a welcome change. Dove Season in Mexico is open so if you want to melt a shotgun barrel you can hit me up for a few days of wing shooting South of the Border, call me.

Stay Hydrated, Safe and Cool

Captain Jeff Larson, 281 217 0399

“Red Hot Airboat Action” – Bay Flats Lodge

With the higher temperatures we’re experiencing right now, we’re finding that we generally seem to do better in the back-country areas over mud and grass on high-tide days. On days when lower tides are the norm, we’re not finding the bite to be very active in back-bay locations where the mud and grass mixture is common. These back bays require a certain level of water in order to be attractive to the fish, especially in real skinny shallows, and especially during the heat of summer.

Anglers shouldn’t altogether give up on the back lakes this month, but should start searching for trout over a hard-sand bottom with a mixture of occasional shell. A lot of anglers will catch their fair share of trout over shell in August and September as a result of their focus upon many of the larger, open-bay shell reefs while tossing live bait. Anglers should do whatever is necessary in order to separate themself from the rest of the fishing crowd while throwing nothing but artificial baits.

Top water lures should be your first go-to bait this month, and you should be tossing them into the darkness of the very early light hours just prior to sunrise, and then again during the hours of the day just adjacent to sunset. Experiment if you will, but a lot of anglers like downsizing their surface baits this month to the smaller-sized lures, especially in instances of very slight wind conditions and little wave action across the surface of the water.

If you’re looking for alternate wading options, you might also like to try concentrating a few wading sessions this month along the leeward shorelines of Espiritu Santo Bay and San Antonio Bay while keying in on sand guts with intermittent grass patches. Many anglers will be doing this a lot in August, and will generally be looking for structure in the neighboring area that shows signs of depressions and pockets running parallel to skinny water along the shorelines. It’s not common for the top water bite to last much past sunrise, so be prepared to switch to plastics while heading out to deeper water as the morning progresses. Good luck, and keep grindin’!

The past couple weeks could have been taken out of any of my daily logs for the end of July and beginning of August over the past ten years.  Calmer mornings with scattered showers are allowing for beautiful sun-rises followed by hot action with speckled trout being the early morning favorite target.  Redfish are right on time again proving that a upper slot limit, nine-pound bruiser will scour warm shallow waters of the marsh or on the shell reefs feeding on crabs, mullet, croaker and who knows what else as they beef up for the approaching Autumn.

Change is in the air as we look forward to the expiration of last years fish and game licensing and gear up for back to school.  An unprecedented number of families are making a last minute push to get the kids down to the coast to make some memories on the water while opting out of large gatherings, settling for more intimate quiet time with loved ones.

Soon we will be discussing how and where to take doves in South Texas and how we can combine a fishing and hunting trip.  Almost time to dust on the decoys and look towards gearing back up for duck season.  It’s time to reclaim your right to fish and hunt and enjoy the great outdoors.  The fish are biting and the days are beginning to close earlier with the sun’s ultimate goal of dropping a bit more in the skies each day.

Don’t be one of those folks who let this time of the year pass you by missing out on some of the best salt water action of the year.  It’s still hot in the late morning and afternoons but to those who like to get it done, it’s happening right now on the middle Texas coast!

Capt. Stephen Boriskie
Bay Flats Lodge, Seadrift, TX
888-677-4868