My neighbors Parker and Patty are always telling me how proud they are to be a part of Port O’Connor, Texas. They say it is a great community and so friendly. Recently their grandlittles were visiting during the unusual starfish grounding at Kingfisher Beach. The littles enjoyed the new beach all summer and were excited to have beach time again. When they got to the beach and saw all the starfish on the sand they were amazed. The 7 and 9-year-old marveled and carefully picked 2 each to keep. The five-year-old was a little reluctant, but eventually touched one and that was all it took to get him interested in the starfish phenomenon. The 3-year-old never did get past her horror and sadness that the ‘farstish’ got lost. She picked up dozens of them and carefully set them back in the water telling them sternly to ‘go home’ just as she tells her errant pup who tries to follow her out of the yard. Small starfish were placed next to large ones that she thought might be their mommas. She sang ‘farstish’ songs, petted them, put them back in the surf and tried her very best to help them get ‘found.’ The littlest grand was laughed at by her sibling and cousins and cried a little. Her Daddy attempted to reason with her that the starfish were not lost, but she told him ‘farstish’ live in water and had to be lost there on the beach. Grandy tried to comfort her by telling her there were lots of starfish in the sea, but she remained unconvinced and even told him he had taught her that fish died out of the water when he took her fishing. The little one ran miles on the short stretch of beach and put dozens of starfish back in the water. She was too young to realize many were already dead or that most washed right back up when she turned to save the next two. Her small hands were gentle and her little face intense as she tried to rescue the lost ‘farstish.’ Despite her brother’s best efforts, she never did learn to say starfish correctly. Come bedtime she even prayed for the lost ‘farstish’ to get home. And with the unwavering faith of the very young, when she visited the beach several days later, she was confident that her rescued ‘farstish’ had made it home because so few were left on the beach compared to her rescue day. She told her Momma that that’s what friends do when their friends get lost. They help them find their way back home. Wow! What a lesson. I hope to be a friend like that. And a little child shall lead them

Friends and Family Opener: Prois Pro Mitzi Wiess putting her hubby and friend, Glen, on some migrators. -Capt. Jeff Larson

Wow!!! October was Awesome!!! And November is starting off with a BANG!
Despite the unpredictable crazy weather we have been enduring, this time of year is magical. The Fall Equinox fills up our back bays with fish and ducks. The northers pushes them out for new to arrive. We are so lucky to have found such a Big Slice of Heaven. The ones that call the Mid Coast Home are the luckiest, so it seems to me. The others that visit and/or have a second pad down here also appreciate the Texas Beauty and Bounty.

The Fishing has been better than average all year. The Beasts and Fowl are cooperating as we traverse the country side filling our tags and bags.

Social Media depicts most of it as it draws more and more people to our small towns along the middle coast. And that’s a Good Thing. As a local guide, I’m thankful for the business and the relationships that have transpired over many sunrises and sunsets. Yeah, Saturdays get crowded with the DIY’rs but that’s part of it. Just plan for it! Everyone sees the same beauty of the resource we all have down here. With some patience, planning and some courtesy, we all can enjoy it together.

For the couple that believe some how they are entitled to a spot, make sure you have the title. Otherwise the referees will call the fowl, pun intended.

October was a great month for Reds. We smoked em. Trout were there also with the advantage going to the wade fishermen and ladies.

Flounder Gigging was a bit off due to the wet weather and its run off. We have some hard chargers that live for Floundering in the Fall, they posted some good boxes. I believe we had better conditions in November but we can’t Gig ‘Em. I’m ok with a smaller limit but to take away a means of harvest, COME ON!, that’s how you grow the sport with kiddos and keep the heritage a live. Enough Soap Box!

Cast and Blast November! It’s On! Come get ya some!

The Duck Opener was perfect. Saturday Morning everyone Spanked em! for the most part. Sunday was a little rougher with a wet front that eased in on us as we took advantage of the migrators fighting the wind change. Gotta Love Sitka Gear and Simms when that wind and rain hits. Extreme Weather is made easy with a good jacket and bottoms.

Tomorrow is looking like another duck pusher with some high north winds and colder temperatures. Hey it’s a Duck Hunters Dream as these babies pull through. You have to be smart and DO NOT TAKE UNNECESSARY CHANCES CROSSING THAT BAY.

We hear about it year after year, people getting stranded or worse, DIE. Duck Hunting drives DUCK MEN to take chances plain and simple. We know it’s going to be righteous and some people have tight time lines that push DUCK HUNTERS To the EDGE.

I get them calls every year. HEY Capt.! Can you come get me???

Me: What the Heck were you thinking???

What’s your Credit Card Number and what’s your LIMIT??? I’m on my way.

Yeah, sounds mean but hopefully next time you wait it out to hunt another day.

Some say it’s a Passion!!

I believe and my Beautiful Wife Dawn knows it “IS” an Addiction. The only cure is Death or the Season is Closed. And I’m not dead, yet. We get it.

So let’s all appreciate this Time of Year and Make Some Good Long Lasting Memories Together in the Outdoors. If You need some help coordinating a Texas Cast and Blast give Billy a Call at: (713) 907 4796 Billy will hook you up.

Stay Warm, Stay Safe and Stay with Us,
Captain Jeff Larson 281 217 0399

The time has come to lend legitimacy to the camouflage wearables we display year round as this coming weekend is the opener for duck season in the Mid Coast. I could tell you how prepared I am for it with all my gear in order and decoys patched up from last season’s misguided shots and how my duck blinds are brushed up and ready for action but that would be a flat out fabrication of reality!

What I can say is that I am excited for the change of seasons and I am looking forward to the sound of wings soaring overhead in the pitch black as we patiently await the alarm sounding SHOOTING TIME! Also I can say that I have actually looked at my shotguns as they are still oiled up and tucked away safely in the gun cabinet and I have tallied the number of shot shells that somehow made it through last season without being expended. Like you may have done already, I too have thumbed through the Fall hunting magazines and catalogs making sure I tab the must haves to outfit my already overstuffed hunting closet. You know the one, outside of course and in the garage by the work bench because none of that stuff is allowed in the house by my better half. Shoot it may even still carry the smell of gunpowder and marsh mix since I am not sure I laundered it upon the closer in January!

Yes I have a mental picture and plenty of memories of hunts gone by and I revel in those because I have had some good times out in the marsh with both customers at the lodge and friends and family. There’s nothing like the work and preparation it takes to make these hunts great and memorable and it takes some serious time and effort to pull it off well. Surely you realize also there is a good amount of luck involved because as I am reminded every year, heck almost every hunt, if the ducks don’t want to be where you are then you are looking at a long flightless hunt in the blind. The key to reducing this is simple, you have to know where the birds are and where they will likely light on a daily basis. How do you know where this will occur? Scouting!

Time spent scouting birds the day before a hunt is a double edged sword. On the one hand you don’t usually have time to go out and do it, and on the other hand where they want to be is not where you are prepared to host a four man, in our case, hunt with all their gear and sometimes limited mobility. Finding the time to scout can be accomplished a couple different ways, however. I like going out and performing a quick round of high speed boating on the bay to see where the action is going to be based on the numbers of ducks observed. The other way to do this is by getting a network of guys out on the water and dividing up the bays to find them and then sharing the information. So what if you don’t have a blind already built in a good spot for the hunt? Do what we do and take the blind to the hunt! Be moble and prepare for those whom you are guiding by taking benches or chairs and definitely bring fresh cut brush with you. I said it’s all about preparedness and this is proof that all these elements will have you doing the other thing mentioned-WORK!

Knowing your way around the bay is crucial to your success down here in the Mid Coast but equally important is your ability to navigate your vessel in some of the most demanding weather scenarios. Safety is the forefront of our trips around the lodge for instance and we seldom blast off in unsafe conditions such as fog or heavy rain. Why risk someone’s life to kill a few ducks? Every year it seems we hear a report of a life or lives being taken during duck season due to unpreparedness and/or life threatening weather conditions not being taken serious enough. Let’s make the 2018-2019 duck season one that is the best it can be by slowing things down and thinking through our actions being courteous on the water and being prepared so that safety, both on the boat and in the blind are the utmost in our minds; and let’s go out there and teach what we know. Take the kids and teach them all the wonderful elements of this sport because they will surely gain a lifetime of enjoyment of the memories you make today and they will be equipped to share their own knowledge and enthusiasm with those new to the sport for decades to come.

Capt. Stephen Boriske
Bay Flats Lodge 512-589-1916