Trophy Speck -Caught & Released, Capt. Nick Dahlman, BFL

November is generally the initial month for some fairly noticeable transitions along the coastline of Texas.  This means we should have already experienced a couple significant cooling trends, and air and water temperatures will have already begun to drop as a direct result.  Along with changing weather conditions, we will begin to experience other types of transitions, as well.  The first transition, or change, this month will be the incorporation of Daylight Savings Time, which means we’ll begin seeing less daylight with each passing day.  We’ll be officially entering into the wintertime months, so another change would be that we should learn to expect a greater potential for foul weather as we proceed into colder months.  Another transition will be the fact that trout and reds will now begin looking for mud and grass or mud and shell instead of sand.  The sand is great for spring and summertime conditions where the fish are looking for the warmth of the sun to reflect off the sand, but when the days turn cold those fish are going to be looking for warmth that can only be radiated and stored by that of thick, black mud.

Another transition taking place this month will be the metabolism of the fish.  As early as two or three weeks ago these fish were probably eating a meal at every opportunity, or whenever they had a craving to do so.  Now, once the temperature of the wind and the water have dropped considerably, so too shall the feeding periods for the fish.  Fish often get quite lethargic during the colder months of the year, and their feeding pattern slows down greatly as a result.  They would probably much rather eat one large meal instead of expounding the energy of eating several small meals throughout the course of each day.  This is the very reason why anglers should always cast to a single mullet jumping in the wintertime.  More times than not, the single mullet that is jumping is really big and is being slowly chased by a really hungry trout or red fish that’s looking for their one, single meal for that day.

Your choice of artificial baits should also begin a transition in November.  As mentioned earlier, the fish are sometimes chasing one large meal per day, so you should start tossing much larger surface baits beginning in November.  And in doing so, also begin slowing your retrieve to a snail’s pace, often raising the tip of the rod only once or twice in a 10-15 second period.  And, begin using darker baits this month as they tend to portray a much more distinctive silhouette and work exceptionally well in low-light conditions.  Until next time, tight lines to all!

Otis “Wayne” Gregory was called to be with the Lord on November 3, 2018 at the age of 71.

Wayne is predeceased by his parents Otis Price Gregory and Mary Frances Gregory. He is survived by his loving wife Sherrel, his siblings; Sue Baker and John Paul Gregory and wife Connie, his daughters; Donna Lin Fagan, Jackie Gregory and wife Michelle, Angel Laurio and husband Elmer, and Lori Perez, 10 grandchildren, 1 great-grandson, nieces, nephews, and the rest of his family and friends, all who were loved very dearly.

Wayne was born in Texas City, where he had many fond childhood memories discovering his love for the water. Wayne honorably served his country during the Vietnam War. He moved to his beloved Port O’Connor later in life and enjoyed working with the local fishing community at Rudy’s Bait Shop. Wayne loved living near the water and spent countless days fishing with his wife, family, and friends.

The funeral service was held on November 7th, 2018 at Richardson-Colonial Funeral Home. Burial followed the funeral at Port O’Connor Cemetery. A celebration of life reception was held at the Port O’Connor Community Center following the burial.

Maria C. Garza, age 92 of Seadrift passed away on Sunday, November 11, 2018.

Funeral Mass was at 2:00 p.m. on November 14, 2018 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Seadrift.
Burial followed at Seadrift Cemetery.

Last year, I wrote about the one ‘problem’ I have with the holidays, namely that almost immediately after giving thanks for what we are already lucky enough to have, we flock to shopping centers and push and shove and possibly injure our way through others to get the latest technical innovation or newest bauble.

This devalues the actual good aspect of this holiday, which you might as well call ‘The American Day of Personal Reflection,’ because those same technical wonders and fresh distractions keep us from focusing and thinking about ourselves and not in terms of wants or what we don’t have, but rather what we already do.

It seems simple enough but is hard to accomplish. There are the almost standard tropes of writing an article like this, lines like how you are most likely not homeless while you are reading this and have never had to skip a meal unless you were dieting (and if you are reading this while in those situations, I wish for better days ahead for you), but there are always the smaller things, the reasons to be grateful you may not even fully realize until they are not there.

In that case be glad for those past memories, for all of us in almost every situation no matter how dire, those past instances where one night seemed to last forever and a day, things and people were new and inviting, the air was stimulating and the time just tasted full of life and vigor.

Point it is that this time coming up should be one where we first focus on what we as individuals have internally that is good, looking back also on the more positive aspects of the past and then in the coming months, not just December through Christmas and New Year’s Day, push that goodwill, love, and positivity outwards into the world around us, bringing others into our spheres of light and joy and changing the Earth besides.

Today modernly there is too much ill will out there already, too many opposing forces, too many things and events that have shaken the nation for which this holiday of Thanksgiving calls its homeland. Healing those wounds begins at home and in our hearts, and the next year coming around the corner soon could be one for the ages….Happy Thanksgiving.