Calhoun County is my home, and it is where I have chosen to live. This past year has been the most rewarding year of my life as I have had the honor to serve as your Sheriff. As the March 6 primaries approach, we have choices to make. I pray that each citizen will carefully examine the candidates and vote your conscience. That is our constitutional, and God given right.

When the United Sates was formed, it was farmers, educators, lawyers and craftsmen who constituted the newly formed government. Senators and representatives came from all walks of life. Somewhere along the line, “career politicians” became the majority of those in office, and while many remain focused and committed to their constituents, others have become part of the “machine” that runs in Washington. I believe that all of the men running for office in our area are honest and dedicated men.
That being said, I am committed to Calhoun County and its citizens. I am exercising my privilege as a voter to endorse Chris Mapp for Congress District 27. His “America First” values and his vision regarding breaking away from the way so much of the “Washington machine” does things is refreshing and practical.

Chris Mapp is a local businessman who has lived in the district for 22 years and has invested his life in Calhoun County as a local business owner. That matters to me, because I love Calhoun County. This is my home. And I don’t believe there is another candidate running who would be more beneficial for the needs of this area than Chris Mapp.

I encourage you to vote your conscience on March 6. My conscience tells me to vote for Chris Mapp.

Thank you and God bless you,

Sheriff Bobbie Vickery
Calhoun County

Great End to the Season! photo by Capt. Jeff Larson

Great wrap with full straps! Duck Season 2017 – 2018 is in the books. We have been getting the annual question, “How was your season?” Depending on my mood and the age of the person who asks it, The answer ranges from, it was above average to we slammed ‘em all year. I’m not a very good record keeper but when you have been hunting this stretch of the Texas Coast as long as I have, you just know, you feel it. The main priority of a guide is a Safe return to the dock with new memories. We also knocked that out of the park. We sent a bunch of birds to the Taxidermist. The 1st part of the season was Puddlers and Divers. We finished the last month with client limits of Puddlers. The Pintail numbers were up compared to years past and only getting to bag 1 per hunter made the hunts tricky to say the least. It was a great Puddler Year, no doubt. We were slammed with tons of Widgeon and Teal to fill the leather straps. Gaddys came and went throughout the season and with the Pin Constraints you had better know the difference between Grays and Pinny Hens. No mishaps this year.

Hey, The Freeze Out Tourney was a Great Success. Congrats to Ol Jimmy Burns and the Waterloo Crew. They spanked the field again this year, not as hard as last year but a win is a win. It doesn’t go un- noticed to the Hard Core guys who landed in 2nd, E. Simmons Custom Boats Team and 3rd Slow Roll with my friend Capt. Todd Jones. No matter where you ended up on the board you competed against some Bad Ass Fishermen. Great Tourney!!!

Here’s a quick mention, Dawn and I are headed to the SCI Show in Vegas to visit with our extended African Family, SS Pro Safaris, Sure’ Van Zyl and “Mayor”Jason Stone, Stone Safaris – Zambia. If anyone is interested in booking a Safari, I will be glad to help. As of now, 2019 will be the next time, I will be booking a month long Safari. Now 30 plus days isn’t necessary to get some trophies for your wall. 10 days is plenty of time to fill a shipping container full of animals.

Looking into the rest of February, we have plenty of dates available for Trophy Trout and Combat Redfishing this month. The weather is unpredictable at best in February but when the Good Lord gives us a mild day, we are going to take full advantage of it. We are going to get in the mud with the pigs and grind em out. Its what we as guides do this time of year. Pack a lunch and get to chunking. It mirrors the Rut in Texas. Might be today, might be next week or even into March or April that she eases up in the shallows to spawn and/or feed. Lets get busy, lets get out there and find you a wall hanger trout. It will be over before you know it, just like duck season.

Billy Rhyne is holding the Lodge down, so give him a call to check availability for your next middle coast trip. Billy’s direct line is: 713 907 4796.

Maintain your Boat, Check your Batteries and Sharpen your Hooks. Its going to be a good one.

Captain Jeff Larson
281 217 0399

We could probably anticipate the approach of some harsh weather this month as fierce frontal passages make their way down to us from the great white north – places like Canada and Alaska. But don’t let the frosty weather push you off the water entirely this month. Learn to take advantage of the weather patterns associated with these fronts. Some of our most prosperous February days have been the one or two days just prior to the onset of a front when the winds tend to build substantially out of the south. Learn, also, to pay close attention to the backside of these frontal systems, generally the second or third day when the strong north winds begin to subside, the tides begin to level-out again, and the water color once again begins to clear. Those can often be some mighty fine fishing days to look forward to in February.

The process you used for maneuvering your plastic baits in December and January won’t change in February. The secret will be to work them slow. And just when you think you’re moving them as slow as you possibly can, slow down some more. Attempt to pump the lure across the bay floor without reeling it in. This creates miniature vibrations and mud clouds as your bait is slowly worked across the bottom, and this also helps to keep your bait in front of the fish for a longer period of time. This technique has worked on many occasions in February’s cold water, especially on the redfish, and especially when pairing dark-colored plastic tails with very light 1/16-ounce jig heads.

And if it is February reds that you happen to be after, they are not always difficult to find this month due to the transparency of the water that’s brought about by the cold temperatures. Redfish generally feed on the bay bottom, so they have their nose in the mud a lot of the time while foraging for their next meal. This creates a cloudy area in the otherwise clear water that many anglers refer to as “mud boils”. When one or two reds are feeding in the same area, the mud boil may start out no bigger than the size of a dinner plate. Cast your bait beyond the boil, reel the bait to within close proximity of the murky water, and then work the bait slowly across the muddied area. This is a proven technique that has produced over and over again on February reds whenever the water becomes extremely cold and really clear.

Good luck, and keep grindin’!