Mr. & Mrs. Devon Walker

Ashton Horne, daughter of Gary and Tracey Horne of Victoria and Devon Walker, son of Doug and Mary Jo Walker of Port O’Connor, celebrated their marriage on Saturday, March 19, 2016 at Holiday Garden Inn in Victoria. Best wishes to this lovely, young couple!

Lions Club serves many needs in both local and worldwide communities. Collecting usable glasses for people in need, helping with beach clean-up and collecting food for local food pantries are just some of the club projects. They are currently reorganizing the POC Lions Club that will work to serve this community. If you are interested in helping serve our community, please feel free to attend one of the meetings at First National Bank the first Monday of every month at 4:00 PM. Come see what we are all about.

Spring Break Gobbler! Making Memories in Calhoun County.
-Capt. Jeff Larson

Spring Break is over, we made it through another one without any major problems. Plenty of fish were caught to keep the visitors happy. March in the Marsh was really good due to the high tides. The back bays and lakes were full of water and boats. ITS ALL GOOD…for the most part, everyone seemed to respect one another and give way to the fishermen who arrived 1st. The boat traffic seems to really help push the reds around when they are not really swimming around much. Even fishing the ICW, the barge traffic sends a false tide which really puts trout and drum on a feeding frenzy. When the bite is slow boat traffic can push a loitering school of reds into casting range or through your bait set.

We had some great trips in March, not just fishing either. Turkey hunting has been great this year. Spring Turkey Season started off in March with Youth Weekend. It coincides with our youths Spring Break weekend. Scott hosted Brennen and I on a fabulous Turkey Hunt. We did not see any Turkeys opening day but perseverance paid off. We went back Sunday after Scott had scouted earlier that morning and gave us heads up on a flock of ‘em on the northern section of the ranch. He put us in the honey hole and within minutes we had Hens and Jakes pecking and spurring our Avian X for a long time. The Big Ol Boss Gobbler couldn’t resist my sweet talking calls and the fighting between his girlfriends and our decoys. The stud came around a big mesquite bush, strutting and bellowing gobbles that makes hunters shake like Buck Fever. I wasn’t under the gun but was still shaking like it was a monster deer. Never the less, the Big Ol Stud got within 10 yards of us. And without blinking an eye Brennen smoked checked Mr. Tom Turkey with a knock out punch to the jugular. We didn’t weigh it but it scored 1 ½” spur on the left leg, 1 ¼ “ spur on the right leg, with a 9” beard. Great Spring Break opener, Thanks to the Saltwater Lodge Ranch.

March ended up a great month with many smiles and memories for the ones that were lucky to spend their vacation in Calhoun County.
The 1st week in April is opening up to some epic top water action. The fish are heavy into their spring fling. Big momma trout are skinny and fat if you know what I mean. We have been seeing some big ‘unz, some bite some don’t. That’s why they call it……not catching. We happen to be in a low tide week. The towing and asset recovery business is in an up swing for me this week. Good for me but not so good for the fishermen who thinks their prop boat is the shallowest boat in the world. Errr on the side of caution, that’s my tip of the month, cause you should already have a phone number and credit card ready. If you aren’t sure what our tides are, please ask someone.

Power Pole Pro Sandy Fletcher with stretched lines and blue skies.

Catching big fish at the jetties is certainly not guaranteed, but if you’re in the right place at the right time it can be a rod bending adventure that you won’t soon forget. Capt. Robert Sloan photo

Greg Simmons had never been saltwater fishing a day in his life, but after we got anchored up at the jetties he was converted in no time flat. His first drop to bottom with a live shrimp just about got the rod yanked out of his hands.

“What do I do!” he yelled.

My immediate reply was to not let go of the rod and reel. Inside of five minutes we had netted a 38 pound bull red and he was ready to sell his bass fishing tackle.
Fishing the jetties is a thrill a minute on most days. It’s exciting fishing that can hook you up with anything from a big speckled trout to a jumping tarpon. Other fish commonly caught along the Port O’Connor jetties include reds, black drum, sheepshead and jack crevale.

As a guide I get the opportunity to fish with folks from all over the place. I had a guy out this past winter that lived in Wyoming. His only fishing experience over the past few months had been ice fishing for perch. When I told him we were heading to the jetties, I may as well have been talking in Japanese. He didn’t have a clue. But about four hours later he was demanding to have his picture taken with the limit of three reds, five sheepshead and two trout he had put on ice.

What makes the Port O’Connor jetties so unique is that they extend a long way out into the Gulf of Mexico. Plus the water depth gets deep in a hurry towards the end of the rocks. The deep water and strong currents attract a lot of baitfish that in turn bring in plenty of tasty fish, including the occasional ling, tripletails and snapper.

There are a number of ways to rack up some good catches of fish along the jetties. The most popular is to drop down to bottom with a piece of cut bait or live shrimp. That’s usually where you’ll find the most reds, black drum and sheepshead.  Two other options, that will put you on more trout, is to fish a live shrimp or croaker under a slip float, of free-line them along the rocks.

One thing is certain – catching fish along the jetties is never guaranteed. The “hot” bite depends on the current and your location over hungry fish. Whenever you can connect those variables you’ll likely catch more fish. Another very good option is to hire a guide. It’s a heck of a lot cheaper than buying a $50,000 boat, loads of tackle and enough bait to break the family budget.

Feel free to give me a call and learn how to fish the jetties today.Capt. Robert Sloan, 409-782-6796, email – sloan288@aol.com or go to www.luckystirkeguide.com