Friends of Port O’Connor Library invite you to enjoy a “beautiful night under Texas Stars” on Saturday, September 19, 2015 at The Sanctuary at Costa Grande.

In addition to an elegant dinner in beautiful surroundings, you will enjoy meeting Texas authors and the opportunity to purchase new books. A silent auction will also be held. Proceeds will go toward building a new library/learning center for Port O’Connor.

Tickets are only $25 per person and can be purchased in advance from The Treasure Chest and at First National Bank in Port O’Connor.

Kids learning swimming safety and techniques

You’ve heard the saying it takes a village to raise a child….well, this little community has some great villagers. Many of our children have gained new skills, enjoyed new experiences and found new hobbies and talents through the input, love and sharing of their neighbors, church friends and community. First Baptist started the summer strong with a great Vacation Bible School. Fishermen’s Chapel took a group to the farm country to hike, shoot, cook out and camp under the stars; and Nathan and Darin Luna reintroduced Friday Night Youth at the Chapel. Community volunteers taught youth to clean fish at the pantry project on tournament weekends. The POC VFD gave fire truck tours to dozens of kids during July 4th and other community summer functions. The Tuesday painting group for children has produced some masterful work, confident skills and new friendships. The community swimming lessons helped a big group of children with swimming skills and safety, and would not have been possible without the generous pool hospitality of Kenneth and Grady Jean Clark. The list goes on and on. Our village is busy and full of great children.

Now, our children will be returning to school and to learning a whole different set of skills and abilities. It is an exciting and busy time for children, families and the community. For some students school is fun, an adventure and a happy occurrence. For others it is a struggle, a trial and a test of their self esteem. We must be sensitive to children’s needs when school starts again.  Teachers are tasked not only with reading, writing and arithmetic; but must coach and model diplomacy, negotiation, coping skills, tolerance, and perseverance. We must help those educators of our future and shapers of our tomorrows in every way we can. Set up those children, both young and a little older, for the success they deserve. Help them learn that all of their friends and classmates will be smart, just smart in different ways. Show them that those so dissimilar from us are not to be feared or bullied; but that diversity and out of the ordinary are the best of our world, and can teach us new things about ourselves. Our attitudes towards the atypical and uncommon are contagious, so be careful what children are catching when they spend time with you.

Also use your voice, your presence and your pocketbook to endorse our children. Support school supply drives, obey school zone signs and talk positively about their return to school. Support school functions and projects. Buy the popcorn or cupcakes, go to the carnival and Night Out, attend the programs and listen when they tell you what they did at school. Go to the ball games and musicals, and tell them they did a good job whenever you get the chance. Children know what is genuine, so, be real and authentic with your praise and support and help them whenever possible. The POC Elementary always needs volunteers and mentors. The other schools have many programs for volunteering as well. The church and community youth groups depend upon the community to serve the children in our community. Pitch in, share your talents, and give where you can.  This is your village, so help to make it the kind of place you would be happy to live. Be a force for change for the good and take care of the members of your village today!

Four and five-year-old Artists

Big tripletails, like this one, are not only tasty, but surprisingly easy to catch around structure and floating debris in West Matagorda Bay, and just outside the Port O’Connor jetties.

A tripletail is one of the wackiest fish you’ll ever see, or catch. They taste great, fight hard and can be caught right about now and into September on West Matagorda Bay and within a mile or so outside the Port O’Connor jetties. The great thing about a tripletail is that it will hit small jigs and live or dead shrimp all day long.
These fish get big. The Texas record weighed 33.50 pounds and was caught on June 29, 1984 by Edie Pruitt while fishing on Matagorda Bay. In fact, this particular bay is the go-to body of water to find record setting tripletails in August and September.

There are a few areas along the Texas coast where tripletails are most abundant. TPWD’s coastal fisheries catch data shows that the near shore structure off the Sabine jetties produces the most tripletail. The Gulf off Galveston and Matagorda are the second and third highest producers. In Texas bays, however, West Matagorda Bay is where most tripletail are usually caught by recreational anglers and in TPWD gill nets. Why Matagorda Bay is so appealing to tripletail is a mystery. It could be due to a combination of the number of pilings and platforms and the salinity.
“The most characteristic and certainly one of the most unusual behaviors exhibited by these fish is to lie just below the surface, floating with one side exposed, looking for all intents, dead,” says Bill Balboa, TPWD’s Matagorda Bay Ecosystem Leader. “To my knowledge, there has been no scientific evaluation of why tripletail behave in this manner. I suppose it is not unreasonable to speculate that this trait may relate to either thermal regulation or as a feeding strategy as they “lie in wait” for an unsuspecting prey item to assume a position under their floating bodies. The latter seems the most feasible since tripletail are often found near weed lines and many of their prey items would naturally be fish that are associated with floating structures.”
Tripletail are most often seen and caught near structure like wells, pilings and floating objects such as wooden pallets and weed lines. They also prefer the mouths of rivers, passes and bays opening into the Gulf. It is this affinity that makes tripletail a relatively easy target for anglers. It’s usually a matter of locating structures or “weed lines” holding tripletail, placing a bait near the waiting fish, and then it’s game on. The biggest obstacle to landing these fish is trying to pull them away from pilings or other obstacles before they wrap or tangle the line and break-off.

One of the best baits you can use to catch these fish is a peeled shrimp on a No. 3 or 4 Mustad Wide Gap croaker hook. I like to skewer a peeled shrimp on the hook. When a tripletail is spotted it’s just a matter of pitching the bait past the fish and reeling it up within eyesight. Definitely don’t hit the fish with the bait or lure. It’ll spook and not come back any time soon.
Another option is to rig a small piece of peeled shrimp on the treble hook behind a ¼ or ½ ounce silver spoon. I’ve caught quite a few big tripletails with this lure/bait combo.
When it comes to good eating fish it’s tough to beat a tripletail. The flesh is firm and white and is considered by many to be equal to or superior to red snapper or grouper.

Hot bite on speckled trout

Catches of trout have been off the charts the past few weeks. Most are being caught on live shrimp and croakers. When fishing the shallow guts along island shorelines the best rig is a 24-inch leader under a Bomber Paradise Popper rattle float. Tie on a No. 4 Eagle Claw red treble hook, add a live shrimp and you’re ready to go. Don’t forget to pinch on a 1/8 ounce split shot.

Croakers have been best when rigged about 18 inches under an inline rattler. They are producing the most trout when either free-lined or fished on bottom with a ¼ ounce barrel weight.
Book your September teal hunts now.

Something duck hunters can look forward to is another banner teal season in September. Both blue and green winged teal numbers are through the ceiling. Green-winged teal numbers are at 4.1 million, which is 19 percent above the 2014 estimate and 98 percent above the long-term average. The blue-winged teal population is right at 8.5 million, which is similar to the 2014 estimate and 73 percent above the long-term average.

“Duck hunters can anticipate improved conditions for the September early teal season as abundant rains have filled lakes and marshes for the first time in several years,” says TPWD’s Steve Lightfoot. “With record numbers of teal expected to make their way into Texas prospects should be good.”

The 16-day teal season will run Saturday, Sept. 12 through Sunday, Sept. 27. The daily bag on teal will be six.

Guide Dwayne Lowrey says he is now booking hunts for the September teal season. He runs a first class operation. He’ll be hunting over freshwater ponds within a 15 minute drive from Port O’Connor. You can hunt in the morning and fish in the afternoon. Give him a call at 713-410-1338.

For guided boat or wade fishing trips out of Port O’Connor call Capt. Robert Sloan at 409-782-6796, email at sloan288@aol.com or check out www.luckystrikeguide.com.

Teal hunters can look forward to another banner teal season in September. The 16-day season will run Saturday, September 12 through Sunday, September 27. The daily bag on teal will be six. For guided hunts out of Port O’Connor call Dwayne Lowrey at 713-410-1338. -Captain Robert Sloan

Believe it or not, but September is just around the corner once again! And once school starts, we women’s time become involved with many activities all demanding our presence and intelligence once again. And if, like many women, you’re looking for a good night out with a bunch of delightful and fun-loving women, check out our Bunco Nights. The next Bunco will be meeting on Tuesday, September 1, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. in the back room of the Community Center. Our hostesses for the evening are both participants in the educational field: MaryAnn Claiborne and Shirley Gordon. Therefore, their plans for our meeting of a back to school evening are “right up their alley” with the necessary pens and pencils. Call Shirley at the Library, 983-4365 for more fun information.
There will be a PARTY honoring our incredible Postman, Johnny Johnson, on Tuesday, August 25, 2015 at the Community Center from 11:30 a.m. till 1:00 in the afternoon. Spearheaded by Her Honor, Nancy Pomykal, with the assistance of the membership of the Chamber of Commerce as well as the Service Club, varying snacks and sandwiches, desserts and beverages will be provided. Do come and say goodbye to this wonderful and caring Postman, who always has a smile on his face as he takes that extra step to be of help. We’ll miss you, Johnny, but know you’ll be having fun in your retirement as you travel the “hot spots” of our country in that wonderful motor home with your loving and caring wife!

School begins Monday, the 24th, and a reminder to local drivers; do watch for our children as they cross our streets! Particularly as you’re heading towards Speedee!

With the many, many days of our scorching weather the past several months, we’re all hoping that Autumn is shortly peeking at us. Just think of those delightfully cool mornings to come! And SOON, SOON, SOON, I hope! JUST hope everyone can SOMEHOW STAY COOL during the next several weeks!!!!

LIVING A DREAM!

Living the dream of many young and older men is Hunter Habetz from Lafayette, Louisiana! He is spending his summer, serving as 2nd Mate aboard a 68’ yacht known as the Wild Hooker. This is Hunter’s first season of wandering across the seas of our country while entering fishing tournaments with the crew of the Hooker from Hilo, Hawaii and other Western ports to Port O’Connor and winding up in Port Aransas, Texas. But home is beckoning him now, and he is returning to Lafayette and college, entering his Junior year and studying Industrial Technology.

The Wild Hooker is owned by Allen Stuart of Lafayette, who is also the owner-rancher of a number of very large ranches in Texas and Mexico. The Wild Hooker is a beauty of 68’, and has had replaced in dry dock much of the original fiberglass with teak on the above decks as well as the galley and staterooms; eventually the boat will have most of the fiberglass completely redone with teak, which makes it a stunningly beautiful yacht to behold.

The crew is a group of young fishermen: Hunter the 2nd Mate is 23; 1st Mate Charley Bowman is all of 25 and the Captain is an elderly sailor of 28 years old, (Sir) Shane O’Brien. And, of course, Mr. Stuart sails aboard the boat during each dockage to keep an eye on his crew! Hunter has bragged that he is also the Cook aboard the boat, but he has been blessed by many dishes previously prepared by Mrs. Stuart and frozen for each night’s consumption!

We wish the crew of this very beautiful boat ‘Safe Passage” and please come back to our small area and see us next year during POCO. We look forward to making your acquaintance once again and seeing that beautiful boat at its dock in Caracol.

WISHING … how many men of a certain age wished they’d the opportunity to complete a dream of sailing much of our waters as Hunter has done. I remember, many years ago, in San Francisco when Sterling Hayden asked for volunteers to sail the Seas with him aboard a very large sailboat. And, hearing my very recent fiance say very loudly DAM! Enuf said!

Sorry this column is so short; we’ve been on an incredible trip once again in Mabel, our motor coach, and I’ve really been lazy! But saw some great country, met some fascinating people, and like everyone else, wished for cooler weather!

kubeckasue@yahoo.com
361 798-0560
I welcome correspondence from various organizations re their happenings for information to add to this column. Also welcome any remarks, good or otherwise.

Hunter Habetz
yacht crewmember

Port O’Connor has had a very prosperous 2015. It has been an outstanding summer, but with school beginning in the next few weeks, things will begin slowing down. There are several Fishing Tournaments in September and October, but nothing like June, July and August, I hear that fishing has been outstanding this year; this really makes everyones trips to POC enjoyable.

I don’t know how many people drive down to King Fisher Park and enjoy the sights; they are amazing. The new pavilion seems to be getting a lot of use, with reunions and fishing tournaments, now new additions are the basketball goals on the new concrete pad, new bar-b-q grills have replaced some older ones. THANKS to POC Sports Association for purchasing the goals and THANKS to POC Service Club for purchasing a bicycle rack and installing on a concrete pad, and also purchasing two dog stations. The community certainly can be proud of  all the accomplishments this year so far.

If you have been so busy that you forgot to remit your 2015 Chamber membership, please do so by Sept. 1st., as this is the date that non-members will be removed from the website.

Have a great month–The September meeting will be on the 14th at 6:30 p.m. at Port O’Connor Community Center.

New & Renewed Members:
Vantage Marine
Judge Nancy Pomykal
Kelly Parks Guide Service