Community sponsors and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department invite you to attend the official opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for the expanded Port O’Connor Paddling Trial and new kiosk, July 9, 2015 at 9:00 am Little Jetties Launch Site at Washington & Commerce.

The POC Paddling Trail consists of a series of interconnecting trails. The twelve mile expansion adds two new trails, Pass Cavallo J-hook Trail and Barroom Bay Trail, to provide a total of ~40 miles of paddling opportunity along the shores of Espiritu Santo and Matagorda Bays and through their saltwater marsh. Existing trails which provide opportunities to paddle several hours, all day or several days have been renamed: Fishpond Trail, Big Pocket Trail, Mule Slough Trail, Matagorda Island Trail.

The paddling trail expansion has been possible through the dedication and cooperation of the following community sponsors:

•    Calhoun County
•    Port O’Connor Chamber of Commerce
•    Westside Calhoun County Navigation District
•    San Antonio Bay Partnership

Free Kayak Lesson & Paddling Event

Following the ribbon cutting ceremony, Alan Raby of Dolphin Kayaks will offer a free paddling lesson. Kayaks of various types will be available for use during the lesson for demonstration and use.  Additionally, a guided paddle is planned  Friday July 10, Boggy Park at 9:00 am where the public is invited to hone their kayaking skills at this free event. Refreshments will be available.
To register for either event email AllanRBerger@comcast.net.

Sarah Connelly breaking her no catching spell!
-Capt. Jeff Larson

We hope everyone has been enjoying the catching in Calhoun County, lately. Catching Trout, Reds, Flounder, Triple Tail, Bull Reds, Red Snapper, Black Drum, Dorado Dolphin, Ling, King and the list continues of all the fish that have been showing up at the fish cleaning tables. The major floods have been a bitter sweet event. Our prayers go out to all who have endured the havoc all the rain has caused to our readers. We hope for a speedy recovery.

The great flush has really concentrated the fish.  Even though the bays have been looking like iced tea or yohoo chocolate milk,  depending where you have been fishing, fishing has been GREAT!  Specifically the Speckled Trout. Trout seem to be the most affected by the fresh water.  They really haven’t left your favorite reef, gut or shoreline.  They are just hugging the bottom.  Here is an example, we were wade fishing a gut that was stained with fresh water.  We negotiated our way up to the  drain leading out to the main bay. There were fresh water gar swimming on top of the water in the grass just like redfish.  Then I start scaring myself thinking there is a gator in the mangroves about to jump out and bite me in half. The water was so fresh I couldn’t taste a lick of salt.  Thinking NO Trout, too fresh, psyching myself out of fishing I keep working my way up the gut. I use 3/8 oz lead heads so my bait is always on the bottom.  I threw my Down South Red Shad across the drain and it rolled down current bumping off the bottom.  Then BAM, I was hooked up, probably a black bass cause there can’t be trout in this fresh river water.  Sure enough it was a nice keeper trout.  Then after about 20 more cast slow rolling my bait along the bottom of the drain, the new trout limit was done.  The fresh water rides on top and the bottom is saltier not affecting the fish but how and where you fish.  There has been quite a few calls from customers who have been concerned about the inflow of fresh flood water and how it affects catching fish.  In my opinion,  it’s made fishing so much better this year. Mother Nature takes care of herself and the animals even though she does some extreme crazy things.

Have any of you been seeing bees around lately?  There was a serious bee attack the 1st part of June which put a local in the hospital with over 100 stings.  We have been seeing and hearing about others who have been stung numerous times during a swarm.  If you are starting to see bees swarm,  seek shelter immediately.  We felt the need to let our readers know that bees are becoming more and more busier since the drier and warmer weather has arrived.  These stinging necessities are wasting no time finding holes in roof tops to start another hive.  Just be aware as they start swarming around the eve’s of your home.

OK another be aware!  Alligators, They are showing up near fish cleaning tables.  Charlies and Shoalwater Flats has a good 10 footer easing around.  The next one I saw was at the ICW and the South entrance to the Sanctuary.  I like writing about where I see em cause most of us have pets that like to play in the water.  Keep your eyes peeled for em and watch your dogs. Sunday Beach also had a small one swimming around last year and I can only guess he is still around the area.

Back to fishing,

Surf fishing has been on fire when you can get out there.  The trout are stout and the reds are big red footballs. Perfect tournament reds weighing solid 7 and 8 pounds.  Flounder gigging has been pretty good to say the least.   Limits if you stay out from sunset to sunrise.  Wade fishing with croakers has been another style of fishing that has been paying dividends for solid trout and reds.
Give Scott a call and let him book your next fishing trip through the Saltwater Lodge. The Lodge number is 361 785  3825.

May you enjoy our Independence with stringers of good times and fish.
   -Captain Jeff Larson 281 217 0399

Reds in the fresh water
-Capt. Jeff larson

Fishing Tournaments

Pescado Grande Saturday, June 27
the.pescadogrande@gmail.com

Cula Roja July 10 & 11
www.cularoja.com

Lone Star Shootout July 21-26
www.thelonestarshootout.com

Poco Bueno July 15 – 19

Nails & Tails July 25
361-578-7711

Readin’, Ritin’ & Reeling July 31 & August 1
361-485-2044

Port O’Connor Offshore (POOT Tournament)  August 14 & 15
361-648-9326; Fishpoot.com

Speedy Stop Kids Fishing Saturday, August 8
www.speedystop.com

Chris Ragusin Memorial POC Grand Slam  October 2 – 3
361-935-8745; 655-3521

With the enormous amounts of rainfall incurred on Memorial Day weekend in the Texas Hill Country and along the coastal plains, we are still not completely rid of the resultant freshwater runoff, as significant amounts of freshwater continue to hinder any area that is lacking direct Gulf water fluctuation. But saltwater migration will continue to progress over the upcoming weeks, and area back lakes will no longer be the only source of saltwater. Saltwater will soon be found directly up against the immediate shorelines, as well.

Now then, there may be many explanations as to why the shorelines will tend to maintain better salt right now. The first is that when one body of water is forced to empty into a second body of water through a narrow passage, the water from the first body is driven to a central point along tapered pathways to the second body. As a result, a ventilation effect is formed somewhat like that of an hourglass condition. Examples of this effect in some of our more major bay systems can be found in places where the bays have immediate discharge access to the expanses of larger bodies of water – Espiritu Santo Bay emptying into West Matagorda Bay via Saluria Bayou, West Matagorda Bay emptying into the Gulf via Pass Cavallo and the Matagorda Ship Channel jetties, and even in some minor instances like Mesquite Bay emptying into the Gulf via Cedar Bayou whenever the tides rise to the occasion.

How does this all work? Well, if you turn an hourglass upside-down, you’ll note that the centralized portion of the sand mass experiences the majority of the movement, whereas the sand along the outer walls of the glass experience a minimal amount of movement – the sand particles evacuate the upper section of the hourglass into the lower section from the inside-out. This same type of movement will continue to occur at exit points throughout major bay systems, and is the primary reason behind the immediate shorelines holding the bay’s supply of saltier water.

All the recent runoff has situated the fish in the lower portion of the water column near the bottom, and trout limits have routinely come from fishing live bait over muddy bottoms in three foot of water. Trout seem to be congregating directly against the shoreline water during the warmer part of the day. Every day is an education out on our area bays, and figuring out the effects of the local weather and winds, the tides, and the recent rainfall accumulations can sometimes make it very difficult to recognize any distinct fishing pattern whatsoever. As of late, mid-bay waters continue to hold extreme amounts of fresh water as close as 50-100 yards off of the shorelines, but some of the shorelines are holding a bit of saltwater.

Some of the better salinity levels can currently be found in some of the bayous and guts in Espiritu Santo Bay and West Matagorda Bay near Port O’ Connor. The saltwater is quite obvious on an incoming tide, and you can tell by the difference in the color of the water where the freshwater is located. Redfish are starting to race down the shorelines as well, busting at everything that might get in their way, and anglers should train their eyes on sandy shorelines with grass patches. Remember to practice CPR, “Catch, Photo, and Release”, whenever possible on trophy Trout and Reds…Guide Chris Martin, www.BayFlatsLodge.com…1-888-677-4868.