35th Annual Shrimpfest on Seadrift’s Bayfront
June 12th & 13th, 2015

Gates Open 3pm Friday & 8am Saturday
Gate Fee $5 per Day – Kids under 6 FREE
(Must be accompanied by an adult)

Music by South Texas’ Best!
Friday Damon Curtis & the Nomads
Saturday Austin Meade – The Emotions
Festival Events
•  5K Run/Walk
•  Kid’s Fishing Tournament (Grand Prize – ½ Day Guided Fishing Trip)
•  Kid’s Casting Contest
•  Volley Ball Tournament
•  Washer Tournament
•  Horseshoe Tournament
•  Shrimpfest Pageant (Ages 0 to 18)
•  Food & Craft Booths
•  Rides
•  Games
•  Decorated White Rubber Boot Contest
•  Golf Cart Scavenger Hunt
For information, call Seadrift Chamber of Commerce 361-237-0406

5th Annual 421 Slam Invitational Fishing Tournament presented by Wet Sounds 1st place team Burning Daylight pictured above. Holding cash and Wet Sounds sound system. From left to right: Brian Anders, Edwin Anders, Jeff Glueck, and Jim Anders.

Port O’Connor, Texas – Twenty-five boats, with 4 person teams, participated in the 5th Annual 421 Slam Invitational Fishing Tournament presented by Wet Sounds on May 2nd, 2015, which raised $3,052.95 for the Port O’Connor Elementary School.

“We received the check and just want to thank you again for choosing us to be the recipient of the fishing tournament proceeds. Your generosity is appreciated and I can assure you that it will be put to good use, feeling blessed. We were thinking of tablets for instructional use in the classroom and/or looking into getting some type of ventilation in our gym. Our gym is used for many things; PE, Music, Exercise and we have no A.C., insulation, or ventilation. I know it would be a long-term project but would like to look into slowly starting the process of some improvements.” Tiffany O’Donnell – Principal, Port O’Connor Elementary School.

The tournament began on May 1st with a check-in meeting. The next day on May 2nd all teams started at 6:15 am for the chance to catch 4 trout, 2 reds, and 1 flounder…the “Texas Slam”. Eleven hours later the twenty-five teams started to weigh-in at 5 p.m. After the weigh-in, the tournament director presented cash and sponsor prizes to the top 4 teams and side pot cash/prizes that included; Red with most spots, trout closest to 4lbs, and big flounder.

After presenting awards the raffle and live auction started. This is when the fun begins and money raised for the Port O’Connor Elementary School. Without the great sponsors, anglers, and local community raising the $3,052.95 would not be possible.

The tournament sponsors donated $6,495 in product towards the raffle and live auction bringing the total sponsor donated products at $10,310, when combined with team prizes, for 2015. Sponsors include the following: Wet Sounds, POC Rod and Gun, Waterloo Rods, Fish Slick, Line Cutterz, Fins Fishing, EGO Fishing, D.O.A. Fishing, Lew’s, Texas Saltwater Fishing Magazine, The Garten, GreenwoodKing Realty, Fishhide Sportswear, Tidal Surge Lures, Chicken Boy Lures, Baumann Propellers, Custom Marine Concepts, G-Spot Services, BoatU.S. – Tow Boat, Big Nasty Baits, ForEverlast, The Professor Products, and Sea Level Apparel.

“What a great opportunity for anglers to give back to the local Port O’Connor community, while doing something we truly enjoy and passionate about. The 421 Slam Board of Directors picked a great cause with the Port O’Connor Elementary School,” Jim Webber – 421 Slam Tournament Director.

The 421 Slam Board of Directors pays out 100% of the entry fees back to the anglers, that totaled $10,250 in cash and sponsors prizes valued at $3,815 from Wet Sounds, POC Rod and Gun, Waterloo Rods, and Fishhide Sportswear.

Looking forward to 2016 the 421 Slam is scheduled for Saturday, April 30th. “Due to the high demand to fish the tournament in 2015 a venue relocation is highly possible to accommodate additional teams. Ideally, partnering with the POC Crawfish Fest and Cook-Off would give us more space and raise more money thru the raffle and live auction. We are currently researching alternative locations in the Port O’Connor area.”

If you are interested in helping next year or becoming a sponsor, please feel free to email Jim Webber at the following email address, jim@421slam.com. To learn more about the tournament visit the web page at www.421slam.com or checkout the Facebook page at 421 Slam Invitational Fishing Tournament.

Congratulations to the following teams…
1st Place – Team Burning Daylight
2nd Place – Team Wet Sounds
3rd Place – Team Jokers Wild
4th Place – Grande En El Pescado
Red Side Pot – Team Goyen
Trout Side Pot – Team Scratch N Sniff
Big Flounder – Team Fishhide Sportswear

Always prepared to hit the water in case of emergency, this boat sits just outside the watch commander’s window.

I recently had the great privilege of meeting one of our local ‘defenders of freedom’ at the POC Coast Guard Station. Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew Hernandez is currently serving in the Coast Guard (CG) Reserves. This unassuming young father of two served 9 and ½ years active duty. He served on a cutter with lengthy patrols at sea in the northern Atlantic states and later was stationed more than 4 years at the POC station. When he joined the reserves, he completed a Criminal Justice Degree utilizing his GI Bill benefits, and works for the USAA Insurance Group, an agency tasked with serving vets and active duty military home and auto insurance needs. He joined the smallest branch of our military after fishing with his grandpa in POC and admiring the Coast Guard (CG) Station and its members. Born and raised in Texas, he found the Cape Maine, New Jersey weather not to his liking during Basic Training, and was happy to be ‘home’ when was assigned to POC CG.

Usual duty assignment to POC is 3-4 years, and most like the assignment. The small town can make it a challenge for housing, social opportunities and other logistics. The guy to girl ratio in the CG is about 5:1. All recruits go to the New Jersey location for Basic, and may go to Connecticut for further training. POC CG has 40-50 full time assigned guardsmen and women at any given time. They work rotating shifts of 2 days on and 2 off. Many live in nearby or even more distant larger cities, and travel to POC for duty days. They have annual assignment transfers in June for higher ranking CG, but new recruits arrive as assigned.

They stand watch, meaning literally standing and watching over our coastal area, from an impressively technology equipped watch room at the station on a rotating 24/7 schedule 365 days a year. You can rest assured that someone is watching, always. Even as the crew took a break for ‘chow time’ the assigned watch stander stood in the watch room on duty and vigilant to their job. When their shift ends, a fresh ‘watcher’ will arrive ready for duty.

The station participates in tactical training every Tuesday and Thursday and periodic weekends and special training opportunities. The station has two cooks, but the assigned crew is responsible for their own housekeeping, upkeep and maintenance of boats, station, dorm areas, and gear and other. The CG Station is on Federal Property where it was rebuilt after the hurricane destroyed the old station. As Federal Property, it is not supposed to be photographed, but Boatswain Mate Matt Hernandez graciously got permission for me to take pictures on my recent tour, and assured me I was not compromising CG security by doing so.

They have six total boats, some as long as 29 ft. and able to travel up to 60 mph. they are tasked with enforcing Federal Maritime Law, providing search and rescue if needed, answering distress calls on internationally recognized emergency channel 16, supporting the Parks and Wildlife State enforcement of law, offering safety and education to the boating public, providing rescue and recovery services to watercraft of all sizes. They only interact with our many tugs and barges in case of emergency or requested assistance. These crew members volunteer in our community regularly above and beyond their assigned CG duties. They train in all kinds of weather and have helicopter support out of Corpus Christi if needed. Off shore cutters can be called to assist in case of major emergencies.

The POC Station guards up to two miles outside San Antonio Bay, Matagorda Bay, areas all the way to the Matagorda Locks, and up to 50 miles offshore. All CG crew are Basic First Aid and rescue trained and when on patrol have EMT personnel with them. The CG will safety inspect personal craft at the CG station by appointment, but it is not required.

There is a second division of CG housed next door that is strictly a Navigational Maintenance Team. They monitor and maintain the buoys, lights, beepers and markers in the ICW 24/7. They observe electronically and check, monitor and repair hands on regularly. They replace buoys and beepers dislodged by freighters and barges.

The Coast Guard may be underappreciated for all they do. They have fewer international patrols and see fewer injuries and international incidents because they are the smallest branch and fewer of them serve on land than water. It is a great career choice, with many serving 20 and even 30 years before a decorated retirement. Tuition assistance and college credit while serving is common for guardsmen. While the closest large CG recruiting station is in Corpus Christi, most school counselors have information and all CG members would happily talk with interested parties about opportunities in the CG.

Next time you see some of our hometown Coast Guard Crew in and around town, tell them Thank You for a job well done! They deserve it!

Matthew J. Hernandez, Petty Officer First Class was an excellent guide for my visit to the Coast Guard Station.

The Port O’Connor Coast Guard Station is federal property, accessible only with permission or by appointment. There is an intercom at this gate.