The Crossroads Astronomy Club held its Annual Seadrift Stargaze Party on Saturday, August 23, 2014. In attendance were Kelly Hawes, David Blomberg, David Pozzi, James Arkadie, Kip and Joyce Norcross, Joey and Laurie Beaver, Wes and Ziomara Hunt, Members arrived by car or truck, except Kelly Hawes who pedaled to the party on his grown-up tricycle.

Everyone enjoyed a delicious meal of grilled bratwursts with sauerkraut, pinto beans, potato salad, and oatmeal cookies. After dinner, Joey Beaver showed his latest framed collection of arrowheads and dart tips which he found beachcombing the bay around Seadrift.
As the sky began to darken, Kelly Hawes set up his 10-inch telescope, David Blomberg set up his 12-inch telescope with a tracking device that allows for Earth’s rotation, and James Arkadie set up his binoculars on a stand.

Once the sky was dark and the clouds dispersed, members were able to view objects in the night sky including Saturn, Mars, the constellation Scorpio, the constellation Sagittarius, a globular cluster, and a man-made satellite as it orbited Earth.

Anyone interested in learning more about astronomy is encouraged to contact: The Crossroads Astronomy Club, Secretary Peggy Yandell at kpyan@suddenlink.net . The club meets the third Monday of every month at 7:00 p.m. in Room 223 at UHV West.

Calhoun County Fair  Oct. 14-18

For list of events and activities see: www.calcofair.org

The Calhoun County Fair Parade will be at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, October 11. The theme is Spirit and Pride, County Wide. Entry forms can be picked up at the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office or email: tess.gossett@calhouncotx.,org. For more information, call or text Tess Gossett at 361-676-2715.

Applications for the Calhoun County Fair Queen Pageant are available from Debra Critendon at G&W Engineers or the Calhoun County Agriculture Building. For more information, call 361-920-5437.

Dolphin Talk would be pleased to report your or your child’s placing at the Fair. Please contact us at dolphin1@tisd.net.

As the surface water temperature cools the topwater bite for reds will go bonkers on back water flats. Two of the top lures are a Super Spook Jr. in red/white, or a BaDonk-A-Donk in silver/chartreuse. Robert Sloan photo

September is truly one of the best months of the year here in Port O’Connor. Right about now is when we can double down on game and fish with gun and rod. One of the finest options we have right now is to hunt doves in the morning and fish for trout and reds in the afternoon. As of Saturday Sept. 13, we have the option of teal hunting in the morning, catching a football game and nap in the afternoon, then making a run for trout and reds. It doesn’t get any better than that.

September and October are two of the best months for wade fishing the flats in Port O’Connor for trout and reds. I recently had a trip with a client and we caught and released numerous reds and trout while wading a gin clear flat in 12 to 18 inches of water. The best bite was on a 3-1/2 inch Bomber Ba-Donk-A-Donk in silver flash/chartreuse. In the deeper guts use a 3-inch Yum Money Minnow swim bait in chartreuse/white or pearl on a 1/8 ounce Bomber Shad Head jig in white or chartreuse.

Early season teal hunts should be better than average

Texas duck hunters should see more action during the early teal season, Sept. 13-28, thanks to near record numbers of birds and an anticipated typical migration pattern, according to Steve Lightfoot with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

“Prospects for the early teal season are looking very good, especially compared to the last few years,” says Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Waterfowl Program Leader Kevin Kraai. “First, blue-winged teal populations are near record high numbers, and production reports are excellent. Additionally, unlike last year’s very late spring, nesting efforts were more on time this year and thus should result in a timely migration that will overlap better with our teal season dates.”

Texas hunters can take up to six teal daily during the 16-day season.

Biologists say habitat conditions across most of Texas are much improved from previous years. The coastal marshes and prairies were rapidly drying out late this summer before some very welcomed rainfall, near the end of August, put more shallow fresh water on the landscape and freshened up salty marshes.

“The ponds, lakes, and reservoirs of central and eastern Texas could use some additional water,” says Kraai. “But hunters that seek out the shallow waters of many of the water bodies that remain will likely encounter many of the migrating teal leaving the breeding grounds and moving though the area daily.”

New red snapper reporting program shows promising results

As one of the most sought after fish in the gulf, red snapper became the subject of a new reporting system that has shown favorable results.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Coastal Fisheries Division staff asked Texas anglers to report their red snapper landings beginning June 1, at the start of the nine-day federal season through their pilot reporting program and submit basic information about their catch. The survey questions included the trip’s total red snapper catch, the date it occurred, the number of fish landed, etc.

“Red snapper in Texas waters are doing great and show no signs of slowing down,” says Jeremy Leitz, Regulations Program Specialist at TPWD.

Overall, 119 fishing trips were recorded through a new online reporting system. More than 700 anglers harvested 1,511 red snapper within both federal and Texas state waters this past June.

TPWD recorded an additional 4,096 red snapper from targeted creel surveys conducted at boat ramps. The survey information was gathered from 1,917 anglers.

Although the 2014 federal season is over, anglers fishing in state waters are encouraged to continue to record their red snapper landings at www.tpwd.texas.gov/snapper.

The data, along with other harvest monitoring programs, will be used to help design future harvest programs and indicate the health of the red snapper fishery off Texas shores.

Keep fishing; the fish are already wet. They don’t mind the rain. Cap. Jeff Larson

The August wrap-up:

Thank goodness it’s over. There was a 2 week period the hard heads weren’t even eating dead bait. Flounder gigging seemed to stay consistent and is still the most consistent fishing game in town. The tide has finally oame back so there are less boats getting stuck. Speak of getting stuck I watched Charlies Shrimp Boat blowing out the sand and silt in Coyote Pass that has been filling in over the last few years. The low tides last month were not allowing boats to go through the pass. Deep draft boats had to enter Espiritu Santo Bay via Turn Stake. Redfish was the next target that made August an average fish catching month. It was real spotty, some days chicken some days feathers. Black Drum also helped fill coolers which are a good fish to target. Black Drum are a little harder to clean than reds but with a sharp knife it’s worth the extra time to fillet.

I need to thank Captain Randy Hudson of the Fishing Center for letting Joe Massa and I go shrimping with him. We hope we didn’t get in Greg’s way to often that day. Randy is a shrimp catching son of a gun. He has been shrimping here for 40 years. If you need shrimp call up to the POC Fishing Center. My suggestion to the readers is you better get to The Fishing Center quick when he docks his shrimp boats because there is a long line for fresh shrimp.

The last couple of days in August turned out really good. Trout were showing back up in the ICW and deep drop offs around the islands. I fished for trout a few days and it wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t on fire but that’s where I found em. Other guides found them in their own spots. Then I hit the spoil banks I found some there also.

The first week in September has been awesome so far for reds at the lower end of the slot size. The small ones are great for grilling and baking. If you need some awesome recipes look for Pam Johnson’s cook book at any Speedy Stop location. Plus while you are there you will need to pick up some of Chaille McCord’s Call Me Gourmet Jalapeño Mustard sauce. I hope all of you had a chance to sample her sauces at the POC Beach Bash. I use her sauces straight on my fish fillets or spread the Jalapeño Sauce all over the fillet before I put them in my corn meal mix, then fry. Chaille’s Call Me sauces are a must if you grill, bake or fry Kingfish. They also zing up any sandwich. I might need to add a recipe section to this report. Thoughts anyone??

The dove scouting report is once you get them patterned it rains and it’s back to the drawing board. The central and north zones produced above average numbers. You have to scout your fields to be successful is the best advise I can offer. Look for grain fields, sunflowers and goat weed then put in your time and hope that it doesn’t pour down rain before you get out there.

Teal season is about to kick off this month. I just saw a big flight of Teal on the island while fishing just a few days ago. A full moon and norther will bring the majority of the blues down to our county. For the readers that don’t know about Teal hunting, the best thing is always call the Saltwater Lodge to book a trip. The most important place to be when hunting Teal is in a flooded rice field. The next best spot is in the area where there is rice. Lastly you have to put time in scouting. If you wing it, no pun intended, its a crap shoot at best if you plan on bagging any of the wild flying feathered creatures.

WARNING TO DOG OWNERS. I have been seeing alligators near duck blinds in various areas. Every year during teal season hunters loose their dogs to alligators. It behoves dog owners to communicate with one another where they see alligators. Don’t be apathetic and think that your pond doesn’t have an alligator in it.

Speaking of Gators. Call the Lodge and speak with Scott. He can set up a gator hunt for you with Jake.

There isn’t any place better to be than Calhoun County at the Saltwater lodge this time of year. Come down to relax, eat great food and enjoy the outdoors. The Saltwater Lodge reservation line is:361-785-DUCK (3825).

Wishing you fast limits, record gators and a ton of spent shells. But pick em up!!!!

Captain Jeff Larson 281-217-0399