FISHING -BEYOND THE LOWER LAGUNA MADRE

FISHING SOUTH BAY
By Jim Foster

It happened well over two decades ago but I can still remember my first time to enter South Bay. My thoughts were not on big redfish and speckled trout. After talking with several of the old timers my thoughts were mostly focused on whether or not I could get out of the shallow Bay.

The narrow inlet was easy to see at low tide but the tide was rushing in and would soon make the channel much harder to see.
Anyway in true “Gone With The Wind” fashion I thought, “I’m in now, I’ll just catch a few fish and worry about getting out later.”
Three hours and several rod-bending fights later I eased back into the channel and was soon back in at the boat ramp in Port Isabel.

The morning had been spent both wading and drifting some of the prettiest water the Lower Laguna Madre has to offer. As an added incentive I knew this could be one of the areas where the next state record speckled trout could be caught.

South bay is located about as far south on the Texas coast as one can travel without crossing the Rio Grande River. The mouth of the border river with Mexico is located only a few miles across the now visible sand dunes. During times of quiet the surf may be heard pounding on the Boca Chica beach.

Many years ago the bay had openings on both the Gulf side and a major opening along the north side of the bay. Over the years the opening from the Gulf has naturally closed until there is an expanse of sand and dunes separating the bay from Boca Chica Beach and the open gulf.

Dredging of the Brownsville Ship Channel over time and other navigational projects has helped to narrow the opening to only a few hundred yards and three shallow channels.

The 3400-acre bay is now considered a Coastal Preserve, State Wildlife Management and scientific area. South Bay remains open to anglers and will remain open according to officials in Austin. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has tried to close down vehicle access to South Bay in their normal “shut-it-down & keep `em out” policy but were over-ruled in this case.

South Bay offers the angler a combination of structure causing even the most jaded saltwater angler want to fish this bay. Vast areas of sea-grass and potholes provide resting areas for big speckled trout, redfish, and some snook.

South Bay is the first to be encountered by fish entering the pass between the southern tip of South Padre Island and Brazos Island in the Brownsville Channel. During incoming tides fish are guided into the bay, a natural process of water movement and structure.

Following the east shore of the bay south anglers have several large sand and grass flats with scattered potholes visible in the clear water. There are very few “deeper” areas in this bay. One of these, 2 to 3 feet at mean tide, is located half way between the mouth of the bay and the southeast corner. This is a good area for trout and redfish in the summer and spring and redfish during most of the year.

This area may be drifted as well as waded with better than average results. Waders have found that big topwater lures like the Storm Big Bug and Rattlin’ Chug Bug are super baits that result in crashing strikes. The key in this area is working the bait at a moderate to very slow pace in order to induce a hit. Soft plastics fished either alone or under a popping cork is another favorite South Bay favorite.

For most of the year the prevailing winds are from the southeast. It would be advisable to motor out from the bank then either drift or wade the east shoreline with the wind at your back. Working this shoreline on a rising or falling tide can be extremely good. Waders will find a very friendly bottom in this area with mostly hard sand and grass.

Located just inside the entrance to the bay and extending to the west is the largest of several tabletops in South Bay. Even at a high tide the water on the tabletop is very shallow and even the tunnel type flats boats find it hard to run at times. The edges however can and do produce good catches of fish during most of the year.

Although not considered as sporting, some anglers and a few more meat conscience guides anchor and fish this area for redfish and black drum. Using a live or dead finger mullet or pinfish on the bottom can be very productive. Sheepshead, and a few flounder may also be caught along the tabletop edges and drop-offs. Smaller tabletops areas are located in the far southern quadrant.

Beginning in about the middle of the bay are oyster beds some of which are still active. These are prime fishing spots but boaters should use caution when motoring through. It is a very good idea to learn this part of South Bay before venturing in alone. The water is shallow and the obstacles are unforgiving. Boat hulls and lower units are at hazard.

Along the west side of the bay grow several small islands with stands of Mangrove trees stretching their roots into the water. Some grow around or near the oyster beds. Seagrass and potholes along with other structure are found in their vicinity. Casting a lure or fly to the base of these small trees has been the beginning of many a hard fight from a large redfish, speckled trout, or big snook.

Yes, South Bay is one of the best places to try for and catch a “wall hanger” snook. Most knowledgeable anglers will release these scrappy fish to fight again and then produce offspring for future anglers. During high tides there are several thousand yards of fishing water directly west of the mangroves.

Moving clockwise or back to the northeast along the flats are several miles of top wading water and the variety of species is truly remarkable. A few years ago a friend and I with fly rods in hand fished the north shore for over three hours and during that time one of us had a fish on almost continuously. We both caught several snook, redfish, speckled trout, and flounder. It was a memorable day of fishing. During the time we were fishing we only encountered one other fisherman in the bay and he was drifting well over a mile from us. By the time we walked back to our boat the other boat had departed and we watched a most spectacular sunset as we left the bay.

The entrance to South Bay is located just past Marker # 22 on the Brownsville Channel and only a few miles west of the tip of South Padre Island. The closest boat ramps are the public ramp located next to the new Sea Ranch Fishing Pier and the boat ramps in Port Isabel. Bait shops along the Port Isabel Channel offer everything from tackle to live bait and quite a few extras. A good spot to stop for supplies and some of the best information is the R&R Hi-Way Bait Stand & Marina. The place is run by fisherman with several decades of combined experience with South Bay and the surrounding waters. Lodging and other services are close, varied, and available.

A word of caution: South Bay offers the saltwater angler a beautiful place to fish but with it comes with restrictions. The bay is full of hazards and is a very shallow bay. Learn all you can about the area before going it alone. It might be a good idea to hire one of the local guides for your first or second trip into the bay and see where you can run your boat and where it’s not advised. And lastly, check the tides before fishing South Bay. The best fishing is on a moving tide either in or out.

Remembering the fish follow the bait and the tides move the bait should help you find your starting point in South Bay. As you fish this bay take a second and think about your location. You are, in most cases, the most southern saltwater bay fisherman in the continental United States.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please email him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com/

JIM'S GEMS -A TASER HERE A TASER THERE!

BAD COP – NO DONUT
By Jim Foster

If this story weren’t so sad, it would be funny.

OK folks, I will admit I don’t have much regard for most law enforcement people, starting with the Feds and working downhill.

The people hired and paid by “the people” leave a lot to be desired. It does seem most are self-serving nerds who have been given some little power and can't wait to use it. Most of these “headline wannabes” seem to fit the pattern of those who ran amuck in Waco and Ruby Ridge. The words “Protect and Serve” written on police cars are just that, words.

The use of tasers has been the topic of at least one of my BLOG articles in the past. These things kill people, the lady in the airport for example. Six large policemen couldn’t subdue a medium sized lady so they tasered her and she died. And, the death of a teen-aged boy caused by the subject of this article, the Warren police, happened only a short time before. Now the Warren police and tasers are back in the news.

The Warren “donut boys” have tasered the most deadly of all creatures – a black cougar. Never mind if it was a stuffed toy.

The lead paragraph in the Macomb Daily News read; “Warren police fired a stun-gun at a large cat that officers believed was a panther but turned out to be a stuffed animal, the department's top official confirmed Thursday.”

The protectors of the citizenry saw what looked like the outline of a panther-like animal lying in the pipe. In the article Police Commissioner Dwyer is quoted to say, “ it was looking out at them…” “So, they backed out in fear it would lunge at them.”
After nearly an hour after the police arrived and after several peeks into the pipe they decided the beast should be tasered.

So what was this most dangerous of beasts? It was no more than a black, stuffed toy panther.

So what’s the Bubba rule? If you THINK it will resist SHOOT IT.

I’ll bet these Barney Fife types like sprinkles on their donuts.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please email him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com Please put YOUR BLOG in the subject line. Thanks!

BIRDING - BIRDING THE BEAR

PHOTO: The flying owl in the top image is a Short-Eared Owl.

BEAR RIVER MIGRATORY BIRD REFUGE
By Jim Foster

Located in northern Utah is the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge (MBR). This is where Bear River flows into the northeast arm of the Great Salt Lake. This joining creates the marshes found at the mouth of the Bear River and are the largest freshwater component of the Great Salt Lake ecosystem.

Considering the fact that arid desert lands surround these marshes explains why they have always been an oasis for waterfowl and shorebirds.

The Refuge and other wetlands associated with the Great Salt Lake provide critical habitat for migrating birds from both the Pacific and Central Flyway of North America. This area contains abundant food for birds. Birds come to the Refuge by the millions to eat and rest during migration.

During my visit it seemed like a yellow-headed blackbird occupied every available perch while the water hosted hundreds of pairs of Grebe of several species. Canada Geese couples were busy introducing their small yellow goslings to the land and water.

As part of Great Salt Lake, the Refuge is designated as a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site. The millions of feathered visitors that congregate at the refuge during migration will ultimately spread out over the hemisphere. Recoveries of birds banded at Bear River Refuge have shown that while many remain in the United States, Canada and Mexico, some may fly as far as Russia, Central America, or islands in the Pacific Ocean.

HERE ARE A FEW BEAR RIVER REFUGE FEATHERED FACTS.

* Refuge breeding colonies of white-faced ibis contain as many as 18,000 birds.
* Up to 10,000 American avocets breed at the Refuge annually.
* One of North America’s three largest American white pelican breeding colonies, containing in excess of 50,000 birds, is found on Gunnison Island in Great Salt Lake.
* Northern Utah marshes host up to 60 percent of the continental breeding population of cinnamon teal.
* The Great Salt Lake boasts the largest fall staging concentration of Wilson’s phalaropes in the world, at approximately 500,000 birds. Red-necked phalaropes number nearly 100,000.
*The Great Salt Lake area hosts greater than 50 percent of the continental breeding population of snowy plovers.
*Bear River Refuge may attract over 65,000 black-necked stilts in the fall, more than anywhere else in the country.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please email him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com.

BIRDING - QUEST FOR A RARE BIRD

THE SEARCH FOR A TROGAN
By Jim Foster

Just for the record the Elegant Trogan is a bird and is not something that lives under a bridge.

Driving into the Chiricahua Mountains alone is a great trip. This drive was the idea of neighbor Bill Mead who suggested the side trip on our way back to Idaho. We had had a great morning in a blind in Junction, Texas a few days earlier and our confidence was high.

Bill’s question that perked my attention was something like, “Have you ever seen a Trogan?” Considering that Bill was the guy that steered me to an albino hummingbird and an article that was published in BIRDS & BLOOMS magazine – hence the decision to search for the trogan was a no brainer.

After some on-line research I learned the trogon is surpassingly beautiful bird, a relative of the “quetzal”, the bird revered by Mayan priests. I also learned these feathered friends are quite rare and hard to locate, even for those who know where to look.

The bird is found in one of the desert mountain canyons where it returns to annually for nesting.
“Look in the large sycamore trees”, said Bill. “They will generally be perched stiff and upright on a sycamore or on some other streamside tree.”

After several hours walking along sycamore-lined creeks we still had not even heard the call of the bird. These large trees have holes where limbs have fallen off and are the trogans favorite nesting areas.

The bird we searched for has a deep green head with a white line across its breast, beneath that a bright red lower breast and belly. This is a bird with extraordinary colors nature has painted. This is the trogon.

The trogon was almost wiped out by collectors half a century ago, though its numbers seem to be on the rise. As one of the few truly exotic birds that breed north of Mexico, it has always drawn an interest that vastly exceeds its very slight numbers.

We were looking what is said to be the best location to find the elegant trogon, Cave Creek Canyon. It is also considered one of the best birding spots in the Southwest United States. Located in the heart of the Chiricahua Mountains the drive will pass through towering, jagged cliffs over them, green sycamores that fill the canyon.

It was just before ten in the morning when we saw the trogan back in the limbs. It was a good sighting but did not give me a good view for a photograph. Just then the bird flew and our luck held. The trogan landed closer to us and on a limb in full sun.

The angle was steep but I started shooting away. I was excited to say the least and several of the images were not as sharp as I would have liked but I got the shot.

For those of you who have never seen a trogan this is the place to spend the day in the spring. After nesting these colorful birds return to Mexico.

As a further observation, it doesn’t seem like the “border wall” has slowed the trogans down in the least as some of the more radical environmental idiots seemed to think it would.

To reach Cave Creek Canyon, head south on State Road 80 from the small community of Road Forks, New Mexico (Exit 5 on I-10, just before the interstate crosses into Arizona). Drive on State Road 80 for 26.5 miles through rocky foothills, creosote and yucca, and (2.5 miles before the town of Rodeo) look for the sign for State Road 533, also known as Portal Road. Take this road west - a "Cave Creek Canyon" sign is clearly visible. Follow it for 7 miles to the town of Portal. The store at Portal, incidentally, is a good source of information about recent sightings in the canyon. Continue on State Road 533, and at 0.6 mile beyond the store, stay on the paved road to the left of a fork. There is a sign here, but some signs are confusing and don't agree on mileage. If you follow the signs and a "map" you shouldn't get lost.

A visitor center/ranger station lies 0.8 mile beyond the fork in the road; stop for good information here. This was closed when we visited.

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please email him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com

JIM'S GEMS -DON'T WRITE ON THE WALL

NO SURPRISE HERE
By Jim Foster

In a special news item today in the Arizona Republic it was reviled that the new person selected to be the director of Arizona’s state parks has also committed vandalism on State historic property.

In an era when the director of our nation’s money is a tax dodger, the majority of the appointments from Washington have questionable backgrounds, and the man in the White House (BO for short) can’t put together a full sentence without his teleprompter, why should a known vandal not be qualified to run the parks system.

Bahl, 40, is described as a vigorous, intelligent, resourceful person who knows how to get through the most difficult of times, by Bill Scalzo, leader the selection committee.

In 2001, another employee caught her etching her first name and the year into the wall of a historic adobe barn. She was disciplined but remained in her job until 2002, when she left to become director of parks and recreation for San Diego County in California.

Oh well kids will be kids – Oops! This happened less than 10 years ago when she was over 30. She knew better but when ahead and committed a crime that could have meant a trial for someone not so well connected. A true sign of the times, or maybe it was Bush’s fault, ya think? He’s blamed for everything else.
State Rep. Daniel Patterson, D-Tucson, criticized the selection and was quoted saying, "She was in a position overseeing the state's historic preservation office." What's wrong with this picture?

Patterson called for Bahl to issue a public apology. Wrong! She should be fired on the spot. Oh well I guess she will stay; after all it is in California. The breeding ground for “political correctness” and we all know what that is.

If not here is the definition.

"Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."

If you have comments or news for Jim Foster please email him at: jim@jimfosteroutdoors.com

BIRDING - SOUTH PADRE ISLAND

BIRDING THE SAND SPIT
By Jim Foster

The drive from Brownsville to South Padre did little to raise my spirits. This was to be a birding photography trip with my talented sister in law Linda Johnston. Crossing the causeway the island was covered with a foggy haze almost like fog we felt would not be beneficial to taking good photographs.

Our destination was the South Padre Island Convention Center and the birding area and boardwalk extending out to the Laguna Madre. It was about the right time to be there and we could see a group of birders already heading out on the boardwalk.
The tide was out exposing some of the dirt work that had been done in the area. I believe that it will be a good move once the vegetation grows back soon and there will be more water when higher tides return.

In the meantime the birding was still average and as it turned out the photography was good with some interesting birds to point a lens in their direction.

Some of the people enjoying the birds were a group from the Harlingen Audubon Society on a field trip to the island. In the group were several Alpen Optics users and it was good to hear their praise of one of my sponsor’s products. We had a brief discussion on the use of binoculars in photographing wildlife then it was on to finding the next bird. These were a good group of birders respectful of others and enjoying the outdoors with the others.

South Padre island has been the site where birders have spotted some rare or unique birds that rarely visit the island. They were at times dropouts from migrations or brought here by a storm in the Gulf of Mexico.

As the morning grew older there were many birds to see and photograph so the earlier haze was long forgotten. This was one of the best birding areas I have found in my travels and the birders met here are serious and courteous people. I shall return all I can.

For more information on this and other Valley sites go to: http://www.worldbirdingcenter.org/sites/spi/index.phtml