CURRENTS OCT NOV 2011 - CCA Texas

CURRENTSThe newsletter for CCA members in TexasFebruary / March 2013~1~

Leave itbetter thanyou found itIt’s an old CCAtraditionAbandoned Crab Traps, Big ShellBeach and East Cut Cleanupare on CCA agendasAmong thefirst Texascoastal citizengroups to takeon a massivecleanup chore wasthe Corpus ChristiCCA chapter. In1996, the group enlistedhelp fromother CCA chapters,as well asstate and federalservices. They succeededin eliminating a great deal of dangerousdebris from the IntraCoastal canaland area waterways. Troy Williamson, theCCA’s Corpus Christi chapter president,was featured on a national news program.Not long afterward, Art Morris of thestate’s Coastal Fisheries Division decidedthat, like the Corpus Christi cleanup,citizen help was needed. He said, “Derelictcrab traps had become a seriousproblem in the bays. We knew that ‘ghost’traps continue killing crabs and other speciesfor years. They’re also a hazard forboats and boaters and wade fishermen,as well as harming the resource.”Morris noted that there was no legislationin force that could allow anyone butwardens or the trap owners to remove theoffending devices. “Enter Ronnie Luster,”said Morris. “Ronnie resented the hundredsof abandoned traps he encounteredin Port O’Connor back bays. He gotfriends from CCA involved, and aftersome intense work in Austin, theyArt Morris and a'ghost' crab trap withvictim (Morris is onthe left), and RonnieLuster homing in on aSan Antonio Bayderelict crab trap. SamCaldwell photos.Front cover:Big surf, big sky, big fish on.Original watercolor painting by Sam Caldwellachieved legislationto try and solvecrab trap problems."Among otherregulations CCAworked for,” hesaid, “traps are requiredto have degradablepanels orconnections that, aftersome sixmonths, can allowtrapped critters toescape. But mostimportant, we nowhave a closure timeframe that allowsvolunteers to locateand remove derelicttraps.”By definition, ifa crab trap is in the water during theclosure, it is legally abandoned and canbe removed.“This year,” Morris said, “the closuredates begin on February 15 andwill run 10 days, through February 24.Our main event day will be on Saturdaythe 16 th .”The Coastal Fisheries Divisionchief said thatthe derelict trapremovals havemade a majordifference in thehealth of Texasbays. “Otherstates have seen the Texas results, andadded their own programs. So far, Texas isway out in front—through last year, some29,500 traps, many of which would havecontinued killing blue and stone crabs, orwound up in your prop, or damaged yourlower unit, have been picked up by CCAvolunteers.”Morris said, “All those crabs, and folkswho appreciate the roles crabs play in thebays and on their tables, owe a debt ofgratitude to Ronnie Luster and the CCA.”—Art MorrisRonnie Luster was named a National Conservationhero by Field & Stream magazinein 2006.~2~

This year’sAbandoned Crab TrapClosure willbegin on February 15and run 10 days,through February 24.Our main event day will be on Saturdaythe 16th. The site list hasnot been finalized at this time butwill be similar to last year’s list with theglaring exception of Conn Brown Harborin Aransas Pass which is undergoingrenovation and will not be open to thepublic until sometime in March or April.That site will likely move to RansomChannel Park Public Ramp (unattendedsite) also in Aransas Pass. Folks can con-tact their local coordinators as listed belowor me for more information and assistance.Email crabtrap@tpwd.state.tx.usfor any questions.CCA is providing glovesfor every volunteer andplenty of fresh water.At least one CCAchapter, Port O'Connor, iscontinuing its tradition ofproviding a hot meal forvolunteers after the SanAntonio Bay trap dropoff.Abandoned trapcollectionsitesSABINE LAKE – Local TPWD coordinatorJerry Mambretti (409) 983-1104 (ext. 222)GALVESTON BAY – Local TPWD coordinatorBill Balboa (281) 534-0110MATAGORDA BAY– Local TPWD coordinatorLeslie Hartman (361) 972-6253SAN ANTONIO BAY – Local TPWD coordinatorNorman Boyd (361) 983-4425ARANSAS BAY – Local TPWD coordinatorChris Mace (361) 729-5429CORPUS CHRISTI BAY – Local TPWD coordinatorTom Wagner (361) 729-2328UPPER LAGUNA MADRE – Local TPWD coordinatorFaye Grubbs (361) 825-3353LOWER LAGUNA MADRE – Local TPWDcoordinator Mark Lingo (956) 350-4490Thanks again for the CCA’s involvement.We look forward to workingwith you. Please feel free to contactme if you have any questions.—Art MorrisFishery Outreach SpecialistTexas Parks & Wildlife Dept.Coastal Fisheries Division6300 Ocean Drive Unit 5845Corpus Christi, TX 78412-5845(361) 825-3356art.morris@tpwd.state.tx.usJoin the Tarpon Observation NetworkJust a few of the derelict crab traps that will no longer 'ghost' kill, foul your prop and ruin your lower unit.More than 29,500 abandoned traps have been picked up to date by CCA volunteers.~3~

24 th Annual CCA State of Texas Anglers’Rodeo 2013 STAR News!Happy New Year, STAR Anglers! The 24 thAnnual CCA Texas STAR Tournamentpromises more excitement for 2013! Isthis your year to claim your share of the$1,000,000 in prizes offered? Sharpen yourhooks, your fishing skills and GET READY!Warmer weather will be here before we know itand fish populations for spring are anticipated tobe at or near long-term highs. Get signed upnow to make the Early Bird Drawing!Starting sunrise Saturday, May 25 through 5p.m., Monday, Sept. 2 (Labor Day), anglers fromall across the great Lone Star State can onceagain begin the summer-long quest to try and winone of many prize packages in the 2013 CCATexas STAR Tournament, including truck/boatpackages, boat packages and scholarships. Asyou start making plans and taking inventory ofyour fishing gear keep in mind our great partner,Academy Sports + Outdoors, will once againsend all current CCA Texas members a $10 coupon.We also want to remind you to take advantageof all the other great Early Bird and Memberincentives available to CCA Texas/STAR participants.Please see below for more details.CCA Texas/STAR Platinum Print MembershipPackage, Series II – We’re pleased to announcethe new print being offered for the 2013 CCATexas/STAR Platinum package is School Is InSession. Renowned artist David Drinkard wantedto honor those parents whotake their kids fishing bycreating a print depictingthe parent and child fishingscene. You never know…maybe one of those“schools” has a “collegescholarship” swimming in it!This special offer includes yourCCA membership (new or renewal),your 2013 CCATexas STAR entry, plus asigned, limited-editionprint created exclusively forSTAR, all for $125! SchoolIs In Session is a one-of-akindspecial painting, worththis price alone. If youwould like to consider one,or several, of these limited-edition packages,go to: www.startournament.org for more detailsor place your order the STAR Dept. bycalling (713) 626-4222. The proceeds fromthe sale of all Platinum Packages will help uscontinue to fund the STAR scholarships.Thanks for supporting CCA Texas and theSTAR Tournament!STILL AVAILABLE… CCA Texas/STARPlatinum Print, Series I & II – STAR Reds &STAR Sightings are still available. If youhaven’t purchased yet and would like to beginyour CCA Texas/STAR Platinum CollectibleSeries, please contact the STAR Dept. and wecan get you fixed up. To own this first-evercommemorative piece, purchase yours todaybefore they’re all gone!YOU’VE GOT TO BE IN TO WIN! Time toget spooled up and ready for another greatseason of fishing fun! A friendly reminder toall anglers who plan to fish the Texas GulfCoast during this time… in order to win oneof a $1,000,000 in prizes being offered inTexas’ largest, richest, summer-long saltwaterfishing event, an angler must be a CURRENTmember of CCA, in addition to being registeredas a 2013 TEXAS STAR entrant. TheSTAR tournament entry fee is still an awesomebargain at only $20 for ages 18 and up!Membership fee is $25 annually, plus $20STAR Tournament for a total of $45. In orderto win at STAR, an angler must be registeredand be a current member of CCA. You knowyou’ll go so might as well doit now! Remember, everyoneentered in the STAR Tournament,who will be 6 years oldin 2013 and older, is eligibleto win the prizes being offered(even the TAGGEDREDFISH DIVISION)!!! Geteveryone signed up for the2013 STAR. Be sure and enternow to take advantage ofsome great early bird incentives…see details below.YOUNG ANGLERSFISH FOR FREE!Speaking of bargains,for young anglersages 6–17, the“New Tide” membershipfee remains$10 annually and theSTAR entry fee isFREE!!! Of course,we want all kids onthe water. CCA“New Tide” memberswill continue tohave the opportunityto win giantscholarships to fundtheir college educationfor just theprice of a $10 CCA “New Tide” Membership.We thank our generous sponsors for making itpossible for us to offer young anglers thisgreat opportunity. Keep in mind, signing up asa “New Tide” membership DOES NOT automaticallyregister member in STAR. “NewTide” Members MUST BE at least 6 years ofage in 2012 to be eligible to fish STAR and underage 18 to enter for FREE. It is the “NewTide” Member’s responsibility to register eachyear for STAR.2013 EARLY BIRD DRAWINGS - We willagain offer some great incentives for anglersto sign up before the tournament starts. Don’tforget to sign up ahead of time and get yourshot at landing one of the many great prize offeringsjust for registering early. Your earlyregistration into the 2013 CCA Texas/STARFishing Tournament qualifies you to win theperfect rig to get you to your favorite fishingspot in style. The Coors Light “Early Bird”Promotion will again offer another awesome“grand prize” boat package! Your early registrationinto the 2013 CCA Texas/STAR qualifiesyou to win the awesome Dargel 210 Skoutwith a motor and McClain trailer – a prize packagevalued at around $35,000! Everyone ages21 and over that signs up now through May 24will automatically be entered into this specialdrawing, along with the 20 other great prizesbeing offered. Everyone age 20 and under thatsigns up now through May 24 will automaticallybe entered for the 20 other great “EarlyBird” prizes.Early Bird STAR entrants can winthis Dargel 210 Skout with a motorand McClain trailer .2013 Ford F-150 “Texas Edition” XLT SuperCab with Haynie 23 Bigfoot, the Redfish Division prize.~4~

2013 STAR Early Bird DrawingDeadline to enter is May 24th.*** GRAND PRIZE ***Dargel 210 Skout, Motor and McClain Trailer(must be at 21 years old to win boat prize package)***20 MORE GREAT PRIZES***9.9 hp Kicker MotorThree (3) Rod & Reel CombosThermo-Electric Travel Cooler & WarmerFifteen (15) CCA Special Edition PostersDon’t miss “the boat” or “the truck and boat”…register today! You can sign up NOW online atwww.ccatexas.org or www.startournament.org!!!CCA TEXAS MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS - Ourmost generous sponsor offerings still continueto add more value to your CCA Texas Membership.Be sure and remember to take advantageof the following wonderful benefits your CCAmembership affords you!Ford X-Plan Pricing (see details below)$10 gift card courtesy of Academy Sportsand Outdoors (see details below)Texas Fish & Game Magazine subscription(see details below)$1000 worth of free upgrades with yourpurchase of a new Tilson home (see ad on page 23)FORD X-PLAN PRICING - CCA Texas membershave been remarkably honored by the TexasFord Dealers. They approved X-Plan pricing forus; that is, every current member can buy (orlease) any Ford product at the same price Fordemployees must pay. This means we can save upto $1,000 or much more, just by having a valid$25 CCA membership card!!! Our Ford PartnerCode # is CCA 61; go to www.fordpartner.com,if you are considering a purchase. And pleaseshare your gratitude with the dealers for helpingto make this great offer possible for CCA Texasmembers.SIGN-UP EARLY AND RECEIVE A SPECIALBONUS FROM ACADEMY SPORTS &OUTDOORS - One more great reason tosign up! Academy Sports + Outdoors willmail a $10 gift coupon in May just in timefor fishing season! This is a limitedtime offer, so do it beforeit’s too late!!! Special thanks toAcademy Sports + Outdoors forcontinuing to make your CCAmembership and STAR entry such an awesomevalue!TEXAS FISH & GAME “BONUS”SUBSCRIPTION!!! Texas Fish &Game will again honor this year’s STARentrants with a ONE -YEAR (12 issues)subscription to Texas Fish & GameMagazine. Please be advised your subscriptionWILL NOT be sent automatically.If you wish to take advantage of thisspecial bonus you must declare on yourapplication form. If you have already signed upfor the 2013 STAR, but did not declare that youwould like this special offer and/or have questionsregarding your past or current subscription,please call (800) 725-1134 or emailhgerke@fishgame.com.2013 PRIZE LINE-UP - This year’s contestantshave a chance at winning over 100 prizes includingtrucks, boats, motors, trailers and collegescholarships in the following categories:Texas Ford Dealers Redfish Division – TexasFord Dealers continue to make this division the“Best in Texas”! They will again give each of thefirst five registered STAR participants who catchtagged redfish a brand new truck to get to theirfishing destination in a tough, dependable andstylish ride. The first five registered anglers toweigh-in a tagged red will receive a 2013 Ford F-150 “Texas Edition” truck. Haynie Boats returnswith the awesome Haynie 23 Bigfoot rigged witha motor and Coastline Trailer completing thisamazing package. The next five weighed in willreceive the same boat, motor and trailer packages.For young anglers not of legal driving age andwho reel in the famous tagged red, he or she willreceive the boat package plus a college scholarship,in lieu of the truck.Trout Division - With winners in the upper,middle and lower coast regions, each winning anglerwill take home the Shoalwater 22' Legendwith motor and McClain trailer. SPECIAL NOTE:If you’re unsure a trout is large enough to qualify,consider this “easy rule-of-thumb” - if length isless than 27 inches, chances are it won’t meet theeight pound minimum weight requirement for theTrout Division. Unless you intend to mount yourfish as a personal best, why not think about releasinganything that might not make the cut soshe can re-seed the bays.Offshore Division – Blue water anglers who landthe heaviest kingfish, dorado and ling (cobia) willeach win the awesome Explorer by Dargel 216Blue Water Series boat prize to cruise the big watersalong with motor and McClain trailer.Inshore Division – Each winner that reels inthe largest flounder, gafftop and sheepsheadwill be handsomely rewarded with BlueWave’s 180 V Bay boat, motorand McClain trailer.In the past fifteen years,$4,635,000 in college scholarshipshas been awarded to fisher-kids across thestate. And 2013 continues to offer plenty of reasonfor everyone to round up their kid(s), a rodand reel and head for the water.Capital Farm Credit StarKid Flounder Division– This division gives entrants age 6-10a chance to win a $50,000 college scholarshipfor the largest flounder caughtthroughout the summer.FS Southwest StarKid Gafftop Division –This division gives entrants age 6-10 achance to win a $50,000 college scholar-STAR has reached $4,635,000 in scholarshipsawarded to children 6-17 years of age. Many thanks toour sponsors for making this happen. Without them,it would not be possible.ship for the largest gafftop caught throughoutthe summer.Houston Community Newspapers StarKidSheepshead Division – This division givesentrants age 6-10 a chance to win a $50,000college scholarship for the largest sheepsheadcaught throughout the summer.Academy Sports & Outdoors StarTeensTrout Division - This youth scholarship divisionis open to all New Tide membersages 11-17 and awards a $20,000 collegescholarship for each fisher-teen with thelargest trout in the upper, middle and lowercoasts. SPECIAL NOTE: The minimumweight requirement for the trout is sixpounds. For all fish weighing less than sixpounds, if no intentions of mounting youngangler’s prize catch, please take a quickpicture and immediately release back intothe water.Time Warner Cable StarTeens Inshore Division- This youth scholarship division isopen to all New Tide members ages 11-17and awards a $20,000 college scholarshipfor each fisher-teen with the largest flounder,gafftop and sheepshead statewide.But Wait, There’s More…Runner-Up Prizes - The first through fourthrunners-up in all divisions will receive variousgift certificates from Academy Sports& Outdoors.“New Tide” Member Drawing - The “NewTide” Scholarship Drawing will be offeredagain in 2013. “NewTide”/STAR participantsat least, 6 - 17 years old in 2013, areeligible for a bonus drawing that will netone lucky youth a $20,000 college scholarshipeven if the participant never wets aline or enters a single fish during the entiretournament.Member Bonus Drawing - This uniquedrawing offers STAR entrants a chance towin a fabulous boat prize package even ifthe participant never wets a line. One luckycontestant’s name will be drawn to win aExplorer by Dargel 210TV with a motorand McClain trailer.Please don’t forget to thank our wonderfulsponsors for their loyal support… returnthe favor by remembering them when makingyour purchasing decisions. They makethis wonderful family event possible. Majorsponsors for the 24 th Annual CCATexas/STAR Tournament include:Texas Ford Dealers, Tilson HomeCorporation, Academy Sports + Outdoors,Whataburger, Shipley Do-Nuts, Ozarka, Coors Light, HoustonCommunity Newspapers, Fox SportsSouthwest, Time Warner Cable,Haynie Boats, Shoalwater Boats, Explorerby Dargel Boats, Blue WaveBoats, Texas Fish & Game Magazine,Costa Sunglasses, Texas Oilman’sCharity Fishing Tournament, CoastlineTrailers, McClain Trailers,Chris’s Marine and Mt. Houston Marine.~5~

The 18th annual BigShell Beach Cleanup isset for Saturday,February 25.This event can’t happen without thehelp of our volunteers, and yourhelp is needed again. Volunteerswill meet at Malaquite Pavilion onPINS and the event will commenceat 7 a.m. Gloves, water provided,gourmet hot dogs afterward fromCCA Corpus Christi. See you there!—Capt. Billy SandiferFor complete details, drop bythe website:http://www.billysandifer.com/cleanup.htmCapt. Billy Sandifer was nameda National Conservation heroby Field & Stream magazinein 2010.For 17 years, hundreds of Americans of all ages have joinedCCA volunteers to help Capt. Billy Sandifer leave the PadreIsland beach better than they found it. Below- Corpus Christichapter volunteers provide cover and hot food after theCleanup. Sam Caldwell photos.and both wardens set up innearby brush waiting for thepoacher to come back andrun his net.Throughout the night, thewardens could hear thesplashing of flounder caughtin the net. Around 4:30 am,using night vision providedby CCA, the wardens observedan individual returningto the area on a fourwheeler.Wardens Kana and Clarkwaited for the subject to loadthe net full of flounder on his ATV before comingout of the brush and identifying themselvesas Texas State Game Wardens.In total there were 30 flounder and oneoversized black drum in the approximately 150'net. The subject was arrested and transported tothe Galveston County Jail and booked under aclass B misdemeanor charge (possession of illegalgill net). Civil Restitution and other class Ccharges were filed as well. This individual was along time gillnetter who would sell his illegallycaught flounder and other fish. The word of thenetter being caught spread rapidly in Bolivar andamong other known outlaws/netters, hopefullycurtailing their illegal activity for at least sometime. —William F. Skeen Major Game Warden /TPWD Law EnforcementDivision Region IV /Houston, Texas“Texas Game Wardensserving Texans since1895 -Law Enforcementoff the pavement.”~6~Just when you thoughtall the gill nets wereout of the water...On Dec 6-7, Galveston County Game WardensBobby Kana and Adam Clark patrolleda piece of the ICW in Bolivar, looking for areported gill net. The wardens used theguise of wade fishermen. A net was found,In mid-November, GameWardens Bobby Kanaand Adam Clark alsoseized these gillnets andflounder off the east endof Galveston. The netstotaled 1,800 feet.

CURRENTS is a membership benefit of the CoastalConservation Association - Texas. It is publishedbi-monthly, alternate months from the CoastalConservation Association (CCA) TIDE Magazine.Address, 6919 Portwest, Suite 100, Houston, TX 77024.Phone: 713-626-4222. FAX: 713-961-3801.www.ccatexas.orgEditor, Sam Caldwell / sam@samcaldwell.comThis is the issue of February / March 2013,Vol. 31, Issue 2.Welcome to theCCA TexasOnline AuctionSponsored By Costa Del MarWe have some great merchandiseup for grabs this month!Texas Slam Map by Steve WhitlockA great print that depicts the Texas Slam acrossa map of theTexas Coastline.Trout, redfish,flounder with allyour favoritebays and fishingspots shown.Limited edition,framed print,109/500. Straightout of the CCATexas inventory,yours today forsupporting thefish and CCATexas.Great Foods / Food Editor Ellen OhmstedeThis recipe is courtesy of Steve Edwards and the SeafoodLover in Beaumont. It’s a fantastic seafood shop that offersa variety of beautiful fresh seafood and some outstandingprepared items as well. Thanks for sharing, Seafood Lover.If you are in the Golden Triangle area, check them out. Address,4389 Calder, 77706 or give them a call: 409-892-1093.1 ½ lbs. medium shrimp,peeled / 1 lb. redfish orother mild fish fillet (cutinto 1 inch pieces) or 1 lb.claw crabmeat / 4 Tablespoonsvegetable oil / 4tablespoons flour / 1 onion,chopped / 1 bell pepper,chopped / 2 clovesgarlic, chopped / 1 cupcelery, chopped / 2 bayleaves / ½ Teaspoonthyme leaves / 1 ½ teaspoonssalt / 2 teaspoonsblack pepper / 2 quartsseafood stock, heated (can substituteclam juice or chicken stock)In a heavy pan, heat oil and addflour gradually overmedium-high heat. Stirfrequently until dark brown. Addvegetables and cook until soft.Add heated seafood stock, bayleaves, thyme, salt and pepper.Simmer for 30 minutes, stirringoccasionally. Add seafood andbring to a boil and remove fromheat. Serve over rice. Enjoy. Note:Adjust seasoning to taste.A Day to Remember by David DrinkardTwo anglers wading and working topwaters forbig trout. Number 7/60 issued to CCA Texas.Yours with the right price, and always knowwhen you support CCA Texas you are supportingthe fish and the future of fishing.Coming up will be a variety of unique artpackages, as well as new merchandise neverseen before. Look great and support the CCAthis hunting season.Available online from Feb. 11- 15.To bid and win, go to ccatexas.org andclick on the link (left hand side) online auction.Good luck!—Erich SchneiderSponsored by ourfriends at Costa.~7~

A few CCA volunteers gather after leaving the East Cut better than they found it. Sam Caldwell photo.Kemp Ridley Turtle photo courtesy of Patty ScanlanThe Fifth Annual Port Mansfield EAST CUT& Beach Cleanup is set for Saturday, March 16Last year was a tremendous success, thanks in large part to all the CCA members who cleaned ahuge area of the Mansfield East Cut and PINS beach. Join us again for lots of fun and a collector Tshirt. Start at 7 am, the Port Mansfield CC Pavilion where breakfast will be served. A free boxlunch will also be provided. Afterwards, enjoy drinks and chili at PELICAN’S PUB. We could usesome boat captains willing to provide ferry service. Free housing will be provided by our generoussponsors on an availability basis with priority given to youth groups of any kind.—Miller and Kathy Bassler, 979-535-4593, or cell phones 979-204-5185 or 979-324-5555. For photosfrom last year’s event, go to the YouTube site below. Music included by Craig Carter! Type this urlinto your browser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX1321HA8vICCA 4th AnnualRedfish ShootoutClay birds and shotgun hulls wereflying at the handsome Rio BrazosHunting Preserve, November 30.This year’s event featured 18 teams with 4shooters per team on a 75 target course at RioBrazos Hunting Preserve in Simonton, Texas.Rio Brazos is a great venue that offers achallenging course with great scenery. TheRedfish Shoot Out would not be the samewithout their support and expertise in shootingevents.CCA Texas and Academy Sports and Outdoorssponsored an amazing raffle after theshoot. Goode BBQ catered one of the bestburger lunches you could have asked for. Wehad multiple winners ofgreat prizes includingCCA Texas fishingrods, hunting packagesand some great artpieces donated by SamCaldwell and LesMcDonald.CCA Texas wouldlike to thank everyonethat helped make this agreat event. Make sureyou get into the 2013event because theshoot is getting bigger everyyear.We had multiple peopletied for the lead at the event,and did not get the final namesof the winning team, shown below.We'll get that corrected onthe CCA website, and in thenext Currents. —Eric SchneiderFor information on Rio BrazosHunting Preserve: KathyWheately, 281-346-2095 /Sporting Clays contact:Connie Parker, 713-854-5876 email: connie@shootpromotions.comThree of the four Celebrity ShootingTeam members were ex-TideMagazine editors; Doug "KamikazeCart Driver" Pike, LarryBozka and Team Captain SamCaldwell. Artist Les "Smoker"McDonald was the Celebrity Teamwinner, by far. Photos by MarkMantell and Larry Bozka:Facebook.com/Larry.Bozka~8~And the winners are—to be announced after we hear from them.

CCA Texas partnerswith Harte ResearchInstitute toexpand Lap Reefrestoration projectCCA Texas recently partneredwith the Harte Research Institute(HRI) to expand an existing3.8 acre restoration site in Copano Bay.This approximately 1.5 acre additionto the project is located in CopanoBay on the Lap Reef complex. HRI’sprevious work on this restorationproject was through a partnershipwith the National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration (NOAA). Withthe completion of this additional workfunded by CCA Texas’ Habitat Todayfor Fish Tomorrow (HTFT) program,the total restoration effort will sit at 5.3acres. This $75,000 commitment byHTFT is made possible by CCANational’s Building ConservationFund.The highlight of this restorationeffort is the construction methodused. A 3-dimensional reef complexwith high vertical relief to enhanceoyster and finfish abundance will beused, and will minimize sedimentationby design. These complex reefstructures provide habitat for manyfish and invertebrate species and inthis project, the 3-dimensional reefwill be constructed as a series of reefmounds.This method of construction wasused on the original 3.8 acre restorationeffort and increased fish and invertebrateabundances have been observedthrough follow-up monitoring.The project location was identified aspart of a larger mapping effort (Pollacket al., 2012) to identify and prioritizeThis $75,000 commitmentby HTFT is made possible byCCA National’s BuildingConservation Fund.locations for oyster reef restorationbased on long-term water quality andoyster health.In addition, pre-constructionmonitoring has been conducted toverify the location has suitable bottomconditions to support the weight ofnew oyster reef and it is adjacent to existinglive reef.The actual construction of the reefwill be through the use of recycled,clean crushed concrete or other suitablebase materials such as limestone,river rock or porcelain. After the basehas been created, reclaimed oystershells will used for the top layer. Thesereclaimed shells will come from astockpile that is part of the OysterShell Recycling program created byPollack/TAMUCC/HRI. These reclaimedshells are secured from area restaurantsand processing houses.With funds in place and amendmentsfor expansion to the originalpermits in process, CCA Texaslooks forward to seeing the completionof this project in the very near future.CCA Texas, HTFT and CCA National’sBuilding Conservation Program fullyunderstand the importance of the restorationof oyster reef systemsthroughout Texas’ coastal waters andthey are committed to this effort andothers along the coast. —John Blaha~9~

Upper CoastBy Capt. Steve HillmanHalf Empty Stringer?If catching large quantities of trout is what getsyou fired up then February and March may notbe two of your favorite months. Everyone enjoysa consistent bite whether choosing to releasefish or keeping a few to eat. However,the word “consistent” is seldom used in thesame sentence with these months when referringto catching speckled trout in GalvestonBay.Wait! Don’t hang up that rod just yet. Besides,the consolation prize could be a bigtrout. This is one of the best times of the yearfor it. Here are a few guidelines on how to getthe most out of your late winter fishing trip.Fish during the afternoon hours. This is oftenthe most aggressive feeding period. Watertemperatures rise over the course of the daycausing bait and, subsequently, trout and redfishto become more active. Some of our best actionhas actually been after sunset. An addedbonus to fishing late is that there is far less boattraffic.Shrink your fishing area. Try to spendmore time casting into high percentage water.Cast in and near guts lined with mud and shellwhere mullet are present as opposed to blindcasting over open flats. Focus on off-coloredwater created by wind or current. Stay putonce you start getting bit. Persistence is amust.Stay in the strike zone. Cold water-inducedlow metabolism results in trout not expendingas much energy to hunt for food.Slow sinking plugs such as MirrOlure’s PaulBrown Originals or MirrOdines are effectivebaits for this situation. Salt Water Assassinsrigged on 1/16 ounce jig heads are solid offeringsas well and present a similar suspendingeffect. Good colors include pink, chartreuseand plum.By eliminating unproductive water andstaying focused you can make the most out ofwhat is generally a slow time of year. Try tokeep a positive mindset by not viewing thestringer as half empty. After all, most of us fishfor the enjoyment of the sport not becausewe're hungry. Good Luck! —Captain SteveHillman 409-256-7937www.hillmanguideservice.comSunrise On A Great Fishing Day. "My Dadand I were fishing in Port Mansfield as the sunwas just starting to light the sky." Great ScenicPhoto by John Blaha.Middle CoastBy Capt. Jay WatkinsKick Off Time!Fishing in the Rockport area in February andMarch is usually kickoff time for many anglers.Temperatures can warm quickly after fronts andwarming water temperatures bring multiplepositive factors to our fishing plate. Grass beginsto grow; bait fish begin to migrate fromdeeper water or Gulf water onto shallow shorelinesand grass flats. Waters on my home turfare clear which afford us the luxury of beingable to see our bottom structure. Structure andbait fish around such structure are keys to success.During periods of extreme cold I will concentratemy efforts in back bays over scatteredshell and softer bottom. St. Charles Bay is a favoriteof mine as well as Port Bay’s west shoreline.Softer muddy bottom in these areas holdmullet and warmer water temperatures.I’ll be throwing Bass Assassins in the 5"Shad series, Paul Brown’s, Corky andMirrolure Top waters over the shallow waterflats and along the barrier islands of San Joseand Matagorda Island.With more rain this winter than 2012, I expectto see more growth in the sea grass departmentas well as a sweetening of our bays,which I personally believe makes for moreproductive days on the water and the betterover-all health of our bay systems.May Your Fishing Always Be Catching.—Capt. Jay Watkins 361-729-9596http://www.jaywatkins.comLower CoastBy Capt. Aubrey BlackBaffin Bay Spring OutlookThe burning ember that drives those who seektrue trophy size trout is much stronger than thebiting chill of a South Texas winter. This is thetime of year when dreams of that once-in-a-lifetimecatch can become a reality. Baffin Bay iswhere it can happen.Start your search along Baffin’s northshoreline in areas semi-protected from northwinds, such as the Tide Gauge Bar or EastKleberg Point. Work the areas over with darkcolored plastics rigged on the lightest possiblejigheads. Saltwater Assassin makes a very effectivelure often used this time of year called aDie Dapper. It’s a big bodied seven-inch longpaddletail lure which can be bounced slowlyaround the rock formations and drop-offs.As the days begin to warm the water, seekout the sand bars and shallows of Alazan Baywhere many of Baffin’s huge trout have beencaught. Small natural color paddletails such asSaltwater Assassins Sea Shad can be used tocover these areas quickly. Make long casts andswim these baits along drop-offs, edges andgrasslines.Once you’ve located an area where thebig trout reside, probe the waters slowly andsteadily with suspending lures like PaulBrown’s Corky Fat Boy. A super slow walk-thedogtype of retrieve is very effective on largetrout and the occasional redfish.Don’t forget to layer up underneath thosewaders. The frequent cold fronts this time ofyear can make for a miserable day on the water.Y’all be safe and I’ll see ya on the water.—Capt. Aubrey Black 361-205-0624www.baffinbayrodandgun.comKathie's Personal Best / CPR, sent back for further duty in the Lower Laguna Madre / Caldwell photo~10~

Alvin-PearlandRex Richards 281-923-3050Aransas BayCarter Crigler 435-830-5984jccrigler@hotmail.comHappy New Year. First of all, I would I wouldlike to thank all the members and volunteerswho helped make 2012 a great year. Members ofthe Aransas Bay Chapter have high hopes for theopening of Cedar Bayou in 2013 and are hopefulthat we are just months from the start of dredging,a project that can be enjoyed by all.As in the past we are planning to supportthe Crab Trap Cleanup, area kids fishing eventsand beach cleanup efforts.By the time you read this registration forBabes on the Bay will have been in progress fora full month. As stated in the previous issue,starting with the 2013 Babes on the Bay tournament,online registration will be used exclusivelyto sign up for the tournament. Please visit thesite(www.babesonthebay.com) and review theregistration process to determine if you have anyquestions. The last day for regular registration is4/15/2013. All registrations received after this datewill pay a late registration fee of $90. If you havequestions contact Karol Scardino at 361-386-0028.Mark your calendars: May 17-18, 2013: Babes onthe Bay / August 10, 2013: Aransas Bay ChapterBanquet Tight lines —CarterAustinScott Sanderson 512-637-1750scott@mbsquoteline.comFIRST, we congratulate our very own long-timeBoard Member, Capt. Stephen Boriskie on hisnew employment with Bay Flats Lodge. Theowners of the lodge, Chris Martin and his wifeDebbie, are longtime supporters of the AustinChapter as well as other chapters, all over thestate. Tight Lines and Best Fishes to Capt.Stephen Boriskie!Fresh off a record fundraising year in 2012,Austin is in full swing preparing for an even better2013. The pinnacle will be our banquet May 9.With our chapter members and sponsors unbelievablesupport, we’ve grown to the point thatwe’ll take over the entire Palmer Events Centerthat night. That’s 75,000 sqf of boats, 4WDs, fineguns, cool fishing gear, trips, a live auction andraffle, Yetis and the best food and beverageyou’ll get anywhere.And the best part is, you’ll get to share it allwith your fellow CCA Members. If you haven’tbeen to the Austin banquet you’re missing out,so plan to join us. There’s nothing like it! SAVETHE DATE May 9! For ticket, table and sponsorshipinformation go to www.ccaaustin.orgOur banquet boat is in port and she’s anotherbeauty. This year we have a 21’ ShallowSport in Laguna Green, complete with a 150 ETec, iCommand system, raised console and muchmore, all sitting on a double axle CoastlineTrailer. She’ll be moored in front of Cabela’s untilthe banquet so go have a look in person.Raffle tickets are only $100 and this year it’seasier than ever to get yours. You can buyonline at www.ccaaustin.org, pick up an orderform at the Cabela’s fishing counter, or contactour Boat Captain Blake Masters atblakeatc@gmail.comTickets sold out well before the banquet lastyear, and only 600 will be sold, so buy early anddon’t miss out. If you buy before March 31 styou’ll be entered in an early bird drawing for aspecial prize.Anglers’ Night Out in November was a homerun with Capt Kevin Cochran, and Dr Greg Stunzwas up next in January. You won’t want to missGLO Commissioner Jerry Patterson who will joinChapter Updates are edited forbrevity to allow everyone’s voice tobe heard. For the full version, go toyour chapter’s area in theCCA website. Drop bywww.ccatexas.org,click on Local Chapters.us on March 20. Join us for ANO at Abel’s-it’sfun, free and you’ll get a great meal courtesy ofSmokey Denmark!Friend us on Facebook by searchingCoastal Conservation Association Austin Chapteror go to www.ccaaustin.org to keep up. If youaren’t receiving Austin communications, call theCCA Texas office at 713-626-4222 and ask them toput you on the Austin mailing list.Best wishes for a wonderful 2013 —ScottSanderson scott@mbsquoteline.comBay AreaCurtis Anderson 832-421-6377Mark your calendars! Our banquet is scheduledfor April 4, 2013. If you would like to help usplan and/or work the banquet, contact CurtisAnderson at 832-435-0257 or cla1965@att.net orKent Lacy at 832-632-2045 or kentlacy@comcast.net.See you there. “The Corpus Christi boat from Andrews Distributing, a 21’ Shallow Sport w/150Evinrude with a McClain Trailer.Brazoria CountyWes Dingee 979-299-8245It’s that time of the year again! Brazoria Chapterwill be holding their 31 st Annual Banquet onThursday, March 21 - located at the Lake JacksonCivic Center. We are holding a pre-sale raffle thisyear consisting of 10 guns and 10 Yeti coolers. Includedin the 10 guns is an AR-15 .223! That’sright; y’all know how hard it is to find an AR-15these days, so purchase your raffle tickets whileyou still can in hopes of winning that AR!I would like to give special thanks to ourraffle sponsor, our good friends at Beef ‘O’Brady’s. Swing by Rossco’s Outdoors to pick upyour raffle tickets. They are located at 445 E.Plantation Drive in Clute.We will be hosting a General MembershipMeeting in the upcoming month, so keepyour eye on our webpage for info:www.ccatexas.org – under the chapters tab,click Brazoria County. Please feel free to contactme if you would like more information on sponsoringthe banquet. This gives you a great opportunityto highlight your business in front of agreat audience, all for a great cause! —WesDingeeBrazos ValleyLarry Purifoy 979-229-4752Howdy! Cooler weather and lots of rain haven’tdampened our spirits as we start to plan thisAustin's 21’ Shallow Sport. Sincere thanks to our Boat Sponsors, Burt Watts and Denbow Construction,for helping us offer up such a special rig! Thanks also to Wes at Shallow Sport and Marty atCoastline Trailers.~11~

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year’s banquet. Lots of new ideas and designshave been set forth as we forge ahead with theplanning for our banquet to be held on March 7,2013 at the Brazos Center. We will have barbequedinner, great raffle items as usual, auctions andgames, and hope to get “a girl or two” to attendto win our diamond necklace. Last year thegentleman that won was very excited to presentthe diamond bracelet he had won to hiswife...another incentive to attend this year!As always, we want to include anyone whois interested in fishing or would like to help outa worthy cause. Our chapter meets each secondTuesday of the month. Information can be obtainedby calling Scott at 979-820-3101 or Larry at979-229-4752. Happy fishing and Gig ‘Em!—Tammy Aaron SecretaryBrenhamDennis Crowson979-451-2472Dennis.crowson@hotmail.comBrush CountryHank Henry 361-215-6803CentexBrad Hensel 254-776-3411Central HoustonTodd Buster Mobil,713-545-1897The 37 th Annual Central Houston Banquet will beheld on April 18, 2013. It will be held at theBayou City Event Center, a great centrally-locatedfacility. For the first time in a long time the CentralHouston Chapter will have a boat raffle inconnection with its annual banquet. Be on thelookout for raffle tickets. In addition to the boat,we will have several other great prizes. If youare interested in purchasing a table for the banquet,please contact Todd Buster attbuster@busterandcogdellbuilders.com TightLines! —Todd BusterColorado ValleyJames Loehr 979-250-3958The Colorado Valley Chapter is in high gear preparingfor our 13 th Annual Banquet andFundraiser. We have an enthusiastic banquetcommittee and chapter board this year and theyare working hard to bring in somegreat donations and items for thisyear. So, save the date, ThursdayMarch 21 st at the KC Hall in LaGrange. You won’t want to missthis year’s banquet.Our Sportsman’s Raffle ticketsare available and we havesome quality prizes this year. Wehad a General Membership Meetingon January 23 rd . Fayette CountyGame Warden Calvin Harbaughcame out and gave our chapter afantastic and informative presentation.He was followed by Capt.Tommy Alexander of AlexanderGuide Service. Capt. Alexandergave an equally informative andentertaining presentation. Wehad a good turnout and gaveaway several door prizes andsome raffles prizes as well.Thanks to longtime chapterfriend and supporter BennieRooks for providing the deliciouschili and all the fixings. Check usout on the CCA website or contactme at 979-250-3958 for more information.—James LoerhCorpus ChristiAndy Poelma 361-851-1129r_poelmacpa@sbcglobal.netHappy New Year! We hope 2013 brings youprosperity and a lot of time on the water.We're now in banquet mode as this article isbeing published. The 35 th Annual Dinner Banquetis scheduled for March 7, 2013 at the AmericanBank Convention Center. The banquet will startat 5:30 pm with cocktail hour and then on to theraffles and auctions. Our Banquet Chairman isBlake Laird and his supporting committee membersare: David Harris - Live Auction, LaurenHollon - Silent Auction Chariman, Mark Afram –Red/Blue Raffle Chairman, Barrett Fines - BlackboardAuction Chairman, Joseph Briones - BoatChairman, Cody Roesener - Guides Cup Chairman,Cliff Johnstone - Facilities Chairman, BlakeLaird - Table Sales Chairman, Jay Gardner - Advertising& Banquet Program Chairman.Gold Sponsors for this year’s event are L &F Distributing (John Deere 4x4 UV), Andrews Distributing(21’ Shallow Sport w/150 Evinrude andMcClain Trailer), Corpus Christi Caller Times (advertisingin paper and online). Silver sponsorsfor this year’s event are Academy Sports & Outdoorsand Gulf Coast Marine.Our chapter volunteers are displaying theboat and selling tickets weekly at AcademySports & Outdoors in Corpus Christi on Thursdaysthru Sundays until the banquet on March7th.Tickets are $10 ea. or 6 for $50. You neednot be present to win and the winner is responsiblefor all taxes, titles, and registration fees.The raffle drawing will take place at the Banqueton March 7th. Coming off a record settingyear in 2012, the chapter is hard at work tobreak that record in 2013.Record attendance and funds raised werevital to many conservation projects in 2012. CCATexas spent $1,767,114 in 2012 and $1,345,714had a direct impact on the Coastal Bend. Yourattendance and support are critically importantto the future of Texas’ coastal resources and wehope to see you again at this year’s banquet.Last year the event sold out and due toplanning purposes, all table reservations aredue no later than Thursday, February 28, 2013,5:00 PM. All program ad reservations and artworkare due February 13, 2013. No guaranteescan be made for tables and/or ads once deadlineshave passed. For more banquet informationcontact: CCA Corpus Christi - Blake Laird,Banquet Chairman / 361-882-5199ccacorpus@hotmail.com or John Blaha - CCA TexasAssistant Director / 800-626-4222jdblaha@ccatexas.org As always, if you have an interestin joining our board and being involved inconservation of our coastal resources, pleasecontact a board member or myself at 361-851-1129 or r_poelmacpa@sbcglobal.net. It’s for the fish.—Randy PoelmaDallas / North TexasCraig Jones 817-239-6200I hope everybody had a great holiday seasonand is off to a great start in the new year. We areready to start planning for the upcoming banqueton April 18th at the Frontiers of Flight Museum.Make sure to save the date! Also, please be onthe lookout for chapter events that we will holdin the coming months. Make sure you are receivingcorrespondence from us - We need updatedemail and address info. Check out the Facebookpage at dallascca - and submit your fishing pictures,both old and new!We had a booth in January at the Dallas SafariClub show, and it was a great success. A Bigthanks to DSC for providing the booth to a fellowconservation organization. We picked up somegreat hunting and fishing trips at the show andsigned new members. It’s a great time to be apart of CCA! Contact us at -president@dallascca.org Regards —Craig JonesEast TexasDr. Jim Norman936-554-3165jnorman7@suddenlink.netFort BendClint Shepard 832-595-5375Hello All. Our Ft. Bend committee membershave been on the ball this year making plansand coming up with some great ideas for our 27 thannual banquet. For this year’s Grand Prize, weare maintaining the cap on the tickets at 600 tickets.You will have a chance for a 16’ Tran BabyCat w/90 HP Suzuki from Tran Sport Boats inMothers Day Out. Great Scenic/Action/Humor photo. The fisherlady is Robin Hensley. She writes, "My husbandChad is a Director in the Matagorda Bays Chapter. He is a huge fisherman, and has taught me the love of fishing andwill shortly be teaching our daughter, Sadie, the love of fishing. Photographer, Alicia Stary.~14~

Palacios, Texas., with custom aluminum work byAluma Tech, and wrap by AMJ Designs inRosenberg, Texas, or five chances to receive giftcards valued at $100, and 15 chances to receivegift cards valued at $50.In addition to our Grand Prize Raffle andother great items, we have some real surprisesin store for everyone this year. As usual, ourgracious donors are coming out in droves to helpmake this year’s banquet a huge success. It isscheduled for April 25 th at the Ft. Bend Co. FairGrounds Bldg. C, in Rosenberg, Tx. Doors openat 6 p.m. to preview auction items and begin silentauction bids, and supper is served around 7p.m. Contact either me or Matt Meyer 832-595-4855, Banquet Chairman, for details. To reservetables contact Ren Davis 281-342-6828 or GeorgeGuest 281-384-7582. Hope to see you all there!Mark your calendars: The “Ladies Only”fishing tournament, The Lingerie On The Bay isscheduled for June 15th, 2013 in Matagorda. Entryforms will be posted at www.matagordabay.comand www.wadefishing.com . The Jimmy GuestMemorial Kid’s Fishing Tournament inMatagorda on July 13, 2012. Information for thisevent can be found at www.matagordabay.com.Till next time —ClintFort WorthFearn Mastin 817-291-1302Save the date! Our banquet will be held ThursdayMay 2, 2013 at Joe T’s. This year we are rafflinga Haynie 23’ Bigfoot with a Mercury 150hp LOptimax and Coastline Trailer. Tickets are $100and we are only selling 300. This is a fantasticpackage and the odds are great so don’t missout on an opportunity to purchase a ticket. Ticketsare on sale now. Contact any Fort WorthChapter board member to get your ticket or callMitzi Gholson at 817-332-1010,Mitzi@gholsonelectric.com . Visit the chapterwebpage for more information atWWW.CCATEXAS.org.The drawing will be held at the banquetThursday May 2 nd at Joe T’s. We will be hostinganother General Membership meeting at theRahr Brewery on March 7. We hope to see youat one or both of these upcoming events.—Fearn MastinGreat Photo, Kids by Gardina Weaver: “Fishing with Dad” Robert Pearsonand son Preston. It's always good to see kids in boats wearing life preservers.GalvestonDr. Ken Ellis 713-962-7731We are getting ready for an incredible 2013 inmany ways, and we hope that you and yourfriends will join us at some of our special eventswe are putting together for you and Galveston.You may have seen us on the Strand during theYaga Chili Festival. We had a CCA booth set up,selling CCA memberships, 2013 STAR entries,and raffle tickets for our 21' Shallow Sport “Bahia”that will be raffled off at our banquet, August3, 2013 at Moody Gardens. We are only selling350 chances.We will have hosted a General MembershipMeeting with a local game warden on January24 at M&M restaurant in Galveston. The Wardenwill be there to answer questions. We enjoyedgreat appetizers and swapped fish stories.Stay tuned for the next event. If you are interestedin helping with the banquet my cell is 713-962-7731, so please call me directly with anyquestions or concerns. Happy Mardi Gras to all,and tight lines —Hook’em - KENGolden TriangleFisher Maddox 409-291-6000Greater Sugar LandDavid Kveton 281-808-4870Greater WoodlandsJames Kay 281-363-4417www.ccatexas.org/greater-woodlandsAs I am writing this article and attempting to becreative, “I got nothing.” It is probably because itis windy, wet and cold. In other words, a perfectday for Fishing, “Fishing Dreams that is.”CCA Texas has a lot of plans for 2013 thatwill identify us as being one of the premier grassroots organizations for getting things done. If youview the newly revamped web page for CCATexas http://www.ccatexas.org, you will read andlearn of all the projects that we have completedfrom the past and all the future projects that wewill be working on in 2013. Please do yourself afavor, log on and explore the newly revampedweb page.We always like to acknowledge our sponsorsand show them our appreciation. The sponsorI would like to acknowledge with this articleis Wrights Printing & Marketing. They are a topnotch printing organization that is interested inhelping grow your business. If you have any kindof printing, graphic design, marketing and otherrelated needs for these services, please contactthem at the following web page http://www.wrightsprintingandmarketing.com or call(281) 367-6060Events for the Greater Woodlands Chapter(GWC): We will be hosting several events in2013. Here are some of the events coming up. /March 2013, General Membership Meeting(GMM) to be scheduled with Larry Bozka, the renownedwriter, speaker and photographer forTexas and the Gulf Coast. Larry is a blogger forTexasFishingForum.com & CoastalAnglers.com./April 21, 2013 Crawfish Boil at Papa’s Ice Housein Spring, Texas.On July 2013, we will be having our majorfund raiser, 6 th Annual Banquet. More details canbe found by visiting our web page or contactingany of our board members.I would like to personally thank all boardmembers and guests for any and all participationthey have done in 2012. I look forward toyour support in 2013. Please contact me or anyof the board members on our website: http://www.ccatexas.org/greater-woodlands/ Keep Conserving…To Keep Fishing! —James KayGuadalupe ValleyCliff Weber 361-275-6506Hays CountySteve Schiber 512-524-2989Heart of the HillsRandy Plummer 830-377-0737Hill CountryDarlene Cook 800-594-2056 ext 217darlenec@knbt.fmThe Hill Country Chapter has an exciting yearahead! There’s a lot to do. If you have a passionfor fishing and conservation and would like tosupport CCA call me!There are several ways youcan participate. Joining CCA andmaking sure all your friends joinis the first step. Teaching yourkids and grandkids about conservationis the second step. Thenget involved with your local chapter,yours is the Hill CountryChapter.The Hill Country Chapter hasa summer fishing tournament and aBanquet in August. Sign up to helpwith the tournament, volunteer toset up for the Banquet or donatean item that will make money atthe Banquet.Items we are looking for aregood, used hunting vehicles, newmarine batteries, guns, and jewelry/spasessions, trolling motor,kayak, etc. If you have, or sell anyof these items and would like tomake a donation it would begreatly appreciated. Cash reallyhelps! We use Sponsorship Cashto purchase Art and Guns. Themore donations and cash we getfrom CCA members and businesses,the more money wemake for Texas CCA. Can youhelp, can you make a donation?~15~

We will take any donations you have at anytime. It’s not too early to make a cash donationnow. You will get a donor form for your Taxrecords. If you purchase a trolling motor, powerpole, kayak or anything you will get a donorform. If you do business with a company thatwould like to contribute and support CCA let meknow and I’ll get the donor form to them.If you can donate a fishing trip, condo ordinner for 2, 4 or 6 at your favorite restaurantthat would be great too!We will be sending out the Hill Country calendarin March with our meetings and guestspeakers, tournament and Banquet dates, somark your calendar and come join us! Make it afamily outing.If you have any questions call me, 830-214-3067. Texas CCA is committed to the conservationand restoration of the natural habitat on theTexas coast and we need everyone to help. Itbenefits everyone, even the non-fisherman. MayGod bless us with rain in 2013! —Darlene Cookdarlenec@knbt.fmHouston Real EstateDale Couch 281-953-2510The Houston Real Estate chapter is lookingforward to our Fifth annual fund raising banquetFebruary 12, 2013. We need to mentionthat Jackson Hooper won the Houston Real Estateannual tournament for the second time in arow. —DaleKatyJason Smith 281-924-7040The Katy Chapter is hitting our stride alreadythis year, and we always have a lot going on.Depending on how involved an individual wantsto be, or what they’d like to get from being achapter member, we try to have something forthem.The Katy Chapter alternates months betweengeneral meetings and work/planningmeetings, and we’ve fired up our Speaker Series.In January, we hosted Matagorda aficionado,Capt Tommy Alexander. Tommy alwaysdraws a great audience, and is very forthcomingwith his ‘secret’ spots and techniques. If pullingtogether a stringer of nice fish is the bet, CaptTommy is who I’ll put my money on. The scoopfrom Tommy is that redfish are stacked up, andthe sow trout bite is only getting stronger, increasingodds to hook up with a big girl.In November, the Katy Chapter fulfilled oneof our chapter sponsored auction items - steakdinner for 20. We cooked some very nice boneinribeyes, and had all the fixin’s. The cook teamwas made of Bradley “Pit Master” Miller, Troy“Catering Boss” Gillar, Preston “Have it Your Way”Many boat captains donated time and transportation to the East Cut for the Port Mansfield2012 Beach Cleanup. Kathy Bassler says their help will be needed again March 16.Roobaert, and me (I just got in the way). Specialthanks goes out to Red River BBQ for hooking usup with REAL catering equipment and Shirley“Lemon Cake Queen” Weston for a lemon cakethat will make you run through fire with yourpants down. The dinner was more than wethought we could handle, but it was a huge success!Once word gets out, I’m sure it’ll be ahighly covetted banquet auction item.Going forward, we’ll be planning our banquetand hosting speakers. Our General MembershipSpeaker Series meetings started in January,and will be in March, May, July, and September.We’ll have business/planning meetings inFebruary, April, May and June - mainly discussingbanquet topics.We hope you’ll join us, and get involved.Our meetings are at Red River BBQ, off MasonRoad. The fish stories start around 6:30ish, andwe fire off the real ‘bs’ at 7. I hope to see yathere! —Clint Hilton 713-515-3991LaredoJesse Martinez jmartinez@bushlan.com956-763-5555Lee CountyWelcome new president, Brian Kawazoe210-317-7088We welcome our new chapter president for2013, Brian Kawazoe. His contact email istxredfish68@gmail.com.Set your calendars for Saturday, March 16,2013 for the 5th annual East Cut/PINS beachcleanup down in Port Mansfield, Texas. One ofGod’s many beautiful creations that needs ourassistance in maintaining its pristine beauty. Ilook forward to seeing many familiar faces andhopefully many new ones. Volunteers, boat captains,and donations need to contact Kathie Basslerat kathie@basslerenergyservices.com. All types ofassistance, both physically and financially helpkeep down expenses and are always greatly appreciated.I hope that everyone has a safe, healthyand prosperous New Year and I look forward toseeing you out and about, or on the water somewhere.—Byron Kalbas bkalbas@yahoo.comLive OakBrad Kotrla 979-732-1669Lower ColoradoJ.L. West 979-318-9007Lower Laguna MadreTravis Flanagan 956-207-6391Four great Katy Cooks and four offshore Katy rods.~16~

MainlandEric Minor 281-534-6242Matagorda BaysLinc Lutrick 979-541-9901During this time of year we thank a few of oursponsors who continue to support our chapter.A big THANK YOU to Cedar Creek Woodshop,Eichorn, Gonzales, & Miller Fine Jewelers, EnergyConstruction, Glaze Backhoe Service, Gulf CoastLease Service, First State Bank of Louise, FullAuto Firearms, NewFirst National Bank, PennerElectric, Prosperity Bank, Schmidt Implement,Quality Lease Services, and VonDerAu Ford.The 8 th annual Lil’ Salty Kids Fishing Blowoutwill be held on Saturday, May 11 inMatagorda. We will have more information inthe coming months. —Linc LutrickMidCoastDavid Jenkins 361-578-5580jenkins12@sbcglobal.netNortheast HoustonJason Law 713-898-8594Happy 2013 from your NEH CCA Chapter! We arestarting the year off with a bang. As this issuegoes to press, we will have had a fine meetingat Cedar Landing Restaurant in Huffman at 7pm.ArmyRedfishAnglers will be sharing storiesabout fishing on the tournament trail, tips forcatching those big reds, and inspiring us all withtheir cause. Hope to see you there. Rememberto RSVP at kimbrown@ccatexas.org or to JasonLaw, 713-898-8594. —Samantha Law, NEHBoardmemberNorthwest HoustonBlayne Eversole 832-444-4579The Next General Membership meeting is February5th. It will be held in the Stein Room atHouston Distributing as it has in the past. Wewill announce the speaker when we send outthe meeting notice.December Members Meeting: Our Decemberspeaker was Jason Catchings. He fishes fromGalveston bay to Venice La. He also runs a huntinglodge in south Texas for quail and trophydeer. It was a great program.Annual member Fish Fry: Mark your calendarfor our annual member appreciation fish fry. Itwill be held at our April 2 as a General MembershipMeeting. Help us with Kid Fish. Mark yourcalendars! Here is the info for our 2013 Kid fish.Date: Saturday, May 11, 2013. Time 7AM - 1PM.Many thanks to Harris County Precinct 2, TheCity of La Porte and Linda’s Bait & Tackle fortheir support of this annual program.Please remember that we are alwayshappy to accept donations for the annual kid fishprogram. Please let us know of your desire todonate anytime by contacting a Director. Our sincerethanks to both Houston Distributing andAcademy. They are active sponsors of our meetingsand many events. We are especially fortunateto have such great support.As a reminder, we are using email formeeting announcements. If we don’t have youre-mail address and you would like to receiveour announcements, please send your e-mailaddress to js_declue@yahoo.com. —BlayneEversoleOrange CountyScott Bandy 409-988-3667sabandy@ymail.comWith the year now in full swing, we have hit theground running. February will be busy with ourGeneral Membership meeting on Feb. 11 th at RobertsMeat Market & Steakhouse at 6:30pm in Orange.Hamburgers will be on the menu. Guestspeakers will be Capt. Adam Jaynes – Just FishGuide Service talking about Sabine Lake fishingand other helpful tips and SargeUpchurch – Sarge’s Custom Rods talkingabout what goes into building a custom rodfor yourself.We will also be raffling off a guided tripfor two with Adam that night as well as doorprizes. All members are welcome to join usand bring a guest. The chapter will also beparticipating in the Orange Community Trashoffon February 9.March will be busy as well with theBassmasters Elite Series kicking off its 2013season on the Sabine River. Volunteers will beneeded so if you would like to help comejoin our chapter. Tight Lines —Scott BandyPiney WoodsJess Mowery 903-736-3891Port O’ConnorBill Moore 361-983-4690The POC Chapter wishes all supporters, donorsand their families a happy and prosperousnew year. We wish to thank you for yoursupport and we will work to earn your continuedsupport.If you were a table sponsor or donor,your support helped make our 13 th AnnualPOC Banquet a great success.We are currently in the process of settingthe date for our 2013 general membershipand banquet appreciation meeting. Allour members and potential members are invitedto come together for a great time, as wework to support the conservation of our baysand marine resources.Again, for the Crab Trap Cleanup, theCCA Port O’Connor chapter will have thosegreat hot vittles after the drop off. If you haveany questions give me a call or better yet,come visit us in POC, “Where it all began.”—Bill MoorePrairieSharon Goebel 979-877-4103Hope everybody had a great holiday. It’s2013 now, and we are planning our 16th annualCCA fund raiser banquet. It will be held on thefirst Thursday in April 2013 at the Cat SpringHall in Cat Spring, Texas. We are looking formore sponsors. If you would like to be asponsor, contact Sharon Goebel at 979-877-4103. Also, there will be corporate talesavailable. If interested in a table, call KirkHoppe at 979-885-8868.In February we will have our annualchili appreciation dinner which will be held inthe Cat Spring Tin building. We will have aguest speaker along with $1 raffle and silentauction. The date will be announced thefirst of February.On December 22, we had our annualChristmas party. The meal consisted ofboiled shrimp prepared by Wesley and RandyGoebel. Also, thanks to the board memberswho brought appetizers. And, thanks to Gordonfor the use of his “party barn” and toSharon for her hard work!We had a good turnout with our ChineseChristmas gift exchange. There were afew gifts that made the rounds around theroom. Everyone seemed to be happy withthe gifts they took home. Have a great newyear! —Ron Chess, Sr.Redfish BayNorman Oates 361-758-0266The Redfish Bay Chapter Annual Banquet willbe on April 20, 2013. The Banquet will besimilar to the 2012 Banquet with a sit-downmeal, beer, wine, soft drinks, live auction, si-~17~

lent auction, raffle items and door prizes.It is a family event, and attendance byspouses, young adults, and older childrenis encouraged. We do everythingwe can to make it a fun time while supportingTexas conservation efforts!Our annual “Take a Kid Fishing”event will be the first weekend in June. In2012, we had 200 kids fishing and havinga great time - a great event! Bring the futurefisherpersons for their annual “tournament.”We look forward to the New Yearand seeing you at our events. As always,money raised in Texas stays in Texas. —Norman Oates 361-758-0266 H 361-790-2748CRio Grande ValleyPhil Teinert 956-367-4267pteinert@fcbtx.comSabine-NechesDarin Johnson 409-790-9855darin.johnson@delpapabud.comHappy New Year! May 2013 bring us the trophywe have been searching for! Fishing on SabineLake had been going very good up until theheavy rains. The runoff has scattered the fishbut soon enough, we will be back on our patternsto get that trophy fish!The Sabine Neches 16 th annual banquet isjust around the corner! Mark your calendar forThursday March 7 th , 2013 6pm Bob Bowers CivicCenter in Port Arthur, Texas.San Antonio 5th graders at the Texas StateAquarium - touch tanks and dolphin show.Crawfish, cold drinks, awesome fishingtrips, great raffle and auction items, beautifulartwork along with some other surprises!Get your friends, co-workers, neighbors or fishingfriends together for a night of fun andfundraising! Email me or check out ourFacebook page for more details http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Sabine-Neches-CCA/453545214667605?fref=tsWe look forward to seeing you there. Untilthen Tight Lines to All! —Darin M JohnsonSam HoustonMark Robinson936-662-0841 mark6469@hotmail.comFishing at CCA/CPL Hector MendiettaFishing pond.San AntonioJohnny Rayburg 210-837-5500CCASanAntonio@yahoo.comThe San Antonio chapter's new Vice President ofYouth/New Tide, Beth Vacek, suggested taking underprivilegedstudents on a field trip. We chose herschool, Dellview Elementary because it’s Title 1 andmost of the kids had never been to the coast. Bethrelates:We took the whole 5th grade on a field tripto Corpus Christi, a visit to the Texas StateAquarium, then on to the CCA/CPL Marine DevelopmentCenter where the kids would do“catch and release” in the redfish and troutbrood ponds, then a tour of the Marine Develop-Partners inconservationinitiativesAt Anheuser-Busch, focusing on environmentalsustainability is a keyissue. The company operates efficientlyto reduce water and energy use andincrease recycling in its facilities across thecountry. As part of this commitment to conservationefforts, the company has supported theCoastal Conservation Association in their missionto protect coastal resources.In addition to supporting CCA, Anheuser-Busch promotes outdoor sports and wildlife conservationin several ways, including a $10 millioninvestment in on-the-ground conservationistinitiatives.For the past 17 years, the company hadawarded the Conservationist of the Year,along with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.“Since 1995, the Budweiser Outdoors programhas celebrated and supported the passion,dedication and leadership of conservationistsacross the country,” said Bob Fishbeck, seniormanager for the Budweiser brands. “Weall have a responsibility to help protect ournatural resources and the work being done byCCA and other wildlife advocates is an inspirationfor all of us to follow.”Throughout the years, the Budweiser OutdoorsProgram has supported numerousconservation organizations.“Budweiser has become an important supporterof CCA, and we’re proud to be amongtheir many conservationist partners,” saidRobby Byers, executive director of CCATexas. “Our programs aim to conserve, protectand enhance our coasts for everyone toenjoy.”~18~

Fishing at CCA/CPL Hector Mendietta Fishing pond.McGee Beach - shoes off, sand and ocean for many 5thgraders for the first timeSan JacintoPete Ruiz 832-496-4903SouthwesternWelcome to a newchapter and newpresident, JodyJacobs210-827-7180TAMUBurr Thornton559-901-9783ment Center, and a final stop at McGee Beach,and back home.Before the banquet, several board memberstalked to friends of theirs and a group ofWellMed doctors said, “It would be a privilege tounderwrite the field trip.” Jimmy Hasslocher fromFrontier Enterprises donated a meal for the kids,and Regent Coach said we could use two busesfor the day for a much lower cost than when Icalled to get a quote.In May we had our banquet. It was a battlewhen the field trip came up, but a wonderfulgroup of guys, The Sabinal Group, finally won thebid, sending our kids on this fabulous trip.The trip was Wednesday, October 24. TheAquarium was great, the kids did some absolutelyawesome fishing at the Marine DevelopmentCenter, they learned a lotabout conservation on the tour ofthe hatchery, then on to thebeach so the kids couldwalk in the sandand put their toesies in the water. And to top itoff, we stopped in Mathis on the way home andpicked up a McDonalds “Mighty Meal” for everystudent. The kids were perfect, our teachersand chaperones were great, and it was reallythe best day I’ve had in education in 20 years!The Caller-Times sent a photographer to theCCA/CPL and we made the front page of the paperthe next day with four pictures of the kidsand a short article.Enjoy the attached pictures of all our fifthgraders going on a field trip-of-a-lifetime becauseof a great group of fishermen!—BethVacekBeth Vacek received the Superintendent’s Awardfrom North East Independent School District.San BernardRoyce Macha 979-472-5211San GabrielJohn Melnar512- 497-8284Texas UniversityLuke Horadam 830-481-3466.Come and support Texas State University’s CCAchapter on Friday, March 1st at the Hill CountryEvent Center in San Marcos for our 7th annualbanquet! Doors open at 6 pm and food will beserved around 7 pm. The success of ourbanquet isn’t possible without the help andsupport of other anglers in the state who sharethe same passion for the outdoors as we do.For more information regarding our banquetplease contact me at at 830-481-3466. We hopeto see everyone on March 1st! —Luke HoradamTomball/MagnoliaMatt Maddox 832-590-1828Tri-CountyJason Trial 830-570-2988Trinity BayGerald Payne 281-385-2894West HoustonJoe Perez 832-279-4794West TexasCraig McDonnold 432-682-3499Roger Letz / Communications Director432-685-6026 rc1301@aol.com~19~

Great Wildlife Photo by Marsha Landers. She writes, "It was pure luck that I gotthe otters, three gators, spoonies, ibis, and other species all at the same time."Enter GreatPhotos2012Categories:Best In Show / Action / Scenic / Humor / Kids / Wildlife / CPRImportant: for jpegs, be sure you include name of subject, title, your nameand address. On back of prints, write your name and address, as well asthe names of anyone in the photo. email jpegs to:sam@samcaldwell.comColor prints to: CCA Great Photos Editor / 6919 Portwest Dr., Suite100 Houston, Texas 77024Art prints for Best In Show, First, Second and Third Place winners.Give us your best shot, and keep Currents anaward winning newsletter.~20~Watch for this billboard in various locations.

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A Return From AfghanistanThe Last LaughTrey McEntire returned from Afganistan the weekbefore Thanksgiving. "His Grandpa took him fishingThanksgiving Day, and he caught this 27"red that morning. We are so happy that he camehome safe, and he says on Facebook “Damn GoodThanksgiving in POC with Grandpa.” We are soproud of him!" —Pam & Carl RayGreat Humor/Wildlife Photo by Glenn Adamek: A Great blue heron takes throwback.ALASKAPuffins, orcas andbears, oh my!Drop by the website for a tour with Sam of glaciers, orcas,seals, moose, eagles, bears, outdoor writers and other wildlife.New Caldwell art and a tour ofChena Hot Springs, Alaska included,no extra charge.www.samcaldwell.comTexas State Artist 2004281-455-9390~22~

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CoastalConservationAssociation6919 Portwest Suite 100 / Houston, TX 77024CURRENTS NEWSLETTERFebruary / March 2013NON-PROFITU.S. POSTAGEPAIDHOUSTON, TEXASPERMIT 2532Leave It Better Than YouFound It, Collect a Tee shirt.U.S. Coast GuardAir & Sea RescueNational Response Center: 800-874-2143Port Isabel: 956-761-2668Corpus Christi / Marine Safety Office:boating emergencies, chemical andoil spills: 361-888-3162Port Aransas: 361-749-5217Port O’Connor: 361-983-2616Freeport: 979-233-3801Houston, Galveston: 409-766-5620Sabine: 409-971-2195The Texas Parks & Wildlife website is yourstarting point for almost anything you needto know about outdoor Texas, includinglinks to many areas. Visit http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/ To focus on fishingand boating, visithttp://www.tpwd.-state.tx.us/fishboat/.Current size, bag and possession limitsare now available through the Texas Parks &Wildlife website: TPWD has a number to reportgame violations. 1-800-792-4263.A partner with CCA in aiding Texas gameand Game Wardens is Operation Game Thief.Drop by and put this website on your favorites list:http://www.ogttx.com/COASTAL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION TEXASMEMBERSHIP APPLICATION (including STAR Entry)Name Phone______ Date _________________________Address City State Zip_______________NEW MEMBER _______ RENEWAL ______ (Member ID for renewing members only)_______________________________________ EMAIL ____________________Method of payment___ Check/Money orderCharge to my:___ MASTERCARD___ VISA___ AMEX___ DISCOVERMEMBER: $25 ___ Membership card, decal, bumper sticker, Texas CURRENTS newsletter & TIDE magazine.ASSOCIATE: $15 ___ Per each family member. All membership privileges except TIDE and CURRENTS.PRINT MEMBER: $100 ___ All of the above plus CCA Texas print of your choice.LIFE MEMBER: $1000 ___ CCA Life Membership piece, print, plus member gifts. Payable in four $250 installments.STAR ENTRY FEE: $20 ___ Tournament entry fee. Must be a current CCA member.NEW TIDE: $10 ___ Tide newsletter, patch, decal, iron-on T-shirt transfer, redfish sticker.Members 17 and under only Age: ______ Date of birth: ________NEW TIDE / Star: $10 ___ Same as above, plus “FREE” STAR Tournament entry. Age: ______ Date of birth: ________Credit card number ________________________________Signature _____________________________________________________________________________________~24~Credit card expiration date _________________________ By entering this tournament, I agree to be bound by the STAR Tournament Rules, Release and Indemnity Agreement. I understand that thereare specific rules governing the conduct of the tournament and that upon request a copy will be mailed to me. 6919 Portwest, Suite 100 / Houston, TX 77024 / 713-626-4222 / Website: www.ccatexas.org