CUR APR May 13 A - CCA Texas

CURRENTSThe newsletter for CCA members in TexasApril / May 2013Nearshore Reefing moves ahead~1~

CorpusChristinearshorereefing siteconstructionunderwayCCA TexasHabitatToday forFish Tomorrow(HTFT) committeemembers recentlyvisited the job sitewhere constructionis taking placefor 470 pre-fabricatedreef pyramidsthat will bedeployed in theTexas Parks andWildlifeDepartment’s (TPWD) MU-775 nearshore reef out ofPackery Channel.Construction on the prefabricatedreef pyramidshas begun and as of May10, 2013, approximately 90pyramids have been completed.The project contractor,Callan Marine, has afull time crew on handbuilding the 470 pyramidsthat will be placed offshorein state waters and is targeting to havethem in place by the end of the thirdquarter of 2013.“These new artificial reefs will constituteabout 40 acres of habitat for reeffish and organisms that will go a longway in helping enhance the area reefproduction 10-fold,” commented HTFTCommittee Chairman Jay Gardner.Gardner further commented, “Thesereefs will provide protection for juvenilefishes, such as red snapper andgrouper, that will enhance the area'sfishing potential and opportunitiesfor recreational fishermen in the CorpusChristi area."The Corpus Christi Nearshorereef (MU-775) is a recently permittedsite by TPWD and encompasses160 acres. The originalphase of the reefing work was to reef400 pyramids within a 40 acre site.With a $100,000 contributionfrom CCA Texas, the initial phase ofreefing will now be 470 pyramids andcover approximately 47 acres. To dateCCA Texas has contributed $400,000to nearshore reefing projects in theleft to right, Jake Herring, Jay Gardner, David McKee (allHTFT committee members) and Joey Flores with Callan Marinediscuss Corpus Christi nearshore reefing project.state of Texas and has helped by makingcontributions, securing storage facilities(Freeport reefing project) andcoordinating transportation of materials(Port Mansfield and Freeport reefingprojects). CCA Texas is proud to bea part of these projects that will provideclose proximity fishing areas forrecreational fishermen to target snapper,grouper and other offshore species.In addition, much needed habitat is beingcreated at a time when the Idle Ironinitiative is removing much of thenearshore habitat along the entire Gulfcoast.Other nearshorereefing newsTPWD recently announced that threeartificial reefing projects are in the latestround of projects submitted for thefunds being distributed from theDeepwater Horizon restorationfund.These projects include:The Texas Artificial Reef off the Midor Upper Coast (Jefferson or NuecesCounty). This project would place artificialreef structures offshore if the necessarylarge-scale materials are available.Or, it would enhance existing,permitted nearshore reef sites usingconstructed, stable and clean materi-Continued on page 9~2~ On the cover: Deep Red StructureAn oil painting by Sam Caldwell

Above, from left: Dwight Yoakam, early in his performance and late in the event, stopped the concertfor a brief explanation of CCA goals. Hayes Carll brought the house down with his stories andsongwriting skills. Ray Wylie Hubbard opened, and drew applause throughout his set. Below: RobertEarl Keen stunned the audience when he brought Lyle Lovett to the stage for a duet (with audienceparticipation) of Keen's classic "That Buckin' Song." Photos, Sam CaldwellA musical welcome tonew members of CCA2013 CCAConcert forConservation—May 18, Sam Houston Park: Great musicby the country's finest singers,songwriters and performers was enjoyedby an appreciative audience,many of them brand new members ofCCA.This year, CCA Texas partneredwith Sam Houston Race Park to put togethera superstar lineup that offeredfans a wide variety of country musicfrom featured artists Dwight Yoakam,Robert Earl Keen, Hayes Carll and RayWylie Hubbard.“We were extremely excited aboutthe turn out for our second concert. Itwas an awesome sight to see CCA beingpromoted in such a different and newlight. I think this event really elevatesthe organization to another level. Also,with this concert being a membershipdrive for CCA, we are excited about allthe new members that will now be part of theorganization. Hopefully these new memberswill help us to continue to make a difference inconserving our coastal fisheries,” said CCA'sExecutive Director, Robby Byers.The 2013 Concert For Conservation mayhave been the largest group everconvened for a GCCA or CCA event.Some 3,000-plus music fans and CCA membersapplauded with abandon at sundown,when Ray Wylie Hubbard began the concert.Hayes Carll maintained the electricity of theevent as the evening lights went on. As RobertEarl Keen took the stage, every person inthe audience rose with deafening applause. Ina surprise move, Keenbrought onstage Houston'sfavorite son, singer/songwriter/musician LyleLovett for two pieces. Thecrowd, and Lovett, joined infor Keen's "That Buckin'Song."After Robert Earl Keenturned the stage over toDwight Yoakam, the crowdnever stopped responding,until Yoakam halted the showfor an impromptu discussionof the reason for the concert—CCA'simpact on theresource and environment.Byers said, “This event was agreat opportunity for us to seea lot of our old friends and introducemany others to the CoastalConservation Association."As Currents goes to press, the resultsare still being assessed, but thiswriter has never enjoyed a CCAevent more. For new CCA members,this issue of the Texas Currents newsletterand the upcoming issue of thenational TIDE Magazine will be theirintroduction to many elements of theTexas outdoors. Welcome aboard!—Sam CaldwellFor more photos, see pages 15, 16 and 17.~3~

FS SouthwestStarKid Gafftop Division– This divisiongives entrantsage 6-10 a chance towin a $50,000 collegescholarship for the largest gafftop caughtthroughout the summer.Texas Ford Dealers Redfish Division – Texas FordDealers continue to make this division the “Bestin Texas”! They will again give each of the firstfive registered STAR participants who catch taggedredfish a brand new truck to get to their fishingdestination in a tough, dependable and stylishride. The first five registered anglers to weigh-in atagged red will receive a 2013 Ford F-150 “TexasEdition” truck. Haynie Boats returns with theawesome Haynie 23 Bigfoot rigged with a Mercury150 L Pro XS motor and Coastline Trailer completingthis amazing package. The next five weighedin will receive the same boat, motor and trailerpackages.For young anglers not of legal driving age and whoreel in the famous tagged red, he or she will receivethe boat package plus a college scholarship,in lieu of the truck.Trout Division -With winners inthe upper, middleand lower coastregions, each winningangler will take home the Shoalwater 22' Legendwith a Mercury 150 L Pro XS motor andMcClain trailer. SPECIAL NOTE: If you’re unsure atrout is large enough to qualify, consider this “easyrule-of-thumb” - if length is less than 27 inches,chances are it won’t meet the eight pound minimumweight requirement for the Trout Division.Unless you intend to mount your fish as a personalbest, why not think about releasing anythingthat might not make the cut so she can re-seed thebays.Offshore Division –Blue water anglerswho land theheaviest kingfish,dorado and ling (cobia) will each win the awesomeExplorer by Dargel 216 Blue Water Seriesboat prize to cruise the big waters along with aMercury 200 XL OptiMax motor and McClaintrailer.Inshore Division –Each winner thatreels in the largestflounder, gafftopand sheepshead will be handsomely rewardedwith Blue Wave’s 180 V Bay boat, a Mercury 115 LOptiMax motor and McClain trailer.In the past eighteen years, $4,635,000 in collegescholarships has been awarded to fisher-kidsacross the state. And 2013 continues to offer plentyof reason for everyone to round up their kid(s), arod and reel and head for the water.Capital Farm CreditStarKid Flounder Division– This divisiongives entrants age 6-10 a chance to win a$50,000 college scholarshipfor the largestflounder caught throughout the summer.Houston CommunityNewspapersStarKidSheepsheadDivision – This divisiongives entrantsage 6-10 a chance to win a $50,000 college scholarshipfor the largest sheepshead caught throughoutthe summer.Academy Sports & OutdoorsStarTeens TroutDivision - This youthscholarship division isopen to all New Tidemembers ages 11-17 andawards a $20,000 collegescholarship for each fisher-teen with the largesttrout in the upper, middle and lower coasts. SPE-CIAL NOTE: The minimum weight requirement forthe trout is six pounds. For all fish weighing lessthan six pounds, if no intentions of mounting youngangler’s prize catch, please take a quick pictureand immediately release back into the water.Time Warner CableStarTeens Inshore Division- This youthscholarship divisionis open to all NewTide members ages11-17 and awards a $20,000 college scholarship foreach fisher-teen with the largest flounder, gafftopand sheepshead statewide.More Chances to Win Great Prizes!2013 Berkley Gulp Challenge“Use Gulp andTilsonWin!” - To qualify forprize package, STAR anglersmust catch a winningfish using a BerkleyGulp bait, abide by allrules of the CCA Texas STAR Tournament and beon the FINAL leaderboard after the close of the2013 CCA Texas STAR Tournament on Sept. 2, 2013.Prize package includes a Limited Edition All StarTeam Series Rod, Abu Garcia Revo S Baitcast Reel,Berkley Trilene XL fishing line, Gulp Alive Bait andBerkley tackle bag.Runner-Up Prizes - The first through fourth runnersupin all divisions will receive various gift certificatesfrom Academy Sports & Outdoors.“New Tide” Member Drawing- The “New Tide” ScholarshipDrawing will be offered againin 2013. “NewTide”/STAR participantsat least, 6 - 17 yearsold in 2013, are eligible for abonus drawing that will net one lucky youth a$20,000 college scholarship even if the participantnever wets a line or enters a single fish during theentire tournament.Trout Division: Shoalwater 22 Legend withMercury motorOffshore Division Prize: Dargel 216 Blue Waterwith Mercury motorInshore Division: Blue Wave's 180 V Baywith Mercury motorMember BonusDrawing“TOTALOUTDOORSMANPACKAGE” -This uniquedrawing offers STAR entrants a chance towin a fabulous boat/UV prize package evenif the participant never wets a line. Onelucky contestant’s name will be drawn towin an Explorer by Dargel 210 Tunnel Veewith a Mercury 150 PRO XS motor andMcClain trailer attached to a UV CountryCustom PowerSports Kawasaki MULE Trans4X4 Utility Vehicle.2013 Member Bonus Prize--TotalOutdoorsman Package~5~

School Is In Session. The new STAR Platinumprint by David Drinkard.CCA Texas STAR PlatinumPrint MembershipPackage, Series III –We’re pleased to announcethe new print beingoffered for the 2013CCA Texas STAR Platinumpackage is School IsIn Session. Renownedartist David Drinkardwanted to honor thoseparents who take theirkids fishing by creating aprint depicting the parentand child fishing scene.You never know…maybe one of those “schools” has a “college scholarship” swimming in it!This special offer includes your CCA membership (new or renewal), your2013 CCA Texas STAR entry, plus a signed, limited-edition print created exclusivelyfor STAR, all for $125! School Is In Session is a one-of-a-kind specialprint worth this price alone. If you would like to consider one, or several, ofthese limited-edition packages, go to:

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 June/July 2013, Vol. 31, Issue 4.Welcome to theCCA TexasOnline AuctionSponsored By Costa Del MarWe have some great merchandiseup for grabs this month!Available online June 10 - June 17To bid and win, go to ccatexas.org andclick on the link (left hand side) online auction.Good luck!—Erich SchneiderGreat Foods / Food Editor Ellen OhmstedeSeared Scallops on Potato PancakesRecipe Courtesy of M & M Bar and Grill / 2401Church Rear Street / Galveston, TexasINGREDIENTS3/4 cup cold mashed potatoes / 1 egg2 tbsp. bread crumbs / salt and freshground black pepper to taste / 1 tsp oliveoil / 1 lb. scallops / cayenne pepper totaste / 1 tbsp. butter / 1 tbsp. capers1/2 roasted and peeled red bell pepper1 whole fresh basil leavesDIRECTIONSAdd 3/4 cup cold mashed potatoes, 1 egg,2 tbsp. bread crumbs, some salt and pepperin a bowl. Mix well.Add a little oil in a pan over medium heat.Put the mixture in the pan, make 4 roundshapes. Cook 7-8 minutes per side. Removeand set aside. These are the potatopancakes.Put 1 pound scallops in a bowl, drizzlesome salt, pepper and cayenne. Add a littlebit of olive oil. Stir well.Pre-heat the pan on high heat. When thepan is hot, put the scallops in the pan. Addthe red bell pepper besides them. Cook thescallops for 3-4 minutes per side. Removethe scallops. Spread the red bell pepper inthe pan. Add the whole fresh basil leaves, 1tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. capers in the pan.Stir and cook until the butter is resolved.Then add 1/4 cup water, turn off the heat.To serve, put a potato pancake on a servingplate, add 3 scallops on the pancake.Top the scallops with some red bell pepperand basil leaves. Spoon over the sauce.Enjoy!“Official SaltwaterFish of Texas” by AlBarnes.Be one of only60 people in the entirestate to own this greatprint straight from theCCA Texas Inventory.This amazing piecehas the Texas State billthat made the Redfishthe official saltwaterfish of Texas. The artalso has a great depictionof the Texas Flagand an awesome Redfish.Do not let thisone go because this is our last one in inventory,and your last chance to own this greatpiece of art.“Bowed Up” by David DrinkardThere is nobody in the State of Texas that doesa deer scene better than David Drinkard. Thislarge framed print depicts two monster SouthTexas deer coming together in a cactus-filledfield ready to defend their territory. This is oneof 60 prints that were produced for CCA Texasonly and will be a great addition to anyone’shome. Make sure to always know that everydollar spent with CCA Texas goes to supportingthe fish and our great cause.Dropping in For Family Dinner: Great Wildlife photo by Norman Oates.Sponsored by ourfriends at Costa.~7~

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Continued from page 2als. Artificial reefs are used by fishermenand scuba divers as recreationalareas because of the aquatic communitythat develops in reef habitat. Estimatedcost: $1.8 million.Brazoria Near shore Artificial ReefArtificial Reef Enhancement (BrazoriaCounty). This project would enhance anearshore reef site off Freeport. Estimatedcost: $2 million.Matagorda Nearshore Artificial Reef(Matagorda County). This projectwould include construction of a newnear shore artificial reef off ofMatagorda. Estimated cost: $3.5 million.In addition, CCA Texas has committed$200,000 to this site for futurereefing work. —John BlahaJohn Blaha, Jay Gardner, David McKee and Jake Herring stand infront of completed pyramids. The pyramids provide better habitatfor smaller fish. Below: Artist's concept of structure in place.Casting CommentsCCA HabitatProgram –The BuildingConservation TrustBy Tide editor, Ted VenkerFrom time to time in TIDE Magazine youwill see a wide array of habitat programshighlighted in our Building ConservationSpotlight column. These projects come in allshapes and sizes, from grass plantings to marshrestoration projects to oyster shell recyclingprograms to reefs made out of concrete salvagedfrom hurricane-damaged bridges andbuildings. The Buras High School Reef thatCCA Louisiana helped install in Breton Soundin 2012, for example, was made of what wasleft of the school after Hurricane Katrina wasthrough with it in 2005.Habitat has always been a core focus foranglers and conservationists,but events of just thelast few years have drivenhome how fragile our marineenvironment is. Thehurricane season of 2005,brought to you by Katrinaand Rita, and the oil spill of2010, in particular, werecataclysmic events for marinehabitat in the Gulf ofMexico.As a grassroots organization,CCA has no shortageof ideas for habitat projects.CCA chapters are made upof all kinds of folks who arein positions to make fantasticcontributions to a programdedicated to restoring andenhancing our waters. Wehave lots of fishermen whoare in a unique position tosee opportunities everywhere, and we alsohave scientists and biologists, and folks whowork for state agencies with intimate knowledgeof how to get these projects moving.The tricky part is finding funding for them.Three years ago CCA began making plansfor the Building Conservation Trust (BCT), asupport organization dedicated exclusively tothe business of funding marine habitat creationand restoration in areas that can be accessedand enjoyed by recreational anglers. BCT wasenvisioned to provide funding for marine habitatconservation and restoration projects toCCA state chapters for grassroots-drivenprojects achieving one or more of five key objectives:restore degraded habitats; create newhabitats; advance the science of coastal habitatrestoration and marine fisheries conservation;foster habitat stewardship; and educate coastalcommunities on the value of conservation.Our vision for BCT took a huge step toward reality in 2010 when Shell OilCompany agreed to fund $1.5 millionover three years for a habitat program. It goeswithout saying that this dramatically raised thescope of what CCA could do in this arena andwe immediately put those funds into action.Program funds began to be applied in 2010 andover the past two years, that $1 million in CCAfunding has been put to work on 14 projectsand has been matched by more than $1.6 millionfrom other partners, including state and localgovernments, private corporations andmembers of the community. More than $2.5million in marine habitat projects have beenfunded in just two years.BCT was created to build on that record ofsuccess as a fully operational support organizationof CCA and it was recently announced thatMatt Shilling will be the organization’s firstpresident. Shilling also serves as President ofOCEARCH, a nonprofit organization that facilitatesunprecedented research on thebiology and health of sharks, and hasserved in the White House and heldother government positions.~9~

Upper CoastBy Capt. Steve HillmanThe easiest fishing one could ask for.Fishing in Galveston Bay has been well aboveaverage, with trout up to 7 pounds when theweather cooperates. Sustainability of our troutfishery is very important so we’re releasing allof the larger trout. The pattern for June and Julywill be a sequel to May. Drifting slicks overshell in 4 to 7 foot depths is about the easiestfishing one could ever ask for. Birds havealready started feeding over migrating brownshrimp in certain locales, with quite a fewundersized trout under them, but this willchange in coming weeks as the shrimp getlarger.Trinity, East, West and Lower GalvestonBays will continue to hold plenty of fishthroughout the summer. Work the eastshoreline of Trinity early in June and thenspend more time around the wells later in themonth and into July. East Bay reefs are reliablewhen the wind allows, while the shorelinesare good for wading on the breezy days. WestBay’s San Luis Pass can give up some nicetrout. Lower Galveston Bay around theCauseway will produce, especially on two-tidedays.Drifting or wading, the key is to locateactive bait and / or fresh slicks. Lots of surfaceactivity? Try throwing topwaters. If you just seeslicks and not much surface bait then softplastics will probably work better. Keep itsimple when choosing lure colors. Remember,it’s more about contrast in a speckled trout’sworld. Dark or overcast conditions in offcoloredwater call for dark colors such as RedShad, Morning Glory or Texas Roach.Limetreuse, Pearl or Glow are good examplesof colors that will work well in green water /bright sunlight conditions. Throw small, lowpitch topwaters in low wind conditions andloud, high pitch ones in choppy waters. It’s notNuclear Physics.Also, using the right equipment willincrease your odds of catching exponentially.Using a rod that is better suited for an Olympicpole vaulting competition won’t get the jobdone. I use a Shimano Core 50 Mg rigged on a6’6" Waterloo Ultra Mag rod and while I maynot stick every fish, I can definitely feel everybite. Have fun and remember….the big onesjust don’t taste as good. —Captain Steve Hillmanwww.hillmanguideservice.com 409-256-7937Jeff Sadler sent this 6 pounder back for furtherduty. Photo, Capt. Steve Hillman.Middle CoastBy Capt. Billy TrimbleIt happens fast.Spring in Texas is a blink of the eye on atypical year, but this year has not been atypical year. In mid-May, we still had coldfronts pushing through, slowing the progressof our summer conditions.There is still very little grass on the flatsand a lot of clean sand and mud flats wheregrass should be. Find grass and pods ofredfish feeding on grass shrimp, find somegreat sport.As spring transitions into summer ourweather pattern will settle down and the waterwill clear, and it happens fast. Lately, fishinghas been very good. Fishing extremelyshallow water, on two days of north windgreyovercast-spitting rain, my angler landed14 Redfish that averaged 27".I had several days of wade fishing ankledeep water picking off large redfish, great fun.Almost every day we are getting shots atspeckled trout in the 24-28" range in less than18"s of water.We have been taking some really nicespeckled trout, 18-20"s, off of mudding podsof hardhead catfish. I am seeing big schools ofsmall mullet and pin fish with redfish and troutfollowing them and can hear redfish crashingthem back in the flooded mangroves. Schoolsof Black Drum are moving up on to the flats inthe late afternoon offering some fine sport.As summer approaches I am very excitedabout the “State of the Fishery!”Last year was a tough one but this year isshaping up to be much better. We havereceived some timely rains which should helpthe food chain, shrimp/crab. I am seeing manymore fish this year than last and the patternsare what one would expect to see. Goodnews for the avid salt-water angler, so get outthere and go fishing! Tight Lines, —CaptainBilly Trimble www.trimbleflyfishing.combillytrimble@cableone.net 361-205-1266Headed your way? Cutt Ableson's CPR of Neal Nichols big trout.Lower CoastBy Capt. Bill ShekaAlgae bloom not withstanding...The summer pattern hopefully will fall intoplace now. The spawn was behind nearly 2-3weeks, due to the abnormally cold temps fromall the late fronts. Even the shrimp runs, andthe size of croakers were off. I would say thatthe trout run and valleys and peaks of thespawning of trout could also be running longer.The temperatures and the continuance ofNorthers have changed the currents in ourLaguna Madre system to North to South, whichis not normal for the late April and Mayperiods. But, lots of bright, sunny days willbring our water temps up and a return to oursummer patterns of a south to north current.The algae bloom has been with us sinceMay of 1990. A different strain last year,according to TP&W, was to blame for killingmany fish, including some trout, redfish, drum,sheepshead and large numbers of ourmenhaden shad. What I have seen now is theflushing of the Laguna Madre with a drop ofover 12 inches in the water table in in May.This displaced lots of water and the bloom ranhard to south of the Land Cut with threerecording-setting frontal passages, whichhelped it change directions. Talk about trying tostay on top of the water color... We had a shortrun on some LARGE trout from 28 inches to 30inches and a few a bit larger.That strain of algae bloom could end upappearing again during June and July periods,but as the currents stay south to north we areseeing much prettier water moving north fromthe lower Laguna Madre. With all that beingsaid, the current algae bloom is not killing fishas of yet but hampering watery visibility andthose wanting to throw artificial lures and topwaters are going to have to rethink and usescented lures like my favorite Berkely Gulps.Try an Almeda rattler, Mansfield Mauler orCajun Thunder with a Gulp and a 1/8 or 1/25ounce jighead. Think sound and scent for thebloom waters. But, if you can concentrate in theareas from Baffin Bay south, including theYarbourgh Pass area, Kennedy Ranch shoreline,the Landcut, the Nine Mile hole and southto the Lower Laguna, these areas are shapingup for CLEAR water with NO Algae Bloom.Good fishing and God Bless, —Capt. Bill Shekabillsheka@msn.com 361-991-7191Many of us old salts know Cap'n Bill as a fineguide, and appreciate his military service.~10~

Alvin-PearlandRex Richards 281-923-3050Aransas BayCarter Crigler 435-830-5984jccrigler@hotmail.comBabes on the Bay XIV is now in the historybooks and we would like to thank all entrantsfor their participation. We would also like tothank the vendors, volunteer TP&W GameWardens who conducted the weigh-in and faithfulchapter volunteers for their support. A specialthanks goes to Karol Scardino, tournamentdirector, for her continued dedication and commitmentto making Babes on the Bay theworlds best all women’s fishing tournament.As in the past, a donation of $3,000 on behalfof CCA Babes On The Bay, Aransas BayChapter, will be made to Go For Fish, NotDrugs kid’s fish event sponsored by theTP&W Game Wardens. We do hope you allhad a great time and that you will join us againnext year.Our 14th Annual Banquet is scheduled forAugust 10 at the Paws and Taws ConventionCenter in Fulton, Texas. We hope you will joinus for a fun-filled evening consistingof a live auction includingtrips. sculptures, art, etc.;raffle; door prizes; and silentauction. Tickets will be availableat Rockport Tackle Townand Seaworthy Marine and includedinner, open bar, and aCCA Membership. For anyquestions concerning advancedticket reservations,Sponsor opportunities, donationsor any other matter contactMichelle Green, BanquetChairperson, atjeepgirl.green@gmail.comMay the summer of 2013be your best ever for fishingand time with family andfriends. Tight lines, —CarterAustinScott Sanderson512-637-1750scott@mbsquoteline.comOn May 9, the Austin Chapterrewrote history again. The34 th annual banquet for Austinwill go down again as arecord setter on every level.The event was sold out with1500 attendees. And those inattendance got to partake inlive and silent auctions andraffle games that were absolutelystuffed full of great trips,boats, 4WDs, guns, art, awesomegear and more.We’ll have a full report inthe next issue but as epic aslast year was, 2013 will makeit a distant memory. And forthat, we owe a great debt ofgratitude to our MANY generoussponsors, donors andmembers for their incrediblesupport-support that hashelped the Austin Chapter ofCCA reach heights never beforeimaginable.Next up on the calendar isANO at Abel’s on the LakeChapter 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.July 17. Our guest speaker will be CaptainDworaczyk from Bay Flats Lodge. A lot of usfish the Seadrift/Port O’Connor area, so don’tmiss this one. Come out and learn from one ofthe best. We’ll have great giveaways and a freemeal compliments of Smokey Denmark’s. Youdon’t have to be a member to come, so BRINGA FRIEND AND ASK THEM TO JOIN CCA.Galveston's 21' Shallow Sport, put together by Coastline Marine.Winner of the San Antonio boat, Manuel Longoria.Matagorda Bays fully rigged 23ft HDX Dargel KAT w/ 200HP EvinrudeE-Tec, McClain Tandem Aluminum Trailer. Thank you to our boat sponsors,Polasek Construction, Quality Lease Services, Q.C.E. Supply, Inc,and Dargel Boats.Be sure to “Like” Coastal ConservationAssociation Austin Chapter on Facebook tokeep up with everything this awesome chapterhas going on.We have an incredibly dedicated and hardworking board in Austin that puts together allthe amazing events for you throughout theyear. If you would like to jump on board, andhelp us grow even more, just send me a noteand we will welcome you. You will have a lotof fun and make a difference in the conservationof our great coastal resources. See you atANO! Warm regards, —Scott Sandersonscott@mbsquoteline.comBay AreaCurtis Anderson 832-421-6377Wow, do we have something to report! Weheld our annual fundraiser and crawfish boil onApril 4 and it was an OUTSTANDING SUC-CESS. We INCREASED our REV-ENUE over last year by 116% andeven better, we INCREASED OURNET by 117%. It’s gonna be hard totop that next year but we are alreadyplanning for it.As I write this on April 24,the temperature outside is 58 degrees.I can’t believe it. Well hopefully,this is the last cold front of theyear and we can get out and startsome serious summer fishing fun.Have a great summer. —Kent LacyVice President, Bay Area Chapter.Brazoria CountyWes Dingee 979-299-8245The Brazoria County Chapter of theCoastal Conservation Association(CCA) wrapped up our annual banquetin March with a very positiveoutcome. The banquet is our onlyfund raiser of the year, so our sponsors,underwriters, and attendeesare very supportive financially. Thisyear, big sponsors were Beef ‘OBrady’s and Mammoet who helpedwith our gun/cooler raffle and dinner.Attendance was fantastic — wepacked the Lake Jackson Civic Center!Our chapter will host a freepublic presentation at 6:30 pm onTuesday, June 18 at the Sea Centerin Lake Jackson. This CCA chaptergeneral membership meeting willfeature recognized Gulf Coast fishingguide Tommy Kountz. TalkAbout Good catering will providedinner. There is no charge for thisevent which also includes a raffle ofseveral fishing items for attendees.There is no reservation requiredand attendees do not have tobe CCA members. For more informationcall Dan Johnson (979) 265-6555, Wes Dingee (979) 299-8245,or any other Brazoria County CCAboard member. The BrazoriaCounty chapter assists Sea Center,Kid Fish, and several other communityprojects. –Wes Dingee~11~

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Brazos ValleyLarry Purifoy 979-229-4752BrenhamDennis Crowson979-451-2472Dennis.crowson@hotmail.comBrush CountryHank Henry 361-215-6803CentexBrad Hensel 254-776-3411Central HoustonTodd BusterMobil, 713-545-1897We had the most successful banquet inthe history of our chapter last month, andI want to personally thank all of our sponsorsand board members! Our 2014 banquetwill be May 1st, 2014 with an excitingboat raffle. Stay tuned. Best, —ToddBusterColorado ValleyJames Loehr 979-250-3958We presented a Distinguished ServiceAward to JK Brandt and Gary Janda.We’d like to thank all of those who attendedand participated with us at our annualbanquet. The event was a great success.We’d like to thank the KC’s for preparinga fantastic meal. Thanks to OviedoChrysler Dodge for sponsoring our rafflecaps. We’d like to thank Prime ProductsInc. for sponsoring our koozies. Specialthanks to all of our print sponsors, tablebuyers and donors we couldn’t havedone this without your support. Thanksto all of our board members who spend countlesshours collecting donations and sellingticket and tables. —James LoehrCorpus ChristiRandy Poelma 361-851-1129r_poelmacpa@sbcglobal.netSpring is here and fishing is only going to getbetter. The STAR Tournament opens on MemorialDay weekend and closes on Labor Dayweekend—Good Luck— maybe a boat, motor,and trailer is in the stars for you! Please markyour calendars now for the three upcoming“on the water” events (listed below) for theCCA Corpus Christi Chapter.Upcoming events – Guides Cup - October 3-4,2013. Contact Cody Roesner, Chairman, 916-531-0078. Captain’s dinner and Calcutta, Thursdayevening (Doc’s Restaurant) at 6:00 pm.Babes on Baffin and Blue Ladies Fishing Tournament– October 11-12, 2013We are looking forward to our Babes on Baffinand Blue Ladies Fishing Tournament, whichtakes place October 12 at Bluff’s Landing inCorpus Christi. Doc’s Restaurant (under theJFK Causeway) is the location of Friday night’scheck-in and social. The Tournament features alive weigh in / donation bonus with the livefish going to the CCA/CPL Marine DevelopmentCenter in Corpus Christi. For those not familiarwith the Marine Development Center, itis one of the world’s largest state-of-the-art saltwaterhatcheries, which provides educationaloutreach and cutting edge marine sciencework and produces tens of millions of fingerlingredfish and spotted seatrout for release intoTexas bays for stock enhancement.Distinguished service award winners JK Brandtand Gary Janda from Colorado Valley. The pictureis in order, JK Brandt past president, JamesLoeh, President and Gary Janda, board member.Seniors of the Country Village Care. Hosted by SeaCenter Texas and Brazoria CCA Texas.2013 Corpus Christi Chapter Banquet CommitteeContact Lauren Hollon, Chairwoman 361-461-9396Poco Rojo Kids Fishing Tournament – October19, 2013 / Contact John De John 361-728-8152or Mike Henry 361-816-0300.The Kid’s Fish will be held at the CCA/CPLMarine Development Center in Corpus Christi.E-Blasts are forthcoming for early registrationfor this event.As always, if you have an interest in joiningour board and being involved in conservationof our coastal resources, please contact aboard member or me atr_poelmacpa@sbcglobal.net —Randy PoelmaDallas / North TexasCraig Jones 817-239-6200East TexasDr. Jim Norman936-554-3165jnorman7@suddenlink.netCCA East Texas Chapter held our banquet thefirst week in February. Our BBQ pit crew ofBilly Cox, Dan Hafner, Bill Kaczynski, RustySanders, Mike Miguez, Frank Still, MartySmith, Allan Spruiell, and Brent Rogerssmoked up brisket, pork and chicken to perfectionand very little was left over at the end ofthe banquet. Thanks go to R&K Distributorsfor providing refreshments and Budweiserthemedraffle prizes. Also, thanks to ClearSprings Restaurant, Butcher Boys Restaurantand Brookshire Bros. for donations for theBBQ. We had a good night and racked up ourbest banquet financially to date.We are having our spring fishing tournamentJune 1, headquartered at Stingaree Marina,Galveston East Bay. Our meetings areheld monthly at Clear Springs Restaurant inNacogdoches and are announced by e-mail. Ifyou have been to one of our banquets, you area member of CCA East Texas Chapter by wayof your ticket registration. We encourage newfaces to come to our monthly meetings andparticipate in planning and putting on our banquet.We try to have two fishing tournaments ayear where we award some nice prizes and occasionallysip a cold one and tell lies. If you areinterested in joining us, contact me at the e-mailbelow. Tight Lines, —Jim Normanjnorman7@suddenlink.netFort BendClint Shepard 832-595-5375We are fresh off of our 27th annual banquet, andlet me tell you, it was a blast. Our board membersput together an awesome event, and it wascomplimented by great attendance. I would liketo thank all who attended for their support andparticipation. Additionally, I would also like tothank our sponsors, and the board members fortheir efforts that made the banquet go off withouta hitch. Way to go guys!Mark your calendars: The “Ladies Only”fishing tournament, Lingerie On The Bay, isscheduled for June 15 in Matagorda. Entryforms will be posted atwww.matagordabay.com. Due to LOTB fallingon the same weekend as ICC this year, the FortBend Chapter will not be attending the ICC. Wewill see you there next year.The Jimmy Guest Memorial Kid’s FishingTournament is scheduled in Matagorda on July13. Information for this event can be found atwww.matagordabay.com. Be safe, have a greatsummer, and take a kid fishing. See you on thewater, —Clint ShepardFort WorthFearn Mastin 817-291-1302GalvestonDr. Ken Ellis 713-962-7731The days have gotten longer due to daylightsavings, and the fishing should start picking uponce the water temperature increases... Thesmall cold fronts need to stop, so that we canall get on the water...The S.T.A.R. tournament will be startingsoon, so please know your local weigh-in, incase you catch “the fish” with “the tag”...Goodluck to all, and if you have not yet registeredfor the S.T.A.R. tournament, please go tocca.org, and do so...Just a reminder also of the upcomingGalveston Chapter CCA banquet ...Pleasemark your calendar for August 3, 2013 atMoody Gardens...We will have a large varietyof raffle, silent and live auction items...Trips toall sorts, to fishing destination ... Gun raffles,and do not forget about our 21' Shallow Sport,that was put together by Coastline Marine, thatwill be given away that evening to one luckyperson... Only 350 tickets at $100 will be sold,and we are running out quickly... So if youwould like a raffle boat ticket, or a table (10) tothe banquet, please call me personally, and Iwill get one (or as many as you would like) toyou. Tight Lines —Dr. Ken EllisGolden TriangleWelcome new president, Josh Kaczynski409-554-1325~14~

Greater Sugar LandWelcome new president, Weems Turner713-857-8897wtuner@ducommun.comFirst, I would like to welcome Weems Turneras our new chapter President. The board and Ilook forward to working with him.We held our annual banquet on April 11th.Everyone enjoyed crawfish and catfish. Thanksgo out to all that came out to support theGreater Sugar Land Chapter. Also I want tothank all the members for making this anotherGREAT event!On April 27, we held the New TerritoryKid Fish. About 175 kids showed up for the kidfish. Thanks to Julie Kveton with New TerritoryParks , Fort Bend County Constable Precinct 4and the Sugar Land CCA for an awesome timehad by all.On May 4, we held a Kid Fish for specialneeds children with the Elks Lodge No. 151 atSea Center Texas in Lake Jackson. The ELKSbused the children and parents in for the event.The kids had a fantastic time.On May 18, we will have had the SugarLand Kid Fish.On June 1, as you receive this newsletter,we will have the Missouri City Kid Fish, 1700Glenn Lakes.On June 29, we will have a chapter fishingtournament at Sargent. We welcome all tojoin. For info email me at dokveton@gmail.comor call me at 281-808-4870.Our chapter will not meet in June and July.The next meeting will be on August 7 at SpringCreek BBQ, Hwy. 6, Missouri City. Come joinus for a great time. For more info on our chaptergo to Sugarlandcca@comcast.net or checkout our facebook page at //www. facebook.Com/ccasugarland. —David O. Kvetoncontinuing to $5,000 for a Platinum Sponsorship.The evening’s live auction will featurehunting and fishing adventures from around theworld, along with original artwork and uniquegift items. There will be plenty of outdoor relatedbargains and other treasures among theraffle items and on the silent auction tables. Proceedsfund conservation projects along thecoast, fisheries research, conservation lobbying,and equipment to help with fisheries managementand in the enforcement of game laws.The event is headed for a sellout, so don’t delayin purchasing your tickets, a CorporateTable or a Silver, Gold or Platinum Sponsorship,by contacting Drew Adams at 713-626-4222 or Bryant Bennett at 281-757-5011.Larry Bozka and Mark Mantell were invitedto speak to the CCA TX GWC group onMarch 26. With an informative and entertainingmix of fishing advice and a veritable travelinggallery of top-notch photography and artworkto boot, Larry put on an unforgettable program.After sharing a few funny stories, Bozka presentedsome insights as to how he interpretsand utilizes wind, tide and other conditions tonarrow down his choice of potential fishinghotspots. As a full-time outdoor writer andbroadcaster for more than 35 years, Bozkadraws on that experience and more as a popularpublic speaker, video and seminar producer,photographer and marketing consultant. Hehosts the award-winning website and blogCoastalAnglers.com, and can be emailed atlarry@coastalanglers.com. Better yet, “friend”him on Facebook. Larry brought out his closefriend and creative collaborator artist MarkMantell of Friendswood (on Facebook at artname Marcus Mann: Email:mmann@mckelleygalleries.com). Mark broughthis limited-edition sporting art prints “Homecoming”and “Reflections” and sold them at asubstantial discount in support of our cause. Heand Larryprovidedsignaturesfor the past 5-years. Thank You Charles and SusanUpshaw for all your support.Please visit our web page for up to dateevents and information. http://www.ccatexas.org/chapters/inland/greaterwoodlands/Keep Conserving …To Keep Fishing—James KayGuadalupe ValleyCliff Weber 361-275-6506Hays CountySteve Schiber 512-524-2989Heart of the HillsRandy Plummer 830-377-0737Cool weather lasted longer than we expectedand the winds blew, but several members stillreported good catches of reds and some nicetrout. One of our active supporters fromBlanco, Dobie Benson of Benson Body &Paint, was seen enjoying a weekend at thecoast with his family. Hope you have had thechance to get out and fish, also.We are preparing for our Banquet onThursday, September 12, 2013 at the BoerneCommunity Center. If you would like to donatemerchandise or sponsor an auction item, pleasegive me a call. We also have volunteer opportunities- come and be a part of the group!Remember Boerne Marine, Full ServiceAuto Parts, Concept Builders, Academy,Kendall County Abstract, Brady’s Automotive,and C. Joseph Industries/Garrett Mechanicalare proud sponsors of CCA Heart of the Hills!See you on the water—Jim Simmons210-380-5709The Greater Woodlands group, Pres. James Kay presiding, enjoyed the ConcertFor Conservation.Greater WoodlandsJames Kay 281-363-4417www.ccatexas.org/greater-woodlandsHere comes our 6th Annual Banquet – ThursdayJuly 18– The Grand Palace 314A PruittRd. – Spring, Texas. The event starts at 6:00p.m. and ends around 10:00 p.m. Single ticketadmission is $50, which includes a year’s CCAmembership, adult beverages, and a catfish &shrimp dinner by Clint’s Kuntry Katfish Catering.Sponsorships and Corporate Tables are stillavailable for purchase beginning at $750 andand personalized inscriptions toboot.Texcraft Construction LLC - As I like tomention, are key sponsors in this article, myhat (or) visor is off to Charles Upshaw forbuilding an outstanding business. Texcraft Constructionhas just celebrated their 9th year ofbeing in business as a full services generalcontractor of Class A business interiors.Charles has been in this business for 28-yearsand has a solid reputation. Texcraft Constructionhas been one of our cornerstone sponsorsHill Country Kid Fish— fun with a crab.Hill CountryDarlene Cook 800-594-2056 ext 217darlenec@knbt.fmThe Hill Country Chapter had our first CCA SocialSunday, April 28. It was held at the TexasAgriculture Education and Heritage Center inSeguin. The venue offered a stroll through historyof buildings from the German heritage offarmers and immigrants from the 1850’s. Gardensand livestock were also among the favoritesof the participants.We had 171 CCA members and guests attendingwith 50 to 60 children, toddlers to 14year olds. Games for the youth included a fishpond casting contest and a crawfish race! A bigthank you to the Epps and Morgan families forthe games and the Koehler’s for the crawfish~15~

and game. Some ofour Director’s kidshelped out at thefish pond and castingcontest –thanks Hayden,Wyatt, Haley,Montgomery, Eric,Brae and Kortlyn!Adults enjoyedthe gardens,music, door prizes,raffles and a greatfish fry. We signedup some new membersand STARparticipants.I wantto thank Dawn andQuinn Koehler forchairing this firsttime event for theHill Country Chapter.It was wellplanned and wehad a surprisinglybig turnout for afirst time!OUR NEXTMEETING willhave been MAY21st at the NewBraunfels Elk’sLodge at 7pm. Dr.Lee Fuiman withthe University ofTexas Marine ScienceInstitute willhave been theguest speaker.CCA Texas made asizeable donationto start alarviculture facilityto raise and research young gamefish, and Dr.Fuiman detailed the advances our money ismaking.OUR FAMILY FISHING TOURNA-MENT is June 8 in Rockport. There will not bea meeting before the tournament so you havehad to sign up at the May 21 meeting or bymail. For more information on the tournamentcontact Sterling Schulz at 830-305-5128 or JoshDowney at 830-708-2986. They can send you aregistration form for the tournament. Deadlineto register for the tournament is June 2, 2013.There will not be a registration the Friday nightbefore.JULY 16TH MEETING Dr. Greg Stunz will beour Guest Speaker.OUR BANQUET IS AUGUST 15 at the NewBraunfels Civic and Convention Center. Purchaseyour table now. We sold out last yearand had to turn people away.If you have a product or service youwould like to donate to the banquet please callme, 830-214-3067. We also accept cash donationsto purchase art work or other items. Weneed a lab puppy. We are looking for a huntingjeep in good condition or an ATV, mule orranger. Have one? Would you like to donate ahunt, fishing trip or condo? Hope to see you atour next meeting or banquet. Wishin' to befishin —Darlene CookEarly in the concert, the crowd is still filing in, but ready to enjoy the music. Below—the crowdfrom the musician's perspective.Houston Real EstateDale Couch 281-953-2510KatyClint Hilton 713-515-3991LaredoJesse Martinez jmartinez@bushlan.com956-763-5555Lee CountyByron Kalbas 979-540-0056We held a membership/business meeting onApril 22. There have been some family emergencyissues that have come up concerningour some of our chapter officers and we havecalled a membership/business meeting at theLion’s Den in Giddings. It’s Monday, July 15, at6:30 pm. We will be electing a 2nd Vice Presidentand a 1 year Executive Board member. Wewill have a speaker that night with refreshmentsand drinks provided, and encourage any LeeCounty CCA member to attend. We hope tosee some new faces along with some old onesas well.Mark your calendars for the Third AnnualLee County CCA Chapter Banquet, which willbe on Thursday, October 17 at the Sons ofHermann Hall in Giddings, TX. We will startselling pre-banquet raffle tickets and tickets tothe banquet by the beginning of August. Pleasecontact me, or any other committee member, ifyou are interested in purchasing tickets. I hopeeveryone has a safe and successful summer onthe water, and don’t forget to register for theSTAR Tournament! —Byron Kalbasbkalbas@yahoo.com 979-540-0056Live OakBrad Kotrla 979-732-1669Lower ColoradoJ.L. West 979-318-9007Lower LagunaMadreTravis Flanagan956-207-6391MainlandEric Minor 281-534-6242By now we willhave had our 15thannual banquet onMay 3. The deadlinefor this Currentsedition precedesthis date sowe will have moreinformation aboutthe banquet in thenext one. We dohave a date for ourfourth annual KidFish Tournament,which will be heldon Saturday August24. Onceagain, HarborWalk Marina willhost the event andwe expect it to beour best one yet. Ifyou would like toget involved, wemeet at DickinsonBar-B-Que every third Tuesday of the month.—EricMatagorda BaysLinc Lutrick 979-541-9901The 28th Annual Matagorda Bays CCA Banquetwill be held on Thursday June 27 at the ElCampo Civic Center. This year’s boat raffle willfeature a fully rigged 23ft HDX Dargel KAT w/200HP Evinrude E-Tec, McClain Tandem AluminumTrailer. Thank you to our boat sponsors,Polasek Construction, Quality Lease Services,Q.C.E. Supply, Inc, and Dargel Boats.This year’s live auction will feature a CustomizedGolf Cart from B&D Carts, ArgentinaDove Hunt from Frontera Wingshooting,Matagorda Bay Fishing Trip & Lodging donatedby Sunrise Lodge on Matagorda, BinkGrimes & Mark Talasek, and many otheritems.Don’t forget about the Matagorda BayGuides Cup to be held at Harbor Bait & Tacklein September. This event is made possible bythe support of our local guides, and sponsorsDuckett, Bouligny & Collins LLP, Las PalmasLodge, and H&H Oilfield. We are pleased toannounce that for the fourth year in a row, theGame Warden of the Year will be recognizedat our banquet. To be awarding one of thesefine folks at our banquet is truly an honor.Be sure and get your tickets early, as thebanquet has sold out the past three years. Youmay contact Wesley Smolik at 979-543-2753 formore details.~16~

The 8th AnnualMatagordaBays CCA Lil’Salties FishingBlowout was heldon May 11 at theMatagorda Harbor.This is a FREETOURNAMENTFOR KIDS betweenthe ages of3 and 14. Thisevent has averagedover 200 kidsfor the past 7 yearsand it is only possiblebecause ofthe generous donationsof our sponsors.Thank youagain to all of thesponsors whomake this event ahuge success andto our Event Sponsors:DaltonLodge, E. ACollins & Sons,Mustang CAT,Schmidt Implement,Inc., WieseCrop Insurance,Gulf Coast LeaseServices, BackupUtility Contractors,Texas Tackle Factory,D A M Services,Inc, Prasek’sHilljeSmokehouse,Polasek ConstructionInc., CedarCreek Woodshop,Multi Fab Metals,and Quality HotMix, Inc. See thenext Currents Publicationfor moredetails on thisevent. For more informationon thetournament or tobe a part of thisgreat event, contactChad Hensley(979-541-3239).Thanks, —LincLutrickMidCoastDavid Jenkins361-578-5580jenkins12@sbcglobal.netThe past few months have been very busy anda lot of hard work preparing for our annual banquet.Thanks to the hard work and dedication ofthe board members of Mid Coast Chapter CCA,we had one of the most successful eventsever! I want to thank our guests for your attendanceto the banquet, all 800 of you are the primaryreasons that we can continue to enjoyfishing along the beautiful waters along theTexas Coast.As always, we could not get this donewithout our sponsors, and I thank you. AcademySports & Outdoors, Majek Boats, RickKresta and family of Krestas Boats & Motorsand his new 5th Lake Trailers, Jimmie Burnsand Waterloo Rod Company USA, Del PapaAbove: Dancing as Ray Wylie Hubbard began the concert. Hayes Carll begins his set, and below,tremendous applause as Robert Earl Keen brings Lyle Lovett to the microphone.Distributing, Hartman Distributing, UncleMutts Bar B Que, Bernie’s Boats & Motors,Victory Auto, Victoria Oliver Co., Twin FountainsWalk In Clinic, De Tar Healthcare System,Lowes, Coastal Bend Marine, The TackleBox, and all of the donors of items for our liveauction, Raffles, and Silent Auctions. I wouldlike to give special thanks to our BanquetChairs. Curt Allison, Banquet Chairman, did agreat job this year in securing items and makingsure the banquet would be a great success.Hector Mendietta, Table Chairman, Dr. BrianBurns, Live Auction Chairman, Doug Anderson,Silent Auction Chairman, MalloryThurman, Raffle Chairman, Eric Macek, IceChest Chairman, David and Lisa Jenkins, BoatChairmen, LisaJenkins, Placemat andPo Mans Raffle Chairman,Captain DannyGoyen and DennisLala, Guides CupChairmen, and all ofour board members forthe commitment anddedication for the longhours spent prior andduring the banquet.Each year weelect a board memberwho displays dedication,continued effortand hard work representingCCA TexasMid Coast Chapter.This year’s award ofBoard Member of theYear was presented toCaptain Danny Goyen.Upcomingevents, later this year:This Fall we will behaving a GeneralMeeting and date andtime will be determinedat a later date.On October 2013, wewill hold our yearlyGuides Cup Tournament.Mid Coast Chaptergives thanks to allof the guides who willbe participating in thisyear’s event.If you are interestedin becoming anew board member,please contact a boardmember or me directlyat 361-578-5580. TightLines, —David JenkinsNortheast HoustonJason Law 713-898-8594Northwest HoustonBlayne Eversole832-444-4579The next GeneralMembership meetingis June 4. It will be heldin the Stein Room atHouston Distributingas it has in the past. Wewill announce thespeaker when we sendout the meeting notice.April Member’sMeeting: Our April speaker was Lt. CommanderScott Parkhurst who is the CommandCenter Chief - Sector Houston-Galveston. Heprovided a very informative session and addressedpointed audience questions. He was agreat complement to our annual member appreciationfish fry. Many thanks to Mark andRenea Mohr who sponsored the cooking andto Catfish Steve and his fishing buddy Dan forproviding the fresh caught catfish. We cookedover 100 lbs of fish, along with beans, coleslaw,fries, onion rings and more. A greatevening topped off with beer courtesy ofHouston Distributing.~17~

NW Houston CCA Kid Fish: Here is the infofor our 2013 Kid fish.Date: Saturday, May 11. Time: 7am – 1pmat Sylvan Beach Park – Fishing Pier, in LaPorte. Rain or Shine! Lots of Prizes! Hotdogsfor all after the event along with the awards.Many thanks to Harris County Precinct 2,The City of La Porte and Linda’s Bait & Tacklefor their support of this annual program. CallBlayne Eversole for questions at 832-444-4579or email Theresa Sims, simstopdog@aol.comto RSVP.Our Annual Fund Raising Banquet isscheduled for Thursday, August 15th. This yearagain, the banquet will be held at the CrownePlaza – Houston Northwest located at 12801Northwest Freeway. (Pinemont @ Hwy 290).Get your tickets early by calling me (Blayne)or Alan Massey at 281- 414-6341. Dinner isserved at 7 pm and the auction soon thereafter.Please plan to attend and support the NWHouston Chapter of CCA. You can count on agreat venue and evening program.Our sincere thanks to both Houston Distributingand Academy. They are active sponsorsof our meetings and many events. We areespecially fortunate to have such great support.As a reminder, we are using email for meetingannouncements. If we don’t have your e-mailaddress and you would like to receive our announcements,please send your e-mail addressto js_declue@yahoo.com. — Blayne EversoleOrange CountyScott Bandy 409-988-3667sabandy@ymail.comAs we enter the months of May and June, it’sfull blown banquet planning time again. Aug 22is the date we have set. This year’s event willbe held in the brand new Orange County Conventionand Expo Center, so we will be able tohandle a larger crowd this year. Mark your calendarswith the date. This will be our chapter’s5th banquet and the biggest one yet! The nextchapter meeting will be on May13 at RobertsMeat Market and Steakhouse at 6:30 pm.If you would like to join the chapter or participatein the planning of the 2013 banquet, pleasecome to the meeting or contact Scott Bandyat409-988-3667 or Louis Moore at409-988-4845. –Scott BandyPiney WoodsJess Mowery 903-736-3891Port O’ConnorBill Moore 361-983-4690We're in the process of planning the 14th annualPOC CCA banquet and Auction, which isslated for Saturday, October 19. As usual, yourparticipation and ideas to improve this year’sbanquet are welcomed. Tables will again besold to individuals, groups, businesses or corporatesponsors. Be on the lookout for updatesand announcements over the next few monthson meetings. We are looking forward to seeingyou there and if you want to get involved,give us a call.Also, many of you reading this will be inthe POC area, July 17-20 for Poco Bueno.Come by and visit some of our banquet donors.See you at POCO in POC, “Where it allbegan.” –Bill MoorePrairieSharon Goebel 979-877-4103On April 4, we hosted our 16th annual CCAbanquet at the Cat Spring Hall. The eveningstarted with our cap and card game. There wereseven guns raffled off. With every cap purchased,there was a playing card attached to it.If that card was drawn the person won. Thanksto Westley Goebel for organizing the guns andthe game.Also, there was a pistol raffled in the onedollar raffle.We would like to thank MarkSwitzer and his helpers for putting together agreat live auction which included fishing andhunting trips as well as prints that were framedby Pat and Frances Sechelski.This year we had something different inthe live auction. It was a custom built proteinfeeder from Kenny Frank. Thanks to AcademySports and Outdoors and all the sponsors thatdonated items for the silent auction. Manythanks to Jerry Mikeska Catering for servingan outstanding meal of prime rib and shrimp.Also, we would like to thank Mandy Goebel,Erin Beaman, Jenifer Flantge, Amy Herbrig,Lori Cruz and Cassie Kasprowicz for sellingour five dollar raffle tickets as well as participat-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~

ing in other duties. Thanks to Wittenburg Printingfor embroidering the cups as well as manyother services.We would like to thank all the sponsorsthat purchased corporate tables this year as wellas Kirk Hoppe for managing all the tables. Ifyou are interested in purchasing a table for nextyear’s banquet, contact Kirk at 979-885-8868.Thanks to Mark III, Cool Blue Fans, and HairReflections for donating all the koozies. Andthanks to all the Board Members who volunteeredtheir time to make this banquet a greatsuccess. Also, thanks to all the sponsors whodonated caps for the cap and card game. Withouttheir help our banquet would not have beena success. We would also like to thankColeman Todd and his staff from the CCA Office.On May 18, the chapter will have our appreciationdinner at the Goebel Ranch. Therewill be a skeet shoot and good fellowship.Don’t forget to bring your shotgun and shells.On June 29, we will have our second annualCCA Bay Blast fishing tournament whichwill be held at Matagorda harbor. There will beprizes given to the winning teams. In theevening there will be a raffle. For more info,contact Travis or Amy Herbrig at 979-530-7126.On Saturday, September 21, we will haveour annual Kid’s Fish tournament that will beheld at the Eberly Ranch in Chappell Hill. Therewill be t-shirts for the kids as well as food anddrinks. Just bring your rod and reel and a yardchair. For information, Mandy Goebel at 979-887-8690. Thanks, —Ron Chess, Sr. 979-992-3295Redfish BayNorman Oates 361-758-0266A big thank you to our Redfish Bay Board,John Blaha, CCA Texas staff, and our many donorsand sponsors for making the 2013 AnnualBanquet a very special event! Chris Marine inAransas Pass was the Title Sponsor for the 10thyear in a row - thank you Chris and Julie foryour continued support of CCA Texas.The event could not be a success withoutthe many attendees who buy raffle tickets andbid on silent and live auction items; we appreciateyour attending and taking part, and we hopewe made it enjoyable for you!It seems that each year is bigger and betterthan the last, and we had the largest attendanceever. A great meal (and coconut shrimp appetizers)catered by Jay Jones of Castaways alwaysadds to our event. The Port Aransas Rotaryhelped with all beverages, and they do abang-up job. All-in-all, a very successful andfun event - thank you to all who played yourpart!The annual “Take a Kid Fishing” event willbe over May 31. It is a shrimp boil and June 1fishing and awards ceremony. As always, it willbe held at Woody’s Sports Center in PortAransas, and rods and reels and trophies for all.Our Beeville fish fry will be the Thursdaynight before dove season starts. It will be anentertaining evening with food, drink, and agood time. Much like our banquet, there willbe raffle, silent auction, and live auction items.Thanks in advance to the Beeville Board memberswho do the preparation.Also, thanks inadvance to the manydonors and sponsors ofthe event. We will seeyou there. —NormanOates H 361-758-0266C 361-790-2748Rio Grande ValleyPhil Teinert956-367-4267pteinert@fcbtx.comSabine-NechesDarin Johnson 409-790-9855darin.johnson@delpapabud.comThe Sabine Neches Chapter hosted its 3rd annualKid Fish on May 18 at Walter UmphreyState Park on Pleasure Island. Kids and volunteershad a blast and many fish were caught andreleased to fight another day. We would like tothank your sponsors of the event, Ancelet’sCajun Market and Marina for the links, CausewayBait and Tackle, Anthony Toups and Classicof Southeast Texas for the water and theircontinued support of the Sabine Neches Chapter,Daley’s Hunt and Fish for the goodies,Matt Peavey for all of the Little Debbie snacks,Beaumont Pepsi, Texas Marine and Del PapaDistributing.A special thanks goes out to the additionalvolunteers from Orange County CCA andSALT Club members for helping us introduceand encourage our young anglers at this year’sevent. Tight Lines to All! —DarinSam HoustonMark Robinson936-662-0841 mark6469@hotmail.comSan AntonioJohnny Rayburg 210-837-5500CCASanAntonio@yahoo.com[Apologies to San Antonio from the Currentseditor for missing the April May Report]On May 2, we enjoyed our 34th Annual Banquetand it was another example of how wellthings can go when you have a top notch crewof volunteers. Our venue, the Expo Hall on theFreeman Coliseum grounds, was full to thebrim. I would like to thank our Sponsors, CoorsLight, Academy Sports and Outdoors, SilverEagle Distributors, IBC Bank, Metro Ambulance,Diageo Guinness, Ben E. Keith, Con-Cor/Arrowall Co., Corona Beer, AnheuserBusch, Davenport Drilling & Pump Service, ForumConstruction, Chicky Tackle Co. /~19~

Rockport Rattler, Red Bull North America, HillPharmacy, Paloma Medical and Sail and Ski.We had a new item this year, a Z-1 24’Travel Trailer donated by ExploreUSA RVSupercenter and Crossroads RV. It was a bighit! All this was possible because of our BanquetCommittee, Augie Flores, Barry Williams,Becky Hermanson, Beth Vacek, Bill Sommers,Byron Buzzini, Bob Brumby, Bob Thomae,Vicky Sablatura, Bobby Birnbaum, BrandonKneupper, Catherine Bani-Yassin, CharlesSablatura, Chris Smisek, Diana Butler, DougBoyd, John Kocurek, Forrest Thompson, PeteTurnbull, Jeremy Fenechi, Jimmy Gibson,Charles Rodriguez, Joel Lamy, John Botter,John Graham, Carl Bohn, Johnny Lee Rayburg,Tom Weber, Liz Hewitt, Mark Luitjen, MarkSarosdy, Mitch Brownlee, Pat Cowles, LisaBruce, Peter Velasco, Richard Capps, LorraineLawrence, Robert Mendoza, Rick Neitzel,Burr Thornton, Robert Lozano, Tim Kiker,Tom Akin, Chris Lindsay, David Barrera, RobertColunga.The San Antonio Chapter wishes to thankall banquet committeemen, all table sponsors,all donors and all members of CCA that attendedfor their support. Now on to planningfor next year, our 35th! —Liz Hewitt, BanquetChair and Mike Sarosdy, Banquet Co-ChairSan BernardRoyce Macha 979-472-5211CCA Texas losesPresident Bill SchwarzloseCCA suffered a tremendous loss with the passing of CCA Texas Presidentand CCA National Vice Chairman, Bill Schwarzlose. Bill passedaway on May 10 th after a long fight from surgery complications.Bill has been part of CCA for many years starting out at his localchapter in Beaumont to moving up to become the CCA Texas President.His vision and leadership played a key part in the creation of ourMariculture Lab in Port Aransas as well as our habitat program, HabitatToday for Fish Tomorrow (HTFT).These along with many others accomplishmentsand milestones for CCAwill be a legacy that Bill left that willcontinue to benefit CCA members andall recreational fishermen for generations.Bill will be remembered as a greatfather, husband, friend, outdoor enthusiast,and conservationistand will always be a permanentpart in the fabricof CCA.San GabrielJohn Melnar 512- 497-8284San JacintoPete Ruiz 832-496-4903SouthwesternJody Jacobs 210-827-7180TAMUBurr Thornton 559-901-9783Texas UniversityLuke Horadam 830-481-3466.Tomball/MagnoliaMatt Maddox 832-590-1828Tri-CountyJason Trial 830-570-2988Trinity BayGerald Payne 281-385-2894The “Dog Days of Summer” and “All eyes onthe Tropics” means the annual Trinity Bay Banquetis getting close.Members are currently engaged in regularmeetings of the minds, determined to hostone of the best banquets along the Upper GulfCoast. Our 2012 event exceeded all expectationswith new and long-time sponsors pavingthe way for success. We anticipate the 2013Banquet to be yet another sell out and evenbetter event.Bring an appetite for plenty of tasty boiledshrimp and fixings, along with a variety of coldbeverages to wash it down with. In addition toa delicious meal, there will be live and silentauctions, raffles and exciting games for prizes.Mark your calendars for Friday, August 23rd atKenny Chesney kicked off his No Shoes Nation tour in Tampa, Fla. with a check presentationto the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA). Over the past two years, more than$80,000 has been raised to benefit the CCA through the sale of Kenny Chesney’s LimitedEdition Costa sunglasses, now available at www.costadelmar.com.Pictured left to right: Pat Murray, president, Coastal Conservation Association; KennyChesney; Amanda Perryman, marketing manager, Costa Sunglasses; Brett Palmer, president,AbiJack Management.the Bay Area Community Center inSeabrook, Texas and see what we are talkingabout. —Gerald “Get er Done” PayneWest HoustonJoe Perez 832-279-4794West TexasCraig McDonnold 432-682-3499~20~

Knee deep to a tall bird, or a shallow dolphin? Near Sargent Beach. Great WildlifePhoto by Judy Matula.Enter GreatPhotos2012Categories:Best In Show / Action / Scenic / Humor / Kids / Wildlife / CPRImportant: for jpegs, be sure you include name of subject, title, yourname and address. On back of prints, write your name and address, aswell as the 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.Watch for this billboard in various locations.~21~

The Last LaughJessica Badgett IS NOT HAPPY her fish isn't bigger. Next, aCPR for Jessica. Photo by Denna Badget.When Kenny Chesney decided to get personal, hestripped away expectations, pulled out a bunch ofsongs he’d written just for himself and kicked backfor a soul-search that turned into Life On A Rock,available now on iTunes.Quail To GoMy new favorite quail hunting painting. An edition of20 gclee art prints. 28 x 24, signed and numbered.Drop by my website for a larger image. A few othernew paintings from recent CCAevents are also available as 20print gclee editions.www.samcaldwell.comTexas State Artist 2004DU State Artist 2010-2011281-455-9390~22~

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CoastalConservationAssociation6919 Portwest Suite 100 / Houston, TX 77024CURRENTS NEWSLETTERJune / July 2013NON-PROFITU.S. POSTAGEPAIDHOUSTON, TEXASPERMIT 2532Welcome to manynew members,courtesy of theConcert for ConservationU.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 fishing and boating,visit http://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 game andGame Wardens is Operation Game Thief. Dropby 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, decal.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