Sports 471
Wardens Want Teal Hunters To “Clean, Drain & Dry”
As Texans get ready for the opening of teal hunting season on Sept. 20, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) urges boaters, paddlers and waterfowl hunters to do their part to protect Texas lakes from aquatic invasive species. “While we want everyone to have a great time, we also want to avoid giving invasive
Trinity River Gar Tag Drawing Open
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) will open its annual Alligator Gar Harvest Authorization drawing application process Sept. 1. The random drawing authorizes anglers to harvest one alligator gar over 48 inches from a section of the Trinity River. From Sept. 1 — 30, anglers holding a valid license-year or year-from-purchase fishing license can
Report TX Poaching by Text
Texans now have a faster, easier and completely anonymous way to report fishing, wildlife (poaching) and boating violations—putting the power to protect our natural resources right at their fingertips. Operation Game Thief (OGT), Texas’ wildlife crime-stoppers program, has launched Tip411—a new mobile app, text line and online web form that makes reporting wildlife crimes more
Feature Article: Surf Basics for Landing Big Reds & Specks
Feature Article by TF&G Staff LATE SUMMER AND EARLY FALL on the Texas coast is a magical time. As the summer heat begins to retreat and the Gulf’s surf cools just slightly, it sparks a surge of life along the beachfront. Mullet run in the troughs, shrimp skip across the surface, and the redfish and speckled
GOING COASTAL by Kelly Groce
SOUTH TEXAS IS A TRUE outdoorsman’s paradise, especially during the late summer and beginning of fall. This is my favorite time of year and favorite few fishing months to chase any and everything, especially big snook and tarpon. Mornings consisting of yellow-finned snook inhaling topwaters and silver gilded tarpon flying out of the water to afternoons
THE FISH & GAME REPORT
Oyster License Buyback Program Growing OF 545 AVAILABLE OYSTER LICENSES, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) received 115 commercial oyster boat license offers in round nine of its Oyster License Buyback Program, which, if all applicants participate, would represent a reduction by 21 percent of total oyster licenses in the state. TPWD administers voluntary commercial fishing
UPPER COAST FOCUS—Matagorda: September/October 2025
Reported by CAPT. MARK TALASEK MATAGORDA HAS BEEN BLESSED with an abundance of rain this summer. An influx of fresh water usually means a good fall shrimp crop. That in return will make some great fall fishing. When the first cool front rolls through South Texas in September shrimp start their migration to the gulf waters.
MIDDLE COAST FOCUS—Port O’Connor: September/October 2025
Reported by CAPT. KIM GOULDEN Luring Late Summer Redfish WHEN THE TEXAS HEAT SETTLES IN and the tides turn lazy, redfish along the middle coast kick into full gear. Late summer is prime time for sight-casting these bronze bruisers in skinny water, and the best part? You don’t need live bait to get it done. With
FORECAST CENTER: Saltwater Hotspots – Upper Coast – September-October 2025
HotSPOTLight: Sabine Pass LOCATION: Christmas/Bastrop BayHOTSPOT: Christmas Bay North ShoreGPS: N 29 4.009, W 95 11.625(29.06681667, -95.19375) Christmas/Bastrop Bay: Christmas Bay North Shore SPECIES: Speckled TroutBEST BAITS: Soft plasticsTIPS: Norton Sand Eels, Trout Killers, Corkies . . . LOCATION: Galveston BayHOTSPOT: Old PilingsGPS: N 29 25.06, W 94 48.48(29.4177, -94.8080) Galveston Bay: Old Pilings SPECIES:
FORECAST CENTER: Saltwater Hotspots – Middle Coast – September-October 2025
HotSPOTlight: Port Bay LOCATION: Aransas BayHOTSPOT: Halfmoon ReefGPS: N 28 4.5259, W 96 59.062(28.0754, -96.9844) Aransas Bay: Halfmoon Reef SPECIES: Speckled TroutBEST BAITS: Soft plasticsTIPS: Trout should be in 4-6 feet of water. You may find some shallower, but they won’t stay there long. . . . LOCATION: Copano BayHOTSPOT: Grass IslandGPS: N 28 3.184,
FORECAST CENTER: Saltwater Hotspots – Lower Coast – September-October 2025
HotSPOTLight: Arroyo Colorado LOCATION: Arroyo ColoradoHOTSPOT: White Sand East of Green IslandGPS: N 26 23.226, W 97 19.173(26.3871 -97.3196) Arroyo Colorado: White Sand East of Green Island SPECIES: RedfishBest Baits: Soft plasticsTIPS: Wade or drift the crystal-clear water, sight cast to reds; the fishing here is good all day. . . . LOCATION: Arroyo ColoradoHOTSPOT:
Live Bait Rigs For Redfish
When it comes to chasing redfish along Texas bays, marshes, and surf, few techniques beat fishing live bait. Shrimp, mullet, and croaker remain favorites — but how you rig them often makes the difference between a long day of casting and a cooler full of bronze bruisers. Here are three proven rigs every angler should
