Redfish Basics: Targeting Tips for Seagrass Reds • Stream Stress: River and Creek Access Challenges • Offshore Strategies for STAR • Going After Goliath Grouper • Doggett’s Charmed Life with Snakes • Give Mom & Dad The Outdoors • Matt Williams: Keeping it Fresh … plus Columns, Coastal Focus Reports, Fishing Hotspots, Outdoor News, Tide and SoLunar Forecasts and more…
ISSUE COVER – May/June 2025 Read More »
A MEMBER OF THE TEXAS STATE LEGISLATURE recently took out his frustrations with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department by introducing a bill to abolish the department. Perhaps inspired by the rapid-fire budget slashing and wholesale agency shutdowns that the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been conducting in Washington, a bill was filed on March 13 seeking to shut Parks & Wildlife down and divvy up its assets and responsibilities to three other separate departments.
INSIDE FISH & GAME by Roy and Ardia Neves Read More »
Teen Poaching Coverage I JUST READ THE ARTICLE on the teen poaching crisis (Jan/Feb 2025 Issue), and it really opened my eyes. I knew poaching was an issue, but I had no idea it was this bad among young hunters.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Read More »
THE WATER WAS COLD, stained and rough. Stormy seas had stirred up the sediments, creating brown-tinged visibility that only allowed me to see out 15 feet at best. And with subsurface temperatures in the lower 50s, the environment inside the shark cage I was in alone seemed surreal…
EDITOR’S NOTES by Chester Moore Read More »
MY BAHAMIAN GUIDE, Charles Whose-Last-Name-I-Can’t-Remember, had a calm demeanor and osprey eyes. Both are excellent attributes on a bonefish flat. “A single at 10 o’clock, moving left to right at 40 feet,” he said, planting the push pole and stopping the skiff. “Nice fish.”
DOGGETT AT LARGE by Joe Doggett Read More »
ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES inland anglers face in Texas, especially in the western 2/3 of the state where large, navigable rivers are scarce, is access. Texas is 97 percent private land and that means most of the land around streams and rivers is private…
Feature Article: Stream Stress Read More »
THE THRILL OF HOOKING INTO a sleek and powerful kingfish, battling a stubborn ling, landing a monster red snapper, or chasing dorado along weedlines makes for an unforgettable experience and can lead to big STAR wins…
Feature Article: Offshore STAR Strategies Read More »
A WATER SNAKE WAS BETTER than a ribbon snake, and a hog-nosed snake was better than a water snake, and a rat snake was twice as good as the whole passel in a sack. That was our standard of measure during junior-high snake collecting days along the banks of Houston’s Brays Bayou…
Feature Article: Charmed by Snakes Read More »
FAWNS ARE HITTING THE GROUND and we’re starting to see them up and around with the does! From what I’ve seen so far, looks like we’re going to have a pretty good fawn crop this year. And, we should have pretty good herd recruitment as a result. “Looks like the predator control we did late winter is paying off…”
TEXAS WHITETAILS by Larry Weishuhn Read More »
MATT WILLIAMS IS a distinguished outdoor writer whose extensive contributions to Texas Fish & Game Magazine have solidified his reputation as a leading authority on freshwater fishing through his Texas Freshwater column. Matt has been closely assosiated with Texas Fish & Game almost from the beginning…
Feature Article: Keeping it Fresh Read More »
WE’RE AT FULL STRIDE of another season in big league bass fishing and on the heels of another Bassmaster Classic, this one held back in March at Lake Ray Roberts near Denton. Thoughts of the late Bryan Kerchal always come to mind when someone mentions the sport’s most revered event. Kerchal won the 24th annual ‘Classic’ held on 15,500-acre High Rock Lake in Greensboro, N.C. way back in 1994.
TEXAS FRESHWATER by Matt Williams Read More »
THERE ARE FEW saltwater fishing experiences more exciting than pursuing redfish across the vast, shallow seagrass flats on the Texas Coast. These shallow-water battlegrounds, from the Lower Laguna Madre to Christmas Bay, are where anglers test their patience, skill, and perseverance against one of the most formidable inshore game fish…
Feature Article: Back to Basics for Reds Read More »
WHEN SPEAKING OF GAG GROUPER, most people’s minds are painted with images of offshore boats and deep dropping near oil rigs, but along the Texas coast, gag grouper can be found inshore amongst the jetty rocks, pilings, and other sunken structures. Known for their aggressive strike and fight, gag grouper are a challenging catch, but are one of the best eating with its crablike texture…
GOING COASTAL by Kelly Groce Read More »
I RECENTLY EMBARKED on an adventure that was nothing short of epic. My journey took me off the Atlantic Coast of Florida, where I joined TF&G Hot Spots Focus writer and Spot Stalker Guide Service owner Captain Derek York along with Michael Sherer of Fishing’s Future and Chris Geib. Our mission was clear: to catch the elusive Goliath Grouper, a fish that had long been on Derek’s bucket list and had quickly captured my imagination…
Feature Article: Group On! Read More »
WHEN IT COMES TO celebrating Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, Texas Fish & Game readers know that the best gifts aren’t wrapped in bows. Instead, they are found in the great outdoors. And while everyone knows about bass fishing, white-tailed deer hunting, and the classic Gulf Coast saltwater adventure, there are plenty of outdoor experiences in Texas that many have yet to discover…
SPECIAL SECTION: Give the Outdoors Read More »
A RECENT INVESTIGATION by Texas Game Wardens resulted in approximately 1,200 pending charges and 22 suspects from across the state involved in the deer breeding industry and black-market wildlife trade…
THE FISH & GAME REPORT Read More »
WE ARE RIGHT SMACK in the middle of the late spring and early summer months on Texas’ upper coast. Just like that, we are now blessed with vast amounts of pretty, warm water and an endless array of fishing patterns, techniques, destinations and opportunities…
UPPER COAST FOCUS—Sabine Read More »
