40th Annual Houston Fishing Show

Today marks the end of the 40th Annual Houston Fishing Show at George R. Brown Convention Center.  Tony and I were both able to attend; unfortunately, due to our schedules, we had to attend separately.  We also had different approaches:

Tony = work

Crystal = play

This was Tony’s view of the show, as he arrived the day before in order to help set-up the Hook Spit booth.   There wasn’t much booth shopping for him in his two days at the show.  As a matter of fact, he didn’t even get to see everything since he was busy assembling shelves and such.  This is how Tony is.  He would rather move an entire house full of furniture than sit still.  Because of this, most of his time off work (when he isn’t fishing) is spent helping somebody else.  Don’t worry- he managed to make it home with a few packages of lures from Michael Bosse at Down South Lures.

He was also able to grab the much-talked-about Line Cutterz Ring .  He won’t have to bite off the line with his teeth anymore, so I view that as a plus.  I, too, planned on getting a Line Cutterz Ring, but I will be waiting until they release the colored rings.  I believe they have talked about releasing the product in bright green, blaze orange, cobalt blue, steel gray, and pink.

 

I was jealous that he got to check out the show before it even opened, so I texted him from work and asked him to bring me something fancy.  That, he did!  Later that evening, I spent a good 10 minutes practicing my casting skills while lying in bed with my brand new Hook Spit  Hot Stix Rod.  I can’t wait to put this rod to work on the water.  Again, Tony didn’t walk away empty handed, as he was finally able to get Hook Spit's TNT rod that he has been eyeballing for over a year.

I finally was able to get to the show on Saturday afternoon with our friends Josh and Jenai.  Jenai is responsible for the amazingness that occurs at MommaShark.com. 

My goal was to snag some lures and jigheads while checking out the new Wilderness Systems ATAK . No such luck on sneaking a peek at the ATAK.  I guess I will have to live vicariously through the short video clips and pictures on the Wilderness Kayak Fishing Facebook page.  I was also hoping to be able to get some Hook 1 accessories for my yak - specifically wanted to check out the Conseal Kits and bungee cording, but Hook 1 didn't have a booth at the show this year. No worries since I can order online.

Plugging away, MommaShark introduced me to Reel 'em In Lures, and I promptly grabbed four bags when I found out they were made in TEXAS! The owner and creator, Clint, of Reel 'em In Lures assured me that I couldn’t go wrong with anything remotely close to chartreuse.   

I made my way to Down South Lures to meet Michael and stock up on more lures (just in case Tony isn’t in the mood to share).  Michael was a super nice guy - he even returned the utility knife Tony had left in his booth earlier in the week, so it’s really good to know that there is no thievery going on over at Down South Lures.

On to the next stop- I had to meet Vance and the rest of the Line Cutterz crew.  Even though they didn’t have the colored rings yet, we couldn’t leave without doing the signature Line Cutterz pose.  They had some great decals that will look great on the yaks, marine-grade and everything!  We also learned that this little-line-cutting phenom has sparked more than a local interest.  Apparently, even people in Japan have heard about and are interested in getting this sucker in their hands. (I promised myself I would not insert a cliched Beyonce ring comment here- you’re welcome.) These guys were awesome, and I can’t wait to see how this product explodes (globally, not literally).

There were so many booths, I was overwhelmed; however, it was clear who was the star of the show.  The Hook Spit booth was so packed, you could barely reach for a shirt without bumping somebody else.  I was extra-appreciative that everyone there seemed to be wearing deodorant.  Here, I took advantage of the sale on hats and performance wear.  I even salivated over a few rods (sorry about that).  Wade, the owner of Hook Spit, even took the time to pose with us for cheesy pics and answered some of our questions about the Deep Sea Divas fishing tournament this summer.  I’m really glad they did so well at the show and can’t wait to visit their store in League City next week to get a new reel for my Hot Stix rod.

Who knows? Maybe you’ll see a Coastie Culture booth at the show in the next year or so.

Kayak Wars

Kayak Wars was created by Eric Ozolins in 2006 as a friendly kayak fishing tournament between two Texas teams for bragging rights... the upper coast and lower coast. Since then it has grown to be one of the largest, year-long kayak fishing tournaments in the world. An event completely free of charge to enter and enjoy. Kayak Wars delivers a unique point system for over 100 species of prized fish in the United States.  

          -KayakWars.com 

             I came across Kayak Wars on TKF, and I wanted to partake instantly . Even though I'm new to kayaking, I recruited a team and look forward to a year of great fishing and stories to share with you. Now, let's meet the team!

    First angler up, Justin Kostelnik.  Paddling a brand new 2014 MEAN GREEN WILDERNESS RIDE 115x --with all the fixings. Justin is new to kayaking and fishing, but he is ready to rip some lips. Educated Aggie, served our country in the Army, and has three beautiful daughters. A big thanks to his wife, Krista, for letting him fish! 

Krista, Victoria, Katya, Giana, Justin

Next up in the bay is Captain Cool, Raul Sarmiento. Enrolled at UHCL studying Environmental Science in Biology. At only 23 years of age, he has been fishing Galveston bay and the Clear Lake area for several years. When he is not using a fish grip, you might find him jamming the guitar (which he does quite well).

Captain Cool

 Chillin in the no wake zone is Cody Ryden! Received his education from Sam Houston and is currently a manager for Mattress Firm Warehouse. Cody is a die hard fisherman and duck hunter. Whether it's from a kayak , power boat, surf, or pier, he is always eager to reel in the big boys !!

Cody 

  Hobie Outback cruising, bull red hunting, James Jurica is on the scene next. He loves catching sharks and reds and more sharks and reds. James has a 16 month -old baby boy and is happily married. When not with family or fishing, he is working with low, med, & high voltage electrical equipment. This summer he wants to catch some king fish from the yak!

James

Last up, ME! I love my wife, kids, and life on the water!!

Me, Crystal, Rachel
Tyler, Jez

Team Coastie Culture 

Wish us luck!

Thanks Eric Ozolins for keeping Kayak Wars Crazy fun! 

      

"Say hello to my little boat" KAYAK

My passion and desire to learn more about the Coastie life, mastering catch and release of our salt water creatures led me to wanting a Kayak. Mobile , requires no gas , can float on less than a foot of water ! The hunt , the ride , the scenery of the birds diving for bait as the sun rises and you are watching the day awake before your eyes. I'll miss the pier , a lot , but it's time to  move around. I'll be back!

 Ok so what did I know about Kayaks . Nada, other than it's a small plastic boat ! Then TKF , (Texas Kayak Fisherman) came out of nowhere--like someone said "here's a book of information with anglers you can talk to!"  Thanks TKF and all its members for all the great info and my intro to virtual kayaking.

Next stop , FTU, (Fishing Tackle Unlimited ) where I met Devin Hood in the Kayak department, and he was more than knowledgeable and extremely helpful. Devin had no clue that I would be in to talk to him several times with endless questions, but he was captain cool about it and he was the main  reason I bought my kayak there. Thanks Devin, I hope we hit the water someday. After a couple of months of reading reviews, I finally  pulled the trigger. Say hello to my Wilderness RIDE 135 2013 model. I'm extremely happy with my choice and love my coastie cruiser! Purchased in Mid December.  My beautiful wife Crystal got me a lot off goodies for my kayak, and I was about ready to hit the h20.

But, I still needed a PFD and with a little research, I ordered a stulquist form ACK online Austin store. Here is how that went .... I'm in Houston , there was no shipping fee, the PFD showed up the next day before noon via fed x. I was like wow what great service . So thanks ACK!

Finally, hit the water first week of this month thanks to John Vining. Thanks for my first trip and I'll see you again soon. You are a pro in my blog! Also, I picked up some norton quick twist. See ya soon.

Since then I've been out a few times and haven't figured out this cold winter kayak fishing yet. Although I have met a bunch of new anglers, created a Kayak team, made some friends , and fish or no fish I've enjoyed every second on the water . Sunrises , birds giving clues to the sign of fish , the anticipation of what's to come at any moment . Fish on! Oh wait , that was a branch . Till next time

The Puffer Fish

  

I caught this bad boy on The Galveston Fishing Pier.  It is actually the second one I have caught there and was told this isn't particularly normal.  Either way, I was crunk about it.

Most of you know that a puffer fish is called a puffer because it inflates.  It does this by inhaling large amounts of water or air to increase its size as a defense mechanism.  The puffer fish has tremendous eye sight, but it isn't very quick.  

Not only do they puff out to help fight off predators, they also possess a toxin called tetrodotoxin.  Tetrodotoxin can be stronger than cyanide and is one of the most toxic components known to man.  One large puffer contains enough toxin to kill several men; however, sharks can eat puffer fish without consequence.

 But if you ever catch one, be careful when you get your pictures and try to use gloves (just to be safe) when you toss it back.  While we aren't too big on eating puffer here in Texas--- in Japan, highly trained chefs will serve Fugu (puffer) as a delicacy.  I have also read that dolphins are fans of a little puff here and there; they have been filmed off the coast of Africa passing puffer fish back and forth in order to get high.

 


Catching this guy landed me a spot in the Reel Report in The Galveston Daily News. Capt. Joe Kent explains the reason for the puffer (which is usually an offshore fish) being so close to the pier: "the warmer waters and higher salinity levels have contributed to a large variety of fish being reported in shallower waters this year."

This shout out goes to Capt. Joe Kent and his Reel Report in The Galveston Daily News--- Thanks for making me famous!

And a special shout out goes to Virginia Adair for being a loyal Daily News reader--- if it weren't for her, I wouldn't have even known that I made it in the Reel Report.

Galveston Fishing Pier

I don't know how I ended up there the first time I went, but Galveston Fishing Pier has been my home away from home since I fell in love with saltwater fishing.

Here is what my wife loves about the pier:

1) They have clean bathrooms (apparently that is important for girls since it made #1 on her list)

2) They serve mixed drinks upstairs and the bartender "don't play" (surprised that didn't make #1 on her list)

3) It's the longest fishing pier in Texas.

I'm not sure that I can narrow down the things I love about GFP to just 3; however, my list has a whole lot more to do with fish than my wife's list. 

So let's start with fish.  One of the things I can never quite wrap my brain around is how many different species of fish there are in the ocean---some of which have not even been discovered yet.  I thoroughly enjoy pulling them all up and over the rail of The Galveston Fishing Pier. Click on the link to peep the slideshow of some catches.....

Galveston Fishing Pier

These are just a few of the pictures I have from the pier.  Obviously, I love catching reds, but, on the pier, I have caught:

• ribbon fish
• cobia
• sheepshead
• black drum
• gafftop
• hard head (aka wastes of my time)
• pompano
• bonnet head shark
• black tip shark
• whiting
• croaker
• sand trout
• golden croaker
• angel fish
• puffer fish
• stingray
• blue fish
• piggy perch
• blue crab 
• spanish mackerel

Here are some of the fish I have seen caught there, but I have never happened to pull up myself:

• flounder
• speckled trout
• spinner shark
• bull shark
• jack crevalle
• sea turtles (yes, I know it's not a fish.  And, yes, proper authorities were called and the turtles were released)

So far, the GFP has been my biggest learning experience when it comes to saltwater fishing.  It was a great place to learn many different species just from reeling them in, but it was also a great place to meet anglers with all different levels of experience. Depending on the time of day, day of the week, or how many beers you have consumed,  you could end up losing a pole, getting your lines crossed with a complete stranger, or almost losing a thumb to a hard head barb.  I might just be speaking from experience- small prices to pay for the knowledge and lifetime memories I have gained.

All in all, my idea to create Coastie Culture would not have been born had it not been for my time at Galveston Fishing Pier.  It's a wonderful place to learn, to fish, to bring a friend, and to be treated like family (thanks Diz). 

This Coastie Culture shout out goes to the owners of GFP, Jimmy and Kelly.  Thanks for the fun.

A Culture Created

Fresh Water catch in East Texas on Hochheim Lake

It's hard to say exactly when my passion for the water first began.  However, I know exactly when my addiction to the Texas Coast started.

At the end of 2010, I married my beautiful wife, Crystal, who is an AP Literature teacher a few miles down the road from Galveston.  It wasn't long after the move down here (from Denton, Texas... represent) that I was invited to go on a fishing trip in the bay with some friends.

Me, Crystal, Nash, Lee, Rick
on Galveston Party Boats

Slim, Rick, Ruben, Lee, Crystal, Me
on Galveston Party Boats

My wife, me, and one of my first Coastie catches!
Ha!  That's my buddy Lee photo bombing in the back.

No matter the size of  that first catch, it was at that moment that I vowed to learn all there is to know about salt water fishing.  It was then I realized that the Coast is a Culture all its own.  

This blog will be a record of my evolution into a "Coastie" and those who helped me out along the way.

*I'm a firm believer in shout outs.  We have had some good times on the Galveston Party Boats.  You can find them at galvestonpartyboatsinc.com .  

Avery's catch. Photo bomb by Jason.

Jason, Me, Crystal, and Avery
Avery's b-day trip on Galveston Party Boats