By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Gilchrist at Bolivar Peninsula, TX
The line “twitched” slightly before coming taut against the tide. Fingering it found persistent pulls on the other end, “crab” I whispered to no one in particular while slowly pulling line in with one hand and grabbing my dip-net with the other. Within seconds a crabby hard-shelled critter with
Ed Snyder/Outdoors
A Bit of Twine & Chicken Necks = Blue Claw Fun
Posted in 
Of Spears, Stones, and Swimming Critters “A History of Angling”
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Since man first decided to catch and eat swimming critters of the sea they either chunked stones or threw makeshift spears to catch their supper. Fast forward a few years and man’s tools evolved into fishing rods with stones morphing into fishing tackle for catching those swimming critters.
Fishing Report For Mar 4 to Mar 11, 2013
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Summary: Back to back cold fronts with up and down water temps controlling the bite. Good reports on specks and reds when up but no reports when down. Plenty of drum and sheeps head keeping anglers busy.
Fishing Report and Tide Chart Feb 17 through Feb 25 2013
By Ed Snyder Outdoors
This past weeks fishing produced mostly reds, drum, sheepshead, and flounder with the reds and drum mainly hitting on the Gulf side with the flounder, sheeps-head, and some reds and drum hitting on the bay side. No speck action after weds of last week but when they were in a few nice ones were caught.
Fishing report and tide chart for Rollover Pass Feb 9, 2013
Summary: Fishing this previous week brought ups and downs on fishing, but the redfish were consistant with plenty of Bulls and slots caught. Wardens visited the pass and wrote up anglers for over sized reds over sized drum, and no fishing licenses. Speckled trout are beginning to show up on the bayside with a few nice trout to 8lbs being caught on plastics. Drum and sheepshead fill out the rest of the catch with
Fishing Report & Tide Chart For Rollover Pass TX Feb 4 to Feb 11, 2013
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Summary: First report for 2013; Mainly hit or miss at the Pass right now with the surf temps shifting from winter to spring. The magic temp is 68 degrees. As of now temps are fluctuating in the 50/60s. But when bait passes thru the cut the bite improves. Previous runs saw flounder, reds, drum, sand trout, sheepshead, with a few specks showing up. But now
The Scent of a Watermelon
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Gilchrist on Bolivar, TX.
The odor was almost tangible, stirring the adrenalin and alerting the reflexes. The smell of watermelon was strong followed by the splashing sounds of feeding specks. The first cast went out and its retrieve hooked up with the first speck of the morning. Ask any saltwater angler
Hunting with a Camera
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Gilchrist on Bolivar, TX.
In my earlier years I spent my off school times hunting and fishing in the woods and waters of my youth. An avid hunter until 1991, I decided to put down my rifle and bow picking up a camera instead. This decision changed my life forever. Oh, I loved the hunt, the camp, the camaraderie, and especially
Bulls
by Ed Snyder
Just a nibble at first alerted the lady angler to grab her rod to catch what she thought would be but a small fish. Seconds later she was straining and hanging on for dear life screaming for her husband. Quickly racing over to help he grabbed her around the waist, yelling, “HANG ON HONEY!!”
Amazing Gulps
Gulp away
Massaging my jig along the bottom as it drifted with the tide I could feel every grain of sand and click of shell as it thumped its way along a submerged sandbar. Then, a sudden, aggressive “TIC” triggered my hook-set into a big fish, a strong fish. Arching rod and a reset drag prepared me for a long, hard fight…. “Gulp” had paid off for me again with a nice 22-inch doormat sized flounder coming to net.
Prayers
Prayers For Those Innocent Souls Lost in the Sandy Hook Tragedy...may their families find solace somehow, someway, someday.
Twins
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Gilchrist on Bolivar, TX.
Black and Red Drum are cousins when considering their twin genetics, traits and habits of the species, BUT, that’s as far as it goes when actually looking at the two. On recalling the popular movie “TWINS” the resemblance between these two species are about the same as the
Fishing report & tide chart for Rollover Pass TX Dec 10 to Dec 18, 2012
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Summary: Warming weather patterns this past week kept flounder run fluctuating from high to low with many limits caught on both tides. Red fish were fewer but steady with many bull drum caught and sometimes released. I’m amazed at how many anglers confuse the drum with the red fish. Red fish over 28” must be tagged and drum over
Nuts and bolts of Flounder fishing
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Gilchrist on Bolivar, TX.
Tedious, skittish, and wary at times, flounder fishing can be difficult but rewarding if you know what to do. Whether you’re a live bait enthusiast or hard corps jig angler there are many methods to use for enjoying catching flounder.
Fishing Report & Tide Chart For Rollover Pass and Stingaree Marina, TXNov 12 to Nov 19 2012
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Summary: This past week saw flounder running in spurts with the weekend run providing steady action with several doormats to 24 inches, Expect the main run to start right after Mondays cold front. Reds were off and on most of the week but when on the Bulls came out to play with several to 43 inches-Whiting and sand trout filled the fish fry coolers.
Fishing Report & Tide Chart For Rollover Pass and Stingaree Marina, TX Oct 29 to Nov 5 2012
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Summary: BIG CHANGE THIS WEEK. As of Thursday Nov 1, 2012; The flounder limits change from 5 per day to just two per day. This special TP&W flounder conservation program will change back to 5 flounder per day on December 1, 2012. Reds and croaker were the big items this past week with bull croaker measuring up to 17 inches and bull red fish to
CCA ETX Chapter Fall Fishing Tournament Results
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Stingaree Marina & Bait Camp, Bolivar Peninsula, TX.
The East TX Chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) held their Fall fishing tournament at the Stingaree Marina & Bait Camp on Saturday, October 20, 2012. A total of nineteen (19) individual entries participated by fishing for three species of sport fish, which were
White Pelicans at Rollover Pass
taken from “American White Pelican Encyclopedia”
submitted by Ed Snyder
The White Pelicans have landed at Rollover Pass A bit early with December being their normal arrival time. However, these magnificent birds are here right now for us to enjoy.
Working the birds
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
East Bay, at Gilchrist on Bolivar, TX.
As warm breezes puffed my boat began swaying slowly like a child’s cradle causing me to doze off for a spell. Suddenly, high pitched screeching sounds snapped me out of a potential siesta. These sounds were of excited seagulls on a feeding spree not far off!
PINKY ALERT!!
Ed Snyder/Outdoors Comment
I KNEW there was a reason for my reason to quit drinking five years ago when all of a sudden, while riding the Galveston Ferry, a PINK, and I mean PINK Dolphin rolled out in the water in front of me. FOR, IF I had still been a drinker and had seen this weird, but wonderful sight I probably wouldn’t be
PSSST!!!!!!
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Rollover Pass, Gilchrist on Bolivar, TX.
In a futile effort to keep their bending fishing poles hidden from the eyes of others, the anglers attempt to hide their wriggling catches out of sight in hopes of keeping the flounder run quiet, however, were soon undone as anglers quickly spotted those wriggling flatfish…whispering….”Pssst, the flounder are running!!!”
Autumn Croaker Frenzy
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Rollover Pass, Gilchrist on Bolivar, TX.
Small in size but HUGE in popularity as a food fish, then add FUN to that attraction and the Golden Croaker becomes a key enjoyment here for fishing folks when explaining the Annual Fall phenomenon of the Rollover Pass Golden Croaker run.
Whales Ahoy at the Pass!!
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Tuesday, August 28 provided some very unusual activity and a rare treat for those of us who witnessed it. Along about 7am anglers noticed some unusual activity in the water on the Gulf side of the pass when two snub nosed critters appeared to be nosing their way into the pass. These critters were eventually identified as Pilot Whales,
Hidden viper – seafood treasure
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Stepping into warm waters of the Texas Gulf coast, the novice wade-angler stepped towards a likely fishing spot, but before he could make his first cast, a deep, jabbing sting struck like lightning causing him to double over in excruciating pain!
He had just stepped on a stingray with the ray
Clean Up at the Pass
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Rollover Pass, Gilchrist, TX.
On Saturday, August 18, GCA about a dozen staff and volunteers converged on the Pass for general clean up as well as passing information to anglers and visitors about the pass and its new rules and regulations. SOME of the visiting anglers cared enough to help in
SNAPPER
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Rollover Pass, Gilchrist, TX.
Recently, good runs of snapper in Rollover Pass have puzzled and surprised many anglers. Once, these fish have tallied but a few per year. But now have shown up by the dozens in anglers coolers. These were first identified as Vermillion Snapper due to their bright red and black colorations. But, also recently, I was informed by TPWD
