< Previous80 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2024 SHIP SHAPE Aging without aches and pain is impossible. “Pain is telling you something,” he said. “The beauty of this is that you can make small adjustments that make a big difference. If the weight you’re lifting is too much, or if the distance you’re going is too much, then take the ‘slow cooker’ approach. Don’t stop — modify.” Everyone, regardless of age, should be working toward strength, power and muscle building, he said. “There are fundamental move- ment patterns that we all need to be able to do to keep functioning — squatting, lunging, pushing, pulling, carrying weight, the hip hinge and conditioning,” he said. “There are many variations of this, and intensi- ty is relative, but it’s important. Just move a little more. Figure out where you want to be, how you feel, how hard it was to do it, and remember why you’re doing it.” (From top) Tyler Morrison, left, spots Tom Hall as he uses the safety squat bar during a training session in the Rehabilitation Services Clinic at the University of Texas Medical Branch; Morri- son, left, spots Hall as he does dumbbell chest presses. Hall, a competitive cyclist, trains with Morrison to improve his strength, power and speed on the bike. COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2024 81 N e w W i n e N e w W i n e by Makeyourreservation!|409-762-BLVD|blvdseafood.com/reservations/ COAST MONTHLY delivered to your inbox! galvnews.com/ newsletters Sign up for our monthly newsletter82 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2024 Windblown shorelines can be the best place to target fish when they’re loaded with baitfish and have decent water clarity. COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2024 83 HOOKED MARSH MANIA This windy month is a good time to chase fish in protected zones story and photos by CAPT. NATE SKINNER I f I had to use one word to describe March weather along the upper Texas coast it would be windy. And what makes springtime gusts so tough to deal with is they seem to blow from just about every direction. Our typical southeasterly coastal sea breeze gains momentum in early March. It’s not uncommon, however, to experience late season cool fronts during the transition from winter to spring. So, it’s best for an- glers to plan for steady winds from some- where all month. March offers a variety of hotspots and many species are active. As the years go on, though, I find myself focusing more on marshes during the spring. They offer pro- tection from strong winds that other areas just can’t provide. You almost always can find a stretch of marsh to fish, even when other waters are trashed by gusty winds. Often, windblown shorelines produce more action than protected shorelines, but that’s not an absolute rule. In fact, some back lakes and marshes tend to hold more fish along their protected shorelines. It all re- ally depends on how the water clarity holds up as the wind starts to blow. Windblown shorelines can get pounded by waves, as strong breezes create surface chop. If the wind is blowing so hard the surface chop has muddied the water to little or no visibility, then targeting the protected shoreline is likely a better bet. On the other hand, windblown shorelines often are loaded with baitfish being pushed and stacked up there by the current along 84 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2024 HOOKED the water’s surface. Game fish concentrate where the baitfish are. If a windblown shoreline is loaded with bait and has some halfway decent water clar- ity, then it’s probably worth targeting. Tide levels are another factor to consider when chasing fish in the marsh. If the tide has fallen, then the fish are likely to stack up in the deepest areas of the surrounding marshes and back lakes. This could be guts and channels leading into these shallow areas, or simply just stretches that are only a few inches deeper. Taking note of slight depth changes like this will help you predict where the fish are going to stage when the water is low. During periods of super high or flooding tides, the fish often will push toward the COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2024 85 CALL TODAY TO GET A QUOTE 409-655-0505 FOUNDATION & CONSTRUCTION ©2021 Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. Better Homes and Gardens® is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation licensed to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each Franchise is Independently Owned and Operated. If your property is currently listed with a real estate broker, please disregard. It is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other real estate brokers. David Bowers REALTOR ® 409.763.2800 David@DavidBowers.com Please Call/Text/Email me to sell your property. 11 LAKEVIEW DRIVE, GALVESTON – $449,500 The cathedral ceiling den, with tall bookcases and lots of large windows looking out on the landscaped backyard, is one of the many features of this well located home. There is a large living room with wood burning fireplace and a formal dining room. The wonderful kitchen has floor-to-ceiling cabinets with glass fronts, breakfast bar, laundry nook and lots of storage. Beautiful wood floors in all four bedrooms upstairs. Located close to Moody Gardens yet on a street ending in a cul-de-sac. NEW LISTING: farthest reaches of marshes and back lakes. They’ll also stack up along structures like grass or shell that are barely covered during normal or low tides. Again, knowing where such structures are can help pinpoint where fish are staging when the tide is way up. Red drum dominate marshes during the spring, and they’re usually my number one target when I’m fishing shallow, protected areas. Species like flounder, sheepshead and black drum also can be found in marshes during the spring. Even speckled trout will venture into back lakes to feed, especially when tides are high. In marshes, I like to throw lures that cover a lot of water and promote reaction strikes, like topwater plugs and spinnerbaits. Gold and silver spoons work, too, as will soft plas- tics rigged weedless and weightless or on a jig head. Popping corks aren’t my thing, but many anglers have success in the marsh using scented shrimp imitation soft plastic lures under a popping cork. The noise and vibra- tions created from the cork help attract fish, especially in dirty water. Live or freshly dead shrimp also will work well under a popping cork. Make plans to spend some time in the marsh this spring. The perfect time to start is right now. Forget about the wind and just go. I’ll see you there! Topwater baits will draw reaction strikes from hefty redfish in the marsh. (Opposite, from top) Redfish rule the marsh in the springtime; flounder typically can be found in guts and channels leading into marshes and back lakes.86 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2024 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2024 87 FEATURE TEACH A KID TO HUNT Taking youngsters to the turkey woods builds better human beings story and photos by CAPT. NATE SKINNER I ’ve become downright addicted to spring turkey hunting. There’s something incredible about using calls to mimic a hen turkey in hopes of luring a love-struck gobbler in for a breathtaking close encounter. I’ve been fortunate to chase long beards over some premium turkey ground across the Lone Star State over the past decade, and have called count- less mature Toms within 20 yards or less. The experience just never gets old. Two seasons ago, I introduced my old- est son, Waylon Gene, to the sport. Like me, he quickly caught the turkey bug. He was hooked from the moment he heard the first piercing gobble come bellowing through a creek bottom in response to one of my calls. At age 4, Waylon harvested his first turkey. It wasn’t a trophy-caliber bird, but rather, a Jake, or young male turkey. Jakes have short beards and spurs, and their tail fans are not fully developed. I wanted him to start somewhere, and have something to look forward to, and the Jake provided him a good shot at about 12 yards. After all, I couldn’t have him harvest a monster Tom and peak at the age of 4. Waylon Gene Skinner shows off a homemade target he used to practice shooting at before pursuing a gobbler. (Opposite) The thrill of calling in a love-struck gobbler for a close encounter never gets old.88 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2024 FEATURE Last season, Waylon stepped up his game. I told him he was allowed to harvest only mature long beards and he would have to pass on any Jakes that came within range. He seemed to understand and tagged two mature Toms before the season ended. This year, he has his sights set on a multi-bearded Tom, which is a rare trophy. He also hopes to fill all four of the turkey tags on his hunting license. He’s pretty ambi- tious for a 6-year-old turkey hunter, so we’ll see whether it happens. Turkey hunting with a youngster is a challenge, but it’s worth every bit of effort. The sport teaches patience and persistence because gobblers are wily prey. It also teaches discipline, respect for nature and many other core values that make kids better outdoorsmen and women and better human beings. Choosing a shotgun that is appropriate for a young hunter is key to their success. There are many great youth models, but I’ve found the SS Poly Tuffy Turkey 410 shotgun by Rossi is hard to beat. The gun doesn’t have too much recoil and it’s a single shot, break-action shotgun that’s simple and safe. Rigged with a red dot sight, it’s extremely easy to shoot accurately. I pair the Rossi with the BOG DeathGrip Tripod, which supports the firearm while the shooter aims. This allows for hands-free Waylon Gene Skinner harvested this mature tom using his Rossi Tuffy Turkey 410 shotgun on a BOG DeathGrip tripod. COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2024 89 ENTERTOWIN$250! OurMembersare encouragedtoreferfamily andfriendstoopenaNEW accountwithusfora chancetowin$250! We’llevenmatchthe$5 membershipdeposit! MAKEAMATCH WITHCOASTAL MAKEAMATCH WITHCOASTAL “ S h a r e t h e L ov e o f C o a s t a l ” “ S h a r e t h e L ove o f C o a s t a l ” LIMITEDTIMEOFFER.VISITBRANCHFORMOREINFORMATION. teaching opportunities because the shotgun can be secured on the tripod and pointed in a safe direction at all times. The tripod also makes it easy for inexperi- enced shooters to keep the gun steady. When it comes to ammo, a 3-inch TSS turkey load of No. 9 shot is hard to beat. It packs a punch and sends a ton of BBs to- ward a target, increasing a youngster’s odds for success. Lifelike decoys and a pop-up blind also will increase your success when teaching kids to hunt turkey. The blind helps conceal any movement from the sharp eyes of an approaching turkey. Realistic decoys will help bring the bird in close for an easy shot, and also will help captivate a bird’s attention when it’s near your young hunter. This also allows for you and the hunter to get away with a little more movement. Don’t forget the snacks when planning to take the kids hunting; they are a lifesaver, especially when the action is slow. Practice makes perfect, so make sure your youngster gets plenty of time behind a shot- gun before shooting at a live animal. Whether you’re a seasoned turkey hunter, or just getting into the sport, I challenge you to take a kid hunting. The world would be a much better place if we got more kids off the couch, away from the TV, smart devic- es and video games, and out in the turkey woods. Turkey hunting with a youngster is a challenge, but it’s worth every bit of effort. The sport teaches patience and persistence, because gobblers are wily prey. It also teaches discipline, respect for nature and many other core values that make kids better outdoorsmen and women and better human beings.Next >