< Previous40 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2025 HOOKED NO MAY-BE ABOUT IT This month is when things start to pop around here story and photos by CAPT. NATE SKINNER F or the past four months, upper coast an- glers have had to remain in “hurry-up-and- wait” mode. Sure, there has been some excellent angling since 2025 began; inconsistent weather conditions haven’t always made things easy, though. But the fifth month should bring some consistency as summer draws near and the weather begins to slowly stabilize. May is when things really start to pop across our bay systems. With water temperatures on an increas- ingly upward trend, the fish are chewin’. The largest speckled trout I’ve ever seen was caught during May in East Galveston Bay. My lifelong fishing buddy, Michael Plitt, caught and released the beast of a speck that weighed 10.25 pounds and stretched to 32.5 inches. I believe we caught and released six speckled trout that weighed 5 pounds or more that day, all of which were fooled by topwater lures. That’s probably what I like most about May — it has historically held some of the best topwater action of the year. There’s nothing better than witnessing a speckled trout or redfish absolutely crush a sur- face-walking lure. It never gets old, and just about any flat where bait- fish are active right now is a good spot to chuck one. Soft plastics rigged on a jig head also will produce plenty of strikes this month. There’s a ton of soft plastic baits to choose from, and the best approach is to carry those with straight tails and those with paddle tails. I also like to have a handful of different color pat- terns, including dark and light color scheme varieties. Soft plastics with a straight tail often work best COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2025 41 Topwaters worked over stretches of clean water that have concentrations of active baitfish will produce big results for those who like to wade fish. (Opposite) With water temperatures on an upward trend, things are popping off along the upper coast and the fish are chewing.42 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2025 HOOKED when fish are feeding on shrimp or shad. When mullet, mud minnows and glass min- nows are the prey, paddle-tail soft plastics tend to produce more bites. Vary throwing light or dark color patterns to see which the fish prefer. Anglers can succeed both by wade fish- ing and by drift fishing out of a boat right now. If wading is your jam, there are plenty of options. Some of the best wade fishing this month is along the south shoreline of East Matago- rda Bay. Grass flats along the north shoreline of West Galveston Bay also will be holding plenty of fish, as will sand flats and sand bars near the San Luis Pass. The south shorelines of Christmas Bay and Bastrop Bay also are great options, along with the south shoreline of East Galveston Bay. The best approach is to find the cleanest water where the most active baitfish are con- centrated. Anchor your boat upwind of the stretch you want to target, and slowly wade toward it, thoroughly working the area over by casting in all directions. Deeper stretches in open bay waters also will afford plenty of action as water tempera- tures continue to warm. Mid-bay oyster reefs from East Matago- rda Bay to Sabine Lake, and everywhere between, will offer phenomenal drift-fishing opportunities. Both top-waters and soft plastics will draw strikes from reds and trout swarming open bay waters, and so will live shrimp rigged under a popping cork. The jetties and the surf also will offer excellent opportunities for anglers to catch a variety of species, especially when condi- tions are calm. The stretch of surf known as the Bolivar Pocket, just north of the Galveston north jetty that stretches out into the Gulf from Bolivar Peninsula, is a prime hotspot. The transition toward summer will gain momentum with each passing day. More consistent conditions are setting in and the action is poppin’ off across the upper coast. Don’t miss out on the excitement. Catching solid fish on surface-walking baits never gets old. May is when things really start to pop across our bay systems. 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(Advance Online Purchase Only) SATURDAY NIGHTS AT PALM BEACH JUNE 14 - AUG 9 5:30PM - 9:30PM Join the family fun with Live Bands & Fireworks! *Entry to Palm Beach after 5pm with ticket 409.744.4673 moodygardens.org SAVE!44 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2025 FEATURE NEW HEIGHTS Kite flying is a popular sport on island beaches story by LAURA PENNINO photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS F lying kites has captivated the interest of humans for centuries. Exact origins of kite flying aren’t known, but the earliest written account of kite flying is in China in 200 B.C., according to the American Kitefliers Association. By the 13th century, kite flying had spread by traders from China to Korea and across Asia to India and the Middle East. Each area developed a distinctive style of kite and cultural purpose for flying them, according to the association. These days, fun seekers can experience the joy of flying kites on Galveston’s beaches and in other open spaces when winds are favorable and obstacles are minimal. Wayne Carpenter’s love affair with kites began when he was about 4 years old. His parents often took him to fly kites and the rest is history. Carpenter, who is now 50, met his wife, Chondra, on a kite field in the Bacliff/San Leon area through mutual friends who thought they would be a perfect match. The Carpenters have dedicated a 15-by-15-foot bedroom as The Kite Room in their house, he said. This is where they store about 300 kites of all shapes, colors and sizes in plastic totes. Just about every weekend when his sched- ule allows, Wayne Carpenter is in Galveston flying kites. He flies them for hours — some- times logging as many as 12 to 18 hours at a time, he said. “I have been everywhere from Florida to south Texas to fly kites,” he said. “We did COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2025 45 Stephen Newberry, owner of Kites Unlimited in Galveston, flies dual-line controllable kites in swoops and swirls among other kites near his shop at 89th Street and Seawall Boulevard46 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2025 FEATURE Kite Fest Louisiana and the Red River Bal- loon Fest. When the wind is high enough to fly, the hot air balloons can’t fly. When kites are flying, the balloons are down. When the kites are down, the balloons are up. Bal- loons don’t like the wind, but the kites do.” Friends and family members typically join the Carpenters for kite-flying outings. “My Jeep has a dual-battery system on it, and I’ve got a 100-quart electric cooler that I fill up with drinks, ice cream and sandwich fixings,” Carpenter said. “We set up a grill. We cook hamburgers or steaks on the beach. We often set up and fly kites at East Beach, San Luis Pass and 89th and Seawall, right in front of Jimmy’s on the Pier. And we fly kites in the field near Kites Unlimited.” Stephen Newberry, who lives in Galveston, exited the construction industry and took a risk on starting a kite business after his father recognized the popularity of kites during an America’s Cup trip to Rhode Island. He Stephen Newberry, with help from Gabby Martinez, left, and Cecily Sergent, launches a 72-foot parafoil octopus kite. (Below) A trio of dual-line controllable kites swoops and swirls through the sky. COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2025 47 opened five kite shops in and around the Houston area within a 12-month period. Newberry opened his first Kites Unlimited store in August 1983 in West Oaks Mall on the west side of Houston. In March 1984, he opened the Galveston store, 8919 Seawall Blvd., as his second location and opened the other three stores in Houston. Newberry closed all of the other stores except Kites Unlimited in Galveston, which has been so successful he has been able to fund other ventures because of its popularity and profitability, he said. The Kite Shop in Crystal Beach opened in 2010 and is owned and operated by Newberry’s son Gunner Newberry and his wife, Kate. “I didn’t have any interest in kites when I opened the first store,” Stephen Newberry said. “My first interest was business. After I opened that store, I realized I needed to know about kites.” Over the past four decades, Newberry has deepened his knowledge of kites and has perfected his kite-flying skills. He favors stackable, controllable kites that have either two or four lines and that can be guided to perform aerial loops and tricks. On April 6, 1990, he set a world record with the Kite Flying Association — now called the International Kite Flying Associa- tion — for flying 38 4-foot diamond con- trollable kites in tandem while completing specific maneuvers for five minutes. Two years before, he broke the same record with the same association for flying 21 kites. Kites Unlimited General Manager Jeff Hutchinson greets customers and flies kites for work and play in Galveston almost daily. The shop has an inventory of more than 3,500 items. “Our customers represent people from all over the world — from Russia, Ukraine, Pal- estine, the Middle East, India and from every state in the Union,” he said. One customer who left a lasting impres- sion was a man about age 80 who pur- chased five kites in the same day. “Galveston is great for flying kites,” Hutchinson said. “It is the perfect location for all the good things. Open spaces. Winds. Lots of customers. We have beautiful weather most of the time. We can’t ask for a better combination of everything good for flying kites all at one time.” 48 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2025 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MAY 2025 49 DOWN HOME ‘LOW AND SLOW’ League City cook turns to his smoker to bake banana bread story by SHANNON CALDWELL photos by STUART VILLANUEVA N eighbors who live next door to Allen Holcomb-Chrisinger know when he fires up his smoker, the sweet smells of baking and not brisket waft over the fence. “I just love cooking outside and I thought a smoker is basically an oven, so why not use it to bake banana bread,” he said. Holcomb-Chrisinger, who lives in League City, uses a traditional recipe with ripe bananas, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, cinnamon and a pinch of nut- meg. He mixes the ingredients in a stand mixer given to him by his aunt. But he’s careful not to over mix because he likes to keep the bananas “chunky” so people can really taste them, he said. “I cook it low and slow until a toothpick comes out clean,” he said. He uses apple wood logs because it imparts a slight apple flavor. “My banana bread comes out tender and moist with a thin crust,” he said. “I can bake six loaf tins at a time and I like to use the disposable alumi- num pans so that I can give them away.” His apple wood smoker banana bread is so popular with friends and acquaintances that people will text him to request a loaf and often they’ll provide their own ripe bananas. His career in oil and gas brought Holcomb- Chrisinger, originally from Wisconsin, to League City. Growing up in the Midwest meant a lot of meals heavy in “meat and potatoes” with a focus on stews, goulashes and other hearty fare. (Left) League City resident Allen Holcomb-Chrisinger uses an unconventional cooking method for his banana bread recipe — his backyard smoker.Next >