By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Fishing reports advised that whiting were biting in the surf along Bolivar’s beachfront, so with nothing much happening anywhere else, a trip was quickly planned for some hopefully active surf fishing that would put a few whiting on the fish fry menu. Arriving in Rollover Pass area early the next morning, the open beach treated me to an amazing sunrise with
Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Whiting – Kings of the Surf
Posted in 
Rollover Pass Fishing Report
Sorry to say, but Ed Snyder is moving away from Bolivar, and we will no longer be able to enjoy his weekly Rollover Pass fishing reports and great pictures. Thanks Ed, we wish you well.
The Gator Specks of Rollover
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Landing and releasing two nice speckled trout made my early morning fishing a plus factor with major adrenaline rushes. Flipping out another cast and retrieving, my wake was suddenly jolted by a violent “TIC” !! The implosion of water that followed showed a shaking head of a big fish in the middle of the tidal splash. A huge trout had latched on to my
Chasing and Being Chased
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Some like to relax on a cruise ship sipping margaritas, while others prefer driving to a warm and sunny beach to enjoy their vacation time, but yet others enjoy their time away by “ruffing” it so to speak in the great outdoors. The later was and is my choice by driving to a South Texas State and Wildlife preserve for my R&R.
Wading in the Shadow of the Shark
Ed Snyder/Outdoors
The hairs on the back of my neck alerted me to its sudden appearance as I stood waist deep in swirling clear waters of Tampa Bay, Florida. Only seconds earlier I was cheerfully reeling in my third speckled trout of the morning, lost now to the chill of sheer terror as a large, dark shadow slowly began circling me. Scary, frightening, and extremely
Shrimp – A Perfect Choice
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Whether your savoring these succulent morsels on a plate or rigging one on your fishing hook for catching fish, Shrimp are the perfect choice for both pleasures. Shrimp (Penaeus Aztec sis) are an enormously popular seafood in most homes and restaurants of the U.S.A.. Boiled, Broiled, fried, sun-dried, BBQ, or stuffed, they are simply yummy. Considered a
Fishing The Night-Shift
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
The quietness of the Coleman Lantern is all but gone now, replaced by a more noisy, smelly, and luminous age of high technology. Just pay a visit to Rollover Pass on any given summery night and you’ll be greeted by a small city of lights with its residents standing elbow to elbow casting into pools of light in hopes of catching “whatever” is
Of Smacks, Blues, and Skips
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Speckled Trout, Redfish, and Flounder are the main attractions offered here at Rollover Pass, but when the Smacks, Blues, and Skips come to visit, try them out for the sport and variety that our Texas Coastal waters provide for your saltwater adventures. Though these three mentioned species are seasonal (mostly summer) trespassers
Cynoscion Arenaris
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
With a scientific name like Cynoscion arenarius, with arenarius meaning “sandy”, you’d wonder why so many anglers fish for such a critter. But Sand Trout is the tag by which Texas coastal anglers know them. Marine Biologists refer to them as “sand sea-trout”, but most Texans just call them “sandies”. These spotless, silvery fish, cousins to
The Tragedy of Inexperience
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Every year we read about, or know of someone who drowned either by accident or by simply enjoying a favorite aquatic sport. Although alcohol plays into the cause of many of these incidents, inexperience or misjudgments can be blamed for most. Drownings along the Texas Gulf Coast mainly involve anglers who’ve entered the surf for fishing, or visitors
Getting Crabby
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
“Twitching” slightly as it slowly became taut against the tide, a young crabber fingered the crabbing line to find persistent tugs on the other end. “Crab” he whispered to no one in particular while slowly pulling on the line with one hand, grabbing the dip-net with the other. Within seconds a crusty hard-shelled critter, with blue-tipped pincers busily
Speckled Sea Trout
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
As a saltwater species the speckled sea trout is revered by Chefs and sea food fanciers alike as being one of the tastiest species of fish plated for its cuisine like qualities. But as a saltwater sport-fish it’s highly regarded by sport anglers as being one of the best scrappers in the surf. The spotted sea trout, alias Cynoscion nebulosus, weakfish, or just
Rollover Anglers Finish Well In Trout Masters
An Ed Snyder/Outdoors Report
In two days of salt water competition for the prestigious Trout Masters Tournament, Gary Fruge of Mount Belvue, and Scotty Neville of College Station TX, managed to take 4th and 6th place honors. Neville, a known top angler at Rollover Pass on Bolivar Peninsula TX, managed to gather up 5 pounds of specks on the first day putting him 5th place position. Then on the 2nd day of
Archosargus Probatocepha, ‘SHEEPSHEAD’
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Archosargus probatocepha, alias Convict Fish, or just Sheepshead belongs to the Family Sparidae, or PORGIES, are blackish silver in color, with 5 or 6 distinct vertical black bars on its sides, but not always the same on both sides. These hardy fish have conspicuous human like teeth, including incisors, molars, and rounded grinders, that
Brown Pelicans
By Ed Snyder
Seeing these brown pelicans reminded me of an incident I saw last week at Rollover Pass of two adult brown pelicans attacking a cormorant. The pelicans were perched on a bulkhead watching cormorants diving for fish when one cormorant popped up with a large silvery fish in its beak. Both pelicans pounced on the cormorant, one grabbing its wing so it couldn’t dive and the other
Spring Flounder
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Frigid weather promised icy rains for the day, but some anglers were rigging for flounder even though the cold winds of winter were still upon us. One such angler, who’s garbed for the chill but geared for flatfish, is Johnny Clovis of Fort Worth, TX. “I see they’re catching cold water sea-trout across from me, he stated, and I do like to catch and
Red Drum VS Black Drum
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Concerning the saltwater drum species found in Texas Coastal areas, there is “some” confusion on the differences betwixt the Red and Black Drum. Although they are of the same family, they are markedly different in coloration, feeding and spawning habits, as well as the value on which drum anglers prefer to catch. Both are very hard
Aromas for Your Bragging Rights
Ed Snyder/Outdoors, Fish Recipes
After the catch and the cleaning, there’s but one thing left to do. COOK IT!!
Improve Your Fishing-Keep a Fishing Log
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
One of the secrets for becoming a better angler is to keep a fishing log. This is nothing more than jotting down info notes of your fishing trips, whether they were successful or not. This has been done for eons by pros and amateurs alike for the purpose of keeping records on their angling ventures. Pro-anglers do it for keeping records on past
Texas State Saltwater Records-Rod & Reel
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
In the past, many anglers have asked me what the Texas State Saltwater Records were, and of course I could only give them a guesstimated answer at best. I know and appreciate these inquires, due to their curiosities from their needs to know after catching a large fish. My past fishing experiences of catching some possible records have,
Cold Weather Reds
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Cutting through 30 degree wind-chills kept us hunkered deep within our coats for warmth. As our craft rounded a corner of the salt marsh we suddenly came upon an incredible scene which immediately had me putting brakes on the throttle. About 100 seabirds (pelicans, seagulls and terns alike) were dipping, diving, and flaring over a huge school of fish
The Muy Grande’s of South Texas
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Three Rivers TX.
Traveling I-59/South from Houston, past Victoria, through Goliad, and Beeville then jogging right on I-37 to the small town of Three Rivers, TX. After a quick lunch an eight mile trek on TX-72 took me into what I refer as, “God’s little Acre”. A wilderness patch of mesquite, willows, and cacti
The Birds of Autumn
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Bolivar Peninsula,TX
The high pitched shrieks and feathered splashes alerted us to the frantic melee ongoing just 100 yards away. One minute we were fishing sea-grass edges looking for a bite, and the next we were at full throttle headed for a fight! A gaggle of shrieking seagulls diving and fighting over a watery
The Choices and Options of Fishing
Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Bolivar Peninsula, TX.
A treasure trove of fishing info can be had by just watching and listening to other anglers at Rollover Pass on the whats, wheres, and hows of fishing. Especially when major runs of fish, such as redfish, speckled trout, or flounder occur. Techniques on how to fish live and dead baits, or what
Psssst………
By Ed/Snyder Outdoors
Rollover on Bolivar Peninsula, TX.
Incoming currents carried seasonal changes from Summer to Fall. With each flush the tidal waters began cooling the sand and mud where strange looking fish were hidden. With eyes on top sporting ratchet like jaws beneath, these weird looking dwellers of the flats looked more like creatures from
Rollover Gold
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Rollover Pass on Bolivar Peninsula, TX.
Small in size but HUGE in popularity the Micropogonias Undulates -or- Golden Croaker, are cherished entree’s on family dinner tables, but also have the ability to give anglers the hard fighting qualities of larger fish. FAMILY FUN is the key word here folks when enjoying Autumn’s annual run
T-28
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Normally, one lure of the MirrOlure Class, wouldn’t keep paying off when it comes to catching big specks from early Spring through late Summer. Usually these artificial lures would change color identities with the changing seasons and water conditions. But this year the T-28 (red over gold) MirrOlure has been the consistent producer of big
Of Silvers, Sands, and Specks
By Ed Snyder/Outdoors
Rollover on Bolivar Peninsula, TX.
Speckled Trout are credibly the most popular game-fish in the Galveston Bay system, and for good reason. They offer excellent fighting qualities and fantabulous table fare when cooked properly. But the Speckled sea trout, or speck, is only one of the three saltwater sea trout species that
