Story and photography by Danno Wise

Adding another dimension, fresh element of fun and challenge to coastal sportfishing.

The words Summer Slam may conjure up images of concerts or festivals for some. However, fishermen recognize the use of the word slam to mean catching a set amount of species in a single session. To that end, there is no better time to catch a slam along the Texas Coast than late summer. In fact, the possibility exists to catch more than one type of slam this time of year in the waters off the Lone Star State.

Slams usually consist of three species. Grand Slams typically require four, although in some instances a three species slam is referred to as a Grand Slam. In any event, slams are not accomplished by just catching three or four random species. Rather, each type of slam has a list of targets from a defined list. Some slams are accomplished by catching three or four specimens from a larger list, while others have no wiggle room and require an exact set of species.

So how do slams become slams? Well they’re made up by fishermen, of course. Most are creations of local anglers in a given region that have become time honored traditions. Some slams have grown beyond the area where they were created and a good number of slams are recognized by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA). It is worth noting the IGFA categorizes a three fish slam as a Grand Slam, four different fish equals Super Grand Slam, and five species equals a Fantasy Slam. Anglers who accomplish these feats can apply for official recognition from the IGFA.

The majority of different slams include inshore species. However, there are slams which consist of inshore and offshore species as well. There are even freshwater slams. Regardless of which saltwater slam you are chasing, late summer is the perfect time to do it along the Texas Coast. Why? Simply put, late summer is when the most species are present and active in Texas inshore, nearshore and offshore waters.

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