December 26, 2014 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting

December 26, 2014 Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper in Texas Volume 11, Issue 9

Tim

e Se

nsiti

ve M

ater

ial •

Del

iver

ASA

P

PR

SRT

STD

US

PO

STA

GE

PAID

PLA

NO

,TX

PER

MIT

210

FISHING CONTENTSClassifi eds . . . . . . . . . Page18Crossword . . . . . . . . . Page19Freshwater Fishing Report . Page10FortheTable . . . . . . . . Page 18Game Warden Blotter . . . . Page12Heroes. . . . . . . . . . . Page22Outdoor Datebook . . . . . Page26Saltwater Fishing Report . . Page16Sun, Moon and Tide data . . Page11Products . . . . . . . . . . Page 24

LSONews.com

Crappie bites are fairly productive, but conditions are making them hard to predict.

Page8

Allovertheplace

INS

IDE

HUNTING

Woman channels her passion for hunting into a budding business.

Page4

Makinghuntingjewelry

ByConorHarrisonLONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

Isaac Garcia and his brother, Elijah, were on their fi rst buck hunt with the Lone Star Outdoor News Foundation. Hunting in South Texas, the fi rst two days of hunting were slow for Ike, with plenty of young bucks to look at while the mature bucks either didn’t appear or appeared for an instant and disappeared.

Since the hunting was tough, the offer to extend the hunt into Monday was given and his father, Albert Garcia Jr. of Italy, agreed to allow the boys to miss a day of school, and one more morning hunt was planned.

At the blind, several does were hounded by young bucks, as the South Texas rut was about to begin. While waiting for an older buck, the group watched a doe and young buck sprint away, the doe’s tail straight-up.

“Something is wrong,” guide Craig Nyhus told them. “That isn’t rutting behavior; something spooked them.”

WAITINGFORSANTA:’Tis the season to be hunting, as one ranch owner in South Texas found out recently when he pulled up to the front door of the ranch house and found this buck. Little did the buck know, behind these doors was a large trophy room full of whitetail mounts. Photo by Nicholas Rish.

FISHING

Following Cedar Bayou’s opening on Sept. 25, an-glers are seeing evidence of a healthy fi shery.

Page8

SetforsuccessHUNTING

Warm temperatures plus abundant cover are making hunting tougher and frustrating some South Texas hunters.

Page17

DeepSouthTexasrutreport


A Dallas angler reeled in a new record-sized Lake Texoma striped bass the first week of December, hauling the mas-sive fish out of the lake near the northern shore in Oklahoma waters.

The 27.29-pound, 38 3/4-inch striper has been certified as a Oklahoma-Lake Texoma striped bass record — 6 pounds more than the previous lake-record striper catch.

Barbara Pope was fishing with guide Chris Carey of

Striper Express Guide Service when the big fish hit her dead-sticking a soft plastic in 35 feet of water. Pope fought the fish for about 20 minutes before getting it into the boat.

While heavier striped bass

have been caught in previous years at Lake Texoma, this fish represents the largest striped bass from the Oklahoma side of the lake since the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife

Texan catches Oklahoma-

record striper

Please turn to page 16

Oh Christmas tree...

ATOUGHSITUATION:One young hunter’s lasting memory of his hunt in South Texas will be of trespassers passing under the deer blind. Photo by Craig Nyhus, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Buck hunt ruined by

ranch visitor


ABIGSTRIPER:Barbara Pope holds the new record Oklahoma-side Lake Texoma striper. The fi sh weighed 27.29 pounds. Photo by Barbara Pope.

ByCraigNyhusLONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

The Boone and Crockett Club doesn’t want deer and elk raised “in captivity” to be scored using the B&C Scoring Method.

The language in the club’s state-ment, though, raised questions for deer contests and deer hunters.

In a press release dated December 7, the club issued a resolution that included:

“The Boone and Crockett Club scoring system exists to document the successful conservation of wild

B&C says no

scoring in ads


State regulations differ

Page 2 December 26, 2014 LoneOStar Outdoor News LSONews.com

LSONews.com LoneOStar Outdoor News December 26, 2014 Page 3


HUNTING

ByBrandonShulerFOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

On Nov. 14, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced an $8.8 million suite of conservation projects that will benefi t Texas wildlife, the environ-ment and Texas natural resources.

The $8.8 million announce-ment is the second round of an estimated $203 million of RESTORE Act funds that will be issued through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Gulf Environmental Benefi t Fund to restore the ecological damage and lost human uses incurred by Texas from the 2010 Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill. One of the largest awards, $1.25 million, is restoration fund-ing for Gulf Coast migratory waterfowl habitat enhancement.

“This is an incredible win and opportunity for Texas hunt-ers and landowners,” said Steve Bender, the National Wildlife Foundation’s Vanishing Paradise program director. “Projects that encourage the ecological services that support our coastal wildlife are a great thing for our state’s nat-ural resources.”

Within the Texas Chenier Plain and the midcoast region, the Gulf

ByJilianMockFOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

An avid hunter, Texas native Kacee Floerke is channeling her outdoor pas-sion into a budding jewelry business out of her Portland home near the Texas coast.

Rather than discard or giveaway the abundance of sheds, mounts, and shot-gun shells accumulated over a life-time of hunting, Floerke uses these and other hunting paraphernalia to craft the unique pieces that form her GlitterNBones jewelry line.

The positive response to her online shop on Etsy.com, a website dedicated to selling artisan wares, has her scrambling to complete more pieces.

“I am on a wild horse holding on for dear life,” the 28-year-old said with a

good-natured laugh.Floerke is already turning a profi t on

her small business, after beginning to experiment with jewelry this summer and selling earnestly since October. Her Etsy page garners 150 to 200 viewers each week, and she makes two or three pieces a day to keep up with demand.

In addition to fostering her fl edgling business, Floerke is also an engineering school student and single mother to her

8-year-old daughter, Penelope. Despite the hectic schedule, Floerke

sees GlitterNBones as an organic out-growth of one of her favorite pastimes: hunting. Her father fi rst took her when she was 8 years old and, now that her daughter is that same age, Floerke is beginning to pass the etiquette and tra-ditions of hunting to her. Whether with

Antlers, bullets used to create

unique jewelry

ONEWOMAN’STRASH,ANOTHERWOMAN’STREASURE:KaceeFloerkehasbeenkeepingupwithleft-overhuntingmaterialstocraftjewelryforherbusiness,GlitterNBones.PhotosbyKaceeFloerke.


A lucrative passionWaterfowl habitat

will receive funds

MOREHABITAT:Ducks that utilize coastal marshes, like these northern shovelers, could soon have better habitat in Texas. Photo by LSON.


LSON cover curse continues


If you are a white-tailed buck living in the state of Texas, you might want to disappear when Lone Star Outdoor News is on the ranch taking photographs — you might just end up on the cover!

And that has meant a swift end for many bucks the past several years.

Much like Sports Illustrated’s “cover jinx” or the John Madden video game cover curse, LSON has a history of featuring bucks on their cover; only to have those same bucks meet a quick demise shortly thereafter.

LSON’s David J. Sams photographed a mature buck in South Texas this past November. The buck had been seen several times, but never with a hunter in the blind. He came out one evening and Sams took

the Nov. 28 cover shot as the buck stood perfectly in front of a feeder with two other small bucks.

Everyone in the offi ce knew the end was near for the big buck after putting him on the cover.

Sure enough, it happened again on Dec. 13, when young hunter Ethan Bennett was hunting with the Lone Star Outdoor News Foundation in South Texas and the mature deer made an appearance at a blind called the Garden Gate.

The buck, which sported an impressive 10-point rack, joins a long list of bucks that fell soon after gracing the cover.

Luckily for hunters and anglers that have been featured on the cover the past 12 months, the LSON cover curse only extends to white-tailed bucks.

ONTHECOVER,ONTHEGROUND:Ethan Bennett, 15, harvested a buck in South Texas that had graced the cover of the Nov. 28 issue of Lone Star Outdoor News, making the buck one in a long list of big deer to be harvested soon after being featured on the cover. Photo by LSON.

Buck featured in Nov. 28 issue falls to hunter


A huge hog, a nice deer and a painful bite


Midland hunter Ryan Murphy had one heck of a weekend in early December.

Murphy and his wife, Krystal, headed from their home in West Texas to a friend’s ranch near Comstock for a weekend of deer and hog hunting.

Krystal Murphy had only been hunting a few times, but she had already been deemed a good luck charm by Ryan after she har-vested a big fallow buck her fi rst time afi eld.

“She gives me a hard time because I am gone hunting a lot,” Ryan said. “Our friends have a lease near Comstock, and Krystal just fi nished residency (she is an obstetrician-gynecologist) so we decided to go to the ranch.”

The hunters slept in the fi rst morning until about 8:30, when they took a drive to look for deer and hogs.

“We didn’t fi nd any pigs, but we did see an old 10-point that I managed to take,” Ryan said. “He was an older deer and my fi rst-ever 10-pointer.”

After celebrating the buck, the pair headed back to the ranch

house. Because of a lack of water on the ranch, the owners had installed a water trough near the house, and many raccoons were using the water source and com-ing very close to the house.

“The following night, the rac-coons were all over the place,” Ryan said. “They were messing

with the dogs and we threw a rock to chase them away. One of the rocks accidentally hit one of the raccoons and we thought we had killed it. I went to pick it up by the tail and it woke up.”

Ryan suffered a nasty bite on the knuckle of his hand.

“I’m with three doctors and

they all said I should probably go get a rabies shot,” he said. “So the next day, we went in to Del Rio, but they didn’t have a shot, so I ended up getting a shot in Midland when we got home. The shots hurt.”

HUNTINGPARTNERSFORLIFE: Husband and wife Ryan and Krystal Murphy just spent an interesting, and productive, week-end afi eld near Comstock. Photo by Ryan Murphy.

Husband and wife share an

interesting weekend


BillfiledtogiveTexansconstitutionalrighttohunt

A bill fi led last week in the Texas Legislature proposes constitutional protec-tions for hunting and fi shing.

Rep. Trent Ashby of Lufkin, authored the measure, HR 61, with support and encour-agement from the Dallas Safari Club and other sportsman organizations.

“We applaud Rep. Trent Ashby for intro-ducing this important bill,” said Ben Carter, DSC executive director. “Our club was proud to help with the development of the lan-guage, and we’re anxious to do everything we can to help it move forward. This is a measure to help ensure the future of Texas’ rich sporting traditions, outdoor heritage and effective fi sh and wildlife conservation.”

The text of HJR 61, as introduced, reads as follows:

A JOINT RESOLUTIONProposing a constitutional amendment

relating to the right to hunt, fi sh, and harvest wildlife.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1.

Article I, Texas Constitution, is amended by adding Section 34 to read as follows:

Sec. 34. (a) The people have the right to hunt, fi sh, and harvest wildlife, including by the use of traditional methods, subject to laws or regulations to conserve and manage wildlife and preserve the future of hunting and fi shing.

(b) Hunting and fi shing are preferred methods of managing and controlling wild-life.

(c) This section does not affect any pro-vision of law relating to trespass, property rights, or eminent domain.

SECTION 2. This proposed constitutional amendment shall be submitted to the vot-ers at an election to be held November 3, 2015. The ballot shall be printed to permit voting for or against the proposition: “The constitutional amendment recognizing the right of the people to hunt, fi sh, and harvest wildlife subject to laws that promote wildlife conservation.”

— Dallas Safari Club


A few seconds later, the reason became apparent.

“There are some people walking toward the feeder,” Albert Garcia said.

Two men walked past the feeder and along the path toward the blind.

After the initial shock, a few photos were snapped of one of the men jogging away, but the hunt was ruined.

“We have had signs of traf-fi c-like damage to the fence, cut fences and we have found back-packs, but we have never had a hunt affected,” Nyhus told them.

The next weekend, Lone Star Outdoor News Foundation intern Cole Farris, a wildlife manage-ment student at Southwest Texas Junior College, headed out after dark to fi ll a feeder that was low on corn.

“I opened up the gate to go to the feeder, and when I went to close it there was a light on in the blind,” he said. “I thought it might have been a refl ection.”

At the feeder, he heard a noise.“One guy came out of the blind

and ran away,” said Farris, who went back to his chores. “As I was up the ladder and fi lling the feeder, four more came out of

the blind and shined a spotlight on me — it freaked me out. Then they walked off.”

The photograph of one of the trespassers was posted on the Lone Star Outdoor News Facebook page, and a stream of comments fol-lowed.

“It was everything from telling us we should have pointed the gun or shot near them to politi-cal discussions about how since Americans hire the illegal immi-grants, so they come. Some peo-ple even accused the image of being Photoshopped,” Nyhus said. “We certainly aren’t going to point a rifl e at a human being.”

All political views on immigra-tion aside, Nyhus said it is dis-turbing to have a hunt or other chores on the ranch interrupted.

The Texas National Guard is still stationed en masse along the border, although they will begin to be replaced in April by state troopers, according to AP reports.

“Hopefully there isn’t another surge of traffi c,” Nyhus said. “Not really because of any risk of danger, but Isaac’s memories of his fi rst buck hunt shouldn’t be marred by how the hunt was ruined.”

Hunting on the border creates its own issues for young hunterContinuedfrompage1

But Krystal still wanted to shoot something, so the pair continued hunting after arriving back from Del Rio.

“We went to a feeder with an old, rotten stand,” Ryan said. “We brought two chairs and I sat in front of Krystal so she could rest the rifl e on my shoulder. About 5 p.m., we heard some pigs coming and saw two or three 100-pounders, a bunch of piglets and then this monster pig bringing up the rear.

“He let all the others come fi rst.”Krystal didn’t know which pig to shoot until she

got lined up on the big boar.“Basically, he was three times the size of any of

the other pigs,” she said. “Luckily, he stood still and I made a perfect shot.”

Ryan said he saw the bullet hit, and the pig ran off

with no apparent injuries.“He took it like a hoss,” Ryan said. “He ran back

up the hill. We didn’t fi nd any blood but we found him pretty quickly. It took four of us to move him. He had some gnarly teeth and a huge shield that was about 3-inches thick. I went through four knife blades skinning him out.”

Like a rookie golfer who sinks a hole-in-one their fi rst time out, Krystal has been successful on every hunt she has been on and wonders why people think hunting is so diffi cult, Ryan said.

“I have been really fortunate to have a bunch of animals come out when I’ve been hunting,” Krystal said. “I think it is very cool just to watch them and then the rush of making a good shot — the feeling is great.”

Couple has a hunt to rememberContinuedfrompage5

BEAUTYANDABEAST:Krystal Murphy harvested her fi rst hog — this mammoth boar — on a weekend hunt with her husband. Photo by Ryan Murphy.



FISHING

JUSTTHEBEGINNING:LongtimeanglersintheRockportareahavebeenseeingallsortsofgoodsignsatCedarBayou,includinggoodwaterflowsandnumeroustypesofbait.Theyalsocautionthefisherystillneedstimebeforeitwillbethehotspotitwasalmost35yearsagowhenitclosed.PhotobyRalphWinningham,forLoneStarOutdoorNews.

Signs of lifeCedar Bayou full of

bait, some fi sh

BySteveSchwartzLONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

Frank Houser was spending his day in the newly reopened Cedar Bayou, free-lining shrimp, when he hooked into something. After a short fi ght, a large fl ounder surfaced next to the boat — then popped off of his line, swimming free.

To most anglers, it would be a disap-pointing lost catch, but to Houser it meant something so much more.

“It’s defi nitely starting; I’m getting reports from all over the place,” he said. “I heard the other day the shrimp were so thick you could almost walk across the bayou on top of them.”

When Cedar Bayou opened on Sept. 25, after 35 years of isolation from the

Gulf of Mexico, fi sh almost immedi-ately started showing up in the newly opened waters. Anglers were catching trout and redfi sh in good numbers.

However, following the opening, Houser, a 34-year veteran guide out of Rockport, said the fi shing was not worth the effort, and the fi sh haven’t been consistently in the bayou since.


BySteveSchwartzLONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

Milder temperatures for the month of December will likely affect outdoor activities across the state, but crappie anglers def-initely aren’t complaining — at least yet.

“Warm spells will generally help us out,” guide Chuck Rollins at Cedar Creek Reservoir said. “It’s not quite as good as it was about a month ago, but occasionally it’s great.”

Crappie are staging in different depths depending on the reser-voir, and Rollins said the fi sh are holding in around 15 feet of water,

or deeper, in some areas. As usual, brush piles and any sort of cover at that depth will be the best bets for a bite.

“Most of our crappie right now at Cedar Creek are out in deeper water,” Rollins said. “The warm water is making it good for now, but I’m afraid it will slow down when winter settles in.”

To the east, guide Seth Vanover said the bites are on-and-off at Lake Fork, and may not be worth an angler’s time. The bite at Lake O’ the Pines, however, is a differ-ent story.

“Lake Fork is so-so right now,” Vanover said. “But I’m killing ’em

at Lake O’ the Pines. They’re hold-ing really tight to cover right now, so we know just where to fi nd them.”

He said he is seeing the water temperatures push some fi sh into the creek channels, and some anglers are beginning to follow them to shallower water. Bites can be hit-or-miss when the crappie move shallower, but when they stick to deeper brush, it’s time to take advantage of the unseason-ably warm weather.

“The lake is just about perfect right now in every way,” Vanover said. “It’s full, clear — just about

Inconsistent depths, inconsistent bite

Crappie anglers moving to fi nd fi sh

BigyearontapforBassChampsNext year is shaping up to be another record-setting year for the

Skeeter Bass Champs tournament trail and television show. Bass Champs is introducing a multitude of changes in 2015, includ-

ing more guaranteed money to be awarded to weekend anglers, bigger events and a new format on television. Regular team events will boast a $20,000 guaranteed fi rst-place cash prize and fi ve-fi sh limits.

The TX Shootout on Sam Rayburn in June will feature a guaranteed $50,000 cash prize to the winning team and an additional $10,000 if the winners are fi shing out of a qualifi ed Skeeter boat.

The largest one-day Big Bass event in the world, the Ford Mega Bass, returns to Lake Fork on March 22, and will award seven Ford Trucks, a Skeeter Boat and cash. The Largest Boat Owners tournament in the world, The Skeeter Owners Tournament, will be June 12-14, and the largest specialty bait tournament, the 10th Annual Berkley Big Bass event, will be held October 17-18.

To top off an incredible year, The Bass Champs television show will take on a whole new level of entertainment beginning in April when well-known host and emcee Fish Fishburne will host the new show. The show airs on national networks including the Outdoor Channel, The World Fishing Network, HD-NET and Fox Sports Southwest.

— Bass Champs

BassProGrouppurchasesseveralboatbrands

Bass Pro Group announced an agreement to acquire Fishing Holdings, LLC, a manufacturer of fi shing boats that includes Ranger Boats and the Stratos and Triton boat brands from Platinum Equity.

The agreement combines popular fi shing boat brands that are rec-ognized internationally. It also creates another connection between two industry leaders, Bass Pro Shops founder/CEO Johnny Morris and Ranger Boats founder Forrest Wood. Years ago, the iconic outdoorsmen both began fi shing on the White River and White River Chain of Lakes in the Ozarks and even fi shed together in the fi rst national BASS tour-naments.

“This partnership brings added long-term stability for both compa-nies and for the dealer networks that provide customers with quality boats at exceptional values,” said Morris, who also is founder/CEO of Tracker Marine Group. “I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Forrest Wood many years, and I deeply respect him and his family that founded and built a solid performing business with excellent products.

“It’s also important that our companies share comparable cultures and values and are dedicated to manufacturing quality products in the USA.”

Following the closing of the transaction, Fishing Holdings will con-tinue operating independently under its existing management at its headquarters in Flippin, Arkansas, located a two-hour drive from Bass Pro Shops headquarters in Springfi eld.

“We are fortunate to partner with Bass Pro Group, which understands the industry and our brands,” said Fishing Holdings President Randy Hopper. “This new alliance will provide synergies that will strengthen our independent dealer base and ensure our continued focus on fi sh-ing.”

The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regu-latory approvals. Financial terms of the transaction were not publicly disclosed.

— Bass Pro Group

ALLOVERTHEPLACE:CrappieinNorth,CentralandEastTexasaretoughtopredictwithunseasonablywarmweatherconditions—anglersareseeingthemdeep,shallowandeverywherein-between.PhotobyLoneStarOutdoorNews.




Tournament anglers and serious week-end warriors are always looking for an edge when it comes to catching big large-mouth bass.

But many don’t have the time or resources to hire a guide on each new lake or water body they fi sh or the ability to travel to practice days on unfamiliar water. Not having crucial information on a lake could cost them dearly come tournament time, or they could just lose a friendly bet and bragging rights to their fi shing buddy.

A new interactive cyber guide website, proweblivestream.com/cyberguides.php/, is set to go live in January, and features video tutorials from professional anglers on their home lakes.

The tutorials vary from two- to four-hours long and were the idea of professional angler Dave Lefebre.

“The whole idea was an afterthought, actually,” Lefebre said. “I was doing Pro Web Live with different platforms, putting on live lectures at shows and online where people could follow along and ask questions and, in between shows, we had the hardware just sitting there. It was kind of a selfi sh thing — instead of pros having to travel in their spare time when we’re not home enough as it is, I thought it would be a good way to get different experts on different lakes to do an all-seasons, completely virtual guide trip.”

Several Texas lakes will be featured on the new site, with FLW pro Clark Reehm giving tutorials on Sam Rayburn Reservoir and the Red River. Alton Jones will give a tutorial on Falcon International Reservoir.

According to Lefebre, several more Texas lakes are also lined up in the near future — Lake Conroe and Lake Ray Hubbard.

“Dave called me back in October and said we have all this equipment lying around, so lets use it,” Reehm said. “I’ll be break-ing down what an angler needs to know to be successful (on Sam Rayburn). I’ll discuss seasonal patterns, waypoints to run the lake

Virtual guiding to help anglersNew fi shing site will give

pro tips for a price



ALANHENRY: Water stained; 48–55 degrees; 9.94’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas rigs, jigs and fl utter spoons.

AMISTAD: Water murky; 64–68 degrees; 29.75’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on top-waters, frogs, crankbaits and soft plastics. Striped bass are good on slabs, spoons and small crankbaits.

ATHENS:Water clear; 48–52 degrees; 1.60’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on lipless crankbaits and sus-pending jerkbaits in shad patterns.

BASTROP:Water stained; 63–67 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on spinner baits, crankbaits and lipless crank-baits.

BELTON:Water murky; 62–66 degrees; 12.33’ low. Largemouth bass are good on green pumpkin spinner baits and lipless crankbaits along banks and in coves.

BOBSANDLIN: Water clear; 49–54 degrees; 2.80’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft jerkbaits and lipless crankbaits.

BONHAM:Water stained, 50–54 degrees; 3.21’ low. Largemouth bass are fair in the backs of creeks and along creek channels on crankbaits, soft plastics and jerkbaits.

BRAUNIG:Water stained. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits and dark soft plastic worms. Striped bass are fair on liver and shad. Redfi sh are good on crawfi sh, shad, shrimp, tilapia and sil-ver spoons.

BRIDGEPORT:Water lightly stained, 50–53 degrees; 24.04’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on jerkbaits in pro blue and Kohoku Reaction.

BROWNWOOD:Water clear; 60–64 degrees; 12.34’ low.

Largemouth bass are good on spinner baits, craw-colored jigs and craw-colored crank-baits. Hybrid striper are slow.

BUCHANAN:Water murky; 62–66 degrees; 33.49’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters, Bleeding Shad lipless crankbaits and silver fl ake Whacky Sticks in 8–15 feet.

CADDO:Water stained; 50–54 degrees; 0.35 high. Largemouth bass are fair on lipless crankbaits, bladed jigs and fl ipping jigs.

CALAVERAS:Water stained. Largemouth bass are good on dark soft plastic worms, spinner baits and crankbaits around reed beds.

CANYONLAKE:Water murky; 64–68 degrees; 12.11’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon red Whacky Sticks on jig-heads and Texas-rigged grape Scoundrel worms on shaky head jigs along main lake bluffs.

CEDARCREEK:Water clear; 51–54 degrees; 6.12’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on lipless crankbaits and bladed jigs.

CHOKECANYON:Water stained; 66–70 degrees; 27.98’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on pumpkinseed soft plastics, spinner baits and crankbaits in 10–20 feet.

COLEMAN:Water clear; 63–67 degrees; 19.02’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon spinner baits and soft plastics.

COLETOCREEK:Water murky; 68 degrees in main lake, 83 degrees at hot water discharge; 4.94’ low. Largemouth bass to 4 pounds are fair on chartreuse soft plastics and spinner baits near the hot water discharge in 4–8 feet.

CONROE:Water murky; 62–66 degrees; 0.45’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon red soft plas-tics, spinner baits and lipless crankbaits in 20–30 feet.

FALCON:Water murky; 60–64 degrees; 28.57’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon spinner baits and Brush Hogs in 5–12 feet.

FAYETTE:Water stained. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon and red-bug Carolina-rigged Finesse worms, and on shallow-run-ning crankbaits over grass.

FORK:Water clear; 49–54 degrees; 7.38’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on bladed jigs with shad trailers. Black and blue fl ipping jigs along creek channel bends with timber in 6–10’ working as well.

FT.PHANTOMHILL:Water clear; 47–55 degrees; 17.61’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on jigs and Texas rigs.

GIBBONS CREEK: Water clear. Largemouth bass are good on pumpkinseed soft plastics and lipless crank-baits.

GRANBURY:Water murky; 62–66 degrees; 10.41’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse soft plastic worms and lipless crankbaits.

GRANGER:Water clear; 63–67 degrees; 1.01’ high. Largemouth bass are slow. White bass are slow.

GRAPEVINE:Water clear; 48–52 degrees; 12.60’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on shaky heads and drop-shot Reaction Innovations Flirt Worms in California 420 near fl oating docks.

HOUSTONCOUNTY:Water stained; 60–64 degrees; 0.12’ high. Largemouth bass are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are slow.

HUBBARDCREEK:Water off-color; 48–53 degrees; 29.46’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on jigs, Texas rigs and shaky heads.

JOEPOOL:Water clear; 49–54 degrees; 2.03’ low. Largemouth bass are good on lipless crankbaits, weightless fl ukes and soft plastic jerk-baits.

LAKEO’THEPINES:Water lightly stained; 50–55; degrees; 0.06’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on lipless crankbaits, bladed jigs and Senkos.

LAVON:Water lightly stained; 50–54 degrees; 12.94’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on lipless crankbaits and suspending bladed jigs.

LBJ:Water stained; 62–66 degrees; 0.24’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon top-waters, buzz-baits, and wacky-rigged green pumpkin Whacky Sticks in 4–6 feet.

LEWISVILLE:Water lightly stained; 48–52 degrees; 7.53’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on jerkbaits in Table Rock Shad and football jigs.

LIVINGSTON:Water fairly clear; 64–68 degrees; 0.12’ high. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon soft plastics with chartreuse tails, and on lipless crankbaits.

MARTINCREEK:Water clear; 72–86 degrees; 1.92’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged worms and crea-ture baits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.

MONTICELLO:Water clear; 51–55 degrees; 0.22’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas rigs, fl ick shake worms and fi nesse jigs.

NAVARROMILLS:Water stained; 62–66 degrees; 2.01’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastic

worms and shallow-running crankbaits.

O.H.IVIE:Water stained; 46–51 degrees; 42.61’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas rigs, jigs and shaky heads. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs shallow.

OAKCREEK:Water stained; 47–53 degrees; 25.37’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas rigs, drop-shot rigs and jigs.

PALESTINE:Water clear; 49–53 degrees; 0.65’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on shaky heads, weight-less Senkos and drop shots around docks.

POSSUMKINGDOM:Water fairly clear; 48–55 degrees; 14.71’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on drop-shot rigs, Texas rigs and jigs.

PROCTOR:Water murky; 62–66 degrees; 12.59’ low. Largemouth bass are very good on chartreuse soft plastic worms and lipless crankbaits.

RAYHUBBARD:Water clear; 49–54 degrees; 10.43’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits and suspending jerkbaits.

RAYROBERTS:Water clear; 48–42 degrees; 8.01’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on umbrella rigs and heavy shaky heads near brush piles.

RICHLANDCHAMBERS:Water lightly stained; 49–53 degrees; 10.50’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on green pumpkin shaky heads and fi nesse worms.

STILLHOUSE:Water murky; 63–67 degrees; 13.94’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse crankbaits, lipless crankbaits and spinner baits.

SWEETWATER:Water murky; 43–52 degrees; 28.27’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on

fl utter spoons, Texas rigs and jigs.

TEXOMA:Water clear; 48–51 degrees; 5.84’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on suspending jerkbaits and shaky head worms in green pumpkin and redbug.

TOLEDOBEND:Water murky; 63–67 degrees; 3.68’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon red and char-treuse soft plastic worms and crankbaits in 20–30 feet.

TRAVIS:Water murky; 62–66 degrees; 57.46’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chrome crankbaits, red shad worms and white grubs in 10–28 feet.

WALTERE.LONG:Water lightly stained. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse soft plastics and lipless crankbaits.

WHITNEY:Water murky; 62–66 degrees; 10.63’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse spinner baits, crankbaits and top-waters. Striped bass are fair on white striper jigs.

WRIGHTPATMAN:Water lightly stained; 50–54 degrees; 3.03’ high. Largemouth bass are slow on Texas-rigged craws and fl ip-ping jigs near shallow cover. Crappie are slow on minnows and jigs. Catfi sh are fair on trotlines and cut shad.

— TPWD

TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT

nSaltwaterreports:PleaseturntoPage16

TargetthegrassSAM RAYBURN RESERVOIR — According to guide Lynn Atkinson from Reel um N

Guide Service, the largemouth bass grass bite with lipless crankbaits is pulling in nice fi sh.

“The weather has been on the warm side keeping the water temperature a bit warmer and the grass has been doing great. The pads have been disappearing slowly. Each day is different and you can catch 50 one day then two the next, but sometimes I’ll take two big trophy fi sh. Sometimes those two fi sh weigh 18 pounds.

“The grass bite is the ticket this time of year and everyone knows it is trap time, so get your traps out and start fi shing. Don’t forget about a Stanley

spinner bait to cover the grass.”The water temperature has been between 64 and 68

degrees.Atkinson also noted the crappie are running up

the river and be prepared for a light bite.To contact guide Lynn Atkinson, call (979)

220-0251.

ShallowcatsLAKE SOMERVILLE — Multiple anglers and guides have commented on Internet mes-

sage boards about the solid catfi sh bite in Lake Somerville.Good numbers of eating-sized fi sh are being caught with punchbait in crawdad fl avor,

along with live bait and chicken livers in 2- to 10-feet of water, often under corks.

The bigger fi sh have been showing in the shal-lower water off of main lake point and shallow

humps.Along with the catfi sh, the largemouth bass bite has been

fair on soft plastics and crankbaits in the 65-degree water. Crappie are also beginning to be caught, although the bite is inconsistent.

RivergillsGUADALUPE RIVER — The bluegill bite has been hot on the Guadalupe River near

Boerne, according to renowned panfi sh angler Charles Dewey on the Texas Fishing Forum. “Fished the Guadalupe River from 9:30 a.m. till 2:30 p.m. and the bite was very good,”

Dewey said. “Caught a bunch of crappie, bluegill and redbreast (sunfi sh). Rounding out the catch were two very nice channel cats over 7 pounds, with one possibly going over 8 pounds. The fi sh were holding on brush piles in 12-to 15-feet of water. Jigs and worms were the baits used. I had one huge crappie spit the hook after a short, good fi ght. A total of about 40 fi sh, including the crap-pie, were caught. Most of the fi sh were released, with the exception of a few, which will make it to the frying pan.”

— Conor Harrison

TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT

Along with the catfi sh, the largemouth bass bite has been

were the baits used. I had one huge crappie spit the hook after a short, good fi ght. A total of about 40 fi sh, including the crap-

— Conor Harrison


SolunarSuntimes

Moontimes

MoonPhases

FirstDec. 28

TEXAS SUN, MOON AND TIDESLastJan. 13

NewJan. 20

FullJan. 5

Houston2014 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONDec.-Jan. Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

SanAntonio2014 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONDec.-Jan. Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

Amarillo2014 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONDec.-Jan. Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

Dallas2014 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONDec.-Jan. Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

Legend: Major=2 hours. Minor=1 hour. Times centered on the major-minor window. For other locations, subtract 1 minute per 12 miles east of a location, and add 1 minute per 12 miles west of a location.

TexasCoastTides

SabinePass,northDate Time HeightTimeHeightTimeHeightTimeHeightDec 26 12:31 AM 0.6L 5:23 AM 1.0H 12:29 PM -0.3L 7:44 PM 1.2HDec 27 1:44 AM 0.4L 7:10 AM 0.9H 1:27 PM 0.0L 8:28 PM 1.2HDec 28 2:56 AM 0.2L 9:15 AM 0.8H 2:33 PM 0.3L 9:13 PM 1.1HDec 29 4:01 AM -0.1L 11:07 AM 0.9H 3:51 PM 0.5L 9:57 PM 1.1HDec 30 4:58 AM -0.3L 12:34 PM 1.1H 5:17 PM 0.7L 10:40 PM 1.1HDec 31 5:48 AM -0.5L 1:41 PM 1.2H 6:35 PM 0.8L 11:23 PM 1.1HJan 01 6:38 AM -0.6L 2:31 PM 1.2H 7:31 PM 0.8LJan 02 12:10 AM 1.1H 7:20 AM -0.7L 3:18 PM 1.3H 8:19 PM 0.9LJan 03 12:46 AM 1.1H 8:00 AM -0.8L 3:58 PM 1.3H 8:56 PM 0.9LJan 04 1:19 AM 1.1H 8:38 AM -0.8L 4:35 PM 1.2H 9:26 PM 0.9LJan 05 1:48 AM 1.1H 9:15 AM -0.7L 5:08 PM 1.2H 9:56 PM 0.8LJan 06 2:16 AM 1.0H 9:52 AM -0.6L 5:40 PM 1.1H 10:30 PM 0.8LJan 07 2:44 AM 1.0H 10:28 AM -0.5L 6:11 PM 1.1H 11:11 PM 0.7LJan 08 3:18 AM 0.9H 11:05 AM -0.4L 6:44 PM 1.0HJan 09 12:01 AM 0.6L 4:02 AM 0.8H 11:42 AM -0.2L 7:17 PM 1.0H

GalvestonBayentrance,northjettyDate Time HeightTimeHeightTimeHeightTimeHeightDec 26 1:13 AM 0.6L 5:28 AM 0.9H 12:41 PM -0.2L 8:06 PM 1.4HDec 27 2:01 AM 0.3L 8:03 AM 0.9H 1:33 PM 0.1L 8:34 PM 1.3HDec 28 2:53 AM 0.1L 9:33 AM 0.9H 2:22 PM 0.4L 8:55 PM 1.3HDec 29 4:03 AM -0.1L 11:10 AM 1.0H 3:31 PM 0.7L 9:11 PM 1.2HDec 30 5:13 AM -0.3L 12:27 PM 1.1H 5:31 PM 0.9L 9:36 PM 1.2HDec 31 5:59 AM -0.5L 1:52 PM 1.2H 6:31 PM 1.0L 10:16 PM 1.1HJan 01 6:42 AM -0.6L 3:02 PM 1.3H 7:23 PM 1.0L 11:22 PM 1.1HJan 02 7:23 AM -0.7L 3:37 PM 1.4H 9:28 PM 1.0LJan 03 12:01 AM 1.1H 8:11 AM -0.7L 4:07 PM 1.4H 10:13 PM 0.9LJan 04 12:41 AM 1.0H 8:59 AM -0.7L 4:38 PM 1.4H 10:45 PM 0.9LJan 05 1:33 AM 1.0H 9:40 AM -0.6L 5:13 PM 1.4H 11:12 PM 0.8LJan 06 2:36 AM 0.9H 10:15 AM -0.5L 5:54 PM 1.3H 11:41 PM 0.8LJan 07 3:19 AM 0.9H 10:49 AM -0.4L 6:38 PM 1.2HJan 08 12:18 AM 0.7L 3:53 AM 0.9H 11:24 AM -0.3L 7:18 PM 1.2HJan 09 12:54 AM 0.6L 4:28 AM 0.8H 12:01 PM -0.1L 7:50 PM 1.1H

SanLuisPassDate Time HeightTimeHeightTimeHeightTimeHeightDec 26 1:03 AM 0.6L 5:39 AM 0.7H 12:51 PM -0.2L 8:30 PM 0.9HDec 27 2:31 AM 0.4L 7:37 AM 0.6H 1:48 PM 0.1L 9:04 PM 0.8HDec 28 3:52 AM 0.2L 9:46 AM 0.6H 2:58 PM 0.3L 9:37 PM 0.8HDec 29 4:56 AM 0.0L 11:48 AM 0.7H 4:36 PM 0.5L 10:10 PM 0.8HDec 30 5:50 AM -0.2L 1:26 PM 0.8H 6:26 PM 0.6L 10:44 PM 0.8HDec 31 6:38 AM -0.4L 2:37 PM 0.9H 7:49 PM 0.7L 11:18 PM 0.8HJan 01 7:29 AM -0.4L 4:25 PM 1.0HJan 02 8:11 AM -0.4L 5:06 PM 1.0HJan 03 8:55 AM -0.5L 5:42 PM 1.0HJan 04 9:39 AM -0.4L 6:15 PM 1.0HJan 05 10:19 AM -0.4L 6:47 PM 0.9HJan 06 10:52 AM -0.3L 7:15 PM 0.8HJan 07 12:58 AM 0.6L 3:10 AM 0.6H 11:19 AM -0.3L 7:35 PM 0.8HJan 08 1:35 AM 0.5L 4:16 AM 0.6H 11:43 AM -0.2L 7:48 PM 0.7 HJan 09 2:16 AM 0.4L 5:09 AM 0.5H 12:11 PM 0.0L 8:08 PM 0.7H

FreeportHarborDate Time HeightTimeHeightTimeHeightTimeHeightDec 26 1:51 AM 0.9L 5:06 AM 1.0H 12:06 PM 0.0L 7:44 PM 1.4HDec 27 2:28 AM 0.7L 6:56 AM 1.0H 1:10 PM 0.3L 8:14 PM 1.3HDec 28 3:12 AM 0.4L 8:53 AM 1.0H 2:36 PM 0.6L 8:42 PM 1.2HDec 29 3:59 AM 0.2L 10:54 AM 1.1H 4:36 PM 0.8L 9:08 PM 1.1HDec 30 4:47 AM -0.1L 12:38 PM 1.3H 6:35 PM 1.0L 9:32 PM 1.1HDec 31 5:36 AM -0.3L 1:54 PM 1.5Jan 01 6:33 AM -0.4L 2:51 PM 1.6HJan 02 7:18 AM -0.4L 3:43 PM 1.6HJan 03 7:58 AM -0.5L 4:27 PM 1.6HJan 04 8:33 AM -0.5L 5:04 PM 1.6HJan 05 9:02 AM -0.4L 5:37 PM 1.5HJan 06 9:29 AM -0.3L 6:05 PM 1.5HJan 07 9:58 AM -0.2L 6:28 PM 1.4HJan 08 10:31 AM -0.1L 6:50 PM 1.3HJan 09 1:46 AM 0.7L 4:01 AM 0.8H 11:09 AM 0.0L 7:11 PM 1.2H

RolloverPassDate Time HeightTimeHeightTimeHeightTimeHeightDec 26 12:13 AM 0.8H 4:16 PM -0.1LDec 27 12:00 AM 0.8H 6:53 AM 0.4L 10:03 AM 0.5H 5:06 PM 0.1LDec 28 12:04 AM 0.7H 7:31 AM 0.2L 12:16 PM 0.5H 6:15 PM 0.3LDec 29 12:16 AM 0.7H 8:11 AM 0.0L 3:15 PM 0.5H 8:03 PM 0.5LDec 30 12:31 AM 0.7H 8:55 AM -0.2L 5:35 PM 0.7H 9:31 PM 0.6LDec 31 12:49 AM 0.8H 9:41 AM -0.4L 7:01 PM 0.8H 10:48 PM 0.7LJan 01 1:20 AM 0.8H 10:30 AM -0.5L 8:00 PM 0.9HJan 02 11:17 AM -0.6L 9:03 PM 1.0HJan 03 12:03 PM -0.6L 10:02 PM 1.0HJan 04 12:47 PM -0.6L 10:57 PM 0.9HJan 05 1:27 PM -0.6L 11:42 PM 0.9HJan 06 2:00 PM -0.5LJan 07 12:07 AM 0.8H 2:22 PM -0.4LJan 08 12:02 AM 0.8H 2:33 PM -0.3L 11:38 PM 0.7HJan 09 2:49 PM -0.2L 11:15 PM 0.7H

PortO’ConnorDate Time HeightTimeHeightTimeHeightTimeHeightDec 26 12:23 AM 0.4H 2:32 PM -0.2LDec 27 12:04 AM 0.3H 3:11 PM -0.1L 10:45 PM 0.2HDec 28 5:27 AM 0.0L 9:52 AM 0.1H 3:37 PM 0.0L 10:16 PM 0.2 HDec 29 6:18 AM -0.1L 9:38 PM 0.3HDec 30 7:11 AM -0.3L 9:19 PM 0.3HDec 31 8:05 AM -0.4L 9:28 PM 0.4HJan 01 9:03 AM -0.5L 10:06 PM 0.4HJan 02 9:53 AM -0.5L 10:36 PM 0.4HJan 03 10:39 AM -0.5L 11:12 PM 0.4HJan 04 11:20 AM -0.5L 11:49 PM 0.4HJan 05 11:55 AM -0.5LJan 06 12:20 AM 0.3H 12:24 PM -0.5LJan 07 12:40 AM 0.3H 12:51 PM -0.5LJan 08 12:34 AM 0.2H 1:19 PM -0.5L 11:54 PM 0.2HJan 09 1:49 PM -0.4L 11:57 PM 0.1H

RockportDate Time HeightTimeHeightTimeHeightTimeHeightDec 26 5:14 AM 0.1H 3:29 PM -0.2LDec 27 12:52 AM 0.0H 3:38 PM -0.1L 11:22 PM 0.0HDec 28 6:43 AM -0.1L 9:12 AM -0.1H 3:12 PM -0.1L 10:53 PM 0.0HDec 29 7:31 AM -0.1L 10:50 PM 0.0HDec 30 8:18 AM -0.2L 11:06 PM 0.1HDec 31 9:04 AM -0.3L 11:35 PM 0.1HJan 01 9:54 AM -0.3LJan 02 12:20 AM 0.1H 10:39 AM -0.3LJan 03 1:00 AM 0.1H 11:25 AM -0.3LJan 04 1:45 AM 0.1H 12:09 PM -0.3LJan 05 2:31 AM 0.0H 12:52 PM -0.3LJan 06 3:17 AM 0.0H 1:32 PM -0.3LJan 07 4:03 AM 0.0H 2:08 PM -0.3LJan 08 4:47 AM 0.0H 2:38 PM -0.3LJan 09 5:32 AM -0.1H 3:02 PM -0.3L

PortAransasDate Time HeightTimeHeightTimeHeightTimeHeightDec 26 12:07 AM 0.5L 4:22 AM 0.6H 11:38 AM -0.1L 7:04 PM 0.7HDec 27 1:52 AM 0.4L 6:00 AM 0.5H 12:25 PM 0.1L 7:30 PM 0.6 HDec 28 3:01 AM 0.2L 7:54 AM 0.4H 1:14 PM 0.3L 7:57 PM 0.6 HDec 29 4:01 AM 0.0L 11:37 AM 0.5H 3:43 PM 0.5L 8:24 PM 0.6 HDec 30 4:54 AM -0.2L 2:13 PM 0.6H 5:39 PM 0.6L 8:51 PM 0.7 HDec 31 5:44 AM -0.4L 3:19 PM 0.7H 7:06 PM 0.7L 9:18 PM 0.7 HJan 01 6:35 AM -0.4L 4:03 PM 0.8H 8:02 PM 0.7L 10:05 PM 0.7 HJan 02 7:18 AM -0.5L 4:51 PM 0.8HJan 03 7:58 AM -0.5L 5:33 PM 0.7H 9:22 PM 0.7L 11:29 PM 0.7 HJan 04 8:34 AM -0.5L 5:53 PM 0.7H 9:45 PM 0.7LJan 05 12:17 AM 0.7H 9:04 AM -0.4L 6:01 PM 0.6H 10:04 PM 0.6LJan 06 1:04 AM 0.7H 9:30 AM -0.4L 6:10 PM 0.6H 8:46 PM 0.6LJan 07 1:52 AM 0.6H 9:53 AM -0.3L 6:04 PM 0.6H 9:41 PM 0.5LJan 08 2:41 AM 0.6H 10:18 AM -0.3L 6:02 PM 0.5H 10:54 PM 0.4LJan 09 3:35 AM 0.5H 10:46 AM -0.2L 6:22 PM 0.5H

SouthPadreIslandDate Time HeightTimeHeightTimeHeightTimeHeightDec 26 1:30 AM 1.0L 3:51 AM 1.0H 12:05 PM 0.1L 7:50 PM 1.1 HDec 27 2:13 AM 0.7L 6:12 AM 0.9H 1:00 PM 0.4L 8:02 PM 1.1 HDec 28 3:00 AM 0.5L 8:47 AM 0.8H 2:05 PM 0.7L 8:11 PM 1.0HDec 29 3:49 AM 0.3L 11:42 AM 1.0H 3:40 PM 0.9L 8:11 PM 1.1 HDec 30 4:38 AM 0.0L 2:00 PM 1.2H 5:36 PM 1.1L 7:51 PM 1.1 HDec 31 5:27 AM -0.1L 3:12 PM 1.3HJan 01 6:18 AM -0.2L 4:04 PM 1.4HJan 02 7:03 AM -0.3L 4:54 PM 1.4HJan 03 7:46 AM -0.3L 5:39 PM 1.4HJan 04 8:27 AM -0.3L 6:18 PM 1.4HJan 05 9:04 AM -0.3L 6:46 PM 1.3HJan 06 9:40 AM -0.2L 7:01 PM 1.3HJan 07 10:12 AM -0.1L 7:07 PM 1.2HJan 08 10:43 AM 0.0L 7:14 PM 1.2HJan 09 11:14 AM 0.2L 7:24 PM 1.1H

EastMatagordaDate Time HeightTimeHeightTimeHeightTimeHeightDec 26 3:11 AM 0.3L 5:18 AM 0.4H 2:15 PM 0.1LDec 27 12:13 AM 0.4H 4:41 AM 0.3L 7:00 AM 0.3H 2:44 PM 0.2 LDec 28 5:31 AM 0.2L 1:00 PM 0.3H 3:19 PM 0.3L 10:55 PM 0.4 HDec 29 6:04 AM 0.1L 2:39 PM 0.3H 5:48 PM 0.3L 8:43 PM 0.4 HDec 30 6:31 AM 0.1L 3:48 PM 0.4H 5:51 PM 0.4L 11:51 PM 0.4 HDec 31 6:59 AM 0.0L 11:03 PM 0.4HJan 01 8:31 AM 0.0L 11:43 PM 0.5HJan 02 9:22 AM 0.0L 6:07 PM 0.4H 9:53 PM 0.4LJan 03 12:12 AM 0.5H 9:50 AM 0.0L 7:15 PM 0.4H 10:05 PM 0.4 LJan 04 12:41 AM 0.5H 10:08 AM 0.0L 7:53 PM 0.4H 9:57 PM 0.4 LJan 05 1:13 AM 0.4H 10:25 AM 0.0LJan 06 2:16 AM 0.4H 10:51 AM 0.0LJan 07 12:19 AM 0.4H 11:31 AM 0.1LJan 08 12:17 AM 0.4H 2:01 PM 0.1L 11:34 PM 0.4HJan 09 2:14 PM 0.1L

26Fri 10:08 3:55 10:35 4:22 8:14 6:28 11:46a 11:49p27Sat 11:06 4:53 11:32 5:19 8:14 6:28 12:28p NoMoon28Sun ----- 5:48 12:01 6:13 8:14 6:29 1:09p 12:52a29Mon 12:26 6:39 12:51 7:04 8:15 6:29 1:50p 1:54a30Tue 1:14 7:27 1:40 7:53 8:15 6:30 2:32p 2:55a31Wed 2:00 8:13 2:26 8:39 8:15 6:31 3:16p 3:55a01Wed 3:45 9:56 4:07 10:17 7:11 7:38 5:30p 5:31a02Thu 4:24 10:34 4:45 10:56 7:09 7:39 6:22p 6:05a03Fri 5:04 11:14 5:25 11:36 7:08 7:40 7:14p 6:39a04Sat 5:46 11:57 6:08 ----- 7:07 7:40 8:06p 7:13a05Sun 6:31 12:20 6:53 12:42 7:06 7:41 8:59p 7:49a06Mon 7:19 1:08 7:42 1:31 7:05 7:41 9:54p 8:27a07Tue 8:11 1:59 8:35 2:23 7:04 7:42 10:48p 9:07a08Wed 9:05 2:52 9:30 3:18 7:02 7:42 11:43p 9:51a09Thu 10:01 3:48 10:27 4:14 7:01 7:43 NoMoon 10:39a10Fri 10:58 4:45 11:25 5:12 7:00 7:44 12:37a 11:32a11Sat 11:55 5:41 ----- 6:09 6:59 7:44 1:30a 12:28p12Sun 12:23 6:37 12:50 7:04 6:58 7:45 2:20a 1:29p13Mon 1:16 7:29 1:43 7:57 6:57 7:45 3:08a 2:32p14Tue 2:06 8:20 2:34 8:47 6:56 7:46 3:54a 3:37p

26Fri 10:14 4:01 10:41 4:27 8:27 6:26 11:54a 11:54p27Sat 11:12 4:59 11:38 5:25 8:27 6:27 12:34p NoMoon28Sun ----- 5:53 12:06 6:19 8:28 6:27 1:14p 12:59a29Mon 12:32 6:44 12:57 7:10 8:28 6:28 1:54p 2:02a30Tue 1:20 7:33 1:45 7:58 8:28 6:29 2:35p 3:04a31Wed 2:06 8:19 2:32 8:45 8:28 6:29 3:17p 4:05a01Thu 2:52 9:05 3:18 9:31 8:29 6:30 4:02p 5:05a02Fri 3:38 9:51 4:04 10:17 8:29 6:31 4:50p 6:02a03Sat 4:25 10:38 4:51 11:04 8:29 6:31 5:40p 6:56a04Sun 5:14 11:26 5:39 11:51 8:29 6:32 6:32p 7:46a05Mon 6:03 ----- 6:27 12:15 8:29 6:33 7:25p 8:32a06Tue 6:53 12:41 7:16 1:04 8:29 6:34 8:19p 9:13a07Wed 7:43 1:31 8:05 1:54 8:29 6:34 9:13p 9:51a08Thu 8:32 2:21 8:54 2:43 8:29 6:35 10:06p 10:27a09Fri 9:21 3:10 9:42 3:31 8:29 6:36 10:58p 11:00a10Sat 10:08 3:58 10:29 4:19 8:29 6:37 11:51p 11:33a11Sun 10:55 4:44 11:16 5:05 8:29 6:38 NoMoon 12:05p12Mon 11:40 5:29 ----- 5:51 8:29 6:39 12:43a 12:38p13Tue 12:01 6:14 12:25 6:36 8:29 6:40 1:37a 1:13p14Wed 12:47 6:58 1:10 7:22 8:29 6:40 2:33a 1:51p

26Fri 10:21 4:07 10:48 4:34 8:25 6:41 11:59a NoMoon27Sat 11:19 5:06 11:45 5:32 8:26 6:41 12:41p 12:02a28Sun ----- 6:00 12:13 6:26 8:26 6:42 1:22p 1:05a29Mon 12:38 6:51 1:04 7:17 8:26 6:43 2:03p 2:07a30Tue 1:26 7:39 1:52 8:05 8:27 6:43 2:45p 3:08a31Wed 2:13 8:26 2:39 8:52 8:27 6:44 3:29p 4:08a01Thu 2:59 9:12 3:25 9:38 8:27 6:45 4:15p 5:07a02Fri 3:45 9:58 4:11 10:24 8:27 6:45 5:03p 6:03a03Sat 4:32 10:45 4:57 11:10 8:28 6:46 5:53p 6:56a04Sun 5:20 11:33 5:45 11:58 8:28 6:47 6:45p 7:46a05Mon 6:09 ----- 6:34 12:22 8:28 6:47 7:38p 8:33a06Tue 6:59 12:48 7:23 1:11 8:28 6:48 8:31p 9:15a07Wed 7:49 1:38 8:12 2:01 8:28 6:49 9:24p 9:54a08Thu 8:39 2:28 9:01 2:50 8:28 6:50 10:15p 10:31a09Fri 9:27 3:17 9:49 3:38 8:28 6:50 11:07p 11:05a10Sat 10:15 4:04 10:36 4:25 8:28 6:51 NoMoon 11:39a11Sun 11:01 4:51 11:23 5:12 8:28 6:52 NoMoon 12:13p12Mon 11:47 5:36 ----- 5:58 8:28 6:53 12:49a 12:47p13Tue 12:08 6:21 12:32 6:43 8:28 6:54 1:42a 1:23p14Wed 12:53 7:05 1:17 7:29 8:28 6:55 2:36a 2:02p

26Fri 10:34 4:21 11:01 4:47 8:53 6:40 12:16p NoMoon27Sat 11:32 5:19 11:58 5:45 8:54 6:40 12:55p 12:14a28Sun 12:02 6:13 12:26 6:39 8:54 6:41 1:34p 1:20a29Mon 12:52 7:04 1:17 7:30 8:54 6:41 2:12p 2:24a30Tue 1:40 7:53 2:06 8:18 8:55 6:42 2:52p 3:28a31Wed 2:26 8:39 2:52 9:05 8:55 6:43 3:34p 4:30a01Thu 3:12 9:25 3:38 9:51 8:55 6:44 4:18p 5:30a02Fri 3:58 10:11 4:24 10:37 8:55 6:44 5:06p 6:28a03Sat 4:45 10:58 5:11 11:24 8:55 6:45 5:56p 7:22a04Sun 5:34 11:46 5:59 ----- 8:55 6:46 6:48p 8:12a05Mon 6:23 12:11 6:47 12:35 8:55 6:47 7:42p 8:57a06Tue 7:13 1:01 7:36 1:24 8:56 6:47 8:36p 9:38a07Wed 8:03 1:51 8:25 2:14 8:56 6:48 9:31p 10:15a08Thu 8:52 2:41 9:14 3:03 8:56 6:49 10:25p 10:50a09Fri 9:41 3:30 10:02 3:51 8:55 6:50 11:18p 11:22a10Sat 10:28 4:18 10:49 4:39 8:55 6:51 NoMoon 11:54a11Sun 11:15 5:04 11:36 5:25 8:55 6:52 12:12a 12:25p12Mon ----- 5:49 12:00 6:11 8:55 6:53 1:05a 12:57p13Tue 12:21 6:34 12:45 6:57 8:55 6:54 2:00a 1:32p14Wed 1:07 7:18 1:30 7:42 8:55 6:55 2:56a 2:09p


WASHINGTRUCKDIDN’TGETALLTHEBLOOD

A landowner called Red River County Game Warden Daniel Roraback after hearing gunshots near his property. After search-ing several deer camps, Roraback found evidence of blood at a camp that was no longer occupied. It appeared the subject made an effort to rake up the remaining debris and place it in a nearby burn barrel. The subject also had power-washed his vehicle in an attempt to remove the blood. The hunter admitted to shooting an 11-point buck with his .30-30 rifle during archery season. Cases pending.

TRESPASSERREFUSESTOLEAVEA hunter called Titus County

Game Warden Jerry Ash regarding a trespasser on a nearby ranch. The hunter approached the trespasser and attempted to escort him off of the property, but the trespasser refused and continued across the ranch. The hunter took video and photos of the male suspect, who was later identified and arrested for Class B Criminal Trespass and an active felony warrant from the neighboring county.

MANPICKSUPROADKILLINTRUCKFULLOFDRUGS

Gregg and Upshur counties Game Wardens Todd Long and Mark Frayser observed an individual stop near their location and collect a white-tailed buck from the roadway. As contact was made, the subject became increasingly irritable and uncooperative. Consent to search was given and the wardens located multiple containers of metham-phetamine, drug paraphernalia, suspected meth lab components and an illegal firearm. The subject was arrested.

MANSHOOTSANDDRAGSTWODOESOFFNEIGHBOR’SRANCH

Cherokee County Game Warden Brian Bearden caught a trespasser who had shot two does on an adjoin-ing property and dragged them to a property where the man had per-mission to hunt. The man changed his story after Bearden located the deer and determined where they had been dragged.

WARDENSFINDLOSTHUNTERThe sheriff’s office called San

Augustine Game Wardens Mike Ferguson and Jeff Cox to help locate a lost hunter in the national forest. The wardens worked with the local fire department and organized a search group. The lost hunter was located shortly after midnight and safely returned to his family.

LOSTBOATRECOVEREDJefferson County Game Warden

Robbie Smith with Marine Investigations responded to a call from Jefferson County Game Warden Clint Caywood about a boat and motor recovered from the Neches River. The boat was towed in and contact was made with the

owner, who said the boat became hung up on a pipe. He left the boat and returned only to find it missing. The value of the recovery was esti-mated at $15,000.

FOURUNTAGGEDDEERINONECAMPGame Wardens Colt Crawford

and Trey Sparkman were patrolling around the Matagorda and Brazoria county lines. The wardens entered a deer camp and made contact with five hunters. Sparkman inter-viewed the hunters while Crawford inspected two coolers near a clean-ing rack that contained three untagged deer. A fourth deer was found in a separate cooler in the bed of a truck. Ten violations were found, including hunting without Hunter Education, possession of an untagged deer, possession of a deer without proof of sex and failure to fill out a harvest log.

TEENSTAKETWODEERILLEGALLY,ONEWITHTRUCK

Information about illegally taken deer was reported to local game wardens by retired Bandera County Game Warden Rod Chalmers. Bandera County Game Wardens Mark

McQueary and Robert Greenwalt, along with Uvalde County Game Warden Henry Lutz, responded to a residence and located meat from a freshly killed white-tailed deer. It was learned that two 17-year-olds had killed one deer with a bow from a public road that night and killed another deer by running it over with a truck a couple of nights earlier. Lutz obtained written confessions from both suspects. Multiple charges have been filed.

ABADTIMETOASKWARDENFORHELP

Three hunters approached Somervell County Game Warden Joni Kuykendall and said they shot a small buck and didn’t know what to do. The hunters led Kuykendall to a group of trees where a deer was strung up in the trees. Kuykendall had the men get the deer out of the tree and verified that it was under the 13-inch antler restriction. One of the hunters did not have his hunting license. Cases pending.

HOSTOFVIOLATIONSFORGROUPINDUCKBOAT

Hill County Game Warden

Douglas Volcik patrolled the Corps of Engineer Property of Lake Aquilla for illegal hunting activity when he noticed a boat returning without running lights. While per-forming a water safety inspection and license check, one of the hunt-ers said he had left his license at his residence. When asked why he wasn’t displaying his running lights, the hunter said they broke while traveling to the lake. The vehicle and trailer registrations were also expired. Cases pending.

GROUPWAYOVERFLOUNDERLIMITGalveston County Game Wardens

Mack Chambers, Travis Fountain and Jennifer Provaznik confiscated 70 flounder from fishermen that were over the legal limit. Cases pending.

VIOLATIONSATWRONGCAMPCoryell County Game Warden

Colt Gaulden was contacted by Hamilton County Game Warden Jim Daniels and advised of a call that had been reported on the Hamilton/Coryell county line. At the com-plainant’s camp in Coryell County, it was determined that a deer had been shot on the neighbor-ing property and retrieved without permission. The wardens went to Hamilton County to speak with the neighbor, who had two untagged white-tailed does partially quar-tered. The wardens determined the neighbor was not the hunter that had illegally retrieved the deer and issued citations. At the next prop-erty, the wardens found the hunter who had illegally retrieved the deer. The deer was found to be untagged and in violation of the 13-inch ant-ler restrictions. It was also found that the hunter had discarded the bones and hide of the deer on the county road near his camp.

GAME WARDEN BLOTTERFATHERANDSONFINALLY

FESSUPA complainant sent pictures of a buck that was

illegally taken to Wilson County Game Warden David Nieto. The pictures showed the tag on the deer say-ing it was taken in Kendall County. Nieto went to the residence where the deer was last seen but the father and son had traveled back to Kendall County. Nieto suspected the deer was taken by the son in Wilson County and he had used the father’s license to tag the deer, since the son did not have a current hunting license. Both subjects said the father shot the deer in Kendall County and took it to his son’s

residence in Wilson County so that he could help gut the deer. Nieto spoke with the landowner who veri-fied the father shot the deer in Kendall County and obtained a written statement. When Nieto called the son for a written statement, the father got on the phone and said he wanted to meet to tell him exactly what happened. At the meeting, the son wrote a statement admitting he shot the deer in Wilson County and that his father came to his residence in order to put a valid tag on the buck. The deer scored 144 4/8, and cases are pending.



Coast Joint Venture estimates there is a 107,000-acre defi cit of freshwater wetlands habitat to service the 15.5 million migra-tory waterfowl that winter in the region.

Working with the Texas Prairie Wetlands Program and the Migratory Bird Initiative, the Gulf Coast Coastal Migratory Waterfowl Habitat Enhancement Project will cre-ate a minimum 3,000-acre per-manent wetland corridor, while enrolling an additional 20,000 acres of agricultural land to be fl ooded seasonally.

The project will leverage its $1.25 million award with grants from the Natural Resource Conservation Service, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

“Projects like the Gulf Migratory Waterfowl Enhance-ment Project,” Bender said, “are excellent examples of what can

be done to create great, large-scale waterfowl habitats for a reasonable monetary invest-ment in our natural resources.”

With Texas suffering from one of its worst droughts in history, the Gulf Coast Migratory Waterfowl Habitat Enhancement Project will help alleviate some of the stress placed upon rice farmers that have had to restrict fl ooding the critical acreage needed to sup-port overwintering waterfowl. Inactive rice fi elds contribute to the spread of nonnative vegeta-tion and challenges the ecolog-ical services that support many of the waterfowl that overwin-ter in the region, according to Bender.

The enhancement project funds farmers to actively man-age roughly 20 percent of their inactive fi elds, limiting the spread of invasive, nonnative plant species and restoring lost or vanishing waterfowl habitat.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Gulf Environmental Benefi t Fund is funded by plea agreements from British Petroleum and TransOcean with the U.S. Department of Justice as a

result of the 2010 Deep Water Horizon tragedy. Resulting criminal penalties will direct $2.54 billion to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation over fi ve years to remedy the spill’s harm to the Gulf.

Some oil funds going to waterfowl landContinuedfrompage4

FUNDSCOMING:Thanks to the settlement with BP, waterfowl along the coast should see improved habitat and more protected wetlands. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

her daughter, father, or friends, Floerke makes time to go shooting several times a week.

Each bullet or shell used in her jewelry was fi rst used to kill a deer, bird or hog; each animal piece a trophy from one of her excursions.

“This is nostalgia for me,” Floerke said, as each piece represents its own memory.

It is more than refl ecting on past expe-riences, however. The jewelry’s aesthetic mix of rustic and modern — a glittering gem embedded in a shotgun shell ring, for example — represent the contradic-tions Floerke sees in her own life. She is proud to be in touch with her small-town Texas roots, yet is also determined to forge her own modern path, as evi-denced by the tattoos that cover her arms — symbols of earlier years in Austin.

Creating this jewelry line has become a form of therapy, a way to bring the dispa-rate parts of Floerke’s life together. Based on the online response, it seems her aes-thetic of contradiction is one with which girls all over the country can relate.

Beyond its personal importance, GlitterNBones is Floerke’s way of giving back to the hunting community and the Texas western tradition she loves so dearly. She plans to continue sell-ing her jewelry online but hopes to one day expand to boutiques in small Texas towns and perhaps one day open a bou-tique of her own in Gruene.

She insists, though, that no matter what the future holds for GlitterNBones, it will always remain a Texas-born and bred brand.

A unique take on jewelryContinuedfrompage4

Dove season open again

NorthZoneDec.19,2014-Jan.7,2015

CentralZoneDec.19,2014-Jan.7,2015

SouthZoneDec.19,2014-Jan.25,2015

SpecialWhite-wingedDoveArea

Dec.19,2014-Jan.21,2015

Formoreinformation,gotoTPWD.texas.gov.



BigtroutTRINITY BAY — The recent cold snap has awakened some big trout in the Trinity Bay

complex, according to wading guide Derek Lechler.“The past few trips have been spotty at best, but with this little cold snap (Dec. 19) the

fi sh went nuts,” he said. “Water temperatures dropped back down to the mid-50s, the bite started around 7:30 a.m. and we caught our last fi sh around 2:30 p.m. Once again the

Waterloo, Corky combo was deadly.”The next day, the bite was a little tougher,

although good trout are still being caught on some top-waters and slow-sinking plugs.

To contact Capt. Derek Lechler, call (832) 724-2288.

Top-waterbiteBAFFIN BAY — The Baffi n Bay trout bite has been pretty good through mid-December,

according to many anglers and Capt. Kevin Cochran.“(The) top-water bite continues decent on the warmer, calm days for me,” he said. “(We

are) getting lots of bites on some of the breezier days, but not quite as many big fi sh as I’d like. Various areas are holding lots of bait and the fi sh don’t seem to prefer any depth as specifi cally as they sometimes do when it’s colder in December.”

Cochran has been throwing red and white top-waters to target some of his bigger fi sh.

To contact Capt. Kevin Cochran, call (361) 688-3714.

BitofeverythingSABINE LAKE — The bite in Sabine Lake has been outstanding, according to Capt. Lindy

Hebert.“It is still warm and windy, with 20-plus miles per hour, birds working, fast and furious action,”

he said. “Started off fi shing the marshes and shoreline and caught a bunch of trout and a lot of small ones, for some reason. From the fi rst cast until about 10 a.m., it was pretty much nonstop action. Finally when it did slow down, we went fl ounder fi shing. Sabine Pass is still fairly crowded in the best spots, so after catching a couple of fl ounder and dealing with people trying to fi sh on top of you, we moved out in the open Sabine Lake away from the crowd. Once we got past the smoke from a marsh fi re there were fl ocks of birds everywhere. We just went from one fl ock to the other

catching mostly 28-inch redfi sh, with some over 28 and some under 28, but that was the average. Every once in a while,

we would catch a nice stray speckled trout.” To contact Capt. Lindy Hebert, call (409)

720-8148.— Conor Harrison

NORTHSABINE:Trout are fair to good under the birds when the wind allows. Redfi sh are fair to good around marsh drains on the outgoing tide.

SOUTHSABINE:Sheepshead and black drum are good at the jetty on live shrimp. Trout are fair around the reef on live shrimp.

BOLIVAR:Trout are fair to good on the south shoreline on soft plastics and plugs. Black drum and redfi sh are good at Rollover Pass.

EASTGALVESTONBAY:Trout are fair to good on the south shoreline on top-waters and soft plastics. Whiting and sand trout are good on the edge of the Intracoastal on fresh shrimp.

WESTGALVESTONBAY:Trout are fair to good in the mud and shell on twitchbaits and Corkies. Sheepshead, redfi sh and black drum are good at the jetty on shrimp and crabs.

TEXASCITY: Sand trout and whiting are fair to

good in the channels on shrimp. Trout are fair to good at night from the piers on glow plastics and live shrimp. Flounder are fair on the fl ats.

FREEPORT:Sand trout and sheepshead are good on live shrimp on the reefs. Bull redfi sh are good in Cold Pass and San Luis pass on cracked blue crabs. Trout are fair to good on the reefs in Bastrop Bay on live shrimp.

EASTMATAGORDABAY:Trout are fair for drift-ers on live shrimp and soft plastics over humps and scattered shell. Redfi sh are good on the edge of the Intracoastal on crabs and mullet.

WESTMATAGORDABAY:Redfi sh are fair to good on the south shoreline in the guts and bay-ous. Trout are fair on shell on soft plastics and live shrimp. Sheepshead are good on shrimp at the jetty.

PORTO’CONNOR:Trout and redfi sh are fair on Corkies over soft mud in waist–deep water

in San Antonio Bay. Redfi sh are good at the mouths of drains on scented plastics.

ROCKPORT:Trout are fair on the edge of the ICW on glow DOA Shrimp. Redfi sh are fair to good on the Estes Flats and in the holes on mul-let and shrimp.

PORTARANSAS:Sheepshead are good at the jetty on shrimp. Redfi sh are fair to good on the East Flats on scented plastics and mullet. Sand trout are good on shrimp in the channel.

CORPUSCHRISTI:Redfi sh are good in the Humble Channel on crabs and table shrimp. Trout are fair to good on the edge of the channel on live shrimp and DOA Shrimp.

BAFFINBAY:Trout are fair to good in mud and grass on Corkies and Catch 2000s Redfi sh are good in the Land Cut on natural baits. Trout are fair on the spoil banks on Corkies and soft plastics.

PORTMANSFIELD:Redfi sh are fair to good while drifting potholes and while wading spoil islands. Trout are fair to good on muddy shore-lines and on the edge of the ICW on Corkies, MirrOlures and soft plastics.

SOUTHPADRE:Trout and redfi sh are fair to good on the edge of the Intracoastal on DOA Shrimp and scented plastics. Redfi sh, black drum and mangrove snapper are fair to good in the channel on shrimp. Sheepshead are good at the jetty on shrimp.

PORTISABEL:Redfi sh are fair to good on drops and in Cullen on shrimp and scented plastics. Trout are fair on the edge of the fl ats on soft plastics under popping corks.

— TPWD

TEXAS SALTWATER FISHING REPORT

Conservation started keeping records in 2008.

The record striped bass for the Texas side of the lake was caught in 1984 by angler Terry Harber and weighed 35.12 pounds.

But when is a lake record really a record when a lake is shared with another state?

Texas has multiple water bodies that share a border, and those border states have different ways of calculating their own state’s lake record.

“Well, we’ve tried to keep a lake record no matter which part of the lake it is caught,” said Ken Kurzawski, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s director of information and regulations. “Oklahoma, obviously, keeps their own records.”

What about a lake that shares an inter-national border such as Amistad or Falcon?

“In Mexico, we don’t have that close a relationship with their fisheries people, so if you caught a lake record technically fishing on the Mexican side of the lake, we still consider that a (Texas) state record.”

In Louisiana, which shares a border with Texas on Caddo Lake and Toledo Bend Reservoir, an angler must launch from the Louisiana side of the lake and return to the Louisiana side of the lake for a fish to be considered a lake record.

“If you put in on the Louisiana side and catch a fish, it doesn’t matter where in the lake you caught the fish, it can be registered as a Louisiana record,” said Lyle Johnson, president of the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association, who keeps track of Louisiana’s state fish records. “If you put in on the Texas side, it doesn’t matter where you catch the fish, we would not accept it.”

And the records back that up. The Louisiana lake record striped bass from Toledo Bend Reservoir was a 47.5-pound giant caught by angler James Taylor in 1991. The Texas lake record striped bass from Toledo Bend is a 33.22-pound fish caught by James Kent Jr. in 1980.

Laws differ on lake recordsContinuedfrompage1

Fisheriescouncilmemberssendletterobjectingtocurtailingrecreationalredsnapperquota

Eight representatives to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council have submitted a minority report to the National Marine Fisheries Service that lays out an extensive series of objections to a management plan for Gulf red snapper.

The report focuses on the development and presentation of Amendment 40, a mea-sure that will reserve a signifi cant percentage of the recreational red snapper quota solely for use by the charter/for-hire industry. Amendment 40 was narrowly approved at the October meeting of the Gulf Council and is now pending approval by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce.

“The action adopted by the majority lacks support, especially from the Gulf states, and hinders future management of the fi shery,” the report said. “This amendment and this vote signify that federal management of the red snapper fi shery is broken. The way Amendment 40 was pushed through the Council process does not foster cooperative and collaborative work between the Council and the Gulf states to manage this fi shery. Most importantly, it violates several national standards. As such it is both bad policy, and in vio-lation of the Act. For these reasons, the Secretary should reject the amendment.”

— GMFMC

Waterloo, Corky combo was deadly.”

although good trout are still being caught on some top-waters and slow-sinking plugs.

724-2288.


STAYINGHIDDEN:Many mature rutting bucks in South Texas have been tough to spot this month due to heavy cover and warm temperatures. Photo by LSON.


Hunters in deep South Texas have had the odds stacked against them this season when it comes to seeing daytime rutting activity.

Higher-than-normal temperatures, lots of rain and an abundance of natural cover that hasn’t been beaten back by a hard freeze has made hunting tough in many areas in what should be the traditional start of the rut in the Golden Triangle.

“It’s been really hot down here,” said Ashton Hutchins, a biologist and owner of Frio Palms Wildlife Consulting. “I’m getting some reports of bucks hitting horns together, so they are starting to get stirred up a little. On some ranches I work on, we haven’t seen any signs of the rut — it’s just been so unseasonably warm and wet.”

Last season, South Texas saw a hard freeze in early December, setting the stage for a solid rut later in the month. This season, most of South Texas is still green and lush heading into late December.

“There is still lots of food out there,” Hutchins said. “A lot of people are going to save a bunch of money on their feed bill this season.”

In Zapata County, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Game Warden Carson Wardlow said deep South Texas

Visible South Texas rut retarded by warm

weather, lots of cover


game animals in North America. The Boone and Crockett Club objects to and rejects any use of or reference to the Boone and Crockett Club or its scoring system in connection with antlers/horns grown by animals in captivity.”

Club president William Demmer said in the release, “With the growth of the deer breeding and shooting industry, and modern marketing and selling of ‘shooter bucks’ raised in cap-tivity and graded and sold using B&C scores, it was time to make this unauthorized use of our scoring system more widely known.”

Most deer contests in Texas include a high-fence category, while some include categories that include captive-born deer and others don’t. Wildlife managers use the scoring system to keep data on the deer herds on their respective ranches, as does the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Managed Lands Deer Permit system.

Keith Balfourd, director of marketing for the Boone & Crockett Club, said despite the language, deer contests and deer managers aren’t the targets of the resolution.

“We’re not bent out of shape about that,” he said. “They may con-tinue to do what they are doing. The contests are important for the community, landown-ers and sportsmen.”

Deer managers need not worry, Balfourd said, since the scoring system was developed, in part, to help in deer management.

“The original scoring system had little to do with hunters,” he said. “It was meant to gather a reservoir of data back when deer were thought to be vanish-ing. If it’s used as a man-agement tool, we’re all for it.”

Horace Gore, an offi cial B&C scorer, has likely scored more white-tailed deer than any other Texan. As the editor of Texas Trophy Hunters Magazine and in connection with deer contests, he said the wording of the resolution was very concerning.

“I was concerned about ‘in captivity,’” he said. “We do a lot

of things in the Extravaganza and contests, and we use the B&C measuring system. The reason people use the scoring system is because it’s known worldwide.”

Gore was informed the resolution was not directed toward contests, including deer behind a high fence, and no changes to the contest are planned.

“It bothers me that the club would send out a resolution like that without explaining what they mean by captivity,” Gore said.

Boone and Crockett believes any deer behind a high fence is “in captivity,” though.

“In captivity, though, still means anything in an escape-proof enclosure,” Balfourd said. “But the main purpose (of the resolution) is to distance our scoring system from the breeding industry. We don’t like the ads advertising a particular live deer and including a B&C score.”

The Texas Big Game Awards also score deer from both low- and high-fenced ranches.

“We aren’t necessarily doing anything different,” said TBGA Director Justin Dreibelbis. “We worked with B&C when we put this together. We do allow high-fence deer, but we have per-mission to use their scoring system. It doesn’t change anything for us.”

While many B&C support-ers praised the resolution, others weren’t so sure.

“The club irks me some-times with their holier-than-thou stance on many topics within the hunting commu-nity, which I think are more divisive than helpful for our way of life,” said a hunter who goes by kry226 on the Texas Hunting Forum. “On topic, they can do whatever

they want with their scoring system.”Boone and Crockett said there is no intention to take any

legal actions against anyone they feel is violating the resolution.“It’s just a resolution,” Balfourd said. “We’re not writing

cease-and-desist letters or taking anyone to court.”

FINDANOTHERSCORINGSYSTEM:Boone and Crockett has released a statement condemning the use of their scoring system in connection with captive-raised bucks. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

B&C creates confusion for deer contestsContinuedfrompage1


TDHA - JOIN TODAYTEXAS DOVE HUNTERS ASSOC.

TexasDoveHunters.com(210) 764-1189

AKC REGISTERED LABRADOR PUPS

Blacks & Chocolates.Superior Bloodline.

Ready for New Homes in Mid January.Call Steve

(817) 832-8078

DECOYS WANTEDWOODEN

Duck and Goose. Top prices paid. Ask for David.(214) 361-2276

POETRY SHOOTING CLUB

700-yard range, range target camera, quail hunt-ing preserve, dog training,

shooting classes, day leasesDove, duck & deer

Poetryshootingclub.com(214) 728-2755

COMPLETE TEXASDUCK STAMP PRINT

COLLECTIONSigned and num-bered. Call Steve.

(817) 832-8078

ARROWHEADS AND ARTIFACTSI buy and sell authentic

Texas artifacts. Please call Nick.

(210) 557-9478

ONLY $1 PER WORDLSON CLASSIFIEDSAdvertise your business or

merchandise in Texas’ largest outdoor newspaper.(214) 361-2276

TROPHY BASS AND BIRD HUNTING

Fish famous Lake Guerrero.Hunt Dove, Quail, Ducks.Please contact Lago Vista

Lodge today!dickyn@

lagovistalodge.com(713) 376-3938 or

(281) 495-9296

PROFESSIONAL GUIDE SERVICE

CEDAR BAYOU OUTFITTERS

Capt. Jeff Sims(361) 403-7510

WINTER DOVE HUNTING

Starting Dec. 19. Over Sesame Seed Fields in

Uvalde County. Contact Mark Roberts.

www.MarkRobertsDoveHunting.com

(830) 261-9467

SOUTH PADRE FISHING

Reds, Trout, Flounder, Snook. Everything sup-

plied but food and licenses. Multiple trip discounts. Call Capt. Thomas for details or

[email protected]. CustomSportsAnglers.com

(956) 551-1965

BRING MORE DEER TO YOUR FEEDERCALL ‘EM IN FEEDER

PLATES – THE DINNER BELL FOR DEER

Take advantage of the deer season special — 3 plates with universal u-bolts only

$32.50. Go to BuckCanyonWelding.comCall (575) 390-6200

TROPHY WHITETAIL BUCK HUNTS

Intensive Management Program. Lodging included.

(940) 362-4219

AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS &

MAPPINGRANCH & HUNTING,

AGRICULTURE, ENVIRONMENTAL,

BalboaMapCompany.com(806) 777-8840

CLASSIFIEDS

*email LSON your favorite recipe to [email protected]

2 tbsps. vegetable oil1 cup yellow onion, fi nely diced1 cup bell pepper, fi nely diced1 jalapeno pepper, minced2 garlic cloves, minced4 cups “pulled” wild pork1/8 tsp. ground cumin1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves1/2 tsp. chili powder1, 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, drainedCorn or fl our tortillasShredded lettuceShredded cheeseSliced tomato

Once you’ve slow-smoked the pork shoulders, the pulled meat makes excel-lent stuffi ng for tacos, enchiladas and any other Southwestern or Mexican dish

that calls for tender shredded meat. You can also do the same process in an oven or covered grill and with any part of the pig. Season it, slow-roast it, wrap in foil with sauce and keep cooking until it falls apart. Once cooled, you’re ready to shred the meat. The same recipe works great with venison shoulders.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, peppers and garlic and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. Add venison, cumin, oregano leaves, chili powder and diced tomatoes. Cook for 5 min-utes more, stirring often to blend fl avors. Distribute stuffi ng evenly in the middle of the tortillas. Add lettuce, cheese and a tomato.

— Sportsman Channel

Wildboartacos

FORTHETABLE

4 (8-oz.) fi llets black drum1/4 cup Creole seasoning9 tbsps. unsalted butter1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms3 scallions, thinly sliced2 cloves garlic, fi nely choppedKosher salt, to taste3 oz. medium raw shrimp, peeled1/4 cup fi sh stock1 tbsp. fi nely chopped parsleyTabasco, for serving

Season fi sh with half the Creole season-ing; set aside. Melt 3 tbsps. butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add fi sh; cook, fl ipping once, until

cooked through, about 8 minutes; transfer to a serving platter and keep warm.

Add 2 tbsps. butter to the skillet; return to medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook until browned, 2-4 minutes. Add remaining Creole seasoning, plus scallions, garlic, and salt; cook until soft, 3 minutes. Add shrimp and stock; cook until shrimp are just pink, 3 minutes. Whisk in remain-ing butter, plus parsley, until sauce is smooth. Pour sauce over fi sh; garnish with more parsley, and serve with hot sauce on the side.

— Saveur.com

NewOrleanspan-friedblackdrum

$1PER WORD2 issues minimum CLASSIFIED

Call: (214) 361-2276 or Email: [email protected]


ACROSS 1. A favorite bird for wingshooters 5. A male pheasant 7. 4 down is one 8. A part of a gun frame 9. To analyze freshness of tracks10. To down a game12. Pheasant food source15. Hunter’s name for a predator17. A game pathway18. To prepare a fi sh for eating20. A fi nger protector, shooting _____21. Arrows and shells22. A game bird24. Valuable commercial fi sh25. Game having youth27. BB gun or ____ rifl e30. Good bear trap bait32. Quail young

34. Dall are wild ones35. Clay pigeon ejector station37. Game or wildfowl daily routines38. The tip of a bullet40. A name for the strawberry bass42. The croc’s cousin45. Strings a bow46. A very large memeber of deer family47. Type of camp fi replaceDOWN 1. Common name for the brook trout 2. The cause of arrows drift 3. There is a wet and dry _____ 4. Found in fresh and saltwater 6. A seahorse commercial catch 7. The largest bass

10. A part of a rifl e11. A good bear trap bait12. A goose species13. Perch is said to be a _____14. A fi sh appendage16. The _____ forest19. A wildfowl bedding act23. A very good walleye bait26. A breed of setter28. Needed for packing a day’s catch29. A gun part30. A type of gunsight31. A grouse33. The silver trout34. The ray is one36. Large on the muley39. A black-tailed deer40. Deer domain markings41. To pull back the bowstring43. The point on the arrow44. A good lure color to attract fi sh

OUTDOOR PUZZLER By Wilbur “Wib” Lundeen SolutiononPage21

hasn’t seen its normal rutting activ-ity for this time of year. That doesn’t mean the deer aren’t rutting, it just hasn’t been as visible to hunters yet.

“It’s real spotty right now,” he said. “A lot of younger bucks are starting, but it’s been wet the last couple days. I’d say (the rut) is coming quick.”

Wardlow said he has checked hunters on ranches that have killed some big deer, but many hunters are bemoaning the fact the bucks have not been very visible because of the abundance of cover.

“I’ve seen a few nice deer, but it is just real green down here, so deer don’t have to move much and they are not hitting feeders,” he added.

Even though visible rutting activ-ity has been spotty, ranches with open pastures next to thick cover have put mature bucks in front of hunters. Harassed does will often head to open areas to avoid being pressured by bucks, and hunters have reported seeing mature bucks chasing does in open areas.

Rut action hard to seeContinuedfrompage17



PuzzlesolutionfromPage19

on hidden boat lanes, key areas to target and other really good, insightful stuff I’ve learned.”

Reehm said he’ll give some exact places to go and catch fi sh, but also information that will help anglers unfamiliar with the lake go out and fi nd areas on their own.

“What I’m fi nding is people don’t want to be told to go out and cast right here,” he said. “They want a sense of accomplishment by doing it themselves, and this is what this is — how to go fi nd your own fi sh.

“I’m not just saying, ‘Go fi nd grass and throw a Rat-L-Trap.’ I tell them what to look for.”

The prices for each tutorial are up to each individ-ual pro, but most will be between $100 and $400 — still cheaper than spending the day with a guide in one area of the lake.

Guides pioneering brand-new virtual systemContinuedfrompage9

everything you want for good crappie fi shing. I caught 375 fi sh over the past eight days, and I’d say just about 10 of those fi sh were under 10 inches — they’re a nice size.”

Lynn Atkinson, a Sam Rayburn guide, said the crappie bite on the reservoir just depends on which day you’re on the water. Why the bite is so fi ckle is beyond him, too.

“They’re moving up the rivers right now,” Atkinson said. “The bite has been on and off, and I’m really not too sure why. Some days it will be great, and another day you’ll get nothing.”

Atkinson said sunnier days have helped out anglers on the reservoir, and have pushed small schools of crappie into cover, mak-ing them an easier target. Brush piles in 12-14 feet of water are key when the fi sh stick together.

“They are starting to group up a little bit,” he said. “As soon as the water starts to cool down to about 61 or 62 degrees, they’ll start to spawn and you’ll see them in the river and creek channels.”

Atkinson said the crappie bite will shut down in slow-moving water when the temperatures drop signifi cantly, but the swift-mov-ing water will produce a bite in any winter month.

All three guides reported simi-lar jigs to entice crappie during December: a chartreuse, minnow-tail jig during sunny days when fi shing deep, and a blue or white minnow jig when the cloudy win-ter days settle in.

For most crappie anglers across Texas, more predictable weather patterns will mean predictable crappie.

Crappie bite good, but tough to predictContinuedfrompage8


HEROES

EllaHawkharvested this big 7-pointer with a crossbow. The buck measured 138 inches.

SHAREANADVENTUREnWanttosharehuntingandfishingphotoswithother Lone Star Outdoor Newsreaders?Emailthemwithcontactandcaptioninformationtoeditor@lonestaroutdoornews.com.High-resolutionoriginaljpegsonly.MailprintstoHeroes,Lone Star Outdoor News,P.O.Box551695,Dallas,TX75355.

DavidSweethoists a 31-inch black drum he caught while fishing in Port Mansfield.

JoshDerrick, assisted by Liam Baker, caught this 39-inch black drum Nov. 14 in Matagorda on a blue crab.

TracerWinanswith a nice 7-year-old ram taken Nov. 9 in Llano County on the Twisters Ranch.

AbigailSwan,10, with her first trophy buck harvested during an unforgettable father/daughter moment at Brady Champion Ranch.

DeanaTinkletook her first axis buck while hunting with her husband, Kenneth, in Brackettville on Oct 31.


“We have plenty of fish in the surf, but we always have them in the surf this time of year,” Houser said. “There’s just not a whole lot in there, yet. Everybody thinks it’s going to be a miracle overnight. It’s been closed so long, I don’t even think the fish know to go in there yet.”

Kevin Sims, a photographer and angler who has spent many hours in the bayou, said the fishing may not be up to snuff quite yet, but he’s already seeing the effects of having it open.

“The anglers are killing the redfish in the surf, and I think it has a lot to do with the bayou being open — it has to,” Sims said. “With all of that water exchanging back and forth, it’s going to drive a lot of fish there.”

Sims has spent much of his time pho-tographing the waters surrounding Rockport, and said as soon as the pass was opened to Cedar Bayou, the birds began to move. Whooping cranes were wading the shallows, catching all sorts of bait — including blue crabs and plenty of mullet.

“That pass has always been a tre-mendous place to fish whenever it was open,” Sims said.

Skeptics are always going to have their concerns, however, and Sims said there are some who think the open cut will only be temporary. Generally, he said the concerns seem unwarranted.

“I’ve been to Vincent Slough when there’s barely 6 inches of water across the whole thing,” Sims said. “But the next day I’ll go by and it will be 3 feet deep. Some people think it’s going to fill in right away, but you can never tell the way it’s always changing.”

Rockport guide Ron Coulston said he has had some luck, but not the best in Cedar Bayou — he thinks it’s just a matter of relearn-ing how to guide in the area.

“I think it’s been more bad luck than anything,” he said. “I keep hitting it at the wrong time. But I’ve been seeing all kinds of small trout

and flounder. The first two or three trips I took in there, I was amazed at the amount of bait swimming around.”

Coulston said having Cedar Bayou open will be a distinct advantage for guides in the Rockport area. It’s just another thriv-ing inland system that will drive clients into their boats.

“It really affects at least five different bays in the area — Mesquite Bay is already looking a lot better,” Coulston said. “It’ll be good for me as a guide since I live in Rockport. It was a downer for Copano (Bay) when it (Cedar Bayou) was closed.”

Houser cautioned that the bayou isn’t a hot spot in the area yet, and the fishery needs time to build, grow and return to what it once was.

“I remember the bayou when it used to be one of our best spots,” Houser said. “We used to have some of the most beautiful oysters in there. I want to see what hap-pens.

“It’ll be great someday, just not yet.”

Bayou bouncing backContinuedfrompage8


PRODUCTS

PELICANSTORMIM3200R:PelicanProd-

ucts’case protects and se-cures all Remington tactical and fi eld shot-

guns with choke tubes and accessories. This case sports a high-performance polymer exterior to protect items from the

harshest of conditions. It also features extremely strong press-and-pull latches to ensure that the case stays secure in rough situations. Addi-tional features include a lid equipped with a polymer O-ring for a dust

and watertight seal, and an automatic pressure equalization Vortex valve that keeps moisture from entering the case and prevents vacuum-

lock so the case opens easily at any altitude. The iM3200R case has polyurethane wheels with stainless steel ball bearings for easy trans-

port. It costs about $350.

(800)473-5422PELICAN.COM >>

COBRASHOTGUN:TriStarArmshas added the Cobra Marine Tactical

Pump shotgun with an 18.5-inch bar-rel. Features include a brushed nickel fi nish with a synthetic stock and fore-arm, a mounted picatinny rail under

the forearm, a chrome-lined chamber and barrel, plus a spring-loaded fore-arm for fast cycling. The shotgun has

a 3-inch chamber and will take 2 3/4-inch or 3-inch shells to allow hunters

to shoot a variety of loads ranging from light target loads to heavy buckshot.

The MSRP is $369.

(816)421-1400TRISTARARMS.COM

CORTEZSUNGLASSES:Costa’snewest shades pay homage to the Sea of Cortez.

The sunglasses offer a large fi t with a bold wrap shape, meant to block glare from

entering from the sides. Its linear venting system keeps lenses from fogging, and the temple tips feature open slots for a retain-er cord. The frames are built of rugged co-injected molded nylon. The color-enhanc-

ing polarized 580 lenses fi lter out harsh yellow and harmful ultraviolet blue light, producing better contrast and defi nition

while reducing glare and eye fatigue. Avail-able in numerous colors. The sunglasses

start at about $169.

(800)447-3700COSTADELMAR.COM

>>

>>

RIVERTEK2BOABOOTS:Simm’snewest wading boots are built on the

company’s stalwart StreamTread platform, which offers support and traction, while the boot’s up-

per architecture thwarts abuse with its waterproof synthetic leather and TPU skid plates located in high-wear areas. The boots’ closure system pro-

vides precise, on-demand fi t, enveloping partially lined neoprene internals that bolster warmth and cushioning. And, the closure system also makes it easy to put on or take off the boots. Available in sizes 7 to 14, these boots cost about $180.

(888)585-3570SIMMSFISHING.COM >>

TORQVLE:This off-road electric vehicle – the VLE stands for “very lite electric”

– provides a safe, silent and swift rid-ing experience. This made-in-the-U.S.A.

vehicle is ideal for hunters and other outdoorsmen who need to get through

areas that requires maneuverability and a stealth and silent approach. The

TORQ, according to its maker, boasts the industry’s light-

est overall weight, mean-ing that it can out-han-dle, out-accelerate and out-brake all other off-road electric vehicles.

It has a top speed of 35-plus miles per hour.

The single-seat ride is fully electric: just plug in the onboard charger and when the light turns green, it’s ready to go.

The MSRP on the TORQ VLE is $13,500.

(205)520-5552TORQ-VLE.COM >>

PROFLEXHEATEDINSOLES:When feet are icy, it can make a cold-weather outing

miserable. ThermaCELL’s heated insoles can keep hunters or anglers warm – and comfortable. The insoles have temperature settings controlled via

wireless remote that can hang from a zipper or belt. This allows wear-ers to make easy temperature ad-

justments without having to remove their boots. The water-resistant insoles

come in fi ve sizes and can be trimmed to fi t most types of boots or shoes. They feature a rechargeable lithium-ion poly-

mer battery that lasts up to fi ve hours per charge. The insoles sell for under $180.

(866)753-3837HEAT.THERMACELL.COM >>


See a full selection of Nikon products at:

Nagel’s Gun Shop6201 San Pedro Ave.

San Antonio, TX, 78216 nagelsguns.net(210) 342-5420

Nikon will send your 10x42 ProStaff 7 binoculars. You can check out

the entire line at the nearest dealer:

PIERCEHOHENSEE,6,

HARVESTEDTHEBIGHOGWHILEHUNT-INGWITHHISDAD,SCOTT,INNOVEMBER

INGUADALUPE

COUNTY.HEUSEDA.300BLACKOUTANDMADEAPERFECT100-YARDSHOT.

NATIONALElkcallingchampscrowned

Amateur and professional elk callers from California, Idaho, Nevada and Oregon are the new world champions for 2014.

Competitors from four other states and two Canadian provinces also received hon-ors.

The 2014 World Elk Calling Championships, sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Leupold, were held during the annual RMEF convention and expo, which concluded Dec. 7 in Las Vegas.

In the competition, callers had 30-45 seconds to mimic cow elk sounds, followed by bull sounds. Most callers blew across a latex reed placed inside the mouth. In the natural-voice division, however, no call-ing devices were allowed. A panel of judges scored each competitor anonymously.

Results:Professional Division — Corey Jacobsen, Boise, Ida.Men’s Division — Dirk Durham, Moscow, Ida.Women’s Division — Misty Jacobsen, Del Ray Oaks, Calif.Natural Voice Division — William Card, Fallon, Nev.Youth Division — Brayden Langley, McMinnville, Ore.Pee Wee Division — Sutton Callaway, Maricopa, Calif.

— RMEF

Huntercharged,convictedofkillinggrizzly

For the fi rst time since grizzly bears were listed as a Threatened Species under the Endangered Species Act in 1975, the State of Idaho has successfully prosecuted a griz-zly bear case.

On May 7, 2014, Kenneth Tyler Sommer, 23, was with his wife hunting for black bears. According to a statement Sommer made to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service agent initially investigating the matter, a bear charged he and his wife and he shot it. Only after killing the bear did Sommer identify it as a grizzly. He con-tacted conservation offi cers with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to report the incident.

Sommer was cited for unlawful taking of a grizzly bear, plead not guilty, and requested a jury trial. On Dec. 8, Fremont County Prosecuting Attorney, Karl H. Lewies, tried the case to a jury. He argued the bear had not been charging when Sommer shot it, but that Sommer “wanted to kill a black bear that day, shot fi rst and identifi ed second.”

Magistrate Judge Gilman Gardner sen-tenced Sommers to the maximum fi ne of $1,000, maximum $400 civil penalties, 30 days in jail, one-year hunting license revoca-tion and two years unsupervised probation. The judge suspended the jail time and $500, on condition that Sommer success-fully completes his probation.

— IDFG

Marylandanglerspoach185,925poundsofstripedbass

Michael D. Hayden and William J. Lednum, both of Tilghman Island, pleaded guilty in August in a Baltimore federal court to conspiring to violate the Lacey Act and to defraud the United States through their ille-gal harvesting and sale of 185,925 pounds of striped bass.

Hayden and Lednum will both receive jail time of one year and a day in prison, pay $498,293.40 in restitution to the State of Maryland for the damage caused to the fi sh-ery and pay a fi ne of $40,000.

According to their plea agreements, Hayden, 41, and Lednum, 42, were cap-tains on fi shing vessels owned by them and their companies.

The defendants also employed numerous helpers as part of this scheme, including co-defendant Kent Sadler, 31, also of Tilghman Island.

From at least 2007 to 2011, Hayden and Lednum illegally harvested, possessed, falsely labeled and/or sold at least 185,925 pounds of striped bass. They used illegally

weighted and/or anchored gill nets, left the nets in the water overnight, and set the nets during times when the commercial striped bass gill-netting season was closed.

— MDNR

RedsnapperseasonclosesDec.31inLouisiana

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced the state recre-ational red snapper season will remain open through the rest of December and will close at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31, 2014.

Using real-time data from LA Creel, Louisiana’s recreational landings monitor-ing program, they have determined that Louisiana anglers have not yet landed their state’s historic and projected share of the total Gulf of Mexico recreational red snapper harvest (14 percent, or 754,000 pounds).

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission previously opened a state waters season for red snapper to extend Louisiana’s season from the 9-day federal waters season originally proposed by NOAA.

NOAA based this short season on impre-cise estimates of recreational red snapper landings from their Marine Recreational Information Program, according to the LDWF. With LA Creel’s more precise esti-mates, Louisiana offi cials determined that nine days would not allow anglers suffi cient opportunity to catch their share.

— LDWF

Hornadyrifleis2015SHOTShowauctiongun

The fi rst and only fi rearm ever manu-factured by the Hornady Manufacturing Company will be featured as the 2015 SHOT Show rifl e and made available to Hornady fans around the world on gunbro-ker.com.

Recognized for decades as one of the most respected and innovative names in ammunition and reloading equipment manu-facturing, Hornady has placed its name on a fi rearm for the fi rst and perhaps only time in the company’s history.

“We don’t mean to alarm our friends at Remington, Winchester or Ruger. Hornady has no plans of going into the gun busi-ness,” commented Hornady President Steve Hornady, in announcing the gun. “The con-cept of creating a one-of-a-kind Hornady rifl e has been percolating for several years and we are excited to make ‘The Hornady Number One’ a reality for 2015 — espe-cially since the gun has been selected as the 2015 SHOT Show Rifl e.”

Hornady has teamed with the Hunting Heritage Trust and some of the most inno-vative and respected names in the shooting sports industry to create “The Hornady Number One.” The rifl e is a hunting-style bolt action in .300 RCM-caliber with serial number H-001.

— NSSF

Threerhinopoachersshot,killed

Game rangers have killed three poach-ers in the past week during an escalation of armed incursions into South Africa’s fl ag-ship wildlife reserve, where hundreds of rhinos have been killed for their horns this year.

Paul Daphne, a spokesman for South Africa’s national parks service, said poach-ing activity in Kruger National Park has traditionally increased in November and December before tapering off around the year-end period.

Some rangers refer to this phenomenon as “Christmas shopping” by poachers.

The parks service says a total of three poachers were killed in a shootout on Dec. 8. Three poachers were wounded and arrested in another confrontation on Dec. 17.

— Press Association

INTERNATIONAL


DECEMBER 28TexasIndoorArcheryLeagueTexas Archery Academy, Plano Indoor Range(214) 960-4088texasarchery.info

JANUARY 2-11HoustonBoatShowNRG Center(713) 526-6361houstonboatshows.com

JANUARY 8-11AustinBoatandTravelTrailerShowAustin Convention Center(512) 494-1128austinboatshow.com

JANUARY 9-11DallasWoodsandWatersClubYouth Doe Hunt, Albany(214) 570-8700dwwcc.org

JANUARY 10-11TexasGunandKnifeShowAbilene Civic Center(830) 285-0575texasgunandknifeshows.com

JANUARY 14WeatherbyFoundationAwards Dinner, Dallas(480) 209-1561weatherbyfoundation.com

JANUARY 15-18DallasSafariClubDSC 2015 ConventionDallas Convention Center(972) 980-9800biggame.org

JANUARY 16-17DeerBreedersCorp.7th Annual New Year’s AuctionHorseshoe Bay Resort(972) 289-3100bdbcdeer.com

JANUARY 22SafariClubInternationalBrush Country Chapter 2nd Annual BanquetAmerican Bank Center, Corpus Christibrushcountrysci.com

JANUARY 23-25TexasTackle,HuntingandBoatShowBig Town Event Center, Mesquitemontgomeryporoductions.com

JANUARY 23-28HoustonSafariClubHunting Expo and ConventionThe Woodlands(713) 623-8844houstonsafariclub.org

JANUARY 28DucksUnlimitedNight with the SanAntonio SpursAT&T Center, San Antonio(830) 221-8046ducks.org/texas

DATEBOOK

LONE STAR MARKET

To advertise in this section, call Mike Hughs at (214) 361-2276 or email him at [email protected].


Visit us at DSC Booth #1035


Documents

December 26, 2014 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting