July 25, 2014 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting

LSONews.com LoneOStar Outdoor News July 25, 2014 Page 1

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Llano hunter takes a mountain lion near Big Bend almost 30 years after he was attacked there. Page 4

Facing the pastFISHING

Recent rains and rebounding ground cover are leaving hunters with high hopes for quail season.

Page 6

High expectations

CONTENTSClassifi eds . . . . . . . . . Page 20 Crossword . . . . . . . . . Page 21Freshwater Fishing Report . Page 10For the Table. . . . . . . . Page 21Game Warden Blotter . . . . Page 12Heroes. . . . . . . . . . . Page 18Outdoor Datebook . . . . . Page 30Prime Time . . . . . . . . Page 28Products . . . . . . . . . . Page 20Saltwater Fishing Report . . Page 14Sun, Moon and Tide data . . Page 21

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Nueces Bay has good fi sh to offer anglers, if they can adapt to the hazards and ever-changing conditions.

Page 8

Always changing

Group fi shing the Pecos River narrowly escapes fl ash fl ood.

Page 9

When a trip turns bad

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July 25, 2014 Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper in Texas Volume 10, Issue 23

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AGE ME: Quickly trying to determine a buck’s age can pose problems, and it’s best to know the bucks on the ranch to avoid mistakes. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

MEASURING A RECORD: After the tape was stretched on this blue marlin and a trip to the scale, the new state record was announced at 972.7 pounds. Photo by Laura Middour.

Biggest ever

972.7-pound blue marlin bests 26-year-old

state recordBy Conor HarrisonLone Star outdoor newS

A longstanding state record fell on July 11 when angler Richard Richardson brought a 972.7-pound blue marlin to the scales at the Bastante John Uhr Memorial Billfish Tournament in Rockport.

The fish, caught aboard a 56-foot Viking, Legacy, broke the state record held since 1988 by James Farrow, which weighed 876.5 pounds.

The big marlin hit a live, 5-pound tuna being trolled as bait. The fish was 137.5 inches long, had a girth of 74 inches, and was caught about 130 miles off of Port Aransas.

The Legacy, based out of Houston, was captained by Kevin Deerman, along with owner George Gartner, of Houston; Galveston’s Jeff Owen and Cameron Plaag; Corpus Christi’s Michael Fitzpatrick; and Houston’s Richardson, Colin Ocker and Ruben Ramos.

“It hasn’t even sunk in,” Deerman said. The captain said the fight lasted only 20 min-

utes.“The fish bit and started toward the bottom

very slowly,” he said. “It acted like it didn’t know it was hooked. It swam straight down and took some line. We backed down on it pretty hard and it came up and jumped about 300 yards out.

“We knew immediately it was over 500 pounds.”Although it only took 20 minutes to get the

marlin to the boat, it took another 45 minutes to

See MARLIN, Page 23

By Steve SchwartzLone Star outdoor newS

When the fish are tough to locate, especially in summer months, the herons’ feeding habits often is a key clue for anglers looking to hone in on a day’s catch.

Cliff Shackelford, an orni-thologist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, has been studying these birds for 17 years, and knows a thing or two about their feeding behav-ior.

“Anywhere there’s water, open water, they can be feed-ing,” Shackelford said. “They will even feed on the side of the road where water is pool-ing up after a rain.”

There are around 12 spe-cies of birds similar to herons — recognizable by their elon-gated necks, long legs built for wading and long beaks — including egrets, bitterns and ibises. Shackelford said many anglers use the term “heron” as a catchall for these birds, but

First mate

Herons’ feeding patterns a key to fi shing the summer heat

BIRDS MEAN FISH: If herons are near the water, they’re near fi sh. Photo by Conor Harrison, Lone Star Outdoor News.

By Craig NyhusLone Star outdoor newS

The buck appears and his antlers look good. The tougher question remains: How old is he?

Before game cameras were the norm, pho-tographer and marketing rep Dave Richards of Boerne spent years photographing and studying white-tailed bucks on the Hindes Ranch in Frio County.

Later, with renowned wildlife biologist Al Brothers, he used those photos to help write “Observing & Evaluating Whitetails,” covering, in part, aging and scoring of the deer on the hoof. The 2003 book is consid-ered by many to be a must-read for wildlife

managers.At the Texas Wildlife Association

Convention in San Antonio in July, Richards presented his thoughts on aging bucks on the hoof based on what he has seen and photographed.

“Deer management has come a long way from the old saying, ‘Eight points and heavy — he’s down,’” Richards said.

Richards’ top tips for aging bucks don’t involve the antlers.

“Antler mass is not a benchmark,” he said. “It’s best to ignore them when aging deer — I’ve seen too many 4-year-olds with heavy mass.”

Years of photos show keys to aging bucks on the hoof

See AGING, Page 19

See HERONS, Page 25

Page 2 July 25, 2014 LoneOStar Outdoor News LSONews.com



HUNTING

Renee Snider

DOLLARS FOR SHEEP: A permit to hunt a desert bighorn in Texas brought $75,000 at the Texas Wildlife Association Convention. Funds will be used to support further bighorn restoration in Texas. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.


It wasn’t the massive amount raised a few years ago through the auction of a Texas desert bighorn sheep at the Texas Wildlife Association annual con-vention, but the amount raised will help fund one of Texas’ top wildlife success stories: bighorn resto-ration.

At the July 12 auction, the final bid of $75,000 received the permit to hunt the ram. In 2011, the last time the auction was held at the Texas Wildlife Association convention, the hunt brought $151,000.

The permit provides the opportunity for one hunter to hunt for the next available desert bighorn ram on Elephant Mountain, Sierra Diablo or Black Gap Wildlife Management Areas, as designated by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The three West Texas WMAs are managed for the restoration, conservation and management of desert bighorn sheep, and serve as the primary source of brood stock for reintroduction efforts.

“This past January, approximately 60 bighorns were introduced into another unoccupied West Texas mountain range,” said TPWD Executive Director Carter Smith, who was the recipient of the

Desert bighorn auction,

other awards highlight TWA

convention

See TWA, Page 7

NOT EXACTLY REVENGE, BUT: After surviving a mountain lion attack in Big Bend National Park as a young boy, David Vaught evened the score with this lion taken on a hunt 35 miles south of Sheffi eld. Photo by David Vaught.

By Conor HarrisonLone Star outdoor newS

David Vaught was 8 years old when he went hiking with his family on the Basin Loop Trail of Big Bend National Park on August 2, 1984.

The popular trail is very near park headquar-ters, which made it even more surprising when David and his younger brother rounded a cor-ner several yards in front of the main party and came face to face with a mountain lion.

“The cat was three feet in front of us,” he said. “He latched onto me and his front teeth went into the front of my head and he completely took my scalp off my head.”

Vaught’s step-dad jumped in and pulled the cat off David and hurled it down a slope.

“He carried me about 30 yards from the attack

site and used his shirt to try and stop some of the bleeding because I didn’t have a scalp,” he said. “The trail loop was only about 1.5 miles, and we had walked about a mile and a quarter, but the cat was on the short side, so we made the 1.25-mile walk back to the headquarters.

“We got about 50 yards down the trail from the attack and the cat showed up on our right side on a little ridge about 10 or 12 feet from us. He followed us the entire way.”

At the park headquarters, Vaught received basic treatment for his wounds, but was quickly transported back to Dallas for surgery. After more than a dozen surgeries during the next few years, Vaught made a complete recovery, but still has many scars to remind him of that day.

State predator hunter Bill McKinney and his

Closing achapterAttacked by mountain lion as a boy, Llano hunter harvests cat in same area

See MOUNTAIN LION, Page 29

First female wins Weatherby Award

The Weatherby Foundation has announced Renee Snider as this year’s recipient of the high-est honor in hunting.

A world-class big game hunter, Snider’s passion for the outdoors began as a youngster as she accompanied her father, who was a skilled outdoorsman, hunting along the Continental Divide.

Snider fi rst trav-eled to Africa with her husband, Paul, in 1979. Finally, by 1982, he persuaded her to carry a rifl e herself. She has enjoyed hunting with family and friends over the years, however for the past 20 years she has hunted alone. While in Africa, Snider’s humanitarian skills come into play. She takes medical supplies with her and treats native bush villagers topically and adminis-ters major fi rst aid. In some remote areas, Snider is the only medical source these bush people have ever seen.

Snider has received the prestigious Diana Award and is the only woman to receive the Golden Malek Award and the OVIS in the histories of their organizations.

When asked about her favorite hunt, she said, “It is not just about the hunt. More importantly, it is about the beautiful people one meets, the different cultures one expe-riences and the breathtaking landscape one has the pleasure to see. They are all very special memories.”

— Weatherby Foundation



Hunting season is quickly approaching, which means it’s time for hunting shows across the state to begin.

This year, hunters can attend shows in several regions, with outfi tter booths, prod-uct displays and special guests sure to make things interesting.

Here is a rundown of some of the Texas hunting shows this year:

August 1-3Texas Trophy Hunters Association Extravaganza,

HoustonThe fi rst of three TTHA shows happens at

the Reliant Center in Houston. Old favor-ites like Joe Martin’s Snakes of Texas, Texas junior anglers’ catch fi sh tank, a youth archery shoot and Operation Game Thief’s Wall of Shame will be on display.

Celebrity appearances by Jerry Campbell of American Hoggers, Bruce Mitchell from Swamp People and Brian “Pigman” Quaca.

Hours for all TTHA shows are:Friday — 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.Saturday — 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.Sunday — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids 13-17.

Kids 12 and under and active military and veterans with an ID get in for free.

For more information, go to ttha.com

August 2Wichita Falls Deer Fest

This one-day event held on Aug. 2 at the MPEC Exhibit Hall will feature Operation Game Thief’s Wall of Shame, Bass Tubs of Oklahoma and the Ultimate Shootout Archery Trailer. New this year will be gator queen Liz Chase and Brandon Landry from Swamp People. Also, there will be appear-ances from Matt Duff the Major League Bow Hunter and his wife, Jessie, the national shooter. Brian Trussel with foxpro and Gator Country will also be joining in on the fun. And don’t miss the Deer Fest girls.

All proceeds for this event will help fund the Adopt A Box Program. Adopt A Box is a local charity designed to provide children in need with basic hygiene items.

The cost of the show is $7 in advance or

$10 at the door.For more information, go to deerfestwichi-

tafalls.com.


Fort WorthThe Will Rogers Center will again host this

year’s TTHA Show in Fort Worth. Along with all of the same attractions as above, celebri-ties like the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders and Miss Kansas Theresa Vail will be in atten-dance.


San AntonioHunters in the Hill Country will want to

head to the Alamodome for this three-day show featuring Realtree’s David Blanton, 8-time Major League Baseball all-star Chipper Jones and many more.

All times and ticket prices are the same as above.

August 30-31Texas Hunting and Outdoor Classic,

San AntonioThe Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio

will host this two-day show for hunters. This show features something for everyone, beginners and veteran hunters alike.

The show is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 30 and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 31.

Children under 12 and servicemen or women in uniform get in for free, while everyone else pays $8 for a day pass, or $12 for a two-day pass.

This show partners with the San Antonio Gun Show and features the Texas Jump Off Dog Dock Diving Competition.

For more information, go to huntersclas-sic.com

August 31Uvalde Dove Expo

Hosted by the Texas Dove Hunters Association, the Uvalde Dove Expo will be held at Oasis Outback Sporting Goods in Uvalde.

For more information, go to texasdovehu-nters.com.

It’s showtimeHunting expos cranking up as

season approaches


More than 1,000 shotgunners partici-pated in the 2014 Texas 4-H Shooting Sports State Games held at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio.

Shooters in four different age groups com-peted in Modifi ed Trap, International Skeet, American Skeet, American Trap, Sporting Clays and Whiz Bang (fi ve-stand) Sporting Clays.

“We had 1,044 shooters, which is up 150 shooters from last year,” said Jack Burch, founder of the Hill Country Shooting Sports Center, who volunteers at the games. “And we had a 30- to 40-percent increase in the number of kids that decided to shoot the international events.”

The top overall award is the Gunsmoke Award, given to the high shooter in all rounds of all of the shooting disciplines. This year, Baylor Brooks of Stephenville topped the fi eld with 420 total targets.

Heston Graves and Konner Smith of Floydada topped the fi eld of 35 teams in the 2-man team in American Trap. Both shot 97 of 100 targets and tied for fi rst place, then headed to a shoot-off where both shot 100 percent to take the title.

Burch said the success of local shooters in the Olympics and World Cup events is a reason for the increased participation, espe-cially in the international events.

“Those shooters were 4-H kids to begin

with, and the international events are the next step for those who want to shoot after 4-H is over.”

In the overall awards, female shooters were right up there with the boys, Burch said.

“It was impressive how much higher up the girls shot than in previous years,” he said. “There were a number of them in shoot-offs in the overall awards — those aren’t gender-specifi c.”

See 4-H, Page 27

State 4-H games host 1,000 shooters

WINNING WAYS: Heston Graves and Konner Smith, both entering their junior year at Floydada High School, celebrate winning the 2-man team cham-pionship in American Trap at the 2014 Texas 4-H Shooting Sports State Games. Photo by Kyle Smith.


That sweet sound


Texans sipping their morning cof-fee on front porches around the state are hearing an old familiar sound this year whistling across the plains and through the pines — the sound of a cock bobwhite calling to hens.

“Everything is anecdotal right now — we won’t have our official counts until late August — but lots of people are hearing birds whistling,” said Jason Hardin, migratory game bird spe-cialist with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “I’m hearing from folks

in South Texas, the Rolling Plains and the Coastal Plains. I was in East Texas this week and heard birds calling in the morning — and if they’re calling in East Texas, other places have to be doing great.”

Hardin said some areas in Texas had decent reproduction last year, but the population overall needs several good years in a row to truly make a come-back.

“We should have more pairs out there this year,” he said. “We are defi-nitely going in the right direction. This cooler weather is great for the birds.

MORE FOR THE DOGS TO FIND: This season’s conditions are the best they’ve been in years, and quail are responding with positive reports coming from many areas across the state. Photos by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Quail rebounding across Texas with rains, groundcover

See QUAIL, Page 17


Sam Beason Conservation Leader Award at the convention. “None of this would be possible without the strong support of TWA, Texas Bighorn Society, Wild Sheep Foundation, and of course, pri-vate landowners.”

The Texas Big Game Awards Landowner of the Year was presented to the 3,600-acre Flagler Ranch in Mountain Home. The ranch was a previ-ous recipient of TPWD’s Lone Star Land Steward award in 2010.

The ranch has participated in the Texas Youth Hunting Program, where young Texans hunt white-tailed deer and exotics, and has hosted field days and huntmaster training.

“We have hosted 212 days of hunt-ing over the past 12 years,” said Ranch Manager Lewis Scherer.

Land management practices at the ranch include improving soil, water and vegetation, prescribed burning and cedar control.

Other awards:TWA Volunteers of the Year Awards

Adult — Paul and Charlie GrindstaffAdult — John MillerYouth — Andrew SkiptonYouth — Austin Blackwell

TWA Sam Beasom Conservation Leader Award — Carter Smith

TWA Ray Murski Friend of Wildlife Award— Tina Y. Buford

TBGA Conservation College Scholarship Statewide Winner — Skyler Henderson of Gorman

TBGA Photo Contest WinnersYouth division — Bradin HanselkaWhitetail division — Clayton BonnerPronghorn division — Tyler BrimagerOverall winner for the 2013-2014 season - Jenna Kelley

TBGA Landowner of the Year AwardsRegion 3 — MT7 Ranch, Owners Mike

and Mary Terry Family, Manager Ty Bartoskewitz

Region 4 — Back Porch Ranch, Owners David and Crystal Watts, Manager Crystal Watts

Statewide Winner — Flagler Ranch, Owner George Matthews, Manager Lewis Scherer

TWAContinued from page 4

Wylie man elected to DU board

David Feckley, of Wylie, was elected to Ducks Unlimited Inc.’s national board of directors during the organization’s annual convention in St. Louis.

Feckley was introduced to DU more than 30 years ago when his father took him to an event. Since then, he has been involved with DU in a variety of ways. He is currently a Diamond Life Sponsor serv-ing his second term on DU’s Conservation Programs Committee.

Through his position as senior natu-ral resources manager for Nestle Waters, Feckley has helped DU form a partner-ship with the company to better manage and maintain existing wetlands on their property in East Texas. Nestlé Waters has also invested in DU’s Gulf Coast Initiative.

“Since clean water is vitally important to our company and DU, and wetland habitats serve an enormous role in pro-viding clean water, helping preserve and restore those habitats is important to both of us,” Feckley said.

— DU


FISHING


Nueces Bay has long been known as an area with changing variables, and fi shing lately has proven that it takes a keen eye and knowledge of the area to bring in a full limit.

Tide changes, reoccurring and disappearing reefs and alternating salinity levels aren’t enough to keep guides out of the region, and clients have had their fair share of success in recent weeks.

“It’s a bay that overall has been pretty good through-out the season,” Capt. Allen Sifford said. “I’m catching fi sh on the reefs throughout the bay system.”

The reefs are the key, he pointed out, but also make for some interesting navigation. As tides come in and out, boaters are often left unaware of oyster reefs hover-ing just below the surface.

Capt. Noe Garza, a lifelong resident of the Corpus Christi area, said that isn’t always a bad thing.

“There are a lot of reefs in there,” he said. “That deters a lot of people, which keeps the pressure down, and it’s

a reason why I don’t go in there all the time.”Nevertheless, Capt. Pat Tabor said charters have been

having success with keeper trout and even some bull reds in the area.

“The weights have been better than I’ve seen in a long time,” Tabor said. “For the Nueces, it has been pretty consistent.”

All three captains have primarily been using bait — throwing croakers and live shrimp with their clients. If conditions are right, with low winds, it will be one of

the fi rst places they try during a day on the water.As for the water conditions, that just depends on the

time of the year. The salinity levels of the bay change as water is released from Lake Corpus Christi into the Nueces River.

“That’s one of the things about this bay system — it changes from year to year,” Sifford said. “One year it may be real hot, than the next year it may not be. It

Worth the

effortNueces Bay’s changing conditions don’t stop trout bite

See NUECES BAY, Page 11

THEY’RE IN THERE: Quickly changing tides, shallow boating conditions and changing salinity levels keep anglers on their toes in Nueces Bay, but for those who are in the know, it can be one of the best spots on the Gulf Coast. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

MORE THAN A STATE RECORD: Although only 2.02 pounds, this Rio Grande cichlid is the new world record. Photo by Charles Dewey.


Charles Dewey is one of the best panfish anglers in the state.

His multiple records and big fish awards from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department attest to that fact.

Now, he might be known as

one of the best in the world after a Rio Grande cichlid he caught on Sept. 2, 2011 was recently cer-tified as the official world record by the International Game Fish Association.

“I submitted paperwork to the IGF in March and just got the certificate back,” Dewey said. “The fish was 2.20 pounds, 11.1 inches long and had a 12-inch girth.”

Dewey said he was fishing with ultralight tackle and using earthworms as bait.

Along with Lake Dunlap, which Dewey said has been a little off this year for Rios, the Comal and San Marcos rivers are great places to look for trophy cichlids.

“The hotspot right now is the Comal River,” he said. “But this time of year, there are a lot of swimmers you have to watch out for.”

Dewey said the prime months to catch cichlids are August, September and October, before the first cold weather.

“They are not a cold-water fish,” he said. “Anything below 58 degrees is fatal. Between 72 and 82 degrees is optimal.”

Biggest in the world2.02-pound Lake Dunlap Rio Grande

cichlid certifi ed as world record By Conor HarrisonLone Star outdoor newS

The 61st Street Pier in Galveston got a little more inter-esting last week when a kayaker rowing a fi shing line past the last sandbar off the pier got into an argument with a shrimp boat that ended with a gunshot.

According to Game Warden Capt. Edward Tanuz of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the kayaker and shrimp boat captain had a disagreement.

“At best, it comes down to two individuals who felt like they had the legal right to be where they were at,” Tanuz said. “It escalated and ended with the captain of the shrimp boat dis-

charging a weapon. We can’t allow that to happen.”

The captain, identifi ed as Edward Dwayne Harrison, 49, of Webster, was arrested and charged with deadly conduct several hours after the incident.

“The kayaker was dragging a line out there, which is common off of the 61st Street Pier,” Tanuz said. “The kayaker could have contributed to the situation escalating, but it still shouldn’t have gone as far as it did.”

Tanuz said the round fi red did not hit the kayaker or his boat, but was in a diagonal direction toward the beach, which could have endangered other people.

A court date has not been set.

Shrimp boat captain shoots at kayaker during argument

Water fi ght

Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series coming to Texoma

The Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series announced their schedule for the 2015 season. The new schedule will consist of the Cabela’s Collegiate Big Bass Bash, the Collegiate Bass Fishing Open, and the season-ending BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship.

The 2015 Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series presented by

BoatUS will showcase four nation-ally televised events on some of the nation’s top fi sheries. The 2015 schedule is as follows:

Cabela’s Collegiate Big Bass Bash — March 13-15, 2015 — Kentucky Lake — Paris, Tennessee

Collegiate Bass Fishing Open — April 17-19, 2015 — Lake Chickamauga — Dayton, Tennessee

The Texas Shootout — April 25-26, 2015 — Lake Texoma

BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship — May 20-22, 2015 — Pickwick Lake — Florence, Alabama

— Cabela’s


GLAD TO GET OUT: Dan Rodriguez stands and looks over the rim of a canyon where he and his party escaped before fl ash fl ood waters made the river rise 33 feet in a matter of hours, trapping several groups of anglers. Photo by Bert Rodriguez.

Nightmare on the PecosFishing trip turns into fi ght for survival during fl ash fl oodsBy Conor HarrisonLone Star outdoor newS

Fort Worth angler Bert Rodriguez, along with his son, Dan, and friends Ryan Dennehy and Scott Gartman, just wanted to get out and explore the Pecos River, do a little fi shing and learn the river for future trips.

Suffi ce to say they got more than they bargained for.

The group began their trip near Pandale and planned to paddle 55 miles in fi ve days, fi shing and map-ping the river along the way.

On the third night, rain began to fall upriver from where the group had pulled over to camp for the night.

“We saw clouds and used the sat-ellite phone to check the weather,” Bert Rodriguez said. “The forecast was for rain until about 5 a.m. and we were also advised there was a fl ash fl ood watch in effect — not the kind of news you want to hear. We marked the river level with rocks. It began raining about 3 a.m.”

The group checked the river again and talked about packing up and heading downriver, but being unfamiliar with what lay ahead, they decided to stay put.

“We picked this campsite because it had a way out,” Rodriguez said.

See FLOOD, Page 11

Poco Bueno offshore cancelled

The offshore portion of the famed Poco Bueno Fishing Tournament out of Port O’Connor was canceled last weekend due to high seas and winds offshore.

However, the inshore portion of the tournament went off as sched-uled and Vic Schaefer and Jim Wisor of team Hail State won the inshore portion as with a combined 46.55 pounds.

Jerrod Poffenberger and Luke Luedeker of team Dragon Fly took fi rst in the fl y portion with 31.5 pounds.

There were 107 inshore teams registered. About 65 weighed in on Friday and around the same number made it on Saturday.

The largest redfi sh caught weighed 9.15 pounds and the largest trout pulled the scales to 6.55 pounds.

There were 117 boats registered in the canceled offshore portion.

— Staff report

Mepps wants squirrel tails

Attention Texas squirrel hunters, Mepps, the lure company, needs squirrel tails to create hand-tied, dressed hooks for their lures.

“We’ve tried hundreds of other natural and synthetic materi-als; bear hair, fox, coyote, badger, skunk, deer, even Angus cow, but nothing works as well as squir-rel tail hair,” said Kurt Mazurek, Mepps communications director.

Mepps buys fox, black, grey and red squirrel tails and will pay up to 26 cents each for tails, depending on quality and quantity. Plus, the cash value is doubled if the tails are traded for Mepps lures.

Go to mepps.com for more infor-mation and check local season dates.

— Staff report


n Saltwater reports: SEE MOREPage 14

Saltwater reports:

School in sessionLAKE BASTROP — Largemouth bass are schooling in Lake Bastrop and the fi shing has been

good when anglers can fi nd the balls of bait below the surface and key on the feeding bass.According to multiple anglers, trolling crankbaits and throwing shad-colored top-waters has

produced some action in the morning and through midday. Spinner baits fi shed above the thermo-cline are also producing.

Hollow-body frogs are also catching fi sh near lily pads and reeds closer to shorelines.

The water is between 83 and 87 degrees. Along with bass, crappie are fair on minnows and catfi sh are good

on stinkbait.

Frog biteTOLEDO BEND RESERVOIR — A Stanley Ribbit Frog fi shed around lily pads has been the

ticket during the cooler morning and evening hours on the border lake.According to anglers on the Texas Fishing Forum, along with a decent frog bite, some are

fi nding success fi shing humps and ridges in the timber. Look for shallow areas with quick drop-offs to deeper water and fi sh them with fi nesse worms or Texas-rigged soft plastics.

High air temperatures has made daytime fi shing uncomfortable for many, and water temper-atures are between 81 and 85 degrees.

Along with largemouths, striped bass are being caught on white jigs, crappie are good with minnows in 15 to 20 feet and panfi sh are plentiful on nightcrawlers.

Minnows for crappie LAKE RAY ROBERTS — Recent rains have pushed the water higher on Ray Roberts and the

crappie fi shing has picked up.According to guide Cody Tucker, the crappie bite has been good, although a lot of undersized

fi sh are being caught.“But the keepers we had were all really good ones,” he said. “This fi sh have been very scattered

but we have been able to stay on top of them pretty good. Minnows have been a necessity. Fish are still relating to the bottom and any depth of water ranging from 10 to 25 feet (is working). Just don’t give up on an area too soon — just because the fi rst couple of trees you fi sh don’t produce doesn’t mean they won’t be on the next.”

To contact guide Cody Tucker, call (940) 230-1901.— Conor Harrison

ALAN HENRY: Water stained; 75–83 degrees; 16.77’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on top-waters, shallow-running crankbaits and Texas rigs. Crappie are good on live minnows and jigs over brush piles.

AMISTAD: Water stained; 82–86 degrees; 41.70’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters, and on watermelon seed and green pumpkin soft plastics in 18–20 feet.

ATHENS: Water clear; 85–89 degrees; 0.20’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on watermelon crea-ture baits and top-waters. Crappie are slow on minnows and jigs.

BELTON: Water murky; 79–83 degrees; 8.50’ low. Largemouth bass are good trolling lipless crankbaits.

BOB SANDLIN: Water clear; 86–89 degrees; 1.24’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on weightless soft plastics and Texas rig plastic worms. Crappie are good on min-nows.

BONHAM: Water clear, 83–87 degrees; 2.82’ low. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits and soft plastics near shallow fl ats with grass, boat docks, ridges, creek channels and rocky points up to 15’ deep. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows on offshore brush piles. Catfi sh are excellent along the rocks with stinkbait, chicken liver and cut shad.

BRAUNIG: Water stained. Large-mouth bass are fair on crankbaits and dark soft plastic worms near the dam. Redfi sh are good down rigging near the jetty and dam. Channel and blue catfi sh are very good on cut bait and cheesebait near the hot water discharge.

BRIDGEPORT: Water clear, 84–88 degrees; 22.37’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on white medium crankbaits near riprap and green pumpkin shaky head worms on deeper docks. Crappie are good on minnows and tube jigs. White bass are good on slabs and top-waters. Hybrid striper are good on slabs and top-waters.

BROWNWOOD: Water stained; 82–86 degrees; 11.60’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. White bass are slow.

BUCHANAN: Water murky; 79–83 degrees; 28.18’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged grape worms, fl ukes, and water-melon top-waters around stumps in 5–15 feet. Striped bass are good on Red Fins, Zara Jr’s, and trolling crankbaits on the surface at daylight.

CADDO: Water stained; 84–88 degrees; 0.20’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on bladed jigs and hollow-body frogs near stumps and shallow cover.

CALAVERAS: Water stained. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse lipless crankbaits and soft plastics. Striped bass are fair on chicken livers and shad along the shoreline.

CANYON LAKE: Water murky; 80–84 degrees; 8.77’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Pop R’s, crankbaits and Flukes upriver along shorelines in 4–8 feet at daylight. Striped bass are fair drifting live bait and trolling crankbaits. White bass are slow.

CEDAR CREEK: Water clear; 84–89 degrees; 3.43’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas-rigged craws in green pumpkin and top-water poppers. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid striper are good on top-waters.

CHOKE CANYON: Water stained; 81–85 degrees; 25.31’ low. Largemouth bass are good on deep-running crankbaits and white/chartreuse spinner baits.

COLEMAN: Water clear; 79–83 degrees; 17.99’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon red and watermelon green spinner baits and soft plastics. Hybrid striper are fair on live shad.

COLETO CREEK: Water clear; 88 degrees in main lake, 100 degrees at hot water discharge; 1.51’ low. Largemouth bass to 5 pounds are good on soft plastics and spinner baits in 6–10 feet. White bass are slow.

CONROE: Water stained; 81–85 degrees; 0.04’ high. Largemouth bass are slow. Striped bass are fair on shad-colored crankbaits and silver striper jigs.

COOPER: Water clear; 83–87 degrees; 8.40’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters and drop-shot fi nesse worms. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.

FALCON: Water murky; 83–87 degrees; 29.13’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on shallow-running crankbaits and Carolina-rigged soft plastics.

FAYETTE: Water stained. Large-mouth bass are fair on watermel-on and watermelon gold Carolina-rigged soft plastics in 10–18 feet. Channel and blue catfi sh are good on shrimp and cut shad in 8–12 feet.

FORK: Water clear; 84–89 degrees; 3.67’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on football jigs and drop-shot worms in 15–20’. White and yellow bass are good on top-waters. Crappie are good on minnows near the bridges.

FT. PHANTOM HILL: Water clear; 74–82 degrees; 14.87’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Zara Spooks, lipless crankbaits and Texas rigs.

GIBBONS CREEK: Water clear. Largemouth bass are fair on wa-termelon soft plastics and spinner baits.

GRANBURY: Water murky; 81–85 degrees; 4.83’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Carolina-rigged soft plastic worms and lizards, and on shad-colored crankbaits.

GRANGER: Water stained; 80–84 degrees; 0.17’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on jigs upriver. White bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows and pink tube jigs in 12-15 feet.

GRAPEVINE: Water clear; 84–87 degrees; 10.80’ low. Largemouth bass are good on shaky head worms and top-waters near main lake points. Crappie are good on minnows and chartreuse jigs. White bass are good on slabs. Catfi sh are good on trotlines and

nightcrawlers.

HOUSTON COUNTY: Water stained; 86–90 degrees; 0.03’ low. Largemouth bass to 10 pounds are good on top-waters and purple or red soft plastics. Channel and blue catfi sh are good on juglines baited with cut shad.

HUBBARD CREEK: Water off-color; 75–84 degrees; 27.20’ low. Largemouth bass are good on shaky heads, jigs, Texas rigs and spinner baits.

JOE POOL: Water clear; 83–87 degrees; 0.63’ low. Largemouth bass are good on medium- and deep-diving crankbaits.

LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water lightly stained; 85–89; degrees; 1.84’ high. Largemouth bass are slow on fl ipping jigs in black and blue and weightless soft plastics.

LAVON: Water lightly stained; 84–88 degrees; 11.92’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on black buzzbaits and Texas-rigged worms in 5–10’.

LBJ: Water stained; 81–85 degrees; 0.47’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on black/blue jigs, top-waters, and weightless watermelon red Whacky Sticks along seawalls and docks. Striped bass are fair on white striper jigs.

LEWISVILLE: Water clear; 83–87 degrees; 8.33’ low. Largemouth bass are good on shaky heads and medium-diving crankbaits near submerged rock.

LIVINGSTON: Water fairly clear; 81–85 degrees; 0.18’ high. Large-mouth bass are good on water-melon spinner baits and crankbaits.

Striped bass are fair on pet spoons, hellbenders, trolling tubes, and slabs.

MARTIN CREEK: Water clear; 89–93 degrees; 0.45’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on hollow-body frogs near shallow cover as well as drop-shot soft plastics.

MONTICELLO: Water fairly clear; 94–100 degrees; 0.89’ low. Large-mouth bass are good on deep-diving crankbaits and drop-shot fi nesse worms near the discharge.

NAVARRO MILLS: Water stained; 80–84 degrees; 0.07’ low. Large-mouth bass are good on watermelon and June bug soft plastic worms, white or chartreuse spinner baits, and shallow-running crankbaits.

O.H. IVIE: Water stained; 76–84 de-grees; 38.74’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Yellow Magics, Texas rigs, jigs and medium swimbaits.

OAK CREEK: Water stained; 75–83 degrees; 23.12’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on Carolina rigs, Texas rigs, jigs and chatter-baits.

PALESTINE: Water clear; 83–88 degrees; 0.22’ low. Largemouth bass are good on green pumpkin shaky heads and head rigs. Crappie are good on minnows.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Water fairly clear; 74–81 degrees; 15.15’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on drop-shot rigs, Carolina rigs, Texas rigs and crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.

PROCTOR: Water murky; 81–85 degrees; 10.58’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits and soft plastic worms early. Striped bass are good on live shad. White bass are excellent on minnows. Crappie are good on minnows. Channel and blue catfi sh are good on trotlines and juglines baited with goldfi sh.

RAY HUBBARD: Water clear; 85–89 degrees; 8.23’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on deep-diving crank-baits. Crappie are good on white jigs and minnows.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water lightly stained; 84–87 degrees; 7.06’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on

football jigs and Carolina-rigged worms.

SAM RAYBURN: Water murky; 80–84 degrees; 0.04’ high. Large-mouth bass are slow. Catfi sh are very good on trotlines baited with live bait and cut bait.

SOMERVILLE: Water murky; 80–84 degrees; 0.02’ high. Largemouth bass are slow. Hybrid striper are fair trolling slab spoons near the dam.

STILLHOUSE: Water murky; 82–86 degrees; 9.28’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon red and green pumpkin soft plastics. White bass are fair on minnows and Li’l Fishies.

SWEETWATER: Water murky; 75–82 degrees; 26.11’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on fl ukes and Texas rigs. Crappie are fair on live minnows.

TAWAKONI: Water stained; 85–89 degrees; 9.53’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on hollow-body frogs and shallow crankbaits in shad patterns.

TEXOMA: Water clear; 84–87 de-grees; 5.85’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters and Texas-rigged plastics near fl oating docks. Crappie are good on minnows.

TRAVIS: Water murky; 81–85 degrees; 52.48’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon worms and bone top-waters in 5–20 feet. Channel and blue cat-fi sh are good on fresh cut bait and nightcrawlers.

WALTER E. LONG: Water lightly stained. Largemouth bass are fair on shad. Crappie are good on min-nows and green/white tube jigs.

WHITNEY: Water murky; 80–84 de-grees; 7.34’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Striped bass are slow. Catfi sh are good on bait shrimp, stinkbait and liver.

WRIGHT PATMAN: Water lightly stained; 85–89 degrees; 6.28’ high. Largemouth bass are slow on hollow-body frogs and swim jigs. Some fi sh being caught early on top-waters. Crappie are good on jigs minnows. Catfi sh are fair on cut shad and prepared bait.

TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT


on stinkbait.



‘The rain projected to end at 5 a.m., but around 6:30 we made another call and the rain had been extended until 2 p.m. The watch had also changed into a fl ash fl ood warning.”

The group discussed options and fi g-ured the river would rise about 10 feet at the most. They were on a ledge about 12 feet above the river, so they stashed their gear and attempted to climb up on the route they found the previous day.

“Water had begun fl owing in from every nook and cranny of the canyon,” he said. “It was millions of gallons at this point. We couldn’t get up the route we had planned. There was a little draw that had a waterfall blocking it — there was no way across.”

The options at this point seemed to be wait out the rains on the ledge or get back into the kayaks and head down-river — something that was becoming increasingly unlikely with the rapidly rising river.

“Dan and Ryan went upriver but were blocked again by a bigger water-fall. We thought we might be able to get around it, so we paired up, locked arms and got by it. We found a jeep trail and climbed halfway up the canyon. At this point, we realized we weren’t going to die. I continued to watch the river and started seeing larger cane breaks and other debris fl oating down the now tur-bulent river.

“It reminded me of the Indonesian tsunami video I watched after that disaster—muddy, undulating currents, carrying house-sized islands of thick debris.”

After a failed attempt to get back to their campsite to retrieve gear due to the strengthening waterfalls, the group called the Border Patrol on their phone.

“They handed us off to the Comstock Border Patrol Station,” Rodriguez said. “They called the game warden, but it sounded like we woke him up and he told us to call 911. We called 911 and they handed us off to the Val Verde County Emergency Services. Then we

got passed to a lady named Victoria who heard our tale of woe and quickly took control of the situation.”

The group hiked to an abandoned building they had located from on top of the canyon. They gave Victoria their position and waited for help to arrive.

“We had a hell of a view of the fl ooded river as we waited on the bluff,” he said. “When we’d left the river two hours before, it had only come up 5 or 6 feet. Now the river was easily over 20-feet higher. A half-hour later we called Victoria for an update, expect-ing to be told that a truck had been dispatched to retrieve us; we were sur-prised to learn a Texas DPS helicopter was coming to get us.”

After several trips to pick the stranded anglers up, the group was safely trans-ported to Seminole Canyon State Park, but not before checking on their nearly $20,000 worth of gear and kayaks.

“We climbed aboard the helo and strapped in; then (the pilot) took off over the bluff, banking hard right and dropping into the river canyon to scout out our campsite. The kayaks were gone, and the muddy river was fl owing well above the highest ledge in the can-yon, obliterating any sign of our camp

or the ledge where we left our things. It’s funny how the human mind works. I’d been watching the river rise for the last four hours and I knew it had gone up well passed the ledge, but a part of me refused to believe our gear was gone until I actually saw it with my own eyes.”

Several more rescues were made that day on the Pecos — including a group of 16 and one paddler stranded on a vertical ledge above the river that had to be airlifted from the spot.

Rodriguez said it was one lesson learned that he won’t soon forget.

“We went to the lower Pecos River in search of adventure, and I guess you could say we found it, but we paid a high price,” he said. “Of course, as I’m reminded by my family and friends, it could have been worse. We made it off the river after an almost unprece-dented fl ood, and in a strange turn of events, our call for help on the satel-lite phone led to the rescue of at least one stranded paddler who was in a much more precarious position than we were.”

For the complete story of this amaz-ing trip, go to Bert Rodriguez’s blog, lonestarchronicles.com.

FloodContinued from page 9

TO THE RESCUE: A DPS helicopter fi nally arrived on scene and picked up the stranded kayakers after multiple calls to several agencies. Once in the air, Bert Rodriguez saw the water had swept away their gear and kayaks. Photo by Bert Rodriguez.

(the water) got really sweet for a couple of weeks, so that helped.”

Sifford said the freshwater releases bring a jolt into the system, jumpstarting the bite on both trout and redfi sh — that’s what he’s been seeing recently.

Tabor said salinity levels have been holding fairly steady as of late, and that has made the fi shing more predictable on the reefs, which is good for clients — and business. He’s been catching limits of trout over 20 inches.

Although the area has been affected by waste and refi n-ery runoff in the past, reports from anglers show that the Nueces is doing better than ever.

“I grew up in Corpus Christi, and I think it’s been get-ting a lot better,” Garza said. “Part of the thing is that you’ve got the refi neries there, but I don’t think it has affected the water much.”

In fact, he believes the pressure from additional anglers has had the biggest effect on the bay. Additional trout reg-ulations from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department have curbed the issue, he said.

“I don’t know if the bay has changed that much,” Garza said. “There are more regulations, and the more regula-tions, the better the fi shing.”

Tabor has seen changes over the years — in pressure and water pollution — but things generally fi nd a balance in the end.

Occasionally a reef will die off, and you have to give it some time,” he said. “The fi shing pressure wasn’t as bad in the past; you didn’t have the people you do now. It’s still a relatively unknown bay, but the word is starting to get out.”

Sifford said he hasn’t seen a notable decline in either the size or population of the trout, and he’s skeptical as to whether or not the TPWD regulations have had a positive effect. Redfi sh have been slower this season, but that’s not uncommon across Texas’ Gulf Coast.

While the trout bite is on, however, the charters will keep on braving the waters of the Nueces. Tabor cautioned anglers who are looking to venture into the bay.

“It’s really dangerous, I’ll tell you,” Tabor said. “I had a friend knock a hole in his boat the other day.”

But, if fi shermen can manage to dodge the obstacles, Nueces Bay seems to be in prime shape to give back its rewards — it just takes a little know-how.

“You just fi nd a reef and you hit it,” Tabor said. “Just go slow, working everything you can fi nd and learning some-thing new every time you head out there.”

Capt. Pat Tabor, (210) 643-0297Capt. Allen Sifford, (361) 244-2747Capt. Noe Garza, (361) 991-0775

Nueces BayContinued from page 8


WARDENS RESCUE MAN, SAVE HIS BOAT

Tom Green County Game Warden Cynde Aguilar and Major Doug Seamands responded to a call of a man who had been thrown from his bass boat while the boat continued to run. The operator was pulled from the water and was OK. The wardens, along with an officer from the lake division, were able to get to the boat that was running in circles and throw a rope under the prop to get it to stop. The boat came to a halt just a few feet away from a bridge.

ARMED FELON ARRESTEDHudspeth County Game Wardens

Turi Salinas, Tyler Reed and Rocky Corona assisted the Hudspeth County Sheriff’s Office in serving a felony arrest warrant on a subject who was possibly armed with a rifle. Units were deployed and the subject was seen driving along Interstate 20. A traffic stop was conducted and the subject was taken into cus-tody without incident. A rifle was recovered in the vehicle.

POACHERS SHOOT FAWN AT NIGHT FROM BOAT

Chambers County Game Wardens Daniel Pope, Patricia Vannoy, and David Vannoy were patrolling the Trinity River when they noticed a jonboat without lights approaching their location. The wardens con-tacted two subjects who said they had been out doing some frog-ging, but there were no frogs or frogging equipment in the vessel. The wardens discovered a freshly killed white-tailed fawn in a hid-den compartment under the boat’s removable front deck. After inter-viewing the subjects separately, they admitted to shooting the fawn with a .22 rifle while spotlighting on the river. Charges were filed for hunting deer at night, hunting deer with a light, hunting deer from a boat on

public water, hunting deer out of season, illegal means and meth-ods, no hunter education, improper lights on vessel and improper regis-tration. The subjects were arrested and cases are pending.

REPEAT BWI BOATER GIVES UPWhile patrolling Lake Texoma,

Grayson County Game Warden Michael Hummert and Fannin County Game Warden Randolph McGee stopped a boat for a water safety inspection and noticed the driver seemed highly intoxicated. After stumbling around in the boat unsuccessfully searching for the fire extinguisher that was beside his feet, the driver said, “I’ll be honest with you guys, I am intoxicated right now.” The operator was arrested for BWI. He refused to give a voluntary blood specimen, so a search war-rant was obtained and blood was collected. He was placed in the Grayson County Jail and charged with his second BWI.

GILL-NETTERS GRABBEDWhile patrolling a city lake,

Henderson County Game Warden Shawn Smith observed two indi-viduals in a kayak and a third individual in the water next to the kayak. A group of fishermen were

on the bank fishing with poles. The individuals in the water were found to be running a gill net. After all of the individuals were summoned to the bank, a 150-foot gill net was seized and cases were filed.

ILLEGAL GATOR HUNTERS CLAIM THEY WERE HOG HUNTING

Cherokee County Game Wardens Eric Collins and Brian Bearden responded to a call involving indi-viduals trespassing and believed to be hunting alligators in closed sea-son at Mud Creek. At the scene, the wardens made contact with the individuals who said they were hog hunting along the creek. Searching under the adjacent highway bridge, the wardens located the sub-ject’s boat, which contained a .22 rifle and a large spool of line tied to a large, weighted treble hook. Presented with the evidence, the subjects finally admitted to hunting alligators. Cases pending.

NOODLERS NABBED USING POLES WITH TREBLE HOOKS

Smith County Game Warden Chris Swift was patrolling around Lake Palestine when he observed three trucks parked by a bridge. A large group was seen noodling the rocks under the bridge. One pole

was observed, so contact was made. Swift discovered seven people were using a PVC pole with a treble hook attached; two more hooks were located and one snag pole was left in a hole. Multiple citations were issued for catching fish with illegal means and methods, a violation of hand fish law and fishing without a license.

MAN USES RIFLE TO KEEP DOE OUT OF HIS GARDEN

Henderson County Game Warden Dustin Balfanz received information about a deer that had just been shot. Balfanz patrolled to the suspect’s location and questioned him about the deer. After a brief interview, the man admitted to shooting a doe and hauling it off because it was in his garden. The suspect was educated on the laws regarding shooting deer and alternative ways to keep deer out of his garden. Cases pending for shooting a doe during closed season and waste of game.

“COOL MOM” ARRESTED FOR PROVIDING ALCOHOL TO MINORSWhile patrolling the Lake Bryan

recreation area, Brazos County Game Warden Dave Lewis and Grimes County Game Warden Jake Cawthon noticed a group of five

young people drinking alcohol. As the wardens neared, members of the group tried to hide their bot-tles. All members of the group were underage and admitted to drink-ing alcohol, which was provided by one of their mothers. The mother was contacted and arrived on the scene in 40 minutes. She admit-ted to buying the alcohol and stated that she “just wanted to be the cool mom.” She was arrested for provid-ing alcohol to a minor, a Class A misdemeanor.

JUST IN TIME, WARDENS HELP

WOMAN IN LABORGalveston County Game Wardens

Mack Chambers, Travis Fountain, and Jennifer Provaznik were on their way to the ferry after respond-ing to a nuisance alligator call on High Island when they noticed a driver in distress. The wardens found out the driver was in labor and on her way to the hospital to deliver her baby girl. The woman was alone with no help, so the war-dens drove her car and escorted her to the ferry. After the ferry ride, the wardens drove her to the hospital, where she was taken straight into the delivery room.

QUAIL TRAP AND BIRDS FOUND IN TRUNK OF CAR AFTER TRAFFIC STOP

While returning home from a day in the field, Starr County Game Wardens Jack Pearl and Ryan McGinley were informed that a Rio Grande City Police Officer had made a traffic stop on an individual and arrested him on outstanding war-rants. The individual said he had quail in a quail trap in the trunk of his car, so the wardens were called. The man told the wardens he had caught one more quail, in addition to what was in the trap, but had thrown it away because it had died. Citations were issued, cases pend-ing.

GAME WARDEN BLOTTERBOAT DRIVER KISSING PASSENGER WHILE MOVING,

NARROWLY MISSES WARDENS’ BOATSTrinity County Game Wardens Sam Shanafelt and

Randy Watts, along with Houston County Game Wardens Eddie Lehr and Zak Benge, patrolled Lake Livingston, White Rock Creek and the Trinity River for water safety violations. At approximately 9:45 p.m., the two game warden boats were side by side with their navigation lights on when the wardens noticed a boat headed their direction. As the boat approached, it became clear that the vessel was not turning and was headed straight for them. The war-

dens shined lights on the driver of the vessel and saw him leaning over and kissing a female passen-ger. The operator leaned back and turned his vessel and avoided hitting the motors of the wardens’ boats by about a foot. As the wardens approached, the driver said the wardens’ vessels need brighter lights. During an inspection, several indicators of alcohol were present and sobriety tests were admin-istered. After the tests, the operator was placed under arrest for BWI.



NORTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good under birds and pods of shad on soft plastics. Red-fi sh are good in the cuts and drains leading to the marsh on shrimp and scented plastics.

SOUTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good while drifting the reefs on live shrimp and top-waters. Drifters have been working slicks and pods of shad on the Reef on the south end. Trout are good at the jetty on live bait and top-waters.

BOLIVAR: Trout are good on the south shoreline on soft and scented plastics. Black drum, sand trout and redfi sh are good at Rollover Pass. Deep shell has produced trout on the outgoing tide. Trout are good in the surf on live bait.

TRINITY BAY: Trout are good for drifters working wells and shell pads on shrimp, croakers, soft plastics, Gamblers and Lit’l Johns. Redfi sh are good on live bait around the reefs and at the spillway.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are good for drifters working deep shell on limetreuse and plum

plastics. Whiting and sand trout are good on the edge of the Intracoastal on fresh shrimp. Trout are good on the Ship Channel on croakers and plastics.

WEST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are in the surf and off the piers on live bait. Sheepshead, redfi sh and black drum are good at the jetty on shrimp and crabs. Offshore is good for tarpon, king-fi sh, dorado and ling.

TEXAS CITY: Trout are fair to good on the reefs on live shrimp and croakers. Solid trout have come from the edge of the Ship Channel on croakers and shrimp.

FREEPORT: Trout are good at San Luis Pass on shrimp and twitchbaits. Sand trout and sheepshead are good on live shrimp on the reefs in Christmas Bay. Trout, Spanish mack-erel and sand trout are good at the jetties on live bait.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are good for drift-ers on live shrimp over humps and scattered shell. Redfi sh are fair to good on the edge of

the Intracoastal on crabs and mullet. Trout are fair to good in the surf on live bait.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair on sand and grass humps on soft plastics and top-waters. Redfi sh are fair on top-waters and live shrimp in Oyster Lake and Crab Lake.

PORT O’CONNOR: Trout and redfi sh are fair on top-waters and live bait over sand, grass and shell in San Antonio Bay. Trout are fair to good in the surf and at the jetty on croakers. Redfi sh are good on the shorelines.

ROCKPORT: Trout are fair in the guts and chan-nels on free–lined shrimp. Trout are fair over grass while drifting with live shrimp. Redfi sh are good on mullet on the Estes Flats and around Mud Island.

PORT ARANSAS: Trout, redfi sh and sheepshead are fair to good at the jetty on shrimp and croakers. Trout are fair to good in the surf on top-waters, piggies and croakers. Offshore is good for kingfi sh and ling.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Trout are fair to good on the

edge of the spoils on scented plastics and live shrimp. Redfi sh are good in the potholes on shrimp. Trout are fair to good along the King Ranch shoreline on croakers and piggy perch.

BAFFIN BAY: Trout are good over grass in the Land Cut. Trout are good on top-waters around rocks and grass. Trout are fair to good on the King Ranch shoreline on croakers, top-waters and plum plastics.

PORT MANSFIELD: Trout are good on top-waters around sand and grass. Redfi sh are fair to good while drifting pot holes and on live bait. Offshore is good for ling and kingfi sh.

SOUTH PADRE: Redfi sh and trout are good in the shallows of South Bay and Mexiquita Flats on shrimp and plastics under rattling corks. Tarpon are showing at the pass. Snook are fair on top-waters and shrimp.

PORT ISABEL: Trout and redfi sh are fair to good on the fl ats on live shrimp. Redfi sh are good on small top-waters. Trout are good on live bait on the edge of the channel drop–offs.

TEXAS SALTWATER FISHING REPORTCatching almost anything

RED DOT PIER — The popular fi shing pier near Corpus Christi is producing a little bit of everything right now, according to Lisa Perry.

“They are catching black drum from 20 to 27 inches, redfi sh from 21 to 35 inches, speckled trout in various sizes and fl ounder from 15 to 20 inches,” she said.

The bait being used is varying as much as the species being caught.Live or dead shrimp, perch, scented plastics, Fish Bites and mullet have all caught fi sh the past

few days.According to Perry, the water is clear, but that could change with each shift in the wind — and

the wind has been blowing.To contact Red Dot Pier, call (361) 937-5347.

Tougher biteSEADRIFT — According to Capt. Kris Kelley at Castaway Lodge, the bite is tougher than

normal, although decent fi sh are being caught when anglers are patient.“We’ve been dealing with strong winds and very low water levels and a break in the wind on

Saturday was just enough to light the trout up a bit off open bay reefs,” he said. “While noth-

ing about trout fi shing this year may be up to our expectations, we continue to make a push at them under ‘prudent’ situations.”

Capt. James Cunningham reported a frustrating attempt at wade fi shing, as it seemed like there was a boat on every conceivable piece of structure with potential. Capt. Chris Cady has been taking solid numbers and size working the back marsh by airboat and is encountering numerous schools including wads of black drum.

To contact Castaway Lodge, call (888) 618-4868.

Good gigging SAN LUIS PASS — The fl ounder gigging has been steady near San Luis Pass when the winds

are still enough for giggers to see the fi sh.According to multiple giggers on Internet forums, the rising tide has been more productive than

a falling tide, with the best success coming in less than a foot of water.Finding shallow reefs has put plenty of fi sh in the boat and the overall size has been good. A few

decent fi sh have come from mud bottoms, but shell has been more consistent.Along with the San Luis Pass area, giggers in the Rockport area are reporting good gigging with a

large average size in the back bays out of the wind.— Conor Harrison




A DAY ON THE LAKE: Four North Texas high schoolers had a productive day on Lake Ray Hubbard with guide Johnny Procell. The group spent the afternoon bringing in white bass and hybrid stripers, courtesy of a donation from Richard M. Hart to the Lone Star Outdoor News Founda-tion. Photos by Steve Schwartz, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Broadening horizonsLSONF offers fi shing opportunity to students


Sometimes new experiences are right out your back door, as four high school students learned on a recent excursion to Lake Ray Hubbard in July.

Through a generous donation from Texas Freshwater Fisheries Hall of Fame member Richard M. Hart to the Lone Star Outdoor News Foundation, the Bishop Lynch High School students had the chance to capitalize on the area’s stellar sand bass bite, as well as have a chance to fish with one of the area’s more notable guides — Johnny Procell.

The anglers, Jack Navin, 17, Matt Clary, 17, Parker Arnspiger, 17, and Reese Collum, 16, filed onto Johnny’s boat at the Harbor Bay Marina on Lake Ray

Hubbard on a sweltering Wednesday afternoon.“I had never been fishing for white bass with slabs

before,” Jack said. “It was pretty interesting.”That seemed to be the consensus from the group.

All four are involved with their bass club at Bishop Lynch to some extent, but don’t get the chance to take guided trips on area lakes.

After a short drive and brief instructions, the guide helped the four rig their lines.

“You can see there are some big ones down there,” Procell said, looking at his electronics. “Let it (the lure) drop, and then give it four quick reels. Stop, then reel again.”

It didn’t take long for them to catch on. Almost

See LSONF, Page 23

QuailContinued from page 6

Range conditions got a late start but they are greening up now.”Like most of the state’s wildlife, quail seem to be about a

month behind, but anywhere that receives rain between April and October should hold birds during hunting season.

In South Texas, ranch owner Ron Howard said the outlook is the best he’s seen in more than 20 years.

“It scares me to death to make this statement, but our quail numbers at Encino are the best I have seen since the early ’90s — ’92 and ’93,” Howard said. “We are seeing covey after covey of young birds ranging from ‘spiders that can not yet fl y’ to 2- to 3-week-old chicks that can just clear the weeds, to young birds that you can barely distinguish from the adults. On top of this, I see one to three pairs for every covey I see, meaning the poten-tial for growth is still immense.

“We are still hearing the ‘bobwhiting’ throughout the pas-ture, but this has slowed in some areas where we have not recently received showers.”

Howard said the areas that continue to see moisture are still the best areas to spot birds, but the last three weeks of heat have dried some areas out.

“All in all, 2014-15 could be the best quail season we have experienced at Encino in 20-plus years if the birds we have and the pairs continue to nest.”

In the Rolling Plains, hunters are reporting good nesting con-ditions and lots of birds — many in places that haven’t held many quail the past few seasons.

“Forty-nine — that’s the number of nests recorded thus far at Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch; the most we’ve recorded since we started RPQRR in 2008,” according to the RPQRR Newsletter. “Nest survival (hatch rate) at this time stands at 51 percent. Across the bobwhite’s range, nest survival is only about 30 percent.”

TPWD’s new online-only drawn hunts a breeze

Hunters in the fi eld don’t mind a hard hunt that takes lots of time and effort.

The same can’t be said when applying online for hunting opportunities — those should be as quick and easy as possible.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s new online public hunt system meets both require-ments.

According to TPWD, “In addition to now being able to apply for multiple hunt areas within the same hunt category (i.e. apply for a Gun Deer — Either Sex hunt on more than one hunt area), the online system will give applicants more time to apply. With no paper applications to mail in, appli-cants will have until midnight CST on the day of the deadline to apply. Applicants will also retain and continue to accrue Preference Points, now called Loyalty Points, as in the past.”

Signing up for the drawn hunts is easy, and if hunters have bought a hunting or fi shing license, or applied for online hunts before, all that is required is the TPWD identifi cation number.

The LSON crew took some time to look the hunts over and applied for several that fi t what categories they were hoping to draw for in the fall.

The process was straightforward and the hunts were easy to locate, place in your online shop-ping cart and pay at checkout when done. The only “hidden fee” on a $15 purchase was a 59-cent fee on the bill for “privileges and fees.”

Applications deadlines begin in August and end in January.

— Staff report


SHARE AN ADVENTUREn Want to share hunting and fish-ing photos with other Lone Star Outdoor News readers? Email them with contact and caption information to [email protected]. High-resolution original jpegs only. Mail prints to Heroes, Lone Star Outdoor News, P.O. Box 551695, Dallas, TX 75355.

HEROES

Farmersville angler ALYSON HENSON, fishing with her dad, BILL HENSON, and grandpa, JIM HENSON, caught a nice Lake Cooper crappie.

BLAYR ROBERTS caught this 5-pound largemouth bass on Lake Texoma.

BRINLEY KLOSTERHOFF harvested her first deer on Nov. 16 with a .223 Savage.

ASPEN NELSON, 8, took her first deer on Oct. 26 in Bertram hunting with her mom and dad.

BARON BOYETTE caught this 29-inch, 8-pound trout with a fly rod near Galveston.


Aging deer is nowhere near an exact science, and Richards said the better you know your deer, the better you’ll be at aging them.

“Learn to recognize individual deer on the ranch,” he said. “Beyond the antlers, look for unique white patches on the neck, cuts in the ears, markings on the face or tail patterns. With trail cameras, this has become much easier over the years.”

If your plan is to look for bucks more than 5 years old to take, Richards’ photographs show what to watch.

“Look where the neck joins the brisket,” he said. “It should look like one continuous muscle. Even during the rut, the 2 1/2- and 3 1/2-year-olds don’t get the big, swollen neck.”

Next, check the face.“It should look like a fat triangle,” Richards said of the

feature often called the Roman nose.Move to the belly and hips, and watch the deer move.“If the buck is 5, it should sag,” Richards said. “The

hips may be pointed. And watch them walk and move around — in the older bucks things shake and jiggle a little.”

More subtle cues also may help in aging that tempt-ing buck.

“If there are other deer around, watch how they stand,” Richards said. “The older deer stand higher.”

And the rule about not looking at the antlers has an occasional exception.

“If there is beading on the antlers, that doesn’t hap-pen until the buck is at least 4, and usually 5 or 6,” Richards said.

The buck’s skin, forehead and tarsal glands provide more clues.

“More wrinkles do happen in older deer,” Richards said, “but don’t rely on it. Ear wrinkles don’t tell the age. I’ve seen big 3-year-olds with ear wrinkles.”

The dark patch on a buck’s forehead is more telling, Richards said.

“You’ll see the dark patch that looks like a skull cap from where the buck is secreting scent,” he said. “You don’t see that until he is at least 4 years old.”

The staining at the buck’s tarsal gland often provides the final and determining information.

“It gets larger with age,” Richards said. “After 6 years old, caloric staining may occur where the acid actually burns the hide. It gives it almost a silver look.”

The final tips to aging deer? Get close and get good optics.

“If you’re judging or shooting deer at long distances, you’re going to make a lot of mistakes,” Richards said. “Distance and poor lighting lead to the most errors. And get good glass. There are a lot of quality optics out there, and they are becoming more and more affordable.”

AgingContinued from page 1

Aging deer on the hoof — tips:

1½ “Little kids”Body resembles that of a doeBe careful: Can carry up to 10 points

2½ “Teenagers”Straight lines on back, bellyLegs are too long for their bodyLong faceRounded hipGood distance between neck and brisket

3½ “Starting to mature”Even during the rut, the neck still appears smallHead is bigger than the neckSmaller tarsal stainBe careful: Can look tremendous

4½ “Best shape of their life”Legs look proportional, but nothing saggingBack straightStill a gap between neck and brisketMay have beginning of skull cap on forehead

5½ “Like a 40-year-old guy”Body outgrowing the legsSagging bellyTriangulation of head, skull cap on foreheadBrisket turns into a muscle

6½ “Like a 50- to 60-year-old”Face looks like a small dot sitting on a pedestal, or a 50-gallon drum on a toothpick

7½ “Fat old guy”Wrinkles, dimples, brisket hangs down, jiggles when he moves, hips may show

LOOK AT ALL ANGLES: At first glance, this 14-point buck with decent mass looks like a mature deer (top photo), but another angle of the same deer reveals a narrow face, body and other characteristics that show he is a young deer with great potential. Always try and get several views of the buck you are judging before accurately aging him. Photo by LSON.


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Moon Phases

FOR THE TABLEOUTDOOR PUZZLER | By Wilbur “Wib” Lundeen Solution on Page 28

Sun Moon Tides| |

1 package sliced portabello mush-rooms2 boned pheasant breasts 2 oz. olive oil 3 oz. dry sherry wine 1 slice prosciutto ham cut in small pieces 1 clove minced garlic 1 pinch pepper 1 pinch oregano 1 pinch garlic powder 1 tbsp. butter (optional)

2 slices mozzarella cheese (or crumbled equivalent)

Cut pheasant into fi nger-sized pieces and sauté in olive oil and garlic. Add wine, mushrooms, prosciutto ham, and spices. Cook until pheasant and mushrooms are tender. Add butter. Melt mozzarella cheese over top and simmer until it mixes with pheasant and mushrooms.

— NSSF

12 (8-oz.) snapper or grouper fi llets1/4 cup olive oil1 tbsp. Greek seasoning24 (1/4-inch-thick) lemon slices

Rub fi sh fi llets with oil; sprinkle evenly with Greek seasoning. Top each fi llet with 2 lemon slices.

Place a large piece of lightly greased heavy-duty aluminum foil over grill cooking grate. Arrange fi sh on foil. Grill fi llets, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350° to 400°) 15 minutes or until fi sh fl akes with a fork.

— myrecipes.com

Greek-grilled red snapper

Texas Coast TidesSabine Pass, northDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightJuly 25 4:59 AM 1.6H 10:19 AM 1.2L 2:12 PM 1.3H 9:28 PM -0.2LJuly 26 5:23 AM 1.6H 10:33 AM 1.2L 2:47 PM 1.3H 10:02 PM -0.1LJuly 27 5:45 AM 1.5H 10:56 AM 1.1L 3:24 PM 1.3H 10:36 PM 0.0LJuly 28 6:06 AM 1.5H 11:27 AM 1.0L 4:06 PM 1.3H 11:10 PM 0.1LJuly 29 6:29 AM 1.5H 12:05 PM 0.9L 4:55 PM 1.2H 11:45 PM 0.3LJuly 30 6:53 AM 1.5H 12:48 PM 0.8L 5:53 PM 1.1HJuly 31 12:20 AM 0.4L 7:16 AM 1.4H 1:35 PM 0.7L 7:06 PM 1.1HAug 01 12:57 AM 0.6L 7:36 AM 1.4H 2:23 PM 0.5L 8:38 PM 1.1HAug 02 1:38 AM 0.8L 7:53 AM 1.4H 3:14 PM 0.4L 10:25 PM 1.2 HAug 03 2:30 AM 1.0L 8:08 AM 1.4H 4:06 PM 0.2LAug 04 12:03 AM 1.3H 3:41 AM 1.2L 8:30 AM 1.4H 4:58 PM 0.0LAug 05 1:14 AM 1.4H 5:08 AM 1.3L 9:10 AM 1.4H 5:50 PM -0.2LAug 06 2:04 AM 1.6H 6:27 AM 1.4L 10:17 AM 1.5H 6:42 PM -0.3LAug 07 2:46 AM 1.7H 7:25 AM 1.3L 11:34 AM 1.5H 7:33 PM -0.4LAug 08 3:23 AM 1.7H 8:12 AM 1.3L 12:47 PM 1.6H 8:23 PM -0.5L

Port O’ConnorDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightJuly 25 10:45 AM 0.5H 11:52 PM -0.3LJuly 26 10:58 AM 0.5HJuly 27 12:21 AM -0.2L 10:53 AM 0.5HJuly 28 12:49 AM -0.2L 10:53 AM 0.4HJuly 29 1:19 AM -0.1L 11:01 AM 0.4HJuly 30 1:51 AM -0.1L 10:55 AM 0.4HJuly 31 2:23 AM 0.0L 9:43 AM 0.3H 4:22 PM 0.2L 8:48 PM 0.2 HAug 01 2:50 AM 0.1L 9:22 AM 0.3H 4:53 PM 0.1LAug 02 8:35 AM 0.4H 5:31 PM 0.0LAug 03 8:18 AM 0.4H 6:15 PM -0.1LAug 04 8:06 AM 0.5H 7:04 PM -0.1LAug 05 8:07 AM 0.6H 7:57 PM -0.2LAug 06 8:38 AM 0.7H 8:52 PM -0.2LAug 07 9:21 AM 0.7H 9:47 PM -0.2LAug 08 10:12 AM 0.7H 10:41 PM -0.2L

Portabello mushrooms with pheasant

*email LSON your favorite recipe to [email protected].

Rollover PassDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightJuly 25 1:01 AM -0.1L 10:07 AM 1.3HJuly 26 1:38 AM 0.0L 10:24 AM 1.2HJuly 27 2:06 AM 0.1L 10:26 AM 1.2HJuly 28 2:22 AM 0.1L 10:10 AM 1.1H 4:41 PM 0.8L 7:14 PM 0.9 HJuly 29 2:35 AM 0.2L 10:06 AM 1.1H 5:09 PM 0.7L 8:19 PM 0.9 HJuly 30 2:57 AM 0.3L 10:17 AM 1.1H 5:33 PM 0.6L 9:29 PM 0.8 HJuly 31 3:25 AM 0.4L 10:34 AM 1.1H 5:54 PM 0.5L 10:47 PM 0.8 HAug 01 3:57 AM 0.6L 10:52 AM 1.1H 6:18 PM 0.4LAug 02 12:16 AM 0.8H 4:28 AM 0.7L 11:11 AM 1.1H 6:56 PM 0.3LAug 03 2:15 AM 0.9H 4:33 AM 0.9L 11:31 AM 1.1H 7:49 PM 0.2LAug 04 11:52 AM 1.1H 8:51 PM 0.1LAug 05 8:17 AM 1.2H 9:55 PM 0.0LAug 06 8:18 AM 1.2H 10:55 PM -0.1LAug 07 8:35 AM 1.3H 11:51 PM -0.2LAug 08 8:57 AM 1.3H

East MatagordaDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightJuly 25 8:07 AM 0.4H 11:05 AM 0.4L 1:42 PM 0.5H 11:12 PM 0.0LJuly 26 8:47 AM 0.4H 10:56 AM 0.4L 2:15 PM 0.4H 11:24 PM 0.0LJuly 27 3:20 PM 0.4H 11:46 PM 0.1LJuly 28 4:31 PM 0.4HJuly 29 12:19 AM 0.1L 5:12 PM 0.4HJuly 30 3:06 AM 0.2L 12:30 PM 0.4H 3:43 PM 0.3L 5:51 PM 0.3 HJuly 31 3:18 AM 0.2L 12:56 PM 0.3H 3:47 PM 0.3L 6:51 PM 0.3 HAug 01 3:26 AM 0.2L 9:32 AM 0.3H 3:52 PM 0.2LAug 02 1:46 AM 0.3H 3:51 AM 0.3L 8:31 AM 0.3H 6:29 PM 0.2LAug 03 2:30 AM 0.4H 6:57 PM 0.1LAug 04 4:04 AM 0.4H 7:09 PM 0.1LAug 05 4:55 AM 0.4H 7:24 AM 0.4L 9:58 AM 0.4H 7:27 PM 0.0LAug 06 11:31 AM 0.4H 8:02 PM 0.0LAug 07 12:32 PM 0.5H 10:00 PM 0.0LAug 08 7:19 AM 0.4H 10:55 AM 0.4L 1:09 PM 0.5H 10:32 PM 0.0L

Freeport HarborDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightJuly 25 5:12 AM 1.6H 9:25 PM -0.2LJuly 26 5:34 AM 1.6H 9:57 PM -0.1LJuly 27 5:54 AM 1.6H 12:42 PM 1.0L 2:59 PM 1.1H 10:25 PM 0.0LJuly 28 6:13 AM 1.5H 1:04 PM 0.9L 3:56 PM 1.0H 10:52 PM 0.1LJuly 29 6:33 AM 1.5H 1:24 PM 0.9L 4:56 PM 1.0H 11:19 PM 0.3LJuly 30 6:52 AM 1.4H 1:42 PM 0.8L 6:02 PM 1.0H 11:47 PM 0.4LJuly 31 7:11 AM 1.3H 2:00 PM 0.6L 7:18 PM 1.0HAug 01 12:18 AM 0.6L 7:28 AM 1.3H 2:24 PM 0.5L 8:45 PM 1.0 HAug 02 12:55 AM 0.8L 7:42 AM 1.2H 2:56 PM 0.3L 10:23 PM 1.1 HAug 03 1:46 AM 1.0L 7:49 AM 1.2H 3:38 PM 0.2LAug 04 12:03 AM 1.3H 4:14 AM 1.2L 7:11 AM 1.2H 4:27 PM 0.0LAug 05 1:22 AM 1.5H 5:20 PM -0.2LAug 06 2:17 AM 1.6H 6:16 PM -0.3LAug 07 3:03 AM 1.8H 7:11 PM -0.4LAug 08 3:44 AM 1.8H 8:06 PM -0.5L

South Padre IslandDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightJuly 25 7:06 AM 1.1H 9:24 PM -0.4LJuly 26 7:24 AM 1.0H 9:58 PM -0.3LJuly 27 7:17 AM 1.0H 10:29 PM -0.2LJuly 28 7:04 AM 0.9H 12:08 PM 0.8L 2:18 PM 0.8H 10:59 PM -0.1LJuly 29 7:03 AM 0.9H 12:41 PM 0.7L 3:33 PM 0.8H 11:30 PM 0.0LJuly 30 7:11 AM 0.9H 1:16 PM 0.6L 4:54 PM 0.7HJuly 31 12:01 AM 0.1L 7:23 AM 0.9H 1:51 PM 0.5L 6:29 PM 0.7 HAug 01 12:34 AM 0.3L 7:33 AM 0.8H 2:26 PM 0.4L 8:18 PM 0.7 HAug 02 1:07 AM 0.5L 7:35 AM 0.8H 3:05 PM 0.2L 10:22 PM 0.7 HAug 03 1:34 AM 0.7L 7:29 AM 0.9H 3:49 PM 0.1LAug 04 7:23 AM 0.9H 4:39 PM -0.1LAug 05 4:12 AM 1.0H 5:31 PM -0.2LAug 06 4:30 AM 1.1H 6:26 PM -0.3LAug 07 4:58 AM 1.2H 7:21 PM -0.4LAug 08 5:21 AM 1.2H 8:15 PM -0.5L

San Luis PassDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time Height July 25 5:53 AM 1.1H 11:03 AM 1.0L 1:55 PM 1.0H 10:07 PM -0.2LJuly 26 6:12 AM 1.1H 11:06 AM 0.9L 2:39 PM 1.0H 10:35 PM -0.2LJuly 27 6:31 AM 1.1H 11:22 AM 0.9L 3:24 PM 1.0H 11:02 PM -0.1LJuly 28 6:52 AM 1.1H 11:54 AM 0.8L 4:13 PM 0.9H 11:30 PM 0.0LJuly 29 7:15 AM 1.0H 12:36 PM 0.7L 5:09 PM 0.8H 11:58 PM 0.1LJuly 30 7:38 AM 1.0H 1:22 PM 0.6L 6:17 PM 0.8HJuly 31 12:28 AM 0.3L 8:00 AM 1.0H 2:11 PM 0.5L 7:44 PM 0.7 HAug 01 12:59 AM 0.4L 8:20 AM 1.0H 3:00 PM 0.4L 9:29 PM 0.7 HAug 02 1:31 AM 0.6L 8:34 AM 1.0H 3:49 PM 0.3L 11:22 PM 0.8 HAug 03 2:08 AM 0.7L 8:40 AM 1.0H 4:38 PM 0.2LAug 04 8:39 AM 1.0H 5:29 PM 0.0LAug 05 8:47 AM 1.1H 6:20 PM -0.1LAug 06 3:16 AM 1.1H 6:24 AM 1.1L 9:41 AM 1.1H 7:12 PM -0.3LAug 07 3:53 AM 1.2H 7:45 AM 1.1L 11:14 AM 1.2H 8:04 PM -0.3LAug 08 4:27 AM 1.3H 8:34 AM 1.1L 12:40 PM 1.2H 8:55 PM -0.4L

Port AransasDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightJuly 25 7:37 AM 0.8H 9:44 AM 0.7L 12:42 PM 0.8H 9:31 PM -0.2LJuly 26 6:22 AM 0.7H 10:00 AM 0.7L 1:37 PM 0.8H 10:00 PM -0.2LJuly 27 6:15 AM 0.7H 10:00 AM 0.6L 2:29 PM 0.8H 10:25 PM -0.2LJuly 28 6:07 AM 0.7H 10:18 AM 0.6L 3:20 PM 0.7H 10:49 PM -0.1LJuly 29 6:05 AM 0.7H 11:06 AM 0.5L 4:15 PM 0.7H 11:15 PM 0.0LJuly 30 6:23 AM 0.7H 11:55 AM 0.5L 5:14 PM 0.6H 11:43 PM 0.1LJuly 31 6:46 AM 0.7H 12:46 PM 0.4L 6:22 PM 0.6HAug 01 12:10 AM 0.2L 7:08 AM 0.7H 1:38 PM 0.3L 7:41 PM 0.5 HAug 02 12:33 AM 0.4L 7:28 AM 0.7H 2:35 PM 0.2L 9:19 PM 0.5 HAug 03 12:35 AM 0.5L 7:39 AM 0.7H 3:37 PM 0.1LAug 04 7:39 AM 0.7H 4:37 PM 0.0LAug 05 5:20 AM 0.8H 5:35 PM -0.1LAug 06 5:54 AM 0.9H 6:29 PM -0.2LAug 07 10:01 AM 0.9H 7:22 PM -0.3LAug 08 11:31 AM 0.9H 8:14 PM -0.3L

Galveston Bay entrance, north jettyDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightJuly 25 5:05 AM 1.6H 11:10 AM 1.2L 1:38 PM 1.3H 9:55 PM -0.2LJuly 26 5:30 AM 1.6H 11:28 AM 1.1L 2:39 PM 1.2H 10:34 PM -0.1LJuly 27 5:58 AM 1.6H 11:39 AM 1.1L 3:50 PM 1.2H 11:08 PM -0.1LJuly 28 6:31 AM 1.5H 12:01 PM 1.0L 4:30 PM 1.2H 11:40 PM 0.1LJuly 29 7:07 AM 1.4H 12:33 PM 0.9L 5:05 PM 1.2HJuly 30 12:12 AM 0.2L 7:42 AM 1.4H 1:12 PM 0.8L 5:45 PM 1.1 HJuly 31 12:46 AM 0.4L 8:06 AM 1.3H 1:51 PM 0.6L 6:55 PM 1.1 HAug 01 1:23 AM 0.6L 7:50 AM 1.3H 2:27 PM 0.5L 9:20 PM 1.1 HAug 02 1:58 AM 0.8L 7:57 AM 1.3H 3:04 PM 0.3L 10:32 PM 1.2 HAug 03 2:24 AM 1.0L 8:23 AM 1.4H 3:47 PM 0.2LAug 04 12:01 AM 1.3H 2:46 AM 1.1L 8:51 AM 1.4H 4:52 PM 0.1LAug 05 1:08 AM 1.4H 3:18 AM 1.3L 9:22 AM 1.5H 6:03 PM -0.1LAug 06 2:07 AM 1.5H 6:44 AM 1.4L 10:02 AM 1.5H 6:55 PM -0.3LAug 07 3:08 AM 1.6H 7:28 AM 1.4L 11:15 AM 1.5H 7:41 PM -0.4LAug 08 3:55 AM 1.7H 8:14 AM 1.3L 12:36 PM 1.6H 8:32 PM -0.4L

RockportDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightJuly 25 2:37 PM 0.2HJuly 26 12:41 AM -0.1L 3:27 PM 0.2HJuly 27 1:19 AM -0.1L 4:16 PM 0.2HJuly 28 1:52 AM -0.1L 5:07 PM 0.1HJuly 29 2:19 AM 0.0L 6:08 PM 0.1HJuly 30 2:40 AM 0.0L 10:36 AM 0.1H 3:40 PM 0.1L 7:41 PM 0.1HJuly 31 2:55 AM 0.0L 10:16 AM 0.1H 5:05 PM 0.0L 10:03 PM 0.1HAug 01 2:55 AM 0.0L 10:09 AM 0.1H 6:00 PM 0.0LAug 02 10:08 AM 0.2H 6:46 PM 0.0LAug 03 10:13 AM 0.2H 7:30 PM 0.0LAug 04 10:26 AM 0.2H 8:17 PM -0.1LAug 05 10:51 AM 0.2H 9:08 PM -0.1LAug 06 11:29 AM 0.3H 10:01 PM -0.1LAug 07 12:17 PM 0.3H 10:55 PM -0.1LAug 08 1:13 PM 0.3H 11:47 PM -0.1L

Moon PhasesLast

August 17FullAugust 10

NewJuly 26

FirstAugust 4

Houston2014 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONJuly-Aug. Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

San Antonio2014 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONJuly-Aug. Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

Amarillo2014 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONJuly-Aug. Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

Dallas2014 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONJuly-Aug. Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets

ACROSS 1. A large flat-bottomed boat 5. Buck’s domain markings 9. A graceful bird10. A deer food source11. A voice lure13. A term for type bow15. Still hunter’s deer platform17. Movement of an arrow in flight18. Of the tiger family19. Trapped for the fur22. The ______ retriever23. 11 across lure is made by _____ sound25. Many deer deaths are made by road ___26. A game bird27. Term for a round in an archery shoot29. Wary deer will ____ at a cover or blind30. Old tracks are ____33. To put wildfowl to flight37. Bowman’s protector, ____ pad39. A buck mating dance

41. A well populated elk state42. A female bear43. Cause of an arrow to drift44. Animal’s feature is the head topping DOWN 1. A part on a rifle 2. Product from 17 down 3. A deer will do this to escape danger 4. A deer food source 6. The shoulder hide on a deer 7. A hawk is one 8. A wild turkey putt12. A salmon13. A method of hunting14. Anything that attracts fish15. Camo covers for gun scopes16. A river’s undertow17. The wild sheep20. Racks21. Distribution of shot pellets24. To scan an area for

game25. They hold food, medical items26. To pull back a bow string28. A rodent31. To hunt or fish in wrong area

32. The bowman’s ammo34. A male dall35. The wild pig36. A kind of bow38. Hunt whitetail in early ____40. To treat a hide

Solunar | Sun times | Moon timesLegend: 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 loca-tion, and add 1 minute per 12 miles west of a location.

25Fri 5:37 11:48 6:00 12:12 7:35 9:18 6:34a 8:19p26Sat 6:22 ----- 6:44 12:56 7:36 9:17 7:26a 8:59p27Sun 7:07 12:56 7:29 1:18 7:37 9:17 8:18a 9:36p28Mon 7:54 1:43 8:15 2:04 7:37 9:16 9:10a 10:11p29Tue 8:40 2:30 9:02 2:51 7:38 9:16 10:02a 10:45p30Wed 9:28 3:17 9:49 3:38 7:38 9:15 10:53a 11:18p31Thu 10:16 4:05 10:37 4:26 7:39 9:14 11:45a 11:52p01Fri 11:04 4:53 11:26 5:15 7:40 9:14 12:37p NoMoon02Sat 11:52 5:41 ----- 6:04 7:40 9:13 1:31p 12:27a03Sun 12:17 6:29 12:41 6:53 7:41 9:12 2:27p 1:05a04Mon 1:07 7:18 1:31 7:44 7:41 9:11 3:25p 1:46a05Tue 1:55 8:08 2:22 8:36 7:42 9:11 4:25p 2:32a06Wed 2:45 8:59 3:14 9:28 7:43 9:10 5:24p 3:22a07Thu 3:36 9:51 4:06 10:21 7:43 9:09 6:23p 4:19a08Fri 4:29 10:44 4:59 11:14 7:44 9:08 7:18p 5:21a09Sat 5:24 11:39 5:54 ----- 7:44 9:07 8:10p 6:27a10Sun 6:21 12:11 6:50 12:35 7:45 9:06 8:59p 7:36a11Mon 7:19 1:05 7:48 1:33 7:46 9:06 9:44p 8:44a12Tue 8:19 2:05 8:47 2:33 7:46 9:05 10:28p 9:52a13Wed 9:20 3:06 9:46 3:33 7:47 9:04 11:10p 10:57a

25Fri 5:42 11:54 6:06 12:18 7:35 9:30 6:35a 8:30p26Sat 6:27 ----- 6:50 13:02 7:36 9:29 7:27a 9:09p27Sun 7:13 1:02 7:35 1:24 7:36 9:28 8:20a 9:45p28Mon 7:59 1:48 8:21 2:10 7:37 9:28 9:13a 10:19p29Tue 8:46 2:36 9:08 2:57 7:38 9:27 10:06a 10:52p30Wed 9:34 3:23 9:55 3:44 7:39 9:26 10:58a 11:24p31Thu 10:21 4:11 10:43 4:32 7:39 9:26 11:51a 11:57p01Fri 11:09 4:59 11:31 5:20 7:40 9:25 12:45p NoMoon02Sat 11:58 5:47 ----- 6:09 7:41 9:24 1:40p 12:31a03Sun 12:23 6:35 12:47 6:59 7:41 9:23 2:37p 1:08a04Mon 1:13 7:24 1:37 7:50 7:42 9:22 3:36p 1:48a05Tue 2:01 8:14 2:28 8:41 7:43 9:22 4:36p 2:32a06Wed 2:51 9:05 3:19 9:34 7:43 9:21 5:36p 3:23a07Thu 3:42 9:57 4:12 10:27 7:44 9:20 6:34p 4:19a08Fri 4:35 10:50 5:05 11:20 7:45 9:19 7:30p 5:22a09Sat 5:30 11:45 6:00 ----- 7:45 9:18 8:21p 6:28a10Sun 6:27 12:17 6:56 12:41 7:46 9:17 9:08p 7:38a11Mon 7:25 1:11 7:53 1:39 7:47 9:16 9:52p 8:48a12Tue 8:25 2:11 8:52 2:39 7:47 9:15 10:34p 9:57a13Wed 9:25 3:12 9:52 3:39 7:48 9:14 11:15p 11:04a

25Fri 5:49 ----- 6:13 12:24 7:49 9:30 6:48a 8:32p26Sat 6:34 ----- 6:57 13:08 7:49 9:29 7:39a 9:11p27Sun 7:20 1:09 7:42 1:31 7:50 9:29 8:31a 9:49p28Mon 8:06 1:55 8:28 2:17 7:50 9:28 9:23a 10:24p29Tue 8:53 2:42 9:14 3:04 7:51 9:27 10:15a 10:58p30Wed 9:40 3:30 10:01 3:51 7:51 9:27 11:06a 11:31p31Thu 10:28 4:17 10:49 4:39 7:52 9:26 11:58a NoMoon01Fri 11:16 5:05 11:38 5:27 7:53 9:25 12:50p 12:05a02Sat ----- 5:53 12:05 6:16 7:53 9:25 1:44p 12:40a03Sun 12:30 6:42 12:54 7:06 7:54 9:24 2:40p 1:18a04Mon 1:20 7:31 1:44 7:57 7:54 9:23 3:38p 1:59a05Tue 2:07 8:21 2:34 8:48 7:55 9:22 4:37p 2:45a06Wed 2:57 9:12 3:26 9:40 7:56 9:22 5:37p 3:36a07Thu 3:49 10:04 4:18 10:33 7:56 9:21 6:35p 4:33a08Fri 4:42 10:57 5:12 11:27 7:57 9:20 7:31p 5:35a09Sat 5:37 11:51 6:06 ----- 7:57 9:19 8:23p 6:41a10Sun 6:33 12:24 7:02 12:48 7:58 9:18 9:11p 7:49a11Mon 7:32 1:17 8:00 1:46 7:59 9:18 9:57p 8:57a12Tue 8:32 2:18 8:59 2:45 7:59 9:17 10:40p 10:05a13Wed 9:32 3:19 9:59 3:46 8:00 9:16 11:23p 11:10a

25Fri 6:02 ----- 6:26 12:38 7:50 9:55 6:51a 8:55p26Sat 6:47 ----- 7:10 13:22 7:51 9:54 7:44a 9:34p27Sun 7:33 1:22 7:55 1:44 7:51 9:54 8:37a 10:09p28Mon 8:19 2:09 8:41 2:30 7:52 9:53 9:31a 10:42p29Tue 9:06 2:56 9:28 3:17 7:53 9:52 10:25a 11:14p30Wed 9:54 3:43 10:15 4:04 7:54 9:51 11:19a 11:45p31Thu 10:41 4:31 11:03 4:52 7:54 9:50 12:13p NoMoon01Fri 11:30 5:19 11:51 5:40 7:55 9:50 1:07p 12:17a02Sat ----- 6:07 12:18 6:30 7:56 9:49 2:04p 12:50a03Sun 12:43 6:55 1:07 7:19 7:57 9:48 3:02p 1:25a04Mon 1:33 7:44 1:57 8:10 7:57 9:47 4:01p 2:04a05Tue 2:21 8:34 2:48 9:01 7:58 9:46 5:02p 2:48a06Wed 3:11 9:25 3:39 9:54 7:59 9:45 6:02p 3:38a07Thu 4:02 10:17 4:32 10:47 8:00 9:44 7:00p 4:35a08Fri 4:55 11:10 5:25 11:40 8:00 9:43 7:55p 5:38a09Sat 5:50 ----- 6:20 12:05 8:01 9:42 8:45p 6:45a10Sun 6:47 12:37 7:16 1:01 8:02 9:41 9:31p 7:56a11Mon 7:45 1:31 8:13 1:59 8:03 9:40 10:14p 9:07a12Tue 8:45 2:31 9:12 2:59 8:04 9:39 10:54p 10:17a13Wed 9:45 3:32 10:12 3:59 8:04 9:38 11:34p 11:26a


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Houston hunter

Baker Wardell,

9, was hunting

with his dad near

La Pryor on the

opening morning

of youth season

on March 8 when

this big gobbler

came to the call

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himself at 15 yards. Baker made a one-shot

kill with his dad’s 12-gauage

Remington 1100

Magnum.

Louisiana saltwater prices increasing

For the fi rst time in 14 years, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will increase its license fees for recreational, saltwater fi shing from $15 to $22.50 on August 1.

The increase places Louisiana in the middle of saltwater license fees among Gulf states. The department expects to generate an additional $2.25 million annually, which will be used to fund the agency’s LA Creel program.

LDWF recognized the shortcom-ings of the federally established Marine Recreational Information Program to provide the best avail-able data to fi sheries managers and began collecting their own recreational statistics through a new data collection program called LA Creel.

— LDWF

Offi cials urge BLM to conserve lands

More than 200 professional fi sh and wildlife scientists, includ-ing 12 former state fi sh and game agency directors and sev-eral former high-ranking federal agency offi cials, urged the U.S. Department of the Interior and Bureau of Land Management yesterday to “act promptly and meaningfully to conserve intact and unfragmented BLM-administered public lands across the West.”

“We recognize the critical importance of habitat provided by 245 million acres of Bureau of

Land Management-administered public lands,” stated the scientists in a letter, “and we are concerned about mounting pressures that could result in the development and fragmentation of these lands. Barring responsive action by the BLM, many large landscapes could cease to support abundant fi sh and wildlife populations that have been restored and maintained over the past century.”

The BLM is currently engaged in “Planning 2.0,” a process that will result in revision of the agency’s national land use planning hand-book. Citing energy development — both traditional and renewable — and poorly managed off-road vehicle use as activities that can fragment key fi sh and wildlife habitat, the management profes-sionals reiterated the need for careful, conscientious administra-tion of valuable public lands.

— Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

Unlicensed Oregon guide, wife convicted of numerous violations

An extensive investigation by the Oregon State Police and the Fish and Wildlife Division led to 23 people being charged with more than 200 counts of illegal hunting activity.

The investigation began with an anonymous tip to a Fish & Wildlife trooper in October, 2012, report-ing that Alan Roy Aronson of Bend was conducting illegal guided hunts.

Information obtained indicated Aronson provided guided hunts to hunters on private lands, whether or not the hunters had valid licenses or tags. At least nine buf-falo were killed from a neighboring ranch without the ranch owner’s consent. Dozens of elk also were killed illegally. Aronson was not a registered hunting guide in Oregon at the time of the unlawful activi-ties.

Aronson’s wife pleaded no con-test to illegally killing a 6x7 bull elk, was fi ned $15,350 in resti-tution, and received a three-year hunting license suspension.

Aronson pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of failure to register as an outfi tter and two felony counts of theft in the fi rst degree. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and fi ned $66,050, in addition to forfeiture of a 2005 pickup truck and two UTVs, and received a lifetime hunting license suspension.

— Oregon.gov

Florida wardens catch turtle poachers

Three Lakeland men and an Okeechobee freshwater tur-tle farmer were caught illegally harvesting, selling and buying wild-caught freshwater turtles as a result of a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission investigation.

FWC investigators through-out Polk and Seminole counties developed the case over a three-and-a-half-month period after the March 21 arrest of My Van Vo. Van Vo was caught by FWC offi cers on Lake Apopka in possession of 87

live softshell turtles weighing in excess of 500 pounds.

Subsequently, FWC investiga-tors learned two other Lakeland men were poaching freshwa-ter turtles on Lake Marion, Lake Haines, Crooked Lake and Lake Walk-In-Water as well as from the St. Johns River. The two men were transporting and selling their illegal catch to Harden and Son’s Turtle Farm in Okeechobee.

The three men were known to be involved in the illegal capture and exchange of a total of 2,100 pounds of live turtles.

— FWC

Senate kills sportsmen bill

The U.S. Senate effectively killed the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2014 when it failed to pass a vote that would have moved the bill forward.

After 81 amendments were offered to the bill, many of which were not supported by the sport-ing community or germane to the original bill, the vote refl ected the partisan animosity of the mid-year elections.

The bill had 46 cosponsors and had the strong support of most hunting and angling organizations and many conservation organiza-tions.

“Upfront, we wish to thank the bill’s sponsors Senators Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) for working with us to craft a bipartisan bill that we, and others in the sport-ing community, believe should have passed,” said American Sportfi shing Association Vice President Gordon Robertson. “It’s very disheartening that the Senate

process and partisan politics pulled down, for the second time in two years, a comprehensive sportsmen’s package that would have benefi ted this nation’s fi sh and wildlife resources as well as hunters and anglers.

“The failure had nothing to do with the merits of the bill and much to do with mid-term elec-tions this year,” Robertson said. “Neither party wants to give an advantage to the other. We under-stand that this has always been the way of politics, but we also understand that good public pol-icy requires discipline to do what is right for the nation. The former is what killed this legislation and other recent bills in the Senate.”

— ASA

Duck stamp prices rising?

Offi cials from Ducks Unlimited voiced strong support for the Federal Duck Stamp Act of 2014, a bill introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate that would raise the price of the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (Duck Stamp) to $25 from its cur-rent level of $15.

Since its enactment in 1934, the federal duck stamp program has protected nearly 6 million acres of habitat through expendi-tures of more than $900 million. The price of the duck stamp has been raised only seven times. It has been 24 years since the last increase, which raised the price of the stamp to $15 — the sin-gle longest period without a price increase in the program’s history.

— DU


immediately, each of them was pulling in fish — some small yel-low bass, but some white bass were in the mix as well.

“I got a bigger one,” Reese said with excitement, as his rod bowed towards the nearside of the boat. The other four anglers had a chance to turn and see him bring in what would be the largest fish of the day — a large hybrid striper, approximately 5 pounds.

“Don’t pick up that fish with just the rod or you’ll break it,” Procell said, as he nabbed the fish with his net.

All four anglers have been fish-ing for most of their lives. Jack enjoys spending time fly-fish-ing with his grandfather around the area. Parker said he actually got his dad involved in the sport after developing a passion at a young age.

“I’m a first-generation fisher-man,” Parker said. “The first fish I ever caught was a little bluegill that I caught with my hand.”

Matt and Reese, the two juniors on the trip, said they have been fishing for most of their lives, as well. Reese grew up fishing with his uncle in the area and Matt spent a lot of time fishing differ-ent area ponds, especially focus-ing on the golf courses.

As the afternoon passed, more and more fish piled into the cooler. Procell zipped across the lake to some of the spots he knew would produce fish. Each angler managed to catch several more — including a tree branch and Procell’s trolling motor — before the bite slowed down. The students then settled in for a quick ride across the lake to the marina.

Jack and Parker are preparing to finish up school by spring, then it’s off to college for the both of them — their plans aren’t solidified yet. Matt and Reese are just enjoying their summer off before beginning their junior year.

The four weren’t expecting a trip like the one on Ray Hubbard — LSON’s David J. Sams liter-ally approached Jack and Parker in their neighborhood to offer them the opportunity — but welcomed a break from the sum-mer heat to experience some-thing new.

“Can you get a picture of me with the fish?” Jack asked Reese as Procell was fileting the day’s catch at the marina.

“That was pretty awesome, I’ve never done anything like that before,” Matt commented as they were preparing to pack up their things.

A short afternoon in the near 100-degree temperatures was enough for everyone, but the four anglers left with a smile on their faces — and a few fish in their bag, as well.

LSONFContinued from page 17

figure out how to get the fish in the boat.

“It took a while to get it behind the chair and situ-ated,” Deerman said. “It finally cooperated after several gaffs. I looked down on the run to the dock and it was surreal. The anal fin looked like a dorsal fin on marlin we usually catch.”

The anglers knew the fish would top 900 pounds based on the formula using length and girth measurements, but didn’t know the official weight until it was hoisted onto the block and tackle in Rockport.

“I was talking to friends on the dock and everyone at the scales started yelling at me to come over,” Deerman said. “It blew my mind. We caught a 561-pound blue marlin in

this tournament last year, and that had been the biggest fish caught on the boat.”

Bastante Tournament Director Tami Noling said she was just hoping the scale was big enough when the fish was hoisted.

“I heard how big the fish was on the radio when they were on their way in,” she said. “I just kept having someone repeat it — 137.5 inches.”

The fish was filleted at the dock and distributed to local charities and anyone with a cooler nearby.

“Whoever was there with a cooler got some,” Noling said. “Tournament rules said the fish had to be brought to the scales in edible condition, and this was. Lots of people got to eat some of this fish.”

For their catch, the Legacy team earned a little more than $36,000.

MarlinContinued from page 1

74 INCHES AROUND: The new state record marlin measured an incredible 74-plus inches in diameter. Photo by Larry Doonan.



their feeding patterns are similar. “They’re usually eating crayfish, drag-

onflies and other things,” he said. “It’s not just fish; actually fish are a fairly small part of their diet.”

The key? They feed on anything that fish will feed on, which usually means they are where the fish are.

“I always encourage people to bring a pair of binoculars,” said Royce Simmons, a guide on Lake Richland Chambers.

While some anglers may think they’ve seen herons diving for fish, Shackelford said they are most likely seeing a different type of bird, such as a cormorant or peli-can.

“They never completely submerge their body,” Shackelford said. “The great blue heron is our tallest — it looks like he’s in deep water sometimes but it’s almost always a stump or something like that.”

But, he said if they’re near the water it’s a good sign for everyone. Herons will only venture near water to feed on something — their natural predators live near the water too, including snapping turtles.

“They’re usually not just standing in the water loafing. If the herons are in the water, they are feeding,” Shackelford said. “A lot of smart fishermen will key in on something like that.”

Simmons said they normally see the herons from late spring until fall. They don’t go seeking the birds, but when they do see them it’s definitely a red flag for fish.

“We look for them on shorelines and points,” Simmons said. “It doesn’t always necessarily mean that there are fish, but if we see a bunch of them in a timbered area, it’s dead giveaway.”

As for the type of fish, Shackelford said it does not matter — it’s all about the size. He’s seen them go after anything that they could possibly eat, and the results can be interesting.

“They’re not saying ‘Oh crap, that’s a grass carp, I’m not going to eat that,’” he said. “If it moves, it dies.”

This hunting mentality doesn’t always work in their favor, however.

“Your big herons could eat a catfish. In fact, I’ve seen some birds choke on them,” Shackelford said. “I saw one catch a bull-frog that puffed up. He tried to eat that thing for 30 minutes before he gave up.”

Simmons said searching for the herons has become a part of their routine, and it’s something they are always looking for in the summer months. Sometimes it can turn a slow day on the water into some-thing memorable.

“We’ve been fishing the lake since 1994,” Simmons said. “We’ve become pretty good bird watchers.”

HeronsContinued from page 1

IF IT MOVES, IT DIES: Herons feed based on the size of their target, not the species of their kill. Photo by Conor Harrison, Lone Star Outdoor News.


LONE STAR MARKET

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


CCA StarLeaderboard


Seamus Caskey knows how to catch big fi sh — this isn’t the fi rst time he has been leading a divi-sion in the Coastal Conservation Association’s Texas STAR Tournament.

Seamus, a rising freshman at Dripping Spring High School, and his dad, Bobby, departed out of Port Aransas but planned to fi sh closer to Port O’Connor.

“We were fi shing by Big Red,” Seamus Caskey said. “We were trolling a 2-pound blue runner. Only the big ones can eat a bait that big.”

Bobby Caskey said they had just caught a 46-pound king, and had just put the second bait behind the boat when the reel started to sing.

“I had just put it in,” he said. “It had soaked a few minutes and we had just started to troll. I thought the 46-pounder was big and this one made him look tiny.”

Seamus knew the fi sh was big by the amount of line taken off his reel.

“It went through 300 yards of line in a hurry,” he said. “It stripped half the reel in no time. The fi ght lasted about 25 minutes using 30-pound test line. It is defi -nitely my biggest kingfi sh.”

The boat quickly headed to the scales at Deep Sea Roundup in Port Aransas, and then on to the offi cial CCA STAR scale at Woody’s, where it was confi rmed at 56 pounds, 12 ounces.

That put Caskey just ahead of Chris Jacobs, who landed a 55 pound, 7 ounce kingfi sh.

Caskey also won a $20,000 scholarship in 2008 from CCA STAR.

Two anglers — Derek Nethercutt of Highlands and Mark Richner of Temple — have caught tagged red-fi sh.

The tournament runs through Labor Day weekend.

Fourteen-year-old leading CCA STAR kingfi sh division

with 56.8-pounder

YOU THOUGHT THE FIRST ONE WAS BIG? After landing a 46-pound kingfi sh, Seamus Cas-key, along with his dad and friends, hooked into a 56.8-pounder. Photo by Bobby Caskey.

HBSF grant shooters win nationals

The Collegiate National Shotgun Championships were held in San Antonio at the National Shooting Complex during the spring. More than a dozen current and former Higgins Branchini Shooting Foundation grant recipients participated. Ten HBSF grant recipients placed in the top 30 in a variety of events out of more than 700 competitors from 73 schools.

Several HBSF grant recipi-ents placed in the top 3 in different events at the ACUI Nationals, including:

Michael Harbin, University of Texas — 1st place Men’s American Skeet

Alex Rennert, University of Florida — 1st place Men’s International Bunker, 3rd place Men’s International Trap

Caitlin Connor, Louisiana State University — 1st place, Women’s International Skeet Invitational, 1st place, Women’s International Skeet Open (4th place Women’s High Over All for entire tour-nament)

Katie Lackey, Laramie Community College — 2nd place, Women’s International Skeet Invitational, 2nd place Women’s American Skeet

Katie Bonn, Portland State University — 2nd place, Women’s International Trap

Dania Vizzi, University of Florida — 3rd place, Women’s International Skeet

Logan Brinkley, Schreiner University — 3rd place, Women’s American Skeet

— HBSF


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PURSUIT CHANNELCarnivoreInto the WildHeadhunter ChroniclesThe High Road w/Keith WarrenDeer ThugsWinchester & Drury’s Natural BornNWTF 365BloodlineBrush Country MonstersSave the Habitat, Save the HuntJust HuntHunting with HECSDU TV

SPORTSMAN CHANNELMeateater

Guns & AmmoDavidson’s Gallery of GunsHandguns and Defensive WeaponsRuger Inside and OutBeyond the Battlefi eldWinchester ArcheryGuns & AmmoDavidson’s Gallery of GunsHandguns and Defensive WeaponsRuger Inside and OutBeyond the Battlefi eld SPORTSMAN CHANNEL Meateater

Realtree’s Monster BucksMajor League BowhunterRival WildWhitetail Properties Dreams to RealitySavage OutdoorsBrad Farris’ Game PlanRealtree’s Monster BucksMajor League BowhunterRival WildWhitetail PropertiesSavage Outdoors

SPORTSMAN CHANNEL Meateater

North American WhitetailDestination WhitetailMathews Dominant BucksBuckventuresBig Deer TVAdrenaline JunkiesNorth American WhitetailDestination WhitetailMathews Dominant BucksOutfi ttersrating TVWhitetail SLAM

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Bowhunter TVRelentless PursuitName the GameMidwest WhitetailEaston BowhuntingAmerican RebelBowhunter TVRelentless PursuitName the GameMidwest WhitetailEaston Bowhunting

SPORTSMAN CHANNEL Full Draw AdventureWhitetail FixHardcore PursuitWorld of Sports Afi eldWorld of BerettaThe WildlifersBlue Collar AdventuresOn The RoadHardcore PursuitWorld of Sports Afi eldWorld of BerettaThe WildlifersBlue Collar Adventures

SPORTSMAN CHANNELBohning’s Whitetail JourneyWhitetail SlamPigman: The SeriesGun It with Benny SpiesPetersen’s HuntingOff-Grid HunterPure HuntingTravelin’ HunterPigman: The SeriesGun It with Benny SpiesPetersen’s HuntingOff-Grid HunterPure Hunting

OUTDOOR CHANNELWestern ExtremeWhitetail FreaksMichael Waddell’s Bone CollectorGregg Ritz’s Hunt MastersHeartland BowhunterTerritories WildAdventure BowhunterRam Outdoorsman The Best of the WestWardens presented by StreamlightPro Hunt JournalRMEF Team ElkRam Outdoorsman

OUTDOOR CHANNELInside Outdoors TVFlesh and BloodThe Hit ListTed Nugent Spirit of the WildMossy Oak’s Hunting the CountryDriven with Pat and NicoleDrury’s THIRTEENDream SeasonEastman’s Hunting TVShawn Michael’s MRAPrimos Truth About HuntingDrury’s THIRTEENPSE’s Wild Outdoors

OUTDOOR CHANNELJim Shockey’s Uncharted

Midway USA’s Gun StoriesRemington CountryShooting USA

American Rifl eman TVNRA’s All Access Shooting USA’s Impossible ShotsMidway USA’s Gun StoriesShooting USA

Midway USA’s Gun Stories

OUTDOOR CHANNELThe Fowl LifeHigh PlacesBeyond the HuntThe Hunt with Greg and JakeRealtree RoadtripsRealtree’s NASCAR Outdoors Bow MadnessJim Shockey’s UnchartedPSE’s Wild OutdoorsJim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures The Jackie Bushman ShowThe Crush with Lee and TiffanyUltimate Hunting

OUTDOOR CHANNELJim Shockey’s Uncharted

Solo HunterWinchester LegendsFear No EvilPrimal InstinctRazor Dobbs AliveWinchester Rack MastersDriven with Pat and NicoleRam OutdoorsmanMossy Oak’s Hunting the CountryMichael Waddell’s Bone CollectorJim Shockey’s Uncharted

OUTDOOR CHANNEL Under Wild SkiesShawn Michael’s MRABest of the WestSteve’s Outdoor AdventuresRoger Raglin OutdoorsUltimate HuntingTrophy QuestChoose Your WeaponHeartland BowhunterBuck Commander Ted Nugent Spirit of the WildCraig Morgan’s All Access OutdoorsLive 2 Hunt

OUTDOOR CHANNELMathews TV with Dave WatsonCrush with Lee and TiffanyJim Shockey’s Hunting AdventuresWildgame NationRealtree OutdoorsPrimos Truth About HuntingNRA All AccessMichael Waddell’s Bone CollectorBottom FeedersJim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures Jim Shockey’s Hunting AdventuresRealtree OutdoorsWildgame Nation

WORLD FISHING NETWORKThe Scott Martin ChallengeKayak Bassin’ TVJack Links’ MLF

Facts of FIshinsFLW Tour

Bigg Bass BattleSouth Bend’s LunkervilleSkeeter Bass ChampsJack Links’ MLF

WORLD FISHING NETWORK Fin N SkinsThe New Fly FisherGuided with Mark MelnykThe SessionKings of the RiverDestination Spain The Next Bite TVUltimate Fishing ExperienceThe Legacy ExperienceFlorida Adventure QuestGuided with Mark MelnykThe Session

WORLD FISHING NETWORKReel AnimalsLindner’s Ultimate AnglerBill Boyce’s BajaGeorge Poveromo’s Saltwater FishingFlats ClassThe Hook and the CookCanadian Sportfi shingJarrett Edward’s OutdoorsFishing 411Extreme Angler TVBill Boyce’s BajaGeorge Poveromo’s Saltwater Fishing

WORLD FISHING NETWORK Musky Hunter The Fishi’n’ Crazee ShowGuided with Mark MelnykMusky HunterFishing 411Game Fisher’s DiaryFishing with Bill MillerBig Coast Sportfi shingFish TVHookin’ Up with Nick and MarikoSilent InvadersThe Kayak Fishing Show

WORLD FISHING NETWORK Krappie KingsJimmy Houston OutdoorsMillion Dollar CatchSouth Bend LunkervilleJohn Gillespie’s Water & WoodsFishing 411The Next Bite TVMark Berg’s Fishing AddictionBC OutdoorsMillion Dollar CatchSouth Bend LunkervilleJohn Gillespie’s Water & Woods

WORLD FISHING NETWORK The Fish ‘n’ Crazee ShowFishful ThinkerFlats ClassKing of the RiverAmerican Fly GuideJack Links’ MLF

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Prime Time | July

Remote territory on season premier of MeatEater

Adventure, exploration and education are a few integral components that fuel the success of the award-winning program, MeatEater with Steven Rinella. Sportsman Channel, the exclusive net-work home for MeatEater, unveils a season four recap week beginning Monday, July 28 at 6 p.m. CT. The mara-thon leads viewers into the premiere of season five of MeatEater on Thursday, July 31 at 7 p.m.

MeatEater is primed to take audiences on an outdoor thrill-ride across America as Steven Rinella ventures into new hunting and fishing territories. While travers-ing the country, Rinella will visit Kentucky for his first eastern elk hunt — a place once roamed by his hero Daniel Boone. Additionally, the show will take viewers to Alaska, Colorado, Wisconsin and New Mexico for unforget-table journeys which stretch the limits of spot and stalk hunting, while also featuring the masterful culinary prow-ess of the host cooking what he harvests.

“Steven is a master story-teller and does a great job of engaging viewers and mak-ing them feel a part of the adventure,” said Marc Fein, executive vice president of programming and produc-tion for Sportsman Channel. “His breadth of hunting and culinary knowledge is excep-tional.”

“The locations featured in season five are raw and exciting because there are a few areas I have never hunted,” said Rinella. “I have the opportunity to hunt mule deer, elk and explore regions that offer challeng-ing variables and factors of the unknown. Besides the unpredictable hunting and fishing, the show will feature three cooking specials that may give viewers a different perspective on how to con-sume breakfast and eat wild game.”

— Staff report

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pack of hounds quickly tracked down that cat. The young tom weighed 85 pounds and Vaught said park rangers told him it was probably trying to establish a new home range when it attacked.

Vaught, who owns Hills of Texas Taxidermy in Llano, never forgot that day, and had wanted to harvest a mountain lion with his bow ever since. He got his chance recently when he called veteran houndsman Lloyd Ward in Sheffi eld.

“He’s been out there since ’78 and really knows his business when it comes to cats,” Vaught said. “I got a call on Friday morn-ing and he asked if I could be out here that afternoon? He had a big cat that had killed a colt and wounded a mare. I loaded up and headed toward Sheffi eld.”

The hunters could not locate the stock-killing cat, but did

fi nd another cat quickly the fi rst morning.

“We chased him a long ways but never got close,” Vaught said. “We got in the truck and drove about 300 yards to a feeder can-yon and got out to look for tracks. One of the guys went up to the top of the canyon and I was look-ing in the bottom. We hadn’t been there fi ve minutes when the guy on the top said he’d just jumped a cat and he was headed downhill.”

Instead of coming toward the hunters in the bottom of the can-yon, the cat decided to make a stand on a rock ledge above the hounds.

“It was pretty cool,” Vaught said. “We took a few pictures with the dogs below and us at eye level with the cat. The lion wasn’t real concerned with us; it stayed focused on the dogs.”

Vaught had been told not to expect a lion on the fi rst day of the hunt, so he had left his recurve bow at the house and had

to shoot the cat with a pistol.“I shot the cat and she ran up

into a tree, where she got a foot stuck and died up there,” he said. “I had to climb the tree to get her down.”

The mature female weighed about 100 pounds.

Vaught said he had no idea how he would feel being face to face with another mountain lion.

“Being face to face with another one, I wasn’t nervous,” he said. “It was like closing a chapter in my life.”

Vaught is making a full-body mount out of the cat, with her sitting on a rock ledge. He said the lion populations have risen in West Texas because the sheep ranchers that once controlled the population have left, and not many people hunt them any-more.

“There are more of them than people think,” he said. “Big Bend is very dry, so they leave the park looking for water.”

Mountain lionContinued from page 4

YO Ranch owner dies in car crash

Sixty-year-old Walter Schreiner, one of the owners of the YO Ranch, a historic game ranch near Kerrville, died in a single-vehicle crash outside Fredericksburg.

According to a preliminary investigation by state troopers, Schreiner was driving a 2000 Chevy Tahoe north on FM 1376 at 10:31 p.m. July 17 when the SUV left the roadway to the right for unknown reasons. Schreiner apparently overcor-rected and the vehicle overturned on its right side, according to the investigation. He was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene, 10 miles southeast of Fredericksburg.

— Staff report

BAYED ON A LEDGE: The mountain lion harvested by David Vaught was perched on a outcropping with the hounds close behind. Photo by David Vaught.


DATEBOOKJULY 30-AUGUST 3

Texas International Fishing TournamentPort Isabel(956) 943-8438tift.org

JULY 31Ducks UnlimitedNorth Houston DinnerShirley Acres(281) 541-9263ducks.org/Texas

AUGUST 1National Wild Turkey FederationNorth Texas ChapterThe Courses at Watters Creek, Plano(432) 352-3257nwtf.org/Texas

AUGUST 1-3Texas Trophy Hunters AssociationHunters ExtravaganzaReliant Center, Houstonttha.com

Matagorda “Big 5” Offshore TournamentMatagorda Harbormatagordabluewater.com

AUGUST 2Mule Deer FoundationBrown County Chapter Banquet(817) 565-7121muledeer.org/events

Deer FestMPEC Exhibit Hall, Wichita Falls(940) 704-2984deerfestwichitafalls.com

Coastal Conservation AssociationGalveston Chapter BanquetGalveston Island Convention Center(713) 626-4222ccatexas.org

AUGUST 5Houston Safari ClubMonthly MeetingHouston Racquet Club(713) 623-8844houstonsafariclub.org

AUGUST 6Delta WaterfowlNorth Houston banquetHouston Distribution Company(281) 914-8954deltawaterfowl.org

AUGUST 7Ducks Unlimited Allen DinnerCross Creek Ranch, Parker(214) 455-3082ducks.org/Texas

Delta WaterfowlLamar County BanquetLove Civic Center, Paris(903) 517-5889deltawaterfowl.org

Coastal Conservation AssociationSan Gabriel Chapter BanquetDell Diamond(713) 626-4222ccatexas.org

AUGUST 7-9Texas Deer AssociationAnnual Convention and FundraiserJW Marriott Hill Country, San Antonio(210) 767-8300texasdeerassociation.com

AUGUST 8National Wild Turkey FederationHarris County Wildlife Group banquetWhitney Oaks Hall(832) 292-1811nwtf.org

Ducks UnlimitedBrazoria County BanquetLake Jackson Civic Center(979) 665-8007ducks.org/texas

AUGUST 8-10Ladies Kingfi sh TournamentSouth Padre Island(956) 761-4412spichamber.com

AUGUST 9Rocky Mountain Elk FoundationNorth Texas BanquetEmbassy Suites, Grapevine(972) 740-7744

National Wild Turkey FederationCross Timbers BanquetDecatur Civic Center(940) 393-8908nwtf.org

National Wild Turkey FederationDeep East Texas BanquetThe Event Center, Jasper(409) 382-5752nwtf.org

Coastal Conservation AssociationAransas Bay Chapter BanquetPaws N’ Taws(713) 626-4222ccatexas.org

AUGUST 14Coastal Conservation AssociationLower Laguna Madre Chapter BanquetPort Isabel Event and Cultural Center(713) 626-4222

Coastal Conservation AssociationNorthwest Houston ChapterBanquetCrowne Plaza(713) 626-4222ccatexas.org

AUGUST 15Coastal Conservation AssociationLower Colorado Chapter BanquetBay City Civic Center(713) 626-4222

AUGUST 21Coastal Conservation AssociationOrange County Chapter BanquetOrange County Convention and Expo Center(713) 626-4222ccatexas.org

Coastal Conservation AssociationHill Country Chapter BanquetNew Braunfels Civic Center(713) 626-4222ccatexas.org

Dallas Safari ClubMonthly MeetingBent Tree Country Club(972) 980-9800biggame.org

AUGUST 22Coastal ConservationAssociationTrinity Bay Chapter BanquetNuevo Leon Event Center(713) 626-4222ccatexas.org

AUGUST 22-24Deer Breeders CorporationAnnual ConventionWestin La Cantera, San Antonio(972) 289-3100dbcdeer.com

AUGUST 23Quail CoalitionSouth Texas BanquetKingsvillesouthtexasquailcoalition.org

AUGUST 8

AUGUST 22



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July 25, 2014 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting