November 09, 2012 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting

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November 9, 2012 Texas’ Premier Outdoor Newspaper Volume 9, Issue 6

100 and still huntingCentenarian shoots great buck.

Page 4

❘❚ LSONews.com

❘❚ CONTENTSClassifi eds . . . . . . . . . Page 32 Crossword . . . . . . . . . Page 22Freshwater Fishing Report . Page 10For the Table. . . . . . . . Page 22Game Warden Blotter . . . . Page 12Heroes. . . . . . . . . . . Page 32Outdoor Datebook . . . . . Page 33Outdoor Business . . . . . Page 33Products . . . . . . . . . . Page 15Saltwater Fishing Report . . Page 16Sun, Moon and Tide data . . Page 22

Inside

Catfi shing picking up across state.Page 8

Cool weather, biting cats

❘❚ FISHING

Pheasant numbers down from last season.Page 4

Need more roosters

Invasive lionfi sh found off Texas coast.Page 8

A new roar

Stephenville hunter takes deer with a suppressed rifl e.

Page 5

Silent hunter

❘❚ HUNTING

Bass fi shers struggle through

fall transitionBy Conor HarrisonLone Star outdoor newS

Bass fi shing across the state has been hit or miss the past few weeks as unpredictable weather pushes bass into one pattern, only to change a day or two later.

On Lake Fork, guide Dennis Sheley of Lake Fork Guide Services said the fi shing has been tough lately.

“The lake is still turning over a little bit, but we are about done with that,” he said. “We have been catching a few bass on Carolina-rigged fl ukes. We are just letting them sit — don’t move it. Guys are also catching some fi sh with the Alabama rig in 22 to 30 feet of water.

“But all of the fi sh have been small.”Sheley reported some schooling action

near Bird Island, but the bigger fi sh remain elusive.

“I had a client catch an 8-pounder in a creek several weeks ago, but I think that was a fl uke,” he said.

TOUGH BITE: High pressure, mixed temperatures and fi nicky bass have made for some tough fall fi shing for Texas anglers. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.

See BASS FISHING, Page 20STILL RUNNING AROUND: Several good bucks fell across the state on opening weekend, although warm temperatures and an abundance of natural browse kept hunters frustrated. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.

Bucks beginning search for does up north

By Conor HarrisonLone Star outdoor newS

Temperatures were in the 60s and 70s for much of the state during the opening of the Texas general season.

However, plenty of hunters still made it into the woods and reports were positive on deer movement and hunter success.

“Really, really good,” was how Darrell Derringer of Woodbury Taxidermy’s deer processing department in Kerrville characterized the opening weekend in the Hill Country. “We had more than 100 deer come in, along with

a couple of really big ones. We had one buck come in this morning that will go over 200 inches.”

Derringer said the deer are in great shape thanks to some late rains. However, he said hunters were complaining about the natural browse that kept a lot of deer from coming to feeders.

“There are still a lot of acorns out there,” he said. “A few places up by Fredericksburg have reported some rutting activity, but I haven’t heard of a lot of rutting going on south of I-10.”

In North Texas around Seymour, Bob Wisniewski of

Winterhawk Outfi tters said the opener was good, but not stellar.

“It was nothing spe-cial,” he said. “The weather was mild and the bucks aren’t rutting yet. They usually start that from mid-November through Thanksgiving.”

Wisniewski said his country doesn’t have a ton of oaks, but the rains produced enough natural forage to keep bucks away from feeders.

“They are coming to feeders to grab a free bite once in a while,” he said, “but it is just awful green

Warm weatherfor deer opener

See DEER OPENER, Page 14

Waterfowl opens with a bangGadwall, wigeon, teal in most bags

By John KeithLone Star outdoor newS

A week before duck sea-son opened in the North and South Zones, a cold front made its way through much

of the state, to the delight of waterfowlers.

But warm temperatures quickly replaced the cool weather, leading it to feel more like teal season. However, many hunters still reported

good action, especially in the coastal prairies.

“We had 60 hunters out and one group of four didn’t shoot their limit,” said Todd Steele of Thunderbird Hunting Club near El Campo. “We

See WATERFOWL, Page 14

FLYING HIGH: Hunters reported solid shoots on opening weekend across much of the state, including the coast. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.

Page 2 November 9, 2012 LoneOStar Outdoor News LSONews.com

LSONews.com LoneOStar Outdoor News November 9, 2012 Page 3


HUNTING

Centenarian still shooting

big bucks

Pheasant counts down from last season


Texas pheasant hunters, much like their quail hunting brethren, have had a rough couple of years.

Don’t expect this season to be much better.Although the Panhandle received timely spring rains in many

places, the rains stopped in the early summer, halting much of the progress that had been made.

“Our surveys are halfway done right now, and from everything I have

ON THE DECLINE: Pheasant season is not shaping up to be good in Texas this year. Drought and habitat shifts have caused a 10-year decline in numbers. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.

See PHEASANT, Page 29

Big birds dispersed

BIG BUCK FOR GRANDMA: Mary Hundley proudly holds the antlers of the nice deer she harvested last season in South Texas. The 100-year-old still makes it to the deer blind at least once each season, and recently took another big buck this year. Check LSONews.com for the newest pictures. Photo by Robert Hundley III.

100-year-old loves the deer lease


Divine native Mary Roberta Hundley has been hunting deer longer than most.

Hundley, who turned 100 on Oct. 12, hasn’t missed a deer season in as long as anyone can remember.

“She shoots a nice deer every year,” said Robert Hundley III, Mary’s grandson. “We all grew up hunting on our deer lease. My uncle manages a ranch between Batesville and La Pryor, so we went out there last Tuesday.”

Robert said his grandmother needs a little help getting around, but she still makes it into the blind.

“We hunt the same blind in a

pasture,” he said. “We get her in it and wait for a nice deer to come out. She needs the right one. It’s hard to believe she can see well enough to look through the scope of her .243.”

The group, including Mary’s son George, spent the afternoon in the blind before the big buck came out.

“She was a little upset because she had missed a nice buck ear-lier in the afternoon,” Robert said. “This buck came out and we had to wait, because there were quite a few deer. We had to make sure she was on the right one.”

The big buck turned broadside, and Mary sent a well-placed shot downrange, anchoring the deer right there.

“It is really neat to still go hunt-ing with her,” Robert said. “It is a blessing. She’s killed some bigger deer — this buck measured 138 inches, was 6 1/2 years old and field dressed 163 pounds.”

And Mary isn’t done!Robert said the group plans to

head back out the ranch in the near future for another shot at a bigger buck.

“We’ve seen some bigger ones, so we are going to take her back,” he said.

Robert said he is amazed by his grandmother, and hopes he can enjoy the outdoors as much as she does when he gets older.

“I hope I have that much enthusiasm at 80, let alone 100.”

Some geese have gone south,most holding well to the north


Reports point to just a sprinkling of specks, snows and Canada geese across most of the state, as hunters hope the Midwest drought and onset of cooler temperatures will bring the migrants down in force.

But for hunters around the Garwood and Eagle Lake prairies, good shooting has already been had.

“For this time of year we’ve actually seen more snows than in years past,” said area guide Matt Mauger. “Snows really start coming back the end of November. There’s lots of specklebellies right now, which is common.”

See GEESE, Page 30

Photo by Jason Craig.


Big city buck


The smell of success was poi-gnant for Dallas hunter Chris Ryan after he bagged a 127 3/8-inch buck with his bow in Dallas County's newly opened deer season on Oct. 21.

“I took all the scent away steps; every step there is,” Ryan said. “I even used coon urine as a cover scent.”

Ryan was hunting a 153-acre piece of property used to run cattle, where he had never seen a high number of deer.

“We really hadn’t seen deer on it previously — maybe one here, two there,” he said. “We got out there and put three or four cameras out on some rubs and scrapes we had found, and basically two weeks before I shot my deer, we went out and found a good rub. I put a cam-era out and found five bucks. But this one I shot wasn’t even on there.”

Sitting in a pop-up blind, the hunt came down to the wire for Ryan.

“About 5:30, a coyote came by and he came in behind me, but the only window I had open was the front win-dow,” he said. “I was going to try to stick him, but he made it to about my 11 o’clock and winded me.”

After another hour of sitting

in the blind, the sun was start-ing to set and Ryan was run-ning out of time.

“About 6:30 I thought I’d hit a doe bleat a few times before I got out of the stand,” he said. “I hit it three times and about a minute later I heard something from my left and saw him. I decided that if he was going to come in, I would shoot him.

“He stopped on a dime and looked at me at the same spot the coyote did, and there were some limbs blocking him.”

Luckily for Ryan, the buck turned and with a well-placed shot the deer was down after 30 yards.

“I was pretty pumped,” Ryan said. “I’ve hunted West Texas my whole life and had plenty of opportunities to take deer

with my bow, but the only buck I’ve taken with my bow before this one was a little 6 point.”

The location of the hunt didn’t hurt, either.

“I enjoy it because I live in Dallas, so it’s only a 20-min-ute trip for me,” he said. “Hopefully I get a bigger one because there are bigger ones out there.”

Dallas County Game Warden Mike Stephens said the overall level of success in the newly opened counties is hard to gauge.

“That’s the biggest one I’ve heard of so far,” Stephens said of Ryan’s buck. “Because there’s no deer camps and it’s all archery, no one has reported anything additionally to me.”

Dallas County deer doesn’t disappoint

CONCRETE TO CROCKPOT: With only a 20-minute trip, Dallas hunter Chris Ryan took full advantage of the county being opened for deer hunting this year, bagging a 127 3/8-inch buck. Photo by Chris Ryan.

By Craig NyhusLone Star outdoor newS

There are more natural-looking hunting blinds on the market these days, and homemade blinds often blend into their surroundings. In Namibia, one blind takes natural looking to another level.

Most have seen African termite mounds in print or on television, even if they haven’t been there. The impres-sive mounds tower up and up, and create unique shapes.

From a distance at Makadi Safaris in Namibia, one

ground blind for bowhunters and rifle hunters unable to “spot and stalk” fools the eye of the hunters.

Sitting near a dry waterhole that was waiting for the January rainy season, springbok and hartebeest were still observed moving within bow range from the aptly named “termite mound blind.”

“I came up with the idea — I didn’t want a square box out there,” said owner Diethelm Metzger. “We made the blind from chicken wire and cement — the cement is about an inch thick. A door, a few windows and a vent hole at the top was all it took.”

Surprise from the termite mound blind

HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT: Much like American hunters, African guides get creative when trying to build blinds that fit naturally into the terrain. Except for the windows, nobody would suspect this termite mound blind holds hunters. Photos by Craig Nyhus, LSON.


Stephenville hunter Robert Debord saw the benefits of using a suppressor firsthand on opening weekend while hunting with his wife in Erath County.

He became one of the first hunters in Texas to harvest a deer under the newly legal suppressor laws.

“In under 10 minutes, we saw one doe being chased by three bucks, two bucks we thought were legal but were moving so fast they were gone before we knew it, he said. “And another buck stopped close to the blind and we couldn’t tell what it was because it was sideways to us and was more interested in keep-

See SUPPRESSOR, Page 7

Muffled muzzle

SILENT SHOT: With two deer in front of him, Stephenville hunter Robert Debord shot one with his suppressed rifle. The minimal sound confused the second deer, which turned and came closer to Debord instead of running away. Photo by Robert Debord.

Hunter takes deer with suppressor


Buck falls at hand of young hunter


Deer hunters know that patience can make all the difference between bagging a targeted buck, or going back to camp head down and empty-handed.

This was the lesson 11-year-old Zac Martinez, of Junction, was taught by his uncle, Glynn Underwood, who founded Koon Canyon Ranch south of Rocksprings.

“I’ve been living over-seas the past nine years so I haven’t had a lot of time to show him how to shoot a gun or anything,” Underwood said. “I just moved back in June and decided this was the year he was ready for it.”

Underwood took his nephew to the shooting range, starting him off with a .17 Fireball, because he had the same model in a .308 that Martinez would use while hunting.

“He got better groupings than I did at the range,” Underwood said. “He did exceptionally well.”

The pair went to the 640-

acre ranch, hoping to find a 6 point aged at 5 1/2. The first morning the buck didn’t show, and the patience of the two hunters was tested.

“There was one 3 1/2-year-old 8 point I was close to hav-ing him shoot, but decided to wait,” Underwood said. “We went back out that afternoon and we figured

out the best way for him to shoot was to be standing because the chairs don’t go high enough.”

Next came a long waiting game, followed by a flurry of action.

“We sat there and sat there

Perseverance pays off with

first deer

FIRST-TIMER: Zac Martinez shot this mature 6 point hunting with his uncle on Koon Canyon Ranch south of Rocksprings. The deer only ran 30 yards before it fell. Photo by Glynn Underwood.

See YOUNG HUNTER, Page 21


ing up with the others. We had some yearlings come over, and, of course, that’s the one we decided to take. I’m more of a trophy hunter, but my wife likes the yearling meat better.”

Debord was using an Ambush Arms .300 Blackout with a Yankee Hill Machine Phantom suppressor and a Magpul 5-round magazine with a Hornady 208-grain AMAX bullet.

“There were two yearlings when I shot,” he said. “The one I didn’t shoot turned and looked the oppo-site direction of us, and then ran toward us. The suppressor more or less confuses the animal.”

The quiet shot could mean that a big buck in the area wouldn’t get spooked, and could still come in after a hunter takes a deer for the freezer. Debord said the suppressor cuts the noise of the muzzle blast by more than half.

“My parents were 300 yards away at camp and we texted them and asked if they had heard anything, and they said no,” he said. “Usually when we shoot, they text us and ask what we got.”

Debord said that since suppres-sors reduce the sound so well, it can benefit other hunters nearby by not spooking the deer in the area. But he has words of advice for hunters wanting to get a suppressor.

“There’s so many variables,” he said. “If a rifle is sighted in and you put a suppressor on, it’ll change the point of impact. It’s almost like you have to have a note about each grain of bullet and its effect on the point of impact.”

Now that he has some meat for the freezer, Debord is looking for-ward to another hunt.

“I was looking into hunting with a suppressor ever since TPWD was even floating the idea around,” he said. “Once you start using suppres-sors, it’s hard to stop.

“But don’t get me wrong; I still have my .270 to hunt with.”

SuppressorContinued From Page 5

Third CWD zone proposedBy Craig NyhusLone Star outdoor newS

A lack of chronic wasting disease sampling in eastern New Mexico and West Texas counties have prompted Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials to propose a third CWD zone in West Texas counties.

“There has been very little sampling in New Mexico or in Texas along the Texas border to the north of where CWD was detected in the Hueco Mountains,” said Mitch Lockwood, TPWD’s big game program director.

The new Buffer Zone, recommended by the CWD Task Force and approved by Texas’ White-tailed Deer Advisory Committee at its Oct. 31 meeting, wraps around the Containment Zone and extends northward along the Texas/New Mexico border. The new zone will allow testing in areas where little information has been gathered, Lockwood said.

Similar to the High Risk Zone, it will include voluntary check stations (planned in Sanderson, Alpine, Midland and Bakersfield) and will impose additional restric-tions on deer breeders and movement of deer, although less restrictive than those in the Containment or High Risk zones.

There are currently no deer breeders in the Containment Zone, one in the High Risk Zone and approximately 12 in the proposed Buffer Zone, Lockwood said.

Although the proposed Containment Zone has expanded slightly along its southern boundary, much of the prior proposals have remained the same.

“The goal is to stop the unnatural movement of deer,” Lockwood said. “Hopefully, the incidents of CWD are isolated and we can shrink the zones in the future.”

As previously proposed in the Containment Zone, mandatory check stations will be implemented in Van Horn and Cornudas, and there will be no transporting of deer. In the High Risk Zone, check stations will be voluntary.

“And we will post the results (by tag number) on the TPWD web-site as soon as we get them, within one to two weeks from harvest,”

See CWD, Page 29

See video at LSONews.com

CALL HIM POKEY: Falls City hunter Charles Herber III harvested this 34-inch spike while hunting in Wilson County on the Bar None Ranch. It is entered in the Longest Spike Category in the Muy Grande Deer Contest. Muy Grande Founder Leonel “Muy” Garza said it was the largest spike he had ever seen in his 47 years at the contest. Photo by Muy Grande Deer Contest.


FISHING

Fishing for cats hitting peak time


Lake Buchanan catfish guide Clancy Terrill was having a good morning on the boat when contacted by LSON last week.

“We just got done catch-ing seven blues on cut giz-zard shad,” he said. “The smallest was 8 pounds and the biggest was 17. We are using big bait right now and fishing rock piles in 12 feet of water.

“The fish have been in the rocks near a ledge.”

Terrill said the big cats come into the shallower water to feed before head-ing to deeper rock ledges to spend the day.

“As the water gets colder, the catfishing will get bet-ter and better,” he said. “I have the best consistency from December to March on those big blues.”

Terrill said he very rarely fishes in water deeper than 20 feet.

“Early mornings and late

BIG MOUTH, TASTY EATING: Fishing for blue cats is picking up with the cooler weather. Channel catfish remain easy targets on many lakes. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.

Cold weather brings better

bite

Lionfish found in Texas waters


A ferocious and venomous invasive species, lionfish, have been spotted off-shore of Port Aransas, which could be bad news for anglers as the fish compete with native species.

“The consensus is that they seem to be starting to spread westward,” said Dr. Matt Ajemian, postdoctoral research associate for the Harte Research Institute. “Their origin is toward Miami. I’m not sure if everyone expected them to spread

this far, but we’re certainly starting to see them.

“It’s concerning because some studies show these guys are pretty vicious preda-tors and can compete with some of the native species.”

The first lionfish was seen about 40 miles southeast of Port Aransas, and a second sighting was about the same dis-tance from Port Aransas, but due east.

“Both sightings were in relatively deep water, almost 200 feet down,” Ajemian said. “Most divers probably won’t see them or interact with them, and I don’t

know how often anglers will get these on a hook. We just don’t know if this is just a small brood that made it over, or whether they’re really setting up camp out here.”

Ajemian said anglers who come into contact with the fish need to exercise caution.

“The lionfish themselves have a bunch of venomous spines on them, so unless properly handled you run the risk of hurting yourself,” he said. “Most peo-ple would like to see you keep the fish if you do catch it because of the potential threat they have to the rest of the reef fish community.”

Ajemian said researchers are going to continue to keep an eye out for a repro-ducing population of the fish, but said there may be a silver lining.

“I have a colleague in Bermuda and he says they’re extremely good tasting,” he said. “But, obviously, it requires a lot of careful preparation.”

Researchers have also discovered mul-tiple lionfish around the Flower Garden National Marine Sanctuary, situated roughly 100 miles off the northern end of the Texas coast.

The USGS describes lionfish as a ven-omous invasive species normally found around structure such as wrecks or reefs, and can inhabit water depths as shallow as a shoreline, or as deep as 600 feet.

Anglers need to be as worried about the fish’s behavior as much as their ven-omous spines. Ferocious feeders, lionfish are reported to have reduced their fish prey by up to 90 percent in areas dense with the species.

Invasive fish competes with natives

CLASHING WITH THE LOCALS: The invasive lionfish can have a very negative impact on the health of local fisheries, but though they have venomous spines protruding, they are regarded as good table fare. Photo by Matt Ajemian.

See CATFISH, Page 20

CATCHING THEM IN NUMBERS: Flounder reports from up and down the coast have been good this month, with big fish being caught in the shallows. Photo by Conor Harrison, LSON.


Sabine guide Randy Foreman loves catching flatfish, and he knows the time for big flounder is right around the corner.

“With each norther that blows in here, it just gets better and better,” he said. “We caught limits most days last week — one day we fell short. We are boxing a lot of fish over 4 pounds right now. We really need a good northwest wind to drain the lake a little bit.”

Foreman said the bigger fish were still in the bay sys-tem, but the little ones have moved to the channels.

“We have been throwing plastics at them in white with a chartreuse tail,” he said. “We are also tipping a mullet bait with shrimp or crab Fish Bites.”

Foreman said the water isn’t as clear as farther down the coast, so that has affected how he approached the fish.

“I am fishing points and drops in 2 to 4 feet of water,” he said.

Farther down south, Capt. Ozzie Arnold said the fish-ing was tremendous several weeks ago, but has slowed in his area along the north shore of East Bay.

“We’re still getting some every time out, but it has slowed down,” he said. “I throw mullet or live shrimp, along with a 2-inch green split-tailed beetle. I like the 2-inch better, because a flounder seems to not bite all the way on a 3-inch.”

Arnold said he and clients were boating a lot of 4- and 5-pound fish, but he is also seeing a lot of under-sized fish.

“Most of the ones we are catching are in the 15- to 18-inch range,” he said. “But we are also catching a lot of 6- to 10-inchers as well. That looks really promising for the future.”

On South Padre, angler Rick Johnston has been catching his limit wade fishing in areas known for big trout.

“They are in here pretty good,” he said. “I have been using plastics — anything with some chartreuse has been working — and we have caught some good ones, as well. I really think the November closure of the gig-ging has really helped the flounder numbers.

“We can only keep two, but they are nice-sized and great to eat.”

Capt. Charlie Paradoski said he hasn’t been targeting flounder much in Matagorda Bay, but the guys who are “have been whacking them.”

“We have a great flounder hole in Matagorda by the locks, and the guys who are in there all the time have been really catching them,” he said.

Capt. Randy Foreman, (409) 719-6067Capt. Ozzie Arnold, (979) 241-1946Capt. Charlie Paradoski (713) 725-2401

Flounder beinglanded on lures

November closure for gigging underway


Little water, big fish


Simple but true — It’s not the size of the lake with the fish; it’s the size of the fish in the lake.

At 3,020 acres, Aquilla Lake in Hill County is roughly 20,000 acres smaller than its neighbor Lake Whitney, and a little more than half the size of nearby Navarro Mills Lake. But anglers who fish the lake say it can hang with the bigger bodies of water.

“It’s a great hidden entity,” said Hillsboro angler Rick Poteet. “It’s probably one of the best lakes near the DFW area

to catch 5-pounders all day long. As far as 3- to 6-pound fish, it’s just loaded with them.”

Poteet said anglers new to the lake need to be pre-pared to change their normal way of thinking when it comes to catch-ing largemouth bass.

“It’s a frustrating lake at times,” he said. “It’s really temperamental, maybe because it’s so shallow. If you do what you think you should do in most tournaments on a sea-sonal pattern, you’re not going to do well.”

Poteet believes the shallowness keeps the bass from making many moves when it comes to

Aquilla Lake often overlooked

depth, but there are some character-istics that help to pattern the fish.

“When I first started fishing the lake, I was having some trouble try-ing to locate the bass,” he said. “These fish are more residential fish, and they get in a pocket and stay there regardless of the season.”

The lake does have a good number of roadbeds that attract bass, includ-ing a good spot by the Dairy Hill ramp, and another by the east side of the dam.

“It’s not a lake where you pull into every cove and find a good (bass),” he said. “It’s not a lake where you’re going to go on a campout and get 8- and 10-pounders, but you’re going to get 4s and 5s. It can be feast or fam-ine.”

Poteet likes to throw top-waters or buzzbaits in the morning, and he also throws a lot of square-billed crankbaits. Later in the day he will switch to a shaky head or Texas rig.

“I’ve been using a light Carolina rig with real good success lately,” he said. “The water is stained pretty good, so they like a darker color like junebug.”

But the lake isn’t only touted for its largemouth fishing.

“It’s a great crappie lake,” he said. “I’ve seen guys pulling out stringers that just have ungodly slabs of crap-pie on it.”

Area fishing guide Mark Parker agreed with the good crappie fish-ing.

“When I first started guiding in 2005, Aquilla was my main lake,” he said. “For me, it is a big crappie lake, and it has a lot of white bass too, which seems to surprise a lot of peo-ple.”

Parker said there are plenty of brush piles, including five big COE piles, with one being straight across

QUALITY FISHERY: With good numbers of largemouth bass and slab crappie, anglers shouldn't overlook Aquilla Lake when planning a fish-ing trip. Photo by Mark Parker.

See AQUILLA LAKE, Page 24

Dealing with dredging


It’s not an uncommon sight for salt-water anglers: a dredger muddying its way along a piece of the coast, turning previously clear areas into something more like chocolate milk.

“I’ve been putting up with dredging all my life,” said Capt. Gabe Escobar. “It’s something that has to be done, but it doesn’t help the fishing any.”

But Escobar said he doesn’t think it has any far-reaching effects on an area, though it can affect areas of shoreline that used to be accessible for wading.

“It hurts the fishing a little bit right there where they’re doing it, but I would say it really is a temporary kind of bother,” he said. “I would say it really doesn’t affect anything long term.”

Escobar said he usually moves around half a mile away from a dredging site to find better fishing and water quality.

“Just get away from that area; you

don’t have to be that far,” he said. “But it does create shock waves in the water, so you want to get away from that. And the channel a good 500 yards either way is going to get mud-died up pretty good.”

Fishing the Land Cut has been an average year, according to Escobar, even with the dredging.

“It’s a man-made thing and we have to keep people’s channels open, and it’s part of the economy as well, so it’s something fishermen just have to live with,” he said. “The other day I was fishing the Redfish Bay area, and they were dredging the Intracoastal. The whole section out there got mud-died up.”

Capt. Grant Coppin, who has a degree in marine biology, worries a little bit more about the effect of dredging.

“One of the things is the conditions of the dredge material will diminish

DIRTY WATER: The real long-term effect of dredging may not be the stained water, but the loss of habitat for smaller baitfish. Photo by Niels Quist Peterson, Photos.com.

Is the practice to blame for slow fishing?

See DREDGING, Page 24


ATHENS: Water lightly stained; 68–75 degrees; 9.45’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on drop-shot rigs, shaky heads, Texas rigs, jigs and medium-running crankbaits in shad pattern. Catfi sh are fair to good on prepared bait.

AMISTAD: Water clear; 77–81 degrees; 32.73’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters, crankbaits and lipless crankbaits. Striped bass are good on char-treuse striper jigs. Catfi sh are good on cheesebait, shrimp and nightcrawlers over baited holes.

BASTROP: Water stained; 77–81 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon soft plastic worms and crankbaits. Crappie are good on live minnows. Chan-nel and blue catfi sh are very good on shrimp and stinkbait.

BELTON: Water clear; 73–77 de-grees; 5.07’ low. Largemouth bass are good on spinner baits and soft plastic worms. Hybrid striper are good on live shad. White bass are good on minnows. Crappie are excellent on minnows in 20 feet. Channel and blue catfi sh are good on doughbait and bacon.

BOB SANDLIN: Water clear; 5.13’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on white spinner baits and shallow crankbaits in shad pattern, with mostly small fi sh being caught, but the occasional pig. Crappie are good on jigs over brush piles.

BRAUNIG: Water clear. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits and spinner baits in reeds. Redfi sh are good on shad, shrimp, tilapia and silver spoons. Channel catfi sh are good on nightcrawlers, shrimp and cut bait.

BRIDGEPORT: Water clear; 67–73 degrees; 14.10’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged plastics fi shed around any shal-low wood cover or isolated rock. Shallow-running crankbaits and top-waters in shad patterns are good early in the day. Crappie are good on minnows. White bass are good on slabs.

BROWNWOOD: Water stained; 73–77 degrees; 9.96’ low. Largemouth bass are good on wa-termelon red soft plastic worms and white spinner baits over brush piles.

BUCHANAN: Water murky; 74–78

degrees; 27.06’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon spinner baits, lipless crankbaits and crankbaits in 10–20 feet. Striped bass are good on top-waters and plastic swim baits near Lighthouse Point at daylight. Crappie are good on pink or char-treuse Curb’s crappie jigs and live minnows. Channel catfi sh are good on liver and cheesebait. Yellow and blue catfi sh are good on live shad.

CADDO: Water stained; 69–74 degrees; 1.01’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas-rigged soft plastics in green pumpkin or watermelon red. Black and blue fl ipping jigs are working as well. White and yellow bass are good on slabs. Catfi sh are good on cut bait and trotlines.

CALAVERAS: Water clear. Largemouth bass are fair on wa-termelon soft plastic worms, spin-ner baits, and some top-waters around reed beds.

CEDAR CREEK: Water clear; 69–74 degrees; 3.15’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters and spinner baits around any shallow cover. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfi sh are good on prepared bait.

CHOKE CANYON: Water clear; 80–84 degrees; 15.75’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chartreuse soft plastic worms and lizards over grass in 8–15 feet. Crappie are good on minnows and white tube jigs. Channel and blue catfi sh are good on shrimp and stinkbait.

COLEMAN: Water lightly stained; 75–79 degrees; 12.64’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon soft plastic worms, crankbaits and lipless crankbaits. Hybrid striper are slow. Crappie are good on live minnows over brush piles.

CONROE: Water clear; 75–79 degrees; 3.07’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon lip-less crankbaits, spinner baits, and top-waters. Crappie are good on minnows and pink tube jigs.

COOPER: Water clear; 67–73 degrees; 5.54’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas-rigged soft plastics. White bass are good on slabs. Catfi sh are good on prepared bait and cut bait.

FALCON: Water murky; 82–86 degrees; 34.53’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse spin-ner baits, crankbaits and lipless crankbaits. Channel and blue catfi sh are excellent on stinkbait and cut bait upriver.

FAYETTE: Water stained. Largemouth bass are fair on water-melon crankbaits and Carolina-rigged soft plastics over grass. Red ear perch are good on worms.

FORK: Water clear; 67–72 degrees; 4.11’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on spinner baits and small swimbaits shallow around stumps. Crappie are good on minnows around bridge columns. Catfi sh are good on prepared bait.

GIBBONS CREEK: Water clear. Largemouth bass are good on chartreuse spinner baits and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfi sh are good on stinkbait, nightcrawlers and live bait.

GRANBURY: Water stained; 74–78 degrees; 4.86’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon red soft plastic worms and lipless crankbaits. Striped bass are good on silver striper jigs. Catfi sh are good on stinkbait and shrimp.

GRANGER: Water clear; 75–79 degrees; 0.91’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows and chartreuse jigs over brush piles in 4–15 feet. Blue catfi sh are good on prepared baits and on juglines baited with fresh shad. Yellow catfi sh to 70 pounds are good on trotlines baited with live perch.

GRAPEVINE: Water clear; 67–72 degrees; 6.23’ low. Largemouth bass are good on small crankbaits around main lake points. Texas-rigged soft plastics are effective around marina docks. Crappie are good on minnows. White bass are good on slabs and jigs.

HOUSTON COUNTY: Water clear; 73–77 degrees; 0.40’ high. Largemouth bass to 8 pounds are good on perch-colored crankbaits in 8 feet. Catfi sh are good on juglines baited with perch.

HUBBARD CREEK: Water off-color; 68–74 degrees; 19.02’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on top-waters, crankbaits in shad pattern, Texas rigs and

jigs. Catfi sh are fair to good on nightcrawlers and prepared bait.

JOE POOL: Water clear; 68–72 degrees; 2.18’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged soft plastic creature baits in watermelon red. Catfi sh are good on prepared baits.

LAKE O' THE PINES: Water lightly stained; 68–73 degrees; 4.04’ low. Largemouth bass are good on white/chartreuse spinner baits around wood cover. Crappie are good on minnows.

LAVON: Water lightly stained; 67–72 degrees; 8.24’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters early and Texas-rigged craws around shallow cover. White bass are good on slabs. Crappie are good on minnows. .

LBJ: Water clear; 76–80 degrees; 0.34’ low. Largemouth bass are good on white spinner baits, swim baits, and watermelon off creek points early. Striped bass and white bass are good on soft plastics at night. Channel catfi sh are good on minnows and liver. Yellow and blue catfi sh are good on trotlines baited with perch.

LEWISVILLE: Water clear; 67–71 degrees; 5.42’ low. Largemouth bass are good on weightless worms and shaky heads around marinas. Crappie are good on jigs. Hybrid striper are good on slabs. Catfi sh are good on pre-pared bait and cut shad.

LIVINGSTON: Water fairly clear; 75–79 degrees; 0.39’ low. Largemouth bass are good on perch-colored lipless crankbaits, crankbaits and soft plastics. Crappie are good on minnows and white tube jigs. Blue catfi sh are good on shad and stinkbait.

MONTICELLO: Water fairly clear; 82–88 degrees; 1.37’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas-rigged soft plastics and hollow body frogs around stumps and other shallow cover. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfi sh are good on cut bait.

NAVARRO MILLS: Water lightly stained; 75–79 degrees; 2.15’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon spinner baits and soft plastics. Channel catfi sh are good on shrimp.

O.H. IVIE: Water stained; 68–75

degrees; 33.09’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on lip-less crankbaits, Texas rigs, chatterbaits and shaky heads. Catfi sh are fair to good on nightcrawlers and prepared bait.

PALESTINE: Water clear; 67–72 degrees; 1.61’ low. Largemouth bass are good on black/blue jigs and shaky heads around docks. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfi sh are good on prepared bait.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Water fairly clear; 67–75 degrees; 8.55’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on shallow-running crankbaits, Texas rigs, jigs and drop-shot rigs. Crappie are good on minnows.

PROCTOR: Water lightly stained; 74–78 degrees; 4.57’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on char-treuse crankbaits and soft plastic worms. White bass are good on minnows and chartreuse spinner baits. Crappie are good on min-nows and blue tube jigs.

RAY HUBBARD: Water clear; 67–71 degrees; 3.23’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters early, switching to Texas-rigged plastics later in day around shallow docks. Crappie are good on minnows. White bass are good on slabs. Catfi sh are good on prepared baits.

RAY ROBERTS: Water clear; 67–73 degrees; 3.20’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged craw baits along edges of grass. Catfi sh are good on prepared bait or live shad.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water clear; 68–72 degrees; 3.83’ low. Largemouth bass are good on white spinner baits around docks at the mouths of creeks. Hybrid striper are good on slabs and live shad. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfi sh are good on prepared bait.

SAM RAYBURN: Water lightly stained; 74–78 degrees; 3.86’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chartreuse top-waters, soft plastic worms and crankbaits early. Crap-pie are good on live minnows. Catfi sh are good on shrimp and stinkbait.

SOMERVILLE: Water murky; 75–79 degrees; 2.03’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse

crankbaits and spinner baits. White bass are fair on minnows. Crappie are good on minnows and white tube jigs. Channel and blue catfi sh are good on stinkbait and shrimp.

STILLHOUSE: Water stained; 74–78 degrees; 3.90’ low. Largemouth bass are good on lipless crankbaits, crankbaits and spinner baits. Channel and blue catfi sh are good on minnows, hot dogs and stinkbait.

TAWAKONI: Water stained; 69–74 degrees; 3.82’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on white bladed jigs and fl ipping jigs around docks. Crappie are good on minnows. White bass are good on slabs.

TEXOMA: Water clear; 67–72 degrees; 4.00’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters and small crankbaits along main lake points. Striped bass are good on slabs. Catfi sh are good on cut bait.

TRAVIS: Water clear; 75–79 degrees; 47.21’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon soft plastic worms, top-waters and crankbaits in 8–15 feet. Channel and blue catfi sh are good on nightcrawlers and fresh cut bait.

WEATHERFORD: Water clear; 68–73 degrees; 6.35’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on swimjigs and fi nesse baits around docks. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfi sh are good on pre-pared bait. White bass are good on slabs and live minnows.

WHITNEY: Water lightly stained; 73–77 degrees; 8.45’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chartreuse spinner baits, crankbaits and lipless crankbaits. White bass are good on silver slabs, pet spoons and hellbend-ers. Crappie are good on minnows and blue tube jigs. Catfi sh are good on liver, stinkbait and nightcrawlers.

— TPWD

TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHING REPORTThrow the spinners

TOLEDO BEND RESERVOIR — Both the weather and the fi shing has been good, according to Ronnie Greer of Holly Park Marina.

“They’re catching quite a few bass and crappie,” Greer said. “They’re catching them on spinner baits and fl ukes. Another guide said he was using a redbug worm and spinner baits.”

Other anglers have been catching good numbers of crappie, which Greer attributes to the weather.

“We’re supposed to get this cool front in, and that might be the reason the fi sh are biting,” she said. “It’s quite a bit better than it’s been.”

Greer said the lake is about 4 feet below pool, with a water temperature of about 68.To contact Holly Park Marina, call (409) 625-4424.

Reds and bluesCALAVERAS LAKE — Redfi sh have been strong on the lake, according

to area guide Harry Lamb.“We’ve been catching some reds anywhere from 24 to 30 inches,” he said. “I’m

really surprised they’re still there because the spawn is really at the end. But on days when the

weather has been out of the south and warm, they’ve been up on the dam spawning.”Lamb said he has also had good luck with catfi sh, catching up to 27 channels and a few blues

recently. He used cheesebait in 2 feet of water around cattails.“I’m using all plastics for reds,” he said. “Gold with a white tail, 5-inches long. Some people

have been catching them on spoons.”To contact Capt. Harry Lamb, call (210) 559-8420.

Artifi cials across the boardLAKE RAY ROBERTS — Use live bait for crappie and plastics

for everything else, said area guide Gregory Reedy.“The crappie are excellent, the white bass are excellent and the bass are good,” Reedy said. “I’m using plastics for largemouth.”

The white bass are biting well, but they’re sporadic in where they want to show up.“I wouldn’t look for them on top,” he said. “The bites are coming off jigging spoons.”Reedy said the lake is about 2 1/2 feet low, with a water temperature around 70

degrees.To contact Gregory Reedy, call (940) 367-3262.

— John Keith

TOLEDO BEND RESERVOIR — Both the weather and the fi shing has TOLEDO BEND RESERVOIR — Both the weather and the fi shing has

degrees.degrees.degrees.

SEE MORE■ Saltwater fi shing reports: Page 16


Yamaha V MAX SHO 150

By Craig NyhusLone Star outdoor newS

There’s no need to shy away from four strokes for bass boats with Yamaha’s new four-stroke, 150 horse V MAX outboard. The in-line, four-cyl-inder engine is lighter, more fuel effi cient, smoother and, of course, much quieter than its two-stroke counter-parts. And a new style will surely appeal to bass anglers preferring the aggressive look.

“It’s two-stroke per-formance with four-stroke benefi ts,” said Yamaha Application Engineer Jarrett Young. “It’s clean, quiet and smooth. And it weighs less and uses less space.”

The motor sports a new, more aggressive style, accentuating the “V,” a 50-amp alternator, and it is “Hot Foot” compat-ible for those who

prefer the foot pedal accessory.Anglers have often steered away from four-

strokes because of the heavier weight. But,

at 480 pounds, the VMAX is only 12 pounds heavier than Yamaha’s two-stroke VZ 150. And it outper-

forms both the two strokes and c o m p e t i t o r s ’ four strokes.

“And you don’t need an

external oil tank,” Young said. “That

saves both weight and space.”

The importance of fuel effi ciency can’t be understated, and the V MAX SHO 150 offers fuel consumption that

is 30 to 40 percent bet-ter than two strokes.And it’s fast. Tested on a

190 Skeeter, it reached 57.2 mph and, in the hole shot, it ran from 0 to 200 feet in 7.7 seconds.

On the Tennessee River in Bridgeport, Ala., LSON tested

the new motor on a Phoenix 618 Pro, a Skeeter ZX190, a Triton 18 XS

and a Maverick Mirage 18 HPX-V pol-

See YAMAHA, Page 18


TAG THOSE OVERSIZED REDSGalveston County Game Warden

Mack Chambers filed five cases on recreational fishermen for failing to tag bull redfish. A total of eight bull redfish, two black drum, one red snapper and three sheepshead were seized. Cases pending.

POACHER TAKES BUCK IN WATERMELON PATCH

Hardin County Game Warden Mike Boone responded to a call of shots being fired in the Batson area. A subject was located and after an interview, Boone was able to locate a freshly killed 8-point buck shot in a watermelon patch. Citation issued and case pending.

THAT’S A BIG TEALRefugio County Game Wardens

Raul “Pinky” Gonzales and Danny Kelso were checking teal hunters when one hunter produced his bag and advised Kelso that he bagged the biggest teal he had ever seen. Danny advised the hunter that the reason the duck was so big was that it was a mottled duck.

TAG THOSE OVERSIZED REDS #2Refugio County Game Wardens

Danny Kelso and Raul “Pinky” Gonzales finished checking dove hunters and headed over to Bayside to see how the fishermen were doing. Two subjects pulling their boat out of Copano Bay advised they had one gar. One subject did all the talking while the other seemed in a hurry to get things loaded up. Gonzales asked them if they had caught any other fish. The subject stated they had a redfish that was almost 28 inches. Gonzales checked the ice chest and found one 26-inch redfish. The subjects also admitted to having two more redfish measur-ing 29 and 30 inches. The hurried

subject advised Gonzales that they would go ahead and tag their fish. Gonzales advised both subjects that tags would be filled out after both subjects signed their citations.

MULE DEER SHOT FROM ALLEYHutchinson County Game Warden

Lance Lindley was contacted by the Borger Police Department about two men who had shot a deer. A code enforcement officer had noticed the two dragging the deer and called the Borger PD. Two PD officers had both subjects detained when Lindley arrived. Both subjects were interviewed, and they admitted to seeing the mule deer buck in the alley and shooting at it with a .22 rifle. After they injured the deer and it took off down into the canyon, they followed. The two men killed the deer in the bottom of the can-yon and were dragging it back up to their house when they were spotted. Cases and restitution pending on both subjects.

WARDENS ASSIST MEN INJURED BY TRACTOR

Rains County Game Warden Dewayne Noble and Wood County Game Warden Derek Spitzer were traveling on Highway 69 when Noble noticed a tractor without an operator in a field going in circles.

As Spitzer stopped the truck, both wardens noticed a man rolling on the ground trying to get away from the tractor, but before the wardens could reach him the mower portion of the tractor struck the man. The wardens were unable to safely board the tractor so they drug the man out of harm’s way and then returned to turn off the tractor. Then the war-dens realized there had been two victims. The second victim had also been run over, was able to crawl back to his truck, which was about 30 yards away, but was unable to get to his phone. The two men were both transported by helicopter to a Tyler hospital.

WARDEN MAKES QUICK WORK OF SURBURBAN POACHERS

On opening weekend of bow sea-son, Bell County Game Warden Brandt Bernstein was notified by the Harker Heights Police Department that information had been received regarding suspects hunting from a vehicle and shooting deer off the road in a subdivision. The witness had provided an out-of-state license plate for the suspect vehicle, and the report showed that the owner of the vehicle had dealt with police in the past. Within eight hours, Bernstein had two suspect statements, all suspect names and

information and three deer that had been shot (two in Bell County, one in Coryell County). Within 24 hours there were three confessions and cases filed.

DWI SUSPECT HAS GUTTED DEER IN TRUCK BED

Ellis County Game Warden Jeff Powell was patrolling for dove hunt-ers when he was notified by the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office that a possi-ble DWI driver was headed his way. Powell waited about five minutes for the driver to pass. As the driver passed, Powell pulled him over and was assisted by the Ennis DWI task force. While the Ennis officer was performing field sobriety tests on the driver, Powell discovered a gut-ted deer on ice inside a barrel in the back of the truck. Multiple cases pending.

MORE MOTTLED DUCKS SHOT DURING TEAL SEASON

Nueces County Game Wardens Saul Aguilar and Nicole Spatz received a call regarding a group of hunters who had harvested a pair of mottled ducks within a marsh area. The wardens spotted the group and decided to observe the pair of hunt-ers for several hours from a spoil island. Upon leaving the marsh area, the wardens made contact by

boat and interviewed the subjects. The ducks had been breasted and were located in the pockets of one of the hunters along with a mourning dove. In addition to the hunting in closed season and unplugged shot-gun violations, drug paraphernalia was found on one of the individuals. Citations issued.

A POPULAR CREEK FOR SHOOTINGMcLennan County Game Warden

Michael Serbanic received a tres-pass call, but was unable to locate the individuals and decided to wait in the area in case they returned. A few hours later a vehicle stopped just down the road. A group of peo-ple got out of a truck with an AR-15 rifle and flashlight. They began to shoot off the road into a creek and into a field. Serbanic made con-tact with the group and issued a citation for discharging a firearm from a public road. No evidence of hunting from the road was found. About 45 minutes later, another truck stopped in the same general area and a man got out of the truck with an AK-47 and fired numer-ous rounds into the creek. Serbanic made contact with the vehicle and found open containers within the vehicle. The subject stated he was testing his AK-47 on the turtles in the creek. No turtles were located. Citations were issued.

WARDEN RESCUES DISTRESSED BOATERS IN BAY

Aransas County Game Warden Richard “Marty” Martin responded to a call of two men whose boat had broken down in Swan Lake off Copano Bay. The subjects advised that both did not have their medi-cations with them and would not be able to survive the night. Both men were very grateful.

GAME WARDEN BLOTTER

Red River County Game Warden Daniel Roraback received a call from a landowner regarding his cattle being shot. The bull had been shot in the hindquar-ter, the front shoulder and just below the eye socket. Roraback dispatched the bull per landowner request. A Southwestern Cattle Association ranger was brought in to investigate. The landowner got license plate

numbers for occupants at a camp, and Roraback knew the individuals and their whereabouts. The subjects admitted to shooting the bull with a shotgun the night before while spotlighting, mistaking the 2,000-pound bull for a hog. The bull was estimated to be worth around $3,500. Criminal charges are pending until the landowner’s demands to replace the bull are met.

BULL SHOT, VIOLATORS CLAIM THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A HOG



have plenty of birds, but the problem was a sunny, clear blue bird day on Saturday. What happens when we scare them up in the clear weather is they just leave; but pretty much everyone shot their limits.”

Steele said the groups shot mostly blue-winged teal, with some gadwall and pintails. Greenwing teal were seen around, but not very many were shot.

“Luckily there weren’t a lot of shovelers around,” he said. “There’s plenty of mottled ducks around but you can’t shoot them, and it doesn’t take them long to get smart.”

Steele finally saw a good push of birds on Sunday.

“We kind of had a system come through,” he said. “On Sunday we had a massive migration, with the first significant waves of snows coming in, and big flights of pintails and other ducks migrating down from up north.”

The club may have to start pumping more water, as Steele said the area hasn’t had any

good rain for nearly two months. To keep the birds around, the club tries to hunt a pond no more than once a week.

Farther north, the success was varied. Dallas hunter Marcus Morriss hunted northern Smith County opening weekend and said the birds in his area were mostly locals, with northern birds not yet reaching the area.

“We had a good hunt, but it was limited to wood ducks and a few local wigeon,” he said. “We didn’t see any mallards. The birds we did see checked out the decoys and pro-vided some good shooting, but I expect it to get much better as it gets colder and pushes more birds in our direction.”

Hunters who set up on lakes around the DFW area saw decent numbers of ducks, but the birds seemed to already have a destina-tion picked out away from the decoys. One hunter reported seeing gadwall, wigeon and pintail, in addition to a flock of eight can-vasbacks. He also said that Sunday was a

in our area. The good thing is all of the deer are fat, sleek and healthy.”Reports from the Pineywoods were decent, but warm weather shut down

movement for a good part of the weekend. Several good bucks were seen, but many of them between 9 a.m. and noon as the bucks made their way around scrapes and doe groups.

In South Texas, Zach Akin of Los Cazadores in Pearsall said it was a pretty good weekend down in the brush country.

“There were some big deer killed this weekend,” he said. “I’d say it was a pretty good weekend overall. Hunters said they didn’t see a bunch of deer because of the warm weather, but that sure didn’t stop some hunters from killing some big bucks.”

Akin said the biggest buck brought in opening weekend scored 256 inches. With the rut still being at least a month away, prospects are good for a banner year down south.

“All of the deer I’ve seen have been in great shape,” Akin added.

Deer openerContinued From Page 1

A HEALTHY HERD: Lots of natural forage have the Texas deer herd in great shape for this fall season. Photo by Conor Harrison, LSON.

WaterfowlContinued From Page 1

better day to be on the water.Lone Star Outdoor News Executive Editor

Craig Nyhus hunted near DeLeon, where

the gadwalls showed up on opening morn-ing. Nyhus and two friends bagged their limits of gadwall and wigeon before 8 a.m.

SOLID SHOOTS: Hunters in North Texas had plenty of opportunities for success on wood ducks, gadwall and teal. Photo by Conor Harrison, LSON.


PRODUCTS

>>

SLAMA SPOON: Johnson’s spoon has a wider profi le for more wiggle in the wobble and built-in ribs for added oomph in the action. Anglers who cast or jig

for trout, bass, pike and multiple species can add this spoon to their

bait boxes. The spoon, which has a nickel hook, comes in nine colors and four sizes: 1/2 ounce, 3/4 ounce, 1 ounce and 1 1/4 ounces. It sells for about $4.50 to $6.50.

(800) 237-5539www.johnsonfi shing.com(800) 237-5539www.johnsonfi shing.com

SLAMA SPOON:spoon has a wider profi le for more wiggle in the wobble and built-in ribs for added oomph in the action. Anglers who cast or jig



SLAMA SPOON:spoon has a wider profi le for more wiggle in the wobble and built-in ribs for added oomph in the action. Anglers who cast or jig



(800) 237-5539

PRODUCTS

>>

ZILLA BRAID: Here’s the braid that should help anglers land those Godzil-laesque fi sh. Spider-Wire has melded its Dyneema and Cor-dura fi bers to come

up with a braid that features just the right stretch and strength to go after monster bass, stripers, sturgeon, catfi sh and more. The Zilla Braid comes in moss green to blend into murky green waters. Available in 20-, 30-, 40-, 50-, 65-, 80- and 100-pound test, a 1,500-yard spool sells for about $135 to $220.

(877) 502-7743www.spiderwire.com

SOFT-SIDED COOLER: Trophy Totes’ innova-tive cooler is ideal for transporting deer

and other antlered animals from the fi eld to the taxidermist while maintaining the integrity of the trophy’s cape.

Unlike standard ice chests, this cooler allows for seal-

ing around the antlers. This helps protect the antlers by blocking the entryway

for heat, which would melt the ice in the cooler and en-

courage bacterial growth. The cooler is available in Mossy Oak

and sells for about $150.

(409) 781-2329www.trophytotes.com

VAPOR MAX SHIRTS: Hunters can now stay cool when a cold morning turns

warm. Browning’s Vapor Max Shirts, available in short- and long-sleeve versions, are made from a light-

weight quick-drying fabric. This 100-percent polyester Vapor Max fabric draws moisture

away from the hunter’s body. To help control human odor,

the shirts utilize “OdorSmart” technology, which uses silver

ions to kill the bacteria that causes human odor. The shirts feature crew necks

and are available in a vari-ety of camo patterns. The long-sleeve shirt (shown)

sells for about $38 and the short-sleeve shirt sells for

about $32. (The larger sizes will cost more.)

(800) 322-4626www.browning.com

APO-TELEVID SPOTTING SCOPE: It’s back. This best-in-class spotting scope from Leica (offered in 82 mm and 65 mm) sports a true apochro-matically-corrected lens system featuring four Fluorite crystal lens components. The company says this lens system delivers brilliant edge-to-edge color fi delity and clar-ity plus six percent more light transmission for the fi nest detail resolution and bright-ness possible in early dawn to late dusk. Its wide-angle eyepiece provides a wide fi eld of view of more than 60 degrees across the zoom range and features an up-dated interchangeable bayonet system with automatic lock for secure scope attach-ment. Constructed with rubber armor-coated magnesium, the spotting scopes are rugged, lightweight, easy to carry, and quiet to operate. The eyepiece and scope bodies are nitrogen-fi lled and sealed, making them fog-proof and waterproof to a depth of 17 feet. Also, all exterior lens surfaces are protected by a coating that sheds water and dirt, even in the harshest environments. The spotting scopes are available in straight and angled bodies. The MSRP for the APO-Televid 82 mm Spot-ting Scope is $3,899.

(800) 222-0118www.leica-sportoptics.com

>>

>> >>>>

Win Nikon 10x42

PROSTAFF 7 binoculars

See a full selection of Nikon products at

Victoria All-Sports Center

1902 Houston Hwy.Victoria, TX 77901

(361) 575-0655www.victoriaallsports.com

CALEB KORCZYNSKI, 8, of Victoria had a success-ful youth weekend hunt. While hunting with his dad, big brother and little sister, he harvested his fi rst buck at 180 yards. He was hunting on the family’s deer lease in Refugio County. The deer was aged at 7.5 years old, was 20 1/2-inches wide and gross scored 124 3/8. Caleb used his dad's fi rst deer rifl e to harvest the deer.

Deer openerContinued From Page 1


NORTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good under birds and pods of shad on soft plastics. Redfi sh and fl ounder are good in the marsh on shrimp. Flounder are good on shrimp, shad and scented plastics at the mouths of bayous.

SOUTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good under birds and pods of shad. Redfi sh are good at the jetty on live bait and cracked crabs. Flounder are good on scented plastics around marsh drains.

BOLIVAR: Trout, black drum, sand trout and redfi sh are good at Rollover Pass. Trout are fair to good while drifting shell on plastics. Bull redfi sh are good on the beachfront.

TRINITY BAY: Trout are good

for drifters working pods of shad and mullet on soft and scented plastics. Redfi sh are fair to good on the east shore-line on top-waters.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout and large Gulf trout are good for drifters working deep shell on plastics and fresh shrimp. Redfi sh and fl ounder are fair to good in the marsh around drains on shrimp.

WEST GALVESTON BAY: Bull redfi sh and fl ounder are good at San Luis Pass on shrimp and shad. Sheepshead, redfi sh and black drum are good at the jetty on shrimp and crabs.

TEXAS CITY: Gulf trout are good in the channel on fresh shrimp. Redfi sh are good in

Moses Lake on shrimp.

FREEPORT: Trout and redfi sh are fair to good on the reefs in Christmas Bay and Bastrop Bay. Bull redfi sh are good around Surfside and at the Quintana jetty on crabs, shrimp and mullet.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Redfi sh are fair to good in the middle of the bay under birds. Trout are fair for drifters on live shrimp over humps and scat-tered shell. Trout and fl ounder are fair to good on muddy shorelines on soft plastics.

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

Mad Island on the incoming tide. Flounder are fair around the locks on speck rigs.

PORT O'CONNOR: Bull redfi sh are good at the jetty on crabs, mullet and shad. Trout are good on the reefs in San An-tonio Bay on live shrimp.

ROCKPORT: Trout are fair in the channel on free–lined shrimp. Redfi sh are good in Redfi sh Bay on mullet and crabs. Bull redfi sh are good in the Lydia Ann Channel and around Mud Island on shrimp and crabs.

PORT ARANSAS: Trout are fair on the drop–offs around Super Flat on top-waters. Redfi sh are fair at Shamrock Cove and Pelican Island on top-waters and scented plas-

tics. Bull redfi sh are good at the jetty and on the beach-front on natural baits.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Bull redfi sh are good in the surf on mul-let and shrimp. Trout are fair for waders working mud and grass on top-waters and scented plastics in Oso Bay.

BAFFIN BAY: Trout are good on top-waters and plum plastics around rocks and grass near the Land Cut. Trout are good while drifting deep rocks on plum plastics. Flounder are good in the Land Cut on scented plastics and jigs tipped with shrimp.

PORT MANSFIELD: Redfi sh are good while drifting potholes on top-waters and soft plas-tics under a popping cork.

Trout and redfi sh are fair to good on the spoils on small top-waters and gold spoons. Flounder are fair to good at East Cut on scented plastics and shrimp.

SOUTH PADRE: Redfi sh are good in Airport Cove and on the Gas Well Flats on DOA Shrimp and scented plas-tics. Trout are fair to good in South Bay on top-waters and scented plastics under rat-tling corks.

PORT ISABEL: Trout and redfi sh are good over potholes and grass fl ats on scented baits and top-waters. Redfi sh and fl ounder are fair to good in Cullen Bay on scented plastics and small top-waters.

— TPWD

Sponsored by

TEXAS SALTWATER FISHING REPORTDrum on a roll

PORT MANSFIELD — The fi shing is on the upswing after a rough summer, according to area guide Roger Kohutek.

“The fi shing has defi nitely picked up,” he said. “The redfi sh are back, after we had a tough time with them during the summer. And there’s defi nitely action in the bay right now, with the commercial boys catching a lot of black drum.”

Kohutek said trout are good on channels around the East Cut. But that doesn’t mean the big fi sh will come easy.

“I wouldn’t say it’s real hot,” he said. “There’s a lot of small fi sh, but get out and work on it and you can catch some fi sh.”

Plastics and a few top-waters have been working.To contact Capt. Roger Kohutek, call (956) 944-2150.

Loading them upREDFISH BAY — There’s a good population of fi sh around, and they aren’t small,

according to area guide Dean Monroe.“It’s been awesome,” he said. “Every day we’ve been whacking them. We’ve been catching

reds and trout pretty much every day.”

Monroe said he has been happy with the size of the fi sh, too.“They’re nice ones,” he said. “They’re all 23-, 24-, 27-inch fi sh. I’m using

live piggy perch for bait.”The fi sh are being caught in the fl ats in about 3

feet of water, drifting while free-lining and casting the bait into potholes.

To contact Capt. Dean Monroe, call (361) 790-5250.

Fishing for the slamWEST BAY — Conditions have been good for a Texas slam, and the anglers are proving it,

said Jermaine Pike of Fat Boys Bait and Tackle.“It’s been pretty good where we are,” Pike said. “Flounder, redfi sh and trout have

all been caught. They’re biting on shrimp and mud minnows.”Pike said he has seen some big fi sh brought in. Top-waters are still eliciting some

bites from redfi sh and trout, and scented plastics are working for all three species. Some large redfi sh have been caught working the shorelines and under birds.To contact Fat Boys Bait and Tackle, call (409) 655-5150.

— John Keith

them during the summer. And there’s defi nitely action in the them during the summer. And there’s defi nitely action in the

REDFISH BAY — There’s a good population of fi sh around, and they aren’t small,

said Jermaine Pike of Fat Boys Bait and Tackle.

all been caught. They’re biting on shrimp and mud minnows.”

bites from redfi sh and trout, and scented plastics are working for all three species. Some large redfi sh have been caught working the shorelines and under birds.To contact Fat Boys Bait and Tackle, call (409) 655-5150.

said Jermaine Pike of Fat Boys Bait and Tackle.

Some large redfi sh have been caught working the shorelines and under birds.



YamahaContinued From Page 11

ing skiff.In the 18-foot, 6-inch Phoenix, professional bass angler Russ Lane of Prattville, Ala., put the

VMAX SHO 150 to the task, reaching and holding speeds of 60 mph despite temperatures in the 30s, a stiff north breeze and against 2 mph currents in the Tennessee River.

“It’s really agile and it will do whatever you want,” Lane said. “It’s all you need.”The motor ran smooth, jumped out of the chute and was noticeably quiet compared with

the roar of similarly powered two-stroke engines.Lane donned a mask for the ride — a smart move.“I always wear them when it’s cold,” he said.The wind chill while travelling at 60 mph made his companions wish he had brought

along extras.

Boone and Crockett releases top counties of all timeIn commemoration of its 125th anniversary, the Boone and Crocket Club recently released a

list of the top 125 counties for producing record-book animals, and Texas has several entries on the list, led by Hudspeth County and its 106 pronghorns.

The list is based on Boone and Crockett big-game records-trophy data going back to 1830 and long used by conservationists to gauge outstanding habitat, strong recruitment of game ani-mals into older age classes, sustainable harvest objectives and other elements of sound wildlife management and fair-chase hunting.

“Consistent trophy production over time is proof that conservation measures are working exceptionally well, and the 125 counties on this list stand out as historic models of success,” said Boone and Crockett Club President Ben Wallace. “But the good news extends well beyond the list. Trophy production appears to be trending upward with many species and across much of North America. In fact, last year our records program had 979 new entries, compared to 372 just 30 years ago.”

A few counties are recognized on the list for multiple categories of trophies.1. Wyoming, Carbon County-282 pronghorn in B&C records2. California, Mendocino County-190 typical Columbia blacktail deer in B&C records3. California, Trinity County-185 typical Columbia blacktail deer in B&C records4. Wyoming, Sweetwater County-183 pronghorn in B&C records5. Wyoming, Fremont County-153 pronghorn in B&C records6. Nevada, Clark County-142 desert sheep in B&C records7. Wyoming, Natrona County-142 pronghorn in B&C records8. Montana, Granite County-134 bighorn sheep in B&C records9. South Dakota, Custer County-134 bison in B&C records10. Montana, Sanders County-132 bighorn sheep in B&C recordsTexas counties on the list:16. Texas, Hudspeth County-106 pronghorn in B&C records41. Texas, Webb County-49 typical whitetail deer in B&C records48. Texas, Dimmit County-47 typical whitetail deer in B&C records53. Texas, Maverick County-46 typical whitetail deer in B&C records63. Texas, La Salle County-40 typical whitetail deer in B&C records122. Texas, Culberson County-16 desert sheep in B&C records — B&C

See video at LSONews.com


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Farther south, guide Robert McFarlane, of Double R Guide Service, said the fishing has been on and off recently on Falcon.

“Some days are good, some days are not so good,” McFarlane said. “Some days we are catching string-ers of 28 to 30 pounds, other days it is in the 10- to 15-pound range.”

McFarlane thinks pressure, more so than weather, is dictating the bite.

“A lot of it has to do with boat pressure,” he said. “It has kind of messed these fish up. I think the inconsistent fishing is because of pressure. These fish are lure and boat shy.”

McFarlane said multiple week-end tournaments, along with a lot of weekday traffic fishing the same areas of the lake, have created lure-shy bass. But he hopes deer season, along with cooler temperatures, will lessen the pressure and get bass back to biting.

“With these cooler nights, the water temperature will cool down some and it should get going,” he said. “The shallow-water bite should be turning on and the bass will also start to push up into the creeks. We haven’t had any schooling yet.”

McFarlane said crankbaits are producing the best bites, but jigs and Carolina-rigged worms are also putting fish in the boat.

“We are using small baits to get bit right now, which is rare down here,” he said. “Jigs in the shallow water has been working, but the shallow-water bite has been spotty. The big fish will get more active with the cooler weather.”

Dennis Sheley, (903) 629-3826Robert McFarlane, (956) 857-7314

Bass fishingContinued From Page 1

afternoons are the prime time,” he added.In North Texas, guide David Hanson said

the blue cat bite on Lake Tawakoni has been slow, but the channel cats make up for it.

“The fall blue cat bite has been slower than normal,” Hanson said. “We’ve only got about a dozen today up to 16 pounds. With the time change coming on, it will get better.”

Hanson said although the blue cat bite has been spotty, he has been loading the boat with channel cats.

“The channel cats are still wide open,” he said. “We are catching limits everyday.”

Cut bait has been getting blue bites on lake humps in 2 to 8 feet of water.

“The channels are anywhere you fish,” Hanson said. “If you can bait a hook and drop it between 10 and 30 feet, you’ll catch a channel cat.”

Hanson said he prefers to eat blue cats, but a lot of old-timers swear the channel cats taste the best.

West of the Metroplex on Lake Worth and Eagle Mountain Reservoir, reports said the fishing has been pretty spotty, although the blue cat bite is getting better with the falling water temperatures.

“The past couple of weeks we have caught some decent numbers on some days, but the fishing has been spotty,” said one guide. “With the water cooling off, it will get more consistent.”

For bait, anglers are using cut shad, but they need to be mobile to get on the fish right now.

“The baitfish are moving, so you’ve got to search a little bit,” the guide added. “Just stay mobile — we’ve caught them any-where from 2 to 30 feet.”

Clancy Terrill, (512) 633-6742David Hanson, (903) 662-5668

CatfishContinued From Page 8

CHANNELS GALORE: Lake Tawakoni is producing easy limits of catfish right now, like the one guide Jim Taylor is holding. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.


and didn’t see anything,” he said. “Then the feeder goes off and all hell breaks loose. We ended up seeing 10 bucks.”

The 8 point that was passed on during the morning hunt came out, and Underwood decided to hold off again. Then a 170-class buck named Willy showed up.

“Zac got pretty excited see-ing Willy, but we weren’t going to shoot him,” he said. “Then lo and behold, our buck comes walking up.”

Underwood said that even though the 6 point was two years older than Willy, he didn’t want to get anywhere near him.

“He just walked over to the water trough and grazes the field and I’ve got Zac trying to get him lined up, but the deer gets a little out of range from where we feel comfortable,” he said. “Then Zac gets him lined up but there’s other deer behind him. So finally everything steps clear and he gets broadside and I said ‘Zac, he’s lined up perfectly when you’re ready.’”

His nephew proved that his skills at the range were no fluke. Tshe buck ran 30 yards after the 120-yard shot and went down.

“He rolled right over deader than a doornail,” Underwood said. “There was a lot of high-fiving going on in the blind at that point. He was pretty eager to get out of the blind.”

Martinez couldn’t wait to go see the buck up close.

“I was excited because I knew I hit him, but I wasn’t sure about how well,” he said. “He ran off and then fell down and I was really happy. I was excited to see how big he was up close.”

And shooting a .308 didn’t even phase him.

“That gun is heavy so it doesn’t kick at all,” he said.

Young hunterContinued From Page 6

GOOD GROUPING: After a trip to the range, Glynn Underwood said he was outshot by his nephew Zac. Photo by Glynn Underwood.

Website for wind helps hunters

It’s taught early and repeated often; whether it’s ducks or deer, always hunt the wind.

But weather channels seem to put a lot more time and effort into deciphering the changing tempera-tures than helping hunters figure out if their south or north deer stand will be the best one to hunt, or if the western shore of the lake will have ducks landing face-first toward the hunters.

So short of licking your finger and testing the wind every morn-ing you get out of the truck, what can hunters do to plan where to hunt in advance?

Weather-centered websites such as weather.com display the estimated forecast of winds and directions, but they are notorious for being inaccurate or changing as hunters head to the field.

A website that can help duck hunters estimate when the next push of waterfowl will head south is http://hint.fm/wind/. The map shows wind direction and speed across the entire United States, so that when a strong northern wind is blowing from Canada to Kansas, Texas hunters can assume new ducks will ride the currents down.

“These are near-term forecasts, revised once per hour,” the web-site explains. “So what you’re seeing is a living portrait.”

With the help of smart phones and multiple wind forecasting websites, hunters can make sure they’re downwind of deer and face to face with ducks.

— John Keith, LSON


LastDec. 6

NewNov. 14

Solunar | Sun times | Moon timesMoon Phases

FOR THE TABLEOUTDOOR PUZZLER | By Wilbur “Wib” Lundeen Solution on Page 33

Legend: Major=2 hours. Minor=1 hour. Times centered on the major-minor window. F=Full Moon, N=New Moon, Q=Quarter > = Peak Activity. For other locations, subtract 1 minute per 12 miles east of a location, and add 1 min-ute per 12 miles west of a location.

Sun Moon Tides| |

2 pounds salmon fi llets1 16 oz. can V81/2 cup minced sweet bell pepper1 small onion, chopped1 1/2 tsps. oregano1 tsp. garlic powder1 1/2 tsps. sugar1 tsp. cornstarch Salt, pepper to tasteCreole seasoning

Arrange fi llets on oven-safe dish and sprinkle with salt, pepper. Bake in 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, simmer V8, chopped pepper, onion, garlic pow-der, oregano and Creole seasoning for 15 minutes. Mix the cornstarch and water and put into sauce; sim-mer until thickened. Pour sauce over fi sh and broil until golden.

— Easyfi shrecipes.com

1 venison backstrap1 bottle Italian dressingDale’s seasoningHot sauceCream cheeseJalapeno peppers, slicedLarge onion, slicedBacon

Cut the tenderloin into two equal pieces. In a large bowl, combine the dressing, seasoning to taste, and a few dashes of hot

sauce. Add to meat. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours. Remove the meat and butterfl y each piece. Spread some cream cheese on one half and top with sliced peppers and onions. Fold the other half over the top, wrap the whole thing with bacon and secure with toothpicks. Repeat with the other piece. Grill or smoke over medium heat until medium rare. Serve.

— Backwoodsbound.com

Jalapeno stuffed tenderloin

FullNov. 28First

Nov. 20Texas Coast TidesSabine Pass, jettyDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightNov 09 5:06 AM 1.5L 11:17 AM 2.4H 4:40 PM 1.6L 10:58 PM 2.6HNov 10 5:28 AM 1.0L 12:32 PM 2.7H 5:48 PM 1.9L 11:12 PM 2.6 HNov 11 6:01 AM 0.5L 1:36 PM 3.0H 6:48 PM 2.2L 11:28 PM 2.6HNov 12 6:41 AM 0.0L 2:35 PM 3.2H 7:41 PM 2.4L 11:50 PM 2.8HNov 13 7:24 AM -0.5L 3:32 PM 3.4H 8:28 PM 2.6LNov 14 12:18 AM 2.9H 8:12 AM -0.7L 4:29 PM 3.4H 9:11 PM 2.7LNov 15 12:52 AM 3.0H 9:02 AM -0.8L 5:27 PM 3.3H 9:56 PM 2.8LNov 16 1:32 AM 3.0H 9:55 AM -0.7L 6:27 PM 3.1H 10:50 PM 2.7LNov 17 2:16 AM 2.9H 10:52 AM -0.4L 7:27 PM 3.0HNov 18 12:19 AM 2.6L 3:07 AM 2.7H 11:52 AM -0.1L 8:23 PM 2.8 HNov 19 1:00 PM 0.4L 9:09 PM 2.6HNov 20 3:53 AM 1.9L 7:11 AM 2.1H 2:17 PM 0.8L 9:45 PM 2.5 HNov 21 4:36 AM 1.5L 9:26 AM 2.0H 3:43 PM 1.2L 10:12 PM 2.4HNov 22 5:13 AM 1.0L 11:20 AM 2.1H 5:05 PM 1.5L 10:34 PM 2.3 HNov 23 5:47 AM 0.6L 12:46 PM 2.3H 6:16 PM 1.8L 10:52 PM 2.3 H

Galveston Bay entrance, south jettyDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightNov 09 5:32 AM 1.2L 12:04 PM 1.9H 5:06 PM 1.3L 11:45 PM 2.0 HNov 10 5:54 AM 0.8L 1:19 PM 2.1H 6:14 PM 1.5L 11:59 PM 2.0HNov 11 6:27 AM 0.4L 2:23 PM 2.4H 7:14 PM 1.7LNov 12 12:15 AM 2.1H 7:07 AM 0.0L 3:22 PM 2.6H 8:07 PM 1.9LNov 13 12:37 AM 2.2H 7:50 AM -0.4L 4:19 PM 2.7H 8:54 PM 2.1LNov 14 1:05 AM 2.3H 8:38 AM -0.6L 5:16 PM 2.7H 9:37 PM 2.2LNov 15 1:39 AM 2.4H 9:28 AM -0.6L 6:14 PM 2.6H 10:22 PM 2.2LNov 16 2:19 AM 2.4H 10:21 AM -0.5L 7:14 PM 2.5H 11:16 PM 2.2LNov 17 3:03 AM 2.3H 11:18 AM -0.3L 8:14 PM 2.4HNov 18 12:45 AM 2.1L 3:54 AM 2.1H 12:18 PM -0.1L 9:10 PM 2.2 HNov 19 1:26 PM 0.3L 9:56 PM 2.1HNov 20 4:19 AM 1.5L 7:58 AM 1.6H 2:43 PM 0.6L 10:32 PM 2.0HNov 21 5:02 AM 1.2L 10:13 AM 1.6H 4:09 PM 0.9L 10:59 PM 1.9HNov 22 5:39 AM 0.8L 12:07 PM 1.7H 5:31 PM 1.2L 11:21 PM 1.8HNov 23 6:13 AM 0.5L 1:33 PM 1.8H 6:42 PM 1.4L 11:39 PM 1.8H

San Luis PassDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time Height Nov 09 12:01 AM 1.2H 6:28 AM 0.7L 12:34 PM 1.1H 6:02 PM 0.8LNov 10 12:15 AM 1.2H 6:50 AM 0.5L 1:49 PM 1.3H 7:10 PM 0.9LNov 11 12:29 AM 1.2H 7:23 AM 0.2L 2:53 PM 1.4H 8:10 PM 1.0LNov 12 12:45 AM 1.3H 8:03 AM 0.0L 3:52 PM 1.6H 9:03 PM 1.2LNov 13 1:07 AM 1.3H 8:46 AM -0.2L 4:49 PM 1.6H 9:50 PM 1.3LNov 14 1:35 AM 1.4H 9:34 AM -0.3L 5:46 PM 1.6H 10:33 PM 1.3LNov 15 2:09 AM 1.4H 10:24 AM -0.4L 6:44 PM 1.6H 11:18 PM 1.3LNov 16 2:49 AM 1.4H 11:17 AM -0.3L 7:44 PM 1.5HNov 17 12:12 AM 1.3L 3:33 AM 1.4H 12:14 PM -0.2L 8:44 PM 1.4 HNov 18 1:41 AM 1.3L 4:24 AM 1.3H 1:14 PM 0.0L 9:40 PM 1.3HNov 19 2:22 PM 0.2L 10:26 PM 1.3HNov 20 5:15 AM 0.9L 8:28 AM 1.0H 3:39 PM 0.4L 11:02 PM 1.2HNov 21 5:58 AM 0.7L 10:43 AM 1.0H 5:05 PM 0.6L 11:29 PM 1.1HNov 22 6:35 AM 0.5L 12:37 PM 1.0H 6:27 PM 0.7L 11:51 PM 1.1HNov 23 7:09 AM 0.3L 2:03 PM 1.1H 7:38 PM 0.9L

Freeport HarborDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightNov 09 5:58 AM 0.9L 11:49 AM 1.5H 5:41 PM 1.1L 11:30 PM 1.6HNov 10 6:11 AM 0.7L 1:01 PM 1.8H 7:07 PM 1.2L 11:49 PM 1.5HNov 11 6:37 AM 0.4L 2:05 PM 2.0H 8:28 PM 1.3LNov 12 12:06 AM 1.5H 7:11 AM 0.1L 3:05 PM 2.2H 9:49 PM 1.4LNov 13 12:18 AM 1.5H 7:52 AM -0.1L 4:03 PM 2.3HNov 14 8:38 AM -0.3L 5:03 PM 2.4HNov 15 9:27 AM -0.4L 6:03 PM 2.4HNov 16 10:20 AM -0.3L 7:03 PM 2.3HNov 17 11:17 AM -0.2L 8:01 PM 2.1HNov 18 12:18 PM 0.0L 8:52 PM 2.0HNov 19 1:27 PM 0.3L 9:32 PM 1.8HNov 20 4:36 AM 1.2L 7:38 AM 1.3H 2:47 PM 0.6L 10:02 PM 1.6HNov 21 4:59 AM 1.0L 9:51 AM 1.3H 4:20 PM 0.9L 10:25 PM 1.5 HNov 22 5:28 AM 0.7L 11:47 AM 1.5H 5:52 PM 1.1L 10:43 PM 1.4HNov 23 6:00 AM 0.5L 1:15 PM 1.6H 7:17 PM 1.2L 10:59 PM 1.4H

South Padre IslandDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightNov 09 5:21 AM 1.1L 11:38 AM 1.6H 4:56 PM 1.3L 10:27 PM 1.7HNov 10 5:40 AM 0.8L 1:12 PM 1.8H 6:34 PM 1.4L 10:19 PM 1.6HNov 11 6:11 AM 0.4L 2:27 PM 1.9HNov 12 6:49 AM 0.0L 3:34 PM 2.1HNov 13 7:32 AM -0.3L 4:39 PM 2.2HNov 14 8:19 AM -0.5L 5:43 PM 2.2HNov 15 9:09 AM -0.5L 6:45 PM 2.2HNov 16 10:01 AM -0.5L 7:42 PM 2.2HNov 17 10:54 AM -0.3L 8:30 PM 2.1HNov 18 11:49 AM 0.0L 9:04 PM 2.0HNov 19 12:46 PM 0.3L 9:25 PM 1.9HNov 20 1:46 PM 0.7L 9:38 PM 1.7HNov 21 4:17 AM 1.2L 8:58 AM 1.4H 2:54 PM 1.0L 9:44 PM 1.7HNov 22 4:45 AM 0.9L 11:32 AM 1.5H 4:16 PM 1.3L 9:44 PM 1.6HNov 23 5:20 AM 0.6L 1:19 PM 1.6H 5:57 PM 1.5L 9:34 PM 1.6 H

Port O’ConnorDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightNov 09 1:29 AM 1.1H 8:38 AM 0.9LNov 10 12:11 AM 1.1H 8:39 AM 0.7L 11:04 PM 1.1HNov 11 9:00 AM 0.6L 10:17 PM 1.2HNov 12 9:34 AM 0.5L 10:17 PM 1.3HNov 13 10:17 AM 0.3L 11:04 PM 1.4HNov 14 11:07 AM 0.2LNov 15 12:04 AM 1.4H 12:04 PM 0.2LNov 16 1:06 AM 1.4H 1:04 PM 0.2LNov 17 2:05 AM 1.4H 2:05 PM 0.2LNov 18 2:51 AM 1.3H 3:04 PM 0.3LNov 19 2:51 AM 1.2H 3:58 PM 0.4LNov 20 1:57 AM 1.1H 4:45 PM 0.5LNov 21 1:45 AM 1.0H 5:19 PM 0.6LNov 22 1:11 AM 0.9H 8:31 AM 0.7LNov 23 12:08 AM 0.9H 8:43 AM 0.5L 11:12 PM 0.9H

RockportDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightNov 09 1:50 AM 0.6H 9:10 AM 0.5L 1:40 PM 0.5H 5:55 PM 0.5LNov 10 1:18 AM 0.6H 9:41 AM 0.4LNov 11 12:54 AM 0.6H 10:19 AM 0.4LNov 12 12:46 AM 0.6H 11:03 AM 0.3LNov 13 1:02 AM 0.7H 11:52 AM 0.3LNov 14 1:38 AM 0.7H 12:44 PM 0.2LNov 15 2:27 AM 0.7H 1:38 PM 0.2LNov 16 3:25 AM 0.7H 2:33 PM 0.2LNov 17 4:25 AM 0.7H 3:24 PM 0.2LNov 18 5:25 AM 0.6H 4:08 PM 0.2LNov 19 6:24 AM 0.6H 4:43 PM 0.3LNov 20 7:22 AM 0.5H 5:04 PM 0.3LNov 21 1:56 AM 0.4H 5:20 AM 0.4L 8:37 AM 0.4H 5:07 PM 0.3LNov 22 12:36 AM 0.4H 7:50 AM 0.4L 11:19 AM 0.4H 4:37 PM 0.4LNov 23 12:13 AM 0.5H 8:49 AM 0.3L

Houston2012 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONNov Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets09 Fri 12:42 6:54 1:06 7:18 06:40 05:28 2:00a 2:24p 10 Sat 1:25 7:37 1:50 8:03 06:41 05:28 3:01a 3:02p 11 Sun 2:10 8:23 2:36 8:50 06:42 05:27 4:05a 3:44p 12 Mon > 2:59 9:13 3:27 9:42 06:43 05:27 5:12a 4:30p 13 Tue N 3:54 10:09 4:24 10:39 06:43 05:26 6:22a 5:22p 14 Wed > 4:55 11:11 5:27 11:42 06:44 05:26 7:31a 6:20p 15 Thu > 6:01 11:41 6:33 12:17 06:45 05:25 8:37a 7:22p 16 Fri > 7:10 12:54 7:41 1:25 06:46 05:25 9:39a 8:28p 17 Sat 8:17 2:03 8:47 2:32 06:47 05:24 10:33a 9:34p 18 Sun 9:21 3:07 9:49 3:35 06:48 05:24 11:21a 10:38p 19 Mon 10:19 4:06 10:44 4:31 06:49 05:23 12:03p 11:39p 20 Tue 11:10 4:58 11:34 5:22 06:49 05:23 12:40p NoMoon 21 Wed Q 11:56 5:44 ----- 6:07 06:50 05:23 1:15p 12:38a 22 Thu 12:15 6:26 12:37 6:48 06:51 05:22 1:49p 1:34a 23 Fri 12:55 7:06 1:17 7:28 06:52 05:22 2:22p 2:28a 24 Sat 1:33 7:44 1:55 8:06 06:53 05:22 2:56p 3:22a 25 Sun 2:12 8:24 2:35 8:46 06:54 05:22 3:33p 4:16a 26 Mon 2:53 9:05 3:16 9:28 06:54 05:21 4:12p 5:10a 27 Tue > 3:37 9:49 4:00 10:12 06:55 05:21 4:54p 6:03a 28 Wed > 4:23 10:35 4:47 10:59 06:56 05:21 5:39p 6:55a

Port Aransas, H. Caldwell PierDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightNov 09 5:26 AM 1.0L 12:00 PM 1.7H 5:09 PM 1.4L 10:44 PM 1.8HNov 10 5:48 AM 0.8L 1:22 PM 2.0H 6:42 PM 1.6L 10:43 PM 1.8HNov 11 6:19 AM 0.5L 2:30 PM 2.3H 8:23 PM 1.8L 10:29 PM 1.9 HNov 12 6:57 AM 0.2L 3:32 PM 2.5HNov 13 7:39 AM 0.0L 4:32 PM 2.7HNov 14 8:24 AM -0.2L 5:31 PM 2.7HNov 15 9:13 AM -0.3L 6:29 PM 2.6HNov 16 10:04 AM -0.3L 7:25 PM 2.5HNov 17 10:57 AM -0.2L 8:14 PM 2.3HNov 18 11:52 AM -0.1L 8:53 PM 2.0HNov 19 12:49 PM 0.2L 9:21 PM 1.8HNov 20 1:52 PM 0.5L 9:42 PM 1.6HNov 21 4:27 AM 1.0L 9:10 AM 1.2H 3:04 PM 0.8L 9:55 PM 1.5 HNov 22 4:50 AM 0.7L 11:32 AM 1.4H 4:32 PM 1.1L 10:01 PM 1.5HNov 23 5:20 AM 0.5L 1:08 PM 1.6H 6:15 PM 1.3L 9:57 PM 1.4H

San Antonio2012 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONNov Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets09 Fri 12:54 7:06 1:18 7:31 06:52 05:42 2:13a 2:37p 10 Sat 1:37 7:50 2:02 8:15 06:53 05:41 3:14a 3:15p 11 Sun 2:22 8:36 2:49 9:02 06:54 05:40 4:18a 3:57p 12 Mon > 3:11 9:26 3:40 9:54 06:55 05:40 5:25a 4:44p 13 Tue N 4:06 10:21 4:37 10:52 06:55 05:39 6:34a 5:36p 14 Wed > 5:07 11:23 5:39 11:55 06:56 05:39 7:43a 6:34p 15 Thu > 6:14 11:54 6:46 12:30 06:57 05:38 8:50a 7:36p 16 Fri > 7:22 1:07 7:53 1:38 06:58 05:38 9:51a 8:42p 17 Sat 8:30 2:15 8:59 2:45 06:59 05:37 10:46a 9:47p 18 Sun 9:33 3:20 10:01 3:47 07:00 05:37 11:33a 10:51p 19 Mon 10:31 4:18 10:57 4:44 07:00 05:37 12:15p 11:52p 20 Tue 11:23 5:11 11:46 5:34 07:01 05:36 12:53p NoMoon 21 Wed Q ----- 5:57 12:08 6:20 07:02 05:36 1:28p 12:51a 22 Thu 12:28 6:39 12:50 7:01 07:03 05:36 2:02p 1:47a 23 Fri 1:07 7:18 1:29 7:40 07:04 05:35 2:35p 2:41a 24 Sat 1:46 7:57 2:08 8:19 07:05 05:35 3:10p 3:35a 25 Sun 2:25 8:36 2:47 8:59 07:05 05:35 3:46p 4:28a 26 Mon 3:06 9:17 3:29 9:40 07:06 05:35 4:25p 5:22a 27 Tue > 3:49 10:01 4:13 10:25 07:07 05:34 5:07p 6:15a 28 Wed > 4:36 10:48 5:00 11:12 07:08 05:34 5:52p 7:07a

Amarillo2012 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONNov Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets09 Fri 1:08 7:20 1:32 7:44 07:15 05:45 2:26a 2:50p 10 Sat 1:51 8:03 2:16 8:29 07:16 05:44 3:30a 3:25p 11 Sun 2:35 8:49 3:02 9:16 07:17 05:43 4:37a 4:04p 12 Mon > 3:25 9:39 3:53 10:08 07:18 05:43 5:47a 4:48p 13 Tue N 4:20 10:35 4:50 11:05 07:19 05:42 6:59a 5:38p 14 Wed > 5:21 11:37 5:52 12:08 07:20 05:41 8:10a 6:35p 15 Thu > 6:27 12:11 6:59 12:43 07:21 05:41 9:17a 7:37p 16 Fri > 7:36 1:20 8:07 1:51 07:22 05:40 10:18a 8:43p 17 Sat 8:43 2:29 9:13 2:58 07:23 05:39 11:11a 9:51p 18 Sun 9:47 3:33 10:14 4:01 07:24 05:39 11:56a 10:57p 19 Mon 10:45 4:32 11:10 4:57 07:25 05:38 12:35p NoMoon 20 Tue 11:36 5:24 ----- 5:48 07:26 05:38 1:10p 12:01a 21 Wed Q ----- 6:10 12:22 6:33 07:27 05:37 1:43p 1:02a 22 Thu 12:41 6:52 1:03 7:14 07:28 05:37 2:14p 2:01a 23 Fri 1:21 7:32 1:43 7:54 07:29 05:36 2:45p 2:58a 24 Sat 1:59 8:10 2:21 8:32 07:30 05:36 3:17p 3:54a 25 Sun 2:38 8:50 3:01 9:12 07:31 05:36 3:51p 4:50a 26 Mon 3:19 9:31 3:42 9:54 07:32 05:35 4:28p 5:46a 27 Tue > 4:03 10:14 4:26 10:38 07:33 05:35 5:09p 6:41a 28 Wed > 4:49 11:01 5:13 11:25 07:34 05:35 5:53p 7:34a

Dallas2012 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONNov Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets09 Fri 12:47 6:59 1:11 7:24 06:51 05:29 2:05a 2:29p 10 Sat 1:30 7:43 1:55 8:08 06:52 05:28 3:08a 3:06p 11 Sun 2:15 8:29 2:42 8:55 06:53 05:27 4:14a 3:46p 12 Mon > 3:04 9:19 3:33 9:47 06:54 05:27 5:23a 4:31p 13 Tue N 3:59 10:14 4:30 10:45 06:55 05:26 6:33a 5:22p 14 Wed > 5:00 11:16 5:32 11:48 06:56 05:25 7:43a 6:19p 15 Thu > 6:07 11:47 6:39 12:23 06:57 05:25 8:50a 7:21p 16 Fri > 7:15 1:00 7:46 1:31 06:57 05:24 9:51a 8:27p 17 Sat 8:23 2:08 8:52 2:38 06:58 05:24 10:45a 9:34p 18 Sun 9:26 3:13 9:54 3:40 06:59 05:23 11:31a 10:39p 19 Mon 10:24 4:11 10:50 4:37 07:00 05:23 12:12p 11:42p 20 Tue 11:16 5:04 11:39 5:27 07:01 05:22 12:48p NoMoon 21 Wed Q ----- 5:50 12:01 6:13 07:02 05:22 1:21p 12:42a 22 Thu 12:21 6:32 12:43 6:54 07:03 05:21 1:53p 1:40a 23 Fri 1:00 7:11 1:22 7:33 07:04 05:21 2:25p 2:36a 24 Sat 1:39 7:50 2:01 8:12 07:05 05:21 2:59p 3:31a 25 Sun 2:18 8:29 2:40 8:52 07:06 05:20 3:34p 4:26a 26 Mon 2:59 9:10 3:22 9:33 07:07 05:20 4:12p 5:21a 27 Tue > 3:42 9:54 4:06 10:18 07:08 05:20 4:53p 6:15a 28 Wed > 4:29 10:41 4:53 11:05 07:09 05:20 5:37p 7:07a

Salmon creole

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

ACROSS1. Movement of an arrow

in fl ight 4. The fi shing gear 7. Term for part of a

deer’s rack 9. Handy item in strange

areas10. Part of a bow11. To analyze freshness

of tracks12. A freshwater catch13. Wild one is the Dall16. Found in the boat-

house18. Turbulent part of a stream20. Cloth used to sharpen

fi shhooks21. To construct a fl y lure22. A type of turkey call24. The trapper's gear25. The wild pig27. The female deer28. The camper’s resting

place29. Bowmen’s ammo30. A species of the

bighorn32. Very good bear trap bait34. A type of fi shhook35. Rifl e part that ejects

fi red casing

36. Shells, arrows37. Holds powder

charge in a shell39. Expanded part of a

shaft feather42. Another name for

the largemouth43. Game, fi sh, fowl

favorite areas

DOWN1. Tree favored by tur-

keys for roosting 2. A large wading bird 3. They reveal the age

of some game 4. A protector, shoot-

ing ____ 5. A tasty fi sh when

smoked 6. The gun safety 7. A kind of arrowhead 8. A gun choke adjust-

ment14. A valuable pelt for

the trapper15. A wingshooter’s quarry17. An underwater growth19. Force exerted by a

shell on a target23. Said to be very good

bass bait material24. A female bear

25. Add to lake water for safe drinking

26. A dinghy27. Angler term for a

casting stroke31. The skin-like covering

on antlers32. Color worn by hunters

for safety33. Name for part of a

stag’s rack38. A wood used in arrow

shafts40. Brings catch into the

boat41. The female Dall

~


NATIONAL

Oklahoma wounded warrior shoots base-record buck

For Quinton Picone, 23, a native of Panola, Okla., first times seem to be the charm. At least first-time hunting trips, that is.

On his first deer hunt Oct. 12 on the 45,000-acre McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, Picone harvested a 9-point buck that dressed out at 175 pounds.

The buck set a new base record for the heaviest deer taken on the property, and Picone's name now will appear first on that list.

“It was crazy,” said Picone, who was deer hunting through the Wounded Warriors in Action program along with two other Army bud-dies from Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. “It was pretty exciting.”

This was the fourth year that Army and Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation staff members have hosted a group of Wounded Warriors

at the controlled deer hunt. Picone’s fellow Army buddies Stephen Peterson and Roger Benton also took nice bucks over the weekend. And Picone was able to take a doe on the second day of the hunt.

Picone and Peterson are both undergoing rehabilitation after being wounded while serving in Afghanistan. Picone lost both his lower legs and suffered wounds to his right hand due to an Improvised Explosive Device in 2011, while Peterson lost one leg to an IED in 2010. Benton is their platoon ser-geant and was awarded a Purple Heart for wounds he suffered during his Army service.

— ODWC

Louisiana man arrested for multiple violations

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division

agents arrested a man for allegedly possessing a firearm by a convicted felon and migratory game bird viola-tions in Terrebonne Parish.

Agents arrested Christopher Verdin, 35, for possessing a 12-gauge shot-gun by a convicted felon. Verdin was convicted of distributing cocaine in 2006.

Agents received a complaint from the public about Verdin duck hunting in the Chauvin area. Agents arrived on the scene at 7 a.m. on Oct. 27 and observed Verdin hunting ducks. At 8:30 a.m., agents made contact with Verdin and found him in posses-sion of one mottled duck, one teal and four ibis.

Agents cited Verdin for hunting ducks during a closed season, tak-ing ibis for which there is no season, violating the non-toxic shot require-ment, field possession of migratory game birds, harvesting MGBs during a closed season, hunting MGBs with-out the required harvest information program (HIP) certification, hunting MGBs with an unplugged shotgun, hunting without a basic hunting license and hunting MGBs without state and federal duck stamps.

Possession of a firearm by a con-victed felon carries a $1,000 to $5,000 fine and 10 to 20 years in jail. Hunting without a basic license brings a $50 fine and up to 15 days in jail. For the remaining eight charges, Verdin faces a $400 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail for each charge.

— LDWF

HD found in Louisiana deer

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has received numerous reports of dead and dying white-tailed deer this fall.

The reports have come primar-ily from the parishes that border the Mississippi River in south Louisiana, but scattered reports have come in from all over the state. Many of these deaths can be attributed to hemorrhagic disease.

Hemorrhagic disease is a viral disease syndrome caused by either epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus or bluetongue virus. These Orbiviruses are related but are genetically different. They are spread by biting gnats of the genus Culicoides, resulting in sea-sonal occurrence of HD. Typically, factors that favor the vectors are a rainy spring followed by a dry June. Events such as flooding which con-gregate deer also seem to worsen disease outbreaks.

— LDWF

Missouri hunter shoots wolf

A hunter in Howard County shot what appears to possibly be a wolf while archery hunting for deer and coyote on Oct. 30 at the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Franklin Island Conservation Area.

According to MDC, the hunter mistook the animal for a coy-ote, which are currently in season and for which he had a permit. The hunter reported the kill to Conservation Agent Michael Abdon. Agent Abdon took possession of the animal and turned it over to the MDC’s Resource Science Division for identification.

According to MDC Resource Scientist Jeff Beringer, the animal was male and weighed 81 pounds. Beringer collected tissue samples and the animal’s DNA will be used to confirm the species and possible origin of the animal.

Also known as timber wolves, gray wolves once inhabited north-ern Missouri but were gone from the state by the late 1800s due to hunting and habitat loss. While there is no evidence of a breed-ing population in the state, wolves are listed as a protected species in Missouri.

— MDC

Two Louisiana men charged

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agents cited two men for alleged night hunting violations and cruelty to animals on Oct. 27 in East Baton Rouge and East Feliciana parishes.

During the early morning hours of Oct. 27, agents received information of possible night hunting activ-ity in the northern section of East Baton Rouge Parish. Agents inves-tigated the area and found Ryan Stogner, 20, of Denham Springs, and Nicholas Tarver, 21, of Zachary, involved in night hunting activities.

Agents also learned that the two men had shot and killed a mala-mute husky belonging to a couple in East Feliciana Parish.

Agents cited the two men with two counts each for taking deer during illegal hours, taking deer from a public road, hunting from a moving vehicle, hunting with-out basic and big game licenses and violating deer tagging regula-tions in East Baton Rouge and East Feliciana parishes. Stogner was also cited for discharging a firearm from a public road in both parishes. Both men were also cited for aggravated cruelty to animals in East Feliciana Parish for killing the husky.

— LDWF


your shoreline plants, and that’s proba-bly the main effect,” he said. “It trickles down from there. You start affecting the habitat, you’re going to start affecting the food chain.”

Dredging may also hurt the baitfish.“When all of your baitfish are teeny

tiny, they’re holding on to whatever vegetation they have,” he said. “In areas (where) they do dredge, it makes the water turbid and muddy and the fish tend to move out of those areas.”

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Ecosystem Leader for the Lower Laguna Madre, Mark Lingo, said dredging is probably not the reason for tough fishing along the southern Texas coast.

“The dredging would be very local-ized,” he said. “However, what we do

have this year was, early in the year, the water raised above normal and has stayed that way until the last week or so. I think that’s the key of the whole deal, that fish have moved to other areas we don’t usu-ally fish.”

Lingo said surveys done at night with gill nets have been normal, which could be a clue that anglers would have much better luck fishing at night when temper-atures cool down.

“I talked to a few people who have kind of been fishing deeper water, and they’ve actually done pretty good this summer,” he said. “I think if a cold front comes through and really cools the water down, anglers will see the fishing pop back up again.”

DredgingContinued From Page 9

Texas Team Trail season endsThe final event featured 55 of the top teams of the season with the championship

and Team of the Year titles on the line. The winners of the event were Lendell Martin and Jason Moore with their two-day

total of 35.66 pounds. The win netted the two anglers a payday of $46,880. Jim Criswell and his wife, Gail, took second place, catching bass on top-water, jigs

and crankbaits.Big bass honors went to the team of Seth Kelm and Dee Trammell for their 9.66-

pound giant. Teams qualified for the championship event by entering and fishing every event held

this year. When the dust settled, Russell Cecil and Todd Castledine won the Lucas Oil Team of the Year rings. For their efforts, the duo will have their entry fees paid for 2013.

— Texas Team Trail

Dave Campbell inducted into NFF Hall of FameDavid L. Campbell, a retired employee of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and

longtime manager of TPWD’s ShareLunker program, has been notified of his induction into the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward, Wis., in recognition of his contributions to the sport and heritage of freshwater fishing.

Campbell will be inducted in the Special Recognition category, one of six categories in the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame.

Campbell worked for TPWD for 46 years, retiring at the end of March 2012. He was inducted into the Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in 2011.

— TPWD

Aquilla lakeContinued From Page 9

from the Dairy Hill boat ramp.“Some people complain about the lake

being small, but that’s a good thing,” he said. “The white bass are pretty easy to find — they school on top there like they do everywhere. I think it’s still a great crappie lake; some-times they seem to have a really good year of spawning.”

Parker said he caught a lot of blue cats on shad, and the crappie liked to be up either

arm of the lake.Aquilla has two boat ramps open to the

public. Dairy Hill ramp is located on the east shore, south of Peoria, near the south-east end of the FM 1947 bridge. The Old School ramp is on the west shore off FM 933 between Waco and Whitney. There is a fish-ing pier below the dam off Highway 310.

Mark Parker, (254) 479-0550

Photo by Google Maps.



Winners announced for Big Time Texas HuntsThe winners of this year’s Big Time Texas Hunts seven hunt packages have been announced.Texas hunters applied for the chance to win one of the adventures.“When I received the letter I was excited but couldn’t remember which hunt I had put in for. I was

hoping it was the Grand Slam,” said Victoria tobacco shop owner Roger Dean Theisen. “I’ve entered for a number of years — figured it was a good cause.”

The Big Time Texas Hunts raffle offers hunting packages ranging from guided white-tailed deer hunting, bird and gator hunts to the Grand Slam which treats the lucky winner and a non-hunting guest to food, lodging, taxidermy and a personal guide for four separate hunts for desert bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer, pronghorn and desert mule deer. Theisen was the winner of this top package.

This year, the Big Time Texas Hunts drawing received 64,340 entries ($9/entry online or $10/entry by mail, phone or at license retailers) and raised $612,161. All proceeds will benefit wildlife conser-vation, research and public hunting in Texas.

The winners are:

— TPWD

Texas Grand Slam• Roger Dean Theisen, Yoakum

Texas Exotic Safari• Henry Frank Bell, Seguin• Gaynard Ernest Wenglar, East Bernard

Texas Premium Buck• Melvin P. Solomon, Conroe

Texas Waterfowl Adventure• Gary Wayne Lee, Conroe

Texas Big Time Bird Hunt• Riley Bruce Marsh, Yoakum

Texas Whitetail Bonanza• John M. Dagenhart, Blackwell• Garrie E. Struhall, Austin• Russell Neal Terral, Mertzon• James Avery Low, Cherokee• Kevin Lane Preston, Conroe• Craig A. Enright, Quinlan• Patrick James Bailey, Corpus Christi• Robert M. Flatley, San Antonio

Texas Gator Hunt• Lee Andrew Friedman, Clayton, Calif.

Fairfield Lake coming backAfter multiple fish kills crippled the Fairfield

Lake fishery, most anglers turned their boats toward smoother waters, leaving the lake behind them.

But although the fish populations still haven’t recovered, all hope for the lake isn’t lost, accord-ing to Fairfield Lake State Park Manager Mike Kleinert.

“I actually went out with fishery biologist Rick Ott recently and we conducted an electroshock survey, and actually did turn up a 30-inch redfish,” Kleinert said. “So there’s still one in there for sure.”

Kleinert said they also brought up some large-mouth bass, though none were more than 18 inches, in addition to a single channel cat. Most of the bass were found near areas of hydrilla.

“I asked Rick Ott if the survey went how he expected, and he said it was better than he expected,” Kleinert said. “The survey the time before this one hardly any fish were collected.”

Most anglers frequenting the lake have been using a cast net for tilapia, but anglers earlier in

the year were having some luck on rod and reel for catfish.

“The majority of anglers right now are throwing cast nets,” he said. “I do know that one night three guys had 65 channel cats they caught on rod and reel.”

The reason Fairfield has experienced fish kills could be traced to the lack of any source of new water, according to Kleinert.

“We’re praying for a hurricane to come and park on top of us and kind of flush this thing,” he said. “That’s the problem; it doesn’t have a steady stream flowing in or out like most of your freshwa-ter lakes. We’re kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place.”

Kleinert said that Texas Parks and Wildlife are keeping the suspension on stocking the lake in place.

“If you’re just wanting to wet a hook or line, yeah come fish,” he said. “But if you’re wanting to catch a good red, you might want to go to the coast. Tilapia and catfish, I would say, are the predomi-nant target species.”

— John Keith, LSON




Lockwood said. “If there is a positive test, we will contact the hunter directly.”

Lockwood said hunters heading to far West Texas should not be alarmed by the regulations.

“There is no evidence CWD poses any risk to people,” he said. “And we can remove the obex from the brain without any damage to the cape, although we may lift the cape to capture some lymph nodes — staff has been trained to do this without damaging the cape.”

Carcasses of the animals may be removed from the sites, although offi-cials recommend against the disposal of carcasses on other property.

CWDContinued From Page 7

Map by TPWD

seen so far, the survey numbers are down from last year,” said Todd Montandon, a private lands biol-ogist for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department near Canyon. “Most

of my (pheasant habitat) is on top of the caprock. I was hearing lots of birds calling in the spring. We had good rains throughout the nesting season, but by the end of June it quit

PheasantContinued From Page 4

TOUGH SLEDDING: Pheasants are running from nature these days in the Panhandle, as many hunters have quit hunting the birds due to low numbers. Photo by LSON.

raining and didn’t rain again.“I think if there was a

hatch, they didn’t make it through the summer.”

Montandon said his gut feeling tells him this year’s numbers will be worse than last season.

“Just like our quail sur-veys, which were the low-est this season that they have ever been, the pheas-ants have been declining in this area for the past 10 to 12 years. I think some of it is changing irrigation practices. The crops haven’t changed, so I don’t think it is that. There is lots of cover for the birds; I am just hop-ing for a wet winter.”

Jason Hardin, upland game bird biologist at TPWD, echoed those sentiments.

“Last year was horrible,” he said. “Between the heat and the drought, there was no production. But this year, grazing has knocked a lot of the grasses back and that should make it better for quail and pheasants. We had some decent spring rains, but we need another couple of good years.”

Multiple outfitters in the Panhandle contacted by LSON said they were not going to hunt pheasants this season, many for the second year in a row.

Although the reports were bleak, Internet mes-sage board chatter indicated there are some local pockets of birds remaining — mostly on private land.

Positive reports came in from around Floydada in some areas, although the reports from Petersburg were mostly poor.


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

LONE STAR MARKET

Ten hunters shot their specklebelly limit on both days of the opener, Mauger said. He tries to set up according to which species he is seeing.

“If we’re targeting specks we’ll normally put the speck decoys on the downwind side of the spread and kind of sit right upwind of the specks,” he said. “But later in the season we’re targeting more snows. We’ll have some specks behind us, because sometimes those snows don’t like going over the specks.”

Mauger said he is hoping for a banner year, if the conditions stay ideal.

“Because of the drought last year, there might not have been enough water to hold the geese here,” he said. “We have plenty of water. We have more ducks than last year, and more geese than this time last year.”

Away from the prairies, hunters aren’t see-ing the big numbers.

“We went on a four- or five-hour run the

other day and saw absolutely no geese,” said Jason Craig, who guides near the Red River. “Yesterday, we had a nice wad of snows find a place to sit down around here, but they’re not going to stay. We don’t really start hunt-ing geese until about the 15th of December.”

Craig said he has seen ducks moving in, but the geese just haven’t been consistent.

“Two weeks ago we saw specks for two days straight,” he said. “The next 10 days to two weeks we’ll start getting some. You’ll know when they get here; if they were here they’d be on the big tanks.”

Around the Panhandle, area guide Riley Shankle has seen Canada geese as the domi-nant species.

“There’s been quite a few birds in Amarillo, and we’ve seen quite a few around Plainview,” he said. “Not anything near peak, but the sandhill cranes are thick, and ducks are everywhere if you have water.”

Shankle said specklebellies are the rarest bird he sees, but he has seen a few shot so far this season.

“Last year it was about 50/50 Canada geese and snows,” he said. “We usually judge off of one tank, and during the season it holds 35,000, but right now it has about 1,000.”

Shankle is hoping the drought in the Midwest brings more geese down, and for longer.

“I think they’re going to be in here earlier than they have been and stay longer than they have in the past,” he said. “They’ve already seen what’s up there and they know it’s not much. They just haven’t got the memo yet to move down.”

Matt Mauger, (832) 330-6770Jason Craig, (940) 255-5279Riley Shankle, (806) 367-0554

GeeseContinued From Page 4

SCATTERED SNOWS, SPECKS AND HONKERS: The prairies east of Houston have welcomed good numbers of geese — espe-cially specklebellies — but most other areas of the state are still waiting on colder temperatures. Photo by Jason Craig.


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

LONE STAR MARKET


HEROES

Irving hunter HAYDEN STROUP, 12, took this low-fenced buck while hunting with his dad, Jody, on their deer lease in Albany. Hayden made a 110-yard shot with his Remington .243.

HUNTING PACKAGESAT LAKE FORK

Hunt for wild hogs, quail, pheas-ant, chukar and ducks at one of the top fi shing lodges in North America. Lake Fork Lodge

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LOOKING FOR DEER?Great Deal Native Whitetail Trophy and Management Hunts near Brady. Meals and lodging at Highpoint Ranch and exotics hunts are also still available. Brand new lodge and some of the best home cooking you will ever have. I’ll send you some game cam photos of our bucks. Like us on Facebook. Call Sawyer Wright.

(254) 485-7069

DEER LEASE WANTEDLone Star Outdoor News is looking for a hunt-ing and fi shing lease with all hunt and fi sh rights. Central or Northwest Texas. Camphouse is needed.

(214) 361-2276

CLASSIFIEDS

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The YO Ranch was where TORI NAYFA harvested this fallow deer at 90 yards with a .30-06.

ROBERT SPANGLER made two offshore trips recently and

returned home with his fi rst wahoo and a nice jack.

MICHAEL PEREZ, JR. was fi shing Baffi n Bay on Oct. 6 with his dad, along with guide Noe Garza, when this 34-inch redfi sh hit a live shrimp under a popping cork.

CASON RAGSDALE, 7, was out fi shing with his dad near Texas City when he caught his biggest fi sh to date — a 32-inch bull red.

Madisonville hunter SUE LEWIS harvested her fi rst elk in Colorado on Oct. 18. Hunting with Cotton Mesa Outfi tters, Sue took the bull with a 237-yard shot with a .270.

SHARE AN ADVENTURE■ Want to share hunting and fi shing photos with other Lone Star Outdoor News readers? E-mail 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.

DEER HUNTING INCALDWELL COUNTY, TX

$600 covers Friday evening through Sunday evening. Up to a 130 Boone and Crockett buck included. Primitive camping and fi shing available. Call

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TEXAS DUCK STAMPCOLLECTION FOR SALE

1981 thru 2011. Call Steve Barber at

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SIDE-BY-SIDESHOTGUN

Smith & Wesson Elite Gold20-gauge, 26” BBL, English stock. In box, never fi red. (214) 361-2276 x 201

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Lessons by a certifi ed cast-ing instructor in Dallas. Group lessons available.

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November 8-104th Annual San Antonio International Farm and Ranch ExpoFreeman Coliseum(210) 226-1177farmandranchexpo.com

November 12Ducks UnlimitedKilgore BanquetBodacious BBQ(903) 984-8224ducks.org/Texas

November 13Ducks UnlimitedHarlingen BanquetLonghorn Cattle Company,San Benito(956) 245-2463ducks.org/Texas

November 15Dallas Safari ClubMonthly MeetingRoyal Oaks Country Club(972) 980-9800biggame.org

Delta WaterfowlLake Fork/Alba DinnerAJ’s Fishhouse(903) 638-1426deltawaterfowl.org

Ducks UnlimitedWeatherford DinnerWeatherford National Guard Armory(817) 907-3403ducks.org/Texas

Ducks UnlimitedTexas A&M BanquetBrazos Center, Bryan(972) 921-5655ducks.org/Texas

November 16Mule Deer FoundationTri-County Chapter BanquetSunland Park Racetrack and Casino(817) 565-7121muledeer.org

Ducks UnlimitedCalhoun County BanquetBauer Community Center,Port Lavaca(361) 237-6803ducks.org/Texas

November 17Ducks UnlimitedSweetwater DinnerSweetwater Elks Lodge(325) 428-8024ducks.org/Texas

November 18Mule Deer FoundationCameron County Chapter BanquetWink’s Saloon, Grill and Roping Arena, Olmito(817) 565-7121muledeer.org

November 20Ducks UnlimitedAustin BanquetDoubletree Hotel, Austin(512) 370-3237ducks.org/Texas

Ducks UnlimitedTyler DinnerHarvey Hall Convention Center(903) 570-0214ducks.org/Texas

November 24Junction Chamber of Commerce28th Junction Annual Wild Game DinnerStevenson Center(325) 446-3190junctiontexas.net

November 29Delta WaterfowlFort Worth Dinner809 West Vickery Blvd(817) 475-9796deltawaterfowl.org

November 30Quail CoalitionRita Blanca BanquetRita Blanca Coliseum, Dalhart(214) 534-4122quailcoalition.org

December 4Ducks UnlimitedLamar University Waterfowl Hunt PartyBeaumont(409) 782-6657ducks.org/Texas

December 6Delta WaterfowlBrazos Valley DinnerBrazos Expo, Bryan(979) 575-8257deltawaterfowl.org

December 8-9Texas Knife and Gun ShowsAmarillo ShowAmarillo Civic Center(830) 285-0575texasgunandknifeshows.com

December 10-14Archery Trade Association2012 Archery and Bowhunting SummitGaylord Texas Resort, Grapevine(507) 233-8130archerytrade.org

December 13Dallas Woods and Waters ClubChristmas PartyOrvis Sporting Goods Store(214) 570-8700dwwcc.org

Dallas Safari ClubMonthly MeetingDSC offi ce(972) 980-9800biggame.org

December 31Dallas Safari ClubNew Year's Eve PartyBallroom, Dallas Convention Center(972) 980-9800biggame.org

January 3Dallas Safari Club2013 ConventionDallas Convention Center(972) 980-9800biggame.org

DATEBOOK

OUTDOOR BUSINESS

Puzzle solution from Page 22

Lone Star Outdoor News, ISSN 2162-8300, a publication of Lone Star Outdoor News, LLC, publishes twice a month. A mailed subscription is $30 for 24 issues. Newsstand copies are $2, in certain mar-kets copies are free, one per person. Copy-right 2012 with all rights reserved. Repro-duction and/or use of any photographic or written material without written permission by the publisher is prohibited. Subscribers may send address changes to: Lone Star Outdoor News, P.O. Box 551695, Dallas, TX 75355 or e-mail them to [email protected].

Advertising Call (214) 361-2276 or e-mail editor@lone staroutdoornews.com to request a media kit.

For home delivery subscriptions www.LSONews.com(214) 361-2276

Executive Editor

Managing Editor

Associate Editor

Graphics Editor

Business/Products Editor

Intern

Operations Manager

Accounting

Web site

Founder & CEO

Craig Nyhus

Conor Harrison

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National Advertising Accounts Manager

Contributors Kyle CarterDavid DraperShannon DraweWilbur LundeenAaron ReedErich SchlegelDavid SikesScott SommerlatteChuck UzzleRalph Winingham


Hill Country anglers needed

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas Tech University are teaming up to conduct a four-month online survey among anglers who fish in Texas Hill Country rivers and streams.

Researchers will attempt to evaluate the economic impact of angling in riv-ers and streams in the region, and the survey findings will help guide future habitat restoration efforts, and oppor-tunities to enhance and expand fishing access in the Texas Hill Country.

Anglers participating in the survey will be eligible to win a $200 spin-ning rod and reel combo or a $300 fly rod and reel combo. The drawing for both prizes will be held in January 2013. The angler must have fished in this region in the past 12 months, and must complete the 15-minute sur-vey at www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/ or directly at www.research.net/s/HillCountryFishingSurvey.

A map depicting the areas being sur-veyed is included at the beginning of the survey.

— TPWDPARTICIPATION WANTED: Anglers who enjoy fishing in the Hill Country are needed for a survey to enhance and expand ac-cess on area rivers. Photo by LSON.

Carp and buffalo tournament slated for Lake ForkAre carp and rough fish catch and release tournaments coming of age? With Wild Carp Companies running a regular schedule of catch and release tournaments for

several years, 2013 marks the second annual carp and buffalo tournament at Lake Fork. The tournament was deliberately set up to showcase the sporting opportunities available to

anglers who target rough fish species. In the inaugural tournament, lake records were broken, and re-broken, for carp and buffalo, with a 35-pound carp and 66-pound buffalo winning prize pots.

The record fish were given names by the competitors, “Woody” the carp and “Buffalo Bob” were instant celebrity fish.

The winning team for the Big 4 buffalo registered 208 pounds for four fish, and they were catching fish weighing close to 50 pounds that wouldn't even improve their score.

The 2013 Texas 44 is open for registrations and the tournament’s prize pot is $13,000.Feb. 28 is check-in, March 1-3 is a peg draw and registration is open to all Nov.12.

— Wild Carp Companies



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November 09, 2012 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting