October 08, 2010 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting

By Bill MillerFOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

Bowhunters like to say they are in it for the challenge, and that’s what they got opening weekend of the 2010 archery deer season.

Dry weather, temperatures in the mid-to-upper 80s and brilliant blue skies covered the state on Saturday, Oct. 2.

But the abundant spring and summer rains, which helped restore the ranges from 18 months of drought, also helped grow some very tall brush.

That made deer hard to see on opening day.

And wherever there were oaks, there were acorns — lots of them.

“We had a lot of activity, but it wasn’t a bowhunter’s dream,”

said Jack Jetton of Houston, who hunted near Columbus in Colorado County. “It was raining acorns while we were there.

“So, they weren’t coming to feed-ers.”

Bobby Kana of Santa Fe hunted near Three Rivers, and reported lots of oaks loaded with acorns along the Nueces River.

But it was the tall grass and weeds

that kept him from seeing deer. “It’s probably going to be a slow

season until we get some frost to knock some of that brush down,” Kana said. “I’m not covering a whole lot of country.

“It’s not like a rifl e hunt, with three or four senderos where you can see 300 yards. If it doesn’t come

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October 8, 2010 Texas’ Premier Outdoor Newspaper Volume 7, Issue 4

Advanced deer blocks Taste plus nutrition makes deer

want to take a bite. Page 4

Bite starting off good and getting better

By Kyle CarterFOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

The weather on the middle and lower Texas coast has been all over the board the last cou-ple months, but the annual bull red run seems to be business as usual.

“It’s on right now,” said Capt. Leaf Potter, who guides out of Freeport. “You can catch bull reds until you can no longer lift your arms.”

Depending on where you live along the coast, the bull red run typically gets started in

Challenges galore for archery opener

Bull reds running

See BULL REDS, Page 26

By Craig NyhusLONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

For largemouth bass fi shermen, espe-cially those who don’t hunt much, October is like another season opener. Cooler air — and especially cooler water — brings the fi sh back into more shallow haunts.

When trying to fi gure out what to use on that October weekend, why not ask some of the country’s top pros?

Several of these top pros gathered recently at some private waters in Bosque County for fi shing, deer watching and to fi lm Strike King’s Pro Team Journal TV show for future airing on the Outdoor Channel. The names are quickly recog-nizable to bass anglers: Hackney, Davis, Niggemeyer, Menendez and, of course, Van Dam.

Strike King pros give top picks

Choosing an October bass bait

See BASS BAIT, Page 26

WORLD’S GREATEST BASS FISHERMAN: Kevin Van Dam holds a largemouth bass caught during a

Strike King Lure test in Bosque County. The three-time Bassmaster Classic champion and seven-time

Angler of the Year was in Texas fi shing private waters, testing new baits and fi lming videos. Most

evenings just before the feeders went off, Van Dam slipped off into a deer blind to watch the action. He

loves deer hunting and hunts any time he gets a chance. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.

See CHALLENGES GALORE Page 16

Biggest native deer ever taken in Texas?Management of

native deer pays off

For anyone who has wondered if a 300-class whitetail deer was possible in Texas — or anywhere else — Mark Barrett has provided the answer.

The San Antonio businessman on Oct. 2 used a .300 Winchester Magnum on a Webb County ranch to knock down an enormous deer that’s sure to be making headlines this season and beyond.

Barrett’s buck scored 311 and 4/8ths in velvet, said his son, Marko, who manages the 4,100-acre Las Raices Ranch where the deer was killed.

The high-fence property is in the Managed Lands Deer Permit pro-gram, which allows hunters to use fi rearms earlier than the Nov. 6 general season opener.

Marko said the ranch has never imported breeder bucks, and it has used permits only to remove some deer from the land.

“I don’t think there has been a bigger deer killed in Texas that wasn’t a scientifi c breeder, like a pen-raised deer,” Marko said of his father’s buck.

“I understand the questions and concerns people have when they see a deer this big.

“But let me reaffi rm that our deer herd is 100 percent native Texan, and native to our ranch.”

—Bill Miller, for LSON

BIGGEST BUCK? Mark Barrett of San Antonio presents the extraordinary 300-class buck he shot Oct. 2 in Webb County. Photo by Las Raices Ranch.

Page 2 October 8, 2010 Lone✯Star Outdoor News LSONews.com

LSONews.com Lone✯Star Outdoor News October 8, 2010 Page 3


HUNTING

Block attractants combine nutrition, taste

Getting deer to eat what’s good for them

By Ralph WininghamFOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

In many ways, white-tailed deer are a lot like an unsupervised bunch of kids who will pass on a healthy diet to fi ll their stomachs with candy and sweet treats.

While the kids need parents to put them on the right track, deer should be able to rely on a little nutritional nudging from hunters and landowners who spend big bucks every year for wildlife feeding and attraction efforts.

“When people ask me, I tell them that corn is like Twinkies for deer — they love it, but it doesn’t supply them with much nutrition,” said Larry Varner, deer nutri-tionalist for Purina Mills and based in New Braunfels.

“All you are doing when you put out corn as an attractant is basically supplying the deer with energy. They can exist and live on it, but they won’t do well.”

As a way of putting deer on the right food track, Purina introduced a special deer block in September that bridges the gap between low-nutrition attractants and high protein pellets that can be as diffi cult to get deer to eat as fi nding a youngster who likes brussel sprouts.

The new Purina QuickDraw Deer Block Attractant has proven to be a strong attrac-tant and desirable food source for deer, with the vitamins and minerals in the blocks supplying the deer with good nutrition.

“The blocks attract deer almost as well as corn, they are much more nutritious and a lot more convenient. You can put the blocks out at a lot of different feeding stations at a lot less cost than putting up feeders.

“Some of our best customers are people who put the blocks in their back yards just so they can see the deer,’’ Varner said.

Using corn, protein pellets, mineral blocks, salt blocks and a variety of other products to attract and help provide nutri-tion to Texas deer is an age-old practice that is a multi-million dollar industry.

The concern has been that other than rushing to snatch up corn, deer have been hesitant to dine on the various products that would actually be good for them.

In addition, with the cost of quality corn feeders ranging from about $400 for a basic device that will hold 300 pounds to $1,500 or more for feeders that will hold up to 1.5 tons, plus the cost of the corn, using blocks can be a wise economical decision.

Varner explained that while deer corn is about 8 percent protein and offers little other nutritional value, the new blocks are 10 percent protein; provide a variety of other nutritional elements such as 2 per-cent calcium and various vitamins and trace minerals.

“There is even some compressed whole corn in the block. The big plus is that it is palatable — the deer really like it,’’ Varner said.

Admitting that there are a multitude of attractants, mineral and salt blocks and other products on the market, the deer nutritionist said Purina’s new product helps handle the age-old problem — get-ting deer to chow down on what is good for them.

“If the deer don’t eat it, you haven’t accomplished anything,’’ Varner said.

“We know that if you get west of Interstate 35 in Texas, salt and mineral blocks can be effective. But east of I-35 and in the Hill Country, you have real

David DraperFOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

With deer (gun) season less than a month away, hunters and landowners often fall into a holding pat-tern, idling away these last anxious days as they wait for the opener. For the ambitious, October doesn’t have to be down time in terms of preparing property for the upcoming season and implementing an over-all habitat management strategy.

The recent wet weather in South Texas and the Hill Country gave a much-needed boost to habitat condi-tions in those areas. Landowners that haven’t done so can still take advantage of this fall’s abundant rains. Early October is not too late to plant fall food plots,

focusing on cool-season grasses such as oats, wheat and triticale, as well as Austrian winter peas, alfalfa and other legumes. In North Texas, land managers gener-ally stick to local varieties of wheat, oats and alfalfa.

The number and size of food plots depends on deer density and existing habitat, though in general fall food plots are typically small, anywhere from one to three acres. It’s recommended that food plots make up 1-3 percent of the total land base. Competition for forage in the Hill Country is higher than any-where else in the state, leading to the need for larger food plots, although soil conditions may not support them. Local wildlife specialists and county extension

Not too late for food plotsSmall areas can be planted in October

Quail season forecast from those on the ground

See GETTING DEER, Page 16

See NOT TOO LATE, Page 16

It might not be the most scien-tifi c quail forecast, but it is based on a lot of information from a lot of people. Each August, Dr. Dale Rollins from the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch in Roby asks 50 or so landowners, former stu-dents and colleagues to rate the upcoming season on a scale from 1 to 10. Rollins cautioned that the previews might be on the low side given the excellent cover condi-tions across the state.

North Texas (north of Interstate 10)The traditionally strong Rolling

Plains looks to be in for an average year overall. But after several medi-ocre seasons, standards have slipped and hunters may still be happy with the results.

On the research ranch near Roby, Rollins predicted a “4,” with late hatches still being seen.

At the Matador Wildlife Management Area in Cottle County, Chip Ruthven reported spring whis-

tle counts lower than expected. But range conditions are excellent. Ruthven predicted a “4” with pos-sible improvement to a “6.”

In northwestern Stonewall County, Rick Snipes’ ranch is com-prised of sandy soils, which typi-cally bode better for bobwhites. Spring call counts were stronger than expected following last sea-son’s disappointment. Snipes gave his season outlook a “7.”

In Shackelford County, Alan

Heirman predicts a “3,” but that is more quail than in the last few years. “It’s not enough to really hunt but we should have enough to shoot a few over our bird dogs.”

Rory Burroughs from Rotan reported on properties in Haskell, Jones, Shackelford, Stonewall, Fisher, Kent and Scurry Counties. He is cautiously optimistic for a “3” after hearing birds calling on all of the ranches but seeing few chicks.

West-Central TexasJames Dixon from Eastland

County rates his area a “1,” and has heard very few calls.

In western Coleman County, retired county extension agent Gary Bomar said call counts were somewhat low, but he had been seeing some young birds. Bomar predicts a “4.”

See QUAIL SEASON, Page 7

NOT YOUR GRANDPA’S DEER BLOCK: Margo Kahla of Fort Worth fi lls an All Seasons block feeder with Purina’s new Quick Draw Deer Block. The new blocks are reminiscent of the old days but with added attractants and whole corn. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

CUT IT OUT: By simply mowing the grass, wildlife managers can open up habitat with more edges and spur new growth. Photo by Lili Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.


Pending record elk taken in Kerr County

Coastal habitat restoration efforts at the J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area in Jefferson County received a boost in the form of a $50,000 grant from the Coastal Conservation Association.

The funds will support the construction of 2,500 linear feet of rock breakwater, designed to stop shoreline erosion, marsh degradation and

emergent vegetation loss. Ducks Unlimited will perform site surveys and provide design, engi-neering, and construction management services on the breakwater. Additional funding from other partners will cover the remainder of the estimated $375,000 cost.

—Ducks Unlimited report

Helping fi sh and fowl, CCA grant to DU shores up WMA

Guides Dennis Kneese and Aaron Bulkley at the Texas Hunt Lodge knew there was a big 8x9 bull elk on the Las Catarinas Ranch in Kerr County. But they didn’t know how big. The elk was named the “Lightning Bull” by the guides, since the only times they had seen it was when the bull busted out of the trees running full steam ahead.

But in September, their client Kyle Bauer of Humble did see the bull, and it turned out to be a record breaker.

Bauer, with his 16-year-old son, Zach, hunted for two days on the ranch. The fi rst evening they saw plenty of big elk, but the guides were hoping to see the 8x9 giant.

On the second day of the hunt, Zach was able to bag a four-horn sheep with a crossbow. The ram scored 444.9 cm with Trophy Game Records of the World, a new record for TGR, a metric scoring system begun in 1987 and since acquired by the Exotic Wildlife Association.

After lunch, the guides and hunters checked all of the water holes on the ranch in the hope the big bull needed a drink in the heat of the day. When that strategy failed, the guides tried an English-style drive, and walked

through the brush to see if the bull would come out in the open.

The plan worked. Like the other times they had seen the bull, it broke out of the brush in a sprint. The guides spotted the bull running through the trees about 300 yards away, and the bull came to a stop when he met up with another bull elk

grazing in a meadow. Using shooting sticks for his rest, Kyle

Bauer took the shot at 100 yards through a split oak tree, and the shot was true.

It was then the hunting party realized the true size of the “Lightning Bull.” The elk was offi cially measured by SCI and TGR offi cials, and scored an impressive 503 5/8 inches SCI.

The score meant the bull is the new pend-ing Estate Typical World Record Rocky Mountain elk taken with a rifl e. The score of 1177.4 cm with TGR is the largest ever recorded by the group.

The “Lightning Bull” is expected to be hon-ored as a Diamond Trophy (largest ever taken for that species and method of hunting) for both the SCI and TGR Record Books this com-ing year.

—Texas Hunt Lodge report




Beretta introduced its new rating system of high qual-ity shooting or sporting lodges to Texans at its two-day Trident Lodge Expo held at the Beretta Gallery Dallas store on Sept. 24-25.

The anticipation of the coming seasons was appar-ent in the customers, as the days became more of a social event, with customers talking about hunt-ing and guns, petting gundogs (while the dog wasn’t pointing a bird), watching a dog sculpture being cre-ated and eating barbecue.

The company describes The Beretta Trident Program as a unique rating system that will refl ect an objective assessment of the complete guest experience at a sport-ing venue. Branded by Beretta, the program is the fi rst of its kind and requires venues — offering wingshoot-ing and or shotgun sports — to undergo a detailed and specifi c assessment of every area that can impact the guest experience. Beretta Tridents will be awarded to signify the venue’s excellence in quality — similar to the Michelin Star program for fi ne dining.

The program is based on an extensive evaluation by independent evaluators from Sporting Heritage Group, and lodges aren’t able to request or buy their way in, although they can request to be evaluated.

“It an expensive vetting process,” Beretta Gallery store manager Ian Harrison said. “We want people to know these places have the goods like we do.”

The program, the fi rst and only system to rate shoot-ing sports venues, rates everything from the hunting and/or shooting to the food on the table and the kennels for the bird dogs.

Originally introduced in February, the Cheyenne Ridge Signature Lodge in Pierre, S. D., was the fi rst Trident recipient.

Several lodges have been added, including those present at the Dallas store introduction: Joshua Creek Ranch in Boerne, Harvest Hills Ranch in Oregon and Pine Hill Plantation in Georgia.

Evaluations may be reviewed at berettatrident.com.

Beretta introduces lodge evaluation program

Johnny Dickinson runs the Sansom Cattle Company west of Millersview and provided one of the better reports. “I’d give it an ‘8;’ as good as it’s been in a long time.”

Another good report came from Thomas Thom of Austin on property near Tennyson in Coke County. “We have 750 acres that is covered with quail this year. During the cooler times of day you can’t go more than one-quarter mile without bumping a covey. Perhaps it is not a ‘10,’ but it has to be close.”

Ben Streetman has property about 20 miles south of Colorado City. He jumped 12 coveys including three coveys of blues, with 12-18 birds per covey. He predicts a “6” or “7” season.

Alan Curry ranches in Tom Green and Sterling counties and is cautiously opti-mistic. Covey sizes have been good. Curry rates his country as a “5-6.”

Charley Christensen said he was seeing quail southeast of Christoval. “One morn-ing we busted three full coveys and three to fi ve pairs in a 1,100-acre a few weeks ago. We have heard signifi cantly more birds in that area than I have ever heard on that ranch over the last 13 years.”

Upbeat reports also came from some areas not particularly noted for many bob-whites, including the Texas Hill Country and San Saba and Gillespie counties. Ditto for McCulloch, Menard, and Mason counties.

South TexasIrvin Welch manages a ranch near

Hebbronville. Reports he received from Hebbronville to Falfurrias are “good to excel-lent” for birds and range conditions. Welch predicts a “7-8,” a “great rebound year.”

Marc Bartoskewitz of Kingsville rates the area around Kingsville as a “4-5,” with large coveys.

Billy Atwell has land on the Medina-Frio county line, and the outlook there is average. He gave the season rat-ing an “8.”

Mike Petter, a ranch consultant in Pleasanton, is excited about the quail populations in the area. And reports are also

strong from Jim Wells, Duval, Jim Hogg, Hidalgo and even (northern) Webb counties.

Ronnie Howard, the longtime manager of the San Tomas hunting camp in Brooks County, is also optimistic. “I will go out on a limb and say it’s gonna be better than we may think. Call it a good ‘6 or 7.’ Will not be a boom year—we just didn’t carry enough [breeding stock] over.”

—Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch report

Quail seasonContinued From Page 4

BIRD NUMBERS: Quail people from around the state estimated the season forecast. Many are trying to be optimistic after two lackluster seasons. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.

Dallas social reception held


Guzman, Bouressa win freedom event

FISHING

Rains drops salinity, fi sh move to saltier haunts

Bass Techno Geeks

By John N. FelsherFOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

Fishing in his fi rst bass tournament, a 73-year-old retired Air Force master sergeant from Horseshoe Bay joined with Bill Guzman of Leander to win the 5th annual Fishing For Freedom tournament, held Sept. 25, on Lake Belton. More than 240 teams competed on the 12,385-acre impound-

ment adjacent to Fort Hood.“I bass fi sh, but never fi shed a tournament before,” T. K.

Bouressa said. “When I saw 240 boats in the water with their lights on that morning, it was an awesome sight. A friend sug-gested I fi sh it because the entry was free. I thought I could learn something. Bill taught me a lot.”

Guzman, who placed second in 2009, and Bouressa landed three bass weighing 13.32 pounds. They anchored their bag

with a 7.99-pounder that took lunker honors. For the effort, they won a fully equipped Triton TR-17 bass boat powered by a 50-horsepower Mercury outboard and a trailer, a package worth about $21,000. The winners plan to sell the boat and split the money since Bouressa just bought an 18-foot boat three weeks earlier.

Bouressa started tournament fi shing career a bit late — but in a big way

By Alan ClemonsFOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

Veteran professional angler Kelly Jordon of Mineola used to look at maps of lakes and try to visualize them in a 3-D format, putting the water and currents into his brain while looking at contour lines and points on paper.

Now, all he has to do is kick back with his smart phone and look at everything from weather conditions to maps of specifi c points on a lake.

“From that aspect, technology certainly has made it easier,” Jordon said. “Years ago, if you wanted to look at something you looked at maps and had to go out-side to look at your sonar unit in the boat. Now, all the mapping software like Navionics, weather, state or federal announce-ments with e-mail or alerts and so much more is right there in your phone.

“You can even get Google Earth images on it, which can show you things like how to get into creeks or pockets or little creeks. In some places, like down around New Orleans (in the marshes), that can be a big help.”

Technological advances have been more visible with sonar and other electronics than anything else in fi shing. Arguably, neither rod technologies nor boating advancements have made as big of a leap as that with electronics in the last decade.

Barely over a generation ago, the “paper graph” was the newfangled thing that anglers were playing with following years of fl ashers. Today, a guy can sit on the deck of his boat and get an image of the lake right under him with his sonar and telephone if he wants to do so.

Or, better yet, alerts can warn of impending danger.

“I was on Kentucky Lake this year when I caught the 10-pounder in the Elite Series event, and there were some terrible storms,” Jordon said. “I mean, they were some pretty scary cells mov-ing through. I punched up the weather reports, saw the radar and shot the gap safely. Otherwise, I’m sure I’d have been caught in that mess.”

Jordon is among the middle-aged pros who remember triangulating spots on a lake instead of punching in waypoints. Younger anglers who have known nothing other than smart phones and systems like the Humminbird Side Imaging or Lowrance Structure Scan may be a step ahead of the curve than older anglers, but it’s never to late to learn.

“You know, David Fritts and Randy Fite and all those legends didn’t have waypoints — they put in the hours and refi ned their skill,” Jordon said. “I kind of like that way, too. I go on Lake Fork and never use my GPS because I learned it by marking that, this and over there. I still do that out there.

“I wouldn’t even mind if we did away with GPS for tournaments because it might end some of the off-limits stuff and getting chips or way-points. But it is nice to have. I was one of the fi rst to get the Side Imaging from Humminbird and it’s an amazing tool, especially on a lake without vegetation. You can graph the little drops, brush, rocks and even see the fi sh on them, too.”

Plus, the smart phones give the pros a chance to store photos of their deer. That’s always a plus, too.

See FREEDOM EVENT, Page 29

By David SikesFOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

Salinity levels in Coastal Bend bays dropped dramatically from a double-digit deluge that lasted for days in mid-September, leaving anglers searching for fi sh in the aftermath.

Fishing improved as bay temperatures dropped, sparking redfi sh, drum and trout to feed with renewed voracity, Coastal Bend guides report.

Conventional wisdom suggests that the deepest sections of bays are most likely to hold the highest concentrations of salt and fi sh during periods when salinity levels are low everywhere else.

The everywhere else included shorelines and bays fed by swollen rivers and creeks.

Coincidentally, these conditions existed during early stages of the Texas Parks and Wildlife’s fall gill net survey. These twice-annual surveys provide fi sheries manag-ers insight into the relative abundance of trout, redfi sh and black drum, among other species.

Mandated survey methods force state biol-ogists to set their gill nets along shorelines.

And this month, fi shery crews assigned to manage the Upper Laguna Madre will

set 10 nets in Alazan Bay, an offshoot of Baffi n Bay. Alazan Bay received nearly 15 inches of rain the week of Sept. 19, leaving its skinny waters virtually fresh.

That’s just the way it worked out, said TPW biologist Todd Neahr about setting gill nets where most anglers would not expect to fi nd fi sh.

Neahr and retired TPW biologist Kyle Spiller, former head of the Upper Laguna Madre Coastal Fisheries team, dismissed the notion that these conditions would sig-nifi cantly skew the overall survey results.

Spiller points to a similar situation in the mid-1990s, when 19 inches of rain fell within a short period near Baffi n Bay, drop-ping the salinity to single digits. The salin-ity of seawater is about 35 parts per thou-sand. The salinity of Baffi n Bay can reach 50-60 ppt during a dry hot summer.

Low salinity conditions that year resulted in isolated low catch rates during the gill net survey, Spiller said. But the overall results of the survey were barely affected.

“You couldn’t even tell it had happened, looking at the overall numbers for the Upper Laguna Madre,” Spiller said. “It all averaged out.”

Freshwater deluge brings nutrients, doesn’t hurt spawn

See RAIN DROPS SALINITY, Page 30

NET CHECKING: Texas Parks and Wildlife biologists examine a scheduled gill net survey in Alazan Bay. Photo by TPW.

CAUGHT UP: Despite salinity levels changing dra-matically during late September, TPW-mandated survey methods force state biologists to set their gill nets along shorelines.


Choosing the best rod for speckled trout

McAllen man presumed dead after shooting on Falcon Lake

A McAllen man is presumed dead after being shot by pirates on the Mexican side of Falcon Lake.

David Michael Hartley, 30, was shot in the back of the head as he and his wife fl ed from three approach-ing boats, according to the Zapata County Sheriff’s Department.

Hartley’s wife, Tiffany, 29, swung her personal water-craft around in an attempt to retrieve her husband’s body but had to leave it in order to escape the continu-ing shooting.

According to the sheriff’s department, Tiffany Hartley told police that the couple rode their Jet Skis for sight-seeing and to take pictures of a famous church in Old Guerrero. They were riding back when they saw the armed gunmen on the boats, and immediately began racing back to U.S. waters.

Texas law enforcement offi cials are advising boaters to stay on the U.S. side of the lake. A similar advisory was issued in May.

—Staff report

Texas State Crappie Championship

A steady bite but diffi culty fi nding big crappie at Lake Ray Roberts was the challenge for anglers at the Texas State Crappie Championship held by Crappie Anglers of Texas.

The 43 qualifying teams competed in two divisions for the title.

In Division 1, Paul O’Bier and Gary Sims of Gunter won with a two-day total of 16.295 pounds. Brian Carter of Scurry, fi shing with Wes Belcher of Denton, fi nished second with 15.515 pounds, followed by A.J. Matura and his wife, Carolyn, of Chandler, with 15.160 pounds.

In Division 2, Cody Tucker and Matt Anderson of Aubrey won with a two-day total of 14.830 pounds. Dan Martin of Duncanville and his partner, Buck Housewright of Grand Prairie, fi nished second with 12.840 pounds, followed by Mackey Whyte and Keith Moore of Allen with 12.715 pounds.

The big fi sh award went to the Division 1 team of Cliff Spindle of Valley View and Larry Junell of Quinlan for their 1.770-pound white crappie.

—Crappie Anglers of Texas report

By Alan ClemonsFOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

There may be no such thing as the perfect inshore saltwater rod, but most anglers agree that a medium or medium-heavy action is just about right for dealing with redfi sh or speckled trout.

Too light of a rod can result in ineffi cient bait placement or loss of casting distance, along with the inability to effectively fi ght a fi sh. Scale up to a heavyweight rod, which may not be a bad idea for big bulls, and chances are you’ll rip the lures out of a trout’s thin mouth as it thrashes.

John Ben Strother of Bryan fi shes sev-eral times a year on the coast for reds and trout. He has tried different models and brands over the years, but has set-tled on two lengths and actions for spe-cifi c techniques.

“If I’m wading, I’ll use a 6 1/2-foot medium-heavy CastAway rod because it has enough backbone and is easy to work with in shallow water,” said the longtime CCA-Texas member. “I’ve had shoulder

surgery and don’t want a longer rod for wading, and I don’t really wade terribly far or fast like some of the younger guys who shoot out and disappear.

“The medium-heavy is just right for reds and trout. A redfi sh is so tough anyway that if you’ve got him hooked good, he’s pretty much done and you can get him in. If I’m trout fi shing, the shorter rod gives me the chance to play the fi sh and enjoy the fi ght, but also control it a little more.”

CastAway offers 48 rods in its saltwa-ter lineup, everything from 8-foot light casting and 7-foot short handled rods to heavier “Tarpon Tamer” and titanium models. Other rod companies provide numerous options, and custom rod-builders can design specifi c rods to fi t just about any request.

Strother uses rods with conventional guides, but he’s seen the new “micro guide” rods and plans to give them a try, too. The smaller guides reduce line slap without giv-ing up any strength on the hookset.

“I think those probably would work fi ne for saltwater,” he said. “I’m eager to

try them because I know if the bass (fi sh-ing) guys are using them, then they prob-ably will be okay for redfi sh and trout.”

Strother’s other rod selection comes when he’s fi shing in a boat. That’s when he throws an 8 1/2-foot rod, especially with live bait under a popping cork if he’s drifting or anchored.

“The length of the rod will give you a little more distance with a good, care-ful cast,” he said. “When we’re in shal-low water, I like to maybe get the bait out just a little farther than everyone else if I can. Sometimes that makes a difference. If the water’s clear, too, a bump on the boat (deck) can spook a fi sh. I think if all the baits are in the same area, but mine’s a lit-tle bit farther away, that could help.”

Strother also switches to a medium-light action with the longer rod, primarily when he’s targeting trout.

“It still has the backbone I need, but is more fl exible,” he said. “I think that can help when you’re playing a big trout to give it some subtle but steady pressure when you’re getting it to the boat.”

Fishing Briefs

CASTERS: Picking too light of a rod can result in ineffi cient bait placement or loss of casting distance, along with the inability to effectively fi ght a fi sh. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.


ALAN HENRY: Water lightly stained; 76–81degrees; 0.43’ low. Black bass are good on drop-shot rigs, Rat–L–Traps and shaky head jigs with a 7” worm. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfi sh are fair to good on nightcrawlers.

ARROWHEAD: Water clear; 77–80 degrees; 2.16’ low. Black bass are fair on buzzbaits early, midday switching to Rat–L–Traps, crankbaits and Texas rigs in 2–10 feet. Crappie are good on minnows off the derricks. White bass are good Rooster Tails and Road Runners. Catfi sh are fair on juglines to good on cut shad.

ATHENS: Water fairly clear, 78–81 degrees; 1.25’ low. Black bass are fair on soft plastics in 2–10 feet around heavy brush. Crappie are fair at night on live minnows off docks with brush. Catfi sh are good on punchbait and fresh cut bait in 15 feet. Bream are good on nightcrawlers in 4–6 feet.

BASTROP: Water clear. Black bass are fair on chartreuse and chartreuse/white Rat–L–Traps over grass. Crappie are good on minnows and blue tube jigs. Channel and blue catfi sh are good on shrimp, nightcrawlers, and punchbait.

BELTON: Water clear; 82 degrees; 1.99’ low. Black bass are good on spinnerbaits near the bank and trolling Rat–L–Traps. Hybrid striper are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows. Channel and blue catfi sh are good on hot dogs, stinkbait, and shrimp. Yellow catfi sh are good on live perch and live shad.

BOB SANDLIN: Water off-color; 79–82 degrees; 2.62’ low. Black bass are good early and late on Pop–Rs and Zara Spooks, midday switching to Texas rigs, weightless 5” Yum Dingers and Rat–L–Traps. White bass are fair on chartreuse slabs. Catfi sh are fair to good on prepared bait and nightcrawlers.

BRAUNIG: Water clear; 86 degrees. Black bass are fair on crankbaits and dark soft plastic worms. Striped bass are fair on liver and shad near the pier and at Dead Tree Point, and on marble spinnerbaits near the jetty and dam. Redfi sh are fair on perch, shad, and silver spoons, and down-rigging spoons near the jetty and dam. Channel catfi sh are excellent on liver, shrimp, cut bait, and cheesebait near the dam and the discharge. Blue catfi sh are good on cut bait.

BRIDGEPORT: Water fairly clear; 79–83 degrees; 1.42’ low. Black bass are fair on topwaters early, midday switching to crankbaits and Carolina rigs. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs over brush piles. Hybrid striper are fair on Sassy Shad and live shad. Catfi sh are fair on nightcrawlers. Bream are fair on crickets and red wigglers.

BROWNWOOD: Water clear; 86 degrees; 7.88’ low. Black bass are excellent on Bass Hogg inline buzz frogs and 3/16 oz. Pig Sticker Shaky Heads with Grande Bass 4” redbug and water-melon/chartreuse tailed Trickster worms along the docks, rocks, and near brush piles in 2–8 feet early and 8–16 feet later, and on topwater frogs, torpedoes, and Pop–R’s on main lake fl ats near grass. Hybrid striper are good trolling hellbenders. White bass are good on Li’l Fishies off lighted docks at night. Crappie are good on Li’l Fishies and minnows over brush piles in Little Rocky Cove in 10–20 feet. Channel catfi sh are good on cut bait and nightcrawlers over baited holes in 12–22 feet. Yellow catfi sh are good on trotlines baited with perch and worms in 5–14 feet.

BUCHANAN: Water clear; 86 degrees; 9.64’ low. Striped bass are fair casting and jigging Spoiler Shads and drifting or free lining live bait from Striper Island to the dam in 28–42 feet at daylight. White bass are fair on Tiny Traps and 2” plastic swim baits along the river channel and deep creeks in 25 feet. Crappie are fair on pink/white and chartreuse Curb’s crappie jigs and live minnows in clear water. Channel catfi sh are fair to good on live bait upriver. Yellow and blue catfi sh are good on live bait upriver.

CADDO: Water murky; 80–85 degrees; 0.44’ low. Black bass are good on black/red or watermelon Senkos on the grass

and along the edges of lily pads and on soft plastic frogs over grass and lily pads. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs around cypress trees and in the river bends. Bream are fair around cypress trees on crickets and worms. Catfi sh are good on limb lines with cut bait.

CALAVERAS: Water clear; 86 degrees. Black bass are fair on dark soft plastic worms, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits around reed beds, near the dam, and in Granny’s Cove. Striped bass are slow. Redfi sh are good down-rigging spoons with green grubs between the crappie wall and the dam in 15–20 feet, and on perch and tilapia along the shoreline. Channel and blue catfi sh are excellent on liver, shrimp, cheesebait, and shad near the railroad trestle, 181 Cove, and the discharge.

CANYON LAKE: Water clear; 83 degrees; 0.24’ high. Black bass are fair on Smokin’ Green” Devil’s Tongues on drop-shot rigs, watermelon red Whacky Sticks on wacky rigs, and Texas-rigged 6” pumpkin Scoundrel worms and white spinnerbaits along main lake bluffs in 12–20 feet and in standing timber in 4–8 feet. Striped bass are fair to good on small jigging blade baits and trolling Gizz 4 crankbaits over and around humps in the lower end of the lake. White bass are slow. Smallmouth bass are fair on smoke JDC grubs and 3/16 oz. pumpkin Curb’s jigs with matching JDC drop-shot worms in 12–28 feet early. Crappie are fair on minnows and crappie jigs upriver. Channel catfi sh are slow. Yellow and blue catfi sh are fair on trotlines baited with live bait.

CEDAR CREEK: Water stained; 79–86 degrees; 1.78’ low. Black bass are fair to good on Carolina rigs, jigs and drop-shot rigs, with early action on topwaters. White bass are fair early on Humdingers, midday switching to Hellbender with Pet Spoon rigs. Hybrid striper are fair burning large slabs. Crappie are slow on small minnows over brush piles. Catfi sh are good drifting cut shad and on nightcrawlers.

CHOKE CANYON: Water clear; 88 degrees; 3.95’ low. Black bass are good on large soft plastic worms and lizards in 12–20 feet. White bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Drum are good on live worms. Channel and blue catfi sh are excellent on punchbait in 3–10 feet. Yellow catfi sh are fair on live perch and goldfi sh.

COLEMAN: Water fairly clear; 86 degrees; 9.37’ low. Black bass are good on water-melon red spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and soft plastics. Hybrid striper are fair on live minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows and white/red tube jigs. Channel catfi sh are good on shrimp and minnows.

COLETO CREEK: Water fairly clear; 85 degrees (97 degrees at discharge); 0.04’ high. Black bass to 5 pounds are fair on soft plastics and spinnerbaits in 3–8 feet.

CONROE: Water fairly clear; 1.03’ low. Black bass are very good on pumpkin-seed and tequila sunrise soft plastics, Senkos, crankbaits and Rat–L–Traps. Striped bass are fair on live minnows and chartreuse striper jigs. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfi sh are fair on stinkbait, live bait, and nightcrawlers.

FALCON: Water clear; 84 degrees. Black bass are fair on white and chartreuse/white crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Channel and blue catfi sh are very good on cut bait and shad.

FAYETTE: Water fairly clear; 89 degrees. Black bass are slow. Channel and blue catfi sh are good on cut shad, liver, and shrimp over baited holes under trees.

FORK: Water fairly clear; 79–85 degrees; 2.24’ low. Black bass are fair to good on buzzbaits and Yellow Magics early, midday switching to Carolina rigs, jigs, crankbaits and spoons. Crappie are fair on live minnows and jigs around structure. Catfi sh are good on cut shad and chartreuse (use Worm–Glo) nightcrawlers.

GRAPEVINE: Water stained; 81–85 degrees; 2.43’ high. Black bass are fair on Texas rigs, shaky head jigs and

crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs over planted brush piles. White bass are good to excellent all over the lake. Catfi sh are fair on prepared baits and chartreuse (use Worm–Glo) nightcrawlers.

HOUSTON COUNTY: Water clear; 83 degrees; 0.62’ low. Black bass to 8.5 pounds are very good on purple and brown soft plastic worms in 19 feet. Crappie are good on live minnows around piers and in 10–12 feet. Bream are good on live worms off piers and over grass beds. Channel and blue catfi sh to 5 pounds are very good on trotlines baited with perch.

HUBBARD CREEK: Water stained; 78–81 degrees; 9.04’ low. Black bass are fair on shad pattern spinnerbaits fi shed along grass lines and watermelon seed soft plastics worked along reeds. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. White bass are good on live bait. Catfi sh are good on live and cut bait.

JOE POOL: Water off-color; 81–86 degrees; 0.68’ high. Black bass are fair on topwaters early, later switching to jigs and Carolina rigs. Crappie are slow to fair on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair to good on Rooster Tails over mid–lake humps. Catfi sh are fair on cut and prepared baits.

LAVON: Water stained; 80–86 degrees; 4.55’ low. Black bass are fair on spinnerbaits and topwaters in the shal-lows, and on Carolina rigs off deeper points. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs around structure. Catfi sh are fair on cut shad and prepared baits.

LBJ: Water stained; 86 degrees; 0.21’ low. Black bass are fair on JDC Skip–N–Pops and 1/8 oz. Curb’s buzzbaits tight to seawalls in 4–8 feet at daylight and just before dark, and on wacky-rigged green pumpkin Whacky Sticks and 4” green pumpkin tubes under boat docks. Striped bass are good on Creme Lures 2” Spoiler Shads and Li’l Fishies at night. White bass are fair to good on Li’l Fishies at night. Crappie are fair to good on Curb’s crappie jigs and live minnows over brush piles in clear water. Channel catfi sh are good on minnows and dipbait. Yellow and blue catfi sh are fair to good on trotlines.

LEWISVILLE: Water stained; 81–86 degrees; 0.29’ high. Black bass are fair to good on spinnerbaits, Texas rigs and shaky head jigs. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs over brush piles. White bass are good on Humdingers and slabs. Hybrid striper are fair to good on slabs and Sassy Shad. Catfi sh are fair to good on nightcrawlers.

LIVINGSTON: Water fairly clear; 85 de-grees; 0.12’ high. Black bass are fair on soft plastics and crankbaits. White bass are good on pet spoons, hellbenders, and slabs. Crappie are fair on minnows. Blue catfi sh are good on shad.

MEREDITH: Water lightly stained; 77–81 degrees; 87.17’ low. Black bass are good on Yellow Magics early, later switching to drop-shot rigs, shaky head jigs and Rat–L–Traps. Crappie are fair to good on jigs and live minnows. White bass are good on Rooster Tails. Smallmouth bass are good on spoons, live bait and jerkbaits along rocky points. Walleye are good on live bait. Catfi sh are fair to good on prepared bait.

O.H. IVIE: Water lightly stained; 78–82 de-grees; 25.19’ low. Black bass are fair on Texas rigs, shaky head jigs, Rat–L–Traps and wacky rigs. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on Road Runners. Channel catfi sh are good on live and cut bait.

PALESTINE: Water lightly stained; 79–85 degrees; 1.5’ low. Black bass are fair on spinnerbaits, Rat–L–Traps and soft plastics fi shed shallow. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs in the marinas and over brush piles. Hybrid striper are slow. White bass are fair to good on Little Georges and Road Runners. Catfi sh are fair to good on prepared bait.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Water stained; 78–83 degrees; 1.26’ low. Black bass

are fair on Rat–L–Traps, Texas rigs and chatterbaits. Crappie are fair on live minnows. White bass are good on Road Runners and slabs. Catfi sh are good on nightcrawlers and prepared bait.

RAY HUBBARD: Water fairly clear; 81–86 degrees; 2.69’ low. Black bass are fair to good on shallow- to medium-running shad pattern crankbaits, spinnerbaits, Rat–L–Traps and Texas rigs. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on topwaters and slabs. Hybrid striper are fair to good on slabs. Catfi sh are good on prepared bait.

RAY ROBERTS: Water clear; 81–84 degrees; 0.09’ high. Black bass are good on Zoom watermelon/red fl ukes and Gene Larew Biffl e Bugs around submerged trees in 2–8 feet. Crappie are good on Slab Slayers and minnows on brush piles and standing timber in 15–20 feet. White bass are good on main lake humps in 25–35 feet on chartreuse/white 1 oz. slabs.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water off-color; 82–86 degrees; 0.69’ low. Black bass are fair to good on topwaters and spinnerbaits early, midday switching to Carolina rigs and drop-shot rigs. White bass are fair on slabs and topwaters. Hybrid striper are fair on large slabs and Rat–L–Traps. Crappie are slow. Catfi sh are good on prepared baits and cut shad.

SAM RAYBURN: Water lightly stained; 88 degrees; 7.26’ low. Black bass are good on watermelon red and tequila sunrise soft plastic worms. White bass are good on minnows and white/gold spoons. Crap-pie are good on live minnows. Bream are good on nightcrawlers. Catfi sh are good on live bait, shrimp, and punchbait.

SOMERVILLE: Water murky; 89 de-grees; 0.89’ low. Black bass are slow. Hybrid striper are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs at the marina. Channel and blue catfi sh are good on punchbait, shrimp, and liver.

TAWAKONI: Water fairly clear; 81–86 degrees; 2.35’ low. Black bass are fair on spinnerbaits, topwaters and Texas rigs. Crappie are fair on live minnows in 15 feet. Catfi sh are good on nightcrawlers and prepared bait. White bass are good on Humdingers and topwaters. Striped bass and hybrid striper are fair to good on live shad, Sassy Shad and slabs.

TEXOMA: Water off-color; 79–85 degrees; 0.21’ high. Black bass are fair on spinnerbaits and buzzbaits early, mid-day switching to crankbaits, Texas rigs and drop-shot rigs. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs around bridges, in the marinas and over brush piles. Striped bass are fair early on topwaters and Sassy Shad, later switching to slabs and continuing with Sassy Shad. Catfi sh are fair on cut shad and nightcrawlers.

TOLEDO BEND: Water stained; 87 degrees; 7.10’ low. Black bass are good on watermelon/blue fl ake Finesse and redbug soft plastic worms. Striped bass are slow. White bass are fair on minnows and silver spoons. Crappie are fair on live minnows. Bream are good on crickets and nightcrawlers. Channel and blue catfi sh are good but small on punchbait.

TRAVIS: Water fairly clear; 87 degrees; 9.70’ low. Black bass to 3 pounds are very good on chrome chuggers, water-melon red soft plastic worms, and smoke grubs in 5–25 feet. Crappie are fair on minnows and blue and white tube jigs in 15–22 feet. Channel and blue catfi sh to 6 pounds are excellent on nightcrawlers and fresh cut bait in 25–38 feet.

WHITNEY: Water murky; 1.88’ low. Black bass are good on pumpkinseed/white Rat–L–Traps, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits on main lake points and fl ats. Striped bass are good on minnows and green striper jigs. White bass are fair on minnows and green spinnerbaits. Crap-pie are good on minnows. Catfi sh are good on shrimp, stinkbait, and live bait.

NORTH SABINE: Redfi sh are good in the marsh with high tides. Trout are good around slicks and birds on plastics.

SOUTH SABINE: Trout are good at the jetty on live bait and topwaters. Flounder are fair at the mouths of the bayous on a falling tide on jigs tipped with shrimp.

BOLIVAR: Trout are good on the south shore-line on Bass Assassins, Trout Killers and Sand Eels. Trout, black drum, sand trout and redfi sh are good at Rollover Pass.

TRINITY BAY: Trout are good for drifters working pods of shad and mullet on Bass Assassins, Trout Killers and Sand Eels. Redfi sh are good on live bait around the reefs and in the marsh.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: Redfi sh are good in the marsh on small topwaters and live bait. Trout are fair on the shorelines for waders on topwaters, soft plastics and Corkies. Trout are good under birds on the north shoreline near the refuge.

WEST GALVESTON BAY: Sheepshead, redfi sh and black drum are good at the jetty on shrimp and crabs. Redfi sh are good in the back lakes on natural baits.

TEXAS CITY: Bull redfi sh are good on crabs and mullet at the end of the dyke. Redfi sh are fair to good in Moses Lake on crabs and shrimp.

FREEPORT: Bull redfi sh are fair to good on live bait on the Surfside beach and at the Quintana Jetty. Black drum and redfi sh are good on the reefs in Bastrop Bay.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are good for waders on the shorelines on small topwaters and roach Bass Assassins, Sand Eels and Trout Killers.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair on sand and grass humps on soft plastics and topwaters. Redfi sh are fair on live shrimp in Oyster Lake, Crab Lake and Shell Island. Redfi sh are good on Gulps along the grass.

PORT O’CONNOR: Trout and redfi sh are good for drifters working the back lakes with live shrimp. Redfi sh are good in the surf and at the jetty on mullet, croakers and piggy perch. Trout are good over reefs on live bait in San Antonio Bay.

ROCKPORT: Redfi sh are fair to good on mullet on the Estes Flats and around Mud Island. Redfi sh are beginning to work in large schools. High tides have pushed redfi sh to the shallow fl ats.

PORT ARANSAS: Trout, redfi sh and sheepshead are fair to good at the jetty on shrimp and croakers. Bull redfi sh are good in the surf and at the jetty on crabs, shrimp and shad. Offshore is good for amberjack, kingfi sh, tuna and dolphin.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Redfi sh are good in the surf on mullet, shrimp and shad. Redfi sh are good in the guts running parallel to the shorelines. Higher tides have pushed redfi sh on the shallow fl ats. Trout are good at night under lights in the channel on glow DOA Shrimp.

BAFFIN BAY: Trout are good on topwaters and plum plastics around rocks and grass. Redfi sh are fair to good in knee–deep water on small Super Spooks, She Pups and SkitterWalks.

PORT MANSFIELD: Trout are fair to good on the edge of the spoils. Redfi sh are fair to good while drifting pot holes on topwaters and soft plastics under a popping cork. Offshore is good for kingfi sh, ling and dolphin.

SOUTH PADRE: Trout are fair around Long Bar, Laguna Vista and Mexiquito Flats on TTF Flats Minnows. Bull reds have been showing at the jetty. Lots of freshwater remains in the Laguna Madre due to rains.

PORT ISABEL: Trout and redfi sh are fair to good while drifting sand and grass fl ats on live shrimp, DOA Shrimp and Gulps under popping corks.

TEXAS FISHING REPORT

HOT BITES SALTWATERSCENE LARGEMOUTH

BASS

BELTON: Good on spinnerbaits near the bank and trolling Rat–L–Traps.

BROWNWOOD: Very good on inline buzz frogs and shaky heads with 4-inch redbug and watermelon/char-treuse-tailed worms.

CADDO: Good on black/red or water-melon Senkos on the grass and along the edges of lily pads.

COLEMAN: Good on watermelon red spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and soft plastics.

CONROE: Very good on pumpkinseed and tequila sunrise soft plastics, Senkos, crankbaits and Rat–L–Traps.

SAM RAYBURN: Good on watermelon red and tequila sunrise soft plastic worms.

WHITE, HYBRID, STRIPER

BROWNWOOD: Hybrid striper are good trolling hellbenders. White bass are good on Li’l Fishies off lighted docks at night.

LEWISVILLE: White bass are good on Humdingers and slabs.

MEREDITH: White bass are good on Rooster Tails.

O.H. IVIE: White bass are good on Road Runners.

CRAPPIE

WHITNEY: Good on minnows.

Sponsored by

CATFISH

BUCHANAN: Yellow and blue catfi sh are good on live bait upriver.

CALAVERAS: Channel and blue catfi sh are excellent on liver, shrimp, cheesebait, and shad.

CHOKE CANYON: Channel and blue catfi sh are excellent on punchbait.

TRAVIS: Channel and blue catfi sh are excellent on nightcrawlers and fresh cut bait in 25–38 feet.



ATV ACCIDENT INJURES TWONotifi cation of an accident on

a ranch was communicated to Fisher/Stonewall counties Game Warden George Pasley. The accident scene could not be reached by the Sheriff’s offi ce or medics because of the roughness of the terrain. When Pasley arrived, a local 4-wheel drive jeep had just left with two medics to the back of the ranch where the acci-dent was located. Pasley followed, and found that an ATV with two young females had rolled at a high speed through a barbwire fence. One of the victims was severely injured. She was stabilized and fl own out via Air Life to Abilene. The other victim was also injured and was stabilized on a backboard and loaded into the cab of Pasley’s patrol truck in order to safely negotiate the steep terrain, and driven out to where she could be loaded into an ambulance and taken to a hospital.

SHOOTING FROM MOVING VEHICLE NOT OK

A man driving through a pasture and shooting at a dove was observed by Menard County Game Warden Clint Graham. When approached, the individual said he had been sit-ting in the same spot for a while. After a short interview, the man con-fessed to shooting dove from his Jeep. Case pending.

OUTFITTER HIT WITH BAITING CHARGES

Wood County Game Warden Derek Spitzer came upon a group of 20 dove hunters, and most were back at their vehicles with full dove limits. While checking the hunters, Spitzer noticed some loose milo in the back of the outfi tter’s truck. Spitzer vis-ited with the guide about the milo and asked him how much was in the fi eld they were hunting. The guide hesitantly stated he had baited the fi eld but was sure all the milo was

gone. A check of the fi eld revealed several bait piles and places where the milo was poured out of a bag. Wardens Steve Stapleton and Nathan Wilson were near the area and came to assist. In the end, 198 doves were seized and cases are pending on the outfi tter and guide.

SOME FRIEND YOU AREA fi sherman on Big Sandy Creek

told Upshur County Game Warden David Pellizzari and Morris County Game Warden Michael Serbanic about his friend who had shot a deer and let the meat go to waste. He also mentioned that the shooter had been caught by the game warden last year for trespassing and thought he wouldn’t get caught again. Pellizzari remembered the shooter’s name and that he had three active warrants on him. The next day, Pellizzari and Gregg County Game Warden Dewayne Noble went to the subject’s house and obtained a full written confession, as well as the fi rearm used to shoot the yearling doe. Multiple charges were fi led on the subject in addition to the three active warrants.

DESIGNATED DRIVER IDEA APPLIES FOR BOATING, TOO

Game Wardens John Thorne and Logan Griffi n stopped a pontoon boat with multiple passengers on

Cedar Creek Reservoir. As Griffi n stepped on the boat, he noticed multiple empty and full beer cans strewn around the deck of the boat (72 in total). The driver stated that he had two or three beers. On shore, the driver stated that he had a desig-nated driver (for the car ride home) because he would not want to be pulled over by a trooper if he were on the highway driving. After perform-ing poorly on fi eld sobriety tests, the driver was placed under arrest and a blood warrant was obtained. Case and results are pending.

THIEF IS SLOW LEARNERA man being checked while dove

hunting had drug paraphernalia and copper stolen from a building on the property in his possession. McLennan County Game Warden Jason Campbell recognized the man from an arrest two years earlier on the Brazos River when Campbell caught the man, a convicted felon, with sto-len body armor as well as stolen car parts. The subject had just recently been released from prison.

ROADWAY REPTILE COLLECTINGA NO-NO

In the early morning, Brewster County Game Wardens Matthew Bridgefarmer and Erin Albright made contact with a man suspected to be collecting reptiles from the roadway.

The man confessed to collecting from the roadways for the past fi ve nights. The wardens recovered 19 snakes from the suspect’s vehicle and motel room. Also recovered from the motel room was a Texas horned lizard. All reptiles were successfully released. Cases pending.

POOR PARENTING LESSONComal County Game Warden

Michael McCall observed two men hunting doves and doing a lot of shooting. McCall decided to set up surveillance of the area near the hunters’ vehicle. When approached by McCall, the father was six doves over the daily bag limit, and his shot-gun could hold fi ve shells. Citations for exceeding the daily bag limit of doves and hunting doves with an illegal shotgun are now pending as well as restitution. Twenty-one doves were confi scated.

TOO MANY, AND THE WRONG KINDStarr County Game Warden Drew

Spencer and Zapata County Game Warden Roy Martinez checked three men hunting doves. The men were found to be in possession of 51 freshly killed doves. Unfortunately for them, 50 of the 51 doves were mourning doves and they were hunting during the special white-winged season, in which hunters are only allowed to take four mourning doves each. Thirty-

eight mourning doves were seized, multiple charges were fi led, and civil restitution is being sought.

PRONGHORN IN TRUNK LEADSTO CHARGES

A report was received of tres-passers hunting pronghorns. Moore/Sherman counties Game Warden Ryan Hunter and Dallam/Hartley counties Game Warden Adam Clark responded. After getting the license plate information from the caller, the wardens went to the area to see if the possible trespass-ers would return to their residence. Around 10 p.m., Hunter and Clark made contact with three individuals and located an illegally killed prong-horn antelope in the trunk of the car. Cases are pending on the three indi-viduals in the vehicle.

MORE THAN STAR GAZINGKnox County Game Warden Jim

Daniels was out checking dove hunters when he came across some fresh tracks leading to a gate he had never seen open. Daniels followed the tracks back into the property about two miles and found two vehi-cles parked on the other side of the fi eld. He could see some chil-dren, a few dogs, and a few people lying on blankets enjoying the eve-ning. Through the trees Daniels heard some shooting. When Daniels made contact with the group, only two hunters came walking out of the trees. Daniels asked the two hunters if anybody else was hunting. Both hunters said, “No, just us.” After checking the hunters, Daniels asked them to show him where they were hunting. Both seemed reluctant. Daniels walked through the trees and down the fence line and found a shotgun, four dove, and two people lying in the tall grass. Both of the individuals found hiding admitted to hunting without a hunting license. Citations were issued.

GAME WARDEN BLOTTER

A kayaker in distress call was reported to Ellis County Game Warden Jeff Powell and Navarro County Game Warden Jim Schmidt. A group in six kayaks fl oated the rain-swollen Chambers Creek. A 911 call from a cell phone from one of the individuals stated that his brother almost drowned after his kayak went under a logjam in the creek. He was able to climb a tree in the middle of the creek. A DPS helicopter was able to respond and locate the individual. Powell and

an Ellis County sergeant were lowered down near the creek. Schmidt was able to rescue the brother farther down the creek. Four other people were able to reach dry ground, where they were picked up with Schmidt’s 4-wheeler. After the rescue, one of the subjects disap-peared and was later located hiding in the back of a family member’s Suburban. After giving a false name, it was discovered that four of the persons had out-standing warrants.

SIX RESCUED, FOUR GO TO JAIL



DOVE North Zone and Central Zone Sept. 1-Oct. 24 and Dec. 25-Jan. 9South Zone Sept. 17-Oct. 31 and Dec. 25-Jan. 18

Bag limit: 15 birds and not more than two white-tipped doves.Special White-winged Dove Area Sept. 17-Oct. 31, Dec. 25-Jan. 14

The daily bag limit in the SWWDA during the fi rst two weekends is 15 doves in the aggregate, to include no more than 4 mourning doves and 2 white-tipped doves. Once the general season opens, the aggregate bag limit will be 15.

EARLY TEAL-ONLY Sept. 11-26

ALLIGATOR 22 counties & special properties Sept. 10-30 (by permit only)Remainder of the state April 1-June 30

PRONGHORN ANTELOPE (By permit only) Oct. 2-10

WHITE-TAILED DEERArchery-Only Season Oct. 2-Nov. 5Special Youth Season* Oct. 30-31, Jan. 3-16General Season North Texas (208 counties) Nov. 6-Jan. 2 South Texas (30 counties) Nov. 6-Jan. 16Late Antlerless and Spike North Texas (106 counties) Jan. 17-30 South Texas (30 counties) Jan. 18-31Muzzleloader (55 counties) Jan. 3-16

MULE DEER Archery-Only Season Oct. 2-Nov. 5General Season Panhandle (39 counties) Nov. 20-Dec. 5 SW Panhandle (11 counties) Nov. 20-28 Trans Pecos (19 counties) Nov. 26-Dec. 12

JAVELINANorthern (43 counties) Oct. 1-Feb. 27Southern (50 counties) Sept. 1-Aug. 31

PHEASANTPanhandle (37 counties) Dec. 4-Jan. 2Chambers, Jefferson & Liberty counties Oct. 30-Feb. 27

SQUIRREL Special Youth Season** Sept. 25-26East Texas (51 counties) Oct. 1-Feb. 6, May 1-31Other Open counties Sept. 1-Aug. 31

LESSER PRAIRIE CHICKENNo open season for lesser prairie chicken.

QUAILStatewide (all counties) Oct. 30-Feb. 27

RIO GRANDE TURKEYArchery-Only Season Oct. 2-Nov. 5Fall Season Special Youth Season* Oct. 30-31, Jan. 15-16 North Zone (122 counties) Nov. 6-Jan. 2 South Zone (26 counties) Nov. 6-Jan. 16 Brooks, Kenedy, Kleberg, & Willacy counties Nov. 6-Feb. 27Spring Season North Zone (101 counties) April 2-May 15 Special Youth Season* March 26-27, May 21-22 South Zone (54 counties) March 19-May 1 Special Youth Season* March 12-13, May 7-8 1-Turkey Bag Limit (11 counties) April 1-30

EASTERN TURKEY+Spring-Only Season East Texas (43 counties) April 1-30

CHACHALACACameron, Hidalgo, Starr and Willacy counties Oct. 30-Feb. 27

RABBITS and HARES No closed season.

In addition to a hunting license, a migratory game bird stamp endorsement ($7) is required to hunt any migratory game bird, including mourning dove (a Federal Sandhill Crane Permit also is required to hunt sandhill crane). An upland game bird stamp endorsement ($7) is required to hunt turkey, quail, pheasant or chachalacas. See County Listings in the Texas Parks and Wildlife Outdoor Annual for specifi c county regulations and more detailed information.*In all counties that have an open season for those species.** In all counties that have an Oct. 1-Feb. 6 and May 1-31 open squirrel season.+ Rio Grande and Eastern Turkey may be hunted in these counties.

DOWNLOADCharts for season dates, sunrise and sunset may be downloaded at LSONews.com.

<— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —— — — — Clip for your camp ✄ — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — >


HEROES

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binoculars at the Nikon Sport Optics dealer nearest you:

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SPENCER GEORG, 14, from San Antonio caught this 200-pound sand bar shark 45 miles out of Port Aransas.

PAYTON ALBRIGHT, 11, of Pearland, caught his fi rst “trophy trout” in San Leon Bay. The fi sh was 24 inches long.

TAYLOR BAKER shot this buck with a .222 Remington at the Shannon Ranch in Crockett County.

SHAUNA SHAW, caught her fi rst speckled trout in Port Mansfi eld. It was 24 inches long.

SHAE SEALE of Austin landed this 11-pound, 1-ounce largemouth at O.H. Ivie Reservoir.

TANNER BAKER shot this buck at the Shannon Ranch in Crockett County with a .222 Remington.

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Jadon DeWitt, 8, in the fi eld for the fi rst time, went two for two in Guadalupe County.

He killed the fi rst two doves that fl ew by with a single-shot .410.


trouble getting the deer to eat them because there is so much calcium in the soil.”

David Fuhr, whitetail scientist and chemist for Hunters Specialties and based in Missouri, said his company has been marketing a Vita-Rack 26 deer block for about three years and pointed out a major industry has developed to address the problem of getting deer to eat anything that is good for them.

“The down side to any block is limited consumption — the deer have to bite off a piece of the block and eat it,’’ he said. “Typically, you have to add molasses, corn, soy beans or something similar to get the deer to munch on a block.

“We have been going about this a little differently. We want to feed them something that does them some good. Our Vita-Rack 26 formula (featuring 26 different vitamins and minerals and giving the line its name) also enhances the deer’s immune system. Eating from the block will help them repel ticks.’’

Lance Cote, wildlife specialist with Mumme’s Feed and Supply in San Antonio, said a variety of com-panies that produce deer feed and attractants have been conducting research to fi nd the right mix to bring in the deer while providing good nutrition.

“A lot of people in the past have had problems with putting out a deer block at the beginning of the season and it just kind of sits there and melts away by the end of the season with-out the deer eating it,’’ he said.

“There are lots of liquids, pow-ders, granules and pellets on the market — we sell a wide variety of products and I have tested many of them. I started out thinking it seemed like kind of a gimmick, but in some incidences some of them do work pretty well.”

In an effort to promote proper nutritional practices, Varner will be among the featured speakers at a Wildlife Management Expo set for Oct. 22 at the Kerrville Ranch & Pet Center.

The expo is part of a 30-event series of seminars being conducted mainly in Texas and the Southeast that is called the Purina “Wildlife: Innovation Through Education Series.” Game biologists and other specialists will be discussing aspects of white-tailed management from providing proper nutrition to the economics of nutritional programs.

Information on the Kerrville event is available by calling (830) 895-5800.

Getting deerContinued From Page 4

agents can make the best recommendations when it comes to food plot size and type.

While fall plantings can concentrate deer and increase hunter opportu-nity, food plots are not a substitute for natural for-age or a way to support wildlife populations above the land’s natural carry-ing capacity. According to Billy Higginbotham, wild-life extension specialist for Texas A&M, creating food plots, particularly fall plant-ings primarily established to attract deer during hunt-ing season, should be dis-tinct from the landowner’s primary habitat manage-ment strategy.

October is a great time to start thinking about these

strategies for managing deer and wildlife habitat in the coming year. By utilizing the most up-to-date infor-mation and implementing a target harvest for deer, land-owners have a jump on their 2011 management plan. The next step is enlisting the help of wildlife biologists, local extension agents and other state and federal agen-cies to determine what, if any, habitat enhancements to tackle early next year. In addition to hunting, factors to take into account include grazing, prescribed burns and cultivation.

“The habitat management principles that (Aldo) Leopold extolled over 50 years ago — cow, plow, axe, fi re and gun — remain relevant today,” Higginbotham said.

Not too lateContinued From Page 4

to the feeder, I don’t see it.” Jetton, president of Lone Star Bowhunters Association,

said he planned to harvest does early in the season, but some bucks seemed unusually frisky, which made him wonder if the rut had begun early.

“I had three different bucks come in and bust up my does,” Jetton said. “Of course with bowhunting, you can’t shoot them on the run, and those bucks wouldn’t stay still.”

But opening day wasn’t a complete bust. Five nice bucks were downed by archers at First Point

Bowhunting Ranch, between Uvalde and Eagle Pass in Maverick County, said outfi tter Mike Palmer.

One deer had 10 points on his frame and fi ve extra 1 1/2-inch stickers. It was shot by Jason Stewart of Nacogdoches, Palmer said.

Jason Trapp, 18, of Spring got a nine-pointer while his dad, Mark, shot an eight-pointer, Palmer said.

And Ty Howard of Richmond, hunting with father, Charlie Howard from Bryan, shot an eight- and nine-point buck, respectively, Palmer said.

“Our deer are in excellent shape,” Palmer said. “Everybody here is seeing a lot of them.”

But bagging one is not easy. “We don’t have the acorn problem because we don’t

have any oaks,” he said. “We’re down in the prickly pears

and mesquite. “But these deer are pretty wise to bowhunters; they

have doctors’ degrees in bowhunters.” To beat them, Palmer said, a hunter has to build a

“decent brush blind.” “Since we don’t have any trees you have to get down in

the brush and hunt them off the ground,” he said. “You have to get eyeball-to-eyeball with them.”

Also, hunters on ranches in the Managed Lands Deer Permit program were allowed to break out their rifl es early, in accordance with the permits. Mark Barrett of San Antonio dropped a phenomenal 311 4/8th buck in Webb County — possibly a record breaker. (See related report, Page 1.)

But with tags unpunched, bowhunters have more rea-sons to keep going back to their leases.

The archery season runs through Friday, Nov. 5. It’s fol-lowed by the general “gun” season, which starts the fol-lowing day.

But Kana, for one, had no regrets about being skunked opening weekend.

“That’s just part of it,” he said. “It’s a tradition to be out opening weekend. And this time, I had my little 10-year-old girl with me.

“That’s all that mattered, right there.”

Challenges galoreContinued From Page 1



Ingredients:1 can beer2 cups self-rising fl our1⁄4 teaspoon basil1 cup cornmeal2 tablespoons preparedmustard1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon black pepper11⁄2 cups milkPeanut oil

Soak goose meat in beer for one hour. In a separate bowl, mix fl our, basil, cornmeal,

mustard, salt and pepper. Combine with milk and blend to a smooth batter. Preheat frying pan with enough peanut oil to cover meat at least one inch. Drain beer from fi ngers and discard. Dip meat into batter. Let excess batter drop back into bowl. Put meat in medium-hot peanut oil. It’s done when it is a light golden brown color.

—Arkansas Game and Fish Commission

NewOctober 8

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OUTDOOR PUZZLER | By Wilbur “Wib” Lundeen Solution on Page 25ACROSS1. Trapped for the pelt3. Shredded antlers7. Female turkey, pheasant9. A very good walleye bait

10. Could contain a map11. A major deer food12. Packet for medical supplies13. An icefi shing lure15. Seeks game for the fur16. Best icefi shing shelter, Fish-___18. A young quail20. Fish breathing devices21. Steelhead or rainbow26. A diving duck28. A swirling motion in the water29. A hunted wildfowl30. A very good fi rewood32. Boat equipment34. A turkey predator35. A shorebird38. Drills holes in ice40. Code for a type bullet43. A type of gunsight46. Color worn by hunters for safety47. A type of ice angler48. A type of gunsight

DOWN1. A small game predator2. Hunter’s cold-weather outfi t 3. Term for in-hole fi replace4. A bear food5. Deer will hide in this habitat6. A bass species

7. The V-formation fl yer 8. Wildfowl home13. The clay pigeon

14. The ring____ pheasant16. A type of saltwater weight17. To point at a target19. To ready a gun for fi ring22. Shotgun model, over and _____23. A type of duck24. Describes a wild turkey’s vision25. A name for a bass27. Another cover area for deer31. Icefi shing gear

33. Distribution of shot pellets36. Need an auger for this37. Very large on the muley39. The bull’s-eye on a shoot target41. A female bear42. Bowman’s shooting protector, fi nger

____43. A squirrel species44. A good wood for arrow shafts45. Code for a shotgun model

Sabine Pass, jettyDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightOct 8 2:36 a.m. 2.9 H 9:23 a.m. 0.4 L 5:04 p.m. 3.6 H 10:35 p.m. 2.5 L Oct 9 2:53 a.m. 3.0 H 10:09 a.m. 0.2 L 6:13 p.m. 3.6 H 11:33 p.m. 2.9 L Oct 10 3:07 a.m. 3.0 H 10:58 a.m. 0.0 L 7:25 p.m. 3.6 H Oct 11 12:44 a.m. 3.0 L 3:08 a.m. 3.2 H 11:51 a.m. 0.0 L 8:44 p.m. 3.6 H Oct 12 12:48 p.m. 0.2 L 10:18 p.m. 3.4 H Oct 13 1:54 p.m. 0.5 L 11:59 p.m. 3.2 H Oct 14 3:07 p.m. 0.7 L Oct 15 12:56 a.m. 3.2 H 4:23 p.m. 0.9 L Oct 16 1:17 a.m. 3.0 H 5:30 p.m. 1.1 L Oct 17 1:23 a.m. 2.9 H 7:35 a.m. 2.3 L 11:10 a.m. 2.5 H 6:25 p.m. 1.4 L Oct 18 1:25 a.m. 2.9 H 7:39 a.m. 2.1 L 12:36 p.m. 2.7 H 7:09 p.m. 1.6 L Oct 19 1:29 a.m. 2.7 H 7:48 a.m. 1.8 L 1:45 p.m. 2.7 H 7:46 p.m. 1.8 L Oct 20 1:35 a.m. 2.7 H 8:02 a.m. 1.4 L 2:43 p.m. 2.9 H 8:19 p.m. 2.1 L Oct 21 1:42 a.m. 2.7 H 8:21 a.m. 1.1 L 3:36 p.m. 3.0 H 8:51 p.m. 2.3 L Oct 22 1:49 a.m. 2.9 H 8:45 a.m. 0.7 L 4:24 p.m. 3.0 H 9:22 p.m. 2.5 L

Galveston Bay entrance, south jettyDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightOct 8 3:23 a.m. 2.3 H 9:49 a.m. 0.3 L 5:51 p.m. 2.9 H 11:01 p.m. 2.0 L Oct 9 3:40 a.m. 2.4 H 10:35 a.m. 0.1 L 7:00 p.m. 2.9 H 11:59 p.m. 2.3 L Oct 10 3:54 a.m. 2.4 H 11:24 a.m. 0.0 L 8:12 p.m. 2.9 H Oct 11 1:10 a.m. 2.4 L 3:55 a.m. 2.6 H 12:17 p.m. 0.0 L 9:31 p.m. 2.9 H Oct 12 1:14 p.m. 0.1 L 11:05 p.m. 2.7 H Oct 13 2:20 p.m. 0.4 L Oct 14 12:46 a.m. 2.6 H 3:33 p.m. 0.6 L Oct 15 1:43 a.m. 2.6 H 4:49 p.m. 0.7 L Oct 16 2:04 a.m. 2.4 H 5:56 p.m. 0.9 L Oct 17 2:10 a.m. 2.3 H 8:01 a.m. 1.9 L 11:57 a.m. 2.0 H 6:51 p.m. 1.1 L Oct 18 2:12 a.m. 2.3 H 8:05 a.m. 1.7 L 1:23 p.m. 2.1 H 7:35 p.m. 1.3 L Oct 19 2:16 a.m. 2.1 H 8:14 a.m. 1.4 L 2:32 p.m. 2.1 H 8:12 p.m. 1.4 L Oct 20 2:22 a.m. 2.1 H 8:28 a.m. 1.1 L 3:30 p.m. 2.3 H 8:45 p.m. 1.7 L Oct 21 2:29 a.m. 2.1 H 8:47 a.m. 0.9 L 4:23 p.m. 2.4 H 9:17 p.m. 1.9 L Oct 22 2:36 a.m. 2.3 H 9:11 a.m. 0.6 L 5:11 p.m. 2.4 H 9:48 p.m. 2.0 L

San Luis PassDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time Height Oct 8 3:53 a.m. 1.4 H 10:45 a.m. 0.2 L 6:21 p.m. 1.7 H 11:57 p.m. 1.2 L Oct 9 4:10 a.m. 1.5 H 11:31 a.m. 0.1 L 7:30 p.m. 1.7 H Oct 10 12:55 a.m. 1.4 L 4:24 a.m. 1.5 H 12:20 p.m. 0.0 L 8:42 p.m. 1.7 H Oct 11 2:06 a.m. 1.5 L 4:25 a.m. 1.5 H 1:13 p.m. 0.0 L 10:01 p.m. 1.7 H Oct 12 2:10 p.m. 0.1 L 11:35 p.m. 1.6 H Oct 13 3:16 p.m. 0.3 L Oct 14 1:16 a.m. 1.5 H 4:29 p.m. 0.3 L Oct 15 2:13 a.m. 1.5 H 5:45 p.m. 0.4 L Oct 16 2:34 a.m. 1.5 H 6:52 p.m. 0.5 L Oct 17 2:40 a.m. 1.4 H 8:57 a.m. 1.1 L 12:27 p.m. 1.2 H 7:47 p.m. 0.7 L Oct 18 2:42 a.m. 1.4 H 9:01 a.m. 1.0 L 1:53 p.m. 1.3 H 8:31 p.m. 0.8 L Oct 19 2:46 a.m. 1.3 H 9:10 a.m. 0.9 L 3:02 p.m. 1.3 H 9:08 p.m. 0.9 L Oct 20 2:52 a.m. 1.3 H 9:24 a.m. 0.7 L 4:00 p.m. 1.4 H 9:41 p.m. 1.0 L Oct 21 2:59 a.m. 1.3 H 9:43 a.m. 0.5 L 4:53 p.m. 1.5 H 10:13 p.m. 1.1 L Oct 22 3:06 a.m. 1.4 H 10:07 a.m. 0.3 L 5:41 p.m. 1.5 H 10:44 p.m. 1.2 L

Freeport HarborDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightOct 8 2:45 a.m. 2.0 H 9:46 a.m. 0.2 L 5:13 p.m. 2.5 H 10:58 p.m. 1.3 L Oct 9 3:02 a.m. 2.1 H 10:32 a.m. 0.1 L 6:22 p.m. 2.5 H 11:56 p.m. 1.4 L Oct 10 3:16 a.m. 2.1 H 11:21 a.m. 0.0 L 7:34 p.m. 2.5 H Oct 11 1:07 a.m. 1.5 L 3:17 a.m. 2.2 H 12:14 p.m. 0.0 L 8:53 p.m. 2.5 H Oct 12 1:11 p.m. 0.1 L 10:27 p.m. 2.3 H Oct 13 2:17 p.m. 0.3 L Oct 14 12:08 a.m. 2.2 H 3:30 p.m. 0.4 L Oct 15 1:05 a.m. 2.2 H 4:46 p.m. 0.5 L Oct 16 1:26 a.m. 2.1 H 5:53 p.m. 0.5 L Oct 17 1:32 a.m. 2.0 H 7:58 a.m. 1.2 L 11:19 a.m. 1.7 H 6:48 p.m. 0.7 L Oct 18 1:34 a.m. 2.0 H 8:02 a.m. 1.1 L 12:45 p.m. 1.8 H 7:32 p.m. 0.8 L Oct 19 1:38 a.m. 1.8 H 8:11 a.m. 0.9 L 1:54 p.m. 1.8 H 8:09 p.m. 0.9 L Oct 20 1:44 a.m. 1.8 H 8:25 a.m. 0.7 L 2:52 p.m. 2.0 H 8:42 p.m. 1.1 L Oct 21 1:51 a.m. 1.8 H 8:44 a.m. 0.5 L 3:45 p.m. 2.1 H 9:14 p.m. 1.2 L Oct 22 1:58 a.m. 2.0 H 9:08 a.m. 0.4 L 4:33 p.m. 2.1 H 9:45 p.m. 1.3 L

South Padre IslandDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightOct 8 1:23 a.m. 1.5 H 9:20 a.m. 0.2 L 5:47 p.m. 2.2 H Oct 9 10:05 a.m. -0.1 L 7:04 p.m. 2.2 H Oct 10 10:54 a.m. -0.2 L 08:25 p.m. 2.2 H Oct 11 11:46 a.m. -0.1 L 09:49 p.m. 2.2 H Oct 12 12:43 p.m. 0.0 L 11:11 p.m. 2.2 H Oct 13 1:44 p.m. 0.2 L Oct 14 12:16 a.m. 2.2 H 2:51 p.m. 0.5 L Oct 15 12:59 a.m. 2.1 H 4:01 p.m. 0.7 L Oct 16 1:22 a.m. 2.1 H 5:10 p.m. 1.0 L Oct 17 1:33 a.m. 2.0 H 7:32 a.m. 1.6 L 10:48 a.m. 1.7 H 6:15 p.m. 1.2 L Oct 18 1:35 a.m. 1.9 H 7:27 a.m. 1.5 L 12:50 p.m. 1.8 H 7:17 p.m. 1.3 L Oct 19 1:28 a.m. 1.8 H 7:40 a.m. 1.3 L 2:15 p.m. 1.9 H 8:17 p.m. 1.5 L Oct 20 1:15 a.m. 1.7 H 7:58 a.m. 1.1 L 3:21 p.m. 1.9 H 9:21 p.m. 1.5 L Oct 21 12:54 a.m. 1.6 H 8:19 a.m. 0.8 L 4:17 p.m. 2.0 H Oct 22 08:43 a.m. 0.6 L 5:09 p.m. 2.0 H

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| | Port O’ConnorDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightOct 8 12:20 p.m. 0.4 L 10:27 p.m. 1.4 H Oct 9 1:10 p.m. 0.3 L Oct 10 2:34 a.m. 1.4 H 2:01 p.m. 0.2 L Oct 11 3:41 a.m. 1.5 H 2:54 p.m. 0.2 L Oct 12 4:34 a.m. 1.5 H 3:51 p.m. 0.3 L Oct 13 5:20 a.m. 1.5 H 4:55 p.m. 0.4 L Oct 14 5:58 a.m. 1.5 H 6:08 p.m. 0.5 L Oct 15 6:26 a.m. 1.4 H 7:27 p.m. 0.6 L Oct 16 6:42 a.m. 1.3 H 8:47 p.m. 0.6 L Oct 17 6:42 a.m. 1.2 H 10:01 p.m. 0.7 L Oct 18 6:25 a.m. 1.1 H 11:31 a.m. 1.0 L 3:36 p.m. 1.1 H 11:12 p.m. 0.8 L Oct 19 5:54 a.m. 1.1 H 11:06 a.m. 0.9 L 5:38 p.m. 1.1 H Oct 20 12:27 a.m. 0.9 L 5:04 a.m. 1.0 H 11:13 a.m. 0.8 L 7:04 p.m. 1.2 H Oct 21 11:31 a.m. 0.7 L 8:18 p.m. 1.3 H Oct 22 11:55 a.m. 0.6 L 9:32 p.m. 1.3 H

RockportDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightOct 8 3:05 a.m. 0.71 H 1:28 p.m. 0.39 L Oct 9 3:26 a.m. 0.76 H 2:20 p.m. 0.36 LOct 10 4:07 a.m. 0.79 H 3:13 p.m. 0.35 LOct 11 5:01 a.m. 0.80 H 4:08 p.m. 0.35 LOct 12 6:07 a.m. 0.79 H 5:06 p.m. 0.37 LOct 13 7:19 a.m. 0.78 H 6:06 p.m. 0.40 LOct 14 8:32 a.m. 0.77 H 7:02 p.m. 0.42 LOct 15 9:42 a.m. 0.75 H 7:51 p.m. 0.45 LOct 16 10:46 a.m. 0.72 H 8:28 p.m. 0.48 LOct 17 11:54 a.m. 0.69 H 8:51 p.m. 0.52 LOct 18 5:19 a.m. 0.61 H 6:41 a.m. 0.61 L 1:21 p.m. 0.65 H 8:57 p.m. 0.56 LOct 19 3:39 a.m. 0.63 H 9:47 a.m. 0.58 L 3:42 p.m. 0.62 H 8:38 p.m. 0.59 LOct 20 3:11 a.m. 0.65 H 11:10 a.m. 0.53 LOct 21 3:00 a.m. 0.68 H 12:02 p.m. 0.49 LOct 22 2:58 a.m. 0.71 H 12:45 p.m. 0.46 L

Houston2010 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONSep Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets08 Fri N 5:56 ----- 6:23 12:37 07:17 06:59 8:14a 7:25p 09 Sat > 6:55 12:41 7:24 1:09 07:17 06:58 9:24a 8:11p 10 Sun > 7:58 1:44 8:27 2:13 07:18 06:57 10:31a 9:02p 11 Mon 9:02 2:48 9:31 3:17 07:19 06:55 11:34a 9:56p12 Tue 10:05 3:51 10:33 4:19 07:19 06:54 12:31p 10:53p13 Wed 11:04 4:51 11:31 5:17 07:20 06:53 1:22p 11:51p 14 Thu 11:58 5:45 ----- 6:10 07:20 06:52 2:06p NoMoon 15 Fri Q 12:23 6:34 12:46 6:58 07:21 06:51 2:44p 12:49a 16 Sat 1:07 7:18 1:29 7:40 07:22 06:50 3:18p 1:44a 17 Sun 1:47 7:58 2:08 8:18 07:22 06:49 3:49p 2:39a 18 Mon 2:24 8:34 2:44 8:54 07:23 06:48 4:18p 3:31a 19 Tue 2:59 9:09 3:19 9:29 07:24 06:47 4:46p 4:23a 20 Wed 3:34 9:44 3:55 10:05 07:24 06:46 5:15p 5:15a 21 Thu > 4:11 10:22 4:32 10:43 07:25 06:45 5:45p 6:09a 22 Fri > 4:52 11:03 5:14 11:25 07:26 06:44 6:19p 7:04a 23 Sat F 5:37 11:49 6:01 ----- 07:27 06:43 6:56p 8:01a 24 Sun > 6:27 12:15 6:52 12:40 07:27 06:42 7:38p 8:59a 25 Mon > 7:22 1:09 7:48 1:35 07:28 06:41 8:25p 9:58a 26 Tue 8:21 2:07 8:48 2:34 07:29 06:40 9:19p 10:55a27 Wed 9:22 3:08 9:50 3:36 07:29 06:39 10:17p 11:50a

Port Aransas, H. Caldwell PierDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightOct 8 3:16 a.m. 1.8 H 9:28 a.m. 0.2 L 5:44 p.m. 2.3 H 10:40 p.m. 1.1 L Oct 9 3:33 a.m. 2.0 H 10:14 a.m. 0.1 L 6:53 p.m. 2.3 H 11:38 p.m. 1.2 L Oct 10 3:47 a.m. 2.0 H 11:03 a.m. 0.0 L 8:05 p.m. 2.3 H Oct 11 12:49 a.m. 1.3 L 3:48 a.m. 2.1 H 11:56 a.m. 0.0 L 9:24 p.m. 2.3 H Oct 12 12:53 p.m. 0.1 L 10:58 p.m. 2.2 H Oct 13 1:59 p.m. 0.2 L Oct 14 12:39 a.m. 2.1 H 3:12 p.m. 0.3 L Oct 15 1:36 a.m. 2.1 H 4:28 p.m. 0.4 L Oct 16 1:57 a.m. 2.0 H 5:35 p.m. 0.5 L Oct 17 2:03 a.m. 1.8 H 7:40 a.m. 1.0 L 11:50 a.m. 1.6 H 6:30 p.m. 0.6 L Oct 18 2:05 a.m. 1.8 H 7:44 a.m. 0.9 L 1:16 p.m. 1.7 H 7:14 p.m. 0.7 L Oct 19 2:09 a.m. 1.7 H 7:53 a.m. 0.8 L 2:25 p.m. 1.7 H 7:51 p.m. 0.8 L Oct 20 2:15 a.m. 1.7 H 8:07 a.m. 0.6 L 3:23 p.m. 1.8 H 8:24 p.m. 0.9 L Oct 21 2:22 a.m. 1.7 H 8:26 a.m. 0.5 L 4:16 p.m. 2.0 H 8:56 p.m. 1.0 L Oct 22 2:29 a.m. 1.8 H 8:50 a.m. 0.3 L 5:04 p.m. 2.0 H 9:27 p.m. 1.1 L

San Antonio2010 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONSep Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets08 Fri N 6:08 ----- 6:36 12:50 07:29 07:12 8:27a 7:39p 09 Sat > 7:08 12:53 7:36 1:22 07:30 07:10 9:36a 8:25p 10 Sun > 8:11 1:56 8:40 2:25 07:30 07:09 10:43a 9:16p 11 Mon 9:15 3:00 9:44 3:29 07:31 07:08 11:46a 10:10p 12 Tue 10:18 4:04 10:46 4:32 07:31 07:07 12:44p 11:07p 13 Wed 11:17 5:03 11:43 5:30 07:32 07:06 1:34p NoMoon 14 Thu ----- 5:58 12:10 6:23 07:33 07:05 2:18p 12:05a 15 Fri Q 12:35 6:47 12:59 7:10 07:33 07:04 2:57p 1:02a 16 Sat 1:20 7:31 1:42 7:53 07:34 07:03 3:31p 1:58a 17 Sun 2:00 8:10 2:20 8:31 07:35 07:02 4:02p 2:52a 18 Mon 2:36 8:46 2:57 9:07 07:35 07:01 4:31p 3:45a 19 Tue 3:11 9:21 3:31 9:41 07:36 07:00 4:59p 4:36a 20 Wed 3:47 9:57 4:07 10:17 07:37 06:59 5:28p 5:28a 21 Thu > 4:24 10:34 4:45 10:56 07:37 06:58 5:59p 6:21a22 Fri > 5:04 11:16 5:27 11:38 07:38 06:57 6:32p 7:16a 23 Sat F 5:50 ----- 6:13 12:01 07:39 06:56 7:09p 8:13a 24 Sun > 6:40 12:27 7:05 12:52 07:39 06:55 7:51p 9:11a 25 Mon > 7:35 1:21 8:01 1:48 07:40 06:54 8:39p 10:10a 26 Tue 8:33 2:20 9:01 2:47 07:41 06:53 9:33p 11:07a27 Wed 9:34 3:20 10:02 3:48 07:42 06:52 10:31p 12:02p

Amarillo2010 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONSep Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets08 Fri N 6:22 ----- 6:49 13:03 07:46 07:22 8:50a 7:42p 09 Sat > 7:21 1:07 7:50 1:35 07:47 07:20 10:02a 8:26p 10 Sun > 8:24 2:09 8:53 2:39 07:47 07:19 11:12a 9:14p 11 Mon 9:28 3:14 9:57 3:43 07:48 07:18 12:16p 10:08p 12 Tue 10:31 4:17 10:59 4:45 07:49 07:16 1:13p 11:05p 13 Wed 11:30 5:17 11:57 5:43 07:50 07:15 2:03p NoMoon 14 Thu 12:00 6:11 12:24 6:36 07:51 07:14 2:45p 12:05a 15 Fri Q 12:49 7:00 1:12 7:24 07:51 07:12 3:21p 1:04a 16 Sat 1:33 7:44 1:55 8:06 07:52 07:11 3:52p 2:02a 17 Sun 2:13 8:23 2:34 8:44 07:53 07:10 4:20p 2:59a 18 Mon 2:50 9:00 3:10 9:20 07:54 07:09 4:47p 3:55a 19 Tue 3:25 9:35 3:45 9:55 07:55 07:07 5:12p 4:49a 20 Wed 4:00 10:10 4:20 10:31 07:56 07:06 5:38p 5:44a 21 Thu > 4:37 10:48 4:58 11:09 07:57 07:05 6:06p 6:40a 22 Fri > 5:18 11:29 5:40 11:51 07:58 07:04 6:36p 7:38a 23 Sat F 6:03 ----- 6:27 12:15 07:58 07:02 7:11p 8:38a 24 Sun > 6:53 12:40 7:18 1:06 07:59 07:01 7:51p 9:38a 25 Mon > 7:48 1:35 8:14 2:01 08:00 07:00 8:38p 10:39a 26 Tue 8:47 2:33 9:14 3:00 08:01 06:59 9:31p 11:37a27 Wed 9:48 3:34 10:15 4:01 08:02 06:58 10:30p 12:31p

Dallas2010 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONSep Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets08 Fri N 6:01 ----- 6:29 12:43 07:24 07:03 8:25a 7:25p 09 Sat > 7:01 12:46 7:29 1:15 07:25 07:01 9:36a 8:10p 10 Sun > 8:04 1:49 8:33 2:18 07:25 07:00 10:45a 9:00p 11 Mon 9:08 2:53 9:37 3:22 07:26 06:59 11:48a 9:54p 12 Tue 10:11 3:57 10:39 4:25 07:27 06:58 12:46p 10:51p 13 Wed 11:10 4:56 11:36 5:23 07:28 06:56 1:36p 11:49p 14 Thu ----- 5:51 12:03 6:16 07:28 06:55 2:19p NoMoon 15 Fri Q 12:28 6:40 12:52 7:03 07:29 06:54 2:56p 12:48a 16 Sat 1:13 7:24 1:35 7:46 07:30 06:53 3:28p 1:45a 17 Sun 1:53 8:03 2:13 8:24 07:31 06:52 3:57p 2:41a 18 Mon 2:29 8:39 2:50 9:00 07:31 06:50 4:25p 3:35a 19 Tue 3:04 9:14 3:24 9:34 07:32 06:49 4:52p 4:28a 20 Wed 3:40 9:50 4:00 10:10 07:33 06:48 5:19p 5:22a 21 Thu > 4:17 10:27 4:38 10:49 07:34 06:47 5:48p 6:17a 22 Fri > 4:57 11:09 5:20 11:31 07:35 06:46 6:19p 7:14a23 Sat F 5:43 11:54 6:06 ----- 07:35 06:45 6:55p 8:12a24 Sun > 6:33 12:20 6:58 12:45 07:36 06:44 7:36p 9:12a25 Mon > 7:28 1:14 7:54 1:41 07:37 06:43 8:23p 10:11a 26 Tue 8:26 2:13 8:54 2:40 07:38 06:42 9:16p 11:09a 27 Wed 9:27 3:13 9:55 3:41 07:39 06:41 10:15p 12:04p

Delta-style Goose Fingers

Ingredients:Bluegill fi llets, cut into fi nger-width stripsOld Bay SeasoningLawry’s Seasoning SaltVegetable steamer basketCocktail sauceSaltine crackers

Heat an inch or two of water in a steamer basket in a medium to large pot. Lay the fi sh strips in the basket without overcrowd-ing. Season with Old Bay and Lawry’s. Cover and steam for 3-4 minutes or until fi sh is fi rm. Remove basket from pot and allow fi sh to cool. Place “shrimp” on cracker and top with cocktail sauce.

—Scott Leysath, the Sporting Chef, huntfi shcook.com

Poor Man’s Shrimp (bluegill)


Snowden wins Toyota Texas Bass Classic

After three days of fi shing, a little more than one pound separated the top two anglers on the leaderboard. Brian Snowden held on to his lead after the second day of the 2010 Toyota Texas Bass Classic championship, beating Michael Iaconelli by only 1 pound, 4 ounces.

Snowden maintained his lead from the event’s second day over challengers Iaconelli and Takahiro Omori. Snowden fi nished with a total of 48 pounds, 4 ounces while Iaconelli ended with 47 pounds.

“It is the biggest one of my life, I am proud to pull it off,” said Snowden of his victory at the Toyota Texas Bass Classic.

Snowden’s three-day effort earned him $100,000 and a 2011 Legend Boats Alpha 211 powered by Evinrude.

Snowden was prepared for the worst at the fi nal weigh-in after bringing in his smallest bag of the tournament.

“I was getting ready to give my ‘Mr. Second’ speech,” he said.

Iaconelli jumped out to an early lead on Sunday while Snowden struggled to get a bite. Snowden went the fi rst two and a half hours without a catch before grabbing the lead for good in the early afternoon.

Iaconelli grabbed big bass honors for the tournament with a 9-pound, 8-ounce bass on day two.

The TTBC featured an elite fi eld of 50 anglers from around the world, including the best from the FLW Tour, Bassmaster Elite Series and PAA Bass Pro Shops Tournament Series. All anglers are qualifi ed members of the PAA. The tournament is a no-entry fee event with a purse of $420,000.

The unique professional angling tournament featured a catch and release program that highlights the efforts of Texas Parks and Wildlife. A donation of $250,000 was given to the department on behalf of the Toyota Texas Bass Classic.

The donation will go towards youth fi shing and out-reach programs across Texas.

—Toyota Texas Bass Classic report

THE TOP TENBrian Snowden 48 lbs. 4 oz.Michael Iaconelli 47 lbs.Takahiro Omori 46 lbs. 4 oz.Keith Combs 43 lbs. 12 oz.Dave Lefebre 42 lbs. 8 oz.Edwin Evers 41 lbs. 8 oz.Rusty Salewske 40 lbs. 8 oz.Todd Auten 37 lbs. Kelly Jordon 36 lbs. 12 oz.Russ Lane 34 lbs. 8 oz

CHAMPION: Brian Snowden holds his trophy for win-ning the 2010 Toyota Texas Bass Classic. Photo by Chase A. Fountain, TPW.


NATIONAL Arkansas elk hunters successful

After days of careful preparation, Danny Tilley’s elk hunt lasted 30 minutes.

Tilley, who lives at Bigelow in Perry County, was one of four hunters with bull elk permits for the September 2010 season, the 13th for Arkansas since hunting started in 1998. Elk were re-introduced to the state in 1981 by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and are found along the Buffalo River in northern Arkansas.

Tilley’s assigned hunting area was Elk Compartment 4, which is public land in western Searcy County.

“We saw three cow elk then a 4x4 bull,” Tilley said. “We waited some more, and I heard a scraping noise. Finally I found this 5x5 bull, a pretty nice one, rubbing its antlers on a tree on the edge of a fi eld.”—Arkansas Game and Fish Commission report

Firearm heist still unsolvedA heist at a Billings, Mont., shipping com-

pany resulted in the theft of more than 130 fi rearms, mostly handguns. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives released details of the August heist in hopes that making the case public will help solve the crime. A $10,000 reward has been offered.

The fi rearms were taken from Con-way Freight Company, which was shipping the fi rearms for owner MT Sports. The suspects apparently got past a security fence around the shipping company’s perimeter, then cut the locks on several tractor trailers before coming to the one with the fi rearms.

The stolen fi rearms were valued at about $40,000.

—Staff report

Nutria program paying offLouisiana’s Coastwide Nutria Control

Program that puts a $5 bounty on each nutria tail had a record number of tails turned in last year and a 90 percent drop in land loss since the program began.

Hunters and trappers turned in 445,963 tails during the 2009-10 season that ran from Nov. 20 to March 31, nearly 12,000 more than collected the year before, and beating the yearly average of about 304,000, accord-ing to a state Wildlife and Fisheries report.

The program began in 2002 as a way to alleviate the damage to the state’s wetlands caused by an overpopulation of nutria, which eat the root system of grasses that grow in Louisiana’s marshes.

In 2002-03, the fi rst year of the program, about 82,080 acres of marsh were dam-aged by nutria. Last season, that number was reduced to 8,475 acres, according to the state Wildlife and Fisheries report.

Offi cials expect another high count of nutria this season based on applications for permits received.

—Staff report

BIGGEST BULL: Eddie Estes of Harrison, Ark., shot the biggest elk, a 7x7, of the three successful hunters in Arkansas’ elk season. Photo by Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.


Waterfowl season dates

DucksHigh Plains Mallard Management Unit■ Oct. 23-24; Oct. 29-Jan. 23■ Youth-only season Oct. 16-17

North and South Zones■ Oct. 30-Nov. 28■ Dec. 11-Jan. 23■ Youth-only season Oct. 23-24

Hunters will have a six-duck

limit per day in the aggregate, with the following species and sex restrictions: fi ve mallards (of which only two may be hens), three wood ducks, two scaup, two redheads, two pintails, one canvasback, and one “dusky duck” (mottled duck, Mexican-like duck, black duck and their hybrids are closed the fi rst fi ve days of the season in each zone).

Mottled ducks may not be harvested before Nov. 5 in the North and South Zones and Nov. 2 in the High Plains Mallard Management Unit.

The bag limit on mergansers is fi ve daily, of which only two may be hooded mergansers, and the daily bag on coots is 15.

GooseWestern Goose Zone■ Nov. 6-Feb. 6

The daily bag limit is 20 light geese in the aggregate and four Canada geese and one white-fronted goose. Possession limit is twice the daily bag for dark geese and none on light geese.

Eastern Goose Zone■ Oct. 30-Jan. 23 for light and Canada geese■ Oct. 30-Jan. 9 for white-fronted geese.

The daily bag limit is 20 light geese in the aggregate and three Canada geese and two white-fronted geese.

Light Goose Conservation Order■ Feb. 7-March 27 in the Western Goose Zone■ Jan. 24-March 27 in the Eastern Goose Zone

No bag or possession limits.

Sandhill Crane■ Zone A: Nov. 6-Feb. 6. Daily bag limit: three.■ Zone B: Nov. 26-Feb. 6. Daily bag: three.■ Zone C: Dec. 18-Jan. 23. Daily bag: two.Possession limit is twice the daily bag limit.

For these and additional season dates on migratory birds or other game, consult the Texas Parks and Wildlife Hunting Annual and/or Waterfowl Digest.


CONSERVATION


Tory McCormick, communications direc-tor at Delta Waterfowl, is concerned about the poor nesting success in the Dakota prairies and especially in Canada’s breeding ground. And he said the future impact on Texas hunters could be signifi cant.

“It’s real wet up there now, but we’re living in a habitat bubble,” McCormick said. “When it gets dry we have a problem.”

Delta Waterfowl focuses more on research to learn the best ways to increase nesting success of waterfowl and increase the hunting opportuni-ties of the duck hunter.

“We’re looking for avid waterfowl hunters,” he said. “We are more independent because we don’t take government money — so we can speak out more on regulatory issues. But we’re funded solely by the generosity of the hunters that support us.”

Predator managementDelta Waterfowl has studied the effects of

predator management on the nesting success of ducks for 17 years. New research results shows that managing predators can be an effective tool in signifi cantly increasing nest success in areas with limited grass nesting cover and areas suffer-ing from chronically low duck production.

In work on eight low-grass sites located in North Dakota and Manitoba, nest success on two predator-controlled blocks near Minnedosa, Manitoba averaged 43.3 percent, while nest suc-cess on similar sites that weren’t trapped was three percent.

“Nest success of three percent is well below what’s needed just to maintain populations, said Delta Scientifi c Director Dr. Frank Rohwer.

In areas with an abundance of grass, like CRP, ducks often produce much better and at popula-tion-expanding levels.

“Those are areas where predator management

is not cost-effective,” Delta Senior Vice President John Denvey said.

Canada has no CRP-type program, and many acres are being broken on the U.S. side of the breed-ing grounds, making fi nding ways to increase nest success on low-grass areas a priority.

Predator management, especially from the red fox, Delta believes, is a necessary tool in cer-tain areas to bring successful nesting success.

“This is a system out of balance,” Rohwer said. “We created it and it is likely going to take human intervention to bring the balance back between predator and prey species.”

Also in the North Dakota areas studied, the results were promising. The two-year average for nest success on North Dakota trapped blocks was 28.1 percent, compared to a success rate of 6.4 percent on the non-trapped, control sites.

“After 17 years of research, we’re learning where and when and how it’s best to trap to increase duck production,” said Delta President Rob Olson.

Critics of predator management have said its problem is that it generally would have to be repeated each year to be effective on the same tracts of land.

But Delta offi cials say that the cost of manag-ing predators, when compared with the overall annual management costs, is small.

“The annual per acre cost is signifi cant,” Denvey said. “You have to pay taxes, manage the grasses and pay expenses involving staff. Predator control is a fractional part of that.

“And when you get farther south, such as in Texas, the cost to generate moist soil is astro-nomical.”

Denvey said the goal is to provide a cost/ben-efi t analysis for the different types of lands.

“The assessment that has to be made is whether a cost of about $1.50 per acre is accept-able for the outcome received in increased pro-duction,” he said.

More diffi culties arise in lands with higher agri-cultural value.

“What we’ve seen is that duck density increases in areas with high agricultural value,” Denvey said. “The land is too expensive to buy and there’s nowhere for the ducks to nest except in road ditches. These are the types of areas that respond well to predator management as a tool, along with hen houses and nesting structures.

Mottled duck studyDelta also is participating, along with several

other state agencies and conservation groups, in a large omnibus research project on mottled ducks, a species in signifi cant decline.

We don’t have a good understanding of mot-tled ducks and we know how important they are to coastal hunters, including Texans,” Denvey said. “The mottled ducks haven’t received a whole lot of attention in the past; we have to fi g-ure out what caused their decline.”

Delta is supporting radio telemetry research being done as part of the study.

“We’re trying to determine the mottled ducks’ habitat usage and survival to at least give us a baseline study,” Denvey said.

Predator control and mottled ducks at forefront

Delta Waterfowl researches for ducks, hunters

Lone Star Outdoor News, a publication of Lone Star Outdoor News, LLC, publishes twice a month. A mailed subscription is $30 for 24 issues. Newsstand copies are free, one per person. Copyright 2010 with all rights reserved. Reproduction and/or use of any photographic or written material with-out 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].

DistributionBruce Andreen, Metrogate CommunicationsBudget Distribution ServicesVictor Cantu, South Texas CirculationJeff BulpinPaul FletcherKlaus Rindfl eisch

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

After 17 years of research, we’re learning

where and when and how it’s best to trap to increase

duck production.— Delta President Rob Olson

CONTACT INFO■ Delta Waterfowl: (888) 987-3695DeltaWaterfowl.org (click to Texas chapters)

Publisher/Editor

Graphics Editor

Associate Editor

Business/Products Editor

Operations Manager

Accounting

Web site

Intern

Founder & CEO

Craig Nyhus

Amy Moore

Mark England

Mary Helen Aguirre

Mike Hughs

Nancy Halphen

Bruce Soileau

Mike Nelson

Blazing Paths Media

Nicholas Conklin

David J. Sams

National Advertising Accounts Manager

Classifi ed/Outfi ttersAdvertising

ContributorsKyle CarterAlan ClemonsDavid DraperWilbur LundeenBill Miller

Erich SchlegelDavid SikesScott SommerlatteChuck UzzleRalph Winingham

“”


PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

PRODUCTS

STEALTH APACHE 4X4Stealth describes its electric utility vehi-

cles as tough and powerful, quiet and effi cient. The Apache 4X4 is powered by a 64-volt system that

allows hunters to power through muddy, rocky and hilly terrain. The vehicle can run about 40-miles on a single charge. Its key features include an 800-pound

cargo capacity, a 1,000-pound towing capacity, a fording depth of 24 inches, and a top speed of 24

mph. The base model starts at $12,700.(678) 293-1050

www.stealth4X4.com

All Seasons Feeders began with the design of a feeder that boasted an 800-pound feed capacity – the larg-est at the time. The goal? A durable feeder that could weather the ele-ments though all seasons. Currently, the company continues to offer that original feeder but now it also makes many others, including a trough feeder that hunters and land man-agers will appreciate and a wild-bird feeder that any nature lover will covet.

Wild-bird Feeder: This heavy-duty steel feeder holds about 20 pounds of feed. It is built to attract wild birds to the back yard while preventing nest-ing. The feeder comes with a chain so that it can be hung from a tree or other suitable spot. It sells for about $90.

Trough Feeder: This protein feeder is easy-to-fi ll from the ground and can be used for everything from corn to cubes to textured feed. This feeder reduces the waste of food to varmints and weather so there is more for the deer. It weighs 115 pounds and has a capacity of about 500 pounds of feed, depending on the type used. The trough feeder sells for $429.(210) 648-0979www.allseasonsfeeders.com

Advertisement

M77 HAWKEYE ULTRALIGHT RIFLERuger’s lightweight, easy-to-maneuver version of the M77 Hawkeye Standard Rifl e fea-tures a matte-blued receiver, a Walnut stock, and the lightest 20-inch barrel available on any Ruger bolt-action rifl e. It is avail-able in six models, including

.30-06 Springfi eld and 308 Winchester caliber-models that are especially suited for deer hunting. The rifl e sells for $888. And, as if pur-chasing a fi ne fi rearm wasn’t its own reward, Ruger has paired up with Carhartt to offer bolt-action rifl e purchas-ers a bonus. From now until Dec. 31, through a promo-tional offer, they can receive a 100 percent ring-spun cotton duck jacket with thermal lining, hood, two large hand-warmer pockets and two inside pockets.www.Ruger.com

CARA MICRO RODSFalcon Rods has introduced a new series of split-grip, high-modulus tour-nament casting rods. Each model features at least 12 Fuji Alconite Micro Guides for longer casts and heightened line-to-hand hookset sensitivity. The smooth guides are made from corrosion-resistant S-4 stainless steel featuring Alconite hard ceramic, diamond-polished ring inserts that help prevent ring grooving while fi ghting fi sh with braided lines. The Cara Micro rods range from a 6-foot, 7-inch to a 7-foot, 3-inch-long model and sell for about $200.(918) 251-0020falconrods.com

SELF-RECOVERY FALL ARREST SYSTEMHunter Rescue is helping hunters who utilize treestands or elevated blinds to control their

falls – and the potentially seriously injuries that result from those falls. The compa-

ny’s full-body safety harness system was designed to help hunters get to the ground in a controlled and safe manner. This system allows the hunter to follow the lan-yard to the release arm, pull down, and then travel down the rope to

the ground. The system includes the self-recovery

device, a full-body harness, a suspension relief device, a 30-foot safety rope and a tree strap. It sells for $599.www.hunterrescue.com

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All Seasons Feeders


October 9Texas Fly FishersRedfi sh Rodeo, Rockportwww.texasfl yfi shers.org

October 10Dallas Woods and Waters ClubMonthly meetingTy Bartoskewitz speaks about white-tailed deerSheraton North Dallas Hotel(214) 570-8700

October 12Baytown Delta WaterfowlFundraiserEagle Point Golf Club(281) 839-5680

Austin Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserZilker Park(512) 762-2644

Terrell/Kaufman Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserEl Patron Event Center(972) 762-5701

October 13Beaumont Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserElegante Hotel(409) 466-6479

October 14-16Texas Deer Association2nd Annual San Antonio International Farm and Ranch ShowFreeman Coliseum, San Antonio(210) [email protected]

October 14Dallas Woods and Waters ClubMonthly meetingSheraton North Dallas Hotel(214) 570-8700

Bastrop National Wild Turkey FederationFundraiserWatterson Dance Hall

San Marcos Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserSan Marcos Activity Center(512) 738-7049

Llano Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserAmerican Legion Hall(512) 755-9770

The Woodlands Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserBelle Rose Maison(281) 636-4883

Victoria Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserClub Westerner(361) 894-5178

October 15-17Fredericksburg Fly FishersOktoberfi sch Fly Fishing Festival South Llano RiverJunctionwww.fredericksburgfl yfi shers.org

October 16 Slowride Guide Service Texas Paddle-InLighthouse Lakes ParkAransas Pass(361) 758-0463

Marshall Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserMarshall Civic Center(903) 472-1728

Brownwood Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserBrownwood Coliseum(325) 200-1500

Rockport / Fulton Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserFulton Convention Center(361) 790-5917

Texoma Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserLoy Lake Park, Mayor Arena(903) 271-3299

October 17 Northeast Texas ChapterNational Wild Turkey FederationWomen in the OutdoorsMount PleasantClays-N-More Gun Club (903) [email protected]

October 19 CCA Fishsticks Golf TournamentLongwood Golf Club(713) 626-4222

October 21Dallas Safari ClubMonthly meetingRoyal Oaks Country Club(972) 980-9800

Texas Watershed Steward WorkshopTexas Freshwater Fisheries CenterAthens(979) 862-8072

Arlington Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserCoble’s Almosta Ranch(817) 773-6542

Cleburne Delta WaterfowlJohnson County Sheriff’s Posse Grounds(817) 307-4468

McAllen Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserPalmer Pavillion(956) 369-1812

October 22Operation Game ThiefSporting clays shootSan Antonio Gun Club(512) 389-4381

October 23Upper Coast - Fort Bend Coastal Conservation AssociationExecutive board tournament, Rockport(800) 626-4222

Texas Deer AssociationTDA Board of Director MeetingWestin La Cantera ResortSan Antonio(210) [email protected]

October 29-30World Class Trophy Mount Auction(512) 451-7633taxidermyking.com

DATEBOOK


Puzzle solution from Page 18


late September and runs through November. It’s a spawning ritual where mature female redfi sh make their way along the coast to lay their eggs.

The females attract the males, and large schools of oversized redfi sh attract the fi shermen for a two-month party of tight lines.

Potter said a couple cold fronts that moved in the week after Labor Day had the bull reds in a little early in Freeport, but it’s nothing too far from the ordinary.

“It typically doesn’t start until later in September but it’s been on for a couple weeks now,” Potter said. “It should still run strong all the way through mid-November.”

Capt. Jay Baker, who guides out of Port O’Conner, said everything seems to be right on time in his area. Baker said he actually prefers to leave them alone this time of year as to not disrupt the spawn, but he’s seen them schooling and they are on the move.

“They just recently started show-ing up and should start coming in large numbers soon,” Baker said.

A little farther down the coast in Corpus Christi, Capt. Michael Caserta said things seem to be happening a little late. The Corpus Christi area has been hit with mas-sive amounts of rain over the last month, and Caserta said he thinks it has slightly infl uenced their movement.

“We’re not seeing as many schools as we usually do this time of year,” Caserta said. “It could have as much to do with the fact that with so much water, it’s hard for us guides to see everything, but there doesn’t seem to be as much activity.”

Caserta said the rain makes for stronger tides, which could make it tougher for some of the females on the way in, but, on the whole, it won’t affect the run.

“It’s not going to disrupt any-thing in the big picture of the spawn,” he said.

Bull redsContinued From Page 1

Kevin Van Dam from Kalamazoo, Michigan:The KVD 1.5 crankbait in Sexy Shad. “Bass are

starting to follow the shad back into the creeks, and most lakes in Texas have that pat-tern going in October. The KVD 1.5 is better for throwing around shallow woody cover, which many of the lakes have, and it just works a lot better in so many situations because is closely matches the shad. Coming in a very, very close second would be a Redeye Shad in the same color, but the shallow crankbait probably would work better around the cover.”

Bass baitContinued From Page 1

The fi sh cooperated for the most part, although heavy rains before the event caused the medium-sized lakes to rise. One group landed 20-plus fi sh fi shing with shaky head worms near the weeds next to shore. James Niggemeyer doesn’t hunt, so he continued to fi sh while some others took their cameras to the deer blinds, landing several evening fi sh including a 3-pounder on a swimbait. Mark Davis went to the lodge and pulled out his guitar to play and sing some country songs.

A few of the pros were posed a simple question. You are head-ing to an unknown Texas lake in mid-October, but there’s a catch. You can only throw one lure. What would it be?

Here were their answers:

James Niggemeyer from Van:

“I would have to choose between a topwater and a shal-low-running crankbait like the KVD 1.5 or the Series 43. Because the crankbaits are more versatile, I would throw the KVD 1.5. The baitfi sh will be moving into the shallows, but in case the fi sh aren’t biting on top I’ll go with the crankbait.”

Mark Menendez from Paducah, Kentucky:“I would choose a 10-inch Strike King Anaconda worm. Number one,

everything is bigger in Texas. And I can modify it, cut it or shape it into any size I want, plus I can change the rate of fall of the worm. It just gives me the most options.”


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The team started at the lower end of the lake and fi shed Carolina rigs in depths of 15 to 30 feet.

The tournament paired volunteer boaters with service members. Professional anglers Gary Klein, Zell Rowland and others partici-pated. During the pre-tournament banquet, Earl Bentz, founder of Triton Boats, and Maj. Gen. William Grimsley, deputy commander at Fort Hood, spoke.

“Our main purpose was to provide military members a free fi shing trip and for our commu-nity to say thanks for all that they do,” said Cliff Brown of Texas Boat World in Harker Heights and the event co-organizer. We gave away more than $40,000 in cash and prizes. We also gave away a 17-foot Triton camoufl aged duck boat with a 50-horsepower Mercury outboard in a drawing. James Gossett, a specialist at Fort Hood, won the draw boat, a package worth about $15,000.

Brown shared a note from one of the soldiers with the crowd.

“This was my third and probably my last Fishing for Freedom tournament as I was just

diagnosed with a rare disease that was likely triggered by my injuries in Iraq,” said Spec. Aaron Hawthorne in an e-mail to Brown. “I just wanted to thank you and all the sponsors for what they do to put this special day together for soldiers. You all are why I never thought twice about putting my life on the line for this coun-try and I know that is how many soldiers feel. For one day, my pain seemed a little less and all my problems were left at the dock.”

Eric Wendeborn and Justin Baker took second with fi ve bass weighing 12.57 pounds to win $2,000. They collected a $300 bonus for catching a 5.48-pounder, the third largest bass of the tour-nament. Chip Holt and Caleb Torres fi nished third with fi ve bass going 12.19 pounds with one 4.66-pounder. The team of Ricky Campbell and Luis Santiago landed a 5.83-pounder, the second largest bass of the event, to win $1,100.

“I defi nitely want to do it again,” said Bouressa, who fl ew in forward air control air-craft over Southeast Asia. “I really want to praise the organizers and sponsors for what they do for the servicemen. It’s a lot different than when I came back from Vietnam.”

Freedom eventContinued From Page 8

FIRST TIMER’S LUCK: T.K. Bouressa, left, a retired Air Force master sergeant from Horseshoe Bay, entered and won his fi rst bass tournament. He and partner Bill Guzman of Leander combined to win the 5th annual Fishing for Freedom tournament on Lake Belton.


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Eastern turkey hunts start at $1,000 and generally last 2- to 2-1⁄2 days. Turkeys can be harvested by bow or rifl e.

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Also available are camping, fi shing, trail rides, hay rides, walking trails and just plain fun. The ranch has hosted weddings as well as corporate outings. Rio Rojo will cater to those interested in a weekend or week-long trip. With the hunters’ bunkhouse and lodg-ing facilities, the ranch can facilitate up to 8 or 10 people with comfortable sleeping arrange-ments for any size crowd.

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Rain drops salinityContinued From Page 8

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Spiller suggested that when fi sh are run out of a certain area by freshwa-ter, leaving gill nets empty there, the fi sh naturally concentrate in saltier waters elsewhere. And by random chance, state gill nets would likely catch some of those fi sh, perhaps at a higher rate than if the migration had not occurred.

So the average catch rate for the two gill net sets in this hypotheti-cal scenario could average out to be about the same.

However, in August, massive fl ooding of the Rio Grande may have had considerable affect on fi sh movement in the Lower Laguna Madre. So much water was fl owing in the Rio Grande that fl oodwaters were diverted through the Arroyo Colorado and other canals into the Lower Laguna Madre.

This slug of freshwater pulsed northward through the Land Cut, a 20-mile stretch of the Intracoastal Waterway that separates the Upper Laguna Madre from the Lower Laguna Madre. When it reached Baffi n Bay, salinity levels were measure at 7 ppt at the surface. Freshwater is less dense than saltwater, so this created a freshwater blanket at the surface. The result was a fi sh kill. Freshwater and ripe conditions in other sections of Baffi n Bay caused nighttime algae blooms to deplete oxygen, which also killed fi sh in an off-shoot bay called Cayo del Grullo.

But the unexpected also happened. When TPW crews lifted gill nets along Penescal Point at the mouth of Baffi n Bay, the

webbing was heavy with fi sh. In three nets, they counted about 850 mostly redfi sh and drum. Normally, they might capture 200-300 fi sh in three nets, Spiller said.

So how might all this freshwater affect the trout spawn, which generally runs from May though September?

TPW fi sheries biologist Britt Bumguardner at the Perry R. Bass Marine Fisheries Research Station near Palacios said salinity tolerances for most Texas game fi sh range from near zero parts per thousand to greater than 60 ppt. Redfi sh and fl ounder can live in freshwater.

But trout eggs and larvae are less tolerant, Bumguardner said. Research shows that trout hatching success is best in salinities ranging from 15-25 ppt.

However, Bumguardner believes that no amount of freshwater inunda-tion in Texas could signifi cantly affect the overall trout hatch, since research shows that a substantial percentage of trout eggs still hatch in water with a salt content of 5 ppt.

Flooding has caused unusual fi sh behavior in the past. Spiller recalled a coastal fl ood some years back that prompted black drum to imi-tate salmon. It happened in the swollen creeks of the King Ranch, where Baffi n Bay drum swam miles upstream in what appeared to be spawning behavior.

Most of the fi sh were about 20 inches long. And they settled in wide spots in the creeks, among the fl ooded mesquite trees and prickly pears.

When waters receded, these tem-porary shallow tanks began to dry up,

killing the wayward drum.Despite displaced fi shes and isolated fi sh kills, the added

fresh water is a welcome sight, bringing nutrients that pro-vide a life-giving jump-start to the entire estuarine system.

HANDLING FRESH WATER: Gill net surveys at the mouth of Baffi n Bay revealed a surprising number of redfi sh and black drum. Photo by TPW.

Rio Rojo Rancho■ Mike and Lori Ford: (903) 674-3750www.riorojorancho.com



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October 08, 2010 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting