September 24, 2010 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting

By Bill MillerFOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

Excellent range conditions, big-bodied deer and awesome antlers were commonly reported across Texas two weeks before the Oct. 2 archery season opener.

In fact, the range was so well-watered, so fi lled with healthy deer, many of them fawns, that things may actually be ... well ... too good.

“There is no doubt that we had a good spring,” said Mitch Lockwood, big game program leader for Texas Parks and Wildlife. “So deer ought to have good body fat and antler development.

“They should be in excellent shape come archery season.”

But will they be hungry for feed corn?

“The answer we don’t know,” Lockwood said, “is the one for the question about what conditions are going to be like opening weekend.

“If there’s going to be groceries everywhere, there may be fewer deer under the feeder.”

Outfi tters and guides were pon-dering the same question.

“We’ve had a lot of rain and the horns look spectacular,” said J.D. Cox of J.D. Cox Hunting Ranch near Brackettville in South Texas. “The bowhunters are going to kill some magnifi cent bucks, if it stays dry.”

Similar prospects were observed in typically arid West Texas.

Frankie Eicholz, is co-owner of Horns and More Outfi tters on 50,000 acres in Pecos County. He is not booking archery hunts this year, but he reported that the region’s animals are in great shape.

“The range is fantastic,” he said. “We were out there three weeks ago and we cruised for about four hours. We have mule deer and whitetails. But the deer we saw were still in velvet, with big bodies.

“It just looks like a good, healthy year.”

East Texans also reported robust deer in a very lush countryside.

“The growth of weeds and grass has been tremendous, and we’ve

By Craig NyhusLONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

Bad timing befell numbers of dove hunters who had been waiting for the South Zone opener on Sept. 17. Heavy rains hit at the worst time, delay-ing shooting chances for some and totally washing out others.

Sidney Junek of Richardson hunted with a friend on family property near Karnes City.

“On Saturday, I limited out by 8:30 and there was lots of shooting all around us,” Junek said. “My friend was a few birds short but he never got

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Inside

September 24, 2010 Texas’ Premier Outdoor Newspaper Volume 7, Issue 3

❘❚ LSONews.com

❘❚ CONTENTSClassifi eds . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 28Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 23Fishing Report . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10For the Table . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 23Game Warden Blotter . . . . . . . . Page 12Heroes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 15Outdoor Datebook. . . . . . . . . . Page 24Outfi tters and Businesses . . . . . Page 29Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 18Sun, Moon and Tide data . . . . . . Page 23

Tips for a European mount.Page 4

Do-it-yourself

Affordable Nitro Z-6New fi berglass boat introduced.

Page 30

❘❚ FISHING

Trout tagging study monitors travels of the fi sh.

Page 8

On the move

SAD SIGHT: Fairfi eld Lake suffered a fi sh kill for the third straight year, with the 2010 kill being the largest. The kills may affect TPW’s decision to continue stocking red drum in the reservoir. Photo by TPW.

Third fi sh kill claims 1.25 million fi sh, red drum stockings questioned

By Mark EnglandLONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

Surveys over the next few months could determine whether Texas Parks and Wildlife contin-ues to stock red drum at Fairfi eld Lake in the aftermath of a major fi sh kill in August that hit game fi sh particularly hard.

More than an estimated 1.25 million fi sh died August 25-26, with the majority being shad, tilapia, sunfi shes and common carp. However, the total also included more than 27,000 red drum, 48,000 or so largemouth bass and almost 2,000 catfi sh.

It was the third straight year the East Texas lake has suffered a fi sh kill. Almost a million fi sh died

there last year and more than 100,000 in 2008.

“Fish kills there are getting to be an annual event,” said Richard A. Ott Jr., a TPW natu-ral resources specialist in Tyler. “What we have to look at is the total magnitude of the kill. If it turns out that two-thirds of the fi sh we stock every year die, we may have to reconsider.”

Ott stressed that TPW would prefer not to lose “a unique angler opportunity.”

Fairfi eld Lake is one of the few lakes in Texas able to sustain red drum over the winter months — possible since the lake is home to Luminant’s Big Brown Steam Electric Station, which keeps the water temperature relatively high.

Water samples taken from Fairfi eld Lake on Aug. 25 showed lower-than-normal dissolved oxy-gen in the areas where fi sh died.

The problem is two-fold, TPW offi cials said.

Water from the Trinity River, which is high in nutrients, is pumped into Fairfi eld Lake to maintain its elevation. This pro-duces an abundance of phyto-plankton. On sunny days, the microscopic plants manufacture enough oxygen for themselves and fi sh through photosynthesis. On cloudy summer days, how-ever, it’s a different story.

“The phytoplankton begin con-suming the oxygen they make,

See FAIRFIELD’S FUTURE, Page 27

Some hunters believe whitewings are reaching new heights.

Page 4

Higher and higher

A group of anglers think tiny guides help increase casting distance.

Page 8

Micro guides

Hunters’ hopes up

Bow Season

Wet South Zone dove, hunters

Fairfi eld’s future in doubt

WET WINGS: Rain played havoc with hunters in the South Zone opener. Photo by LSON.

See WET SOUTH ZONE, Page 25 See HUNTERS’ HOPES, Page 19

ANTICIPATION: Archery hunters hope a buck like this passes by their treestand on Oct. 2. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.

Birds fl ew between showers, downpours

❘❚ HUNTING

Page 2 September 24, 2010 Lone✯Star Outdoor News LSONews.com

LSONews.com Lone✯Star Outdoor News September 24, 2010 Page 3


HUNTING

The smallish buck is nothing special in scoring terms. But it is your —or your child’s — fi rst. You want to do a European mount but the cost brings hesitation.

Some hunters do it themselves, with varying success. But longtime taxidermist Evelyn Mills of Billing-ton Ranch Taxidermy in George-town has experimented and put to-gether a set of methods to clean the whitetail skull.

Mills suggests and has authored tips including four potential meth-ods. She says they all work about the same, but depending on where you live and how close your neigh-bors are, some may be preferred over others.

Beetles and bugsSome people purchase dermes-

tid beetles, but Mills said that’s not necessary.

“The beetles will just show up if you put out some old meat under a Tupperware container,” she said. “Put it in the dark, but not close to the house. They will fi nd and eat all of your mounts.”

Steps:• First skin the skull and remove as

much meat as possible. Remove the eyeballs, tongue and any tis-sue that you can easily cut off with a sharp knife or blade.

• If the skull is a fresh one, just lay it in the cage after you are done cutting off the biggest pieces of meat. Make sure you keep your beetles in a dark enclosure with a high humidity. They like dark, moist places.

• If the skull was already on the dri-er side when you got it, rewet it by soaking it in water for about an hour. Keep misting the skulls you put into the beetle cage on a daily basis to keep them from drying out while the beetles con-sume the fl esh.

• Use more than one tank with beetles so you can switch tanks if the beetles in one tank have eat-en their share and the skull is still not clean. This process can take anywhere from a couple of days to several weeks depending on the size of the skull, the appetite

of your beetles, and the fresh-ness of the meat.

• Once the skull is cleaned of any meat and tissue, take it out of the tank and rinse it real good under running water and brush with a soft wire brush. If any brain is left in the brain cavity, it needs to be taken out with a small wirehook.

• Bleach and fi nish.

MacerationThis method, soaking the

skull, is Mills’ favorite, as it causes the least damage to the skull if it is done correctly. But don’t use close to the house or if you have close neighbors who may not like the smell of rotting fl esh.Steps:• Skin the skull and remove the

biggest parts of fl esh. Then take the skull and put it in a tub or bucket of water. Make sure the whole skull is immersed in the water.

Cleaning the skull

See CLEANING THE SKULL, Page 21

Do-it-yourself tips for a European mount

Some hunters believe whitewingsseeking new heights

By Ralph WininghamFOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

Instead of asking “How many birds?” quite a few early season white-winged dove hunters this year are singing a woeful tune of “How high are they and how the heck do you hit them?”

Reports of high-fl ying birds in many parts of the state have a lot of hunters pulling out tighter chokes and heavier loads from their shooting bags earlier than any dove season in recent memory.

Some veteran hunters and wildlife observers are even sug-gesting that the birds have instinctively learned to sail high when the sound of shot-guns marks the opening of the season.

“It is the same as asking how do big bucks know to go noc-turnal the fi rst day of deer sea-son,’’ said Dr. John R. Johnson, who has operated the Great Northwest Animal Hospital in northern San Antonio for decades and is an avid bird and big game hunter.

“The birds adapt and if they don’t adapt, they die,’’ he said. “The birds I’ve seen are higher than they ever have been (in the early season) as if they have already learned that there is danger whenever they see a per-son standing up.”

The veteran veterinarian said he has conferred with other experts in the fi eld of wildlife biology who believe that birds have developed something sim-ilar to Pavlovian conditioning.

In 1927, Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov discovered that a certain stimulus could cause a specifi c reaction by an animal. In his experiments, he used a bell to call dogs to their food and after several repetitions, the dogs started to salivate in response to the bell.

“It is possible that these birds detect gunfi re in

the air and that is triggering a response,’’ Johnson said. “This could be learned behavior not just over the past couple of years, but something that has developed over 30 or 40 years.’’

He said he has heard theories from wildlife experts that the birds not only fl y high to avoid shotgun fi re, but dive and dart through the air after being shot at to seek cover rather than just to avoid the shotgun pellets being sent in their direction.

“If you are standing near cover when someone shoots at the high-fl ying birds, that may actually come down in your direction and give you a shot,’’ Johnson said.

Another veteran observer of white-winged doves, Sammy Nooner of the Nooner Ranch in Hondo, said he has also noticed a change in the behavior of the thousands of birds that fl ock to his sunfl ower fi elds each year.

“For the past couple of years the birds have been coming in extremely high, particularly in the mornings,’’ he said. “Some of them are dropping down at a 60 degree angle and others will change direction from one day to the next if they are under hunting pressure.

“We have watched fl ights of birds that will come in from

the west one day and then circle around in from the east the next day to get away from the hunt-ers,’’ he said. “Whitewings are a lot smarter bird than mourning doves and I believe that they are capable of learned behavior.’’

While incoming birds fl ying at 50 to 60 yards are providing some skill-testing shots for hunt-ers in the fi eld, the good news is that after the doves have landed

and fi lled their crops with seed, the shooting situa-tion changes.

“Once they feed, they are heavier and fl y lower — that gives the advantage to the hunter,’’ Nooner said.

High fl yers

DO-IT-YOURSELF: European mounts may be easier than expected with the help of a taxidermist’s tips. Photo by LSON.

STRAIGHT UP: Many hunters are fi nding whitewings are fl ying higher and higher. Studies show that the birds are capable of learned behavior. Photos by David J. Sams.

“The birds I’ve seen are higher than they ever have been...”


Snow Goose Production Up The snow goose season could be quite different this

year, as production of juvenile birds was excellent in the Arctic breeding grounds this summer.

Dr. Robert “Rocky” Rockwell, a biology professor at City University of New York and one of North America’s leading authorities on snow geese, said the summer nesting season in the subarctic region of La Perouse Bay in northern Manitoba was “spectacular.”

“This is a huge production year,” Rockwell said, who was concerned about nesting success after last year’s dismal production. “This was the most bizarrely wet year I’ve ever seen up there. The birds nested nine or 10 days earlier than normal, and as a result nest success was very high.”

Goose hunters are glad to hear the news, as adult birds tend to shy away from decoy spreads.

“My message to goose hunters is this: get ready. The migration could be packed with young-of-the-year birds,” said Delta Waterfowl President Rob Olson.

“We’re talking about juvenile to adult ratios of 1.5 to 1,” Rockwell said. “Harvest always goes up when you have a high juvenile-to-adult ratio.”

The eastern Arctic is also looking good, although production was down in the central Arctic, which pro-duces 10 to 15 percent of the snow goose population.

—Delta Waterfowl report

MORE YOUNG BIRDS: Increased production should mean more snow geese coming to hunt-ers’ decoy spreads this season. Photo by Fred Greenslade, Delta Waterfowl.


DOVE North Zone and Central Zone Sept. 1-Oct. 24 and Dec. 25-Jan. 9South Zone Sept. 17-Oct. 31 and Dec. 25-Jan. 18Bag limit: 15 birds and not more than two white-tipped doves.

Special White-winged Dove Area Sept. 4-5, 11-12, Sept. 17-Oct. 31, Dec. 25-Jan. 14The 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 propertiesSept. 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. 5

Special Youth Season* Oct. 30-31, Jan. 3-16

General SeasonNorth Texas (208 counties) Nov. 6-Jan. 2South Texas (30 counties)Nov. 6-Jan. 16Late Antlerless and Spike North Texas (106 counties) Jan. 17-30South 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. 20-28Trans 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 1-31

Other Open counties Sept. 1-Aug. 31QUAILStatewide (all counties) Oct. 30-Feb. 27RIO GRANDE TURKEYArchery-Only Season Oct. 2-Nov. 5Fall Season Special Youth Season* Oct. 30-31, Jan. 15-16North Zone (122 counties) Nov. 6-Jan. 2South Zone (26 counties)Nov. 6-Jan. 16Brooks, 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 1Special Youth Season* March 12-13, May 7-81-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

The Texas coastal prairies provided steady teal hunts for the Sept. 11 opener, but some hunters saw bird numbers wane for the sec-ond week of the 16-day early teal season.

“It’s been hot and cold,” said Randy Triplett with Third Coast Outfi tters of Texas. “When you get into them, it’s lights out. Other spots might just see a few.”

Triplett hunts groups from Brookshire to Bay City, mainly in fl ooded rice fi elds.

During the season’s second week, things started off as expected.

“A little front spread them out and it was good for all our groups,” he said. “But when the big storm got close, some holes became hot and others not. We had to rotate some people around to get them all good hunts.”

Triplett felt this week’s full moon would bring more birds down for the fi nal weekend.

“We should get another push,” he said. “Usu-ally we’re starting to see a few geese by now.”

Hunters with South Wind Hunting Adven-tures near Eagle Lake reported quick limits with most shooters being fi nished by 8 a.m.

Internet posters of hunt results seemed to echo that of outfi tters — some had phe-nomenal hunts with quick limits while oth-ers struggled. Those willing to wait did say there was a late-morning fl ight that helped them reach their 4-bird limits.

Near Bonham, Mike Jolley of Pintail Farms also said hunting has been spotty.

“We still could use one good cold front,” Jolley said. “Hunting has been off and on. One day the hunters will see groups of 80 to 100 birds and the next day will be pretty slow.”

Jolley said spinning wing decoys have helped bring in the birds.

“They’re decoying great,” he said. “Even the Mojo dove seems to bring them in — they land right by it.”

—Staff report

Teal action spotty

In addition to a hunting license, a migratory game bird stamp endorsement ($7) is required to hunt any migra-tory 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.

MUDDY FEET: Trent Broadhurst retrieved these teal barefoot from a tank in Comanche Co. Some parts of the state remain dry with available water holding some teal. Photo by Craig Nyhus, Lone Star Outdoor News.


By Kyle CarterFOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

A little over a year into a study tracking the movement of adult spotted seatrout on the lower Texas coast, biology mas-ter’s student Laura Bivins said results have been as expected but interesting.

“I expected to see a lot of random movement and that’s kind of what we’re getting,” Bivins said. “We’re still very early on in the study, but initial results seem to support the tide-runner theory.”

Tide-runner theory says seatrout travel through the surf, come in through Mansfi eld Pass and then migrate up into the Land Cut and into Baffi n Bay. Other theories suggest it’s a different subpop-ulation of fi sh — that they look different – but Bivins is not doing anything with the genetics, she’s only tracking movement.

The multi-year tracking project is headed up by Bivins un-der the guidance of Dr. Greg Stunz and the Harte Research


By Alan ClemonsFOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

One of the hottest trends in bass fi shing this year that may be here to stay is the addition of micro guides to fi shing rods, tiny guides that look strange but may add distance to casts.

Micro guides are not new. They have been used in Europe and Asia for years, on custom rods for every-

thing from fi nesse fi shing with small lures to carp rods requiring sensitiv-ity to detect bites.

But like other trends, such as the drop shot, American fi shing compa-nies were slow to include the dimin-utive guides in their lineups.

“They defi nitely look a little bit out of place because they’re so much smaller,” said professional angler Terry Seagraves of Kissimmee, Fla., who fi shes with the E21 Carrot Stix

Micro Guide rods introduced ear-lier this year. “It took some getting used to seeing them on the rod, but I haven’t had a single problem with them at all.”

Even with their tiny size, the guides come in different sizes and weights. On rods with regular guides, the tip guide usually is a size 6. Anything less is considered “micro,” and the small

Tracking TroutFISHING

By Ralph WininghamFOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

The sun is just barely creeping into the morning sky when Charlie Brown begins easing his battered boat into the catfi sh haven known as Choke Canyon Reservoir.

With more than 60 years of angling experience under his belt, the 71-year-old retired educator had slept very well in his comfortable bed that night knowing trotlines he had set 12 hours earlier have been working while he rested.

“Every time you go out and check the lines, you never know what you will fi nd,’’ he said as he cruised to the sets. “You al-ways hope to be put something in the boat to take the ride home.”

The tree-studded Choke Canyon is ideal for stringing trotlines baited with live perch, cut bait, liver and other fi sh-attracting morsels in an attempt to collect channel, blue or fl athead catfi sh.

In the nearly three decades Brown has focused his fi shing attention on Choke, one of his best catches was four 20-25 pound blues hooked nearly one after another on a single main line. Several other sets over the years have produced fl atheads in the 20-plus range.

All of the trotline prizes have “taken the ride home” and ended up fried to a golden brown on a dinner plate.

“There just isn’t any better way to put some good-eating fi sh in the boat,’’ Brown said.

On this particular outing, the catch is slow and only nine blues ranging from about 6 pounds to about a pound and a half make the mistake of trying to snatch a bait from one of the trotline hooks.

Texas Parks and Wildlife regulations limit trotline fi shermen to no more than 100 hooks per person, which must be spaced at least three feet apart with no more than 50 hooks per line. Gear tags listing the fi sherman’s name, address and the date must be attached to both ends of the line within three feet of the fi rst hook.

Choke is one of the trotline hot spots in the state because of the multitude of bare tree tops sticking through the surface of the like the well-worn bristles of a brush.

“There are a lot of people who use trotlines in Choke be-cause there are a lot of catfi sh and gar there, but we have peo-ple putting out trotlines all over the state,’’ said Capt. Danny Villalobos, of the District 1, Region 5 offi ce at San Antonio.

“The main violations that we are seeing are people taking fi sh that are not allowed (trotline catches are limited to non-game fi sh and channel, blue and fl athead catfi sh); lines that are not properly tagged or labeled; and people who leave lines unattended.

“That creates a nuisance and our wardens will take them in when they fi nd abandoned or improperly tagged lines,’’ he said.

Potential trotline anglers should check the regulations in the Outdoor Annual and their local game warden’s offi ce as the lines are prohibited in several lakes and reservoirs across

GOT ONE: This 6-pound blue catfi sh is headed for a trip to a frying pan after falling victim to Charlie Brown’s trotline techniques that he has been putting to use at Choke Canyon Reservoir for more than three decades. Photo by Ralph Winingham, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Let trotlines do all the work

See TROTLINES, Page 22

Micro guides trend increases

See TRACKING TROUT, Page 21

See MICRO GUIDES, Page 27

SMALL HOLES: Jason Williamson uses micro guides on his rods. He believes they help him cast farther. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.

Early reports on project supports tide-runner theory

SUBJECT RELEASED: Laura Bivins releases a study trout. Photo by HRI.

COVERING WATERS: Early results from a study that implants surgical tracking devices in spotted seatrout and follows their movements suggests that the fi sh move long distances in short periods of time. Photos by LSON.


Keith Combs of Del Rio capped a record-setting week on Lake Tawakoni for his fi rst major win with 60.48 pounds in the PAA Bass Pro Shops Tournament Series presented by Carrot Six.

His total weight was the most in a PAA Tournament Series event, eclipsing the 52.44 pounds caught by Brian Snowden of Missouri in 2009 on Lake Toho.

Combs sandwiched a mea-ger 13-pound catch with limits weighing more than 24 and 22 pounds on the fi rst and third days to clinch the win.

Todd Auten of South Carolina was second with 46.25 pounds and Randall Tharp of Alabama fi nished third with 43.88 pounds. Takahiro Omori of Emory fi n-ished fourth with 43.42 pounds while Edwin Evers of Oklahoma landed 40.63 pounds to round out the top fi ve.

“I didn’t think I would win going into this thing,” Combs said. “I didn’t really have a good practice and was catching a few 3-pound-ers, so I was thinking about maybe 15 pounds a day would be good.”

Combs threw a 3/8-ounce jig and a small swimbait around docks with water from dirt to 3 feet and any

isolated cover. The jig proved to be a hit on the fi nal day, after his fi rst keeper “hit the bait so hard it knocked slack in the line.”

Auten also targeted docks with jigs.

“If I wasn’t stirring up mud, I wasn’t catching them,” he said.

Tharp pitched his way up the leaderboard on the fi nal day.

“On my fi fth pitch I caught a 5-pounder and the next fi sh was a 4-pounder,” he said. This is the day you want to have on the fi nal day. I just

wasn’t high enough in the standings to win.”

Hours after his fi nal bag hit the scale, Combs still was still on Cloud 9 after his fi rst major tour win.

“I knew what I was get-ting into after seeing some of the guys who fi sh the PAA series,” he said. “There are top guys from the other tours here and they’re all sticks, and just about every hammer in North Texas was here. This really means a lot.”

—PAA report

Del Rio pro takes PAA Tournament Series

on Lake Tawakoni

Texas teams win IFA Redfi sh Tour events

Capt. Kevin Akin of Austin and tournament partner Glen Hornsby of Corpus Christi credited a lucky LSU cap and local knowledge of where to fi sh to win the IFA Redfi sh Tour event at Delacroix, La. The pair weighed in a two-redfi sh limit that totaled 16.82 pounds, winning a boat valued at $30,000.

Akins and Hornsby relied on gold spoons, and caught 25 fi sh during competition.

Second-place went to Tansel Basci of Houston and John Gill of Corpus Christi with 16.11 pounds.

Third-place winners, Capt. Levi Price of Marble Falls and Capt. Brandon Mondin of Sequin, a student at Texas A&M, fi nished with 15.21 pounds.

At the IFA Kayak Tour Texas Division tour-nament at Port Aransas, Josh MacNaughton, a mechanic from Crosby, used a Berkley Jerk Shad and caught a redfi sh, black drum, a short rat red and a speckled sea trout out of his kayak. His fi nal 42-point score, a combination of the redfi sh’s length and the trout’s length, led to the win.

MacNaughton won a kayak.Second-place fi nisher Thomas Bulger Jr.,

of Rockport landed a 22.5-inch redfi sh and a 19.25-inch speckled sea trout to fi nish second.

—IFA Redfi sh report

Texas City Dike reopensNearly two years to the day from when

Hurricane Ike hit the Texas City Dike, fans of the popular fi shing spot on the Gulf may return.

Texas City celebrated the offi cial opening of the dike at 5 a.m. on Sept. 12. The two-year project was funded by $4.1 million in federal disaster funds, with boat ramps, fi shing piers and roadways being rebuilt.

The opening was anticipated to be in October, but good weather helped speed up the rebuilding effort.

There is no charge for Texas City residents to access the dike. For others, there’s a $5 cost per vehicle on weekends and holidays, from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The dike was severely damaged during Hurricane Ike when roads were washed out and ramps demolished.

—Staff report

GOOD JOB: Keith Combs gets a congratulatory handshake from Todd Auten, right. The two fi shing pros waited with their fi sh in the holding tanks line during the fi nal weigh-in at the PAA tournament on Lake Tawakoni. Photo by Gerald Dutton, PAA.

FLIPPING WIN: Keith Combs fl ips to shoreline cover on Lake Tawakoni. Photo by Chris Dutton, PAA.


ALAN HENRY: Water lightly stained; 76–81degrees; 0.2’ 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; 2.09’ 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; 0.64’ 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 good on watermelon red deep-diving crankbaits and soft plastics. Crappie are good on minnows. Channel and blue catfi sh are very good on shrimp, min-nows, and stinkbait.

BELTON: Water clear; 82 degrees; 3.17’ high. Black bass are good on Rat–L–Traps and drifting minnows in coves. Hybrid striper are fair trolling white riversides. White bass are fair trolling Rat–L–Traps and white riversides. Chan-nel and blue catfi sh are good on cut bait. Yellow catfi sh are good on trotlines baited with live perch and live shad.

BOB SANDLIN: Water off-color; 79–82 degrees; 2.38’ low. Black bass are good early on and topwaters, later switching to drop-shot rigs and fi nesse jigs. White bass are fair on Rooster Tails and min-nows. Catfi sh are fair on stinkbait and chartreuse nightcrawlers.

BRAUNIG: Water clear; 86 degrees. Black bass are slow. Striped bass are excellent on liver and shad off points near the pier and at the north end of the park, and down-rigging silver and gold 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; 1.36’ 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. Bream are fair on crickets and red wigglers.

BROWNWOOD: Water clear; 88 degrees; 7.61’ low. Black bass are fair on Bass Hogg spinnerbaits and Pig Sticker Shaky Heads with Grande Bass 4” redbug or green pumpkin Trickster Worms near the docks and over brush piles in 12–15 feet, and good on Frog and Pop–R topwaters. 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 10–18 feet, and off lighted docks at night. Channel catfi sh are good on cut bait and nightcrawlers over baited holes in 12–20 feet. Yellow catfi sh are good on trotlines baited with perch in 12–20 feet.

BUCHANAN: Water clear; 86 degrees; 9.65’ low. Black bass are good on daiquiri topwaters, blue shad fl ukes, and wacky-rigged watermelon red Whacky Sticks along docks and over fl ats early. Striped bass are good on plastic swim baits and drifting or free lining live bait around Lighthouse Point at fi rst light. White bass are fair but small trolling deep-diving Shad Raps and jigging Tiny Traps and 2” plastic swim baits over humps along the river channel. Crappie are fair on pink/white or chartreuse crappie jigs and live minnows in clear water. Channel catfi sh are good on liver, minnows, and dipbait. Yellow and blue catfi sh are very good on rod/reel, juglines and trotlines baited with goldfi sh and perch upriver.

CADDO: Water murky; 80–85 degrees; 0.33’ 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 slow. Striped bass are good on spoons and striper jigs near the dam and the crappie wall in 15–20 feet, and on chicken livers and shad along the shoreline. Redfi sh are good on down-rigging spoons with green grubs between the crappie wall and the dam in 15–20 feet, and on crawfi sh and tilapia along the shoreline. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfi sh are excellent on liver, shrimp, cheesebait, and shad near the railroad trestle, 181 Cove, and the discharge. Yellow catfi sh are slow.

CANYON LAKE: Water clear; 87 degrees; 1.13’ high. Black bass are fair to good on JDC Skip–N–Pops, Pop R’s, and wacky-rigged watermelon red Whacky Sticks along the edges of grass and buck brush, and on Texas-rigged blue fl ake worms and drop-shot Devil’s Tongues along break lines and ledges. Striped bass are slow to fair trolling Gizz 4 crankbaits over and around humps and jigging 1 oz. Pirk Minnows at daylight. White bass are slow. Smallmouth bass are fair on topwaters, root beer JDC grubs, and craws in 10–30 feet at daylight. Crappie are fair on white or chartreuse crappie jigs and live min-nows tight to lay down tree tops and brush upriver. Channel catfi sh are slow. Yellow and blue catfi sh are very good on trotlines and juglines baited with live goldfi sh and perch from Cranes Mill Park to the mouth of the river.

CEDAR CREEK: Water stained; 79–86 degrees; 1.61’ 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 burn-ing large slabs. Catfi sh are good drifting cut shad and on nightcrawlers.

CHOKE CANYON: Water clear; 88 degrees; 4.14’ low. Black bass are fair on minnows and white spinnerbaits. White bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfi sh are very good on frozen shrimp and punchbait.

COLEMAN: Water fairly clear; 88 degrees; 9.23’ low. Black bass are good on char-treuse and chartreuse blue spinnerbaits, and soft plastics. Hybrid striper are fair on silver striper jigs. Crappie are good on minnows and green tube jigs. Channel catfi sh are good on shrimp and stinkbait.

COLETO CREEK: Water fairly clear; 86 degrees (97 degrees at discharge); 0.10’ high. Black bass are fair on minnows. Striped bass are slow. White bass are fair on minnows. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfi sh are good on shrimp, liver, and live perch. Yellow catfi sh are fair on trotlines and juglines baited with live perch in 10–20 feet.

CONROE: Water fairly clear; 0.83’ low. Black bass are good on chartreuse and watermelon red Carolina-rigged soft plastics, Senkos, and Rat–L–Traps. Striped bass are fair on live minnows and green striper jigs. Crappie are good on minnows and pink tube jigs. Catfi sh are good on stinkbait and shrimp.

FALCON: Water clear; 85 degrees. Black bass are good on white spinnerbaits. Striped bass are slow. Channel and blue catfi sh are excellent on stinkbait and frozen shrimp.

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

FORK: Water fairly clear; 79–85 degrees; 1.88’ 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 nightcrawlers.

GRAPEVINE: Water stained; 81–85 degrees; 4.93’ 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 nightcrawlers. Boaters are advised to watch for fl oating debris.

HOUSTON COUNTY: Water clear; 83 degrees; 0.33’ low. Black bass to 4 pounds are very good on Pop R’s and chartreuse soft plastic worms off piers and drop-offs near the dam. Crappie are good on live minnows in coves in 10–12 feet. Bream are good on live worms off piers and over grass beds and the south side of the islands. Chan-nel and blue catfi sh to 9 pounds are good on trotlines baited with perch.

HUBBARD CREEK: Water stained; 78–81 degrees; 8.82’ 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; 2.91’ low. 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; 5.21’ 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; 88 degrees; 0.30’ low. Black bass are good on watermelon Curb’s Erratic jigs, watermelon red Whacky Sticks, and pumpkin 4” tubes near docks and lay downs along seawalls and in 10 feet at daylight. Striped bass are good on Creme Lure’s 2” Spoiler Shads and 1” 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 very good on nightcrawlers, liver, and dipbait. Yellow and blue catfi sh are very good on trotlines baited with goldfi sh and perch.

LEWISVILLE: Water stained; 81–86 degrees; 2.58’ low. 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; 87 degrees; 0.11’ high. Black bass are good on spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Striped bass are fair on bone-colored Zara spooks. White bass are good on troll tubes and pet spoons. Crappie are good on minnows. Blue catfi sh are good on shad. Yellow catfi sh are slow.

MEREDITH: Water lightly stained; 77–81 degrees; 85.89’ 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; 24.23’ 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; 1.25’ 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; 1.14’ 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; 3.71’ 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; 0.55’ 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; 0.79’ 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. Catfi sh are good on prepared baits and cut shad.

SAM RAYBURN: Water lightly stained; 89 degrees; 6.44’ low. Black bass are good on topwaters and watermelon soft plastic worms. White bass are fair on spoons over humps. Crappie are fair on minnows over baited holes. Bream are fair on nightcrawlers. Catfi sh are good on trotlines baited with live bait and nightcrawlers.

SOMERVILLE: Water murky; 88 degrees; 0.67’ low. Black bass are slow. Hybrid striper are fair on spinnerbaits and Rat–L–Traps. White bass are slow. Crap-pie are fair on minnows and jigs. Perch are good on worms. Channel and blue catfi sh are fair on stinkbait and shrimp.

TAWAKONI: Water fairly clear; 81–86 degrees; 2.15’ 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; 0.94’ low. 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; 88 degrees; 5.33’ low. Black bass are good on topwaters and redbug soft plastic worms early and late. Striped bass are slow. White bass are good on spoons on ridges. Crappie are slow. Bream are good on crickets and nightcrawlers in 5–10 feet. Channel and blue catfi sh are good on trotlines baited with shrimp and nightcrawlers. Yellow catfi sh are slow.

TRAVIS: Water fairly clear; 87 degrees; 8.05’ low. Black bass are good on bone topwaters, watermelon worms, and grubs in 5–15 feet. Striped bass are slow. White bass are fair on chrome jigging spoons and minnows in 35–42 feet. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfi sh are good on nightcrawlers and fresh cut bait in 28–45 feet.

WHITNEY: Water murky; 0.57’ low. Black bass are fair on watermelon and char-treuse Rat–L–Traps, spinnerbaits, and soft plastics off points. Striped bass are fair on minnows. White bass are fair on minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows and green tube jigs. Catfi sh are good on frozen shrimp and punchbait.

NORTH SABINE: Redfi sh are good in the marsh with high tides. Tides are well above normal. Drifters have worked slicks for trout and redfi sh on plastics and topwaters.

SOUTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good under birds and pods of shad. Trout are good at the jetty on live bait and topwaters. Bull redfi sh are good at the jetty.

BOLIVAR: Trout are good on the south shoreline on Bass Assassins, Trout Killers and Sand Eels. Trout, bull redfi sh, 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. Redfi sh are good on the north shoreline on gold spoons and small topwaters.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout and redfi sh are good on soft plastics while working slicks and mud boils. Whiting and sand trout are good on the edge of the Intracoastal on fresh shrimp. Trout are good for drifters on plum plastics.

WEST GALVESTON BAY: Trout and redfi sh are good in the back lakes on live bait. Bull redfi sh are good in the surf and at San Luis Pass on crabs and mullet. Sheepshead, redfi sh and black drum are good at the jetties on shrimp and crabs.

TEXAS CITY: Sand trout and Gulf trout are good in the channel on shrimp. Redfi sh are fair to good in Moses Lake on crabs and shrimp. The Dike is now open.

FREEPORT: Bull redfi sh are good on live bait and crabs on the Surfside beach. Black drum and redfi sh are good on the reefs. Bull redfi sh are showing at all the jetties.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair for drifters on live shrimp over humps and scattered shell. Trout and redfi sh are fair to good on the shorelines for waders tossing small topwaters and plastics. Redfi sh are good in Lake Austin.

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

PORT O’CONNOR: Bull redfi sh are good in the surf and at the jetty on natural baits. Trout and redfi sh are fair for drifters working the back lakes with live shrimp.

ROCKPORT: Redfi sh are good on mullet on the Estes Flats and around Mud Island. Redfi sh are showing up in large schools. Trout and redfi sh are good in the back of Allyn’s Bight.

PORT ARANSAS: Trout are fair around Super Flats on topwaters. Redfi sh are fair at East Flats and Shamrock Cove on topwaters and plastics under rattling corks. Offshore is good for amberjack, kingfi sh, tuna and dolphin.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Redfi sh are good on the shallow fl ats on gold spoons and small topwaters. Sand trout and croakers are good in the channels on fresh shrimp.

BAFFIN BAY: Trout are good on topwaters and plum plastics around rocks and grass. Redfi sh are good in the Land Cut on live bait. Redfi sh are fair to good in knee–deep water on gold spoons and topwaters.

PORT MANSFIELD: Trout are fair to good around East Cut. Redfi sh are showing in large schools on the sand. 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, redfi sh and snook are fair to good on the fl ats on DOA Lures and live bait. Tarpon are fair to good around the jetty.

PORT ISABEL: Redfi sh are good at Gas Well Flats and in South Bay on scented baits. Trout and redfi sh are fair to good while drift-ing sand and grass fl ats on live shrimp, DOA Shrimp and Gulps under popping corks.

TEXAS FISHING REPORT

HOT BITES SALTWATERSCENE LARGEMOUTH

BASS

BASTROP: Good on watermelon red deep-diving crankbaits and soft plastics.

HOUSTON COUNTY: Very good on Pop R’s and chartreuse soft plastic worms off piers and drop-offs near the dam.

LBJ: Good on watermelon Curb’s Erratic jigs, watermelon red Whacky Sticks, and pumpkin 4” tubes near docks and lay downs along seawalls and in 10 feet at daylight.

MEREDITH: Good on Yellow Magics early, later switching to drop-shot rigs, shaky head jigs and Rat–L–Traps.

RAY ROBERTS: Good on Zoom water-melon/red fl ukes around submerged trees in 2–8 feet.

TRAVIS: Good on bone topwaters, water-melon worms, and grubs in 5–15 feet.

WHITE, HYBRID, STRIPER

BRAUNIG: Striped bass are excellent on liver and shad off points, and down-rigging silver and gold spoons near the jetty and dam.

CALAVERAS: Striped bass are good on spoons and striper jigs near the dam and the crappie wall in 15–20 feet.

LIVINGSTON: White bass are good on troll tubes and pet spoons.

CRAPPIE

COLEMAN: Crappie are good on minnows and green tube jigs.

Sponsored by

CATFISH

BRAUNIG: Channel catfi sh are excellent on liver, shrimp, cut bait, and cheesebait near the dam and the discharge.

COLETO CREEK: Channel and blue catfi sh are good on shrimp, liver, and live perch.

O.H. IVIE: Channel catfi sh are good on live and cut bait.



FOUND DOE, SHOT WITH .22 RIFLEA caller notifi ed Waller County

Game Warden Kevin Glass that he had driven by a house and observed four men cleaning a deer. Glass responded to the residence and found that a doe had indeed been shot with a .22 rifl e. Charges were fi led.

DEER TAKEN AFTER BEING HIT WITH SUBURBAN

Travis County Game Wardens Christy Vales and Chad West responded to a call regarding a deer that had been hit by a vehicle. The complainant stated to West that he had hit the deer, and shortly after a Suburban had pulled up to the com-plainant and injured deer. They told the complainant that they wanted the deer and loaded the deer up in the back of their Suburban. The complainant wrote their license plate number down and contacted Austin Communications. When the wardens arrived at the Suburban’s registered address, they observed a subject using the headlights of the Suburban to quarter the deer. Contact was made, three subjects were cited for possession of a white-tailed deer in closed season, and the meat was seized. Cases pending.

DOVE HUNTERS GETTINGAN EARLY START

After receiving a call regard-ing several persons shooting doves, Game Wardens Marcus Vela and Hector Leandro went to the area along a tree line that surrounded a sand and gravel pit in Cameron County. Several trucks were parked along the very back of the pit. Contact was made with the shooters who were holding shotguns and sev-eral dead clay pigeons. The group was just getting some practice for the upcoming dove season and had permission from the landowner to be there. No violations occurred but good contacts were established.

WHOLE CORN “PLANTED” FOR DOVE BAIT

On the opening day of dove season, El Paso Game Wardens Ray Spears and Kenneth Zuber were checking dove hunters when they heard an unusual amount of shooting com-ing from a farming area fairly close to their location. They investigated and found fi ve individuals with more than 200 doves and a large quantity of whole corn and oats spread on the ground. Cases pending.

MORE BAIT, BREAD AND BAGELSA subject told wardens that plac-

ing bread and bagels to attract dove worked pretty well. Tarrant County Game Wardens Chelle Mount and David Vannoy had noticed a fi eld ripe with sunfl owers and thought that it looked promising. They noticed two men in an adjacent fi eld. Vannoy made contact with the fi rst man hunting near the fence line, while Mount approached the other who was heading toward a parked truck. The sound of fi ve shotgun shells being ejected from an unplugged shotgun told Mount that Vannoy had already found a violation. At the vehicle, Mount made contact with a juve-nile who claimed he was not hunting and did not have a hunting license. Sitting in the bed of the truck was another unplugged shotgun and an

additional 19 dove. The juvenile told Mount that the dove and the shot-gun belonged to his father who was hunting earlier that day. Vannoy also noticed an abundance of assorted baked goods (sliced bread, bagels, etc.) on the ground in the fi eld. The adult subject admitted to placing the bread to attract birds. All 27 dove were seized and several cita-tions are pending.

BAIT, BAIT AND MORE BAITEllis County Game Warden Jeff

Powell received a call of dove hunt-ers possibly trespassing. Powell observed 12 individuals hunting around a pond. Powell contacted Navarro County Game Warden Jimmy Woolley who was nearby. As the wardens approached the hunt-ers, piles of milo were located all along the bank of the pond. Two pro-tected shore birds were also located. Multiple citations pending.

“THE GAME WARDENS ARE HERE”While checking dove hunters in

Fannin County, Fannin County Game Warden Randolph McGee and Wood County Game Warden Derek Spitzer drove to a farm. McGee observed a man run out of a barn and yell “the game wardens are here.” Everyone hunting ran to the barn. Spitzer

observed maize spread across the ground. The subjects received cita-tions for hunting over a baited area. Cases pending.

MILO FOOD OF CHOICE IN THIS FIELDShelby County Game Warden

Randy Button and Capt. Tom Jenkins responded to a call from a woman who reported shooting near her house. Upon arrival, a group of 15 people was found on the adjoin-ing property. After the wardens checked licenses and guns, it was determined the milo that the birds were eating was planted the week before. Citations were issued to the group members and restitution fi led for 145 birds. Cases pending.

SUNFLOWER SEEDS WITHOUT PLANTSPolk County Game Wardens David

Johnson and Ryan Hall cited several men for hunting dove over a baited area. One man admitted to putting out only one 60-pound bag of wild bird mix three weeks before the sea-son began. Seeing that all the bait was not gone, he used his dozer to blade over what was left in an attempt to cover it up. After a short walk to where the birds seemed to be coming from, a large amount of sunfl ower seed was found scattered on the back side of the pond dam.

The man then admitted to placing a second bag of sunfl ower seed within two weeks. Several citations were issued and cases pending.

SOUTH ZONE SEASON NOT OPEN YETStarr County Game Warden Drew

Spencer responded to an call about a man shooting doves during a closed season. After fi nding no one in the reported fi elds, Spencer drove to a nearby subdivision to do a cursory search of the vehicles and persons in the area. At the end of a drive-way, Spencer found seven freshly shot shotgun shells. He then looked into the open garage and saw dove feathers, a bird hunting vest, and an empty box of shotgun shells on a folding chair. Spencer knocked on the door, gained consent to search the kitchen area, and saw a pot of stewing dove breasts on the stove. The man told Spencer that those doves had been shot by his dad a few days ago and that he hadn’t shot any earlier because the birds had been too high. Spencer issued the man citations for hunting dove dur-ing a closed season and for shooting from/across a roadway.

PLOWED FIELD FULL OF DOVEA GIVEAWAY

While patrolling in Cochran County, Game Warden Lance May came across a freshly plowed fi eld near the Cochran/Hockley county line loaded with dove. May inves-tigated and found the plowed fi eld to have grain seeds scattered in a zigzag pattern. Several shot shells and feathers were found on the ground nearby. May teamed up with Game Warden James Cummings at the fi eld late that afternoon. After about four hours of waiting, they witnessed two subjects pull in and shoot several birds off the baited fi eld. Cases pending.

GAME WARDEN BLOTTER

A man is charged with taking an alligator during closed season and attempting to sell the meat illegally on Craigslist. Fort Bend County Game Warden Barry Eversole had spotted an ad the individual had placed online on Craigslist, offer-ing the gator meat for sale. District 5 Captain Harmon phoned the individual, and posing as an inter-

ested buyer, arranged to meet the seller later that day. During the phone conversation, the seller told Harmon that he had killed a 10 1⁄2-foot alligator in a pond behind his residence, had already given away much of the meat to family members, and was in the process of bleaching the skull. Harmon later met the seller to make the

transaction. When asked about the skull, the seller said he did not have it and invited the wardens to his residence to look. No skull was there but several marijuana plants growing in 5-gallon buckets were beside the house. The man also had pending warrants. The subject was turned over to Brazoria County sheriff’s deputies.

CRAIGSLIST STRIKES AGAIN



A quaint stay on the mother lagoon

By Scott SommerlatteFOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

Traveling anglers have found great comfort and hospitality at the Redfi sh Inn in South Padre along the banks of the Laguna Madre.

Relatively new, the Redfi sh Inn was founded by local skiff guide Capt. Dale Fridy and is sit-uated along what many anglers call the ‘hotel channel’ that runs from the South Padre Is-land Causeway northward bay-side until it reaches the Con-vention Center. Not only will anglers fi nd themselves at home at the inn, but they will also fi nd a nice lighted pier to tie their skiffs or bay boats up at night or to cast a fl y to the numerous trout, redfi sh and snook that chase bait in and out of the submerged green lights. In fact a Texas Slam, which consists of catching all three species in a 24-hour period of time, is not out of the question.

“I wanted to take my guide business to the next level,” said Fridy of the location. “I wanted to be the fi rst to open a lodge that caters to fl y and light-tackle anglers but at the same time, I did not want it to be a full-service lodge.”

With its seven rooms opening onto a common porch that wraps around the building, the Redfi sh Inn has all of the ambiance of a lodge or bed and breakfast but does not serve meals. There are dining areas both inside and on the patio overlooking the bay allowing guest to get take out or bring their own meals. In addition, the seafood restaurant Scam-pi’s is just across the street for those who have traveled by boat rather than driving into the area by car.

John Rizopolous recently spent a week there with his son, Nick.

“Not only is it very tastefully done and comfortable, but Dale and his wife, Kelly, are excellent hosts that go out of their way to ensure your stay is beyond enjoyable.” He add-ed, “There is not a thing that I do not love about it.”

In addition to providing easy access to what some consider some of the best fl y-fi shing and light-tackle angling the state has to offer, the Redfi sh Inn has become an occasional gather-ing spot for some of the area’s most talented and reputable guides.

Recently, angler Chris Blevins fi shed his way from Port Mansfi eld to South Padre with a group of friends that included mid-coast guide Ethan Wells.

“It is the perfect destination for fl y anglers to go,” Blevins said. “Great waters to fi sh, great fa-cility and hanging out with great people, what more could you ask for?”

It was the fellow visitors who drew the most praise from the guests.

“What truly makes this place are those who gather there,” Rizopolous said. “The guests are all very like-minded people who often have a passion for the same things. It is very special to look out across the bay while sharing experi-ences with new friends.”

REDFISH INN: Dale and Kelly Fridy opened the Redfi sh Inn so that anglers in South Padre could have a gathering spot. The seven-room inn is right on the water and it is possible to catch a Texas Slam right off their dock. Anglers can also enjoy some of the best fl y-fi shing for red drum in Texas in the shallow waters nearby. Photo by LSON.


HEROES

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binoculars at the Nikon Sport Optics dealer nearest you:

Euless Guns & Ammo1200 West Euless Boulevard

Euless, TX 76040-4915(817) 267-6947

Catie Salazar, 9, harvested this buck in Freestone with her .243 rifl e on Nov. 1, 2009.

JILL ARGUS of Boerne was fi shing near Port Mansfi eld when she caught her fi rst speckled trout this summer.

Share an adventureWant to share hunting and

fi shing photos with other Lone Star Outdoor News readers?

Send them to us with contact and caption information.

[email protected]

Heroes, Lone Star Outdoor News,PO Box 551695

Dallas, TX 75355

CYNTHIA CUELLAR,12, shot this mature spike

with her TC .22-250 in Zapata County.

HAROLD STELLY from Louisiana shot this buck in Zavalla County while hunting with El Indio Outfi tters. The 15-point deer scored 182.

LUKAS BENTON, 8, caught this 4-pound bass on a buzzbait. He was fi shing a pond near Tomball.

NICK KOHLEFFEL with a 26-inch trout caught in

Baffi n Bay.


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PRODUCTS

>>

SERIOUS SCOUTERS CAMERA MOUNTCrazy about Outdoors’ easy-to-adjust universal cam-era mount is ideal for hunters who don’t want to cause damage to trees. The mount is designed to affi x without

drilling holes or adding hardware to trees. Features include a foot-long fl exible arm for fi nding the per-

fect angle for the camera, all-metal construction that weathers any climate, and an L-shaped bracket and metal plate for secure mounting. The kit sells for just under $40.(830) 456-2325www.crazyaboutoutdoors.com

FLIP N’ DRIP COFFEE MAKERThank you, Brunton, for your compact little cof-fee maker. Whether you are a hunter or an angler camping out in your favorite spot, there is no need to forgo a hot beverage in the morn-

ing. With the Flip N’ Drip coffee maker, just heat water in the stainless steel carafe, place the ground coffee or tea in the reusable mesh fi lter, twist on the dou-

ble-walled insulated mug, then fl ip. Faster than you

can say drip, drip, drip, you will have 16 ounces of your favorite hot bever-age ready to enjoy. The coffee maker sells for about $60.

(800) 443-4871www.brunton.com

WINDSTOPPER JACKETLate season anglers will appre-ciate Simms’ newest jacket, which combines the dura-bility of a soft shell with the warmth of fl eece. The jacket’s high-wear areas (its hood, col-lar, shoulders, back of its sleeves, front side panels, hem and cuffs) feature water-resistant Windstopper soft shell fabric for rug-ged, abrasion-resistant durability. Available in brown, black and gray, the jacket sells for about $250.(866) 585-3570www.simmsfi shing.com

VAP CARBON SHAFTSVictory Archery’s newest Armour Piercing series has a shaft that incorporates advanced carbon technology to ensure strength, accuracy and penetration. The VAP arrows feature a Penetrator Insert that provides a stronger, sleeker fi t for both target points and broadheads. This insert is available in a 5/16 (43-grain) and a 9/32 (33-grain) option. The 30-inch-long arrows sell for about $150 per dozen.(760) 496-2121

X-TREME ADVENTURE PANTSThese pants by RailRiders are perfect for outdoors-men who require reliable, durable, and low-main-tenance garments. Anglers will especially like the pants’ quick-drying abrasion-resistant nylon fabric as well as their roomy fi t. The lightweight pants also feature two welted zip-pered back pockets, zippered cargo pock-ets on the outer legs, deep front pock-ets, plus a security pocket. The wilder-ness pants, which are also available in tall sizes, sell for about $95.(800) 437-3794www.railriders.com

FLO-TORQ REFLEX PROPELLER HUB KITMercury Marine’s newest kit eliminates clutch rattle, minimizes noise and vibration, and offers lower-unit protection for 40 to 60 hp standard-gearcase out-board motors. Should a propeller hit an underwater obstruction, this fi eld-serviceable kit allows boaters to replace a hub by themselves in minutes. The kit, which sells for about $150, is designed for the com-pany’s Flo-Torq Refl ex hubs that have replaced the rubber hubs previously used on 40 to 60 hp stan-dard-gearcase propellers. In the event of an impact, the Flo-Torq Refl ex sleeve will sacrifi ce itself to pro-tect key drive components.(920) 929-5040www.mercurymarine.com

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Hunters’ hopesContinued From Page 1

had to do a lot of shredding,” said Kyle Nunn, manager of North Star Outfi tters on a 4,500-acre ranch near Winona.

“Last year and the year before, we were really dry, but this year it’s just the opposite,” Nunn said. “We’ve got everything booked up for October, and that tells us something.

“Last year we couldn’t fi nd any hunters.”

The state climatologist reported earlier this summer that 71.2 percent of the state was drought free.

The proverbial cup — the one that’s frequently half-full — was overfl owing the fi rst week of September when Tropical Storm Hermine unloaded double-digit precipitation.

The opposite was true a year ago when 71.8 percent of Texas was saddled by drought.

Back then, parts of the state — especially South Texas — were so parched the brown grass crum-bled under foot, leaving hardly any food for adult deer, and nothing for newborns.

Fawn recruitment in Goliad County, for example, was esti-mated at less than 10 percent.

But a couple of factors probably blunted hunter success last year.

While a lot of forage wilted, acorns were plentiful, which starts out being a very good thing.

But, Lockwood noted, if deer are content to fi nd food beneath an oak canopy, they might not care if there’s corn at the feeder.

The same thing could happen this year, he said.

Whatever the reasons, last

year’s total harvest, for archery and rifl e seasons, was down from 2008-09.

According to TPWD data, 648,686 deer hunters went afi eld in Texas last season; that’s 3,288 more than the 645,398 in the previous year.

But last year’s hunters only took 559,357 deer, compared to the 629,650 animals that were killed the year before, the data shows.

“We have a lot of carryover from last year, with a lot of bucks that are a year older,” Lockwood said. “And now it’s even more important to har-vest the right number of does this year.”

Despite the challenges, Cox is ready to harvest the biggest deer of his life.

“We just have to get them out of the brush and into the feeders,” he said.

The archery-only season runs through Nov. 5.

WAITING AND HOPING: An abundance of available natural food is a good thing for deer, but not always for hunters with blinds and stands near feeders. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.

ContributorsKyle CarterAlan ClemonsDavid DraperWilbur LundeenBill Miller

Erich SchlegelDavid SikesScott SommerlatteChuck UzzleRalph Winingham

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

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NATIONAL

National pheasant forecast promising

Beginning in mid-October, fl ights north from Texas are spotted with passengers wear-ing blaze orange jackets and caps heading for some of the country’s pheasant hot spots. According to Pheasants Forever, bird numbers appear to be holding steady in the Dakotas, Kansas, Minnesota and Nebraska, but numbers are down in Iowa.

KANSAS Kansas pheasant hunters bagged 746,000

roosters last year, up approximately 10 per-cent from 2008, the second highest total in the country. Spring crowing counts were up one percent this year, and expectations are for a similar harvest total this season. Season Dates: November 13 through Jan. 31,2011Daily Bag Limit: 4Possession Limit: 16

NEBRASKA Severe winter weather in parts of Nebraska

and above-average rainfall this spring impacted pheasant populations in parts of the state, with the overall rural mail carrier survey showing a 4-percent decrease. But where pheasants are most abundant — the southwest and Sandhills regions of the state — this year’s survey showed healthy jumps.

Season Dates: October 30 through Jan. 31,2011Daily Bag Limit: 3Possession Limit: 12

NORTH DAKOTA North Dakota was expected to check in

around a 500,000 pheasant harvest last year, and exceeded that with a 650,000 bird take. And though crowing counts were down six percent this spring, overall nesting conditions improved by June across many parts of the state. Season Dates: October 9 through Jan. 2, 2011Daily Bag Limit: 3Possession Limit: 12

SOUTH DAKOTA Coming off a season in which hunters har-

vested more than 1.6 million roosters, South Dakota’s 2010 brood survey count showed a 3-percent increase from last year in the coun-try’s pheasant mecca. In 2009, South Dakota’s offi cial pheasant population estimate was 8.4 million.

Although CRP acreage has dropped to about 1 million acres, the quality of existing habitat appears to have boosted reproduction. Season Dates: October 16 through Jan. 2, 2011Daily Bag Limit: 3Possession Limit: 15

—Pheasants Forever report

Virus results in destroying thousandsof steelhead

After fi nding a potentially deadly virus in ponds at Idaho’s Dworshak National Fish Hatchery, federal fi sh managers were forced to destroy tens of thousands of juvenile steelhead.

The fi sh were killed to reduce the threat of the viral disease called Infectious Haematopoietic Necrosis, or IHN, spreading to other hatchery holding ponds at the facility.

INH infects salmon and trout and can be fatal.

—Staff report

Freak bow-hunting accident kills hunter

A 50-year-old man died in Washington while bowhunting in what authorities are calling “a freak accident.”

Benny White and his hunting partner left their pickup truck after spotting an elk.

The victim was hunting with a crossbow, which is allowed in the state for disabled hunters. His partner was behind him with a compound bow with the bow in position. The victim apparently stopped abruptly and the second hunter ran into him, his arrow piercing White in the torso.

Aid crews responded but White was pro-nounced dead at the scene.

—Washington Department of Game and Fish report

World record mountain caribou hunter honored

Paul T. Deuling of Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, received the Sagamore Hill Award, the highest honor given a hunter by the Boone and Crockett Club.

Deuling received the award, named for the New York home of Theodore Roosevelt, for tak-ing a World’s Record mountain caribou in a challenging fair chase hunt.

Deuling spotted the huge caribou during a 1988 solo hunt for Dall’s sheep in the Pelly Mountains of Yukon Territory. He had back-packed six miles across two shallow valleys and a range of hills, all choked with thick, tangled brush. After setting up camp, Deuling climbed a ridge to glass for sheep when he spotted the magnifi cent bull with a single cow. Deuling said the bull “appeared to have a black oak tree growing from its head.”

A meticulous stalk and 10-yard shot with his .270 ended the hunt but began a grueling fi ve-day meat-packing ordeal.

When Deuling took his trophy to a Boone and Crockett Club offi cial measurer to tape the ant-lers, they scored 459-3/8, more than 7 inches larger than the next largest mountain caribou in the Club’s records book.

The award was created in 1948 in memory of Theodore Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. and Kermit Roosevelt to honor outstanding trophies worthy of great distinction. Only one award may be given in any three-year period, but the actual frequency has been even less often. Deuling is only the 17th recipient of a Sagamore Hill Award.

—Boone and Crockett Club report

HIGH EXPECTATIONS: For those headed north to chase ringnecks, the forecast for most states is good compared with last season. Photo by LSON.

STEELHEAD DISEASE: Despite having to destroy thousands of hatchery steelhead, federal offi cials in Idaho still expect to meet the expected release numbers. Photo by Tailwaters Fly Fishing Company.


Cleaning the skullContinued From Page 4

• Depending on the outside temper-ature and the time of year this pro-cess can take from as little as a week to a couple of months. The water needs to be checked every three or four days, and if necessary partially replaced with fresh water. If the wa-ter gets too murky and nasty with meat tissue fl oating around in it, it needs to be changed out. Check the water for missing teeth fi rst and don’t exchange all of it — you want to keep the bacteria in the water.

• The skull is ready to come out when you can easily remove the meat with your hands. It will lit-erally just fall off and very little, if any, scraping with a knife will be required.

• Remove skull and rinse with clean water. Scrub it with a soft wire brush to remove the last bits of tissue that may cling to the skull. Clean the skull under running water inside and out and then let it sit in the sun for a few days to dry.


SimmeringAnother method commonly used

is to simmer the skulls. But never boil a skull, Mills said, as it can do serious damage to the bones. Steps:• Skin the skull and cut off the big-

gest chunks of meat. Either pre-soak the skull for a week or so in a bucket of water to soften up the tissue (preferred) or simmer it in a pot with water and sal soda (sodi-um carbonate), or baking soda (so-dium bicarbonate).

• Simmer the skull in the brew un-til the meat comes off easily, al-most like cooking a soup bone. The time varies according to how dry the meat is on the skull. Presoaking the skull in water cuts down on the simmering time.

• Once the skull is simmered long enough, take it out and clean it un-der running water.


The bag methodMills said this method is not as

popular as the other three, but it is still effective. It works best during the hotter months. Steps:• Skin the skull and remove the big

chunks of meat. Place the skull in a plastic bag and close it up. Then just let it sit in the sun for a few weeks. Insects will fi nd their way into the bag. And the heat inside the bag will encourage bacteria growth.

• Check the skull every few days. Once you can see the meat deteri-orating and falling off, it is time to take the skull out.

• Clean the skull under running wa-ter and make sure the brain is com-pletely gone.


Bleaching and fi nishingNot all people bleach the skull,

Mills said, but most prefer the gleam-ing white color it achieves.Steps:• Place the skull in the sun for a few

days to dry. • Place the skull in a container (not

metal) of hydrogen peroxide, mak-ing sure to cover the container. Hy-drogen peroxide bought at beauty supply stores may be 40 percent vol-ume. At grocery stores, drug stores or chain stores it is 3 percent vol-ume. If you use the 40 percent vol-ume, leave the skull in it no more than about 12 hours (overnight). If you use the 3 percent volume, it may have to soak a few days.

• After the bleaching process, take the skull out and let it sit in the sun again for several days to dry. Once it is dry, glue any loose or missing teeth back in with Elmer’s glue.

• Spray the skull with a slight mist of Deft matte wood fi nish or just leave it as it is. Mills prefers to spray.“The skulls stay clean longer and

are easier to keep clean,” she said.

Evelyn Mills may be contacted at (254) 793-2120, [email protected] or www.billingtonranchtaxidermy.com.

Institute’s Ocean and Human Health re-search team. The project has received fund-ing from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and the Rotary Club of Corpus Christi’s Harvey Weil Sportsman Conservationist Award Trust.

“This study is mainly to enlighten us on when and if these fi sh are moving,” Bivins said. “They are managed different in the low-er Laguna than they are in the Upper Laguna. So if these fi sh are traveling back and forth, it gives the managers more information.”

Last July, Bivins started surgically implant-ing tracking devices inside seatrout and strate-gically planting information receivers in high traffi c areas around Port Mansfi eld Channel, the Lower Laguna Madre, Land Cut, Baffi n Bay and the Upper Laguna Madre waters.

When Bivins retrieved the tracking infor-mation for the fi rst time this past May, which has to be done by hand at each receiver, she found out 70 percent of the 62 seatrout she’d tagged were still alive and had been success-fully tracked.

The seatrout had been picked up and

tagged from both out in the surf and inside the bays, as well as a handful caught in a cou-ple different tournaments.

“Ten of the trout that were tagged in the surf had come inside,” Bivins said. “And at least from this fi rst batch, none of the seatrout tagged inside went out into the surf.”

She was also surprised at how far and how fast some of the seatrout had moved.

“There had been some real long distance movements in a relatively short period of time,” she said. “I’m talking about a 9- or 10-mile move in a 12-hour period.”

But Bivins stressed that the study still ex-tremely young and there’s a lot of informa-tion yet to be gathered. She now has a total of 79 fi sh tagged and the tracking device inside the trout stays active for three years. Bivins plans to make another trip to the receivers this fall so she can start comparing the sec-ond batch of information against the fi rst.

“We’re hoping to keep building on this,” she said. “Eventually the goal is to really cov-er the entire Texas coast and put tags in oth-er species. This won’t end anytime soon.”

Tracking troutContinued From Page 8

TROUT TAGGER: Laura Bivins is tracking the movement of spotted seatrout along the lower Texas coast. Photo by Fish-eries and Ocean Health Group at Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies.


TrotlinesContinued From Page 8

the state, particularly in those waterways within the boundary of a state park.

After years of trial and error at his home lake, Brown has uncovered a hefty handful of honey holes across Choke where he can anchor his trotlines with good prospects of fooling catfi sh into taking the bait.

On his most recent trip, he tried out an area of water that was about 28 feet deep, using met-al weights on either end of the lines to hold the string of baited hooks about 20 feet deep.

Ends of the line are attached just below the sur-face of tree limbs sturdy enough to handle the tug and tussle of muscular catfi sh that take a bait and try to pull away from a not-so-free meal.

Brown recommends that when anglers are setting the lines — normally a two-man job — trotliners should stick with sets of less than 100 feet long and string out the heavy main line fi rst before going back to rig up the 18-24

inch drop lines every three to six feet. Drop lines have a size 13-O to 15-O circle hook attached to a barrel swivel that is baited and snapped to the main line with another swivel.

“You can get into a lot of trouble pretty fast handling all those hooks,’’ he said.

The swivels are necessary because hooked cat-fi sh have a tendency to twist and circle around a line in an attempt to pull their way to freedom.

“The best way to set a line is to put it in the water, then come back on the upwind side as you bait the hooks and let the wind push you along the line,” he said. “Just be very careful handling those hooks.”

Although he does not run trotlines with the regularity of his younger days — one of his for-mer fi shing partners decided to retire after he turned 94 — Brown said he still enjoys the sur-prise factor of putting a lot of baits in the water and letting nature take its course.

GOOD CATCH: Another good-eating size blue catfi sh that could not resist a live perch on a 15-O hook on a trotline set at Choke Canyon Reservoir, which is one of the state’s hot spots for long lines. Photo by Ralph Winingham, LSON.


2 pounds of large shrimp1/3 cup saffl ower oil1/2 cup fresh lime juice3 tablespoons dry white wine or vermouth1 tablespoon minced shallots or green onions (white part only)1 clove garlic minced1 teaspoon salt1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh dill or 1/2 teaspoon driedSeveral dashes Tabasco sauce

Place shrimp in a shallow ceramic or glass baking dish. Combine remain-ing ingredients and pour over shrimp. Cover and chill several hours or over-night. Drain shrimp and reserve marinade. Thread on skewers or place in a wire grill basket. Grill shrimp over hot coals, turning and brushing with reserved marinade, until pink and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Serve with wooden picks.

—The National Fisheries Institute, www.aboutseafood.com

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OUTDOOR PUZZLER | By Wilbur “Wib” Lundeen Solution on Page 25ACROSS1. A young hooter4. Solution to wash out gundog’s eyes9. A perch species

10. Treating a hide11. A duck13. Act of constructing a fl y14. Eagles, owls class18. A good bluebill bait19. A deer scouting term21. Should be in icefi shing gear24. Large trout species27. Forward end of a gun barrel28. A male elk29. Very large game of the plains33. Game to relocate seasonly35. A sight on a gun36. Term for a leader on a fl y rod37. A deer species

DOWN1. Mammal trapped for the fur2. A name for a trophy-sized game fi sh3. A type of camp fi replace4. A grouse species5. Part of a fi shline6. A loop in a bowstring

7. Term for tiring a fi sh to land it 8. Deer munch on them12. A deer lure, scent ______15. Part of an antler16. The camper’s bed17. A good wood for arrow shafts19. The V formation fl yers20. The hunting area22. Protects from skin slap on arrow

release

23. To construct a fl y lure25. A game’s favored area26. A wild sheep30. Part of the fi shing gear

31. A brand of bowhunter’s optic32. Furseeker’s gear34. A game resting place

Sabine Pass, jettyDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightSep 24 3:23 a.m. 2.7 H 9:46 a.m. 1.1 L 4:59 p.m. 2.9 H 9:56 p.m. 2.1 L Sep 25 3:29 a.m. 2.7 H 10:17 a.m. 0.9 L 5:57 p.m. 2.9 H 10:27 p.m. 2.3 L Sep 26 3:28 a.m. 2.9 H 10:50 a.m. 0.7 L 7:00 p.m. 3.0 H 10:59 p.m. 2.7 L Sep 27 3:17 a.m. 2.9 H 11:29 a.m. 0.5 L 8:12 p.m. 3.0 H 11:27 p.m. 2.9 L Sep 28 3:07 a.m. 3.0 H 12:15 p.m. 0.5 L 9:42 p.m. 3.0 H 11:49 p.m. 2.9 L Sep 29 3:10 a.m. 3.2 H 1:09 p.m. 0.5 L Sep 30 3:27 a.m. 3.2 H 2:13 p.m. 0.5 L Oct 1 3:45 a.m. 3.2 H 3:25 p.m. 0.5 L Oct 2 1:16 a.m. 3.2 H 4:38 p.m. 0.5 L Oct 3 1:23 a.m. 3.0 H 6:22 a.m. 2.7 L 9:36 a.m. 2.9 H 5:47 p.m. 0.7 L Oct 4 1:35 a.m. 3.0 H 6:35 a.m. 2.5 L 11:47 a.m. 3.0 H 6:49 p.m. 0.9 L Oct 5 1:48 a.m. 2.9 H 7:12 a.m. 2.0 L 1:20 p.m. 3.2 H 7:48 p.m. 1.3 L Oct 6 2:03 a.m. 2.9 H 7:54 a.m. 1.4 L 2:40 p.m. 3.4 H 8:44 p.m. 1.8 L Oct 7 2:19 a.m. 2.9 H 8:37 a.m. 0.7 L 3:54 p.m. 3.6 H 9:39 p.m. 2.1 L Oct 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

Galveston Bay entrance, south jettyDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightSep 24 4:10 a.m. 2.1 H 10:12 a.m. 0.9 L 5:46 p.m. 2.3 H 10:22 p.m. 1.7 L Sep 25 4:16 a.m. 2.1 H 10:43 a.m. 0.7 L 6:44 p.m. 2.3 H 10:53 p.m. 1.9 L Sep 26 4:15 a.m. 2.3 H 11:16 a.m. 0.6 L 7:47 p.m. 2.4 H 11:25 p.m. 2.1 L Sep 27 4:04 a.m. 2.3 H 11:55 a.m. 0.4 L 8:59 p.m. 2.4 H 11:53 p.m. 2.3 L Sep 28 3:54 a.m. 2.4 H 12:41 p.m. 0.4 L 10:29 p.m. 2.4 H Sep 29 12:15 a.m. 2.3 L 3:57 a.m. 2.6 H 1:35 p.m. 0.4 L Sep 30 4:14 a.m. 2.6 H 2:39 p.m. 0.4 L Oct 1 4:32 a.m. 2.6 H 3:51 p.m. 0.4 L Oct 2 2:03 a.m. 2.6 H 5:04 p.m. 0.4 L Oct 3 2:10 a.m. 2.4 H 6:48 a.m. 2.1 L 10:23 a.m. 2.3 H 6:13 p.m. 0.6 L Oct 4 2:22 a.m. 2.4 H 7:01 a.m. 2.0 L 12:34 p.m. 2.4 H 7:15 p.m. 0.7 L Oct 5 2:35 a.m. 2.3 H 7:38 a.m. 1.6 L 2:07 p.m. 2.6 H 8:14 p.m. 1.0 L Oct 6 2:50 a.m. 2.3 H 8:20 a.m. 1.1 L 3:27 p.m. 2.7 H 9:10 p.m. 1.4 L Oct 7 3:06 a.m. 2.3 H 9:03 a.m. 0.6 L 4:41 p.m. 2.9 H 10:05 p.m. 1.7 L Oct 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

San Luis PassDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightSep 24 4:40 a.m. 1.3 H 11:08 a.m. 0.5 L 6:16 p.m. 1.4 H 11:18 p.m. 1.0 L Sep 25 4:46 a.m. 1.3 H 11:39 a.m. 0.4 L 7:14 p.m. 1.4 H 11:49 p.m. 1.1 L Sep 26 4:45 a.m. 1.4 H 12:12 p.m. 0.3 L 8:17 p.m. 1.5 H Sep 27 12:21 a.m. 1.3 L 4:34 a.m. 1.4 H 12:51 p.m. 0.3 L 9:29 p.m. 1.5 H Sep 28 12:49 a.m. 1.4 L 4:24 a.m. 1.5 H 1:37 p.m. 0.3 L 10:59 p.m. 1.5 H Sep 29 1:11 a.m. 1.4 L 4:27 a.m. 1.5 H 2:31 p.m. 0.3 L Sep 30 4:44 a.m. 1.5 H 3:35 p.m. 0.3 L Oct 1 5:02 a.m. 1.5 H 4:47 p.m. 0.3 L Oct 2 2:33 a.m. 1.5 H 6:00 p.m. 0.3 L Oct 3 2:40 a.m. 1.5 H 7:44 a.m. 1.3 L 10:53 a.m. 1.4 H 7:09 p.m. 0.3 L Oct 4 2:52 a.m. 1.5 H 7:57 a.m. 1.2 L 1:04 p.m. 1.5 H 8:11 p.m. 0.4 L Oct 5 3:05 a.m. 1.4 H 8:34 a.m. 0.9 L 2:37 p.m. 1.5 H 9:10 p.m. 0.6 L Oct 6 3:20 a.m. 1.4 H 9:16 a.m. 0.7 L 3:57 p.m. 1.6 H 10:06 p.m. 0.9 L Oct 7 3:36 a.m. 1.4 H 9:59 a.m. 0.3 L 5:11 p.m. 1.7 H 11:01 p.m. 1.0 L 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

Freeport HarborDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightSep 24 3:32 a.m. 1.8 H 10:09 a.m. 0.5 L 5:08 p.m. 2.0 H 10:19 p.m. 1.1 L Sep 25 3:38 a.m. 1.8 H 10:40 a.m. 0.5 L 6:06 p.m. 2.0 H 10:50 p.m. 1.2 L Sep 26 3:37 a.m. 2.0 H 11:13 a.m. 0.4 L 7:09 p.m. 2.1 H 11:22 p.m. 1.4 L Sep 27 3:26 a.m. 2.0 H 11:52 a.m. 0.3 L 8:21 p.m. 2.1 H 11:50 p.m. 1.4 L Sep 28 3:16 a.m. 2.1 H 12:38 p.m. 0.3 L 9:51 p.m. 2.1 H Sep 29 12:12 a.m. 1.4 L 3:19 a.m. 2.2 H 1:32 p.m. 0.3 L Sep 30 3:36 a.m. 2.2 H 2:36 p.m. 0.3 L Oct 1 3:54 a.m. 2.2 H 3:48 p.m. 0.3 L Oct 2 1:25 a.m. 2.2 H 5:01 p.m. 0.3 L Oct 3 1:32 a.m. 2.1 H 6:45 a.m. 1.4 L 9:45 a.m. 2.0 H 6:10 p.m. 0.4 L Oct 4 1:44 a.m. 2.1 H 6:58 a.m. 1.3 L 11:56 a.m. 2.1 H 7:12 p.m. 0.5 L Oct 5 1:57 a.m. 2.0 H 7:35 a.m. 1.0 L 1:29 p.m. 2.2 H 8:11 p.m. 0.6 L Oct 6 2:12 a.m. 2.0 H 8:17 a.m. 0.7 L 2:49 p.m. 2.3 H 9:07 p.m. 0.9 L Oct 7 2:28 a.m. 2.0 H 9:00 a.m. 0.4 L 4:03 p.m. 2.5 H 10:02 p.m. 1.1 L Oct 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

South Padre IslandDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightSep 24 2:53 a.m. 1.4 H 9:44 a.m. 0.8 L 5:24 p.m. 1.8 H 11:33 p.m. 1.3 L Sep 25 2:29 a.m. 1.4 H 10:11 a.m. 0.6 L 6:24 p.m. 1.8 H Sep 26 10:42 a.m. 0.4 L 7:33 p.m. 1.8 H Sep 27 11:21 a.m. 0.3 L 8:56 p.m. 1.9 H Sep 28 12:09 p.m. 0.2 L 10:33 p.m. 2.0 H Sep 29 1:06 p.m. 0.2 L Sep 30 12:00 a.m. 2.1 H 2:12 p.m. 0.2 L Oct 1 12:59 a.m. 2.2 H 3:24 p.m. 0.3 L Oct 2 1:38 a.m. 2.2 H 4:39 p.m. 0.4 L Oct 3 2:00 a.m. 2.1 H 5:53 p.m. 0.6 L Oct 4 2:09 a.m. 2.0 H 7:27 a.m. 1.6 L 11:29 a.m. 1.8 H 7:05 p.m. 0.8 L Oct 5 2:08 a.m. 1.8 H 7:34 a.m. 1.3 L 1:30 p.m. 1.9 H 8:16 p.m. 1.0 L Oct 6 2:00 a.m. 1.6 H 8:02 a.m. 0.9 L 3:05 p.m. 2.0 H 9:30 p.m. 1.2 L Oct 7 1:47 a.m. 1.5 H 8:38 a.m. 0.5 L 4:28 p.m. 2.1 H 10:52 p.m. 1.4 L Oct 8 1:23 a.m. 1.5 H 9:20 a.m. 0.2 L 5:47 p.m. 2.2 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 HeightSep 24 3:15 a.m. 0.7 L 5:16 a.m. 0.8 H 12:41 p.m. 0.6 L 9:20 p.m. 1.1 H Sep 25 1:11 p.m. 0.5 L 11:05 p.m. 1.1 H Sep 26 1:46 p.m. 0.4 L Sep 27 2:20 a.m. 1.2 H 2:28 p.m. 0.4 L Sep 28 3:59 a.m. 1.3 H 3:19 p.m. 0.4 L Sep 29 5:01 a.m. 1.4 H 4:19 p.m. 0.3 L Sep 30 5:55 a.m. 1.4 H 5:31 p.m. 0.4 L Oct 1 6:47 a.m. 1.5 H 6:52 p.m. 0.4 L Oct 2 7:37 a.m. 1.4 H 8:12 p.m. 0.4 L Oct 3 08:29 a.m. 1.3 H 9:27 p.m. 0.5 L Oct 4 09:32 a.m. 1.2 H 10:35 p.m. 0.7 L Oct 5 7:01 a.m. 1.0 H 9:46 a.m. 0.9 L 4:07 p.m. 1.1 H 11:39 p.m. 0.8 L Oct 6 4:50 a.m. 0.9 H 10:42 a.m. 0.8 L 6:32 p.m. 1.2 H Oct 7 12:46 a.m. 0.9 L 3:26 a.m. 1.0 H 11:32 a.m. 0.6 L 8:26 p.m. 1.3 H Oct 8 12:20 p.m. 0.4 L 10:27 p.m. 1.4 H

RockportDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightSep 24 4:57 a.m. 0.56 H 1:47 p.m. 0.39 LSep 25 4:52 a.m. 0.59 H 2:32 p.m. 0.37 LSep 26 4:54 a.m. 0.62 H 3:16 p.m. 0.35 LSep 27 5:10 a.m. 0.64 H 4:04 p.m. 0.34 LSep 28 5:49 a.m. 0.66 H 4:58 p.m. 0.34 L Sep 29 6:46 a.m. 0.69 H 5:56 p.m. 0.33 LSep 30 7:52 a.m. 0.70 H 6:57 p.m. 0.33 LOct 1 8:58 a.m. 0.72 H 7:55 p.m. 0.34 L Oct 2 10:03 a.m. 0.71 H 8:47 p.m. 0.37 L Oct 3 11:11 a.m. 0.69 H 9:32 p.m. 0.41 LOct 4 12:41 p.m. 0.66 H 10:04 p.m. 0.47 LOct 5 6:18 a.m. 0.58 H 9:03 a.m. 0.58 L 3:13 p.m. 0.61 H 10:10 p.m. 0.54 L Oct 6 4:12 a.m. 0.60 H 11:21 a.m. 0.51 L Oct 7 3:16 a.m. 0.65 H 12:31 p.m. 0.45 LOct 8 3:05 a.m. 0.71 H 1:28 p.m. 0.39 L

Houston2010 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONSep Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets24 Fri > 6:12 12:02 6:34 12:23 07:09 07:16 7:44p 8:15a25 Sat > 6:59 12:47 7:21 1:10 07:10 07:15 8:18p 9:10a26 Sun 7:49 1:37 8:12 2:01 07:10 07:13 8:56p 10:07a27 Mon 8:42 2:30 9:08 2:55 07:11 07:12 9:39p 11:05a28 Tue 9:39 3:26 10:05 3:52 07:11 07:11 10:28p 12:03p29 Wed 10:37 4:24 11:05 4:51 07:12 07:10 11:23p 12:59p 30 Thu Q 11:36 5:22 ----- 5:50 07:12 07:08 NoMoon 1:53p01 Fri 12:09 6:19 12:33 6:47 07:13 07:07 12:23a 2:43p 02 Sat 12:59 7:13 1:27 7:41 07:13 07:06 1:28a 3:29p 03 Sun 1:50 8:04 2:18 8:31 07:14 07:05 2:35a 4:11p 04 Mon 2:39 8:52 3:05 9:18 07:15 07:04 3:43a 4:50p 05 Tue 3:25 9:38 3:51 10:04 07:15 07:02 4:50a 5:28p 06 Wed > 4:12 10:25 4:38 10:51 07:16 07:01 5:57a 6:05p 07 Thu > 5:01 11:15 5:28 11:41 07:16 07:00 7:05a 6:43p 08 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

Port Aransas, H. Caldwell PierDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightSep 24 4:03 a.m. 1.7 H 9:51 a.m. 0.5 L 5:39 p.m. 1.8 H 10:01 p.m. 0.9 L Sep 25 4:09 a.m. 1.7 H 10:22 a.m. 0.4 L 6:37 p.m. 1.8 H 10:32 p.m. 1.0 L Sep 26 4:08 a.m. 1.8 H 10:55 a.m. 0.3 L 7:40 p.m. 2.0 H 11:04 p.m. 1.2 L Sep 27 3:57 a.m. 1.8 H 11:34 a.m. 0.2 L 8:52 p.m. 2.0 H 11:32 p.m. 1.2 L Sep 28 3:47 a.m. 2.0 H 12:20 p.m. 0.2 L 10:22 p.m. 2.0 H 11:54 p.m. 1.2 L Sep 29 3:50 a.m. 2.1 H 1:14 p.m. 0.2 L Sep 30 4:07 a.m. 2.1 H 2:18 p.m. 0.2 L Oct 1 4:25 a.m. 2.1 H 3:30 p.m. 0.2 L Oct 2 1:56 a.m. 2.1 H 4:43 p.m. 0.2 L Oct 3 2:03 a.m. 2.0 H 6:27 a.m. 1.2 L 10:16 a.m. 1.8 H 5:52 p.m. 0.3 L Oct 4 2:15 a.m. 2.0 H 6:40 a.m. 1.1 L 12:27 p.m. 2.0 H 6:54 p.m. 0.4 L Oct 5 2:28 a.m. 1.8 H 7:17 a.m. 0.8 L 2:00 p.m. 2.1 H 7:53 p.m. 0.5 L Oct 6 2:43 a.m. 1.8 H 7:59 a.m. 0.6 L 3:20 p.m. 2.2 H 8:49 p.m. 0.8 L Oct 7 2:59 a.m. 1.8 H 8:42 a.m. 0.3 L 4:34 p.m. 2.3 H 9:44 p.m. 0.9 L Oct 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

San Antonio2010 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONSep Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets24 Fri > 6:25 12:14 6:46 12:36 07:22 07:28 7:57p 8:28a25 Sat > 7:11 1:00 7:33 1:22 07:22 07:27 8:31p 9:23a26 Sun 8:01 1:49 8:25 2:13 07:23 07:26 9:09p 10:19a27 Mon 8:55 2:42 9:20 3:08 07:23 07:25 9:52p 11:17a28 Tue 9:52 3:38 10:18 4:05 07:24 07:23 10:42p 12:15p29 Wed 10:50 4:36 11:17 5:04 07:24 07:22 11:37p 1:11p 30 Thu Q 11:48 5:34 ----- 6:02 07:25 07:21 NoMoon 2:05p 01 Fri 12:21 6:31 12:45 6:59 07:25 07:20 12:37a 2:56p 02 Sat 1:12 7:25 1:39 7:53 07:26 07:19 1:42a 3:42p 03 Sun 2:03 8:16 2:30 8:44 07:26 07:17 2:49a 4:24p 04 Mon 2:51 9:04 3:18 9:31 07:27 07:16 3:56a 5:03p 05 Tue 3:37 9:50 4:03 10:16 07:27 07:15 5:03a 5:40p 06 Wed > 4:24 10:37 4:50 11:03 07:28 07:14 6:10a 6:18p 07 Thu > 5:14 11:27 5:41 11:54 07:29 07:13 7:18a 6:57p 08 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

Amarillo2010 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONSep Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets24 Fri > 6:38 12:28 7:00 12:49 07:35 07:42 8:03p 8:48a25 Sat > 7:25 1:13 7:47 1:36 07:36 07:40 8:35p 9:46a26 Sun 8:15 2:03 8:38 2:26 07:37 07:39 9:10p 10:45a27 Mon 9:08 2:56 9:33 3:21 07:37 07:37 9:52p 11:45a28 Tue 10:05 3:52 10:31 4:18 07:38 07:36 10:40p 12:44p29 Wed 11:03 4:49 11:31 5:17 07:39 07:34 11:35p 1:41p 30 Thu Q ----- 5:48 12:02 6:16 07:40 07:33 NoMoon 2:35p 01 Fri 12:35 6:45 12:59 7:13 07:40 07:32 12:36a 3:23p 02 Sat 1:25 7:39 1:53 8:07 07:41 07:30 1:43a 4:06p 03 Sun 2:16 8:30 2:43 8:57 07:42 07:29 2:53a 4:45p 04 Mon 3:04 9:18 3:31 9:44 07:43 07:27 4:04a 5:21p 05 Tue 3:51 10:04 4:17 10:30 07:43 07:26 5:15a 5:55p 06 Wed > 4:38 10:51 5:04 11:17 07:44 07:24 6:26a 6:28p 07 Thu > 5:27 11:41 5:54 12:07 07:45 07:23 7:37a 7:04p 08 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

Dallas2010 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONSep Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets24 Fri > 6:18 12:07 6:39 12:29 07:15 07:21 7:46p 8:24a25 Sat > 7:04 12:53 7:26 1:15 07:15 07:20 8:18p 9:21a26 Sun 7:54 1:42 8:18 2:06 07:16 07:19 8:55p 10:19a27 Mon 8:48 2:35 9:13 3:01 07:17 07:17 9:37p 11:18a28 Tue 9:45 3:31 10:11 3:58 07:17 07:16 10:25p 12:17p29 Wed 10:43 4:29 11:10 4:57 07:18 07:15 11:20p 1:13p 30 Thu Q 11:41 5:27 ----- 5:55 07:19 07:13 NoMoon 2:07p 01 Fri 12:14 6:24 12:38 6:52 07:19 07:12 12:21a 2:56p 02 Sat 1:05 7:18 1:32 7:46 07:20 07:11 1:27a 3:41p 03 Sun 1:56 8:09 2:23 8:37 07:21 07:09 2:36a 4:21p 04 Mon 2:44 8:57 3:11 9:24 07:21 07:08 3:45a 4:58p 05 Tue 3:30 9:43 3:56 10:09 07:22 07:07 4:54a 5:34p 06 Wed > 4:17 10:30 4:43 10:56 07:23 07:05 6:04a 6:09p 07 Thu > 5:07 11:20 5:34 11:47 07:23 07:04 7:14a 6:46p 08 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

Charcoal Grilled Shrimp

1 1/2 to 2 pounds venison steak, cut into slices 3/4-inch thick

Salt and pepper1 1/2 cups all-purpose fl our3 tablespoons clarifi ed butter or light

cooking oil1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onion2 tablespoons tomato paste1 1/2 cups beef stock or brothEnough water to cover

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix salt and pepper into fl our. Dredge meat in fl our to coat well. Shake off excess. At high setting, heat 2 tablespoons clarifi ed butter or oil in a large frying pan. When the butter

or oil is very hot but not smoking, add meat and brown on all sides (roughly 2 minutes). Cook meat in separate batches if necessary to avoid crowding in pan. Remove meat from pan and set aside. Add remaining butter or oil and sauté onions. Stir in tomato paste or puree, stock or broth and pinch of salt and pepper. Add steaks and position in a single layer. Cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, and bake for 2 1/2 hours. Place steaks on plates and cover with sauce from pan. Serves four.

— Minn. Dept. of Natural Resources

Venison Swiss Steak


September 25Jefferson Delta WaterfowlFundraiserKellyville Community Center(903) 576-0775

September 26National Wild Turkey FederationWomen in the OutdoorsFort Bliss Rod and Gun Club, El Paso(915) [email protected]

September 28Athens Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserTexas Freshwater Fisheries Center(903) 681-3347

Wharton Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserHungerford Hall(979) 532-3175

Kilgore Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserBodacious Barbecue(903) 245-4548

September 29Midland Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserGreen Tree Country Club(432) 694-9374

September 30Fort Worth Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserLockheed Martin Recreation Building(817) 291-6696

Austin/Pfl ugerville Delta WaterfowlFundraiserPfl uger Hall(512) 653-6267

Matagorda Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserBay City Civic Center(979) 429-0050

October 1-3Toyota Texas Bass ClassicLake Conroe, Lone Star Convention Centerwww.toyotatexasbassclassic.com

October 2Clear Creek Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserLeague City, Clear Creek Community Center(281) 217-9238

October 5Uvalde Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserUvalde Country Club(830) 591-8952

October 6Houston Safari ClubMonthly MeetingEmbassy Suites – Energy Corridor(713) 623-8844

Centex Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserTemple, Star Hall(254) 624-3255

October 7The Orvis CompanyDallas Orvis Store Conservation Night, Dallas(214) 265-1600

Cross Timbers Quail CoalitionFundraiserFort Worth(817) 731-3402

Katy/Brookshire Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserAgave Road Banquet Hall(281) 748-5906

Beaumont Delta WaterfowlFundraiser(409) 718-8280

Denton Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserKnights of Columbus Hall(940) 390-6235

Northeast Tarrant County Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserColleyville Community Center(817) 360-5611

CCA Texas BBQ & STAR awardsHouston Farm & Ranch Club(713) 626-4222

San Antonio Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserAlzafar Shrine Temple(210) 396-6282

Central Texas Ducks UnlimitedFundraiserCentral Texas Home Builders Assn.(254) 702-9250

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) 423-5974

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

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

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 ParkPort Aransas(361) 758-0463

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

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 29-31National Wild Turkey FederationWomen in the OutdoorsRichards Ranch, Jacksboro(940) [email protected]

DATEBOOK


Wet South ZoneContinued From Page 1

Puzzle solution from Page 23Service proposes

fi rst time huntingon one refuge

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a proposal to open Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Texas to big game hunting.

Deer hunting at the refuge for the purpose of wildlife management was permitted over four weekends in the fall of 2009 to curb overpop-ulation in some areas. This season, lottery hunts have been set for a disabled hunt, youth hunt and three weekends for modern gun hunts. The deadlines for applications for these hunts have passed.

—Staff report

Pope & Young Club founder dies

Glenn St. Charles, archery pio-neer and one of the principals

often credited with legitimizing the bow and arrow for big game hunting with state game agencies across the country, died in Seattle at the age of 98. The founder of the Pope

and Young Club was one of the fi rst inductees into the National Archery Hall of Fame and was a driving force in the industry for more than 50 years.

—The Outdoor Pressroom report

back out in the fi eld. It just kept raining.”

Sunday, the birds weren’t as plentiful, and then the rains came again.

“It was just sprinkling most of the time,” he said. “But the birds still headed for cover. But it was wet, we nearly got stuck getting out.”

Along the Coastal Bend and in areas south of San Antonio, offshoots of Hurricane Karl in the form of an area of low pressure ruined hunts. Corpus Christi received 7.16 inches of rain on Sunday after receiving a few inches Friday and Saturday. The Guadalupe River in Victoria over-fl owed. In Robstown, trucks were wading through several inches of water on the highways. Hunters in McMullen County reported rain all weekend after good hunts on Friday afternoon.

One group hunting near Pleas-anton braved the rains and stayed in the fi eld. The whitewings didn’t fl y much but the Eurasian collared doves didn’t seem to mind and the group bagged 26 of the bonus birds.

And even Uvalde had showers but hunters managed limits — it just took them longer than usual.

Most South Texas hunters reported seeing good numbers of birds, and they were busy plan-ning trips to get back out once it dries up.

Closer to the Rio Grande Valley, the rains came but gave hunters more shooting time. Kris Kallina with La Media Lodge near Linn said the birds were fl ying most of the weekend.

“It rained early Friday but stopped in the afternoon,” Kallina said. “And everyone shot limits on Saturday.”

Sunday, though, the rains came and washed out the hunt.

“It’s like a curse,” he said. “Something seems to happen opening weekend or one of the special whitewing weekends every year.”

But Kallina remained encour-aged for the remainder of the season.

“I scouted on Monday and it looks like the birds stuck around,” he said.

Farther east but still in the South Zone, hunters fared much better. The El Campo and Rosen-berg area saw steady whitewing hunts, with some hunters com-paring areas south of El Campo to hunting in the Rio Grande Valley.

Hunting Briefs

Glenn St. Charles


LONE STAR MARKET


and they’re better consumers of oxygen than the fi sh,” said Greg Conley, a pollution biologist for TPW’s Kills and Spills Team. “It crashes the system basically. The fi sh have nothing left to breathe.”

While fi sh kills have been reported at other power plant lakes such as Braunig and Calaveras near San Antonio, they were minor compared to those at Fairfi eld Lake.

“Most lakes have infl ow through creeks and rivers and outfl ow through a dam,” Conley said. “In a typical reser-voir lake, this causes a fl ushing of nutri-ents. In this case, the dam has not been opened in sev-eral years.”

A lack of rainfall also contributed to the kills, TPW offi cials said.

Ott called the high nutrient levels in Fairfi eld Lake a “two-edged sword.”

“The high nutrient level contributes to a rapid growth rate for fi sh, while leaving them vulnerable to a fi sh kill,” he said. “It’s an amazingly productive fi shery. The num-ber and weight of fi sh per acre is far above what it is at other lakes. It may well be that the fi shery is so productive that it can sustain a high production of fi sh for a long time. At

this point, we just don’t know. Once we do our sampling, we’ll have a better idea.”

There’s little sign of the fi sh kill now at Fairfi eld Lake. The fi sh on the water sank and those along the shore were devoured by vultures and a bountiful hog population.

“And what they didn’t get, the fi re ants did,” Ott said.

What locals are wait-ing to see is the effect of the kill on fi shing.

Cory Vinson, owner of Guaranteed Guide Service, wouldn’t be surprised if the fi sh-ing is off the charts. He remembers fi shing Lake Whitney after a die-off from golden algae.

“For six months afterward, the fi shing was great,” he said.

“The reason being all the baitfi sh were gone. The fi sh that survived were starving to death. If there are any reds left at Fairfi eld Lake, they’re going to be hungry. It could be great fi shing until they’re caught out.”

Vinson hopes TPW will continue stocking Fairfi eld Lake. Starting in October, his business runs three boats out there every weekend.

“Having redfi sh there is a big draw,” he said. “It’s our winter hot spot. How great is it to only have to drive an hour and a half from Dallas to catch a 40-inch red? I hope they keep stocking it. Will they? I don’t know.”

Fairfield’s futureContinued From Page 1

guides go down as low as 2.5. Japanese anglers use them for everything from fi nesse fi sh-ing to rods for large squid. The European carp rods also are designed for specifi c tac-tics, but with sensitivity be-ing paramount.

Seagraves has used his rods for everything from bass in open water and close-quar-ter vegetation near his Kis-simmee home to saltwater in the Upper Keys. He said not only are little things like wind knots reduced dramat-ically, but casting distance is increased.

“I’m still trying different lures with the micro guide rods, but so far I haven’t seen anything that would cause me to change (back,)” he said. “Topwaters, crankbaits, jigs, saltwater — I’ve picked up some distance with casts and am continuing to learn more about them each time I go fi shing.”

Casting distance has been one benefi t companies have promoted. Bassmaster Elite Series pro Jason Williamson is a member of the Duckett Fish-ing team and uses its “Micro Magic” rods. He compared the performance of smaller guides to a piston and cylin-der in a vehicle motor.

“If you take the cylinder head off and look at the pis-ton, it’s a tight fi t,” he said. “If you leave the piston the same size but bore out the cylinder then it would have more movement, unusual friction, more everything.

“It’s the same thing with micro guides. You’re closing in to the line size so you’re get-ting your cylinder to match your piston. If you have fl uo-rocarbon on there for a long time, days without casting, what do you hear when you cast a spinning rod? You hear the line slapping the guides. Pick up a micro guide spin-

ning rod and you’re going to hear less line slap and you’ll get more distance. It’s the same thing with a baitcast-ing rod, to an extent.”

At least one top ten pro angler discounts the tiny guides as another weird gim-mick or trend that will go away. But Williamson says the extra distance during casts is noticeable. Setting the reel properly, along with using fresh line and a line conditioner to help add a lit-tle lubricant, also can help casting effi ciency.

“When you get two pro-fessionals who fi sh all day, someone like me and Kev-in (VanDam) on wire-to-wire casts probably should be within a couple of feet of each other,” he said. “That’s because we’re dialed in and set up with our gear. But for the average angler who wants to gain distance, I think the micro guides are the way to go.”

Micro guidesContinued From Page 8

GETTING TO BE A HABIT: TPW offi cials say low dissolved oxygen rates at Fairfi eld Lake are responsible for what is becoming an annual fi sh kill. Photos by TPW.

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More than 120 youngsters received a treat at the Dallas Ecological Foundation’s S.A.F.E.T.Y event at Greystone Castle near Mingus. They were given shotgun instruc-tion by some of the world’s top junior shooters.

Miranda Wilder, Jaiden Grinnell and Caitlin Connor all medaled at the Junior World Championships in Munich, Germany last month. Wilder, of Diana, took the gold in International Trap.

The event, held twice yearly by the char-itable affi liate of the Dallas Safari Club, hosts students and their parents for a full day of hands-on experience in shotgun, muzzleloader, archery and crossbow, pistol, and rifl e shooting. The students are chosen from the more than 3,500 who complete an Outdoor Adventures elective course at par-ticipating Texas schools.

Dallas Safari Club is a sponsor of the USA Shooting Junior team.

BASIC INSTRUCTION: World Junior Champion Miranda Wilder helps a new shooter prepare to break a clay target at the Dallas Ecological Foundation’s S.A.F.E.T.Y. event. Photo by Craig Nyhus, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Taught by a champion


By Alan ClemonsFOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

It’s no secret the boating industry has taken a big hit the last couple of years, but some boating companies are banking on moderately priced fi berglass boats to help anglers inter-ested in getting on the water.

Nitro Boats is one of them, and recently unveiled its new Nitro Z-6 that is loaded with some of the same features found on its higher-priced brothers in the “Z” lineup. But the Z-6, which is 17 feet 6 inches in length, carries a more affordable price tag of just $19,695 (not counting prep and freight).

Anglers on a budget or those looking to break into tour-nament competition might fi nd the Z-6 to be just the right fi t. Maurice Bowen of Tracker Marine Group said anglers’ pas-sion for fi shing remains high.

“They may lack confi dence in these economic times,” Bowen said recently to boating writers at Big Cedar Lodge near Branson, Mo. “But one thing hasn’t changed. They are looking for features, they are looking for value and they are looking for price.”

Bowen showed nationwide sales fi gures and fi berglass bass boats were off 20 percent in the last year. But he said those in the Tracker Marine Group line were up 52 percent, easily buck-ing the trend and helping TMG to a 15 percent market share. Sales of aluminum boats were down 10 percent, although Tracker’s were up 9 percent, while recreational boats were down in boat categories.

But optimism is high for continued growth in the Z lineup, with the comfortable Z-6 expected to be a highlight. At roughly $20,000 to $21,000 (counting prep/shipping), it provides an affordable entry point for bass fi shermen ready to step into a fi berglass rig.

For its size, the Z-6 offers a roomy front deck that includes a 54-pound thrust MotorGuide trolling motor. Two rod/gear

lockers can hold rods up to 7-feet-6 inches long. Port and starboard aft lockers have drop-in boxes that are molded for tackle trays and gear.

Three-across seats are comfortable and the console has tilt steering control. The livewell holds 34 gallons and is aerated with a timer, divider and pumpout system. A 2-bank, 4-amp battery charger is standard, as is a fl ush-mounted Lowrance Mark-5X fi shfi nder. The Z-6 also comes with a reboarding ladder, in case of an overboard spill or a dunk on a hot summer day.

Storage shouldn’t be a problem in a garage, either. The Z-6 trailer has a swing-away tongue to reduce length, and the trailer comes with Galvashield corrosion protection.

The Z-6 is rigged with a Mercury 115 hp ProXS OptiMax direct injection outboard. The engine is part of upgrades Mercury is making to some of its lineup, including the addi-tion of a new 150 ProXS OptiMax.

“They might be smaller in size — but they’re not short on

performance,” said Steve Miller, Mercury brand manager.Tracker Marine is counting on a continued uptick in boat-

ing sales as consumers look for new or different ways to enjoy fi shing and the outdoors. With the boat show season just months away, expect to see the Z-6 as part of many dealers’ offerings.

For information on the new Nitro Z-6, visit www.nitroboats.com.

Affordable way to stay

on the water

NITRO’S NEW BOAT: Nitro recently unveiled its Z-6 model, which is 17 feet 6 inches in length and carries an affordable price tag of just $19,695. Photos by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.



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September 24, 2010 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting