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Page 1: August 12, 2011 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting

LSONews.com Lone✯Star Outdoor News August 12, 2011 Page 1

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August 12, 2011 Texas’ Premier Outdoor Newspaper Volume 7, Issue 24

INSIDE: Hunting Texas 2011 Annual

Inside

❘❚ LSONews.com

Few hunters bag the white-tipped dove, a South Texas rarity.

Page 4

Mystery bird❘❚ HUNTING

Legislator still wants all seniors to fi sh for free.

Page 8

Senior rate

Parched habitat is forcing deer to switch foods.Page 4

Forb shortage

Anglers are boating kingfi sh way offshore.Page 8

Sport of kings

❘❚ FISHING

Anglers beat the heat, land loads of crappieBy Nicholas ConklinLONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

The crappie bite has been an arduous one of late, but the reward for enduring 100-plus-degree heat can be a livewell full of fi sh.

Live bait anglers on Lewisville Lake and Lake Ray Roberts have reported good numbers of crappie, while fi shing hard targets like timber and brush piles.

Angler Chris Waters of

Denton said that although it has been tough on Ray Roberts, the payoff of 25 or so keeper crappie has made the heat somewhat bearable.

“I have been going out in the afternoon,” Waters said. “It’s kind of grueling, but when they're biting like that, it can be pretty fun.”

Fishing in 20 to 25 feet of water, Waters has had both the numbers — 150 fi sh each on two different outings — and the qual-

ity. The fi sh were in the 1- to 2-pound range. Waters has focused on that depth range because very few fi sh have been landed deeper than that.

“I have tried some deeper stuff but I think the thermocline is the cutoff,” Waters said. “There just isn't enough oxygen down low so the magic depth has been 20-22 feet.”

NICE SLAB: Anglers using minnows, jigs, or combinations of both have been catch-ing crappie in traditional spots: brush piles and timber. Photo by Anh Nguyen.

See BEAT THE HEAT, Page 15

Trapper’s high-tech system targets multiple hogs

❘❚ CONTENTSClassifi eds . . . . . . . . . Page 29Crossword . . . . . . . . . Page 18Fishing Report . . . . . . . Page 10For the Table. . . . . . . . Page 18Game Warden Blotter . . . . Page 12Heroes. . . . . . . . . . . Page 14Outdoor Datebook . . . . . Page 28Outfi tters and Businesses . . Page 29Products . . . . . . . . . . Page 30Sun, Moon and Tide data . . Page 18

The antler restriction is rigid, even for mature deer with narrow inside spreads.

Page 4

No slack

Boaters fear wireless network will block GPS signals.

Page 9

GPS mess

By Bill MillerLONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

Late-night e-mails excite Brandon Tilford.

They usually signal a new chance for this Austin businessman to make money, but they don’t come from cus-tomers or vendors.

Feral hogs cause the e-mails to reach Tilford’s smartphone.

Motion-activated surveillance cameras detect pigs as they enter Tilford’s traps, even if they are hundreds of miles away.

The pole-mounted cameras send him

SOUNDER QUEST: Brandon Tilford of Austin has developed

a system that notifi es him by e-mail if hogs are in his trap.

A signal from his smartphone can spring the trapdoor shut,

even if he is hundreds of miles away. Photos by Bill Miller, Lone Star Outdoor News.

See TRAPPER'S, Page 15

Lower coast trout limit works, some guides, anglers say

By Conor HarrisonLONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

Port Mansfi eld guide Charlie Stewart has been guiding the better part of 56 years — the last 15 in the Laguna Madre.

Even with all of that experience, the past fi ve years have been the best he’s seen.

“I don’t know what caused it, but it is so good right now,” Stewart said. “This is twice as good or better before the change.”

Big trout are what anglers head to the Laguna Madre bay system for, and after Texas Parks and Wildlife Department implemented a fi ve-trout

limit almost fi ve years ago, guide and angler opinions remain torn on the regulation. That was evident by the turnout at scoping meet-ing earlier this year along the middle and upper coasts about implementing a fi ve-trout limit.

Guides and anglers vehemently opposed the measure being implemented north of the

See TROUT LIMIT, Page 15

MORE TO CHOOSE FROM: Guides in the Laguna Madre said the fi ve-trout limit implemented several years ago

by TPWD is helping produce more and bigger fi sh in the system. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.

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HUNTING

White-tipped dove offers rare bird in bag

By Conor HarrisonLONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

The white-tipped dove is a seldom seen bird in deep South Texas, but when hunters see one, they need to shoot fast.

Edward Mathers, owner of the Mathers Ranch in Brownsville, said his guests shoot one every two or three years while hunting white-winged doves.

“They are like a ground dove,” Mathers said. “They are big, like a pigeon, but they stay in the brush and fl y real low to the ground. I’ve only ever shot a couple of them myself.”

The white-tipped dove, or white-fronted dove, ranges into Texas from its home range in Central America and Mexico according to Texas Parks

and Wildlife Department. Texas hunt-ers harvest about 5,000 white-tipped doves each season. The daily bag limit is two birds.

Texas began hunting white-tipped doves in 1984.

According to an Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ Migratory Shore and Upland Bird Support Task Force report in February, the white-tipped dove was historically found in only the four southern most counties in Texas — Starr, Hidalgo, Willacy and Cameron.

But they have expanded their range into seven additional coun-ties — Zapata, Brooks, Kenedy, Webb, McMullen, Dimmit and Live Oak.

Mathers said the white-tipped dove has reddish meat that tastes more like a Eurasian dove than a mourning dove.

Corey Mason, lead dove biologist at TPWD, said the white-tipped dove has similar habits to other dove spe-cies, although they are a little bigger in body size than mourning dove.

They are also considerably lighter colored on the breast, giving them

one of their common names, the white-fronted dove.

“They are year-round residents and they don’t really move around much (like other doves),” Mason said. “It is not uncommon for birds to spend the entire year in a fi ve- or 10-mile radius. That makes it hard to get a lot of infor-mation about the species.

“We’ve gotten a couple of reports of these birds in other parts of the state, but not many.”

Mason said biologists don’t really have a great estimate for how many birds actually reside in Texas.

Much like other doves, the white-tipped dove feeds on grass and wild-fl ower seeds. It also takes advantage of the fruit of local trees, including citrus and hackberry, as well as grain crops like corn and sorghum.

“They will venture into the sun-fl ower fi elds near thick brush occa-sionally,” Mathers said. “But they are very unpredictable and fl y low to the ground. I tell my hunters to be care-ful when shooting them because it can be dangerous with other hunters

Deer diet taking a hit

this summer By Bill MillerLONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

Nutritionists say peo-ple are healthiest when they eat a variety of foods: fruits and vegeta-bles, protein and grains.

But in the deer world, diversity can mean skin-of-the-teeth survival when the animals’ pre-ferred forbs, sedges and grasses have shriveled beneath an unrelenting sun and no rain.

Many of these foods, however, fail to provide optimal nutrition.

Deer normally eat green grasses in the summer, said Dr. Philip Gipson, a professor of natural resource man-agement at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

“But we don’t have it this time of year,” he said. “All we have is leftover grasses from last year.”

He likened the old grasses to humans eating junk food, but worse.

“It’s like eating the wrappers of junk food,” he said. “It will fi ll them up, but they just can’t get the nourishment they need.”

But deer in West Texas don’t stop looking, and some have turned to cedar plants. Gipson said white-tailed deer and mule deer have been seen recently gnawing on their berries.

“They also eat the green on the cedars,” Gipson said. “But those are very poor rations for deer.

“It’s kind of a last resort, and it means they are hurting.”

As bad as that sounds, Gipson said there are bright spots on the range.

He noted that a lot of the shallow playa lakes on the High Plains have dried up, but many of their edges still support the growth of plants that deer will eat, even if they have to bite through the dirt to reach the roots.

Food is also found at the edges of agricultural fi elds that grow corn, grain sorghum and sun-fl owers, Gipson said.

South Texas deer are also switching to sec-ondary foods, said Dr.

Hunters have to travel to far, far South

Texas to fi nd them

No exemptions for old antler-restriction bucks

IN A PINCH: This mule deer doe is eating cedar berries, a com-mon sight this summer in West Texas. Drought has purged their habitat of summertime forbs and grasses. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

See DEER DIET, Page 16

By Bill MillerLONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

The hunter had about given up on rattling when a broad-faced buck with very tall antlers burst into the clearing, looking for a fi ght.

The big deer saw the hunter and froze. He snorted, stomped, turned left and then right.

Hunters have seen the buck for a few years now on this ranch in DeWitt County, but only occa-sionally. Still, his antlers, and his attitude, have inspired various nicknames.

He has been called: the “Lincoln Buck,” because his rack is like a stovepipe hat; the “Cathedral Buck,” because the tines are like spires; and “that

ornery guy on the north side of the property.”

Finally the deer just glared at the hunter, as if to say, “You going to shoot?

“Do it.”The deer’s rack may have been

tall, but its inside spread was nar-row; the antlers did not extend outside his ears.

The hunter worried that the buck was not legal under the ant-ler restriction, which was set for this county in 2005.

The deer snorted his disgust at the hunter, fl agged and disap-peared into the trees.

Back at camp, hunters said they’ve heard that a game warden or a state

See NO EXEMPTIONS, Page 6

DOVE STORY: The white-tipped dove is a ground-dwelling bird found only in far South Texas. Hunters can harvest two birds per day, according to TPWD. Many hunters in the Central and North zones have never seen one and often wonder what they are. Photo by Fred Walsh.

NARROW SPREAD: This buck can’t be shot in an antler-re-striction county if the inside spread of his rack is less than 13 inches, even if he’s old. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

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LOOKING FOR WATER: Record numbers of teal will be searching for water and food when the season begins next month. If they don’t fi nd any, they will continue south to Mexico. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.

Teal numbers at record highs, but water is the key this year

By Conor HarrisonLONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

Record numbers of teal this year in their Canadian breeding grounds in Canada and the prai-rie pothole region could spell tre-mendous opportunity for Texas hunters with one caveat — water.

Like many species of migra-tory birds, teal need water — something Texas is severely lack-ing at the moment.

“This year is looking phe-nomenal from a numbers stand-point,” said Jared Laing, East Texas district waterfowl biolo-gist for Texas Parks and Wildlife. “But we are bone-dry here. If we don’t get rain, hunters won’t

have much to shoot at. “We’ve got a record number of

birds and record drought.”Laing said many of the bigger

reservoirs in East Texas are well below normal capacity, but the fl ats along the current shorelines are producing tons of forage.

Still, the ducks won’t be drawn to the food unless the lakes get water before the season opener on Sept. 10. It ends on Sept. 25.

“If we get rain to push water into the fl ats, it could be phe-nomenal,” he said. “If the water level comes up, ducks will fl ock to those areas.”

Bigger lakes could be the ticket for hunters, especially during the opening days of the season before

pressure pushes birds away.“Scouting will be key this

year,” Laing said.Along the coast, hunters can

expect birds to pass through quickly if water levels remain at current depths.

“It’s dry,” said Kevin Hartke, central coast waterfowl biolo-gist for TPWD. “The marshes are really salty, and unless they get some runoff from rain or rice fi elds, there won’t be a lot of suit-able habitat for teal.

“If they do come, they will be passing through quickly.”

Hartke said Texas should see waves of birds from up north

Dallas lawyer says he had permission to hunt big gator

A Dallas lawyer disputes accusa-tions that he killed a 13-foot alligator on private property in Leon County without the landowner’s permission — a Class A misdemeanor.

Levi McCathern, 42, killed the big gator June 11, which resulted in the landowner’s complaint and a subse-quent investigation by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Also charged were his three guides: Steve Barclay, 47; Sam Lovell, 56; and Ryan Burton, 21. Barclay and Lovell operate a guide business called the Gar Guys, TPWD said.

McCathern was described in a Fort Worth Star-Telegram article as “a Baptist-minister-turned-lawyer who has represented Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys.”

His attorney, George Milner III of Dallas, told the newspaper that McCathern believed he had “the land-owner's permission to use his property.”

—Staff report

Two more Texans indicted in ‘Operation Cimarron’

Two Texas hunters have been indicted on federal poaching charges, said Barry Grissom, the U.S. attorney stationed in Wichita, Kan.

Justin Klein, 29 of Center, was indicted in July on three counts of transporting deer across state lines after the deer were illegally taken in Kansas, according to a news release from Grissom’s offi ce.

Johnny Risinger, 43, of Mount Enterprise, was indicted on the same type of charge, but only on one count.

The indictments are related to a federal investigation that led to the convictions of James Bobby Butler,

Jr., and Marlin Jackson Butler on charges of conspiracy and inter-state traffi cking of game illegally taken in Kansas.

James Butler was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison and Marlin Butler was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison.

The investigation of the broth-ers was called “Operation Cimarron,” and is considered the largest case in the history of wild-life law enforcement in Kansas, offi cials said.

—Staff report

TPWD: No diseases at Powell’s ranch

No diseases were found in the more than 300 deer on an illegal East Texas breeding facility, state wildlife offi cials said.

Billy Powell, 77, pleaded guilty June 14 in Tyler to smuggling white-tailed deer over a three-year period. He admitted to bringing the deer from Midwestern states to his ranch in Cherokee County.

The test results mean deadly aliments like chronic wasting disease and bovine tuberculosis have not been discovered in any Texas deer, according to an Aug. 1 news release from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

The news also lets several deer breeders who bought deer from Powell to resume normal opera-tions, the offi cials said.

“We take disease issues very seriously because of the potential impacts to Texas’ natural resources, the public’s wildlife, and the multi-billion dollar hunting and deer breeding industries,” said Carter Smith, TPWD's executive director.

State wildlife offi cials said they had to kill Powell’s herd of deer, about 334 of them, in order to test them for diseases.

Powell said Aug. 1 that he could not discuss the case until after he has been offi cially sentenced, but he didn’t know when that would be.

—Staff report See TEAL NUMBERS, Page 6

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Congratulations, Carson! You can claim

your Nikon 10x42 Trailblazer ATB binoculars at the

Nikon Sport Optics dealer nearest you:

Glick Twins419 W Us Highway 83

Pharr, TX 78577(956) 787-4291 CARSON HUGHES, 8, of Donna learned the virtue of patience last December while watch-

ing an old nine-point buck weave its way through the brush on a ranch near McCook.

The South Texas buck, aged at 5 1/2 years old, was nicknamed “Gordo” because trail

camera images showed he had a little beer belly. Finally the deer, about 110 yards

away, presented a broadside target and Carson took it. The round from the .22-250-cali-

ber rifl e was squarely placed behind the buck’s shoulder. Moments later while climbing

down from the blind, Carson told his dad, “My legs feel funny.” It was his fi rst buck.

this season, so the chances are there for good shoots. However, just because birds are in a spot one week doesn’t guarantee anything the next week.

“This season won’t be as easy as maybe some in the past have been,” Hartke said. “Many groups of birds will fl y in and then head farther south pretty quickly.”

Adding to the water issues, the Lower Colorado River Authority has suspended sup-plemental water outputs near the coast, com-monly known as “duck pond water.”

Outfi tters are getting nervous about the sea-son due to the lack of water.

“What water?” asked Robert Steenbeke, owner of 1A Hunting in Texas Guide Service Inc., when asked how the water looked in his hunting spots. “I was fi shing on Choke Canyon this morning and the only water is in the chan-nels; none on the fl ats.

“Unless we get a major rain, we are screwed for teal season.”

Steenbeke said he has two ponds around San Antonio that had historically produced very good duck hunts, but “there isn’t a drop of water in either of them this year.”

Teal numbersContinued From Page 5

No exemptionsContinued From Page 4

MLB players warned about 'antler spray'

Last year the Texas Rangers embraced deer antlers as the iconic symbol of their race for a World Series title.

Images of deer appeared Rangers’ t-shirts and some of the fans used shed antlers to fashion unusual headgear.

And now this: Major League Baseball is warning players to avoid a spray made from deer antlers, according to national media reports.

A USA Today article stated that the spray “is being marketed as a potential replace-ment and dodge for would-be users of steroids.”

The substance is made from ground-up antler velvet and it is sprayed under the tongue, the news organization reported.

Makers of the spray say it does “per-formance enhancing” things like building strength and endurance. It can only be detected with blood tests, not drug tests that check urine.

Sports Illustrated reported that before the warning was made, baseball players were using the substance in the same manner as body-builders and NFL players.

The NFL, however, banned the spray.Antlers from Texas white-tailed deer appar-

ently aren’t desired to make this spray. According to reports, this substance is ground from the velvet of red deer from New Zealand.

—Staff report

Houston Safari Club awards scholarships Houston Safari Club has announced the 2011 recipients of the club’s scholarship program. Recipients, $2,000 scholarships: Kory Gann, Kingsville, Texas A&M Kingsville; R. Douglas Holt, Lubbock, Texas Tech. Recipients, $4,000 scholarships: Brian Bielfelt, Robstown, Texas A&M Kingsville; Phil Borsdorf, Lubbock, Texas Tech; Byron Buckley, Lubbock, Texas Tech; Brian Chan-dler, Lubbock, Texas Tech; Brandi Crider, Tilden, Texas Tech; Chase Currie, Kingsville, Texas A&M Kingsville; Lauren Dobson, Col-lege Station, Texas A&M; Adam Duarte, San Marcos, Texas State; Cord Eversole, Need-ville, Texas A&M Kingsville; Justin Hoffman, Alpine, Sul Ross; Thomas Janke, Bartlett, Sul Ross; and David Kramer, Lubbock, Texas Tech.

Also, Joseph Lewis, Klondike, Texas A&M; Dawson Lilly, Kingsville, Texas A&M; Clint Mabrey, Nacogdoches, Stephen F Austin; David Morgan, Dallas, Texas State; Christo-pher Niebuhr, Stephenville, Tarleton State; Whitney Priesmeyer, Kingsville, Texas A&M Kingsville; Andrew Reid, College Station, Texas A&M; Peter Schlichting, Lubbock, Texas Tech; Donnelle Schwalm, Lubbock, Texas Tech; Grant Sorensen, Lubbock, Texas Tech; Sara Weaver, San Marcos, Texas State; and James Weaver, Alpine, Sul Ross.

—Staff report

Hunters for the Hungry recruiting processors

Texas Hunters for the Hungry is already signing up qualifi ed meat processors to handle venison donations for the 2011-2012 deer season.

From last season, the program provided 178,662 pounds of venison to more than 100 organizations that serve low-income people across Texas.

Interested processors and hunters may call 1-800-992-9767, ext. 506.

—Staff report

biologist can give special permission to shoot a buck that’s obvi-ously mature, nearing the end of his breeding capabilities.

“I hear that,” said Alan Cain, white-tailed deer program leader for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “The short answer is no.”

Cain said some people might be confused by the state’s Managed Lands Deer Permit program, which gives incentives to landowners for making wildlife habitat improvements.

Antler restrictions are waived in higher levels of MLDP, Cain said.

But, he added, the program is primarily meant to improve habitat, not to avoid the antler-restriction regulation.

Now in 113 counties, the rule was created to take pressure off of immature male deer in one-buck counties. The idea was to let those bucks get older so that they could breed more effi ciently.

The regulation states that a mature buck is legal to shoot if

its antlers have an inside spread of 13 inches or more. That’s hard to judge in the fi eld, but if the antlers extend

past the buck’s ears, there’s a good chance the spread is the right length.

Cain said 2008 was the last year that new counties were put under the regulation.

“It’s too early to tell right now if more will be added,” Cain said. “We haven’t had any new requests, but more impor-tantly, we haven’t seen any counties where there are problems with age structure.”

As for the Cathedral Buck, he’ll probably keep giving dirty looks to hunters for a few years to come.

His tall but narrowly spaced antlers no doubt will keep him from winding up on someone’s wall, which puts him in a rare fraternity.

Cain said data shows that only 4 to 5 percent of mature bucks in some surveys have antler spreads less than 13 inches.

Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.

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FISHING

Summer cats boated with cut bait, patience

By Nicholas ConklinLONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

It was almost time to reel up the lines and head in when Chuck Patterson had something strike his bait.

“We were drifting for a while and I was just about to give up when that rod doubled over and it was the best catfi sh I had ever caught,” Patterson said.

After spending most of the day drifting with cut bait, Patterson had only landed one other catfi sh on Lake Texoma. The 20-pound blue that was on the end of the line was Patterson’s personal best.

He said there has been a dip in larger fi sh thus far this summer, which he attributed to the heat causing the fi sh to be sluggish.

“A few weeks ago it was pretty easy to boat 30 in a day, but now most anglers are catching eight to 10 in a day,” Patterson said.

Fishing with cut shad in 12 to 20 feet of water is where most of the Patterson’s strikes have come, with fair numbers of blue cats.

Patterson also reported channel cats in the 6- to 8-pound range in similar presentation styles.

Despite this fi sh being caught on Texoma, Patterson said that most of this fi shing occurs on his home lake of Lewisville, where he has applied similar techniques to catfi sh and has found them along similar humps while drifting.

Anglers also reported the western side of Lewisville, south of the Hickory Creek arm and Oakland Park as being constructive starting points for drifting.

Drifting with cut shad on Lake Waco has got-ten results recently for guide James Tucker.

“We have been using shad, fi shing midrange depths between 18-20 foot and that’s where the best bite has been,” Tucker said.

The daytime bite has centered on the main lake humps. As the day wears on the bite has shifted to shallow waters, as low as 2 feet.

For nighttime action, drifting with cut shad has been productive, but anglers may want to lighten the weights of their rigs, Tucker said.

Other reports stated that channel cats and blues were excellent at Falcon Reservoir where they were being boated with cut bait, shad and shrimp.

At Lake Tawakoni, cut bait and fresh shad were also productive while drifting over deep water.

Tucker has noticed a dip in the quantities of fi sh being taken on Waco. He said that it has taken patience to land fair numbers of fi sh dur-ing the daytime.

He did report, however, that his boat landed a 37-pound blue cat on a trip in early August, as well as several larger-than-average channel cats.

“The midday bite is pretty slow; you just have to get out there and stick with it until you fi nd them,” Tucker said. “But just being at the right place at the right time has a lot to do with it.”

Guide John Gilbert reported a vastly slower bite on Lake LBJ as the heat in the area has limited his fi sh-ing. He said that of the few clients that have wanted to fi sh, they recorded only a handful of blue cats. Nightcrawlers, liver and stinkbait have been the most productive baits for LBJ, Gilbert said.

To contact guide James Tucker, call (254) 495-6726To contact guide John Gilbert, call (512) 913-2757

SENIOR RATE: Anglers age 65 and older can buy discounted senior fi shing licenses, but one Texas legislator said he would be back next session to reintroduce a bill that would let them all fi sh for free. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Clear water key for kingfi sh

Shooting gar a different archery

challenge

Legislator won’t abandon effort to get free fi shing for all seniorsBy Mark EnglandLONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

Patience is a virtue for anglers and politicians, especially politicians angling to change Texas law to permit more senior anglers to fi sh for free.

After failing the two previous sessions, Rep. Harold V. Dutton Jr., D-Houston, persuaded the Legislature to lower the age limit for anglers to obtain free fi shing licenses — which they did by a whopping four months.

Legislators amended state law to waive fi sh-ing licenses for those born on or before Jan. 1, 1931, effective immediately. The law previously restricted free fi shing to those born on or before Sept. 1, 1930.

In an e-mail interview with Lone Star Outdoor News, Dutton said he had hoped to convince fellow legislators to let all Texans 65 years and older fi sh free.

Dutton said lowering his sights “was one of the considerations I had to make to pass the bill.”

At one point, the Senate had proposed letting

those 75 or older fi sh free. That was before the Legislative Budget Board said passing such a law would cost the state $712,000 by fi scal year 2016.

Dutton wasn’t happy with the LBB’s estimate.“Personally, I think their estimates were

designed to kill the bill, and I just don’t have any faith in their numbers,” Dutton told LSON. “But let’s suppose they’re right. It’s a relatively small expense for providing seniors in Texas with an opportunity to avoid the fi shing license fee. What else did we do for seniors in the past ses-sion? Nada.”

A Texas Parks and Wildlife Department offi -cial said Dutton’s original bill, letting those 65 or older fi sh free, would have cost TPWD millions of dollars annually.

“It would have been $2.3 million cut from our agency or about 2 1/2 percent of Fund 9,” said Gene McCarty, deputy executive director for administration. “It would have been a signifi cant budget cut.”

PERSONAL BEST: Angler Chuck Patterson of Lewisville presents a 20-pound blue cat he caught while fi shing on Lake Texoma. Patterson has had decent luck lately with channel cats, but this was his largest blue cat. Photo by Chuck Patterson.

By Conor HarrisonLONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

The water swirled, quickly followed by an arrow launched from the slow-moving boat several yards away.

The shooter saw the arrow slice through the murky water at the disap-pearing target before feel-ing the tip hit something solid. The line connected

Helps get ready for regular bow season

TUNE-UP: Bow fi shing for gar — including needlenose, alligator and the one shown here, spotted — is an excellent tune-up for the archery deer season, anglers say. Photo by Bill Miller, LSON.

See SENIORS, Page 22

See ARCHERY, Page 23

By Nicholas ConklinLONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

Clear water and structure are key for anglers target-ing kingfi sh in the 30- to 50-pound class, according to Capt. Shannon Labauve.

Fishing anywhere between 30-65 miles offshore, Labauve said that his boat has consistently caught big-ger kings. Fishing out of Galveston, Labauve has been

See KINGFISH, Page 20

Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.

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Going for a stroll

By Nicholas ConklinLONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

Plans to build a new nationwide broadband wire-less telephone network is worrying boaters who fear it will disrupt signals used by their global positioning sys-tem devices.

Boat Owners Association of the United States has col-lected comments from 15,000 people that were presented to the Federal Communication Commission to oppose the plans of the company, LightSquared.

The company, based in

Reston, Va., wants to build a 4G wireless broadband network with satellite coverage across the U.S.

But the boaters asso-ciation claims the net-work “could cause sig-nifi cant interference with most GPS sig-nals.”

Margaret Podlich, the group’s vice presi-dent of government affairs, said the com-ments are meant to promote a reliable GPS

Boaters fear wireless network might

disrupt GPS signals

By Nicholas ConklinLONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

Sometimes a deep-diving crankbait won't hit that target depth where fi sh are suspended.

Sometimes the 50-foot cast required to get a lure to a specifi c depth just isn’t plausible.

That’s why B.A.S.S. pro and Lake Fork guide Lance Vick has adapted a strategy to quickly and effi ciently get baits to desired depths. Using a method known as “strolling,” Vick

will cast a lure out and use his trolling motor to pull out line. After releasing enough line, Vick will close the bail, then either troll or crank the lure over the selected area.

This technique came about for two rea-sons: fi rst to cover a lot of water at very deep depths; the second, to accommodate clients who are unable to consistently hit casting distances of 50 feet or more.

Technique helps cover more water

See GPS, Page 21

See STROLL, Page 20

Page 10: August 12, 2011 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting

Page 10 August 12, 2011 Lone✯Star Outdoor News LSONews.com

ALAN HENRY: Water lightly stained; 86–90 degrees; 5.41’ low. Largemouth bass are good on topwaters early, later switching to shaky heads, Texas rigs and Carolina rigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfi sh are fair to good on prepared bait.

AMISTAD: Water clear; 84–87 degrees; 5.15’ low. Largemouth bass are good on topwaters, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, swimbaits and jigs over grass. Crappie are slow. Catfi sh are fair on cheesebait over baited holes in 12–30 feet.

ATHENS: Water clear, 88–93 degrees; 3.14’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged worms, jigs and medium-running crankbaits — midday concen-trate on deeper brush piles. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfi sh are good on prepared bait.

BASTROP: Water clear; 82–85 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on spinnerbaits and Rat–L–Traps. Channel and blue catfi sh are good on shrimp and nightcrawlers.

BELTON: Water murky; 82–86 degrees; 6.31’ low. Hybrid striper are fair on silver slabs. White bass are fair on minnows, white Riversides and silver slabs. Chan-nel and blue catfi sh are good on sum-mer sausage, stinkbait, and frozen shad. Yellow catfi sh are very good on trotlines and throwlines baited with live perch.

BOB SANDLIN: Water lightly stained; 88–93 degrees; 6.29’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged creature baits and football jigs off ledges and in brush piles. Crappie are good on live minnows. White bass are good on Humdingers and topwaters. Catfi sh are fair to good on trotlines or juglines with Redneck’s Catfi sh Bait Soap.

BRAUNIG: Water clear. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits and dark soft plastic worms in reeds. Striped bass are good down-rigging silver and gold spoons near the jetty and dam. Channel and blue catfi sh are good on shrimp, cut bait, and cheesebait near the dam.

BRIDGEPORT: Water clear; 88–93 degrees; 9.63’ low. Largemouth bass are good on medium-running crankbaits in shad patterns and Texas-rigged LFT Hyper Worms along main lake points and deeper docks. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid stripers are good on slabs. Channel catfi sh are fair on cut and prepared bait.

BROWNWOOD: Water clear; 14.39’ low. Largemouth bass are excellent on wa-termelon buzzbaits, crankbaits and soft plastic worms along shorelines. White bass are good on Li’l Fishies off lighted docks at night. Crappie are excellent on white tube jigs over brush piles. Chan-nel catfi sh are good on stinkbait over baited holes. Yellow catfi sh are fair on trotlines baited with perch.

BUCHANAN: Water clear; 78–81 degrees; 22.18’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Chug Bugs, green buzzbaits and Tex-as-rigged 5” watermelon Whacky Sticks in Silver Creek in 5–10 feet early. Striped bass are good on plastic swim baits and Rat–L-Traps near Lighthouse Point. White bass are fair on Li’l Fishies and swimbaits. Crappie are fair on chartreuse crappie jigs and live minnows. Channel catfi sh are good on shrimp, minnows, and dipbait. Yellow and blue catfi sh are good on goldfi sh and perch.

CADDO: Water stained; 88–92 degrees; 1.04’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas rigs and topwaters early, later switching to shallow crankbaits around isolated cover. White bass are fair on Rat–L–Traps. Yellow bass are good on minnows.

CALAVERAS: Water clear. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon soft plastic worms, spinnerbaits and crankbaits near the dam. Striped bass are good on spoons and striper jigs near the dam. Channel catfi sh are good on liver, cheesebait, shrimp, and shad.

CANYON LAKE: Water clear; 78–81 degrees; 5.93’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon fl ukes, topwaters, and

blue fl ake worms along break lines. Yellow and blue catfi sh are good on goldfi sh and perch.

CEDAR CREEK: Water lightly stained; 88–93 degrees; 4.53’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas rigs, shaky heads and shallow square-bill crankbaits around docks. The best action is in early morning with deep brush piles produc-ing throughout the day. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid stripers are good on live shad.

CHOKE CANYON: Water clear; 79–82

degrees; 9.36’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on shallow-running crankbaits, char-treuse spinnerbaits, and green pumpkin Whacky Sticks with chartreuse tails along main lake points in 5–10 feet. Channel catfi sh are good on shrimp and live bait in 5–15 feet. Yellow and blue catfi sh are good on live bait upriver.

CONROE: Water fairly clear; 81–84 degrees; 3.67’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chartreuse Carolina-rigged soft plastics and lipless crankbaits. Striped bass are fair on minnows and silver striper jigs. Catfi sh are good on stinkbait, hot dogs, and shrimp.

FALCON: Water stained to clear; 87–91 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse jigs and spinnerbaits. Crappie are excellent on jigs and minnows. Chan-nel and blue catfi sh are excellent on cut bait, shrimp and shad.

FORK: Water fairly clear; 88–94 degrees; 5.13’ low. Largemouth bass are good on 3/4 oz. football head jigs with LFT Hyper Freak trailers and Carolina rigs in deeper water along main lake humps, drops and brush piles, deep-diving crankbaits and watermelon/green pumpkin 1/2 oz. fl ipping jigs in 12–15 feet along creek channels. The night bite has been good after midnight. Catfi sh are good on cut shad and prepared bait.

GRANGER: Water clear; 84–88 degrees; 2.70’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastic worms upriver around fl ooded timber. White bass are good on Rat–L–Traps along shallow roadbeds in the main lake early and late. Crappie are good on white marabou jigs in 6–12 feet. Blue catfi sh are good on juglines baited with fresh shad.

GRAPEVINE: Water clear; 88–93 degrees; 1.77’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged worms, fi nesse jigs, and medium-running crankbaits along main lake points — docks are productive as well. Crappie are good on minnows. White bass are good on topwaters and Rat–L–Traps. Catfi sh are fair to good on nightcrawlers and cut shad.

JOE POOL: Water clear; 88–92 degrees; 1.79’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas rigs, topwaters early and medium-running crankbaits. Deeper brush piles are best later in day. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on slabs. Catfi sh are fair to good on prepared baits.

LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water lightly stained; 88–93 degrees; 1.64’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas rigs, topwaters early and jigs later in the day off brush piles. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfi sh are good

on cut shad.

LAVON: Water lightly stained; 88–93 degrees; 6.68’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas rigs, topwaters and medium-running crankbaits. White bass are good on slabs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs around bridge columns. Catfi sh are good on cut shad and nightcrawlers.

LBJ: Water fairly clear; 81–84 degrees; 0.38’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on perch-colored crankbaits and green pumpkin tubes around docks and lay downs. Striped bass are good on Li’l Fishies and Spoiler Shads at night. White bass are fair on minnows at night. Crappie are good on blue tube jigs and live minnows over brush piles. Channel catfi sh are very good on nightcrawlers, liver and stinkbait.

LEWISVILLE: Water clear; 88–93 degrees; 3.12’ low. Largemouth bass are good on medium-running crankbaits, shaky heads and Texas-rigged plastics on main lake points in 10–15 feet, or football head jigs along same areas. Weightless Senkos around boat stalls are producing too. White bass are good on slabs. Hy-brid stripers are fair on slabs and Sassy Shad. Catfi sh are good on prepared bait.

LIVINGSTON: Water fairly clear; 85–88 de-grees; 1.32’ low. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Striped bass are good, but small, on slabs and pet spoons. White bass are good on pet spoons, troll tubes and slabs. Crappie are good on minnows. Blue catfi sh are good on shad.

MACKENZIE: Water stained; 84–89 degrees; 82.97’ low. Largemouth bass are good on medium-running crankbaits, Texas rigs and shaky heads. White bass and striped bass are good on slabs, live bait and Rat–L–Traps. Smallmouth bass are good on live bait. Catfi sh are good on live bait.

MONTICELLO: Water fairly clear; 88–94 degrees; 0.20’ high. Largemouth bass are good on shallow-running crankbaits, chatterbaits and Texas-rigged worms. Concentrate on deeper creek channels for best results.

O.H. IVIE: Water stained; 85–89 degrees; 33.66’ low. Largemouth bass are good on shallow-running crankbaits, spinnerbaits, Senkos and Texas rigs. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on Rooster Tails. Catfi sh are good on nightcrawlers

PALESTINE: Water lightly stained; 88–93 degrees; 4.03 low. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits, Texas-rigged blue fl eck worms and black/blue jigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Hybrid stripers are fair on slabs, Sassy Shad and live shad. White bass are fair to good on slabs and minnows. Catfi sh are good on prepared bait.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Water stained; 83–89 degrees; 5.9’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Yellow Magics early, later switching to Texas rigs, shaky heads and deep-diving crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair to good on slabs and Little Georges. Striped bass are fair on live shad. Catfi sh are fair to good on cut shad and nightcrawlers.

RAY HUBBARD: Water fairly clear; 88–93 degrees; 3.26’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged creature baits, fi nesse jigs and hollow-belly swimbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and Road Runners. White bass are excellent on humps in 17–23 feet with hybrids mixed in. Catfi sh are good on prepared baits.

RAY ROBERTS: Water clear; 88–92 degrees; 2.65’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Carolina-rigged watermelon/red fl ukes on main lake points in 8–17 feet. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows in brush in 20–25 feet. White bass are excellent — schooling early from the dam to the marina.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water fairly clear; 88–93 degrees; 4.75’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged worms, crankbaits and topwaters. White bass are fair on slabs and live shad. Hybrid stripers are fair on slabs and live shad. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfi sh are fair on prepared bait and nightcrawlers.

SAM RAYBURN: Water lightly stained; 78–82 degrees; 10.34’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on minnows and dark soft-plastic worms and lizards. White bass are fair on minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows over baited holes. Bream are fair on nightcrawlers. Catfi sh are good on trotlines baited with live bait and cut bait.

TAWAKONI: Water fairly clear; 88–93 degrees; 4.43’ low. Largemouth bass are good on topwaters early, later switching to black/blue Firewater 1/2 oz. jigs, soft plastics and medium-diving crankbaits. Crappie are fair on 1/16 oz. curl tail grubs and small minnows on docks, bridge pilings and deep timber. White bass are excellent on chartreuse and white SSS Slabs and tailspins — schooling on points early and late. Striped bass and hybrid striper are good on 4” to 6” white- or shad-pattern Sassy Shad in the shallows early, then suspending deep during the day — drifting live bait is also producing. Catfi sh are excellent in deep-water drifting cut bait and fresh shad.

TEXOMA: ater fairly clear; 88–93 degrees; 4.34’ low. Largemouth bass are good on medium-running crankbaits in shad patterns, Texas-rigged fi nesse worms, shaky heads and topwaters. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Striped bass are good on live shad. Catfi sh are good on cut and live shad.

TOLEDO BEND: Water stained; 77–80 degrees; 9.76’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon Rat–L–Traps and soft plastic worms. Striped bass are fair on minnows. White bass are good on pet spoons. Channel and blue catfi sh are good on trotlines baited with live bait, stinkbait, and nightcrawlers.

TRAVIS: Water stained; 80–83 degrees; 41.37’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Rat–L–Traps and spinnerbaits. White bass are fair on Li’l Fishies. Channel and blue catfi sh are fair on shrimp and liver.

WHITNEY: Water stained; 80–83 de-grees; 13.84’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on minnows and small spinnerbaits.

NORTH SABINE: Trout are fair in the river on live shad. Redfi sh are good in the cuts and drains leading to the marsh on shrimp and jigs tipped with shrimp.

SOUTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good while drifting the reefs on live shrimp and soft plastics. Trout, sheepshead and redfi sh are fair to good at the jetty and nearshore rigs on live shrimp and shad.

BOLIVAR: Trout are fair on the south shore-line on small topwaters and soft plastics. Black drum, sand trout and redfi sh are good at Rollover Pass.

TRINITY BAY: Trout are good for drifters working wells and shell pads on shrimp and mullet. Redfi sh are good on live bait around the reefs and at the spillway.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are good for drifters working deep shell on plastics and live bait. Whiting and sand trout are good on the edge of the Intracoastal on fresh shrimp.

WEST GALVESTON BAY: Sheepshead, redfi sh and black drum are good at the jetty on shrimp and crabs. Trout are fair in Christmas Bay on live shrimp over reefs. Offshore is good for tarpon, kingfi sh and ling.

TEXAS CITY: Trout are fair on the reefs on live shrimp and croakers. Trout are fair along the edge of the Ship Channel on croakers and shrimp. Redfi sh are fair in Moses Lake on shrimp and mullet.

FREEPORT: Sand trout and sheepshead are good on live shrimp on the reefs in Bastrop Bay. Trout, Spanish mackerel and sand trout are good at the jetties on soft plastics and shrimp.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair for drifters on live shrimp over humps and scattered shell. Redfi sh are fair to good on the edge of the Intracoastal on crabs and mullet.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair on sand and grass humps on soft plastics and topwaters. Redfi sh are fair on live shrimp in Oyster Lake and Crab Lake. Giggers have taken limits of fl ounder.

PORT O’CONNOR: Trout and redfi sh are fair on live bait over sand, grass and shell in San Antonio Bay. Kingfi sh and tarpon have been showing at the jetty.

ROCKPORT: Trout are fair in the guts and channels on free–lined shrimp. Redfi sh are good on mullet and shrimp around Dagger Island and in South Bay.

PORT ARANSAS: Trout, redfi sh and sheepshead are fair to good at the jetty on shrimp and croak-ers. Trout are fair around Shamrock Cove on topwaters, piggies and croakers.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Trout are fair to good on the edge of the spoils on soft plastics and live shrimp. Redfi sh are good in the potholes on shrimp. Kayakers have found trout and reds in protected waters on small topwaters.

BAFFIN BAY: Trout are fair to good on live shrimp around rocks and grass near the Land Cut. Trout are fair to good on the King Ranch shoreline on croakers, topwaters and plum Bass Assassins, Sand Eels and Trout Killers.

PORT MANSFIELD: Trout and redfi sh are fair on topwaters around sand and grass near spoil islands. Redfi sh are fair to good while drifting potholes on topwaters and plastics under popping corks. Offshore is good for kingfi sh and tuna.

SOUTH PADRE: Trout are fair in South Bay and Mexiquita Flats on shrimp and plastics under rattling corks. Tarpon have been showing at the jetty.

PORT ISABEL: Trout and redfi sh are fair to good on the fl ats on live shrimp and DOA Shrimp under a popping cork. Snook are good early in the morning in the Brownsville Ship Channel on live shrimp.

TEXAS FISHING REPORT

HOT BITES SALTWATERSCENE

stics under rattling corks

BAY: Trout are fair on

dfi shdfi sh

LARGEMOUTH BASS

BROWNWOOD: Excellent on watermelon buzzbaits, crankbaits and soft plastic worms along shorelines.

CEDAR CREEK: Good on Texas rigs, shaky heads and shallow square-bill crankbaits around docks.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Good on Yellow Magics early, later switching to Texas rigs, shaky heads and deep-diving crankbaits.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Good on Texas-rigged worms, crankbaits and topwaters.

CRAPPIE

BROWNWOOD: Excellent on white tube jigs over brush piles.

FALCON: Excellent on jigs and minnows.

GRAPEVINE: Good on minnows.

LIVINGSTON: Good on minnows.

Sponsored by

Sheepshead redfish and

CATFISH

FALCON: Channel and blue catfi sh are excellent on cut bait, shrimp and shad.

FORK: Good on cut shad and prepared bait.

LBJ: Channel catfi sh are very good on nightcrawlers, liver and stinkbait.

TAWAKONI: Excellent in deep water drifting cut bait and fresh shad.

mall topwaters.

WHITE, HYBRID, STRIPER

MACKENZIE: White bass and striped bass are good on slabs, live bait and Rat–L–Traps.

RAY HUBBARD: White bass are excel-lent on humps in 17–23 feet with hybrids mixed in.

RAY ROBERTS: White bass are excel-lent — schooling early from the dam to the marina.

TAWAKONI: White bass are excellent on chartreuse and white SSS Slabs and tailspins — schooling on points early and late.

HOT SPOT

Laguna Madre: Guides have reported catching good numbers of keeper trout despite

the heat and high-water temperatures. Although August can be a tough month on the coast, anglers have caught trout and redfi sh on topwaters

and underneath popping corks. Photo by LSON.

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LSONews.com Lone✯Star Outdoor News August 12, 2011 Page 11

All boaters responsible for safety, offi cials say

'Dead zone' no record, but still big

By Nicholas ConklinLONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

Reports on a popu-lar Texas fi shing forum recently described an inci-dent involving fi shing boats and pleasure yachts on Lewisville Lake in which sev-eral of the smaller boats were overtaken by wakes created from the larger boats.

Some of the smaller boats, according to the com-menters, were swamped.

No serious accidents or

injuries were reported to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

However, more than 10 people commented on this incident the last weekend of July, claiming to have wit-nessed the actions of the larger boats.

Some commenters said this was not an isolated inci-dent on Lewsiville. None of the commenters, however, responded to requests to be interviewed for this article.

Game Warden Capt. Neal

Bieler said he was unaware of this incident.

Bieler, however, said that anglers should be aware of their surroundings and understand that the water is open to everyone.

“If you take a jonboat out on Lewisville Lake, you should expect to have trou-ble because of the 50- to 60-foot boats out there will throw big wakes,” Bieler said. “I would just say to the

By Darlene McCormick SanchezFOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

Overall, the annual summertime “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico hasn’t been the largest on record, but it’s the largest one seen by Texans in 25 years.

The hypoxic zone — an oxygen-depleted area deadly to fi sh — stretches 7,722 square miles across Louisiana’s coast well into Texan waters, scientists with the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium announced recently.

A research ship found a large area of hypoxia, or low-oxygen water, along the coast west of Galveston Bay and offshore in that area.

“This is the largest such area off the upper Texas coast that we have found since we began this work in 1985,” said Nancy Rabalais, exec-

utive director of the consortium, in a recent news report.

Hypoxia is caused by excessive nutrient pollution, often from human activities such as agriculture that results in too little oxygen to support most marine life in water near the bottom of the Gulf.

The hypoxic zone off the coast of Louisiana and Texas forms each summer and averages about 6,000 square miles. It threatens valu-able commercial and recreational Gulf fi sh-eries.

Scientists predicted the zone would reach or exceed the 8,500-square-mile mark because of extreme fl ooding along the Mississippi River this spring. While that didn’t happen, it is currently about the size of Massachusetts — twice as large as last year’s dead zone.

Its effect on marine life was not immedi-ately known in early August.

See ALL BOATERS, Page 21

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THEY WEREN’T BITING THATWELL, I MEANT

After receiving information of a man keeping undersized fi sh, Menard County Game Warden Clint Graham checked the angler on the San Saba River. Graham watched the individ-ual for more than an hour, and when he checked him, the man said the fi sh were not biting and showed an empty stringer. Graham then walked down to the spot where the fi sher-man pulled out his boat and found another stringer staked out along the riverbank. On the stringer were sev-eral undersized crappie and black bass. Case pending.

SLOW LEARNER LEARNS THE HARD WAY

A call regarding a boat accident on Lake Texoma led to numerous charges fi led by Grayson County Game Wardens Michael Hummert and Colt Gaulden. As the wardens began travelling to the accident location, county dispatch advised that one of the boats involved in the accident had been loaded onto a trailer and was leaving the scene. A witness got the vehicle’s license plate number, advised the sheriff’s offi ce, and the information was relayed to the wardens. The wardens fi gured that the suspects would attempt to elude responding offi cers by travelling on back roads and they were able to intercept the vehicle on a nearby farm-to-mar-ket road. The boat operator, who was the passenger in the vehicle, exhibited signs of intoxication. The operator was arrested for BWI, and it was discovered that he had nine previous convictions for DWI/DUI. The operator agreed to provide a breath sample and blew a 0.19. The truck driver and the boat oper-ator will also face charges of fl eeing

the scene of an accident. Cases pending.

WARDENS HELP SEIZE POT Dallas County Game Warden

David Bosecker was called to assist DPS Narcotics agents with a mari-juana fi eld they had located on the Trinity River. Bosecker used his fl at- bottomed boat to navigate into the area, which was not accessible by vehicle, and transported narcot-ics offi cers into the area and also assisted with the seizure.

SHRIMP SELLER MADE THEWRONG COLD CALL

A man pulled up to the driveway of Newton County Game Warden Ellis Powell and attempted to sell him shrimp. The subject opened the trunk and ice chest, then noticed Powell’s truck and said “I’m done, ain't I?” A citation was issued for no truck dealer’s license.

THEY SHOULD HAVE HAD A RULERActing on a phone call report,

Brazoria County Game Warden Jason Richers issued several cita-tions to an individual fi shing from

the Quintana jetties for possession of 20 undersized speckled trout. Cases pending.

WARDENS' NEW BOAT OFF TO QUICK START

The 29-foot Safeboat, the P/V Joe Evans, made its fi rst case only 20 minutes after being launched. A local commercial fi sherman found another subject stealing from his perch traps and called game war-dens for assistance. Aransas County Game Wardens Scott McLeod and Derek Reeder responded and Class C theft charges will be fi led against the individual by the commercial fi sherman.

BLACK BEAR HIT BY VEHICLEVal Verde County Game Warden

Roger Nicholas and Terrell County Game Warden Kenneth Stannard responded to a call of a black bear that had been hit by a vehicle near Comstock. Efforts were made to save the juvenile male bear, but game wardens and TPWD biologists ultimately decided that the bear had to be euthanized due to the injuries it had sustained.

ANOTHER COLD CALL GONE WRONGNewton County Game Warden

Bradley Smith had a subject drive up in front of his residence in a white truck with a freezer in the back. The man said he had steaks, chicken and seafood for sale. Smith requested to see a copy of the man’s retail truck dealer's license, which the subject did not have. The man was also wanted out of California for burglary and the truck he was driving was stolen. The subject was arrested on several charges.

TRESPASSING POACHERS GET BUSTEDMontgomery County Game

Wardens Bobby Apple and Brannon Meinkowsky responded to a call about two beavers that had been dumped on a driveway. The caller identifi ed a possible suspect. The wardens went to the suspect’s home, where he admitted to shooting the beavers without a hunting license and then dumping them. When the wardens entered the home to retrieve the rifl e, they noticed the smell of mari-juana. Marijuana and paraphernalia were recovered. They also noticed

a skull of a raptor and the heads of three illegally taken alligators. In all, nine citations and numerous warn-ings were issued to three subjects. Restitution was charged for 4 1/2-, 6 1/2- and 8-foot alligators and three beavers. All the animals were taken without landowner's consent and fur-ther charges are pending.

JETTY PATROL REVEALS GOOD COMPLIANCE, SOME VIOLATORS

Coastal game wardens conducted their annual jetty patrol on a busy July Saturday. Wardens reported the following statistics:Boats checked – 269Persons contacted – 945Citations issued – 27Warnings issued – 22Fish seized – 35 (snapper, sharks, cobia)

DOVE TRAPPER TRAPPED Travis County Game Warden Christy

Vales responded to a call regarding a man possessing live game birds. Vales traveled to the man's residence and located a large cage containing approximately 40 white-winged dove and two Inca doves. Several citations issued and the birds were set free. Cases pending.

FARM YARD DEER KEEPER FETCHES CITATIONS

Complaints of a residence with a fawn in the backyard were received by Harris County Game Warden Jennifer Inkster. At the residence, Inkster encountered two white-tailed bucks, two white-tailed does and one white-tailed fawn (that was born on the property). The suspect said his "pet" deer had been on his property for three years. The deer were transported to a local exotic ranch for safe keeping. Citations pending.

GAME WARDEN BLOTTER

The Wharton County District Attorney’s Offi ce closed a cold case involving the hunting of white-tailed buck deer without consent of the landowner. A man who pled guilty to multiple felony wildlife crimes in May of this year pled guilty again. Wharton County Game Warden Chris Bird, pursuant to the execution of a search warrant related to other wildlife crimes, recovered a mounted white-tailed buck during the service of the warrant. The mount was identifi ed by the taxidermist, who said the deer had been taken in 2007 on a private ranch near El Campo. Bird knew the landowner of the property where the deer had allegedly been poached,

and also recalled that this landowner enjoyed videotap-ing the deer on his property. The landowner said one buck on his videos did go missing and never returned. The landowner turned over a DVD recording of a white-tailed buck showing the shoulder-mounted buck that was recovered in the search warrant served in 2009. The suspect pled guilty to the charges of hunting with-out the consent of the landowner, hunting at night and hunting with artifi cial light. He received a Class A mis-demeanor conviction with 180 days jail probated to two years. He will also be responsible for civil restitu-tion of the buck and will be forced to forfeit a rifl e.

REPEAT OFFENDER GETS NABBED AGAIN

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HEROES

MADISON BREEDEN, 11, of Brownsville learned to shoot the day before Thanksgiving. On the Friday after the holiday, she was aiming at a doe on a ranch in Starr County, but a nine-point buck walked out, so she dropped him instead — one shot, 85 yards.

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

MACK HELBLE, 8, of Austin shot his fi rst deer at 100 yards on the Rancho Venado

Grande last November near Freer.

Future tournament angler MATEO GONZALES, 4, of Boerne caught the largest bass, 14 3/4 inches, at a recent contest sponsored by Boerne Parks and Recreation Department. He is joined here by Raul Gonzales.

SHERRI EMORY of Tomball downed this 163 4/8 white-tailed buck last November on the Baird Ranch in Grimes County.

AYDIN ZANAGAR, 14, of Flower Mound went fi shing for the fi rst time last month on Lewisville Lake, and boated this 6-pound hybrid. This snapper was hooked last month by LANE IMKEN, 13, of Pfl uger-

ville, as he fi shed offshore out of Port Aransas.

NATHAN DAUN of Sachse

caught this 15-pound

snapper dur-ing a recent vacation in Destin, Fla.

BRUCE MCDONALD (left) and TOM HOOLAN, both of Dallas, had fi sh for breakfast, lunch and dinner while fi shing last month at Caribou Lake, Ontario, Canada. Here they show off some walleyes.

LUKE PEMBERTON, 14, of Burnet caught this nice lake trout last month while fi shing at Caribou Lake, Ontario, Canada and staying at Bear Paw Lodge.

Page 15: August 12, 2011 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting

LSONews.com Lone✯Star Outdoor News August 12, 2011 Page 15

Keying on brush piles and sunken timber has been where most crappie were hold-ing on Ray Roberts , with minnows being the must effective bait, Waters said.

Guide Everett Reynolds said that the only thing limiting the crappie bite now is the anglers’ willingness to fi sh during the day. That is why a majority of his trips have been in the early mornings.

However, Reynolds said that the target areas, brush piles and timber, hold fi sh at all hours.

Reynolds said that he has tipped jigs with minnows when the bite tapered off.Angler Rick Crilley said that jigs on brush piles has remained effective on Lewisville.

However, the Little Elm native said that keeping jigs simple and not too fl ashy has been imperative to bringing in larger crappie.

“I would say the golds and natural colors have been working this year better than any-thing, not necessarily the pinks and oranges, that were so effective last year,” he said.

Elsewhere, crappie fi shing was excellent at Lake Brownwood on white tube jigs over brush piles. Minnows were getting good results at Grapevine and Livingston.

Crilley also said that he has landed many fi sh on Lewisville while fi shing with Bobby Garland chartreuse and white soft plastics. They’re larger baits than most

crappie anglers would prefer, but Crilley said he fi shes them with a slow retrieve over structure.

“It’s a little bit bigger bait for the summer-time,” Crilley said. “But if you pitch it over the pile and just bring it over the top or the side (of a brush pile), retrieve real slow, they'll knock it down.”

Anglers on Falcon Reservoir reported a simi-larly effective crappie bite on jigs and minnows. Brush piles and sunken timber were cited as holding good numbers of fi sh.

To contact guide Everett Reynolds, call (903) 818-4631

Beat the heatContinued From Page 1

the e-mails. He then goes online to moni-tor video feeds from the traps. At the right moment, he uses his phone to send a signal that triggers a trapdoor to slam shut.

But Tilford, owner of Feral Hog Eradication Company, isn’t interested in just catching a cou-ple pigs at a time. He wants to nab entire herds, typically called “sounders.”

“If there are 40 hogs in the sounder, I can catch all 40 of them,” Tilford said.

He recently caught 50 in two traps on a ranch south of Lockhart.

One trap caught 30. There were sows, some piglets and one very ornery boar that tried to snap at a photographer through one of the panels made of 4-by-4-inch mesh.

The hogs scurried around the inside of the trap and slammed against the metal panels. Tilford backed a stock trailer to the trapdoor and raised it.

Most of the hogs retreated into the trailer, but Tilford had to climb into the trap to coax two stubborn piglets to join the others.

James Tessmann, land-owner, said he believed that was the same sounder that recently toppled three feeders and gobbled $70 worth of corn from each one.

He added that he appreciated how one guy did the job without any shooting.

“I’m astounded by how well it worked,” Tessmann said. “And it’s nice to not have all those carcasses around. If I create a coyote problem, that’s not helping a cattle operation.”

Tilford hauls the pigs to licensed buying sta-tions. From there they go to slaughter facilities or hunting ranches.

“They are a lot smarter than they’re given credit for,” Tilford said of feral hogs, “and they’re a lot more powerful than you might think.

“I had one charge me several times.”Tilford started designing his system last year,

but he wasn’t looking to turn an outdoors hobby into a career.

He has hunted, but he doesn’t consider him-self an avid outdoorsman.

Tilford studied business at Texas State University in San Marcos. After gradua-tion he worked with his dad in advertis-ing.

But, he added, “I always wanted to own my own business.”

Then in January 2010 he watched the documentary “Pig Bomb” on the Discovery Channel, which outlined the growing feral hog problem in Texas.

Soon he envisioned a business that removed pigs and then sold them for profi t.

“I thought that if you could come up with the right system, you could make money on both ends,” he said.

Tilford researched feral hog hab-its and the designs of existing traps. Then he read a study from Texas A&M University.

It stated that in order to keep the hog

population in check, 60 to 70 percent of the pigs would have to be removed each year.

“Well, to me, that meant you have to remove whole sounders or else you won’t put a dent in the population,” Tilford said. “I realized that people were catching one or two, or shooting three or four, but they weren’t catch-ing whole sounders of pigs.”

Tilford enlisted his wife, Tessa, to help design his system. She works in the video surveillance industry and her employer licensed Tilford to use some of the company's software.

His original design elevated all the panels until the targeted pigs were over the bait, and then he triggered them to drop all at once. But that sys-tem, he said, became too complicated.

His current single-door trap is por-table and it can be set up in under two hours. Then he baits it with smashed watermelons and deer corn fermented in Kool-Aid.

Tilford hopes to build 10 traps and employ three to fi ve people to set them up and haul away the pigs.

The video equipment, he said, will help control costs, especially for fuel.

“It is a time-consuming thing to have all these traps and to go out and check them,” he said. “But with this, I don’t have to unless I know I have pigs in the trap.” See the video at LSONews.com.

To contact Feral Hog Eradication Company, call (512) 656-6472

Trapper'sContinued From Page 1

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Laguna Madre. Due to the negative reaction, TPWD decided to table the proposal.

However, anglers and guides along the lower coast told Lone Star Outdoor News that the changes have been very positive.

“I think it has been great,” said longtime Port Mansfield guide Capt. Jack Klostermann. “I was defi-nitely in favor of it and I think a five-fish limit should be implemented from South Padre to Sabine Lake.

“When it fi rst went into effect, guides said people wouldn’t drive all the way to the south-ernmost part of the coast to catch fi ve fi sh, but I think it has greatly helped the charter business. We catch a lot of fi sh.”

Klostermann said he’s seen more fi sh since the regulation, but the biggest change has been in the size of the fi sh now being caught in the Laguna Madre.

“There’s just been a real good increase in the average size of the fi sh caught,” he said. “There are trout in the 18- to 23-inch range all over the Laguna Madre.”

Klostermann, however, wondered why the Laguna Madre was singled out from the rest of state with the more restrictive regulation.

“There isn’t huge pressure on the fi sh down here,” he said. “There are bays up the coast that have a lot fewer fi sh and a lot more people fi sh-ing for them. I don’t like getting singled out. I think (TPWD) thought not as many people would complain about it down here.”

Not many are complaining now.“We go out on a guided trip now and our

biggest worry is fi guring out how to stay busy the rest of the day after we’ve caught a limit of trout,” Stewart said. “We’ve got to fi nd reds and other fi sh to justify the guide fees. The reds do take a beating on this, though.

“But it’s amazing how many fi sh are in the bay right now. Whatever they did, it worked. Ten fi sh was way too many. Most people think fi ve is enough, even the guys who go ‘meat fi shing.’”

Klostermann and Stewart both said they release the bigger trout back into the bay.

“It’s getting to be like bass fi shing down here,” Stewart said. “If you show up to the dock and start cleaning a big trout, you get some really bad looks.”

Guides north of the Land Cut have noticed.When the fi shing gets tough along the mid-

dle coast, many guides head south in an attempt to catch bigger fi sh.

Mid-Coast guide Dan Kelly said anglers who want to look for big trout often head south of the Land Cut from Corpus Christi Bay look-ing for a trophy fi sh. He added, however, that this year hasn’t produced as many big fi sh as in year’s past, in his opinion.

“Guides out of Corpus run down there because it has been better fi shing, especially lately,” he said. “The downside of that is it is a four-hour roundtrip boat ride.”

Several guides mentioned they’d like to see a regulation in the future that sets a boat limit for anglers, regardless of the number of people in the boat.

Trout limitContinued From Page 1

ERADICATION: (Clockwise from left) Brandon Tilford's trapping sys-tem recently captured hogs on a ranch near Lockhart. A motion-activated surveillance camera sends e-mails when hogs enter the trap. Tilford shows how the trapdoor is triggered shut with a signal from his smartphone. An aggressive boar shows his displeasure at being trapped. Photos by Bill Miller and Nicholas Conklin, LSON.

SLOW DOWN: Anglers have caught crap-pie using bigger soft plastics with a slow retrieve. Photos by LSON.

Page 16: August 12, 2011 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting

Page 16 August 12, 2011 Lone✯Star Outdoor News LSONews.com

By Bill MillerLONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

If motorists are noticing more deer along highways, state wildlife offi cials won’t be surprised.

Highway ditches are some of the last places to hold moisture from whatever rainfall might have fallen in a season, so lingering plants on those surfaces may be enticing the deer.

The drought, however, is forcing animals to range far-ther, according to state wild-life offi cials.

“All the critters are mov-ing to get food or water,” said Mike Cox, spokesman for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “The drought is stressing wildlife, both urban and rural, and they’re looking for water.”

That could explain why an emaciated coyote was seen darting across lawns one recent evening in south-west Fort Worth.

One biologist said, how-ever, that the animals seen near or actually in the cities are not part of mass migra-

tion from the country.They’ve probably have

always lived nearby, but people are noticing them more now.

“Animals that are normally nocturnal are being seen more during the day because they’re out looking for water or something to eat,” said John Davis, a TPWD biolo-gist in Austin. “No question, the drought is stressing wild-life, but a fi eld mouse or rab-bit that lives out in the coun-try has no concept of cities or that they will fi nd food or water if they go there.”

Davis also suggested that there is one aspect of drought that is both harsh and benefi cial for wildlife.

“It’s easy to get caught up on individual animals and have a heart-felt desire to help them,” Davis said. “But since it’s the weak who don’t survive, in the long run, a drought strengthens a spe-cies’ population.”

Meanwhile, state highway offi cials by early August had not yet reported any upticks in the numbers of deer-car wrecks in Texas.

That usually happens in

the fall, said Michael Peters, spokesman with the Texas Department of Transportation offi ce in Fort Worth.

That danger intensifi es in November and December during the rut when bucks throw caution to the wind while chasing does and unknowingly fi nd them-selves in roadways, accord-ing to biologists.

“In 2009,” Peters said, “more than 7,000 animal-related crashes occurred in Texas, many involving deer, and 25 involved fatalities.

“If activity is on the raise, we warn motorists to be on the lookout.”

No matter when deer are spotted near roadways, Peters said motorists should be prepared for other deer to appear suddenly.

At night, drivers should use high beams whenever possible, because they illu-minate a deer’s eyes at a distance, thus providing a warning to slow down.

“If a deer is in your lane, brake fi rmly, but stay in the lane,” Peters said. “The most serious crashes occur when drivers swerve.”

Wildlife on the moveMore daylight sightings resulting from drought

Deer dietContinued From Page 4

Timothy Fulbright, professor of semiarid land ecology at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute in Kingsville.

Included are weedy plants like Texas per-simmon and hog plum. The fruits of prickly pear cactus are also consumed.

“I’ve watched deer eat the ones that have fallen on the ground, rather than eating ones on the plant,” Fulbright said. “They’re dried, but the deer just sit there and crunch the things.”

Fulbright said there is “a whole host of woody plants” that deer eat in South Texas, including the spiny hackberry and lime prickly ash.

They also eat oak, and not just the acorns that drop in the fall.

“They do browse on the leaves and twigs,” Fulbright said. He added that deer in North Texas eat live oaks, post oaks, juniper and lotebush.

“A lot of woody plants like the ones here in South Texas are not much more than main-

tenance rations, if that’s all they have to eat,” Fulbright said. “But woody plants are more drought-hardy.

“Thank goodness they have it.”Fulbright had similar praise for a woody

plant that receives a lot of cussing for its assault on groundwater — mesquite.

Deer eat pods of mesquite beans, but the trees’ expansive canopies also shield them from the sun, Fulbright said.

“It’s kind of ironic that people don’t like mesquite,” he said. “But right now, they’re critically important for deer.”

Gipson said it’s not too late for rainfall to rejuvenate the range, but that window may slam shut soon.

“A 2- to 3-inch rain would make all the dif-ference in the world,” he said. “If we could get the does through this summer while fawns are still dependent on their milk, it would be really outstanding.

“Otherwise, a lot of fawns probably aren’t going to make it.”

HAZARD: Deer and other animals may become more visible on Texas roadways as drought stirs them into ranging farther for food and water. Consequently, motorists should use the same caution as they do in the fall, offi cials say. Photo by Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

Page 17: August 12, 2011 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting

LSONews.com Lone✯Star Outdoor News August 12, 2011 Page 17

Page 18: August 12, 2011 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting

Page 18 August 12, 2011 Lone✯Star Outdoor News LSONews.com

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Solunar | Sun times | Moon timesMoon Phases

FOR THE TABLEOUTDOOR PUZZLER | By Wilbur “Wib” Lundeen Solution on Page 26

ACROSS1. Worn by fl y-fi shermen4. Deer markings on tree

trunks8. Hunting station,

_____ stand9. Game homes

10. Game and bird shooter's quarry

12. A gobbler's mating walk14. A bear resting place15. Rim of a fi eld area16. Oxidation on gun parts17. A turtle will lay 50 of

these18. Icefi shing gear20. Large appendage on

a muley24. A grouping of fi sh26. A hunter's lure28. A very large bass species29. A game pathway30. A fl y pattern for bass33. Good wood for arrow

shafts36. The line grommet on a fi shing rod37. A gun organization38. Term for the whitetail of the North39. Expels a fi red cartridge41. Signifi es a type bullet43. Term for game fi sh sighted but not

hooked

45. Do this to hunting and scouting routes46. A deer food47. The antlers48. Part of the antlers49. A grouping of animals

DOWN 1. Artifi cial fi shing lures2. A species of sheep

3. Act of fi sh hitting a bait 4. Best lure color to attract fi sh 5. This should be insulated 6. Worn to keep snow, pebbles

out of shoes 7. Color worn by hunters for

safety11. Outer area of a hunting fi eld12. Trapper's gear13. A deer lure, scent ____19. A grouping of quail21. Permits use of smaller cali-

ber ammo22. A good wood for arrow shafts23. Name given whitetails in

Arizona25. Trapped for the fur27. A wild turkey predator28. Signifi es a shotgun model31. Fish classed as a roamer32. The kick from fi ring a gun34. Protects shoulder from gun

recoil35. A striper's tail rings deter-

mine this37. Brings in a catch40. A game bird41. An appendage on a wild turkey42. Name for the Hawaiian goose43. A type of arrowhead used in streams44. The recoil from a fi red gun45. The outdoorsman's pest

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| |

4 (8-ounce) venison chopsSalt and pepper, to taste2 tbsp. olive oil1/2 cup diced onion2 garlic cloves, minced1 cup blueberries1/2 cup red wine1/4 cup beef broth2 tbsp. berry jelly1 tbsp. butter1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

Season chops with salt and pepper.Heat oil in a large skillet over

medium fl ame. Add chops and brown on both sides, about 7 min-utes. Transfer chops to serving platter and cover.

Add onion and garlic to skillet; cook two minutes, stirring. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to mix. Simmer until sauce thickens and berries break down, about three minutes, stirring. Pour sauce over chops and serve immediately.

— venisonrecipes.net

Pan-seared venison chops with berries

2 tbsp. canola oil2 tsp. garlic salt2 tsp. dried thyme2 tsp. paprika1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce1/4 tsp. pepper4 (8-ounce) fi llets catfi sh

In a small bowl, combine the fi rst seven ingredients; brush over both sides of fi sh.

Place fi sh in a 13-inch x 9-inch x 2-inch baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 450 degrees F for 10-13 minutes or until fi sh fl akes easily with a fork.

— allrecipes.com

Cajun baked catfi sh

FullAug 12 Last

Aug 19First

Sept 2

NewAug 26

Texas Coast TidesSabine Pass, jettyDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightAug 12 4:26 a.m. 2.5 H 9:14 a.m. 2.1 L 1:03 p.m. 2.3 H 8:54 p.m. -0.2 L Aug 13 4:43 a.m. 2.3 H 9:37 a.m. 2.0 L 2:03 p.m. 2.3 H 9:27 p.m. 0.0 L Aug 14 4:58 a.m. 2.3 H 10:06 a.m. 1.8 L 3:03 p.m. 2.1 H 9:57 p.m. 0.4 L Aug 15 5:12 a.m. 2.3 H 10:39 a.m. 1.4 L 4:05 p.m. 2.1 H 10:23 p.m. 0.7 L Aug 16 5:26 a.m. 2.3 H 11:16 a.m. 1.3 L 5:14 p.m. 2.0 H 10:48 p.m. 1.1 L Aug 17 5:39 a.m. 2.1 H 11:56 a.m. 1.1 L 6:31 p.m. 2.0 H 11:13 p.m. 1.4 L Aug 18 5:51 a.m. 2.1 H 12:38 p.m. 0.7 L 7:59 p.m. 2.0 H 11:37 p.m. 1.8 L Aug 19 5:56 a.m. 2.1 H 1:25 p.m. 0.5 L 9:44 p.m. 2.0 H 11:56 p.m. 1.8 L Aug 20 5:44 a.m. 2.3 H 2:16 p.m. 0.4 L Aug 21 4:56 a.m. 2.3 H 3:11 p.m. 0.4 L Aug 22 4:29 a.m. 2.5 H 4:08 p.m. 0.2 L Aug 23 4:17 a.m. 2.7 H 5:03 p.m. 0.0 L Aug 24 3:07 a.m. 2.7 H 5:54 p.m. -0.2 L Aug 25 3:08 a.m. 2.7 H 6:42 p.m. -0.2 L Aug 26 3:20 a.m. 2.7 H 7:09 a.m. 2.5 L 11:10 a.m. 2.7 H 7:28 p.m. -0.2 L

Galveston Bay entrance, south jettyDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightAug 12 5:13 a.m. 2.0 H 9:40 a.m. 1.7 L 1:50 p.m. 1.9 H 9:20 p.m. -0.1 L Aug 13 5:30 a.m. 1.9 H 10:03 a.m. 1.6 L 2:50 p.m. 1.9 H 9:53 p.m. 0.0 L Aug 14 5:45 a.m. 1.9 H 10:32 a.m. 1.4 L 3:50 p.m. 1.7 H 10:23 p.m. 0.3 L Aug 15 5:59 a.m. 1.9 H 11:05 a.m. 1.1 L 4:52 p.m. 1.7 H 10:49 p.m. 0.6 L Aug 16 6:13 a.m. 1.9 H 11:42 a.m. 1.0 L 6:01 p.m. 1.6 H 11:14 p.m. 0.9 L Aug 17 6:26 a.m. 1.7 H 12:22 p.m. 0.9 L 7:18 p.m. 1.6 H 11:39 p.m. 1.1 L Aug 18 6:38 a.m. 1.7 H 1:04 p.m. 0.6 L 8:46 p.m. 1.6 H Aug 19 12:03 a.m. 1.4 L 6:43 a.m. 1.7 H 1:51 p.m. 0.4 L 10:31 p.m. 1.6 H Aug 20 12:22 a.m. 1.4 L 6:31 a.m. 1.9 H 2:42 p.m. 0.3 L Aug 21 5:43 a.m. 1.9 H 3:37 p.m. 0.3 L Aug 22 5:16 a.m. 2.0 H 4:34 p.m. 0.1 L Aug 23 5:04 a.m. 2.1 H 5:29 p.m. 0.0 L Aug 24 3:54 a.m. 2.1 H 6:20 p.m. -0.1 L Aug 25 3:55 a.m. 2.1 H 7:08 p.m. -0.1 L Aug 26 4:07 a.m. 2.1 H 7:35 a.m. 2.0 L 11:57 a.m. 2.1 H 7:54 p.m. -0.1 L

San Luis PassDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time Height Aug 12 5:43 a.m. 1.2 H 10:36 a.m. 1.0 L 2:20 p.m. 1.1 H 10:16 p.m. -0.1 L Aug 13 6:00 a.m. 1.1 H 10:59 a.m. 0.9 L 3:20 p.m. 1.1 H 10:49 p.m. 0.0 L Aug 14 6:15 a.m. 1.1 H 11:28 a.m. 0.9 L 4:20 p.m. 1.0 H 11:19 p.m. 0.2 L Aug 15 6:29 a.m. 1.1 H 12:01 p.m. 0.7 L 5:22 p.m. 1.0 H 11:45 p.m. 0.3 L Aug 16 6:43 a.m. 1.1 H 12:38 p.m. 0.6 L 6:31 p.m. 0.9 H Aug 17 12:10 a.m. 0.5 L 6:56 a.m. 1.0 H 1:18 p.m. 0.5 L 7:48 p.m. 0.9 H Aug 18 12:35 a.m. 0.7 L 7:08 a.m. 1.0 H 2:00 p.m. 0.3 L 9:16 p.m. 0.9 H Aug 19 12:59 a.m. 0.9 L 7:13 a.m. 1.0 H 2:47 p.m. 0.3 L 11:01 p.m. 0.9 H Aug 20 1:18 a.m. 0.9 L 7:01 a.m. 1.1 H 3:38 p.m. 0.2 L Aug 21 6:13 a.m. 1.1 H 4:33 p.m. 0.2 L Aug 22 5:46 a.m. 1.2 H 5:30 p.m. 0.1 L Aug 23 5:34 a.m. 1.3 H 6:25 p.m. 0.0 L Aug 24 4:24 a.m. 1.3 H 7:16 p.m. -0.1 L Aug 25 4:25 a.m. 1.3 H 8:04 p.m. -0.1 L Aug 26 4:37 a.m. 1.3 H 8:31 a.m. 1.2 L 12:27 p.m. 1.3 H 8:50 p.m. -0.1 L

Freeport HarborDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightAug 12 4:35 a.m. 1.7 H 9:37 a.m. 1.1 L 1:12 p.m. 1.6 H 9:17 p.m. -0.1 L Aug 13 4:52 a.m. 1.6 H 10:00 a.m. 1.0 L 2:12 p.m. 1.6 H 9:50 p.m. 0.0 L Aug 14 5:07 a.m. 1.6 H 10:29 a.m. 0.9 L 3:12 p.m. 1.5 H 10:20 p.m. 0.2 L Aug 15 5:21 a.m. 1.6 H 11:02 a.m. 0.7 L 4:14 p.m. 1.5 H 10:46 p.m. 0.4 L Aug 16 5:35 a.m. 1.6 H 11:39 a.m. 0.6 L 5:23 p.m. 1.4 H 11:11 p.m. 0.5 L Aug 17 5:48 a.m. 1.5 H 12:19 p.m. 0.5 L 6:40 p.m. 1.4 H 11:36 p.m. 0.7 L Aug 18 6:00 a.m. 1.5 H 1:01 p.m. 0.4 L 8:08 p.m. 1.4 H Aug 19 12:00 a.m. 0.9 L 6:05 a.m. 1.5 H 1:48 p.m. 0.3 L 9:53 p.m. 1.4 H Aug 20 12:19 a.m. 0.9 L 5:53 a.m. 1.6 H 2:39 p.m. 0.2 L Aug 21 5:05 a.m. 1.6 H 3:34 p.m. 0.2 L Aug 22 4:38 a.m. 1.7 H 4:31 p.m. 0.1 L Aug 23 4:26 a.m. 1.8 H 5:26 p.m. 0.0 L Aug 24 3:16 a.m. 1.8 H 6:17 p.m. -0.1 L Aug 25 3:17 a.m. 1.8 H 7:05 p.m. -0.1 L Aug 26 3:29 a.m. 1.8 H 7:32 a.m. 1.3 L 11:19 a.m. 1.8 H 7:51 p.m. -0.1 L

South Padre IslandDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightAug 12 5:36 a.m. 1.5 H 9:50 a.m. 1.3 L 11:58 a.m. 1.4 H 9:13 p.m. -0.2 L Aug 13 5:47 a.m. 1.4 H 9:58 a.m. 1.2 L 1:35 p.m. 1.3 H 9:55 p.m. 0.0 L Aug 14 5:53 a.m. 1.3 H 10:22 a.m. 1.1 L 2:53 p.m. 1.3 H 10:34 p.m. 0.2 L Aug 15 5:54 a.m. 1.2 H 10:51 a.m. 0.9 L 4:05 p.m. 1.2 H 11:10 p.m. 0.4 L Aug 16 5:50 a.m. 1.1 H 11:22 a.m. 0.8 L 5:17 p.m. 1.2 H 11:43 p.m. 0.6 L Aug 17 5:41 a.m. 1.1 H 11:55 a.m. 0.6 L 6:35 p.m. 1.1 H Aug 18 12:12 a.m. 0.8 L 5:26 a.m. 1.1 H 12:32 p.m. 0.4 L 8:08 p.m. 1.1 H Aug 19 12:36 a.m. 1.0 L 5:06 a.m. 1.1 H 1:13 p.m. 0.3 L 10:31 p.m. 1.1 H Aug 20 12:36 a.m. 1.0 L 4:41 a.m. 1.2 H 2:02 p.m. 0.2 L Aug 21 4:00 a.m. 1.3 H 2:57 p.m. 0.1 L Aug 22 3:19 a.m. 1.4 H 3:58 p.m. 0.1 L Aug 23 3:25 a.m. 1.6 H 5:00 p.m. 0.0 L Aug 24 3:43 a.m. 1.7 H 5:58 p.m. -0.1 L Aug 25 4:02 a.m. 1.7 H 6:53 p.m. -0.1 L Aug 26 4:19 a.m. 1.7 H 7:45 p.m. -0.1 L

Port O’ConnorDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightAug 12 1:03 p.m. 0.6 H Aug 13 12:41 a.m. -0.3 L 3:30 p.m. 0.6 H Aug 14 1:23 a.m. -0.2 L 5:10 p.m. 0.5 H Aug 15 2:01 a.m. -0.1 L 10:29 a.m. 0.4 H 1:15 p.m. 0.3 L 6:34 p.m. 0.5 H Aug 16 2:37 a.m. 0.0 L 9:53 a.m. 0.4 H 1:54 p.m. 0.3 L 7:57 p.m. 0.5 H Aug 17 3:08 a.m. 0.2 L 9:03 a.m. 0.3 H 2:32 p.m. 0.2 L 9:34 p.m. 0.4 H Aug 18 3:25 a.m. 0.3 L 7:52 a.m. 0.4 H 3:13 p.m. 0.1 L Aug 19 6:34 a.m. 0.5 H 4:03 p.m. 0.1 L Aug 20 6:18 a.m. 0.6 H 5:04 p.m. 0.0 L Aug 2 6:44 a.m. 0.7 H 6:18 p.m. 0.0 L Aug 22 7:22 a.m. 0.8 H 7:40 p.m. -0.1 L Aug 23 8:04 a.m. 0.8 H 8:53 p.m. -0.1 L Aug 24 8:50 a.m. 0.9 H 9:55 p.m. -0.1 L Aug 25 9:40 a.m. 0.9 H 10:47 p.m. -0.1 L Aug 26 10:39 a.m. 0.9 H 11:34 p.m. -0.1 L

RockportDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightAug 12 12:04 a.m. -0.06 L 2:43 p.m. 0.29 HAug 13 12:43 a.m. -0.02 L 3:41 p.m. 0.26 HAug 14 1:13 a.m. 0.02 L 4:46 p.m. 0.23 HAug 15 1:34 a.m. 0.06 L 6:16 p.m. 0.20 HAug 16 1:44 a.m. 0.10 L 8:27 a.m. 0.18 H 2:25 p.m. 0.13 L 8:31 p.m. 0.17 HAug 17 1:35 a.m. 0.15 L 8:05 a.m. 0.21 H 3:46 p.m. 0.10 LAug 18 8:03 a.m. 0.24 H 4:45 p.m. 0.07 LAug 19 8:14 a.m. 0.27 H 5:36 p.m. 0.05 LAug 20 8:39 a.m. 0.30 H 6:26 p.m. 0.04 LAug 21 9:14 a.m. 0.32 H 7:18 p.m. 0.03 LAug 22 9:58 a.m. 0.34 H 8:12 p.m. 0.03 LAug 23 10:47 a.m. 0.36 H 9:06 p.m. 0.03 LAug 24 11:37 a.m. 0.38 H 9:59 p.m. 0.04 LAug 25 12:26 PM 0.39 H 10:48 p.m. 0.05 LAug 26 1:18 PM 0.39 H 11:33 p.m. 0.07 L

Houston2011 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONAug Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets12 Fri > 4:40 10:52 5:04 11:16 06:46 08:05 7:19p 5:41a 13 Sat > 5:26 11:37 5:49 ----- 06:47 08:04 7:53p 6:39a 14 Sun F 6:12 12:01 6:33 12:22 06:47 08:03 8:25p 7:34a 15 Mon > 6:57 12:46 7:18 1:07 06:48 08:02 8:55p 8:28a16 Tue > 7:43 1:32 8:03 1:53 06:48 08:01 9:25p 9:21a 17 Wed 8:29 2:19 8:50 2:40 06:49 08:00 9:56p 10:14a18 Thu 9:16 3:06 9:38 3:27 06:50 07:59 10:29p 11:07a19 Fri 10:04 3:53 10:26 4:15 06:50 07:58 11:04p 12:00p 20 Sat 10:53 4:41 11:16 5:04 06:51 07:57 11:43p 12:55p21 Sun Q 11:42 5:30 ----- 5:54 06:51 07:56 NoMoon 1:49p 22 Mon 12:07 6:19 12:31 6:44 06:52 07:55 12:26a 2:43p23 Tue 12:55 7:08 1:21 7:34 06:52 07:54 1:15a 3:36p 24 Wed 1:43 7:57 2:10 8:24 06:53 07:53 2:09a 4:27p 25 Thu 2:32 8:46 2:59 9:13 06:53 07:52 3:08a 5:15p26 Fri 3:21 9:34 3:48 10:01 06:54 07:51 4:11a 6:00p 27 Sat > 4:09 10:23 4:36 10:49 06:55 07:50 5:16a 6:42p 28 Sun N 4:59 11:12 5:26 11:39 06:55 07:49 6:22a 7:21p 29 Mon > 5:51 ----- 6:17 12:30 06:56 07:48 7:28a 7:59p 30 Tue > 6:46 12:33 7:12 12:59 06:56 07:46 8:35a 8:38p 31 Wed > 7:44 1:30 8:11 1:58 06:57 07:45 9:42a 9:18p

Port Aransas, H. Caldwell PierDate Time Height Time Height Time Height Time HeightAug 12 5:06 a.m. 1.6 H 9:19 a.m. 0.9 L 1:43 p.m. 1.5 H 8:59 p.m. -0.1 L Aug 13 5:23 a.m. 1.5 H 9:42 a.m. 0.8 L 2:43 p.m. 1.5 H 9:32 p.m. 0.0 L Aug 14 5:38 a.m. 1.5 H 10:11 a.m. 0.8 L 3:43 p.m. 1.4 H 10:02 p.m. 0.2 L Aug 15 5:52 a.m. 1.5 H 10:44 a.m. 0.6 L 4:45 p.m. 1.4 H 10:28 p.m. 0.3 L Aug 16 6:06 a.m. 1.5 H 11:21 a.m. 0.5 L 5:54 p.m. 1.3 H 10:53 p.m. 0.5 L Aug 17 6:19 a.m. 1.4 H 12:01 p.m. 0.5 L 7:11 p.m. 1.3 H 11:18 p.m. 0.6 L Aug 18 6:31 a.m. 1.4 H 12:43 p.m. 0.3 L 8:39 p.m. 1.3 H 11:42 p.m. 0.8 L Aug 19 6:36 a.m. 1.4 H 1:30 p.m. 0.2 L 10:24 p.m. 1.3 H Aug 20 12:01 a.m. 0.8 L 6:24 a.m. 1.5 H 2:21 p.m. 0.2 L Aug 21 5:36 a.m. 1.5 H 3:16 p.m. 0.2 L Aug 22 5:09 a.m. 1.6 H 4:13 p.m. 0.1 L Aug 23 4:57 a.m. 1.7 H 5:08 p.m. 0.0 L Aug 24 3:47 a.m. 1.7 H 5:59 p.m. -0.1 L Aug 25 3:48 a.m. 1.7 H 6:47 p.m. -0.1 L Aug 26 4:00 a.m. 1.7 H 7:14 a.m. 1.1 L 11:50 a.m. 1.7 H 7:33 p.m. -0.1 L

San Antonio2011 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONAug Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets12 Fri > 4:53 11:05 5:17 11:29 06:59 08:17 7:31p 5:55a 13 Sat > 5:39 11:50 6:01 ----- 07:00 08:16 8:06p 6:52a 14 Sun F 6:24 12:13 6:46 12:35 07:00 08:15 8:38p 7:48a 15 Mon > 7:09 12:59 7:30 1:20 07:01 08:14 9:08p 8:41a 16 Tue > 7:55 1:45 8:16 2:06 07:01 08:13 9:38p 9:34a 17 Wed 8:42 2:31 9:02 2:52 07:02 08:12 10:09p 10:27a 18 Thu 9:29 3:18 9:50 3:40 07:02 08:11 10:42p 11:19a19 Fri 10:17 4:06 10:39 4:28 07:03 08:10 11:17p 12:13p 20 Sat 11:05 4:54 11:28 5:17 07:04 08:09 11:56p 1:07p21 Sun Q 11:54 5:42 ----- 6:07 07:04 08:08 NoMoon 2:01p22 Mon 12:20 6:31 12:44 6:57 07:05 08:07 12:40a 2:56p 23 Tue 1:07 7:20 1:33 7:47 07:05 08:06 1:29a 3:49p 24 Wed 1:56 8:09 2:23 8:36 07:06 08:05 2:23a 4:40p25 Thu 2:44 8:58 3:12 9:25 07:06 08:04 3:22a 5:28p26 Fri 3:33 9:47 4:00 10:14 07:07 08:03 4:24a 6:12p 27 Sat > 4:22 10:35 4:49 11:02 07:07 08:02 5:29a 6:54p 28 Sun N 5:12 11:25 5:38 11:51 07:08 08:01 6:35a 7:34p 29 Mon > 6:04 ----- 6:30 12:43 07:08 08:00 7:41a 8:12p30 Tue > 6:58 12:45 7:25 1:11 07:09 07:59 8:48a 8:51p 31 Wed > 7:57 1:43 8:24 2:10 07:09 07:58 9:55a 9:32p

Amarillo2011 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONAug Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets12 Fri > 5:06 11:18 5:30 11:42 07:03 08:39 7:53p 5:59a13 Sat > 5:52 ----- 6:15 12:03 07:04 08:38 8:25p 6:59a 14 Sun F 6:37 12:27 6:59 12:48 07:05 08:37 8:54p 7:57a15 Mon > 7:23 1:12 7:44 1:33 07:06 08:36 9:22p 8:54a16 Tue > 8:09 1:58 8:29 2:19 07:07 08:35 9:49p 9:50a 17 Wed 8:55 2:45 9:16 3:05 07:07 08:34 10:17p 10:45a 18 Thu 9:42 3:32 10:04 3:53 07:08 08:32 10:47p 11:40a 19 Fri 10:30 4:19 10:52 4:41 07:09 08:31 11:21p 12:36p20 Sat 11:19 5:07 11:42 5:30 07:10 08:30 NoMoon 1:33p 21 Sun Q ----- 5:56 12:08 6:20 07:10 08:29 NoMoon 2:29p 22 Mon 12:33 6:45 12:57 7:10 07:11 08:28 12:40a 3:24p 23 Tue 1:20 7:34 1:47 8:00 07:12 08:26 1:28a 4:17p24 Wed 2:09 8:23 2:36 8:50 07:13 08:25 2:22a 5:07p 25 Thu 2:58 9:11 3:25 9:39 07:13 08:24 3:22a 5:54p 26 Fri 3:46 10:00 4:14 10:27 07:14 08:22 4:27a 6:36p 27 Sat > 4:35 10:49 5:02 11:15 07:15 08:21 5:35a 7:14p 28 Sun N 5:25 11:38 5:51 12:05 07:16 08:20 6:44a 7:51p 29 Mon > 6:17 ----- 6:43 12:56 07:16 08:19 7:54a 8:26p 30 Tue > 7:12 12:59 7:38 1:25 07:17 08:17 9:04a 9:01p 31 Wed > 8:10 1:56 8:37 2:23 07:18 08:16 10:15a 9:38p

Dallas2011 A.M. P.M. SUN MOONAug Minor Major Minor Major Rises Sets Rises Sets12 Fri > 4:46 10:58 5:10 11:22 06:47 08:15 7:29p 5:41a 13 Sat > 5:32 11:43 5:54 ----- 06:47 08:14 8:02p 6:41a 14 Sun F 6:17 12:06 6:39 12:28 06:48 08:13 8:32p 7:38a15 Mon > 7:02 12:52 7:23 1:13 06:49 08:12 9:01p 8:33a16 Tue > 7:48 1:38 8:09 1:59 06:50 08:11 9:30p 9:28a17 Wed 8:35 2:24 8:55 2:45 06:50 08:10 9:59p 10:22a 18 Thu 9:22 3:11 9:43 3:33 06:51 08:09 10:30p 11:16a 19 Fri 10:10 3:59 10:32 4:21 06:52 08:08 11:04p 12:11p 20 Sat 10:58 4:47 11:21 5:10 06:52 08:07 11:42p 1:07p 21 Sun Q 11:47 5:35 ----- 6:00 06:53 08:06 NoMoon 2:02p 22 Mon 12:13 6:24 12:37 6:50 06:54 08:04 12:25a 2:57p 23 Tue 1:00 7:13 1:26 7:40 06:54 08:03 1:13a 3:50p 24 Wed 1:49 8:02 2:16 8:29 06:55 08:02 2:07a 4:41p 25 Thu 2:37 8:51 3:05 9:18 06:56 08:01 3:07a 5:28p26 Fri 3:26 9:40 3:53 10:07 06:56 08:00 4:10a 6:11p 27 Sat > 4:15 10:28 4:42 10:55 06:57 07:58 5:17a 6:51p 28 Sun N 5:05 11:18 5:31 11:44 06:58 07:57 6:25a 7:28p 29 Mon > 5:57 ----- 6:23 12:36 06:58 07:56 7:33a 8:05p 30 Tue > 6:51 12:38 7:18 1:04 06:59 07:55 8:42a 8:42p 31 Wed > 7:50 1:36 8:17 2:03 07:00 07:53 9:51a 9:20p

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LSONews.com Lone✯Star Outdoor News August 12, 2011 Page 19

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Page 20 August 12, 2011 Lone✯Star Outdoor News LSONews.com

on the water close to four days per week and has reported a consistent king bite.

“We’re catching about two of those per trip, then the rest of the fi sh have been generally keepers in the 25-pound range,” Labauve said.

Shad, ribbonfi sh and Spanish sardines have been the food of choice for kings, as Labauve has found an active bite on these baits.

Structure has been important for Labauve as he said anglers should key on anything that will hold fi sh. Labauve said since the shrimping season opened on July 15, the key to fi nding kings has been a simple one.

“When they (shrimp boats) cull their bycatch it just makes it a feeding frenzy for kings,” Labauve said. “We have also success-fully targeted coral rocks and platform rigs.”

Equally important has been water clarity, said Capt. Kevin Martin. Also running out of Galveston, Martin said that the search for clean water might force anglers out farther

than expected. Martin reported that recent trips have taken him out more than 25 miles in search of kings.

“As of last week all you had to do was leave the jetties and you could fi nd kings,” Martin said. “But, after that storm blew through, it blew everything out and now the clean water line is at about 10 miles.”

Martin also reported fair numbers of kings, with a good amount of his trips bringing in fi sh over 30 pounds. Most of his fi sh have been caught on frozen bait in around 90 to 150 feet of water, depending on water clarity and structure present.

Martin said that he caught fi sh in the fi rst week of August in slightly stained water, but said that he would be hesitant to fi sh stained water again and would opt for riding out to deeper water.

To contact Capt. Shannon Labauve, call (713) 962-7502To contact Capt. Kevin Martin, call (979) 299-4771

“You may not be able to get those kinds of casts (from clients),” Vick said. “So you can set up on a trip and get enough line out so you can pull it over the structure and get the crankbait down deep enough.”

This can also be a useful technique for those who are working a large area and may not have specifi c spots to key on. Vick said that because any amount of line can be let out, a much wider range can be covered com-pared to the traditional cast-ing method.

Carolina-rigged crankbaits and soft plastics work best, Vick said, and he advised

against using others, such as spoons.

“If there is structure or trees you’re going to get hung up,” Vick said.

Vick likes to troll at a speed of 2.8 miles per hour, but said if switching to soft plas-tics, anglers should consider a slower pace.

Because of the lower-than-average water levels in most lakes, Vick said that this technique should open up a lot of new water for anglers to target.

However, they still may need to hit depths upward of 25 feet, so “strolling” may be the best way to achieve that.

Anglers also reported on keying on road beds and any bottom changes as good places to use “strolling.”

Vick said Sam Rayburn,

Toledo Bend and Lake Fork are the main lakes he has used this presentation on, but said any lake where you need to reach that depth over 20 feet will work.

Vick said he is still using the technique on lakes with lower levels, because they still hold enough water to work large areas.

Vick also offered caution for those hoping to use this in a tournament setting.

“Some tournaments you can stroll in — but most of them you cannot — like any of the pro events (B.A.S.S. and FLW),” Vick said. “So for the small ones you just have to check with every individ-ual tournament director.”

To contact guide Lance Vick, call (903) 312-0609

StrollContinued From Page 9

KingfishContinued From Page 8

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signal.“We hope these 15,000

comments indicate to the FCC the critical need of hav-ing a reliable navigation system, not just for boaters and anglers, but for pilots, drivers, outdoor adventur-ers, and fi rst responders,” she said. “It is unimaginable that the federal government — the guardian of the band-width — would consider approving a proposal with so many problems and grave public safety consequences.”

LightSquared offi cials said in a press release that the com-pany is committed to, “the overwhelming need for reliable wireless broadband for public safety, education, health care and economic development in rural America.”

“We can have a robust, accurate GPS network and also create a substantial new resource for rural America in the form of a wireless net-work that reaches areas that still don’t have broadband access,” the offi cials said.

They added that the new network would not hinder the current GPS signal.

Former U.S. Rep Charlie Stenholm of Texas recently joined a LightSquared-sponsored initiative called Empower Rural America. One of its goals is to resolve GPS issues.

He said, “LightSquared’s ability to provide fast and effective communication services for public safety and emergency response can provide a much needed lifeline for small and rural communities in the tornado belt and other areas of rural America that are fl ood prone.”

fi sherman they have to be aware of their surroundings and how they’re anchoring up and fi shing.” Bieler said.

Legally, the anglers should not expect to have any sort of buffer zone, as the 50-foot rule applies only to personal watercrafts, according to the Texas Water Safety Act.

Bieler said that the only issue that could arise would be if the incident occurred in a no-wake zone, which is usually in marina areas and around bridges.

But he reiterated that because he was unfamiliar with the incident, he could not comment specifi cally.

The state regulations do not give yachts or fi shing boats any special rights on the water.

And boating safety rules described by TPWD and the U.S. Coast Guard both state that all boaters have responsibility to avoid trouble.

For example, the Coast Guard states that, “Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision.”

In addition, the Coast Guard says every vessel “shall at all times proceed at a safe speed.” And, in determining a safe speed, boaters must be aware of “traffi c density including concentrations of fi sh-ing vessels or any other vessels.”

There are, however, basic rules to follow when vessels meet on the water, according to the Coast Guard and TPWD.

There are numerous scenarios, but boats should be able to discern the stand-on vessel (the one that should maintain its course and speed) and the give-way vessel — the one that must take early action to avoid a wreck.

Boating handbooks and classes offered by TPWD and the Coast Guard Auxiliary can help boaters learn how to make those decisions.

All boatersContinued From Page 11

GPSContinued From Page 9

New licenses go on sale Aug. 15

Hunting and fi shing licenses expire Aug. 31, but licenses for 2011-2012 go on sale Aug. 15. (Year-to-date fi sh-ing licenses are an exception.)

Licenses will go on sale at more than 1,500 retailers, 28 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department fi eld offi ces and more than 65 state parks. But, for a $5 administrative transaction fee, licenses may also be purchased online through the TPWD Web site or by calling (800) 895-4248. Call center hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. The online transac-tion system is available 24/7.

Fishing license exemptionsThis year the Texas Legislature low-

ered the age limit letting some seniors fi sh free. Resident fi shers born prior to Jan. 1, 1931 are exempt from purchasing state fi shing licenses. Resident anglers 65 and older qualify for reduced price fi shing and hunting licenses. (See related story page 8.)

Dove hunting requirementsIn addition to a hunting license, all

wing shooters will need to purchase a game bird stamp. To hunt dove or teal in September, a Migratory Game Bird Stamp ($7) is required.

Duck hunters also need to purchase a Federal Duck Stamp and receive HIP (Harvest Information Program) certi-fi cation. HIP certifi cation involves a brief survey of previous year’s hunting success and is conducted at the time licenses are purchased.

Certifi cation will be printed on the license. Lifetime license holders must also be HIP-certifi ed and purchase the Federal Duck Stamp to hunt migratory birds. All other state stamp endorsements are included with a lifetime license.

There are other mandatory endorse-ments to consider at the time of purchase, too. An Upland Game Bird Stamp ($7) is required to hunt all non-migratory game birds, including turkey, quail, pheasant, chachalaca and lesser prairie chicken.

A TPWD spokesman said, “Anyone who purchases the Super Combo license package, the best bang for the buck at $68, automatically gets these needed stamps. Sportsmen ages 65 and older qualify for a dis-counted Senior Super Combo for $32. Duck hunters will still need to purchase a Federal Duck Stamp.”

Lifetime license drawingHunters and anglers can also

take care of their licensing require-ments for life with the purchase of a $1,800 Lifetime Super Combo, or they can enter for a chance at win-ning a lifetime license through a special drawing.

Entries for the Lifetime License Drawing cost $5 each and may be purchased wherever licenses are sold. There is no limit on the num-ber of entries that may be purchased. Winners will be drawn on Dec. 30, 2011 and June 30, 2012. Those who enter by Dec. 27 will be eligible for both drawings.

—Staff report

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SeniorsContinued From Page 8

FOR SENIORS: State Rep. Harold Dutton Jr. of Houston said he would keep pushing a law to let all senior citizens fi sh for free. For now, senior anglers 65 to 80 can buy discounted fi shing licenses. Seniors born on or before Jan. 1 1931 can fi sh for free. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.

Revenue from the sale of hunting and fi shing licenses and stamps, as well as such things as boater registration fees, go into TPWD’s Fund 9.

Until the mid-1990s, anglers 65 or older fi shed free in Texas.“The population was aging and we were losing a lot of revenue,” McCarty said. “The peo-

ple with the most discretionary revenue — and the most discretionary time — were in the older group. They were having a signifi cant impact on the resource and not paying for it.”

The Legislature then changed the law to state that an angler had to be born on or before Sept. 1, 1930 to fi sh free.

“The intent was to grandfather in those already fi shing free,” McCarty said.This Legislature’s minimal lowering of the age limit to fi sh free will only cost TPWD about

$16,000 in 2012, according to McCarty.But those 65 or older aren’t left empty-handed. Anglers who are that age — and whose birthday is after Jan. 1, 1931 — can buy discounted

senior fi shing licenses. For example, the freshwater fi shing package, which includes a license and fi shing stamp, costs $12 instead of the regular $30.

Dutton said he would be back next session trying to hook more legislators into letting anglers 65 or older fi sh free.

“I continue to believe that exempting Texas seniors from paying for the right to fi sh is a great idea,” he said, “and I defi nitely intend to reintroduce the bill in the next session.”

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LSONews.com Lone✯Star Outdoor News August 12, 2011 Page 23

TOURNAMENT BRIEFS

to the reel on the bow went taught, and the fi ght was on for a large alligator gar.

It’s moments like these that Texas bow fi shermen live for.

As summer’s heat becomes unbearable in parts of the state, bow fi shing offers several advantages for archers: a great tune-up for the upcoming deer season and the ability to shoot at night, which is marginally cooler than during the day.

“It really keeps your mus-cle memory and keeps you in shape for normal bow hunting,” said Randy Edwards of Falcon Archery in Hooks. “You’ll do a lot of shooting on a bow fi sh-ing trip and it beats shooting at a target all day.”

As the Lone Star Outdoor News crew learned on a recent trip near

Matagorda Bay, bow fi shing is more instinctual shooting than shooting a compound bow with a normal deer setup, including a sight and release.

The shooting comes fast and furious as gar surface quickly and head under in the blink of an eye.

Often, the shooter has to guess which way the gar is moving and shoot at the water near where the fi sh has just swirled while swing-ing through the shot, much like shooting at a game bird.

Captain Mark Malfa of Big Fish Bowfi shing Texas said most beginning shooters tend to shoot high, while experienced bow fi shermen tend to miss fi sh low.

Bow fi shing arrows do not have fl etching, which means the shooting has to be close to be effec-tive. The average shot on the recent LSON trip was less than 15 feet.

The beauty of bow fi shing is when other “normal” anglers are

struggling to hook fi sh, bow fi sh-ermen make their own luck and hunt the fi sh.

When one rod and reel angler asked Malfa, “What they were biting on?” as he slowly motored

down a river, Malfa answered with a standard bow fi shing punch line.

“I don’t know what they’re bit-ing on,” Malfa said. “But we are planning to force feed them an aluminum arrow.”

ArcheryContinued From Page 8

SHOOT QUICK: Shots while bow fi shing come fast and furious. Bow fi shing is more instinctual shooting than hunting deer with a normal compound bow. Photo by Conor Harrison, LSON.

TIFT winnershighlighted

The 72nd edition of the Texas International Fishing Tournament concluded on Aug. 7 with 1,200 anglers taking part in the two-day event out of Port Isabel.

First place in the sailfi sh division went to Tye Bradley of Aransas Pass on the boat Mojo, who managed 1,200 points in the tournament.

Will Watson of Houston, aboard the Sigsbee Deep, caught the fi rst-place marlin.

D.A. Hughes III, from San Antonio, fi shing on the Wildcatter, was one of the leaders on the off-shore category with his 47-inch, 36.2-pound dolphin that was the unoffi cial leader in the category after Saturday‘s weigh-in.

Ricky Villarreal of Brownsville also jumped the leader board with a 74-1/2 inch mako shark that weighed in at 106 pounds, 5 ounces.

The top fl ounder was a 4-pound, 5-ounce fi sh caught by Michael Burt of Port Aransas.

Marcus Montalvo of San Benito caught the largest redfi sh. It weighed 15 pounds, 8 ounces.

Huffman’s Quinn takes Anglers Quest event

Randy Quinn of Huffman placed fi rst in the July 30 Anglers Quest Individual tournament on Lake Houston with a total weight of 10 pounds, 9 ounces.

Quinn fi shed mostly the East Fork and Luces Bayou areas on the lake. His bass were all caught on Texas-rigged worms and small crankbaits. He fi shed mostly in 2 to 4 feet of brush-covered water. Quinn also recorded the Big Bass of the day, which weighed 2 pounds, 9 ounces.

Second place went to John Littleton of Humble, who fi shed the North Lake Creeks area and fi nished with four bass weighing 6 pounds, 8 ounces. Chris DiBerardino of Huffman fi nished in third place with four bass at 6 pounds, 7 ounces.

Anglers reported Lake Houston to be in good shape with water levels about 6 feet below normal. Water temps were reported to be around 91 degrees.

Team Dean-Sheltonwins Bass Champs

It may have taken Scott Dean of Terrell and Allen Shelton of Coppell eight years, but on July 23 the pair returned to the Bass Champs stage behind a 21-pound, 6-ounce day.

Fishing the fi nal open season event on Cedar Lake, Dean and Terrell focused on the docks and shaded areas. Despite spending much of their practice time fi shing deep water, the pair decided to move shallow after noticing a majority of the tournament fi eld was fi shing deep.

Second place went to the team of Paul Chadwick and Brad Cooper from Wylie. Unable to pre-fi sh, the two fi nished the day with 17 pounds, 5 ounces. The two also fi shed the docks with jigs and shaky heads. Their big-gest fi sh of the day — a 6-pound, 2-ounce bass — was caught in 10 to 12 feet of water.

Steve White of Eustace and Robert Megallon of Mabank caught 17 pounds, 3 ounces of fi sh to fi nish No. 3. The team fi shed 10-inch worms in the morning, than went to crankbaits in the afternoon, and caught a 3-pound fi sh.

Gene Crane of Rockwall and Rick Clark of Terrell fi nished in fourth place just 3/100ths of a pound behind third place, anchored by the Big Bass of the tournament at 7 pounds, 4 ounces. Their fi nal weight was 17 pounds, 3 ounces.

—Staff report

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Page 24 August 12, 2011 Lone✯Star Outdoor News LSONews.com

CONSERVATIONNearshore artifi cial reefs build fi sh habitat, coastal economy

Reefi ng operations began recently in Port Mansfi eld in a joint proj-ect of the Coastal Conservation Association, Habitat Today for Fish Tomorrow and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

More than 4,000 concrete cul-verts will be deployed about seven nautical miles offshore from Port Mansfi eld. These culverts will join 800 others and an old tugboat on the Gulf fl oor. The concrete tubes are sunk to provide habitat for fi sh and marine life. The project is expected to increase marine wildlife numbers and create a recreational diving destination.

TPWD contracted Cajun Maritime LLC to reef the culverts.

“This is the largest reefi ng effort TPWD has conducted at a nearshore reef,” said Dale Shively, TPWD arti-fi cial reef program leader. “This project represents another effort through the partnership of TPWD and CCA to enhance marine habitat in the Gulf of Mexico, making better fi shing opportunities available to all.”

—Staff report

New game wardens headed to the fi eld

Twenty new state game wardens graduated July 26 at ceremonies held in Austin.

They have been assigned to duty stations spanning the state from East Texas to El Paso.

“State game wardens are the

primary law enforcement off the pavement in Texas,” said Major Danny Shaw, director of training at the wardens’ academy in Hamilton County. “We do a lot more for the people of Texas than enforcing game and fi sh laws.”

The 20 new wardens will bring to 532 the number of men and women who are carrying on a tradi-tion of service to Texas that game wardens started in 1895.

These are the new game war-dens and the counties where they will be stationed: Mallory Brodrick, Lubbock; Buck Burchett, Webb;

James Burris, Webb; Jerry Byrne, Zapata; Daniel Cantu, Cameron; Kirk Clendening, Val Verde; Gregg Johnson, Maverick; Anthony King, Presidio; Trey Kram, Scurry; Nicole Leonard, Comal; and Chase McAninch, Montague.

Others: Kyle Nevins, Hale/Floyd; Stewart Rogers, Hartley/Dallam; Robert Sadowski, Anderson; Carson Wardlow, Zapata; William Watts, Trinity; Clifton Westbrook, Stephens; Gerald Whitworth, Starr; Douglas Williams, Bowie; and Aaron Willoughby, Val Verde.

—Staff report

Wildlife program Aug. 31 in Marfa

The 2011 Big Bend Wildlife Program, a daylong conference aimed at teaching “best management prac-tices” for wildlife in far West Texas, will be held Aug. 31 in Marfa.

It starts 8 a.m. at the Paisano Hotel Ballroom. The program will move to the Marfa Ag Barn at 11:45 a.m. for the lunch session and then return to the ballroom at 2 p.m. for the remainder.

The Texas AgriLife Extension

Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Sul Ross State University/ Borderlands Institute, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture will conduct the program.

The day’s topics will include mule deer and pronghorn manage-ment, feral hogs, bighorn sheep, wildlife plant identifi cation, and quail and dove management.

Individual registration is $10. For more information and to

RSVP by Aug. 24, call Jesse Lea Schneider at (432) 295-0342 or Logan Boswell at (432) 295-0342.

—Staff report

Outdoor Adventures awaits Texas students headed back to school

More than 11,000 middle- and high-school students across Texas are headed back to class this fall to learn about conservation, hunting, fi shing, archery, orienteering, camp-ing and other outdoor skills.

The curriculum, now formally adopted by more than 100 schools, is part of the Outdoor Adventures education program developed by the Dallas Ecological Foundation, which is an affi liate of the Dallas Safari Club.

A key partner is the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The agency’s hunter education, boat-ing safety, angler education and National Archery in Schools Program coursework and activities are incor-porated into program curriculum.

Other partners include Midway USA Foundation, Inc., Houston Safari Club and numerous private donors.

—Staff report

REEF: Culverts head out to be dumped in the ocean for reefi ng operations near Port Mansfi eld. Photo by TPWD.

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LSONews.com Lone✯Star Outdoor News August 12, 2011 Page 25

Rising rhino horn thefts prompt

warning tohunters, museumsBy Conor HarrisonLONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

Hunters fortunate enough to travel to Africa to harvest a rhi-noceros need to take extra precau-tions to protect their investments once they make it to their trophy rooms.

According to the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC), rhino horn thefts from museums and homes have been reported in Germany, Great Britain, Italy and South Africa.

There hasn’t been an uptick of thefts noticed in the U.S.

Ben Carter, executive director of the Dallas Safari Club, said he had not heard of any members having their rhino trophies stolen.

But in the past six months, more than 20 thefts have been reported from museums and auc-tion houses in Europe.

In July, rhino horns were sto-len from museums in Bamberg,

Oerrel, and Hamburg Germany, according to the German news site, news.de.

This coincides with a signifi -cant rise in the price of rhino horns, which can sell for as much as $120,000 per kilo.

The stolen horns are report-edly smuggled to Southeast Asia, where the horn is used for medical purposes, although there is no sci-entifi c evidence of their medical effectiveness.

Still, legal owners of rhino tro-phies have been warned against thieves. Offers from strangers to buy horns should also draw sus-picion.

All rhinos are on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The horn trade is banned inter-nationally and violators are pros-ecuted.

Taxidermists should also be warned and should tell their national authorities if the cast-ing of horns and demand of fi ber-glass copies are ordered. This could be for the preparation of illegal sales.

Sustainable hunting has greatly contributed to the popula-tion increase of the once almost extinct white rhino in southern Africa to more than 20,000 ani-mals, according to CIC.

Even individual black rhinos may be hunted in South Africa and Namibia under CITES per-mits, since the hunting revenues are used for species conservation.

“Controlled hunting has played a signifi cant role in the conserva-tion of rhinos and this must con-tinue,” said CIC President Bernard Lozé.

In view of the recent poaching, possibilities of a monitored and regulated trade by CITES should be analyzed, according to the CIC.

Many game ranchers in South Africa now cut the horns off their rhinos to discourage poachers from killing the ani-mals. The horns are made from matted hair, and regrow every fi ve to seven years.

DEATH BY POACHER: Rhino horns are being stolen from museums and homes across Europe right now and American hunters with rhino trophies should take precautions against theft. The skull of a rhino sits bleached in the South African sun after poachers killed the animal for its horn. Game ranchers in South Africa have begun cutting the horns off of their rhinos to protect the animals from poachers. Photo by Lili Sams, LSON.

The Coastal Conservation Association Texas STAR Tournament is in full swing and three anglers have caught tagged redfi sh, win-ning boat/trailer combos in the process. The fi rst angler was Denison resident David Holt (holding 2 fi sh), who caught his redfi sh on July 2, fi shing off of a jetty near Corpus Christi. The next winner was Paul Resendez (center) from Port Lavaca, who boated his 21-inch redfi sh near Indianola Marina on July 4. Finally, Rockport resident Zach Crawford added his name to the winner’s circle when he snagged his redfi sh in the Laguna Madre on July 11. The three men will be awarded their prizes at a CCA ban-quet in October. Photos by CCA.

TEXAS BIG BITES

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Page 26 August 12, 2011 Lone✯Star Outdoor News LSONews.com

LONE STAR MARKET

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

Puzzle solution from Page 18

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LSONews.com Lone✯Star Outdoor News August 12, 2011 Page 27

BUSINESS BRIEFS

American Rodsmiths still in business

The Houston-based rod manufacturer, American Rodsmiths, is still in business.

Cody Felts, product manager, said Aug. 3 that the company “got in a little fi nancial bind last year, but we are getting back to where we were. The economy just killed us for a while.”

He declined to give other specifi cs.Readers of Lone Star Outdoor News and

other anglers took to Internet message boards the past month questioning why American Rodsmiths products weren’t in stores.

“We will be back into retail stores soon,” Felts said.

Felts said business was picking up again and he expects the company to release sev-eral innovations in the next few months, including new grips on their rods.

Bass Pro 'Classic' ends Aug. 24

The Fall Hunting Classics are an annual tradition at Bass Pro Shops and an event that more than 100,000 people are expected to attend this year, said Katie Mitchell, spokes-woman.

“Outdoor enthusiasts will be able to learn the secret techniques and strategies used by professionals to gain a better advantage in the fi eld, see all the latest products and attend workshops and seminars,” Mitchell said.

The 17-day event began Aug. 5 and con-tinues through Aug. 21 at 52 Bass Pro Shops nationwide, including fi ve in Texas.

They are at 5001 Bass Pro Drive in Garland; 2501 Bass Pro drive in Grapevine; and 5000 Katy Mills Circle, Ste. 415 in Katy; 17907 Interstate 10 West, San Antonio; and 1000 Bass Pro Drive, Houston.

Messy shed makeoverBoots thrown on the fl oor, open gun cases,

fi shing equipment scattered, tools and waders lying about.

If this sounds like you, then pay attention to the following:

The World Fishing Network and Tuff Shed is looking for the angler with the messiest shed.

The person chosen by WFN to be most in need of a shed makeover will receive an 8-by-14-foot Premier PRO Weekender Ranch Tuff Shed and $2,000 worth of fi shing supplies from Tuff Shed and WFN.

The promotion is being supported with an aggressive on-air promotional campaign by Tuff Shed on WFN, and an online microsite to view the photo gallery of messy sheds.

To enter, visit www.worldfi shingnetwork.com/contests/tuff.aspx and tell WFN and Tuff Shed in 25 words or less why you need a new Tuff Shed. To showcase their need, anglers can also upload a photo of their messy shed. The contest ends on Aug. 31.

AutoInc raises funds to get vets in the woods

AutoInc, a Texas panhandle automobile dealer-ship network, raised $19,700 in July to support injured and wounded servicemen and women through the Paralyzed Veterans of America' Outdoor Recreation Heritage Fund. The company is donating a portion of the sale from every vehi-cle during the month to ORHF.

PVA-ORHF's mission is to raise funds to sup-port PVA's outdoor sports programs that include hunting, fi shing, shooting, wheelchair games, track and fi eld events, bowling, handcycling and more. In addition to raising funds, ORHF also focuses on creating hunting, fi shing and shooting opportunities for America's wounded heroes.

"We've seen fi rsthand, now, that these hunts let the veterans get back to feeling like 'just one of the guys' again," said AutoInc Vice President Daniel Bradley.

— Reports compiled by LSON staff

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DATEBOOKAugust 13Coastal Conservation AssociationAransas Bay Chapter BanquetPaws N’ TawsFulton(800) 626-4222www.ccatexas.org

National Wild Turkey Federation4th Annual Hunting Heritage and Conservation BanquetHouston(832) 292-1811www.nwtfharriscountywildlifgroup.com

Ducks Unlimited4th Annual Waterfowl SymposiumBass Pro Shops, Pearland(713) 724-2237www.ducks.org

August 13-14Houston Safari ClubHGC-SCI’s 7th Annual Youth Hunter Education CourseHouston Farm and Ranch Clubwww.scihouston.org

August 16Austin Woods and Waters ClubMembership meetingScholz Garten, Austinwww.austinwoodsandwaters.com

August 18Coastal Conservation AssociationNorthwest Houston Chapter BanquetSam Houston Race Park Pavilion(281) 221-0515www.ccatexas.org

August 19Big Brothers Big SistersSporting Clay ShootElm Fork Shooting RangeDallas(817) 905-4653www.bigclayshoot.com

Coastal Conservation AssociationLower Colorado Chapter BanquetBay City Civic Center(979) 318-9007www.ccatexas.org

Quail CoalitionTU Chapter BanquetWalker County FairgroundsHuntsville(214) 524-4122www.quailcoalition.org

August 19-21Texas Trophy Hunters2011 Hunters ExtravaganzaWill Rogers CenterFort Worth(210) 523-8500www.ttha.com

August 20-21 Cabelas Great Outdoor DaysFort Worth, Buda, Allenwww.cabelas.com

August 23Purina Wildlife Series EventWalden Farm and Ranch, Weatherford(940) 325-8500 www.wildlife.purinamills.com

August 24Dallas Safari ClubMonthly meetingRough Riders Baseball GameFrisco(972) 980-9800www.biggame.org

August 25Quail CoalitionAlamo Chapter BanquetLeon Springs Dance Hall(214) 524-4122www.quailcoalition.org

August 26-28Texas Hunting & Outdoor ClassicFreeman Expo HallSan Antonio(210) 226-1177www.huntersclassic.com

August 276th Annual Fishing for Hope TournamentSouth Padre(956) 362-3100

Quail CoalitionSouth Texas Chapter BanquetJ.K Northway Coliseum, Kingsville(214) 524-4122www.quailcoalition.org

10th Annual Big Brothers Big Sisters Clay ShootAlpine Shooting Range, Fort Worth(817) 905-4653www.bbbstx.org/ftworthclayshoot

Texas Big Game Awards Region 4 and 8 BanquetFreeman Exposition HallSan Antonio(210) 826-2904www.texasbiggameawards.org

Ducks Unlimited El Paso Trap Shoot(915) 799-9101www.ducks.org

August 29Purina Wildlife Series EventBar None Country Store, Waco(254) 848-9112www.wildlife.purinamills.com

August 30Purina Wildlife Series EventTemple Feed, Belton(254) 778-7975www.wildlife.purinamills.com

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 2011 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].

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

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

Executive Editor

Editor

Associate Editor

Associate Editor

Graphics Editor

Business/Products Editor

Operations Manager

Accounting

Web site

Intern

Founder & CEO

Craig Nyhus

Bill Miller

Conor Harrison

Mark England

Amy Moore

Mary Helen Aguirre

Mike Hughs

Ginger Hoolan

Bruce Soileau

Mike Nelson

Blazing Paths Media

Nicholas Conklin

David J. Sams

National Advertising Accounts Manager

Classifi ed/Outfi ttersAdvertising

Contributors Kyle CarterAlan ClemonsDavid DraperWilbur LundeenAaron ReedErich SchlegelDavid SikesScott SommerlatteChuck UzzleRalph Winingham

Page 29: August 12, 2011 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting

LSONews.com Lone✯Star Outdoor News August 12, 2011 Page 29

TPWD biologist, writer dies in Wichita Falls

An accomplished fi sheries biolo-gist, who also found time to write newspaper columns about Texas out-doors, died July 30 in Wichita Falls.

Mark Howell, 55, served as a district fi sheries supervisor for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

In a letter to TPWD employees, Executive Director Carter Smith said Howell died at a Wichita Falls hospi-tal after battling complications from surgery “to address a perforated colon and diverticulitis.”

Howell was married and the father of two boys.

“Mark was dedicated to not only improving the area fi sheries he stewarded, but also to introducing people to the great outdoors,” Smith said. “In his spare time, he served ably as the outdoor editor for the Wichita Falls Times Record News.”

—Staff report

Anglers warned about drinkingand swimming If those cold beers didn’t cool you off enough while fi shing, and you decide to take a quick plunge, one boating organization has something for you to consider fi rst. About 50 percent of all adult drownings involve alcohol, according to BoatUS. “People know not to drink and drive a boat, but they don’t always know that it’s not a good idea to drink and swim,” said Bob Adriance of BoatUS. Anglers should also know what drowning looks like, BoatUS said. Someone who is drowning lacks lung capacity to call for help. They move their arms as though climbing a lad-der, taking quick gulps of air before slipping back under.

—Staff report

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Page 30 August 12, 2011 Lone✯Star Outdoor News LSONews.com

PRODUCTS

>>

GEN 2 NIGHT ARROW RIFLESCOPE:American Technologies Network’s second-generation rifl e-scope promises excellent observation, target acquisition and aiming capabilities for varmint hunters. Offering the company’s “Total Darkness IR System,” the rifl e-scope features a red-on-green il-luminated reticle system for optimal contrast against a dark or light target. Its tube features a micro-channel plate that consists of mil-lions of short, parallel glass tubes. When electrons pass through these short tubes, thousands more elec-trons are released, allowing for greater amplifi cation of light. Other features include six-times magnifi cation, an automatic brightness control, one-knob operation and more. Available in a black matte fi nish, the rifl escope sells for about $1,600. Accessories include a detachable infrared illuminator.

(800) 910-2862

DOCK-N-LOC PRO:This outboard engine steering lock by Boat Security Products is an inexpensive deterrent against theft. The two-piece lock disables the steering of a boat’s outboard engine. Installation is easy: just turn the engine to one side, ex-posing the steering ram. Then, place the lock over the exposed ram to lock the steering and the engine to one side. The Dock-N-Loc Pro is made of heavy gauge corrosion-resistant stainless steel. The lock also is coated with Polyarmor, a thick rubber-like substance that provides additional corrosion resis-tance. The UV- and chemical-resistant coating also protects the steering ram against scratches. The 8-inch lock fi ts most outboard steering systems, including front-mount hydraulic and side-mount hydraulic and cable steering. It sells for about $150.

(954) 683-3946

DRIFTPAC:VestPac Inc.’s DriftPac, a multi-sport hydra-

tion system, was named “Best of Show — Fly Fishing Accessory” at last month’s ICAST Show. This modular pack is designed to help anglers keep valu-ables safe. Made of an air-mesh ma-terial, the pack has interchangeable front packets that can hold personal electronics and other small items. The pockets attach to the hydra-tion back with elastic straps that help distribute the water weight between shoulders and waist. The DriftPac model also offers a chest pocket that folds open to easily access interchange-able fl y and lure boxes at-tached with Velcro. Three mounted retractors keep small tools handy. The Drift-

Pac sells for about $100.

(877) 733-5881

DIGITAL EAR BUDS:Before heading to the range or the fi eld, make sure your hearing is protected with these custom-molded, high quality in-the-ear plugs by ESP (Electronic Shooting Protection). It is the state-of-the-art digital circuitry in these ear protec-tors that helps identify unwanted back-ground noises without suppressing the sounds that hunters need to hear. The advanced noise compres-sion circuitry will protect against noises over 90 db. The Series 1 Digital Ear Buds sell for about $1,595 per pair.

(800) 767-7791

SCOSCOSCOtwoobsr vaknereeor

e

s

ec-g foht Other

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rubber-like stance The U

OPE:OPEOPEork’s second-generation rifl e-servation, target acquisition armint hunters. Offering ess IR System,” the rifl e-en il-

or

DOCK-N-LOCThis outboapiece lock dposing the sThe Dock-Nstainless sterubber-like

NIGHTHUNTER XP:Steiner’s newest binoculars deliver images that are so bright that hunters can head out earlier and stay in the fi eld later. These XP lenses, says the company, provide the highest possible light transmission visible to the hu-man eye and offer exceptional light transmission across a wide part of the human eye color spectrum. This al-lows users to see greater detail in low light or even

darkness. The light and compact binoculars are waterproof and submersible. They feature dura-

ble rubber armoring for a sure grip, and they are purged and pressurized to ensure crisp, clear images in any weather condition. The Night-hunter XP binoculars are available in: 8x42, about $850; 10x42, about $950; 8x56, about $1,000; and 10x56, about $1,050.

(970) 356-1670

tion is easy: just turn the engine to one side, ex- to lock the steering and the engine to one side.

>> >>

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LSONews.com Lone✯Star Outdoor News August 12, 2011 Page 31

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