April 26, 2013 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting

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April 26, 2013

Biggest bass in the state Monsters over 13 pounds.

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Texas’ Premier Outdoor Newspaper

April 26, 2013

Volume 9, Issue 17

Inside

❘❚ HUNTING

Hall of Fame pair Dog, owner inducted into HOF.

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Weird turkey season Bunched up toms frustrate hunters.

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❘❚ FISHING

TAIL GRABBERS: Anglers are releasing lots of solid redfish this month in the Galveston Bay complex. The fishing is picking up for trout and flounder, as well. Photo by Scott Sommerlatte, for LSON.

Feeding frenzy in Galveston

Green is good

By Jacob Longoria

LED lights improve nightfishing.

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Patience and timing are the two biggest bits of advice anglers need to remember fishing the Galveston bays. If the angler knows where the

Trout in the flats Nice fish feeding near cuts.

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Lone Star outdoor newS

fish are, it’s just a matter of working each area thoroughly.

Capt. Gary Francis keeps it simple in his presentations to catch redfish and trout, using popping corks with live shrimp. For Francis, it’s all about working multiple areas

of the bay until he gets a strike.

Francis has been fishing all parts of the bay up to 3 feet deep. He caught several slot redfish and a few 23-inch trout. If anglers want to fish for sheepshead, he recommends the toll bridge using live shrimp.

Francis, like most captains, laments the weather.

“One day it’s strong south winds and the next few days it’s from the north,” he said.

See GALVESTON, Page 15

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From despair to jubilation Grand Slam winner finds bighorn after long search year when his phone rang.

“It was from an unknown number so I ignored it,” he said.

Later, he checked his voicemail and listened to the message.

“It said I needed to call Texas Parks and Wildlife right away and left a number — I thought, ‘That’s not good,’” he said. “I had shot a deer with my bow the week before but was sure everything was legal.”

Schweitzer never considered the call could have to do with the Big Time Texas Hunts drawings.

“I hunt whitetails and pigs locally but had never hunted mule deer or pronghorn,” he said. “Every year when I buy my license online, I buy $100 in tickets in different categories — I look at it as a donation and forget about it.”

The next day, he called the number and was BIG-TIME BIGHORN: Britton Schweitzer finally found this desert bighorn after a 3-day search. Photo by Britton Schweitzer. asked a question by the TPWD official.

He asked, “Are you sitting down?”

By Craig Nyhus Schweitzer said. “You won the Texas Big Game Lone Star outdoor newS Hunt.”

Schweitzer replied that he had registered for The phone call of a lifetime was followed up by the several and asked which one did he win. hunt of a lifetime — but not without its share of appre“You won the Grand Slam,” the man said. “I hension and near despair. had to ask what it included.”

Britton Schweitzer, owner of the Weatherford See BIGHORN, Page 17 Downtown Cafe, was on his way home from work last

HIT THE BRUSH PILES: The crappie spawn is on in many Texas lakes. Photo by LSON.

Crappie spawning

By Jacob Longoria Lone Star outdoor newS

With the waters in Texas lakes gradually warming, crappie are moving to the their protected areas to spawn.

In lakes Palestine and Fork, the See CRAPPIE, Page 15

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April 26, 2013

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April 26, 2013

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HUNTING

From gift of dog to Hall of Fame Midland trainer, dog set records

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star outdoor newS TJ “Joe” Fisher of Midland started hunting with a dog as a kid.

“It wasn’t worth much as a hunter, though,” he said.

Things began to change, though, when a friend gave him a Brittany when he was living in Ozona and working for Texaco.

“Gene Lilly gave me the dog in the mid-’80s,” he said. “And that dog led to another dog, then another.”

Fisher, an avid bird hunter,

started looking for trainers but came up disappointed.

“I couldn’t find one that I felt knew what he was doing,” he said. “So I started buying books and trying to learn everything about dog training. I went everywhere and picked the brains of dog trainers and dog owners.”

After he moved to Midland, a coworker was being sent overseas.

“He gave me his Brittany, named Tucker, Fisher said. “I was having trouble getting him to retrieve and talked to one of the best trainers in the country,

TOP DOG: High Brass Skeet and his owner/trainer, TJ Fisher, entered the Upland Classics Hall of Fame together. Photos by Carla Fisher.

Delmar Smith from Oklahoma.”

His training career took off from there.

“Tucker was outstanding,” he said. “I was doing my own training and going to trials with Shoot to Retrieve (one of the field trial organizations).

Later, the National Upland Classic Series became more convenient, and Fisher and Tucker made the switch.

Through the series, he met trainer Nolan Huffman from North Carolina.

“He was the most famous bird dog trainer out there,” Fisher said. “He had a great dog named Buddy.”

And then came High Brass Skeet, produced by Huffman out of Buddy.

Skeet started winning everything.

“He is the winningest dog ever in Upland Classic,” Fisher said.

“And he is still competing — he’ll be 11 this year.”

Field trial participants hope to gain points in hopes of reaching the level of Champion. A trial win gains 5 points, with 3 for second place and 1 for third. To reach the Champion level, 20 points are needed during the year with half of those coming from wins.

Skeet, though, reached unheardof levels.

“If you do it (reach Champion status) five times in a row, you’re a Grand Champion. Ten times, you’re a Super Grand,” Fisher said.

Skeet is one of only two Super Grand dogs ever in the Upland Classic series.

“I have a trophy room you can’t walk in,” Fisher said. “It’s too crowded.”

Fisher attributes the success of both his dogs and him to extended time hunting in the field.

“I worked dogs at two preserves See DOG, Page 25

West Texas triple whammy Drought, fire, more drought kills grasses, causes erosion

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star outdoor newS After the massive wildfires in West Texas in 2011, many “experts” predicted a quick and full recovery with little effect to the wildlife.

In some parts of the state they were wrong, according to Natural Resources Conservation Services Wildlife Biologist Steve Nelle.

“We faced a combination that most have never faced before,” Nelle, of San Angelo, told attendees at the Texas Deer Study Group meeting in Glen Rose on April 19. “The fires came during a drought, and then were See WEST TEXAS, Page 16

LOOKING FOR TOMS: Big southern zone toms are not talking this year like normal. However, large bands of jakes are coming readily to hunters’ calls. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.

Jakes dominate in “weird” South Zone season In north, turkeys gobbling, still henned up

By Conor Harrison Lone Star outdoor newS

Gobblers bunched in groups all the way through the season.

Roving bands of jakes dominating the landscape.

Hens that appeared disinterested.

Those were some of the reports from hunters throughout South

Texas over the past six weeks, as many tried to figure out just what the gobblers were doing and how to kill them.

Near Tilden, hunter Braxton Gillam spent the second to last week of the season chasing longbeards, and reports having to deal with windy conditions that made it tough to hear any gobbling, but the toms just acted odd.

“It was a weird deal,” Gillam said. “The birds were not gobbling very good. I found one that acted like he was supposed to, and we had some nice moments, but overall it was an odd hunt.

“We’d find big groups of gobblers — three here, four there, six over there. The gobblers were all bunched up.”

See JAKES, Page 16

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SHOOT FAST: Helice shooting requires good hand-eye coordination and quick reflexes to hit the ZZ bird. Photo by Mike Higgins.

April 26, 2013

describes the targets, called ZZ birds, which consist of a central witness cap ringed by winged, plastic propellers on either side.

The wings are meant to simulate the erratic flight of a wild bird, which fits perfectly according to the president of the U.S. Helice Association, Mike Higgins.

“Honestly, when I’m teaching folks to shoot it, the closest thing like it is shooting a quail,” Higgins said. “(The launchers) push the bird up and it goes where it wants to go. Speed and accuracy are the two most important things.

From the time you call to release, you have, at most, 1.5 seconds to see the target and kill it.”

The sport is growing in Texas thanks to several gun clubs who have Helice rings, including the Dallas Gun Club.

Inside the Helice ring, 21 meters beyond the launchers is a semicircular fence, 24 inches high, marking the outside border of the shooting area (into which all scoring targets must fall). The Helice competitor does not know which launcher will fire the next ZZ bird.

“It is pretty dang competitive,” Higgins said. “Although the sport has seen a lot of growth in Louisiana and California, the epicenter is Texas. I’d say 70 percent (of the Helice shooters) are Texans.”

One round of competition Helice consists of 30 targets.

“You really need a score of 28 or

Helice taking flight in Texas Closest shooting discipline to hunting

By Conor Harrison Lone Star outdoor newS

Standing inside a circle with seven launchers, the shooter anticipates the winged target to fly from one of the launchers.

With the command of “Pull,” the bird is launched into the air to be picked up by the wind and taken wherever it blows.

Having less than two seconds to react, the shooter fires one shot, knocking the small, white cap — called a witness cap — from the center of the two plastic orange wings.

The cap lands inside the circle, and the triumphant shooter scores a point.

What started as an alternative to live pigeon shoots in Europe is taking wings here in Texas.

Helice (pronounced ha-lease), means propeller and aptly

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better to win these days,” Higgins said. “In fact, a U.S. shooter has won at least one of the world championships in each of the last five years.”

One of the best Helice shooters in the world is Dallas shooter Mimi Wilfong.

Wilfong started shooting at an early age after following her older brother and his friends to a 4-H shooting event near their home in Athens.

“When I was about 14 years old, I started shooting trap and skeet,” Wilfong said. “Then I switched over to international trap, but the closest range to our home in Athens was at the Dallas Gun Club. The bunker trap was right across from the Helice shooters.

I wandered over and have been shooting Helice ever since.”

Wilfong, who just missed a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team, said Helice is “not a game of perfect.”

“You look at the trap and skeet shooters, and if you aren’t shooting perfect scores, you lose,” she said. “Helice is also a game of luck along with skill. You have to hit that cap in the ring. The wind plays a part. But the fact that it is so challenging is a huge draw.

“No two targets are alike.”

Wilfong said many new shooters at the gun club think the Helice ring is the beginner area because so many people are missing.

“You have to go into it with the mindset that you won’t be perfect,” she said. “It is a hard mindset for many shooters to get into.

It’s a fun, challenging game. It is actually an easier sell for hunters, because it is closer to a hunting scenario.”

For more information on Helice shooting, call the U.S. Helice Association at (817) 296-3104.

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High school students turn to hogs for ag project Classmates build traps, catch and sell pigs

By Jacob Longoria Lone Star Outdoor News

In the fall of 2012, George Green, an agriculture production teacher at NixonSmiley High School, was looking for a project his students could work together on. After talking to his classes about possible projects, the topic of trapping hogs kept coming up.

Green noticed the interest from his students since a lot of them trap hogs on the weekend for both sport and necessity on their family ranches.

Dylan Van Zandt, a sophomore and hog trapper, knows all too well about the destruction the hogs can do to his community.

“They tear up everything they can,” he said.

Green knew his students were on to something that was needed in their city, as well as their state.

“The kids identified a community need,” said Green.

Green created the “Shut Your Trap” contest, where students could use their leadership and team-working skills to catch feral hogs.

The competition consisted of three teams with three members each: The Hog Busters, Hog Slayers and Notorious PIG. Each team was in charge of making and setting traps, catching the hogs and transporting them to the hog station.

Robinson Wild Hog Station in Leesville partnered with the students of Nixon-Smiley to buy all of the hogs they caught. All of the hogs caught had to be alive to be counted for the competition.

Green brought in a welder from Austin College to teach his students how to weld the traps and a representative from Texas A&M AgriLife to

BUILDING FOR THE TEAM: High school students at Nixon-Smiley High School in Nixon are trapping hogs for a project. Along with learning about teamwork, they are ridding the county of pesky porkers. Photo by George Green.

teach them how to trap the hogs.

Each team built their own traps and laid them in their respective areas. Ryan Smith and his Hog Slayer teammates took a challenging approach in building their hog trap.

“We agreed on the most difficult trap to make,” he said.

Green knew this activity required students to use what they learned in classroom as well as teamwork to achieve a goal.

“We hope to continue this program,” said Green. “It’s a good way for the kids to practice their welding, cutting and mechanical skills.”

This competition is winner-take-all. Green made the competition this way to show his students about real-world situations. Green preached that in business, not everyone can be a winner.

“We want the students to learn about business and competition,” he added.

The contest lasted from March 1 to midnight on April 16. The winner of the competition was the Hog Busters, who captured three hogs. They received the prize of about $1,500. The prize is still pending because it consists of donations and the money earned from selling the traps.

Green said he was very proud of his students and hopes next year the competition will draw in more students. The buzz around the school is that more students can’t wait to take part.

Green’s goal is to continue with the competition, while becoming the leader of hog trapping in the area.

Freshman John Rawls, a member of the Hog Busters, said the strategy for next year is very simple.

“We need to build more traps,” he said. “More traps equal more hogs.”

The money from the sale of the hogs will go to the Nixon-Smiley FFA.

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A break in the action — TDA hosts BBQ cook-off After a busy hunting season and in the midst of an even busier legislative session, members of the Texas Deer Association hosted its Pasture Pachanga BBQ Cook-off and Concert, where 41 cooking teams competed for prizes and Texas country bands performed.

Held along the Frio River in Concan, cooking teams sported clever names and T-shirts, but the brisket, chicken, ribs and dessert competitions were serious affairs.

The overall championship was won by High Strung BBQ. Giant BBQ won the brisket and rib categories and finished second overall. Pure Party Cooking Team topped the chicken category and finished third.

In other categories, Team Chupacabra captured the Dessert contest, Three Little Pigs won the Chef’s Choice, Sonora Trophy Whitetails were the best in Beans and Texas Land & Ranch Co. made the best Bloody Mary.

Concerts from Rodney Hayden, Thom Sheppard and headliner Kyle Park entertained the crowd. And Park was even on the winning team in the washer-throwing contest.

— Staff report

Photos by Craig Nyhus and TDA.

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April 26, 2013

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FISHING

The unpredictable O.H. Ivie Lake is low, but still producing good bass

By Jacob Longoria Lone Star Outdoor News

After a string of monster bass ruled the waters of O.H. Ivie Reservoir several years ago, anglers from across the state have come to the lake to see if they can catch some of that magic.

In the past few years, O.H. Ivie has dropped 34 feet. New fishermen don’t notice much difference, but to experienced anglers, the structure that some of the bass would call home is now visible above the water’s surface.

What was a big bass lake is now a “hit-or-miss” lake for many anglers.

That’s where experience, patience and practice come into play.

Sandy Scott, San Angelo district field biologist, sees the low-water levels as a pattern that ends up affecting the lake negatively.

“The dropping lake provides less KNOW WHERE TO LOOK: With water levels being down, anglers need experience when looking for bass on O.H. Ivie Reservoir. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.

bass cover,” she said. “When the water is higher, hydrilla grows, giving bass great cover and a spot for anglers to cast into.”

Scott said the bass fishery is very healthy but if the water continues to fall, the bass will become skinnier and won’t grow to trophy size.

O.H. Ivie provides cities like San Angelo and Abilene with their drinking water, and it is a tug of war between the cities’ needs and the wishes of anglers.

Despite what others say, guide Tommy Hagler said the lake is “on fire.”

A veteran to the lake, Hagler knows that the low lake has brought out cover once used by the young crappie. Hagler hasn’t focused on crappie because he believes the low water caused many of the young crappie to be eaten by hungry bass while seeking new structure. Hagler expects the crappie are stacked up in the river in 15 feet of water, in Elm Creek or in the deeper parts of the lake.

The bass bite on the lake has been

great due to the bass chasing shad into the shallows.

Hagler said some bass are in spawning mode, and others are in a postspawn pattern. The spawn will make its way to the dam by May 15, according to Hagler. He has caught bass in 2 to 7 feet on crankbaits, spinners and jigs. Many of the females caught were full of eggs, but he reported some had already spawned.

Guide J.R. Howard believes the best fishing of the year will be the next two weeks in the shallows.

After a recent cold snap, Howard considers the water “shocked;” but with a few days over 90 degrees, the water temperature is getting back to normal.

Howard has seen the bass spawning in the shallows but estimates it will be over soon.

Most of his fish have been caught on spinner baits, crankbaits and soft plastics in the shallows.

Tommy Hagler, (325) 668-6882 J.R Howard, (325) 812-8558

Green is good LED lights help anglers attract fish

By Conor Harrison Lone Star Outdoor News

Eddie Gonzales likes to go fishing at night near his home on Canyon Lake.

He usually manages to catch fish, but things have picked up for the angler since he installed a pair of green LED lights on the side of his small boat.

Instead of hunting the fish, he now has them coming to him, or at least the bait balls that attract the bigger fish he targets.

“As for the crappie and white bass on Canyon Lake, it has been awesome this last month,” he said.

“Mostly due to the green LED light strips. I can’t say enough about them.

Six trips at night while using them and we have had a great record.”

Gonzales said the lights illuminate the water, which attracts shad, which then attracts loads of crappie, striper and largemouth bass.

“We have been filling

the live well each time,” he said. “The first trip we drew in a bait ball of shad with over 10,000 shad in it. No kidding. And every trip out has been just like the last — awesome.”

Gonzales said he has taken more than 60 pounds of crappie home the last four weekends using the lights.

Alex Ramirez, owner of First Class Tackle which recently started selling the LED light strips for small boats and kayaks, said the demand has been tremendous, especially when anglers see the success at night.

“They work great,” he said. “I can’t keep them in stock. I have another company in the aquarium business, so I’ve known about the different types of lighting forever. I developed these lights to sit on top of the water and attract the baitfish.”

Actually, Ramirez said, the lights attract phytoplankton in the water that are illuminated by the lights. Humans can’t typically see the microscopic plankton, but species like shad can. Baitfish See GREEN, Page 25

FIND THE GOOD WATER: Anglers are searching out the correct-colored water when chasing trout this month. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.

Spring trout bite on Good numbers of nice trout being caught up and down coast

By Jacob Longoria Lone Star Outdoor News

SHINING BRIGHT: Anglers are using green LED lights to attract fish on boats and boat docks. The method is proving effective in lakes and along the coast. Photo by Eddie Gonzales.

Water color along the Texas coast is the main factor on where the trout are being caught, according to local guides and anglers.

“It’s very spotty,” said Trinity Bay Capt. Dean Muckleroy.

Muckleroy looks for days

with an early tide and low winds for his best fishing.

Currently, dirty water has hampered Muckleroy, but he has found pockets of clear water and good trout at Jack’s Pocket.

Muckleroy is catching trout in 2 to 3 feet of water on soft plastics. Currently, the trout are still in their winter pattern feeding in

shallow flats near deep water, he said. The water temperature is between 68 and 69 degrees.

“If the water gets to about 72 degrees, the trout will go deeper closer to Texas City,” he said.

The fishing in East Matagorda Bay has been good, according to Capt.

Tommy Countz.

Countz is catching trout up to 25 inches using popping corks with live shrimp in water 5 to 6 feet deep.

When light winds come in, the trout move to the bay reefs. When they do, he trolls artificials slowly near the bottom.

Countz expects good fishing for the rest of this See TROUT, Page 11

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April 26, 2013

Texas sues Feds over snapper decision

UNDERRATED TROPHY SPOT: Blue cats like this one caught in a TPWD net survey on Lake Ray Hubbard are becoming more common and plentiful on the oft-overlooked lake. Photo by TPWD.

Lake Ray Hubbard has the blues Gill net surveys on Ray Hubbard show great trophy blue cat fishery

By Conor Harrison Lone Star Outdoor News

Anglers are missing the boat when it comes to catching trophy-sized blue catfish on Lake Ray Hubbard.

That was the sentiment of Texas Parks and Wildlife Inland Fisheries biologist Rafe Brock, whose team recently completed their biannual gill net survey on the lake for hybrids and catfish.

“Well, we consider Ray Hubbard to be one of our better catfish and hybrid striper lakes,” Brock said. “We sample it every other year, even though we are only required to gill-net it every four years. The catfish population is very good, and we already See BLUES, Page 11

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and its commission joined together to file a lawsuit in United States District Court in Brownsville, Texas challenging an emergency regulation enacted by the federal National Marine Fisheries Service that, if left in place, would allow the NMFS regional administrator to significantly reduce the recreational red snapper season in federal waters off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana.

“While we would prefer a cooperative regional management approach and are still hopeful that we can reach such a resolution, TPWD has a responsibility to take legal action to protect our state’s authority to manage the red snapper fishery within Texas waters,” said T. Dan Friedkin of Houston, Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission chairman.

“We have heard loudly and clearly from our anglers and other stakeholders that they expect nothing less from us.”

The joint lawsuit alleges that there is no emergency to justify such a rule. The two states also allege that the emergency rule violates the federal policy of cooperative federalism by improperly attempting to regulate the red snapper season in state waters.

Although TPWD and LDWF are continuing to work with NMFS and the other Gulf

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states on a solution, the short deadline for challenging the emergency regulation required filing the lawsuit to preserve the states’ ability to address the issue in a timely and effective manner.

— TPWD

Texans rule on Texoma Del Rio pro Tim Reneau had placed second in three previous FLW EverStart Series Texas Division events, but had never cracked the winner’s circle.

That changed April 20 on Lake Texoma, when Reneau broke through and claimed victory with a final-day sack weighing 16 pounds, 4 ounces to bring his total weight to 58 pounds, 10 ounces.

He beat second-place angler Jeff Cade from Richardson by 3 pounds, 7 ounces.

“I knew I had the bites to win, so (those second places) were pretty tough to swallow,” Reneau said. “The way (Lindner) had been catching them, I thought ‘Here’s another second,’ so this is pretty amazing.”

California pro Troy Lindner held the lead going into the final day after catching a huge sack on day one weighing 27 pounds, 8 ounces.

Reneau looked for something the bass hadn’t seen to catch his fish.

Reneau, who owns Del Riobased Power Tackle, caught his day-one fish on a Strike King KVD 1.5 square-billed crankbait before switching to a Strike King titanium umbrella rig baited with Strike King caffeine shads.

— Staff report

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April 26, 2013

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TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT Clear water, big fish HOUSTON COUNTY LAKE — According to guide Simon Cosper, the geography of the lake keeps the water clear all the time and that makes for great fishing.

“The lake is so narrow, the weather can’t affect the water clarity,” he said.

Right now, the bass are in a post-spawn mode and are in brush piles in 10-15 feet. Cosper used prop baits and imitation frogs to catch 15-20, 3- to 4-pound largemouth bass, with a few being more than 6 pounds.

During the summer months, Cosper will continue to work the brush piles with an assortment of top-water lures and lily pads with Carolina rigs. Cosper hasn’t focused on crappie but knows they are in the shallows. While returning from his trips, he has seen other anglers fishing the docks catching their limit of big crappie.

To contact guide Simon Cosper, call (936) 355-2889.

Everything at 24 feet LAKE TAWAKONI — While fishing the dam to the north side, guide Jim Taylor caught the majority of his fish between 20 to 24 feet.

“Everything hit the shad,” Taylor said.

Taylor expects the weather to push in a few fronts but knows that the lake will be back very quickly with sunny days.

“The fronts shouldn’t affect fishing too much,” he said.

ALAN HENRY: Water lightly stained; 59–65 degrees; 11.28’ low.

Largemouth bass are slow to fair on spinner baits, jigs and dropshot rigs. Crappie are fair to good on live minnows.

AMISTAD: Water clear; 70–74 degrees; 53.12’ low. Largemouth bass are very good on watermelon Senkos, spinner baits, crankbaits, swimbaits and soft plastic worms and lizards. Yellow catfish are good on live perch.

ATHENS: Water clear, 62–67 degrees; 2.35’ low. Largemouth bass are good on green pumpkin Texas-rigged soft plastics and weightless worms. A few fish have been spotted on beds. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on cut shad.

BASTROP: Water clear; 66–70 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on minnows and green pumpkin soft plastics. Crappie are good on minnows and chartreuse tube jigs.

Channel and blue catfish are very good on live bait, frozen shrimp, and stinkbait.

BELTON: Water clear; 65–69 degrees; 7.51’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon crankbaits and spinner baits. White bass are good on minnows and white riversides under lights at night.

Crappie are good on minnows and white riversides. Channel and blue catfish are good on hot dogs, shrimp, Spam and frozen shad.

Yellow catfish are good on juglines baited with live perch.

BOB SANDLIN: Water clear; 64–68 degrees; 4.78’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged soft plastics.

BONHAM: Water stained, 62–66 degrees; 1.67’ low. Largemouth bass are good on weightless soft plastics, medium crankbaits and Carolina-rigged soft plastics in shallower water. Crappie are good along the bank and pier in the park, also in cattails and boat docks, and along the bridges around the lake. Best catches have been on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on drifting cut bait along.

BRAUNIG: Water clear. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse crank-

baits and lipless crankbaits. Striped bass are good down-rigging spoons near the dam and jetty. Channel and blue catfish are very good on shrimp, cheesebait and cut bait.

BRIDGEPORT: Water clear; 62–67 degrees; 15.94’ low. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits around shallow cover as well as Texasrigged craws in Bama Bug. White bass are good on slabs. Channel catfish are good on trotlines.

BROWNWOOD: Water stained; 63–67 degrees; 11.11’ low.

Largemouth bass to 5 pounds are good on Bass Hogg jigs, watermelon and green pumpkin soft plastics and spinner baits around docks. White bass are excellent on minnows and chartreuse jigs off Kirkland docks. Crappie are very good on minnows and chartreuse tube jigs over brush piles. Blue catfish to 8 pounds are good on trotlines baited with live bait. Yellow catfish to 40 pounds are good on trotlines baited with live bait.

BUCHANAN: Water lightly stained; 66–70 degrees; 28.63’ low.

Largemouth bass are good on Bleeding Shad lipless crankbaits, white spinner baits, and weightless wacky-rigged green pumpkin Whacky Sticks along break lines of flats in 6–18 feet. Channel catfish are good on live bait and cut bait.

Yellow and blue catfish are good on juglines and trotlines baited with live bait.

CALAVERAS: Water clear. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon red soft plastic worms and crankbaits near the park store. Blue catfish are good on cut bait and live bait. Yellow catfish are slow.

CANYON LAKE: Water lightly stained; 67–71 degrees; 9.54’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on root beer/green flake Baby Brush Hogs along break lines and deep flats in bays, and on top-waters and flukes in feeder creeks. White bass are good on Road Runners upriver in 5–15 feet. Crappie are fair on blue tube jigs and live minnows over brush piles. Channel catfish are fair in the upper end of the lake.

CEDAR CREEK: Water clear; 63–67 degrees; 3.16’ low. Largemouth bass are good on finesse jigs and

weightless wacky worms. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid striper are good on live shad.

CHOKE CANYON: Water clear; 70–74 degrees; 19.34’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon spinner baits, Texas-rigged lizards and large worms. Crappie are good on minnow-tipped jigs.

COLEMAN: Water lightly stained; 65–69 degrees; 14.39’ low.

Largemouth bass are slow. Hybrid striper are fair on silver striper jigs.

Crappie are good on minnows.

CONROE: Water clear; 66–70 degrees; 2.97’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon Carolina- and Texas-rigged soft plastics, spinner baits and lipless crankbaits. Catfish are good on stinkbait, liver and cheesebait.

COOPER: Water clear; 64–68 degrees; 7.83’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on weightless Senkos and wacky-rigged finesse worms.

Crappie are fair on minnows.

White bass are good on slabs.

Hybrid striper are fair on live shad.

Catfish are good on cut bait.

FALCON: Water stained; 72–76 degrees; 41.52’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon and green pumpkin soft plastics, spinner baits and deep-running crankbaits. Channel and blue catfish are excellent on frozen shrimp, stinkbait, nightcrawlers and cut bait under cormorants.

FAYETTE: Water stained. Largemouth bass are good on pumpkinseed soft plastic worms, spinner baits and lipless crankbaits.

FORK: Water clear; 64–69 degrees; 4.39’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on Texas-rigged craws in green pumpkin –— some fish being caught on beds. Best bed baits have been craws in white.

Catfish are good on prepared bait.

GIBBONS CREEK: Water clear.

Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon and green pumpkin soft plastics, spinner baits and crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and chartreuse tube jigs.

GRANBURY: Water stained; 64–68 degrees; 5.68’ low. Largemouth bass are good on green pumpkin soft plastics, crankbaits and lip-

Down 24 feet, Taylor caught hybrids up to 8 pounds, blue cats up to 6 pounds and limits of white bass.

Taylor knows the key is finding the bait balls, with the game fish not far behind.

Taylor caught a few crappie while fishing for hybrids and catfish, and he said the crappie are near bridge pilings and brush piles.

To contact guide Jim Taylor, call (903) 355-4176.

Tough times STILLHOUSE HOLLOW LAKE — Guide Dave Hogge has seen better days on Stillhouse Hollow. But better fishing could be right around the corner.

“The grass starts growing and it is fantastic in the summer for fishing,” he said.

Hogge has seen a lot of the bass waiting for the perfect time to spawn, but they haven’t received the right weather to do so.

When the water is in the upper 60s, Hogge uses soft plastics to catch black bass in 10-12 feet of water.

The white bass bite has been good on watermelon soft plastics and minnows. The crappie bite has been solid on minnows.

The catfish bite has been slow.

To contact guide Dave Hogge, call (254) 702-8329.

— Jacob Longoria

less crankbaits. Catfish are good on doughbait, shrimp, and liver.

GRANGER: Water stained; 66–70 degrees; 0.52’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on spinner baits around flooded willows near the mouth of the river. Crappie are good on chartreuse jigs in coves and sloughs.

Blue catfish are good on prepared bait and shad in 4–15 feet. Yellow catfish are good on trotlines baited with live bait upriver.

GRAPEVINE: Water clear; 63–67 degrees; 5.34’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged Baby Brush Hogs and squarebilled crankbaits near rocky points. Crappie are good on jigs.

Catfish are good on cut shad.

JOE POOL: Water clear; 64–68 degrees; 0.62’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged soft plastics. White bass are good on jigs.

LAVON: Water lightly stained; 64– 69 degrees; 7.76’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on white bladed jigs.

Catfish are good on trotlines.

LBJ: Water clear; 66–70 degrees; 0.35’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chartreuse top-waters, watermelon flukes and green pumpkin tubes along break lines of flats. Crappie are good on minnows and chartreuse/white tube jigs over brush piles. Channel catfish are good on live bait and stinkbait.

Yellow and blue catfish are good on trotlines baited with live bait.

LEWISVILLE: Water clear; 62–67 degrees; 4.82’ low. Largemouth bass are good on flipping jigs, Texas rigs and shallow crankbaits. White bass are good on slabs and jigs.

LIVINGSTON: Water fairly clear; 66–70 degrees; 0.23’ high. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon spinner baits, soft plastics and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and blue tube jigs.

MARTIN CREEK: Water clear; 71–78 degrees; 1.53’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on bladed jigs and spinner baits in shallow areas.

Catfish are good on prepared bait.

MONTICELLO: Water fairly clear; 62–66 degrees; 0.23’ high.

Largemouth bass are fair on Texas-rigged lizards and top-water

poppers around shallow timber.

Crappie are good on jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait.

NAVARRO MILLS: Water lightly stained; 65–69 degrees; 0.55’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon and pumpkinseed crankbaits and spinner baits near the dam. Blue catfish are good on trotlines and juglines baited with minnows and shrimp. Yellow catfish are good on trotlines baited with perch and goldfish.

O.H. IVIE: Water stained; 59–64 degrees; 36.77’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on shaky heads, jigs, lipless crankbaits and Texas rigs. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs.

OAK CREEK: Water stained; 58–63 degrees; 18.42’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on spinner baits, Texas rigs and jigs. Crappie are good on jigs and live minnows over brush piles. Catfish are good on chartreuse nightcrawlers and prepared bait.

PALESTINE: Water clear; 64–68 degrees; 0.71’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on shaky heads around docks. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Hybrid striper are good on slabs. White bass are good on jigs.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Water fairly clear; 59–65 degrees; 10.33’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on medium-running crankbaits, drop-shot rigs and Texas rigs. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair to good on slabs.

SEE MORE

n Saltwater fishing reports: Page 14 Largemouth bass are slow on shallow crankbaits and spinner baits.

White bass are good on slabs.

Crappie are good on minnows.

Catfish are good on prepared bait.

SAM RAYBURN: Water lightly stained; 66–70 degrees; 1.63’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon Senkos, lizards and Brush Hogs. White bass are good on silver slabs. Crappie are good on minnows and white tube jigs in shallow areas.

Bream are good on nightcrawlers and crickets. Catfish are good on trotlines baited with nightcrawlers.

SOMERVILLE: Water murky; 67–71 degrees; 1.94’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse lipless crankbaits and crankbaits. White bass are good on slabs and pet spoons. Channel and blue catfish are good on stinkbait and shrimp.

TEXOMA: Water clear; 61–66 degrees; 4.94’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on Texas-rigged soft plastics and weightless soft plastics.

Striped bass are good on slabs.

PROCTOR: Water lightly stained; 63–67 degrees; 3.63’ low.

Largemouth bass are good on watermelon crankbaits off points.

White bass are good on live shad.

Crappie are good on minnows.

TOLEDO BEND: Water lightly stained; 63–67 degrees; 1.74’ low. Largemouth bass are good on green pumpkin soft plastics and crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and chartreuse jigs.

Channel and blue catfish are good on trotlines baited with live bait, cut bait, and shrimp.

RAY HUBBARD: Water clear; 63–67 degrees; 3.47’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged soft plastics and jigs. Crappie are good on minnows. White bass are good on 1 oz. slabs. Hybrid striper are good on slabs. Catfish are good on cut shad.

TRAVIS: Water clear; 66–70 degrees; 50.07’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon crankbaits and chartreuse top-waters in 8–16 feet. White bass are good on chrome jigging spoons and white jigs. Crappie are good on minnows.

RAY ROBERTS: Water clear; 63–68 degrees; 3.99’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged lizards along creek channels with timber.

White bass are good on slabs.

WHITNEY: Water lightly stained; 64–68 degrees; 8.77’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse and pumpkinseed Texas- and Carolina-rigged soft plastics. Crappie are good on minnows.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water clear; 62–67 degrees; 5.23’ low.

— TPWD

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April 26, 2013

Page 11

New lake record blue cat on Lewisville 61 pounds, 2 ounces just misses state catch-and-release mark

By Conor Harrison Lone Star Outdoor News

Elm Mott angler Chris Fuller just wanted to catch a few catfish on his brother’s birthday trip last month on Lewisville Lake with guide Bobby Kubin of Bobby’s Catfish Guide Service.

He didn’t realize he’d soon have the new catch-andrelease lake record to brag about. He was just hoping to beat his brother Donnie’s earlier catch of a 38-pounder.

“It was a cold day that morning,” Fuller said. “We

were fishing with cut shad and right before the big one hit, my brother caught one 38 pounds. I said, ‘I can’t let my brother beat me’ about 10 seconds before the rod bent.”

Fuller said the big fish almost spooled the reel, taking all of the line right to the end before tiring and coming to the boat.

“This one is going to need the net,” Fuller said as the big cat got close to the boat. “Bobby’s client caught the old lake record last year, so he knew as

Trout Continued From Page 8

month and into May. “May is one of the better months,” he said. “It’s a lot warmer, causing more bait activity.”

If anglers like to wade, Countz recommends East Bay. He has seen specks up to 28 inches caught by people wading the south shore using soft plastic and top-waters.

The Lower Laguna Madre seems to be the place to head out early, fish and catch a limit before lunchtime.

Capt. Charles Quinn has been fishing the south end of the Lower Laguna Madre near the causeway early in the mornings. The trout have been hungry and biting hard, according to Quinn.

Quinn is using live shrimp on popping corks and scented plastics. He has been regularly catching 24-inch trout in 2 feet of water.

Dean Muckleroy, (281) 660-4280 Tommy Countz, (281) 450-4037 Charles Quinn, (956) 456-9414

Blues Continued From Page 9

know that, but we like to check on the hybrids because the stockings have been cut back.”

Brock said the trophy blue cat population might not be as publicized as places like Lake Tawakoni, but if you want to catch a big fish, Ray Hubbard is a great choice.

“We found good numbers of big fish,” he said. “Thirty-seven pounds was the biggest, but we also found a lot of fish in the 10-, 15-, 20-pound range. It seems we are catching bigger ones this year as opposed to two years ago.

“Before, we had a lot of 5- and 10-pound fish. Now, we are seeing that age class reach into the 15- to 20-pound class.”

Recruitment is also good, according to Brock.

“The catfish are feeding on gizzard shad, threadfin shad and probably some yellow bass,” he said. “I would assume they are mowing those down. We saw lots of fish in the 15-inch range, which tells us the population is in really good shape.”

In all, TPWD biologists netted 124 blue catfish, with a catch rate of 8.3 fish per night. The biggest fish was a 36-pound, 3-ounce monster that was released back into the lake.

“All of our nets were randomly set all over the lake,” Brock added. “We caught blue cats all over — on the East Fork, in the main lake south of I-30 and in the creeks.”

Anglers on the lake mostly target largemouth bass and hybrids.

LET HER GO: Chris Fuller, right, has help from his brother Donny to hoist his record catch. Photo by Chris Fuller.

soon as we weighed it that it was the new record. We just weren’t sure about the state record.”

After weighing the fish at 61 pounds, 2 ounces and measuring the length at 47 3/4 inches, the big blue cat was released alive and healthy. It was 2 ounces shy of a state mark.

“I couldn’t believe how big the fish was,” he said.

“I’ve never had an experience like that. I caught a 52-pound cat on Cedar Creek, but this one was a lot bigger. And we caught

a lot of catfish. We probably threw back more than 300 pounds of fish — anything over 20 pounds went back in the lake.

“I still came home with 40 pounds of fillets.”

Fuller said the fishing trip will now be a twice-a-year trip for he and his brother.

Even with catching the new lake record, Chris still had one regret on the day.

“I wish my brother would have caught it,” he said. “It was his birthday present.

But that just gives us a good excuse to get back out there.”

Page 12

April 26, 2013

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GAME WARDEN BLOTTER MEN FISHING COULDN’T RESIST THE DUCKS Near Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Sabine County Game Warden Sam Smith observed two subjects fishing from the bank. As Smith checked the subjects’ fishing licenses, he heard gunshots nearby. Smith finished the contact and walked through the thick brush in the direction of the gunshots. Smith observed five men standing near the water; two of the men were fishing. Smith waited and another shot rang out. One of the men was shooting at ducks that were in the water. Smith announced his presence and made contact with the men. The men did not have fishing licenses, and two of them admitted to shooting ducks off the water. Cases pending.

DEER BREEDER FAILED TO PROPERLY TAG, MOVE DEER Atascosa County Game Warden Derek Iden came across a parked trailer with live deer at a gas station.

The breeder deer were being shipped to a buyer. The deer had apparent ear tag violations, and Iden escorted the load back to the deer breeder facility in Atascosa County. Twenty deer were offloaded back into a holding pen, where Iden discovered another 20 deer being held. In less than 24 hours, the Law Enforcement and Wildlife divisions worked together to handle all 40 breeder deer. Twelve deer were set aside for further investigation.

Iden issued the deer breeder 42 citations for having adult deer without any unique numbers and moving deer out of the facility without any indication of a tattoo in an ear. The driver of the load was cited for failing to mark the trailer with “TXD.” MAN CAUGHT KEEPING BIG BLACK DRUM Nueces County Game Warden Scott Lindner responded to a call regarding an individual retaining oversized black drum on a fishing pier in the Laguna Madre. Lindner located an individual who had in his possession three over-

WORKERS BORROW JEEP, RIFLE TO SHOOT DEER, BUT POTATO CHIPS GIVE THEM AWAY Kenedy County Game Warden Matt Strauss received a call regarding possible poaching on a local ranch.

Strauss and Brooks County Game Warden Royce Ilse made contact with the ranch foreman. The foreman showed them a vehicle gun scabbard that he found that morning. The scabbard was covered with what appeared to be deer blood and hair. Also found on the road next to the scabbard was a hot-flavored potato chip and tire tracks not consistent with any vehicle on the property. The wardens proceeded to the adjoining property and located a hunting jeep that matched the sized black drum ranging in size from 35 to 38 inches. Additionally, the man did not have a valid fishing license and saltwater endorsement. Cases pending.

AD TO BUY DEER MEAT COMES BACK TO HAUNT BUYER Tarrant County Game Wardens Patricia Vannoy and David Vannoy worked covertly to apprehend an individual soliciting to purchase white-tailed deer meat. The wardens contacted the man after his ad was found on a popular Internet site. A meeting was arranged, and the man agreed to purchase various forms of deer meat from the warden posing as the seller. The cash from the sale was seized, and the case is pending.

FOLLOW THE BEER CAN ROAD While checking white bass fishermen on the Neches River, Smith County Game Wardens Chris Swift and Dustin Dockery observed four subjects who were trespassing and fishing. Following a trail of empty beer cans, the wardens made contact with the subjects — none of whom had a fishing license.

Several fish were returned to the river and citations were issued. Later that evening, the wardens observed a truck driving through a pasture with red and blue lights flashing. The volunteer fire chief was sent on a call for

tire tread. In the back of the jeep, the wardens found blood, deer hair and two spent .22 shell casings. A dozen or so hot-flavored chips were scattered on the floorboard. The wardens then found four subjects who had been hired to build a sidewalk at the camp. After some questioning, the subjects admitted to taking the jeep out the night before without permission of the property owner, using a .22 Henry rifle from the lodge, and shooting a doe around 12:30 a.m. The wardens located the deer hide, gut pile and the rest of the deer meat. Multiple citations issued.

two lost fishermen. The wardens were able to determine that the two subjects were some of the fishermen they had checked earlier. The subjects were lost in an oxbow in the river, did not have a flashlight, and had been walking in circles. Swift and Dockery returned to the area and located the men. A local bow fisherman’s airboat was utilized in helping get the subjects across the river.

CATFISH RUSTLER FROM JUG LINE CAUGHT Tarrant County Game Warden David Vannoy contacted the operator of a vessel that displayed an expired registration decal on Joe Pool Lake. Vannoy also discovered that the man was in possession of a large blue catfish. The issue arose when Vannoy found that he had caught the fish from a jug line that did not belong to him. The subject did not have a fishing license. The fish was seized, and cases are pending.

BOAT REGISTRATION BLUNDER While conducting a water safety inspection of a vessel on Joe Pool Lake, Tarrant County Game Warden David Vannoy discovered that the vessel’s registration was not quite right. The operator stated that he had recently acquired the vessel but hadn’t transferred the title or registration. What the subject did transfer, however, were cur-

rent registration decals from another boat to the new boat to cover up the actual expired decals. Claiming that this was the way the boat came to him, the man could no longer deny wrongdoing once Vannoy informed him that the decal in question had his name on it in TPWD’s database. Case pending.

ROADKILL WITH A BULLET Milam County Game Warden Charlie Mayer received a call from a sheriff’s deputy who had a vehicle stopped that had a freshly killed buck in the bed of the truck. Mayer responded and separated the three passengers and got each of their stories. They all said they had picked up the deer from the side of the road after it was hit by a car. There was no weapon in the truck, just a spotlight. There were no apparent injuries to the deer other than a bullet wound in the deer’s neck. After about an hour of discussion with the three passengers, the driver gave up. Mayer was taken to the rifle that they had stashed, and he received statements from the three passengers. Case pending.

TRESPASSERS SHOOT AXIS ACROSS RIVER, USE BOAT TO RETRIEVE Kimble County Game Warden Tyler Zaruba received a phone call from a landowner reporting three

men had shot across the South Llano River and were in a boat paddling across the river to retrieve an axis doe. After a short investigation, the firearm and axis were seized.

Cases pending.

WHAT’S A SLOT LIMIT? AND I NEED A LICENSE? While patrolling Lake Pinkston, Shelby County Game Warden Nathan Skeen stopped a boat with two occupants for a water safety inspection.

Upon inspecting the day’s catch, he found they had six bass, all in the restricted slot of 14–21 inches, and one occupant did not possess a valid fishing license. The live fish were released back into the lake. Cases and civil restitution pending.

THOSE ARE REALLY SMALL TURKEYS Zavalla County Game Warden Chris Stautzenberger received information that persons were hunting dove during turkey season. Stautzenberger witnessed the suspects hunting, realized he had dealt with these suspects before and called Uvalde County Game Warden Javier Fuentes to assist.

Stautzenberger made contact with the hunters, who insisted that they were turkey hunting. However, several dove were found in their possession. Charges filed.

SEARCH FOR DRUGS ALSO FINDS DEER, DOVE During the execution of a search warrant, Austin Police Department officers discovered a freshly killed deer in a cooler and a mourning dove in a chest freezer, along with a kilo of cocaine. Travis County Game Warden Jeff Hill was called. The dove was suspected of being shot in the residential neighborhood with a pellet gun. Numerous semi-automatic rifles and handguns were seized with the narcotics. Dozens of fighting roosters and a sewage leak added to the squalid living conditions the drug dealer was living in. Cases pending.

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April 26, 2013

Page 13

Page 14

April 26, 2013

LoneOStar Outdoor News

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TEXAS SALTWATER FISHING REPORT Waiting on bigger croaker

Sponsored by

ESTES FLATS — Capt. Larry Robinson is waiting for the croaker to get a little bit bigger. When they do, it is a sign that the trout bite is about to pick up.

“They need to be big enough to grunt,” he said.

Robinson anticipated by the first of May, the fishing in the Aransas Bay and Estes flats will be going strong.

Currently, Robinson has been fishing the flats with cut mullet, catching slot redfish in 1 to 1 1/2 feet of water. Robinson recommends using cut menhaden if anglers can find any. He says that boaters catch a lot of menhaden, but it sells out quickly in local bait shops.

The black drum bite has been good along shallow shorelines. Robinson uses dead shrimp along the shorelines looking for traveling schools.

The weather has brought in a few fronts, giving the water an off-color that Robinson prefers.

“That off-color holds the fish in that area,” said Robinson.

To contact Capt. Larry Robinson, call 361-549-4389.

inches on cut shad.

“The redfish like it a little muddy,” he said.

Ward knows April is not his best fishing month of the year, but he expects the fishing will get better as the month comes to a close.

“April is a windy month,” he said. “May is better and June is even better.”

To contact Capt. Ron Ward, call (409) 698-7124.

High salinity

WEST BAY — With the water being very muddy, Capt. Ron Ward evaluates if and where the fish moved since his last trip.

Anglers have had a tough time getting out to their spot when the winds blow from the north.

The fish scatter, making it hard to fish the schools, according to Ward.

The sand trout bite has been decent on live shrimp. Ward is catching redfish up to 28

ALAZAN BAY/BAFFIN BAY — Capt. Les Cobb has experienced the pain and frustration of fishing Baffin Bay and its surrounding waters.

“It is some hard fishing,” he said. “You have to just grind it out.”

Cobb said the brown tide and the high salinity in Baffin Bay and in the back bays have kept the area hard to fish. Because of it, the sand bars in areas of Alazan Bay have disappeared and the grass has died.

The winds have caused the back bays to be extremely muddy, making it very difficult to determine where to fish.

“All it takes is a puff of wind to muddy up that water,” he said.

Cobb has to do some prospecting before going out, but recently he used multi-colored topwaters to catch trout up to 8 pounds. He said everyone is looking for that trophy trout.

The redfish are in the muddy, shallow flats and are biting on small top-waters and soft plastics.

The drum are in the 4 to 6 feet of water biting on dead shrimp along the coasts of Baffin Bay. To contact Capt. Les Cobb, call (361) 548-5511.

— Jacob Longoria

NORTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good on the Louisiana shoreline on top-waters and Corkies. Flounder are fair on jigs tipped with shrimp around marsh drains.

SOUTH SABINE: Sheepshead, redfish and black drum are good at the jetty on live shrimp.

Trout are fair to good around Garrison Ridge on top-waters and Corkies.

BOLIVAR: Trout are fair to good on the south shoreline on soft plastics and plugs. Black drum and redfish are good at Rollover Pass.

TRINITY BAY: Trout are good for drifters working pods of shad and mullet on soft plastics and twitchbaits. Catfish are good in the marsh on shrimp.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are good on the south shoreline on Catch 5s, MirrOlures and Catch 2000s. Whiting and sand trout are good on the edge of the Intracoastal on fresh shrimp. Black drum are fair to good in the Ship Channel on crabs.

and crabs. Black drum and redfish are fair to good at the jetty on crabs. Trout are fair on the south shoreline on live shrimp.

PORT O’CONNOR: Trout and redfish are fair on soft plastics over soft mud. Trout and redfish are fair for drifters working the back lakes with live shrimp.

ROCKPORT: Trout are fair to good in Morris– Cummings Cut on free–lined shrimp. Black drum are good in the Lydia Ann Channel on crabs. Redfish are good in the back of Allyn’s Bight.

PORT ARANSAS: Black drum are good in the Shrimpboat Channel on crabs and finger mullet. Redfish and sheepshead are fair to good at the jetty on shrimp.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Trout are fair to good on the edge of the spoils on Scented plastics and live shrimp. Black drum and redfish are fair to good in the Packery Channel on crabs.

BAFFIN BAY: Trout are fair to good for waders

Getting better everyday

WEST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are fair to good for drifters working shell on live shrimp.

Sheepshead, redfish and black drum are good at the jetty on shrimp and crabs. Redfish are good in the back lakes on shrimp and scented plastics.

TEXAS CITY: Redfish are good in Moses Lake on shrimp and mullet. Croaker, sheepshead, black drum and redfish are good in the channel on natural baits.

FREEPORT: Sand trout and sheepshead are good on live shrimp on the reefs in Christmas Bay. Black drum are good at the jetties on cracked blue crabs.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair for drifters in the back lakes on live shrimp. Redfish are fair to good on the edge of the Intracoastal on crabs and mullet. Bigger trout have been taken by waders on top-waters.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Redfish are fair to good on the edge of Oyster Lake on shrimp

tossing plastics over sand and grass along the Upper Laguna Madre shoreline. Black drum are good in the Land Cut on crabs. Trout are fair to good in the Land Cut on live shrimp.

PORT MANSFIELD: Trout are fair to good on top-waters around sand and grass south of the harbor. Redfish are fair to good while drifting pot holes. Black drum and redfish are good on crabs at East Cut. SOUTH PADRE: Trout are good around the spoil islands, channel edges and color changes on DOA Shrimp and scented plastics. Black drum, redfish and jack crevalle are fair at the jetty. Flounder are fair to good on the spoils along the ICW. PORT ISABEL: Trout and redfish are fair to good at Gas Well Flats on live shrimp. Redfish are fair at Mexiquita Flats and South Bay on DOA Shrimp, scented plastics and live shrimp.

— TPWD

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Galveston Continued From Page 1

Water temperatures have been between 67 and 70 degrees in Galveston Bay, but Capt. Michael Meza ideally wants those temperatures between 72 and 75 degrees.

When it hits that mark, he believes the fish become very predictable.

“They all go to the reefs,” said Meza. “Then the croaker bite is on until mid-May.” The redfish have been very picky in the area, according to Meza.

He has been getting them to bite on soft plastics. But he noticed that one day they bite on one color and another day they don’t bite on that color at all.

“If they don’t bite, change your lure color accordingly,” said Meza.

Lighter colors have been the ticket.

The trout in the area are in the shallows less than 5 feet in sandy green water. Even though the trout are shallow, the visibility of the water is only about 2 feet. The low visibility doesn’t affect the bite and anglers have to know that trout will still be there, biting on soft plastics around reefs.

In West Bay, the magic number

LoneOStar Outdoor News

April 26, 2013

is 72, according to Capt. Thomas Barlow. At 72 degrees the water temperature is perfect for fishing, he said. Barlow also said the shad have started moving, which has him excited about the fishing.

Since early March, the flounder have been visible in 3 to 5 feet of water. Barlow found the flounder biting hard on bright-tailed soft plastics during low tide in marsh greens.

“Since the new limits for the November closure, the flounder have rebounded great,” he said.

The trout bite in all of the Galveston Bay complex depends on the wind.

Barlow has been heading to shallow water throwing red shad soft plastics and catching good numbers of trout up to 26 inches.

Barlow has also found schooling redfish — some schools with larger fish and some full of slot-sized reds.

Depending on what size redfish his customers want to reel in, Barlow targets those specific schools. He has been catching redfish in 1 to 3 feet of water with top-waters.

Barlow said the redfish are striking harder on lighter-colored lures.

Gary Francis, (979) 201-6960 Michael Meza, (281) 904-6925 Thomas Barlow, (281) 827-6815

WHAT DEPTH? Crappie are biting at different depths throughout the day as the sun heats the water and the fish move to spawning areas. Photo by Conor Harrison, LSON.

Crappie Continued From Page 1

STRINGERS TO BE HAD: Throw soft plastics around shallow reefs and shell bottoms for trout this month in Galveston. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.

crappie are currently in a fullon spawn. Crappie are being caught in shallow water under boat docks and above brush piles using Stanley Wedgetail jigs.

On Lake Ray Roberts, the crappie are in the middle of their spawning season.

Guide Paul O’Bier fished the north part of the lake in the shallow waters from 6 inches

to 3 feet with black/chartreuse and white/chartreuse jigs around structure.

O’Bier has been catching more males than females on his trips. The males being caught are 1 to 1 1/2 pounds compared to 2-pound females.

O’Bier knows not all of the females are ready to spawn.

“The females haven’t all moved up yet,” he said.

The water clarity is lightly stained from the north end to the dam, but O’Beir prefers the water to be a little

Page 15

stained.

“In the clear water, they are easy to spook,” he said.

The water temperature is 68 to 69 degrees, with the small variances not affecting the movement of the fish.

As the water temperature rises, more crappie will go to their protected areas.

Granger Lake has been described as “slow” by guide Dave Biester.

According to Biester, Granger Lake is at the end stage of its crappie spawn, so anglers have to be patient. The spawn started two weeks ago, so Biester is catching post-spawn females with very few eggs. The crappie, not as shallow as other lakes, are being caught in 6 to 12 feet of water using jigs and live minnows over brush piles.

Biester knows that crappie get stressed after a spawning season, which causes them not to eat. He expects the crappie bite to pick up for the next few weeks.

“The bite will stay hard all the way to September,” he said.

On Cedar Creek, guide Claude Locke is taking advantage of the crappie in the shallows but warns anglers that it won’t last forever.

“The bite will be on for about a week to 10 days,” he said. “Then they will go back deep.”

Locke has been catching mostly males in the shallows, but he said the females are mostly full of eggs. Locke believes that the female crappie don’t respond well at this stage of the spawn.

He uses the spawning season to only catch crappie he is going to eat.

“I don’t need to catch them all,” he said. “You have to throw some back to keep them around.”

Locke fished 2 to 2 1/2 feet of water using live minnows. He says that anglers can find success on jigs but nothing is better than their real food.

The water clarity on the lake is a little stained but clears up quickly after sunny days.

Paul O’Bier, (972) 816-2481 Dave Biester, (512) 826-5326 Claude Locke, (214) 762-9411

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April 26, 2013

LoneOStar Outdoor News

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Jakes

West Texas

Continued From Page 4

Continued From Page 4

Gillam said his group did not run into hordes of jakes, but he said the ranch manager reported he had been seeing them all spring.

“I think most of the hens have been bred,” he said. “That should have made the hunting really good, but we saw a lot of mature birds that didn’t act like spring turkeys. They acted like fall turkeys.”

Reports from the Hill Country were solid during the last few weekends of the season. Gobbling action was good around Fredericksburg, according to one hunter.

He said the birds were hot and FEED ME: Having already been bred in many areas, hens are sitting on nests and feeding when corn is on the ground.

Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.

gobbled well on the roost, then again around midday. Most of the hens had been bred and if you got a bird to gobble at your calling, there was a great chance he was coming, although the big toms were leery of decoys.

Farther north, good reports of gobbling have come from counties just south of the Red River, especially in Grayson County.

In the Eastern Panhandle, hunters who have access to roost sites reported good success as the season goes on, especially on the river bottoms of the Canadian River.

Although some toms are still henned up, many hens are breaking off midmorning to nest, and hunters have taken advantage of lonely toms searching for love.

followed by another drought.”

Nelle studied the land burned in three of the major fires, the Wildcat, Oasis and Deaton Cole, and said his conclusions should not have been a big surprise.

“Henry Wright out of Texas Tech wrote Fire Ecology, considered the bible on Texas wildfires,” he said. “He studied fires in times of drought and found the recovery of grasses and rhizomes takes three years after the rains return.”

Nelle said soil moisture is the key.

“If there is adequate soil moisture at the time of the burn and afterwards, there will be a quick recovery,” he said.

When the moisture isn’t there, though, the damages are staggering, the recovery is delayed and plants die.

“In the area of the Wildcat fire, a miraculous 7-inch rain was received one month later,” he said. “Still, since there was no soil moisture at the time of the fire, 72 percent of the shallow grasses were dead. On the steep slopes, up to 100 percent died.”

Soil erosion followed.

“Bad things happen when raindrops strike bare ground,” Nelle said. “Much of the life of the ranch was washed to the bottoms like lava flows of mud.”

Areas of the other fires didn’t receive the big rain and did not see the new growth.

“A lot of grass and habitat went up in smoke and a lot of soil went downhill,” he said.

Forbs and woody plants fared better than grasses after the fires.

“New forbs came out within weeks and woody plants after several weeks, even before any of the rains,” he said. “The deer subsisted on them. And, on a positive note, other desirable plants popped up that took advantage of the cedar canopy removal.”

Nelle, a proponent of the use of prescribed burns, cautioned those who believe in them during the Texas summer.

“They are a great tool if used right,” he said. “But make sure there is adequate moisture in the soil, and definitely not in the summer during a drought.”

After examining the areas in April, Nelle said there are signs of recovery, but very slow signs.

“It’s dry, but there are grasses there, just not the top-tier grasses,” he said. “The fires plus the drought has caused a severe economic and emotional impact.

“One rancher told me the eventual recovery of the land is assured, but added, ‘will any of us live to see it?’”

Executive Editor Craig Nyhus Managing Editor Conor Harrison Associate Editor Mark England Graphics Editor Amy Moore Business/Products Editor Mary Helen Aguirre Intern Jacob Longoria Operations Manager Mike Hughs Accounting Ginger Hoolan Website Bruce Soileau National Advertising Mike Nelson

Accounts Manager Automotive Advertising Dave Irvine Founder & CEO David J. Sams Lone Star Outdoor News, ISSN 21628300, a publication of Lone Star Outdoor News, LLC, publishes twice a month. A mailed subscription is $30 for 24 issues.

Newsstand copies are $2, in certain markets copies are free, one per person. Copyright 2013 with all rights reserved. Reproduction and/or use of any photographic or written material without written permission by the publisher is prohibited. Subscribers may send address changes to: Lone Star Outdoor News, P.O. Box 551695, Dallas, TX 75355 or email them to news@lonestaroutdoornews.com.

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April 26, 2013

Page 17

Bighorn Continued From Page 1

SHEEP SUCCESS: Guides glass the Sierra Diablo, looking for bighorns. After the long search for the ram was over, TPWD officials scored the bighorn at 164 4/16. Photos by Britton Schweitzer.

The slam included trophy hunts for pronghorn, mule deer, whitetail and the ultimate prize, the desert bighorn.

All of the hunts were completed last season, but the bighorn adventure at the Sierra Diablo Wildlife Management Area last summer tops the list.

Schweitzer chose his father-inlaw to accompany him on the trip.

“He had guided in Alaska and was in good shape,” he said.

The hunt was nowhere near easy.

“I work out all the time, but learned my body wasn’t totally prepared for the mountains,” he said.

“It was July and we hiked seven to 12 miles each day through rough terrain — I was kind of winded.”

The first day brought rains the area hadn’t seen in years and included getting the truck stuck.

“They said I was good luck in bringing the rain,” he said.

Several animals were seen, but not the one the guides were looking for.

“And I got a spine or something in my knee,” Schweitzer said. “It swelled up pretty good.”

Halfway through the second day, guide Clay Brewer saw the ram they were seeking and told Schweitzer the shot would be 220 yards.

“I said, ‘Let’s go.’”

Then it got tough.

“Clay said we would have to belly crawl on a cliff, and then he asked if I was OK with rock climbing,” Schweitzer said. “I said OK and he replied, ‘If you fall, you aren’t coming home.’”

They crawled, climbed and crept around a cliff and saw the ram across a ravine on another mountain.

“I leaned over the cliff around a large rock to shoot,” Schweitzer said. “When he got up he was looking right at me.”

“Shoot when you’re ready,” Brewer told him.

“I made the shot and felt really good about it,” Schweitzer said.

“But the ram began running off.”

The group went around the mountain, got close to the area of the shot and saw blood, but the day was over.

“And I got a spine from another

plant jammed in my other leg,” Schweitzer said. “That night, I began to worry and have second thoughts, wondering if I didn’t make a good shot.”

The next day’s search came up empty.

“We were baffled,” Schweitzer said.

On the fourth day, still nothing.

“I didn’t want to be the only unsuccessful winner of this hunt,” he said. “I was hobbling on both legs and everyone had pretty much given up — I think they were just going through the motions.”

The last day of the hunt, the group went to the bottom of the mountain and fanned out, while Schweitzer and a guide took the truck to the top to glass. They then heard Schweitzer’s father-in-law yelling on the radio.

“I thought he had either broken his leg or was eye-to-eye with a mountain lion,” Schweitzer said.

Hurrying back down and worried, they heard the voice of guide Mike Pittman on the radio.

“I thought it said congratulations,” he said. “I asked him to repeat it.”

He heard correctly.

“It turned out, my father-in-law was going up a ravine, looked to his right, and saw the ram on top of a giant white rock,” he said. “It was visible from a half-mile away with the glasses.”

The shot ended up being good but the ram bled internally, explaining the difficulty of the search.

“The fact that my father-in-law found it made it great,” he said.

“Although I’ll hear about it for the rest of my life.”

And Schweitzer’s first stop where he returned home was a trip to the emergency room to get the spines pulled out of his legs.

Page 18

April 26, 2013

LoneOStar Outdoor News

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HEROES Austin hunter AARON YOUNG took his first deer this past season in Uvalde.

CODY SEKULA, 7, took his second buck, this 10-point, at 100 yards with one shot from a .223.

Ten-year-old MICHAEL BALLOW took this great buck Thanksgiving Day at a ranch in Henderson County.

JAYCE TOSCANO caught this 29-inch trout at the end of the North Jetty in Port Aransas on March 15 using live shrimp on a lemon rig.

COLE COOPER, 12, took his first gobbler with an 11-inch beard and a feral hog within minutes of each other during last spring’s youth season.

MCKINZEE ORSAG, 8, of New Braunfels, took her first deer, a 9-point buck, in Bee County near Beeville on Jan. 3.

Friends (from left to right) MEA GONZALES, ALYSA RAMIREZ and DESTINIE GONZALES were fishing at Camp Huaco on the Guadalupe River when they caught these fish.

This big, 34-inch axis was taken near Roosevelt on a low-fenced ranch by JOSH SCATES in December.

SHARE AN ADVENTURE

n Want to share hunting and fishing photos with other Lone Star Outdoor News readers?

Email them with contact and caption information to editor@lonestaroutdoornews.com.

High-resolution original jpegs only. Mail prints to Heroes, Lone Star Outdoor News, P.O. Box 551695, Dallas, TX 75355.

TEDDY HENDERSON and his friend MEMPHIS THARPE caught these two nice Guadalupe rainbows below Canyon Dam.

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Not just wildlife

By Conor Harrison Lone Star Outdoor News

A recent spate of headline-making drug busts by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game wardens has cast light upon the fact that the group does a whole lot more than just chase poachers and check boaters.

Earlier this month, wardens seized more than two tons of marijuana from a drug house in Starr County.

“A game warden received information that marijuana was being stashed at a residence in the Salineno area. Game wardens then requested assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol,” said TPWD Maj. Alan Teague.

The bust was one of the largest in state history, but busting drug dealers, assisting sheriff departments with a range of cases and apprehending illegal aliens is just part of the job for many game wardens.

“Texas game wardens routinely come across illegal drug smuggling operations, especially in rural areas and along the border region,” said Chief of Special Operations Grahame Jones, “but this seizure was particularly significant.”

Game wardens say it varies by area how much they need to assist other law enforcement departments, with wardens in the border and rural counties helping more than in urban areas.

“Since 9/11, we do a lot besides wildlife enforcement,” said state Game Warden Chris Swift. “We receive funding from the Department of Homeland Security. We’re state police officers too, which a lot of people don’t know.”

Swift said wardens routinely deal with drugs.

“It depends on the county, but in some counties we deal with a lot of meth, a lot of dope, et cetera. We try and stay out of town and dealing with things like domestic disputes, but in rural counties, there might only be one deputy working and one game warden on patrol.

Then we absolutely will assist.”

Along the border, the need for game wardens to be ready for anything is heightened.

“On those border counties, we deal with dope a lot,” Swift added.

“We could be checking boats at night for illegal gill nets, but we are also looking for drugs. It’s not exactly just checking bass fishermen.”

Capt. Ramiro Coronado oversees wardens in Starr, Jim Hogg and Zapata counties, and said he can’t put an exact percentage on how much time wardens spend dealing with wildlife violations as opposed to other criminal activity.

“Typically, it is anywhere between none and a full day,” he said. “One day we could spend eight hours on non-wildlife stuff and the next day we spend eight hours checking anglers on a border lake.”

Coronado said wardens typically work closely with agents from other agencies such as Border Patrol, Department of Homeland Security and local sheriff’s offices.

“Human smuggling is a big problem,” he said. “It’s not just Mexicans.

There are a lot of other nationalities that come through Mexico. With that comes the drug smuggling.”

Coronado said the grant money his department receives goes toward equipment such as new boats for patrolling and outfitting our people in the field. “The sequester has not hit us, yet,” he said The alleged drug dealers arrested in the large marijuana bust were turned over to Border Patrol.

“We certainly appreciate the assistance of the Border Patrol in this case,” said Lt. Col. Danny Shaw. “TPWD has a close working relationship with the Border Patrol and other law enforcement agencies along the border, and this is a perfect example of how that pays off for the citizens of Texas.”

State game wardens do a lot more than bust poachers

WHERE ARE THE ANTLERS? Drugs, not wildlife, are often in the job description for TPWD game wardens, especially in border counties. Photo by TPWD.

April 26, 2013

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NATIONAL Hunters headed to Washington On May 9, the voice of hunters will be heard throughout the halls of the Capitol building, as 150 members of Safari Club International will come to Capitol Hill to lobby for legislation to improve hunting throughout the U.S. The members of SCI will have breakfast with members of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, face-to-face meetings with Senate and House members, and discussions with critical legislative staff.

“The Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus is the largest bipartisan and bicameral caucus in Washington, D.C., and Safari Club International is proud to be one of its biggest supporters,” said SCI President John Whipple.

“Members of Congress care about hunting and they care about the outdoors. SCI will make sure they understand the future of our outdoor heritage depends on the passage of comprehensive legislation protecting the right to hunt on millions of acres of public lands.”

More than 200 meetings will take place during the day.

— SCI

CCA Louisiana to help build floating islands Coastal Conservation Association’s Building Conservation Habitat Program, in partnership with Shell Oil Company, Keep Terrebonne Beautiful, Martin Ecosystems, Terrebonne Parish Government, Terrebonne Parish Schools and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries join together again to help rebuild the coastline in Terrebonne Parish with Phase II of the Floating Islands Restoration Project.

On Friday, April 19, and Saturday, April 20, project volunteers and partners will place approximately 1,000 feet of synthetic mats in the water. The 5-foot by 20-foot mats can hold 150-200 plants, and will be placed endto-end and anchored to the water bottom.

The “floating islands” technology allows the

plants to take root in the water bottom while providing protection from the natural elements.

— CCA

Florida proposes catch-and-release-only for tarpon, bonefish The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, at its April 17 meeting, moved forward unanimously with a proposal to make tarpon and bonefish catch-and-release-only fisheries.

The tarpon and bonefish catch-and-releaseonly proposal includes the following potential changes for management in state and federal waters off Florida: • Eliminating all harvest of tarpon with the exception of the harvest or possession of a single tarpon when in pursuit of an IGFA record and in conjunction with a tarpon tag.

• Keeping the tarpon tag price at $50 per tag but limiting them to one tag per person, per year.

• Modifying the tarpon tag program, including reporting requirements and shifting the start and end date for when the tarpon tag is valid.

• Discontinuing the bonefish tournament exemption permit that allows tournament anglers to temporarily possess bonefish for transport to a tournament scale.

The proposal will be brought back before the commission for a final public hearing at its June meeting.

— FWC

Illinois bill would outlaw PETA anti-hunting drones An Illinois House committee endorsed a proposal last week to criminalize the use of drones to interfere with someone’s hunting and fishing.

State Rep. Adam Brown, R-Champaign, proposed an addition to an Illinois criminal

law that prohibits interference with hunting and fishing.

Brown’s addition would make it a misdemeanor to use a drone to interfere with a hunter or fisherman who is lawfully taking wildlife or aquatic life. The proposal defines “drone” as any aerial vehicle that does not carry a human operator.

Brown said he proposed the measure when he read that one animal rights group used a drone over hunters in Pennsylvania and another announced plans to buy drones “to stalk hunters” nationally.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals on April 8 publicly announced it would “go high-tech this fall to bust lawbreakers who leave animals to die.”

The group said it was shopping for “one or more drone aircraft with which to monitor those who are out in the woods with death on their minds.”

“Slob hunters may need to rethink the idea that they can get away with murder, alone out there in the woods with no one watching,” PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk said in a news release.

Brown said hunters should not be “stalked and tormented” by drones.

— Laura Hlavach, Bloomington Pantagraph

Louisiana busts turkey poachers Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agents made six illegal turkey hunting cases during the April 12-14 weekend.

On April 12, agents cited Michael A. Kowalski, 34, of Katy, Texas, in Webster Parish for obtaining a license by fraud, hunting turkey without non-resident basic and big game licenses, and hunting turkey without a non-resident turkey stamp.

Agents cited Stephen K. Breaux, 37, of Houma, in East Feliciana Parish on April 13 for hunting turkey over a baited area, with an electronic device and failing to comply with turkey tagging regulations. Agents seized the

electronic call.

Alton D. Cook, 44, of Denham Springs, and Shane M. Johnston, 19, of Walker, were cited in East Feliciana Parish on April 13 for hunting turkey over a baited area, possession of an illegally taken turkey and criminal trespassing. Agents also cited Johnson for failing to comply with turkey tagging regulations.

Agents seized the shotgun Cook and Johnston used and the illegally harvested turkey.

On April 13, agents cited Ashtin J. Willis, 21 of Grosse Tete, for taking over the limit of turkeys with two gobblers in the same day and possession of an illegally taken turkey on the Sherburne Wildlife Management Area in Iberville Parish.

Agents cited Ryan E. Dowden, 22, of Deridder, for possessing a loaded gun in a vehicle and possession of a rifle during turkey season while on the Peason WMA on April 14.

— LWDF

NRA to produce Pennsylvania outdoors show The Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, site of the nation’s largest outdoors-related consumer show for nearly 65 years, has chosen the NRA to produce the show Feb. 1-9, 2014.

Renamed the Great American Outdoor Show, the event will take the place of the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show that was canceled in February after its promoter, Reed Exhibitions, banned the display of certain types of modern sporting rifles and more than 200 exhibitors pulled out.

The show typically drew upward of 1,200 exhibitors and nearly 200,000 attendees each year.

“We look forward to expanding this event by inviting national firearm manufacturers to join more than 1,000 hunting, fishing, and camping related vendors as well as outfitters from around the world,” said David Keene, National Rifle Association president.

— Great American Outdoor Show

OUTDOOR BUSINESS

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April 26, 2013

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Page 23

Breeding big bass

These pictures show a collection of the biggest largemouth bass caught so far this season in Texas. Angler have caught bass weighing more than 13 pounds all across the state before turning them into Texas Parks and Wildlife. Three of these big lunkers were pulled from Fork, which leads all lakes.

Many of the bass were bred in the ShareLunker program, attesting to the success of the selective breeding. — Staff report Photos by TPWD

Johnny Spruiell, Lake Amon G. Carter on March 19, 13.75 pounds caught on a 7-inch Power Worm.

Richard Scibek, Lake Fork on Feb. 2, 16.04 pounds caught on live bait.

Lindell Booth Jr., Lake Palestine on March 2, 13.14 pounds caught on a green pumpkin Brush Hog.

Isacc Denson, Falcon International Reservoir on Feb. 7, 13.4 pounds caught on a top-water.

Thomas McCraven, Lake O’ the Pines on Feb. 14, 13.23 pounds caught on a Baby Brush Hog.

Mark Hall, Lake Fork on Feb. 19, 13.11 pounds caught on a swim bait.

Casey Martin, Toledo Bend Reservoir on Feb. 15, 13.06 pounds caught during a tournament.

Donald Deville, Lake Fork on March 20,14.06 pounds caught on a Brush Hog.

Colin Pack, Lake Austin on March 27, 13.29 pounds caught on a Carolina rig.

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April 26, 2013

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DATEBOOK April 26

Shooting for the Stars 2013 Sporting Clay Shoot Dallas Gun Club (214) 421-8723 bigtex.com

April 27

Boy Scouts of America Boy Scouts Charity Sporting Clays Tournament National Shooting Complex, San Antonio (210) 341-8611 ext. 140 Padgett-cpa.com

National Wild Turkey Federation Harrison County Banquet Marshall Visual Arts Center (903) 407-2305 nwtf.org/texas

Ducks Unlimited San Antonio Chapter Sportsman’s Night Out MacArthur Park (210) 381-8299 ducks.org/texas

May 16

May 17-19

May 3-5

Coastal Conservation Association Austin Chapter Banquet Palmer Events Center jdblaha@ccatexas.org ccatexas.org

May 4

Texas Deer Association Sportsmen’s Night Out Richard M. Borchard Regional Fair Grounds, Robstown (210) 767-8300 texasdeerassocation.com

Coastal Conservation Association West Houston Chapter Banquet Houston Farm and Ranch Club (713) 626-4222 ccatexas.org

May 3

Kayak Angler Tournament Series Lake Travis (512) 719-4386 fishkats.com

Ducks Unlimited Caldwell County Banquet Maxwell Social Club (512) 826-2138 ducks.org/texas

Bass Champs Central #3 Belton Lake (817) 439-3274 basschamps.com

Coastal Conservation Association Mainland Chapter Banquet Nessler Center, Texas City ccatexas.org

Ducks Unlimited Winnie Dinner and Auction Winnie-Stonewall Community Building (409) 267-7116 ducks.org/texas

April 28

Coastal Conservation Association Hill Country Chapter Social and Fish Fry Red Bard, Seguin (210) 573-1143 ccatexas.org

May 2

Coastal Conservation Association Fort Worth Chapter Banquet Joe T’s (800) 626-4222 ccatexas.org Coastal Conservation Association San Antonio Chapter Banquet Freeman Coliseum Expo Hall (210) 837-5500 ccatexas.org

National Rifle Association Annual Meeting George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston (877) 672-7632 nraam.com

Texas Team Trail Belton Lake (210) 788-4143 texasteamtrail.com Bass Champs South #4 Amistad Reservoir (817) 439-3274 basschamps.com

May 9

CASA 13th Annual Pulling for Kids Sporting Clay Tournament Dallas Gun Club (940) 243-2272 casadenton.org

May 11

Dallas Safari Club YPG Crawfish Boil Barley House (972) 980-9800 biggame.org Bass Champs North #3 Lake Tawakoni (817) 439-3274 basschamps.com Coastal Conservation Association Matagorda Bays Lil’ Salties Fishing Tournament (979) 541-9901 ccatexas.org

Dallas Safari Club Monthly Meeting Bent Tree Country Club (972) 980-9800 biggame.org

Legend of Lake Fork 9th Annual Bass Tournament Lake Fork Marina (903) 383-7748 legendoflakefork.com

May 18

Kayak Angler Tournament Series Canyon Lake (512) 719-4386 fishkats.com Bass Champs Central #4 Lake Travis (817) 439-3274 basschamps.com

May 18-19

Texas Gun and Knife Show Abilene Civic Center (830) 285-0575 texasgunandknifeshows.com

May 25

Third Coast Fishing Tournament Bluff’s Landing Marina and Lodge (361) 992-5152 winthirdcoast.com

LSONews.com

DSC YPG crawfish boil on tap

Hungry sportsmen in the Dallas Metroplex should mark their calendars for Saturday, May 11 between noon and 4 p.m. and join the Dallas Safari Club’s Young Professionals Group Annual Crawfish Boil at the Barley House, 5612 SMU Boulevard.

The event has grown from a small gathering of friends several years ago to an all-day, all-you-can-eatand-drink affair with live music, cold beer and tons of mudbugs.

Grant Jones and the Pistol Grip Lassos will be playing tunes for the expected crowd of 200 to 300 people, and 500 pounds of crawfish will be boiled, meaning plenty of good food for everyone.

Four or five “really cool” silent auction items, including a Yeti cooler and fishing trips, will be available to bid on.

And all of the event’s proceeds will go toward the Sportsmen’s Alliance for Alaska’s Save Bristol Bay campaign.

The mudbugs will be provided by Heads or Tails Cajun Crawfish.

For more information, call (972) 980-9800.

— Staff report

Green Continued From Page 8

are drawn to the now-visible food source, which in turn attracts species that feed on the baitfish.

“On boats with a motor and battery, you can power the lights off of that,” Ramirez said. “For small boats and kayaks, I have a unit that is housed in waterproof casing that runs off of a deer-feeder battery. That can power the lights for three to four hours.”

The lights are mounted onto a kayak or jonboat using Velcro strips.

Ramirez said anglers should fish the edges of the lights, not directly through the middle of them.

“The stripers will circle the bait ball, but we’ve also caught gar, white bass, crappie and largemouth bass,” he said. “They’ve all come to check out the action around the lights.”

Other companies are also making lights that attach to boat docks.

Terry Boike of Texas-based Underwater Green Fishing Lights said his company has been in business for five years, and he has seen the LED lights overtake mercuryvapor lights as the choice for anglers who want to fish from their docks.

“I really liked night fishing and couldn’t find a lot of stuff,” Boike said about what made him begin the business. “LEDs are just starting to come in. When we used to night fish, we had to bring generators that were loud. With these LEDs, a car battery will run 20 of them. It is clean, easy and quiet.”

Boike said green is the color of choice because it penetrates the water better than other colors and doesn’t spook fish.

“It is a subtle light that fish don’t find too contrasting,” he said.

“And, the longer the light is turned on in the water, the better the fishing will become.”

Boike said the position of the lights also plays a factor in how fish react.

“Predators like to stay on the edge or underneath the light,” he said. “Don’t fish through the light.

Fish the outer rings. Trout will strike from outside the light inward and bass will sit in the light and attack the outside.

“Rig the light to shine about 3 feet below the surface, leaving room at the bottom. Don’t let the light go all the way to the bottom.”

LoneOStar Outdoor News

April 26, 2013

Dog Continued From Page 4

starting with Tucker, the Santa Anna Hunting Preserve and West Texas Wings,” he said. “Santa Anna is one of the best. I had the chance to show him bird after bird in good fields — it made him an unbelievable dog — you have to be able to train where they will see thousands of birds.”

Training at the preserves also affords the chance for the dogs to work with hunters who aren’t very mobile.

“We hunt out of a plantation wagon — the dogs find the birds, and just like at the southern plantations, the hunters get out and shoot and the dogs fetch the birds and bring them back to the wagon,” Fisher said.

When it comes to the animals, Fisher says it’s all about

Page 25

the dog.

“It’s starts with the nose, then the brain,” he said. “And the dog needs to be athletic and have a lot of drive. Skeet has it all — you can’t stop him.”

Fisher now has a partner and they own and train more dogs.

“I have 11 dogs in the back yard right now,” he said.

“Two, Skeet and Andy, are Grand Champions and Clay, the son of Skeet, is an open champion.

“And we’re bringing up a female.”

In 2012, both Skeet and Fisher were inducted into the Upland Classics Hall of Fame; Skeet with his 15 times as a champion, a Dog of the Year award and 300 lifetime points.

And Skeet has earned another award, Fisher’s wife, Carla, said.

“He’s earned the right to sleep in the house at night.”

Page 26

April 26, 2013

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

LSONews.com

Huge Lake Nacinoche fish has large family tree On Dec. 4, 2004, Jerry Campos was fishing for largemouth bass on Falcon International Reservoir when he caught a 14.28-pound fish that became ShareLunker 370.

On April 13, 2013, Allen Lane Kruse of Nacogdoches caught a 12.54-pound bass from Lake Naconiche, pictured, that has been submitted as a water-body and catch-and-release record for the new impoundment near Nacogdoches.

The connection? DNA testing revealed that ShareLunker 370, which spawned at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, is the mother of the Lake Naconiche fish. If Campos had not entered his fish into the program, Kruse would not have had the opportunity to catch his fish, because it would not have existed.

“This is the perfect example of why the ShareLunker program was established,” said Allen Forshage, direcPhoto by TPWD. tor of TFFC. “It’s called ShareLunker because the program gives anglers the opportunity to share their catch with others.

Fingerlings from ShareLunkers that spawned have been stocked into more than 60 reservoirs across Texas.”

The father of the Lake Naconiche fish has deep roots in the program as well. Genetic data showed its mother is ShareLunker 305 (caught

by Nathan Strickland from Lake Fork in 2000), and pedigree data showed its grandmother is ShareLunker 184 (caught by Richard Crow from Lake Fork in 1994), and its great-grandmother is ShareLunker 9 (caught by Troy Johnson from Gibbons Creek in 1988).

ShareLunker 370 produced 12,699 fingerlings, some of which were held at TFFC as possible future broodfish. The Kruse fish was one of 173 adult offspring that were released into Lake Naconiche in 2009 along with 95,389 fingerlings.

The adult fish are now 8 years old and are on the threshold of being old enough to attain the 13-pound size necessary to be entered into the program.

— TPWD

Regional Lone Star Land Steward Awards honor Texas conservationists At a time when punishing drought underscores the importance of managing our land and water to help Texas weather the worst, two land owners, two organizations and a mining company are being recognized by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Lone Star Land Steward program for their efforts in rejuvenating native habitat and wildlife across the state.

The awards will be presented May 21 at the Hyatt Regency in Austin.

In addition, the winner of the prestigious Leopold Conservation Award for Texas — to be presented by the Sand County Foundation — will be announced. Featured speaker will be Mrs. Laura Bush, former First Lady of the United States and founder of Taking Care of Texas.

This year’s recipients are: Blackland Prairies – Daphne Prairie, Franklin County Cross Timbers and Prairies – Thomsen Foundation, Montague County Rolling Plains – JA Ranch, Armstrong and Donley Counties Wildlife Management or Landowner Association – South Llano River Watershed Alliance, Edwards and Kimble Counties Corporate/Non-Government Organization – Jewett Mine, Texas Westmoreland Coal Co. — TPWD

LoneOStar Outdoor News

April 26, 2013

Page 27

Page 28

April 26, 2013

LoneOStar Outdoor News

Sun | Moon | Tides Texas Coast Tides Sabine Pass, north Date Time Apr 26 5:20 AM Apr 27 6:12 AM Apr 28 7:08 AM Apr 29 12:30 AM Apr 30 1:26 AM May 01 2:29 AM May 02 3:38 AM May 03 4:52 AM May 04 12:21 AM May 05 1:40 AM May 06 2:44 AM May 07 3:38 AM May 08 4:25 AM May 09 5:06 AM May 10 5:43 AM

Height 2.1H 2.1H 2.0H -0.2L -0.1L 0.1L 0.3L 0.5L 1.5H 1.6H 1.7H 1.8H 1.9H 1.9H 1.9H

Time 10:55 AM 11:39 AM 12:26 PM 8:09 AM 9:15 AM 10:23 AM 11:24 AM 12:13 PM 6:07 AM 7:18 AM 8:20 AM 9:13 AM 9:59 AM 10:37 AM 11:10 AM

Galveston Bay entrance, south jetty Date Time Apr 26 5:49 AM Apr 27 6:46 AM Apr 28 7:45 AM Apr 29 8:48 AM Apr 30 12:53 AM May 01 1:58 AM May 02 3:12 AM May 03 4:36 AM May 04 12:00 AM May 05 1:36 AM May 06 2:52 AM May 07 3:52 AM May 08 4:43 AM May 09 5:26 AM May 10 6:06 AM

San Luis Pass

Date Time Apr 26 6:19 AM Apr 27 7:16 AM Apr 28 8:15 AM Apr 29 12:51 AM Apr 30 1:49 AM May 01 2:54 AM May 02 4:08 AM May 03 5:32 AM May 04 12:30 AM May 05 2:06 AM May 06 3:22 AM May 07 4:22 AM May 08 5:13 AM May 09 5:56 AM May 10 6:36 AM

Freeport Harbor Date Time Apr 26 5:33 AM Apr 27 6:31 AM Apr 28 7:32 AM Apr 29 8:35 AM Apr 30 12:54 AM May 01 2:00 AM May 02 3:16 AM May 03 4:44 AM May 04 6:14 AM May 05 1:15 AM May 06 2:33 AM May 07 3:36 AM May 08 4:29 AM May 09 5:15 AM May 10 5:57 AM

Height 1.2L 1.3L 1.4L 1.9H 1.9H 1.8H 1.7H 1.7H 0.7L 0.9L 1.0L 1.1L 1.2L 1.3L 1.4L

Time 3:35 PM 4:06 PM 4:43 PM 1:21 PM 2:33 PM 4:06 PM 5:30 PM 6:27 PM 12:52 PM 1:25 PM 1:54 PM 2:19 PM 2:41 PM 2:58 PM 3:11 PM

Height 1.7H 1.7H 1.7H 1.4L 1.4L 1.3L 1.1L 0.9L 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H

Time Height 10:49 PM -0.3L 11:37 PM -0.3L

Time 3:02 PM 3:27 PM 3:56 PM 4:29 PM

Height 2.0H 2.1H 2.1H 2.1H

Time Height 10:14 PM -0.3L 11:02 PM -0.4L 11:55 PM -0.3L

5:56 PM 6:33 PM 12:50 PM 1:15 PM 1:36 PM 1:54 PM 2:10 PM 2:24 PM 2:36 PM

1.5L 1.2L 2.0H 1.9H 1.9H 1.9H 1.9H 1.9H 1.9H

10:01 PM

5:27 PM 6:29 PM 8:24 PM 10:39 PM

1.6H 1.6H 1.4H 1.4H

7:10 PM 7:47 PM 8:22 PM 8:55 PM 9:27 PM 10:01 PM 10:35 PM

0.7L 0.5L 0.3L 0.2L 0.1L 0.0L 0.0L

Height 2.5H 2.6H 2.5H 2.5H -0.2L 0.1L 0.4L 0.6L 1.7H 1.9H 2.0H 2.2H 2.3H 2.3H 2.3H

Time 10:44 AM 11:31 AM 12:21 PM 1:25 PM 9:51 AM 10:50 AM 11:40 AM 12:19 PM 6:02 AM 7:18 AM 8:23 AM 9:20 AM 10:09 AM 10:51 AM 11:25 AM

Height 1.8L 1.9L 2.0L 2.0L 2.3H 2.2H 2.1H 2.0H 0.9L 1.1L 1.4L 1.5L 1.7L 1.8L 1.9L

Height 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H -0.2L -0.1L 0.0L 0.2L 0.4L 1.0H 1.1H 1.2H 1.3H 1.4H 1.4H 1.4H

Time 11:40 AM 12:27 PM 1:17 PM 9:18 AM 10:21 AM 11:20 AM 12:10 PM 12:49 PM 6:58 AM 8:14 AM 9:19 AM 10:16 AM 11:05 AM 11:47 AM 12:21 PM

Height 1.1L 1.2L 1.2L 1.5H 1.4H 1.3H 1.3H 1.2H 0.5L 0.7L 0.8L 0.9L 1.0L 1.1L 1.1L

Time 3:32 PM 3:57 PM 4:26 PM 2:21 PM

Height 1.2H 1.3H 1.3H 1.2L

Time Height 11:10 PM -0.2L 11:58 PM -0.2L 4:59 PM

1.3H

6:52 PM 7:29 PM 1:20 PM 1:45 PM 2:06 PM 2:24 PM 2:40 PM 2:54 PM 3:06 PM

0.9L 0.7L 1.2H 1.1H 1.1H 1.1H 1.1H 1.1H 1.2H

10:31 PM

1.0H

8:05 PM 8:39 PM 9:10 PM 9:39 PM 10:07 PM 10:35 PM 11:04 PM

0.5L 0.4L 0.2L 0.1L 0.0 L 0.0L 0.0L

Height 2.1H 2.1H 2.1H 2.1H -0.2L 0.0L 0.2L 0.4L 0.7L 1.4H 1.6H 1.7H 1.8H 1.9H 1.9H

Time 12:35 PM 11:03 PM 11:56 PM

Height 1.2L -0.3L -0.3L

Time 2:43 PM

Height 1.3H

Time Height 10:16 PM -0.2L

9:37 AM 10:35 AM 11:23 AM 12:00 PM 12:29 PM 7:38 AM 8:54 AM 10:05 AM 11:14 AM 9:42 PM 10:11 PM

2.0H 1.9H 1.7H 1.6H 1.5H 0.8L 1.0L 1.1L 1.2L 0.0L 0.0L

6:27 PM 6:47 PM 7:14 PM 12:52 PM 1:11 PM 1:27 PM 1:40 PM

1.1L 0.9L 0.7L 1.4H 1.3H 1.3H 1.2H

1.7H

7:09 PM 0.9L 7:43 PM 0.6L 8:14 PM 0.4L 8:43 PM 0.2L 9:11 PM 0.0L 9:39 PM 0.0L 10:08 PM -0.1L

9:38 PM 11:37 PM

1.2H 1.3H

7:43 PM 8:14 PM 8:44 PM 9:13 PM

0.5L 0.3L 0.1L 0.1L

LSONews.com

Solunar | Sun times | Moon times

Moon Phases Last

First

New

May 3

May 18

May 10

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 minute per 12 miles west of a location.

Full

May 25

Houston

Port O’Connor

Date Time Apr 26 10:31 AM Apr 27 12:30 AM Apr 28 1:22 AM Apr 29 2:19 AM Apr 30 3:22 AM May 01 4:28 AM May 02 5:35 AM May 03 6:44 AM May 04 7:51 AM May 05 4:58 AM May 06 6:45 AM May 07 8:25 AM May 08 9:46 AM May 09 10:39 AM May 10 12:06 AM

Rockport

Date Time Apr 26 1:06 AM Apr 27 2:00 AM Apr 28 2:57 AM Apr 29 3:55 AM Apr 30 4:53 AM May 01 5:47 AM May 02 6:34 AM May 03 7:10 AM May 04 7:30 AM May 05 2:23 AM May 06 1:38 PM May 07 1:48 PM May 08 2:07 PM May 09 12:10 AM May 10 12:55 AM

Height 1.0H 0.1L 0.1L 0.1L 0.1L 0.2L 0.3L 0.4L 0.5L 0.7H 0.8H 0.9H 0.9H 1.0H 0.2L Height 0.2L 0.2L 0.2L 0.2L 0.2L 0.2L 0.2L 0.3L 0.3L 0.4H 0.5H 0.5H 0.5H 0.2L 0.2L

Time

Height

11:43 AM 1:04 PM 2:31 PM 3:29 PM 3:40 PM 3:40 PM 3:43 PM 3:22 PM 9:00 AM 10:33 PM 11:07 PM 11:38 PM

1.0H 1.1H 1.0H 1.0H 0.9H 0.9H 0.8H 0.7H 0.7L 0.3L 0.2L 0.2L

11:17 AM

1.0H

Time 2:46 PM 3:40 PM 4:46 PM 6:00 PM 7:17 PM 8:38 PM 10:07 PM 3:24 PM 2:09 PM 7:23 AM 10:34 PM 11:24 PM

Height 0.5H 0.5H 0.5H 0.5H 0.5H 0.5H 0.5H 0.4H 0.4H 0.4L 0.3L 0.2L

2:35 PM 3:11 PM

0.5H 0.5H

Port Aransas, H. Caldwell Pier Date Time Apr 26 5:48 AM Apr 27 6:52 AM Apr 28 7:57 AM Apr 29 9:02 AM Apr 30 12:38 AM May 01 1:38 AM May 02 2:44 AM May 03 3:56 AM May 04 5:13 AM May 05 12:56 AM May 06 2:22 AM May 07 3:29 AM May 08 4:26 AM May 09 5:18 AM May 10 6:08 AM

Height 2.1H 2.2H 2.2H 2.1H -0.3L -0.2L 0.0L 0.2L 0.5L 1.2H 1.4H 1.6H 1.8H 1.9H 1.9H

South Padre Island Date Time Apr 26 5:50 AM Apr 27 6:57 AM Apr 28 8:06 AM Apr 29 9:13 AM Apr 30 12:33 AM May 01 1:34 AM May 02 2:39 AM May 03 3:49 AM May 04 5:06 AM May 05 12:51 AM May 06 2:25 AM May 07 3:38 AM May 08 4:40 AM May 09 5:36 AM May 10 6:28 AM

Height 1.6H 1.7H 1.7H 1.7H -0.5L -0.3L 0.0L 0.3L 0.6L 1.2H 1.3H 1.4H 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H

Time 10:04 PM 10:51 PM 11:42 PM

Height -0.3L -0.4L -0.4L

10:01 AM 10:49 AM 11:25 AM 11:51 AM 12:09 PM 6:33 AM 7:53 AM 9:13 AM 8:46 PM 9:19 PM 9:53 PM

2.0H 1.8H 1.6H 1.5H 1.4H 0.8L 1.0L 1.2L -0.1L -0.1L -0.2L

Time 9:57 PM 10:45 PM 11:37 PM

Height -0.6L -0.7L -0.6L

10:12 AM 10:58 AM 11:28 AM 11:47 AM 11:59 AM 6:26 AM 7:48 AM 9:14 AM 8:48 PM 9:22 PM 9:56 PM

1.7H 1.6H 1.5H 1.4H 1.3H 0.8L 1.0L 1.1L -0.2L -0.3L -0.3L

Time

Height

Time

Height

9:21 PM 2:00 PM

0.5L 0.7H

9:56 PM

0.4L

Time

Height

Time

Height

2013 Apr-May 26 Fri > 27 Sat > 28 Sun 29 Mon 30 Tue 01 Wed 02 Thu Q 03 Fri 04 Sat 05 Sun 06 Mon 07 Tue 08 Wed > 09 Thu > 10 Fri N 11 Sat > 12 Sun > 13 Mon 14 Tue 15 Wed

A.M. Minor Major 6:14 12:05 7:17 1:01 8:23 2:08 9:31 3:16 10:37 4:22 11:38 5:24 12:09 6:20 12:57 7:09 1:43 7:54 2:24 8:36 3:05 9:16 3:45 9:57 4:27 10:39 5:12 11:24 6:00 ----6:50 12:38 7:43 1:31 8:35 2:24 9:28 3:16 10:19 4:08

Dallas 5:59 PM 8:15 PM 1:43 PM

0.4L 0.4L 0.4H

11:57 PM

0.4H

9:35 PM

0.3L

Time

Height

Time

Height

6:25 PM 6:42 PM 12:22 PM 12:29 PM 12:29 PM

0.8L 0.6L 1.3H 1.3H 1.3H

10:54 PM

1.0H

7:10 PM 7:40 PM 8:13 PM

0.4L 0.2L 0.0L

Time

Height

Time

Height

6:11 PM 6:33 PM 12:05 PM 12:06 PM 11:57 AM

0.9L 0.6L 1.2H 1.2H 1.1H

10:41 PM

1.0H

7:04 PM 0.3L 7:38 PM 0.1L 8:13 PM -0.1L

2013 Apr-May 26 Fri > 27 Sat > 28 Sun 29 Mon 30 Tue 01 Wed 02 Thu Q 03 Fri 04 Sat 05 Sun 06 Mon 07 Tue 08 Wed > 09 Thu > 10 Fri N 11 Sat > 12 Sun > 13 Mon 14 Tue 15 Wed

A.M. Minor Major 6:19 12:05 7:22 1:07 8:29 2:14 9:37 3:21 10:42 4:28 11:43 5:29 12:14 6:25 1:03 7:15 1:48 8:00 2:30 8:41 3:10 9:22 3:51 10:02 4:33 10:45 5:18 11:30 6:06 ----6:56 12:44 7:48 1:36 8:41 2:29 9:34 3:22 10:25 4:13

San Antonio

2013 A.M. Apr-May Minor Major 26 Fri > 6:26 12:12 27 Sat > 7:29 1:14 28 Sun 8:36 2:21 29 Mon 9:44 3:28 30 Tue 10:49 4:35 01 Wed 11:50 5:36 02 Thu Q 12:21 6:32 03 Fri 1:10 7:22 04 Sat 1:55 8:07 05 Sun 2:37 8:48 06 Mon 3:17 9:29 07 Tue 3:58 10:09 08 Wed > 4:40 10:52 09 Thu > 5:25 11:37 10 Fri N 6:13 ----11 Sat > 7:03 12:51 12 Sun > 7:55 1:43 13 Mon 8:48 2:36 14 Tue 9:41 3:29 15 Wed 10:32 4:20

Amarillo

2013 A.M. Apr-May Minor 26 Fri > 6:40 27 Sat > 7:43 28 Sun 8:49 29 Mon 9:57 30 Tue 11:03 01 Wed ----02 Thu Q 12:35 03 Fri 1:23 04 Sat 2:08 05 Sun 2:50 06 Mon 3:30 07 Tue 4:11 08 Wed > 4:53 09 Thu > 5:38 10 Fri N 6:26 11 Sat > 7:16 12 Sun > 8:09 13 Mon 9:01 14 Tue 9:54 15 Wed 10:45

OUTDOOR PUZZLER | By Wilbur “Wib” Lundeen 33. A deer food 36. Name for the Whitetail of the North 37. A duck 38. Parts of antlers 41. Very tasty panfish 44. Bring catch into the boat 46. Fly-pattern term for the steelhead 47. The outdoor law 48. A fishing favorite in Florida, Texas 49. Term for a crack in a bow stave

ACROSS 1. The _______ dove 6. Ants, insects, etc.

9. A horse color 11. A type of gunsight 12. The wild pig 13. A grouse species 17. Appendage on a turkey’s foot

18.

19.

21.

23.

25.

27.

A male duck Male turkeys A deer lure, scent ____ A hard-bodied lure A group of decoys Number of fish or game allowed 28. A male Dall 29. A habitat of the brookie

DOWN 1. They burrow 2. A grouse species 3. A handy item to have along 4. The blue species found in the Rockies 5. A cave dweller 6. A northern freshwater fish 7. A bass 8. Fisherman’s aid at times 10. Squirrel food

Solution on Page 30 14. Expert fishermen earn this title 15. A good beartrap bait 16. To follow a game closely 20. A silvery minnow bait 22. A hunter’s prey 24. Young goose, ___ling 26. The fur seeker 30. Material for large nests 31. A duck species 32. Trapped for the fur 34. Commercial ships use large ones 35. A predator to the wild turkey 36. A type of fly lure 39. Name for an open sight 40. Ram’s mates 41. The pheasant’s food source 42. A kind of fishbait 43. Line grommet on a fishrod 44. A gun organization 45. To construct a fly lure

Major 12:25 1:27 2:34 3:42 4:48 5:50 6:46 7:35 8:20 9:02 9:42 10:23 11:05 11:50 ----1:04 1:56 2:49 3:42 4:34

P.M. Minor 6:43 7:47 8:54 10:01 11:06 ----12:33 1:22 2:06 2:47 3:27 4:08 4:51 5:36 6:24 7:15 8:07 8:59 9:51 10:42

Major 12:29 1:32 2:39 3:46 4:51 5:51 6:46 7:34 8:18 8:59 9:39 10:20 11:02 11:48 12:36 1:03 1:55 2:47 3:40 4:31

SUN Rises Sets 06:43 07:54 06:42 07:54 06:41 07:55 06:40 07:56 06:39 07:56 06:38 07:57 06:38 07:58 06:37 07:58 06:36 07:59 06:35 08:00 06:34 08:00 06:33 08:01 06:33 08:02 06:32 08:02 06:31 08:03 06:31 08:04 06:30 08:04 06:29 08:05 06:29 08:05 06:28 08:06

MOON Rises Sets 9:13p 7:16a 10:19p 8:10a 11:21p 9:08a NoMoon 10:10a 12:18a 11:14a 1:09a 12:18p 1:54a 1:21p 2:35a 2:22p 3:12a 3:20p 3:48a 4:17p 4:23a 5:13p 4:59a 6:09p 5:36a 7:05p 6:16a 7:59p 6:58a 8:53p 7:42a 9:44p 8:29a 10:32p 9:19a 11:17p 10:09a NoMoon 11:01a NoMoon

P.M. Minor Major 6:49 12:34 7:53 1:37 9:00 2:44 10:07 3:52 11:11 4:57 ----- 5:57 12:38 6:51 1:27 7:40 2:12 8:23 2:53 9:04 3:33 9:44 4:14 10:25 4:56 11:08 5:42 11:54 6:30 12:42 7:20 1:08 8:12 2:00 9:05 2:53 9:57 3:45 10:48 4:36

SUN MOON Rises Sets Rises Sets 06:44 08:03 9:25p 7:17a 06:43 08:04 10:32p 8:09a 06:42 08:05 11:34p 9:07a 06:41 08:06 NoMoon 10:09a 06:40 08:06 12:30a 11:14a 06:39 08:07 1:20a 12:19p 06:38 08:08 2:04a 1:23p 06:37 08:09 2:43a 2:25p 06:36 08:09 3:19a 3:25p 06:35 08:10 3:54a 4:24p 06:35 08:11 4:27a 5:21p 06:34 08:12 5:02a 6:19p 06:33 08:12 5:38a 7:15p 06:32 08:13 6:16a 8:11p 06:31 08:14 6:57a 9:05p 06:30 08:15 7:42a 9:56p 06:30 08:15 8:28a 10:44p 06:29 08:16 9:18a 11:29p 06:28 08:17 10:09a NoMoon 06:28 08:18 11:02a 12:10a

P.M. Minor Major 6:56 12:41 8:00 1:44 9:07 2:51 10:14 3:59 11:18 5:04 ----- 6:04 12:45 6:58 1:34 7:47 2:19 8:30 3:00 9:11 3:40 9:51 4:21 10:32 5:03 11:15 5:49 12:01 6:37 12:49 7:27 1:15 8:19 2:07 9:12 3:00 10:04 3:52 10:55 4:43

SUN MOON Rises Sets Rises Sets 06:56 08:06 9:26p 7:30a 06:55 08:06 10:32p 8:24a 06:54 08:07 11:34p 9:22a 06:53 08:08 NoMoon 10:24a 06:52 08:08 12:31a 11:28a 06:51 08:09 1:22a 12:32p 06:50 08:10 2:07a 1:35p 06:50 08:10 2:47a 2:35p 06:49 08:11 3:25a 3:33p 06:48 08:12 4:01a 4:30p 06:47 08:12 4:36a 5:26p 06:47 08:13 5:12a 6:22p 06:46 08:14 5:50a 7:17p 06:45 08:14 6:29a 8:12p 06:44 08:15 7:11a 9:05p 06:44 08:15 7:56a 9:56p 06:43 08:16 8:43a 10:44p 06:42 08:17 9:32a 11:29p 06:42 08:17 10:23a NoMoon 06:41 08:18 11:15a 12:11a

P.M. Minor 7:09 8:13 9:20 10:27 11:32 12:03 12:59 1:48 2:32 3:13 3:53 4:34 5:17 6:02 6:50 7:41 8:33 9:25 10:17 11:08

SUN Rises 07:01 07:00 06:59 06:58 06:57 06:56 06:55 06:54 06:53 06:52 06:51 06:50 06:49 06:48 06:47 06:46 06:46 06:45 06:44 06:43

Major 12:55 1:58 3:05 4:12 5:17 6:17 7:12 8:00 8:44 9:25 10:05 10:46 11:28 12:14 1:02 1:29 2:21 3:13 4:06 4:57

Sets 08:27 08:28 08:29 08:30 08:30 08:31 08:32 08:33 08:34 08:34 08:35 08:36 08:37 08:38 08:39 08:39 08:40 08:41 08:42 08:43

MOON Rises 9:51p 10:58p NoMoon NoMoon 12:56a 1:45a 2:28a 3:06a 3:41a 4:14a 4:47a 5:21a 5:56a 6:33a 7:14a 7:58a 8:44a 9:34a 10:26a 11:19a

Sets 7:34a 8:26a 9:23a 10:26a 11:31a 12:37p 1:42p 2:45p 3:46p 4:46p 5:44p 6:42p 7:40p 8:36p 9:31p 10:22p 11:10p 11:55p NoMoon 12:35a

FOR THE TABLE Baked flounder with dill and caper cream 1 tbsp. olive oil 1 1/2 pounds flounder fillets Salt and ground black pepper to taste 1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill 1/2 cup sour cream 2 tbsps. capers, drained and rinsed Lemon, zested 1 lemon, cut into wedges Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and coat with olive oil. Arrange

Turkey enchiladas 2 cups cooked, cubed wild turkey 2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup diced green chilies 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese 1 cup cheddar cheese 1/2 cup chopped onion Nonstick cooking spray 12 tortillas (flour or corn) Sliced black olives (optional) Additional shredded cheese (optional) Combine soup, sour cream and

flounder fillets on prepared baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes and sprinkle evenly with dill. Continue baking until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 2 minutes more. Stir sour cream, capers, and lemon zest in a bowl; season with salt. Serve fish with lemon wedges and sour cream caper sauce.

— allrecipes.com

chilies. Heat thoroughly. Warm tortillas in damp paper towel in microwave. Coat a 13x9x2 inch baking pan with cooking spray.

Mix cheeses, onion, turkey and 1 cup soup mixture. Put two tablespoons of cheese-turkey mixture in the center of each tortilla. Roll tortillas and place in baking pan. Pour remaining soup mixture over the top. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Uncover and top with black olives and additional cheese if desired. Heat till cheese is melted.

— backwoodsbound.com

*email LSON your favorite recipe to news@lonestaroutdoornews.com.

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Bringing out the big guns DSC Big Bore Shoot a big deal for bragging rights

That sound you heard last weekend in the Dallas Metroplex wasn’t a massive thunderstorm somewhere around Ennis.

It was most likely coming from Trinity Outfitters, where 36 members of Dallas Safari Club gathered to shoot their big bore rifles — .375 calibers were the minimum.

Contestants were only shooting for Texassized bragging rights, but the competition was fierce between the bwanas.

Three stations were set up for the shooters, who had three shots at each station to hit a small area on a lifelike target. The event was a simulation of a real-world safari scenario.

First, a 70-yard shot on shooting sticks, followed Karl Evans by a 30-yard offhand shot

LONE STAR MARKET

Puzzle solution from Page 28

To advertise in this section, call Mike Hughs at (214) 361-2276 or email him at mhughs@lonestaroutdoornews.com.

Marty Markl

and, finally, a 15-yard offhand shot on a “running” cape buffalo target. Points were awarded for accuracy and speed — many shooters could not get a second shot on the moving buffalo.

Waxahachie shooter Karl Evans won the event shooting his .470 Nitro Express.

Boyt resident Marty Markl finished second shooting a .375 H&H, followed by Bo Ferguson in third.

“It was a fun day at a new location,” said DSC’s Ben Kimmel. “We’ll definitely be going back out there.”

Bo Ferguson

– Conor Harrison

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