December 10, 2010 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting by Lone Star Outdoor News

Panhandle Action Texas’ Premier Outdoor Newspaper

December 10, 2010

Volume 7, Issue 8

Mule deer hunting was good on Texas plains. Page 4

Massacre at the Anderton ranch

Inside

TPWD kills 71 deer By Bill Miller LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Wildlife ofﬁcials are ﬁelding criticism after killing dozens of white-tailed deer at an East Texas breeding farm to

❘❚ FISHING

Jig maker

hedge against maladies like Chronic Wasting Disease and tuberculosis. TPWD sharpshooters worked all day Monday Dec. 6 to kill the 71 deer See MASSACRE, Page 25

NOT HUNTING: A TPWD sharpshooter stands atop a truck and killed 71 deer at the Anderton Whitetail Ranch. Photo by TPWD.

Toledo Bend man ﬁnds second career making custom crappie jigs. Page 8

Lukewarm rut

What could have been Young bass angler talks about year on the pro circuit. Page 8

Warm weather hinders whitetail movement in parts of state

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By Conor Harrison LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS The 2010 white-tailed deer rut had pretty much wound down by early December in North, Central and East Texas. But parts of West and South Texas were just getting ready for the most exciting part of hunting season. In the Hill Country, peak rutting activity peaked in the days before Thanksgiving. Warm weather curtailed movement earlier in November. A full moon on Nov. 21 may also have hampered deer movement during the prime early morning and late evening hours. “The rut was tough this year with the warm weather,” said guide Andrew Phillips of Kerr County. “The deer just weren’t moving as much as they did last year.” But a cold front pushed through the Hill Country the weekend after Thanksgiving, putting nice deer in front of hunters.

Here come the birds Waterfowl hunters expecting good second split. Page 5

Rooster roundup Pheasant season opens to good reviews. Page 4

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Phillips said that’s when he managed to put clients on several rutcrazed 160-class deer. “On our better managed ranches, we have still killed some nice deer this year,” Phillips said. “I was in the blind two weeks ago when my hunters shot a really nice deer that was chasing does late one afternoon. “The big buck came out right behind a doe, who obviously was in heat.” Hill Country taxidermists agreed that the few cold days across Central Texas helped hunters tag deer. Overall, though, it was a slower year to shoot big bucks in the rut. “The rut is definitely winding down here,” said Gary Broach, owner of Rhodes Brothers Taxidermy in Kerrville. “During the first cold snap (in mid-November) we saw quite a few lowfenced deer in the 130s, and that’s pretty good for around here. “The bigger bucks definitely started taking more risks.” See LUKEWARM RUT, Page 23

LOOKING FOR ACTION: A South Texas buck checks does recently. The white-tailed deer rut is about to begin in the southern-most portion of the state. In other parts of the state, the rut is tailing off as bucks return to a feeding pattern. Photo by Lili Sams.

Floundering family traditions survive gigging ban By Aaron Reed FOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Six months after falling through the ceiling of the Knights of Columbus hall in Rockport and breaking his neck and other bones, Frank Sbrusch stood on the front deck of his airboat.

One hand was on the control stick and the other hand was wrapped around a 12-foot ﬂounder gig handle. It was 12:01 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 1. The month-long moratorium on ﬂounder gigging — See FLOUNDERING FAMILY, Page 16

GIG ACTION: Bobby Albin, of Rockport, prepares to remove a "saddle blanket" ﬂounder from his gig. Photo by Aaron Reed, LSON.

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HUNTING

Pheasant opener brings out the groups Birds cooperate to begin season By Craig Nyhus LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS The Double XL Steakhouse in a remote canyon outside of Stinnett was happy to see this group of pheasant hunters roll into the parking lot after hunting the Dec. 4 opener. “We ﬁlled the place,” said Whit Smith of Dallas, who along with friends Randy Dixon and Paul Mills organized a trip to the Panhandle for about 30 clients and friends. “We had people from South Africa to Louisiana.” Smith said the hunting was good, although maybe not quite as good as last year’s opener. “Most everyone got their three birds,” he said. “And several of the guys had never hunted pheasants before.” The group hunted different private lands after obtaining permission from the owners. “Paul Mills lives in Canyon and See PHEASANT OPENER, Page 7 ROOSTERS OPEN: Pheasant hunters pushed many playa lakes in West Texas and found plenty of birds on the opening weekend of pheasant season. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Mule deer harvest healthy

MULEY HUNTERS: Nick Kohleffel, left, and Bill Pickett discussed the weekend mule deer hunt they had recently in Donley County. These were the only two mature bucks they saw, but they did see many smaller ones chasing does during the last weekend of the season. In the country east of Amarillo, many of the bigger bucks notoriously get active after the season is over. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

By Bill Miller LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Rod Green, an East Texas ranch manger, knows a healthy deer when he sees one, and he saw lots of them Dec. 2 in a Panhandle wheat ﬁeld. But this hunter from Mineola wasn’t going for white-tailed deer. He was in Donley County on his ﬁrst mule deer hunt. His

timing was good because bucks were ready to rut. It was late afternoon and Green, from a tower blind, watched the ﬁeld gradually ﬁll with 30 mule deer and 15 whitetails. Bucks, he said, were dogging some does, “but they were having none of it; they were not receptive yet.” Nevertheless, an even larger

muley decided to join the party. “When he jumped into the ﬁeld, I could tell he was really unique,” Green said. “On his G2 fork he had kickers that went back, so there was a little crown up there.” Green downed the buck, estimated at 6 years old and gross scored at 155. It surely wasn’t the biggest Texas muley taken this season; there are reports of some near 200-class deer out there. But, while ﬁeld dressing his buck, Green became even more impressed. “He had rolling fat inside of him,” the East Texan said. “He was extremely healthy — fat as a butterball. Apparently he had no stress at all, and no parasites. “All the deer I saw up there were in excellent condition.” Green’s report was consistent with others from the Panhandle and deep into the Trans-Pecos region. “It doesn’t surprise me,” said Shawn Gray, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s program leader for mule deer and pronghorn. “A lot of our biologists are seeing some pretty good deer,” Gray said. “Numbers seem to probably be up from last year.” Estimates in 2001 showed the state had only about 160,000 mule deer. The Texas herd has recorded an upswing, which Gray attributed to improved range conditions brought on by rainfall, landowners’ management practices and TPWD’s improved survey methodology. By 2008, the numbers climbed to nearly 200,000 mule deer. See MULE DEER, Page 23

Dallas-area hunter shoots huge buck By Conor Harrison LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Richardson hunter Dustin Ritchey killed a white-tailed deer the last week of November that should push into the top five of the state’s record book. The huge buck was taken at Squaw Mountain Ranch near Jacksboro, about 65 miles northwest of Fort Worth. Unofficially, the deer grossed 289 1/8 and nets around 266, with 37 scorable points, four main beams and more than 60 inches of mass. The buck had a broken tine that would have added an estimated 10-inches onto the final score. “It’s just gargantuan,” Ritchey said. “I was hoping to shoot a personal best deer for me, which would have been a 180-class deer. Then this guy walked out.”

Ritchey said the hunting had been slow the ﬁrst two days of his hunt because of warm temperatures and a full moon. Ritchey and his guide decided to sit atop a high bluff where they had good visibility. They rattled. “It was 15 minutes before dark and we saw a 180-class buck,” he said. “I was going to shoot him, but he walked back into the brush before I could get a shot. We continued to watch the tree line and this buck stepped out.” After making a perfect double-lung shot, Ritchey walked up to the biggest deer he’d ever seen. Ritchey said the incredible deer was aged at 3 or 4 years old. The hunter registered for the Los Cazadores deer contest the day before he killed the buck. When ofﬁcially scored, the deer should be No. 2 overall, trailing only the Barrett buck that was taken in early October in Webb County. Ritchey’s deer, however, will probably lead in the most points and most mass categories. “It’s incredible to start thinking this is one of the biggest bucks ever shot in Texas,” he said. “It was a brilliant hunt.”

CLOSE TO 300: Richardson hunter Dustin Ritchey shows the four-mainbeamed buck he downed in late November near Jacksboro. The deer grossed 289 1/8, had 37 scorable points and more than 60 inches of mass.

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Online hunting licenses delay By Conor Harrison LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Outdoorsmen and women buying online licenses from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department shouldn’t expect to print out the documents and go deer hunting the next morning. Online purchases of temporary licenses may be convenient, but these documents don’t include the tags necessary to hunt big game. According to representatives at TPWD, this is due to how the online licenses originally were legislated from the state and can’t be changed until a new legislative order is directed to the licensing department. A permanent license with tags is mailed to the purchaser the next business day, but it might not arrive for several days. “The only thing you can’t hunt (immediately) is anything that requires a tag,” said Amanda Thomas in the online licensing department at TPWD. “That includes whitetailed deer, mule deer and turkeys.”

Thomas said she hasn’t heard any complaints about online licenses. “Most deer hunters know they need tags to kill a deer,” she said. Scott Vaca, assistant chief for wildlife enforcement at TPWD, said game wardens have not dealt with any confusion about online licenses. “There’s not really any confusion,” Vaca said. “A person can’t legally hunt without tags in their possession.” However, at least two hunters — one from Fort Worth, the other from Dallas — said they were frustrated during the online process to learn that the tags were not immediately attached. Hence, they canceled their orders and bought their licenses, with tags, at approved retail stores. The majority of Texas hunters purchase their tags at local sporting good stores. Those who buy them online also a pay a $5 fee for processing and mailing. But hunting game without the requisite tags will fetch a citation from a game warden.

Few cold fronts helping duck, goose hunters By Conor Harrison LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS A recent cold front pushing through Texas on the heels of Thanksgiving pushed more ducks and geese into the state, and hunters with access to water benefited. But finding waterways to hunt hasn’t been easy across much of the state, especially North Texas, because of dry conditions. It has been a different story in South Texas and along the coast, where duck hunters continued to shoot good numbers of gadwalls and widgeons. Victoria game warden Capt. Rex Mayes said the area has seen a lot of “bluebird days” and duck hunters still were having good shoots. “It’s pretty dry here right now,” he said. “But hunters are out and enjoying the extra limits. We’ve seen lots of pintails. There are lots of redheads in the San Antonio area.” Reports for geese have been slower. Wharton County Game Warden Chris Bird said that, overall, action has been slow due to a lack of water. GOOD SHOOT: A Texas duck hunter is all smiles after a good shoot on the “It’s been pretty thin,” Texas coast. Several small cold fronts pushed more ducks south during the he said. “The bigger last weekend of the first split. Prospects are improving for the second half of ranches that are hold- the season. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News. ing water also are holding “I was out last weekend and we saw a lot some birds. If they have birds,” he said. “We were working on blinds grain fields, they are moving in there.” (during the split in seasons) and our local litBird said it’s a similar situation with ducks. “The bigger ducks are starting to move tle pond had about 100 birds on it. “It was a nice mix of birds in,” he said. “If you have — gadwalls, wood ducks, water, birds probably will widgeons — and we’re startbe there.” ing to see some divers. We Hunters in North Texas even saw some redheads.” reported good shoots durFrederick said the birds ing Thanksgiving weekend, were not responding well as colder weather pushed to decoying during the first more birds into the area. split of the season, but he Waterholes around the has high hopes for the secStephenville area saw good ond half. numbers of ducks during “The prospects are lookthe holiday. ing good,” he said. The season for ducks In the High Plains region ended in the North Zone on of West Texas, the colder Nov. 28, but prospects are weather has pushed both better for the second split ducks and geese into the area, especially beginning Dec. 11. In Central Texas, hunters said the cold front mallards. According to reports, goose numbers are up pushed more birds into the region. Killeen duck hunter Johnny Frederick said he after the cold front and limits were being shot and his hunting partners are seeing lots of birds. around Dumas and Amarillo.

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It’s a buck, it’s a doe … No, it’s a duck! By Bill Miller LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS The “Duck Test” states that if something “walks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.” But what do you call a deer that has antlers, but is missing other male parts? George Gaither faced that dilemma when he recently downed a big 11-point white-tailed deer in the Texas Panhandle. He jokingly decided to merge the words buck and doe. “I call him a duck,” said the businessman from Edmond, Okla. “He’s a doe and a buck — a duck.” Gaither hunted a 12,000acre ranch east of Wellington in Collingsworth County, operated by Bruce Ward and his son, Brandon. He was in a blind on a sunny but blustery late afternoon, watching a small group of does. The window on the left side of

the blind was shut to keep out a howling south wind. That’s why Gaither didn’t see the big deer until it passed before of him, just 30 paces in front of the blind. “It startled me,” Gaither said. “And when I saw the rack, it looked like a picket fence; there were so many spikes on him.” Gaither watched the big deer chase another buck away from the does. It ﬁnally quartered and Gaither squeezed off a fatal round to the neck at about 170 yards with a Thompson Center single-shot riﬂe, chambered in .300 Win Mag. The big deer’s antlers gross scored 158, Brandon Ward said. “It was just wicked,”

PANHANDLE ODDITY: George Gaither of Edmond Okla., harvested this white-tailed deer near Wellington in the Texas Panhandle. Seeing the 11-point rack, Gaither assumed he had shot a buck, but its gender was not clear because it was missing some other parts.

Gaither

added. “One brow tine was just under 8 inches and the other was over 8 inches.”

But no one noticed anything unusual until Bruce Ward got busy field dressing the deer. The guide appeared to be dumbfounded in the glow of a flashlight, Gaither said. “He looked like he was about to pass out,” Gaither said. “His face was white as a sheet. He turned to me and said, ‘George, something is missing here.’” An antlered doe is a female overloaded with enough testosterone to grow antlers. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials have said there usually are two or three reports of antlered females among the approximately 430,000 deer harvested each year

in Texas. But Gaither

said

this

deer

appeared to have a vagina and what also appeared to be testicles tucked into the body cavity. An animal with both male and female reproductive organs is called a hermaphrodite, and TPWD ofﬁcials have said that is even more rare than an antlered doe. A biologist would have to conﬁrm whether Gaither’s deer was something other than a doe with antlers. However, Jeff Bonner, the TPWD biologist for Collingsworth County, said he was unable to inspect the odd deer before it was processed. Still, the animal continued to get lots of attention. “It’s the talk of the town,” Brandon Ward said. “Some people think we’re crazy. They say, ‘I never heard of that; you’re crazy.’ “But we got a lot of people to back us up!” Gaither said he was hoping for a “hunt of a lifetime” in the Texas Panhandle, and he certainly got one. “But,” he added, “if that’s what a (Panhandle) doe looks like, imagine what the bucks are like.”

<— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —— — — — Clip this out at your deer ranch ✄ — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — >

Spare venison can help feed hungry Texans in need Participating Meat Processors by City

Abilene Stephens Wild Game Processing (325) 695-4868 The Deer Shop (325) 260-4364 Albany Escalon's Buck 'N Hog Processing (325) 762-3800 Austin Hudson's Sausage Company (512) 445-6611 Texas Sausage Company (512) 472-6707 Ballinger Owen's Deer Processing (325) 365-2430 Baytown Going Custom Slaughter & Deer Proc (281) 421-2237 Bellville Bellville Meat Market (979) 865-5782 Boerne Farmer's Meat Market (830) 249-8063 Brady Brady Co-op Locker (325) 597-2440 Breckenridge Ray's Grocery & Market (254) 559-2341 Bronte B & K Deer Processing (325) 473-4015 Brownwood Perks Deer Processing & Cold Storage (325) 643-5022 Burleson Lee Deer Processing (817) 561-1975 Caldwell Texas Chaw & Meat Products (979) 567-7448 Castroville Dan's Meat Market (830) 538-9280 Dziuk's Meat Market (830) 538-3082 R&R Alsatian Sausage & Products LLC (830) 931-2430 Cisco Rust Deer Plant (254) 442-1653 Cleveland Reed's Meat Processing (281) 689-0253

Texas Association of Community Action Agencies, Inc. Hunters for the Hungry Clifton Sulak's Czech Bakery & Meat Market (254) 675-2825 Clute Brazoswood High School (979) 730-7300 x 29329 Clyde Lone Wolf Wild Game Processing (325) 893-3003 Coleman Halls Custom Packing (325) 625-4813 Conroe Caney Creek High School FFA (936) 709-2053 Cross Plains Branding Iron Processing (254) 725-7571 Danbury C & R Smokehouse (979) 922-1048 Dekalb Dekalb FFA (903) 667-2061 Detroit Detroit Locker Plant (903) 674-6911 D'Hanis The Country Mart (830) 363-7286 Dilley Sou-Tex Sausage Company (830) 426-6527 Dublin Clay's Processing & Smokehouse (254) 445-4180 Fairﬁeld J & S Meat Processing (903) 389-6169 Fort Stockton Miller Meat Company (432) 336-2979 Fredericksburg Hill Country Deer Processing (830) 997-6043 The Butcher Haus LLC (830) 990-2803 Garland David's Meat Market, Inc. (972) 495-8315 Goree Trainham Ice & Meat (940) 422-5321 Granbury C & J Butcher Shop (817) 579-8077

The Hunters for the Hungry program, part of Austinbased Texas Association of Community Action Agencies, Inc., has released its list of meat processors statewide that are accepting donated venison for Texans in need. Last season, hunters donated 167,840 pounds of game meat through 97 participating processors, the association’s ofﬁcials said. Hunters donate their deer to the participating meat processors and pay a reduced processing fee of at least $35. The proces-

Hamilton Hamilton Quality Meats (254) 386-4646 Harper LDR Processing and Meat Market (830) 669-2024 Helotes Schott's Meat Processing (210) 695-5411 Hooks Hooks FFA (903) 547-2215 Imperial Buena Vista High Imperial FFA (432) 536-2261 Ingram Woodbury Taxidermy & Wildgame Proc (830) 367-5855 Jasper Jasper Quality Meats Inc. (409) 384-9924 Johnson City Harvest House Farms (830) 868-7253 Katy Midway Food Market (281) 391-3101 Kemp C & D Game Processing (903) 498-3411 Kerrville Milton Bernhard Meat Processing (830) 367-2995 Kingsville Hibler Wild Game Inc. (361) 221-9747 Kountze Kountze High School (409) 246-3474 Laredo JW Nixon High School FFA (956) 795-3849 ext 163 Ruiz Custom Meats (956) 724-3013 Llano Miiller's Llano Smokehouse (325) 247-4450 Marble Falls Hill Country Fine Meats (830) 693-7024 Menard Ranch House Meat Company (325) 396-4536 Meridian Meridian Frozen Food Locker (254) 435-2803

Millsap Processing & Taxidermy (254) 597-7750 Midland Clark's and Winford's Meat Co. (432) 686-8123 Muenster Fischer's Meat Market (940) 759-4211 Muenster Meat Company, LLC (940) 759-2744 Needville Lad's Smokehouse & Catering (979) 793-6210 New Braunfels Granzin's Meat Market (830) 625-3510 The Rust Game Place (830) 608-1910 New Ulm Eckermann's Meat Market (979) 836-8858 Odessa Jimenez Wholesale Meats of Texas (432) 580-8226 Perryton Big 4 Packing (806) 435-5679 Pilot Point Golden Triangle Meat Plant (940) 686-2456 Plano Hirsch's Specialty Meats (972) 633-5593 Post Jackson Brothers Food Locker (806) 495-3245 Raymondville Rudy's Meat Market (956) 689-2186 Riverside Tallent Sausage & Grocery (936) 594-2591 Roanoke Syracuse's Custom Meats (817) 439-8998 San Angelo J's Processing (325) 651-6175 San Saba Hibler Family Processing (325) 372-5195 Santa Anna Santa Anna Wild Game Processing (325) 348-9171 Santa Fe Doreck & Sons Packing Co.

sors then distribute the meat to food banks in their areas. The association’s list includes the processors’ cities and phone numbers. A few of the processors charge more than the $35 standard fee, and some may require the venison to be skinned and quartered. Hunters can call the numbers below to check if a particular processor has extra fees or requirements. For information, go to www.tacaa.org/hunters.htm, or call

(409) 925-6611 Schulenburg Willie Joe's Processing (979) 561-8272 Seymour Bayco Services (940) 889-2424 Slaton Klemke's Sausage Haus (806) 828-5394 Snook Slovacek Sausage Company (979) 272-8625 Spring David's Meat Market (281) 363-1880 Springtown Goober's Deer Processing LLC (817) 444-1414 Throckmorton Escalon's Buck 'N Hog Processing (940) 849-0656 Tyler Lynch's Food Store (903) 593-1521 Uvalde Uvalde Meat Market & Processing (830) 278-6247 Victoria Country Slaughter House (361) 573-9043 Harwell's Custom Processing (361) 575-5120 Waco Fulton's Quality Meats (254) 662-5608 Weatherford Teel's Custom Meats (817) 613-0095 White Deer Clint & Sons (806) 883-7831 Willow City Rabke's Table Ready Meats (830) 685-3266 Wink Home Smoked Meat Processing (432) 527-3991 Winnie Harrington Packing Company (409) 296-9794 Zephyr M & M Deer Processing (325) 739-2211

(800) 992-9767, ext. 506. Other organizations in Texas also accept venison to help feed people in need. See: Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry, www.fhfh. org; the Houston Area Food Bank, www.endhungernetwork. org; and Hunters’ Harvest, www.huntersharvest.org. See: Sportsmen Against Hunger, www.safariclubfoundation.org/humanitarian/sah/rs1.cfm.

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Pheasant opener Continued From Page 4

Jim McClellan, a high school superintendant, hunted with a group of 16 in the Spearman area. “It was good, but not better than last year,” he said. “They are saying there are more birds this year — but the 25-degree weather and 20 mph winds had them holding tighter.” While Smith’s group only had one lab amongst the hunters, McClellan rescues German shorthairs and his son trains bird dogs near Tyler. In McClellan’s group, the 16 hunters bagged 32 roosters. “We found some 3-yearold birds,” he said. “And, of course, some young birds with short spurs.” McClellan said the hunters in his group aren’t much concerned with getting their bag limits. “We don’t hunt superhard,” he said. “We don’t hunt the mile-long ﬁelds — we stick to corners and playa bottoms.” Reports from outﬁtters were positive as well, and most predict the season will compare well with last year as a season to remember. had some connections,” Smith said. “That helps.” The Texas Panhandle was blessed with prime pheasant breeding conditions over the past few years, and the good hunting followed. Farther east in the Panhandle, the opener showed some of the promise of last year’s banner season.

INFO ■ The pheasant season is open through Jan. 2 in the Texas Panhandle. The limit is three roosters per day.

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FISHING

Angler recounts tough season as youngest pro

Speckled trout react to cold fronts By Nicholas Conklin LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

TOUGH TIMES: Corey Waldrop of Fort Worth is shown in this 2008 photo competing in a Bassmaster Elite Series event on Wheeler Lake in Alabama, where he ﬁnished ninth. It was his best ﬁnish on the tour. Photo by B.A.S.S.

By Kyle Carter FOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS When 22-year-old Corey Waldrop of Fort Worth talks about his one season on the Bassmaster Elite Series, he expresses disappointment over what could have been. But there’s also relief over … what could have been. This month more than 20 qualifying anglers are dealing with the decision to make bass

ﬁshing a profession and spend next year on the Bassmaster Elite Series tournament circuit. With entry fees pushing $30,000 and tournaments all over the country, the decision is not easy to make. Waldrop decided at age 17 to compete, and two years later in 2008, he was the youngest angler ever to ﬁsh the Elite Series. It was an incredible feat for someone his age, but it didn’t

take long for him to realize that competing professionally wasn’t just about catching bass. “If I had to describe that entire season in one word, it would be ‘unprepared,’” he said recently. “As much as you read or talk to guys that are at that level — until you actually get there and experience it, you can’t understand.” Waldrop recalled that, suddenly, his time was split between ﬁshing and the busi-

ness side of the sport. He spent as much time working on sponsors as he did preparing for events and it showed in his results. In the 11 Elites Series events of 2008, he cashed only three checks, but that wasn’t enough money to cover his entry fees. He was on the road for eight months by himself, trying to See WALDROP, Page 21

Crappie jig master By Nicholas Conklin LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Nearly four years ago, Toledo Bend resident Skip Nantz was forced to make a very important decision. He had a successful 15-year career as a stock trader, but a cardiac emergency forced him to change his lifestyle. After heart surgery, Nantz struggled to find a way to get back to work. His solution: custom crappie jigs. “It was just something to consume time, something other than watching TV,” Nantz said. An avid angler for many years, Nantz said that he tried spending as much time on the water as possible, but at one point he found he could only fish for so long. So he turned to the Internet for information about jig making. Nantz didn’t find many resources on jigs, so he consulted forums and blogs of traditional flytiers. See CRAPPIE JIG, Page 19

JIG MAKER: Skip Nantz of Toledo Bend had a15-year career as a stock trader, but a cardiac emergency forced him to change his lifestyle. He has converted his passion for ﬁshing into a full-time business custom making jigs for crappie. Photo by Skip Nantz.

Ribeye of the bay Black drum numbers up this year on coast By Conor Harrison LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Often overlooked by Texas anglers seeking trout and redfish, the black drum has been appearing in impressive numbers along the Gulf Coast. Rockport guide Dan Kelly said the fall fishing has been “stupid good,” with black drum being caught in places and numbers he hasn’t seen before. “I don’t know if it’s the lack of commercial pressure or what, but the black drum showed up like BONUS BITE: Black drum have been showing up this fall in impressive numbers along the Texas coast. Medium-sized drum are an often overlooked, but tasty fish. Photo by LSON.

never before,” Kelly said. “Everywhere you go — Rockport, Port O’Connor, Goose Island — we are catching them.” Kelly said he has been catching limits of black drum on Gulps, artificial baits and everything in between. “What a lot of people don’t realize is the smaller ones taste great,” he said. “They are the ribeye of the bay.” The limit on black drum is five per person, per day, between 14 and 30 inches. One black drum more than 52 inches may be kept each day, but it does count towards the daily bag limit. Biologists have seen large increases of black drum along the coast for the past five years, said Perry See RIBEYE, Page 24

Speckled trout action has been strange over the past few weeks in traditional hot spots like Baffin Bay, the Corpus Christi area and along the Lower Laguna Madre. For guide Bill Sheka Jr. in the Baffin Bay area, good fishing has been linked to recent cold fronts that have swung through the area. Sheka and his clients hooked into a decent number of fish after November’s first cold front. On the second day of the trip the water warmed up, and the sizes of the trout dropped considerably. “We did real well (the first day) and I was pleased with our catch,” Sheka said. “The next day it warmed up a little bit. “For some reason the average went a little bit smaller.” The first day of the trip Sheka reported catches in the 16- to 22-inch range. The second day of the trip the average dropped to around 14 inches. The main issue affecting catch numbers, according to Sheka, is that weather conditions have caused everything to be a bit slower this fall, including shrimp moving into the bays. But by late November, a sudden influx of shrimp drew lots of trout into Baffin Bay. “The shrimp started showing up, and with the shrimp, the speckled trout have been working on those shrimp,” Sheka said. Although live baits have been productive, artificial baits like the Gulp! Shrimp in new penny and white have been effective colors. Sheka said the best size are the 3-inch and 4-inch models. Fishing on the contour changes and mouths of channels has been a primary target for Sheka. Around Corpus Christi, guide Michael Angell has been successful in fishing in between those fronts. He sounded positive about the cooler weather moving into the area. “They are already moving into a wintercold weather pattern, but the fishing has been very plentiful, as long as you can fish between fronts,” Angell said. Angell has attacked trout throughout the bay with both live and artificial shrimp. For the artificials, Angell said that dark colors are always successful this time of year and should land lots of fish. Angell said that he has been catching trout in the 22- to 23-inch range, but even the smaller fish are of good weight. “The fish are real big and fat right now,” Angell said. “You can find a lot of them that aren’t even 15 inches and you grab a hold of them and they’re just a handful because they’re real fat.” Angell said that he has found success while fishing the drop-offs, and in Nueces Bay. Despite all of the successful trout fishing along the upper and mid-coasts, anglers in the south along the Lower Laguna Madre have struggled with adverse weather. Guide Hector Torres has struggled finding good days to fish because of the wind and stained water. “You’re looking at maybe one or two days out of the week when the weather gets good,” Torres said. “You just can’t do anything in 30 mph winds, I don’t care who you are.” Torres said that one consistently good area has been down around the Brownsville ship channel south of Port Isabel. Torres said there is a good supply of structure that has been holding large numbers of fish. He successfully fished there with various plastics or by working slow topwater lures. Live shrimp has also produced fish for Torres.

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December 10, 2010

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Father-son outing yields near 13-pounder on Lake Fork By Bill Miller LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS

HOLIDAY BASS: Bob Hartﬁeld, right, caught this 12.72-pound largemouth bass the Wednesday before Thanksgiving while ﬁshing with guide John Tanner, left, on Lake Fork. Photo by John Tanner.

On the day before Thanksgiving, Bob Hartfield of Trenton, Tenn., had one more reason to give thanks. Fishing on Lake Fork, he landed a largemouth bass that was just a few ounces shy of 13 pounds, said guide John Tanner. Bob, who is retired, was in Texas for the Thanksgiving holiday at the home of his son, Pace Hartfield, a Dallas-area pastor. Tanner said he previously guided Pace, who wanted to fish with his father on Lake Fork, about five miles northwest of Quitman. “They both fished together pretty much all their lives,” Tanner said, “so this was very exciting.” The guide said he has two patterns in late fall on the reservoir. If it’s sunny, he’ll take his clients back into the creek channels. But if it’s cloudy and windy, he likes

Solutions sought for overcrowded bays By David Sikes FOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS A group of Texas anglers hope to ﬁnd a harmonious solution to overcrowded bays and angler discourtesy by convening a workshop in Corpus Christi to debate the issue. The workshop is scheduled for Jan. 7-8 at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies on the campus of Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi. Organizers said they have spots for about 100 participants. To arrive at a credible outcome and to help make sure the attendance is representative of each user group that wants to participate, the

host committee consulted with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department ofﬁcials to create a survey that will determine what user group or groups that each applicant falls into. After all the surveys are in, the group will decide on Dec. 15 who to invite. They want motorboat anglers, guides, duck hunters and duck-hunting guides, redﬁsh tournament organizers in addition to anglers who wade, paddle and pole. Organizers of this effort include the Harte Research Institute and the Coastal Bend Bays Foundation. Much of the groundwork comes from a See SOLUTIONS SOUGHT, Page 24

to try the grass beds. That’s the way it was Wednesday before Thanksgiving on the south end of the lake. “I caught some very big fish there in the past, but I hadn’t tracked one down there yet this year,” Tanner said. “But I knew, right before Thanksgiving, that it was getting to be the right time. “Plus the cold front was coming through, and it’s always good the day before the cold front when the barometric pressure changes. Usually there is some pretty good activity from the fish.” Tanner got his clients set up with homemade chatterbaits on 20-pound Berkley Trilene Big Game test lines. Bob used a 7-foot Vendetta rod and a Revo Premier reel. He quickly caught a couple 5-pounders, but then the big fish struck. “I knew when I set the hook, and she started pulling, that it was a big fish,” Bob

said. “We hadn’t set eyes on her yet, but, oh, she was heavy.” Tanner said the fish was a fighter. “Bob was standing up next to me and I thought I’d have to grab him because he was double-clutching,” the guide said. “He put his hand up higher on the rod because the fish was really pulling.” The bass, once it was reeled in, was taken to Lake Fork Marina where it nearly weighed 13 pounds; the final reading was 12.72 pounds. “If she had one more shad in her belly, she probably would have made it,” Tanner said. The Hartfields took lots of photos so that a replica can be made of the big bass. They got ready to let her go in the cove at the marina, just off of the main lake. Bob said Tanner eased the fish back into the water and gently moved her back and forth to revive her. Then she swam back into the depths of the lake.

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TEXAS FISHING REPORT Sponsored by

HOT BITES LARGEMOUTH BASS

AMISTAD: Good on topwaters, spinnerbaits, crankbaits and soft plastics. BROWNWOOD: Good on watermelon soft plastics, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits. CALAVERAS: Very good on dark soft plastic worms, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits around reed beds. FALCON: Excellent on 12” Texas-rigged worms, shallow-running crankbaits and slow-rolling spinnerbaits.

WHITE, HYBRID, STRIPER

BELTON: Hybrid striper are good on live shad. White bass are good on minnows under lights at night. LBJ: Striped bass are good on Creme 2” Spoiler Shads and Li’l Fishies at night. White bass are very good on Li’l Fishies at night. TOLEDO BEND: Striped bass are good on live bait. White bass are good on live bait and white topwaters.

CATFISH

CHOKE CANYON: Channel and blue catfish are good on shrimp and liver. LBJ: Channel catfish are fair to good on minnows and worms. Yellow and blue catfish are good on trotlines baited with live bait. WHITNEY: Good on shrimp, liver, and nightcrawlers.

CRAPPIE ATHENS: Good on minnows and jigs over brush piles. BASTROP: Good on minnows and white tube jigs. CANYON LAKE: Good on minnows and crappie jigs upriver.

ALAN HENRY: Water lightly stained; 52–60 degrees; 0.92’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on jigs and drop-shot rigs. Crappie are fair on live minnows over brush piles. Catfish are fair on cut shad. AMISTAD: Water clear; 68 degrees; 0.22’ high. Largemouth bass are good on topwaters, spinnerbaits, crankbaits and soft plastics. Striped bass and White bass are good on slabs and crankbaits. Catfish are good on nightcrawlers, shrimp and cheesebait. Yellow catfish are good on trotlines and droplines baited with live perch. ATHENS: Water fairly clear, 53–61 degrees; 1.74’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on spinnerbaits, chrome Rat–L–Traps and Texas rigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs over brush piles. Catfish are good on cut and prepared bait. BASTROP: Water clear. Largemouth bass are fair on tequila sunrise crankbaits and Rat–L–Traps. Crappie are good on minnows and white tube jigs. Channel and blue catfish are good on shrimp, nightcrawlers, and stinkbait. BELTON: Water clear; 70 degrees; 3.10’ low. Largemouth bass are good on spinnerbaits in coves, and trolling Rat– L–Traps. Hybrid striper are good on live shad. White bass are good on minnows under lights at night. Crappie are fair on minnows under lights at night. Channel and blue catfish are good on stinkbait and frozen shad. Yellow catfish are slow. BOB SANDLIN: Water off-color; 52–60 degrees; 3.26’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Rat–L–Traps, Texas or drop-shot rigs and jigs. White bass are fair on slabs. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs under the bridges. Catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers and cut bait. BRAUNIG: Water clear; 72 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits and dark soft plastic worms. Striped bass are good on liver and shad. Redfish are good on crawfish, shad, shrimp, tilapia, and silver spoons. Channel catfish are good on liver, shrimp, cut bait and cheesebait near the dam and the intake. Blue catfish are good on cut bait. BRIDGEPORT: Water fairly clear; 51–60 degrees; 2.37’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on chrome Rat–L–Traps, Texas rigs and medium-diving crankbaits White bass are good on slabs and live bait. Catfish are fair to good on cut bait. BROWNWOOD: Water clear; 69 degrees; 9.12’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon soft plastics, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits. Hybrid striper are fair on white striper jigs. White bass are good on Li’l Fishies and minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows and green tube jigs. Channel catfish are good on shrimp and stinkbait over baited holes. Yellow catfish are slow. BUCHANAN: Water clear; 70 degrees; 10.42’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Bleeding Shad Rat–L–Traps, white spinnerbaits, and shad Flukes in larger creeks. Striped bass are fair on plastic swim baits, Red Fins, and drifting live bait along the river channel in 30 feet. White bass are fair on Tiny Traps and Spoiler Shads. Crappie are good on pink/white or chartreuse Curb’s crappie jigs and live minnows over brush piles. Channel catfish are good on liver, minnows and dipbait. Yellow and blue catfish are good on live shad. CADDO: Water murky; 53–61 degrees; 0.67’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on spinnerbaits and Texas rigs. Crappie are fair on live minnows. White bass are good on minnows and Rooster Tails. Catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers. CALAVERAS: Water clear; 72 degrees. Largemouth bass are very good on dark soft plastic worms, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits around reed beds. Striped bass are slow. Redfish are fair on live bait, and on crawfish and tilapia near the dam. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfish are good on liver, shrimp, cheesebait and shad near the railroad bridge and 181 Cove. CANYON LAKE: Water clear; 68 degrees; 0.72’ low. Largemouth bass are good on

white spinnerbaits and Texas-rigged watermelon green Whacky Sticks in standing timber and on secondary points in 6–15 feet. Striped bass are good jigging Pirk Minnows over and around the humps in 30–60 feet at daylight. White bass are fair on Pirk Minnows along the river channel and on lake points. Smallmouth bass are good on green pumpkin tubes, 1/8 oz. pumpkin Curb’s jigs, and smoke JDC curl tail grubs in 8–15 feet. Crappie are good on minnows and crappie jigs upriver. Yellow and blue catfish are good on juglines baited with live perch. CEDAR CREEK: Water stained; 52–61 degrees; 2.89’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on spinnerbaits, jigs, Rat–L–Traps and Texas Rigs. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid striper are fair on large slabs jigged vertically. Crappie are good over brush piles. Catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers. CHOKE CANYON: Water clear; 70 degrees; 5.24’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse soft plastic worms near dropoffs in 15–25 feet. White bass are fair on minnows and spinnerbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and blue tube jigs. Drum are fair on live worms. Channel and blue catfish are good on shrimp and liver. Yellow catfish are fair on live perch. COLEMAN: Water fairly clear; 70 degrees; 10.29’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chartreuse spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and Rat–L–Traps. Hybrid striper are good on live minnows and green striper jigs. Crappie are good on minnows. Channel catfish are fair on stinkbait and shrimp. Yellow catfish are slow. COLETO CREEK: Water fairly clear; 72 degrees (87 degrees at discharge); 0.96’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon soft plastics and spinnerbaits in 10–20 feet. Striped bass are fair on live bait and green striper jigs. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on blue tube jigs. Channel and blue catfish are fair on stinkbait and shrimp. Yellow catfish are fair on trotlines baited with live perch. CONROE: Water fairly clear; 1.53’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon soft plastics, spinnerbaits, and Rat–L– Traps in 10–25 feet. Striped bass are fair on live minnows. Crappie are good on minnows and white tube jigs. Catfish are fair on stinkbait and cut bait. FALCON: Water clear; 70 degrees. Largemouth bass are excellent on 12” Texas-rigged worms, shallow-running crankbaits and slow-rolling spinnerbaits. Crappie are fair on jigs around structure. Channel and blue catfish are excellent on cut bait and frozen shrimp. FAYETTE: Water fairly clear; 72 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon and watermelon red soft plastic worms and lizards, and on chartreuse crankbaits and Rat–L–Traps. Channel and blue catfish are fair on live bait. FORK: Water fairly clear; 52–61 degrees; 2.68’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on shallow- to medium-running crankbaits, spoons, jigs and drop-shot rigs. Crappie are excellent on minnows and jigs under the bridges. Catfish are good on nightcrawlers and cut shad.

good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on slabs. Catfish are fair to good on prepared baits and cut shad. LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water lightly stained; 51–59 degrees; 0.35’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on chatterbaits, Texas rigs and Rat–L– Traps. Crappie are good on minnows over brush piles. Catfish are good on nightcrawlers and cut shad. Bream are fair to good on red wigglers. LAVON: Water stained; 52–60 degrees; 5.67’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on spinnerbaits, crankbaits, Rat–L–Traps and Texas rigs. White bass are good on slabs and Rooster Tails. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs over brush piles. Catfish are fair to good on cut shad and nightcrawlers. LBJ: Water stained; 70 degrees; 0.18’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Rat–L–Traps and spinnerbaits among schooling shad, and on buzzbaits and weightless watermelon red Whacky Sticks along lay downs and stumps on creek points. Striped bass are good on Creme 2” Spoiler Shads and Li’l Fishies at night. White bass are very good on Li’l Fishies at night. Crappie are good on Curb’s crappie jigs and live minnows over brush piles in clear water. Channel catfish are fair to good on minnows and worms. Yellow and blue catfish are good on trotlines baited with live bait. LEWISVILLE: Water stained; 52–61 degrees; 0.78’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas rigs, chatterbaits and wacky rigs. White bass and hybrid striper are fair to good on slabs, live shad and Humdingers. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good drifting cut shad. LIVINGSTON: Water fairly clear; 71 degrees; 0.16’ high. Largemouth bass are good on spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and soft plastics. Striped bass are fair but scattered. White bass are fair but scattered. Crappie are good on minnows. Blue catfish are excellent on shad. Yellow catfish are slow. MACKENZIE: Water lightly stained; 49–54 degrees; 77.3’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on spinnerbaits, jigs and shad pattern crankbaits. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair on slabs. Smallmouth bass are fair on suspending Rogues. Walleye are fair on minnows and jigs with a nightcrawler. Catfish are fair on stink bait. MEREDITH: Water lightly stained; 50–55 degrees; 88.75’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Rat–L–Traps, jigs and Texas rigs. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. White bass are fair on slabs. Smallmouth bass are fair on jigs and clown-pattern suspending Rogues. Walleye are fair on live baits and shallow-running crankbaits. Channel catfish are good on minnows and cut baits. O.H. IVIE: Water lightly stained; 53–61 degrees; 25.93’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Rat–L–Traps burned over flats, Texas rigs and spinnerbaits. Crappie are fair on live minnows. White bass are fair on Road Runners. Channel catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers.

GRANBURY: Water clear; 0.63’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon soft plastics and spinnerbaits. Striped bass are good on minnows and striper jigs. White bass are good on minnows and Pop–R’s. Crappie are good on minnows. Catﬁsh are good on shrimp and stinkbait.

PALESTINE: Water lightly stained; 53–61 degrees; 2.41’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on spinnerbaits, Texas rigs, jigs and chrome Rat–L–Traps. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs over brush piles. Catﬁsh are fair on cut shad and prepared bait. Hybrid striper and white bass are fair on slabs and Rooster Tails.

GRAPEVINE: Water stained; 51–60 degrees; 1.32’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on Texas rigs, medium- to shallow-running crankbaits and shaky head jigs. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs over brush piles. White bass are fair to good on slabs. Catﬁsh are fair to good on cut bait and nightcrawlers.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Water stained; 53–62 degrees; 1.15’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on jigs, Texas rigs and dropshot rigs. Crappie are fair on jigs and live minnows over brush piles. White bass are fair to good on slabs and minnows. Striped bass are fair on live shad. Catﬁsh are fair to good on cut shad.

JOE POOL: Water off-color; 52–60 degrees; 0.18’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas rigs, Rat–L–Traps and shaky head jigs with a 7” worm. Crappie are fair to

RAY HUBBARD: Water fairly clear; 52–60 degrees; 2.81’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits, chatterbaits, Rat–L–Traps and Texas rigs. Crappie

are fair to good on minnows and jigs over brush piles. White bass are good on Humdingers in the shallows. Hybrid striper are fair on 4” swim baits in the shallows. Catfish are fair to good drifting cut shad in 20–25 feet. RAY ROBERTS: Water clear; 51–59 degrees; 1.05’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on shallow-running square bill crankbaits and chatterbaits near the backs of creeks. Crappie are good on jigs over Corps of Engineers brush piles and around standing timber in 20 feet. White bass are excellent on main lake humps and ridges in 25–35 feet on chartreuse/ white 1 oz. slabs. Catfish are fair on Danny Kings Original punchbait over baited holes and under Cormorant roost. RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water off-color; 53–61 degrees; 2.1’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on medium-running crankbaits, Rat–L–Traps and jigs. White bass and hybrid striper are fair to good on Rooster Tails and slabs. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs over deep brush piles. Catfish are good on cut bait, prepared bait and nightcrawlers. SAM RAYBURN: Water lightly stained; 72 degrees; 8.45’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse topwaters, spinnerbaits, and Rat–L–Traps. White bass are good on buzzbaits and minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows and pink/white tube jigs. Bream are fair on worms. Catfish are good on stinkbait and shrimp. SOMERVILLE: Water murky; 71 degrees; 1.80’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chartreuse spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and soft plastics. Hybrid striper are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and blue tube jigs. Channel and blue catfish are good on stinkbait and shrimp. Yellow catfish are fair on live bait. SPENCE: 67.28’ low. Kills and Spills Team biologists are investigating a fish kill that was reported to have started in mid-October. Water samples collected on November 8th showed golden alga cell counts to be at a high density and the toxicity levels were also high. The recent fish kill reported last week was wide spread and dead fish were observed at Southside Park near the dam, Wildcat Cove on the south side and Lake View Park on the north side. Approximately 2500 fish are estimated to be dead. TAWAKONI: Water fairly clear; 52–60 degrees; 2.75’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas rigs, jigs and shaky head-rigged worms. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair to good on slabs. Striped bass and hybrid striper are fair on live shad and slabs. Catfish are good on cut and prepared bait. TEXOMA: Water off-color; 52–61 degrees; 1.44’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on crankbaits, Texas rigs, Rat–L–Traps and Carolina rigs. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. Striped bass are good on live shad and slabs. Catfish are good on nightcrawlers, prepared bait and cut shad. TOLEDO BEND: Water stained; 71 degrees; 7.92’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chartreuse topwaters, spinnerbaits and Rat–L–Traps. Striped bass are good on live bait. White bass are good on live bait and white topwaters. Crappie are fair on minnows. Bream are good on nightcrawlers. Channel and blue catfish are good on shrimp and stinkbait. Yellow catfish are slow. TRAVIS: Water fairly clear; 69 degrees; 12.96’ low. Largemouth bass are good on white topwaters and spinnerbaits in 5–12 feet. Striped bass are fair on live bait and silver striper jigs. White bass are fair on white spinnerbaits and minnows in 20–40 feet. Crappie are fair on minnows and blue tube jigs. Channel and blue catfish to 5 pounds are fair on shrimp and doughbait in 25–40 feet. WHITNEY: Water murky; 8.99’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chartreuse and watermelon crankbaits and Rat–L– Traps. Striped bass are fair on minnows. White bass are good on shallow running crankbaits and topwaters. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on shrimp, liver, and nightcrawlers.

SALTWATER SCENE NORTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good under birds and pods of shad on soft plastics. Redfish and flounder are good in the marsh on shrimp. Flounder are fair on the outgoing tide. SOUTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good under birds and pods of shad. Redfish are good under pods of shad. BOLIVAR: Trout, black drum, sand trout and redfish are good at Rollover Pass. Trout are fair to good while drifting shell on plastics. Sand trout are good in the Intracoastal on shrimp. TRINITY BAY: Trout are good for drifters working pods of shad and mullet on Bass Assassins, Trout Killers and Sand Eels. Trout are good under birds on plastics and topwaters. EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout and large Gulf trout are good for drifters working deep shell on plastics and fresh shrimp. Redfish and flounder are fair to good in the marsh around drains on shrimp. Trout and redfish are good under the birds. WEST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are good while drifting deep shell on plastics. Sheepshead, redfish and black drum are good at the jetty on shrimp and crabs. TEXAS CITY: Gulf trout are good in the channel on fresh shrimp. Sand trout and black drum are good at the wells on shrimp. Flounder are fair to good on mud minnows. FREEPORT: Bull redfish are good at jetty on crabs, shrimp and mullet. Redfish are good on the beachfront on shad and mullet. EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout and redfish are fair to good under the birds when the wind allows. Trout are fair for drifters on live shrimp over humps and scattered shell. WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair on sand and grass humps on soft plastics and topwaters. Redfish are fair on live shrimp at on the edges of the Diversion Channel on shrimp. PORT O’CONNOR: Trout are fair to good on the reefs in San Antonio Bay on live shrimp. Redfish are good on shrimp in the back lakes. ROCKPORT: Redfish are good on the Estes Flats on topwaters and live shrimp under a popping cork. Trout are fair to good on slow– sinkers for waders working mud and grass. PORT ARANSAS: Trout are fair around Dagger Island on shrimp and mullet. Bull redfish are good at the jetty and on the beachfront on natural baits. CORPUS CHRISTI: Redfish are good in the holes on live bait. Trout are fair for waders working mud and grass on small topwaters and Corkies. Trout are fair on the edge of the channels on shrimp. BAFFIN BAY: Trout are good on topwaters and plastics on the edge of the channels. Trout are fair to good while drifting deep rocks on plum plastics. PORT MANSFIELD: Trout are fair to good while drifting sand and grass on plastics under popping corks. Redfish are good while drifting pot holes on topwaters and soft plastics under a popping cork. Trout and redfish are fair to good on the spoils on small topwaters and gold spoons. SOUTH PADRE: Redfish are fair to good on the flats on DOA Shrimp and live o good on the edge of shrimp. Trout are fair to the channel on live shrimp and plastics. PORT ISABEL: Trout and redfish are good at Laguna Vista on topwaters and soft plastics under a popping cork. Redfish are good on the edge of the flats on the outgoing tide on shrimp under a cork. Mangrove snapper are good in the channels on shrimp.

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December 10, 2010

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GAME WARDEN BLOTTER WE’VE GOT A RUNNER When approaching a camp after dark, Val Verde County Game Wardens Mike Durand and Dustin Barrett were confronted by a man wielding a 30-30 rifle. They identified themselves as game wardens, and the man put the gun down. While the game wardens identified everyone and ran criminal histories, the man walked into the house and subsequently ran out the back door and disappeared into the brush. The criminal histories revealed the man was a felon several times over. The wardens are securing an arrest warrant for a felon in possession of a firearm. DRIVE-BY LEADS TO CONFESSIONS A caller reported a car stopping and an occupant shooting from the road to Tom Green County Game Wardens Jason Huebner and Cynde Aguilar. The caller provided a description of the vehicle along with the license plate. The wardens found a freshly killed doe where the shots were fired, and while investigating, the car fitting the description passed slowly right in front of them. The wardens obtained confessions from three men who were on their way back to retrieve the doe. Cases pending. FINE EXAMPLE Wise County Game Warden Penny Nixon received a call from a duck hunter across the lake from several beer-drinking duck hunters. When Nixon approached, one man was still drinking beer, despite the presence of his young grandson. Both duck hunters were cited for littering and one was cited for using lead shot to hunt ducks. EARNING THEIR PAY Jasper County Game Wardens Morgan Inman and Chris Fried stopped to check a camp and were greeted by a hunter who said, “I finally get to be checked by the game wardens. Y’all

GOLFER COMPLAINTS LEAD TO ARRESTS Reports from golfers at the Landa Golf Course in Comal County about ﬁnding random arrows and observing deer with arrows sticking out of their sides

led to the apprehension of multiple violators. Comal County Game Wardens Michael McCall, Brent Satsky and Jake Scott with assistance from the

need to earn your pay.” After a short inspection of the camp, the wardens found a doe deer tagged in a cooler. After learning it was illegal to kill does on public land without a permit, the man decided that he didn’t like being checked after all. Cases pending. READ THE TAGS While inspecting a deer processor, Jasper County Game Wardens Morgan Inman and Chris Fried noticed a red drum tag on one of the deer. With help from Angelina County Game Warden James Barge, the game wardens were able to locate the tag owner. Barge determined that the man had shot two illegal bucks in the Angelina National Forest and used his neighbor’s license to tag one of them, and the red drum tag on the other. Charges pending. VIOLATOR SHOOTS MULE DEER IN FRONT OF LANDOWNER, SON On the opening day of mule deer season, Hockley County Game Warden Jay Oyler was called by a landowner about a subject hunting without consent. The landowner, his son and a friend watched the violator drive almost 1/2 mile into the property and drive a herd of deer back to the property line, shooting as he went. When a buck was killed, the violator tied it to the vehicle and drug it toward the property line. The landowner and friend stopped him before he got off the property. The family had taken pictures of this particular deer, and

New Braunfels PD served a search warrant on a residence after one of the violators told schoolmates that he and his father were doing the shooting.

the 17-year-old son was waiting for his chance to bag it. State jail felony charges and restitution are pending. ONLY 8 MORE LIVES LEFT Leon County Game Warden Logan Griffin received a call from a man who hit a bobcat with his car coming into town and said that it was still alive on his car. Expecting to see a half-dead bobcat stuck in the grill, Griffin arrived only to find a very alive and upset bobcat between the plastic grill and the radiator. Griffin was able to get a catch pole around the cat and pull it free. The cat, though, was ungrateful and chased Griffin around the truck before leaving the scene. NOT PAYING AT THE PUMP Johnson County Game Warden Scott Kirkpatrick checked a couple of men leaving a deer lease with several full, large containers of gasoline. The men were stealing gasoline from a pump on the lease and selling it to others. Cases pending. WARDEN OBSERVES FISHERMEN KEEPING SMALL TROUT Willacy County Game Warden Oscar Castaneda observed from a distance at night two individuals fishing from a private pier under lights in Port Mansfield. The pair were keeping every fish they caught. Castaneda launched his boat and idled up to perform a check. Numerous undersized trout were found, with the smallest being 9 inches. Cases pending.

The wardens found evidence including archery equipment, antlers, blood and photographs of the suspects posing with several deer.

TIGHT SQUEEZE Dallas County Game Warden Martin C. Oviedo received a call from his neighbor regarding two bucks ﬁghting in the street by White Rock Lake, near downtown Dallas. The neighbor stated the two deer ran, jumped and attempted to squeeze through the pickets of an eight-foot tall metal fence. The bigger deer became stuck between his ribcage and pelvis. Dallas Animal Services darted the buck and transported him to Kaufman County, where it was released. CITY SQUIRRELS NOT HAPPY Dallas County Game Warden Martin C. Oviedo received a call from Dallas police stating they had four men who were hunting squirrels in a Dallas municipal park. The men were using slingshots to propel decorative marbles at the squirrels to knock them out of the park’s trees. Once downed, the men stomped the stunned squirrels. Nearby families witnessed the men’s hunting methods and called 911. Oviedo cited the four men with multiple violations. Cases pending. BURYING THE EVIDENCE While patrolling the Sam Houston National Forest, Montgomery County Game Warden Brannon Meinkowsky and Grimes County Game Warden Jonny Heaton responded to a call about a possible illegal deer that had been shot. When the wardens arrived, they found an untagged deer in a cooler. When asked where the head

was, one of the subjects pointed to a disturbed patch of ground. The subject was told that the head needed to be seen, and he began to dig it out of the ground. While waiting for the subject to dig the head up, the Wardens noticed several other patches of disturbed ground. When all the digging was done, one buck and two does were uncovered. None of the deer had been tagged. Cases pending. PAY ATTENTION While on patrol, Kerr County Game Wardens Mark Chapa and Kenny Lee observed a deer hanging behind a house off a local highway. The wardens walked up to the deer and observed two subjects taking pictures with the deer, a 119 5/8-inch buck. The two wardens were only about 5 feet from the two for several minutes and were not noticed until Chapa said, “Good evening. State game warden.” The two subjects’ expression immediately changed. It was determined the shooter did not possess a hunting license. Citations were issued, and the deer was seized. Cases pending. NEED COUNTING LESSONS? Wood County Game Warden Derek Spitzer drove up to a residence and noticed a deer carcass hanging out of a feed sack in the yard. Spitzer made contact with a subject at the house who stated he had shot the deer. As he handed Spitzer his license, he stated, ”I didn’t tag the deer.” Spitzer inquired about the deer head, and the subject stated it was a threepoint and his dog must have carried it off. A search of the area revealed no deer head, and after a brief discussion, the subject stated he had thrown the head on top of his barn because it was an illegal deer and not the three-point he thought it was. Cases pending.

LSONews.com

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

December 10, 2010

Page 13

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December 10, 2010

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

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CONSERVATION Desert bighorns return to Big Bend Ranch State Park Big Bend Ranch State Park soon will have a former resident returning to its traditional range. Forty desert bighorn sheep will be trapped at Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area and moved to Big Bend Ranch in midDecember. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the animals will be trapped by helicopters and moved by trailer to Big Bend. It is the latest phase of a multi-partner restoration project, which began in 1954, but it’s the ﬁrst reintroduction of desert bighorn into a Texas state park. The current release window is Dec. 15-19, with backup release dates between Jan. 8-14. Desert bighorns are a ﬂagship species in cross-border wildlife conservation in Northern Mexico and West Texas. An agreement signed this year between TPWD and other groups made bighorns the focus of a bi-national conservation effort. The Texas Bighorn Society, Wild Sheep Foundation, and the Mexican-based global cement company CEMEX were partners in the agreement. Bighorn sheep numbers dwindled in the Trans-Pecos region from 1,500 in the late 1800s to 500 in 1903. By 1960, the desert bighorn was gone from the area. Numbers have climbed from 352 in 2002 to 822 in 2006.

COMING BACK: Desert bighorn sheep soon will be reintroduced into Big Bend Ranch State Park as part of TPWD’s continued efforts to restock the sheep across its former range in West Texas. Photo by TPWD.

In September, TPWD biologists counted 1,115 sheep in Texas. This steady increase is due in part to relocation of wild sheep into areas where bighorns had once thrived. The Bofecillos Mountains in Big Bend Ranch State Park is next on the list of priority areas to restock the desert bighorn to its traditional range in Texas. Establishing sheep in the park will increase numbers of the desert bighorn and help restore the park’s native wildlife ecology, along with providing a new visitor wildlife viewing opportunity. In the years to come, public hunting in the park also may be possible, although this is not the primary restoration goal, TPWD ofﬁcials said. — Staff report

Local conservationist needs your support Dallas resident Jacob Sands is one of four ﬁnalists for the 2011 Budweiser Conservationist of the Year award. Sands is president of the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center in Seagoville, which is named for his late father. The award will be given to the person who receives the most votes. To vote, go to www.budweiser.com, enter your birth date (you must be 21 to enter the site) and click the conservation link at the bottom of the main page. The deadline to vote is Dec. 17. If he wins, Sands will receive a $50,000 grant.

He said he’d use the money to fund joint education, research and conservation endeavors through the wetland center and its partners. Included are Delta Waterfowl, Texas Wildlife Association, Trinity River Basin Conservation Fund and the Museum of Nature and Science. Sands is one of the original founders of the center, along with his family and the North Texas Municipal Water District. The center is dedicated to passing on the family’s tradition of wildlife and water conservation. It is open to student groups from surrounding urban areas. — Staff report

LSONews.com

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

December 10, 2010

Page 15

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RAEANNA MCCUTCHEON shot a pronghorn while hunting with her husband near Marfa.

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Page 16

December 10, 2010

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

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“My other boat is a Haynie. This is just my floundering rig.” That rig sported a Honda generaContinued From Page 1 tor with yellow work lights taped to the bow. Over the side console, a a hybrid between a stalking hunt and a single 100-watt bulb dangled from a fishing trip — had just been lifted. PVC gallows. An uncaged fan motor Sbrusch, 68, has been gigging perched above an outboard of indeflounder for the better part of four terminate manufacture. decades, ever since the former But a boat isn’t a requirement for Alaskan king crab fisherman moved actually gigging flounder. his family back to the Texas coast. The evening after the Sbrusches It’s a pastime he loves enough to father-son trip, Bobby Albin, also of have invested in a custom airboat Rockport, waded sandy flats adjacent that cost as much as a luxury sports to the Corpus Christi ship channel. In sedan and is even more fun to drive. one hand he held a contraption conThursday morning he would probstructed of a couple of sections of PVC ably wake late and sore — but at this pipe, an aircraft landing light and moment, on a night when a million lamp cord connected to an all-terrain stars dance on the glassy waters of vehicle battery with alligator clips. Corpus Christi Bay — he couldn’t The battery rested on a Styrofoam stop smiling. float he towed behind him. Sbrusch’s son, Steven, stood next to It’s a significant technological him on the bow, spotting fish after fish advance over the kerosene lanterns that all seemed to be in the 24-inch and reflectors he used as a child, and class. The long piece of polished wood in Frank’s hand was crafted by DELICACY: Frank Sbrusch fillets a thick slab of fine-grained, white meat from the "top" of a flounder. He will get four good-size fillets from within two hours he and a cousin had eight fat fish on the stringer. his father, and the elder Sbrusch later one fish to ensure nothing is wasted. Photo by Aaron Reed, Lone Star Outdoor News. “That was a good night even for mused that he wished his daughter’s the heyday,” Albin said. “Eight fish especially around Port Lavaca — were largely flounder abundance already was on the way sons could have joined them. and the small ones are 19 inches and the vast “Those boys are only teenagers, but they're and loudly opposed, especially when the pub- back up from all-time lows in 2007, before the majority are in the mid-20-inch range; that’s regulation went into effect. lic meetings happened to fall during a noticegood at this,” he said. “They're better than I able uptick in the numbers of flounder.. Sampling by fisheries biologists shows that good now, that’s good in 1960. am and I’ve been doing it for 40 years.” “I think part of the appeal of floundering for “We’ve seen an increase in the number trend continuing, and anglers’ experiences That kind of multi-generational involveme is it’s probably the last type of hunting I’ll ment in the sport is typical on the middle of flounder, especially on the upper coast. this December seem to confirm that. be able to afford to do. Galveston and Sabine are doing very well. “It was one for the books,” said Steven. “Dad and upper Texas coast. In fact, Thanksgiving “It’s a fact of life that the coast is the only flounder trips — now a thing of the past — That’s always been the center of floun- and I limited before 1 o’clock, and I think our place that the average guy can still afford to were once longstanding tradition for many der abundance,” said Mark Fisher, TPWD smallest fish was 20 inches. Most of them were hunt, whether it be ducks or in the form of Coastal Fisheries Division science director. 23-24 inches.” Texas families. floundering.” In September 2009, new regulations went “These past few winters have been colder Possibly one of the most alluring aspects of Cleaning two ice chests of fish the next day, into effect that outlawed gigging during the than the really warm winters in the ’90s. The a sport that would be instantly recognizable to Frank Sbrusch gave voice to the sorts of conmonth of November — the peak of the fall colder the winters are, the more juveniles we a Karankawa Indian stepping 300 years out of flicted feelings many participants in this sport flounder run, when spawning adults move see produced.” the past onto these shores is that it really is an seem to share. Flounder have relatively short life spans and “everyman’s” activity. out through passes into the Gulf of Mexico — On the one hand, he said, if he’d known the and halving bag limits the rest of the year to grow quickly, and TPWD’s computer modelAs the Sbrusches were loading up the air- November closure and bag limit reductions five for recreational anglers and to 30 for coming prior to the regulation change suggested boat at 1:30 a.m., a truck pulling a battered jon were going to become law in 2009, he probathe new regulations would increase spawning boat wheeled into the boat ramp parking lot. bly wouldn’t have invested some much in that mercial fishermen. Commercial giggers, who had long recog- stock biomass by as much as 80 percent, and The driver hopped out, explaining that he’d airboat back in 2008. nized the lower prices due to the November the majority of the effect would be seen within driven as fast as he could from San Antonio. On the other hand, he said while holding up market glut, generally were supportive of the a couple of years. “I just couldn’t wait,” he said, through a handful of glistening, yellow flounder eggs, Of course, as Fisher points out, in 2008 coffee jitters. Then, with a sheepish smile: “Maybe they should close December, too.” new measures. Recreational fishermen —

Floundering family

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December 10, 2010

Page 17

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December 10, 2010

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

Sun | Moon | Tides Height -0.2 L 0.2 L 0.5 L 0.9 L 0.5 L 0.2 L -0.2 L -0.5 L -0.9 L -1.1 L -1.3 L -1.4 L -1.4 L 2.1 H 2.0 H

First

Time 11:45 a.m. 12:23 p.m. 1:02 p.m. 4:58 a.m. 5:06 a.m. 5:22 a.m. 5:43 a.m. 6:09 a.m. 6:39 a.m. 7:13 a.m. 7:51 a.m. 08:31 a.m. 12:40 a.m. 1:33 a.m. 2:33 a.m.

Time

Height

1:21 p.m. 2:35 p.m. 4:56 p.m. 6:45 p.m.

0.9 L 1.3 L 1.4 L 1.6 L

7:59 p.m. 7:57 p.m. 8:16 p.m. 8:50 p.m. 6:08 p.m. 6:39 p.m.

2.0 L 2.0 L 2.0 L 2.0 L 2.0 H 2.0 H

Time

9:01 p.m. 9:12 p.m. 9:19 p.m. 9:19 p.m.

Height

1.8 H 1.8 H 1.8 H 1.8 H

10:08 p.m. 2.1 H 11:01 p.m. 2.1 H 11:53 p.m. 2.1 H 9:43 p.m. 1.8 L 10:56 p.m. 1.4 L

Date Dec 10 Dec 11 Dec 12 Dec 13 Dec 14 Dec 15 Dec 16 Dec 17 Dec 18 Dec 19 Dec 20 Dec 21 Dec 22 Dec 23 Dec 24

Time 12:41 p.m. 1:19 p.m. 1:58 p.m. 5:54 a.m. 6:02 a.m. 6:18 a.m. 6:39 a.m. 7:05 a.m. 7:35 a.m. 08:09 a.m. 08:47 a.m. 12:18 a.m. 1:10 a.m. 2:03 a.m. 3:03 a.m.

Time 08:52 p.m. 9:16 p.m. 9:34 p.m. 9:44 a.m. 12:01 p.m. 1:32 p.m. 2:24 p.m. 3:03 p.m. 3:40 p.m. 4:18 p.m. 4:58 p.m. 5:39 p.m. 9:14 a.m. 9:58 a.m. 10:44 a.m.

Height 1.7 H 1.6 H 1.4 H 1.0 H 1.1 H 1.3 H 1.6 H 1.7 H 1.9 H 1.9 H 1.9 H 1.9 H -1.1 L -1.0 L -0.7 L

Height -0.1 L 0.1 L 0.3 L 0.4 L 0.3 L 0.1 L -0.1 L -0.3 L -0.4 L -0.5 L -0.6 L 1.0 H 1.0 H 1.0 H 0.9 H

Time 09:22 p.m. 9:46 p.m. 10:04 p.m. 10:14 a.m. 12:31 p.m. 2:02 p.m. 2:54 p.m. 3:33 p.m. 4:10 p.m. 4:48 p.m. 5:28 p.m. 9:27 a.m. 10:10 a.m. 10:54 a.m. 11:40 a.m.

Height 1.0 H 0.9 H 0.9 H 0.6 H 0.7 H 0.8 H 0.9 H 1.0 H 1.1 H 1.1 H 1.1 H -0.7 L -0.7 L -0.6 L -0.4 L

Height -0.1 L 0.1 L 0.3 L 0.5 L 0.3 L 0.1 L -0.1 L -0.3 L -0.5 L -0.5 L -0.6 L -0.7 L 1.5 H 1.5 H 1.4 H

Time 08:14 p.m. 8:38 p.m. 8:56 p.m. 9:06 a.m. 11:23 a.m. 12:54 p.m. 1:46 p.m. 2:25 p.m. 3:02 p.m. 3:40 p.m. 4:20 p.m. 5:01 p.m. 9:11 a.m. 9:55 a.m. 10:41 a.m.

Height 1.5 H 1.4 H 1.2 H 0.9 H 1.0 H 1.1 H 1.4 H 1.5 H 1.6 H 1.6 H 1.6 H 1.6 H -0.7 L -0.6 L -0.5 L

Time

Height

Time

Height

1:47 p.m. 3:01 p.m. 5:22 p.m. 7:11 p.m.

0.7 L 1.0 L 1.1 L 1.3 L

9:48 p.m. 9:59 p.m. 10:06 p.m. 10:06 p.m.

1.4 H 1.4 H 1.4 H 1.4 H

8:25 p.m. 8:23 p.m. 8:42 p.m. 6:19 p.m. 6:55 p.m. 7:26 p.m.

1.6 L 1.6 L 1.6 L 1.7 H 1.6 H 1.6 H

10:55 p.m. 1.7 H 11:48 p.m. 1.7 H 9:16 p.m. 1.6 L 10:09 p.m. 1.4 L 11:22 p.m. 1.1 L

Time 11:42 a.m. 12:20 p.m. 12:59 p.m. 4:55 a.m. 5:03 a.m. 5:19 a.m. 5:40 a.m. 6:06 a.m. 6:36 a.m. 7:10 a.m. 7:48 a.m. 08:28 a.m. 12:02 a.m. 12:55 a.m. 1:55 a.m.

Time 2:35 a.m. 2:48 a.m. 2:28 a.m. 1:29 a.m. 08:34 a.m. 08:21 a.m. 08:40 a.m. 09:11 a.m. 09:48 a.m. 10:27 a.m. 11:08 a.m. 11:50 a.m. 12:13 a.m. 1:17 a.m. 2:19 a.m.

Houston Height 0.9 H 0.8 H 0.7 H 0.6 H 0.3 L 0.1 L 0.0 L -0.1 L -0.3 L -0.4 L -0.4 L -0.5 L 0.9 H 0.9 H 0.8 H

Time Height 2:54 p.m. 0.0 L 3:28 p.m. 0.1 L 3:52 p.m. 0.2 L 3:20 p.m. 0.3 L 8:57 p.m. 0.5 H 7:32 p.m. 0.6 H 7:50 p.m. 0.7 H 08:27 p.m. 0.8 H 09:14 p.m. 0.9 H 10:08 p.m. 0.9 H 11:08 p.m. 0.9 H

Time

Height

11:53 p.m.

0.5 H

Time

Height

Time

Height

Time

Height

12:31 p.m. -0.5 L 1:10 p.m. -0.5 L 1:46 p.m. -0.4 L

Date Time Height Dec 10 5:32 a.m. 0.32 H Dec 11 6:14 a.m. 0.26 H Dec 12 6:55 a.m. 0.19 H Dec 13 12:16 a.m. 0.17 H Dec 14 7:54 a.m. 0.06 L Dec 15 8:29 a.m. -0.01 L Dec 16 9:04 a.m. -0.06 L Dec 17 9:43 a.m. -0.11 L Dec 18 10:25 a.m. -0.14 L Dec 19 12:23 a.m. 0.22 H Dec 20 1:04 a.m. 0.23 H Dec 21 1:49 a.m. 0.23 H Dec 22 2:35 a.m. 0.22 H Dec 23 3:20 a.m. 0.20 H Dec 24 4:02 a.m. 0.16 H

Time Height 3:55 p.m. -0.00 L 4:14 p.m. 0.02 L 4:20 p.m. 0.05 L 7:09 a.m. 0.13 L 11:20 p.m. 0.19 H 11:19 p.m. 0.20 H 11:29 p.m. 0.21 H 11:51 p.m. 0.22 H 11:12 a.m. 12:02 p.m. 12:53 p.m. 1:41 p.m. 2:24 p.m. 3:00 p.m.

8:35 a.m.

0.13 H

4:04 p.m. 0.07 L

-0.18 L -0.21 L -0.23 L -0.24 L -0.25 L -0.23 L

Port Aransas, H. Caldwell Pier Time

Height

Time

Height

2:43 p.m. 3:57 p.m. 6:18 p.m. 8:07 p.m.

0.4 L 0.6 L 0.7 L 0.8 L

10:18 p.m. 10:29 p.m. 10:36 p.m. 10:36 p.m.

0.9 H 0.9 H 0.9 H 0.9 H

9:21 p.m. 9:19 p.m. 6:09 p.m. 6:49 p.m. 7:25 p.m. 7:56 p.m.

0.9 L 0.9 L 1.1 H 1.0 H 0.9 H 0.9 H

11:25 p.m. 1.0 H

Date Dec 10 Dec 11 Dec 12 Dec 13 Dec 14 Dec 15 Dec 16 Dec 17 Dec 18 Dec 19 Dec 20 Dec 21 Dec 22 Dec 23 Dec 24

9:38 p.m. 0.9 L 10:12 p.m. 0.9 L 11:05 p.m. 0.9 L

Time 11:24 a.m. 12:02 p.m. 12:41 p.m. 4:37 a.m. 4:45 a.m. 5:01 a.m. 5:22 a.m. 5:48 a.m. 6:18 a.m. 6:52 a.m. 7:30 a.m. 08:10 a.m. 12:33 a.m. 1:26 a.m. 2:26 a.m.

Height -0.1 L 0.1 L 0.2 L 0.4 L 0.2 L 0.1 L -0.1 L -0.2 L -0.4 L -0.5 L -0.5 L -0.6 L 1.4 H 1.4 H 1.3 H

Time 08:45 p.m. 9:09 p.m. 9:27 p.m. 9:37 a.m. 11:54 a.m. 1:25 p.m. 2:17 p.m. 2:56 p.m. 3:33 p.m. 4:11 p.m. 4:51 p.m. 5:32 p.m. 8:53 a.m. 9:37 a.m. 10:23 a.m.

Height 1.4 H 1.3 H 1.1 H 0.8 H 0.9 H 1.0 H 1.3 H 1.4 H 1.5 H 1.5 H 1.5 H 1.5 H -0.6 L -0.5 L -0.4 L

Time

Height

1:26 p.m. 2:40 p.m. 5:01 p.m. 6:50 p.m.

0.4 L 0.5 L 0.6 L 0.7 L

8:04 p.m. 8:02 p.m. 8:21 p.m. 6:12 p.m. 6:48 p.m. 7:19 p.m.

0.8 L 0.8 L 0.8 L 1.4 H 1.3 H 1.3 H

Time

Height

9:41 p.m. 9:52 p.m. 9:59 p.m. 9:59 p.m.

1.1 H 1.1 H 1.1 H 1.1 H

10:48 p.m. 1.4 H 11:41 p.m. 1.4 H 8:55 p.m. 0.8 L 9:48 p.m. 0.8 L 11:01 p.m. 0.6 L

South Padre Island

Freeport Harbor Date Dec 10 Dec 11 Dec 12 Dec 13 Dec 14 Dec 15 Dec 16 Dec 17 Dec 18 Dec 19 Dec 20 Dec 21 Dec 22 Dec 23 Dec 24

Dec. 31

Dec. 24

Rockport

Height -0.1 L 0.1 L 0.4 L 0.7 L 0.4 L 0.1 L -0.1 L -0.4 L -0.7 L -0.9 L -1.0 L -1.1 L 1.7 H 1.7 H 1.6 H

San Luis Pass Date Dec 10 Dec 11 Dec 12 Dec 13 Dec 14 Dec 15 Dec 16 Dec 17 Dec 18 Dec 19 Dec 20 Dec 21 Dec 22 Dec 23 Dec 24

Last

Dec. 17

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.

New

Port O’Connor Time Height 08:05 p.m. 2.1 H 8:29 p.m. 2.0 H 8:47 p.m. 1.8 H 8:57 a.m. 1.3 H 11:14 a.m. 1.4 H 12:45 p.m. 1.6 H 1:37 p.m. 2.0 H 2:16 p.m. 2.1 H 2:53 p.m. 2.3 H 3:31 p.m. 2.3 H 4:11 p.m. 2.3 H 4:52 p.m. 2.3 H 5:32 p.m. 2.1 H 9:32 a.m. -1.3 L 10:18 a.m. -0.9 L

Galveston Bay entrance, south jetty Date Dec 10 Dec 11 Dec 12 Dec 13 Dec 14 Dec 15 Dec 16 Dec 17 Dec 18 Dec 19 Dec 20 Dec 21 Dec 22 Dec 23 Dec 24

Full

Dec. 10

Sabine Pass, jetty Time 11:19 a.m. 11:57 a.m. 12:36 p.m. 4:32 a.m. 4:40 a.m. 4:56 a.m. 5:17 a.m. 5:43 a.m. 6:13 a.m. 6:47 a.m. 7:25 a.m. 08:05 a.m. 08:48 a.m. 12:46 a.m. 1:46 a.m.

Solunar | Sun times | Moon times

Moon Phases

Texas Coast Tides Date Dec 10 Dec 11 Dec 12 Dec 13 Dec 14 Dec 15 Dec 16 Dec 17 Dec 18 Dec 19 Dec 20 Dec 21 Dec 22 Dec 23 Dec 24

LSONews.com

Time

Height

1:44 p.m. 2:58 p.m. 5:19 p.m. 7:08 p.m.

0.5 L 0.6 L 0.7 L 0.8 L

8:22 p.m. 8:20 p.m. 8:39 p.m. 5:41 p.m. 6:17 p.m. 6:48 p.m.

1.0 L 1.0 L 1.0 L 1.5 H 1.4 H 1.4 H

Time

9:10 p.m. 9:21 p.m. 9:28 p.m. 9:28 p.m.

Height

1.2 H 1.2 H 1.2 H 1.2 H

10:17 p.m. 1.5 H 11:10 p.m. 1.5 H 9:13 p.m. 1.0 L 10:06 p.m. 0.9 L 11:19 p.m. 0.7 L

Date Dec 10 Dec 11 Dec 12 Dec 13 Dec 14 Dec 15 Dec 16 Dec 17 Dec 18 Dec 19 Dec 20 Dec 21 Dec 22 Dec 23 Dec 24

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Time 11:34 a.m. 12:10 p.m. 12:44 p.m. 4:10 a.m. 4:18 a.m. 4:39 a.m. 5:06 a.m. 5:37 a.m. 6:12 a.m. 6:51 a.m. 7:32 a.m. 08:15 a.m. 08:59 a.m. 09:45 a.m. 10:31 a.m.

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Time Height 8:45 p.m. 1.7 H 8:47 p.m. 1.6 H 8:40 p.m. 1.5 H 8:50 a.m. 1.0 H 8:00 p.m. 1.3 H 7:08 p.m. 1.3 H 3:02 p.m. 1.4 H 3:34 p.m. 1.5 H 4:10 p.m. 1.6 H 4:49 p.m. 1.7 H 5:31 p.m. 1.8 H 6:12 p.m. 1.8 H 6:49 p.m. 1.8 H 7:16 p.m. 1.7 H 7:32 p.m. 1.6 H

Time

1:14 p.m.

Height

0.9 L

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Height

8:25 p.m. 1.4 H

ACROSS 1. Term for a rear gun sight 3. A type of shot 5. Also called a dogfish 8. Arrows and shells 9. A female elk 10. Denotes a model of shotgun 11. Added to lake water purifies for drinking 12. A brand of ice shelter, _____ Trap 14. Strength of a fishline 17. Cutthroat trout have a ___ slash on jaw 18. A valuable gauge for the angler 19. A breed of retriever 20. A type of camp fireplace 21. A good food bait for traps 23. A name for the sea bass 26. The ____necked pheasant 27. A species of 29 down 30. Name for some trout 32. Old gobblers who keep to themselves 33. Shedded antlers 34. A game resting place 35. A game path 38. Brand of ice shelter, Sno _____ 41. The rear jerk when a gun is fired 42. Bowhunting Seminole lodges 44. To pull the bowstring 45. A wild turkey's calling sound 46. A fuel for camp stoves DOWN 1. Sound of turkey placing tail in display 2. A game runway 3. Inside surface of a gunbarrel 4. Oxidation on the gun parts 5. A game bird, ___ white 6. A predator of small game 7. Term for a trap disc's flight 13. The king is one

A.M. Minor Major 8:55 2:44 9:43 3:32 10:27 4:17 11:08 4:58 11:47 5:37 12:05 6:16 12:44 6:55 1:24 7:36 2:08 8:21 2:55 9:09 3:48 10:02 4:44 10:59 5:44 11:58 6:44 12:31 7:45 1:32 8:44 2:31 9:40 3:27 10:33 4:20 11:23 5:11 ----- 6:00

P.M. Minor 9:17 10:03 10:47 11:28 ----12:26 1:06 1:48 2:34 3:23 4:16 5:13 6:12 7:12 8:12 9:09 10:04 10:57 11:49 12:13

Major 3:06 3:53 4:37 5:18 5:58 6:37 7:17 8:00 8:47 9:37 10:31 11:28 ----12:58 1:58 2:56 3:52 4:45 5:36 6:26

SUN Rises Sets 07:05 05:21 07:06 05:22 07:06 05:22 07:07 05:22 07:07 05:22 07:08 05:23 07:09 05:23 07:09 05:23 07:10 05:24 07:10 05:24 07:11 05:25 07:11 05:25 07:12 05:26 07:12 05:26 07:13 05:27 07:13 05:27 07:14 05:28 07:14 05:28 07:14 05:29 07:15 05:29

MOON Rises Sets 10:48a 10:13p 11:19a 11:06p 11:48a NoMoon 12:16p NoMoon 12:45p 12:50a 1:16p 1:43a 1:50p 2:38a 2:28p 3:35a 3:12p 4:34a 4:02p 5:33a 4:59p 6:32a 6:01p 7:28a 7:06p 8:19a 8:13p 9:06a 9:19p 9:48a 10:24p 10:26a 11:28p 11:02a NoMoon 11:37a 12:32a 12:13p 1:36a 12:52p

Dallas 2010 Dec 10 Fri 11 Sat 12 Sun 13 Mon Q 14 Tue 15 Wed 16 Thu 17 Fri 18 Sat 19 Sun > 20 Mon > 21 Tue F 22 Wed > 23 Thu > 24 Fri 25 Sat 26 Sun 27 Mon 28 Tue Q 29 Wed

A.M. Minor Major 9:00 2:49 9:48 3:38 10:32 4:22 11:13 5:03 11:53 5:43 12:11 6:21 12:49 7:00 1:29 7:42 2:13 8:26 3:01 9:15 3:53 10:07 4:50 11:04 5:49 ----6:50 12:36 7:51 1:37 8:49 2:36 9:45 3:33 10:38 4:26 11:29 5:16 ----- 6:05

P.M. Minor Major 9:22 3:11 10:09 3:59 10:52 4:42 11:33 5:23 ----- 6:03 12:32 6:42 1:12 7:23 1:54 8:06 2:39 8:52 3:28 9:42 4:22 10:36 5:19 11:33 6:18 12:03 7:18 1:04 8:17 2:04 9:15 3:02 10:10 3:58 11:03 4:51 11:54 5:42 12:18 6:31

SUN MOON Rises Sets Rises Sets 07:18 05:19 10:57a 10:16p 07:19 05:20 11:27a 11:10p 07:19 05:20 11:54a NoMoon 07:20 05:20 12:21p 12:04a 07:21 05:20 12:49p 12:57a 07:21 05:21 1:18p 1:52a 07:22 05:21 1:50p 2:48a 07:23 05:21 2:27p 3:46a 07:23 05:22 3:10p 4:47a 07:24 05:22 3:59p 5:47a 07:24 05:22 4:56p 6:46a 07:25 05:23 5:59p 7:42a 07:25 05:23 7:05p 8:32a 07:26 05:24 8:14p 9:17a 07:26 05:24 9:22p 9:57a 07:27 05:25 10:28p 10:34a 07:27 05:25 11:34p 11:08a 07:27 05:26 NoMoon 11:41a 07:28 05:27 12:40a 12:16p 07:28 05:27 1:46a 12:53p

P.M. Minor Major 9:29 3:18 10:16 4:06 10:59 4:49 11:40 5:30 12:00 6:10 12:39 6:49 1:19 7:30 2:01 8:13 2:46 8:59 3:35 9:49 4:29 10:43 5:26 11:40 6:25 12:10 7:25 1:11 8:24 2:11 9:22 3:09 10:17 4:05 11:10 4:58 ----- 5:49 12:25 6:38

SUN MOON Rises Sets Rises Sets 07:17 05:35 11:00a 10:26p 07:17 05:35 11:31a 11:19p 07:18 05:35 12:01p NoMoon 07:19 05:35 12:29p 12:11a 07:19 05:36 12:58p 1:03a 07:20 05:36 1:29p 1:56a 07:20 05:36 2:03p 2:50a 07:21 05:37 2:41p 3:47a 07:22 05:37 3:25p 4:46a 07:22 05:37 4:16p 5:46a 07:23 05:38 5:13p 6:44a 07:23 05:38 6:15p 7:40a 07:24 05:39 7:20p 8:32a 07:24 05:39 8:26p 9:18a 07:25 05:40 9:32p 10:00a 07:25 05:40 10:37p 10:38a 07:25 05:41 11:41p 11:14a 07:26 05:41 NoMoon 11:50a 07:26 05:42 12:45a 12:26p 07:26 05:43 1:49a 1:06p

P.M. Minor 9:43 10:29 11:13 11:54 12:13 12:52 1:32 2:14 2:59 3:49 4:42 5:39 6:38 7:38 8:38 9:35 10:30 11:23 ----12:39

SUN Rises 07:44 07:45 07:46 07:46 07:47 07:48 07:48 07:49 07:49 07:50 07:51 07:51 07:52 07:52 07:52 07:53 07:53 07:54 07:54 07:54

San Antonio 2010 A.M. Dec Minor Major 10 Fri 9:07 2:56 11 Sat 9:55 3:45 12 Sun 10:39 4:29 13 Mon Q 11:20 5:10 14 Tue ----- 5:50 15 Wed 12:18 6:28 16 Thu 12:56 7:07 17 Fri 1:36 7:49 18 Sat 2:20 8:33 19 Sun > 3:08 9:22 20 Mon > 4:00 10:14 21 Tue F 4:57 11:11 22 Wed > 5:56 ----23 Thu > 6:57 12:43 24 Fri 7:58 1:44 25 Sat 8:56 2:43 26 Sun 9:52 3:40 27 Mon 10:45 4:33 28 Tue Q 11:36 5:23 29 Wed 12:01 6:12

Amarillo

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Mail to Lone Star Outdoor News, PO Box 551695, Dallas, TX 75355. For fastest service, call (214) 361-2276 or visit LSONews.com.

OUTDOOR PUZZLER | By Wilbur “Wib” Lundeen

2010 Dec 10 Fri 11 Sat 12 Sun 13 Mon Q 14 Tue 15 Wed 16 Thu 17 Fri 18 Sat 19 Sun > 20 Mon > 21 Tue F 22 Wed > 23 Thu > 24 Fri 25 Sat 26 Sun 27 Mon 28 Tue Q 29 Wed

Solution on Page 25

2010 A.M. Dec Minor 10 Fri 9:21 11 Sat 10:08 12 Sun 10:53 13 Mon Q 11:34 14 Tue ----15 Wed 12:31 16 Thu 1:09 17 Fri 1:50 18 Sat 2:33 19 Sun > 3:21 20 Mon > 4:13 21 Tue F 5:10 22 Wed > 6:09 23 Thu > 7:10 24 Fri 8:11 25 Sat 9:10 26 Sun 10:06 27 Mon 10:59 28 Tue Q 11:49 29 Wed 12:12

Major 3:10 3:58 4:42 5:24 6:03 6:42 7:21 8:02 8:46 9:35 10:28 11:24 12:00 12:56 1:58 2:57 3:53 4:46 5:37 6:26

Major 3:32 4:19 5:03 5:44 6:23 7:03 7:43 8:26 9:12 10:03 10:56 11:53 12:24 1:24 2:24 3:22 4:18 5:11 6:02 6:52

Sets 05:34 05:34 05:34 05:34 05:35 05:35 05:35 05:36 05:36 05:36 05:37 05:37 05:38 05:38 05:39 05:39 05:40 05:40 05:41 05:42

MOON Rises 11:21a 11:49a 12:16p 12:42p 1:08p 1:36p 2:07p 2:43p 3:25p 4:14p 5:11p 6:14p 7:21p 8:31p 9:40p 10:49p 11:56p NoMoon 1:03a 2:11a

Sets 10:34p 11:30p NoMoon 12:25a 1:19a 2:15a 3:13a 4:12a 5:14a 6:15a 7:14a 8:09a 8:59a 9:43a 10:21a 10:56a 11:29a 12:01p 12:34p 1:10p

FOR THE TABLE Grilled Catfish with Green Onion Horseradish Sauce 1/2 cup chopped green onions, white part and some green part 1/2 cup of sour cream 1/2 cup prepared horseradish 6 6- to 8-ounce catfish fillets 2 tablespoons Fireworks Rub Fireworks Rub: 4 tbsp. chili powder 4 tbsp. ground cumin 4 tbsp. ground coriander 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon 2 tbsp. packed brown sugar 1 tbsp. salt 1 tbsp. red pepper flake 2 tbsp. fresh-ground black pepper

Venison Stew Paprika

14. Outdoor portable shelters 15. Term for a jig to hook large northerns 16. To analyze a game track 18. Common deer, the white____ 19. Hunting and ﬁshing equipment 22. Determining the freshness of tracks 23. A large bass 24. The object of a hunt 25. A good pheasant gun, duck _____ 28. Term for the strawberry bass

29. A wingshooter's prey 31. A wood used for arrow shafts 32. Excellent bait for walleye 36. Sounds made by the wild turkeys 37. A species of deer 38. A type of fishing lure 39. Deer, bear, squirrel food source 40. A flat-bottom fishing boat 42. A chief commercial fish 43. A group of decoys

2 1/2-3 pounds of venison stew meat cut into 1-inch cubes 1/2 cup of ﬂour 3 tablespoons paprika Salt and Pepper 2 tablespoons butter 2 med. Onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic 1 teaspoon of marjoram 1 11-ounce can of tomatoes or 1 can tomato sauce 1/2 cup of sour cream 1/2 cup or wine or 7Up Shake meat cubes in plastic bag with the ﬂour, 1 tablespoon

Stir together the green onions, sour cream, and horseradish in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until the catfish are grilled. Preheat a charcoal or gas grill to mediumhigh heat. Sprinkle the fillets on both sides with the rub. Place the fillets in a fish basket, preferably, or on a well-oiled grill grate. Grill the fillets for about three minutes per sides, or until they flake easily with a fork. Transfer the fillets to individual plates, top with a dollop of the sauce, and serve. Serves six. — South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks paprika, salt and pepper. In Dutch oven, melt butter and sauté coated venison cubes until browned. (You may have to brown the cubes in stages; do not crowd them to get nicely browned). Remove cubes to warm dish and in the same Dutch oven, sauté onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons paprika until soft. Then add marjoram, tomatoes and wine or 7Up. Add browned venison cubes and simmer over low heat until meat is tender (45 min-1.5 hours). Just before serving, stir in 1/2 cup sour cream. Serve with egg noodles or rice. — Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

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Crappie jig Continued From Page 8

He subsequently translated their unique styles, techniques, and materials to the jig world. “I just took what they were doing (with flies) and applied it to jigs,” Nantz said. “The more I did it the more I liked it and it just kind of grew from there.” And grow it did. Within two years, Nantz’ hobby quickly turned into a business, with many of his friends and fellow anglers wanting to buy his jigs. “About two years ago it got crazy, and ever since then I have had very little time where I didn’t have people wanting jigs,” Nantz said. His time on the water diminished, but fishing guides throughout Texas were pleased with his Thumpit jigs. Crappie guide Chuck Rollins who now almost exclusively uses jigs while fishing, swears by them. “To me, they work better than anything else,” Rollins said. “On my boat about 80 percent of the time I use jigs.” Rollins favors the 1/16-ounce version while guiding on Cedar Creek Lake. He prefers hand-tied feather jigs because of their durability. “It’s tied well enough that you can catch a lot of fish on it; you’ll typically loose your lure before the bait wears out,” Rollins said. Rollins uses several of the custom jigs and has been pleased with the high numbers of crappie they bring onto his boat. The aspect of durability is something Nantz takes seriously and is what he considers one of the main reasons people keep buying his jigs. “The quality comes through just looking at it,” he said. “I consider every one of them a

special thing.” Unlike many of his counterparts, Nantz takes very little profit from his growing business. Instead he directs most of his profits toward buying new materials and experimenting with new designs. “It’s like an art to me,” he said, “and I treat it different than most guys. They’re worried about the bottom line.” Nantz also helps anglers choose jigs based on the lakes and types of structures that they fish. “When someone calls and he doesn’t know what he wants, I’ll try to help him,” he said. “I can pick him out a selection of jigs to fish with.” Although Thumpit jigs come in various colors, styles and patterns, Rollins said the best colors he has found for the North Texas lakes usually are chartreuse or silver. “My favorite color pattern typically has some type of chartreuse, whether it is a — Skip Nantz chartreuse and black, chartreuse and white,” Rollins said. Despite all of the interest in his product, Nantz cares more about trying new things than whether or not it will sell. “I just keep doing more and more stuff because I see it and say ‘I wonder what I can do with that?’” he said. “Whether anyone wants it or not — that doesn’t really enter into my mind.” More information: www.thumpitjigs.com.

“It’s like an art to me and I treat it different than most guys. They’re worried about the bottom line.”

December 10, 2010

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December 10, 2010

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

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DATEBOOK January 6-9

February 3

Dallas Safari Club Convention Dallas Convention Center www.biggame.org

Tomball Ducks Unlimited Dinner Tomball VFW Hall (832) 303-9464 www.ducks.org/texas/events/23477/tomballducks-unlimited-dinner

January 7-16 Houston Boat Show Reliant Center (713) 526-6361

January 11 Texas Ducks Unlimited Gilmer Dinner Gilmer Civic Center (903) 576-6680 www.ducks.org/texas/ events/23482/gilmer-dinner

January 12 Austin SCI, Hunters Heritage Banquet Renaissance Austin Hotel www.sciaustin.org

January 14-16 Houston Safari Club Convention The Woodlands www.houstonsafariclub.org

January 20-23 Austin Boat, Sport, and Outdoor Show Austin Convention Center (512) 494-1128 www.austinboatshow.com

January 26-29 Safari Club International Annual Convention Reno, Nevada www.showsci.com

January 27-30 San Antonio Boat and RV Show The Alamodome (512) 481-1777 www.sanantonioboatshow.com

January 28-30 Coastal Bend Marine Dealers Boat Show The American Bank Convention Center, Corpus Christi (361) 991-0369 www.ccboatshow.com

February 4-5 Texas Hill Country Chapter SCI Campﬁre Memories Banquet Inn of the Hills Resort, Kerrville (830) 928-4344 www.texashillcountrysci.org

February 4-6, 9-13 Dallas International Boat Show Dallas Market Hall (469) 549-0673 www.dallasboatshow.net

February 18 Ducks Unlimited, Pearland Dinner Epiphany Lutheran Church (713) 907-4264 www.ducks.org/texas/events/23144/pearland-dinner

February 26 North Texas Chapter SCI Meeting Embassy Suites Outdoor World (940) 612-1928 www.scinorthtexas.com

March 3 National Wild Turkey Federation Alamo Chapter Banquet The Alzafar Center, San Antonio (210-213-5339) www.alamochapternwtf.org/banquet.htm

March 13 National Wild Turkey Federation Houston Chapter SuperFund Banquet Westchase Hilton (281) 353-7286 www.nwtfhouston.org/banquet.html

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December 10, 2010

Page 21

Fishing briefs

Waldrop Continued From Page 8 TOUGH CALL: Corey Waldrop celebrates at the 2008 Elite Series event on Wheeler Lake in Alabama. At age 19, he was the youngest angler ever to ﬁsh the series, but he left the tour after his ﬁrst season. Photo by B.A.S.S.

catch fish, land a few sponsors and survive from event to event. “It had its ups and downs, but it was tough,” he said. “When you spend that much time alone, you quickly find out a few things about yourself that you may not have known. “It was definitely a learning experience.” Waldrop said he understands comments from Elites Series qualifiers like Nate Wellman, who said competing was a lifelong plan, “so it doesn’t feel like a huge risk.” “Sure, there’s a lot on the line,” Wellman added. “But I couldn’t do anything else. I just couldn’t.” But Waldrop, in taking that risk, found out it wasn’t for him. After the 2008 season, he ended his professional career and headed back to college at Texas Christian University. “I knew I could probably make it for another couple years,” he said, “but I just crunched the numbers and it didn’t work. “Sometimes you just have to make the hard decision and for me that was a hard decision that I made.” He left TCU after a year to pursue a career in home remodeling and construction. Now he’s back in school pursuing a degree at Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas. Waldrop’s desire to compete hasn’t died. He still fishes the local Bass Champ tournaments. “Tournament bass fishing is a viral disease — once you catch it, it’s not going away,” he said. “I ask myself sometimes, ‘Would I want to go back?’ And the answer I hear is ‘Yes.’ “But if I really wanted to get back in the game, I’d be fishing the Opens next year and I’m not. Going back and competing would be excellent and the competition would be so much fun, but I just can’t handle the lifestyle.”

Marina closing on Lake Meredith The only marina on Lake Meredith, 30 miles north of Amarillo, will close Jan. 1 because of low-water levels. According to the National Park Service, water levels at the lake have dropped 38 feet, causing visitation at the lake to drop by 20 percent in the past year. “The lake was originally built speciﬁcally for a water storage reservoir for 11 surrounding communities,” said Cindy Ott-Jones, Lake Meredith National Recreation Area superintendent. “Drought over the years and water usage by those 11 communities has contributed to the decline in water levels.” Ott-Jones said the Panhandle has received rain this year, but not in the critical watershed areas needed to resupply the lake.

The lake will remain open to the public and the only services not available on the lake or in surrounding communities will be boat rentals and boat storage. “The park isn’t closing,” Ott-Jones said. The boat ramp near the marina still will be open, but marina services including a fuel dock, enclosed ﬁshing house and convenience store will close, forcing boaters to utilize surrounding communities for gas and food. Boat owners who house their boats at the marina will be sent letters notifying them about the closure and providing more information. The marina ﬁrst opened in 1987. Forever Resorts has held the concession on the Marina at Lake Meredith

since 1993. Fishermen at the marina said crappie fishing has been steady the past week, sand bass are moving into the lake and walleye fishing has been slow. Joan Gerstner, who works at CJ’S Bait Shop in Fritch, near Lake Meredith, said the walleye fishing has been slow, but anglers are starting to catch more fish near the marina, especially after dark. “They’re using minnow slabs, grubs and jigs,” she said. According to Texas Fishing Online, peak times to catch walleye on Lake Meredith occur between April and June. Lake Meredith’s rocky bottom and steep banks makes the lake ideal walleye habitat. —Staff report

TPWD begins annual trout restocking program The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has begun the annual stocking of 280,000 hatchery-reared rainbow trout into 126 sites across Texas. The stocking program, now in its fourth decade, will continue through mid-March. Many of the stockings will be conducted at small community ﬁshing lakes, state parks or below popular dams that offer easy angling access. Todd Engeling, hatchery director for TPWD’s Inland Fisheries Division, said most people have good success ﬁshing for the trout. “Fishing pressure at each site can vary, so the rate at which each stocking is depleted varies as well,” Engeling said. “Trout at some of the more popular

locations can be depleted fairly quickly. “It is not a bad idea to plan your day trout fishing close to the stocking date. However, in most cases, you can be successful a week after the stocking.” Most of the stocked sites will receive at least 1,000 fish that begin biting almost immediately. Some areas will receive multiple stockings, including the Guadalupe River below Canyon Reservoir Dam. The river will be stocked with more than 18,000 trout this winter. It is the only fishable location in the state where rainbow trout can survive during summer months. Anglers should note there are special harvest restrictions in place along a

10-mile stretch of the Guadalupe River below the dam. In this area, the limit is one trout per day, which must be at least 18 inches long. Any trout harvested must be caught on artificial lures. Rainbow trout thrive in cold water and can be caught on a variety of natural and artificial baits. A valid Texas freshwater fishing license package is required to fish for trout. But kids ages 16 and younger and all anglers fishing within state parks are exempt from the fishing license requirement. For all locations, go to www.lsonews. com and search for trout restocking. —Staff report

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December 10, 2010

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

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NATIONAL

Bad Boy Buggies acquired by E-Z-GO Bad Boy Buggies, manufacturer of fully electric 4X4 vehicles for various outdoor pursuits, has been acquired by E-Z-GO of Augusta, Ga. Bad Boy Buggies, based in Natchez, Tenn., formed in 2003 and reported peak sales in 2007 at $20 million. Rumors of an acquisition surfaced in September, but company ofﬁcials declined to discuss them. Ofﬁcials could not be reached for comment, but the company’s Web site contained an article about its history and, toward the end, it mentioned that E-Z-GO had made the acquisition. Neither company has released details, and E-Z-GO’s Web site deferred to the article posted by Bad Boy Buggies. The article stated, “E-Z-GO, a leading manufacturer of light-transportation vehicles and a recognized innovator in electric-vehicle technology, acquired the Bad Boy Buggies brand and product line.” E-Z-GO, founded in 1954, manufactures golf carts, “world-class

Delta Waterfowl, Sportsmen’s Alliance join forces The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and Delta Waterfowl Foundation have joined forces to teach young waterfowl hunters about challenges to their hunting heritage. Through the partnership, Delta Waterfowl chapters will set up education stations through the alliance’s “Trailblazer Adventure Program.” The stations will teach waterfowl-hunting skills, including calls, decoy placement, blind setups, regulations, safety and ethics. “Hunters have always been on the front lines of conservation, and this new partnership will help bring more youth hunters into to the fold to protect and preserve our culture and time-honored hunting heritage,” said John Devney, senior vice president of Delta Waterfowl. The group also agreed to join a network created by the alliance’s Sentry grassroots program, which unites sportsmen from coast to coast to confront threats to the outdoors lifestyle. Through instant electronic communications, “Sentries” notiﬁes sportsmen and sportswomen of threats to the sporting heritage. “We are thrilled to be working with Delta Waterfowl to expand the reach of our Trailblazer Adventure and Sentry programs,”

utility vehicles for work and recreation, personnel shuttles and material-handling machines,” according to its own Web site. E-Z-GO’s other products include the “street-legal” E-Z-GO 2Five and the Cushman Minute Miser utility vehicle. “Backed by the expertise, resources and technology of E-ZGO, Bad Boy Buggies is poised to accelerate its growth, sustain its history and culture of innovation — and continue to change the way people enjoy the outdoors,” the Bad Boy Web site said. The buggies have sold for $7,000 to $13,000 through about 250 dealers nationwide, including 20 in Texas. Last year Bad Boy Buggies issued a voluntary recall of 3,900 vehicles after 32 reports of accelerating without warning, according to a news release from the U.S. Products Safety Commission. BAD BOY BOUGHT: E-Z-GO corporation acquired Bad Boy — Staff report Buggies. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.

said Bud Pidgeon, president and CEO for the alliance. “Introducing youth to outdoors fun is as critical as is getting sportsmen to band together to defeat threats to our outdoor heritage.” — Staff report

said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “Since 1984, our grants have helped complete 184 different projects in Nevada with a combined value of more than $14.8 million.” — Staff report

Nevada projects selected for Elk Foundation grants

Ducks Unlimited announces smart phone ‘app’

More than 3,900 acres in Nevada will be enhanced for elk and other wildlife through grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. The new funds for Nevada total $58,330, according to a RMEF news release. Some of it will go to the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest to help thin an invasion of pinyon-juniper on summer elk range. Also, two 1,800-gallon tanks, water collection devices and wildlife drinking mechanisms will be purchased to improve two 640-acre sections of the White Pine/Grant-Quinn Range. RMEF money also will help pay for a prescribed burn on 1,000 acres of sagebrush habitat in North Schell Creek area. In addition, RMEF dollars will fund a conservation education project for schoolteachers and students in Nevada. “We’re proud to continue our long tradition of funding outstanding conservation and education projects in Nevada,”

Ducks Unlimited has set up a special “app” for iPhones. The smart-phone service features an extensive waterfowl identiﬁcation gallery of photos and sounds for the most popular species of waterfowl in North America. It also allows DU members to browse state-by-state listings of DU events across the country and provides a link for event details and contact information. “With the ever-expanding mobile smart phone market, Ducks Unlimited has a unique opportunity to leverage this channel as a new way to communicate and engage with the waterfowl hunting community,” said Anthony Jones, the organization’s Web director. Jones called the app a “valuable tool for waterfowl hunters.” “It also provides a way for our members and thousands of potential members to stay connected with the organization,” he said. “We’re really excited about the beneﬁts it will offer subscribers.” The DU iPhone app can be purchased through iTunes for $1.99. — Staff report

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Lukewarm rut

Mule Deer

Continued From Page 1

Continued From Page 8

killed on well-managed ranches,” said David Veale, district leader for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in the southern portion of the state, “but overall, it’s been slow.” In North Texas, Cook County hunter Evan Purvis said rut activity had slowed by late November. “As of last weekend, the deer weren’t moving much at all,” Purvis said. “Two weeks ago they were chasing pretty hard, though.” Purvis said he had hunted a lot this year, but had not connected on the type of deer he wanted. “A buddy of mine shot a 170-class deer up near the Red River, but it’s been slow for me,” he said. Reports from East Texas also indicated that the rut had come and gone in November. Many hunters reported a belowaverage rut because of the warmer temperatures throughout the month. GOOD TIMES AHEAD: South Texas is about to hit the peak rutting season. But Panhandle huntPhoto by LSON. ers in Donley County Broach said the acorns have disappeared reported the ﬁrst weekfrom the area, which should help hunters. He end of December that the secondary rut explained that as temperatures drop, bucks might be starting. will return to feed corn and natural browse to They said yearling does and mature replenish carbohydrates lost from the rut. does that weren’t bred in early In South Texas, reports of rutting activity November were cycling back into estrus. have been slow, so far. The best days, howSeveral early December reports from ever, are ahead in the famous Brush Country, West Texas stated that the mule deer where the rut traditionally kicks off in mid- rut was heating up and big white-tailed December. bucks were checking for hot does that “There’s certainly been some nice deer hadn’t been bred.

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Executive Editor Craig Nyhus Editor Bill Miller Associate Editor Conor Harrison Associate Editor Mark England Graphics Editor Amy Moore Business/Products Editor Mary Helen Aguirre Operations Manager Mike Hughs Accounting Nancy Halphen Web site Bruce Soileau

National Advertising Mike Nelson Accounts Manager

HAPPY HUNTER: Nick Kohleffer, of Boerne, shot this mule deer on a recent hunt in Donley County. The buck grossed 150 B&C points. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Classiﬁed/Outﬁtters Blazing Paths Media Advertising Intern Nicholas Conklin Founder & CEO David J. Sams

Also this year, two more counties were added to the Panhandle’s seasons and an extra day was added to the Trans-Pecos general season. And, for the ﬁrst time, TPWD issued mule deer doe tags — about 350 of them — in Panhandle counties. These permits have been issued for years in the TransPecos with this year seeing about the same amount as the Panhandle. Weather earlier in the year has nourished mule deer’s range in Texas, which also pointed to excellent hunting. “Timely rainfall,” Gray noted, “has been perfect for growing antlers.” The buck harvested Nov. 26 by Blake Blair of Alpine didn’t break any records, but it was the best one she has ever taken on her family’s Presidio County ranch. She was in the open backseat of a hunting rig at about 5 p.m. when other family members directed her to a pair of bucks — including a 10-pointer. “I got excited,” she said, “because my older brother, Blanton, who hunts a lot, told me it was good enough to take. “I’ve been raised to shoot behind the shoulder, but he was facing me, so I aimed at the top of the chest.” She was only shooting a .22-250, but at 125 yards, the round proved deadly. “He actually got bigger as we got up to him,” she said.

Contributors Kyle Carter Alan Clemons David Draper Wilbur Lundeen Erich Schlegel David Sikes Scott Sommerlatte Chuck Uzzle Ralph Winingham

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

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

Lone Star Outdoor News, a publication of Lone Star Outdoor News, LLC, publishes twice a month. A mailed subscription is $30 for 24 issues. Newsstand copies are free, one per person. Copyright 2010 with all rights reserved. Reproduction and/or use of any photographic or written material without written permission by the publisher is prohibited. Subscribers may send address changes to: Lone Star Outdoor News, P.O. Box 551695, Dallas, TX 75355 or e-mail them to editor@lonestaroutdoornews.com.

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Solutions sought Continued From Page 9

group called Texas Wade, Paddle & Pole — a community of coastal anglers, who have been trying to establish standards for shallow-water etiquette. TWPP Spokesman Ben Frishman said they’re fed up with irresponsible, unsafe and childish behavior on the water, regardless of who is doing it. From the outset, the group has enjoyed support from some and met with vocal resistance from others. Frishman said he wants all sides of the issue laid on the table during the workshop. Frishman sees this call-to-action meeting as the beginning of the end to the status quo. While consensus is unlikely, the workshop could establish some common ground for everyone involved, he said. Much of the resistance comes from traditional motorboat anglers and duck hunters who use airboats. Much of what the group advocates involves basic courtesy, something that should be acceptable to most members of all user groups. Here is the most controversial of the group’s

positions taken directly from its Web site. They support “a system of Low Impact Fishing Areas (LIFA) on the Texas Coast that are open to all fishing methods, but closed to running motorized craft. (They) endorse allowing motorized access to these areas during designated duck seasons. An area that may be a good candidate for LIFA designation might benefit from the addition of motorized ingress and egress running lanes to facilitate reasonable and timely access. The suitability of running lanes in a LIFA should be based upon the size, geography and specific logistics of the given area.” This essentially describes a quiet zone for wading, paddling, poling, trolling or drifting. They also support the voluntary practice of accessing high-traffic or highly pressured Texas coastal flats by wading, paddling, poling, drifting or using an electric trolling motor to lessen cumulative impacts on the fishery. The group favors the protection of sensitive seagrass habitats. And they endorse efforts to educate boaters and anglers on the ethical and responsible use of our resource.

They oppose the closing of any waters to fishing. And they are against boaters using prop-driven vessels, airboats or jet-propelled boats to run across shallow coastal fishing flats where others are fishing to locate fish, to shorten their routes or simply for the thrill of it. Area anglers suspect that portions of Redfish Bay between Rockport and Port Aransas would be likely candidates for proposed low-impact fishing areas. Within the 32,000-acre Redfish Bay State Scientific Area or seagrass protection area is the very popular Lighthouse Lakes Paddling Trails, where motorboats, airboats and kayaks can go. The only restriction within this area is a law that prohibits boaters with outboard propellers from digging a trench through seagrass. But the broad authority granted by the State Scientific Area designation also could allow for a quiet zone or low-impact fishing area, according to language within the existing provision. The state has lots of latitude here. Apparently it is not necessary for biology

to drive regulations within a State Scientific Area such as it did with the Redfish Bay seagrass rule. TPWD officials, if they were inclined or motivated, could cite any kind of science, educational purpose or research as grounds for proposing a rule change within the SSA. Their justification even could include a social science component, according to Larry McKinney, former TPWD coastal fisheries director and current executive director of the Harte Research Institute. McKinney is expected to serve as moderator or referee during the workshop, where open debate will be encouraged. Sponsors of the workshop include Texas Parks and Wildlife Coastal Fisheries, CCATexas, The Harte Research Institute, The Nature Conservancy, Patagonia and Swan Point Landing. Hosts are the Coastal Bend Bays Foundation, The Harte Research Institute and Texas Wade Paddle and Pole. For questions about the event, call John Adams at 361-549-3186 or e-mail workshops@ baysfoundation.org.

Ribeye Continued From Page 8

TASTY: Medium-sized black drum make great table fare. Photo by LSON.

Trial, the Corpus Christi Bay ecosystem leader for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. “In general, in the Upper Laguna (Madre), we’ve seen a steady increase of black drum,” he said. “The numbers really have been going through the roof. In Corpus Bay, between 2006 and 2008, we had a really high recruitment of juveniles in our samples. “Those fish would now be catchable size.” Trial said the gill net catches last year were high and the spring catches have gone up each year. “They’ve definitely been increasing in Corpus Bay since 2005 or 2006,” he said. Black drum swim in schools year-round, although December is early for spawning activity, which peaks in February. Fishermen often flock to the coast during the spawning months to catch big black drum in the 40- to 50-pound range, although those are not considered good to eat. “We don’t really know why they are increasing,” Trial said. “We just know that they are. You can almost throw a rock anywhere in the Upper Laguna and hit one.”

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December 10, 2010

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Massacre Continued From Page 1

BIG BUCK: "Red 12" a 203 B&C at 4 years old was one of the Anderton Ranch breeder bucks. Photo by Anderton Ranch.

at the Anderton Whitetail Ranch near Quinlan in Hunt County. The operation was part of an ongoing criminal investigation of James Anderton and son, Jimmie, who are in prison after pleading guilty to multiple crimes, including violations of the Federal Lacey Act. The act outlaws the illegal transportation of deer across state lines. The Anderton family has not provided documents confirming reports that the deer came from a state free of the diseases, said Steve Lightfoot, TPWD spokesman. The deer reportedly were brought in from Arkansas. That state has been free of CWD, said Keith Stephens, spokesman for Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Still, people have complained, saying the TPWD overreached. Lightfoot said he received numerous calls and e-mails that he said were “pretty scathing.” James Anderton’s wife, Sharon, said she was numbed by the experience. “To me, it was just senseless,” she said the following day. “You come out here and start shooting … I won’t ever forget that. “It just leaves you kind of shocked.” Sharon Anderton said the family had tested deer from the herd and found no signs of CWD. Lightfoot confirmed that tests were submitted from six deer at the ranch, and the results were negative for any diseases. But the family still had not provided proof of origin for the deer, Lightfoot said. “They could’ve come from anywhere,” he said. Sharon Anderton said she had “no earthly idea” about those issues, although she tried for several months, unsuccessfully, to sue the state to stop the euthanization. “I always said I wasn’t the deer breeder,” she said. “My husband and my son were the scientific deer breeders. I’m just the one who took care of (the deer) while they were gone. “I was just the one who had the pleasure of seeing the fawns, and watching them grow up.” Lightfoot said the deer had to be killed because tests for the diseases couldn’t be performed on live animals. The sharpshooters used smallcaliber rifles, not legal for deer hunting, because officials were concerned about safety to surrounding property, Lightfoot said. “All these deer were taken from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.,” he said. “We’re talking 70 deer, two shooters, 8 hours. So it wasn’t a bambam-bam, going crazy. “It was a very somber event, with people doing what they needed to do.” He said the sharpshooters were both TPWD biologists. One rifle was chambered in .17 Hornet and the other fired a .22 Magnum. TPWD hunting regulations state that deer “may not be hunted with rimfire ammunition of any caliber.” He added that about 75 percent of the deer were downed with single shots to the heart, but more

shooting was needed for the rest. “Obviously, when you’re dealing with a small caliber, you have to make follow-up shots,” Lightfoot said. There were ﬁve pens on the high-fence operation, some as big as 20 acres, Lightfoot said. About 20 deer quickly were killed in a pen that had a squeeze chute, but the rest of the deer were in more open pens, which took longer. The deer were buried in a pit on-site and the meat was not salvageable because of concerns of tuberculosis, Lightfoot said. “We euthanize between 100 and 150 deer a year. For sure, sometimes it’s a couple dozen at a time. It’s not something we want to do, but we have to, to protect resources in the state.” Sharon Anderton said she was informed about a week ago that

game wardens and biologists were coming to euthanize the deer. She said the men were polite to her, but they didn’t want her near the pens while the sharpshooters worked. The deer included mature bucks, some bred does and yearling fawns. She said TPWD indicated that they would take the brain stems, and she was left with headless deer. She said all she can do is put the incident behind her. “There’s nothing I could do to change it,” she said. “I feel like, as far as the courts, I did everything I thought I could do. “It just is what it is.” Lone Star Outdoor News visited the ranch late in the afternoon on the following day; the gate was open and there were no signs of anyone, although two game wardens were parked on the county road near the property.

Puzzle solution from Page 18

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December 10, 2010

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LONE STAR MARKET

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

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Lone✯Star Outdoor News

Dallas Safari Club reaches grants milestone for Texas projects The Dallas Safari Club reached a milestone by granting more than $750,000 since 2006 to various Texas groups that benefit wildlife conservation, youth and hunter advocacy. The Texas total represents 36 percent of all DSC grants issued worldwide over the past five years, DSC officials said. “Dallas Safari Club has become an international force in conservation,” said Ben Carter, DSC executive director, “but we like to help with worthy projects here at home, too. “The fact is, we’re granting more money today than any time in our history and we’re positioned to do that because of the quality and growth of our main annual fund-raiser — our convention and expo.” DSC-funded projects in Texas have included desert bighorn sheep restoration, several university research projects, firearm safety instruction, public lectures, introducing youths to traditional outdoor recreation and conservation, providing venison for needy families and more. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has received numerous DSC grants which helped fund the state’s National Archery in the Schools Program, desert bighorn project, fisheries projects,

life insurance for game wardens, Operation Game Thief, wildlife expos and symposiums. “The generosity of Dallas Safari Club towards these important wildlife conservation and sporting programs has simply been unending,” said Carter Smith, TPWD executive director. “Rest assured, we could not do our work at Texas Parks and Wildlife without them.” DSC grant recipients in Texas include: Armed Forces Foundation; Big Brothers, Big Sisters; city of Dallas, Trinity Strand Project; Conservation Fund of Texas; Dallas Ecological Foundation; Dallas Museum of Nature and History; Dallas Pistol Club; Delta Waterfowl; Hunters for the Hungry; Park Cities Quail; Dr. Randall Eaton; Tarleton State University; Texas A&M University; Texas Bighorn Society; Texas Conservation Alliance; Texas Outdoor Partners; Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation; and Texas State University. The DSC annual convention and expo will be Jan. 6-9, 2011, at the Dallas Convention Center. For more information, visit www.biggame.org. — Staff report

TPWD offers new plan for Devils River Ranch The owner of the 17,638-acre Devils River Ranch in Val Verde County has agreed to sell the ranch to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for $13 million, signiﬁcantly less than the $15,875,000 fair market value calculated earlier this year by an independent appraiser. The revised deal was announced Monday, Dec. 6 in a TPWD news release. TPWD now has proposed to acquire the ranch and manage it as part of the existing Devils River State Natural Area instead of exchanging the natural area as partial payment for the ranch, as was originally proposed. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission will hold a special meeting Dec. 20 in Austin to consider approval of the purchase.

If approved, the ranch and the existing natural site will be operated under one superintendent as a state natural area complex. The special meeting will be 9 a.m. at the agency’s Austin headquarters, 4200 Smith School Road. According to TPWD news release, the ranch would be purchased using $2.7 million in state funds allocated for park land acquisition, $1.3 million in federal Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars and $9 million in private donations. Private donations also would fund the ﬁrst 2 1/2 years of operating expenses for the new site. — Staff report

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Crappie action slow, technique crucial Crappie action in the past weeks has slowed on some Texas, forcing anglers to adapt their strategies. Guide Kevin Kubiak on Lake Granger has turned to slow trolling. He said that he has been dragging a variety of baits because the fish have been scattered across varied structure. “They scatter so much and they’re hard to find,” he said. “ They are just not congregated in any general area.” Kubiak said that a mixture of live and artificial baits should work on a water column of about 5 to 12 feet. He also works double rigs to increase his odds. Kubiak said that lakes like Granger tend to slow down this time of the year, so anglers need to be patient and willing to work various areas. Guide Cliff Spindle on Lake Ray Roberts has also witnessed slowed fishing, but said that working the deep brush piles and points on the lake should produce fish. He reported catching fish at depths of 35 to 40 feet, working mostly live bait. “Live bait is probably the best producer as far as bait wise,” Spindle said. Anglers have reported fair catches on Lake O’ the Pines and Cypress Creek with limits of crappie being caught on Panfish Assassins in tomato seed, and Texas Avocado colors. Most fish were caught between 10 and 20 feet, on a slow jigging retrieve, he said. Guide Chuck Rollins also reported good numbers of crappie on Cedar Creek Lake. Rollins said that he has found success working brushpiles in 15-feet of water, working a variety of jigs in various colors. —Staff report

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

September 2010 to May 2011 Date-Day Rise Set

Date-Day Rise Set

1 Wed 7:00 2 Thu 7:01 3 Fri 7:02 4 Sat 7:02 5 Sun 7:03 6 Mon 7:04 7 Tue 7:04 8 Wed 7:05 9 Thu 7:05 10 Fri 7:06 11 Sat 7:07 12 Sun 7:07 13 Mon 7:08 14 Tue 7:09 15 Wed 7:09 16 Thu 7:10 17 Fri 7:10 18 Sat 7:11 19 Sun 7:12 20 Mon 7:12 21 Tue 7:13 22 Wed 7:13 23 Thu 7:14 24 Fri 7:15 25 Sat 7:15 26 Sun 7:16 27 Mon 7:17 28 Tue 7:17 29 Wed 7:18 30 Thu 7:19

1 Fri 7:19 2 Sat 7:20 3 Sun 7:21 4 Mon 7:21 5 Tue 7:22 6 Wed 7:23 7 Thu 7:23 8 Fri 7:24 9 Sat 7:25 10 Sun 7:25 11 Mon 7:26 12 Tue 7:27 13 Wed 7:28 14 Thu 7:28 15 Fri 7:29 16 Sat 7:30 17 Sun 7:31 18 Mon 7:31 19 Tue 7:32 20 Wed 7:33 21 Thu 7:34 22 Fri 7:35 23 Sat 7:35 24 Sun 7:36 25 Mon 7:37 26 Tue 7:38 27 Wed 7:39 28 Thu 7:40 29 Fri 7:41 30 Sat 7:41 31 Sun 7:42

1 Mon 7:43 2 Tue 7:44 3 Wed 7:45 4 Thu 7:46 5 Fri 7:47 6 Sat 7:48 7 Sun 6:49 8 Mon 6:50 9 Tue 6:50 10 Wed 6:51 11 Thu 6:52 12 Fri 6:53 13 Sat 6:54 14 Sun 6:55 15 Mon 6:56 16 Tue 6:57 17 Wed 6:58 18 Thu 6:59 19 Fri 7:00 20 Sat 7:01 21 Sun 7:02 22 Mon 7:03 23 Tue 7:04 24 Wed 7:04 25 Thu 7:05 26 Fri 7:06 27 Sat 7:07 28 Sun 7:08 29 Mon 7:09 30 Tue 7:10

1 Wed 7:11 2 Thu 7:12 3 Fri 7:12 4 Sat 7:13 5 Sun 7:14 6 Mon 7:15 7 Tue 7:16 8 Wed 7:16 9 Thu 7:17 10 Fri 7:18 11 Sat 7:19 12 Sun 7:19 13 Mon 7:20 14 Tue 7:21 15 Wed 7:21 16 Thu 7:22 17 Fri 7:23 18 Sat 7:23 19 Sun 7:24 20 Mon 7:24 21 Tue 7:25 22 Wed 7:25 23 Thu 7:26 24 Fri 7:26 25 Sat 7:27 26 Sun 7:27 27 Mon 7:27 28 Tue 7:28 29 Wed 7:28 30 Thu 7:28 31 Fri 7:28

1 Sat 7:29 2 Sun 7:29 3 Mon 7:29 4 Tue 7:29 5 Wed 7:29 6 Thu 7:29 7 Fri 7:29 8 Sat 7:30 9 Sun 7:30 10 Mon 7:29 11 Tue 7:29 12 Wed 7:29 13 Thu 7:29 14 Fri 7:29 15 Sat 7:29 16 Sun 7:29 17 Mon 7:28 18 Tue 7:28 19 Wed 7:28 20 Thu 7:28 21 Fri 7:27 22 Sat 7:27 23 Sun 7:26 24 Mon 7:26 25 Tue 7:25 26 Wed 7:25 27 Thu 7:24 28 Fri 7:24 29 Sat 7:23 30 Sun 7:23 31 Mon 7:22

1 Tue 7:21 2 Wed 7:21 3 Thu 7:20 4 Fri 7:19 5 Sat 7:19 6 Sun 7:18 7 Mon 7:17 8 Tue 7:16 9 Wed 7:15 10 Thu 7:15 11 Fri 7:14 12 Sat 7:13 13 Sun 7:12 14 Mon 7:11 15 Tue 7:10 16 Wed 7:09 17 Thu 7:08 18 Fri 7:07 19 Sat 7:06 20 Sun 7:05 21 Mon 7:04 22 Tue 7:03 23 Wed 7:02 24 Thu 7:00 25 Fri 6:59 26 Sat 6:58 27 Sun 6:57 28 Mon 6:56

1 Tue 6:55 2 Wed 6:53 3 Thu 6:52 4 Fri 6:51 5 Sat 6:50 6 Sun 6:49 7 Mon 6:47 8 Tue 6:46 9 Wed 6:45 10 Thu 6:44 11 Fri 6:42 12 Sat 6:41 13 Sun 7:40 14 Mon 7:38 15 Tue 7:37 16 Wed 7:36 17 Thu 7:35 18 Fri 7:33 19 Sat 7:32 20 Sun 7:31 21 Mon 7:29 22 Tue 7:28 23 Wed 7:27 24 Thu 7:25 25 Fri 7:24 26 Sat 7:23 27 Sun 7:21 28 Mon 7:20 29 Tue 7:19 30 Wed 7:17 31 Thu 7:16

1 Fri 7:15 2 Sat 7:14 3 Sun 7:12 4 Mon 7:11 5 Tue 7:10 6 Wed 7:08 7 Thu 7:07 8 Fri 7:06 9 Sat 7:05 10 Sun 7:03 11 Mon 7:02 12 Tue 7:01 13 Wed 7:00 14 Thu 6:58 15 Fri 6:57 16 Sat 6:56 17 Sun 6:55 18 Mon 6:54 19 Tue 6:53 20 Wed 6:51 21 Thu 6:50 22 Fri 6:49 23 Sat 6:48 24 Sun 6:47 25 Mon 6:46 26 Tue 6:45 27 Wed 6:44 28 Thu 6:43 29 Fri 6:42 30 Sat 6:41

1 Sun 6:40 2 Mon 6:39 3 Tue 6:38 4 Wed 6:37 5 Thu 6:36 6 Fri 6:35 7 Sat 6:34 8 Sun 6:33 9 Mon 6:32 10 Tue 6:32 11 Wed 6:31 12 Thu 6:30 13 Fri 6:29 14 Sat 6:29 15 Sun 6:28 16 Mon 6:27 17 Tue 6:27 18 Wed 6:26 19 Thu 6:25 20 Fri 6:25 21 Sat 6:24 22 Sun 6:24 23 Mon 6:23 24 Tue 6:23 25 Wed 6:22 26 Thu 6:22 27 Fri 6:21 28 Sat 6:21 29 Sun 6:20 30 Mon 6:20 31 Tue 6:20

7:52 7:51 7:49 7:48 7:47 7:45 7:44 7:43 7:42 7:40 7:39 7:37 7:36 7:35 7:33 7:32 7:31 7:29 7:28 7:27 7:25 7:24 7:22 7:21 7:20 7:19 7:17 7:16 7:15 7:13

7:12 7:11 7:09 7:08 7:07 7:05 7:04 7:03 7:01 7:00 6:59 6:58 6:56 6:55 6:54 6:53 6:52 6:50 6:49 6:48 6:47 6:46 6:45 6:44 6:43 6:42 6:41 6:40 6:39 6:38 6:37

6:36 6:35 6:34 6:33 6:32 6:31 5:31 5:30 5:29 5:28 5:28 5:27 5:26 5:26 5:25 5:24 5:24 5:23 5:23 5:22 5:22 5:22 5:21 5:21 5:21 5:20 5:20 5:20 5:20 5:19

Times given above are for Dallas. For other locations, subtract 1 minute per 12 miles east of Dallas, and add 1 minute per 12 miles west of Dallas. The table below gives adjustments for some Texas cities. Information provided is the longitudinal distance from Dallas and the time adjustment for sunrise and sunset.

5:19 5:19 5:19 5:19 5:19 5:19 5:19 5:19 5:19 5:19 5:20 5:20 5:20 5:20 5:21 5:21 5:21 5:22 5:22 5:22 5:23 5:23 5:24 5:24 5:25 5:25 5:26 5:27 5:27 5:28 5:29

5:29 5:30 5:31 5:31 5:32 5:33 5:34 5:35 5:35 5:36 5:37 5:38 5:39 5:40 5:41 5:42 5:43 5:44 5:44 5:45 5:46 5:47 5:48 5:49 5:50 5:51 5:52 5:53 5:54 5:55 5:56

5:57 5:58 5:59 6:00 6:01 6:02 6:03 6:04 6:05 6:06 6:07 6:08 6:09 6:10 6:11 6:11 6:12 6:13 6:14 6:15 6:16 6:17 6:18 6:18 6:19 6:20 6:21 6:22

Abilene . . . . . . . . . . 165 miles west . . . .add 14 minutes Alpine . . . . . . . . . . . 405 miles west . . . .add 24 minutes Beaumont . . . . . . . . 160 miles east . . . .subtract 13 minutes Corpus Christi . . . . . 35 miles west . . . . .add 3 minutes Austin . . . . . . . . . . . 55 miles west . . . . .add 5 minutes Del Rio. . . . . . . . . . . 235 miles west . . . .add 20 minutes El Paso* . . . . . . . . . 555 miles west . . . .subtract 23 minutes

6:23 6:23 6:24 6:25 6:26 6:27 6:27 6:28 6:29 6:30 6:30 6:31 7:32 7:33 7:33 7:34 7:35 7:35 7:36 7:37 7:38 7:38 7:39 7:40 7:40 7:41 7:42 7:42 7:43 7:44 7:44

7:45 7:46 7:47 7:47 7:48 7:49 7:49 7:50 7:51 7:51 7:52 7:53 7:54 7:54 7:55 7:56 7:56 7:57 7:58 7:59 7:59 8:00 8:01 8:02 8:02 8:03 8:04 8:05 8:05 8:06

8:07 8:08 8:08 8:09 8:10 8:11 8:11 8:12 8:13 8:14 8:14 8:15 8:16 8:17 8:17 8:18 8:19 8:19 8:20 8:21 8:22 8:22 8:23 8:24 8:24 8:25 8:26 8:26 8:27 8:27 8:28

Houston . . . . . . . . . . 170 miles east . . . .subtract 5 minutes Laredo . . . . . . . . . . . 160 miles west . . . .add 14 minutes Lubbock. . . . . . . . . . 280 miles west . . . .add 24 minutes San Angelo . . . . . . . 215 miles west . . . .add 18 minutes San Antonio . . . . . . . 95 miles west . . . . .add 8 minutes Tyler . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 miles east . . . . .subtract 6 minutes *El Paso is in Mountain Time Zone.

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TRIGGER LOCK: Reinforce the “safety ety first” message by placing Remington’s Trigger gger Block (about $5) orr one of its tactical sheaths (about $40) in the young hunter’s stocking. The Trigger Block has rubber inserts so it won’t scratch the firearm firearm and comes with two keys. The sheath will fit fixed blade knives of various sizes and is designed to withstand rigorous use. It is available in black, green or tan.

>> ELITE-5M BAJA CHARTPLOTTER: Even if she is willing to stop and ask for directions, she won’t need to with Lowrance’s newest BAJA model. This can be easily installed on the ATV, and is designed for the most bone-jarring off-road conditions. It is easy to use, with a simpliﬁed menu and keypad. Its ultra-bright, 5-inch color SolarMax display screen is adjustable and sunlight-readable from wide viewing angles — even in dusty driving conditions. The Elite-5M Baja comes equipped with an internal 16-channel GPS+WAAS precision antenna for bracket — or ﬂush-mount installation and an external antenna for use in closed-cabin or hard-top off-road vehicles. It includes built-in mapping with all major roads and highways in the United States, with the capacity to store up to 3,000 waypoints and 100 retractable plot trails with up to 10,000 points per trail. It has an MSRP of $579. (800) 324-1356.

CHURN WATER SHOE: She might prefer the Christian Louboutins for a night out on the town, but when the weather is right to hit those streams, it is these Teva water shoes she will want. After all, they can get wet! A multi-sport shoe, the Churn features a mesh upper that is extremely breathable and quick drying. Plus, its “Spider Original” sticky rubber outsole provides gripping power in both wet and dry environments. The shoe’s fold-down heel with an integrated Shock Pad provides a slipperlike ﬁt. The Churns sell for about $80.

For Them m

(800) 243-9700

I1015 PHONE CASE: Pelican Products, the company that makes those coveted cases for ﬁrearms, also makes this tiny smart phone case. It will protect such phones as the iPhone, the Blackberry and the Motorola Droid against moisture and dust. Because the case is water-resistant, crush-proof and dust-proof, she can stop stressing about the phone and concentrate on the hunt. The case, which has an external jack and an easy to open latch, has shock-absorbing strips in the lid and an internal molded rubber in the base. Its high-impact, heat and chemically resistant polymer shell will withstand the harsh conditions that hunters often face in the ﬁeld. The case sells for about $35.

TRIAX SPINNING COMBO: Quantum’s Triax rod and reel combo is a good inexpensive choice for that teen angler who is ready to move into a full-size rod. It is a lightweight, smooth, and versatile outfit. (And that reel is just flat out cool.) The rod, which has a natural cork handle, comes in eight different sizes while the reel is available in two gear ratios and sizes from 10 to 60. Easy to use for virtually every fish species, this freshwater spinning combo defines the term “value-priced.” It sells for about $50. (800) 444-5581 www.quantumfishing.com

For Her

>> CAMOEVO COLDGEAR MOCK SHIRT AND LEGGINGS: Under Armour makes its great layering pieces in boys’ and girls’ sizes. These base pieces will keep the young hunter warm by wicking moisture from the skin and circulating body heat. The garments feature a scent-blocking technology that neutralizes the microbes that cause odors. And, the fabric’s four-way stretch allows greater mobility. Available in Mossy Oak Break Up Inﬁnity, the shirt and leggings will run just under $100. (They run about $50 each.) (888) 727-6687 www.underarmour.com

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Lone✯Star Outdoor News

December 10, 2010

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December 10, 2010

Lone✯Star Outdoor News

LSONews.com