December 13, 2013 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting

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December 13, 2013

Here we go December 13, 2013

Texas’ Premier Outdoor Newspaper

xz HUNTING

Chilly rut happening; South Texas ready to roll

Numbers of cranes and crane hunters up.

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By Conor Harrison

A bunch of them Ladies double Page 4

xz FISHING

Somewhere to vent Feds change rule, but options remain for anglers.

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Higher than normal Fall tides up, displacing fish and hurting anglers.

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xz CONTENTS

Classifieds . . . . . . . . .

Crossword . . . . . . . . .

Freshwater Fishing Report .

For the Table . . . . . . . .

Game Warden Blotter . . . .

Heroes . . . . . . . . . . .

Outdoor Datebook . . . . .

Prime Time . . . . . . . .

Products . . . . . . . . . .

Saltwater Fishing Report . .

Sun, Moon and Tide data . .

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Page 14 Page 22 Page 10 Page 22 Page 12 Page 18 Page 30 Page 26 Page 28 Page 14 Page 22

Lone Star Outdoor News

An arctic blast hit Texas last weekend, and mature buck movement slowed to a crawl in some areas.

Firsthand reports from Stonewall County were of young bucks running does ragged, although big buck movement was spotty in the cold. Hunters have complained about a lack of visible rutting activity in some areas, but others reported harvesting nice deer in the days immediately after the cold.

Many hunters on message boards and Internet reports and at local cafes said much the same thing — deer out and about but few big bucks seen.

In East Texas, biologists are calling the season above average.

“This has been a good year,” said TPWD Lufkin biologist Micah Poteet. “Harvest numbers are at least average, and I’d even say above average in many places. It is definitely better than last year.”

Poteet said much of his part of the state had tough hunting last season, with an abundant acorn crop keeping many deer See SNOW, Page 24 RUTTING IN THE SNOW: Bucks across the northwestern portion of Texas have battled each other and the snow and ice in the past week. Many hunters reported high rutting activity from smaller bucks, but many mature deer remained scarce. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Quail season off to good start More birds, bigger coveys being reported; ice in north could be issue

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PLANO, TX PERMIT 210

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A BETTER SIDE? Fishing on both sides of the border at Amistad has been off for bass anglers lately. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.

Time Sensitive Material • Deliver ASAP

Volume 10, Issue 8

Backstraps in the snow

Inside

Mom, daughter share first bucks.

Oklahoma angler catches huge Lake Fork bass while crappie fishing.

What is wrong with Amistad?

By Mark England Lone Star Outdoor News

Lake Amistad isn’t living up to its reputation as one of the premier bass lakes in Texas at the moment,

according to local guides.

How bad is it?

Guide Ed Schoening said times are tough.

“Usually you can catch fish anywhere at Amistad,” he

said.

“Lately, you have to be in the right spot, a place that has some structure.

The fish are just kind of roaming around. You might catch See AMISTAD, Page 23

By Conor Harrison Lone Star Outdoor News

Hunters have been reporting more quail across the state this season, along with bigger overall covey sizes than the past few years.

Corpus Christi hunter Greg Novak travelled to Lamb County outside of Amherst during the chilly weekend of Dec. 7-8 and reported a great hunt for

quail.

“We were actually hunting pheasant,” he said, “but we only kicked up about three roosters and four hens while walking. But the quail numbers were great. We found up to six coveys a day, with upwards of 30 birds per covey.”

Novak said anywhere ample cover met a food See QUAIL, Page 16

NEED MORE SHELLS: Hunters are finding coveys of quail this year in better numbers. Photo by LSON.

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December 13, 2013

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HUNTING

Cranes aplenty Sandhill crane numbers at all-time highs for Texas hunters this season

RARE OPPORTUNITY: Bowhunter E.J. Nacey couldn’t believe his luck when this big male mountain lion walked by his tree stand in Sutton County Nov. 30. Photo by E.J. Nacey.

BIG BIRDS: Sandhill cranes have been called the rib eye of the sky for their great-tasting meat. They are also a challenge to hunt, and Texas hunters will have plenty of opportunity with the high numbers of birds this season. Photo by James Richards, for LSON.

By Conor Harrison Lone Star Outdoor News

If the early season in the Panhandle and the overall number of cranes in Texas are any indications, hunter success could be the highest it has ever been.

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife Migratory Game Bird Leader Kevin Kraai, hunter success has been high so far, and there are still plenty of birds around. The season opened Nov. 2 in the Panhandle and West Texas, Nov. 22 in Central Texas, and opens Dec. 21 along the coast and South Texas.

“Cranes were extremely abundant and hunters had extremely good hunting with the number of uneducated birds in the Panhandle,” Kraai said. “For the most part, unlike the past three years, the playas held some water.

Now, a lot of them are drying up, and most cranes have left to go farther south. Most went to areas south of Lubbock.”

Sandhill cranes don’t tolerate ice well, so recent storms pushed many birds into West Texas and down to the coast.

“There were some huge con-

centration of cranes this season,” Kraai said. “Last year, we recorded the highest survey numbers we’d ever seen on the Platte River in Nebraska.”

Kraai said crane hunting has seen an uptick in people participating, taking the birds from an afterthought to a much soughtafter species.

“We are seeing a big amount of people targeting them with decoys, blinds, etc.,” he said. “It used to be, hunters might shoot a couple here or there by passshooting them, but now they are really targeting them.”

Around Abilene, hunters are having good success on wheat fields when the fields aren’t frozen over.

One outfitter reported good shoots over cut corn with the frozen wheat fields.

“Right now in the mornings, the cranes are feeding in the hay grazer or unshredded milo and corn stubble leftover,” said guide Reed Foster. “They are real late to leave the roost and are staying super late in the fields.

“The cold has messed the See CRANES, Page 27

A cat for several lifetimes Bowhunter in a tree stand shoots big mountain lion in Sutton County

By Conor Harrison Lone Star Outdoor News

Willis bowhunter E.J. Nacey wasn’t expecting too much on the afternoon of Nov. 30 when he headed out to the Lillian M. Hudspeth Hospital Ranch on the Sutton County border.

After getting busted in a ground blind because of marginal wind direction several times, Nacey knew he needed to get off the ground and into a tree.

So he and his friend, Rodney Karonika, snuck in around noon and hung a stand in the biggest live oak in the area.

“I forgot my pruner,

so I went back a little earlier that afternoon to trim some limbs and cut a shooting lane,” he said. “I’ve got one spot I like to shoot out of, so I only cut one hole and liked what I had.”

Not expecting much because of the hot afternoon, Nacey remembers sweating as he settled in to wait for the feeder to go off.

“The feeder went off about 4:55,” he said, “and immediately over my left shoulder I had a doe blowing like crazy. I knew she hadn’t winded me; I just figured she saw something she didn’t like. A few minutes later, I heard another noise behind

me that didn’t sound like a deer. I turned real slow and saw a big cat walking down a deer trail about 50 yards away.”

Nacey said the first thing he noticed on the cat was the bright white muzzle around its mouth.

“Being a bowhunter, the excitement was almost indescribable,” he said. “I was just thinking, I can’t believe what I am seeing.”

Nacey now had a choice to make.

“I had a cellphone in my pocket and the bow in my hand,” he said.

“Which one am I going to use? Nobody is going to believe me if I don’t

have a picture of this cat. He just looked like a big house cat with his tail moving back and forth.”

When the cat walked behind some brush and Nacey realized he would come into bow range, the decision was made to shoot the lion if he presented a shot.

“I was trying to find a hole to shoot through, because I knew if he came into my shooting lane, he was going to wind me from the direction he was walking,” he said. “I found a couple of holes that would work to shoot through.”

See CAT, Page 16

Beginner’s double Sometimes the best enjoyment in a deer stand comes with family by your side.

It isn’t the size of the buck, but the experience of being able to share the memories.

If that is what counts, A PAIR OF HAPPY HUNTERS: Mom and daughter both proudly show their trophies, and husband and father John Burford got to witness both ladies take their bucks.

Photo by John Burford.

Two ladies enjoy their first bucks with family John Burford has had one of the best season’s ever.

He recently lost his deer lease and wanted to find a family hunt.

A trip to the Texas Trophy Hunters show fixed that issue.

“We spoke to every outfitter there and all were

about the same for the girls to shoot a management buck and doe,” he said.

“Well, after meeting Craig Alexander who runs the Lone Star Trophy Ranch in Comstock, he offered a mother/daughter firstbuck combo hunt, so we put down our deposit and

started making plans.”

Those plans first included getting his wife Sheryl and daughter Gabby on the shooting range.

“I already handload 308s, so that was the caliber of choice. After a little research, I developed a nice, 130-grain load that did not kick real hard.

Sheryl had never shot a rifle and just started shootSee DOUBLE, Page 6

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White vs. dark meat Which part of the bird makes it on your plate?

It is the age-old question that consumes most people around Thanksgiving — white or dark meat?

But, most people probably don’t know why fowl have both white and dark meat. The answer is quite scientific.

But for the non-scientists out there, it all comes down to muscle use.

“Birds that fly long distances such as doves, ducks and geese, pump more blood through their breast muscles,” said Robert Perez, TPWD’s quail leader. “These types of birds will have darker meat.

Short-flying birds that run a lot have a different muscle structure.

“They will have a lighter meat.”

The active muscles, such as the legs and thighs of birds such as turkeys, quail and pheasant, are full of blood vessels. These blood vessels contain myoglobin, which delivers oxygen to the muscles.

The more myoglobin the muscles contain, the darker the muscle.

Scientists often refer to these active muscles as slow-twitch fibers. Slow-twitch fibers are built for endurance, which allows the muscles to work for long periods of time.

On the other hand, white meat is the result of well-rested mus- TAKE YOUR PICK: The difference between white and dark meat is all cles. The breast muscles, which about how a bird uses its muscles. Photo by Conor Harrison, LSON. are used for flying, are used less than leg muscles by many game birds. There is little need to have a rich supply of oxygen delivered to these muscles. Scientists refer to these types of muscles as “fast-twitch” fibers.

Fast-twitch fibers are designed for quick bursts of energy, but they fatigue quickly. In addition, fast-twitch muscles are fueled by glycogen, giving the muscles that immediate explosion of energy needed to move rapidly.

— Staff report

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Time for muleys

Double Continued From Page 4

Mule deer hunters braving the weather for chance at good buck

By Conor Harrison Lone Star Outdoor News

The Texas mule deer season ended last weekend in the Panhandle, and hunters reported an average year for antlers and harvest numbers.

According to Calvin Richardson, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department District leader for the Panhandle, the season was a little off in terms of overall harvest numbers in his area.

“The numbers on bucks harvested was a little low this year,” he said, “but that could be attributed to lower fawn crops in 2010 and 2011. I don’t know if that was the reason or if it was weather related, but it was slower than average.”

Richardson said that although numbers were lower, antler quality was good.

“I haven’t heard many specific scores,” he said, “but I’ve seen photos with bucks up to 180 inches in areas of the Rolling Plains and along the Colorado River. I just got done scor-

ing one that was in the 170range. So we still had some quality, just fewer of them.”

Richardson said while talking to other biologists, the consensus across the boars was the harvest was lower than years’ past.

Hunters in the TransPecos region have taken some good bucks as well, although many outfitters are waiting for the rut, which occurs later this month in many areas, to see their biggest deer.

“We are seeing some good deer on all of our ranches,” said former TPWD biologist, Ruben Cantu. “Right now, it is just a matter of waiting for the big buck activity to start. The quality of deer looks good — we’ve seen some real heavyweight, healthy bucks this season.”

Cantu said the younger bucks were harassing does, but the big bucks have yet to emerge.

‘They young ones are looking, but they aren’t real close to full rut,” he said. “The real action will come toward the end of the season.”

Mule deer outfitter Greg

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HEADING TO THE SKINNING POLE: Mule deer hunter and Texas Wildlife Association President Greg Simons with a nice buck he harvested on a lease earlier this season.

Photo by Greg Simons.

Simons, owner of San Angelo-based Wildlife Systems, Inc., reported he took a good buck earlier in the season on a lease near Kent.

“We are really just getting started this season,” Simons said. “Some pretty good deer are starting to pop up, but we are just getting into the heart of when the big deer start rutting.”

Simons said prospects this year for the Trans-Pecos region were above average due to timely rainfall, although he cautioned the area lost some bucks in the drought of 2011 that could affect older age classes this season.

In the Panhandle, he said it was below average in most places.

ing a shotgun back in February. Gabby, on the other hand, has been hunting with me for several years.”

After shooting more than 100 rounds in the weeks leading up to the hunt, both women were ready to take their first buck.

The group arrived at the ranch on Nov. 1 and began planning for the afternoon hunt.

“I sat with Sheryl and her guide, Frank, the first evening,” Burford said. “We watched a wide variety of young bucks with lots of potential and several does, when a really nice 10-point came in sporting about a 140-inch rack. He was only 3 years old. Finally, a nice 8-point management buck showed and fed for a while.”

After receiving the green light, Sheryl dropped the buck with one shot.

“After the 30 minutes of pictures, high fives, and stealing a smooch every now and then, we headed for camp,” Burford said.

Gabby saw several nice bucks the first afternoon, but not what she was looking for.

“Saturday morning found Gabby, Craig and I in the same stand where Sheryl struck gold earlier,” Burford said.

The evening before, the group had glimpsed a heavy 8-pointer that did not stick around long. As the morning began to lighten, the group saw the same buck feeding and the guide gave Gabby the go-ahead.

“She positioned herself in the window and worked on her breathing and squeezed the trigger,” Burford said. “She hit him, however, it was not a good shot and he started moving. Gabby managed to chamber another round and find him running in her scope as Craig started grunting to get him to stop. Gabby took a deep breath, exhaled, and executed a perfect shot.

“He trotted about 30 yards and fell over.”

After giving him a few minutes, the hunters approached the buck.

“For the second hunt out of the same stand, high fives and hugs all around — Gabby had her first buck down,” Burford said.

After harvesting another doe, the group headed for home.

“Chatting about deer seen, how they react with each other and plans to hunt next season was all that could be heard by my two hunters,” Burford said.

— Staff report

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Greener across the state Driving through Central Texas recently, Dr. Travis Miller said he saw a lot of green that wasn’t there this time last year, and hunters have noticed the difference.

“There are certainly still some severely dry areas in the state,” said Miller, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension agronomist and Texas A&M University soil and crop sciences associate department head. “But over the last month to 60 days, we’ve had significant rainfall in a lot of Texas, and it’s made a lot of difference.”

The rains have perked up winter pastures and given wheat and oat crops a boost across much of the state, he said. The raised soilmoisture reserves, though still low in some areas, are much improved, giving farmers optimism for next year’s plantings.

“The Rolling Plains and Northern Plains are still very dry, and conditions there aren’t real favorable,” Miller said. “We did see some pretty good snowfall in the South Plains last week, and it will certainly contribute to caus-

LoneOStar Outdoor News

ing wheat stands to grow and survive longer.

There was not a lot of deep moisture, but it certainly perked things up.”

Far West Texas also got some rains, which will make a difference. Also, the cold weather should reduce insect problems for next year, he said.

There was some conjecture that the early bout of extremely cold weather in parts of the state might signal this winter being colder than normal, but Miller said national forecasts are predicting the opposite.

— Texas A&M AgriLife

Guns stolen from game warden’s truck Thieves broke into several vehicles in the Corpus Christi area on Dec. 5 and made off with several weapons.

A state-issued semi-automatic rifle, a game warden’s personal shotgun, night vision goggles and body armor was stolen from a game warden’s truck.

“It concerns us because it puts these weapons out on the street,” Capt. Marvin Tamez told local KRIS-TV on Dec. 5. “We’re going to do our best to track them down and hopefully recover them.”

Police believe the thieves will try and sell the weapons, which could prove difficult.

“One of our rifles that got stolen is a bush master M4 and it has a Parks and Wildlife State Game Warden logo stamp on the side of it. So it’s very identifiable,” Tamez said.

On Dec. 7, a routine traffic stop by Corpus Christi police officers led to four arrests and the recovery of the guns and ammunition.

One of the four arrested was a juvenile. The suspects had additional stolen firearms at their homes.

— Staff report

Doe-nations needed The Texas Deer Association has teamed up with Trinity Oaks, a San Antonio-based, nonprofit organization, to provide harvested deer for the charity’s meat processing and food

December 13, 2013

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distribution program. By working together, TDA and Trinity Oaks hope to deliver more than 625,000 meals of all-natural venison to those in need during 2014.

“Texans have a long-standing tradition of helping our neighbors, so we’re excited to work with Trinity Oaks in providing venison for its meals programs,” says Karl Kinsel, executive director for TDA. “I encourage all TDA members with excess deer to contact Trinity Oaks.

There are families across the state in need, and the deer industry is blessed to be able to provide them with heart-healthy nutritious meals.”

Trinity Oaks makes it easy for TDA members to donate their excess deer. Depending on your ranch’s location and the number of animals donated, Trinity Oaks can even arrange all the transportation and processing.

Meat will be distributed to local Texas area soup kitchens, homeless shelters and orphanages. Dried, vacuum-packed meats and jerky are added to care packages and shipped overseas to service men and women.

Trinity Oaks is located at 9385 Miller Lane in San Antonio.

— TDA

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FISHING

Out of the cold

By Conor Harrison Lone Star Outdoor News

While many anglers saw the temperatures across Texas last week and decided to stay at home, crappie anglers were smiling.

Anglers lined the banks of White Rock Creek in Dallas over the weekend, where crappie are chasing ball of shad as they migrate up the creek from White Rock Lake.

“There are a lot of little fish being caught right now during the day,” said angler Vince Tanner near the Northwest Highway bridge. “It gets a little better

Frigid temps have crappie anglers smiling at night if you can stand the temperatures. There are also so many shad in the creek right now.

“It is hard to hold your bait still because the shad are everywhere.”

On Lake O’ The Pines, the bite is improving in deeper water near the dam using spider-rigged minnows.

Lake Fork guide Tony Clark had a good report on the Texas Fishing Forum.

“We hit a nice point holding some

good crappie,” Clark said. “I was using several jigs today — started out with a 1/4-ounce yellow blue tail feather jig.

Then when it slowed down, I went to a 1/8-ounce yellow/ orange slab bandit and dip dyed the tail blue. And when that slowed down, I went with a Lake Fork Tackle Live Baby Shad in chartreuse ice and dipped the tail blue, putting it on a 1/8-ounce jighead.

“Just about all 25

of the crappie came out of one 25-foot radius in 28 to 29 feet of water on a small point near deeper water.”

Other good jig bites were reported around docks on Lake Ray Hubbard and Lake Tawakoni.

Farther south where temperatures haven’t dipped too low, the crappie fishing has been fair.

A good minnow bite has been reported on the border lakes, and anglers on Sam Rayburn Reservoir are reporting a good bite on chartreuse jigs over brush piles and creek mouths.

GET IN THE HOUSE: Crappie anglers are probably looking for some warm fishing houses after a recent cold snap got crappie on the move. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Letting the air out Venting tools still useful and needed, even if Fed regulations have changed

By Conor Harrison Lone Star Outdoor News

POP AND DROP: Venting tools, like this one on a red snapper, do work, but scientists think a tool that takes fish to the bottom before releasing them works better. Photo by Conor Harrison, LSON.

When federal guidelines changed this year no longer requiring anglers nine miles off the Texas coast to have a venting tool — a specialized needle to pop expanded air bladders on fish brought up from depth — it wasn’t a signal they no longer work.

It was just the government’s way of saying other means could be used besides a venting tool.

A group out of Florida invented a device known as the Seaqualizer — a device used to take fish down to a certain level and release them without the effects of barotrauma.

It is pressure-activated to release the fish at a predetermined depth.

Scientists at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico studies said recompression tools like the Seaqualizer are better than the normal “pop and drop” venting.

“We use it and think it is the best device out there,” said Greg Stunz, director, Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation and a professor of Marine Biology. “We did very controlled testing in the lab studying fish in a hyperbaric chamber. We recompressed them and vented them with a tool. Neither one was better for the

fish — they both work.

Stunz said the difference is where the fish is released.

With a normal venting tool, the fish is released on the surface, where predators often linger.

“Mortality often occurs at the surface because of sharks, dolphins and barracudas,” Stunz said. “By sending fish down to the bottom, it eliminates that.”

Stunz said fish mortality depends on other factors as well.

With red snapper, a lot depends on how long the fish is out of the water,” he said. “On a party boat, where you might have a lot of people bringing fish up at once, the pop and drop method is still acceptable.”

Another issue, according to Stunz, is some anglers don’t know exactly how to properly vent a fish.

“Many people see that stomach sticking out of the mouth and pop that,” he said.

“That will kill the fish.

It has to be done behind the pectoral fin.”

In lab studies, fish that were properly vented had a 100 percent survival rate. Conversely, fish that were not vented had a 100 percent mortality rate.

Stunz said he thinks the federal rule needs revising again to clarify the misconceptions.

See VENTING, Page 29

Inks Lake revival Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Inland Fisheries and State Parks divisions have partnered with other private groups to develop habitat enhancement projects to improve fishing opportunities at Inks Lake the past three years. Selected sites have been refurbished with brush, gravel and light structures designed to attract fish to areas accessible by boat and bank anglers.

Four open-water brush attractors were installed in September 2013; three underwater green lights were installed at the state park’s south pier in August, 2013; and a brush and gravel bed complex was installed at the state park’s north pier in February 2011.

“These types of projects can be costly and labor-intensive; however, they become possible due to partnerships with groups committed to conservation,” TPWD District Fisheries Supervisor Marcos De Jesus said. “The truth is this lake is a hidden gem that offers quality fishing opportunities.”

Furthermore, with the improved light structures, pier fishing is available all night to overnight guests, and with free fishing at state parks, a fishing license is not required.

GPS coordinates for the structures and directions to Inks Lake State Park, which offers the only public boat ramp access to the lake, can be found online on the TPWD website.

— TPWD

New areas along the Guadalupe now open Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has signed temporary leased access agreements with four Guadalupe River property owners to expand public access to the trout fishery downstream of Canyon Lake.

Public fishing access will be available at Mountain Breeze Campground, Rio Guadalupe Resort (formerly Rio Raft and Resort), and Whitewater Sports from Friday through March 7. Public fishing access will also be available at Camp Huaco Springs beginning Friday and continuing through Feb. 2, 2014.

Recognized as one of the top 100 trout streams in America and the southernmost trout stream in the United States, this segment of the Guadalupe River is managed through special fishing regulations and is stocked in the winter months by TPWD and the Guadalupe River Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

The leases provide anglers with free access to the Guadalupe River at the four properties from 30 minutes before daylight until 30 minutes after dusk. Anglers will be able to use the properties for bank fishing and to launch nonmotorized watercraft such as rafts, kayaks and canoes for the purpose of fishing. The leases at Mountain Breeze Campground, Rio Guadalupe Resort, and Whitewater Sports were made possible with funding provided by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation.

— TPWD

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WHERE ARE THE FISH? High tides, along with higher temperatures, pushed some fish into areas where anglers weren’t expecting them. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.

Tides high, but not too abnormal Low temps, high tides make catching difficult

By Conor Harrison Lone Star Outdoor News

Anglers are always complaining about something.

It is in our DNA. So when reports began emerging about higherthan-normal tides along the coast, it wasn’t that surprising to experts.

But was there anything to it?

Yes and no, according to area biologists.

“We always have higher tides in the fall and spring,”

said Perry Trial, TPWD biologist for the Corpus Christi Bay complex. “That is followed by lower tides in the winter and summer. So that is part of the normal tidal compilation. Although, this year it did seem like it lasted longer than normal.”

Trial said the tidal swings are starting to subside and anglers should be seeing fish in their normal winter areas soon.

“When the tides are that

high, it pushed more water into the bay and the fish have more area to be in,” he said. “They’ll move with the tidal movements and will be more dispersed.”

In the Galveston Bay complex, biologist Bill Balboa said the high tides, combined with the colder weather, has made for tough fishing as of late.

“The tides have been high,” he said, “but I think See TIDES, Page 29

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TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT Going jigging STILLHOUSE HOLLOW — The white bass have turned on at Stillhouse Hollow, with guide Bob Maindelle putting his clients on lots of fish.

According to reports, vertical jigging on the bottom is the best way to target fish.

“We made five stops and caught fish steadily at three of them,” Maindelle said. “One hundred percent of our fish came off the bottom via a vertical jigging approach using the 3/4-ounce TNT 180 slab. Mixed in with the white bass was the occasional freshwater drum.”

Water temperature has been between 55 and 58 degrees, with better success coming in the afternoons.

To contact guide Bob Maindelle, call (254) 368-7411.

Texas rigging CHOKE CANYON — Having received a little bump in water level due to recent rains, Choke Canyon Reservoir is producing

ALAN HENRY: Water lightly stained; 44–52 degrees; 13.3’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas rigs, chatterbaits and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are fair on live minnows over brush piles.

AMISTAD: Water fairly clear; 65–69 degrees; 36.43’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits, top-waters, jigs and soft plastics. Catfish are good on cheesebait over baited holes. Yellow catfish are good on trotlines baited with live bait.

ARROWHEAD: Water off-color; 44–51 degrees; 15.83’ low.

Largemouth bass are slow on drop-shot rigs and jigs. Crappie are fair on live minnows.

ATHENS: Water clear,51–54 degrees; 1.85’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on shaky heads with green pumpkin finesse worms.

BASTROP: Water clear; 66–70 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse and chartreuse/white soft plastics, spinner baits and crankbaits. Channel and blue catfish are good on stinkbait, chicken livers and nightcrawlers.

BELTON: Water stained; 64–68 degrees; 10.07’ low. Largemouth bass are good on dark soft plastics on the bottom. Hybrid striper are good on silver slabs. White bass are good on silver slabs. Crappie are good on minnows under lights at night in 30 feet. Channel and blue catfish are good on hot dogs and doughbait. Yellow catfish are good on trotlines baited with perch.

BOB SANDLIN: Water clear; 50–54 degrees; 6.41’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on watermelon flukes and weightless wacky worms.

BONHAM: Water stained, 50–53 degrees; 2.49’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on chrome/blue lipless crankbaits and suspending jerkbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs along the main creek channel.

BRAUNIG: Water clear. Largemouth bass are slow. Channel catfish are good on chicken livers, shrimp and cut shad. Blue catfish are good on cut bait.

BRIDGEPORT: Water clear, 49–53 degrees; 20.53’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on suspending jerkbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair on slabs and minnows. Hybrid striper are good on slabs. Channel catfish

are fair on trotlines.

BROWNWOOD: Water stained; 63–67 degrees; 9.74’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on black/ blue jigs, crankbaits, and redbug and watermelon soft plastic worms over brush piles. White bass are fair on Li’l Fishies and crankbaits from lighted docks at night. Crappie are good on Li’l Fishies and minnows over brush piles.

BUCHANAN: Water stained; 64–68 degrees; 31.71’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon curltail grubs on jigheads, Texas-rigged blue flake worms, and suspending blue back Fat Free Shads along ledges and points in 10–20 feet.

Striped bass are good drifting live shad, and jigging swim baits and Pirk Minnows in 25–40 feet. White bass are fair jigging crappie jigs and blade baits along main lake points.

CADDO: Water stained; 52–55 degrees; 0.53’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on lipless crankbaits and bladed jigs near wood cover.

White and yellow bass are fair on minnows and slabs. Catfish are slow on trotlines.

CALAVERAS: Water clear. Largemouth bass are slow. Striped bass are fair on live shad. Redfish are fair on live perch, shad and spoons in 15–25 feet. Channel and blue catfish are good on chicken livers, shrimp and cut shad.

CANYON LAKE: Water murky; 67–71 degrees; 7.40’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon red Brush Hogs, Texas-rigged drop-shot worms, and tubes on jigheads along bluffs. Striped bass are fair jigging Pirk Minnows and trolling small lipless crabkbaits on downriggers in the lower end of the lake.

White bass are fair on blade baits along main lake bluffs. Smallmouth bass are good on tomato red grubs, smoke/red flake tubes on jigheads, and smoke drop-shot worms along main lake points.

CEDAR CREEK: Water clear; 49–53 degrees; 4.73’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Colorado blade spinner baits and bladed jigs slow rolled near cover.

COLEMAN: Water clear; 65–69 degrees; 15.45’ low. Largemouth bass are good on tequila sunrise soft plastics, spinner baits and crankbaits. Hybrid striper are good on white striper jigs.

COLETO CREEK: Water clear; 79 degrees at hot water discharge; 4.42’ low. Largemouth bass to 5 pounds are fair on chartreuse soft plastics in 6–10 feet. Channel and blue catfish to 15 pounds are good on trotlines and droplines baited with live perch in 8–10 feet.

CONROE: Water stained; 67–71 degrees; 1.53’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon red and watermelon gold crankbaits in 20–30 feet. Striped bass are good on chartreuse striper jigs.

COOPER: Water clear; 64–69 degrees; 13.45’ low. Largemouth bass are good on bladed jigs and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on trotlines and cut shad.

FALCON: Water stained; 71–75 degrees; 27.02’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on spinner baits and crankbaits in creeks and coves. Channel and blue catfish are very good on shrimp, cut bait and stinkbait.

FAYETTE: Water stained. Largemouth bass are good on electric blue Carolina-rigged soft plastic worms and spinner baits along the outside edges of grass. Channel and blue catfish are good on stinkbait and shrimp over baited holes.

FORK: Water clear; 50–54 degrees; 5.77’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on black/blue flipping jigs. Creek channel swings near deeper water are best. Flutter spoon bite is good later in the day. Yellow bass and white bass are good on minnows.

Crappie are good on minnows.

GIBBONS CREEK: Water clear.

Largemouth bass are fair on tequila sunrise soft plastics, spinner baits and crankbaits. Catfish are good on shrimp and nightcrawlers.

GRANBURY: Water stained; 64–68 degrees; 8.82’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon and pumpkinseed soft plastics. Catfish are good on shrimp, stinkbait and live minnows.

some decent largemouth bass.

Recent reports indicate a good bite in depths ranging from 15 to 25 feet. Better success has come from noon until dark.

Texas-rigged worms fished on drop-offs and deeper channels are getting some bites. Shadcolored lipless crankbaits are catching fish, and channel catfish are biting punchbait in 2-7 feet. Yellow catfish are being caught on live perch.

Big cats coming LAKE TAWAKONI — The blue catfish bite is going strong on Lake Tawakoni, according to area anglers and guides.

Anglers said the really big fish haven’t shown up yet, but plenty of blues between 10 and 40 pounds are being caught.

Punchbait and cut bait are working to put the hungry cats in the boat.

Largemouth bass are also being caught on bladed and flipping jigs. Crappie are good on minnow and small slabs, along with a solid hybrid and striper bite.

— Conor Harrison

HOUSTON COUNTY: Water stained; 65–69 degrees; 0.14’ low. Largemouth bass to 2 pounds are good on lipless crankbaits near piers and launches, on black/blue Brush Hogs around structure in 10 feet, and on spinner baits near the dam in 15–20 feet. Crappie are fair on blue tube jigs and live minnows near drop offs in 25 feet.

HUBBARD CREEK: Water off-color; 46–52 degrees; 21.85’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on shallow-running pearl crankbaits, Texas rigs, shaky heads and jigs.

JOE POOL: Water clear; 50–54 degrees; 1.67’ low. Largemouth bass are good on weightless Senkos and soft plastic jerkbaits near grass. Catfish are good on trotlines and rod and reel.

LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water lightly stained; 52–56; degrees; 1.19’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on spinner baits, lipless crankbaits and bladed jigs.

LAVON: Water lightly stained; 52–56 degrees; 12.50’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on black/ blue flipping jigs. White bass are fair on minnows and slabs.

LBJ: Water stained; 67–71 degrees; 0.23’ low. Largemouth bass are good on PBJ-colored jigs, pumpkin drop-shot worms and green pumpkin tubes. White bass are good on silver Pirk Minnows and Spoiler Shads. Channel catfish are fair on minnows and worms.

LEWISVILLE: Water clear; 49–53 degrees; 8.35’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on suspending jerkbaits near rocky points. Catfish are good on cut shad and nightcrawlers.

LIVINGSTON: Water murky; 67–71 degrees; 0.48’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows. Blue catfish are good on shad.

GRANGER: Water murky; 62–66 degrees; 1.59’ high. Largemouth bass are slow. Blue catfish are good on juglines baited with shad and Zote soap in 3–15 feet.

MARTIN CREEK: Water clear; 70–74 degrees; 0.03’ high. Largemouth bass are slow on 4–6” plastic swimbaits rigged weedless and white bladed jigs. Crappie are fair on chartreuse jigs and minnows. White bass are good on minnows.

GRAPEVINE: Water clear; 49–52 degrees; 9.93’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on deep crankbaits and football jigs. Catfish are good on cut shad.

MONTICELLO: Water fairly clear; 61–65 degrees; 0.87’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on black and yellow flipping jigs and creature baits around shallow cover. Catfish

are good on trotlines.

NAVARRO MILLS: Water murky; 65–69 degrees; 0.69’ high.

Largemouth bass are slow.

White bass are fair on minnows and Li’l Fishies at night.

O.H. IVIE: Water stained; 47–54 degrees; 42.63’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on jigs, lipless crankbaits, Texas rigs and shaky heads. Catfish are fair to good on prepared bait and nightcrawlers.

OAK CREEK: Water stained; 42–51 degrees; 21.12’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on lipless crankbaits and Texas rigs. Catfish are fair to good on cut bait and nightcrawlers.

PALESTINE: Water clear; 50–54 degrees; 0.82’ high. Largemouth bass are good on shaky heads around docks. Crappie are good on chartreuse jigs and minnows.

Catfish are good on prepared bait and rod and reel.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Water fairly clear; 46–54 degrees; 12.25’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on jigs, drop-shot rigs, crankbaits and Texas rigs. White bass are fair to good on slabs and tail spinners.

PROCTOR: Water stained; 63–67 degrees; 7.80’ low. Largemouth bass are good on black/purple and chartreuse soft plastic worms and crankbaits. White bass are good on minnows, small lipless crankbaits and roadrunners. Crappie are good on minnows and chartreuse tube jigs in 15 feet. Channel and blue catfish are good on juglines baited with cut shad.

RAY HUBBARD: Water clear; 51–54 degrees; 7.07’ low. Largemouth bass are good on medium crankbaits and suspending jerkbaits.

White bass are good on slabs and minnows. Catfish are good on trotlines and cut shad.

RAY ROBERTS: Water clear; 51–55 degrees; 7.62’ low. Largemouth bass are good on shallow crankbaits and spinner baits. Weightless soft plastics near submerged grass are effective as well. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on slabs and minnows.

Catfish are good on cut shad.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water lightly stained; 50–54 degrees; 7.79’ low. Largemouth bass are good on deep crankbaits and Carolina rigs.

Catfish are fair on trotlines and prepared bait.

SEE MORE

n Saltwater fishing reports: Page 14 SAM RAYBURN: Water murky; 66– 70 degrees; 5.42’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on shad-colored lipless crankbaits and crankbaits.

Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers, shrimp and minnows.

SOMERVILLE: Water murky; 66–70 degrees; 2.91’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Channel and blue catfish are fair on juglines baited with cut shad and perch.

SWEETWATER: Water murky; 43– 51 degrees; 22.62’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits, jigs, lipless crankbaits and Texas rigs. Catfish are fair to good on prepared bait and nightcrawlers.

TEXOMA: Water clear; 51–54 degrees; 6.74’ low. Largemouth bass are good on shaky heads and drop-shot rigs. Suspending jerkbaits along main lake points are effective as well. Striped bass are good on slabs and. Catfish are good on trotlines and cut shad.

TOLEDO BEND: Water murky; 66–70 degrees; 3.66’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon soft plastics, spinner baits and lipless crankbaits. White bass are fair on minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows over brush piles.

Bream are fair on worms. Channel and blue catfish are good on liver, shrimp and stinkbait.

TRAVIS: Water murky; 65–69 degrees; 53.45’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on shad crankbaits, black worms and smoke grubs.

Striped bass are fair on chartreuse striper jigs. White bass are fair on minnows and chrome spoons.

Crappie are good on minnows and white tube jigs.

WHITNEY: Water stained; 64–68 degrees; 11.46’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon, watermelon red, and watermelon gold spinner baits, crankbaits and lipless crankbaits. Catfish are good on shrimp, liver, and stinkbait.

— TPWD

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LoneOStar Outdoor News

Oklahoma angler catches Lake Fork monster Pryor, Okla., angler Steve Proctor had a pretty good week.

After boating a 9-pound bass a few weeks ago on Lake Fork, Proctor hooked a giant, 13-pound, 2.9-ounce bass while crappie fishing at the 154 Bridge.

“I was crappie fishing on a bridge pier in 18 feet of water,” he said. “He hit it on 4-pound test line. He went around the motor several times, went around the bridge piling a few times. It took 20 minutes to get the bass to the boat.

“It was quite a deal.”

Proctor told his wife to grab the dipnet, expecting the big bass to go crazy at the boat.

“We managed to get him into the net,” he said. “It probably is my biggest bass to date.”

Proctor said the 9-pound bass he caught earlier in the week ate a crappie he was reeling in.

“It hit my crappie as I was pulling it up to the boat,” he said. “We just reached down and netted both of them.”

Photo by Minnow Bucket Marina.

Proctor said he was really worried the big fish this morning would break the 4-pound test line he was using, making for a stress-filled 20-minute battle.

The fish was officially weighed at the Minnow Bucket Marina, and Texas Parks and Wildlife officials were on hand to document the first ShareLunker of the season.

The fish was caught on a Panfish Assassin in Tomato Seed color.

— Staff report

December 13, 2013

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GAME WARDEN BLOTTER WARDEN TAKES ONE FOR THE TEAM, DIVES INTO DUMPSTER A local business owner called Tom Green County Game Warden Ricky May advising of three deer dumped illegally into the business dumpster.

May hopped into the dumpster and found three bucks, along with two bloody envelopes, which led him to another business. May spoke with the owner, who then gave up his nephew. May recalled Tom Green County Game Warden Cynde Aguilar mentioning she was working a case on the man. May informed Aguilar what he had and then they interviewed the man about the deer and possible violations. The man was cited for untagged deer, waste of game (along with civil restitution), illegal dumping and no harvest log.

Cases pending.

MAN CAUGHT KILLING DEER THAT WAS “DESTROYING THE FOREST” Williamson County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shotfired call in a subdivision in Leander. Game Warden Joel Campos was notified and responded to the scene. The suspect was caught in the greenbelt with a .22-caliber rifle and several knives. The man shot a doe and stated he

UNAWARE DOVE SEASON CLOSED, BUT AWARE OF BAIT Hill County Game Warden Mark Hammonds received a call from the sheriff’s office regarding a report of someone shooting on a rural county road. At the area, Hammonds located a subject hunting doves in closed season. The hunter was unaware that the season had been closed for several days. A search of the area revealed that it had been baited with milo, crushed corn and wheat. Cases pending.

ILLEGAL BUCK FOUND HIDDEN IN TRASH BAG IN TRUCK BED Sabine County Game Warden Sam Smith received information that an undersized buck was killed in the national forest. After an hour of searching, Smith believed that he found the residence of the person responsible for shooting the deer.

A vehicle entered the driveway and Smith made contact. The subject said he had hunted that evening but did not see any deer. He also produced a valid hunting license. After a few questions, the subject appeared nervous. Smith located a small amount of fresh blood in the bed of the subject’s truck and then found an untagged and undersized buck in a utility trash bag stuffed under the toolbox blocked by coolers. The subject changed his story and admitted to shooting the undersized deer in the national forest over bait. The deer was seized; several citations issued.

MAN DIES AFTER FALL FROM TREE STAND Jasper County Game Wardens received a call through the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office about a hunting accident. Game Wardens Justin Eddins, Brooks Yeates, and Morgan Inman arrived to find a hunter deceased at the base of his tree stand. The hunter never returned to the camp and was found by his son.

It appears that he fell from the tree stand approximately 18 feet. No foul play was suspected although an autopsy was performed.

FACEBOOK POSTS LEAD TO FAMILY AFFAIR OF VIOLATIONS Liberty County Game Warden Randy Button responded to a complaint involving a subject who was posting illegally taken deer on Facebook.

Button went to the violator’s residence and found his father skinning a 13-inch illegal buck in the backyard.

While discussing the legality of the deer, the son exited the house, and after a short interview, he admitted to shooting a spike off the road with his brother. Button had the violator contact his brother and summon him to

was getting rid of the “bad” from the forest. When asked to explain, the man said he was killing deer that were destroying the forest. The sheriff’s office filed misdemeanor charges, and Campos filed several misdemeanor cases, a state jail felony charge and civil restitution.

the house. The brother admitted killing two other deer at night. During the conversation, the brother stated that he and his brother-in-law were trying to catch a 12-foot alligator down the road with an alligator tag he bought from Walmart. Button asked him to describe the alligator set, and he said it was a hook and line attached to a cypress knee and baited with a raccoon. Button and the violator went to the location. He asked the brother-inlaw for the alligator permit; he provided a reptile and amphibian stamp with the alligator hide tag report cut out of a TPWD Outdoor Annual. Numerous citations were issued.

SPOTLIGHTERS RUN FROM WARDEN, LEAVE GRANDCHILDREN IN WOODS Comanche County Game Warden Mike Alexander was parked near a county road after midnight when a vehicle came down the road shining a small light out of the passenger side window. The vehicle stopped and shots were fired about 50 yards in front of Alexander. Two people jumped out with flashlights and began searching the area as the truck sped away. Alexander waited for the vehicle to return, but when he started his vehicle, the suspects took off, leaving the two in the woods. After a short chase, the vehicle stopped. The father and son admitted to shooting at a deer but denied that there was anyone still in the woods.

When informed they were going to jail, the pair changed their story and said that their grandsons were in the woods.

The juveniles were picked up, but a

search of the area did not find a deer or blood. The two men were charged with hunting deer at night and hunting from a public road. The boys were released to a relative.

POACHERS CAUGHT ON CAMERA MOVE TO ALABAMA, STILL CAUGHT Gillespie County Game Warden Sam Harris received a call from a landowner who had a picture of two unknown hunters standing over a dead deer under his game feeder.

Harris was able to locate drag marks and blood evidence leading through two other properties. After a day of knocking on doors and meeting other landowners, Harris located the subjects’ former residence. After a meeting with the suspects’ mother, Harris and Game Warden Scott Krueger were told the suspects had moved back to Alabama two days after the deer was shot. Harris contacted Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources game wardens for assistance. Alabama game wardens interviewed the suspects and secured the evidence. The meat will be donated to a needy family in Alabama. Cases pending.

TRESPASSER CLAIMS RANCH OF ABSENTEE LANDOWNER IS PUBLIC LAND Bell County Game Warden Brandt Bernstein received a call from a landowner saying the absentee landowner across the road had trespassers hunting on her property. Bernstein located a truck parked on the road at the gate and waited for the suspect to

come out. Several minutes later, the suspect came walking out in hunter orange and camouflage and carrying a deer rifle. Bernstein asked the hunter whose property he was on and if he had killed anything this morning. The hunter said he was hunting on public land and that he didn’t kill anything that morning, but did kill an 11-point buck on the same property the day before. Bernstein seized the hunter’s rifle, 11-point buck and hunting license. Case under investigation.

MAN TAKES TWO 13-INCH PLUS BUCKS TO PROCESSOR ON OPENING DAY Polk County Game Warden Ryan Hall was inspecting a local deer processor when he noticed that a local hunter had signed in two 8-point bucks on opening day. A closer inspection of the deer revealed the same hunter had also tagged both bucks. Hall made contact with the hunter, who confessed to exceeding the bag limit of whitetailed deer with an inside antler spread greater than 13 inches. Case and restitution pending.

MAN CAMPS, HUNTS IN PARK Hill County Game Warden Mark Hammonds served a felony warrant as a result of an investigation that began on opening weekend of archery season. The suspect illegally harvested two deer inside a Corps of Engineers camping park at Lake Whitney. The suspect was camping in the park while hunting public land nearby. When confronted with evidence, the man admitted to shooting both deer with his bow inside the park. Cases pending.

BODY OF DUCK HUNTER FOUND Sabine County Game Warden Sam Smith recovered the body of a local man who was duck hunting in southern Sabine County. Various other agencies were involved in the short search that led to the duck hunter’s decoy spread near Sam Rayburn Reservoir.

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TEXAS SALTWATER FISHING REPORT Winding down

KEMAH — The flounder run is winding down, according to local fisheries biologists in the Galveston Bay complex. Local anglers are still catching some flounder as they make their annual run, but the bigger fish came around Thanksgiving.

“People are still catching flounder, but I think the majority have already left,” one biologist said.

“They said it thinned out about a week ago.”

Anglers reported good success on live shrimp and scented plastics in chartreuse colors for catching hungry flat fish.

Big trout bite KING RANCH SHORELINE — The colder water temperatures have turned on the bigger trout, according to Capt.

Kevin Cochran, who fishes around Baffin Bay. Some top-water action has been reported, along with scented plastics being used to put some nice-sized trout in the box.

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. Trout are good over mud and shell.

SOUTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good under birds and pods of shad. Redfish are good at the jetty on live bait and cracked crabs.

BOLIVAR: Trout are fair to good while drifting shell on plastics.

Bull redfish are good on the beachfront.

TRINITY BAY: Trout are good for drifters working pods of shad and mullet soft and scented plastics. Trout are good under birds on the north shoreline. Redfish are good on the north shoreline.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: Redfish and flounder are fair to good in the marsh around drains on shrimp. Trout and redfish are good under the birds when the wind allows.

WEST GALVESTON BAY: Bull redfish and flounder are good at San Luis Pass on shrimp and shad. 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

“The fish are becoming easier to pattern and catch with lures,” he said.

Cochran is putting clients on trout in the 25-plus inch range.

To contact Capt. Kevin Cochran, call (361) 688-3714.

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Surf’s up PORT ISABEL — According to area surf anglers, the water temperatures are very cold in the Port Isabel area, and some fish kills have been reported.

Whiting have been caught in good numbers from the beach using shrimp and Fish Bites. Along with whiting, gafftop and hardheads have been prevalent.

However, several guides have reported small fish kills because of the cold weather — snook seem to be the hardest hit so far, with one guide reporting 30 dead in one channel he checked. Mangrove snapper could also be in for trouble if temperatures remain low.

No reports of dead trout, yet.

Reports of a good trout and redfish bite have emerged from Laguna Vista and Holley Beach on plastic shrimp under a popping cork.

— Conor Harrison

shrimp. Flounder are good on the edge of the channel.

in California Hole on live bait.

FREEPORT: Bull redfish are good around Surfside and at the Quintana jetty on crabs, shrimp and mullet. Flounder are fair to good at San Luis Pass on jigs tipped with shrimp.

PORT ARANSAS: Redfish are fair at Shamrock Cove and Pelican Island on top-waters and scented plastics. Bull redfish are good at the jetty and on the beachfront on natural baits.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout and redfish are fair over deep shell on soft plastics when the wind allows. Trout are fair for drifters on live shrimp over humps and scattered shell. Trout and flounder are fair to good on muddy shorelines on soft plastics.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Bull redfish are good in the surf on mullet and shrimp. Trout are fair for waders working mud and grass on small top-waters and Corkies.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair on sand and grass humps on soft plastics and top-waters. Redfish are fair on live shrimp at Shell Island and Mad Island.

PORT O’CONNOR: Redfish are best at the mouths of the back lakes on the falling tide on shrimp and mullet. Bull redfish are good at the jetty on crabs, mullet and shad. Trout are fair to good on the reefs in San Antonio Bay. ROCKPORT: Redfish are good in Redfish Bay on mullet and crabs. Bull redfish are good in the Lydia Ann Channel and around Mud Island on shrimp and crabs. Slot redfish are good

BAFFIN BAY: Trout are good on top-waters and plum plastics around rocks and grass. Trout are good while drifting deep rocks on plum plastics. Redfish are fair on the edge of the Intracoastal on mullet.

PORT MANSFIELD: Redfish are good while drifting holes on scented plastics under a popping cork. Trout and redfish are fair to good on the spoils on slow–sinking twitchbaits.

SOUTH PADRE: Trout are good around Long Bar and on the edges of the ICW on soft plastics. Redfish and trout are good around points and drop–offs on scented and soft plastics.

— TPWD

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LOTS TO POINT AT: Quail hunters and their four-legged companions are finding more birds this season. Photo by David J. Sams, LSON.

Cat Continued From Page 4

BIG PAWS: Compared with a can of snuff, the cat’s paws are rather impressive. Photo by E.J. Nacey.

By this point, the big tom had walked to within 10 yards of Nacey’s tree stand.

“He was right in my kitchen,” Nacey said. “I had a hole about the size of a football. I was holding tension on the bow and knew I needed to make a quick, smooth draw to take a shot.

As his head went behind a limb, I drew quickly and caught my shirt. He heard that and stopped and looked directly at me.”

Fortunately for Nacey, the cat stopped with his front leg extended, leaving a perfect line of sight to the vitals.

Muscle memory kicked in and Nacey let an arrow go.

“Everything came together so quickly I really didn’t have time to give it too much thought,” he said. “That was probably a good thing. I hit him and the arrow went through him like butter. I was pretty sure I had double-lunged him, but

I didn’t want to get overconfident.”

Nacey said the cat bolted into the brush, where he thought he heard a crash, followed by a “blood-curdling scream.”

“He jumped at least 6 feet in the air when I hit him,” he said.

“I knew I had killed that cat. I know you’re supposed to wait 30 minutes, but forget that! I ran to the Kawasaki Mule and hauled over to my dad’s stand nearby.”

Nacey said his dad, Elmer, had no idea why his son was roaring toward him before the end of shooting time.

“The adrenaline was like nothing I have ever experienced,” he said. “My dad had a rifle, so I told him I needed the gun since I just shot a cat.”

“A bobcat?” his dad asked.

“Nope, a mountain lion,” Nacey responded.

“Let’s go!” his dad said.

After a short tracking job, father and son found the cat piled up in a thicket near the tree where he was shot.

“It was such a massive animal,” Nacey said. “I had no appreciation for how big they are. We took it back to camp and everyone was amazed.”

The lion was a healthy male weighing 100 pounds and stretching 6-feet 8-inches from head to tail. Nacey is having the cat mounted.

“I called the state and they want a sample of the tongue,” he said. “Nobody can remember a mountain lion being killed out of a bow stand. I really appreciate how rare this is.”

Quail Continued From Page 1

source, coveys were sure to be found.

“Anything with cover and food had potential,” he said. “There is still some standing milo around. We hunted that where it met old treelines or abandoned buildings. This year’s numbers are up out here for sure.

“The biggest difference over the past few years has been the covey sizes.”

One problem that could arise is the long-term impact of ice on the ground in quail country in northwest Texas.

“Definitely, ice has an impact on seed-eating birds like quail,” said Robert Perez, TPWD quail leader. “They are adapted to deal with the snow and cold by coveying up and getting together.

The biggest factor is the number of days there is ice on the ground. Quail can get by for two or three days, but after that it could be a problem.”

Perez said hunter reports from the Rolling Plains have been good, but not as positive as some reports from South Texas.

“We’ve heard variable reports from some ranches who were seeing a lot of birds earlier in the fall, but might not be seeing as many now,” he said.

“I don’t think anything has happened to the quail, I just think they may have moved to some different areas. We have had lots of good reports from South Texas where hunters have really been pleasantly surprised.”

Perez said many commercial ranches are limiting their hunters to one bird per covey rise.

“They are still being cautious with the brood stock to help them get out of the slump,” Perez said. “We are setting up for a good recovery in South Texas with the range conditons.”

Brad Dabbert, of the Texas Tech University Quail-Tech Alliance, also reports better numbers this year.

“We have completed about 90 percent of our fall covey call counts and have been continuing our multipronged efforts to benefit quail,” he said. “There is a wide range (0.2 to 10) of means among anchor ranches with a mean of the 24 anchor ranches surveyed thus far of 3 coveys per point.

Fortunately, covey counts on anchor ranches this year are a 30 percent increase from our fall 2012 numbers of 2.3 coveys per point and a 100 percent increase from our 2011 value of 1.5 coveys per point.”

Dabbert said landowners should do all they can to help birds through the winter.

“We suggest landowners use supplemental feeding with milo broadcast into the habitat as we have shown this method increases survival of northern bobwhites in the Rolling Plains,” he said. “Additionally, we recommend landowners be conservative shooting birds again this year.”

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December 13, 2013

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December 13, 2013

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HEROES

Abe Nayfa traveled to Africa recently and took this big Cape buffalo.

Sherida Natho of Runge with a 10-point buck she took in Dimmit County.

SHARE AN ADVENTURE

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

The first buck for Edgar Quintinilla was a good one — this 8-pointer from Chita taken with a 7mm-08 at 55 yards.

Email them with contact and caption information to editor@lonestaroutdoornews.com. High-resolution original jpegs only. Mail prints to Heroes, Lone Star Outdoor News, P.O. Box 551695, Dallas, TX 75355.

Steve Sledge boated this 9.11-pound bass on a private lake in East Texas.

Robert Debord harvested this nice 10-pointer using a Remington 700 308 with a YHM Phantom suppressor.

Seven-year old T.J. Dement, from Boerne, got his first animal, this aoudad, on an evening hunt at his family ranch near Montell.

Katie O’Connor, 11, from Katy, landed this massive bull red unassisted near the jetties in Port Aransas.

LSONews.com

Fifteen Texans in Bassmaster Elites The sport of professional bass fishing is very alive and well, judging from entries in the 2014 Bassmaster Elite Series, with 15 Texans qualifying for the series.

When registration closed earlier this month, 112 anglers had signed up to compete in the nine-event, $6.3 million circuit. It’s the largest field since the inception of the Elite Series in 2006. Participation has hovered around 100 each year since 2008, when 109 anglers competed.

“The demand for the Elite Series has been incredible,” said Bassmaster Tournament Director Trip Weldon. “Not only is this the largest field we’ve ever had, but it may be the strongest. It’s loaded with talented, world-class anglers.”

The 15 Texas anglers are:

Keith Combs, Huntington Kurt Dove, Del Rio Todd Faircloth, Jasper Grant Goldbeck, Boerne Alton Jones, Lorena Kelly Jordon, Palestine Mike Kernan, Wylie Gary Klein, Weatherford Yusuke Miyazaki, Forney James Niggemeyer, Van Takahiro Omori, Emory Matt Reed, Madisonville Trevor Romans, Plano Zell Rowland, Montgomery Byron Velvick, Boerne — B.A.S.S.

Zebra mussel rules in effect Another year, another set of zebra mussel regulations.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s new rules went into effect on Dec. 10.

They require all boats operating on public water in 17 Northeast Texas counties be

LoneOStar Outdoor News

drained after use.

Under the new regulations, persons leaving or approaching public water in the affected counties are required to drain all water from their vessels and on-board receptacles. This applies to all types and sizes of boats whether powered or not, personal watercraft, sailboats, or any other vessel used to travel on public waters.

The rules apply on all public waters in Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Fannin, Grayson, Hood, Jack, Kaufman, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Rockwall, Stephens, Tarrant, Wise, and Young counties.

Applicable in all areas where boats can be launched, the regulation requires the draining of live wells, bilges, motors, and any other receptacles or water-intake systems coming into contact with public waters.

— TPWD

December 13, 2013

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December 13, 2013

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LSONews.com

NATIONAL Oklahoma quail season off to good start Quail season has not been open very long, but early reports from the field indicate that conditions have improved over the previous two years that were stricken by record heat and drought.

According to Scott Cox, upland game bird biologist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, hunting has been good in certain areas, even amid what he believes were poor to fair scenting conditions for bird dogs.

“Coveys were found, covey sizes were good, age structure was good, birds were healthy, crops were full of good forbs,” Cox said.

Hunters were even reportedly harvesting birds as young as 6 weeks old. Birds were also known to be on nests as late as October.

Cox said that it’s been common for groups of hunters to see about four to five coveys each, with covey sizes ranging from about 12-18 birds. He estimates hunters are harvesting about four to five birds each on average.

— ODWC

Roadkill salvage now legal in Montana Montana state wildlife officials say permits to salvage road-killed deer, elk, antelope and moose are now available online.

The new law that allows for the salvage of road-killed wildlife for food became effective in October.

People who salvage road-killed animals must complete a permit within 24 hours of salvaging the animal. There is no charge for the permits.

Anyone who salvages a roadkilled animal must remove the entire animal from the roadway. The salvaged animal must be used for personal consumption and cannot be donated or used for bait or pet food.

After the new law’s first week, 45 permits were issued across the state. Three were for dead elk, 13 for mule deer and the remainder were for white-tailed deer.

Salvaging roadkill is legal in 14 other states, including Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan.

— MFWP

Paddlefish harvest limits set in Oklahoma New angling rules are pending that will help conserve Oklahoma’s important populations of paddlefish. The changes include setting an individual annual harvest limit of two fish per angler and requiring that anglers report their paddlefish harvest online using the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s e-check system.

The annual harvest limit has been set at two paddlefish per individual, meaning that once anglers have harvested two fish, they must stop keeping them for the year. However, they can continue “catch-and-release-only” fishing for paddlefish. Additionally, the new rules require anglers to log on to wildlifedepartment.com to report their harvest, much like hunt-

ers must check in their harvested deer online. Checking fish will further expand biologists’ knowledge of paddlefish populations.

Current rules that limit anglers to one paddlefish per day and that require them to stop fishing for the day once a fish has been kept will remain in place.

— ODWC

New North Carolina staterecord archery deer

North Carolina has a new staterecord archery deer, all because Tim Watkins’ plan came together when he arrowed a huge buck Sept. 18 in Stokes County.

A panel of four certified Pope and Young Club and Boone and Crockett Club scorers officially measured the buck when the required 60-day drying period was completed, and it scored 170 1/8 points. It will supplant a 166 6/8-inch Guilford County buck arrowed in 2009 by Andrew Kerman as the state-record typical buck taken by a bowhunter.

Watkins’ buck is the first North Carolina deer killed by a bowhunter to qualify for the Boone and Crockett Club’s all-time record book — minimum score 170 — and it will tie for No. 16 among typical bucks taken in North Carolina by all methods.

The rack had an 18 1/8-inch inside spread, main beams of 26 2/8 and 26 5/8 inches and brow tines measuring of 3 4/8 and 3 7/8 inches. The four longest tines measured 12 7/8, 12, 11 7/8 and 11 2/8 inches. The rack’s gross score was 176 7/8.

— NCRWC

Huge black bear taken in Pennsylvania Daniel Beavers of Covington Township bagged a black bear that weighed 772 pounds. The massive prize is the largest bear captured in the state so far this season and Beavers hopes its skull will be the largest in the world.

“I couldn’t believe how big it was. It’s big,” Beavers told local news stations.

The kill is a sentimental one for Beaver. He grew up hunting with his father, Jacob Beaver. After his dad passed away in 2012, the son has had trouble dealing with the loss.

When he embarked on a short hunting trip on the second day of bear season, Beavers took his dad’s .30-06 rifle instead of his own gun, a 12-gauge shotgun.

Beavers and the bear were old foes.

The man spent four to five years tracking this particular beast through the woods in Lackawanna County. Beavers had come to recognize the bear by his size and also by the white “V” on its chest.

— Staff report

Polk named Oklahoma officer of year Dru Polk, game warden stationed in McCurtain County in southeast Oklahoma, has been named the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s Game Warden of the Year for 2013 and Wildlife Officer of the Year for the Shikar-Safari

Nikon will send your 10x42 ProStaff 7 binoculars.

You can check out the entire line at the nearest dealer: See a full selection of Nikon products at:

Praco Gun & Pawn 2201 W. Waco Dr. Waco, TX 76707 254-753-5511 www.pracopawn.com

took this first buck at the rdon is 7 years old and Clifton hunter James Lia h at the time. The hunt wit whom he was hunting same age as his father, n. The ranch has been ranch just outside of tow took place on the family s the fifth generation ent res rep es 100 years. Jam in the family for nearly on an evening hunt at en ranch. The buck was tak the t hun to ily fam the of er’s gun. m Remington mag, his fath about 70 yards with a 7-m

Club International.

Polk was recognized before the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission at its December meeting. Former U.S. Rep. Bill Brewster of Ardmore, a member of ShikarSafari Club International, presented Polk a framed certificate and a silver commemorative plate from the club.

“The award means a lot to me, but it means just as much to my family,” said Polk, who has served as a warden since 2001. “If it wasn’t for them being understanding, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do. To be selected officer of the year by your peers is something to be proud of.”

— SSCI

Ohio hunters coming through in deer season Ohio hunters checked 75,408 white-tailed deer during the weeklong gun hunting season, Dec. 2-8, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

“With the muzzleloader season and almost two months of archery hunting yet to come, Ohio hunters have many more opportunities to harvest a deer,” said Scott Zody, chief of the ODNR Division of Wildlife.

Hunters have harvested 162,720 deer so far in the 2013 hunting seasons, compared to 171,867 at the same point last year, a 5 percent difference.

Until recently, the populations in nearly all of Ohio’s counties were well above their target numbers.

— ODNR

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| | Sun Moon Tides Texas Coast Tides Sabine Pass, north

Date Time Height Dec 13 6:42 AM -0.4L Dec 14 12:11 AM 1.2H Dec 15 12:38 AM 1.2H Dec 16 1:00 AM 1.2H Dec 17 1:18 AM 1.2H Dec 18 1:35 AM 1.2H Dec 19 1:56 AM 1.1H Dec 20 2:24 AM 1.1H Dec 21 2:59 AM 1.0H Dec 22 12:47 AM 0.8L Dec 23 1:55 AM 0.7L Dec 24 2:54 AM 0.5L Dec 25 3:42 AM 0.3L Dec 26 4:25 AM 0.0L Dec 27 5:07 AM -0.3L

Time 2:33 PM 7:19 AM 7:54 AM 8:29 AM 9:03 AM 9:38 AM 10:14 AM 10:50 AM 11:28 AM 3:47 AM 5:09 AM 7:42 AM 10:13 AM 11:46 AM 12:49 PM

Galveston Bay entrance, south jetty Date Time Height Dec 13 6:35 AM -0.4L Dec 14 7:09 AM -0.6L Dec 15 7:41 AM -0.6L Dec 16 12:21 AM 1.6H Dec 17 12:47 AM 1.6H Dec 18 1:15 AM 1.6H Dec 19 1:42 AM 1.5H Dec 20 2:05 AM 1.4H Dec 21 2:23 AM 1.3H Dec 22 11:20 AM -0.1L Dec 23 11:56 AM 0.1L Dec 24 3:41 AM 0.7L Dec 25 3:48 AM 0.4L Dec 26 4:13 AM 0.1L Dec 27 4:46 AM -0.3L

San Luis Pass

Date Time Height Dec 13 7:31 AM -0.3L Dec 14 12:03 AM 0.9H Dec 15 12:27 AM 0.9H Dec 16 12:51 AM 1.0H Dec 17 1:17 AM 1.0H Dec 18 1:45 AM 0.9H Dec 19 2:12 AM 0.9H Dec 20 2:35 AM 0.9H Dec 21 12:01 AM 0.8L Dec 22 12:16 PM -0.1L Dec 23 12:52 PM 0.1L Dec 24 4:37 AM 0.4L Dec 25 4:44 AM 0.2L Dec 26 5:09 AM 0.1L Dec 27 5:42 AM -0.2L

Freeport Harbor

Date Time Height Dec 13 6:27 AM -0.1L Dec 14 7:06 AM -0.2L Dec 15 7:42 AM -0.3L Dec 16 8:17 AM -0.3L Dec 17 8:49 AM -0.3L Dec 18 9:19 AM -0.2L Dec 19 9:48 AM -0.2L Dec 20 10:17 AM -0.1L Dec 21 10:47 AM 0.0L Dec 22 11:19 AM 0.2L Dec 23 11:54 AM 0.3L Dec 24 3:47 AM 0.6L Dec 25 3:54 AM 0.4L Dec 26 4:14 AM 0.2L Dec 27 4:45 AM 0.0L

Executive Editor

Height 1.4H -0.5L -0.6L -0.6L -0.6L -0.5L -0.5L -0.4L -0.2L 0.9H 0.7H 0.6H 0.7H 0.9H 1.0H

Time 2:58 PM 3:43 PM 4:20 PM 8:12 AM 8:42 AM 9:12 AM 9:42 AM 10:14 AM 10:47 AM 8:05 PM 8:32 PM 7:48 AM 10:13 AM 12:01 PM 1:14 PM

Height 1.8H 1.8H 1.8H -0.7L -0.7L -0.6L -0.5L -0.4L -0.3L 1.4H 1.4H 0.8H 0.8H 1.0H 1.3H

Time 3:28 PM 8:05 AM 8:37 AM 9:08 AM 9:38 AM 10:08 AM 10:38 AM 11:10 AM 2:53 AM 8:35 PM 9:02 PM 8:18 AM 10:43 AM 12:31 PM 1:44 PM

Height 1.1H -0.3L -0.4L -0.4L -0.4L -0.4L -0.3L -0.3L 0.8H 0.9H 0.8H 0.5H 0.5H 0.6H 0.8H

Time Height 2:44 PM 1.7H 3:31 PM 1.8H 4:11 PM 1.8H 4:46 PM 1.8H 5:18 PM 1.7H 5:47 PM 1.7H 6:16 PM 1.6H 6:43 PM 1.6H 7:10 PM 1.5H 7:36 PM 1.4H 8:00 PM 1.3H 7:57 AM 0.8H 9:55 AM 0.9H 11:36 AM 1.1H 12:51 PM 1.3H

Time Height 7:43 PM 1.0L 3:20 PM 1.4H 3:59 PM 1.4H 4:34 PM 1.4H 5:05 PM 1.3H 5:36 PM 1.3H 6:08 PM 1.2H 6:42 PM 1.2H 7:18 PM 1.2H 12:07 PM -0.1L 12:50 PM 0.1L 1:41 PM 0.3L 2:44 PM 0.5L 3:57 PM 0.7L 5:11 PM 0.8L Time 7:58 PM 8:44 PM 9:13 PM 4:52 PM 5:23 PM 5:54 PM 6:27 PM 7:00 PM 7:33 PM 12:36 PM 1:27 PM 2:41 PM 4:21 PM

Height 1.4L 1.5L 1.5L 1.8H 1.7H 1.7H 1.6H 1.5H 1.5H 0.4L 0.7L 0.9L 1.1L

Time Height 8:54 PM 0.9L 4:13 PM 1.1H 4:50 PM 1.1H 5:22 PM 1.1H 5:53 PM 1.0H 6:24 PM 1.0H 6:57 PM 1.0H 7:30 PM 0.9H 11:43 AM -0.2L

Time

Height

8:29 PM 9:02 PM 9:24 PM 9:46 PM 10:13 PM 10:52 PM 11:43 PM

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

7:53 PM 8:26 PM 8:55 PM 9:21 PM 9:46 PM 10:14 PM

1.1H 1.1H 1.0H 1.0H 1.0H 1.1H

Time Height 11:33 PM 1.6H 11:57 PM 1.6H 9:23 PM 9:23 PM 9:38 PM 10:12 PM 11:05 PM

1.5L 1.5L 1.4L 1.4L 1.3L

8:54 PM 9:11 PM 9:24 PM 9:39 PM

1.3H 1.3H 1.3H 1.3H

Time

Height

9:40 PM 10:09 PM 10:19 PM 10:19 PM 10:34 PM 11:08 PM

0.9L 0.9L 0.9L 0.9L 0.9L 0.8L

8:03 PM 0.9 H

1:32 PM 2:23 PM 3:37 PM 5:17 PM

0.2L 0.4L 0.6L 0.7L

9:24 PM 9:41 PM 9:54 PM 10:09 PM

0.8H 0.8H 0.8H 0.8 H

Time

Height

Time

Height

12:38 PM 1:43 PM 4:00 PM

0.5L 0.8L 1.0L

8:22 PM 1.2H 8:42 PM 1.2H 8:57 PM 1.1H

Conor Harrison

Associate Editor

Mark England

Graphics Editor

Amy Moore

Solunar | Sun times | Moon times

Moon Phases Full

Dec. 17

New

Last

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.

First

Jan. 1

Dec. 25

Jan. 8

Houston

Port O’Connor

Date Time Height Dec 13 9:04 AM -0.1L Dec 14 9:47 AM -0.1L Dec 15 10:26 AM -0.2L Dec 16 11:01 AM -0.2L Dec 17 11:33 AM -0.2L Dec 18 12:04 PM -0.2L Dec 19 12:19 AM 0.6H Dec 20 12:34 AM 0.6H Dec 21 12:21 AM 0.5H Dec 22 12:20 AM 0.5H Dec 23 12:28 AM 0.4H Dec 24 12:13 AM 0.3H Dec 25 6:41 AM 0.1L Dec 26 6:59 AM -0.1L Dec 27 7:30 AM -0.2L

Rockport

Date Time Height Dec 13 9:45 AM 0.0L Dec 14 12:13 AM 0.3H Dec 15 12:48 AM 0.3H Dec 16 1:28 AM 0.3H Dec 17 2:11 AM 0.3H Dec 18 2:56 AM 0.2H Dec 19 3:39 AM 0.2H Dec 20 4:18 AM 0.2H Dec 21 4:51 AM 0.1H Dec 22 5:13 AM 0.1H Dec 23 12:49 AM 0.1H Dec 24 3:47 PM -0.1L Dec 25 7:45 AM -0.1L Dec 26 8:08 AM -0.1L Dec 27 8:42 AM -0.2L

Time Height 10:06 PM 0.7H 10:28 PM 0.7H 10:56 PM 0.7H 11:25 PM 0.7H 11:54 PM 0.7H 12:36 PM 1:11 PM 1:47 PM 2:22 PM 2:56 PM 3:20 PM 9:46 PM 9:07 PM 8:53 PM

-0.2L -0.2L -0.2L -0.2L -0.1L 0.0L 0.3H 0.3H 0.4H

Time

Height

10:28 AM 11:11 AM 11:56 AM 12:40 PM 1:22 PM 2:01 PM 2:35 PM 3:03 PM 3:26 PM 3:42 PM 11:35 PM 11:47 AM 11:19 PM 11:24 PM

-0.1L -0.1L -0.1L -0.1L -0.1L -0.1L -0.1L -0.1L -0.1L -0.1L 0.0H -0.1H 0.1H 0.1H

Time

Height

10:46 PM

0.3H

Time

Height

Date Time Height Dec 13 5:52 AM -0.3L Dec 14 6:33 AM -0.4L Dec 15 7:13 AM -0.5L Dec 16 7:51 AM -0.6L Dec 17 8:28 AM -0.6L Dec 18 9:03 AM -0.6L Dec 19 9:37 AM -0.6L Dec 20 10:08 AM -0.5L Dec 21 10:39 AM -0.4L Dec 22 11:09 AM -0.2L Dec 23 11:41 AM 0.1L Dec 24 3:00 AM 0.4L Dec 25 3:20 AM 0.2L Dec 26 3:51 AM 0.0L Dec 27 4:28 AM -0.2L

South Padre Island

Date Time Height Dec 13 5:53 AM -0.2L Dec 14 6:35 AM -0.3L Dec 15 7:16 AM -0.4L Dec 16 7:54 AM -0.4L Dec 17 8:31 AM -0.3L Dec 18 9:05 AM -0.3L Dec 19 9:36 AM -0.1L Dec 20 10:05 AM 0.0L Dec 21 10:34 AM 0.1L Dec 22 11:03 AM 0.3L Dec 23 11:33 AM 0.4L Dec 24 3:30 AM 0.8L Dec 25 3:26 AM 0.6L Dec 26 3:49 AM 0.3L Dec 27 4:24 AM 0.0L

Time Height 2:50 PM 1.7H 3:38 PM 1.7H 4:22 PM 1.7H 5:04 PM 1.7H 5:43 PM 1.6H 6:19 PM 1.5H 6:49 PM 1.3H 7:11 PM 1.2H 7:26 PM 1.1H 7:35 PM 1.1H 7:41 PM 1.0H 7:08 AM 0.5H 10:24 AM 0.7H 12:42 PM 1.0H 1:42 PM 1.3H Time Height 3:12 PM 1.6H 4:02 PM 1.7H 4:48 PM 1.7H 5:31 PM 1.7H 6:10 PM 1.7H 6:45 PM 1.6H 7:12 PM 1.6H 7:30 PM 1.6H 7:39 PM 1.5H 7:43 PM 1.4H 7:45 PM 1.4H 5:52 AM 0.9H 9:33 AM 0.9H 7:37 PM 1.2H 1:52 PM 1.2H

Time

Height

Time

Height

11:57 PM

0.0H

3:12 PM -0.1L

11:23 PM 0.0H

Time

Height

Time

Height

12:17 PM 1:04 PM 2:53 PM

0.3L 0.6L 0.9L

Time

Height

12:07 PM 12:47 PM

0.6L 0.8L

7:46 PM 1.3H 7:44 PM 1.2H

4:56 PM

1.2L

7:07 PM 1.2H

7:47 PM 1.0 H 7:49 PM 1.0H 7:45 PM 1.1H

Time

Height

Mike Hughs

Accounting

Ginger Hoolan

Website

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National Advertising

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ACROSS 1. A sportsman’s habit that has no cure 5. To prepare a shore meal 8. A type of fly lure 9. Name for a saltwater weight 10. A barn and cliff dweller 11. A lake bird 14. To aim ahead of running game 15. A trout species 16. Another name for the largemouth 18. The cause of arrow drift 20. Game birds 22. A buck’s mating ritual 25. Usually born in May 27. A pheasant’s collection of hens 28. Term for a hookless lure 30. An archery association 34. A wood used in arrow shafts 35. Camper’s resting place 36. A saltwater food fish 38. A type of gunsight 39. A good crappie bait 42. Main fin on a fish

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OUTDOOR PUZZLER | By Wilbur “Wib” Lundeen 45. Pack a day’s catch in this 47. A gun piece, _____ rest 48. A tuskero 49. Fish breathing organ 50. A tangler of trotline DOWN 1. Do not reel in a catch too ____

2. A bass 3. Used when frying over open fire 4. A camp stove substance 6. A game pathway 7. State popular to dove hunters 8. A member of a buck’s harem

Solution on Page 29 12. Marksmen need only ____ shot to kill 13. F ound in the boathouse 14. L ong range misses are usually ____ 16. A small game predator 17. T he outdoor lawman 19. A game hideaway 21. A very good bear trap lure 23. A scope protector 24. A member of a pheasant’s harem 25. N ame for the Arizona whitetail 26. P arka, boots, warm cap 29. T he hunting area 31. B ait placed in water to lure fish 32. A part of a fishline 33. O utdoor activity in fall, winter 35. Y oung bears 37. E xpert fishermen earn this title 40. A rrows and shells 41. F ishing tackle 43. A feedbag filler 44. P oints at a target 46. T he snake-like swimmer

2013-14 A.M. Dec-Jan Minor Major 13 Fri 1:46 7:58 14 Sat 2:29 8:41 15 Sun 3:13 9:25 16 Mon > 3:59 10:12 17 Tue > 4:47 10:59 18 Wed F 5:37 11:48 19 Thu > 6:27 12:15 20 Fri > 7:17 1:06 21 Sat 8:06 1:55 22 Sun 8:55 2:44 23 Mon 9:42 3:31 24 Tue Q 10:29 4:18 25 Wed Q 11:14 5:03 26 Thu ----- 5:48 27 Fri 12:21 6:34 28 Sat 1:07 7:21 29 Sun 1:56 8:11 30 Mon > 2:49 9:04 31 Tue > 3:46 10:01 01 Wed N 4:46 11:02

San Antonio

2013-14 A.M. Dec-Jan Minor Major 13 Fri 1:53 8:05 14 Sat 2:36 8:48 15 Sun 3:20 9:32 16 Mon > 4:06 10:19 17 Tue > 4:54 11:06 18 Wed F 5:44 11:55 19 Thu > 6:34 12:22 20 Fri > 7:24 1:13 21 Sat 8:13 2:02 22 Sun 9:02 2:51 23 Mon 9:49 3:38 24 Tue Q 10:36 4:25 25 Wed Q 11:21 5:10 26 Thu ----- 5:55 27 Fri 12:28 6:41 28 Sat 1:14 7:28 29 Sun 2:03 8:18 30 Mon > 2:56 9:11 31 Tue > 3:53 10:08 01 Wed N 4:53 11:09

Amarillo

Contributors

Business/Products Editor Mary Helen Aguirre Operations Manager

2013-14 A.M. Dec-Jan Minor Major 13 Fri 1:41 7:53 14 Sat 2:23 8:36 15 Sun 3:08 9:20 16 Mon > 3:54 10:06 17 Tue > 4:42 10:54 18 Wed F 5:31 11:43 19 Thu > 6:21 12:10 20 Fri > 7:11 1:00 21 Sat 8:01 1:50 22 Sun 8:49 2:39 23 Mon 9:37 3:26 24 Tue Q 10:23 4:12 25 Wed Q 11:09 4:57 26 Thu 11:54 5:42 27 Fri 12:15 6:28 28 Sat 1:02 7:16 29 Sun 1:51 8:05 30 Mon > 2:44 8:59 31 Tue > 3:40 9:56 01 Wed N 4:41 10:56

Dallas

Port Aransas, H. Caldwell Pier

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Managing Editor

LSONews.com

2013-14 A.M. Dec-Jan Minor Major 13 Fri 2:06 8:18 14 Sat 2:49 9:01 15 Sun 3:34 9:46 16 Mon > 4:20 10:32 17 Tue > 5:08 11:20 18 Wed F 5:57 ----- 19 Thu > 6:47 12:35 20 Fri > 7:37 1:26 21 Sat 8:27 2:16 22 Sun 9:15 3:05 23 Mon 10:03 3:52 24 Tue Q 10:49 4:38 25 Wed Q 11:35 5:23 26 Thu ----- 6:08 27 Fri 12:41 6:54 28 Sat 1:28 7:41 29 Sun 2:17 8:31 30 Mon > 3:10 9:25 31 Tue > 4:06 10:22 01 Wed N 5:07 11:22

P.M. Minor Major 2:05 8:17 2:48 9:00 3:32 9:44 4:18 10:30 5:06 11:18 5:55 ----- 6:44 12:33 7:34 1:22 8:23 2:12 9:11 3:00 9:58 3:47 10:45 4:34 11:31 5:20 ----- 6:06 12:41 6:54 1:29 7:43 2:20 8:35 3:14 9:29 4:11 10:27 5:12 11:27

SUN Rises 7:07 7:08 7:08 7:09 7:09 7:10 7:11 7:11 7:12 7:12 7:13 7:13 7:13 7:14 7:14 7:15 7:15 7:15 7:15 7:16

P.M. Minor Major 2:10 8:22 2:53 9:05 3:38 9:50 4:24 10:36 5:11 11:23 6:00 ----- 6:50 12:38 7:39 1:28 8:28 2:17 9:16 3:06 10:04 3:53 10:50 4:39 11:37 5:26 12:00 6:12 12:46 6:59 1:35 7:48 2:26 8:40 3:20 9:35 4:17 10:32 5:17 11:33

SUN Rises Sets 7:20 5:20 7:21 5:20 7:21 5:21 7:22 5:21 7:23 5:21 7:23 5:22 7:24 5:22 7:24 5:22 7:25 5:23 7:25 5:23 7:26 5:24 7:26 5:24 7:27 5:25 7:27 5:26 7:27 5:26 7:28 5:27 7:28 5:27 7:28 5:28 7:29 5:29 7:29 5:29

MOON Rises Sets 2:59p 3:51a 3:41p 4:48a 4:25p 5:42a 5:12p 6:34a 6:01p 7:23a 6:52p 8:08a 7:44p 8:50a 8:37p 9:28a 9:31p 10:03a 10:24p 10:36a 11:18p 11:09a NoMoon 11:41a 12:13a 12:15p 1:10a 12:51p 2:10a 1:31p 3:13a 2:16p 4:17a 3:06p 5:22a 4:04p 6:25a 5:07p 7:24a 6:14p

P.M.

Minor Major 2:17 8:29 3:00 9:12 3:45 9:57 4:31 10:43 5:18 11:30 6:07 ----- 6:57 12:45 7:46 1:35 8:35 2:24 9:23 3:13 10:11 4:00 10:57 4:46 11:44 5:33 12:07 6:19 12:53 7:06 1:42 7:55 2:33 8:47 3:27 9:42 4:24 10:39 5:24 11:40

SUN Rises 7:19 7:19 7:20 7:21 7:21 7:22 7:22 7:23 7:23 7:24 7:24 7:25 7:25 7:25 7:26 7:26 7:27 7:27 7:27 7:27

Sets 5:35 5:36 5:36 5:36 5:37 5:37 5:38 5:38 5:38 5:39 5:39 5:40 5:40 5:41 5:42 5:42 5:43 5:43 5:44 5:45

MOON Rises Sets 3:11p 3:54a 3:54p 4:49a 4:39p 5:43a 5:26p 6:34a 6:15p 7:23a 7:06p 8:09a 7:57p 8:51a 8:49p 9:30a 9:41p 10:06a 10:33p 10:41a 11:26p 11:15a NoMoon 11:48a 12:19a 12:24p 1:15a 1:01p 2:14a 1:42p 3:15a 2:29p 4:19a 3:20p 5:23a 4:18p 6:26a 5:21p 7:25a 6:28p

SUN

Rises Sets 07:46 05:34 07:47 05:35 07:48 05:35 07:48 05:35 07:49 05:36 07:50 05:36 07:50 05:36 07:51 05:37 07:51 05:37 07:52 05:38 07:52 05:38 07:53 05:39 07:53 05:39 07:53 05:40 07:54 05:40 07:54 05:41 07:54 05:42 07:55 05:42 07:55 05:43 07:55 05:44

MOON Rises Sets 3:16p 4:16a 3:57p 5:13a 4:41p 6:08a 5:28p 7:00a 6:17p 7:49a 7:09p 8:34a 8:02p 9:15a 8:55p 9:52a 9:49p 10:27a 10:44p 10:59a 11:39p 11:30a NoMoon 12:02p 12:35a 12:35p 1:33a 1:10p 2:34a 1:49p 3:38a 2:33p 4:43a 3:23p 5:49a 4:20p 6:52a 5:23p 7:50a 6:31p

P.M.

Minor Major 2:31 8:43 3:14 9:26 3:58 10:10 4:44 10:56 5:32 11:44 6:21 12:09 7:10 12:59 8:00 1:48 8:49 2:38 9:37 3:26 10:24 4:13 11:11 5:00 11:57 5:46 12:20 6:32 1:07 7:20 1:55 8:09 2:46 9:01 3:40 9:55 4:37 10:53 5:37 11:53

Sets 5:22 5:22 5:23 5:23 5:23 5:24 5:24 5:25 5:25 5:26 5:26 5:27 5:27 5:28 5:28 5:29 5:30 5:30 5:31 5:32

MOON Rises Sets 2:58p 3:41a 3:40p 4:37a 4:25p 5:30a 5:12p 6:22a 6:01p 7:11a 6:52p 7:57a 7:44p 8:39a 8:36p 9:18a 9:28p 9:54a 10:20p 10:28a 11:13p 11:02a NoMoon 11:36a 12:06a 12:11p 1:02a 12:48p 2:01a 1:29p 3:02a 2:15p 4:06a 3:07p 5:10a 4:04p 6:13a 5:07p 7:12a 6:14p

FOR THE TABLE Venison baked beans 1 pound thick sliced bacon, diced 1 pound ground venison 2 large sweet onions, diced 48 ounce jar of beans 1/4 cup dark molasses 3/4 cup brown sugar Garlic salt Pepper Fry the bacon together with a little bit of the chopped onion until almost done. Remove and drain.

Fry the venison with some of the chopped onion. Use more onion than with the bacon. Remove and drain. In a large bowl combine the beans, molasses, sugar, garlic salt and pepper to taste. Add the bacon, venison and the rest of the onion.

Mix together. Pour into a baking dish or roaster. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 1/2-2 hours.

— backwoodsbound.com

Trout supreme 3 pounds trout fillets Olive oil 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 onions, sliced 4 carrots, sliced thin 4 potatoes, sliced thin 4 celery stalks, finely chopped 1 green pepper, sliced thin 4 ripe tomatoes, sliced 1 lemon, sliced Salt and pepper Cover the bottom of a roasting

pan with olive oil. Place the fillets in the bottom.

Top with 2 cloves of the chopped garlic. Salt and pepper to taste.

Layer on the vegetables in this order: onions, celery, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, green pepper and lemon. Sprinkle on the rest of the garlic then salt and pepper to taste.

Bake at 300 degrees until the vegetables are tender.

— allrecipes.com

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

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Amistad Continued From Page 1

some and you might not.”

One guide said the situation at Lake Amistad is comparable to 2008, when levees burst in Mexico, resulting in flooding on the American side.

“The water came up fast and it was dirty and the fishing wasn’t good,” he said. “However, I think whatever is going on now is worse.

Amistad has gone from a very clear lake, a lake where people scuba dived, to an almost stained lake.

It used to be you could see fish spawning in 25 feet of water. Now you can barely see your lure in 5 feet of water. The fishing is way off.”

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department doesn’t monitor water quality at Lake Amistad.

However, TPWD biologist Randy Myers, who fishes the lake, blamed a fluctuating water level for part of the problematic fishing.

“The water level got to an alltime low (May, 2013) and then it popped up 20 feet,” he said.

“Naturally, when you get that much new water into a system, the water is not going to look good. It’s more turbid. The same thing happened about five years ago. The lake was rising 6 inches a day. It turned off the fishing quite a bit.

It takes time in such situations for the water quality to stabilize.”

A lack of hydrilla could also be part of what’s giving anglers headaches, said Greg Garetz, who handles resource management at the Amistad National Recreation Area.

Garetz said over the last year or so, the lake level twice dropped approximately 25 feet. The second time was a killer.

“The hydrilla had just started to reestablish itself when the water level dropped again,” he said. “And that pretty much killed off most of the hydrilla.”

The water level will have to stabilize for a couple of years for the hydrilla to come back, Myers said.

“The current water level is ideal for hydrilla, which will help clear the water out to some degree,” he said. “But it’s got to stay there through the growing season. If it can hold steady in the 20-foot (deep) range for two years or so, they’ll get wide fields of hydrilla and then the fishing will come back quickly.”

Elsa Hull, an environmental investigator for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, told LSON that TCEQ testing shows that water clarity at Lake Amistad is down from a couple of years ago.

Near Amistad Dam, the water

LoneOStar Outdoor News

clarity was measured by TCEQ as being 2.8 meters in January, 2011. Last month, it was 1.7 meters. And in one of the tributaries feeding water into Lake Amistad, the water clarity dropped from 2.8 meters to 0.9 meters in the same time period.

“Because of rains in the watershed on the Mexico side, there’s been a recharge downstream on the American side,” Hull said.

“Sometimes after rain events, it churns up the water. It could be that and also the water carrying sediment and silt as it goes into Amistad. That’s just the way nature works.”

Guide Kurt Dove wrote on his blog that he and a friend finished 5th in a recent charity fishing tournament at Lake Amistad.

Their string weighed 7.5 pounds.

“Not your typical Amistad for sure,” he wrote.

Dove wrote that fishing at Lake Amistad does seem to be picking up lately with dropping water temperatures creating “some activity in the shallows.”

“Search for creeks and drains with the most bait and fish slowly going back and forth around those areas for best results.”

Schoening hopes that Dove proves right.

“I don’t like taking people out just for a boat ride,” Schoening said.

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Snow Continued From Page 1

away from feeders, which allowed good carryover for mature bucks.

“This has been a good year for antler quality,” he said. “I’ve seen some big bucks — 160s and 170s. The spotty acorn crop helped. But it is slowing down now.

It has really slowed as far as rutting activity goes. There were some good bucks killed over the Thanksgiving weekend, but I attribute that more to the high hunter activity.

“The harvest will slow down from here on out, especially buck harvest.

Many areas in Texas have seen their rut wind down, but south of San Antonio, the festivities are just about to begin.

Rutting activity was reported near Sabinal and Uvalde during the most recent cold snap.

In deep South Texas, Webb County Game Warden Justin Solis said young bucks have started to rut, but the mature deer haven’t emerged in large numbers.

“I’ve seen mostly management bucks being taken,” Solis said. “I checked a lot of hunters recently and most had culls. The older deer haven’t come out yet, from what I have seen. I think this next weekend is when it is going to kick off.”

Many Texas hunters did find success.

San Antonio hunter Alex Spangler had waited a long time to get a big buck in his sights.

And when he pulled the trigger on the 7-year-old deer several days after Thanksgiving, he thought he’d blown his opportunity.

“We were hunting my uncle’s ranch near Hico,” the sophomore at Texas A&M University said. “Three Thanksgivings ago, I was told I could hunt a really big buck. The first year I found the buck I wanted to hunt, and we sat for him, but it didn’t work out. The second year, we got a lot of pictures of him, but he had busted off half of his rack.

“It was pretty depressing. I was excited and looking forward to that hunt the whole year.”

This Thanksgiving found Spangler back on the ranch for another crack, and with a little motivation.

“One of my cousins told me he was going to look for that buck if I didn’t get him,” Spangler said. “This season, we started the hunt on Thanksgiving Day. We saw pictures on the game camera of him. He was really old.

He was getting pushed around by a lot of the other deer and he had a limp.”

Spangler said nothing came easy with this buck and

FINALLY: After three years, San Antonio hunter Alex Spangler finally caught up to this 7-year-old buck on his uncle’s ranch near Hico. Photo by Bill Hutchison.

this year’s hunt was no exception.

“It was the last hour of the last day of the four-day hunt,” he said. “I had seen lots of little bucks and it was getting late.

I had only seen this deer once in person, from the truck, but when I first saw him from the blind, he looked huge.

“I didn’t even need to grab my binoc-

ulars.”

Spangler quickly got the big buck in his sights and pulled the trigger, only to see the deer turn and run right back into the woods like he wasn’t hit.

“I’ve never had buck fever before, but it is real,” he said. “My heart was racing and I was breathing hard. When I shot,

I thought I’d finally gotten my chance and missed.”

Luckily, the deer was found 20 yards inside the woodline. The brute weighed 197 pounds on the hoof.

Spangler, like many hunters this season, took advantage of good weather and harvested a trophy.

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December 13, 2013

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December 13, 2013

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OUTDOOR CHANNEL Headhunters TV Whitetail Freaks Legends of the Fall Hunt Masters Jim Shockey’s The Professionals Heartland Bowhunter Addicted to the Outdoors Primal Instinct Under Amour Presents Ridge Reaper Mathews Adventure Bowhunter Headhunters TV Heartland Bowhunter The Best of the West OUTDOOR CHANNEL Inside Outdoors TV Hank Parker’s Flesh & Blood Moultrie’s The Hit List Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild Hunting the Country Driven with Pat and Nicole BioLogic & Drury’s Wildlife Obsession Dream Season The Journey Eastmans’ Hunting TV Shawn Michael’s MRA Hunting The Country Primos Truth About Hunting BioLogic & Drury’s Wildlife Obsession OUTDOOR CHANNEL Choose Your Weapon Field & Stream’s The Gun Nuts MidwayUSA’s Gun Stories Shooting USA Shooting USA Shooting USA’s Impossible Shots American Rifleman Field & Stream’s The Gun Nuts MidwayUSA’s Gun Stories Grateful Nation Shooting USA Shooting USA Shooting USA’s Impossible Shots

Time 6:00 pm 6:30 pm 7:00 pm 7:30 pm 8:00 pm 8:30 pm 9:00 pm 9:30 pm 10:00 pm 10:30 pm 11:00 pm 11:30 pm Midnight Time 6:00 pm 6:30 pm 7:00 pm 7:30 pm 8:00 pm 8:30 pm 9:00 pm 9:30 pm 10:00 pm 10:30 pm 11:00 pm 11:30 pm Midnight

OUTDOOR CHANNEL Grateful Nation Scent-Lok’s High Places Beyond the Hunt The Hunt with Greg & Jake Realtree Road Trips Realtree’s NASCAR Outdoors Bow Madness Cabela’s Ultimate Adventures The Season with Justin Martin Cuddeback’s Wild Outdoors The Jackie Bushman Show Crush with Lee & Tifffany Razor Dobbs Alive OUTDOOR CHANNEL Solo Hunters Sasquatch Trip Gone Bad Winchester Legends Fear No Evil Razor Dobbs Alive Driven with Pat and Nicole REAIR Winchester’s Rack Masters Realtree’s NASCAR Outdoors Ultimate Buck Zone Under Armour Presents Ridge Reaper Bone Collector Jim Shockey’s The Professionals OUTDOOR CHANNEL Fisher’s ATV World Shawn Michael’s MRA Ducks Unlimited Steve’s Outdoor Adventures Roger Raglin Outdoors Ultimate Hunting Trophy Quest ScentBlocker Most Wanted Heartland Bowhunter Western Extreme presented by BowTech Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild Craig Morgan All Access Outdoors The Bassmasters

Time 6:00 pm 6:30 pm 7:00 pm 7:30 pm 8:00 pm 8:30 pm 9:00 pm 9:30 pm 10:00 pm 10:30 pm 11:00 pm 11:30 pm Midnight

OUTDOOR CHANNEL Mathews TV with Dave Watson Crush with Lee & Tiffany Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures Wildgame Nation Realtree Outdoors Primos Truth About Hunting The Jackie Bushman Show Bone Collector Craig Morgan All Access Outdoors Red Arrow Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures Realtree Road Trips Live 2 Hunt with Cody Robbins

FRIDAY

THURSDAY SATURDAY

Time 6:00 pm 6:30 pm 7:00 pm 7:30 pm 8:00 pm 8:30 pm 9:00 pm 9:30 pm 10:00 pm 10:30 pm 11:00 pm 11:30 pm Midnight Time 6:00 pm 6:30 pm 7:00 pm 7:30 pm 8:00 pm 8:30 pm 9:00 pm 9:30 pm 10:00 pm 10:30 pm 11:00 pm 11:30 pm Midnight Time 6:00 pm 6:30 pm 7:00 pm 7:30 pm 8:00 pm 8:30 pm 9:00 pm 9:30 pm 10:00 pm 10:30 pm 11:00 pm 11:30 pm Midnight Time 6:00 pm 6:30 pm 7:00 pm 7:30 pm 8:00 pm 8:30 pm 9:00 pm 9:30 pm 10:00 pm 10:30 pm 11:00 pm 11:30 pm Midnight

SUNDAY

WEDNESDAY TUESDAY

MONDAY

Good through January 1. Go to LSONews.com for up-to-date information.

Pursuit CHANNEL Wingshooting USA Avian X Pulse Factor TV Hardcore Hunting TV Deer Thugs The American Way Spook Nation Outdoor Edge’s Love of the Hunt Anything Wild Wild Rivers Whitetails Flyway Highway TNT Outdoor Explosion Scentblocker & Drury’s Natural Born

WORLD FISHING NETWORK Collegiate Bass Fishing Kayak Bassin’ TV Bass West USA TV Skeeter Bass Champs Timmy Horton Outdoors Big Bass Battle FLW Tour Fish’n Canada

Pursuit CHANNEL Avian X Flyway Highway Honey Brake Experience NWTF 365 Hunting with HECS Tachycardia Outdoors Gulf South Outdoors Whitetail Diaries Hunt Wicked Close TV-- Con Fletcha, LLC Show of Support Mississippi Outdoors Inside the Obsession Gun Talk TV

sportsman CHANNEL Trijicon’s the Hunt Country Boys Outdoors Guns & Ammo Davidson’s Gallery of Guns Ruger Inside and Out World of Beretta Tac TV What if?

Guns & Ammo Davidson’s Gallery of Guns Ruger Inside and Out World of Beretta Tac TV sportsman CHANNEL Drake’s Migration Nation Antler Insanity Whitetail Properties Major League Bowhunter Realtree’s Monster Bucks Back Country Quest Brad Farris’ Game Plan Savage Outdoors Whitetail Properties Major League Bowhunter Realtree’s Monster Bucks Back Country Quest Brad Farris’ Game Plan sportsman CHANNEL A-Way Outdoors TV Scent Blocker’s The Chase w/ Leigh & Travis Big Deer TV Destination Whitetail North American Whitetail Winchester World of Whitetail The Zone Adrenaline Junkies Big Deer TV Destination Whitetail North American Whitetail Winchester World of Whitetail The Zone sportsman CHANNEL Priefert’s Backwoods Bloodline Reel Shot Fresh Tracks with Randy Newberg The Outfitters Bulit by Ford F-Series Petersen’s HUNTING Adventures Into High Country 3-Gun Nation 3-Gun Nation Fresh Tracks with Randy Newberg The Outfitters Bulit by Ford F-Series Petersen’s HUNTING Adventures Into High Country 3-Gun Nation sportsman CHANNEL Innerloc’s Out There Backwoods Life Relentless Pursuit Name the Game Bowhunter TV Midwest Whitetail with Bill Winke Easton Bowhunting Maximum Archery Ambush Tour Relentless Pursuit Name the Game Bowhunter TV Midwest Whitetail with Bill Winke Easton Bowhunting sportsman CHANNEL Brush Country Monsters Hardcore Pursuit The Western Hunter Hollywood Hunter E-Force E-Force Trijicon’s World of Sports Afield Moment of Impact The Western Hunter Hollywood Hunter E-Force E-Force Trijicon’s World of Sports Afield

Pursuit CHANNEL Carnivore Deadly Passion North American Hunter The High Road Inside the Obsession Scentblocker & Drury’s Natural Born NWTF 365 Bloodline Avian X Save the Habitat, Save the Hunt Gulf South Outdoors Hunting with HECS Bear Whisperer

sportsman CHANNEL Buckventures Whitetail SLAM Pigman Meet the McMillans MeatEater Travelin’ Hunter Territories Wild Gun it with Benny Spies Pigman Meet the McMillans MeatEater Travelin’ Hunter Territories Wild

WORLD FISHING NETWORK George Poveromo’s Saltwater Fishing Kayak Bassin’ TV The Kayak Fishing Show w/ Jim Sammons Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing Force on Force Fishing the Flats The New Fly Fisher Angler West TV

Pursuit CHANNEL Bear Whisperer Hartcraft Hunting Adventures Southern Woods and Water TV The Bucket List Hank Parker 3D Wildlife Pursuit TV Bowhunting Addiction KT Diaries Canadian Whitetail TV Americana Outdoors Bloodline Spook Nation Mayhem OD Pursuit CHANNEL Outdoor Insights Game On The RUSH Spiritual Outdoor Adventures Honey Brake Experience Game Keepers Save the Habitat, Save the Hunt Mississippi Outdoors Open Season Outdoor TV Classics Outdoor TV Classics The High Road North Amercian Safari Hank Parker 3D Pursuit CHANNEL Huntin’ Is Good!

Campfire Stories StruttinBucks “The Juncture” Wallhanger TV Backland Experiences Hunting Connection TV Big Boy Adventures TNT Outdoors Explosion Trophy State of Mind Bob Redfern’s Outdoor Magazine Backland Experiences Save the Habitat, Save the Hunt American Trigger Sports Network Pursuit CHANNEL Young Guns Complete Season Trigger Time TV American Airgunner American Trigger Sports Network Gun Talk TV Doug Koenig’s Championship Season Guns & Gear TV 3 Gun Nation 3 Gun Nation Tuff Girls

Reel Fishy Jobs with Mark Melnyk Offshore Adventure Quest WORLD FISHING NETWORK Sportfishing on the Fly In the Loop Fly Nation The New Fly Fisher Game Fisher’s Diary Orvis Guide to Fly Fishing Joy of Fishing BC Outdoors Sport Fishing

Reel Fishy Jobs with Mark Melnyk Hookin’ Up with Mariko Izumi WORLD FISHING NETWORK Copout Outdoor Adventures IGFA Saltwater Adventures Big Coast Sportfishing Inside Sport Fishing The Kayak Fishing Show w/ Jim Sammons Bob Izumi’s Real Fishing The New Fly Fisher Canadian Sportfishing

Reel Fishy Jobs with Mark Melnyk Lost Lake WORLD FISHING NETWORK Fishing the Flats Fishing Texas Florida Adventure Quest FlatsClass Belize Outdoors Inside Sport Fishing Angler West TV Westcoast Sporting Journal

Backwoods Angler TV Fish TV WORLD FISHING NETWORK Lindner’s Angling Edge The Next Bite TV John Gillespie’s Water & Woods Musky Hunter The Session Season on the Edge Jarrett Edwards Outdoors Fish TV

Copout Outdoor Adventures Canadian Sportfishing WORLD FISHING NETWORK American Fly Guide Mark Berg’s Fishing Addiction IGFA Saltwater Adventures Boat Fishing With Barham FLW Tour FLW Tour Fishing 411 BC Outdoors Sport Fishing

Beyond the Cast Bass West USA TV

Reel Fishy Jobs with Mark Melnyk In the Loop

Prime Time is a new section for our readers.

Here at LSON, we got tired of searching the Internet, TV Guide or menus on our digital cable boxes to find the latest hunting and fishing shows.

So, we decided if we don’t like it, our readers probably don’t either.

Well, here it is. A handy guide to allow you one easy step to find the best outdoors shows in primetime.

If you are looking for Saturday and Sunday morning shows, along with programming during other hours, go to lsonews.com as we are out hunting and fishing during those times.

If you have any suggestions, please send an email to news@ lonestaroutdoornews.com.

Palin to host show on Sportsman Channel Former U.S. vice presidential candidate, governor, best-selling author and original “Mama Grizzly” Sarah Palin returns to series television on Sportsman Channel to host a new show — the first part of the network’s “Red, Wild & Blue America” programming plan — for the network. Titled Amazing America with Sarah Palin, the weekly series will premiere in April 2014. The announcement was made by Gavin Harvey, CEO of Sportsman Channel.

“I’m excited to help shine a light on all the great American sportsmen and women in the country who live the outdoors lifestyle,” Palin said. “Sportsman Channel is the leader in their industry and I am thrilled to be partnering with them on this show.”

“Governor Palin is one of America’s most popular leaders, whose powerful love of country and passion for the great outdoors is inspiring to millions and millions of people,” Harvey said. “As a sportswoman, humanitarian, and patriot who has visited every corner of the USA, there is no one more qualified to host Amazing America than Sarah Palin.”

NBC SPORTS Whitetail Diaries Eye of the Hunter North to Alaska Territories Wild Deer Hunting TV Outdoor Secrets North American Hunter

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

Cranes Continued From Page 4

GOOD DECOYS NEEDED: After many cranes became educated to hunters during the early season, outfitters are using life-like decoys to fool the wary birds. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

schedule up for them.�

Along the coast, hunters are eagerly awaiting the season, which gets underway in late December.

Areas of East Texas east of Interstate 35 and a zone running inland from Highway 77 are off limits to hunters, due to the migration and wintering spots of whooping cranes. Accidentally shooting a whooping crane brings significant penalties and fines.

Zone C closed area: Everything to the Gulf of Mexico from a line beginning at the Kleberg-Nueces county line and the Gulf of Mexico, west along the county line to Park Road 22, to State Hwy. 358, to State Hwy. 286, north to IH 37, east to U.S. Hwy. 181, north and west to U.S. Hwy. 77 at Sinton, north and east along U.S. Hwy. 77 to U.S. Hwy. 87 at Victoria, east and south along U.S. Hwy. 87

to State Hwy. 35, north and east along State Hwy. 35 to the south end of Lavaca Bay Causeway, south and east along the shore of Lavaca Bay to the Port Lavaca Ship Channel, south and east along the Ship Channel to the Gulf of Mexico.

Map by TPWD.

December 13, 2013

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December 13, 2013

LoneOStar Outdoor News

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PRODUCTS GPS Hunt Topo Map SD Cards: Trimble Outdoors’ SD cards will give smartphone and REACTOR QUIVER: Apex Gear, known for their tablet owners access to topographic maps for 39 states, including Texas. The maps, Performance Driven Archery sights and accessories, which cover more than 167 million private land plots, offer such details as private is pleased to introduce the Reactor Quiver for archery land boundaries. The new memory cards work in Android-powered smartphones with enthusiasts. The Reactor Quiver holds up to five arrows a SD/microSD slot. (The memory cards are also compatible with Apple iPhones and and fits both left- and right-handed bows, making iPads.) Once the maps are loaded onto the device, the maps are viewable without a it an excellent addition to your favorite bow. data or cell connection, offering hunters 15 different zoom levels of full-color topoThe Reactor Quiver has a low-profile graphic maps – they will even be able to design that keeps the quiver tight see which side of the fence and against the bow riser. The new whose land they are standReactor Quiver incorporates a ing on! The GPS Hunt Topo secure double gripper design that 1-4x 24mm rifleMap Cards are sold by fits both carbon and aluminum scope: Bushnell’s state for $99 and $119 (for arrows, including Easton G, X and two newest riflescopes the larger states: such as H Series Micro-Shaft hunting arrows. in the AR Optics line boast true Texas).

It also fits both mechanical and fixed one-power magnification, highbroadheads. The Reactor has an adjustquality optics and target turrets. Featuring fully multi-coated For information, visit: able tension aluminum Cam-Lock for optics, the AR Optics line provides exceptional light transwww.gpshuntfish.com an easy one-hand removal of the mission and image clarity. With an overall length just over or www.TrimbleOutdoors.com quiver. The adjustable “tilt” feature 9 inches, the scope is a perfect fit on AR-style rifles. Built enables the user to fine-tune the bow from a durable, one-piece 30mm tube, the riflescope has balance and the mounting bracket and plenty of travel for extended-range elevation adjustments. In grippers are adjustable up and down to addition, target turrets and a fast-focus eyepiece allow shootbetter fit all bow models. The Reactor ers to make quick adjustments in the field. One of the models includes a rigid aluminum-hanging features the new Drop Zone 223 Reticle, a bullet-drop compenloop for use in treestands or groundsation (BDC) reticle with a 100-yard zero and aiming points out blinds. “I was impressed with the ease of to 500 yards; the other new model features the BTR-1 illumiinstall and adjustments available to comnated reticle and a throw down power change lever for quick pliment any bow,” said Mike Hughs, magnification adjustments. The BTR-1 functions as a red Lone Star Outdoor News. dot at low power while offering aiming points to 600 yards at full power. The riflescopes cost about $200 and $300, (309) 944-5341 depending on the model. www.apex-gear.com (800) 423-3537 www.bushnell.com

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Deer THUGS rifle ammunition: Federal Premium Ammunition teamed with Mossy Oak and the TV hunting program Deer THUGS for its latest offering. The new ammo is part of the Power-Shok line and includes loads in nine calibers: .243 Win., .25-06 Rem., .270 Win., 7mm Rem. Magnum, .30-30 Win., .308 Win., .30-06 Spring., .300 WSM and .300 Win. Magnum. The bullets are made using a proprietary plating process that results in high weight retention and expansion. A box of ammunition sells for about $20 to $40, depending on caliber (A portion of the proceeds will benefit wounded veterans).

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

(508) 635-4273 www.magnumresearch.com

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(800) 322-2342 www.federalpremium.com

Titanium Gold Tiger Stripe Desert Eagle Mark XIX .50 Action Express hand gun: Magnum Research’s hand gun boasts .50 AE rotating three-lug bolt gas-operated semi-automatic action with the knockdown power needed for hunting big game. The barrel, frame and slide are made from carbon steel and come with a full Weaver-type rail for easy installation of scope rings and optical devices. The gun’s 6-inch barrel comes with or without a muzzle brake. That eye-catching tiger stripe pattern was modeled after the skin of a Bengal tiger. And, its finish is a titanium nitrite vapor deposition coating. This handgun sells for about $2,264.

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Tides Continued From Page 9

the fishing has been off more because of the colder weather.

The colder weather pattern this year seems to be earlier and colder than normal. That will disperse fish.”

Balboa said when a north wind blows this time of year it usually pushes water out of the bays, which has not happened around Galveston.

“For whatever reason this year, the wind is blowing and the cold weather is here, but the water is still high,” Balboa said.

“I think the poor

Puzzle solution from Page 22

fishing is due to the cold weather keeping anglers off the water.”

In the Upper Laguna Madre, biologist Faye Grubbs said she has definitely seen higher tides this fall.

“It has been up for sure,” Grubbs said.

“Especially for how long it has been extended.

Just from an observation standpoint, the wetlands near the JFK Causeway are always a good indicator of water levels, and those have been high from September through November.

“The fronts just haven’t pushed water out like in years’ past.”

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Venting Continued From Page 8

“The regulations went away in federal waters, not because it doesn’t work, but because it didn’t allow for recompression tools,” he said. “It was a very narrow scope. So to avoid complexity, they went away from it altogether. I think it needs to be addressed.

“Fish still need to be vented or sent down.”

How do state coastal biologists view the venting/recompression debate?

“In state waters, venting isn’t necessary,” said Mark Fisher, science director for TPWD’s Coastal Fisheries division.

“We’ve not really tackled that because we just aren’t deep enough to need it in state waters.”

Venting isn’t just for saltwater species.

TPWD has conducted studies on venting largemouth bass in some of the state’s deeper freshwater lakes.

Often called fizzing in bass circles, the idea is the same, and increased survival by 14 percent on Lake Amistad where the study was conducted.

December 13, 2013

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DATEBOOK December 14-15

January 8

Texas Gun and Knife Shows Amarillo Civic Center (830) 285-0575 texasgunandknifeshows.com

January 9-12

Premier Gun Shows Exposition Hall, San Antonio (817) 732-1194 premiergunshows.com

Bass Champs 1st Annual Squaw Creek Fish and Chips Charity Poker/Fishing Tournament (817) 280-0303 basschamps.com

December 28-29

The Original Fort Worth Gun Show Will Rogers Center (817) 732-1194 premiergunshows.com

Weatherby Foundation International Hunting and Conservation Award Dinner Dallas, Omni Hotel (866) 934-4976 weatherbyfoundation.org

January 17-18

Deer Breeders Corporation 6th Annual New Year’s Auction Horseshoe Bay Resort Marriott (972) 289-3100 dbcdeer.com

January 17-19

January 31-February 1

Texas Deer Association Superior Genetics Deer Auction San Antonio (210) 767-8300 texasdeerassociation.com

Dallas Safari Club Annual Convention Dallas Convention Center (972) 980-9800 biggame.org

Houston Safari Club Annual Convention The Woodlands Waterway Marriott (713) 623-8866 houstonsafariclub.org

January 31-February 9

January 10-12

January 23

Ducks Unlimited Allen Sportsmen’s Night Out Swingin’ D Ranch, Parker (214) 770-3551 ducks.org/texas

Texas Tackle, Hunting and Boat Show Mesquite Convention Center (918) 785-7447 montgomeryproductions.com

Texas Brush Country Chapter SCI Annual Banquet American Bank Center, Corpus Christi (361) 877-9872

LONE STAR MARKET

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

DFW Winter Boat Expo Dallas Market Hall (469) 500-6155 dallasboatexpo.com

February 6

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December 13, 2013

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December 13, 2013

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