Shad search
Texas’ Premier Outdoor Newspaper
June 11, 2010
Volume 6, Issue 20
Anglers at Lake Texoma are struggling to find enough shad for bait. Page 7
Specks biting shallow
Inside
Fly anglers are picking up trout in 1 to 4 feet By Nick Conklin
LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS
❘❚ HUNTING
New neighbors Black-bellied whistling ducks are expanding their territory in Texas. Page 4
Mule deer moving? The face of mule deer hunting is changing in Texas, even if the deer population isn’t. Page 4
❘❚ FISHING
Squaw Creek again Anglers welcomed the reopening of Squaw Creek Reservoir after a long closure because of Sept. 11. Page 6
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INSIDE
See TROUT, Page 23
❘❚ CONTENTS Classifieds . . . . . . . . Crossword . . . . . . . . Fishing Report . . . . . . For the Table . . . . . . . Game Warden Blotter . . . Heroes . . . . . . . . . . Outdoor Datebook. . . . . Outfitters and Businesses Products . . . . . . . . . Sun, Moon and Tide data .
Does anybody know how to tie a croaker fly? Some anglers have reported fast action for speckled trout while using croaker as bait. Fly-fishing buffs are getting in on the fun, too, though the bite might be a little slower. Because of questionable weather conditions, though, the peak of speckled trout season has seen many anglers struggling to produce high numbers. Eric Glass of South Padre said ■ Offshore: the conditions Sargassum necessary for could face oil effective sightdanger. fishing for specks Page 6 have not been prevalent in his area. “If you get some calm, sunny weather with zero wind and bright sun at midday,” Glass said, “then you can go and catch a trout.” Richard Weldon, fishing the Laguna Madre, has found success while drifting over some of the potholes that dot the flats around the area. “We have been catching trout up to 28 inches, but the vast majority of them have been 18 to 20 inches,” Weldon said. Fish have been caught around the Laguna Madre in depths of 1 to 3 feet while cruising the flats. Top flies for the coast are Clouser
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POLE AND ROD: Some speckled trout are being caught in shallow water, with some cruising the flats and others running with schools of tailing redfish. Photo by Scott Sommerlatte, for Lone Star Outdoor News.
Panfish fighting on mix of flies Fly anglers favor them, catch high numbers
Less than 100 bands submitted in 5 years
By Thomas Phillips LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS
When it comes to catching panfish, fly anglers have a way of dominating the little guys. “It’s hard not to catch them,” said David Lemke of Houston. Fishing on ponds in and around Houston, Lemke catches most of his panfish — bluegill, sunfish, “perch” — using small hard-body poppers and Miss Prissys. The Miss Prissy fly has a hard popper head with eyes painted on the side and lots of rubber legs coming off the hook shaft and rubber legs and feathers for a tail.
Banded turkeys a rarity in Texas for hunters
By Thomas Phillips LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS
of everywhere,” Lemke said, and they often aren’t picky about what
Waterfowl hunters go nuts for banded birds. The “jewelry” becomes a prized possession and a source of instant bragging rights. Thousands of dove in Texas also sport shiny metal bands, used in research of many biological factors. And some Texas turkeys, although not in great numbers, also strut in style, though few hunters ever bag one. “I would think that that would proba-
See PANFISH, Page 20
See TURKEYS, Page 26
LOTS OF LOVE: Panfish are easy to catch on flies and can be found in almost any body of water in Texas that holds fish. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
With panfish, figuring out location and fly choice is not the rocket science like it is for chasing other species. They are “kind
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HUNTING
Interest growing in mule deer; population steady More landowners are managing for muleys; opportunity growing By Bill Miller
FOR LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS With two counties added to next fall’s mule deer season, some hunters might guess that the state is gaining more of the stout, big-eared deer. But the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission agreed in April to expand oppor-
tunities in Dawson and Wheeler counties because they have enough deer, and hunting isn’t expected to cut herd sizes. Mule deer numbers were greater 24 years ago when the Trans Pecos and Panhandle regions combined held about 247,000 animals. The numbers shifted up and down, with decreases blamed on disease, predators, shrinking habitat and drought, but not hunting. In the Trans Pecos in particular, mule deer herd fluctuations correlate with annual precipitation, according to state biologists. In 2001, estimates showed the state had See MULEYS, Page 17
More ducks in the woods Duck species expanding its territory in Texas
HIP helps with finding bird hunters to follow Survey used more for identifying who’s harvesting
By Craig Nyhus
LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS Duck hunters in Central, North and East Texas who haven’t hunted the coast often don’t know what the birds are or whether they can take a shot at them. They see the bright orange beak, long pink feet, long neck and lengthy wingspan with a large white patch — and then they hear the strange whistling sound — and wonder. Deer hunters viewing them from their box blind have no idea what they are. They seem to like golf courses, and the golfers, many who hunt, look puzzlingly. But the black-bellied whistling duck is on the move — north, that is — and waterfowlers and bird watchers are taking notice. “They are becoming much more common,” said Michael Rezsutek, a Texas Parks and Wildlife waterfowl biologist based in Port Arthur. “We are seeing more of them, especially in summer, and we see more of them when we are banding mottled ducks.” The birds range as far south as northern Argentina, and are plentiful in Central America. Migrating north, good numbers have wintered along the Texas coast for years. More and more, they seem to like Texas and are sticking around. Randy Wheeler guides near Garwood but said he sees the ducks mostly in the city. “When the shooting starts, they tend to disappear,” he said. Wheeler, who is also one of the organizers of the Gulf Coast Waterfowl Festival and Expo to be held July 31 through Aug. 1 in Pasadena, said he has had the birds come in when hunting at Bay City. While the birds can be hunted, he agrees with statements that the birds are susceptible to overharvest because of their unwary nature. “Once they came, they circled around and came back several times,” he said. Not much is known about why the birds are sticking around and moving north. “No one is watching or studying them with any great detail,” Rezsutek said. “But there has been a big change in the last 20 years — in the ’80s, they barely made it into Texas. I don’t think they are going back to Mexico as much. And they are moving northward.” Black-bellied whistling ducks have been regulars in and around San Antonio for some time. Now, they are around Waco and even
MULEY STATS: Mule deer numbers have their ups and downs within subregions of Texas. But the statewide population number remains steady, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. Photo by TPW.
By Nicholas Conklin LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS
A common misconception is that the estimate of the harvest of migratory birds relies solely upon hunter’s responses in the Harvest Information Program survey. Although these numbers play a role in estimating the total number of birds killed, another factor comes into play. The HIP responses and the percentages of wings and bands that are collected determine the estimated kill rates of migratory birds. Every person who hunts migratory birds in Texas must be HIP certified. A hunter must answer questions about how many birds he or she harvested last season in order to receive the certification. Vendors administer the questionnaire when a license is purchased. Few hunters look forward to answering questions about what migratory birds they killed while standing in line at the last minute to get their hunting or Super Combo license. Some just answer “No” to each question to make the process go faster. Others embellish their totals — possibly to impress the cute store clerk. Officials have known the results aren’t always reliable but they still use them, albeit for a purpose that might get the hunter surveyed even further. Hunters’ information acts only as a See HIP SURVEY, Page 19
NEW ARRIVALS: Black-bellied whistling ducks are known to take up residence in wood duck boxes. The birds, which are expanding in Texas, can commingle with woodies or nest after them. Photo by Ron Gard, for Lone Star Outdoor News.
Abilene. In eastern and northeastern Texas, the northern nesting movement of the bird has been noticed especially by landowners watching the wood duck boxes they installed. They are seeing a new type of resident. Like wood ducks, black-bellied whistling ducks typically nest in tree cavities but will nest on the ground in grassy areas or under brush or cacti near water. Rezsutek doesn’t think the wood duck boxes have been a factor in their spread north. “The boxes have been around for a long time,” he said. “It could be the milder winters, nobody really knows.”
Black-bellied whistling duck Average length: About 19 inches Average weight: About 1.8 pounds Appearance: The most erect of all ducks, with long pink legs and long necks. Black belly with a chestnut nape, chest and back. A chestnut cap tops its head above its gray face, bright orange bill and white eye ring. Call: Noisy in flight with a whistling “pa-che-che.” Distribution: Breeds from Texas through coastal Mexico and Central America. Behavior: Pairs most often partner for life and share the responsibilities of incubation and brood rearing. Females lay an average of 13 eggs and several females lay in the same nest. Diet: Commonly feed on grain, corn at deer feeders, seeds, some insects and mollusks and leaves and shoots found in fields and shallow water.
HIP HUNTER: Information provided in the HIP survey helps biologists identify hunters for further questioning. Photo by LSON.
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QUACK MAGIC: Kent Cullum, right, competes with Brad Allen in the Team Real Duck category during the Ducks Unlimited calling contest May 29 in Grapevine. Photo by Thomas Phillips, Lone Star Outdoor News.
DU supporters from all over gather in Grapevine Organizer gives favorable review of show; expo crowd light By Thomas Phillips LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS
Attendance was less than expected on the expo side of the 73rd Ducks Unlimited National Convention, held Memorial Day weekend in Grapevine, but organizers called the expo and convention a success. “They both went good,” said Dana Barton, DU’s director of meetings and conferences.
“We had a little bit of a light crowd on the expo side.” Organizers had hoped having the event on Memorial Day weekend would boost attendance numbers. Ultimately, however, the holiday spelled doom for it. “We were hoping that that wasn’t going to be an impact, but obviously it was,” Barton said. Although the crowd was thin, Barton said, vendors reported making great contacts with potential customers. Next year’s convention is scheduled for Aug. 12-14 at Opryland in Nashville. The 75th edition will also be held there. See DU SHOW, Page 20
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FISHING
Eager anglers return to reopened Squaw Creek Bite is hot — sort of — at this long-unfished lake By Thomas Phillips LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS
Squaw Creek Reservoir reopened to public anglers June 4 after almost nine years behind locked gates after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Authorities closed it for security reasons to protect Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant, whose towers rise above the lake near Glen Rose. And just like it was before being closed, Squaw Creek is still one of the hottest fishing lakes in Texas. “I’ve never had a boat in a lake where it said 97 degrees water temperature,” said Charles Rhodes of Mesquite after fishing the lake opening morning. “I thought something was wrong with it, and I stuck my hand out. And I told him (fishing partner Greg Burrows),
‘I don’t even take baths in that hot of water.’” The power plant uses the lake’s water in its process of making electricity. Several power plant lakes can be found throughout Texas. At Squaw Creek, opening day started with excitement and wonder. For security reasons, the plant’s owner, Luminant, set fishing hours from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on select days of the week. Anglers must register in advance, and they must pass through screening when they arrive at the lake. The screening is not as intense as at an airport, but anglers must show their identification, and security personnel perform a walk-around on boats. For opening day, all 100 openings
had been booked. About 40 boats were lined up at the entrance gate by 6:30 a.m. Anglers had started arriving hours before that, said Scott Stricklin, an engineer from Benbrook. “The man that was No. 1 was here at 12 o’clock midnight,” Stricklin said. “We were No. 2, and we showed up right about 3:30, and that’s something we’d done even before this happened.” Boats began trickling down to the lake’s only ramp, which has five lanes, at 7 a.m. Anglers quickly began offloading their boats. While waiting his turn at the boat ramp, Stephen Teague of Cresson talked about the rumors surrounding See SQUAW CREEK, Page 23
NUCLEAR REACTION: Public fishing has resumed at Squaw Creek Reservoir, and all 100 boat reservations were full for opening day. Photo by Thomas Phillips, LSON.
Sargassum could play role in spill Oil could kill algae, but algae could make cleanup easier By Thomas Phillips LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS
Fishing an offshore weed line in the Gulf of Mexico is a hot bet for Capt. Michael Walker. The floating sargassum algae mats teem with life and serve as the bottom of a long food chain. Tiny juvenile fish, shrimp and crabs seek shelter in the sargassum but often become prey for bigger fish. Bar jacks and goggle eyes become food for chicken dorado. Marlin work the edges of mats to pick off chicken dorado. Some of the young dorado grow up and become, like marlin and other billfish, a target for offshore anglers. The sargassum might be at risk, however, because of the oil spill off the coast of Louisiana. “That’s pretty scary, you know, if it were to affect that,” said Walker, who fishes out of South Padre Island. The floating Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in April, killing 11 workers onboard and causing the well 5,000 feet underwater on the Gulf floor to begin leaking. Estimates vary on how much oil has come up, but some say the amount is in the millions of gallons. Currents apparently are carrying the oil over large parts of the Gulf, mostly on the eastern side. The same currents also spread sargassum around the Gulf, and the oil and algae could meet. That could be bad and good, said Roy Lehman, a biology professor at Texas A&MCorpus Christi and a research associate at the Harte Research Institute. “It is going to affect offshore fisheries, but to what extent it’s hard to tell,” Lehman said. On the bad side, the oil could kill the sargassum and negatively affect animals on up the food chain. If the oil is toxic enough when it meets the sargassum, it could keep baitfish away. Without baitfish, bigger sportfish will stay away, too. The longer the oil takes to move around the Gulf to Texas, the better, Lehman said. Over time, the oil weathers and becomes less toxic. It also forms tar balls over time. Tar balls are easier to clean up than liquid oil. The silver lining of the situation would be if the sargassum intercepts the oil offshore. There, the oil could clump with the algae. That might hurt the sargassum, but when a mat breaks out of the prevailing current and comes ashore, it would be easier to clean up. “The good thing for us is the oil will have time to have weathered,” Lehman said. For now, the prevailing winds and currents are pushing the oil spill east toward Florida. It could wrap around Florida and head up the East Coast, but it could also swing back around the southern Gulf and make its way
WEED LINE ACTION: Above, a weedline floats behind the Dock Holiday after Cassandra Keller, right, caught a wahoo. Pictured with Keller is Phil Moskal, a mate on the boat. Right, weedlines are popular with offshore anglers because they provide cover and food for sport fish. Top photo by Michael Walker. Right photo by Lone Star Outdoor News
to Texas. Lehman was reluctant to predict if or when that would happen, saying too many variables affect the timing. Whatever the timing, Lehman predicts it will come to Texas. “I believe, basically, we will have some oil impact on Texas,” he said. “And I believe it will cover some of the sargassum that’s on the Loop Current, too.” However it affects the sargassum, Walker said he will stay away if it becomes oily. When he heads out fishing, Walker hopes to see a combination of three things: color edges in the water, temperature edges and sargassum edges. If he finds all three in the same area, the fishing is on. “That’s going to hold some fish,” he said. “It’s not always something I fish, but if I see a good one, I’m going to spend some time on it.”
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BAIT BUST: Catching sufficient numbers of shad has become futile at Lake Texoma for some guides. They are finding other sources, such as baitshops and other lakes. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.
Texoma guides searching for bait after winter kill Some buying shad from fish farms, some driving to other lakes
By Nicholas Conklin LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS
Striped bass guides have had a difficult time finding shad on lake Texoma this spring, forcing many to look elsewhere for their bait. Guides and anglers have resorted to purchasing shad from area baitfish suppliers, or driving to other lakes to catch their own. Dan Barnett buys his bait from a supplier in Arkansas, which has increased the price of
the bait. “They’re incredibly expensive; they’re about 50 to 60 cents a piece, and we go through 100 to 150 a trip,” Barnett said. Jay Staley said that despite Texas Parks and Wildlife taking a proactive stance restocking the lake in early spring, it hasn’t been much help, as anglers have been forced to look elsewhere for their bait. “We’re actually headed to Lake Lewisville right now to get some,” Staley said. “Either we have to do that or buy them at local bait stores.” Bruce Hysmith, a biologist for TPW, said that the harshness of the recent winter was the source of the dead shad. See TEXOMA, Page 20
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TEXAS FISHING REPORT Sponsored by
HOT BITES LARGEMOUTH BASS
ALAN HENRY: Water lightly stained; 78 degrees; .01’ low. Black bass are good on live bait, shad-colored spinnerbaits or crankbaits and watermelon red soft plastics suspended in brush and timber, with topwater action early and midday along brush lines and rocky points. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on live bait. AMISTAD: Water clear; 75 degrees; 0.92’ low. Striped bass are good on swimbaits, Sassy Shad and Rat-L-Traps. White bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Catfish are fair on cheesebait and punchbait. Yellow catfish are good on trotlines baited with live perch.
AMISTAD: Excellent on Senkos, minnows and watermelon and watermelon red soft plastics and on topwaters early. FALCON: Excellent on shallow running crankbaits in 10 feet or less. FORK: Excellent on Yellow Magics and LFT frogs early, later switching to Carolina rigs, Texas rigs and jigs in 20-30 feet. CHOKE CANYON: Very good on crankbaits and large soft plastic lizards and worms.
ATHENS: Water fairly clear; 83-88 degrees; 0.26’ high. Black bass are good on Yellow Magics and buzzbaits early, midday switching to Texas rigs and split-shot-rigged chartreuse/pepper Ring Frys. Crappie are fair to good on jigs and minnows — moving to deeper water. Catfish are good on prepared bait.
WHITE, HYBRID, STRIPER
BOB SANDLIN: Water stained; 83-88 degrees; 0.02’ low. Black bass are fair to good on Stanley Ribbits early, later switching to wacky rigs, Texas rigs and chatterbaits. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs over brush piles and around bridge columns. White bass are fair to good on topwaters and Rooster Tails. Catfish are good on prepared bait.
BRAUNIG: Striped bass are excellent on liver and perch off points. BROWNWOOD: White bass are excellent on Li’l Fishies and crankbaits off lighted docks. PROCTOR: White bass are excellent on live shad and jigging spoons. RAY HUBBARD: White bass are excellent on topwaters and Rooster Tails. TEXOMA: Striped bass are good to excellent on topwaters and live shad.
CATFISH
CALAVERAS: Channel catfish are excellent on liver, bait shrimp, cheesebait and shad. Blue catfish are good on liver and cut bait near 181 Cove. BUCHANAN: Yellow and blue catfish are very good on juglines and trotlines baited with goldfish and minnows. CANYON LAKE: Yellow and blue catfish are very good on juglines and trotlines baited with live bait. GIBBONS CREEK: Very good on stinkbait and frozen shrimp. HOUSTON COUNTY: Channel and blue catfish are very good on trotlines baited with stinkbait and soap.
CRAPPIE LIVINGSTON: Excellent on minnows in 6-12 feet. HUBBARD CREEK: Good on jigs and minnows.
BELTON: Water clear; 77 degrees; 1.87’ low. Black bass are good trolling Rat-L-Traps. Hybrid striper are good on minnows under lights at night in 20 feet. White bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows under lights at night. Channel and blue catfish are good on stinkbait. Yellow catfish are good on trotlines and juglines baited with live perch and shad.
BRAUNIG: Water stained; 78 degrees. Black bass are fair on crankbaits and dark soft plastic worms in reeds and near the dam. Redfish are fair. Channel and blue catfish are excellent on liver, shrimp, cut bait and cheesebait near the dam. BROWNWOOD: Water stained; 78 degrees; 5.33’ low. Black bass are good on white spinnerbaits, craw jigs, crankbaits, artificial rattlesnakes, worms and watermelon red and redbug soft plastics along the shoreline, among rocks and near dead grass in 1-5 feet. Hybrid striper are slow. Crappie are excellent on Li’l Fishies and jigs along the shoreline in 1-5 feet and over brush piles in 12-15 feet. Channel and blue catfish are good on cut bait over baited holes in 8-10 feet. Yellow catfish are fair. BUCHANAN: Water murky; 78 degrees; 9.14’ low. Black bass are good on watermelon topwaters, weightless wackyrigged green pumpkin soft plastics with chartreuse tails and white/chartreuse spinnerbaits along lake and creek points and at Apple Head in 8-12 feet at first light. Striped bass are fair. White bass are fair. Crappie are good on minnows and crappie jigs over brush piles in 12 feet. Channel catfish are good on live bait and cut bait. CADDO: Water murky; 84-88 degrees; 0.34’ high. Black bass are fair to good on wacky rigs, weightless Yum Dingers and jigs around cypress trees. Crappie are fair. White bass are good on chartreuse Road Runners. Catfish are fair. CALAVERAS: Water stained; 78 degrees. Black bass are slow. Striped bass are good on spoons and striper jigs between the dam and the crappie wall. Redfish are excellent down-rigging silver and gold spoons in 10-20 feet, on live perch, tilapia and crawfish near the power lines and on live bait along the crappie wall. Crappie are slow. CANYON LAKE: Water murky; 75 degrees; 0.95’ high. Black bass are good on watermelon red soft plastics on shaky head jigs, tomato red grubs and Texasrigged watermelon red worms along bluff ledges in 8-16 feet early. Striped bass are fair vertically jigging white striper jigs and 1 oz. artificial minnows in 40 feet. White bass are slow. Smallmouth bass are good on root beer/green curl tailed grubs and craws. Crappie are fair. Channel catfish are slow. CHOKE CANYON: Water stained; 79 degrees; 3.08’ low. Crappie are slow.
Drum are slow. Channel and blue catfish are very good on stinkbait in 4-10 feet. Yellow catfish are fair on trotlines baited with live perch. COLEMAN: Water murky; 77 degrees; 7.51’ low. Black bass are good on Rat-L-Traps, spinnerbaits and soft plastic worms and lizards. Hybrid striper are good on live shad near the park and the store. Crappie are good on minnows at night. Channel catfish are good on trotlines baited with live perch. COLETO CREEK: Water stained; 77 degrees (90 degrees at discharge); 0.21’ low. Black bass are fair on soft plastics and topwaters in 4-8 feet. Striped bass are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows in 12-14 feet. Channel and blue catfish are fair on trotlines baited with liver, shrimp and perch. Yellow catfish are fair on trotlines baited with live perch.
pounds are good on metal flake plum worms and chrome Rat-L-Traps near the islands in 13-20 feet. Crappie are fair on live minnows around structure near the dam and pump station in 18-23 feet. Bream are good on live worms off piers and over grass beds. HUBBARD CREEK: Water stained; 77 degrees; 5.29’ low. Black bass are good on black/blue jigs, green pumpkin soft plastics and live bait worked along grass lines and timber. White bass are good on live bait and small shad-colored crankbaits. Catfish are good on live bait. JOE POOL: Water off-color; 84-87 degrees; 0.1’ high. Black bass are good on Texas rigs, wacky rigs and crankbaits. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs over brush piles. White bass are good on Little Georges and Road Runners. Catfish are fair.
HOT SPOT
timber. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on live bait and chrome crankbaits. Smallmouth bass are good on live bait and shad-colored soft plastic jerkbaits along tree lines. Channel catfish are good on live bait. PALESTINE: Water lightly stained; 83-88 degrees; 0.46’ low. Black bass are fair to good on chartreuse spinnerbaits, Texas rigs and shad pattern shallow running crankbaits. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs over brush piles. Hybrid striper are fair on live shad. White bass are fair to good on topwaters and Little Georges. Catfish are fair on cut shad. PALO DURO: Water lightly stained; 67 degrees; 50.01’ low. Black bass are fair on live bait, watermelon pepper soft plastics and white spinnerbaits. Crappie are good on jigs and live bait. Smallmouth bass are fair on live bait and shad-colored jerkbaits. Walleye are good on live bait. Channel catfish are good on live bait. POSSUM KINGDOM: Water stained; 77 degrees; 4.43’ low. Black bass are good on black/blue jigs and pumpkin/chartreuse soft plastics suspended in brush, shad-colored crankbaits and live bait with some topwater action during the morning and midday. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on live bait and chrome/black crankbaits. Stripers are good on shadcolored crankbaits along the southern lake points. Catfish are good on live bait. PROCTOR: Water murky; 77 degrees; 0.84’ low. Black bass are good on crankbaits off points. Crappie are good on minnows. Channel and blue catfish are good on cut bait in the upper end of the lake. Yellow catfish are fair on trotlines baited with live bait.
Ray Roberts
Water clear; 84-88 degrees; 0.07’ low. Black bass are good on Carolina-rigged LFT Ring Frys on points. Crappie are fair on minnows over brush piles. White bass are excellent on Humdingers in 20-25 feet (reel and fall). Catfish are excellent over sour maize with prepared baits in 2-6 feet. CONROE: Water fairly clear; 0.42’ low. Black bass are good on watermelon red and watermelon gold Carolina-rigged soft plastics, crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Striped bass are fair on silver striper jigs and Rat-L-Traps. Crappie are fair on minnows and blue tube jigs. Catfish are good on stinkbait, cut bait frozen shrimp. FALCON: Water clear; 80 degrees. Channel and blue catfish are excellent on cut bait and frozen shrimp. FAYETTE: Water stained; 80 degrees. Black bass are fair on soft plastics in 8-16 feet. Channel and blue catfish are fair on shrimp over baited holes. FORK: Water fairly clear; 82-88 degrees; 0.05’ high. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows around the bridges and over brush piles. Catfish are fair to good on nightcrawlers and prepared bait. GIBBONS CREEK: Water clear. Black bass are fair on watermelon red and chartreuse soft plastics and small crankbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows. GRAPEVINE: Water stained; 83-88 degrees; 0.43’ high. Black bass are fair to good on crankbaits, Yum Dingers and shaky head jigs. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs — moving to deeper water. White bass are good on Rooster Tails, topwaters and Little Georges. Catfish are fair on nightcrawlers. GREENBELT: Water lightly stained; 72 degrees; 31.01’ low. Black bass are good on red/white Rat-L-Traps, white spinnerbaits or buzzbaits, green pumpkin soft plastics and live bait. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. White bass are good on live bait and chrome jerkbaits. Smallmouth bass are good on live bait and white/chartreuse spinnerbaits or chatterbaits. Walleye are good on live bait. Catfish are good on live bait. Note: Low water conditions exist, launching boats is difficult. HOUSTON COUNTY: Water fairly clear; 85 degrees; 0.24’ high. Black bass to 10
LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water lightly stained; 83-88 degrees; 0.24’ high. Black bass are fair to good on Pop Rs early, later switching to Texas rigs, chartreuse/white spinnerbaits and jerkbaits. Crappie are good on minnows over brush piles. Catfish are fair. LAVON: Water stained; 84-89 degrees; 0.2’ low. Black bass are fair to good on medium-diving shad or firetiger crankbaits, Texas rigs and spinnerbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs — moving to deeper water. Catfish are good on cut shad and prepared bait. LBJ: Water stained; 78 degrees; 0.42’ low. Black bass are fair on watermelon jigs, watermelon topwaters, Bleeding Shad Rat-L-Traps and weightless watermelon red Texas-rigged soft plastics along riprap on seawalls and break lines of flats in 6-10 feet early. White bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows and white crappie jigs over brush piles in 12 feet. Channel catfish are good on minnows and dipbait. Yellow and blue catfish are good on trotlines. LEWISVILLE: Water stained; 83-89 degrees; conservation pool. Black bass are fair on shaky head jigs, spinnerbaits, crankbaits and Texas rigs. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs around the bridges. White bass are good on Little Georges and Rooster Tails. Hybrid striper are fair on live shad and large Rooster Tails. Catfish are good on prepared bait.
RAY HUBBARD: Water fairly clear; 82-88 degrees; 0.49’ low. Black bass are fair to good on spinnerbaits, Carolina rigs and Texas rigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs around bridges and in the marinas. Hybrid striper are fair to good on live shad and Sassy Shad. Catfish are fair to good on cut and prepared bait. SAM RAYBURN: Water stained; 77 degrees; 1.42’ low. Black bass are slow. White bass are good on silver spoons. Crappie are good on minnows over brush piles and baited holes in 20-30 feet. Bream are good on crickets and nightcrawlers. Catfish are good on trotlines baited with live bait. TAWAKONI: Water fairly clear; 82-88 degrees; 0.3’ high. Black bass are fair to good on Texas rigs, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and wacky rigs. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on Rooster Tails and minnows. Striped bass and hybrid striper are fair on topwaters and live shad. Catfish are fair on cut shad and nightcrawlers. TEXOMA: Water off-color; 81-88 degrees; 0.52’ low. Black bass are fair to good on Texas rigs, spinnerbaits and Carolina rigs. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair to good on cut and live shad. TOLEDO BEND: Water stained; 79 degrees; 2.29’ low. Black bass are fair but small on redbug and watermelon red soft plastic worms in 12-20 feet. Striped bass are fair on silver striper jigs. White bass are fair. Crappie are good on minnows and chartreuse and blue jigs over brush in 20-25 feet. Bream are good on crickets and nightcrawlers in 2-4 feet. Channel and blue catfish are good on trotlines baited with live bait.
LIVINGSTON: Water fairly clear; 78 degrees; 0.27’ high. Black bass are fair on spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Striped bass are good but small on Rat-L-Traps, pet spoons and hellbenders. White bass are excellent on trolling tubes, pet spoons and slabs. Blue catfish are very good on shad. Yellow catfish are fair.
TRAVIS: Water murky; 78 degrees; 1.70’ low. Black bass are good on chrome topwaters, watermelon worms and smoke grubs in 8-24 feet. Striped bass are slow. White bass are fair on white grubs and minnows in 20-32 feet. Crappie are fair on minnows and pink tube jigs in 10-25 feet. Channel and blue catfish are fair on fresh cut bait and nightcrawlers in 22-38 feet.
O.H. IVIE: Water lightly stained; 77 degrees; 20.12’ low. Black bass are good on watermelon candy soft plastics, shadcolored crankbaits and spinnerbaits and live bait worked along grass lines and
WHITNEY: Water fairly clear; 1.41’ low. Black bass are slow. Striped bass are fair. White bass are fair on minnows. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on frozen shrimp and liver.
SALTWATER SCENE NORTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good under birds and pods of shad on soft plastics. Redfish are good under rafts of shad on topwaters. SOUTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good under birds and pods of shad. Trout are good at the jetty on live bait and topwaters. Sheepshead are good on live shrimp tight to the rocks. BOLIVAR: Trout are good on the south shoreline on Bass Assassins, Trout Killers and Sand Eels. Waders tossing topwaters have scored better fish around Rollover Pass. TRINITY BAY: Trout are good for drifters working pods of shad and mullet on Bass Assassins, Trout Killers and Sand Eels. Trout, redfish and flounder are good at the spillway on live bait. EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are good for drifters working deep shell on limetreuse and plum plastics. Trout are good on the south shore. WEST GALVESTON BAY: Sheepshead, redfish and black drum are good at the jetty on shrimp and crabs. Trout are good in the surf and at the jetty. Offshore is good for kingfish, red snapper and ling. TEXAS CITY: Trout are fair to good on the reefs and in the channel on live shrimp and croakers. Redfish and sand trout are fair to good in Moses Lake on shrimp. FREEPORT: Trout are good at San Luis Pass on shrimp, MirrOlures and soft plastics. Trout, redfish, sand trout and sheepshead are good on live shrimp on the reefs in Christmas Bay. EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are good for drifters on live shrimp over mid-bay reefs. Waders have taken good catches on reefs on topwaters and plastics. Redfish are fair in Lake Austin on shrimp. WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are good on sand and grass humps on soft plastics and topwaters. Redfish are good on topwaters and live shrimp in Oyster Lake. Trout are fair in the surf on live bait. PORT O’CONNOR: Trout and redfish are good on topwaters and live bait over sand, grass and shell in San Antonio Bay. Trout and redfish are fair for drifters working the back lakes with live shrimp. Trout are fair in the surf and at the jetty. ROCKPORT: Trout are fair to good in the guts and channels on free-lined shrimp. Trout are fair over grass. Redfish are good on mullet and shrimp around Dagger Island. PORT ARANSAS: Trout, redfish and sheepshead are fair to good at the jetty on shrimp and croakers. Trout are good in the surf on topwaters and croakers. Offshore is good for kingfish, red snapper and ling. CORPUS CHRISTI: Trout are fair to good on the edge of the spoils on Gulps and live shrimp. Redfish are good in the potholes on shrimp. Trout are good in the surf on live bait. BAFFIN BAY: Trout are good on topwaters around rocks and grass near Rocky Slough. Trout are fair at night in the Land Cut on live shrimp. Redfish are fair to good on the King Ranch shoreline on small topwaters. PORT MANSFIELD: Trout are good on topwaters on the edge of the channel and around sand and grass. Redfish are fair drifting pot holes. Offshore is good for red snapper and kingfish. SOUTH PADRE: Trout are good on live bait and plastics under a popping cork while working on the flats. Trout, redfish and jacks have been caught at the jetty. PORT ISABEL: Trout and redfish are fair to good on the flats on live shrimp. Trout are good on the deeper edges and flats on topwaters and live shrimp.
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FOUL FUNGUS: Some anglers at Lake Ray Hubbard have reported catching largemouth bass with a fungus growing on them. The problem is probably nothing to worry anglers, a biologist said. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.
Dead bass with ‘fungus’ at Ray Hubbard no cause for alarm Deaths probably within normal range of seasonal afflictions By Nicholas Conklin LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS
Anglers on Lake Ray Hubbard have reported, through Internet postings, finding a green “fungus” on largemouth bass and several dead bass in the water. Texas Parks and Wildlife biologist Tom
Hungerford attributes the problem not to an outbreak of disease but to the seasonal stresses on the fish. “The timing of this was all coinciding with the spawn,” Hungerford said, “and anytime those fish are stressed, they’re susceptible to getting diseases and things like that.” Anglers have reported the fungus on the sides of largemouths they have been catching. Yet no apparent source of the green fungus has been identified as no specimens have been brought to the attention of TPW. Hungerford said an incident last year See BASS, Page 20
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GAME WARDEN BLOTTER DAM PRESENTS A PROBLEM FOR LANDOWNER The Nueces River Authority reported that someone had been digging in the river in northern Uvalde County. When Captain Gus Sorola and Uvalde County Game Warden Henry Lutz responded, they found that an earthen dam had been constructed across the main part of the riverbed, and a significant amount of gravel had been pushed from the riverbed up the side of the riverbank. The main river flow had been diverted to an old part of the riverbed by a new channel that had been dug to the side of the new dam. Lutz and Sorola photographed and took video of the riverbed destruction and contacted the owner of the adjacent property. He said he authorized the dozer operator to do work along the riverbank but not in the river. He also admitted that he did not have a Sand, Shell and Gravel Permit from the state. Lutz issued the landowner a citation for not having the permit. Further action to restore the riverbed and water flow is pending. PERSONAL WATERCRAFT THIEF CAN’T ESCAPE CHOPPER The Brazos River Authority chief lake ranger reported that a burglary had occurred on Possum Kingdom Lake, and the man suspected in the crime had fled on the homeowner’s personal watercraft, which had been tied up at the dock. Palo Pinto County Game Warden Cliff Swofford determined that the person had also burglarized at least eight houses, run from police and stolen a car all in the last three weeks. Four BRA lake rangers, deputies from Palo Pinto, Stephens, and Young County sheriff’s offices, Palo Pinto County Game Warden Matt Waggoner, Young County Game Warden Brent Isom, Jack County Game Warden Gary Hobbs and Stephens County Game Warden Ed Russell all arrived to
Quick action saves boater; quick thinking saves boat circular course. The wardens quickly launched their boat and pulled the uninjured man from the water. After returning him to the dock, they went about trying to corral the runaway boat. The wardens determined that attempting to jump into another boat running in tight circles at half-throttle was not a safe option. But they knew they could only wait until the boat, which had a full fuel tank, ran out of gas. After a little thought, they came
up with a solution. They tied a bundle of old trotline to a long bow rope and pulled the improvised snare back and forth in front of the runaway boat until it finally tangled on the prop. The rope and trotline wrapped around the prop, bogging the motor down enough that it stopped. They then towed the boat back to the ramp and returned it to an appreciative owner, who decided that he had had all the boat riding he wanted for one day.
assist in the search for the man. A call was placed to A.J. Smith with the game wardens’ aircraft division, and within two hours the helicopter landed at the Possum Kingdom sheriff’s substation. Swofford and the Palo Pinto County sheriff’s patrol captain boarded. While searching by vehicle, Waggoner spotted the suspect walking down the road. He ran into thick woods when Waggoner turned around to apprehend him. As the deputies and Waggoner were in the woods, the officers in the air spotted him buried under brush and dropped down to hover over him, keeping him at gunpoint and letting others know exactly where he was. The man attempted to run but was unable to make his escape with the helicopter hovering closely above. After the man was arrested, the helicopter was used again in finding the stolen watercraft, which had been beached in reeds in a shallow creek.
water to retrieve his hook, he went under. Schmidt and Game Wardens Jimmy Woolley, Shawn Smith, Dustin Balfanz and Craig Hernandez responded and searched for the victim until after dark. The body was recovered by the wardens the next morning.
river. Multiple charges were filled for exceeding the bag limit and purchase of game fish.
ANGLER GOES FOR LURE, DOESN’T RETURN Game Warden Jim Schmidt received a call about a drowning on the Trinity River. Two anglers and a 3-year-old child had been fishing from the bank at the Farm-to-Market Road 85 bridge in Navarro County when one fisherman’s hook became snagged in brush along the bank. When he entered the
DON’T ASK, DON’T SELL GAME FISH Two men were leaving the Sabine River in South Newton County with several holding nets full of catfish. Upon contacting the men, Newton County Game Warden Brian Srba found them in possession of about 90 catfish, which they said they bought from an unknown person on the
Matagorda County Game Wardens David Janssen and Aaron Koenig were preparing to launch a patrol boat at a private boat ramp on Caranchua Bay when the boat that launched before them made an abrupt turn. The lone occupant was thrown overboard about 200 yards from shore. The unoccupied boat made a circle, missing the operator in the water by only a few feet, and then ran down the shoreline a short distance, continuing in a tight
FAMILY NEARLY DROWNS FROM SIMPLE PROBLEM While on boat patrol on Lake Palestine, Anderson County Game Wardens Oscar Jaimez and Karen Gray were waved down by passengers in a boat that was taking on water and quickly submerging. All three occupants, including a 6-year-old boy, were pulled from the water and onto the wardens’ patrol boat. After all three boaters were on board, the wardens pulled the submerged boat to a nearby beach. When the boat owner removed his boat from the lake, he found a freeze plug missing, causing the engine compartment to fill with water.
PATROL OF BORDER NETS LOTS OF NET Maverick County Game Wardens Armando Guzman, Wes Groth and Cody Buckaloo along with Kinney County Game Warden Rob Frets teamed up to patrol the Rio Grande River out of Eagle Pass. The wardens seized gill net and illegal throwlines from Mexican commercial fishing operations on both of their patrols. Seven pieces of gill net totaling 1,900 feet were picked up, along with 500 feet of throwline. DEER BREEDER BROUGHT DOWN BY LONG INVESTIGATION A six-month investigation in West Texas culminated in 15 convictions on deer breeder violations for a man. The man requested a jury trial, and Mason County Game Warden Cody Hatfield and McCullough County Game Warden Bryan Baronet and wildlife biologist Kevin Schwausch testified. Total fines were $3,000. WITHOUT A TAG, A TROTLINE IS TRASH Llano County Game Warden Kevin Webb removed approximately 400 feet of unmarked trotline and jug lines
from the upper end of Lake Buchanan.
POACHED FISH DON’T GO TO WASTE AT FALCON At Falcon Lake, Game Wardens Stevan Ramos and Carlos Maldonado seized 6,930 feet of gill net and two hoop nets. Several live alligator gar and catfish were released back into Falcon Lake. The rest were donated to El Tigre Island community residents. BIRDS’ LEGAL PROTECTION DIDN’T STOP APPARENT POACHERS A call came in to Harris County Game Warden Jennifer Inkster about an incident involving hunting blue herons in Houston. When she arrived on scene, she discovered numerous yellow-crowned night-heron carcasses and several injured birds. Inkster interviewed the landowner and discovered the suspects decided to shoot the birds. Inkster issued citations and ordered civil restitution be paid for the herons. She placed the injured birds with a local rehabilitator. TRUCK LEFT BEHIND; INVESTIGATION BEGINS Navarro County Game Warden Jimmy Woolley noticed a truck that was stuck in the Richland Creek Wildlife Management Area. While Woolley was obtaining information from the truck, the owner showed up with friends to try to free it. Someone said they had been mudding and stuck the truck the night before. Written statements were obtained. ON UNDEVELOPED LAND, GAME WARDENS HELP SEARCH Houston County Game Wardens Eddie Lehr and Zak Benge assisted the Houston County Sheriff’s Office with the apprehension and arrest of an attempted murder suspect after the suspect shot his cousin with a 12-gauge shotgun at close range and then hid out on some family property near Houston County Lake.
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PRODUCTS STORM MOUNTAIN GEAR BAG This useful gear bag by Fishpond has a waterproof nylon cover and molded bottom to keep water away from reels and other valuable fly-fishing equipment. Features include taped seams, a drawstring closure, padded sidewalls and dividers to cushion and protect gear, three exterior zippered pockets and one rear slide pocket. A tippet spool accessory cord is also included on this 21- by 10- by 11.5-inch bag. The suggested price is $195. (970) 468-7883 www.fishpondusa.com
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ATB BINOCULARS Nikon partnered with SHE Outdoor Apparel to design the All Terrain Binoculars for the outdoor woman. The mid-sized chocolate 10x36 ATB offers attractive ergonomic styling coupled with trademark performance. Features include turn-and-slide rubber eyecups with multi-click adjustments and 15mm of eye relief that allow the binoculars to be used as comfortably by eyeglass wearers as those with uncorrected vision. The 20-ounce waterproof and fogproof binoculars also feature a large central focus wheel and adjustable diopter for easy focusing, plus a 314-foot field-of-view. The binoculars come with a canvas khaki sling bag with leather accents and a built-in optics case. The binoculars sell for about $320. An 8x36 plum model with a green sling bag sells for about $300. (800) 645-6687 www.nikonsportoptics.com
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EVOLUTION LT REEL Ross Reels USA has updated its popular Evolution line by adding more metal. Ventilation to the spool and frame keep the weight in check. This large arbor fly reel, the lightest in its class, is fitted with an aluminum spool cap, aluminum drag knob and aluminum escapement cover. It has been designed with a triple redundancy drag system, providing three backup systems to ensure dependability under the most demanding conditions. The new series is available in five models, including a 2.75-inch-diameter reel designed for 1- to 3-weight line. The reel sells for $245; an extra spool is $128. (970) 249-1212 www.rossreels.com
NOMOR-CLOG This handy little device installs to the cooler’s drain and prevents such objects as ice bags, game or fish from forming a seal around the drain and clogging it. The Nomor-Clog, made by Lange Enterprises, slides easily into place. It sells for about $10. (409) 296-9368
MINNOW FLY ROD AND REEL Now that it is warm, an angler might have some company on that next fly-fishing trip. Outfit a young novice angler with Redington’s new fly-fishing outfit, which is designed for children ages 6 and older. Included are an easy-casting, medium-action two-piece 5/6-weight fly rod and a durable Crosswater 4/5/6 reel that comes preloaded with backing, weight-forward fly line, and a knotless leader. Instructions on teaching a child to fly cast and a knot and fly guide are included. The Minnow package will be introduced at a price of about $100. (800) 253-2538 www.redington.com
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HEROES KYLE DRUSHEL caught this blue marlin at the East Breaks. The fish weighed an estimated 450 pounds. Drushel was fishing on the Bidnez with Capt. Bill Cannan.
KELLY STUART of Dripping Springs caught this 8.1-pound largemouth bass on O.H. Ivie using a perch swim bait.
MARK SEILER of Rowlett harvested this elk in northeastern New Mexico on a self-guided hunt on a friend’s land. Seiler’s wife was the only person with him and helped dress and take the elk to a Raton processing plant.
MICHAEL ACEVEDO shot this eight-point buck using a .270 rifle at 75 yards in Starr County.
ELLA HUEBOTTER, 8, caught this 16.5inch black drum while fishing with her father, Glen, at Goose Island State Park near Rockport.
SPENCER GEORG of San Antonio caught this 28-inch redfish from a kayak near Port Aransas on his 14th birthday, which was May 8. DREW RILEY, 16, of Poth harvested this nine-point buck with a 25 7/8-inch spread in Atascosa County. He was shooting a .243 rifle.
Congratulations, Christopher! You can claim your Nikon 10x42 Trailblazer ATB binoculars at the Nikon Sport Optics dealer nearest you: Austin Gun Liquidators 2000A Picadilly Drive Round Rock, Texas 78664 (512) 989-8552
g while opening mornin Saba County on n 00 Win Sa .3 a in th ck wi bu ence. He shot it ot this 11-point ur sh , La 14 ah , nn ce Ha en sister, Christopher Laur oldenhour, and s father, Joe M hunting with hi 4. 13 er scored Mag., and the de
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CONSERVATION
Leopold award goes to Panhandle rancher Prairie spread is home to wild game and cattle Preserving the prairie has been a way of life for Panhandle rancher Jim Bill Anderson. Located on the Canadian River in Hemphill County, the 5,000plus-acre Anderson Ranch has been in Anderson’s family since 1946, when his grandfather J.O. Wells bought it. Though his forebears also had a high regard for the land, since Anderson assumed full control of the ranch in 1981 he has restored its native grasses, eradicated watersucking invasive plant species, managed its quail, Rio Grande turkey, white-tailed deer and the rare lesser prairie chicken while operating a cattle ranch. For his work, Anderson received the 2010 Leopold Conservation Award for Texas, a prestigious recognition conferred by the Sand County Foundation and Texas Parks and Wildlife as part of its Lone Star Land Steward Awards program. “As Mr. Anderson puts it, he believes in partnering with the prairie,” said Carter Smith, TPW executive director. “To visit his ranch is to travel back in time for a glimpse of the Canadian River country pretty much the way it was when Spanish explorers first trekked across the Panhandle. It is hard to imagine a more deserving recipient of this award than Jim Bill Anderson.” Anderson, 59, received a $10,000 check and a crystal trophy May
Conservation News in Brief Pond plants are focus of symposium Speakers at the Aquatic Plant Management Symposium on June 19 in Athens will delve into two questions of farm pond managers across Texas: “What’s that stuff growing in my pond?” and “How do I control it?” The symposium, to be held at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, will feature presentations on the statewide aquatic plant management plan, Lake Athens aquatic plant control rules and a case study of aquatic plant management on Lake Conroe. Dr. Michael Masser of Texas A&M will speak on management of aquatic weeds in private lakes, and Texas Parks and Wildlife fisheries biologists Dr. Richard Ott and Mark Webb will present information on native vegetation. Pond owners may bring samples of plants from their pond in waterproof plastic bags for identification and control recommendations. Cost is $20, which includes lunch. To register, call (903) 676-2277. — Texas Parks and Wildlife report
RANCH KING: Jim Bill Anderson received high honors for how he has stewarded his 5,000-acre ranch near Canadian. Texas Parks and Wildlife and the international Sand County Foundation recently gave him the 2010 Leopold Conservation Award for Texas. Photo by TPW.
26 at the annual Lone Star Land Steward Awards banquet in Austin. He said he plans to use the money toward developing an interpretive center at the ranch so visitors, including schoolchildren and fellow ranchers, can learn about voluntary conservation techniques and the ecosystem of his part of Texas. Anderson won his first conservation-related recognition in 1965, when as a Boy Scout he earned a merit badge in soil conservation
and nature. But it was an experience two years later that proved transformative. “When I was a sophomore at Canadian High School, I got hired for the summer by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Southern Plains Research Station in Woodward, Oklahoma,” Anderson said. “I loaded up two young horses thinking I would be spending the summer working as a cowboy, but I spent most of my time crawling on my hands and
knees collecting native grass clippings for analysis. That probably woke me up as much as anything to the importance of land stewardship, a term I like better than ‘conservation.’” After graduating from high school, Anderson left the high plains for the piney woods of East Texas, studying business at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches. But after the See RANCHER, Page 19
Texas hunters give to RMEF causes Money raised by Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation supporters in Texas in the past year has helped support elk habitat initiatives nationwide and education efforts in 12 Texas counties. In Texas, RMEF grants totaling $31,625, raised at chapter banquets, will affect Austin, Burleson, Fayette, Harris, Kaufman, Kerr, Lee, Madison, Potter, Victoria, Washington and Williamson counties. — Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation report
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NATIONAL NOAA opens fishing area in Gulf near Fla. Federal officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently opened 339 square miles of previously closed fishing area off the Florida panhandle — the northern boundary now ends at the Florida federal-state water line on the east side of Choctawhatchee Bay. This area was initially closed on June 5 as a precaution because oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill was projected to be coming to the area. A review of data indicated the oil had not moved in. The federal closed area does not apply to any state waters. The total closed area now covers 78,264 square miles, about 32 percent of Gulf of Mexico federal waters. This leaves approximately 68 percent of Gulf federal waters available for fishing. — NOAA report
Seagrass increases by 25 percent in Md. A new study indicates that underwater seagrass abundance in Maryland and Virginia’s coastal bays increased by 25 percent last year. The increase, from 10,916 acres in 2008 to 13,628 acres in 2009, shows that the bays continue to recover from a dramatic loss in 2005. Although this is a positive sign for the bays, only 50 percent of the seagrass goal was reached. — Maryland Department of Natural Resources report
Part of Nosler ammo plant explodes All employees evacuated unharmed June 2 when a worker noticed smoke coming from the Nosler bullet fac-
River near Janesville and told game warden Mike Dieckhoff that he bought the crawfish at a “Chicago area grocery store.” Red swamp crawfish are native to the Gulf Coast and can adversely affect Northern ecosystems. — Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources report
Florida governor asks for federal aid
A map shows where fishing is off-limits in more than one-third of the Gulf of Mexico. Graphic by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
tory in Bend, Ore., according to The Associated Press. Moments later, part of the building exploded. No one was injured in the explosion, according to AP, which apparently occurred in an area of the 80,000square-foot building where ammunition is tested. The explosion and fire that followed collapsed about 10 percent of the building. The fire started when an employee fired a rifle in an underground rifle range, according to The Outdoor Wire. — Staff report
29, of Chester, according to game warden Tom Ward. Also hunting with the men was Josh Susen, 31, of Lincoln. A juvenile was with them, but was not hunting. The men came upon a turkey in the field, split up and lost track of each other. Joel Susen saw movement and fired one shot from a distance of about 40 yards, striking Jewell, who was taken to a hospital in unknown condition. — Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Maine man shot during turkey hunt
Wis. man cited for illegal crawfish bait
Adam Jewell, 30, of LaGrange, Maine, suffered serious injuries to his face, neck and the left side of his torso in May when he was hit by pellets while turkey hunting about 7 a.m. He was hit with turkey load fired from a 12-gauge shotgun used by Joel Susen,
A 60-year-old Janesville, Wis., man was cited recently by state officials for using a live, prohibited species, a red swamp crawfish, as bait. The citation carries a fine ranging from $295 to $385. The man was fishing on the Rock
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist asked for federal assistance to help the state’s fishing industries and communities weather the adverse impact of the BPDeepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Specifically, the governor has requested that the U.S. Commerce Department take action under federal law to provide aid to commercial fishermen, charter boat operators and coastal fishing communities. “The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has been consulting with our fishing industry stakeholders very closely over the past several weeks,” said FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto. “They are telling us they are struggling to stay afloat even though fishing is still open in Florida and seafood is still being harvested.” — Florida Wildlife Commission report
Colorado to restock fish-killed reservoir Colorado’s Division of Wildlife will restock Road Canyon Reservoir near Creede after all of the lake’s rainbow trout died this winter. The cause was likely a lack of oxygen caused by snow covering the ice on the lake, affecting aquatic plants. Brook trout survived, though the lake was known for its large rainbows, which sometimes exceeded 20 inches in length. Large rainbows could be seen
cruising the bank in early May in previous years, after the ice melted, making for exciting sight-casting. The DOW will restock the reservoir with 10-inch and fingerling rainbow trout throughout the spring and summer to rebuild the fishery. — Staff report
Lake Erie bass poachers fined Three Tennessee men and three Georgia men were sentenced June 3 in Ohio for taking 141 more than the legal limit of smallmouth bass on Lake Erie last April, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The six men pleaded guilty and were ordered to pay $16,290 in fines, court costs and restitution. The restitution included $50 for each fish taken illegally. The men were also ordered to forfeit three bass boats, three trailers and two freezers, which have an estimated value of $32,000. — Ohio Department of Natural Resources report
Angling limits lifted in some Mont. waters Bag and possession limits have been removed until Oct. 1 for five Montana lakes ahead of a massive program to eradicate nonnative sportfish and replace them with westslope cutthroat trout. The lakes are Wildcat, George, Woodward, Pyramid and Pilgrim. The limit waiver allows anglers to maximize fish harvest before treatment. For lakes to be genetically swamped with cutthroats (George, Woodward, Pyramid, Pilgrim) the intent is to remove as many nonnative and hybrid trout as possible. This should make genetic swamping more effective. — Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks report
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Muleys
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only about 160,000 mule deer, but the latest available TPW data show there were 190,000 to 200,000 Texas muleys in 2008. Landowners receive a lot of credit for that, said Shawn Gray of Alpine, the TPW program leader for mule deer and pronghorn. “They’ve always done a good job managing for mule deer,” he said. “But some are using more intensive strategies.” Some ranchers, he said, are investing in high-energy supplemental feeding; a few have built high fences, similar to those seen in whitetail country. “However, these are not required to produce quality mule deer, especially high fence,” Gray said. “Critical pieces of the mule deer management puzzle are creating quality habitat.” Examples, he said, are “improving water distribution, conservative grazing practices, brush management and maintaining an older age class in the harvest.” Attention to harvest is paying off for the C.E. Miller Ranch in Jeff Davis and Presidio counties. Albert Miller, who helps run his family’s ranch, said about 30 deer were taken annually during the infamous drought of the 1950s. (Read Elmer Kelton’s The Time it Never Rained.) Now the Millers allow only 10 bucks to be bagged. Formed in 1925, the 33,000-acre ranch has for about six years been in TPW’s Managed Lands Deer Permit program for mule deer, Miller said. The state runs a similar MLDP program for whitetails; both are intended to boost the quantity and quality of deer. The Millers’ MLDP program meshes with their conservation heritage. In 2003, TPW awarded them the Lone Star Land Steward Award for helping multiple species. But mule deer, Miller said, require patience. They don’t breed as prolifically as whitetails, which famously number about 4 million in Texas. “We might have started with unrealistic expectations, listening to what some of my friends in the whitetail business have
Lone✯Star Outdoor News
done,” Miller said. “But that’s just part of mule deer. “It’s a slower process.” Drought makes it tougher, Miller said. “We had 12 years from 1992 to 2004 when we were below our average rainfall of 14 inches,” Miller said. “But quality depends directly on rainfall and range conditions. “And if a doe is not in condition to breed, she’ll stay out of estrus.” But population survey data used in the MLDP program help set goals. The Millers now lease to 10 hunters, who can take one buck apiece. Each deer taken, however, has to be at least 5 1/2 years old, Miller said. “We’ve been working on getting rid of management bucks,” Miller said. “It’s just difficult to get it done. “We quit killing off our young bucks before they reach their potential, and that requires a lot of education on the part of our hunters. They’ve got to be able to judge a deer that might be 150 yards off. “They pass up a lot of shots.” The hunters also embrace other challenges. They don’t use bait, corn, feeders or blinds. This is traditional western-state hunting — spot-and-stalk, with long-range rifles and powerful optics. The hunters don’t complain because they like being part of what the family is trying to do, Miller said. Neighboring ranchers, he added, have similar goals for muleys. “Some of the fences have been out here so long — it’s not just low fence; it’s no fence,” Miller said. “With that in mind, if we do a good job managing, maybe (neighbors) get the benefit ... and vice versa.” But the Millers are seeing better bucks. “We killed two deer that went over 170 (Boone and Crockett) since we’ve been in the MLDP,” Miller said. “Interesting enough, they were both taken by the same hunter. “But he gets out and he really walks those red rocks looking for that trophy, and that’s why he gets a good deer. “Still, we’re hoping to get a 180 some day.” Editor’s note: Lone Star Outdoor News contributor Bill Miller is not related to the Miller family in this article.
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June 11, 2010
Texas mule deer 83,548
Panhandle population trend
8,727
Panhandle mule deer population trends from 1978 to 2008. Graphic by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
221,952
99,790
Trans Pecos population trend
Trans-Pecos mule deer population trends from 1978 to 2008. Only 42% of the transects (survey areas) were surveyed in 2007; therefore, the 2007 estimate was not graphed. Graph by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
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June 11, 2010
Lone✯Star Outdoor News
LSONews.com
DATEBOOK Through Sept. 6
Coastal Conservation Association of Texas State of Texas Angler’s Rodeo www.startournament.org
June 11
Texas Coastal Conservation Association 2010 Interchapter Challenge Tournament Port Aransas (713) 626-4222 Dallas Woods and Waters Club Monthly meeting Speaker is Rick Pope of Temple Fork Outfitters Sheraton North Dallas Hotel (214) 570-8700 Rains County Ducks Unlimited Fundraiser Rains County Fair Grounds Exhibit Hall, Emory (903) 473-1590 ythomas@ducks.org
June 12-13
Alamo Fly Fishers Fence Lake Kayak Fishing Trip (210) 479-3062 info@alamoflyfishers.org
June 12
Lone Star Bowhunters Association Fundraiser and expo Southfork Ranch, Parker (281) 910-1432 www.lonestarbowhunter.com Dallas Safari Club Summer Fun Shoot Elm Fork Shooting Range, Dallas (469) 484-6777 jaimey@biggame.org
Alamo National Wild Turkey Federation JAKES Field Day YMCA Roberts Ranch, Comfort (210) 838-1075 lindam357@yahoo.com
June 13
Highland Lakes Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation Fundraiser Marble Falls Pavillion (830) 377-7848 bscherer@nwtf.net
June 15
Plano Ducks Unlimited Sportsman’s Night Out Swingin’D Ranch, Parker (214) 926-6779 planoducks@verizon.net
June 17
Alvin-Pearland Chapter Coastal Conservation Association Fundraiser Knights of Columbus Hall, Pearland (281) 923-3050 Dallas Safari Club Monthly meeting Speaker is Ivan Carter Royal Oaks Country Club, Dallas (972) 980-9800 www.biggame.org
June 18-19
UpperCoast Tomball/Magnolia Chapter Coastal Conservation Association Children’s fishing tournament Kim Vollentine (800) 626-4222
June 18
Hemphill Ducks Unlimited Fundraiser New Fin & Feather Resort (409) 787-3102 ythomas@ducks.org
June 19
Tomball-Magnolia Chapter Coastal Conservation Association Kidfish Tournament (832) 366-6492
June 21
Lufkin Ducks Unlimited Lufkin Civic Center (936) 639-8182
June 22
San Augustine Ducks Unlimited Fundraiser San Augustine County Expo Center (936) 275-6248 ythomas@ducks.org
June 25-26
Alamo Fly Fishers Port Aransas North Jetty Trip (210) 479-3062 info@alamoflyfishers.org Montgomery County Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation Fundraiser Lone Star Convention Center, Conroe (936) 756-1707 moconwtf@yahoo.com
June 29
Woodville Ducks Unlimited Fundraiser Zs Fillin Station, Woodville (409) 429-6268 ythomas@ducks.org
Texas Wildlife Association WildLife 2010 25th anniversary celebration Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort & Spa, San Antonio (800) 839-9453
July 7
June 25
July 8
Texas Ducks Unlimited State convention Omni, San Antonio (325) 236-6726 jwhite@ducks.org
June 26-27
Central Texas Hunting, Fishing & Outdoor Expo Travis Country Expo Center, Austin 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (210) 832-8444
June 26
Kingsville Delta Waterfowl Fundraiser Lakeside Pavillion (519) 733-9691 Amarillo National Wild Turkey Federation Fundraiser The Country Barn Steak House (806) 353-7343 rgroy@aol.com
Sam Houston Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation Fundraiser Veterans Conference Center, Huntsville (936) 291-7300
July 10-11
Alamo Fly Fishers Fence Lake Kayak Fishing Trip (210) 479-3062 info@alamoflyfishers.org www.alamoflyfishers.org
July 15
Dallas Safari Club Monthly meeting Double Tree Campbell Center, Dallas (972) 980-9800 bkimmel@biggame.org
July 17
Lydia Ann Fly Masters Fly Fishing Tournament Aransas Pass Proceeds benefit Casting for Recovery www.lydiaannflymasters.com Blackland Prairie Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation Fundraiser The Outlets at Hillsboro (254) 855-1175
Dallas Woods and Waters Club Monthly meeting Johnny Glass speaks about how to catch giant bass Sheraton North Dallas Hotel (214) 570-8700
Deep East Texas Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation The Event Center, Jasper (409) 382-5752 cmdans@yahoo.com
Dallas Safari Club Wine Pairing Dinner Chamberlain’s Steak and Chop House, Addison (972) 980-9800 bkimmel@biggame.org
Alamo Fly Fishers Port Aransas North Jetty Trip (210) 479-3062 info@alamoflyfishers.org www.alamoflyfishers.org
July 9
Sam Houston Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation Veterans Conference Center, Huntsville (936) 291-7300
July 24
Cinnamon Creek Ranch 2010 Bowhunters Classic shoot Roanoke (817) 439-8998 tracy@cinnamoncreekranch.com
July 31-August 1
Gulf Coast Waterfowl Festival Pasadena Convention Center (713) 429-1950 www.gulfcoastwaterfowlfestival.com
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Rancher
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death of his father in 1974, he returned to Canadian and began managing the family ranch. In 1981, he built a house on the ranch and devoted his full attention to running the ranch and 38,000 leased acres. Slowly he began buying out the various family members who owned parts of the ranch, finally completing its reunification two years ago. The Leopold Conservation Award honors the legacy of Aldo Leopold (1887-1948), considered the father of wildlife ecology. His collection of essays, “A Sand County Almanac,” remains one of the world’s best-selling natural history books. Leopold’s godson, Reed Coleman, formed Sand County Foundation in 1965 to protect the Leopold farm from encroaching lot development along the Wisconsin River. “Jim Bill Anderson has transformed an average Texas Panhandle ranch into a world-class ranch that earns his family a living while allowing wildlife and native grasses to flourish. Anderson’s tireless efforts to sustain and improve his part of Texas makes him more than worthy of being honored with an award named for Aldo Leopold,” said Brent Haglund, Sand County Foundation president. In nominating Anderson for the award, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist John Hughes (formerly based in Canadian but now assigned to the
HIP survey Continued from Page 4
sample base for the overall statistics. Those who participate are classified into two groups, which are broken down by the species and total number of birds each hunter killed. They are generally separated by the variety of species they hunt and the number of birds they have killed. “When you participate at a survey at the end of the season, they use that information to develop a harvest estimate of how many dead ducks there were, then they take the percentages based on the number of wings submitted,” said Dave Morrison, the small game program director for TPW. Hunters were asked to send in a clipped portion of the wing of one of the birds they killed. This was done so that biologists could uncover genetic information about the birds. According to Morrison, the answers given by hunters only represent a small portion of the total equation. “All that (HIP survey) does is develop the sampling strategy; all it does is stratify the sample, who is going to be sampled and at what rate,” Morrison said. The question of accurate numbers was one that Morrison defended by saying that hunters’ responses were only used as a guide for selecting which hunters would be surveyed after the season. “If you want to lie and tell them you’ve killed a thousand,” Morrison said, “it just means you probably have a better chance of getting sampled.” Inaccurate responses were once an issue as most hunters were surveyed upon the purchase of the Super Combo license. According to TPW waterfowl biologist Bill Johnson, the HIP questions were often asked of hunters who didn’t hunt for migratory birds. “That’s where it fell flat was with the vendors,” Johnson said, “It actually hurt the final survey and added a lot of cost to it.” Response numbers are typically measured against the number of wing samples and bands that hunters send in. These are crucial pieces of the puzzle as biologists and researchers are then able to record data related to species and gender, which allows them to further categorize the number of birds killed in the state. “The first year you’ll keep a log of everything you killed, then if you get chosen for a second year, then they ask you to clip a wing from everything you killed,” Johnson said. The state then generally collects between 14,000 and 22,000 wing submissions. From Texas they are sent to the Central Flyway office in Flint Hills, Kan., where a team of biologists processes them.
Lone✯Star Outdoor News
Denver area), cited several factors in demonstrating the rancher’s achievements as a steward of the land: • Use of adaptive management principles, including wildlife survey-based decisions in livestock rotation. He also uses hunting and prescribed burning to assure the health of his land. • Through his stewardship, he provides healthy habitat for the endangered least tern, the threatened Arkansas River shiner and the lesser prairie chicken. Populations of these species have either increased or been stabilized on Anderson’s ranch as a result of his management. • A willingness to be innovative, one example being grazing criollo cattle along his ranch’s river bottom land during the dormant season. That helped rejuvenate stagnated grasslands and encouraged new growth of cottonwood trees, a native species along the Canadian River. • In addition to his land management work, he has reached out to neighbors and various conservation groups, government agencies and economic development organizations to promote land stewardship and ecotourism. • Anderson worked with the Texas Agricultural Land Trust to place a perpetual conservation easement on his property. “There shouldn’t be a wall between running livestock and promoting wildlife,” Anderson said. “Good land management benefits both.” — Texas Parks and Wildlife report
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Outdoor News in Brief Texas panel on boating safety to meet June 18 The Texas Advisory Panel on Recreational Boating Safety will hear testimony on ways to keep Texas boaters safe during a meeting June 18. Topics for comment are: • Texas’ current state of recreational safety on public waters. • How other states meet their need for recreational safety. • Suggested directions the panel should take in enhancing recreational safety on public waters in Texas. The hearing will be open to the public, and anyone wishing to address the panel is invited to attend. The public may comment, but some officials have been invited to speak also. They include Col. Peter Flores, director of law enforcement for Texas Parks and Wildlife and Steven Hall, TPW’s director of education. The meeting will be held at 10 a.m. in the capitol extension at 1400 Congress
Ave. in Austin. — Texas Parks and Wildlife report
Newest paddling trail opens on Neches R. Anglers who ply the waters in paddlecraft can count part of the Neches River among Texas’ newest developed water trails. Located near Lufkin, the 9.2-mile trail is bordered on the west by the Davy Crockett National Forest boundary. In addition to catching fish, anglers along the Neches might see white-tailed deer, alligators, otters and many bird species. “The Neches River represents a huge economic opportunity for Lufkin as more and more people look for ways to enjoy the natural beauty of our area,” said Mayor Jack Gorden. “The Neches-Davy Crockett Paddling Trail will become known statewide and draw people looking to experience the last wild and scenic river in Texas.” — Texas Parks and Wildlife report
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June 11, 2010
Lone✯Star Outdoor News
Texoma
Panfish records Species Bluegill Sunfish, Green Sunfish, Hybrid Green Sunfish, Longear Sunfish, Orangespotted Sunfish, Other Hybrid Sunfish, Redbreast Sunfish, Redear Sunfish, Spotted Cichlid, Rio Grande Warmouth
Weight 2.02 1.30 0.52 0.84 0.18 1.73 1.63 2.99 0.18 1.59 1.30
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Length 12.5 11 8.5 9.25 6 12.5 12 14 6 12 10.5
Date caught Nov 21, 1999 Apr 19, 2005 Apr 20, 2010 Jul 6, 2009 Nov 26, 2005 Apr 29, 2004 Aug 30, 1997 Apr 1, 1997 Jul 20, 2008 Jul 3, 2001 Jul 19, 1991
Location Lampasas River Burke-Crenshaw Lake Prairie Creek San Marcos River Lake Fork Bardwell Comal River Lady Bird Lake San Marcos River Llano River Lady Bird Lake
Panfish
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kind of fly is flung their way. Lemke has his favorite flies for panfish, but the eternal favorite woolly bugger and other subsurface flies work well, too. For a location, Lemke’s favorite lacks a famous name. Panfish don’t have a Lake Fork or Laguna Madre. Lemke’s top destination for panfish: Meyer Park Pond, a 3-acre urban fishery inside the Interstate 610 Loop in Houston. It is near his office so Lemke can take fly-casting students down there for instruction. “That lake has always got some,” he said. In the Houston area, Lemke said, the fishing has been good. The spring warmed up quickly, which helped turn on the bite. In North Texas, temperatures have been cooler, but the fishing hasn’t. Charles Ducote and other members of the Dallas Fly Fishers club fished at Loy Lake near Sherman recently. The water was still cool, and the fish had not yet spawned. But it didn’t seem to matter. “Most of us caught a lot of bluegill, almost the entire day,” Ducote said. Favorite flies there were a bumble bee pattern, prince nymphs and also more Miss Prissys. “The bluegill that we saw at Loy Lake were preparing to get on the beds,” Ducote said. “The water was still a little chilly. Most of what we
PRETTY PERCH: Panfish are called many names in Texas — perch, bluegill and bream among them — and they come in several species. Pictured here is a redbreast sunfish. Photo by LSON.
saw were the little males coming in to clear the beds.” For North Texas, panfish anglers never know exactly what they will catch. Their flies can appeal to a variety of fish. “The water’s still cool enough to support some of the rainbows, but some of the guys in our club have been catching crappie, carp, bass, with bluegill mixed in,” Ducote said. Fly anglers famously catch high numbers of panfish when they try to. Aaron Riggins of Uvalde brought 196 to hand while fishing mid-May in the annual Bud Priddy One Fly Contest on the Nueces River. The self-recorded total was enough to take the contest’s top prize, where previous winners have crossed well beyond the 200 mark. “I’ll honestly tell you, I didn’t think I was going to win,” said Riggins, an
Angler Gibbs Milliken Billy Oldigs Mitchell Harris John Brownlee Alissa Lewis Scott Pekrul Alex Labowski John Runnels Mike Schlimgen William Carrington Ralph Manns
Fly, lure or bait No. 6 Clouser Panther Martin Worm Plastic crawfish Worm Splittail spinner Popper Fly
occasional fishing guide in the Hill Country. Riggins’ go-to fly for the day was an olive woolly bugger tied on a size 10 or 12 hook. For the contest, anglers fish from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and count how many fish they catch. “Sometimes you don’t catch them on every cast,” Riggins said. “You just got to be real methodical and cover every inch of water.” Don “Puck” Puckett has been fishing Southeast Texas, putting up high numbers also. His outing May 29 ended with 65 fish taking his flies. “I predominantly catch bluegill,” said Puckett, who was fishing private lakes that day. Puckett prefers fly-fishing — and using paddlecraft or a kick boat — because they are quieter than conventional gear. The low-impact fishing helps him sneak up on bigger panfish. “That’s one of the joys of the flyrod,” he said. Puckett reported that the fish had moved off their beds and were holding around weeds, stumps and manmade structure — oftentimes lying in ambush. He uses a yellow sponge spider, tied on a size 10 or 12 hook. He lets the spider sit for three or four seconds and then gives it a wiggle. If nothing hits, he picks it up and casts somewhere else. “I figure if they want it, they’ll hit it, and they usually do,” Puckett said.
“It was among some of the harshest winters we have had up here. Threadfin shad do not do well in the cold temperature,” Hysmith said. Despite the economic concerns surrounding the purchase of bait, the fishing on Texoma has remained consistent. “My business is still pretty steady,” Barnett said. “It hasn’t affected the fishing at all.” Staley said that his rates have not fluctuated despite the trouble in finding bait.
DU show
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As for the biggest DU event of the year returning to Texas, that has not been decided, Barton said. “Texas is definitely a great venue for us,” she said. As part of the show, DU also held a calling contest that featured some of the top waterfowl callers in the game. Kent Cullum of Weiner, Ark., took top honors in the contest. “Anytime you don’t lose a con-
Bass
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around the same time caused some concern as dead smallmouth buffalo began to appear in the lake. The main reason Hungerford feels dead bass may be surfacing at this point is because of the oxygen levels in the lake. “The theory is they’re spawning this time of the year and up shallow, and some of the areas they are spawning in are getting really low dissolved oxygen levels,” he said. The overnight hours can be especially dangerous for larger fish that require high amounts of oxygen. “When you see big fish dying like that typically it means there is an
Shad cannot withstand water temperatures lower than 35 degrees. However, 45 degrees is the barrier where most begin to die off. The most recent case of a cold weather kill occurred almost 10 years ago when many of the lake’s shad perished due to a cold winter. This was only a minor setback, as Hysmith commented that shad are a tough species that can rebound, which he expects them to by midto late summer. “They have a unique characteristic of being able to bounce back very quickly, population-wise,” Hysmith said. test, it’s good,” said Cullum, 48, who owns Hobo Duck Calls. On his climb to taking the award for best overall caller, Cullum faced a personal challenge. In the team real duck category, Cullum had to blow a call he had not blown until the week before — a blue-winged teal. For the team real duck category, the two-person team — Cullum’s partner was Brad Allen — had to blow mallard, wood duck, pintail, blue-winged teal and widgeon calls. oxygen issue,” he said. However, no such data has been found at Ray Hubbard. Many guides who use the lake had not heard of any issues with dead bass, or even a possible fungus. Ron Metzger had not heard of anything different going on with the fish, and nothing strange has been reported from fellow guides. Nolan Jackson recently fished the lake and noticed nothing peculiar about the bass he was seeing. “I saw dead (fish) spread out across the lake,” Jackson said, “ but as far as behaviors, they have done what they always have done, and the fish I caught looked healthy for the most part.”
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Lone✯Star Outdoor News
Outdoor News in Brief ‘Coyote Special’ handgun honors Gov. Rick Perry A limited-edition handgun pays tribute to Gov. Rick Perry’s deadly run-in with a coyote earlier this year, according to The Associated Press. Gun manufacturer Sturm, Ruger & Co.’s “Coyote Special” is a .380 LCP like the one Perry used to kill the coyote while jogging in February. The gun — 1,000 have been made — bears engravings that say “Coyote Special” and “A True Texan.” Someone gave Perry one of the guns, according to his press assistant, Ashton Morgan. He also thinks the gun is “great.” Perry was out for a run early one morning with his daughter’s young Labrador retriever when, he said, the coyote began “menacing” the pup. He shouted, but the coyote would not leave and would not take its eyes off the Lab. “I’m enjoying the run when something catches my eye, and it’s this coyote,” Perry told The Associated Press, which first reported the story last month. “I know he knows I’m there. He never looks at me, he is laser-locked on that dog.” Perry withdrew his .380 Ruger handgun,
after the Governor’s Mansion caught fire in 2008. Residents in the area have reported encounters with coyotes and have reported pets being attacked by the wild predators. “People are losing small cats and dogs all the time out there in that community,” Perry said. Perry told The AP he carries the gun in case he encounters snakes during his jogs. — Staff report
Seagrass protection remains near Port Aransas
PRECIOUS METAL: Ruger is selling a limited edition handgun engraved to honor Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Photo by Ruger.
loaded with hollow points, and shouted again. When the coyote did not flee, Perry aimed the gun’s laser sight, fired one shot and took the coyote down. “Don’t attack my dog or you might get shot ... if you’re a coyote,” Perry told The AP. Perry was jogging without his security detail in the gated community where he took up residence
State officials extended the protection of seagrass in the Redfish Bay State Scientific Area near Port Aransas late last month. Meadows of underwater grasses in the bay, and elsewhere along the Texas coast, are at risk of damage from boat propellers cutting scars into them. The meadows are habitat for a variety of sportfish and other organisms. Comments received at the two public hearings held in April were in favor of continuing these conservation efforts in Redfish Bay. Constituents also showed interest in the possible expansion of seagrass protection to other areas of the Texas coast. Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Coastal Fisheries Division Director Robin Riechers told TPW Commission members that the regulation would
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be reviewed periodically like all regulations to determine how well it is working. Next to coral reefs, salt marshes and mangroves, shallow-water seagrass meadows are among the most productive marine habitats on earth. They provide many ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling, which can prevent large-scale algal blooms, sediment stabilization promoting water clarity and preventing erosion, and oxygenation of the water column and sediment. Seagrasses form the foundation of the food web as well as protection and shelter for larvae, juvenile and adult finfish and shellfish. The Coastal Fisheries biologists counted propeller scars along transects located in the north and south ends of Redfish Bay during the summers of 2005-2009. The number of scars counted in the study decreased 45 percent during that period. Coastal Fisheries also used aerial photography to monitor propeller scarring at the north end of Redfish Bay. High-resolution imagery was acquired in 2007, 2008, and 2009 and the analysis confirmed a reduction in scarring. In 2000 Redfish Bay was designated a state scientific area for the purpose of education, scientific research, and preservation of flora and fauna. When the state scientific area came up for its five-year renewal in 2005, TPW changed the rule to prohibit the uprooting of seagrass in the area. — Texas Parks and Wildlife report
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Georgia wins Lewisville tourney; Texans finish 6th, 7th Bass were biting on jigs for winning team By Nicholas Conklin LONE STAR OUTDOOR NEWS
The University of Georgia outweighed the University of North Carolina-Charlotte by 2.85 pounds May 28 on Lewisville Lake to win the 2010 BoatU.S. Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship. More than 300 anglers from across the country battled temperatures in the mid-90s while fishing on the North Texas impoundment. Ben Cleary and Bo Page of the University of
Georgia came from third place to claim the national championship title. After weighing in 18.34 pounds on day one, the pair accumulated 18.07 pounds on day two, giving them a total weight of 36.41 pounds and a comfortable margin of victory. The pair was successful on the first day by using watermelon/red football jigs. As it turned out, their consistent creel of more than 18 pounds per day proved to be more than enough to win the tournament. After day one, Eric Self and Tyler Beam representing the University of North CarolinaCharlotte were in 12th place with 15.81 pounds. Their second day haul of 17.75 pounds pushed them into first place until the University of Georgia ousted them.
Rounding out the top 10 on Lewisville were: Place 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th
School Arkansas-Fayetteville Eastern Kentucky University Tarleton State Texas A&M Georgia College and State University Oklahoma Louisiana State-Shreveport
The team endured a tough practice that only yielded four small keepers in two days. To finish their limit each day, Self and Beam skipped jigs in oyster blue and watermelon craw colors under marina catwalks and any other cover that offered shade in about 5 feet of water. Sitting in second place after day one with 19.68
Anglers Clay Ramey and Kyle Billingsly Richard Cobb V and Tyler Moberly John Anderson and Brandon Foard Andy Shafer and Matt McArdle Matt Henry and Walker Smith Chip Porché and Mark Johnson Zach Caudle and Joe Landry
Weight 30.44 28.86 28.85 28.67 27.82 27.58 27.17
pounds, Andy Southard and David Stephens of Western Kentucky were concerned about the number of competitors they saw fishing their key area. With the crowded conditions on day two, the team abandoned the spot and pursued their backup pattern — pitching wacky-rigged worms to standing timber — to finish in third.
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Lone✯Star Outdoor News
Trout
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minnows, rattle eye minnows and other presentations of bait-type flies. Successful colors have been red, white, chartreuse and olive. These techniques have proven effective in South Padre Island, where Glass has landed trout as large as 25 inches. While sight-casting the flats and working shallow water, he has been able to take advantage of spotting the trout. Using flies like the Clouser minnow and a seducer fly, he has caught fish by working flies with a forked weedguard when fishing areas with more vegetation. The seducer fly’s slow-sinking feature has
Squaw Creek Continued from Page 6
the fish at Squaw Creek. Fishing was allowed on rare occasions after the lake closed so largemouth bass in the lake have had little angling pressure. “I hear there are a bunch of big fish,” Teague said. “But the problem may be the warm water right now. It’s getting to the point where it’s going to be tough fishing regardless of how many fish there is.” Teague’s prediction proved true. A few hours later, boats were returning to the ramp. Anglers were optimistic and still excited, but they hadn’t caught many fish. “We didn’t catch a fish,” said Greg Burrows of Lewisville. “I figure the water’s too hot, maybe. We’re used to fishing here in the winter time. I figure it’s a little too warm.” Burrows added that he had never fished the lake during warm months. Power plant lakes are popular destinations during winter, when, despite cold air temperatures, the water stays warm, and the bass keep biting. “We always waited till November, December,” Burrows said. “It’s excellent through the winter, though. It’s the best lake in Texas through the winter, I think.” Burrows, who was fishing with Rhodes, fished using Carolina-rigged
attracted trout that may be cruising near the bottom of the shallows. The weather has been an issue, as a need for sunny skies and clear water has been missing from the equation. This has complicated some of the sight-casting in the area and contributed to lower-than-hoped-for catch totals. However, the opportunity has not eluded Glass, as he has been able to catch a few trout while in search of other fish. “There are certain flats here that give you a good chance of seeing a trout you can sight-cast to in shallow and clear water,” Glass said. Joe Mendez, who fishes the bays around Corpus Christi, said the fishing so far this year has been great and working in areas like Baffin Bay has been most promising. “I have fished a lot of areas, and when this
lizards and worms in submerged trees, off points and on the edges of points in 35 to 8 feet of water. They had two bites all morning. “It was pretty slow,” Burrows said. “Everybody we talked to out there said it was pretty slow today. I figure that’s pretty common for these hotwater lakes.” Cline Strickland of Weatherford and Jerry Woods of Whitesboro had a similar report, but they boated fish. “It was tough,” Strickland said. “We caught two fish, one about 4 pounds and one about 2 pounds. We were the top boat of the day probably.” They fished a variety of lures. They caught one fish on a plastic worm and one on a buzzbait, and they also fished Senkos. Both fish were caught in 9 to 10 feet of water. The temperature gauge on their fish finder hit about 98 degrees, Woods said. The hot water had Strickland questioning the opening hours at the lake. The open and closing hours are meant to correspond with sunrise and sunset times, said Luminant spokeswoman Ashley Monts. “They are going to have to start opening it up at maybe 6,” Strickland said. “Or if you get down here and get in the water at 7, instead of 8 or 9, you might do a little better.”
June 11, 2010
place is on I think it is be hard to beat anywhere in the country,” Mendez said. Mendez has been fishing extremely shallow water — 12 to 18 inches. Much of the bottom is rocky and rarely deeper than a few feet. Working Clousers in tan and brown has been effective, and Mendez likes to work these when the bite is tough. However, switching to brighter colors can also prove successful in certain areas. “I use a lot of Clousers in chartreuse and white, red and white,” Mendez said. “Sometimes a few more natural colors and crab patterns work good when the trout are more on the finicky side.” The fishing around Port Arthur and Sabine Lake remain similar with carryover in the popular presentation and colors. Trout here have been taken early in the day,
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working at water depths of 2 to 4 feet. Around Freeport and Galveston Bay the trout have been holding in fairly calm waters, and have produced fair yields of fish. Flies tied in shrimp and crab patterns have taken a few speckled trout in the 3- to 4-pound range. Tom Horbey of Port O’Connor said that although the best time to work the flats is earlier in the spring, some specks could be taken while sight-fishing areas. “You’re out their blind-casting on some sandbars, like on the drop-off, or flats where the sand is,” Horbey said. Simple flies have proven effective throughout the year, although sight-fishing with Clousers and other bait-like flies have proven most effective.
READY TO GO: Stephen Teague mans his boat as it is backed into Squaw Creek Reservoir. The clear water was hot at 7 a.m., and anglers reported water temperatures in the upper 90s. Photo by Thomas Phillips, Lone Star Outdoor News.
For an opening day, however, Strickland was happy — and hopeful. “I thought the lake looked good,” he
said. “The water, the color looks great. There was lots of bait in the water. The fish we caught were healthy. The lake
looks fantastic. With it being a power plant lake, it’s going to have hot temperatures in the summer.”
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June 11, 2010
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Outdoor News in Brief
CLASSIFIEDS
Hog Eradication Hunts
Former TPW leaders inducted into Hall Two longtime state fisheries employees were inducted Saturday into the Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in Athens. The late Edward W. Bonn of Denison and Phil Durocher of Austin spent many years at Texas Parks and Wildlife changing the way Texas anglers fish. Bonn was one of three fisheries biologists hired in 1946 by what later became TPW. As many new reservoirs were built to serve Texas’ growing population, a sportfish able to utilize open-water habitat was needed. Under Bonn’s leadership and direction, experiments were carried out with striped bass, a saltwater species, to develop ways to stock them into Texas lakes. Bonn also worked to develop methods to cross striped bass with native white bass to produce hybrid stripers. Durocher served as the director of TPW’s Inland Fisheries Division for 19 years and retired at the end of 2009. He went to work at TPW as a research specialist in 1974 and served as chief of research and management from 1984 until he became Inland Fisheries director in 1991. — Texas Parks and Wildlife report
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Turkeys
Continued from Page 1
bly be something that was exciting,” said Nanette Stockstill, a representative of the National Wild Turkey Federation covering Central Texas. “But I don’t know anybody who has shot a banded bird.” That could be because so few turkeys in Texas are banded, and where they are banded, they might be offlimits to hunting. Texas Parks and Wildlife dresses turkeys in bands when it relocates them. For instance, the department released birds in Navarro County in 2009 and 2010, and all were banded. The birds, about 175 total, came from Johnson City, and their new home was on private land where a group of neighboring landowners had formed a wildlife cooperative called the Western Navarro Bobwhite Restoration Initiative. The association focuses on restoring and maintaining its quail population, but it had good habitat for turkeys, too. While the turkey population grows there, hunting is closed for turkeys in Navarro County. It will probably remain closed for a few years, and the generation of banded birds — hens and gobblers — will probably not survive until then. Still, banded turkeys are harvested every now and then, said Jason Hardin, TPW’s top turkey biologist. “It doesn’t happen very often,” Hardin said. “It would be a trophy.” If rarity contributes to trophy status, then harvesting a banded turkey might be one of the highest achievements of the sport. About 850 banded turkeys have been released by the state in Texas in recent years. Fewer than 100 bands have been turned back in to the state in five years, Hardin said. Besides the state, other landowners, public and private, may relocate turkeys, too. They are allowed, but not required, to band the birds. In the last five years, these other land-
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BEJEWELED: Biologists and land managers do not often band turkeys’ legs, with perhaps fewer than 1,000 banded in Texas in the last five years. Photo by Joshua Guthrie.
owners have released at least 144 gobblers and 397 hens, according to TPW Wildlife Permits Assistant Megan Russell Caldwell. With at statewide population of 400,000 to 600,000 turkeys, the percentage is low. Hunting near the birds also matters. With waterfowl and other migratory birds, the bird might be banded in Canada and pass through several states, giving thousands of hunters a sporting chance at collecting their ankle bracelet. Banded turkeys, however, tend to stick to their home range of a few square miles. “They typically stay pretty close to where we release them,” Hardin said. One idea by the state might have hunters flocking to the turkeys. Some research programs have affixed “reward” bands to turkeys, which the lucky hunter receives
$100 for turning in. The idea has been discussed in East Texas TPW offices as a means for studying Eastern turkeys, Hardin said. No plans have been set, and the program has not been implemented here. Banding helps researchers collect several types of data, Hardin said. Mark-recapture surveys can help tell about an population size, home range, survival and life cycle, among other things. TPW puts bands on all turkeys it releases, though no major studies are under way that use them, said Robert Perez, a biologist and leader of the state’s upland game bird program. But they can provide information regardless. “It costs next to nothing, it takes very little time, and it provides a whole lot of information,” Perez said.
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