June 12, 2015 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting

Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper in Texas

June 12, 2015

Volume 11, Issue 20

Throwing flies off the rocks

2015 FLOOD

Body of missing angler found

GONE TOO SOON: 42-year-old Randy Charba’s body was identifi ed on Tuesday after fl ooding washed away the house he and his family were staying in on the Blanco River. Photo by David Sikes.

CASTING OVER THE ROCKS: South Padre Island angler Roy Lopez throws to rolling tarpon off the rocks of the Boca Chica jetty. Lopez has been catching tarpon this month up to 125 pounds on his hand-tied fl ies. Photo by Erich Schlegel, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

Jetty fly anglers catching tarpon, other species off rocks

By Conor Harrison Lone Star outdoor newS

Roy Lopez knows how to catch tarpon from Texas’ lower coast jetties.

Even he has been knocked back a few times this spring because of the wind and wave action along the jetties, but that hasn’t stopped him from getting out there in the chance of hooking a monster tarpon.

“I was out yesterday and jumped three fish,” Lopez said. “I landed one — 125 pounds. The surf and swells have been horrible, along with a bad riptide and very high tides. If you can get past the waves and the wind,

CONTENTS . . . . . . . . .

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Getting back to normal Texas hunter Corey Knowlton back home, reflective

By Conor Harrison

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“Man, I’m just going fishing.”

That’s what is on Texas hunter Corey Knowlton’s mind after he killed a Namibian black rhino in late May, closing the book on a journey that started at the 2014 Dallas Safari Club convention.

It was there Knowlton purchased the black rhino hunt — bidding $250,000 — and instantly became one of the most infamous people on the HORN OF THE HUNTER: Corey Knowlton recently planet. completed his hunt for a Namibian black rhino.

Hammered by the antihunt- These horns are being guarded in Namibia and Please turn to page 7

INSIDE

Classifieds . . . . . . . .

Crossword . . . . . . . .

Freshwater Fishing Report For the Table . . . . . . .

Game Warden Blotter . . .

Heroes. . . . . . . . . .

Outdoor Datebook . . . .

Saltwater Fishing Report .

Sun, Moon and Tide data .

which should get better as the summer goes along, the fishing has been fair to decent.”

Along with good tarpon fishing, Lopez said the Boca Chica jetty is loaded with trout in the 24- to 26-inch range.

“There are also some redfish and mangrove snapper, but we target mostly tarpon,” he said. “This year has been much warmer than last, but the tarpon fishing is on schedule, so far.”

Lopez, who works at Bass Pro Shops in Harlingen, ties his own flies for

will be shipped soon. Photo by Daniel Peebles.

HUNTING

Photo by Conor Harrison, LSON.

Offshore snaps The 10-day recreational red snapper season in federal waters closed June 10, but that didn’t stop anglers from racing out past nine miles to catch the big snaps during the short window.

The reports were mostly positive up and down the coast, as most anglers with good knowledge of where structure is located caught snapper.

A former coastal fly-fishing guide’s body was identified Tuesday after massive flooding Memorial Day weekend swept away the home where he and several families were staying on the Blanco River.

By all accounts, Randy Charba, 42, was a great friend and angler.

“Randy was one of the first down here to pioneer fly-fishing,” said good friend Don Jones. “He was a wonderful guy — Randy was the Lefty Kreh of this area. The guy was an encyclopedia of knowledge when it came to fishing the Laguna Madre.”

A granite cross will be erected near the 9 Mile Hole in memory of Charba.

Charba’s 6-year-old son, Will, remains missing. His wife, Michelle, was found dead on May 25.

“He was a good guy with a beautiful young family and a promising future,” said Corpus Christi outdoor writer David Sikes, who fished with Charba.

“He was manager of the Corpus’ Gruene Outfitters and taught fly lessons there before briefly becoming a fly guide and rep for Beavertail Skiffs down here.”

Charba and his family, along with his wife’s parents and family friends Jonathan and Laura McComb and their children, Leighton and Andrew, were in the house when it was taken downriver by raging floodwaters. The house broke apart when it hit the Ranch Road 12 Bridge.

— Staff report

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FISHING

Muddy feeders

Turkey season recap Fishing the 2015 fl ood Still going

Ranchers having issues getting to their feeders during high water.

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It was a good year for Texas turkey hunters and toms looking for hens.

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Many Texas anglers affected by the flooding 74-year-old female captain still going strong and putting clients on fish.

— see what they are doing to catch fish.

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June 12, 2015

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HUNTING

Out in front

TDA issues position on use of drugs in deer

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star outdoor newS Misconceptions and rumors about drugs administered to white-tailed deer have haunted the deer breeding industry for years, and the Texas Deer Association has stepped forward to address them with its official position statement on the safe use of pharmaceuticals in deer.

The statement reads: “TDA Membership supports the practice of managing deer herds of superior health and quality through the use of progressive selective breeding practices, while maintaining high standards of herd health, disease control and ensuring balanced nutrition. TDA recognizes the need for disease prevention, treat-

ment and control. TDA supports only the safe use of pharmaceuticals for the prevention and treatment of disease and requires that appropriate withdrawal times be utilized based on the recommendations of a licensed veterinarian. TDA strongly condemns the administration of any chemotherapeutic agent solely for the purpose of enhancing antler growth.”

All drugs administered to deer are “off-label,” and therefore controlled by AMDUCA, the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act, a set of Federal Drug Association regulations.

Dr. Scott Bugai, a veterinarian and vice president of TDA, said the statement falls in line with both his vet- ONLY FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES: The safe use of pharmaceuticals in deer is regulated erinary practice and the legal use of pharmaceuticals. and may only be given for medical reasons, as in this photo. TDA issued a statement condemning the use of drugs in deer to enhance antler growth. Photo by David J. Sams, Please turn to page 29 Lone Star Outdoor News.

Cash and release for conservation Hunting bongo in South Texas with a dart gun

By Conor Harrison Lone Star outdoor newS

GREEN AND ORANGE: Chip Wagner darted this bongo bull on the Morani River Ranch in South Texas as part of a new conservation program from Bisbee’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fund. The bongo was given medicine and revived after pictures. Photo by Bisbee’s.

Enjoying the thrill of the hunt while also helping ensure the animal returns to its environment healthier than before.

That is the goal of a new program begun by the Friscobased Bisbee’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fund, according to Bisbee’s Director of Development Brian White.

“We are calling this cash and release conservation hunting,” White said. “We have a hunter who puts an animal down through sedation and the animal gets much needed medical benefits. The hunter gets to enjoy the thrill of the hunt and put forth those dollars for conservation.”

White said because of a founding circle of members in the Bisbee organization that pays for the operating costs, 100 percent of the proceeds from these hunts go toward conservation.

“We don’t keep any of it,” he said. “I did a hunt several years ago in South Africa with a bow and arrow for Cape buffalo. The arrow was tipped with a dart on the end. It was a great hunt and it was the first catch and release hunt for Cape buffalo. I always wanted to do that again, so I came up with the idea. The first hunt in the program was a recent bongo hunt in South Texas.”

Fort Worth hunter Chip Wagner was walking through the Dallas Safari Club convention last year when he saw the hunt and was intrigued.

“I got involved when I ran into Wayne Bisbee at the DSC show,” Wagner said. “I had never shot a dart gun before and thought this would be cool.”

After placing the winning bid of $35,000, Wagner was set to head to the Morani River Ranch for the bongo hunt.

“I went out there and shot the gun a few times,” Wagner said. “The first time was at 20 yards, and then we moved out to 30 yards. It’s like a blowgun — not very fast. You have to be close to the animal. About 50 yards is the maximum range. The gun has a .22 cap on it, so it does make some noise when fired.”

With a max range of 50 yards and an adjustable sight, knowing the correct distance is important, as the hunting party soon found out.

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Turkey season a good one The Texas spring turkey season ended for the North Zone on May 17, and hunters and biologists are all agreeing this was a good one.

Good age structure, plenty of toms and good range conditions all pointed toward a good season, although many hunters had to hunt longer in the day to shoot a gobbler.

“The season really went great,” said Jason Hardin, turkey leader for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

“It did get off to a slow start, because there was plenty of breeding going on when the seasons opened, but gobblers had plenty of hens to breed throughout the season. The hens came into spring in such great shape and ready to breed, the gobblers really didn’t have to work to find hens.”

Midday was good for hunters willing to stick it out and wait for hens to head to nests. Hardin said hunters hoping to kill birds as they flew down off the roost had to adjust their strategy in many areas.

The rain throughout the springs is a double-edged sword for turkeys, but, overall, it is very helpful.

“The rain has been tough in some areas,” Hardin said. “It can be tough in those hens sitting on nests. They are more susceptible to predation when they get wet and start to smell. They do become easier to find. But the hens were in such good shape, many of them renested if their first nest was destroyed. We have one we monitor with 16 eggs in her second nest — that is outstanding.”

The rain ensures lots of nesting cover and food for poults, some of which have already hatched.

As for hunting, the Hill Country, coastal sand plains and anywhere in the eastern edge of Rio habitat had Please turn to page 6

DIDN’T HAVE TO WORK HARD: Toms across Texas had many hens to chase this season, and they didn’t have to move much to fi nd them. Hunters still had great midday success, though. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

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June 12, 2015

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2015 FLOOD

Muddy ranch roads Creativity needed when trying to fill your feeders this year

By Conor Harrison Lone Star Outdoor News

Ranch owners and managers have had a hard time getting to their feeders the past few weeks, as muddy ranch roads have caused some to get resourceful when bringing protein to their deer herd.

Petra Thompson at Strutty’s in Boerne said her feed sales have actually gone up during the floods.

“Most are feeding protein pellets,” she said, “and at this time of year, many people are buying minerals for the does with fawns. A lot of people can’t get to their feeders, but many are still walking in to them to keep them full if they can’t make it in their trucks.”

Although feed sales dipped during the torrential rains, biologists and feed stores expect business to pick back up as the rains subside and things get back to normal in the summer months.

“The habitat is in great shape,” said TPWD’s South Texas biologist Daniel Kunz. “Some people like to keep feeding protein to keep the deer conditioned, but deer have plenty to eat in the pastures. Lots of forbs this month and I’m excited for the fall.

“This spring rainfall benefits all species.”

Kunz said last year was also a decent year for rainfall, and to have two good years in a row hasn’t happened in a while.

‘We’ve barely broken 90 degrees down here this year, so that is below normal for us.”

Lance Cote, a manager for Mumme’s in Hondo, said protein sales have been down a little, but he is hearing from ranch managers that sales will be picking up once they can get to their land.

“The sales are off, but that is more of a consequence of not being able to get out to the feeders,” Cote said. “Ranches that have been able to get to them are feeding protein and the deer are on it and on it hard.

“Those late winter and spring forbs are growing, but they will mature and the deer will be looking for that protein.”

Cote said ranchers have also backed off filling feeders to their maximum, since deer shy away from eating wet feed.

“Some people are feeding whole cottonseed,” he said. “The cottonseed is weather-resistant. If it gets wet, it will just dry out and still be palatable.”

Cote said as soon as the range dries out, there will be a mad rush to get trucks to feeders.

“People think it is raining and everything is green and deer don’t need supplemental feeding,” he said. ‘But if you’ve been on a feeding program for several years, the deer do need it. They will seek it out and ranch managers need to keep feeding if they are already on a program.”

MAKING RUTS: Ranch managers across Texas are using innovative methods to keep feeders filled this spring thanks to heavy rains.

Photo by Scott Hohensee.

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Midday proved best Continued from page 4

great seasons.

“The Hill Country and coastal sand plains were phenomenal,” Hardin said. “The tougher spot was the eastern Panhandle. They got a late start last year and breeding was very strong this season, so numbers are on the way back up, but that area was hit very hard by drought. We don’t have the age structure we have in some of the better areas.”

Hardin said an encouraging sign from this season was in counties that have a 1-gobbler bag limit such as Bastrop, Caldwell and Lavaca counties. Increased numbers in the area could mean an increase in the bag limit in the near future.

“Some of those areas used to be hard-pressed to find a single bird,” Hardin said. “Now, there are beginning to be a lot of turkeys down there, and discussions are happening on possibly raising the bag limits in some of those counties.”

Something that worked well this season was the new harvest reporting app — mandatory for Eastern turkey hunters and voluntary for Rio hunters.

“The new app worked great,” Hardin added. “We are still working on getting the word out, but we were very happy with how many Rio hunters reported their birds and about half of the Eastern hunters reported their kill through the app, so we are happy with that.”

— Staff report

Several recalls affecting hunters Rocky brand boots has issued a recall on their Silent Hunter Snake Boots.

According to Rocky, “The recalled boots are 16-inch tall rubber hunting boots sold under the Rocky brand name. The recalled boots have a camouflage pattern on the outside of the shaft and foot. A white label on the inside of the shaft of has the Rocky logo, product number RKYS153, a date code between 12-14 and 01-15 in the MM-YY format and the words ‘Men’s 16 Silent Hunter Snake Boot, Camo’ below the product number and date code.”

Consumers should stop wearing the recalled boots immediately and contact Rocky brands for a full refund or a free pair of replacement snakebite-proof hunting boots in one of the following models: Lynx Snake, Classic Lynx Snake, Prolight Snake in lace up, pull-on or side-zip styles.

Also, TenPoint CrossBow Technologies is recalling about 127,000 TenPoint and Wicked Ridge crossbows.

After the safety has been re-engaged, the crossbows can fire under certain circumstances if a consumer pulls the trigger, posing an injury hazard.

This recall involves nine models of two brands of crossbows that can be identified by their serial numbers, which are located on the left side of the barrel of the crossbow below the trigger box.

The TenPoint or Wicked Ridge brand name is printed on both sides of the crossbow barrel on all models except the GT Flex. The model name appears on both sides of the stock on all models. The GT Flex crossbows are black. The other affected models are camouflage patterns. One TenPoint Titan Extreme model crossbow and one Wicked Ridge Warrior HL model crossbow were specially produced in black, rather than the camouflage pattern that is standard for those models.

— Staff report

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Black rhino hunt successful Continued from page 1

ing community and some within the hunting community itself, Knowlton never wavered on his pledge to shoot the rhino and bring a spotlight on the conservation-hunting model.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service approved the import permit earlier this year, agreeing with conservationists, government officials and wildlife biologists who said the money generated from the hunt, along with the removal of the old bull, would be beneficial to the species’ survival.

The hunt began with a chartered plane ride to an undisclosed location in northern Namibia, where the government had approved the hunting of 18 older bulls — four of which were deemed high priority because they had already killed younger breeding bulls.

“We had a choice of two areas to hunt,” Knowlton said.

“The first was very difficult and dangerous because of the thick cover. The second place was more open. We were only after the high priority animals. Our guides were very worried about misidentifying the bulls.”

On day two, the hunting party, including Knowlton, his professional hunter, Hentie Van Heerden, and a film crew from CNN, began the drive south to the new hunting area.

However, they got a call on the way down informing them the old bull they planned on hunting had died during the night.

“We decided to turn around and go back up north,” Knowlton said. “We walked seven miles on the first day, and we tracked the bull on the third day four or five miles, but we had a bad wind. On the fourth day, we walked about 12 miles to a waterhole where we had seen the rhino that morning on a game camera.”

When the group stopped to take a rest break, unbeknownst to them, the bull was less than 50 yards away.

“He got up and we never knew he was there until we started tracking again,” Knowlton said. “We lost the track, circled it, he circled back and we bumped him again for the second time in an hour. I talked with Henti and we thought we should cut the group in half because we had so many people with us. Apparently, they didn’t get the memo, because when we started walking, they waited a few minutes and then started following us. The rhino did another circle — he let the first group pass but charged the second group.”

The members of the second group, including the CNN crew, ran toward the first group of hunters with the rhino in pursuit.

“Henti was yelling for them to get down, and they did,” Knowlton said. “The rhino lost sight of them and stood for a moment. I could see him and fired first — I hit the bull between the neck and shoulder, and then fired again in the

FEEDING THE LOCALS: Local women came to collect the meat from Knowlton’s rhino, which fed a legion of local villagers. The bull was taken at an undisclosed location in northern Namibia. Photo by Daniel Peebles.

shoulder when he turned. Henti shot and hit the bull high.”

Knowlton made his way to the rhino, which had fallen twice, and delivered the final shot to hasten the bull’s demise.

When it was over, Knowlton said he felt a range of emotions.

“I felt a lot of things at one time,” he said. “I was happy the bull didn’t kill anyone, happy we got the right one, and, to be honest, I still haven’t taken a deep breath since I got home.

I did have some closure. The antihunters weren’t successful in keeping myself, USFWS and Namibia’s government from succeeding.”

The rhino’s horns were still in Namibia being guarded by two guards before it would be shipped out of the country and back to the states where Knowlton will have the bull mounted.

Knowlton said he had no idea the negative response from his hunt would generate the huge amount of worldwide attention it received.

“I didn’t expect it and I wasn’t looking for it,” he said. “I’ve caught mountains of flack from antihunters and a lot of

hunters.”

The most stinging criticism came from within the hunting community itself, with many hunters claiming they didn’t agree with Knowlton because he was a trophy hunter — not hunting to feed his family. It is that division amongst hunters that bothered Knowlton the most.

“It will not be the antihunters that undo hunting — it will be the hunters going against one another,” he said. “We need to be unified on the basis that hunting is conservation.

“We are all hunters, but we are going to be our own undoing.”

Knowlton said the hunting community has to start winning the hearts and minds of those in the middle ground that may not hunt, but understand hunting plays an important role in conservation.

“I’m not sure we are articulating that argument well enough,” he said. “It is a huge issue and I don’t have all the answers, but the younger generation of hunters needs to fight for it.”

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FISHING 2015 FLOOD

Flooding equals finicky fish

THAT USED TO BE DRY LAND: The banks of Lake Fork are higher than they have been in years, and it is making the fi shing tougher for local guides. Find single willow bushes and concentrate on working the area over before moving on. Photo by Andrew Grills.

By Conor Harrison Lone Star outdoor newS

North Texas largemouth bass anglers are finding the bass get tough to find when they have so much area to spread out. And once an angler does find them, they don’t always bite consistently.

According to guide Paul Keith on Caddo Lake, the water is up, it is very stained and muddy and the high water is causing some bass to spawn later than normal.

“You can still get out on the lake and most everything we

are catching is on a frog,” Keith said. “We are catching some big fish right now — caught a 9 1/2-pounder last week on a frog. We are also flipping big creature baits and top-water stuff around vegetation.”

Keith said the fish are still spawning on Caddo, and they had a June spawn last year, as well.

“Last year, the fish didn’t spawn until June because of the water temperature,” he said. “This year, it is because of the high, muddy water. We will be fishing a combo in June — spawning and a summer pattern. We will still focus on the cypress trees because that is where they spawn in those soft,

muddy areas.

“They won’t spawn on the hard sand flats.”

Keith said flipping will be his main tactic moving forward, and noted the high water has had one tremendous effect on the lake.

“About 90 to 95 percent of the giant salvinia is gone,” he said. “The only areas that have it now are the back areas around trees with no moving water. We just need a cold winter to get that stuff out, as well. Three years ago, you could hardly move around the lake it was so bad.”

When rules aren’t rules

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Can’t beat experience

KNOWS WHERE TO LOOK: After spending the past 40 years on the waters around Freeport, Capt. Ann Johnston is still putting clients on big fi sh, and will be trying to win the Poco Bueno Tournament in the next few weeks. Photo by Ann Johnston.

Second-ever female captain in Texas still going strong at 74

By Conor Harrison Lone Star outdoor newS NO WIN: Anglers in the Babes on the Bay tournament hope for a bite from a redfi sh or trout. Tournament directors, often faced with last-minute rules decisions, fi nd that some calls receive opposition from a portion of the event’s participants, while others agree. Photo by Craig Nyhus, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Directors forced to make unique calls on tournament days

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star outdoor newS It is among a tournament director’s worst fears.

After months of planning, rule-making and marketing to fill the field, during the event, conditions call for quick decisions that are sure to please some and anger others.

At the Babes on the Bay all-women event in Rockport on May 15, director Karol Scardino was faced with such a dilemma. Fishermen were allowed to launch as far up the coast as Goose Island and St. Charles Bay, usually requiring a drive over the Copano Causeway to return to the weigh-in at the Rockport Festival Grounds.

A three-vehicle fatality accident on the causeway resulted in it being closed, with traffic backed up for miles, nearly north to Tivoli. About 50 to 60 teams were stuck, Scardino said.

She had to make the call and extensions of time were granted.

The event’s Facebook page turned ugly almost immediately, with certain team members claiming rules are rules and no extensions should have been given, while others were more sympathetic to the

anglers’ plights for a condition they could not foresee.

Other tournaments have faced similar difficult calls.

The Port Mansfield Fishing Tournament will host its 41st annual tournament July 23-26 “We’ve been lucky, we haven’t had too many problems,” said longtime guide and chamber board member Terry Neal. “But rules issues do develop during tournaments.”

On May 28, a storm came up that kept boats from getting into the harbor.

“We haven’t had that come up during the tournament,” Neal said, “but if it did we would have to take it to the board for a decision — we would have to weigh whether people should have seen the storm coming and come in.”

Neal said one exception in weigh-in rules occurs when someone breaks down and a good Samaritan comes to their aid.

‘We can give them a break the first day of the tournament because it’s a good deed,” he said. “On the second day, we can’t because it is the final day.”

Please turn to page 15

Capt. Ann Johnston has seen just about everything along the Texas coast since she got her captain’s license in 1972.

Some good. Some bad.

The 74-year-old still runs her own boat.

In fact, she has a new boat this season — a 54-foot Hatteras appropriately named Ann’s Dream 2. Johnston piloted her other boat, Ann’s Dream, for the past 34 years.

“I’ve lived here most of my life,” she said. “I was the second lady commissioned in the state of Texas. I married my husband 46 years ago and he had a small boat. He wanted to get a bigger boat, so when he got his license, I got mine. I just love to fish.”

Johnston has translated her love of fishing into a career that includes her husband, son, granddaughters and several other family members.

“My son is a captain for a 110-foot yacht based out of West Palm Beach,” she Please turn to page 22

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Sand bass on the move in Lake Ray Hubbard

By Jillian Mock

For Lone Star Outdoor News The sand bass fishing is hit or miss in North Texas lakes, thanks to scattered schools and plenty of places for the fish to feed.

“The challenging thing is you’re fishing a different lake every week,” said guide John Varner early last Saturday morning, as he discussed last month’s drought-breaking weather.

Varner, of John Varner’s Guide Service, has been fishing the lake for 20 years and guiding for 14. He’s a talented angler and an excellent people person, capable of teaching even the clumsiest individuals the basics of throwing a good cast.

On Saturday, members with the Dallas Safari Club’s Conservation Societyheaded out to find schooling sand bass.

As Brent Karrington, the vice president of Adventure Programs, described it, the Conservation Society is an affiliate arm of the DSC with a young professional membership base whose mission is to raise outdoor aware- MOVING TO CATCH THEM: Guides on Lake Ray Hubbard are having ness in a social environment and to move to find fish this month with high water keeping the fish funds for DSC’s Dallas Ecological from schooling. Here, Amon Austin shows one caught Saturday.

Foundation that promotes outdoor Photo by Jill Mock, for Lone Star Outdoor News. education among area youths.

The group of Varner, Karrington, and Amon Austin of the DSC group, motored across much of Ray Hubbard hoping to see “Christmas tree” formations of fish show up on the boat’s electronic screen. As they went, Varner explained that until the sunshine last week, Lake Ray Hubbard water levels increased 3 to 4 inches a day and all of the rain caused the lake to rise about 7 feet in a month.

“Right now both the gates are open and the water is about a foot high, meaning that the water has a strong current, keeping the fish constantly on the move,” Varner said.

In keeping with Varner’s insights, Christmas trees remained elusive on Saturday. Thanks to his knowledge of Ray Hubbard, however, the group did have successes. The anglers caught several hybrid striped and white bass, along couple of giant buffalo carp on submerged midlake humps and the drop-offs around Robertson Park.

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TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT Fishing docks LAKE CONROE — The largemouth bass bite has been steady on Lake Conroe, with anglers targeting docks in less than 10 feet of water.

According to multiple Internet reports, soft plastics in watermelon red and pumpkinseed are catching bass up to 6 pounds. Look for docks that provide shade for fish. Wave action was also a plus near the docks holding the most fish.

The lower end of the lake has been clearer, with water temperatures in the mid-80s.

When the dock bite fades as the sun comes up, anglers should target isolated structure and midlake humps with soft plastics and crankbaits.

Along with bass, striped bass fishing has been average, but the catfish bite has picked up with stinkbait, shrimp and liver.

Wait for the moon FAYETTE COUNTY RESERVOIR — Although the lake is seeing a ton of pressure during the day, smart anglers are sneaking onto Fayette at night and catching good numbers of largemouth bass on a variety of soft plastics.

According to anglers, the day bite has been slow. Target bass on structure with green-colored soft plastic worms. The

ALAN HENRY: Water stained; 48–55 degrees; 9.78’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on chatterbaits, Texas rigs, jigs and drop-shot rigs.

ALAN HENRY: Water stained; 73–82 degrees; 0.58’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on flukes, Senkos and Texas rigs.

Crappie are fair to good on jigs under a slip cork.

Catfish are fair on chartreuse nightcrawlers.

AMISTAD: Water murky; 70–74 degrees; 28.38’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters, spinner baits, jerkbaits and soft plastics. Catfish are good on cheesebait, shrimp, and nightcrawlers. droplines baited with live perch.

ATHENS: Water stained; 74–77 degrees; 1.19’ high. Largemouth bass are good on hollow-body frogs, weightless worms and topwater poppers. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs.

BASTROP: Water stained; 73–77 degrees.

Largemouth bass are fair on pumpkinseed soft plastics and spinner baits.

BOB SANDLIN: Water murky; 74–78 degrees; 0.5’ high. Largemouth bass are good on buzz frogs and Spooks. Crappie are good on minnows and white jigs.

White bass are fair on minnows and slabs. Catfish are good on trotlines and prepared bait.

BONHAM: Water stained, 73–77 degrees; 1.3’ high.

Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits, spinner baits and chatterbaits, jigs and soft plastics. Crappie are good on minnows around bridges and backs of creeks.

BRAUNIG: Water stained.

Largemouth bass are fair on green pumpkin crankbaits and spinner baits.

BUCHANAN: Water murky; 69–73 degrees; 22.10’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on weightless wackyrigged green pumpkin Whacky Sticks with chartreuse tails, top-waters, and Bleeding Shad lipless crankbaits in 5–15 feet.

Striped bass are slow.

CADDO: Water stained to muddy; 75–78 degrees; 2.8’ high. Largemouth bass are slow on flipping jigs and spinner baits. White and yellow bass are good on slab and minnows.

CALAVERAS: Water stained. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon soft plastic worms and crankbaits.

CANYON LAKE: Water murky; 70–74 degrees; 18.66’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on Texasrigged watermelon Whacky Sticks and pumpkinseed jigs in 6–15 feet.

CEDAR CREEK: Water stained to muddy; 74–77 degrees; 0.71’ high.

Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged soft plastics and spinner baits near docks and shallow cover.

White bass are good on minnows.

CHOKE CANYON: Water murky; 70–74 degrees; 21.14’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Channel and blue catfish are fair on punchbait and stinkbait.

COLETO CREEK: Water murky; 79 degrees in main lake, 87 at hot water discharge; 0.33’ high.

Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits and spinner baits over grass beds.

Channel and blue catfish are excellent on live perch and cut bait in 8–10 feet.

Yellow catfish are slow.

FALCON: Water murky; 70–74 degrees; 18.60’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon crankbaits and Carolina-rigged soft plastics.

FORK: Water lightly stained to stained; 75–78 degrees; 0.59’ high.

Largemouth bass are fair on deep-diving crankbaits and soft plastic swimbaits.

Catfish are good on prepared bait.

FT. PHANTOM HILL: Water clear; 73–81 degrees; 12.93’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on chatterbaits, flukes and Texas rigs.

GIBBONS CREEK: Water clear. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon soft plastics and white crankbaits. Catfish are good on stinkbait, nightcrawlers and shrimp.

GRANBURY: Water murky; 69–73 degrees; 0.45’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on pumpkinseed soft plastics, crankbaits and spinner baits.

HOUSTON COUNTY: Water stained; 80–84 degrees; 0.51’ high. Largemouth bass to 9 pounds are good on purple or watermelon red soft plastic worms, crankbaits and spinner baits in 3–10 feet. Channel and blue catfish are very good on shad and stinkbait.

HUBBARD CREEK: Water off-color; 75–83 degrees; 20.38’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on shallow-running crankbaits, Texas rigs and chartreuse or white spinner baits.

Crappie are fair to good on jigs and minnows.

lake has been warm, with water temperatures hitting above 90.

However, once the moon comes up, the bite has turned on with quality fish being caught up to 6 pounds on Carolina- and Texasrigged soft plastics. When the bite slows, target humps with Carolina rigs.

High water, scattered fish TOLEDO BEND RESERVOIR — The bass fishing has been hit or miss, according to multiple guides and anglers on Toledo Bend.

The high water is still flowing through, and the fish have been spread out.

Anglers having success are targeting flooded grass and shallow lily pads with soft plastics and spinner baits.

A slow retrieve helps get fish to bite. Water temperatures are in the mid to low 70s.

If the grass lines and pads are slow, some anglers are moving to deeper water, 12-20 feet, off of main lake points and humps. Carolina rigging with soft plastics in multiple colors have been putting some fish in the boat.

— Conor Harrison

LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water stained to muddy; 74–77; degrees; 6.40’ high.

Largemouth bass are slow on spinner baits and hollow-body frogs.

LBJ: Water stained; 70–74 degrees; 0.30’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on Bleeding Shad lipless crankbaits and weightless green pumpkin wackyrigged Whacky Sticks along break lines of flats early in 4–10 feet. Channel catfish are good on minnows and dipbait. Yellow and blue catfish are good on trotlines baited with live perch and carp.

LIVINGSTON: Water fairly clear; 72–76 degrees; 0.80’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on spinner baits, crankbaits, and soft plastics. Striped bass are slow. White bass are good on pet spoons, slabs and troll tubes. Blue catfish are very good on shad.

MARTIN CREEK: Water clear; 75–84 degrees; 0.09’ high. Largemouth bass are good on hollowbody frogs, buzz frogs and Texas-rigged craws. Crappie are good on minnows.

MONTICELLO: Water clear to stained; 74–78 degrees; 0.85’ high. Largemouth bass are good on hollowbody frogs near shallow grass and pads. Texasrigged creature baits pitched around the reeds are effective, as well.

O.H. IVIE: Water stained; 75–83 degrees; 42.74’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas rigs, weightless Grande Bass Rattlesnakes and buzzbaits. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs fished shallow. Catfish are

fair to good on live bait.

OAK CREEK: Water stained; 74–81 degrees; 21.71’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on chatterbaits, Texas rigs and split-shot rigged flukes.

PALESTINE: Water stained; 73–76 degrees; 1.99’ high. Largemouth bass are slow on Texasrigged creature baits and weightless Senkos. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Hybrid striper are good on slabs. White bass are good on slabs and minnows. Catfish are good on trotlines and cut shad.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Water fairly clear; 76–83 degrees; 0.99’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on spinner baits, Texas rigs, weightless Senkos and finesse jigs.

Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs.

RAY HUBBARD: Water slightly stained; 74–78 degrees; 0.67’ high.

Largemouth bass are good on small swimbaits and Yellow Magic top-waters in yellow frog near riprap banks.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water stained to muddy; 73–76 degrees; 1.49’ high.

Largemouth bass are good on shallow crankbaits and spinner baits. White bass are fair on minnows. Hybrid striper are good on minnows and slabs. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on trotlines.

SAM RAYBURN: Water stained; 70–74 degrees; 8.89’ high. Largemouth bass are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are slow.

Bream are slow.

TEXOMA: Water stained

■ Saltwater reports: Please turn to

Page 14

to muddy; 72–75 degrees; 26.02’ high. No report available. All ramps closed due to high water and floating debris.

TRAVIS: Water murky; 70–74 degrees; 14.17’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Striped bass are slow. White bass are slow.

Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfish are slow.

Yellow catfish are slow.

WALTER E. LONG: Water murky. Largemouth bass are slow. Hybrid striper are slow. White bass are slow.

Crappie are fair on minnows. Channel and blue catfish are fair on nightcrawlers and shrimp. Yellow catfish are slow.

WHITNEY: Water murky; 69–73 degrees; 22.11’ high. Largemouth bass are slow. Striped bass are slow. White bass are slow.

Crappie are slow. Catfish are slow.

WRIGHT PATMAN: Water stained to muddy; 74–78 degrees; 12.67’ high.

Largemouth bass are slow on hollow-body frogs and bladed jigs near shallow cover. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Catfish are slow on trotlines.

— TPWD

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

June 12, 2015

Page 11

Chasing big trout in the sky Well-known Matagorda Captain Jesse Arsola dies Capt. Jesse Arsola lost his battle with cancer and passed away on May 26.

Well-known for his ability to put clients on big trout and his love of fishing and surfing, Arsola’s loss was felt by the coastal fishing community near Matagorda.

“For those of us that knew Jesse, there will never be another like him,” said Capt. Troy Keen on 2coolfishing.com. “The passion he had for fishing and the outdoors was like that of a little kid. I’m gonna miss him.”

Other former clients recalled his good humor.

“Fished with him quite a few times,” said one angler. “Surfed with him quite a few times. Always had a great time talking to him, whether it was on a boat, the beach or in the parking lot. He was always making plans to fish or hunt or go somewhere. He was a great guide and teacher for all skill levels.”

— Staff report

A GOOD ONE WHO WILL BE MISSED: Capt. Jesse Arsola was known up and down the coast as an angler who could put you on fi sh. When he wasn’t fi shing, he could be found on his surfboard. Photo by Jesse Arsola.

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Page 12

June 12, 2015

LoneOStar Outdoor News

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GAME WARDEN BLOTTER DEER LEASE SCAMMER CAUGHT For several years, Grayson County Game Warden Dale Moses has received complaints that a subject had been scamming deer hunters. The subject would advertise deer leases online for properties he did not have permission to hunt. The subject would collect the money for the lease and the hunters would find out later in the year, when hunting season rolled around, that the landowner had never heard of the subject. After receiving a tip that the man was camping at a local marina, Moses located the subject on a pier. The man had a lengthy criminal history for burglary, theft of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a felon, and bail jumping. He also had a felony warrant out of Colorado for larceny. The man was arrested and transported to the Grayson County Jail.

TREACHEROUS RESCUE A SUCCESS A boat with two adults and one child went over the Lake Mexia Spillway. The boat then became stuck behind the spillway.

Conditions were too treacherous for a rescue from the bank. A Swift Water Team from Corsicana put a Zodiac in the water and were able to make it to the boat, but hit a rock and lost power just as they approached the stranded boaters. Consequently, their boat was washed downstream, but they all made it out safely. Capt. Mike Hanson contacted Capt. Jason Davis, who said the nearest inflatable was five hours away. Davis contacted and briefed StarFlight (Austin) on the situation. StarFlight was able to rescue all three individuals safely. The Corsicana and Waco

TROTLINERS CONFRONTED, SHOT AT WHILE SETTING LINES Concho County Game Warden Jacob Crumpton received a call from a local fisherman who was running trotlines on the Concho River. The fisherman said a man had called them over to the north bank of the river and started questioning the men about running his throw lines in the river, and they informed the man they were only running their trotlines. Shortly after the conversation ended, the Fire Dept. Swift Water Rescue Teams were able to situate downstream in case the boat broke free, as a waterfall was located approximately 100 yards downstream from the boat. Wardens involved in this rescue were Trent Marker, Rob Sadowski and Sam Anderson.

BANK FISHERMEN BUSTED WITH UNDERSIZED HYBRIDS On Belton Lake, Bell County Game Wardens Chris Wilson, Bryan Dulock, and Brandt Bernstein observed multiple bank fishermen on Arrowhead Point.

Wardens have closely patrolled this area, checked many fishermen and issued many citations.

However, the fishermen have gotten smarter and started concealing their catch. The wardens came in by land and waited for the fishermen to come back. Four fishermen were in possession of 30 undersized hybrids and were over the bag limit. It is believed the fish they are catching are sold to area fish markets and then being sold to the public.

MAN FINALLY CAUGHT SELLING CRAPPIE, DEER During the past several months,

fishermen heard three shots fired in their direction from the same location. Crumpton arrived in the area and contacted the man. A Winchester .3030 was found in the man’s truck. Crumpton knew the subject was a convicted felon from a previous arrest. The subject was arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and charges are pending for deadly conduct.

Newton County Game Warden Ellis Powell and Jasper County Game Warden Justin Eddins investigated a man for selling fish. The wardens had also caught the man with undersized crappie. During the investigation, an undercover warden made several buys of both crappie and venison. The man was arrested and pleaded guilty, receiving a fine of $10,000 and ordered to surrender his hunting and fishing license for one year. In the 2009 hunting season, the man was cited for numerous violations and paid fines and restitution of $8,000.

CAST NETTER HAS TROUBLE KEEPING STORY STRAIGHT On Lake Fairfield, Freestone County Game Wardens Rob Sadowski and Sam Anderson observed a small boat with two men onboard who had been fishing with cast nets. Upon seeing the wardens, the boat headed straight for the boat ramp. The wardens made contact and the operator of the boat said, “It’s OK, I already got a ticket.” The man had been issued a ticket earlier in the day by a Fairfield Lake State Park officer for no fish-

ing license. Sadowski found the boat to be lacking a fire extinguisher and certificate number.

During the water safety inspection, Sadowski located four cast nets that had been hidden in the bow of the boat. Three of the nets were of legal size and one was 8 feet in radius, making it an illegal net. The operator of the boat became very argumentative and stated they didn’t use the net “here.” When asked where they used the net, he said, “Rayburn.”

The subject was asked a second time and he said at “Grapevine; not here.” The net contained wet aquatic vegetation and fresh dead fish, including a 4-inch largemouth bass.

MAN CAUGHT USING ID OF ANOTHER TO BUY LICENSE Lubbock/Lynn counties Game Warden Shannon Chambliss received a call from a convenience store regarding fraudulent use of an ID. The cashier said an individual bought a fishing license while using the driver’s license of another. When questioned why he did not look like the picture on the ID, the man said he had simply lost a lot of

weight. Chambliss responded to the area where the man was fishing. The man presented the false information to Chambliss, including the fishing license. Several days later, the district attorney’s office entered a warrant for the man’s arrest. The man was later arrested while fishing.

OUT-OF-STATER USED FATHER’S TURKEY TAG Bexar County Game Wardens Johnny Jones and Roland Fuentes concluded an investigation regarding an out-of-state resident taking a Rio Grande turkey under the license of his father, who resides in Texas.

LOOKING FOR PLACE TO HUNT Corn placed on a county road caught the attention of Atascosa County Game Warden Derek Iden. When observing the area, he noticed a truck stopped next to a high-fenced piece of property. Iden watched as the truck began to drive off, then caught up to do a license plate registration check and noticed that the plate was expired. The driver was in possession of illegal drugs, was unlawfully carrying a weapon, driving with his license suspended, had no insurance and had tampered with the serial number on a shotgun. The man said that he was “looking for a place to hunt.” The man was arrested.

REPORT ILLEGAL HUNTING AND FISHING ACTIVITY FOR A REWARD OF UP TO $1,000.

CALL (800) 792-4263

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

June 12, 2015

Bongo with a dart gun Continued from page 4

“We put a stalk on the bongo,” Wagner said. “We had a few guys with us, so it was tough to get close. I was sitting on some jagged rocks for about 45 minutes, waiting for the bongo bull to get within range. I started to cramp up — it was uncomfortable.”

The bongo finally came within range, but Wagner did not adjust the dart gun’s sight for the 30-yard shot.

“The gun was set for 50, but the bongo was only 30 yards away, so I shot the dart right over him,” Wagner said. “Nobody likes to miss and I was upset with myself. We went back to the house to regroup.”

After lunch, the hunting party returned and found the bongo on the other side of a levee.

“We did a spot and stalk and when the bongo came over the levee, I got the dart placed in the neck — you don’t want to shoot them in the lungs behind the shoulder because the dart could go through and hit a vital. The biologist told us the dart was pretty toxic. It put the bongo down quickly.”

Once the animal was down, the biologist checked the health of the animal, administered some shots and allowed the hunters to photograph the animal.

“Then we revitalized the bull and he went on his way,” Wagner said. “We saw him later in the day and he was doing fine.”

Wagner said the hunt was extremely challenging and he dares anyone to try it.

“It’s difficult,” he said. “We were in full camo, headnets and gloves with Scent Lok — the whole nine yards.”

Wagner is having a replica European mount done for the animal, and he recommends other hunters look in to the practice.

“We are trying to do another one for the Grevy’s zebra,” White said. “They are extremely rare, so finding one in Texas is tough. We have to clear it with U.S. Fish and Wildlife, but if they give the go-ahead, we will find one to have another conservation hunt. We are going to offer another auction, either way. If we can’t find the zebra, we might do it with a sable.”

As for the money raised, that is awaiting a worthwhile program.

“We’ve got it ready and we are waiting on a worthy deal,” White said.

Right to hunt on ballot

Delta Waterfowl ID book

A bill offering constitutional protections for hunting and fishing in Texas has passed the state Senate by a vote of 27-3 – well above the two-thirds majority required for passage.

The bill also made it through the House, and will be on the Nov. 3, 2015 ballot for voters in Texas.

“The ‘Right to Hunt & Fish’ proposed constitutional amendment does not affect the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s ability to collect hunting and fishing license fees and is strongly endorsed and supported by the National Rifle Association, Dallas Safari Club and over 60 sportsmen’s organizations representing 3.3 million avid outdoorsmen,” said Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe).

— Staff report

Delta Waterfowl is introducing the North American Waterfowl Identification Guide.

Go to thedeltastore.com/deltastore/ for information.

512-752-6503

UL LTIM TIMA ATE TE HOG ATTRACTION IN

E V E RY D R O P WWW.INSIGHTSNUTRITION.COM

Page 13

Page 14

June 12, 2015

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

TEXAS SALTWATER FISHING REPORT Unusually clear BAFFIN BAY — The LSON crew was down along the midcoast last weekend and had a great day of fishing in Baffin Bay. The water was unusually clear and unusually calm, with good trout being caught in grass with live croakers, soft plastics and top-waters.

The action was good, as the group netted 65 trout up to 20 inches.

The turtle grass behind the Tide Gauge Bar seems to be dead, and fishing was slow in that area.

Wading in thigh- to waste-deep water brought easy limits of trout for other anglers fishing the bay. Some reported catching multiple trout in the 28- to 30-inch range each day.

Water fl owing CEDAR BAYOU — The cut at Cedar Bayou is flowing well, with a good tidal outflow pushing water from the bay into the recently opened cut.

According to LSON’s David J. Sams, who fished the cut last week, it was good to be back in a familiar place.

“It had been over 20 years since I’ve been able to cast into the cut and watch my popping cork heading out into the ocean,” Sams

NORTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good under birds and pods of shad on soft plastics. Redfish are good under rafts of shad on top-waters.

SOUTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good under birds and pods of shad. Trout are good at the jetty on live bait and top-waters.

Sheepshead are good on live shrimp tight to the rocks.

BOLIVAR: Trout are good on the south shoreline on soft and scented plastics.

Trout are good on top-waters in the surf and around Rollover Pass.

TRINITY BAY: Trout: Redfish and flounder are fair at the spillway on live bait. More freshwater is coming down the Trinity River.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are fair for drifters working deep shell on limetreuse and plum plastics. Trout are good on the south shoreline on top-waters and MirrOlures.

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 are good in the surf. 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 midbay reefs.

Trout are good for waders 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

said. “The depth is about 5 feet in the middle of the gut.”

The group caught black drum, trout and redfish during their trip.

“We were catching black drum with live shrimp under a popping cork two feet from the beach,” Sams said. “One hundred to 150 yards into the surf in front of the mouth, we caught more keeper trout.”

Sams said anglers wading along the southern shoreline from the cut caught fewer keepers.

Smacks galore GALVESTON JETTY — The beachfront and jetty action has been great along Galveston Bay, according to Just Cast Charters.

“Our trips are getting a few trout, drum and sheepshead, along with lots of Spanish mackerel,” according to a post on 2coolfishing.com. “These fish are found in fast moving schools and are fun to catch and excellent table fare. They are a blast to catch on light tackle and once you find a school you can put quite a few in the boat. There are also lots of jackfish cruising the nearshore waters right now.”

To contact Just Cast Charters, call ( 409) 392-1261.

— Conor Harrison

top-waters. Redfish are good on top-waters and live shrimp in Oyster Lake. Trout are good in the surf on live bait and top-waters.

PORT O’CONNOR: Trout and redfish are good on top-waters 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 good 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 while drifting with live shrimp. Redfish are good on mullet and shrimp at Mud Island and Allyn’s Bight.

PORT ARANSAS: Trout, redfish and sheepshead are fair to good at the jetty on shrimp and croakers. Trout are good in the surf on top-waters and croakers. Offshore is good for kingfish, red snapper and ling.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Trout are fair to good in Oso Bay on Scented plastics and live shrimp.

Redfish are good in the potholes on shrimp.

Trout are good in the surf on live bait.

LAND CUT: Trout are fair at night in the Land Cut on live shrimp.

PORT MANSFIELD: Trout are good on topwaters on the edge of the channel and around sand and grass. Redfish are fair to good while 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 3–4 feet of water on the flats. Snook are good in the channel. 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 in Laguna Vista and Airport Cove on top-waters and live shrimp.

— TPWD

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

Plenty of snapper in Gulf Continued from page 1

June 12, 2015

Page 15

Roy’s Bait and Tackle is bigger One of the best tackle shops along the midcoast just got a lot bigger.

Roy’s Bait and Tackle in Corpus Christi opened a new, 6,000-square foot addition on the side of their current store at 7613 South Padre Island Drive.

“This addition has been in the works for two years,” said owner Rocky Guerra. “It isn’t totally done, we still have some fixtures to put in, but we just had to get it open to the public.”

A new kayaking department, a huge saltwater fly-fishing section, more apparel, an expanded offshore department and new inshore baits are just some of the additions.

“Anything that you can think of with regards to fly-fishing, we have,” Guerra said. “We also now carry seven brands of kayaks with 50 instore models and fly-fishing reels from 12 different companies — there is a lot more breathing room.”

Opened 42 years ago, Roy’s has been in the same spot since 1985.

— Staff report

LOADING THE BOAT: The Dolphin Express out of Port Aransas caught a boatload of red snapper on a trip to federal waters last week. Photo

by Lone Star Outdoor News.

Some anglers found some of the structure had been removed since they last went offshore for snapper.

“On Firday, we went to several rigs that I normally fish and they were gone,” said Victoria angler John Kisalus, who fished with his son, Will, and several friends aboard a 25-foot Boston Whaler.

On Saturday, they boarded the 50-foot Paradox.

“I didn’t go last year, and we eventually found some rigs, but didn’t catch anything.

The boats around us were not catching anything, either. Saturday, we went 39 miles out and zeroed at our first two spots. But at the the third rig, we found them.”

Kisalus said they limited out in 100 feet of water using Snapper Slappers rigged with squid and ribbonfish. Their snappers averaged 24 inches long.

“We have had some incredible weather lately, and everyone is catching fish,” reported Galveston Capt. Greg Verm. “I am not sure I can remember the last time we have had this many good weather days stacked up in a row. Offshore fishing has been incredible, with some giant red snapper, kingfish and ling.

Most of the keeper red snapper averaged around 20 pounds.

In Corpus Christi, Capt. Clint Smith reported a very good offshore bite on the Texas Fishing Forum.

“This past Saturday, the 6th, I got the opportunity to run into federal waters,” Smith said. “We got to the spot dropping down with nonstop catching action. We caught red snapper, vermillion snapper, amberjack (and others). I was dropping down big baits to try and entice a grouper to bite when I pulled in a massive red snapper. I got it officially weighed at Roy’s Bait and Tackle at just over 33 pounds and 39 inches long.”

Reports from the Port Mansfield area were also good.

Anglers reported chumming big red snapper to the surface and sight-casting to them.

Red snapper at 15-plus pounds, along with amberjack, kept the anglers busy until limits were caught.

— Staff report

Photo by Roy’s Bait and Tackle.

Tough calls on tourney day Continued from page 8

Neal said the event that brings more than 1,000 anglers to the tiny fishing village enlists the help of qualified people to make decisions.

“We have a marine biologist and the county extension agent among others to help problem solve,” he said.

A list of rules can’t be written to cover everything that may come up during an event, and many tournament rules provide that rules are subject to change, especially when there is a safety issue involved.

“You get faced with decisions you can’t anticipate,” he said.

Scardino said she has spoken with many other tournament directors about the situation, and doesn’t regret her decision.

“I asked Poco Bueno (the large offshore tournament involving huge monetary purses) officials what they would do if there was an oil spill at the mouth of the jetty and boats couldn’t get in, whether they would let the boats come in from Port Aransas,” Scardino said. “They said of course they would, you can’t prepare for that.”

Scardino wishes a well-meaning exception didn’t cause such a fuss.

“We’re a bragging rights tournament,” she said. “You win a trophy and maybe a rod and a small cash pot. I don’t understand why people get so vicious.”

Page 16

June 12, 2015

LoneOStar Outdoor News

2015 FLOOD

Look for lonely willows Continued from page 8

NOW THAT’S A NEW KIND OF STRUCTURE: Many Texas lakes are fl ooded right now, including Lewisville Lake, shown here when the lake fl ooded several years ago. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Farther west on Lake Fork, guide Andrew Grills said he has struggled to consistently find numbers of fish with water levels so high.

“I’ll be honest,” he said, “the fishing has been really challenging. I don’t remember a time in my guiding where I’ve struggled to find fish like the past three weeks. The water scattered the fish and we are covering lots of water trying to find them.”

Grills said he is staying shallow, even though some of the bigger fish have moved to deeper, postspawn water.

“I am staying shallow because those deep-water fish are getting pounded,” he said. “Four out of five tournament anglers are fishing deep, but there are still fish shallow. Look for the willow bushes. Willows are the best cover — and look for single bushes. There are so many willow bushes underwater right now and it’s tempting to get in an area with tons of them and work it over. But find the bush with nothing around it for a hundred yards — that is where the fish will be.”

Grills said when you do get a bite, keep throwing in that area, as he is finding the fish are spread out but grouped up in small areas together.

Although the high water is causing a tough bite, Grills thinks it is the best thing to happen to Lake Fork in five years.

“We haven’t had great spawns in the past four or five years,” he said. “There wasn’t a lot of fry and there aren’t many smaller fish being caught. This year, the water rose slowly and it gave the fry plenty of places to hide.”

LSONews.com

Mercury making a diesel

By Mark England

Lone Star outdoor newS Mercury Marine may have oversold its new OptiMax Diesel, a spark-ignited, direct fuel-injected, two-stroke, 175-horsepower outboard engine.

The Fond du Lac, Wisconsin-based company has been deluged with requests for information on the diesel outboard engine — even though it was developed for the U.S. Department of Defense (specifically, the Navy) and is not available to the general public.

“This has been the biggest surprise for us,” said Rick Mackie, senior marketing manager for Mercury Racing. “There’s been global acceptance of this product. Overwhelmingly so, in fact. That’s evident on our own comment boards as well as by the media response.

There’s a lot of interest in it.”

Slyly, Mercury Marine played off the military angle in publicizing its new outboard. It stated the OptiMax Diesel was “reporting for duty,” and called it a “stealth” engine.

Mackie admits the latter assertion was just having a bit of fun, although the outboard’s noise protection mats and damper pulley to reduce noise levels at certain rpms makes it “quiet for a diesel.”

So, did the military connection and NOT AVAILABLE YET: Mercury has designed a diesel Mercury Marine’s lighthearted sales- outboard for the military, and it could be on the back of manship convince some people that the bass boats beginning in 2017. Photo by Mercury.

OptiMax Diesel is the product of top-secret technology? message board. “. . . we have really too expen“Maybe,” Mackie said, laughing. sive fuel, but for diesel for boat use, we pay Or, maybe, the demand stems from diesel lower tax. I want this motor!” outboard engines being such a rarity.

One American reader jokingly pleaded, Mercury Marine doesn’t make a diesel out- “If one happens to fall off the back of a naval board engine for the public. Mackie said he boat, send me the GPS coordinates!!!” doesn’t know of any being manufactured in A 1995 crash that resulted in an explosive the U.S., although a few are made in Europe gasoline fire prompted the DOD to direct and elsewhere. the removal of all gasoline-powered engines One thing is for certain. News of the and gasoline fuel tanks from Navy vessels by OptiMax Diesel engine has reduced some 2010, according to Tony Nahitchevansky, consumers to begging. government accounts manager for Mercury “This is just what we have been looking for Marine. years and years over here in Norway,” wrote Robert the Norwegian on Mercury Racing’s Please turn to page 22

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

June 12, 2015

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Page 17

Page 18

June 12, 2015

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

NATIONAL LDWF agent shot on patrol

A Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agent was shot in the line of duty while on patrol on the Russell Sage Wildlife Management Area in Ouachita Parish.

Sgt. Scott Bullitt, 32, of Jonesboro, along with another agent, stopped a vehicle at the end of Buckley Hill Road near the Wham Break Boat Launch. Bullitt believed the occupants of the vehicle to be impaired and proceeded to go back to the LDWF patrol vehicle.

While returning to his vehicle, Bullitt was shot in the lower back by the passenger of the vehicle, later identified as Luke Jarrod Hust, 29, of Monroe. The other agent returned fire. Hust fled the scene into the woods. It is unknown if Hust was hit. Bullitt remains in the hospital in stable condition.

The unwounded agent was able to call for help and apprehend the driver of the vehicle, whom authorities don’t believe fired any shots at this time.

The LDWF Enforcement Division, State Police, Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Monroe Police Dept., and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection set up a perimeter and searched the area for Hust. At 11 p.m., authorities located and arrested Hust on Timber Lane Drive in Monroe.

— Staff report

Louisiana black bear delisted

HER BIGGEST BAY CITY, TEXAS KILLED TAYLOR HOLLAND,12, OF Y, IN FRIO COUNTY. WITH HER UNCLE, LARR BUCK WHILE HUNTING

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Thanks to a highly successful public-private partnership spanning more than two decades, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal announced the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to remove the Louisiana black bear from the list of threatened and endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. When the Louisiana black bear was listed under the ESA in 1992 due to habitat loss, reduced quality of remaining habitat and human-related mortality, the three known remaining breeding subpopulations were confined to the bottomland hardwood forests of Louisiana in the Tensas and Upper and Lower Atchafalaya River basins. Now, those subpopulations have all increased in number and have stable to increasing growth rates.

Additional breeding subpopulations are forming in Louisiana and Mississippi, providing a healthy long-term outlook for the species.

— USFWS

Missouri angler lands state-record striper A Missouri fisherman has pulled in the largest striped bass ever recorded on a rod and reel in the state, with the fish weighing in at 65.2 pounds.

Lawrence Dillman said he fought the nearly 50-inch monster for more than 45 minutes at Bulls Shoals Lake, which sits on the state’s southern border with Arkansas.

When the fish eventually came close enough to touch, he “bear hugged the fish and got out of the water onto the bank.”

He caught the fish on a 20-pound test line and used a chub minnow for bait.

The previous state record for a fish caught on a “pole and line” weighed in at 60.9 pounds, and was caught in 2011 on the same lake.

— Staff report

Kansas angler finds car on fish finder, has body inside Many of us have seen some crazy stuff on our electronics, but nothing like Kansas angler Tim Leeper’s grim and shocking discovery.

According to local reports, he noticed something out of the ordinary on his Humminbird unit while fishing a Miami County lake. Just 40 yards north of a popular boat ramp, he saw a hump in 20 feet of water that closely resembled the shape of a passenger car. He asked a few friends’ opinions and they agreed — it

had to be a car. So they called the Miami County Sheriff’s Office.

The water rescue team didn’t make a priority of the call because they figured it was simply an abandoned car. When they finally showed up and removed the car hours later, they found the remains of Fremont C. “Dusty” O’Berg inside the 1981 Chevrolet Citation. He had been missing since 1992 when he was 57 years old. O’Berg still had his seatbelt buckled.

— Wired2fish.com

Shotgunner sets world record

Rotating through 30 different shotguns, trapshooter Dave Miller shot 3,653 clay targets over the course of a single hour on May 16, setting a new Guinness World Record.

Miller, the 41-year-old pro shooter, only needed to shoot 3,000 targets to qualify for the record, yet he said that he aimed for 3,600. It was far from easy, though, and the challenge required more than just accuracy and speed. It also demanded sheer endurance. When the hour ended and Miller officially landed in the record books, the exahusted shooter took off his gloves and showed his bloody hands to the crowd.

“At about the 40-minute mark, I was tired. I was hurting. But I got a shot of adrenaline and I kept going,” he told the Kansas City Star. “I waited too long for this to let it get away.”

Since the record has never been attempted before, Guinness representatives set the benchmark at 3,000 targets, but Miller knew he could do better. In a practice session beforehand, he had already swept through 3,157.

— Staff report

B.A.S.S. announces saltwater conservation group B.A.S.S., along with a large coalition of angler groups, has announced the official launch of Bass Anglers for Saltwater Conservation, a new intuitive online advocacy system that allows fishing enthusiasts to write, call or tweet their legislators through prewritten letters online.

“Bass Anglers for Saltwater Conservation (BASC) is, at its core, an opportunity for fans of bass fishing and B.A.S.S. to channel their passion for all things fishing into good public policies that concern our sport,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “Right now, the fisheries policy battles in Congress are focused on saltwater fishing, but tomorrow these issues could spread to freshwater lakes, rivers, or countless other fisheries we love to fish.”

By accessing Bass Anglers for Saltwater Conservation, BassforSalt.com, anglers can simply fill out their constituent information and contact their legislators through the method they chose. BASC then automatically identifies the appropriate legislators and provides users with talking points for a call, a prewritten letter, or even a prewritten tweet based on the user’s preferences.

— B.A.S.S.

$55,000 in fines for Pennsylvania hunters Five people charged with combining to kill 265 snow geese over the permitted limit all pleaded guilty to charges and together will pay more than $55,000 in fines and replacement costs, the Pennsylvania Game Commission announced.

On April 1 in Marion Township, Berks County, officers arrived and found evidence a large number of snow geese had been shot. Through their investigation, it was learned the five defendants had killed 365 snow geese.

The daily bag limit is 25 snow geese per hunter. And since one of the hunters also didn’t possess the required migratory bird license, he wasn’t permitted to harvest any snow geese.

— PGC

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

Knowlton back home Continued from page 7

Knowlton said he has suggestions on how the hunt could have been presented to the public, and said that although he did have some differences with how the hunt was portrayed, ultimately, all parties lived up to their end of the bargain.

“In the end, Dallas Safari Club did what they said they were going to do, U.S. Fish and Wildlife did what they said they were going to do, the Namibian government did what they said they were going to do and I did my part,” he said. “I don’t think DSC will auction another hunt like this again, though.”

Asked if he had any advice for other hunters looking to pursue endangered game in the name of conservation, he said, “Don’t back down.”

And Knowlton hasn’t, despite more than 100 credible death threats to himself and his family.

“By and large, we just don’t look at social media,” he said. “My wife had 120 death threats on Facebook. We turned over some to the FBI, and law enforcement takes threats against children very seriously. We had numerous ones where we contacted the person’s place of employment to tell them their employee made terroristic threats and we will be following up with the FBI.” Now, Knowlton just wants to get on with his life.

“I really don’t know what I am going to do next,” he said. “Man, I’m just going fishing next week, and beyond that, I have no idea.”

Rhinos in Texas?

White rhinoceroses may soon inhabit ranches in southern Texas under a proposal discussed at the recent annual membership conference of the Exotic Wildlife Association in San Marcos.

The EWA heard a proposal from Quintin Smith, a senior representative of groupelephant. com, to relocate breeding groups of rhinos from South Africa to Texas as part of an ambitious and unprecedented conservation program that could result in seeing up to 1,000 rhinos in Texas over the next decade.

“We came to the conclusion that if we can’t take the danger away from the rhinos, then we need to take the rhinos away from the danger,” said Smith. “We view Texas as a potential safe haven for rhinos.”

To make a substantial impact on the conservation of rhinos, the plan calls for relocating large numbers of rhinos from South Africa to Texas. Groupelephant.com brought the idea to EWA — notwithstanding that the two organizations have different positions on hunting in general — because exotic wildlife ranchers potentially have the space on their ranches for herds of rhino.

“This would be a very major undertaking,” said EWA Executive Director Charly Seale. “We are very interested in this idea, would very much like to help the dire situation with rhino in South Africa, but recognize that there is an enormous amount of detail and significant cost implications to first be considered and worked out before we know whether this is, indeed, a realistic and implementable concept that would attract the participation of a good many of our members.”

If the plan is approved, no hunting of the rhinos would be allowed.

— EWA

June 12, 2015

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June 12, 2015

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

TEXAS SUN, MOON AND TIDES Moon Phases Houston 2015 June-July

A.M. Minor Major

P.M. Minor Major

12Fri 13Sat 14Sun 15Mon 16Tue 17Wed 18Thu 19Fri 20Sat 21Sun 22Mon 23Tue 24Wed 25Thu 26Fri 27Sat 28Sun 29Mon 30Tue 01Wed

2:17 3:04 11:33 ---12:40 1:20 1:58 2:37 3:16 3:57 4:42 5:32 6:25 7:23 8:23 9:24 10:24 11:21 ---12:41

2:43 3:31 11:56 12:19 1:01 1:41 2:20 2:59 3:39 4:21 5:07 5:58 6:52 7:50 8:50 9:51 10:50 11:48 12:16 1:07

8:30 9:17 5:22 6:08 6:51 7:31 8:09 8:48 9:27 10:09 10:55 11:45 12:12 1:09 2:09 3:10 4:10 5:08 6:03 6:54

8:57 9:44 5:44 6:30 7:12 7:52 8:31 9:10 9:50 10:33 11:20 ---12:39 1:36 2:36 3:37 4:37 5:35 6:29 7:20

New

Full

First

June 16

Last

July 1

June 24

July 8

Solunar Sun times Moon times SUN Rises Sets

6:20 6:20 6:20 6:20 6:20 6:20 6:20 6:21 6:21 6:21 6:21 6:21 6:21 6:22 6:22 6:22 6:23 6:23 6:23 6:23

8:21 8:21 8:22 8:22 8:22 8:22 8:23 8:23 8:23 8:23 8:23 8:24 8:24 8:24 8:24 8:24 8:24 8:24 8:25 8:25

Dallas

MOON Rises Sets

3:23a 11:31a 12:24p 1:16p 2:07p 2:59p 3:50p 4:43p 5:37p 6:33p 7:30p 6:31a 9:21p 10:14p 11:04p 11:50p NoMoon 12:35a 1:17a 1:59a

4:33p 12:14a 12:54a 1:30a 2:05a 2:39a 3:13a 3:47a 4:24a 5:03a 5:45a 1:01a 7:22a 8:17a 9:16a 10:17a 11:19a 12:22p 1:25p 2:28p

2015 June-July

A.M. Minor Major

P.M. Minor Major

12Fri 13Sat 14Sun 15Mon 16Tue 17Wed 18Thu 19Fri 20Sat 21Sun 22Mon 23Tue 24Wed 25Thu 26Fri 27Sat 28Sun 29Mon 30Tue 01Wed

2:22 10:49 11:39 12:00 12:46 1:26 2:04 2:42 3:21 4:03 4:48 5:37 6:31 7:28 8:28 9:29 10:29 11:27 ---5:13

2:49 11:13 ---12:24 1:07 1:47 2:26 3:04 3:44 4:27 5:13 6:03 6:58 7:56 8:56 9:56 10:56 11:53 12:22 5:41

8:36 4:38 5:28 6:14 6:56 7:36 8:15 8:53 9:33 10:15 11:00 11:50 12:17 1:15 2:15 3:16 4:16 5:14 6:09 11:27

9:02 5:01 5:50 6:35 7:17 7:57 8:36 9:15 9:56 10:39 11:26 ---12:44 1:42 2:42 3:43 4:43 5:40 6:35 11:55

SUN Rises Sets

6:18 6:18 6:18 6:18 6:18 6:19 6:19 6:19 6:19 6:19 6:19 6:20 6:20 6:20 6:20 6:21 6:21 6:21 6:21 6:22

8:34 8:34 8:34 8:35 8:35 8:35 8:36 8:36 8:36 8:36 8:37 8:37 8:37 8:37 8:37 8:37 8:37 8:37 8:37 8:37

MOON Rises Sets

10:38a 11:33a 12:27p 1:20p 2:12p 3:05p 3:58p 4:51p 5:47p 6:43p 7:40p 8:37p 9:33p 10:25p 11:14p NoMoon NoMoon 12:43a 1:24a 8:16p

NoMoon 12:24a 1:03a 1:39a 2:12a 2:45a 3:18a 3:51a 4:27a 5:05a 5:46a 6:32a 7:22a 8:17a 9:16a 10:18a 11:22a 12:26p 1:30p 6:05a

San Antonio 2015 June-July 12Fri 13Sat 14Sun 15Mon 16Tue 17Wed 18Thu 19Fri 20Sat 21Sun 22Mon 23Tue 24Wed 25Thu 26Fri 27Sat 28Sun 29Mon 30Tue 01Wed

A.M. Minor Major 2:29 8:43 3:16 9:30 11:46 5:35 12:07 6:21 12:53 7:03 1:33 7:43 2:11 8:22 2:49 9:00 3:28 9:40 4:10 10:22 4:55 11:08 5:44 11:57 6:38 12:24 7:35 1:22 8:35 2:22 9:36 3:23 10:36 4:23 11:34 5:21 12:05 6:16 5:20 11:34

P.M. Minor 2:56 3:43 ---12:31 1:14 1:54 2:33 3:11 3:51 4:34 5:20 6:10 7:05 8:03 9:03 10:04 11:03 ---12:29 5:48

Major 9:09 9:57 5:57 6:42 7:25 8:04 8:43 9:22 10:03 10:46 11:33 ---12:51 1:49 2:49 3:50 4:50 5:47 6:42 ----

SUN Rises 6:33 6:33 6:33 6:33 6:34 6:34 6:34 6:34 6:34 6:34 6:35 6:35 6:35 6:35 6:35 6:35 6:36 6:36 6:36 6:37

MOON Sets Rises Sets 8:33 3:36a 4:46p 8:33 4:20a 5:49p 8:33 5:07a 6:50p 8:34 5:57a 7:48p 8:34 6:49a 8:43p 8:34 7:43a 9:34p 8:35 8:38a 10:20p 8:35 9:33a 11:02p 8:35 10:27a 11:40p 8:35 11:20a NoMoon 8:36 12:12p 12:16a 8:36 1:03p 12:51a 8:36 1:54p 1:24a 8:36 2:46p 1:58a 8:36 3:38p 2:34a 8:36 4:33p 3:11a 8:36 5:29p 3:51a 8:36 6:25p 4:36a 8:36 7:22p 5:25a 8:36 8:17p 6:19a

Amarillo

2015 A.M. June-July Minor Major

12Fri 13Sat 14Sun 15Mon 16Tue 17Wed 18Thu 19Fri 20Sat 21Sun 22Mon 23Tue 24Wed 25Thu 26Fri 27Sat 28Sun 29Mon 30Tue 01Wed

2:43 3:30 4:18 5:09 6:02 6:56 7:52 3:02 3:42 4:23 5:08 5:57 6:51 7:49 8:49 9:50 10:50 11:47 12:18 5:34

8:56 9:43 10:32 11:22 ---12:43 1:39 9:14 9:53 10:35 11:21 ---12:38 1:35 2:35 3:36 4:36 5:34 6:29 11:48

P.M. Minor Major

3:09 11:33 ---12:45 1:27 2:07 2:46 3:25 4:05 4:47 5:33 6:24 7:18 8:16 9:16 10:17 11:16 ---12:42 6:01

9:23 5:21 6:10 6:56 7:38 8:18 8:57 9:36 10:16 10:59 11:46 12:11 1:05 2:02 3:02 4:03 5:03 6:01 6:55 ----

SUN Rises Sets

6:32 6:32 6:32 6:32 6:32 6:32 6:32 6:32 6:33 6:33 6:33 6:33 6:33 6:34 6:34 6:34 6:34 6:35 6:35 6:35

9:00 9:01 9:01 9:02 9:02 9:02 9:03 9:03 9:03 9:03 9:04 9:04 9:04 9:04 9:04 9:04 9:04 9:04 9:04 9:04

MOON Rises Sets

3:45a 5:07p 4:27a 6:11p 5:12a 7:14p 6:00a 8:13p 6:51a 9:08p 7:45a 9:58p 8:41a 10:43p 9:37a 11:23p 10:33a NoMoon 11:28a NoMoon 12:23p 12:34a 1:16p 1:06a 2:09p 1:38a 3:03p 2:09a 3:58p 2:42a 4:55p 3:18a 5:52p 3:56a 6:50p 4:39a 7:47p 5:27a 8:42p 6:21a

Legend: Major=2 hours. Minor=1 hour. Times centered on the major-minor window. For other locations, subtract 1 minute per 12 miles east of a location, and add 1 minute per 12 miles west of a location.

Sabine Pass, north Date

Time

Jun 12 1:52 AM Jun 13 2:54 AM Jun 14 3:47 AM Jun 15 3:35 AM Jun 16 4:44 AM Jun 17 12:58 AM Jun 18 1:58 AM Jun 19 7:28 AM Jun 20 12:18 AM Jun 21 1:01 AM Jun 22 4:35 AM Jun 23 6:10 AM Jun 24 7:01 AM Jun 25 12:02 AM Jun 26 1:47 AM

Height 1.6H 1.7H 1.8H 0.6L 0.8L 1.3H 1.4H 1.7H 0.0L 0.2L 1.8H 2.0H 1.9H -0.1L 1.3H

Time

6:57 AM 8:05 AM 9:04 AM 11:27 AM 12:02 PM 5:54 AM 6:59 AM 1:04 PM 8:10 AM 8:51 AM 9:55 AM 11:41 AM 12:33 PM 7:54 AM 6:08 AM

Galveston Bay entrance, north jetty

San Luis Pass

Date Time Jun 12 2:17 AM Jun 13 3:32 AM Jun 14 4:27 AM Jun 15 2:56 AM Jun 16 5:56 AM Jun 17 12:36 AM Jun 18 1:52 AM Jun 19 8:22 AM Jun 20 12:03 AM Jun 21 4:34 AM Jun 22 5:08 AM Jun 23 5:43 AM Jun 24 6:25 AM Jun 25 12:49 AM Jun 26 1:57 AM

Freeport Harbor Date Time Jun 12 1:57 AM Jun 13 3:10 AM Jun 14 4:10 AM Jun 15 5:01 AM Jun 16 4:11 AM Jun 17 5:53 AM Jun 18 11:00 PM Jun 19 2:39 AM Jun 20 3:28 AM Jun 21 4:09 AM Jun 22 4:47 AM Jun 23 5:23 AM Jun 24 2:36 AM Jun 25 12:36 AM Jun 26 1:45 AM

Rollover Pass

Date Time Jun 12 5:55 AM Jun 13 7:08 AM Jun 14 8:12 AM Jun 15 12:25 AM Jun 16 2:03 AM Jun 17 3:33 AM Jun 18 5:00 AM Jun 19 6:23 AM Jun 20 7:09 AM Jun 21 12:14 AM Jun 22 12:39 AM Jun 23 1:11 AM Jun 24 1:44 AM Jun 25 1:42 PM Jun 26 6:33 AM

Time

1.0L 1.1L 1.2L 1.5H 1.5H 0.9L 1.0L 1.2L 1.6H 1.5H 1.2L 1.3L 1.4L 1.8H 1.1L

12:21 PM 12:59 PM 1:36 PM 6:32 PM 6:43 PM 12:30 PM 12:54 PM 4:26 PM 2:05 PM 3:14 PM 2:09 PM 3:57 PM 4:27 PM 1:35 PM 11:36 AM

Height 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H 0.9L 0.8L 1.5H 1.4H 1.3H 1.1L 1.0L 1.5H 1.6H 1.5H 1.4L 1.3H

Height 1.5H 1.6H 1.8H 0.5L 0.7L 1.2H 1.5H 1.4H 1.6H 1.7H 2.1H 2.0H 0.7L 1.0H 1.1H

Time 6:57 AM 7:51 AM 9:03 AM 11:12 AM 11:53 AM 5:53 AM 7:11 AM 7:35 AM 8:20 AM 9:34 AM 11:30 AM 12:22 PM 10:27 AM 3:56 AM 6:07 AM

Height 1.1L 1.2L 1.3L 1.6H 1.5H 0.9L 0.9L 1.1L 1.2L 1.3L 1.3L 1.3L 1.3H 0.9L 1.0L

Time 11:52 AM 12:27 PM 1:02 PM 6:45 PM 6:57 PM 12:25 PM 1:06 PM 12:37 PM 12:47 PM 1:11 PM 3:21 PM 4:03 PM 5:47 PM 10:12 AM 10:26 AM

Height 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H 0.9L 0.7L 1.4H 1.6H 1.4H 1.4H 1.4H 1.5H 1.5H 0.5L 1.3H 1.3H

Height 1.1H 1.2H 1.3H 0.6H 1.4H 1.0H 1.0H 1.2H 0.1L 1.3H 1.3H 1.4H 1.4H 0.8H 0.9H

Time 7:30 AM 8:37 AM 9:50 AM 11:32 AM 10:19 PM 6:16 AM 7:10 AM

Height 0.9L 1.0L 1.1L 1.2L -0.2L 0.8L 0.9L

Time 11:41 AM 12:11 PM 12:38 PM 6:33 PM

Height 1.1H 1.1H 1.1H 0.8H

8:55 AM 10:15 AM 9:41 PM 10:13 PM 10:18 AM 3:11 AM 6:45 AM

1.2L 1.1H 0.1H 0.0H 1.0H 0.8L 0.9L

Height 1.5H 1.7H 1.9H 2.0H 0.5H 0.7H -0.2L 1.4L 1.6L 1.7L 1.8L 1.9L 0.7L 1.0H 1.2H

Time 8:07 AM 9:31 AM 8:30 PM 9:10 PM 11:51 AM 12:22 PM

Height 1.4H 1.5H 1.6H 0.0H 1.0H 1.3H 1.4H 1.3H 1.3H 0.4H 0.3H 0.2H 0.8H 1.2H 1.0H

Time

7:19 PM 8:03 PM 8:47 PM 11:37 PM 10:12 PM 7:02 PM 7:27 PM

Height

-0.2L -0.3L -0.4L 1.2H -0.4L 0.6L 0.4 L

5:07 PM 1.2H 6:29 PM 1.0H 9:35 PM -0.2L 11:17 PM -0.2L 5:33 PM 0.5L 4:50 PM 1.4H 6:42 PM 0.1L

Time 7:28 PM 8:10 PM 8:59 PM 11:10 PM 10:38 PM 7:06 PM 7:44 PM

Height -0.2L -0.4L -0.4L 1.1H -0.4L 0.6L 0.2L

8:24 PM 0.1L 9:04 PM -0.1L 10:55 PM -0.3L 11:37 PM -0.2L 6:20 PM 6:49 PM

0.3L 0.1L

Time Height 7:28 PM 0.1L 8:08 PM -0.1L 8:51 PM -0.1L 10:07 PM 0.9L

6:04 PM 10:43 AM 11:07 AM

0.5L 1.0H 1.0H

6:36 PM 7:06 PM

Height 1.1L 1.2L -0.4L -0.4L 1.6L 1.5L

Time 11:44 AM 12:06 PM

Height 1.3H 1.2H

Time Height 7:09 PM -0.1L 7:49 PM -0.2L

8:33 AM 9:42 AM 8:34 PM 9:05 PM 9:38 PM 10:04 AM 12:36 AM 6:37 AM

1.1L 1.2L 0.0L -0.1L -0.2L 1.3H 1.0H 1.1L

12:08 PM 12:07 PM

1.2H 1.2H

7:51 PM 8:10 PM

0.3 L 0.1L

5:46 PM 10:09 AM 9:55 AM

0.4L 1.2H 1.2H

6:12 PM 6:36 PM

0.3L 0.1L

Time 11:47 AM 12:58 PM

Height 1.1L 1.2L

Time 2:44 PM 3:05 PM

Height 1.2H 1.2H

Time 10:56 PM 11:39 PM

Height 0.2L 0.1L

9:12 AM 9:09 AM 10:47 AM 11:49 AM 11:55 AM 12:53 PM 7:56 AM 8:47 AM 9:43 AM 5:24 AM 10:11 PM 10:21 AM

1.6H 0.9H 0.8H 0.9H 1.1H 1.1H 1.4H 1.5L 1.5L 0.8L 0.4L 1.0L

0.3 L 0.2L

4:17 PM 1:53 PM 2:55 PM

1.3H 1.2L 1.2L

4:41 PM 5:05 PM

1.3H 1.3H

1:19 PM

1.2H

9:40 PM

0.5L

2:08 PM

1.2H

10:41 PM

0.3L

Port O’Connor Date Jun 12 Jun 13 Jun 14 Jun 15 Jun 16 Jun 17 Jun 18 Jun 19 Jun 20 Jun 21 Jun 22 Jun 23 Jun 24 Jun 25 Jun 26

Time 2:54 AM 3:34 AM 4:10 AM 4:44 AM 5:17 AM 2:08 AM 12:17 PM 11:25 AM 8:13 AM 8:55 AM 9:41 AM 10:29 AM 12:15 AM 12:57 AM 1:41 AM

Rockport Date Jun 12 Jun 13 Jun 14 Jun 15 Jun 16 Jun 17 Jun 18 Jun 19 Jun 20 Jun 21 Jun 22 Jun 23 Jun 24 Jun 25 Jun 26

Time 12:32 PM 12:50 PM 4:37 AM 2:01 PM 12:40 AM 1:27 AM 2:12 AM 2:55 AM 3:35 AM 4:09 AM 12:00 AM 12:43 AM 2:28 AM 12:09 PM 12:18 PM

Port Aransas Date Jun 12 Jun 13 Jun 14 Jun 15 Jun 16 Jun 17 Jun 18 Jun 19 Jun 20 Jun 21 Jun 22 Jun 23 Jun 24 Jun 25 Jun 26

Time 2:15 AM 3:34 AM 4:37 AM 2:01 AM 2:44 AM 3:46 AM 1:27 AM 2:57 AM 3:53 AM 4:41 AM 5:27 AM 6:11 AM 6:55 AM 7:37 AM 8:12 AM

Height 0.1L 0.2L 0.2L 0.3L 0.4L 0.4L 0.6H 0.6H 0.7H 0.8H 0.8H 0.8H -0.1L -0.1L -0.1L

Time 1:53 PM 2:09 PM 2:27 PM 2:41 PM 2:24 PM 1:14 PM 9:30 PM 9:53 PM 10:22 PM 10:57 PM 11:35 PM

Height 0.9H 0.8H 0.8H 0.7H 0.6H 0.6H 0.3L 0.2L 0.1L 0.0L 0.0L

11:17 AM 12:02 PM 12:42 PM

0.9H 0.8H 0.8H

Height 0.3H 0.4H 1.0H 0.4H 0.0L 0.0L 0.0L 0.0L 0.0L 0.0L 0.1L 0.1L 0.2L 0.2H 0.2H

Time 10:21 PM 11:07 PM 9:26 AM

Height 0.1L 0.0L 0.9L

2:47 PM 3:38 PM 4:31 PM 5:25 PM 6:22 PM 7:27 PM 2:07 PM 2:32 PM 4:39 PM 8:54 PM 9:36 PM

0.4H 0.4H 0.3H 0.3H 0.3H 0.2H 0.4H 0.4H 0.5H 0.0L 0.0L

Height 0.8H 1.0H 1.0H 0.4L 0.5L 0.7L 0.8H 0.9H 1.0H 1.1H 1.1H 1.1H 1.1H 1.1H 1.1H

Time 6:58 AM 8:19 AM 9:26 AM 11:05 AM 10:41 AM 11:02 AM 6:43 AM 7:58 AM 9:04 AM 10:05 AM 9:19 PM 9:47 PM 10:20 PM 10:58 PM 11:39 PM

Height 0.7L 0.8L 0.9L 1.0H 1.0H 0.9H 0.7 L 0.8L 0.9L 0.9L 0.0L -0.1L -0.1L -0.1L -0.1L

Time 6:58 AM 11:38 AM 12:09 PM

Height 0.7L 0.9H 1.0H

6:41 PM 7:07 PM 11:29 AM 11:56 AM 12:21 PM 12:42 PM

0.7L 0.6L 0.9H 0.9H 0.9H 1.0H

Height 0.8H 1.0H 1.1H 1.2H 1.2H 1.2H 0.9H 1.1H 1.0H -0.2L 1.1H 1.2H 1.2H 0.7H 0.7H

Time 6:54 AM 7:50 PM 8:33 PM 9:16 PM 9:59 PM 10:41 PM 11:01 PM 11:59 PM

Height 0.7L -0.5L -0.6L -0.7L -0.7L -0.6L 0.6L -0.4L

Time 10:38 AM

Height 0.8H

9:34 PM 9:12 PM 9:47 PM 10:25 PM 6:12 PM 6:39 PM

0.9L -0.4L -0.5L -0.5L 0.0L -0.1L

Height 0.4H 0.4H 0.4H 0.1H 0.2H 0.4H 0.3H 0.3H 0.4H 0.4H 0.4H 0.2L 0.2L 0.3H 0.3H

Time 7:26 PM 9:16 PM 9:54 AM 12:47 PM 12:04 PM 10:52 PM 6:41 AM 9:16 AM 9:54 AM 10:18 AM 10:13 AM 12:41 PM 11:37 AM 6:11 AM 6:12 AM

Height 0.0L 0.0L 0.4L 0.4H 0.4H 0.0L 0.2L 0.3L 0.3L 0.3L 0.4L 0.4H 0.3H 0.3L 0.3L

South Padre Island Date Time Jun 12 2:32 AM Jun 13 3:54 AM Jun 14 4:59 AM Jun 15 5:55 AM Jun 16 6:48 AM Jun 17 7:37 AM Jun 18 8:15 AM Jun 19 8:56 AM Jun 20 9:20 AM Jun 21 12:35 AM Jun 22 5:43 AM Jun 23 6:28 AM Jun 24 7:15 AM Jun 25 10:06 AM Jun 26 9:59 AM

East Matagorda Date Time Jun 12 11:37 AM Jun 13 11:44 AM Jun 14 6:12 AM Jun 15 3:40 AM Jun 16 5:57 AM Jun 17 2:09 PM Jun 18 4:24 AM Jun 19 4:40 AM Jun 20 5:28 AM Jun 21 6:49 AM Jun 22 7:40 AM Jun 23 3:04 AM Jun 24 5:43 AM Jun 25 2:53 AM Jun 26 4:01 AM

Time

Height

9:21 PM

0.4L

Time

Height

5:36 PM

0.2L

Time

Height

Time

Height

Time

Height

9:00 PM

0.2H

Time Height 7:22 PM 0.0L 8:06 PM -0.2L 10:09 PM

0.8H

7:36 PM 8:04 PM 8:30 PM 8:55 PM

0.4L 0.3L 0.2L 0.1L

Time Height 7:07 PM -0.4L

Time

Height

12:11 PM 6:14 PM

0.5H 0.2L

9:42 PM 11:30 PM

0.0L 0.3H

12:16 PM 11:58 AM 12:10 PM 12:33 PM 12:53 PM 5:55 PM 6:23 PM 11:59 AM 12:16 PM

0.4H 0.4H 0.4H 0.4H 0.4H 0.2L 0.2L 0.4H 0.4H

8:58 PM 9:16 PM 9:36 PM 9:43 PM 10:02 PM 11:28 PM

0.1L 0.1L 0.1L 0.0L 0.0L 0.3H

6:45 PM 6:51 PM

0.1L 0.1L

Texas Coast Tides

Date Time Jun 12 1:57 AM Jun 13 3:12 AM Jun 14 4:13 AM Jun 15 3:23 AM Jun 16 4:16 AM Jun 17 12:35 AM Jun 18 1:48 AM Jun 19 2:40 AM Jun 20 3:42 AM Jun 21 4:27 AM Jun 22 5:42 AM Jun 23 6:32 AM Jun 24 3:16 AM Jun 25 12:13 AM Jun 26 1:19 AM

Height

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

June 12, 2015

Page 21

CCA STAR Leaderboard

Jetty action Continued from page 1

tarpon — mostly tarpon toes and bunnies. He is also careful not to drag big fish onto the rocks for fear of hurting the fish and himself.

“I leader the big fish and let them go,” he said. “You can’t pull a fish onto the rocks like that — you’ve got to be really careful.”

Lopez said the prime time to catch tarpon from the jetties in South Texas is dependent on water temperature, but the best time to plan to fish is the late-fall mullet run. And even with the mullet run, it can be tricky to pattern the resident fish.

“It is all dependent on weather,” he said. “They don’t follow a pattern for long. You can find a pattern that works for a week or two, and then it changes. It is like a constant puzzle.”

Farther up the coast near Port Aransas, plenty of anglers took advantage of a calm weekend on June 6 and 7 and headed to the rocks to throw flies at big fish. One of those was Jose Menendez, who targeted sheepshead, black drum, trout and anything else during the calm.

“It was a good day,” Menendez said. “The wind died down and we were able to throw some top-water poppers and an assortment of sinking flies. We caught some nice black drum and several trout on the top-water stuff.

“The water looks the best I have seen it all year.”

2015 FLOOD

Not all of Texas flooding Much of Texas went underwater in May, prompting some favorite fishing lakes to close completely because of the flooding.

However, not all Texas lakes were lucky enough to fill up. Reservoirs around the San Angelo area remain very low, with O.H. Ivie and O.C. Fisher reservoirs only filling up an extra 10 percent.

Reports from guides are trickling in, and some lake guides are back on the water where ramps will allow, while others are still checking their fishing areas to try and locate fish and relearn the area after flooding.

Guides are having trouble finding fish again on many Hill Country rivers this month, with flooding rearranging many of the deep holes that held fish.

Just north of the Texas border near Broken Bow, Oklahoma, Beavers Bend Fly Shop owner Eddie Brister said the floods completely changed the Lower Mountain Fork River — in a good way.

“The waters have gone down and the river has totally changed,” he said. “It is 100-percent different, but you could not have designed a better trout stream than what the floods left. We aren’t running any guide trips until we relearn the river, but it looks amazing.”

— Staff report

One year ago Now Amistad -45.53 -28.44 Arrowhead -18.34 .52 Alan Henry -16.55 .32 Choke Canyon -24.47 -19.9 Lewisville -7.96 13.24 Meredith -87.83 -73.04 OH Ivie -36.99 -42.87 OC Fisher -50.74 -33.66 Possum Kingdom -15.58 -.96 Sam Rayburn -.38 9.36 Tawakoni -8.39 .84 Source: waterdatafortexas.org

Starkids Scholarship Division

Flounder: Payton McBride (7), 2 lbs.

13 ozs.

Sheepshead: Rylan Basci (6), 7 lbs., 10 ozs.

Gafftop: Laken Bellanger (9), 6 lbs., 6 ozs.

Starteens Trout Scholarhsip Division Upper Coast: None Middle Coast: None Lower Coast: Collin Dziuk (15), 7 lbs., 12 ozs.

Scholarship Inshore Division

Flounder: Freddie Velez (14) 5 lbs., 3 ozs.

Sheepshead: Noah Geer (12), 5 lbs., 6 ozs.

Gafftop: Saul Matinez (17), 5 lbs., 13 ozs.

2014 Main Division

Speckled Trout (upper coast): Kelly Flores, 8 lbs., 14 ozs.

Speckled Trout (middle coast): Harvey Kramer Jr., 9 lbs., 14 ozs.

Speckled Trout (lower coast): Lee Roy Navarro, 9 lbs., 2 ozs.

Kingfish: Lisa Angell, 48 lbs., 12 ozs.

Dorado: Thomas Overstreet, 36 lbs., 7 ozs.

Ling: Nathan Crowe, 85 lbs., 9 ozs.

Flounder: Erik Thomas, 8 lbs., 3 ozs.

Sheepshead: Lionel Gonzales, 10 lbs., 3 ozs.

Gafftop: Nelson Powers, 6 lbs., 10 ozs.

Tagged Redfish Division 1st: Scott Hajovsky 2nd: Michael Gibbs

(Results as of June 9)

The CCA STAR Tournament runs through Sept. 7. Go to startournament.org, or call (713) 626-4222 for more information.

— Staff report

2015 FLOOD

Animals on the move with floods

Things that live on the ground typically aren’t adept at treading water for long. In the aftermath of flood events that have hammered much of the state recently, biologists with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department say encounters with various wildlife will not be uncommon.

Recent storms also coincided with the time of year when newborn wildlife start showing up on the landscape.

During the month of May, Texas received 35 trillion gallons of rain, enough to cover the entire state in 8 inches of water, according to the National Weather Service.

Flooding will cause some immediate impacts to nesting efforts of grassland bird species such as bobwhite quail and turkeys. But biologists indicate those species will still have time to renest and the species will capitalize on the overall improved health of the grasslands.

The good news, say wildlife officials, is that recent excessive rainfall is being viewed as a “drought buster” event that is going to be fantastic for the health of many ecosystems and habitat types across Texas. Coastal estuaries will get a much-needed flush of fresh water, soil, and nutrients, which will help sport fisheries.

— TPWD

Page 22

June 12, 2015

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

OUTDOOR PUZZLER ACROSS

1. Training birds to hunt prey 6. Name for a bass 8. A bear scent lure 9. The practice shooting area 10. Term refers to range firing 13. The eagle’s claws 14. A nuisance fish to trotlines 16. A predator to small game 17. A type of bait 21. Doe having young 24. Name for type of crab 25. Rare genetic disorder in game 28. A shooter’s stance when firing 30. A lure, scent ____ 31. Part of the body of a bow 35. The change in flight of a bullet

FOR THE TABLE

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

37. A salmon 38. A fish swimming aid 39. Side by side is one model 40. The ______ catfish

DOWN

1. Act of game seeking food 2. Old gobblers that stay to themselves 3. A type of gunsight 4. An underwater growth 5. A popular fishbait 6. A type of fly lure 7. A female Dall 8. An animal which helps another survive 11. Code for a type bullet 12. Angler’s term for a really small bass

Venison parmesan 1 1/2 pounds deer steaks, about 1/4” thick Garlic salt Pepper 1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 2 eggs 1/4 cup water 1/2 cup flour 1/4 cup olive oil 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce Sliced or shredded mozzarella cheese Cooked noodles

By Wilbur “Wib” Lundeen Solution on Page 25

15. A type of lure 17. Choke regulates size of a shot _______ 18. A game hideaway 19. Grooves in the bore of a rifle 20. A group of fish in one spot 22. A type arrow, ____ head 23. Forcing wildfowl to flight 26. Gun system that fires the shell 27. A fishing lure 29. Telltale signs of game presence 32. A very good walleye bait 33. A very large game 34. A mountain billy 36. Part of an antler

Broiled seatrout with basil sauce

In another bowl, beat the eggs and water

1 cup fresh basil

together. Place the flour in another bowl. Dip

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley

the meat into the flour and then into the eggs.

1 large garlic clove

Then press each side into the crumb mixture.

4 tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil

Place on a plate or baking dish in a single

1 tbsp. water

layer. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Heat the oil

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

in a large skillet. Add the meat and brown on

4 (6- to 8-oz) seatrout fillets

both sides. Place in a greased baking dish.

Cover each piece with the sauce. Cover with

Preheat broiler. Finely chop basil, parsley, and garlic together in a

cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes

blender. Add 3 tablespoons oil and purée, then blend in water, lemon

or until tender. Serve over noodles.

juice, and salt and pepper to taste. If desired, thin with more water.

Arrange fillets, skin sides down, in an oiled shallow (1-inch-deep)

Pound steaks to tenderize. Season to taste with garlic salt and pepper. In a bowl, combine the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.

— backwoodsbound.com

baking pan. Brush fish with remaining tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil 5 to 6 inches from heat until just cooked through, about 7 minutes.

— epicurious.com

For the love of fishing Continued from page 8

said. “And my granddaughters just got their licenses. They learned a lot from being on my boat.”

Johnston has seen many changes come offshore from her home in Freeport, most notably the ever-decreasing red snapper quotas and rising fuel costs.

“The snapper hurt the most,” she said. ‘There are lots of snapper out there. I don’t know how the government comes up with their numbers.

I know every captain from here to South Padre Island, and not one of us has ever been asked how many we are catching. They say they have good data, but where do they get it from? At least we have 44 days this year.”

Johnston said fuel costs have driven many captains out of business and made offshore fishing out of reach for many anglers.

“The fuel got so high, many captains had to quit,” she said. “May through September is the basic season for sport fish, and I used to average between 26 and 28 days each month on the water. Now, we are averaging four or five days, maybe six, if we are lucky, each month. The cost of fuel has been the biggest issue. The oil spill also slowed down the kingfish for a while, but they are great this season.”

Along with kingfish, Johnston said she is catching good numbers of red snapper, ling, amberjack, grouper and sharks.

“More people are getting into shark fishing,” she said. “One thing we don’t see anymore is bluefish. We caught them for a long time, but we haven’t seen any in about three years.”

Johnston said one fish will always stand out — her first blue marlin in NEW BOAT: Capt. Ann Johnston stands aboard her new 54-foot Hatteras sportfi shing boat. Johnston caught her fi rst blue marlin in 1979.

“I was the captain on one of my regulars fishing trip and we had no 1979, and has been hooking big fi sh off of Freeport ever since. Photo by Ann Johnston. fighting chair,” she said. “We decided last minute to go marlin fishing, and we hooked up. There was one guy sitting on an ice chest fighting the fish, one guy holding him, another guy on the gunnels with a pillow to rest the rod on. The angler fainted halfway through fighting the fish, and we couldn’t get him out of the harness.

So people were trying to hold the guy up, fight the fish and try and not lose anything or anybody.”

The marlin was finally mounted on a plaque with the names of all seven anglers who helped catch the fish.

“That was my first one as a captain,” she said, “and you never forget your first. I’ll keep doing this as long as I can.”

Military only Continued from page 16

That directive eventually led to the creation of the OptiMax Diesel engine.

“Diesel fuel is more difficult to combust,” Mackie said. “It has a higher flash point. Our OptiMax Diesel engine is based on a gas combustion engine that runs on an air-burst that atomizes fuel. We adapted the technology, so it (diesel fuel) is even more difficult to combust.”

The OptiMax Diesel is actually Mercury Marine’s second try at meeting the DOD’s goal of eliminating gasoline-powered engines in the military. Its first model was an outboard

engine that ran on jet fuel.

While that no doubt excites many, it proved problematic, according to Mackie.

“As we got into it, we learned that’s fine on a ship,” he said.

“But when you’re in the middle of the jungle, jet fuel is really hard to find. Diesel fuel is much more common.”

Besides being less flammable, diesel engines offer other advantages over gasoline engines.

They are more durable, have more low-end torque than similar-sized gasoline engines and diesel fuel contains 10-15 percent more energy, which translates to traveling as much as 35 percent farther on a gallon of fuel, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Maybe that really explains public interest in the OptiMax

Diesel outboard engine.

However, at this point, Mercury Marine couldn’t make it available to the public if it wanted to. The OptiMax Diesel doesn’t meet EPA exhaust emissions requirements, or those of the European Union either. That could change, though.

“The response to the OptiMax Diesel has been so positive that we just had a meeting about that,” Mackie said. “We definitely plan to study this, to see if the response is for real and what’s driving it. In kind of a parallel path, it (OptiMax Diesel) is still awaiting final validation from the Navy, although they’ve been very pleased with the testing so far.

“It’s possible that the final product could meet those requirements in the near future, if not right out of the gate. And then the public might see it. Perhaps around 2017 — maybe.”

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

June 12, 2015

Page 23

Page 24

June 12, 2015

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

HEROES

Albert Henderson traveled to Wyoming and took this huge bull elk with friend Larry Michaels.

Dallas angler Chris Miller headed to nearby Oklahoma for the Memorial Day weekend and caught this nice bass on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees.

Leo Wadinger of Fort Worth was fishing with a rootbeer and chartreuse shrimptail when he hooked this 27-inch redfish near Port Mansfield.

SHARE AN ADVENTURE ■ Want to share hunting and fi shing photos with other Lone Star Outdoor News readers?

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

Sam Fannin, along with friends Brooke and Holly Pope, caught white bass and striped bass at Canyon Lake on May 16 with Capt. Steve Nixon.

Ella Hawk took this 22 1/2-inch blackbuck with a 150-yard shot with her dad, Tony.

Austin hunter Thomas Chiang, 17, was selected for the Texas Youth Hunting Program hunt at the Cherry Creek WMA and harvested two does.

Find the sweet spot for snapper Not schooling yet Continued from page 9

New study looks at how fish use artificial reefs A new survey of Texas’ artificial reefs by the Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies has found a potential “sweet spot” where red snapper and other marine life flourish on these transformed oil platforms.

The study, published this month in the journal PLOS ONE, is the first to examine fish communities on the Gulf’s complex of artificial reefs on such a large scale. It’s part of a partnership with the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife to study and monitor the state’s artificial reefs.

“Texas’ artificial reef program has been around for decades, but because the coast is so expansive and the reef material has been distributed so widely throughout, it’s been difficult to assess,” said Dr. Matt Ajemian, HRI assistant research scientist and lead scientist on the project. “Because of the depth and scale of some of these reef sites, it’s difficult to conduct dive surveys. We developed new methods to survey these sites with remotely operated vehicles.”

Manmade structures in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico make up the largest complex of artificial reefs in the world. Federal law requires platforms to be decommissioned and removed from waters at the end of their service, an expensive and cumbersome process that destroys these artificial oases of marine life.

When platforms are “reefed” by TPWD, they are fully removed, towed to a reef site and laid on their side on the seafloor, or reefed in place to preserve current marine life, and the upper portion is removed and sunk nearby.

CSSC scientists wanted to find out if changing the orientation of these platforms also changed the marine communities they hosted. They found that because these reefs were farther from the water’s surface, the types of species populating reefed rigs did change, but the abundance and diversity of life that draws fishermen and divers did not. In addition, popular sportfish were still attracted to submerged platforms.

“When you convert an upright rig to a reef it affects the type of fish that are out there, but the overall number of species is preserved,” Ajemian said. “Most

importantly, we found that reefing these rigs doesn’t seem to affect the numbers of commercially and recreationally important species like red snapper and amberjack.”

In a second survey, the researchers dropped vertical lines to assess red snapper populations on Texas’ artificial reefs.

Researchers uncovered the best artificial habitat for this sought-after species. Measuring the abundance and size of red snapper, researchers made an interesting discovery: There appears to be a bottom depth, about 150-200 feet below the surface, that hosts the largest and most abundant red snapper and some of the greatest species diversity on the reef.

“We’re recommending that managers of artificial reef programs focus on this depth if red snapper enhancement is the goal,” Ajemian said. “It seems to be a sweet spot. We see larger, mature red snapper that can contribute to the population by producing more young. But we also see elevated species richness, indicating an area where divers can see a greater diversity of marine life.”

CSSC scientists continue to monitor and study artificial reefs in Texas.

“This is the first of many studies underway to develop the best practices when creating reefs,” said Dr. Greg Stunz, director of the CSSC, HRI Endowed Chair for Fisheries and Ocean Health and a coauthor on the study. “We are very pleased with Dr. Ajemian and his team for providing answers to key scientific management gaps that will lead to better management of Gulf fisheries.”

Ongoing projects will compare marine life on Gulf of Mexico artificial and natural reefs, and examine whether these artificial reefs merely attract species or instead create habitat that results in an increased fish population.

“We really can’t evaluate what all of these trends mean until we make comparisons with natural habitats,” said Jennifer Wetz, coordinator of CSSC’s offshore program. “There is a need for additional information, and this is a crucial next step in our program.”

— HRI

BIG MAN, SMALL FISH: Dallas angler Brent Karrington holds one of the white bass he caught on a recent trip to Ray Hubbard using small spoons and swimbaits. Photo by Jillian Mock, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

Most of the fish were caught at depths of 22 to 26 feet of water. To catch these sand bass, Varner started with a Cocahoe swimbait on a 1/2-ounce jighead before changing to 1-ounce jigging spoons and slabs at depths below 20 feet.

After wrapping up a morning on the lake the guide was asked how he thought the fish would act in the next two weeks? With his vast experience on Ray Hubbard, he was able to confidently answer.

“The fish should start schooling early on the flats, then move out to midlake schooling,” he said. “They will also relate more to structure.”

All in all, they should become easier to find.

While the high water levels are making the fishing unpredictable right now, Varner isn’t complaining.

“I’d rather see it like this than 11 feet low like it was this time last year,” he said.

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LoneOStar Outdoor News

June 12, 2015

Page 25

DATEBOOK JUNE 12

Ducks Unlimited Lone Star Flyway Shoot American Shooting Centers, Houston (713) 724-2237 ducks.org/texas

JUNE 12-13

Texas Trio Classic Fishing Tournament Matagorda Harbor (210) 602-9842 texastrioclassic.com

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Page 26

June 12, 2015

LoneOStar Outdoor News

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LoneOStar Outdoor News

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Page 27

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Page 28

June 12, 2015

LoneOStar Outdoor News

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LoneOStar Outdoor News

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Page 29

2015 FLOOD

Texoma fishing tough in high water The fish are biting, if you can get to your boat

By Conor Harrison Lone Star outdoor newS

Lake Texoma guide Marty Zamora is taking a novel approach to get to his boat these days on Lake Texoma.

With the lake at historic highs and flooding prevalent, Zamora has been forced to take a boat just to get to his boat.

“We’re still fishing,” Zamora said, “but I’m using a kayak to get to my boat at Cedar Mills Marina. The place is underwater, but we are still fishing.”

As for the fishing, the striped bass bite has been affected by the high water, and the bite has been inconsistent for Zamora.

“Usually at this time of year, it is a massacre,” he said. “This year, it has been really inconsistent. About the only place you can fish and be assured of catching something is near the dam. The lake is very muddy and that is about the only clear water.”

Zamora said live bait has been catching the most

TDA issues statement Continued from page 4

“My understanding is that with extra-label use, you cannot use extra-label drugs unless it’s for medicinal purposes,” he said. “If there is not a medicinal purpose, technically, it’s an illegal use of the drug.”

The term “chemotherapeutic agent” used in the statement is all-inclusive, Bugai said, covering dewormers, antibiotics and antiinflammatories, among others.

While TDA is unaware of any Texas breeders violating its position statement, rumors and suggestions in published articles, one by the Indianapolis Star, of the use in other states of ractopamine hydrochloride, a hand-added feed supplement approved for use in cattle and hogs to increase lean muscle, helped bring about the statement, said Karl Kinsel, TDA’s executive director.

Statements in the articles suggest adding ractopamine may bring about increased antler development when the deer is in velvet, although no studies are cited.

A test will soon be available commercially for ractopamine that will answer questions from those pointing fingers at the industry, as well as from other deer breeders.

“There is a test for the drug waiting approval that will be inexpensive,” Kinsel said. “The test is expected to be available very soon.”

Bugai said he knows of no breeders using the supplement, but he has heard the stories.

“We grow big deer without drugs,” he said. “We use nothing for antler enhancement. We deworm once a year, and give an antibiotic once a year to combat pneumonia, a common problem in deer pens.”

In the event a breeder has administered ractopamine and it is confirmed by the testing, it could pose legal issues, especially if the deer is sold.

“You’re buying the genetics, not the antlers,” Bugai said.

Brandon Sapp of Lonehollow Whitetails, a Texas breeding operation, is anxiously awaiting the test’s approval, and posted its feelings on TDA’s Facebook page: “Lonehollow agrees with this position 100 percent. We look forward to doing our part to test all of our top sires as soon as the test are approved. We will make the findings available to the public.

Good genetics is all it takes.”

fish for he and his clients, and the top-water bite is not where he wants it yet.

Oklahoma-based guide Jon Hoppis said he is staying away from the dam because of the pressure and is still finding fish.

“The fishing is good,” he said. “I’m just unloading at the ramp as we speak. The dam hasn’t been working for me. There are just a lot of boats over there. I’m fishing someplace else and we are catching fish.”

Hoppis declined to elaborate on just where “someplace else” was.

Guide Justin Parker said he began fishing in the Red River, below the Texoma Dam, and reports good success with the river quickly dropping from its crest.

“The bite has been good,” he said. “I haven’t been up to the lake in about a week and a half, but they are still catching them up there near the dam. Everyone fishing the river is catching them — it isn’t going crazy, but we can put 20 fish in the boat pretty easily.”

HEAD TO THE DAM: Striper fi shing has been hit or miss on Lake Texoma this month Parker said the water is quickly clearing and dropping. thanks to high water that remains muddy. Photo by Lone Star Outdoor News.

Page 30

June 12, 2015

LoneOStar Outdoor News

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Page 31

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June 12, 2015

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