June 28, 2013 - Lone Star Outdoor News - Fishing & Hunting

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June 28, 2013

Going Down?

Are noodlers hurting catfish populations?

Texas’ Premier Outdoor Newspaper

June 28, 2013

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Volume 9, Issue 21

Fishing for technology

Inside

Smartphone apps help anglers find spots, record catches Fishing Forum and 2Cool Fishing,” he said. “I was using them but became frustrated

❘❚ HUNTING

More in the bag Possible changes to dove possession limit, early teal daily bag coming.

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Dollars for hogs Texas Ag Commission to pay hog hunters.

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❘❚ FISHING

Reds in the heat Morning redfish action is steady on the coast.

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Limits for all

Anglers catching red snapper almost everywhere they drop a line offshore.

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❘❚ CONTENTS

Classifieds . . . . . . . .

Crossword . . . . . . . .

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

Game Warden Blotter . . .

Heroes. . . . . . . . . .

Outdoor Datebook . . . .

Products . . . . . . . . .

Saltwater Fishing Report .

Sun, Moon and Tide data .

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID PLANO, TX PERMIT 210

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about how forums work in general. About that time, the iPhone RECORDED: Along with posting pictures of your recent catch, some fishing apps allow anglers to communicate in real time to share came on the scene. I information. Photos by Matt Dobson. knew I wanted a more organized, better tool.”

Dobson contacted a few friends from Texas But when he headed

By Conor Harrison off to College Station for A&M, and in 2011, began Lone Star outdoor newS college, he wanted new, building a website.

Denison native Matt current information on “It was a way to share Dobson has long been an lakes near his new home. reports,” he said. “But we angler on many North “I found message quickly decided to focus boards like the Texas on building an app.”

Texas lakes.

See TECHNOLOGY, Page 17

HOPEFUL: The Trans-Pecos region has received some much-needed rain, helping mule deer in the region, although the Panhandle remains very dry. Photo by Louis Harveson.

Better this season Mule deer country getting rain, expectations up for season

By Conor Harrison Lone Star outdoor newS

Some much-needed moisture has come to parts of the Trans Pecos, and Texas mule deer are responding in a positive way.

“We are getting some rain,” said Shawn Gray, Texas See MULE DEER, Page 19

In transition Hybrids moving to summer patterns on many lakes

By Conor Harrison Lone Star outdoor newS

Time Sensitive Material • Deliver ASAP

On March 12, after several months of testing, the group launched the FishingScout app.

“It was a better fit — a simplified, mobile version of our concept,” Dobson said.

“We set it up in an organized fashion, created lists of all bodies of water and a consistent species list. Some species were called different things — we wanted the same lake names and fish names to be consistent. We knew there was a need, so we said ‘Let’s take a shot and do this.’”

Despite the challenge of getting the word out about their app, FishingScout has risen to one of the highestrated fishing apps, and hundreds of people are signing up for the free app daily, according to Dobson.

“It has been a lot of work, but a lot of people are passionate about it,” Dobson said. “There is a young demographic on the site, and a lot of real time exchanges of information between anglers.

We see it all the time — two guys posting pictures fishing on the same

The hybrid stripers are moving toward open water and spreading out, making anglers and guides hunt for the fish as they transition to their summer patterns.

On Lewisville Lake, guide Kerry Dillard said recent rains have slowed the bite down, but fish are still being caught.

“They are trying to get into their summertime pattern,” Dillard said.

“Right now they are scattered all over, roaming

around. The lake just got over 80 degrees this past week.”

Dillard said he begins his searches on main lake humps and points, but catches fish wherever he finds them schooling.

On Lake Tawakoni, guide Trent Miller said the open-water hybrid bite has been pretty good recently.

“They are scattered, but, overall, the fishing has been good,” Miller said.

Miller said he has been HOLDING TIGHT: Frisco angler Taylor Hughs isn’t letting go of a nice hybrid striper he caught on Lewisville See HYBRIDS, Page 17 Lake. Photo by Steve Fogle, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

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HUNTING

Conservation groups, TPWD studying climate

By Mark England

Lone Star Outdoor News Pro-hunting advocates are quietly gearing up to deal with an ever-changing climate.

Whatever your belief on what’s causing it, things have changed over the last 30 years, said Kirby Brown, a Ducks Unlimited conservation outreach biologist.

“You have green jays now in Central Texas,” Brown said. “There are porcupines all the way to I-35 in the Hill Country. Whitewings are all over Texas. In fact, I saw them in Kansas City, and I hear they’re

north of there. It used to be their boundary line was the Rio Grande.

Something is going on. You can’t say things are not occurring.”

Scott Yaich, director of Conservation Programs, said DU, “as a science-based organization,” accepts the science behind climate change.

“Sea levels are rising,” Yaich said.

“It’s occurring and we’re planning for it. For example, we’ve put easements in the Pacific Northwest on low-lying agricultural land that would be difficult to farm if that occurs. By keeping the land from development, it preserves the opportunity for it to be restored to

estuaries and habitat.”

In the last 20 years, the sea level has risen 0.13 inches — or 3.2 millimeters — a year, roughly twice the average speed of the preceding 80 years, according to National Geographic.

DU hasn’t gotten much “pushback” from members on its acceptance of climate change, Yaich said.

“Things have changed and a lot of hunters can see that,” he said.

A poll last fall supports that conclusion.

In a poll of 800 self-identified hunters and anglers, conducted for the National Wildlife

Federation, 59 percent agreed that climate change is occurring.

Texas State Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon thinks the evidence for climate change is obvious.

“It should be clear to just about anybody that our winters have been milder since the 1970s and our summers hotter,” he said. “My bottom line is this: Nature is in charge of Texas’ precipitation, but global warming is taking temperatures to a place where we haven’t seen them.”

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has begun studying the possible effects of climate

change on wildlife in the coming decades and how to plan for it.

For example, Texas A&M, in cooperation with TPWD, is studying if it makes fiscal sense to introduce flounder along the Gulf where temperatures and salinity levels are up — a precursor of the future if sea levels continue to rise.

A&M researchers are studying not only if it can be done, but whether the fish will adapt or simply move elsewhere.

Another adaptation strategy in the discussion phase by TPWD would See CLIMATE, Page 23

Limit up?

Proposals to raise dove, migratory bird possession limit and early teal bag limit nearly finalized

By Conor Harrison Lone Star Outdoor News

After a long and arduous journey, teal hunters should be smiling.

According to Dave Morrison, Small Game Program director for TPWD, the Service Regulations Committee in Washington D.C., has approved a six-bird bag limit during early teal season, along with a possession limit of three times the daily bag for all migratory game birds.

However, at press time, the changes had not been finalized by the Secretary of the Interior. Morrison was confident the new limits would be signed into law.

“This process started many years ago,” Morrison said.

“This was a team effort from a lot of people. When I first moved to Texas, I thought we should be able to shoot six teal. It made no sense that you could kill six teal during the regular season, but only four TWO MORE: Hunters may have the opportunity to shoot two more birds per day during the early teal season. Photo

by Scott Sommerlatte, for LSON.

during September.

“The first time I brought it up, I got laughed out of the room.”

But Morrison and others like Kevin Kraai, TPWD Waterfowl Program lead, kept hammering the point home, and eventually people began listening.

“Teal numbers are nearing mallard numbers right now,” Morrison said. “We put together a teal assessment team and they finished their report last winter.

They said we could take 200 to 250 percent more teal than we do now — that’s a big number.

“We made our spiel, even though the Division of Migratory Bird Management didn’t support it.”

Morrison said the DMBM didn’t disagree with the study results, but more the process.

Even so, the measure was still approved by the SRC. “I applaud the commission for doing that,” he said. “Texas and Louisiana take two-thirds of all early-season teal. With the extra bag limit, that would be a 30 percent total increase — still a long way to go to get to 200 percent.”

Along with the increased

teal limit, hunters shooting all migratory birds not on a special conservation permit will now be able to carry three times the daily bag limit with them instead of just two times the limit.

“For the past five or six years, we have been pushing the Service to reconsider the carry limit,” Morrison said. “Lots of people travel to hunt, and if you go on a 3-day hunt for dove, you’d have to eat 15 birds before you could hunt on the third day.

“It’s a bonus.”

Many hunters reacted positively to the news.

Todd Steele, owner of Thunderbird Hunting Club near El Campo, praised the work of TPWD. “Kevin Kraai and Dave Morrison have been working diligently on not only helping our waterfowl, but maximizing hunter opportunities afield,” Steele said. “For anyone going on an extended three-day waterfowl trip, the change in possession limit is a pretty big deal and your teal hunts will now last a little longer in the morning.”

Shooting without a trigger

By Mark England

Lone Star Outdoor News Hunters aren’t the only shooters on Texas wildlife ranches anymore.

Nature photographers are taking to blinds as ranchers search for ways to supplement their income.

“It’s something I can

do with what I have,” said John Kothmann, owner of the 1,000acre Red Creek Nature Ranch, northeast of Junction. “I’d like to get to the point where it could be a reliable source of income during the nonhunting months.”

VIEWING DURING THE OFFSEASON: More and more Texas ranches are opening their hunting blinds during the offseason to photographers and making extra income from See PHOTO, Page 14

this newer type of outdoors tourism. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

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MORE ICE TIME: Keeping your cooler inside and chilling the beverages before loading, along with covering the cooler or keeping it in the shade while in the field or on the water will help extend the life of your ice. Photo by Conor Harrison, Lone Star Outdoor News.

Making it last Keeping ice in coolers

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star Outdoor News Coolers are a hot topic, especially during a Texas summer.

Keeping drinks cold and cold longer are the goals, but some sportsmen would prefer

not to invest hundreds of dollars in the wellinsulated versions of coolers.

Can you extend the life of the ice in your cooler, whether it’s the cheap variety or a high-dollar version?

It all comes down to basic physics, experts say, and there are some things one can do to help.

Dr. Roland Allen has been a physics professor at Texas A&M University for 43 years and loves to fish.

“One solid block of ice with no air between granules would melt the slowest,” he said.

“There are three ways to transfer heat: conduction, convection and radiation. With one solid block you only have conduction.”

There’s a trade-off with using a solid block of ice in cooler, though.

“It doesn’t work very well for keeping your beer cold,” Allen said.

See COOLERS, Page 6

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Coolers Continued From Page 5

The types of ice most often purchased are bags of ice from a convenience store or crushed ice from Sonic or other retailers.

Does using a different type of ice help?

It depends on what you’re trying to accomplish.

“It would make a difference but not a lot of difference,” Allen said. “You have some convection with chopped-up ice which increases the transfer of heat. Your drinks get colder faster but the ice also melts more quickly.”

But there is another benefit in the crushed ice, Allen said.

“You can get more ice in the cooler that way,” he said.

“That’s the best way to keep your drinks colder longer.

But if you used 10 pounds of one type versus another there wouldn’t be much difference.”

What about freezing the ice at a colder temperature, a tip recommended by some manufacturers’ websites?

It makes a difference, but you may not notice it.

“The heat capacity of ice is just a little more than for water,” he said. “About 1.5 times. The problem is you would have to cool the ice to minus-50 degrees Celsius (minus-58 Fahrenheit) to get ice to last twice as long.”

Some coolers manufacturers suggest dry ice to lengthen the melting time.

“Dry ice will absorb a lot more heat, because it has to

both melt and vaporize to reach room temperature,” Allen said. “But it is going to be more expensive.”

An Internet search revealed that smaller quantities of dry ice cost about $1 per pound.

Dr. Daniel Horton, a physics professor at Baylor University, said it’s all about heat.

“Heat is the quantity we work with,” he said.

“There is a certain amount of heat the ice can absorb.

With the ice, it depends on two items — the mass of ice and the latent heat of the ice or water.

“Some of the gels and other materials sold have a higher latent heat, but the other consideration is the rate the ice absorbs heat. That’s when the shape of the ice matters, since the surface area of the ice plays a part.”

Horton said if you want to quickly cool items, use the pellet-sized ice.

“It will transfer the heat more quickly,” he said.

“The blocks will melt more slowly, but when it’s hot they won’t perform as well to keep things cold.”

Allen said taking steps to keep the cooler’s lid closed and keeping it out of the sun would be effective.

“Basically, ice melts at zero degrees Celsius and below that it stays ice,” he said. “That’s about all there is to it.”

Tips for longerlasting ice n COOL THE COOLER: When you start with a warm cooler, ice is required to lower the temperature of the walls. Keep the cooler inside or even sacrifice a bag of ice to cool the cooler before loading. n COOL THE CONTENTS: Pre-chill the food and beverages so the ice won’t have to transfer as much heat to them. n DON’T OPEN AS OFTEN AND SHUT THE LID TIGHT: When a cooler is opened, air moves through, bringing convection, the second type of heat, Horton said. n KEEP IT IN THE SHADE: The third type of heat is radiation.

When the sun is beaming down on the cooler top, radiation occurs, Horton said, significantly reducing ice time. n COVER THE COOLER: There’s not much shade in a boat or in some dove fields. A blanket or other covering will help. Horton said a space blanket over the cooler works, reflecting the sunlight and its radiation away. n USE TWO COOLERS: Use one cooler for drinks and one for food. The block ice can go in the food cooler and crushed ice in the drink cooler. n USE MORE ICE: Allen recommends getting the air out of the cooler by filling it as much as possible. n LEAVE THE WATER IN THE BOTTOM. It’s almost as cold as the ice.

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LoneOStar Outdoor News

State continuing hog eradication efforts In an ongoing effort to protect Texans in funding. Projects are required to meet a from the costly destruction caused by feral minimum match of one dollar for every dolhogs, Agriculture Commissioner Todd lar requested. Applications will be reviewed Staples announced the Texas Department of through a competitive evaluation process.

Agriculture is accepting grant applications Individual Texas counties are eligible for to assist regional efforts to control feral hog CHAMP awards. Each county must partner populations. with at least one other Texas county that has Grant funds are made available through an interest in feral hog abatement.

TDA’s new County Hog Abatement Matching In 2010, Staples created the Hog Out Program, or Challenge to CHAMP. encourage locally “The feral hog initiated feral population has hog abatement exploded in the activities in counlast 20 years, and our ability ties across Texas to control this through a coorwill depend on dinated and contwo primary faccentrated attack. tors,” Staples This has resulted said. “First, our in some of the efforts must be lowest-cost, highcoordinated est-yielding hog across all public removal activities entities and prisince 2006 when vate landownthe state began SHOOTERS WANTED: Hog hunters and trappers can receive funding ers. Second, we investing in these must focus on for shooting pigs through county programs. Photo David J. Sams, efforts. CHAMP, the most low- Lone Star Outdoor News. cost, high-return in partnership methods when investing limited taxpayer with Hog Out, will strengthen the state’s feral dollars into this effort. The CHAMP grant hog abatement initiatives by adding a regional accomplishes both of these by building on focus across multiple counties, according to the successes of recent initiatives.”

Staples.

Texas is home to the largest feral hog pop“Feral hogs are destroying front yards, ulation in the United States with nearly 2.6 farmers’ fields, golf courses and other pubmillion feral hogs. CHAMP is designed to lic and private properties all across Texas, encourage counties across Texas to create partnerships with other counties, local gov- resulting in millions of dollars in damage. ernments, businesses, landowners and asso- This is both an urban and rural problem that ciations to reduce the feral hog population directly impacts our economy and the future of Texas agriculture. We need to step up our and the damage caused by these pests.

Selected applicants will receive proj- efforts to thwart these dangerous creatures, ect funding on a cost reimbursement and CHAMP does just that,” Staples said. basis. Applicants may request up to $30,000 — Staff report

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FISHING

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Get up early for summer reds Redfish hitting in some spots

By Conor Harrison Lone Star Outdoor News

The summertime redfish action has been spotty, but anglers are reporting decent catches early in the morning.

Along the midcoast, Bert Bradshaw at Bluff’s Landing Marina said the marina hosted a weekend tournament on June 22-23, and some good redfish were brought to the scales.

“It has been a little slow lately, overall,” Bradshaw said. “A couple of nice fish were brought in. The guys were fishing dropoffs and croaker has been the main bait everyone is using right now.”

In Rockport, Capt. Chad Veburgt FIND THE RIGHT PLACE TO BEGIN: Many anglers are reporting redfish action in potholes surrounded by grass. Photo by Scott Sommerlatte, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

See REDFISH, Page 23

Population holding Noodlers say they don’t hurt populations, practice catch and release

By Conor Harrison Lone Star Outdoor News

Rockwall hand fisherman Eddie Drake knows where to find big catfish.

While noodling for a recent tournament, Drake came across a hole underneath a bank that he knew held a monster.

“When you feel a hole that size — 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide with smoothed sides — you know it holds

a big fish,” Drake said.

“Sure enough, I reached in and she grabbed my hand and went nuts in the hole. She was head shaking and rolling. I pinned her to the top and she was upside down. She wasn’t moving, so it allowed me to get a breath of air and a better hold and begin to pull her out.”

What Drake pulled out was the stuff of legend — an

81-pound flathead catfish.

“When I first grabbed her bottom jaw, there is a place there like a suitcase handle,” he said. “Hers was three inches wide. I knew immediately it was the biggest fish I had ever grabbed.”

But the fight didn’t come without a cost.

Drake cut his leg on a sharp piece of rebar while battling the behemoth, forcing a quick operation on the shore that resulted in an infection. Drake conducted the interview with LSON from his hospital bed, where he has been for two weeks fighting a serious infection from the cut.

While Drake did keep the big fish for the tournament and subsequent fish fry, he insists the sport of hand fishing is not diminishing catfish populations in Texas lakes.

“I haven’t seen any decline in big fish the past three years,” he said.

“I only keep tournament fish, and I do three tournaments a year. That is three fish kept a year.

STILL PLENTY OF BIG FISH: Although studies aren’t complete, initial analysis shows noodlers are not having a major impact on catfish species. Photo by Tim Sharp, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

See NOODLERS, Page 11

EVERYWHERE: Pick a rock or any structure in the Gulf and you’ll probably find snapper. Photo by Scott Sommerlatte, for Lone Star Outdoor News.

Red snapper limits coming easy Find offshore structure, find the snapper

By Conor Harrison Lone Star Outdoor News

Not a lot of red snapper in the Gulf?

Don’t tell that to Texas anglers who have been catching limits of red snapper throughout June on most trips to productive rocks or structure within 50 miles of the coast.

“It’s been an awesome season,” said Dan Hurd of Capt. Kelly’s Deep Sea headquarters in Port Aransas. “Just way too short. The snapper fishing has been absolutely excel-

lent. We haven’t had a trip yet this month when everyone on the boat didn’t limit out.”

Hurd said not only has the fishing been great, the fish being caught are all big.

“All of the snapper we are catching right now are over 8 pounds,” he said. “We are fishing the federal waters and depth doesn’t make a bit of difference. There is nowhere you can go out there and not catch them.”

Hurd said the snapper are so thick, other See RED SNAPPER, Page 23

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New seagrass laws go into effect Sept. 1 Dozens of bills that came out of the 83rd Texas Legislature affect boaters, anglers and other Texas Parks and Wildlife Department stakeholders.

One measure is a new law that will expand seagrass protection coast-wide.

House Bill 3279 establishes a statewide law that makes it illegal to uproot seagrass in all coastal waters. This is similar to an existing TPWD regulation in the Redfish Bay State Scientific Area near Rockport, where it is Class C misdemeanor to uproot seagrass with a motorboat outboard propeller.

In connection with the bill, TPWD plans to enhance its ongoing coast wide seagrass educational campaign to inform boaters. The bill takes effect Sept. 1.

— TPWD

Snapper battle heads to Congress Gulf states are fighting back when it comes to the management of red snapper.

Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) have filed legislation that seeks to transfer responsibility for the management of Gulf red snapper to the Gulf states.

The legislation (S.1161) comes two months after the governors of four Gulf states released a joint letter to the leadership of the U.S. House and Senate stating that federal management of Gulf red snapper is “irretrievably broken,” and calling for a coordinated Gulf states partnership for red snapper management.

The Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper Conservation Act would establish a coordinated Gulf states partnership for red snapper management in which the states would fully comply with a management plan approved and adopted by the Gulf States Marines Fisheries Commission with minimal oversight from the federal government. The partnership would be similar to how striped bass are managed on the East Coast through the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

“State-based fishery management has proven to be far more effective, and has engineered some of the greatest marine conservation victories in the country,” said Chester Brewer, chairman of the National Government Relations Committee for CCA. “We have faith in the states to be philosophically capable of not only conserving and managing robust fisheries, but also providing greater access to those resources for their citizens.”

— Staff report

2013 CCA STAR leaderboard (as of June 24, 2013) Three lucky anglers have already caught tagged redfish, winning a truck, boat and trailer package.

The CCA Texas STAR Tournament runs through Labor Day weekend, so there is still plenty of time to get entered, head to the coast and hope to catch a winning fish. Below is the current leaderboard.

Starkids Scholarship Division (ages 6-10): Flounder: Lilly Ann Kaspar; 3 pounds, 12 ounces Sheepshead: Nicholas Jackson; 5 pounds, 5 ounces Gafftop: Nicholas Jackson; 5 pounds, 9 ounces Scholarship Trout Division (ages 11-17): Upper Coast trout: None Middle Coast trout: None Lower Coast trout: Cole McGrew; 8 pounds, 8 ounces Scholarship Inshore Division: Flounder: Jordan Kasper-Hines; 4 pounds, 2 ounces Sheepshead: Hunter Wagenschei; 6 pounds, 14 ounces Gafftop: Jarren Mahon; 6 pounds Main Divisions: Upper Coast trout: Jeremy Bane; 8 pounds, 13 ounces Middle Coast trout: None Lower Coast trout: Dan Wyatt; 10 pounds, 2 ounces Kingfish: Joesph Messina III; 55 pounds, 14 ounces Dorado: Serena Riemann; 37 pounds, 2 ounces Ling: Alan Parker; 71 pounds, 13 ounces Flounder: Paul C. Gaylord; 7 pounds, 10 ounces Sheepshead: Jamie Ybarra; 10 pounds, 2 ounces Gafftop: Jill Yarbrough; 7 pounds, 1 ounce Tagged Redfish: L.D. Whitehead, Caleb Morales, Bret Coggins — CCA STAR

Livesay, Bailey win Bass Champs on Ray Roberts Gladewater angler Lee Livesay, along with Hastings, Okla., teammate Chad Bailey, caught three big bass totaling nearly 20 pounds to win the Bass Champs Central Division tournament on Lake Ray Roberts June 22.

With 19.49 pounds, the team beat out Zach Parker of Denton and Heath Moody of Grapevine, 19.32 pounds, for the $15,000 winner’s check.

Parker and Moody did take the big bass award with a 10.8-pound kicker.

— Bass Champs

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TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT Drifting big baits LAKE RAY HUBBARD — Guide Carey Thorn is having good success drifting parts of the lake looking for hybrid stripers.

Thorn said gizzard shad are the ticket to finding the fish.

“We are starting in 5 feet of water and drifting to about 25 feet,” Thorn said. “I have been Carolina-rigging 5-inch gizzard shad with a 1/2-ounce weight — just enough to keep it on the bottom. But the shad have to be alive.

“If it dies, put a live one on.”

Thorn said the fish are spread out right now and a good fish finder is a handy tool to have to find schooling fish.

To contact guide Carey Thorn, call (469) 528-0210.

“And we are catching them quick,” he said. “Every limit has been under two hours. Early has been the best time for me.”

To contact guide Darrell Nowlain, call (254) 495-0210.

Top-waters early, deeper late

BELTON LAKE — The striper and hybrid bite has been strong on Belton Lake, according to guide Darrell Nowlain.

“They’ve moved out to about 40 or 45 feet of water,” Nowlain said.

“They are suspending at about 30 feet. I am using 4- to 6-inch baits.”

Nowlain said every fish his clients catch has been in the 3- to 7-pound range.

TOLEDO BEND RESERVOIR — Guide Greg Crafts wrote on his fishing report at Toledo-bend.net, that the early morning top-water bite has been good, but he has been switching to deeper water later in the day.

“When the sun gets overhead and the shallow bite slows, concentrate fishing deeper water along major and secondary points and bends in the creek and river channel ledges that have the most cover and structure and deep water humps with deep diving crankbaits and Carolina- or Texasrigged soft plastics,” Crafts wrote. “Follow the bait fish.”

Crafts said the white bass are chasing shad and the crappie are holding in brush piles in 15 to 20 feet of water.

“Concentrate at the mouth of the creeks close to the river channel,” he said.

To contact guide Greg Crafts, call (936) 368-7151.

— Conor Harrison

ALAN HENRY: Water lightly stained; 72–77 degrees; 12.81’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on buzzbaits early, later switching to Texas rigs, weightless flukes and shaky heads.

Catfish are good on nightcrawlers and prepared bait.

HOUSTON COUNTY: Water stained; 84–88 degrees; 0.30’ low.

Largemouth bass to 4 pounds are good on top-waters near the dam.

Crappie are good on live minnows over brush piles. Bream are very good on live worms around piers and over grass beds.

Suspended

AMISTAD: Water clear; 77–82 degrees; 60.11’ low. Largemouth bass are good on chartreuse/black lipless crankbait sand soft plastics.

ARROWHEAD: Water off-color; 71–78 degrees; 13.62’ low.

Largemouth bass are good on Zara Spooks, Texas rigs and shallowrunning shad-pattern crankbaits.

Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. White bass are good on slabs. Catfish are fair to good on cut bait and nightcrawlers.

ATHENS: Water clear, 74–78 degrees; 2.44’ low. Largemouth bass are slow on weightless Flukes and shallow crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.

BOB SANDLIN: Water clear; 75–79 degrees; 4.90’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas-rigged plastics in blue fleck and black/ blue football jigs in deeper water.

Crappie are good on minnows.

White bass are good on slabs.

BONHAM: Water stained, 75–79 degrees; 0.02’ high. Largemouth bass are good in flooded vegetation, cattails, around boat docks and on points. Crankbaits, soft plastics, jigs and top-waters are all working well. Crappie are good in 10–13’ on jigs and minnows.

Catfish are good on minnows along the bank in the park area.

BRAUNIG: Water clear. Largemouth bass are fair on chartreuse spinner baits and crankbaits near the dam. Redfish are good on perch and silver spoons. Channel and blue catfish are good on liver, shrimp and bloodbait.

BRIDGEPORT: Water clear; 75–80 degrees; 17.87’ low. Largemouth bass are good on weightless Senkos, Texas-rigged craws and finesse jigs around shallow cover. Crappie are good on minnows. Hybrid striper are good on slabs. Channel catfish are good on trotlines.

BROWNWOOD: Water stained; 76–80 degrees; 12.38’ low. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits, flukes,

spinner baits and jigs around docks in 8–10 feet. White bass are good on silver jigs off lighted docks at night in 5–15 feet. Crappie are good on minnows and white tube jigs over baited brush piles.

BUCHANAN: Water stained; 76–80 degrees; 28.12’ low. Largemouth bass are good on watermelon topwaters and Texas-rigged grape worms around stumps in 5–15 feet. Crappie are good on minnows and white tube jigs over brush piles. Channel catfish are good on live bait and dipbait.

Yellow and blue catfish are very good on juglines and trotlines baited with goldfish and perch upriver.

CADDO: Water stained; 74–79 degrees; 0.30’ high. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged soft plastics in green pumpkin or California 420. White and yellow bass are good on slabs.

CALAVERAS: Water clear. Largemouth bass are slow. Blue catfish are good on shrimp and nightcrawlers.

CANYON LAKE: Water clear; 76–80 degrees; 9.01’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon crankbaits, Pop R’s and flukes upriver in 5–10 feet early.

Smallmouth bass are good on chartreuse plastic crickets, root beer grubs and craws, and watermelon red tubes along ledges in 10–20 feet. Yellow and blue catfish are very good on juglines and trotlines upriver.

CEDAR CREEK: Water clear; 75–80 degrees; 3.70’ low. Largemouth bass are good on shaky heads and top-water poppers early — main lake docks have been best. Hybrid striper are good on live shad.

Crappie are good on minnows.

CHOKE CANYON: Water clear; 78–82 degrees; 20.26’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon deep-running crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, and spinner baits. Crappie are good on minnows and blue tube jigs.

COLEMAN: Water clear; 75–79 degrees; 15.36’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon red and watermelon green spinner baits and soft plastics. Crappie are good on minnows and pink tube jigs. Channel catfish are good on trotlines baited with live perch.

COLETO CREEK: Water clear; 1.34’

low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon soft plastics and top-waters in 5–10 feet. Crappie are good on minnows and white tube jigs.

CONROE: Water lightly stained; 77–81 degrees; 2.34’ low. Largemouth bass are good on green pumpkin Carolina-rigged soft plastics, crankbaits, and spinner baits. Crappie are good on minnows and pink tube jigs over brush piles in 20 feet. Catfish are good on shrimp and stinkbait.

COOPER: Water clear; 75–79 degrees; 8.21’ low. Largemouth bass are good on shallow crankbaits and shad-pattern wakebaits. White bass are good on slabs. Hybrid striper are good on live shad. Catfish are good on cut bait and trotlines.

FALCON: Water murky; 79–83 degrees; 36.61’ low. Largemouth bass are good on green pumpkin spinner baits, crankbaits and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are good on watermelon tube jigs.

FAYETTE: Water stained. Largemouth bass are good on green pumpkin soft plastics and spinner baits in 12–18 feet.

FORK: Water clear; 74–78 degrees; 4.49’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Carolina-rigged flukes, football jigs in sprayed grass color and DD22s in soddy blue on main lake points. Yellow bass and white bass are good on minnows. Crappie are good on minnows near bridges. Catfish are good on prepared bait.

GIBBONS CREEK: Water clear. Largemouth bass are fair on pumpkinseed soft plastic worms and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows.

Catfish are good on nightcrawlers, cut bait and chicken livers.

GRANGER: Water stained; 76–80 degrees; 0.01’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on spinner baits in willows upriver. Crappie are good on marabou jigs in 5–15 feet.

Blue catfish are good on shad and prepared bait in 5–12 feet. Yellow catfish are good on trotlines baited with live bait upriver.

GRAPEVINE: Water clear; 74–79 degrees; 5.72’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas-rigged craw baits and finesse jigs near rocky points.

Crappie are good on minnows.

White bass are good on slabs.

HUBBARD CREEK: Water off-color; 73–78 degrees; 23’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Yellow Magics early, later switching to Texas rigs and Senkos. Crappie are good on live minnows.

JOE POOL: Water clear; 75–80 degrees; 0.75’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged soft plastics and top-waters near grass. Some fish being caught on weightless soft jerkbaits, as well.

White bass are good on minnows.

Catfish are good on cut shad.

LAKE O’ THE PINES: Water lightly stained; 75–81 degrees; 1.88’ low. Largemouth bass are good on weightless Flukes and wackyrigged Senkos. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are good on trotlines and cut shad.

LAVON: Water lightly stained; 74–79 degrees; 7.22’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on Texas-rigged creature baits and crankbaits. White bass are good on slabs. Catfish are good on trotlines and cut shad.

Largemouth bass are good on top-waters and hollow-body frogs.

Crappie are good on minnows.

Catfish are good on prepared bait and trotlines.

MONTICELLO: Water fairly clear; 74–78 degrees; 0.94’ high.

Largemouth bass are fair on shad-pattern square bills and bladed jigs in white. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows.

NAVARRO MILLS: Water lightly stained; 76–80 degrees; 0.98’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on green pumpkin soft plastics and chartreuse lipless crankbaits near the dam.

White bass are good on Li’l Fishies and perch-colored top-waters.

O.H. IVIE: Water stained; 72–76 degrees; 38.8’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Zara Spooks early and late, midday switching to Texas rigs, Senkos and drop– shot rigs. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs.

OAK CREEK: Water stained; 71–77 degrees; 18.42’ low. Largemouth bass are fair to good on topwaters early, Texas rigs and shaky heads. Crappie are good on jigs and live minnows. Catfish are good on chartreuse nightcrawlers and prepared bait.

LBJ: Water stained; 78–82 degrees; 0.27’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on perch-colored top-waters, black/blue jigs, and weightless pumpkinseed Whacky Sticks in 5–10 feet. Yellow and blue catfish are good on trotlines baited with live perch.

POSSUM KINGDOM: Water fairly clear; 72–78 degrees; 11.02’ low. Largemouth bass are good on top-waters early, later switching to Yum Dingers, shallow-running crankbaits, drop–shot rigs and Texas rigs. Crappie are fair to good on minnows and jigs. White bass are fair to good on slabs.

Catfish are fair to good on cut bait and nightcrawlers.

LEWISVILLE: Water clear; 74–78 degrees; 4.74’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on shaky heads and finesse worms. Crappie are good on minnows. Catfish are good on prepared bait and cut shad.

PROCTOR: Water lightly stained; 75–79 degrees; 4.40’ low.

Largemouth bass are good on watermelon soft plastics and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are good on minnows and white tube jigs.

LIVINGSTON: Water fairly clear; 78–82 degrees; 0.38’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon spinner baits and crankbaits.

White bass are very good on pet spoons, trolling tubes, and slabs.

Crappie are good on minnows and blue tube jigs. Blue catfish are good on cut bait and live bait.

RAY ROBERTS: Water clear; 74–78 degrees; 4.05’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas- and Carolina-rigged soft plastics along main lake points in 8–10’ (large 10–12” worms have been best). Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on prepared bait.

MARTIN CREEK: Water clear; 79–84 degrees; 1.77’ low.

RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water clear; 74–79 degrees; 6.29’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on me-

SEE MORE

n Saltwater fishing reports: Page 16 dium crankbaits and top-waters — weightless soft jerkbaits effective as well. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs.

SAM RAYBURN: Water lightly stained; 76–80 degrees; 2.28’ low.

Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon crankbaits, spinner baits, and lipless crankbaits. Catfish are good on live bait and prepared bait.

SOMERVILLE: Water murky; 77–81 degrees; 2.11’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Hybrid striper are good on chartreuse striper jigs.

STILLHOUSE: Water lightly stained; 76–80 degrees; 7.37’ low. Largemouth bass are good on green pumpkin soft plastics, crankbaits, and lipless crankbaits.

TAWAKONI: Water stained; 75–80 degrees; 5.50’ low. Largemouth bass are good on flipping jigs and wakebaits around shallow cover.

Crappie are good on minnows.

Catfish are good on cut bait.

TEXOMA: Water clear; 74–78 degrees; 0.38’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas-rigged soft plastics and Zara Spooks.

Smallmouth are good on small shad-type swimbaits. Striped bass are good on slabs.

TRAVIS: Water clear; 78–82 degrees; 52.83’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on watermelon soft plastics and chartreuse topwaters in 5–20 feet.

WALTER E. LONG: Water lightly stained. Largemouth bass are good on green pumpkin crankbaits and soft plastic worms.

Channel and blue catfish are good on stinkbait and hot dogs.

WHITNEY: Water lightly stained; 76–80 degrees; 9.10’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. White bass are good on chartreuse spinner baits and crankbaits.

— TPWD

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Noodlers Continued From Page 8

If I’m going to eat a fish, I want one in the 10- to 20-pound range. I think trot lines and rod and reel anglers keep way more than that each year.

“We throw the big ones back.”

Biologists, however, say it is too soon to tell about any long-term impacts noodlers are having on catfish populations in Texas.

“I don’t really know what kind of impact (hand fishing) is having,” said Kevin Storey, a TPWD Inland Fisheries biologist in East Texas. “We currently have some tagging studies going on, but it is too early to know, especially with flatheads.

“I’ve been at TPWD for 26 years, but I have seen very few flatheads in our sampling studies.”

Storey said he wishes TPWD would have been allowed to conduct more preliminary studies on catfish populations before hand fishing was legalized last year.

“It is just way too early for us to know about any impacts,” he said.

Kris Bodine heads a TPWD catfish tagging research project on Lake Palestine and said it is too early to draw any definite conclusions, but so far the impact seems negligible on flathead populations on Palestine.

“Well, we tagged 250 fish in April, so we are only two months into the study,” Bodine said. “So far, seven tags have come back.

One was found by an angler, so that one doesn’t count, but of the other six, five were caught by noodlers.”

Bodine said he expected noodlers to bring in more tags early in the study because hand fishermen target the species during the spawn.

“Noodlers are fishing the spawn when those fish are in the holes,” he said. “Once the

spawn ends, I expect the trot line and rod and reel anglers to catch more fish.

“But what little data we have so far suggests the impact is minimal on the overall population.”

Drake said he knows the populations are stable.

“The amount of food these catfish are eating is tremendous because of all of the baitfish,” he said. “The climate here is perfect to grow big catfish. In this southern region, they grow faster.

“As long as we do our due diligence and throw the big ones back, these fish will replenish.”

BIG CATS: Tournament noodlers often keep a big fish or two to weigh, but in many instances the fish are released back into the water. Photo by John Keith, Lone Star Outdoor News.

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GAME WARDEN BLOTTER WARDENS RETRIEVE BOAT DRIFTING AWAY WITH CHILD ABOARD A boat had drifted into the middle of Lake Amistad with a 7-year-old child aboard, and the family was unable to retrieve it. Val Verde County Game Wardens Dustin Barrett and Kirk Clendening responded with their patrol boat, and were able to find the vessel and safely reunite the young boy with his family.

SHOOTER FROM ROAD UNHAPPY WITH WARDEN’S STOP Floyd/Hale county Game Warden Kyle Nevins witnessed a small blue pickup stop approximately 30 feet away, and the driver shoot a .22 rifle into a wheat field across the road.

While he was trying to get a license plate number, the vehicle took off and stopped about 100 yards down the road, and the driver fired another shot into the field. Nevins took off in the direction of the vehicle and caught up with it a few miles down the road.

The subject admitted to shooting at grackles in the field. The subject was not happy about being stopped and admitted that he knew what he did was wrong but told Nevins he was wasting his time and should go find a real criminal. The subject then asked the warden how he knew that he had shot off the road and wanted to know who told on him. Nevins politely let the individual know that he sees everything that goes on and left it at that. The man received a citation for hunting from a public roadway.

NOODLERS CAUGHT USING ILLEGAL SNAG POLE Smith County Game Warden Chris Swift was patrolling boat ramps around Lake Palestine when he observed three people in the water who were hand fishing. A fourth man was on the bank putting fish in the truck and watching the parking lot.

Swift watched the fisherman from the bushes for about 45 minutes. When

TRAIL CAMERA USED TO NAB TRESPASSERS Milam County Game Warden Charlie Mayer was having trouble with trespassers and people fishing illegally at a remote spot on Little River. Mayer talked with the landowner, who was very concerned about all of the traffic on her place. She, along with Mayer, had run several people out of her place on different occasions.

The landowner decided she wanted to start filing on the last man came out of the water, he eased a snag pole to the man who was looking out, who quickly put the pole on the back of the truck. Swift then made contact with the group.

Tickets were issued for no fishing licenses and for taking fish by illegal means and methods. The fish were returned to the water.

TROTLINER SNAGGED BY HOOK WHILE BEING CHECKED BY WARDEN While Grayson County Game Warden Dale Moses and Taylor County Game Warden James Cummings were checking two fishermen who were in a small jonboat without registration displayed, one of the fishermen continued to pull in a trotline he had out. Suddenly, the man with the trotline began to yell.

His trotline weight had hung up and two of the hooks snagged one of the subject’s hand and arm and he was being pulled under the patrol boat.

Moses quickly deployed a knife and was able to cut the trotline before the subject was pulled out of the boat. The subjects also had a 6-inch crappie in their bait bucket. Cases pending.

NOODLING POLE WITH TREBLE HOOK CLEARLY ILLEGAL Cherokee County Game Wardens Eric Collins and Brian Bearden, along with Cadet Shawna Poole, made a case on two individuals for fishing by illegal means and methods. The two subjects snagged a 30-pound

people for trespassing. Because of the remoteness of the property, Mayer placed a camera on the property that would text every picture taken in real time to his phone. After about two weeks of deer and hog pictures, Mayer was able to catch a group of people on the property fishing who were told previously not to fish there.

Cases pending.

flathead catfish with a noodling pole.

The pole was made with a 12-foot section of 1/2-inch PVC pipe with a size 10 treble hook. Cases pending.

TRESPASSERS BOLDLY ENTER, BORROW BOAT TO FISH Titus County Game Warden Jerry Ash responded to TXU/Luminant Mining Property on a trespassing call.

Two adults and a juvenile illegally entered the property on an ATV and took one of TXU’s boats. They were caught fishing on one of TXU’s private lakes. Citations were issued for criminal trespass and for fishing without landowner’s consent. Cases pending.

DOG BLAMED FOR BEING OVER THE LIMIT Game Wardens Eddie Hines, Leanne Winkenwerder and Cadet Joshua Bonney filed multiple citations on an individual for violating the daily bag limit for white bass.

The violator had 21 fish over his daily bag limit. He claimed it was his dog’s fault and that he needed to get a fish counter.

FIRST BOAT RENTAL GOES AWRY While on patrol at Lake Belton with two cadets, Bell County Game Warden Brandt Bernstein was contacted by another boater and told that a boat had just crashed and there were several people still in the water.

Bernstein and the cadets responded and observed three individuals standing on shore and one man still in the water having difficulty swimming.

Bernstein pulled his vessel next to the struggling swimmer and pulled him into the patrol vessel. The remaining occupants were transported to Temple Lake Park. The driver of the vessel stated it was a rental boat and he had only been driving it for two to three hours. He said they hit a wave and it came over the bow, swamping the boat, flipping and sinking it. The driver was issued a citation for reckless driving.

HOGS AND DOGS CAUGHT TRESPASSING Milam County Game Warden Charlie Mayer received a call from the Milam County Sheriff’s Office that a landowner caught a group of individuals hog hunting on his property. Mayer responded along with a sheriff’s deputy and made contact with the individuals who were still on the property trying to catch their dogs. The landowner decided he did not want to press criminal trespass charges on the individuals; however, no one in the group had a hunting license. Cases pending.

GILL-NETTERS GRABBED, FISH DONATED Travis County Game Warden Natali Mejia received a call reporting gill netting on the Colorado River. Mejia along with Game Warden Christy Vales responded to the call. Three men were observed using a cast net to fish. The subjects were checked and none of the three had fishing licenses and

they had caught multiple bass, carp and perch. Citations were issued and the fish were donated.

FELON FOUND AT FAVORITE FISHING SPOT Burnet County Game Warden Braxton Harris was asked for assistance by the sheriff’s office in locating a suspect with felony parole violation warrants. The sheriff’s office knew the suspect was an avid fisherman and gave Harris a possible location of his favorite fishing area. Harris checked the area for two days, located the suspect and placed him in custody.

CONSENT TO SEARCH VEHICLE A BAD CALL While on routine patrol of boat ramps, Trinity County Game Wardens Sam Shanafelt and Randy Watts made contact with two individuals who were fishing from the bank.

Immediately, the two individuals started walking toward the patrol truck. Watts made contact with the individuals while Shanafelt checked out their vehicle and found a 5-gallon bucket with an undersized catfish.

The individuals told Watts they did not know they had to have a fishing license, since their grandpa lived in the subdivision. Watts informed them they were fishing in public water and, in fact, did need a fishing license. He also asked them if there was anything in the vehicle that the wardens needed to know about. The individual said there was nothing and gave consent to search. As Shanafelt approached, the individuals stated there might be a fish in the truck but that it was not theirs. During the search, multiple synthetic marijuana roaches, rolling papers and a small bag of marijuana were found. After wardens split the individuals up and interviewed them, they confessed to catching the fish and admitted the drugs were theirs. Citations for drug paraphernalia, no Texas fishing license, and undersized catfish were issued.

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Photo Continued From Page 4

He got into the business in 2006 during the first Images for Conservation Fund contest. Various Texas ranches host professional photographers competing for prize money — split between photographers and ranchers.

That year, Kothmann’s ranch came in third.

“We split $16,000,” he said. “That $8,000 was spent long ago. And, frankly, it’s been a struggle since the contest.”

The driving force behind the contest is John Martin, who owns Martin Refuge, a 300-acre ranch near Mission. He said the goal is to “encourage conservation through photography.”

He doesn’t see his quest as quixotic, given 46 million Americans call themselves birdwatchers, according to the 2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. Getting them to spend $100 or more daily when they’re used to snapping birds for free is the tricky part.

SPOTTING AN OPPORTUNITY: Some Texas ranches are maintaining blinds year-round for wildlife viewing and photograph during the hunting offseason. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.

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However, professional photographer David Welling said ranches offer built-in advantages to birders and others.

“If you set up at ground level, you’re shooting 3 to 6 feet off the ground,” he said. “You’re shooting down at birds, unless it’s a raptor on a perch. Whitetails are closer to eye level, but if it is bending down to drink, you’re shooting at a level with its shoulders. If you’re in a buried blind at a ranch, however, you’re shooting straight-on with it looking at you as it’s drinking.”

If a ranch’s blinds are set up properly, they bring the animals to you, Welling said.

A letter from an amateur photographer to Martin seconds that.

“I booked your place for two days.

I got 1,400 full-frame images of 14 different species. I spent the remaining five days traveling 125 miles from Brownsville to Falcon Dam. If I got one species I could identify on my computer, I was lucky.”

Nature photography isn’t a moneymaker for most Texas ranches yet. One Rio Grande Valley ranch reported a profit of $30,000 last year, according to Martin. The owner advertised and his ranch manager posted images regularly on Facebook and other social media.

“That may not sound like a lot, but you have to realize down here people have been losing money on ranches,” Martin said.

Most ranches open to photography are either in the Hill Country or the Rio Grande Valley. They range in size from thousands of acres — the largest being the King Ranch, 825,000 acres, and boasting 356 species of birds, more than half the number in Texas — to less than a hundred acres.

The smallest is Turkey Hollow, between Fredericksburg and Comfort. It’s 30 acres.

“We’ve got a pond and two creeks,” said Sharron Jay, who owns the ranch with her husband, Larry. “We’ve got everything the big boys do and you can walk to our blinds. What everyone likes to say is they can roll out of bed and be in a blind in 10 minutes.”

To compete, the Jays go the extra mile. They have a cabin and cottage (1890 German-style and filled with antiques). They offer meals.

Larry, a photographer, sets up the blinds for photo shoots. And they trap for cowbirds, which steal the nests of songbirds.

“All you have to do is park your vehicle and that’s it,” Sharron said.

Turkey Hollow is nonhunting.

However, most ranchers seeking nature photographers also accommodate hunters. Martin noted that one rancher who conducted a successful white-tailed deer photo shoot mulled banning hunting one day.

“I advised him not to,” Martin said. “His ranch is high-fence. He has to manage the ranch. Hunt from November to January and spend the rest of the time with photography. I don’t believe it has to be either or.”

Having grown up hunting, Martin ranks shooting a camera harder than shooting a rifle.

“Especially with today’s scopes,” he said. “If you can see it, you can kill it. Seeing it doesn’t mean you’re going to get a great photo.”

Red Creek Nature Ranch, www.redcreeknatureranch.com (325-475-2901) Martin Refuge, www.martinrefuge.com (956-381-1264) Turkey Hollow, www.blockcreeknaturalarea.com (830-995-4174)

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TEXAS SALTWATER FISHING REPORT Nighttime is best

Sponsored by

PORT ISABEL — Anglers planning Pirates Landing Pier on fishing the Pir would do well to wait until the sun goes down, according to manager Dave Fletcher.

“They are catching good numbers of trout, whiting and pompano,” Fletcher said. “There aren’t a lot of redfish around right now, and the black drum were here a few weeks ago, but they aren’t around right now. Night is the best, by far.”

Fletcher recommended throwing shrimp, squid or mullet to entice a keeper-sized trout to bite.

To contact Pirates Landing Pier, call (956) 943-7437.

Strong speck bite SAN LEON — The Galveston Bay complex is in the middle of a good speckled trout bite, according to Eagle Point Fishing Camp’s John Valentino.

“Most of the big trout have moved out to the middle of the bay,” he said, “which is typical during the summer. But the wind has been so strong, it is keeping most of our anglers near

NORTH SABINE: Trout are fair to good under birds and pods of shad on soft plastics.

Redfish are good under rafts of shad on topwaters. Trout are good while working deep shell on plastics.

WEST GALVESTON BAY: Trout, sheepshead, redfish and black drum are good at the jetty on shrimp and crabs. Redfish are good in the back lakes. Tarpon are beginning to show on the beachfront. Red snapper is good offshore.

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.

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.

BOLIVAR: Trout are fair to good on the south shoreline on soft plastics. Sand trout are fair to good on shrimp in the Intracoastal.

FREEPORT: Trout, redfish and Spanish mackerel are fair to good on shrimp at the jetties.

Trout, redfish, sand trout and sheepshead are good on live shrimp on the reefs in Christmas Bay. Red snapper and kingfish are good offshore.

TRINITY BAY: Trout are good for drifters working pods of shad and mullet on soft plastics, Trout Killers and Sand Eels. Trout, redfish and flounder are good at the spillway on live bait. Trout are fair at the wells on plastics and Scented plastics.

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 plastics. Trout are good in the channel on croakers.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair to good for drifters on live shrimp over mid–bay reefs.

Trout are fair on the shorelines for waders.

Redfish are fair along the reefs on the Intracoastal on live shrimp.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair to good on sand and grass humps on soft plastics and top-waters. Redfish are fair on top-waters and

the shoreline.”

Valentino said anglers are catching loads of undersized trout, but not a lot of keepers.

“We did see a lot of nice fish this weekend (when the full moon pushed tides higher than normal),” he said. “We had a few reds and lot of sharks. Everyone says the shark populations have hit emergency numbers, but I haven’t seen it from what we have been catching — they are

everywhere.”

Along with sharks, gafftops have been a common catch.

To contact Eagle Point Fishing Camp, call (281) 339-1131.

Croaker for trout ARANSAS BAY — According to the manager at Mom’s Bait Shop in Rockport, guides and anglers are stocking up on croaker, and catching some nice trout in Aransas Bay. “Croaker is the main thing right now,” the manager said. “Also, shrimp and some mullet are being used. The trout bite is good right now but I haven’t seen as many redfish.”

She did not know what affect the recent full moon has had on the fishing.

“I think it was still good over the weekend,” she said.

To contact Mon’s Bait Shop, call (361) 729-0173.

— Conor Harrison

live shrimp in Oyster Lake.

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.

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 in the deep guts on the outgoing tide.

PORT ARANSAS: Trout, redfish and sheepshead are fair to good at the jetty on shrimp and croakers. Redfish are fair to good on the East Flats and around Dagger Island on shrimp and scented plastics. Red snapper, kingfish and ling are good offshore.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Trout are fair to good on the edge of the spoils on scented plastics and live shrimp. Redfish are good in the potholes on shrimp. Trout are good along the deep channels on croakers.

BAFFIN BAY: Trout are good on top-waters

worked over shallow rocks. Trout are good on for waders working plastics over sand and grass. Redfish are good on the flats in knee– deep water on small top-waters.

PORT MANSFIELD: Trout are good on top-waters on the edge of the channel and around sand and grass. Redfish are fair to good while wading shallow flats on small top-waters and scented plastics. Offshore is good for red snapper, kingfish and ling.

SOUTH PADRE: Redfish are fair to good around Gas Well Flats and South Bay on shrimp and DOA Shrimp. Trout are good on TTF Flats Minnows, scented plastics and live shrimp behind spoils.

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. Redfish are fair to good on DOA Shrimp, top-waters and scented plastics in Cullen Bay. — TPWD

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Hybrids Continued From Page 1

throwing big, live gizzard shad in the 7- to 10-inch range.

“I use live bait because I’ve found the bigger fish want those bigger baits,” he said. “You can still catch them on Sassy Shads and slabs, but I’ve done better with live shad.”

Miller said his biggest fish in the past few weeks has been 12 1/2 pounds. But be prepared to go early if you want any semblance of a top-water bite.

“There is a sporadic top-water bite early, but you can’t always count on that,” he said. “The late mornings have been better right now.”

On Cooper Lake, the hybrid bite has been sporadic, according to guide Billy White.

“The hybrids have moved to deep water and they are a little bit slow,” White said.

“On a calm day, the fish get a little spooky and tough to find. It’s actually better with a little chop.”

White confirmed the water temperature has pushed the fish to their deeper summer pattern.

Photo by Matt Dobson.

Technology Continued From Page 1

lake who get to share their information in real-time.

“Somebody will post that they are fishing the pier in Galveston, and then they get immediate feedback. It is all about sharing good information and we just provide the platform.

One of the first fishing apps to specifically target freshwater lakes, reservoirs and rivers in Texas is made by Alberta-based iFish Texas.

According to owner Randy Chamzuk, the idea was spawned from his love for fishing and background in computer programming. The app is an all-in-one app that features proximity searches, details about species, pictures, reports, weather forecasts, solunar tables and catch logs. “iFish Texas was the first state app,” Chamzuk said. “By the end of next month, we should have all of the states. This is a really robust, allinclusive app.”

Chamzuk said anglers who log in and purchase the app for $2.99 will get a boatload of information and the ability to back up pictures, documents such as fishing licenses and insurance cards and other things in their server.

“We have an ‘essentials’ area where we put up PDFs of magazines or other publications for people to access,” he said. “We pumped in as much information as we found useful — over and above what people need. This app is useful from a novice to a pro.”

The iFish Texas app recently launched for the Android, as well.

LSON readers are using outdoors apps in large numbers, with many people saying they use the information to help plan trips, see what other anglers are catching and check the weather reports.

“I use Windalert,” said reader Gary Roe. “It gives up- to-theminute wind speeds and helps me determine when and where to fish, or not to fish.”

The crew at Austin Kayak said they recommend their own Launch Points app.

Reader Phillip Thielepape said the basic fishing advisor on Google apps is “pretty good.”

Photo by LSON.

“You can get them on humps in the morning, but they go deep fast,” he said.

“It isn’t like it was in the spring when you could throw a Rat-L-Trap near the bank and catch them. They have dropped all of their eggs.”

White said he has had good success with a chartreuse and white, 1-ounce slab.

“I think it gets to the bottom a little quicker and you can also catch a bunch of sand bass with it,” he said. “We are ham-

mering the sand bass right now.”

Reports from Belton Lake have the hybrids suspended in 42 to 45 feet of water.

Guide Darrell Nowlain said he has been limiting out in less than two hours on most trips (See fishing reports, page 10, for a Belton Lake report).

Kerry Dillard, (214) 763-4606 Trent Miller, (903) 530-1710 Billy White, (972) 288-1588

Page 18

June 28, 2013

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

HEROES SHARE AN ADVENTURE

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

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

BDS Outfitter client MONTE CLAIR from Sharyland with Boerne hunter ANNABELLE DANIELS took this big axis on a hunt near Ingram his first nilgai bull shot on the run with a .300 in Willacy County. on March 10.

JEFFREY TOSCANO, of Lytle, caught this jack from the North Jetty at Port Aransas on May 26 with a live shrimp.

Auburn University student WILL HUTCHISON with a 7 1/2-year-old buck taken with his bow while hunting in Comanche County.

SCOTT HAHN of Plano with a hog he shot with a bow on a ranch near Blooming Grove on March 28.

Austin angler LESLIE DAVIS caught her first fish — this 8 1/2-pound bass — fishing Lake Austin.

CAMDEN MCCULLOCH, 13, took his first turkey run-and-gun style during the youth spring turkey season on his family ranch in Oklahoma.

Santa Fe, N.M., rancher and octogenarian WILLIAM HUTCHISON with a 7 1/2-pound bass caught in a private lake in Comanche County.

Dallas angler BEVERLY PERRY caught this 10-pound hybrid fishing at Cooper Lake.

LSONews.com

Mule deer Continued From Page 1

Parks and Wildlife Department mule deer leader. “It is too early to tell on fawn crops — we wait until the middle of the summer to conduct our population estimates. But the monsoons have started (in the Trans Pecos) and we should have a decent year.”

Gray cautioned that mule deer numbers in the region will still be down after several years of severe drought, but he optimistically thought antler quality would be better.

“We’ve had very little recruitment the past few years,” he said. “It has been worse in the Panhandle. Mule deer winter surveys, including last year, put fawn recruitment (in the Trans Pecos) around 30 percent.

“The fawn crop in the Panhandle was less than 20 percent.”

Gray said harvest numbers the past few seasons have mirrored population trends — in the case of Texas mule deer, that means declining numbers of tags.

“In the Trans Pecos, we have seen tag numbers decrease by about 40 percent,” Gray said. “We have just mirrored what the population is doing. Overall, it is down about 40 percent, so we issue 40 percent less permits.

“But if these rains continue, we should be back on the right track.”

Calvin Richardson, TPWD regional biologist for the Panhandle, said the area got off to a slow start this year in regards to moisture, but it has picked up in the last two months.

“Most of our fawns will hit the ground in July,” he said. “It is going to be pretty rough again, because during the conception period, it was still very dry. The silver lining is we’ve finally gotten some moisture in the past two months.

“To date, I would call it an average year for rainfall, which is pretty good considering the past three years.”

Richardson said he did an aerial survey for mule deer in January, and was surprised to see as many fawns as he did — nearing 30 percent region wide.

“Our buck doe ratio is 1 to 3.8, which is pretty average for the Panhandle,” he said. “The bucks are a little more accessible for the hunters up here because we are more wide open than the Trans Pecos. We had freezes until early May this year, and that kept everything from growing.

“This recent moisture might save some fawns from coyotes by giving them a place to hide.”

Richardson predicts the mature buck classes over 3 years old should not be significantly affected by the prolonged drought.

“The younger classes will be short,” he said, “but it hasn’t really affected the older bucks. Antler development did not get off to a good start this year, but I’m seeing some good moisture now and everything is green.

“The antlers should take off over the summer, if this moisture will continue.”

LoneOStar Outdoor News

DSC funding TWS through 2013

Dove survey to be mailed soon

The Dallas Safari Club has agreed to provide funding to help sustain the Leadership Institute of The Wildlife Society through 2013.

Established in 2006, the Leadership Institute provides training for promising young professionals to develop their skills as leaders in wildlife science, policy and management.

Because of its focus on the future, it is a flagship program of The Wildlife Society, a nonprofit professional organization dedicated to excellence in wildlife stewardship through science and education.

Both organizations recognize the need to nurture the next generation of wildlife professionals to ensure that wildlife management and conservation continue to provide the abundant wildlife and healthy habitats that hunters and nonhunters alike enjoy.

“We want to support the next generation of outdoor leaders in a positive way, just as we want to promote a sustainable-use model of wildlife conservation,” said Ben Carter, DSC executive director.

— DSC

The National Dove Hunter Survey, a cooperative effort by the state fish and wildlife agencies, all four flyway councils, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will ask dove hunters from across the U.S. to share their experiences and opinions about dove hunting.

The National Dove Hunter Survey is scheduled to begin this month, and will be compiled by the end of 2013. Randomly selected hunters can expect to receive questionnaires in the mail.

Survey questions will focus on hunter characteristics, time spent hunting, perceived constraints to hunting, and hunter’s thoughts about potential effects of spent lead from hunting ammunition on mourning doves and other wildlife.

— TPWD

Texas teen wins noodling tournament Texas native Lucy Millsap, 19, won the 14th Annual Okie Noodling Festival in Paul’s Valley, Okla. on June 22 with a 72-pound catfish.

The fish was caught in Lake Texoma before

June 28, 2013

Page 19

traveling in a tank in the back of her truck to the weigh station.

“My dad asked me if I wanted to fish in the women’s division,” Millsap told NewsOK. “I said, ‘Heck no.’ I don’t want to fish in the women’s division. I want to beat the men.”

Millsap beat out 200 competitors to take first place and $1,500 in the “Big Fish” category.

— Staff report

Game wardens catch gill netters Texas game wardens have concluded two separate week-long enforcement operations in South Texas that led to the seizure of more than 10,000 feet of illegal gill net and the filing of numerous other criminal cases.

The two operations — which involved dozens of game wardens — focused on detecting and reducing criminal activity including apprehending poachers, trespassers, human smugglers, and drug smugglers in rural areas along the south Texas border region.

In total, seizures from both operations included 10,240 feet of illegal gill net, five vessels, four outboard motors and nine vehicles.

— TPWD

Page 20

June 28, 2013

LoneOStar Outdoor News

LSONews.com

NATIONAL

Coins and wildlife on state 25-cent pieces

By Craig Nyhus

Lone Star outdoor newS More than a decade ago, the familiar quarters that we handle daily changed. Each state submitted designs for the reverse (tails) side of the coin. And some states used a wildlife theme.

Launched in 1999, the program was a 10-year initiative that honored each of the nation’s states in the order that they ratified the Constitution or were admitted into the Union. Each quarter was produced for about 10 weeks and will never be produced again.

Alaska, being the 49th state, produced the second-to-last coin in the series, depicting a grizzly bear emerging from the water with a salmon in its mouth.

The Arkansas quarter bears the image of rice stalks, a diamond and a mallard flying above a lake.

The Kansas and North Dakota quarters show a bison, while the Montana quarter reveals

New Louisiana laws protect donated venison On June 18, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal appeared at a rescue mission in Shreveport to sign two bills into law that permit wild game and fish to be received and used by nonprofit entities and charitable organization to help feed those in need.

The special appearance was attended by hunters, sportsmen and supporters of the state’s Hunters for the Hungry program.

In February, rescue mission volunteers were ordered by the Department of Health and Hospitals to destroy approximately 1,600 pounds of venison. Hunters and sportsmen’s groups responded, leading to the new legislation.

A second measure allows hunters and anglers to help fund Louisiana Hunters for the Hungry by donating $1 through a check-off box when purchasing hunting and fishing licenses.

— Staff report

Big dead zone predicted in Gulf Scientists are expecting a very large “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico based on several

NOAA-supported forecast models.

NOAA-supported modelers at the University of Michigan, Louisiana State University, and the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium are forecasting that this year’s Gulf of Mexico hypoxic “dead zone” will be between 7,286 and 8,561 square miles, which could place it among the ten largest recorded. That would range from an area the size of Connecticut, Rhode Island and the District of Columbia combined on the low end to New Jersey on the upper end. The high estimate would exceed the largest ever reported 8,481 square miles in 2002.

— NOAA

Drones used to protect rhinos African wildlife officials are turning to drones to combat poachers seeking the horns of the endangered black rhinos and tusks of elephants.

The small, lightweight, battery-powered unmanned drones can fly over a range of eight kilometres for up to 90 minutes. Fitted with high-resolution infrared imaging cameras, they can pick out elephants, rhinos and lions as well as anyone who might be tracking them.

a bison’s skull.

Sportsmen and women may favor the quarters from Minnesota, South Dakota and Washington.

Minnesota, with its “Land of 10,000 Lakes” motto, included on its quarter a tree-lined lake with two people fishing and a loon on the water, while the reverse of Washington’s quarter features a king salmon breaching the water in front of Mount Rainier.

Wingshooters who travel to South Dakota and see airplanes dotted with passengers in blaze orange may be able to guess a part of that state’s quarter design. The quarter features an image of the state bird, the ring-necked pheasant, in flight above a depiction of the Mount Rushmore National Monument.

Texas, the 28th state, on its quarter issued in 2004, incorporates an outline of the state with a star superimposed on the outline. A lariat encircling the design is symbolic of the state’s cattle and cowboy history.

The demand for rhino horns in China has taken its toll on the rhino population, through poaching. According to The National Review, in 2011, 448 South African rhinos were killed. So far this year, 350 have died and it is projected the toll will reach 750 by December.

— Staff report

swimming, walking and running, riding recreational vehicles or relaxing in the yard.

Prior to a campaign established in 2001 to raise lightning awareness, lightning killed an average of 73 people each year in the United States. Since the campaign, the average has dropped to 37 deaths per year.

— NOAA

Fishing tops U.S. lightning NC Governor signs death activities People participating in leisure activities Apprentice Hunting Bill are the most likely to be struck by lightning, according a study by the National Weather Service. And people fishing top the list.

The study discovered that out of 238 deaths attributed to lightning over the last seven years, 64 percent of lightning deaths since 2006 occurred while people were participating in leisure activities, with fishing topping the list at 26 deaths.

Of the 152 deaths associated with leisure activities, fishing is followed by camping (15 deaths), boating (14 deaths), soccer (12 deaths) and golf (8 deaths). The remaining 77 people were struck by lightning while participating in a number of other leisure activities such as enjoying the beach,

This month, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed into law legislation that will allow new hunters to go afield under the guidance of a licensed adult mentor before taking a hunter education course.

Upon the bill’s signing, North Carolina became the 35th state to enact Families Afield legislation. The law will establish a Hunting Heritage Apprentice Permit that is available to persons of all ages, making it possible for youth or adult newcomers to try hunting if accompanied by a licensed adult hunter or a license-exempt landowner.

— Families Afield

CLASSIFIEDS TROPHY DEER HUNT $700 2 days. Free DVD. Wife or child 1/2 price. Brackettville. www.Double-JJ-Ranch.com (830) 563-2658 RANCHES FOR SALE SOUTH TEXAS 150 up to 2,600 acres. El Sendero Properties. Call agent: (956) 330-5408 FISHING TRIPS K.W. GUIDE SERVICE Aransas Pass, Texas.

Flounder gigging, Bay Fishing and Combos (361) 776-4913

DOVE HUNTING Over Sunflower and Sesame Seed Fields in Uvalde County. Contact Mark Roberts. www.MarkRoberts DoveHunting.com (830) 261-9467 FISHERMAN’S DREAM ARROYO CITY Dock / Pier. 2 Acre Waterfront. $215,000. Pride Of Texas Realty. Broker: Lenny Cavazos (956) 874-5890

SOUTH PADRE FISHING Reds, Trout, Flounder, Snook.

Everything supplied but food and licenses. Multiple trip discounts. Call Capt. Thomas for details or CDCT12005@aol.com (956) 551-1965 BIG CUTTING BOARDS 24"x48" Cutting Boards for hunters and fishermen. Made in the U.S.A. BigCuttingBoards.com

TDHA - JOIN TODAY TEXAS DOVE HUNTERS ASSOC. www.texasdovehunters.com (210) 764-1189

TROPHY WHITETAIL BUCK HUNTS Guided hunts, 780 acre high fence ranch, intensive management program, lodging provided. w w w. h a t t o n r a n c h . c o m (940) 362-4219

BOW HUNT HOGS AT NIGHT River bottom near Victoria.

See hunt video at www.

SniperHawgLights.com. Call Joe for more information.

(530) 739-2489

UTAH, NEVADA HUNTING Deer, Elk, Sheep, Mountain Lion, Antelope, Moose, Mountain Goat. Bow, Rifle, Muzzloader.

(435) 623-2744

LEASE WANTED Looking for a year round hunting lease. Fishing included.

Camp house is needed.

North, Central or West Tx. (214) 361-2276

LEARN TO FLY FISH CASTING LESSONS Lessons by a certified casting instructor in Dallas.

Group lessons available.

(214) 677-6307

1

$

PER WORD

2 issues minimum Call (214) 361-2276 or email LSONacct@gmail.com

LSONews.com

LoneOStar Outdoor News

Sun | Moon | Tides Texas Coast Tides Sabine Pass, north Date Time Jun 28 1:44 AM Jun 29 2:45 AM Jun 30 3:57 AM Jul 01 12:52 AM Jul 02 2:10 AM Jul 03 3:08 AM Jul 04 3:54 AM Jul 05 4:30 AM Jul 06 5:00 AM Jul 07 5:24 AM Jul 08 5:48 AM Jul 09 6:12 AM Jul 10 6:37 AM Jul 11 7:04 AM Jul 12 7:30 AM

Height 0.2L 0.6L 0.8L 1.3H 1.5H 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H 1.5H

Time 8:51 AM 9:34 AM 10:15 AM 5:30 AM 7:18 AM 8:48 AM 9:47 AM 10:20 AM 10:28 AM 10:33 AM 10:51 AM 11:21 AM 12:00 PM 12:44 PM 1:32 PM

Galveston Bay entrance, south jetty Date Jun 28 Jun 29 Jun 30 Jul 01 Jul 02 Jul 03 Jul 04 Jul 05 Jul 06 Jul 07 Jul 08 Jul 09 Jul 10 Jul 11 Jul 12

Time 1:17 AM 2:16 AM 3:35 AM 1:23 AM 2:56 AM 3:53 AM 4:33 AM 5:03 AM 5:26 AM 5:47 AM 6:09 AM 6:34 AM 7:00 AM 7:26 AM 7:51 AM

San Luis Pass

Date Time Jun 28 2:13 AM Jun 29 3:12 AM Jun 30 4:31 AM Jul 01 1:53 AM Jul 02 3:26 AM Jul 03 4:23 AM Jul 04 5:03 AM Jul 05 5:33 AM Jul 06 5:56 AM Jul 07 6:17 AM Jul 08 6:39 AM Jul 09 7:04 AM Jul 10 7:30 AM Jul 11 7:56 AM Jul 12 12:21 AM

Freeport Harbor Date Time Jun 28 1:32 AM Jun 29 2:40 AM Jun 30 4:14 AM Jul 01 12:54 AM Jul 02 2:27 AM Jul 03 3:25 AM Jul 04 4:08 AM Jul 05 4:44 AM Jul 06 5:14 AM Jul 07 5:40 AM Jul 08 6:05 AM Jul 09 6:28 AM Jul 10 6:50 AM Jul 11 7:12 AM Jul 12 7:33 AM

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

Time 3:13 PM 4:19 PM 5:16 PM 10:54 AM 11:31 AM 12:05 PM 12:35 PM 1:01 PM 1:27 PM 1:57 PM 2:31 PM 3:11 PM 3:57 PM 4:54 PM 6:07 PM

Height 0.6L 0.4L 0.2L 1.4H 1.3H 1.3H 1.3H 1.3H 1.3H 1.3H 1.3H 1.3H 1.2H 1.1H 1.1H

Time 9:18 PM 11:12 PM

Height 1.2H 1.2H

6:05 PM 6:49 PM 7:28 PM 8:05 PM 8:40 PM 9:15 PM 9:50 PM 10:25 PM 11:00 PM 11:36 PM 12:12 AM 12:51 AM

0.0L -0.1L -0.2L -0.3L -0.3 -0.3L -0.3L -0.2L -0.1L 0.0 L 0.2L 0.3L Height 1.3H 1.3H

Height 0.2L 0.7L 1.0L 1.5H 1.7H 1.8H 1.9H 1.9H 1.9H 1.9H 1.8H 1.8H 1.8H 1.8H 1.7H

Time 9:04 AM 9:36 AM 10:04 AM 5:33 AM 7:23 AM 7:24 PM 7:57 PM 8:27 PM 8:56 PM 10:13 AM 10:18 AM 10:47 AM 11:32 AM 12:23 PM 1:18 PM

Height 1.8H 1.7H 1.6H 1.3L 1.5L -0.4L -0.5L -0.5L -0.5L 1.7L 1.6L 1.5L 1.4L 1.3L 1.1L

Time 3:28 PM 4:30 PM 5:23 PM 10:29 AM 10:50 AM

Height 0.8L 0.4L 0.1L 1.6H 1.6H

Time 9:05 PM 11:15 PM

1:16 PM 1:56 PM 2:35 PM 3:15 PM 4:08 PM 5:35 PM

1.7H 1.6H 1.6H 1.5H 1.3H 1.2H

9:25 PM 9:55 PM 10:24 PM 10:54 PM 11:25 PM 11:58 PM

-0.5L -0.4L -0.3L -0.2L 0.0L 0.3L

Height 0.1L 0.4L 0.6L 0.9H 1.0H 1.1H 1.1H 1.2H 1.1H 1.1H 1.1H 1.1H 1.1H 1.1H 0.0L

Time 9:34 AM 10:06 AM 10:34 AM 6:29 AM 8:19 AM 8:20 PM 8:53 PM 9:23 PM 9:52 PM 11:09 AM 11:14 AM 11:43 AM 12:28 PM 1:19 PM 8:21 AM

Height 1.1H 1.0H 1.0H 0.8L 0.9L -0.3L -0.3L -0.3L -0.3L 1.0L 1.0L 0.9L 0.8L 0.8L 1.0H

Time 4:24 PM 5:26 PM 6:19 PM 10:59 AM 11:20 AM

Height 0.5L 0.3L 0.1L 1.0H 1.0H

Time 9:35 PM 11:45 PM

Height 0.8H 0.8H

1:46 PM 2:26 PM 3:05 PM 3:45 PM 4:38 PM 2:14 PM

1.0H 1.0H 0.9H 0.9H 0.8H 0.7L

10:21 PM 10:51 PM 11:20 PM 11:50 PM

-0.3L -0.2L -0.2L -0.1L

6:05 PM

0.7H

Height 0.2L 0.5L 0.9L 1.3H 1.4H 1.6H 1.6H 1.7H 1.7H 1.7H 1.7H 1.6H 1.6H 1.5H 1.5H

Time 8:44 AM 9:07 AM 9:25 AM 6:18 AM 6:35 PM 7:17 PM 7:56 PM 8:33 PM 9:07 PM 9:38 PM 10:07 PM 10:35 PM 11:03 PM 11:33 PM 2:53 PM

Height 1.4H 1.3H 1.2H 1.1L -0.2L -0.3L -0.3L -0.3L -0.3L -0.3L -0.2L -0.1L 0.0L 0.1L 0.8L

Time 3:39 PM 4:22 PM 5:06 PM 9:40 AM

Height 0.6L 0.4L 0.1L 1.2H

Time 8:42 PM 10:45 PM

6:12 PM

0.9H

6:08 PM -0.1L 6:48 PM -0.3L

7:04 PM -0.1L 7:44 PM -0.2L

5:51 PM

Height 1.0H 1.1H 0.0 L

Solunar | Sun times | Moon times

Moon Phases Last

Time 3:33 AM 3:53 AM 10:18 AM 9:40 AM 9:41 AM 9:51 AM 10:03 AM 10:20 AM 10:41 AM 11:04 AM 12:07 AM 12:43 AM 1:19 AM 1:53 AM 2:25 AM

Rockport Date Jun 28 Jun 29 Jun 30 Jul 01 Jul 02 Jul 03 Jul 04 Jul 05 Jul 06 Jul 07 Jul 08 Jul 09 Jul 10 Jul 11 Jul 12

July 16

July 8

Legend: Major=2 hours. Minor=1 hour. Times centered on the major-minor window. F=Full Moon, N=New Moon, Q=Quarter > = Peak Activity. For other locations, subtract 1 minute per 12 miles east of a location, and add 1 minute per 12 miles west of a location.

Full

July 22

Houston

Port O’Connor Date Jun 28 Jun 29 Jun 30 Jul 01 Jul 02 Jul 03 Jul 04 Jul 05 Jul 06 Jul 07 Jul 08 Jul 09 Jul 10 Jul 11 Jul 12

First

New

June 30

Time 4:00 AM 3:48 AM 11:00 AM 11:10 AM 11:33 AM 12:04 PM 12:43 PM 1:27 PM 2:14 PM 12:32 AM 1:14 AM 1:51 AM 2:24 AM 2:52 AM 3:15 AM

Height 0.0L 0.1L 0.4H 0.5H 0.5H 0.6H 0.6H 0.6H 0.6H 0.5H -0.3L -0.3L -0.3L -0.2L -0.1L

Time 11:44 AM 10:47 AM 7:28 PM 8:16 PM 9:01 PM 9:42 PM 10:21 PM 10:57 PM 11:32 PM

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

11:19 AM 11:24 AM 11:34 AM 11:45 AM 11:41 AM

0.5H 0.5H 0.5H 0.4H 0.3H

Height 0.0L 0.1L 0.2H 0.2H 0.2H 0.3H 0.3H 0.2H 0.2H -0.1L -0.1L -0.1L -0.1L -0.1L 0.0L

Time 11:44 AM 11:07 AM 8:00 PM 8:47 PM 9:31 PM 10:16 PM 11:01 PM 11:47 PM

Height 0.2H 0.2H 0.0L 0.0L -0.1L -0.1L -0.1L -0.1L

3:00 PM 3:43 PM 4:22 PM 4:57 PM 5:29 PM 11:49 AM

0.2H 0.2H 0.2H 0.2H 0.1H 0.1H

Port Aransas, H. Caldwell Pier Date Time Jun 28 12:52 AM Jun 29 1:42 AM Jun 30 2:39 AM Jul 01 1:00 AM Jul 02 2:33 AM Jul 03 3:30 AM Jul 04 4:15 AM Jul 05 4:56 AM Jul 06 5:34 AM Jul 07 6:08 AM Jul 08 6:36 AM Jul 09 6:57 AM Jul 10 7:12 AM Jul 11 7:23 AM Jul 12 7:31 AM

Height -0.1L 0.3L 0.7L 1.1H 1.3H 1.5H 1.6H 1.6H 1.6H 1.5H 1.4H 1.3H 1.3H 1.2H 1.2H

South Padre Island Date Time Jun 28 12:53 AM Jun 29 1:41 AM Jun 30 2:30 AM Jul 01 1:10 AM Jul 02 3:05 AM Jul 03 4:02 AM Jul 04 4:46 AM Jul 05 5:27 AM Jul 06 6:04 AM Jul 07 6:36 AM Jul 08 7:02 AM Jul 09 7:21 AM Jul 10 7:32 AM Jul 11 7:37 AM Jul 12 7:41 AM

Height -0.1L 0.3L 0.6L 0.9H 1.1H 1.2H 1.3H 1.3H 1.3H 1.3H 1.3H 1.3H 1.3H 1.2H 1.1H

Time 5:50 PM 6:38 PM

Height 0.2L 0.0L

Time 5:40 PM 7:05 PM

Height 0.1L 0.1L

Time 9:43 PM

Time 9:12 PM

Height 0.2H

Height 0.1H

2013 June-July 28 Fri 29 Sat 30 Sun Q 01 Mon 02 Tue 03 Wed 04 Thu 05 Fri 06 Sat > 07 Sun > 08 Mon N 09 Tue > 10 Wed > 11 Thu 12 Fri 13 Sat 14 Sun 15 Mon Q 16 Tue 17 Wed

A.M. Minor Major 10:47 4:35 11:38 5:27 12:02 6:14 12:47 6:59 1:30 7:42 2:12 8:24 2:54 9:06 3:37 9:49 4:21 10:33 5:06 11:18 5:53 ----6:41 12:29 7:29 1:18 8:18 2:07 9:07 2:56 9:56 3:45 10:46 4:34 11:36 5:24 12:02 6:13 12:50 7:04

Dallas

Time 8:28 AM 8:40 AM 8:47 AM 4:09 AM 6:06 PM 6:51 PM 7:33 PM 8:13 PM 8:51 PM 9:25 PM 9:56 PM 10:26 PM 10:56 PM 11:26 PM 1:50 PM

Height 1.2H 1.2H 1.1H 1.0L -0.3L -0.4L -0.5L -0.5L -0.6L -0.6L -0.5L -0.5L -0.3L -0.1L 0.7L

Time 3:04 PM 3:48 PM 4:34 PM 8:44 AM

Height 0.5L 0.3L 0.0L 1.2H

Time 7:51 PM 10:29 PM

Height 0.8H 0.8H

4:50 PM

0.8H

11:59 PM

0.1L

Time 8:28 AM 8:34 AM 8:37 AM 3:33 AM 5:53 AM 6:55 PM 7:38 PM 8:17 PM 8:53 PM 9:26 PM 9:56 PM 10:24 PM 10:53 PM 11:23 PM 11:57 PM

Height 1.1H 1.0H 1.0H 0.9L 1.0L -0.5L -0.6L -0.6L -0.5L -0.5L -0.4L -0.3L -0.2L -0.1L 0.1L

Time 2:51 PM 3:41 PM 4:31 PM 8:34 AM 8:05 AM

Height 0.5L 0.2L 0.0L 1.0H 1.1H

Time 7:39 PM 10:20 PM

Height 0.7H 0.7H

5:20 PM -0.1L

2013 June-July 28 Fri 29 Sat 30 Sun Q 01 Mon 02 Tue 03 Wed 04 Thu 05 Fri 06 Sat > 07 Sun > 08 Mon N 09 Tue > 10 Wed > 11 Thu 12 Fri 13 Sat 14 Sun 15 Mon Q 16 Tue 17 Wed

A.M. Minor Major 10:53 4:40 11:44 5:32 12:07 6:20 12:53 7:04 1:36 7:47 2:18 8:29 3:00 9:12 3:42 9:54 4:26 10:38 5:12 11:24 5:59 ----6:46 12:35 7:35 1:24 8:24 2:13 9:13 3:02 10:02 3:51 10:51 4:40 11:41 5:29 12:08 6:19 12:56 7:09

San Antonio

5:21 PM -0.2L 6:09 PM -0.4L

2013 A.M. June-July Minor Major 28 Fri 11:00 4:47 29 Sat 11:51 5:39 30 Sun Q 12:14 6:27 01 Mon 1:00 7:11 02 Tue 1:43 7:54 03 Wed 2:25 8:36 04 Thu 3:07 9:19 05 Fri 3:49 10:01 06 Sat > 4:33 10:45 07 Sun > 5:19 11:31 08 Mon N 6:06 ----09 Tue > 6:53 12:42 10 Wed > 7:42 1:31 11 Thu 8:31 2:20 12 Fri 9:20 3:09 13 Sat 10:09 3:58 14 Sun 10:58 4:47 15 Mon Q 11:48 5:36 16 Tue 12:15 6:26 17 Wed 1:03 7:16

Amarillo

2013 A.M. June-July Minor 28 Fri 11:13 29 Sat ----30 Sun Q 12:28 01 Mon 1:13 02 Tue 1:56 03 Wed 2:38 04 Thu 3:20 05 Fri 4:03 06 Sat > 4:47 07 Sun > 5:32 08 Mon N 6:19 09 Tue > 7:07 10 Wed > 7:55 11 Thu 8:44 12 Fri 9:33 13 Sat 10:22 14 Sun 11:12 15 Mon Q ----16 Tue 12:28 17 Wed 1:16

OUTDOOR PUZZLER | By Wilbur “Wib” Lundeen ACROSS 1. Their young are chicks 3. Shedded antlers 7. Good breed of hunting dog 9. A long-legged wading bird 10. A deer food source 11. A meadow sound 12. This contains useful items 13. The female sheep 14. The snare is his gear 15. A still hunter uses a _____ stand 18. To put wildfowl in flight 20. Organs in a fish 21. The brookie 26. A diving duck 28. A swirling motion in the water 29. A wingshooters prey 30. A wood for arrow shafts 32. Found in the boathouse 34. A predator to small game 35. A shore bird 38. Do this to hunting routes

42. A type of gunsight 45. Color worn by hunters for safety 46. Material for some nests 47. A type of gunsight DOWN 1. The arrow container 2. Scent bait for bear 3. A kind of in-hole fireplace

4.

5.

6.

7.

A predator A habitat deer hide in A bass Name for a large game fish 8. Anything that attracts game, wildfowl 11. A species of the rabbit 15. Name for a saltwater weight

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June 28, 2013

Solution on Page 24 16. A method of fishing 17. To point weapon at a target 19. A camo slip-on for a sight 22. A shotgun model, over and _____ 23. A dabbling duck 24. Describes a wild turkey’s vision 25. A crappie species 27. Habitat you could find whitetails 31. Handy to have in a duck blind 33. Distribution of shot pellets 36. Pack a day’s catch in this 37. Deer can rotate this to pick up sounds 39. Angler’s name for a large bass 40. The female bear 41. Hunting, fishing permit 42. Best lure color to attract fish 43. Might hold a tree stand 44. Code letters for rifle model

Major 5:01 5:52 6:40 7:25 8:08 8:50 9:32 10:15 10:59 11:44 ----12:55 1:44 2:33 3:22 4:11 5:00 5:50 6:39 7:30

P.M. Minor 11:12 ----12:26 1:11 1:54 2:36 3:18 4:01 4:45 5:30 6:16 7:04 7:51 8:40 9:29 10:19 11:09 ----12:26 1:18

Major 4:59 5:50 6:38 7:22 8:05 8:47 9:30 10:13 10:57 11:42 12:28 12:52 1:40 2:29 3:18 4:08 4:57 5:48 6:39 7:31

SUN Rises 6:23 6:23 6:23 6:24 6:24 6:24 6:25 6:25 6:26 6:26 6:27 6:27 6:27 6:28 6:28 6:29 6:29 6:30 6:30 6:31

Sets 8:24 8:25 8:25 8:25 8:25 8:24 8:24 8:24 8:24 8:24 8:24 8:24 8:24 8:23 8:23 8:23 8:23 8:22 8:22 8:22

P.M. Minor Major 11:17 5:05 ----- 5:56 12:31 6:43 1:16 7:28 1:59 8:11 2:41 8:53 3:23 9:35 4:06 10:18 4:50 11:02 5:36 11:47 6:22 12:33 7:09 12:58 7:57 1:46 8:46 2:35 9:35 3:24 10:24 4:13 11:14 5:03 ----- 5:53 12:32 6:45 1:23 7:37

SUN Rises 6:20 6:21 6:21 6:22 6:22 6:22 6:23 6:23 6:24 6:24 6:25 6:25 6:26 6:26 6:27 6:27 6:28 6:28 6:29 6:30

MOON Sets Rises Sets 8:38 NoMoon 12:09p 8:38 12:31a 1:10p 8:38 1:06a 2:08p 8:38 1:42a 3:05p 8:38 2:18a 4:01p 8:38 2:57a 4:55p 8:37 3:39a 5:47p 8:37 4:23a 6:37p 8:37 5:10a 7:24p 8:37 6:00a 8:08p 8:37 6:52a 8:48p 8:37 7:46a 9:25p 8:36 8:40a 9:59p 8:36 9:34a 10:32p 8:36 10:29a 11:05p 8:35 11:25a 11:38p 8:35 12:22p NoMoon 8:35 1:22p 12:13a 8:34 2:24p 12:50a 8:34 3:28p 1:33a

P.M. Minor Major 11:24 5:12 ----- 6:03 12:38 6:50 1:23 7:35 2:06 8:18 2:48 9:00 3:30 9:42 4:13 10:25 4:57 11:09 5:43 11:54 6:29 12:40 7:16 1:05 8:04 1:53 8:53 2:42 9:42 3:31 10:31 4:20 11:21 5:10 ----- 6:00 12:39 6:52 1:30 7:44

SUN Rises 6:36 6:36 6:37 6:37 6:37 6:38 6:38 6:38 6:39 6:39 6:40 6:40 6:41 6:41 6:42 6:42 6:43 6:43 6:44 6:44

Sets 8:36 8:36 8:36 8:36 8:36 8:36 8:36 8:36 8:36 8:36 8:36 8:36 8:35 8:35 8:35 8:35 8:34 8:34 8:34 8:33

MOON Rises 12:01a 12:39a 1:15a 1:52a 2:30a 3:10a 3:53a 4:37a 5:25a 6:14a 7:06a 7:58a 8:51a 9:44a 10:38a 11:32a 12:28p 1:26p 2:27p 3:30p

Sets 12:17p 1:15p 2:12p 3:08p 4:02p 4:56p 5:47p 6:37p 7:24p 8:08p 8:49p 9:27p 10:03p 10:38p 11:11p 11:46p NoMoon 12:22a 1:02a 1:45a

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

MOON Rises 12:17a 12:51a 1:25a 2:00a 2:36a 3:14a 3:55a 4:39a 5:26a 6:16a 7:09a 8:03a 8:58a 9:54a 10:50a 11:46a 12:45p 1:45p 2:49p 3:54p

Sets 12:31p 1:32p 2:31p 3:29p 4:26p 5:20p 6:13p 7:03p 7:50p 8:33p 9:13p 9:49p 10:23p 10:55p 11:26p NoMoon NoMoon 12:32a 1:09a 1:50a

P.M. Minor 11:37 12:04 12:52 1:36 2:19 3:02 3:44 4:27 5:11 5:56 6:42 7:29 8:17 9:06 9:55 10:45 11:35 12:02 12:52 1:44

Major 5:25 6:16 7:03 7:48 8:31 9:13 9:56 10:39 11:23 12:08 12:54 1:18 2:06 2:55 3:44 4:33 5:23 6:14 7:05 7:57

SUN Rises 6:35 6:35 6:36 6:36 6:36 6:37 6:37 6:38 6:38 6:39 6:39 6:40 6:40 6:41 6:42 6:42 6:43 6:43 6:44 6:45

MOON Rises Sets NoMoon 12:04p 12:26a 1:03p 1:02a 2:00p 1:39a 2:55p 2:17a 3:50p 2:57a 4:43p 3:39a 5:35p 4:24a 6:25p 5:11a 7:12p 6:01a 7:56p 6:52a 8:37p 7:45a 9:15p 8:38a 9:51p 9:31a 10:25p 10:25a 10:59p 11:19a 11:33p 12:15p NoMoon 1:13p 12:09a 2:14p 12:48a 3:17p 1:32a

FOR THE TABLE Salmon potato cakes 1 pound fresh cooked salmon 3 cups prepared mashed potatoes 2 egg whites 1 tbsp. chopped parsley 1/2 cup diced green onion Salt and pepper Bread crumbs In a bowl, mix the mashed potatoes together with the egg whites and parsley until smooth. Break the

salmon up into small chunks and fold them and the onions into the potatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat some oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Form the mixture into 1/4-cup patties and coat with the bread crumbs. Fry in the hot oil 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

— easyfishrecipes.com

Asian glazed teal 10 teal, plucked and cleaned 1 pound bacon Butter Orange marmalade or other fruit for glaze Powdered ginger Honey Soy sauce Dry sherry Salt and pepper Worcestershire sauce Rub ducks with salt and pepper.

Arrange in a baking dish. Place 1/2 strip of bacon on each duck breast.

Dot each duck with butter and sprin-

kle with Worcestershire sauce. Pour a generous amount of sherry into the pan. Cover with foil and bake at 300 degrees for about 3 hours or until the breast meat starts to split from the bone. Place a generous amount of marmalade into a sauce pan. Add ginger, honey and soy sauce to taste. Add enough juices from the duck pan to liquefy. Stir well. Cook over mediumlow heat until thick. Stir often. Turn oven heat up to 450 degrees. Coat each duck generously with the glaze.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. Watch closely so glaze doesn’t burn.

— backwoodsbound.com

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

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June 28, 2013

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PRODUCTS SAFARI RIFLE SLING: This comfortable premium leather sling for a hunter’s rifle features internal gel padding that will make those day-long hunts just a little bit easier. The sling, by Vero Vellini, will stay put on the shoulder in all climates and conditions – its back is coated with a textured suede material for slip-proof performance. It is available in cobra style chestnut (shown; about $70) and standard walnut (about $60).

RAGE CAGE QUIVER: Rage Outdoors’ compact, low-profile and ultralightweight quiver was designed to securely hold five arrows tipped with mechanical broadheads.

The quiver completely contains an archer’s broadheads and keeps them locked down until they are needed. The dual-position Cam-Lock quick-release system allows for different arrow lengths, from the smallest diameter carbon shafts up to the larger aluminum shafts. The 8-ounce quiver is constructed from advanced polymers and extruded aluminum. Available in Realtree AP camo and black, it sells for about $70.

(866) 387-9307 www.ragebroadheads.com

(800) 257-7742 www.pioneer-research.com www.gunslingsdirect.com

>>

>>

(800) 257-7742 www.sealife-cameras.com

>>

For information, visit: www.rapala.com

>>

AQUAPOD: An outdoorsman who prefers to do his shooting under water might want to add SeaLife’s AquaPod Underwater Camera Monopod to his arsenal.

The device, which features a rubberized grip for a secure hold, adds 18 to 53 inches to a shooter’s reach. Compact and lightweight for easy use and portability, the AquaPod is constructed of a polycarbonate main tube, locking head and quick-flip locks as well as marinegrade anodized aluminum leg sections with all stainless steel hardware. The AquaPod fits all SeaLife cameras as well as any camera with a standard 1/4 -20 tripod mount via its quick-release mounting plate. The base of the main tube is threaded to accept a 1/4 -20 screw for attachment to various photographic accessories and stands. The 10.5-ounce monopod sells for about $70.

SMASH SHAD: Storm’s new bait produces a deliberate, steady cadence on the swim with a stable rolling action at all speeds. Loaded with a high-frequency, multi-ball rattle system, Smash Shads call in active fish, providing anglers with an added punch for long casts. The bait, which has external scales and holographic 3D eyes, is available in 22 enticing colors, including six UV bright finishes. Featuring black nickel treble hooks, Smash Shads are available in three sizes: size 05 is two inches long, weighs 3/16 ounce, and runs 4 to 8 feet deep; size 06 is 2 1/2 inches long, weighs 1/4 ounce and runs 5 to 10 feet deep; and size 07 is 2 3/4 inches long, weighs 3/8 ounce, and runs 6 to 12 feet deep.

The lure sells for under $6.

MOOSE II DECOY: This lightweight decoy by Montana Decoy is built using an actual photo of a moose in the wild. What can look more realistic than that? The Moose II weighs 40 ounces, with leg poles, and stands 66-inches tall. It folds down to a 20-inch circle for easy carrying from one site to the next. The decoy sells for about $110.

(888) 332-6998 www.montanadecoy.com

>>

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LoneOStar Outdoor News

June 28, 2013

Climate

Redfish

Red snapper

Continued From Page 4

Continued From Page 8

Continued From Page 8

link landowners along important habitat corridors vital to the preservation of species like bobwhite quail.

“We can’t think tract to tract anymore,” said Matt Wagner, deputy director of TPWD’s Wildlife Division. “We’ve got to think about entire ecosystems and how landowners are going to work together to ensure they’re functioning properly. That’s huge in Texas where 95 percent of the land is privately owned.”

For its part, Ducks Unlimited is looking at creating new habitat corridors. DU wants to counter the shifting flight patterns of migratory birds, Brown said.

A 2009 report by the National Audubon Society tracked 305 bird species, of which 177 shifted their wintering location an average of 35 miles in the last four decades.

Some moved more than 100 miles, including the green-winged teal.

“We have to create habitat corridors to enable them to move,” Brown said.

The NWF poll found that 26 percent of the respondents “strongly disagree” that climate change is happening. However, Brown said he’s learned over the years that even outdoorsmen who don’t believe in climate change will tell you things have changed.

Larry Langford, who owns Happytide Charters in the Port Isabel area, counts himself as a believer. He chalks it up to his childhood.

“I pretty much do believe in global warming,” Langford said.

“Red tide is one reason. We didn’t have it when I was growing up.

Something is causing it to come around now. It makes sense that what’s causing it to bloom is hotter summers.”

Despite his opinion, Langford makes it a point not to talk about climate change with his anglers.

“It’s kinda political,” he said. “I try to stay away from that.”

reported on 2coolfishing.com about an early bite for nice reds.

“Redfish have been an early bite,” he wrote.

“Fishing patterns have been changing often but reds have continued to stay in the swallow flats of South Bay, Brown and Root flats and Hog Island flats. Bait of choice has been finger mullet or cut perch.”

Many reports say the top-water bite has been decent in the mornings before the water heats up. Focus on sand pockets with thick grass around the edges.

Around midmorning, many anglers are switching to live croakers and fishing over

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

National Advertising Mike Nelson Accounts Manager Automotive Advertising Dave Irvine Founder & CEO David J. Sams

Contributors Wilbur Lundeen Erich Schlegel David Sikes

Advertising Call (214) 361-2276 or email mhughs@lone staroutdoornews.com to request a media kit.

Scott Sommerlatte Chuck Uzzle Ralph Winingham

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

Lone Star Outdoor News, ISSN 21628300, a publication of Lone Star Outdoor News, LLC, publishes twice a month. A mailed subscription is $30 for 24 issues.

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

shell. Many of the redfish being caught are slot-sized fish around schools of live bait.

San Antonio Bay Capt. Chris Martin reported a solid weekend of catching redfish.

“Oyster shell near color transition is still having a big impact,” he said.

“Area ‘breaks’ within the long reefs on the windward side continues to be the go-to spot for our sets. Free-lining live bait has been awarding the best results. Wade fishing lures were very slow this weekend.”

Surf fishing reports have come in on the positive side for slot reds up and down the coast. Cut mullet and

croaker are pulling slot reds from guts and channels in the surf in High Island, Sargent and South Padre Island.

South Padre angler John Stevens said the bite has been spotty on croaker, but some decent reds have been caught, especially if you just want a few fish for dinner.

“The flats on the north side of the island have produced a few reds,” he said. “The trout bite has been stronger, but there are definitely some reds mixed in there chasing bait. We were throwing some top-waters early and then switched to plastics and spoons later in the day.”

baitfish species have been eradicated on many of the structures that used to hold diverse baitfish species.

“They’ve eaten all of the triggerfish and perch,” he said. “They are just so overpopulated. Every rig you pull up to has tons of snapper and not a lot of baitfish.”

One report from one of Deep Sea’s boats from June 23, said rough water forced them to stay within 30 miles of shore, but that mattered little for catching a boatload of snapper.

“We were max around 30 miles offshore for the red snapper fishing,” according to the report.

“The fishing was so fast, only one drift was enough

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Photo by Conor Harrison.

to limit the entire boat out except for two kids who needed lots of help. All you had to do was drop your line down 30 feet and wait a few seconds, then you had a 7-plus pound red snapper.”

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June 28, 2013

LoneOStar Outdoor News

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DATEBOOK June 29

July 13

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Central Texas Big Game Banquet Waco (254) 717-7137 rmef.org Bass Champs Central Division, Belton Lake tournament (817) 439-3274 basschamps.com Coastal Conservation Association 2013 Northwest Houston Chapter Annual Kids Fish Tournament Sylvan Beach pier, La Porte (713) 626-4222 ccatexas.org Ducks Unlimited 2013 State Convention Downtown Hilton, Fort Worth (512) 992-0710 ducks.org/texas

July 10-13 BASTANTE John Uhr Memorial Fishing Tournament Rockport (361) 205-0789 rockporttournament.com

July 11 Dallas Woods and Waters Club Monthly Meeting and Dinner Sheraton Dallas North (214) 570-8700 dwwcc.org

Bass Champs North Division, Cedar Creek tournament (817) 439-3274 basschamps.com

July 18

Coastal Conservation Association Greater Woodlands Chapter Banquet The Grand Palace, Spring (281) 757-5011 ccatexas.org

July 19-20

Exotic Wildlife Association Trophy Game Records of the World Awards Banquet Embassy Suites, San Marcos (830) 367-7761 myewa.org

July 19-21

Texas Hunters & Sportsman’s Expo McAllen Convention Center texashunterassociation.com

July 20-21

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

July 25

Coastal Conservation Association San Gabriel Chapter Banquet United Heritage Conference Center, Round Rock (713) 626-4222 ccatexas.org

July 26-27

Deer Breeders Corporation 6th Annual Convention and Auction Westin La Cantera, San Antonio (972) 289-3100 dbcdeer.com

July 27

Rudy’s Texas Redfish Series Freeport tournament redfishseries.com

August 1

Ducks Unlimited Allen Dinner Swingin’ D Ranch, Parker (214) 455-3082 ducks.org/texas

Puzzle solution from Page 21

July 20

Crappie Anglers of Texas Lake Texoma tournament (903) 887-0334 crappieanglersoftexas.com Alamo Fly Casters Lydia Ann Fly Masters Tournament Tarpon Shores Marina, Aransas Pass lydiaannflymasters.com

July 25-28

Port Mansfield Fishing Tournament (956) 944-2354 portmansfieldchamber.org

Nikon will send your 10x42 ProStaff 7 binoculars.

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

Alpine Shooting Range 5482 Shelby Rd. Fort Worth, TX 76140 alpinerange.com (817) 478-6613

g on the shot this 384-inch red sta HOTCHKISS of Fort Worth -yard shot 160 an cle a was Thirteen-year-old MACY It er. land on a trip with her fath South Island of New Zea short mag. r ste che Win with a .270

August 2-4

Texas Trophy Hunters Association Houston Hunters Extravaganza Reliant Center, Houston (210) 523-8500 ttha.com

August 3

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Lee County Bull Busters Big Game Banquet Dime Box (512) 217-3608 rmef.org Deer Fest MPEC Exhibit Hall, Wichita Falls (940) 704-2984 Deerfestwichitafalls.com

Through Sept. 2

Coastal Conservation Association 2013 State of Texas Angler’s Rodeo (713) 626-4222 ccatexas.org

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LoneOStar Outdoor News

June 28, 2013

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June 28, 2013

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ADVERTISEMENT

Texas Hunters & Sportsman’s Expo

Hunters, anglers and outdoorsmen get ready.

The 23rd Annual Texas Hunters & Sportsman’s Expo is coming back to the new McAllen Convention Center July 19-21.

“We have had solid crowds over the past 22 years and the show’s attendance continues to grow each year,” said show co-director Chris Curl. “This three-day weekend event is expected to draw several thousand hunting and fishing enthusiasts and visitors from both sides of the border.”

Exhibits for everyone, including women and children, and all types of retailers representing all price levels will be on hand for attendees to check out.

Want to go on a great hunt? The Texas Hunters & Sportsman’s Expo is recognized as the highest-quality hunting and fishing show in South Texas, with outfitters from across the United States, Canada, Mexico and Africa booking hunts for white-tailed deer, big game, exotics, bear, moose, elk, mule deer, turkey, quail, dove and waterfowl.

Is fishing more your thing?

Come and speak with trophy guides for bass and saltwater game fish. Also, a huge display of boats, motors, rods, reels, fishing lights, tackle and more are waiting for you this year.

Manufacturers and dealers will also be on hand offering special show prices on hunting blinds, ATVs, camouflage clothing, ranching equipment, tractors, hunting accessories, supplies and more.

“This is a show the whole family can enjoy,” said show codirector Justin Curl. “There is something here for everyone — wildlife art, hand-crafted rustic furniture, barbecue pits, smoked meats, gourmet foods and jewelry are just a few of the exhibits and attractions. Another crowdpleasing favorite is the free samples of wild game barbecue and Pan de Campo that are handed out to visitors throughout the weekend.”

Other features include: • World-class whitetail taxidermy displays • Trophy exotic exhibit by La Coma Ranch, Inc. • McAllen Motorsports will be on hand to with a large display of ATVs and motorcycles • Hourly giveaways, including hunting trips, gear and more • CCA boat raffle • Wildlife artist Kenneth Wyatt will be on hand for the first time in the Rio Grande Valley • Game Guard Camouflage

LONE STAR MARKET

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

dealers on hand •D eer Blinds, Feeders, BBQ Pits, and much more • Dargel Boats will have a huge display of the latest fishing boats • Wildlife Artist Kenneth Wyatt will be on hand with a huge display of his work for the very first time in the RGV • World-Famous Tecomate Ranch will be at the show booking hunts Children under 12 get in free, compliments of L&F Dist. and Academy Sports & Outdoors.

Door prizes and giveaways could make anyone a winner.

“In a nutshell, this show is designed for the sportsman and his family by sportsmen who know what they want,” Curl said. “This is the type of show people can attend and leave with a feeling of satisfaction.

“It’s all under one roof … A sportsman’s paradise.”

For more information, call (956) 664-2884, or go to www. texashunterassociation.com.

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LoneOStar Outdoor News

June 28, 2013

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