On the run for white bass
By Cory Byrnes For Lone Star outdoor newS
The white bass run is off to a strong start in some parts of the Lone Star State.
On the Nueces River, Pato Hernandez has been fishing out from the Highway 59 bridge with good results.
“For the last two weeks the bite has been hot,” Hernandez
said. “And I have noticed we are limiting out quicker lately.”
Hernandez has been using tandem rigs with white grub tails to entice the sandies. He said the drought in the area has the river pretty shallow.
“I am on what is like a paddle trail,” he said. “Sometimes I have to get off and pull my kayak to get to the next pocket.”
His best luck has come from
shallow water with deep water nearby, and he said the low water hasn’t seemed to hamper the run.
“I have seen them move in 2 to 3 feet of water with their backs out of the water,” he said.
“That cold front started things up,” Pato said.
North of Lake Houston, the fish seem to be scattered in Kings Creek.
“Its not a normal year for white bass,” angler Paul Myers, who guides gar fishermen in the summer, said. “I have heard a lot of people complaining. But when I do find them, I find them in big bunches.”
Myers has been putting white grub tails on a pink jig head and has been using a slow retrieve.
“They aren’t running up the
Hope for quail in the Rolling Plains
Medicated feed producing astounding results
By Craig Nyhus Lone Star outdoor newS
A story that began in 2010 is showing great promise for the future of bobwhite quail in Texas, especially in the Rolling Plains. After researchers at the Wildlife Toxicology Laboratory at Texas Tech University concluded that parasites, specifically eyeworms and cecal worm, contributed to the decline of quail numbers, a medicated feed, called QuailGuard, was developed.
Results on “demonstration” ranches, allowed to study the feed over the past four years as
part of what became a 9-year approval process of the medicated feed with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, are showing incredible results.
Now, the FDA has approved QuailGuard (in 2024), and the feed is available.
A recent article by Hannah Suber, a graduate research assistant at Texas Tech who has worked on the project since 2021, recapped the observations of ranchers, researchers and hunters on the numbers of birds seen on treated vs. untreated ranches.
“I came into the project with an open mind,” Suber said. “But from our work, it’s pretty obvious the feed seems to be working.”
This season on the Snipes Ranch, in Stonewall County, more than 20 coveys were en-
Duck season is for lovers
By Meghan Olivia Jackson For Lone Star outdoor newS
When searching for your soulmate, is it your dream to be loved by someone who loves the outdoors just as much as you do?
After being informed a lateseason duck hunt was for photography content, Cierra Borak had no idea this day was strategically organized to change her life.
“It was not uncommon for our friend, Hayden Dobbins, to take photos for different brands and I knew about the preparation weeks in advance,” said Borak. “Suddenly I was told he needed more people for the photos and was oblivious to what was really happening — I had no idea.” It was the morning of the duck hunt and nothing out of the normal occurred. Borak said for some reason when the
sun began to rise, it crossed her mind that this would be the perfect time to receive a pro posal.
“Even though that happened to cross my mind, the sun rose and we just kept shooting,” Bo rak said. “All of a sudden, I am being yelled at for shooting a banded bird when I was certain I did not shoot one.”
Dobbins and her fiance, Ma son Matejcek, used a customized duck band they previously
countered within the first three hours of this hunting season.
“Everyone has an opinion, and they are fully entitled to that opinion,” said Rick Snipes. “However, we have evidence and proof of the effectiveness of the medicated feed. On the Snipes Ranch, the infection rate has fallen from 100 percent in 2017 to less than 10 percent today. We have lots of birds, and they are very healthy. In fact, we have harvested birds over 200 grams. Here in the Rolling Plains, we have happy hunters and happy landowners.”
Joe Crafton, founder of the Park Cities Quail Coalition, hunted the Snipes Ranch this year.
“The last three trips, we pointed 113 coveys in 23 hours,” he said. “The good ol’ days have
Texas’ Largest Hunting and Fishing Newspaper
Hunting reports have been much better in areas treated with medicated feed and special feeders for quail. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
After surprising Cierra Borak with a special band on a drake pintail, Mason Matejcek officially proposed. Photo by Hayden Dobbins.
Kevin Brown caught this keeper white bass in Kings Creek north of Lake Houston. Photo by Paul Myers.
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FROM WORK TO PLAY
WHATEVER YOUR ADVENTURE IS, WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED.
Yes, quail can thrive in East Texas Nilgai with bow on public land
By Craig Nyhus
Lone Star outdoor newS
By Nate Skinner For Lone Star outdoor newS
While on his third drawn archery hunt with his dad and some buddies on the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, Nic Beason took a mature nilgai bull with his bow.
This was Beason’s third time to be drawn for the hunt on the NWR. He had harvested a nilgai calf with his bow on a previous hunt but had never taken a bull with his bow.
Like many other hunters, Beason said pursuing nilgai antelope on the refuge can be a grueling task. His crew had put many
miles in on foot scouting, and they each spent the majority of the trip hunting specific areas by themselves.
“The first day of the hunt was pretty miserable,” Beason said. “It was cold and rainy and there just didn’t seem to be a lot of animals moving.”
The second day brought more pleasant conditions with some sunshine and warmer temperatures.
“I hiked about 2.5 miles into an area to set up and hunt a funnel that was lined by pockets of brush on each side,” Beason said. “I got situated in about the midsection of the funnel and hunkered down in some tall
grass at the edge of the brush.”
Early in the morning, Beason saw two nilgai cows and a calf, but the closest they got to him was about 90 yards away. For the majority of the rest of the day, Beason sat in the same spot and didn’t really see any other animals.
“I’m sitting there not seeing anything, and the entire time my phone is going off with messages from a group text with my buddies and dad, about the animals they are seeing off in the distance,” Beason said. “So at about 4 p.m., I decided I would make a move to the southern end of the funnel, which is adjacent to a large open field.”
Bobwhite quail in the Pineywoods of East Texas are down but not out, thanks to efforts by landowners and Tall Timbers. Using techniques that helped restore wild quail in forest regions in Florida and Georgia, quail have successfully been reintroduced on a large ranch in Polk County.
East Texas once harbored plenty of quail, but only a few old-timers remember. According to Tall Timbers President Bill Palmer, Ph.D., land changes, especially a loss of farming and a shift from agriculture to pasture are two main reasons why the population is either severely diminished or gone.
The forest ecosystems are where the bobwhite evolved from, Palmer said, and proper habitat work and restoration has been proven to work.
Palmer came to Tall Timbers in 1996 and has directly and indirectly established or restored hundreds of thousands of acres of quail habitat.
At the Rock Creek Ranch in Polk County, Tall Timbers’ Western Game Bird Program began working with landowners to identify habitat improvements including timber thinning, mulching, prescribed fire, and herbicide application in 2019.
Timber thinning is the first and most important step, according to Brad Kubecka, Ph.D., director of the program.
“You have to reduce the timber density to open up the timber,” Kubecka said. “The canopy is often upwards of 80 percent, and the sun can’t get to
Please turn to page 13
Finding that matching shed
If you find a shed antler, can you expect to find the other side? Brian Peterson, a wildlife biologist and Masters program coordinator at the University of Nebraska-Kearney, has been studying white-tailed deer and sheds for 15 years.
Each spring, Peterson has hunted sheds in the Platte River Valley in south central Nebraska. He finds about 50 sheds each spring and combines the data with sheds found by other researchers, students and shed hunters.
Peterson’s most recent study with co-researcher Casey Schoenebeck examined distances between matched sets of sheds they found from 2010 to 2022. Every February, March and April for those 13 years, they searched 38 properties ranging from 40 to 950 acres. They recorded the location of every shed
antler and collected measurements from each. Some shed antlers are obviously
Shot his age
Eight-year-old takes mature MLD buck
By Nate Skinner For Lone Star outdoor newS
Sean Korzekwa found himself in the right place at the right time while hunting with his grandfather, Gabe Korzekwa, on a Managed Lands Deer Program ranch in Karnes County. The 8-year-old harvested a buck nearly his age that scored 166 4/8 inches with a broken G1.
A different hunter had been pursuing the deer, but his efforts were to no avail. Then about two weeks later, the deer was spotted in a particular area of the ranch, so Korzekwa’s grandfather made plans for them to sit in a nearby blind.
“We went out for an evening hunt and got set up in a blind overlooking a feeder,” Korzekwa said. “There were a few deer moving around as the sun started going down, but we hadn’t seen the buck.”
With just a few minutes of legal shooting light left, a large buck walked out of the brush toward the feeder.
“We were running out of light, and my grandfather was having a hard time deciding if it was the buck we were after,” Korzekwa said. “He was looking through a pair of binoculars, and I was looking
through my riflescope. As soon I got a good look at the buck in my scope, I knew it was the one.” Korzekwa told his grandfather it was the deer
Lone Star outdoor newS
Nic Beason, right, harvested this mature nilgai bull with his bow on the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. His dad, Cary, was also on the hunt. Photo from Nic Beason.
Wild quail have been thriving after being translocated into restored habitat in East Texas. Photo by Carter Morby.
Cooper, from Alaska, carried this shed on a February trip to Texas with his mom, Lili Keys. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
Sean Korzekwa, 8, took this mature buck measuring more than 166 inches while hunting with his grandfather on a ranch in Karnes County. Photo by Gabe Korzekwa.
SCI spends third year in Nashville
By Craig Nyhus Lone Star outdoor newS
The Safari Club International Convention, held Jan. 22-25, saw the event spend its third year at Music City Center, in Nashville, Tennessee, and the weather cooperated after storms stayed south as predicted.
Convention-goers shared a positive vibe at the event, saying they have settled into the Nashville scene, and are now able to find both popular hangouts and more secluded restaurants and bars when they want to take a break from the safari schedule. According to SCI, approximately 32,000 exhibitors and hunting enthusiasts attended the 4-day event.
In the hall, one African outfitter said they booked $1 million of trips on the first day, while others said booking trips was a bit of a struggle.
The 10th Annual Beretta and SCI Foundation Conservation Leadership Award Gala was a sold-out event that supported SCI Foundation’s projects focused on wildlife conservation, education, and hunting. Dr. Gerald L. Warnock took home the prestigious Conservation Leadership Award and was honored for his outstanding contributions to conservation efforts. The event raised $1.5 million for SCI Foundation.
During the event Beretta showcased the one-of-a-kind SO6 EELL Sparviere Marco Polo tribute gun: a unique masterpiece dedicated to the life of the Venetian explorer and to his 700 year legacy.
The Weatherby Foundation Gala took place on Jan. 22, presenting the Weatherby Award to Eduardo Negrete for his lifetime of hunting and conservation. Music lovers enjoyed the performance by country star Dierks Bentley to wrap up the week.
Convention attendees gather at Nashville’s Music City Center for SCI’s annual convention. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
NEW ZEALAND HUNTING TRIPS & FISHING ADVENTURES
Three arrested for nilgai hunting scheme
By Tony Vindell For Lone Star outdoor newS
A local hunting outfitter and two others were arrested for running a sophisticated, yet illegal nilgaihunting operation.
The men, Joshua Garst, 42, of Port Mansfield, Cameron Cantu, 40, of Three Rivers, and Steven Millón, 41, of Harlingen, were charged with theft of exotic livestock and engag ing in organized criminal activity.
The trio allegedly have been tak ing hunters on private properties up and down the Texas Gulf coast at various hours of the day and night using airboats, and equipped with night vision goggles and thermal optics.
The arrests was the result of a yearlong investigation by game wardens, according to a release from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
The three were “operating a sophisticated scheme and profiting from illegal activity,” the release said. “Warrants were served on multiple properties simultaneously and were executed with the support of multiple game wardens, including the Texas Game Warden Rural Operations Groups, as well as Homeland Security Investigations, due to the organized criminal activity aspect of the case.
Dozens of hunting guides and outfits operate along the coast from Baffin Bay to Brownsville, some of which operate outside of the boundaries of the law, a wildlife law enforcement agent said.
An investigation is underway and more arrests could occur pending the outcome.
Nilgai, native to India and Pakistan, are highly sought after exotic animals due to their size and the flavor of their meat. They were imported to Texas as early as the 1920s. Population estimates now are as high as in the thousands, mostly in Kenedy, Willacy and Cameron counties.
Javelina hunters at the Chap
The Chaparral Wildlife Management Area hosted 19 javelina hunters Jan. 30–Feb. 2. Fourteen drawn hunters and five standby hunters harvested a total of 11 javelina, three hogs and four coyotes for an overall hunter success rate of 58 percent.
—Chaparral WMA
Deer breeder, partner convicted for illegally moving deer
Texas game wardens concluded an investigation that led to the arrest and conviction of two individuals involved in illegally moving captive white-tailed deer.
A South Texas deer breeder and his business partner were caught attempting to smuggle seven deer from a licensed deer breeding facility in East Texas through Montgomery County to Brazoria and Duval counties, where they intended to illegally release the deer onto private property.
The case unfolded when a Montgomery County Game Warden conducted a traffic stop and discovered the illegally possessed deer being transported without required documentation or identification. Both individuals were arrested and booked into the Montgomery County Jail.
The deer breeder faced 41 total charges: one traffic code violation, 11 penal code violations and 29 deer breeder violations. He pleaded guilty to three penal code violations and 29 deer breeder violations. His business partner was charged with two penal code violations and 28 deer breeder violations, of which he was convicted.
Both men were convicted on multiple counts of violations committed with the intent to circumvent disease monitoring and testing requirements. They received a total of $12,060 in fines.
Anytime a white-tailed deer leaves a breeding facility, it must be uniquely and permanently identified, no matter its age.
With no available site for return, their unknown disease status and the risks associated with their release into the wild, the deer were euthanized. Testing resulted in no detection of chronic wasting disease.
Photo by Chaparral WMA
Photo by Tony Vindell, for Lone Star Outdoor News
Black drum, sheepshead bite on Hybrids, stripers out deep
By Nate Skinner
Star outdoor newS
Cool water temperatures have kept the hybrid striped bass and striped bass somewhat lethargic, but there are schools out there willing to bite. Trolling open water, casting and deadsticking soft plastics and chunking live bait have all produced good catches.
Capt. Elliott Peters has been targeting hybrids on Lake Fort Phantom Hill, where he said the fish are schooled up in about 25-38 feet of water in open stretches of the lake.
“The bite has been pretty good while trolling soft plastics,” Peters said. “Most of the fish have been in the 5- to 7-pound range.”
The key has been covering water and locating large concentrations of hungry fish on electronics.
“Some schools are more aggressive than others, and some don’t want to bite at all,” Peters said. “Once I find a school of hybrids that is willing to eat, I’ll try to make as many passes over them as I can until the action slows.”
Peters said other anglers are having success trolling deep-diving crankbaits.
Brian Prichard, of Stripers Inc., said that decent numbers of Lake Texoma stripers are being caught by anglers dead-sticking in the river
By Nate Skinner For Lone Star outdoor newS
Anglers up and down the coast are finding solid concentrations of black drum while fishing from popular piers and bank-fishing hot spots, as well as along flats, shorelines, back lakes and channels. Some redfish have
been in the mix in the same areas.
Sheepshead are beginning to frequent their early season haunts, and are holding tight to structure.
Capt. Brody Jones said the action for black drum has been steady in the Rockport area. Slot reds have also been in the mix, as well as some big
pulls from oversized drum.
“The black drum bite has been absolutely on fire lately,” Jones said. “We’re finding them stacked up along main bay shorelines near the mouths of drains leading into back lakes in the northern portions of the Aransas Bay complex. Most of the fish are feeding in stretches of 2.5 feet
of water or less, and fresh, peeled shrimp has been our go-to bait presentation.” Jones said the drum have been in decent-sized schools.
“Once you find them, you can pretty much count on casting in the same general area and catching a bunch more,” he explained. “When the tides are high, there has
Please turn to page 21 Please turn to page 21
FADs deployed offshore
Devices to help attract billfish, tuna and more
By Tony Vindell
For Lone Star outdoor newS
Big time fishing anglers pay attention — a new type of equipment, designed to facilitate their sporting ventures, is now in Gulf waters.
Called Fish Aggregating Device, or FADs, the gadgets were recently installed at several locations some 50 miles out from the Texas coast.
All in all, 14 FADs are now visible above water, in a similar fashion to markers and buoys recre-
ational and commercial vessels use along their routes as navigation aids.
Built by Wet Tech Energy, of Louisiana, each FAD costs about $50,000. The 14 devices were installed in six days during the third week of January.
The project is the result of the cooperation of a number of organizations, each involved in the fishing industry.
They include Hilton Marine LLC, the Houston Big Game Fishing Club, Friends of Rio Grande Valley Reef, the Town of South Padre Island, Texas International Fishing Tournament, Galati Yacht Sales and the Gulf
Research Institute of Highly Migratory Species at Texas A&M University-Galveston. Individuals and boat owners also contributed to the effort.
The FADs installation took place about two months after National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Corps of Engineers and the Coast Guard gave their approval.
Each marker is suspended at 1.4 feet of water and installed 10, 20 and up to 40 miles from each other, depending on the locations.
The idea behind the floating FADs, anchored to the sea floor, is to attract big species like
Lone
Elizabeth Peters shows a pair of hefty hybrids she caught while trolling open water on Lake Fort Phantom Hill.
Photo by Capt. Elliott Peters.
Alic and Kaylee Holley caught some large drum while fishing the Aransas Bay complex. Photo by Capt. Brody Jones.
Fish Aggregating Devices, thanks to generous donors, were placed at several locations about 50 miles out from the Texas coast. Graphic from Friends of RGV Reef.
TEXAS FRESHWATER FISHING REPORT
ALAN HENRY: Water clear; 43 degrees; 0.77’ low. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows.
AMISTAD: Water stained; 52 degrees; 65.80’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics. White bass are fair on slabs and jigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. Catfish are good on worms and punch bait.
ARLINGTON: Water stained; 50 degrees; 0.14’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits, spinner baits and soft plastics.
ARROWHEAD: Water lightly stained; 42 degrees; 5.66’ low. Catfish are fair on fresh cut shad.
ATHENS: Water stained; 50 degrees; 0.58’ high. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are fair on jigs.
AUSTIN: Water stained; 55 degrees; 0.45’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas rigs, wacky rigs, jerkbaits and Alabama rigs.
B A STEINHAGEN: Water stained; 55 degrees; 0.17’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics and frogs. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are fair on juglines.
BASTROP: Water stained; 63 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits, jigs and Carolina-rigged finesse worms.
BELTON: Water stained; 51 degrees; 2.39’ low. White bass are fair on slabs. Catfish are fair on fresh cut shad.
BENBROOK: Water stained; 50 degrees; 2.49’ low. Largemouth and smallmouth bass are good on chatter baits and Texasrigged worms. Crappie are fair on live minnows. Catfish are fair on cut bait.
BOB SANDLIN: Water stained; 50 degrees; 0.44’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on shaky head worms, crankbaits, and jerkbaits. Crappie are fair on jigs.
BOIS D’ARC: Water stained; 47 degrees; 2.96’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Texas rigs, flukes and Carolina rigs. Crappie are good on jigs.
BRAUNIG: Water stained; 70 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on plastic worms. Redfish are slow. Catfish are fair on cheese bait.
BROWNWOOD: Water stained; 50 degrees; 0.07’ high. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. White bass are slow. Catfish are fair on cut bait and liver.
BUCHANAN: Water lightly stained; 53 degrees; 17.50’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits, shaky heads, flukes and creature baits. Crappie are good on jigs. Stripers are good on spoons. White bass are fair on spoons.
CADDO: Water stained; 52 degrees; 1.19’ high. Largemouth bass are good on Alabama rigs, crankbaits and spoons.
CALAVERAS: Water lightly stained; 68 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on plastic worms and crawfish. Redfish are slow. Catfish are good on fish bites, shrimp and cheese bait.
CANYON: Water lightly stained; 53 degrees; 29.08’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Alabama rigs and underspins. Stripers and white bass are fair on jigging spoons.
CEDAR CREEK: Water stained; 48 degrees; 0.50’ low. Hybrids and white bass are good dead-sticking soft plastics. Crappie are slow. Catfish are good on cut shad.
COMANCHE CREEK: 55 degrees; 0.46’ high. Largemouth bass are good on crankbaits and soft plastics.
CONROE: Water stained; 51 degrees; 0.15’ low. Largemouth bass are good on swimbaits, chatter baits, lipless crankbaits and Texas rigs. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Hybrids are good dead-sticking soft plastics. Catfish are good on liver, catfish bubblegum and punch bait.
COOPER: Water stained; 50 degrees; 2.00’ low. Crappie are fair on small shad.
EAGLE MOUNTAIN: Water stained; 49 degrees; 4.58’ low. White bass are fair on slabs. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait and punch bait.
FALCON: Water stained; 53 degrees; 44.43’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics and crankbaits. Crappie are slow. Catfish are good on fresh cut bait.
FORK: Water stained; 49 degrees; 0.40’ low. Largemouth bass are good on Alabama rigs, chatter baits and crankbaits. Crappie are good on jigs.
FT PHANTOM HILL: Water stained; 50 degrees; 7.12’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Hybrid striped bass are fair to good trolling soft plastics. Crappie are fair on jigs.
GRANBURY: Water stained; 53 degrees; 0.07’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics. White bass are good on spinners, lipless crankbaits and small jigs. Crappie are fair on jigs. Stripers are good on swimbaits, jerk baits and jigs. Catfish are good on cut shad.
GRANGER: Water lightly stained; 50 degrees; 0.50’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on grubs and inline spinners. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. White bass are fair on spinners. Catfish are good on shad.
GRAPEVINE: Water lightly stained; 47 degrees; 0.63’ high. White bass are fair on slabs and jigs. Catfish are fair on cut bait.
HOUSTON COUNTY:
Water stained; 55 degrees; 0.42’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas rigs. Crappie are fair minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on cut bait.
HUBBARD CREEK: Water stained; 50 degrees; 13.38’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics. White bass are good on slabs. Catfish are fair on live bait and cut carp.
JACKSONVILLE: Water stained; 57 degrees; 0.22’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics, crankbaits and swimbaits.
JOE POOL: Water stained; 55 degrees; 2.26’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics. Crappie are fair on jigs.
FAYETTE: Water lightly stained; 62 degrees. Largemouth bass are good on shaky heads, Carolina rigs, chatter baits and lipless crankbaits.
LAKE
O’ THE PINES:
Water lightly stained; 50 degrees; 0.13’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on square-billed crankbaits, jigs and shaky-head finesse worms.
LAVON: Water lightly stained; 45 degrees; 0.93’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas rigs and jigs. Crappie are good on minnows and jigs. White bass
are good on slabs. Catfish are good on cut bait.
LBJ: Water stained; 52 degrees; 0.24’ low. Largemouth bass are good on jigs, Texas-rigged soft plastics, lipless crankbaits and spinner baits. Crappie are good on minnows.
LEWISVILLE: Water stained; 46 degrees; 1.53’ low. White bass are fair on jigs, slabs and live bait. Hybrid stripers are fair on slabs. Crappie are fair on minnows and jigs. Catfish are fair on cut shad.
LIMESTONE: Water stained; 55 degrees; 1.88’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on Texas rigs and chatter baits. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are fair on cut bait and fresh shad.
LIVINGSTON: Water lightly stained; 63 degrees; 0.65’ high. White bass are fair on slabs. Catfish are fair on cut bait.
MARTIN CREEK: Water lightly stained; 66 degrees; 0.01’ high. Largemouth bass are good on senkos, spinner baits and Texas-rigged worms. Crappie are good on minnows. White bass are good on jigging spoons. Catfish are good on live and cut bait.
MEREDITH: Water stained; 41 degrees; 47.45’ low. Largemouth bass are good on grubs and minnows. White bass are good on minnows. Walleye are fair on minnows and artificial grubs. Catfish are good on chicken liver and frozen shad.
MILLERS CREEK: Water stained; 55 degrees; 2.59’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Catfish are fair on juglines.
NACOGDOCHES: Water stained; 47 degrees; 0.01’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on bladed jigs and lipless crankbaits. Crappie are good on jigs. Catfish are slow.
NACONICHE: Water stained; 50 degrees; 0.50’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on drop shots, crankbaits and Alabama rigs. Crappie are good on jigs. Catfish are slow.
NASWORTHY: Water lightly stained; 50 degrees. 0.45’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are fair on cut bait and stink bait.
NAVARRO MILLS: Water lightly stained; 48 degrees; 0.58’ high. Crappie are fair on jigs and minnows. Catfish are good on cut bait.
O H IVIE: Water lightly stained; 52 degrees; 23.05’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on jerkbaits, swimbaits and Alabama rigs. Crappie are fair on jigs. White bass are slow. Catfish are fair on stink bait.
OAK CREEK: Water lightly stained; 45 degrees; 18.31’ low. Largemouth bass are fair on swimbaits and Alabama rigs. Crappie are fair on jigs and small swimbaits.
PALESTINE: Water lightly stained; 50 degrees; 0.98’ high. Crappie are fair on jigs. White bass are fair on jigs.
POSSUM KINGDOM:
Water stained; 47 degrees; 0.16’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Stripers are fair on live bait and soft plastics. White bass are fair on live shad, slabs and jigs. Catfish are fair on cut shad.
PROC-
TOR: Water stained; 45 degrees; 0.14’ high. Hybrid striped bass are good on swimbaits. Catfish are good on cut bait.
RAY HUBBARD: Water stained; 45 degrees; 0.13’ high. White bass are good on slabs and jigs. Hybrids are good on jigs with flukes. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on cut bait.
RAY ROBERTS: Water lightly stained; 50 degrees; 0.71’ low. White bass are good on live bait and slabs. Catfish are good on cut bait.
RICHLAND CHAMBERS: Water stained; 48 degrees; 0.12’ high. White bass and hybrids are fair on slabs and jigs. Catfish are fair on punch bait.
SAM RAYBURN: Water stained; 57 degrees; 0.31’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on crankbaits and jigs. Crappie are fair on jigs.
SOMERVILLE: Water stained; 46 degrees; 2.14’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are fair on cut shad and punch bait.
SPENCE: Water stained; 50 degrees. 46.29’ low. White bass are fair on jigs.
Page 19
STILLHOUSE: Water stained; 50 degrees; 2.74’ low. White bass are good on slabs.
TAWAKONI: Water lightly stained; 44 degrees; 0.80’ low. Largemouth bass are slow. Hybrid stripers and white bass are good on jigs, small flukes and swimbaits. Crappie are good on jigs. Catfish are good on fresh gizzard shad and drum.
TEXOMA: Water stained; 48 degrees; 1.71’ low. Stripers are good on Alabama rigs and swimbaits. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are fair on gizzard shad.
TOLEDO BEND: Water stained; 53 degrees; 2.77’ low. Largemouth bass are good on spinner baits and chatter baits.
TRAVIS: Water lightly stained; 52 degrees; 43.64’ low. Largemouth bass are good on soft plastics, crankbaits and jerkbaits.
WACO: Water stained; 50 degrees; 1.83’ low. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are fair on cut bait.
WALTER E LONG: Water lightly stainws; 52 degrees. Largemouth bass are fair on weedless swimbaits, chatterbaits, jerkbaits and lipless crankbaits.
WHITNEY: Water stained; 51 degrees; 0.83’ high. Largemouth bass are fair on soft plastics. Striped bass are good on flukes and live bait. Crappie are good on jigs and minnows. White bass are fair on flukes and slabs. Catfish are good on punch bait.
WORTH: Water stained; 49 degrees; 2.31’ low. White bass are fair on slabs. Crappie are fair on jigs. Catfish are good on cut bait and punch bait.
WRIGHT PATMAN: Water stained; 65 degrees; 5.10’ high. Largemouth bass are slow. Crappie are slow. Catfish are fair on cut bait.
Snapper trips get slow start
By Tony Vindell For Lone Star outdoor newS
Head boat operators along the Texas Gulf coast resumed fishing for red snap per in state waters, but the wait has pro duced mixed results.
Two of the commercial businesses from South Padre Island/Port Isabel area sent their vessels out on the last week of Janu ary for the first time in about a month, or after the closing of a special season in federal waters that took place from Nov. 18, 2024 through Jan. 1.
After nearly 8-hour trips, the boats came back to their docks and reported unusually poor catches.
In Port Aransas, another operator be gan taking reservations for offshore trips since early January, but it went out only three times for the month, with similar lackluster results.
Boat operators attributed the outcomes to the weather and to other atmospheric conditions.
The month of January experienced one of the coldest streaks of consecutive days in years, to the point of dipping the thermometer below the freezing mark for several hours.
The strong winds prevailing during that time was another determining factor for a slower month of January.
That did not deter some boat owners from venturing out, though.
On Jan. 26, a boat from Capt. Murphy Charter Fishing Services took its first trip of the year, including nearly 30 people, largely winter Texans from the Midwest and some from Colorado.
Among them were Wisconsin resident Jenna Burandt and Lannie Belmas, from Michigan.
Belmas caught an 18-inch red snapper — the largest brought up at the last of the boat’s six stops.
That made Belmas’ day.
“This is my first time fishing offshore,” she said. “And my first red snapper.” Belmas said she and her husband usually fish in Lake Superior for trout, salmon, walleye and pike.
Burandt also enjoyed the trip.
“I caught two, but only one was a keeper,” she said. “I had just put the line in the water and felt the fish.”
Red snapper fishing is open year-round in state waters.
Sandies in the creeks
Continued from page 1
creek as far as they normally do, and they are in super-shallow water,” he said.
Myers speculated that the bass are spread out due to some extra construction or low flow.
“I thought maybe the flow rate was the reason, but even after a good rain it hasn’t been the same,” he said. “Right now, there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to where they are. The only consistent thing is that I am finding them in 3 feet of water or less.”
Lake Corpus Christi is 13 feet low and only at 24-percent ca pacity. Many of the boat ramps are closed and the area has wa ter restrictions in place. While many fishermen thought the white bass run would be non existent, the fish are still on the move.
“I had real concerns about these droughts affecting the runs,” said fisheries biologist Dusty McDonald. “I was pleas antly surprised to see that the fishermen are catching fish and the fish are finding the habitat they need.”
McDonald hasn’t been able to get the survey boat in the water yet to do a spring survey, but is aware of all of the recent catches and feels positive about the white bass population. He said the fish likely will congregate in pools and white-colored baits are best.
In North Texas creeks feeding Lake Tawakoni, Lake Grapevine, Lake Ray Hubbard and Lake Lewisville, the fish are staging, said Terry Mabrey with Barfly Fishing.
“Right now, the water is warmer in the creeks, and the shad are up there,” he said.
Mabrey has been finding sandies closer to the main lakes in deeper pools, and has picked up a few nice hybrids as well.
“Most of the creeks silt in as the rain and water move through, and just behind that silt in area there is usually a pool,” he said.
He likes to use 1/8-ounce rooster tails when the white bass get active.
“Just a couple of degrees change in water temperature will get them going,” he said. Some North Texas anglers reported good catches up from Lake Lavon and in Rowlett Creek.
Michigan resident Lannie Belmas caught this red snapper on her first trip offshore with Capt. Murphy Charter Fishing Services. Photo from Lannie Belmas.
The Highway 59 bridge over the Nueces River, in George West, is a popular spot for fishermen during the white bass run. Photo by David J. Sams, Lone Star Outdoor News.
GROUP CAN’T HANDLE THE INFLUX OF DUCKS
During the last weekend of duck season, Hamilton and Bosque County game wardens patrolled the Brazos River and found a group that exceeded their daily bag limit threefold. As the wardens were launching their boat, they heard several volleys of gunfire nearby. Navigating icy sloughs, they tried to locate the hunters. Along the way, the wardens encountered a few boats and checked one duck hunter, finding no violations. Later that morning as they were loading their boat, wardens heard a volley of shots from the same area. Using a satellite mapping program, they were able to pinpoint several private lakes in the vicinity that could be potential hunting locations. Near the entrance to one of the locations, they encountered a man in camouflage exiting an equipment shed. He appeared evasive and was urgently texting someone. After a brief conversation, the man directed the wardens to a nearby duck blind, where three nervous hunters were packing up their gear and offered conflicting details about their group size. Initially claiming there were eight hunters — then seven — none of the remaining hunters could name the hunters who had allegedly left.
As one warden interviewed the hunters, the other went to inspect a pile of ducks on the opposite bank. As he was checking the ducks,
OUTDOOR BLOTTER
MORE THAN 200 POUNDS OF SNAPPER SEIZED
The Coast Guard interdicted a lancha and seized 200 pounds of illegally caught fish in federal waters off southern Texas. A South Padre Island boat crew and aircrews located and stopped three Mexican fishermen engaged in illegal fishing north of the Maritime Boundary Line. After interdicting the lanchas, Coast Guard personnel seized 200 pounds of red snapper, along with fishing gear and highflyers on board the vessels. Coast Guard crews detained the men, brought them ashore and transferred the detainees to U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel for further processing. The seized fish were donated to the Harte Institute to support Illegal Unreported and Unregulated Fishing research and Sea Turtle Inc. to help feed and rehabilitate turtles.
the warden discovered a fourth individual behind the dam, dressed in camouflage with a stringer of ducks he was attempting to hide. The hunter lacked a valid hunting license and had crossed two fences to conceal the 16 birds. When confronted, the group falsely claimed he was retrieving a lost bird. Near the blind, wardens found additional ducks and roughly 250 shotgun shells and hulls containing prohibited lead shot. The hunters admitted to using leftover shot from dove season, knowing it was illegal for waterfowl hunting. Ultimately, the wardens determined only four individuals were hunting — three of whom had valid hunting licenses. The group had used four shotguns, some still loaded with lead shot,
and had illegally harvested 54 ducks — three times the legal daily bag limit. Three of the hunters, residents of Louisiana, admitted to knowing they had exceeded their daily bag limit but didn’t want to stop shooting as they claimed this was more ducks than they had seen all season in both Texas and Louisiana. The fines and restitution total for the group was more than $7,000.
CLENDENING NAMED SEAFWA TEXAS OFFICER OF THE YEAR
Rusk County Game Warden Kirk Clendening was named the 2024 Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Texas Officer of the Year. Clendening began his tenure in 2011, with his first duty
station in Val Verde County. From there, he served as a game warden in Smith County and was a full-time member of the Marine Tactical Operations Group in Corpus Christi. Clendening then moved to Rusk County and has served there for more than 7 years. Clendening consistently excels in marine patrol operations, investigations and public outreach.
ALLEN NAMED SHIKAR-SAFARI
CLUB TEXAS OFFICER OF THE YEAR
Jefferson County Game Warden Jamal Allen was named the ShikarSafari Club International 2025 Texas Officer of the Year. Allen graduated from the 63rd Texas Game Warden Academy in 2020 and be-
gan his service in Jefferson County. As a certified Texas Commission on Law Enforcement instructor, Allen was invited to teach saltwater law, defensive tactics and simunitions to game warden cadets. He is also a certified Intoxilyzer operator, field training officer, armorer and defensive tactics instructor. In 2022, he was named the Coastal Conservation Association’s Texas Officer of the Year for his enforcement efforts in the commercial shrimping and crabbing industry. Additionally, he was honored by the Southeast Texas Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving as Officer of the Year for his BWI enforcement in both 2022 and 2024.
LOADS OF SNAPPER, SHARKS
Coast Guard Station South Padre Island boat crews, in coordination with Corpus Christi aircrews and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, located and stopped a total of 11 Mexican fishermen engaged in illegal fishing north of the Maritime Boundary Line. After interdicting the lanchas, Coast Guard personnel seized approximately 1,595 pounds of red snapper and nine sharks, along with fishing gear and highflyers on board the vessel. Coast Guard crews took the men into custody, brought them ashore and transferred them to U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel for further processing.
Drawn nilgai hunt
Continued from page 4
When he arrived at the end of the funnel, Beason spotted three bulls trotting about 400 yards away across the field.
“All of a sudden they made a hard left, and started walking toward the end of the funnel where I was sitting,” Beason said. “Then they started trotting again, and I knew that this might be my chance at a shot. If it was going to happen, I knew it was going to happen fast.” Beason nocked an arrow on his bow and grabbed his release and rangefinder. The bulls stopped trotting at about 150 yards away, and then continued walking toward him.
“There were two younger bulls and one mature bull,” Beason explained. “At this point, I decided that I wasn’t going to get greedy. I would be willing to take a shot on any of the three bulls that presented me with the best opportunity.”
Crouched down on his knees in the grass, Beason watched as the bulls approached. As they got closer, all three stopped. The two young bulls were out of sight behind a bush, but Beason had a clear shot at the mature bull.
“He was quartering away slightly, and I eased up and ranged him at 62 yards,” Beason said. “I came to full draw, and the bull turned and looked at me. He was now quartering to me, but I felt confident that I could still put the arrow where I wanted to hit him.”
Beason released the arrow and watched as it hit right behind the bull’s shoulder.
“I quickly realized that my arrow passed completely through him,” he said. “I watched through my binoculars as he and the other two bulls ran off toward the east. I felt like I made a good shot but the bull was running like he wasn’t even hurt.”
The three bulls went into a sparse brush line by a yucca plant. A few moments later the two young bulls popped out of the brush before taking off again, but the one that Beason arrowed was nowhere to be seen.
“I went and found my arrow and there was signs of good blood,” he said. “I decided to wait a little while before going to look for him. My buddies and my dad met up with me right before sunset and we began our search.”
Beason and his crew went to look at the last place where he saw the bull. The nilgai was lying a mere 20 yards farther into the brush.
“I was shocked,” Beason said. “The celebration and the work began. It was such an incredible experience to pack the animal out on public land in Texas with my dad and my friends.”
Buck, hunter match age
Continued from page 4
they were trying to harvest.
“He leaned over and said if I was sure that it was the right buck that I could take the shot,” the youngster said. “The deer turned broadside, and I steadied my aim over his vitals, and squeezed the trigger on my 6.5 Creedmoor.”
The buck dropped instantly.
“When I walked up to the buck, I couldn’t believe how large he was,” Korzekwa said. “It was exciting to get to take this buck alongside my grandfather.”
Korzekwa’s buck was estimated at 7.5 years old, meaning it was likely born just several months after the youngster.
the forest floor to allow native vegetation to grow. There’s a negative relationship between timber cover and bobwhites.”
Regular prescribed burning also is crucial, but best done after the timber has been thinned.
At Rock Creek, thinning was the first step, and Tall Timbers researchers have learned that burning smaller tracts (25 acres each) at a time works the best.
“Birds like the edges of the burn areas,” Kubecka said. “And they like to brood in the burned areas.”
Burns have been conducted every other year to make the property more quail/ecological friendly, Kubecka said.
It’s important to build large blocks of high-quality habitat to support a quail population big enough to recover after a tough year,” he said.
Since the quail were gone from the area, translocations of wild birds came next.
“Translocations haven’t worked real well in most of Texas, but we’ve had success with them,” Kubecka said. “You have to have the habitat right first.”
After three years of moving birds onto the ranch, Rock Creek now averages more than one nest per hen.
“That is really good,” Kubecka said. “And the average nest success has been 60 percent the last two years and was 69 percent in year two.”
Adult survival has been at 32 percent after the first year, and in the low-20s in year two.
“Both of those are good, especially in spite of a bad drought in 2023 followed by 89 inches of rain last year,” Kubecka said. “These are exciting results.”
Kubecka said counts are averaging two coveys of bobwhites per stop on repeated surveys and the property holds more than 40 coveys.
“There are more quail there than anywhere in East Texas,” he said.
Other techniques at Rock Creek include supplemental feeding and predator control,
along with monitoring radio-tagged quail.
“We use it to identify what habitat they are using,” Kubecka said. “We already have 28,000 GPS locations — it’s the most comprehensive study on East Texas quail.”
Tall Timbers is working with neighbors of Rock Creek Ranch to expand quail habitat, with an objective of linking to the national forest.
But they have loftier goals — public lands.
“We’ve had success working on public lands in Florida and Georgia for quail, and East Texas has a ton of public land,” Kubecka said. “There’s the Davy Crockett, Sabine, Sam Houston and Angelina National Forests.”
Kubecka has been working with the U.S. Forest Service to develop a plan.
“We surveyed 150 locations in the Sabine and Angelina forests, south of Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend over the last year,” he said.
Using acoustic recording units, researchers found quail at 25 sites.
“There was a decent presence in one area,” Kubecka said. “But the overall canopy cover was 81 percent, and the large, infrequent burns they conducted didn’t really help.”
Kubecka said the goal of the survey was to identify focal areas to benefit wild turkey and quail, and work with the Forest Service to conduct similar habitat work as Tall Timbers has done on both public and private lands.
“The success at Rock Creek Ranch is what turned the Forest Service’s heads,” he said. “We want to focus on an area of about 10,000 acres with birds so we wouldn’t have to do translocations. That’s very doable.”
A working group has been established with Tall Timbers, the Forest Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to develop a proposal for the Forest Supervisor on
how it could be accomplished.
“It would involve thinning and then burning more often to transition the habitat,” Kubecka said. “But you do deal with more regulations and hoops — and then figure out how to pay for it. There’s a lot of potential there, but it would take time.”
A similar process has worked in western Louisiana, and a large increase in quail numbers has resulted.
“Hunters are finding up to six coveys per day,” Kubecka said. “It’s possible to do that in East Texas. If you use the right techniques and science and have enough money, you can restore quail on public lands.”
The research project is supported by quail enthusiast Chuck Ribelin, Parks Cities Quail Coalition and Houston Quail Coalition and private landowners, especially the owners of Rock Creek Ranch.
Bobwhite quail, moved from other parts of Texas, head to the restored Pineywoods cover in East Texas. Photo by Carter Morby.
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. Highresolution original jpegs only. Mail prints to Grip & Grin, Lone Star Outdoor News P.O. Box 551695, Dallas, TX 75355.
GRIP & GRIN
Brooks Saathoff, 10, shot his first buck, a 9-pointer, on the Hoelscher Ranch in Jim Wells County.
Mikayla Hesseltine, of Orange Grove, was hunting with her father and good friends on the Bundy Ross Ranch near Junction and took this white fallow buck.
Scott “Slick” Schick Jr capped off his 2024 hunting season with this mouflon sheep taken in Elkhart. The youngster made a heart shot at approximately 180 yards with a 6.5 Creedmoor.
Cooper Kiffe shot his first deer with his dad, Ron, in Duval County. He made the 100-yard shot using his uncle’s .300 Blackout.
Willa Bock, 17, of Austin, harvested this 175-pound boar with her dad at the Freeman Ranch in San Marcos. She used a .300 Blackout hollow point supersonic load and made the shot at 105 yards.
High school senior lands 13.64-pounder
Dylan Sorrells hauled in a 13.64-pound largemouth bass from Richland-Chambers Reservoir Jan. 26, the fifth 13-plus-pounder turned in from the lake and the first since 2008.
The Dallas resident and senior at Highland Park High School had been fishing the lake to prepare for an upcoming Texas High School Bass Association tournament. He had returned to the lake to “check a few things.”
“I went to this main lake flat and was looking for brush piles or anything that could be around it,” Sorrells said. “I was trolling around on scope and just saw the fish sitting out there. There were some other big fish that should have been bass, but I saw this one and just threw at it. Initially, I didn’t think it was a bass but maybe a catfish. It stripped a bunch of drag, but when it came to the surface, I was like, ‘Oh my, this is not a catfish, this is a giant bass.”’
Sorrells immediately told his friend to get the net so they could secure the fish in the boat. When the fish was finally aboard, he realized it was going to be over 12 pounds.
“I called the program to let them know about the catch,” said Sorrells. “They were great, they let me know they were going to get the truck ready and within a couple of hours they were there.”
Sunday’s catch was a personal best for Sorrells and topped his previous record of 9 pounds, 8 ounces, caught on Lake Fork when he was 8 years old.
“When I learned it was the first Legacy Class fish caught from Richland-Chambers since 2008, that’s what I thought was super cool,” said Sorrells. “I not only caught a ShareLunker, but I caught one out of a lake that hasn’t had a fish like that in a long time and that not many people would expect.”
Sorrells has committed to fish at the University of Montevallo, in Montevallo, Alabama, next year as part of the fishing team that has earned four consecutive Bass Pro Shops School of the Year titles.
Sorrells has appeared in the pages of Lone Star Outdoor News in the past. In 2017, he caught a 57-pound, 4-ounce blue catfish from Lake Tawakoni while fishing with his father, Chris.
Conroe produces at Bass Pro Tour event
Lake Conroe showed up big at the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour event on Lake Conroe Jan. 30-Feb. 2, with massive weights turned in during the 4-day tournament.
“It was a nail-biter,” said Daniel Fennel, director of the Bass Pro Tour events. “There were multiple 8-plus-pound fish caught.”
Each day’s round had three periods of fishing, with each angler competing during the first two days. Conroe was fishing well, and the fisherman who moved on to Days 3 and 4 were catching, weighing and releasing 80 pounds or more over the first two days.
Each angler also was allowed to use forward-facing sonar during a two-hour time during a period of their choice.
“It was probably the best forward-facing sonar event we have ever had,” said angler Jeff Sprague, who placed 23rd in the event. He spent most of his time fishing a Lake Fork worm in the shallow water grass.
“The lake was amazing, way more fish than we expected, and quality was there as well as numbers,” Sprague said.
Sprague brought in a 7-pound, 11-ounce bass, but did not move on from the second day.
Drew Gill raved about the fishing.
“I went out and cracked them,” he said.
“Everybody was catching them.”
Gill caught his biggest fish in a tournament on Day 4 of the event at 8 pounds, 2 ounces, but it wasn’t the biggest fish in the tournament. He focused on the hydrilla with a Rat-L-Trap to finish seventh.
Jacob Wheeler finished fifth overall after catching 63 pounds, 11 ounces on Day 4. He focused on suspended bass in the south end of the lake before moving to the grass. He used a Chatter Bait with a Rapala Freeloader trailer.
Justin Cooper, of Zwolle, Louisiana, collected his first professional fishing tournament win, power fishing the grass with a 4-inch Rock’n Shad on a jig head.
“Color didn’t matter much,” Cooper said. “Long casts in the grass were key.”
Cooper edged out Colby Miller, of Elmer, Louisiana, who finished second. Miller had the lead, but a small fish landed by Cooper at the end of the final time period sealed the win.
“If I hadn’t hooked into a 1-pound, 10-ounce fish right at the end, I wouldn’t have won,” he said.
Cooper took home
$150,000 for the win, with Miller winning $45,000. Alabaman Jacob Wall finished third, winning $35,000, followed by Alton Jones Jr., of Waco, who earned $30,000 for fourth place.
Lone Star outdoor newS
Dylan Sorrells, while practicing for a high school bass tournament, caught the 13.64-pound largemouth at Richland-Chambers Reservoir. Photo by TPWD.
Justin Cooper won the MLF Bass Pro Tour event on Lake Conroe.
Photo by Cory Byrnes, for Lone Star Outdoor News.
17
TEXAS SUN, MOON AND TIDES
20 Thu 11:03 4:51 11:27 5:15 06:55 06:13 12:55a 11:11a
21 Fri 11:53 5:40 ----- 6:05 06:54 06:14 1:53a 11:55a
22 Sat 12:16 6:30 12:43 6:57 06:53 06:15 2:51a 12:45p
23 Sun 1:06 7:20 1:34 7:48 06:52 06:15 3:47a 1:43p
24 Mon 1:57 8:11 2:25 8:39 06:51 06:16 4:38a 2:47p
25 Tue 2:48 9:02 3:16 9:29 06:50 06:17 5:25a 3:55p
26 Wed 3:38 9:52 4:05 10:19 06:49 06:18 6:06a 5:05p
27 Thu 4:28 10:41 4:54 11:07 06:48 06:18 6:42a 6:13p
28 Fri 5:20 11:03 5:45 ----- 06:47 06:19 7:16a
Sabine Pass, north
Galveston Bay entrance, north jetty
Freeport Harbor
Port O’Connor
Nueces Bay East Matagorda
Port Aransas South Padre Island
Bounceback with medicated feed
returned where habitat meets healthy birds. Based on conversations with other Rolling Plains hunters, I have no doubt that this feed is a difference maker.”
On the ranch, preliminary evidence indicates that suppressing infection leads to not only population growth but also the sustainment of those populations through the years. The treatment of wild bobwhite with the medicated feed began after the population crashed again in 2018. The property was treated twice a year in three-week intervals, once in the spring and once in the fall, using feeders placed approximately every 200 acres.
Despite occasional fluctuations, the bobwhite population on the treated site has remained resilient, even in years with severe environmental challenges. In 2022, a year marked by extreme drought conditions, the treated site still managed to sustain huntable populations, even though Texas Parks and Wildlife Department roadside counts during this time recorded the lowest bobwhite numbers ever documented for the Rolling Plains.
A nearby 2,000-acre property, the Ribelin Ranch, is estimated to hold more than one bird per acre after a few years of methodical treatment. On a late-season hunt, 11 coveys were found in less than four hours of hunting on foot. Two of those coveys contained more than 30 birds each.
“Since we started using QuailGuard, quail very rarely fly into our windows and die anymore, which in the past was a common occurrence,” said owner Brad Ribelin. “We are consistently seeing and hearing quail every day and hunting has been consistently good year to year since we began using
QuailGuard. When we hear so many hunters complaining how there are no quail to hunt and you know your ranch is flush with them, you realize what you are doing is working.”
At the W7/Williams Ranch, in Garza County, owner David Williams reported 16 coveys after three hours of hunting on foot. When hunting via truck, hunting dogs would find quail within five minutes each time the vehicle stopped.
“I stopped hunting quail at the ranch in 2017,” Williams said. “We would occasionally see a covey or two, but essentially the quail were gone. In the first year of the program there was little success; however, each year thereafter, quail populations have steadily increased. Now, we expect to push 15 to 20 coveys on two hunts a day. We’ve completely turned around the Ranch’s quail populations, in just over four years. W7’s quail are back.”
Suber concluded the restoration of once-thriving bobwhite populations remains within reach, and the “boom and bust” cycles may be able to be mitigated.
“Although population fluctuations will continue in response to factors such as weather patterns and food availability, addressing parasitic infections appears to mitigate the severity of these fluctuations,” she wrote. “The medicated feed, when used as prescribed 2x/year for 21 days, may provide an effective way to maintain populations while the time-intensive solutions to other pressures are addressed.”
QuailGuard also is economically feasible, Suber wrote. The medicated feed costs $1/acre annually to administer.
Popping the question
Continued from page 1 purchased and snuck it on a drake pintail.
“I guess they slipped it on,” Borak said. “This was when it all transpired and they successfully surprised me.”
When Matejcek got down on one knee while she examined the band that read, “Will you marry me,” Borak said she felt all of the joyous feelings, but was completely shocked more than anything. She still cannot believe the boys pulled it off and is excited for this next chapter of their life.
Before ever meeting, the couple grew up hunting and fishing. Borak said she and Matejcek credit their fathers for exposing them to the outdoors and nurturing their love for it.
“Ultimately, this led to Mason’s career route toward becoming a fly-fishing and duck-hunting guide,” Borak said. “I love being on the water and will admit fishing is something I know I want to do the rest of my life.”
When finding your soulmate, Borak believes if your foundations align and you share similar passions while meeting in the middle, that is what truly matters.
Borak described this engagement as one of the happiest moments of her life. As they are enjoying this current season, she is certain their wedding plans will somehow include being outdoors in some way, shape or form.
A special band reading “Will you marry me?” was put on a drake pintail for Cierra Borak. Photo by Hayden Dobbins.
LONE STAR OUTDOOR PUZZLER
Solution on Page 20
ACROSS
3) Good color in the deer blind
5) The big-beaked duck
9) An African antelope
10) Good white bass river
12) Slang for the whistling duck, ___ duck
14) Eggs in the turkey nest
15) B.A.S.S. founder
16) Emory’s county
18) The lion family
21) Coastal bay
23) Pittsburg’s county
24) Van Zandt County’s seat
25) One of the cats
27) A duck favorite
30) Salmon species
32) Shotshell brand
34) The male goose
37) Ammo brand
38) Medina County’s seat
39) One of Abilene’s lakes
40) East Texas lake
41) Trout species
42) Kendall County’s seat
43) One of the falcons
DOWN 1) One of the quail 2) Shotgun brand 4) Hunting boot brand
5) Rifle brand
6) A goose favorite
7) The antler set
8) Weatherford’s county
11) Turkey hunters’ org.
12) A winter deer favorite
13) Vodka brand, Grey ____
14) Austin’s river
17) A deer warning signal
19) Fisher County’s seat
20) Central Texas lake
22) A good fishing minnow
23) Group of falcons
24) Bass favorite
26) Fishing TV host
28) Meridian’s county
29) A Great Lake
31) One of the hawks
33) Duck call brand
35) Border lake
36) A spaniel
38) Organ eaten by dove hunters
40) Soft plastic lure
Texas position at WU
Whitetails Unlimited Inc. is seeking a parttime Field Director in Texas.
Marketing agency for Huk
Huk selected marketing agency Obviouslee as its media relations agency of record.
Megabass to expand
Japanese lure brand Megabass entered into a strategic partnership with L Catterton, a global investment firm, to assist in further expansion.
Shot Show awards
The Guns America 2025 Shot Show Awards, announced in Las Vegas, Nevada, were awarded to the following products:
Best shotgun: Mossberg 590RM
Best rifle: Geissele King Hunter
Best suppressor: Silencer Central BANISH 9K
Editor’s Choice: SIG LOC Red Dot
Best Optic: Zero Compromise ZC210
Best innovation: Arken Rifle
Best handgun: Jacob Grey Hex 2011
Best accessory: MDT Mountain Bipod
Best firearm: Seekins PH3 Rifle
Heeren joins Arcus
Arcus Hunting hired Jim Heeren as its national sales manager for the Midwest and Western U.S.
Agency for Badlands
Badlands Gear Co. named Idea Ranch as its public relations agency of record.
NMMA hires Usyk as VP
Jacky Usyk was hired as vice president of government relations of the National Marine Manufacturers Association.
Venison rump florentine
3-5 lbs. rump roast of venison
4-6 garlic cloves
6 slices bacon, chopped
8 ozs. fresh spinach
1 shallot, chopped
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup gruyere cheese, grated
3/4 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
1/2 cup canned artichoke hearts,
drained and chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsps. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butterfly the meat on a cutting board so the thickness is about 1/2-inch. Salt and pepper the surface of the meat and refrigerate. In a deep skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon and reserve 2 tbsps. of the bacon fat.
Chop bacon into small pieces. In the bacon fat over medium heat, place the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the shallot and bell pepper to the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Remove and place the cooked spinach mixture in a large bowl to cool for 10 minutes. Add, breadcrumbs, artichoke, mayonnaise, cheese, bacon, tomatoes and combine. Spread the stuffing over the meat. When the meat is covered, roll until it has resembled the original rump. Tie with butcher’s twine to hold together. Spread olive oil over the meat surface. Sear all sides of the assembled roast in a dutch oven pot on the stove-top over mediumhigh heat. Insert meat thermometer and place dutch oven in oven. Roast for 30 minutes. Turn roast and cook for another 30 minutes. Internal temperature should read 135-140 degrees when roast is done. Remove from oven and tent with foil for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
1 lb. crappie fillets
Leftover crappie cakes
1 bag Zatarain’s Crab Boil
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley Green onions, optional Jalapenos, optional
1 tsp. Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp. spicy brown mustard
Juice of half a lemon
1 sleeve Ritz crackers
1/2 stick butter
1 cup peanut oil
Boil crappie fillets with Zatarain’s Crab Boil until they float. Remove fillets; chill about 2 hours. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat an egg; add celery, parsley, (onions and jalapenos if desired), seasonings, mayonnaise, mustard and lemon juice; mix. Break crappie fillets into chunks; add to mixture. Add enough crushed crackers to mixture so it can be formed into cakes the size of hockey pucks. Roll cakes in crumbs on both sides. Sauté cakes in butter and peanut oil until both sides are brown. Transfer to baking pan; bake 10 minutes.
—Arkansas GFC
Puzzle by Craig Nyhus, Lone Star Outdoor News
TEXAS SALTWATER FISHING
SABINE LAKE: 50 degrees. Redfish are good on Carolina-rigged live shrimp or mullet. Speckled trout are good on soft plastics.
BOLIVAR: 55 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on live shrimp and soft plastics. Sand trout, black drum, redfish and sheepshead are fair on live shrimp.
TRINITY BAY: 62 degrees. Black drum are good on shrimp. Speckled trout are fair on soft plastics and slow-sinking twitch baits. Redfish are good on live shrimp under a popping cork.
EAST GALVESTON BAY: 60 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are good on soft plastics and hard baits. Black drum are good on live shrimp and finger mullet.
GALVESTON BAY: 65 degrees. Speckled trout and black drum are fair on live shrimp under popping corks.
WEST GALVESTON BAY: 62 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are fair on soft plastics.
TEXAS CITY: 58 degrees. Speckled trout, redfish and black drum are fair on live shrimp and finger mullet. Oversized black drum are good on halved crab and cut mullet.
FREEPORT: 50 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are good on soft plastics. Black drum and sheepshead are good on live shrimp.
EAST MATAGORDA BAY: 60 degrees. Speckled trout and redfish are good on soft plastics and slow-sinking twitch baits.
WEST MATAGORDA BAY: 60 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on soft plastics and slow-sinking twitch baits. Redfish are good on cut bait.
PORT O’CONNOR: 59 degrees. Speckled
trout are fair on live shrimp and soft plastics. Bull redfish are good on Spanish sardines and blue crab. Slot redfish are fair on live shrimp. Black drum are good on dead shrimp.
SAN ANTONIO BAY: 60 degrees. Speck led trout and redfish are fair on live shrimp. Sheepshead are good on dead shrimp.
ROCKPORT: 62 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on live shrimp and soft plastics. Red fish are good on shrimp and cut mullet. Black drum are good on live or dead shrimp and fish bites.
REDFISH BAY: 64 degrees. Redfish and black drum are good on dead shrimp. Speck led trout are good on slow-sinking twitch baits.
PORT ARANSAS: 62 degrees. Redfish are good on live shrimp and cut mullet. Bull redfish are good on cut crab and mullet. Speckled trout are good on shrimp. Black drum are fair on shrimp.
CORPUS CHRISTI: 64 degrees. Redfish and black drum are good on dead shrimp. Speckled trout are good on slow-sinking twitch baits.
BAFFIN BAY: 55 degrees. Speckled trout are fair on soft plastics and slow-sinking twitch baits. Redfish are fair on soft plastics and top-waters.
PORT MANSFIELD: 60 degrees. Redfish and speckled trout are good on soft plastics and top-waters.
SOUTH PADRE: 64 degrees. Speckled trout are good on soft plastics. Redfish are good on soft plastics and spoons. Sheepshead, mangrove snapper and flounder are good on live shrimp.
—TPWD
OKLAHOMA Guide licensing bill introduced
A bill before the Oklahoma legislature would establish regulations for hunting guides in the state, requiring both residents and nonresidents to obtain a hunting guide license before assisting or guiding individuals in the taking of game for compensation. The provisions of the bill are similar to what Texas waterfowl guides have requested of the state.
The bill, introduced by Sen. Roland Pederson, of Burlington, outlines the fee structure for these licenses, with a maximum fee of $1,000 for residents and $2,000 for nonresidents. It also sets forth requirements for obtaining a license, including age, identification, certification in first aid and CPR, proof of liability insurance, and written permission from landowners. Certain exemptions are provided for landowners, individuals licensed for commercial hunts, and lessees of rural land under specific conditions.
this partnership, Kato will introduce the MLF format to Japanese anglers starting in 2025 with the launch of the MLF Japan Kasumi BMC Series.
Kato, a long-time advocate for bass fishing in Japan, is the current owner of Big Mouth Club and has supported BMC tournaments for many years through his company Bass Pro Support. For more than 30 years, BMC has hosted tournaments at some of Japan’s largest fisheries. BMC plans to expand tournament offerings nationwide in the coming years. —MLF
COLORADO Points system changes
The way Colorado awards many of its big game tags has changed. The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission approved revisions replacing the state’s hybrid draw system with a “split-draw” model for elk, deer, bear, pronghorn and turkey tags.
Additionally, the bill includes penalties for violations of its provisions, with fines escalating for repeat offenses and potential revocation of the hunting guide license for a specified period.
The bill is currently before the Agriculture and Wildlife Committee.
—Staff report
WASHINGTON D.C. Hunting party dies on Flight 5342
A group of seven friends from the Washington D.C. area returning from a waterfowl hunting trip to Kansas all died in the crash of Flight 5342, when an American Airlines commuter jet collided with a military helicopter as the plane approached Ronald Reagan National Airport.
The seven hunters had come to Kansas in a party of 10 to hunt with outfitter Fowl Plains, based out of Great Bend. Three from the group drove home transporting hunting dogs, shotguns and gear. The hunt included three days of duck and goose hunting, along with a European pheasant hunt.
—Staff report
Reh receives NSSF’s highest honor
Jef Reh, who has served for four decades at Beretta USA as general counsel, received the Ken Sedlecky Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the organization’s highest honor. Reh also has been a member of the NSSF Board of Governors for more than 20 years.
“Jeff has been a pillar of wise counsel throughout his decades of service at Beretta and NSSF,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and CEO.
—NSSF
KENTUCKY MLF expanding into Japan
Major League Fishing announced an exclusive licensing agreement with Eisaku Kato to operate MLF events in Japan. Through
Available tags will be divided evenly between two groups of applicants, half under the preference point system and half through a bonus draw, which is more like a raffle drawing, although three preference points are required to be eligible.
The department argued that everyone will have a chance to draw a permit under the new system. Opponents, many who have been waiting to be drawn for upwards of 30 years, asserted their wait will be longer now that half of the tags have been removed from the draw. Other opponents of the changes argued allocating 25 percent of tags to nonresident hunters was excessive.
The random draw system for desert bighorn permits in the state remained unchanged.
—Staff report
MASSACHUSETTS
Decoy auction for Delta Waterfowl
Copley Fine Art Auctions will present Session II of The George Secor Decoy Collection to benefit Delta Waterfowl at The Winter Sale on Feb. 21-22. This auction will offer premium Ontario carvings from the Secor collection, with the proceeds of the hammer to be donated in their entirety to Delta Waterfowl to support the organization’s conservation programs.
Leading the decoys on offer is an exceedingly rare canvasback pair by Henry “Hank” Catton (1854-1933) of Ridgetown, Ontario. The Catton canvasbacks — which Secor ranks as favorites in his collection — carry an estimated auction value of $15,000 to $25,000. Another exceptional Ontario carving set to cross the block is an early Canada goose by Long Point’s Phineas Reeves (18331896). This circa-1880 decoy will be joined by another early work: a circa-1870 Canada goose carved by Daniel B. Jones (18341903) of Crofton in Prince Edward County. Each goose decoy is estimated at $7,000 to $10,000.
A previous sale in July 2024 raised more than $170,000 for Delta Waterfowl, including a Chambers Deming-Seitz Canada goose at $37,200.
—Delta Waterfowl
On the bottom
channels. He’s been focusing on areas with structure like brush piles and rocks in about 2030 feet of water. Swimbaits have been producing the most consistent action on 3-4-pound fish.
“There are schools of stripers stacked over various forms of structure — you just have to know where these areas are located,” he said.
Prichard prefers chunking swimbaits over spots with structure rather than dead-sticking in deep water.
“I’ve been bouncing around to various spots with structure and casting and retrieving swimbaits over rocks and brush piles the stripers are using as ambush points,” he said. “To me, this tactic is a whole lot more fun than dead-sticking, and we’ve been catching limits doing it.”
On Richland Chambers Reservoir, Royce Simmons said the hybrids have been holding in 25-30 feet of water off main lake points.
“Slow presentations with slabs, as well as live bait, have been putting the most hybrids in the boat,” the guide said. “There are plenty of small fish mixed in with keeper-sized fish.”
Drumming up fun
been some decent concentrations of drum pushing into shallow back lakes as well.”
According to Jones, there are black drum of all sizes being caught, including both keeper and oversized fish. The big uglies have been holding in guts and channels between oyster reefs and have been feeding on larger baits like chunks of crab.
“We have been able to sight-cast to schools of redfish pretty regularly as well,” Jones said. “They have been particularly easy to find on calm days with light winds.”
Lefty Lazaro recently found some sheepshead starting to stage around the rocks near the Packery Channel bridge.
“The sheepshead numbers are not super thick along Packery Channel just yet, but there were enough in the area to make it worth targeting them,” Lazaro said. “The fish seemed to be moving through at a
slow-and-steady pace, and were hitting live shrimp fished along the edges of the rocks.”
Lazaro and some buddies were fishing on the south side of the Packery Channel bridge, and most of the sheepshead were in the 15-19-inch range.
“You had to let your bait sink down into the rocks in order to get bit.” he said.
Ricky Chapa fished from the Cos-Way fishing pier in Corpus Christi at night, and caught several oversized black drum while using fresh dead sea lice for bait. The two largest drum were 37.5 inches and 38 inches long.
Anglers fishing from the Texas City Dike also are starting to report decent action from oversized black drum. Fresh cracked crab and a variety of cut baits have been drawing the most strikes. Some bull redfish have been in the mix as well.
FADs installed
Continued from page 8
billfish, amberjack, tuna and grouper as they gravitate toward baitfish congregating around the devices.
It works similar to the way fish species congregate around floating objects like logs, platforms and other structures. The FADs are essentially open-water structure, and ocean plants, crustaceans and mollusks attach to the FADs, along with baitfish to feed on the creatures.
And by putting them some 50 miles from the coast, anglers could be making shorter trips. It’s no secret that going after the larger fish takes more time and money because of the long trips.
Daniel Bryant, with RGV Reef, said they used one of their boats to take and install the FADs. He said Friends of RGV Reef paid for one, TIFT and South Padre EDC and South Padre CVB paid for one each.
FADs are now placed and floating at several locations off the Texas coast. Photo by Friends of RGV Reef.
FEBRUARY 13-16
EXOTIC WILDLIFE ASSOCIATION
Annual Membership Meeting
Hyatt Regency Hill Country San Antonio (830) 315-7761
myewa.org
FEBRUARY 20
DUCKS UNLIMITED
Hurricane Creek Banquet
River Road Venue, Anna (214) 600-3103
ducks.org
FEBRUARY 21
DELTA WATERFOWL
Coastal Prairie Banquet
Beneath the Oak, Midfield (972) 921-1855
deltawaterfowl.org
FEBRUARY 22
PHEASANTS FOREVER
High Plains Dinner
McCrory’s Event Center Plainview (325) 261-1476 pheasantsforever.org
FEBRUARY 27
DUCKS UNLIMITED
Allen Dinner
Cross Creek Ranch, Parker (469) 951-2723 ducks.org
SPORTSMEN’S CLUB OF FORT WORTH
Wild Game Dinner
Dickies Arena Sportsmensclub.org
DATEBOOK
FEBRUARY 28
NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION
Crosstimbers Banquet
Decatur Civic Center (940) 393-8908 nwtf.org
DELTA WATERFOWL
Lamar County Banquet
Love Civic Center, Paris (903) 249-2480 deltawaterfowl.org
MARCH 1
ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION
Cowtown Clay Shoot
Fossil Pointe Sporting Grounds
Decatur (254) 707-0081 rmef.org
DUCKS UNLIMITED
Kerrville Banquet
Happy State Bank Expo Hall (830) 460-0696 ducks.org
MARCH 6
OPERATION GAME THIEF
Fort Worth Clay Stoppers Shootout
MARCH 8
ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION
Hill Country Banquet Gillispie County Fairgrounds Fredericksburg (210) 240-0214 rmef.org
MARCH 13
DALLAS SAFARI CLUB
Annual General Meeting
Bent Tree Country Club (972) 980-9800 biggame.org
Defender Outdoors Clay Sports Ranch (800) 792-4263 ogttx.org
MARCH 7
DELTA WATERFOWL
Aggieland Banquet
Legends Event Center, Bryan (979) 575-8257 deltawaterfowl.org
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MARCH 15
ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION
South Texas Banquet Pedrotti’s Ranch, Helotes (907) 687-5690 rmef.org
MARCH 22
DSC SOUTH TEXAS 2025 Gala Pedrotti’s Ranch, Helotes dscsouthtexas.org
DUCKS UNLIMITED
Texoma Spring Event Hilton Garden Inn, Denison (903) 815-2229 ducks.org
MARCH 27
WHITETAILS UNLIMITED North Texas Deer Camp Myers Park Show Barn, McKinney whitetailsunlimited.com
Shedhunting tips
Continued from page 4
matches due to being dropped very close together. To confirm matches dropped far apart, the team looked for symmetry in a specific set of characteristics.
Finding a matched antler shed is less likely than some may think — only 13 percent of the time. Out of 1,059 total shed antlers collected and evaluated, 775 of them were singles without a match.
The distances between matched sheds varied widely. Out of the 142 matched pairs, Peterson collected distances between the two sheds for 113 pairs. The greatest distance between a matched set was 1,144 meters (1,251 yards), while the closest was less than 1 meter.
Most of the matched sets were found very close to each other, with half (56) of the pairs lying up to 10 meters apart. Another 27 pairs were found 10 to 100 meters apart. Only seven matched pairs were separated by more than 500 meters.
Peterson suggested when a shed is found to stop, scan the immediate area carefully and then do a careful search of the ground within a 10- to 15-step radius of the shed.
“If you find one, don’t be in a rush to keep walking that same line,” Peterson told the National Deer Alliance’s Lindsay Thomas Jr. “Slow down and make loops. Spin off from that central location.”
Peterson suggested widening the loops to cover the 100-meter distance.
“Once you get out of that circle, your percentages drop sharply,” he told NDA. “You may as well continue on your search for other antlers.”
DUVAL COUNTY South Texas Dove Hunting 200 acres, Lodging (RV Power Available) Huntershilton.com For more info (361) 244-0544 or (361) 443-9330 LEARN
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For Details Call (830) 324-6690
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